Lush :: Golden Egg!

I know that I am probably way behind with this post, and I know that Easter has clearly left us (I miss having an excuse to gorge on chocolate), I wanted to show you all my favourite Easter product that I picked up from LUSH!

I was so determined to pick up one of their limited edition Easter bath bombs, because they are just quite simply adorable and I missed out last year!  As I was scanning the bath bombs in great detail, something shone and caught my eye!  It was none other than the infamous 'Golden Egg!'

Firstly, can we just please take a moment to appreciate how utterly gorgeous and glittery this bath bomb looks?!!!  It is coated in so much glitter that after taking this picture my fingers were covered!
It just reminds me of the Giant's golden egg from the classic tale 'Jack and the Beanstalk!'  So yeah you can imagine my excitement at seeing something so iconic be brought to life!  It's apparently a bath melt as well as a bath bomb, so I couldn't wait to try it!

The main ingredients in this product are: Cocoa Butter and Olive oil, which are both ideal for moisturising the skin and Bergamot oil and Wild Orange oil, which help to brighten and tone the skin, whilst adding some sweetness to the aroma.  'Golden Egg' shares the same decadent aroma as their 'Honey I washed the kids' soap range, which has a gorgeous toffee/honey scent that lingers onto your skin all day long.

I couldn't wait to pop this into my bath, especially as I wanted to know what the glitter will do and what colour my bath was going to transform into.  The moment the bath bomb was dropped, all of the golden glitter instantly fell to the bottom of my bath.

The bath melt released a beautiful stream of yellow foam that dominated the water and turned it a vibrant yellow shade.  The bath bomb then soon after released a white foam that blended perfectly and created a pale yellow colour.  I couldn't wait to step into my toffee scented bath, finally relax and enjoy some TLC!

I was thoroughly impressed by this product!  If I'm honest, I really thought that it was going to make me completely covered in gold glitter and I would have to spend hours scrubbing it off.  Oh how I was wrong!  Instead it left my skin feeling incredibly nourished and smooth and I simply washed the small amount of glitter that was left in the bath.  I will definitely be buying some more of these, especially when they're discontinued, because not only are they useful and relaxing, but they are also a lot of fun too!

M x

Lush haul :: Back to basics

Now who doesn't love a good LUSH haul?  Yeah, exactly... That's what I thought!  Well, I desperately needed some much needed retail therapy after having endured an incredibly stressful week, so the other day, I rather naughtily splurged on some fantastic finds!  Instead of my usual bath bombs and bubble bar purchases, I decided to steer more towards the bath and body section of my favourite store.  So here is my little haul for you to feast your eyes on!

To gently ease myself into the collection I walked straight over to the body washes and shower gels. There was such an array of gorgeous colours and smells to choose from... It was all rather exciting! After a long time browsing the bottles, I finally chose the 'Prince Charming' shower gel, because who doesn't want one of those on their lives?  The gel was a luminous pink and smelt of grapefruit and pomegranate.  It also contains vanilla and almond oil, so I just know that this is going to be so moisturising for my skin!   It is a limited edition shower gel, as it was made for Valentine's day, but luckily my local store still had four bottles left!      

I suffer from incredibly dry skin, especially on my knees and elbows, so I thought that it would be best to purchase one of their homemade scrubs!  I opted for 'Rub Rub Rub', which apparently is their ultimate scrub product that is most popular and gets the best reviews.  It's made from Sea Salt, Mimosa Absolute, Orange Flower Absolute and Organic Lemon Juice.  The Sea Salt works as a deep exfoliant, as well as being a natural antiseptic for skin and the Lemon Juice gives a real kick and makes you feel rejuvenated afterwards.  There are two ways to use this product:- either use it on dry skin for a really good scrub before getting into the shower/bath or simply apply to wet skin for a more gentle scrub.      

