Forevermissvanity - A UK Lifestyle Blogger : January 2012

Exotic Adventures

It's been a long stressful day at the office, school or perhaps at home and you're in need of relaxation, where does your mind wonder?

Imagine turquoise waves lapping up the soft exfoliating sandy beaches and the wind gently breathing against your sun kissed skin. You enter the lagoon and begin swimming with an array of dainty tropical crustaceans and multicoloured fishes. Your mind has reached the summit of serenity and you come down to earth and realise you're in your own bathtub.

Today I was kindly sent a few products from the 'Calming and Relaxing' range of the Jainnisa brand.

The calming and relaxing range are enthused with exotic oils and extracts deriving from Thailands natural plants and marine ingredients. Having suffered from a a migraine all day, I couldn't wait to sit back in my bath and experiment with these products.

Firstly, I would like to draw your attention to the back of the package. As well as displaying all the necessary safety instructions for the use of these products, the Jainnisa range does not test on animals. Having been a vegetarian for almost eight years and loving every second of it, it's lovely to see a product range with the sentence we all long to hear embellished neatly where everyone can see it.

Sumptuous Bath Elixir 200ml - £25.00

The Sumptuous bath elixir has extracts of Blue Lotus and frangipani, Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, Mimosa and jasmine oils. The product promises a luxurious bathing experience that will calm and revive you and I am happy to report that it did exactly as it says.

As a child, I loved bubble baths that changed the colour of the water and as I've grown older, I've discovered bath bombs that do the same.A little goes a long way with this beautiful product, simply add one to two teaspoons of this product into your bath and watch it transform into the colour of Indian Ocean. The turquoise waters will transport you to paradise and you can breath in the exotic fragrances as you relax into your dream environment.

Jainnisa Gently Exfoliating Body Polish 300ml - £19.50

The Elixir gave us the beautiful sea coloured bath and now the exfoliating polish gives us the luxurious sandy texture to our Thai paradise. Filled with exfoliating Bamboo granulates and essential oils of Jasmine, Tuberose, Ylang Ylang and White Champaca, the exfoliating body polish feels fabulous against your skin. The oils give us a luxurious tropic scent and the bamboo granulates grazed against your body help buff your skin to holiday perfection. After using this product, I was surprised how soft and revived my skin felt. I found the fragrance really relaxing, however at first it quite strong, but settled nicely once applied to my skin. With 300ml of this product and a beautiful pump on the top to gently dispense, I can guarantee it will last quite a long time.

All Day Soothing Hand Balm 100ml - £14.95

The Jainnisa 'All Day Soothing Hand Balm' has extracts of Orange flower, Coco and Shea butters, all working together to make your hands soft and revived. The essential oils of Frangipani, White Champaca and Ylang Ylang make this product smell divine. So far, I have only used a small amount of this product, but it has already worked and made my hands feel visibly softer. One thing I loved about this product is the fact that it moisturisers your hands without leaving them feeling greasy or overloaded, the product simply seeps into your skin leaving a nice and refreshing feeling. Playing guitar is one of my biggest passions in life, so unfortunately I cannot use too much hand cream as it will soften my fingers easily and make playing quite sore, but I will happily risk that every once in a while, because I'm in love with this feminine, exotic scent.

Overall Opinion

Being a traditional girly girl, I love products that look pretty, deliver to a high standard and smell fantastic. The Jainnisa brand definitely delivers to a high standard, smells fantastic and it's also reasonably priced. A little goes a very long way and I know that is the motto for many products, but with these, it's definitely true. I could see myself using more from this range in the future and for once, I'm struggling to see a negative side to latch my opinion on. Overall opinion? Beautiful and great on a budget...oh and they go with my bathroom colour scheme!

What do you think? Have you tried these products?

http://www.jainnisa.com/

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Spring is just around the corner and if you're anything like me, you'll soon be planning a spring or summer holiday. Today, I managed to see the first glimpse of sun as I walked to University and I couldn't help, but dream of being somewhere hot and for the first time, getting into a bikini.

Here is the new 2012 swimwear collection by young designer, Tatjana Anika. The swimwear is produced in Italy using the finest fabrics to enhance the beautiful female silhouette. I was drawn to this collection, due to the beautiful display of bold colours and the fabric that looked to move effortlessly in the photographs.

Tatjana Anika has recently worked with the spanish born international supermodel Eugenia Silva on her latest clothing range.

Luckily, I was able to get a quick question and answer session with the lovely designer and here is what she had to say about her love for fashion and the experiences along the way.

When did you start developing a love for fashion?

I do not even remember the time I started to love fashion, I think its been a part of me and who I am as far back as I can remember! every memory I have, I pretty much know that clothing and what I was wearing was a main topic of discussion or argument with my mother!

