NUXE REVE DE MIEL LIPBALM

Nuxe Reve de Miel has to be one of the most talked about lipbalms if not in the world, then certainly in the blogosphere. I'm pretty sure there's not a single beauty blog I've read over the past few years that hasn't shouted from their virtual rooftops about how much they love this balm and I thought it was about time I jumped on the band wagon.

Let's start by being real - this is a £9.50 LIPBALM. You could probably buy 5 drugstore lipbalms for a tenner and see change. So why is it that everyone loves this balm so much that they are willing to part with 950 of their hard earned pennies for it? Well, put bluntly - it's unrivalled.

I've never found a lipbalm that leaves a matt finish, this does. I've never found a lipbalm that exfoliates my lips on application and then smoothes out, this does. I've never found a lipbalm that lasts overnight, guess what, this does that too! And one final thing, for me, this smells like heaven in a jar - a honeyed citrus scent that brings a smile to my face with every sniff.  

You don't NEED this product, but I bet if you buy it, you'll want it in your life forever more.

Are you a fan of Nuxe Reve de Miel?

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BARRY M - PEACH MELBA

Spring has sprung... well, sort of! Now the clocks have gone back, that extra bit of daylight is doing wonders for my happiness levels and it's making me draw out some pastel delights from the depths  of my nail collection.

I've had Barry M Peach Melba for just under a year as I bought it a day before I went on holiday last August, so not only does it look sunny, but it transports me back to sunny shores, sandy beaches and lots and lots of Sangria!

As with all Barry M polishes, it's an absolute dream to apply and takes 2-3 coats to get an even coverage and lasts quite well!

I think this colour will be bridging the gap between spring and summer nails quite nicely!

What are your favourite Pastel shades? I need to add some more to my collection!

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HAPPY EASTER AND APRIL!

Going back to work after a bank holiday weekend is always a struggle isn't it?! Especially when home is full of family laughs, long lunches with friends and of course mountains of chocolate.

My Easter weekend was perfect! After months of wanting to, I finally managed to make a rainbow cake that looked great, but that admittedly tasted like play-dough. I ate way too much chocolate, napped excessively and stayed in my PJs for far too long (all of Monday, shh) but it was just lovely!

Better still, a new month is here and I'm really getting excited for the Summer now, not that Spring has really even sprung here in London just yet, but it's got to soon, right?

So here's to an amazing month! 

How did you spend your long weekend?

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FRUIT SALAD NAILS

I spent most of yesterday eating my favourite fruit salad sweeties which make me ludicrously happy and I fancied creating some retro Fruit Salad inspired nails that will last longer than the sweets (in my possession anyway!)

Left to right: Essie Head Mistress, Leighton Denny Pillow Talk, Barry M Shocking Pink, Barry M Coral, Barry M Peach Melba.











They bring a smile to my face every time I catch a glimpse of them and they're gorgeous for the Spring... if it ever decides to show its sunny face!

What do you think? Are you a Fruit Salad fan?

HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are hands down my sweet tooth weakness. I can’t get enough of the sweet meets salty flavour combo and I can never eat just the one (there’s three in a pack, I mean come on!)

They used to be pretty hard to find over here in the UK, so I started making my own and not to blow my own trumpet, but I now prefer my version. They use only two ingredients, need no baking and are more decadent (way bigger) than Reese’s. Plus, I can guarantee that if you make a batch up of these for your friends, they’ll love you even more than they already did. Pinky promise.

To make 12:

• 200g milk chocolate
• 150g Peanut Butter

To make this as easy for yourself as you can, I’d recommend making these using silicone cases, they ensure a clean finish and are so easy to mould. I’ve not tried paper cases, but I think it’d be a lot messier and wouldn’t give you as clean an end result. My Grandma gave me mine years ago, but you can probably pick these up in Lakeland, John Lewis or Amazon.

First things first, arrange the cases onto a tray.

