Agent Provocateur L'Agent Bath & Body Collection

Now, when someone mentions Agent Provocatuer, I instantly think of the sexy window displays featuring mannequins wearing heart shaped nipple tassles & extremely gorgeous underwear that I know I could personally never afford to indulge in, draped over luxurious materials and glamourous furniture. They certainly get their window displays spot on.
If like me, you don't very often set foot inside an Agent Provocatuer, as you may not be able to afford it, or you have your boyfriend in tow, who may leave rather red faced, then the new bath & body range may give you reason to step inside.

This year, Agent Provocateur released their L'Agent range just after the success of the new Frangrance. They have selected the finest ingredients for this self indulgent collection. If you like the scent, you will love these products. I didn't really know what to expect, as the scent itself is very powerful, and albeit a little too overpowering, so for me, the things in this collection were much less harsh in comparison, and left my skin smelling absolutely amazing without too much of a "perfume" kick.

Soap on a Rope - £20

First thing in the range, is the "soap on a rope". Now, when someone mentions soap on a rope, you automatically think of old school soap, or unwanted cheapy christmas/birthday presents. Typically the sort of thing you shove to the back of your lotions and potions draw. This however, is on a whole other "soap on a rope" level. It comes in a swish box which has a little ribbon pully. Once pulled, the draw containing your soap pulls out. It really is gorgeous, and smells amazing. It's enriched with vitamin e and shea butter which leaves your skin feeling fabulously fragranced and seductively smooth. It also has a cute little black tassle. Very Suave.

Titillation Decollete & Derriere Balm 2x80ml - £45

Next are two creams, "Titillation Derriere Balm" and "Decollete Balm". The teasingly sensual Derriere Balm is especially formulated to help tone, shape and define buttocks & the decollete balm is for the chest and neck. Both have the same gorgeous scent and the balms themselves are extremely velvety and hydrating. They contain moisturising avocado oils, skin conditioning Coleus Forskohlii (an ancient plant) and caffeine which all help to lift and revitalize. Being a mere 21 years old, I don't feel as though I need much help in the way of "lifting" as of yet, but this could be the perfect gift for an older relative or a friend who moans about a wobbly bottom (we all have one...a friend that moans about her wobbly bottom I mean..) ;) The packaging on these is so cute. Little sphere's which you twist to open, with the delicate agent provocateur font running around it.

Above: Bathing Cream Wash 425ml - £28
Below: Silk Body Elixir 225ml - £28

The "Bathing Cream Wash", is probably one of my favourites from the collection. Containing Babassu, Macadamia and Avacado oils, it delicately softens, moisturises and cleanses the skin. This is one of those products you could wash with before a night out, and you'd smell amazing all through the night, without the need for any perfume, or moisturiser for that matter. It also claims to include Epimedium (an aphrodisiac, apparently better known as horny goat weed (!)) All I know is that after using this, I smell super nice, and my skin feels really soft. I also love the bottle, it oozes sophistication.
Last up, is the "Silk Body Elixir", better known as a body moisturiser. As far as moisturisers go, I want something that smells nice, sinks in quickly, but leaves my skin feeling like silk. This ticks every box. It's especially amazing on freshly shaven/waxed legs. This too contains the aphrodisiac Epimedium, along with nutmug and Babassu oil. It works like an absolute dream.

This range is certainly not for those of you who like to shower in the mornings with something fresh and revitalising to wake you up. It's more for the evenings, before a date, a night out or a cheeky night in with your fella. It leaves your skin feeling amazing and smelling even more amazing. It's a very deep, sensual frangrance, not light or floral, and it's main purpose is to make the user feel sexy, which is exactly what you'd expect from Agent Provocateur. They certainly know how to put the "sex" in "sexy" (did I just say that...yes I did). Overall, I would certainly reccommend these products to those of you who like a little self indulgence, something a bit more
luxurious. They may be slightly more pricey than your average Boots or Superdrug bath or body product, but perfect gifts or for when you feel like splashing out and treating yourself.

