THE BODY SHOP PINITA COLADA RANGE

I am a big fan of Pina Colada's in general, it's my favourite holiday cocktail and just reminds me of good times in the sun. When I saw that a new summer range was coming to The Body Shop in a coconut/pineapple scent I knew I would want to try EVERYTHING! I must admit I didn't try anything from the Virgin Mojito range last year but I love the original coconut scent from The Body Shop, so I knew this cocktail range would be a winner. I love coconut scented beauty products, especially Hawaiian Tropic Sun cream and various brands of shampoo and conditioner as they just remind me of Summer. The Pinita Colada collection consists of a body butter, a body scrub, a shower gel, a body sorbet and even an essentials set which would be a fantastic gift for a summer birthday.
My favourite product from the range has to be the Body Sorbet. The sorbets are lighter than a moisturiser but provide your skin with plenty of hydration. The product is lightweight and sinks straight into the skin. The formula is cooling on the skin so would work well as an aftersun and could be put into the fridge as I do on holidays to cool down. Unlike other sorbets I have tried,this scent has pineapple and coconut extracts from the caribbean in the formulation, so it is a bit of a strange texture to apply, but I can't get enough of the sweet, fruity scent.
The Pinita Colada Gift Essentials Set includes a full-size body butter, a full-size body scrub, a mini shower gel and a yellow bath lily. As the products range from £5-£15, it worked out better for me to buy the gift set, as I wanted to try every product in the range. Everything came in this gorgeous multicoloured 'Hola Happy Hour' box which I will definitely be keeping. I love the packaging of this range, the ombre colours are so summery.
I really like to layer up the scent, by using the products in the shower and then coming out of the shower and using the sorbet or body butter afterwards. The Body Scrub is a gentle exfoliator which is blended with real shredded coconut. This is a great product to get Summer ready skin. I like that it's creamy like a Pina Colada so it's not harsh on the skin at all. I like to use this once a week and follow up with the shower gel. The Body Butter is sunshine in a tub. The formula is thick but still lightweight on the skin. It definitely hydrates skin for longer than the quick fix body sorbet and is great for any extra dry places. The Body Shop body butters are always a winner in my eyes, but I think this one might just over take my beloved Satsuma scent. I've even used the Shower Gel as a bubble bath as it foams up nicely. You only need to use a small amount on a bath lily, as a little goes a long way. I'm so sad this scent is limited edition, I would buy it all year round! Looks like I might have to stock up so I'm not without it, especially the sorbet! Try it for yourself, I don't think you'd be disappointed. 

What's your favourite Body Shop scent?

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SOAP & GLORY BEAUTY PRODUCT EMPTIES

I thought I would mix up my empties posts and focus on one brand as I had enough products to review. Soap & Glory has to be one of my favourite drugstore brands and I go through their products so quickly. I like their products across the board from makeup, to bath & body products and skincare, I can't think of one product I haven’t liked! These are the products I've used up recently. 
Butter Yourself Smoothing Body Cream, 300ml £10.00 – I always have some sort of body butter on the go and its most likely to be a Soap & Glory one. I mentioned this one in my Current Transitional Skin Saviours blog post. This body butter is in the Fruitigo scent which is lovely to use in the summer as it’s fresh and fruity and keeps the skin hydrated all day. The 300ml tub last ages and I like the thicker texture rather than a lotion as I find it more moisturising on my skin. I will always go back and repurchase between the scents. Wash Your Hands of It Hand Wash, 250ml £5.00 – This is my favourite hand wash which I go back to every time as they’re always on 3 for 2. This also has a fruity scent and makes my skin super soft after using. I like the easy to use pump, it foams up well and I have the set you can purchase at Christmas time with the matching Hand Food hand cream. I have another one of these on the go at the moment. Kick Ass Instant Retouch Pressed Powder, 7g £12.00 – I am a big fan of Soap & Glory make-up and have raved about this powder before in its own blog post here. As I have oily skin I find it important to always powder my skin after applying my make-up. This powder is finely milled and doesn't clog up my pores at all. I am currently using One Heck of a Blot which is another pressed powder from Soap & Glory but has more of a pink undertone whereas Kick Ass has more of a yellow one. I would repurchase this after my other one runs out! Sugar Crush Body Wash, 500ml £6.50 – I was so pleased when they brought out a matching shower gel to the bestselling body scrub. The scent is lime and kiwi which is really refreshing and energizing to use in the mornings. I really like the size of these body washes, they last ages and the pump makes it so easy to use in the shower. I will have to repurchase this body wash, especially my favourite Rich & Foamous scent, but I’m currently using a Molton Brown shower gel. Hand Food Hand Cream, 50ml £2.50 – This is such a cult product from the brand, my one is a mini which I got in a gift set which is a great size for the handbag. This hand cream is really moisturising and doesn't leave a greasy film on your skin. It sinks in well, it’s lightweight and the scent is the Original Pink girly scent which I never get bored of. It contains shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow which are great for dry, chapped hands. I currently have the pump version of this near my sink, it’s great to have a few in different areas of your house! I will repurchase, but I’m currently using an Origins hand cream. Hand Maid Antibacterial Hand Cleansing Gel, 50ml £2.50 – This is such a handy product to carry around, I always make sure I have one in my handbag. I really like the fruity, floral scent, you can't smell that strong alcohol scent at all. It contains natural grapefruit extract so your hands smell lovely afterwards. It’s great to take with you travelling, on holidays, just on-the-go or on just to keep on your desk, so you can feel clean and refreshed out and about. It absorbs quickly, it’s really moisturising and helps to soften the skin. I will definitely repurchase but I’m currently using a Bath & Body works one.