Why did you decide to become a designer?

I wanted to have the opportunity to make things that I really wanted to wear and that I couldn't find or could only find in random, and sometimes very far away places, it started off with that simple reason. Then the more I researched and understood the market, the more I wanted to design and find my place within the beachwear industry. I find that designing really keeps me focused and I get very excited about ideas while working, thats when I know I made the right decision becoming a designer. It really fulfils me and makes me happy.

Where does your inspiration come from?

The greatest inspirations can come from anywhere. When it comes to the textile designs we use, the inspiration can come from a art book that I see on my brothers coffee table . That is why I always carry around a sketch-book so that I can keep these images and inspirations logged easily. I also flip through magazines religiously to colours and prints that stand out to me. Also looking back on fashion trends and looking at different forms of art also helps widen my perspectives. i've lately been looking at photography to inspire me on the new colour palettes for the next collection. I also get inspired by individuals, from people I see on the street to people I know.

Who would you say is your favourite designer?

There are a few that I really admire so much, but I can narrow it down to my top two who are Riccardo Tisci and Azzedine Alaia.I just love their work, its truly inspiring and original. In my mind they are true artists.

Who would you say is your fashion icon?

There a quite a few, but I must say, one of my favourites is Bridget Bardot, I just love her and her effortless style. She was sexy and cool and she was part of the "gypset culture" that I love. Everytime I watch her or see a photo of her my eye just lingers, her whole being and style are impossible not to lust after!

What was it like working with top supermodel Eugenia Silva?

Eugenia Silva is just one of the loveliest human beings. She lights up the set, is super care-free and is constantly making everyone laugh around her. She is a very good friend of mine and I must say her incredible beauty is only one of her many charms.

Which models and designers would you like to work with in the future?

Well we luckily get to work with Eugenia for another year which is incredible. I really do think she is one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen and having her represent my brand is really wonderful . If I were to work with another model, I would love to work with Jessica Hart, there is something so charming about her and I really think her look appeals to a lot of girls, she seems very approachable as well being a stunning girl.

As for designers, I would love to work with so many, I admire so many, its hard to say. I would love to work with someone who is energetic and full of fresh new ideas and shares the same vision.

What have you got planned in the next few months?

The next few months are focused on designing for SS 2013, so we are working on textile designs and new shapes for the new collections, its all very exciting but is probably the most stressful time as you keep wondering how you are doing and if people will like what you are envisioning. But its really my favourite part of the whole process, its a very face paced time of the year and its very fulfilling to see your concepts come alive and hopefully become appreciated.

All the models look beautiful in this photoshoot and Tatjanas designs will look great on the beach this summer, I really can't wait to see more.

http://www.tatjana-anika.com

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As a lover of cosmetics and a beauty blogger, I'm always looking for different skin care products to try. I occasionally suffer from Eczema and a lot of the time I suffer from dry skin, therefore I'm always after that special remedy. I was asked by a company if I would like to try Herbalife products to see if they would work for my skin and I'm proud to report that it is so far so good.

Herbalife LTD has been operating in the UK for 27 years selling products from weight management to nutritional products and personal care products. Herbalife also distributes to 72 other countries and supports their charity Herbalife Family Foundation, helping children around the world.

The Herbalife Nourifusion range is a multivitamin skincare range that promises to make skin clean, clear and satisfied. From my experience of the products, I can say that they really do live up to the standards that they set. The products contain a blend of vitamin A, C and E to leave your skin soft and replenished.

Multivitamin Moisture Mask - £22.45

This moisture mask was the first product I tried and I really like it. It says in the instructions that you should leave the product on your face for 10 to 20 minutes then wash away with hot water. To test this product, I left it on the full amount and was greeted with soft skin at the end of the process. Suffering from dry skin due to the winter weather, I was really happy to find that my face looked smooth and healthy and it gave my skin that kick it needed. At £22.45, the price is a little bit steep, but having tried this product several times, I've realised that it could be a nice investment.

Multivitamin Exfoliating Scrub - £22.45

This has to be my favourite product out of the three that I tested. Firstly, the product smells incredibly nice. I have to admit to sniffing this bottle quite regularly for the raspberry and strawberry scent. The product itself includes raspberry and strawberry seeds that help exfoliate the skin and the beeswax helps polish the skin. My skin felt lovely and refreshed after using this product, buffed to perfection. At £22.45 again, this product is a little bit pricey, but it's a worthy investment that I'm sure will become part of you skin regime.

Multivitamin Clarifying Mask - £22.45

This is probably my least favourite product, but I think this is because it's not really suited to my skin. The product is meant to deep cleanse your pores and remove excess oil, with my skin being slightly dry, it didn't feel like it did anything in particular. Possibly someone who has oily skin or normal skin will benefit from this product more. At £22.45, yet again it is highly priced and just because it didn't benefit me, doesn't mean it wont benefit someone else, so I would say if you don't suffer from dry skin, give it a go.

