#AD Skin Chemists Bee Venom Facial Serum

March 17, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

It’s March, so that means a new Skin Chemists review! Regular followers to this blog will know I have become quite a fan of this brand and am excited to be trying another innovative anti-aging product – this month it is Bee Venom Facial Serum.So…Bee Venom. Its a hot product that has had lots of press attention – celebrity bee venom fans include Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and model Jourdan Dunn, but what is it and what does it do?

The science: By fooling the skin into thinking it has been stung Bee Venom causes the body to increase the level of blood circulation to the application area, encouraging heightened production of collagen and elastin. This increased production restores a plumper and firmer skin structure, slowing down skin sagging and dramatically reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. It all sounds pretty amazing, but it is obviously not suitable for anyone allergic to bee stings! Oh, and no insects are hurt or killed obtaining this in case you were worried.

The main ingredients in Bee Venom Serum are:

Bee Venom which aims to plump and firm the skin while stimulating collagen production
A blend of Amino Acids to balance the skin, whilst improving skin clarity and encouraging an even skin tone for a brighter complexion.
Hyaluronic Acid to maintain moisture within the skin.

So, the big question – does it work?

I used the product morning and night and found it to be refreshing and easily absorbed into the skin. The serum itself has a great texture and a little goes a long way. As usual with Skin Chemists, it is in lovely premium packaging (a frosted glass dispenser) and uses clever tech so as you use the product, the bottom of the container pushes up meaning no serum is wasted – with beauty products (which lets be honest, are luxury buys) this kind of detail is important to me. I dont like waste!

Before:

On the first few uses I felt my skin react ever-so slightly to the serum (not in an irritated way, more of a plumping feeling) after use and my skins fine lines did look less visible after a few days. It also smelt lovely and fresh and could be used as skincare by either sex in my opinion. I definitely noticed a tightening effect around my jaw area and time will tell if it tightens up those slowly appearing 40+years old jowls!

After:

I would definitely recommend this product if you are looking to tighten up areas of skin or plump fine lines and wrinkles and I am definitely impressed with the results on my skin in just 2 weeks. For those 40 years plus I think it would be a great (and unique) addition to your skincare regime.

With this being a premium product it does carry a premium price tag, but excitingly my readers can get the Bee Venom Facial Serum I am reviewing for £19.99 until the end of the month (instead of the RRP of £129) using the code BLUESKYBLOG. The code is valid throughout March. Its really worth giving it a try at such a bargain price! Find it here. If you use it let me know, I’d like to know your results!

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

Try-Day Friday!

March 3, 2017March 7, 2017 | blueskygirlie

I was recently inspired by Dia&Co. (an American curated shopping experience, delivered to your doorstep, exclusively in larger sizes) to write about the importance of promoting confidence through fashion.

I have definitely been on my own journey with confidence and I do struggle sometimes to love my post 40, curvy, petite figure complete with ‘mum tum’. Having been a variety of different dress sizes over the years the one thing I have learnt is confidence is EVERYTHING! If you feel good about yourself on the inside you will look great whatever you wear – I really think it is that simple.

Dia&Co is promoting the idea of ‘Try-Day Friday’; a weekly-challenge to step outside your fashion comfort zone and embrace something new. We’ve all put on an outfit, maybe something new or different from our normal look, only to get nervous at the last minute and decide to play it safe. Maybe it’s time to stop letting our insecurities talk and embrace something new?

I thought about some of the trends recently I have seen people rocking and have shied away from and then decided to jump in 100% and put them all together in one outfit.

The looks I wanted to try were –

Wearing co-ordinates
Wearing trainers with a formal outfit
Wearing my hair up
Creating a ‘street style’ fashion look

I had wanted to try wearing co-ordinates for ages but had kept stopping myself for fear of look like a piece of upholstery! I had also seen lots of cool bloggers rocking trainers with their formalwear but wondered if I was too old to pull this kind of ‘street style’ look off. I also have a tendency to hide behind my longish hair so if I was going to truly get out of my comfort zone my hair would need to be put up too!

