A new year, a new beginning

Fair well 2012

For me and probably many others we have learnt so much this year. I have learnt things that I never knew I would about others...and a hell of a lot about my self. I've also made many mistakes but as long as you learn from them you cant really call them that. I have taken some wrong paths in life but now I finally feel like I'm on the right ones and when you know what you want to do with your life and your fully determined, its truly one of the best feelings ever. Guidance and confidence is the key to achieve your goals in life. Iv'e achieved and accomplished lots of personal goal this year and I also have many more set for 2013, I honestly cant wait for this new year. I have everyone who I want in my life and I love it. Here are some inspirational quotes I live by, I hope they inspire you too! 

 

And finally

Christmas gift guide

LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

If your one of them people who STILL haven't got all your xmas gifts for your loved ones then here are just a few ideas. I hope this helps! 

Gifts or the sister/ girlfriend/ beauty addicts

Get the California girl glow with St Tropez

Face it, we'll never get enough sun with these grey skies! But we all love a golden glow and lucky us we have St Tropez on our side! We can still look like we just spent the week on a beach when we were really just stuck in the rain all day.

St Tropez Perfect Glow, £30, Boots

Brighten up with Benefit 

All beauty addicts know that unfortunately skincare is ten times more the price of makeup. Of course we'd be thrilled with this complete line of skincare.

Let There Be Bright! Best of Skincare Set, £39, Benefit Cosmetics

Winter wonder-land escape 

You might not be building a snowman this winter, but you can still treat yourself to this vanilla-scented bath set to get in the holiday mood.  
                                  

The Winter Escape Gift Set, £22, Philosophy

  

Gifts for that special woman in your life...the Mother.

Liz Earle

So every beauty buff knows about this multi award-winning cleanser. You don't even have to think twice about buying this product because works for basically every skin type. Double up on this fantastic deal while it lasts.

Liz Earle Limied Edition Cleanse & Polish Duo, 
£39.50, QVC

Burberry body

Every girl in Britain would be thrilled to receive a Burberry fragrance on any occasion. I recommend you opt for the newest version because its amazinggg! 

Burberry Body Eau De Parfum Gift Set, 

£44.50,

Spot Day Bag

This bag is one of Cath Kidston’s most popular designs, as it’s the ideal size for holding everyday essentials. Its smart and sophisticated with it being black but yet fun and playful at the same with the spots on it! So if you have a mum like mine who's obsessed with Cath Kidston then this is a seasonal must have!

Spot Day Bag, £48, Cath Kidston

Traditional Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is one of our fave English traditions...especially for our parents! And very on-trend right now. This Tea for Two voucher can be used at over 65 venues for why not give this relaxing re-treat a go?!

Traditional Afternoon Tea for Two, £35, Buyagift.co.uk

Gifts for the Dad/ brother/ uncle

Mini swingball 

Is your dad a big kid at heart? Desktop swingball is the perfect stocking filler, providing festive fun for all the family.

Mini Swingball, £9.99, Swingball.co.uk

Fossil wallet 

This leather wallet has a classic silhouette and will keep dad’s money safe. With plenty of card space and a zip compartment, it’s perfect for everyday but also very smart looking.

Estate Zip Passcase, £39, Fossil

Great British Cooking 

This collection of classic recipes will have your dad or brother cooking up lots of tasty treats in the kitchen. This book is part of the Love Food range. For more info visit Parragon.

Great British Cooking recipe book, £15.99, Amazon

Thanks for reading! Leave a comment x

Love Harveer x x

BARE MINERALS PURE TRANSFORMATION NIGHT TREATMENT

A new and excited product! ...Now you can finally where make-up whilst you sleep...and its AMAZING for your skin! 

Okay so iv decided to do this blog post because I discovered this amazing treatment whilst I was at the Bare Minerals counter in Harvey Nichols restocking on my foundation. If any of you use bare minerals then you'll know how truly amazing their products are and if you've never tried any of their products then shame on you and you must live under a rock! Their just brilliant. So we've all probably heard how bad it is to leave your make-up and how much it ages your skin and clogs up your pores but with this miracle invention it does the exact opposite! It works whilst you sleep...and really DOES work. 

