Review | Seventeen Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter

Decisions, decisions! Where do other bloggers get their gorgeous floral patterned blog photo backgrounds from?! My latest attempt is this pretty Laura Ashley notebook from good old WH Smiths, although as much as I like it, it does sort of clash with my blog's pale blue colour scheme a little! Still, it came in handy for some impromptu snaps of beauty booty this afternoon so I'm not dismissing it as an option just yet... On with the review! Here we have one of Seventeen's newest releases, Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter (£5.99 at Boots, not online yet), a pearlescent white/silver liquid highlighter. Seventeen have released a whole host of priming, concealing and correcting products and this one really caught my eye. Who can resist a pretty highlighter?! 

To be honest this is more of a 'first impressions' post as although Seventeen advise that Skin Wow! can be used in three ways I've only really been using it one way, that of a post-foundation and post-blusher highlighter applied to the cheekbones and brow bones to catch the light and add a healthy glow. You can also use it as primer before foundation, or mixed with foundation to create a more dewy finish. Because I have quite shine prone skin and because this product is really quite shimmery I'm not particularly keen on either of these ideas but don't let that put you off! I'm sure it could work wonders for others, and I might even give them a go myself as you never know until you try!

Handy pump applicator

Blended slightly

Blended fully

Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter comes housed in a sturdy transparent plastic bottle, meaning you're seeing the actual product from the outside, and it has a handy pump applicator for easy distribution. You can also twist the applicator off and pour it, if you so desire! The liquid itself is quite a thin consistency but not too runny, and it dries very quickly so it's best to work fast when applying. I've found dabbing it on lightly with my fingers works best, followed by blending in a little more with a small blusher brush. 

A white and silver based highlighter with a very slight touch of pink, this works well on my fair skin tone although it does me look a little washed out if I apply too much. Less is more with this! As I mentioned above, it does dry quickly and is quite tricky to blend once set, so I'd advise starting with a teeny tiny amount and building on it in light layers. As long as I use a little at a time (one small pump is more than enough) this works well at catching the light and illuminating my cheekbones and brow bones. I also apply a little dab along the centre of my nose which helps give the illusion of a healthy glow all over. 

Unfortunately there are a few downsides to Seventeen's Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter *sad face* As it's very white in colour it can be a bit tricky to judge how much is needed at first, and because it dries so quickly it can appear a little patchy in places, so I really wouldn't slap loads of it on at once. It also has a tendancy to make large pores look even larger, so I make sure I avoid applying it anywhere near the sides of my nose or forehead, something to bear in mind if you're going to use it as an all over primer perhaps? While it doesn't really rival its more expensive counterparts such as Benefit's range of liquid highlighters, it's a decent purse friendly highlighter that I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of.

I also purchased Seventeen's new Phwoarr Paint Heavy Duty Under Eye Concealer which I'll be reviewing soon. Keep those peepers peeled!

Baci e abbracci,

                                                         

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Review | Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow*

Hands up if you're a body scrub fanatic? Yep, me too! I usually reach for Soap & Glory, my favourite high street range, but when the opportunity arose to test out the wonderful Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow* from the Sp@ Home Body Exotics range I couldn't resist. I've always been hugely impressed with Elemis bath and body products, particularly their Frangipani Monoi Shower Cream which I was lucky enough to receive as a gift from my fiance last Christmas, and so I knew it was likely I'd fall in love with the newly released Skin Softening Salt Scrub. 

Aiming to gently exfoliate skin through the inclusion of mineral rich salts and hibiscus plant, as well as deliver a long lasting moisture boost via the scrub's soothing coconut oil base, Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow is a truly luxurious body scrub perfect for a spot of me-time pampering and indulgence. Clearly I'm not the only one who thinks so, as my tub's contents has been mysteriously decreasing in size ever since I left it in the bathroom! 

I couldn't write a review on this without at least attempting to convey the wonderfully rich, warm aroma of the Frangipani range. Aaagh it smells amazing! I'm not brilliant at describing fragrances but I figured I'd play a little game of word association and hope for the best (!): 

Exotic

Warmth

Comfort

Spice

Musk

Cocoon

Lingering

Enveloping

Nourishing

Cosy

Some more 'technical' words would be 'Tahitian Monoi Oil' and 'fragipani flowers' but in case you're not sure what such a blend would smell like/feel like, word association is surely the way to go! Needless to say, it smells divine. Rich, full, heady and delicious, a seriously luxurious fragrance that lingers long after my bath, both in the bathroom and on the skin. I love it when products leave a subtle scent after rinsing, and this is no exception. 

