The World's Brightest Candle

I have had a mixed start to the week and it is only Wednesday there have been real highs and then a real downer. One thing I can share with you, woman verses car door you don't come off well. 

However I now have a cool purple cast, I had lots of choice and the child in me had to hold back. What I really wanted was a strip of ever colour (Blue, pink, green, black, yellow, red and purple). The plastering man however didn't look pleased with that prospect. 

Well anyway on to my post...

I love lighting candles around the house both for their lovely glow and the wonderful aroma they give off.  My favourites are Jo Malone (Lime Basil and Madarin) £39 quite pricey but burns for 45 hours, Yankee favourites being black cherry and Bahama Breeze £16.99 and Sainsbury's TU orchid and sweet coconut £7.50. 

I recently tried a new candle from a company called PartyLite - GloLite Calm Waters.

The first thing you notice on opening the box is the beautiful blue shade the candle is. I can't really say I noticed any significant smell from the candle and the same was true on burning it. 

But when the candle is lit is comes into its own a beautiful warm and wonderful glow is emitted. 

I now understand why the candle is called GloLite. Light runs throughout the pillar of the candle and it radiates light. Within a room it gives off a beautiful warm glow. It definitely is the the brightest candle I have had but without the smell I certainly would not swap from my above firm favourites. 

What are your favourite brands and smells of candles? Or are you an oil or candle melts  fan?

ELF Cosmetics

Happy weekend peeps. Sorry I am late in posting, it has been a really busy week, actually scrap that it has been a manic week. How has your week been? 

I have read lots of beauty blogs talking about ELF cosmetics and how wonderful they are. ELF started in 2004 and had one main aim when they began, to create high quality cosmetics without the price tag. 

They came to the UK in 2007 and since then there have been some staple items that I have loved buying (Lipsticks, Nail Polishes, Lip Balms and their High Definition Powders). 

As someone who is allergic to sunlight having a lip balm with an automatic SPF in is a must, very few have any sun protection. ELF lip balm (£3.75) has an SPF of 15 and is lovely and moisturising. 

I use the clear lip balm and carry it around daily in my handbag. I love this product as it has a wonderful applicator and really brings my chapped lips back to life in winter. If you like a splash of colour it also comes in nude, pink, peach, rose and plum. 

For a while I have also been using the high definition powder (£6) in translucent, applying to my face after adding all my make up. It gives a wonderful finish and an all over even tone to my skin. 

When I saw that Elf had started doing a new corrective yellow powder I was excited to give it a go. As I often have rosy cheeks having a corrective powder on really helps to reduce the flush and makes all the difference to my make up routine. 

When it arrived I was a little scared at how yellow the powder was. Although the colour looks extremely yellow when on it is invisible and gives my skin a great matt finish. It definitely gets rid of shine for a more healthy glow. 

Tip however - don't remove the sticker entirely as this holds the power in. Too much powder is released in one go if it comes off entirely. I also don't use the powder puff I use a blusher brush to apply the powder. 

I think I have shared with you all before that I have almighty black bags under my eyes. This is in part due to not getting enough sleep or drinking the recommended amount of water daily. But I personally blame it on faulty genes. Make up goes some way to help but when they are bad they can still be visable. That was until I found Elf High Definition Undereye Setting Powder  (£3.75).

Once I have added Benefit Erase paste in fair (£19.50) under my eyes, Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener - Light Bisque (£19.50) I add my Elf high definition powder. Magic in a pot. 

Not only does this product set my cream concealer under my eyes so it stays on longer but it also gives flawless coverage. No more dark circles. 

What make up tips do you have to share?

http://eyeslipsface.co.uk
@ELFCosmeticsUK
@askElf

Flower Bomb - Viktor and Rolf

I enjoy wearing perfumes and am a great believer that different smells can change your mood and the way you feel. 

When I find a perfume I like, I generally stick with it. My preferred perfume tones are those with a citrus or flowery huge. 

You already know that I love Jo Malone, their Lime Basil and Mandarin perfume being my absolute favourite. But a girl needs an everyday perfume, and my perfume of choice has to be Stella McCartney (Stella and Lily to be exact) both are lovely perfumes that use flowers to create their wonder aroma. 

