The Old Farmhouse Jewellery: Squirrel Charm Pendant

I bought and reviewed the Old Farmhouse Jewellery 

Sterling silver squirrel studs last December.   The owner found one lonely last squirrel charm that could be made into a charm necklace (£20). As it is a gift I haven't put it on but the chain measures 18".  Although the squirrrl is no longer available there are lots of different charms available - unicorns, rabbits, hearts etc.  You can also design your own charm bracelet/ necklace and have it personalised which would be a great gift for Mothers Day. 

I purchased chased this item myself. 

Old Farmhouse Jewellery Website

The Old Farmhouse Etsy Store

Win an Alex Monroe Gold Plated Small Heart Wild Strawberry Cameo Pendant

This is the last piece I purchased to give away on my blog when I went to the Alex Monroe Sample lSale which took place in Manchester in December 2017.
The pendant and chain are gold plate. Chain is adjustable 16-18". It has an Alex Monroe tag and fastens with a lobster closure. Heart measures around 1cm.
RRP £108.

 

Starts 1 March 2018 12.01 am and ends 24 March 11.59 pm (GMT).
Entry is via Rafflecopter
Open internationally

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Beak Knows: Lancôme - La Vie Est Belle Eau De Parfum

La Vie Est Belle eau de parfum by Lancôme is probably my favourite perfume and whenever I wear it I am asked what the fragrance is.   It is by Lancôme it retails between £49 (30ml)- £89 (100ml).  Released in 2012, it is a gourmand fragrance.  The top notes are blackcurrant and pear, middle  iris, orange blossoms and jasmine and the base notes are tonka bean, praline, vanilla and patchouli.  It is a very strong floral yet and edible, sweet fragrance.  The glass bottle is modern, elegant and timeless.  It is a very modern fragrance which lasts all day.  I can identify the scent as soon as I walk into any beauty or fragrance hall.

I purchased this item myself and it is available though all Lancôme Stockists and most online perfume shops.

Pixi Beauty Cleansing Routine

I have very stressed skin due to long term illness, chronic pain and reaction to my medication.  I have tried lots of different combinations of products and the ones that work best for me are the ones that exfoliate and remove impurities. My skin is by no means perfect but it it is a lot better than it was. I alternate between the Alpha H range and this Pixi Beauty routine. 

 Cleanse: I use the Glow Mud Cleanser (£18 for 135 ml) as both a daily cleanser and as a twice weekly mask.  It contains 5% glycolic acid which improves the look of my skin making it glow.  The mud purifies, exfoliated  and cleans out my pores.  It smells very fresh and herbal due to the added botanical oils.  I also use this as a mask.  It doesn't feel as cold and slimy as traditional face masks and my skin always looks refreshed after using it this way. To use as a cleanser massage a small amount into damp skin then massage for around 30 seconds then clean it off.  When I use it as a mask I apply  a thick layer, let it dry then remove with a flannel and warm water.  

Tone: I use the Glow Tonic (£18 for 250ml) to tone, firm and tighten my skin.  It contains glycolic acid which is a natural derivative of sugar cane and is part of the alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) family so sloughs off and gently exfoliated the dead skin cells revealing healthy fresh skin. Glow Tonic contains aloe which soothes and hydrates the skin, ginseng promotes oxygenation and improved cell turn over whilst witch hazel firms and tones the skin.  It refines the look of pores, encourages faster cell renewal which will reveal healthy glowy skin, balances and purifies the skin.  It is alcohol free. Cleanse skin, apply Tonic when needed with a cotton pad, sweeping saturated pad across face, neck and décolleté (avoid the eye area) then apply moisturiser.  I find this Tonic brightens, exfoliates and tones my skin - I have used numerous bottles over the last few years and wouldn't be without it!

Moisturise: I use several different serums, moisturisers and masks.  The Overnight Glow Serum (£26 for 30ml) is a concentrated exfoliating gel, containing 10% glycolic acid and arginine.  The serum helps exfoliate the skin, revealing more radiant skin tone.  Working overnight the serum reduces the appearance of fine lines and Overton fades sun spots.  The serum is enriched with cucumber and aloe which calms skin and vitamins A, C and E nourishes the skin.  Use in the evening and leave on overnight.  Apply 2-3 drops, massage in to the skin.  Let it sink in then apply moisturiser.  I find the serum is quite sticky and thick - so it is hard to pick  up and dispense with the pipette, but it sinks in quite quickly without leaving any sticky residue.