How beautiful is this soap?  I mean how can you not want to pick this up and add it to your basket? It's called 'Roses All The Way' and it was quite literally love at first sight!  Not only is it gorgeous on the outside with the rose stencil and the heart shape, but it also super creamy and hydrating for your skin.  The two main ingredients in this soap are Rose Oil and Coconut Oil, which both help to nourish and hydrate the skin, whilst giving off the sweet aroma of roses.  This soap is one of LUSH's cream soaps, which lather up very well when exposed to water and I already can tell that this will run out quicker than my other soaps.  I suggest that you store this in a safe place where it will not get wet when you're not using it.

Near the counter there were some lip products strategically placed in order of usage.  They had lip balms, lip sticks and then something that I had never seen/used before, which was the lip scrub range. Because I was wanting to continue with the pink scheme (that I had accidentally started), I purchased 'The Kiss' lip scrub.  It's made up of Cocoa butter and Safflower Oil, which are quite simply a match made in heaven!  To use this product all you have to do is simply sweep and scrub over the lips and then lick off for soft skin... and it works every time.  This scrub is ideal for getting rid of flaky dry skin, but most importantly it ensures that your lips will forever stay smooth and kissable!

I had such a great time, investing in some new beauty products that I know are going to do wonders to my skin. Have you purchased any LUSH products recently and if so, which are your favourite?

M x

Hawthorn & Rose Question Time!

Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting up with Elaine, the creator and owner of 'Hawthorn & Rose', where I interviewed her on some topics.  If any of you do not know this company then check out my latest blog post, where I go through all of their beauty products that they offer.  So I hope you all enjoy reading this and please leave comments!

Melanie:  Hi Elaine!

Elaine:  Hi there Melanie!

Melanie:  Thank you so much for inviting me down to the County Living Fair to see your wonderful collection!

Elaine:  That's quite alright.  Thank you so much for coming down!

Melanie:  So, let's get right down to it.  What made you decide to embark on creating your company 'Hawthorn & Rose'?

Elaine:  Well Melanie, I come from a very beautiful area in the west of Ireland.  It's on the shores of a beautiful lake called Lough Carra, at the foot of the Partry Mountains, so there's a lot of heritage in the area.  And I really wanted to move back up to that kind of craft heritage. We have a farm, so it's a real agricultural area and I always loved the idea of being at home on the farm and having a craft business of my own.  The name 'Hawthorn & Rose' came about when I was out walking one Spring evening with my Dad on the lake and I could smell the wild mint growing along the lake and the blossoms were just coming out on the Hawthorn trees.  I had to think of a way to incorporate this into my company name and so I came up with 'Hawthorn & Rose!'

Melanie:  You place a special emphasis on your products being 100% natural and therefore not containing any 'Palm Oil', what is your passion behind this?

Elaine:  I chose not to use Palm Oil in my products, after finding out about how much of an impact the production has on the environment and as with anything if you use it, you're putting stress on the environment.  Unfortunately Palm Oil is so widely used in production and what you'll find is that food producers will put Vegetable Oil on their packaging and they won't specify what it actually is. Sadly Palm oil is one of the cheapest oils that you can purchase and for that reason you can see why manufacturers are replacing the maybe better quality oils with Palm oil.  I just think that it's such a shame to do that and so that's why I refuse to use it myself!

Melanie:  Where did you obtain your initial inspiration for this concept of product?

Elaine:  Well I suppose it really came from when I was thinking about how I would really like to be self sufficient.  At home we have a vegetable garden and a farm so  obviously we know where all of our crops come from.  I thought about what things my Grandmother might have made or even my Great Grandmother in fact.  They would have probably made their very own soaps, because at that point it wasn't so easy to maybe buy things  of that sort.  It was a craft that people did at home and when you think about it soap is one of the most basic necessities, because it is one of the best forms of hygiene just washing your hands with soap.  So I thought well if I could make my own soap it will be so self sufficient!!

Melanie:  So then what made you  want to branch out from making soaps and go into creating the scrubs and the body butters?

Elaine:  That's a good question!  Well the reason I did that is because once I was making my soaps, I started to realise a variety of ingredients that were out there... You can potentially use the forms of seeds, nuts and plants.  I realised the ingredients that are in the soaps are good enough in their own right and so for that reason I decided to make the body butters which are the raw ingredients that I make with my soaps.  So they sit quite nicely together and complement one another!

