Review | Lush Valentine's Day Collection 2015

I've been a big fan of Lush for almost a decade, but until recently I never knew that they carried a Valentine's Day collection every year! Where have I been?! Their seasonal collections- Christmas, Easter, Halloween- are ranges I look forward to every year, and I have no idea how Valentine's slipped past me. 

Thankfully, last month I learnt all about it and made it my mission to get my hands on a few pieces when I popped in to town last weekend.

Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar (£3.25 each)

I fell in love with this magical pastel-coloured bubble bar the very first time I saw a photo of it last month, and was determined to get my hands on one. I may be twenty-nine, but I just couldn't resist those shimmering pastel stripes, or the cute little stars dotted through it like freckles. It's the prettiest bath product I've ever seen; so pretty I haven't actually had the heart to use it yet, but I just know the most perfect, relaxing bath awaits me. It's filled with lavender essential oils that, I'm sure you know, will help you relax after a long day. and I'm pleased to say the lovely lavender scent isn't at all over-powering, like some lavender scents can be.

Heart Throb Bubble Bar (£3.65 each)

If there's one thing that just screams "Valentine's Day" it's a classic red love heart, and this bubble bar is as quintessential as they come. Naturally, being a novelty design, I was all over this one and bought it without a second thought. (I never change!) Heart Throb is a "bubbleroon" made up of two red hearts sandwiched together with vibrant gold glitter, that will turn your bath water a festive red, and leave you with the silkiest soft skin. It contains skin-softening shea butter and essential oils, and a fragrance I can't quite put my finger on. It has a faint floral scent, but after that my senses fail me. If you're familiar with African Paradise, it's said to share the same fragrance, although I've not personally tried it yet.

Lonely Heart Bubble Bar (£3.50 each)

Lonely heart? Well, I'm not pining for love or anything, but that does sum-up my love-life, so... I can only conclude that this red glittery bubble bar heart was meant for me! All that gold shimmering glitter drew me in from fifty paces; I picked up this bar, inhaled the fragrance, and with it came a wave of nostalgia. The rich scent of jasmine and ylang ylang, bergamot and lemongrass combined smell just like the B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful (Lush's late sister company that specialised in beautiful make up) stores that I used to enjoy visiting on day trips to London in the late noughties. The fragrance used to linger in the air in their stores, and it would feel like you were browsing a souk somewhere in the middle east. That is how Lonely Heart smells to me; rich, exotic, and familiar. It turned my bathwater a bright shade of red, left me with incredibly nourished skin, and somehow covered me in glitter from head to toe. (Though I can't decide if that's a pro or a con!)

Cupid's Love Soap (From £4.25/100g)

Cupid's Love soap is another product I'd hoped to pick up, mostly because of the fact it was red with white hearts running through the design, and looked so lovely. When I realised how expensive it was (£4.25 for 100g), I only went for a small piece; I wanted to try it, but with soaps from Christmas still to use, I couldn't justify buying a big slab. I'm pleased I bought a piece, though, because it leaves me with the softest, moisturised skin, and also smells divine. It has a fruity fragrance, which reminds me of red berries or those cherry-shaped penny sweets, but that's not really a helpful or accurate description, is it? Haha! It contains bergamot and rosewood, which gives it a rich, uplifting fruity scent, and fresh figs, passion fruit juice, and soya yoghurt, which work to soften and nourish the skin. It sure does what it says on the tin, and I'm loving this one so much I'm left wishing I'd invested in a bigger piece! 

Maybe I'll keep my eye out for the Valentine's sales!

I wanted to buy more products from the Valentine's range, but it wasn't all grouped together and the shop was packed with shoppers, so I picked up what I could, paid, and got out fast. My local Lush is tiny and it's practically impossible to browse around it when there are more than six people on the shop floor- even when you know what you're looking for. I get really stressed and claustrophobic in those situations, so I never hang around.

You can find the rest of the range online or in your local store if you want to see what else it has to offer.

