My favourite products of 2013 - Part Two!

So, you have already seen my favourite Lip Products which I posted yesterday and you can find for yourself HERE and today I am going to bring to you my favourite Hair and Body products and there are quite a few to go through within the category as it includes shampoo, conditioners, shower gels and so on.

Hair and Body

Inhibitif - I couldn't really do a favourites product and not feature this one could I?  I have absolutely loved discovering this product and even now 8 months on, I am still using it and the results are just as brilliant i.e less leg shaving.  Inhibitif and the people behind the product at Deciem have also been wonderful and they gave me the opportunity to appear on the product packaging, which in itself is simply amazing and I also appeared in The Sun Newspaper too and you can see both below:

When you are next in Boots buying a new Razor or some hair removing cream, look for Inhibitif and there you will find me and my blog on the packaging.

Bubb & Dimples have managed to combine two of my loves into one - Candles and skincare.  I was first introduced to them back in July and reviewed some of their products HERE.  What I love about these candles is not only do they smell absolutely amazing they are all handmade here in the UK and they literally are a spa in a jar.  As you melt the candles they produce a nourishing body oil which is so moisturising they are wonderful.

label.m - Another company that I love.  I have used a lot of products from label.m and am yet to be disappointed in anything I use.  Shown in the photo above there is Protein Spray, Dry Shampoo and the Honey and Oat Shampoo and Conditioner all of which I have reviewed.  What I love about label.m products is that I have thin, fine hair but a lot of it and my job is quite stressful and I suffer with a dry, flaky scalp not to mention greasy roots and generally my hair can be an utter nightmare.  All of the products I have used to date from this brand have left my hair and scalp feeling wonderful and has given my hair a lovely healthy shine.

Amie - Another brand that I have only come across thanks to being a blogger and another brand I love.  Spring Clean Cooling Mask which I reviewed HERE and Morning Dew Moisturiser which you can find a review about HERE are two products I have found myself going back to time and time again.

Snow Fairy - Well no review of 2013 would be complete without a mention of my all time favourite shower gel and a review of which you can find HERE.  I absolutely love the scent and the fact it is pink gets the big thumbs up from me and as soon as Lush announce it is on sale I am in one of the stores to stock up.

Mint Thé Refreshing Bath & Shower Therapy - I was lucky enough to win this bath and shower gel from Bodhi in a giveaway and I absolutely love it.  A review of it you can find HERE. I love the fact it smells simply wonderful, so fresh and relaxing and as soon as I have got into my bath, I instantly feel more at ease and have no trouble sleeping afterwards.

Macademia Hair Masque - It was a toss up between this and label.m intensive mask, but as I have run out of label.m and threw the pot away into my recycling, I have been unable to feature it in the photo but it is fabulous.  This mask from Macademia smells wonderful and it leaves me hair feeling really nourished and shiney.

Moroccanoil Frizz Control - I got this back in September in a Limebox which you can read about HERE and it is a fabulous product.  Perfect for when I have straightened my hair with my GHDs and am in need of a little serum to tame those few unruly hairs which refuse to stay put, one little spritz and my hair looks perfect, or as near to perfect as I can get it to look.

Soap & Glory Sugarcrush Body Scrub - Not a product I have yet reviewed on my blog which I am surprised by because I absolutely love this scrub,  It smells really zesty and is perfect for waking you up in a morning and as it scrub it leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth.

Elemis Fresh Skin - I got this from the July London Meet up in my goody bag and it was my first real introduction to Elemis and one that I have really enjoyed.  I reviewed this product HERE and what I like about it is how kind it is to the skin but effective at removing dead and dry skin cells to leave my skin looking and feeling soft, smooth and moisturised.

Tangle Teezer - I reviewed this product HERE and was lucky enough to be sent it from WIMH back in August and I probably use it everyday without fail.  It is curved to make it easy to hold when you are brushing your hair and it also goes through my hair without pulling any hair out or causing any damage.

So there you have my hair and body favourites of 2013 and you might be wondering about body moisturisers and why one isn't included, well I am yet to find one that I could call a favourite, there are however a few that I like. 

Would any of these products feature in your favourites of 2013?

My favourite products of 2013 - Part one!

It has taken me quite a long time to do this post, sorting products out into groups and categories hasn't been easy, but I have done it and these are my products of 2013, though they have been split into categories to make the posts a little shorter.

