So Simple, So Smooth, So Fab!

I have always had a fairly good skincare regime; it was on some advice of my Grandma when I was quite young who said I should always take care of my skin.  For years I stuck to using Johnson’s Baby Lotion, a smell I adore and a product that isn't overly expensive.  I have always cleansed and exfoliated but never quite found the best Toner and the former two never quite the product that I could swear I would always use and never buy anything else, I have over the years chopped and changed.

When I was asked if I would like to try something from the Simple Skincare range I jumped at the chance.  I had never used anything from this brand before but had heard a few friends mention how good it was and such great value.  A week or so later a package duly arrived and inside I was greeted with three products:

• Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes
• Simple Kind to Skin revitalizing eye roll-on
• Simply Kind to Skin Replenishing 12 hour moisture Cream

I am going to start with the Cleansing Facial Wipes and review the other two separately.

Over the years I have had a love hate relationship with facial wipes, they have either left my skin feeling too dry or they haven’t removed all the make-up they have claimed they will but as a product they could be so convenient and less time-consuming than the task needed to be.  So for the last few years I haven’t bothered using them, instead I have used other products in their place and been satisfied.  Simple say “Our Cleansing Facial Wipes refresh and nourish your skin plus remove waterproof mascara. Our wipes contain a perfect blend of our purest possible skin loving ingredients with an added vitamin” and then it is good to note that these wipes is that they claim to have:

• 1 ADDED VITAMIN  - PRO-VITAMIN B5 known to help restore, soften and smooth 
• NO ALCOHOL, NO OIL 
• NON DRYING and NO GREASY residue 
• NO DYES
• NO ARTIFICIAL PERFUMES
• NO HARSH IRRITANTS to upset skin 

Excellent news and as you remove them from the packet really easily, is how soft the wipe actually is, it isn't wringing wet through either which I have found with similar products and this I liked from the start.  There is no chemical aroma smell which again gets the thumbs up from me and as you use them on your face, they are so soft you could almost be using a piece of Muslin cloth to clean your face.  The first time I used these wipes, I have to admit I was a little bit shocked.  Its like the first time you get a Dyson Hoover and clean your carpet only to suddenly feel like a total tramp because of all the dirt and dust it picks up, despite the fact you hoover three times a day.  Imagine what came off my face onto this wipe the first time I used one, it was seriously gross and I almost considered not using the wipes again incase it was some kind of trick, but my skin felt so soft and smooth after using them and my face felt clean.  These wipes are designed to gently cleanse your face and I was impressed to find that they are really effective at removing all traces of make-up and even my mascara which is BeneFit ‘They’re Real’ which can be a nightmare to remove, was gone.  Add to that how soothing they are to your skin when applied, delightful.

These wipes also no not irritate my eyes  or make them itchy, they don’t cause any reactions with my skin and as I sometimes wear contact lenses, I was impressed to find that these wipes are suitable for those of us who wear them.  So these wipes are kind enough to be used on sensitive skin because they are hypoallergenic and powerful enough to remove my BeneFit mascara,  what more could you want?  Well, these wipes do completely remove dirt, make-up, and oils which for me is quite important as I can, during a certain time of the month, suffer with a shiny face and I always look for products which can control it, no need to anymore, these wipes are brilliant at removing excess oil from my skin without stripping it of moisture.

These wipes come with 25 wipes within the packet and cost £3 in my local Tesco from where I have bought another packet because I am so impressed with them.  I love these wipes because they leave my skin feeling smooth and hyrdated rather than dry and irritated and the best feeling of all is having fresh, clean skin.

** Further information **

These wipes are:

•  Dermatologist tested 
• Ophthalmologist tested 
• Safe for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers 
• Hypoallergenic 
• Non-comedogenic

And further information on the range can be found here: http://www.simpleskincare.com/our-products/wipes/cleansing-facial-wipes

What a star I am...

One of my best friends, whom I have known now for over 16 years, is one of those people like me who never knows what she wants and always has everything she wants because she just goes out and buys something every time she wants it. 