Will you be spoiling your Valentine (or yourself!) with any of these products this Valentine's Day?

Lush Christmas 2014

There are many things I look forward to every Christmas: decorating the tree. watching Christmas movies, going to the annual family gathering, and even the arrival of Lush's Christmas collection. Yes, really!

It might sound odd that I get excited about a range of festive beauty products, but hey, I'm easily pleased, and their Christmas ranges are always amazing! My little sister used to work for Lush, so I became accustomed to getting lots of Lush goodies every Christmas, and even though she no longer works with Lush, I still ask for some every year. What can I say? I'm hooked!

This year I decided I couldn't wait 'til Christmas for my festive Lush fix, so I recently treated myself to a few products to enjoy during the festive season. 

I couldn't afford to go all out and buy a basket full of festive bath bombs and soaps, so I restrained myself and came home with five products. It's taken even more restraint to save them all until December! Now we're officially in the Christmas season, I can finally start enjoying them- yay!

Would you like to know more about the products I bought?

The Dashing Santa Bath Bomb is unsurprisingly, a Santa-shaped bath bomb! He's so festive- looking in his classic red, white, and gold suit. I chose Dashing Santa because he's satsuma scented, and orange citrus scents are my favourite fragrances. It smells just like the now discontinued 'Happy Soap' and 'Happy Pill', which I was obsessed with! I'm still mourning the loss of those two products! (Sad, I know!) For £2.95 you get a lot of bath bomb for your money, and I think it would easily stretch to three or four baths if you snap it in to smaller pieces.

 (Apologies for the quality of this photo; it didn't want to cooperate).

I'm not exactly sure what's festive about a hedgehog, but I found the Christmas Hedgehog Bubble Bar too cute to resist. Isn't it adorable? Mine does look a bit like a flattened hodgeheg, and my photos don't do it any favours, but it is a sweet little bubble bar just the same. It's rose and ylang ylang scented, and it has a faint smell of festive spices. It also contains cocoa and shea butters, to soften and gently moisturise the skin while you bathe, and if it's like other Lush bubble bars I've tried in the past, your skin (and mine!) will be in for a treat! £3.25 is a small price to pay for silky soft skin!

One product I can't wait to start using is the Yog Nog Soap (£3.40 per 100g). It smells so festive; like gingerbread or cinders toffee. I keep picking it up to inhale it because it smells so delicious! I may have to go back for another slab of it before the month is through. This soap contains soya yoghurt, clove bud, and ylang ylang essential oils, and it's dusted with aromatic cocoa powder. It's the perfect soap to put by the sink for everybody to enjoy over Christmas, and the best part is, unlike most soaps, Lush soaps are moisturising and leave you with the softest skin. I don't just use Lush soaps for washing my hands, though; I like to use them for shaving my legs, too. They lather up well, and leave me with the softest skin when I'm done!

Another citrus product I couldn't resist was the Baked Alaska Snowball Soap (£3.25 per 100g). Sure, a little wedge of this soap doesn't look like a snowball, but the giant spherical soap it's cut from does. Sort of. It's only when it's cut in to that the soap reveals it's true colours; vibrant greens, yellows, and oranges. This soap has the most amazing zesty lemon and lime scent (at least that's how it smells to me), although it actually contains uplifting organic lemon myrtle, refreshing grapefruit, and stress-relieving ylang ylang oil. It has such a gorgeous fragrance, but I personally think it's better suited to summer than Christmas. Lemon just isn't a scent I associate with Christmas time.

The First Snow Sparkling Dusting Powder  is one of those "a blogger made me buy it" purchases. Do I really need a powder which gives my skin a festive shimmer? Probably not, but then, who does? I just couldn't resist the opportunity to spend Christmas coated in glitter for the bargain price of £4.75!

