When I'm Feeling Blue - Nails Of The Day - Sensationail Colour Gel Polish - Steel A Kiss*

Hey My Darlings - It's been a while again but I thought I'd ease myself back into the whole blogging thing this Bank Holiday Monday with a little nails of the day post.

I'm not going to lie I actually photographed this manicure a couple of months ago now and it's been sat in my drafts for goodness knows how long but it's too pretty not to share. My nails are currently super short again, but there are some signs of growth there, and when they are long enough to paint and stick under the lamp again, I will more than likely be applying this shade again.

Sensationail Colour Gel Polish in Steel A Kiss is by probably the most used gel polish in my collection, and I'm sure you can see just why I love it.

There are two things that I really love when it comes to nail polish, the colour blue, and sparkles, and this particular shade ticks both of these boxes. This gorgeous almost denim blue shade is crammed full of almost holographic sparkle - I'm probably not showing it in the best light here but wiggle your fingers in strong sunlight, or even a really bright indoor light and watch those sparkles flash! 

Application was a breeze, I used all of the Sensationail prep products and their top and base coat, and a full manicure probably took me less than 20 minutes. The finish is smooth and  super glossy and the wear time as you would expect from a gel polish is excellent - I got nearly 2 and a half weeks out of this particular mani with only minimal tip wear, and a couple of tiny chips.

Obviously the one drawback of gel polishes is the removal but despite the shimmer and sparkle this was pretty easy to remove without any chunky of glitter with both gel polish remover (acetone), and the gel polish remover liquid that looks like nail varnish. Both methods as you would expect are a bit drying on the nails and cuticles but I usually just load up on cuticle oil and hand cream for a few days to counteract any dryness. 

As the Phil Collins song goes "when I'm feeling blue all I have to do is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue" and for me that certainly applies to this nail polish - It just makes me happy every time I wear it and I will definitely be picking up another bottle.

The original Sensationail polishes are quite hard to find now but in my opinion they're worth tracking down. This particular polish the Sensationail Colour Gel Polish in Steel A Kiss, is still available though on Amazon for the pretty bargaintastic price of just £5.96. Obviously you need an LED lamp etc. but if you have all that, for me it's a no brainer x Are you a sparkly polish fan ? Let me know in the comments x 

*This Post Contains Affiliate Links

Pretty Green Eyes With The HUDA Beauty Emerald Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette And Giveaway! - CLOSED*

I hope you'll forgive the cheesy song title that I've used here but as a NUFC fan I am a bit of a fan of Ultrabeat's Pretty Green Eyes, all be it with slightly different lyrics (He's From Blyth, You'll Never Ever Beat Dan Burn etc. ;)! 

I don't know whether you'd class them as being pretty or not, but my eyes are certainly green, I always wanted blue eyes as a child but I'm pretty happy now with my olive green peepers. I don't know about you but when I was first getting into make up they seemed to be loads of rules, about what colours you should and shouldn't wear depending on your hair and eye colours, and one of the so called rules that always used to annoy me, was the one that you shouldn't wear green eyeshadow if you have green eyes! I stuck to that rule for goodness knows how long, missing out on the delight that is green eyeshadow, before I decided that, that rule and so many others were rubbish.

There are so many different shades, and textures of green eyeshadow out there that can enhance green eyes, it's all about finding a colour that you love. If bright emerald and grass greens, aren't your bag, then there are loads of olives and golden greens to chose from, including some of my own personal favourites MAC's Humid, Urban Decays Psych, and the KIKO Water Eyeshadow in Olive Green. Looking through my own vast make up collection I have a whole load of different green eye colours, but I'm sad to say rhat that a lot of them have now been discontinued in MAC's fabulous Golden Olive Pigment, MAC shadow in Springtime Skipper, and this amazing eye palette from HUDA Beauty.

Other than receiving the odd thing in various subscription boxes this was probably one of my earliest purchases from HUDA Beauty. From the brands popular but largely now discontinued Obsessions line, comes the HUDA Beauty Emerald Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette. 

