A little LUSH haul

I have been spending more and more time in Lush on my lunch breaks recently, surrounding myself with their mountain of bath bombs, fresh face masks and gorgeously-scented blocks of soap. During my latest visit I couldn't resist picking up a few new bits to try and of course, couldn't walk past the beacon of glittering pink without treating myself to another Snow Fairy this year - well, Christmas isn't Christmas without it! If you like you bubblegum-sweet scents and enjoy a bit of sparkle in your shower then you will agree with the hype and fall in love with Snow Fairy shower gel. To keep the pink theme going I chose a new chunk of soap and couldn't resist Angel's Delight which I have purchased numerous times before. Brightly coloured laced with golden lustre it is a beautiful addition to my bath times and smells deliciously sweet and fruity.

Finally I headed towards the little black tubs of goodness, packed full of fun face masks and skin-friendly lotions and potions and added one of my favourite hand creams to my bounty! Handy Gurugu isn't the nicest smelling of LUSH's hand creams but it is one of the best. Buttery-rich and heavy-duty, it really does soothe any dryness or rough skin and is packed full of shea butter, almond butter and even peanut butter! Before heading back to the office I was torn between getting a new face mask or a facial scrub, but having just finished my latest scrub I decided to give Ocean Salt a whirl. I used it for the first time today and was overwhelmed by its exotic scent and its ability to exfoliate and soften without feeling drying at all. Packed full of coconut, lime and grapefruit, it is incredibly zest and really awakens your skin whilst the avocado butter and lanolin leaves your face feeling moisturised and supple. Love!

Have you purchased anything recently from LUSH? Are you stocked up with your Snow Fairy this season?

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Nailene Sensationail gel polish starter kit

Sensationail Starter Kit for at home gel nails* £69.99
available from Boots (with a handy tutorial video!)

For a gel-nail-virgin like me I was pretty excited when this new at-home starter kit landed through my letterbox, promising me professional, salon-worthy gel nails all from the comfort of my own living room! Sounded perfect. I must confess, when it comes to my nails, I don't really give them the care and attention they deserve! I rarely buff or file them and often go days with irregularly shaped talons and chipped nail polish. (I know, I know - worst beauty blogger ever!) I am always on the lookout for an incentive to stop the biting and picking so I hoped a beautiful, glossy gel manicure from Sensationail might just be my saving grace!

With this starter kit you are all set up for at least ten gel polish manicure that should last up to two weeks. You are supplied with a gel cleanser, gel primer, gel base and top coat, a gel polish, a file and orange stick and most importantly, the LED lamp. Using this kit really couldn't be easier and the simple instructions are pretty fool-proof even for the most cack-handed, nail novices out there! To begin with you need to prep your nails by gently buffing them and applying the gel primer to give your nails the best surface for the gel polish to adhere to. Then you need to apply the gel base and cure your nails for thirty seconds under the LED lamp. For the best application it important to apply thin coats rather than one thick, heavy layer and alway cap your nails with the polish to finish them off and stop the gel peeling off. I found it best to do four fingers on each hand first and then finish off with my thumbs separately. Next apply your choice of gel polish (I'm wearing the "Raspberry Wine" shade included in this kit) and cure for sixty seconds. Apply another layer and repeat. Finally finish off with the gel top coat and in thirty seconds you are good to go. The final stage is a quick wipe of each nail with the gel cleanser on the lint -free cloth included and you will have a gorgeous, glossy manicure all in under half an hour.

I have had my gels on now for almost a week and I am so so impressed. I love how smart and clean they look and the gel polish has the most incredibly iridescent, lustrous finish that you could just never achieve with a regular nail varnish. It is a joy to look down and see a set of chip-free talons and the best thing is you can still use your regular nail polishes with this kit, so you don't have to fork out for a gel colour each time. Apparently (I'm yet to try it) all you have to do is apply your regular nail polish over the cured base coat, let it air-dry throughly ans then cure the gel top coat on top! You can also paint over the top of your gels, just ensure you use an acetone-free nail polish to remove it so you don't wreck your manicure underneath. I haven't yet attempted the removal of my gel polish yet but the consensus on the internet is that the foil-wrap trick works best so I will be giving that a go when the time is right.

What are your thoughts on this kit?

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Tea and tartan

Jacket - Primark

Tartan skirt - Topshop

Lace top - Topshop

Necklace - Primark

Faux fur stole - H&M

Boots - H&M

If I had to describe my ideal Sunday afternoon it would probably involve bottomless pots of tea, warm-out-of-the-oven scones and lashings of homemade jam followed by a leisurely stroll in the countryside. Last Sunday Rob and I ventured to Ickworth House in Suffolk and enjoyed just that! Our friends bought us the afternoon tea treat as a gift (they know us so well!) last year so we took the opportunity to spend the day in the beautiful surroundings of this stunning house, worthy of a Downton Abbey appearance, and munch on a selection of freshly-baked goodies!

For the occasion I wore my new tartan skirt from Topshop which I knew I had to get the moment I spotted it on the rails. It is a lovely fit, soft wool-mix with much welcome side pockets to keep your hands warm in the chilly weather. I then layered up on top with a simple lace top also from Topshop and my lovely Primark jacket which was a real bargain but seems to go with so many outfits! My H&M stole is pretty old now but always comes out the wardrobe when the crisp chill sets in and then my trusty H&M buckle boots which have hardly left my feet in the last month! If you love your tea and cake as much as I do then I would definitely recommend popping along to Ickworth House and enjoying some afternoon tea in the conservatory followed by a brisk walk around the grounds to work off that second scone!

Have you picked up any tartan pieces recently?