First Snow is a cream coloured powder with a flour-like consistency, and you just simply rub it in to your skin. You only need to use a little at a time and it leaves you with a subtle silver shimmer. It reminds me of the spray on body and hair glitters we used to drown ourselves in in the nineties- although thankfully, it's not as OTT. You can use it as discreetly or as generously as you like; you could coat your entire body in it, or just use it to highlight particular areas like your collar bones and decolletage. It's the perfect product for all those Christmas parties, and it will even leave your skin smelling of citrus fruits. It's another one that smells like the old 'Happy' fragrance, and I could sit here inhaling the scent all day!

And that sums up my little Christmas Lush haul. I can't wait to start using them all over the next few weeks!

Have you tried any of  the products in Lush's Christmas collection yet this year?

Beauty Haul November 2014

Don't you just love it when you sell some unwanted things on eBay and can do some guilt-free shopping with the money you made? I do; it's the best kind of shopping!

I managed to do a little guilt free shopping last week, when I popped in to town with my sister. Well, almost. I was planning to buy Christmas presents with the extra cash, but we only visited four shops before I had to give in to the pain and go home. (It spoils all my fun)! I only bought one present, but I did manage to treat myself to a few bits from Lush and Boots before we left. I figured it would of been rude not to! I only feel slightly guilty.

Would you like to see what I bought?

I bought a dozen beauty products, from Boots, Lush, and Morrisons and ten of them are completely new to me.

First up are these three make up items from Rimmel, which were on 3 for 2 in Boots. I went in looking for a new foundation to try, as I still haven't found the right one for me. My skin is so pale most foundations are too dark for me, and it's even harder to get it right with a face full of tan freckles to complicate things. I swatched the Rimmel 9-in-1 Skin Perfecting Super Make Up Matte BB Cream in Very Light, and it was a surprisingly good match, so I decided to give it a try. I've worn it a few times already and so far, so good!

I also picked up the Brow This Way Brow Styling Gel in Dark Brown 003. I've wanted to learn how to do my brows for years, but I never have. Most of the time I just hide the awful things under my fringe! I first heard of brow gels earlier this year when Benefit brought out Gimme Brow, but as much as I wanted to try it, I couldn't afford the price tag. Then I heard of Rimmel's dupe, and at just £3.99 it was a far more appealing product to try out and learn from. I've used it once so far, and I'm impressed with the results already.

The free product I picked up on the 3 for 2 deal was the Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder in Transparent 001. I haven't used Rimmel's powders since secondary school, so it's like a blast from the past!

In Boots, I used my Advantage Card points to treat myself to the Original Source Pineapple and Moringa Skin Quench Moisturising Body lotion. I'm obsessed with pineapple scents, and this body lotion has the most gorgeous pineapple fragrance ever. I wish there were more pineapple beauty products out there and that they all smelt as good as this one.

Before I left, I couldn't resist popping in to Lush for a couple of things. Lush is one of my very favourite beauty brands, but it's a rare treat for me now. 

I bought six items, mostly from the Christmas range, including Mask of Magnaminty, my favourite face mask; the Dashing Santa Bath Bomb; a Christmas Hedgehog Bubble Bar; Yog Nog Soap; Baked Alaska Snowball Soap; and the First Snow Sparkling Dusting Powder. I love them all. I'm not going to write about each of them individually now, but check back later in the week for my Lush Christmas post when I'll give them all a proper review.

And finally, I was in Morrisons last week when I spotted these two new dry shampoos.

The Herbal Essences Uplifting Volume Dry Shampoo (Citrus Fragrance) is one I first heard of on a beauty blog a couple of weeks ago, and I knew I had to try it. I've loved Herbal Essences shampoos and conditioners since the nineties. This shampoo has a lovely citrus fragrance, and unlike Batiste, it doesn't leave white or grey residue in the hair. It was only £1.00 for a 65ml bottle, and so far I'm impressed.

I also picked up the Aussie Mega Instant Miracle Dry Shampoo. I had no idea that Aussie also made dry shampoos, and I'm presuming it's another newcomer. It was £1.50 for a 65ml bottle, so I couldn't resist that one, either. Aussie make the best hair products. If you can't get to Morrisons, it's £2.29 on Boots here.

