£15 off at Space NK!

space nk favourites beauty products flatlay

Space NK are running their brilliant £15 “try something new” discount again*, which means it’s a great time to do your stocking up if you’re running out of your favourite products. Or, if you’re particularly organised, a good time to do a bit of Christmas shopping! Space NK are giving every shopper £15 off when they spend £60 or more – just use the voucher code EXPLORE30 here.

The idea is that you use your £15 saving to explore different brands and discover something new, so I’ve done some quickfire reviews of new and interesting things just to whet your appetites. (Lies: a couple of the products are old favourites. But equally as interesting.)

space nk favourites beauty products flatlay

Kicking off with some skincare, the fresh-as-water Hydraskin serum from Darphin. A recent discovery, this lightweight serum feels cooling and soothing and really helps to boost moisture if you’re feeling dehydrated in the facial department. It’s £43 .

OM is a new brand on my radar – I haven’t had a good go with the whole range yet, but it all looks and feels delicious. The Revitalising Beauty Booster is a gorgeous little bottle of antioxidant goodness – a few drops can be massaged neat into the face or mixed with moisturiser. I think this could be a great travel product for frequent flyers and those who repeatedly burn the candle at both ends! It’s £22.50 .

Omorovicza’s Elemental Emulsion is an old favourite – so wonderfully light but so incredibly hydrating. If you’ve got oily skin but want something rich and decadent that won’t feel greasy on the skin then this is it. Ditto if you’re on the dry side and want a moisture boost to layer on before your thicker cream… The price makes me want to weep, but if you’re in the market for a luxury skincare buy then this is a top choice. It’s £90.

Read my original review of Omorovicza’s Elemental Emulsion…

space nk favourites beauty products flatlay

Diptyque Baies: where has THIS been all of my life? How have I reached thirty-five (thirty-six next month but let’s brush that under the carpet) and not ever burnt a Baies candle in my house? This smells like being trapped in an underground fairy grotto – there’s something of the woodland about it, fresh and green, but it’s also rich with berries. Difficult to describe, just know that you need this scent in your world. Candles start at £20 for the small size

Christophe Robin’s Volumising shampoo and conditioner with rose extracts have become my top hair treats. They seem to add bounce and life back into my hair when it’s limp and flat and the smell when I use them is so beautiful that it’s like a little uplifting mood boost. I’ll admit that the prices are extremely steep (I seem to have done a bit of a fantasy shopping session on this page I’m afraid!) but – again – if you’re after something decadent and take your haircare very seriously, this is a great brand. Find it online

Another brand that seems to be making waves (ha!) on the hair scene: Ouai. Now look; I don’t love the Ouai shampoo and conditioner quite as much as the Christophe Robin, but it is, price aside (another wince-inducing £20+ tag) very effective and, long-term, my hair does feel better and stronger after a stint with the “Smooth” range. I have the “Clean” products to test out (shampoo pictured above) and I’ll report back on those – I do like a thorough, non-stripping shampoo – but you can browse the entire Ouai offering

Vinyl Couture Mascara and the Easiest Blue Eyes

ruth crilly beauty blog

Here’s an easy way to wear blue around the eyes without looking like a five year old in a beauty pageant: a few coats of mascara wiggled right into the roots of the lashes, top and bottom, so that there’s almost a haze of colour defining the eye. It looks great on an otherwise quite neutral face – good base, touch of complexion enhancer or light bronzer, brows groomed with a brow gel – or, if you’re on holiday, it looks really striking against sunkissed skin.

YSL Mascara Vinyl Couture Review

YSL Beauté have launched a new line of mascaras called Vinyl Couture, with a jet-black lash lacquer (I’ll try and use that in a video soon) and a range of top-coats and coloured mascaras in the most vibrant shades. Some coloured mascaras tend to act more like tints, and they only really show up in a certain light. My favourite blue before the Vinyl Couture, which was, incidentally, an older YSL one, looked amazing on the wand but wasn’t quite so noticeable on the lashes. The new Vinyl Couture in 05 looks just as intense in real life as it does in the tube – no chalkiness, no fading. It’s really rather zappy.

Zappy! Good God. I’ll be saying trendy next.

ruth crilly eye

NYFW Best Hairstyle Trends, Spring/Summer 2014: Free-Flowing Beachy Waves, Low Ponytail Chignon, Up-Styled Textured Knots

It’s all about the hair! NYFW showed us some amazing hairstyles to try this upcoming Spring/Summer 2014 season. We saw lots of free-flowing “bourgeoisie boho” waves at the Trina Turk show, along with a low ponytail wrapped chignon at Desigual inspired by European chic. Read on to see what other styles you’ll be wearing soon and […]