The Body Shop Advent Calendar 2014 In Review

Hey guys,

How are you all? I'm sorry I've not blogged in a few days. I didn't mean to go AWOL but my laptop has completely stopped working now, and my Mum's old Dell is almost as slow as old dial-up Internet. I lose patience with it within five minutes of turning it on. I must phone up the repair man today!

On top of laptop problems, I've been feeling physically drained of life these last few days, and keep drifting in and out of naps for some reason. I've felt all the more fatigued after another session of acupuncture on Tuesday. The treatment itself doesn't generally cause me any pain or discomfort (two needles have out of five or six sessions), but this week my back ceased up the second I stood up after the treatment, and the pain has been raging ever since. I don't know why my body reacted so badly this week, but I guess the fatigue is my body's way of cushioning the blow and helping itself recover. If only it worked the same way every night so I could get proper sleep.



Anyway, the main reason I'm here today is to write a little review of The Body Shop's Advent calendar "24 Days of Joy", which I counted down to Christmas with in December.



In case you were living under a rock this Christmas, 24 Days of Joy was a beauty Advent calendar filled with twenty-four of The Body Shop's lovely products. The set included a great selection of make up, skin care, and bath and body items, and featured a good balance of old favourites and latest additions, with a few seasonal products thrown in for good measure. Of the twenty-four items, ten different fragrance flavours made up the set, including Strawberry, Shea, Wild Argan Oil, and Vitamin E. It all combined to make a pretty tempting calendar, and with so many new products to try inside, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to try them all; so I seized it!

Just look at all those amazing beauty products! Waking up to one of these a day in the lead up to Christmas was so exciting and enjoyable. I felt like a kid on Christmas morning every time I opened a cardboard window and allowed myself a moment to play with my new toy. (Maybe that's a sign I love The Body Shop lotions and potions a little bit too much??) I was only disappointed by what was waiting for me on a couple of December mornings, but as a whole the contents were pretty damn great!

Here's a list of everything that was included in the calendar, in order by date:

1.  Almond hand and nail cream 30ml. 

2.  Almond nail file.

3.  Frosted Cranberry soap 25g. 

4.  Frosted Cranberry shower gel 60ml. 

5.  Frosted Cranberry shimmer lotion 60ml. 

6.  Eye definer pencil in "smokey black" 1g. 

7.  Strawberry heart-shaped soap 25g. 

8.  Strawberry lip butter 10ml. 

9.  Strawberry hand cream 30ml. 

10. White Musk eau de toilette 10ml.
11. Glazed Apple soap 25g. 

12. Glazed Apple Shimmer lotion 60ml.
13. Vitamin E Moisture Lotion 15ml. 

14. Vitamin E sink in moisture mask 5ml sachet. 

15. Vitamin E night cream 15ml. 

16. Moringa shower gel 60ml. 

17. Moringa body milk 60ml.
18. Bath lily. 

19. Honeymania lip balm 10ml.

20. Wild Argan Oil body lotion 60ml.

21. Eyeshadow brush.

22. Shea shower cream 60ml.

23. Shea body butter 50ml. 

24. Colour Crush Nail colour in "Relish the Moment" 6.8ml.

The most expensive products included in the set were the eye definer pencil, and the eyeshadow brush which each retail for £9, and are both fantastic products. There were also a number of items with an RRP of £5, including the Almond hand and nail cream, the White Musk eau de toilette, the Shea body butter, and the Colour Crush nail colour. Those six products alone total at £38- which is pretty great considering the calendar retailed for just £50, and was said to contain £83 worth of products! Amazing value!

So, the question is, "was it worth the purchase?"



And... I can say whole-heartedly that it was!

It was the first beauty Advent calendar I'd ever had, and it was such a treat to indulge in a different Body Shop beauty product every day during Advent, instead of a boring novelty chocolate. I looked forward to opening a new window every day to see what was waiting for me inside; and I loved the vast majority of what I found.

Out of twenty-four products there were only three that didn't wow me over- the bath lily, nail file, and the White Musk eau de toilette- although if I'd liked the scent, it would've been a great treat. I was able to pass it on to somebody who liked the fragrance, so it was still worth it because it made someone else's day.

The calendar made my December all the more enjoyable, and I personally think it was great value for money. I've been a big fan of The Body Shop for two decades, so I didn't need much convincing- I knew it would be a good purchase! The bonus is, the brand doesn't test on animals, so I was able to indulge on all these lovely things without feeling guilty that animals had come to harm for the sake of 24 Days of Joy.

