A Month in Photos #5

1. Adding Woody & Buzz Lightyear to my growing tsum tsum collection. So cute!

2. Valentine's Day treats. I was lucky enough to get a new bottle of my favourite fragrance by YSL 'Black Opium' and a few Lush bath treats.

3. I managed to get my hands on a limited edition patch from the embroidery artist, Adipocere. I'm on the lookout for a frame to display this in! 

4. Cards Against Humanity, there is no words. 

5. Catch up coffee and peanut butter cake with my mum.

6. Five year anniversary gift from my boyfriend. A lovely silver and gold intertwined heart necklace. 

What have been the highlights of your month?

Carly x

Lush Haul: Boxing Day Sale

So, I may have did a sneaky online shop at Lush on Boxing Day...

I hadn't anything in mind that I particularly wanted to purchase, which was lucky as most of the goodies seemed to have been snapped up by the time I stumbled online Boxing Day evening. I was happy with the few bits that I managed to pick up, as we all know Lush sales happen once in a blue moon!

'Snow Fairy' Shower Gel

I have to confess, I have never tried nor smelt this 'famous' seasonal Lush shower gel, so I thought i'd pick up two mini bottles (they were going for so cheap, why not!) I'm a big fan of sweet, candy scented products, but wow, this smells sweet! (it reminds me of Calpol, you know the medicine we all used to get as kids?) I am a big fan of Lushs shower gels so i'm looking forward to using these!

'Dirty' Mint-Chocolate Massage Bar

I've previously tried the 'Tender is the Night' massage bar from Lush and it has become one of my all time favourite Lush products. These massage bars are great to use after a bath or shower and does a great job of moisturising dehydrated skin. They are made with a base of nourishing fair trade cocoa butter and are designed to melt at body temperature, which makes them easy to apply. I was a bit skeptical about the mint-chocolate scent, but after using it after my bath this evening, i love it! The chocolate scent is very subtle but it does leave a lovely fresh peppermint scent on the skin after..mmmm....

'The Rough With The Smooth' The Breakfast Scrub Bar

I've heard so many good reviews about this, I thought it was about time to check it out myself. First of, this smells incredible, it has a scent similar to the breakfast scrub by Soap & Glory, which is good enough to eat! You use this little bar whilst in the shower and bath over damp skin and it helps buff away any dry skin leaving you silky smooth. It does a great job of exfoliating, it is quite gritty and if not used gently may be slightly scratchy, but i'd rather has a good scrub that a gentle buffing to get the job done, am I right ladies?

'Cinders' Bath Bomb

This is a repurchase for me, as it's from the limited Christmas collection, I thought i'd treat myself to one more before they disappear for another year *sob* 

This is a sweet and spicy bath bomb that contains cinnamon leaf oil and almond oil (great for dry skin!) It is a lovely warming scent and has a fun feature of popping candy, yup, popping candy! 

I'd love to know your favourite Lush products!

Carly x

Evening Skincare Routine

As the colder weather is fast approaching I have been adding a few new skincare saviours into my evening routine to help boost my skins hydration and for a bit of an extra pamper. I've been using this routine religiously for the past few months and have noticed a visible improvement in my skins condition, it looks a lot healthier and i'm even having to deal with a lot less breakouts (yay!) 

In the evening I start of by using the No7 Hot Cloth Polish, I was an avid user of the Liz Earle hot cloth polish, but having to repurchase such a pricey cleanser nearly every 3 months was a bit too much for my purse. I switched over to the much more affordable No7 cleanser and haven't looked back since (however I must admit, I do miss the eucalyptus scent of the Liz Earle products!) It's a wonderfully creamy cleanser and my skin seems to be loving it so far. 

For toner I have been trying out the Vitamin E Hydrating Toner from The Body Shop. This is a wonderfully hydrating addition to my skincare, it helps remove any traces of makeup or dirt that my cleanser may not have picked up and as it's too not harsh it is great for sensitive skin.

This has become a holy grail product of mine (i'm onto my third tube!) I apply the La Roche Posay Effaclar duo [+] all over my face after toning and leave to sink in for 30 minutes or so before I go onto my next skincare step. This wonder product helps keep any major breakouts at bay and helps reduce small blemishes virtually over night! I've also noticed that it has helped improve my skins texture, making it a lot smoother and softer. 

