What's in my makeup bag?

I know this is my second post today but I just fancied doing a little 'what's in my makeup bag' post.  

These are the products I mostly use and never really are removed from my bag. Of course I don't  use them all at once but I will alternate between them depending how I feel! (:

• Burts Bees Super Shiny Natural Lip Gloss in Zesty Red and Sweet Pink - These are just really nice, non sticky lip glosses with a hint of tint and a lovely fruit flavour. I'm more of a lip balm and lipstick combo kind of girl but I do like these if I want a more natural look.
• Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm (x2)  - These are my all time favourite lip balms. They have the perfect texture, a really fresh minty flavour and sit perfectly under lipstick. I always carry at least one around!
• Burts Bees Lip Shimmers in Rhubarb and Champagne - I LOVE these lip shimmers, especially the rhubarb one. It has an amazing deep red colour with a balm texture, a slight bit of shimmer and a lovely mint flavour that makes your lips tingle! I use these in place of lipstick/tint when my lips are a bit drier.
• Natural Collection Lashbuild Mascara and Liquid Eyeliner - Cheap and cheerful and don't irritate my eyes. All I need and want from a mascara and eyeliner really!
• Earth Minerals Liquid Mousse Mineral Foundation in shade 02 Fair - This is a sample size pot of my new favourite foundation. It's made from all natural ingredients and is the exact and I mean the EXACT same shade as my skin and dries to a perfect natural matte finish. It has a similar consistency to the Lush skin tints which I also love.
• Burts Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream - Does exactly what it says on the tin, softens cuticles with an amazing lemon scent. Yum!
• Burts Bees Herbal Blemish stick, Dr Organic Tea Tree Blemish Stick and Optima Australian Tea Tree Blemish Stick - I have very spot prone skin and all these products work wonders at drying up nasty red spots. I always apply a blemish stick under my makeup as it provides a sort of anti bacterial barrier between the spot and the makeup. Definitely a must have in my make up bag!
  
  So these are pretty much my daily used products and I don't really stray from them too much.
  

Products are available from

www.boots.com

www.hollandandbarrett.com

www.burtsbees.com

Earth Minerals via www.ebay.co.uk

Love Boo skincare

A couple of months ago I received a sample of this amazing Bath Soak in a pregnancy pack from a lovely brand called Love Boo.

www.loveboo.com do an amazing range of natural skincare products for mums, babies and anybody who just wants a really good pampering!

I totally forgot I owned this absolutely amazing little product until the other day when I poured it in my bath and was met with just the most wonderful girly, pampering and pretty smell. This bath soak contains Rose Geranium oil, White Water Lily and Mallow. It also contains chamomile and arnica to soothe tired muscles. Natural rose extract to help pamper your skin and add to the beautiful scent.

The bath soak produces a really soft moisturising foam and the smell is just something I can't get enough of. I would buy this as a perfume in a heartbeat if it were ever available. After stepping out from this heavenly bath my skin felt so much softer and I just felt all round more relaxed and comforted.

This bath soak is available to buy from the website at £5.00 for 50ml or £10.99 for 250ml. I would 110% recommend it even if you're not a mummy! I know I will be purchasing more.

There are so many lovely products on their site I think it will be hard to leave with just one thing and I know your basket will be filled in no time!

Tisserand Aromatherapy Rollerball

If you are looking for an alternative remedy for headaches/stress/lack of sleep then I would highly recommend the Tisserand Aromatherapy Rollerballs. These are £5.49 for 10 ml and are currently 3 for 2 at Boots!

Tisserand do a large range of quality aromatherapy products for everybody's needs whether you need an extra bit of energy or a little boost with your diet. 

All their products are made with 100%  natural oils all specifically chosen for your needs.

 I find they really do help. I am no stranger to a headache or two but applying this cool little rollerball to my temples soothes and relieves any tension and is just a much quicker and easier alternative to painkillers. 

They all have a really lovely soothing herbal smell and are just instantly calming and really do what they say on the bottle.

Tisserand are fast becoming one of my favourite brands as their products don't just stop at these little rollerballs. They do a range of Soaps, Perfumes, Bath and Body products, Shampoos and conditioners and even acne treatments. They are really affordable and really effective and won't break the bank so give them a go!

Tisserand products are available to buy at:

www.boots.com
www.hollandandbarrett.com
www.tisserand.com

*Photos from the Tisserand website*

Alphy and Becs Spa Products

Today I am quite excited to be reviewing a shop I have recently discovered selling the most wonderful hand made natural products. 

www.alphyandbecs.co.uk do a range of beauty products from bath bombs to perfumes to acne treatment. All handmade and containing natural ingredients. All the products are beautifully and professionally presented and at brilliant prices. If you are a fan of Lush I would definitely check out this little gem of a shop. I don't think you will be dissapointed!

I purchased two products which I was very eager to try;

1. Lavender and Rosemary shampoo bar £3.20

This is a solid conditioning shampoo bar that contains Lavender and Rosemary for a really deep cleansing experience. You just lather the bar onto wet hair and massage in like a normal shampoo. Due to the Jojoba oil, Shea butter and Vitamin E this leaves hair squeaky clean but not dry and depending on the condition of your hair you may find that additional conditioner is not necessary. This also has a lovely flowery scent and leaves your hair smelling like.. well Lavender! Perfect.

2. Simply Lavender Natural Solid Perfume £4.80

As you have probably gathered by now I am a bit of a Lavender fiend. I just think it has the cleanest most lovely smell and I like any scent that smells kind of 'soapy' so I was not dissapointed with this wonderful little pot of solid perfume. The product is presented in a sweet little sparkly bag and the perfume itself is in a cute little screw top pot. There is quite a lot of product packed into the pot so you definitely get your money's worth! 

