Serge Lutens, Un bois vanille

I've been waiting a while, over a year in fact, to do this review as I wanted a new bottle of my favourite perfume in the world to photograph.

This is my signature scent.

Serge Lutens, Un bois vanille, is, to my mind, the ultimate in vanilla fragrances.  It is no secret that I love my vanilla scents; that warm, comforting, sweet blanket of smell that envelops you and gives a big squeezy cuddle in its bounteous bosom, but if you are not careful a vanilla scent can suffocate you in a treacly mess of syrupy miasma and leave everybody in your wake wondering why they are suddenly craving a cupcake with extra icing.

Serge Lutens have managed to create that rarest of all creatures; a vanilla scent that isn't cloying.  The edge of liquorice cuts through the vanilla and leaves you feeling like you are less in candyland and more in a grown up's chocolate factory.  It is so refined compared to other vanilla scents that it is completely suited for uni-sex use. 

The name translates as a vanilla wood so it is no surprise that there are also sandalwood notes adding depth and interest in the dry down as well as notes of coconut adding a smooth and creamy sweetness to the vanilla. 

Un bois vanille also has remarkable staying power.  It will last on me all day, without leaving a perfume bomb behind me, and attracts attention without fail.  If I hug someone when I am wearing it, they will almost without fail ask me what perfume I am wearing and Steve can't get enough of it!  It is a definite nuzzle inducing scent.

It's also not a very common perfume, I have yet to find someone who wears any of the Serge Lutens scents, all of which I find are typically grown up scents with none of the alcoholic vapours you find in cheaper versions, and they last.  I wear Un bois vanille at least four times a week and one bottle will last me for 18 months.   House of Fraser is the only mainstream department store commonly located on high streets I have found that carries it, although you can easily buy it on line.  At £70 a bottle it is not the cheapest scent on the market but for me it is absolute value for money.

The packaging is clean and simple and very French chic.  No gimmicks, no fancy stoppers, no strange twisted shapes that cut into your hand when you attempt to spray.  Serge Lutens relies purely on the strength and complexity of his fragrances to do his selling, not clever marketing gimmicks and I think he has it spot on.

I also find that this scent is suitable for use all year long, except perhaps on those hottest of sticky summer days.  I really want to explore more of the Serge Lutens range (I have my eye on Five o'clock au gingembre and I own a sample of L'Eau, a remarkable clean fragrance) but if doing so means straying from Un bois vanille, then I don't think I have the heart to make that sacrifice.

Neal's Yard Goodies

I was at rehearsal the other evening for our production of Wyrd Sisters when Stella, who is playing The Duchess, came bounding up to me with a big grin on her face and handed me a bag of goodies.

My Neal's Yard order had arrived!

I have been so excited about this and the products are every bit as wonderful as I remember them being.  I'm not a beauty blogger so I'm probably not qualified to give a review of each of them but I don't really care - I want to sing about these products from the rooftops!

First up is the Rose Facial Wash.  I only have this in a tester sample as it was the freebie but I have been using it daily and haven't dented it.

It is brilliant at getting off makeup, even waterproof mascara, is gentle on the eyes and smells divine.  It has also started to even out my skintone - I'm noticing that my cheeks are a lot less ruddy than normal (bring on the winter winds for the ultimate test!). It doesn't particuarly foam up at all when you are washing your face but as this contains absolutely no SLS's this isn't unexpected.

Next up is the White Tea Toning Eye Gel.

This was the product that left us all feeling lopsided at the Neal's Yard party.  We all tried it under just one eye and by the end of the hour there was a visible tightening and firming around that eye socket and dark circles also appeared lifted.  I use it first thing in the morning before I moisturise.  It's not a very big bottle but considering you need the teeniest tiniest amount to do both eyes it will last for ages.

I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and dry patches and the last thing I thought I wanted to do was put more oil on my skin.  How wrong I was!  The Rose Facial Oil is another product I can't stop raving about.

I put this on first thing in the morning and last thing at night.  I just put two fingers over the bottle top, tip it upside down and the resultant oil is enough to cover my entire face.  It feels soft and moisturised all day long and I've noticed a visible improvement in both the tone and condition of my skin.  The oil production of my skin also appears to have been regulated, and at the end of a long day in the office it looks significantly less shiny than before I started using it.  The smell is quite strong, Steve has commented that I smell like Turkish Delight when I am wearing it but it does fade. 