♥

JolieBox Birthday Box | June 2012

JolieBox £10 + £2.95 P&P*

It's been a whole year since JolieBox (formerly known as Boudoir Prive) came onto the beauty box scene, so this month they are celebrating their one year birthday. The boxes are limited edition and were designed by Mlle Fraize and creative duo Och Studio. I received the Och Studio box, which as you can see, is orange, so it floats my boat massively. I have seen the other design, but I wasn't too enthused by it, and much prefer the sleek orange box instead, so i'm chuffed I received this one (yes, I am chuffed to have received an orange box...clearly I need to get out more).

The theme behind this months box was a handful of JolieBox's favourite french brands. With names like 'Nuxe" and "Caudalie" coming onto the beauty scene recently, It has definitely sparked my interest in French skincare and other potential french brands which may be producing some absolute gems, that we have yet to discover. This was one box, I was very excited to open. 

In the box:

Yon-Ka Pamplemousse Protective and Vitalizing Cream - This cream is the first customised product I have seen in a beauty box. I was informed that if you had filled in your online skincare specifications, you were to receive this product tailored to you. Yon Ka is a brand I've heard of before, but never tried skincare wise. This moisturiser claims to brighten dull skin, protect from environmental factors and refresh your complexion. Sounds good to me! I've not tried it yet, but looking forward to giving it a whirl.

Instutit Esthederm Bronz Repair Body Lotion - If you read a recent blog post of mine where I had a little online splurge, you will have seen that one of the things I bought was a face tanner by the brand Institut Esthederm, as I had heard many great things about the skincare they produce. I have also been using a moisturiser by them more recently which was a sample in an older beauty box, and I've been loving it, so I have high hopes for this product if it's anything like the other things I've tried from this brand. It's a body lotion designed to help fight the signs of aging and sun damage (I'm now imagining an eldery lady sat by the pool with skin like a leather handbag). It also helps to achieve a healthy glow on the skin (something we all aim for and something leather handbag lady should think about). It says to apply this before sun exposure and then every 2 hours, it doesn't say it has an SPF though, so I think it's just a little extra to pop on after your suncream.

Elysambre Care Oil - A hand and nail oil is something I am always using as I have terrible dry cuticles and it's one of those things I am lazy with (slaps wrist). This contains sweet almond oil, smells delicious and has a handy little brush for application. I know I will get a lot of use out of this so I'm thankful it was in the box!

L'Occitane Angelica Hydration Cream - L'Occitane is another brand I've heard lot's about but not ever tried anything from their range. They provided a small 15ml pot of their hydration cream moisturiser. The moisturiser has organic angelica water and essential oil in it to plump, smooth and add radiance to the skin. Angelica water isn't something i'd ever heard of before, so that intregued me. It's an "astonishing plant with a unique ability for self-hydration", sounds interesting! It smells lovely and applies really nicely to the skin leaving quite a refreshed and healthy appearance to my skin. I'll report back if it works wonder for me.

JolieBox Nail File - A cute little extra, great for my handbag and on the go nail fixes!

They also threw in some more extras! A voucher courtesy of French skincare brand Codage, a special French addition JolieMag (LOVE the JolieMags) and a JolieTicket where many different prizes can be won (how exciting). I really loved this months JolieBox, I think it's one of my favourites so far. I love trying out new skincare and I felt that it offered a good selection. I was also familiar with most of the brand names so it excited me to try something from them which I hadn't before.

What did you think of this months JolieBox?

♥

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Skincare Review | No7 Beautiful Skin

No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Water 200ml £9*

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream 50ml £12.50*

Being a complete skincare junky, I am ALWAYS open to trying any new brands or ranges. I think skincare is one of those things we must all pay great attention to. There's no point spending lot's of money on makeup to cover up our skin if we aren't spending the money on making sure our skin is up to scratch underneath it. No7 is a brand stocked in Boots, and is one I am often drawn to in terms of skincare and makeup (their infamous exquisite curl mascara is still a firm favourite of mine).

