Sample Saturday - Luscious Lips - Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick - 420 Rebellious Rose*

Hey everyone, I hope you've all had a good week x I had planned to be a little bit more active on the blog this week but since it was my mam's 80th birthday on Tuesday instead I devoted the week to her, and to family time, so I hope that you'll forgive me. I've got a couple of post planned for next week so I'm going to do my best to try and get back on track.

Today I've really got a 2 for 1 for you, and today's post represents two of my regular features Sample Saturday, and my new Luscious Lips series. Today I'm sharing my thoughts with you on an an Estee Lauder lipstick that I got a few months ago now in a beauty bag from Feel Unique. They've replaced the beauty bag with a beauty box now but it's still a great way to try new things, or to stock up for holidays and nights out.

For as long as I can remember Estee Lauder has been a fixture in my life, I remember my Grandmas dressing table vividly, in it's ornate French style adorned beautiful collectable glass jars of Estee Lauder loose powder, and later on in life my mam's obsession with their Pink Parfait lip colour. Bar a few skincare bits, and the odd perfume (I'm a Beautiful girl ;) though I personally haven't tried that much from the brand. I guess I always associated it with the older women in my life, and whilst it was a reliable, classic heritage brand, maybe I thought it was just a bit boring, and instead I flocked to the bright colours and innovations of its brand mates like MAC, and Bobbi Brown.

For a brand to have been around since 1946 though they must be doing something right, so in an attempt to break down my beauty prejudices and expand my make up horizons, I thought I try one of their lipsticks. 

Estee Lauder have quite a few different lipstick ranges, but this particular one is from their Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick range, and unusually for a sample size the packaging is almost identical to the full size, with the same dark blue, and gold colour way, and the same angular shape.

Every lipstick in this formulation contains multi faceted pigments that create definition, add shape, and fullness, as well as a unique Time Release Moisture Complex which is designed to seal in hydration and keep lips moisturised throughout the day, leading to creamy, smooth coverage, and an 8 hour wear time.

The shade that I got was a colour called Rebellious Rose, which is one of Estee Lauder's worldwide best sellers, described as part rose, part rebel it's a universally flattering, muted rosy coral, with warm undertones. 

As you can see from the swatch the pigmentation is excellent. With a slightly waxy, vanilla scent, it's lovely and smooth, and creamy, with out being too soft, or smooshy, meaning that you can achieve precise application direct from the all be it mini bullet!

It didn't feel drying on the lips at all, and whilst it didn't feel overtly moisturising, it left the lips feeling comfortable and sufficiently hydrated. The coverage was excellent and it had a lovely glossy sheen like finish.

The glossy finish meant that it did transfer a bit onto mugs, food and people, but once the initial sheen had faded, the almost stain like, colour underneath lasted for a good few hours, before fading away completely. I wouldn't say I got the full 8 hours that Estee Lauder claim, but I was still pretty impressed with the wear time, and how it left my lips afterwards.

Despite it being one of their most popular colours, up until a few years this shade would have been a real no no for me. I was super self conscious of the effect of my facial paralysis on my lip shape, and I used to stick to nudes, and unassuming colours to avoid drawing attention to their unevenness. As I say though things change, and I'm trying harder to love what I see in the mirror by embracing darker and brighter lips, and whilst this lipstick isn't crazily bright, it's a lovely universally wearable shade, and I can definitely see why it's one of Estee Lauder's best sellers. Apart from the colour, it felt super comfortable on the lips and the wear time was excellent - definitely a winner in my book!

Estee Lauder lipsticks aren't the cheapest but I definitely think it's a rare case of you get what you pay for, the packaging is classy, and the formulations are first class. Seeing as it's so popular the full size Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in 420 Rebellious Rose comes in a variety of different limited edition packaging options, as well as in the traditional navy blue, and gold, and it is usually priced between £27 and £28.50. You can find it at your nearest Estee Lauder counter, as well as direct from Estee Lauder, Boots, House Of Fraser, John Lewis, and NEXT Beauty. Have you ever tried any make up from Estee Lauder? Let me know your recommendations in the comments x

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

Sample Saturday - The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask *

Happy Saturday x I hope you're all have a good weekend, I've had a bit of a rough week both mentally and physically so instead of the Glossybox catch up that I had planned for today, I've decided to bring back an old series on the blog, Sample Saturday and today I'm talking about a product that I got in the 2020 Glossybox advent calendar.

