BEAUTY: The Body Shop Haul

Did I ever mention my love of The Body Shop? For nearly 20 years now, I have always loved venturing into their shops and sniffing the many different ranges they have had over the years.. Saving up my pocket money to buy a strawberry lip balm. Oh, those were the days. These days, I usually make most of my purchases online. It saves both time and effort, especially when you live so far away from the shops. *sobs*

So this cheeky order was really meant to be just for an eye cream. The other items may have just slipped into my basket..

I decided on the Vitamin E Eyes Cube for my eye cream purchase. I liked that it was in a stick form, has a moisturising consistency and is cooling on application. My pregnancy skin has become a little more dry, so I thought this would be ideal.

Although my skin has generally been a bit more dry during my pregnancy, I have still had the odd breakout around my chin area. The Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask had great reviews on their website and is supposed to help draw out impurities. Fingers crossed this does the trick.

The next two items that I purchased were also both pregnancy related. Now that I am into my third trimester, along with the warmer weather, I am definitely finding my ankles and feet swelling when I've been walking and standing for long periods. The Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion was immediately added to my basket in the hopes that my poor husband will massage some lotion into my now chubby feet (bribes may be necessary..). I can't find the next item on The Body Shop's website currently, but I also got the Deep Sleep Body Mist as I thought it may be a good dupe for the Deep Sleep Pillow Spray by This Works. Sleeping is so much more uncomfortable when you feel like a beached whale stuck on your side. If this can keep me relaxed then it will most definitely be worth a go.

The final two purchases were not really needed but who doesn't need a handbag sized Hand Cleanse Gel, especially when it smells so refreshing! I like having a bottle of these gels in my bag for those times when you cant get to a sink. The Green Tea and Lemon Home Fragrance Oil was just a naughty purchase to go with my oil burner that I reviewed here. I'm under the belief that every woman needs a choice of scents when it comes to home fragrance. This one is beautifully citrusy and I regret nothing!

Have you purchased anything good recently? If so, I'd love to hear about it.

BEAUTY: Mini Boots Haul & Review

A few weeks ago, I popped into Boots to look at some baby things and may have made a detour to the cosmetics section. More often than not, Boots will have great offers on like a "3 for 2" or a "2 for £10" etc. Luckily, I went in on one of those particular days. Just on a side note, I only went in for some more concealer. Oops!

My concealer of choice is the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Eye Concealer. What a mouthful! I use the colour, Light, and it really does hide a multitude of sins. The spongy applicator is actually handy to blob on your dark circles and then just blend out with your fingers or a brush. I have quite oily skin, so I normally set my concealer with Bourjois Healthy Balance Face Powder. It takes many hours for it to disappear off my lids or even go into the under eye creases.

I decided to get myself two colours from the Maybelline Color Drama Lipstick range. These are more of a lipstick pencil than your typical lipsticks that come in a bullet. You definitely need a good base for these as they are more on the matte side. I would suggest applying lip balm whilst doing your make up, then blotting it off a little before applying. Shrivelled up lips is never a good look. Colour wise I found the more pale shade in Nude Perfection to be a handy nude that I'll probably keep in my handbag. The slightly darker shade in Keep It Classy still looks really nice on, but I did find that it smudged quite easily on my lips and couldn't hold out when eating and drinking at a barbecue an hour after application (some ended up on my chin when I bit into my burger).

The Bourjois Colorband 2-in-1 Eyeshadow and Liner  in Rose Fauviste was definitely an impulse buy. I decided to get a paler shade which could be good for those days when I fancy a subtle make up look. I did apply this without an eye primer and it didn't last that long on my eyes (the curse of the greasy eyelids strikes again). I'll definitely be giving it another go with a primer though.

I decided, as I had a "2 for £10" offer and I really don't need any more make up, I would get myself the Bourjois Pencil Sharpener. I have a habit of misplacing mine and never have one at hand when I need one.

So, that's it for now... who knows when I'll next get the chance to spend money on make up... I fear it  is mainly going to be nappy and baby clothes hauls. Is there anything I need to get before it's too late?

