Lush - Plum Rain

When I first saw this Plum Rain in Lush, the first thing that jumped into my head was Purple Rain by Prince (yes I am sure you are now singing it too) and being drawn to the name, the shower gel was in my basket doubly quick and paid for (£4.95 for 100g).

Plum Rain is one of these exclusive to Oxford street products and smells just absolutely incredible, something I associate with most Lush products if I am being honest. Now unsurprisingly, I havent seen a lot of information about Plum Rain and with it being a new product, I am surprised it isnt even online.

Anyway, if you have ever tried a Lush Shower Gel, then you will know that they are amazingly thick and creamy, which ultimately means you only need a small amount for lots of lather and bubbles. Bright purple in colour (purple rain.... purple raaaaaain) it shimmers in the sunlight and smells slightly plum like, quite fresh rather than artificial and sweet but earthy all at the same time and as you might have guessed, it has quite a few amazing ingredients.

Starting with Umeboshi Infusion, something I have never come across before, Google tells me that it is infact translated to mean a Japanese pickled plum only it is more like an apricot than a plum and it tastes extremely sour and salty. Also included is: 

• Petigrain oil which helps to clear greasy skin and fight skin blemishes and have calming and relazing properties.
• Sicilian Mandarin oil helps to relieve stress and works to increase circulation to the skin, reduce fluid retention and help prevent stretch marks
• Carrageenan extract which is extracted from Irish moss seaweed and acts as an excellent moisturising agent
• Osmanthus oil is said to help with the body’s removal of toxins and is a great emollient for the skin leaving it feeling soft, smooth and moisturised. 

Plus there is also the inclusion of Fresh plum juice.

I absolutely love this shower gel, it doesn't take the top spot away from The Comforter, but it is just a delight to use and has such an amazing scent to it that I am without question going to purchase a larger bottle next time.  It leaves your skin soft and smooth and with a scent that lingers on the skin for hours after use.  A big thumbs up from me!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Back to Work Handbag Treat!

My poor Radley and Osprey black handbags are on their last legs, I have had both for 8 and 9 years respectively and the time has come to think about replacing them, something which makes me feel quite sad as I do get attached to my bags.

With that in mind, I have a few weeks off work coming up and in an almost 'Back to School' type thought, I think a new handbag is the perfect treat for returning back to the office.  Whenever I buy a new handbag, I always think about what I need to carry in it as opposed to what I always shove in there and this is what I have come up with:

Michael Kors Rhea zip grey stud backpack which I absolutely adore the design of. It is a lovely shade of grey and the studs really stand out and capture the attention, more so than the name 'Michael Kors' even though it is present. It is deep enough to house most of my needs and almost colourful enough not to be bold and brashy.

Coccinelle Blue mini hobo bag is such a beautiful shade of blue that I am almost tempted to buy it for that reason! I love the design of Hobo bags and whilst this one is called a small bag, it would still just about everything I really need to have with me on a daily basis and would stop me adding items to fill the space.

The sensible options comes with Radley and this black Millbank shoulder bag. I like Radley bags because they are strong, reliable and dependable and pretty indestructable. Most of my handbags are, as I have said been black, it is a colour that goes with everything, doesn't really stand out amongst the crowd and is just a beautiful bag. 

The final option is a cross body bag, perfect for London life, doesn't make people hate you on a packed tube as you cram into that precious space in rush hour and they comes in all shapes, sizes and colours. Ted Baker Ellen purple cross-body bag is just beautiful and I love everything about it - the purple pink outer shade, the interal leopard print design and even the gold clasp is stunning. Again, perfect for fitting in the essentials with no room for extras and a great travelling companion in London during rush hour.

The question is, which one is the most practical or does that really matter?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise/collaboration

Ilia Beauty

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to a make up masterclass on the luxury organic beauty brand Ilia. If you have never come across the brand before, Ilia is a multi-award winning brand founded in Canada by Sasha Plavsic and they are gluten free and up to 85% organic. You are not likely to find them on your high-street in Boots but they are available at places such as Fenwicks and Fortnum & Mason as can be found online.

At the event, we got to see a live demonstration with make-up artist Emma McRae showing those present, how best to use the products and beauty expert, Nikki Taylor, talk about the products in much more detail.  During the demonstration, each of the products was passed around to be swatched and played with, which I found fascinating and you might have seen some of the products on my Instagram that evening.

After the demonstration, I jumped at the chance to have a makeover, who wouldn't want their make-up professional applied! This gave me more opportunities to ask for more information about how to correctly apply products, discuss which products I felt suited me and make a note of what was used for future reference.

By the end of the evening, makeup applied and general questions answered, I felt I had come to know a lot more about a brand I had only seen referenced on social media.  So having had a nice introduction, it was great to be able to take away some products to try out at home.

I brought home four gorgeous products pictured and I absolutely love the packaging, it looks just so luxurious alongside other brands and I like that it all matches.

Starting with Neon Angel, a beautiful pink lipstick which is described as being a Magenta shade, I was pleased to find it wasn't a hot pink or barbie pink, neither of which I can never pull off. I find it is much more subtle than that (swatches below) and it glides onto the lips so effortlessly, it is a dream. 

