May favorites

Yesterday I did a post about Unfavorites, which if you consider the amount of products that I try every year since I'm a beauty junkie were surprisingly few, but today as it's the end of the month we move to the other end of the scale - it's time for favorites, what I have loved the most in May so it's kind of ironic that my first product this month is something I bought specifically for Christmas.

You may remember that I went a little bit OTT with the amazing Christmas collection from Lush so it probably isn't a surprise that I'm still working my way through what I got in that massive Lush haul. The Ponche Shower Gel (£8.95) was part of the limited Christmas edition range, but personally I thought it worked better in Spring time since it's a fresh zesty and invigorating blend of juicy citrus fruits, tropical sweetness, warm spicy cinnamon and tequila - what an amazing cocktail. Even though I LOVE the Lush shower gels I often find that they are a bit harsh on the skin, e.g. Snow Fairy that makes my skin feel a bit stripped of moisture, but Ponche is lovely and creamy and gives a wonderful deep cleanse without leaving the skin dehydrated. As the sun has had its hat on, I've spent a lot more time outdoors and have managed to get some color, most of it quite unintentionally and some days my skin has even felt just a tiny bit tight. That's when it's nice have a cooling shower and then to apply some Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun (£13). The consistency is lovely, light and silky with a texture somewhere in between a lotion and a gel, which absorbs instantly into the skin, feeling incredibly soothing and restoring. It has a delicious sweet fruit salad scent of coconut and papaya and its yummy enough to eat. It's not exactly the most affordable after sun you can get since you only get 180 ml and during the summer I go through buckets of this, but the silky cooling sensation and the fabulous tropical scent are worth every penny!

A lot of people talk about several products as their skin saviours, but if I really had to, I think I could even narrow mine down to just one item: Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (£22). I've mentioned this amazing mask previously - it's an all year round multi purpose product that I wouldn't dream of ever being without and as my skin is getting more exposure to the sun, this little beauty will be invaluable. It's famous for its lovely whipped creamy consistency and fresh orange peel scent and it does wonders for skin that needs a little bit of TLC. One application of this in the evening, and you'll wake up in the morning to soft, supple and hydrated skin. I use this mask a few times a week over night, but when my skin feels as if it needs something a little extra I'll even use it as an intense pre-makeup treatment for wonderful smooth skin for a deeply moisturising sensation that lasts all day.

Earlier this month I did a post on my latest scent obsession, Aerin's Lilac Path EdP (£85) - you can read the review here, and I'm not even sure that obsession comes close to describing how much I love this EdP. It's a graceful, delicate and airy soft floral scent mixing lilac, orange flower, jasmine and tiny bit of amber. It may sound like a heavy flowery granny scent, but there is nothing old fashioned or sickly sweet about this refined, harmonious, chic fragrance - it's a perfect Spring scent that captures sunny blue skies, delicate flowers in bloom, and playing garden games in balmy summer evenings. I'm so besotted and impressed with this exquisite scent that I've already added it to my birthday wishlist... for October... well, Him Indoors might need plenty of notice and this way I can gently remind him a good few times before then.

As I've mentioned before I've tried a lot of lip glosses this year, but the one I keep wearing and putting in my handbag is the gorgeous YSL Gloss Volupte (£21) and specifically the shade 04 Golden, a true rose pink with a subtle blue undertone and incredible high gloss finish. This is one of those gloss turn stain products that has amazing pigmentation and long wear. It has a smooth and light non sticky formula that adds a lot of hydration, giving a lovely plumping effect and after the initial glossiness has settled into a stain, the finish will easily last for at least 5 hrs even after eating and drinking. I'm so impressed with this pleasant formula that feels so comfortable to wear and compared to some of the other lip gloss launches this year from e.g. Dior, this is still the one to beat for me.

Something that I'm never without is lip balm, and if that should ever happen I'll go straight into the nearest Boots or pharmacy and get another one right away, but for some reason I have really struggled lately to find a great lip balm. Many of them give a little but of hydration and gloss, but it disappears quite quickly and often leave my lips feeling quite dry afterwards, but the last product among these May favorites is a lip balm that I actually quite like - the Soap & Glory A Great Kisser Lip Balm (£5) in Juicy Peach. It's made from mango butter, apricot butter, lingonberry oil and pomegranate extract to add moisture, protection from the weather and to prevent loss of hydration. It comes in a little pot that reminds me of vaseline and the consistency isn't too dissimilar, although A Great Kisser isn't as waxy and oily as vaseline. It does contain mineral oil, so if you're concerned about using products that has this as an ingredient, you might want to avoid this one. The lip balm is scented with a peach scent, that is a tiny bit synthetic, but still pleasant and it gives a lovely shine at the same time as it looks after your lips. Soap & Glory also offers the Great Kisser in Chocolate Cherry and Vanilla Bean and they both sound so tempting, I might just get them as well.

May empties

We all have our little "rules" for when it's ok to buy and use new products and although those rules may not make sense to everyone, the main thing is that they make sense to ourselves. Some people are really disciplined and don't buy anything until they've finished up something else, so the net amount of products really remains the same. I can't claim to be that good; I have a huge stash of things that I can't wait to use, and my excuse is that I don't want to risk running out of something - well, there's no chance that will EVER happen... At any given point I probably have 5-6 hair care items on the go, 6-7 skin care products and as for makeup - well let's just skip that part, BUT I am very good at keeping this modest (hrmmm...) level of products, and I don't open anything new, until I've finished something else. So this month is a great month for me because I have emptied 9 different products,  just imagine how many new ones I can finally start to use, happy happy joy joy!

You'll know by now that I usually have at least one dry shampoo in every monthly empties, so let's just get this month's product out of the way straight away. Although I am a big fan of Batiste I do like to try other brands as well every now and then and the Dove Style + Care Dry Shampoo (£4.59) is a good alternative to Batiste. It has the same oil controlling qualities, it adds a nice texture for a tousled look and it has a lovely light and fruity scent, but the biggest difference is that the formula is less powdery so there's less of the white fall out when you massage it in the roots and brush it out. If you're tempted to try a dry shampoo but concerned about the powder, then this might be ideal for you. When it comes to body butters there are not many brands that can compete with The Body Shop and as you probably know they have a wonderful range of sweet, savoury and fresh scents to choose between. One of my favourites is The Body Shop Body Butter in Chocomania (£5), a deliciously indulgent, yummy and authentic chocolate scent which is pure bliss! The consistency is not quite as rich and buttery as a lot of the other body butters but it's still creamy and makes the skin feel very nourished and pampered, so if you're a chocoholic, then treat yourself to this little guilt free pot of cocoa heaven. As much as I like a luxurious shower gel, a shower gel is after all only a shower gel and you really don't need to spend a fortune to get a great gentle, moisturising and gorgeous smelling product, which Radox Berry Burst Shower Cream (£1.99) certainly proves. It has a lovely smooth and creamy consistency that cleanses without stripping your skin of moisture and it smells amazing of warm sun kissed summer berries - budget buys just don't get any better than this.