If the contents are different next Christmas, or I've used all of this loot up, I'll definitely buy a Body Shop advent calendar again! In fact, I'll probably start squirrelling some money away for one over the coming months so I'm able to afford one when Christmas rolls around!

How did you count down to Christmas last month? Have you ever used a beauty Advent calendar?

The Body Shop and Ciaté Advent Calendars: Dec 1st- 5th

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll probably be aware that I'm counting down to Christmas with  a couple of beauty advent calendars this year.

I managed to get my hands on The Body Shop's advent calendar "24 Days of Joy", and I also picked up a Ciaté calendar, although it's last year's set and won't contain the same treats as the new Mini Mani Manor. I'm featuring the set anyway because Ciaté sell all of the nail polishes individually.

You can keep up with my advent loot every day on Instagram, but I'll also be reviewing them on the blog each week, every five days or so. (I'm a little behind this week!)

The first five days of Advent brought some gorgeous nail products...

... and some fantastic products from The Body Shop, too!

So, what was behind door number one?

December 1st

Dec 1st: The Body Shop

Behind window number one of The Body Shop's calendar was a full sized (30ml) tube of Almond Hand and Nail Cream. Yes, full-sized! It retails for £5, which is a pretty damn good prize for day one!

I'm already a big fan of these hand creams (I love the satsuma version), so I was excited to receive a new scent to try. I'm pleased to say it didn't disappoint. The almond cream contains almond and brazil nut oils, which smells quite like shea butter to me! I can smell the almond fragrance, too, although it's subtle, As a whole, the scent is clean and fresh, and not over-powering; and that gets a thumbs up from me! It's also works pretty great as a hand and nail cream; it's non greasy, moisturising, and immediately gives me the softest skin, so I'm sold! I love this product!

Dec 1st: Ciaté

The first polish from Ciaté was a top coat called "Snow Globe" which contains holographic flakes and couldn't look more festive if it tried! It can be worn on its own for a delicate look, which leaves a clear iridescent shimmer in ice blue, light green, and gold, depending on how the light hits it. It can also be worn over other nail polishes to create different looks. I tried it over a dark purple polish earlier this week, and it added turquoise glittery flakes to my manicure! It looked so festive. It can be tricky to get a smooth finish because one brush stroke doesn't like coming in to contact with another, but with a little patience, it does cooperate. Overall, I really like this polish!

December 2nd

Dec 2nd: The Body Shop

I'll be honest, I wasn't at all impressed with receiving a nail file on Tuesday. I'm sure it works just fine for what it's designed for, but let's face it- it's just plain boring! I can't even pretend to be excited by a plain yellow emery board. Sorry!

Dec 2nd: Ciaté

Thankfully, I loved the nail polish waiting for me in the Ciaté calendar; a gorgeous deep red by the name of "Boudoir". It's a blue-based red just a little darker than tomato, and it's a perfect classic red nail colour. I'm ever so slightly addicted to red nail polish, and I think I've found a new favourite!

December 3rd

Dec 3rd: The Body Shop

On Wednesday, I got a heart-shaped strawberry soap, which was really sweet. It smells so good! I've been a fan of The Body Shop's soaps for years, because they make my hands so soft, but I can't remember the last time I treated myself to a strawberry soap; I almost always go for satsuma. It's actually nice to enjoy a different scent for a change.

Dec 3rd: Ciaté

Wednesday was a good day for nail polish, too. Behind the window was a nail polish in a  bright and cheerful shade of orange, called "Hopscotch". The name is so fun and playful, which suits this bold sunshine orange colour to the ground. This will be a great colour to wear when the sun is shining next summer! I know orange nail polish can seem too daring for some people, but Hopscotch is tasteful and just the right shade of orange to remain wearable.

December 4th

Dec 4th: The Body Shop

I look forward to the seasonal cranberry range every Christmas, so I was really excited to find a mini frosted cranberry shower gel in the calendar on Thursday. It has the most delicious berry fragrance, which I can't stop sniffing, and I'm looking forward to using it in the run up to Christmas. The Body Shop shower gels are my favourites because they lather well, and always leave me with the softest, silkiest, cleanest skin, and I'm sure this one will be no different.

