Beauty Review: LUSH King of Skin

If you want extremely moisturised skin just out of the shower, then LUSH's 'King of Skin' is for you.  I'm quite lazy when it comes to moisturising and if I'm truthful, it only ever happens once in a blue moon, until I discovered this product.  After Christmas I had completely fallen in love with LUSH and took to the website quite frequently.  When they released their fruity collection with I Love Juicy shampoo, American Cream conditioner, Avobath bath bomb and King of Skin body butter, I pretty much bought everything.  King of Skin has a lovely Banana/Coconut smell and contains shea butter, avocado and cocoa butter, good enough to eat.  

As you can see, my King of Skin has almost melted away, I will probably get another two uses out of it. I also recommend purchasing a tin like I did, to stop the steam from melting it before you get to use it (priced at £2.95).  Priced at £4.95, this solid body butter is amazing both in the shower or bath.  When I shave my legs I used this and it leaves my legs silky smooth.  It's possibly one of the easiest and no fuss products I've tried.  You simply glide it over the desired area and then stand under the shower or in the bath.  It doesn't wash off, but what I do notice is that when you step out you are left with water globules all over the body.  I just pat these away and underneath my skin is silky smooth.  If you do this in the evening and go to bed, most of the product will rub off, although I have found my skin still has some of the product on, so it is best to use in the morning.  It's definitely solved my lazy moisturising issue.  

I will definitely be repurchasing and trying some other ones with more abrasive, exfoliating particles too.  Have you tried the LUSH body butters?

Beauty Review: Alamay Conditioning Glossy Lip Balms

There's a new natural skincare brand in the beauty world, and they call themselves Alamay.  Established in 2010, the company set out to create a beauty range that was both luxurious and also natural.  The company are thoroughly patriotic, proud to be a British brand and sourcing all their ingredients from the finest UK suppliers.  The best thing about this brand is that they don't use harmful chemicals called parabens (read my blog post on the critters here), as well as sulphates and petrochemicals, making them safe for both adult and baby.  

The lovely girls at Alamay got in touch and asked if I'd like to try some products and I, of course said yes.  Now I've recently found the skincare routine that works really well for me, so for the time being I don't want to try anything.  What really caught my attention were the lip balms, as they came in a variety of delicious flavours.  Out of the 9 flavours, Apple, Cherry, Chocolate, Coconut, Honey, Lemon, Spearmint, Strawberry and Vanilla Cream, I opted for Honey and Spearmint.

Each lip balm are packed with coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter and sweet virgin almond oil, steering clear of synthetic wax and petroleum jelly (which face it, does nothing. Sorry Vaseline).  Each pot contains 15ml and are priced at a reasonable £3.95.  If you spend £50 on the website, as a little thank you, Alamay will also give you a free lip balm.  

First of all, they smell incredible.  I could smell the Honey balm from outside its bubble wrapping.  It smells very much like a jar of solid honey would.  The spearmint pot smells just like Trebor Softmints, which I have a slight addiction to.  After a couple of weeks use, the smell is surprisingly still pretty pungent.  The only downfall is that the smell does not translate in taste.  Although you do get a hint of the flavour, it is nothing in comparison to the smell.  

As you can see from the above picture, the balms are extremely glossy.  At first, I was slightly skeptical that this would sit on my lips like Vaseline but boy was I wrong.  Once applied, the balms give a glossy appearance which slowly sinks in and moisturises your lips.  

Currently I am using my Lush Bubblegum lip scrub in the morning and evening and then following up with one or the other lip balm over the top.  Overall, I'm impressed with this products, the only thing I would change is the taste of the balms but other than that these have completely replaced my tins of Vaseline.  

Check out the rest of Alamay's products here. 

Cleaning Bug

I don't know about you but sometimes I get this overwhelming feeling that I need a ruddy good clear out.  For the past few weeks I'd gotten increasingly fed up with my dressing table/desk.  As an out and proud beauty fanatic, the products sitting on my desk had accumulated to a stupid amount, half of them I never touched, some of which were years old.  That was until last week when I quite literally cleared it off and started again.  I wish I had thought to take a before photo, just so you could see just what I had to work with.  After a good two or so hours, I'd chucked away a million and one products, leaving the ones I use and love out on display.  The result? 

A rather neat and tidy space.  I can even fit my MacBook Pro nicely, meaning I can work comfortably in my room if I so wish.  I thought I'd show you what I currently have on my dresser.  