This has been a re purchase for me, I stopped using this maybe a year or two ago after my skin wasn't suffering as badly with dry patches and have started using it again to prep my skin for the colder months! This is a great moisteriser that is quite thick in texture and needs an extra minute or two to sink in. Lushs Skin Drink contains soothing rose petal infusion, sesame oil, aloe and avocado. 

Next up is Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil, I use two or three drops of this straight after applying my moisteriser. It is beautifully scented facial oil and I enjoy using this every evening as it feels like a bit of luxurious treat! I've found after using this regularly for the past six months has really helped boost my skins hydration and leaves my skin looking more awake in the morning! 

The final steps in my evening skincare routine is too apply an eye cream and a blemish treatment (if I need it.) I'm enjoying using the No7 Early Defense Eye Cream so far, I haven't found any significant difference in fine lines yet, but it does hydrate my under eye area creating a good base for applying concealer. I've been trying out Sanctuarys Blemish Serum for the past few weeks and i'm pretty impressed with it so far, it seems to visible reduce blemishes in size and redness overnight.

What are you evening skincare favourites?

Carly x 

August Favourites

Bye August, hello September! 

Here are a few things I have been loving in August...

Paddywax 'Tobacco & Patchouli' candle

Ugh, this smells great! I've held of burning this little travel candle as I think it will be the perfect scent for cold autumnal nights- I can't wait!

Lush's 'Vanillary' perfume

If you've ever smelt Lushs Vanilla Dee-Lite body lotion, this is the perfume version. I do love a good vanilla scent when it comes to perfumes and this really packs a punch when it comes to giving you a dose of vanilla goodness!

No7 Moisture Drench Lipstick in Soft Earth

This has been my go to lipstick this month, it's the perfect everyday colour. It is great for an effortless pop of colour, nothing to dramatic for wearing during the day.

Heeled boots from Boohoo.com

These boots where an absolute steal at £12! I have been wearing them a lot this month as the summer here hasn't been...well...summery at all! They go great with every outfit and are super comfortable to walk in. This will definately be a staple for the coming months!

What have you been loving this month?

Carly x

Lush's New Summer Collection

Lush's new Summer collection is online now, they have a huge number of new   products ranging from bath bombs to limited edition shower gels. 

Most of these have already been available to buy in their new Oxford Street store in London. Unfortunately, as I live in Northern Ireland the likelihood of a trip to London to visit the shop was pretty slim so when they launched online- I had to pick up some of the special limited edition treats! 

'The Experimenter' Bath Bomb

This smells heavenly, it's a scent that I haven't come across before in a Lush product. It contains vetivert oil, fair trade vanilla and tonka, combined together to create a therapeutic and spa like scented bath bomb. The bath bomb itself is a rainbow of different colours that claims to turn your bath water into a mixture of 5 bright colours, perfect for summer! It also contains popping candy...yup...popping candy, I'm interested in seeing how that goes! 

'Cup O' Coffee' Face & Body Mask

As a complete coffee addict that loves everything coffee this is the first thing I popped into my online basket. This is an exfoliating mask for your face or anywhere on your body that needs a bit of a caffiene pick me up. I've heard of the benefits of coffee scrubs before and am excited to try this. It contains freshly brewed coffee, roasted cocoa extract, vetivert and coriander oil. It claims to give the skin a quick pick me up leaving it brighter with a healthy glow.

'The Comforter' Shower Cream

This is the liquid version of the popular comforter bubble bar. It contains sweet cassis, bergamot oils and cypress essential oils combined to create a delicious blackcurrant scented shower cream.  The formula contains almond oil which is great for anyone with dry skin as not only does it leave you smelling wonderful it packs a punch of hydration!

'Yuzu and Coco' Moisturising Shower Cream

Having previous picked up the yuzu and coco bubble bar and falling in love with the scent, I knew I would love the shower cream version. It smells good enough to eat- think chocolate oranges with a hint of coconut. Its beautifully sweet and claims to be intensely hydrating. It contains citrusy yuzu juice, coco and tonka. This one is a real treat for the senses! 

