Monday 30 October 2017

Halloween Nails 2017


Hello everyone!
Once again it is that spooky time of year when being a little bit outrageous is considered ok.

Whilst  I won't be doing any dressing up myself this year, you know I never miss an opportunity to get a bit creative with some nail art!

Here are four fun Halloween nail looks to try this year!

Vampire Fangs


I found a tutorial on this online and decided to do my own version, but they ended up being a nightmare on this occasion. Rule one is to stick to the instructions.

I used a black base then tried to do the teeth first but it turns out it is much easier doing the lips and finish with the fangs! Using a nail art pen, I defined each individual tooth to give these nails some bite!

Pumpkin Nails 


These nails are really easy to do as long as you have the right tools! I used a yellow base then ombred the yellow and orange together with a sponge. Once they dried, I used a nail art pen to add a spooky face to each nail to create a gang of Jack O'Lanterns.

Green Slime


Another really easy design to recreate. I used a black base again and used a matte top coat to make the slime look slimier when it went on. Then I used my toxic green nail varnish from Jessica and just randomly painted drips from the cuticle downwards.

Bat Nails


Lastly are some nails leftover from my pumpkin base. I didn't have the dexterity to do more pumpkins so went for some bat nails inspired by I Scream Nails (a very apt name for this time of year).

If you think you will try your hand at some Halloween nail art, let me know which designs are your fave!

Have a Happy Halloween!

Saturday 21 October 2017

Lush Halloween 2017

Halloween is fast approaching and recently I was invited to my local Lush store in Tunbridge Wells for the Halloween and Christmas showcase. If i'm honest, the event was more focused towards Christmas so I will show you the Christmas bits in a separate post, but for now my head is firmly on Halloween so read on if you want to see what they have in store!




I just bought a few of my favourite bits for myself and my family but if you want to have a look at the whole range then go here


The first thing I bought is the 'Bunch of Hocus Pocus', £19.95 set as I felt it had a good selection from the Halloween collection. It contains the Dark Arts Jelly Bomb, £4.95, A miniature Lord of Misrule Shower Gel, 250g £10.95 or 500 £17.95, and the Bewitched Bubble Bar, £4.25 which I realise now adding it up isn't actually a great deal.

 
 Usually you can expect to make a saving of some sort with gift sets but considering you're paying a surplus of nearly £10 for the shower gel which is a miniature and the cat knot wrap, it may actually be wiser to get them separately! Anyway, I've bought and used them all now so I can't change that but let it be a heads up to you!

On another not so positive note, I have to say the first product from the set was a huge flop for me so I'll get it over and done with first!


Lush have now brought out a range of Jelly bombs, which fizz and marbel like a normal bath bomb, but leave the top layer of your bath feeling like jelly. I'm sure they already have jelly bath products so they have merged the two together to create these jelly bombs. I was really excited to try my Harry Potter inspired dark arts jelly bomb, and the smell was absolutely amazing, probably my favourite from all the Halloween bits. It has spicy cinnamon leaf and brazilian orange oils which are lovely and warming for this time of year.
I plopped it in the bath and watched it fizz and a surprise red flash of colour came from the centre.


The jelly bomb texture was really strange, and when I touched it, (sorry I'm not one to sit and watch a bath bomb I have to pick it up and play) it felt really slimy. Unfortunately this sliminess didn't really go, and the jelly bomb was having a real problem dissolving. I ended up having to squeeze the bomb apart whilst there were still huge chunks floating around that never dissolved and were still there when I emptied the bath. Not to mention the staining from the product too. Nothing permanent, but my skin had black blotches as did the bath so I had to have another shower the following day to wash it off, and also have a wipe down the bath after the bomb which isn't what you want to do once you have relaxed.

It is also worth mentioning that this jelly bomb made my bath really slippery too so if you do try any of the jelly bombs, do be careful!



I was so dissapointed with my experience of this jelly bomb I checked a few YouTube videos and some reviews on their website and it seems like a lot of people have also had this problem, so maybe the jelly bomb formulation still needs a bit of work.
The Lush team demonstrated the Christmas jelly bomb in store at the event and it didn't have the slimy feel so it could be something to do with the ingredients in this particular jelly bomb. One positive from this jelly bomb was the pretty glitter, which made my bath look like a galaxy.


Next is the Bewitched bubble bar which you can get a few uses out of. The idea with the bubble bars is to tear off chunks and run them under the tap to create a more traditional bubble bath.




Compared to the dark arts jet black bath, this doesn't look very impressive, but I didn't have to wash the bath out afterwards so that is good enough for me! Whilst I do feel guilty pulling apart this cute kitty, it smells of sweet blackberry and is really soothing and bubbly. 

