Nivea Creme Care Cleansing Cream Wash*

Nivea was founded in 1882 and is a German based company that specialises in skin and body care. The cleansing cream wash is part of the daily essentials range which includes cleansing lotion and facial wipes. Apart from their thick body cream that comes in a pot that I've used to treat sunburn, I hadn't tried any of their facial products. The cleansing cream is a lotion that's supposed to cleanse thoroughly and protects the skin from drying out, and is suitable for all skin types. Sounds lovely, but I don't quite like it. I should have realised this purely because it's a lotion, and not a foaming cleanser which I like and use daily. When I applied some on my wet hands to make a lather, it didn't. I had to check the tube incase I picked up the body lotion instead. I assumed it would make a little bit of lather. When I applied it to my face, it had a greasy texture and it left me feeling that my skin wasn't washed properly. However, after a few minutes my skin did feel soft, but then it usually does with my regular facial cleanser. I will persevere with it, but I think I will most probably not use it for much longer. It retails around £3 in Boots, Superdrug and Wilkos.

Rachel xx

*PR sample as part of a subscription box I was sent for review.

My MAC Lipstick Collection

Make-up Art Cosmetics (MAC) was founded in Canada in 1984 by make-up artist and photographer Frank Toskan and Frank Angelo who owned a salon and is now the world's leading professional make-up authority due to celebrating diversity and individuality. Aimed at all races, ages and sexes MAC regularly updates their collection and launches collaborations with celebrities like Rhianna, Ariana Grande and Brooke Shields. I was 16 years old when I first discovered MAC and I remember walking into a beauty hall and being amazed by all the colours. It was then I become seriously interested in make-up. Although I wasn't able to purchase anything, I knew that one day I would return with plenty of pennies in tow.

And so I did...

The great thing I like about MAC lipsticks is the quality and application; what I don't like is the price. The cheapest lipsticks are a whopping £15.50 and that is ALOT of money to fork out on. My collection has built up over time. If you read other beauty blogs, especially by make-up artists and models, they recommend throwing out products that are over a year old. I don't; and I'm not afraid to admit it. They're only used on me, but I do always throw out old foundation as this can cause spots and skin irritation, which is not healthy.

As you can see, I have quite a few lipsticks and at present I don't intend on getting anymore...I probably have enough to last a life time!

Rachel xx

Bodymonth Beauty Subscription Box*

When the founder of Bodymonth contacted me to ask if I would like to review their October box, I was a bit dubious as I haven't blogged in ages and I thought it was a scam. I quickly Googled for Bodymonth and was delighted to find that the company was real and actually sounded rather good.
Here's what they say on their website...

‘At BodyMonth, we are body-care experts and addicts driven by our passion for high-quality beauty boxes, products, and delightful service. We recognize that our members are body-care enthusiastic looking for great beauty subscription boxes that would work for their specific needs and tastes, but do not have enough time, access or resources to try out and experience all that is available’.

So basically, Bodymonth is a monthly body care and beauty box subscription service (for both women AND men) where you receive daily essentials that allows you to try products that you may not have used before. Well known brands are included such as Dove, Veet, Baylis and Harding and L'oreal to name a few.

Every month you are able to receive new body care products under these categories:

- Electric Facial Brush

- Face mask

- Face wash

- Shampoo

- Body wash

- Moisturiser

- Deodorant

- Body puff

- Hair removal/shaver

- Free gifts/samples (I received a box of Milk Tray and sample perfumes).

Before signing up you are asked five questions in order for your box to be tailored to you; gender, age, skin type, hair removal and choices of bath/shower gel or both. Prices start at £18 a month or £54 for three months and six months for £105.

You can sign up by visiting bodymonth.co.uk

Rachel xx

*PR sample

Jo Malone | Mimosa and Cardamom Cologne

On my last big shopping trip which was in Bristol, my friends decided to pop my Harvey Nichols cherry and take me inside. O my, everything was quite expensive. Although the clothing and shoes were very nice, they were way out of my price range. I tried on a pair of black patent Louboutins (to see what all the fuss was about), but honestly, they were nothing special and at £425 I soon discovered they were extremely painful to wear. I sat down on the really expensive chairs to catch my breath, and the Jo Malone selection of colognes caught my eye that were on the display table. I'd been to Jo Malone in Cardiff before but never had smelt this one. Mimosa and Cardamom was released in the September last year. I spritzed myself with it and left to join the others. The scent lingered for absolutely ages and the girls were asking me what it was. For the two days in Bristol I kept wondering if I should treat myself to it, but seeing as though I was Christmas shopping I didn't, (I was being good).
This cologne is listed with the florals on the Jo Malone site, with mimosa as a heart note which adds a honeyed and warm floral character with cardamom as the top note with a hint of lemon. To complete this gorgeous scent is the base note of tonka beans that add accents of vanilla and aromatic tobacco which brings together a richness which is quite different from scents I normally go for.
I was luckily enough to receive this as a Christmas present after weeks of dropping hints. This is the 30ml size (£42) and is ideal to keep in my handbag. I use it every day and I've hardly made a dent in it, which is good considering it's rather expensive for the amount you get. The 100ml costs £85, but I do like to purchase smaller sizes as I like to change what I wear quite often.