The final product I received was the much hyped Wild Rose Beauty Balm.  This has been hailed as a wonder product and I was sceptical at first as to how any beauty product could possibly be that much of a miracle worker.  The scent is lovely, it's a bit like a mixture of rose and patchouli and as someone normally turned off by strong flower scents I was really surprised that I liked this.

Primarily it is a cleanser, used with a muslin cloth to exfoliate your skin.  You apply a small amount of the balm (which liquifies and turns into a kind of oil when heated by your skin) to a moistened face and then use the muslin cloth to gently scrub and remove, similar to the highly popular Liz Earle products.  You can also use it as a deep treatment face mask and as a moisturiser.

However, I have been doing some experimenting.

I have also found it is brilliant as:

1) Overnight facial moisturiser
2) Cuticle softener
3) Elbows and knees dry spots
4) Foot treatment (with socks on)
5) Lip balm
6) Hair mask / hair frizz (yes, really)
7) Eye lash treatment (it's gentle enough to use near the eyes)

Now although it is pricey, considering all the different uses this one remarkable pot has and the fact that you only need a tiny amount to cover your entire face and neck, I'd say that it was pretty good value for money!

Since using these products I haven't had a single breakout, my skin looks smooth and even and it feels like it is glowing from the inside.  I've said it before, but I am a beauty convert!

Neal's Yard Pamper Party

When I was younger I went to lots of 'brand at home' party's.  Ann Summers, Body Shop and more recently a Jamie At Home (cookware has never been so much fun!)

Move over though cos this party just blew them all out of the water.

Neal's Yard have started doing pamper parties.  The British brand famous for its all natural, organic, luxurious skincare treatments can now be indulged in the comfort of your own home, with friends and tea and cake. 

Now if you are looking for games, feather boas and drunken challenges, a Neal's Yard party is probably not going to be for you.  Instead you are treated to a multitude of clever little lotions and potions, trying them out and sampling them on your hands.  And arms.  And shoulders.  And legs when you ran out of space everywhere else.  This is a much gentler and lazier type of afternoon party where you feel utterly spoilt.

Stella bumped into Beki, our consultant, at a yoga retreat.  Beki normally covers more of the Midlands area (there apparently isn't a consultant in Kent at the minute, although after this party I think there may be a few appearing as a lot of the girls were VERY interested in signing up!) but she traveled down to us one very rainy Saturday afternoon in Whitstable.  We crowded into Stella's living room and munched on home-baked cakes (Great British Bake-off was about to restart and we were all quite excited) and drank huge mugs of steaming tea (it was freezing outside).

PS - I'm getting the recipe for these little blackcurrant and almond cakes from Claire as they were seriously good.

Once everyone was settled (it took a while, there were a lot of us!) Beki started the party.  We had a brief history on Neal's Yard and the ethos behind their brand and then we started testing the products.  Beki told us about what different products and chemicals do to the skin, how the different layers are affected and also how different smells affect hormones and emotions.  We did a blind smell test on different essential oils passed round on a cotton bud (I loved the frankincense but couldn't bear the geranium).

Then came the really fun bit.  Beki started passing the various tubs and pots around, explaining a little about each one as they went.  Ladies got to try lots of different creams, tinctures and oils and compare notes with each other on how they felt, how they smelt and whether they would work for their own skin type.

As the hostess, Stella got a free facial using some of the different products.  She looked utterly relaxed during it and said her skin felt amazing afterwards.  Beki showed us different techniques for applying cream and oil to encourage stimulation of the collagen (apparently you don't just slap it on and rub it in in every which way as I do) and the correct place to put eye cream (which should stop me waking up with streaming eyes in the future).

I must confess, I have never used Neal's Yard products before but this party made me an utter convert.  The sheer scope and variety is a little bit daunting for a beginner to start to work their way through so having Beki there to guide you and give you personal advice was really helpful.  I was leaning more towards the Frankincense range for my skin (based purely on the smell) but when I explained what results I was hoping to see I was told that the Rose products would be much better for me and I should stick to those.

Now, I'm not going to lie.  There is an opportunity to buy the products and Neal's Yard is not cheap.  However as I'm getting a bit older now I've decided to invest more in my skin and actually treat it well (and in the week and a half since the party it is already looking a lot fresher and more revived with the samples I have been using).  I probably spent a bit more than I should have but the products look like they will last for a long time.  Self-justification is going on here a bit but strangely for me absolutely no buyers remorse!