Earlier this year I really struggled to think of something to buy her and I wanted it to be something special because her Mum had just died and they were very close, more close friends than mother and daughter and it hit her really hard especially as it was so sudden and not expected (she was 52) especially because she hadn't been ill or had shown no signs of illness. The funeral had specified no flowers and cards and instead to donate money to a local charity of which there was at least a list, but I wanted to do something for my friend to let her know I was thinking of her and was there for her if she needed me, whether that was to laugh with, cry with, shout at or let of steam with, all she had to do was ring, text, email or whatever and I would be there with a few bottles of wine and a box of tissues, but as a best friend I wanted to do that extra mile, do something special and thoughtful, something unexpected. So, someone I suggested I got her something to remind her of her mum or something she could relate to about her mum that would serve as a reminder, her mum wasn't the kind of person who liked gardening or flowers, so a memorial tree was out of the question, my one and only idea . 

So I looked about online and as ever spent a few minutes Googling version items on remembrance and thoughtful gifts and then I came across Gift Republic which I had used in the past to buy a gift for my Dad and another close friend who adores monkeys, so I was hoping it would be able to help me with this. I opted to buy her the 'Name a Star Gift Box' which cost £19.99 and you can buy it HERE, I also have had one of these a gift some months before, so I also knew what I was getting. Ordering it from The Gift Republic is really easy, all you need to do is add it to your basket and then complete the instructions to check out, deciding whether you have it sent directly to the recipient or not. I choose not too because I wanted to wrap it myself and send a card with it. 

==Gift Republic== 

In 2010 Gift Republic was crowned Business of the Year at the London Business Awards and have over the years won many more awards for their innovative and unique gifts. 

Gift Republic are an online website who offer a huge array of gifts from a very broad spectrum. Whether you are wanting to buy a 'Grow our own tea set' or 'some Cluedo Coasters to a gift which has been personalised, you should be able to find it on this website and to be more helpful they also have sections titled "Gifts for her", "Gifts for him" or "gifts for the kids" to help narrow down your search. 

As a company, Gift Republic say that they are a company is a leader in offering unique gift ideas for people who are looking for something a little bit different which I find is absolutely true and whenever I find I am stuck for a gift, this is always one of the places I will look first for inspiration, even if I don't always buy something from the website itself. 

The box

==Star in a box== 

When the box arrives, your 'Name a Star gift box' is encased in a metal tin which has a wrap around of the night sky with hundreds of stars, one of which is shining bright. The once the wrap around has been removed, inside the metal case you will find quite a lot in information inside, starting with: 

• A Welcome Letter - this letter welcomes the recipient to their present and explains further what else is enclosed within the box and what it is about. I think the way this letter is written is really lovely and welcoming without being too detailed and dull. 
• Your Gift Explained - This is another letter which goes into further details as to what the gift is about and what you will find within the metal box. You are also informed that you have 12 months from the date of purchase to register your gift or it will expire. So when and if you are buying this as a gift, you will need to make sure that the recipient is aware of the date rules. 
• Gift Registration Form - This form is to be filled in by the recipient and they are asked to name their star and so on. Then once this has been completed by them, they will then receive a confirmation certificate, usually within 28 days, detailing the name of the new star and then the Stars Registry is catalogued in the British Library.  As things stand you can call your Star absolutely anything you want , so if I wanted to register the 'I love Ryan Giggs' star, there is nothing to stop me doing so, the only advice given is that anything crude would be a no-no and the registration would not be completed or validated. There is also an option to do this registration online which again is detailed on the instructions. 
• Star Details Leaflet - This Leaflet will include the specific location information of your star and using this information you will be able to locate the position of your star in the sky using the coordinates given, these coordinates are known as the Right Ascension and Declination. In doing this it is suggested that you use the Constellations Souvenir Poster which also accompanies this gift and there are also free versions available online to print off. 
• A History of Stars Leaflet and Star Facts Leaflet - Pretty much as it says these are. A compact guide to the stars and a bit if history on the more known constellations. Both of these products are quite short, but comprehensive enough to understand and follow. If you feel that your friend or whoever you have bought the gift for would be more interested to find out more information I would suggest buying them a beginners guide. 
• Stars & Astronomy booklet - More information on stars, constellations and a brief introduction to astronomy. As above, this booklet is quite brief but again it is written in a manner that is easy to understand and comprehend, without going into too much detail and information. 