What is it?:

This is what the product claims to do 

' Proven to reduce the appearance of pores, improve luminosity and deliver increased cell turnover, this night time mineral treatment is powered by our proprietary ActiveSoil Complex to give you skin-renewing benefits. Experience younger-looking, radiant, even skin tone with improved texture. This concentrated powder formula replenishes skin while you sleep so you'll wake up to the famous bareMinerals Naturally Luminous glow. Available in Clear, Light, Medium and Tan to diffuse imperfections. '

How it works?:

This basically means that it wont clog up your pores because the ingredients in it are so pure! There is no nasty chemicals in it. The ActiveSoil Complex is a new generation of active minerals with extraordinary skin-renewing benefits, including faster cell turnover and it helps to protect against environmental the environmental factors. If you have dull looking skin, blemish scars, open and large pores,un-even skin tone or just looking for that youthful glow then this product is for you. 

Every night after cleansing I buff this into my skin in circular movements about 2-3 times for a full coverage effect..yes that's it. no hassle and no mess as this stays on your face..not your pillow! 

When I wash it off in the morning I see an instant effect my skin looks smoother, brighter and scars that I have from previous blemishes look less visible. 

Real results: here's what the women thought

• 83% saw fewer imperfections and less viable pores
• 85% felt that their skin texture improved
• 89% felt that their skin felt more firmer and more resilient

I this just looks like a bunch of percentages that means nothing but they do, I have also had all of these effects by using this product. 

Okay so this product retails around £45 which is a bit on the pricey side i know but it is totally worth the money and would make an amazing Christmas present or something to put on your Christmas list? Why not? 

Thanks for reading xx

YSL Touche Eclat VS L'oreal Touche Magique

Finally, the battle between the two most popular high-end and drug store highlighting concealers.. 

Hello everyone, so iv decided to do this blog post as its been highly requested. I was genuinely excited to write this blog post as I happen to own both and if your obsessed with make-up like me and heard a lot about these products then hopefully you'll have a read :) Enjoy 

1. L'oreal Touche Magique highlighting concealers 

 I first bought this when my YSL touche eclat ran out and I wanted to find a highlighter which was similar that I could use everyday instead of my touche eclat. I found this product in superdrug and I decided to get it as it was much cheaper RRP: £8.19. So this is what the product claims to do...

"L'Oréal Paris True Match Touche Magique Concealer is an anti-fatigue and illuminating concealer which helps to visibly improve the appearance of dark circles and fine lines, leaving the delicate skin around the eye area looking radiant and smooth.

Now available in 6 new customised shades, in warm, cool and neutral tones to perfectly match the colour texture of your skin.

L'Oréal Paris True Match Touche Magique has a soft brush applicator, making precise and controlled application easy."

...Sounds amazing doesn't it? It basically just sounds like the touche eclat but at the fraction of the cost! Well iv been the proud owner of this for a couple of months now and I honestly think its brilliant if you've never used the YSL Touche Eclat. 

I didn't like the packaging of this too much and I thought it looked very plasticy and cheap as the product is dispensed my twisting the end until the bristles (which surprisingly are not that soft) are loaded, but I honestly wasn't too fussed for the price of it. I wouldn't recommend this product for spots at all as it is a highlighting concealer so you are very limited in what you can do with it- I usually only use it under the eyes on top of my foundation, down the centre of my nose and on the brow bone which is where light naturally hits your face. I honestly do this gets rid of dark circles around the the eyes as it has quite a thick constancy but it iv noticed after a couple of hours it creases under the eye and into any fine lines around the eye which makes this also  harder to blend compared to the touche eclat. I love that this comes is a variety of tones from pink to yellow tones as this means it can match more skin colours just like the touche eclat I do think this is good for the price and I do still use it for everyday as it makes my skin look more awake but unfortunately it doesn't last me very long and I don't think anything will beat my YSL Touche Eclat. 

 YSL Touche Eclat (left)
L'Oreal Touche Magique (right) 

2. YSL Touche Eclat 

Okay so I know this is a bit pricey £19.00( http://www.cheapsmells.com/productPaging.php?productId=4475 ) but once you get over that this product is just..wow. Definitely one of my handbag must haves. This product claims to..

