Graduate Fashion Week – The Illustrators

Graduate Fashion Week was a definite highlight of 2017 for me and it completely blew up on social media! From the run up to the event I connected with so many amazing designers, illustrators and creatives on Instagram making my feed so inspiring and creating so many new friendships in the process.

I wanted to do a post giving credit to the two talented illustrators who took their time to illustrate some of looks from my final collection. I was overwhelmed with how gorgeous the images were and think they definitely deserve some love. Illustration has always been something that I struggle with so I really do appreciate the time, effort and skill that it takes. Both of these talented ladies deserve some attention!

Kayleigh Hilde – Website : www.etsy.com/uk/shop/hildestudio – Instagram : @kayleighhilde.illustrations

Kayleigh is a Fashion Design Graduate from Newport University and a freelance fashion illustrator based in Cardiff. Her ultra feminine illustration style captures the delicacy of this look perfectly, especially the embellishment on the bralet and the tulle detailing. She attended my runway show at the event and illustrated straight from the catwalk!

Georgie Ravenscroft – Website : www.georgielr.wixsite.com – Instagram : @georgieraves

Georgie is a Fashion Illustration Graduate from the University of Brighton. Her quirky and unique style is shown throughout her colourful fashion illustrations. The image was inspired from another image captured from my Cry Baby Club studio shoot, I love the details on the tear drops on the coats and the facial features!

Heres to hoping there will be many more opportunities to inspire Fashion Illustrators with some more of my work in the future!

Lush Jelly Face Masks Review

Are you ready for this jelly? After the incredible popularity of Lush‘s Shower Jellies it was no suprise when they decided to use a similar formulae to create the new Jelly Masks and Jelly Bombs. Not only are they pleasing to the eye and extremely fun to jiggle, they are also a brand new incredible invention for your skin! Let’s take a closer look the masks and see what they have to offer.

Carrageenan Seaweed is used to achieve the jelly-like base – it’s extremely moisturising, hydrating and gentle to the skin. It’s simple to blend with fresh fruits, natural ingredients and cleansing clays to create masks tailored to suit different skin types and needs. The masks have a light and weightless feel on the skin and leave a noticeable difference as soon as you remove them!

Unlike the fresh face masks there is no need to store these masks on ice or in the fridge to keep them fresh and they have a 4 month shelf life with plenty of time to use the product inside. They are also self preserving and free from synthetic preservatives with enough product in each pot for 5 luxurious uses.

The masks are simple to use, just grab a small piece into the palm of your hand and mix with your fingertips until it breaks down into a cream. The warmth of your hands helps to change the product within a few seconds before your eyes and masks are so simple to apply to the skin. They can be left on for up to 10 minutes then easily removed! As the product settles into the skin the seaweed forms a luxurious layer so it can help to use a warm flannel or cotton pads when removing it.

Just to Clarify – £6.95

This is the only mask in the collection with natural Bamboo stems to exfoliate and revive the skin, so if you’re in need of a gentle yet effective scrub then this is the top choice! It’s fantastically enzymic with fresh Orange and Papaya to absorb excess oils, to brighten your skin and to leave you feeling uplifted. This product is Vegan.

Bunny Moon – £6.95

For the most gentle of skins, Bunny Moon is your best friend. This is the only mask that isn’t Vegan due to being filled with Honey which is both moisturising and antiseptic. It’s fantastic for dry and sensitive skins from eczema to psoriasis and has a comforting sweet Vanilla fragrance that you’ll fall in love with!

The Birth of Venus – £6.95

The already moisturising jelly base and added Fresh Sea Water allows this mask to intensely tone and cleanse the skin. You’ll be feeling silky smooth and refreshed! With gentle Lavender and Rose perfect for dry and sensitive faces to calm, sooth and leave your skin feeling better than it ever has. This is my favourite mask from the five and I can’t wait to add it into my skin care routine! This product is Vegan.

Fomo – £6.95

This mask is very similar to the cleanser Aqua Marina which is fantastic for Acne and scarring on the face and with the added carrageenan jelly base its incredibly moisturising and gentle. It’s also packed full of rose to balance out redness and tones on the skins surface and calamine power to sooth the skin. This product is Vegan.

1000 Millihelens – £6.95

If you’re wanting to try something new and interesting this is the option for you! This mask is made with Zeolite Clay which has warming benefits for the skin and is extremely fruity with Orange, Lemon and Apple juices to brighten and leave you with a youthful glow. It’s similar to the Ayesha face mask with tightening and antibacterial ingredients including Green Tea and Witch Hazel. This product is Vegan.

One of my favourite things about these masks in particular is that there is more than one option for everyone! Due to there long shelf life it’s easy to mix and match when your skin just isn’t behaving. My top three choices are Fomo, The Birth Of Venus and Bunny Moon, each one of these masks are gentle enough for my extra sensitive skin due to their soothing, moisturising and gentle ingredients.

Liking what you see? Why not try one for yourself, the masks are available in all UK Lush stores and online so treat yourself to something gorgeous, you will not regret it!

Alice Jane Potter – Cry Baby Club – Graduate Fashion Week 2017

Catwalking.com

Never did I expect myself to be discussing my collection from the catwalk on my blog but here it is. I’m still overwhelmed that I was even selected for the Graduate Fashion Week runway, never mind being one of the chosen top 5 selected from the UCLan show to be put forward to the Gala show! This is the best way to give everyone a fully detailed description of what pieces made up each individual look as a whole, from the fabrics to the details of what you may not have been able to see just from photographs alone.

Catwalking.com

LOOK ONE

Oversized panelled blue felt coat with a variation of lasercut teardrop shapes all over the garment, structured raglan sleeves and a deep v shaped fully encrusted Swarovski section going around the neckline.

Underneath is a power mesh nude long sleeved stretch top worn with high waisted blue silk knickers with a high leg cut including eyelet fastenings tied with organza ribbons on either side. Knicker details include hand sewn and glued encrusted and embellished details covering the surface of the entire garment with a range of sew on crystals and Swarovski’s.