What beauty products have you bought lately? Do any of these spark your interest?

Last Week's Beauty Haul

Hey guys,

Last Wednesday, I popped in to town with my older sister for a spot of beauty shopping. She wanted to go shopping for make up and beauty products, spurred on by her new found addiction to beauty vlogs, and a (then upcoming) choir appearance that she wanted to look her best for.

I wasn't really intending to do any shopping myself; I just wanted to get out for some fresh air and a change of scenery, but with a shopping trip solely to The Body Shop, Lush, Boots and Debenhams' beauty department, I was never going to come home empty-handed. I forgot I have no restraint!

I'm still totally blaming the sister for the fact I treated myself to a few things! She's a very bad influence!

If you'd like to see what goodies came home with me and why, then read on!

This is everything I treated myself to on the shopping trip, (apart from the tray; that's old). As you can see, I completely succeeded at not shopping... ahem. Way to go, Louise!

Would you like a closer look at everything?

Debenhams

Let's start with what is without a doubt the best purchase of the trip; The Urban Decay Electric eyeshadow palette! It is quite simply the thing dreams are made of, or at least in this colour-loving junkie's head! You probably know by now that I'm just a little obsessed with colour and bold colourful eye make up, so you might be able to imagine how over-excited I got when I laid eyes on the palette for the first time. (Clue: very!) The colours! Oh, the colours! My eyes practically popped out of my head when I spotted the rainbow of neon colours from across the room. I'd been underwhelmed by it through my laptop screen, but in real life, this palette is to die for.

I told myself at £38 I couldn't afford it, but in the end I just couldn't leave without it. Nobody could've pried my fingers off the box I had clutched to my chest. My precious! I felt guilty for splurging but I reasoned that it was okay because I'd sold a few dresses on eBay recently and had to return the sunflower jumpsuit, which more than covered the price. 

Here's a sneak peek of the amazing neon-bright colours! It includes ten eyeshadow and a double-ended brush. I'm not going to say too much about it now as I'm going to review it properly really soon, but it's fantastic and the photos don't do the colours justice. It's well worth the money if you're a fan of colourful eye make up like I am.

The sister got herself the Naked 3 palette, which is also on my wish list, but the Electric palette is definitely more 'me'. I don't know why, but I've always felt more confident in colourful eye make up than in more natural, subdued colours. Yeah, it makes no sense to me either; I think I'm just backwards girl! 

When my sister was getting her eyebrows done at the Benefit bar, I noticed a sign saying there was a free Porefessional in the June issue of Elle magazine. (Out now, keep your eyes peeled, ladies!) I mentioned it to my sister and made a mental note to pick up a copy, but I didn't have to. The lady doing her brows kindly handed us both a sample for free so we wouldn't have to buy the magazine! Day made! I love me a bit of Benefit, and the Porefessional is one of my favourites.

The Body Shop

Our second stop was The Body Shop, which is a real weakness of mine. I love their make up, skin care and bath and body products- and their long-standing policy against animal testing.  

There was a buy one get one half price offer on the bath and body products, so I picked up a couple of their fabulous shower gels. I chose my favourite Satsuma, (I love citrus scents and this one smells like summer) and bought one in Early Harvest Raspberry to try. I've not tried any of the new raspberry range yet, but it smells seriously divine. I also treated myself to my favourite Banana Conditioner because it gives me the softest, shiniest hair and I've not had a bottle of it for so long.

I paid for those three products, and that was all I intended to buy... then I continued browsing while the sister paid for her shopping. I discovered that they do a leave in conditioner spray which I hadn't seen before, the bilberry scented Rainforest Radiance Detangling Spray (for coloured hair). I was curious to how well it would fair up against my old faithful Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance conditioner which I use after every shower, so it came home with me. I couldn't live without a leave in conditioner; in fact, it would probably be my desert island must-have.