Dec 4th: Ciaté

Thursday brought with it a pot of red and gold nail sequins by the name of "Miss Mistletoe". This was a new experience for me; I'd never tried using sequins on my nails before yesterday. I was a little unsure of how to use them at first, so I experimented. I painted my nails with a clear top coat, and used a pair of tweezers to get sequins out of the bottle and on to my nails. They went everywhere. The trick was getting them on to the nails before the topcoat dried; not easy! I had to apply a second layer on top of the first to add sequins to the bare areas I'd missed on the first try, and then just finished with a couple of coats of top coat. It wasn't as difficult as I expected, but I did get sequins all over the place- on my bed, on the floor, on my laptop, all over my clothes... Next time I'll remember to put some newspaper down!

Dec 5th

Dec 5th: The Body Shop

Behind door number five was a frosted cranberry shimmer lotion, to go with Thursday's shower gel. Another great product from The Body Shop! I've always wanted to try their cranberry lotions, and I'm impressed with it so far. It gives me super soft, moisturised skin, and if that wasn't enough, it also leaves a festive shimmer which really sparkles when the light hits it. I wouldn't use it as an every day lotion, but it's perfect for Christmas time when you can get away with a bit of sparkle! It also has the most amazing sweet fragrance, which to me, smells like red berries with a sweet grapefruit-like undertone.

Dec 5th: Ciaté

Friday's nail polish was an unusual burnt sienna or terracotta coloured polish called "Encore!" It's a colour I don't think I've ever tried before, but it turns out, I actually really like it on my nails! I think it goes well with my pale colouring and freckles, and it makes a fresh alternative to red or orange. This would be a perfect nail colour for Autumn.

And here are swatches of all five Ciaté nail products; I think they work well together, too! Sorry for the state of my manicure; I was rushing to finish so I could take photos before the sun went down.

I'll be back with the next five products in a few days.

Have you used any of these products?

How are you counting down to Christmas this year?

The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar 2014 Sneak Peek

Earlier in the week, a large cardboard box arrived on my doorstep with my name on it, and oh was I excited to see it! Inside was the Body Shop advent calendar that I ordered for myself as an early Christmas present. Y'know, 'cause I'm good to myself like that. 

I know I blogged about The Body Shop's 24 Days of Joy advent calendar just last week (here), but I thought you guys might like a sneak peek at the real deal instead of relying solely on the stock photos. 

If you didn't see my last post and aren't familiar with the calendar, basically, 24 Days of Joy is a beauty Advent Calendar, which features a different The Body Shop product behind every window. It includes skincare, make up, and bath and body products, and features both old favourites and some of the newest additions to indulge in over Christmas. As a Body Shop fan it really appealed to me, and after missing out on last year's calendar, I actually squirrelled money away all year hoping for better luck this year! I'm so excited I got my hands on one!

It arrived in perfect condition last Monday, and I instantly fell in love with the traditional red, white, and silver packaging. The colours are gorgeous, and I adore that it's been designed to look like a house. The animals and festive characters at the windows add a lovely little touch.

I have to say, I was surprised by the sheer size of the calendar from the start. It's huge! I suppose it would be with all those lotions and potions inside. If you're wondering if you have space for one, it's about 34cm square, and 11.5cm wide (closed)! 

It opens on a hinge, like a book, and inside are twenty-four cardboard windows in traditional red and white, on a silver and white striped background. The numbers are big and easy to find, and the big windows suggest decent sized products inside.

It also has a handle on one end, to make picking up and carrying the calendar a lot easier. I've added my hand to the shot so you can get an idea of just how big the set is.

The back gives you a list of contents, tells you a little about their ingredients, and explains about the gift of education; for each calendar that is bought, a child in a war torn country will be able to attend a class! So not only will you or a loved one get to enjoy twenty-four lovely beauty gifts during Advent, but a child will benefit from it, too! Fantastic excuse to treat yourself, if ever I heard one!!

24 Days of Joy retails for £50, and it's currently still available on the Body Shop's website here. Last year's sold out super quick, so if you want one, snap one up fast!

I won't be revealing its contents today, as I'd like to enjoy the surprise every day during Advent, but here's the stock photo. 

If you'd like me to, I might reveal what's behind each window on Instagram every day from the 1st of December, and perhaps do a round-up post here on the blog every week, fortnight, or at the end of Advent. Thoughts? If you just can't wait that long, you can find the list of products included in the calendar here, and, of course, in the product listing. 

Will you be treating yourself to a Body Shop advent calendar this Christmas?

P.S. Apologies for the quality of the photos; it's not stopped raining all week and my camera is crap at the best of times!

