Liz Earle Skincare Routine

Ok, I know, I'm still banging on about LK Bennett... but this post is only loosely connected! As a thank you gift for working for free last week and being super tidier and general dogsbody, the lovely Press Office people gave me a gift bag packed with Liz Earle goodies!! They're good size bottles too (as opposed to minatures you usually get with sample packs), so tonight saw the debut of my daily skincare routine for the next few weeks! If they really impress me, I may invest in some more products when they run out...

1) Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (came with muslin cloth)

By far, my favourite of the three products. This really appealed to me because I prefer cleansers that are applied to dry skin - you can do it civilised in front of a mirror without getting water all over your clothes! This product felt very soft on my skin. Will be interesting to see whether it actually removes makeup as it says it does (I wasn't wearing any today). You don't need a lot of it either so hopefully it'll last for a while!

2) Instant Boost Skin Tonic

That's a toner to me and you. I don't really believe in toners, but this was fine. Simply apply to cotton bud and sweep over face and neck after cleansing. My skin didn't feel tight afterwards, it dried quickly and it was light on my skin. Tick, tick, tick.

3) Skin Repair Moisturiser

Again, a little bit of this went a long way and it feels light on my skin. I am in the middle of a break-out at the moment but this hasn't caused any irritation and I feel that my skin is breathing and recovering (fingers crossed!!).

So there we are! Only time will tell whether this routine will work for my skin, but I'm impressed so far. After looking at the Liz Earle website (http://uk.lizearle.com/ - all photos in this post from this URL) it seems that the range is not as pricey as I originally thought. Also, all the ingredients are high quality and mostly natural. They have vitamins packed into every little bottle and no perfumes or additives. Simple, gentle products. I like! :D

Guilty Pleasure Song of the Week

I hated them on the X Factor, but this song is so infectious. I can't get it out of my head. The video is just terrible! Reminds me of 5ive or HearSay or someone. Terrible video, terrible song... SO WHY DO I LIKE IT?! Answers on a postcard.

Song of the week...

I've been humming this for the last few days. Ultimate getting-ready-to-go-out song of the summer!

LK Bennett Bargain Buys!

After 5 days surrounded by luxurious LK Bennett clothes, shoes and accessories I really couldn't come home empty-handed! Here are the gorgeous goodies that I managed to squeeze into my suitcase - the squeezing into the suitcase is the reason for the horrendous creasing. My apologies! I need to check the labels for ironing guidelines before I get this sorted!

NB: Most of these garments are SS09 pieces, which can be bought in the sale section of stores around the country (hurry though, this is ending very soon). Otherwise, you will be able to purchase these items in LK Bennett outlet stores. For details visit http://www.lkbennett.co.uk/

1) Grey Sequined Cardi
Sequins are set to be huge next season. This piece will be perfect for jazzing up a plain black dress or a basic pair of jeans.

2) LBD
Again - my apologies for the terrible creasing on this! Here is an exception to the rule, this is unavailable to buy in the shops. Sorry! It's actually a sample made at Head Office last autumn as a prototype for an AW09 dress design. I'm not sure whether they actually made it in the end, but if they did it probably won't be exactly like this one. I don't have a classic LBD, so I thought I'd get it and take it to the tailors to get it fitting me perfectly. Best investment buy of the week. Very Audrey sophist!

3) The Occasion Maxi
This beautiful dress also comes in a peach colour in a maxi version. Also, there is a shorter dress in the same style in this turquoise or a canary yellow. All four are absolutely stunning, but this is the one I went for. Blue is always a flattering option for my hair and skin tone and I've wanted a maxi dress for ages.

4) Black Patent Waist Belt

A staple piece which will match black patent shoes and handbags in my collection already. Simple, sophisticated and 100% leather - a great investment piece once again.

5) Gold Metallic Waist Belt (leather)

This was actually given to me as a gift (along with a goodie bag of Liz Earle skincare products) by the lovely Press Team. I always think lightweight glam pieces like this are really useful to pop in your bag for an easy day to evening transition.

6) Nude Snakeskin Leather Clutch

This bag is just FAB! I'm very into simple, nude accessories this season and from my sneaky visit to the SS10 shoe preview room at LK Head Office it looks as though they'll be sticking around for a while!

7) Bargain Ballet Pumps

Ok, so they're not LK Bennett shoes, but I did buy these during my own London Fashion Week! They are actually only £16 from Topshop. Amazing value and incredibly comfortable. I think they look just like French Sole. They look stunning with a simple pair of jeans and a pretty top.

My week in the Big Smoke

For the past week I have been in London doing an internship in the LK Bennett Press Office. Total shoe heaven! I should have taken some photos of the press room. Shelves upon shelves of beautiful shoes, bags, belts and then rails of their elegant AW09 collection.

I was in an office with only two others, sorting out press samples; sending off items from the collection to magazines and newspapers to use in shoots and making sure everything was correct on the system. Not very taxing, but was a lovely environment to work in and the people at Head Office are really wonderful people. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I've heard the fashion industry can be very cut-throat - I think I've been watching too much Ugly Betty!

Although it was a great experience and I was looked after very well (I even managed to bag myself some very good bargains using the last of my staff discount) I don't think I'll be pursuing a career in the fashion industry. I'm going to keep fashion as a hobby/obsession!

My first post...

Well, here goes nothing...

I have been introduced to the world of blogging by my good friend Cat, who is addicted to the wonderful Lollipop26. I thought I would start this little blog of my own and see what all the fuss is about.

Cheerily,

Laura Jane xxx

- do I put kisses? Who knows. I just did.