Monthly Favourites: November 2014

 

I can sense that a lot of favourites will be a bit premature this month as it seems that everyone is highly anticipating the new one to begin! I've held on for as long as I could but November is almost over which means its nearly time for my favourite month of the year and it also means its time to talk a brand new bunch of favourites! I'm so excited for December and all the festivities to really kick in. In November I didn't have many makeup favourites as my skin has been playing up lately so I've been toning down the makeup and skincare in a bid to restore it back to a happier state. However I've been really loving lots of bath and body products over the last month as you will see when I get into all of these lovelys.

 

The Body Shop Glazed Apple Body Butter.
If you caught my recent Body Shop haul you may already know that I picked up their new Glazed Apple body butter. I'm a sucker for TBS body butters, there's always one (or two) on the go in my bathroom so I was very excited to learn about their new festive collections hitting the shops with three limited edition body butters being introduced.  I never thought that the Glazed Apple scent would float my boat however I surprised myself and it was the scent I liked most - sharp but sweet - I've written a full review on this here if you want to find out more about it, but basically I've been loving it.

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector.
Another item from TBS I have loved during November has been their Hemp hand cream. I received this as part of a gift set for free when I spent over £30 in store recently and I've been using it daily on my hands since. Even though we haven't really experienced harsh winter conditions so far yet in England, my hands are always the first tell-tale sign that my skin is becoming dry and a bit neglected. This Hemp Hand Protector is probably the least greasy feeling yet moisture giving hand cream I've ever tried. I'm not even sure if that makes sense, but basically this isn't at all sloppy and yet it makes my hands so soft and nourished. I've got a full product review coming up with this soon so stay tuned.

Lush Snow Fairy Massage Bar.
Talking of greasy feeling products links me in nicey to my next product, Snow Fairy Massage bar which is the complete opposite of the Hemp hand cream as this is extremely greasy feeling. Generally speaking I'm not really one for excessively oily products, however on saying that I have really noticed the benefits of using a massage bar. I carry quite a lot of weight in my hips/lower body which can quite often lead me to getting back ache and when applying this to my lower back it helps release some of that tension. Its also a really nice treat for when your muscles are a bit sore after working out too. The only down side I would say to this is that it isn't cheap and you don't really get a lot of uses from it - I've already had to stock up on a second one of these. This also has a glittery bit to it too which doesn't bother me too much but might not be for everyone's tastes.

 

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel.

Another product from Lush and hands down my favourite shower product of the month was their Rose Jam shower gel. This is absolutely gorgeous, and for those of you who are familiar with the Snow Fairy shower gel but find it too sweet, Rose Jam is a milder more flowery alternative to enjoy in your showers before Christmas. I really love this rosy yet festive shower treat from Lush.

 

YSL Black Opium.

My final 'smelly' favourite of November is my most recent perfume purchase and this is Yves Saint Laurent's new release Black Opium. I've been absolutely obssessed with the gorgeous smell of Black Opium since getting it and its definitely become my latest winter fragrance, particularly for evening wear - its going to be well used with the upcoming party season. I also think that the bottle is stunning, I love the glittery packaging it looks super chic and quite festive too. Obviously describing scents is a personal thing but I've written a full review on the perfume here if you want to find out my thoughts on it.

 

Nars Luster Blusher.

My only beauty favourite of the month is Nars Luster blush, as I mentioned above my skin is acting up big time so I've been trying to limit the amount of products I'm using while I try and figure out exactly what the problem is. However on days when I think my skin is looking like it needs a bit of a healthy boost this blush has been perfect. Described as a 'sheer golden apricot' Luster gives me a nice wash of colour. I would say Luster is a subtle peach blush without those strong pinky tones that a lot of blush has, instead it does have that gold shimmer to it which looks very beautiful. This is also a really versatile shade, you can pair pretty much any lip/eye combo with it and it goes.

 

 

QOTD: What have you loved in November? Are you excited for the new month to arrive?