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Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation

necklace from Primark | lace top from Topshop | MAC Dreaminess lipstick

Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation*
available from Escentual

I have to say that one of my favourite stages of applying makeup is perfecting a flawless base. I love the process of preparing and priming the skin, selecting your choice of product and brush and starting the therapeutical process of blending, buffing and smoothing your foundation into place. I am forever mixing up my foundation routine - sometimes opting for the dewy freshness of a BB cream and other times adoring the flawless, matte finish of a heavier foundation.

My latest recruit into my army of base products is Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau foundation which is a satin-finish liquid foundation with a medium to full coverage and some rather decadent packaging to boot. Lingerie de Peau is my first dabble into the world of Guerlian makeup and I can overwhelmingly confess, I am a fan! This foundation is beautiful and a real treat to use. At first the loose, fluid consistency of the liquid foundation worried me but as soon as I started buffing the product in I could see that you get some amazing coverage but all with the lightness and skin-like texture of a tinted moisturiser. One pump is enough to easily even out your complexion and gives you a natural, glowing finish with a coverage that can be sheered out or built up accordingly. I always seem drawn to satin finish foundations with a medium coverage and this is yet another one to add to my favourites stash. I find that I hardly need to use any concealer after applying Lingerie de Peau and with a quick dusting of powder, I feel confident that my base will stay put and shine-free throughout the working day!

Have you tried Guerlain's Lingerie de Peau foundation? What is your favourite base product at the moment?

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Aveda Heart Lands makeup collection

wearing my Crown & Glory floral crown

Aveda Heart Lands limited edition Autumn makeup collection
available online

Inspired by winter berries and shimmering patinas, Aveda's new Autumn Winter collection captures all the beauty of that just-in-from-the-cold complexion with flushed cheeks and just-bitten lips. This new, limited edition range is made up of six velvety-rich eye shadows, two nourishing lip liners, two defining eye pencils and a duo of smoothing lip colours and rehydrating lip glazes. Dark, berry lips is the signature look for Autumn Winter so I was excited to try Aveda's new lip products to recreate the look for myself.

I first lined my lips with the Aveda nourish-mint lip liner in Plum Petals to give my lips a defined edge which is always important when preparing to use a vibrant, intense lip colour. The lip pencil was really smooth and precise to use, making it quick and simple to line my lips ready for the lipstick. I then took a lip brush and applied the smoothing lip colour in Sweet Plum all over my lips and was in love with the colour the moment I started to use it. It is a beautiful rich berry hue with a slight rosy-pink tone to it, making it a very wearable, warm colour to choose. The finish is intense with a slight sheen. To complete the look I chose Aveda nourish-mint rehydrating lip glaze in Winterberry to give my lips a supple, decadent finish. This gloss is incredible and pigmented enough to create your own berry lips when worn alone. The deep-purple gloss has an iridescent sheen to it laced with vibrant, violet flecks that really enhance the lips and lasts a good few hours - ideal for adding some extra glamour for your evening time makeup look this winter.

Have you tried anything from the Aveda makeup range? Are you sporting the berry lip trend this season?

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NARS Guy Bourdin Promiscuous Lip Pencil Set

NARS Guy Bourdin Promiscuous Holiday Gift Set* £30
exclusively available from Space NK

Not one to shy away from a provocatively named blusher or two, NARS have teamed up with the legendary fashion photographer Guy Bourdin, known for his audacious, high-fashion shoots, to create a limited edition holiday collection. This new collection is everything you would hope for from this racy collaboration and offers a glamorous selection of blushers, some striking lipsticks and tempting eyeshadows.

One of the most exciting releases from the holiday collection is the Promiscuous lip pencil set which comprises of five mini lip pencils housed in a sumptuous makeup bag embellished with a pair of electric blue lips! The five lip colours are some of the best-selling and innuendo-ladened products from NARS and gives you a perfect range of shades and finishes. Dolce Vita, Sex Machine, Cruella and Never Say Never are all velvet matte pencils and gives your lips an intense layer of colour with a comfy matte finish that isn't at all drying and lasts for hours. New Lover is a shade from the velvet gloss range and is one of my favourites from the set. It is a beautiful pink with subtle golden shimmer running through it and gives your lips a glossy, sumptuous sheen. I think this gift set could be a stunning stocking filler or simply an early Christmas present to yourself! The mini lip pencils are perfect to sling in your handbag and take your makeup from daytime to party time. Cruella is the most incredible risque red and will be getting plenty of action this Christmas!

Are you excited about the NARS Guy Bourdin collection?

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Timotei Brilliant Repair range

Timotei Brilliant Repair shampoo (£2.99) and conditioner (£1.99)
available nationwide from Boots and supermarkets

Timotei has always been one of those brands synonymous with affordable haircare inspired by nature with a reliably sweet scent to match. I have definitely ploughed my way through a number of Timotei ranges since my teenage years and if I sent Rob out to get an emergency supply of shampoo, this is probably what he would return with. It is a nice, safe option.

The new Brilliant Repair range from Timotei is designed to nourish and condition dry, damaged hair with a formula infused with 100% natural Jericho Rose extract known for its moisturising and rejuvenating properties and 0% parabens. This range is very gentle but effective and leaves my hair feeling super smooth, nourished and loved. Both products smell sweet and flowery and instantly made my thick, heavy, curly hair feel a lot more manageable and easy to style. The real test for me when trying out a new haircare collection is how easily I can brush through my mane after a thorough hair wash and the Brilliant Repair range passed with flying colours. The conditioner is particularly lovely and even though the consistency seemed quite thin and loose, it did the trick wonderfully and left my hair feeling incredibly smooth and healthy. Effective enough for a quick wash after the gym but indulgent enough to leave on for a few minutes in the shower for extra silkiness and softness! All in all, a really pleasing haircare range with an even more pleasing price tag!

Have you tried this new range from Timotei?
 

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