Products I Used Up - October

It's that time of the year again, where I post some pictures of trash and tell you all about the beauty products I recently used up. Empties posts aren't a regular feature on my blog and here's why, in all honesty, I rarely buy new products, I tend to have two/three major beauty splurges throughout the year and use the products I love everyday until well...they are all used up! Because of this my empties posts can seem repetitive, more often than not I do repurchase the same products, especially when it comes to body and skincare. However, as I had a few new products to share I thought why not, so here's what I used up recently. I'll probably split this into two posts as there's too many products hehe -

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - I bang on about this all the time on social media/blog so I won't go into a full review and bore you all to tears. The Cleanse & Polish is a cult classic for me, it's a cleanser I will  always repurchase. The bottle shown here is Jasmine & Osmanthus, a scent that was released over summer, you can read more about it over here.

Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm - A repurchase for me, Cult Beauty have an offer where you receive three 50ml cleansing balms along with three of the EH cloths for only £38. A total bargain considering 1x 100ml tub retails at £38.00. I've tried and love this cleansing balm, especially during the cooler months. You can read a full review here.

Sweet Cecily's Elderflower and Almond Hand Cream* - An all natural hand cream that's housed in a cute reusable glass jar. Although this hand cream felt quite luxurious on my skin I did find it to be a tad too oily for everyday use, I instead opted to use this at nighttime before bed. I'm generally a fan of sweet scents, but the scent of this was so overwhelming, it gave me a headache. Just a tad too sweet smelling for me.

REN Vita 7 Eye Gel (mini) - I've made quite a few REN orders recently and have always received a generous amount of samples with my orders, including this eye gel. I have since repurchased the full size of this as it's so refreshing and hydrating on my sensitive eyes. This provides a perfect base for concealer. Expect a full review of this and a few other eye creams I've been loving ...soon.

The Body Shop Satsuma perfume - love. If you like the scent that runs through the Body Shop Satsuma range, you'll love this scent. I would definitely repurchase this, it's perfect for my handbag.

Antonia Burrell 7 in 1 Supreme Mask - you can read my full review of this mask and other items in the Antonia Burrell Discovery Kit over here. I definitely would not repurchase this mask, but you can read more on that in my full review.

Claris Eye Makeup Remover - I didn't feel like this effectively removed my eye makeup. After two cotton pads soaked with the eye makeup remover I still found that my cleanser removed traces of mascara. Definitely not for me.

The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser - Full review over here. I've repurchased this moisturiser as for me, it's a more effective version of the Origins Ginzing, for some reason this just works better with my skin. It provides my skin with just the right amount of hydration and works well with my Liz Earle Cleanser & toner.

The Body Shop Hemp Foot Protector - I've repurchased this one, it does all the hard work for me. This cream keeps my feet hydrated, smooth, soft and sexy (well as sexy as a foot can get) - I wouldn't be without a tub.

What products have you used up recently?

MooGoo Irritable Skin Balm

I've suffered with Eczema for the longest time, childhood memories of chamomile lotion and thick diprobase being slathered onto me before bedtime makes me shudder. If you have ever suffered from eczema you'll feel my pain, my skin feels itchy, uncomfortable and gross. Seeing doctors in the past always left me feeling slightly frustrated as most of the prescription products my doctor recommended felt incredibly greasy and heavy on my skin - definitely not daytime appropriate. Luckily as I have grown older my eczema has calmed down significantly, although I'm still prone to the odd flare ups on the backs of my arms, legs and even my hairline and forehead! Luckily I've found my wonder product.

MooGoo is a lovely brand that come from across the pond, from a much sunnier climate...Australia. MooGoo has great ethics as a company, they offer products with clean ingredients formulated with sensitive skin types in mind - I absolutely love how transparent their website is definitely no gimmicks. After talking about Australia and the contrast in temperatures in comparison to the UK, myself and the brand representative for MooGoo got talking about eczema. The lady gave me so much advice, not only product recommendations, but we also touched on lifestyle and diet changes that I could make to improve my eczema. After a lengthy discussion (rather whinny on my part) I was kindly gifted the MooGoo Irritable Skin Balm* to try.

With balm in the title I did expect that this cream would have a greasy texture or feel quite rich for my skin, I couldn't have been more wrong. This lotion has a lightweight texture that left my skin feeling hydrated without any greasy residue or oily texture. This cream doesn't have a scent which did bother me a little at first, but in all honest after a while I barely noticed the scent...or no scent should I say. In terms of my eczema I do think that this cream helped to calm my skin, my skin felt less itchy and also less flaky. This didn't speed up the amount of time it took for my eczema to clear, but in all fairness no cream/lotion ever will only internal treatments in my experience help my eczema to clear up quicker. It's worthwhile mentioning that this product is multi-use and worked really well on my forehead when I had an itchy patch of eczema.