I had seen some a great looks on Instagram which I loved but hadn’t had the confidence to try, so with them as inspiration, I decided to embrace Try-Day Friday and go for it! This is my look, my way –

I opted for an ASOS pyjama style co-ord from the petite range. The proportions are perfect for me and the trousers are a perfect length for my 5’2″ height. The navy jacquard fabric looks really luxe without being too dressy and the bomber jacket top gives it a sporty edge. Find it here (jacket) and here (trousers).

photo via ASOS

I styled it with a simple vest underneath and pushed up the sleeves. The wide leg pants worked really well with trainers but I think would look just as good with heels in the evening.

To add a pop of colour I added a fun pink bag and pink tassel earrings – I love bright pink with navy and these H&M earrings are a real statement piece.

To achieve the ‘trainers with formalwear’ look, I put on my trusty leather Converse All Stars. I LOVE these sneakers – being black leather they are a great way to wear trainers in a smarter way but still look casual – plus they are really comfortable!

To finish off the look I had to match those pink accessories with a bright pink lip too! Would you believe this is a £1 lipstick from the Poundland make-up range?!? Its really good and a definite recommend. As I challenged myself to, I put my hair up into a bun and although I prefer to hide behind my hair, I loved how it showed off those fabulous earrings.

Lux pyjama bomber jacket / ASOS Petite
Lux pyjama wide leg trousers / ASOS Petite
Black vest (just seen)/ Primark
Leather Converse / Converse All Stars
Tassel earrings / H&M
Heart bag / River Island (past season)

So what are you going to do to push yourself out of your style comfort zone?

Take the leap…it’s really a great feeling!

If you liked my styling follow my blog at https://www.alwaysablueskygirl or my Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/blueskygirlie

Boho is back…

February 23, 2017February 23, 2017 | blueskygirlie

…but then it never went away!

I am a sucker for falling in love with things via my Instagram feed – to be honest its one of my favourite things about Instagram. Stylish people share their great finds with you, discoveries that you can then make your own. I’d seen an amazing blouse on a few different bloggers feeds and had assumed it was Isabel Marant or similar, and knowing that was completely out of my price range resigned myself to swooning over it from afar.

I couldn’t believe it when I tapped for a credit tag and found it it was from good old Marks and Spencer! M&S! I practically did a little dance!!!

The blouse is from the Indigo range at M&S and is a cream cotton Telcel with detailed embroidery and fringing. It is gathered under the bust so is a very flattering fit which hangs to your hips. The generous bell sleeves add to the peasant look but everything about this blouse screams designer when it is in fact, high street.

I wore mine with skinny jeans and heeled boots and felt the proportions were really flattering to my curvy frame. Size-wise it is true to size and I bought the UK size 12 which hangs really nicely.

The best bit about this blouse is the boho details. The detailing is REALLY good – a mix of colours with fringing detail to the front and it has a slight cut out detail to the back fastening.

This blouse would definitely be a great addition to your SS17 wardrobe – its a very wearable piece, is lovely quality and very flattering. My advice? Grab it now before it sells out!

Peasant blouse – Indigo at Marks & Spencer / £35 in store and online now

What does your Valentines Day look like?

February 14, 2017February 14, 2017 | blueskygirlie

It’s Valentines Day! Whether or not you celebrate it, love it or loathe it, are taken or single, it’s a great day to spoil yourself and make yourself feel good. It’s a day all about love – whether its the love for a partner, for your friends, your family but most importantly yourself – because you can’t love anyone properly unless youve learnt to love yourself! In todays blog I’ll show you my picks to help you do just that…