Melanie:  How did you come up with your concept of design and packaging for your products, which I personally feel are not only beautiful to look at, but ultra feminine too?

Elaine:  With regards to the logo, I wanted to keep it really soft and maybe hand painted in that kind of style.  So again just keeping with the craft element as everything is handmade.  The packaging again it comes from that craft almost cottage feel.  I wanted to keep it quite simple as I didn't want to take anything away from the products, because the products on their own, say so much!  The colours and the patterings are very vibrant so it would have been a real shame to have covered them up!

Melanie:  What was the inspiration behind your soap patterns, especially the marbled multicoloured one?

Elaine:  So this comes from ink marbling, you know from your papers and you would have noticed it in a lot of books, so it's something that's quite an old craft.  So I looked through some ink marbling and I got inspiration from that to help me design my soaps!

Melanie:  If you could choose, what would be your favourite product from your collection and why?

Elaine: That's a really tough question!  I do feel quite passionate about the Shea Butter range.  Shea butter contains a lot of Vitamin D which is renowned to have a collagen boosting effect.  So if I really had to recommend any product, out of the whole range, it would have to be the Shea Butter range.  I love the Shea butter soaps and I love using the Shea butter body scrub and body butter.  It's really nourishing for the skin!  So that would be my one thing that I couldn't do without!

Melanie:  Well thank you so much for that Elaine, it was truly wonderful to be able to chat to you in depth about your company and I'm sure my viewers at home too will be very interested in what your company has to offer!

M x

W7 In the buff!

For a couple of years now, I have admired and lusted after some infamous and almost legendary makeup products.   They have always gone into my very own 'mental wish list' and yes you've guessed it, been totally forgotten or ignored!  Until last week, when my favourite eyeshadow company 'Naked' popped into my mind.  I have wanted one of their nude eyeshadow palettes for a very long time now and was seriously contemplating purchasing one for the naughty price of £38.50!  But then I discovered a fantastic dupe from W7 and it is called 'In The Buff'.

I love how the case looks!  It's so chic with the metallic pink running through the it and yet it is also incredibly useful with the case being much like a tin, to store things.  And in this instance it is storing the gorgeous nude shadows.  I also think that W7 have very cleverly created a dupe product that replicates the infamous 'Naked' nude eyeshadow palette perfectly!

The pigment of each shadow is very strong and so therefore the colours and looks that you create last for several hours, which is always a bonus!  They definitely have true staying power!

I wanted to place all twelve of the colours onto my skin in the form of a swatch and see what tones and shades they would make with my skin tone.  I understand that in this picture, the lighter colours which are used mainly for highlighting the top of the eyelid/brow bone area might not be as prominent, but I assure you that once they are applied to the eye, they begin to work their magic! Here are the colours from left to right:-  Buff, Camel, Sand, Dust, Chocolate, Topaz, Earth, Storm, Silk, Wave, Thunder, Onyx.

Overall I am thoroughly impressed with my W7 palette and I find that the colours are not only totally gorgeous and blend really well together, but they also are incredibly soft when applied to the eyelid.  I can already tell that I am going to get so much use out of this palette and at a total of just £5 this really is a total bargain!

M x

Hawthorn & Rose!

Today I wanted to share with you all, my lovely friend Elaine's new and fantastic company 'Hawthorn & Rose' and how proud I am of her!  I can imagine how stressful and scary it might have been, with starting up a company of her own, but all of the hard work that she has clearly put into the brand, has definitely paid off!  'Hawthorn & Rose', a company based in the West of Ireland, specialise in producing a range of Body Butters and Palm Oil free Soaps.  But what I love the most about this brand, is the fact that all of their products are 100% natural and therefore are free from any artificial chemicals or preservatives.  By not using Palm Oil in their products, they are saving the rainforests from deforestation, and are therefore being kind and gentle to the environment!

"Our philosophy here at Hawthorn & Rose, is to create skin nourishing, ethically sourced products, using all natural ingredients."   