Admittedly the somewhat hefty price tag of £36.50 might cause a few wide eyes, but the tub is a generous size (480g) and a little really does go a long way. Plus, it really does work. I like to scoop out a small handful of scrub while in the bath and massage it on to my skin gently in small circles, starting at my feet and working my way up to my arms. While the product doesn't 'lather' as such it does have a creaminess to it that makes it easy to spread and massage on to the skin with no dragging or scratching. The scrub particles vary from super fine to larger pieces but they're comfortable and not at all irritating. I was instantly struck by how softening I found the scrub to be, noticeable even on wet skin. The bath water develops a lovely soft, slightly oily texture meaning you feel very much cocooned in moisture. Upon rinsing with warm water my skin feels noticeably nourished and smooth, meaning that once dry I can skip body lotion without risking tightness or dryness on problem areas such as my legs and upper arms. This nourishment lasts, unlike some bath products that claim to lock in moisture for a long period of time yet fail to follow through.

The tub the scrub is housed in is super sturdy and although it looks like glass it's actually a strong plastic that holds well and shouldn't break if you happen to drop it on the bathroom floor. The metal lock keeps the contents secure and it looks pretty darn lovely on my bathroom shelf! 

While expensive, Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow is well worth the price in my opinion as it's such a treat to use and should last a long time (so long as my mum stops pinching it!) Speaking of my mum, after trying it for the first time she came downstairs, a look of amazement on her face, before exclaiming 'Imy, feel how soft my skin is! It's a miracle!' A truly impartial nugget of praise from my mum there! If you're looking for a pampering product that delivers high quality results and is a joy to use, then this is definitely something to try. Remember, it's only three months until Christmas..! 

Browse Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow and other products in the range here

Baci e abbracci, 

                                                         

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* PR sample. Review is entirely my own, as explained further in my Disclaimer.

Wedding | Bridal hair and makeup trial

On Saturday I had my first bridal hair and makeup trial with the wonderful Siena Powloski, a London based professional Makeup Artist who has a wealth of experience in all sorts of fields including television, editorial and bridal. The day was an absolute blast and I thought I'd write about my experiences in case any brides to be are reading and wondering what to expect from a bridal trial (and all those reading who aren't necessarily getting married... I've always been wedding obsessed so don't be shy!) 

Siena arrived with her fully loaded hair and makeup kit, enough to make any beauty blogger jealous! We began the session by chit chatting about my makeup likes and dislikes. I had some pictures to show her of the type of looks I wanted to try, and Siena also had some photos on her iPad for me to browse through while she set up. It's absolutely vital to have a think beforehand about the look you're going for. Things to consider include the style and shape of your dress, the decor of your venue, the colour scheme of your wedding, and your usual makeup routine. All of these will help you build a picture (or pictures!) of what you envisage yourself looking like, beauty-wise, on your big day. 

Siena asked me some questions about my skin type and any concerns I had about my makeup, and then we got started with the makeup trial. From base to eyes to lips to cheeks, Siena talked me through each step, showing me her chosen products and explaining why she chose the products she did. I was able to ask questions throughout and she really put me at ease with her confident and thorough approach. 

Siena working her magic!

Once the makeup was applied and we'd gone through any queries I had, Siena moved on to hair. My hair is extremely fine and often looks quite lifeless, so it was decided that tongs were a huge necessity! Siena created a range of different looks based on pictures I had shown her taken from various bridal magazines. We tried up dos, down dos and everything in between! Below is a selection of styles we tried... Although I'm not sharing the final style as some things need to remain secret until the big day!

How gorgeous are these hair styles?! They proved very popular when I uploaded a few pics to Instagram! I love the twisty detailing, and somehow the design makes my crazy coloured hair look not quite as crazy as usual! I've been growing my highlights out since last December as I didn't like how light blonde my colour had become. My next wedding related task is to have a hair revamp, getting my dry ends trimmed and sorting out my colour in time for the big day. I still want to be blonde but a more natural honey blonde as opposed to bright blonde. Still, my roots could look worse at the moment!

I had such a fantastic day and picked up all sorts of makeup application tips and tricks, as well as a huge wishlist of products I really want to buy before the big day! Siena is really open to using products you already have in your collection, so for example if there's a foundation you know works well for your skin type she is more than happy to apply it for you, so long as it really is the best choice for your skin. She has a huge kit of products herself and extensive knowledge of what works best and why, so don't be afraid to loosen the reins a little! 

I think I'd quite like to squeeze in another makeup trial nearer the wedding date as I've got a few more ideas and 'tweaks' I'd like to try, indecisive bride that I am! Below are a few more pictures from the trial, I hope you can see just how talented Siena is, although I couldn't bring myself to go so far as to post a 'before' photograph as my skin is in serious need of some TLC at the moment!

If you'd like to contact Siena you can do so on Twitter @sienapowloski and on Instagram @sienapowloski. She offers makeup and hair styling for all occasions, from glam night out looks to bridal to everything else in between, so do give her a follow and check out her portfolio! I'll be calling on her again for my hen do makeup and I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Baci e abbracci, 

                                                       

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