Pamper

Oskia Super 16 Pro Collagen Serum

- Vicki 3 Comments
Oskia Super 16 pro-collagen Serum

Oskia Super 16 pro-collagen Serum

OSKIA Super 16 Pro-Collagen Serum* £85.00 – 30ml

This is my first ever OSKIA product & I was so excited to try it because my skin was in need of some serious TLC and this product has such an impressive line up of ingredients that I knew it was going to be such a treat. This is marketed as an Anti-Ageing Super Serum & to put it plainly I agree 100%. Anti Ageing is a term that I don’t really like but if we can keep our skin looking healthy and radiant whilst boosting collagen production for as long as possible then I love using products like this serum that enables me to do just that.

I instantly loved this OSKIA Super 16 Pro-Collagen Serum but thats not to say I instantly thought it was worth the price tag, I’m a skincare addict but when I recommend something to you I want to be 100% sure I would purchase it myself and after about 2 months of almost daily use I can hand on heart say this is an incredible serum and although pricey it will be a wonderful addition to your skincare routine and if like me you’re edging closer to 40 it will give your skin exactly what it needs and more!

OSKIA Super 16 Serum

So this serum is a fusion of 16 super nutrients and bio-actives which address multiple ageing concerns. Interestingly this serum contains a new grown breaking ingredient called Bakuchiol – which is derived from Indian Babchi Seeds (historically used to heal cuts). This new ingredient works much like Retinol and is a natural equivalent which some say is more gentle on the skin and suitable for sensitive skin. Bakuchiol is a key ingredient because it stimulates 3 key processes (also normally associated with Retinol use) – healthier, younger looking skin – the reversal of the signs of ageing, prevention of future damage and reduction in the symptoms of problem skin. So it’s quite the super ingredient.

It is a refreshing and cooling serum which feels very gentle and lightweight on the skin despite it having a seriously long list of incredible ingredients. I love that it has a pipet because you will never use too much product or have any waste (being a pricey product thats very important to me). After massaging a few drops my skin instantly feels, plump, hydrated and smooth. The serum doesn’t feel at all greasy or like it sits on top of your skin, it feels like your skin drinks it up because within seconds it leaves your skin velvety soft.

OSKIA Super 16 Serum

Some of the key super nutrients bio actives and their benefits,

  • Bakuchiol, a clinically compared natural alternative to retinol but without the sensitivity, leaves skin firmer, lines reduced, elasticity improved (by boosting and regulating Type 1, III & IV collagen).
  • Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract (a beautiful organic cactus) rich in highly anti-oxidant Piscidic Acid and Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 & C, blocks the release of stress markers from nerve cells to calm irritated skin while providing soothing & firming benefits.
  • Vitamin A Palmitate improves the appearance of mature & sun damaged skin without irritation.
  • Hyaluronic Acid hydrates and plumps to reduce the appearance of fine lines
  • Vitamins C & E deliver high-level anti-oxidant benefits.
  • Crithmum Seaweed Extract helps detoxify & restore tired skin.
  • Punarnava Extract delivers immediate & long term soothing effects to help reduce redness & discomfort.
  • OSKIA’s unique Moisturising Complex (OMC), together with Chondrus Crispus Seaweed Extract & Chicory Root hydrate, soften & refresh.
  • Dimethyl Sulfone (MSM) boosts collagen & soothes.

OSKIA Pro Collegen Super Serum

Over the past 8 – 10 weeks I have noticed my skin looks brighter, plumper and it feels a lot more smooth to the touch. It’s the more long-term benefits which get me most excited and the reason why I think this serum is worth the price tag & the main two are

  • Helping to reduce redness and pigmentation
  • Prevention of future photodamage (protecting against UV damage).

