LUSH CHRISTMAS HAUL

Back in October I made a huge order on the Lush website when all of their Halloween/Christmas Seasonal stock became available, see my Halloween haul here. I decided to try some of the new items from this year which I haven’t tried before. There were quite a few new products which caught my eye this year, in different shapes and scents, which was nice to see as I’m such a big lush fan.

Bath Bombs have to be my favourite Lush products, so Dashing Santa and Butterbear went straight into my basket. Dashing Santa is shaped like Santa and his presents which is designed to move across the water when you place him into your bath. This one smells of satsumas and citrus and it left the water red with gold shimmers which made me feel really Christmassy. The Butterbear bath bomb is just so cute! This has the same vanilla fragrance as the butterball, just in a new teddy bear design. This bath bomb doesn’t give the bath much colour but it has Cocoa Butter in it which is so moisturising on the skin. This is one of the more affordable bath bomb and I would definitely buy it again as I can’t resist the bear shape.

A product I wasn’t too sure of was the Snowman Fun Kit just because I haven’t tried the concept before. I was really surprised of how much I enjoyed using it and have created one snowman so far, you can see him on my instagram here. Hopefully by the end of Christmas I will have a whole snowman family. I’m not sure I would find it as fun if I just had one colour of Fun though. But I really like how you can use it in a number of different ways as shampoo as well as soap. It’s moisturising on the skin and smells great! I’m sure kids would love this, it’s also a great stocking filler.

Another fun product which I have been trying out is the Snowman Shower Jelly. I have tried a shower jelly before after receiving it in a Christmas gift. It wouldn’t of been a product I would normally pick up, but I really enjoyed having something fun to use other than the usual shower gel. I’m really in to its blackcurrant scent and it lingers on my skin for a while after showering. It is a little tricky to keep hold of him during shower time, but I like to break a piece off to avoid any wastage. It does lather up really well though and makes my skin soft and clean.

I also picked up a few bubble bars, I went for Holly Golightly and The Christmas Hedgehog. Holly Golightly is massive and could be broken up into so many pieces to use in separate baths. It’s a shame mine got broken a little in delivery, but it still is lovely to look at. This bubble bar is super glittery on the outside and bright green on the inside. It turns your bath water green and makes so many bubbles, you really get value for money with this one. I’m not quite sure of the Christmas hedgehog, the scent isn’t really my thing. He still makes my skin super smooth, but he doesn’t crumble as easy as other bubble bars do. It is a shame as he is rather cute!

I'm really looking forward to repurchasing a few of my favourite products in the Lush Boxing Day Sales. Have you picked up anything from the Christmas Lush collection?

WINTER BEAUTY PRODUCT EMPTIES - DECEMBER 2014

Philosophy The Gingerbread Girl Shower Gel, Bubble Bath & Shampoo, 480ml £14.00 – This took me so long to use up, just because the bottle is so big. I received this as a Christmas present as everyone knows I love gingerbread. This is a multi-use product, but I just like to use it as a bubble bath. It creates lots of bubbles and smells lovely, I currently have the Christmas Cookie version on the go. Would I repurchase? Yes I love Philosophy formulas.

Garnier Ultimate Blends Shampoo & Conditioner, 250ml and 200ml £2.79 each – This duo is a basic shampoo and conditioner which do the job but aren’t anything special. I like the coconut scent and they did make my hair feel sleek and smooth. This range is suited for dry, frizzy hair and it definitely did tame my flyaways. I did a whole blog post on this range, here. Would I repurchase? Maybe not this scent, but I would try other products from the range.

Chloe Eau De Parfum Spray, 30ml £36.95 – This is my all-time favourite scent. I will forever repurchase this and will never be without it. I have tried most of the Chloe fragrances and haven’t found one I didn’t like, I’m currently really enjoying the See by Chloe fragrances. I love how cute the bottle is and looks pretty on any dressing table. Would I repurchase? Yes, forever.

Chloe Perfumed Shower Gel, 200ml £19.95 – I wouldn’t normally buy an expensive fragrance shower gel, but this was on offer at the time. Being my favourite fragrance I really enjoyed using it and saved it for special occasions than using it every day. Would I repurchase? I would buy this again if it was on some kind of offer and it’s great as a gift to buy someone their favourite scent in a shower gel version.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (In both old and new packaging), 30ml £9.99 – This is one of the first drugstore foundations I tried and fell in love with. I don’t like that they changed the packaging, as the old packaging pushed up any remaining product and you could see exactly how much was left. The colour is a good match for my pale skin and it gives me a light/medium coverage which doesn’t look cakey at all or oxidises throughout the day. I like the way it looks on my skin and I like that the bottle comes with a pump. Would I repurchase? Yes, Bourjois do some of my favourite high-street foundations.

