Lush Cosmetics 'Big Blue' - Or, 'The Biggest Lush Bath Bomb Fail to Date'

When you combine the sea, bright blue, seaweed and a mention of mermaids what do you get? SOMETHING I WANT, THAT'S WHAT. So that's how I was sold on Lush 'Big Blue', a bath bomb full of vitamin and mineral rich kelp, lemon oil, sea salt and lavender - Lush described it as 'evoking a Summer's day at the seaside' and reviews described it as fit for a mermaid - oh, how far from the truth that really was...

Now, mine and Blue's friendship started well. The beautiful oceanic scent, the vibrant colour...but soon, it became evident we just weren't meant to be friends. Upon placing 'Big Blue' in the bath, I noticed how quickly it fizzed away to nothingness. I soon realised this was because at least 1/3 of the 'Big Blue' is just seaweed, not bomb.

A suspicious looking pile of scraggly black stuff lay waiting for me on the bottom of the tub - seaweed. 'It can't be as grim as it looks,' I thought, 'It's just seaweed...' After about five minutes the seaweed became slimy to the touch, turning the water equally slimy in the process. It felt revolting and reminded me of stagnant pond water - I had to get out!

After my five minute slime bath, I then spent a further five minutes swishing a sieve about the water to get the seaweed out, a further five wiping the tub down and rising it clean of slime trails and another five scrubbing seaweed out of the sieve. After all that fuss and effort cleaning up, I felt grubbier after a bath with 'Big Blue' than before! 

Sexy.

Among the major downsides however, there were a few perks. The scent is lovely and it made my skin feel very soft - however, so do plenty of bath bombs that don't leave me in need of a sieve and feeing like I've been sat in a dirty pond...
Overall, I can't recommend 'Big Blue' - it's more fitting for a swamp monster than a mermaid!
However, if you're still curious, you can get it online or in store priced at £3.35.
Have you tried 'Big Blue'? What's your fave Lush item? Had any Lush fails? Let me know! Comments up top!
Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

LIZ EARLE: 28 Day Cleanse and Detox

Detoxing conjures up images of slime green smoothies and depriving yourself of the 'naughty' little things you enjoy the most, but Liz Earle aren't interested in that - they are taking a positive and (most importantly) achievable approach to detoxing this February with their '28 Day Cleanse and Detox' tips and tricks.

I was lucky enough to attend a little talk given by Abigail James (Liz Earle global skincare and treatments ambassador) at The Trafford Center at the weekend, who gave a bunch of super easy changes we could make day to day to start seeing improvements in our skin and general wellbeing. These were my favourite tips from her...

1. DRY BODY BRUSH. This is so easy! Using a dry body brush to buff your skin each morning (it only takes a couple of minutes) exfoliates and stimulates circulation. I've linked to one from Boots, but you can probably find similar for cheaper.
2. EPSOM SALTS. Epsom salts are minerals which you can add to your bath to help 'draw out impurities', apparently. I'm not exactly sure how this works, but Abigail promised it's pretty potent stuff. Apparently a well known blogger uses epsom salts in her baths in the weeks coming up to a bikini shoot as the difference it makes to her skin is incredible! Plus, they're mega cheap.
3. MASSAGE YOUR FACE. This is a super easy one and one you probably do without even realising if you cleanse properly. Apparently it will make your skin look much fresher and livelier. You can just use your fingers, or try a roller massager.

4. EAT RIGHT. This is obvious, but she did share a couple of ideas I liked the sound of. The first was to eat good proteins! This is one close to me personally as I have to watch my protein intake, being vegetarian. Proteins are your body's building blocks, how can you expect good skin when your body isn't getting what it needs to make it? She also recommended 'super food powders' like chlorella, which you can add to juices, sauces, anything really!
6. COLD SHOWERS. According to Abigail this has a similar effect as dry body brushing when it comes to circulation, but it also wakes up your internal organs (probably as they yell 'ARE WE DYING WHAT'S HAPPENING?!') but I guess a quick shock to the system never hurts! Start with 5 second bursts and work your way up. I've linked to a Dead Sea Minerals shower creme as their products are amazing for the skin. 
7. ADD A MASK. I've never been one for masks, but Abigail swears they are what your skin needs for some intensive care. She uses them before big events to perk up her skin (and after when after a few too many, it isn't looking too happy!)
I also asked her what skincare mistakes does she often see people making, and there were a fair few! 
AGE. First up - not changing your skincare as you age. Your skin's requirements when you're 60 will be very different to what they were when you were 16! 
CLIMATE. Secondly, not changing your skincare with the seasons/ climate - if you're moving from super cold Finland to mega hot Australia your skin is going to go through some changes, listen to it. 
MOISTURISE. She also said she was shocked at how many people don't full body moisturise, which I am too! It's one of the things I often see people saying they don't bother with - DO. I swear you'll see a difference and your skin will be so much happier!

