Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque

I've been using Aesop's Parsley Seed cleansing masque for a while now so I thought it was about time it got reviewed. Aesop describe it as 'a blend of premium clays and botanicals to lift deep-seated impurities, imparting wholly clarified and refreshed skin', which is basically exactly what it has done on my skin. I use this about once a week after cleansing, for anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes before washing it off, toning and moisturising as usual. It gives my cleansing stage a real boost helping to draw any nasties away, whilst calming and rebalancing the skin.

Unlike generic clay masks, this applies like a cooling cream and spreads into quite a thin layer before drying in patches as I tried to show in the photos. I find this makes it a lot more comfortable to use and less drying, but just as effective at helping to clear and balance the skin. Aesop say that it is particularly suitable for sensitive and dry skin types, which is great if you feel like your skin is a bit congested but find normal clay masks far to drying. It smells slightly herby with a good hint of lavender so it's also incredibly relaxing to use shortly before bedtime.

I also use this as a spot treatment overnight. It makes you look a bit like a swamp monster when applied in patches (appropriate for the date this is being published I suppose!), but I find it really calms the skin, perhaps because of the Aloe juice, which results in blemishes shrinking. It's not a miracle worker on blemishes but it will calm them without drying out the skin which is useful if you're planning to wear makeup on top the next day.

This shouldn't be a factor but I also absolute adore Aesop's apothecary style packaging design and this regularly gets left out of the bathroom cabinet simply because it looks so nice. At £27 for 60ml it is a little pricey, but I've used my consistently for 2 months and I'm barely a quarter of the way through the tube. It's a definite repurchase for me.

Available at Selfridges, Aesop and Cult Beauty - but it's currently £23 on Beauty Expert with free delivery!

Eat Yourself Beautiful

In collaboration with Tropicana

Even though I have a pretty extensive skincare routine including some fantastic products, I've noticed that lately my skin has been looking a little dull and blemished. My workload has had me reaching for convenience a little too often, and not filling up on the fruits and veggies that we all know we're meant to be eating for the health of our hearts, to avoid certain types of cancers and so on. So I've been trying to seek out the nutrients that I know will help my skin, not to mention energy levels. If you follow me on Instagram you may have guessed this has involved a lot of watermelon and avocado, but I've also been reading some research from the field of neutraceuticals (that is, how food and beverages affect 'beauty from within').  

The research has honed in on some particular micronutrients that can help improve the appearance of hair, skin and nails:

• Vitamin C is an antioxidant which helps protect against the damaging effects of free radicals as well as being key to the production of collagen which gives skin firmness and strength. It can be applied topically or, when a good source such as high quality orange juice is ingested, delivered to the body's cells via the digestive system.
• Potassium is an electrolyte important to the maintenance of optimal fluid balance, which helps prevent puffiness. 
• Water we all know we should be drinking lots, as well hydrated cells may help the skin to look as smooth as possible. Melons and oranges naturally contain lots of water.
• Hesperidin is a flavonoid found in citrus fruit which facilitates the formation of a vitamin C complex which helps zap skin-damaging free radicals.
• Lutein is a carotenoid antioxidant which has been linked to helping reduce sun induced skin damage. It can be found in spinach, red peppers and oranges.
• Folic acid can help reduce the feeling of tiredness and it is found abundantly in leafy vegetables as well as in oranges and grapefruits. 

Other beautifying nutrients include Vitamin E, Betacarotene, Bioflavonoids, Vitamin A, Anthocyanins, Selenium, Isoflavones and Silica. 

I'd love to know what changes you've made (or keep meaning to make!) to your diet for the sake of health and beauty. Tropicana have given me a a hamper containing fruit and beauty treats to give away, so I'll pick somebody at random from the comments on November 7th 2012 and get the goodies to you.

The fruit and beauty hamper is available to UK residents only due to the perishables and import restrictions.

In collaboration with Tropicana

LUSH Bubblebeard Bubble Bar

As I've said before, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with LUSH but my favourite of their products are most definitely bubble bars. In particular the Bubblebeard bubble bar from their Christmas collection. It's one of the reusable ones on a stick that you stir into the water to create bubbles. Bubblebeard is fragranced with sandalwood, lavender, neroli, thyme, cedarwood and tonka which combine to make an incredibly relaxing and gently masculine fragrance which is a pleasant deviation from LUSH's super sweet scents. It also softens the bath water without making it feel oily.