These are my main skin concerns and fingers crossed after a little more use I will see more obvious results This serum is like a bottle of heavyweight super ingredients which have nothing but positive results on your skin. It’s not an overnight WOW but if you use it regularly you will see subtle changes and I’m hoping the longer I use this in my regime I will only continue to see positive results. OSKIA is a British skincare brand committed to using only the best ingredients in their products and seem to have a really positive approach to skincare

‘We believe that the secret to a beautiful complexion lies not only in what you put on your skin, but what you put in your body. OSKIA products are therefore nutritionally-designed to improve the skin’s condition from both the inside and the outside’

OSKIA is a brand I would love to try more from so if you have any recommendations please leave me a comment & if you are looking for a serum that will help your skin to truly look its best and help prevent so many skin concerns then make sure you invest in this Super 16 Pro-Collagen Serum, you will not be disappointed.

OSKIA is sold on Cult Beauty, SPACE NK, Look Fantastic and at oskiaskincare.com

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

ESPA Skincare

- Vicki 2 Comments
ESPA Beauty In The Bag

ESPA are inviting you to discover #SummerBeauty with their Little Book of Summer Beauty. You get three deluxe samples and a book that’s jam-packed with tips and tricks on how to maximise the benefits of your ESPA products. If you’re looking to update your beauty routine for the warmer months then The Book of Summer Beauty limited edition Summer Collection* £25.00 is perfect.

ESPA Summer Beauty

The Book of Summer Beauty is a limited edition Summer Collection and includes three award winning products to help you look and feel your best al Summer long. I have tried quite a few ESPA products over the years and I adore their Optimal Skin Pro Serum so I’m excited to see that included in this collection. You get a deluxe sample size 10ml so I’m going to take it away with me on my mini break to Scotland. I like to use it as part of my evening skincare routine, it leaves my skin looking radiant and helps reduce redness and the signs of fatigue. Some of the skin transforming ingredients and benefits are,

Omega 3,6 and 9 Rosehip and Echium Oils nourish your skin

Turmeric Root Extract increases luminosity and evens skin tone

White Lupin Extract helps prevent the signs of ageing

Balloon Plant Extract calms and soothes

This ESPA product has to be my number one must have – its not targeted at a specific age or skin type which I like, its ideal for anyone that wants their skin to look glowing and feel nourished. I can’t recommend it enough.

ESPA #SummerBeauty

ESPA Summer Beauty Skincare Trio

The trio also includes their 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser 15ml which I have yet to try – they say it is ‘Radiant youthful skin in a jar‘ sounds ideal. ESPA say your moisturiser is at the heart of every beauty routine and I agree with that. Get your moisturiser wrong and your skin can look dull, dehydrated and just not its best. This moisturiser is packed full of treats for your skin –

Jojoba and Evening Primrose deeply hydrate

Myrth Frankincense and Neroli help stimulate cell renewal

Antioxidents help prevent early signs of ageing

Vitamin E rich Peach Kernel Oil help protect against environmental aggressors

So this cream is going to nourish and protect your skin, I can’t wait to use it as part of my morning skincare routine and it is coming with me to Scotland too as I will be by the coast and often the sea air dries my skin out.ESPA Skincare Trio 2015

The Pink Hair and Scalp Mud 55ml has me very excited. If I’m honest my hair seems to get neglected I pamper my skin but never really take time to do hair masks or treatments so this is going to be a nice treat for my hair & scalp. The Summer is when my hair can get very dry & I tend to only wash my hair twice a week so I think my scalp is in much need of some TLC.

As you would expect from ESPA it has lots of beneficial ingredients to protect your locks from the effects of Chlorine, pollution, sea and sun all things that stress not only our skin but also our hair.

Red Clay stimulates circulation to the scalp improving hair growth

Apricot, Bergamot and Orange Oils nourish and aid manageability and gloss

Vitamin C rich Watercress helps to soothe your scalp.

The Little Book Of Summer Beauty recommends using this mask on your skin to ward off stretch marks & nourish and soothe very dry skin so its a multi tasking marvel! Love products that you can use in more than one way they’re great to take away with you. Oh & its pink – how cute is that!