I wouldn't hesitate to purchase the MooGoo Irritable skin balm, you'll see this in my empties post soon, but for the price (FYI £12.50) I found that this product lasted between 5-6 months with twice daily application on specific areas of my body - definitely great value for money. For me this is something I wouldn't be without in my stash. If you suffer with mild eczema, it's definitely worth a try. I always recommend visiting your GP in the first instance as everyones skin is different. However, if like me you have decided to go solo and do your own research and find products that work for you MooGoo is definitely worth checking out.

Do you have any product recommendations that work well with eczema or sensitive skin?

*Gifted at a blogger event

Haul - The Body Shop

Today I wanted to share a haul, a haul that contains products from the The Body Shop. Some products are firm repurchases others are new to me, but there's no denying I'm a huge fan of The Body Shop products, there's always great offers, lots of new releases and a great range of products for different purposes.

Makeup & Mojitos at The Body Shop!

Mojitos, Krispy Kremes and chocolate treats were waiting when I arrived at The Body Shop Mojito launch event. As a huge fan of everything Body Shop I was thrilled to receive an invite to an in store event at  Meadowhall. Makeovers, skin consultations and product demonstrations were all on the menu – here’s what I got up!

The evening kicked off with a demonstration of the new Mojito range. Lime and fresh mint the new products in this range have a lovely, fresh scent that’s perfect for summer. It’s worthwhile noting that all the products in this range have quite a subtle scent; the products aren’t quite as strong  as other TBS ranges, e.g. satsuma, but, I can imagine this subtle, fresh scent will be a favourite for a lot of people, especially for the warmer months. The products feel super refreshing, making them the most obvious choice for hot summer days (if we get any!?) The range includes a shower gel, body scrub, body butter, body sorbet and body splash. The sorbet and scrub are very high up on my list at the moment, but I’m waiting for a discount as we all know, TBS is great for discount codes! The body splash is a brand new fragrance format which is unlike anything I have seen before. This zingy fresh scent has a liquid texture, allowing you to splash the perfume or rub into your skin after lotion. The body splash smelt slightly stronger to the other products in the range, but again nothing too overpowering.  I felt a little underwhelmed with the mojito range, I expected the scent to be a lot more zingy, sweet and citrus smelling. If you are a fan of subtle scents then the Mojito range might be for you, but for now I’ll be sticking with my satsuma and coconut scented products.

 

After the Mojito demonstration we headed to a different stand to learn all about TBS skincare, products for different skin types and general skincare tips. Did you know that TBS offers free skin consultations? This was news to me; I think it’s brilliant though, as the range of products expands it can be difficult to work out which products are suited to your skin type so it’s great to have that extra bit of knowledge when choosing products. The lady who talked to us on the night was so informative and knowledge, as soon as she mentioned about pores not opening or closing I knew that I could trust her every word! We received a demonstration of the new Vitamin C products which I’ve already reviewed over here; she also showed us the cleansing oil and microdermabrasion products, both of which have been added to my wish list. I was surprised to discover that my skin type is ‘normal’ I always sway towards products aimed at oily skin types which could be where I’m going wrong with my skincare. I picked up a few goodies on the night including the Vitamin e oil-serum the lady mentioned that this would help with my scarring which is something I struggle with.

 

 

As we all know skincare is the foundation for healthy skin, so after hearing all about our skin and the range of products available, we were then given the opportunity to find out more about the base products and eye makeup on offer at The Body Shop. I haven’t had that much experience with TBS makeup in the past, I do however remember owning lots of glossy lip products back in the day…anyone else used to be obsessed with their raspberry lip balm pots? One of the bloggers had a makeover on the night; her eye makeup in particular looked gorgeous. We got to see the Shimmer Cube pallet in action and I have to say they seemed to apply well, they were super pigmented and I saw little fall out, I’m definitely going to check this out as I love a little bit of shimmer especially for holidays.

I felt like the whole evening has rekindled my love of The Body Shop products (so much so that I will have a haul going up over the next few weeks.) I’m excited by all the new ranges and can’t wait to pick up more body products to try.

What are your favourite The Body Shop products? What are your favourite skincare ranges? Have you tried the new mojito range?

Products I Used Up - May

I can't believe it's been over a year since I wrote an empties post on my blog. I recently started sharing the majority of my empties over on Instagram, by posting throughout the month I don't have to hang onto leaky products! I seem to have used up lots of skincare, a few body care products and even one makeup item over the last few months, so, I thought I'd share with you the products I've used up. Some items I have already repurchased, others I'd probably give a miss -

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic - I've mentioned this toner on my blog/social media quite a few times so I won't go into too much detail. The Liz Earle Skin tonic calms my skin and helps to keep my skin clear. It feels incredibly hydrating on my skin, no other toner works for me quite like this one does.

