My First Lush

I am afraid I have been one of those people that has shyed away from the strong smelling shop Lush. Having suffered with Eczema my whole life, I tend to stay clear of anything overly scented or soapy that might irritate my skin and whilst I was familiar with the ethos of the company, using natural products, the powerful smells had put me off.

However, I ventured in to buy my best friend a couple of luxurious bathing products for her birthday and I'm afraid that I was too tempted. Perhaps I was suckered in by the incredibly helpful staff member who talked me through some of the options and somewhat convinced me that despite the strong smells I shouldn't have any problem with some of the bath bombs / bubble bars and my eczema. 

I picked up...

The Butterball - Bath Bomb

This was the first thing recommended as it is designed with those of us with sensitive skin in mind. Gently fragranced with ylang ylang and coco butter, once broken down this leaves the water milky and with nothing more than a clean 'fresh' scent. 

One of the first things I noticed was that this really fizzed and totally broke down in the water. Great as I used to hate the 'cheaper' bath bombs and the hard sections you would find undissolved at the bottom upon plonking yourself in the steaming water. 

The butterball leaves a film of oil from the coco butter on the surface of the water which left my skin feeling really soft and moisturised after I dried off...even my husband noticed!

The Comforter Bubble Bar

There is simply nothing more relaxing than a warm bubble bath and I could not resist the AMAZING smelling Comforter bubble bar.   Without a doubt my favourite of the pack on smell alone and the cute pink bath water also helped!

Karma Bubble Bar

After spending a small fortune on presents and myself I was really pleased when I got home and found a min karma bubble bar in my bag which the shop assistant had given me as a free sample. She had mentioned that this 'scent' is the signature for Lush. It is lovely but in my opinion is far surpassed by the smell of the The Comforter. 

I crumbled half of this into a bath and was thrilled at the pale orange bath water and the lashings of foamy bubbles that really did last.  


My eczema has come up on my arms but I tried these whilst staying in a hotel which means it is not really a fair test.  I find that very often when staying away from home I will have a small reaction due to the detergents used to wash the bedding. 

As far as I am concerned these are now staple bath products and when I'm willing to treat myself to a bath it will be one of these that is joining me.

Lily Flame Candles

I was originally gifted a 'Blush' Lily Flame candle 5 or 6 years ago for Christmas and I have been one of their fans ever since and am rarely without a tin on the go. 

I really love the packaging of the tins, particularly the font design and the girly colours they use for all of their labelling. The range has been extended away from the original tins and they now do glass jar candles, room sprays and reed diffusers...hello wish list! 

You are able to find them in person in John Lewis and I regularly go and have a little sniff to see what is new but I keep on coming back to Blush. It is a heady scent, deep and musky but feminine at the same time.

Well on a little trip to John Lewis to purchase the Blush candle for a friends birthday box I noticed that they now do individual mini tins ... hello Lily Flame cuteness. I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to choose a different scent and give something else a road test. 

This time I chose the Lavender and Lime. There is a strong scent of relaxing lavender but the twist of lime takes away that old lady edge and freshens it up slightly, making it perfect for either day or night time burning. I particularly like the idea of taking a mini with me when travelling to liven up the standard hotel scent. The mini tins also make such great little gifts I think.

These tins have very powerful scents and like some of their more expensive counterparts they can fill a room without even being lit. Unlike most of their expensive counterparts these candles come in at less than £10 each a significant saving if you were thinking of a Diptyque or Neom offering. 

Since moving to the South West it makes it even better these little tins of cuteness are made in Somerset.

These are sold on Amazon, in John Lewis and from Lily Flame themselves.

Monthly Review - March

Make Up

One of my favourite things this month has been my new mascara from Maybelline. Deep black, no flakes and great gravity defying length and volume all day long. At around £5 this is an absolute bargain.

 

Food

Has anyone else noticed that Oreo cookies have been on offer in Tesco this month...no just me then. I just have literally not stopped eating them.

Drink

We have booked our next trip to the States and the onslaught of sunshine has got me thinking of these great Corona-ritas!

 

Read

I finished Apple Tree Yard this month after a recommendation from the mothers book group.
 

Yvonne Carmichael is at the top of her, rather male dominated, profession respected by peers, friends and family. One day whilst giving evidence at a House of Commons Select Committee she meets a stranger. She dives into a passionate but rather anonymous affair. An affair that leads to a live changing catastrophic event. 

Reflecting on themes of adultery, love, trust and the values by which we choose to live our life this book is totally gripping. You know that a book is good when you can't quite face starting the next book because you are too engrossed in the one you have just finished.

 

Listened to

Hello Frozen soundtrack at the top of my lungs in the car!

Watched

About 40 billion years behind everyone else I have finally started watching Homeland and oh my god it is AMAZING!!! I have just started watching Season 2 so no spoilers please.

Blog Post

My favourite blog post of the month has to be this one from Paula at PinkBow. Her blog is grown up and I love it. The post in question inspired this one and has helped me get a little bit of my blogging mojo back.

