La Vie est Belle - L'Absolu de Parfum & Illuminating Fragrance Oil by Lancome

Hey Ladies,

I hope you're all well! I have new products from a fragrance line that I just adore to share with you today! You all know by now of my obsession with La Vie est Belle from Lancome. I'm 5 bottles in with the original fragrance the EDP, and on my second bottle of the L'EDT. So when I found out there was to be a new L'ADP & Fragrance Oil to be released, I jumped on that bandwagon without a single moments hesitation. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

First up lets take a look at the L'Absolu De Parfum. More intense and more luxurious than the original L'ADP takes the best notes and intensifies them to the point of swoon worthiness. Once again perfumers Dominique Ropion & Anne Flipo have worked their magic to give us one of the most incredible scent experiences of 2014. The top notes of the fragrance are pear and blackcurrent, it has a heart of iris, orange blossom, damascus rose and jasmine. The base notes are what really makes this fragrance something special for me, tonka bean, praline, cashmere and if I'm not mistaken a hint of Vanilla. The key ingredients for an 'Aundrea will love' fragrance. What I adore about this new take on  La Vie est Belle, is that Lancome have found a way to keep it constantly evolving on your skin. That initial spritz has a beautiful powdery feel to it, but once you leave it to do it's thing, you are rewarded with the most intense infusion of sweet meets woodiness, mingling elegantly together in a way that only Lancome's La Vie est Belle can seem to accomplish in the oh so effortless spritz of a perfume. It really is incredibly beautiful.

The Illuminating Fragrance Oil for me, is a no brainer 'you need it, and you need it now' sort of product. It's a non-greasy dry oil infused with the exquisite scent of the iconic La Vie est Belle fragrance. Lancome have enhanced it with three of the most active natural oils. Sweet Almond plant oil, for its softening and nourishing properties. Apricot oil for it's fatty acids and antioxidants which help repair and tone the skin. And Sesame Oil for its anti-inflammatory and healing properties. I should also mention that this is a multi use oil. I like to use it after a long, hot bath before bed, the scent is so incredibly relaxing and because it's one of my all time favourites wearing it feels like coming home, which pretty much guarantees a blissful nights slumber! You can also use this as a hair oil, I find it fantastic for dry ends and it gives a terrific shine without looking greasy! 

Both of these new additions to the range are so luxurious, and such a beautiful way to spoil yourself! There really is no excuse not to run out and buy one if not both of these, especially if you're a fan of the fragrance range like I am. My only hope is that Lancome will bring out a La Vie est Belle Bath Oil, and maybe a linen mist too?! I can't seem to get enough of this fragrance. It's l'absolu love (see what I did there?! I'll get me coat).

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed.

What are your thoughts on Lancome's newest additions?

Will you be purchasing?!

As always let me know below!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea

Skinician's Miracle Glycolic Peel at The White Orchid Walkinstown

Hey Ladies,

I hope you're all well. I have a unique post for you today, all about the marvel's of The Skinician Glycolic Face Peel. I recently paid a visit to my go to salon in Dublin, The White Orchid in Walkinstown. Some of you may remember the post I did on my experience with Waxperts Hollywood  Treatment I received there. Let me tell you, I was more than a little excited when my favourite beautician Janice asked me to come in to review Skinician's Glycolic Peel, I was unsure what to expect, mainly I was just hoping I didn't leave looking like this.... If you don't get the following reference, we just can't be friends anymore.

Of course, I was in good hands and had one of the most relaxing and enjoyable experiences in my beauty blogging career! Janice had some questions for me: skin type, problem areas etc, and with me under a fleecy blanket of loveliness she set to work.

Janice began by using the Revitalising Cleanser to ensure that my face was clean and fully prepped. She then used the Purifying Cleansing Gel as part of the double cleanse, paying particular attention to the clogged and congested problem areas I had told her about, which by the way smelled so, so good. The next step was the incredibly fine Facial Exfoliator she used to slough away the on-the-surface dead skin. 

Now for the main event, and one of the most heavenly experience I have ever been privy to, the Glycolic Peel itself. Janice applied a generous layer of the treatment, which I have to say smelled absolutely incredible! It tingled a little, but was by no means uncomfortable in any way, shape of form. I found the scent and this entire section of the process so relaxing. While the treatment was working it's magic, Janice used the signature Relaxing Oil for a neck, shoulder and arm massage. As you can imagine, at this stage, I was ready to fall asleep! 

Once Janice removed the Glycolic Peel, she then applied the Purifying Mask, followed by the Hydrating Repair Mask (talk about being pampered!). After they had been rinsed off and Janice checked that I was still breathing due the lack of my regular babbling, she told me that she was in the final stages of the treatment. She applied the uber luxurious Advanced Calming Serum, Restoring Night Cream and Advanced Eye Repair. Janice informed me that she was going to give me a few minutes to bring myself back into the land of the living. My time with Skinician's Glycolic Face Peel was up. 

My final thoughts on the treatment? Absolutely incredible and worth every single cent! Although, a treatment as luxurious as this won't set you back as much as you think. It's €39 for the facial, which is incredibly affordable knowing the quality of both the treatment and the therapist that are included in the price. I left feeling incredibly relaxed, my skin felt soft, smooth, clean and glowing. I'm so in love with The White Orchid, Janice never disappoints and she always goes above and beyond to make sure you're relaxed and happy while providing the best treatments available. I honestly can't recommend her, her beautiful salon and the incredible Skinician Facial enough!