 

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel

Lush is a beauty brand that you cannot avoid during the winter months especially with Christmas round the corner. I recently picked up the highly popular Snow Fairy and although I enjoy it I think its definitely the sort of product you have to be in the mood for as it is so sickly sweet. I popped back in to Lush and noticed the Snow Fairy's neighbour on the shelf which was the Rose Jam shower gel. Rose is a scent which I love, but it can be a bit hit or miss - nobody wants to associate rose scents with old grannies, no offence grannies.

However Rose Jam is a perfect blend of rose flower petals and zingy fruitiness, its got a very warm scent to it which you could almost call spicy. This shower gel has a rosy yet festive scent which I think is an unusually gorgeous combination. I definitely prefer this to the Snow Fairy shower gel as although its sweet its not as headache-inducing. Rose Jam is again part of the limited edition Christmas range so if it sounds like it could be up your street I'd recommend a visit to Lush while its still in stock - I'll probably stock up on another small bottle of this before it disappears for another year!

QOTD: Have you tried Rose Jam?

 

 

Sunday Shower With The Snow Fairy

 

 

What else is there to do on a gloomy November Sunday morning? Its a no brainer that these sorts of mornings are the perfect opportunity for a pamper session. Sundays have to be the best time to have a nice pamper to wind down at the end of the week and set you up feeling refreshed and revitalised for a new one. Yesterday when out shopping I went into Lush - its got to be done at this time of the year hasn't it? Lush was as you would expect bustling with an overhwelming concotion of busy smells and excited shoppers that's all enough to give you a headache if you linger there too long and leaves you walking out smelling like an overflowing bubble bath.

I didn't go mad but did stock up on a couple of bits and clearly I was in a bit of a Snow Fairy mood. Yeah you know the one. Bright pink. Girly girl. Sickly sweet. Candy in shower gel form. I only got the small bottle of the Snow Fairy Shower Gel because it is so sweet and not something that I am going to want a great stock of. Snow fairy has got that convention smell that I always associate with Lush - its squeaky clean and really brings home the fact that winter is on the way! Woo!

Surprisingly I didn't end up with any bath bombs yesterday - however I did pick up something new to me and that was a massage bar. I can't say that I had even heard of a massage bar before yesterday but the lady in the shop showed me the Snow Fairy one and I really liked the idea of it - for anyone who like me hadn't heard of these they are basically a moisturiser in a bar form - you massage it into your skin and its really luxurious feeling. As this is a massage bar it is more oily than a conventional body moisturiser however I think that its quite a nice addition when you're pampering and especially in winter I know my skin gets super dry and its going to love this.

 

QOTD: Will you be lured in by the Snow Fairy this winter?

 

Manicure Monday: A Love For Lemon

 

Hello I hope that you all had a lovely weekend, today I'm bringing you the first in a little installment : Manicure Monday. Today's Manicure Monday is naturally Spring inspired - can you tell I love Spring?

 

I don't know about you but yellow is a colour that I can't help but want to embrace at this time of the year - it just seems appropriate wouldn't you say? Cue sunny days, daffodils and little chicks into your minds and we'll hopefully be on the same wavelength here... Plus pastels are so perfect during the spring months so I had a little dig around in my nail varnish draw this morning and these two from Rimmel instantly grabbed my attention. These are shades 280 Sunshine and 058 Lemon Drop, I really like Rimmel nail polishes as they are affordable and the colour range is pretty good. Before applying the nail varnish I prep my nails with a quick file - I love this green polka dot one from Cath Kidston at the moment.

Then to soften my cuticles I take a cotton bud and apply a really small amount of  Lush's Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter to each of my cuticles and then with the clean end I lightly massage it in. The reason I do this is because this product is packed with natural oils and ingredients that can make it a little on the greasy side and so you don't want your manicure sliding all over the place but you still want the benefit of the softer cuticles. Usually after that I'm good to go ahead with the polish, with Rimmel I usually find two coats of application does the job.

