Kiehl's Original Musk perfume oil

I never used to understand those people on Make up Alley who made dramatic statements about how their lives would be ruined should a certain favourite product ever be discontinued - always seemed to be a little over the top. But so help me if Kiehl's Original Musk ever becomes discontinued I may have to lay siege to Kiehl's HQ because I love this so much it has become almost a part of my identity - it is MY scent!

I actually didn't like the smell when I first tried it in Liberty a couple of years ago.. I detected something vaguely potentially headache-inducing in it, the same thing that prevents me from using Hei Poa monoi oil even though I love the idea of it and the pretty bottle! However this only seems to last a few seconds (in fact I don't even notice it now) before the oil 'dries down' to a beautiful powdery musky floral sweet something or other. I wish I knew how to describe scents in more eloquent terms but I can't - all I know is that I love this scent and it seems to work well with my skin.

(I will however copy some of the ingredients from the Kiehl's website for those who are curious):


Our special Musk “recipe” begins with an initial creamy, fresh citrus burst of Bergamot Nectar and Orange Blossom...followed by a soft floral bouquet of Rose, Lily, Ylang-Ylang and Neroli. Finally, Original Musk Eau de Toilette dries down to a warm, sensual Oriental finish of Tonka Bean, White Patchouli and, of course, Musk...the soul of this distinctively modern scent...


Can't say I get anything citrusy - it smells much softer somehow than that but hey - them's the ingredients!


Original Musk is the only scent I've ever worn that multiple people have commented on. Not in an 'ooh, what perfume are you wearing?' way - it's not that obvious. More likely what will happen is that someone in close proximity will start sniffing the air with a slightly puzzled air, and enquire as to what that lovely smell is (cue smug flourish of wrist).

I love how the oil melts into the skin, and the scent lingers. Something about it is just more sensual than spraying some harsh sneeze-inducing perfume on your skin. I wear this year round; it seems as appropriate on sultry summer days as it does on cold winter ones.

I also adore the glass vial, pictured above (although the label has faded away somewhat). Unfortunately Kiehl's has changed the packaging of it's perfume oils to a roller ball format (and they're now called Essence Oils) which I am a bit dischuffed about. Something about upturning the small vial, and how it sits on my dressing table like a secret potion, I love. I haven't run out of my vial yet and when I do I will purchase the roller ball, but I'm even wondering if I can somehow transfer said rollerball contents to my vial - that's how much I love it.

The oils come in three other scents - Grapefruit, Vanilla, and Coriander. If the vanilla one is anything like Kiehl's discontinued vanilla body lotion which I absolutely loved I would certainly love to try that, and I like the sound of the coriander one too. I think the oils used to come in Cucumber too as I purchased a cucumber roller ball off eBay a while ago. However it smelled so unpleasant and artificial I threw it away - maybe a dud or had just gone off or something. Anyway I digress...

Have you tried any of the Kiehl's perfume oils, or are there any other musky oils you'd recommend?

Kiehl's Essence Oils with roller ball applicator retail at £21 for 7ml.

Essential measures #6 Kiehl's Creme de Corps

Kiehl's Creme de Corps is a regular fixture in my bathroom cabinet. I have been using this for years - occasionally checking out other creams on the market, but always returning to my beloved Kiehl's. Nothing makes my skin feel quite as cocooned and nourished - particularly in this harsh weather - as a generous dollop of this creamy goodness.

Creme de Corps contains the antioxidant beta-carotene, and cocoa butter and sesame oil to soften and moisturise the skin. It doesn't have a strong scent, which means it doesn't interfere with perfumes. I love the texture and custardy colour of this cream (and of course the packaging, which as with most Kiehl's products I find really quite pleasing). But most importantly this cream delivers. My skin feels and looks really soft immediately after using it. When I use it regularly, the overall condition of my skin visibly improves - particularly around the chest area where the signs of ageing are manifesting themselves rather too quickly for my liking! And another major plus of this cream as that despite its thickness, it doesn't doesn't clog the skin on my chest or back, which is prone to breakouts with many other creams.

