Skin Saviour - Huile Santal

Brrrr.... it's really getting nippy isn't it? My skin always acts accordingly and changes type from fairly normal/combination in the Summer to mainly dry in the Winter. I'm not crazy on this process but it's just what my skin does. It also changes how my foundation looks so I need to nurture my skin as I don't want to change to a totally different product. I'm currently wearing Teint Miracle by Lancome and loving it for it's medium and soft coverage, but my increasing dryness is making it look a little dull.
So! It's time for oils. Last week I wrote about the lovely Rosehip Oil from Trilogy but have since used up every last drop so I switched to this Huile Santal from Clarins and I'm finding it fantastic so far. I massage in a pearl sized drop at night after exfoliating gently with Dermalogica's Daily Microfoliant and my skin is glowing and hydrated and bouncy looking (not quite a 'skincare' term I know!). It could be in part down to the facial massage which never fails to enliven sluggish celll turnover but I really think this oil has a lot to do with it.
Containing lavender, cardamom and soothing sandalwood oils, it has a definite aromatherapy aroma, which I happen to like but it soaks in quickly if you don't use too much so it's a winner for all you dry skinned ladies.
A little pricey at around €40 but one for the wish list perhaps??

Bow Goes Online

One of my favourite Irish stores has gone online. Bow is the sweetest little boutique run by designers Eilis Boyle, Wendy Crawford and Margaret O'Rourke. The actual shop is in the Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin 2 and is a treasure trove of loveliness and now their virtual shop is here...

I'm crazy about these cashmere arm warmers by Eilis...

And this scarf...

And this bow!

How cute is this lunchbox?

And these beautiful earrings from MoMuse are On. The. List. It's official!

Swooning at Loulerie

I spotted these lovely pieces on the Loulerie site the other day and can't stop thinking about them. I think they will certainly make their way on to my wish list for Christmas. The stacking ring above is made of antique rose cut diamonds and 18k gold. Buy them one at a time and stack 'em up with each birthday or Christmas or any old excuse at all!

I love these initial pendants. Available in silver or gold and also with a semi-precious drop. Wouldn't they be lovely with separate ones with the initials of your kids for example? I think I'll drop some serious hints to my Santa!

Angel wings! I don't wear long earrings very much, but I think I'd make an exception for these. Aren't they pretty...

Have a look at Loulerie's site for more beautifully chosen pieces. Or ideally visit her pretty store on Chatham St - it's one of my favourite shops to look around when I'm in town.

Earring Lust

Look how pretty these earrings are!  Despite never really being a wearer of dangly earrings, I have been admiring some on people lately and think I may branch out, away from my usual studs. These are all from Anthropologie and are surprisingly reasonable for their loveliness.

I think these are a nice variation on the ubiquitous gold hoops. And a lot more stylish...

Delicate rose quartz....simple and lovely.

Wouldn't these make a great statement? With a messy bun and red lips...mmmm

Star Bag

I'm smitten by this bag from Rockett St George. That is all!

Get Gorgeous To Go

This week, those Beaut.ie sisters have launched their second book entitled Gorgeous To Go. Penned by Aisling, it contains a wealth of worthy tips on how on how to shop for makeup and how to avoid falling for those sneaky marketing ploys used by so many of the brands. It has reviews, tips and their renowned beaut.ienomics section which guides you towards becoming a more savvy beauty shopper (something very close to my heart!) Written with their usual wit and refreshing honesty it's a real treat and it's a great size - designed to fit into a handbag of the medium to large size so it's your perfect shopping companion, as well as your best mate that is!

It's €12.99 and you can buy it here (do I need to mention that it's perfect pressie material?!)

Highlight at Chanel

This pretty compact is part of Chanel's Christmas lineup. Yes, that is the first mention of the C word on Ellie Loves but I can't hold back any longer - there are so many lovely things arriving in my letter box to try, so I have to share with you!( I'm going to tag the really lovely things in a 'gift guide' link so perhaps as the time draws nearer you can direct your significant others to that section on the blog and tell them to take their pick!)
Anyway, back to this sublime powder. It is a highlighting powder - you've seen many before now but this really stands out firstly for it's sheer gorgeousness; I almost didn't want to touch it for fear of ruining the design. But touch it I did. And was I glad! It imparts a very subtle highlight to the skin. The shade is perfectly judged - not too sheeny, not at all glittery, just right. The accompanying brush is fine to use; it has real hair so therefore picks up the powder properly and distributes it evenly and lightly over the skin.
In the day, just add a small bit to the top of the cheekbones for a subtle glow but at night, you can go hell for leather; add it to the bridge of the nose, the cupids bow, under the eyebrows. You can even dust it lightly all over the entire face for luminous loveliness.