The beautiful skin range is a more recent launch for No7. Amongst the collection, there are balm cleansers, water cleansers, foaming cleansers, gel cleansers, exfoliators, masks, serums and both day and night moisturisers for all skin types. I am definitely more of a "cream cleanser" girl. I feel as though a cream and a muslin cloth cleanse the skin a lot more thoroughly than a water on a cotton pad. However, in the more recent hot weather (which now seems to have left us for the more typical British climate..i.e. rain and grey clouds) I have been reaching a lot more for the water cleansers in the morning, as a quick refresh and instant pick me up. I still use my Liz Earle cleanse and polish for removing makeup at night, but i just find that a water cleanser is a nice morning boost. This water cleanser is among many I have tried, and I can't say it is my favourite, but it is lovely. The smell of both these products are absolutely amazing, really fruity and summery. One thing I like on this water cleanser though, is the pump. Not a lot of the water cleansers I've tried have a pump, and require you to use the "tip and squeeze/shake" method (one which normally ends in an overly drenched cotton pad). The main thing that meant this cleanser wasn't up there with my favourites though, was that I didn't find it that good at removing makeup. Great for a skin boost in the morning yes, but removing makeup (even a light coating) took too many cotton pad refills and left my skin feeling a little tacky. 

The moisturiser is also really lovely. The cream is a nice consistency and again, smells amazing. It does feel quite thick on the skin, even though it says it's for normal/oily skin. I'm not too sure whether I slot into the normal/oily skin category, but it was either that or dry which at the moment, I'm not so much (since using my beloved ReGen cream). It would be nice if No7 came out with a beautiful skin range to suit "normal/sensitive skin" or just "combination skin".

Overall I was impressed with the few products I tried although they haven't taken the lead in the skincare stakes. I think that I will have to pop into Boots to have a little look at other items in the range, the cleansing gel and balm sound interesting. For now, my boyfriend has stolen both of these, and as far as I know (after a little lesson from me in how to use water cleanser - pretty sure he would have just splashed it all over his face over the sink) is enjoying using them, as he obviously doesn't need makeup removal. ;)

No7 is a really well priced skincare brand, so even if these products aren't for you, it's worth taking a look at what they have to offer, especially when the nifty little £5 off vouchers are floating about! (NOW NOW NOW). So the above products could actually only set you back at £4 and £7.50 which is a TOTAL bargain.

Have you tried anything from the No7 Beautiful Skin range? Anyone tried the balm or gel cleansers?

♥

JolieBox UK | May 2012

JolieBox UK £10 monthly subscription + £2.95 P&P*

This months JolieBox was created to inject a little flower power and plant based products into your beauty routine. I'm just going to throw this out there and say that this is possibly my favourite JolieBox so far. It may only have 4 items as opposed to the normal 5, but I feel like the good choice of samples and the full size nail varnish thoroughly make up for it. I also wanted to mention how much I enjoy reading the JolieMag. This little 23 page magazine which has been edited by the oh so gorgeous Anna of ViviannaDoesMakeup, excites me just as much as the box of goodies. It's full of great content, including product reviews, interviews and helpful information. I like to read it in the bath as a wind down! This magazine has become a little bonus when receiving your JolieBox each month, and I think it's a wonderful idea. 

Products included in the box:

Talika Lipocils Expert 2ml - An eyelash growth product with extracts of natural nettle to stimulate the growth of short or frail eyelashes. This sample is quite small, i'm not overly sure how much 2ml of product is going to help stimulate my eyelashes. I'm certainly not expecting to wake up with long fluttering lashes after using it once but i'm intrigued to see if it does in fact do anything at all. I've not ever dabbled in eyelash growth serums before, so this is all new for me! 

