Holidays 2008 at Bond No.9
For the holidays, Bond No. 9 goes from understated to shamelessly luxurious!
Bleecker Street Bejeweled ($395, 100ml)
This year, Bond No.9 chose Bleecker Street for their annual “Swarovski treatment”. Bleecker Street is a gourmand oriental mingling of patchouli, cassis, caramel, woods, and musk. The limited edition bottle is studded, back and front, with crystals.
The Swarovski All-Stars ($650, 50ml)
Bond No.9 has embellished three more of their most coveted scents with the tiniest and most reflective of all the Swarovski stones. Eau de New York (citruses, cyclamen, jasmine, vetiver) is studded with diamond-colored aurora borealis stones, Chelsea Flowers (peonies, magnolia, rose) is decked with emerald-colored stones while Chinatown (peach, gardenia, tuberose, sandalwood) features ruby-colored stones.
The Crystallized Amphora ($3,500)
This super-sized 42 oz amphora vitrine is covered with 16,500 hand-applied platinum Swarovski stones. The top has an elliptical mirror with honeycomb base. And the content? You can fill this gorgeous bottle with one of the 32 Bond No.9 scents. All of this comes in a white patent leather gift case, also adorned with crystals.
The Pants Purse
I was browsing the I Want One Of These Website when I came across these makeup bags. They look like Y-Fronts, measure 17.5 x 12.5 x 1 cm and are £6.95. They are available in three designs: cherries, rainbows and hearts. You can also find lots of other gadgets on the IWOOT website as well and they ship to Europe and the US.
What do you think of the Pants Purse?
How to choose the right hair brush
Hair brushes are underrated by many women but they are very important to achieve the desired look. Good hair brushes are an investment as the right tools will make your hair look healthier and shinier. There are different types of brushes to style hair in different ways and selecting the wrong one could ruin your look or even damage your hair! So, have you chosen the right hair brush for your hair? Read on to find out the characteristics of the different type of brushes to help you choose the right one for you.
TYPES OF BRUSHES
Cushion Brush
The brush has a soft cushion base and bristles, often curved, on one side. It smooths and straightens medium to long hair that isn’t too thick. It also massages the scalp.
Paddle Brush
This brush has a flat base and small to medium bristles. It is great for straightening thick medium to long hair. it smooths and lenghtens hair but doesn’t add volume. It also gives a scalp massage.
Styling Brush
It has close-set bristles that make it easier to control hair. It adheres to the hair nicely and is used to smooth, shape and polish it.
Thermal Brush
The central of a thermal brush is a heat conductive material, which gets hot when you use a blowdryer. This way, you increase the heat drying your hair, working both on the surface of the hair and internally. However, if the brush gets too hot, you could scorch your hair, so be careful.
Thermal round brushes are available in different sizes: jumbo, large, medium and small. The size of the brush to use is determined by the lenght of your hair and the style you want. The small ones are used to roll hair to get curls while heating them with a blowdryer. The large ones, instead, smoothen hair and give a light massage.
Thermal flat brushes work like a flat iron, straightening and smoothening hair without any bend.
Vent Brush
This brush has holes in the base to let air circulate through hair to blow dry it faster. It creates more volume and detangles hair.
SHAPE
Half-round: available in different sizes, they are used for every type of styling and blowdrying. It can be used on both wet and dry hair.
Oval: it styles the hair as well as penetrating it and massaging the scalp.
Round: used to add body and curl to straight hair. The smaller the barrel, the tighter the curl. Round brushes with densely packed bristles straightens and smoothens naturally wavy hair, while brushes with open bristles are good to achieve lift. However round brushes get tangled in hair easily.
BRISTLES
Metal bristles: they are widely used but can damage your hair. Therefore, they should only be used on wigs.
Natural Boar bristles: they are made with a boar’s hair and are recommended because they cause less friction on your hair and are therefore less damaging than synthetic bristles. They also distribute sebum, the hair’s natural conditioner that keeps it shiny and healthy, along the hair shaft. These bristles are especially good for people with thin hair.
Synthetic bristles: synthetic materials like nylon massage the scalp, stimulate oil release, are easier to clean and last a long time. They are also usually less expensive than natural bristles. However, they don’t distribute the oil throughout the hair and therefore they don’t clean your hair very well. Some synthetic bristles can also be too stiff, which can damage your hair.
Inside Heidi Range makeup bag
Heidi Range is a member of the UK girlband Sugababes. The group have just released their sixth studio album, called Catfights and Spotlights. Here are her must have beauty products:
CLEARASIL STAYCLEAR SKIN PERFECTING WASH (£2.99)
Its deep cleansing formula has a purifying antibacterial action to fight dirt, oil and spot-causing bacteria. It helps to clear spots and prevent new ones from forming, leaving the skin feeling fresh and clean. Heidi started using this when she was a teenager and used to have spots. She still uses it because it cleared up her skin back then and she doesn’t want her spots to come back.
L’OREAL TELESCOPIC MASCARA (£8.99)
The flexible brush lenghtens lashes while the brush edges separate them. Once, Heidi was wearing this at an award ceremony and she was asked if she was wearing false eyelashes!
DIOR AIRFLASH SPRAY FOUNDATION (£29.50)
Delivers an “airbrushed” effect with precision and ease. Evens out skin tone and visibly diminishes the appearance of fine lines and skin irregularities.
ST TROPEZ SELF TAN LOTION (£17.50)
Moisturizing non-greasy aloe vera based tan lotion.
DR HAUSCHKA ROSE DAY CREAM (£20)
This rich scented cream contains rose oil and wild rose hip extract to envelop the skin with a protective nurturing film. It strengthens the skin and soothes redness and couperose conditions. The skin is encouraged to repair and restore itself as well as being calmed and smoothed.
Product Review: Olaz Complete Day Cream with UV Filters
Name: Complete Day Moisturizer With UV Filters
Brand: Olaz
Size: 50ml
Price: 8,66€
From Olaz’s website:
From the first application, you will feel your skin is more hydrathed and smooth giving you a healthy and glowy look. The protective action of SPF 15 UV filters together with the antioxidants properties of Vitamin E helps fight free radicals and sun rays, the main causes of aging.
What I liked:
- the price
- skin feels hydrated and smooth
- SPF
What I didn’t like:
- the fragrance
I bought the Olaz Complete Day Cream this summer. I was looking for a moistirizer with SPF that wouldn’t break the bank. This was very cheap and so I thought I’d try it and I have to say it is one of the best drugstore moisturizers I’ve tried so far.
The cream is white and has a light consistency. It absorbs rapidly and isn’t greasy at all. It hydrates my skin and leaves it feeling smooth. It kept me skin shine-free for a few hours, which I loved cos it usually starts shining again after just a couple of hours. I also didn’t notice any breakouts.
It has a nice and delicate fragrance. I don’t like fragrance in comstics as it is one of the most irritating ingredients used in products, but if you don’t have a product with that, this has a nice scent that is not overpowering.
Olaz Complete contains Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane (Avobenzone), which protects against UVA rays, Octocrylne which protects against UVB rays and Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that protects skin against ultraviolet radiation. Unfortunately it also contains Benzyl Alcohol, which can be irritating and drying.
Summary:
Overall, I really liked this cream. It left my skin soft and hydrated, it is cheap and contains sunscreen ingredients that will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB rays.
Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: the item was purchased by me for both personal and review purposes. The review is based on my own personal and honest experience with the product. For more information, please see my disclaimer.