Clear perspex chunky heeled ‘Jaya’ heels with gathered tulle lengths along the back ankle strap with additional Swarovski crystals glued on for extra detail. Including the same detail across the toe strap of each shoe. Shoes gifted from University of Central Lancashire footwear sponser Public Desire, Runway photographs sourced from Catwalking.com.

Catwalking.com

LOOK TWO

Double layered blue silk bralet with hand sewn and glued encrusted and embellished details covering the surface of the entire garment with a range of sew on crystals and Swarovski’s with hook and eye fastenings. Worn with matching blue silk extreme wide leg trousers with fitting high waist features and deep trouser pockets. Chunky trouser cuffs embellished with a range of sew on crystals and Swarovski’s.

Oversized crinoline shoulder piece with extreme length raglan sleeves with trapped gathered tulle down the lengths of the raglan seam with a blue chunky silk ribbon fastening at the front. Floor length arm bands with adjustable velcro fastenings to secure onto the top of the arm, with hanging layers of lasercut felt teardrops in a range of sizes with hand glued large stone embellishments.

Catwalking.com

LOOK THREE

Full length hanging tulle skirt with D ring strap fastenings to attach to jacket, silk blue band with large sporron detail with hanging layers of lasercut felt teardrops in a range of sizes with hand glued large stone embellishments. Blue double lined silky jacket with high neck fastening and open front detailing. Cut out sleeves with D-ring fastenings and organza ribbon running through them to adjust the tightness on the models arms.

Underneath is a power mesh nude long sleeved stretch top worn with high waisted blue silk knickers with a high leg cut including eyelet fastenings tied with organza ribbons on either side. Lasercut felt knickers with latex lining with hand glued Swarovski crystals covering the surface of the entire garment outlining the lasercut shapes.

Clear perspex chunky heeled ‘Jaya’ heels with gathered tulle lengths along the back ankle strap with additional Swarovski crystals glued on for extra detail. Miniature embellished felt face attached across the toe strap of each shoe. Shoes gifted from University of Central Lancashire footwear sponser Public Desire, Runway photographs sourced from Catwalking.com.

Catwalking.com

LOOK FOUR

Oversized crinoline panelled gown with 30 metres of gathered tulle sewn and trapped into the seams around the sleeves and back. With mid length raglan sleeves with trapped tulle along the sleeve hems and tulle along the surrounding dress hem. Underneath double layered blue silk bralet with hook and eye fastenings worn with matching high waisted blue silk knickers with a high leg cut including eyelet fastenings tied with organza ribbons on either side.

Blue felt choker neck piece with adjustable velcro fastenings to secure on the neck, with hanging layers of lasercut felt teardrops in a range of sizes with hand glued large stone embellishments. Accessorised with a blue felt double sided vinyl printed cry baby face clutch bag with embellished details with hand glued Swarovski crystals.

Catwalking.com

LOOK FIVE

Oversized panelled cropped blue felt coat with a variation of lasercut teardrop shapes all over the garment, structured raglan sleeves and hand glued Swarovski’s outlining each lazercut teardrop detail. Accessorised with a blue felt double sided teardrop shaped bag with one side fully embellished with hand glued Swarovski crystals, with oversized eyelet fastenings and silver chain running through.

Underneath is a power mesh nude long sleeved stretch top worn with high waisted blue silk knickers with a high leg cut including eyelet fastenings tied with organza ribbons on either side. Over the knickers sit a pair of crinoline wide leg culotte trousers with a chunky high waist fitted detail and hand stoned teardrop Swarovski shapes around the trouser hem.

Catwalking.com

LOOK SIX

Oversized crinoline panelled gown with 40 metres of gathered tulle sewn and trapped into the seams around the front and back. Including extreme length raglan sleeves with trapped tulle down the lengths of the raglan seam and a large felt embellished cry baby face on the front of the gown. Hand glue Swarovski’s cover the exterior of the face and are included along the blue silk fabric panel covered in hand sewn and glued crystals to separate the tulle overload on the gown.

Underneath is a power mesh nude long sleeved stretch top worn with high waisted blue silk knickers with a high leg cut including eyelet fastenings tied with organza ribbons on either side. Along with sleeve length arm bands with adjustable velcro fastenings to secure onto the top of the arm, with hanging layers of lazorcut felt teardrops in a range of sizes.

Fashion Degree Over – Blogging Break Over

A Fashion Design degree has got to be one of the most demanding, time consuming and draining processes. Expect to have no money. Expect to have no spare time. Expect not to see your loved ones half as much as you’re used to. But if you go into the process with this in mind and the ability to be selfish then the rewards will come. I am so insanely happy now that the process is over and the fact that in a few weeks time I’ll be graduating with a first class honours degree, never in my life did I expect that to happen.

If you keep up to date with me and my blog then you’ll have noticed that I’ve taken a massive break from being here whilst completing the final semester of my degree. It was a hard decision for me to have to make but I wanted to keep up with the standard of my posts and the time that I was used to putting into them. I felt like if I had rushed through posts for the sake of posting that it would have been a dis-service to myself and the lovely people that read my blog! Surprisingly I have continued to gain a following and to keep up my views throughout the past few months which has been a lovely compliment – if you’re new here then Hello, I have returned!

For most people returning to University for their final year, they’re looking forward to meeting deadlines and graduating. Of course this was the obvious goal but for my course Show Selection day was a lot bigger than that. We all went into the process of knowing that less than half of our years collections would be given the chance to be on the Graduate Fashion Week runway and even if we were given the opportunity to do so it wouldn’t be as simple as getting in and having nothing to change.

The problem with creativity is that it’s completely subject to peoples personal opinions, you could put 20 collections in front of one person and ask them to select half and then do the same with someone else and get completely different results. This was probably one of the hardest aspects of show selection, if my collection wasn’t to be chosen it wasn’t because it wasn’t good enough, it was just down to a group of people and their collective opinion of it as a visual stood in front of them.

I was overwhelmed to be one of the lucky 18 people selected for my collection to be shown on the runway. I couldn’t even explain how many emotions I was feeling when I was told, never mind the few weeks that followed getting everything sorted and ready for London. Having my work on the runway was completely life changing. In the past few weeks I’ve been in The Times newspaper, all over Instagram, Social Media and Blogs and I’ve even had attention from celebrities for possible collaborations. Having all of my hard work pay off has been insane and I’m so grateful of everything that this opportunity has brought me and can’t wait for the future.

