lush snow fairy shower gel

LUSH 500g limited edition snow fairy shower gel £14.50 £5.13

I know this isn't available at the moment but I think it certainly deserves a review regardless! I can't think of anyone who doesn't like love this product! For starters I'm loving the packaging; it's much quirkier than previous bottles which fits in with the brand perfectly! Though I like the make over; I am thankful that it's still the same gorgeous pink, iridescent goodness inside yay!

This scent of this shower gel is just beautiful! When I run out + have to wait until the festive season comes about again to repurchase, I struggle to a replacement that smells quite as amazing! A super sweet, fruity mixture of bubblegum, candy floss + pear drops fill the whole upstairs of my house when I shower! I use a shower puff + a good squirt of Snow Fairy and it creates sooo much lather! The little flecks of blue glitter don't transfer onto skin which is another thumbs up from me. It leaves my skin feeling so soft + I love the occasional, random whiff's you get throughout the day! This will forever be my favourite shower gel as there isn't one thing I can fault about it!

soap & glory smoothie star body milk

SOAP & GLORY smoothie star body milk £10

I'm so fickle when it comes to keeping up a body moisturising routine; although I love the feel of hydrated skin, my pet peeve is having to hang around all sticky waiting for a thick body lotion to sink in, uchh! I received this for Christmas as part of the 'Best of All' gift set + so far it's my favourite product of the lot. Since it's packed with skin softening ingredients including cocoa butter, shea butter + coconut oil, it leaves skin feeling amazingly, silky smooth! The scent is absolutely delicious; I love anything sweet, so the almond, oat + brown sugar smell is perfect for me. The fragrance really lasts all day too which is another added bonus!

Beside the scent, the best thing about this product is that it truly does work! I have really dry skin + sometimes break out in dry, eczema-like patches on the joints of my arms + around my eyes. Smoothie Star is really gentle which is great for skin that can be a little bit sensitive as it doesn't cause a reaction in my skin whatsoever. My skin hasn't been this healthy in a long time which is a wonder, especially in these cold winter months. 

My personal favourite feature of this product has to be how it sinks into my skin rather than sit on top of it. This means it's perfect if you're; in a hurry, to use before a night out or if you're impatient like me + don't like to hang around! £10 is a pretty good price in my eyes as it's a pretty sizable bottle. The pump top also allows easy application + lets you dispense the amount you need which means you never really waste any. I will certainly re-purchase this when I've used it all up, love it!

opi i think in pink

OPI i think in pink RRP £11

I don't know why this polish hasn't already been featured on my blog as it is one of my favourites by far! I bought this shade in the airport along with the OPI New York City Ballet Mini's on the way home from our holiday in Mexico. Though they didn't have the biggest selection of colours, they were only marked up as £5 so kind of kicking myself that I didn't buy a couple more. If I'm doing my nails for a night out, this is usually my go-to-colour as my typical outfit consists mainly of black with a bit of pink lippy, normally MAC Saint Germain or Loud Lips in Baby Doll.

This is a glossy, bubblegum pink shade that suits most skin tones. It applies smooth, even + basically flawless. It's a sheer, creme polish but builds up a nice density with two coats. The more layers you apply the brighter the polish gets, I've applied three in the image above. It has a gorgeous finish, it's super shiny with out using a top coat. Loveee it!

 

real techniques core collection

BOOTS real techniques core collection 1403 £21.99

I bought this brush set a month or two ago when on a random splurge in Boots. Created by Samantha Chapman, of Pixiwoo fame, these brushes were destined to be a blogger's favourite + for damn good reason too! These brushes are by far the softest I own + worth the money even for just the buffing brush! Although I'm a firm believer in the power of good quality make up application tools, I only own one MAC brush. I've picked them up numerous times but just can't bring myself to spend £30+ on a single brush, I'm way too thrifty for those prices!

This beauty of a set contains four dense, light weight brushes + a really clever pouch which doubles up as a stand! Although the brushes are labelled with their designed use, I think they're so multifunctional! I use the buffing brush to apply liquid foundation, the detailer brush for lipstick, the pointed foundation brush for my MAC studio finish concealer + the contour brush to contour. I'm not sure if this is the correct way to use these brushes but it certainly works for me!