• ' The UK's #1 luxury face makeup product!* For instant light, luminosity and radiance.
• Light falls in love with the skin, banishing darkness & signs of fatigue and adding instant radiance. The must-have pen of makeup artists, Touche Éclat is the one beauty essential no woman should ever be without.
• *Source: NPD UK value & unit sales 2010. '

1. THE ORIGINAL HIGHLIGHTER

1.5. FAIR COMPLEXION, golden undertones

2. FAIR COMPLEXION, pink undertones

2.5 FAIR COMPLEXION, natural undertones

3. OLIVE-BRONZED COMPLEXION

5. WARM COMPLEXION

6. WARM-DARK COMPLEXION

7. DARK COMPLEXION

I cant stress enough how amazing this product is and how you should all buy it but I'll leave that up to you. I recommend this to everyone as I think its amazing value for money and lasts forever!!!! The formula is not as thick and the L'Oreal touche magique therefore a lot goes a long way! This is suitable for ALL skin types therefore not only do I use this on myself I also have it in my kit as well.
 This world-famous, take-anywhere pen-brush is perfect for highlighting and refreshing make-up. Yves Saint Laurent's Touche Eclat has tiny light particles and mineral extracts to create a healthy, natural glow - light, luminosity and radiance at the click of a button.

Use to add a radiant touch of light or banish shadows and signs of fatigue from the eye area, the hollow of the chin, the contour of the lips and the sides of the nose. All of your best feature's will be highlighted!

With this product, the tube is nicely made. The product dispensed by clicking until it appears on the bristles. The bristles themselves are silky soft against the skin, its effortless to blend and never emphasises my fine lines. I usually just use this on nights out or special occasions as I never want it run out. I lovelovelovee the gold packaging its totally classy and not cheap looking at all and I wouldn't expect anything less from YSL, but more importantly looks GREAT in your handbag! 

So, that's my opinion on both of them now I would love to hear yours! 

Hope you enjoyed reading and please leave a comment:)

Love Harveer x x 

Recipes for home made face masks!

Home made recipes for face masks that aren't only fun the make, they don't cost a fortune and benefit your skin too! win-win

Heyy:) Iv decided to do this blog post about face masks purely because its been requested quite a lot and just because their generally fun to do! Winter and the general effects of the environment can be very harsh on the skin causing to become very dry/oily /problematic.To get a decent face mask it can be very pricey and I don't trust cheapy ones as they have lots of nasty chemicals in that can be sometimes break you out even more and others I find just don't work! So why spurge on a £50 face mask when you can get all vitamins, minerals, essential acids and oils can be found in your kitchen?! 

I'm going to share with you my favourite face masks for the four main skin type groups....Hope this works for you too, enjoy! :)

• Oily skin: If your skin tends to be greasy and acne prone this means you have a production of the sebaceous gland. 
• Mature skin/ Anti ageing: This is when your skin produces less collegin therefore making your skin look looser and dull. If your 25+ your skin is classed as mature! (I know..ridic:/ ) 
• Sensitive skin: If you have sensitive skin and find that everything you use you have a reaction to or you have high pigmentation in the face. 
• Dry skin Treatment: If you suffer from flaky skin and  lack of natural oils. When the temperature changes, our skin becomes dry and vulnerable. Mask recipes may prevent and treat this problem. This is not the same as dehydrated skin as this has a lack of water content!!

( ALWAYS DO A PATCH TEST BEFORE TRYING ANY OF RECIPES BELOW )

Oily Skin- Honey & Cinnamon skin clearing mask 

Oily skin is caused by an excessive production of sebum, which clogs the pores in the skin.
This problem can cause the one the things that EVERYONE hates...ACNE! This is causes by clogged pores with bacteria inside.

So we want to clear up the pores and keep the sebum away, here's a face mask which I hope helps!

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoons cinnamon

Method

• Put both the honey and cinnamon into a bow and mix together
• Put it in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm up 
• Let it cool it then spread all over your face 
• Leave for 10-20 minutes and RELAX!

....Yes..its really that easy!

I absolutely larrrrvvveee this one because it feels like im smothering chocolate all over your face and you can eat it too! its so yummy aha and it really does make my skin less oily! Honey and cinnamon have anti-bacterial and anti- inflammatory properties therefore getting rid of any bacteria lurking in your pores which means less spots! yaaaay! I particularly don't have sensitive skin and don't react to many things so I am quite lucky in that sense but if you do have sensitive skin then I highly advice you to do a patch test on your skin 24 hours before as my friends had a bad reaction to this.

Mature/Anti ageing 

Unfortunately, nobody can escape the effects of ageing, but here's some facts to try help you understand a bit more about this skin type and how you can help it.

The ageing process, which happens to all of our body, is shown clearly on the first two layers of our skin which is known as the epidermis and dermis. A number of factors are involved when are skin skin ages from sun damage and hormonal effects which causes our skin the sagg and dry out..wah. But there's hope! To slow down the effects of ageing we need to feed our skin with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and the secret ingredient...Amino acids! But anyway enough of the facts.. here's another recipe!

