Facial Extravagance with EVE LOM

The other week I was lucky enough to try the gorgeously luxurious Eve Lom Signature Facial.  A facial like no other that uses contrasting temperatures of hot and cold alongside a unique massage technique to thoroughly cleanse, tone and awaken the skin. 

Starting with the iconic Cleanser, the facialist begins with a thorough cleanse. The warm slightly grainy cleanser is smoothly applied to the skin in soothing circular motions, it is then removed initially with a warm cloth followed by a cool one for final removal.  The next step is the application of a warm paraffin hot-wax mask, this is the most surreal sensation. Your face is enveloped in layer after layer of soft warm thick wax, creating a comforting cocoon of warmth surrounding your face. The heat of the wax opens pores and deeply softens the skin. It felt so amazing,  that I had to ask my therapist to take a photo of my face, so I could see what it looked like, which is not as exciting as it felt, all I could see was a thick white film on my face. This wax truly gives the most unique comforting sensation. Following removal of the mask, a gentle extraction takes place to renew the skin’s surface and unblock pores.   

The next step is a half hour of lymphatic drainage to clear blocked lymph channels and to encourage decongestion, with a heavenly acupressure massage to the upper body to clear away tension. Following this, Eve Lom’s camphor based Rescue Mask is applied and removed with a hot, chamomile soaked muslin cloth, gently exfoliating the skin and removing dead skin cells. The final step, an ice-cold compress, is applied to refresh and revitalise the skin.   

My face was left feeling ultra relaxed with silky smooth soft skin that looked radiant and felt fully cleansed. There was no sign of the earlier extractions, which is always a good sign. In short, this luxurious facial gives instant radiance that lasts whilst de-stressing the face and mind at the same time. Two weeks on and my skin is still revealing the benefits even post my hen weekend!  
Eve Lom Signature Facial from £115 (90 mins) http://www.evelom.com

Sun Kissed

This fab new instant tan has saved me on two emergencies in the last few weeks, once when asked to attend a rather glam awards ceremony very last minute and the other when the usually trusty St Tropez didn’t live up to expectation on my pale pasty post winter skin.

What I love about it,  is the fact you gain an instant tan of which you can control the tone and depth on application. It gives your skin a lovely glowing golden bronze colour, that dries straight away, smells pleasant, doesn’t streak or rub off on clothes, yet it can never the less be washed off when ever you choose, leaving you in charge!  

                  

Before:

KARORA’s Instant Tan is the only natural instant tan currently available in the UK market today. Thanks to its skin enriching organic ingredients that include jojoba, aloe, horse chestnut extract, sweet almond and grape seed oil, it can be used both on the body and face. Free from parabens, chemicals, artificial fragrances and dyes, it is most definitely the safest option out there come rain or shine for an immediate sun kiss.

After:

£13.99 available at: www.karoracosmetics.com

That's my April, May and June nails sorted by Chanel

Check out the stunning new April, May and June colours by Chanel for Spring 2012 

This sumptuous sunset ensemble of creamy, non-shimmer shades, give a smooth, rich and wonderfully opaque finish. They proved  easy to apply, quick to dry, leaving nails smooth and flawless  

April -  a rich fuchsia plummy red with purple/raspberry undertones 

May - my favourite, a beautiful pretty shell pink. Will be bringing this one on the honeymoon.

June - a soft a summery tangerine, needed three coats to get the above coverage and colour.

Why not have a bit of fun with them like my good friend laliqueheart!

£17.50 each available at: www.chanel.com

Only Roses

What can be more suiting for Valentines Day than a heavenly Rose scent. I am quite fussy when it comes to floral fragrances especially rose, as my nose has a clear preference for a little depth,  maintaining a bit of zest and freshness. Sweet sugary notes are definitely a no-no in my book. 

The newly launched diptyque Eau Rose, nails all these demands to a T, with its fresh infusion designed to celebrate the multiple aromas of the rose in its natural state. It is a delicate and very clean, uncluttered scent, unusual for a rose perfume. On smelling it you really can imagine holding up a freshly blossomed country rose to your nose.

