Christmas is Coming! Stocking Fillers for Under £5

None of the photos pictured were taken by me and they are not owned by me- credit to Lush.co.uk, TheBodyShop.co.uk, Boots.com and Superdrug.com

  1   Soap and Glory Minis - 3 for £5

Soap and Glory do miniature versions of some of their range and not only are they a practical way to try out new products but they're also dinky and adorable. I can never walk past them whenever I'm in Boots and I think that they'd make great stuffing fillers. I personally would recommend The Righteous Butter and Hand Food (reviewed here) but there's a whole range of miniatures for you to take you pick from!

  2   The Body Shop Lip Butters - £4

I love a good lip balm, especially when they're creamy and hydrating. The Body Shop's Lip Butters are lovely products and they come in such a gorgeous array of scents that it's hard not to love them. They may be small but they last a heck of a long time and my nightstand is rarely without one. I think they'd make a great stocking filler for just about anyone.

  3   Sleek's Lipsticks - £4.99

If you're looking for some high quality, affordable make-up to give to a partner, friend or family member then Sleek is a great place to look. Their lipsticks are among my favourites and they come in a great range of colours and different finishes. I would highly recommend the shade Barely There (reviewed here) but there is a colour for everyone in their collection!

  4   Aussie Take The Heat 3 Minute Miracle Hair Mask - £4.99

There's nothing nicer to receive (in my opinion) than pampering products that will keep on giving long after Christmas is over! Aussie's Hair Masks are affordable without compromising on quality and effectiveness and it will last you for months. I've used their Take The Heat 3 Minute Miracle Hair Mask in the past and I would definitely recommend it.

  5   Amie's Spring Clean Cooling Face Mask - £4.95

This is another product that will keep on giving for longer than just the Christmas period! A tube of face mask will last you a good few months (even with regular use) and I find that they make excellent gifts as they remind you of the person who gave them to you every time you reach to use them.

  6   Lush's Snowcake Soap - £3.25 for 100g

Do it for the smell! If you want a stocking to smell like a gift from the angels themselves then pick up a hunk of Lush's Soap. My personal preference this year is for Snowcake which smells a lot like Marzipan (my Christmas 'sweet' of choice) but there are a whole range of scents to suit every nose out there.

Would you like any of these to show up in your stocking? 

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A New Holy Grail Product: Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I was sent Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser* as part of Sophia's #MyLittleSkincareProject and if I'm honest I was really nervous to finally have the opportunity to try it out. I've read review after review about this cleanser and I was actually quite worried that the hype would leave me feeling a bit disappointed. I've been using Cleanse and Polish for a long time now, nearly two months, and I've finished one 200ml tube so I finally feel ready to talk about it in full.

The way you use Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser is described in the above photo (which is of the back of the tube). You apply it to dry skin (it feels like a thick cream), work it into your skin and then remove it using a muslin cloth soaked in hot water. The Cleanse and Polish cleanses your skin whilst the muslin cloth gently exfoliates and removes the cleanser. The result is very clean, very smooth skin. The muslin cloth I used came as part of a set, so it was Liz Earle muslin cloth, and using a muslin cloth with this cleanser really does seem essential. They work perfectly together because they were designed to do so!

I'm happy to say that Cleanse and Polish really didn't let me down, it hasn't disappointed me at all. Its hype is well deserved! I think that it is one of the best cleansers that I've ever used, in fact it might be the best cleanser I've ever used. It was so effective at cleansing my skin but it didn't strip it of any moisture and it didn't aggravate any sensitive or dry areas. It really did do my skin wonders, in ways that I didn't think a cleanser could. I'm very lucky to have been given the opportunity to trial and review this product and I want to emphasise that this is a product that performs (maybe even outperforms) at its price point, you really do get what you pay for with Cleanse and Polish. 

You can get a Starter Kit (100ml bottle of cleanser with a muslin cloth) for £14.75 or the 200ml tube that I've just finished costs £24.75* - there are also lots of other alternatives, all of which can be found on the Liz Earle website. 