==The Reaction== 

When I handed this to my friend it wasn't what she was expecting to say the least but she did love it and promptly burst into tears because whilst neither of us knew what to say, we both felt the gift said everything necessary and there and then she went online and registered her star in the name of her mum, which I had hoped she would do and then with the help of a mutual friend who owned a telescope and took more of an interest in astronomy came over and helped Laura find her star in the sky using the co-ordinates given in the box. Now I had thought that it would one of those gifts which had good intentions but wasn't all it was made out to be, but in actual fact we did manage after some arguing and discussion to find the star using the co-ordinates and to see the look of happiness on Lauras face was truly priceless, even if it had turned out to be more of a gimmick than a gift. 

To this date she still looks out for the star, especially if she is feeling down or is missing her mum and on the anniversary of her mums death a few of us clubbed together to get her a second hand telescope so she could look for her star herself, makes it more private than having 4 or 5 of us around her house arguing over where it is. The chart which came with the gift set is displayed on her wall as a guide to finding the star. 

This is the promo photo shown on the Gift Republic site of the Star Deed you receive

==Where too and how to purchase== 

Since I bought my gift I noticed online that many other companies also have this on offer and you can even find it in places such as Asda, prices also vary and you can pay anything from £12.99 right up to £30 depending on what type of package you decide to order, some come with pens and DVDs and others with teddy bears and books, so you can shop around. I choose the one from the Gift Republic because I had ordered things from them before and had always had an excellent shopping experience. 
A small Disclaimer 

==With this gift comes a short disclaimer which states:== 

"This gift does not grant legal ownership or title to a star. It is the enduring and personal sentiment behind this gift that is significant. Neither Gift Republic nor any other supplier can alter the name of well-known stars. The chosen star name will not necessarily be recognised by any scientific organisation or by astronomers and Gift Republic can accept no liability for this. Star names are published in the Gift Republic Star Registry which is stored in a secure location. A record of the Registry is periodically submitted to the British Library to ensure public accessibility and preservation. This is a novelty gift item and must be regarded as such". This you will find clearly stated on a card inside the box and on the website. 

So with that in mind I think it is still a really nice gift to give to someone whether it for a reminder of a lost loved one, or as something a little bit of a novelty gift.

My Trapezius is throbbing!

For the last few weeks I have had the worlds stiffest shoulders and a bit of backache in my lower back, they've ached whenever I have had to lift and move a box at work and even standing to sort the washing out and do some ironing at home has been fairly painful. So after having a nice hot bath, which didn't help with the pain, I decided to look online, then having typed in the problem in the hope of finding a solution, I found the muscles that ached are known as the Trapezius muscles and there are lots of demonstrations as to how to can massage your own shoulders, or I can just enlist the help of the hubby and his hands to massage my shoulder muscles. 

This diagram is used to show where the Trapezius Muscle is

Shockingly I had no Lush massage bars to hand, so I had to go looking through my wardrobe where I store a lot of my products and I came across Elemis Spa de-stress massage oil which states the following: 

"The pure touch of this deeply relaxing synergy soothes the mind, melts tension and harmonises the body" 

Well I know work is pretty stressful right now and we have a lot of projects on the go and I am useless at delegating to someone else to oversee something because I panic if I am not on top of things and know what is going on right down to the smallest piece detail and the long hours are clearly going to be taking their toll. We have also had a mass clear out in the office which has meant spending a few hours moving boxes around, carrying boxes up flights of stairs and back down again, so it is little wonder my shoulders and back hurt. 

I am a fan of Elemis Spa products, their quiet time room mist worked a treat when I needed to use that and I am hoping that this will do just the job. How I acquired it I have no idea but it is a 100ml bottle which online would cost you between £25 and £35. The bottle is a lovely deep blue colour; almost a two tone blue in the light and on the front there is silver lettering to let you know what the product is, who makes it and what it is going to do for you. The lid is silver in colour and really stands out due to its pointed shape. 

Once it comes to using the product, ensure the person going to massage you has warm hands, there is nothing worse than someone with cold hands attempting to massage you and also ensure they rub the massage oil between their palms, as though using soap, to release any essential oils that are included, allowing them to work as soon as they hit the skin. So as soon as the lid has been removed, pour a few drops into the palm of your hand (or the person massaging you) it looks similar to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and has a similar texture to it. As the process of massaging begins, which according to Elemis you should "massage using long sweeping movements" you can feel the oil on your skin and as it is worked into your shoulders, the aroma comes alive. This massage oil is packed full of essential oils and smells wonderful, as the oil is massaged into your skin you do feel relaxed and it's a really lovely feeling too. The oil absorbs itself into your skin with relative ease and once your massage comes to an end, there is no greasy feel to the skin, no need to panic that sheets or clothing will become stained, though it is always advisable to have a towel close by just incase there is any excess left on hands. 

