We Love: Spring is in the Air! with LUST by the GORILLA PERFUMERS AT LUSH

Feminine, sensual and heady, Lust is a La Luminata fragrance favourite that simply dazzles and bewitches.  Unashamedly provocative with main notes of  Jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, vanilla and sandalwood, this is the perfect scent to leap into spring.

Gorilla Perfume was formed to showcase the perfumery of Mark and Simon Constantine as an antidote to boring mass-market scents and a movement to get people excited about good quality perfume.

Mark is particularly fond of working with jasmine absolute, but is usually worried about how far to take it. However, there were no holds barred in the making of Lust!  "I think what you're good at is what you like to do.  I do believe that I'm good at jasmine.  I wanted to do a really, really sexy, dirty, lustful fragrance and that's what I've done.  I'm very happy with it!  I've done fragrances like that before, but I'd never had the nerve to let them be.  British people have a problem with sexy fragrances; there's always this feeling of having to dress the thing up in a frock and put a bonnet on it.  This time, I just went all the way."

Lust contains pure jasmine absolute, making it an exotic and heady fragrance. The full bloom of the jasmine flower is accentuated by rich florals and a soft, woody base. Jasmine, ylang ylang and sandalwood will set pulses racing...

Lust is available in Lush shops nationwide and online at www.lush.co.uk / www.gorillaperfume.com

Perfume bottle (30g) - £20.00
Atomiser (10g) – £9.00
Solid Perfume (12g) - £4.50

We Love: The Things that Dreams are made of…Wonderland

My favourite UK photographer of the moment Kirsty Mitchell has created the most beautiful and iconic set of images entitled 'Wonderland'. Creating the intricate costumes, handmade sets and photographs herself, she is a rare talent that is currently looking set for big things.

Proving that good things can always come out of difficult circumstances, Kirsty turned to photography as a means of self-expression when her mother fell ill with a brain tumour in March 2008.

“Photography became my only escape when I could no longer talk about how I felt. I lost myself in street portraiture, focusing on those who reflected my own sadness and loss. I later turned the camera inwards, and began photographing myself throughout the hardest year of my life. It became an utter fantasy that blocked out the real world, and a place where I could return to my memories of her, far away from those hospitals walls.”

Wonderland came about as Kirsty found herself producing pieces that echoed the stories her mother used to tell her as child. “By combining my various backgrounds, I now create images where everything has been designed and produced by myself, and a small team. The costumes, the props, the sets and accessories, are all part of the process that is finally recorded in the finished product of the photograph. It is driven by the need to produce tangible pieces of my dreams, and make it possible to step into the scenes for real.”

“Life has become a different place, ‘a second chance’ is maybe the only way to describe it, and for that I am so grateful. I have had my eyes opened, and no matter how sad the origin of it all was….. I will always cherish the fact this small and precious awakening has happened.”

We are so happy that Kirsty has managed to make something so awe-inspiring and positive from her own experiences that continues to inspire others too, to dream of their own Wonderland Utopia. Here at La Luminata we are big fans of Kirsty's vision, attention to detail and unlimited imagination!

Rachel

We Love: We Are What We Do Action Diary

We Are What We Do is a global movement that inspires people to use their everyday behavior to affect big environmental and social issues.

Focusing on the many small things we can all do everyday, like taking your own bag to the supermarket or teaching your granny to text. They might seem small and insignificant on their own, but their effect can be massive.

We Are What We Do create products, tools, live experiences and other odd things that make it easier and more fun to do our actions. Such as these fun notebooks which stack together, meaning that I can now colour coordinate my task lists and only have to carry a little notebook as needed! Now I have one for each set of tasks that I need to achieve and the little pink one remains just for me and my shopping list.

The action diary is particularly love-able as it gives ideas and tips to have the best, most action-filled year ever. Roll on 2011!

We Love: Fashion Crush – Karen O

Karen O. The glorious lady needs no introduction. Perhaps the coolest, best dressed woman in the World...if your idea of being well dressed involves, sequins, head-dresses, luminous billowing fabric, psychedelic prints, face paint and your idea of cool is high-pitched screaming. If you haven't already fallen in love with her, then you really should watch this.

A true innovator, wonder-woman-esque character with stage costumes made by American Costume designer Christian Joy, her bold style captures the imagination of her fans and sets her act miles apart from other artists. Oh yeah, and her band's music isn't bad either!

Rachel

We Love: Eco Pants!

Finisterre, the cult outdoor brand that lets you make an impact on your mates and not the planet, offers the ultimate in eco-sexy chic hotpants that can be worn around the house, under fitness clothing or even just everyday!

Committed to creating the best outdoor gear in the world, Finisterre have designed their Zephyr Hot Pants and Vests from the best Merino wool on the market, which is blissfully cool in warm weather and incredibly soft and comfortable next to the skin. There is also another advantage, the superfine wool, which Finisterre has developed exclusively (they’re also involved in helping to save a rare breed of sheep along the way) is amazingly flattering. Bright, colourful and fun, they are also naturally anti-bacterial – meaning that the it's perfect when your on the run!

Rachel

We Love: Miss Eco Glam Shop

Go checkout our good friend's 'Miss Eco Glam' new online store selling eco beauty and health products such as Lavere, Tamu, Live Native and Madara!

We Love: Conran’s Eco House Book

We love Terence Conran's Eco House Book, full of lustworthy houses, beautiful images, ideas and inspiration to create the eco house of your dreams. Now just to start saving...