Lip care

Lips are an important part of my beauty regime and I am always trying to ensure they are in good condition and don't look dry, flaking and chapped because for me there is nothing worse.  Your lips are such an important feature and you do so much with them whether it is eating food, having a drink, kissing someone or even talking, your lips are one of your main features and should be as cared for as every other part of your body.

I have a bit of an obsession with lip products as you can see HERE and I am never without a lip balm, lip cream or lip something and these are my all time favourite lip products.  Starting with:

Dr Lipp - I got this product in a Glossybox and wrote a post about it which you can read HERE.  Quite a few people have compared it to the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and I disagree, I cannot stand the 8 hour cream at all.  Dr Lipp is brilliant and I use when my lips are really dry and put it on before I go to bed and I wear it during the daytime especially if the weather is really cold.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub - One of the first items I wrote about on my blog which you can see HERE, this product is an absolute lifesaver and the best lip scrub I have ever used.  For those of you who are fans of Snow Fairy (like me) this scrub smells exactly like the shower gel.  So what is the point of it?  Well like any piece of skin on your body, it gets old and tired, dries out a bit and falls off, so Bubblegum is an exfoliator for your lips which, with a gentle massaging action, helps to remove that dead skin leaving your lips feeling soft and smooth.

Bach Rescue Balm - This is another one of my go to lip products when they are particularly when my lips look like they are dry and chapped and this is another product I usually slather my lips in over night and it works wonders.  It smells of lemons and is both Paraben and lanolin free and can also be used on your temples for relaxation purposes - something I am yet to try.

Korres Lip Butter - I am a huge fan of the Korres range, whether it is a shower gel, a lip balm or a lip butter, I love them and this particular lip butter, Guava is my favourite from the range and I posted about it HERE.  As a lip butter it is really lovely to apply and it smells divine, really moisturising and long lasting once on your lips.

So there you have it.  My first favourites of 2013 post and there are 4 more to come in my little series of posts - Hair and Body, Make-up and Perfume are to follow.

Do you have a favourite lip product? 

Would or do any of my favourites feature in your favourites?

What I got in the Lush Sale!

Christmas isn't Christmas without a trip to Lush is it? As soon as I am notified Snow Fairy is available I am in the shop as soon as possible to stock up for the following year as I love the product.

This year I got a lovely Lush voucher for Christmas and decided to go and see what was on offer in the sales as I had my eye on one or two bits and this is what I bought with my voucher:

The first thing I picked up was the gift set - Lush Stardust which contains 6 items, all of which I had intended to purchase separately but when reduced from £25 down to £12, I liked the box rather a lot, being pink and glittery, I bought it.

Inside Stardust was a 100g bottle of Snow Fairy, Candy Mountain Bubble Bar, Rock Star Soap, Snow Fairy Sparkle, Star Light Star Bright Bath Melt and Space Girl Bath Ballistic.

Then I bought a few other little bits because they were also on offer with 50% off - Snow Fairy Sparkle which I gave as a present to a friend, Godmother Soap which smells the same as Snow Fairy, Snowman Bath Ballistic, So White Bath Ballistic and finally Wiccy Magic Muscle Massage Bar which wasn't on offer but I am a huge fan of this and the fact it is a massage bar.

To date, this is my one and only sales haul, so I am feeling quite impressed with myself.

Have you had a big post-Christmas sales shop?  

Lush Rudolph Face Mask

I am a huge fan of Lush products, yes I am a Lushaholic and I love the Christmas Range. As soon as I know Snow Fairy has been released for those precious few weeks, I stock up.  I did a mini Lush Haul which I wrote about HERE and one of the products from that haul is the Rudolph Face mask.

Soothe and nourish your skin, with fresh cucumber, oatmeal and tofu. Scented with organic lavender oil, this calming mask will reduce redness and restore nutrients to your skin

Is the description for this face-mask.  Called Rudolph it has been designed to give your face and neck a little TLC which I am sure most people need, especially with this constant change in weather, my skin is not a fan of the cold weather and in order to make sure I don't end up looking like Freddie Kruger, I ensure my skin gets a little extra TLC as and when I can.  This face-mask sounded ideal when I came across it in the Lush store, especially as it promises to soothe, nourish, and calm skin, as well as reducing redness and restore balance. 

The main ingredients, which as you will know from Lush are endless and natural, are cucumber, oatmeal, tofu, and lavender.  Then we have tea tree, Calamine Powder and witch hazel which help to keep those blemishes at bay. I was quite surprised to see tofu included, mainly because I can't stand the horrible taste or texture whenever I have tried to eat it, but if it does give my skin a little TLC, I might be much nicer to it.   Now all of those ingredients aside and many more that haven't been mentioned but can be found online. I am sure you are wondering what the red blob is right?  Well it is of course Rudolph’s red nose, which is made from a bright red rounded piece of jelly to stick upon your own nose once you have applied the mask.

