Ultimo Concession Launch in House of Fraser (Event)

I love lingerie like many women out there but it can be really difficult to find one that you love which also feels comfortable. I am not even going to start airing all my woes on finding bras on here but perhaps, I will save it for another post. I am not sure where/when exactly I came across the Ultimo Lingerie Brand but I was drawn in by their lovely designs.  You can imagine my delight when I was asked last week to celebrate  the launch of Ultimo's latest high profile concession situated in House of Fraser  in Oxford Street and  look at the new Ultimo A/W 15 Collection in House of Fraser.





Of course, I was delighted to attend and I can't imagine anyone declining such an invitation. They also kindly offered to chauffeur me to the venue but I had a few things to sort out before the event so I had to find my way there via the Tube. I always love to shop on Oxford Street on Thursday evenings because that's when they shops stay open till 9pm and the lights make everything look so pretty. As expected, House of Fraser was bubbling with customers and I found my way to the third floor which is where the lingerie department is located.





The Ultimo Concession is situated in a prime location just on the left once you get into the Lingerie Department. I was warmly welcomed by the brand rep with a glass of champagne and of course, macaroons- my favourite snacks. I was also shown the Ultimo A/W 15 collection which, according to Ultimo, has been designed to tempt and tease the darker side of every woman's desires.  They have a really wide range of designs including the One Orla Bra, OMG Zoe Bra, One Janey Bra, the OMG Jasmine Bra, the Black Label Vivian Bra, the Darcey Demi Bra, etc. The entire collection can be found here.




They also released a couple of accessories (I know that sounds very risqué but stay with me)  including their Lace Cover Up (my absolute fav) and the Harness.  Everything looked simply stunning, feminine and I loved that there was something for everyone. I can't imagine any lingerie style they don't have because everything seemed available from Bridal Lingerie to Slips. The best part for was that the bras do go up to G cups which I think is fantastic. If you have fuller busts or cup sizes, they have you covered as they stock DD, E, F, FF and even G cup sizes in some of their designs.




I don't know about you but I find that bras for ladies with bigger busts are not always very pretty but I was delighted that they still maintained the designs for bigger bust ladies. I was allowed to pick a designed I fancied for a photo/style challenge (and to take home with me as well). I thought it was such a fun thing to do and very different to any event I have been to so far. The PR ladies were very helpful and we (I and the other bloggers) were free to pick the outfits we wanted to style with our Ultimo picks.






There was also a professional photographer and a proper mini studio set up for us to take out shots. I chose the Ultimo OMG Jasmine Bra* and the matching Ultimo Jasmine Shorts* which were my favourite from the entire A/W 15 Collection. I also chose the Ultimo Lace Cover Up* which I absolutely love.  I am not one to always show cleavage and when I am  brave enough to do so,  I want a nice cover up which still looks sexy and feminine. The Lace Cover Up just ticks all the boxes for me.

For my Photo shoot Style Challenge, I decided to go for a more sophisticated and classy look with a little twist using the Ultimo Lace Cover Up. I chose a Mango Check Suit Blazer,  paired it with the Whistles Ava Slim Leg Trousers and a pair of Dune Alina Pointed Mid Heel Court Shoes. I loved my outfit and I tried to look serious in the shoot (I must have been a pain to photograph....hehehe). I really did enjoy myself and I loved the overall look and photos.







One highlight of the event was seeing the amazing illustrator Alison Hansen bring some of the Ultimo A/W 15 designs to live via her illustrations. It was so inspiring watching her illustrate these designs and she kindly illustrated my OMG Jasmine Set I chose. I love it so much and I plan to put it in a little frame.. I was kindly gifted with the OMG Jasmine set*, the Ultimo Lace Cover Up* and the Ultimo Body Harness*. I can't wait to try all of them although I have tried out the Ultimo Lace Cover Up which makes all my low cut/cleavage showing tops , I could not wear to work,  more wearable now.




Ultimo Consumer Event on 10th September 2015 in House of Fraser, Oxford Street London
The best part is everyone has a chance to experience an amazing Ultimo shopping event. If you are in London or you fancy coming to London for a shopping spree, then you are in luck for a lovely time. Ultimo is hosting a consumer event tomorrow 10th September 2015 by 7pm in House of Fraser Oxford Street, London.  Fashion Expert Grace Woodward (her work can be seen on X Factor and Britain's Next Top Model) and Celebrity Stylist Frank Strachan (who has styled Jessie J and The Saturdays) will be answering questions live on stage. The best part is guests will be treated to Champagne, 20% off all purchases of £35 and a gift with purchase. I think it would be a great shopping experience and if you are around the area, it would be lovely to pop by. You can also follow the Ultimo on their Instagram and Twitter for future event details and offers.

