REVIEW: Jo Malone 'Blackberry and Bay' Body Créme and Body Wash

Jo Malone - a name synonymous with beautifully elegant scents for the home and body since its very creation. Also synonymous with wishful thinking and 'HOW much for a ___?!' but hey, I guess sometimes you've got to treat yourself! I was lucky enough to receive the Jo Malone 'Blackberry and Bay' body créme and body wash as a gift from a company a while back, so I thought I'd let you know my thoughts...

First up is the packaging, which is simple, modern and functional. The label design is spot on, because lets face it, that's what makes it look a little luxe! The body creme's pot is a lovely weighty glass affair, which looks particularly swanky on my bathroom shelf. The 'Blackberry and Bay' scent is beautiful - a light and fruity grown up scent, far from sickly sweet or over powering. I wear perfumes after using these with ease, as they leave just a subtle scent on the skin.

I wasn't that impressed with the body créme at first. It make my skin feel a bit weird after application, like it was still coated in something, and didn't seem to make my skin feel any softer than my regular body lotions and butters. Still, I carried on, thinking 'It must be good, it must!' and boy am I glad I did! After a couple of weeks, my skin is the smoothest and softest it's EVER been. Almost freakishly so. It also seems more...glowy than usual. Jo Malone body creme is hands down the best I've ever used, if it wasn't £50 a pot I'd definitely be stocking up!

The hand and body wash lathers beautifully, feels silky smooth and leaves you feeling fresh and clean - what more can you want or expect from a body wash?! Underneath the blackberry and bay scent, however, there is a hint of cheapy soap smell which is what lingers on your skin after use.

Overall, the body creme is AMAZING and the body wash is just your average body wash. I'd actually probably buy the body creme if it were at least £30 less, but I suppose sometimes in body care you really do get what you pay for.
The body créme retails at an eye watering £50 for 175ml of product. The body and hand wash, a lavish £28 for 250ml. Available online at Jo Malone, or in store at John Lewis and House of Fraser.
Would you spend this much on basic body care? Have you bought any Jo Malone? Let me know! Comments up top!
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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...
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REVIEW - Glamour Food Body Lotion

In my time, I've been pretty promiscuous when it comes to body lotions. I've tried them all. Which is why I couldn't quite resist trying one by 'Glamour Food', so called because many of its ingredients are food grade and awesome for keeping your skin in tip top shape.

'Glamour Food' body lotion contains antioxidants from super foods pomegranate and blueberries, as well as from one of my personal favourite treats - dark chocolate. Not just that, but it also contains coconut oil (we all love this by now, right?!), shea butter and vitamin E. So, as you can see, it packs quite a skin nourishing, moisturising punch.
The formula is light and non-greasy, soaking into the skin quickly to leave nothing behind but a soft, sweet scent which reminds me of Swizzels sweets - delicious! I love how pampered it makes my skin feel, it's a brilliant every day pick me up. 
Overall, I wouldn't says its effects are any more prominent than those of something by Nivea or Dove, but with Glamour Food you're definitely getting a better quality ingredients list, which is what you're paying for. A brilliant treat for those of you simply looking for more than a run of the mill body lotion, or those strict with what they rub into their skin.
'Glamour Food' body lotion is priced at £14.95 for 200ml, available for purchase at Big Green Smile.
PR sample. All opinions 100% my own and 100% honest as always.
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REVIEW - Lush 'Love Lettuce' Fresh Face Mask

Want a free Lush face mask? All you have to do to get a free Lush face mask is bring five CLEAN Lush pots into any store, pick your face mask, go to the counter and hand your empty pots over - fantastic! This is a permanent offer, which is fabulous for any Lush junkies and also means those little black pots will get recycled instead of ending up in land fill, win win!

Recently I traded five pots in for 'Love Lettuce', a lavender scented, gray-green pot of goop. The lady in the store told me was best for oily/ combination skin as it helps to moisturise dry areas while controlling sebum production in oily areas, clever, eh? I always ask for advice from the Lush staff - they're the experts after all, always helpful and never pushy. Hands down my favourite shop staff as a company in general.

I wont lie, I was a bit put off seeing as I absolutely loathe the scent of lavender. Seriously. The Summer my Mum decided to plant lavender behind the swing in the garden when I was a kid, I thought she was trying to kill me. That aside, 'Love Lettuce' does have a strong lavender scent, but you don't actually notice it once it's applied (thank God.)

The pot may seem small but a little goes a LONG way. I've used it four times and have barely made a dent. The almond shells give a fantastic scrub as you rub it on, while kaolin sets to work calming down any oily parts and honey and almond oil adds a little moisture to dry areas. Honey is also a great antiseptic, so it could be helping keep blemishes at bay.