We also got a little gift if you bought two products so I chose a small bottle of Rose face-wash to match the other products I bought.  As an additional bonus we were handed a goody bag filled with about 20 different samples of Neal's Yard products as we left which was wonderful and I am still working my way though now.  Each sample has had enough for a couple of applications in it.  This is a rather sneaky tactic by Neal's Yard  as I have fallen in love with a couple of them that are now on my lust list!

Bessy, Stella's cat was the only one less than impressed with the party - I think that was down to both the number of people in her house and the rich, sleep inducing smells that permeated everywhere.

We spent a good hour after the party going through the products, discussing what we would be buying with friends and then placing the order.  My purchases haven't arrived yet and I can't wait for them to - it will be a bit like an early Christmas!

This is such a different type of event to do with friends and I think it would be lovely for a day time hen party activity or new or expectant mum party as it is the type of event that fits all ages and interests.

After all, who doesn't love a good pamper!

Silky, Soft and Oh So Shiny

I'm going through a bit of a phase at the moment.  I'm intrigued by the idea of home beauty treatments as they claim to have the same benefits (if not better) than many of the commercial products, are a fraction of the price and often are more environmentally friendly (less packaging, using natural ingredients, no preservatives, no SLS or SLES etc).  I have been collecting ideas on my Pinterest boards (there seems to be a minor Pinterest addiction going on here) to try out at home.  I've already tried the Nutmeg and Milk Facial Scrub and was really pleased with the results.

On Friday night I put three more treatments to the test; a leg polish that claimed to give you ridiculously silky and smooth legs, another facial scrub and finally a hair rinse that claimed to give you shiny and glossy hair.

All of them used ingredients I already had in the kitchen.

I ran a bubble bath and got mixing in the kitchen.

First up, the leg polish.

For this I needed 1 1/4 cups sugar (I used caster but granulated is also good), 1 cup olive oil and three tablespoons lime (or lemon) juice.  You could use fresh but I cheated and used the stuff you get in a bottle from the fridge.  Mix them altogether and you are good to go.  I soaked my legs for five minutes then shaved them with no foam.  I then scrubbed with the mixture, rinsed, shaved again, scrubbed again to really lock the moisture in and rinsed a final time.  The results were better than I could have imagined.  My legs felt soft, smooth and silkier than I have ever felt them.  I ended up using the rest of the mixture as an exfoliant all over my body as it was that good.   There is a slight disadvantage - the mixture makes the bathtub really slick so be careful!  It is also a pain in the backside to clean up afterwards.  Next time I may substitute the olive oil for coconut or baby oil or add some essential oils to make it smell a bit less like a salad dressing... Overall though, this is an outstanding treatment - I highly recommend it!

Next, the facial scrub.

This was simply 2 tablespoons baking soda and a splash of milk (you can also use water) mixed to a thin paste.  After I had finished with the leg polish I scrubbed this all over my face using small circular movements for about five minutes.  I have to be honest, this wasn't as good as the nutmeg and milk one I used previously and it had a major disadvantage in that it tasted absolutely foul when I accidentally got it in my mouth.  However I cannot deny that it gave fantastic results, my face felt smooth, skin tone was even and pores were smaller.  I may stick with the nutmeg formula though!

Finally the hair rinse.

This was simply a glass of equal measures apple cider vinegar and water.  I have heard so much about how amazing cider vinegar is for hair and I was really excited to try it.  I washed my hair normally and then tipped this all over my head, let it soak in for about five minutes and then rinsed.

Lesson 1 - be more careful.  I got this in my eyes and it hurt.
Lesson 2 - use warm water.  I should have thought of this before hand but cold water does make for a bit of a shock to the system!

Now I am of two minds about this.  After I had rinsed it out I towel dried my hair and then blow dried it.  To my disappointment my hair was sticky, stiff, dull and felt like it was full of product.  Steve also said it 'smelt like poo!' - not the reaction I was hoping for! It was so bad I had to go straight back in the shower and wash it again.  However, after the second wash it was really, really shiny, soft and easy to style.  I don't actually know if it was the cider vinegar that did it and I just didn't wash it all out the first time properly or if it was just because I washed it twice in 20 minutes.  I'm going to try this one more time next weekend just to see if it is worth the hype.

So there we have it.  Three home beauty treatments.  One was an amazing success, so much so that I doubt if I will ever buy an exfoliant ever again and the other two are ok and worth a second trial.

I am going to keep exploring home beauty treatments but what do people think?  Would you like me to act as a guinea pig and review more on this blog?  Have you tried any at home that you recommend?

