Lush is one of my favourite stores, I could spend all day in there if I could! I have loved Lush products for about 7 years now as I started liking their products in college and I have come across quite a few products that are long time favourites such as the heavenly *literally* Angels On Bare Skin Cleanser, Silky Underwear Dusting Powder (which I'm currently using and loving!), Seanik Shampoo Bar, Olive Branch Shower Gel, Intergalactic Bath Bomb, Celestial Moisturiser, Honey I Washed The Kids Soap and the Eau Roma Water as well as the Let The Good Times Roll Cleanser...I have a lot of favourites.
The Lush Christmas range contains some of my favourite products and instantly gets me in the festive mood and a spending mood. So when this generous and lovely christmas package came from the amazing people at Lush, I have to admit that I did squeal slightly when I opened it especially as I haven't actually tried Snow Fairy before *I know, that's unforgivable!*. I went to Lush last weekend and treated myself to the Lush advent calendar and it's testing my willpower to it's limits not to open it now so these christmassy offerings are definitely helping!
I know, I know, the Lush Snow Fairy products are very popular and sought after but I have never tried it before (don't hate me!) and I don't know why I have put off trying it - it's gorgeous! The shower gel is described as 'candy sweet suds that shimmer with magic', if that's not enticing I don't know what is and it definitely smells like candy. The scent is very sweet, candy-like and edible smelling but I probably wouldn't recommend eating it; it looks cute too. The shower gel lathers SO well, you only need a tiny amount so this 250ml bottle will last me ages. The luxurious, creamy bubbles are cotton candy/candy cane scented and make showering in the freezing autumn months so much nicer! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.
After the gorgeous...ness of the Snow Fairy Shower Gel I didn't think anything could really surpass it but the Snow Fairy Body Conditioner has! I haven't tried any of the Lush Body Conditioners as to be honest they aren't as exciting as fizzy and colourful bath bombs or the gargantuan amount of bubbles from heavenly bubble bars but this body conditioner has turned out to be one of my favourite products I've tried and I'll definitely be looking out for more body conditioners to try!
The Lush Snow Fairy Body Conditioner contains avocado and mango butter to soften the skin, together with organic jojoba and almond oils that easily absorb leaving the skin incredibly smooth and moisturised - it's basically the body version of a hair conditioner. It has the same gloriously sweet, candy-like and comforting scent as the shower gel and when used together it's double the candy and double the Lush heaven! I'm SO impressed with this body conditioner, it leaves my skin very smooth, soft and moisturised so much so that I don't even have to use a body lotion. Additionally the scent of the body conditioner lasts on my skin for a good few hours (approx. 5-6 hours on me ) and in the bathroom which is incredible! Overall rating: ★★★★★★, 6/5...yes, 6/5, it's that good.
I've tried a few Lush lip scrubs, as well as lip scrubs from other brands, and the Lush ones are definitely the most effective! I love the Popcorn Lip Scrub and this is another favourite. I have really dry lips all year round (sexy, I know) so I'm always looking for exfoliating scrubs and rich lip balms - here comes Lush to the rescue *cue super hero music*.
Any Lush product would make a fantastic gift this christmas but I think in terms of stocking fillers, these last two products would be perfect. The Lush lip scrubs are a favourite for so many people, myself included and this christmas offering is gorgeous. The Sugar Plum fairy scent is sweet, sugary and fruity so it's a lovely christmassy scent; also the colour is so pretty too! It's a fantastic lip scrub as it is exfoliating but not too harsh and leaves my lips so smooth, soft and preps my lips perfectly for lip balm and lipstick. It's a christmas and new year party prep essential. Although if I'm honest my only problem with lip scrubs is that they are a little messy. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5 (you knew everything was going to be 5/5, it's Lush!).
As well as body conditioners, another Lush product range that I haven't really tried is FUN! Lush FUN is a combination of a bubble bar and playdoh, my child self would have been in love with it. The Elf On The Shelf FUN can be shaped into a cute little Santa's helper complete with stripy elf legs! There are a few variations to choose from but this one contains grapefruit and ginger oils, cinnamon leaf oil and gardenia extract; it smells subtle but lovely. I haven't tried this one yet but I have tried the blue FUN and it makes so many bubbles! I'll be making a cute little elf next month so stay tuned on my Twitter/Instagram to see how awfully I can make an elf!
Overall, I'm feeling all of the christmassy feels with the heavenly, sweet and festive products from Lush. All of the products are cruelty free as Lush is an amazing brand in terms of not just products but also ethics and all four products are suitable for vegans too. Additionally all four products that I've featured are 'self-preserving' which means that they don't contain any synthetic preservatives to keep them fresh which is fantastic. If I had to choose just one product as a favourite then it would have to be the amazing Snow Fairy Body Conditioner but I honestly couldn't recommend all of these products enough! Thank you so much to Lush for these festive treats!
Have you tried any of these products? What are your favourites from Lush?
Even though it isn't Halloween yet, on Of Beauty and Nothingness, we're in the Christmas spirit and today's post is a christmas gift guide for her with items that I think would be great for all ages, interests and styles from teenage girls and friends to older aunts, mums and grandmas. Thanks so much to all of the wonderful brands included in today's post including Adexe London, Kiss Lashes, Avril Cosmetics, Lush, Universal, Amara and Sensationail.