810 Photograph sourced from Vogue

Cry Baby Club is collection of six creative and unique looks that sit together as a range and Couture collection. I wanted to create a collection of looks to make women feel empowered and beautiful when wearing them. The collection as a whole is ultra feminine with layering techniques of different weights of fabrics including oversized sheer pieces with lingerie detailing sitting underneath them. The concept of the collection is to embrace the sensitivity that women are portrayed to have, we are sensitive souls and that’s what makes us human.

Details include lazorcut felts with double top stitching finishes and silky lined garments and highly detailed surface techniques from hand sewn and hand glued Swarovski crystals to create heavily embellished timeless pieces. The versatility of the collection allows everything to work well as the six individual looks but can also be split apart to create a range of different looks and endless possibilities from mixing and matching the pieces around.

Here it is, Cry Baby Club on the Graduate Fashion Week runway, I’ll never forget this moment. For the next two weeks I’ll be dedicating my posts to the experience of Graduate Fashion Week so if you want to see more then you know where to check!

Lush Valentines Day Collection 2017

Valentines day is quickly approaching and once again Lush have definitely not disappointed with their biggest range yet. The new range of limited edition products is sure to bring happiness, whether you’re buying for a loved one or treating yourself! A selection of past favourites have returned along with some brand new items and gift sets to dive into. In the words of the great Ru Paul – “If you can’t love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?”

Products – Exclusive to Valentine’s Day

Love You, Love You Lots Soap, The Kiss Lip Gloss, The Kiss Lip Scrub

Love You, Love You Lots Soap – £4.25 for 100g
This soap is extra creamy to leave your skin feeling incredibly soft and pampered. It shares the same fragrance as the Rosy Cheeks fresh face mask so pair them both together with a Rose scented bath product and you’re in for an extra romantic treat! The main ingredients include Rose Petal Infusion, Rose Syrup, Rose Petals and Rose Oil. This product is Vegan.

The Kiss Lip Gloss – £5.95
The perfect partner for The Kiss Lip Scrub, use these products together to leave your lips soft and ready to pucker up! This gloss in particular is in a twist up tube, it doesn’t have much colour to it like the usual lip tints but instead is full of Lustre that leaves a gorgeous shimmer on your lips. The main ingredients include Fair Trade Shea Butter, Kalahari Melon Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil and Cupuacu Butter. This product is Vegan.

The Kiss Lip Scrub – £5.75
Lip Scrubs are amazing to use first thing in the morning when you wake up, especially if you constantly wear matte lipsticks that can dry out your lips! This lip scrub has an unusual sweet and salty taste when you lick off the excess sugar and it shares the same fragrance as The Kiss Lip Gloss, it also has edible hearts inside! The main ingredients include Caster Sugar, Fine Sea Salt, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Red Edible Hearts and Soft Pink Glimmer Lustre. This product is Vegan.

Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb, Cupid Bath Bomb, Lover Lamp Bath Bomb

Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb – £4.25
This stunning rose scented bomb fills your water with a burst of fragrance with pink and yellow rose petals spilling out into the tub to make it bath to remember. Perfect for a therapeutic bath with a little something extra inside. Main ingredients include Fine Sea Salt, Yellow Rose Petals, Rose Absolute and Rose Oil. This product is Vegan.

Cupid Bath Bomb – £2.95
A brand new product for this year! Cupid is super sweet with a fragrance like Palma Violets, it’s the perfect little treat for a dreamy bath. It’s smaller than a normal ballistic so would be a great choice if you’ve not tried something from Lush before or if you’re looking for something that’s not too overpowering! The main ingredients include Persian Lime Oil, Bergamot Oil, Violet Leaf Absolute, Rose Petal Powder and Fresh Raspberry Juice. This product is Vegan.

Lover Lamp – £4.25
This extremely creamy Bath Bomb makes your bath water super soft and releases a flurry of red confetti hearts into the water including 3 large heart Cocoa Butter bath melts. The perfect product for an all over pamper and to leave you feeling loved! The main ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Vanilla Absolute, Brazilian Orange Oil and Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This Product is Vegan.

Love Spell Massage Bar, Two Hearts Beating As One Bath Melt, Over and Over Bath Bomb

Love Spell Massage Bar – £5.95
Brand new for this year! The massage bars melt directly onto your skin, they are used in the Lush spas for massage treatments but you can also use them to moisturise your skin. This particular bar has Aloe Vera as the main ingredient making it soothing and cooling on your skin. The main ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Organic Jojoba Oil, Rose Hip Syrup and Fair Trade Organic Aloe Vera Gel. This product is Vegan.

Two Hearts Beating As One Bath Melt – £3.95
This bath melt is two separate heart shapes that slot together, it’s such a cute design! It’s made for one bath but I myself have used 1 heart in a bath and have found it to be incredibly moisturising alone. The fragrance is not very strong at all so this is a lovely treat if you’re not too keen on overpowering smells and have quite sensitive skin! The main ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Almond Oil, Apricot Kernel Oil, Argan Oil and Bergamot Oil. This product is Vegan.

Over and Over Bath Bomb – £4.25
This is my new holy grail – buy 3 boxes of it – live in the bath forever product. With a huge chunk of Cocoa Butter on the top half and a hot pink inside that spills out into your bath to give you a brand new bath time experience! Over and Over is absolutely stunning and I’m hoping that they’ll bring out an all year round product with a similar design as it’s been incredibly popular over the Christmas and Valentines period! The main ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Lime Oil, Fennel Oil, Cypress Oil and Orris Oil. This product is Vegan.