Although quite a thick, rich cream, Creme de Corps never feels heavy or uncomfortable on the skin. The instructions suggest you wait several minutes before dressing, but I find it actually sinks in quite quickly so I don't need to do this (maybe my skin is just super thirsty??).  It also lasts me a decent amount of time - it's by no means cheap at £26 for 250ml, but with careful use it is fairly economical.

My only gripe is that with the smaller, non-pump bottles, it can be difficult to get the product out when you've used quite a bit of it. Usually just needs a bit of a vigorous shake (storing it upside down is not easy due to the shape of the cap) - or you could always buy a pump for the bottle if this is a problem.

I tend to use Creme de Corps more in the autumn and winter, when my skin is more prone to dryness, although it also works great as an aftersun; it feels very soothing on irritated skin. There is a lighter, SPF version of Creme de Corps which I've never tried, however in the summer I tend to switch another Kiehl's moisturiser - Deluxe Hand and Body Lotion with Aloe Vera and Oatmeal. This is a lovely, light body lotion which comes in variety of soft, subtle scents including Coriander, Mango, Grapefruit and Forest Rain, though my favourite, Vanilla, has sadly been discontinued.

Pic courtesy of Kiehl's


An abridged version of this post was published in October on lovestyle.com 

The eyes have it

I've been using eye cream since my late 20s, and much more regularly since hitting my 30s when fine lines and dark circles seemed to appear overnight! Now I always apply eye cream morning and night - and although I the fine lines don't seem to be disappearing, my skin in that area does feel comfortable, moisturised and doesn't look too terrible - no crows feet as yet. As I've been through a few different eye treatments in the past couple of years, from drugstore to super expensive (yes Sisley I'm talking about you!) I thought it might be useful to do a review of each to help anyone who's looking for a new treatment. Would love to hear what creams have worked for any other 30-something ladies out there too.

1. The cult one
Garnier Caffeine Eye Roll-On

Although I don't have problems with puffiness my eyes do tend to look quite tired - I rarely wear dark liner for this reason (well not first thing in the morning!) as I feel it accentuates this. I really like this roll-on treatment for how awake and refreshed it makes my eyes feel, and I think there's a visible difference too in that the area seems to look tighter and more toned. I also think (not sure here) that it makes my fine lines slightly less obvious. The only reason I don't use it more is that it is not a great base for under eye concealer which I wear most days - it is basically quite wet in consistency and does sit on the skin; you can pat it in quite easily however it leaves a slightly sticky residue which doesn't work well with the undereye highlighting pens I use.

Overall though I think this is a great product and I'm interested in trying the new one which contains a concealer (and may just solve the above problem!). I'd definitely repurchase this for when I need a quick fix (and don't plan on wearing much make up!)

Rating: 4/5
£9.99 for 15ml at Boots but can be picked up cheaper online, also frequently on special offer


2. The natural one
Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair SPF 10

I really like this cream and it's the only eye treatment I've ever repurchased. It goes on smoothly, brightens the eye area and is a good base for concealer, plus has the added bonus of an SPF 10. This was the first eye cream I tried and after this I found I was unable to go without something on the eye area. This represents fantastic value for money too. I'm not a massive fan of all Liz's products (I don't think I like the Smoothing Line Serum that this is often sold with)  but I do love this.

Rating: 4.5/5
£12.75 for 10ml at lizearle.com


3. The night-time one
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Recovery Complex

I received a sample pot of this when I purchased the Night Repair for the face. I do use it at night but I'm a bit 'meh' about it. I don't really like the consistency - it's kind of a mix between a serum and a cream - and feel it sits on my skin a bit. Don't hate it, don't love it - wouldn't repurchase but if I received another free pot I'd use it!

The Boots website states that this cream is intended to reduce fine lines, dryness, puffiness and dark circles around the eye area.