I'm so happy that I was given the opportunity to try these products and I must say, I've definitely gained two products that I would use on a regular basis. At a premium price, these products aren't exactly cheap, but I believe that they are worth the price and I'm so glad I've tried them.

Stocklist enquiries: 0845 056 0606

Have you tried any Herbalife products?

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Reem Juan studied at London College of Fashion and launched her label in November 2010. Her designs are classic and timeless, drawing inspiration from the likes of Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn.

With soft feminine colours and beautiful soft tailoring, her designs have that elegant touch that everyone needs in their wardrobe.

As soon as I saw these images, I was captivated by their elegance and beauty, using beautiful romantic soft colours that I would love in my wardrobe and tailoring to suit the beautiful female silhouette.

It will be awhile until I'm able to afford any of these amazing designs, but I'm happy to draw inspiration for my 2012 wardrobe from them and hope in the future, that I will one day own one of these remarkable pieces of art.

Prices start from £545 and can be purchased on the website, where customers can directly contact the designer.

www.reemjuan.com

Happy Friday everyone!

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For ages now, I've been longing to try some Agent Provocateur underwear and I've finally got my chance. Agent Provocateur has a very generous January sale and I couldn't help, but treat myself to some January underwear.

My beautiful new bra arrived this morning in a gorgeous, feminine pink box.

This bra was originally priced at £80, but i managed to purchase it in the sale for £25 including postage.

I decided to buy a strapless bra, because I've got so many dresses that needed one. This vintage cream number is absolutely perfect. I must admit, I was really worried about the fit of the bra, but once I tried it on, I realised it's probably one of the most comfortable bras I own.

This bra comes with removable straps, so you can wear it one of two ways and all in all, it's a brilliant bra. If Agent Provocateur wasn't so expensive, it would definitely be a brand I invest my money in. I feel totally comfortable in this bra and it's really true to size. I can't wait for the next sale!

SALE

I hope everyone's having a fabulous week.

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2012 is supposed to be my year of saving, not splurging and to control my spending habits, I have created a beautiful wish list. Hopefully in creating my wish list, it will point me towards the items I would actually like to buy, rather than impulse buying, but I can't make any promises on that front. I also hope to save at least £1000 of my University loan, so that in the future it can be invested into work experience or something career related. This University year so far, I've already managed to save £500, so I'm hoping I'll be a good student in 2012.

Going back to the wish list, the items I have chosen are classic pieces that I'm sure will look brilliant in my wardrobe for the next few years, providing I don't gain or lose too much weight.

The first item I would very much like is this coat from Urban Outfitters. This is a timeless design that very much reminds me of the 1940s. I'm obsessed with old Hollywood actresses and I could really imagine seeing this coat. The fur cuffs and neck trim make this coat all snuggly and warm and provide a vintage-esque appeal. At £135, this coat isn't exactly cheap, but I'm sure it will remain in my wardrobe for years to come.

In 2011 I lost almost six stone and reinvented myself. The only bad thing about this experience is renewing my wardrobe. It is every girls dream of shopping once you have lost a lot of weight, but it can be quite pricy in the long run. Ever since I started my weight loss, I told myself I would treat myself to some lovely expensive underwear once I had lost the weight and I've always wanted to try the 'Agent Provocateur' brand. I can now say that I have purchased some underwear in the sales and it's making it's way to me as I speak and I'll be doing a review once it arrives.

I have to say that as of late, New Look have really upped their game in the shoe department and not only do they create beautiful shoes, they are really comfy too! I would love to buy these shoes from New Look as they so elegant and have a beautiful Christian Louboutin style. These babies are £59.99, but on the plus side, I can get student discount...

White is such a classic colour and admittedly, I barely own anything that is cream or white, so this dress would be perfect. Every dream dreams of having a Marilyn Monroe moment and this dress could be the one for me. I have many dresses in this style, so I know that it will suit me. This dress is from River Island and it's £35.

I know these days it seems that every girl and her dog has a Louis Vuitton handbag, but the design is classic, the handbags are beautifully made and to be honest, it is something I could see me using on a regular basis. This April will be my 21st birthday, so I'm hoping to treat myself to this beautiful bag with my birthday money and savings.

I'm currently on a make-up ban after realising my collection is taking over my bedroom. I still have many items left to blog about and i'll probably do a collection post very soon.

What's in your 2012 wish list?

Forevermissvanity

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Exotic Adventures

Tatjana Anika Swimwear

NouriFusion Skincare

2012 Inspiration - Reem Juan

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Agent Provocateur

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♥ 2012 Wishlist ♥