One of the most important features of this massage oil is the ability to relax and de-stress you, hence the name it was given. However to do that it also needs to include some key ingredients. So starting with one of my favourites:

• Lavender Oil, which is really soothing for and on the skin and it is also soothing and calming on the nerves, helps to relieve stress and tension, helps with depression and irritability and in general it is effective for headaches, migraines and for those people who suffer from insomnia. 
• Chamomile which in this product helps to relieve back pain and muscle pain in general. 
• Sweet Almond Oil which is another of my favourite ingredients and on the skin it is nourishing, calming and soothing but similarly to the first two ingredients it helps to relieve muscular aches.
• Rosewood Oil helps to de-stress your mind and alleviate nervous tension. Melissa comes next and not something I am familiar with, but I have found it is commonly known as Lemon Balm Oil and it is used because it helps bring about a sense of calmness to the mind, some people have said it has an almost sedatory effect on them when used in a massage oil because it is that soothing and calming. 
• The final ingredient I am going to mention is Marjoram, which again not an ingredient I have come across a lot but it is particularly useful in a product like this because it is known to be a good muscle relaxant but also has what is referred to as pain killing properties making it useful for problems such as rheumatic pains, muscle spasms, swollen joints and painful muscles. 

There are quite a few other ingredients listed and mentioned for this product on the back of the bottle and on the packaging. 

I usually rely on a hot bath to try and cure aches and pains like this, but when even that doesn't work; I know I need to try something else. After the massage and even during the massage process I was surprised at how relaxed I became and how noticeable the difference was in my shoulders where the pain had originally started. Not only could I move my shoulders without wincing with a slight discomfort, I could also shrug them without it hurting and they were no longer sore to the touch, unlike with the first few massage movements, it was very painful, but that soon eased and I was almost ready to fall asleep. A few hours after the massage my shoulders were still pain free and I could still move without wincing. 

So I am pretty impressed with this massage de-stressing oil because it does what it tells you it will do, it smells really lovely, it relaxes you, it de-stresses, it relieves muscle aches and pains and it leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth after using along with a nice lingering floral scent.

You can find out more on Elemis and all their products HERE

Lush Popcorn Lip Scrub

Popcorn Lip Scrub is an alternative to the other flavours of Lip Scrub from Lush.  In any one store you might see -  Bubblegum, Mint Julips and Sweet Lips Lip Scrubs. I have tried all three of those products and they are all brilliant, I'm just more of a fan of the Bubblegum one because it fits in with my favourite products from Lush in the Snow Fairy range. Like the other Lip Scrubs, Popcorn, is designed to keep your lips kissable, smooth, conditioned and dry, flaky skin free. So, whenever the weather changes so rapidly your skin can look dry and tired and sometimes you feel washed out and use a treatment or lotion to combat this making you feel much better and more confident, so why not do the exact same thing with your lips? When your lips are dry and chapped it can be quite painful to try and remove the dry skin and it can be quite difficult and before I spotted these type of products I had in the past used an old toothbrush to remove such skin from my lips, not that it was very easy to do or as successful as using something specially designed like this. 

Popcorn Lip Scrub comes packaged just like the other two products within this range and that is in a small round glass tub with a black lid which screws on and off the pot in a very easy motion. On the jar of this product are the words Popcorn on both the lid and surrounding label along with the most important two words which are lip and scrub. The pot itself is see-through behind the label and through the pot you can see a Creamy coloured sparkly looking scrub. Also on the lid of the tub is a brief blurb which says "Be a blockbuster success and have them queuing up for the sequel", yes well we will see wont we! It retails at £5.25 for a 25g jar which is the exact same price as the other products within this range and whilst it does sound expensive, I actually find the product really good value for money. My last tub lasted over a year and I used it at least once a week.