Before I start on the review, I thought I'd just give you a quick overview of the 2020 calendar x At £80 for Glossybox subscribers, and £99 for non subscribers, this was their most expensive calendar to date, but the contents was apparently worth over £390. 

What I particularly liked the 2020 calendar, was the fact that unlike previous years, it was really easy to reuse it. As you can see the sturdy cardboard calendar, came with magnetic fastening doors, and contained 4 good sized drawers, filled with little boxes of goodies. Although there was obviously an excess of paper shred and thinner cardboard, the fact that the bulk of the calendar could be used for storage was a huge thing for me, and it's currently living in my bedroom, stuffed to the brim with surprise, surprise make up, and beauty products.

Whilst I had issues with a few products in the calendar, the product value was probably there, alongside some cheaper items, and some teeny, tiny samples, there were some really good, high end full sized products, that along with the packaging, made the 2020 calendar a fab way to bring 2020 to a close. If you want to take a peek at the full contents then you can check out the a full day by day unboxing in the highlights section of my Instagram page x 

 

Today though, I am going to talk about one specific product in the calendar, and it's something that Glossybox described as a deluxe mini, and it's a skincare product from The Body Shop.

The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask, is designed specifically for oily skin, and skin that needs a little TLC. Containing sustainable, Himalayan bamboo charcoal, green tea leaves, Moroccan lava clay, pumice, argan shell powder, and argan oil, and Community Fair Trade tea tree oil, this mask claims to unclog pores, suck out dirt, debris and excess oil, and to add healthy glow, as well as leaving the skin softer, and smoother.

The is dark, khaki, green, brown in colour, and it has a creamy, clay like, mask base, with addition of dark green leaf like particles that give it a slightly gritty, textured feel. The smell is quite fresh, clean and herbal based, with hints of tea tree 

You can apply this mask either with a mask brush or your fingers, I've tried both and it was actually slightly easier with my fingers because of the leaves. Almost immediately on application it feels hot, then cold , and very tingly. The first time that I tried I actually debated whether or not to wash it straight off it was so uncomfortable, but I persevered and as the mask started to dry the tingling gradually subsided

Before

On Application

The Body Shop advise that you leave it on for between 5 and 10 minutes, so for full effect I've left on for around 10 minutes. As you can see in the picture below it wasn't completely set, but it was near enough. It dries down like a typical clay mask, with the mask drying, tightening and cracking, and it changes colour from a the dark brown, green, to a pale, slightly khaki tinged beige.

After 10 Minutes

It wasn't the easiest mask to remove, because as well as the clay you had the charcoal, pumice, argan powder, and the green tea leaves to remove. With all of the particles the removal process was quite a scrubby experience. The best way I found to remove it was to soften it down with a warm, damp flannel, before removing it in circular motions with lots of warm water.

After Removal

I'm not sure whether it down the mask itself or exfoliation from the removal but my skin did like quite pink and felt slightly hot. My skin though generally did look brighter, and clearer, and I don't think that my pore looked quite as noticeable. It's not that easy to see in these pictures but I did actually have a little hormonal breakout on my chin area, and I did feel that using this mask dried it up a little bit quicker than normal. The biggest difference I actually noticed though was the feel of my skin, it feel smooth and super soft, even on the oilier and bumpier areas of my face.

If written this review after the first use I probably wouldn't have bought it again, because the tingling was just a bit too uncomfortable. However, in the 2 or 3 times that I've used it since the tingling, hot, cold sensation wan't anywhere near as strong, and I still achieved the same smooth feeling, clear, fresher skin. I did first try this mask in the depths of winter so even though it's snowing today, my skin could possibly have been drier than it is now, hence the stronger reaction. I don't know what I do know is that yes I would potentially buy this again, probably in this smaller size, to deal with hormonal breakouts and as part of a multi mask application when my t-zone and chin feel more oily. If you have drier skin though I would definitely give this one a miss. This mask in my opinion is perfect for people with oilier skin, more visible pores, and breakouts, oh and if you have a more sensitive skin, then I'd probably also give this one a miss, as I thought I might just be a bit too scrubby and strong for you x 

This 15ml deluxe mini size retails at £6, and you can also buy the full 75ml size for £18 from The Body Shop stores, online, and from your local The Body Shop At Home representative.

