Lush Easter Haul 2014

Well HELLOOOO world!

May I just say a big, massive, whopping SORRY for over a month's absence from my blog! I've been working so hard on University projects and revision that any time I had set aside for blogging and photography has been thwarted. I thought I'd attempt a comeback today and sneak this little Lush haul post in seen as I didn't get to post any of my other Easter shenanigans, although if anybody would still be interested in an Easter post I may still post it. 

Since I've been Vegan I've been driving myself bonkers with the cosmetics and other beauty products I've been using, trying to decipher ingredients and sending countless emails to check animal testing policies. There are so many products and brands that I used to adore that I have had to foresake. I just can't believe the amount of animal ingredients that go into products these days. Some of them are downright GROSS! One brand that I know I can always rely on, however, is Lush. The majority of their products are Vegan and the ones that aren't are very clearly labelled. Seen as though I'm going without my Cadburys for the first time this Easter, I decided to make a sneaky order. Ironically, it didn't arrive until Tuesday but the joy I experienced whilst unpacking it more than made up for that...

Bunch of Carrots

It's going to be a shame to see these melt away. I guess you'd expect these to smell like carrots but they're actually infused with a gorgeous mix of buchu, lemon and grapefuit oils for a more tropical scent. I believe Lush did a carrot bubble bar last year so these may have evolved from that. The idea here is that you run these under the tap and swirl them in the water so they are extremely reusable. You're likely to get several bubbly baths out of these badboys!

Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb

I had to get an egg really, didn't I? And this one has the coveted Snow Fairy scent to it so I was immediately sold. Who doesn't want to take a sweetie-scented bath?? I'm kicking myself for not getting more than one of these because, at just £2.95, they're super affordable. 

Brightside Bubble Bar

Usually I'd go for The Comforter when purchasing a Lush Bubble Bar but the colour of this new version just gave me the biggest HAPPY. This may have something to do with the fact that it was inspired by the Monty Python song. I'm glad I chose it too. It has the most gorgeous, juicy, sherbet-like citrus fragrance I've ever come across with bergamot, mandarin and tangerine. I'm slightly concerned what colour my bath water might turn with this one though. Yellowy-orange isn't exactly an inviting hue when it comes to bathing haha. 

The Olive Branch Shower Gel

As much as I love my Original Source and Superdrug shower gels for everyday, I really fancied something a bit special and I've always fancied The Olive Branch so I decided to pick it up in a small size to see what it's like. Lush shower gels aren't exactly cheap and I need to know that I like it if I'm going to pay top dollar for the large size. It smells wonderfully fresh with olive oil, bergamot and mandarin. Can't wait!

Jungle Conditioner Bar

My first foray into solid conditioner. I'm not entirely convinced that it will be able to penetrate my ultra-thick mane. I have so much HAIR! I've been struggling a bit lately to find a shampoo and conditioner that really suit me and my hair can get extremely tangled so I just thought I'd try something completely different and see if it works better. Plus, to be honest, it's just a relief to find haircare without the words 'cetyl alcohol' in the ingredients list. That stuff has become my nemesis. 

Some products from the special edition Lush Easter range for 2014 are still available via their website (I haven't been into a store recently so not sure what the stock situation is like there). Obviously not all of my purchases were from this range and so those products should be readily available. Check out what's left of Easter at

lush.co.uk 

Do you go mad for Lush?? What are your favourite Easter products?? Any other recommendations??

June Favourites

Hi Girlies!

Just put together a few things that I have been LOVING over the last month. I had really hoped to be able to do my first youtube video to tell you about them but it has become VERY clear that my webcam is NOT up to the job. Neither is my regular camera. So it's piccies galore and a little tour through my picks of what has been making me feel FABULOUS this month.

First Up....

Face

- Vie One-Step Face Base in Honey: I can't begin to TELL you how handy this is! It isn't my main foundation (we'll get to that in a sec) but I carry it with me ALWAYS just to pat on when i get a bit shiny. It's a powder/foundation in one and just gives that little bit MORE than a regular powder. Total time and handbag-space saver. You can see from how much of the pan is on show how much i have used it! It's been especially useful on my oily nose while the weather has been so close and muggy lately!

- Max Factor Xperience Foundation in 75 Brown Hessian: I did a Review not so long ago about this foundation and have been so impressed with it. It feels LOVELY on the skin and covers very well. Totally oil-free which is great news for my nasty t-zone. Very natural finish and lasted so well!! I use this every day now when i put my face on in a morning.The colour is a perfect match for me too which has taken AGES to find. Love it.

- BeneFit Realness of Concealness Mini Fake-It Kit: I bought this from a blog sale as it seemed perfect for me to try each of the products in it. I thought i'd only really end up using one or two things in it but i've ended up liking everything in it for different reasons. It's also so handy for carrying around to patch my face up when needed. I have been particularly impressed with the Boi-ing concealer and the Ooh-La-Lift for under my eyes and the Lemon-Aid provides a really good eyeshadow base while eliminating any redness. Great buy and i will definitely be repurchasing most of the products in it.

