Clarins - You, only better. Instantly.

I was really lucky to be picked as a winner of a twitter competition Clarins recently ran part of their 'You, only better. Instantly' campaign. I love the concept it as I am a huge believer that make up should enhance rather than conceal... Well maybe spots and dark circles are an exception to the rule!

If that wasn't enough to win me over this set is a 5 min beauty kit, perfect for everyday use and small enough to throw in your handbag. I am usually very reluctant with kits as they are often so impractical to take on the go which sort of defeats the object. If I had bought this in the shop I would have chose the BB cream in the lighter shade but it's a stroke of luck I have a summer glow from Northern Cyprus so I can use this as a summer time base.

The kit consists of -

Blush Prodige, Illuminating Cheek Colour - Soft Peach 02

Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector - Rose Shimmer 01

Belong Mascara - Intense  Black 01

BB Skin Perfecting Cream SPF25 - 02 Medium 

I particularly enjoyed the mascara as I have naturally long lashes it excentuates them without becoming too dramatic. The blusher also brightened my complexion and highlighted my cheekbones which I loved.

I've decided to post a picture using solely the products in this kit but it doesn't really do it justice as I'm full of a horrible cold and just got back from a road trip to Devon. So don't judge the products solely on this as I looked like a corpse before I applied them. My skin now has that natural glow which is so hard to get and I love that the products are subtle but you can see a noticeable difference in your overall complexion.. Even when you are sick! 

The kit is available at Clarins, John Lewis, House of Fraser and Boots for £20 which is honestly an absolute bargain and I have already decide to purchase the mascara, blush and lip perfector full size. 

The Body Shop Favorites

The Body Shop was founded way back in 1976 and now has 2,605 stores world wide. Not only creating some of the most renowned beauty and skin care products on the high street, The Body Shop also has strong social activism roots and strict policies against animal testing. What's not to love !

 

 I have extremely sensitive skin at times, even supposedly gentle cleansers can aggravate my skin so when i stumbled across the Aloe range at The Body Shop I thought I should give it a go. Aloe Calming Cleanser £8.50 200ml This cleanser is perfect for people with sensitive skin like myself. The Aloe vera is very soothing and leaves my skin feeling soft and refreshed. I massage a grape sized amount onto dry and skin and wipe off with a wet facecloth then splash my face with water to make sure I have removed al of the product. I find it removes make up rather well, although i sometimes need to use some eye make up remover to rid panda streaks from stubborn mascara.

  Aloe Gentle Exfoliator £10.00 75ml This exfoliator is sent from the gods. It solves the conundrum of sensitive skin and harsh gritty exfoliators, hallelujah. The only other comparison i can draw is the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant which absolutely amazing and one of the best skincare products i have ever used but at £41.75 for 75ml... the Aloe Gentle Exofoliator is a more realistic price.

Indian Night Jasmine Mist £7.50 100ml I love the scent of jasmine as it is reminiscent of warm, balmy evenings abroad. This fragrance mist is very delicate and perfect for day wear or evening, it is not sickeningly floral as it has a very slight musky scent and has a multi layered fragrance that you would normally usually find in expensive perfumes. My only criticism is that it comes in a glass bottle which makes it slightly less practical for carrying around with you all day.

Aloe and Soft Linen Body, Room and Linen Spritz £7.00 100ml If you are like me and love nothing more than the smell of freshly washed sheets then you will never look back after purchasing this spray. I am utterly obsessed with it, the scent is so fresh and smells exactly like crisp fresh linen.. ahhhhhh! Perfect for freshening up a spare room if you have unexpected guests ! I have paper pom-poms hanging in my bedroom and I often give them a spritz which gives a lovely scent whenever I walk past them.

I also have the Aloe and Soft Linen candle (£10.00 200g) which smells gorgeous even if it isn't lit and I am considering getting the reed diffuser in this scent to complete my collection.. It is that good.

I could go on and on but these are a few products I am currently addicted too, let me know if you want another post like this as I have many more body shop products I could recommend.. I've not even got started on their body butters and bathing items! 

Peachesandcreambb 

Rachel x

40 winks. No more, no less.

My ASMR post was popular so I've decided to carry on with the theme of sleep with some of the ways I make sure I get my full forty winks.

I don't want to recycle the usual 'have a bath, no caffeine after seven, avoid screens etc' that's obvious and frankly anyone who is having trouble sleeping probably has adjusted their routine.Even if you don't have issues sleeping, if I use the products I'm going to tell you about I have such a refreshing sleep accompanied by the really satisfying feeling of waking up easily with ... no reaching for the snooze button. Getting to sleep is half the battle, a good nights sleep is an entirely different ballgame. 

