Jun 11, 2014
As part of the fabulous Fragrance Direct #NoTiesPlease campaign for Father’s Day, I wanted to suggest an alternative to golf-tees, on-offer supermarket brandy and novelty socks. A fragrance is always a good place to start when it comes to great grooming gifts and there are some superb go-to fragrances that won’t let you down.
One such fragrance is Hugo Boss Bottled Unlimited, which when settled delivers more than your ordinary men’s cologne with top notes of iced violet leaves; a tangy heart of pineapple (very prominent) and a base of sandalwood with musk. But that’s it, 4 notes, each as deliciously fresh, light, airy yet endemically masculine as the other. It’s got a decent fragrance-throw so let him know that he doesn’t need to dowse himself in it as if it were the seventies’ classic, Blue Stratos or the ‘coming back with a vengeance’ Old Spice. Finally, could this be his perfect summer fragrance? Most definitely.
Now we’ve got the fragrance nailed, how about a post-shave saviour from Elemis that is most certainly linked to my fragrance choice (bear with me). I’ve been using The Elemis Post Shave Recovery Mask for the last week or so and from someone who’s prone to outstanding shaving rashes, due to the curse of fair/paper-white and sensitive skin, this could not come more highly recommended.
With a base of Kaolin clay, an ingredient used the world over for it’s drawing/extracting properties, it removes impurities from the skin without harshness or irritation. To soothe and hydrate, there’s Shea butter, an indigenous nut extract from northern Africa as well as mixed vegetable oils; all non-greasy I must point out. Finally to soothe, there’s Thyme, Lavender and Rosemary; three of the most powerful and natural anti-inflammatories out there leaving freshly shaved skin, soft, calm and nourished.
‘So how do these two products link in!?’ I hear you cry. Well, The Elemis Post Shave Recovery Mask leaves your skin with a delicious thyme and lavender kick, which blends beautifully with the top notes of iced violet leaf from the Hugo Boss Bottled Unlimited; together, the scent is insane and without being too crude, mum will love it too.
Apr 30, 2014
Spring is almost gone and Summer is hot on our heels, which can only mean one thing: tanning! Whether you’re an English Rose, have sultry olive skin or a beautiful dark base, the thought of getting your pins out may seem a little daunting..
With the warmer weather comes a sea of opportunities to adorn your favourite shorts, your must-have tea dresses and now that ripped-jeans are ‘in’, not even your knees are safe from the sun, so you may be thinking now is the right time to start prepping your skin. Before you even set your mind towards moisturising and tanning, exfoliating should be your first step on the road to beautifully prepped skin.
So, we exfoliate and we know we should but do we know why? Exfoliating had naturally been part of my daily shower routine but I never properly understood why I was layering my skin in grainy goodness. Other than helping to remove dead skin cells (which is hugely beneficial, but we’ll get on to that soon!), exfoliating can de-clog your pores, remove dirt and blackheads along with helping to prevent ingrown hair. An extra bonus is that exfoliation can leave your skin with an added ‘glow’ which is perfect for when the weather starts to heat up.
One question you may want to ask is, how often should be exfoliating our skin? It’s recommended that you should exfoliate your skin (whether it be face or body) at least twice a week. You may not know it but your skin can shed up to 50,000 skin cells per minute (that’s a lot of skin) and it is constantly in a state of regeneration. The reason why you need to exfoliate is that your skin sometimes doesn’t work as hard as it should to shed this unwanted skin which can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. Depending on your skin type, you can switch up how often you feel you need to exfoliate. Always remember that exfoliation is there to help your skin to look and feel better; if it’s red and irritated, try switching up your exfoliating product or exfoliate a little less!
Polaar Ice Pure Arctic Cotton Gentle Scrub
We love Polaar’s Ice Pure Arctic Cotton Gentle Scrub for helping to gently exfoliate our face. Featuring a dual peeling and polishing action, this invigorating scrub helps to remove dead skin cells without being too harsh on the skin and leaving it feeling like its been stripped of all its nutrients. Cleanse your skin before using this product and don’t forget to moisturise afterwards!
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Plump Perfect Line Exfoliator
If you have more mature skin or want to start early with your anti-wrinkle regime, Elizabeth Arden’s Ceramide Plump Perfect Line Exfoliator is a great product to try. This is a cleansing and exfoliating product which contains very fine micro beads. These tiny micro beads work to gently remove dead skin. Added vitamins, botanicals and CPT technology, this creamy exfoliator sinks into your fine lines and wrinkles to help them appear plumper and smoother.