The Body Shop Beauty Advent Calendar Christmas 2014

Beauty advent calendars have taken the beauty world by storm over the last few years, and this Christmas is set to be no different. There are several big name brands releasing beauty advent calendars this year, and one I have been particularly anticipating is The Body Shop's version 24 Days of Joy.

24 Days of Joy features a different Body Shop product behind every window, including a great selection of bath and body, skin care, fragrance, and make up items. There are old favourites, new additions, and even a few seasonal favourites to indulge in this Christmas, and in a fantastic variety of gorgeous Body Shop scents.

Coming up is the full list of what's included in the advent calendar. If you're buying one and don't want to spoil your surprise, quickly scroll past the next photo and the list which follows it.

Behind those 24 cardboard windows are the following 24 Body Shop beauty products:

♥ Almond Hand and Nail Cream 30ml

♥ Almond Nail File

♥ Frosted Cranberry Heart Soap 25g

♥ Frosted Cranberry Shower Gel 60ml

♥ Frosted Cranberry Shimmer Lotion 60ml

♥ Eye Definer Black 1g

♥ Strawberry Heart Soap 25g

♥ Strawberry Lip Butter 10ml

♥ Strawberry Hand Cream 30ml

♥ Colour Crush Nail Colour 6.8ml "Relish The Moment"

♥ Glazed Apple Heart Soap 25g

♥ Glazed Apple Body Lotion 60ml

♥ Vitamin E Moisture Lotion 15ml

♥ Vitamin E Moisture Mask 6ml

♥ Vitamin E Nourishing Night Mask 15ml

♥ Moringa Shower Gel 60ml

♥ Moringa Body Milk 60ml

♥ Mini Crinkle Lily

♥ Honeymania Lip Balm 10ml

♥ Wild Argan Oil Body Lotion 60ml

♥ Eyeshadow Brush

♥ Shea Shower Gel 60ml

♥ Shea Body Butter 50ml

♥ White Musk Eau de Toilette 10ml

There is such a great selection in this advent calendar! I'm a big Body Shop fan and have tried many of their products over the years, but I haven't tried half of the items on the list!

It would make a fantastic gift for any beauty or Body Shop fan, and an even greater gift for yourself! It provides the perfect excuse to indulge in a selection of your favourite products, while getting to try out a bunch of new ones you've never sampled before, too. 

With a new beauty product to try every day, you can pamper your way through til Christmas and give yourself some much needed TLC during the most hectic month of the year! I can't think of a better way to count down to Christmas! Can you?

If you're looking for another reason why you should purchase a Body Shop Advent Calendar, here it is... The Body Shop have teamed up with War Child, a global charity for children affected by war. Every calendar sold will give the gift of education to a child in a war-torn country, enabling them to attend a class! If that isn't a good enough reason, I don't know what is!

The calendar retails for £50 (with a monetary value of £83!) and it's available to buy online here, as well as in selected stores.

Last year's calendar sold out extremely quickly, so snap one up ASAP to avoid disappointment! I've had money set aside especially for this calendar all year, so mine is ordered and on it's way! I'll be sure to give you a little peek once it arrives, and will probably do an Instagram round-up of the gifts in December.

Will you be treating yourself or a loved one to The Body Shop's 24 Days of Joy Advent Calendar this Christmas?

My 10 Favourite Body Shop Beauty Products Part 2

Hey lovelies,

I hope you're all having a great day so far.

Last Monday I talked about five of my favourite Body Shop beauty products, and because I love the Body Shop just that much, I'm going to share another five of my favourites today. I've been using all of today's picks for years, some for over a decade, and I thought it was time I started sharing more of my established favourites alongside the new products I review for you.

So, in no particular order, here are five of my most used beauty products...

Vitamin E moisture cream



I've been using the Vitamin E moisture cream daily ever since my best friend introduced me to it about a decade ago. I was so impressed with the results the moisture cream gave that I continued to use it once that first pot was used up- and I just never stopped. I saw no reason to move on to another; it's the best face cream I've ever used! 

This moisturiser is light and non-greasy, and leaves my skin feeling refreshed, hydrated, and super soft, and looking bright and healthy not just after every use but for days afterwards. The more I use it, the better my skin looks. You only need to use a little at a time, so this light pink lotion goes a long way. At £11 for a 50ml pot it's a little pricey, but I have been known to get six months use from one pot, so it's actually a smart little buy. I try to take good care of my skin, and don't begrudge spending a little more on skincare to invest in it. I personally think this cream is worth its price tag, but the great thing about The Body Shop is that they regularly have fantastic offers and promotions online, so I rarely pay the RRP. I saved 40% on the pot I'm using now, and offers like the one I took advantage of run all the time!

