The Fashion & Beauty Boutique: MSN Life & Style Blog

We're about to hit the party season, but if you don't want to get too tiddly, then there are plenty of great alternatives to beer and wine out there.

 

One we rather like is bottlegreen, which has four delicious flavours in rather swanky bottles. Take your pick from Elderflower, Ginger & Lemongrass, Cox’s Apple and Pomegranate & Elderflower.

 

Blended from natural ingredients and  mixed with Cotswold spring water, they are best served poured over crushed ice.

 

The limited edition sparkling pressé range is hitting major supermarket shelves now, priced £2.29 each. And they contain no artificial flavours, colours, sweeteners or preservatives, making them a great healthier alternative to other soft drinks.
 
For more info visit www.bottlegreen.co.uk.

twitter.com/bottlegreen

 

 

It’s official:  you don’t have to break the bank to be gorgeous, glossy and groomed.  Beauty Steals - the new book in the bestselling Beauty Bible series - exclusively reveals the budget products that really work, based on the opinions of 2,300 women who trialled products from supermarket/high-street/mass market ranges in order to identify true beauty bargains…
 
‘We know the beauty world’s a jungle,’ say authors Jo Fairley and Sarah Stacey (who began this project 18 months ago, long before credit was crunched).  ‘There are so many products out there making such extravagant claims – often, with huge price tags.  So we set out to discover whether you could look great without spending a fortune.  And the answer’s a resounding YES!’ 

 

For Beauty Bible Beauty Steals, Sarah and Jo put thousands of budget products – most of them under £10, and some under-a-fiver Super Steals - through their paces.  As usual, each product – across 67 categories of skincare, haircare, suncare and colour cosmetics - was tested by a dedicated panel of 10 real women in real-life trials, who filled in extensive reports, often over a period of months. 

 

‘We were blown away by some results, in particular for miracle creams  and anti-ageing eye creams,’ say Jo and Sarah.  ‘And a significant number of the products scored as well as – or even better than – much pricier ones …’

 

Beauty Steals, £8.99, is available from: WH Smith, Tesco, Waterstone’s, Borders and amazon.co.uk.

Looking for something a little special in the way of perfume this Christmas? Ormonde Jayne is a niche perfume house in Old Bond Street, London, which specialises in scouring the world for rare and exquisite oils.

 

Ormonde Jayne uses the oils to make award-winning ranges of parfum, scented candles and bathing collections, and is proving a big hit with celebrities (fans include Will Smith, Bryan Ferry, Goldie Hawn and Ashley Jensen).
 
A new addition to the range, Tiare Absolute Oil, is exceptionally rare. The Tiare flowers are only actually picked once the order has been placed.  After picking, the oil is then extracted, sent to USA for refinement and then on to France for further processing. Only after crossing all these oceans, does it reach the Ormonde Jayne studio in London, where it is compounded with the other ingredients, left to mature and then finally poured.

 

Notes:
Top - Mandarin, Orange Flower and Sicilian Lime
Heart - Tiare, Freesia, Water Lilies, Jasmine, Orris and Ylang
Base - Cedar, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Moss and Musk
 
Price: £68 for Eau de Parfum 50 ml spray and £180 for Parfum 50ml stopper.

 

Ormonde Jayne's bathing range is entirely free of parabens, sulphates, petrochemical, GM ingredients, mineral oils and colourings.

 

Available from The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street, London W1S 4SL or online at www.ormondejayne.com.

 

Headed to Westfield for your Christmas shopping? Take time out from a frantic mission and indulge in a little me-time at Malika.

 

Led by head therepists Ritu Patel and Sejal Bhudia, the Malika team is fast earning a reputation in the world of threading.

 

Ritu first picked up a thread at the age of 11 and has been threading for over 20 years, working as senior therapist at Harvey Nichols and Selfridges. She now trains all Malika threaders. Sejal Bhudia has over 15 years experience and has threaded many celebrities’ eyebrows in Mayfair.

 

Swing by the salon and you'll see queues of girls waiting to get their eyebrows shaped to perfection. But if you have time to stop a little longer, then the Malika signature facial is one wholesome, organic treat for your skin.

 

Based on ayurvedic principles, the facial uses only selected herbs and seasonal fruits for a thoroughly organic deep-cleanse. Tailored to your skin type, this is easily the most natural facial I've ever experienced. It feels as if your skin is literally being fed nutrients as fresh avocado, papaya, banana and more are smoothed on to boost your complexion. It certainly smells - and is - good enough to eat.

 

A series of Malika facials will help to even out skin tone (as the fruit acids eliminate dead skin cells) and reduce puffiness. Definitely one to remember after all those Christmas parties.

 

You'll feel fresh as a cucumber afterwards.

 

Malika facial, £80. Visit Malika.co.uk to find out more.

 

 

Play Bing Around The World with Thomas Cook and win prizes!

 

All you do is check out the amazing picture on bing.com every day and tell us where it was taken.