Mini French Beauty Haul

 

 When Darren told me a few weeks ago that he would be going to Paris for work for three days, my first thought (after "can I go too?!") was Oooh...French pharmacies!!

 

Any beauty blogger or beauty lover worth their salt are well aware that the French hold a veritable Aladdin's cave of products and brands when it comes to beauty, and their pharmacies are truly the cave of wonders!

 

Stocking brands which we mere Brits can only find in very upscale or Central London pharmacies, or online, both with a very high price tag, the French truly know what they are doing when it comes to the beauty and skincare market, and I was very excited when Darren told me he would be heading there...so...obviously a list was drawn out!

 

Now my list contained about 6 things, which can be found in pharmacies and 5 things, which can be found in Sephora (seriously people, we need to petition to get Sephora reinstated in London!) Darren was very good and went to 3...yes...3 pharmacies for me, to try and find my bits. The boy didn't do too badly. They were out of stock of a couple of the Bioderma bits, so I ended up with 3 pharmacy treasures - the Caudalie Beauty Elixr (L'Wren Scott limited edition bottle), the Caudalie Micellar water and a tube of Homeoplasmine.

 

The two Caudalie products are divine! I fancied a change from my normal micellar water of choice, Bioderma, so I thought I'd give the Caudalie version a go! It's lovely. Does what Bioderma does and smells gorgeous. It's soothing and removed my make-up easily and effortlessly and the grape extract made it super hydrating.

The Elixr is a "beauty mist." The bottle is gorgeous (besides the point I know) It's plant based and soothes, hydrates and tightens the pores - miracle in a bottle. It sprays lightly onto the face and you feel instantly...well, I guess the word is "Ahhhhhhh." It has a lovely herby scent and makes an excellent refresher at any point in the day. I also spray it on before I moisturise in the morning and evening and it's just gorgeous really.

 

There has been a lot of hype about Homeoplasmine. A multi purpose balm or pomade, which has become a cult beauty favourite. It's talked about A LOT and I was keen to give it a go. It's been hailed as the "ultimate balm" and is a must-have for models, make-up artists, nail technicians...you name it. It's basically one of the items, like Vaseline, which helps soothe irritated skin, dry skin, sunburn, chapped lips, chapped skin...everything. It is also an excellent lip balm and a teeny dab on the old cheekbones makes them pop! Another score! 

 

Next was Sephora. Sadly, they didn't have the Hourglass products I wanted, but Darren did manage to get his hands on a couple of the Cream Lip Stains and an eyebrow pencil complete with spoolie (don't you love that word?!) The Cream Lip Stains have had a bit of hype, so I wanted to give them a go. I opted for a nude shade and a deep berry shade - perfect for day and night. They apply easily and smoothly, like a lip gloss, but they have SO much pigment! Seriously, these are as pigmented as a lipstick but have the creamy consistency of a lip balm. The staying power is brilliant, however, as with most stains, they are slightly drying, but I popped on a dab of Homeoplasmine and, perfection! Love, love, love them!

Not much to say about the eyebrow pencil, except it is the perfect shade for my almost black eyebrows and glides on and blends out nicely. Job done!

So there you have it. Not a bad mini haul really. The boy did good but I am already planning the next haul.

Have you tried out any of these products? What are your French Pharmacy must-haves? Enjoy x

Essie After School Boy Blazer

I am a nail varnish addict. There should be a support group somewhere for people like me! I'm often asked why I don't get gels and the simple answer is because I love to change my nail colour way too often to bother with a manicure that makes the colour last for weeks!

When Essie brought out their range in Boots last year, I was so excited. Essie is normally quite pricey, but the drugstore range is much cheaper - £7.99 for a really good polish is a bargain to me! Plus, their brushes are, in my opinion, better than the regular Essie brushes. Shorter, thicker and easier to apply.

I wanted to check out the new AW13 range of colours and the one which really caught my eye, and several other bloggers, is After School Boy Blazer...the most perfect dark navy blue you ever did see!

The colour is amazing. A dark inky black in some lights and a rich navy blue in others. It's dramatic and stylish, the perfect colour for adorning your nails for the new season.

I applied it on the weekend and it's staying power is fab and I've had loads of compliments on the colour. I think this will become a bit of a cult shade so make sure you grab a bottle.

What do you think of After School Boy Blazer? Enjoy x

Sleek MakeUp - Face Form Contouring and Blush Palette

I've been wanting to try out a high end sculpting powder for a while, but the one I have my eye on costs upwards of £35...so I might have to wait for my birthday in October before I make that purchase!

In the meantime, I thought I would see what the high street has to offer. For those of you who aren't sure what it is, a sculpting powder is similar to a bronzer, but slightly muddier in colour. It's used to create shadow and contrast on the face and you apply it to areas such as under the cheekbones, the temples, under the jaw etc to create the illusion of sculpture, or to help create more definition to those areas.

