L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil Dupe - Sebamed shower oil review

When my non-blogging friend Hannah told me about this product I practically yelped for joy. I'm a massive fan of the L'Occitane almond shower oil. But it is so expensive! The skin on my body is quite dry and sensitive, I'm prone to dry patches and the L'Occitane shower oil has really helped.

So lets do a side by side comparison.

Packaging:

I love the L'Occitane packaging, it looks super chic in my shower. The Sebamed looks like typical drugstore packaging. It's not offensive but it's not pretty.

L'Occitane

L'Occitane

Consistency with and without water:

The Sebamed is a little thicker and less runny when you first apply it. However with the addition of water they both lather a little. The Sebamed also looks a little darker.

Sebamed

Sebamed

Smell:

The Sebamed one doesn't really smell of anything. Great if you aren't a fan of the strong almond scent in the L'Occitane shower oil. I personally prefer the almond one. Yuuuum!

Ingredients:

The key ingredient in the Sebamed is actually avocado oil and it actually features at the top of the ingredients list which is good. Neither are sulphate free which isn't great and the Sebemed also contains mineral oil which will put a lot of people off, but more about that later.

Price:

L'Occitane - £16.50 for 250ml

Sebamed - £7.10 for 200ml via Amazon

My verdict:

Ok I honestly prefer the L'Occitane one. The smell is nicer and the ingredients are kinder. HOWEVER, I can't deny the price of the Sebamed one is great. Ok now onto the mineral oil element. Yes we all know how chronically bad mineral oil is for your skin, but if I'm honest on my body (not my face) that doesn't bother me so much. What I tend to do is use this to shave my legs where I felt I was wasting the precious L'Occitane and it does such a good job and does leave my skin super soft. So all in all a bit of a steal!

What do you think?

Lx

My drugstore picks

I used to be an obsessive drugstore shopper. When I lived in Manchester I would spend all of my lunch break scouring the aisles of Boots and Superdrug looking for latest releases and products I'd not seen before. I cannot tell you the damage this this to my bank account.

After a wake up call I stopped shopping in the drugstore pretty much altogether and instead switched to making more thought out, considered purchases from the higher end of the shopping spectrum.  Since then I've found it hard to go back. I actually find the drugstore quite daunting.  The lack of anyone to ask for advice from, the dubious looking testers and other frantic shoppers scares me away most of the time.

However it occurred to me that the constant barrage of posts about £20+ lipsticks and blushes with eye watering price tags might be putting some of my readers off. So I delved back into the drugstore where I formed my makeup obsession and have pulled together some of my all time favourites for you.

First up is a new foundation love. I took a chance with the Revlon Nearly Naked foundation. This sent my drugstore anxieties into overdrive. No one to ask about finishes... *sweaty palms*,  no mirror to test it in... *heart palpitations* no  one to help me colour match *full on meltdown*... Basically I just grabbed a colour and ran. Now it's not an exact match but I make it work (keep your eyes peeled for a post on how I do that coming up!) What I love about this foundation is the finish and the longevity. It's sheer but perfecting and lasts a good 6-8 hours on my oily face. What more can I ask for at under a tenner?

Next up are two Bourjois mascaras. These basically stand for all Bourjois mascaras as I've never come across one I didn't like. Generally I refuse to buy mascara from the drugstore. They can be bloody expensive and for a couple of pounds more you could get a beaut from Clinique. However these are an exception as I'd happily pay double to price for these two as I think they are better than some higher end mascaras. The volume glamour max waterproof should be renamed "bulletproof" as it doesn't budge throughout the day, a winner for me and can be easily removed with a bi-phase eye makeup remover. The volumizer mascara is a little legend of a product. It houses two wands, one for length and one for volume creating mega thick and lovely lashes in an instant. If your a Lancôme or YSL gal through and through I'd strongly urge you to go have a gander at the bourjois stand, you'll be impressed!

