The Comforter Shower Gel - Lush

A few weeks ago I went to the grand opening of the new Lush Flagship Store here on Londons Oxford Street which you can read about HERE.  One thing I learnt at that opening is that there are over 200 new products, yes TWO HUNDRED which is absolutely phenomenal and I have already tried and tested some of them!

The first item I could not wait to open is The Comforter Shower Gel!  I am a big fan of the Bubble Bar and would go as far as to say it is my favourite one from the Bubble Bar selection.  So to find the shower gel was a little more than exciting and here it is:

Described as being 'Like a Cuddle in a bottle' this shower gel is just amazing. For those of you who are familiar with the Bubble Bar, it is that scent in this bottle. It uses the exact same ingredients which are:

• Begamot Oil - As a scent it is fresh, sweet, fruity scent has an uplifting, cheerful effect, easing tension, and encouraging sleep. It also has antibacterial properties to, help clear the skin.
• Cassis Absolute - This gives a deep blackcurranty aroma which provides the main scent.
• Cypress Oil - works an antiseptic as well a deodorant and it also helps tone the skin. The fragrance also helps to calm during times of stress.

The texture of this shower gel is quite thick and if you are an avid user of Lush shower gels, it is similar to Snow Fairy, so you only ever need a small amount to create a lot of lather.  The scent is one which lingers, I can still smell it on my skin after being at work for a whole day, though it has obviously faded.

So, if you are a big fan of Lush, this is one new product I would really recommend buying.  It isn't yet on the man Lush site but it is on sale inside the Oxford Street Store.  This bottle costs around £9.50 for this 250g bottle.

bkr

It's not everyday you go to the launch of a brand new product and love it before you have heard anything about it. Well that is exactly what happened when I was introduced to bkr (beaker) a luxe, bubbly glass bottle that jumped out at me in Selfridges. Sitting there on a display stand in a variety of colours from your bright pinks to the neutrals that make you want to pick them up, touch them and make your own display.

Anyway, I was lucky enough to meet and chat to Tal Winter and Kate Cutler, the brains behind the idea who were just so lovely to chat too, answer questions about every aspect of bkr from where the idea came from, to its production and the celebrity following which by the way is huge, we are talking Gisele Bundchen, Blake Lively, Reese Witherspoon, Charlize Theron, Jennifer Garner, Jessica Alba, January Jones and Jamie Chung to name just a few!

What I loved was the main point, you can spend hundreds, possibly thousands of pounds on creams, lotions and potions to keep your skin in tip top condition but if you are not drinking enough water, then what is the point. Water is something we should all drink more of, I drink around 1.5litres of it per day and should drink more and if something as cute as bkr can encourage me to do that then I am ready to put my hand in my pocket and try it. Essentially that is what bkr is, a cute glass bottle, a very well made one, whose who purpose is to encourage you to drink more water, the more you drink the better you not only feel, but so does your skin, your eyes, your hair and your nails.

For me bkr is such a brilliant idea, it has a non-leak cap which means you can carry it around in your handbag without fear of it leaking and it has this cute little hook that loops over your fingers to help with the grip when you carry it around and who wants to hide such a cute bottle in  handbag anyway.

I did ask Tal and Kate where the inspiration came from for the colours and some of the bottle names and essentially the collections are based on runway trends in New York, London, Paris and Milan and the names are only ever given if they both agree and love it. So the bottle I was very kindly given is called Bambi and if I had to choose a bottle, it would have been this one for two reasons - firstly it is bright neon pink and who doesn't love the colour pink and secondly the black heart right in the middle grabbed my attention and it has an RRP £28.  It is described as follows:

"Inspired by a big fluffly bed at a five-star hotel, his XL hoodie over your tiny bikini, the sharing of a naughty secret at a dimly lit speakeasy, hosting the coziest afterparty. I know you should be going, but how can I send you out in that storm"

It is washable by hand or dishwasher but not suitable for a microwave, but it literally takes just a few minutes to clean, including the outer sleeve which is removable.

