Author Archives: netnoise

I have been busy shooting the annual Christmas Candle Video (out on Monday) and, once again, the Deep Sleep Heavenly Candle from This Works has emerged as one of my favourites. It has the most incredible scent – lavender, but not as you know it, more a dark and sexed-up version with quite a masculine edge. This isn’t “frolicking in a field in Provence” lavender; this lavender has been hanging out at some seedy jazz club in Soho and has rolled back in at four in the morning. Mellow, lipstick on its collar, ready to chill.

(What an earth? Someone please put a stop to my weird fragrance imaginings!)

The Deep Sleep Heavenly Candle is simply one of the best luxury home fragrancing options out there – truly effective in the “relax and sleep” department, an absolutely knockout scent and it doesn’t cost the earth. In fact, at £25 for 220g, it’s almost half the price of Diptyque. It’s sold out in most places (surely another great sign!) but you can still get it at This Works online. If you felt like properly splashing out then it’s part of the amazing Perchance to Dream gift set, which includes pillow spray, Dream Cream and  bath soak as well as the candle. That costs £65 here.

Browse the Christmas Gift Guides…

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Brain like a sieve: I forgot to put the budget face masks in the Affordable Skincare Routine post and also, more importantly, I completely omitted to tell you that I had made a video to go alongside it!

If you read the main post, you’ll see that I’m doing a huge clearout in my beauty room, ready for house renovations to begin (*weeps*) and I am trying to film little videos along the way. There are boxes with notes taped to them dated from 2013, 2012 – even 2011! – with video ideas and lists of products to be included. Shameful. Some of the stuff (especially the more natural and organic) had mould growing inside. Some stuff smelt of old wee. I have chucked those things, obviously, but where they received a glowing report on my list, I have made an effort to replenish stocks so that I can finally get the filming done. So, plenty more vids to come, and not just skincare.

So here are the masks that I picked out from my box of budget beauty finds. If the photo above looks familiar, it’s because I did an almost identical post last year and have only just realised. At least I’m consistent! Here’s the older post:

Affordable Face Masks for Deep Cleansing Your Skin. 

Oh dear. Rather than repeat myself, I think it’s best if you click the link above to read about the Visibly Clear 2-in-1, the 5 Minute Thermal Detox and the Liz Earle mask, but I do have a new addition to the mix, which is the Bioderma Hydrabio Moisturising Mask (£14.50 here). It’s a gentle, creamy mask that feels soothing and gives a bit of an extra moisture boost. I’ve been applying it in quite a thick layer, and then tissuing it off after about half an hour. Which is probably against all of the rules on the box, but I didn’t read the instructions and then the dog ate the packaging! I must say that I find it difficult to gauge results with moisturising masks; with a deep cleanse or renewing mask you can see a visible difference and feel a new smoothness or freshness but with hydration it’s hard to tell whether or not you’re any better off than just slathering on a good moisturiser! I must do more research on them, now that my skin seems to be getting drier and drier (hello new phase of pregnancy skin!) – there’s a new one from Suqqu that’s absolutely bloody AMAZING, but definitely not in the affordable category. Watch this space.

*Update: I almost forgot to put the video in, AGAIN! Here it is – for all of the product details, remember to click back to the main Affordable Skin Care post.

The post The Budget Face Masks I Forgot to Post… appeared first on A Model Recommends.

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September marks the first birthday of the Lookfantastic #LFBeautyBox, so they’ve created a special box to mark the occasion – and what a box it is! The Lookfantastic Beauty Box is only £15, and their box is unique to other beauty boxes as there are no subscription contracts involved; you simply buy the boxes as and when you want them, which is such a good idea as you can wait to see what treats are inside before parting with your money, so you know what you’re getting. If you like the element of surprise with your beauty box, you can order the box as soon as it launches on the 1st of the month so you still have a surprise…

The first item in the box is a 30ml bottle of the Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash (worth £3.50) which is a 2 in 1 rinse-off cleanser and exfoliator for all skin types. It is suitable for all skin types and effectively removes dirt and makeup, whilst gently exfoliating the skin. I’m not a fan of foaming facial skincare products as they’re quite drying, but I’m definitely going to give this one a try as it contains skin softening ingredients which I hope would minimise any dryness. This is a nice and generous size that I imagine would give a fair few applications. Continue reading →