As you can see I really enjoy using Soap & Glory products, what are your favourite Soap & Glory products?

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CHAMPNEYS SPRINGS EXPERIENCE & EXOTIC RETREAT BODY GLOW

For Mother's Day my Sister and I decided to treat our Mum to a relaxing day trip at Champneys Springs. Me and my Mum have been to Champneys Springs a few times now, but it was my Sister's first experience. Living only 50 minutes away from Champneys Springs is ideal as it means we can just escape for the day and we realised we don't do it enough. I have only ever visited Champneys Springs, but there are also Champneys Tring, Forest Mere and Henlow resorts in the UK. We had booked in for Thalassotherapy in the morning and I had a Luxury Pedicure in the afternoon, whilst my Mum and Sister enjoyed a Champneys Massage and Facial. Thalassotherapy is a 25 minute group activity that takes place with a therapist guiding you in a mineral rich warm pool with hydrotherapy jets. The pool contains sea salt and the following minerals; magnesium, zinc, sodium, potassium, silicon, copper, iron and iodine, to help heal the skin, re-mineralise the body and aid purification. I have booked Thalassotherapy every time I have been to the Spa as my body enjoys the treatment so much. I had never experienced a Champneys Pedicure before so I decided to book that for myself. I did at first want my eyebrows tinted and threaded but they couldn't fit me in. That's the only trouble with the treatments, you have to book early to avoid disappointment. The Luxury Pedicure is a 55 minute treatment, my feet got truly taken care of and I chose this lovely lilac blue shade called Wisteria which I got to keep afterwards. I would definitely recommend this treatment is was lovely and nice to unwind for an hour, I was really happy with the results and my nails haven't chipped yet after a week. My Mum and Sister really enjoyed their relaxing Massage and Facial, which I have experienced on a past trip. They enjoyed being introduced to new products and would definitely book that treatment again. We got full use of the swimming pool, sauna and steam room but didn't manage to fit in time for the gym or any classes. We also enjoyed our healthy, nutritious lunch and a mid-afternoon coffee and cake in the Spa cafe.
By booking online we received a £10.00 voucher to spend in the Champneys shop. I decided to pick up the Exotic Retreat Body Glow and my Sister plumped on the Distant Shores Body Butter. The Exotic Retreat range has to be my favourite scent from Champneys, it contains coconut oil, brown sugar, bora bora sand and mango butter, so it's really a holiday scent in a tub! The body glow is designed like a body scrub to massage into damp skin twice a week to leave your skin smooth and silky soft. I am going to have to try more from the range! I can't wait to visit Champneys again soon and maybe experience another treatment which I haven't tried before.

Have you visited a Champneys Spa?

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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?