It has a semi-matte finish and lasts, once applied, for around 4-5 hours before you need to re-apply.

All of Me is a Multi Stick and is such a beautiful shade. Described as being a Watermelon shade, this product is designed to be applied to your cheeks, lips and eyes for a sheer blush of color. 

It is enriched with cocoa seed butter, shea butter, vitamin E and orange butter to heal, nourish and hydrate the skin.

Polka Dots and Moonbeams is an illuminator which is just absolutely stunning. This one works as a really subtle highlighter, adding dimension and vitality to the skin. I love that it uses organic ingredients with healing properties of Rose Hip Oil to bring out your best features.

You can apply to cheekbones, brow bones, inner corner of eyes, bridge of nose and pout of lower lip for a fresh, dewy glow.

Shell Shock is a tinted lip conditioner and it combines organic ingredients to soothe and condition the lips. Each shade carries a sheer touch of color that increases in intensity when applied liberally. This shade is a light coral shade, not too dramatic but one which I feel I can wear comfortably. 

These products can be layered with others to make a unique shade, which excites me.

Given that they are organic/green beauty products, they swatch just as well as any other brands I own and are just as their description gives them and swatches below show just how beautiful they are in and out of the sunshine:

From LtoR we have Neon Angel, Shell Shock, Best of Me and Polka Dots & Moonbeams

So it is fair to say I absolutely love my introduction to Ilia and it is a brand I look forward to discovering more about. I love the ethos that whilst you wear a product it works for your skin.

Have you ever tried anything from Ilia?

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

LIBBIE CLUB – JULY 2016 BEAUTY OFFERS

This month’s Libbie Club offers are live and feature some great products from Cowshed, New CID Cosmetics and Bean Body.

The Cowshed is a brand that always makes me cackle, give a product a quirky name and I am guaranteed to love it. Wild Cow is a really lovely body lotion which uses an amazing mix of energising Lemongrass, invigorating Ginger and reviving Rosemary essential oils and is one of those products which kicks you awake when you are still feeling a bit sleepy in a morning.  

• Lemongrass is known to have antiseptic properties as well as working to tone the skin and open blocked pores. 
• Ginger has energising properties and helps with poor circulation and 
• Rosemary oil, which is one of my favourites, helps to ease congestion, puffiness and swelling on the skin as well as improving blood circulation. 
• There is also the inclusion of the finest quality Shea and Cocoa Butters help moisturise and nourish the skin.

Cowshed products are made in England using natural ingredients. This months Libbie Offer £5 off the Cowshed Wild Cow Invigorating Body Lotion when purchased with Bean Body Scrub using code BODY5 (300ml, £20)

I am obsessed with Coffee Scrubs right now and have a post coming shortly dedicated to some amazing ones. This is my first interaction with Bean Body and it definitely will not be my last.  It is described as being an 'Organic Coffee Scrub with Robusta Coffee Beans, Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, Himalayan pink rock salt, Demerara Sugar, Organic Cacao and Vitamin E oil' and working together those ingredients do the following:

• Caffeine stimulates blood flow and helps reduce the appearance of cellulite eczema, stretch marks, age spots, varicose veins and psoriasis.
• Demerara Sugar and Himalayan Salt exfoliate your skin, removing dead skin as well as whiteheads, blackheads.  It also helps with breakouts and other skin blemishes.
• Coconut oil hydrates, smooths and moisturises your skin.
• Cocoa and Vitamin E are both high in antioxidants which helps to nourish and protect the skin, promoting cell repair and rejuvenation.

This scrub is tough enough to remove that dead and dry skin to improve imperfections whilst at the same time, leaving your skin feeling softer and smoother than ever and of course smelling just absolutely amazing.  So if you are tired of using the same body scrubs and want to try something a little bit new and amazing, this is definitely one to look at. This months Libbie Offer - £5 off the Bean Body Coffee Bean Scrub when purchased with Cowshed Body Lotion using BODY5 (220g, £14.95)

Finally in the makeup section we have New CID Cosmetics i-smoulder Smokey Eye Pencil and Shadow and I have shade Silver (the other two available are gold and ember). A dual ended Smokey eye pencil with complementing eye shadow. A twist up eyeliner at one end and a matching cream eye shadow with sponge applicator on the other, making it perfect for multi-tasking. 

The eyeliner pencil gives really good colour pay off in one simple stroke, whilst silver isn't a colour I would wear, it is a really lovely colour and the eyeshadow is again easy to apply and doesn't crease, so that gets a big thumbs up too.  I love that it contains the properties of coconut oil offering a soft application without feeling harsh on the skin.  This months Libbie offer is a saving of 10% off New CID Cosmetics in smoulder Smokey Eye Pencil & Shadow (£16.65)

This is a seriously amazing box.  All products are full sizes and if you like the sound of any of them, then the great thing about the Libbie Club, is that as a reader, you can benefit from the offers by visiting my page right here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise