January is always a good month to look out for bargains, as it is prime sale season. The things in my haul are not your usual things to buy. I must admit they are a bit blingy blingy. I bought these for weddings, as I had a few to go to. So here is my …
Anti-ageing, is it a label to be proud of or shy from? Anti-ageing is a topic that is sensitive to say the least. What does it really mean? It’s quite a claim to make! In most cases it simply means that the product is specially formulated for the older lady. Or is it? The word …
Today is a momentus day. I have re-launched my blogging website. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my old website, in fact I loved it and it was hard work getting it up and running, just the way I wanted it. However, I need to be in with the times. The theme that I originally …
I have a new product to try and it’s called Fillerina. I honestly have never thought about a product that could be used as a ‘filler’. I know of pore reducing ones, but to be honest I don’t think the pore reducers work immediately, but would they? I definitely would love it if they did. Maybe after prolonged use they might? Anwers on a post card!
Fillerina is a Swiss based night cream. It is a ground-breaking, at-home filler, to ease the treatment of wrinkles in the comfortable surroundings of your home and without medical intervention (injections).
Fillerina claims to reduce wrinkles in fourteen days, which is a bold claim indeed. I can’t confirm this, but what I can say is that this cream feels so luxurious, you can tell just by applying it.
And… The smell is so amazing, it is really nice and sweet smelling and the fragrance really lingers for a long time.
The Swiss logo is also a plus point, as it suggests (maybe a psychological thing) that it would be good, as it is Swiss made. Swiss products are synonymous with being of quality. Be that somewhat shallow of me, but I do love Swiss products. Bring on the Swiss chocolates! haha
I have been using Fillerina for a while now, mainly at night and I must say that my skin has been looking dewy and more vibrant. I feel like my skin looks more radiant without having the help of creams and even foundation.
I do really like this cream and would highly recommend it. Not only for its use, but also for the amazing feel good factor and feeling you get from using it. The smell is so divine, it leaves you relaxed and ready for a great sleep!
It is always lovely to be invited to a party, but to get an invite to one from such a great brand is even more exciting.
The brand in question is La Roche Posay and they had a very exciting new product to launch, the Effacer BB Blur. This BB cream has a lovely consistency, very smooth and moussey feeling. The BB Blur comes in two colours, either light/medium or medium/dark. Using the BB blur is designed to instantly visually blur the appearance of pores, blemishes and absorbs oil all day long, so ideal for oily skin.
There were some gorgeous added touches to the party and the general theme was blue to match their wonderful products.
La Roche Posay have the iconic Serozinc which is the best toner and is a God-send for those who have blemish and/or acne-prone skin. The results leave the skin mattified and less greasy, if a problem, that is.
The serum is also a product worth trying which can be used morning and night, alone or under makeup to leave the skin buffered and primed. The serum also soothes, as it is suitable for sensitive skin, which is ideal for me as I prefer no dry patches or breakouts.
The beauty of the La Roche Posay products is that they are dermatological tested and therefore will be beneficial for all skin types. The key ingredients being La Roche Posay thermal spring water containing selenium, which has anti-free radical properties.
There was even a fun post box where requests could be made for products to try, which was a really awesome idea!
The lovely ladies from La Roche Posay were very friendly and gave me a very nice goody bag to take home with some beautiful attached balloons, which I got a few smiles from passers by on the way back home.
Thank you so much to La Roche Posay for inviting me and making me feel so welcome.
I was lucky to have been invited to some talks at the Houses of Parliament, as a part of Parliament Week and to say I was very excited was an understatement! Plus, I love fashion, so two birds were killed with one stone! It was hosted and organised by London Ethnic; a great company promoting and working with London based fashion, fashion designers and producers of clothing specifically made in Britain.
The main topic of conversation was how democracy is needed within the fashion industry.
The event included talks from politicians such as, Baroness Jo Valentine, MP Tulip Siddiq, MP Ian Paisley and leaders in the fashion & beauty industry, including Kate Hills; the founder of Make it British.
The day was introduced by London Ethnic’s founder and CEO, Saumen Kar, who explained the importance of fashion and clothing being made in London, and more ethically, rather than opting for cheap labour, which the high streets are prone to do now a days. London Ethnic aims to bring together London fashion in order to make the British economy more profitable and create opportunities for the industry. The aim being to grow demand for manufacturing here rather than going abroad.
