Off Topic Tuesday - Lush Blackberry Bath Bomb

For today's Off Topic Tuesday I thought I'd review a classic from Lush. I don't think I know a single person who could claim not to like Lush- to me popping into Lush for a bath bomb is a perfect, affordable treat and even my little ones love it, asking for an Ickle Baby Bot everytime we walk past! My usual favourite is Butterball, but today I went for something different and chose Blackberry.

Despite its name, Blackberry doesn't have a fruity scent but instead has a light musky fragrance. The scent is very relaxing but the bath bomb doesn't claim to have any other qualities such as skin moisturising or the glitter other bombs contain. That doesn't mean it doesn't have it's own hint of fun though, as when the bomb has dissolved completely (leaving your bathwater a funky purple, we all know I like a bit of purple! Even better, it didn't stain the bath or my skin) you're left with a 'snap' reminiscent of an old fashioned toy gun!

All in all I enjoyed my Blackberry Bath Bomb bath, but I don't think it's one I'd reach for regularly. It was great for the relaxing scent, but it didn't pack a real punch in terms of anything else special and I like my bath products to wow me. It's not often I get a bath without a little person joining in so when I do I want it to be special! This just wasn't it. The next time pigs fly and I get some me time, I'm going to try the Happy Blooming Bath Melt, after Enigmatic Rambles enticing review...

Blackberry Bath Bomb is available in Lush stores and online for £2.95.

Hx

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October Favourites

Evenin'

I gave my nails a break and kept on my blue mani for an extra day, so today I have my October favourites for you. I didn't buy an awful lot this month, due to being penniless! So there are just a few bits that I've picked up or rediscovered that I'm loving.

Polish first, of course!

2true Fast Dry Colour Quick Shade 10, 17 Magnetised Green, China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Accessorize Baby Blue

My favourite mani this month (although I didn't like the formula of the base colour)

17 Fast Dry Fury, Stamped with 2True Fast Dry Colour Quick Shade 8, Maybelline Orange Couture and  BM04. Full post here.

Brunette eyebrow pencil by Vital Radiance, Beauty UK Pearl Eyeliner in Eclipse, Garnier BB Cream in Light, Rose and Co Apothecary Rose Petal Salve

I always used to use a matte eyeshadow to fill my eyebrows when I needed it - which wasn't very often - but I saw this eyebrow pencil in Poundland and thought I'd try it. Now I know what a difference it can make to "do" your eyebrows. It makes my whole face look more defined and really frames my eyes.I don't do it everyday, but when I'm doing my "full face" or a strong eye it completes the look.

I now have 5 of Beauty UK's pearl eyeliners and can't recommend them enough. I got Eclipse as an "extra" from a blog sale and love it. It's a very dark slate grey and is great for lining a smokey eye.

I wasn't sure about buying a BB cream from Garnier - at £9.99 it's a lot more than I'd usually pay for foundation or tinted moisturiser, so I sent off for a sample to try it. The first time I used it I used way too much and ended up super shiny and felt like my make-up was sliding around my face all day. The next time I made sure I used it over primer and didn't use as much and it was much better. Somewhere in between a foundation and tinted moisturiser is perfect coverage for me as I have good skin and barely ever get spots, but have a few uneven patches of colouration and freckles. I'm still not sure if I would buy this for a tenner, but it's on offer in Tesco at the moment for £8, or I might try 17's one for £5.99 next time I'm in Boots.

I got the Rose and Co Apothecary Rose Petal Salve in my October Boudoir Prive box and it is fast replacing my Lemony Flutter as my favourite cuticle treatment. It doesn't have the grainy texture of lemony flutter and turns into more of an oil on the skin. I even use this on my lips (I do this with Lemony Flutter too). I wasn't sure if the scent would put me off but it just reminds me of Turkish Delight. I'm not a great fan of Turkish Delight, but it's bearable! And makes my lips feel great. I want to try their Cherry Salve too, but I will wait until I've finished this one and the Lemony Flutter (which I feel is never gonna happen since it's HUGE!)

L'Occitiane Shea Hand Cream Hibiscus Flower, Original Shea, Desert Rose, Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes

Last month in Marie Claire they were giving away a L'Occitiane Shea Hand Cream in four different "flavours" (am I the only one who calls scents and varieties of beauty products "flavours"? You wouldn't eat it...). I picked up the original shea butter first, and when I used it almost all up within 2 weeks I picked up two more! Yes, I bought 3 copies of the same magazine...and still haven't read it! I can honestly say that it's the best hand cream I've ever used and my hands and nails have felt so much better, especially now the weather is getting cold - which is tough on my hands. If I don't get a huge bucket of this stuff under the Chrimbo tree I will be buying one in the new year!

