Makeup Wishlist

Over the weekend I was sat browsing the interweb as you do, debating what I need to spend my Christmas Vouchers on, yes I still have them. With vouchers for New Look, Debenhams, House of Fraser and Next.

There are so many dresses and tops that I want to buy right now, but I made a promise to myself not to do so until I had cleared out the wardrobe, same with shoes and boots, so that leaves Makeup, for which there is always room for more. Rather than spending my vouchers online, I have instead complied a wishlist of items I want to buy and here it is:

I have become a tad obsessed with the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Range and whilst I have one of the lipsticks, I absolutely adore this Blusher palette which retails for £35. Staying with Urban Decay, I have been hankering after this Naked Skin Illuminating Beauty Balm which has SPF 20 ever since I swatched it. It is said to hydrate and prime, almost like a multi-use product and costs just £24.

You can never have too many lipsticks as far as I am concerned and there are two that I currently have my eye on. Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire in shade Berry Beret, I just love how these lipsticks are designed to look and match one of my favourite bottles of perfume. Then who doesnt want a bit of Tom Ford and his boys? I have a list as long as my arm when it comes to these beauties, especially in shade Luciano. What I love about Tom Ford is the sleek chic design.

Staying with the theme of lips, Benefit Chachabalm Lip Hydrator (£14.50) and is said to not only add a tint to the lips but is also super hydrating, which at this time of year we ll need.

YSL are another brand I also love, mainly their lipsticks and I am a big fan of YSL Touche Éclat, but there are two other products that I am intrigued by and want to try for myself, more so because they have got mixed reviews. The first is Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Foundation (£32.50) and then the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Blur Primer (£30). 

As a Mascara fiend, again a product you can never have too much of, I have been wanting to purchase a full sized Lancôme Hypnôse Drama since having a sample size which had dried out before I had time to use it, but instead of throwing it away, I washed the brush and used it with my Benefit Mascara and loved the brush.


The final item on my list is from the fabulous Laura Geller, whom I have been lucky enough to meet and it is the Easy Cover Up Concealer Crayon which caught my attention because it is infused with super antioxidant Italian Tomato Extract to protect, hydrate and help firm skin and Hyaluronic Filling Spheres hydrate skin and fill in fine lines for more youthful look! How amazing and all for £18.

Have you got any products on your wishlist currently?

Benefit and Starbucks February Collaboration plus FREEBIE

Barely able to contain my excitement that Starbucks have got some new flavours to try (I miss the honey and almond hot chocolate already) with Pistachio and Rose Mocha or a Burnt Caramel Latte, they then add to it by teaming up with Benefit for the whole of February!

All you need to do is go along to your participating Benefit Counter (find yours here) and collect a pink coffee sleeve, seriously how cute are these?  This sleeve gets you a Buy One Get One Free (Bogof) coffee for you and your #Bestfriend. But that's not all... once you retrieve your coffee, ask the lovely Starbucks people for a special pink Emoji coaster and this gets you a free makeover at Benefit and whilst you are there, you can ask the lovely Benebabes which products will suit you, what brow shape you should have and anything else you have been dying to know.  Sadly, the pink cup is not available.

This offer is only running throughout February! So go and hunt down that pink sleeve, grab the coaster and enjoy your make-over!  If you have already grabbed yours then don't forget to share your gorgeous cosmetics and coffee posts using #bestfriends @benefitcosmeticsuk @starbucksuk

Finally if you are out and about in London, head to Carnaby Street and look out for the Bright Pink Van where the Benebabes will be handing out free coffee and cosmetics for those who need a quick pick-me-up on the go!

Purrfect Box for Cats - February 2016

The big pink cat box arrived with some excitement for my boys this morning. The Purrfect box** of which we have had a few now, is a UK subscription service which allows you to treat your cat, or your dog (Pawsome Box)and each month you will receive each month treats, toys, accessories, hygiene and personal care products customized and based on the cat's age, size, weight, fur type and preferences. Anyone who reads my blog or follows me on Instagram will know what a big part my three cats play in my life, Hector even has his own Instagram!

Each month has a different theme so you get different goodies each month. The cost is £19.50 per month or £15.50 if you subscribe yearly and this was what was in the box.  

The box was again packed to the top and as soon as I ripped the lid off, as you can see my boys wasted no time inspecting the contents.  There was a bit of a fight over a few of the toys, but that was soon sorted out and their attention was diverted with treats.

First up there is some Cat Caviar by Schulze. Cat Caviar is a delicious treat for your cat, that you can either sprinkle over your cat's usual food to enhance the taste and diversify, or you can just give it to him as a reward when deserved. Then we have Cat Munchies in Fish flavour.  These treats are cereal, gluten and wheat free, made from 100% natural quality fish fillet, is naturally Low in fat and calories and easily digestible.  Both have been received with glee and I have no doubt they will be consumed within no time at all.