If you read my post about Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Nourishing products, you'll know that my faith in Herbal Essences is slowly being restored and it's thanks primarily to the absolutely amazing Bee Strong range that uses honey and apricot as its main ingredients, both well known for their moisturising properties. I've used the Herbal Essences Bee Strong Mask (£4.79) regularly every week and it's really helped to keep my hair silky soft, smooth and detangled and although it could be my imagination, it also feels as if I have fewer split ends after using this for a good few months. I love the heavy rich golden consistency and the light tropical scent and would highly recommend it if you're looking for a great hair masque on the high street. You may have noticed that for the past few months I've had a fragrance included in every Empties post since I've really focused on finishing up a lot of those bottles with just a tiny little bit left in them, and this month I have a scent that isn't very well known, but that definitely deserves mentioning. If like me you love to flick through glossy fashion magazines, you'll know that DSQUARED2 is famous for its whimsical outfits combining glam rock chic with lumberjack, but what you might not know is that the fashion house also has an interesting range of perfumes. The DSQUARED2 Potion for Women EdP (£36), like the other Potions from DSQUARED2 (available both for men and women) is inspired by alchemy and days gone by when perfumes were blended and created with a specific purpose in mind, and this modern version of a love potion is a very feminine mix of traditional seductive scents like vanilla, rose, jasmine, amber, patchouli and musk. It's a sensual floral fragrance with a slightly green and fresh undertone of blackberries and a nod towards the oriental with the amber. It's a very distinct fragrance and what I call a Boudoir scent with its unmistakeable powdery vanilla notes, in the same vein of Jean Paul Gaultier's Classique. For me this EdP is at its best on cooler days since the ingredients are quite pronounced and on a warm day, they're just a bit too much for me - but if you love warm, feminine vanilla based scents, then this is the one to try!

One of my staple items is the cult classic, Caudalie's Beauty Elixir (£10.95). Not only do I love the aromatic and calming herbal scent of rosemary and mint, but the fine mist is a wonderful and easy way to refresh your skin throughout the day in any climate to add some moisture on the go. I have gone through more bottles of this than I can count, and I always make sure that I have one with me in my handbag when I'm out and about. It's a luxurious little treat that will make you feel special, and your skin will thank you for it, so if you haven't already tried it - add it to the top of your shopping list for next month. I am a firm believer in the benefits of using a serum as part of your skin care routine, and you can find one of the best ranges of serums from the lovely high end French skin care brand Gatineau which offers products for all skin types and needs, in combination with effective anti-ageing ingredients. One of the best serums for my dehydrated skin is the incredibly refreshing Gatineau Aquamemory Moisture Replenish Concentrate (£48.50), which is a lovely Tiffany blue serum with a fresh marine scent in an almost gel like consistency that absorbs instantly into the skin. You only need the tiniest drop under your moisturiser for an immediate intense hydration boost, making your skin feel plump and smooth. The technology behind it is intended to not only add hydration but to help the skin retain just the right level of hydration for your specific skin needs as well. Even though I mainly use the concentrate as a serum, I also sometimes use it as an intense masque, applying quite a few pumps of it on my face, and then letting it absorb naturally over night and in the morning the skin feels perfectly restored and revitalised and I will definitely reinvest in this amazing product again very soon.

Another product that has a firm place on my bathroom shelf is the gorgeous Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter (£6.50) which I have mentioned several times before so I apologise for repeating myself. This wonderful rich whipped butter is amazing for nourishing your hands and nails, and the zesty sweet lemon scent is so enjoyable that I just can't stop smelling my hands when I've massaged it in. I have used this daily for well over a year and have noticed a big difference on my nails and cuticles; they are stronger and healthier and my nails even seem to grow quicker, although that could also be because of the Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Growth that I use. or maybe these two products just form a nail dream team. Last in this fairly long line of empties is the Seventeen Falsifeye Mascara (6.49) which is a brand I hadn't tried before. I am a very fussy mascara wearer and Falsifeye promised a lot - volume as well as long flared lashes, my absolute favourite look so I was cautiously optimistic when I bought this. Unfortunately this mascara and I never really got on; first of all the wand is absolutely massive so it's quite chunky and with the squared shape it's also a bit uncomfortable to hold in your hand, secondly the brush is probably the thickest brush I've ever seen and because it's also so stiff it's very difficult to reach all the lashes for an even coverage without a lot of smudging, in addition the consistency was very wet and unusually so even towards the end of its life, and last but not least while the mascara might give length to the lashes the volume was definitely missing. As you can tell there were a lot of things that didn't work out, and even though I am open to take a risk with unknown products, in this case it didn't pan out and I definitely wouldn't repurchase it.

So nine items in total in May's empties - not bad if I may say so myself, and since I have actually been really good and not bought very much, you could probably say that I'm on plus this month, although I'm not placing any bets on that it will last into June...

Have a Lush Easter!

When it comes to fun, beautiful smelling bath products Lush is definitely the place to go to, and they certainly know how to keep us interested with their limited collections throughout the year. We've barely stopped shopping the Halloween range before the Christmas collection tempts us, which is then swiftly followed by the Valentines range. I might possibly have gone a little bit over board when I shopped the Christmas collection (see here), but there were so many amazing products to choose from, and I still have a little bit left of some of the shower gels. For me the Valentine's collection this year wasn't as tempting, and I actually didn't buy a single thing. The Easter collection is a completely different story with a fab range of products and again I might possibly have gone a little bit over board, but just look at these goodies - can you blame me?

One of the things I love about Lush is that they keep things fun and interesting with their with their cute Russian doll take on some of their bath bombs. The Immaculate Eggception (£6.95) is a lovely big yellow bath bomb egg, that has a little something inside of it, either a bunny or a little chick. I'm not sure yet what's in my egg  but getting two lovely bath bombs in one, is a great treat and I'll share with you on Instagram what I find inside it. It has an absolutely gorgeous soft lemon scent, but it's more creamy and sweet than zesty and sharp because of a hint of vanilla, and it reminds me a little of a lemon soda popsicle. According to Lush it'll dissolve into beautiful sunset colors in the bath of pink, yellow and orange which sounds very inviting and I'm so eggcited to try it out.