With zesty notes of bergamot and blackcurrant combined with the depth of rose, musk, cedarwood, and honey, it is a warm scent, but by no means sickly sweet, the zest gives it a bright accent of  freshly crushed leaves or grass. It has a good lasting power too. I am not massive fan of the bottle's packaging, which could be a little more sophisticated, but the scent is definitely my top pick this Valentines. 

Eau Rose £60.00 available at: http://www.diptyqueparis.co.uk

Facial Radiance

Three of my friends, who to be fair have amazing skin, have been raving about Linda Meredith facials for months now and with devoted clients that include Sienna Miller, Gwyneth Paltrow and Rosamund Pike, they must be right. So with the big day fast approaching and radiant skin in demand, I decided to give it a whirl.

I had my first Haute Couture Facial last week and was extremely impressed at how thorough and knowledgable my therapist was, she fully analyzed my face spotting issues I was concerned with before I even opened my mouth. One shocking revelation was that the regular spots I get around my neck, which never seem to go away are  linked to a diary allergy, since my facial I have significantly reduced my diary intake and low and behold have noticed a big difference already. Yay!

The Haute Couture Facial is tailored to meet every individual’s requirements. It starts with an impressive analysis, deep cleanse followed by the application of unique double action Micro Glycolic Serums, designed to penetrate deep into the epidermal layers with anti bacterial properties that not only remove dead skin but work under the surface to dissolve excess dirt and trapped sebum. The serum is applied with gauze and worked into the skin in circular movements. This was followed by an extremely thorough extraction, a soothing mask and gorgeously relaxing facial massage.

I was slightly concerned after the facial as my skin appeared bit raised in places and a slightly red, but overnight this went down leaving a lovely glow. Since the treatment I have noticed that my skin appears a lot more smooth, pores seem to be smaller too and touch wood, I have had a less breakouts already. I have further facials booked over the next few months so will keep you posted, next in line is the Linda Meredith O2 an oxygen-regenerating facial. 
Available at: http://www.lindameredith.com

Something Blue

Now which to choose....  

Top 3 to decorate my lucky toes on the big day! 

Essie Lapis of Luxury £9.95, a beautiful luxurious warm blue with a hint of purple. Rich and smooth in texture, no streaks in sight!

Revlon Blue Lagoon £6.49, a very pretty baby blue with soft shimmering particles that reflect the light beautifully. Light in texture, is it is easy to apply and relatively streak free. 

Barry M Blueberry £2.99, a lovely rich 1950's vintage blue. Having never used Barry M before, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to apply, giving this amazing rich streak free colour in just one coat! 

London Beauty Spot

Working just off Marylebone High Street, my lunches are often spent admiring the many beauty stores along my rather distracting route to Pret.  The below are just a little taster, there are loads more... 

  

Spring Clean Skin

There’s nothing like clay based mask to deeply cleanse, decongest and refine post festive skin.  Renowned to draw out dirt and impurities, clay allows skin to breath. Used just once a week within your skin care routine or twice in emergencies, your skin is left smooth, soft and toned. These highly effective masks will transform sluggish lack of luster into healthy radiance.

                                          Top picks: 

• Eve Lom Rescue Mask £50 100ml - This highly effective mask, is an instant deep emergency treat, for sluggish and stressed skin. A staple SOS, I could not live without.  Key ingredients of cooling camphor decongests, whilst almond extract reduces redness. Kaolin absorbs excess oil, reduces puffiness and ground almonds gently exfoliate for a smoother complexion.

Top tip:

‘You can also use the Rescue Mask as an instant pick-me-up for puffy, morning-after or jet-lagged eyes: just dilute with a little water, apply under the eye, leave for five minutes and gently remove with a damp cotton pad.’ Eve Lom

• Aromatherapy Associates Deep Cleanse Mask £32 100ml - Containing natural antiseptic ingredients and minerals to draw out oiliness and unblock pores.  I find this mask extremely revitalizing and love the cool, smooth texture, that leaves your skin silky soft when removed. Key ingredients of anti-bacterial lavender and ginger are combined with natural clay and mud to absorb excess oils and replenish vital minerals. 