Let's start with a gorgeous watch from the lovely people over at Adexe London. I've been lucky enough to work with them a couple of times already and I'm so glad that I can again for today's post. I love the watches I already have from them but this one might be my favourite! They updated their packaging from the plain white boxes to these gorgeously colourful and unique boxes which I'm loving!
The watch I chose is a combination of gold and silver which I think looks amazing together! I'm not usually a gold jewellery or watch wearer but I'm loving this clean gold shade and the silver makes it look more modern - to me, gold jewellery is quite old fashioned looking which is probably why I'm never drawn to it. The clean gold, silver face and the classic mesh strap makes for a gorgeous, timeless and special watch to give this christmas.
The watch not only comes in a beautiful presentation box and a stunning design but it also comes with a mini screwdriver to adjust the watch and a secondary brown strap so you can switch it from a casual daytime watch to a more classic, formal watch. You have a choice of a brown or a black strap which you can specify at the checkout. All of their watches are produced and designed in house so it's going to be a unique gift that your gift recipient will love to receive! You can get 15% off using the code: HEATHER15.
*Impress Nails by Kiss (£7.99)
Next up are a few stocking filler ideas from Kiss, the first being their impress false nails which come in a wide range of styles from more natural options such as whites, nudes and French tips to bolder and darker shades, metallics and shimmery options so you're bound to find something your gift recipient will love. The sets are easy and quick to apply, they look great on the nails and they'd make great little stocking fillers for anyone who loves false nails, someone who's just getting into the world of beauty or for those who love polish but don't like the wait! You can find their sets on Superdrug and Boots.
*Kiss False Lashes (£7.99)
The final items from Kiss are their famous false lashes and again, as with the nails, there are so many styles to choose from including natural options to bold, fluttery, thick or voluminous lashes. I think they'd make ideal stocking fillers for the beauty lovers in your life as they are easy to apply (well, as easy as false lashes can be), they can be re-used a couple of times if you look after them and they look gorgeous. I'm personally not a fan of huge lashes on myself so I would always opt for the more natural and thicker lashes - the faux mink couture lashes look so beautiful. You can see the lashes and nails from Kiss in more detail in the video below which features all of the gifts in today's gift guide.
Next up is a gift that I'd only gift to close friends and family as it is definitely a little more personal. Clothing, lingerie and other similar items are only gifts for the people in your life that you know very well such as siblings and best friends....or you can treat yourself because why not, it's the treat season after all! I love this lace bralette in the shade Rose which is the most beautiful light pink shade (that is definitely me). Although there are a range of colours and sizes to choose from. I have the medium size which fits pretty well although I think the small size might be a little better for me - I'm a UK size 34B for reference. The bralette is so comfortable and lightweight but very pretty, I can't recommend it enough!
Next up is a very inexpensive but nicely put together and safe gift set from the French company Avril Cosmetics. The set contains three soap varieties including rose, orange flower and almond, all of which smell amazing, especially the orange flower soap. If you're gift recipient is looking for a more natural and organic gift or they use mostly organic products then look no further as this set is certified organic, cruelty free and vegan which is amazing!
I'm mostly vegan but that primarily includes my diet, I usually forget to see if a makeup or beauty item is vegan so I'm very glad that this one is. Cruelty free products are so important and should be more mainstream so why not gift some this christmas. For all three soaps, the ingredients are 99% naturally derived and 77% of those naturally derived ingredients are certified organic. I think this set is not only a lovely practical gift but it's great gift to give to those people who are conscious of living a more environmentally friendly, vegan or cruelty free lifestyle.
Lush has been one of my favourite brands since I started university which was a very long time ago (about eight years which I don't even want to think about!). One of my best friends bought us tickets to the Lush Showcase last month as it was in Manchester for the first time and it was amazing. It really cemented my love for the brand, their products, ethics and their activism for a better world.
I will always be happy receiving Lush products or gift sets over the christmas period as their christmas products are some of my all time favourites. At the Lush Showcase (which you will have seen if you follow me on Instagram - @ofbeautyand), they released their christmas collection early so naturally I had to buy a couple of products.
A couple of weeks ago I was very kindly sent three gift sets from the incredibly generous and wonderful people at Lush and one of the sets I was most excited for was the Little Snow Fairy set as Snow Fairy is one of my all time favourite Lush scents along with Honey I Washed The Kids, Olive Branch and Twilight. As with all Lush gift sets at this time of the year, this one comes so beautifully presented and wrapped so you don't have to do anything. I'm the worlds worst present wrapper so these gifts are ideal for me and others like me who sadly don't have the ability to wrap presents half decently!
The Little Snow Fairy set contains two sweetly smelling products, the Snow Fairy shower gel and the Snow Fairy jelly bath bomb. I organised the Lush party which was part of my friends hen party earlier this year and used my voucher to buy one of their then newly released jelly bath bombs but I've been putting off using it as it smells amazing and seems extra special to me - but I need to use it.
The Jelly bath bombs look amazing and I cannot wait to use the Snow Fairy one but I'm saving it until it's a little closer to christmas. The Snow Fairy shower gel is equally as gorgeous, it smells incredible and it means that unlike the bath bomb, you can prolong the snow fairy experience a little longer.