Now it will come as no surprise that I think this is a fantastic product, it does everything that I had anticipated it would do and makes your lips feel fantastically smooth. Once the lid has been removed, inside the tub the sugary cream I described as being creamy coloured is caster sugar which gives it the rough texture you need to act as the exfoliator on your lips which will work to remove all of the dead skins cells from your lips. The other main ingredients included:

• Jojoba Oil can be used on all skin types but is especially used as a moisturising ingredient for dry, flaky skin. 
• Sea Salt is also present and it helps to condition your lips and act as an exfoliating agent to remove dead skin cells and dry skin. 
• Coconut Oil comes next and for me this is one of the main aromas, it is wonderful and more so for your skin because it helps moisturise the skin keeping it soft and smooth and it also help your lips from cracking and becoming chapped. 
• Then comes a bit of a surprise ingredient with Popping Candy and you'll find once you have finished rubbing this across your lips there will be a tingling sensation which, whilst pleasant is a bit of an odd feeling. 

Unlike other Lush products this one doesn't come with a long list of other ingredients it's a simple product with a simple ingredient list. 

When it comes to using this Lip Scrub, it is exactly the same as I mentioned in my previous review, but got the benefit of those people who haven't read it yet. One of the first things you need to do is to remove any traces of products such as lip gloss, lip balm or lipstick which you might have applied and this is to ensure your lips are as bare as they can possibly be and as clean as they can be as well. Then I would suggest cleaning your lips using water and a relevant facial cloth before using this lip scrub, just to ensure your lips are clean and that there is no chance any bits of dirt are left clinging to them. Then as this lip scrub is quite thick in consistency and because it is to be used on your lips you don't actually need to be using too much at a time. 

Like with most lip balms you apply this directly onto your lips, but instead of running your finger along your lips to get that smooth look, you will need to rub it into the skin on lips in small circles to remove all of the dead skin cells and any other impurities from your lips and once you have worked your way across your lips, using some slightly damp cotton wool you gently remove the left over product from your lips and then using your finger check your lips to make sure you haven't missed anything, if you have simply copy the actions you have just done. Once you have finished, what you will notice what effect this product has had on your lips because you will see traces of what has been removed and if your lips are really chapped you might find they sting a bit if you have pressed too harshly with this scrub, because although it is castor sugar which acts as the exfoliating agent, it is quite harsh on the skin, particularly as the skin on your lips is quite sensitive compared to the skin on other body part, so take extra care the first time you use this product. Once I had finished scrubbing my lips my first initial reaction was to see how smooth my lips felt, so I ran my tongue along them. When my lips become dry it is always tends to be in the same place and that is right in the middle of my top and bottom lip and once I had used this product my lips felt soft and smooth all the way along. The after feel should be a soft and smooth one, what I noticed was no sign of any hard or loose skin but soft smooth lips and because it is a scrub you will need to use a lip balm afterwards to ensure you keep your lips moisturised. 

I have since continued to use this scrub once a week since buying it and even though it isn't my favourite Lip Scrub, I still really like it. There is a contrast between tasting sweet and salty as you rub it across your lips and the slight buttery taste you associate with popcorn is also evident, but the best part if knowing it contains popping candy and therefore at some point you are going to feel that tingling sensation.

Overall I am very impressed with this Popcorn lip scrub, it was easy to use, it smelled lovely and it has a lovely smell and feel to it which is an added bonus and price wise, I don't actually think it is expensive because it lasts a very long time, the last pot I had lasted over a year and I only bought another one because there was nothing at all left in my pot. For me these products are worth every penny and I sincerely hope they are here to stay amongst the Lush products.

Lush 9 To 5 Cleanser

Lush 9 To 5 can be found amongst the cleansers within your local Lush store. I love the cleansers from Lush and have probably tried most of the items on sale. This product is sold in a black bottle and comes in two different sizes, you can either opt for a 95g bottle which will set you back £4.75 or you can buy the bigger bottle which costs £9.25 for 240g and naturally I opted for the bigger bottle and duly took my goods home. The bottle itself for interest is pure black plastic and has a black flip top lid which is easy to open and close and around its middle is a label which details the name and size of the product and obviously the Lush logo. It is quite blandly presented but it's what's inside that counts! 

When it comes to cleansers there is a reason that I particularly like to use them. So why cleanse? Well living in London it's a polluter haven, lots of cars, buses, trains and tubes all equalling lots of pollution which in turn leads to dirt and grime on the skin. Since living in London, having moved down Sarf from oop North, I have noticed a change in my skin, it is now much dryer and oily in parts, so this has lead to my using more products to try and combat all of this. So Cleansing the skin, which should be part of everyone's daily routine, is done to remove sweat, air pollution, excess oil, grime, cosmetics and bacteria, all of which lead to skin problems and sometimes infection. Cleansing your skin isn't an arduous task, infact it takes me less than an extra five minutes a day to complete this routine, which isn't a lot really. 