Rose Oil Blend (£26 for 30ml) is a combination of rose geranium, rosehip, sweet almond , jojoba and pomegranate seed oils.  This oil  rejuvenates, restores and renews the skin's glow.  Suitable for all skin types thizs serum can be applied in the morning and evening and a few drops used in moisturiser. I sometimes use a few drops on a face mask in order to add moisturise if my skin is feeling dehydrated or dry.  I like to use this oil on my lips the seal it in with a really thick lip balm.  

The Beauty Sleep Cream (£24 for 35ml) is great applied over the Overnight Glow Serum. Containing lavender, bergamot, lemon and 100% mango butter, the cream feels and smell luxurious and relaxing to use.  Calming and balancing skintone and nourishing, hydrating  and protecting your skin whilst you are a sleep , It soaks in really quickly whilst you get an occasional brief lingering smell of fresh lavender. 

The Nourishing Sleep Mask (£18 for 45ml) is a top up for your night moisturiser.  Designed to be used 2-3 per week applied over your night time moisturiser (or applied on it's own as an in flight saviour), this mask contains glycolic acid and arginine which hydrate and plump the skin overnight.   The flower and fruit oils soothe the skin, arginine strengthens and the glycolic acid plumps it. This mask is designed to seal in any serum, moisturiser or oil that is applied beneath it. 

I love, and have repurchased all these items several times and they are staples in my skin care routine. I like Pixi Beauty as they do not test on animals and their products are suitable for all skin types. If, however, I didn't like the contents so much, I wouldn't repurchase.  I  find the lettering comes off the packaging pretty quickly, leaving the tubes looking scruffy.  The oils are difficult to dispense through the pipettes - the glow serum seems almost too thick to be easily dropped out.  The pump on the sleep cream gets blocked and so has to be unscrewed and squeezed out.    As I am someone who has coordination and problems with grip I find these issues to be annoying and I wish they would repackage these items so they that they are easy to use.  Having said that I will continue to purchase as I find these items suit and help my skin.

I purchased these items myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.  

All these items can be found at the online Pixi Beauty UK store, ASOS and Pixi Beauty stockists.

#Win Harry Potter Hedwig Crossbody Bag & Purse

             

Primark have a range of officially licenced Harry Potter products.  Recent additions to this s range include these glitter faux leather Hedwig purse and crossbody bag.  The purse measures 10x11.8cm and costs £3, the bag 22.5x18.5cm and costs £6. The front is glittery whilst the back is an ivory faux leather with "Harry Potter" emblazoned across it.  The purse does not fit in the bag. There are also quite a few sellers on EBay who have these items at reasonable prices. To win your own Hedwig set just follow these instructions:

1 follow @susan1375 on Twitter 

2 retweet the post with the photo of the items on it here

3 open internationally
4 For an extra entry follow this blog by bloglovin, email or follow and leave a comment below, 

C/d 1 March 11.59pm GMT

Z For Accessorize Semi Precious Stone Cluster Ring

The new spring Z for Accessorize range is out now and this semi precious stone cluster gold plated ring (£19) is one of the two pieces that caught my eye. The stones are different shades of labradorite set in a claw setting. It is gold plated.   It looks as though it is a stacking ring but it isn't - the rings are fused together.  It is comfortable to wear and the stones don't catch on jumpers etc.  It doesn't scream spring at me, the colours seem rather Autumn/Winter, but I do like it, I just wish they would create some vermeil or Sterling my silver pieces in this range as the plating wears off quite quickly due to increased skin acidity  caused by my Fentynl patches. 

Available online, in store and Accessorize stockists.

Accessorize

Kay Reed: Recycled Polar Bear Pendant

I was lucky enough to win a recycled Sterling silver polar bear pendant made by Kay Reed during Pebble magazine's Christmas twitter competitions.