YouTube

This video of my new home city got me all excited and I have loved watching and sharing it all this month. 

Although a special mention has to go to the musings of Anna and Lily on their 90's Kid Tag which threw me a little bit of nostalgia last weekend.

Instagram

Tweet

Excited to show you all my journey so far! x vb http://t.co/DOoXqE8b1t pic.twitter.com/jSOxsC1o5L
— Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) March 3, 2014

This month I have not been good at..

Blogging! I haven't been hugely inspired to put fingers to keys over the last month to be honest but I have a few things that I would like to write about in April. So here's to a few extra posts.

This month I have been successful at...

Netball coaching. That's right this month I successfully qualified as a level 1 Coach. I'll now be looking to test lots of new things out on the girls at the club. I love that already in 2014 I have learnt a new skill.

Looking forward to

I am looking forward to our trip away to Cornwall at the beginning of April. This is the first time I will have been down there except for Newquay when I was a teenager. We are looking for something slightly different from the Cornish coast this time around specifically a little bit of R&R.

Winter Favourites

 

What better time to write this post than when the first hints of spring are starting to show; the plants are starting to grow, days are getting longer and the promise of the Easter Bunny is looming. 

 

This collection of favourites has a definite neutral theme to it that is for sure. In my opinion there is nothing better than 'no make up' make up look that pulls you together when the dark days are getting to you. Classic and timeless. All of these items have seen sufficient use over the last few months in a bid to banish me of my winter blues!

From left to right

This perfect nude nail polish has been gracing my tips almost constantly since Christmas and my desire to wear all things red and/or glittery had run its course. Aptly named shade 372 in 'Nude'. Ever since I discovered KIKO I have loved their nail varnishes. Easy application, a great range of colours, long lasting and a bargain too boot!

I am lucky enough to have a International Santa and one of the things top of my cross-Atlantic wish list was the L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in the US only shade of 'Amber Rush'. Many a UK beauty blogger has raved about this and I can tell why. This is without a doubt the perfect rose gold eye shadow and I know that is a bold statement. I cannot tell you how many people have commented on it when I am wearing it and I have to admit a little bit of me delights in telling them it can only be found in the US.

The swatch below is literally a small press into the pigment and a swipe which shows you just how intense it is. Use a primer underneath and it lasts and lasts and lasts!

Onto some skincare and a desperate need to pep up the moisture levels in my severely winter dehydrated skin! Hydraluron is a sticky gel that you put on your face before your full moisturiser and eye cream. There is lots of science behind it - I'll leave that for you to find out for yourself - but it definitely keeps things the right side of moisturised on those cold and windy days. 

Continuing on the KIKO theme this was more of an impulse purchase whilst standing in their packed Westfield Stratford store on the 27th December. The Crystal Sheer Glossy Lipstick in 'Coral Pink' won me over with the packaging. A push down top and iridescent finish *swoons*.

Luckily the product itself is just as awesome. It looks like a bullet of highly pigmented colour but what you are left with is exactly what it says on the tin - a sheer glossy coverage - that leaves enough moisturing colour to perk up that dull winter skin. Its' lasting power is in the same realm as a lip gloss but it is certainly easy to re-apply and even easier to wear.

More eyes and another drug store winner in my opinion. The Rimmel Scandaleyes Shadow Paint in Rich Russet also gives a great intense shimmer to the lids. Can anyone tell that I love a good shimmer finish! This stuff is a great neutral bronze colour that stays and stays and stays. Blended with a fluffy brush and a slick of mascara your eyes are good to go!

Last but by no means least is the piece de resistance in this group of seasonal favourites, the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. I literally squealed like a child when I opened this on Christmas Day and it has had a special place in my heart ever since. 

Any type of look needed is easy with this beauty. Paired down neutral, sparkly date night or full on smoky this does not disappoint. I definitely now want the Naked 2. 

Enough said...this is all over the blogosphere with rave review after rave review and much better swatch photos than I would ever achieve so instead I will just leave you with some photos so that you can salivate to yourselves. 

My Winter Skin Savers

All the will power in the world...

If there is one thing that is seriously testing my will power during this 100 day spending ban it is the Uber Pink Collection from Bobbi Brown!

Everything about this makes me happy. To start with it is pink and from Bobbi Brown *swoon*. Those colours are just so vibrant and pretty and you know that as it is Bobbi the quality will be just as amazing.

The perfect Valentine gift for that someone special (hint hint) or special treat to yourself of course.

The stand out items for me are definitely the lip gloss in Baby Pink, the nail polish in Pink Peony, the lip colour in Pink Kiss and the piece de resistance the illuminating bronzer in Pink Peony.

It is going to take every last ounce of self-control to not purchase these on my first jaunt around the shops this Saturday with Mum in tow.

Holiday Reads

I was a very lucky girl over the New Year and headed to Sharm El Sheikh for a spot of sun, sea and snorkeling whilst we brought in 2014. We had such an amazing time.