This is now what I like to call my 'goody basket', because, well, it has some goodies in it.  To the right we have the Lush products I've been using (yes, that is a TOWIE DVD next to it too...), including I Love Juicy shampoo, American Cream conditioner, Snow Fairy shower gel and my Magic Wand.  To the left we have all my Liz Earle skincare products (which conveniently ran out today, meaning I will need to pop in and pick some more up sharpish) as well as my Sigma F80, tweezers and some cotton pads.  

Before I cleared off my dresser, I had at least 8 perfumes taking up a lot of space.  I have narrowed it down to two, but don't worry I haven't thrown the others away, just stored them elsewhere.  Stella was one of my bargain sale buys and my new everyday fragrance, whilst Chloe is and always will be my (cliche coming up) signature scent. The bottle perched on top is on it's last legs, but luckily I received another bottle for Christmas.  In between the goody basket and my perfumes is the Porefessional Pretty set and two Alamay lip balms which were sent to me very kindly by the companies PR (review coming soon).  

Here's all my barnet products.  Hairspray, volumising mousse etc.  At the front we have my Tangle Teezer, MoroccanOil and Macadamia Healing Oil.  Next to these products is my iPod dock, which I want to move, but quite sure where yet.  

So that's my much tidier dressing table/desk.  Do you ever get a cleaning bug?

Compulsive, Impulsive Shopaholic

My student loan was welcomed into my bank account last week and with the rest of my Christmas money burning a hole in my back pocket, I thought a shopping trip was deserved.  Admittedly, most of my purchases were online but I also did a spot of sale shopping too! Along with online shopping, I also booked flights with my good friend Gina (check out her blog here) as we're going to Spain for 10 days in the summer!

If you follow me on Twitter, or read my blog during the week you'll already know what a couple of my purchases were, including an investment which I'm SO pleased with.  When I get my maintenance grant (the one you don't have to pay back), I always try to make sure that I invest in something that's going to benefit me, last year it was my beloved Macbook Pro.  Without further adieu...

John Lewis; Canon 1100D with 18-55mm Lens £341

My investment buy was this DSLR camera.  I've really loathed the picture quality that my point and shoot gives when I'm taking pictures for my blog.  It is a great camera to take on a night out, but when you're trying to take pictures for reviews and what not, it just doesn't do any products justice.  I'm extremely lucky to have gotten this so cheap (usually retails around £400ish), as my Auntie kindly asked her brother-in-law if we could use his staff discount! I haven't had enough time to sit and play as I've had so much uni work to complete, but I'm already noticing a difference in my pictures and learning different techniques.  

Amazon; Canon EOS Rebel T3/1100D for Dummies Book; £15

The manual I get with the camera isn't all that, so I thought I'd get this to help me out when I'm trying to do various things.  It's 400 pages long, with lots of tips and tricks to help out beginners, which is what I most definitely am...

Amazon; Decal for Kindle; £17.99

I wanted to get some kind of skin for my Kindle, so that I wouldn't scratch it when it's not in its case.  I saw these Decals on Amazon and after flicking through the different designs I came across this Paris illustration.  The application is fiddly, a bit like a screen protector on an iPhone but if you're patient with it, it goes on well.  

Lush; I Love Juicy Shampoo and American Cream Conditioner; £8-10 each

You may well recognise these from my 2012 Beauty Wish List post.  These are possibly the most gorgeous smelling products ever.  I've washed my hair using them twice now and I have to say they really linger on your hair.  Usually after blowdrying or sleeping on my hair, the products smell fades completely.  These didn't. I then straightened my hair and usually the smell is definitely gone at that point. These didn't. Amazing! Oh, and they also leave your hair squeaky clean and silky to the touch!

Love-makeup.co.uk; Sigma F80 Flat Kabuki Brush; £13.99

I finally have this infamous brush in my collection! I have wanted this brush for about 6 months now, but could never bring myself to pay the extortionate shipping fees.  I then heard about Love-makeup.co.uk and the rest is history.  A word of advice, if you see this on the website and you want it, get it in your basket ASAP as they sell out within a day!  I'd really recommend Love Makeup after my experience.  I'd heard their shipping took a while but my brush turned up next day after despatch.  I've used the F80 a couple of times now and it really does give you a flawless finish.  A full review will be up soon, no doubt.

FeelUnique.com; Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment and Deep Repair Masque; £11.50 £10.35 and £18.50

Another off of my 2012 beauty wishlist... I have only literally just received the Masque an hour or so ago .  I'm really excited to try these products as all the reviews have been rave and I've heard it beats the Moroccanoil Restorative masque in both price and product quality.  I'll get back to you on that! The oil treatment is literally filled to the top and the masque is an extremely thick, paste like conditioner that smells amazing.  These can both be used together to create an even more nourishing treatment, or separately.  