The second Lush gift set is probably my favourite of the three but it is an incredibly close race with the The Snow Fairy set coming in second; however, the Seasons Greetings set comes in first in terms of the packaging! The set would be ideal for those gift recipients who love Lush but don't have a bath or for those gift recipients who you don't know too well because if you only have a shower, you can still use both of the products in the set. I also think this would be a great introductory set for those who haven't tried Lush before or if they've only tried the bath bombs or bubble bars.
The Rosy Christmas gift set contains the lovely Rose Jam shower gel which is one of the few Lush products that I haven't actually tried or even smelled before! The Ro's Argan Body Conditioner is actually one of my all time favourite Lush products even though it's quite understated and basic, when compared the glittery fun bath bombs for example but it is a subtly wonderful product that leaves my skin so smooth, soft and nourished which is exactly what it needs at this time of the year!
The final Lush gift set is the beautifully packaged Seasons Greetings set which is the most festively packaged of the three, in my opinion. It contains two products I haven't tried before including the Cinders shower gel and the Perle De Sel bath bomb, both of which I had a sniff off at the amazing Showcase.
The Cinders shower gel has such an amazing scent, it's spicy, warming and festive smelling to me and the bath bomb is equally as gorgeous with the scent of rose. The Perle Del Sel bath bomb is one of the most luxurious looking bath bombs from Lush and I think it will look even more amazing in the water. Thanks so so much to Lush for these wonderful gifts! Follow me on Instagram (@ofbeautyand) for demos of these products on my Instagram Stories.
We're moving back to a few entertainment stocking fillers now from Universal! DVDs are a great easy stocking filler as let's be honest, apart from the Harry Potter series and the Doctor Who christmas special, there isn't much on the TV over the festive period with the same re-runs over and over again.
I do love christmas films, it's the only time of the year when I don't mind cheesy films and my favourite has to be ELF but one classic Christmas flick that I haven't ever watched is It's A Wonderful life. It's an American classic Christmas film, which is probably why I haven't watched it before but I need to this Christmas!
DVD boxsets are also great gift options and there are so many to choose from including classics like The Godfather trilogy (£14.99, Bluray) or the Indiana Jones set (£14.99, DVD) but a more modern offering is the Pitch Perfect box set which contains all three films. I have only watched the first film so this set is perfect for christmas binge watching!
The next two gifts are from the incredible people over at Amara who I've been lucky enough to work with a couple of times previously. Amara stocks such a wide range of very luxe gift ideas, homeware, clothing and accessories so you're bound to find something special and unique to surprise your gift recipient with this year. Some of the brands they stock include the divine Kate Spade, Joules, Ugg, Liberty London and many more, including Laduree.
Laduree is one of the most famous French bakeries, who are famous for their pretty and perfect macarons which I'm yet to try but it's on my list for 2019. This keyring is one of the most luxe looking keyrings ever and it would much such an incredibly wonderful and surprising gift especially for those foodies, Laduree lovers or anyone who likes macarons.
The keyring comes in such a beautiful but simple box which makes it all the more special and luxe. They keyring itself is just adorable with a stack of three mini macarons, the Eiffel Tower and a little Laduree tag charm, topped off with a sweet little bow, naturally. I chose the 'liquorice' colour option but there are other combinations including rose, mint, cassis violet, red fruit and pistachio, all of which are so cute. However, the 'liquorice' option was my favourite of them all and I cannot recommend it enough as a sweet gift that's almost good enough to eat.
The final item from the lovely people at Amara is this utterly adorable tea infuser which is from Pip Studios - I'm going to have to look into more of their products as this one is just gorgeous. I don't think I have seen anything from this brand before but I will be checking out their products asap! The tea infuser is ideal for loose leaf tea and what better way to enjoy it with an adorable infuser with the cutest white rabbit companion. The infuser comes so beautifully packaged which I think is important in any gift but particularly for a festive gift!
The set instantly made me think of the white rabbit from Alice In Wonderland and the packaging as a whole is very reminiscent, to me, of the classic animated Alice In Wonderland film. The vintage, classic feel to this product is so lovely and makes for a more special and thoughtful gift if you know someone who loves all things vintage or Alice In Wonderland. I think this adorable tea infuser would make such a lovely, heart warming and practical gift for tea lovers this christmas. Also, I think the price is very reasonable for such a beautifully designed and presented gift.
Last but not least is the most expensive item of the gift guide but one that I've been loving since I received a couple of weeks or so ago. Sensationail is a brand I've tried before, back in 2017 I tried their express gel nail kit which I liked and now they've released their new Strip Gel Starter Kit. This new kit is a little different as it doesn't require any soaking in acetone to remove the gel polish as it just peels off!
The kit comes with the LED lamp, peel off base coat, top coat, the coloured polish of your choice and a mystery polish too. Additionally, the instructions, mains lead, nail buffer, nail cleanser and files as well so it is a complete kit in one. I have the 'raspberry wine' shade which is just gorgeous and ideal for this time of the year.
I already knew how to use this kit on the whole as I've used the express gel kit on and off for a year but this one is a little different and involves a couple more steps but it is still very easy, mess free and quick. My favourite thing about this kit is that there's pretty much no air drying time for the steps (apart from the base coat) which is one of the things I hate most about painting my nails - I always get very impatient and end up smudging my nails!