Have you ever tried Cleanse and Polish? What's cleanser(s) do you love? 

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My Favourite Original Source Shower Gel: Shea Butter and Honey

Original Source are a brand that many people have tried and their products are very easily available in drugstores and supermarkets. When I was a teenager I exclusively used Original Sources Shower Gels - mainly because I liked the packaging and (as many of you will already know) I'm a sucker for nice scents. Well, after years of trying out every variety under the sun I have definitely settled on a favourite - the Shea Butter and Honey scent. The smell of this shower gel screams 'indulgence', it's sweet and rich without smelling fake or overpowering. I have to work very hard not to go overboard with it when I take a shower. It is honestly one of the nicest smelling things I own, and I'm lucky enough that it's a product that I can douse myself in daily. If you haven't already given this shower gel a try then I would highly, highly recommend that you do - it's definitely my holy grail super-affordable shower/bathing product. (Plus, it doubles up as an awesome bubble-bath, but the smell doesn't linger quite as well as it does when you use it in the shower.)

Have you tried Original Source's Shower Gels? Do you have a favourite scent?

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A Gorgeous Christmas Giftset from Roger and Gallet

With Christmas fast approaching the time has come for us to start considering what to get our nearest and dearest for Christmas. Roger & Gallet very kindly sent me one of their Christmas Giftsets, their Hand and Nail Cream Trio*, to feature and I have to admit that I am very impressed. I personally look forward to beauty related gifts at Christmas but I also give a lot of them myself (especially to my close family who all seem to have a penchant for luxurious fragrances, shower gels and body creams when Christmas rolls around) and I personally would be very happy to either give or to receive the Hand Cream Trio* as a present this Christmas.

Roger & Gallet are a French fragrance and bodycare brand and at this time of year they release numerous Christmas Gifts (all of which are packaged gorgeously) and they all look like they would make perfect Christmas presents. The set I've received, the Hand Cream Trio*, really does a lot of the talking for me - the box it came in was very aesthetically appealing whilst still being sturdy and the packaging of the hand cream s both looks and feels very luxe. 

As you can see from my pictures, the Hand Cream Trio contains three different scented hand creams; Rose, Bois d'Orange and Fleur d'Osmanthus. Rose is a straightforward scent and is the most subtle of the three. Bois d'Orange is a rich, but not heavy, scent of Jasmine and Orange grounded by a woody base. Whereas Fleur d'Osmanthus is a much lighter scent with more a zing to it (albeit a subtle one) that comes from grapefruit and mandarin. The quality of the hand creams is great - they're really hydrating - and best of all the cream feels quite light so they are quickly absorbed. I've found that they're perfect to carry in my handbag and use on the go and whenever I use them around my friends there's a lot of 'ooo-ing' and 'aah-ing' over how nice they smell.

It is definitely worth noting that individually the hand creams cost £8 so the the Hand Cream Trio Giftset* is an affordable way to try out three of Roger & Gallet's 'Collections' (which are all based around different scents). Overall, I'm really impressed by the Giftset's value for money, for £17.50 you get either one amazingly packaged gift that's full of incredibly high quality products, or you could split the hand creams up and give them to three different friends. Either way, I was impressed with my first encounter with Roger & Gallet and I've actually fallen in love with the Bois d'Orange scent and am now eyeing up the rest of the collection (you can browse it here). If you liked the sound of Roger & Gallet's Hand Cream Trio Giftset* you can find it in Marks and Spensers and online at Escentual.

 Do you like the sound of these hand creams? Have you tried any of Roger & Gallet's other products before?

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My First Experience of E.L.F. Cosmetics: E.L.F. Cover Everything Concealer & Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow

A while ago the lovely people at E.L.F. contacted me and asked if I would be interested in reviewing some of their products, I hadn't tried anything from the brand before so I replied with the affirmative! I was very kindly sent me two things from the brand to try, the Cover Everything Concealer in Light* and a Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow in the shade What's Your Name*. 

The Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow was the standout product of the pair. What's Your Name* is a gorgeous dusky purple shade that is absolutely perfect to wear in the crease or lightly swept across the entire lid. I'm not usually one to wear any sort of coloured eyeshadow but I would describe What's Your Name* as a very cool-toned grey-purple and I love how wearable it is. The quality of E.L.F.'s Pressed Mineral Eyeshadows really has impressed me. I found What's Your Name* to apply very evenly and the colour is easily built up. The longeveity of the eyeshadow isn't great when I wear it without a primer (but this is very likely to do with my eyelids, I have this same problem with all eyeshadows) but on top of a primer it lasts all day on me. I have to admit that I reach for this almost every time I wear eyeshadow, I really love how it looks in my crease and I find that it gives a very subtle definition to my eyes. For jut £3.50* I really would recommend these eyeshadows, for me they were a perfect introduction to the brand.

The second product I received was E.L.F.'s Cover Everything Concealer in Light*. From my swatches you can see that this concealer isn't really quite light enough for my skin so it hasn't become a daily staple for me. However, I did wear test this a good few times (whenever I wore darker foundation) and I thought it performed admirably. It is quite a cakey concealer which can be good or bad depending on what you want from it. I found it a tad too heavy to use to conceal dark circles unless you were willing to blend, blend, blend. It was also a touch too dry for any blemishes that were 'on the way out' (a.k.a. had left dry skin behind). The real use I found for this concealer was when blemishes were first appearing, and it really did a good job of concealing them. Adding a little powder on top of my make-up helped prolong the lasting power of the concealer considerably but it did last pretty well throughout the day (which is when thick concealers come in handy). I wasn't unimpressed by E.L.F.'s Cover Everything Concealer but I didn't fall in love with it like I did the Pressed Mineral Eyeshadow. You can find it online here for £2.50*.

All in all, my first experience with E.L.F.'s make-up has been really positive and I'm keen to try more from the brand. Please do leave me any recommendations for products you think I should try in the comments below!

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Don't forget to enter my Christmas Giveaway - you could win two Origins face masks!

Glamour Magazine Freebie: Kate Spade's Nails Inc 'Soho Silver'

Last week I posted about another nail polish that I picked up with Glamour Magazine called 'Uptown Glamour' and I was so impressed with it that I eventually ventured out to pick up another shade. There are four shades available with this month's Glamour Magazine - a classic red, a navy, a gold (Uptown Glamour) and a silver (Soho Silver). As you can see from my swatches I picked up Soho Silver and it is another gorgeous, very seasonally appropriate metallic polish. It isn't quite as interesting a shade as Uptown Glamour (which honestly is stunning) but Soho Silver has a great formula, applies well and gives a super shiny mirror-effect finish that really endears me to it. For £2 you really can't go wrong with any of these Nails Inc polishes and I'm really happy that I picked up both Uptown Glamour and Soho Silver as I'll definitely be wearing them over the Christmas period.

Did you pick up Glamour Magazine this month? It isn't too late to do so, I've seen many copies still in shops with all four shades of polish available!

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Rifling Through The Body Shop: A Winter Wishlist

All the photos in this post have been taken from http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk

Keeping true to my post spending ban vision, I'm not buying products mid-month but I am still window shopping. And my oh my, I have stumbled across some things I want this month! I love The Body Shop's products, I've reviewed a lot of their products over the last year, but there are some new and some old favourites that I've been eyeing up lately. Recently I've spent quite some time loitering in train stations (my curse is that I'm perpetually early, everywhere) so I've been browsing The Body Shop (they seem to always have outlets in stations) for products to try out in the upcoming months. Today's post is the culmination of my search, I found eight products that I really want to pick up and I thought I'd share them with you today.

The Aloe Soothing Day Cream and Soothing Night Cream

I've used both of these face creams before and they are honestly a wonder combination. They're really hydrating without being too heavy and they don't aggravate my sensitive skin. It's more 'need' than 'want' really, I need these in my life again!