Bio Essence Moisturising Gel - This moisturiser is lightweight yet super hydrating, my skin loved this. I can imagine it would be perfect for Summer. I wouldn't repurchase this, I got through the 50ml tub so quickly. I have similar moisturisers that last 5-6 months, whereas this one lasted for 2 months. Not impressed.

Ginger & Co Double Up - Creamy Body Wash* - I received some Ginger & Co products back in February, I'm surprised at how long this creamy body wash has lasted! Great value for money considering I used this almost every day. This creamy body wash had a lovely, sweet smell and left my skin hydrated.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - Orange Flower and Chamomile - My favourite cleanser, I think that I even love this more than the original Cleanse & Polish. This limited edition C&P has a lovely fresh scent, the texture is slightly lighter than the original and overall I think that this one is more effective at removing my makeup. At Christmas I stocked up on this, but sadly this was my last bottle so I'll be purchasing the original. Liz Earle…please add this one to your permanent line!

Soap and Glory Flake Away - My favourite S&G scrub (after the Breakfast scrub of course!) This scrub buffs away dead skin, smells yummy and doesn't clog my drain. I couldn't really ask for anything more from a body scrub!

Oskia Renaissance Cleanser - I've repurchased this cleanser a few times now, although I do quite like this, I'll be going back to creamy cleansers for the Summer months. I find that cream cleansers are more effective at removing makeup. The Oskia cleanser leaves my skin super hydrated, and also brightens my skin, but I find that balm cleansers are more suited through the Winter months when my skin feels slightly drier.

Bioderma - I bought this last July in France and I've only just finished this - great value for money! Although for me this doesn't deserve all the hype it receives (I still find myself using like six cotton pads to remove makeup) I would probably still repurchase this. Since this ran out i've tried a few budget micellar waters that have broken my skin out real bad. It's handy to have something like this in my skincare basket for a pre cleanse. If you have sensitive skin, Bioderma really is worth the extra cash.

I Love…Coconut Cream and Mango & Papaya shower gel - Already repurchased these products as they are purse friendly, and smell incredibly! My skin smells and feels amazing after I use the I love…range.

Clinique Instant Perfector - I'm already feeling a little bit lost without this, the Clinique Instant Perfector blurs pores and mattifies my skin without making it dry or cakey. This is great under makeup as a primer or for touch ups throughout the day. It's great for the Summer months when my skins more oily.

What products have you used up lately? Are you a fan of empties posts or do you prefer them to be posted elsewhere? Have you tried any of the products in this post?

*PR Sample

Lush Rose Bombshell

I was surprised to come across a Lush bath bomb that I had not tried, but here we are Rose Bombshell…another bath bomb I can add onto my long list of Lush bath bombs that I have tried.

I believe that the Rose Bombshell bath bomb was part of the Lush Mothers Day collection, it was kindly gifted to me at the The City Girls launch party event. I’m always very apprehensive with rose scented products, as sometimes the scent can be quite mature smelling and overpowering. However, Rose Bombshell had a lovely fresh sweet scent that left my bath smelling divine and  lingered on my skin.

You all know how I feel about bath bombs that turn your water red (blood bath anyone?) I was quite happy to see that this bath bomb left my bath water pink, I felt like a pampered princess with my pink water!

As this bath bomb fizzled away, I was left with rose petals in my bath, some people may love that about this bath bomb, however petals (or seaweed for that matter) are a huge turn off for me.  The petals clogged my drain, and having to pick soggy petals out of my bath seemed a bit of a chore.

Although this bath bomb is no longer available at Lush stores I hear that Rose Queen (from the permanent line) has a similar scent/concept. So, if Rose Bombshell sounds like your cup of tea you might love Rose Queen. 

Although I loved the scent, the petals aspect for me did put me off, so I probably wouldn’t repurchase this! But if petals are your thing and you love rose scented products this bath bomb may be for you. 

What are your favourite Lush bath bombs? Are you a fan of rose scented products? Have you tried Rose Bomshell?

I love… Mango & Papaya Shower Gel and Coconut & Cream Lotion

I'll be honest when it comes to my everyday shower gel and lotion I'm cheap and cheerful. There's no denying I love a little Lush, Soap & Glory and The Body Shop, but if I'm honest, I usually like to opt for something slighter cheaper for everyday use. I'm so happy to have found a range that smells incredible at an affordable price. Having tried products from the likes of Baylis & Harding and Wilkinsons my expectations for the I Love range were relatively low. However, I couldn't have been more wrong as the two products I'm going to write about today have really impressed me, so much so that I'm keen to pick up more products from the range. The I Love products are currently stocked in Superdrug and on their website here. The product prices start at a mere £1.50 with the most expensive products in the range coming in at £4 …bargain or what! All of the products contain natural extracts to help you feel invigorated, all the products are soap free and paraben free - which is an added bonus!