Kay Reed is an eco silversmith who specialises in creating  items of jewellery which raise awareness about endangered animals and their habitats.  Her jewellery is ethically and environmentally friendly. She uses reclaimed and recycled silver gems and diamonds which are less harmful to the environment and have a lower social impact than if she used newly mined metals. 10% of sales are donated to the World Land Trust, Bite Back and Nottingham Wildlife Trust.  All packaging is reclaimed or sourced from sustainable resources and made by companies' with responsible, ethical principles.  Pebble magazine is an ethical online magazine focusing lifestyle, conservation, ecological issues and fun.

The polar bear Pendant in recycled sterling silver is £60.  It is hung on a 45cm sterling silver belcher chain and the pendant measures 21x17x3mm.  It is hallmarked and comes with an information card and presented in a gift box.  It is comfortable to wear as the back is completely flat and it is light. The clasp is quite large and is easy to grip and fasten. The pendant is unusual and allows you to become a mini ambassador for polar bears as it is an eye catching piece of jewellery and can definitely spark conversations around the need for conservation in this area.  The pendant also comes in recycled 9ct gold (£280).  The matching recycled Sterling silver polar bear bracelet is also £60.

I hadn't heard of Kay Reed's conservation lead jewellery designs until I entered Pebble's competition. It is impressive that such a small company has thought through every aspect of design, manufacture and presentation of her jewellery so it is all ethically and socially responsible, especially when fast and disposable fashion is becoming the norm.  I love her dedication to conservation and shall certainly be saving up for the hedgehog pendant as I have a visiting hog called Horace (once I have bought her a new hog house).

I won this Pendant but this has not influenced my review.

Available from:
Kaye Reed


Pebble Magazine

Stackers Grey Cone Jewellery Peak

I was lucky enough to win a Stackers Peak in grey from Lisa Angel through a Twitter competition.  Lisa Angel are an online jewellery and gift store, selling affordable items that are gorgeous and certain items can be personalised.

I have the large Grey Cone Jewellery Peak (£18).  It is made of Resin and so is quite heavy. It measures 12.5x7.5x7.5 cm. The lids and bases are interchangeable.  It has a hidden compartment on n the base of the Peak and bracelets, rings an watches can be displayed around the peak.  It is a innovative and attractive design.  The hidden compartment allows smaller items to be discretly hidden away, ensuring not clutter or lost items due to a certain cat helpfully tidying  sparkly items into his bed!

Stackers Jewellery boxes are a great way to both personalise and create your ideal jewellery box. There are a variety of styles, colours and designs  enabling you to build, customise and create your own jewellery box suited to your needs. The separate components are reasonable priced ranging from around £10 to £35. As your jewellery collection grows and your needs change, new layers can be stacked on top or customised to your jewellery's needs adding charm bars,  watch pads, ring rolls or travel jewellery boxes as they are designed to fit seamless together.  They don't look over done, cluttered or gawdy but instead they look expensive, understated and have a minimalist feel about them. The lids and boxes are interchangeable and the lids can be personalised. Stackers have updated, reinvented and brought the traditional jewellery box into the 21 Century creating a flexible alternative which can be built upon and redesigned as your jewellery collection expands.

I won this item but this does not affect my review. I think Stackers are a great concept and I will be purchasing some more to house my own growing collection of jewellery.

Lisa Angel

Stackers

Turtle Doves Lucky Dip Recycled Cashmere Fingerless Gloves

Turtle Doves is a British company that designs and creates cashmere accessories from  recycled accessories in the heart of Shropshire.   The wool is sourced from charity shops,  their new gloves are n exchange for an old sweater scheme and textile merchants.  The business was started in 2009 by Kate Holbrook and has expanded from a business based in her home to a business employing over 20 people, some of whom had lost their seamstress jobs in the 1990s when Laura Ashley moved their operations overseas.  

I follow Turtle Doves on Instagram and saw they had a lucky dip offer on their fingerless gloves - £29 down to £19.  I bought a pair for my mum to wear as she has suffered for years from rehumatoid arthritis in her hands and when it is cold she has no feeling on her hands and they are very painful.  The gloves arrived nicely boxed (recycled of course as is the brown wrapper) within 3 days of ordering them.