The Body Shop Japanese Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette and The Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Flower Eau de Toilette 

No word of a lie, I spent about 10 minutes in a Body Shop store trying to decide between these two scents - and I just couldn't do it. The Japanese Cherry Blossom scent is light and fresh but has a lot of depth to it (more than the Atlas Rose scent which I've been wearing all year). It's really quite a tantalizing scent that leaves you wanting to keep on spritzing. The Madagascan Vanilla Flower scent is completely different, it's warm, sweet and much heavier. It isn't a traditional, straightforward vanilla - it has a bit of spice and a touch of woodiness to it. It's really very nice, and that's coming from someone who usually dislikes vanilla scented perfumes, and I think it is absolutely perfect for this time of year.

The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

I had a bit of a play around with this cleansing butter when I was in a Body Shop store and as much as I usually dislike oil cleansers, this cleansing butter seems really perfect. It has a lot of the benefits of an oil based cleanser without many of the downsides. It isn't messy, you can't spill it and because you can melt it on your fingers it can be applied very sparingly. I don't know how it will perform but I really want to give this a try!

The Body Shop Satsuma Beautifying Oil

I've tried the Moringa Beautifying Oil before and I really enjoyed using it but didn't really seriously consider repurchasing it until I stumbled across the Satsuma scent. Oh my, it is glorious. It is like summertime in a bottle. If you like body oils then this is something I'd recommend.

The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Creamy Body Wash and The Body Shop Cocoa Butter Cream Body Scrub

The scent of the Body Shop's Cocoa Butter line screams winter to me. It's a sweet scent and it isn't as heavy as the scent of Palmers' range. Two products which caught my eye in particular were the Creamy Body Wash and the Cream Body Scrub. I thought both looked as if they would serve double functions - they'd do what they're supposed to but they'd also be nourishing and soothing, and wouldn't dry out tired winter skin.

That concludes my winter wishlist from The Body Shop. Have I mentioned anything that you like the sound of? Or are there any other products that I haven't mentioned that you think I should try?

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Hydraluron Moisture Booster: Worth the Hype?

I've been using Hydraluron for months now (I'm actually about to crack open another tube) and I can't deny that it's done my skin some good but I don't know if the hype is justified. Don't get me wrong, this serum does dry skin the world of good, and I do think that it has helped even out my combination skin a little bit. However, I wouldn't want people who can't afford to dish out £25 on a serum to be sitting reading blog post after blog post feeling as if the world will end if they don't get their hands on a tube of Hydraluron. 

If you think that actually you'd rather buy a gig ticket, get the train home from university to see your family or even treat your partner or best friend to a present rather than yourself then don't feel as though you're missing out. It's a great product but it'll be around for a while still so there's no rush to jump on the band wagon. I like using Hydraluron (especially in the mornings) but when my second tube runs out (I bought them as part of a 3 for 2 offer back in June) I won't be repurchasing it. I prefer to use facial oils in the evening and then I tend to find that I could use anything I like in the morning and my skin doesn't change all that much. 

If you have seriously dry skin or if you have specific skin concerns that you think Hydraluron will help with then please don't overlook it just because it isn't Holy Grail for me. I just want to balance out the rave reviews a little bit, because if I'm honest I remember feeling as though I just had to try Hydraluron because no-one had anything but praise for it. And really, that's just not true. It's a great product, it feels good to use, but it hasn't completely transformed my skin - I still get dry patches, I still get blemishes, I still have an oily t-zone etc. 

If you want a good serum to use in the mornings (for a lot less money) I'd highly recommend the Body Shop's Aloe Protective Serum (I've reviewed it here) and then I'd suggest getting a facial oil to use in the evenings - these two products might add up to a similar price as Hydraluron together but they'll last you twice as long and depending on what oil you choose it might well do your skin more good than using Hydraluron. I'd recommend either Antipodes Divine Facial Oil or Trilogy's Rosehip Oil.

That's just my two cents, I know many people may well disagree with me. If you have any other more affordable morning serum recommendations then I would love it if you could let me know and feel free to leave links to any reviews you might have written - you could help someone find a product they might fall in love with!