Being handmade and full of completely natural ingredients, Lush face masks can be quite thick and lumpy and this one is no exception.  Resembling porridge in texture and looks this facemask actually smells much better than it looks and they do say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

The mask is because described as porridge and the overly done stuff that literally clings to the pan and no amount of milk is going to make it any easier to eat.  Yes simply put, this mask is a fairly thick texture and when you apply it to your face it can be quite tricky, I found it easier to apply my mixing it with a tiny bit of water.  As I always apply as mask before getting in the bath or if I am just laying on the sofa, I tend to have some water in the sink anyway to wash my hands after I have finished applying any mask.  Once applied to your face, simply lay back and relax.

I left the mask on for around half an hour before I rinsed it off. Removing the mask was much easier than applying it and I used some damp muslin cloth to remove most of it before using a mirror to make sure I hadn't left anything lurking in and around my hairline or my eyebrows (it happens) and then once everything had been removed, I patted my skin dry and was surprised to find how lovely my skin felt.  When the mask is on your face, or any mask for that matter, I am never too sure whether anything is actually happening because if it doesn't harden for peeling off or wiping off, but stays as it was when you applied it, then what has it done?  Well this one did a lot.  my skin was soft and smooth to the touch, I had a lovely rosy glow and best of all, my skin felt so hydrated and moisturised that I didn't feel the need to instantly grab a moisturising cream and cover my face in it, because unlike some other masks I have used, I didn't feel that this one had stripped my skin of everything and left my skin feeling really dry.

Overall this is a fantastic face-mask and one I have really enjoyed using it.  It retails at £5.50 for 60g and it comes in one of those lovely black tubs which you can keep, take back and once you have 5, get another face-mask for free. 

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel

I am a bit of a Lush fanatic and I love the colour pink. How right that person was and I get very excited at Christmas Time when the Lush Limited Edition products come out.

One of my favourite Lush products ever is the Snow Fairy shower gel.

The shower gel inside the bottle is a bright candy pink colour and once you squeeze a little out onto the palm on your hand you can instantly recognise the sweet candy scent which has to be one of the sweetest things you will ever smell but in a nice way, it isn't overpowering like a vanilla scented product is, instead this shower gel is so sweet it reminds me of candy canes which you hang on your Christmas tree, Also within this shower gel are little pieces of glitter which sparkle in the light and is perfect for Christmas. When using this shower gel you will need to squeeze the bottle quite hard at first to produce a small blob like portion on the palm of your hand and the gel is quite thick in texture so you wont need as much as you would normally. 

After my shower my skin was very soft and moisturised and the sweet candy scent was to me really nice and I could still smell it on my skin in the evening, after being at work all day. Also, rather than using it as just a shower gel, I have to admit that I have used it as bubble bath, when I've come home from work and am so tired all I want is a long hot soak and I really cannot be bothered to have a shower, using this shower gel as a bubble bath substitute works really well, lots of bubbles are created and the smell lingers throughout the house much better than when I use it in the shower. 


Snow Fairy retails from Lush in three different sizes and naturally three different prices. The bottle I was given was the 100ml bottle which is the standard size within gift packages such as the one I received and that would retail at almost £3.50. There are much bigger bottles which I would buy usually to last me through the year and they come in a 250ml size which would cost £6.85 and a 500ml bottle which would cost £10.95.

As I have said this is one of my absolute favourite Lush products and if you haven't tried it, then get to Lush quick because it is only ever available at Christmas time.

A detox for tired and dull skin

As well as looking after my hands, feet and body with numerous Lush products filling the bathroom shelves, I tend more often than not to use a Lush face mask every few weeks or so. Why? Well I do have really sensitive skin and find it difficult to find a product which doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or raw after using - except with Lush products which do not irritate my skin.

The one good thing about Lush is that you can always 'try before you buy' which is exactly what I do with new products and this is what I did with 'Brazened Honey'. The one thing I like about Lush is their ability to give all of their products intriguing names which draw me to them.

'Brazened Honey' is a detoxifying face mask which you apparently use when you are utterly ashamed by the look of your skin. With all the changes in the weather recently I have to say my face has come to resemble that of Freddy Kruger on a bad day with dry skin flaking off everywhere, however, all it seems was not lost because I have this new face mask to try out. 