Rachel xx

No7 Lift and Luminate Triple Action Serum*

Last Wednesday No7 launched a brand new product to their every expanding range of anti-ageing serums. Before it was even announced what the product was, eager lovers of skincare were signing up on the Boots website to hear first hand all about it. This serum is part of the Lift and Luminate range and clinically proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, leaving skin with the feeling of being firm and evening out skin tone. The age guide is 45-60, but any age can use it. Like with the Protect and Perfect Intense Advanced serum which I talked about here, the new launch contains No7's breakthrough ingredient of Matrixyl 3000 Plus. This is crucial in supporting the skin's elastic fibres to help give it a more youthful 'bounce'. Hyaluronic Acid and Hibiscus Extract help to improve and support collagen to maintain your skin's firmness with Vitamin C to combat uneven pigmentation.
Ok, that's the leaflet and No7 advisor details, but what is it actually like? Well firstly it smells quite pleasant. A light fragrance that does fade once rubbed in, so not a lingering scent which I prefer. It's a light consistency and absorbs really quickly into the skin. I do tend to let it 'set' by then cleaning my teeth prior to applying my moisturiser, but that's just me. Practicality with my everyday make up, I haven't had a problem with it. In fact, I feel my foundation sits better than with the Protect and Perfect Intense Advanced, and my skin did feel smoother, which it claims to do after the first application.
Results are supposed to be noticed after 2 weeks of continual use, both day and night. It comes in two sizes 30ml (£27) and 50ml (£34.95) and is available right now on a 3 for 2. It's worth noting that if you spend more that £4 in Boots you get given a £5 voucher to spend on any the serums.
I will continue to use this, and I'm most looking forward to this time next year when it will be interesting to see what the long term results are.

Rachel xx

*PR Product - All opinions are my own

Essence | Express Dry Spray

You've just painted your nails, you're ready to go out, but bloody hell, you've just caught a nail and the polish has smudged. Pain in the arse right? Best thing I use to avoid this is Express Dry Spray by Essence. To be honest, it's the only spray I've ever tried and I've actually repurchased it 3 times. For me it works well, it's cheap (£2.50) and it smells nice.
You use it by simply waiting 30 seconds for your polish to dry and hold the can roughly about 30cm from your fingers and spray. I tend to hold the nozzle down and move from side to side over the nails. It works by basically accelerating the drying time of the polish (and glue if using nail art) to the nail bed while also providing extra shine.
And that's it really...a short and sweet post about a super quick product that I've come to love. It's available from Wilkos on the highstreet at £2.50 for 50ml.
Any alternatives you've tried?

Rachel xx

No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Advanced Serum*

Anti-ageing is big business. There isn't a month that goes by where there isn't a new miracle cream or treatment that has come onto the market. It's hard to find the right one that works and actually suits your skin type. One that I keep going back to is the Intense Advanced Serum from the Protect and Perfect line by No7 at Boots. The serum is the UK's first to be clinically proven to deliver anti-wrinkle results that improve over time, when used regularly. This was relaunched last May with a big campaign and a lot of coverage in the media. The serum has been around for the past decade but has now extended its formulation for the ages of 30-45. The consistency is very light and absorbs quickly into the skin. It tackles the 3 main problems of ageing; fine lines, deep lines and crows feet with target ingredients such as Matrixyl 3000 Plus that helps restore the skins' youthful appearance. Trials were conducted over 12 months on 182 women with positive results. I actually ran out a few months ago and didn't repurchase for a while and noticed the difference. I soon went back to it. 

Sizes come in 30ml (£24.95) and 50ml (£32.95) and is currently on offer with a 3 for 2.

The serum is also available for the 20-35 age group called Protect and Perfect Advanced.

Rachel xx

*PR sample

Back To Blogging and Update

Hello everyone. I have been absent from my little corner of the internet for quite some time; 9 months in fact. Although I wasn't posting any content myself, I've still been reading my favourite blogs and keeping up to date on YouTube. I just felt that I had somehow lost my spark for it and I didn't want to just write posts for the sake of getting content up.

Also in my personal life I had just finished my Specialist Practitioner Qualification in district nursing and although that had been over the course of 2 years, I felt like I never wanted to go near a computer again! It was just nice to enjoy coming home from work and not having to think about picking up a book or nursing journal to use for an assignment. I enjoyed the summer, with my family in the evening and on my days off, and then came the autumn with winter quickly after it. Time just escaped me and before I knew it the new year was here and I hadn't felt like blogging. Until now...

I have decided that I'm just going to post content when I feel like it. I really admire the bloggers who have set days where they post, but I just can't commit to that. I'm a mother to a 5 1/2 year old girl, I'm a wife, I work full time and I have a house to run. I also don't have an overflowing bank account that allows me to buy lots of new products on the market to write about. So I'll just go with flow for now and blog whenever I get the urge!

I'm still quite active on Instagram (heartoceansecrets) and I'd love you to come say hi. I'm just getting back into Twitter (rachel80jones) so bear with me on that! Thanks to my followers who have stayed with me with the occasional tweet/email/insta asking how I am.

See you all real soon

Rachel xx

image from stocksnap