Love, Life & Style » Samantha Joy

YOU Beauty Discovery CEW(UK)2014 Limited Edition Beauty Box Review #YBDCEW

Samantha Joy — Sun, 18 May 2014 08:57:30 +0000

Beauty boxes always catch my eye. There is something about receiving a box full of beauty gifts once a month and the anticipation of what will be inside that reminds me of Christmas. And we all love Christmas.

They are also a great way to try new products that you may have your eye on but haven’t yet purchased. Or perhaps there is a product that is quite expensive and you are not sure that you can justify paying the price for it. This is exactly what happened with this beauty box and GlamGlow (more to come).

I have tried a few different beauty boxes and liked them all but didn’t love them. So, when I was sent the YOU Beauty Discovery CEW(UK)2014 Limited Edition box (#YBDCEW) to review, I was quite excited to see what they have to offer.

In celebration of the CEW(UK)2014 Beauty Awards, YOU Beauty Discovery joined forces with Cosmetic Executive Women (UK) to bring this limited edition box packed full of products from the finalists.

Worth almost £100, the box contains some quite impressive brands and at only £16.95 it is definitely worth a try.

YOU Beauty Discovery CEW(UK)2014 Limited Edition Beauty Box Review #YBDCEW

What is in the box?

Elemis Pro-collagen Marine Cream, 15 ml
Caudalie Divine Legs, sachet
Dr. Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum, 100 ml
GlamGlow Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment, 15 ml
L’Occitane en Provence Almond Milk Concentrate, 50 ml
Manuka Doctor Mini Hero Ket, sachets
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer, 40 ml

Overall the beauty box is more than worth the £16.95 price tag. It is full of quite premium brands like Elemis that offer a little luxury but also fairly new, emerging names like GlamGlow.

The Dr. Organic Moroccan Argan Oil Hair Treatment Serum actually comes full-sized and Dr. Organic is a brand I’ve used before. Firstly, the packaging. I love it. It’s a beautiful glass bottle that sits perfectly on my beauty shelf. The directions state to put this on towel-dried hair. However, I did do this the first time and it left my hair incredibly greasy.

The second time I stuck to how I normally use Moroccan Argan Hair Oil and that is by covering my whole head in it and leaving in over night before washing off the following morning. I tend to do this once a week as a sort of leave-in conditioning treatment. And it works really well for my hair.

Another product that I loved is the L’Occitane en Provence Almond Milk Concentrate which smells delicious and left my skin moisturised and soft. The blend of silicium and almond proteins, which are similar to collagen, effectively fights skin slackening by restoring skin’s support tissue. I’ll definitely venture into the L’Occitane shop and purchase a full-sized version.

The Philip Kingsley Elasticizer is something that I didn’t see any use for in my daily hair regime. But once used, I was converted. This is the world’s first pre-shampoo conditioning treatment andPhilip Kingsley’s hero product. Healthy hair stretches when wet before returning to its original length when dry.

Before shampooing, I worked through my hair with my fingertips and left on for 10-20 minutes. It left my hair feeling incredibly light and healthier.

The Manuka Doctor bee venom range caught my eye straight away. Bee venom in a facial cream is always something I’ve wanted to try. It sounds kind of wrong, which I love.

Out of the set I have only used the Rejuvenating Mask so can only comment on this but it is pretty amazing. This deep penetrating skin renewal treatment contains a unique combination of Purified Bee Venom, moisturising Manuka Honey, Avocado Oil and Vitamin E. Its unique formulation deeply nourishes the skin, stimulating collagen growth and renewing damaged skin cells.

I think with constant use over a longer period of time it will definitely help reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

GlamGlow is a brand I have been watching for quite a while. When a new hero product takes over the beauty blogger world I am quite sceptical. Is it a product they have all bought and genuinely love or something they have all been sent in a mass-marketing campaign?

Well, I think it is a combination of both.

It is a mud mask with a difference and the tingling effect made me believe that it was working magic on my skin. While I didn’t see instant results, after the third time of using this my skin was radiant, glowing and soft. Although I am not quite sure it is worth the £49.99 price tag for a tiny little tub. I am undecided on this one.

Nonetheless, I have loved trying the products in this beauty box and highly recommend it. You can purchase the YOU Beauty Discovery CEW(UK)2014 Limited Edition box online for £16.95.

10 Things I miss about uni

Samantha Joy — Sat, 10 May 2014 18:39:48 +0000

You know those annoying links to pointless and unnecessary stories that always appear on Facebook? Well, one actually inspired me today. 10 things I miss about uni.