I popped into my local Superdrug (shock horror I strayed away from my beloved Boots) as they stock the brand Sleek MakeUp and I have heard some good things about their contouring palette.

They had two colour options, light and medium. I opted for the light, especially as winter is approaching and anything too bronzey would look ridiculous on me during the colder months! The palette itself is actually really stylish. It comes in a cardboard box and the product is in a "sleek" black, matte palette, with the product in one half and a mirror on the other half.

The palette comprises of three products - a sculpting powder for definition, a highlighter to define cheekbones etc and a pretty, soft blush to finish the look.

Using a face expert brush from Real Techniques, I applied the sculpting powder under my cheekbones, on my temples and under my jaw. I then applied a light dusting of the highlighter on my cheekbones and finished it off with a touch of the pinky blusher on the apples of my cheeks.

I was actually really impressed with the overall look. The powders applied easily and, once blended with a large powder brush, looked very natural and my face definitely looked more defined, with the cheekbones looking slightly more sculpted.

I still think I will purchase the high end powder I have my eye on (I'm already on the waiting list at Cult Beauty) but for now, this is a really great and affordable substitute - a bargain at £9.99!

What do you think of the Sleek MakeUp contouring palette? Have you tried it? Enjoy x

Mini Haul - Beauty and Jewellery

I fancied picking up a couple of beauty essentials the other day, and before I knew what was happening, I ended up picking up a bit more than I expected to! With the country going through a mega heatwave (I am so not a fan, it's enough already!) the glorious oasis of an air conditioned shopping centre called to me (and hot grumpy baby) and I found these fabulous goodies.

Topshop: £8 and £5 (sale)

I vowed not to buy any clothes in the summer sale, as my baby belly battle is ongoing (9lbs lost so far in 4 weeks) but as I passed Topshop, I couldn't help popping in and to my surprise, they had some amazing jewellery on sale, half price or better. I picked up these two statement necklaces. I'm going to wear the large black and gold number to my friend's wedding on Sunday and the gold collar necklace is perfect for adding a touch of edge to a pretty summer dress.

 I saw Becky do a post about this cleanser recently and I decided to try it out for myself. For a smidgen over £3, Skin Perfection by L'Oreal states to be a 3 in 1 purifying solution - dissolves make up, unclogs pores and removes impurities and tones and smoothes the skin. I've been using it for 4 days now and I do really like it. I find it slightly drying on my eyes and I use my Lush toner and moisteriser after, but it is a quick and easy make up removal solution.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush £9.99 from Boots

After all the blogging love that Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman gets, I thought it was time to try a brush out for myself. I opted for the expert face brush and I really love it! It applies BB cream and foundation so effortlessly and smoothly and for £9.99, I think it's a total bargain. I'll be picking up some more of these for sure!

Topshop Aurora nail polish £6

I spotted this metallic nail polish in Topshop called Aurora when I was choosing my jewellery, and the alluring sheen of the polish made me instantly pick it up and take it to the till. I tried it out last week and I wasn't 100% in love with it. The polish looks like it has more of a greeny tone in the bottle, but when applied to the nails, it's pretty much a bronzy gold. Still very pretty but not what I was expecting.

MAC Mineralize foundation in NW20 £27

So I went to MAC in John Lewis. I know I shouldn't have but I needed, for the first time ever, to buy a foundation, as I want a bit more coverage at the moment (thanks to lack of sleep...cheers Eli!) and MAC never steers me wrong. One of the lovely sale assistants sat me down and we tried a few options. In the end I opted for the Mineralize SPF 15 foundation in shade NW20. It's slightly darker than my natural skin tone and the mineralized effect leaves a lovely glowy sheen while the SPF 15 does it's thing against the sun. I only use a tiny bit over some BB cream so I can imaging this bottle lasting ages...which makes the £27 price tag slightly easier to bear!

Topshop Straight Ace £5 (in sale)

My final Topshop purchase (again, in the sale) is this highly pigmented lipstick. As I mentioned ages ago in this post, I love purple tone lip colours. I find they suit my pale skin and dark features really well and this creamy lipstick was only £5, so I couldn't resist!

MAC Narcissus £17

Yes it's another MAC purchase! This was a total impulse buy, but look at that gorgeous colour! This is a brand new Cremesheen Glass lip gloss called Narcissus and I'm in love with it. It's super creamy, smooth, glossy and stays on for ages, and that colour, a stunning mix of violet, pink and bluey tones looks great for summer or winter.

Finally I decided to try the L'Oreal Sublime Bronze self-tanning spray mists. I have a wedding on Sunday and with the weather as sunny as it is, I wanted to look a bit more sunkissed. I picked up the face mist too (both of which are on special offer at Boots at the moment). I think it cost me £18 for the two together. I haven't tried them yet - waiting for the day before the wedding, so I will give a full review once I have tried them out.