Redken Blonde Idol Shampoo, 300ml £9.90 – I have really been enjoying Redken shampoo and conditioner this year. This shampoo is especially designed for blonde hair and helps to prevent my highlights fading too quickly. I like the scent and it foams up really nicely, I have reviewed this fully on my blog, here. Would I repurchase? Yes, I’m currently using the Diamond Oil range.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation, 30ml £6.99 – I really like how well this foundation matched my skin tone. For a drugstore foundation it is really pale and perfect to use all year round, unlike the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation which is a little too bronzed for me during Autumn/Winter. It so affordable and has an SPF 18 which is great to see from a high street foundation. Would I repurchase? Yes, it’s a good affordable foundation.

Vo5 Refresh Me Quick Dry Shampoo, 200ml £3.59 – I have raved about this dry shampoo again and again, I always go back to this brand. It’s really affordable and I know it works for me. I’m currently using another brand and not enjoying it so much, so will have to return to this one after I’ve used it up. Would I repurchase? Yes, I always make sure I have one at hand.

Soap & Glory Orangeasm Body Butter, 300ml £10.00 – This product has to be one of my favourite discoveries of 2014. I have really been enjoying Orange scented products and you can always rely on a Soap & Glory body butter to keep your skin moisturised and hydrated. I have reviewed this fully on my blog, here. Would I repurchase? Yes I would buy any of the Soap & Glory body butters.

Soap & Glory Heels Genius Foot Cream, 125ml £5.50 – This is another product I use all the time, nothing seems to work as well as this. It’s a thick cream which I like to massage into any dry areas and cover with socks in the evening. My feet are left feeling super soft and it makes me feel so much more relaxed. Would I repurchase? Yes this is holy grail for me, I've restocked up by buying the Annual Soap & Glory Star Gift at Boots!

Have you tried any of these products? What would you replace them with?

TOPSHOP MAKE-UP HAUL - STOCKING FILLERS

I don’t shop for make-up in Topshop very often but whilst searching their website for winter boots I found a few pieces that caught my eye. Firstly, this nail polish called Stars and Stripes, which is obviously inspired by the American flag. I thought this was a really fun top coat and would look perfect during the party season over a glossy red. It has chunks of blue and red pieces, silver glitter and white stars. I have used a few Topshop nails polishes in the past and have found them to be really long wearing and their colour range is great. I found this nail polish fast drying on the nails and the coverage is perfect and doesn’t clump all the glitter into one area. The other thing I knew I had to add to my basket were these iridescent eye shadows. I don’t think I have tried an eyeshadow from Topshop before but I thought these were really unique. The Chameleon Glow on the left is called Wax and Wane and is purple and silver duo chrome. The one on the right is called Shuffle The Cards and is a golden and bronze duo chrome. Again, these are perfect to wear to a Christmas party and it’s nice to experiment with a few different colours other than the usual neutral shades. These multi-use powders are really pigmented and can be used as an eyeshadow or a facial highlight. I think these would look lovely layered over a cream eyeshadow for intense colour to create a multi-dimensional effect. These shadows can be used dry with a brush, with fingers or a wet brush for a more intense look all over the lid.  But If you’re not a fan of shimmer you won’t like these! I also had to pick up this Gingerbread Man Hair Srunchie which you can see in the background and of course a few pairs of Christmas Socks. Any of these items are great stocking fillers and all work really well during the festive season. Topshop Make-up is now sold on Feelunique.com

What do you think of Topshop Make-up?