I am a facial wipe fan, and these ones from Kleenex are really good. Apparently Kleenex as a company started as a way for women to remove make-up, so their new range is going back to their roots. These wipes are soft and quilted, so they're strong and don't make my skin feel dry and I don't feel like I have to scrub at my eyes to get my mascara off!

So, there are my faves of the month. I am on a self imposed spending ban so Novembers favourites will be things I'm rediscovering and digging out from the stash! The spending ban wont be too hard I think, there are only 2 polishes that I think I want (Barry M's Croc Effect crackle and the green/gold one from the Models Own Beetlejuice collection) but I can hold off on those since I don't have a place for them in my 31 day challenge! And then December will be all about Christmas, so maybe my faves for that month will come from Mr Claus!

What have you been loving this month? I tell you I'm not loving this cold weather! Am avoiding putting the heating on for as long as possible...it's chilly in here I tell you!

Hx

PS This post meant to go up last night, but it seems I neglected to hit "publish". Ooopsie! The 31 day challenge will resume this evening!

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July Favourites!

Hello lovelies,

So, it's August already! Summer is nearly over, and I never thought I would say this but September can't come quick enough! My little boy has only been off school just short of 2 weeks and already he's driving me bonkers. I lost count of the number of times he got sent to his room or put on the naughty step today, once for messing with a load of my makeup and spilling a load of glitter I was saving for a franken on the stair carpet. Little monkey had dragged the coffee table across the room to stand on to reach it while I was getting the baby to sleep. Argh! It's been one of those days...

Anyway, onto products I've loved this month.

First, of course, the polishes and nail products. I reviewed my current favorite polish remover here, so here are the rest of my current loves.

L-R: Color Club Ulterior Motive, Beauty UK Smoky Lilac, Rimmel 60 Seconds Hard Edged, China Glaze Lubu Heels, W7 Earthquake Red, Beauty UK Night Fever, Barry M Berry Ice Cream

Bottom: Original Bundle Monster plates

Now, some make-up. Everyone's been talking about the MUA Pro Heaven and Earth palette, and I can see why. So versatile, from quick go-to everyday looks to a glam smokey eye, you can use this palette for everything! Next is another W7 product, their Africa Bronzer. I love the design of this bronzer (notice the not-so-subtle Benefit inspiration?), but it is rather shimmery so works best as a highlight or used sparingly! Bronzer is my number 2 desert island product, after mascara, so I had to try 17 Falsifeye and love it too. My lashes are short and thin, so anything that promises length and volume and does what it says on the tin is good in my book. And also this month, I searched for a corla lipglass, and found two I love. Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in 290 Be Famous and Beauty UK Lip Lust in No. 9 Cocktail

L-R: W7 Africa Bronzer, MUA Pro Heaven and Earth Palette, Rimmel Vinyl Glass Be Famous, Beauty UK Lip Lust Cocktail, 17 Falsifeye Black

L-R: Superdrug Vitamin E Hot Cloth Cleanser, Witch Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash, Lush Shower Jelly Sweetie Pie, Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

Finally, some bath/body products. I've not been using the hot cloth cleanser from Superdrug for long but I already love it. It removes make-up easily and is gentle on the eye area, smells good and makes my skin feel great. I use it in conjunction with this Witch exfoliating face wash, which leaves my skin smooth and soft and isn't drying. I love Lush products but usually go for the bath bombs for a treat. I decided to get this shower jelly because I can never find a shower gel that I love the smell of - I prefer fruity to floral or aromatic - and this Sweetie Pie shower jelly smells of blackberries and cassis and I could literally eat it! You only need a really small amount too. And finally, my shampoo of the moment - Aussie Aussome Volume. I'm never usually loyal to haircare products, buying whatever's on offer or what takes my fancy. I find that shampoos that work great to start with soon lose their powers, but this one hasn't and I'll definitely be repurchasing when I run out.

So, that's it! My favorites of July. What have been your most loved products this months? Link me to your posts in the comments if you have one!

Hx

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June Favourites!

Hi!

I can't believe it's July already! My baby turns one in less than two weeks :O How the hell did that happen? It seems like only yesterday I was being sliced open and he was being pulled from my stomach haha (little factlet, despite having 2 kids I've never been in labour. To posh to push...ha not!) Anyway, here are some things I've loved this month :)

First up, of course, nailpolish.

