Seasonal Favourites Summer 2015

Tags

#narsissist, Annick Goutal, By Terry, chanel, Charlotte Tilbury, Estee Lauder, favourites, H&M, Hakuhodo, Kevyn Aucoin, Musette, NARS, Summer 2015 Favourites, Sunday Riley, Tom Ford

Summer 2015 is gone now so here you have the items that made it memorable!

I want to keep it short and sweet and I will stick to “what” those were and “why” I loved them.

Beauty:

• natural lipsticks with a bit of an oomph: the easiest to wear lip product ever the Tom Ford Seer in Smitten, plus Skinnydip and Rose Soleil from the Tom Ford 2015 Summer Collection, because Tom Ford makeup should be called “art” – period, Charlotte Tilbury Coachella Coral lipstick paired with the most amazing lip liner in Pink Venus or the infamous Pillow Talk for a more neutral look
• bold lips made possible with a gorgeous NARS Audacious “girl” named Michiyo
• and the ultimate fiery-red, bold, gloriously sexy and my latest obsession in terms of red lips: the Kendall Jenner X Estée Lauder Pure Colour Envy Matte, in Restless ( yes, that little treasure came in my possession… But more about that story soon, my lovelies! )
• cream eyeshadows ruled my mornings and again, Tom Ford stole the show with this gorgeous Golden Peach shade, and a glorious come back of my favourite cream eyeshadow sticks – the By Terry Ombre Blackstars in 3 golden-brown variations: Blond Opal, Golden Brown and Brown Perfection ( I need to write a decent review on these as well, don’t you think my lovelies? )

• sticking up to the “cream products” theme, they definitely were the main attraction of this Summer for me. From amazing blushers – like this gorgeous Tom Ford Pink Sand ( a Limited Edition item unfortunately! ), to cream highlighters and easy-to-use contours like the Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow Duo, everything worked its magic to achieve my perfect bronzed and glowy / healthy-looking Summer skin.

Skincare:

• the one product that gave me amazing skin unconditionally was the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil… And of course, sunscreen with the highest protection factor. You did wore your sunscreen as well Beautiful, didn’t you!?

Perfume this year was the easiest of choices for me

• if the new Tom Ford Shimmering Body Oil came into my life with its sensual, sexy summer scent I hardly wore my other perfumes
• but when I did, I revisited two old favourites: my Annick Goutal Eau d’Hadrien – the fragrance that brings me on an imaginary olfactorial trip to the Southern Italy every time I wear it
• and one of my old time favourites: my Chanel No. 5 Eau Première

Tools I couldn’t put down, beside my regular Tom Ford and Hakuhodo army of brushes… the NARS Yachyio Kabuki Brush one item that had waited on the top of my wish list for way too long! Still available on the NARS European website! 

Fashion favourites:

• Musette Nude Laila Flats currently on sale, international shipping available
  
• Musette Evergreen Ivoire Purse currently on sale, international shipping available
• H&M Flowy Midi Skirt you’ll definitely see in a blog post soon.

Here they are, my fantastic collection of Summer 2015 Favourites! 

Now please, share yours!

See you soon, Beautiful!

xx, Annie

SUNDAY RILEY Luna Sleeping Night Oil – review*

Tags

#LUNAtic, Luna Sleeping Oil, natural ingredients, review, Sunday Riley

I’ve been pretty selective with my skincare lately ( hence the lack of reviews ), as I was testing this: the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil.

I’ve been curious to test this product and its “miraculously effects” on my skin, ever since I first saw it online. So, when Addison from Sunday Riley contacted me and told me that I was selected to receive a full size of it, I was beyond excited, as you can tell!

It wasn’t long after that that I became a #LUNAtic!

But before we head onto to the actual review, let’s have a look at this luxurious packaging – a cell of cardboard, with the inside made of a spongy material all to protect this graceful bottle of miraculous oil! Just beautiful! First point taken Sunday Riley!