There are over 30 different choices when it comes to choosing your own bkr and there is definitely something for everyone and if it encourages me to drink more water than I already do, it gets a huge thumbs up!

Online Shopping!

Online shopping and payment transfers can be fraught with danger, with a host of dodgy websites happy to take your money, or your money and your bank details and not deliver or those pesky spyware programmes that steal data from your computer before some enterprising little so and so hacks into your bank account for every last penny. Having had this happen three times now it is extremely stressful and scary and even though I do still shop online regularly, I do now have steps in place to hopefully prevent further attacks.

Source

One solution for me has to be secure money transfers, something I believe is essential for us bloggers, whether we are buying the latest cosmetics, paying for changes to our blog layouts or doing like I do a lot, buying obsure clothing from even more obscure countries for their other half!

Paypal is a pretty good tool which cuts out most middle-men and I find it incredibly easy to use but there is a whole universe of transfer methods available and I tend to use the app on my iPhone rather a lot.  There are also many from the branch of your own high street bank that allow you to transfer money directly to other bank accounts globally through a simple bank transfer. One such method is SWIFT Funds Transfer available to account holders of most banks. It allows account holders to make international payments in a range of currencies worldwide.

If you regularly make payments abroad and are looking for a better bank transfer service, why not take a look around, there are so many options out there where you may save yourselves a small fortune, especially when it comes to the currency conversion rates and fees being charged by your own bank.

There are also steps you can take to protect yourself online when you do shop and most of them are so simple and straightforward and know your consumer rights too, there are plenty of helpful websites such as this one which have lots of useful information.

SP

Benefit Puff Off instant Eye Gel

Benefit Puff Off is one of those products I have been itching to get my hands on and now have. I was intrigued by the design as soon as I saw it and wanted to know whether it was worth the hype.

Described as being an instant eye gel to help smooth the look of undereye puffiness and it is claimed by Benefit that " Undereye puffiness and creases look “satiny smooth” with our innovative undereye gel".

Puff Off retails at £22.50 and is packaged within this 10ml squeezy cream coloured tube, but for me, the most exciting part is the silver metal iron shaped applicator which dispenses the gel. The applicator is brilliant, I love everything about it and if ever there was something to capture your attention about or on a product it is this. That aside, of course the iron shaped applicator is also a functional part of the product as the metal is really cooling on the undereye area and better still the pointed iron works really well at getting into those small crevices around the eye.

The gel, which I put in the fridge the night before for an extra treat. The gel is a pinky/peach colour so it works really well to correct those dark undereye circles. It also contains light reflecting particles which help to brighten up the eye area to make you look more wide awake which is an absolute godsend. So how does it work? Well the gel contains a peptide blend plus an antioxident which work together to help reduce the puffiness, add to that the cooling metal applicator and within minutes of applying, you should notice a difference. One word of warning before you use this product is not to squeeze it too hard because the gel will shoot off everywhere and there is no way of getting it back inside the tube, that said, a slight squeeze is more than enough to release plenty of product for both eyes.

When it comes to the actual application is is really easy. All you simply need to do is ‘dot’ the gel underneath both eyes, and then using the iron tip smooth the gel in. Given the lightweight formula of the gel, it is not greasy or sticky and absorbs itself into the skin really quickly. Benefit state that you can apply the gel before or after your makeup and it can be applied throughout the day as you see fit. I use mine first thing in a morning if I have had a late night, struggled to sleep or just feel the need to use it and then if I am going out in an evening, I tend to reach for it then too.

I absolutely love this little gem of a product from Benefit and for me it lives up to all its promises and hype and is well worthy of investing in.

You Beauty Discovery Box - May

This month's You Beauty Discovery Box has joined forces with and celebrates the CEW 2015 Beauty Awards. CEW is a not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to furthering the interests of the British beauty industry. The shortlist for the months box featured an assortment of nominees.

