Luxe skincare - Antonia Burrell

I haven't posted a product review in a while. This is due in part to my ban on unnecessary purchases and for the fact that for the past few months I have been trialling the products I sell via My Showcase. The range that I have been the most impressed with on the skincare side has been Antonia Burrell.

Antonia is an amazing facialist and works out of the Urban Bliss Retreat in Ladbroke Grove. Her treatments are of the highest calibre and I am thrilled to have been introduced to her and her products through My Showcase. I had been searching for a truly excellent skin guru ever since arriving in London and i'm so pleased to have found someone with such amazing knowledge, who focusses on women aged 30+ with problematic skin.  My first facial with her was so good that I went out that night without wearing makeup and I promptly rebooked to see her again.

Her range, entitled Antonia Burrell Holistic Skincare, is 100% natural and predominantly organic. The products come housed in violet glass which feels luxuriously weighty and helps to preserve the natural ingredients inside.

The Natural Glow Cleansing Oil is the first product from her range that I have tried and I knew within the first few uses that I will be repurchasing it when my rather large, 200ml bottle runs out. It smells incredible making my nightly cleanse a treat and being an oil that you apply with dry hands to a dry face means that you really spend the time to massage it in. It is easily removed with warm water as it emulsifies from an oil to a milky liquid. After I use it my skin is unbelievably soft. £39.50 for 100ml and £59.50 for 200ml.

The second product I have tried is the Luminous Light Polishing Powder. I had been unhappy with my exfoliating regime for a while. Using acid toners as I had been for the past 12 months doesn't give you the satisfaction of sloughing off the dead skin, yet I was also aware that I have to be careful not to over scrub my problem areas. This Polishing Powder has a lovely texture that transfers to a foam as you apply water. It buffs the skin rather than scrubbing it so it doesn't feel abrasive. The smell again is rather lovely in an earthy way and the jar comes with a spoon to help dispense the product. £45.50.

Next on my hit list for this range is the Pure Therapy Facial Serum, the Forest Dew Skin Conditioner and the Cream Supreme Facial Moisturiser. I am so impressed with the range so far and I really can't wait to give these a try too. You can buy Antonia's products via My Showcase here. Although not widely available, you can find these in Australia, to view the stockists click here.

May Favourites

I haven't done a favourites post in a few months - naughty me! I don't know where the time has gone ... and, I won't bore you with my excuses! Straight into it, these are my most-used and most-loved products of the moment.

1. RMS Beauty Raw Coconut Cream. It took me a while to fall in love, but now I look forward to cleansing with it every night. It melts immediately on contact with your skin and it removes everything. I use it as my second cleanse after removing my makeup with Bioderma first.  I love anything related to coconuts - this smells fantastic and leaves my skin ultra-soft. You do need to make sure you wash it all off completely with a flannel and warm water to avoid breakouts. 

2. Eye pencils to achieve a little flick. Black eyeliner, particularly liquid or gel liner doesn't look good on me which means I have missed out a little on the feline flick trend but lately I have been giving myself a flick with an eye pencil. I tend to go for a dark brown or dark grey and find it gives a nice little line without looking as harsh as liquid liner can. Another bonus is that if you wobble, make a mistake and can't face starting over, you can always blend it in for a more smokey eye look.

My top 3 eyeliners, from top, Estee Lauder's Blackened Cocoa, Marc Jacobs Ro-cocoa and Chantecaille's Hematite

3. Nude Stix Lip + Cheek Pencil in Mystic. This is a newbie and has gone straight into my daily makeup mix. A full revisited review on this brand is coming soon, so all I will say is that this creamy lip crayon is the answer to my no-makeup-makeup prayers right now. Big love.

4. Sage Roll-on Perfume Oil in Diamond. This range was introduced to me by My Showcase* and is simply delightful. My birthstone is diamond and this blend of essential oils such as sandalwood, musk and amber is so appealing. The packaging is also beautiful and ideal for travel.

* I am a Stylist working for My Showcase. You can read more about my involvement here.

Pascale x My Showcase

I have some rather exciting news. I am now working as a Stylist with My Showcase which is a new beauty business that aims to bring the best independent beauty brands to the comfort of your living room, for you to try with your friends while enjoying a glass of wine. The brands are divine and have been curated by Kate Shapland, beauty editor of The Telegraph. On the makeup front there is Wild About Beauty, T. Leclerc, Face Stockholm and New CID. The selection of gorgeous skincare is vast but a few of my favourites include Aurelia Probiotics, S5 Skincare, Antonia Burrell and Mio. There are also some beautiful fragrances and candles which i'm looking forward to discovering along my journey.

I'm really excited about holding my first Showcases. I get such a buzz from talking about makeup and skincare, and if I can do that with a group of friends with a glass of wine or a cup of tea in my hand, then it makes it all the more enjoyable! It will also be really nice to be able to offer my private makeup clients the opportunity to purchase the products that I use on them so they can recreate makeup looks on themselves. Everything can be ordered online and will arrive to your door in a couple of days all nicely packaged and tied in a bow. Perfect.

So how will this affect my blog? Things will remain pretty much the same except that if I write about a product I have discovered that is sold by My Showcase I will let you know. I still pay for products that I obtain through My Showcase however I do receive a discount.

If you live in central London and would love to host an event in your home, please get in touch. Alternatively if you would like a private makeup lesson or makeup and hair done for a special event, you can email me at pascalemaestri@gmail.com xx