CLOTHES FOR CAUSES LAUNCH

Hi everyone and Happy Sunday. I have an exciting post for you about a new store that opened yesterday aptly named 'Clothes For Causes'. This is a charity shop, but with a very modern and enticing atmosphere. With donations including a mixture of designer, high street and vintage fashion, home ware, toys and more this store is bursting at the seams with vibrancy. With a team that is more like a family ready to greet you and welcome you in your shopping experience will be one that you walk away happy from. Their stock rooms are literally overflowing so get down there and grab a bargain or few. Money raised goes towards helping local causes.

Shop owner Veronique served customers between cupcakes and bubbly.

Veronique also made all of these scented candles.

Fabulously cheeky decor.

Mirror mirror on the wall ........

Window shopping

Denim dreams

Beautiful storage

Metallic and lace embroidery trends done!

So cute

Happy shoppers

There was a photo booth at the shop opening which many customers and staff had fun with. This was my favourite photo with my Mum although I could not get her to look at the lens, ha ha.

This store can be found in Eltham High Street, SE9 (opposite Prezzo).

Opening times:

Mon - Sun, 10am - 6pm.

Other Clothes For Causes stores opening soon will be in East Dulwich, Forest Hill and Catford.

www.clothesforcauses.org.uk

My Mum is a part of the team working in the Eltham store and her name is Irene. Let her know I sent you to the store when you see her :)

What do you like or dislike about shopping in charity stores? Let me know with reasons why in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

SUNSENSE SKINCARE SUN PROTECTION REVIEWS

Hi everyone and Happy Easter Bank Holiday Monday! Have you all been fully enjoying the Easter break? I do hope so. Today I have four products to review for you from SunSense. For those of you interested in protecting your skin against harmful UVA and UVB rays which can cause sun damage, skin pigmentation, premature ageing, skin cancers and wrinkles I am sure these products from Australia's No.1 sunscreen brand will interest you.

SunSense are a family orientated brand producing products to protect all ages and skin types. SunSense products contain high-quality ingredients that bond quickly to the skin with most new formulations including Vitamin E and 3% niacinamide for healthier, younger looking skin.

Swatches as above

SUNSENSE ANTI-AGEING FACE (TOP LEFT)

Apply 1 teaspoon full over entire face and neck after cleansing and 15 minutes before sun exposure. A mild temporary stinging may occur. If severe stinging or irritation occurs wash the affected area and discontinue use.

This white lotion comes in a bottle with a small hole at the top to disperse product and a screw top lid. The bottle did not collect product at the top over use. The product felt like most face lotions I have used, absorbing easily into the skin. There was a slight sting on one sensitive area of my face, but it was minimal and went away after a few minutes. My forehead became a little dry while using this for about a week. There is no scent to this product.

SUNSENSE DAILY FACE (TOP CENTRE)

Shake well. Apply 1 teaspoon full over entire face, neck and chest after cleansing and 15 minutes before sun exposure. Avoid eyes and contact with irritated skin. If irritation occurs wash the affected area and discontinue use. Contact with clothing may cause discolouration.

This product comes in a flip top tube. It's not a greasy formulation. It has a sheer tint which is yellow based (as above). The product blends well into my skin giving a glow and evening out skin tone. This can be worn alone or under make-up. There was a slight sting again on a blemished area, but it went away as before. Cream does collect around the hole opening unlike the first product. I did have a dry patch appear on my chin within about 1 week of using this product. This has no scent.

SUNSENSE ANTI-AGEING FACE MATTE (TOP RIGHT)

Apply 1 teaspoon full over entire face and neck after cleansing and 15 minutes before sun exposure. A mild temporary stinging may occur. Avoid eyes and contact with irritated skin. If severe stinging or irritation occurs wash the affected area and discontinue use.

This comes in the same type of bottle as the first product. There is a slight stinging that goes away pretty quickly on blemished areas after application. This does have a tint also that I feel makes me look much more youthful, healthy and generally just have a glow. It is a more brown toned tint that was a little darker than my skin tone, but I made it work with blending bronzer over my chest area. The tint is definitely buildable for those wanting a slightly deeper tone. I did have dry patches on my forehead when using this again forming over about 1 week. This is also unscented.