All of these are still available to pick up from Lush online.

Carly x

A Week in Photos #3

1. My lovely boyfriend surprised me with roses and lush goodies :)

2. Relaxing in my new coffee PJ bottoms I picked up in Forever 21 when I was in Amsterdam.

3. Discovering a new coffee shop while on my way to work, I will be revisiting this cute cafe soon!

4. Frozen Yoghurt date night! A new frozen yoghurt place has opened up in our area, so once every week we take an evening trip and try out some new flavours! This week I tasted their mocha and vanilla cake batter flavoured frozen yoghurt. Oh so yum! 

5. I love having a noisy in TK Maxx home section every now and again and found this lovely candle. I love the packaging and it smells wonderful! A bargain for only £6! Hooray!

6. I finished reading Caitlin Morans ' How to be a Woman' this week and really enjoyed it! It's written perfectly and includes hilarious insights into her teenage years, while making some incredibly thoughtful observations on modern feminisim. 

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend! 

Carly x

Mini Pamper Haul

I always try and fit in a pamper evening at least once a week (usually at the weekend) it does wonders for helping you to de-stress and get ready for the week ahead, not to mention it also feels pretty great to treat yourself. 

I picked up a few new bits and pieces to add into my weekly ritual and cant wait to use some of the goodies! Eeee!

First up, I restocked some of my Lush bath bombs- a bath never seems to be the same unless the water is turned magical colours and smells amazing! 

Lush 'Twilight' Bath Bomb

I've used this bath bomb before and I think it's one of ny favourites from Lush. It's sweetly scented with tonka absolute and contains essential oils, Lavender and ylang-ylang, which makes it a great one to use before bedtime, as the lavender helps ease you into sleep and great if you suffer from insomnia. Not to mention this  turns your bath water a deep shimmering purple!

Yuzu & Cocoa Bubbleroon

This is a new one for me, when I smelt this in store, it went straight in my basket! This bubbleroon smells of coconut and chocolate orange, yum!  It contains fair trade shea butter that promises to leave your skin soft and moisturised after. I've used a few of the other bubble bars from Lush and they create the softest bubbles ever! You really have to try it to believe it.

The Godmother Soap

I've been on the lookout for a good bar of soap to replace using shower gel all the time and I think i've found the perfect one! This foams beautifully, it doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or dry and it smells identitical to their limited edition Christmas shower gel Snow Fairy. It is so highly scented of all things candy it has made my shower room smell great! 

Lastly, I picked up some peel off face masks from Montagne Jeunesse. 

Cucumber, Manuka Honey and Green Tea. I've yet to try these but i'm excited to see how they work out! 

Have you ever used any face masks from Montagne Jeunesse?

Carly x

A Week in Photos

1. Getting a freshly brewed cappuccino brought to you in bed by a handsome bearded gentleman, I am spoiled.

2. How adorable is this pillow?! Picked this up for £6 in Tesco, bargain! 

3. Fresh yellow roses to brighten up our living room.

4. A recent addition to my ever growing book collection; Nourish 'mind body & soul.' This is a great little book covering healthy recipes, relaxation techniques and workout ideas.

5. I have been wearing this Breakfast in Bed top a lot recently, found it while rummaging through my local TK Maxx, it is the softest most comiest top I own, perfect for lazy days.

6. Coffee! Always.

7. I have been having a nostalgic music throwback recently, does anybody remember CSS? 

8. I love love love my Wall-E mugs I got last month for my birthday. How cute are they?

9. I love to pamper myself on a Sunday evening, to treat myself this week I picked up Lush's Twilight bath bomb. A seriously lovely smelling bomb worth checking out. 

Hope you have all had a lovely week :)

Carly x

Lush delivery!

I am a bit of a Lush addict at the minute, I love trying out products of theirs that i've never tried before. I put in a little order last week and it arrived this morning so I thought i'd thought i'd share my purchases and maybe inspire some of you to check them out!