I love…Mango and Papaya shower gel £2.99 (full size 500ml) 
I've had this shower gel since Christmas even with daily use this 100ml bottle has lasted me ages, I'm sure the 500ml bottle will keep me going for quite some time. If you are a fan of fruity, sweet smells you'll love this. The smell is so refreshing in the morning, I love how this smells super fruity and sweet without being too sickly or overpowering. The shower gel lathers really nicely, and doesn't dry out my skin …an added bonus for me as I suffer with eczema. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase the full size of this as it will be perfect for the warmer months.

I love…Coconut Cream Moisturising Body Lotion £2.99 (full size 250ml)
This body lotion smells incredible, coconut oil and shea butter leave my skin feeling so nourished without leaving a greasy residue on my skin. The lotion is really lightweight, making it a perfect option for both Summer and Winter. This has a lovely fresh coconut scent, for me, it's on par with my favourite TBS coconut body butter, which is saying something for me as I love TBS body butters.

So, I guess it's fair to say I love the ummm I love... products I have tried so far! I can't wait to try more from the range the raspberry and vanilla scented products are high up on my list. I can't wait to try the shower smoothies and body butters - they look amazing.

I'd love to know if you love the I love range as much as I do? What are your favourite products from the range? What are your favourite budget brands?

#TheCityGirls What's in my goody bag?

If you have seen this post, you'll have read all about #TheCityGirls launch party. I had an amazing time, not only did I get to meet lots of amazing bloggers, eat pizza and drink cocktails but I also left with an amazing goody bag. The goody bags for this event were so well thought out, the brands were very generous -I felt so spoilt! For today's post I thought I'd show you the products I received, expect to see full reviews (and better pictures) over the next few months. Most of the products are completely new (to me) so I can't wait to give everything a try.

Everything came in a Blogger Programme canvas bag, it made the journey home a lot more bearable. And it's always handy to have a spare canvas bag. 

Beauty 

Lee Stafford Shine Serum  
I'm excited to try this, as you'll know I'm a big fan of the Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment (review here) it also featured in my 2014 Favourites. Admittedly I haven't tried any other products from the brand so I'm looking forward to trying this serum.

Superdrug Vitamin E Face mist 
I haven't tried any Superdrug skincare before, but I hear great things about the Vitamin E range. I can imagine this will be very refreshing in the summer months.

Creightons (stocked @Poundland)

Argan hand and nail cream, Squeeky Clean pore pow pow face mask, Squeeky clean scrubaholic face scrub, Argan Smooth conditioner, Argan smooth shampoo

Stylfile  3-in-1 manicure tool , Lipcote Lipstick sealer, Manuka Doctor Bee Venom and honey skin care, Emma Hardie Hand and nail cream, Nair Argan oil body wax , Kiss the Moon Glow after dark facial oil , Batiste Dry shampoo , Red Cherry eyelashes, Lipglam Multi use product 

Lush - Rose Bombshell bath bomb, Prince Charming shower gel, Brazilliant shampoo bar, Sesame Suncream 

Food & Drink 

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans - so yummy!, Virtue Iced tea drink, Voss - Artisan water , Henderson Sauce , Stoats Porrige oats bars, Taylors of Harrogate - Yorkshire Tea Gold 

Misc 

Mookau Sheffield  'Yummy' snack box 

How cute is this lunchbox from Mookau? I've always been a foil or cling film kind of girl so I'm loving having a cute lunch box for work.

Second Thread 20% voucher,  Pebble Grey Compact mirror , The Works Slate Hearts 99p

Blanx - Shock White gel pen , Knock Knock Mental notes pad , The Works Colouring pencils, 

Johanna Basford

Enchanted Forest colouring book

Boy, that's a whole lot of goodies. I can't wait to have full reviews up of the products. In the meantime though I'd love to know if you have tried any of the products in this post? Anyone else obsessed with the Jelly Belly jelly beans? So yummy!

Ginger & Co Review

To celebrate the launch of Ginger & Co in the UK, I was kindly sent a box of goodies full of pamper products. The first brand comparison that came to mind when I opened my package was Soap and Glory,  both brands have that same retro inspired packaging (which I love) but I have to admit that’s where the similarities end. Like S&G, Ginger & Co have a signature scent that clearly runs throughout all their products, my Mum who absolutely detests the S&G scent (she’s adamant it gives her a headache) loves the scent of Ginger & Co products and for me that proves just how different the two scents are. The soothing scents of Blossom Honey, Lemon Balm and Marshmallow Leaf smell incredible. Today I thought I write up some reviews of the products I was sent - 

Double up creamy Body Wash*

A moisturiser/shower gel hybrid. In shower body moisturisers seem to be all the rave at the moment, although I’ve never been entirely sold on the concept, I do love the idea of a shower gel that doesn’t leave my skin dry, especially as my skin can be quite sensitive at times. This creamy body wash foams up like a dream and smells amazing.