• Caudalie Purifing Mask £18 50ml - Composed of 2 types of clay, to purify cleanse and absorb impurities. I  have found this mask extremely soothing on irritated skin. Unlike many clay masks it doesn’t seem to dry, which means your skin feels a lot less re-stricted and tight.  Key ingredients of clay (kaolin and bentonite), cypress, lavender, chamomile, zinc and  flaxseed, cleanse and strengthen pores while regulating sebum production. 

I have used two of these masks for years and more recently discovered Caudalie's.  There's a space for all 3 in my cupboard, as they work in harmony with each other depending on my skin's need. When it is irritated and lacking luster I find the Caudalie Purifying Mask works best to calm and reduce tiredness, when my skin has break outs and looks tired, Eve Lom’s Rescue Mask works best to stop pimples in there track, instantly boosting my complexion and for a soothed smoothed skin, Aromatherapy Associates Deep Cleanse Mask is always a must. 

This NYE my nails are adorned with...

Essie Going Incognito £9.95

Topped with the gorgeous OPI Rainbow Connection £14.50

Loving the sparkle! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy Holidays!

1920's Carole Lombard by Christmas Tree

Wishing you a merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! A massive thank you for reading Beauty Preen.

My Winter Skin Hero

Between heated rooms and the cold outside my skin has been showing the strain, the office heaters blasting dry air into the room doesn't help. As one of my favourite products I usually use Caudalie's     Elixir in the summer for a cooling spritz to refresh, after cleansing to tone and in flights to hydrate. However since last week it has officially become my winter skin saviour too, taking prime position           on my desk. Whenever my skin starts to feel tight and dry I spritz it with this refreshing light mist for instant relief. I wouldn't say my skin is by any means radiant yet, but it is definitely looking less drab,         has a  healthy glow and feels more supple. 

This gorgeous plant based product is proven to smooth features, tighten pores, soothe skin, set make up and provide an instant burst of radiance. 


Key active ingredients:

• Grape extracts - radiance 

• Rose extracts - Toning

• Benzoin, myrrh, essential oil 
of organic mint balm - Astringent

•Essential oil of rosemary – Rejuvenating

•Orange blossom water - Softening 

Make up artist Louise Page swears by it 'I find nothing revives complexions better. This product works wonders as part of your skincare routine, small enough to carry in your handbag it offers an effective quick fix to achieve an instant glow even when sprayed over make-up. All in all it is an amazingly light spray that lifts the complexion and adds new life to make up.’

Available in two sizes 30ml £11 and 100ml £32 at John Lewis

Create An Angle

Just had a girly evening with my good friend Rachel and boy were her nails impressive, check them out! 

Polishes used, Rimmel 60 Seconds Black Out & Essie Bright Lights.

Her technique: 
1: Start with a base coat, let it fully dry, then tape with scotch tape on an angle across the top edge of the nail. Paint across the tip with Essie Bright Lights (orange). Remove tape immediately and wait for colour to dry. 

2: Once dry tape up again in the opposite direction, paint in line with the Black Out, leave to dry and finish with a topcoat. Et voila! 

Save On Natural Beauty

I have just discovered amarya.co.uk and saved £60 whilst ordering my Dr Hauschka essentials, plus gained loyalty points worth just over £15!  

With a simple, fresh, clean feel, this new website originates from a Cheshire based natural beauty store. It is easy to navigate and stocks leading organic and natural brands such as Dr Hauschka, Ren, Ila and Trilogy together with exciting new brands that include Santaverde and Bodhi.

Once registered you will automatically earn points every time you shop, which work out as 10% of your purchase back, so when spending £50 online you will automatically gain  £5 credit to use against a future purchase.

