This post contains gifted products and affiliate links, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

Way back in 2014, when my blog was just a few months old, I was invited to my very first blogging event. Part of London fashion week, with complimentary manicures, superfood smoothies and canapés, the whole thing felt very exciting. I was lucky enough to meet a friendly group of fellow bloggers there too, which made the evening even more special, and I still look back on that event as one of the best I have been to since I started this whole online adventure of mine.

Why this little trip down memory lane, I hear you ask? Well, one of the organisers of that event was a brand called Ark Skincare. I can remember taking home a goodie bag with some of their products to try, and I can also remember how much I enjoyed those products. Beauty blogging being what it is, countless other brands have graced my bathroom cabinet since then, and I never did get around to trying anything else from Ark, even though I fully intended to at the time. So when they got in touch  a few weeks ago to offer me new products to try, I didn't hesitate. I couldn't wait to see if I still liked the brand as much as I did the first time around.

Vegan friendly and cruelty free, one of the most interesting things about Ark Skincare is that they base their different ranges on age rather than skin type. Age Protect is designed for those in their teens and twenties, Age Defend for the thirties and forties and Age Defy for the over fifties. Each range offers cleansers and moisturisers with the optimum combination of vitamins, minerals, lipids and anti-oxidants for your age group, providing you with a solid base from which to build your skincare routine.

Once you have the core products most suited to your age, you can then add to them to create your own bespoke regime. Individual skin concerns, such as pigmentation and dull skin, blemishes and excess oil, sensitivity and redness, etc can be addressed by shopping Ark's Skin Perfecters range, while Skin Essentials like Pre-Cleanse and Makeup Remover, Reverse Gravity Eye Cream and Hydrating Beauty Mist provide all the finishing touches you could want.

Ark Skincare sent me the Pre-Cleanse and Makeup Remover from their Skin Essentials range, as well as the Conditioning Cleanser and Replenishing Moisturiser from their Age Defend line designed for my age group.

Pre-Cleanse And Makeup Remover (AD)

I've really been enjoying using this as a change from my usual micellar water, and have been finding it just as effective at removing makeup. Formulated from a multi-fruit lipid blend with Omegas 3, 6 and 9 and containing Grape Seed, Avocado and Kiwi Oil, the product nourishes while dissolving grime and feels like a very light oil on the skin. I've mentioned before that my skin doesn't always appreciate oil based cleansing on a long term basis, so I've not been using this every day of the week. As a result, my complexion is reaping the nourishing benefits of this gentle cleanser without my oily t-zone having the chance to become irritated. In addition to the main ingredients, Margosa Leaf Extract helps to curb the spread of bacteria while Zi Cao (an Ayurvedic herb) soothes sensitivity.

Conditioning Cleanser (AD)

This is probably my favourite of the three products as it's such a pleasure to use. The gel-type consistency that my skin always seems to favour, it also has the loveliest light and natural fragrance to it. The ingredients include Moringa Oil, rich in Vitamins A and C, as well as Kiwi and Passionfruit Lipids which provide moisture boosting Omega 3 fatty acids. Powerful antioxidant Blue Lotus assists with skin firmness and elasticity, while the combination as a whole helps to calm redness and soothe sensitive skin. I've been using this morning and night for a while now, and it always leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped, and beautifully balanced.

Replenishing Moisturiser (AD)

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Have you tried Ark Skincare? What are your thoughts on skincare designed for specific age ranges?

Kate x

This post contains gifted items, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

Thanks to some truly lovely PR packages, which were waiting for me when I got home from an extended stay with family recently, my skin has been enjoying some delightful summer treats over the past few weeks. Two are from Dr Botanicals, a tried and tested (and much loved) brand, while one is from a brand I hadn't heard of before - 001 Skincare, an unexpected but very welcome surprise. All three have proved such a joy to use that it would have been rude of me not to share, so here are the details!

Oil based cleansers and my skin aren't always the best of friends, so I was somewhat wary of trying this product and have only been using it two to three days a week, relying on my trusty micellar water to remove makeup the rest of the time. So far it hasn't had any adverse effects, and I'm thrilled about that because it is such a wonderful product to use - this cleanser is worthy of a place in the fanciest of spas! First of all, it smells like a dream, due to its combination of jasmine, neroli and yang ylang oils. I can't resist a beautifully scented product and anything with jasmine in it is going to get my attention! It also feels nourishing, soothing and softening on the skin. Anyone who dislikes a stripping effect from their cleanser will love this, as it honestly feels like you're moisturising your skin rather than cleansing it. Yet it's also very effective at removing makeup. I tend to use a separate eye makeup remover, but other than that this will do the job very nicely, while caring for your skin at the same time. Cleansing your face never felt so luxurious.