(Elaine - Owner, Designer and Maker of Hawthorn & Rose).

I received the cutest little box of samples in the post and instantly fell in love with the packaging. (You all know how much I love looking at packaging!)  It consisted of a brown card box, with a very rustic/vintage green and white ribbon tied around it.  The products all fitted into the box so perfectly and I couldn't get over how neat and pretty it all looked.  The Hawthorn & Rose logo is so pink and feminine and I just couldn't wait to open it all up and unwrap the gorgeousness!

I still cannot believe that this soap is real.... It just looks so beautiful doesn't it?  All of the Soaps are handmade and come in a variety of different colours and patterns.  Each Soap contains a touch of real Tussah Silk, which gives your skin such a nourishing and smooth feeling.  I think that this soap has got to be my favourite one that they have produced because the pattern is just mesmerising!

I received four sachets of handmade Coconut Milk Soak,  Each sachet is made up from Sodium Cocoate and Saff flower petals.  There are two ways to use these packets:- If you want to have a nourishing foot spa, then simply use one sachet.  However, if you want to have a soothing and relaxing bath then use two sachets to a ready warm bath and enjoy.

There was also this handmade Cocoa Butter Body Balm, that was also included in my pack.  I had never tried Body Balm before, as I usually go for Body Butters and Lotions, so I was interested to see how this was going to be.  It consists of Sodium Cocoate, Sodium Cocoabutterate and Sodium Sweetalmondate.  Once you've had your bath and you are dry, simply smooth this onto your skin and you will notice how moisturised it becomes and that your skin feels nourished and rejuvenated!

Also, in the box was a small pot of Shea Butter Hand Scrub, which smelt incredible!  It's made up of mainly, Sheabutter, Peppermint, Lemon and Patchouli.  To use this product, all you have to do is to simply massage into dry hands for approximately 60 seconds and then rinse with water and pat dry. There you will discover the smoothest and softest of hands!  Voila!  No more rough skin!

I simply adore how this body mousse has been piped into the little pot to make the shape of a flower... so pretty!  The main ingredients in this product are:- Sodium Mangobutterate, Sweetalmondate and Sodium Castorate.  Once you have had your bath and are dry, simply rub onto your skin and your body will feel silky smooth and will smell wonderful!

Overall, I absolutely love all of these products and have noticed such a difference in how smooth and nourished my skin now feels.  I thoroughly recommend that you all go and check out their website www.hawthornrose.com because their products are not only kind to your body, but are also kind to the environment!  On Wednesday 16th March (this Wednesday), I will be attending the 'Country Living Show' in Islington, and there I will meet Elaine at her Hawthorn & Rose stall, where I will be having the great pleasure in chatting to her about Hawthorn & Rose and her upcoming products.  So stay tuned!

M x

Lush :: Honeybee!

This week I have had such a busy work schedule and my feet have felt like they are about to fall off!  I desperately needed a nice relaxing 'top to toe' evening bath to ensure that I was ready for what the next few days would hold.

I received a few bath bombs for my birthday and although I used most of them up within the first week, there was one in particular that I wanted to save till last, because it was very new to me as I had never seen it in the shops.  But most of all, it reminded me of Spring time and so I wanted to save it for March!

It was of course the 'Honeybee' bath bomb from LUSH and I just loved the appearance of it, when I took it out of the bag.  It consisted of a vibrant yellow colour and then had a light grey pattern with flecks of blue running through it.  It was a simplistic design, but that was what I loved the most about it, because it looked striking in a natural way!

The main ingredients in this bath bomb are:-
*Honey - Very moisturising for the skin and acts as an antiseptic as well. 
*Rhassoul Mud - Clay that is mined near Morocco's Atlas Mountains.  It helps to not only cleanse the skin but also softens it too.  
*Aloe Vera gel - Is best for soothing your skin.
*Wild orange oil - Helps to refreshen you and keep you uplifted. 