In the box every month are at least two treats. This month we were treated to a sachet of Dr Organic Snail Gel of which I am a huge fan already. Jimmy Choo Man sample for the mister in your life and voucher for 20% off selected beauty and fragrance at Marks & Spencer. So a really nice treat or two to be trying out to use.

Then my actual choices is again one I found quite hard to decide between because I actually wanted three of them and was almost playing "Ip dip" to make my decision. The three I struggled to choose between was the Angel Face Cloth from The Konjac Sponge Company, Better than Sex Mascara from Too Faced which I absolutely love and Pro-Collagen Marine Cream from Elemis which is raved about by so many bloggers and still remains to be a product I haven't yet tried. So, my choice in the end were these two.

The Angel Cloth from The Konjac Sponge Company which at a first glance reminds me of a prawn cracker from my local Chinese Take-away but is actually described as being shaped like an angel. Once wet, the angel turns into a soft gentle exfoliating cloth, made from pure vegetable fibre. Perfect for cleansing with both hot and cold cleansers, or on its own with no cleanser at all; it even cleanses the delicate eye area. Kinder than a muslin cloth or flannel, the angel cloth will not damage the skin and leaves it feeling fresh and rejuvenated. 

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara.  This is a mascara that is always out of stock whenever I look for it.  Having used it some time ago, I have been desperate to get my hands on some more.  Described as follows "One application of this collagen-fueled formula and touch of the specially shaped brush will leave you begging for more. One coat and lashes are full, defined and stretched to unbelievable lengths. Two coatsand they’re reaching unbelievable heights of drama. Three coats and you’ll believe in magic".  What I love about this mascara is the formula which is not overly wet and nor is it overly dry, it sits somewhere in the middle and is perfect for day and night wear.

Given the number of choices for this month's box, at £6.95 it is an absolute bargain.

Are you a subscriber to You Beauty Discovery Boxes?

Win a custom designed Handbag with Cooper & Hill

Do you ever sit and wish you could design your own handbag and be the next Victoria Beckham? Well Cooper & Hill give you the chance to do just that. With 25 years of experience manufacturing premium luxury bags for the high-end market, new fashion brand Cooper & Hill are taking bespoke bags to a new level. Cooper & Hill makes luxury bags more affordable by bridging the gap between manufacturer and consumer.

Whether you need more pockets, more zips, less studs but more slots for your loyalty cards, with Cooper & Hill you can sketch your dream bag from start to finish and then watch them bring it to life.

If I could design my own perfect bag, I would want a main zipped pocket inside the bag for my personal belongings, somewhere for my iPhone and also something big enough for my iPad which I carry around within its own case.  I am a big fan of handbags which can be carried or be cross-body bags and to that end, the straps would need to be good but also comfortable and not dig into my skin. 

With the help of @FemaleBloggerRT, the ORIGINAL retweet community for bloggers, Cooper & Hill is giving away a Bespoke bag, which is your very own custom bag designed by you!

Use the widget below to enter the giveaway. Contest open to UK residents and ends June 30.

Please also visit the fabulous hosting bloggers and show them some love!

Rachel // Teral // Emma // Sarah // Rosie

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Nip + Fab Skin Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Mask

Nip + Fab Skin Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Mask is described as being an intensely hydrating gel mask combining multiple skin perfecting complexes to plump the look of wrinkles + refine the skin's appearance for a brighter, more youthful-looking complexion. Well this is something I am definitely in need of and I couldn't wait to give it a go.

My fascination with products that are a little kooky is really taken to the limit with this Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Mask. Naturally it doesn't contain any dragon's blood but it does have an ingredient which is created from the resin of the Croton Lechleri Tree which is also known as the ‘Dragon’ Tree. The resin in question is red hence the term Dragon's Blood and it forms protective film on skin to protect against environmental aggressors. Add to that the use of Salicylic acid to cleanses pores +and aid exfoliation, Hyaluronic acid an ingredient my skin absolutely loves to help hydrate and refine the skins texture,Glycerin which draws water to outer layer of the skin keeping it moisturised whilst helping to restore skin suppleness and finally TEGO Cosmo C 250 which brightens skin and fades age spots. 