BEAUTY: Liz Earle Skin Essentials

Liz Earle Skin Essentials

For many years now I've been a huge Liz Earle fan. I've never really had the budget for the high end skincare brands [sobs uncontrollably], but was willing to spend a little more than the usual budget brands found on the high street. I've always found that Liz Earle is a great brand that sits in-between the high end and more budget brands and works for so many skin types. I used to work at John Lewis and I remember when the Beauty Hall finally got a Liz Earle beauty counter. One of my old colleagues had mentioned visiting the counter and using some Liz Earle products they had helped to change her problematic skin, so I decided to give it a go.

Like many people, I started off using the Cleanse & Polish Cleanser. Even back then, this product had won many awards, and it was my first experience of using a cream cleanser that is washed off with a warm cloth. I love how rich and creamy it feels on my face and combined with the delicate fragrance from the chamomile, rosemary and eucalyptus. It does remove most of the make up from my face, but I usually use a micellar water and eye make up remover for a first cleanse.

As time went on, I started using more skincare products from their range. The Instant Boost Skin Tonic is the perfect toner for me. There is nothing worse than that astringent, stinging feel that you get from many alcohol based toners. The Skin Tonic is alcohol free and cooling on the face, which combined with the naturally active ingredients, feels so hydrating on my skin.

My skin type is typically oily/combination. For that reason, I tend to go for the Skin Repair Light Moisturiser. This is a really nice light consistency, which soaks in really quickly... perfect for when I'm in a rush to put my make up on. In the above photo I actually have purchased the Normal/Combination Moisturiser. This is mainly because my skin has become a little more dry during this pregnancy.

When I moved away and changed jobs, I found the most cost effective way of purchasing my skin essentials was through the Liz Earle website. I tend to run out of a lot of my products at the same time, so to purchase them simultaneously, with free delivery and a free gift that changes each month is a bit of a no-brainer. And if I haven't run out... well it's never a bad thing to stock up! Another bonus is when they include a small sample of their cleanser or tonic. I usually save these for when I am on a weekend away.. they are a great space saver in my toiletry bag.

Last month, the free gift was a huge bottle of their Botanical Body Wash. I chose the Orange Flower fragrance and I'm saving it until after our baby is born as a little treat to myself for when I get the chance to shower!

Do you have and favourite skincare brands? Is there any product I NEED to be using? If so, let me know in the comments below.

April Favourites

How can April already be over? So much has been going on for me this month and these products have helped me get through this month in their own way.

Cath Kidston Mug // This was a birthday present from my Sister-in-law, who obviously knows me well as I love both Cath Kidston designs and hot drinks. Apart from the beautiful floral design, I really love the size of this mug. It is not so small that I feel like I need another brew immediately after finishing the first, but not so large that I never finish it. Who do I think I am.. Goldilocks?

The *TeaShed Teabags // This also came as a bonus present for me along with my mug. I adore Earl Grey tea. I know a lot of people find the fragrant taste a little overpowering, but I really think it's one of my favourite types of tea. The packaging of this is lovely with, "Probably Definitely The Best Cup Of Tea" emblazoned on the side, which makes me smile every time I look at it. And, you know, I would actually have to agree. It really is perfect, especially when accompanied with a cheeky biscuit (or three).

Sweet Freedom // A few years ago I stopped taking sugar in my tea and changed to a sweetener. I found it helped with my sweet tooth, but helped me decrease my sugar intake. I know that there are many health concerns with regard to a regular usage of sweeteners so I have been looking out for another alternative that could become the new replacement. Well my friends, I think I have found it in the form of Sweet Freedom. In the bottle it looks like golden syrup, but it is actually made 100% from natural fruit extracts. It also has 25% fewer calories than sugar, which is always a good thing. It's in a squirty bottle so it is clean and simple to squirt into your tea, baking or cereal etc.

Papaya Body Butter // I picked this up in one of The Body Shop's many clearance sales. They also do many promotions on their website, so if you are a TBS fan then get yourself on there! I paid £5 for this and it was certainly money well spent. Having quite dry skin, I really benefit from a more nourishing body moisturiser. I have no problems in putting this on after my shower and getting dressed pretty much straight away. There is no stickiness and my skin drinks it up beautifully. It literally smells so summery and fruity that I can't stop smelling my arm on my way to work. Standard.