Next, melt 120g of the chocolate in the microwave – keep an eye on it and stir every 20 seconds to ensure it doesn't burn.

Now, place a teaspoon of the chocolate into the bottom of each case and pinch the sides together inwards, working your way around the case until they’re all covered. Then with the remaining chocolate repeat the process so that everything is covered in a decent amount of chocolate. Now, place in the fridge for 10 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and then place 150g peanut butter in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds or until runny.

Place a generous teaspoon into each cup and place back in the fridge for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the fridge and melt the remaining chocolate. Pour a teaspoon of chocolate onto each cup and smooth the top.

If you’re a perfectionist, you can smooth the tops over with a butter knife, but make sure you do so straight away, otherwise, the chocolate will have started to set and it’ll be one big chocolatey mess.

Place back in the fridge for an hour (overnight is best) and then carefully peel off the silicone cases and VOILA!

Have you made Peanut Butter Cups before? How do you make yours?

Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face & Decollete

Faced with all the beauty products in the world, self tan is still the one that makes me look and feel better than all the rest.  

I'm really conscious of getting the sun on my face, partly because I want to put off Botox for as long as possible (yes I have absolutely no qualms in getting it done) and partly because as soon as my face catches a mere glimpse of a ray, my freckles flutter into full bloom which, quite frankly gets right on my wick. So for me, a facial tanner is a must have 365 days a year - yes, I even wear it on holiday! 

So, as you can imagine I've gone through many a bottle by many a brand and my absolute favourite has to be the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face & Decollete - hands down. 

What I love most about this is that it glides on seamlessly, sinks in beautifully and creates a glow that is unrivalled, even by a real tan. 

The lining on the cake with this is that it's not coloured, so nobody can tell you're wearing it - so not only could you get away with wearing it during the day but you can pretend forever to your partner/flatmates/unexpected visitors that you were simply born bronzed.

I apply this every night before bed with a mitt, which I would advise if you use as many skincare products as I do, but if you're a simple cleanse, tone and moisturise girl, then you can get away with applying every 2-3 days.

It's £17.50 and lasts ages so I would recommend this product until the cows come home. 

Do you use Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning for Face & Decollete? If not, what are your favourite facial tanners?

WARDE

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Studs and Leather.

Nothing tickles my pickle more than adorning myself in studded and leather garms and if the garm in question is a combination of the two, then truth be told I'm in satorial heaven.

Here are the newest additions feeding my addiction:

The skirt is H&M and is a steal at £19.99 - it's a lovely fit sitting just above the knee and is as Miss Marilyn Munroe herself advised 'tight enough to show you're a woman but loose enough to show you're a lady' (pah, if only they knew...)

The studded ballet pumps are New Look and only cost £7.50 as there's currently 25% off shoes! As if you needed an excuse!

Both easy on the purse strings and pengalicious which in my world, is the finest of combinations.

Have you bought any leather/studded goods recently? Show me - but be warned, I may hunt you down for them if I fall in love.

WARDE

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Good Night, Sleep Tight.

Sleeping really should be one of the easiest things to do, but sometimes, nodding off can be harder work than staying awake. So, on those nights when getting some shut-eye seems like the most impossible task, I have a triple threat routine that is a million times more efficient than counting sheep. FACT.

Decleor Baume Relax Intense Relaxing Massage Balm
I've been using this for the past 2 years and I now wouldn't dare not have it stashed in my drawers. You know when you've had such a stressful day that your neck feels like it's eating up all of your issues? Well, this is a godsend. It's made with a cocktail of essential oils, is 100% natural (woop) and is quite frankly one of the best things I've ever smelt.

Molton Brown Relaxing Yuan Zhi Sleep Mist
If I've woken up in the middle of the night (like right now it's 4am) with an annoying bout of insomnia, this not only cheers my spirits but it also helps to send me back to the land of nod. Like all good things, it's packed with essential oils of lavender, bergamot and ylang-ylang and aims to create 'inner peace' and that, my friends, I'm all for - sleep deprived or not.