Kiss Me Quick Wash Card, Prince Charming Shower Cream

Kiss Me Quick Wash Card – £2.00
Newness that I can’t get enough of, I want to buy these by the box! The wash cards are created with an Apple Pulp base and are so simple to use, just rip a piece off and lather with water in your hands. The whole sheet will do your entire body but I think you could definitely get more than one use from it! If that doesn’t excite you enough it has the fragrance of 29 High Street, (29 High Street is where Lush started in Poole/Dorset 21 years ago, the fragrance was created to smell like the inside of a Lush store). The main ingredients include Fresh Apple Pulp, Ylang Ylang Oil, Lemon Oil, Lime Oil and Sandalwood Oil. This product is Vegan.

Prince Charming Shower Cream – £5.50 100g, £10.95 250g, £18.50 500g, £32.95 1kg
The Prince has returned once more just in time for Valentines day! Cover yourself in a hot pink shower cream with added Pomegranate and Grapefruit oil to make you smell gorgeous. You’re sure to fall in love with the extra luxurious Cocoa Butter base. The main ingredients include Marshmallow Root, Fair Trade Vanilla Pod Infusion, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter and Sandalwood Oil. This product is Vegan.

Ladybird Bubble Bar, Lovestruck Bubble Bar, Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar

Ladybird Bubble Bar – £3.95
The most adorable bubble bar ever created! Not only do these look too good to break but they give you two incredible red/purple baths. With Geranium for a fruity scent and a hint of Peppermint for a little bit of a kick. Originally the Ladybirds were introduced as part of Mothers Day range last year but they’ve returned a little earlier! This product is also made with Cornflour that makes both your bath water and skin super soft which is an added bonus. Main ingredients include Cream of Tartar, Conflour, Geranium Oil and Peppermint Oil. This product is Vegan.

Love Struck Bubble Bar – £4.25
A brand new and super citrusy Bubble Bar to certainly wake you up! This product is not for the light hearted and is probably one of the strongest smelling Bubble Bars ever created, it has an extreme Lime fragrance. This would be fantastic for a mood boost as Lemon and Lime oil work as natural anti-depressants and are put into products to help bring you happiness! The main ingredients include Cornflour, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Geranium Oil and Petitgrain Oil. This product is Vegan.

Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar – £4.25
A Valentine’s best seller returns for another year! With Lavender to sooth and Neroli to make you feel uplifted, this Bubble Bar is the perfect magical treat. The multi coloured bar leaves you with different shades of pinks and purples in your bath and with the added Lustre you can indulge in a bubbly sparkly wonderland! The main ingredients include Cornflour, Lavender Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil and Neroli Oil. This product is Vegan.

Products – All Year Round (inside Gifts)

Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner

Sex Bomb Bath Bomb – £3.50
This deep pink Jasmine scented Bath Bomb is just what you need for a romantic bath or to treat yourself! With Ylang Ylang to de-stress and soothe and Jasmine as an aphrodisiac this product was made for a Valentines Day treat. The main ingredients include Soya Milk, Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil and Clary Sage Oil . This product is Vegan.

Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner – £16.50 225g, £27.95 500g
Lush Body Conditioners are one of my favourite pampering products but they can be on the expensive side due to the rich ingredients used to create them. On the upside they include smaller pots of them in a range of gift sets so you can really experience the product for yourself without paying too much. The Argan Oil in this product makes your skin feel incredible and it’s my go to product before a night out! The main ingredients include Almond Oil, Cypress Leaf Infusion, Organic Brazil Nut Oil, Vanilla Pod Infusion and Fair Trade Shea Butter. This product is Vegan.

Gifts

In Your Dreams – £9.95
Products inside: Cupid Bath Bomb, Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar
The perfect little bit of something for a bath lover. This gift is suitable for not only Valentines Day as many people have found it suitable for birthdays too, it’s a great price to just treat yourself to something as well! The mixture of products are super sweet and adorable for 3 lovely bath time treats.

With Love – £11.95
Products inside: Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner, Love You, Love You Lots Soap
An inexpensive and unique shower gift! Not only does this set include the limited edition soap but it also has one of the most luxurious body conditioners inside to pair with it. The mixture of Rose and Argan oil make it suitable for anyone looking to spoil themselves again and again!

Happy Valentine’s Day – £19.95
Products inside: Lover Lamp Bath Bomb, Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb, Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar
An all bath gift for a great price, enjoy some Valentines exclusive products for five visually stunning baths! With a beautiful reusable storage box to keep for extra treats, this gift is the perfect selection of floral fragrances, moisturising bath bombs and the always popular Unicorn Horn bubble bar that is a bestseller ever year!

Love & Kisses – £24.95
Products inside: Prince Charming Shower Cream, Love Spell Massage Bar, Love You, Love You Lots Soap, The Kiss Lip Scrub
If you’re looking for a full body pampering this is the gift for you! With 4 exclusive re-usable products to use over and over it’s sure to make someone very happy indeed. This gift is perfect for someone that doesn’t necessarily bath and who wants to possibly try something new and exciting and the gift wrap is absolutely stunning.

Lots Of Love – £39.95
Products inside: Cupid Bath Bomb, Rose Bombshell Bath Bomb, Prince Charming Shower Cream, Love Spell Massage Bar, Love You, Love You Lots Soap, Love Struck Bubble Bar, Lover Lamp Bath Bomb
An overly indulgent treat for your loved one! Enjoy a chocolate box design packed with goodies inside, the perfect selection of products to prepare for Valentines celebrations! This box was re-released this year and the one photographed is actually the one I purchased from last years range, I use it to store Bath Bombs and it’s still in such an amazing condition, it just goes to show how gorgeous and strong the re-usable gift boxes are!

Fancy putting your own gift together? Take a look at the Valentines Day knot wraps to finish it off perfectly.
Toucan Love – £4.50
Roses – £3.75

One Year Later!

Yesterday I celebrated 1 whole year of blogging, I can’t believe what an incredible year it has been! When I first decided to start a blog it was purely to share my love and excitement for new beauty purchases but it has become a lot more personal to me now. Blogging makes me feel at ease and gives me a new found confidence that people actually care what I have to say about so many different things! It’s a hobby that I love and I still manage to squeeze in around a crazily busy degree but as I’m graduating in July I cannot wait to make my blog a huge priority.

To celebrate and reflect I have chosen 10 of my favourite and most popular posts over the last year, the posts show a variation of the type of posts I do so if you’re new to my blog this may give you a little bit of an insight into what I love to share with my followers!