I love a cream mask that's super hydrating. Used two to three times a week as a sleeping mask, I always find I wake up the next morning with plumped, baby soft skin. This rich offering from Dr Botanicals is a perfect example and a very welcome addition to my collection. Containing cocoa and coconut, it has a very faint fragrance to it that is reminiscent of both those ingredients - good enough to eat! Feels deeply nourishing on application yet sinks into the skin surprisingly quickly, leaving you looking perfectly rested the next morning. 

There couldn't be a nicer product to use in summer than this one. I've been using it as a hand cream but it's also a handy little multi-tasker, perfect to use on cuticles, elbows or just anywhere you might have dry skin. Like the cocoa mask, it manages to be both super rich and fast to absorb, and doesn't leave the slightest residue on the skin. As for the fresh lemon scent, it's divine and so perfect for warm summer days. I'm absolutely loving this one and think I will feel quite bereft once I've finished it!

Don't forget, if you fancy checking out the Dr Botanicals products or indeed anything from the Dr Botanicals website, you can enter the code KATELOUISE for a 20% discount at checkout.

What beauty products have you been loving this summer?

Kate x

This post contains affiliate links, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

I can be a creature of habit when it comes to beauty products, and fake tan is no exception. For years I have turned to my favourite gradual tanner, Dove Summer Revived (AD), to get my summer glow. So this year, I decided to mix things up a little. For the past few weeks, I've been testing out another three fake tan products, and I'm sharing my thoughts on all of them - including my trusty favourite - in today's video.

You can watch it on YouTube where you will also find links to the products discussed, or right here if you prefer.

What's your favourite self tanner?

Kate x

I imagine that most fashion and beauty lovers of a certain age (my age!) from the UK remember a TV show called What Not To Wear. Back in the early 2000s, my friends and I used to love watching Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine giving their sensible, sometimes scathing but always affectionate advice to members of the public - and the occasional celebrity - who had lost their way with fashion. By the end of each show, the subjects had new hair, new makeup and new wardrobes, as well as a new lease of life. Armed with a heap of knowledge and useful tips from Trinny and Susannah about how best to dress for their body type and lifestyle, they went back out into the world with renewed confidence, and it was always inspiring to watch.

As I remember the show so well, I was immediately curious when I heard about Trinny London - a new makeup brand launched by presenter Trinny Woodall. And naturally, I wasn't going to say no to the opportunity to try out a few of the products!



When the PR package arrived, I was immediately impressed with how beautifully the makeup was presented, as well as intrigued by the whole concept behind the brand. Featuring entirely cream based products, everything from foundation to lipstick comes in a small, stackable pot, meaning that you can mix and match your own perfect combination to create a personalised stack that's compact and lightweight, ideal to carry around with you wherever you go.

Trinny London BFF Cream (AD)

The only product not housed in a stackable pot, but with one provided in case you wish to decant and go, is the BFF Cream. A skin perfector containing SPF 30, this is a really lovely primer with a hint of colour to it, available in 6 shades from Lightest to Dark. I was sent Light. It appears white on first application, but adapts to your skin tone as you blend it in, leaving you with a lovely, healthy glow and skin that feels soft and smooth and without the faintest hint of grease. It also has a delicious, light, fresh scent to it. For those with good skin, it would make a great base on its own, while for those, who prefer a little more coverage, like myself, it's a fabulous primer. I am seriously impressed with this product and can see myself wearing it all summer long.

Trinny London Makeup

In addition to the BFF Cream, the brand also sent me 5 makeup products to try. I was given the Just A Touch Foundation in Zandy (AD), Eye2Eye Eyeshadow in Empress (AD), Flush Blush Blusher in Wiggs (AD), Fresh Flush Lip and Cheek Colour in Mama (AD) and Lip Glow Lip Gloss in Tallis. The quality of all the products is just gorgeous, they blend beautifully and are a pleasure to apply. For the most part, the cream products and stackable pots work very well, and for quickly applying a natural makeup look on the go with your fingertips, they are great. The only product I had any issues with at all was the foundation, but only because it took a fair amount of work to cover my whole face with this particular method of application - once I had finished, the results were impressive.