Lush's ‘Brazened Honey’ comes in a large pot for the bargain price of £5.95 (and for that £5.95 you get 4 uses of the product), with the usual simple Lush packaging found on and around many of their products. All of Lush’s face masks are made with fresh ingredients which means they contain absolutely no synthetic preservatives and because the ingredients are so fresh, Lush will only deliver them to the United Kingdom. 

There are seven ayurvedic herbs main ingredients. Ayurvedic after some research means “The best known form of traditional Indian medicine is Ayurveda (from ayus, meaning 'life' and veda, meaning 'knowledge').” All of which can be found on any website if you type in 'Ayurveda'. So, for this product some of those seven herbs are Fresh Coriander, Sage, Rosemary and Parsley mixed in with fresh Lime juice, fresh free range eggs, ground almond shells, honey and Ginger oil, but still the list of ingredients goes on and can be found on the Lush Website. 

By putting all of these ingredients together Lush claim that they all work together to cleanse your skin deeply. The honey is used to soothe, smooth and calm troubled skin whilst at the same time allowing the herbs to detoxify your skin and the ingredients to do that are Sage, Juniper and Rosemary alongside the lime juice and then the use of Parsley, Ginger and Coriander are used to boost the skins circulation. If you look into any of these ingredients on health websites, they do quantify the statements made by Lush as to what these ingredients actually do.

Texture wise this honey coloured slop as I refer it as is slightly thick but easily spreadable and the first thing to noticed apart from the strong honey smell was a slight tingling sensation as the mask was applied and started working. 

So after a long hard stressful day at the office, one of the best ways to relax and chill out is for me in the bathroom and with a bath full of bubbles from yet another Lush Product, usually a glass of wine in my hand and a good book. Then I grab my pot of ‘Brazened honey’.

To use this mask you must ensure that you have washed your face prior to using it because this will remove any dirt and grime on the surface of your skin. You then should apply to your skin avoiding the eyes (and it does sting if you get some in your eyes) and leave on your skin for five to ten minutes, depending on how bad you think your skin actually is and this face mask does harden on your skin, so it is worth laying totally still (possibly in the bath) once it has hardened because it does loosen and crumble when removing. 

Once those five to ten minutes are up and the aroma’s of the lime juice and ginger, which for me was the most predominant two smells, have got your senses throbbing, you simply rinse of using warm water and then use a clean towel to pat your skin dry. 

Now, most Lush face masks have a shelf life of about 3 months from the date of manufacturing and the best way to preserve your mask is to keep it in the fridge to keep the ingredients fresh. You will know when the face mask is beyond use because the colouring and smell fade quite dramatically and also because there will be a sticker on your pot with the date of expire on it. 

The end results? Yes my face did feel amazing immediately afterwards and unlike ‘Mask of Magnaminty’, I didn’t feel the need to moisturise afterwards because my skin was so smooth and blemish free but I did moisturize and my skin stayed lovely and soft for the next few days as well as the smells of Lime and Ginger lingeringly slightly.

Do I recommend it? Without a doubt I certainly do. This is one Lush product that I will be buying more often than not.

Lush Imogen Rose Perfume

With my love for Lush I am intending to make way through their entire product collection, I seem to be up to date with trying all of the Bath Ballistics and I am almost done with the Bubble Bar slices, so its no mean feat being a Lush-o-holic. However, I am always really happy to try new products and the one product section with Lush that I am not so familiar with is their perfume range. So I decided that it was about time I tackled this problem and purchased myself something from the range, whilst trying some of the new products.

Lush perfumes come in 6 different aromas - Tuca Tuca, Ginger, Orange Blossom, The Smell of Freedom, Karma and Imogen Rose. They are all sold in store and online.

Lush Imogen Rose Perfum

As ever with Lush, nothing is ever straight forward when it comes to a product and the perfume range is no different. For starters with Imogen Rose, of which I have in my possession, it is available in a bottle or as a solid perfume. I have never in my lifetime tried a solid perfume, so I thought I might as well give it go and see if I could be converted. 


So the solid perfume is priced at £10 and for that you get a 12g stick and I say stick because what you get is a fatter, dumpier version of a chapstick to describe how it looks and the tube itself is black and on the tube it features white writing which tells you it is 'Imogen Rose' and a solid perfume, so you definitely know which product you have purchased. The lid is one of those similar to the ones you find on a tube of lip salve and is simply removed by pulling it odd and then re-applied by pushing it back on, so thankfully that is a simple task. Then to reveal the solid perfume, again the characteristics of a lip salve/chapstick come into play with the twisting section at the bottom of the perfume which raises and lowers the solid perfume in and out of the tube. The one thing I immediately liked about this product was how easy it was to use and how easy it is to carry on your person or in your bag, I always have a bottle of perfume in my bag, no matter where I am going, and it has been known for that bottle, which is always made of glass to break which in turn becomes a complete waste of money and if it hasn't ruined my current handbag by staining it, I'm left stinking rather strongly of perfume! 