'Cleanse and Detox' kits comprise of 'Cleanse and Polish' starter kit, 'Intensive Nourishing Mask' and 'Gentle Exfoliating Toner'. Included are four cards packed with tips from the pros at Liz Earle on how you can cleanse and detox this month for not only healthier skin, but a clearer mind too.
Unfortunately I can't seem to find the kits online, but I believe John Lewis is doing an offer where you get all three products for the price of a full size 'Cleanse and Polish Kit' (which I believe is £26, but don't hold me to it!)
Do you follow any of these tips already? Plan on adding any to your day to day routine? Let me know! Comments up top!
* Product received for PR purposes. All opinions 100% my own and 100% honest, as always! Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

My First Bomb Cosmetics Order!

Sometimes Lush bores me a bit and I fancy an alternative. There - I said it, but I'm sure plenty of you are with me on that one! That's why I was so happy when The Sunday Girl reminded me of the existence of Bomb Cosmetics - a UK, handmade, cruelty free, environmentally aware bath and body company creating some truly beautiful products.

When I spotted they were having a sale on their Christmas goodies I took it as a sign excuse to try them out - but with SO MANY products (65 bath bombs alone...) choosing what to buy was a mammoth task!

I settled on five bath blasters (AKA bombs), a bath creamer, two bath mallows, a lip balm and four festive candles. Everything is so pretty - I love the aesthetics of BC (ooh, name abbreviation, is it too early in our relationship for such familiarity? How forward of me...) You can tell they really think the appearance of everything through - from the products themselves to the rainbow packaging peanuts.
Check Bomb Cosmetics out (and maybe make a sneaky order yourself) - I've a feeling you wont regret it...
Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Bathory Bath Salts

Nothing can be quite as relaxing as a good, long soak in a steaming hot bath at the end of a long day. Sometimes it's a necessity to survive, I swear...

The clever people at The Bathory have come up with a pretty inventive way to make sure that in that sacred 'me' time, you're getting just exactly what you need. How? By allowing you to go all mad scientist and come up with your own blend of oils which they'll mix up into your own custom bath salts. Ace! So how do you pick?

First, choose your salt mix (detox, soothe or bask), then three oils (out of ten), then place your order and let The Bathory do some wizardry, blending it up and sending it on its way to you. I must say, they're pretty quick on this whole process, especially considering they're made to order! My salts arrived just a couple days after it must have pinged up on their system - impressive.

I chose a detox base with lemon, bergamot and eucalyptus oils. The oils are three of my favourite scents and I'm happy to report that they work b-e-a-uuutifully together! The salts come in a weighty, violet glass jar with a modern design which wouldn't look out of place either re-used in your Dad's garage to store his pens or in a teenage girl's bedroom keeping her make-up brushes tidy (just like the leaflet suggests!) I love designs which transcend both age and gender - seriously refreshing.

Now you've got your salts, simply pour your desired amount into your long awaited bath (1/3 a jar is perfect by my judgement), swirl the water about, clamber in and enjoy the soak! 

All in all, an ace product for when you fancy a bath with a bit of ooomph - the customisation, the beautiful scents, the lovely (reusable) packaging, the fabulous bath...However, at £18 a jar, you're best saving these salts for when you want something a bit special - after all, you'll only get a max of 3 baths out of it!
, Available from - The Bathory
Priced at - £18 for 200g product
Do you use bath salts? Which oils would you pick?
PR sample - all opinions/ words 100% my own and 100% honest, as always!
Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter

Empties/ Mini Reviews

I seem to have amassed quite a few empties this time around, perhaps because I've started a kinda almost sorta low buy. I have two Ikea boxes full of perfectly good products I just don't use - mainly hair and body things and found myself contemplating getting a third box recently, madness! Instead of buying and hoarding more, I'm using up what's in those boxes before buying anything else.

Bit of a mix this time...

Superdrug 'Coconut and Shea Butter Body Lotion' - This smells SICKLY sweet! I actually loved the smell when I first bought it, but eventually it became a little over powering. The moisurising properties are nothing special, but okay for daily use on normal skin. Repurchase? Maybe in a different scent.

