Sunday 27 December 2015

Lush Boxing Day Sale Haul 2015

Hi Guys,

I have to admit I've been looking to the Lush Boxing Day Sale since probably the 27th of December 2014. Im not usually one for going into the city centre early to get some bargains, but now that I live down the road from a Lush its become a highlight of my sales shopping. 
I only do it in store as online seems to be a bit too hectic for my liking. Not that in store wasn't a stressful experience, which is amazing as really when it comes down to it, it is just bath bombs. However i'll still put myself through it every year for a Lush fix haha. 

They offer 50% off of the Christmas stock every year, as well as now offering 50% off of a few extra bits and pieces like the solid scrubs and solid hair conditioners too now. Though I went in with a list of what I "needed" and I'm quite happy to say I actually stuck to it! 
The Icing on the Cake Roulade - £4.25 WAS £8.50
I grabbed The Icing on the Cake Roulade as its not something I would usually of bought myself again, just as its that bit pricier depending on the size of the slab you pick up. So to get it half price is fantastic, plus it smells lovely and sweet too, while being very moisturising for the skin. 

Christingle Body Conditioner - £8.25 WAS £16.50
I knew the one thing I wanted to treat myself to was Christingle, now although I confess I do spend an absolute fortune in Lush. The thought of forking out £16.50 for one product does kinda kill me. So its the perfect excuse to grab it, when its down to £8.50.

Salt and Peppermint Bark Scrub - £2.97 WAS £5.95
To pair with Christingle, I've become a huge fan of the Salt and Peppermint Bark. The solid scrubs are quick easy and convenient. Then when paired with Christingle I'm left smelling like a After Eight Mint, which I really cant complain about! 
Yog Nog Bath Bomb - £1.97 WAS £3.95
I didn't pick up too many Bath Bombs, as I am still working my way through a lot of my old time favourites from Christmas collections. But I decided to grab a few of the newer editions, including two of the Yog Nog Bath Bombs.

Stardust Bath Bomb - £1.47 WAS £2.95
I also grabbed two Stardust Bath Bombs, one of which has been a bit of a casualty. After a guy managed to stand on my Lush Haul, I guess its just lucky not more were damaged! It's not the most exciting of the Bath Bombs, but I find it quite relaxing to watch.

Shoot for the Stars Bath Bomb - £1.82 WAS £3.65
I cant believe I hadn't tried this one until this year, plus it smells of Honey I Washed The Kids. It might be a Lush Classic at Christmas time. But its a new favourite discovery of mine.

Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb - £1.97 WAS £3.95
A classic that's been a favourite of mine for a while however is Luxury Lush Pud. I only picked up one of these though as it is basically just Twilight Bath Bomb, redesigned for Christmas, so I can get it all year round too.

Bar Humbug Bubble Bar - £1.82 WAS £3.65
The only Bubble Bar I got was Bar Humbug, a lot of the new ones were a tad too spicy for my liking, although I'll use them, they're not something I would stock up on. But although I'm not the biggest liquorice fan in the world either, there's something about Bar Humbug that I'm drawn to, even if it is just the fantastic name! 
 Butterbear Tin - £7.48 WAS £14.95
I now have my very own army of Butterbears! I actually only got the tin for the fact that its actually quite adorable, yet also very handy to store all my bath bombs in. Trying to find a way to keep them, without them going all funny, especially when being stored in a bathroom can be a nightmare. At least in a tin they're sealed away from anything damp. 
It's Christmas Deer - £13.25 WAS £25.50
Collecting tins is also the reason why I got the It's Christmas Deer Tin too, I loved this design when it was brought out as a scarf last year. I really hope they bring out a collection each year, as its quite a nice thing to collect every year. This tin has a bit more variation, it includes a Golden Wonder Bath Ballistic, a chunk of Snowcake Soap, The Magic of Christmas Reusable Bubble Bar Wand, Karma Kream Body Lotion and Beautiful Shower Gel. Which I'm very excited to try as It's not something I would of picked up for myself. 

There's still a bit of a selection of gifts and permanent products, that have gone down to half price, available on the Lush site as well as certain stores having a few bits left too.