I think this kit would make a great gift for nail polish addicts or beauty lovers as it's an entire kit in one box so your gift recipient doesn't have to by anything and it's so quick and easy to do. We all know how much I love practical gifts and this is a great one as it saves so much time too, especially if you know someone who's always painting their nails or wants to switch up the colour often. Also, there's the added benefit of this one in that the colour peels straight off the nail instead of using harsh acetone!
Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of my first womens gift guide of 2018?
Lush is one of my favourite stores, I love buying all of the bath bombs and bubble bars *which my bank balance isn't happy about*. I received some Lush products from my family and friends this christmas and one of them was the Lush Intergalactic Bath Bomb (£3.95) which is one of the few I haven't tried before.
Firstly, the bath bomb looks pretty amazing! It definitely lives up to the name of Intergalactic and I couldn't wait to try this one even though from the ingredients, it isn't the kind of bath bomb I usually go for. I'm not a massive fan of peppermint or grapefruit scents but to me this bath bomb just has a gorgeous generic Lush scent - I don't noticed too much peppermint or grapefruit, just a Lush scent.
As you can see, the bath bomb is SO pretty! The blue water, pink and turquoise bubbles and metallic gold shimmer looks like a mermaid version of a bath bomb. I adore the scent and appearance; also the bath bomb takes ages to dissolve which I love as it means that the bath can last for even longer. The bath bomb leaves my skin so smooth and soft although it also covers the skin in gold glitter which does tend to stick around so you need to rinse the bath after too, as is the case with most Lush bath bombs.
Overall, I love this bath bomb and I would definitely buy it again, my only problem is the glitter and the scent isn't as strong as I would like it but I would still recommend it...and not only as it is the prettiest bath bomb ever! Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.
Have you tried Lush Intergalactic? What are your favourite products from Lush?
Christmas is such a magical and wonderful time of the time *one the whole* and one of the companies that can match that wonder is Lush. Lush has been a favourite store of mine for at least the past five years and I'm always justing at least one Lush product everyday. I'm currently using the gorgeous Get Closer dusting powder and the Santa Baby lip scrub.
The Lush Christmas collection gets better and better every year and this year the gifts are all so beautiful! I was very kindly sent three of their gift sets thanks to the amazing and super generous people over at Lush PR *thank you* and I love all three!
Let's start with the cutest gift set I was sent which is this adorable Rudolph inspired gift which features the lovely Butterball bath bomb and the new Christmas Sweater bath bomb as well as the Rudolph knot wrap. It's a beautifully pre-packaged gift that is made of 100% organic cotton made in India and I think all of the items included are vegan too.
I tried the Butterball bath bomb years ago and loved it, especially when it's moulded into the Butterbear shape, the latter is available now as a bath bomb and wash card (both look so adorable!). As far as I know the Christmas Sweater bath bomb is new and to me it smells like the quintessential Christmas combination of ginger and cloves. It also looks very cute with it's fairisle sweater design! I think this set would be perfect for children and adults alike.
Next up is tied as my favourite of the three with the Ruby gift set as it contains two of my favourite Christmas bath bombs and it looks so festive! The Merry Christmas gift set contains the Shoot For The Stars bath bomb, Golden Wonder bath bomb, Christmas Sweater bath bomb and the Thundersnow bath bomb. I adore the Shoot For The Stars and the Golden Wonder bath bombs, both of which I've bought a least a couple of times.
I can't wait to try the Christmas Sweater bath bomb as it's one of the most festive scented bath bombs in the set and I also can't wait to try the Thundersnow bath bomb which contains peppermint extract, cocoa absolute and popping candy! The Thundersnow bath bomb smells like candy I had growing up but I can't place it. I think this gift set is a great all round set that would be ideal for so many people, from hard working mums, aunties or cousins to work colleagues, partners and friends - you really can't go wrong with this gift set.
This set is also so beautifully packaged with a golden ribbon, tag and pretty floral paper so if you are like me and you cannot wrap presents to save your life then these sets from Lush are ideal as they are wrapped far more beautifully than I could ever gift wrap a present! I can think of so many of my cousins and friends who would love this set and it would be great for colleagues as you might not know if they have a bath at home or even if they like taking baths so they could definitely use everything in this gift set.
I can smell, what I think is the Golden Pear soap through the paper and cardboard and it smells incredible! The Rose Jam shower gel also sounds amazing although my favourite Lush shower gel so far is definitely The Olive Branch scent. Overall, I cannot recommend these three heavenly gift sets enough as Lush is such an incredible brand, there's something for everyone and all three are wonderfully packaged.
What do you think of these Lush gift sets? Would you like to receive these sets under the tree?
Lush is one of my favourite brands, not just because their products look and smell amazing or their ethics but also because of their new seasonal collections! Spring is my favourite time for Lush releases as we have Valentines, Mother's Day and Easter releases all around the same time *yay* so I had to treat myself as I've wanted to make a Lush order for so long!
The products I ordered were either from the Valentines, Mother's Day ranges or the kitchen exclusives which are only available online (or maybe in the massive store on Oxford Street which I definitely need to visit this summer!). I bought nine lovely items although two of them are for my blogs upcoming 5th birthday giveaway in May.