I was a University of Birmingham student from 2005 – 2008 and while there are a few things that I don’t miss, there is a lot that I do miss, everyday:

1. Living in a shared house with girls completely different to me but so similar in other ways. We laughed, cried and shared an amazing experience together. It was so much easier to meet new people and make friends at uni. This, I do miss.

2. Daily naps. I was the queen of naps, whether it was at 12.30 in the afternoon or 6.00 in the evening. They were an integral part of my uni lifestyle.

3. Pre-drinks. No-one does better pre-drinking than a student. Pre-drinks often included hair in rollers and my friend Shreena playing MUA for a bunch of tipsy girls. Too much fake tan, short hemlines and high heels in a judgemental-free zone. Amazing.

4. Fancy dress. Playboy bunny ears and hot pants to fairy wings and even superman pyjamas; fancy dress epitomises uni nights out.

5. Junk Food. I remember in the space of 24 hours we ate pizza at 2am after leaving a club, followed by an all-you-can eat Chinese buffet the following lunchtime and an Indian takeaway later that evening for dinner. We ate £1.05 chicken and chips and £1.99 huge pizzas. It was bad for us, we knew it, and we loved it.

6. Using my brain. Last-minute essay writing in Strathcona, researching using BOOKS in the library and not the internet (although Wikipedia came in useful occasionally) and actually learning from theorists like Edward Said. Not relying on the Daily Mail for lunchtime reading. Yes, this is definitely something I miss.

7. The emergence of Facebook. While I was in the first year of uni, Facebook was growing in popularity in the UK. However, at this time users joined the site as a student and we were differentiated by the university we went to. It was essentially used for uni students, not mums, dads, great aunts and distant cousins. I liked this time.

8. Money wasn’t real and we had a complete lack of responsiblity. I never looked at money like it was real, it was simply a way to fund my student lifestyle. This was particularly evident when student loan day came. Although this is not to say that we didn’t work – I had part-time jobs in the first and second year. I thought they were ‘hard work’ at the time. Little did I know what real life would be like.

9. Cheap as chips. Everything cost half the price as a student – food, living costs, clothes, nights out. From £1 vodka red bulls at Vodbull to 20% student discount at Topshop, life could still be good on a student budget.

10. Procrastination. There was always something to do, people to see, a book to read and an essay to write.

Hate to Love – Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream

Samantha Joy — Sun, 04 May 2014 19:02:30 +0000

For years I have associated Elizabeth Arden with ‘older’ ladies for two reasons. The price, as let’s face it, the range of products are quite expensive if you use them daily. And secondly, the rich consistency.

I just always thought that a twenty-something didn’t need products with that much mositurisation.

My naive nature has taken a step back.

My sister-in-law kindly gifted me the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Winter Essentials Kit for Christmas which comes in a gorgeous red patent box. And I love it.

The set includes: Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment 30ml, Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant 30ml, Elizabeth Arden Eight hour Cream Lip Protectant stick, and moisturizing Eight Hour gloves and socks.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant is the most amazing moisturiser I have ever used. I have used this on the following:

- Acne scars (which have reduced)
- To calm my sore, irritated skin after having my eyebrows preened
- Around my hairline when psoriasis attacks
- On my nose after a horrid cold
- As an intensive moisturiser before going on a plane

However, the incredibly rich and gel-like consistency is a little too thick to use as a facial moisturiser for my combination skin and the unpleasant scent reminds me of antiseptic. I find it good to use sporadically (I had to use this word somewhere, Clueless is 10 years old) rather than all over and it works well.

Forgetting the negative points, it really is a great multi-purpose skin protectant and I will purchase a full-sized tube once this one has finished. Use sparingly (a fingernail size) and it will last forever. Well, not quite forever but a long time.

It will also be a useful little product for sun burn!

The Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant stick is also something that I already need to repurchase. Most lip protectants come in a tub or a plastic tube but this one is packaged like a lipstick. I used this all Winter and for the first time my lips haven’t cracked. It’s nourishing, moisturising and has left my lips soft.

I also love the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturising Hand Treatment but it’s not as ‘special’ as the skin protectant. Yes, it does work as a good moisturiser but I think I prefer Laura Mercier hand creams for the scent.

Next on my list to try from Elizabeth Arden is the Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face SPF 50. Watch this space.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] and Effaclar MAT Moisturiser Review

Samantha Joy — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 19:56:56 +0000

Over a month ago the lovely PR team at my new favourite French skincare brand, La Roche-Posay, sent me the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+] and Effaclar MAT Moisturiser to review. I had only ever tried the La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector, which I love, so I was quite excited to try these two items.