To add colour to my face i seem to have been reaching for the same two products this month. These are....

- BeneFit Coralista Blush: Words cannot express my love for this blush! It's been my best friend ever since i got it. And while Boots 17 blush in First Kiss deserves a mention too (as i have been reaching for this a lot also) it has been my go-to blush for almost any occasion this month. It's just the perfect Coral shade. Not too intense but still gives a gorgeous colour and the sheen on it is AMAZING. Perfect summer blush! Read my post and see the swatch HERE!

- Bourjois Delice de Poudre 'Chocolate' Bronzer: Love love LOVE this product! It's such a gorgeous shade with little shimmers of gold running through it (although it looks pretty matte in the pan) and I've found it perfect for both contouring AND adding colour on my cheeks/temples/anywhere you want a bit of glow. It smells DELICIOUS like chocolate and a little REALLY does go a long way. I've used this nearly every day since i got it and, as you can see on the piccie it's barely scratched the surface.

Eyes

- Sleek Monaco iDivine Palette: I was so looking forward to receiving this and i just HAD to feature it as a favourite for this month because (although i wasn't sure if i would reach for it on a day to day basis) I have been using a few of these colours quite a lot! Bamboo and Sandwalker (the two neutral browns) have been great for a day to day nude look and I've loved Sunset and Washed ashore (the two goldy ones on the top row). The other more Vibrant shades have been reserved for nights out (of which i don't get many these days due to illness) but I loved experimenting with them. So I thought this was TOTALLY worth June-Fave status. See my post and swatches on the Sleek Med Collection HERE!

- Maybelline One-By-One Mascara: Not much needs to be said here but I am a big fan of Maybelline mascaras and this is the one i am currently using. It's actually the ONLY mascara I own at the moment but i usually have a couple on the go. Great colour, no clumps and it gets to all of my lashes so top marks there. My lashes are quite thick anyway but this gives them a lovely boost with no need for falsies.

- MUA Pearl Shadow in Shade 11: I purchased two MUA shadows as part of my little lottery win splurge at the start of the month. Wasn't sure what to expect for just £1 but I LOVE the consistency of these shadows. They are so lovely and buttery and so easy to apply and I was particularly taken with this colour. It's a gorgeous, deep, purple-based brown with a pretty metallic sheen. I've decided that i NEED to invest in at least one of the new pro-range palettes. Heaven and Earth has particularly caught my eye. 

Lips

Here's the lip products i have loved the most this month....

- Barry M Lip Paint in 147: Hmmmmm, although I'm featuring this as a June favourite it's NOT one of my general favourite products. This is featuring purely because of the COLOUR and nothing else. This lipstick is sooooo drying to my lips and feels HORRIBLE on but I REALLY like the shade. It's just a lovely peachy shade that is so pretty, yet suitable for every day wear. I've been piling on the Vaseline while using this to keep my lips from feeling like sandpaper. If anyone knows a dupe for this please let me know.

- MAC Morange (Amplified): I've been shouting from the rooftops about how pleased I have been with Morange ever since i got it. I was so scared of it to start with but now i absolutely ADORE it! I haven't had too much opportunity to wear it but I'm so chuffed with it and it was my FIRST choice when compiling my June faves. Read my post on it HERE!

- BeneFit PosieTint: There seems to be a lot of BeneFit emerging in this post. Maybe because the products i've chosen are so damn WEARABLE for summer and are very versatile for day/night etc. On the cheeks this does nothing for me whatsoever but gives a lovely colour to my lips and it lasts AGES so really good for giving a lovely hint of colour for my day at work. I can't WAIT to get my hands on Cha Cha Tint. 

Body/Fragrance

- Vaseline Cocoa Butter:  Lovely product, lovely scent, lovely price. I love the BodyShop Body Butters but at a tenner each (and they're all the way over in Chesterfield which means 50mins of agony on a bus) they just aren't worth it for me. This i can pick up from my local Boots and is great value as you get a lovely big tub. That is all.

- Lush Dream Cream:  I received this for FREE with a Lush order I did last month. Totally wasn't expecting to receive it but i really have been enjoying it. It's lovely lavender scent has really helped me wind down at night (I have disturbed sleep patterns due to my ME/CFS) and a layer of this before bedtime just helps a little. AND it leaves my skin lovely and soft.

- Diesel Fuel For Life: This perfume just SCREAMS summer to me. Maybe it's because the first time i ever tried it was back when i was living in Tenerife and it reminds me of sunshine and sangria and just generally having an AMAZING time. The memories it brings back are enough by themselves to qualify it for this month's favourites. It makes me soooo HOMESICK! 