Overall Thoughts
I always feel very lucky to attend events that are so lovely. I don't think I have attended any lingerie event and I really enjoyed this one because it felt so intimate and personal.. A big thanks to Ultimo, House of Fraser and Instinct PR for inviting me for such a lovely time and sending me away with such beautiful lingerie. Have you tried any lingerie from Ultimo?
*PR Sample + Affiliate Links used, read my full disclaimer here.

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Review

I was invited last month to the #DiscoverVichy Event where beauty experts were available for us to talk to and learn beauty tips from. It was also an opportunity for Vichy to showcase some of their new products  including the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep*. I was kindly given a nice little tub to take home with me to try out and I was excited as I heard good things about it. I have used it for almost one month and I feel like I can share my experience with you all. As you all know, I love Vichy products and I only started using them this year but I can condidently say they are one of my favourite French skincare brand. The Vichy Idealia range is also one I really like having already tried the Vichy Idealia Life Serum*.

Packaging

I am sure I don't need to say this again but Vichy packaging is so lovely and they do remind me of some high end brands especially Lancome which I also love. The Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep comes in a lovely pink glass tub with a reflective lid. You can tell that it is made from really good material and it sits so pretty on my dresser. Inside the tub, you get 50 ml of product which lasts for a really long time. Although I have used mine consistently for almost a month, I have hardly made any dent and I still have a lot left.

Texture/Fragrance

I think what I love best about the Idealia Skin Sleep is the texture which Vichy describe as a Gel-Balm texture. It feel so creamy and silky to touch and it has the same feeling when it is applied on the skin. The only way I can think of describing it (which does not make sense, mind you) is the texture of whipped yoghurt. It definitely has to be the silkiest night cream I have ever used. It has a slight fragrance which I like as you know I love fragrances in products and I am super lucky they don't irritate me.  It feels really moisturising once it hits the skin and the moisturising effect lasts all night. It is quite a rich cream and I can see why it is designed as a night cream. It really does pack the punch when it comes to keeping the skin moisturised and hydrated.

What does Vichy say?

Vichy describe the Idealia Skin Sleep as Vichy's first night cream that recreates the look of a good night's sleep. Now, I was very curious about this claim because I have actually never tried anything with such claims. I don't know about you but sometimes I don't get a good night's rest for various reasons. Earlier last month, I made some changes to my sleeping habit and my skin thanked me for it. However, I have somehow slipped back into my old ways of sleeping late and some recent personal circumstances have even made sleeping early almost impossible. For this reason, I was delighted to try this and see how it fares on my skin. According to Vichy, the Idealia Skin Sleep  has been formulated for those who suffer from poor sleep and are concerned about the tell-tale signs including "grey" skin, a tired look and a rough dull complexion. If you have suffered from poor sleep, these tell-tale signs will not be new to you. For me, I usually have a rough and dull complexion and sometimes I even get breakouts which is always sad coupled with my eyes looking super tired.

Ingredients

 The first thing I always do when I am trying a new product (especially skincare) is to check the active ingredients to see if the company's claim has any backing. I also want to know what's getting on to my skin because I only have one skin and I am committed to taking care of it as well as I can including lifestyle changes (not just products). To back up these claims, Vichy has quite an impressive round of ingredients incorporated in the Idealia Skin Sleep. It is enriched with Glycrryhizic  acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Caffeine, LHA amongst other ingredients. It is also formulated with the popular Vichy Thermal Spa Water which is incorporated in majority of their Vichy products. Glycrryhizic acid is derived from Licorice and it helps enhance the appearance of dry or damaged skin by reducing flakiness and restoring supplement. I am sure everyone knows what Caffeine and it has many uses on the skin. It has anti-oxidant properties and helps improve the appearance of the skin in terms of its smoothness. LHA is a derivative of Salicylic acid which is a BHA known for its exfoliating properties. Last but not least is Hyaluronic Acid which helps stimulate cell regeneration, hydrates and plumps the skin and the presence of Glycrryhizic acid preserves the integrity of the Hyaluronic Acid. I thought the ingredients line up was pretty impressive and I was very keen to see what effect they had on my skin and if the Skin Sleep lived up to its claims and my expectations.