Anti ageing serum:

Ingredients

• 20g Nori seaweed (can be found in good health food shops)
• Teaspoon olive oil

Method

• Soak the dry seaweed in water until soft
• Add olive oil
• Leave for 20mins
• Relax - After removal the effects can be seen straight away! Amazing!

Amino acids help build and maintain collagen which is lost as we age. They also give our a skin a radiance boost and makes it feel firmer. 

Moisturising is also veryyyyy important because mature skin tends to be more dryer so moisturise often and also use one with a SPF in it. 

SOS moisturising mask: Intensive 

Ingredients 

• Half of an avocado
• Half of a mango    

Method

• Mix both together
• Put on face and leave for 20 minutes
• Relax  

Sensitive skin  

Having sensitive skin can be a challenge to say the least because sensitivity can be caused by a number of things. Their are four sub-types of this problem: sensitive skin, rosacea, burning and stinging skin and dermatitis. Once you have found out what causes you to have sensitive skin, avoid the ingredients that cause this. 

Honey, milk and green tea face mask 

Ingredients 

• 2 tablespoons of runny honey 
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 1 tablespoon of green tea

Method

• Mix together 
• apply on face 
• leave for 10 minutes
• take off luke warm water and moisturise afterwards 

Everyone who I have recommended this to all say that It works because of its gentle cleansing proprietaries. The milk has a calming effect on the skin, they also contain lactic acid which gently remove dead skin cells. Like I said before honey gets rid of any unwanted bacteria on the face therefore is an extremely beneficial ingredient. Green tea is packed full of antioxidants which will get rid of any impurities and also engage skin cell renewal.  

        

Dry skin 

Dry and irritated skin is usually caused by a deficiency of vitamin A in your nutrition, with the stimulation of the dry weather, often caused by air conditioning.
To help this it is essential that you have a constant supply of this vitamin which is found in fruits such as guava, bananas and avocado. In larger amounts you can find it in orange vegetables such as carrots.

Other reasons for dry skin can be free radicals, which accumulate in our body and weaken our skin. They easily enter our body because of the environmental pollution, bad habits such as excessive alcohol drinking and UV sunlight radiation. Here a final mask to help with dry skin :)

Avocado mask treatment 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon avocado 
• 1 slice of orange 
• half a banana 

Method

• Mix all ingredients together 
• Apply on face leave for 20 minutes
• RELAX!!!!

So, that concludes my post for today. I really do hope that this has helped you and has given you a bit of guidance when it comes to skin care. I will be doing a more in depth post about each skin types and reviewing some more products. Hopefully you'll have some fun trying out some of these recipes :) 

Really hope you enjoyed reading this blog- let me know what you think and if they work for you!

Thanks for reading!

Love Harveer x

Temple Spa skin care range review

Sick to death of feeling like you have horrible skin? Want a healthy, clear, glowing face? Then keep reading..

I'm so excited to share with you this skin care range that has been doing my skin wonders! Its been around for a while so you might of heard of it but never really thought that it was special and shrugged it off for ages...But IT IS!! I first discovered this when my mum bought some products from this range and just after one week I immediately noticed a difference in her skin which was amazing because products usually take around 2-4 weeks to show the full effect. Her skin looked so soft and clear, all her blemishes where gone and she had much more of a healthy glow. I went to a Temple Spa Girls night in party where a representative comes to your house and tells you about the products whilst you all get facials (mmm who could resist a free facial?) so you can try out the products and buy them after if you like them. They are spa products and they do feel soo luxurious on the skin and I am an ultimate sucker for trailing out new products so of course I did buy this because I fell in love with it that quick and felt like treating myself. 

Here is my daily skin care routine-

So these products are what I use on a daily basis, First I usually take all my make-up off with a make-up wipe. I know that this is a big no-go for some beauty guru's out their but I just find it so much easier and quicker when cleansing  as long as you don't only use make-up wipes when taking off your make-up I think its okay.  I use simple make-up wipes as these are inexpensive, alcohol-free therefore not drying out your skin and parabin free so no nasty chemicals. 