Rating: 3/5
£33.50 for 15ml at Boots


4. The super expensive one!
Sisleya Eye and Lip Contour Cream

I absolutely loved using this cream, it was a dream to apply, so thick and luxurious but still feeling light on the skin and very easily absorbed, however I felt that this cream is perhaps not quite right for my 30-something skin. Although it moisturised the eye and lip area, I felt that this is perhaps more suited to those with older, dryer skin - I didn't feel like it made much difference to my fine lines or shadows which are my main problems. Is a great base for undereye concealer though and did add a fairly youthful sheen to that area.

NB The Sisley website www.sisley-cosmetics.com claims that this cream produces a 23% reduction in lines and wrinkles in six weeks...!

I paid £80 for a 15ml tub of this about a year ago in House of Fraser but I'm shocked to see it's retailing at £110 on Strawberry.net. Not sure how much this now costs at a Sisley counter.

Rating 3.5 / 5 (But I would definitely return to this cream in about 5-10 years time, for the sheer luxury factor if nothing else!)


5. The wild card
Kiehl's Abyssine Eye Cream

This is my current eye cream - my boyfriend bought me some for my birthday last summer and I've barely dented the surface - a little really does go a long way. So far, I do like this cream - it's light and refreshing and applies easily, and it's also a good concealer base - I'm just not sure whether it's actually doing anything for my skin!

The Kiehl's website describes Abysinne as a 'survival molecule' which thrives in ocean thermal vents (?!) and says this cream helps soothe skin, reduce appearance of lines and wrinkles (I don't really feel it has done this) and protect against free radical damage. Perhaps this one is a skin investment cream rather than an instant results treatment such as the Garnier. Overall I'd say that this is a good all rounder and I like the idea that it could be protecting against damage. I might just give this another whirl if and when I ever run out!

Rating: 3.5/5
£29.50 for 15ml at kiehls.co.uk

All in all I've liked all of the cream's I've tried. It's actually very difficult to review eye creams (and skincare in general) as the effects are often so subtle - not like trying a new lipstick for example - and it's almost impossible to ascertain scientifically whether they've had any beneficial effect. However I do think a good eye cream should be an essential part of everyone's beauty routine. I'd say the Liz Earle is my current favourite and a great price. I think I'm going to try Origins Ginzing next though as I keep hearing great things about this, so if anyone's tried it let me know!

Hope this is useful and I'll be doing a similar post on face creams soon.

PS I really do believe though that getting enough sleep and drinking lots of water is much more beneficial for the eye area than any cream - unfortunately I never seem to get enough of either!

Products du jour

Pinched the theme of this post from Make up and beauty musings. Haven't had time to blog any swatches etc so thought this would be a quick way of giving a little beauty update til the weekend, when I hope to report on some new Guerlain purchases and do a nail of the day.

HAIR
I've recently started using a permanent all over colour on my hair after my 6-month old blond straggly highlights were starting to annoy me. So I've gone for a lovely dark glossy brown with kind of an auburn tint. I was getting a bit frustrated at how quickly the colour faded then realised I wasn't using a colour prolonging shampoo and conditioner (doh!), and so I purchased the Aussie Color Mate range, which is on sale in Boots, Wilkinsons and a few other places at two for £6.

So far I've been really pleased, it smells nice and has brought my color back to life a bit (although those damn highlights are starting to show through again now, what a mistake that was!)

Anyway I'd recommend these for affordable colour care, but I'm definitely no expert in this area, so if any of you other colourers out there have any products you'd care to recommend, suggestions would be gratefully received!

SKIN - FACE
My skincare routine is a bit of a mismas at the moment.. but it seems to be working! After finally, aged 31, learning what my skin type is after a facial (combination), I think I may be now be free of those annoying shiny squares in the middle of my forehead that spoil most of my 'night out' Facebook pics

Ridiculous!

So basically, I had an amazing facial in November at the Decleor spa at the McDonald hotel in Manchester. Afterwards I purchased the Ylang Ylang oil, and since then I've purchased the YY night balm and the Mattifying moisturiser. The oil goes on beneath the moisturiser in the morning and the balm at night. I'm also adding a few drops of Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair over the top. The only problem with this routine at the moment is the lack of SPF, so I'll have to remedy this come spring / summer.