So far, with about half a bar to go, it has lasted for six baths with a modest amount of bubbles but plenty of fragrance - which really isn't bad for £4.95 per bar. Obviously if you like a lot more bubbles it's life will be a bit briefer. I'm very tempted to pick up a couple more before they sell out for this year as my boyfriend is a fan too - although he made me use it first as there is a glittery overspray!

The one thing I find a bit disappointing about the Bubblebeard bubble bar is that there is no donation towards men's health. As I'm sure most people know, November is also Movember and always full of moustache themed charity products and events. It would have been lovely if a few pence per bar went to the cause, even if it was just during November.

Dove Créme Mousse

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With winter closing in it’s always nice to have something a bit more indulgent in the shower, and Dove have created an affordable everyday luxury in the form of their new look Crème Mousse body wash range. Unlike other body washes, which end up down the drain before you've had a chance to create a lather, the Crème Mousse creates a thick swirl in the palm of your hand. When massaged into the skin the Crème Mousse becomes a silky, luxurious lather that sticks around long enough to deeply nourish the skin. This also makes it an excellent non-drying alternative to shaving foams! 

The Crème Mousse body washes use Dove’s highest concentration of 'NutriumMoisture' technology, a blend of moisturisers, to address protein and lipid damage caused by regular shower gels. These hydrating ingredients are absorbed into the top layer of skin, rather than simply coating the outermost layer, making it ideal to help soothe and prevent dry, distressed winter skin. The Crème Mousse was hydrating enough on my normal skin type for me to happily skip body lotion, so it’s also an ideal choice if you’re in a rush in the morning! Wonderfully, despite the rich, hydrating ingredients, Crème Mousse efficiently cleans the skin without leaving a greasy film. 

Both varieties have that classic, clean and, I find, comforting 'Dove' scent. Dove Crème Mousse body wash comes in Brightening and Nourishing varieties, which both retail for £3.71 for 200ml, and are available now from supermarkets and chemists.

Escentric Molecules - Molecule 01

I've been hearing snippets about Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 since it was launched in 2005, when there was a rumour that it was a pure pheromone with the power to make Ryan Gosling or Mila Kunis (delete as appropriate) fall helplessly in love with you. In actual fact the fragrance is a single molecule, 'Iso E Super', with water and alcohol. So it is an unusual, if slightly gimmicky, fragrance - but you'll still need your own pheromones and a love of dogs to snag the Gos. Sorry about that.

More recent rumblings about Molecule 01 have come from Lily and Anna who have both reported strangers collaring them for a sniff and to ask what they're wearing. However it wasn't the thought of strangers sniffing me that pushed me to purchase, weirder things happen on my usual bus route, it was a tweet from Cami saying she smelt like Diptyque's Feu de Bois when wearing it. I've been hunting for a decent woody fragrance for a very, very long time so it was music to my ears.

This woody obsession probably stems from a trip to South Africa sleeping quite literally under the stars in a game reserve. The caveat was that we had to take turns to do night-watch incase a lion decided to stroll by and turn us all into teenager tartare. Sitting there with a torch, alone, in the pitch black while everyone else slept was slightly terrifying for the most part. However the campfire was kept stoked all night and in amongst the firewood there were usually a few branches of tamboti wood. When tamboti burns it releases an intensely woody, sweet and spicy aroma that has subsequently become ingrained in my memory, as scents seem to do, as something really comforting.  I've been trying to track down a whisper of it in a fragrance ever since. So I bought Molecule 01, unseen and unsniffed from Cult Beauty and hoped for the best.