Although I'll openly admit that I'm not a fan of cardboard packaging, I do like the packaging of the palette. In a beautiful metallic emerald green, it features a strong magnet closure and a good sized mirror.

The palette contains 6 good sized eyeshadows, 3 mattes and 6 shimmers / glitters, in different shades of green including a matte mint shade, a matte emerald green (this is a much more vibrant green in the flesh), and matte dark olive green / brown. The 6 shimmers and glitters are in various shades including a vibrant peacock green with a slight blue flash, a golden olive shade, and an almost golden shade. The palette contains the perfect combination of both cool and warm toned greens.

As you would expect from a brand with the profile of HUDA Beauty, the quality is exceptional. The matte shadows are buttery soft with excellent colour payoff, and the shimmers / glitters are buttery, metallic, and very pigmented. The shades were fairly easy to blend but there was a bit of fall out with some of the darker shades, and the shimmers, and glitters.

I've done a couple of quick eye looks just to show you the varied looks you can create with this palette. As per usual I'm keeping it as real as possible, my brown need doing desperately, I'm not a make up artist, and I haven't got amazing skills, I'm just someone who loves make up, trying to show you just how easy products are to use. The first look is one of my all time favourites, I'm a huge fan of more olive green shadows, and this trio of shades creates the perfect golden olive look.

This golden olive look can be as dramatic or as a subtle as you like but this next look isn't for the fain hearted. If you love colour or if you want a much brighter, stand out look then you can do that with this palette as well. Here I used a couple of the matte shades, with just a hint of sparkle, to create a fun vibrant look.

I'm so impressed with this palette, and I can assure you that mine now looks a little bit battered and well used ! As I say texture wise, and pigmentation wise, these shadows are really impressive but what I'm also really impressed with is the wear time. Bar a tiny bit of fallout here and minimal creasing these shadows stayed put! In fact I would probably advise that you use an eye base particular if you're using some of the brighter shades, as this look seemed to want to stay put especially on my lash line!

These palettes have been widely copied by some budget brands, but no matter how good they are I can't see anyone beating this particular collection either quality wise or performance wise - this palette for me really was the perfect introduction to HUDA Beauty and it's no surprise that I now own a few more palettes from the brand.

Alas as I say, this palette does appear to have been discontinued now, but you can still find here and there. It originally retailed at around £25 and there are a few currently on eBay for just a little bit more than that. If you're interested I would also recommend doing an online search and checking out your local TK Maxx store because I recently picked up another one of my local stores, not to keep you understand but to give away.

Yes, I know I've been promising this for ages but to thank all of you guys for sticking with me, and your loyalty especially over the last few years, I'm giving a brand new, and in perfect condition HUDA Beauty Emerald Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette, and some other bits including some Tarte, and NEXT.

All you need to do is make sure you're following me on as many social media platforms as possible and fill in the Rafflecopter here or below, oh and just so you know my comments are moderated so they may not appear straight away x

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Terms, Rules And Conditions

This giveaway is open worldwide.

If you are under 18 please get your parent or guardians permission before you enter as I will need your contact details if you're the lucky winner.

Entries will be picked at random using Rafflecopter
I reserve the right delete any entry that hasn't fulfilled the entry criteria or redraw the winner
The giveaway will close 24th November 2023
The winner will have 7 days to respond to my email, if no response is received in this time I will draw another winner
This prize was purchased with my own money I have not been compensated from holding it and this giveaway has not been endorsed in any way by HUDA Beauty or any company or brand mentioned.

If you have any questions on either the palette or my giveaway, then please leave me a comment or contact me via any of my other social media channels, all of which you can find linked in the sidebar→

Thanks for reading and good luck!

*This Post Contains Automatic Affiliate, Added Affiliate And Non Affiliate Links

PR / UNPAID AD - Leave No Trace With The Festival Bag From Paper Bag Co.* **

Whilst I'm not trying to sound too morbid, I'm wondering if any of you guys out there have a bucket list? You know, a list of things that you want to do or achieve before you depart from this crazy world that we all call home. 