No limited edition from Lush is complete without something beautiful sparkly and the Golden Egg (£3.50) is exactly that - not even a hardy magpie like myself could wish for more. This is another 2-in 1 product that starts off as a bath melt and when that layer has melted away, its bath bomb core will start to fizz and release the eggceptionally delicious and yummy scent of toffee, sweet orange and honey. I adore this scent and wish I had a golden goose that could give me golden eggs like this all year around, I know it's the same one as in Honey I washed the kids but the golden egg format is just so much more fun. One small thing though - this is a VERY glittery bath product and while that is great in the bath, as soon as you pick it up you will get a lot of glitter particles everywhere that will transfer to your face and clothes, so be careful with it.

When I saw this little white rabbit I just had to have it. The Bunny Bubble Bar (£3.25) is one of the cutest things I've ever seen, with its little candy eyes and tail but it's not only adorable it also good for you since it contains shea butter and coconut oil to nourish your skin, making it soft and supple. I must admit that I probably would have bought this regardless of what it smelt like but luckily for me, it comes in one of my most loved Lush scents - the Creamy Candy bubble bar, which is a gorgeous soft whipped vanilla scent with a fruity candy feel to it. Apparently this little cutie has a surprise inside it and if you can bare to crumble it up in the water it's filled with pretty blue cornflowers that will make your bath a bit eggstra special. 

Next is one of your 5 a day, a Bunch of Carrots (£5.95). As much as I love Lush products, I try to make them last as long as possible by sometimes breaking them into smaller pieces, but with this colorful bunch, you don't need to do that since they are reusable. Rather than crumbling this bubble bar, you simply swirl the carrots around in the bath until you've got enough bubbles, and then you can put the rest away and save for another day - it's a super concept! If you're not a fan of carrots, don't worry because the bubble bars don't smell anything like it, instead it's a beautiful warm and eggsotic scent with lemon, grapefruit and blackcurrants. This is probably my favorite out of all of them and I'm already picking up some more of these vegetables to last me a while.

The final product is one that I tried for the first time last year and feel completely in love with, it's the gorgeous Fluffy Egg (£2.95) bath bomb. You may remember that I'm a massive Snow Fairy addict and a few of these pretty pink eggs will help to keep me going until I can get my next stash of Snow Fairy since it's the same scent. It's an eggstraordinary lovely fresh and fruity, fairly sweet scent of candy with a light touch of musk that prevents it from getting too sickly sweet. I adore it and I'm so happy that Lush is nice enough to think of us who are missing Snow Fairy desperately.

I really like the Easter collection - the products are fun, cute and colorful with amazing scents and I just love seeing how they are displayed in Lush, it always puts me in such a good mood. I would highly recommend that you stock up on the Easter eggs, and not just the chocolate kind!

When life gives you lemons...

Some natural products seem to be the cure for a little bit of everything. Just look at how many uses there are for honey, ginger, avocado and my personal favorite, the happy sunny lemon. Lemon is exceptionally rich in vitamin C - nature's own antioxidant that neutralises free radicals which is important to fight of colds and infections, it also has a calming effect and can help to get rid of nervousness and tension, and of course it has lots of uses when it comes to beauty. Lemon oil and citric acid is often used in beauty products to treat skin conditions like acne or eczema, but it also has strengthening and shining effects that are useful for hair and nails and with just a few lemons from your closest grocery store you can make all sorts of wonderful home remedies yourself. I'm far too lazy to make my own beauty treatments but since I love to use products that contain lemon, not only because of the healing qualities but also because of the amazingly zingy and zesty smell, I'm lucky that there is so much to choose from in most stores, starting with a great shower gel from The Body Shop.

The Body Shop shower gels are all soap-free, so they're gentle on the skin but at the same time it's easy to work up a good lather for a lovely foamy shower or bath. The Sweet Lemon shower gel contains essential oils to help sooth and moisturise the skin and it has the most amazing sunny, soft and fragrance without the usual tangy sharpness of lemons and instead it's creamy like a lemon mousse - yummy!

For a proper pampering session you also need a rich and indulgent body butter to finish with and for the most amazing range of scents, there's no other brand like The Body Shop. Regardless of which scent you prefer they all have the same ultra rich and creamy consistency enriched with shea butter that will soften even the driest of skins. What I love most about the body butters is that they blend into the skin almost immediately when you massage it in, and that they seem to lock in the moisture for a long time afterwards, making the skin feeling luxuriously smooth. The Sweet Lemon body butter is perfect to use in the mornings to vitalise and prepare you for the day ahead, and the creaminess of it made it a lovely base for both fresh and floral scents. This was one of my favorite ranges from The Body Shop and it's such a shame that they don't sell it in the shops anymore (the closest you can get to this zesty and creamy fragrance is with the Satsumas products), but if you're interested in this gorgeous Sweet Lemon scent you can easily get hold of these products on ebay.

As you probably know by now, I love to surround myself with scent and go through quite a lot of candles, and most of them are from Lily-Flame. I have reviewed several of their candles before since they have a great range of scents with something for everyone, and they usually burn really well for about 35 hrs or so. One of the first candles I tried from them is the Lily-Flame Citrus Crush Scented Candle (£8.50) which is a beautifully fresh tangy and summery mix of lemons and tangerines that is so invigorating and energising. It's a perfect mood booster - it always makes me feel very harmonious and refreshed and I absolutely adore it.

A product that I had read a lot about and was really looking forward to trying is the EOS Organic Lip Balm (£5.99) and the first one I got was in Lemon drops. It's a 100% natural and organic product with SPF which is rich in vitamin E, shea butter and jojoba oil to help keep your lips moisturised and smooth. For me the biggest selling point is the adorable packaging - it looks like a yummy little candy egg and it comes in loads of different tempting flavors, one more delicious than the other. It has a very subtle and fresh lemon scent and flavor that unfortunately doesn't last very long on the lips, but it adds a lovely natural sheen to the lips. What I really need from a lip balm is for it to also add long lasting deep moisture that nourishes the lips, but the texture of the EOS lip balm feels more waxy than moisturising or creamy and I find that I have to use quite a lot of it to get that sense of hydration, and I also have to reapply it very often for that feeling to last. Overall it's a cute product, almost a novelty type of lip balm - great as a gift for someone and if you're curious about these little pots, Naturisimo has a great range of flavors and they also offer free delivery worldwide.