To use the mask, Nip + Fab recommend that you apply a thick layer to the skin and leave for ten minutes before rinsing it off with warm water. If you need something a little more intense for your skin, you can or you can leave it on overnight and rinse off in the morning.  Once it has been applied to the skin the mask itself is quite a wet formula, so it is easy to apply and it doesn't feel at all sticky, it also disappears and absorbs itself into the skin, so that when you come to rinse your skin, there is very little product left.  Once on the skin, it has quite a soothing effect, especially if like me, you pop it into the fridge for an hour before using.  As you count down those ten minutes, you can feel the mask tightening the skin and really getting down to work.  After washing off the skin, the effects are immediate.  Soft smooth and incredibly moisturised skin which looks plump and radiant, not to mention clean.  

My skin has been really suffering from being quite dehydrated recently and this mask has been an absolute dream to use, so much so, even the Mr has taken to giving it ago because I have raved about it so much.

If you haven't tried this Dragon's Blood Fix Plumping Mask then it is something I would really recommend.  It is available from a range of stores both online and on the highstreet and retails for around £14.95 for 50ml.

LookFantastic Beauty Box - May

Last Month's LookFantastic Beauty Box wasn't the best box that I had had to date, it was alright but didn't excite me a great deal, so with the May Box arriving, I had high hopes!

This months box has six products neatly packaged inside the box, plus an extra treat of knowing what one of the items in the June box will be, now im not going to spoil the surprise but it is from REN and it is a great product.

The first product inside this months box is the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm. is a black balm made with Hungarian Moor mud which is brimming with calcium and magnesium carbonates that act as a magnet to impurities and make-up, as well as almond oil to nourish and protect the skin. Skin is left looking and feeling soothed and cleansed. This is a 5ml sample which is worth £4.60.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is next and I am a big fan of Nuxe products and this is one I haven't tried. Described as being an Amazing Dry Gold Oil, it is a multi-usage dry oil that gives a golden shimmer to your face, body and hair .Said to have a super-activated formula that combines 30% of precious plant oils and vitamin E to nourish, repair and soften face, body and hair in a single gesture, this oil leaves your face and body soft and velvety, whilst your hair becomes supple, glossy and full of volume. Thanks to its small golden particles, your skin glitters and reveals its beauty whenever you move. This is a 10ml sample and is worth around £4

Tanworx by Monu Skincare. Whilst I am not a fan of fake tan, this offering from Monu, whose skincare products ive always been impressed with, is said to be a foam which is easy to apply and streak-free, providing an instant colour that develops and deepens into a healthy, bronzed glow. The formula is tinted so you can see exactly where you have applied your tan, for an even looking tan. The 100ml tube is worth around £6.50

Christoper Robin Regenerating Hair Mask is a brand and product I have never heard of or come across, so it is always exciting to try something new. Suitable for all hair types, this mask is enriched with pure prickly pear seed oil which is one of the rarest and most expensive oils in the world. Said to provide a deep and long-lasting action from root to tip, hair becomes sumptuous and smooth in just 2 minutes. It is also free from paraben, silicone, SLS and colourants.  This 50ml tube is worth around £10.

Erno Laszlo Transphuse Night serum is the penultimate product in this months box and whilst it is only a 2ml sample, it is worth around £15! The serum claims to helps turn back the hands of time as you snooze, naturally reducing the appearance of fine lines and helping recover damaged skin. This light-weight, anti-ageing serum boosts the skin's natural defense barrier, so you can wake up feeling ready and refreshed for the day ahead.

The final item in this months box are some pre-glued Eylure lashes. Again not a product I use as I can never apply them correctly and don't have the patience needed to practise. That said they claim to be hassle free and perfect for adding volume and extra length to your lashes.  Worth £5.50.