Body Shop Haul

I need to learn how to say no and keep walking.  I got collared in the High Street by one of the ladies who works in the Body Shop with the offer of a £3 off voucher.  I needed some night cream, I knew that I liked the Body Shop night cream, I merrily skipped in to purchase the night cream and sheepishly slunk back out having purchased two other products and a free sample.  Oops.

The Vitamin E Night Cream is an old favourite.  It is heavily moisturising, claiming to replenish moisture levels while you sleep.  It is rich and decadent but quickly absorbed and non-greasy.  At £11 for 50ml it it not the cheapest night cream out there but by no means is it the most expensive either.  The Body Shop has so many deals and offers on though you would normally be able to get it on some sort of deal like I did!

I'll be honest - I grabbed this because I had a £5 voucher and I needed some shampoo.  It has been a long time since I have used Body Shop shampoo (I used to swear by their Banana shampoo but stopped using it years ago for some reason).

The Rainforest hair care range has a number of different shampoos and conditioners in it, in two sizes (250ml and 400ml) with no silicones, sulphates, parabens or colourants.  My hair had been feeling a bit product heavy recently so a good cleansing shampoo was what was needed.

I purchased the Shine shampoo and it has been wonderful so far.  After a couple of weeks my hair does honestly feel lighter and has more bounce and body.   It doesn't lather up like other shampoos due to the lack of SLS's and it is pricier than supermarket brand shampoos (£4.50 for 250ml, £6.50 for 400ml) but the fact that you need very little makes up for this.  The scent is fresh, subtle and non-overpowering.  Overall a good shampoo.

The Grapeseed Glossing Serum was a complete impulse purchase.  I'm terrible for these but this one was worth it.  As we move into summer I don't want to dry and style my hair every day which normally means a big ball of frizz.  This glossing serum smooths and calms fly-aways and highlights my curls and waves when I decide to keep them in.  It also claims to help with split ends and adds moisture to dull, dry hair.  A single pump does my entire head of hair (which is thick and down past my shoulder blades).  This little bottle will last for a long time, which for £7 for 75ml is not bad value.

I also got a free sample of the Nutriganics Drops of Youth, designed for the first signs of aging, to enhance skin condition, smooth and moisturise.  A serum treatment, three drops a day, applied under your moisturiser is all you require.  I was given a tiny container full and it will last a good couple of weeks.  I am seriously tempted to repurchase this as my skin feels completely hydrated, even twelve hours after application.  30ml will set you back £22 which for the amount of time that this will last seems pretty good value. 

All in all, a pretty good value haul from The Body Shop!

Naturally European Ginger and Lime

I love rich, warm tones in my products.  Vanilla, Fig, Ginger, Jasmine are all scents that make me stop and sniff. 

Naturally European was a brand I came across in Fenwick's.  I was looking for Di Palomo which they seem to have either moved or stopped doing (I really hope it is the former) and stumbled across this brand where the Di Palomo range used to be.

Naturally European market themselves as bringing home the aroma of Europe through all natural ingredients.  Normally I would feel quite sceptical about this (I've done a lot of travelling around Europe and the rest of the world and trust me, some places and people you don't want to sniff for a second time), but this is more about the ideology of scent and how the romantic identity of the continent can be discovered through smell.

The range includes nine different scents, Lavender for a day in Provence, Sage for the apothecary gardens scattered all over the continent, Milk for the Swiss Alps, Verbena for Spanish Lemon Verbena, Rose Petal for Bulgarian rose valleys, Honey and Almond for the almond petals of Cyprus, Pomegranate for European aristocracy and Linden for Linden Boulevard in Berlin.

I fell for the Ginger and Lime, a heady mixture of fresh citrus and deep warmth, supposedly to evoke the heat and freshness of Southern Spain.  I'm a sucker for packaging and this is right up my street with a old Victorian pharmacy feel about it.  It also has Ginger in, one of my favourite scents (I'm still trying to justify the purchase of the Jo Malone Nutmeg and Ginger Cologne) which instantly drew me to it.

Naturally European is, as it sounds, made from completely natural products and is paraben and SLS free.   The lotion is rich, thick and heavily moisturising - a little goes a very long way.  The lotion is absorbed quickly and I have already noticed a couple of dry patches disappearing in the two days since I have been using it.

I would normally expect bottles of lotion like this to cost about £20.  I was pretty taken aback when I saw it was £6.95 for 500ml, not far off the cost of a bottle of supermarket moisturiser, and this feels much better quality, less chemicals and will last for longer.