The last lemony product in this zesty collection is the Lush Lemony Flutter (£6.50) which is one of the must have products that are part of my hand and nail care routine. It has a lovely rich buttery consistency with lots of nourishing oils from soya, avocado and coconut and. Take just a tiny bit of the butter, heat it up between your fingers and massage it into the cuticles and hands for an intensely moisturising and creamy treatment, and you're left with a gorgeous soft and sweet scent on your hands. Since it is such a rich cream it does leave a very slightly oily feel and sheen on your nails that I personally just leave to sink in over night, but if you want to do a manicure afterwards - you need to wipe the nails clean. I use this fantastic product at least four times a week and I'm convinced that it's helped to make my cuticles stronger and healthier.

So when life gives me lemons, I prefer to put them in beauty products and enjoy the delicious fresh and sparkling scent of warm summer days - at least it's a lovely reminder until we get there in a few months time. Do you make your own beauty products - or if you're more like me, preferring it to be served to you - which are your favorite products with lemon?

December favourites

It's almost the end of December and there's been so much to like about this month. From a beauty point of view I think I knew already at the beginning of the month at least 3 products that I would be wearing non stop and loving in December and they are all unfortunately limited editions, specially for Christmas. If you're read some of my earlier posts in December, some of the favourites this month won't come as a surprise to you - let's start with the make up products that have been used more often than not. 

I've added a few new products to my make up bag this season and one of the products I've loved the most in December is the amazing Gelée Powder EyeShadow from Estée Lauder (£19). Overall I really enjoy using these lightweight creamy eye shadows and this particular product takes the formula to the next level in terms of quality, intensity and longevity. The consistency is wonderfully smooth and creamy to apply and it quickly dries into a powder form that wears really well for at least the next 8 hrs. This lovely shade is Cyber Red, an intense and vibrant metallic cranberry shade that's been wonderful for a berry winter look.

Another new addition this season is a few new shades of the Color Boost Lip Crayon from Bourjois (£7.99). As you'll probably know by now I absolutely love this formula that not only gives a great satin like smooth coverage but also moisturises and keeps the lips nice and cared for. In December I've worn the shade Rouge a lot, it's a lovely scarlet red that's been perfect to wear with a winged eyeliner look.

So I've loved some of the new additions to my makeup bag this month, but I've also rediscovered an old favourite, which is almost as nice as picking up something new, in Rimmel's Glam Eyes Mono Eye Shadow (£4.49) in the shade Smokey Quartz. It's a nice and silky powder formula that's easy to apply on the lid and to build for intense color without any fall out and it lasts for at least 5-6 hrs without any creasing. The shade Smokey Quartz is a lovely slightly shimmery soft nougat, which is perfect to wear on its own all over the lid or as a base color. It's a great every day eye shadow and after having reminded myself of how much I actually like it, I will now definitely pick up some more shades of it.

 

From left to right (in natural light):

Rimmel Eye Shadow - Smokey Quartz

Estée Lauder Gel Eye Shadow - Cyber Red

Bourjois Lip Crayon - Rouge

At the beginning of December I mentioned that I had already found my favourite nail polish, which was quite a statement to make considering I also had the wonderful Ciaté advent calendar to look forward to - but as it turns out, I was right! I have worn the gorgeous Nails Inc Kensington Church Street Snowflake Effect nail polish (£10.80) almost every single day in December in one combination or another. It is a polish, however I think it's best used as a top coat since it's rich with glitter and sequins that look like snowflakes, and you could probably wear this over any color and the effect would be dazzling and beautiful. Personally I've preferred to wear it over icy cool pastels shades in light frosty blue or metallic foil like silver or gold shades for a festive look. This is a limited edition polish that has sold out in most places where they stock Nails Inc, but if you hurry up, you might be able to get hold of it in your local Nails Inc Bar, Boots or online - and believe me, it's definitely worth a little bit of effort to hunt it down!

I'm sure you won't be surprised to see that the Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel (£10.95) and EdT (£25 for 30 ml) have landed themselves a very safe spot amongst my December Favourites. As you probably know by now Snow Fairy is released every year by Lush as part of their Christmas collection and ever since I first tried it many, many moons ago it's been a firm Lush favourite of mine. Snow Fairy is a one of a kind scent that somehow manages to be both sweet and freshly crisp and fruity at the same time. It has a very distinct candy like bubblegum scent with a subtle warm undertone of white musk which makes is perfect to wear in the winter time. The shower gel has a rich and creamy texture with a lovely pink shimmery color and the beautiful scent lasts a few hrs on your skin after you've used it, perhaps even up to about 4 hrs when you layer it with the EdT.

I'm so glad I stocked up on Snow Fairy as soon as it was released since as with a lot of seasonal favourites, it sold out very quickly and unfortunately neither the shower gel nor the EdT are available from the Lush online store anymore, but you might get lucky and still find Snow Fairy in your local Lush or of course on eBay. What seasonal or limited editions do you have as part of your December favourites?

Rudolph the red nosed Lush mask...

Well, it had to be done... what else could I possibly name this post about the most festive skin care product at the moment, it is of course the Lush Fresh Face Mask in Rudolph (£5.50). Since I use some form of a mask at least twice a week I'm always on the hunt for something new. I've tried quite a few of the Lush masks with mixed success to be honest, but after a few trial and errors I have found my firm favourites that I stick to e.g. Cupcake and BB Seaweed. It's so much fun going into a Lush store and browse the fresh masks - it's a bit like a salad bar, and for me they are great value for money and my only issue is that because they only contain natural ingredients I don't always manage to finish them before the expiry date, but that's a small price to pay for natural fresh skin care.

Rudolph is a calming and soothing mask specifically intended for winter and cold harsh weather, and it's rich in ingredients that reduce redness and restores the skin e.g. cucumber, lavender oil, oatmeal and tofu. Even if we have been lucky enough not to have your typical winter weather, this mask is still lovely to use if your skin feels a little tight, irritated or dehydrated and I would imagine this would be great for sensitive skin as well. The mask is nice and creamy and holds together well, so unlike some of the other fresh masks it's fairly easy to apply an even layer all over the face, although there might be some little drops of it that fall off - so don't use this wearing something delicate or fancy. Leave it on for about 10-15 minutes or so before you take it off and enjoy the lovely fresh, watery smell of cucumber on your skin. It doesn't really dry into a different consistency so it's easy to wipe it off with a hot cloth for a gentle exfoliation at the same time and your skin should feel very moisturised, nourished and less angry.

