JO MALONE; MYRRH & TONKA

Myrrh & Tonka is the latest addition to the 'Cologne Intense' range by Jo Malone, and it is a truly stunning fragrance.  

Myrrh & Tonka truly delivers when it comes to a well rounded fragrance, I have sprayed this countless of times, and I still cannot get enough. It is addictive to say the least!

  • Top Note: Lavender
  • Middle Note: Omumbiri Myrrh
  • Base Note: Tonka

The opening to Myrrh & Tonka is a rather creamy, sweet opening with the Lavender note coming into play. I must admit, that I have often found the note of Lavender a little overwhelming at times, yet with this fragrance, it blends just perfectly with the Omumbiri Myrrh and the Tonka notes. As the fragrance settles on my skin, the fragrance becomes incredibly rich and intense, creating a slightly Oriental feel to it with the floral notes.

My favourite part of wearing this fragrance has got to be the dry-down! The fragrance becomes more warm and captivating, and I have gained many compliments from wearing this. So much so, that a friend of mine is now purchasing this for her partner!

Longevity of Myrrh & Tonka lasted upon my skin for up to 5 hours, which was slightly shorter compared to other Jo Malone fragrances that I have tried out before, but I just view this as an excuse to top it up some more! 

I find that the fragrance is best worn at night-time, allowing the fragrance to stand out, and to garner the well deserved attention it needs. The sillage of Myrrh & Tonka is light to medium, and the fragrance is encased within the stunning 'Cologne Intense' black bottle. 

The nose behind Myrrh & Tonka is the Master Perfumer; Mathilde Bijaoui and is now available to purchase here, being available only in the 100ml bottle.

You can also read my other reviews on Jo Malone's products such as the Black Cedarwood & Juniper fragrance, the Jo Malone Geranium & Walnut Hand Cream, and most recently, my time spent at their fragrance release event; The Bloomsbury Set! (PS. A review on the upcoming 'Tobacco & Mandarin' fragrance will be coming very shortly, and let me tell you... It's a good 'un!)

Have you smelt Myrrh & Tonka before? What do you think? Which is your favourite Jo Malone product and why? Do let me know your thoughts below, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

KIEHL'S BREAKOUT CONTROL TARGETED BLEMISH SPOT TREATMENT

Let's face it. January is probably one of the worst months right? Well, at least it is for me anyway. Christmas has gone, which means that all of the parties and the late nights are over, and the only reminder of those parties, is how dull and tired my skin looks!

Growing up I suffered massively from acne and reddening of the skin, so whenever I trial out new skincare products, I always welcome them and reflect on how far my skin has come! It should come as no surprise that Kiehl's have been one of my favourite skincare brands for a while now, and with the release of their 'Breakout Control Targeted Blemish Spot Treatment', I was keen to try this out! Now, I don't get spots as often anymore, but when I do, it feels as though the world is over. (Okay, I'm being dramatic, but you get the picture.)

Most recently I had a breakout, so the Spot Treatment came into good use! I applied the cream just before I went to bed, allowing it to work its magic overnight. Before application, I cleansed my face, and applied a thin layer of the cream onto the designated areas of the breakout. It is important to point out that only a small amount of the cream is needed for application, as too much of it will clog up your pores, thus resulting in it having the opposite effect! The following morning, the spots had reduced in size, and the colour didn't appear as enflamed as before. 

 

Overall, yet another fantastic product by Kiehl's, and once again proving why it remains one of my favourite skincare brands! You can purchase the Breakout Control Targeted Blemish Spot Treatment here. 

You can also read my other blog posts on many of the other Kiehl's products such as the:

2016 Kiehl's Beauty Calendar | Age Defender Moisturiser | Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado                        Midnight Recovery Concentrate | Facial Fuel

You can also read about the two events that I went to with Kiehl's: 

Kiehl's On Wheels; Manchester | Kiehl's Boutique Store Opening; Manchester

Have you tried the Breakout Control Targeted Blemish Spot Treatment? How did you find it? Did it work for you? What are your favourite products by Kiehl's? Let me know your comments down below as I would love to hear from you, and don't forget to click that 'like' button!

SACHA JUAN HAIRCARE

Last year, when I visited the Harley Street Hair Loss Clinic, Nadeem very kindly gifted me a few shampoos, one of which, was the 'Ocean Mist' Shampoo by Sacha Juan. Instantly, this became one of my new favourites! So when I had been sent out a bundle of Sacha Juan products by The Grooming Clinic, naturally I was ecstatic to further try out more of their products!

The Sacha Juan products that I received were;

  • Normal Hair Shampoo
  • Hair Cleansing Cream
  • Ocean Mist
  • Hair Wax

HAIR CLEANSING CREAM

Prior to trying the Hair Cleansing Cream out, I only ever shampooed my hair and didn't bother much with any conditioners or hair cleansers. Yet, ever since using the Hair Cleansing Cream, it is now a firm staple within my haircare regime, and I couldn't imagine not using this! I apply the Cleansing Cream after the shampoo, and massage it into my scalp to allow full results of the cleanse. After rinsing the cream out, my hair almost feels like silk. It feels so incredibly soft and clean! I use the Hair Cleansing Cream twice a week as I find that too much usage of this, can leave my hair feeling slightly greasy. You can purchase the Hair Cleansing Cream here.