Until the 12th December Amarya are offering 15% off all Dr Hauschka products and for an extra cheeky 15% saving I found this discount code on Daily Green Magazine, all you need to do to is enter JDG15 at the checkout for an amazing 30% saving!

For those long winter nights

On cold winter nights I love burning my Complete Bliss - Moroccan Rose Neom candle £37.50 (excuse old logo). Burnt on quiet evenings at home as a soothing indulgent treat and sometimes shared with friends, who compliment on my beautifully scented home of warming rose, mixed with a hint of  black pepper and lime. Fresh as well as traditionally beautiful, this candle is a clean holisitc burn, free from synthetic fragrances and harmful pollutants. Available at: http://neomorganics.com  whats more if you sign up to Neom's news letter each day on the run up to Christmas you will receive a special offer or gift on orders placed over £40. Today on the 7th day of Christmas it is a free natural soap set worth £15. 

Santa baby...

Something small and truly unique!

Aromatherapy Associates Little Star £10

The world famous calming Deep Relax Oil presented in the cutest star packaging.

Available at www.aromaotherapyassocaites.com

This year my friends will be receiving...

Jessica Shine On £21.95

Three new shades to bring the gift of light for a dazzling party season. Presented in fun mini bulb like boubles, this gorgeous set includes: Lucky Star (a splash of rubies),Starry Night (iridescent, glittering diamonds), Superstar (shimmering liquid gold).

Available at www.gerrardinternational.com

 A touch of romance 

Caudalie Thé des Vigne Limited Christmas edition £25

A gorgeously scented perfume and shower gel,  with velvety soft notes of purple grape-skin melted in silky smooth honey. The ultimate evening fragrance.

Available at Selfridges

The gift of pampering, priceless!

 

The Eve Lom Luxury Collection £85
A complete kit to create an indulgent at home facial, includes the award winning hot cloth Cleanser, the complexion boosting Rescue mask and hydrating TLC Cream.

Available at www.evelom.com 

All the way from Azerbaijan

I have just discovered a new brand to the UK called Gazelli. All the way from Azerbaijan Gazelli uses a thousand year old ingredient unique to Azerbaijan called White Healing Oil . This oil is formed through centuries in the deep layers of the earth, beneath the plains of Naftalan. Possessing qualities that have been recognized for centuries in medicine. The oil contains a high concentration of physiologically active components, which are shown to increase the metabolic processes at the cellular level, improving the skins ability to regenerate itself and absorb nutrients and oxygen. Gazelli’s innovative new Triple Youth range is designed to nourish, rejuvenate and repair the skin. 

I have tried the Saviour Mask £25, which felt really soothing when applied to the skin leaving  it hydrated supple and soft, perfect for this season to calm winter ravaged skin. I also really like the Firming Serum £62, a highly concentrated anti age formula full of natural anti oxidants, Lipic Acid and DMAE to tone and plump the skin. After just one use my skin definitely felt firmer at the same time as smooth and soft. It has the most amazing musk like scent and is really silky to apply. As this serum is so nourishing it can also be used as night treatment.

The first thing that captured my attention was Gazelli's gorgeous packaging, so pretty! Each product has it very own little poem within the lid of the box, as you open it you presented with beautiful words such as 'Know that the miracle of thy beauty eraptures my soul, As though the beauty of the whole world is your own' Nizami X11c Available at http://www.urbanretreat.co.uk/en/Harrods.aspx

Strictly Hairless

     

I have always been slightly biased towards lazer hair removal,  due to an extremely painful patch test a few years ago, so was pleasantly surprised when introduced to the E>One machine last night. This fun filled event in celebration of all things legs, included Zumba lessons, Champneys hand/foot massages and dance tips by Flavia from Strictly, which might have also helped sway my opinion... Currently the only medically approved IPL device for at home use, E>One is definitely something a bit different. It is a mobile machine that won’t look hideous in the bathroom due to its compact slick design, while having a patch test on my hand I only felt a slight pinch and this was on one of the highest levels. Strictly's Flavia swears by it claiming E>One to be her ‘Beauty miracle’.  Speaking to her last night she mentioned how though she has dark hair, it has significantly reduced re-growth leaving her body smooth and hairless, she also emphasised how easy and convenient is to use and that it gives the same effect as an in-salon laser without the faff of having to leave home. At £1299 E>One is quite highly priced, but when you think of how much you would save on waxing or in salon laser its not all that bad.  I have put myself on the list to try one, so will keep you posted on how I find it... 
Available at:www.eswin.co.uk                                                                                              