Imogen Rose was designed by a Lush product designer with reference to his one year old daughter also named Imogen Rose, and he, Simon, wanted to make a perfume containing roses because in his own words "They're either too granny-ish or seem so synthetic that I'm sure a rose has never been anywhere near them" and from here Imogen Rose was born. As you would expect Imogen Rose is a nice bright pink colour and it really stands out against the blackness of the tube and when applied to the skin, thankfully it does not leave a pinky stain behind, although it does look pink on your skin when you do apply it. 

Solid perfume

When I first removed the top from the tube, I was pleasantly surprised at how nice this perfume did smell, like Simon who invented it, any perfume that usually contains Rose does remind me of my Granny and not in a nice way, so it is nice to have something which smells quite floral but fresh at the same time and not overly potent. The one remark people always make about Lush is how pongy their products and shops are and for me that is what I love about them, the solid perfume however is not pongy and would not give you a headache but it is a prominent smell as soon as you remove the lid.

So when it comes to the list of ingredients you wont be surprised to learn that as ever with a Lush product there is an exhaustive list which accompanies it and even more unsurprising is that the first ingredient to mention is:

• Rose Oil and Rose Oil comes from the flower petals of the damask rose and is used in more than half a dozen lush products because on the skin it has an amazing ability to moisturise and improve the skins appearance. 
• Next is Orris Butter which has a very delicate, sweet floral and a slight woody aroma. 
• Vertivert Oil which is again used in a lot of Lush products, is good because it helps to help clear the mind and help dispel anger and anxiety and on the skin hosts similar properties to Rose Oil, however within a perfume it has an earthy aroma and works well alongside Orris butter. 
•  

There is a further list of ingredients that can be found on the back of this product or from Lush.
 
When it comes to using this perfume, because it is a solid there is obviously no need to spritz it here and there and for me at first this did pose a problem because if I am spritzing it I can tell how much perfume I have applied, so for the first few attempts I did find applying this perfume a little bit hit and miss but soon got to grips with it. So to apply it, you simply rub it onto your pressure points and apply as much or as little as you feel your skin needs and as I mentioned earlier within this review, given that the perfume stick itself is a bright pink colour and when it is applied to the skin you can see a slight pinky stain on your skin which disappears almost immediately and is not a permanent mark and I find it useful to pinpoint where I have applied the perfume as I am applying it. Once it is applied to the skin the fragrance for me comes alive and there is, as Lush tell you, a slight hint of the baby powder aroma, which is simply divine and for me makes this a fantastic perfume, if anyone has ever had a Baby Powder Yankee Candle then the aroma is distinctly similar and it is for me incredibly girlie and definitely not 'Granny-ish'. 

For me this is a brilliant product and one I am really quite fond of, when applied it is very fragrant and the aromas last for a good few hours because a re-application is required and my own husband even likes the smell of it, despite knowing it is from Lush! So this is one product that I intend to carry around in my handbag for the immediate future and should it run out then I am very much tempted to either buy it again or try my luck with another one from the range. I suspect this product will last for different amounts of time depending on how often you feel the need to apply and re-apply it, I have had my 12g tube for 5 weeks now and suspect I've got just over half of the stick left and I apply it 2 or 3 times a day some days, although I don't actually use it every day of the week, so it is worth its money. 

My March Empties!

I see so many fellow bloggers doing posts like these and I really enjoy reading them, so I thought I would do one too.  Throughout the whole of March, I have made a conscious effort to use it those bottles and tubs of potions that are just about to run out and here they are:

In this photograph there are some of the face products that I have used up and they are:

The Sanctuary Spa Active Reversal Thermal Transformation Mask which I got in my January Glossybox.  I have to be honest, I didn't like this mask at all, I didn't like how much faffing about there was to using it, the feel of it on my skin or the feel of my skin after using it.

Montagne Jeunesse Paw Paw Peel off Mask which claimed to be a 'Phenomenal Pore Blaster' and I reviewed it HERE it is fair to say I wasn't impressed with this product either.

