ESCADA - Born in Paradise EDT - Review

I have lusted after this perfume for weeks and weeks now - finally I treated myself to it last week while I was out shopping. I had gotten into the habit of spraying myself liberally with it each time I saw it in Debenhams. The scent is AMAZING! This is actually the scent of summer. All the Escada perfumes actually are so beautifully light and fresh and fruity, perfect for summer, but Born in Paradise is really something else!

Even the bottle looks summery. I love the colour of it and the bird on the reverse of the bottle. As you can probably tell from the packaging, this perfume is full on fruity - watermelon, apple, coconut and pineapple. I cannot even express how delightful this smells, it just smells like the most wonderful refreshing cocktail you could ever imagine.

I got these lovely flip flops as a free gift also when I bought the perfume. Now don't you think I am all set for summer? My only complaint is that this perfume only comes in eau de toilette, and as such the smell fades rather quickly. 

Definitely check this perfume out if you can! It is, without a doubt, the most beautiful and tropical fragrance I have tried in recent times.

Sadly I am back to work today after the Easter holidays but with a couple of sprays of this, I could easily be on a beach somewhere sipping a Pina Colada!

What I've bought this week..

So... I am trying to be good and seriously cut down on the amount of cosmetics I buy. But as you know, it's kind of difficult and I am still so eager to try out new products and different things.

Browsing online is a dangerous thing for my bank cards. Sometimes I do pick up a few bargains. This week I was especially lucky on ebay, which is unusual for me - I won 2 auctions! I got a MAC palette, Escada Cherry in the Air perfume and when I was in town, I got the Mane n'Tail Detangler!

I had this notion of buying a MAC palette and starting to fill it up gradually over time with lovely eyeshadows. I got this "old style" palette on ebay for £10.50. I don't really like the new style palettes with the clear lid, so I was delighted with this. I depotted my only two MAC eyeshadows and maybe someday, one day, it will all be filled with 15 shadows! My two shadows are Trax and Gleam. I have been looking online at all the gorgeous MAC eyeshadows available. It's quite overwhelming because there are so many! I would find it hard narrowing it down to 15! But I think I will try and buy at least one a month to try and fill up my palette.

Another ebay bargain. I managed to get this perfume for £10.00. I fell in love with this perfume last summer and I used to spray it liberally on myself every time I was in Debenhams. However I can't really justify buying perfume for myself... I just don't really do it, I would prefer receiving perfume as a present! But I spotted this bottle on ebay. It is the most fabulous, light scent for Spring time. I cannot even describe this scent, it is nice and sweet but not a teenagery scent, if you know what I mean. I just cannot get over how nice it is and I am delighted with it! I actually was in Debenhams today and noticed that they didn't have Cherry in the Air - I know it was a limited edition perfume. All the Escada perfumes are lovely actually, and they all just remind me of Spring/Summer! :)

My local chemist started stocking Mane n' Tail, and I have heard nothing but rave reviews about the brand! Because I have found a shampoo which finally works for me (Kerastase Bain Exfoliant) I am very reluctant to try new shampoos. But I picked up the Detangler, because I have serious problems with my hair being tatty all the time. I had been using a Schwartzkopf detangling spray for children but it wasn't really doing anything for me. Well, I used the Mane n' Tail for the first time lastnight and all i can say is - WOW! I sprayed it through my hair when wet and was able to literally glide my hairbrush through, no problems. Even today, my hair feels a lot smoother and sleeker than normal, and when I got a big tat in my hair from wearing a coat and scarf, I was able to brush it out so easily! I can safely say I think this product will be considered a "life changing" product for me! I'll see how I get on with it over the coming weeks, but first impressions are incredible!


I don't think I did too badly this week! I am very happy with all of these items. Let me know if you bought any nice things for yourself this week!

Sampar Sea Scrub....wanted to love this but I don't :(

In my nearest Debenhams, there is a small stand selling this skincare brand Sampar, which i had never heard of.  A few months ago, the saleslady was talking to me about this French brand, telling me how popular it was in Europe. That day, I bought the cleansing lotion which I really liked, but the saleslady showed me this amazing scrub, which I thought looked amazing, and the scent it has is so incredible, it smells just like a luxurious spa. I asked how much it costs...and nearly passed out when she told me £50.00..