Harvey Nichols; Marc by Marc Jacobs iPhone case; £30 £15

One of my sale bargains.  I recently had to purchase a new phone as my Blackberry became extremely difficult to use, it would crash on a daily basis and the Blackberry company itself went down AGAIN but not for as long as the first time.  I was fed up and got myself a refurbished iPhone 3GS to hold me over until my contract is up in September.  I bought this case in the sale as I always wanted a Marc Jacobs case.  

House of Fraser; Benefit Porefessionally Pretty £23.50 and Stella by Stella McCartney Eau de Parfum £36.50 £18.25

Oh Benefit, how I love thee.  I have wanted Porefessional for a while and while I was walking around I noticed the gift set on the shelf. Immediately I thought that it would be about £35 knowing what Benefit can be like when they add a couple of samples but when I heard it was £23.50 (same price as just Porefessional on it's lonesome) I knew it was fate and I must buy it. I then saw Stella and the 50% sale sticker that was on her box.  I've been lusting after this for a while as a nice everyday scent. 

Sainsburys; Gok Wan for Tu Satin Shirt; £25 £12.50

I've always had my eye on a few of Gok's pieces in Sainsburys, after it was launched in September/October time.  It was definitely fate that I found it today, the only one left in my size. I think the colour is gorgeous and will look great with some black leggings and boots.  I also think the collar is a bit different, a lot larger than the average and far pointier! 

Matalan; Be Beau Teal Chiffon Shirt; £14

I have a thing for chiffon shirts (and shirts in general), if you hadn't guessed by now.  This 3/4 length beauty caught my eye in Matalan, a place I rarely shop.  I picked this up for  a bargain price and know it's the type of top I'll wear to death.   

So that's why my Christmas money and some of my student loan went towards.  Have you picked up any bargains in the sales?

Beauty Lust List #1

You may have read my beauty favourites of 2011, but now I am looking to find some new products to make my 2012 favourites.  Mainly hair and make up products, here is what I'm wishing to try this year (excludes any feature releases I may not know about yet, obvs).  

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10  

1.  Lush I Love Juicy Shampoo; £4.75-£15.50 - When I first read the scents that were included in this shampoo, I must admit it had me druelling a little bit.  Fresh pineapple, orange, lemon and mango juice to name a few.  This is supposed to be a great clarifying shampoo as well as good for the scalp - both I need help with.  Since going a bright shade of blonde my scalp has been more sensitive due to the bleach and I've always used lots of products in my hair.  

2.  Macadamia Deep Repair Masque; £18.50 - I've been eyeing up the Moroccanoil Restorative mask for a while now, but after reading rave reviews (and admittedly seeing the less hefty price tag) I now want to try the Macadamia range.  The scent is supposed to be amazing and the results even better.  

3.  Lush; American Cream Conditioner; £4.25-£13.50 - Another Lush product... I'm all for conditioners that a. smell incredible, b. nourish my hair and c. aim to strengthen hair, so this seems like a match made in heaven.  

4.  Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment; £11.50 - I've almost finished with my Moroccanoil Light, which I've enjoyed using but this product appealed to me more.  The word 'healing' in the title had me hooked as my hair needs the extra nourishment these days.  Like Moroccan oil, this product has argan oil in it as well as Macadamia oil.  Unlike the Moroccanoil, this product can be mixed with the Deep Repair masque for extra nourishment.  

5.  Lush King of Skin; £4.95 - ANOTHER Lush product, I've gone a little Lush mad after discovering Snow Fairy.  Another fruity offering, this time Banana, that moisturises the skin in shower.  I'll probably need to invest in a tin to stop this melting away! 

6. YSL Touche Eclat; £25.00 - I've heard only good things about this product and I always look at it when I'm at the beauty concession.  Need I say more?

7.  Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronze Universal; £29.00 - Since buying a Chanel foundation, I've always had one eye on this bronzer.  Currently Chanel are repackaging and it's not in stock anywhere so I will have to wait a bit longer to try this product.  

8.  MAC Party Parrot Lipstick; £13.50 - From the Iris Apfel collection, this lipstick is a gorgeous pink coral colour.  I've been branching out with slightly more colourful lipsticks as I think it suits my complexion and hair colour well.  Unfortunately it's out of stock - like most things in the collection so it's another waiting game!

9.  Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki; £13.99 - I've wanted to try this brush for a while but couldn't justify shipping.  With the discovery of Love Makeup I might be able to grab it at a fraction of the price! Do you know any other UK stockists?

