LUSH Cup O' Coffee Face and Body Mask

Two beauty posts in two days? What the hell is going on over here, I know right?! Things are getting WILD. In all serious though, I am trying to get a lil' more beauty in here and there in this latter half of 2016 so watch out.
LUSH Cup O' Coffee has really become one of those cult beauty blogger favourites. It's not quite up there with Urban Decay's Naked 3, or Garnier's Micellar Water, but it's definitely there. It's LUSH's best selling face mask I believe, and rightly so. If you've read my LUSH face masks comparison post, then you'll know that there is a soft spot in my heart for the brand, and that Cup O' Coffee was one of the few I actually hadn't tried. 
Cup O' Coffee is, surprisingly, filled with ground coffee beans, making it an excellent exfoliator. But, where I really think it comes in strong is with the combination of this with agave syrup. This makes it nourishing, hydrating, and honestly I'm more than a little in love.
It may surprise you that I didn't actually buy this for my face. Cup O' Coffee is labelled a 'face and body mask' and it was recommended to me to help with my newfound stretch marks. My recent weight gain has meant that my upper thighs have suddenly seen a mass growth in stretch marks. Brill, I know right?! So, I've been using Cup O Coffee twice weekly as a little mini leg mask and I have to say it really is making a difference! It's noticeable to others that my stretch marks are going down, albeit slowly, and I couldn't be happier that a natural, vegan product is helping me do this!
I've gone through why I love this goodie from LUSH in a little more detail in this video: Please give it a watch! 

Have you tried this one? What did you think?

Follow me on Bloglovin | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

 

LUSH Oatifix Face Mask

Okay, okay, I know I promised you guys that I would be working on my photography in the latter half of this month and in coming months, BUT I took this a little while ago. So sozzles about that. I almost ended up not even posting this because let's face it, this picture is kind of spectacularly fail-worthy. However, LUSH's Oatifix mask is kind of becoming my absolute favourite mask of all time (I also promise I'll stop saying this about every new product I like!), so, you know, it needed to be done. 
If you've read my recent post about LUSH's BB Seaweed face mask, you'll already know how much of a fan of their facial products I am. Or any of their products really. And no, I'm not some kind of LUSH brand ambassador. But if that was a thing, I would totally be first in line to apply. I really just love the fact that everything is cruelty free and that they really do make genuine, sustained attempts to help the environment. 
So, as you'll all know from my hundreds of rants about it, my skin used to be oily - combination sensitive skin, and now has become dry-combination ultra sensitive skin. So, I've really needed to re-organise my skincare regime to fit in with my skin type. LUSH's Oatifix has honestly been a godsend. It specifically targets hydrating and exfoliating sensitive and dry skin, which is fab for me: not only does it get right into my pores to scrape out a fair few toxins, but it then ensures that that process doesn't leave my skin feeling raw or tight. YAY. There really is nothing to hate with this one. It smells good enough to eat as it's full of banana, oatmeal and vanilla. If you've got skin like mine I would 100% recommend this. I can't wait to pick up a new tub soon!
What's your favourite face mask at the moment?
Follow me on Bloglovin | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Youtube

Review of The Body Shop's Seaweed Clay Face Mask

This is one of those frustrating posts where I've waited so long to write it because I've had some really exciting things for you that The Body Shop have completely changed the packaging on this. The plus side? The packaging is about 1000x times prettier and sleeker. 
I'm pretty face mask obsessed, and rarely a week or a LUSH haul goes by without me using one or picking one up. According to The Body Shop's web page, this seaweed face mask is designed to draw out impurities and refresh your skin: I had to give it a go and see if it was all it was cracked up to be.
I was really pleased with its efforts to reduce my pore visibility, small spots and blackheads. You leave the face mask on for 10 minutes, and during that time it (shamefully) really sunk into my blackheads and exposed them. BUT, it really made them less potent, and helped to even out my skin tone, so that my dry and oily patches weren't quite as foundation-ruining as usual. 
All in all, it's a pretty good all-rounder for combination skin, However, if you've got really sensitive skin I would advise washing it off slowly with warm water as I found getting it off irritated my skin a little. 
Have you tried it? What's your favourite face mask at the moment?

