Teapigs Organic Matcha Green Tea

"No airs. No graces. Just fine tea..."

My Matcha Concoction - Vita Coco Tropical Coconut Water + Matcha

If you haven't heard of Teapigs already (where have you been?!) the brand was founded in 2006 when two self confessed tea addicts already working for a big tea company realised that with so many variations of tea there was just too many that wasn't getting the attention that they deserved. You can learn more about the Teapig story and meet the people behind the teas which has steadily grown and even includes Harvey the Teapig dog on their website - Teapigs.co.uk! Read on for a 15% off Matcha code...

Matcha Sample Pack

So what is Matcha? 

100% natural AND organic. Essentially it's Green Tea but not as we know it... just one serving of this super powerful organic green tea powder gives you the antioxidant boost that you would only get after drinking 15 cups of ordinary green tea! WOWZA! If you're like me then you probably struggle to try and drink the suggested 5-6 cups of ordinary green tea so I'm very excited to with the idea of tripling my goal with just one cup of Matcha!

Matcha Recipes 

The perks...

• Can boost metabolism for the day
• Mega high in antioxidants...1573 per gram as opposed to Goji Berries who flail behind at 253 according to the ORAC analysis
• Raises energy levels
• May protect your ticker from heart disease
• Voted best slimming and fitness product 2011 by 'Your Healthy Living' readers

Organic Matcha waiting to be mixed...

Discovering Organic Matcha was perfect timing for me - it's just over a month until my holiday so anything that might help me feel energised whilst giving me a massive antioxidant boost was always going to be much appreciated. I work out 3-5 times a week and i've started running more regularly on the build up to bikini season so I need all the energy I can get!

Yummy!

Just looking at a cup of this stuff makes me feel fresher and detoxed! I LOVE that you can add this powder to pretty much any of your favourite daily drinks for a boost... I decided to try my first cup of Matcha mixed in with Vita Coco's pure coconut water in the tropical flavour. I was kind of dubious as to how this might end up tasting but was pleasantly surprised! I actually really like the taste, very unusual but the green tea doesn't over power the tropical coconut juices just adds a bit of a grassy scent and taste to it. Tastes better than it sounds, you have to trust me on this one ;)

I also tried Matcha brewed for 2 minutes in hot water (see below) and like my ordinary green tea I found I enjoyed it both hot and cold... I always make a drink and barely have chance to drink it before it's gone cold. Check out my Vine recording after brewing a cup of Matcha in hot water here! Love seeing the green tea powder swirling around my cup :)

Matcha + Hot Water 

Did Matcha work for me?

After trying just one mug every morning for the past few days I can definitely feel a difference in how awake I feel throughout the day, I just feel like i've got my get-up-and-go in me and today I ran my best time and distance so far! This of course could just be my positive thinking pushing me through but there's no denying that Matcha is pretty unbeatable in the antioxidant department and I love green tea so this is just the natural next step up for me. I'm definitely going to try Matcha with lots of other things such as sprinkled on yoghurt or making a proper Matcha iced latte when I get a whisker to make it nice and frothy. Perfect for summer! 

Matcha Tea Storm!

 Teapigs sell Matcha in the following sizes:

1. 2 gram sample - £2.00 (£1 a cup)
2. 30 gram box - £25.00 (83p a cup)
3. 80 gram box - £50.00 (63p a cup)

You can find Matcha green tea powder in other places such as Holland & Barretts and it may be cheaper but I really love how passionate Teapigs are about tea and they really do put a lot of thought and effort into finding and choosing the finest quality organic Matcha. I absolutely love it and I can safely say Teapigs Organic Matcha has gained a new fan...

So what are you waiting for?! Why not join Teapigs and celebrate 'Matcha May'... Use discount code BLOGGERS12 to treat yourself to 15% off* and feel fresher and fitter in not time! P.S, don't forget to send me your recipes and/or pics of your favourite way of enjoying Matcha :)

*Code doesn't include gifts or already discounted items...

Guerlain Météorites Perles & Brush

I had to review one of my favourite Guerlain purchases... The Météorites Perles in Teint Beige 02

Pretty Perles...