My Christmas Flame

The brand new Timothy Han premium all natural candle collection launches online this Thursday. I adore the Wild Rose scent, but my top pick for this season has to be the Orange, Grapefruit & Clove, with luxurious layers of zesty Brazilian orange and grapefruit, warming aromatic clove topped with a hint of basil this gorgeous new scent  envelopes the home with a rich festive air. 

Hand-blended, with a soy base this all-natural candle makes the perfect gift and at home accessory. You can re-use the beautiful soft green glass container as a vase or a pen holder and I also love the fact that these candles are so natural they don't release any black sooty smoke. With a 50 hour burn time, Timothy has created the ultimate clean burn. 

The New Timothy Han Orange, Grapefruit & Clove £38 will be available from the 18^th of November at: www.timothyhan.com along with a selection of five further aromatic scents. 

The secret is out...

An exclusive one off gift set available for 24 hours only! The Elemis 5 piece Tranquil Indulgence Face and Body Collection price tbc on the day, but known to be under £40, saving a massive 50% or more!

I have just had a sneak peak and this most certainly makes a fabulous Christmas gift for all you beauty lovers out there. A newly created indulgent set that excitingly includes an exclusive of the brand new Pro-Radiance Hand and Nail Cream, that's a 3 month preview! Also included are the award winning Collagen Marine Cream, the Exotic Frangipani Manoi Oil loved by the likes of Victoria Beckham, the Tranquil Touch Indulgent Bath Elixir, plus one other award winning full sized product to be revealed on the day.

Available on QVC this Sunday the 20th of Nov from 1am to 10pm www.qvcuk.com/elemis

Something Old

With 5 months to go until my wedding day, I have started to receive exciting little purchases. Not going to give too much away yet, but I had to share this gorgeous original 1920's art Deco brooch adapted into a hair comb. With masses of pave and baquette set diamontes shaped into a beautiful fan shape, it is most definitely something unique and a bit of an eye catcher.

I can't wait to wear it! Time to start researching hairstyles, thinking along the lines of a glamourous loose side chignon. Here are some ideas I have put together: http://pinterest.com/leoma/wedding-hair

Vintage hair comb bought at: http://www.vintageheaddresses.com

All that glitters

In the US I also came across 'butter London', a Seattle based nail brand and one the first companies to sell non toxic nail polishes. Highly respected within the US for their 3 Free (non-toxic) nail lacquers all spared from harmful ingredients such as Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens.

I adore this glittering red colour called 'Chancer', a gorgeous rich ruby red that is lifted with sparkling shimmer particles, it reminds me of Dorothy's Ruby shoes in the Wizard of OZ, I will most certainly be wearing this one for a bit of razzle dazzle at Christmas parties this year. 

It is smooth and easy to apply, gives an even coat and holds well on the nail and while some glitter polishes can become dull when dry, this one retains a good shine. I would recommend 2 coats for the perfect coverage.

Still relatively small in the UK with limited stockists   that include lookfantastic.com and Debenhams, butter London is one to look out for: http://www.butterlondon.com

Sugar & Spice...

While in the US I came across this delicious gloss by Mac, it is part of the New winter Glitter & Ice collection launching in the UK this month. Dazzleglass Dressed to Dazzle is an gorgeous translucent soft pink gloss with glittering pearl light reflecting particles that exude a brilliantly glossed hot three dimensional look.

Non sticky and light weight it glides on you lips effortlessly leaving them feeling soft, full and brilliantly dazzling. 

Available at in 17 shades at: http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk

PS: it smells of yummy vanilla