Since I spend all of my day in front of a computer screen, I sometimes feel that my skin gets a little prickly and Rudolph is a wonderful, fresh relaxation in the evening and even though BB Seaweed is another great skin calmer I actually prefer the aquatic scent of Rudolph, which just adds to the sensation of the skin being refreshed, soothed and restored. Yet another fun product from Lush this Christmas season and I'm very happy to let Rudolph and his cute red jelly nose guide my skincare this winter.   

Fairy Christmas!

Christmas time is a great time of year to pick up wonderful gift sets and limited edition collections and when it comes to Lush it is Snow Fairy time. If you read my Lush bath times post, you'll know that a gianormous Snow Fairy Shower Gel (£10.95) has made its way into my bathroom, and it was almost with fanfare and fireworks that I after weeks of longing finally premiere used it this year on Dec 1. It must have been at least more than 5 years ago, that I first tried a tiny bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel and it wasn't love at first sniff - it was complete ADDICTION. This year you can get your annual fairy fix not only from the classic shower gel, but also in a Snow Fairy sparkle bar and a limited edition EdT - YEEAAYY, is all I say!!!

Snow Fairy is a completely unique scent, and if you were to use just one single word to describe it I would say - pink, not only because of the packaging but also because of other associations with it. It's a fruity, fresh and crisp but sweet scent that makes you think of candy floss, bubblegum, and juicy colorful fruit drops. There is also a very light hint of musk, which adds warmth and femininity to it and keeps it from being sickly sweet or syrupy.

The shower gel has a lovely rich texture and feels very creamy to use and it works up a generous pearlescent lather. It has a gorgeous pink strawberry smoothie color and can also be used to wash your hair. Even though I am the biggest Snow Fairy lover in the world I have to say that I find the shower gel a little bit harsh on the skin and so although my skin smells beautiful of Snow Fairy it feels quite tight after I've used it which is why I wouldn't use this on my hair. However, that isn't going to stop me from using the shower gel anyway, but when I use Lush shower gels a lot like I will do now in December I definitely need the thickest, richest body butter I can find to keep my skin soft and hydrated.

Since my skin is a bit thirsty after using the shower gel, it's a great time to also use the Snow Fairy Sparkle Bar (£4.95). It's a cute, neon pink little snow angel which is essentially a massage bar containing nourishing butters like shea, murumuru and cupuacu from the Amazon rainforest. You heat it up between your hands, rub it all over your skin and you'll be left with a pink looking oily texture that you massage into the skin, making your skin feel so moisturised and smooth. In addition to the gorgeous scent of Snow Fairy it has an added light saltiness to it that reminds me a bit of liquorice and it's a wonderful balance to the candy sweetness. When you've used the bar enough to get just beneath the pink coating, you'll reach the glitter centre which will leave a beautiful trail of glitter on your skin when you rub it all over - perfect for use on your arms and legs before slipping into a lovely little party dress.

When I got the Lush newsletter that they now have some of their most loved scents in limited edition perfumes as well, I immediately went on line and bought Snow Fairy EdT (£25 for 30 ml) - in fact, I got two of them. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it smells exactly the same way as the shower gel, if not a little yummier even and I just wish it lasted a little bit longer (staying power is about 3-4 hrs), but since I've got two bottles of it I can be generous and keep spraying it on throughout the day. For me Snow Fairy is perfect for wear in the winter time since the cold weather really brings out the crisp and youthful sweetness in it. I've worn this every day since I got it and I can't get enough of it - this year I'm definitely having a very fairy Christmas!

Lush bath times

Back in the old days when views about cleanliness and hygiene weren't quite the same as today, a lot of people only had a wash perhaps once a week or in many cases even more rarely. However, when it was time for Christmas it was a tradition for the whole family to have a Christmas bath to make sure that everyone was nice and clean for the big Christmas meal. Well things have certainly changed since then and I'm sure I'm not the only one bath lover who looks forward to the Christmas collection from Lush every year to indulge in all things fun and seasonal, although a lot of the products are almost too cute to use up. I got a little bit carried away this year when I saw the new collection, but at least I will have lots of gorgeous products of all kinds, colors, shapes and scents in my bath basket to choose from.

If we start with the shower gels I had actually already bought Snow Fairy and Ponche when I happened to see Glögg (£13.50) on the website. Glögg is a traditional heated red wine based winter drink, similar to mulled wine which is spiced with cinnamon, orange, cognac and cloves and something I'm very familiar with as I'm Swedish, and the thought of a glögg smelling shower gel was just too much to resist. It doesn't smell exactly like the glögg from my family home, but it's close enough and it has beautiful warming essential oils for a feel good shower after you've been out in the cold.

Next is my annual shower gel highlight and all time favourite Lush scent - Snow Fairy (£10.95). This is a bit of a love it or hate it scent and I'm very firmly in the love it camp because of its pink and sweet, fruity bubblegum scent. It's fresh, fluffy and light like candy floss and I have had such a hard time to stop myself from using it before December, but today I will celebrate first of advent with an indulgent Snow Fairy shower.

The last shower gel is Ponche (£8.95) which is a citrusy, juicy tropical sweet scent with a very light hint of cinnamon and buckets of tequila. Apparently this is a traditional Mexican Christmas drink, and although I prefer warmer scents in the winter, I do like the zestiness of it and could see myself still using this in Spring time for a bright, sparkly and refreshing shower.

Now we come to all the bath bombs, melts and bubble bars. Golden Wonder (£3.50) is a bath bomb in the shape of a gorgeous glittery Christmas present and it even has a bow on it. The scent is sparkling, citrusy with sweet orange and lime but with a warm undertone to it, making it great for winter time. Apparently this is a bath bomb that you should take your time to enjoy and that releases wonderful colors and stars when you drop it in the bath. But be careful when you pick it up because it has soo much glitter on it, that it gets absolutely everywhere - and yes I did walk around with gold on my nose for a few hrs...I've seen photos of this in the bath and I'm very excited to try it and to let it wrap me in gold while I enjoy a glass of chilled champagne - now that's how you ease in Christmas!

Next bath bomb is Cinders (£2.45), less sparkly on the outside but just like Cinderella has a bit of a transformation in the bath. It also has a very fruity and spicy scent of orange combined with cinnamon and which smells very comforting and relaxing. The transformation of this one in the water is down to the popping candy which should crackle like a log fire. Sounds interesting and it'll be fun to see if it actually works.