I think this bath bomb is one of my most unusual looking bath bombs I've seen from Lush! It has a glittery grey exterior and it looks as though it will be pink inside; I love the design and to me it smells almost exactly like the Yankee Candle Witches Brew candle which is heady with patchouli, black pepper oil, cinnamon and myrrh.
I have almost used up the Silky Underwear Dusting Powder so I needed to pick up another as I use mine so much as a talcum powder, to sprinkle over linen and surprisingly as a dry shampoo! This dusting powder contains neroli oil, jasmine absolute, lemon oil, calamine and clay so it smells very floral, sweet and musky which reminds me of something that annoyingly I can't put my finger on but it's lovely!
This is a new Lush product to me, I haven't seen them before but it's an interesting idea as this little card is a wash card so it would be perfect for travelling and it smells so lovely - to me it's floral, sweet and very 'lush' scented! This valentines exclusive wash card will be part of the massive prize bundle for my blogs 5th birthday giveaway in May so stay tuned!
Another product that I haven't really seen before as it's a solid bath oil and it's also one of the most beautiful products that I have bought from Lush - I love anything with flower petals included! This bath oil is indulgently floral and I cannot wait to use it as I haven't used a bath oil like this before.
There are certain products that I have wanted to try for so long from Lush and their natural, solid deodorants are one of them. I have been putting off buying this deodorant for *literally* years as let's be honest, it's not that exciting but I'm interested to see how well it works. It contains apricot kernel oil, lemon oil, juniper berry oil and tea tree oil and it's apparently powerful and super absorbent so if I get on well with it, you'll see it in my monthly favourites!
This adorably cute flower bath bomb is part of the new Mother's Day range and it is so fun and colourful; it's also quite a large bath bomb! To me it smells musky and floral (I've said that about everything, oops) with rosewood and rose absolute. I think it would make a fantastic Mother's Day gift or as I've done...buy it for yourself.
Another Mother's Day item and again it's so cute, colourful and it has a heavenly but subtle scent. It contains ingredients that you would find in desserts much as tonic bean, brown sugar, golden syrup and coconut milk as well as some more typical pampering scents of lavender and neroli. I can't wait to use this shower jelly as it's such a unique product although I think it will be a bit of a juggling act to use!
I have wanted to buy this bubble bar for months but it keeps going out of stock online. I haven't used one of their apparently re-useable bubbles bars before and I'll probably end up using it all by mistake while taking photos and then I'll drown in a sea of floral bubbles. It looks like a giant teabag filled with petals...is their anything more British?
I thought that this adorable ladybird was part of the Mother's Day range but now I'm not sure; either way, it is so cute and it's also going to be part of my upcoming giveaway! It contains sweet geranium and peppermint, it's such a unique scent and I think everyone will love it!
Phew, that's a long post and I could have made it a lot longer as I took over 70 photographs of these products #BloggerProblems. Lush products as so incredibly photogenic and I cannot wait to use these products as part of my pamper evenings. Remember to follow my blog and social media to find out when my massive blog birthday giveaway will be live!
Have you bought anything from Lush recently? What do you think of the Valentines and Mother's Day ranges? If you've tried any of these, let me know what you thought!
I haven't been shopping that much recently but as spring has finally sprung, I felt the need to pick up a few new products. This haul features items from Lush, Boots, The Range, Amazon and FeelUnique. Since this haul I have made a mini H&M haul and I'm consistency browsing online for spring pieces!
Lush: Lush is one of my favourite bath, body and skincare brands but I haven't bought anything from them for ages! However last weekend I bought the Blue Skies & Fluffy White Clouds Bubble Bar (£4.75) which is a massive bubble bar! I have used up all of my Lush stash and the bubble bars have become my favourite products (I'm not into bath bombs at all now). I also picked up the Amandopondo Bubble Bar (£2.75) which is quite a small bar but I will get two uses out of it - I've used it once already and it is a lovely lemon/floral bar. One tip with bubble bars: don't crumble them, I just hold it under hot running water and it produces SO many bubbles - I don't get nearly as many bubbles if I crumble them. My last Lush purchase is the Lullaby Shampoo Bar (£5.75). I have tried the New and Sceanic bars which I liked so I wanted to try another and so far so good!
Boots: I cannot resist a 3 for 2 offer and I also had some Boots points so I had to make an order...I bought the two lightest shades of the new Bourjois Aqua Lacquers and I love them; they are gorgeous nude pinky shades for spring, they feel like water on the lips and they look so beautiful. For the 'free' product, I picked the much raved about Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder which I love so far although as with Bourjois foundations, it can cling to super dry patches on me.
The Range: I'm not a big fan of The Range, I find the products can be a little tacky or they can actually be a bit expensive for what they are. Although I did see some new Ferrero Rocher mini easter eggs - they are yummy (but messy!). I also bought a pack of adorable pink and white candy candy striped paper straws; I think they were less than £2 for 30.
Amazon & FeelUnique: Lastly, a couple of random buys from Amazon and FeelUnique. I bought another EOS lip balm in the lemon drop flavour and I've been using it constantly. From Feelunique I bought the 'delicate' head for my Clarisonic Mia.