After 15 minutes I rinse it off to reveal soft, smooth skin. I then apply a little light moisturiser just to lock in the goodness and my skin is happy as larry.
Overall a simple, fun product ideal for oily - combination skin. I imagine young teens would love this as a special sleep over treat (though at 22, I'm loving it as part of my skincare routine too!)
Trade five empty Lush pots at any store for 'Love Lettuce' or buy it in store or online for the bargain price of £6.25 for 75g of product (seriously, it lasts ages.)
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REVIEW - Lush 'Ahoy There!' Gift Set

Not too long ago my best biatch, Lis, gifted me with Lush 'Ahoy There!' as a well done for finishing uni with a first *fist pump* She said she'd picked it since it's one of the new sets, so it would be a decent thing to review on here - anyone would think she's a blogger herself with that kind of though process! Either way, on to the review...

The packaging is bright and fun, perfectly wrapped for a gift (ideal if, like me, you suck at wrapping presents!) I actually liked the paper so much I saved it to wrap a notebook with - how very secondary school of me! The box is full of packaging peanuts to keep the products safe, and includes a paper slip with product info.

The box contains two products, a soap and a scrub, both of which have quite nautical themes (as you may have guessed by the name of the box!)

First up, 'Sandstone' soap, which has a fresh lemony scent and a fine sandy coating for light exfoliation. It's a fairly big wedge at 120g, so I have chopped it up into smaller chunks to make it more manageable, which also means it will last a heck of a lot longer. I've been using it as both hand and face soap with no complaints from my skin. The sandy layer provides a bit of scrub ideal for daily exfoliation.

'Ocean Salt'. This is the stuff of the Gods. A mix of sea salts for exfoliation perfection, fresh organic lime extracted in vodka of all things for its antibacterial properties, mango butter, avocado butter, coconut oil, lime oil...Need I even say any more?! 'Ocean Salt' is the ideal body and face scrub for those with oily skin which loves to misbehave, it smells incredibly fresh and clean and leave your skin silky smooth. I find it best to apply to dry skin before showering to provide the best results.
All together a fantastic little duo which work perfectly together. Lovers of fresh, citrusy scents would adore this as a gift (or a treat for themselves, perhaps) and I also think it would be fantastic for those with oily or combination skin. At £10.75 it also happens to be a bargain buy...
Buy 'Ahoy There!' from Lush stores and online.
Have you tried either of these products? What's your favourite scrub or soap from Lush?

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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!
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Body Shop Sale Buys

The Body Shop has been a bit of a discovery for me over the last year, from a lifetime of not being too interested in them, now I find myself browsing the site quite regularly. It's also really easy to grab a bargain from them due to the frequency of their crazy 40% off sales and special offers for 'Love Your Body' card members - ideal when you feel like a bit of a treat.

At the start of the week I placed an order during their current 40% off sale, plus, since I'm a card member there was half price on body mists! Definitely didn't want to miss out on that one...
COCONUT SHOWER CREAM - I am such a sucker for coconut scents and fancied a soft, clean, sweet, relaxing scent to replace my REN 'Moroccan Rose Otto' shower gel once it runs out. I've never tried The Body Shop shower creams but I'm already thinking that clunky bottle might get a bit annoying!
TEA TREE PORE MINIMISER - One of the joys of having oily skin is enlarged pores. I've been after a new primer for a while and decided to give this a shot seeing as I adore the smell of tea tree and I'd seen it mentioned on a couple of blogs. I'll give it a proper review once I've used it a little more.
COCONUT BODY MIST - Hey, I did say I'm a sucker for coconut scents! I find this to be a sweet but true coconut fragrance which lasts really well. It reminds me of sun cream, sunshine and holidays - lovely.
MANGO BODY MIST - Truth be told, I can't stand mango or how the actual fruit smells, but thought I'd give this a shot due to the favourable reviews on The Body Shop's site. Luckily, it doesn't smell like true mango, somehow fruitier and fresher - there are definite mango tones but not enough to make me dislike it.
RAINFOREST MOISTURE HAIR MASK - This was a free sample, however, I already have the full size and I'm not a fan. It's awful for truly dry, curly hair - if anything it dried my hair out even more! However, if you have normal, fine hair it might work well.
Overall, this lot cost about £13 and had free shipping - nice one! The sale is still on, so get yourself some fantastic bargains (maybe stock up for some Christmas presents -  nothing wrong with planning in advance) and treat yourself :) 
Did you order anything during this sale? Do you plan to? What are your favourite Body Shop products?
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The Body Shop VIP Experience

After a hectic few months I'm feeling a little worse for wear, so when The Body Shop contacted me to invite me along to their Manchester Arndale Store with a promise of some pampering I was more than happy to go along!

[ Isn't Lily Cole adorable?! ]

 

I adore the look and feel of The Body Shop stores - fresh and Earthy, plus the lovely displays mean there's always something new to see. Store manager, Derek, greeted my sister and I and gave us a little Body Shop history before Nicole and Sophie whisked us off into the makeover chairs.