Molton Brown Cedrus Temple Soother
The ultimate power duo of lavender and Cedrus oil in this soother promotes relaxation when applied to pulse points. I have the mini travel version and admittedly only use it when I'm really tired and really stressed and it could of course just be placebo, but this makes that annoying buzz in my brain slip away.

Other things that usually help me get a good night's kip is to burn a relaxing candle (Cowshed Horny Cow is my fave at the moment), a hot water bottle behind my neck (I keep a lot of tension there) and of course the obligatory relaxing bath. I like really strong bath products so The Organic Pharmacy Neroli Bath Oil and Elemis' Aching Muscle Super soak tend to be my go-tos, but whatever helps you to relax is best.

Luckily, finishing up this post and that mystical mist have made me feel quite dosy again so I'm off for a few hours shut eye.

Do you use any of the products I do? If not, what do you do/use to make sure you get a soundless sleep?

 WARDE X

Instabraid

Pinch, punch, first of the month! And what better way to celebrate than by oohing and aahing over my favourite new instagram account - INSTABRAID.

It's full of beautiful pictures of braids (plaits to non-Americans) so if you thought the French Plait was where it began and ended, think again. 

I'm challenging myself to try as many new braids as I can this October and I'll be uploading them to my instagram and twitter so keep your eyes peeled!

Do you have an amazing braid design? Place the link below in the comments section or tweet me @hollywarde

Warde x 

September Empties

I can't believe September is almost over, in fact I can't believe it's even past June - this year has completely flown by! Anyhow, here's what I used up this September:

Cowshed Horny Cow Candle

I absolutely love this candle. I tend to burn it when I've had a bit of a stressful day and need some pamper time. It's quite floral but spicy at the same time and it's a really indulgent scent. It's supposed to evoke your sensuality, and I can't vouch for that but it does make me feel a lot more relaxed after a long day. This was my first Cowshed purchase (and half price in the Selfridges sale) but if this candle is anything to go by, I will definitely be buying more Cowshed in the future!

Bliss Fabulous Face Lotion

I am a complete Bliss addict. From the skincare, to the body products, to the spa, there's nothing I haven't loved from Bliss - which considering how picky I am is saying something! But this cream is definitely my favourite product from the skincare range. In fact, I'd go as far as to say it's the best day cream I've ever used. The smell is gorgeous - fresh and clean with a hint of citrus, there's SPF 15 so great for everyday London protection and it sinks in beautifully leaving a lovely illumination on the skin. Fabulous indeed.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover 

Not particularly exciting I'll agree, but a good polish remover is an absolute essential when you change your nail polish as often as I do. This is the one I always fall back on as it does a really good job of taking off even the darkest polishes and it doesn't dry out my nails. Cheap as chips and does the job, well.

The Organic Pharmacy Rose Hip Oil 

I got this oil more than a year ago to help with some scarring and whilst I can't be sure it was responsible for helping the fade the scar as I didn't keep up regular application, it smelt absolutely beautiful and was a pleasure to apply. However, as with all natural products, you really have to stick to the use by date as its now a different colour and doesn't smell so rosy.

So that's the bathroom cabinet door closed on September, here's to an amazing October!

Warde x

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE NAILS

It's Wednesday - hump day - meh day.

How to cheer yourself up and make it to Friday... happy minty nails.

How I did it...

1 coat of Barry M Matt White

2 coats Barry M Blue Moon  (really sheer which is why you need a white base)

Paint a small strip in the middle of each nail with Matt White

2 dots of black varnish (any will do) on the top of the white splodge - making sure to leave a gap between the dots to ensure that oh-so-amusing googly eye effect.

SIMPLES.