The pretty pearls come in a gorgeous decorative tin and aim to subtly illuminate the complexion and allow your face to look radiant and fresh all day long. I've been looking for something to do just that to my lacklustre winter skin for a while now and after swatching in store I was sold. The pearls come in a variety of colours and each do their own little job to enhance and brighten your skin.

The Perles & Brush

I went for 02 as I found that the 01 version is a little too brightening and 03 was ore bronzing which I wasn't looking for. The pearls are also lightly scented with a lovely floral/violet scent that seems quite strong if you take a wiff straight from the tin, but trust me, once applied it's just a delicate scent that doesn't give you a headache. Also, don't be worried about the pink pearls making you look overly rosy - I don't suit rosy tones much so i was wary of this, but it didn't come out pink, at all!

Subtle Shimmer

I love the look of this product, it's so pretty sat on your makeup desk. 10/10 for being aesthetically pleasing! The brush is perfect for the pearls... and the only thing I use to apply them as I feel it picks up just enough product to give the desired illuminating effect without overdoing or vice versa. I tried it with my Bobbi Brown powder brush and it didn't seem to collect enough. I'm sure there's other brushes that will give the same effect but personally I love this one.

Swatched - lower picture shows once blended in a little. Applied thick for picture purposes...

I swatched the pearls on my finger tips by swirling them in the pot a few times so that you can actually see the product, as it's pretty much invisable if applied to the face with the powder brush on a camera. This isn't to say it won't show up - you can see it with the eye, and I think it's a good thing as it's just very subtle and sometimes you can go OTT with the shimmer/brightening products and end up looking sweaty or shiny - not a good look!

I would really recommend this product, it works and is a pleasure to use!

Aromatherapy Associates - Hydrating Rose Face Mask Review

Aromatherapy Associates Hydrating Rose Mask £36

I came across a 50ml tube of the hydrating rose face mask by Aromatherapy Associates in this month's issue of Red Magazine and it had to come home with me... In fact I got a bit carried away and bought two copies with the mask in them which essentially meant I had the full size for £8 instead of £36 for 100ml RRP and a free magazine - BARGAINOUS!

I was tempted to get the Rose Cleanser from the range instead of 2x masks but I've got so many to use up already and I just love a good face mask. So in all, you could get with the Rose Face Mask (50ml), Rose Cleanser (30ml) or the Rose Moisturiser (30ml), the latter being the most expensive at £54 for 100ml whilst the cleanser comes in at £24 for 200ml.

Clear water-like texture

I've never previously tried anything from AA before so I was pretty excited and this is the one product that I would have bought first if I'd have made a purchase beforehand. I've read lots of good reviews and seen it in a few magazines so my hopes were high indeed.

The texture of the mask is very liquid-y  and almost turns to water open applying. Nothing wrong with this, I quite liked it. Like water also it's transparent completely which was one of the key features for me as it was a big contender for my in-flight pamper session that i've got planned. It spreads easily and you don't need much to cover the entire face. It looks very much like you've splashed your face with water once applied but this dries relatively quickly - around 3-5 minutes until it has disappeared and gone invisible - no shine or residue. To be honest it doesn't look or feel like you need to wash anything off! The only negative thing is that it leaves my face rather tight once applied and when washed off. Odd considering it is supposed to 'moisturising and renewing'... Having said that I did enjoy using it and my skin felt clean and toned with a subtle rosy scent lingering. The aroma for me is just right - I love rose scented products but if it's too strong they end up making me feel nauseous or give me a headache so a big thumbs up for getting the scent spot on.

Just applied - gone within 5 mins

Unfortunately i'd have to rate this mask 5/10 when i was almost sure it would have been an 8 at least, it sounded perfect. The main point was that it was supposed to be moisturising and I really felt like this made little or no difference to my moisture levels but it was a pleasure to use and did sooth my face.

Seafolly Festival Bikini S/S13

Bikini Brights

I've become totally obsessed with swimwear this year and already have perhaps too many to consider taking away with me but it doesn't stop me lusting over this Seafolly bikini from their s/s13 collection. It's like nothing I own or have have ever owned, I love the bright clash of contrasting colours and to me this just screams that it wants to be my Miami bikini as it makes me think of the neon lights you see on on the art deco buildings around South Beach. 