Lush has really latched on to the Christmas drink concept and another bath product to resemble a traditional hot drink is the Hot Toddy bubble bar (£3.25). You crumble it under running water for lots of creamy bubbles to form and the bathroom will be filled with that luxurious and whipped spicy but soft scent of eggnog, citrus fruits and nutmeg. It's a warming and relaxing scent and since the bubble bars are so foaming, I'll probably split this in two to get more use out of it. 

Christmas is a very sparkly time of year and even more so if you use the Star Light, Star Bright bath melt (£3.30). It's such a pretty bath melt, covered in a heavy dusting of silver that unfortunately goes absolutely everywhere and again that sticks to your fingertips for hrs. It has a rich and moisturising center of shea butter and is supposed to make the water feel soft and creamy and turns it silvery turqoise. This is a more piquant and invigorating scent than the other bath products because of the ginger and lime and it's deliciously refreshing.

We're now on to the bath products that are almost too cute to melt, although this little guy looks as if he's already well on his way - it's the Melting Snowman bath melt (£2.25). The shape is different, but it has the same warming scent as the Hot Toddy bath melt and the same moisturising qualities that will leave the skin nice and soft. So if you don't have the heart to finish our snowman off, you can get the same scent and effect from the Hot Toddy melt, but with less of a guilty conscience.

The cuteness factor is at an all time high with the Christmas Penguin bubble bar (£2.95). It's a very fresh and almost Mediterranean scent of sweet orange flower and mandarin oil a and it's so refreshing that I'll probably save this for a morning bath, to set me up nicely for the day. I would like to try and split this bubble bar into two as well, but I suspect that it'll just fall into pieces if I do - as if it isn't bad enough that we have to dissolve him... Poor penguin...

Last up we have Father Christmas himself (£3.25) with his cheery, merry face in a cute pink and white bath bomb, but when you drop it in the water it'll completely unexpectedly turn green! It has a lovely fresh but warm orange scent and for me I think this will be the one to save for Christmas day, after all I need Father Christmas to drop off my pressies before he fizzes away!

As a bath lover I'm so glad that things have changed since the old days, and it probably wasn't easy getting hold of a decent bath bomb either... Luckily I'm all sorted with lots of goodies and I'm looking forward to some lush bath times before Christmas.

November favourites

It's the end of the month and I'm already soooo excited about December being here, and all the boxes with Christmas stuff are lined up and I'm ready to start decorating this weekend but before we get completely immersed in Christmas, it's time to have a look at what I've used all the time and LOVED in November.

Let's start with the BaByliss Pro Perfect Curl (£149.99) which I reviewed in a previous article. It's a completely new approach to hair curling. Instead of the hair around a wand or barrel, you clamp  the curler around a section of your hair and voilà, it's automatically sucked up into a ceramic curl chamber, and when you release it a couple of seconds later, you have a gorgeous and perfect curl. It's so easy to get the hang of, it's gentle on the hair and leaves less frizz than when I use a curling wand. It takes me about 25 mins to do all of my hair, using quite thin sections and the curls last for abut 4 days - obviously depending on how much you brush the curls out and if you secure them with some hair spray. I've used it every week since I got it - it's amazing and I have a feeling it'll be on many ladies' Christmas wishlist this year.

To secure the curls I've been using quite a lot of the Fudge Urban Iced Raspberry & Vanilla Hair Spray (£4.99). It's a spray that will hold the curls up to 24 hrs and despite being strong hold it doesn't make your hair crispy and hard. A couple of short bursts of spray will keep your curls in place and it adds a nice shine. The best bit though is definitely the scent, it's so fresh and crisp and fruity that I almost tend to add a little bit more than necessary just to get my locks to smell lovely.

I don't know about you, but it's so cold in the mornings and evenings now that I've got my mittens out to keep my paws nice and warm, and to protect them from getting dry. I also take out the loveliest richest hand creams I've got and this month I've been using Caudalie Hand & Nail Cream in Feuille de Cassis (£6) religiously. It's rich with softening and nourishing products like avocado and shea butter and the hands feel luxuriously soft. The cream also works great to soften up the cuticles and to give them a nice little treat and you could even apply quite a thick layer of the cream, put your hands in plastic bags, wrap them in warm towels and leave them for 10 mins - the cream will just soak into the skin and cuticles. This is very subtly scented with black currant which gives a feeling of great warmth and earthiness - perfect for winter.

Every morning I use a lip scrub to prep my lips for the day ahead and I can't be without the lip scrubs from Lush to help keeping my lips conditioned and smooth. Unfortunately my absolute favourite - Bubblegum, broke on the bathroom floor so I had to start using the Christmas special - Santa's Lip Scrub (£5.50) a little earlier than I had planned. It has a lovely Christmasy red color that doesn't stain your lips and it smells gorgeous with a strong scent of ginger and spice that smells exactly like Coca Cola - yep.... Coca Cola! I follow that with my Gatineau Defi Lift 3D Perfect Design Revolumising Lip Care (£29.52 for 2) to hydrate the lips and also to plump them a bit before applying the lip product of the day. The lip balm has a silky glossy non sticky consistency that you can use both as a primer, a lip gloss or a lip contour mask because of its firming effects. The plumping effect is immediate and noticeable and will last for a few hrs before you need to re-apply it - pure luxury for the lips.

The past month I've completely embraced just using two very seasonal perfumes, which is highly unusual for me. As a lighter scent and body spray I've been wearing the Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin that I've mentioned earlier. It's a stunning light, spicy and fresh scent of apple, ginger, cinnamon, pumpkin, vanilla and rum - very comforting and warm. If you like foodie scents you'll definitely love this and I have already decided that I'm going to repurchase it next year - talk about planning ahead... I've worn Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin either on its own or layered it with the DKNY Energizing Fall EdT (£32.95). This is another warm and interesting mix of scents that create a warm, spicy and fruity scent by mixing citrus fruits like mandarin and lemon, delicate white flowers like jasmine and magnolia, musk, vetiver and cardamom. It's fresh, but not forgettable, warm but not over powering and fruity with lots of substance and I've loved wearing it this month.

My skin has been a bit temperamental the last month and I've had a few blemishes, both hormonal and as a result of trying new products. As annoying as it is, at least you can get rid of them and minimise them quickly if you use the Origins Super Spot Remover (£14). It's a clear gel that calms down any redness, heals and eliminates excess oil and you dab it on the spot a few times a day. It works ultra fast and already the day after, you won't notice the spot as much. The gel comes in a tiny little bottle, but since you only need very little, it will last a good few months before you need to buy another one. It's my go to product to get rid of pesky little blemishes, but if you use it a lot you might notice that it dries out the skin where the gel has been applied, so you'll need to follow up with a good moisturiser.