Next up is a product I have raved about SO much it's getting dull. The Collection Cosmetics Blushalicious Blush Quad (VOM at the name) is a massive fave of mine. For under a fiver you get four seriously pigmented blushes which can be swirled together or worn alone. And the finish, my oh my! It's akin to the Laura Mercier second skin cheek colours in that they're sheer and satiny, easy to blend and luminous on the skin. To give it my ultimate praise, I use this in my MUA kit regularly and it doesn't get much better than that!

Victoria's Secret lip shine (sorry I don't know the shade). I'm not sure if this is strictly drugstore, but this is my blog and I don't care! Ok the smell isn't my fave but the formula of these is lovely. I prefer the VS lipglosses in this packaging rather than the squeezy tubes. The colour is not too sheer, not to pigmented. Super glossy without being sticky and she shimmer in them is super subtle and not at all gritty. They easily wear for an hour without fade and I just love em!

Maybelline 24 hour colour tattoo in On and On Bronze. Probably right up there in the chart of the most hyped products of all time (winner has to be the Revlon lip Butters) but very much deserving of the hype. A drugstore cream eyeshadow that rivals some of its higher end counterparts. I probably wear this colour at least once a week in some form or another. It's idiot proof and does the job. Plus they last you blooming forever so they're a bloody bargain too!

Finally is my fave pick of the bunch. The 17 mirror shine on lipstick in BeeHive. In the old packaging! Why they changed it from these cute turquoise bullets I'll never know. A sheer, glossy texture, gives a perfected lip finish. Easy to wear and a well known dupe for... Well we all know what it's a dupe for and hopefully you'll know why I can't say!!! 

So that's it for my drugstore picks. Strangely I thought I'd finish writing this and feel the need to go and splurge in Space NK to make up for it. But I actually fancy digging out some of my old drugstore makeup and having a play... When I can bring myself to put down my new Tom Ford blush that is ;-p

Lx

La Prairie Event

La Prairie is a brand I have wanted to try for a very long time. I'm always drawn to the counters that are understated and don't plaster themselves with giant banners claiming their product will be the one that answers all your skincare prayers. There's also something about the brand being Swiss, why is it we associate that with quality and performance?

So, the other night I was lucky enough to be asked down to their counter in Selfridges London to meet the La Prairie team and really get to know their products.

First and foremost La Prairie are all about the science. They insist on only releasing a product to market when they are satisfied its the best out there. They won't simply hop on a skincare trend bandwagon, they'd sooner put in the time in the lab and make sure they have the Rolls Royce product with their name on it. Because of this some formulas haven't changed since the brand was born, not because they don't want to change it, but because they don't feel they need to.

La Prairie groups their products together, each group dealing with a certain skincare complaint or concern, however products within these categories can be successfully interchanged. The ranges boast market changing marine formulas, powerful doses of retinol and specially sourced caviar extracts.

I was treated to a skincare consultation and mini treatment. Stand out products for me were the serums, especially the cellular power serum and the cleansing lotion which felt like liquid silk! I chatted to their consultant for a while. She's worked for the brand for over 10 years which is a testament really. It takes a real love and belief in a brand to want to work for them for that long!

La Prairie also do makeup, something I didn't know. I got to try their foundation which I instantly loved the finish of, and it contains their famous caviar extract giving you a sort of skincare treatment whilst your wearing it. I'm desperate to see how it wears over he course of a day as I had to take it off when I got home :-( However first impressions were great. The bottles have a matching concealer in the lid which was a great idea and it left a light dewy finish which covered the redness in my cheeks no problem but still looked like I wasn't wearing any makeup. They do a separate under eye concealer which is also on my "to try" list as even my trusty Perricone MD undereye concealer is now drying out my sensitive peepers and long working weeks leave me feeling like I need a little coverage. But most importantly I felt like the makeup I was putting on my face was actually doing it some good. Here's a pic of me with just some foundation and concealer on. Excuse the awful train lighting and iPhone snap, it's seriously unforgiving, but even in the tragic lighting I quite like the way my skin looks...