When I popped it into my bath, I watched with amazement as I saw my dull looking bath, turn into a stunning array of lemon yellow.  It was as if the water had turned into honey itself!  It was so refreshing to look at and I couldn't wait to get in!

Overall, I am thoroughly impressed with this bath bomb.  It had a sweet but slightly musky smell to it that was so refreshing.  (It made a nice change to the incredibly sweet smelling ones that I usually tend to go for)!  It left my skin silky smooth and nourished and I will definitely be replenishing this for my Bathroom LUSH collection very soon!

M x

Manicure Post :: Haute Hippy!

It's that time again..... yep you guessed it...... it's MANICURE TIME!!!  I always get so excited when I have a nail appointment or booking.  I'm literally like a kid in a candy store... I just want to try all of the colours of nail varnish on display and never ever leave!  That is why, whenever it comes down to the big decision as to what shade I should choose.... I always give that responsibility to the amazing Lindsey who continually manages to make my nails look flawless!  (If you want to know where my salon is that I go to, it is called 'Beauty Box' and it is in Oxted, Surrey.  The girls are all so friendly in there and if you need directions, I recommend that you search on Google)!

Lindsey finally came to the conclusion that I should go for one of the 'Jessica' gel nail varnishes from their new range 'GELeration', compared to my usual choice of 'Shellac'.  I never knew that 'Jessica' made gel based nail polishes, so I was intrigued as to what the outcome would be.  I was told that the 'Jessica' gel nail varnishes were not only lighter on the nails than when you have a 'Shellac' manicure done, but that they also protect your nails as they grow... I couldn't wait to see this for myself!      

The colour that I went for was called 'Haute Hippy' and I thought the name was so sweet and carefree.  The shade is a beautiful rust/brown colour and it is so earthy and natural... ideal for teaming up with stone jumpers, khaki jackets and black jeans, (my transitional attire that I am sporting until the weather decides to cheer up and become more Spring like)!  It is such a warm shade that I feel compliments my skin tone really well.  This polish, once applied, may seem like a normal bottle, however it contains the strength of a gel, making it more durable.  The 'GELeration' collection last for up to 21 days without peeling, chipping or fading in colour... how great is that?  

I am so happy with my new nails and I just can't get enough of the colour!  It's a stunning shade for the transitional period that we are currently in and I will get so much wear from this polish!  And yes my nails feel less heavy, now that I have the 'Jessica' polish on instead of the 'Shellac'.  I will always have my 'Shellac' manicures, but now that I know about this brand... I might mix it up every now and again, as it is better for my nails and for my state of mind!

M x

Lush :: Lover Lamp!

For the run up to Valentines Day, I desperately wanted to have a long relaxing bath in preparation for getting dolled up, going out and having a great time!  I always find that a good bath can make all the difference, in not only making your skin super soft, but also making you feel good too!

I popped into my local Lush store and purchased the 'Lover Lamp' bath bomb.  It was so well suited for Valentines Day as it had the most beautiful red hearts decorated all over it and the name was so apt!    

The main ingredients in this bath bomb are:- Brazilian Orange Oil, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute and Organic Cocoa Butter... basically everything to make your skin sweet smelling and heavenly!

Once my bath was poured, I was so intrigued as to what colour and pattern the water would turn out to be.  Because the bath bomb is mainly white with little red hearts, I was hoping that it would go red, pink or a mixture of the two to create a romantic bath.

The moment I placed it into the water, it instantly fizzed up, and I was so excited to see the magic unfold.  To my amazement, the water did not change in colour.  Instead it turned my bath a milky colour and created lots of swirls of white flowing through my bath.  To be honest I was a little bit disappointed, as most Lush bath bombs create the most crazy and beautiful patterns, and this one was seeming a little bit dull.  But all of that changed, the moment I looked closer and realised that the bath bomb was releasing tiny red heart confetti into my bath, as well as three big hearts, which were the ones that decorated the outside of the bath bomb.  It was so beautiful and such a great surprise to see!  

