Armani Ecstasy Shine Lip Cream Review

October 4, 2017June 28, 2025 - Vicki 1 Comment

Armani Beauty Ecstasy Shine

This brand new Ecstasy Shine launch from Armani Beauty combines the high shine finish of a gloss and the hydration of a balm into one handy lip cream. It is fantastic for giving a pretty wash of colour whilst also protecting and nourishing your lips. This is a great all-rounder.

As with all Armani Beauty products, the packaging of this new lip range is utterly luxurious. All 18 shades come in the signature ergonomic bullet case, lacquered in the immediately identifiable red 400 of Giorgio Armani Beauty, with the iconic magnetic clasp. They feel weighty and luxe, and the magnetic closure means the lid will never come off in your handbag!

I have been testing 6 out of the 18 colours and as you would expect the lighter shades are more shear but the deeper plums and reds offer a more bold finish, but these are meant to be easy to wear and light on the lips. They have more of a fresh feel, modern feel, especially after a year of the ever popular Matte lip. I personally love the balm like texture of these, they glide on the lips with ease and because the colour isn’t too vibrant they’re fuss free to apply. No lip liner needed and if you’re in a rush a mirror isn’t even a must! As Armani say Minimal input, maximum impact.

These have a modern glossy finish to them, not your throwback gloss of the 90s but a more radiant, non-sticky, light reflectant finish. They feel lovely and smooth on the lips and despite them being a gloss / balm hybrid the staying power was impressive. I have to say at £29 each they are very much a luxury beauty product but If there is a shade you fall in love with (& with 18 wearable shades to pick from that won’t be too hard) I guarantee you will want to use it all the time. My lips feel and look so good when I am wearing these and also once the colour has faded my lips still feel soft and hydrated.

100 is a light pink neutral
200 is a nude brown
401 is a cherry red
500 is a pretty pink
505 is a deep vibrant pink
602 is a berry

Top to Bottom > Night Viper 602 / Silenzio 200 / Crescendo 500 / Smile 100 / Ecstasy 505 / Hot 401

Armani Beauty website RRP £29 each

PR Sample

Molton Brown Russian Leather Collection

October 2, 2017 - Vicki 2 Comments

Say hello to the latest release from fragrance experts Molton Brown. The Russian Leather Collection is sophisticated, dark and bold with a modern twist. It is one of those fragrances which makes you think “can I pull this off”? because although it is unisex it does have a masculine, gentleman feel to it. Personally, I think that sort of scent is intriguing and very sexy, especially on a woman. It is layered with notes which reflect a bygone age but Molton Brown have cleverly given it a fresh current feel.

The collection is inspired by the bygone Russian Leather making craft which is practised by only a few remote villages perched on forest edges. Taking inspiration from this complex craft, Molton Brown has tempered aged leather accord with fresh Siberian pine oil and trails of cade wood oil. This is deepened by resinous birch oil, an ingredient used since the 17 century to saturate Russian Leather giving it a unique durability and scent for the creation of boots, suitcases and bookbinding.

TOP NOTES black tea, elemi and purple basil

HEART NOTES Siberian pine, tobacco and birch.

BASE NOTES leather accord, vetiver and cade.

So this collection brings it to life the rich history of the Russian Leather making craft and the products feel just as rich, layered and interesting. It really is a beautiful collection and one that is quite different to anything I have tried before. It seems that I have a love for woody, masculine scents and I am OK with that.

The collection includes

Molton Brown Russian Leather Eau de Toilette £39

Bath & Shower Gel £20

Single Wick Candle £39

Three Wick Candle £60

I highly recommend popping into a store & giving it a test, I think it will make a gorgeous Autumn / Winter scent and of course, Molton Brown products always make fantastic gifts.

Available now nationwide and online at moltonbrown.co.uk

Amsterdam Photo Diary 2017 Part 1

September 29, 2017February 5, 2018 - Vicki 1 Comment

I have not long since returned from my 7th visit to Amsterdam, this City holds a very special place in my heart. I love nothing more than exploring all the neighbourhoods and Amsterdam has become one of Europe’s most Vegan friendly Cities. I have a full post coming next week all about the incredible Vegan places we ate & let me tell you we found some pretty special places.

We have visited most of the tourist places & done the main museums although we like to revisit our favourite spots like the rijksmuseum, Vondelpark, Dam Square and you can’t visit Amsterdam without going on a boat tour especially a champagne one. This time top of our list of places we wanted to see was the National Holocaust Memorial & National Holocaust Museum which opened last year. I wanted to visit after reading the novel called Girl in the Blue Coat as some of the book is set on the site of the Museum in the Hollandsche Schouwburg Theatre and also across the street in the crèche. The Nazi’s turned the theatre into a prison and a deportation centre and it survives today as a memorial to the 80,000 Jews who were held there ahead of being deported. I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance, the museum’s exhibitions are so well curated!

The weather was a little hit & miss much like the UK, but armed with our umbrellas we walked miles & miles each day along the stunning canals and historic neighbourhoods. I always tell people that Amsterdam is so much more beautiful that they could imagine. It is more that just stag parties, red light district and coffee shops. It is rich in history architecture and culture. Being one of the Europe’s biggest, oldest ports means its past is so interesting and Amsterdam has so many Museums to tell the story.

I have a few more photos to share along with my Amsterdam Vegan Food Guide so keep an eye out for that. If you have visited Amsterdam let me know what you love about this City.

If you want to see what I got up to on previous visits just click here or check out the recommended the posts below.

Masque Bar Peel Off Modeling Masks

September 25, 2017 - Vicki 3 Comments

I haven’t used a peel off mask in years and I think it felt like they fell out of favour in the beauty world, but it seems that they’ve made a come back in a big way. Although they are now slightly thicker, rubbery and peel off in one go!

As with so many recent beauty trends it seems this Modeling Mask craze is another that originated in the Korean Beauty Market and is gaining in popularity over here. Masque Bar who are available in Beauty Mart have created these handy face mask pots which are single use.

These rubberised masks are very easy and fuss free to use, you just add water to the powder and mix to create a paste which you smooth all over your face (I always use a clean foundation brush to apply) once on the skin the formula hardens to a rubber like finish, which makes it easy to peel off leaving you with glowy, refreshed skin.

I have the Lavender version which is great for calming and soothing,

How to use

1) Add 7 spoonfuls of water and stir

2) Apply a thick, opaque, even layer to clean, dry skin

3) Avoid eye area, eyebrows, hairline, and lips

4) Leave on for 15 to 20 minutes or until completely dry

5) Gently peel off mask in a downward motion from outer edges and rinse off any residue with warm water.

I liked how cool it felt on my skin & it wasn’t uncomfortable whilst it hardened. I left the mask on for the recommended 20 minutes & then slowly peeled it off, it was easy enough to peel off & it didn’t tug at my skin. I rinsed the residue off my face with a damp flannel & my skin felt very smooth and refreshed.

I think these single use pots are great for travel and handy to have in your skincare stash as they keep for a really long time in their pots so you always have a mask on hand when you need a skin pick me up. If you enjoy a pamper & like to relax with a face mask then you need to try this new rubberised mask trend & let me know what you think.

These peel off Modeling Masks from Masque Bar are available in four options and all are aimed at specific skin concerns including, Collagen, Charcoal, Tea Tree and Lavender. They’re £4.99 each and available at Beauty Mart and Boots

*This Post Contains PR Samples

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