Mind blowing blow dry spray – Schwarzkopf Got2b
Red lingerie set – Peacocks
Vanity case – Primark
Heart earrings/Movie Night purse/Diamanté brooch – New Look
Rose Quartz Facial Oil – Skin Chemists*
Red Gazelle Trainers – Adidas
Je t’aime brooch – vintage
The Righteous Butter – Soap and Glory
Heart dish – Clintons
Harley Quinn mini-figure – Lego
Love Heart sweets – Swizzles Matlow

I love wearing nice underwear whatever the day and Valentines Day demands some red accents so why not your undies! This lace bra and knicker set (£15 from Peacocks) is sexy but still wearable – as a 43year old, DD cup size with a mummy tummy, Ann Summers style is just not going to work for me! Feeling confident is sexy, right? The Schwarzkopf Mind Blowing Spray is a new discovery for me and its amazing! It makes your hair dry so fast and makes straightening really easy. The ‘Be Mine’ heart dish (£10 from Clintons) is perfect to put my rings on at night and the Harley Quinn Lego minifigure (£4 from all good Lego retailers) is a little gift from my boyfriend who just loves Lego (and I love Harley). The heart earrings were from the New Look sale and look really cute on as do my red Adidas Gazelle trainers – I’ve wanted a pair for ages so treated myself in the January sales and by buying the kids version (they go up to UK 5.5) I saved a fortune! The Skin Chemists Rose Quartz facial oil (£24.99 from Skin Chemists) is still keeping my skin soft and radiant (for more info see my review of it here) and smells lovely…just the thing to make you feel great about yourself!

I do love a pretty accessory and the heart brooch is a vintage one and the diamanté wreath brooch is from New Look. Love Heart sweets are always cute to give your loved one and dont seem to of changed that much since I was a kid (apart from maybe a ‘text me’ one!). And this vanity case (£5 from Primark) is just adorable – perfect for if youre going away or just to store stuff in your bedroom or bathroom.

I love Soap & Glory products so The Righteous Butter is a constant buy for me – if you’ve never tried their products then I did definitely recommend you do. And finally I couldnt resist the Movie Night coin purse (£4.99 New Look) its small, but perfectly formed and the perfect size for your cinema tickets, some coins and a bank card.

But ultimately my Valentine Day looks like just being with the people I love. As its half term and I have the day off I will be lunching then having a Starbucks date with my 3 sons/stepsons in the day and then later on will share a romantic dinner with my boyfriend. We dont ‘do’ gifts, just give a Valentines Day card because for us its every day that matters, not just February 14th. But whatever you do, however big or small, enjoy the day.

PS I also wrote about how I hate the commercialism of the day here – have a look and let me know your thoughts!

During February Skin Chemists are having a Rose Quartz month with lots of promotional offers on the entire range. This product usually has a RRP of £99 but during February is reduced to £24.99 – to shop it click here. My followers can receive an additional 20% off by using the discount code BLUESKYBLOG making the product only £19.99! The code is valid until the end of February.

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

Skin Chemists Rose Quartz Age Defence Youth Facial Oil

February 1, 2017February 2, 2017 | blueskygirlie

When Skin Chemists got in touch and said they wanted to send me a different kind of Valentines gift I was intrigued. Now I’m not a big fan of Valentines Day (I blogged about it here) but I am a big fan of beauty products and last year was very impressed with the Skin Chemists Snail Serum I reviewed (see the non slimy results here) so was excited to find out what treat I would receive.

Skin Chemists’ idea is to gift (or self-gift) a rose-themed beauty product rather than a bouquet of roses this Valentines Day because lets be honest, however beautiful they can be, bouquets of roses at Valentines are such a waste of money. I personally would always rather have something that will last more than a few days and more importantly something I actually want. So I’m definitely ready to break with tradition this February, are you?

PS If you’re single and thinking “Urgh, great a blog about gifts for Valentines day” I think February is always a great month to buy yourself a few beauty treats regardless…its still a bit cold and miserable plus your skin is recovering from winter and needs all the TLC it can get. So embrace the self-gifting (I know I do!!!)