So that is the LookFantastic Beauty Box for May with contents worth around £45, for a box which costs £15 it is not a bad return for your money and even though there are two products I am unlikely to use, I do have four products that I will use, all of which I have never used before and am looking forward to giving a try too.

Drift Away - Temple Spa

Those who read my blog often enough will know how much I adore having a hot bath once or twice a week, a chance to relax and chill out whilst closing out the outside world, forgetting the stress and strain of the day whilst soaking up a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.

Drift Away by Temple Spa is described as being a 'Relaxing Bathing and Massage Oil' which can be used on directly on the skin or added to a bath for instant calm and tranquility. 

"The most luxurious chill-out treatment ever! DRIFT AWAY is a must for when you need to really wind down and have your moment of peace and calm. Applied straight onto the skin for an aromatherapy massage, or with a capful drizzled into the bathtub; these deliciously fragrant oils will help you chill out and relax, especially when you find it hard to switch off"

Not only does it sound amazing, it absolutely is. Firstly it is packed full of essential oils such as:

• Dill Seed Oil which helps to overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed and it helps to ease the mind and calm headaches.
• Frankincense which also has a wonderfully calming effect on the mind and is said to be an excellent oil for meditating
• Jojoba Oil which has a structure that closely resembles that of your own skin sebum, making it an excellent moisturizer and ideal for all skin types.
• Lavender Oil which is known for its ability to sooth and calm the nerves, relieve tension and nervous exhaustion in general. It is also one of my favourite scents for relaxation and I find it helpful for drifting off to sleep.
• Geranium Oil which is described as being an uplifting oil which has a great all-over balancing effect on the mind and is said to help to relieve feelings of stress and anxiety

Add to those oils some Patchouli, Sesame, Myrrh, Galbanum, Avocado Oil and Petitgrain and you have something that is just absolutely amazing. All of those oils together create a scent which brings about instant relaxation, like the scent you get when you walk into a spa that specialises in aromatherapy treatments, it is just divine and when using it, all you need is a few drops into running bath water.

So if you are wanting to try something that is as relaxing and as wonderfully scented as Drift Away, then look no further than Temple Spa to purchase some for yourself.

The Wet Brush

I went for years using my one trusty Denman hairbrush, I had it right through my teens, through University and even a move to London, then one day it vanished never to be seen again and I was devastated, even more so when I learnt that particular brush was no longer made. Since that fateful day, I have tried so many hairbrushes and have liked them all - AirMotion Pro, various sized Tangle Teezers, the Denman Tangle Tamer and now I have the much raved about The Wet Brush. Some people have referred to this brush as being their holy grail hairbrush and others haven't rated it at all.  

My hair is shoulder length and fine but there is lots of it (something you will have heard me mention), I don't tend to have any issues when it comes to knots and tangles, but frizz really does seem to be an issue, but that is just how my hair is unless I use copious numbers of products on it.

So when the Wet Brush** landed through my letterbox, I was quite keen to see what all the fuss was about having read quite a few reviews.  Designed specifically for wet hair to help with knotty and tangled hair without stretching or snapping it.   

When I first looked at this brush I wasn't to sure what all the fuss was about, it looks no different to similar brushes I have owned, but it is anything but. The Wet Brush features thin, strong and flexible Intelliflex Bristles which are designed to glide through any type of hair. The SoftTips, or white bits on the bristles, massage the scalp as you brush which helps to stimulate the circulation of hair follicles.

For as long as I can remember, I have always been told never to over brush my hair when it is wet and if I do, use a wide toothed comb, so using a brush felt very wrong to begin with. Firstly the bristles are really flexible and are designed so that they eliminate the dragging, pulling, tearing and ripping feeling when you do brush wet hair, infact the brush is so brilliant, it glides through my hair as easily as any wide toothed comb ever has and my hair feels so soft and smooth once it has started to dry, that I don't dread the thought of having to drag a brush through my hair to style it.  Since using the brush ive seen no sign of slit ends or extra hair loss.