I’ve been using them both for around 6 weeks and they have become an essential part of my skincare regime.

Let’s start with the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo [+]. I had read quite a few blog posts on this product but didn’t quite believe the hype around it. Now I do.

This is an anti-blemish cream, specially formulated to unclog pores, correct the appearance of blemishes and refine skin texture. The consistency is quite light but it spreads really well and absorbs into the skin, rather than sitting on top – which is what really annoys me about a lot anti-blemish products.

I’ve been a little under the weather recently and my skin has suffered. Sometimes my skin needs a little ‘pick me up’ and the Effaclar Duo has done just that. I apply in the evening after cleansing my face and leave on over night. So in actual fact I am using this as a night cream. And this routine suits my skin needs well.

The Effaclar Duo removes excess oil and dries out any imperfections. It even soothed my red, irritated skin after having HD brows!

It has definitely cleared up my blemishes, particularly around my mouth and cheek, reduced the size of my pores and calms my oily skin almost instantly. For this, I am in love.

Now for the Effaclar MAT Moisturiser. At first I didn’t see much of a difference but after only a week of using this product I could see how much it improved my skin texture.

The Effaclar MAT is an anti-shine moisturiser for oily skin with a lovely lightweight gel formula. This is amazing. It literally sinks into my skin and leaves it feeling soft, refreshed and as if it has a protective barrier over it.

An added ingredient is Sebulyse, a sebo-regulating active ingredient that is clinically proven to mattify skin and tighten pores.

Previously, by lunchtime my t-zone would be oily with shine but this moisturiser leaves my foundation matte all day long – so it is perfect as a primer.

What’s more, it has improved my skin texture more than I could have imagined. I have a visibly brighter complexion which looks healthy, moisturised and naturally glowing. I have complete faith in this little beauty and know that it will keep my combination skin matte this Summer!

Sample Wedding Dresses

Samantha Joy — Sun, 02 Mar 2014 10:24:39 +0000

Your wedding dress will most certainly take up a large chunk of the wedding budget. But that doesn’t mean to say you must purchase from a bridal boutique if you are on a tight budget. If you look in the right places, you could find your wedding dress online, brand new, for 50% less than the RRP.

There are quite a few websites that focus primarily on sample dresses. These are dresses where designers or bridal shops have perhaps over-ordered or are from end-of-season collections. For instance, I once found a ‘used dress’ website full of brand new dresses from a bridal store – all because they were moving premises and had far too much stock.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be careful, on the contrary. Unless you are able to travel and try the dress on before you buy, the first time you see it is likely to be after you have paid for it.

There are ways around this.

Try dresses on in shops first to see what styles you like and more importantly, what size you will need for each of the different designers. Once you have that in mind, you can start searching online. However, if you have fell in love with a dress online but can’t find it in any of the stores, most bridal shops will order in the dress directly from the designer. If you buy the dress from the shop, this is deducted from the total price. If you buy elsewhere, you are charged around £15-30 – which, let’s face it, is still cost-effective if you find the same dress online, brand new, for 50% less.

A few factors to consider:

Don’t pay for a dress unless you are sure that the person selling it is genuine. Perhaps pay via Paypal where you can track the payment.
Ask to see the dress over Skype.
Request receipts (original and an additional one for your purchase).
Check if you would be applicable for any customs charges, if coming from overseas. And request the shipping, postage and packaging cost upfront.
Remember that US sizes are different so take this into consideration when searching US sites.
Ask to see as many photos as you require to ensure the dress is authentic and not a copy. Look at the seams, embroidery, detailing and zips – these will provide an indicator on the quality of workmanship.
Dresses are uploaded regularly so don’t feel disheartened if you don’t find your dream dress on your first try.
Ask the seller if there are any imperfections on the dress – particularly as it is a sample.
Dresses can be altered to fit you if they are 1 or 2 sizes too big (depending on the style) but a smaller dress can not be made larger. If you go down this route, request a quote from a seamstress before you purchase the dress.
Look at the seller credentials – are they a bridal boutique or an individual? Do they have any testimonials? Have they sold any other sample dresses online?

Before I found a dressmaker for my own wedding dress, I had been searching the below websites for my dream dress. My top two are PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com and StillWhite.co.uk:

PreOwnedWeddingDresses.Com
From the name of this website you would assume that they only sell pre-owned wedding dresses but this is not the case. They also have the option for you to select ‘sample’ dresses or ‘new with tags/unaltered’ in the search tab. If you are superstitious and don’t want to buy a dress that someone else originally bought, perhaps stick to the sample dresses.