The single molecule alone is a gentle sandalwood scent (tamboti is also know as African sandalwood) which is definitely unisex, but not overly masculine due to a slightly sweet and spicy edge. The general idea is that this fragrance mixes with the natural musky scent of skin to produce your own spin on Molecule 01. I really just smell the fragrance itself, which I think is divine. I feel like it is quite weak and stays really close to the skin, however I've read that the wearer becomes desensitised to it pretty quickly so it is most noticeable to other people - hence the stranger effect I suppose. It does seem to last quite well on me however, it will suddenly become more noticeable in the afternoon before seeming to hide again and reappear later on. I've also tried it layered with a small amount of Narciso Rodriguez For Her and also with Stella Eau de Parfum and both add a layer of floral to Molecule 01 without crushing it. Likewise Molecule 01 gives a nice complimentary wood base to both perfumes. 

The 30ml travel size that I purchased is £27, so not outrageous - although it shouldn't be for its simplicity - and it's worth trying out at a counter if only to give a warm, wintery boost to your usual fragrance. Available at Liberty and Cult Beauty.

Winter Lip Duo

I haven't quite turned the radiators on yet, but I have been assembling an army of beauty products to tackle cold weather problems. In the lip department I've found a match made in heaven. Firstly, a lip scrub.

Honestly? I usually just make my own with half a tea spoon of sugar and a couple of drops of oil. But, as my boyfriend will attest, I'm a verified popcorn addict so I was totally drawn in by the name and scent (even though I'm a staunch salted kind of girl) of LUSH's Popcorn Lip Scrub. The flavour is meant to be popcorn and the salty-sweet smell and taste is pretty close; but there is something a bit chemically lurking in the background which seems to be a theme with a lot of LUSH products. The sales assistant at the store I went to was enthusiastically encouraging me to use the scrub and lick it off afterwards; but once you've rubbed it into your lips, that tasty scrub will be mixed with dead skin cells...so I'd rather not thanks. That said, any that accidentally gets into your mouth or leaves a residue will be pleasantly popcorn-ish!

It's priced at £5.95 which is a bit steep considering the thrifty ingredients (Caster sugar, Jojoba Oil, Sea Salt, Polenta, Coconut Oil, Popping Candy and Flavour) but it's well packed in there and you don't need much to make your lips super smooth. I'm not sure I'd buy a LUSH lip scrub again, but it's fun and effective so I'll let them off.

I've been topping off newly polished lips with one of my favourite ever lip balms, NUXE Reve de Miel Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm, which sinks in much quicker than usual after a lip scrub. It's a thick, waxy semi-matte balm with Shea butter, a honey-grapefruit scent and no mineral oil. When I put this on in the evening it's always still there in the morning, preventing my lips from drying out overnight. This also regularly creeps into my handbag (I should really buy a second pot) as it sits really nicely under lipstick too. It's priced at £9.50 for 15g and available from feelunique.com.

NOTD: Dior Diorific Vernis 'Marilyn'

 

Dior have just launched their Christmas 2012 'Grand Bal' collection full of golds, reds, pearls and glittering blacks. Part of the collection are Diorific Vernis polishes in cute, tubby bottles that look beautiful but endlessly impractical. Available in four shades, Marilyn* is a classic pillar box red which could easily have been a favourite of its namesake. 

The gold top unscrews to reveal an applicator that is surprisingly easy to hold and the flat brush makes the whole process fairly speedy. What really surprised me is formula, so much so that it popped up on Instagram; after one coat it was opaque, non-streaky and very, very shiny and it stayed that way for a good few days too. The very tips of my nails are a bit ragged at the moment (need to try some Nail Envy I think!) but it manages not to highlight that either. 

The polishes are £20, which is £2 more than Chanel, but endlessly better in formula. I think the price point edges these toward being more of a collectors item or special gift, but they do function incredibly well too. Available from Selfridges.

Autumn Edit #3: Nails, Hair, Body, Fragrance

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

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Nivea have just launched a very handy new two-in-one hydrating primer to help keep skin perky whilst creating a smooth base to keep your makeup in place all day. The product contains effective hydrating ingredients including Glycerin and Butylene Glycol which are know for their powerful moisturising properties to support skins hydration levels. The primer comes in two skin type variations - Dry and Sensitive or Normal to Combination.

The Dry and Sensitive formula contains almond oil to help nourish and soften, and calendula extract  to soothe and calm the skin. The Normal to Combination version contains Lotus extract, a popular anti-oxidant ingredient known for its revitalising properties. Both formulas have a light, cooling gel-cream texture which absorbs instantly, meaning you can put your makeup on straight away. The primer also comes in a luxe feeling glass jar which is amazing considering the RRP is £4.99. Click here to find out more.

