Shower Shelfie | Nourish My Skin

This was very almost an actual shower shelfie (sorry for misleading y'alls), and it would have been had my bathroom not been decorated in some kind of lurid GREEN. Yep, green. Who wants a green toilet? Anyhoo, let's move on from the woes of student housing to talk about my obsession with shower products. 
Although I was going to show you everything on my shower shelf/windowsill of chaos, I realised that adding all of my hair products, body lotions and bath products would probably mean I was well over the 50 product mark. It's probably time to admit that I have a beauty product hoarding problem. Oddly enough, showering is one of my least favourite things to do - it's such a chore and my student house is so cold. Owning pretty smellies is one way that I encourage myself out of bed in the morning and into the water, eurgh. 
So, here's what you can find on my shower shelf. These are all things that I LOVE and use often:
Avalon Organics Lemon Shower Gel*. This is totally vegan, organic and GMO free as well as hosting a whole load of other benefits. I'm not the greatest fan of citrus scents, but it does its job in waking me up in the morning.
The Body Shop's Frosted Plum Shower Gel. I'm a sucker for hoarding Christmas gifts, and this is one of them. It's got such a sweet and subtle scent - I always go for this if I want the ultimate pamper.
Korres Guava Shower Gel*. Here's another one if you're looking for a natural product. It's completely suitable for vegans and smells like sweets!
Champneys Enlivening Daily Scrub. I was actually lucky enough to pick this up at the Champneys new look launch event I went to a couple of months ago. This is definitely my favourite body scrub I've ever used - it smells like lemonade (*squeals*) and the particles are so fine that it's perfect for my sensitive skin. 
Nip + Fab Detox Blend Body Scrub. Okay so earlier I may have minced my words a little - this is the only thing I haven't used yet, but I'm so excited about it I had to share it with you! My sister bought me the detox blend set and I'm waiting for a chance to use all three parts together and I'm going to dedicate a whole post to my thoughts on them.
Bleach London Reincarnation Mask. We all know I love a good hair mask, but this is the only in-shower one I own. I'm currently in the process of doing something really exciting to my hair (and actually look like some kind of lion right now because of it, which I LOVE - check out my Instagram if you want a sneak peek) and I'm taking extra good care of it. This has worked miracles in keeping my hair soft and smooth whilst I attack it.
LUSH Happy Hippy Shower Gel. I'm actually shocked at how many citrus scents I own! This shower gel smells of grapefruit, and although it's not my favourite smell in the world, its zing perks me right up before some morning yoga. 
LUSH Rose Jam Shower Gel. This was one of LUSH's Valentines Limited Edition products, and surprise surprise smells of roses. Sometimes I find that rose scents can be quite musky, but this one is nice and sweet, so I've given you a link to their gorgeous bubbleroon version of it!
The Body Shop African Ximenia Scrub. Although I mentioned above that the Champney's scrub was my all time favourite, this comes a very close second. It has a consistency like buttercream and has a very delicate sweet scent. Again, the scrub is not too harsh, so it's great on my skin! I've written a whole post on the Body Shop's Spa of the World range here.
So, here's what you can find on my shower shelf - what are your current go-tos?

