FAIIINT

Bronzed

Style

Fashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Todd Lynn x Topshop jacket, Heart by Nana Judy chiffon shirt, Poppy Lux bronze metallic pencil skirt, Finsk laced wedges, Bracher Emden classic bagFashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Todd Lynn x Topshop jacket, Heart by Nana Judy chiffon shirt, Poppy Lux bronze metallic pencil skirt, Finsk laced wedges, Bracher Emden classic bagFashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Todd Lynn x Topshop jacket, Heart by Nana Judy chiffon shirtFashion blogger Stephanie of FAIIINT wearing Todd Lynn x Topshop jacket, Heart by Nana Judy chiffon shirt, Poppy Lux bronze metallic pencil skirt, Finsk laced wedges, Bracher Emden classic bag

Todd Lynn x Topshop Cropped Jacket / Heart by Nana Judy Chiffon Shirt * / Poppy Lux Bronze Skirt * / Skin by Finsk Laced Wedges /
Bracher Emden Classic Bag

Last week I was talking about how this time of the year always makes me crave metallics, I’ve never been much of a silver person, but I love gold or bronze against black & I guess it’s about as ‘festive’ as I get when it comes to christmas dressing. This week seems to be the week for Christmas parties & for my first one of the year last week I wore this pencil skirt from Poppy Lux, I knew everyone else would be in their best sequins & festive jumpers, so I felt I ought to make an effort to look the part too, but in my own way! I love the dull, almost matte bronze of the skirt & the little asymmetric hemline too, I’m not usually a fan of faux leather, but I think it works here.

I have a new favourite shirt in my wardrobe too, and you know I love shirts! I have barely taken off this beautiful chiffon one from Aussie label Heart by Nana Judy. The fabric is so soft & floaty, it hangs beautifully & it has lots of nice little details too, like the two little studs on the collar and golden skull top button. It also has a great shaped hem, making it perfect for layering. I’ll be wearing this to death, so expect to see it a lot!

I’m still feeling pretty run down thanks to swollen sinuses too, despite my best efforts I just can’t seem to shake off this cold! If any of you guys have any secrets for getting rid of stubborn colds or relieving puffy sinuses, please share!

ESPA Enzyme Facial

Beauty

FAIIINT reviews ESPA Enzyme Facial at Creme Hair & Beauty Salon Oakham LeicestershireFAIIINT Creme Hair & Beauty Salon Oakham Leicestershire, Christmas decorations treeFAIIINT Creme Hair & Beauty Salon Oakham Leicestershire, converted Church building, hairdressers, beam ceilingFAIIINT reviews ESPA Enzyme Facial at Creme Hair & Beauty Salon Oakham LeicestershireFAIIINT reviews ESPA Enzyme Facial at Creme Hair & Beauty Salon Oakham Leicestershire, before & after treatment photos

The morning before – Straight after (a little pink!) – 2 days later

These were all taken on my iPhone, in my bathroom around the same time of day & have not been edited in any way.

Last Saturday Creme Hair & Beauty invited me down to test out their new ESPA Enzyme Facial, as many of you know my skin has been really getting me down lately & I’ve been trying out all kinds of things in an attempt to get it to behave, so I was thrilled to be asked to try this out. The products I mentioned a few months ago in this post have helped a huge amount in getting the acne under control & getting it looking somewhat normal again, so it doesn’t look too bad at all now, but I still had scarring, clogged pores, blackheads, and dull splotchy skin & I was hoping this would help.

The salon is based in the market town of Oakham, in a converted church, and it is absolutely beautiful inside & out, they’ve kept so many of the original features so it feels quite dramatic, especially the huge vaulted ceiling with the heavy wooden beams. I was taken to a private room upstairs, with dim lights, soft music & a table with the fluffiest duvet to get under, it was the perfect environment & I caught myself almost falling asleep a couple of times because I was so relaxed!