LimeCrime Perlees – 30th of January 2016

Spotlight: Elie Saab Haute Couture Autumn/Winter 2016-2017 – 3rd of August 2016

Lush Mothers Day Collection 2016 – 29th of February 2016

The Naked Pallette Breakdown – 27th of April 2016

Kylie Lip Kit Review – 15th of May 2016

Jeffree Star Skin Frost Review – 27th of July 2016

Fashion Week Favourites – Spring/Summer 2017 Ready-To-Wear – 17th of October 2016

My Morphe Brush Collection and Makeup Brush Cleaning Routine – 24th of August 2016

DIY – Fixing Broken Makeup Powders Tutorial – 23rd of October 2016

Urban Decay Alice Through The Looking Glass Eyeshadow Pallette – 6th of May 2016

In the space of a year my blog has had 6,500 views from all around the world, I’m very with that due to it only being the first year of my blog starting out. Getting used to the format on WordPress and making my blog layout and style to represent me has taken a while so still to get views when I was figuring things out myself is fantastic! On average my blog has had 540+ views a month and with the variation of posts over time that I have done and feedback I have received I’m very grateful for every single one view from readers.

My blog goals for the next year:

Go self hosted
Go to a blogger event
Start using Google Analytics
Experiment with clothing posts
Increase my social media following
Use BlogLovin to connect with bloggers
Do a sponsored/collaborated post with a brand
Make blogging a main priority after graduating

To all of my readers, whether it’s been one post or all of them I am so grateful and appreciative of every single one of you. Here’s to making the next year even bigger and better as my blog continues to flourish!

Lime Crime Venus Palettes Review

Lime Crime have been a favourite cosmetic company of mine for about 5 years now, although they are insanely famous due to their lip products I feel like everyone needs one of their eyeshadow palettes in their life. The Venus palettes are both affordable, long lasting and ridiculously pigmented to a completely different level, if you’re looking to try out something new then I couldn’t recommend these more. The variation of looks that you can create with them is insane and whether you’re just starting to play around with makeup or you’re at a higher level these two palettes will be an amazing addition to your collection.

The packaging and design of the palettes is inspired by Mash Botticelli’s classical painting mixed with the rebellion of the early 90s according to their website. I love the unique design and the hint of the colours inside on the front. The palettes packaging is strong and seals shut with a magnet to keep all of the loveliness inside, they also both come with a mirror which I always find very important for palettes as I use many of mine on the go and a mirror makes things so much easier! Both palettes are cruelty free and vegan which is an added bonus.

When it comes to buying Lime Crime products there are two options. You can buy from the official Lime Crime website which I have done myself many times, delivery usually takes up to a week but the boxes that your items come in are absolutely stunning and every order I have placed has been in perfect condition with no customs charge! On the website the palettes are priced at $34.00 with shipping at $10.95 so altogether it would cost about £37.00 for just one palette. Shopping on the official website also gives you the best deals on any sale items or current discounts too, for example the two palettes are currently on offer on the website in a discounted bundle for $53.00 saving you $15.00 with added postage making it £54.00 for the two including delivery!

If you don’t fancy waiting that long for your items then the palettes are also available at Love-Makeup, I’ve spoken about this website before as I have also placed a few Lime Crime specific orders through it! This is a UK stockist along with Beauty Bay but they currently only stock Lip products by Lime Crime. On this website the palettes are priced at £27.95 with a £3.50 delivery charge or free delivery if you spend over £50, in my experience that items have been delivered in 3 days at the very latest. From the two options it works out that you’re pretty much paying the same amount, the deciding factor is if you want the fancy box and to wait a week but if you’re too inpatient like me and aren’t too fussed it’s easier to order through a UK stockist!

Lime Crime Venus Palette / Love Makeup – £27.95 / Lime Crime Official Website – $34.00

The original Venus palette is so versatile, it’s a mixture of nude shades with a hint of peaches and reddy tones. From a nude smokey eye to a bold burnt orange eye look the possibilities are endless, even if you’re just starting to experiment with makeup and different looks this palette gives you all the basics to have a play with. The shade range works perfectly on all skin tones too as the colours can be easily blended together and the light and dark shades can help to get your desired finished eye look.

Take a closer look – Shade Breakdown
Venus – A soft pinky brown to open up your eyes, lovely for your lower lash line
Shell – Gentle peach tone, perfect to subtly warm up your crease for a daytime look
Aura – Gorgeous base shade and can also be used as a blinding highlighter too
Creation – An intense brick red shade, very versatile for all skin tones
Icon – A dark chocolate brown that gives you the option of a sultry smokey eye
Rebirth – A deep peached pink for a bold and unique look
Divine – My go to transition colour, fantastic for fair skin as it’s not too dark or orange
Muse – Deep red maroon shade, stunning for an Autumn shade to make your eyes pop

My three stand out shades from this palette have to be Aura, Rebirth and Muse. Aura is just the prettiest colour even by itself in the daytime, it’s great for a really simple look and can be used to highlight, I love putting it on my cupids bow for some extra definition. Rebirth is a beautiful colour that really highlights my eye colour and is stunning when I wear it with a nude lip. Muse has to be my most favourite from all of the colours, deep maroons and reds are a serious obsession of mine as this shade really compliments my fair skin for an exciting warm makeup look.

Lime Crime Venus II Palette / Love Makeup – £27.95 / Lime Crime Official Website – $34

The Venus II palette is a little bit more daring, the mixture of colours are very bold and unique yet still aren’t too frightening to try out! The benefit of having the two palettes is having a selection of nudes from Venus to blend together with a pop of colour from the Venus II to create something beautiful but this palette alone can still be used to create more unusual and exciting looks.

