NOTD - Bourjois So Lacque! in Orange Creation

You might have noticed I've had a bit of a break in December!  Things just got really busy with work and Christmas so I gave myself a bit of time off.  Hope you had a great Christmas and Mr Claus was good to you.

Anyway, I got a very random hankering for glossy, bright orange nails so I treated myself to a Bourjois nail varnish.  I don't really buy much from Bourjois, not sure why, it just never appeals to me that much.  So here we have it:

I also used Orly Bonder as a basecoat which I got as part of my Boots Advent Calendar and I really liked it! I topped this with Seche Vite too for a bit of extra shine.

Weleda goes crackers this Christmas!

I was sent this and I just think it's such a fab stocking filler, especially when Skin Food is such a fab winter product!  It comes in gorgeous cracker packaging which you open up to reveal.....

I love Weleda Skin Food, it's so nourishing and moisturising, especially when your skin's suffering from that annoying mix of central heating and cold weather outside!  Available from £3.50 from Weleda , it comes in a range of other products too.

Environ Active Vitamin Facial at Harvey Nichols, Manchester

Last weekend I was lucky enough to visit Harvey Nichols in Manchester for an Environ facial.  Environ is a cosmeceutical company developed by a South African plastic surgeon which fuses traditional beauty therapy and modern medical science.

First of all I had a really in depth consultation to get an idea about my skins condition and what my needs were.  My therapist was called Mary by the way, she was absolutely great, that perfect mix of professional, knowledgeable and friendly.  Another part of the consultation is taking really close up photos in this futuristic looking machine:

The photos are a real eye opener and highlights where there are signs of ageing, bacteria on the skin and areas damage etc.  The biggest shock for me was the one that showed damage under the top layer of skin and also the "fast forward" which showed how my skin will be in 3 years time if it continues on the way it is.  From this, Mary recommended me various products which I'll review later once I've tried them out properly - they include vitamin supplements as well as skincare as the principle behind Environ is to take care of inside and outside.

Back to the facial - this was easily the best, and most interesting, facial I've ever had.  It uses a combination of pulsed electrical currents and low frequency sound waves to boost the penetration of high-dosage anti-ageing and re-hydrating ingredients, including vitamin A and C, into your skin.  It's all pretty high tech and I imagine I looked a bit like a science experiment during my facial!

It starts off as a normal facial where your skin is cleansed etc. and then a metal tool is used on your face (which I believe is the ultrasound/galvanic part) you sort of hear a little electrical sound when this goes near your face but it isn't uncomfortable or disturbing or anything.  After this, a thick, plasticised mask is applied over your entire face including your eyes and mouth - they can leave these parts out if you're claustrophobic - and then you're hooked up to a low electrical field (which you can't feel other than the occassional little twitch).  After which point the mask is peeled off in one go to leave you with dewy, fresh skin.

It doesn't sound relaxing at all but it really is and at one point I definitely fell asleep!  I just sorted of floated away out of the salon - I'd planned to do all sorts in town but I was far too chilled out so I just went home.  My skin felt amazing and looked fantastic, the ultimate evidence of this was that a couple of people at work commented on how good my skin was looking which NEVER happens.

The treatment rooms at Harvey Nichols were really relaxing and kind of high tech too.  As I mentioned, the girl who did my facial was really nice and very professional.  I would fully recommend this and I actually can't wait to book my next appointment, it was the first facial I've had that was relaxing and made a visible difference to my skin.  No wonder it has a celebrity following!

To make an appointment contact the Beyond Beauty counter at Harvey Nichols here.  You can also find Environ products at the counter too.

So, Aldi do beauty products?

Right, as a recent Aldi convert for my weekly shop (exciting insight there!), a few people at work have said they swear by some of Aldi's own beauty products.  As I can be a bit of a beauty snob at times I hadn't tried them until recently when I was sent some items to review.  None of them are branded as "Aldi's own" which I think is a good move as it means people are more likely to have them on display in their bathroom/on their dressing table.  So, on with the review!

The first thing I used was the Miracle Oil with Argan Oil - this is one of the exact products that one of my colleagues swears by - and I'm actually pretty impressed by it.  It's not in a squeeze, pump action or open neck bottle so you only get a tiny amount dispensed which is right and means that you don't add too much oil to your hair.  It doesn't smell really strongly or anything and actually feels really nourishing on you hair.  I'd happily buy this in future as it helps smooth down my damaged ends without totally weighing it down.

The Hand and Nail Cream is pretty good too, very nourishing without being greasy.  It absorbs quickly, comes in a squeeze tube and I think it's ideal for carrying in your bag or keeping in your desk at work.  It's a pretty good budget option.  It's not too heavily scented but I'm not wildly keen on the smell of it, but that's just me.

The Aqua Complete Serum is really light, absorbs well and feels great on the skin.  It's a decent enough everyday moisturiser that I'll happily use.

I've also got a moisturiser that I'm getting my boyfriend to test without revealing that it's an Aldi one (I normally buy him pretty high end moisturisers, bless him) - so far his feedback is that it's his favourite moisturiser and feels really good on his skin, albeit quite rich.  We'll see what his thoughts continue to be!