Eloise x
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Saturday 26 December 2015

What I Got For Christmas 2015

Hi Guys,

I was well and truly spoiled this year, I've been extremely lucky. I love reading What I Got For Christmas Posts, I like to think they're a great source of shopping inspirations or an inspiration for gift ideas, but really I'm just a bit nosy! I think they really give you a bit of an insight into what a person likes too. 
So just a little disclaimer, this post isn't meant to be bragging in any way, I'm very thankful for all the wonderful gifts I received this year. I just thought I'd join in with the fun, seeing as I'm having a nose at everyone else's posts too haha.
I guess my love for Lush is more widely known than I thought haha. I was lucky enough to receive two sets from friends and family, one being the Festive Friends. Which is officially wrapped in one of the cutest wrapping papers I've ever seen. It includes Peeping Santa Bubbleroon, Snow Angel Bath Melt, Father Christmas Bath Bomb and Butterbear Bath Bomb. Then inside Snow Fairy's Castle is Snow Fairy Shower Gel, Fairy Dust Dusting Powder, So White Bath Bomb and Magic Wand Bubble Bar. All of which are some of my favourite festive products.
I think my Dad has probably been reading a few of my wish lists... I got my mitts on the Nars Steven Klein Abnormal Female Set, which probably has the most out there packaging possible for a lip pencil kit, but I love it! I was also given the Narsissist Smoky Eye Kit, which dare I say, I've never tried any Nars Shadows! I'm so happy to finally have Molecule 01 in my life too, so I can stop covering myself in it every time I'm in Liberty London! Then finally I think I squealed with excitement a bit too much to see what could possibly be the most glorious contour palette ever to exist... Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow, I actually don't know how I'm going to even use it!
My Mum kindly got me a Magnitone Brush, which I've heard so many rave reviews on, I'm really looking forward to trying out the 7 Day Challenge. I also treated myself to the Real Techniques Ultimate Gift Set for Christmas, technically I got it in the Black Friday sales. The bargains that Superdrug were holding were too good to give up! 
This year I discovered my rekindled love for colouring books and have found a mutual love for it with a friend at College. Who very kindly treated me to The Magical City, if you haven't seen this one you need to take a peek! It's like warped versions of different places around the world, there are some brilliant ones of London. I also got the Liberty London Colouring Book, filled with their heritage prints. As well as Paper Towns, I cant wait to get stuck into this one after I missed it in the cinema. 

My Mum also treated me to my very own American style planner from Planners, so I can store everything from my work shifts, college work to all of my blog post ideas. Fingers crossed I can be a bit more organised this year! 
I love a cosy jumper and I cant say it gets much cosier than this little number from Abercrombie and Fitch, although not my usual style, It's something I wish I would pick out for myself! Then lastly probably the best garden gnome ever to exist is this Vampire Minion. I cant say I would usually be a fan of garden gnomes, but this Minion is just absolutely fantastic! I want a Minion themed garden now...

Im hoping to get up a planner based post soon (Hopefully it'll keep me on track with planning!) but if you'd like to see a review on anything else featured let me know! I'll be happy to pop one up for you! 

Eloise x
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Friday 25 December 2015

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hi Guys,

Thought I'd quickly pop up a little post just to say Merry Christmas! Hope you're all having a wonderful day and heres to 2016!

Eloise x
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Thursday 24 December 2015

Boxing Day Sale Picks!

Hi Guys,

It might not be quite Christmas yet, but the Boxing Day Sales have already begun online! Of course I couldn't help myself at having a little snoop at whats available this year and I may or may not of accidentally hit the basket button... whoops! 

There are always some brilliant little lip sets about at Christmas time and one that I think I've religiously picked up is the Clarins Perfect Lips Gift Set (WAS £20 - NOW £13.33). It's a great way to try out each formulation and get my mitts on those handbag size Instant Lip Perfecters! Though I have been eyeing up the Lancome Lip Lover Mini Set (WAS £20 - NOW £13.33) too, as they're not a gloss I've tried and for just over £13 for all of them its a high end bargain! 

I've been eyeing up the Topshop Funnel Neck Midi Dress (WAS £48 - NOW £22) for ages now and just kept putting it off. So my excitement was a little bit over the top when I saw its now in the sale, I think its just one of those classic dresses that you can get a lot of wear out of. Plus its a bargain too, on the other hand, not so much of a cheap steal, is the Michael Kors Greenwich Large Saffiano Leather Bucket Bag (WAS £345 NOW £276), but its so pretty! The pastel blue is gorgeous and already got me thinking about spring! If only it was a teeny bit more justifiable! 

