1. Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. 

I absolutely adore this cleanser. Its amazing. And no wonder why it is top of many beauty editor’s lists and has remained a favourite for a few years now. It’s  a 2 step cleanser which involves massaging the cleanser onto the face then ‘polishing’ off with the Muslin cloth that comes with it.

This has got a rich and creamy texture which feels like a dream when massaged into the skin but whilst remaining gentle and feeling quite natural. With natural ingredients cocoa butter, rosemary essential oil and eucalyptus it gives a refreshing scent. After massaging into the skin take the Muslin cloth (made hot & damp) and rub off in circles all around the face.  My skin is noticeably radiant and feels unbelievably fresh with a very polished look. If you have not tried this yet, I highly recommend it to anyone as it is gentle enough for all skin types, but have noticed that it really cleans my oily skin too.

.Price: £13.75

Texture: Rich & Creamy

Skin Type: All skin types (but works well on Oily skin too)

Removes Makeup? Almost. I’d suggest removing makeup up roughly before using the cleanser.

Fragrance: Natural and pleasantly scented

Radiance: 9/10

Result: Polished & radiant skin

2. Elemis Lime Blossom Cleanser

This cleanser is a miracle! It really works to help balance out the oil. Its very refreshing with its Lime Blossom extract which almost acts like an astringent to strip away oil and clear the skin. My skin feels clean and more breathable after using this. Its a very soothing cleanser with a fresh scent and feels quite Spa like,  like a treat for your skin. I’ve noticed that when I’ve used this in the morning along with the Elemis Lavender Toner (that is recommended to be used in conjunction) my skin stays fresher and a lot less oily the whole day, and my makeup stays put a bit longer because there’s less oil on my face throughout the day. It really works to balances my skin out. I use this a lot in the summer when my skin needs something a bit stronger to make it less oily. Can’t recommend enough for oily skin.

Price £20

Texture: Like a lotion

Skin Type: Oily – Combination Skin – good for young skin prone to breakouts

Removes Makeup? Moderately. I’d suggest removing makeup up roughly before using the cleanser.

Fragrance: Refreshingly, invigoratingly scented

Radiance: 7/10

Result: Clean, fresh and oil free skin

3. Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Oil

Some beauty experts say the best way to combat oily skin is to fight oil with oil. And after using this Clarins Cleansing oil I believe it! This product is divine. From the tube its a gel like cleanser that is to be applied to dry skin, then when massaged into the the face it turns into a cleansing oil. It feels wonderful as it simply melts onto the skin, as you massage the product in it melts away all traces of makeup and the days impurities. Then you should add a bit of water and massage which will emulsify into a cleansing milk to help rinse the product off the face and finish off the skin with a soothing texture.

As it is an oil it melts away even heavy makeup and the consistency of the oil texture allows it to cover all of the face and get into all the little creases of the eyelids, lashes and lips so you can really work the product into those areas to remove your makeup.

A clever all round cleanser with the benefits of a cleansing oil and cleansing milk. My skin literally feels baby soft after using this and when used to remove the days makeup it never fails.

Price £18

Texture: Gel like –> Oil –> Milk

Skin Type: All Skin Types (but great for Oily skin)

Removes Makeup? Completely.

Fragrance: Not a heavy scent

Radiance: 7/10

Result: Clean and very smooth skin

Comfort factor: 10!

4. Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser

An invogorating cleanser perfect for the morning. This cleanser literally scrapes all the dirt and impurities from the face and leaves my skin feeling clean, polished and my pores feeling tighter and refined. After using this it felt like my skin had a mini ‘deep clean’ Once rinsed off skin feels awake so its great for the mornings. I use this once or twice a week as I find it quite a little stronger than an everyday cleanser and because it really strips the face of oil.

.250ml = £25

500ml = £45

Texture: Creamy

Skin Type: Perfect for Oily skin

Removes Makeup? Yes

Fragrance: No artificial fragrance, no colour.