That's that for this month's favourites - which products have you loved this month?

Be my honey

When I was a little girl, every morning my dad would insist that I ate a teaspoon of honey saying that it would be good for my immune system and it would keep me healthy and strong. At the time I didn't particularly care about that bit, I was more interested in getting a yummy sweetie after having finished my breakfast - no wonder I was bouncing off to school every morning on a sugar rush from the natural sweetness. But in addition to keeping me happy and energetic as I left for school my dad actually had a very valid point, since honey contains antiseptic and antibacterial properties and has been found useful to fight off infections. Honey is also a well known natural ingredient for nourishing, soothing, rejuvenating and hydrating skin and hair so today I thought I would show some of my favourite honeypots.

 

Up until a few weeks ago I hadn't used anything from Herbal Essences for a very long time. Their shampoos have always smelled amazing, but completely stripped my hair of hydration and turned it into a tangled nightmare of a mop. Having read some great reviews of the Bee Strong range, I thought I would risk it and see if the Herbal Essences products had improved so I got the shampoo, conditioner and the mask. The Bee Strong Shampoo (£3.89) is specially formulated for dry and damaged hair and it contains extracts of honey and apricot to repair the individual hair strands as well as strengthen them. The shampoo works ups a generous lather that gives a great deep cleanse, but without leaving the hair in a tangled mess and compared to the Herbal Essences shampoos I've used previously, it feels wonderfully hydrating and nourishing. The Bee Strong Conditioner (£3.89) contains the same strengthening ingredients as the shampoo but also has a serum to add extra moisture, and the richness of it makes the hair feeling super soft and cared for. If I haven't used the conditioner after the shampoo, I've applied a generous amount of the Bee Strong Mask (£4.19) which is a strong and intensive mask that feels quite heavy on the hair. It's a really lovely mask and it leaves your hair feeling very luxurious, nourished and detangled - as if you were using a much more high end deep repair mask, so it's incredible value for money. All the hair products have a nice and creamy golden consistency but to my surprise neither of them really smell of sweet honey at all, instead the scent is much more of a fresh tropical scent of warm mango, papaya and delicious apricot. I love this new formula from Herbal Essences and they have certainly redeemed themselves a lot in my book and I might even consider trying some of their other shampoos too. I may not look as fabulous as Nicole Scherzinger, but my hair certainly likes the Bee Strong range, and so do I

A few days ago I did a post on a wonderful plumping lip balm from Gatineau which admittedly is a little bit too expensive to use more than as a prep in the morning and a treatment in the evening, so in between I'm using an old classic, Burt's Bees Honey Lip Balm (£2.99) which I slap on a good few times every day. It's made from 100% natural ingredients and in addition to honey also contains beeswax, shea butter, cocoa butter and lanolin. It's a fuss free, cheap and cheerful product that you can afford to be generous with and there's nothing like it to keep your lips soft or to heal chapped lips. Burt's Bees also do tinted lip balms, but since I like to use this under a lip stick or lip gloss, this sweet honey balm is just right for me.

For a long luscious bath you need a Lush product, and when you're skin is feeling a little angry or sensitive, the Honey Bee Bath Bomb (£3.25) is just wonderfully soothing. It's a gentle and almost therapeutic bath bomb with honey (obviously!), rhassoul mud and aloe vera. The rhassoul mud softens the skin, scrubs away dead skin cells and helps to rebalance the oil production and tightens the pores, while the aloe vera and honey adds plenty of moisture. The bath bomb isn't as colorful and pretty to look at as many of the other Lush products, but it turns the water into a lovely warm yellow color and it's gentle enough for even the most delicate of skins. To me it doesn't smell anything like honey or even particularly sweet, and instead it's a nice and refreshing scent of very faint orange, bergamot, and gardenia which together form a very light floral that has a subtle sweetness to it.

Having indulged in a lovely relaxing bath, your skin will need a little treat in form of a rich and moisturising body butter and the Body Shop Honeymania is absolutely wonderful. It's very similar to most of the Body Shop body butters with it's smooth and almost "fatty" consistency that melts into the skin as it's heated up between your hands when you massage it in, and it really soaks the skin with hydration that lasts almost all day making the skin feeling very silky and soft. As with the hair care products, I was surprised that this doesn't smell particularly of honey. It's a harmonious scent that does have a noticeable rich and sharp sweetness to it, but it's of a floral kind and it reminds me a little of the Moringa scent as it's quite strong in a slightly artificial way, and if you're not keen on florals - you might give it a miss.

All of the products I have mentioned are pampering and indulgent to use, although most of them haven't really smelt that much of honey. But what they have lacked in terms of honey scent, the L'Occitane Immortelle Eau de Parfum makes up for with exuberance. This wonderful EdP comes in a beautiful but plain heavy glass bottle which has a very exclusive feel about it, that makes me think of bespoke perfumiers where the scent does all the talking, not the packaging. When Him Indoors bought this for me, it was a horrible cold and blustery day and when I tried this on it took me to a sunny, scorching Mediterranean filled with aromatic scents and I was completely bowled over. It's a very warm and luxurious scent that blends essential oils from rich honey like immortelle, powdery rose, deep animalistic musk and sweet iris - all vibrant and strong scents in themselves. This is not a fragrance for the faint-hearted or for anyone who wants to blend in and there is nothing girly, light or playful about it. It's a very womanly, intriguing, sensual and fascinating scent that creates an air of warm golden nectar - it's definitely a statement and I absolutely LOVE it.

I have been waxing lyrically (ha, ha - see what I did there...) about these wonderful honey products, but for good reason. Honey is the ultimate all in one beauty product - it hydrates, soothes, nourishes and smells wonderful and is definitely worth getting now that winter is coming to help keep your skin soft and smooth. But Behive and don't spend too much ... sorry - I blame it on the sugar rush from the honey I just had...

Guilt free chocolate treats

Chocolate, hmm - just the thought of it make chocoholics all over the world go nuts for it! We all know about the downside of eating too much chocolate, so let's not dwell on that, but fact of the matter is that dark chocolate can have some health benefits too if eaten in moderation. E.g. it can reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol levels and eating chocolate also releases endorphines making you happy. To celebrate the beauty of the cocoa bean I thought I would do a post entirely dedicated to chocolate - but the guilt free way of enjoying where you can surround yourself with the amazing rich cocoa scent and enjoy all the flavours without any of the calories!