Soft on You Comforting Body Butter*

This tub is huge, such great value for money. This body butter comes in at £4.99 for 500ml which compared to S&G £10.50 for 300ml or The Body Shop £13 200ml….you get way more product. For me the Ginger & Co body butter is on par with S&G body butter the texture is slightly richer meaning I’ve used a lot less. Out of all the products I have tried from Ginger & Co the body butter is my favourite, super hydrating on my skin without feeling greasy and the smell really lingers throughout the day.

Soft on You Daily Body Lotion*

If body butters aren’t your thing, then the daily body lotion will be for you. This has the same incredible scent as the body butter, but in a lighter lotion. I really like that this comes in a bottle with a pump, it’s just so convenient more daily lotions should come like this!

Heavenly Hands Moisturising Hand wash*

There’s not much I can say about hand wash, as long as it cleans my hands and smells nice I’m a happy chappy. As you would expect Ginger & Co’s offering does just that, it doesn’t feel too stripping on my hands and it smells really nice.

Hand it to me Hand Cream*

The hand cream that keeps ending up in my Mum's handbag, it’s fair to say both me and my Mum love this hand cream. This doesn’t leave any greasy residue which is perfect for me as I can’t stand hand creams that leave residue.  This has a lovely clean scent, and given its texture it will make the perfect all year round hand cream.

Bath Beauty Moisturising Bubble bath & Wash*

I love baths, all year round, after curbing my bath bomb addiction, I really enjoy using products such as this one to add some bubbles and a lovely scent to baths. The Ginger & co offering has a lovely texture and I love the fact that it doubles up as a wash. I’ll be honest the bubbles didn’t last quite as long as I’d have liked, but I do really like the scent of this.

Overall, I think Ginger & Co are a lovely, affordable brand with a distinctive scent, I can’t wait to try more products from the range. Most items are currently stocked on Amazon or Ocado. I do wish that the products were slightly more assessable (Boots/Superdrug) but for the amount of product you get and prices I certainly wouldn’t hesitate to purchase online.

What are your favourite pamper products? Have you tried any Ginger & Co products?

*PR Sample

A Valentines Pamper With Ginger & Co

Happy Valentines Day! 
Love day is finally here folks, whether you're all for the holiday or think it's a total gimmick, there's no denying it's the perfect opportunity to pull out your favourite pamper products and have some me time (as if us girls needed an excuse!) 

To celebrate the launch of Ginger & Co in the UK Popcorn PR kindly offered to send me a valentines gift* from the brand, the box arrived beautifully packaged accompanied by some lovely sweeties which seemed perfectly fitting for valentines day. Admittedly, I hadn't heard of Ginger & Co before, but with their retro inspired packaging, quirky product names and affordable prices, they are definitely a brand to watch in 2015.

This valentines day I'll be taking some time to pamper and relax with Ginger and Co. Moisturising Bubble Bath & Wash. The soothing scents of Blossom Honey, Lemon Balm and Marshmallow Leaf will have you me feeling pampered in no time. I can't wait to try all the products, I should hopefully have reviews up in the next few weeks so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime though why not follow Ginger & Co on Twitter here.

I'd love to know what your favourite pamper products are? Any plans for valentines day? 

*PR Sample

Lush African Paradise Body Conditioner

In 2014 in shower body moisturisers were all the rage, marketed as a quick, easy, fuss free way to get some added hydration without the faff of your average body moisturiser. Before trying Lush African Paradise I'd tried a few in shower moisturisers I'll be honest I wasn't completely sold on the concept the majority I tried smelt nice but didn't feel as though they actually made much of a difference to my skin, in most cases I ended up just applying lotion. Lush African Paradise couldn't be more different described as a conditioner for your body this little tub really does leave my skin feeling so soft, smooth and hydrated - I literally feel as though I've just applied moisturiser!

In case you missed the hype, in shower body moisturisers are basically designed to be applied right after your shower gel in replacement of your usual moisturiser,you apply a generous amount and wash away. A lot of in shower products I try end up down straight down the drain but the Lush body conditioner really does stick to the skin it applies just like a lotion and once rinsed away it leaves a slight layer on the skin. My skin feels so hydrated and super soft it really is like you've applied a body butter.