My Experience

As mentioned earlier, I used the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep consistently for almost a month and it was used every night as it is a night cream. It goes in right after my serum (Vichy Idealia Life Serum* or the Vichy Aqualia Thermal Serum*) and sometimes, I top it off with my Balance Me Radiance Face Oil*. Most times, I use it on its own because I want to see its full effect. The first thing I noticed was it gets absorbed really well despite its slightly thick texture. You can still feel its presence on the skin but it is not in an uncomfortable way. My skin always feels immediately moisturised and hydrated. I also noticed that there was a glow and slight radiance after application. It is such a comfortable cream to use and I feel it would be suitable for all skin types and I think people with dry skin will particularly love its hydrating and moisturising properties. I think the winning property of the Skin Sleep is the results in the morning which I absolutely love.


My skin feels quite radiant (the way it would look if I used an oil). There is an evident glow and my face , in general,  did look quite healthy. Now, I am in no way saying it is all down to the Skin Sleep but I do think it played a really good role. If you want to maintain your skin, you do have to take care of it from the inside including what you eat and also your mind which greatly affects the state of the skin. If you are feeling very stressed, it would show on your skin. However, if you do have some help on the outside in terms of using products such as the Vichy Skin Sleep, there would definitely be an improvement. I know I always say my skin feels smooth but that's one of the things I always wanted to have. When I had active acne, my face always had little bumps which were not pretty at all. Now that my skin feels so much smoother especially with the help of some skincare products, I do really appreciate it.

Cost// Link

It retails for £26.50 which is not particularly cheap as per a drug store product but I do think it has such high quality to warrant the price tag. As mentioned earlier, many Vichy products do remind me of Lancome products and I know they are both owned by the same company. If you have ever tried the Lancome Hydra Zen Nuit cream, you would totally understand what I mean. The Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep is so similar (in my opinion) although it feels slightly silkier and creamier than the Lancome version. The good thing is many online retailers like Dermacentre, Escentual and even Boots always run offers on Vichy and other French skincare brands so it is always a good time to stock up.

Overall Thoughts

Although the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep was sent to me, it is one I would purchase in a heartbeat. I love the way my skin responds to it and the way it leaves my skin radiant. I have tested quite a few products and I do appreciate products that deliver results that are evident. It is on the repurchase list already because I love it. While I do believe that nothing can truly mimic a good night's sleep like sleep itself, I think the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep does a good job at keeping my skin radiant in the morning when I have not had the best sleep. That's all folks!! Have you tried the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep?
*PR Sample + Affiliate Links used, read my full disclaimer here

Escentric Molecule 01 Fragrance Review

I am a big fan of fragrances and I just love to collect them and discover new ones. Most of the fragrances in my collection are quite predictable. I am attracted to any fragrance that has Fig, Woody notes, Musk, Tuberose, etc and I love floral scents every now and then. Okay, I just love many notes but I won't classify myself as a complete Citrus fragrance girl but I do love some of them. However, the newest fragrance in my collection is nothing like any fragrance I own and I am enthralled by it. It's none other than the Escentric Molecule 01* which is more like a pheromone as opposed to a regular perfume which is why it is so unique. I have heard so much about this fragrance especially in the past two years so I was delighted to be sent one to try. I thought it was time to share my thoughts on it having tried it out for a while now.



Brand Overview
The Escentric Molecule perfumes were created by Berlin Based Perfumer- Geza Schoen who has many years experience in the perfume world gained in various cities including London, Paris and different countries such as Argentina and Singapore. He has also worked with many brands and helped create various perfumes for them. He came across Iso E (the main ingredient in the Escentric Molecule Scents) which is used in many perfumes and decided to isolate and utilise it as a main ingredient of a fragrance. According to Geza, he was fed up of having to combine various molecules to create a fragrance and wanted to try something new and that's how the Escentric Molecule Fragrances were created. There are a couple of variations to the Escentric Molecule perfumes including Molecule 01, 02 and 03. The one I have is the Escentric Molecule 01.



Packaging
Everything about this fragrance down to the packaging is rather unique and quite simple if I might add. The outer packaging comes in a regular box like any other fragrance but it has illustrations of the Molecule 1 all round it which gives it an abstract look. The Chemistry girl in me was busy trying to work out how exactly the molecules work together and how other molecules could get attached because I am a silly nerd like that (I could not work out anything though!!!). The bottle I received contain 100 ml of fragrance which is standard for many fragrances. I believe it also comes in a 30 ml version which I would be purchasing because it comes in a refill so it would be super handy to travel with. The bottle has similar illustrations as the outer package. It is a clear bottle so you can see how much product you have left and it does not have a lid. At first, I thought it must have fallen out of the package but truly it does not come with any lid at all. I found that really interesting because I have never had any fragrance without one. This may make it slightly difficult to travel with although I think they do sell  colourful aluminium travel cases for this fragrance which you have to buy separately. I really do like how unique it is and I guess that makes people want it even more.