Lily has a fresh, lily of the valley smell and Stella uses roses, peony and mandarin essences. In Winter both perfumes remind me that Spring is not too far away. 

The packaging for both perfumes and the design of the Stella perfume bottles are beautiful. You can tell that an iconic fashion designer had a hand in creating them. 

Lily however has a bit of a fault in which you can never get about 5mls of the perfume out of the end of the bottle. This has happened with every bottle I have had. It drives me up the wall. But the smell I love too much to give it up.  

I have gone through bottles and bottles of both perfumes and still very much love the way they make me feel when I have them on.  

But every girl needs a change, and when I smelt Flower Bomb by Viktor and Rolf, lets just say it was an instant match made in heaven. 

The smell well if you could bottle happiness it would smell like this. 

It has some of my favourite flowers in it freesia, rose and orchid. The smell of orange bergamot is wonderful. The bottle make me chuckle each time I pick it up. Why? Well it smells really feminine but the bottle looks like a grenade. Someone I think had their tongue-in-cheek when designing it. 

What are your favourite perfumes? 

www.stellamccartney.com 
@StellaMcCartney 

http://www.viktor-rolf.com/
@Viktor_and_Rolf

Jo Malone - London

Happy Friday everyone. Hope you've had a good week and have some nice weekend plans. 

I am currently full of a cold so this weekend will be about wrapping up warm and relaxing. Currently have a nose that Rudolf would be proud off. 

To say I love Jo Malone products would be an understatement. I absolutely love them, they are my guilty pleasure. For any poor person that has the misfortune of being in their London store (Sloane Street, Covent Garden or Brook Street) at the same time as me, I look like a child for whom all their Christmases have come at one. 

Now I'm serious. If you haven't been inside one of their stores, I should start by saying how impeccably they are designed. The black and cream Jo Malone icon design runs throughout their stores.

When I go to any of their stores I wander around smelling everything from their cologne, bath lotions, room fragrances to candles. They all smell so wonderful with citrus, fruity and floral undertones. 

Jo Malone was established in 1994 by no other than Jo herself. Jo Malone has a solid history in beauty originally being a facial therapist, it is this knowledge I think that sets them apart from other brands.  

But all good things have to come to an end and when Jo left in 2006 as Creative Director I must admit that I was worried that the dream would be shattered. I shouldn't have worried I love the brand as much now as I did then. 

I thought I would share some of my favourites. A girl can never have to many candles. Jo Malone candles smell divine and picking a favourite is a real challenge.  

For me personally I like a candle with a wonderful smell that when burnt a few times doesn't bore me and for this reason my absolute favourite and I mean favourite candle is: Lime Basil and Mandarin  the smell of the lime is good enough to eat and the mandarin reminds me of holidays to Italy. The smell hangs in the air long after the candle has been extinguished. 

So when I got Pomegranate Noir  as a present I was excited to try it. 

                                

Sadly I wasn't really that impressed, the smell just wasn't present. I love their pomegranate cologne so thought the smell of the candle would be similar and perfect for winter. 

Jo Malone is known for its wonderful fragrance but this smelled really of very little when burning and certainly not reminiscent of pomegranate. To be honest I think they may have even left the oils out of this one altogether. 

You might have guessed by my top candle pick that I love lime basil and mandarin. I use Jo Malone body lotions always when getting out of the bath. The lime is lovely it softens my skin and the best bit the smell lasts for ages. Generally when wearing this beauty I miss out on perfume or cologne, you just don't need it.  

Jo Malone have wonderful British bespoke fragrances, unlike the above candle their pomegranate cologne has wonderful woody, spicy undertones. Perfect for winter and wearing it I have had loads of complements from people. Fancy trying their colognes for yourself visit any of their stores, they have them all out for you to happily sample. 

My top tip is visit, dab on, continue shopping till it dies down and assess if you still like it. If you do go back and purchase it. Cologne is really personal and what smells divine on one person can smell very differently on another.

Jo Malone has a wonderful talent of making fine and loved fragrances. Jo's recent venture is Jo Loves boutique, I am looking forward and excited to try out some of theor beautiful bath products. Watch this space.

http://www.jomalone.co.uk/

@JoMaloneLondon

http://www.joloves.com/

@Mejomalone

@JOLOVES_team