Beauty with a Conscious

I volunteer most weeks with the Prince and Princess of Wales hospice, located in Bellahouston Park, Glasgow, where I deliver a mindfulness meditation for the out-patients at the Living Well Hub. It's one of the highlights of my week.

The hospice is also where I host my small business networking events for Glasgow-based entrepreneurs; I love that I can give back in this way too as I donate all money from ticket sales to the hospice. (My next event is taking place on Thursday 24th August, 10.30am - 12.30pm if you wanted to join in, tickets are available here).

The latest venture from the hospice is Beauty with a Conscious, which now has salon space within the hospice itself for offering beauty treatments to the public. (the hospice is a lovely, calm space and members of the public are welcome at the café, the gift shop and now the beauty salon.)

I've been to their Battlefield salon; the treatments were very well priced and I really enjoyed my massage and facial. You can also book online, which is super handy. I'm actually going back soon for some pre-holiday pampering!

You can read in this blog post some of the other holistic treatments in Glasgow that I enjoy, including Reiki Love Club and White Rabbit Healing.

And if you'd like to get more time for the things that really matter, I share lots of tips and tricks on my website, www.sarahstewart.co.uk/blog

Weekly Wishes

// Fashion

I was in desperate need for some comfortable shoes for work... something smart, but something that I can walk around in easily as at the end of the week, when I have the kids, I do the school run and then make a mad dash for the office! So basically a versatile style that can be dressed up or down. I'm still trying to stick to a capsule wardrobe and I don't have space for loads of clothes!

Just a week after I started drafting this post, I found a perfect pair of ankle boots that met my wishes... ta da:

Teresa boots by Dr Martens

I've been wearing them every day since!!

// Hair & Beauty

My feet are in a bit of a state. So much so that the littlest asked what was up with them and why was my skin so hard. Yikes! I bought a little buffer, pumice stone type thing but it's pretty rubbish. I think it's perhaps time to invest in something a bit more powerful... the likes of this came to mind:

Emjoi MICRO Pedi Power at Boots

// Home & Interiors

My home office area has been improved lately due to my new Made.com desk, and as a result I've got some new shelves that need to be styled. I've been looking out for magazine files and haven't been able to find anything in the shops as yet that takes my fancy. I still like these ones from Muji, but I think I need something a bit sturdier. I like this one from Brissi, but it's very pricey at £29!!

Brissi Woven Faux Leather Magazine File

Hopefully I'll have my space organised and I can film another wee YouTube 'room' tour for you :-)

This was how it was before...

Beauty - Dermalux facial at Ellen Conlin, a review

I had the pleasure of going to Ellen Conlin hair & beauty in Giffnock the other week to try a Dermalux Triwave facial.

I was a bit unsure of what to expect, but the whole experience was just lovely.

Kirsty talked me through the facial...

Dermalux is an LED Phototherapy which is a non-invasive skin treatment that accelerates the body's own natural repair processes improving your complexion, fine lines & wrinkles. It can also help heal symptoms such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis and eczema.  Three specifically chosen light waves are used - red, near infrared and blue light.

...and then I got myself comfortable on the treatment table. I was nice and cosy under layers of furry blankets. Bliss!

The Elizabeth Arden PRO range that I've been trialling was used to remove my make-up and prep my skin for the light therapy. Following this a pair of goggles (not for safety, but more for comfort) were placed over my eyes and the Dermalux light was moved into place.

 

The machine perhaps looks a bit daunting and I can be claustrophobic at times (I'm going for an MRI next week and I'm already dreading it), but I can assure you that this was absolutely fine. It also doesn't make a sound! 

(This isn't me btw!)

 

The light was warm (not hot), soothing and actually very relaxing.

 

Imagine yourself chilling out on a lounger by a pool somewhere lovely and sunny... in fact, the blue light is used to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.

 

Kirsty then proceeded to give me a shoulder, neck and head massage, followed by an arm and hand massage. It was just divine. She then left me to relax and enjoy the rest of my time under the light (the light is on for 30 minutes). I very nearly fell asleep and only came to when the light automatically switched off!