So those were my FAVOURITE bits n bobs for the month of June. Admittedly I've featured more than i intended to for one month but I just didn't feel any of these things deserved to be left out. 

What are YOUR June Favourites?? 

Lush: Flying Saucers & Therapy Massage

So this is the first review of some of the products I received from the LOVELY people at Lush. 

I posted my mail order haul on Tuesday. I had asked for their advice and recommendations on which products would best help my symptoms (I suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia for those who are new to this blog). They went one better than that and sent me some WONDERFUL samples and i have now started trying them out!! 

So tonight the products i decided to try out tonight were the Flying Saucers bubble bath and the Therapy Massage Bar. 

(The photos i have used are those from Lush's website as the products i recieved were mini sample sizes - Click the links below the images to view/order direct from Lush)

Click to Order from Lush

Flying Saucers was a discontinued product which is now ONLY available via mail order.

Lush says....

This works like a reassuring embrace from a friendly, furry creature. Flying Saucers is for when you're feeling emotional, but you've been acting so scarily that no-one will come near you. It's designed as the antidote to smashing the crockery and we recommend it for PMT. It has one of our favourite fragrances: honey and ylang ylang. Palmarosa is both calming and refreshing, and vetivert, the oil of tranquility, eases stresses, depression and tension. Take a Flying Saucers bath when you're feeling alien.

The first thing that hit me about this product was the STRONG smell of Honey.. I don't think i could pick up on any of the other ingredients, but I have had a cold so i may not be the most reliable sniffer today. I almost found it too sickly in the pot but Becky from Lush had said in her letter that it would help me relax so I was fully determined to give it a chance. 

 I'm glad i did and i can see why she recommended it for me. The smell really mellowed out once it hit the water and I found the honey scent REALLY comforting and I eventually picked up on the herbal undertones. Even though it was a little sample pot it still made a good amount of bubbles. Don't know if you're like me, but when i get a big bottle of bubble bath i tend to slosh it in and make TONS of bubbles. So a little went a long way.

I don't know if it's helped me RELAX as such (not on it's own anyway) but i found it VERYcomforting and it gave me a lovely bubbly bath :)

Click to Order from Lush

So the Therapy Massage Bar..... I'm unfamiliar with the concept of a massage BAR. I've heard of massage OIL but never in a solid form. When i picked it up and had a feel it was kind of a vaseline-y texture. Not quite like a soap bar. Almost like the bath melts.

Here's what Lush say about it...

Euphoria-inducing bar with uplifting neroli. Therapy is a wunder-bar, which we make to help your hard life get softer. First, it moisturises with cocoa and shea butters to make your hard skin get softer. Then, it softens your tensions with lavender and neroli oils - neroli is the one which gives you a feeling of euphoria, especially when you have someone massaging it into your shoulders. Give Therapy a try and you'll feel better in no time. 100% certified organic.

The scent isn't a sweet, pretty scent... it's very herbal and smells like it's fresh out of a spa and VERY good for you. I used it while i was in my lovely honey bath and honestly didn't expect it to go on how it did. It went on just like a massage oil or when you use baby oil after a bath on wet skin. The only thing i have tried that is like it is the solid Palmer's Cocoa Butter you get in a pot. It was VERY rich and i was worried it wouldn't all absorb and i would end up greasy. 

 But i had a lovely time massaging it in. The chunk they had cut me off wasn't very big but it really went a long way. I still have at least half of the piece they sent left to use another time. I think the massaging, in itself, helps relax achey limbs like mine and i feel like it has boosted my circulation. 

When i got out of the bath and dried myself off my skin did NOT feel greasy, but VERY moisturised. If i didn't need to put a layer of tan on tonight i would not bother with another moisturiser. My skin feels and looks lovely and smooth as well. This does a great double-act as a bath product and mousturiser in one and would definitely save you money on a seperate body moisturising product. I can imagine the full-size product would last a LONG time as well so seems VERY economical. I can't imagine the smell being to everyone's taste but there are that many different Massage Bars on Lush's menu that i'm sure there's one out there for everyone.

I still have some other products to try out. They also sent me shower gels designed to wake me up and give me energy, a Sore Labours Massage Bar sample and another bubble bath. This almost feels like a science project with all the potions i'm experimenting with! Can't wait to let you know how i get on on my next bath!

Do you have any Lush products you can't live without, or that you think might work for me?? Let me know...

Lush: Wind me down 'n' Wake me UP!!

So i must have been the last person on the PLANET to find Lush's website. I'd been depressing for ages that i wasn't well enough to make it into Derby or Sheffield/Meadowhall (which are my nearest stores). 

Click here to worship at Lush's altar of GORGEOUSNESS!! 