Take a closer look – Shade Breakdown
Pigeon – A two toned grey shade with a pink and green reflection, so unique
Filter – A pop of periwinkle for your eyes, looks great paired with a dark lip
Marsh – A soft green colour, gorgeous to try out on your eyes for something new and unusual
Mustard – This is the perfect Autumn/Winter shade, stunning for brown eyes
Fly – A soft mix of yellow and green tones for an unusual and subtle hint of colour
Jam – Burnt orange smokey eye heaven, gorgeous shade for blue eyes
Mud – Brown shade, perfect for a warm smokey eye that’s not too intense
Boot – The darkest black with a purple glitter, amazing for your lower lash line

My three stand out shades from this palette are Pigeon, Filter and Mustard. Pigeon is just so unique and beautiful, I can’t even compare it to any other eyeshadow I have ever used as there’s just something so special about it. Filter again is an unusual colour that really excites me, although it appears quite intense it can easily be softened up with a blending brush and is beautiful along my lower lash line. The Mustard shade in this palette is my entire life, I don’t think I’ve loved an eyeshadow more. It’s stunning to wear as my eyes are dark brown and it really makes then pop and is a perfect Autumn shade to wear on the eyes.

The only way that both of the palettes could be improved is the option of a brush or even a slot to keep an eyeshadow brush. This isn’t too much of a problem but if you are intending on using it on the go you just need to keep in mind to have a brush or two handy! A fluffy blending brush of your choice is key with these palettes as the colours are very bright yet blend out really easily, I tend to use a brush from one of my Urban Decay Naked Palettes due to it being double sided to pack on the colour and then blend it out but brush options vary from person to person so don’t feel like you need a necessary brand of brushes to create a perfect look!

Overall these palettes are both affordable, unique and offer a fantastic range of shades with different finishes. I’ve been using them both for over 6 months and as you can see the pans still look untouched, I couldn’t recommend them enough and if you fancy treating yourself when January pay day finally comes I would definitely pop one of these into your online basket, you will not regret it!

What 2016 Taught Me

2016 was a year of great losses but reflecting on the past year has put so much into perspective for me. I’m so grateful for every experience I have had over the year, it’s shaped me into the young woman that I am very proud to be. I spent it in great company and although I’ve had ups and downs I can look back on the last year and smile. Here’s to hoping that everyone had a fantastic New Year celebration surrounded by the people that you love the most, I’m so glad that I did! Here are the things that I have learnt in 2016, it’s been one I won’t forget!

I’m stronger than I thought I was…
2016 was not easiest due to falling and injuring my spine in January, this came with a lot of treatment and medication and it changed my life both physically and emotionally. I received so much support from family and friends and it felt like I was going to struggle with pain for the rest of my life. I spent a lot of time alone in my house unable to move which gave me horrendous anxiety, I genuinely felt trapped in my own home and would just sit and panic all day long which did not help my recovery process one bit. One thing it has helped me realise is when I’m feeling anxious and when I’m not myself, I used to keep those feelings to myself which made things worse and triggered unexplained anxiety attacks at the most inconvenient times. This year I’ve really worked on explaining how I’m feeling to people, anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of and now I am much more comfortable explaining that to my friends and family. I found inner and outer strength over the last year and thankfully my back injury has improved so much that I’m rarely struggling with pain at all, fingers crossed this continues in 2017!

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Working hard pays off…
This year I returned to University for the final year of my degree, for the majority of 2016 I was busy completing my year in industry. This meant I was working 6 or 7 days a week for an entire year which was completely exhausting, I was so excited to return back to Uni after a break but was a bit worried to adjust back to living away from home. To be completely honest my first semester at University was absolute hell, I hardly ate or slept and had no time to myself, if it wasn’t for all of the girls on my course going through the same thing I don’t know how I’d have gotten through it. I also had to continue working and find time to spend with my boyfriend, friends and family which was not easy but it was definitely worth it! I’m looking forward to the next 6 months to finish my degree and to absolutely smash my final collection and to hopefully get into Graduate Fashion Week! I pushed myself past my own limits but the results were phenomenal and I couldn’t be happier with what I produced.

To always make time for adventures…
2016 was the year of mine and my boyfriends first proper holiday together, we spent just under 2 weeks in Gran Canaria and had the most amazing time! Although this meant him missing his graduation ceremony but I’ll be sure to lend him my hat and gown at mine this year for a photo to apologise. We stayed in the most beautiful hotel and spent some well needed quality time together as we both work extremely hard and have awkward working schedules. I’m hoping we can book another holiday for this year to explore somewhere beautiful and new together, I would certainly recommend a trip there if you’ve not been before! It was genuinely one of the most stunning places in the world that I had been to, there were cactus’s plants and flowers everywhere and we got so many amazing photos!

I also went to Dublin for the weekend with some of my all time best friends to celebrate Jack’s birthday (we have the same birthday so did lots of celebrating this year)! It was literally the LONGEST weekend of my life with a severe lack of sleep, all we ate was Mcdonald’s and ended up spending 14 Euros for a vodka and coke on our night out but it was such a fab weekend! I’m always guaranteed to have the best night outs with my friends and this was definitely worth it all, here’s to hoping we can go on more adventures in 2017!

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There’s always room for one more…
Not only did I only find out I was becoming an Auntie for the third time this year but I had the pleasure of being my sisters birthing partner. This was a complete honour and I cannot even explain the emotional ups and downs of bringing a child into the world, she was in labour for 3 days. So we were awake for 3 days with no sleep, not much food and lot of panic but when he came it was totally worth it. Holding a new born in your arms is one of the most incredible experiences, you completely fall in love with them then and there and know you’ll do whatever is in your power to protect them. Sam was born on the 26th of September with a head full of dark hair and blue eyes, he has brought so much happiness into our lives and my family and I are so blessed.

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To always find time for my friends…
We may all have incredibly busy lifestyles and live up and down the UK but this year I’ve made even more amazing memories with my favourite people in the world! From drunken nights out to fits of laughter having a massive catchup over tea. I’m so proud of everything they achieved this year, from graduating University to getting amazing jobs, they inspire me to push myself further and we all have an unbreakable bond that can not be measured in how often we see each other. They all found the time to come home to celebrate my 21st birthday which made me so happy and I cannot wait to see what opportunities this year will bring us all, I love them dearly like my brothers and sisters and really don’t know what I would do without them.