 

Surprisingly, the effects were immediate; straight away my skin looked brighter and glowing. (It's difficult to tell from the photographs, so you are going to have to take my word for it!).

 

Kirsty had put some Elizabeth Arden PRO Smoothing Eye Serum on my lips, and after the light therapy my lips were look plump and fuller than usual. Yes, it's an eye serum I hear you shout but it's designed for fine lines and wrinkles and so Kirsty explained it's also great for the area around your lips. When Rick saw me after the treatment, he immediately commented on my pout - so it really was an obvious difference! It's the type of facial that would be really good ahead of a big event or special night out.

 

 

I'd say that my skin is in good condition and I've really been looking after it over the past year or so. However I do still get breakouts, particularly my chin, and I was suffering from one when I had the Dermalux facial. The next day, my breakout had calmed down - it hadn't disappeared so please don't think that you can have a treatment and then you get immediate results after one facial. That said, I think with perhaps two or three treatments then I'd see a dramatic improvement.

 

At £60 it's a bit more pricey than the facials I'm used to having, but the LED phototherapy has upped the ante in the beauty world. (The machine itself costs thousands and thousands to buy!). I'll most definitely be back.

 

Thank you Ellen Conlin for the complimentary facial. Opinions as always are honest and are my own.



Skincare - Elizabeth Arden PRO, a Review

I have been trialling the Elizabeth Arden PRO High Definition Radiance Try Me Kit for a few weeks now and I thought I'd let you know how I got on.

Elizabeth Arden collaborated with Joe Lewis for Elizabeth Arden PRO. Joe Lewis is a chemist & cosmeceutical skincare researcher and is the founder of PRIORI Skincare. My sister swears by PRIORI and I had always meant to try them but just hadn't got around to it. If you haven't heard of Joe Lewis, or PRIORI, then take my word for it that he's a big name in skincare.

As a scientist myself, I love that the Elizabeth Arden PRO products have been developed by a scientist and have been clinically proven. 

The range is based on the Skin Health & Beauty Pyramid Philosophy; the pyramid base comprises of 'fundamental' technologies for daily skin protection. 

"Everyone concerned about improving skin health and beauty 

must be committed to a lifelong lifestyle that includes 

daily protection against sun and environmental exposures"

Next up from the base is the core of the pyramid; these are the 'need to have' technologies for skin transformation. Finally at the top are the 'nice to have' ingredients. You'll see below that for each of the products I've been using, they have their own pyramid diagram which shows you in red the key ingredients and where these fit into the overall picture.

This Try Me Kit comes with the following: 50 mL Gentle Facial Cleanser, 15 mL Age Defying Serum and a 15 mL Triple Action Protector SPF 50 and has an RRP of £70. Elizabeth Arden PRO is a salon only brand; they are stocked in Glasgow by Ellen Conlin Hair & Beauty.

The cleanser removes make-up and gently exfoliates the skin leaving it soft and glowing. I've been using this twice daily as a second cleanse after a cleansing oil. The cleanser is to be used sparingly around the eyes. So with this in mind, I used the oil to remove eye make-up and surface dirt followed by a second deep cleanse with Elizabeth Arden PRO.

The serum is designed to defy the signs of aging and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles with a combination of ingredients. AHAs can cause sun sensitivity so I was recommended to use the serum only at night-time.

Finally the Triple Action Protector, SPF 50, is what I've been using after cleansing each morning. This is a tinted sunscreen suitable for all skin types. I like to think that I have good skin and I do think that using an SPF has a lot to do with this. I lived abroad for a year and a half when I was little and we wore sunscreen every day. I rarely am out in the sun without sunscreen as my foundation/base layer has an SPF, although it's not as high as 50. It's a really good habit to get into and I was actually reading an article in the hairdresser the other month about a lady who was insisting that her children at age 9 or 10 years old wear SPF daily on their faces. This is also something that my kids dad has requested. Despite living in cold, wet Glasgow we still have harmful UV rays. I'm now 33 years old, but I think I look younger. Someone that didn't know me recently thought I was in my late twenties... this made me happy!

After all my spiel above, you'll be wanting to know how I got on...