Since my life seems to have been pretty much on hold for the last few years, I have a huge list of things that I still want to do and places that I want to go to. I'd love to go to Japan, to do my doctorate, to write a book, to see a volcanic eruption,  and I'd also like to do something that's probably a bit more achievable and go to a proper music festival.

I love music, and live music in particular, and seeing a whole load of different musicians, and artists of different genres sounds perfect! The UK especially is literally music heaven when it comes to festivals, with Glastonbury last weekend, and the Isle Of Wight the week before that, and with other large festivals such as Wireless, Latitude, Kendal Calling, and of course Reading and Leeds still to come, as well as numerous smaller, more niche festivals. the UK really is the place to be if you love live music!

So come on Lou, why don't you just bite the bullet and grab your tent and go to one? Well apart from the obvious health reasons at the moment, I love music but I think I love my comfort more. I think I'd be okay hanging with the VIP's in an RV, but I don't think that I'm really built for festival life, or even camping when I come to think about it. I need good toilets, hot showers, and a clean, comfortable bed. I've heard far too many horror stories about gross toilets, mud, horrendous traffic jams, my fellow human beings, and of course the mountains of rubbish to put me right off!

On the rubbish front though, despite the pictures that you may have seen this week about the aftermath of Glastonbury, things are changing. Whilst piles of rubbish aren't really a great look, Glastonbury has a longstanding with environmental campaign group Greenpeace, and caring for the environment has always been at the forefront of any planning or decision making. They have a full 'Reuse Reduce, Respect' policy which includes a focus on renewable energy, use of electric vehicles onsite, and an onsite recycling plant, and has the tagline 'Love The Farm Leave No Trace', and thankfully in festival and environmental terms they're not alone, with Kendal Calling's 'Leave Nothing But Memories' pledge, and the 'Green National Sustainability Charter' which is in place at all Live Nation festivals including Reading and Leeds.

It isn't just down to other people though, whether you're heading to a music festival or for just a quiet weekend of camping, we all need to do our bit as well, by reducing waste, and environmental damage , and recycling and also by thinking a bit more careful about exactly what we take with us on our trip, and no I don't mean what flavours of vodka to pack!

With an impressive CV when it comes to producing high quality retail and promotional paper bags, including working with brands such as Audi, Christian Dior Parfums and Converse, British brand Paper Bag Co. and their sister company Cotton Bag Co might not be at the top of your list when it comes to packing for a festival, but if you care about the environment then they probably should be.

First introduced in 2022, the Festival Bag from the Paper Bag Co. is the perfect accessory for the festival goer that wants to be a bit more eco conscious. With UK festivals alone generating over 23,000 tonne of rubbish every year, the Festival Bag and it's eco-friendly contents are all specially designed to leave no trace, even if everything get trashed and ends up being left in a muddy field when the festivities are over, oh and that also includes the bag itself! 

Unlike the majority of other rucksacks that you've probably seen on your travels this one isn't made from vinyl or plastic, believe it or not it's actually derived from paper! If you've ever had one of the large paper, or fibre filled padded envelopes, then that a bit like what this bag feels like. Don't worry I can hear what you're all saying, 'paper surely that can't be very durable', well that's where you'd be wrong! This backpack actually feels really strong and sturdy, and as if it could take a real battering, not only that but believe it or not, it's also waterproof. 

The Festival Bag comes into 2 eye catching modern designs, the 'No Trace' hand design and the bright pink, and black 'Festival' design which is the one that I was very kindly sent.

So it looks great, it's better for the environment, and it's sturdy but what else does it have going for it? Well sticking with the construction the bag features two strong webbed fabric and paper derived straps, that are fully adjustable, so it will fit all heights, sizes and wearers, comfortably and securely.

The backpack features a secure, side zipped pocket ideal for your phone or wallet, and it fastens with both a velcro tab and with full top zip for double the security. The main compartment of the bag is super spacious and would easily hold a change of clothes, a towel and a swimsuit or even a couple of folders. It also has a little loop inside the bag so you can attach your keys to keep them safe and secure.

