Shower Time Essentials

Hello lovelies,

During my mini pamper session last night, I was thinking about what I would share with you for my next post. It occurred to me that I had not featured a what's in my shower, what's most used in my shower and it wouldn't feel right not having them there. Am I the only person who has a little shower routine - shampoo, face wash, conditioner, shower gel? Every time in that order.

I was going to take a picture of them all inside my shower but no one really wants to see an off-white student shower, plus I would probably have to sit on top of the basin to take a half decent picture!

For a while now, the Avon Advance Techniques Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner have been a part of my routine. I normally wash my hair everyday - I just like it to be squeaky clean. They both smell divine, particularly the conditioner and leave my hair soft and shiny. There will be a more in depth review of the pair, so that's all for now folks on these two.

Next up is the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Foamy Fruity Body Scrub, I have to be honest and say I've only used it once. I went off Soap & Glory for a while, I think I just had a bit of a S&G overkill, every year I received the big box of goodies for Christmas and then I had an issue with the hand creams, they just kept going off. Sort it out S&G! But I'm glad I gave them another chance, I just used this on my arms and legs, and it buffed away all the dead skin.

Following on from the scrub is The Body Shop's Shea Shower Cream, I love this. It is literally the texture of cream and lathers up well. Personally I love the fragrance and I love The Body Shop's ethics. I apply a few squirts to my hands and lather it all over my body, it leaves my skin feeling soft and clean, plus it smells good. What more could you want?

The final product that is essential to me is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser, I just wouldn't be without this and you can find my review here. 

Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo - £2.80

Avon Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner - £2.80

Soap & Glory Pulp Friction Foaming Fruity Body Scrub - £8.00

The Body Shop Shea Shower Cream - £4.00

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Gel Cleanser - £10.21

What are your shower/bath essentials?

July Favourites

Hello lovelies,

Now I know this is a bit late but life has been a bit chaotic the last few weeks. I've been working two jobs, had a chest infection, a sprained shoulder and really struggled to find a spare minute to just sit down. With the sunshine appearing, I've found that I've wanted to use fewer products and only have a small favourites this month!

Charles Worthington Sunshine Leave-In UV-Protection Spray, wowza that's a mouthful, is literally a holiday in a bottle. It has a gorgeous fresh fragrance made up of melon, peach and all things tropical. It's a light spritz that protects your locks from the sun which causes colour to fade and drys your hair out. An added bonus is the shine which vitalises hair without leaving it looking oily or greasy. I spray this both onto damp hair and dry hair and it leaves my hair feeling more manageable and adds protection. We are often quick to slather ourselves in sun cream but forget about our tresses. Now the bottle I currently have is 150ml but I think I bought it when they were discontinuing the larger sizes, so it's only available in a handy travel size 50ml bottle now which is perfect for hand luggage or to chuck in your bag on a day out. Available from Boots for £1.99.

I've had The Body Shops Vitamin E Face Mist for yonks and go through phases of loving it and then not being bothered but it has been a life saver in this weather! My skin tends to look oily in this weather and I find this mist perfect to just set makeup or to freshen up. It instantly refreshes and gives you a hit of moisture. I also find that sometimes after I've powered, my makeup can look a little bit cakey and this just takes the edge off it and my makeup looks natural. There's nothing worse in hot weather having your face melting away and turning into an oily mess. Available at The Body Shop for £8.00

And that's it for this month. Told y'all it would be short and sweet. I don't feel like there's any point in me throwing in products just for the sake of it, I want to be open and honest with you.

I'd love to hear what are your summer saviors?

Review: The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15

Hello lovelies,

OMG! How amazing is this weather!

So the sun has decided to grace us with its presence and for the first time this year, I've felt like I needed to crack out the SPF moisturiser. Now I'm not going to bleat on about the importance of wearing sun cream because we all know it and yes, I forget sometimes too and end up looking like a lobster. Bad me.

So as I slap on some moisturiser every morning, I thought I could incorporate sun protection and moisturiser into one. I know I should be using a higher SPF in the sunshine and I do if I know I'm going to be outdoors during the day but I just use this for everyday standard use.

I picked this up a while ago and never got round to using it. It claims to be "An easily absorbed non-clogging, oil-free, hydrating and cooling moisture lotion with a sun protection factor of 15. Innovative technology controls excess sebum and shine while delivering essential moisture to areas most in need."