Creightons 'Raspberry and Pomegranate Bath and Shower Gel' - A cheapy bubble bath that doubles as shower gel, it has that sweet, slightly naff fruity smell we've all probably come across before but at less that £2 for 500ml I aint gonna complain! Repurchase? If strapped for cash and in need of shower gel, I can't see why not.

The Body Shop 'Strawberry Beautifying Lotion' - I adooore this stuff! Oils are a God send and this ticks all the right boxes. Great for skin and hair, plus it smells amazing and you can usually snap up a bottle pretty cheap in The Body Shop sales. Repurchase? I'm 3/4 the way through my second bottle!

Boots 'Simply Sensitive SPF 15 Moisturiser' - Truth be told, I haven't finished this, but it has sat unused in a box for about the last year. It's light, softening and sinks into the skin quickly - it's actually great, I just prefer something that feels a bit more luxe for face cream. Repurchase? Nope, I'm becoming a face cream snob *hides*

Marshmallow Blends 'Apple Jack Body Butter' - Great for SUPER dry skin, definitely one to apply at night because it sits on the skin quite heavily. However, it smells amazing and does a good job of banishing dry patches. Repurchase? No, I'm not a huge fan of the feeling of products sitting on my skin.

Lush 'Happy Happy Joy Joy Conditioning Hair Perfume' - I barely made a dent in this as the smell of it made my Mum, sister, boyfriend and (probably) housemates want to run for miles in the opposite direction. I actually liked the herbal scent but I guess it isn't a very popular one! Repurchase? No!

Tresemmé 'Platinum Strength Conditioner' - A fantastic day to day conditioner for those of us with very dry or damaged hair. It makes my bleached, frizzly locks feel much smoother and stronger. Repurchase? Already have.

Pure Coconut Oil - I'm so lucky I live somewhere with a huge Asian community, as my local Morrisons stocks this stuff for just 99p in the Asian cooking section - winning! I find it's a lot more effective than the Superdrug stuff, plus the glass bottle makes it easy to melt the oil inside. Repurchase? I think I'm on my third bottle now... 

Phillip Smith 'Dry Clean' Dry Shampoo - A dry shampoo is a dry shampoo is a dry shampoo...Repurchase? Nah, the bottle top stopped working so I only used about half of it!

Superdrug 'Deep Action Facial Cleansing Wipes' - While I don't believe facial wipes do any more than baby wipes, I do enjoy Superdrug's own versions. They're strong and moist enough to remove most make-up in a doddle. Repurchase? I've been buying these for years!
Yes to Tomatoes 'Skin Clearing Facial Mask' - Probably the worst mask I've ever bought, it wasn't even enjoyable to apply or relax in (which, let's face it, is the reason we really buy face masks!) and dried out really quickly. Plus I believe it was about £13 - eek. Repurchase? Never.
MUA 'Lash Boom' Mascara - I wish I'd noticed that it has one of those silly torture device type wands before I bought it, because I dislike them greatly! However, at £3 it wasn't bad...it just wasn't good either. Repurchase? Nope.
Maybelline 'Stay Matte' powder and Collection 'Lasting Perfection' concealer - Do I need to say anything?! Repurchase? Aaaall the time!
And now I can go and fling this lot in the recycling and start another 'empties' box - a little strange when you realise just how much you actually get through! 
See anything here you use? Link me to your last 'empties' post!
Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW - The Handmade Soap Company

'The Handmade Soap Company' is an Irish company born when founders, Donagh and Gemma were travelling around Australia (lucky folk) and came across a stand selling homemade soaps. Intrigued, they bought some and were amazed to find that it suited even Donagh's super sensitive skin. Donagh was so taken that he decided to travel all the way to the USA to learn all he could about soap making (talk about dedication!) and has been merrily making and selling soapy goods ever since. Pretty cool story, huh? 

I received few products from the 'Grapefruit and May Chang' range, which despite its girly packaging, smells fairly masculine. It has a definite Earthy base with a burst of citrus slicing through. If you're after something sweet, flowery and feminine...look elsewhere. If you're quite fond of Earthy, natural scents, you'll be a fan for sure.

The first product I set about using was the hand wash, which now has pride of place by the kitchen sink. It's a whole lot runnier than your usual hand washes but it's easy to control the flow with the pump bottle. It lathers well and does an excellent job of ridding your hands of kitchen stink like onions and leaky garbage bags!

