Chasing Away Chapped Lips

Hello everyone,

Whose life is a constant battle against chapped lips from November to April? Mine certainly is, I am so sensitive to the cold. I always delve deep into the realms of lip care at this time of year. I’m sure you were all getting sick of me commenting on this in various posts, so I thought I’d give it it’s very own post and be done with it. 

There is a plethora of lip comfort products out there, some work, some don’t and some just taste so good that they would work if you didn’t lick them off every 5 seconds! Here is my little guide to products that work for me and which are my top rated. 

First off let’s do the balms. I am a sucker for tinted lip balm and I have yet to find one as creamy as the Benefit Benebalm. I like to use the traditional red colour, but they have a whole set ranging from a rosy nude to a deep coral, something for everyone and all that. For me this is a routine buy every autumn. One which my Mam swears by and really got me into is the Clinique range of chubby lipsticks. I am using the colour Whoppin’ Watermelon at the minute, but to be honest I like all of them and buy a different colour every time. They don’t taste amazing, it’s just a standard lipstick flavour, but they do have brilliant colour pay off and feel very soothing on the lips. No matter how much I love the colour, there is a downside, it doesn't last very long and I find myself reapplying multiple times in the day, not ideal! For something more recent, Lush just brought out the gloss The Kiss in their Valentines Day range. I would class this as a balm rather than a gloss as it is quite faint in terms of colour and isn’t really a gloss texture. It feels quite grainy when you first apply it, but the balls soon melt into your lips as they warm up and it does taste amazing! This is one of the ones that gets licked off a lot...

Let's talk Oils and glosses. I chose my three top favourites for this one! I am deeply in love with the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort products. I have the oil in 02 Raspberry (mmmm so yummy!) and the Eclat Minute natural lip perfecter in 01. These two are actually my top rated of all the products in this post, they are so soft and moisturising. Even though one is a gloss and one is an oil they feel very similar, but don't be alarmed they do have their differences. The Eclat Minute is more moisturising and the oil gives you instant protection from the elements. A good product to have by your bed is the L'Occitane shea butter lip balm, it has hardly any fragrance or flavour which is ideal to apply just before bed. It is quite sticky and feels very vaseline-like! It does have some serious moisturising effect though. 

Finally, those dreaded dip your fingers and get very sticky type products. Oh my God I used to hate these, all I could think of were the dirty fingers dipping in and out of the pots. Actually, even now I still always wash my hands before I use them, but some products are worth it. I love the Nivea Vanilla and Macadamia balm, it smells so tasty! It's quite a staple product and most people know and love it, but hey it's one of my favs so it's in the post. I adore this red balm by Lou Lesage, the colour I have is called Loved and that is how I feel about this. I love to rock a classic red lip, but I worry about using lipsticks that will dry out my lips. This is the perfect compromise, the colour pay off is lovely to wear by itself or to add over the top of a lipstick to give a little moisture if you really need that deep pop of colour. This product is a win win in my mind! 

I hope this has helped you find inspiration to make your lips feel the love! What is your top pick for lip care? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Manly Mondays - L'Occitane Voyage

Hello everyone, 

Let’s do a change from the double Ted Baker streak for Manly Mondays, just so y’all don’t get bored of us! This time we have trialled the L’Occitane Voyage set for men, so going a bit more up market this week. For those of you who may not know L’Occitane is a gorgeous brand based in Provence, France. All their products are made in France, frequently featuring typical french plants and herbs. 

First off, we didn’t even have to open the box to know this set smelt so good! Aaah I’m going to have to go away and sniff it before I keep writing…right I’m back. The Voyage box is a set aimed for facial grooming on the go. There is a body wash, shaving gel, after-shave balm and soap all in cute travel sizes. The packaging is a very neutral silver, bronze and navy blue, perfect for a classy man! 

All the products have the light, signature scent for men from this brand, it really is quite distinctive! The fragrance is fresh and masculine, bringing to mind vanilla and shea butter with a much spicier undertone. The shaving gel seems to have the lightest scent and doesn’t really linger on the skin, which is fabulous if you are an after-shave loving guy! Mr.Gingersnap reported that he noticed a real difference in how irritated his skin was post-shave, after using the shaving gel he said his skin felt smooth and nourished. Happily, there was no stinging when he applied his favourite Diesel after-shave. 