I tested the Rose Quartz Age Defence Youth Facial Oil* and according to Skin Chemists, the oil is infused with a blend of hydrating, nourishing and protecting actives. These provide essential vitamins and minerals for the skin to leave the complexion illuminated, hydrated and refined.

The main active ingredients in the formulation are:
1) Rose Otto Oil to help restore moisture balance in the skin. Its anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties aim to repair and protect the skin, whilst firming and toning.
2) Vitamin E to reduce skin damage, whilst protecting against daily damage.
3) Almond Oil to provide deep hydration and nourishment, brightening and renewing the appearance of the skin.

So does it do what it claims – to smooth, illuminate and refine…?

The first thing I noticed, from the first day I starting using it was how soft my skin felt afterwards. The oil itself is very light and doesn’t make your skin feel sticky or oily plus it smells divine! The rose oil ingredient creates a lovely light floral aroma that makes you feel great even on the most miserable of days. Plus I had no break-outs while using it and considering I used it quite liberally over my whole face I think thats great as the fact it was an oil did worry me a little before I started using it.

By week two I felt my skin was looking dewy and definitely had a healthy glow to it which I loved. I didn’t see a huge difference in my fine lines but to be honest I’m lucky as I dont have a lot and this would probably be more obvious after a longer usage time. It definitely felt luxurious to use though and I got into the habit to using it before bed and it made me feel quite pampered which was lovely. All in all I liked the product – it is easy to use with its pipette style dispenser, comes in premium glass packaging (plus a lovely bright pink box!), made my skin super soft to the touch and smells just lovely. Suitable for all skin types, I think the oil would be a lovely treat for your skin this February.

During February Skin Chemists are having a Rose Quartz month with lots of promotional offers on the entire range. This product usually has a RRP of £99 but during February is reduced to £24.99 – to shop it click here.
And it gets better! My followers can receive an additional 20% off by using the discount code BLUESKYBLOG making the product only £19.99! The code is valid until the end of February so now is the time to treat yourself (or get someone else to!)

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

Pretty in Pink

January 20, 2017January 20, 2017 | blueskygirlie

Its no secret I love pink. I like bright pink, baby pink and metallic pink…which is strange really as I wouldn’t describe myself as a particularly ‘girlie’ girl. But fashion for me is about feeling good about yourself and pink clothing always does that for me.

Todays look is based around a fabulous bargain jumper I bought from New Look. Its just £9.99 and is available in a number of colours – its shade is ‘shell pink’ which is a lovely flattering pink perfect if you dont want to go too pink (if thats possible, but hey I love pink!). It has a high neck, sloughy shape and fitted sleeves which creates a very flattering fit. I went for the small as I didnt want it too loose fitting. The jumper is available in 9 different colours plus some petite and tall options too and I definitely recommend it – find it here.

For a feminine look, I teamed it with a silver pleated skirt, pearl necklace and silver brogues. I wanted the look to be pretty but not fussy so kept it simple. I just love pleated skirts and keep buying them in various colours, as theres something about the ‘swoosh’ you get when wearing pleats that just makes you feel great!

The longer length necklace creates a flattering accessory drawing the eye downwards and for a cute quirky look I teams the brogues with glittery ankle socks rather than tights.

I think this is a pretty, feminine look without looking too girlie (I am 43!). So are you ready to embrace some pink for when Spring arrives? How do you style it, I’d love to know…

Jumper /New Look £9.99
Skirt / eBay (China) £14.99
Socks / Next Kids £3.00
Necklace / Dorothy Perkins (past season)
Shoes / 915 at New Look (past season)

The Strange Case of Self Doubt & the Confident Girl

January 13, 2017January 18, 2017 | blueskygirlie

Have you been watching the new series of Sherlock on the BBC? Well I’ve got a case for you to investigate mystery lovers…

This is me: at 43, I’ve studied hard, I have been travelling, I’ve worked at some of the best places in my profession; I have been married, I’ve been divorced, I’ve done it alone, I’ve created a blended family a fantastic new partner; I’ve forged a great career (although its now taking a backseat while I do the whole primary school thing), I’ve owned my own business; am a mother and step mother, bought and sold houses, chose to change my life and drop 6 dress sizes and generally aim to embrace life and all it offers. I travel, love having new experiences, care deeply for those I love and am always the life and soul of any party.