She has been wearing them constantly since she got them and her feedback is that they are really comfortable and soft and warm.  She cannot feel any seams rubbing her wrists (some of her cheaper gloves do she this).  They are a lovely muted burnt orange colour, which she likes, and she has already decided what colour she wants next. They are very light and not bulky to wear which are extremely important considerations when buying gloves for anyone who has arthritis or has problems with their hands as if they are too bulky or feel too heavy they are uncomfortable to wear.  I have also tried them on (I have neuropathic pain in my hands) and found them comfortable and could still grip my walking stick handle properly and my mum could still hold her stylus to do her crossword or surf the internet on her tablet. The gloves are quite long so there is no gap,  and potential for chilly wrists, between the gloves and jumper/coat arms.  As she wears them all the time she is pleased that they look quite discrete and elegant and so not look as though she just forgot to take her gloves off and needs reminding to do so.  They do fit a wide range of hand sizes.  My hands are child size but they fit my mum's hands just as well and didn't go baggy when I wore a hen after she had had them on for a few hours.

I love Turtle Doves' ethos and products.  The products are gorgeous and in their own small way make a stand against the fast fashion, throw away society which is becoming the norm. I just wish they made actual jumpers as well!  

Lucky Dip Gloves Available: Here (whilst stocks last).

Sticks & Stones: Wood You Like It?

 

As winter moves into spring and flowers and leaves being to emerge it is nice to be able to feel closer to nature. I have found several walking sticks at varying price points which look to be tactile and organic.  They would look great with either wintery jewel or pastel spring tones. I also found some watches and jewellery which would look great with these sticks.  Branch jewellery combine semi precious stones to create unusual beautiful pieces of jewellery.  More affordable options can be found on Amazon or fair trade shops.  They are all made out of reclaimed or sustainable wooden sources.




Available:
Classic Canes Crook Handle, £10.99 
Brazos twisted hickory with elm handle, £61.77
Classic Canes, Ladies Beech Derby, £34.99
Classic Canes, Gents Classic Beech Derby £29.99
Branch (jewellery)
Twisty chunky brown bangle (7.95)
Light and dark wooden cord necklace (£11.95)
Greentreen brown and rose gold watch (£27.99)
Bamboo wooden men's watch  (£19.98)
Kvell unisex watch made from sustainable wood, with maple face. (£57.62) green band.

Featheroak Jewellery

Featheroak reopened today so I thought I would post my review of the two lucky dip items I purchased from the online store just before Christmas.  

Featheroak is an online jewellery store run by Alexandra Jackson.  She designs and makes all the jewellery herself.  Her design aesthetic is premised around raw crystals, nature and the creation of delicate jewellery using items such as sea glass, shells and raw crystals that she has collected with her mum.  The stones that she has not collected herself she has sourced from ethically sound mines that she purchases directly from, ensuring that the stones are high quality and they are from a reputable source.  She uses stones that you would not see in "traditional" jewellery shops which makes her designs all the more unique. 

I love the fact that all her jewellery looks raw, understated, elegant and unique. I purchased 2 lucky dip copper ring and got a herkimer diamond copper ring and a raw emerald copper ring (£10 each).  I liked that you couldn't choose which stones/designs you recieved.  I got stones that I would never chosen myself and I reallly like them. They are supposed to be slightly seconds but I cannot seee anything wrong with them.  They came in a little hessian bag with a card stating which stones had been used.

I am slightly jealous of Alexandra Jackson - she designs and makes jewellery in a style that I would also choose, if I had her talent and eye for putting together unusual stones and simple yet quirky yet timeless designs, but I don't.  I will just have to keep an eye on her store instead. 

I purchased these items myself. 

Available: Featheroak

Walking Stick Holders

Ever been in a very quiet restaurant/library/shop where it is so quiet you could here a pin drop, you hook your stick over a chair or on a table only for it to fall off and noisily clatter to the floor. I, for one, have to wait for someone to pick it up for me as I cannot bend down and I also have ruined several expensive walking sticks as they have chipped upon landing.  The same goes for walking frames and wheel chairs. How can walking sticks be secured but still be within reach without risk of them falling off and getting damaged, mammoth struggle to retrieve them.  All the options I found are available on Amazon UK.  There are some cheap options that get good reviews. I especially like the reflective strip (under £6 including postage) as it fulfils a dual purpose.  It secures your stick and also acts as a reflective light when flipped down to rest against the stick so acts as a great safety device as well.

All these items are available on Amazon UK. 