Have you tried anything from The Body Shop skincare range? Let me know your thoughts and recommendations in the comments x

*This Post Contains Both Automatic And Added Affiliate Links

Sample Saturday - Benefit They're Real Double The Lip - Nude Scandal

I may have already mentioned it a few times, both on here and on Instagram, but if you haven't already heard I'm having a bit of a clear out at the moment. I'm not big on new years resolutions but I do usually set myself a few goals, a few targets and a few things that I want to achieve, and this year one of my big aims was to get myself more organised and clear out some of the junk both in my house and in my mind!

Like most things I got waylaid, but now in the last month or so of the year, I'm actually getting down to it and clearing out some of that clutter. Whilst methodically going through each room and sorting out some of my stuff I realised that something was missing? What was missing? well magazines of course. I used to be a prolific magazine buyer, I used to buy at least 4 a month and I couldn't pop into the supermarket without picking up a coffee break read but now I can go for months without buying a glossy mag.

To be honest I'm not big on celebrity gossip and I'm not big on skimming though 100 pages of adverts in every £4 or so, issue. Don't get me wrong, print magazines still have their place but my love affair with the glossy definitely seems to be over. Looking back over the last 12 months or so, the only time I seem to have bought a magazine, is either when I've been stuck in somewhere boring like a hospital, or when there is a decent free gift.

I'm a sucker for a magazine freebie but now though I seem to be a little bit more selective over which ones that I pick up. I don't need and more hand cream, or eye liners, or mascaras so I'm starting to actually think about what I buy, after all it's only a decent offer if you actually want both the magazine and the product!

Recently though the UK addition of ELLE magazine, featured a free gift that I really wanted and that I'd been debating whether or not to buy for sometime.

I've talked about my love for Benefit Cosmetics on many occasions and the freebie in question was a  Benefit They're Real Double The Lip Beyond Sexy Lipstick & Liner In One in the shade Nude Scandal.

Way back in March I posted a review of four of the shades in the collection, and I have to say I really rate them. You can have a little read here to see why but I love the colours, the texture, the wear time, and the whole lipstick and liner in one concept. My favourite shades were both of the pink colours, Pink Thrills and Lusty Rose, but I really wanted to try the shade Nude Scandal, and this magazine freebie give me the perfect opportunity to try it out.

Alas it wasn't a full size lippy, but it was a decent 0.75g, half size, which gave me plenty opportunity to try it out and to include in an all be it, very rare, Sample Saturday post x 

Obviously I've already talked about what makes these lipsticks so special, but just to recap it's all down to the shape and the shades. The entire Benefit They're Real range is basically about making the best of yourself with just a tiny hint of fakery or should I say self improvement.

In a slim, metallic look tube these lipsticks have a unique teardrop shaped tip, the lipstick at the pointed tip of the teardrop is in a slightly darker shade, compared to the rest of the teardrop. This pointed tip gives you your liner look, so when you apply the lipstick with the point at the outer edge of your lips, your lining them and filling them in with the one product.It takes a little bit of getting used to, twisting the bullet around but once you get the hang of it, it's a lot quicker than using a separate lipstick and liner.

In some of the shades there looks to be quite a drastic difference between the lipstick and liner and shades but once you get them on the lips there is no harsh line and you certainly don't get that horrible dark liner, pale lips look, instead you just get slightly fuller, plumper looking lips.

Nude Scandal is a really wearable nude, it isn't too brown, and it certainly isn't one of those pale, deathly looking nudes. It's a very pink, nude which I think will suit a lot of different skin tones. I've worn it an awful lot since I got and it's definitely one of those go to colours that literally goes with any outfit or make up look.

These lipsticks aren't the most moisturising lipsticks that I've ever used but they certainly aren't drying, and the fab demi matte formula wears incredibly well.

My only issue with these lipsticks, when I first reviewed them was the slightly odd, TCP type taste and scent, but thankfully Nude Scandal doesn't taste like something I should be applying to a cut! Whether I got a bad batch or whether they've added some fragrance and flavouring I don't know, but this tube of Nude Scandal has a very subtle vanilla taste and scent.