And voila, sunny spring nails!

Products I've Used Up | Empties #2

I'm back with another Empties post today...

 

Marc Jacobs Daisy 50ml.
This has been my signature scent for such a long time now, and has to be one of my absolute favourite day time perfumes. Its just so easy to wear - I'm an all round lover of Marc Jacobs fragrances but I think I'm ready to try something else soon just keep things different.  For that reason I wouldn't repurchase this at the moment.

Marc Jacobs Daisy shower gel.
I received this as part of a set although this is a lovely luxurious item, I wouldn't use it on its own as a shower gel - its purpose is mostly to enhance the smell of the perfume in my opinion. Whenever I used this I would always use my normal body wash first and pop this over top at the end. I probably wouldn't go out my way to buy this, however if it came as part of a set I would definitely use it.

The Body Shop White Musk body wash 250ml.
This was a freebie when I joined the rewards programme. Firstly the smell is absolutely divine it sort of reminds me a little bit of Flowerbomb, if you're familiar with that perfume for a comparison. Although as for the shower gel it just seemed to disappear really quickly and I definitely wasn't using too much. For 250ml it costs over £6 so I would only repurchase if in a decent sale.

Soap & Glory Clean On Me 75ml shower gel.
I tend to make sure I keep a travel sized body wash in my over night bag and this is always my chosen option and it got used up while I was away on my course this month. I've already replaced it in my over night bag!

The Body Shop Vitamin E 60ml cream cleanser.
Another travel sized item that got loved while away from home this month was the Vit E cream cleanser from The Body Shop. I have absolutely adored this and will 100% be repurchasing.

Lush Golden Egg.
Over the Easter weekend my bath was like a glisten gold tub of lush goodness - I loved loved loved this range from Lush.

Skin Therapy cotton wool pads.
I tend to go through cotton wool pads pretty quickly to remove eye makeup and so on these are cheap and cheerful from Wilkinsons.

Sure Women Clear Pure Crystal 48hr.
When it comes to antiperspirants I stick with what I know and what works for me which happens to be Sure. This is my last can of this in the old style design.

John Frieda Full Repair Deep Conditioner.
This was a lovely product to use once a week in the shower to give my bleached hair some TLC, it visibly made my hair look healthier and it felt like velvet afterwards. I'm not bleaching my hair at the moment but if I do again I would repurchase this.

 

What products have you been using up?

Easter Themed Lush Haul

 

 

 

Hello I hope you're all having a great Friday and ready for the weekend to begin! I've been out shopping doing a bit of damage and thought I would quickly do a mini lush haul for you today as I ended up picking up quite a few things in there. I purchased lots from Lush during the winter especially from the Christmas range and I imagined that my temptations would end there as the spring months rolled around. However the new Easter stuff Lush introduced was far too tempting to miss out on.

The first thing to catch my eye were the adorable Bunch of Carrots bubble bars. I really like the bubble bars from Lush, and these smell exceptionally fruity and delicious. Its good that with this you actually get three 'carrots' that are reusable so you will get plenty of bubble baths out of these. The bright pink Fluffy Egg bath bomb was next to catch my eye, equally as fragrant and delicious - exactly like candy. These remind me of the Think Pink bath bombs, both in appearance and smell but obviously the fluffy egg is larger and shaped like an egg of course. I can just imagine the pretty colour this is going to make in my bath water.

 Last from the Easter range I got the glittery Golden Egg bath melt, the smell reminds me of caramel or toffee or something. If this is like all the other bath melts I have tried from Lush, this is going to be super luxirous and make my skin feel all soft, I always describe the melts as sort of oily as they make the bath water all silky smooth - and glittery golden from this one I expect! Something I have been meaning to pick up from Lush for ages but always forget is one of their lip scrubs, I went for the Popcorn scrub and can't wait to get nice smooth lips from this.

Now all I have to finish off by saying is, is it bath time yet?

What do you think of the new Easter range from Lush? Will you be picking anything up?