I usually stick to safe pastels or just plain bikini's but I think it's time that I experimented with colour a bit more ;) 

Seafolly Festival Triangle Top £39.50

I love the first two pictures of the official Seafolly model in the bikini, it definitely better on tanned skin...

Seafolly Festival Hipster Pants £39.00 

Classic Triangle VS Booster Bandeau Style (bandeau £59.00)

Quick question: would you go for the triangle or booster bandeau bikini top? I can't decide if the bandeau style looks a bit big and I'm not exactly big in the boobage dept :P

They were pretty hard to find, and most websites only stock one or two of the range instead of the whole lot - there are quite a few variations in the bottoms and tops not to mention a maxi skirt and coverup, so i've listed a few places where you can find items from the range. 

• I recently discovered Odyssey Boutique located in Edinburgh stock the triangle top and hipster pant and are super friendly and helpful. 
• ASOS also stock the hipster pant and a halter bikini top, the latter i'm not so fond of. They currently have the skirt cover up too.
• Simply Beach have a good range of most the collection and some bigger cup sizes
• Last but not least, Figleaves have the hipster pant and bandeau top and usually have a discount floating around! 

Stila Smudge Sticks Review

Water Proof Eyeliner by Stila in Bluefin + Moray £13 each

I thought I would do a little review of my Stila eyeliners after tweeting about them yesterday with @GlamWhispers and @Irresistablyfly and getting quite a few responses from other fellow beauty junkies. If you haven't tried these eyeliners before, you haven't lived, they are really are THAT good! Check out the video below to see the staying power whilst i'm rubbing away my swatches...

I would go as far as to say they are my holy grail eyeliner - they are super pigmented and waterproof making them perfect for nights out or, dare I say it, long summer days and holidays abroad where humidity usually wreaks havoc with our makeup. These eyeliners literally don't want to budge once applied, if you rub them a few minutes after, they pretty much look the same as when applied, a bit of the shimmer may vanish but the pigment is barely impacted. They come off really easily with an oil based cleanser, like the DHC cleansing oil I got in a Glossy Box a while back.

With Flash 

Natural Lighting

I bought a pretty deep midnight blue (Bluefin) and a greeny olive shade (Moray) and although they are a little more expensive than the usual high street brand, they have been worth every penny, honestly. I love how intense the pigment is, you don't have to keep applying to build up, it's there straight away. The shimmer is one of the main things that drew me to this product; it's very shimmery but not child-like. It's sometimes hard to get that mix right, it's either too much or too little in the way of sparkle I find but this nails it as there is no fall out of glitter particles around the eye and it glimmers when caught by the light mainly, so there's no massive chunks of glitter mixed in. All very blended.

There's quite an array of shades to choose from, I might try a new one for summer... I'd love to hear your thoughts on this eyeliner too, what's your fave shade and have you found any other product to rival the pigment and staying power of Stila's Smudge Sticks?

P.S

I tweet loads of makeup stuff on Twitter, so if you're beauty bonkers too, come say hi and join the conversation! I'm @Brill_Brunette :)

Much Love

BB x

Naughty But Nice Swimwear

Sizzling Under The Sun In More Than One Way....

Last summer I was completely obsessed with the 'Mazzy' Bikini - it was born from the sporty fashion movement - the cut and colour was sporty yet sexy.... of course it was always going to be the latter, it's Agent Provocateur! 

This year is no different. I'm mentally lust listing most of A.P's swimwear for S/S13 and my faves are shown below. A girl can dream, right? 

I've made a little pact with myself. If I can stick to my current workout regime and be my fittest yet for summer by May, just before I go to Miami, then I can treat myself to one of these little numbers. Lets face it, if I can't keep up the hard work, there's no way me or anyone could get away with these pretties.

The Mazzys...

Awahhh! The Mazzy collection is TDF. I need to win the lottery/rob a bank, pronto.