Essence Cosmetics: Wood You Love Me?

Essence Cosmetics create cruelty free, great quality, purse friendly, innovative cosmetics and they do not t st on animals.  They release Trend Editions, collections which are limited edition and seasonally appropriate, several times a year.  Their valentines edition is based around the theme "wood you love me?" featuring lots of adorable in love woodland creatures with a backdrop of romantic woodland.  The Trend Editions are not available in the UK but Kosmetik4less ship here and the prices for the items themselves and the P&P are reasonable. Postage for my wood you love me order was €8.80 and I had it within a week  (Kosmetik4less also stock lots of cosmetic brands which are difficult to get in the UK).  

The focal point of the collection, for me anyway, is the eyeshadow and highlighting palette.   The lid of the palette features two bunnies hugging each other in romantic woodland. The palette is called "from the forest with love" and has a flip image of the rabbits - they move when wiggled.  I love the aesthetics of the palette but some of the lighter shades within the palette where slightly disappointing.   The green and white (highlighter shades) seemed very powderery and lacked both staying power and pigmentation in comparison to the browns and darker colours which last and provide a good colour.  The palette costs €3.45. 

 The lip palette called "you are my absolute favourite" also costs €3.45 and contains 5 lip shades.  They are all in the pink-fushia-red colour scheme, are high coverage and have a metallic, shimmering or matte finish. I love this palette. I can use these colours as they are or mix my own custom colour.  They smell fruity and are well worth the price. 

   





There are three nail polishes  in the collection and they cost €1.95 each. Crazy in love is a metallic rose gold, soulmate is a lime green and sweet kisses is a light pink.  I have crazy in love and sweet kisses and I enjoy wearing them both.  I always use the same base coat - nail hq all in one- and I found that these are one of the few brands that don't peel off my nails within hours of applying (I have very greasy nails due to long term medication). I found one coat gave opaque coverage and they dried within 15 minutes. They are quite a runny consistency so it is better to apply to little and have to back than put to much on and end up with a runny mess.

The smokey eyes "love at first sight" brush is €2.25 and is a double ended synthetic bristle brush.  One side has a round soft brush which is perfect for buffing whilst the other is square so that you can stamp the perfect base for a smokey eye in the outer corner of your eye. I have to get someone to do my eye make up for me as I cannot reach my eyes but my mum did say it was quite easy to use on me.

The nail file set,  love me twice, hydrating sheet mask, be happy, be a bunny, Energising eye sheet mask, foxever in love and make up sponges, Mr and Mrs Cute all cost €1.95 each and are pocket money friendly, well thought out and adorable.  The sponges are washable, the nail files feel really great quality and the sheet masks are single use. 

The items I didn't get are the duo eye pencils, false lashes and highlighter and blush palette (sadly out of stock)

I purchased these items myself. 

Information about the items can be found here

Items can be purchased here

Book Review: The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare

The Duchess Deal is written by Tessa Dare and published on the 22 February 2018 by Mills & Boon. This is a Regency romance.  Lord Ashbury (Ash) first meets Emma Gladstone when she bursts into his study wearing his ex-fiancé's wedding dress, looking like she had been in an explosion at a draper's shop.  He has been a recluse since returning from the battlefield and is horribly scarred inside and out.  He is in need of a heir and wife and asks Emma to marry him.  She eventually agrees but they certainly have different ideas about what the marriage will entail - his means no kissing, no touching, her's requires teasing and talking.  Emma continually chips at the protective shell Ash has constructed around himself until the real man emerges.

This is the first Tessa Dare book I have read and I really enjoyed it. The characters really come to life and bounce off each other. There are lots of humorous moments between the characters and Breeches, Emma's cat adds to that.  Both Ash and Emma have demons to conquer - she was thrown out by her father and forced to go to London to find work whilst Ash has to realise that his scars don't define him. Both main characters also care- she tries to help a client who is young, scared and pregnant whilst Ash, as the Monster of Mayfair, patrols the streets at night, saving and scaring passers by.  This is the first in her series Girl meets Duke and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 

Available from:

Amazon UK

Mills & Boon 

received this book via Netgalley and Mills and Boon in exchange for a honest review,  I am a #MillsandBooninsider #TheDuchessDeal #Netgalley