I also had a Dermalogica facial at Renata Brown's wonderful salon in Crystal Palace. My skin still looks clear and quite soft almost a week later, v impressed, and I've been using the Dermalogica pre-cleanse every day, which seems to be working although it does sting my eyes a bit.

Finally I've been using the Kiehls Abyssine eye cream since August, when I finished my tub of hideously expensive Sisley eye cream that didn't really do much for me. My boyfriend actually picked this for my birthday (I said anything Kiehls - I do have a slight obsession - and he remembered that I'd run out of eye cream... good skills I thought!). Actually I really like this - it's so light that at first I didn't think it could be doing anything, but actually it does seem to be moisturising round that area and is a good base for make up and concealer. I do think though that the best thing anyone can do for that area is drink lots of water and get lots of sleep!

MAKEUP
I'm actually trying to give my skin a bit of a break from make up at the mo (sacrilege!), however my fave products at the moment are:

Kiehls Tinted Moisturiser - love this, gives me fresh looking, glowy skin and just enough coverage for broken capillaries, acne scars etc.

By Terry concealer - great undereyes and for any bits the above doesn't quite cover

Nars Amour blush from the Lust for Life palette - gives cheeks a nice, subtle, wintry flush

MAC charcoal brown for my eyebrows, currently in a horrible state as I'm growing them out to get them threaded again!

Nars medea lip laquer, Nars Pigalle lipstick or Shiseido Honey Tea lipstick - nice rosy brown wintry shades (Pigalle is pinker and creamy in texture, Honey tea is glossy) or just my trusty Eight Hour Cream which actually is not quite cutting the mustard in this skin ravaging snow / central heating weather despite it usually being a saviour for my lips in the winter, so I'm on the lookout for a seriously heavy duty lip protectant.

For the evening, I'm also loving Lancomes Blush Subtil highlighter on the cheekbones, can't remember the name but its a shimmering champagne colour, lovely texture, which works very well with Nars' matt brown brush Zen in the hollow when one needs a sharp cheekbone (which we all do from time to time n'est pas??)

Brushes - MAC 266 for brows, my new half price Lancome powder brush, No 7 concealer brush and Ruby and Millie's fab blusher brush are my essentials. I'm on the lookout for a new eyeliner brush - suggestions welcomed again.

And finally my trusty Shu eyelash curlers with, when i feel like it, Lancome Hypnose mascara.

SKIN - BODY
I'm currently trialing Bio-Oil. Having been plagued by stretchmarks on my hips since I was about 13 (unfair I know though thankfully they have faded and not worsened as I've aged), I've always been interested in this oil, and picked some up in Superdrug recently as it was on offer. I haven't tried it on the hips as yet but I am applying it on my chest twice a day (it recommends using it twice a day for three months to see results) to see if it will have any effect on the worsening wizened skin that seemed to appear out of nowhere when I hit 30 - (I blame one very hot holiday in Turkey when I was 16 for this!), as it says the oil helps dehydrated and ageing skin. So I'll update on this in three months perhaps with before and after shots if I'm brave enough! The reviews on MUA for this are pretty mixed so I'm not expecting anything spectacular but we'll see.

I'm also using my Clarins and L'Oreal body scrubs as detailed in my last post, and my Kiehls Hand and Body Lotion with Aloe Vera and Oatmeal which I adore and am going to post in separately shortly, though sadly they've discontinued it in my favourite fragrance, Vanilla. I do need to replace this with the Creme de Corps though as it's another thing not quite cutting the mustard in this horribe winter weather.

Hand cream is Clarins Hand and Nail treatment - nice, pleasant smell and absorbs well but wish it had SPF.

I'm not fussed about shower gel - can't see the point in spending lots of money on something that gets washed away. Boots Botanics do a lovely soft sea sponge though that seems to make it go a lot further.

SCENT
None at the moment as I've lost my beloved Kiehls Original Musk oil!

NAILS
Again having a break but Essie Mink Muffs and OPI A oui bit of red are both recent favourites.

Well that's the closest thing I have to a winter routine. Have made a few exciting new purchases recently so hopefully will get round to blogging about them soon!