All in all it was a great introduction to the brand. I'm excited to learn more and try new products. I left with a few goodies to road test and I'm sure I'll be letting you hear all about them.

If, like me, you're intrigued by the brand I'd strongly recommend popping by a counter and chatting to the ladies. In my experience they are informative but not pushy which shows they are confident in what they're selling. I definitely can't wait to give these products a road test!

Lx

Spring Picks: Blush

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I LOVE a good blush. Especially in the summer months. There's nothing prettier than a sun kissed face with a gorgeous blusher on it. Here are my picks for Spring.

Bobbi Brown Nectarine. Probably the most full on in this selection. A bright yellow-pink. Totally matte, not at all chalky and seriously long wearing. Better on more olive skin tones but use a lighter hand of you're fairer.

Collection Blushalicious quad. Ok, flipping awful name but such an amazing product. Each individual colour is great for this time of year or swirl them together for a lovely glow. Great for festivals as its cheap so no worries if you loose it, four colour options and long lasting.

Tom Ford Frantic Pink. My new blush crush. It's really illuminating without being shimmery and gives great colour payoff. In the pan this looks like a scary baby pink but on the skin it's subtle and just leaves a healthy glow. I sometimes use a touch of this to tone down the orange in a more coral blush or bronzer.

So what are your go to spring blushes?

Lx

Spring Picks: Perfume (Jo Malone White Jasmine and Mint)

I love Jo Malone fragrances. They are so luxurious and have such a great variety. Over winter I was obsessed with the Wild Fig and Cassis scent but now spring is here I wanted something more in fitting for the season. After hours of sniffing I picked out White Jasmine and Mint. It was the mint element that swung it for me. I adore the smell of mint, it just screams warmer months to me, think jugs of pimms with fresh mint and herb gardens. The addition of the white jasmine gives it a soft feminine edge.

I love the way this is a stark, fresh contrast to some of the sweeter perfumes on the shelves at the moment. This feels cooling on the skin and fades so beautifully. The best think about it is that it isn't too in your face perfumey, when on the skin it mellows down and leaves behind a subtle hint which could have almost been a shower el or body cream you used. Totally luxurious and totally worth it.

I'm not collecting a bit of a Jo Malone perfume stash, as well as this there's a cherry blossom one which is going to be a summer must have!

What are your spring go-to scents?

Lx

Spring Picks: Nail Polishes

Morning all! This week I'm going to be posting some great spring picks so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for some new posts from me.

Today is the turn of nail polishes. I'm such a sucker for nail polish and with some sunshine on the horizon I've been particularly in love with some great pastel and bright shades. So here are my fave pastels and brights for Spring.

The Pastels.
Essie Maximillian Strasse Her (jeez what a name) is a beautiful dove-grey colour. It's soft, but clean and fresh. I've been wearing this when I want my nails to be more serious but not dull!
Bourjois Amande Defile is a bright pastel mint green. Great for adding a pop of colour to your outfit.
Beauty UK Smokey Lilac is my favourite purple ever. It's got a hint of grey in it making it more grown up and wearable.
Topshop Peaches and Cream, a gorgeous milky tangerine colour. Amazing with a tan and my go-to night out colour at the moment.
Max Factor Mellow Yellow is a very wearable lemon colour. A great alternative to nudes. Suits most skin tones though better on a more golden complexion.

The Brights.
Mac Impassioned is a perfect milky pink-coral. A colour I'm always complimented on and love as a pedi-colour too.
Barry M Blueberry was a colour I was a bit too scared to wear for a while but now the sun is out I'm reaching for it more and more.
Essie Hip-Anemia is my new love! A great orange-red which also has a hint of pink in it. Makes a great statement but still super classy.
Barry M Papaya is a colour too cute not to mention. This is a lovely yellow based pastel orange. Easy to wear and a super glossy finish.
Sinful Colours Island Coral is a nail polish I can see me wearing a lot and even taking through into summer. The perfect milky coral which packs a lot of colour punch. Just a super pretty shade I can't get enough of.

Which is your favourite spring nail polish?

Lx