I also picked up a small pot of the Satsuma Body Butter. I adore their body butters and have used them for years, but I don't think I've ever used the satsuma one before, even though it's one of my favourite scents. When I treat myself to a Body Shop body butter, I usually go for the coconut one because the scent reminds me of past holidays. I'm looking forward to trying the satsuma one for a change and giving my skin some TLC.

The consultant also gave us both a sample pot of the Blueberry Body Butter to try, which is not a scent I'd usually think to try, but is actually really nice.

Lush

I quickly headed in to Lush especially to get myself a Mask of Magnaminty. It's my favourite face mask but it's literally been three or four years since I last had one. Unacceptable! I used to pop in to Lush monthly but that kind of went out the window when I injured myself. (My nearest Lush is about 20 miles away). It was such a treat to buy a fresh pot, and the awesome lady who served me gave me a sample pot of the new formula! The recipe has been improved, but the small size pot I wanted was only available in the old recipe, so she popped a sample in for free!

The mask is made from peppermint oil and the scent of it is just heavenly; I'd quite happily sit and inhale the minty aroma all day long but that's probably not a very good idea. It's designed to clean, calm, and clear the skin; so it's ideal if you suffer from acne or pimples and it can be used on other areas of the body, too. I'm not prone to break outs, but my skin always feels revitalised after I use it and I couldn't recommend it more.

I also treated myself to a You've Been Mangoed bath melt on impulse. You pop it in to the bath like you would a bath bomb, and it always leaves me with the silkiest soft skin after a soak. The only issue is I can't get in and out of the tub right now (I use our walk-in shower instead), but I thought I'd cut it up and pop little slithers in to my foot spa and give my feet a treat ready for sandal season.

Boots

And as soon as walked in to Boots we were handed a fourth sample! A sachet of Lancome Visionnaire advanced multi-correcting cream! 

Never have I been shopping and handed so many beauty samples for free in one day! We were actually given a free sample in each of the four shops we visited, and it definitely put a smile on our faces. It's the little things in life! The staff in each store were all so friendly, happy and helpful, which I have to say is unusual to see in every shop you visit on the high street, and it made for a pleasant shopping experience.

I enjoyed our little shopping excursion, mostly because it was great to be out of bed doing something normal for a while. I've only made it in to town three times in almost as many years, but I used to pop in every month at least once. I definitely took that for granted. Although I realised there's a reason why I don't make it in very often these days.

From the start I was struggling with the pain, especially from the sciatica which has been worsening recently. It's spread to both legs over the last few weeks, (it had only been in the left before), and the burning, tender pain was sure making itself known. It did make walking and standing painful, but I was grateful for a rest when the sister got her eyebrows done and when we stopped for lunch. We weren't shopping for more than an hour, but I was sore and exhausted by the time we got back to the car. By the time I got home an hour later, after driving home with the windows down singing along to the Mamma Mia soundtrack in the sunshine, (yes we're losers), I could barely put one foot in front of the other and crawled right back in to bed.

I haven't quite recovered yet and I couldn't move for a few days, but it was worth it for an afternoon of normality. I try to push myself to get out and about as often as I can, but there are always consequences. At least on this occasion I have pretty new make up to play with, and in my opinion, it was one hundred percent worth it!

Green Eyed

I was going through my make up drawer the other day, choosing which bits to take with me on my mini trip to Bournemouth, when I reached one of life's extremely challenging and completely life-altering dilemmas: which green eyeshadow(s) do I pack for eighteen hours away from home?

I know, absolutely important, nail-biting stuff, right?! How I made that decision, I will never know.

I hadn't quite realised just how much green eye make up I owned, so I collected every eyeshadow and every eye liner together and laid them out so that I could decide between them. I wasn't quite prepared to learn I had twenty-two different eye colours! 

Twenty-two! That was a surprise, even for me!