Rimmel by Kate | Collection in Progress

I've always been a big fan of the bold lip - if I'm going to bother wearing lippy it's going to be a bright red or deep purple lip to get everyone's attention (and inevitably end up smeared everywhere after a few too many cheeky tipples, the shame!). But this winter everything changed. I started to appreciate a subtle lip, and actually wear lipstick to work everyday. 
My lips are pretty dry all year round and winter is a horrendous territory where there are actual ravines in and crags in my lips, so anything matte or vaguely drying is 100% out of the question. So long sweet MAC *sheds tear of beauty blogger pain*. 
I started off with Timeless All (08) which is the darkest of the three shades I have so far. This one is fairly similar to my actual lip colour, but with a hint of purple and brown added to the mix. It is the least obvious of the shades and I love putting it on when I want a casual, professional look that isn't too bold.
We move from this to the boldest one: Shade 34. This bright pink concoction is the girliest lippy I've ever owned. I'm not entirely sure about this one - the colour doesn't wear as well on my lips and it's not dark or thick enough to overwrite, so my puny top lip can't be puffed out at all, ugh. BUT, it does make me feel a little like Barbie.
Finally we have the middle ground: Shade 32. This is such a happy bright colour without being too overbearing that I definitely see it being a firm favourite for Spring. It's almost a cross between coral and pink, and I'm sure you'll all be seeing it in some makeup looks soon!
This collection is the first ever lipstick range that I've considered hoarding, and wanted to get a good number of (read: you will see another post as it expands in the future). The wear is fab; they tend to stay in place for about 6 hours including eating, drinking and chattering! For £5.49 they're definitely worth a go. *This post is not sponsored, I honestly just love the range*.
Have you tried any of them out? What's your go-to lipstick at the moment?

February Favourites | Beauty, Lifestyle and More

It's time to remind myself that February wasn't just a cold-ass month from hell, but actually contained some awesome things in it that I'm genuinely extremely grateful for. So, to remind myself that life isn't all that bad (as I sit surrounded by a mountain of tissues, wallowing in the throes of the dreaded Winter Cold), I've made a list of my beauty and lifestyle favourites of the month. Here goes:
MAC lipstick in Sin This is pretty much every blogger's go-to winter berry lipstick, and after I picked it up earlier this month I fell in love with it and the sass it brought to my face. Here's the post on my mini MAC haul that this was part of.
Rimmel by Kate in Timeless All This has been a great transitional piece for me as we go in to Spring. It's my every day lipstick that I use when I don't need a bold lip, but want a dash of colour on. 
Tommy Girl Fragrance My sister got me this for Christmas and I've fallen a little in love. The packaging is really pretty and the scent is quite a musky one, so it's great for evenings out. 
Pure Colour New Look Hairbrush This is basically a cheap, brilliant tangle teaser. I've never owned one before and have actually loved it so much I said goodbye to my traditional hairbrush and it said hello to the landfill (it was broken, I hate waste).
LUSH 9 to 5 Cleanser LUSH rarely fail to impress me, but this one was a real winner. I use it before I go to bed to remove my makeup and moisturise my skin without making it too greasy.
New Look Elderflower and Prosecco Tealights These smell SO GOOD. I don't remember the last time I bought tealights, so now these have a permanent space around my bath when I want to sink in for a soak. It's been so cold that that's been pretty often this month (who wants to shower when it's frosty outside?!).
New Look Tartan Scarf (similar) I have a little confession to make ... up until this Winter I haven't owned a scarf in the last four years. So, I was pretty picky when it came down to this one. It's so classy and casual, plus it doubles up as a blanket shawl for when I get really chilly!
That Lame Company Art Prints If you've come anywhere near my twitter or Instagram recently you'll realise that I am OBSESSED with these and all of the products the guys make. I've dedicated a whole post to them here.
I hope you enjoyed! What have you been loving this month?

M.A.C. Lipstick Haul | A New Love

I've taken the plunge that sends all beauty bloggers into a whirl of love: buying my first MAC lipstick. This was probably the most thought I've ever put into buying a product ever. For starters, at £15.50 a pop these lippies aren't the cheapest things in the world, and secondly I wanted to get my collection off to a good start with some sass-filled blogger favourites. 
Naturally I had to pick up a classic red lip, so I went for Russian Red. I would describe this shade as a bold red lip with pink undertones. This has been my go-to for days when I want to feel that little bit extra confident, or when I'm going to an event and has replaced my previous Kiko shade.
My other choice was a wild card. As I've mentioned before, I haven't fully gotten rid of my emo heritage and so a dark vampy look is something that makes me all *heart-eye emoji*. For this reason, and because ever since one of my favourite bloggers, Annie Writes Beauty had spoken about her love for it I've been lusting after it, I had to pick Sin up.
Sin has easily become my favourite shade of lipstick ever. It's a deep almost burgundy shade with hints of blue and red. It fills me with oodles of confidence and is something that everyone comments on when I wear. I think it suits my pasty pale skin to a 'T' and adds a little something sexy to a makeup look.
What are your favourite MAC lipsticks?