Can you see what I did here? I shot a lovely picture, with a nice clear shot of the bag to give you an indication of the size, and I completely forgot to get a picture of it on my actual back! Seriously I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached - anyways once I realised I quickly remedied it and shot some pics all be it in a different location, and I can safely say that it felt both secure and comfortable and as I say there was plenty of room for adjustment, 

I don't know if your childhood was anything like mine but I always used to, and still do tend to carry backpacks slung over just one shoulder rather than wearing it properly. I always just found it more comfortable that way and this one was no different. I always used to get wrong off my mam for carrying rucksacks like this when I was younger, she kept telling me that it would ruin my posture and I guess it comes as no surprise that my posture now is indeed terrible - it only goes to show that you should always listen to your mam!

If you can get past my strange facial expressions, my awkward modelling poses, and the sight of me in shorts then you might have already noticed my snazzy t-shirt which is the first item that comes inside the Festival Bag. Made of 100% organic cotton, and printed with water based inks, this t-shirt features a really vibrant, modern, 'Leave No Trace' design. It's a really good quality shirt, made of a nice thick cotton, it's comfortable to wear and it also washes really well with no fading or cracking on the design - it's great for everyday wear, and it will make a great cover up it you've caught the sun ;)

As well as the t-shirt, as I said earlier, the Festival Bag also contains a selection of festival, camping or even just travel essentials, all of which are eco-friendly and biodegradable, and that will leave no trace.

The first thing in the backpack is attached to the little loop inside the bag via a metal carabiner clip, and it's a foldable cup! All you do is just pop off the cap / cover, and pop out the cup, and you have a small but sturdy drinking vessel that's perfect for those shots, a sneaky glass of wine, or if your being good a glass of water!

To be honest I have seen cups like this before, but I've never seen one quite like this before. Although it feels like the plastic cups that I've seen in various camping, garden and outdoor retailers, this cup is actually made from wheat fibres! Like the bag it feels surprisingly strong, and it's obviously reusable, just give it a rinse and you're good to go again, but if it ever does break then you are safe in the knowledge that the cup itself and the lid are both fully biodegradable, and of course you could use the carabiner clip for something else.

The next item in the bag, or should I say items, is a paper bag which contains a variety of eco friendly, not trace hygiene items including a good quality bamboo toothbrush, and of course some tooth paste. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, there is indeed some toothpaste in the picture that you can see below, I can see why you would be confused after all there are plastic or metal tubes to be seen anywhere in my photo, and that's because instead of a conventional tube of toothpaste the festival bag instead includes some packaging free toothpaste tabs. You can find these in a few places now, and they are really simple to use, just pop one in your mouth, give it a quick chew, wet your toothbrush and brush away! They feel a touch chalky in your mouth, but they were nice and minty and they left my teeth both feeling and looking clean.

All of the items in this bag are super innovative in both their use and their construction but the next two items in the bag will really blow your mind! My bag contained two body wash sachets, one was unscented, and the other was scented with coconut, sea salt and jasmine. I've only tried the unscented one, and on opening it (with dry hands as instructed) I was a little bit confused, instead of being greeted by a liquid shower, instead the sachet contained a a flat, white square that felt a bit like really thin foam. After getting wet in the shower and the rubbing the square over my skin, it actually started to dissolve and foam up! For something so small and unpromising looking I actually got a really decent shower out of it, oh and don't worry about the paper sachet that it comes in, just drop it on the floor of the shower and it will safely and quickly dissolve away, and disappear down the plughole, again leaving no trace. In case you haven't realised I'm completely blown away by this vegan and cruelty free product, and I'm definitely going to be hunting some of these down for travel, and overnight stays, they weigh next to nothing and there are no liquids to worry about.

Sticking with the whole idea of keeping clean, the 'wash bag' element of the Festival Bag also contains some compressed bamboo based face and body towels. Again they look pretty innocuous but just pop one of these natural coloured tablets into some water, and they will expand to create a biodegradable cloth perfect for washing your face or body, or just freshening up.