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Review: L'Oreal EverStrong No Sulphates Reinforcing and Vitality Shampoo

Back in June I decided to try and stop using hair products that contained sulphates but it was hard to find product that I liked (especially shampoos) that didn't contain sulphates! And then, as if the heavens opened, the L'Oreal No Sulphates shampoos and conditioners appeared on the scene. I know they've been featured here, there and everywhere over the last few months but I have a lot to say about the EverStrong Shampoo!

L'Oreal's No Sulphates EverStrong Shampoo is aimed towards fragile or brittle hair. Now, some of you may remember that I had some real issues with stress induced hair loss in May/June and these issues have improved considerably but I am still, as you can imagine, very concerned about protecting my hair and treating it well. A sulphate free shampoo is a good place to start and this shampoo in particular did feel as though it offered really gentle, thorough cleansing. It wasn't heavily scented, it did lather in my hair (much more than I expected it to) and it was pretty easy to wash out unlike a lot of other sulphate free shampoos. All in all, I think it is a bargain of a product and I would seriously recommend it to anyone who is similarly concerned about looking after fragile hair.

I loved using the EverStrong Shampoo and I got through a tube of it in about six weeks and then promptly went out and purchased a couple of other varieties so that I can make some comparisons. I bought my shampoo from Superdrug for £3.99 although it is normally priced at £5.99. I know these are being talked about a lot, but I do think that you shouldn't be put off by any hype surrounding them. They leave my hair in much better condition than Herbal Essences, and even Aussie, shampoos ever did!

Have you tried any of L'Oreal's No Sulphate hair products? What shampoo(s) do you like using?

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Glamour Magazine Freebie: Kate Spade Nails Inc 'Uptown Glamour'

With this month's Glamour Magazine there are a choice of four different Nails Inc nail polishes all available for just £2 which is a steal considering that they're normally £11. I chose to pick up 'Uptown Glamour' because I liked the idea of having a gold nail polish to wear on Christmas day. However, what I found was that 'Uptown Glamour' is actually a whole level more beautiful than I ever could have imagined! It isn't straightforwardly golden, it's incredibly frosty and really does transform in different lighting. I've included two different swatches so you can see what I mean, the first (in the image above) makes it look almost silver whilst the second captures what 'Uptown Glamour' looks like in direct sunlight. You can see its warmth much better in the image below. Overall, I find 'Uptown Glamour' to be incredibly wearable for a metallic and I think it's a really sophisticated colour - I'm really glad I picked it up!

It's also worth knowing that this month's Glamour Magazine also features a Body Shop Christmas Joy Card which is a gift card worth either £3, £15 or £100! I used mine to pick up a little Body Shop treat for myself. Have you picked up Glamour Magazine this month? What do you think of Nails Inc's 'Uptown Glamour'?

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Boots' Own Brand Hairspray and Dry Shampoo: a Great Way to Save Money or a False Economy?

This post has been a little bit slow in the making. It all began during my spending ban, I ran out of a couple of (what I would call) 'essential' items and I wanted to replace them as cheaply as I could so as to keep true to the challenge of a spending ban. Two branded products that I replaced with Boots' own brand equivalents were Batiste's Original Dry Shampoo and L'Oreal's Elnett Satin Hairspray in 'Normal Hold'. Boots' ownbrand equivalent products were a bit cheaper so I decided to pick them up, I got Boots' Dry Shampoo in Paradise Island (a tropical scent) and Boots' Firm Hold Hairspray. If you're frugal like I am then this post may well interest you, I'm going to compare the branded and ownbrand products to see if this is an area in which I could consistently save myself some money.

Batiste is what I imagine to be the 'standard' dry shampoo; it's one of the easiest brands to get hold of, it isn't extortionately priced and as far as I'm concerned it does a good job. A 400ml bottle of Batiste (like the one shown in my pictures) costs £4.99 when there is no offer on and a 200ml bottle costs £2.99 (this is the same size as the own brand Dry Shampoo in my pictures). The own brand Boots' Dry Shampoo normally costs £2.29 for 200ml (although I bought it on offer for £1.50). So between the two different brands there is essentially only a 70p difference - it doesn't sounds like much but I probably go through 400ml of dry shampoo a month so over a year any savings do add up.