Ingredients
I think the unique thing about this fragrance is that it is made from only one molecule which is known as Iso E in the perfume world. It contains 65% Iso E in addition to other ingredients including Pink Pepper and Lime. This unique quality made me really want to try this fragrance and understand how exactly it works. Now, it is aimed at creating more of an effect on others as opposed to yourself. With this in my mind, I feel it is one fragrance that you either love, hate or are just meh about. Thankfully, I fall into the camp of loving it and I am glad about it.

Notes
Now this is where things get interesting as there are no notes to talk about. I could not detect any notes whether top, base or heart note.  It's not much of a surprise per say because it is essential made from a single molecule.  However, I did notice a slight sharp woody/cedar-like fragrance which disappeared quite quickly. The unique selling point of this fragrance is that it reacts with everyone's body chemistry in a different way. This is why it is very hard for me to describe what kind of fragrance it is. I can only talk about my experience with it.


My Experience
I was very excited as I have mentioned many times to finally get to try it after reading quite a few rave reviews. The first time I sprayed it on around my pulse points, I noticed a slight woody scent which felt a little sharp when I first used it. However, it quickly disappeared and I was like "erm, I am pretty sure I used this fragrance a short while ago". It does seem to disappear completely after a short while when you spray it and I could hardly smell it on me. I was a little taken aback and decided to top it up again. I didn't realise that it is designed more on the effect it had on other people and not you in particular (although I did notice it in myself in my experience).  You can imagine my shock a few hours later when I was out and about that I detected a fragrance. I was thinking "oh I like this fragrance; I wonder if it is the lady beside me who has the amazing scent". When I got home, it was even more evident and I thought hang on a minute, could it possibly this fragrance that I sprayed ages ago which has finally come to live. Indeed it was!! I was so surprised and when I took off my clothes (yes, I did crazily spray some on my clothes), it was even stronger. I believe it took a while to get accustomed to my body chemistry and evoke such a lovely unique fragrance which I absolutely love. When I went to Scotland, I told the BF to try it and he said " it does not smell like anything and I can't even smell it on me". However, I love the way it smells on him which is totally different from how it smells on me. Different body chemistries you know!!

Cons
I already said earlier that it is a fragrance people either love, hate or feel meh about. I think the main reason would be having a good understanding on how the fragrance is meant to work. It does not have the best immediate silage but it does resurface after a while when you least expect. As a result, it may lead you to spray more and more leading to waste when all you need is a small amount on your pulse points.


Who is it for?
If you like fragrances that are very unique, a bit on the androgynous end, you would love this. However, if you like regular fragrances with notes you can recognise, this may not be the one for you. It is impossible to know if you would like it or not because it all depends on your body's chemistry which is why it is necessary to test it out in yourself first. The problem with that is it's mainly sold online although you can  pick it up from Liberty UK. I wear this on days when I want to feel really zen and different and on days when I know it would be humid or warm. The reason being that I feel it works best when my body is doing more work than normal (like when I am active).  If you are somewhat of a tom boy or have an androgynous inner side, this is one fragrance you should definitely try because I feel it is perfectly unisex.


Cost// £65
Every unique product usually comes with a hefty price tag and the Escentric Molecule 01 is no exception. It retails for £65 for a 100 ml bottle and £27 for a 30 ml bottle. I already mentioned I was sent the 100 ml bottle but I will purchase the 30 ml refillable bottle because I love the fragrance. It's so ideal for my handbag and I know I may use the bottle when the fragrance runs out. If you are not sure, if you would like this fragrance or not, it's always best to try out the 30 ml  version at least you would have a cute bottle to decant the bigger size into if you love it and repurchase it. You can purchase it from Cult Beauty and Liberty and other retailers but those are the ones I know. I think they may be shipping restrictions in place if you are ordering from outside the UK.


Overall Thoughts
I really like this fragrance from the packaging down to its unique properties. I know it is not for everyone but it is one I have enjoyed. I don't wear it everyday but I reach for it on days when I feel like smelling totally different.. It does remind me of an androgynous fragrance which may be why I am loving it as all my other fragrances are very feminine and this is one that stands out among my entire perfume collection. That's it folks!! Have you tried the Escentric Molecule perfumes?
*PR Sample + Affiliate Link used, read my full disclaimer here.