I filmed a couple of short videos with Nivea explaining more about the Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer and there are a couple of skincare and makeup tips in there too!

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Autumn Lust List

Laura Mercier Spiced Cider Blush, Løv Organic English Breakfast Tea, 

Wild about Beauty Line and Define, Miller Harris Bois d'Épicerie Candle, LUSH Marzibain Bubble Bar

Wishlist posts are some of my favourite to browse so I thought I'd include some things that are currently saved in my browser tabs and pined over on a near daily basis. If you're thoroughly bored of autumn, I apologise, but is there a more appropriately named blush for this time of year (ever) than Laura Mercier Spiced Cider Blush?! I think not. There was a sample of Løv Organic tea in this month's Joliebox but I first saw it in the foodhall at Magasin du Nord in Copenhagen. To be honest I have no idea about the quality of the tea but the tins look amazing! I've been wanting to try Wild about Beauty for various reasons, but I particularly have my eye (if you'll pardon the pun) on the Line and Define eyeliner. I rarely use anything but pen liners these days and I'm intrigued by the inclusion of chamomile in the formula. 

Miller Harris have just launched Bois d'Épicerie Candle as part of the winter range and the description sounds heavenly, 'warming spices of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon leaf, fused with Seville orange and petitgrain on a rich base of cedar wood, cypress and pine needle to create a sensual and festive atmosphere.' They're slightly more pricey than Diptyque (eek) so this might be one for the Christmas list. Finally there is the LUSH Marzibain Bubble Bar. Apparently this is a retro product so only available online but if it contains almonds in some form, you can probably guarantee I'll like it!

Have you got your eye on anything at the moment?!

Diptyque 'Feu de Bois'

After my last Diptyque candle, Mimosa, chucked an unsightly smudge of soot up the then attic-style walls of my bedroom, I vowed never to buy a candle from them again. But like some overly persuasive ex-boyfriend, Diptyque candles have wormed their way back in. The sooty issue comes from the paraffin wax which doesn't burn as cleanly as something vegetable/soy based such as those from NEOM. This type of wax is also purportedly not so great for your health either so, by and large, I have totally avoided it. However I caved with this purchase because of the scent; I simply haven't found anything like it, or as good, from other brands. 

Feu de Bois translates to 'firewood' and that is most definitely the basis of the scent; warm, woody and smoky. I also notice an almost undetectable hint of something like leather or juniper which tips it just a little more toward modern and masculine than straight up 'something is on fire'. That said, it's as close as I can get to an (intentional!) crackling fire in my little flat and when lit it will drift through every room without ever being overbearing. This candle hasn't been quite as messy as Mimosa, but if you want the scent without the soot, there is a Feu de Bois room spray. Personally I think I would miss the flicker of a flame though. I know this will be a repurchase already as it's far and away my favourite scent from Diptyque.

At £38 for 190g (or £20 for the 70g version) they definitely aren't cheap but, with a certain gift giving season around the corner, you couldn't go far wrong with this as a gift - especially for a couple, as there is just the right balance of woodsiness to appeal to both sexes. Available from Diptyque, John Lewis and Space NK.

New(ish) Hair!

Probably my most frequent question via email, besides 'can you read my personal statement/homework/dissertation?' (if only there were enough hours in the day!), is where I get my hair cut. Until recently I would trek to the next county to see the same hairdresser I've had for years, because the London salons I'd tried were invariably overpriced considering the cut, colour, or just general service, was quite poor. The salon was rather out the way so it wasn't really worth me recommending it, and now my hairdresser has moved to Holland (Dutch ladies - email me if you want a good hairdresser!) so I've had to bite the bullet and hunt out a new salon.

Sassoon invited me to their South Molton Street salon perhaps partially to debunk the myth that they only offer what they are most famous for - geometric cuts and block colour. It's difficult because this is something which is simultaneously incredibly iconic (I can't think of another hairdresser and salon chain that has had a film made about them) but ostensibly limiting. That side of things is still very present in the Academy; one of my best school friends models for Sassoon and I've seen her with all kinds of bold cuts and colours, but they aren't something I, and imagine the majority of the population, would attempt to pull off. I was pleased to discover the salon offered Academy-inspired cut and colour techniques, but with a softer, more natural approach. They also cut a mean fringe.