LEFT: SUNSENSE DAILY FACE

RIGHT: SUNSENSE ANTI-AGEING FACE MATTE

I realise that it almost impossible to see these swatches. I had almost completely blended them into the skin so that you could just see the tone, yet get an idea of how natural looking they are.

SUNSENSE LIP BALM

Apply to clean, dry lips at least 15 minutes prior to sun exposure. Reapply frequently. This product leaves a gloss finish to the lips. If irritation occurs wash the affected area and discontinue use.

This comes in a squeezy tube with a screw cap. The nozzle does get messy with continued use. The product is a white cream balm (bottom centre in first swatches). When I first started using this product I loved it. There was no stinging sensation on application and the balm felt very moisturising and nourishing. Unfortunately my lips did not feel the same after a couple of days and actually felt a little sore. There was no change in the appearance of my lips, but it just felt like the product wasn't working for me. I did continue using it for the whole period of testing out all these products so a good few weeks, but my lips didn't feel any better.

Overall I would like to say that I don't think these are bad products. I do feel that they just didn't work particularly well for my skin type as most of them are mattifying and I have dry skin. If it wasn't for the drying effect the tinted products would be current favourites of mine.

Many thanks to Truth PR for sending these to me for free to test and review.

Have you tried any SunSense products that you absolutely love? If yes, let me know with reasons why in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

FASHION, BEAUTY & MAKE-UP FAVOURITES

Hello again beauties. My last post for today is one I have been meaning to write for a while which is a suggestion to retailers. 

Have you ever bought a fashion, beauty or make-up item loving it so much that you would call it a favourite or a must have staple? I know I have. 

There are items in my wardrobe as well in my beauty and make-up collections that I have eeked out beyond their life expectancy. This is because I knew I couldn't go back and repurchase them as they had been simply discontinued. There are some items that make comebacks from time to time, but not very often. 

My suggestion to fashion and beauty stores and websites is this. How about offering a voting system that if enough customers add a product to their favourites/staples list then those retailers would consider keeping it as a permanent product. Obviously there would need to be a minimum number of voters. 

A subscription service for those wanting a guaranteed back up of those products could also be offered.

I think it would not only educate retailers in what their customers really want, but also keep them coming back for more instead of looking at similar items elsewhere. 

Retailers would be able to view your favourites list and suggest other items that you might like. Alerting you when those items are on offer.

I know for a fact that I would be one happy customer if I knew my favourite products were always there for me.

I would also like to know which are your favourite and not so favourite posts that I write with reasons why. If you have any suggestions for types of posts that I have not yet written I would consider those too. 

Please let me know your thoughts for future blog posts and also any comments you have on this post in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

HOT CROSS BUN PASTEL SPRING EASTER NAILS

Hello again lovelies. I painted my nails yesterday feeling inspired by spring and Easter time and here they are.

Please excuse this not so in focus photo. Pastel shades always make a comeback at this time of year and so I wanted to include a mixture of them in this manicure. I thought the nude shade would be perfect to use under my hot cross bun stripes which my boyfriend pointed out should be vertical and horizontal, but oh well I think that's just being picky, ha ha. I wanted my nails to have a sprinkle of glitter too for a speckled effect. As these shades were quite milky I applied three coats of each for a dense colour pay off after my base coat. I used a white striper for the hot cross bun stripes and finished off with a nail drying spray.

Products Used:

ALESSANDRO PRO WHITE ORIGINAL

INGLOT 337 NAIL ENAMEL

MUA NAIL POLISH PISTACHIO ICE CREAM

STARGAZER 501 NAIL POLISH

2TRUE FAST DRY NAIL POLISH SHADE 15

BARRY M NP 318 PEACH MELBA

E.L.F. NAIL POLISH TWINKLE

STARGAZER NAIL ART PEN WHITE

PRETTY PERFECT NAIL DRYING SPRAY

It looks as though the E.L.F. and StarGazer polishes may have been discontinued, but hopefully you can find them on Ebay or Amazon. Alternatively you can use similar a similar nude and shimmer to recreate this look. The StarGazer striper I purchased a long time ago in a set so I would search online for that too as I think you can also buy them individually.

If you have created any spring time and/or Easter inspired nails please leave links in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

SWEET TREATS GLOSSYBOX

Hi there everyone and Happy Easter Sunday! It may be a dull and wet day, but for most of you I hope there is another day off tomorrow so it's all good. I have my April GlossyBox products to show you today. This box is called 'Sweet Treats'.