One thing that festivals aren't known for is peace, and quiet, and as much as you'll probably enjoy the noise, and the hustle and bustle, we all need to sleep at some point, and that's why the Festival Bag also contains a pair of cotton and natural beeswax ear plugs, so even if your campmates are throwing an all-nighter you should still be able to catch up on your beauty sleep.

Now as nice as the weather in the UK has been over the last few weeks, and even though weather forecasters are predicting a few more heatwaves before summers out, never forget that this is the UK and what does it do here? It rains! and that's why no festival survival kit is complete without a rain poncho! The one that comes in the Festival Bag isn't just your typical plastic bag style poncho though, instead this adult sized, hooded poncho is made of biodegradable cornstarch so it will keep you dry, and when you've finished with it, you can bin it or compost it and it will rot safely away.

For a festival virgin such as myself, something that has always put me off seeing some of my favourite artists in the festival environment is the horror of the portaloo! Whilst I have heard good things about at least some of the toilets at Glastonbury, I've also heard some pretty ahem.. interesting stories about festival and camping toilets, and whilst alas this backpack doesn't contain and clean and fully functioning bathroom, it does contain a 100% recycled, full size loo roll from the fabulously named 'Who Gives A Crap'.

Whether you're a fan of his music or not, I've got to say that Sir Elton's Glastonbury set was something else, both me and my mum thoroughly enjoyed watching his performance last Sunday night, and if the majority of the crowd watching him were to be believed then you can't have a festival without a bit of sparkle. You're probably well aware though that the majority of glitter is still made out of plastic, not the glitter in this bag though! The final item in the Festival Bag is a little packet of super sparkly, fully biodegradable glitter that is actually made from plants!

Whether you're heading to a festival this summer or not this bag is fabulous for any camping trip or weekend away, and even if like me you're planning on staying at home this summer, you could still find a lot of uses for both the Festival Bag and its contents.

As well as being eco friendly the bag is really spacious and good quality, and everything inside is both useful and innovative. I'll definitely be popping both the cup and the poncho in the car for both hydration and rain emergencies, and I'm also going to be on the hunt for some more of those body wash sachets,

No matter what your plans are this summer, if you want to be a bit more eco friendly and be prepared for all eventualities when you're out and about and beyond then I would definitely recommend picking up the Festival Bag. The Festival Bag retails at around £39.95 and is available exclusively from Paper Bag Co. 

If the Festival Bag isn't your thing though then don't forget to check out the Cotton Bag Co and of course their sister company Paper Bag Co, which offer other eco friendly products that can benefit you or your business. Their printed tissue paper is sustainable, eco friendly and branded which is a great way to personalise and add value to your packaging and branding.

Are you a festival fan? Let me know in the comments and make me jealous and let me know what you're up to this summer, and of course if you have any questions let me know below x 

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PR / UNPAID AD - Boost Your Mood And Your Senses With The New Radox Shower Gel Range* **

If you're a regular reader of my blog then you'll know that I've always considered myself to be 100% a bath girl, and whilst I don't half miss lounging in a tub full of bubbles, I'm definitely becoming more of a convert to the power of the shower, and it seems as though I'm not alone.

According to research carried out on behalf of heritage UK bath and shower brand Radox, whilst we're predominantly still a nation of bath lovers, over 56% of people that they surveyed are new showering more than now than ever before, with some people showering up to 10 times a week! Showering definitely has it's advantages, having a shower takes less time, and you use way less water than you would if you were filling a bath, so it's no wonder that in such a time poor, more environmentally conscious, and cash strapped society, that the popularity of the shower is increasing.

Whilst a shower is at its heart a practical experience, a shower very much like a bath can also be used to alter your mood, calm you down, clear your head and lift your spirits, it all depends on your set up, and what products and fragrances you use.

With over 100 years of bath, and shower experience, the UK's number one shower brand Radox, recently relaunches it's entire shower range, with new and improved formulations, and a range of 12 core products which are contain fragrances which are specially formulated to to boost your mood in various different ways.