Overall, I love the items I bought, especially the new Bourjois products *I cannot resist a 3 for 2 offer, I'm only human* and the Lush buys are gorgeous, I may need to go to Lush again...
What have you been buying recently? What do you think of the products I've bought? What do you think of my new blog header?
Lockdown has been difficult in many ways but for me, there have been a couple of positives including having more time for relaxing, reading and pampering which has been necessary for stopping my anxiety from taking over! So during lockdown I decided to try and read as much as I can and use up some of the plethora of face masks, hair masks, bath bombs, samples and the many half-used products I have.
Thankfully I was able to use up a lot of products that I'd half finished as well as samples; some of the products were surprising favourites and others were more than a little disappointing unfortunately. When I first started my blog, I used to write regular empties posts as I think they're much more valuable and thorough compared to mini reviews or initial impressions. I will be posting a summer empties post at the end of September and I might make it a seasonal series!
Skincare
I'll begin with the category I have the most empties from and that's skincare! I didn't realise how many skincare products I'd used up until I started gathering them together to photograph all of my empties. From May to April I used up five face masks, one face mist, one moisturiser and two serums, although I think I did throw away a few products before I started collecting my empties at the end of May.
I won't go through all of my skincare empties individually but my favourite products have include: the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (a gorgeous gentle moisturiser), First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads (instantly smooth and exfoliated skin in a tub) and the Shangpree Aroma Blend Calming Mask (a heavenly Korean sheet mask). I will be buying all of three items in the future as my skin adored them all!
I also used up a few sample sizes from Glamglow and Kiehls which were part of a limited edition box from Latest In Beauty: the Kiehls Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Mask (which my currently blemish prone and congested skin loved) and the Glamglow BerryGlow Mask (which was ideal for helping my skin look a little less...awful due to the stress of lockdown). If you're looking for a great value for money beauty box then I cannot recommend the Latest In Beauty boxes enough.
Last but not least I wanted to mention the Beauty Laundrette Sheet Mask which was a great post-sun skincare treat to add hydration and soothe the skin. During lockdown I've been using up not only my half-finished products but the mountain of sheet masks I have too and this mask was one of my favourites. I've finally jumped onto the sheet mask bandwagon and I'm not getting off.
Bath & Body
I was surprised by how few body products I'd used up in during lockdown as I only have two! First up, the gorgeous Molton Brown Ylang Ylang Body Scrubwhich has to be one of the most effective and heavenly scented body scrubs I've ever used. I'm a huge fan of Molton Brown products and I've loved every single one but this body scrub is at the top of the list so far. The second and final body product was the FFS Post-Shave Balm which I loved to soothe and hydrate my skin after shaving.
Lush Empties
Within April I started to have pampering Sundays as I've been feeling quite anxious and it was also an opportunity to use the Lush bath bombs I needed to use up before they were too old. The first bath bomb I finished was one of my favourites, Twilight, as it smells absolutely heavenly! I also used up Intergalactic which I used to love but now I can't stand bath bombs that contains tonnes of glitter as it just means more cleaning up afterwards.
My final bath bomb is by far the worst Lush bath bomb I've ever used and others might agree with me as it doesn't seem to be on the website anymore. What is this bath bomb I hear you frustratingly ask? It was the Lush Dark Arts Jelly Bomb. It was my first jelly bomb and I think it's safe to say that the concept of jelly bombs kind of...bombed as there's only one on the website. I do still have the Snow Fairy Jelly Bomb to use but sadly I don't have high hopes for it now.
As well as bath bombs I also used up my Lush Olive Branch Naked Shower Gel which has quickly become one of my favourite products from Lush as it not only smells lovely but it lathers well, leaves my skin feeling moisturised and it doubles up as a shaving cream too. I will definitely be buying another naked shower gel from Lush as soon as I can.
Haircare
The next category is haircare and I'm not surprised that I only have three items as I tend to be quite fickle with my haircare products and it usually takes me a while to finish products, especially full sized items. My favourite haircare product from lockdown was the Schwarzkopf Color Expert Dye in Dark Brown which is another item I received as part of a Latest In Beauty box - I told you they were fantastic boxes! The dye was one of the easiest, quickest and fuss-free dyes I've ever used and the grey coverage was great.
I also used up two mini hair masks recently and my favourite of the two was the Living Proof Restore Mask which was a fantastic, effective and deeply nourishing hair mask that my tangle-prone and dry hair seemed to love. Sadly I didn't quite love the Wella Nutri-Enrich Mask as it was just quite average, in my opinion.
Home Fragrance
Home fragrance, whether in the form of candles and wax melts or room sprays, are some of my favourite items to buy and use as I love a clean and fresh smelling home. I used up the lovely Feather and Down Candle during lockdown and while I loved the scent, it wasn't as strong as I would have liked it to be unfortunately.
Thankfully I have more than a few room sprays that were very strong including the: Puressential Rest & Relax Spray (one of the strongest room spray I've used), the wonderful Feather and Down Pillow Mist (which I spray at every opportunity) and the Mio Liquid Yoga Spray (a relaxing room spray). I would highly recommend both the Feather and Down as well as the Puressential sprays!
Makeup
Lastly, the makeup items and I have not one, not two but three brow pencils within my lockdown empties stash! I didn't know that I used up brow pencils so frequently but I do fill in my brows almost everyday so I think I'm quite the brow pencil expert by now! I think all three brow pencils are fantastic and I've bought them multiple times over the past year or so and I'd recommend them all.