Satsuma shower gel

In my opinion, The Body Shop make the best shower gels around. You only need to use a little to get a decent lather, and little effort is needed to make skin feel clean and refreshed by using them. My skin always feels soft and revitalised after a quick buff with some Body Shop shower gel on a flannel or bath lily. Most of the scents are absolutely divine, but my absolute favourite is satsuma, which contains zesty satsuma essential oils and smells like sunshine. It has the sweetest, fruitiest citrus scent, and every time I use it the fragrance never fails to make me happy. At £4 for a 250ml bottle, it's a shower gel I can  afford to indulge in, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of using it.

Satsuma body lotion

I'm a little obsessed with the satsuma body lotion at the moment; it smells so good! Like the shower gel, it has the most amazing orange citrus scent and I can't get enough of it; I've been using it religiously all summer and one whiff of it still makes me happy. It also does a brilliant job as a body lotion, in case you were wondering! Haha!

The body lotion is light and non-greasy, so it sinks in quickly after application and instantly gives me soft, healthy-looking skin without that horrible sticky texture some lotions leave behind. It may be a light body lotion, but it works wonders on softening even the driest, toughest areas of skin, like my elbows. I usually massage the body lotion in to my skin after a shower because I feel it gives the best results when applied to damp skin, but it works beautifully on dry skin, too.

Satsuma body polish

Another satsuma scented product I love to use is the satsuma body polish, which is a zesty-scented exfoliating foaming gel that gently buffs away dead skin and leaves skin looking soft and healthy. This exfoliating scrub is neither too gentle or two rough. It's gentle enough to use on delicate skin like the decolletage, and gritty enough to tackle harder skin like the knees and elbows. I love to use this alongside the satsuma shower gel and body lotion, although I don't use it religiously as it's a little expensive at £5 for 75ml or £10 for 200ml; I probably treat myself to a tube two or three times a year. 

I've just used up the last of my satsuma polish, but I took a photo of a tube of the Cranberry Joy body polish, to give you an idea of what the polishes look like. It doesn't matter which scent you choose, they all do the same job. it's all down to preference. The Cranberry Joy is another of my favourite scents, but they only sell it during the festive season. It probably won't be long until it hits the shops again! (Scary!) I was given a Cranberry gift tin last Christmas, and used up everything else, but somehow squirrelled the polish away and forgot about it. Now I've found it, I'll have it used up in no time! It smells so good!

Seaweed ionic clay mask

I've long been a fan of a good clay mask, and the Body Shop's seaweed ionic clay mask is one of the best I've ever tried. This mask is brilliant because it draws out all the impurities in the skin, and helps to control excess oils, so it's great for people with combination and oily skin types. My nose is often quite oily and it's dotted with badly clogged pores, but after using this mask, the pores are cleaner and less noticeable, and my nose is almost oil free for a couple of days! My skin also feels refreshed and revitalised after every use, and you really can't beat that fresh-faced feeling.

All you need to do is apply a thin layer of the cool grey clay to your face, and wait five to ten minutes for it to set. (You'll know it's time to wash it off when you can barely move your facial muscles). Once it's dry, wash it off with some warm water and a face cloth, and voila, say "hello" to gorgeous skin!


So, that sums up my ten favourite Body Shop beauty products. If you'd like to read about my other five favourites, you can do so here: My 10 Favourite Body Shop Products Part 1.

What are your favourite products from The Body Shop?

My 10 Favourite Body Shop Beauty Products Part 1

The Body Shop are and have been one of my favourite beauty brands for almost two decades now. I can remember using their shower gels and body lotions as far back as age ten. I've long admired them for their ethical values, and in particular for the fact that their products weren't / aren't tested on animals.

When I first began shopping with them in the nineties, only a handful of beauty brands were commonly known as cruelty free (to me, at least), but I knew I could go to The Body Shop to buy beauty products with a clear conscience. I've always been against animal testing for cosmetic purposes, and the thought of animals being abused so we can wear make up or strawberry scented shampoo makes me feel ashamed, and disgusted. That's why I love The Body Shop. I can indulge on lovely, frivolous, beauty products and not feel guilty that an animal is suffering for my vanity. Everything is 100% vegetarian, too, and they also trade fairly in a way which benefits communities, so in my opinion, there are so many reasons why The Body Shop are worth shopping with. One being that their lotions and potions smell amazing and work like a dream.