Simple Facial Wipes which again I reviewed HERE and I love these wipes,l they are brilliant for wiping away all the dirt and grime of the day, along with make-up and wouldn't hesitate to purchase them again.

Simple Facial Moisturising Cream which I have also reviewed and you can find it HERE and again I really liked this product, I love how soft and smooth my skin felt after using it and I had no adverse reactions to it either.

Next are products from the bathroom and again all have been used up in March.

Radox Nourish Bath  - I bought this because it was on offer for £1 in Asda and I had assumed I was running low on bath products, not only for me but also for him indoors.  This is the Nurturing range with Ginger and Shea butter, not two ingrdeients I would put together but it smells alright and I wouldn't purchase it again as it wasn't my favourite fragrance, but for £1 it is alright.

Essential Waitrose Sea Salt and Kelp - I bought this because it was on offer again £1.29, as you might have gathered, I am the worlds greatest impulse shoppers!  A friend of mine swears by this stuff and claims it is the best foam bath she has ever used.  Well to be fair to the bath foam, it does create a lot of bubbles and it does smell quite nice and it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth.

Palmolive Bergamot and Verbena Hand Soap - I bought this for two reasons.  Firstly I liked the design of the bottle and it was on offer in Asda for £1 and I needed some more soap for the bathroom and secondly I have used a bath foam in the past with both Bergamot and Verbena as the main ingredients and loved the sharp citrusy scent.  I was really disappointed by this soap, there is a slight citrus smell, but it wasnt as sharp as I was hoping for and I wouldn't buy it again.

Lush Veganese - A slight cheat as there was only enough left for one last use but I did use it in March.  i like this conditioner as a treat, it is seaweed and lemon infused and is really light as a conditioner.  As I have greasy roots, I don't use a conditioner on my roots very often as it makes my hair worse, however, this leaves my hair soft and shiney.  It costs £4.15 for 100g bottle, £8.15 for 250g and £13.15 for 500g bottle. I will definitely purchase this again.

             

Here we have:

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil - Hmm well this was a sachet and am glad I didnt have to pay for it because I hated everything about it. The smell, the texture, the effect it had on my hair, basically it wasn't for me and I have since tried Morrocanoil which I adore.

Spa Magik Salt brushing - Love this product range and this sachet came from a Glossybox and I have since bought another one because they are so good.  It is 100% natural, has no Parabens and costs around £1.78 per sachet to buy and it leaves your skin looking and feeling amazing.  There is a review for this coming soon.

Garnier Body 7 day replenishing Lotion - this was given to me by a work colleague who couldnt stand the smell. It is a Mango oil fragrance for dry skin and I found the scent to be quite subtle.  However, this products is just not for me, it doesnt do enough for my dry skin patches and it isn't something I would now purchase for myself.

Maybelline Colossal Mascara - I actually quite liked this mascara until I got towards the end of the tube when it became clumpy and unwearable which annoyed me.  As a mascara I liked the brush, it made applying the mascara really easy and whilst I never truly believe it would give me 'up to 7 times more gorgeous volume' you could see some improvement.  However, having now discovered They're Real by Benefit, this really does pale into insignificance   Costs around £7

My final list of empties - and I am shocked as to how much I have managed to use up are:

Radox Coconut Kiss shower gel which I wrote about HERE and HERE and I love the smell of this shower gel, the texture is lovely and it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth after using.  A product I would definitely purchase again and it is still on offer for £1 in Asda.

Palmolive Ayurituel Joyous Shower Gel - again I wrote about this HERE and of the three in this range, Joyous is without doubt my favourite.  I like the scent of this alot and it leaves a really lovely lingering smell in your bathroom and on your skin for a few hours after using. Again, I have since purchased this one again.

Dove Natural Touch Deodorant Spray - Picked it for £1 which makes it another bargain yet again.  Doesn't leave white stains on clothing, smells really lovely and keeps me feeling fresh all day long.  I would definitely purchase this again.

The Final product is Nspa mango body scrub which I bought from Asda on a 3 for 2 offer and I really like this scrub, it smells wonderfully fruity and has a matching bath foam, it does exfoliate really well without scratching your skin and the mango smell is really lovely.  A definite item to be repurchased. 

Do you use any of these products? Do you like/hate any of them?

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

One thing that really annoys me is chapped lips and for me, lip care is quite an important part of my beauty regime and the reason for that is because I spend a lot of my working day not only dealing with ordinary members of the public but also business clients and other professionals within my work place. So to have well a manicured hand and a smart suit for me isn't enough, there is a little bit more to it and that. 