The Maybelline Total Temptation Brow Pencil is ideal for those just starting out using brow pencils or those who want a subtle, natural effect. The Barry M Brow Wand is pretty much the opposite as it's fantastic for very bold, thick and unruly brows. Lastly the Maybelline Brow Precise is a great balance between the previous two as it can be built up for dark, bold brows but it can also be brushed out for more natural but precise brows too.
The final makeup item I finished during lockdown is the Kat Von D Go Big Or Go Home Mascara which is a mascara I've raved about on my blog previously (it was yet again an item I've loved from a Latest In Beauty box). I have started to get into the habit of throwing away makeup when it is quite old which I think is a good habit to get into and something I should have been doing years ago...oops.
Have you tried any of these products? What have you used up during lockdown?
Dove body wash // Body Shop Body Butter // L'Occitane Hand Cream // Soap & Glory Products // Lush
1. Dove Body wash: I love Dove products, especially the body moisturisers as they are so moisturising, softening, smoothing and they smell gorgeous - in my opinion. I love the original Dove scent - fresh and clean. My favourite Dove body was is the triple moisture body wash!
2. Body Shop Body Butters: I have tried so many body shop body butters over the past five years and I love them - some more than others though. I like the strawberry, satsuma, passion fruit and olive ones but my favourite is the shea butter version (pictured above).
3. L'Occitane Hand Creams: I discovered these this year as they were featured in quite a few magazine freebies! I started using the freebies and I was hooked - L'Occitane hand creams are the best I have ever used. My favourite is the limited edition cocoa flower but I adore the original one too.
4. Soap and Glory products: Who does love a bit of soap and glory? I started using their products about three years ago and I just love them. My favourite soap and glory products include: the righteous butter, the hand food hand cream (my cheap alternative to L'Occitane) and I just adore the soap and glory flake away scrub. I will have to try their new sugar crush range soon!
5. Lush bath products: I love Lush, it is one of my favourite bath/body/skincare brands for the past couple of years. I love the Lush bath bombs, the bubble bars, soaps and their bath melts. My favourite bath bomb from Lush is either their donkey oaty bath bomb that came out with their Easter collection or their tisty tosty bath bomb - I also love the so white Christmas bath bomb too. My favourite lush bubble bar is the silent night Christmas bubble bar - heavenly scent!
What are your favourite bath and body products for 2012?
Another blogmas post and it is a review of the new Christmas cleanser from Lush! I have been using this cleanser for about three/four weeks now and I love it!
Firstly, if you collect five black empty pots you can take them to a Lush store and exchange them from a free fresh face mask - I need to remember to keep the black pots! This cleanser is limited edition for Christmas, unfortunately, as it is gorgeous, in my opinion. The cleanser smells gorgeous, like toffee, creamy cinnamon and buttered popcorn - a great incentive to cleanse in the morning! Unlike other Lush cleansers I have used, this one has a really good expiration date and I will end up using all of the cleanser before it expires.
To use: I scoop out a 20p size amount of cleanser and mix it with warm water in the palm of my hand which makes a kind of grainy, sandy paste. The texture of this cleanser does feel and look like wet sand but less abrasive. The cleanser smells gorgeous and it feels like it really exfoliates the skin well when applied and massaged into the skin. The cleanser does take a bit of extra time to remove but it is worth it as this product makes my skin feel so smooth and soft. I didn't experience any irritation while using this product but I think it may bit slightly too abrasive for individuals with sensitive skin. I will be buying this again in the Lush after Christmas sale! Overall, a fantastic cleanser and it is currently priced at £5.95 for 100g at Lush.
Well, January has been an okay reading month, it hasn't been amazing but I have managed to get through a few full length books and comic books/graphic novels as well as cookbooks. There have been a few books that I've loved, some were very average and others were disappointing enough to DNF.
I love Sandalwood within fragrances and products but I had no idea about the illegal Sandalwood trade and how valuable it is or that people would go to such lengths to sell illegal sandalwood. It has simplistic but effective and interesting artwork, it's easy to follow and I love the cover artwork and how well it is produced – it's a lovely hardback graphic novel. I knew Lush and it's founders were always trying to be as ethical, responsible and as natural as they can be but I didn't know the lengths they go to to make sure they're using the safest, legal and most natural, environmentally friendly and ethical ingredients they possibly can.
Paper Girls Volume One - ★★★☆☆, 3/5
Paper girls is a graphic novel about four friends as they carry out their paper route and come across some interesting and unusual… characters. I love the artwork style, the cover and the general story but I didn't like some of the language in the comic book, for example the use of AIDS as an insult - I really had a problem with this! However the story was quite fast paced and interesting and I wanted to know what happened but it wasn't enough to make me want to buy the second volume.
More Very British problems - ★★★★★, 5/5
I read the first book a couple of years ago while on holiday as it really quick and easy read and I loved it so I picked up the second book. This one is almost just as interesting and entertaining as the first although I think I do prefer the first one. I related to so much of it because we British are an unusual lot! If you liked the first then definitely pick up the second and also if you like their Twitter account or TV show and definitely pick up the books!