Essential Care Organic Rose Moisturiser 15ml - Being quite the skincare junky I'm looking forward to trying this moisturiser. It has rehydrating, regenerative and toning benefits of organic rose and aloe juice. It's also suitable for vegans and they've not tested on animals, which I know is an important factor for many of you when making cosmetic choices. After checking out the ingredients, it also appears to be free of any nastiness too. Skincare is always best when it's kept as natural as possible so this look promising. 

RMK Make up Base 15ml - This makeup base claims to prime the surface of your skin, add moisture with shea butter and provide the perfect fit for foundation. I'm the sort of person who skips on priming before applying my makeup because sometimes I just prefer my face to have as little on it as possible, I always feel like priming just adds another layer, and I can't say i've ever really needed to do it. However, more recently, I have been trying out some different primers, and my eyes have been opened to the world of longer lasting makeup and a smoother, easier foundation application. This looks to be a very good primer, and I'm excited to give this a proper whirl. The cute little bottle will also be perfect for travelling. 

China Glaze Nail Lacquer Wicked Style (full size) - I was so happy to see this nail polish in my JolieBox this month, as China Glaze are one of my favourite nail brands. I find their polishes to be very long-lasting and just of excellent quality. I see them as O.P.I's main rival in the high end polish stakes. I'm not a massive fan of the pink, as I don't tend to wear pinks all that often, although that could all change once the sun comes out :) Saying that, pink is always my top choice for a pedicure!

What do you think of this months JolieBox? 

♥

Skincare Review | Nourish Balance

I am always on the hunt for the perfect skincare, and although I am deeply in love with my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, the beauty blogger in me is always up for trying new things, in order to find those essential, holy grail products, but also to aid you, the reader, in making vital choices. :)

Nourish is not a brand I was familiar with before I was asked if I'd like to try a few items from their range. They pride themselves on skincare ranges which avoid the use of unfriendly chemicals such as synthetic colours, TEA, DEA, parabens, phenoxyetol, sulfates, mineral oils, PEGS and silicones. Instead, their products contain organic, plant derived, scientifically tested ingredients to enhance and nourish your skin.

Like a lot of people, i'm not always aware of what ingredients do what when it comes to skincare or makeup items, but what I do know, is that these skincare products lack a lot of the things i've been told to try and avoid putting on my face (although that is definitely easier said than done).

There are 4 different skin care ranges. Protect, Relax, Radiance and Balance. The packaging is very simple but I really like it and the colours and designs are different for each range. 


I was sent the Nourish "Balance" range, as my skin type is normal/combination. The signature scent for this range, is apple, which is one of my favourite fruity smells. It smells so fresh and rejuvenating on application. I wouldn't say they are heavily perfumed (for those of you with a strong sense of smell) but it's not a subtle scent either. 

Nourish Balance Cleanser 100ml £9.95* - This was a product which I was most apprehensive to try, being so attached to my Liz Earle and the dry application and cloth removal, meant that I was changing the way I normally cleansed. This has a very watery consistency which you pump into your hand and smooth over your damp face. It doesn't foam up too much (no bubbles up the nose) & leaves your skin feeling very clean. I wasn't a massive fan of this one, I felt it left my skin feeling a little tighter than my regular cleanser, and that's not normally the outcome I like. However, after following up with the next steps, there was no tightness. For those of you who prefer to use water on your face (splashing as opposed to a wet muslin cloth) then you will love this.

Nourish Balance Toner 100ml £8.95* - This toner contains a blend of vitamins and minerals in order to retain the skins natural barrier. I actually really liked this product, it's one that I found myself reaching for a lot more than the cleanser. I really believed this made a difference to my skin, it felt a lot more refreshed and squeaky clean once i'd used this as part of my regime. I used a cotton pad to apply this to my face post cleanse.