Blair Waldorf Inspired Makeup Look | This Week's Vlog

Gossip Girl was pretty much my Netflix bae in Autumn and I was heartbroken when I finally binge-watched every episode. Seriously though, it left a teensy void in my life. So, as Blair Waldorf is a bit of an inspiration for any girl that wants their own Chuck Bass whilst maintaining their independence, I thought I'd do a quick make-up tutorial of what I think is her iconic look. 

Let me know what you think!

Just in Time | LUSH Christmas Hauls

A visit to a sparkling, heavenly scented LUSH store is a must for me in the run up to Christmas, and I got in just in the nick of time before they started selling out of my favourite bits and pieces (I mean, imagine a Christmas without Snow Fairy?!). So, I thought I'd share with you what I managed to pick up from their Christmass range, as well as grabbing a few old favourites! 'll be posting about some of the things in more detail in the near future, so keep an eye out!
Face and Hair Care Cranberry Festive Face Mask. Me and the bestie tried this out a few weeks ago and fell a little bit in love with it, so I dedicated an entire post to its review here Don't Look at Me Face Mask. This one is bright blue and smells really citrus-y. I've used it a couple of times so far and it makes my skin feel SO soft. Kinky Hot Oil Treatment. I've yet to use this, but I'm saving it for a day out where I want to make my naturally wavy hair a little more curly and controlled.  H'Suan Wen Sua Treatment. This was a re-buy of possibly my favourite LUSH product EVER (a title which is very hard to come buy considering a few of my all-time favourite beauty products come from here). I usually leave this hair mask in overnight to allow it to fully soak in, and it makes my hair ever so soft, glossy and manageable. It even help keep my locks relatively split-end free after six months of growing it to almost waist-length without cutting it. If I could only buy one hair treatment in the world it would definitely be this one.  Karma Komba Shampoo. This smells amazing and makes my hair feel super fresh.  Bath Time Fun Frozen Bath Bomb. This made my bath smell deliciously citrus-y and turned it a deep deep blue. Part of me felt like I was bathing in the Blue Lagoon and it was super relaxing.  Snow Angel Bath Melt. This one is Christmas in a product. Not only is it smothered in glitter (which seems to shed EVERYWHERE whenever I pick it up), but it also smells like marzipan. Milky Bath Bubble Bar. This Christmassy product not only turns your bath milky white, but smells like oranges and contains softening shea butter. This is going to make a little gift for someone special so I haven't attempted it yet. Peeping Santa Bubble Bar. This little one has to be the cutest in the LUSH Christmas range, and I can't wait to see how he turns out when used.  Candy Mountain Bubble Bar. This pink vanilla bar is perfect for any super girly-girl and will be heading into somebody's pile of presents very soon (once I get round to all of my wrapping!) Shower Time Snow Fairy Shower Gel. LUSH's most popular Christmas goodie. This super pretty shower gel leaves you smelling like candyfloss and I've been saving my little pot for months now so that I could use it over Christmas. Salt and Peppermint Bark Scrub. This has been one of my absolute favourites! I literally smell like a candy cane when I step out of the shower and I find the scrub stimulating but not scratchy. Hand Care Golden Handshake Hot Hand Mask. I had a mini pamper session last night with this one and it totally worked some miracles. Ever since I worked at a pub over summer I've been suffering from very localised dry patches on a couple of fingers, which can get very sore and itchy (to the extent that they've even bled!). After using this I could no longer feel the patches, so let's hope this stays this way for at least a few more days! Old Father Time Soap. This has been keeping my hands smelling fresh and feeling soft for the past few weeks. I only wish it was a little prettier than plain old brown after you've used it a few times! Makeup
Santa Baby Lip Tint. This I was a little disappointed in. it may have been pot luck, but mine was very dry and as I have dry lips naturally I found it very hard to apply without soaking all of the moisture out! What beauty goodies have you picked up last minute?