African Paradise has a unique scent, I'm a fan as I love Shea scented products but I'd certainly have a smell of this before purchasing as I can imagine it being hit or miss with a lot of people. Another negative to bear in mind you do find yourself using a lot of product, don't get me wrong I still got plenty of showers out of this tiny tub (more than I first thought) but certainly not a product I could afford to use every day.

For the days where I'm feeling incredibly lazy, or the days where I just need to get ready quickly I love African Paradise it's the perfect pamper product for the shower and I'd certainly not hesitate to repurchase this. In terms of in shower body moisturisers it has to be one of the best I've tried it's effective and just does what it says on the tin. A lovely fuss free product, perfect for the winter months!

Are you a fan of in shower body moisturisers? Have you tried African Paradise?

#BigBlogmasproject2014 #11 Winter Essentials

As soon as we hit Autumn/Winter I have my annual battle to keep both my skin and body hydrated. Cooler weather seems to zap what little moisture I have left resulting in dry flaky patches and dull skin. Over the years I've discovered some lovely products that do a wonderful job of keeping everything hydrated, some may call them my 'winter essentials' so for today's post I thought I'd share them with you. Worth noting not every product mentioned is included in the picture purely for framing …I didn't want it to look too cluttered.

Let's start with skincare

Scrubs 
Winter time is perhaps the only time of the year where I can get away with a manual exfoliator. Exfoliators seem to receive a lot of hate in the blogosphere, but the days of the St Ives Apricot Scrub are over guys there are so many gentle alternatives available. Although I am a fan of chemical exfoliators I don't always notice results, whereas with manual exfoliators I can see an instant result which is what my skin needs during winter.
My picks - Clinique 7 Day Scrub, Lush Buche De Noel, Pai Kukui and Jojoba Bead Scrub

A Hydrating Night Cream
With my skin feeling super dry during the winter months I find myself reaching for richer night creams. I love applying hydrating night creams as I feel like my skin literally drinks them up, the creams I use would be too rich for daytime use, but I find by applying them at night my skin feels incredibly soft and super hydrated in the morning.
My picks- Clinique Turnaround Night Cream, Kiehl's Ultra Cream, Antipodes Nourishing Pear Night Cream, The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream

Hydrating Masks 
For those days where my skin just needs that added boost of moisture I love to apply hydrating masks. I'm a big fan of clay masks, I love Catastrophe Cosmetic by Lush. It has the texture of a clay mask, applies and dries like a clay mask but when rinsed away my skin doesn't feel tight, stripped or dehydrated - hard qualities to find in a clay mask. I'm also a fan of the clear, cooling face masks as they leave my skin feeling refreshed, radiant and super soft.
My picks - Antipodes Manuka Honey face mask, Origins Overnight Drink up, Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic

Body & Lips

Scrubs 
Similar to my skin my body craves a good scrub during the cooler months. Although I'm a big fan of dry brushing my skin feels a little more sensitive in winter so I find manual scrubs do the job without irritating my skin.
My picks - S&G Breakfast Scrub, Lush Ocean Salt, Lush Rub Rub Rub, S&G Flake Away

Body Butters 
I love a good rich body butter after a relaxing bath in the evening (which is something I generally do more during winter.) Body Butters leave my skin feeling incredibly soft, I find the smell super uplifting especially citrus scents during the winter time.
My picks - The Body Shop Body Butter, Boots Extracts Mango Body Butter, S&G The Righteous Body Butter

The Lazy Option (for instant hydration) 
If you're anything like me you may find it even harder to leave that warm bed during the winter time, let's face it when it's cold and dark outside it's hard to find the motivation to get up. During the winter time I find myself running late a lot more, for days when I'm super late and have no time for body butters I love to go for an in shower body moisturiser. So far I've only found one that actually hydrates the skin it's is the Lush Body Conditioner in African Paradise. Expect a full review of this real soon, but basically you apply this in the shower after shower gel and rinse away. This is the only product (of this nature) that I've found genuinely leaves a layer of moisturiser

Lips 
I can't be without lip balm during the cooler months, my lips get so dry, cracked and just plain sore. For some reason I've struggled more this year than previous years I'm not sure why but they are just so sore.
My picks- Nuxe Rev De Miel, Elizabeth 8 Hour Cream, Nivea Vanilla and Macadamia Balm

I'd love to know what your winter essentials are?

#BigBlogmasproject2014 #6 Winter Pamper Routine (Hair, Skin and Body)

During the winter months I absolutely love a good pamper, so today I thought I'd show you some of the products that are currently in my routine - 

Now, no pamper routine is complete without a Lush bath bomb. I generally save Lush bath bombs for pamper nights, or when I'm in need of a treat. One of my favourite bath bombs is Butterball as it not only smells incredible but also hydrates the skin. When I saw they had released a Butter Bear bath bomb in their Christmas limited edition range I had to have it, I mean just look how cute he is. Butter Bear has the same incredible vanilla, coconut scent and still has the same hydrating properties as Butterball. This kind of coats the water with a layer of cocoa butter leaving dry skin super hydrated. I'm struggling to see the Christmas relevance but please add this to your permanent line Lush, it's too cute to be limited edition. 