Have you bought anything new recently that you're loving? Enjoy x

Lush Skin Care

I went to one of my favourite shops last week for a little treat! I spend so much of my time and money buying things for Elijah (who can resist tiny little baby clothes?!) that most of the time I never treat myself to anything. Sometimes a new nail polish, lipstick, necklace or bubble bath is all that is needed to feel like you are a proper human being again instead of just a new mama!

So I paid Lush a little visit last week, as I was in desperate need for a new moisturiser and body lotion and Lush is always the place I head to when new skin care is needed. I feel like my skin is more dry than normal at the moment (bye bye amazing pregnancy hormones) and with the sun and heat, I wanted something that would really hydrate and nourish my skin.

First up is Sympathy For The Skin. First off, the smell of this thick creamy lotion is gorgeous. It's made from cocoa butter and bananas and is super nourishing for the skin. It also has the likes of almond oil, lemon oil, sandalwood oil and glycerine. Although it is a thick cream, the gel like consistency of the mashed up organic bananas makes it very good at sinking into the skin. This leaves my whole body feeling silky soft and I love it!

Next is Imperialis, a delightful face moisturiser. With elderflower, lavender, St. John's wort, sweet violet, organic extra virgin olive oil...to name a few mega ingredients, this moisturiser is a dream to apply to a dehydrated face. This is a really light cream (despite being made of cocoa butter) and is great for combination skin. Again, it's super lightweight which makes it melt into the skin.

Finally I picked up a bottle of Eau Roma Water - a fresh smelling toner. This is great to carry around in your bag and spritz onto your face for an instant refresher, or you can spray it onto cotton wool and use it as a toner to remove any last traces of make up. That's mainly how I use it. It's basically made from lavender water and rose water, which makes it wonderfully simple and ideal for any skin type. I find it helps calm my skin if I've suffered from a break out, but it also makes it feel squeaky clean and very toned.

So those are my new fave picks from Lush. Have you tried any of them out before? Enjoy x

Gorgeous Gift Ideas #2 - LUSH Christmas Specials

Continuing with my gorgeous gift guide, the lovely people at LUSH (I am a HUGE Lush fan, especially as I worked there every summer during uni!) sent me a package of their new Christmas goodies. Feeling extremely spoilt and very reluctant to give any of them away, I decided they needed their very own dedicated gift guide post. A Lush product makes the perfect stocking filler, or, you can go all out and pick up one of their gift sets, which range from the small (a couple of products) to the amazing huge (20+ products.)

Whatever you choose, take a look at my review below of the best of their new Christmas goodies, and start adding them to your list to ensure a relaxing and beautifully smelling Christmas. Enjoy x

The entire stash!

 

Bubble Beard £4.95

 

I LOVE this! This cute little moustache on a stick is actually a reusable bubble bar. How does it work you might ask? When your bath water is running, simply take the Bubble Beard and swirl it under the running water, to fill your bath with soft bubbles. Then, pop it on the side of the bath, ready to use over and over again. This smells gorgeous too –not too sweet and actually quite mellow and very relaxing, featuring cedarwood, sandalwood and tonka, making this the perfect pressie for a girl or a guy.
 

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar £2.95

 

Mmm…I love Lush’s bubble bars. They usually produce so many bubbles, that I break them in half, so I get two baths out of them. This Christmas Eve bubble bar is a really lovely treat for a cold winters day (or night depending on when you like to take your baths!) It looks like a crescent moon against a night sky and it does have a feel of magic about it. Featuring a lovely jasmine fragrance and Irish moss powder, which leaves your skin super soft.

 

Father Christmas Bath Bomb £3.25

 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with a bath bomb…shame on you! Where have you been?? Lush’s bath bombs are legendary and their cute Father Christmas bath bomb is a must have for everyone. Featuring an adorable Santa face and a couple of hidden surprises…I’m not going to tell you, you have to buy one for yourself to see, this yummy smelling bomb gives off the aroma of a traditional Christmas; mandarin and orange. To get the most out of it, run your bath and then get in, lie back and drop the bath bomb in…it explodes around you and tickles as it fizzes away.
 

Party Popper Bath Bomb £2.95

 

Yay, another bath bomb! This one really gets you in the mood to party. I love the pretty colours (watch that water turn) and the fruity smell, and even better, when I dropped it in the bath, it literally explodes with popping candy, fragrance and (soap) confetti, which leaves you skin really soft and clean. It does kind of make you want to drink the bath water though…but don’t…OK?!
 