Neville Zammit did my colour. I turned up with some pretty bad roots from a lighter colour that was great for summer but not so much going into winter. We decided on a slightly darker all-over colour which Neville described as 'mink-y' (I found this photo of a mink and we actually have matching hair now, amazing); a brown closer to my natural colour but with hints of violet. The colour and method used was very 'Sassoon', adding a peach-copper tone woven around the front section and through my fringe, but the result was more of a subtle lift than a Bauhaus block of colour. The colour has mellowed a little since my appointment and I love it even more - a few highlights woven through a heavy block fringe adds such a nice softness. My haircut hasn't changed too much as I'm trying to grow it a fraction longer but Sean Jackson cut my hair and I'm so pleased to finally find someone in London who can handle super-thick hair without cutting in three hundred layers. He finished my hair super smooth and straight but the London rain got to it before I had a chance to take a photo. 

The short version is, I'm really happy with the result and will be booking in next time my hair needs a chop. You can find more info about the salon (and others globally) here.

Eats: Dolsot Bibimbap

A little while ago I Instagrammed a photo from a bibimbap restaurant in Soho. It was met with a combination of 'what the hell is that?' and 'ahh bibimbap. I love that stuff', which gives you a clue that it's slightly unknown in the UK and also pretty popular with those who have tried it. It's basically a Korean dish consisting of rice topped with various vegetable or meat toppings. You can get salad versions but my favourite is dol sot ('stone bowl' in Korean). The stone bowl is heated until it's sizzling hot so the the rice becomes a little crispy where it touches the bowl and it's able to cook a raw egg as you stir the ingredients together. I don't own a stone bowl but you can achieve basically the same results with a good cast iron pan. 

Anyway I couldn't find a good recipe on the internet so I've come up with my own with a little help from The Kitchn. It does take a bit of time to prepare the toppings but it's well worth it and my recipe uses the same pan for all of the cooked toppings - so there isn't too much washing up involved! There is no limit to the toppings you could use and if you're vegetarian or vegan switch the beef and egg out for tofu. The more obscure ingredients (e.g. Gochujang paste) aren't too hard to find and most Asian supermarkets should stock them. Recipe after the jump...

NOTD: Essie 'Angora Cardie'

Essie 'Angora Cardie' is a polish I've been meaning to pick up for absolutely ages, but the onset of autumn gave me the last push to add to cart. It's described by the brand as a 'creamy deep, dusty rose' but there is also a hint of mauve and brown in the mix which make it an ideal seasonal shade. 

This is the first of the 'diffusion' line that I've picked up (though not the first I've tried) and I love the new brush, which is wider and flatter than the old style, and the range of colours but I've now resigned myself to the fact that Essie polishes just don't work on my nails. You might be able to see some chipping on my index finger, which occurred after one day, and it only got worse from there. The tip wear by day three was the equivalent of day seven with any of my other polishes. I've tried Essie polishes, old and new, with a variety of base and top coat 'sandwiches' but they've been invariably poor performers and I'm not sure if they're just hugely overhyped or there is some mystical reason we don't get along.

I'll definitely be wearing Angora Cardie throughout autumn and winter (no doubt constantly cursing my resulting imperfect manicure) as it's such a beautiful colour. So if you have better luck with Essie than I do, it's definitely worth a look.

The diffusion line is available from Boots and Superdrug and are priced at £7.99.

Autumn Edit: Makeup

3...Autumn Lipsticks

There wasn't meant to be another '3...' post today but the video that I've been trying to film for the past week (which has been disrupted by a cold and noisy construction men amongst other things) just so happened to include three lipsticks. So here's a little preview of some of the products that have wedged themselves firmly into my autumn makeup bag.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Kate lipstick in 111 'Kiss of Life' (this seems to be the only one of the new collection with a name, but I also love 107), is a perfect autumn red. It's basically a slightly more pink-toned, much more user friendly version of MAC's Ruby Woo. They are meant to be matte, but the formula is more of a velvety finish which is comfortable to wear and more forgiving on drier lips. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in 005 Crush is a lovely squashed berry hue which will stick around through numerous hot chocolates. I've been wearing these balm stains almost everyday since they launched as they're ridiculously low maintenance and I just top up with my own lip balm when the balm starts to wear off after an hour or so. 