I'm a huge fan of dry brushing, but during winter my skin seems to be a little more sensitive so I've been reaching for some of my favourite scrubs. S&G scrubs, and Lush Rub Rub Rub will always have a permanent spot in my bathroom cabinet. More recently though I've loved the Boots Extract Mango Sugar Scrub. This buffs away skin, and smells amazing. Although this fruity scent would probably be most suited to summer I'm absolutely loving how invigorating this makes me feel, the scent really wakes me up and my skin always feels silky smooth after using this, which does surprise me as I'm not usually the biggest fan of sugar scrubs.

Post bath I'm using a matching body butter, the Boots Extract Mango Body Butter. The scent is pretty similar to The Body Shop mango body butter, however I actually prefer the texture of this one. This rich creamy body butter melts into the skin instantly and leaves me feeling super soft and hydrated. Although this has a thick texture it never leaves me feeling greasy which is brill as most body butters normally do!

For my hair I've been using the Cynthia Sylvia Stout shampoo by Lush. This cleans my hair really well without leaving it feeling stripped, this also doesn't irritate my scalp. Although this does contain beer don't let that put you off as it actually has a fruity citrus scent that leaves the hair super refreshed. I love that this shampoo manages to leave my hair super soft and incredibly shiny (I'll be writing up a post in the new year with a few reviews on Lush haircare so look out for that.) After shampoo I like to stick on a hair mask, I usually like to apply this before my bath as I find the heat from the bath helps the mask to work harder. I'm usually cheap and cheerful in this category, I've been loving the John Frieda Miraculous Recovery Mask. This mask really hydrates my dry ends, this leaves my hair super smooth and I do find this makes my hair a lot less tangly, it's certainly a hair mask that I notice a difference with.

I normally complete my pamper routine with skincare. I love to take of any makeup using the Clinique Take The day Off Balm, this removes all traces of makeup without leaving my skin stripped it's a really simple effective product. I then like to apply a clay mask, I like the Origins Clear Improvement mask at the moment, I seem to be lacking on the clay mask front (read I own one) but I know I can always rely on this one when my skin is super congested. Once I remove my clay mask I apply the much loved Origins Drink up mask, this smells like peaches and does a fantastic job of hydrating dry skin. My skin always looks healthy and glows the morning after applying this, it will always have a permanent place in my skincare basket.

What are your favourite pamper products?

Lush Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb

Two consecutive Lush posts… you can certainly tell it's Christmas time although in saying that I'm incredibly proud of myself as I managed to resist glitter galore, melted snowmen and even a bear. That's right I entered Lush and bought two items one of which I reviewed over here, if that's not self control I don't know what is!

Anyway, today I thought I'd share a review on the mystery bath bomb that is Lord of Misrule. Why the mystery you ask? Well, this bath bomb appears to no longer be available on the Lush UK website, out of the two Lush stores in my local city it's only available at one. I'm unsure if this is a limited edition bath bomb, part of the Christmas collection or permanent line, so there's the mystery.

Cons, this does turn your water bright blood red (which scarily made me feel like I was in an episode of Dexter!) Lets face it no one wants to soak in water that's red…or yellow for that matter (take note Lush.) However blood bath aside I really enjoyed this bath bomb. The scent was almost herbal/spicy which is a nice change to the sweet smells I tend to opt for. The scent makes this bath bomb feel incredibly warming, my muscles felt relaxed and this really helped me feel a little happier when I had my annual cold. I love using spicier scents during winter.

For something a little bit different from Lush I'd recommend this bath bomb, if you are a fan of spicier warmer scents, or are suffering from sore achy muscles this bath bomb will do the world of good. Weirdly my skin felt incredibly soft after a long soak, an effect I usually only have from Lush Butterball.

Have you tried Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb? What are your favourite Christmas bath bombs?

*Update this was apparently limited edition for Halloween, which is rather confusing as it looks like Christmas tree!*

Lush Sex Bomb

Firstly let's talk about the name, it's worthwhile mentioning that singing 'Sex Bomb, sex bomb' at the top of your lungs whilst doing your best impersonation of Tom Jones is absolutely mandatory with this bath bomb. Tom Jones aside though today I really wanted to write about Sex bomb*, as I think it has rekindled an old flame that I once had with Lush bath bombs...