Accompanying the hand wash is the matching hand lotion, which again is a tad runny (though I quite like that since it absorbs quickly.) It's a great day to day lotion, since it's not super thick and it doesn't leave an annoying clammy feeling on your skin. Perfect for locking moisture into your skin after the glamorous job of washing the pots.

'Grapefruit and Irish Moss' soap again, smells very Earthy - what else would you expect from moss?! I've found this to be a lot less drying than gel hand washes and bog standard soaps. The scent lingers on your skin, but not strongly enough to muddy perfumes or body sprays.

Although the packaging might make you assume this hand cream would smell like powdery roses, again, it smells Earthy yet zesty. Somehow, the smell actually reminds me of well aged whiskey - which for me is perfectly fine but I know a lot of others wouldn't appreciate that! The scent is pretty strong and will remain on your skin for at least an hour after use. Scent aside, this is my favourite product of the bunch! My hands feel super smooth and well nourished, I can't quite resist using it every time I'm in the bathroom.
Overall, I'm impressed. The packaging is simply stunning and branding has clearly been a well considered process in 'The Handmade Soap Company'. Every product is handmade in Ireland using natural ingredients and shunning away parabens, SLS and petrochemicals. This company has clear ethics, expertise and enthusiasm - what more could you wish for?
Hand Wash (300g) - €12.95 Hand Lotion (300g) - €14.95 Soap (100g) - €4.50 Hand Cream (50ml) - €11.95
Available from online and these stockists.
Products received for review consideration. All opinions 100% my own and 100% honest - as always!
Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter

REVIEW: Ren 'Moroccan Rose Otto' Body Wash

Ren have been kicking up a bit of a quiet storm in the beauty world since their launch thirteen years ago. It's easy to see why when you know how they use only pure, simple, effective ingredients and leave out a huge list of 'nasties' and irritants - ideal for sensitive skin. I've been keeping an eye on Ren for quite some time but with so many lovely products I simply couldn't decide what to buy, so you can imagine my delight when 'Moroccan Rose Otto' body wash came through my door...

Moroccan Rose Otto oil is produced from hand picked roses grown up in the Atlas mountains - so luxurious is this beautifully scented oil that it is now one of the most expensive in the world. Ren combine this gorgeous oil with palmarosa and geranium oils to create the uplifting, relaxing fragrance ideal for winding down in the evenings. 
I found the scent to be sophisticated and mature, yet not over bearing. It is fairly strong in the shower but leaves behind a light rose scent on the skin which shouldn't muddy perfumes or body sprays. I loved following this with simple Palmers cocoa butter body lotion as it created a stunning 'roses and white chocolate' fragrance - amazing!

Not only is Ren's 'Moroccan Rose Otto' body wash lovely to smell and use, but it's free from ingredients that many people avoid, it's made in the UK, packaging is responsibly sourced and it's won the InStyle 'Best Body Wash' award for eleven years in a row! Impressive? I think so.
200ml will set you back £17, which I would usually call extortionate for a body wash, but considering the research, formula and ingredients which have gone into 'Moroccan Rose Otto' body wash I think Ren can just about get away with it.
If you fancy an indulgent treat, you can purchase this body wash from the Ren website. If you think 'Moroccan Rose Otto' sounds perfect for your mum/ aunt/ sister/ nan/ whoever, check out the gift sets!
* PR item received for review consideration. All opinions 100% mine and 100% honest as always!
Bloglovin | Facebook | Twitter

Latest Purchases from Lush

I grew to enjoy bathing so much over the Easter break that I couldn't wait to buy a few more things from Lush! There really is nothing quite as relaxing as a long, hot, bubbly soak...

 I settled on a 'Creamy Candy' bubble bar as well as 'Think Pink' and 'Dragons Egg' bath bombs. Don't they look pretty all lined up? I'm pretty excited to try the 'Dragons Egg' bath bomb - it smells amazing!

Roughly 90% of the reason I bought this was because I thought it was called 'Candy Mountain'. Yes, I was disappointed when I realized that it wasn't. I want something named after unicorn kidney thieves, damn it!

'Think Pink', bought on a whim because it's cute. Apparently it's full of confetti hearts, which will be a soggy pain to get out of the bath I expect. I should start reading product descriptions before buying them, right?

And since Lush have made is annoyingly impossible for me not to say something about their 'Fighting Animal Testing' campaign with their campaign packaging - here we go. I can get behind the cause since I have a respect for all living things, but I can't say I strongly back it without feeling like a hypocrite. Why? Because this blog is not 'cruelty free' and I've never gone out of my way to buy 'cruelty free.'