Easily my favourite fragrance of 2015 was My Burberry, even though I have quite a good amount left I'm so tempted by the My Burberry 50ml Gift Set (WAS £68 - NOW £45.56). The 50ml fragrance alone is £65 so its a really good discount to get it in the set alongside the Bath Gel. Another fantastic discount though is the Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara (WAS £18 - NOW £10), its not even really a Christmas special, like most beauty discounts at this time of year. You can buy drugstore mascara's more expensive than this, I think it's a great way to try a higher end mascara.

The Lush online sale will begin on Boxing Day and I cant say its the easiest of experiences in the world. I prefer to go into store and grab all the discounts in a mad rush, but if you do manage to get into a Lush weather its online or in store. Pick up a Lush Butterbear (WAS £1.95 - NOW £0.97), its not very often you can say you got something from lush for 97p. 

Possibly the best bargain of all is the Whistles Luma Leather Block Heel Rose Gold (WAS £175 - NOW £52.50), all I can say is that they're just gorgeous. There are no words for them and of course I cant pass up on anything Rose Gold. I'm a Rose Gold magpie... 

Eloise x
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Wednesday 23 December 2015

Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cake

Hi Guys,

There's been a lot of amazing Malteser covered cakes going around recently and they've all looked delicious! So I thought why not give it a go myself and make a Christmas Pudding I'll actually love this Christmas. Plus you can add anything you like into the cake mix and make each one different, so for this one I've gone for a Chocolate Orange recipe. 
For the cake you will need...
100g Softened Unsalted Butter 
50g Good Cocoa Powder  -
90ml Boiling Water -
3 Large Eggs -
4 Tbsp Milk
175g Sifted Self Raising Flour -
1 Sifted Rounded Tsp Baking Powder
300g Golden Caster Sugar 
Finely Grated Zest of 1 Orange

For the Decoration you will need...
400g of Maltesers
Chocolate Icing
White Chocolate Chips
Icing tubes in Green and Red
  1. 1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/fan160°C/gas 4. You'll then need to grease a domed tin. I then mixed the hot water and cocoa powder together, so that it made a paste, then adding it to all the other ingredients. Minus the icing and Maltesers of course. Beating it until its smooth and ready to be poured into the tin. 

  2. 2.I then baked the sponge for around 20-25 minutes, once cooled I popped it out of the tin and placed onto a wire rack. Once completely cooled I cut it into two and iced the middle, followed by applying a generous amount of icing all over the cake. I did kinda cheat at this part and used the Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge icing, just so its that bit quicker. 

  3. 3. Then you can go nuts and cover the entire thing in Maltesers, finished with a good helping of melted white chocolate chips on top too. Then to pull it together so that it looks that bit more like a Christmas pudding, just pipe on a few little leaves and some berries too!
Now I'm off to dig into this! 

Eloise x
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Monday 21 December 2015

A Christmas Homely Makeover

Hi Guys,

I love giving my room a bit of a makeover, any excuse to get to do a bit of homeware shopping really! Christmas is the perfect excuse, especially as it really starts to get me into the festive spirit. This year I've grabbed a few new things to add to a few from last year, just to keep adding to the collection!
Possibly my favourite new addition is this trio of tea light holders, with the deer and forest arrangement on it. They're from a local shop, Scissors Paper Stones, but I'm sure if you like anything on the page, that maybe things can be sent in the post! 
I also dug out some little tea light holders from Primark, which are from last year. But I have spotted them in store this year too, they're so adorable! I also dug out the paper chains, that I bought from Cath Kidston last year too, though I completely forgot about them until now! Oops! 
 Decoration wise I have my Christmas Tree, which you can see a whole post on, HERE. It's a jumble of different baubles from lots of different stores. If it's sparkly or copper, or just overall catches my eye I usually end up adding it to the tree. I'm a bit like a magpie like that! I also got the Be Naughty Save Santa the Trip sign from Debenhams this year, its a bit too big to fit on the tree, but sits perfectly on a table or ledge. 
Lastly a brilliant way to update a room is with a new bed spread, I got the fitted sheet and two pillowcases in the red cross design from Primark. Then the Woodland Animal set from Next, both sets are made from brushed cotton, making them nice and cosy for the colder months. 