Lyssandra Swimsuit £245

Swoon! I love the Lyssandra... Something totally retro glamour about it. Also want to covet the dark sandy blonde hair by summer. Mine has gone slightly lighter at the moment and warmer. Erghh.

Kristie Bikini £245

Love the side straps and detail on the Kristie set. Gorgeous from behind.

Kristie

The Mazzy Bikini's... Monochrome or Multicolour £195

My all time fave and most likely to end up in my luggage. I think I'd go for the monovhrome, it's a little more sophisticated and understated than the brights but you can never really go wrong with brights/neons in Miami can you? Decisions! Also praying that there's a sale or offer on by the time I've decided. Fffffat chance, I hear ya ;)

I'd love to hear what your fave is from the range, especially which colour Mazzy Bikini you'd go for girlies! 

Much love

xoxo

Chanel S/S13 Makeup - Printemps Preciéux Collection

Printemps Preciéux De Chanel

Spring Summer 2013 Make-Up 

I love the transition that takes place in my makeup bag during the run up to summer - I tend to opt for heavier products in winter such as Dior 'Forever' foundation as my complexion really takes a beating from the constant weather bashing and my signature winter look is a dark lip or smokey eyes. I love it at the time but I'm always glad to put it behind me for another season.

The Chanel Spring/Summer 2013 makeup is the complete opposite..."Precious pinks and rich plums awaken the vibrancy of Spring for lip and nail, with a fresh makeup palette inspired by Gabrielle Chanel’s codes of simplicity and sophistication." Chanel.com

Poudre Signée De Chanel - Illuminating Powder £46

 This really is the 'highlight' of the collection for me... Embossed with camelias, Chanel's iconic lipsticks and logo - it's one of the limited edition pieces of the collection and I can safely say it lives up to the hype that surrounds it. It's a sheer peachy highlighter with pink undertones I'd say which reflects the shimmer to create a gorgeous fresh luminosity on the face. Some girls might use this all over the face but I'll be using it purely as a highlighter on my cheek/brow bones etc as I have combination skin and I could end up looking too shiny. Not a good look!

This picture was taken with my iPhone and it shows the warmer tones in this product, it's just gorgeous... I'd recommend that you try and get your hands on this ASAP before it runs out which it is likely to do sooner rather than later. 

Rouge Allure Velvet - Luminous Matte Lipstick in La Favorite (no:43) £25

 I'm a massive fan of Chanel's velvet lippys - they don't feel as drying or lacklustre as most other matte lip products i've tried before. I had my heart set on the pink shade; L'eclatante (42) but after speaking with the assistant I opted for the coral lipstick. I've got quite a pale complexion with yellow undertones and this shade will really work my natural skin tone, not to mention look totally amazing when I go on holiday in summer! I've never worn bright colours much on my lips, so this is quite daring for me.

Les 4 Ombres - Quadra Eyeshadow in Raffinement (39) £37

This was more of an impulse buy - I hadn't set out in mind to buy any of the eyeshadows but when I swatched them inshore I was sold. I love a neutral bronzed smokey eye and this is just everything I love in one palette. This palette allows you to create matt, satin and intense metallic looks as Chanel's eyeshadows are so finely milled. Love the taupe shade on the bottom left and the rich rusty brown on the bottom right. I'll still be rocking smokey smouldering eyes come summer :)

Sample Goodies 

 I bagged some samples at the counter too:

• Levres Scintillantes Glossimer - Intense Radiance Lipgloss in 'Amour' (166)
• Vitalumière Aqua - Ultra Light Skin Perfecting Makeup SPF 15
• Démaquillante Yeux Intense - Eyemakeup Remover
• Chance Fragrance in Eau Tendre

Coral/Salmon Shimmer

The mini lipgloss is my fave ever sample, I absolutely love a mini/travelsized product. Love the shade, again, this will be fab for summer/jollies! The shimmer in this beauty is just up my street, very sparkly but not chunky glitter particles, quite fine but does sparkle lots. In love. I can tell I will be buying the full size once I've used this one up.

So these were the 3 products I picked up from the S/S13 collection - did any of you get anything or have you got your eye on anything from this line? 

xoxo