First off, I always take a drink to bed.  Tea or water. I'm not particularly sensitive to caffeine so a cup of Lady Grey doesn't stop me drifting off however my bedtime preference is the wonder brew Snore & Peace. I am utterly obsessed. I love that I only ever drink it at bedtime, its a special ritual and it's gorgeous lavender fragrance makes me yawn just thinking about it. It is not a tea as such as it doesn't contain any tea whatsoever, instead it's a organic chamomile, lemon balm and lavender infusion. I don't find it has the 'herbal' taste some teas have, I find it has quite a floral flavour. I highly recommend it and as an additional plus point the bags are in their own little envelopes which makes it so convenient for taking it away for a few days with you!

Clipper - Snore & Peace

£2.00 

20 enveloped bags

Pillow spray may seem like a overly indulgent purchase but can be so effective. I've tried several over the years and although the familiar lavender and geranium scents were relaxing none of them had the same effect as this particular spray.  The spray is targeted at restless sleepers and is a potent infusion of Lavender essential oil  as well as patchouli, wild camomile, Ho wood  and vetivert  which are released throughout the night stimulated by movements you make during slumber. It used to be available in two sizes a travel pack of miniatures and the standard bottle, I think I'm going to purchase the big bottle as it's so effective! It's a really for the good short term to help rectify your sleeping pattern.

This Works - Sleep Plus Pillow Spray

£25.00 75ml

( pictured is one of the travel miniatures but sadly they appear to be discontinued ) 

Finally write a list. Bad nights sleep for me are usually triggered by stress and over worrying about things, writing down a to do list, ideas, meal ideas can work wonders.. especially if I'm worried about forgetting something. I keep a notebook and pen in my bedside table exactly for this reason.

Let me know if you try any of these! 

Sweet dreams 😴

Rachel X

Peachesandcreambb 

ASMR .. The secret to a good nights sleep?

ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response a term used to describe a tingling sensation over the scalp and down the neck .. you may have experienced at the hairdressers or a makeup counter. It is usually triggered by soft speaking, gentle touch or watching something relaxing such as painting. Many people have experienced this since childhood but not been sure of what it is called, I think my earliest memory of AMSR is when we used to trace pictures on each others backs in the playground at Primary school... Soooo relaxing.

Although currently there is little scientific evidence the ASMR community provides a lot of anecdotal evidence to support it's effectiveness to aid sleep especially in people with PTSD, depression, anxiety and imsomina some scientists belive that ASMR may block certain stress receptors in the brain resulting in a very relaxed and restful state. It has even been suggested that the personal attention aspect of ASMR could be linked to why primates groom each other!  

There is a very strong ASMR community on YouTube with many ASMRtists producing really professional content specifically to trigger tingles by creating  videos with story readings, guided imagery, role plays... You name it there is a video for it and some videos reach over 9 million views! There is a strong emphasis that these videos are purely for relaxation, no mucky business. Although it isn't for everyone and for some people listening to soft speaking or whispering is just darn creepy ! However it does help a lot of people get a really good night sleep which is surely a great thing. 

I discovered these videos after using the Headspace app and was searching youtube for something similar as it really helped me fall asleep. I'm totally addicted now! If I've had a stressful day the best solution for it is putting on my headphones and immersing myself in a video.

I have put a list of my favourite ASMRtists below if you are interested :)

Rachel 

Peachesandcreambb 

x 

Gentle Whispering

https://m.youtube.com/#/user/GentleWhispering

Accidentally Graceful

https://m.youtube.com/user/accidentallygraceful

Whispers Lily

https://m.youtube.com/#/user/whisperslily

ASMR Angel

https://m.youtube.com/user/TheASMRAngel

The One Lilium

https://m.youtube.com/#/user/TheOneLilium

Springbok ASMR

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC-r8XyqbggZobMiNsqgWkDg

Body Shop - Detox Bloggers Event

The body shop bloggers event at the Trafford Centre was a really good chance to ask as many questions about different products that could pop into my head without feeling like I was pestering! I attended it with Elise (piccadillypostcards).The products mainly featured in the skincare demonstration were mainly from the Seaweed Range. My current skin care regime features the Body Shop Aloe cleanser, I will expand more on this in my Body Shop favourites post though. It was a really informative evening, the staff were so lovely and answered my questions with incredibly detailed responses. The Body Shop staff are so passionate and knowledgable about their products, I love this! 

We were given a sample of the Bounce Back to Youth sleeping mask which despite it's flubber like consistency (which could take some getting used to) did make my skin really soft the next morning. I can't give a proper review as one night is no where near long enough to go off but initially very promising. The recommendation is mid twenties to really start using anti ageing product but the renewing properties of this mask could be useful for people suffering skin complaints such a acne. 

I've not been in the body shop since the Smoky Poppy range launched, oh my goodness it smells amazing so luxurious. Definitely on my wish list, I bet on a blind test people would think this was a high end scent. 