Let's start this chocolate bonanza with the Bourjois Bronzing Powder, Delice de Poudre. I am almost ashamed to mention this product again since I know it has figured in at lot of previous posts, but I guess that just shows how much of a staple item this bronzing powder is to me. The super fine texture makes it lovely to apply and I use it for sculpting when I'm a bit paler and as a blusher when I have a bit of a tan. For me both the shade 51 and 52 are great to work with and it gives color with a very subtle, barely noticeable shimmer of gold for a healthy look, without giving that dirty appearance that some bronzers can. The chocolate bar look of the packaging is so cute, and the dusty scent of cocoa that reminds me of an old chocolate bar is pleasant and a fun element.

Despite a bad experience with a Lush Fresh Face Mask, I wasn't ready to give up on the idea of them yet and I wanted to give them another chance. On recommendation I got the Lush Fresh Face Mask in Cupcake, and wow I'm so glad I did! The description says that the mask is more intended for younger, acne prone skin since it helps to absorb excess oil, but I have skin that tends to get dehydrated and it still works like a dream on my skin. When you open the tub you immediately notice the gorgeous scent of mint chocolate, created by the different mint ingredients that help to balance and tone the skin. Since this is a clay mask, the consistency is lovely and thick and it gives a really deep cleanse, getting rid of any impurities but it also feels gentle and soothing. Using this mask is such a pleasant sensation; you'll look and almost smell like you've smothered your face with Nutella and it feels heavy on the skin but cooling at the same time, and after you've wiped it off with a damp cloth, almost giving it a mini exfoliation the skin feels very clean and soft, and I will definitely be getting this again.

Sticking with Lush products, for me one of the most genuine chocolate body care products is the Sonic Death Monkey Shower Gel.What I like in particular about this, is that the rich and sweet chocolate scent is broken up with a zesty, fresh and invigorating scent of lime making it a tad spicy, lovely and decadent, but not sickly sweet or heavy - which many chocolate scented products can be. Since I like to keep to one scent when it comes to my body care products, we of course also have a body butter to go with the shower gel - the Body Shop Body Butter in Chocomania. I have tried lots of Body Shop body butters so I was a bit surprised to find that the Chocomania is slightly different than the others. This might just be me, but I don't feel as if it's as thick as some of the other ones I've tried. It's still very creamy, pleasant to massage in and it melts in beautifully, but I don't get the same sense of deep long lasting hydration as with most of the others, even though it's supposed to be great for dry skin. Chocomania smells yummy, a bit like Maltesers and I do enjoy using it, but personally I wish it was even thicker in it's consistency.

Now we're getting to the really interesting stuff, starting with a candle. Yes I know it sounds crazy, a chocolate scented candle, can that really work? I had tried many candles scented with chocolate before and never thought that any of them were any good. I found them synthetic, waxy and sickly - that is until I tried a Lily Flame candle in Chocolate Truffles - oh my goodness. This fills the room with a gorgeous warm, rich, indulgent and luxurious scent that smells exactly the way that chocolate truffles taste! I don't know how they've done it, but Lily Flame have definitely captured this scent perfectly. I've talked about Lily Flame candles before and for me they are the best - the range of scents is amazing, and most importantly they burn really well for about 35 hrs, straight down in the tin, leaving no waste at all. Delectable chocolate in a candle - who would have thought?!

 

My last pick for this chocolate feast is a Cologne Spray in Chocolate Chip Cookie from the fantastic Demeter Fragrance Library. Demeter has over 250 different colognes and body care products inspired by everyday objects and experiences. It's a completely unique perspective on fragrance based on clear, straight forward and uncomplicated scents that are familiar to everyone and that tap into feelings of well being and simplicity. Some of the top selling colognes include the following: Apple Pie, Tomatoes, Vanilla Cookie Dough, Basil, Gin & Tonic, Rain, Wet Garden, Grass, Laundromat, Marshmallow, Orange Cream Pop, Pina Colada or Raspberry Jam - I dare you not to be tempted by at least one of them.

The scent of Chocolate Chip Cookie is like freshly baked cookies just out of the oven, made from a combination of light and dark chocolate, - sweet and light but slightly bitter as well, brown sugar and sprinkles of half melted chocolate chips. It's fascinating how incredibly genuine this smells! As it is a cologne it won't last very long, I'd say no more than perhaps 3 hrs, and there's definitely no risk of it being heavy or overpowering. But what a fun way to carry a favourite scent with you during the day and spray on when you need a pick me up or just to boost your mood.

After all this talk about chocolate I'm getting a bit peckish so perhaps some hot chocolate with a chocolate cookie - any takers...?

Lush Lemony Flutter

If you have read my blog previously you'll know how much I love nail polishes and I'm rarely seen for longer periods with nude, bare nails. In fact, this only happens about 3-4 times a year and that is when I do my regular nail detox. Wearing polish every day, and using nail polish remover can be tough on the nails and cuticles so I regularly take time out for my nails when I don't wear any polish, except a clear treatment polish for whatever my nails need most at the moment. For the past 2.5 weeks I've given my nails one of these breathers and the only products that I've used are Sally Hansen Miracle Nail Growth Treatment and Lush's Lemony Flutter.

Lemony Flutter is an ultra rich and thick cuticle butter that will help to nourish and soften the cuticles. It contains a long list of ingredients like thick oils from soya, avocado, coconut - butters from shea and mango that together with the beeswax form this delicious whipped and thick butter. It has an amazing strong and refreshing smell of creamy, sweet lemon - it's like rubbing lemon mousse into your cuticles and nails.

You only need a very little amount for each nail, and when you massage it in, the oils and butter heat up and melt beautifully into the skin leaving it feeling a tiny bit oily, but nourished and smelling absolutely fantastic. If you want to apply polish straight afterwards, you should probably wipe the nails clean, but since I've gone "nude" I've really enjoyed the feeling of the oils sinking into the nail properly. For the past weeks I've massaged in this gorgeous butter every morning and evening and it's really revitalized the cuticles that now look healthy and supple, and the sweet and zesty lemon scent has really been a wonderful pick me up to restore my mood. In addition my nails feel stronger and have definitely grown a little bit thanks to the Miracle Growth treatments that I've re-applied every other day. I absolutely love this nail and cuticle butter and it smells so enticing that even Him Indoors has started to use a little bit every now and then. 

The past weeks of my NPP (No Polish Policy) may have been a great and well needed break for my nails, but it has also been exceptionally boring from a nail polish point of view and I can't wait for the 3 weeks to end, so I can start wearing all the wonderful shades I've bought recently. I wonder which shade I should start with...