I am a huge fan of lip scrubs. Why do I like these products? Simply because I feel there has been a gap left on the market for high street leading cosmetic companies to fill. It has become increasingly difficult to find a lip scrub at a reasonable price rather than some exorbitant price which leaves you weeping as you leave the checkout. So Lush it seems has catered for this niche in the market and at a reasonable cost as well and I am yet to find a product that is better than this product.

As shown on the Lush website

Bubblegum Lip Scrub is one of my favourite Lush products and the blurb used to describe this lip scrub states that it will "make your lips smell like our best-selling Snow Fairy shower gel. Bubblegum is made with castor sugar and our delicious vegan flavour to gently exfoliate, keeping your lips smooth and kissably soft. So what more could you possibly need from your lip scrub? Hunky man to test it one...tick....and that's all. 

Bubblegum Lip Scrub is designed to keep lips kissable, smooth, conditioned and dry, flaky skin free. So, whenever the weather changes so rapidly your skin can look dry and tired and sometimes you feel washed out and use a treatment or lotion to combat this, so why not your lips? When your lips are dry and chapped it can be quite painful to remove the dry skin and it can be quite difficult and before I spotted these two products I used to rely on using an old toothbrush to remove such skin from my lips, not that it was very easy to do or as successful as using something especially designed like this. 

Bubblegum Lip Scrub comes packaged in a small round glass tub with a black lid and on the jar of this product are the words Bubblegum on both the lid and surrounding label along with the most important two words which are lip and scrub. The pot itself is see through behind the label and through the pot you can see a bright pink sparkly looking scrub which looks like a jar of pink sugar as it glistens under the light and the pinkness of the scrub is exactly the same as the Snow Fairy Shower gel. It retails at £5.25 for a 25g jar.

I think this is a fantastic product, it does everything that I had anticipated it would do and makes your lips feel fantastically smooth. Once the lid has been removed, inside the tub the sugary cream I described as being bright pink is caster sugar which gives it the rough texture you need to act as the exfoliator on your lips which will work to remove all of the dead skins cells from your lips. The other main ingredient included is Jojoba Oil can be used on all skin types but is especially used as a moisturising ingredient for dry, flaky skin. Unlike other Lush products this one doesn't come with a long list of other ingredients to look into but it does have two colourings within it and their secret ingredient which makes it smell so wonderful and very much the same as Snow Fairy Shower gel. Its a simple product with a simple ingredient list. 

When it comes to using this Lip Scrub, it is exactly the same as I mentioned in my previous review, but got the benefit of those people who haven't read it yet. One of the first things you need to do is to remove any traces of products such as lip gloss, lip balm or lipstick which you might have applied and this is to ensure your lips are as bare as they can possibly be and as clean as they can be as well. Then I would suggest cleaning your lips using water and a relevant facial cloth before using this lip scrub, just to ensure your lips are clean and that there is no chance any bits of dirt are left clinging to them. Then as this lip scrub is quite thick in consistency and because it is to be used on your lips you don't actually need to be using too much at a time. Like with most lip balms you apply this directly onto your lips, but instead of running your finger along your lips to get that smooth look, you will need to rub it into the skin on lips in small circles to remove all of the dead skin cells and any other impurities from your lips and once you have worked your way across your lips, using some slightly damp cotton wool you gently remove the left over product from your lips and then using your finger check your lips to make sure you haven't missed anything, if you have simply copy the actions you have just done. Once you have finished, what you will notice what effect this product has had on your lips because you will see traces of what has been removed and if your lips are really chapped you might find they sting a bit if you have pressed too harshly with this scrub, because although it is castor sugar which acts as the exfoliating agent, it is quite harsh on the skin, particularly as the skin on your lips is quite sensitive compared to the skin on other body part, so take extra care the first time you use this product. Once I had finished scrubbing my lips my first initial reaction was to see how smooth my lips felt, so I ran my tongue along them. When my lips become dry it is always tends to be in the same place and that is right in the middle of my top and bottom lip and once I had used this product my lips felt soft and smooth all the way along. The after feel should be a soft and smooth one, what I noticed was no sign of any hard or loose skin but soft smooth lips and because it is a scrub you will need to use a lip balm afterwards to ensure you keep your lips moisturised. 

As shown on www.lush.co.uk

I have since continued to use this cream once a week as I go between both this one and Sweet lips and I carry both pots around with me in my bag all the time because the pots are quite petite, they add no extra weight to my bag. 