However, the Boots' Dry Shampoo was probably the worst dry shampoo I've ever tried, and I've tried numerous different brands and versions. The own brand shampoo was much harder to use - it didn't spray as finely, it left a white cast on my hair regardless of how delicate I was with my applications and it didn't really make my hair look clean! I also got through the own brand dry shampoo much faster than I had anticipated too, for once there really wasn't anything on this product's side. Batiste wins this battle hands down, there wasn't really any competition. Although it does sadden me to say so because I like an underdog.

Next up is L'Oreal Elnett Satin in Normal Strength and a 200ml bottle costs £4.20, although I must admit that this is a newly emerging favourite of mine so this test isn't entirely unbiased. The Boots' own brand hairspray for 450ml is only £1.60 (I can't find the price for 200ml) - here, unlike the dry shampoo, there is the potential for a considerable saving as you get more product for a lot less money.

The L'Oreal Elnett Satin in Normal Strength is great for when you want flexible hold. I like using hairspray to help keep volume in my roots, or to keep flyaways at bay, but I hate being able to feel product in my hair. With the Normal Strength version it is so light that you never feel it in your hair, even if you use quite a lot of product, and this is the quality that makes me love it. Boots don't make a flexible hold hairspray and the 'firm hold' is actually the hairspray they make with the least hold. For its price it is actually a very good product, it does a good job and it isn't too noticeable in the hair. It isn't as feather-light as the L'Oreal hairspray but I think that is to be expected. Although I would prefer not to, I could definitely get used to using the own brand hairspray without it being too much of a pain, and unlike with the dry shampoo it would be a small swap that would save me quite a bit of money! 

 I found this to be a good experiment even though it was a bit hit and miss! Do you ever opt for own brand products? Do you have any 'budget buy' recommendations?

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Elle Magazine's December Freebie: Benefit's Dandelion Lip Gloss

I know the world and their mother have been talking about this month's Elle Magazine and its dreamy Benefit freebies but I wanted to chime in. I have a subscription to Elle so I didn't get a choice in shade but this month there are three different lip glosses up for grabs when you purchase Elle for £4 - Dandelion, Hoola and Coralista. Dandelion is a milky pink shade with just a hint of shimmer - the lip gloss isn't even remotely sticky and considering how glossy and light it feels it lasts very well on the lips. I like it so much that I'm seriously considering going out to pick up the other two shades. For £4 I think this is a really great way to try out some of Benefit's products. Even though the size of these lip glosses (6.5ml) only gives them an approximate £6 value (so you're not really getting an uber deal, per se) you can't usually buy mini versions of these lip glosses. Normally you'd have to shell out £14.50 per lip gloss to even give one a try. This means that even if you were to buy all three for £12 you'd still be paying less money than if you were to buy one full size shade, and you'd be getting three very wearable options. I can only make maths work in my favour when it comes to beauty buying decisions...

Let me know if you've picked up one (or more) of these Benefit lip glosses, I'd love to know what you think of them!

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Crushing on Lush: A Seriously Indulgent Lush Wishlist

After my spending ban ended last month I indulged in some shopping and on my rounds of Leeds' city centre I stepped into Lush. I've always liked Lush's products but something happened to me on that fateful day... I walked into the shop and everything started to appeal to me. One of the most helpful shop assistants I've ever come across guided me from product to product and I left with a handful of treats (as shown in my Lush Haul post) but craving a whole bunch more. Now, I'm not really in a position to just go out and buy all the items I'm going to be mentioning today but I do hope to try them all out eventually and naturally when I do I'll review them for on here for you guys. Some of the products I'll be mentioning I've been lusting after for a long time and others have only recently been brought to my attention but as far as I'm concerned all of these things are downright gorgeous! 

