Red Musk "Scandal in a Bottle" | The Body Shop

Hi Lovelies,

I think I have done more post for The Body Shop products than I did for any other brand. The reason being I have purchased more from this brand. The idea beauty of ranges dedicated to fruits and flowers and scents from around the world is quite appealing, so is the quality of the products that has always been satisfactory. If you remember, sometime back in February 2015 I was invited to The Body Shop Red Musk Fragrance launch. Invited to cover the event as a blogger I ended up with a goodie bag! Apart of other things it contained two lovely fragrances which have become my favorite from the brand - Red Musk Eau de Parfum* & Smoky Poppy Eau de Toilette*! In this post I will share my thoughts on Red Musk Eau de Parfum.

RED MUSK Eau de Parfum*

Like I mentioned in my previous post: loved by many, the scent Wood Musk by The Body Shop was discounted seventeen years back. The loyal customer waited eagerly rather pleaded The Body Shop to bring Musk back. The Body Shop re-launched Red Musk Eau de Parfum, the first man-made cruelty free musk. A distinctively different fragrance with spiced musk and hot notes of cinnamon and intense tobacco, Red Musk Eau de Parfum defies conventional fragrance - that's sexy! If you are not a floral or fruity person then do give this one a try.

It comes in red packaging (perfect Valentine's day gift!) with an ombre transparent and deep brownish, almost cinnamon-powder-colored (brown?) kind of bottle if you know what I mean. The bottle itself gives you that first-impression of the fragrance - warm and spicy! I understand that many of you might not appreciate floral and fruity fragrances. This is why Red Musk Eau de Parfum is the right fragrance for you! While most of The Body Shop's fragrances are floral, clean, sweet and delicate, Red Musk Eau de Parfum is the most unconventional fragrance by the brand ever. No flowers - just a bold blend of musk and spice!

Can you handle the scandal?

Red Musk Eau de Parfum is an intensely different feminine fragrance that is scandalizing the perfume establishment with its smoldering blend of spiced musk with hot notes of pepper, cinnamon and tobacco - and no flowers adding a red-hot note to the scandalous fragrance history of The Body Shop. In 1981, The Body Shop pioneered the iconic White Musk, the first fragrance with man-made cruelty-free musk rather than using the perfume industry's standard ingredient gathered from deer. The Body Shop in the form of Red Musk continues to challenge conventional ways but turning up the heat on codes of feminine fragrance.

The main ingredients of Red Musk Eau de Parfum are Pepper, Cinnamon and Tobacco!

TOP NOTE Pepper is an addictive note that adds a sparking dimension to the fragrance. This will give you a first impression of the fragrance - either it is a hit or a miss for you right at this point. A known aphrodisiac, HEART NOTE Cinnamon makes this fragrance intriguingly irresistible. BASE NOTE Tobacco is a smoky note that gives the base a mystery allure and almost impossible to resist. 

Image: The Body Shop website

When the master perfumer, Corinne Cachen of Drom Fragrances and creator of Red Musk Eau de Parfum was asked what inspired her to create an all-spice fragrance this is what she had to say:

Image: The Body Shop website

Red Musk Eau de Parfum is definitely not your conventional 'girly-girl' women fragrance. I would like to take a step further by saying it is almost unisex! The sensuality and warmth of spices combined with musk ends up in a unique fragrance which has an air of seduction to it and so hard to resist. Given the quality of this fragrance the price tag seems pretty affordable for something that stands out in the crowd of scents available out there. 

I will definitely recommend Red Musk Eau de Parfum if you really want to try a different fragrance and also if fruity and floral is not your thing. Next time you come across The Body Shop store (The Centaurus Mall and Jinnah Super) do step in and take a moment to check it out. One spray is enough for you to realize your LOVE/HATE relationship with this scent. I would also recommend this for your special one, I think this will appeal to men as well. This makes a perfect date-night gift given it's bright red packaging and lasting scent. This is an extremely unique fragrance and just like myself I am sure you might not have smelled anything like this before. Utterly scandalous! 

Have you tried Red Musk Eau de Parfum yet? 

Available Online // The Body Shop 

60 ml  £ 20

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Shiseido | ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate

Hi lovelies,

Today I will share my thoughts on the latest skincare serum Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate that I recently purchased and added to my daily beauty regime. Shiseido, a Japanese brand is one of the biggest names in high-end beauty products and cosmetics. Anyone who is aware of high-end beauty brands must have at-least once heard about it. Launched in late 2014 Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate is one of the most promoted products by the company ever.

"Powering skin's beauty - now and over time.."

As a teen I was naturally attracted towards cosmetics and beauty products. My mom's lipsticks and nail polishes seemed heavenly; to try these out was ultimate bliss. I still remember using one of my mom's beauty lotions on my hands all day long. In my late teens however I was more eager when it came to makeup and beauty routines as compared to my peers. This included regular beauty regimes mostly herbal and homemade masks for fresh face and beautiful, shiny hair. I must say I took good care of myself over the years but never overdid anything (very important)! I also did not experiment too much with my skin (fancy skincare products). My 20's have been really great, rather the best if I say so myself if I consider my skin. My skin looked fresh and beautiful and everyone noticed how I took care of it. I also regularly used sunblock to keep sun damage at the minimum. All the hard work paid off as I still, in my 30's have better skin than my peers.

However, now that I am in my 30's I have observed my skin condition to decline somewhat. This includes dullness, soft brown spots along with appearance of fine lines. I am not overly conscious about these signs of aging but I do want to take them into consideration. This led me to think about giving a more specialized skincare treatment to my skin than the usual drugstore products I have been using. While there are tons of skincare brands and products that can do the job for you, I picked Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate to be the first one. One of the reasons I picked this one was that I had seen some of their products on duty-free shops and was quite convinced by the product line.