*The Story of the Company That Came Before Lush by Lush - ★★★★★, 5/5
I had no idea that the founders of Lush originally produced products for The Body Shop including some of the most famous products now such as the peppermint foot lotion! But they didn't just make products for The Body Shop, they also made products for John Frieda and others!
I also didn't know that the founders originally started producing products, under a different name, back in the 70s! Lush is one of my all time favourite brands, I've been using their products for about seven years and it was so interesting to see the history of the products and companies that eventually became the famous brand we know today.
*Succulents by Robin Stockwell - ★★★★☆, 4/5
I want to be green fingered but sadly I'm not, the only plants I've been able to grow are succulents; I have one that's been growing for almost a year now and it has grown so much since I received it so I wanted to hopefully learn a bit more about them and how to look after better. The book has fantastic photos as well as great ideas of what plants to use in different areas/environments such as growing them in containers which is what I'm most interested in. I love the idea of planting succulents in hanging cones and as wedding arrangements and gift toppers which is such a unique idea! I wasn't as interested in the first half of the book but the second contains so much information that I wanted.
*Treat Yourself by Jessica Siskin- ★★★★☆, 4/5
One vegan treat I've wanted to make for a while are vegan rocky road bars, as vegan marshmallows and chocolate are easy to find so they should be easy to make. The cover drew me in; it's a fantastic book with so many creative ideas of what to make with crispy rice - so many of which I never even thought of! I love the idea of making a newspaper, pizza and book out of puffed rice, chocolate, icing and marshmallows! I will definitely be making some of these, they'd be a great birthday treat idea to make instead of cake! My only negative about the book is that at least half of the photographs are quite boring and they could be really creative, eye catching and fun but they aren't sadly which I think is a big letdown for a food focused book.
*The Pumpkin Cookbook, 2nd Edition by DeeDee Stovel- ★★★★☆, 4/5
Pumpkin and squash are some of my favourite vegetables to roast, add to soup, bake and mix with pasta, salad and more but I'm always looking for more meal ideas. The photography within this book is gorgeous however I wish there was more of it of the finished recipes - it's my only negative of the book! I've made a couple of the recipes, albeit with some alternations to make them vegan/vegetarian and when autumn comes around again, I'll definitely be using this cookbook so much!
Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban - ★★★★★, 5/5
I started reading the Harry Potter books last year and I wish I had started reading them sooner but I loved the films and I mistakenly thought that the books would be too similar to the films so they wouldn't be worth reading but I was very wrong! I adore the cover, J K Rowlings writing style and this magical, homely series. I'm always looking out of differences between the books and the films; there are quite a few differences with this book. For example, the dementor scene on the train, the boggat lessons and Harry's new broom has a lot more focus in the book than the film; also Harry in the book is more confident, and speaks up more than the films. The Maurders map is different in the book with little people and their actions shown on the map, Snape is much more of a bully and as with the other two books I've read, the ghosts are more prominent and mischievous compared to the films. One of the main differences is with Black, he is more prominent throughout and he seems to be trying to get to Harry more. There's more of a backstory of Lupin including his school days at Hogwarts in the book that I had absolutely no idea about as well as an explanation of how Black gets out of Azkaban which I don't think was in the film. As with the previous books, the main action scenes and the focus of the films seem to be the last 30% of the books, everything is always left to the very end to be explained. I loved being in the Harry Potter world and I can't wait to move onto the fourth book.
*The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde - DNF
I was very kindly sent this book from the lovely people over at Alma Books; I adore their collection of classics with stunning covers and they are all so inexpensive too which is always a plus! I love this cover, it is so striking and colourful. I read The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde from Alma Books which I absolutely adored so I was excited to try The Picture of Dorian Gray. I didn't fully know the plot before going into this book but I have watched a few TV shows and films that have a Dorian Gray style character within them such as A League of Gentlemen and Penny Dreadful. Oscar Wilde's writing tends to be very flowing, poetic, descriptive and almost lyrical which I like but this book seems to be nothing but flowery descriptions, high societies views of beauty, culture/art and each other which I found to be quite boring as well as the constant insta love everyone seems to have when they meet Dorian Gray which was, if I'm honest, a little bit annoying and frustrating (sorry!). I have DNF'd this book which I hate to do but I read almost half of the book and I couldn't carry on as it was so boring for me but just because I didn't like it doesn't mean that you won't and if you are looking into buying some pretty but inexpensive classics then definitely check out Alma Books (also check out The Canterville Ghost if you want to read some of Oscar Wilde's writing).
I am a fan of historical fiction and this one also contains mystery and action elements; it's set in Elizabethan England which I adore so I knew I'd love this book. The book follows Christopher throughout his job as an intelligencer for the Earl of Leicester during a time were there's political tension, religious uprisings and unrest in Europe and threats to the Queen's life. I loved the historical setting, action and adventure as well as the mystery; however there were a couple of things I wasn't a fan of such as ALL of the travelling, the overly violent scenes towards the beginning of the book and the ending was a little anticlimactic and predictable but I think it's definitely worth reading!
What books have you read recently? Have you read any of these books?
I'm a university graduate, coffee drinker and beauty, book, lifestyle and fashion blogger from little old England - posts marked with an (*) contain products sent for review or sponsored posts Read More >>