My skin is definitely smoother, softer and perhaps even a bit brighter - noticeably so across my cheeks! I've had a breakout of a couple of spots on my chin again which isn't great (stress or hormones!) but the rest of my skin is lovely. 

The cleanser smells clean and fresh. The directions say to lather and massage over the face. I found it didn't lather very much, but it's a nice consistency and I washed this off with a warm flannel before patting dry. Immediately after using it my skin feels softer.

The serum smells a bit strange, and it's yellow in colour and runny in consistency. If you look closely it also sparkles. But don't let that put you off, once it's on you can't see it.

I've also been going out without any foundation on! I've been using the tinted Triple Action Protector, then adding a little concealer onto my chin and under eye area and that's all. It doesn't give much coverage and depending on what I'm up to, I do sometimes still use my bareMinerals Complexion Rescue in addition to the SPF 50. I've filmed myself before I started using the product (I just need to find the footage... ooops!) and I'll do another little video to round it up. So keep an eye on my YouTube channel too.

Thank you Ellen Conlin Hair for the complimentary Try Me Kit. As always, opinions are honest and are my own.

Hair - Time for a Change

I used to change my hairstyle frequently as I was growing up... you'll see them all here in this post from my archives. I had short hair then long hair, fringe then no fringe, short, spiky hair then long, smooth hair... and I've gone through various colours too! However for the past few years I've been growing my hair and haven't had more than a trim. I've also managed to successfully grow out my fringe (I started in August 2014, so that's been nearly a year!!). I have been feeling a bit 'meh' about my style recently though and it was definitely time for a change... there seemed to be a disconnect from my grown out fringe and the rest of my hair - I was keen to have a cut that brought it all together.

Back I went to Ellen Conlin in Giffnock for a colour and cut.

Settled in my chair ahead of my colour consultation. We decided to stick with the blonde highlights but to add some darker slices through the mid-section to give some depth to the layers.

This is me before!

Colour is on and I'm enjoying a wee glass of fizz (I wasn't driving!)

Time for the cut

Ta da... the finished hairstyle #salonselfie 

Later that evening Rick & I were out to celebrate being together for two years... cheers!

I absolutely love my new style. Here's hoping I can get it to look this good when I style it myself!!

Hair - Beach Waves with Bumble and Bumble

The weather doesn't seem to be making up its mind lately... one day it's sunny and then the next its torrential downpours.

Back in my twenties (seems like it was ages ago!) I went through a phase of letting my hair dry naturally with some mousse and it would give me a bit of a wave... Determined that the summer is around the corner, I've been harnessing my inner beach babe again these past few weeks!

A recent product launch from Bumble and Bumble is the Surf Infusion and I've been using this on either damp or dry hair to create what I hope is sexy, tousled beach hair. As a very busy, (part-time) working mum, products like this are ideal. I tend to do my hair at night as I just don't have the time in the mornings to be faffing around with hairdryers, straighteners etc.

I washed my hair as normal, then sprayed in some of the surf infusion before putting my hair in a loose plait before sleep. In the morning I took out the plait, added a bit more spray through the ends, and voila... easy peasy, beachy waves!

Disclosure: I received complimentary PR samples of the bumble and bumble Surf range. However, opinions are honest and my own.

Home & Interiors - Muji

When I was in London the other month we popped into Muji on the King's Road for a browse. This shop is right up my street and there were so many things that I would have loved to have brought home with me (unfortunately there just wasn't enough space in my suitcase).

 

I really like the idea of this aroma diffuser. You can scent your home with essential oils and it's safe for around children and pets as there are no naked flames (I've already had an accident with one of the kittens when the singed the end of their tail on one of my many candles...oops).

 

Muji Aroma Diffuser, £45

 

I also really like Muji acrylic storage drawers. I had one of these when I was a teenager that I stored my make-up in, and it did get pretty messy and scratched so it eventually went in the bin. However I quite fancy a few of these for my home office to store stationery.

 

Muji Acrylic Three Drawer Box, £17.95

 

 

Keeping with the office organisation, I also love these brown card magazine files. I did have white ones from Ikea for a while, but these are more aesthetically pleasing to me. I've got three shelves above my new Made.com desk that I still need to style and I think these would be ideal for storing important paperwork.