Creamy Candy Bubble Bar £2.75 each

I've tried a few of Lushs bubble bars before and have always been impressed with them. Bath bombs are great but sometimes I fancy a nice bubbly soak in the bath and these are perfect for just that. You crumble a bit of the bar under the tap whilst running you bath, leave to dissolve and it creates the softest bubbles ever (not too mention they smell great!) The creamy candy bar smells like candy floss and all things yum! It also offers extra moisturisation than the average bubble bar as it has a blend of almond and cocoa butter which melt nicely into your bath water, leaving your skin velvety soft.

American Cream Body Lotion £11.95

I am a big fan of the American Cream hair conditioner so when I seen that they were realising a limited run of it in a body lotion I had to try it out. It smells like an absolute dream, strawberries and cream

scented but not too sweet. This is a light moisteriser for the body, it sinks in quickly and leaves your skin perfectly hydrated with the wonderful scent that lasts all day long. 

Avobath Bath Bomb £3.35 each

I'm having a bit of a moment with avocado at the minute, I love it on my toast in the morning and recently discovered an avocado scented hand cream that I have been loving, so when I stumbled across this online I thought i'd give it a go. Don't let the simplistic design of this bath bomb put you of, it packs a zingy citrus punch with it's lemongrass and bergamot oils. Perfect for a morning bath to wake up your senses. It also has avocado and olive oil which helps keep your skin hydrated, moisterising any dry patches on your skin. A perfect choice if you suffer from dry skin and perfect if you just love a good citrus scent! 

Celestial Facial Moisturiser from Lush

I've been on the hunt for a while now for a light yet super hydrating face cream to use in my morning routine. After a recent visit to Lush I spotted their 'Celestial' facial moisturiser and decided to give it a whirl. 

I have been using it for about a month now and my skin is loving it! No dry patches in sight, hooray! 

It is a light, creamy consistancy with no fragrance (which I love!) sinks into the skin quickly, which is good for my morning routine as I don't have time to wait around before I put my makeup on.

If you have sensitive skin, this is a dream! It feels soothing and refreshing and I actually look forward to slathering this on when I wake up. (We all need a little incentive to get out of bed, right?) 

If you are looking for a non fussy day cream, look no further! At a mere £12.50 for a sizeable 45g this product won't break the bank. 

Ingredients: 

• Fair Trade Vanilla Water
• Almond Oil
• Almond Milk
• Glycerine
• Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter
• Fresh Dove Orchid Extract
• Cetearyl Alcohol
• Stearic Acid
• Triethanolamine
• Methylparaben
• Propylparaben

Shower time!

When it comes too all things skincare I like to switch things up every now and again. Here are a few of my favourite products I have been using recently! 

Rehab shampoo (Lush)

I have never used any Lush shampoos before so I opted for the smaller bottle to give it a whirl. It's a restorative shampoo packed full of ingredients that benefit the hair and scalp. Combining fresh papaya, pineapple, kiwi and mango. It also helps strengthen the hair by using organic extra virgin olive oil and jojoba oils. With added sea salt it helps soften the hair and seaweed which improves the hairs shine. The smell is quite lovely too-  Peppermint and juniper. I have been using this for the past

few weeks and have definately noticed my hair is a lot more shiney and healthy looking. I maybe picking up a full sized bottle of this in the near future!

American Cream hair conditioner (Lush)

This is a repurchase for me, I used this a

few years ago and completely forgot about how much I loved it! This conditioner is milkshake-thick, with a strawberries and cream fragrance (which perfumes my hair all day!) Itcontains fresh   strawberries which help cleanse the hair, and are rich in vitamin C. Orange juice is also thrown into the mix to add gloss. To top it off, this contains soothing clary sage and calming lavender for your scalp. I really look forward to using this product (usually 3 times a week) However, one thing I will say about this conditioner is to make sure it is properly washed out, if not, it can leave your hair quite greasy.

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt hand & body wash

If you have ever given the perfume version of this scent a sniff, you will understand why picking up the shower wash was a must (and the body cream, oopss!) It is quite a pricey shower wash to purchase but using it with the body cream and perfume makes the scent last an awful lot longer than using the perfume alone. 

OGX Coconut Milk Shampoo

I have been wanting to try a shampoo from OGX for months, but couldn't really bring myself to pay nearly £10 for a shampoo. Luckily I managed to come across it in Superdrug when on offer for half the price and snapped it up! 