Eloise x
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Sunday 20 December 2015

Wrapping Ideas for Christmas

Hi Guys,

Probably one of my favourite things to do at Christmas is wrap presents, I absolutely love doing it and it kinda breaks my heart when I get to the end. So I've decided this year to get creative and try and drag it out a bit, so that I have a lot more to do instead haha. 
 I've collected quite a few little bits to accessorise presents with and I thought I'd share all my finds!

Quite a lot of the pieces are from Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer's, not usually the shops I would go looking for these things in. But this year they've got some really nice tags and added extra's for embellishment. I also discovered the world of Tiger at Christmas and some fantastic bargains from Home Bargains too. 

 Brown paper wrapping has become such a popular way to wrap presents over the past few years, however not many stores actually do plain brown paper, unless its the post office! Primark this year have a few designs that are based on brown paper, I grabbed the one with stags on, which has gone down as quite a hit already! Or there is also possibly my favourite, still sticking down the plain route. The gold glitter paper by Tiger, is perfect for Christmas, all sparkly and anything glittery always has a place in my heart.

For trickery presents to wrap though, Home Bargains are doing fantastically priced sturdy boxes, which you can pop little bits and pieces in and make a hamper. Or you can always just make a nice little gift box for something, fill it with tissue paper and it instantly solves any wrapping issues. 
 Adding extra teeny bits and pieces to a gift can really finish it off, wether you want to attach a large Christmas Ornament to the front to larger presents, like the Christmas Pudding. Or just attach a few little smaller baubles, like bells or teeny weeny glittery baubles, to slightly smaller gifts. It just adds that extra something, kind of just finishing it off too, plus they're reusable as well. 

Just attach them with pretty patterned ribbons or a festive glittery one too, both Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer's have a great selection of trio sets this year. Giving quite a few different options, so you can mix and match with your gifts. They also have great tags too, I always love the slogan ones like 'No Peeking!'. 
Lastly a different way to wrap your presents is with scarves, by making a knot wrap. Lush offers this in store for their products, so if yours getting a lush gift its a good one to ask for, then its all bundled up together. But you can always just get other scarves too and wrap up any non Lush related gifts this way too, then the scarf can also be a little add on gift too.

Or if worst comes to the worst, theres always Lush's own wrapped sets, plus you can pop in a bubble bar as an embellishment too. 

Eloise x
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Saturday 19 December 2015

My Favourite Posts 2015

Hi Guys,

Earlier today I saw a post from Megan at Thumbelina Lillie which rounded up all of her favourite posts, that she published in 2015. I thought it was such a fantastic idea and got me thinking about what my favourite posts have been through the year. You really have to go and read all of the posts though from Megan, I love reading any of her posts and cant recommend them enough. 
Just as a bit of a warning there's going to be a lot of Illamasqua related posts in this one! Starting with my Boxing Day Haul, just looking at it makes me excited for my Boxing Day shopping this year and hopefully that'll include Illamasqua too! 

February: The Pastel Trend
A post that I must admit I had almost forgotten I had done, I mean it is something like ten months old now! But looking back it actually makes me want to dig out the pastels, especially the purple lipstick and have a bit of a colourful Spring like makeover.
One thing, or place, I can safely say that I have loved this year is Topshop. I love a good wishlist and just having a bit of an online browse too. It really makes me think about how much black clothing I actually own though...

I had so much fun doing this post and looking through all my favourite pieces from Illamasqua. Even though it was one of the hardest things to ever whittle down. 
I think this is probably one of my favourite posts because its lovely to look back at an event that meant so much to me to go to. Alex Box and Spob have both been huge inspirations and I loved every second of getting to see them talk about the industry and how they view their careers. It's an event I don't think I'll ever forget.

June: Gold Leaf Nails 
I haven't done much with my nails this year, its one of my favourite things to do. One of my favourite designs from the limited selection I did this year however, are these ones. They're so quick and easy to create, yet still so effective too. 
July: The City Break 
Another post I love to look back on is this one, I adore London and I adore the fact that I can document my travels on here too. Plus it's nice just to stare at lots of Lush goodies for a while too...