Although I've managed a little clear out and I've recently giving Mummy Lou a huge bagful of lip products, I still have way too many for one set of lips, despite that though Nude Scandal is a recent addition that I'm happy to have. I really like these lipsticks and Nude Scandal is an excellent everyday colour, that's really easy to apply and wear. As I say this is the half, 0.75g size but the full 1.5g size, of Benefit They're Real Double The Lip Beyond Sexy Lipstick & Liner In One in Nude Scandal retails at around £16.50 from various retailers including Boots, John Lewis, Debenhams, and of course the Benefit website. Have you tried these lipsticks yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments and if you're a Benefit fan I've got a couple more reviews coming up for you in the next few days.

Sample Saturday - Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter*

I've had a little bit of a blogging break over the last week but I'm back today with the return of my Sample Saturday series. Like blogging at the moment this series has taken a bit of a back seat but from this week Sample Saturday will be a regular thing once again.

One of my favourite brands at the moment has to be Kiehls, after an fascinating skin analysis, and an amazing facial**, At last I think I've discovered both a brand and products that can really make a difference to my skin.

The facial was the best pre birthday treat that I could have had, my skin felt incredibly, smooth and revitalised, and like all good beauty therapists, Kate from the Kiehls counter in House Of Fraser, in Intu Metrocentre went just that little bit further and gave me a relaxing and hydrating hand and arm massage.

I've made a couple of Kiehls purchases since my facial (a large beauty haul post is coming soon) and with those purchases and my skin analysis, I was lucky enough to receive quite a few sachets and sample sized products to try. I received a couple of things from the skincare line which have already become firm favourites and I also received a couple of sachets of one of their most famous products - Creme de Corps.

Kiehls have been around since 1851 and they have an amazing history and pedigree when it comes to skincare but probably one of their most famous products is their body cream - Creme de Corps. The original formulation remains one of their most loved products and it's held in high regard by a wide range of therapists, make up artists, celebrities and even Victoria's Secret Models.

The original formulation which is crammed full of sesame oil and cocoa butter remains one of their best sellers, but never one to rest of their laurels and their history, Kiehls are a brand that like to move with the times, and as a result they've introduced several new variants of Creme de Corps, including the one that I tried, Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter.

This was the product that I was lucky enough to be massaged with during my facial, and just that small taste (and scent) of it left me wanting more. Designed to provide up to 24 hours of hydration, this body cream is packed to the brim full of good for you ingredients including shea butter, jojoba oil, beta carotene and Kiehls signature plant based ingredient squalane, and of course extracts of soy milk and honey. It also contains no parabens, glycols, or silicone's.

Unlike the original this product has an almost mousse like texture. It has a whipped, airy like appearance, yet it feels creamy and buttery on the skin. It's quite thick but it spreads easily onto the skin, and a little goes a long way.

Given the creaminess and buttery feel I was expecting this product to take an age to absorb but providing you don't use to much, it sinks in pretty much straight away, without any residue, or a sticky or tacky feel. I'm not sure whether or not the feeling lasted for the full 24 hours but immediately after application and for sometime afterwards my skin felt and looked smooth and hydrated, and smelled good enough to eat.

I have to be honest and say that the name originally put off this because I absolutely hate honey! I can't stand the taste of it and to me the smell is even worse! Thankfully though, this doesn't smell anything like honey. To me this smells like cake, it's a creamy vanilla, coconut scent that makes me think of coconut cake, smothered in creamy vanilla butter cream. Despite the creaminess and sweetness this isn't too sweet a scent, and despite the fact that I'm not the biggest coconut fan either I personally didn't find it either overpowering or sickly.

Although I've only used 2, 5ml sachets I can definitely say that I'm in love with this product. Despite it thickness it absorbs into the skin easily, and leaves the skin looking healthy and with an almost glowy appearance. Given the texture and the scent I think that this product would make the perfect summer body moisturiser and I also think that it would make a great after sun. Due to the insane amount of body creams and moisturisers that I already own, I can't see myself purchasing this at the moment, but I'd definitely consider buying the full size in the future. Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter comes in two sizes and retails at £36 for the 226g tub and at £45 for the 340g tub. It's available from Kiehls standalone stores and concessions nationwide and from their own website, and from various websites Debenhams, House Of Fraser and John Lewis. Have you tried Creme de Corps? Let me know in the comments x

*On Counter Sample
**Complimentary Skin Analysis And Facial

Molton Brown Festive Frankincense & Allspice Fine Liquid Hand Wash*

You know how it is, you spend ages waiting for something and then it just seems to sneak up on you at the last minute. A few weeks ago it seemed like ages till Christmas but now it's only 4 days away and I still have way too much to do - I have to blog, I have people to see, shopping to do, and presents to wrap, and I'm running out of time!