I've washed these brushes around 5 times now + I don't think they've shed a single hair between them! Also they seem to dry a lot quicker than my other brushes even though they're so dense. I'm totally converted to Real Techniques now + can't wait to treat myself to the blush brush, powder brush + starter set out of my pay + Boots points! Have you tried any of these brushes yet?

mac créme cup lipstick

mac créme cup lipstick - £13.50

Lately I've been a little naughty + have started to branch out into the world of high-end make up. Feeling a bit overwhelmed in Debenhams, MAC was the obvious place to start my more expensive collection! My first MAC purchase was at the start of the year + it's only taken me this long to become totally addicted! Okay, so confession time... This is my second Créme Cup lipstick bought this year, pretty bad I know but I absolutely adore it!! My favourite lipstick ever by far!

I know this is pretty much a cult shade + one of MAC's best sellers but if you don't own it already, you need to! It is the perfect natural pinky/nude that would probably suit nearly anyone. I am in love with the cremesheen finish; long lasting, pigmented + doesn't dry out your lips, perfect! It feels so creamy + moisturising I find myself re-applying it quite often, probably why I'm on my second in five months!ha..

I have quite pigmented lips so to find a nude shade which gives enough coverage has made me a rather happy bunny! The 'light blue pink' tone is the perfect natural shade; not too much colour but enough not to look too ghostly! I wear this lipstick every day without fail. Being a self confessed tanaholic, I think this lipstick suits whether I'm having a pale day or rather tanned as above, so versitile! I'm pretty sure I'll repurchase this again + again, although I am interested in trying other natural MAC shades like Shy Girl, Créme d'Nude + Angel, to name a few! Addicted, I think so! Have you tried Créme Cup?

LUSH PHOENIX RISING BALLISTIC

Lush Phoenix Rising Ballistic - £3.15

"All the myth and magic of a phoenix, pressed into one bathtime experience, which lets you arise at the end feeling refreshed and ready for the next 500 years."

 

I had been lusting after this little beauty since I saw it reviewed on a few of the blogs I follow. It just looks so luxurious; a large vibrant purple coloured bomb infused with gold glitter + a cinnamon stick to top it off, gorgeous! It isn't the most dramatic of the Lush ballistics, once it's in the water it just bobs along fizzing + filling the water with oils + butter which leave you skin feeling amazing! Although it doesn't put on the best of shows, it turns the water a lovely pink/purple colour which is flecked with glitter, definitely ticks all my boxes! I usually go for the more sickly sweet smelling products so the spiciness of this bomb was a lovely, welcome change.

"Exotic essential oils of fruit and spices take your mind on a flight of fancy to distant shores where you are lying on a beach drinking spiced rum."

Surely that sounds inviting to everyone?!aha.. I love the whole 'phoenix' idea behind this product; such a sucker for a cute idea, I think adds to the mystical feel to the bath. (I'm a saddo I know!) Overall I love this product! Definitely one of my favourites, have you tried it out yet?

LUSH RO'S ARGAN BODY CONDITIONER

 

Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner £15.50/225g

Out of everything in my mega lush splurge this was probably my most random purchase yet one that I'm totally in love with! Whilst I sampled a few of the fresh face masks on my hands the Lush lady asked what my moisturising routine was for my body. Being totally honest I told her that I'm too impatient to moisturise! After a shower I just want to jump into some clean clothes + hate hanging around all sticky whilst waiting for moisturiser to sink in! Lazy I know + my dry skin certainly showed this! Enter Lush Body Conditioner..

A great concept for the lazy folk like me! You basically smooth this over yourself after showering or bathing, then rinse off + towel dry. Done, how quick + simple is that?! The Rose Jam scent is delicious + the fragrance lingers on your skin all day! My skin has also never been so hydrated and no need to moisturise, bonus! In all honesty I didn't realise the price of this until I had paid, if I knew it was £15 I probably would of put it back but I'm so glad I was clueless!ha.. It's packed full of natural goodness including; Goji Berry Juice, Argan Oil, Cocoa Butter, Cupuaçu Butter, Brazil Nut Oil, Almond Oil and fair trade Shea Butter which all work together to nourish, hydrate + even fight signs of ageing! I use it every time I shower + over a fortnight I've used about a quarter of the tub. To make it stretch a little further I might just use it on my legs as they are the driest part of my body after months of tights + winter weather! Now that my skin is more moisturised it looks more healthy + fake tan is staying on longer, double bonus! If you're a lazy sod like me + fancy trying something different I couldn't recommend this enough, love it!