But I am still wracked with that pointless emotion…self doubt.

Maybe you suffer from it too? Its definition is this –

SELF DOUBT [self-dout] noun

lack of confidence in the reliability of one’s own motives, personality, thought, etc.

It is a strange thing to be seen as so confident and bubbly by everybody, as they seem to think you are never not confident as if you are a non-stop fun machine. I myself am a person of extremes – put me in front of a crowd and ask me to perform and I am in my element, but looking at a person on Facebook who has ignored my friend request will reduce me into a state over-thinking.

“They must hate me” I think.

“Maybe I’ve done something to upset them?” I ponder.

Is it because I’m too loud / odd / fat / fit / obsessive / dreamy / pretty / ugly / bullish / fussy / common / snobby / ethnic / funny / miserable ? etc etc – delete as necessary.
I have always been a worrier. I will worry about anything and everything and again those niggling little thoughts can creep in – the ‘what ifs’… Suffering from any form of anxiety can be crippling at times but I believe telling people about it is half the battle, particularly if you’re good at hiding it. In my 30’s I suffered quite badly with anxiety and panic but ultimately I had to acknowledge that the only thing holding me back from living the life I wanted was me. It was a watershed moment and I changed my life – big time…but thats for another blog. I still get anxious about things of course but I do not and will not let it control me. (as an aside I’ve found regular exercise key in making this change to my mental health)

Being a mum can make self doubt rear its ugly head far too often too. “Am I doing the best I can?” I ask myself as I rush from work, via the school run to after-school swimming then rewarding my son with dinner out as a reward as he passes into the next swim group. Of course I am, but its easy to look at people around me particularly via the rose-tinted glasses of social media and think – “Wow they’ve got it all under control…activities every night after school and perfect children, maybe we should start violin lessons and I should stop letting the kids go on the computer so much”. However once you start comparing your life to others lives you will never stop…and probably total madness would follow!!! My mantra is now “I am doing the best I can and I am good enough.”

Ah social media. As someone who works in marketing and uses it everyday in my role, I can see the good it can create but I also think social media is a particular issue our parents did not have to deal with; whether its the Facebook show offs, the people trying to tell you how to parent or the general taboo of admiting that sometimes life and motherhood is really bloody hard, I’m learning to take it all with a pinch of salt and remember… however much it is presented as reality it is not actually real life!

I was recently picked for a fabulous opportunity – to film an advert for Garnier Olia hair dye and be the face of their Intense Red shade 6.60 for 2017. All the attention, praise and compliments was really quite humbling and its really nice to see yourself through other peoples eyes…in fact it is quite amazing. Not only was I feeling good about how I looked, I was suddenly being told how well I had done, how proud I should be of myself, and you know what, the more they said it the easier it was to feel it.

I compliment people all the time but find it hard sometimes to accept a compliment or praise graciously, as if I am embarassed by the fuss. I wonder why that is, why it feels like showing off when it is, in fact, just being proud? It is one of my proudest moments so far and has definitely helped me stop telling myself “you can do better!” quite so much!