I found this to be quite light and easily absorbed. With SPF moisturisers, I find that they can take longer to sink in and I like them to be quick as I put my makeup or a primer on straightaway after. I find some SPF products can leave a white residue on the face but this is easily absorbed and perfect for applying makeup on top.

I tend to pick lotions over creams for my skin as they can be too heavy. This is exactly as I would wish for oily skin, it's light and helps to keep the oil at bay. I've been using it for a while and yes, I still get the odd breakout but I have definitely seen an improvement in my skin's appearance. 

Fragrance wise, it doesn't have the typical seaweed scent and tends to lean closer to a sunscreen scent. This doesn't bother me as it only lasts a matter of minutes. I wouldn't say it's a favourite but if you're looking for something that mattifys and has a SPF, this is a purse friendly option.

What's your favourite SPF moisturiser?

Empties /1

Hello lovelies,

Hope you are all having a great weekend! I've been at work all week so making the most of a chance to rest. Today I've got a post on my empties for this month, I don't have one for ages and then they come along like buses. I wasn't sure whether to do this post or not but I thought it would allow me to show you what I have been using and items that I would or wouldn't buy again.

These are just going to be mini reviews but if you would like a full review on any product, just let me know.

The Body Shop Cucumber Freshening Water

This has an instantly recognisable cucumber scent. which may put some people off but I do love cucumber! This is designed for all skin types and I would say it's no better or worse than any other toner I've used. It's something that I might pop into my basket if I'm running low, for me, it was just an alright product. I've started reading Caroline Hirons blog and she suggests using a toner that has an exfoliating effect, so I'm on the lookout for a high street toner that does the job.

The Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask

I've had this for donkey's years and made a real effort to use it up. Unfortunately, it had dried up a bit so I had to throw some away. This should be suited to my skin but I found it a little drying on my forehead, it certainly purged my pores but I think there are other face masks that work better with my skin. Saying that, it's good value and did help clear my skin up, I think I would buy it again if they did a sachet size.

Radox Spa Care Wellbeing Shower Gel

This had a lovely fresh scent and lathered up really well, unfortunately it's no longer available but I'd definitely purchase other Radox washes once my shower gel mountain has decreased.

Organic Surge Eye Gel

Now to be honest, I don't feel like I'm at a point where I really need eye creams and so on but I include one in my routine anyway. This was so cooling and refreshening, I can't say I saw any effect on my under eyes but  it's something that I may pick up again.

Garnier Summerbody Medium to Dark

This only worked for me when topping up my tan, I found starting from my pale self, I ended with build up and streaks. Scent wise, there was none of the biscuit smell but an apricot fragrance, which was fresh. I think I'll stick to Palmer's Gradual Tan.

Can you recommend me an exfoliating toner to try?

Review: The Body Shop Candle in Jasmine and White Frangipani

Hello lovelies,

I've always adored The Body Shop. I like their ethos and it's always been somewhere I can go and peruse and see what's new. I have often bought body butters and skincare but somehow had never spotted their home fragrance range. I love lighting a candle when I'm having a pamper evening, it just completely changes the ambiance.

I spotted their range of candles online and put in an order, I bought 4 candles but unfortunately two arrived broken. The Body Shop were fantastic, they just sent replacements straight out.

The Body Shop Jasmine and White Frangipani Candle is made from Fair Trade Soya containing essential oils. The candle is both paraffin free and uses an unbleached cotton wick which gives off a gorgeous soft scent. It really carries the fragrance throughout the room as it's burning and when it's not, you catch a waft of scent.

I have to say that all the candles I burn end up tunneling and this one did too. I think in the right hands it would burn properly. I read to avoid tunneling, you must allow the candle to burn for several hours, the pool of melted wax needs to reach the edge of the jar before you blow the candle out. If the melted wax doesn't meet the edge of the jar, it will create a ring around the wick and next time you burn the candle, the wax will only melt as far as the ring and the wick begins to tunnel down the centre of the candle.

I can't find an approximate burning time for these candles but I'm guessing around 20 hours from my use so far. 

I can't wait to try the Aloe and Soft Linen Candle. These candles are available online and in-store from The Body Shop for £10.

Have you tried any of The Body Shop's Candles?