Christmas Gift Guide for Bath Lovers

This has been one of my favourite gift guides to put together because it is honestly one of my favourite things to do. I love a bit of me time which usually means having a nice hot bath, grabbing my book, a nice cool drink and then shutting the world out for as long as the bath water stays at what I consider to be a nice temperature. So, I thought I would put together a Gift Guide for Bath Lovers (erm basically me) using some of my favourite products. 

Good Things Manuka Honey Nourishing Bath Soak - This is my second bottle. The first was kindly sent to me a few months ago and I loved it so much it was all gone before I could add it to my blog list, so having purchased another bottle, it is so good it deserves to be in my guide. It smells just so amazing with a combination of sweet almond oil, Shea Butter and Manuka Honey and once in the bath, the scent intensifies and it is just incredibly moisturising on the skin.

Mio Liquid Yoga - This has very quickly become my 'go to' de-stress bath soak and I did a full review of it here. Liquid Yoga comes packed with amazing ingredients such as Magnesium-rich Epsom salts and Arnica, and the inclusion of the amazing V-Tonic™ blend which is a blend of essential oils such as spearmint, cypress, lavender, mandarin and chamomile essential oils all of which help to ease your stress and anxiety. I find it is perfect for that much needed wind down.

The Comforter Bubble Bar from Lush - This Bubble Bar is my all time favourite from Lush and I am seriously happy there is now a shower gel. It uses Cassis absolute gives a distinctive blackcurrant fragrance, while bergamot adds an uplifting note and the use of Cypress Oil helps to calm during times of stress. Crumbled under the warm running water into your bath, the scent comes alive along with an abundance of bubbles.

Staying with the honey theme for Humble natural beauty Bath Honey infused with Rose & Frankincense. As soon as the water runs hot, liberally pour into the water and as the steam captures the scent it comes to life creating a wonderful floral and musky aroma. I absolutely love that local honey is used within all of the products and on the skin, it is great for moisturisation and does leave your skin feeling just incredible.

Elemental Herbology Bath and Shower Oil Collection - Compromising 100% natural oils and based on the Five Elements – wood, fire, earth, metal and water – this gift lets you create your own aroma-therapeutic infusion for an indulgent bathing experience. Tailor your bathing experience with five different oils to balance and soothe your skin and mind. Each and every single one of these oils is just divine and even mixing them to create that perfect bath to allow you to lie back and relax is an amazing experience.

Aromatherapy Associates Relax Bath and Shower Oil - I am a huge fan of Aromatherapy Associates and I absolutely love Breathe Support when I have a bad cold. When I have a bath I like to relax and forget about my day/week and to do that the Relax Bath and shower oil is just amazing. Using Vetiver, Chamomile and Sandalwood as ingredients, it literally helps you forget everything and it helps falling to sleep a much easier task.

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. As soon as you swirl a handful of this into the water, bubbles immediately form, so if you like a product with a lot of bubbles, then this will tick all the boxes.

Bath salts are a product that I have really championed on my blog, I think they are totally underrated. Ynys Mon Slumber bath salts (full review here) are described as being "A dreamy blend of oils renown for their relaxing and soothing qualities. Enjoy this blissful aromatherapy anytime you wish to unwind, settle and ease into a state of peaceful relaxation. Perfect for those who want to de-stress after a challenging day or need help to achieve a restful nights sleep". As soon as you twist off the lid, the first thing that hits you is the lovely scent of Lavender, which is one of those ingredients I absolutely adore for its relaxation properties and if you are good at detecting scents, Jasmine and Rose are also evident.

Staying with Bath Salts with the Joyful Bath Company, a brand I happened to stumble across in TKMaxx and I have two different varieties - Green Tea Glee and Aloe Infused. 

• Green Tea Glee Recharging Bath Salts uses Green tea to provide natural anti-oxidants and then peppermint helps the mind focus and clear the mind. There is also a medley of Mediterranean and Dead Sea salts which contains Magnesium which is important for both combating stress and fluid retention, slowing skin aging and calming the nervous system.
• Aloe Infused Bath Salts are mixed with Lavender, one scent that I use when I need to wind down and relax. Again within these salts there is a Mediterranean and Dead Sea salts which are important for both combating stress and fluid retention, slowing skin aging and calming the nervous system. Aloe which is used for skin rejuvenation, healing, improving blood circulation and has anti-inflammatory properties.

All of these products could be used to make one amazing package for a friend or loved one and equally they are such a lovely gift to receive independently of one another. If you find having a bath a calming and restful experience, then I hope I have given you some new products to think about trying.

Christmas Gift Guide - Perfumes

So we have had Mad Friday and Shopping Saturday, so hopefully by now you have got all of your Christmas presents all sorted right? No, me either.  One gift you can never go wrong with at Christmas time or at any other time, is perfume.  I love perfume and love the discovery of new fragrances and the chance to try ones which have gained cult status that I haven't yet comes across.