The Melting Snowman Luxury Bath Melt £1.95

 

How sweet is this little snowman? Yes he is melting, which is slightly macabre, but he is a snowman, and he is a melt, so don’t feel too bad. This is a really gentle product, which I absolutely love. While your bath is running, place the snowman in and watch him melt, leaving a trail of skin softening cocoa and shea butter and a gorgeous hot toddy fragrance – cinnamon, clove, orange, lime and more. I think this is a great gift for a fella in your life.
 

So White Bath Bomb £3.20

 

This is a great bath bomb to get someone who might be a little apprehensive about using them for the first time. It has a simple and delicious fragrance of fresh apples, and leaves your skin really soft…even better though, through this bomb against the side of your bath when it is full and the white outer layer shatters to leave a trail of pretty pink, which leaves your bath water looking as sweet as it smells.
 

Twilight Shower Gel £4.25/100g

 

Now personally, I always use Lush’s shower gels as bubble baths, because I always prefer a bath to a shower (I know…bad for the environment…slap wrist), and this gorgeous festive gel works equally as well as a bubble bath, shower gel, shampoo, whatever! Perfect for a guy or a girl, this divine smelling gel has notes of lavender, vanilla and malt and really helps you unwind. The colour is so pretty too, a shimmering, rich purple. I couldn’t get out of the bath when I used this, and it helped me get a really good night’s sleep – seriously, treat yourself to one!
 

 

Santa's Sack Bubble Bar £4.15

 

The final bubble bar in my list of goodies comes in the form of Santa's sack! No dirty minds please! Perfect for anyone, this yummy smelling bubble bar is big enough to break in half and use for two baths. Smelling of lovely things like fizzy drinks, neroli, tonka. Even better, you can pull out the "toys" in the sack, and put them to one side to use another day! What more could you ask for.

 

Popcorn Lip Scrub £5.25

 

 

Yum, yum, YUM! I had to be so careful not to gobble this little pot of niceness up...and yes...this is one Lush goodie you actually can pop in your mouth! Featuring a popping candy and salted caramel flavour, and made from coconut and jojoba oil, castor sugar, sea salt and polenta, you take a little scoop of this scrub and buff your lips and then lick them clean! Amazing! I've just had a go and my lips are now super smooth and taste gorgeous. Pop one in every stocking for a very sweet Christmas.


Disclaimer: I was sent these products to review for free but I was not paid to make this post and my opinions are always honest

A Little LUSH Haul

I think I have bleated on about my love of LUSH in several blog posts.

It's not just because I used to work there to fund my summer holidays, but I genuinely LOVE their products. From bath bombs to bubble bars, natural face masks to massage bars, I can always spend ages in a LUSH shop, contemplating the products and leaving with a massive bag full of gorgeous smelling goodies.

I popped into my local LUSH during my lunch break this week - a sweet little shop on South Molten Street just off Oxford Street - to treat myself to a bath bomb or two.

a selection of gorgeous bubble bars

impulse buys by the till

Although I know a lot of the products very well, it's been a while since I worked there, so when one of the sale assistants asked if she could help, I took up her offer. Her name is Sammy and not only was she super cheerful, friendly and smiley, but her knowledge of the products and of essential oils etc was amazing!

The lovely Sammy

fizzing bath bombs

I was after products mainly for relaxing baths, so Sammy showed me around and talked me through all of the products which she thought would be beneficial. She spent a good 20 minutes with me, despite the store being busy, and after I selected 5 fabulous bubble bars, Sammy then offered me as many free samples as I wanted. I came out with my 4 bubble bars and samples of Cosmetic Warrior face mask (perfect for eliminating spots and blemishes), Dream Cream body cream (leaves your skin super soft and smelling of lavender), Lemon Flutter cuticle butter (leaves cuticles and nails in gorgeous condition) and Sea Vegetable soap (combines seaweed and lemon oil) - I could have had more but I actually felt bad taking so much!

so many fabulous products

Here is what I treated myself to:

Ceridwen's Cauldron - a luxury bath melt filled with a slow melting oil, which melts gorgeously in warm water, leaves it smelling beautiful and slightly like a meadow in summer time! This melt comes in a little pouch and when the oil has melted, you are left with a pouch full of oats, which can be used as a soft body scrub.

French Kiss - a fab bubble bar which will have you dreaming of a French lavender field! This pretty bubble bar makes loads of foamy bubbles and smells of pretty lavender. Each bar comes with a stick of fresh lavender too. Mmmmm!

Amandopondo - a simple bubble bar which smells of rose and lemon. So simple but so good! Each bar comes with a dried rose bud in the centre to add to the floral effect.

Rose Jam - this bubble bar is super fruity - it has a pretty rose scent with a touch of strawberry jam. Yum! It also has lemon to bring clarity, geranium oil to balance the skin and coconut oil and shea butter to help soften the skin. So nice!

Have you shopped at LUSH before? Make sure you pop into the South Molten branch, and be sure to ask for Sammy! Enjoy x