The Body Shop Haul & Review!

It’s been a while since I gave The Body Shop a once over and bought some new products. I’ve mentioned before how much I love their Tea Tree Range (the tea tree toner will get rid of all kind of sins!) So with the intent to purchase more, I naturally found myself picking up one or two or three or a couple more different products to try.

Tea Tree Pore Minimiser

So, the first thing I picked up was the Tea Tree Pore Minimiser. After hearing about this a few months ago I was super excited to try it but much to my dismay, every time I tried to buy it online or in store it was sold out! I got hold of this the other day and even though I have only tried it a few times, it’s a really refreshing and lovely product. 

If you like the Tea Tree Lotion and Night Cream then this should be your next port of call. I have been using it before applying my make up in the morning (a bit like a primer) because it feels very refreshing on my skin and it helps to wake me up a bit more! Having said that, could I live without this product? Yes, I probably could. In terms of how it feels on my skin I would give it an 8/10, but in terms of performance I would give it a 5/10. It is fantastic at mattifying and works really well for oily skin, but I have found that it doesn’t really minimise my pores or even reduce the appearance of them.  

£7.50

Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion (SPF 15)

The next potion I thought I would try is the Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion (with SPF 15). For us oily skin types, it’s easy to feel like you can’t possibly need any more moisture on your skin – this is not true! Your skin might not need more oil but it does need moisture, that's why I thought I would give this a go to see how it reacted with my skin. First things first, it smells really clean and clinical… that’s literally the only way I can describe it! I’m not too sure how seaweed is meant to smell (or if it even has a smell?) but it’s nice even so! For a ‘lightweight’ moisturiser, I actually found this quite heavy so I’ve only been using a tiny amount at a time. I haven’t found it particularly usable as it doesn’t absorb into my skin easily and I couldn’t put make-up on after using it for fear it would slide straight off my face! Does it combat shine? Not on my face unfortunately, however anything with SPF is going to be a little heavier than normal so I think this would work best for someone with combination skin!

£11.00

 

Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub

Next in my basket was the Peppermint Soothing Foot Scrub. I’ll be honest, this was an impulse purchase. I really don’t need another food scrub, but I love the Peppermint Cooling Foot Lotion so much it would have been an insult to walk past it. This stuff is incredible! Not only does it smell amazing, it makes your feet tingle when you use it and afterwards I truly felt like I had new feet! I can’t rate this scrub enough! 

£7.00

Mango & Chocomania Beautifying Oils

I’m so in love with these oils! I received the Mango Oil as a gift a few months ago and finally got around to buying the Chocomania Oil the other day. Both are incredible! I mainly use them after a bath or shower in the evening or when I have shaved my legs. I find they put back in so much moisture and help repair the skin. And as an added bonus – they smell insane! The versatility of this oil is the biggest selling point, you can use it in your hair, as a massage oil or as a moisturiser. All round winner.

£9.00

Strawberry Eau De Toilette & Strawberry Body Mist

Aka, little gems! I already have the Coconut and Vanilla Body Mists (how could I not right?). So I thought I would try and add to my collection and purchase something light and fruity for the summer. Both the Strawberry Perfume and Body Mist are exactly as you would expect them to be, they smell of heavenly (if a little sweet) strawberry and complement each other really well. The only negative I have found is their staying power as I feel they wear off throughout the day. However they are the perfect size to pop in your handbag so all is not lost and I think for the price, you can’t go wrong! There is a flavour for everyone! 

Body Mist - £7.50
Eau De Toilette - £8.50

Love Etc… Sun Kiss Eau De Toilette

To be honest, if this hadn’t have been on sale I probably wouldn’t have bothered getting it but I always compliment a girl I work with on her perfume and when she said it was Love Etc.. it sparked my curiosity. It has a lovely fresh and summery scent and unlike the flavoured perfume and body mist, the smell lasted a lot longer! Slightly floral, slightly fruity, really playful – I love it! 

Was - £16 Now - £8.00
 

Have you bought anything from The Body Shop I should try?

Erin xx

My Favourite Products at the Moment

Hello hello!

I know I'm not the only one guilty of buying something based purely on its smell, so I just wanted to do a little post listing a few of the best smelling products I'm loving at the moment.

The Body Shop - Chocomania Body Butter

 I Bought this little gem a while back when The Body Shop launched their Chocomania collection and regretfully I've only just got around to trying it. It smells amazing! And I didn't believe it was possible but it unleashes its full potential when you put it on. As with all of The Body Shop's body butters, the scent is deliciously distinct and lingers on your skin all day without being over powering! It just gently reminds you its there throughout the day. It smells like... well, chocolate! But to be a little more specific its closer to chocolate fudge brownie and has a little bit of a spicier hint to it. The consistency is probably the only thing that lets this down for me. When I started using it, it was like trying to chip into an ice block... and if anyone with long nails has tried to do this with body butter before, you will undoubtedly know it can be somewhat unpleasant! But that aside, it's totally worth delving into in my books! I can't wait to try the rest of the range!