Anyway, fast forward a couple of months to Christmas and I had some money and vouchers to spend. My first stop was Debenhams, where I bought a lot of make up and goodies that I had my eye on for ages but couldn't normally afford. I never forgot the scent of the Sampar Sea Scrub though, so I took the plunge and bought it

There is no doubt that it is an incredibly luxurious product, and it is a very generous sized tub so it will last a while. But I cannot help but be disappointed. I used this in the shower when my skin was wet, as directed. I scooped out a bit of the sea scrub, and the texture of it is so strange. It is very light and almost spongy! You can't get a good scrub out of it like Cocoa Brown Tough Stuff or something. The sea salt actually melted away before I could get a good scrub out of it. It is not the most grittiest of scrubs.

Using it on dry skin is just impossible as you can feel it dragging and it is so unpleasant, and doesn't achieve anything anyway. I do use this occasionally on my face, first wetting my face using a facecloth and using a bit of this scrub. It does work quite nicely, but using it as a body scrub I thought was an epic fail for me!

This is by far the most I have ever spent on a skincare product, and it will definitely be the last! I still love the scent though, I could smell it all day but in terms of effectiveness I would have to say that this product is definitely NOT worth the money!

Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation

 I have probably mentioned this foundation before, and how brilliant I think it is, but I thought I'd dedicate a post to it anyway!
I haven't spent this much money on a foundation in a long time. I got a little sample of this at the Lancome counter in Debenhams, and from the very first time I put it on, I was really overwhelmed by how good it is. Up until trying this, I had been using quite thick foundations or "glowy" foundations so it was quite a change to use this matte foundation.

 The pump dispenser is absolutely brilliant, I have only been using about half a pump per application so I can imagine this foundation will last me a long time!

 I chose the shade 03, because I thought it matched my skin perfectly when I am wearing fake tan, but it is not too dark that I couldn't wear it when I am not tanned. It is available in 18 shades so you can be assured there will be a shade to suit you! I would say this is a medium coverage foundation.

Now, Lancome describe this as being an oil free, re-touch free, transfer-free, shine-free, 24 hour long wear foundation! Well I can definitely agree with all of those points. It is very long-wearing, and it is such a nice, lightweight foundation. I have used Estee Lauder Double Wear, but I think that Teint Idole is a much more comfortable foundation to wear.

I can only say that I am stunned by how good this foundation is, and how different I looked when I first put it on! I would definitely suggest going to your nearest Lancome counter and asking for a sample to try it first. You will probably end up loving it like me!

Current Favourites! / Early June Favourites!

I hope everyone is enjoying the nice weather! I know I am, it's great to see it and here's hoping it will last a long time!

Recently, I have been reaching for these products a lot - I thought I would show them to you - lately I have decided that I cannot live without these products! (Well, not literally!)

Lancôme Teint Idole Foundation (shade 3) - I have been loving this foundation recently. I got a little sample of it in Debenhams and I couldn't belive how good it looked on, so I went straight out and got the full sized bottle. It is completely matte, and it has been staying on all day even though it is a fairly light foundation. I am so impressed with this!

Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan - What else can I say about this, apart from it is the best tan in the world! I used to never wear fake tan and now I think I am addicted to it! What I like most is that it is the most natural coloured fake tan I have ever seen, and it wears off quite well too, unlike other tans I have tried which wear off in patches! This one is perfect and is oh so easy to apply. I now love wearing tan every day, I think it makes me look a lot healthier or something!

Lancôme Bi-Facil Eye Make Up Remover - This is genuinely the best eye make up remover I have ever used. It removes every little trace of make up with just one swipe of a cotton pad. Amazing. I got this as a free gift but I will definitely be buying the full sized version. I know it is a little expensive but it really is that good! I've been using this every day for the last month or so and there is still a good amount left in the bottle.

MAC Prep & Prime Protection SPF 50 - I bought this primer mainly for the SPF 50 but I have really noticed a difference in the longevity of my makeup too especially at the end of a long, hot day. I don't really use primers but now I feel like I couldn't be without this one! I love the added high protection too. If this good weather holds out I would highly suggest investing in this! It is quite moisturiser-like and easy to apply.

Angelica Nail Polish (shade "Hip Hop") - I have been wearing this nail polish almost every day since the summer began! It is so bright, actually it is a neon colour! It is the finest coral shade I have ever used (and I have used a lot!). The formula is quite thin, almost gel like. It lasts me about a week too. It is probably the best nail polish I have ever used,and it was so cheap too! I'll be using this all summer!

IsaDora Bronzing Powder (shade Light Tan) - I bought this last year, but never really used it. I saw it in Debenhams and fell in love with the beautiful packaging, the huge compact and nice mirror. The product is of course amazing, but it is not until now that I have been wearing fake tan that I have really got the use out of it. I am not really into bronzers, but I have never seen one like this before! It is the most gorgeous tan colour, a tiny subtle hint of shimmer, that I use all over my face every day now. If I am having a good skin day, I actually just wear this alone instead of foundation. I will definitely be re-purchasing this, and I cannot recommend this bronzer enough! It is such good value too for the amount of product you get!

