Love From November

Hello there lovelies

So it’s now December and the countdown to Christmas begins (eeek!) here’s a roundup of the things I’ve been enjoying throughout November.

Lush Star Light, Star Bright Luxury Bath Melt. I wrote in a post a while ago that I’d never tried any Lush products before until this summer when I tried a bubble bar and now I’m a total Lush addict especially when it comes to their Christmas range. The product I’ve been enjoying most is the star light star bright luxury bath melt. I bought 4 of them at the end of October and I only have 1 left now. I really like the bath melts (actually I love everything I’ve used so far, cinders has to be my absolute favourite though) as they leave skin feeling lovely and conditioned. This one smells so fresh and zesty with lime and ginger it’s really invigorating teamed with my favourite cranberry shower gel (another Christmas product that I like to stock up on) makes for a super festive bath experience. I usually go into a bit of a coma after a bath and literally won’t move for the rest of the night because I’m so relaxed although I’m nicely chilled out after using this one I'm not tired, it really uplifts me. If you’re a bath in the morning sort of person then this is a great product to use I also think it would be a great one to use if you’ve got a cold with the smell of freshly grated ginger clearing the airways. Some people aren’t too keen on the glitter but I love it, I haven’t noticed that I look like a sparkly bauble when I get out the bath anyway.

Rimmel blush in Pink Rose this is a really great budget friendly blush. It has great colour pay off with slight highlighting properties in it, it gives a nice flushed look to the cheeks while remaining subtle and natural and it’s really affordable. Rubbish packaging but a great blush and really tiny for putting in your handbag.

Toni and Guy texturising spray. Recently I’ve been embracing the bed head look, my hair is styled in a short choppy bob but its also really fine and flat, I’ve been enjoying adding some texturising spray to define my layers and make my hair not look so sleek and “done” this is a great lightweight spray with a pleasant scent and doesn’t leave and residue in the hair. It gives just enough texture so hair is left looking like you’ve made the effort without over styling.

Boiron Homeoplasmine. I’ve been using this on my lips at night when they’ve been a bit chapped and I wake up in morning to silky smooth lips. It’s also soothing if lips are feeling a bit sore. This is a multi-purpose product that can be used all over to relieve irritated or dry skin so it’s a great product to have for this time of year.

One Tree Hill I love this series, if you haven’t seen it and you like things like The OC, Gossip Girl and Dawsons Creek then this should be right up your street. It has quite a few tear jerker moments and every time I watch it I fall in love with characters all over again. I was pretty devastated when the series ended but I think all the characters had been taken as far as they could be and it ended on a high rather than being subjected to over kill. This is the only T.V. series that I’ve watched from start to finish and then bought every box set and watched them repeatedly. I’m now on series six and I’ve switched to watching it on Amazon Instant video as it’s easier than faffing around turning the laptop on, finding the DVD and remembering what episode you’re up to.

Mac lipstick in Syrup. This is a really easy colour to wear and adds just that bit more than a neutral lip, it’s a lustre finish so doesn’t have the best staying power but teamed with a lip liner prolongs the wear and mattes it down a bit, it’s also easy to reapply as it’s not a bold colour that you have to be really precise with.

Seche Vite. Now I’m not the best person to comment on the longevity of nail varnishes as I don’t very often get more than two or three days off in a row therefore nail varnish isn’t on my nails very long before I have to remove it (I’m not allowed to wear it for work) but even then it chips but I do have quite “active” hands. I recently had a week off work and really wanted my nail varnish to last and when doing my research on top coats Seche Vite came up time and time again so I decided to go with that one (I’d also read all the bad stuff about it too). I was absolutely blown away by it, my nail varnish lasted a whole 7 days without a single chip and the only reason I took it off was because I was going back to work the following day, I’d love to see how long it lasts without me having to take it off. My nails remained really glossy for the full 7 days they looked liked they’d just been painted all the time. I was dreading removing it though as I was expecting my nails not to be great condition but they were fine and it was easy to remove too. I can’t rave enough about this product, I’m going to Rome at the end of this week so I’ll be painting my nails the day before I go and I have enough confidence that I’m not even going to take nail varnish remover or nail varnish to top up with me.

Quiz up app. This is such a fun app to test your knowledge on different subjects, my speciality is One Tree Hill- yes I’m that sad and that much of a fan but it's so addictive, you think you’ll just have a quick game and before you know it an hour has passed by.

Black Converse. I got these as my white ones aren’t very practical this time of year but I wanted some kind of footwear for when I don’t want to wear boots but still want black shoes, they’re Converse I don’t need to go into detail.

I can’t end this post without addressing the poor quality of my photos, I literally chose the darkest day ever to take photos and had to use my flash for some of them so apologies for that but other than that I hope you enjoyed this post.