REDKEN DIAMOND OIL CHRISTMAS SET

Redken is a brand I go back to again and again, as I know their shampoo and conditioner works for me. I have tried the All Soft, Extreme and Blonde Idol ranges in the past, but have always wanted to try the Diamond Oil variety. This Christmas Set is one of my Black Friday purchases, Look Fantastic were offering an extra 25% off this set so I thought it was a great chance to try it for myself. The set comes with a full-size shampoo and conditioner and a sample size Pillow Proof Primer, which I also haven’t tried before. I always like to have a more expensive duo on the go as well as a high-street shampoo and conditioner, so my hair doesn’t get too used to the formula and stops working so well. The Diamond Oil range is a hair care line focused for dull and damaged hair. The shampoo is really cleansing and foams up nicely, which helps to strengthen the hair to prevent breakage. It also boosts shine and makes my hair feel super smooth and I find my hair can go longer without washing it again when using this formulation. The formula contains coriander oil to seal, coat and smooth the hair cuticle for shine, camelina oil to penetrate deeper layers of the hair, and apricot oils to penetrate the hair and condition deeply. The formula is really moisturising and smells great in the shower and I can still smell it after styling my hair.

This is a great gift for a friend who loves hair care, it’s packaged up really nicely and you get good sized products for the price. It’s even a great set to buy for yourself if you want to try out the range and it’s a lot cheaper than buying the products separately. Look Fantastic also has a set which comes with a Maybelline Mascara instead of the Pillow Proof Primer. I managed to get my set for £16.57 which was a real bargain, but Redken is currently 25% off at Look Fantastic. I have also wanted to try the Pillow Proof Primer since it first came out as well, so it’s nice to have a sample size to try. This product is designed to reduce the time it takes to dry your hair, provides 24 hour lasting volume, helps protect against heat up to 23o degrees, leaves hair up to 3X stronger and helps protect against hair breakage.

The Diamond Oil range also has a Deep Facets Intensive Treatment, a Shatterproof Shine Hair Oil, An Intense version, A High Shine version of the Shampoo and Condtioner and a High Shine Airy Mist. I’m most excited about the Shatterproof Shine Hair Oil and will be definitely adding this to my wish list. I would definitely recommend Redken products if you want to try something more upmarket to add to your hair care routine. These are also great sets to look out for in the boxing day sales as they get reduced, I will definitely be picking up a couple! 

Have you tried Redken Haircare?

ANNABELLE'S WIGS HAIR PIECE - STYLE AUTUMN

Annabelle's Wigs is an online store which sells full wigs, 3/4 or half wigs, hair pieces, hair extensions and accessories. I had never really worn hair extensions or hair pieces in the past as my hair is naturally quite thick and grows quite quickly. When I was asked to try one of their 3/4 hair pieces I was intrigued to see if it would be something I would wear as not experiencing it in the past and hoped it wouldn't look fake or out of place. They matched up my hair colour and gave me a few options that they had available in my hair colour 24H613. My hair is currently ash blonde with golden highlights blended throughout. I decided to go for the most natural hair piece for me which was the Style Autumn*, which is a lovely layered straight style with a slight wave to create body. I have recently decided to go darker at my roots, so it doesn't match my parting perfectly, but the length shade is spot on. The 3/4 wig is made from 100% Kanekalon, which makes the hair piece feel super soft and silky and just like real hair. The hair itself is sewn onto a lightweight netting cap and doesn't feel heavy to wear. I love how natural it is and it blends with my own hair. I also like how it's just that little bit longer than my natural hair.
The hair piece also comes with care instructions, which are; wash it in lukewarm water, shake out and drip dry, do not brush or blow dry when wet, do not use heat appliances, brush into requited style only after wig is completely dry. I haven't tried washing it yet, but it sounds so easy to maintain and the hair piece won't loose it's style if used correctly. I was worried after seeing extensions before that just look fake and tacky but you can't tell I have a wig on when I'm wearing it. I have fooled quite a few people that thought it was my real hair. The hair piece has two flexi combs which you attached to the crown of your head right back to the bottom of your head. Once I have attached it firmly, I like to brush over to blend it in and frame my face. I love that it creates volume and you can play around with how much volume you want. It's so quick and easy to use, it doesn't feel like it's going to fall off and it's ideal for me to use on a night out. Annabelle's Wigs also have their own YouTube Tutorials, so you can learn how to fit the wigs properly and also style it in many different ways, see here. My hair piece is priced at £28.99*, so it's really an affordable piece you can use over and over again. There are so many different styles and trends to choose from and a lot of their wigs are based on celebrity styles and catwalk trends. It has really changed my mind about hair pieces and I would definitely use them again in the future, maybe not for everyday but if I was looking to create voluminous hair I would get this out as my hair is a nightmare to hold a curl! See the before and after below.

Have you tried a hair piece before?

*PR Sample