 

 

Muji A4 Magazine Folders, £7.95 for a pack of 5 





Lastly, I love Muji travel accessories. They just seem to have this market sussed and looks like they have everything and anything you could want for travel organisation. I have a hanging toiletries bag which is super handy (think mine is from Superdrug perhaps or maybe Sainsburys), but this box one at Muji looks even more ideal as it has more storage for dinky skincare bottles.

Muji Hanging Box Case, Large, £12.95

 

Do you own any items from Muji?

What else would you recommend I check out?

Weekly Wishes

// Fashion

I'm in desperate need of a new pair of slippers as both of my pairs have got holes in them (so much so that one pair has already gone into the bin!).

I love the mahabis slippers - the upper is grey (you can choose dark or light) and then you can pick a pair of colourful soles... I quite fancy the yellow ones.

// Hair & Beauty

My skin seems to have worsened again... rubbish :-(

I ran out of Merumaya Luxury Facial Wash and since then my skin has deteriorated, particularly my chin. So I'm putting it onto my shopping list! I quite fancy trying the Melting Cleansing Balm too.

// Home & Interiors

I have a cheap set of lightweight cutlery that I bought from Amazon as a transition for the kids from plastic cutlery to grown-up cutlery. However, with it being cheap has meant that it's now ready for the bin; they haven't lasted well at all. So I'm now on the lookout for a new collection. Rick & I both really liked the gold cutlery that we spotted at Zara Home in London recently, but I'm not sure gold is a good colour choice given that most of my interior is grey, including the dining room.

John Lewis have a black set (which are dishwasher friendly!) and cost £10 for 16 pieces. Perhaps this would be a good interim set until the kids are able to use heavier forks and knives. They certainly look better quality than the ones I currently have.

Grey Hair, Don't Care?

For a while there I had stopped dying my hair, and do you know what I discovered... I had grey hairs appearing. I'm only 33! I really don't think I am ready to have grey hair just yet. Bex from The Olive Dragonfly has embraced her greys, but I've gone back to having my hair highlighted blonde and if there are any greys you can't really see them anymore.

What's more concerning is that I've also found a grey hair, down there.... Can I repeat, I'm only 33!!!

So now I'm in a predicament... what to do?? Remember when Samantha from S&TC had an accident when she dyed her hair??!! I really don't think I could face trying to dye my pubic hair; although apparently Miley Cyrus dyed hers pink. Maybe I could try a vajazzle to distract from the grey!?

There's an expectation for women to wax and trim and pluck their hair and it's exhausting. However I think I'm more inclined to partake in a full Brazilian given my new grey situation. I'm not sure what the trend is right now but I headed to Google and was amazed at the catalogue of pubic styles out there!

I've also noticed that since I've been taking much better care of my face with my oil, serum, moisturiser routines... it's only making my neck look wrinkly because I don't take care of it at all. 

I'm starting to look older, and I don't like it. 

Giveaway Two - bareMinerals Palette

Following on from the success of my St Enoch Centre £50 voucher giveaway, I have another fantastic prize to celebrate my 4th blog birthday.

Next up is this fantastic palette from one of my favourite brands, bareMinerals:

bareMinerals READY To Go Complexion Perfection Palette (RRP £35)

The palette features bareMinerals innovative solid mineral technology and includes the following mini products in a stylish bag:

• READY SPF 20 Foundation in R250 (for medium neutral skin tones)
• READY Touch Up Veil in Medium
• READY Bronzer in The High Dive
• READY Luminizer in The Love Affair
• Correcting Concealer in Medium 2
• Precision Kabuki brush
• Tapered Face brush

It's an ideal travel set for your summer holiday, don't you think?

All you need to do to win is enter the Rafflecopter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There is only one prize.

No cash alternative available.

UK entrants only please.

Competition ends on 31st May 2015.

Thank you bareMinerals for providing this prize.

Beauty - April Favourites

Last month I shared my March favourites, and I'm back this time with my April favs! I'm a bit disorganised, so apologies that we're now halfway through May already!! I will attempt to get these posts out at the start of each month in the future!