Overall I am very impressed with Bubblegum lip scrub, it was easy to use, it smelled lovely, anything which smells like Snow Fairy shower gel will be wonderful and it has a lovely smell and feel to it which is an added bonus and price wise I don't actually think it is expensive because it lasts a very long time. So for a cheap in-expensive product to keep your lips smooth, soft and kissable, I would recommend this one.

Getting a bit Lippy!

When I was sorting through all of my make-up the other day to see what needed to be renewed and… well to be honest, see what I could justify buying, I was intrigued to see just how many Lip Balms I had, especially as I had bought a few new ones lately.

I confess to being addicted to lip balms, I have loads of them and they all come in different shapes and sizes, some are tubes, some are pots, some are slimy, some are gloopy, some you don't even know you are wearing and some you wonder why you bought them, the answer usually being - on a whim.

 

Shown above is almost all of the Lip Balms, Glosses, Scrubs and creams that I could find in my bag, make-up bag, make-up case and sample boxes

And this is what they are:

1. Nspa Pick me – is a pack of 3 lip balms which come in Mango, Raspberry and Shea Butter flavours.  The pack cost £5 from Asda.
2. Anatomicals What a complete and utter glosser Strawberry Milkshake  - not one I did purchase, well I kind of did, it was part of my February Glossybox and I love everything about it.  If purchased it would cost between £2.20 and £3.49.
3. Lush Bubblegum – okay not quite a Lip Balm, but it was in with the rest of them, it is great for buffing the lips and removing dry and dead skin cells.  To purchase it costs £5.25.
4. Vaseline – Now this tin is looking old and battered and even though I haven’t used it in a long time, it still works totally fine, though I am not a fan of Vaseline on my lips.  A tin of this will cost £1.99 in Boots
5. Figs and Rouge sweet geranium lip balm – Again comes from Glossybox and I absolutely love the packaging.  To purchase it will cost between £2-£5 and is available right across the internet.
6. Vaseline Limited Edition Pink Bubbly Lip Therapy - Okay so I am not a fan of Vaseline on my lips and I bought this, well it said limited edition and it looks nice.  It retails for £3.49 in Boots
7. I love Raspberry and Blackberry glossy lip Balm - super juicy and bursting with life is what sold it to me, that and I had gone to meets friends and had no lip balm with me.  It costs just £99p from Superdrug and I really like it.
8. Clinique Happy Lip Gloss with perfume roller - this came as part of a gift set and whilst the perfume is lovely, I really don't like the Lip Balm, it is really sticky and gloopy and clings to your lips like copydex glue sticks to your hands. 
9. Nivea Caramel Cream Lip Butter - Again another impulse purchase from Superdrug and it smells absolutely wonderful when you first open the tin and it does glide onto your lips - bargain for £1.99
10. Jason Bee Lip Care - Came as part of a Glossybox package but can be found online from places like Amazon where it retails for £3.99 and I really like it because it is enriched with Aloe Vera Gel , Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil and it smells really lovely
11. Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm Clear Satin Gloss Finish SPF15 - I am a fan of Carmex lip balms and I bought this because it was 'new' and I was intrigued by the design of it. It works really well on your lips and is definitely hydrating.  Retails for £4.49 and I bought mine from Boots
12. Carmex Mint Moisturising Lip Balm - I really love the design of this lip balm, makes life much easier with the design of the tube and the applicator and it is minty and makes your lips tingle when applied.  It retails for £2.69 and again from Boots
13. Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker  - A broze coloured lip gloss which came as part of a gift set. These glosses can be bought seperately and retail at around £9
14. Sweet Revenge Lip Balm - Smells of cherries and was sent to me by a friend in America in a package a few years ago
15. Too Faced Diamond Gloss Super Shine Ultra Glam Gloss Pink Diamond - This was a gift a few years ago and it is brilliant for adding shine to your lips and it tastes quite nice too.  These Lip glosses retail for around £6-£14 but if you go to Fragrane Direct you can often get them for £1.99 
16. Palmers Dark Chocolate and Cherry – This I bought because I knew I would love the smell, never mind what it did for my lips and it was on offer in Superdrug for £1.99 when I bought it

And last but not least, the final lip balm to show is the one I bought last night (Friday) when out and about because I swapped bags and forgot to take my Lip Balm with me, oops, so I bought this:

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Lip Therapy Repair Balm SPF 20 which costs £2.89 in Asda and it Soothes and protects very dry and chapped lips.  

Is anyone else as Lip Balm mad as I am? What is your favourite Lip Balm? Lip Gloss? Lip Butter?