L'Occitane Amande & Natalia Kills

I've always been a massive fan of L'Occitane products, specifically their Almond Shower Oil which is, hands down, the best I have ever used and a life saver for anyone who suffers from very dry skin. Now this range does have an almond fragrance so if that ain't your bag, then it's best to give them a miss. I personally love the scent and can't get enough of it!

Now these products are not cheap and they're really something that I would only get myself as a real treat. However, saying that, I don't mind spending that extra bit of money on a product when you only need a small amount for each application. That is definitely the case with these two products I'm going to talk about today.

First off, lets have a look at what the L'Occitane website says about the Almond Delicious Paste:

"This delicious blend of almond butter and almond oil, infused with crushed almond shells and sugar crystals, offers a gentle, yet effective, exfoliation of the entire body. Skin is left smooth and soft, delicately fragranced with the crunchy note of fresh almond. This product is free from: synthetic colorants, mineral oils, animal ingredients, parabens, phenoxyethanol, phtalates, silicone, triclosan, formol or formaldehyde, EDTA, BHA, BHT".

I like to use this scrub in combination with my usual shower gel and exfoliating gloves. I do this because I find it to be the most effective way of using the product and also, because it means you don't have to use as much for each application. My skin feels amazing after using this scrub which I attribute to the almond oil. It's a great product for people with senstitive skins who can't use harsher exfoliants.  A quick warning though...don't use this product to prepare your skin for fake tan because the almond oil may affect how the tan adheres to the skin.  It's always best to use oil-free products before using fake tan.

The L'Occitane Almond Milk Concentrate is "rich in almond oil and almond milk, this body cream nourishes and softens the skin. The blend of silicium and almond proteins, which are similar to collagen, effectively fights skin slackening by restoring skin’s support tissue. The light, creamy texture melts into the skin without leaving a greasy residue. Skin feels satiny-smooth and is enveloped in a fresh and delicate fragrance. Tip: This product is ideal for nourishing skin after hair removal or shaving, due to a formula rich in soothing almond oil.  This product is free from: synthetic colorants, formol or formaldehyde, animal ingredients, phtalates, triclosan, BHA, BHT".

This is a fantastic moisturiser if you're looking for a light, but very effective cream.  A little goes a very long way, it absorbs quickly and you're never left with an oily or sticky residue on your skin.  I love the almond fragrance of this product and my skin feels silky smooth when I apply it before bedtime.  The only gripe I have with this product is the packaging.  The heavy glass jar is not very practical because you have to dip your fingers into it and it all gets under your nails, which kind of annoys me because it can be messy.  It would be much better in a pump dispenser.

I was listening to the Fearne Cotton show on Radio1 today and I always love the section of the show called the Music Generator.  It's when listeners pick three songs that they love at the moment and the Music Generator picks a brand new artist/song which closely matches the style of the songs.  One girl today picked Lady GaGa, Rihanna and Pink as her three songs and the Music Generator came up with this new British Artist, Natalia Kills...

Now I have never heard of this girl before but after hearing her new song 'Mirrors', I was left wondering why she wasn't more famous!  Her style of music and image is like a mixture between Lady GaGa, Jessie J and Rihanna.

Her real name is Natalia Cappuccini and she is a 24 year old recording artist, songwriter, actress, and short-film director based in London and Los Angeles but started life in Bradford and Leeds born to a Jamaican father and Uruguayan mother.  She was signed to will.i.am's record label in 2008 and has been the support act for Robyn on her UK tour and also Kelis. 

Perez Hilton has been raving about her on his blog since 2008 and I can see why.  She fits perfectly into the group of female artists that are on the scene at the moment and although some people have slated her as "a poor man's Lady GaGa", I really like her music and given the fact she emerged at the same time as Lady GaGa with a similar genre of concept pop, I'm gonna let her off and just enjoy her songs! 

I think the start of this song sounds very similar to Lady GaGa's 'Just Dance' but that's because it's an Akon collaboration (you will hear 'Konvict' spoken in the song and Akon discovered Lady GaGa and produced her first song).

I don't know about you guys but I love this song and I hope I see more of this lady!  There's more than enough room in the music industry for another fierce female performer!

What are your thoughts?