If you're here, you're probably wondering what my thoughts are on the Jivesse Collagen & 24 Karat Gold Face Mask, and whether it really works. So if you're thinking of taking the plunge and want to find out whether it's worth it - I have good news for you. It is.

I have to admit, when I first heard about this product, I was skeptical. I mean, who wouldn't be? Women have been trying to find the answer to visibly lifted, tightened and firmer skin for YEARS (the natural way, without having work done). The part that really swayed me though, was the price tag and the stockists. Retailing at £125 for a pack of 5, you can find it at Harrods, Selfridges or on the Jivesse website. Now I know for sure, that such well respected retailers like Harrods and Selfridges, wouldn't sell this product if it wasn't any good. If it's good enough for them, then it sure as hell is good enough for me.

The first night of my trip, I decided to try it out late before going to bed. I was exhausted from the early start and looked super tired, so I cleansed my face by removing my makeup and left it to dry for about 5 mins.
Once my face dried, I went and removed the mask from the packaging before use. I was actually incredibly surprised as to how moist the mask actually was, there was a lot of excess moisture and liquid which I was pleased about - I sort of expected it to be like every other mask and be pretty dried out.
As you can see from the picture below, it was covered in flakes of 24 karat gold. This I was also pleased about, as prior to opening it, I didn't expect it to have much gold in it at all.

I pressed the mask on to my face, and made sure it covered the whole area. I then left it on for 15-20 mins. It had a very cooling and soothing sensation when it was on my face, which made my skin feel instantly hydrated. I felt so relaxed and as it was late at night, I very nearly fell asleep with it on! Once I had removed it, I did what the instructions suggested - which was to not wipe any left over moisture off of your face, but to gently massage your face instead. I did this for 5 mins and then went to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt really tired because I hadn't caught up on much sleep from the day before. I was expecting to look in the mirror and look like a zombie, BUT my skin looked so awake! There was no trace of any bags under my eyes, my skin looked really bright, vibrant and refreshed, with zero sign of any cold, chapped, dull skin. With regards to tightness, it didn't give my skin that really tight, itchy sensation that some face masks can give you - but rather a youthful plumpness to it.
The results made doing my makeup so much quicker and easier, j didn't even need to wear highlighter!

I was so pleased with the results, that I decided to redo this routine every night before bed for the duration of my trip.
I really did feel this helped me to feel so much more hydrated and refreshed for the whole trip - especially when you're spending 12+ in a busy city with barely any chill time.

On the whole, I really would recommend these products to you, and I also 100% think these are a great investment, especially to your every day routine. Even if you don't have much time to dedicate to looking after your skin, this is a quick 15 minute fix that will leave you feeling like you've spent an hour nurturing your skin. A little goes a long way where your skin is involved!

You can find the face mask on Jivesse's website here: https://www.jivesse.com/shop/jivesse-collagen-gold-mask/

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!

A while ago now, I was invited to Sopwell House for the day to try their afternoon tea and have a tour of the hotel.
Situated in St. Albans, it's approximately a 30 minute train journey from St. Pancras International in central London, and a short 10 minute drive from St. Albans train station.
(Be aware though that if you are travelling in by train from St. Pancras that contactless payment/Oyster cards are NOT accepted at St. Albans station and you will have to buy a ticket before travel. Even though I asked at the St. Pancras information desk whether contactless payment was accepted and I was told yes, which I then found out the hard way when I had to pay a fine, that it wasn't!)

The afternoon tea itself was particularly enjoyable, and we opted for the champagne afternoon tea. This included a glass of champagne each, a tea of your choice, 4 finger sandwiches per person, 2 scones pp with clotted cream and Tiptree Jam (this really made me happy, a little taste of home!), as well as an assortment of cakes and macaroons to share.
One thing that I found a really nice touch was that the staff were always offering us more sandwiches, scones and cakes etc. Sometimes (being the pig that I am) I want more sandwiches to balance out the sweet and savoury, but feel a pain in the bum to ask for more. The fact that these were offered to us made it much more relaxing!
The staff also could not be faulted. We were served by two very kind gentlemen who could not do enough for us.

After eating, we were given a tour of Sopwell House and the grounds of the hotel.
The rooms took my breath away - particularly the outside "Mews" area where you are able to have more of a maisonette style apartment with a hot tub in your own private "garden" area.
This whole area of the hotel can also be hired out for events such as wedding parties, so the whole entourage can stay in one area.

As well as hiring out parts of the hotel for wedding parties, the hotel also boasts a number of events rooms which have moveable walls, creating one large events room if need be.
Sopwell House has been a particular favourite for footballing events, with the England team having resided there on a number of occasions.

There is something for everyone at Sopwell House though - there is a full spa with treatment facilities, a gym, and a swimming pool. There is also a golf range near by for all you golf fanatics - hosts to the Ryder Cup!

Overall, if you are looking for a quiet, peaceful sanctuary to get away from the hustle and bustle of London, then this is the place for you. It is complete luxury in a scenic setting, and you don't have to travel far outside of London to get it.
Prices start from £154 per night for a superior suite, to £250+ per night for a Mews Suite.

For more information, you can check out the Sopwell House website here.

For a few months now, I have been testing out the SmoothSkin Bare IPL hair removal device on my legs.
SmoothSkin is a device which utilises light energy, flashing at 100 times per minute and aims to eventually replace your shaving routine.
For those interested in the technical side, a description from the SmoothSkin website of how the device uses light energy for hair removal can be found below:

There is no set time length for how long the treatments will take. No one person is the same and the time length for seeing results is all dependent on hair colour and thickness. These devices can also only be used on certain skin tones, so before purchasing I would recommend checking to see if you are suitable for using the device by clicking the link at the bottom of this post.

When using, you can either use in a gliding motion or a stamping motion. I found that the gliding motion was a much more time saving method as well as being more effective, however I would recommend either turning your head away from the product or wearing sunglasses whilst in use, as the flashes are very bright.
The SmoothSkin device is always used on cleanly shaven legs, so that no new hairs can get in to the light and cause damage to the product.

When using the device, I found it to be totally pain free (which is a miracle for me!), and it literally just felt like a warm/hot sensation on my legs (the more sensitive areas of my legs tended to feel hotter). SmoothSkin is the perfect device for those who are looking for a more permanent solution to hair removal but cannot stand the pain of an epilady device (don't worry, I've tried one and believe me the pain was unbearable, as well as the fact I also got my hair caught in it). The particular device I have tried retails between £170-£200, which may seem a little steep to some, however it is an investment and a one off price, as you will then be able to use the device as you please.

Unfortunately, this particular device hasn't really had much of an effect on me yet - however, I'm still trying with it so I am hopeful it will in the end. Like I mentioned previously in this post, it has a different affect on each individual and this by no way means that it won't have an affect on you!

If you'd like to read more or purchase a device for yourself, then you can visit this link here.