EMITE MAKE UP LIP BRUSH (L312) ~ £17

I have never seen a slanted lip brush like this before. The synthetic taklon hair is very smooth and will hopefully keep its shape well. It's allergy free and supposed to be easy to clean. I could not find this product on the Emite website so I have not added a link.

MONU SPA WARMING GINGER MASSAGE & BODY OIL ~ £25.00 FOR 100ML

Guaranteed to restore elasticity and suppleness leaving you with skin that feels nourished, soft and thoroughly pampered. With a mixture of aromatic essential oils to uplift, awaken, refresh and energise. Relaxing the body and revitalising tired muscles. Paraben free. Suitable for all skin types.

Add a small amount to your bath or under the shower before rinsing as the oil will emulsify into a milk leaving no oily residue on the skin. Can also be used as a regular massage oil.

This smells spicy with a slight lemon zest. It looks more like a loose liquid than other body oils.

MEMEME COSMETICS BEAT THE BLUES (PEARL PINK) ~ £5.50 FOR 12ML

This is a multi-purpose product designed to illuminate and highlight. Can be used on cheekbones or on brow bones to highlight. Apply under blusher for a natural dewy glow or mix with foundation for a subtle shimmer.

I am in love with this product already and I have only tried it on my hand. This has a gorgeous glow that looks very natural when blended out like you just have healthy skin. The shade is a pearly pink which looks more white or pink in different lighting. The swatch shown above is one swipe of solid colour not blended. When left to dry this swatch gave a very strong pigmented colour. I would actually love to try this on my lips for a statement look and possibly even on the eye lids, but I am not sure if it would crease. It appears to have pretty good staying power as I rubbed this swatch once dried and most of the product stayed put.

TRESEMME INSTANT REFRESH CLEANSING DRY SHAMPOO ~ £4.99 FOR 200ML

To keep hair fresh between washes this product absorbs oil and adds volume.

Shake the can vigorously. Lift hair in sections, spraying roots outwards. Let the product absorb into the hair and massage in.

Dry shampoos are always handy to have not only for days when you don't want to wash your hair, but for an added volume boost.

VICHY LIFTACTIV ADVANCED FILLER ~ £31.00 FOR 30ML

This product has been produced to visibly correct the look of deep and vertical wrinkles as if filled. To give you a happier less sad and tired appearance. This moisturiser is suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.

Apply to face and neck day and night alone or with your usual daily moisturiser.

Due to high pure retinol content please note!

When using this product it is advised to use an SPF of at least 15 during the day. Avoid sun exposure or artificial UV exposure. Do not use in conjunction with other retinoid products. Space out to using every two days if you have feelings of discomfort in the early days of use to allow the skin to become used to the retinol. Avoid the delicate eye area.

This sounds like quite a strong product which I will try out, but I am confused that it is suitable for all skin types due to the warnings. If I had really problematic sensitive skin I may be a little nervous trying this, but it does advise to ease your skin into using it so I guess its down to each individual to decide if it's right for them.

VICHY LIFTACTIV SERUM 10 EYES & LASHES ~ £24.50 FOR 15ML

Suitable for all skin types and sensitive eyes. Illuminating eye contours for a more youthful appearance as well as fortifying the lashes. Hypoallergenic and paraben free. 

Apply with fingertips gently to the eye contours.

Hopefully this will be great for tired eye days. I guess that it can be applied to the lashes in the same way, but the Boots website doesn't really advise on this so if anyone knows please advise in the comments below.

The stand out product for me in this month's box so far is the MeMeMe Cosmetics product. 

For more information on the UK GlossyBox click here and for the US GlossyBox click here.

What are your favourite products in this months GlossyBox. Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

PARISI: THE NEW BRITISH FINE LUXURY JEWELLERY BRAND

Hello my loves. I am back with today's last post introducing you to this new British fine luxury jewellery brand Parisi. Jane Mooney is the force behind this fabulous jewellery line. All pieces are made in the UK using a variety of techniques, crafted with 18ct gold and hallmarked. So here are my favourite pieces from the Elements Collection.

DARK STAR RING

This bold muted natural rose cut sapphire is elegant with an impact.

SATELLITE DIAMOND TRILOGY RING

Three white rose cut diamonds sparkle within their yellow gold handmade setting. Fabulous to wear everyday and can be worn with the stones pointing up or down for variation.