THE BODY SHOP HAUL - WILD ARGAN OIL RANGE

I recently went online and bought a few bits from The Body Shop. I was interested in trying the new Wild Argan Oil collection and of course there were a few discount codes floating around to grab a bargain. Everything I bought was new to me and I have been wanted to try most of the products for a while now. I picked up the Bubbling Bath £8.00 and the Miracle Solid Oil for Body & Hair £8.00 from the Wild Argan Oil collection, I hadn't smelt this scent instore but after hearing great things from lots of bloggers I knew I wouldn't be disappointed. I'm currently using the Honeymania Bath Melt which is so luxurious, but I'm getting a bit low on that, so I bought the Argan Oil version to replace that. This helps to calm and soften skin, open the pores and prepare it for treatment. The oil can be used on the body or hair and any dry patches that might need some love. I'm looking forward to trying more from this range. I then picked up the Early-Harvest Raspberry Body Butter £13.00, this smells lovely and fruity, as every Body Shop Butter does. I love the Satsuma version of this and I go through these tubs like there's no tomorrow. Talking of Satsuma, I purchased the new Satsuma Body Sorbet £8.00 which is a light, cooling body moisturiser. I can't get enough of the scent and it instantly melts into the skin for 24 hours of hydration. The last product I picked up is the newest member of the Vitamin E range, the Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet £12.00. The product is an ultra-light formula which hydrates and refreshes skin. It's enriched with wheatgerm oil to quench skin's thirst.

The Body Shop are currently offering £10 off when you spend £25 online with the promotional code - splash.

Have you tried anything new from The Body Shop?

N07 INTENSIVE RADIANCE BODY SCRUB & BODY BUTTER

No7 have a couple of new bath and body products which have caught my eye recently. The one I’m most excited about is the Intensive Radiance Body Scrub. I have to admit Soap & Glory make some of my favourite body scrubs, but this one looked really luxurious, so I thought I would give it a try. My mum also works on a No7 counter, so I do get to see the latest products that she is trialling and she recommended I give this one a try. The formulation is enriched with sweet almond oil, argan oil and rosehip seeds, so as you can imagine the pot smells heavenly. This intensive scrub removes dead skin cells to leave skin silky and glowing. This product is also hypo-allergenic which is great for even the most sensitive skins. It’s a rich exfoliator which leaves me with radiant looking skin, I especially like to use this on my legs and feet. It may look a soft formula, but it's actually quite a hard sugar scrub which creates a milky texture when added to water. This would be a great product to use before self tanning or on any drier areas. This 180ml is priced at £10.50 which is around the same price as I would normally pay for my usual high-street scrub. I think the packaging makes the product seem more luxurious and a lot more high-end than it is.

Also new, which sits alongside the scrub is the Intensive Body Butter, both products work great together. This indulgent body butter is enriched with shea butter, sweet almond oil and argan oil and leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated. I like to use this straight out of the bath as I feel it sinks in nicely and it's great for any dry areas. It claims to leave skin feeling intensively moisturised for up to 48 hours. The formulation is thick and creamy and the scent is fresh and comforting. This is the more expensive product out of the two at £13.50 for 180ml, but Boot No7 are currently offering their £5.00 off voucher, so it's worth a try if you're looking for some new bath and body products.

Have you tried No7's Bath & Body range?

BIRCHBOX JULY 2014 - SUN, SEA & SAND BEAUTY BOX

This month’s Birchbox is all about the summer holiday, sun, sea and sand. The box includes products which will see you through the hottest season (maybe not in the UK). I receive 4 products every month for £10 including p&p.

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream £20.00 – This is a product I have used in the past, if I had to recommend an eye cream it would probably be this one. Great for younger skins, to brighten the eye area and keep wrinkles at bay. It’s really light on the skin and a little goes a long way, like to apply this at night time. It contains a unique blend of Roman chamomile, lemon, cucumber oil, witch hazel, anti-oxidant spruce knot, virigin coconut, rosehip oil and carrot oil. I have gone through two little tubes of this and have found no need to repurchase a bigger size, as I keep receiving samples in beauty boxes.

Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube Pencil in Bees Knees £14.00 – Love the shade of this lip pencil, it’s a lovely coral pink. I have really been enjoying using lip crayons instead of lipsticks as they are so much easier to use and re-apply.  The finish is a glossy sheer wash of colour, which is great for summer days to stick into your handbag and re-apply on the go. This is my first taste of the brand and I would like to try more from the range.