I'm going to pick 5 products that I've been loving and give you a bit of a blurb on each of them...

1. Urban Decay NAKED 2 Palette, £38

I am really slow to join the NAKED palette bandwagon. For some unknown reason, eyeshadow is not something I've really bought lately. For the past couple of years I've been wearing the same three MAC shades. So with my MAC shades nearly empty (they lasted well!!), I decided it was time to invest in something new and I chose this NAKED 2 palette. I love it. The shades I've used so far are very pigmented so it doesn't take long to build up a good colour.

2. bareMinerals Stroke of Light, £22*

 

I'm still loving this Stroke of Light wand from bareMinerals and have been wearing it daily. It's definitely worthy of a place in my monthly favourites.

3. Origins Original Skin Serum, £32

 

Now that I'm nearing my mid-thirties I'm happy to invest in my skincare products; and I'm hoping that it shows as my skin is in pretty good condition now. I had been using Merumaya Iconic Youth Serum but given my new love for Origins I thought I would try their serum. The Origins serum has a thinner consistency compared with Merumaya and if I'm honest I'm not sure that I notice much of a difference between the two in terms of how my skin looks and feels. Both products are priced similarly too. From the marketing, the Origins is probably targeted at a younger market whereas the Merumaya is perhaps aimed more at anti-aging. Anyway, I've heard that using a serum is better than no serum, and that in fact the serum you use doesn't really matter so much; whether this is true or not I'm not sure. 

4. Dior Diorskin Star Foundation, £32.50

You may remember from my March favourites that I've been wearing the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue, but I was seeking a foundation for my make-up bag and decided to try this Dior one.

It goes on really easily (I have a little sponge that I use which I picked up in Kiko whilst I was in London) and I like that the foundation feels lightweight on the skin and yet gives good coverage.

5. Jo Malone, Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne Intense, £100

This perfume has been on my wish list for a while now and I caved and bought myself a bottle. It's gorgeous. Perhaps more of a Winter fragrance or for night-time as it's a heavier scent but regardless of this I've been wearing it every other day or so.

* I received the bareMinerals Stroke of Light as a PR sample. All other products I have purchased myself. Opinions as always are my own and are honest.

Review - Anderson's Hair Salon

I had the most amazing experience at Anderson's Hair Salon the other weekend.

I was booked in with Keith for a treatment and blow dry to try out the new eco salon which opened in November 2014. The salon has a fantastic city centre location and was super easy to find. I went into town on the subway and had a relaxing afternoon at House of Fraser doing a bit of shopping before walking to South Frederick Street.

On arrival I was taken to a comfy seat at a reclaimed wood table. The salon is the only Davines exclusive hair salon in Glasgow and the interior has been designed to reflect the Davines ethos. Keith was committed to reducing the environmental impact with the decor choices and as such the salon features all reclaimed wood. It has such a calming feel as soon as you walk in the door...

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I had a relaxing complimentary head massage before being taken over to the sinks for my treatment & shampoo. Normally I find it difficult to get comfortable balancing my neck on the edge of hairdresser sinks. However at Anderson's they have special head rests and this may be a bizarre statement, but it was the best hair washing experience I've ever had! The chair also reclined so I had my feet elevated. I could have fallen asleep I was that relaxed. It truly was blissful.

Then during my blow dry I had a complimentary hand massage. I felt well & truly spoiled.

Keith is a fellow Aberdonian and it was nice to hear a familiar accent from home! He was full of interesting chat as I had my hair styled. I loved the curls that he created; it was just a shame that the weather was so windy and wet as my hair got a bit ruined on the way home *sad face*

Here's my weekend vlog which features my visit to Anderson's:

The Davines hair products are gorgeous. Keith gave me away a travel size Melu shampoo and conditioner which I've been loving. The texture and smell of the products is divine. I recently did a pamper evening at home (which you'll find on YouTube here) and after using an Ojon hair treatment and the Davines shampoo and conditioner my hair was super soft!

I thought you'd also be interested to know that new guests save 20% on their first visit and students save 25%!