ESPA

If you have any Summer Beauty tip & tricks let me know below. My tip would be to put a face oil under your face mask for an extra luxurious facial. It leaves your skin so nourished and feeling so soft. #SummerBeauty

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Only Fingers & Toes

- Vicki 5 Comments

OF&T Polish

Last week I had a beautiful manicure at the newly refurbished Only Fingers And Toes Nail Beautique in Harvey Nichols Manchester. Only Fingers & Toes are a luxe premium nail brand that pride themselves on delivering quality and being 5 free. Which means their polishes don’t contain any Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP and Camphor, and also Phthalic Acid.

O.F.A.T are exclusive to Harvey Nichols and you can find their range both in store and online, they also have a Nail Boutique in the Manchester Store, which offers a wide range of Manicure and Pedicure Treatments to fit everyones budget. The Beautique is located in the Beauty Hall and is sat amongst some iconic beauty counters . Its quite the pamper destination as you have the Umberto Giannini Hair Salon, Elemis Spa Pod and Shavata Brow Studio too.

Colour Selection

I had the Classic Therapy Manicure, where you’re treated to a Keratin hand treatment, cuticle care, stress melting hand massage, shape and buff and perfecting polish. My nails were in need of some serious TLC & after they were shaped my hands were given some serious pampering and placed into gloves containing a warm Keratin hand treatment which was so good. It left my hands unbelievably nourished and soft. This is a treatment I would highly recommend.

Sapphire Nail PolishSapphire Nail Polish

It took me quite a while to pick my nail polish colour as they have a ‘library’ of more than 65 polishes and the collection comprises four ‘volumes’: Vivid, Molten, Illumine and Lustre, with new seasonal fashion colours released each season. So they are always adding new polishes to the library and extending their range. I eventually picked Sapphire* which is from the ‘Molten Collection’ its a deep purple with a slight metallic finish.

O.F.A.T The Molten Collection Polishes

The O.F.A.T polishes have ergonomically designed handles for maximum comfort, usability and to ensure the best possible experience. Brushes have been designed to give perfect 3-stroke, long lasting, lustrous coverage.

O.F.A.T Sapphire Polish

My nails look Christmas Party ready & my hands are the softest they have ever felt. Its almost a week since my manicure and my nails are still looking beautiful with no chipping. At £16 a bottle these polishes are what I would consider a luxury but if you’re budget fits or you are a nail polish addict who likes good quality polishes then you will love this brand.

O.F.A.T are the ultimate nail polish gift to give or to receive, they are available in four gift presentations,

The Classic (a single, gift boxed polish) £16
The Trilogy (3 polishes in your choice of shades) £42
The Edit (6 polishes in your choice of shades) £75
The Connoisseurs Collection (24 polishes in a double‐layer chocolate box style set) £275

You can chose from over 60 polishes and they offer something for everyone, from beautiful nudes to more vibrant colours & a beautiful selection of finishes too. You can take a look at the range & gift options here.

O.F.A.T are available to buy at Harvey Nicohls both in store and online with professional treatments available at Harvey Nichols Manchester, Grace in Belgravia, The Private Clinic in Cheapside & their flagship salon in South Croydon.

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

LUSH SPA Liverpool

- Vicki 17 Comments

Lush Spa Liverpool   LUSH SPA Liverpool

The LUSH shop in Liverpool is keeping a secret from you all, upstairs there is the most beautiful, homely and relaxing oasis, it’s their LUSH SPA and it is beautiful. I was shocked when I walked in as it’s calm atmosphere and country cottage feel is a stark contrast to its busy City Centre location. I wanted to pack my bags & live there. They have managed to make it feel familiar and extremely welcoming.

I’ve never had a massage before and was slightly worried that a 75-minute treatment would be a little too long & I had no idea what to expect, but I need not have worried at all. I was greeted by an ice cold fruit infused glass of water and my beautiful therapist talked me through The Hard Days Night Treatment and reassured me it would be relaxing and assured me I wouldn’t be uncomfortable during the stretches. I thought I would be the most inflexible person ever but I was surprised to find that wasn’t the case.