As well as introducing new fragrances and new formulations, the entire Radox shower range has also now been repackaged, and each bottle is now made of 50% recycled plastic (excluding the label and cap), and as you would expect 100% of the bottle is now recyclable, potentially saving 450 tons of virgin plastic in the UK every year!. Not only that but the new flip up, sit up, twist off design of the cap also allows easy refilling. Yes you read right, Radox have also recently introduced 500ml refill pouches in 3 of their most popular scents, 'Feel Awake', 'Feel Refreshed', and 'Feel Uplifted' with fingers crossed, more varieties to come in the future.

Whilst some of the scents have just been repackaged, reformulated, and improves, there have also been of couple of brand new introductions including the one that Radox were lucky enough to send me, the Radox Feel Radiant Strawberry and Raspberry Shower Gel.

Designed to leave you feeling refreshed and radiant, the Radox Feel Radiant Shower Gel contains Radox's signature 4 mineral, and secret herb blend which has helped ease bodies and minds for decades, alongside blackberry, sour cherry, strawberry, bilberry, and raspberry juices and extracts.

Packaged in a simple but chunky east to hold bottle, with a flip top cap, this bright berry pink, slightly pearlised shower gel has a slightly runny consistency, if you tip the bottle upside down it will either collect inside the lid or if the caps open it will spill out - just something to bear in mind.

You don't need a lot and it foams up easily with water, producing a soft creamy foam, which rinses away easily and leaves the skin comfortable and not tight or dry.

Although it's described as a strawberry and raspberry shower gel, as you can see from the ingredients list, it probably has more of a tart, natural berry scent. If you don't like sweet or artificial strawberry scents, don't worry, this has much more of a 'green' berry scent, almost like freshly picked berries with a few of the leaves mixed in.

As well as boosting your mood on a scent level, for me these shower also appeal to another sense and are also visually appealing. I love the rainbow look of all 12 core bottles all lined up together, and whilst I haven't managed to replicate that display in my own bathroom, I couldn't resist buying another scent to try. I am a huge fan of fruity scents, and there was something about the bright and vibrant colour of this one that just drew me in.

The Radox Feel Revived Mandarin & Apricot Scent Shower Gel just ticked all the boxes for me - the same environmental credentials and the same trusted Radox blend of 4 minerals and 13 herbs, teamed up with fabulous sweet, fruity slightly citrus scent, and a brilliant orange colour. Okay, this one doesn't contain quite as many natural extracts as 'Feel Radiant' but I kind of like it more, it's zingy, fruity and the colour which my photo definitely doesn't do justice to, just screams sunshine!

If you don't fancy either of these fragrances, or if you want your shower to induce a different kind of mindset, there are 10 other scents to experience in the Radox core range, including 'Feel Refreshes' with a eucalyptus and citrus scent, 'Feel Awake' with fennel and sea minerals, and 'Feel Energised' with a key lime and peppermint fragrance. Although I really fancy trying them all and having my own rainbow shower gel display, next of my list to try are 'Feel Relaxed' which contains lavender and waterlily, and given my love of fruity scents, it goes without saying that I want to try 'Feel Ready' which has a sweet pomegranate and apple scent.

Whatever fragrance and formulation it is that you go for, or whatever feeling or mood you want to achieve or even dispel, these dermatologically tested shower gel are a real budget beauty must have that will take even the quickest shower to the next level.

Like with so many products at the moment, if you've got the time or if you're watching the pounds and pennies, it pays you to shop around a bit. I've seen these 225ml shower gels for as little as £1 and for as much as £2.75 each, with the 500ml refill pouches retailing at around £1.75 each. The shower gels and refills are available from a variety of retailers including Superdrug, Boots, Wilko, Asda, Tesco, Poundland, B&M, and Savers, and you can also by multipacks from Sephora. You can find out more about the full range on the Radox website x

Are you a bath or shower person? Let me know in the comments x 

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*This Post Contains Automatic Affiliate, And Added Non Affiliate Links

PR / UNPAID AD - Sleepy Showers And Scrubs With The Lush Co-Mingle Body Scrub*

Unlike a lot of bloggers with disabilities and chronic illness I don't actually talk about my health that much - my blog has always been a place to escape rather than dwell on my limitations but every now and then I throw the odd thing into the conversation and today I'm talking again about my issues with sleep! 