Being in a TV advert definitely helps you get used to really focusing on how you look which is usually the time when that self doubt can creep back in for me. When you photograph yourself all the time for your blog it seems strange to say you suffer from worrying about how you look, after all how I look is a big part of the blog. It is a ‘chicken and egg’ situation as one of the reasons I started blogging was to help my self esteem and it has been very good at helping that – generally people are very kind and supportive and I have not come across many trolls. But do I look in the mirror and love what I see? Well lets just say I am working on it…

So what has this bubbly, mainly extravert; worrying, sometimes introvert actually learnt? I have realised I am far too hard on myself and really need to give myself a break – we all do. We were the generation that was told we could ‘have it all’, but that is pretty much impossible. We must make our choices and pick our battles and celebrate each success however small. It is ok to not get everything right, in fact to learn and develop it is a very necessary thing. The key for me is to keep trying, to never give up and to try and be the best version of me I can be.

So I continue on my lifes journey trying as best I can to banish this pointless, undermining emotion and remember the amazing journey I have taken to get here – to this exact point, with all its ups and downs, its failures but also its many successes – it is this exact journey that has made me, me!

I’m realising I am the only me I’m gonna get and you know what, I’m pretty damned good at all this life stuff.

I’m still wondering my that person on hasn’t accepted my Facebook friend request though…

More La Redoute

December 31, 2016January 1, 2017 | blueskygirlie

You know I adore La Redoute (read about my first haul here) and I always have a saved wishlist waiting online for when they have their big promotions or sales and recently they had another 40% off promotion which equaled another La Redoute haul…so I went for it. Want to see what I got?

Red coat, slogan sweatshirt & white shirt

This is a perfect set of layering pieces and great worn with a pair of jeans for a smart casual look.

The boyfriend style coat is made from a twill type material rather than wool, so a couple of layers are required if I’m wearing it outside, but I do love wearing red – it always makes me feel great.
You can’t go wrong with a classic white shirt and this one has a nice bit of stretch in the cotton so can be worn firted underneath things.
And the sweatshirt? Well its always nice to be polite, oui?

Shirt / £19 – find it here
Sweatshirt / £14.40 (on sale) – find it here
Coat / £49 – find it here

High neck lace top

This top is a really great addition to my wardrobe and can be worn both to the office and dressed up for a night out. It is lovely quality and looks much more expensive than it was. Its definitely a new favourite piece.
Lace top / £24.50 (on sale) – find it here
Camisole / Primark (past season)

Metallic party top

Who doesn’t want to sparkle at Christmas? This 1980’s style top is made from the most amazing fabric – it looks like molten metal. Its dressy without being too over the top and is the perfect choice for a night out when you dont want to look too dressed up. The frilled front and buttons up the back just add to its loveliness.
Frilled top / £34.30 (on sale) – find it here

Grey trainers

I am not one to buy unbranded trainers but I loved the laid back vibe of these. The different shades of grey felted wool look very stylish and they go with practically anything! Just no 50 shades of grey jokes, ok?
Trainers / £39 – find them here

All items available from La Redoute right now – find the website here. All prices accurate at time of writing – their winter sale has just started so why not grab yourself a bargain!

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2016January 1, 2017 | blueskygirlie

I just wanted to say a big thank you to you all for your support this year, following my little blog/Instagram/Facebook page and joining me on this journey. I started this blog at the end of 2014 as an outlet for my creativity at a time when I had very little opportunity to be creative and with an aim to help me grow my confidence about myself and share that with other women while showing that age did not define style.

Just over a year later and 2016 has been a real year of change for me…a new job, changes in my personal life meaning I have had to focus much more on my son and his needs and then, out of the blue, some amazing opportunities linked to my Instagram and blog.

I have also learnt this year not everyone is on your side, in fact some people can be downright nasty, but getting toxic people out of your life is never a bad thing. It can hurt of course, but experiences like that just make you love your supporters (whether they are family, friends or strangers you only talk to via the internet) even more and I am very lucky to have a wonderfully supportive partner and some loyal and loving family and friends.

I am really proud of what I have achieved this year. I have found my place at work and created a role that really suits me, grown my blog and Instagram followers, worked hard at keeping my blended family happy and full of love, continued my fitness journey by keeping up my running every week (over 450 miles run this year!) and topped the year off by filming an advert for Garnier!