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To allow myself to fall even more in love…
I started and ended 2016 in the same place with the love of my life, this year has been incredible and we’ve experienced so many new things together. I’m so proud of everything he’s achieved by himself and what we’ve achieved together and I cannot wait for another year of amazing memories with my best friend. In 2016 we celebrated our 6th Christmas and 6th New Years Eve together and I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d have rather spent it with. He’s such a good uncle to my nephews and we can literally talk to each other about anything, I’m hoping this year will be our best yet!

Trying something new could change my life…
This was the year that I started my blog! It’s been a fantastic year and I’ve dedicated a lot of time into it, I have so many goals for my blog over the next year but I’m overly happy with my content and views considering the fact that I do a full time degree and also work. I really want to ramp up my blog once I have graduated but for now I’m keeping it consistent and I’ll be doing a separate post for my blogs 1 year birthday outlining what I want to achieve in 2017. To everyone who has contributed to my blog in it’s first year from reading my posts and leaving comments I am so grateful, I had never imagined that people would genuinely be interested in what I had to say and it gives me so much confidence to continue and watch it grow over the next year!

Lush Christmas Collection 2016

The past few weeks have been extremely stressful and crazy with my University deadlines approaching but I had to squeeze in some time for this post as I’ve been working on this since October! I wanted to save this until Decemeber to give my readers some inspiration for Christmas for either themselves or their loved ones, the big day is approaching and if you’re struggling this could really help! All of these products are limited edition and completely exclusive for Christmas so will only be available in stores up until the end of 2016. There’s only 2 full weeks until Christmas so make sure to stock up before they leave!

This year the entire Christmas range is Self Preserving which is incredible and is a great way to showcase how Lush creates its products in a safe and environmentally friendly manner. Along with all of the products there are 45 Gifts in the Christmas Range that are available to view here, so you’re definitely spoilt for choice. This post is a complete breakdown of all of the products in this years range to make things a little bit easier when it comes to choosing as Lush stores in December can be extremely busy! So dive in, immerse yourself with newness and take a look at what Lush has to offer this year!

(Star Dust Bath Bomb, Father Christmas Bath Bomb, Northern Lights Bath Bomb)

Star Dust – £2.95
Super gentle and equally beautiful, this Bath Bomb is suitable for all ages from super tiny children and even the most sensitive of skins which makes it a fantastic stocking filler! With miniature start confetti hidden inside, what more could you want! Main ingredients include Vanilla Absolute, Rosewood Oil and Bergamot Oil. This product is Vegan.

Father Christmas – £3.75
Snow Fairy + A Bath Bomb = 2 of my favourite things about Lush at Christmas! This super sweet fizzer will leave you smelling incredible and is bright green inside like the branches of a Christmas tree. Main ingredients include Cream of Tartar, Gardenia Extract and Synthetic Musk. This product is Vegan.

Northern Lights – £3.95
One of my all time favourite Christmas products. It was originally produced 2 years ago and absolutely flew off the shelves but due to the ease of breaking it took a while to re-think the size of the product but it has finally returned! This is a fantastic unisex bath bomb with an exciting mixture of deep purples, blues, yellows and greens and it’s glitter free. Main ingredients include Jasmine Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil and Cream of Tartar. This product is Vegan.

(Santa Baby Lip Scrub, Santa Baby Lip Tiny, Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub, Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Tint)

Santa Baby Lip Scrub – £5.75
Cola cube scrubby goodness. Scrub away all of your dead skin and dry lips every morning to have your lips feeling incredible, this doubles as a sweet treat as the sugar is edible and is made to be licked off and enjoyed! Main ingredients include Caster Sugar, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Persian Lime Oil and Black Pepper Oil.

Santa Baby Lip Tint – £5.95
A gorgeous pop of colour created with beautifully rich and moisturising ingredients to handle the cold weather. A perfect stocking filler for a make up lover and it is completely cruelty free! Main ingredients include Fair Trade Shea Butter, Candelilla Wax, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter and Organic Rose Hip Oil. This product is Vegan.

Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Scrub – £5.75
The fragrance of the Comforter that you can eat! This Lip Scrub is even sweeter than the ever popular Bubblegum Lip Scrub so if your tastebuds can handle it then it’s definitely worth a try! Main ingredients include Caster Sugar, Organic Jojoba Oil and Sweet Wild Orange Oil. This product is Vegan.

Sugar Plum Fairy Lip Tint – £5.95
A combination of a Lip Balm and a pigmented lip colour is exactly what your lips need this Winter season! This super pigmented deep purple is stunning and the colour can be built up during application or throughout the day. Main ingredients include Kalahari Melon Oil, Organic Jojoba Oil, Candelilla Wax and Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Baked Alaska Soap, Reindeer Rock Soap, Igloo Soap)

Baked Alaska – £3.25 for 100g
My favourite kind of Christmas snow ball! This soap is absolutely stunning and visual in store as it is sent out as a large white cylinder that is craftily cut to reveal circular bold pops of colour inside. As for the smell it’s incredibly fresh and is a fantastic gift choice. Main ingredients include Ylang Ylang Oil, Grapefruit Oil, Coconut Oil and Gardenia Extract. This product is Vegan.

Reindeer Rock – £4.75
For the past few years Reindeer Rock has been my all time favourite Christmas soap, I love how they’ve re-designed it to be an individual piece of soap and think it would look so cute and Christmassy next to a sink! Unforutnatly they have altered the fragrance so it isn’t exactly the same as it has been but if you’re into florals this could be a great choice! Main ingredients include Lingonberry Infusion, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Jasmine Absolute, Neroli Oil and Rose Oil. This product is Vegan.

Igloo – £4.25 for 100g
Glow in the dark citrusy heaven, this soap is brand new and exclusive for this year and is perfectly uplifting for when you’re feeling glum. It’s displayed as a large Igloo in stores with a mixture of neon green, yellow and orange blocks. Main ingredients include Fresh Lemon Juice, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Rose Absolute and Rose Oil. This product is Vegan.