The Wet Brush s also so versatile that it can also be used on dry hair, wigs and extensions. The handle, of which mine is decorated with smiley happy faces, is made from a rubberised coating so it sits securely in your hand whilst brushing so it doesn't slip out of your hand.

This is a fantastic hairbrush and if you have children who hate having their hair brushed, as I did when I was a child, then it is worthy of spending £11.99 more so if you have thick knotty hair too!

Have you tried the Wet Brush?

WIN 6 Pairs of Shoes with Dolcis

Dolcis the shoe shop and now well known brand of fashion footwear, used to be the one place my Grandma would always suggest for new footwear, whether it was sandals, boots, flip flops or wedges because her friend used to work in our local shopping centre store.  We would often talk about our ideal pair of shoes, both of us having flat feet meaning we could enjoy high heels but not wear them as it is so uncomfortable.

"Today, the Dolcis brand continues to serve up stylish, cool and contemporary designs to appeal to style minded young women. Fashion forward, catwalk inspired styles are adopted each season, all incorporating trend relevant prints and intricate finishing touches to appeal to the avid follower of fashion."

So when I was asked to take part in a giveaway I jumped at the chance. With the help of @FemaleBloggerRT, the ORIGINAL retweet community for bloggers, Dolcis is giving away an entire season of shoes to one lucky winner! That's SIX pairs to get you ready for the next season and here are some of my favourites:

TO enter, simply use the widget below to enter the giveaway. Contest open to UK residents only. Contest ends May 20.

Please also visit the fabulous hosting bloggers and show them some love!

Rachel  //  Natasha  // Laura C. //  Georgie //  Beth

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50 things that make me happy

Image credit 

The lovely Lianne from The Brunette Says tagged me to do this post, so here it is.  

1. My Hubs  - Most of you probably know him better as Beautykinguk, but yes those of you who did not know, now do know that we are married!  In short he is my everything.

2. My three cats.  I love these boys like nothing and no-one else.  I affectionately refer to them as my fur-kids as we have no children.

3. Aquariums - Growing up, I have always been fascinated by fish especially those in an aquarium.  There is something quite relaxing about watching them swimming around aimlessly.

4. The Sea.  The reassuring sound of the waves, the tide coming in and the noise from the sea is something I find relaxing and it helps me sleep better.

5. Chocolate - I am a total chocoholic and would happily munch my way through endless bars of Mint Chocolate Aeros.

6. Reading - I am a total bookworm and have always loved reading.  I am never without a book on the go and really should make more time for it.

7. Baths - Nothing beats a long hot bubble bath after a long working day/week.  That one hour of me time is something I look forward to and cherish.

8. Listening to music - When I can, usually when travelling too and from work, I have Spotify going on my iPhone and I have a varied taste in music and love everything from rock and metal to 80's cheese, house and trance.  My current obsession is Paloma Faith, what vocals that lady has!

9. Cake, see number 5

10. Going to the Zoo - I love the Zoo and can spend many an hour just standing and watching the Gorillas, Meerkats and even the Otters.

11. Dvd Night with the Hubs - The two of us on the sofa, with the quilt watching a film or a few episodes of anything we both enjoy

12. Manicure - I love having my nails done occasionally, there is something satisfying about having nice nails

13. Hairdressers - Not in general but the whole experience of someone else washing and drying your hair, then styling it for you.  Okay it might look great for a few hours, but I do love it.

14. Stationary - I love pretty paper, stickers, cute envelopes and so on.  For many years I penpalled and it is something I haven't been as active doing as perhaps I could and should have done.

15. Candles - I always have one lit when I am home and I just love them

16. Sleeping - I am a big fan of sleep, never do seem to get enough of it

17. Mums homemade rice pudding - There is something amazing about my mum's homemade rice pudding that I cannot compete with.

18. My Blogging Buddies - I have met some amazing people through blogging and I just love seeing them at events and catching up, to be honest I should make more of an effort outside of blogging to see these lovely ladies too.