Lush 9to5 is marketed as being a 'liquid cleanser' and usually with a cleanser it would involve using it in a similar way you use soap and that is by wetting your face and then lathering the cleanser in the palms of your hand and then massaging over your face for a few minutes before rinsing it off and this is certainly what I had been doing with the Wash Away Clinique Cleanser.

However, with 9to5 you don't need to do any of that, after washing and drying your face as you would normally do in a morning and an evening, all you will then need is a cotton wool pad or ball (I use a pad because the balls make me feel queasy when touching them, even now I've gone cold all over thinking about them) and you simply squeeze a small walnut sized blob onto the cotton wool pad and you simply wipe it over your face, paying attention to your problem areas, which in my case is my cheeks and t-zone where I have dry and oily skin and once you have completed this task, look at the cotton wool pad and despite washing your face thoroughly you will probably notice that this lotion has managed to remove even further excess dirt, grime, oil, make-up etc... without fail every time I use this cleanser on my face after washing, it will remove excess dirt and grime - Yuck! After using it on your face it doesn't leave behind any greasiness or slimy feel on the skin, just soft smooth and moisturised feeling skin. There is also a lovely fragrance of honeysuckle and ylang-ylang left on your skin.

The cream itself is really smooth to the touch, as soon as it touches your skin you can feel its smoothness and it is such a gentle cream which sinks into your skin without a problem. For anyone who hasn't tried it, I would suggest going into a Lush store and asking them if you can try it, they will use the back of your hand as a tester area. So after it is applied to your skin, using the cotton wool pad your skin should feel silky soft and smooth to the touch, which mine always does without fail and your skin should no longer feel dry instead completely moisturised and this is down to the ingredients. 

As ever with Lush you can expect to see a long list of ingredients which the shop assistant went through with me at the time of testing this product. Starting with:

• Almond oil which you can smell slightly when using, it is easily absorbed into the skin to help with moisturising and is suitable for use on all skin types, especially for someone like me with sensitive skin, it causes no irritations. 
• Ylang Ylang oil and this helps to balance the sebum in your skin which can create that over oily look especially around your T-zone (nose, chine and forehead) and in controlling and balances the sebum it also helps deal with overly dry and oily skin. Ylang Ylang also helps soften and smooth the skin. Next is the main ingredient and the one which gives the most noticeable aroma and that is 
• Fresh Dove Orchid Extract which are used to calm and soothe irritated skin and by irritated skin they mean dry problematic skin which is need of a little extra TLC and moisturising. For me, the Dove Orchid Extract is the most noticeable fragrance because it reminds me of the Orchid that I was given for my birthday last year and the aroma is just really lovely.  
• Everlasting Flower Absolute, again not something I have come across before and I was told that it acts as an antiseptic on the skin to ward off infection whilst at the same time it helps to rehydrate the skin. 

And it is suitable for Vegans!

So with all of that knowledge and those ingredients it isn't hard to see why this cleanser comes highly recommended not only from Lush but from me. Having used it since the beginning of November, every day in a morning and in an evening before going to bed I am still amazed at how soft my skin feels after using this cleanser and still shocked that it manages to find dirt and grime on a daily basis, even after I have washed my face. 

At the minute I alternate between using this and another Lush product and having purchased this one just over 2 and a half months I am surprised to say that I have got just over half the bottle left to use and that is with using it on a daily basis and the reason for this is that you don't need to use that much at any time yet it is simple, easy and effective and it ranks highly up on my list of my favourite Lush products and it is something that I am going to continue to use long after it has run out.

Lush Soak and Float Shampoo Bar

My current Lush shampoo bar goes by the name of Soak and Float and the first thing you notice about this shampoo bar is that it isn't the prettiest thing on the shelf, infact to look at (see below), it reminded me of one of those Coir discs that I use to plant seeds in my propagator and it has stringy bits coming off it at all angles, it's a brown colour with bits in it and its of a circle shape.

So why did I buy it? Well it is on the shelf next to all the other products Lush have in this range and I spotted it because it was the only one which wasn't a bright pretty colour not only that but there was a small blackboard which said "Don't struggle with Itchy and Scratchy" and it promised to 'bring calm to my scalp' whilst being designed especially for sore, itchy scalps and dandruff. It retails at £5.25 for a 55g bar.