Gilchrist & Soames English Spa Sea Kelp Extract Mineral Bath £11.25 – I pick a bath over a shower any day so this is the perfect product for me. You pour this under hot running water and this foamy gel creates your own mineral bath to invigorate the skin. The formula contains marine nutrient sea kelp and feels like such a luxury product. It has a lovely citrus and herb fragrance and you can also use this as a shower gel. This isn’t a brand I’ve heard of before but I’m definitely enjoying it so far.

Whish Three Whishes Lavender Body Butter £14.50 – I’m not a big fan of lavender scents but when the product card promised ‘not your granny’s lavender’ I was intrigued to try it. It is super sweet and smells like something Laura Mercier would sell in her Bath & Body range. It feels really soothing and not greasy at all on the skin and is great for dryer areas. It contains Organic aloe, shea butter and raspberry butter to conquer dryness, while organic seaweed extract contains naturally high levels of skin-firming peptides.

You can also receive this month; Benefit’s Porefessional, Compagnie de Provence Hand Cream Mediterranean Sea, Laqa & Co Sheer Lip Lube in Menatour, Models Own Nail Polish, Number 4 Jour D’Automne Non Aerosol H Air Spray. Philip Kingsley One More Day Dry Shampoo, Soigne Nail Lacquer, The Chia Co Chia Shots, Ultradex Oral Spray, Vita Coco Lemonade, Weleda Millet Nourishing Shampoo and Welda Sea Buckthorn Creamy Body Wash.

Not the most exciting box I have received from Birchbox, but still a few new products to try out and one product I love to use.

What is your favourite beauty box? 

SOAP & GLORY - ORANGEASM BODY WASH AND BODY BUTTER

When I saw the new Orangeasm Range appear on the Boots website, I jumped in my car and headed straight to the Bath and Body aisles (I wish I was joking). Soap and Glory has always been my number one for body care. I have to say there isn't a Soap and Glory fragrance that I haven't liked, my favourite being Cream Team. I have recently become obsessed with Orange scented products, The Body Shop Satsuma range and Rituals Laughing Buddha range are some of my favourites.
Orangeasm Body Wash, 500ml £6.50 - The body wash is really skin softening and contains moisture boosting properties. It also contains Triple Tea antioxidant complex, Ginseng and Pinkpepperberry. I love the packaging it's so refreshing for a body wash to have a pump for just giving you the right amount. Also, the 500ml size of the bottle is really cost effective and lasts for ages.
Orangeasm Body Butter, 300ml £10.00 - The body butter actually looks like an orange in the pot. It contains shea butter, Mangomilk, green mandarin, Sicilian lemon and sweet orange peel oils. The scent is really summery and fresh and it lingers on my skin and clothing for hours. I love to apply this straight after having a bath, the super rich formulation really sinks into the skin and moisturises stubborn areas. The texture really reminds me of The Righteous Butter.
I love the idea of layering up fragrances. I now have my eye on the Super Tonic Fragrance Spray which would complete my Orangeasm collection. It really is a scent to be excited about - especially by the name!

Will you be trying the new Soap and Glory scent?

PRODUCT REVIEW - NIP + FAB COCONUT LATTE BODY BUTTER

This product is fast becoming my new favourite body butter. This is the first product I have tried from the Nip + Fab range, and so far I am really impressed. The body butter itself is a rich and creamy consistency which claims to soften and hydrate dry, dehydrated skin with 24 hour moisture-boosting hydra concept Aquaxyl.
'Aquaxyl boasts scientifically substantiated benefits to improve the water reserves in the skin, limit water loss and visually improve the surface of the skin.'
The scent I chose was Coconut Latte, but you can also get the body butters in Pistachio Sundae and Mango Smoothie. I am drawn to anything with a coconut scent. The butter also contains shea butter, which you can really smell and stays on you skin, which I really like. It also contains avocado oil which repairs and leaves skin with a healthy sheen, as well as honey which conditions and smoothes. 

I stubbled across this product whilst boots had 3 for 2 across summer products and I'm so glad I chose it, I have been using it for a good two weeks now. At the moment Boots are offering a 1/3 off selected Nip + Fab products, which makes a pot of 200ml only £5.66, (normally priced at £8.49) which I think is a really good deal for the amount of product you get. I'm sorry to say this, but I think It has replaced my Soap & Glory - The Righteous Butter, for now anyway..
Have you tried any products from Nip + Fab?