While Lush's methods with the window display were undeniably ill thought out on some levels (how would you explain that sight to a young child?) it was effective. It has people talking. It has people questioning their morals when it comes to cosmetics. It sparked debate and, in all honesty, I hope Lush succeed.

REVIEW - Lush 'Sunnyside' Bubble Bar

Before this week, I hadn't had a bath in years. Not that I'm stinky or anything, but for me baths just conjure up memories of boredom and Dove soap from when I was little! And 20 is probably too old for those colour changing bubble baths - not at all though, can you still buy those?! -  which were the one 'fun' thing about bath time! However, when I set eyes on the Lush 'Sunnyside' bubble bar, it had to be mine.

IS IS GOLD AND IT GLITTERS.  

Do I even need to explain? It is gold. It is glittery. Shiny things make me happy.

*Happy dance*

Giddiness aside, the glitter can be a tad annoying...Directly after I bought this, I had glitter all over my hoody, over the floor, on my jeans, my face, I also got some around my camera lens when I came to photograph it! If you buy 'Sunnyside', prepare to sparkle.

I chopped my bubble bar into two, then crumbled one half under the tap as my bath filled. It crumbles and dissolves pretty quickly. At first, the water just looked plain yellow and I was disappointed by the lack of visible glitter. When I climbed in, it was a totally different story...

The water swirls with golden shimmer, like little clouds of colour just below the surface. Everytime you move, the shimmer clouds stir up - they're beautiful to watch! This is down to 'Gold Lustre Sparkle' - basically, a mix not too far off mineral eyeshadows. The orangey, citrus smell is delicate and refreshing, certainly perked me up. I was surprised by how silky the water felt, I was also left with equally silky skin! I was sad that no glitter stuck to me, though, but most people would prefer not to look like a glitter ball after a bath.

Once the water drains away, 'Sunnyside' leaves a trail of mica and glitter which washes away easily. I couldn't help but think what a gorgeous eyeshadow 'Sunnyside' post-bath residue would make, just look at those swatches!

Overall, a genuinely awesome product which looks, smells and makes you feel 100% fabulous.

Available at Lush stores and online at £3.50 for 100g of product.

REVIEW - EllaPure Wonder Wash

British, independent, products completely free from SLS, SLES and parabens, fresh, organic 'ingredients' from a sustainable source - EllaPure tick all the right boxes for me! When they contacted me to see if I was interested in reviewing their products, I was surprised I had not heard of them before - especially with how 'trendy' such companies have become in recent years.

[[ EllePure 'Wonder Wash' and lemon essential oil ]]

'Wonder Wash' is a thick, gel wash which can also be used as a body wash, bubble bath, shower gel or shampoo - talk about multi-tasking! It was designed as a 'base carrier' for essential oils, meaning that you add your chosen essential oil and 'Wonder Wash' will help it to evenly disperse through the water. I found it easy to combine the two and was delighted to find that the lemon essential oil smells of true, zesty, strong lemon. Nothing beats a citrusy body wash - so energizing and refreshing! Without the added essential oils, 'Wonder Wash' is entirely fragrance free.

Let's all just confess that by now we've all been conditioned to think that the more foam there is - the cleaner we are. I must admit that I was relieved when 'Wonder Wash' started to foam up a little, despite being SLS free. As a body wash it left me feeling clean and refreshed, without any oily residue or clammy feeling left on my skin. However, there were no moisturising benefits and my skin didn't feel smoother - the lemon smell washed away, too. As a basic body wash, 'Wonder Wash' was fine but lacked that 'Wow' factor which would make me purchase it in future. 

As a shampoo though, I really enjoyed EllaPure's 'Wonder Wash'! Lathered up a little, spread well through my incredibly thick hair, left it squeaky clean, there was no left over residue and didn't agitate my scalp. Not bad at all! It also worked well paired with my usual conditioner.

Priced at £9.50 for 250ml of 'Wonder Wash', it's quite economical since it could save you from buying shower gel, shampoo, bubble bath and hand wash. I imagine those without much storage space in their bathroom would love this multi-tasker! Larger 1ltr bottles are priced at £22. Essential oils cost between £5 - £50 for 5ml of product. Available from the EllaPure website.

Product provided by EllaPure's PR team.

* The company is called EllaPure - I was sent old stock before the name change, hence 'EllePure' on the labels.