My face was first thoroughly cleansed & prepped using a Clarinsonic brush, then examined under a special light to show up exactly what my skins issues were. I was told my skin was actually in pretty decent shape other than a little dehydration around my eyes, and the obvious spots & scars. I was also super pleased to be told I don’t have even a little sun damage or any of the first signs of aging yet either, and that’s all down to my SPF50 obsession. After this the peel was applied all over my face & neck, containing pumpkin enzymes & botanical extracts it gives a through & deep exfoliation, gently removing all traces of dead skin cells. It felt warm & tingly, but not in an uncomfortable way at all – I kind of liked it, you know it’s working! After around 10 minutes the peel was wiped off & I was asked to choose a facial oil from a choice of two by smell, apparently your body is very good at knowing which it needs & I was instantly drawn towards the one containing black pepper. My face was then massaged with cooling rose quartz crystals to calm the skin, stimulating the lymphatic system at the same time to drain away puffiness & toxins from the face. After this, a menthol & ‘devils apron’ seaweed mask was applied to further soothe & moisturise my skin, and I was given a head massage whilst I waited for it to set. The whole thing lasted for around 90 minutes, and I left feeling so pampered, calm & relaxed.

Apologies for my spotty, makeup-less face up there, but I thought it was best to show you the results instead of just talking about them. I just want to mention again, that I’m wearing no makeup (only moisturiser) in the photos & I tried to take them in the same place, at the same time of day so the light didn’t affect the images, they are also completely un-edited. The left photo is my skin before my visit & on the right, 2 days after. In the middle you can see it straight after the peel, looking a little pink & shiny, and with some spots looking a bit worse than before, this soon subsided though. The difference isn’t huge, but I think it’s pretty clear to see that it’s made my skin smoother, brighter, plumper & has helped with the pinkish scarring a little too. Overall I am extremely pleased with the results, it was a lovely experience & I couldn’t recommend Creme more if you’re based in or close to Leicester. I shall definitely be booking myself in for another next time my skin needs a little pick-me-up!

Hinting

Covet

FAIIINT wishlist, Mango coated sweater, Rick Owens drape top, Topshop corset belt, Bracher Emden Lucy clutch, MinkPink night cat sunglasses, French Connection lace skirt & drape twist jersey dress, Allsaints Keiko chelsea boots, EA Burns origins necklace

Mango Coated Sweater / Rick Owens Lilies Drape Top / Topshop Cut Out Belt / Bracher Emden ‘Lucy’ Bag /
MinkPink ‘Night Cat’ Sunglasses / Zophra Earrings / EA Burns Origins Necklace / AllSaints ‘Keiko’ Boots /
French Connection Lace Trim Skirt / French Connection Drape Dress

This is a bit of a selfish wishlist, it’s that time of the year where all of my spare cash goes on other people & leaves none behind for shopping myself, so this is a little hint of what I’ve had my eye on recently, and would love to find under my tree! I have to admit, I’m a pretty annoying person to buy presents for & most of my friends & family have now learnt to play it safe & just give me cash or gift vouchers, and Ollie asks me for a list! It’s never quite the same as unwrapping a surprise though.

I’m still dreaming about the AllSaints ‘Keiko’ boots, which I mentioned a little while ago, they are pure boot perfection in my eyes with their angular shape & beautifully textured leather. Bracher Emden’s ‘Lucy’ bag is another one of those pieces that’s still stuck in my mind all this time later, I fell in love when I first saw it in their showroom & I think after Christmas I may have to finally treat myself & add another of their gorgeous bags to my growing collection!

I’ve also found myself wanting almost everything black from French Connection, a store that until this year I never checked out, and even kind of turned my nose up at. They seem to have had a serious overhaul though, and their latest collection is full of great pieces, feeling a little like a cross between Reiss & AllSaints. I’ve been wanting to add more lace to my wardrobe, and this lace trim skirt is now high on my list, I like that it’s quite subtle & not overly girly.

I know it’s winter, but I would still love a pair of MinkPink’s cateyes, a classic shape but with round lenses inside they’re a cuter counterpart to my usual styles. I really need to find myself a pair of reading glasses too, I want to stick to my usual cateye shape and there are some lovely ones on stores like BonLook, but I’d like a slightly more modern, plainer version. Why is glasses shopping so much harder than sunglasses shopping?!