40th Birthday Lust List

40th Birthday Lust List by fortytherapy 

With my 40th birthday rapidly approaching & family constantly asking what I'd like for a present, I sat down with my ipad & starting trawling the net to see if I could give them any suggestions.  There's quite a bit on my Polyvore set so I am in no way expecting to receive everything on it, it's more for my reference in case I ask folks to club together for one special gift!!

I'd love a classic black evening bag & although I adore the Marc by Marc Jacobs one & may have to hunt it down whilst in New York, the one from Zara is gorgeous too & would leave more pennies for other things!

After winning my box of goodies from Elemis last year, I've been in love with these products & would love to replace them.  The night cream is not cheap though at £95 a pot, eeek!

I really would love a new watch more than anything.  I've never been bothered about watches in the past (as displayed by my 21 year old Accurist divers watch currently on my wrist!) but recently, I've really fancied a lovely watch.  I took a peek on The Watch Hut & found these watches by Tissot & Citizen, both of which I love.  I have tried on the Tissot watch but not the Citizen so I need to try & hunt one down as I love the pop of teal on the face.

Next up are these fabulous rings from Thomas Sabo.  I love big, bold & quirky rings - hence the skull ring! - & there are some beautiful ones on the website, I could've chosen so many more.

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne, need I say more?  This scent is delicious & I can wear it without it giving me a pounding headache within an hour, a problem I have with a lot of other perfumes so I might have to get some from Duty Free!

Now the camera is a bit of a cheat as my hubby very kindly bought it for me last year but it had been on my list for a while so I kept it in!!  It's such a fab wee camera that offers just as much as a DSLR but without the changeable lenses.  I wanted something more compact that would fit in a smaller cross-body bag on my holidays as I would otherwise have to take a whole other camera bag if I hauled my DSLR around with me!  I love the funky retro styling of it & the red is fab.

And to finish, no birthday is complete without a lipstick or two from MAC.  I'll be in NYC just 2 days after my birthday so I will hold off & get some whilst I'm there as they are a lot cheaper in the States, even with the sales tax added on!

Sorry there's not links to everything but my PC is about to crash & burn I think - it's taken me two %&*("@+ hours to just get this far, it's soooooo slow :(

What did everyone else get on their birthdays (not specifically 40th birthdays!!)

Skincare heroes 2014

I tried a fair few new products throughout 2014, some I downright disliked, some were ok & these above, I've loved & if I haven't already repurchased, I will do so very soon!!

Simple eyemakeup remover - I've talked many times about this & no matter how much I spend on other products, nothing works like this little beauty.  Great product for little money.

She Anti Aging Rosehip Oil - I found this little beauty in TK Maxx one day & as I'd been about to try the Trilogy Rosehip Oil, I though I'd try this one first for £5.  It's such a good, non-greasy oil & it has really helped (along with other products!) to help clear up my acne scarring.  It's an Australian brand though & I can't find it anywhere else in the UK :(

Indeed Labs Hydraluron - Again, another product I've spoken about before & it is a total saviour for dry, parched, dehydrated skin.  You only need the tiniest amount of this clear gel/serum & layer your normal day/night cream over it.  It helps your skin to retain any moisture & I really notice when I stop using it.  I'm now on my 3rd tube!

Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel - this was part of the Elemis gift set I won on a Twitter giveaway & I'll admit, the word 'peel' put me off trying it for quite a while due to my rosacea & sensitive skin.  I needn't have worried as it's so, so gentle & my skin looks radiant when I've used it.  It does have a super fruity scent but it doesn't bother me & is a lovely thick cream.  Apply & leave for 10 minutes to work it's magic.

Botanics 100% Organic Rosewater Toning Spritz - I bought this one day when I was looking for a soothing toner to alternate with my Clarins Exfoliating toner & it's a great product.  It feels really moisturising & doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped, as some toners can.

Botanics Firming Day Cream - another random purchase that ended up being a great choice.  A lovely, soothing, non-greasy day cream with SPF 15.