There were some underlining issues that were brought to the fore, such as how ethically buying clothing that are made in countries where people, even children work in sometimes very poor pay and conditions, can be damaging. Clothes being made in sweat houses, may be cheap, but where do these clothes end up? In landfill, stock piling which is detrimental to both the environment and to society. The future being to produce clothing in the UK and in a safe environment.
The quality of fashion made in London will be beneficial and this would be made easier if there were more factories and helping designers being an operative. It is therefore key to improve the carbon footprint of the fashion industry.
An interesting finding was to hear that people were willing to pay more for UK labels and 8% would be willing to pay more for a ‘Made In Britain’ label, making it a step in the right direction.
Baroness Valentine from the British membership spoke about how modern fashion has also played a part in the change in democracy. Developments being made through technology, education and even, social media. The reigns of power passed on to the younger audience and from bloggers (like me) etc. Fashion will add to the economic supply chain, attract talent and make change. The need being to raise the profile to make fashion more profitable for everyone from designers to the people of Bangladesh.
London being the largest hub for sustainable fashion means that there is room for positive manoeuvre and a big shift coming from colleges and graduates.
A great platform is Mysource.io, an online B2B platform which is a network that matches fashion professionals with the connections and resources they need to grow successful and sustainable businesses. Companies can also gain badges to show that they are sustainable and therefore attain a better profile.
It was great to see so many people passionate about not only fashion, but also ethical fashion and the responsibility we all play in making it a success.
Apart from the underlining issues, there was a fun/cool fashion show where the clothes modelled were made from refurbished clothing and were very fashionable at the same time.
Between each talk there was also the opportunity to mingle, network and savour the delightful snacks including popcorn from Propercorn which was delicious.
I must say a great big Thank you to London Ethnic for inviting me and applaud them on backing such a good cause.
I met some awesome people, heard some important talks and got to see the Houses of Parliament from the inside which was just Amazing!
Here I am, inside of the grounds of the Houses of Parliaments.
Coincidentally, I was in Oxford Street after the talks and bought a dress that had a Made in Britain label and I was delighted, as it was good to see the label and that clothing can be sourced within the UK and made in London. I too was contributing, which felt fab – overall an apt end to a great day!
I do love a good shop and equally as loved is buying for others. So without further ado – here is my gift guide, just a few choices that I would be more than happy with.
I start with a cracker! This is from Roger & Gallet. Inside you’ll find a deliciously scented hand and nail cream and a hidden surprise (well mine had a little perfume sample), in time for the winter to soften the hands. There is a variety of scents to choose from. At just or £5, it’s great value and would make the perfect stocking filler and/or present for a teacher.
Next gift is my from my favourite makeup artist; Charlotte Tilbury. She has a lot of choice, especially in her Christmas range. She has many miniature gifts to try her iconic products, such as, her magic cream and clay mask, to name just a few (£59). She cleverly calls them, stocking thrillers. I chose some beautiful mini lipsticks which are perfect stocking fillers and just so cute. The colours are some nudes and a red shade; Mini Lipstick Charms contains; Penelope Pink, Bitch Perfect and So Marilyn (the red shade). At £39 it might be a tad expensive, but a real treat.
The next gift is incredibly well known for being a great cleansing balm. It has been spoken about numerous times and you can get it at Space NK. What’s good about this is that you can try the balm for just £10, which is very reasonable for a product that is well liked. It is the Moringa Cleansing Balm by Emma Hardie. It also doubles up as a tree decoration. It comes with a Cleansing Cloth which is made with a unique Micro fibre material, designed to deliver super deep yet ultra-gentle pore cleansing and make up removal, making fine lines appear smoother and the skin brighter.
My favourite gift of all is a candle from Jo Malone, which perfectly combines serenity and glorious scent. This mini candle is so adorable and a perfect way to try the range easily without spending the full price. The miniature candles costs £22 and come with special matches and are fabulously gift packed/wrapped. Truly a special gift for a special person! I chose the Pomegranate Noir scent.
I hope you enjoyed this gift guide. Have a great Christmas – Enjoy!
With love,
Afshan.