Sunkissed Exfoliating Tan Remover
Don’t think of tanning as a dreaded process when you have products like Sunkissed’s Exfoliating Tan Remover to help you! This versatile product is designed to prep your skin both before and after tanning application. Featuring a blend of fruit AHAs, which are known for their natural exfoliating properties, this Sunkissed item can be applied before your tan to smooth and prepare the skin or after you’ve applied your tan, in the event that things have gotten a little messy. This product is particularly great for helping to even out tan application between the fingers, on the elbows and around the feet (the trickiest places to apply tan!).
One thing to note before using any exfoliating product on your skin is not to exfoliate skin that is sunburned or has any open cuts or wounds. Exfoliating could irritate the skin further!
What are your favourite tips for applying exfoliator?
Apr 17, 2014
Rich, indulgent flavours’ luxuriously smooth textures’ deliciously sweet treats tempting your senses at every turn’ no, it’s not the Easter egg section of your favourite chocolatiers, it’s our pick of the best sweetly-scented beauty treats to make this Easter more indulgent than ever before’
So forget the calories this Easter – these sweet treats make you beautiful:
Cocoa Delights
Yardley’s Cocoa Butter Soap is a cult classic and at the first hint of lather you’ll know why. A blend of Shea butter and vitamin E delivers indulgent moisture to your body while creamy cocoa butter makes the kind of chocolate-scented froth that’ll leave chocoholics everywhere sighing with relief.
Imagine a body moisturiser that conditions and beautifies your skin so deeply it’s left three times more radiant. Now imagine skin enveloped with the a creamy and luxurious formula.. Jergens Naturals Daily Moisturising Body Moisturiser has it all.
Vanilla Heaven
If the gorgeous packaging hasn’t already sent this everyday indulgence to the top of your wishlist, the heavenly scent of Taylor of London’s Luscious Elegant Rose Hand Wash will ensure it’s a permanent fixture in your bathroom from this day forth. Imagine sweet rose petals – but refreshing; a rich bouquet of flowers- but much more sophisticated. Your hands are in for a treat.
Since you’re being so good and choosing beauty treats instead of calorific Easter eggs (it’s ok, we’ll wait while you hide those wrappers’) we think you deserve an extra-indulgent treat. If, like us, you can’t think of anything better than sweet, seductive vanilla blended with intriguing sandalwood and patchouli, topped up with refreshing splashes of melon, peach and plum, Thierry Mugler’s Angel is your match made in heaven.
Tropical Temptation
Forget grey skies, Victoria’s Secret Coconut Passion Body Lotion is your ticket to Paradise. Its dreamy blend of coconut and vanilla delivers a good-enough-to-eat fragrance, while aloe, vitamin E and C, oat and grapeseed work together to leave your skin soft, smooth and irresistibly touchable.
Happy beautiful Easter…
Apr 10, 2014
It’s my favourite time of year again – Sale time! This may be the busiest time for a merchandiser but it’s also the best time to get stuck into our bargains and find out what big savings we have on!
It’s part of my job to sift through the 8,000 plus products we have on site and pick out the best sale picks that I can find. It’s a tricky job but someone’s got do it (mainly me). I’ve put together a quick list of my favourite products from our Spring Sale to help do some of the work for you and by hard work I mean I’ve cut down half an hour of web browsing time AT LEAST! So without further ado, here are my Sophie’s Sale Picks!
Emporio Armani Diamonds Summer 2013
One of my favourite things about Spring when it comes to merchandising is all the new fragrance releases that come in for the Summer season. These fragrances are usually limited edition and end up requiring a little bit extra change from your pocket so this is why I firstly come to Emporio Armani Diamonds Summer as my ladies fragrance sale pick. I love that this is a scent specifically catered for the warmer months with notes of Apple Sorbet and Raspberry (yum!) and that more importantly, you can save £9.05 off it as part of our Spring Sale. The bottle design has an aqua theme to it with a flush of turquoise which instantly reminds me of those amazing sea dips that you have on holiday!
Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely
My second ladies sale pick is Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely. This SJP fragrance has been a best seller for the best part of 2013 and 2014 and with a saving of £27.05, it would be wrong to leave it out of my list! Celebrity perfumes tend to have a ‘moment’ before usually taking a back seat and making way for the new fragrance stars however this was never the case with Lovely. Taking inspiration from the gracefulness and class of Sarah Jessica Parker, Lovely became a fragrance that can be worn by women of all ages. Featuring notes of Nectarine and White Orchid, Lovely is a beautiful every day fragrance.
Paco Rabanne Lady Million Gift Set
So I know we like to rave a little bit about Paco Rabanne here in the FD office but that’s because it really is that good! Lady Million is one of my favourite perfumes and if there’s one thing I love more than a fragrance, it’s a fragrance gift set. They’re good value for your money, if not for the amazing packaging they come in then the added extra of a body lotion. Lady Million is a very sensual smell that features notes of African Orange Flower and Raspberry. Although I’d say the opulent gold packaging is designed for more of a younger audience, the scent of this perfume is one that’s so popular, it will go down a treat with any age.