LAGOON RING

With a rose cut translucent white diamond and a rose gold holding this will look beautiful on the hands of many.

SATELLITE MIDI RING

For a simpler version of the Satellite Diamond Trilogy Ring shown above this is the perfect alternative. To be worn on the pinkie or in the modern on trend style of the midi ring.

TERAPH RING & EON RING

To be worn together or separately.

Teraph Ring:

With silver rose cut diamond sparkles set in beautiful unplated white gold. Each stone is one of a kind so unique to you.

Eon Ring:

Again set in a white gold holding a beautiful faceted diamond slice displaying a micrcosm of tiny inclusions.

Each piece is an investment as they are truly timeless and very well crafted. A bespoke service is also available. Be sure to check out the Parisi Luxury Jewellery website and let me know your favourite pieces with reasons why in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

NOTD: STARGAZER 172 NAIL POLISH

Hello again my sweets. The sun is shining and I am sure most of you are happy at the thought of the spring/summer season opening up to us. I am always a fan of embracing the lighter and brighter palettes that come along at this time of year, but there are days when I still feel the need to turn to the dark side. Here in this NOTD post you will see what I mean.

STARGAZER 172 NAIL POLISH GLITTER BLACK

I am really into textures at the moment and although I purchased this nail polish some time ago I never actually got round to using it. It looks nothing like I expected at all. It is much more of a murky black which has hints of brown mixed with silver glitters. I did have to paint 3 layers to get this level of cover, but I think the results are worth it. This Gothic shade is still very wearable. I like to think of it as the night sky on my nails. StarGazer appear to have discontinued this nail polish, but I did find it on another website for a bargain price of currently £1.37 linked above!

Are you like me any will wear any shade at any time of year? Let me know your favourite nail polishes from StarGazer in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

FLORENCE & FRED CLOTHING @ TESCO HAUL

Hey there gorgeous readers. How has your weekend been so far? I spent some time with my Mum on Friday and had a pretty lazy Saturday including an afternoon nap which is so unlike me. Today I am back on form and ready to blog. Recently I won a competition on Twitter. Florence & Fred Clothing @ Tesco were promoting their A/W 14 FASHION SHOW giving tweeters the chance to win an online voucher of £50 to spend. So what did I buy?

F&F TRIPLE COMPARTMENT CITY BAG

I am desperately in need of a new bag as the inside zip of mine is broken and the outer material is starting to wear. I chose this as I love the triple compartment style of it. Great for me as I can never seem to reach for what I need instantly and end up emptying half the contents out of my bag to find what I want. This will I'm sure be a great organisational fashion item for me. It can be held in the crook of the arm, over my shoulder or across my body due to the detachable and adjustable strap. It's a medium sized bag with a lovely texture of leather-look diamond graining, piped trims and gold hardware features. One of the two shorter straps stays upright always. Two outer compartments are zipped while the centre compartment has a magnetic popper. The centre section can be made wider also as there are poppers at either end which can be opened to allow for more space. In the centre there is also a space for a mobile phone and an inner zipped compartment. Four studs on each corner are at the bottom to resist wear underneath. This is a great everyday bag that I know I will get my use out of.

F&F LIMITED EDITION TEXTURED SHELL TOP

Again I chose this because I knew I would get a lot of wear out of it. This simple black short sleeved piece with a boxy cut and slash neckline is a great length and has a lovely textured finish.

With £20 still left I decided to get some plain tees for my boyfriend. They were just £4.00 each. You can find them in this link!

The delivery was very speedy with about a 36 hour turnaround. I had my items delivered to a local click and collect store so there was no delivery charge too. Everything was packaged perfectly with the t-shirts on hangers as well.

Be sure to check out the F&F A/W 14 Fashion Show here! There are lots of inspiring outfits for both men and women. I personally love the underwear as outerwear worn with great tailored pieces.

Are you a fan of Florence & Fred @ Tesco? Do you shop there regularly for your fashion items? Let me know your favourites after browsing this link in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

FACE, HAIR & BODY REVIEWS: DERMALOGICA, SOAP & GLORY AND IMPULSE

Hello again for my last post of today. I have three products in this review post for you so I will crack on and tell you about them.