Finally there is Revlon Matte lipstick in 009 Fabulous Fig. I always think this lipstick walks a dangerous line to being very 90's brown but there is just enough red to keep it on the right side of terracotta which is a surprisingly pretty and flattering shade. 

What are your favourite autumn shades?

3...Ways to Reduce Bathroom Waste

This is probably (definitely?!) the least glam post I've ever written but when you live on the second floor without a lift, you really start to notice how much rubbish you generate during the week when the time comes to lug it all down the stairs to the bin cupboard. One fairly large culprit for waste, particularly in the home of a beauty fan, is cotton. At one point I was getting through four or five packs of the cotton pads in a month for makeup and nail polish removal alone. Economically, it's a less than ideal situation and it also produces a lot of waste - not just in your bathroom but cotton manufacture uses 10% of all worldwide agricultural chemicals which is, frankly, a bit mad.

There are a few products that I love which, whilst I didn't choose for their eco-credentials (I promise I'm not going all hemp milk on you),  have had a huge impact on the amount of stuff I'm throwing away and are worth looking into if you fancy streamlining your bathroom and shrinking your eco footprint just a teeney bit:

• Spray Toners My most used toners come in spray bottles; Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz and Caudalie Beauty Elixir. Not only do I use less product through it not being absorbed by a cotton pad, it feels a lot more refreshing. I spray it on and wipe of any excess with a clean towel or face cloth.
• Mooncup Strangely this is probably my most read post but I won't go into detail - click here for the whats, hows and whys.
• Tub Nail Polish Removers These have been around for ages, but the most talked about version is Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover. It's no good for pedicures but this has lasted me a good two or three months and still going strong for express manicures. I'm not sure that anyone has tried this yet, but I have a feeling the tub and sponge could be rinsed out and topped up with fresh nail polish remover.

Do you try to reduce your beauty-related waste at all?

butter LONDON 'Bossy Boots'

butter LONDON aren't a brand I've tried before. I was always a little put off by the price, despite having purchased a few Chanel polishes in the past, and if I'm honest, some of the slightly cheesy Brit-slang names (although perhaps my boyfriend would say this one is appropriate).

But then I saw 'Bossy Boots' from their Spring/Summer 2012 collection. I can't remember where, it may have been on the mitts of Lily, but it was the perfect muted pistachio ice cream colour and I got a bad case of the wantsies. On first glace this is a textbook spring shade, but it works just as well in the cooler months and looks surprisingly good against a merlot hued palette. 

In terms of application, butter LONDON gets two thumbs up from me. It was almost totally opaque in one coat and wore for four days before any hint of wear. All of their polishes are '3 free', meaning they are produced without harmful chemicals toluene, DBP and formaldehyde. They'd get five stars if the brush was more like the Rimmel Pro line.

The polishes are £12 which seems pricey, but I have raved about Chanel colours which are almost twice the price and don't perform as well. I think I'll be picking up another in future, and I'm liking the look of 'Toff'.

I bought mine from lookfantastic.com.

October

New Look Jumper, Malin+Goetz Dark Rum Candle, Whistles Ring

NUXE Reve de Miel Ultra Comfortable Cream, Topshop Leigh Jeans, YSL Glossy Stain no.10

New Balance 410s, Warehouse Suede and Leather Biker Jacket

Happy October!

I'm a day late, sorry about that! True to autumn tradition, I have a lovely cold which would much rather I hibernated for two weeks than got any work done. It's probably partly due to that that I can't think much past cosy jumpers and comfy shoes. When furnishing my flat stops draining my bank account, those burgundy New Balances will be on my feet crunching in the leaves.

I hope you have a lovely month!

Music for this month:

The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin (...had to!)

Twin Sister - Meet The Frownies

Lana Del Rey - Summertime Sadness 

Purity Ring - Lofticries 
Johnny Flynn and Laura Marling - The Water