MUA Power Pout (Justify) - I absolutely love this lip crayon. It is so smooth and moisturising, there is also a slight peppermint hint from it which feels really refreshing on your lips. I find that even after the actual balm has worn off, I am left with a hint of colour which is nice. But I have been generously applying this every single day, it is nearly all gone now! Luckily at £3.00 a go, this is one I will be buying lots more of!



I hope you have enjoyed seeing what products I am loving at the moment. Has anyone else tried these products? I'd love to know what you think!

Lancome Bi-Facil Eye Make Up Remover

I was absolutely delighted to get my hands on this lovely product! You might remember this came as part of a free gift that I got in Debenhams. I really needed an eye make up remover so it was great to get this one!

You can see that it has two layers, an oil layer and a water layer. You have to turn the bottle upside down to mix them together before using it. When you shake the bottle, it looks really foamy but it doesn't come out like this. It looks really cool in the bottle!

I just put a small amount on a cotton pad. It has a lovely scent, I can definitely smell rose in it, it reminds me of Turkish Delight! One good swipe with a cotton pad and your entire eye make up is removed. I am serious! Previously I had been using Garnier eye make up remover which I liked, but you can tell the difference with this one, being a high end brand. It is far more effective and I can assure you, you only need to use one little squirt per eye to remove all of your eye make up. It is fab, and hopefully this bottle will last me a long time! I am not sure if I will be able to afford this eye make up remover, but I promise you, it would be worth every penny as it is so good!

Lancome Haul! Sneak Peek

I got a sample of the Teint Idole foundation last week, and I really liked it. As you know, I love budget beauty products and I don't often have the money to buy high end products. But I loved the look of this foundation so much, I thought it would be worth the splurge. I also really wanted to try Lancome Hypnose mascara. Debenhams currently have an offer in which if you buy any two Lancome products, you get an amazing free gift consisting of seven items. So... I went for it!

 Here is my beloved Teint Idole foundation. I chose the shade 03, a little darker for me but I thought it would be perfect for the summer season as I will be wearing fake tan, I don't want a pale face! I adore this so much.

 Each of the Lancome Hypnose mascaras cost £22.00, but I chose Hypnose Star as it came in this little set, with a free miniature Bi-Facil eye make up remover and Le Crayon Khol Noir.

This mascara is just stunning! I love the packing, the glittery tube just looks so glam!

This is the amazing free gift! You get a full sized Bi-Facil, Hydra Zen (15ml), Visionnaire and Genifique (both 5ml), a baby Hypnose mascara, a small Juicy Tube and a cute perfume sample!


I cannot wait to try out all of these products, and I promise more thorough reviews will be coming soon! I don't usually spend this much money and I have never tried Lancome before, but I think the free gift is so generous and it gives me a chance to test high-end products that I would never usually be able to afford! And of course if I do like them and they do work for me, I probably would spend that little bit extra.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Isadora Bronzer - Golden Tan

I am not really into bronzers all that much, and in actual fact this is the first bronzer I have ever bought! But I saw this in Debenhams last year and I loved the huge compact and with a massive 35g of product, I thought this was a good buy. If I can remember correctly, it cost £25.00. I chose the lightest shade which is Golden Tan, it was the best match for me. I didn't actually know you could get a bronzer so pale! If you look closely there is a tiny amount of shimmer. I love it! When I wear it, it makes me look like I have a really healthy glow. What I like about this range of bronzers is that they are all natural tones and stay away from orangey hues. It's perfect! 

Benefit Skincare Set

I ordered this set online from Debenhams for £10. I thought it was a good enough deal, since I had thought about purchasing from this range but not sure if the products would be right for me or not. 

This little set is very well presented, it would make a lovely gift! Plus it looks really cute on display in my bathroom.  It contains:

Foamingly Clean Facial Wash

Refined Finish Facial Polish

Moisture Prep Toning Lotion

Triple Performing Facial Emulsion

Total Moisture Facial Cream

It's Potent Eye Cream

I have used all the products, and to be honest the only items I would purchase the full sized versions of are the Total Moisture cream and the eye cream. I am not saying that the others aren't good, I just don't think I would use them that often! There is still quite a lot of product left in my sample sizes. I had been using Clinique All About Eyes Rich and I really think that It's Potent is a much better eye cream, it has really brightened up my eye area after just over three weeks! I am so impressed with it.