The after-shave balm has a stronger scent and could be used as an after-shave itself if you fancy a more subtle fragrance. It really soothes the skin and seems to provide a decent degree of protection from the harsh wind if you have to rush straight out of the house. I’m sure you all sympathise with post-shave hyper-sensitised skin! 

He found the scent of the soap balances really nicely, however, he wasn’t such a fan of the body wash. The scents seem to have been blended differently, it’s a much tangier, more chemical aroma. Overall Mr.Gingersnap enjoyed this set and would like to give this 3/5 stars. He thinks he would buy the shaving gel and balm again, but not the body wash. 

What is your favourite L’Occitane product? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

Advent Calendar Surprises!

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to do a super quick update on my gorgeous L'Occitane advent calendar. I am such a lucky girl being spoiled by all these lovely products.

So far all the products have been amazing and I am now even more of a fan of this brand, the products feel like a luxury, but are still quite affordable if you fancy treating yourself :-) The two bottles have oil based products. One is a shampoo with five essential oils to help repair dry or damaged hair. It smells very fresh and slightly spicy, so for those of you who aren't so keen on floral scents this could well be the product for you! The second bottle is an almond based cleansing and softening shower oil. Now, I have had similar products before and they definitely work wonders on dry skin and protect them from harsher water and irritation from soaps! The smell is divine, imagine walking into a bakery around christmas and smelling that aroma of marzipan and amaretti, oh my lord it is wonderful!

I just love those cute little gift tags and I have to admit that I have already used one and have earmarked the others for presents for specific people! I am a bit of a gift tag weirdo and quite like making my own ones, but these are definitely pretty enough to make the cut. They are simple, yet festive, I basically just love them, enough said. The little pink tube has a rose scented hand cream, the rose scent is quite strong so if you aren't a fan this might not be for you, but I find that it is a nice hint of spring in the boring winter and it has become a handbag staple. And last, but by no means least, is the soap. L'Occitane soaps are always very hydrating and creamy, and it seems this one will be no different, with a lovely rich shea butter scent it makes for a very nice moisturising hand wash! My hands always feel super soft after using it.

I am so excited to open the rest of my advent calendar so keep your eyes peeled for more product updates! If you are wanting to learn a bit more about the calendar and the first day product click here. Have you guys got any exciting advent calendars? Let me know in the comments below :-)

xoxo

Christmas is coming!

Hello Everyone! 

As you all know Christmas and the festive season are on their way! Even if you don't celebrate Christmas you can still enjoy the music, the pretty lights, decorations and, of course, the food...

One of my favourite ways to get into the Christmas spirit is to put up my decorations and play loud christmas songs, however, I haven't gone home for the holidays yet so the decorations will have to wait :-( Instead I have been trying to make my room as festive as possible with candles, lights and, naturally, an advent calendar. 

Until a couple of years ago advent calendars were all about the chocolate! Well most of them, my childhood advent calendar was a cloth tree to hang up which had small, numbered pockets to be filled with goodies by my parents (Santa - come on guys, we all know he's really behind it all), some of which would be sweets, toys and, as I got older, beauty products. Recently the market for beauty related advent calendars has exploded and there are now so many to choose from! To check out Zoella's guide to a few of her favourites click here. 

My Mam, as a very kind early gift, gave me the L'Occitane advent calendar and I am so glad she did! It sold out super fast, which I guess is testament to how good it looks. The packaging is simply fabulous. Tied with a festive, scarlet ribbon and designed by none other than Kanako Kuno, a wonderful Japanese illustrator, the scene opens out as a typically Parisian street. It is so gorgeous, it's almost tempting not to open the little windows...almost...

I was so excited to open up door number one this morning that I would have squealed, if it hadn't been 6 a.m and likely to wake up my neighbours. Behind door number one is a tube of L'Occitane Ultra Rich Face Cream. The product is made with shea butter, giving it a wonderful scent and aims to protect and hydrate your skin for 24 hours, just what you need in the harsh winter winds. Let me just say, it both smells and feels amazing! 

What kind of advent calendars have you guys gone for? Whether you are sticking with chocolate or branching out to other things please let me know in the comments :-) 

xoxo