Have you tried this out? Tweet me a pic of yours! @Hollywarde

x

Chanel Rouge Coco - 19 Gabrielle

I think I'm growing up - I'm starting to favour savoury over sweet, I recently got over-excited about buying a new mattress and most notably, I've fallen in love with lipstick.

 

I never really cared much for the good stuff, preferring to go heavy on the eyes and keep it simple with a nude lip, but times are changing and now I'm all about big, bright, bold lips.

Last week I treated myself to my first Chanel lipstick - Rouge Coco - 19 Gabrielle and I've pretty much lived in it ever since.

It's really hydrating and long-lasting (on its first outing it survived Itsu soup slurping, wine drinking and BBQ munchage).

What I love about it is that you can either go for a muted, toned down look (I do this by patting it on) or a bolder colour rich one. 

It's a gorgeous bright red perfect for both tanned and pale skins and most importantly, it doesn't make teeth look yellow as a lot of reds usually do!

Favourite thing? The packaging, it's so beautiful it makes my heart weep with happiness everytime I put it on. 

It's not cheap at £24, but you know what, you're worth it.

BIG LOVE for this one BIIIIIG LOVE.

x

Clarins Beauty Flash Blog

I love Clarins, I love French glamour and I love blogs (obvs).

So, you can imagine my excitement when I found out about the new Clarins aptly named Beauty Flash Blog which combines all of the above.

The beauty and fashion blog is written by the Courtin-Clarins sisters (granddaughters of the brand founder) and documents the glamorous lives of Virginie, Claire, Prisca and Jenna as they go about being ridiculously glam.

The blog doesn't officially launch until 5th September, but you can grab a sneaky peek here:

http://beautyflashblog.com/

I can't tell you what I'd give to be as fabulous as these ladies.

x

Are you FUR REAL?

What do you get when you cross a TOWIE cast member, a bingo playing fox and fake tan? No, not a trippy nightmare, but something even more mentally damaging:

TOWIE'S Lucy Meck has teamed up with Foxybingo.com to launch a new fake tan...'FUR REAL'.

The £10 bottle of mahogany can be won on the site itself or bought exclusively at justbeautifully.co.uk

I think her press statement is the worse thing about it all:

Lucy Mecklenburgh said, “The only celeb who rocks orange better than me is Foxy himself! I’ve already got my own swimwear range and nothing compliments my designs better than a nice tan. I don’t step out the house until I’ve got my Essex glow and with Fur Real, everyone else can have it too!”

I don't think I've ever known a more horrifically cheap and awful brand collaboration/product launch. 

I'm hoping I'm about to wake up and it was all a nightmare...

Tell me I'm not the only one?

x

Fancy a practically free facial?

I have one seriously amazing offer for you...

For one week only, to celebrate the launch of The OrganicPharmacy's new counter in The Beauty Workshop, Selfridges (which is completelyamazing BTW) they will be offering 45 minute Ultimate Skin RenewalFacials for £45 and the best bit? The cost is redeemable against anyOrganic Pharmacy product on the day!

Which means, depending on how you look at it, you can bag yourselfa free facial OR free skincare! Win-win really. 

I'm a huge fan of the brand, products and treatments (I internedfor them back in the day so have pretty much tried the whole range!)

What I love most about the brand is how passionate founders Margo and Franco(husband and wife!) are about their brand and how true they stay to theirbeliefs - which in the world of beauty is very uncommon thing!

If you're wondering what to buy?

Cleansing Balm lover? Carrot Butter Cleanser ispossibly the best thing since sliced...carrots.

Bath addict? Use Neroli Bath Oil for one of the most amazing and indulgent baths you've ever had.

Serum fan? Antioxidant Face Firming Serum not only smells like happiness in abottle but also leaves the skin with a beautiful glow.

So make sure you've got 16th-22nd September marked in your diaryand your face will love you for it. 

To book call 0800 138 7425 or simply visit the counter to book!

Have you tried The Organic Pharmacy products/treatments? What are your faves?

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