When it comes to blogging, life really is getting in the way at the moment, and instead of hunkering down and getting some posts up, on Saturday I ended up doing something else. I'm not going to worry about it though, there's enough stress around at the moment as it is, without throwing a bit of blogger guilt in as well - I'm just going to do my best to catch up and post as often as I can x  So here it is better late, than never, a little, belated Molton Brown review x 

Although I've fallen in and out of love with British brand Molton Brown more than once over the years, it's a brand that every now and then, I just keep coming back to. Over the years they've flirted with skincare and make up but now they're focusing on the products that made them famous - bath, shower and body care. They team high quality, natural ingredients, with simple, minimalist and often copied packaging, to produce an aspirational product, that brings a touch of luxury and sophistication into your home

Personally speaking I'd love anything from Molton Brown in my stocking, but something that I think makes a lovely gift at this time of year is a hand wash. Admittedly I'm slightly obsessed with hand washes and soaps but they make a really nice, non offensive present for anyone of any age, and unlike a lot of presents, you can pretty much guarantee that they will get used

Whilst Molton Brown Festive Frankincense & Allspice Fine Liquid Hands Wash, isn't aimed solely at men, I think that's it's the perfect pressie for a house proud young man, or a man that loves his smellies. 

A hand wash was probably one of the first Molton Brown product that I ever used, and I can still remember the fragrance and the mass of creamy bubbles that it produced. There are several permanent washes in the range but this one is specially for the festive season.

Crammed full of vetiver, frankincense, cedar wood and all spice, this hand wash, has a warm spicy scent, that combines all of those spicy festive scents that we know and love, with the warmth and deep woody notes of the frankincense and the vetiver.  Vetiver is an extract that used a lot in men's fragrance and that's exactly what this hand wash reminds me of - an expensive, wood, spicy, masculine scent. 

It does have a tendency to linger on the skin for quite a while, so this is definitely a hand wash to put in a main or maybe a guest bathroom. 

I think that this product would make a great gift for anyone that loves this type of fragrance. I personally think that it's a very male orientated scent, but fragrance is such a personal thing, and I'm sure a lot of women that I know would appreciate this one too x

The bottle I've got here is just a 30ml sample size  but the Molton Brown Festive Frankincense & Allspice Fine Liquid Hand Wash also comes in a 300ml bottle which retails at around £16 and in a special 75ml Hand Wash Bauble Bottle which retails at around £10. As well as their standalone stores and their website, you can also buy Molton Brown products in selected House Of Fraser, John Lewis and Boots, stores and online.

*Sample

Sample Saturday - Agadir Argan Oil Daily Moisturizing Shampoo And Conditioner*

As much as I love finishing beauty products and racking up those empties, sometimes it can be a double edged sword. Last week I finished both a shampoo and a conditioner from a kit that I've been loving lately, and seeing those empty bottles made me feel a little bit sad :(  I've written a full review in a previous post but the products made me feel like I'd given my hair a serious moisture boost so obviously I went straight online and ordered some replacements.

Whilst I was waiting for them to come though, I still needed to wash my hair and give it the TLC that it so desperately needs, so I had a little look through my sample stash and found a bagful of sample sachets from a brand called Agadir Argan Oil.

Founded in 1964, Agadir Argan Oil is a professional haircare brand, that has Argan Oil at it's heart. Unlike some brands and some cheaper products on the market Agadir only use 100% pure and certified Moroccan Argan Oil in their products, and there products aren't tested on animals. Although there is a big buzz around Argan Oil at the moment in the beauty industry, it's been used in it's native Morocco on both the hair and the skin, for many, many years and with good reason. This precious oil is famed for both both it's moisturising and nourishing properties, and it can even help improve the elasticity and strength of the hair.

The Agadir Argan Oil range contains a large variety of both care, and styling products for all hair types, and needs and I was lucky enough to be sent sample sachets of most of the products in the line. I'm going to try and review them all for you in due course but my most pressing need was shampoo and conditioner, so that's what I tried first.