Max Factor Falsh Lash Effect Mascara 24h Black
I’m always on the hunt for a new mascara. Like shopping for clothes, I love testing out new formulas and finding something that works for me. I’m especially picky with mascaras so I was pleasantly surprised when I started using the Max Factor False Lash Effect 24h Mascara (which you can save £7.00 off in the sale). I’ve been a bit wary about using 24h mascaras because in the past, they’ve had a tendency to have horrible thick formulas that clump my lashes together. Thankfully, this Max Factor product applied smoothly and didn’t coat my lashes so much that they looked too dramatic. Although I don’t keep it on for 24 hours at a time (because that would be a little gross), I really like this mascara for helping me to look that little bit more awake in the mornings!
HUGO Just Different
It’s April and I’ve already gotten my Father’s Day present sorted – Are you proud? HUGO Just Different has a saving of £17.05, making the 100ml bottle just £21.95 which is an amazing saving not to be missed. Just Different is a very masculine fragrance which features notes of Ice Cold Mint and Freesia. This is an intensely fresh scent that smells good on just about any man (young or mature) and would make an excellent gift, whether you’re shopping for yourself or a special guy in your life. The bottle design is simple but still makes a statement which is one of the things I love about it!
Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Moisture Cream
Elizabeth Arden has pretty much been the holy grail of moisturising products ever since 8 Hour Cream stepped onto the scene so when I noticed that their Visible Difference Moisture cream had a saving of £21.01 in the sale, I knew I had to have it. My skin is quite dry so this moisturiser works really well for me as a night cream. Although I don’t have lines or wrinkles (yet!) it’s good to be prepared for the inevitable so I like to stack this on just before bed. I spend a good 10 minutes massaging this product into my face to get the blood flowing and help make my skin feel more awake. If you have oily to combination skin, I would still recommend this product to try but I would advise to use a smaller amount.
Let me know if you’re picking anything up in the sale by leaving a comment below!
Apr 4, 2014
If your favourite thing to do is settle down with a cup of tea and your favourite glossy, then you may have noticed Look Magazine’s 100 Beauty Buys You Can’t Live Without. We all have our beauty staples that we covet and rely on endlessly but we’re also always on the lookout for new cult products to test and try!
We’ve rounded up some of Look’s 100 Beauty Buys that you can purchase right here at Fragrance Direct. So all you need to do is sit back, relax and get clicking on your most wanted fragrance and cosmetic products. Enjoy..!
Vera Wang Princess
The ultimate fragrance fit for a princess isn’t surprisingly Vera Wang Princess! This is a classic scent that has long been a favourite with Fragrance Direct customers and it isn’t hard to understand why. This spirited perfume is effortlessly girly without being too overpowering on the sweetness scale. Not to mention, the bottle design is definitely one that we’d be happy to have sitting on our dressing table! Did we also mention that you can pick up a 100ml bottle for £25.95?
Jimmy Choo
Jimmy Choo’s signature Eau de Toilette, entitled ‘Jimmy Choo’ oozes glamour and sophistication. We love this fragrance to help us feel that little bit more confident before a long day at work. Warm, seductive and beautiful, this is the ultimate power fragrance for the modern woman.
Tangle Teezer
Don’t you just hate it when you step out of the shower and you have that dreaded feeling of brushing out all those knots? Well say farewell to them with the Tangle Teezer. We’re sure you’ve already of this revolutionary hair brush and the facts are all in the name. The Tangle Teezer is your pain free answer to untangling knots. It doesn’t pull on your hair strands and still leaves your hair feeling silky soft without any breakage!
Garnier Caffine Anti-Dark Circles Tinted Roll On
The Garnier Anti-Dark Circles Tinted Roll On is a cult beauty product amongst beauty experts. Often described as ‘the best under-eye concealer on the market’, Garnier’s Tinted Roll On works to cover big circles, bad bags and is super easy to use, thanks to the roller ball application. The added ingredient of caffeine works exactly how you would expect it to. Although you may be used to reaching for your big cup of coffee in the morning, opt for the caffeine based eye products instead which create the effect of stimulating blood flow which helps to diminish under eye bags. The roller ball applicator also feels cool and soothing to the eye – helping to wake you up in the morning!
Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream
The holy grail product is skincare has to be Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. An award winning moisturiser, 8 Hour Cream is used by make-up artists wordwide. This legendary cream calms, protects and hydrates the skin to leave it looking and feeling healthy. You can apply 8 hour cream to any point on the body that’s suffering from dryness and enjoy the results the next day. Our favourite tip it to use the cream on your eyelids and cheek bones to add a natural glow to the face while keeping it moisturised and smooth.
Which product is your favourite? Leave a comment below and let us know!