Hopefully this post with help you if you're looking for Lush products to try or maybe even if you need some Christmas gift inspiration (Lush products make wonderful gifts).

(all photos in this post have been taken from https://www.lush.co.uk/)

 Top row: Whipstick Lip Balm, Dream Cream Body Lotion, Yuzu and Cocoa Bubble Bar.

Bottom row: Snowcake Soap, Hair Doctor Hair and Scalp Mask, Honey Bee Bath Bomb.

Whipstick Lip Balm  £5.75 

I've had a love affair with Lush's Honey Trap Lip Balm all year long but next year I think Whipstick might be the lip balm I replace it with. Whipstick has a chocolatey-orange scent and like Honey Trap it is really lovely and nourishing.

Dream Cream Body Lotion   £11.25 (240g)

I've heard about this a few times on Evelyn's blog (the first beauty blog I ever started reading and one I still check daily) and I can't believe I haven't tried it yet! It sounds wonderful for dry skin and I regularly suffer from dry skin, and also from eczema flare ups, so from the sounds of it this is the perfect product for me.

Yuzu and Cocoa Bubble Bar  £3.25

Oh hold me! The scent, the scent ladies and gentlemen is just scrumptiolicious (it deserves a word all of its own). This is a bubble bar so you'd crumble this up under running water and the result would be mountains of delicately scented bubbles that would fill your bath. There is nothing I'd like more than to have one of these to hand on a cold winter night and sink down into a warm bath.

Snowcake Soap  £3.25 (100g)

Almond lovers, beware! Your heart might just be stolen by this soap. This is a Christmas Limited Edition product and it smells truly and thoroughly of almonds. It's warming, lathers like a dream and scents whatever room it is left sitting in. I'm definitely going to treat myself to some of this before the winters out.

Hair Doctor Hair and Scalp Mask  £6.95 (95g)

I've let my hair go a little bit too long without a hair cut so in the mean time, whilst it's not on top form, I like to help it along a bit with hair masks. This hair and scalp mask sounds perfect for me and for anyone who's hair isn't quite looking as 'happy' as they'd like it to be!

Honey Bee Bath Bomb  £3.25

This one of Lush's Bath Bombs - these don't produce bubbles like the bubble bars but they do scent and colour your bathwater. Honey Bee has a very gentle honey scent that will work for honey obsessives and for those who don't love overwhelmingly sweet scents. I find it delicate but moreish and I can't wait to give it a whirl. 

Top Row: No Drought Dry Shampoo, Randy Butter, Buffy Body Scrub, Let the Good Times Roll Cleanser

Bottom Row: American Cream Hair Conditioner, Oatifix Fresh Face Mask

No Drought Dry Shampoo  £6.75 (115g)

I've heard a lot of people declare their love for this dry shampoo and as a regular user of the stuff myself, I'm very keen to get in on a good thing! I haven't tried it, smelt it or any of that jazz for myself, but word on the street is that this stuff rocks.

Randy Butter Buttercream  £5.20 (100g)

This is only available online (unless you live near the Poole store) so again this is a product I know very little about. All I know is that from the description on the website it sounds like something fun. It's described as boozy, Christmassy - full of brandy and cinnamon. Who doesn't want to smell like a Christmas pudding?

Buffy Body Scrub  £6.25 (90g)

I always find that it's easier to keep my skin soft and hydrated when I exfoliate. The Buffy Body Scrub (apart from having an awesome name) seems as though it will offer a thorough exfoliation without being too harsh on the skin. It's also full of cocoa and shea butter so it will hopefully also inject a bit of moisture back into my skin as you use it. 

Let the Good Times Roll Cleanser  £6.35 (100g)

I've been really enjoying the Lush Buche de Noel cleanser and I'd like to try another one out when I finish it up. Let the Good Times Roll smells really nice, sweet but not overpowering, and the consistency seems as though it will lend itself well to cleansing. But if I'm totally honest, the name was what won me over.