The Eye2Eye shade Empress looks very dark, though beautiful, in the pot, and I was slightly concerned that it might not suit me, however I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to work with. It blends like a dream, allowing you to apply a subtle wash of colour or build it up to something more dramatic if you prefer. A stunning deep bronze with just the right amount of shimmer, it is my new favourite eye product. I also love the Flush Blush shade Wiggs - a beautiful, feminine pink that brings a gorgeous, natural healthy glow to the cheeks. I'm wearing both in the photo below, along with the Just A Touch Foundation in Zandy and the Lip Glow in Tallis.


The Trinny London Website is well worth a browse. You can choose from pre-made stacks or mix and match the products to create your own, depending on what you want. In my opinion, this method lends itself best to fuss free, natural, everyday makeup looks, and as that pretty much describes the kind of makeup I wear 95% of the time, I think I'm going to be getting a lot of use out of my stack!

Have you heard of Trinny London? What do you think of the stack system, and is it something you would use?

Kate x

This post contain affiliate links, which are marked "AD". Read my full disclaimer here.

If you saw my latest video, you'll know that I've picked up a few new makeup items recently, including an eyeshadow palette and a face palette. I'm so happy with them, both in terms of their quality and the selection of shades, that I can't see myself feeling the need to reach for any others throughout the spring and summer. So it seems only right that I dedicate a blog post to these two palettes, to show them off in a bit more detail.

It's been such a long time since I last bought a new eyeshadow palette, so it felt like a real treat to open this one up for the first time. I went for an ABH palette because I've never tried anything from the brand before, and had heard so many good things about their eyeshadows from my fellow bloggers. While I was tempted by the most recent launch, the Riviera palette, I ultimately decided that there were too many bright shades in it that I would probably never wear. Instead, I opted for Sultry, which contains a beautiful selection of neutral shades in both matte and shimmer finishes.

The pigmentation of all the shadows is excellent, especially when paired with my usual Urban Decay Primer Potion (AD). Buttery soft to apply, they blend like a dream and leave behind a beautiful silky finish. While I do experience a small amount of fallout from the shimmer shades, it's very minor and is easily swept away afterwards. 

My most worn combination so far is Twig through the crease with Cinder all over the lids, although I also love the slightly deeper Teak. Rose quartz is the perfect soft pink shimmer, while the matte shade Bloom is absolutely beautiful and is what I will opt for as a lid shade if I want to do something different with my eye makeup than my usual metallic shimmer. Steampunk is more of a vivid, green toned gold, Pearl is ideal as an inner corner highlight and Fresh as a base shade or for highlighting under the brow bone. Noir is a gorgeous, soft velvety black, great for smudging around the lash line if you're creating something deep and smoky.

In short, there isn't a single shade in this palette that I wouldn't wear, and I can see myself using it exclusively throughout the spring and summer months. When you think about it like that, the £46 price tag almost feels like a bargain! Those who have a well stocked makeup collection with plenty of neutral shades probably don't need this palette, but if you're like me and you have worn down your existing neutral palettes to within an inch of their life, Sultry could refresh your collection nicely.

This face palette has been around for a while and is something that has been on my wish list for a long time. I'm a big fan of Too Faced as a brand and the packaging of this palette really is stunning - a real collector's piece. It even smells beautiful; the scent reminds me of Swiss chocolate. Containing two bronzers, two blushers and two highlights, once again I can't see myself needing any other face products throughout the upcoming season with these at my disposal.

A light hand is essential when applying these products, especially the bronzers and blushers, as the pigmentation is so strong. However, they all blend really well, and the effect of wearing two or three of them together looks beautiful. Just about any combination works, with my current favourite being Sunny Honey, Pink Sand and Satin Sheets. The only shade I was concerned I might not like is Pink Wink, as it's so bright, but blended into the skin it's just lovely, giving you a healthy, radiant glow. The deeper bronzer, Tropic Like It's Hot, is one I think I will get a lot of use out of when I am (hopefully!) tanned later on in the year.

The Natural Face Palette is £35 and I think the price is worth it considering that the shades are such high quality, so wearable and presented so beautifully. It would also make an amazing gift for any makeup lover.

Do you own either of these palettes? What makeup do you think you'll be reaching for the most through spring and summer?

Kate x