PS I notice that my Lush reviews are over the top positive but that is simply because I love their products! These past posts are not sponsored in anyway, I'm just a total Lush freak!

LUSH ULTRABLAND CLEANSER

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser £6.45/45g

When mentioning my combination skin, i.e. dry cheeks + oily T-Zone, the Lush lady went + grabbed this for me to try! It's not the most exciting Lush product but certainly works! After discovering Liz Earle Cleanse + Polish my skin has never felt so clean... until I found this little beauty! Basically this is an Almond Oil + Beeswax based product which you massage onto your face. You then remove with damp cotton pads, simple! The cleanser grips onto the dirt + oils on your skin which then lift off onto the cotton pads! I couldn't believe the dirt on the pads, even after using Liz Earle! It also contains Rose, Honey + Fresh Irises which combine to reduce redness, balance, calm + moisturise the skin, what more could you want?

I bought the smaller pot as I just wanted to try it out but I can see it lasting me a very long time! I've been using it daily before bed as I think it is a little rich to use in the mornings before applying make up. You need just the smallest amount + it works so well! I will definitely keep using this as the results are obvious from the pads alone! Lush say that as this product is so simple it is suited to all skin types so I'd definitely recommend you all to try it out!

LUSH LOVE LETTUCE FACE MASK

Lush Love Lettuce Fresh Face Mask £5.75

So I popped into Lush when shopping with my boyfriend the other week to have a look at some of the skincare products. I think I must of had a moment of madness as I ended up buying a basket load which gave me a mini heart attack when I got to the cashdesk! Although guilt was the main vibe at the time, I am very pleased with my purchases now that I've seen the results! The Lush staff are my favourite people ever + would like to thank the lovely sales assistant for the little demo's + helping me pick out the products! I have a few items to review so going to make this Lush week + get them all posted over the next few days, so without further a due..

Firstly for the record I have pretty much all round awkward skin! It's basically a combination type; dry cheeks, oily T-Zone + odd bad breakouts that refuse to shift! The Lush lady recommended this particular mask for my skin type. She explained that the ground almonds + almond shells give your skin a deep exfoliation when massaged into your skin. She said that this would help even my skin + make it appear brighter by buffing away the dead skin cells. To moisturise the skin, the mask contains seaweed gel, honey + almond oil. Kaolin and fullers earth deep clean are also added to 'absorb grease and debris and tighten the skin'. The mask is scented with lavender oil which is a natural ingredient that reduces redness in the skin.

I've used this mask four or five times so far + still have a fair amount left! I don't think I'm applying it liberally enough but the amount I'm putting on my face feels like enough. It leaves my skin feeling super soft, clean + just amazing! I'm pretty sure my pores are less obvious too, bonus! As this is the first fresh face mask I've used I can't really compare it to any of the others. I'd definitely buy this again but being the curious person that I am, I want to try some of the others before I repurchase! I have no complaints what so ever + urge you to give this mask a try!

TECHNIC CARNIVAL GLITTER POLISH

Technic Nail Varnish in Carnival - Vibrant Cosmetics

I had been lusting after Rainbow Connection from the OPI Muppets Collection since it was released before Christmas but never got around to buying one! I seen this dupe varnish on a few blogs over the past couple of weeks + I'm so happy that I managed to hunt it down! I've been wearing it for the past couple of days + have had sooo many compliments it's crazy! I own a couple of Technic glitter polishes as they stock them in the 'Bodycare' by my University in Newport. I ordered this one from the online company Vibrant Cosmetics + it cost me £2.69 including P&P which is still pretty much a bargain! I can see me getting a lot of wear out of this polish + would totally recommend if you are still craving the OPI version. What do you think; are you still loving glitter nails or over then already?

LIZ EARLE CLEANSE & POLISH

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I've been reading about this product for forever on the blogasphere but only got round to buying it when in London last week. I only have one question, why didn't I buy this sooner!? I thought it was mainly hype surrounding this cleanser so didn't build my hopes up too high that it would help clear my terrible skin. I have been using it for around a week now + I can't believe the difference it has made, absolutely amazing! I don't know why my skin had gotten so bad; probably a mixture of stress, dehydration, a rubbish diet + working too many hours in an air conditioned shop over Christmas but it had never been as bad as that before in my life! I should of been brave + taken before/after photographs but I don't think I'm quite ready to put my naked face on the internet especially in the tragic state that it was!