Organix Coconut Milk shampoo is a blend of organic coconut milk to nourish your hair, containing ultra-whipped egg white proteins which add strength and elasticity, along with weightless coconut oils which add hydration and balance. It is quite a creamy shampoo which makes the formula quite hard to lather up, which is a bit of a pain. The scent of this is quite light and not over powering like some other coconut scented shampoos on the market. It leaves my hair feeling soft and hydated- however, I seem to be reaching more for the Lush Detox shampoo...

Last but not least,

Mask of Magnaminty (Lush) 

I have spoke about this in previous blog posts so will keep this brief. I use this twice a week to help keep my skin blemish free, it also works well for a facial scrub. The minty/clean feeling once this mask is washed off keeps me coming back for more!

What are your shower essentials?

Lazy Sunday Routine

"A Sunday well spent brings a week of content."

Firstly, Coffee!
After a nice lie in, I like to make myself a cup of coffee (loving salted caramel flavoured coffee at the minute...yum!) which I like to drink back in bed and read a book. This is something I always enjoy doing if i'm feeling particularly lazy!

After I've spent (far too long) lounging in bed reading, I finally get around to my quick and simple 3 step cleansing routine in the morning. 

I start of my using the Simple Micellar water on a cotton pad and sweep this over my face and neck. This is a recent purchase and so far i'm impressed! It's a gentle formula and is great for sensitive skin  like mine.

Next I use another new purchase the Balance Cosmetics hyaluronic 554 youth serum. It's far too early to let you know if I am noticing any difference in my skin from using this, but i'm enjoying using it so far. This little bottle of clear like gel  claims to give 'immediate hydration and is clinically proven to give 24 hour non-stop moisturisation.' Well! Anything that is claiming to boost hydration is worth a try in my books! 

My last step is yup, you guessed it, another Liz Earle product. This moisturiser is nice and light and absorbs quickly, making it a nice base if you are planning on applying makeup.

After making myself feel more human, I'll treat myself to a nice breakfast. I've opted for the healthier option today- strawberry yogurt with blueberries, chopped up banana and strawberries. 

If i'm feeling like more of a treat, i'll whip up some poached eggs and crispy bacon on a round of toast.

 

Fast forward through one Netflix binge, copious amounts of coffee, lunch and dinner, this is when the real pamper for me begins! I love having a bath on a Sunday evening, it's one thing that I feel relaxes me and prepares me for the work week ahead.

I use a Lush bath bomb (if i'm lucky enough to have any!) If not, I make do with a good old Radox bubble bath. I like to apply a face mask too while relaxing in the tub, i'm currently loving the Lush 'Mask of Magnaminty.' 
If you haven't tried it already, I recommend picking it up, you won't be disappointed!

What's your favourite things to do on a lazy Sunday? 

Mini Lush Haul

As every dander into town goes, I popped into my local Lush store to pick up a few bits & pieces. I set myself a strict budget to not spend anymore than £15 (As I tend to get a bit carried away when it comes to their bath bombs.) 

I've heard a lot of good reviews on the Lush face & body mask 'Mask of Magnaminty,' so I picked up a small tub to try it out. 

This mask claims to clean, calm and clear stressed out skin. It's made from peppermint oil to stimulate, marigold oil and chlorophyllin to treat the skin, evening primose seeds and aduki beans to exfoliate the skin. This smells good enough to eat! 

I picked up two bath bombs, the obligitary Butterball, and Big Blue. 

I have used the Butterball before and found my skin to be hydrated and moisterized after using this little gem. Also the smell of the cocoa butter and  Ylang ylang leaves your skin lightly fragranced and not too mention your bathroom smelling lovely after! At £2.65 it's definately worth picking up! 

A new purchase for me was the Big Blue bath bomb. What attracted me to this one in particular was the fresh, seaside smell and the vibrant blue colour (which I hope will turn the bath water a deep blue, fingers crossed!) 

This bomb is rich in a type of kelp called 'arame seaweed' which helps soften hot bath water combined with seasalt which acts as a mild exfoliant in removing dead skin cells. Overall, Big Blue seems like a winner. 

What are your favourite Lush products? 

 All products are available from their online store www.lush.co.uk.

Happy bathing!