Having just had a quick look, there are a few Pronovias sample dresses for as little as $499 USD.

StillWhite.co.uk
As StillWhite.co.uk is a UK website, you could potentially ask the seller if it possible to view and try the dress on before you purchase (if you live in the UK). Once again, select ‘sample’ in the ‘Condition’ search tab, along with your size and the maximum price you wish to spend. There are currently some lovely dresses on there, like the long-sleeve Ellis Bridal 11350 dress in a size 14, priced at £750 (original dress is £1,540).

Other websites that allow you to search for ‘sample’ dresses by refining the search criteria, include:

Israeli Wedding Dress Designers – Galia Lahav, Yaki Ravid & Inbal Dror

Samantha Joy — Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:39:22 +0000

Israeli fashion houses are by far my favourite wedding dress designers in the world. Although I wouldn’t say no to a Marchesa gown either.

Galia Lahav, Yaki Ravid and Inbal Dror design couture wedding dresses for the modern day princess. They are romantic, elegant and have that vintage, hollywood glamour feel of a bygone era.

Think luxurious silks, intricate beading and classic lace combined with the most beautiful figure-hugging and daring backless wedding dresses that you won’t find hanging in a high street bridal shop.

You will probably have liked or pinned these designs on Instagram and Pinterest – they are breathtakingly beautiful. What’s more, if you are quite petite but with large hips (like me), I believe that these dresses will fit you like a dream.

I requested prices for a few dresses and they were priced on average £5,000 – £10,000. Which is far too costly for the normal bride-to-be.

With this, I have designed my own wedding dress based on a few different bridal gowns from these designers and having it custom-made with the same chantilly lace fabric – for a tiny fraction of the price.

Galia Lahav

HELENA from the St Tropez Cruise Collection: This beautiful dress has a dotted tulle corset and skirt, pearl embellished lace trim and peplum with pleated ruffles. Made from silk and tulle, it has a low V-neck and back with French crochet details on the collar and sleeves, a tulle belt and pearls.

NICOLE & ANGELINA from the St Tropez Cruise Collection: The Nicole is an ivory silk, body-hugging dress with a bare back, flesh coloured tulle top and sleeves. The front and back has embroidered feathers, embellished with crystals, beads and pearls. The sleeves and train are decorated with pearl drops. The ANGELINA dress is silk satin with a sheer back and crystal and pearl embroidered motifs.

DIAMOND from the Homage to the sizzling 1920′s Collection: A mermaid fitted gown with beautiful assorted appliqués.

Yaki Ravid

Inbal Dror

Kate Spade New York Gramercy Mother of Pearl Silver Watch – UK

Samantha Joy — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 20:09:31 +0000

I had been coveting a few Kate Spade watch designs for most of 2013 and Santa kindly listened to my wish. The designs are beautiful and offer something a little different to the Michael Kors watch that everyone who is anyone seems to be wearing.

I wanted a pretty but functional watch. A style that could go from the office to the evening and right through the weekend. So I went with the Kate Spade New York Gramercy watch in silver.

I am so in love with the mother of pearl dial, it looks feminine and pretty but still stylish. The perfect arm candy for Spring/Summer.

What’s more, Kate Spade is relatively new to the UK with only a few stores selling these watches. I bought mine from America for a little less than they sell in the UK… however, customs soon made the price cheaper to buy here!

The back of the dial reads: Live Colorfully.

Love that.

This beauty will stay on my wrist until I buy another Kate Spade watch – there are a few that I have my eye on!

Confessions of a Bride-to-Be

Samantha Joy — Thu, 20 Feb 2014 21:19:46 +0000

1. I dreamt of my wedding from as young as 6 years old. Yes, I was that girl.

2. I would rather spend more money on shoes than a wedding dress. Shoes last longer.

3. When I knew my fiancé was about to propose – woman’s intuition – I said ‘No, no – don’t do it!’ There was logic in my crazy ways somewhere. Thankfully he ignored me.

4. When we celebrated our 1 year anniversary, back in 2005, we said that if we were still together on our 10 year anniversary, June 2014, then we would marry. I never actually thought it would happen.

5. I planned my whole wedding before I was engaged, yet it is going to be completely different to what I always thought I wanted.

6. I haven’t bought a wedding magazine, not even just the one.

7. On the other hand, I have read wedding blogs for years *maybe even before I was engaged*

8. I hope my wedding is as beautiful as my Pinterest board.

9. Which also leads me to my Pinterest board. I had a wedding Pinterest board long before I was engaged. Pinterest is amazing for wedding planning.