I bought the 100ml Pump Starter Kit which contains a bottle of the cleanser + two muslin clothes in a handy zip up bag. The kit was £13.75 which isn't really that expensive. I was tempted to pick up a moisturiser too but being sceptical that it wouldn't make that much difference to my skin I stopped myself. This is by far the best purchase I've made in a long while + the only face wash that actually made a difference to the condition of my skin. I've been recommending it to everyone that will listen + if you haven't tried it yet it suggest you take the plunge too!

One thing that usually puts me off face washes is the fact that I tend to soak myself + get suds everywhere when using them! The way you apply this is probably what makes me love it so much! You massage the cleanser onto dry skin then rinse the cloth in hot water and use it to buff away the cream! Mess free + leaves your skin feeling amazing! It contains a load of natural ingredients but to me it smells a little like Olbus Oil, kind of menthol but not too overpowering. 

Liz Earle is my new favourite skin care brand + I'm hoping to gradually expand my collection. I will definitely be repurchasing this Starter Kit and also hoping to pick up their Deep Cleansing Mask + Skin Repair Moisturiser Light. It may be more expensive than products that you can pick up in drug stores or super markets but it's definitely worth splashing out! Have you guys tried this miracle product yet?

LUSH: TWILIGHT BALLISTIC

Twilight Ballistic Bath Bomb - £2.99

I have the amazing sales assistant to thank for recommending this particular bath bomb for my first Lush bath time experience! Utterly amazing, can not praise it enough! So to start, this is what Lush have to say about the Twilight bath bomb:

"If you are struggling to sleep, then this is perfect for using in the evenings. With lavender oil for when you need a bit of extra help to wind down. We’ve added visuals to this bath to help your mind let go and embrace the night time. Twilight dissolves to create a growing sunset that gradually gets darker until you are finally left with the glimmer of stars. To round off the night-embracing effects of this experience, the fragrance is based around the comforting smell of a malty night-time drink. With lavender and tonka oils at the heart, there are also notes of caramel and malt to enhance a sense of comfort and reassurance. She’ll pick you up, will Ovaltina :-)"

So first things first, this bath bomb is huge, when I went to use it I forgot how large it actually 

was + thought it was going to be too big to use for just one bath! The ballistic consists of two layers; pink on the outside + blue in the centre. This creates the best effect when placed into the water! The outer layer fizzes and froths leaving the water a pink colour before the blue is released creating a gorgeous lilac coloured water. I noticed a glimmer to the froth but after it melted the water was filled with flecks of iridescent glitter, amazing!! I didn't realise how tricky it is to photograph the effects of a bath bomb (particularly at night time!) but you can see it perfectly on this Lush video.

I didn't think much of the smell before but once it was dissolved in the water it smelt lovely. It really did what it promised to do which was to calm + relax, perfect. I will definitely be picking one of these up again when I'm in need of a bit of pampering, 5 stars from me(:

look beauty loud lips; baby doll

Look Beauty Loud Lips in Baby Doll

Whilst shopping in Cardiff the other weekend I had a little make up splurge in Superdrug + this Look Beauty lipstick was one of the things I picked up. I know there's a lot of Look Beauty reviews going around after the event but this was bought out of my own pennies(: I was looking for a pink to wear out with the girls that night + picked up this shade. The Ashley Isham print packaging caught my eye which I thought was very ~pretty~! I didn't like the lipstick packaging itself at first, I thought it was too chunky + cumbersome but I it is growing on me. I do like the magnetic closure but am slightly afraid that it will detach + I'll have a handbag covered in baby pink sludge (no accidents as of yet, touch wood!)!

The lipstick itself, I have no complaints; it's moisturising, easily buildable + the perfect baby pink! My new favourite lipstick that I've worn nearly every day + which you can kind of see in this post and probably many more to come! Would definitely recommend + think it's worth the £7 price tag! Gonna try to get my hands on another shade the next time I go to Cardiff shopping! Which is your favourite colour from the collection?