As I said, this shampoo bar isn't pretty to look at, but it is full of fantastic ingredients to tackle those scalp problems. Starting with:

• Rose Petals which are said to soften the scalp and help calm a sore scalp. 
• Marigold Petals come next and they help calm redness, for anyone who suffers from an itchy scalp, the urge to itch can be quite strong and whilst it is easy to say resist the urge at all costs, sometimes you just cannot and this is why you end up with a sore scalp. For me the problem arises if I do use high street shampoos, anything like Pantene or Dove leave me simply in agony, so to know that Marigold Petals will soothe my scalp is a godsend. 
• Lavender Oil comes next and I was pleased to see this as an ingredient because I love Lavender, though it isn't the dominant smell. Lavender Oil does aid sleep and relax me but for the hair it is used for its soothing and cleansing properties. 
• The main ingredient is Cade Oil, not something I have come across before but it is interesting. Cade Oil which is also known as Juniper Tar (thanks Google) is used primarily as an antiseptic and in a product such as this it is said to have the ability to help alleviate the symptoms associated with itchy scalp conditions and dandruff. Well that is exactly what I am looking for, something to stop my scalp itching, something soothing and something that isn't going to make the problem worse. Cade oil is described as follows "The cade oil in here may smell of creosote, but that is because it has natural constituents of creosol, guaiacol, cadinene and terpenes. All of which might sound a bit scary, but in fact it makes this a natural antiseptic and antimicrobial, perfect for treating many skin complaints" and it wasn't until I read this bit on the Lush website after using the shampoo bar that I figured what the aroma was, it is a cross between creosote, which I love, and T-Gel, which I sometimes use when I am getting a bit desperate as a quick fix. Cade Oil is also said to soothe other skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema. 

My problem came about because I had run out of my usual shampoo and life at work was pretty manic, so in a morning I grabbed the nearest shampoo I could to wash my hair and the effects of doing so left me wit a dry, itchy scalp. One day I will learn my lesson, but for now, I had to fix the problem.

If you have never used a shampoo bar before, I promise you they are fascinating and easy to use. All you do is make sure your hands are wet, whether you are in the bath or the shower and then simply mimic the actions of using a bar of soap by rubbing the shampoo bar between your hands to form a lather and then as you would with your shampoo put it in your hair and gently rub and massage your scalp ensuring the lather covers every inch of your hair. Once you have covered your hair with the lather the smell is now very obvious and I think it will be an aroma that is one of personal choice, you will either love it or hate it and I am in the love it camp. Anyway, once you have massaged your scalp for a few minutes, you need to use warm water to wash it out and make sure that you removed all traces of this stuff from your hair and scalp, so the water runs clear essentially and then towel dry your hair as you would normally do. 

After using, the fragrance does remain on your hair for a day or so, if you like the smell that won't matter, if you don't then you will mind. Basically this is one product I would recommend you smell before buying in Lush. For me it was and is fantastic, I loved it. I could feel an immediate difference in that my scalp was no longer sore, I was immediately itching and my hair felt soft and smooth to the touch. Once completely dry my hair did have a shine to it, not so much that it looked greasy, but it was more of a natural shine.

I have now been using this shampoo bar twice a week and my problem is now remedied I am happy to say, it really has been a lifesaver. Because I don't use it everyday, the one thing I did invest in was a shampoo tin from Lush a few years ago and I paid around £4 for it. it's a metal tin with a tight closing lid and whenever you are not using your shampoo bar, I would suggest keeping it in this tin because not only does it keep it cool, it keeps the fragrance really fresh and after all the one thing Lush are known for are their smelly bits! I would estimate the life expectancy of this shampoo bar a being between three and four months at least, obviously if it was used more frequently this would be less, for me it is my miracle cure.

100 Follower Giveaway!!!!

I am so chuffed that I have reached 100 followers.  Not something I ever thought I would reach or bother too much about.  But when you write blog posts and people begin to read them, it starts to mean a lot more to you.

I initially did it because I enjoy using products and writing about them, have done for years and now blogging about them has given me another platform of being able to do that.  So thank you to those of you who are following me.

I have also met a lot of lovely people here in the bloggersphere...so to the giveaway:

Shown above are 10 different prizes (some of the colours might change) which will go to ONE winner. I have tried to choose items that I think reflect my blog and those blogs I read.

All you have to do is fill out the form below.....