As you would probably expect from a condition named 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome', some of the main symptoms are tiredness, and exhaustion. Even if I've had a real 'lazy' day, I can go to bed and sleep solidly for 12 hours plus, and still wake up feeling just as shattered as I did when I went to bed! It's both annoying and debilitating, but what a lot of people don't realise though is that ME, CFS, or whatever it called this week, can also cause chronic insomnia! If you've ever suffered from the inability to sleep, even if it was just a one off, then you'll know just how frustrating it can be. I regularly have nights when despite being almost delirious with exhaustion, I just don't sleep! If I'm having one of those nights, there isn't always a lot that I can do about it, but I can at least try and prevent it by adopting a good sleep routine.

I've talked quite a lot on the blog in the past about establishing a good sleep routine, so you should know the drill by now - establish a regular bedtime, have a comfortable bed and bedding, cut out the caffeine and have a warm drink, say goodbye to electronic devices, and have a warm but not too hot bath or shower.

I love having a shower just before bed, I don't know whether it's the warmth or the sound of the water, but it really helps me switch off and wind down. Sometimes I'll just grab the first shower product that I come across, but most of the time I'll trigger 'operation sleep' and use something lavender scented. At the moment I'm using the shower gel and the body lotion from the Lush Sleepy range, which has a beautiful relaxing lavender scent. When I'm having a late night, pre bed shower I normally just foam up, rinse, dry and then moisturise - no treatments, extra products or anything that takes too much time or effort, recently though I was sent a product from Lush that works perfectly with the Sleepy range, and amps up your nighttime routine, without too much extra effort, and yes it's one of my favourite ever things, a body scrub!

As much as I love my body exfoliators when you're feeling tired, adding in that extra step is often a bit of a chore, that you could probably do without, but if you love the idea of a body exfoliator without the effort then Lush Co-Mingle could be the answer to your prayers!

Designed to be quick and easy to use, Co-Mingle is the perfect product for that late night shower. It's basically a 3 in 1 product - a gentle body scrub, and a body wash with built in moisturisers, so you can just scrub, wash and go!

Crammed full of shea butter, cupuaco butter, cocoa butter and argan oil, as well as natural exfoliators bamboo stem extract and tagua nut powder, this scrub is pale pink in colour, and has a creamy, almost whipped mousse like texture, permeated with very fine but noticeable exfoliating particles.

Just apply it as you would any other body scrub to damp skin, and massage it on to the skin. In seconds it goes from a creamy exfoliator, to a creamy, milky foam, cleansing and gently exfoliating your skin. Even though the particles are quite small they still rinse away fairly easily and the skin is left feeling clean, smooth and smelling heavenly.

Oh yes, the smell! As you've probably already guessed this scrub has the same beautiful lavender scent as the Sleepy range. This isn't your old fashioned powdery lavender it's has a gorgeous, relaxing aromatherapy like lavender scent that makes this product perfect for those nighttime baths and showers. 

It obviously works perfectly as an accompanying product to the similarly scented Sleepy Shower Gel, or Showder, or even the Sleepy Bubble Bar, or the Deep Sleep Bath Bomb, but if you're extra sleepy then you could just use this use this over your whole body, I'd probably avoid "ahem' certain areas but the particles are fine enough, that it shouldn't cause too many issues elsewhere. So all you really need to do is take this one tub into the shower, and then because of the moisturising ingredients, you can either dry yourself off and pop your PJs straight on, or you can do what I do and team it up either with the Sleepy Body Lotion, or Lush's fabulous Dream Cream, and then you'll be in the land of nod before you know it!

You should know by now that I do love a full on scratchy scrub, and whilst this one is never going to win any awards for its scrubbiness, it should win an award for its convenience, and for it's fabulous scent. When used alone or with some other similarly scented products, it really helps you get in to that bedtime mind set whilst at the same time giving your skin a much needed treat.