Now I am not going to lie there was only 2 things I was interested in on this holiday:

1. Getting some much needed vitamin D 
2. Catching up on some good reads

If you are looking for something new to read or just add to your Amazon Wish List (am I the only one that has a specific 'To Read' wish list) you might be interested in what I downloaded for my holiday.

Life After Life  - By Kate Atkinson

This book follows Ursula, a girl born into a relatively wealthy family during a snow storm in February 1910. Ursula immediately dies. In the next chapter her birth is played out again but this time a few facts are changed and baby Ursula survives. 

The book follows in this vein, with Ursula as a child and adult often being in the wrong place at the wrong time but when she re-joins life and we re-join her she has the opportunity to make certain changes that will influence her path through life. Throughout Ursula doesn't realise that she is being re-born and instead views it as a series of deja vu and an instinct to travel in a certain direction. 

As a result the book is very jumpy and goes back and forward in time which can be a little taxing. I have to say that at the beginning I found this really difficult, never before have I had to pay such particular attention to dates in a  fiction book. But around a quarter of the way in it started to pick up pace and I had got my head around the large swathe of characters that come in and out of the story depending on which period in time is being written about. 

The story is interspersed with some philosophy and other literary references which I think are supposed to reflect Ursula's intelligence and wisdom from having lived a 'number of lives'. 

As Ursula grows we follow her life in the context of great historical events given that she 'lives' through 2 world wars. We see her married, single in London and in Berlin following various life paths including being a housewife, mother and civil servant. During this time she is also able to influence the fate of other key characters. This is not necessarily something that I like, but is always tied into the storyline. 

The story was spoilt slightly with a rather far fetched and honestly random sub-story featuring Eva Braun and Adolf Hitler but excluding those few chapters it is a great read. Whilst other reviews have commented on the repetitiveness I really enjoyed seeing the same scenes with the eyes of a 'different' Ursula, who is viewing them for the first time after following a different series of choices to get her to that point. 

Perfect for any reader who often wishes "If I had just..."

Jemima J - By Jane Green

Jane Green is one of the queens of chick lit, writing about glossy women leading glossy lives in glossy cities. Perfect sun lounger reading if you ask me 

The story of Jemima J starts with an unhappy overweight 27 year old working as a journalist at The Kilburn Herald with dreams of being skinny, beautiful and writing features for a  women's glossy. We learn early on that Jemima J has the talent and ambition to hit her career goals but unfortunately not the confidence after years of rejection from editors, "friends" and her mother. Her lack of self-confidence has led her into the life of an isolated recluse.

Like all women who have something they don't like about themselves, Jemima believes that everything in her life will be perfect - a great job, great friends, great parties and of course a great boyfriend preferably in the shape of Ben, Deputy News Editor, at The Kilburn Herald - if she could just loose her weight. 

First published in 2006 it was interesting to hear Jemimas thoughts as she dials up the modem upon discovering the internet and its opening up of the world to her, where no one knows what she looks like. The catalyst for change in Jemima is meeting the very hunky Brad, a Californian, on an internet chat room. 

One of the things I really like about this book is that Jemima only changes through her own hard work and dedication - a lesson to us all during the January resolutions. But unfortunately that is where my love for this tale ends. Perhaps it would have been a little twee but there is no 'beauty is on the inside' message here. A little detour through LA and Brad but of course like any good rom come Jemima gets her happy ending!

Predictable, yes and frustrating moral undertone at times but certainly a pleasant and quick read whilst soaking up the winter sun. 

Room - By Emma Donoghue

Jack is 5. Jack lives in Room. Room is 11 foot by 11 foot with a sky light and a locked door. Ma was captured 8 years before by Old Nick and held in this fortress in his garden unbeknown to everyone around them. Jack is the result of the relationship between Old Nick and Ma. 

We are given a detailed description of Room through the eyes of Jack. Each key reference point uses capital letters to depict its 'Name'. It is part of Jacks life rather than merely an object. We realise that every aspect of his life is in this room with his mother protecting his view of the 'outside'. This naive viewpoint is endearing in a strange way. 

You realise relatively soon in the book that Ma and Jack do get out of Room. This part of the book is written so well. My heart was actually pounding and ensuring their safe recovery meant that I stayed up well past my bed time. 

Jack is the hero of the story and watching him learn about the outside world and meeting his new family and surroundings is fascinating. As if a baby could articulate how they feel. 

The story then focuses on how Ma and Jack try to assimilate in the first month or so. They realise its not going to be an easy process and I love the optimism shown by both of them through a list shared with us towards the end that details all the things they want to do together in the future. 

I was genuinely upset when the book finished with unanswered questions. Does Ma recover? Does Jack integrate back into his new world? What happens to Old Nick? Do Ma and Jack get the justice they deserve? I suppose its nice to think of these things yourself because then you can create the happy ending you want for them. 


Have you read any of these books ? What did you think? Do you have an recommendations for my virtual reading list?