Top 5 Anti-Anxiety Beauty Products | Nourish Yourself

If you spoke to me two or three years ago and said I'd be blogging about beauty products all the time I probably would have laughed in your face. For starters, I was mid emo 'phase' (or a lifestyle?! Haha) and secondly I had little interest in the world of makeup or beauty goodies. 
However, I've come to realise that beauty products and beauty routines have an extreme impact on my mental well-being. Using them means I take a little bit of time out for myself and makes me feel confident in my own skin as well as when I go out. 
If I've taken the time to get my eyeliner on fleek and rid myself of spots from a decent face wash I'm going to be far more happy when I venture into the big wide world, and far less likely to cower from social contact in a corner. I would argue that the world of beauty is not shallow - I haven't improved all of my beauty regimes because I want to look 'hot in da club' (grim), but because I want to feel happy, and that's what this helps me to do.
Lush bath bombs (this is my favourite)  Having an evening bath and then putting fresh PJs on is one of my favourite special treats to indulge myself in. Sometimes a mug of vegan hot chocolate or a cheeky glass of wine features, but mostly it's me, a  book, and the delicious scents of LUSH chilling me out after a long hard day.
Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Shampoo*  This has made its way to the top of my list of favourite shampoos EVER. Not only is it vegan, cruelty free, organic and sodium laureth sulfate free, but it smells SO GOOD. Massaging lavender shampoo into my hair makes me feel totally zen in the mornings, and makes your pillow smell beaut if you do it just before bed. 
Sure Maximum Protection Confidence Deodorant This may seem a little random on a beauty list, but hey it counts. A good deodorant makes a mountain of difference if you're shy or get anxious at social events. Being aware of your own bodily scent is pretty nasty, and will usually make you feel more anxious and sweat more in a vicious cycle. This is one of the few deodorants that I actually swear by.
Champneys Heavenly Days Sleep Temple Balm  I've actually got a whole blog post on my favourite Champneys goodies, including this, which you can check out here. This one totally helps me to get off to sleep in the evening, which is when my anxiety kicks in the worst.
Dr Organic Tea Tree Facial Wash Spots really get me down, especially as they always seem to be so central to my face (like seriously now skin, an we stop having ones in the middle of my chin and nose?!). But, this face wash is completely devoid of nasties and is perfect at making sure my combination skin goes spot free. A word of warning with this one: it is a little  drying, so if you've got dry skin this isn't the one for you.
What are your go-to anti-anxiety beauty products?

Cleanse Me | Algimud Active Seaweed Mask

Recently I haven't quite been keeping off of the dairy, despite my lactose intolerance (understatement of the year!), so my skin is in a pretty dire state. Urgent TLC was needed and came in the form of this purifying, cleansing dead sea spa mask. Now, I'm not going to lie, this was possibly the weirdest facemask I've ever tried, and I try a LOT. 
For starters, it originated as a powder, and I had to mix the actual mask myself. There was enough in the pack for two applications, so me and my sister both underwent this experiment. Then. there was the application itself: you smeared this slightly lumpy, very gooey mixture onto your face with a wooden stick the pack provided. Finally, there was the drying process. Have you ever played with putty? Or, alternatively, had your teeth tested for braces at an orthodontists with some weird mouth putty? Either way, its texture was exactly like that. I sort of felt as though I was trying out some special effects makeup and dressing up as some kind of obscene creature, especially when the drips of facemask dried and oozed off of my face.
All in all it was a hilarious experience, perfect for a girls night in, and left my skin feeling utterly cleansed and soft for days.

Goodbye Dry Skin | The Body Shop's Vitamin E Range

Note to self: never take blog pictures after the gym (your hair will be wild Steph!).  As you all know, I'm a massive fan of The Body Shop's products. As someone with combination skin I really need to try hard to find a middle balance between keeping my skin hydrated and not overloading it and ending up looking like a greaseball. 
The cream is perfect for us combi skin folk as the weather starts to get colder and the Autumn wind picks up, as it's a little more heavy duty than what I would normally use. It's brilliant at replenishing any dry patches. I put it on before bed, and can definitely feel the difference in the effect my morning face wash! 
Again, the face mask is designed to boost your skin's hydration levels. This is probably the creamiest face mask I've ever used, yet it didn't make me break out or upset my sensitive skin.
Ultimately this range from the body shop is my go-to when I really feel as though my skin is rough and dry and needs some urgent action!
Have you tried it? What did you think?

Get the Glow | The Body Shop's Vitamin C Microdermabrasion

The Body Shop is always pretty high on my list of favourite brands, and when my sister slipped this sample into my Easter pressies bundle I knew I was in for a treat. The Body Shop's new Vitamin C collection is all about boosting your skin's radiance, and the Vitamin C Microdermabrasion is no different, claiming to:  

remove dead skin cells

leave skin feeling soft and smooth

give skin a brighter look

improve skin texture and tone

As you can see from the difference between my before and after pictures, one use did make my skin seem a lot brighter. It's the first product in a while that I've felt making my pores seem that bit less visible. Plus, due to the tiny granules in it, it really exfoliates your skin and leaves it feeling super soft. My least favourite aspect? The scent. I'm not the greatest lover of citrus fragrances and this range from the body shop has an albeit subtle orange one.

Have you tried any of the range? 

Love and Light
Steph

Simple Make-Up Remover Set

Simple's Kind To Eyes Nourishing Eye Make-Up Remover has been my go-to for years. As a big fan of gel eyeliner, I really need something that can get rid of heavy-duty eye makeup without hurting my eyes, and this has always done the trick.

So when I was given the simple gift pack with their Kind-to-Skin Hydrating Light Moisturiser and Facial Wipes for Christmas I was overjoyed. The little bag they came in is a perfect makeup bag for when these ran out as well.

Overall I was incredibly impressed with both products. The moisturiser is actually quite good for putting on at night or after you've washed your face to give it that extra bit of suppleness. The face wipes are brilliant for removing foundation, and even work at getting mascara and eyeliner residue off - now that I have these, I'm not going back to using other products!

What are your favourite make-up removal products?

Love and Light

Steph