I'll try to keep this short and sweet so I don't end up repeating myself in my favourites post, I've been so busy with work recently by will get back into posting more regularly soon. Sorrrry! My little notebook is full of ideas though :)

Rachel 

Peachesandcreambb 

 

Dinner @ The Hilton Deansgate, Manchester UK

A couple of weeks ago I went to dinner at The Podium restraunt, The Hilton Deansgate. Beforehand as we were in town ahead of our reservation we went for a drink in The Alchemist, New York Street and All Star Lanes, Deansgate. The Alchemist serve the most delicious cocktails made by highly skilled bar staff. I always linger at the bar gawking at the incricate processes that go into making their delicious cocktails. Our walk through the city was lovely as the streets were adorned with the festive red laterns for CNY and the town hall spectacularly illuminated to mark the occasion.

At the restraunt we were greeted with a lovely glass of champagne myself and the other half set about ordering what we would like to have. Located just off the foyer on the ground floor of the hotel, we were a little unsure where we should be going, as on first impressions I thought that it was just a lounge bar / cafe. I would have preferred the restraunt itself to be separated more distinctly from the hotel lobby, given the size of the building and also the expectation of the Hilton brand. 

The menu was quite limited with a couple of dishes not available, unfortunately one of which was our first choice. I  chose the white bait with a dill creme fraise as my starter. It was very salty to the point I had to swap dishes with Luke half way through. 

Luke had a ham hock terrine and poached egg yolk with a wholegrain mustard and pineapple dressing and a shaving of dehydrated pineapple. Massive food regret. This was absolutely delicious. 

For main course I chose the duo of lamb, baby carrots and a celeriac dauphinois. Very nice, the lamb breast was succulent if a little bit fatty. The shredded lamb was very non descript, take it or leave it. The celeriac was divine, so creamy and the flavours all worked together perfectly with the lamb.

Luke had cod loin with purple potatoes, spring greens in a mussel broth. Not his first choice as the gurnard was off the menu but he enjoyed it. The fish was well cooked and was a pleasant dish as a whole.

My pudding was probably the most disappointing aspect of the meal. The prospect of a trio of rhubarb puddings is enough to get me quite giddy, I love rhubarb! Ever since picking it out of my Nanas garden as a little girl and I'm yet to try a supermarket rhubarb crumble I don't enjoy. Well I'll start on a positive, the middle contender a shot glass of custard topped with stewed rhubarb was amazing. They had got the rhubarb that perfect pink colour I've only seen in the pictures of my Nigella cookbooks. Lovely. The other two were just rubbish. The mini crumble was just that, crumble with hardly any filling . Not even a good crumble at that. The rhubarb loaf was stone cold, that is not an exaggeration as I had to used brute force to slice off a corner to try. The sponge was dry and uninteresting, if somebody told me it was from a defrosted cake platter from Iceland I would belive them wholeheartedly. 

Luke chose ( with my guidance ) the blackberry cheesecake. A gninormas doorstep of cheesecake with several fresh black berries and a swoosh of mango purée. Well thank goodness this wasn't a stingy portion because I was in a rhubarb sulk. 

Overall a nice night, good food and great company. Looking forward to seeing what other culinarily delights our city has to offer.. 

We are hoping to go to Rosso and San Carlo at some point in the next few months, I hope these posts are interesting / informative. I will write about those if you guys want more of this sort of thing :)

Peachesandcreambb 🍑

I'm nuts about about Vita Coco 🌰🌴

        

The #VITAVALENTINE hamper consisted of two vita coco drinks and a sample pot of the very much en vogue coconut oil. 

                                 

I have been drinking coconut water for quite a few years now. I first tried it on the white sands of the Bahamas and although British weather can't compare to the Caribbean it does take me right back to paradise. 

Not only is it delicious it is packed with health benefits. Contrary to old beliefs coconut water is not fattening to actually contains ZERO fat and cholesterol. It is the coconut flesh and milk made from the flesh that has the high fat content not the actual coconut water. 

It is rich in electrolytes so is recommended as post work out hydration as a healthy alternative to sugary powerades.

       

Coconut oil is the newest hype health food on the block.

A health food you can also wear? Talk about value for money.

Coconut oil can be used instead of butter or oil or added to hot coffee for an energy kick! Coconut oil can be applied to your hair protecting it from the harmful UV rays from the sun, it is reported to block out 20% of rays.. Sunscreen for your hair who knew. As well as applying it to your hair it can be used as a lip balm and a skin moisturiser. The possibilities are endless.

*disclaimer* I did not purchase these products, vita coco sent them too me as part of the #vitavalentine giveaway on a different twitter account . They were not aware I even had a blog :)