I am quite fussy about what perfume I will and won't wear.  Any perfume I try, has to be one I like from the first spritz, it is seldom rare that something will grow on me enough to like it and purchase it.  So here I have 6 perfumes that I absolutely love and am wearing right now, that would make an amazing gift.

YSL Black Opium - From the moment I tried this I wanted it within my collection. Not only does it have a lovely black and pink sparkly bottle, the scent which describes itself as "The hedonistic black coffee note of the original Black Opium scent is transformed into an ultra-luminous green coffee accord with a heart of Jasmine Tea on a sensual base of sensual Patchouli, white woods and musk" and it is just stunning. I find this is one of the longest lasting scents on my skin.  This perfume came into my life via a Klout Perk and is one that is readily available in places such as Boots.

L'Occitane Pamplemousse Rhubarb - This is a scent that captured my attention at a blogger event. It is quite unusual for a scent because it uses the zesty scent of Grapefruit combined with the the green, crisp scent of rhubarb which makes for a really lovely fresh scent which is unisex and smells great on both men and women. Anyone who reads my blog will know that I am a huge fan of L'occitane and if this sounds like a fragrance for you, then you can find it here along with an entire set which comprises of a shower gel, body lotion and soap.

Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules- Now if you want a scent that makes you go wow, want to ask someone in the street what on earth it is they are wearing (in a good way) or want people to ask you, then Molecule 01 is the scent for you. It isn't pretty to look at, it won't be the obvious choice of gift, but what it loses in looks and cuteness it makes up for in scent. The scent has a subtle, velvety, woody note which will meld with your natural pheromones, vanish, then re-surface after some time, making it totally individual and personalised to the wearer. You will rarely smell this fragrance on yourself, Molecule 01 perfume is more about the effect it has on others.

Lolita Lempecka Sweet - I was lucky enough to win this from a Twitter competition run by Escentual and the bottle which is shaped like a bright red apple, is distinctive and it captures your attention.  The scent is really addictive, it is sweet and fresh at the same time and is described as opening "with the tender and juicy flesh of a cherry, coated in the crisp sugar icing of a candy apple. In the heart, pure, bitter cocoa absolute flirts with angelica, before a seductive base of scandalous musk and warm, sensuous cashmeran envelops all".  

Jo Loves Pomelo - I have reviewed this scent right here and it is just an amazing scent.  Jo described it as being ‘Inspired by memories of summer holidays, fresh linen sheets and sparkling iced water, I surround myself with Pomelo wherever I go. To my joy, it’s the fragrance that makes people stop me in the street to ask what I’m wearing.’ The Pomelo is a large citrus fruit that looks and tastes similar to a grapefruit and when combined with Vetiver, which is quite earthy it creates an amazing scent. Put them together and you have this absolutely stunning fragrance which is citrussy sharp as well as being fresh and clean from the moment it leaves the bottle to a good 6-7 hours later when on the skin. 

Michael Kors White - I knew that I would never hate this scent purely because it has Jasmine as one of its heart notes and the full review can be found right here. I love the big chunky whiteness of the bottle and the scent itself is one of those where one spritz is enough to last the entire day. It is fresh when first spritzed with the Freesia being quite dominant but as it settles and you can detected Gardenia, which is a really lovely scent, this perfume becomes for me all about the tuberose (which is a flower) which is a lovely floral, sweet buttery scent.

As someone who loves perfume, I am more than looking forward to all of the new releases in 2016.

If you had to choose a perfume to receive for Christmas, what would it be?

Top 3 Tips When Buying Through Catalogues That You Need To Know!

Are you thinking about opening a new credit account with a UK catalogue? Before you go any further, there are a few things you need to know. Here are the top 3 tips when buying through catalogues and what you can do to save money on your purchases. 

 1. Find the best interest rates When you open a new credit account with a UK catalogue company, you can spread the cost of your order and pay for your purchase in affordable instalments; however, you will be charged interest on the balance. The amount of interest you pay will vary depending on the retailer so it's a good idea to shop around and find the best deals. A comparison website will enable you to compare different interest rates in one place, saving you time. Some retailers won't charge you any interest if you settle your balance within a certain time frame (for example, if you pay for your order within 28 days). Always read the terms and conditions and find out the interest rate - as well as any penalties for late payment - before you place your order.

 2. Find the best catalogue for you There is a wide range of catalogues to choose from, some of which specialise in particular products like clothing or electronics. Choose a catalogue that best suits you by looking at their products online or finding out more about the retailer. Companies like Jacamo specialise in clothing that you won't always find on the UK high street - including clothes in sizes up to 5x large. 

 3. Decide how you want to repay There are a number of different ways you can make repayments when you place an order with a catalogue company, including pay monthly, pay weekly, and buy now, pay later. Catalogues like Very and Simply Be provide a wide range of repayment options, including pay monthly - where you pay for your order over a period of time by making payments every month. Dial a TV is an example of a pay weekly catalogue, which might suit you better if you get your wages paid on a weekly basis.

Those are some tips.  Do you have any tips to share? Do you use a catalogue to purchase anything?

**Collaboration