Hand Dream // I featured this hand cream in my Soap & Glory Haul and I have not been disappointed. I work in a cold environment at work, which makes my hands incredibly dry in between my fingers. This not only smells delicious, but soaks in quickly and doesn't leave my hands feeling greasy. That is my one pet hate. It is actually quite a large bottle so I've been keeping this at the side of my bed to put on when needed.

Palmer's Swivel Stick // This is one of my favourite lip balms ever. It is pretty huge and people do make fun of me at work when I pull it out of my bag. Most people think I'm putting Pritt Stick on my lips, well they probably wish I was with me being a little chatterbox. It is a cocoa butter based lip balm, which feels smooth when applied on the lips and really helps to nourish my lips when they are feeling sore. I do use it under lipsticks sometimes, but it can make things a little slippery if applied straight after. Give it 5 minutes and it will sink in nicely. Because of the size, it can be used for dry skin patches and elbows but mine never makes it past my lips.

Wax Lyrical Colony Candle // I was actually doing a very middle aged thing where myself and Chris went to the supermarket and popped into the adjoining Dobbies store. If you've not heard of Dobbies it is a bit like a garden centre crossed with The Range. I get lost in the homeware sections every time, much to Chris' annoyance. I was on the lookout for a new candle and spotted this amongst the Yankee Candles. I liked that the company is based in Cumbria and their products are made in the UK. I spent ages sniffing them all and finally chose Mandarin & Peach. It really does manage to throw it's scent around the room. It doesn't burn as evenly as more expensive candles, but it isn't terrible by any means. I have it on the table next to me in the living room and love getting the occasional whiff of fruit. Perfect for Spring.

Whiskas Dentabits // No, this is not my mid-afternoon snack after my daily cat nap. (geddit!) These are for Alfie the cat. If he could he would eat cat treats instead of his food. He may need to go to rehab for his addiction. What I've tried to do is meet him in the middle and get him cat treats which have additional benefits. These treats are quite knobbly in shape, which are supposed to help clean Alfie's teeth. Whether it works, I'm not sure, but he enjoys eating them anyway.

Pedometer // Now this is not anything crazy expensive, It was just a cheap bargain from EBay. I actually purchased 3, as myself and my friends at work wanted to see how many steps we were taking at work. I do a 5 hour shift and am averaging around 4000 steps. Not bad eh! It does resemble a plastic toy and has been prone to fly off my trousers when bending down, but for 99p, I'm really not going to complain.

So there we have it, these are my April favourites. What have you been loving this month?

All products featured were purchased by myself or were presents from my family.

Soap & Glory Haul

                         

Oh hi there! I hope you have all had a brilliant week. I know I have. I've had that buzz of excitement that you get when it is a couple of weeks until your birthday. I don't care that I will be turning 29, I absolutely love my birthday. Cake, a nice meal out, presents, spending time with loved ones, did I mention cake? Well, it's now just over a week to go...so... sorry husband, it's only going to get worse!

Anyway I best get onto the haul. So, I may have popped into Boots to do a little "3 for 2" shopping. I did buy some make up too, but I thought I would just focus on the loveliness that is Soap & Glory. I'm not sure I have ever purchased any S & G product that I have not adored. I love the sweet smelling fragrances, not to mention the feminine and retro packaging that all of their products seem to encompass. Righteo, onto the haul...

Clean, Girls Body Wash // This is a 500ml sized bottle that includes a pump dispenser, which is so handy when you are in the shower and have a "wet hands and an awkward opening bottle lid" situation going on. I chose this one as it says it is a creamy, skin softening body wash. I have quite sensitive skin on my arms, which are prone to itchy and dry patches. These types of body washes are what I will typically opt for, so as not to exacerbate the problem. Scent wise, this contains natural vanilla, orchid and fruit extracts. If you are a fan of the Mist You Madly body mist then this has the same fragrance.