Until next time

Going Balmy

Hello there lovelies

I’ve got a bit of a thing for lip balms; I get really dry chapped lips so always have to have one close by, in my pocket or in my bag. My absolute favourite is the Nuxe Rêve de Miel® which I’ve mentioned before but they’re not the only lip balms I use and I love to try different ones to see how they match up.

Balm Balm. This smells so lovely but as a lip balm is no good for me, it sort of melts when you put it on your lips and goes quite thin and watery, I like really thick balms. Although this can be used on other parts of the body to help dry skin and I imagine its much better used for that. I love the cute packaging though.

No7 Protect and Perfect Lip Care. I like this one, it’s more like a cream that instantly relieves lips and is a good product if you don’t like the feeling of lip balms.

Caudalie Lip Conditioner. This has got a nice texture when applied to the lips and smells so nice. I like this one, containing shea butter it’s lovely and nourishing.

Burt’s Bees Replenishing Lip Balm. I got it with pomegranate oil and to be honest I’m not so keen on the smell, the texture is quite nice although it does go a bit thin when it warms up, I think it’s more hydrating than nourishing. I just find the smell so strong which I wouldn’t mind if I liked it more.

Bioderma Atoderm Moisturising Stick. This smells like a big bag of pick and mix- really sweet. It feels nice on the lips and is really good for soothing sore lips and leading them on the road to recovery.

Antipodes Organic Lip Balm. I absolutely love the smell of this, with lime leaf and cocoa butter it smells so fresh but it does go a bit thin when it warms up, if it was a bit thicker I’d love this rather than just liking it. It’s nice during the day if you don’t want anything to sticky and don’t mind reapplying to get the balmy feeling.

La Roche-Posay Barrier Repairing Balm. This is a super thick squeezy balm that really does help to repair chapped lips, a good one to wear overnight or if lips need protection during the day from harsh weather.

Cowshed Lippy Cow Natural Lip Balm. Ok so I only got this because I liked the packaging, this is another one that goes really thin and watery on the lips therefore I’m not so keen, I think the smell is really subtle, it contains essential oils of sweet orange oil, rose geranium and ylang ylang which sounds lovely but I can only smell a slight hint of orange.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Swivel Stick. This has the classic Palmer’s scent which I love but it does make me want to eat it. This is really nice on the lips although I’d prefer it if it was slightly thicker but that's personal preference. This is much larger than the typical lip balm stick because it can be used all over on rough dry skin, a really handy do-it-all product to have in your handbag and to whip out and sniff every now and then.

Nivea Hydro Care and Essential Care. I love the Essential care and it’s my favourite lip balm after Nuxe, mainly because I absolutely LOVE the smell- for me it just smells of holiday. Maybe because the first time I got this I was on holiday about 15 years ago and have been using it ever since as it just reminds me of sun lotion and transports me to a sunnier place. I love the way it feels too, so thick and really nourishing and soothing. I got the Hydro care thinking it would be the same but with the added benefit of SPF but I was disappointed, it’s a lot thinner in texture and hasn’t got the same lovely smell but is handy that it has SPF for use in the summer.

What lip balms do you love? What would you recommend I try?

Until next time

Nuxe Vs Nuxe

Hello there lovelies.

Ah Nuxe, my saviour. I really suffer with dry chapped lips, and these horrendous winds the UK has been experiencing recently certainly haven’t helped. I always have to have something on my lips and something close by to put on them.

When I was eyeing up the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm I came across it in the stick form rather than pot form. I decided to go for that first as I prefer a stick lip balm as they are easier to carry around in your handbag and it's much more hygienic to put on your lips while your out and about. This permanently lives in my coat pocket, I can’t leave the house without it. When the winter winds are battering my lips I can whip this out and pop it on as a protective barrier. I don’t like the idea of dipping a (dirty) finger in a pot then smearing it on my lips. Plus you have to find somewhere to wipe your finger, not good when your dashing between shops. Therefore I favour it in stick form during the day.

When I went to Space NK I had to get it in pot form and I’m so glad I did, it’s so thick with its honey balmy like texture (obviously, it’s a balm) and is my favourite for night-time. It’s much thicker and luxurious than the stick and it feels so velvety on the lips. It says made with honey and precious oils and I think it has a citrusy zesty like smell which must be from the grapefruit essence. It’s not a strong smell very subtle and refreshing. After putting this on before I go to sleep I wake up and my lips feel totally soft, chap free and hydrated.

For me there’s no clear winner, I like the stick during the day and the pot at night. I prefer how the pot makes my lips feel and if Nuxe could get the same velvety balmy texture into a stick I may never need another lip product again. Both products are available online from Nuxe (here and here).

Have you ever tried any products by Nuxe? What lip balms do you rate?

Until next time