I mean, I knew I had quite a collection brooding in the make up shrine, due to a slight addiction to green eye make up that goes back at least a decade, but regardless, it still came as a shock. Twenty-two does sound rather excessive, doesn't it, but in my defence, no two shades are alike. Some I've had for several years, some were bought recently. Two were purchased last week for the festive season. And each one is loved and used.

Hello, my name is Louise and I'm addicted to green make up!

My favourite shadow of all time was a stunning light olive green called Beatrix (in the trinket pot) that was by a company called B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful. They were the sister company to Lush who sold the most beautiful vegan beauty products and cosmetics, but who sadly went in to administration a few years ago. That eyeshadow was the main reason I was heart broken when they closed their doors; I went through several pans in my early-mid twenties and I adored it. I still have a tiny bit left which I'm trying to make last as long as possible. 

I've been searching for a replacement ever since, but so far I've had zero luck finding a near-identical shadow. However, I purchased a similar, but slightly darker shade called Kush by Urban Decay last week (the silver pot), which is the closest match I've found. I've fallen in love with the colour, and it's so perfect in colour and performance that I think I've found a new favourite! I adore it already.

I also really love my Inglot shadows, and the liquid liners by Lush and Jemma Kidd.

I don't know what it is about green eye colours that I love exactly, but I've always liked the way they look with my pale, freckled skin, brown eyes, and dark, or, currently, red hair. I think green compliments those features perfectly, whether it's a bold lime, or a rich emerald. They bring out the brown of my eyes and are a great contrast against both red and brown hair colours, and most importantly, I feel good wearing them. Dare I say, green eye make up even gives me a little confidence boost every time I wear it- which is often! I wear green more than any other colour, and probably more than all the other colours combined.

I think that everybody should give green eye make up a chance, as it's the most beautiful, varied colour palette, and there's a shade out there to suit everybody. 

Have you got a particular make up colour or product that you can't stop collecting? Do you own more green eye make up than me?

Wish List Wednesday

Evening everyone,

Over the last couple of weeks I've been trying to look for ways to improve my blog, and I've been brain storming away while I've been off the radar. I've been thinking about topics I could post about on a regular basis along side my outfit posts, and one of the ideas I have is to post a weekly round up of the items at the top of my shopping wish list... oh so "creatively" named 'Wish List Wednesday'.

I'm aware that it's not an original idea; it's a feature seen regularly on most personal style blogs, and I've done my fair share of them in the past, but instead of just putting together posts on things that have caught my eye from each brand every once in a while (which I will still do), this will be a weekly feature about the things I've set my heart on buying.

.

Wednesday seemed like a good day to review these favourites since I get paid on every other Thursday. So, without further ado, here is my first Wednesday Wish List.

1. Dark Green Thin V Neck Cardigan from New Look.

This cardigan comes in a rainbow of colours but this gorgeous dark green one has caught my eye most. If you ask me there aren't enough green things in the fashion world. I layer cardigans over almost everything- dresses, jeans, skirts, jumpsuits... and need some new long sleeved ones to wear this Autumn/Winter. Dark greens are set to be big next season, and at £12.99 this one is really reasonable and won't break the bank.

2. Lush Eye Liner in Fantasy

I've made it my mission to collect the new range of Lush eye colours after falling in love with my first purchase a few weeks ago. If you've been following my blog for a few weeks you'll already be fed up of me rabbiting on about them, but they really are fantastic. The colours are vibrant, long lasting, and nourishing, and the colours have won me over. I want this gold eye liner to wear with the green I purchased last week.

3. Mocha Floral Border Prom Dress from Dorothy Perkins.

I've been eyeing up this dress all season, and think it would be the perfect dress to wear for Autumn. The brown print would be a lot softer against my pale skin than black, and also a change from all the bright colours I tend to be drawn to. It's also on sale for £22 now with a further 20% off.