Agadir Argan Oil Daily Moisturizing Shampoo - 10ml

There are two shampoos in the Agadir range and this is probably the most, all round, everyday one. Suitable for all hair types, it's both sulfate and paraben free. It contains 100% pure Argan Oil, and it also contains Vitamin E, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids. It also includes a unique colour preserving formulation, and is designed to leave the hair smooth and conditioned.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the sachet was the smell, as you know I'm useless at describing scents but this was a warm heady, intoxicating blend of nuttiness, woodiness and tropical flowers that lingered on the hair, without being over powering.

With a light, liquidy almost gel texture, it's almost a pearlised peach in appearance. Despite being sulfate free it foamed very easily with the addition of a small amount of water, leaving a smooth, and creamy foam. It rinsed away easily, and the hair was left feeling clean, and nourished.

I have to say on first glance I wasn't expecting a lot from this shampoo, the gel like texture didn't give me any indication of just how moisturising it was. If you like a shampoo that leaves your hair squeaky clean this isn't for you, but if you want something that seems to moisturise and smooth, unruly or dry hair then I would definitely recommend that you give this a try. I used this alongside the conditioner but if you have normal, easy to deal with hair or if you wash your hair every day, then you might be able to skip the conditioner all together. Agadir Argan Oil Daily Moisturizing Shampoo comes in a 355ml bottle and retails at around £15.30 from selected salons, D&L Hair Products and FeelUnique.

Agadir Argan Oil Daily Moisturizing Conditioner - 10ml

Although some people could probably get away without using a conditioner, at the moment I can't and my hair needs all of the nourishment it can get so I used the accompanying conditioner after shampooing.

Like the shampoo this conditioner, contains 100% pure Argan Oil, and enriched with antioxidants and Vitamin E. It aims to strengthen and repair the hair, provide shine and to keep the frizz at bay. It's also designed to protect the hair against humidity and it also contains a sunscreen to protect the hair and scalp.

At first glance again this conditioner had the potential to disappoint, although it was white and creamy looking, it just wasn't as thick as I was expecting but appearances can be deceptive and again this product impressed me. It spread easily throughout the hair and after leaving it for a few minutes, it rinsed away easily, leaving the hair smooth, tangle free, and even a little bit fuller, with leaving it feeling heavy or weighed down. After I'd dried my hair, it felt smoother, looked shinier, and the frizz had all but disappeared, and with the same heady scent as the shampoo, my hair smelled fabulous. Agadir Argan Oil Daily Moisturizing Conditioner comes in a 355ml bottles and retails at around £15.30, again from specialist salons, D&L Hair Products, and FeelUnique.

Okay I know I've only managed a couple of uses out of each sachet but I have to say my first impressions are good.  You just need a small amount of product and after just one wash my hair looked shinier and felt healthier. I know it's hard to make a judgement on just two uses but I would definitely consider purchasing both of these products in the full sizes to see the differences that long term use could potentially make to my hair.

 I hope you've found this post useful I love trying out new brands and I hope that you enjoy reading about them too x I still have a quite a few Agadir Argan Oil samples to post so make sure your following for some more Sample Saturday reviews x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment x

*Samples

Sample Saturday - Lush Charity Pot Hand And Body Lotion*

After quite a long hiatus, it's time for another instalment in my Sample Saturday series. Life got in the way a bit with this one, but I'm back on it and it will hopefully become a regular feature again on my blog in the weeks and months to come. If you're one of my newer readers and you've missed out on those early posts, Sample Saturday is where I try out some of the miniature bottles, jars, tubes and even sachets that seem to be taking over my house! Because of the size of the products these won't be the most in depth reviews that you'll ever read on my blog but hopefully you'll still find them helpful.

I thought I'd restart the series with a product that I was given at a recent Lush event (you can find out more about the event here.) As well as producing some fine products Lush are probably one of the most ethical and caring companies on the high street, Unlike some companies they aren't afraid of controversy and alienating themselves, they do what they think it right, be it with regards to animal welfare, environmental issues or human rights. Over the years Lush have released a lot of one off products to campaign for certain causes but one product has stood the test of time and has remained on sale in Lush stores since 2007.