Nourish My Skin | b.right Radiant Skincare Set Review

You guys may have seen this skincare set briefly before on my blog as it's part of my 100th post giveaway (which ends in a week's time, so y'all had better get entering!). I'm not going to lie, when I popped this set into my (imaginary online) basket, I had to add an extra one for myself. Benefit's Foamingly Clean facewash was my must-have skincare item for the summer. It kept my skin soft and spot free when I was slathering it with sun cream in Tenerife and living a not-so brilliant diet as a barmaid over summer. Plus it smells heavenly, and now every time I use it it takes me back to my sunny week of holiday at the beginning of June! 
As I'd loved Foamingly Clean so much, I thought that this Radiant Skincare Intro Kit would be a great start to see if any of the other products worked as well. Now, I have to say I do have a couple of favourites that popped out from this. The Refined Finish Facial Polish was a perfect partner for the facewash, and the pair left my face feeling super soft (which meant that my housemates spent all evening being harassed to feel just *how* soft my cheeks were). The Total Moisture was also a big hit with me, and has now become part of my daily skincare routine. I have combination skin with a few dry patches, which can be very frustrating, but this totally primes my face ready for whatever makeup I put on and the harsh winds of English winter!
What are your skincare favourites at the moment?

Feeling Festive | LUSH Cranberry Facemask

I may or may not have already made my Christmas order to LUSH (whoops), and, having tried just a few of their face masks before, I had to pick up the cranberry one. With argan oil and rose clay in it, it's perfect for softening your skin at winter. So you can totally combat the slightly grim roughening of skin we all suffer from as we battle our way around in these gripping winds. And yes, I am looking out at the endless rain in England, thinking again how desperately I'm going to need this if I don't want to end up with rock-like tough skin!
Face mask night is my favourite night of the week. Me and my housemate/best friend get get together and try out a new product or go for an old favourite. On this particular occasion however, my other half got involved, and there were foam peanuts lying around. Hint for the future: avoid all male contact during face mask time Steph. In the end though, we had great fun taking some horrendous photos of ourselves with the peanuts and the face masks made our skin uber soft.
What's your face mask ritual?

Miracle Summer Skincare Solution | Benefit's Foamingly Clean Facewash

I'm a sucker for a good deal, and so, when I noticed that Benefit had a duty-free counter at Birmingham airport my little eyes lit up (whilst my boyfriend's slightly turned to despair at the thought of me browsing for roughly forever) and I had to head in. Realising at the same time that I'd left my normal face wash at home, and knowing I'd be slathering myself in sun cream and a fair amount of foundation for the upcoming week of holiday, I couldn't resist trying out Benefit's Foamingly Clean facial wash. And, finding out it came with two little samples of other skin care products didn't hurt either!

Having sensitive skin means that in the past face washes I've tried have been very much hit and miss, particularly because they are often too harsh and cause break-outs - aka exactly what I don't want. So, I was a bit wary when starting out with this as my skin was going to be under a lot of oil-induced pressure whilst on holiday. 

Thankfully the results were amazing, and I can safely say that this is the best face wash I've ever used, and it is going to be a must-have in my bathroom cupboard from now on. It allowed for such a deep clean that despite eating dairy, using oily sun cream and using liquid foundation on holiday I didn't see one spot appear. Plus, unlike many decent face washes I've tried it didn't go the opposite way and completely dry my skin out either!

Finally (after falling a little in love with this product), I lent it to my sister, who has even more sensitive skin than me, and she absolutely loved it too, despite usually being very much against using face wash on a daily basis, preferring cold water.

Have you tried any of the Benefit skin care range?