Hand Dream Super Cream // I suffer from dry skin in between my fingers and across my knuckles, mainly from working in a cold environment. In the winter they can become really sore and chapped, so I thought I would give this a go. It claims on the bottle to have a fast absorbing formula, which is what everyone wants... who likes greasy hands? Not me! The scent seems similar to Hand Food containing grapeseed, macademia and shea butter, YUM!

Heel Genius // Now I'm not going to go into too much detail, but coming into Spring we all want soft and pretty feet. Confession time... I have maybe neglected them a little bit over the Winter months. Sorry feet. Seeing a foot mask on the shelves seemed to be everything I needed to bring my feet back to normality. YAY! A layer of Heel Genius massaged into the feet in the evening followed by some cotton socks and TA-DAH, wake up to soft feet.. sounds perfect! This contains a host of ingredients such as glycerin, allantoin, macademia, bilberry and fruit acid smoothers. Take it from me, it smells great!

Sugar Crush Body Wash // The only way to describe the sugar crush scent is a mojito in a body wash disguise. It is another 500ml size bottle with the ingenious dispensing pump. Sweet limes and lemons combined with vanilla musk and coconut oil make it so invigorating. For me this is an ideal morning shower scent. Really wakes me up. It isn't as nourishing on my arms as other body washes, but I am in love with this scent.

The Breakfast Scrub // For the past few months I did get out of the habit of using a body scrub. Getting myself back onto the body scrub wagon was easy when I had a sniff of this one. It has a gorgeous maple syrup scent. The scrub contains oats, shea butter and sugar and after having used it a few times on my damp skin, it really works a treat.

So that's my S & G haul. Until the next trip to Boots....

Are there any S & G products you think I should try? Let me know in the comments, as I'm always willing to be enabled!

Make Up Storage

                        

A couple of years ago I purchased a second hand white dressing table from eBay. It was everything I was looking for in a dressing table... It was not too deep (small bedroom = lack of space), it had the shabby chic style I had lusted over in so many magazines, not to mention two extra drawers to over fill with cosmetics and all manner of things that I can never seem to throw away. (is that just me?)

Fast forward 2 years later and I realise that having my make up rolling around everywhere each time I opened those darned drawers was becoming tiresome, to say the least! "Enough is enough", I told my cat, who was sat on my bed at the time. He glanced over at me with a look of boredom. On a side note, I'm not sure he is bothered in the slightest about my drawer nightmare, he only really cares about being fed, chasing cats and getting treats. Some would say that is a selfish way to live your cat life. So, the search for a new way of storing my main make up was started in earnest. 

During one of my days of catching up on a bit of beauty blog reading, for research of course, I saw the Muji stacking wide drawers time and time again. They seemed the ideal solution. Not only could they make my make up so much more visibly appealing, but I could add more drawers as my make up collection increased. After eyeing up a 10% off code (MUJIBEAUTY - valid until 13th February) on Lily Pebbles' blog I decided this was the perfect time to get me a Muji fix. I opted for the two sets of the Acrylic 2 Drawers Wide and one Acrylic 2 Drawers Wide with Flip Top Lid. They arrived 4 or 5 days later and were really well packaged. Seriously, I mean really, really well! They must have used a whole roll of bubble wrap on my single delivery. 

Oh, I may have accidentally ordered their log fire candle at the same time. This wasn't planned, but after reading VDM's comments on it being a dupe for Diptyque's Feu de Bois, and with it being a mere £3.50, I just couldn't resist. I figured my husband Chris would probably not mind another candle purchase, what with it being a much more masculine smell compared to my usual candle scents.

After the friendly delivery driver handed me my parcel, I raced upstairs (OK, I first spent 20 minutes popping the bubble wrap) and it was Operation Clear Out Messy Drawers. I actually ended up throwing out quite a lot of make up. I figured if I couldn't remember when I had actually bought it, and if it was looking a bit BLEUGH then it was probably time to say goodbye. 

Half an hour later I then had a work of modern art on my chest of drawers and two empty dressing table drawers. WINNER! By the way, apologies for the photo quality.. My camera battery died so I used my iPhone. So it's probably about time that I go and buy more stuff to put in them right? I can sense a haul blog post appearing in the near future. How do you store your make up?

My own money was used to purchase these products in this blog post.