That's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

Have you ever had a Glycolic Peel?

What are your thoughts?

If you have any Skinician products to recommend,

As always, let me know below!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea 

To make an appointment with Janice at The White Orchid:
Call - 01 456 9079
Facebook - here.

Under the Nail File - A Trip to NJM Nails Athlone

Hey Ladies,

I hope you're all well! This is a first for me, I've never done a nail post before. The main reason being  because I have massive trust issues when it comes to my nails. I kind of subscribed to the school of thought that if I did them myself and messed them up, I'd have no one else to blame! Recently on Instagram and Twitter I had noticed pictures popping up in both feeds, of incredible nail designs from a gal in my hometown, Nicola. I was so impressed that we arranged an appointment for myself and Addie to travel out and have a Mammy/Daughter pamper day and get our nails done!

 Lady Addison went first, and chose the most adorable design! I was really excited right from the off, mainly because Addie was so excited! She chose her colours and Nicola set off to work filing, buffing and putting Addie right at ease. It was lovely to see Addison so entranced by the entire process, she got a big kick out of the dotting tool, I think in her eyes Nicola soon became a nail magician rather than a nail technician! A title well deserved in my opinion, just look at the incredible job she did!

Once Princess Addie was finito, it was my turn to go under the file! I had been thinking about a change in nail shape for quite a while, so I decided to go from square tips to Stiletto's! I was really surprised at how quick Nicola was able to transform my nails from Chanel Ballet Pumps to mile high Louboutin's! I know if I'd attempted it, I'd still be filing... We decided on a nude/pink gel, with incredible Swarovski crystals (yes, real ones!). Once she had finished, my nails felt and looked a million dollars. I was so, so impressed with the skill and precision with which Nicola worked, the end result was more than incredible and I honestly can say with total confidence, I would never let another person touch my nails again. I will absolutely be returning to keep my nails in tip top shape! I know they're in the best hands. Here's a before and after of my nails!

Here's a quick peek at some of the amazing custom designs and colours Nicola has on offer in her Salon - 

So that's it for now ladies,

I hope you enjoyed!

Let me know your experiences with getting your nails done!

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly! 

I want to hear it all!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea

If you would like to make an appointment with Nicola at NJM Nails Athlone:

PHONE: 0868289170

EMAIL: njmnailsirl@gmail.com

TWITTER: @NJMNails

INSTAGRAM: @njmnails

Nicola is also available to hire for events!

Elemis Vs. This Works: Deep Sleep Pillow Spray

Hey ladies,

I hope you're well. I have a battle of the deep sleep spray's for you today! I had never been a particularly bad sleeper until recently when I began having steroid injections for my Tendonitis. I'm not so good with steroids, I can't sleep, and then the OCD starts to kick in which leads to me re-organising my makeup collection or cleaning the house at 4 in the morning. Even with the sleeping tablets my doctor had prescribed to combat that, they didn't help much. 

Que advice from the ever fabulous Chloe over at NurseFancyPants who mentioned the great things This Works Deep Sleep Spray had done for her, and kindly offered to send me a spare bottle she had to try it. Whilst I was gutting and redecorating my room (another terrific idea I'd had whilst trying to find sleep) I came across a bottle of the Elemis Quite Mind spray which is supposed to have a similar effect, and thusly the battle of the sleep spray's began!

So up first is the Elemis Quiet Mind Spray. I have to be honest straight off the bat and say, the smell of this is incredibly cloying. You would nearly need to spray it and come back 45 minutes later when it's calmed down, but even then it's very strong. It contains lavender, eucalyptus, patchouli, all to promote a quite mind and good nights sleep, neither of which seemed to befall me when I used it. But, to be fair to the product, I have used it when I'm over the affects of the steroids and it's ok, nothing to write home about. It is disappointing. Not what I have come to expect from Elemis, which is unfortunate. I'll continue to use it until I finish the bottle of course, but I doubt there'll be any miracles!

My little miracle product, the This Works - Deep Sleep Pillow Spray! My first experience with This Works was when I picked up 2 incredible candles in TK Maxx: the Petitgrain & Jasmine and the Vetivert & Lavender, both of which smell amazing! I had read about the Deep Sleep Candle, but had never heard of the spray until Chloe mentioned it to me. As I said above she was super generous in sending me her spare bottle so, that night and almost every night since I have been using this on my pillow, and my, my This Works (see what I did there?!) an absolute treat! I can happily report that there was no re-organising my nail polish collection at stupid o'clock in the morning! It contains essential oils of lavender, camomile and Vetivert to soothe the body and mind! Addie went through a bit of a growth spurt recently which meant she wasn't sleeping that well so I used this on her pillow and it did the trick too, so I can say with confidence that this is a terrific little product!

All in all, the This Works - Deep Sleep Spray far surpasses the Elemis Quite Mind. I am absolutely enamoured with it, I actually received a back up spray in a goodie bag at the opening of the Space NK Apothecary last week, which is terrific. Another plus myself and the lovely Chloe were discussing was that no matter how much you spray it, it seems to last forever, always a huge bonus when you happen to be a little bit in the actual love with a product right?!

So, that's it for now ladies!

I hope you've enjoyed!

What are your thoughts on sleep sprays?

Are you a fan?!

As always, let me know below!

Until next time

xoxo

Aundrea