Radiance: 8/10

Result: Invigorated, deep cleaned, oil stripped awake skin

5. Origins Zero Oil Cleanser

After trying a sample of this I couldn’t believe how amazing it was. I had never thought of trying Origins cleansers, I completely swear by their clay masks which are great but never thought to try their cleansers. Origins Zero Oil Cleanser works wonders, its hard to believe such power can come from a little tube like that. It has Salicylic Acid which helps declog the pores, reduce oil and shine. My skin feels cool,  fresh and clean, and a little bit tingly afterwards – which shows it WORKS! All hail Origin – the new best friend of oily skin! Origins Zero Oil is only £16 and well worth it.

Price £16

Texture: Creamy

Skin Type: For Oily / Combination / Breakout skin

Removes Makeup? Moderately

Fragrance: Minty

Radiance: 8/10

Result: Deep cleaned, oil free, clear skin

Thank goodness for heroes like these! Are there any cleansers for oily skin that you’ve tried and liked? I’d love to hear about it!

xoxo

Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Shine Lipstick, $32
stila cosmetics – long wear liquid lip color, $22
Ring, $15
art background home decor, $999
Sheepskin Rose Pillow, $49
One Kings Lane – Decor Picks – Creative Co-Op 4 Assorted Flower…
Buy Newgate Knightsbridge Wall Clock online at JohnLewis.com – John…, £57

Crumpet silk top, $390
Eastex embellished top, £38
Cotton pants, $64
Topshop leather shoes, $176
Dorothy Perkins earrings, $22
FTD Floral Festival Flowers Bouquet at 1-800Florals Florists, $45

Love pastel nails for a fresh spring look and really like the colour of this Essie Mint Candy Apple. 

It comes out a super bright and very candy coated mint colour. The name describes it completely!

Left: Gold sequin top, now £12 at Warehouse
Right: Black lace top with inside camisole, now £15 at PLANET (from Debenhams)

I love the gold top for dressy nights teamed with leather leggings and a black jacket.
I’ve always loved lace, its such a feminine touch to any outfit. The black lace top is quite a delicate, subtle lace making it very wearable for daytime / work too.

Xoxo

Beautiful pieces and I really liked the layering of sheer blouses over the bright prints. I also like the colour palettes used especially the pale blues with the gold. Very wearable and simple yet interesting. Love to see the Matthew Williamson’s staple details coming through especially in look #3 from the left with the bright yellow beads and mini brick like mosaic detail.

Burberry Prosum.

Whilst I did not particularly like Burberry Fall 2011 collection last year having found it a little random and nor here nor  there, but I am very impressed with this Fall 2012 collection as I can see more direction in this collection. The pieces all come together beautifully and showcases a style, tells a story, forms a trend. The collection is very wearable and the colour palettes very fitting for Fall season. I loved so many of the looks, my favourite is 2nd from left on the 1st row & 1st from the left on 2nd row.

A wartime london vagabond, runaway railway child’s metamorphosis into urban city girl is how I feel about this collection. Urban chic with a vintage feel whilst keeping the great classic british style. Love the accessories, gloves, bow belts and the handbags are high on my wishlist. LOVE

Vivienne Westwood Red Label.

In the past I have worked for Vivienned Westwood Red Label brand selling the clothes for over a year and the clothes never fail to amaze me. What is amazing about Vivienne Westwood’s designs (based on my experience) is that they fit like a dream, and are so flattering for different, even fuller shapes. The tailoring does wonders and the draping of the dresses are youthful and quirky but without being too masculine. On a closer look they are actually quite feminine. The clothes are so unassuming and can be intimidating at first glance but once tried, the cutting speaks for itself. Vivienne also stays true to what she does best, tartan, pinstripes and unusual draping and keeping those signature tweed jackets, waistcoat + jacket ensembles in true classic British style. Really loved this collection ♥

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Mary Katrantzou.