Among the ingredients you can find the famous blue tansy, avocado oil, grape seed oil and German Chamomile. A truly impressive list of ingredients and beneficial oils! Point two taken as well!

Luna is marketed as a retinoid treatment oil that will help with sign of ageing, size of pores and the appearance of damaged skin, while simultaneously correcting damage caused by the sun, time, and pollution. I’ve been using it for over a month now so I can definitely agree that it lives up to all these brave claims above! And now you got all the points available!

But what makes Luna this effective and in such short time?

I did a bit of a research and what I found out was that the Retinol Luna uses is not the usual Retinol/Retinoid that easily oxidizes in the presence of Oxigen!

Luna uses a Retinol called Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate that is the Trans-Retinol Ester of all retinoic acids – if you like. This is the active ingredient that fights the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of skin elasticity in your skin!

Also Luna is a water free formula which reduces the oxidation process a lot! Therefore this oil has to be massaged in as gently as possible to keep the potential risk of oxidization to a minimum. Other water-free formulas had silicones or alcohols among their ingredients – which increased the risk of dryness and irritation associated with vitamin A products. This Retinol is encapsulated with Dimethyl Isosorbide, a solvent which increases the solubility of many different active ingredients and increases their penetration into the skin, keeping the hydration levels of the skin in decent parameters.

Here’s when the other oils come in hand: Blue Tansy – heals damaged skin and contains strong anti-redness properties, also helps with eczema and dermatitis, Avocado Seed Oil: Plumps the look of fine lines and contains anti-redness properties; rich in vitamins B, C, D, E, and A, Chia and Concord grape further reduce the risk of irritation, and German Chamomile treats inflamed, irritated skin.

This is the “academic” part of this product that maybe you want to know, maybe not! What you DO need to know is that you go to bed at night to wake up to firmer, clearer skin by morning!

The first week, I was using it every night on freshly cleansed face to test it and see how my skin reacted! No painful irritations, no break-outs, no redness! My skin got brighter, clearer and more even instead! It also made the application of foundation faster and a real pleasure in the mornings!

I now use a couple of drops every other day and massage it gently into my skin, until the initial blue colour fades into… nothing, basically! This is the signal you need to know the oil works anyway!

I’ve tested it combined with the other products in my evening skincare routine as well, but I have to say that I liked it a lot more by itself! I saw better results like that!

It smells a little earthy, like wild flowers and hay and I can definitely get the smell of the chamomile oil. It’s unmistakable! But not disturbing at all!

Definitely recommend this oil even for those with sensitive skins!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie

 

 

 

 

INTERESTING FACTS:

• Sunday Riley formulates all her products WITHOUT Parabens, Sulfates or Phthalates

• this product is made with organic, cold pressed oils

• it’s cruelty-free

• because it’s a retinol-based treatment, the use of a sunscreen during the day is MANDATORY

• NOT RECOMMENDED during pregnancies

 

 

 

 

 

 

*PR Sample. Opinions expressed here are my own. (No affiliate links)

 

 

THE Best 10 Online Shopping Destinations for Luxury Beauty

Tags

Aesop, Aoro.ro, Aromatherapy Associates, Bobbi Brown, Burberry, chanel, Chantecaille, Charlotte Tilbury, Creme de La Mer, Cult Beauty, dior, Diptyque, Emma Hardie, Eve Lom, feelunique, Fillerina, Glam Glow, guerlain, Harrods, Jo Malone, Kiehl's, La Prairie, Lancer, Laura Mercier, May Lindstorm, MV Organic Skincare, NARS, net-a-porter, Omorovicza, online luxury shopping destinations, Oribe, Rahua, REN, RMK, Sarah Chapman, Selfridges, Shiseido, Sisley, SK II, SpaceNK, Sunday Riley, SUQQU, Tata Harper, Tatcha, Therapy, Tom Ford, Urban Decay, Verso, Zelens

Since many of you, my lovely readers, always ask me where do I shop for my makeup and my skincare, here you have it – a full post dedicated to my favourite online places to shop for luxury beauty!