Lush Co-Mingle Body Scrub comes in a 225g tub and retails at £20. It's available direct from Lush and from your local Lush store x 

I'd love to know if you have a specific nighttime routine and what products you use to help you get a good nights sleep, so please let me know in the comments and don't forget to let me know if you have any questions x 

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Glossybox 2021 Revisited - A Review Of The e.l.f. Bite-Size Eyeshadow - Berry Bad, And More Life Lately x*

Well it's safe to say that the few weeks have been pretty horrible. Less than 1 day after I published my last post we received the news that one of my bonus dads, my Uncle George has passed away. Although he had various ailments, it was all very sudden and understandably we were and still are both devastated, my mam's super close to both of her brothers so it's been a huge blow to her both mentally and even physically, so I've been doing my best to support her and take care of her. If that wasn't enough one of my oldest friends Helen, lost her dad just 5 days after my uncle passed. I spent so much time with her and her family when I was younger, going on holiday with them, and having sleepovers, and going over for tea. Her and her family are still very close family friends so it was huge loss, and mentally it really was the straw that broke the camels back for me, so understandably I've had a to take some time out. Whilst there are still tonnes of emotions, thoughts and memories floating around in my head, I've decided that I need a distraction, so I decided to sit down today and get my blog on.

As I mentioned in my last post, after many years I eventually made the decision to cancel my Glossybox subscription, there were a few reasons why I chose to cancel, but one of the main reasons I guess, was that I was starting to feel a bit snowed on by all of the products that I still hadn't touched. I have a huge basket full of bits dating back to 2021, including lots of unopened items, and I just didn't see the point in adding to that pile! In the weeks and months to come I'm going to try and feature as many of these products as I can, either in full review posts like this one, faces of the day posts, or in future empties post, thus giving myself content options without the stresses of proper unboxing's.

So today we're taking a little trip back to November, 2021, to talk about a product from the Beauty Desires edition, and it's something that the eagle eyed readers amongst you might have already seen mentioned in my previous blog post, the e.l.f. Bite Size Eyeshadow Palette in Berry Bad.

Whilst the e.l.f. range is nowhere near as cheap as it used to be, and their £1 products are long gone, it's still one of my go to brands for good quality, affordable make up, with the odd cult or viral favourite thrown in for good measure (Hydrating Core Lip Shine in Ecstatic, I'm talking to you!).

A good test for any brand no matter what the price point though should be the quality of their eyeshadows. In this day and age if a brand can't produce a decent eyeshadow then it's very unlikely that anything else, at least powder wise, will be any good.

Packaged on a fairly basic clear, and white plastic compact, as the name would suggest, this quad contains 4 berry like, autumnal toned powder eyeshadows. The quad contains 2 matte shades, 1in a dark almost, burgundy brown and the other in a light, peachy nude, and 2 almost metallic shimmers, 1 in a warm bronze / copper tone, and the other in a gorgeous deep wine / berry tone.

All of the shadows are lovely and smooth, and the shimmer / metallics in particular have an almost creamy feel. The pigmentation and colour payoff as you can see is superb even on the two matte shades.

They were really easy to apply and to blend out, with only a tiny bit of fallout, which brushed away easily with a fan brush.

This is just a really quick look that I created with 3 of the shades in this quad, and as well as looking not too shabby, the shadows wore well even on my oily lids with only a tiny bit of fading and creasing after around 5-6 hours of wear.

For an eyeshadow palette with an RRP of just £4 this quad really impressed me. The shadows were soft and creamy, the payoff was fantastic and the pigmentation even on the two matte shades was really impressive. I was also really impressed with the wear time, and don't forget all of e.l.f's products are both vegan and cruelty free, and they are also free from phthlates, parabens and several more potentially iffy ingredients - not bad for a 'budget brand"!

If you don't fancy going down the berry route though, there are around 12 quads in the Bite-Size range featuring everything from greens to blues, and purple, to loads of neutral and fashion options. The full  e.l.f. Bite-Size Eyeshadow quads including Berry Bad, is available direct from e.l.f. Cosmetics, selected shades are also available from various other retailers including ASOS, Beauty Bay and Superdrug.

Are you a fan of e.l.f. Cosmetics? Let me know your favourite products in the comments x 

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