LUSH SPA Liverpool LUSH SPA Liverpool

The Hard Days Night Treatment* is,

A Beatles inspired spa treatment that will release stress from your body, allowing you to let go and let it be. A firm massage with gentle passive stretches designed to relax your muscles and restore energy to your body. 75mins £85.

From start to finish everything is done to perfection and utterly relaxing. Once in the beautiful candlelit treatment room, you’re given time to change into a pair of oversized striped cotton pyjamas that have been wrapped around a hot water bottle to keep the snuggly and warm. This is heaven & I’m tempted to start doing this at home. So relaxing, I was almost asleep after a few minutes of lying down wearing them. When you’re all done changing and are ready for your therapist they leave an old school bell for you to ring, made me smile ringing the bell. The Hard Days Night Treatment as the name suggests is inspired by the Beatles and for  75 minutes they are your soundtrack. The music has been cleverly reworked by Simon Emmerson and Simon Richmond specifically for this treatment. I found the familiar songs helped me to relax and the music became soothing. I was sceptical at first but it really works well.

LUSH SPA

Liverpool LUSH SPA

Then begins 75 minutes of complete relaxation which lets your mind wander and eventually empty of the stresses of everyday life. Your whole body is treated to a deep massage from head to toe, the massage is very gentl, to begin with and it just eases your body into relaxation and allows you to float away. Then my therapist stretched my arms and shoulders to release my tension followed by my legs and hips. This felt like my back released so much tension & there were a few clicks and I have to say that felt amazing. At no point was it uncomfortable or too much, it was all slow and gentle building up each time to stretching a little further and applying slightly more pressure. Each and every muscle is massaged front and back and head to toe. I thought the hand massage to the accompanying I Want To Hold Your Hand Beatles track was a great touch. It is a well thought out treatment.

A nice touch to the treatment was the use of ribbons on your ankles and wrists to lift and gently rotate your arms and legs to make it feel like your weightless and flying, It is a lovely sensation. It’s hard to describe to you every step of my treatment because I was so relaxed and it felt like the 75 minutes just flew by, also each treatment follows the same steps but it is very specific to your needs/flexibility. I thoroughly enjoyed opening my eyes at the end to a large Golden Egg with the words ‘Let It Be’ projected on the ceiling. You are told to stay laying down relaxing when your therapist leaves the room for a little extra ME time & only to get up when you hear the Cockerel. You’re given as long as you need to get ready & have access to a whole array of LUSH goodies to freshen up. Once ready you’re greeted with a lovely Cup of Tea & Jammie Dodger Biscuits, I’m Vegan so I was kindly given fresh fruit. I sat at the large Country Kitchen table very relaxed and enjoyed my afternoon tea.

Hard Days Night Treatment

One final parting treat, as part of the treatment you’re given a Golden Slumber bath bomb to take away with you and enjoy at your leisure. I used mine that very night, it was the perfect end to a relaxing day.

LUSH Golden Slumber

It really is a special treat from the moment you walk into the second you leave. Every staff member was friendly and chatty, at no point was I hurried and I could have sat drinking my tea all afternoon. It was very welcoming and I have already promised to take my mum next time. LUSH currently have 6 Spas, so if I was you I would find out where your nearest one is & book in for a treatment. They offer a great range of treatments from Facials, Chocolate Body Scrub & Rose Massage to Deep Tissue Massage. There certainly is something for everyone.

The invitation to have a treatment couldn’t have come at a better time, I had just moved house (stressful) and as many of you know my dad is a recovering Stroke Survivor and that has really been taking its toll on me. So it was absolutely amazing to be pampered for the afternoon. So thank you so very much Liverpool LUSH SPA, I had a lovely time and you now have a customer for life.

This treatment was free of charge, however, the review is 100% my own.