Lush Charity Pot Hand And Body Lotion first hit stores nearly 8 years ago and it's remained one of their most consistent, best sellers. Every penny from each Charity Pot sale, bar VAT or local taxes is donated to charity. The proceeds are donated to a wide variety of causes that help both people, animals and the environment. Since 2007, sales of the Charity Pot have raised more than £7 Million worldwide, for charities involved in farming collectives, fair trade producers, food production and education.

Like most of the products that Lush sell, the Lush Charity Pot Hand And Body Lotion contains only fair trade, organic and ethically sourced ingredients, it's also suitable for vegans and completely cruelty free.

Suitable for use both on the hands and on the body it contains vats of super rich moisturising ingredients including shea, and cocoa butters, and moringa, jojoba and olive oils, and aloe vera. It also contains vanilla absolute and essential oils of rosewood, geranium and ylang ylang.

It's almost pale yellow in colour and it has a rich creamy texture. When you first start massaging it into the skin it feels slightly tacky but give it a few minutes and it soaks right in, leaving the skin looking, and feeling smooth and hydrated. As you would expect from the essential oils and the vanilla absolute, it has quite a warm, heady scent, but whilst it is noticeable it's not overpowering.

This is a really nice product with a really good back story and it's something that most people could find a use for somewhere in their hand and body care routines. My hands and cuticles are particularly dry at the moment so I've been using this as a hand cream last thing at night, and I really do think that it's making a difference. It's a little bit rich for me to use during the day at the moment but in the winter time I can see this little pot coming in to its own.

Lush Charity Pot Hand And Body Lotion is available either online or in your local Lush store and comes in 3 different sizes, including the 10g trial size pot, which you can see here, which is just £1, It also comes in a 95g tub which retails at £6.95 and in a huge 240g tub which retails at £12.95. Even if you just buy the trial size pot, you could still be helping to change someones life for the better, and your skin will thank you too x Have you tried Lush Charity Pot before? Let me know your thoughts x

*Sample

Sample Saturday - Finding Samples And A Mini Review Of The Garnier Body Oil Beauty Oil Infused Nourishing Lotion

Apologies for the lack of posts this week but I'm back with another Sample Saturday post. Over the last few weeks I've been sorting out all of my samples sachets and tubes and you'd be surprised at just how many duplicates I've accumulated.

I don't know about you but I'm much more likely to buy a product if I've had the chance to at least try it out first. Thankfully that's something that more and more brands and companies now seem to be recognising, and it's now easier than ever before to obtain samples and trial sized products.

Probably the best way to pick up high end samples is to brave the make up counter, but there are other ways. I'm a huge believe in signing up to online mailing lists, yes you might get a bit of junk mail, and junk email but every now and then you might get a little surprise through the post. GWP's - Gifts with purchase, and shopping online are also good ways to pick up samples but perhaps my favourite way is to buy magazines.

Despite my love of blogs and online media, I don't think my love for glossy magazines will ever end. Cover mounted gifts are often a great source of samples, and trial sizes, and of course how could we ever ignore the scratch and sniff perfume samples, and the occasional sample sachet.

Judging by the amount of sample sachets that I've accumulated from magazines, it still must be a good way for brands to get their new products out there into the public domain. During my recent search I found 3, 10ml sachets of  Garnier Body Oil Beauty Oil Infused Nourishing Lotion, all of which came from various glossy magazines.

Introduced earlier this year, this nourishing body lotion contains real essential oils and extracts of Argan, Macadamia, Almond, Shea Butter and Rose.

It is pale yellow in colour, and has quite a creamy texture for a lotion. It's very easy to massage into the skin, and it has pleasant, smooth slip, feeling on the skin.

This lotion takes a minute or two to absorb into the skin completely but afterwards the skin feels smooth and.hydrated, and not at all greasy or sticky.

I don't think my camera has really captured it here, but this product gives you skin a really healthy sheen. My skin not only looked better and healthier immediately after application but it actually felt moisturised for a good few hours afterwards.

Like any product though it does have a couple of negatives. Despite the inclusion of both natural oils and extracts, it still contains mineral oil so if your sensitive or you choose to avoid it. this product probably isn't for you.