Nourish Balance Intense Face Gel 50ml £15.95* - This was my favourite item from the range. It's an intense face gel containing organic aloe vera and hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is a unique ingredient that detoxifies and adds moisture. It provides protection against water loss and also enhances the barrier function to protect skin. Sounds good right? It is. It says that it's to be applied after moisturising, although I apply this at night, before moisturising, as I don't feel right applying a gel over it as a last step. One of the main problems I have with my skin is that I have dry patches, and oily patches, so something like this is perfect for combatting both problems. 

Nourish Balance Face Moisturiser 50ml £13.95* - This face cream has a very light consistency (something I wasn't used to, as I much prefer a heavier cream). It sinks into the skin very quickly and leaves it feeling silky soft. I also noticed that it didn't leave any sort of sheen to my face (great if you are prone to oily patches). Although it's not one of my favourite face creams, I do like to apply this on days where my skin is being particularly troublesome in terms of dry/oily patches, as I feel as though it can benefit both. I also like that my make up applies very easily over this. 

I think Nourish is a great brand, and it is refreshing to see a company trying to remove the nastiness in our skincare and focusing on using organic ingredients. I think the pricing is very reasonable, and definitely worth the money considering how much product you get for the price and the ingredients used. I really wish i'd have used this skincare regime through my teenage years, as it makes everything so much easier for you. They advise you which step each product is used, and it's such a simple 4 step routine. Between the ages of 12-15 when I probably should have been taking great care of my skin, I quite honestly, didn't have a clue. If I had been presented with these 4 products it would have made life a lot easier, and I would have made a lot more effort. 

I would highly recommend this brand if you are looking for a good structured skincare routine, if you are looking into changing up your skincare or buying skincare for the first time. Slightly more expensive than your average products in your local pharmacy maybe, but it's worth the extra pennies for something which contains beneficial ingredients that won't strip your youthful skin, making it even worse (I have done this so many times - I'm looking at you Clearasil)

♥

Burt's Bee's "Tips & Toes" Kit

Bur'ts Bee's "Tips & Toes" Kit - £12.95 *

With mothers day fast approaching (Sunday for those of you who are useless with dates or have an awful memory), there have been an abundance of amazing little gift sets floating around which would make the perfect present, not only for your mum, but for any birthdays coming up, or even if you're interested in trying a brand for the first time. I have always been a huge fan of Burt's Bees, their lipbalm in particular is a firm favourite but I hadn't ever tried any of their hand creams or balms so this kit looked exciting. I was certainly not disappointed. I suffer with EXCEPTIONALLY dry hands, in fact even in the summer they aren't clammy like normal people. haha. Oh how I long for normal, clammy hands...

After the winter months, my hands are usually left quite parched and not all that nice to hold (sorry boyfriend). After trying out all 4 of the products above, I have come to the conclusion that dry hands are now a thing of the past. I'm not even exaggerating. I've tried endless amounts of hand creams, and the one thing that really puts me off them is that horrid, greasy feeling after applying it, and the amount of time it takes to sink in. I HAVE THINGS TO DO AND JARS TO UNSCREW YANNO? The hand cream in the tube (Thoroughly Therapeutic) sinks in really quickly, almost so quickly, you forget you just applied it, and no greasy mitts. It's perfect, and now it goes everywhere with me. The almond milk hand cream (the absolutely adorable one with the cow on it) is not so quickly absorbed and possibly best before bed, or for popping on tiny dry patches rather than your whole hand. I have also found the balms to be very beneficial. I've been applying the lemon cuticle balm around my nails for the past few days and i've noticed a great deal of improvement in that area too. I'm yet to try out the foot cream, as my feet are not really all that dry at the moment (thankfully they aren't like my hands in that aspect). Monkey feet anyone?

Such a cute little kit, very reasonably priced, amazing products, cute packaging & smell devine.
I'll leave you now to imagine me unscrewing jars with greasy hands and monkey feet! ;)

♥