My Jo Malone Collection.

It won't come as a surprise to some of you when I tell you that I adore Jo Malone fragrance. It's the pairing of two (often unusual) scents to create a beautiful, sophisticated final perfume with an elegant bottle to match. I appreciate packaging, and most of all on fragrance. Bad packaging can put me off buying a fragrance completely (hi Marc Jacobs)
I remember my friend Jade telling me that she thought Jo Malone perfume bottles looked like room spray, and I replied telling her that's the reason I like it. Non fussy, just simple. 

My collection has grown slightly over the last few months. It began with Nectarine Blossom and Honey back in September, you can see a full review of that here. This remains in my top two favourites. It is so gorgeous and sweet, but not in an overpowering way. It lasts all day on me, as all Jo Malone colognes do, and I love it from the top note to the base note. 

Second and third to make it into my collection were sort of hand me downs from a friend. She works for Clinique and often blindly buys fragrance on the staff discount site, which always results in new presents for me! She herself has well over 80 perfumes at home so if she buys something that she doesn't love, she passes it on. Orange Blossom is very floral, not one I pick up all of the time as it isn't really 'me' but it is a gorgeous smell non the less. It's just a bit mature for my tastes if that makes sense.
Vanilla and Anise is a deep, rich scent which I used a lot through winter. Again, it's not one I would choose but I do enjoy wearing it a lot. It's quite mysterious and one spray is enough to last hours. It definitely packs a punch!

The same said friend knew I had been harping on about Blackberry and Bay for ages! I kept nipping in to the Jo Malone shop and spritzing it on myself, and decided that it was the scent I was going to get married in. My wedding isn't until September 2014 but Jenni bought me this as a surprise. Instead of letting it fester and potentially go off in that time, I've decided to crack it open and use it anyway. To me it is the perfect late summer/autumn scent. It's fruity, and it truley does smell of blackberry (one of my favourite fruits) but is balanced by aromatic bay. It's a really nostalgic perfume, as the website states; 

"Childhood memories of blackberry picking... stained lips, sticky palms. A burst of deep, tart blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. A vibrant and verdant fragrance."

Next on my list is Earl Grey and Cucumber, without a doubt. 

Thanks for reading,

E.

Midweek post: L'Occitane Milk Body Wash

L'Occitane Bonne Mere Gentle Body Wash, £22 for 600ml.

Whenever I walk past the L'occitane shop in Cardiff I always look through longingly. Well, on my birthday this looking caught Ben's attention and he dragged me in there for a birthday treat. Straight away I saw this and knew I had to have it!
It appealed to me with it's 'gentle' and kind-to-the-skin claims, I'd noticed some dry patches cropping up here and there, particularly on my lower legs and the back of my arms, and I like to use body washes that aren't too strongly scented or overpowering. I also thought it would be suitable for Ben to use too, should he want to borrow it (he has sensitive skin).

There was a choice between a milk or honey formulation. I chose the milk because I remember getting a giftset years ago with a milk bubble bath in it and I loved it.
The texture is creamy and feels like a foaming moisturiser. It lathers amazingly well, you're coated in bubbles after just a pump or two and it smells softly of milky-creamy goodness. I've noticed that said dry patches I mentioned above have been restored back to normal and my skin doesn't feel tight or dry after showering.

This is a luxury bathtime treat, and I would really recommend this body wash, particularly if you suffer with sensitive skin or are suffering from any skin ailments, I imagine this would be lovely and soothing on sun burn.

The pretty packaging also can't go unmentioned-simplistic and appealing with a tasteful nod to vintage- like other L'Occitane products. I love the way it adorns our bathroom!

What are your favourite L'Occitane products? Would you pick honey or milk?

Ojon Dry Recovery, worth the hype?

Ojon Dry Recovry Shampoo £18 for 250ml and Conditioner, £19.50 for 250ml.

I was very excited to try these products, luxury hair products always excite me a little and using the Ojon oil ingredient they're famous for I was hoping the treatments would work for me.

The smell of these is absolutely divine! It may sound silly to some, but the scent just reminds me of what I imagine it would be like to be in a middle Eastern spa! It's quite undescribable to be honest, but I am a sucker for a good smelling shower product and I always look forward to cracking these open!

I may have chosen the wrong treatment for my hair by choosing the Dry Recovery range,  but I almost feel the moisture within the shampoo has almost over compensated and my hair has become overly nourished (I'd be interested to know if others may have found this too). By this I mean I've found that my hair feels greasier a day quicker than it used to when I was using a Tigi shampoo and conditioner, which means I've in turn had to use more dry shampoo in those days between washes.  However, a plus side of this point would be to say that the range really does do what it says on the tin, and if you do suffer from severely dry hair then definitely give this a shot, if I'm honest I don't think my hair was in as bad condition as I assumed it would be.

I've been using Ojon for about 5 weeks now, aside from the vast restoration of moisture into my hair, I haven't noticed a vast difference in the condition of my hair in terms of split ends or colour protection. I love that it does feel light and clean after washing and I've never had any product residue remaining- it washes out very easily. I think I would purchase from Ojon again however I would probably choose a different treatment next time!

Midweek post; Burning the Jo Malone

I'm afraid to admit that I did squeal with delight when this arrived a couple of weeks ago. Having never been a 'candle person' until recently, I was quite surprised at my reaction!

Jo Malone are a luxurious brand that sell bath-stuff and candles amongst other things. Gorgeous scents and stylishly packaged, this would be perfect as a gift (to yourself or somebody else!)

I love the cream box the candle was packaged in, fastened with a black bow. Padded with black tissue paper another black bow decorates the lid of the candle, too.

I chose English Pear and Freesia because I thought it would be all fresh and spring-y. And it is, it's nice. The scent subtley fills the room when it's being burned, it's warm and floral but not overpowering.

Instagram: emilylaurenbethxo

Do you love Jo Malone too? Any other products to recommend to me?

CHANEL Poudre Universelle Libre AKA Natural Finish Loose Powder

Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre in '20 Clair- Translucent 1', £30 for 30g.

Poudre Universelle Libre is the finest loose powder I've ever used, the grains are so slight that they are like dust to the touch and therefore blend really well on top of foundation to set it.

The shade I use '20 Clair' which is toneless, it's perfect as it doesn't add or change the colour of foundation it is is being laid on top off.

This powder does a good job and the product is of great quality. I've found that the less you use, the more effective and better it is, adding too much can create that really over-powdered look that is just too matte and unnatural. I also found that using lots of this on top of foundation does seem to dry my skin slightly, a problem that didn't occur with my previous Bare Minerals foundation powder (review on this and other Bare Minerals products to come)

The finish is a matte satin finish on my skin. It keeps my face shine free throughout the day, except on my T-Zone area which does need touching up after a few hours, particularly on my nose!

The amount in the tub is a whopping 30g which is a definate positive! It's pretty good value for money, and like I said, the smallest amount is needed to set makeup. Of course the downside to this large amount is it isn't the most portable of items, it would be bulky to carry around in a handbag and is awkward to travel with, but that factor can be overseen when I see those double C's looking back at me!
Aside from it's bulkiness, the packaging is functional with a screw top lid and plastic grate that controls the amount of product you tap through to use. The lid is so large you can use this to hold the powder in whilst swirling it on the brush before applying it to the face.

Overall I'd rate this product because it is good quality and is a fantastic loose, translucent powder. However, I have used other powders that keep a matte finish to my skin for longer and that can be layered without looking too powdery, unlike this one. I am pleased that this product will last me a long while, you get such a large amount of product, yet need to use so little on a daily basis.

Do you use this? What other loose powders would you recommend?