4. Wide Fit Studded Slipper Shoes in purple and black from New Look.

I've loved the studded slipper trend which has been around all year. I already own a pair of the Topshop ones, which I love but because I've got really wide fit (I blame my Mother!), they are a little tight across the widest part of my foot. So when I came across these New Look ones a week or two ago, I knew I wanted a pair. They're far more subtle and understated than the Topshop ones, but I think they'd look good with a pair of jeans or jeggings when it gets colder. My only problem is choosing which colour to go for! Maybe for £17.99 I could buy both?

5. H&M Blouse in Dark Green.

Yes, I still have my eye on this blouse. I can't help loving a blouse in such a beautiful shade of green! I have so many possible outfit scenarios in my head- it would work with several of my skirts, over jeggings, perhaps with my red or cobalt jeans, even under a dress or two. I'm not usually a fan of blouses, but this one is stunning.

6. Raspberry Bird Cage Print Dress from Dorothy Perkins.

I've been admiring this pretty dress since it landed online a month or two ago. I love the rich shade of dark pink, and the print, and love the idea of wearing such a warm colour on frosty Winter days. I am a little disappointed that it's made from Polyester, but I may be able to look past that just this once...

7. ASOS Skater Dress in Spot Print with Lace Hem.

I came across this dress today, and have fallen in love with the polka dots and the lace detailing to the hem. It's gorgeous, but at £40.00 I'll probably wait to see if it comes down in price first.

8. Ruby's Closet Leopard Print Zip Dress from New Look.

Yesterday I discovered that New Look have added some of AX Paris' lines under the name of Ruby's Closet. As you know I love my two zip front dresses, so coming across another in leopard print made me stop and take notice. A good design for A/W, perhaps?

9. H&M Ballet Pumps in Dark Green and Bright Blue.

I really love the variety of colours in the range of H&M ballet pumps, and how they're so inexpensive- at £7.99 why stop at one? My only concern is whether or not they'd fit my monstrous feet.

10. ASOS Cream Shirt Dress in Cotton Embroidery.

This dress has been in the sale for a while now, and I can't help returning for another look every now and again. I'm drawn to little details like the broiderie anglaise and scalloped detailing on this one. I can't decide if the colour would wash me out, but I could always dye it a different colour.

11. ASOS Textured Bow Collar.

I love me a pretty collar, and this one would be perfect for restyling a few old or basic tops.

12. Models Own WAH Nail Transfers POW from ASOS.

I'm always on the look out for new ways to brighten up my nails, and really love this set of rainbow polka dot nail wraps. They combine two of my favourite things- polka dots and colour!

13. Oasis Cameo Stud Earrings from ASOS.

These little rose cameo studs are gorgeous. I really have a thing for cameo jewellery, and these would be a lovely addition to my collection.

14. Holly Trill Illustrated Bunny Rabbit Brooch from Etsy.

After seeing Nita of Pashteit wearing this brooch in one of her recent outfit posts, I fell in love with it. I love bunnies; I've been a bunny owner for over ten years, and am sure I'm going to be a crazy bunny lady when I'm old and grey. Some people are cat ladies, I'll be a bunny lady. So, it didn't take me long to fall in love with the brooch and I know I have to have one.

and last but not least...

15. Yenzi Owl Across Body Bag from Accessorize.

Isn't the owl bag amazing? Well, I think it is! I think I'm a little obsessed with incorporating animals in to my outfits. I don't set out to do it, but they always win me over. This bag would make a good day bag for those casual days.

Have you got any of these items on your own wish lists?

Which is your favourite?

As always, thank you for reading, and thanks for all your lovely comments recently. I don't say it enough. x



Bright Eyes

A year ago, I wouldn't have thought anything of spending fifty quid on something I wanted just after pay day. It's not that I had a high income, as I didn't, but I was quite the impulsive and frivolous shopper. I was one of those girls who spent the majority of her disposable income during the first week or two of the month, and spent the last two weeks scraping by. I know I'm not the only one...