I first posted on Lush last month. I really was soooo EXCITED (saddo lol). Read my original shopping list here... Because of my illness I'm always on the look out for things to help me sleep better at night as well as to wake me up in the daytime. Chronic fatigue really does some really odd things to my body and discomfort is a major issue at night. 

 

When i made the order i just thought I'd mention at the end about my condition and i asked for any other product recommendations they could think of to perhaps help in easing some of my symptoms... Imagine my surprise and JOY when my parcel finally arrived and the lovely Becky J who had packed my order had included some WONDERFUL samples (Becky, you're the BEST). 

 

 

In addition to my Dreamtime Bath Melt, Twilight Bath Ballistic, Rockstar Soap and Comforter..... They sent me sample sizes in Flying Saucer and Smargandine Bubble Baths, Whoosh and Dirty Spring Wash Shower Gels and Sore Labours and Therapy Massage Bars. All this AND a full-size Dream Cream!! In short.... they SPOILED ME ROTTEN!!! 

 

Almost brought a little tear to my eye. I'm sure a company as popular as Lush doesn't HAVE to be giving away freebies, but I just found them so thoroughly NICE and you don't get customer service like that often these days. 

 

I haven't used ALL of the products i got sent yet. My review on the Dreamtime Bath Melt will follow in a couple of days as i plan to use it tomorrow night and i will do a special post on their recommendations/sample products.

 

Thank you so much Lush... you made my day :)

 

 

Summer Haul 2011.... So far ;)

I'm VERY impressed that i've managed TWO shopping trips so far this Spring/Summer!! And as usual I've tended to stick to Primark, mainly for budget reasons. You really can't go wrong in there!!

Made a start on my summer wardrobe because i REFUSE to be stuck indoors (or even worse, sweating it out at work) while the sun is shining! The sunshine really does make me feel a little bit better, although i usually end up drowsy if i'm in it for too long and sunglasses are a MUST as bright light HURTS!

I've gone pretty MAXI this year. So far i have accumulated 2 maxi dresses and a maxi skirt (all £9 each from good ol' Primani).  I also have a plain black vest-type maxi that i got from New Look last year that is still good. The Primark ones are sooooo COMFY! I could just live in them.  The ferrets, however, see them as PLAYTIME and are loving running in and out of the dresses every chance they get! I fear for the wellbeing of my ankles! I have a couple of weddings coming up this year and because the dresses are so comfortable i am definitely going to wear them, jazzed up with jewellery and PERFECT make-up, nails etc ;)

Love Primark for summer staples such as vest-tops for £3 (of which i picked up a few colours, but only one is featured here for reasons of space) and I got a lovely pair of comfy grey linens for £9. My white and black ones from last year are still going strong so only needed the one pair this year :) 

I LOVE my white knitted waistcoat/cardi (also from Primani £10)... it goes over almost EVERYTHING. I also picked up this lovely pinkish-beige (there, i invented a new colour haha) floaty top for £8. I've been wearing it over vest tops and leggings with ballet pumps or sandals (sandals only when the ferrets are asleep - my feet would not survive if they were awake)

Last clothing item is the pretty pink dress with navy trim and bird print for ONLY £6. I wore this ONCE so far to college on a sunny day with leggings and pumps and got SO many compliments on it. Weird how smug you feel saying "Oh, this.... it was only 6 quid from Primani" when people are gushing about something you're wearing!

Haven't gone too mad on accessories YET.... Got a GORGEOUS bag in the Primark sale for £5 (I have so many bags that i don't tend to buy many these days). Got a little set of 6 pairs of pretty stud earrings for £1.50. They are so pretty and a BARGAIN at that price. I've been wearing the little roses and butterflies the most but currently wearing the doves. The charm-style bracelet was £2.50 and fits round my wrist OR ankle as it's adjustable. The heart pendant was actually from Claire's Accessories, not Primark but was still only £5 and i LOVE IT!!

Last item is my little guilty purchase... I was not DESPERATE for a new purse, but the one i had was getting a little tatty and the ferrets had started to chew the sequins off it. I saw this in River Island for £12 and just had to get it. I've always wanted a River Island purse but always ended up with a £2 one from Primark haha. But i was out with my mum and we reasoned that i was feeling pretty crap and a little splurge was perfectly justified for the purpose of cheering me right up :D

So so far, no shoes. I feel i need to do a clear out of shoes before i add any more. I've been hanging on to shoes that are absolutely KNACKERED just for sentimental value and because the ferrets enjoyed playing/sleeping in them so much. But they're cluttering now and i can barely close my wardrobe.

My summer haul has also included a Lush order and some make-up purchases but they will feature in another post as a plan to review a few of the items for your benefit :) That post should be appearing in the next couple of days when I've used a couple of the products.

Until then, hope you enjoyed noseying at my purchases... and
 HAPPY SHOPPING EVERYONE!! xoxo