L-R: Rimmel I <3 Lasting Finish Fruities in Apricot Punch, Miss Sporty CLubbing Colours in Gold Backstage, Collection 2000 Sparkle Topcoat, MUA Nail Quake in Quiver, Dotting tools

My favourite mani of the month was the simple Coral Perfection one I created last week with this Rimmel fruity scented polish. I bought two more of these today and can't wait to try them :) The gold Miss Sporty is my go-to gold and I've used it a couple times in nail art this month and have it on my toes at he moment. I've used the sparkle top coat a couple of times and it adds an extra dimension, which I love! And I of course had to include at least one of the MUA crackle polishes, and I chose the blue, which I also have on my toes!

L-R: Lush Lemony Flutter and Vaseline Healthy Hand and Nail Conditioning hand cream

Lemony Flutter is a staple product in my opinion. If you haven't tried it, you should! The fragrance is soooo strong to me it smells almost artificial, but don't let that put you off. This Vaseline hand cream is great too, it's light and easily absorbed, which is a must for me.

Now, some make-up products.

L-R: MUA Eyeshadow in Shade 1, MUA Blusher in Shade 1, Benefit High beam, Barbara Daly at Tesco Velvet Blush in English Rose, Beauty UK Lip Lust in Shade 8 Envy, Maybelline Great Lash Blackest Black Mascara , Tigi Bead Head Wipe Out Fixx It Stick Light Concealer

This MUA eyeshadow is a must have. It is a perfect cream shimmer which is a great base for lots of looks, and I've even used it as a highlighter. The cheek products - I'm looking for a BRIGHT pink blush, the MUA one isn't quite bright enough, but is a great stop-gap until I find the right shade, and the Barbara Daly is a cream blusher that just gives me a nice flush. And I'm sure just about everyone has gotten their mits on their High Beam, thanks to Glamour mag!

I don't wear a lot of colour on my lips, because I think it makes me look like a drag queen (not a good look unless you are an actual drag queen, FYI). But this Beauty UK Lip Gloss can be worn fairly sheer or thicker for a deeper colour. And it's sparkly, need I say more!

Classic black mascara in the Maybelline. My eyes have become really sensitive lately and I've tried lots of different mascaras and usually by the end of the day I'm longing to take it off. I used this one in my teens and have gone back to it for my day to day mascara as I can wear it for more than a few hours without my eyes feeling dryer than Ghandi's flip flops...

And finally a concealer. I came across this Tigi Bead Head concealer pancil by accident and I didn['t know Tigi even made make-up. Actually I don't use this as a concealer at the moment as it's a little too light as I have a summer tan, but it makes a great eyeshadow primer. 

And finally, a bargain I found in a charity shop, a brand new Next bag for £2. Isn't it pretty?

So, those were my faves for June. It was so hard to only pick 4 polishes! I didn't want to ramble on too much, so ooops... Ill go now! Have a great Sunday.

Hx

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Haul - the holo hunt is over...for now...

Hi!

I have been very restrained over the last few weeks. My last haul was on the 7th of May and until last week I hadn't bought any polish. I was aiming to not buy any until the wedding I went to was over, and I only bought two polishes before then. And I only did then to try and get a good silver stamping polish for the wedding, and the Miss Sporty polishes were on offer so I couldn't pass the other one up! Then, since I didn't spend as much as I thought over the weekend I treated myself over Monday and Tuesday and this is what I found.

 L-R: Miss Sporty Red Tango, Beauty UK Pink Explosion, Me Me Me Pin Up, Revlon Strawberry electric, 2true Shade 8, Miss Sporty New Black, Miss Sporty Blueberry (I think), Beauty UK Smokey Lilac, Primark (no name), Barry M Dusky Mauve, Barry M Mint Green, Marks and Spencer Rainbow, Collection 2000 Hot Looks BMX Bandit, 17 Lasting Fix Mint Choc Chip, Fine Detail brushes from The Works, Lush Ltd Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

And the holo, in all it's glory. Sure, it's no GOSH holographic, but it's a linear holo and I lurve it. It's was £7.50 from M&S.

I wore it for a day travelling so didn't get any pictures, but I will wear it again soon!

This weekend I'm going on a hunt for the MUA crackles, and more Miss Sporty since they're two for £1.99 in Superdrug (I can't believe I've lost my Superdrug Beauty Card already *headdesk*) and I want to see which ones are good for stamping. Then I might possibly make a small china glaze order (just saw Lubu Heels swatched, OMGeez) and then calm down again! Although, apart from M&S Rainbow, none of the polishes cost more than £3, so I haven't been tooo naughty.....

Hx

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