I can't get over how stunning and romantic my bath looked when the bath bomb had finished melting. The fact that the hearts were made out of cocoa butter and bath oils was amazing, because once they were rubbed into your skin, they instantly nourished and replenished it, as well as leaving your skin smelling of Chocolate Orange... that literally lingers all day long.  I really feel that this bath bomb is excellent value, as you are not only getting a bath bomb but a bath oil as well!  I had such a lovely bath and I really hope that Lush will make this again for next year, because it is so perfect and ideal for a top to toe before meeting your Valentines Date!

M x      

Manicure Post :: Plum Paisley!

It's time for a 'Monday Manicure!'  (For the first time ever I have managed to successfully write and upload this kind of blog on a Monday so that it actually makes sense)... *proud face!*  I must say, it has felt like such a long time since I last had a professional Shellac manicure... I mean we're talking at least since early December!  So I couldn't wait to get back into my monthly routine.  

At my local beauty salon, 'Beauty Box' in Oxted, the girls there are all so friendly and fantastic at what they do.  They go above and beyond for their clients and that is one of the many reasons as to why I never want to go anywhere else!  I always find them ordering colours in for me to try out (I swear I must be their only client who literally has worn every colour that they sell!). They ordered in a new plum colour for me, called 'Plum Paisley' and straight away I wanted it, without any hesitation! 

The moment it was applied onto my nails, I could see the gorgeous velvety liquid cover my pale white nails and transform them into things of great beauty!  This plum shade is very on trend and I like that it doesn't have any glitter running through it either.  (I love glitter, don't get me wrong, but it's not Christmas anymore and so with that said I have now moved onto the matte/solid colours instead)!  

I absolutely LOVE this colour on me as not only does it look chic, but it changes colour depending on what light you're under...  Genius!  In dimmed light it is a dark purple/black colour and in the sun it is a true plum shade.  It goes with all of my wardrobe and I especially like it, teamed up with my khaki coat and black jeans!  Simple, yet such a statement! 

What colour have you been wearing on your nails recently? 

M x

LVL lovely Lashes!

I was told by my local beauty salon ('Beauty Box' in Oxted) that they were offering a new lash treatment, where they tint and shape the lashes, so that it gives you flawless eyes wherever you go.  I was so interested about this and I wanted to trial it out in preparation for my wedding, so I booked myself in!

Here is the full procedure that goes into the LVL lash lift treatment:-
1.  Lashes are cleansed
2.  Protective pads are placed under the eyes
3.  Silicone shields are placed over the eye lids
4.  Lashes are set into position
5.  Lashes are relaxed
6.  Then re-set into a new lifted position
7.  A glossy tint is applied
8.  Finally the lashes are hydrated with a serum
9. The pads are removed...
10. And voila new gorgeous lashes!

The whole procedure was incredibly relaxing, as I was tucked under a blanket, whilst tranquil music was played...  It was heavenly and once the treatment was finished, I didn't want to sit up... I was just too relaxed!  When the moment of truth came where I would look into the mirror and see the results, I was so impressed!  My lashes were a gorgeous black colour from the tinting and not only were they curled upwards to make my eyes pop, but each individual lash was separated to absolute perfection!  I couldn't quite believe that my lashes looked so good and that they were 100% my own... It was as if I had false lashes on!

I was recommended by my beautician to purchase the 'Lash Conditioner', which was made by the LVL company.  What this does, is it prolongs the lashes by conditioning them and maintaining the shape and length.  They recommend to use this for the first week as mascara is not needed and this is a better alternative.  Then after the week has passed, apply this onto your lashes before applying a small layer of mascara.  They say that the LVL lash treatment lasts between six and eight weeks, so I know that it is a good investment to make!

When you first get your lashes done, you must not get them wet or wear any eye makeup for 24 hours.  Also, you must not sleep face down onto them either.  The reason for this is simply, because the formula takes 24 hours to fully set therefore it must not be interfered with.

Overall, I am so pleased that I plucked up the courage to try this new treatment.  It has simply changed my complexion for the better as I now have lashes that do not need much mascara at all, if any and it has given me such confidence!  I will definitely be having LVL again and may even make it my new ritual!

M x