Indeed Labs Retinol Reface - this was a product I'd wanted to try for ages after reading many rave blog reviews.  It's a really thick balm-like cream that I apply at night under my usual night cream or oil.  As it contains retinol, an ingredient known for it's ability to reduce the appearance of fine lines, I don't use it if I've used the Elemis peel or the Clarins exfoliating toner to make sure my skin doesn't become too sensitive.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Gentle toner - I'm now on my 3rd bottle of this too & I really think that this is the product that has most transformed & helped my skin over the last 18 months.  It's a very gentle acid toner but don't be afraid to try it even if you have sensitive skin.  I've never had any reaction or even slight redness from using it but it's helped significantly with reducing my scarring on my chin.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water - I've been a huge fan of micellar waters since the minute they were introduced & although I like many of them, this one by far offers the best value for money.  I use as my first cleanse to remove my makeup before second cleansing with an oil or balm.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo + - Clinically proven to correct marks & blemishes, this is another product that I swear by & can tell a huge difference in my skin if I stop using it.  It's really moisturising & a little goes a long way.  I use about two grains of rice worth for my chin & cheeks applying only where I have scarring & then apply my usual day or night cream on top.  I don't use if I've used any other products with acids or retinol though.

So what skincare are you swearing by lately, any recommendations I should be trying?

Elemis skincare

Way back in October last year I was fortunate enough to win a Twitter giveaway of this fabulous skincare set by Elemis.  This is a brand I have very little knowledge of as they are generally only available online or in salons &, much to my distress, I haven't stepped inside a beauty salon for many years now.  In fact, the only product of theirs that I've ever tried (& loved, btw!) has been their Pro-radiance Illuminating Flash Balm that I got as a magazine freebie last summer!

But I was totally made up with winning this amazing set with it's own cosmetic bag, especially when I realised that the contents alone were worth £145!!  Let me talk you through them....

Soothing Chamomile Cleanser 200ml (£22.00)
I'm not sure if it's because I'm so used to either oil or balm cleansers now or whether it's the smell I'm not keen on, but either way, this is the only product that's not really floating my boat.  Don't get me wrong, it works perfectly well at removing makeup without any tautness of my skin afterwards, but I certainly wouldn't rush to buy this (or any other cream cleanser for that matter) again, I'll be sticking to balm cleansers.

Soothing Apricot Toner 200ml (£22.00)

This hydrating toner smells delicious!  It's fruity, obviously, but not in an overly sickly way & I use this alternatively with my Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Toner & in the mornings.  I like that it's a spray application too, I find it wastes less product.

White Flowers Lip & Eye Makeup Remover 28ml (£4.26 approx.)

This is a clear bi-phase remover that turns a milky white when mixed.  It works brilliantly at removing even the most stubborn of eye makeup & red lipstick but I'm still not a huge fan of an oily remover for my eyes.  The size is perfect for travelling though so I'll be saving it for my weekends away this year!

Papaya Enzyme Peel 50ml (£31.00)

I was in two minds whether or not to try this one out as my skin can be so sensitive & I suffer with rosacea too & usually, anything containing fruit acids (AHAs) can irritate it too much.  However, I read reviews online & everyone seemed to comment on how gentle this product was so I decided to give it a whirl - oh how glad I am that I did!!

It's a lovely thick cream that I smoothed over my freshly cleansed skin, avoiding the eye area.  I left it on for 10 minutes & had no tingling or reaction to it whatsoever.  On removal, my cheeks had the merest hint of pink, but no more than after a usual cleanse but oh my goodness, my skin was ridiculously smooth & soft afterwards!!  It really felt amazing & I will definitely repurchase this when I run out!

Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream 30ml (£57.00 approx.)

I am totally in love with this product, so much so that I don't want to use it as I don't want to run out!!  It smells divine & if I could find a perfume that smelled exactly the same, I'd wear it every single day!  It's a beautiful rich night cream that serves to plump up my skin with absolutely no greasiness, stickiness or puffiness the following morning.  I really cannot rave about it enough & I could cry as it's a product that is soooo out of my usual price range.  I'll have to keep an eye out for any offers on QVC as I would love to repurchase!!

Cellular Recovery Skin Bliss Capsules 14 capsules (£9.28 approx.)

This was a week's worth of these amazing moringa oil-filled capsules, 7 each of the rose (day) & lavender (night).  You break open the capsule, squeeze out the oil & smooth over your face & neck.  I love these too although I tend not to use the rose one in the morning as I'm not keen on using oils on my face during the day so have been using them both at night.  Rose isn't usually one of my favourite scents but this is so delicate that I don't mind it.  The lavender on the other hand is gorgeous!

Again, these are something that are usually out of my price range but I will be putting a set of these on my next Christmas list - are you listening Santa?!

So that's the run-down of my prize, amazing don't you think?!

Have you used Elemis products before?  Any other recommendations for me?