American Cream Hair Conditioner  £4.50 (100g)

This was recommended to me on twitter not long ago and it sounds great! I have fine hair but it does get dry and I spend a lot of time trying to keep it looking and feeling lush (no pun intended..). With my trusty Kerestase conditioner almost at an end this seems like a perfect replacement.

Oatifix Fresh Face Mask  £5.95 (75g)

This is the only product on my wishlist that I've already tried. It smells amazing, oat-y and sweet and not too unlike the porridge soap which is one of my favourites. It's for dry skin but although I have combination skin the wind has been playing havoc with the dry areas of my face. Usually my oily t-zone is what I worry about most but now dry patches are my worst enemy! I need a pot of this in my life again, it works wonders.

You've now seen my extortionately long Lush wish list - I really hope I can give some of these products a try over the upcoming months! What Lush products are you lusting after? Or is there anything that isn't on my list that you would recommend? 

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Review: Vichy Normaderm Micellar Solution

Vichy's Normaderm Micellar Solution* was sent to me as part of Sophia's #MyLittleSkincareProject and I used it for weeks upon weeks until, finally, I'd used it all up. Until I'd finished it, I didn't quite realise how much I had enjoyed using this micellar water. It is paraben, alcohol and fragrance free (which is great for me as I have quite sensitive skin), and it contains zinc which has antibacterial purifying properties and is especially good for skin on the oilier end of the spectrum as the zinc helps normalize excess sebum. It is advertised as having a formula aimed towards imperfection prone sensitive skin and on reflection it really is a product that is perfect for my skin type (I have combination skin - oily t-zone and dry, sensitive cheeks).

I used this every evening to remove my make-up as well as in the morning to cleanse my skin. I found that it melted make-up away without any hassle (as good as, if not better than, any other micellar water I've tried) and it didn't sting my eyes or irritate my skin. The 200ml bottle lasted me just over six weeks, although I think it could have lasted me longer if I had been a little more restrained in the way I used it! A quick squeeze of the solution onto a large cotton pad and my make-up would be gone within a minute or two. I really don't have anything negative to say about Vichy's Normaderm Micellar Solution*, it worked really well for me and I am certain that it helped keep my skin clearer whilst I was using it.

This was the first Vichy skincare product that I've tried but I've been really impressed with the quality of it and am now very keen to try out some other Vichy products. If you have a similar skin type to me then I'd highly recommend Vichy's Normaderm Micellar Solution* but I think it would work just as well for anyone who suffers from blemishes or oily skin. You can find this Micellar Solution in Boots for £10.50, and I think the way this product performs certainly justifies its price.

What do you use to take off your make up? Have you tried any Vichy products before?

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Don't forget to enter my Christmas Giveaway - you could win two Origins face masks!

Origins Christmas Giveaway

Very recently I reached 800 subscribers over on Bloglovin' and for me this was a massive achievement for which I am thoroughly grateful. I remember when I started blogging last year and I would stumble across blogs that had 800 subscribers, they were just the bee's knees and I would read them avidly (and I still do). Well, now this blog has become one of those blogs - I have more people reading what I write than I ever could have imagined. It's spooky but also really very nice. The interaction I have with those of you who follow me (however it is that you choose to) is really wonderful and it consistently makes my days better. 

My aims for the upcoming months, for forever really, are to try and keep my posting schedule consistent (sorry for last week's lapse, I just needed a break!) whilst also aiming to only write posts that I personally would be interested in reading.  I want those of you who have been around since I began writing to want to stick around! I'm also going to host a little Christmas/milestone giveaway to give two of you lovely people a little gift to say thank you. I chose some Origins products because I really love the brand and I thought that these two products were particularly seasonally appropriate as they're both great products to sort out dry, tired-of-winter, skin.

There are two prizes and there will be two winners. I'm giving away one 75ml tube of Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask and one 75ml tube of Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask.

This is an international giveaway (my first one!) and the only thing you have to be doing to enter this giveaway is to follow me via Bloglovin' and to fill out the Rafflecopter entry form.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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