DERMALOGICA CLEAR START BREAKOUT CLEARING FOAMING WASH

I was sent a great package of products from the Dermalogica Clear Start line by a PR company around Xmas time. This is the first one that I have used up. You can use this product on your face and body to clear dead skin cells, dirt and excess oils that clog pores and cause breakouts. So for those of you looking to reduce any breakouts that you may already have and lessen the chance of future breakouts this may be worth a try. I don't have trouble with a lot of blemishes, but I did enjoy using this product. The scent is very clean and fresh, not medicated at all. The gel formula foams up nicely leaving thoroughly fresh and refreshed skin.

SOAP & GLORY GLAD HAIR DAY SHAMPOO

This was part of a Xmas gift set. Designed for use on all hair types this no build up formula is meant to gloss, smooth, moisturise, repair and strengthen your hair. This product was a winner for me. The scent is that of the classic Soap & Glory. Very fruity and soft all in one. So what did it do for my hair? I did the two wash process that I do every time I wash my hair to ensure all products are removed. Even after the first wash my hair feels so much thicker in the shower. The scent is amazing and the pink liquid formula works wonders in expanding my hair strands. I would definitely pick this up in the future after using up my other products. Such great value for a 250ml tube.

IMPULSE TRUE LOVE BODY FRAGRANCE

I picked this up in the 99p Store, but they currently have this on the Superdrug website for 99p which I have linked above. With notes of freesias, muguet and amber this fragrance is gorgeous. It's a very fresh and beautiful floral scent which I would definitely pick up again.

So what have been your favourite face washes, shampoos and body sprays at the moment? Let me know with reasons why in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

MASCARA REVIEWS: A.K.A COSMETICS & GIVENCHY

Hi there cherubs. I am back with another post today including a couple of mascara reviews. 

TOP: A.K.A COSMETICS MASCARA BROWN

I was first introduced to the A.K.A Cosmetics brand at their launch back in May 2012, Link! They have lots of gorgeous products which make-up lovers should check out for sure. This brown mascara was gifted to me at the event. I don't wear brown mascara too often, but you can see how it looks on in this FOTD post. On the lashes it is very natural in appearance and separates well. The bristle brush head is the usual mascara shape that tapers towards the tip. I forgot that I had this until recently. I have been using a brown mascara for my eyebrows which had just ran out so I thought that I would give this a go. It worked perfectly and the fact that it had dried out a little meant that it worked even better holding my brows in place. The writing on the packaging has worn off quite a bit though.

BOTTOM: GIVENCHY NOIR COUTURE MASCARA NO.1 BLACK SATIN

I received this mascara in my May 2013 GLOSSYBOX. This mascara made promises of curl, length, volume and care. It actually gave a nicely shaped curve and volume to the lashes with added length. I wouldn't say that there was any change to the condition of my lashes, but they are in a healthy condition anyway. This mascara had a deep black pigment and was very buildable to give a fuller effect. It did smudge under my eyes on the lower lashes, but I think that most mascaras do that I have been trying lately. I didn't really get much clumping with this mascara until it started drying out towards the end of use. The three bobble head bristle brush design is quite unusual and I wonder if this had something to do with the mascara not clumping together.

I am trying out another mascara at the moment and so I will update you of my thoughts on that soon.

What are your favourite mascaras and why? Let me know in the comments below.

Love to you all

Vicky xx

CLICK HERE TO ENTER MY GIVEAWAY!

GIVEAWAY: BLING BEANIE FROM SWEETZ BOUTIQUE

Hey there beauties. I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. In today's post you have the chance to win this 'Bling Beanie' from up and coming fashion brand Sweetz Boutique which I met at the recent Bloggers Love #BLFW event here!

This limited edition 100% soft touch acrylic double layer knitted beanie has been transformed into a jewelled headpiece so that you can easily pull off ultra-glam laid back style with just this one item. The hat is black and so will go with lots of basics in your wardrobe. No one will notice any bad hair days when this jewelled garment draws them into your eyes.

So to win this cool fashion item all you have to do is let me know in the comments below why you think you deserve to win this 'BLING BEANIE' and what you love about Sweetz Boutique's designs. Please also let me know how you follow my blog. All follow options are in the right hand sidebar :)

Good luck to all those who enter! The closing date for this competition will be 5pm on Thursday 17th April. I will be announcing the winner shortly after so please keep an eye out for that on my Twitter page @vickyayles

Love to you all

Vicky xx