As I use The Body Shop's products more than any other beauty brand, I thought it was time I shared some of my favourites with you. I've compiled my top ten favourites, half of which I'm going to talk about today.

Coconut body butter

I've been using Body Shop body butters for a very long time, and at present, I own the body butters in four different scents, including vineyard peach, satsuma, cranberry and coconut. While I do dabble in the different flavours from time to time, my favourite has always been the coconut, and it's the one I use and buy most often. It's enriched with Community Fair Trade virgin organic coconut oil, and the tropical scent never fails to make me nostalgic for past summer holidays. I like to use it on my legs, feet, and elbows during the summer months because it's heavier than a body lotion, and it works wonders on moisturising those dryer, hard-wearing areas that need a little extra TLC. Each time I use it, I get great results immediately, and I'm left with the softest, smoothest skin. I particularly love using it after shaving my legs because it gives me the silkiest pins I could ask for. And it smells amazing, too.

Coconut lip butter

I get badly chapped lips on a regular basis and have tried countless lip balms over the years but none of them have ever made much of a difference. That was until I bought a pot of the coconut lip butter for the first time last year. Unlike all the others, this lip butter actually hydrates, moisturises, and softens my lips, and that is a bloody miracle! It contains organic virgin coconut oil and has a thick butter-like consistency which work together to deeply nourish even the driest of lips. The butter seems to create a barrier that keeps my lips in shape for a couple of hours after being applied, which may not sound that remarkable, but for a girl whose lips usually become dry and chapped minutes after applying a lip balm, it's extremely impressive. I couldn't live without this lip balm now and always carry a pot of it in my handbag.

Peppermint cooling foot lotion

I have been using the peppermint cooling foot lotion since I was nine or ten, so my love affair with this lotion goes back nineteen or twenty years! I don't use many beauty products today that I was using twenty-years ago, so I think this shows just how much I love this foot lotion and how satisfied I am with it. It's a multi-functioning foot lotion. The mix of peppermint oils and cocoa butter not only smell fantastic, but work to banish foot odour, no matter how sweaty and pungent your feet may be. It cools hot, tired and swollen feet, which can provide some much-needed relief after a long day travelling or on your feet. And of course, it works to keep your feet well moisturised and softened. I like to apply this lotion after soaking my feet in a foot spa for ten or fifteen minutes, and I'll then cover my feet in a pair of cotton socks for a few hours to give the lotion time to sink in and work its magic. It never fails to give me extremely soft skin, but I get the best results when I pop the socks on after applying it to my feet.        

Banana shampoo and banana conditioner

I've confessed my love for the banana shampoo and conditioner before, and I'll declare it again: I love the Body Shop's banana shampoo and conditioner. They both have a nostalgic banana scent which reminds me of banana yoghurt, and I could sit and inhale the aroma all day long. Both the shampoo and the conditioner are made from real banana puree, and they really do smell good enough to eat.

The banana shampoo always leaves my hair feeling beautifully clean, even when I begin the shower with greasy hair. It may be a gentle shampoo, but it's a feisty little thing . Once my hair is dried, it feels incredibly soft and light- not unlike the results I get at the hairdresser's- and every lock looks shiny, healthy and glossy. I often use the shampoo on my fringe in between hair washes, without following it with a conditioner, and it gives the same great results used on its own, too!

The banana conditioner is one of my all time favourite hair care products, and I've only been using it for about a year and a half. The Body Shop describe the conditioner as being "thick and creamy", but I personally think it's quite a light conditioner compared to a lot of others I've tried. Don't let that put you off, though; this conditioner is worth its weight in gold. When I massage it in to my hair, I usually leave it to sink in for a minute or two before I rinse it out, and afterwards my hair feels wonderfully conditioned. It leaves me with very few tangles, so my hair is really easy to brush through before I attack it with the hair dryer. And once my hair is washed, dried and styled, I'm left with the softest, shiniest tresses I could ever dream of having. Not bad for a cruelty free conditioner that costs an affordable £4.50!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about five of my favourite Body Shop products. Keep an eye out for the second part of this post coming up next Monday when I will be talking about another five of my favourites.

What are your favourite Body Shop beauty products?

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?