LOVE Mary Katrantzou’s collection, so artistic, unique with an array of beautiful bright colours. I’d see this as more Summery than Fall however. The lampshade like structures, cinched waists and slightly robot like strong silhouettes and symmetric prints give a futuristic feel. The prints are intricate and exciting and would be a dream to wear. The collection to me is mesmerising. Dreaming on…

;

xoxo

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Mark Fast.

I was lucky enough to work on the Faster by Mark Fast SS2012 Fashion show at New York Fashion Week sept 2011 and I’ll tell you the designer is a genius.

This collection is elegant, young and refreshing to see knits made so beautifully. I love the knitted plait dresses which are very different. The fabrics look luxuriously sheer and body conscious, together in those soft nudes and muted colours make the collection very sophisticated and wearable. I love the way his pieces are body conscious but so delicately, especially the deliberate sheer panels across the bust that show a bit more skin than the rest of the garment, the cut out pieces across the hips, and lower back and the collar bones on show all draw your eye to the most feminine parts of the body making the pieces ever so slightly sexy and sensuous.

Erdem. 

My favourite. All hail Erdem. A killer collection yet again. I love the interesting mix of fabrics with black lace over tweed and leather. A little fetish like with the edgy fabrics but still remaining feminine with the sophisticated cutting, cinched waists, tight pencil skirts and capped sleeves. The fabrics are literally mixed up (see look no 4 from the left) with lace and florals combined but they all come together wonderfully. In love with the second look, black lace over the bright white trousers and a high neck silk, no sleeves blouse cinched at the waist and balloons at the hips. Perfection. What is great about Erdem is it has its own style, a signature and its so recognisable. Erdem stays true to what it does best. Why change it up  when you do what you do best to perfection?

Holly Fulton

love. love . love. with my heart. heart. heart. Colour! Prints! The bright and intricate prints on the silk  and the layered printed cardigans over printed tops  are mesmerising. The use of 3 or more different pinks in one outfit works spectacularly, glamorous, girly and colourful. I could wear every piece of this collection. I more than love. 

PPQ.

I’ve recently become a fan of PPQ. I find the collections very unique and different. Especially this collection. There is a vintage feel to the collections with the high waisted high leg shorts, the off the shoulder sleeves, chiffon bow scarves tied at the side of the neck, side sweeped wavy hair and red lips, there is something that says drama to this collection. There is also something that looks a little Pantomime / costume / stage like from the black & white tights making it fun and youthful as well. I think its wonderful.

more to come

xoxo

Ad campaign with Natalie Portman

Very impressed with this mascara. A great balance of Volume + Definition. I’ve always loved Diorshow Black Out Mascara because I am a fan of full volume lashes however with Dior’s Black Out I cannot get the added length I desire. With the New Look mascara there is a good amount of volume with a lengthening effect as well.

The ‘New Look’ Mascara is a whole new brush, the brush has 2 parts, the tip of the brush has tiny/short spikes and the other half has slightly longer and thicker spikes. The wand is small making it  quite easy to maneuver and it does grab every lash.What I noticed with this mascara was the absolute ease of applying, after only 3 or 4 strokes my lashes were fully covered. The mascara also glides effortlessly on to lashes with no mess at all. An easy to use mascara that gives good volume and length. Am impressed with this and its definitely one of my new favourite mascaras.

Retails for £23.00. Available at Debenhams, Selfridges, House of Fraser.

On Thursday night I tried out the new venue, Dstrkt. Dstrkt is a restaurant, bar and club venue that was created by the team behin Whisy Mist, The Brompton Club & Mahiki. I was very impressed by the service and the food.

Concept: A stylish trendy restaurant and club set across 2 areas where diners can dine and then join the club for drinks and dancing. European fusion food comprising of hot and cold tapas.