My biggest issue though is with the smell, which is quite strong. I get a little bit of the rose but I also get quite a bit of almost woody, nutty, warmth. I do quite like the smell but it is quite strong and it does have a tendency to linger on the skin, so it could potentially interfere with perfume or fragrance. The scent isn't too girly though, so this could potentially be a unisex product

I know it's hard to judge after just a week or so's use but I have to say I'm pretty impressed with this product and it's something that I would potentially recommend. If you have drier skin, don't let the word lotion put you off, for me it's as affective as a thick, body cream but with a lighter lotion consistency. It feels nice on the skin, and the skin looks smoother, healthier and more hydrated almost as soon as it's applied. The scent could be an issue for some but since I've predominantly be using this product at night after a bath or shower, it hasn't really bothered me x

The Garnier Body Oil Beauty Oil Infused Nourishing Lotion is available in both a 250ml bottle which retails at around £4.99, and in a 400ml bottle which retails at around £6.99. It's available from various retailers including both Boots, and Superdrug. If your quick though and you want a bargain this product is currently on special offer in Tesco with the 400ml bottle retailing at £4.99 and the 250ml bottle retailing at just £3.32. Are you a body product junkie like me? Leave me a comment and let me know x

Sample Saturday - L'Occitane Shea Butter Zesty Lime Hand Cream

After a mini hiatus Sample Saturday returns with a post on something that I've been loving lately and using lots. I'm going to be honest and say that this product isn't technically a sample, but the full size is small enough to justify it's inclusion.

I'm a huge fan of L'Occitane hand creams and over the years I've probably tried most of their fragrances and textures. Alongside the permanent Rose, Lavender, Verbena, Cherry Blossom, and the original 20% Shea Butter varieties, they also produce yearly limited edition fragrances. The limited fragrances are always worth a look and a sniff and over the last few years they've produced fragrances such as Honey and Lemon, Sweet Violet and Vanilla.

L'Occitane hand creams seem to be one of the most popular magazine free gifts at the moment and last months Marie Claire came with a free 30ml tube. There were several varieties to choose from but I went for one of their newer fragrances Zesty Lime.

Like every other hand cream in the L'Occitane range, Zesty Lime comes in the traditional paint tube style packaging. Some of the larger sizes come in metal tubes which can be quite hard to squeeze but this one feels a lot more flexible and appears to be made of plastic.

This cream, like the original and best seller, contains 20% Shea Butter. The Shea Butter gives this hand cream, a rich, thick and creamy texture.

Despite the thickness it has a nice slip and it's very easy to massage it into the skin.

It does take a couple of minutes to sink in but because of the luxurious texture that's only to be expected. Once it's fully absorbed the hands are left looking fresher and brighter, and feeling soft, smooth and protected.

This hand cream is easily as good as the Original 20% Shea Butter one but for me it has a slightly bigger selling point - the scent! 

Described as Zesty Lime, you would expect it to have a citrus aroma, and it does, but Zesty Lime for me just doesn't do it justice Yes you do get fresh lime, but I also got fabulous lemon and grapefruit notes. If you like L'Occitane's Verbena fragrance you'll probably like this too. Zesty Lime is slightly warmer, and not quite as strong or fresh as Verbena but it definitely has similar citrus notes.

I know I'm a fan of L'Occitane hand cream in general but this one is probably one of my new favourites, due to both the texture and the scent.

Because of the texture Zesty Lime is perfect for this time of year when your hands get sore and chapped because of the cold weather. The texture also makes it an ideal night time product, just slather some on your hands and pop on a pair of cotton gloves, and in the morning your hands will be silky soft.

I guess there is only one real drawback with this product, and that's the size in comparison to the price. I love L'Occitane but their products aren't cheap. L'Occitane Shea Butter Zesty Lime Hand Cream comes in a 30ml tube and retails at a pretty scary £8! Okay you don't need a lot so the tube will last a while but that isn't cheap for just 30ml. Unfortunately it's limited edition and that's the only size tube it comes in,so you pays your money, you makes your choice I guess. Alas I can't just justify a repurchase of this particular one at the moment but I will definitely continue to buy L'Occitane hand creams in the future, or at least magazines that come with them as free gifts.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Zesty Lime Hand Cream retails at £8 for 30ml, and is available from selected L'Occitane stockists, L'Occitane standalone boutiques, and from the official L'Occitane website. Are you a L'Occitane fan? Let me know below x