Beauty Spotlight: THE BODY SHOP SPA OF THE WORLD

 I recently came across The Body Shop: Spa of the World collection whilst on a shopping trip. I'd popped into The Body Shop to pick up some more shea lip butter, which is a firm favourite in my beauty cabinet, when I was drawn to the luxurious packaging and without sounding too millennial, the FOMO I thought I was experiencing when I saw a crowd of people gathered around the shop assistant talking about the range.

Instantly I was drawn to the fact it had the word 'spa' in the branding, being a spa lover and I'm always looking for ways to turn my bathroom into my #spathroom.

The lady in the shop explained that the range was created with inspiration from spas and ancient beauty rituals all around the world to bring it together into one beauty range. The range has been out since 2015 so its definitely not anything new.. I'm just a little late to the party! Just like all Body Shop products, it is ethically sourced and organic.

The first product I picked up is the Mediterranean Sea Salt Scrub. Mediterranean Sea Salt is known for its high mineral content and course crystals, meaning it’s the perfect texture to reveal fresher looking skin and help stimulate circulation. It smells absolutely divine, with a delicate fruity fragrance it's so uplifting and leaves skin super soft and refreshed.

The sea salt scrub is part of the 'revitalising' ritual in the range, and can be enhanced with the Brittany Coast Algae Body Wash, so naturally I picked this up too. Until I used the shower gel, I didn't realise how luxuriously textured a bath and shower gel could be. Enriched with sea minerals, and invigorating textures, my skin felt so fresh after using.

Not part of the same ritual, but a product I felt was a must have, is the Moroccan Rhassoul Body Clay. Rhassoul clay is treasured by Moroccan women for its skin firming power, it absorbs excess water and oil, allowing skin to tighten and feel firmer as it dries. This clay was formulated to relax the body and mind and give you a fast track to tranquility.

Overall I'm very impressed with everything I've used so far. Its a great range to have in your #spathrooms for a relaxing weekend ritual. I love the values The Body Shop stands for with their enrich not exploit commitment and I will definitely be popping into The Body Shop on a more regular basis from now on.

Leave me a comment letting me know how you create a tranquil environment in your own 'spathroom'

CL x

Would you use Dragons Blood as part of your beauty routine?

I’m just kidding… technically speaking I don’t either! However I have recently tested out the Dragons Blood Fix Plumping Sheet Mask Extreme by Nip and Fab.

Nip and Fab is the sister brand of Rodial, founded by Maria Hatzistefanis. I recently read Maria’s book ‘How To Be An Overnight Success’ where she shares by working hard, and having patience and dedication, how she has built up her now global beauty business.

The Dragons Blood range is actually just sap from a tree, rather than what Maria describes as a scene in Game of Thrones. The name sounds much more exciting.

So to put it to the test I decided to use the face mask. Its targeted for tired and dehydrated skin and contains highly concentrated plumping hydralonic acid and soothing dragon’s blood extract.

I’d definitely recommend to use this before an evening out as it left my skin looking and feeling so radiant. I left the mask on for around 20 minutes (whilst watching The X Factor - Autumn has officially arrived!) and my skin felt fresh and glowing after. 

Compared to other sheet masks I have used I would say this is great for a lower price bracket. Its currently on offer at Boots for £5.62. Nip and Fab have many different ranges and also part of the Dragons Blood range is their hyaluronic shot, plumping serum and fix cleansing pads – these will definitely be on my list of products to try out.

CL x

FASHION MUMBLR x L'OCCITANE

This week I visited the beautiful new L’OCCITANE Flagship store on Regent Street, London for an evening of indulgence, (macaroons and prosecco) with the lovely Josie from Fashion Mumblr.

L’OCCITANE is a brand I have used for years, I remember the first time I experienced L’OCCITANE was when mum and I picked up matching hand creams at the airport back in 2010 and ever since, the iconic scent of the hand cream fills me with happy memories of jetting off on holiday.

So when I heard that Josie (one of my favourite bloggers) was holding an event with L’OCCITANE (one of my favourite brands) and it was on an evening I happened to be working in London, I jumped at the chance to head down to the store.

Upon arrival we were greeted to the most instagrammable shop front and shortly after taken to have a look around the store. It was 20 years ago that L’occitane opened its first ever boutique in London and this is the brands first UK flagship store to open so to celebrate they wanted to do something slightly different by offering a multi-sensory journey where you as a customer can experience the beautiful textures, fragrances and sounds of Provence.

Upstairs is home to a luxurious hand massage bar, situated in the L’OCCITANE lounge where you can sit back and relax with a hand and arm massage whilst enjoying a Pierre Herme macaroon observing the hustle and bustle of London’s busy Regent Street. L’OCCITANE have also opened a Bespoke Beauty Discovery Bar (my favourite kind of bar!) where they offer a range of personalized facial treatments… I couldn’t think of anything better after a busy day in London.

After a look around it was time to sit down and enjoy a Q&A with Josie herself. I’m sure many of you follow Josie on social media already, but for those who don’t she writes the blog Fashion Mumblr and you can find her on social media under JosieLDN. I’ve followed Josie for the last 3 years and she is as beautiful and lovely in person as she is online. It was lovely to find out more about her and how she began her career in blogging as well as being introduced to her favourite L’OCCITANE products, all of which can be found in her own vanity pouch that she has created with L’OCCITANE.

There are 5 products in the pouch meaning it’s the perfect way to discover the brand if you are new to L’OCCITANE, or if you are already familiar with some of their products and want the chance to test some other bits out before getting the full size I would highly recommend purchasing this.

The first product in the pouch is the iconic lavender hand cream, this is the product I am most familiar with as I mentioned above, it’s the hand cream that first drew me to the brand. You get the full 30ml size in the pouch and it smells divine, its super nourishing and is so luxurious to use which is why it’s been a staple in my handbag for the last 8 years!

Also included in the pouch is the Pivoine Flora Beauty Milk, this is the perfect travel size and is a really lightweight body milk containing Shea butter, making it extremely nourishing and perfect if you don’t want to apply anything too heavy when you get out of the shower.

The next product is the Almond Shower Oil, this is great to use in the shower if you are in a rush as you are still getting that intense moisture without having to apply a moisturizer. It has a very luxurious feel to it and is super hydrating on the skin.

Then we have the Precious Cream, which is one of the more premium L’OCCITANE products. This face moisturizer is anti-ageing, quite a rich formula so only the smallest amount is needed but has a lovely smoothing effect on the skin.

Finally, probably my favourite is the Immortelle Oil Make-up Remover. I actually used to have the full size version of this, it removes every single bit of make up including waterproof eye make up and has anti-ageing properties built into the oil. At the moment I have lash extensions so I can’t use this on my eyes, but even to just remove my face make up after a long day it really helps soothe the skin and remove any impurities that have built up during the day.

The Fashion Mumblr pouch is still available and retails at £25, which is amazing for what’s included, and makes for a very enjoyable evening routine.

Whilst in store, we also had a sneak peek at the Overnight Reset Serum, which officially launched this week. I’d been sent a sample of this a couple of weeks ago and can honestly say its like massaging liquid silk into your skin. I can’t wait to get my hands on the full size.

Next time I’m on Oxford St, I will be paying a visit to L’OCCITANE, being the perfect place to retreat to for a bit of pampering in between shopping. If you’re in the area I would 100% recommend you to do the same.

What is your favourite L’OCCITANE product?

CL x