OCEAN MIST

At first, I wasn't too sure on what this product actually did. I know that may sound silly, but I didn't know if it was a hairspray, or something to keep your hair in place. It is neither. In fact, this actually does the opposite, it enables you to play around and style your hair and I have found it to be a life saver to get 'pat down' those annoying stray-away hairs that won't get into place! The Ocean Mist adds volume and texture to my hair, which is ideal as I find that it helps with styling and texturising! You can purchase the Ocean Mist here.

NORMAL HAIR SHAMPOO

I am infatuated with the scent of this shampoo, of course shampoos are supposed to smell clean and fresh, however this particular shampoo truly epitomises that! My hair was soft to touch, and whenever I have finished using this, my hair always feels really well conditioned and nourished. 

HAIR WAX

Unfortunately, I found the Hair Wax to be too soft to style my hair with, and found that it didn't help with anything... Perhaps their Hair Paste might be a better fit for me? That being said however, the Hair Wax has the signature Sacha Juan scent to it! You can purchase the Hair Wax here.

Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with Sacha Juan's haircare range, and I hope to use more of their products and try out new ones in the near future! I must add, that purchasing Sacha Juan products here in the UK is actually quite difficult, (unless I've been looking in the wrong places?) so luckily, The Grooming Clinic stocks a full range of the Sacha Juan products! You can view the full range here.

Have you tried any of the Sacha Juan Haircare products before? Which is your favourite? Have you bought anything from The Grooming Clinic before? Do let me know your thoughts, as I would love to hear from you! Also, don't forget to click that 'like' button down below!

A NEW LOOK FOR THE NEW YEAR

With a new year, comes a new look for my blog! What do we think? I have so much planned for my blog and my YouTube channel, and I cannot wait to share them all with you! Make sure that you're following me on my other social media platforms, in order to keep up to date with what I'm doing!

Instagram | YouTube | Twitter

I hope that you all have a fantastic 2017, and that you get everything that you wish for! 

A REFLECTION ON 2016

2016 has been one of the best years of my life. No, in fact, I think the best year of my life. As I sit here and begin this blog post, I am absolutely staggered as to some of the opportunities that have come my way through blogging. Becoming a finalist in two different categories; Fashion + Beauty, and Lifestyle at this year's UK Blog Awards earlier this year. Having the honour of attending many events throughout the year, and having worked with some of my all time favourite brands.

It's strange though, that no matter how many good things may happen to us, it is always the negatives that we seem to remember. From January through to September, honest to God, those were the best months for me, both personally and professionally. However, from the end of September through to now, not so much. I know that I have been slacking recently when it's come to my blog, my poor neglected YouTube channel, and my social media channels in the terms that I haven't really posted as much as I should have, and I guess that's just because I haven't been in the right frame of mind. But that's about to change, as I'm taking these past few months and I am using these experiences to push myself and get back 'into the game.'

With that being said, I want to personally thank everybody who has supported me and helped me along the way! I truly appreciate all of your support, and I still find it incredibly flattering that some of you take the time out to leave comments on my blog posts, like my photos on Instagram, and follow me on my other social media platforms! 

I am determined to make 2017 even greater... After all, I haven't come this far, to only come this far.

THE MERCHANT OF VENICE; VENETIAN BLUE

TOP FRAGRANCE OF 2016

I have gone through countless amounts of fragrances this year! Whether I've been lucky enough to have been sent them, tried out little samples of them, or fallen in love with them despite their hefty price tag.. Anyway! This fragrance has outshone others in terms of sillage, longevity, projection, and the amount of compliments I have garnered from having worn this.

My top fragrance of 2016 is;

The Merchant Of Venice - Venetian Blue.

  • Top Notes - Apple, Bergamot, Lemon
  • Middle Notes - Black Pepper, Birch, Patchouli
  • Base Notes - Moss, Ambergris, Musk

I received Venetian Blue back in the Summer, and I'll admit, I had never heard of 'The Merchant Of Venice' beforehand, so I was curious to see what this fragrance would smell like. I can recall first spraying Venetian Blue upon my skin, and instantly being hooked by how fresh and crisp the scent was!

The initial burst of the Apple, Bergamot and Lemon notes came streaming through and made for a fruity opening, with the Black Pepper and Patchouli notes blending perfectly creating a spicy dimension to the fragrance. In terms of the dry down, the Musk note remained the most prominent!

 

The sillage of Venetian Blue is definitely heavy, which surprised me a little considering how light, and aquatic the scent is. I found that the fragrance lasted for up to 7 hours on my skin, and one of the many reasons as to why I love wearing Venetian Blue, is that everybody around me has always stopped to comment on it! 

Despite having worn Venetian Blue throughout the months of Summer, it stills performs just as well in the cold, Autumn/Winter seasons. Without a doubt, I will be purchasing this bottle ahead of the upcoming Spring/Summer seasons as it is my new go-to fragrance! You can purchase Merchant Of Venice - Venetian Blue here.

Have you tried Venetian Blue before? What did you think to it? Do you have any fragrances from The Merchant Of Venice, if so, which one? Which was your 'Top Fragrance Of 2016?' Do let me know your comments down below, and don't forget to click the 'like' button!