Today, fifty quid is a big chunk of my income, but I don't feel like I go without because I've learnt to spend wisely. I buy the things I love most online using discount codes and promotions where possible or sell old things on ebay to buy new ones. My wardrobe is now filled with beautiful clothes I wear regularly which were bought on a budget.

I spent a couple of days last week deciding between a forest-green shirt from H&M, or some Lush make up. I really wanted to buy both, but I couldn't afford to, so chose the make up.

 Lush brought out a new make up range called Emotional Brilliance in July, which I was immediately very excited about as I adored their late Sister make up company Bnevertoobusytobebeautiful which folded a few years ago. I probably owned at least three quarters of the range. Now Lush have introduced a small make up collection of cream eyeliners and shadows, lipsticks, mascara, and bases, which I personally think are very similar to the make up B used to sell which makes me very, very happy!

I ordered the parcel on Saturday and it arrived yesterday.



I ordered three eye liners, and a toner tab. They were very well packed in biodegradable materials.



The hardest part for me was deciding what colours to choose this time, as I like them all. I eventually chose to buy a vibrant lime green (Healthy), a two-toned peacock blue (Motivation), and a bright purple (Feeling Secure), which are all eyeliners. Although the idea with Emotional Brilliance is to wear the colours we're first drawn to on their colour wheels as the colours we're drawn to on different days tell us what moods we're feeling. Healthy was actually one of mine (how ironic!), but I feel most people will just buy the colours they like at the end of the day. I was drawn to a bright orange lipstick on the colour wheel, but I don't think I'd ever wear an orange lip.

I also treated myself to this toner tab called A Token to the Forest Gods as it was only £1. I haven't used the toner tabs before, but this one has a lovely citrus scent, and the reviews for it on their website were very positive. The idea is to pop one in a bowl of hot water, and let the steam cleanse the face (the face of course, lowered above the bowl with a towel over the head to trap in the moisture).

Everything in the box...

Lush also provided a free copy of their catalogue, The Lush Times, which is great as I spilt a drink over the last one before I had a chance to read it.  There are also some applicator brushes in the 'Fighting Animal Testing' bag.

The bottles are a really good size, but still small and light enough to take on the go. They're about the size of a nail polish. They're each meant to have a eye liner brush in the lid, but for some reason Motivation was the only one fitted with one. I was a little peeved, but luckily I have an eye liner brush as I really couldn't be bothered to return them. The brush is easy to work with, but quite short, so I think a longer brush would be needed to reach the bottom anyway.

The colours are all very brightly pigmented. It doesn't take much product to get a vibrant result- which is usually a look I prefer, but they're also blendable for softer looks and don't dry straight away. They can also be used as eyeshadows and worn together. Each of the colours is absolutely stunning and just like the old B shades I used to love. I can't decide which I like most!



I'm not sure if you can see the pink and yellow marks on my hand, but those are stains left behind from the purple and green liners after removing them with a cleansing wipe. They did later come off with soap and water, though.

To give you an idea of size...

My current Lush eyeshadow collection. I bought the bronze-gold 'Happiness' eyeshadow a week or two ago.

I haven't done a full image for my closed lids as my eyebrows need sorting and my make up wasn't that neat, but I tried out Healthy over the lids and Motivation as a liner on top of it yesterday. I'm also wearing Benefit's They're Real! Mascara on my lashes here.

And this is the result...

The liners were very soft and nourishing to my skin, went on easily, and didn't budge during the six hours or so I kept my make up on. I'm very impressed with the products, and will be buying more from the range in the near future. I've read quite a lot of reviews with people not happy with the £14.50 price, and yes they are expensive, but they're fantastic quality and the pots give you a lot for your money. They're perfect for a bit of pay day indulging! They're also great vibrant colours, vegan, and not tested on animals! What more could you ask for? I never begrudge spending a little more on make up that hasn't brought harm to defenceless animals.

Lush have definitely provided me with a new obsession and as always, I'm a very happy Lush shopper!

Have you bought anything from Lush's new make up range yet? Are you planning to buy in the future?