First up came the skin care consultation. Nicole recommended the seaweed range for my combination skin, which works to moisturise any dry patches of skin and mattify the oily areas - pretty clever, eh? I think it's always useful to have a consultation if possible before diving into a new skin care routine - it save the 'uhm-ing' and 'ah-ing' over which product to choose (and potentially a lot of money if you choose the wrong ones.)

[ Chloe's facechart ]

After the consultation, we moved on to my makeover. Nicole started by using the pinky mauve shade from the 'Warm' shimmer cube palette over my lid, followed by the dark brown on the outer corners. Since these eyeshadows have oil in them, their texture is smooth and creamy which makes them easy to apply, but means you'll definitely need a primer to make them last! 'Oil Balancing Foundation' was blended along my jawline, 'All in One Blush' on the cheeks (this stuff is PIGMENTED) and a dab of 'Love Gloss for Lips' for added shine. Unfortunately the products used on me weren't noted down, so I can't tell you exactly which shades were used!

 [ The shimmer cubes are Body Shop classics! ]

Oddly, whenever I think of The Body Shop, I never think of their make-up range - but it's actually quite expansive! Well worth a look when you next pop in for a new body butter...

[ Chloe and Sophie testing out the Hemp Hand Protector ]

Last of all, Chloe and I were treated to hand massages using the Hemp Hand Protector to battle dry, Winter skin. I was impressed with how thick and nourishing it felt, though it sunk into my skin with ease. Nicole told me how most people take a while to get used to the herbal scent, but they stick with it because the results are so good!

After our treatments were complete, we took a little look around at all the displays. Recently I've been slathering myself with the Peach body butter - which smells wonderfully real (don't you just hate synthetic fruit scents?)

The Body Shop are big on Christmas! The store was gift sets galore - with hampers and ribbon tied boxes on every stand. I think there's something for everyone in the Body Shop Range, perhaps a set of balms for teens, the Hemp gift tin for blokes and a trusty White Musk set for old school Body Shop fans?

 Despite all the fancy, more grown up things - these little animal soaps were hands down our favourite thing in the store! Why? Nostalgia, of course! When we were kids, we were given a set of Body Shop animal soaps on a family holiday and both thought they were awesome. The smell instantly took me back to being five years old - amazing!

Cruelty free, fair trade supporters, charity supporters, vegetarian - The Body Shop truly is a brand with a heart. If you're unfamiliar with them, be sure to pop in and take a look, you'd be surprised at what you'll discover...

 

I was invited by The Body Shop for complimentary treatments for PR purposes. All opinions 100% honest and 100% mine - as always!

 

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Skin Care, Body Care and Scent Storage in Uni Halls

It might sound daft (and it probably is) but when I was moving to uni, one of my main concerns was where I'd storage all of my smellies. Y'see, some halls have the luxury of an en suite bathroom for each bedroom, but, alas, mine do not. Storing everything in my bedroom was the only option, but I didn't want a jumble of messy boxes or loose product everywhere. Here's how I managed it...

My lower shelf stores scents, body butters, creams in tubs, cleanser and everyday facial moisturizers. All of my solid scents are kept in the gold organza bag, samples remain in their card sleeves and bigger bottles are tucked away - y'see how I don't own a single 'proper' perfume in full size?! I'm way too fussy to commit to any it seems!

Beside my lotions and potions are my nail varnishes, housed in a brown filigree box. I *think* the box is from IKEA, but you can get similar ones of different patterns from stores like Home Bargains for cheap, too.

Amid the CDs, hip flasks, origami balls and inflatable dinosaurs on my top shelf lie my hair colouring products. I utterly love Directions dyes, although getting the blue from my last dye job to fade is proving to be a pain in the rump!

To the right of my shelves, I have a free standing shelving unit which is awesome for storing some of your junk belongings. I have four of these IKEA boxes on the unit full of various things, but my favourite box is undoubtedly this one...

Fake tan, skin care, body care, hair care, bath care and some essentials such as toothpaste and face wipes. You can fit SO MUCH into these boxes, it's crazy. I also have an IKEA helmer for my make-up, but I've already posted about that. As you can see, I'm a fan of that Swedish wonderland for storage solutions!

My key tips for planning storage for your uni halls room are...
1. GO TO AN OPEN DAY. Seriously. How are you supposed to plan where to keep your stuff if you haven't even see what the rooms are like?!
2. Boxes are your friend. Check out bargain stores for cheap and cheerful options.
3. Find out if you have room under your bed for storage. I have an under bed box full of clothes, it's so useful!
4. Get a clothing hook rack for the back of your door - you'd be surprised how much room simply hanging your coat/ hoodie/ towels can save.

How do you store all of your goodies? Do you take up 90% of the space on the bathroom shelves, or stack it all away elsewhere?

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