So what is Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate?

It is an anti-aging concentrate that protects and treats the skin. It comes in a really interesting curved glass bottle with bright red and white ombre effect and plastic pump for controlled quantity. I must say the red bottle is pretty attractive and makes the experience of using the product more interesting. It looks beautiful standing on my vanity table. ULTIMUNE, a standalone product in the Shiseido's line of products has translucent white gel-like texture with light and refreshing faint floral fragrance. It's really impressive how this serum is quickly absorbed into the skin once I swirl it on over my face and neck. Equally impressive is the fact that it dries - in about 10 seconds - leaving skin instantly powdery and silky smooth! 

Let's talk about what Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate actually does. ULTIMUNE protects your skin against wrinkle-causing free radicals. It hydrates and strengthens skin's natural moisture barrier. Shiseido's exclusive ULTIMUNE Complex is formulate with a unique botanical cocktail of Bulgarian Rose Water (moisturizers), Gingko Biloba Leaf (antioxidant) and Japanese Shiso (anti-inflammatory) along with In Pool and Yeast to help protect, strengthen and maintain a healthy looking skin. 

"Like your body, your skin has an immune system that functions less efficiently with time, environmental exposure and stress. ULTIMUNE helps boost skin's multi-defense powers while helping to strengthen its resistance to day-to-day damage and signs of aging. Overtime skin looks smoother and more resilient, making wrinkle less noticeable as your complexion begins to glow." - Shiseido.

Hence my decision to start off with Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate was to try building up my skin's immune system as a very basic anti-aging and power-infusing step to help my 30-something skin. Having said this, ULTIMUNE is suitable for women of all ages and all skin types so if you are in your late teens or early 20's I would say go ahead and give it a try! My motto: prevention is definitely better than cure. We are all about layering skincare products these day, ULTIMUNE being a pre-serum, meaning it is used after cleansing and toning and before your serum and moisturizer seems to me as the perfect first step to a firm and resilient skin. 

I remove my makeup with a makeup remover followed by gentle cleansing. I usually skip the toner (you can add if you feel like). I use 2-3 pumps all over my face and neck which is effortlessly absorbed into my skin leaving it amazingly soft without any residue. Though it suitable for all skin types (I have combination skin) I prefer to use it only at bedtime. I personally do not like layering it under my daytime makeup as the approaching hot weather makes me a little uncomfortable (less is definitely more!) and also because I'm short of time. Bedtime works best for me as naturally it is the time your skin is relaxed, least stressed and away from environmental effects.

Since I've only recently started using Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate about 2-weeks back so I cannot say it's working miracles at the moment. But I do feel a visible difference in my skin texture which has improved. I wake up looking really fresh and toned, my makeup definitely looks better. Officially, in 4 weeks my skin would show better results so I'll make sure I drop an update on my social pages and also at the bottom of the post so make sure you re-visit for updates. As off now, I would say yes it's a product you can definitely give a try to if you have a fat wallet. 

Have you tried any products by Shiseido? 

Which is your favorite high-end skincare brand? I'd love to know what works for your skin.

4-Weeks Update: So now after almost after 4-weeks my skin definitely feels smoother and refined. It is fresh especially in the mornings when it looks very bright and glowing *touch wood*. Overall, skin looks healthier and firmer than before. I have combination skin and even though Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate is an oil-free formula I am always afraid to use anything moisturizing continuously out of fear of break-outs. Fortunately, I did not get any (wasn't meant to get any?) acne so that is a huge plus point. Also, my fine lines look smoother, these haven't disappeared but definitely look smoother than before. As far as skin's immunity to fight environmental damage is concerned, I believe with Shiseido ULTIMUNE Power Infusing Concentrate that is something I will see in time. Repurchase: Definitely! 

Available Online

50 ml   £60

Boots // Nordstrom // House of Fraser // Harrods

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Vincci | My Recent Favorite Shoe Brand

Hi lovelies,

Well.. I have never done a post on the shoes I wear. Not because I feel it's odd or because it's not something I would like to write about but mostly because I never got a chance. However, I recently purchased a few pairs from a brand named Vincci and could not help sharing a few photos with all of you. Vincci is a Malaysian brand that pushes the boundaries in footwear by introducing hot, off-the-runway styles. It creates high quality and trendy shoes, bags, sunglasses and fashion accessories with an affordable price tag.

What really inspired me to write a post about Vincci shoes was this most recent pair that I purchased for me sister's big day - her wedding! These are formal party sandal in soft pink and has peep toes with beautiful tone of silver lining and almost 4" heels in polished gold. In case you had the chance to manage a wedding you would know it is such a happening event. I being the all-in-one event manager had the least of time on my schedule to focus on ME! All I remember was that I put on my dress and these lovely pair of shoes and believe it or not I was running around - literally in these! Super comfy, soft lining and great finish, these were like Cinderella's slippers, everyone noticed and couldn't help praise.

I had purchased two Vincci pairs before as well. One black slip-on party sandals that I wore to The Body Shop Red Musk Fashion show and another short heel peep toes in shade of blue and beige I wore to a formal dinner. Both pairs are super chic and so comfortable to wear. I have worn all three pairs at least once or twice now and cant thank myself enough for choosing the best ones for each occasion. Do check these out next time you come across a Vincci store.

At The Body Shop Red Musk Launch.. @Instagram

At a formal dinner.. @Instagram

Follow Me on Instagram! 

Check out the latest Vincci collection online here!

What is your favorite shoe brand?

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