August: A Homely Update
I've been trying to get my room how I want it for a while now and I feel like I actually achieved it in this post, well until the winter has come round and I decided to Christmas it up a bit. Oh well I can always look back and remind myself to how close I got, haha!
Autumn comes round and all the berry toned products get cracked out too, I always love this time of year, give me all the dark lipsticks and I'm happy. It's always a shade I'm easily drawn to, though it does mean you end up with quite a few duplicate shades... 

I've done a few tutorials throughout the year and by far this is my favourite, I like how dark it is, yet its still versatile too. You can tweak and change it to however you like and it's suitable for not only Halloween. 
This post is actually kind of terrifying, to see how much I've actually spent on so few products... But yet I find it so interesting to see it too, It's been totally worth every penny in my eyes though.

I did this post in 2014 too and it was possibly one of my ultimate favourites of the year, so I knew I had to do it again this year too. Again its been one of my favourites to do this year too. 

Eloise x
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Friday 18 December 2015

The Lush Tag!

Hi Guys,

I spotted the Lush Tag over at Addicted To Lush' Tumblr and knew straight away I needed to get in on the Lush Tag action. Although I've not actually been tagged, so I'm cheating, but I love Lush and was so excited to see a Tag about them even exists! I don't think I have ever been so excited over doing a Tag before... 
How did you get into Lush?
It's been in the family since the company was Cosmetics To Go, so really I've been brought up on Lush. I can’t actually remember my first experience of Lush it's been so long! 

How often do you shop at Lush?
Very regularly, I usually pick up at least one bit every week! I just love going there and trying new things or stocking up on old favorites. It gets quite bad if I haven’t been in a while, then it turns into mission stockpile…. Oops!

What’s your all time favorite product? 
How do I choose?! I can’t choose a specific one (that’s actually still available), but I’ve always been a fan of the Bath Bombs and its always something that I can’t leave the store without.

What’s your favorite soap?
I have to say I’m not a big user of their soaps, I just prefer the shower gels instead. But probably based on the scent, I love Bohemian, its such a fresh soap and reminds me of Sherbet Lemons too.

What are your favorite bath bombs?
I’m a bit obsessed with Intergalactic, Frozen and Yoga Bomb from Lush Oxford St now, but luckily they’re available in all the stores now! Though I wish they’d brought Cyanide Pill to all the stores as that’s another love of mine. 

What’s your favorite bubble bar?
It’s probably The Comforter, its just massive so it lasts forever. It creates so many bubbles, colours the bath pink and smells so fruity. Though I do also love the Rose Jam Bubbleroon too, just because it’s Rose Jam scented.

What’s your favorite shower gel/jelly?
My favourite Shower Gel is Rose Jam, annoyingly as its not actually available to buy all year round. So when Christmas comes around, it is definitely a stock pile mission for this one.

What’s your favorite skincare and hair care products?
Skincare wise I love Let the Good Times `Roll, I noticed a big difference in my skin when using it, plus it’s a nice little treat in the morning to smell like caramel! For the hair, I am a big fan of the Shampoo Bars, they’re so convenient and incredibly handy if you’re travelling, my favourite one is Jason and the Argon Oil, again it’s Rose Jam scented….

What product were you devastated Lush discontinued?
Again where do I even begin?! There have been so many that I wish were still around. Probably the most devastating one recently is Space Girl Bath Bomb, which was my all time favourite for years and years. A newer favourite that wasn’t around for long was Granny Takes a Dip Bath Bomb too, I found that really helped with any leg pains, so it was not only fun it helped too. Although it’s available in a Bubble Bar form now, its just not the same and doesn’t seem to be any help anymore.

Your go to product in the morning?
Probably either the Comforter Shower Cream or the T’eo Solid Deodorant, which is by far one of the best deodorants I have ever tried and its natural too.

A product you regret buying? 
I think its probably the new Old Farther Time Soap for Christmas, just because I really can’t love the scent, its too strong for me. I prefer a much fresher or light floral scent, though my mum loves it, so It hasn’t gone completely to waste.

Invent your own Lush product.
Can we have a Rose Jam Bath Bomb please?! I know there was the Sparkler last year, which I did love, but its not been brought back as they were snapping. So a sturdier Rose Jam Bath Bomb would be very much welcomed!

If you fancy doing the Lush Tag then I tag you! Let me know if you do it though as I always love seeing what everyone else loves from Lush too. 

Eloise x 
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