Here's the thing I once had an obsession with bath bombs, especially Lush but after working out the cost per use and how much I was spending on my once a week treat I decided to cut back and reach for good old Radox (traitor.) However after receiving this beauty at a recent blogger event I think I may have re found my love for Lush bath bombs. When I got this home the fragrance immediately filled every room, it smells super clean and fresh. Even my mum commented on the smell and she's not usually the biggest fan of Lush, but there is something really clean/fresh smelling about this bath bomb. Sex bomb is fragranced with jasmine, ylang ylang and clary sage. The jasmine smells incredible so uplifting, there's something quite comforting about it. I found the scent incredibly relaxing, my muscles felt soothed and although it sounds super hippy like I just felt completely at ease, it's not very often I have a long soak and leave feeling completely stress free but after using this I can honestly say I did. A lot of bath bombs I have tried smell nice, look pretty but have no real benefits however Sex bomb soothed achy muscles, left my skin incredibly soft, completely relaxed me and gave me one of the best nights sleep I've had in a long time.

For anyone who's feeling a little stressed or anxious this bath bomb is just the one. I'm so glad I can tick this off my ever growing list of Lush bath bombs I've tried, this one will certainly have to be a repurchase for me as it's perfect for an after work relaxation treat.

What are your favourite Lush bath bombs? What are your favourite ways to relax/switch off?

*Received at a blogger meet up 

Lovely Cosmetics Intensive Body Butter & Chocolate Face Mask

A couple of weeks ago I received an invitation to attend an event with Lovely Cosmetics, I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about this local brand and the products they have on offer. On the day of the event we got to talk to Caz (one of the beauties behind the brand) who was super welcoming and enthusiastic. It's clear to see how passionate Caz is about Lovely Cosmetics she puts a lot of work into researching ingredients for products and sourcing unique packaging. I personally think it's great when a brand owner is as passionate about the brand/products as its customers, it makes you want to support the brand. From speaking to Caz it sounds like there are a lot of exciting thing's to come for Lovely Cosmetics, certainly a brand to keep on your radar. 

If you haven't heard of Lovely Cosmetics before they're a 100% natural cosmetics line, all the products are hand made in Sheffield. One of the brands sayings is 'why should natural be boring' and I have to say the products are certainly anything but that! The stand out for me has to be packaging, distinguishably different from other natural brands on the market who tend to opt for greens/browns Lovely Cosmetics have added something a bit different to the mix with pink...pink everything which I personally love. All the products are housed in glass jars and there's just something really homely/comforting about the brand, they're products that will instantly add a touch of character to your bathroom cabinet.  

On the day of the event we were offered a generous 25% discount, so I used this as an opportunity to try two products from the brand here are my thoughts- 

Lovely Cosmetics Intensive Body Butter 

Something that often puts me off natural products is shelf life but after speaking to Caz and discovering most Lovely Cosmetics products last between 6-9 months (in a cool place) I left reassured. In all honesty I've never tried anything quite like this body butter the texture feels super whipped, almost mousse like (light and airy) but, when applied to the body this melts into the skin it feels like a dry body oil. I absolutely love this, for those who want the benefits of a body oil but without the grease this is a perfect alternative. This hydrates my skin, leaves a lovely sheen and my skin just feels incredibly soft after using this (a real treat for the body.) This will be perfect through the cooler months when my skins super dry.

Lovely Cosmetics Chocolate Face Mask 

Perhaps the product I was most intrigued by. The Lovely Cosmetics powder face mask is a completely new concept to me and something I was actually pretty excited to try. After posting a picture over on Instagram Rachel (from AllNaturalAspirations) mentioned how powder masks actually use less preservatives and more active ingredients which is great to know as it sounds like your skin will get a lot more benefits with powder masks. Now, this smells incredible I felt like I'd got my chocolate fix without any added calories which is always a bonus. Application was a little trial and error, admittedly I did end up wasting a lot of powder when I first used this. I found the best way to apply this is to take a teaspoon and a half of powder place in a bowl, mix with a little water then apply. This way you can really control the consistency and every thing's a lot less messy! After 10 minutes or so when the clay had set I was surprised at how easy this removed, I'm so used to scrubbing when it comes to removing clay masks so I was pleasantly surprised when the product was fully removed with a few swipes- great for someone like me with sensitive skin. This mask seemed to soak up excess oil  but didn't leave my skin feeling dry/tight or uncomfortable which is important for me as I don't enjoy masks that strip the skin. My skin felt mega soft and also a lot brighter after using this…if you haven't guessed already I'm impressed. 

What are your favourite natural brands? Have you tried powder masks? Have you tried any Lovely Cosmetics products?

P.S You can purchase Lovely Cosmetics products on their website here, or if you are local to Yorkshire -Wickwire (Nether Edge) , Birds Yard (Chapel Walk) , MoonKo (Division Street) , All Good Stuff (Butcher Works) or Makers Emporium (Rotherham)