I received a complimentary treatment and blow dry in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Beauty - My Evening Pamper Routine

Last weekend I had a rare night to myself and so I decided that I would have a relaxing pamper evening. It was bliss!! In case you missed it, here's the vlog:

Beauty - My Current Products for Dark Under eye Circles

Dark under eye circles have always been a bugbear of mine. I dislike them, a lot. As a super busy working, single parent I'm exhausted pretty much most of the time. I've not been sleeping well lately either and I'm a bit self conscious of my under eye bags (although to be fair, I bet a lot of it is in my head and they're probably not as bad as I think). I've got into a great routine for my skincare but I hadn't been using any eye creams so I thought I would see what was on the market to prevent and cover up my dark circles.

As an aside, I have read that your sleeping position can help prevent under eye bags, and that instead of sleeping on my tummy I should be sleeping on my back. Also, Victoria on Twitter (@Butterfly_Craft) has rightly pointed out that drinking lots of water will help. Another reason why I need to up my daily water intake!

Here's what I have in my bathroom right now, a mix of concealers, brighteners and skincare products...

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, £5.49

This is my budget favourite and I've purchased this a few times from the high street chemists. At £5.49 I think it's great value for money.

Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener, £20

This creamy product doesn't feel too heavy under the eyes and it gives some coverage. It's available in a variety of shades, so it was easy to get a good colour match for my skin tone.

bareMinerals Stroke of Light, £22 *

This product immediately brightens up my under eye area and I've been using it daily since receiving it! Really easy to apply and blend in. Depending on how bad I feel my under eyes are, I'll either use this alone or on top of a concealer.

Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector, £29

I haven't used Kiehl's before but I spotted a review of this product in Psychologies magazine and decided it was worth trying. Out of all of my recent purchases, this is the one that is most expensive and it's the one that I'm torn over. The formula is tinted so it immediately brightens dark circles but it feels a little chalky/powdery and I think this product can make my under eyes look worse, especially if I'm having a dry skin day. It's more of a skincare/make-up hybrid product so perhaps with prolonged use it will help with the root cause rather than just act as a concealer. I doubt I'll buy this again, sorry Kiehl's. I was given a tester of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye cream which has a lovely thick consistency for applying before bed and if anything I'd rather buy this than the Dark Circle Perfector.

Origins GinZing eye cream, £23

This wonder cream helps perk up my eyes and the natural ingredients help to de-puff the under eye area. It looks pearlescent in the pot, and when applied to your under eyes it helps brighten up dark circles. A little goes a long way, so I can see this little pot lasting me a while. I use this every morning when I apply my moisturiser and once it's absorbed (which doesn't take long) I apply a concealer or brightening product.

* I received the bareMinerals Stroke of Light as a PR sample. All other products I have purchased myself. Opinions as always are my own and are honest.

Beauty - My Favourite Perfumes

I remember vividly buying my first proper perfume, it was Tommy Hilfiger and I was maybe 16 years old. Since then I've used a few different scents. ck one was another perfume I used a lot as I was growing up. Then Jean Paul Gaultier Classique. Ah, the memories!

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At the moment I've been using Marc Jacob Daisy Eau So Fresh and Chloe. I was very lucky to win these in a hamper from People Loves Glasgow at the end of 2013 for my Christmas jumper antics! But I didn't choose these fragrances and I'm not sure they necessarily reflect me or my taste.

I like perfumes that are a bit different and unique. I like perfumes that are noticeable. I used to wear Calvin Klein Euphoria for years and you would have known if I had walked down the corridor according to my fellow PhD students. However I wore Euphoria on my wedding day and following my separation I haven't gone back to it.

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Ever since then I've been searching for the right perfume for me.

I've tried a couple of fragrances over the past three years, but I'm still not sure if I've found one that suits me.

Estée Lauder Sensous Noir

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Gucci by Gucci

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Bottega Veneta

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My female colleagues didn't like Bottega Veneta (apparently it smelt like insect repellant) but I got quite a few compliments from males when I wore this!

Some perfumes that are on my wish list are...

Armani / Prive Rose d'Arabie

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Tom Ford Velvet Orchid

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Jo Malone Dark Amber & Ginger Lily Cologne

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What is your signature scent?