#MyBath with Matalan Direct

If there is one room in our house that I am most ashamed of and is in need of a makeover it is the bathroom. Whilst it is the one room where I got to relax, it is one I hate being in. We need to paint, re-tile and have a new suite, so it is something we are constantly saving for. 

Did you know that Matalan Homeware have a newly launched home improvement site? I didn't until I was challenged by them to share my ultimate bath routine and having spent a good hour or so browsing at what options I could have, I pretty could have my perfect bathroom.  Anyway, I chose Coconut Vanilla as my favourite scent from the Matalanhome fragrances, I was sent a lovely package to help me share that routine. The package included a Coconut Vanilla Reed Diffuser and Candle Jar which perfectly compliment one another and a huge soft bath towel plus a £50 voucher to spend in Boots on bath time beauty goodies for my bath routine that will also compliment the Coconut Vanilla fragrance. 

I spent some time online deciding what I thought would work. Having a bath for me is about total relaxation and something I look forward to doing, usually because I am usually tired, stressed or in need of an escape and this is exactly how I choose what is going to go into my water. So using my voucher I went for the following items:

• Westlab Epsom Salts - I am a huge fan of bath salts and they are so underrated. Epsom Salt is a natural solution aid for a fit and healthy body, which has been around for hundreds of years and it is ideal for muscle relaxation, sports recovery, and helping to reduce fluid retention. Westlab Epsom Salts are made of pure Magnesium Sulphate and are great for helping to remove toxins from the body, encouraging muscles to relax thereby accelerating healing and reducing soreness, as well as increasing magnesium and sulphate levels. Magnesium aids muscle control, energy production and helps regulate the activity of more than 300 enzymes in the body. Sulphate is essential for many biological processes including helping to flush toxins.
• Dead Sea Aromatherapy Bath Salts - Dead Sea Aromatherapy Bath Salts with Frankincense have therapeutic minerals along with aromatherapy oils and rose petals help you to feel your stress just float away. The Frankincense also works to calm both your breathing and your mind whilst soothing tense muscles and rejuvenating your skin
• Soap and Glory The Daily Soothe Bath Float - This product is packed with rejuvenating Phytofleur cactus, calming Passionflower fruit extract and moisturising Herbasol Mallow which work to invigorate, calm and soothe to promote a good night’s sleep.

Once in the bath I always like to ensure I have something to exfoliate with and then wash with for my body and whilst doing that, I always ensure my face has been double cleansed whilst the bath is running and then I apply a facemask just before getting into the bath. So the products I bought for this are:

• Soap and Glory Sugarcrush body scrub - This has turned out to be one of my favourite body scrubs. It uses mashed brown sugar & sweet lime, almond oil & macadamia grains to exfoliate and polish your skin to leave it soft and smooth.
• Soap and Glory Sugar Crush bodywash - This bodywash smells divine and compliments the body scrub really well. It has a really energising scent which gives you a bit of a wake up and it moisturises as well as cleans your skin, which is always helpful after a good scrub.
• Biore Self-heating One Minute Facemask - This purifying face mask warms to open pores and draw out deep down dirt, oil and impurities, then cools leaving skin tingly smooth and refreshed.
• Quick Fix Facials Facemask - This Calming Clay mask is designed for sensitive and red skin. It uses Oatmeal to help relieve skin dryness and discomfort. Aloe Vera - perfect for helping to reduce skin inflammation and provides moisture. Chamomile Extract - helps to soothe and calm sensitive skin and finally Rose Extract to help minimise redness caused by enlarged capillaries.
• Biore Deep Cleansing Nosestrips - At least once a month, I use nose strips, just to ensure I have removed dirt and grime as I possibly can. Travelling around London can leave your skin feeling clogged, dry and forever dirty. These strips are infused with natural charcoal, these innovative pore strips draw out excess oil for the deepest clean

No bath would be perfect without some final accessories.  So for me, this includes a flannel to do a final wipe of the face, a headband which keeps your hair off your face when you are using face masks.  I never wash my hair in the bath, ewww, so I do like to ensure that I don't have numerous products stuck to or in my hair and either wear a shower cap or use a headband like this one. 

Finally, the best accessory for making a bath enjoyable is a bath pillow.  I have tried 4 or 5 quite expensive bath pillows in the past and frankly, this one from boots which cost a mere £6.29 not only users suckers to stick to the bath to keep it place, it doesn't lose air, it is comfortable and it doesn't need to be machine washed.

So there you have it, my perfect pampering session at home in the bath, all that is missing is my book and a chilled glass of wine!

*PR collaboration, all words my own.

You Beauty Discovery Box - September 2015

It's that time of the month for another You Beauty Discovery Box and if you read my blog regularly, you will know that I am a huge fan of this box and think it is one of the best out there. For September the box prevents its revitalising collection, a plethora of products that we all need in our lives right now and admittedly, if I could have had one of each, I would have been delighted. The clever people behind the You Beauty Discovery Box have carefully selected products to help tackle common skincare complaints and correct them with a series of powerful rejuvenating formulas. The resulting edit includes products that demonstrate both instantly visible effects, as well as longer lasting results from regular use.

As always there are some treats included within the box and the treats this month are pretty good. One product I hear talked about quite a lot are Linwoods Chia seeds which people to really rate. Apparently they are a great source of fibre, high in Omega 3 and great for weight management. So I intend to look on Pinterest to see what I can use them for. Secondly there is this Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitilising Facial Oil which is in this beautifully packaged gold bottle with a teeny tiny pipette and it smells amazing. This Oil uses 99% oils of natural origin, this lightweight facial oil effortlessly melts into your complexion for smoother, softer feeling skin. There is also a membership card to the Body Shop Love Your Body Club. The final item is a new make up sponge which is always helpful.

This month making a choice as to what to try was really hard because I wanted everything. In the end I settled for the following:

Sykn Iceland – Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels. I have heard a lot about the brand Sykn Iceland but have never tried anything from the brand. The Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels work intensively to help firm, de-puff and reduce the premature wrinkling that accompanies the high-adrenaline lifestyle. Cooling transdermal gel infuses the eye area with concentrated doses of high-powered ingredients to cool, soothe and de-puff in just 10 minutes. These gels are said to be a celebrity favourite and fashion week essential for keeping eyes calm, cool and collected under stress. RRP £3.20

Earth Kiss - Miracle Clay Facial Hydrate Bamboo Sheet Mask & Million Year Clay Revitalise Bamboo Sheet Mask. For me Earth Kiss is a brand I have never come across and as I love facemasks, especially sheet masks, I thought I would give them a try. The Hydrate Bamboo Sheet Mask uses Argile Clay which gives extraordinary results, cleansing, clarifying and purifying the skin for a softer, more beautiful complexion. Baobab, is greatly known for its hydrating properties. This African plant with six times the Vitamin C of an orange, helps boost skin elasticity and encourages cell regeneration. Dead Sea salt bursts in minerals which are known to treat, detoxify, and cleanse and Mandarin oil, helps maintain moisture balance in the skin.  RRP £1.99

The Revitilise Bamboo Sheet Mask is infused Rhassoul clay original from Morocco, is known for its unmatched ability to absorb impurities from the skin. It cleanses deep, clearing pores and tightening skin without harsh scrubs. Used regularly, Rhassoul clay can improve skin tone, texture, elasticity, and clarity while eliminating dryness and flakiness. The antiseptic quality of the Juniper oil is an excellent skin toner and also has a strengthening effect. RRP £1.99

So this box is worth similar to what I paid for it and this month the price is not something I have thought too much about because the products are ones I have really wanted to try.

What do you think to this box?