19. Champagne.

20. Greek Food - There isn't a dish I dislike, I love it all and if you want some of the best food ive tasted, then Fire Dog a Greek restaurant in Cockfosters is superb!

21. Massages - Something else I should make more time to have given I suffer with back and shoulder aches

22. Handbags - You can never have too many

23. Shoes - For the same reason as above

24. My nieces and nephews -  a growing brood who all make me smile

25. My local park - I love being able to enjoy the green open space that is my local park and ive shared pictures of it on Instagram a lot.  It has a huge big pond with lots of ducks and Candian Geese whom I like to sit and feed.

26. Las Vegas - I got married there and absolutely loved the place and dream of going back one day

27. Bubblewrap - Who doesn't love popping it!

28. Facemasks - Whether it is a quick 5 minute one or a good half an hour version, I do love facemasks

29. Sunflowers - My favourite flower

30. Cheese - I am a cheese fiend and the smellier the better for me

31. Cleaning - I am sure I am not the only one who has those moments of just wanting to clean everything in every room and feeling really satisfied once it is finished.

32. Anything pink

33. Disney Films - Well who doesn't love a good Disney Movie?

34. Blog Comments - I love that people leave comments on my blog, im pretty rubbish at replying to them all, so must try harder

35. The moment an aeroplane takes off - There is something about that feeling as the plane has taxied down the run way (probably just me with this one)

36. Photographs - I personally hate having my photo taken and will avoid it at all costs, but, I do love looking back at old photos

37. Perfume - Something else I can never have too much of.

38. My friends - Meeting up with people outside of my working environment and not having to talk about work

39. Making lists

40. Lip Balm - Ive written a few blog posts about my obsession with them

41. Staying in a hotel - I love, if only for one night, checking into a hotel for the night (with the Mr).

42. Being hugged

43. Meeting new people

44. My blanket - My mum spent months and months knitting me a King Size blanket and I love curling up with it around me.

45. Discovering new products

46. Skyping with my nieces and nephews

47. Finding £10 in a pair of jeans that you had forgotten about

48. Surprises - When things arrive in the post that you are not expecting

49. Getting home after being away on holiday

50. Getting home from work and taking my bra off!

So there you have my 50 things and I am going to tag three of you to do this too:

Kimberley

Hayley

Louise

Neom Inspiration Candle

When a thank you gift of a Neom Candle landed on my desk a good few months ago, I was delighted and incredibly grateful, it is a brand I have been wanting to try for some time and have just never got around to it.  This is a 75g travel candle which comes enclosed inside a very pretty looking box.

I am a huge fan of candles and have them burning every day at home. There is something relaxing about having a candle burning as you settle down after a busy day at the office.

This particular Neom Candle is the Inspiration Candle which uses Violet, Chamomile & Cedar wood. The three scents combined are said to make you feel motivated, boost your energy and get you up and moving. Made from natural vegetable wax and pure essential oils meaning that when it is burning there is no harmful pollutants, toxins or soot being released.

Once lit, this candle springs into life almost immediately, it is quite uplifting. The scent of Violet is not a scent I would usually opt for, so the chance to try something new was interesting.  Violet as a scent is described as being a woody-floral and it is nothing like the Parma Violet sweets you might have had as a child.   I found the Violet scent to be quite powerful and really floral, more so when pair with both the Chamomile and Cedarwood which pack a powerful punch.  One alight it really does hit the senses and it is one of those scents which quickly spreads throughout the house, leaving behind it a floral trail.

As a candle, this is one that is perfect for the daytime, especially when the weather is slightly warmer than average.  I am also told that the candle works as a powerful holistic treatment as you breathe in the scented air so it is best to burn them for between 2-4 hours at a time.  As the candle does burn, an oily residue forms on the top of the candle, which you can see the remains of in the photo above, as soon as this happens, the fragrance becomes so much more pronounced and noticeable.

There is a huge selection of other candles from Neom to try and my wishlist has just trebled from using this one!