10. I designed my engagement ring months before he proposed. I didn’t think he bought it. But he did.

11. My ring is a pale pink sapphire with 48 tiny diamonds and I absolutely LOVE the colour in bright daylight when it is a pale pink/grey. It’s different and I love that.

12. As you can tell, I am a control freak. I am also planning my own hen party because of the said control freak nature in me.

13. We are getting married in South West France, which was inspired by Georgia’s beautiful wedding in France (from Before The Big Day).

14. I haven’t found wedding planning difficult in the slightest, which is perhaps something to do with working as an Events Coordinator. However, I have found that managing the expectations of others is the hardest part.

15. My partner does not even know the place we are getting married. This is a true story. His response is ‘somewhere in France…’

16. I am having 3 wedding dresses. A 1920′s vintage dress, a custom-made wedding dress that I designed based on a few styles from Galia Lahav and Inbal Dror, and a third yet to be found.

17. My favourite wedding blogs are Style Me Pretty and Before The Big Day. Go check them out.

18. I love flowers. And lace. These will feature in the wedding theme quite heavily.

19. Peonies, hydrangeas, sweet avalanche roses and gypsophila are my flowers of choice.

20. I actually can’t wait for the wedding to be over so we can start the next chapter together.

Channeling Cher Horowitz – Fluffy Crop Top & Zara SS14 Skirt

Samantha Joy — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 18:24:51 +0000

As an 80′s baby and growing up in the 90′s, Cher from Clueless was my style icon. And she still is.

I love 90′s pop socks, crop tops, twin set suits… you get the picture… and Cher epitomises that whole era.

Firstly, excuse the poor lighting – there are also remnants of my friends feather dress on the floor!

So, this weekend I wore a fluffy crop top from Primark with a monochrome striped pencil skirt from Zara’s SS14 collection.

I’ve seen so many bloggers go on about the Primark fluffy crop top, so I just had to have one. I actually got mine a few sizes too big so that it fits a little baggy rather than tight around the waist.

The skirt from Zara is something I’ll wear again. I hate white skirts that have the inevitable VPL showing through but the fabric is just thick enough to stop that. It’s also the right length to sit high waisted and actually fit.

I teamed the outfit with a statement necklace from Dorothy Perkin’s and some black, block heels from Zara.

Zara Monochrome Pencil/Tube Skirt – Link

Bioderma (Crealine) Sensibio H20 Cleanser + La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector Review

Samantha Joy — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 22:02:02 +0000

While in Paris in November there was one thing on my ‘MUST BUY’ list and this was Bioderma. While I know that it can be bought in the UK, the mark up is ridiculous and I just couldn’t justify paying double the price. So, I stocked up in Paris.

And I’ve always had this vision of French women looking forever youthful – due to the amazing French beauty industry.

Bioderma (Crealine) Sensibio H20 Cleanser + La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector Review

The Bioderma (Crealine) Sensibio H20 Cleanser is by far the best cleanser I have ever used. For years I have used Johnson’s baby wipes to remove my makeup but as I am now mid-twenties and a bride-to-be, I must make a conscious effort to really look after my skin.

I have been using Bioderma for two months now and the results are incredible. My skin feels super clean and refreshed after using it in the morning and evening. It gently cleanses, removes all trace of makeup and feels really light due to the micellar water base.

What’s more, although this could just be in my mind, I am almost certain that this cleanser has helped the acne scars on my cheek. Along with the effaclar.

If you suffer from sensitive skin, redness or skin irritation, I highly recommend this cleanser.

I managed to buy two large 500ml bottles for around £13 which is absolutely amazing and such good value for money considering it costs £14.50 for ONE BOTTLE in the UK! It also lasts a long time – I’ve used probably a third of one bottle in 2 months!

The second item I bought in Paris and fell in love with is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector. You can buy this in the UK from places like Boots and it costs £9.50.

I first heard of the brand La Roche-Posay on one of the A Model Recommends vlogs. And I coveted the brand for quite some time.

The La Roche-Posay Effaclar A.I. Targeted Breakout Corrector is my life saver. I’m not quite sure how I lived for 26 years without it. Seriously, if I had known about this brand when I suffered hideous acne as a teenager, I wouldn’t have wasted a ridiculous amount of money on the typical high street products.

I have been applying the effaclar to blemishes as soon as they appear and leave on over night. It helps to reduce redness and clears the blemish up within a day or two without leaving any scaring.

Furthermore, I have also been applying the effaclar to my acne scars and they have reduced a lot. Quite a lot. This makes me so happy!

I highly recommend these products; they’ll be a beauty staple of mine forever. Well, unless I find another magic potion.