Venue: The venue is trendy and stylish. It reminded me of a top New York venue especially since the venue is entirely on basement level, it has quite an urban underground feel whilst remaining sleek and stylish. Despite it being in the basement the venue feels spacious with high ceilings and good use of open space between the tables. The different floor levels and divided areas mixed with the oversized decoration (giant vases incased in to the walls) give the venue a grand scale. The dark wood decor and dim lighting makes for a beautiful surrounding.

Food: Top chef from the States, George Yaneff formerly at Bazaar Restaurant by José Andrés has created an all-organic European menu for Dstrkt. I found the menu interesting with a strong focus on Mediterranean ingredients however some Pan-Asian influences seen across the menu (soft shell crab tempuras, oyster mushrooms, soy sauce). A very interesting fusion of Continental cuisine with inspirations elsewhere.

Beautiful presentation on all the dishes.

Red Peppers stuffed with Goats Cheese: Full flavour, simple but delicious dish. A lot of the flavour came from the superb quality goats cheese therefore not much needed for the basis of this dish.

The second dish is the Seared Scottish Scallops with Saffron – Pumpkin sauce, salted pumpkin seeds & micro coriander. Delicious, quite a light dish in terms of flavour but interestins tstes coming from the coriander and pumpkin sauce. Scallops were somewhat small however cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth. The pumpkin sauce was divine and the salted pumpikin seeds served to add a little more flavour to the dish.

Truffled Potato Gnocci with Cheddar Espuma, Chives and nutmeg: As simple dish. Cheese sauces can be tricky and become overpowering in dishes, however this sauce an ever so lightly whipped creamy cheddar sausce that was not strong in cheese flavour. The Gnocci was slightly crispy on the outer and soft to the bite. The taste of chive comesand works wonderfully with the cheese.

Giunea Fowl with baby shallot and a bread dumpling. My favourite dish of them all, absolutely exquisite. The guinea fowl was tender and cooked tender to perfection, the sauce was a sweet kind of soy sauce mixture full in flavour and accompanied the clean tasting meat well. You can taste pure quality and passon from this dish and I definitely recommend trying this.

3 style mushrooms in Truffle Oil. Exceptional, aromatic, full of tantalizing flavours, an absolute pleasure to eat. A definite showcase of Dstrkt’s fusion and experimental creativity. The sauce and the truffle oil is delicious. I highly recommend this dish.

Cocktails: Slightly disappointed with the Cocktails. The Cocktail menu is creative however after studying the menu to choose my first cocktail I’d asked the barman to suggest a cocktail to me according to my preferences in taste and liqueur. After recommending me a cocktail I asked him had he tried any of the cocktails, to which he answered ‘No actually.’ A little shocking. I strongly believe that all barmen should know their cocktails and the TASTE each and every cocktail on their menu to a) recommend to customers b) know if the cocktail has been made properly. Most cocktail bars I’ve seen the barmen taste their cocktails to ‘approve’ it before sending out to their customer – just like chefs do on opening night of their new menu/dishes. My guest and I ordered a ‘Making Waves – (lychee liquer, grapefruit ) and ‘Lavender Margarita’. I was expecting a spectacular cocktail especially in relation to the amazing food, however our cocktails were average, little flavour with lack of alcohol taste.

That is the only down side of my review, aside from that, everything was perfect. Service was friendly and immaculate. Staff were attentive and knowledgeable about the food. Food was exceptional and presented beautifully. You can taste the passion that has gone in to the food and really appreciate the dishes. I shall definitely be dining here again and again.

We were here for an early dinner and just had a glance at the club which had not opened for the night yet. A lavish and stylish setting in a large space. The decor reminded me of Crystal nightclub and not surprising since one of the partners is formerly of Crystal. Will be trying the club next week and post review too.

x

Love the song in the vid. It’s Lily Wood & The Prick – My Best.

£54.99

£145.00

Available at Selfridges.

The app is super cute! Your photo appears washed with a vintage sepia tone and you can graffiti with text or drawing. Try it on iPhone, free to download

How fun & creative!