10. Benefit Hervana Powder Blush; Price TBC - This is Benefits latest offering, available in the UK from the 28th January.  After seeing Amarixe's post on this blush I've been lusting after it.  It's a matte blush, rather than their favoured shimmers (Thrrrob, Bella Bamba etc) and it looks gorgeous when swatched.  

That's it for my 2012 wishlist, but I want to know what's on your beauty wishlist?

Debate Day: Paraben's

Welcome to a new series on my blog!  Debate day will feature a series of different controversial fashion and beauty topics which will hopefully get the blogging community talking.  A lot of people may already have made their assumptions on the fashion and beauty community, so it's time to show them that beauty and brains can be combined.  

*image taken from tumblr.  

Today's topic is parabens and after watching some youtube videos, I'm a little worried about the state of our beauty products.  If you don't already know, a paraben is basically a cheap preservative used in beauty products from body lotions to perfumes, mascaras to cleansers, to help give a longer lasting shelf life as well as protect it from growing fungus over time.  The main types used in products are:

- Butylparaben 

- Isobutylparaben 

- Ethylparaben 

- Methylparaben 

- Propylparaben

Now, you're probably thinking, what could be so bad about making our make up last a little longer and being a bit safer to use?

Parabens can mimic hormone estrogen (you know those buggers that make you moody, spotty and really emotional?) which plays a part in the development in breast cancer.  18 out of 20 tumours had been found with up to 5 types of parabens in.

I want to discuss brands that shockingly use parabens in their products, one which claims to be 'fresh' and 'handmade'.  The first brand is Lush.  I know, you're all probably wanting to hit me, but it's true.  I decided to go online and click on 3 products at random and see how many had parabens in.  

Gorgeous Moisturiser:

Any parabens? Yes. 

How many? 2 - Methylparaben, Propylparaben

Source

Dirty Hair Cream:

Any parabens? Yes.

How many? 1 - Methylparaben

Source

Big Blue Ballistics

Any parabens? No.

Source

So 2/3 randomly chosen products had parabens in, slightly worrying for a company who claims to give you 'fresh' products.  

The next brand I want to talk about is Revlon.  Now, this is a rediculous case of paraben use. Almost all Revlon products contain parabens.  This wouldn't be such a big deal, if the company didn't hold a marathon every year to raise money for breast cancer.  So why would they put chemicals into their products which have been found in breast cancer cases?

After researching a lot into this subject, I started to worry about one particular product I used.  If Lush claims to be 'fresh' and natural, when really half the products aren't, would my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish disappoint me too?  I went and grabbed my cleanser with fingers and toes crossed and am pleasantly surprised to find it does not contain these chemicals.  This goes to show that companies may say they are all natural, but what it comes down to is the small print.  

So, what are your opinions on Paraben's?  Should they be in our beauty products, or should the beauty companies look into alternative preservative chemicals?

Join in the debate on Twitter using the hashtag #NonOptionalDebate

I look forward to your comments!

A quiet weekend.

Blogging wise, i've been quiet this weekend due to working all day yesterday and being at my sisters today, so I apologise.  I mentioned on Friday I was going shopping as it was pay day and I couldn't have been more disappointed by my lack of purchases.  

It all began well, I went into HMV and picked up these two DVDs which were 2 for £10 or £7 each.  

It then went downhill from there on in.  I saw a million and one things in Topshop I wanted to put in my wardrobe but I can't always justify the prices that just seem to be forever increasing.  

I then went on to MAC and purchased my first Lipglass.  

£12.50

This colour is not dissimilar from the NARS lipgloss I had my eyes on, but at five pounds cheaper, I decided to go with MAC.  I really like the colour against my skin tone and also they smell really lovely, they are just a tad too sticky for my liking.  I will probably end up wearing this shade to death as it is just so lovely.  I'll try and do a face of the day blog post when wearing this.  

I also went to LUSH and purchased the bubblegum lip scrub which everyone has been raving about.  

£4.95

First off, this product smells incredible.  Bearing in mind I have had a cold and I couldn't smell or taste anything, I opened this pot and instantly got a pleasant wiff.  I've used it quite a bit and I really like it.  I'll do a full review on this product in the next week.  

That was it for my appauling shop, I have however just purchased this book from Amazon:

I really can't wait for this to arrive in a few days, I absolutely adore this lady and reckon it's going to be an entertaining read!  

That's all for now, I hope you all had a lovely weekend.  Tell me what you got up to!