Soap and Glory - Sugar Crush Body Buttercream

I do not know where this sprang from!
I was innocently wondering through Boots trying to get some Christmas shopping done, then amongst the Sanctuary gift sets and Jamie Oliver soup bowls, I glanced up and there it was. Just sat on a shelf. With a strange yellow stripe. A special edition? A re-release? After looking like I'd found the grail for a few minutes I picked it up and gave it a sniff. I can say with all honesty that it's one of the BEST things I have ever smelt. One thing I've always loved about Soap and Glory is their unique smelling products. They manage to make everything smell like sugar! And for some reason though I was really surprised by this new range, it brought a smile to my face because it's fits so well with the other ranges. To try and describe it, it smells like sugar. Sugar and lemon. If it was a food I think it would be along the lines of a lemon cheesecake. It is described as a 'Buttercream' which is really easy to apply and I'm not afraid to drive my fingers in! It has a white, whipped consistency which smooths into skin and smells so lovely! I have noticed the smell isn't as strong or long lasting as The Righteous Butter, but the smell overall is a lot nicer! Again, my only criticism is that it doesn't sink into the skin very well and getting dressed was a bit of a trail, but I'm defiantly going to persevere and experiment with different amounts to see if that helps! 

Yankee Candle - Vanilla Cupcake Wax Tart

This makes the flat smell like cupcakes! Or as my boyfriend so kindly put it "Girl".
Every penny spent on Yankee Candle, for yourself or for a present, is money well spent! The smell is always amazing, even before they start to burn. I can't really say much more about this one! Fantastic.

The Body Shop Sale

I was a little bit naughty this morning...

See, The Body Shop are having a rather amazing sale... I'd even go as far as to say, it's magical!
It's the perfect time to stock up on hand creams and body butters! As a little extra, they are offering 3 for 2 on all skin care, and for Love Your Body card holders  you'll receive 20% off with the code: 14315.

I was delighted to see a coconut body mist in their 'New In' section so this pretty much set the tone for my spree! I love anything coconut smelling! Along with this I purchased some more of my Tea Tree Skin Clearing Lotion which I cannot speak more highly of! And from the sale I got a few things I've never really tried but figured there good to have around - Spiced Vanilla Hand Cream, Spiced Vanilla Hand Wash, Wild Cherry Body Scrub, Raspberry Ripple Bath and Show Gel, Cucumber Water and Passion Fruit Cleansing Gel.. all of which I cannot WAIT to try!

So that's my little morning excitement over =)

Erin xx

Old Habits Live Effortlessly

 

 

Releasing my inner geek * The Avengers! * Rimmel nail varnish * Witches cat * Almond Body Butter * Yankee Candle wax tarts.. mmm * My felt owl :) * Benefit binge * New look Estee Lauder double wear compact * Revlon ColourStay Foundation * The result of a spontaneous trip to Next Home * This is what happens when you buy too many books without considering the consequences * Little Paris Kitchen Cookbook and Tea :) * The over crowding of my strawberry plant's - it's looking a lot like The Hunger Games in there, survival of the fittest! * My Sunflower!

It's been a while since my last post and I have to say, things have been very up and down. It's taken a while to get myself back on my feet but I'm now standing firmly on the ground so I thought I would kick myself into gear and begin my ramblings on this 'ere blog of mine :). 

The pictures are a collection taken over the last few months of bits and bobs, but I can't believe how quickly the time is passing! It still feels like February - and the rain hasn't been suggesting otherwise! That aside, I've had some fairly good impulse shopping trips; the results of most you can see above :).

I have only recently introduced myself to The Little Paris Kitchen on BBC iplayer and fell in love with it straight away! Rachel Khoo combines her knowledge of Parisian food and culture in what can only be described as a charming cooking program. To keep it relevant she adds clever British twists to classic french recipes that have really inspired me to get in the kitchen! So when I saw the book on offer in WhSmiths, I grabbed the last copy and sprinted to the till :).

Another new introduction was The Body Shop's almond body butter - which I think smells a lot like marzipan! It's a lovely, subtle, sweet smell that sits on the skin for hours after applying. My only criticism is, as with some of the other body butter's, its quite greasy and can take a while to sink in so if your trying to get dressed in the morning it can be a little uncomfortable!... but you can use as little or as much as you want!  

I was foaming at the mouth when The Avengers came out! And it really didn't disappoint! The Hulk, Thor and Iron Man were amongst my personal favorites. But after seeing the film and realising I would never be a super hero, I went to Boots to cheer myself up and bought a new nail colour - oh the simple things :)! I have the majority of the Rimmel 60 Second nail varnishes so I decided to settle for "Caramel Cupcake", I usually go for really bright, clashing colours so this was a nice change!

Last month at the Derbyshire game and country fair, I found a craft tent to see out some of the rain, and spent a lot of time wondering around when I stumbled upon a stall called "Proud 2 B Pagan" were they sold lovely and unique ornaments, incense burners, and books but I was immediately taken by this witches cat ornament. The cat lifts off the box to reveal a tiny scroll tied with ribbon and the idea is to write a wish and keep it in the box - yes yes I know, but I couldn't NOT buy it.

I love Yankee Candle and recently bought one of their wax burners so every time I see a wax tart I'm forever smelling and seeing what my room should smell like this week. The other day I bought Lemon and Vanilla Cupcake which smell AMAZING! 

I will review all of the Benefit Cosmetics with swatches after I have given them a fair run. But just in case the picture isn't too clear, I have BadGal waterproof eyeliner in Black, Dandelion Blush, High Beam, They're Real mascara and BadGal Lash mascara.. which is already reviewed here :)!

Edit!

How could I forget this picture! 

 

He hates being cuddled :)

Erin xx