Finally from the set is the Lord of Misrule shower gel which I have to say has gone a funny texture. It looks as though mine has been shaken and has loads of air bubbles where as the products in the shops are a much more vivid slime green which really drew me to it.



I am a big fan of sensual spicy scents so this shower cream is well suited to me. It as spicy black pepper and patchouli and it really lasts on the skin all day. I love using this in the morning if I want to wear my Escentric Molecule 01 perfume as it works well with the sandalwood base.
This is a very earthy smell so if you are someone who likes sweetness this won't be for you.

Of course with the set you also get the little cat knot wrap which when tied right gives you the illusion of cat ears.

So now moving onto the individual products I picked up. Firstly, is the Lord of Misrule bath bomb, £3.95. I couldn't resist this because I just loved the smell of the shower gel. It is pretty much the same smell as the shower gel but this adds a bit more drama to bath time.



This is a slow melting bath bomb which reveals a bright red centre





The marbling effect is really pretty and by the end the green foam vanishes and you are left with what quite literally looks like a blood bath.. very Halloween!



Last but of course by no means least is the orange Pumpkin bath bomb, £4.25. Whilst this isn't the most dramatic bath transformation I have ever experienced you cant resist the way his little pumpkin head looks staring at you in the shop. He smells of orange zest and gently fizzs leaving your bath looking like an orange soda dream. It isn't a creamy consistency, it just transforms the colour of the water, but I'm ok with.


Here are a few other pictures from the event of some of the other Halloween products they currently have on offer.



The Metamorphosis bath bomb is one I have had before and absolutely loved! It had a heady myrrh and black pepper scent which fizzes into a cinnamon treat and the hard black exteriour transforms into such a beautiful mix of colours.


Another jelly bomb from Halloween is Ectoplasm Jelly bomb, £4.95 which again from reviews on the website looks like people have had slight problems with. The video on the website shows this bursting into a green fizz which looks really exciting, it has tangerine and grapefruit so is a really citrussy bomb.


Of course there are the legendary pink and orange glitter pumpkins which have been brought back every year!


So that concludes the Lush Halloween 2017 collection. As I said there are a few more items which haven't been pictured here but I hope it has inspired you to have a few spooky soaks!


Wednesday 11 October 2017

The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Range


When I saw via Facebook last year that The Body Shop were releasing their new special edition Autumn collection in Vanilla and Pumpkin, I rushed down to the shops that weekend and bought pretty much every item from the range.
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I absolutely love Autumn. It is 100% my favourite season as I really enjoy the transitional period between summer and Christmas. The thing I love most about Autumn notably, is the colours. I love the browns and reds but most of all I love the oranges, and where better to get orange than from Pumpkin!

I would never just buy an item because it looks good in my bathroom, but I have to say it definitely helps that this packaging is giving me all the Autumn feels with the Christmas wreath and spices. Not only does this range look like a fall dream, it smells like one too! 
If you are the sort of person who looks forward to Starbucks releasing the Pumpkin Spiced Latte, then this is a range you're going to like! It contains a shower gel, body cream, shimmer spritz and hand cream. I decided not to go for the Vanilla Pumpkin Hand Cream, £5, The Body Shop as I don't tend to use hand products too much, and the body cream can be used on the hands anyway so it is a multi-tasker.

What I love about the Body Shop is it's affordable prices for ethically sourced, lovely products. The whole range together costs under £40, but on top of that, there was a deal in store that when you spent over £20, you received a product so my shimmer spritz was completely free!


The Vanilla Pumpkin Shower Gel £5, The Body Shop is creamy and sweetly scented.  I love using this in the evening before bed as the vanilla is really warming and calming and leaves my skin feeling really smooth.


If I want an added bit of hydration, I use the Vanilla Pumpkin Body Butter, £15, The Body Shop which smells absolutely incredible. It really hydrates the skin leaving my body feel soft for days and it sinks in to the skin really quickly.


My final purchase was the Vanilla Pumpkin Shimmer Mist, £12, The Body Shop which I would never usually buy. I have never been a fan of body mists but this range smells so gorgeous I couldn't resist picking this up so I could smell like it on the go. Layered over the other products means you really pack a punch with the pumpkin perfume. This mist has glittery fleks in which create a beautiful dancing shimmer in the globe shaped bottle, and when sprayed on the skin, it leaves a golden dusting of glitter which will look great on the chest on an Autumn evening.

The body shop will always be a go to shop for vegetarian, cruelty free, lovely quality products, and this range can certainly be labelled as a success from me!