Apr 3, 2014
If we want to watch a video of the world’s most epic cats, where do you turn to? If you want to re-watch every performance on last year’s X Factor, where do you instantly click? Well, YouTube, of course! With more than 1 billion unique users/visitors every month and over 100 hours of video uploaded every day, YouTube has become a video site phenomenon.
But there’s quite a few other reasons why we love it so much. YouTube has become a central hub for all things beauty and if you’re as big a fan of beauty as we are, you’ll understand just how crucial that is to our every day beauty needs! Once upon a time, before the age of the internet, women had to pick up beauty tips from their favourite glossies, from their best friends and through trial and error. Fast forward to 2014 and you can pretty much access an encyclopedia of beauty and fashion knowledge from one click through to YouTube.
Beauty and fashion bloggers and vloggers (a vlogger is someone who runs a video blog) have created an amazing online community which you can easily become a part of! There is no doubt that you will have heard of the legendary beauty bloggers such as Michelle Phan and Zoella, who collectively have over 10 million subscribers and have found themselves as cover stars on the likes of popular magazines such as Company! That’s right, beauty and fashion bloggers are here to stay and are, in a way, taking over the digital world!
So why should you be investing their time in them? Aside from giving you amazing beauty and fashion tip, they also bring you hints on the best places to shop and give you the opportunity to take a peek into their every day lives! So without further ado, we wanted to give you our list of 5 YouTubers that if you aren’t watching right now, then you should be!
Lisa Eldridge
Lisa Eldridge is a renowned professional make-up artist who has worked with A-list celebrities and publications such as VOGUE and Elle (just to name a few). Her fans include film stars such as Kate Winslet and Kiera Knightley and she’s been working backstage at some of LFW’s biggest shows such as Matthew Williamson and Alice Temperley. With over 800k YouTube subscribers, Lisa is a fountain of knowledge for all things make-up and beauty. Now if that isn’t a good beauty CV, we don’t know what is!
Scroll through her countless video uploads and you’ll find beauty tutorials, celebrity inspired make-up looks, skincare and cosmetic guides and lots more! Our current favourite tutorial of hers is ‘How to Wear Bronzer Beautifully’- the perfect guide to warming up your Spring for the Summer months.
Liza Prideaux
We worked with the lovely Liza Prideaux in February as part of our series of Valentine’s Make-up Tutorials and we instantly knew that big things will be coming her way in the future! With over 6k subscribers, Liza brings you a wealth of beauty tutorials, including our current favourite – The Cara Delevigne Spring Inspired Make-up look! She is also a yummy mummy and shares with us her adorable Get Ready With Vinny videos which focus on her adorable toddler!
Liza is down to earth, bubbly and fabulous with make-up so if you want to keep up to date with the current make-up trends and how to achieve them, get checking out her channel!
Hannah Maggs
We know that a lot of our Fragrance Direct fans are yummy mummies so we thought it only appropriate to introduce you to Hannah Maggs from the Hannah Maggs YouTube channel! After recently given birth to her adorable little boy, also known as ‘Mr.G’, Hannah has documented her pregnancy along with her first few months as a mama and has gained over 50k subscribers. Along with sharing with you her ups and downs of motherhood, Hannah also spends time taking you through her favourite make-up looks and tutorials as well as allowing you to have a peek into her family life!
So if you’re a mum, a mum-to-be or a beauty fanatic, you’ll love to dive into Hannah’s channel of beauty, babies and everyday life! Why not check out her Five Favourite Beauty Products to get you started?
Idressmyself
For our fashion fix, we love to tune into B from I Dress Myself. Stylish, chic and effortless are three words which come to mind when we describe this inspirational YouTuber. Aside from sharing her recent fashion purchases, which make way for some serious buying tips, B inspires our every day outfits with her Outfit Inspiration videos. We have serious wardrobe envy, especially when it comes to her mammoth shoe collection!
If you have all the basics of a good wardrobe and need a little every day inspiration, check out the I Dress Myself YouTube channel for new ideas on how to style your favourite pieces. With over 26k subscribers, it isn’t hard to see why B has become a YouTube hit.
Gemsmaquillage
For all our beauty reviewing and testing needs, we instantly tune into Gemma from Gemsmaquillage. With over 86k subscribers, Gemma’s channel brings us an array of beauty inspired videos from hauls, monthly favourites and reviews so that you can see what products are going to work best for you! Having recently moved into her first home, Gemma also shares great tips on how to decorate and transform your home without having to splash the cash.
With an online shop, a beauty channel, a healthy living channel and lots more to choose from, don’t forget to get watching Gemsmaquillage to get instantly beauty inspired!
Which YouTube channels do you think we should be watching right now? Would you like to be added to our list for next month? Leave a comment below and let us know!
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