There are 6 different perfume scents available in the solid form White Musk, Amber and Patchouli, Lavender, Angels Dreams, Lemon, Lime and Basil and finally Lily of The Valley. The shop also stocks a range of roll on perfumes if you prefer them to the solid formula. 

I am very pleased with this purchase and will definitely look into buying a couple more because the smell lasts wonderfully and is the perfect handbag size! 

I would wholeheartedly recommend this shop to anybody who fancies a natural beauty treat or maybe a gift for somebody else. I know I already have my eye on the floral bath bombs and a couple of the soaps!

I originally found their shop through eBay and if I am not mistaken they do carry a few more products in their eBay store so I would check that out too. Oh and I forgot to mention.. all their products have FREE DELIVERY! Hoorah (: 

Lush wish list

There was once a time when I would literally spend every penny I earned in Lush but now as I have other things to pay for I find Lush is now something of a treat and these are some products I have been lusting over recently.

1. Ultra Bland cleanser £6.95  - I really really want to try this cleanser as it promises to be suitable for all skin types and with the weather getting a bit colder I fancy trying something a bit richer to cleanse my face with. This product works like a traditional cold cream (of which I am a big fan!) and contains lovely simple ingredients such as rose water, almond oil and honey. I think this just looks like a really simple and effective cleanser and the reviews are amazing. Definitely at the top of my want list!

2. Santa Baby Lip Tint £5.50 - This bright red limited edition Christmas lip tint looks like the most perfect red in the world, I am already a huge fan of their deep red lip tint 'It started with a kiss' which gives an amazing long lasting colour to lips and cheeks and as I am no stranger to a red lip I am sure to be snapping this up as soon as I can waddle my heavily pregnant self to the nearest Lush store!

3. A French Kiss Bubble Bar £4.25- I love the look of this fancy little lavender bubble bar and with calming ingredients such as Lavender and Rosemary I think this would be the perfect addition to a pampering bath!

4. Eyes Right Mascara £12.00 - I have possibly the most sensitive eyes in the world so I find it really hard to find a Mascara that agrees with them. I am currently using the Boots Natural Collection Mascara which isn't the worst but I just love the idea of a mascara that contains very few ingredients and made from natural things such as Wheatgrass which promises not to upset sensitive eyes, I also think this comes in a really cute dinky bottle and would be perfect for my makeup bag.

5. Imperialis Moisturiser £12.75 - This moisturiser is absolutely packed full of good things like elderflower, lavender, mullein, St John's wort, sweet violet and sunflower and is great for skin types like mine who suffer from an oily T-zone but cheeks drier than the desert. Of course one of the main selling points for me (as with most products) is the Lavender flowers used. I just love everything about Lavender from the smell to the colour and the calming effects of the flower. I think this looks like an amazing moisturiser and I am very interested to try it!

What are some of your favourite Lush products?

Nelsons Pure & Clear Skincare range

My skin recently has been pretty awful due to me being a little bit under the weather so I needed something to help put it right again and this is where I rekindled my love for the Nelsons Pure & Clear Skincare range. These products have no harsh chemicals so are gentle on the skin and contain natural ingredients such as Arnica, Calendula, Hypericum and Tea Tree oil to really help fight blemishes.

There are 4 products in this range including facial wipes, face wash, Balancing Moisturiser and Blemish Gel.

I currently own the facial wipes and face wash as I find that these are all I need to help clear my skin up but I would ideally like the full range to see if I could improve my skin even more.

(Pictures used are from the Nelsons website as my own products have become a bit grubby!)

If I have not been wearing makeup during the day I find the wipes are all I need to remove any impurities and make my face feel really fresh and clean and there is a noticeable difference in my skin. If I use the wipes and face wash combined my skin immediately feels like it is rid off all the dirt and grime and spots are significantly reduced the next day. 

I have extremely sensitive skin and I found these products to be really gentle and not harsh at all. They have a lovely soothing floral scent and give just a really great clean!

The products range from around £5.49 - £8.49 and are available from www.boots.com or www.hollandandbarrett.com

A good Sunday pampering!

I think Sundays should be all about relaxing, pampering and generally just looking after yourself. Besides a nice warm bubble bath I think there are a few other products that make you feel just that little bit more pampered and these are my top 3 picks!

1. Burt's Bees Intense Hydration treatment mask - This mask is applied to your face and left for 5-10 minutes before wiping off with a cloth or cotton wool. The mask doesn't dry like most face masks but sits on the skin like a very rich moisturiser and once removed your skin feels lovely and fresh an moisturised. Like most Burt's Bees products this has a lovely herbal scent that makes the whole experience even more pleasant. This product is available for around £19.99 from www.burtsbees.co.uk

2. L'Occitane Lavande relaxing roll on - This little product is great for if you are feeling stressed or just need to relax. You just roll it on to your wrists and neck and breathe in the therapeutic smell of Lavender essential oil. Lavender is my personal favourite scent and I often use this as a perfume as well as a relaxing aid. I have had this product a little while and I am not 100% sure if this is still available to buy in store or online but www.ebay.co.uk is always good to find your favourite discontinued products.

3. Hand Cream - A good rich hand cream is a must have for pampering days and I absolutely love this little gem of a cream. Not only does it come in the most adorable Owl packaging but the formula is wonderfully thick, sinks in straightaway and is Lavender scented. Perfect! I got this cream as a gift last Christmas but is available to buy online for £5.95 at www.npw.co.uk

So those are my 3 picks for a perfect Sunday pick me up! Of course a bath, a snuggly dressing gown and a brew are also essential (;