Then come the toys.  This time we have three toys and you would assume three cats and three toys would make for an easy dividing up of the assets right? No... They all wanted the Dolphin. There is very little information on this Dolphin Plush, but it is handmade and does contain catnip, it is obviously quite strong as all three cats wanted to claim it as their own.  This is followed by A Trixie Cat toy.  Trixie is a brand I am really familiar with and we have a lot of Trixie cat toys already.  This one is a bird of sorts with a fluffy tail which catches their attention as they chase it around the floor.  The final toy is from a company called Pet Brands and it is a crocheted ball with a bell on the end, bright yellow in colour and not too noisy, thankfully!

The final two items in the box are useful ones for cat owners.  The first is deodorising cat litter crystals and these are to be sprinkled on the top of litter to mask the odour that they omit.  The second is from Wolf and Tiger and it is a cat brush, which I had been meaning to purchase as the one I had seems to have grown a pair of legs and walked away.  All three of my boys absolutely love being groomed, so I know they are going to love this brush.

So there you have the February Purrfect Box and as I have said before, it is a real treat for my boys to get and as soon as they see the box they know exactly what it is and cannot wait for me to rip it open. If you have a friend who has cats, then this would make a fantastic present!

Valentines Day with Lush Cosmetics 2016

Do you want to buy your other half something more exciting than flowers and chocolate (actually still get those) for Valentines Day? Well now is the time to get in the mood for love with this new collection of limited edition Lush treats and a Valentines collection is always one not to be missed.  

There are so many products to choose from this year, whether it is a single item or a gift package, that walking into Lush makes me want to grab everything and shove them into my basket, but instead I have been quite restrained. However I did manage to have the chance to play with and test a lot of products whilst wandering about and here are some of my favourites:

Top right we have Roses all the way soap which smells amazing! When I washed my hands with it in store, I was expecting it to look as though I had had one massive accident with blood red water, but instead it turns into a creamy lather which definitely made me look twice, possibly in confusion, but what is amazing is the scent.  If you love the smell of rose, in particular Turkish Rose which is both delicate but fresh scented, then this is one for you.

Unicorn Horn is a well loved Bubble Bar and even now I am still obsessed with all of the magical colours.  This is one of my favourite bubble bars because of the scent and its ability to make me feel instantly relaxed.  Using Lavender and Neroli is always going to get the thumbs up from me, but make it bright and pretty and mention the word 'Unicorn' and what is not to love?  This is one of those bubble bars that you can cut in half, or be like me and chuck the whole lot into the water crumbled up for lots of bubbles.

Cuteness alert with the Ladybird Bubble Bar which is new to Lush and is technically for Mother's Day but its far too cute not to want for Valentines Day. This one is a beautiful bright red and purple spotted being which when crumbled into the water uses both Geranium and Peppermint to relax the mind but uplift the soul, so if you are having one of those 'everything has gone wrong days' and the stress levels have hit the roof, then Ladybug is the perfect antidote to clam you now, chill you out and make you smile - it creates loads and loads of bubbles and turns your bath water a lovely shade of red!

Finally another newbie for Lush with the Lover Lamp Bath Bomb. It smells like a chocolate orange and uses Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute and Brazillian Orange Oil and once you chuck it in the bath and it begins to whizz around, slowly melting away, the oils when they hit the steam are just magical. The scent is amazing and it leaves your skin smelling good enough lick, never mind eat and the scent stays with you pretty much all day.

If those haven't really tickled your fancy or you think your wife/girlfriend/best friend or even the man in your life deserve a little something more, then there are of course the gift packages and again, they are just amazing and there is something for every budget.

In your Dreams is just under £10 and inside are two amazing products. Unicorn Horn which i've mentioned above and Tisty Toasty Bubble bar which is based on a medieval love potion. Studded with seven real rosebuds, it is scented with a captivating combination of floral orris root powder, rose, and lemon and it is just divine.

Two Hearts is again a total bargain at just £13.95 and it contains trio of bathtime treats with Tisty Toasty as mentioned above, Lover Lamp which again ive mentioned above and Sex Bomb bath bomb which uses a fragrant blend of jasmine, ylang ylang and clary sage will soon have you relaxed and feeling in the mood... Jasmine is an ancient aphrodisiac, used as a sensual perfume in India for centuries and in aromatherapy to ease stress and anxiety. Clary sage clears the mind, while ylang ylang is renowned for soothing worries.

The final package is Lots of Love and it costs £27.95 and is just brilliant. Inside this box are six amazing products which are - Tisty Toasty, Lover Lamp, Sex Bomb and Unicorn Horn all of which are mentioned so far.  The final two are ones I also adore and the first is French Kiss Bubble Bar which when crumbled under running water creates a paradisaical bath full of the lavender and rosemary scents of Southern France. Relax as your troubles bubble away and extra virgin coconut oils softens your skin. Finally is Rose Jam Bubbleroon which is just incredible. Pep up your spirits in a bath filled with Rose Jam: lemon, rose and geranium oil will help perk you up, while Fair Trade cocoa and shea butter leave you feeling gorgeous. You’ll end up feeling as cheered as though you'd been been given a bunch of flowers. Rose oil and rose absolute give a double dose of rosiness, helping to clear the mind and boost your mood.

This is just an insight into some of the products available from Lush and there are many more to look at - Prince Charming Shower Gel, Heart throb Bubbleroon and Love Spell Massage Bar to name just a few!

Have you gone to Lush for a Valentines Gift?