  

SELFRIDGES

BRANDS AVAILABLE:

– Tom Ford, Charlotte Tilbury, Dior, Chanel, Guerlain, NARS, Laura Mercier, Bobbi Brown, RMK, Urban Decay, Omorovicza, Zelens, Eve Lom, Kiehl’s, Diptyque, Jo Malone

SHIPPING:

– to over 60 countries around the world, including North America, Australia, the Middle East and China.

– “For all orders outside of the European Union, we’ll even remove UK VAT and include any relevant import charges before you pay so there are no surprises when your order arrives.” ( Selfridges )

INTERESTING FACT:

– currently Selfridges is running a SALE on selected items all-over their website, so you might want to take advantage of that!

 

HARRODS

BRANDS AVAILABLE: Tom Ford, Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, SK II, Creme de La Mer, Shiseido, Sisley, SUQQU, Lancer, La Prairie… See more brands here.

SHIPPING*:

Delivery Service	Availability	Area	Charges	Delivered
Europe Zone A	24/7	– Belgium – Denmark – France – Germany – Guernsey – Ireland – Italy – Jersey – Luxembourg – Netherlands – Spain – Sweden	£20.00	5 – 6 working days
Europe Zone B	24/7	– Andorra – Croatia – Iceland – Monaco – San Marino – Gibraltar – Greece – Latvia – Lithuania – Poland – Portugal – Slovakia – Balearic Islands: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza, Formentera (country is Spain) – Austria – Bulgaria – Cyprus – Czech Republic – Estonia – Finland – Hungary – Liechtenstein – Malta – Norway – Romania – Slovenia – Switzerland – Canary Islands: Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma	£20.00	6 – 10 working days
North America and Far East	24/7	– USA – Canada – Hong Kong – Malaysia – Japan – Singapore – Thailand – Macau – South Korea – Philippines	£25.00	6 – 10 working days
Rest of the World	24/7	– Australia – Bahrain – India – Israel – New Zealand – Qatar – Saudi Arabia – UAE – Jordan – Kuwait – Lebanon – Oman	£25.00	10 – 12 working day

*Please note that Harrods currently ONLY delivers to the countries listed above.

 

NET-A-PORTER.com

BRANDS AVAILABLE: besides fashion http://www.net-a-porter.com has also a beauty section where I like to get items from brands like Hourglass, Charlotte Tilbury, Burberry, RMS, Byredo, By Terry, Eve Lom… just to name a few!

SHIPPING:

– get more info on International delivery, Times and Fees here.

– excellent Customer Service and free Tracking Order option!

 

SPACENK.com

BRANDS AVAILABLE: Hourglass, By Terry, Chantecaille, Sarah Chapman, Aesop, Oribe, Rahua, REN, Sunday Riley, Tatcha, Verso

SHIPPING:

EUROPEAN DELIVERY

1. Option 1: STANDARD DELIVERY
   You’ll receive your order within 10 working days European standard delivery service is available for all European addresses to the countries listed below.
   £5.00 including VAT.
2. Option 2: FREE EUROPEAN DELIVERY ON ORDERS £100 AND OVER
   If your order totals £100 or more, you’ll automatically qualify for FREE European delivery Free European delivery of orders will be within 10 working days as per usual European delivery.

Destinations: UK, Austria, Armenia, Andorra, Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guernsey, Hungry, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine.

REST OF THE WORLD DELIVERY

1. Option 1: STANDARD DELIVERY You’ll receive your order within 21 working days Rest Of The World delivery service is available for all addresses to the countries listed below.
   £5.00 including VAT.
2. Option 2: FREE REST OF WORLD DELIVERY ON ORDERS £150 AND OVER
   If your order totals £150 or more, you’ll automatically qualify for FREE Rest of World delivery. Free Rest of World delivery of orders will be within 21 working days as per usual Rest of World delivery terms

 

FEELUNIQUE.com

BRANDS AVAILABLE:

– all the brands you can imagine for makeup and skincare, from luxury to affordable

– last month they added a new brand to their never ending selection, a personal favourite of mine – BURBERRY

SHIPPING:

FREE WORLDWIDE DELIVERY ON ALL ORDERS OVER £10 

 

BURBERRY

One of the best Customer Services I have ever encountered online, it made me prefer order my favourite makeup items from their online shop rather than anywhere else!

SHIPPING:

– you can find more information on shipping destinations, costs and delivery for your country by clicking here

– they also give you the possibility of tracking your order

 

CHARLOTTE TILBURY

One of my favourite makeup brands as well, www.charlottetilbuty.com not only has an amazing selection of their amazing makeup and skincare, but also an excellent Customer Service but exclusive offers too!

SHIPPING:

– they currently ship to addresses within the UK and EUROPE:

Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Channel Islands, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic Of Ireland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

To order from the USA, click here to visit the US site.

 

CULT BEAUTY.com

– by far my favourite destination for luxury skincare shopping

BRANDS AVAILABLE: Oskia, Omorovicza, Sunday Riley, Tata Harper, Zelens, MV Organic Skincare, Therapy, Aromatherapy Associates, Aesop, Emma Hardie, Glam Glow, Fillerina, May Lindstorm…

SHIPPING:

– destinations:

Mainland UK

United Kingdom

Non-Mainland UK

Jersey  /  Guernsey  /  Isle of Man

North America

United States  /  Canada

Western Europe

Andorra  /  Austria  /  Belgium  /  Cyprus  /  Czech Republic  /  Denmark  /  Finland  /  France  /  Germany  /  Greece  /  Iceland  /  Ireland  /  Isle of Man  /  Italy  /  Luxembourg  /  Malta  /  Monaco  /  Netherlands  /  Norway  /  Poland  /  Portugal  /  Spain  /  Sweden  /  Switzerland

Middle East

Bahrain  /  Israel  /  Jordan  /  Kuwait  /  Oman  /  Qatar  /  Saudi Arabia  /  United Arab Emirates

Asia & Australasia

Australia  /  Brunei  /  China  /  Hong Kong  /  Japan  /  South Korea  /  Malaysia / New Zealand  /  Singapore  /  Taiwan  /  Thailand

Rest of the World

Aland Islands  /  Anguilla  /  Bahamas  /  Barbados  /  Brazil  /  Cape Verde  /  Cayman Islands  /  Croatia  /  Estonia  /  Gibraltar  /  Hungary  /  India  /  Latvia  /  Lithuania  /  Maldives  /  Reunion  /  Romania  /  Russia  /  Slovakia  /  Slovenia  /  South Africa  /  Turkey  /  Ukraine  /  Vatican City  /  Venezuela

– Standard Delivery is FREE worldwide on all orders over £50 except for mainland China.

 

OMOROVICZA

– this is Omorovicza’s official website, where they always host amazing offers and deals and periodically, some amazing sales! The current amazing offers are a beautiful LE Queen of Hungary Face Mist in a beautiful summery bottle, with the possibility of doubling your Pengo and some amazing sets at such convenient prices!

SHIPPING:

	Price	Free over	Business Days
UK	€7	€150	2-5
EU Standard	€20	€150	7
EU Expedited	€30	n/a	Up to 5

– due to customs restrictions, they are not able to ship to China and Russia.

– import taxes and duties will be the responsibility of the customer should goods be ordered from our website for delivery outside of Europe.

 

AORO.ro

BRANDS AVAILABLE: Chanel, Dior, Guerlain, Giorgio & Gabbana and many more

SHIPPING: for my Romanian girls ONLY!

Here you have my main online shopping destinations! I hope you feel inspired and get some new shopping ideas from them!

See you soon, beautiful!

xx, Annie