DUAL-ACT CLEANSER 

After taking my make-up off with make-up wipes I will then wet my face with warm water to open up my pores, damp two cotton pads and then pump the cleanser on the pads and lather into my face. This is a gel AND cream based formula which is really thick and creamy and melts away the make-up and impurities on your skin. This is what the cleanser claims to do 

• Balances skin that has oil and dry/normal patches
• Unique telepathic formula cleans, hydrates and absorbs oil in all the right spots. It knows just what your skin needs 
• Anti-ageing benefits 
• Sophisticated dual use formula. Use neat as a wipe-off lotion, or lather up with water
• Paraben free
• Leaves skin feeling clean and fresh 
• Advances airless pump bottle- hygienic and no waste 

So what more would you want in a cleanser? Iv tried out countless skin care products to try and achieve 'perfect skin' but I always gravitate back to these products because they really so work! RRP £18.00 - this is a bit on the pricey side it is totally worth the money as it lasts a long time. 

TONING ESSENCE 

After I have cleansed my face of all make-up I the take a clean cotton pad and spray my face with this toner and wipe my face until dry. WOW.. this really does take all the dirt out of your skin because it double cleanses the skin by removing deeply embedded debris and removes any final traces of dirt on the skin. This is a Mediterranean skin refreshment is the second most important step in cleansing as it tightens and refines the skin whilst also closing the pores ensuring no dirt and get in. This toner claims to be

• Alcohol free
• Instant skin refreshment 
• Anti-ageing benefits 
• Hydration spritz 
• Restores natural PH balance 
• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-itch, calming and soothing
• No 'ouch' formula 
• Cools hot skin
• Helps 'set' make-up
• Great for all skin types 

If I could only re-purchase one product from this skin care range it would be this. I love this so much because again, it really does do ALL of them things and has cleared up my skin soo much its better then any other toner I have used before because it doesn't sting your face like others, it just tingles which makes you feel like its really working. It contains extracts of tomatoes, basil, orange, lime, lemon, mandarin, ginger, lavender and melon which is what gives it that refreshing feeling and smells amazing too! (bonus) . RRP £14.00 - Iv had this  since march and have used it almost everyday and I still have a decent amount left! Totally worth the price. 

MOISTURE TO GO FACE CREAM

After I have washed and toned my face I then put on this moisturiser which literally is 'Liquid Silk'

This moisturiser claims to

 This clever, state of the art moisturiser feels like liquid silk for the skin and behaves well no matter where you put it. It is designed to bring balance and that is exactly what your split personality skin needs.

It contains micro sponges that soak up excess oil and ingredients that allowing the skin to breathe, lock in precious moisture without feeling heavy. When you feel this moisturiser, you'll almost be glad for combination skin!  Your skin will feel silky, smooth, settled and fresh.

·         'Telepathic' formula tackles both oily and dry patches
·         Moisturising without feeling heavy
·         Soaks up excess sebum
·         Mediterranean botanicals
·         Anti-ageing benefits
·         Skin feels silky, smooth, settled and fresh
·         Light, natural fragrance
·         Paraben free

Again, AMAZINGGG!! For ages I was searching for a moisturiser for the summer and winter! Something that hydrated my skin that was too thick and oily that broke me out and that was oil controlling. HALLELUJAH. This product is a god send. RRP: 33.00 - yes I know pricey, but worth it. There are cheaper moisturisers out their that 'do the job' but if your looking for the ultimate luxury in skin care then this is it!

THE POWER BREAKFAST FACE MASK

When my skins feeling down and needs a lift I always use this face mask. You can also use it as a hand mask  It ex foliates, cleanses, hydrates (3-in-1 barginn) and also has nutritional properties because it has honey which is a natural anti- inflammatory, oats and fruit juice containing vitamins which gives your skin a boost and some energy . It claims to 

• ·         Polishes and brightens
  ·         Anti-ageing benefits
  ·         Professional spa formula
  ·         Gently dissolves dead skin cells
  ·         Dual use: one-minute scrub, or twenty-minute mask
  ·         Packed with botanical's
  Suitable for:
  ·         Any skin type needing a polishing scrub and/or a skin softening mask
  ·         Combination skin needing balance
  ·         Men (men love it!)
  ·         Women
  ·         Backs, chests, faces and hands
  Uses:
  ·         One-minute scrub
  ·         Twenty-minute mask
  ·         Professional spa treatment
  ·         Hand treatment mask

RRP: £22.00 - There are much more expensive bands that claim to do all of these, but why try them when this one actually does work and is a fraction of the price. This isn't just a boring face mask, its a multi-use product. 

       So, that concludes my review of just some of the amazing products that Temple Spa sell, I hope you try them out and experience that same benefits that I have had with them. 

                                             

I would love to know your feedback on these products so leave a comment to let me know what you think :)

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed

Love Harveer xx