(The Magic Of Christmas Reusable Bubble Wand, Peeping Santa Bubble Bar, Candy Mountain Bubble Bar)

The Magic of Christmas – £5.95
The magic and the smell of Christmas condensed into one product, this cinnamon spiced wand will certainly warm you up on a winter evening. With a dusting of glitter on top it’s sure to get you in the Christmas spirit and feeling nostalgic! Main ingredients include Almond Essential Oil, Cream of Tartar, Sweet Orange Oil and Cinnamon Leaf Oil. This product is Vegan.

Peeping Santa – £3.95
Strawberry scented bubbles fill your bath up just like a milkshake! With Shea Butter to make you extra cuddly and vegan chocolate chip eyes for extra accessory points! Main ingredients include Bergamot Oil, Olibanum Oil, Geranium Oil and Fair Trade Shea Butter. This product is Vegan.

Candy Mountain – £2.95
Transport yourself into bubblegum waters! This shimmery pink bubble bar is super sweet and will leave you feeling incredibly soft after a well needed dip in the tub. This is a bestseller every single year and is at such a great price point! Main ingredients include Cream of Tartar, Cornflour, Snowflake Lustre and Vanilla Absolute. This product is Vegan.

(Bubbly Shower Gel, Twilight Shower Gel, Snow Fairy Shower Gel)

Bubbly – £4.95 100g, £9.95 250g, £16.50 500g
Brand new and exclusive this Christmas! Bubbly is a beautiful mixture of oranges and satsumas to make you feel both nostalgic and happy. A perfect unisex fragrance with a gorgeous neon orange colour! Main ingredients include Vine Leaf Infusion, Sweet Wild Orange Oil, Lime Oil and Fresh Grape Juice. This product is Vegan.

Twilight – £4.95 100g, £9.95 250g, £16.50 500g, £27.95 1kg
(This is an Oxford Street Exclusive product and cannot be purchased online. However it is available in the gifts: Santa In Space, Under The Mistletoe, Pretty Woman and Wow which can be purchased online and in all Lush stores.)
I’m dedicating this to my Mum as Twilight is her all time favourite product and she nearly collapsed with excitement when I got to show her all of the gorgeous Twilight scented products in this years range! Perfect just before bed to get you settled and ready for a good nights sleep. Main ingredients include Lavender Flower Infusion, Lavender Oil, Tonka Absolute and Ylang Ylang Oil. This product is Vegan.

Snow Fairy – £3.95 100g, £7.95 250g, £12.95 500g, £21.50 1kg
The holy grail product of Christmas. Every year Snow Fairy makes absolutely millions for Lush so it would be crazy to not bring it back! With a bubblegum, sweet, pear drop fragrance and added pink lustre it’s the perfectly pink choice for your shower. Main ingredients include Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Perfume and Synthetic Musk. This product is Vegan.

(So White Bath Bomb, Never Mind The Ballistics Bath Bomb, Luxury Lush Pud Bath Bomb)

So White – £3.75
One of my all time favourite bombs has had a little makeover! Over the past few years So White has been a deep pink on the inside, it’s inspired by the evil apple given to Snow White. The makers at Lush decided that it wasn’t as evil looking as it could have been and this year they’ve made it a mixture of blues and greens on the inside. The deep apple fragrance is stunning and so settling for a night time dip. Main ingredients include Bergamot Oil, Brazilian Orange Oil, Rose Absolute and Neroli Oil. This product is Vegan.

Never Mind The Ballistics – £4.25
Another brand new product for this year and a staff favourite! This product is half a Bath Bomb and half a Bath Melt and is the perfect mix of the two. It fills your bath with a rainbow of oranges, yellows and pinks and smells extremely fruity! I love the variation of fruity ingredients used inside this product and really hope it returns next year. Main ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Lime Oil, Sweet Wild Orange Oil and Fresh Banana. This product is Vegan.

Luxury Lush Pud – £4.25
The Twilight fragrance with a bold and colourful twist. This is one of the most visual Bath Bombs that Lush brings out every Christmas, the bright pink base has a mixture of added circles of colour with blues, greens, oranges and yellows to make your bath look like a work of art. Definitely one of the products I look forward to the most every year! Main ingredients include Lavender Oil, Tonka Absolute and Ylang Ylang Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Yog Log Roulade, Salt and Peppermint Bark Solid Body Scrub, Candy Cane Roulade)

Yog Log – £5.95 for 100g
Yog Nog was a popular soap that Lush had released for a few Christmas’s including last year where it was brought back as a soap and a Bath Bomb. Unfortunately this year the soap did not return but instead they created the Yog Log Roulade instead! A Roulade is a solid creamy product that can be used in the shower or bath, it is fantastic for sensitive skin as it is rich in moisturising ingredients and along with the Yog Nog fragrance it’s bound to make your feel and smell incredible! Main ingredients include Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Fair Trade Colombian Cocoa Butter, Fresh Honeydew Melon Pulp, Clove Bud Oil and Ylang Ylang Oil. This product is Vegan.

Salt and Peppermint Bark – £5.95
Scrub away your Winter woes with this invigorating solid scrub! This originally came out last Christmas and was extremely popular for people who prefer showers to baths. I love the solid scrubs as they’re so simple to use and long lasting, the peppermint fragrance is sure to wake you up and revive your skin. Main ingredients include Fine Sea Salt, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Cupuacu Butter and Peppermint Oil. This product is Vegan.

Candy Cane – £5.95 for 100g
The second Christmas Roulade is a fresh and minty fragrance similar to the Maypole soap! Candy Cane is perfectly cooling and a piece can last up to 3 months depending on how often you use it! This is a great gift option for someone wanting to try something new from Lush as the Roulades are a very recent invention. Main ingredients include Fresh Mint Infusion, Almond Oil, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Cedarwood Oil and Cypress Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Snowie Bubble Bar, Ruby Red Slippers Bubble Bar, The Christmas Penguin Bubble Bar)

Snowie – £4.25
2016 was a year of great losses, including David Bowie. This affected so many Lush customers and staff members enough for them to do an inspired product just for him! Snowie has the same fragrance as the Frozen Bath Bomb and can be enjoyed up to 3 times. Main ingredients include Grapefruit Oil, Cornflour, Neroli Oil and Rose Oil. This product is Vegan.

Ruby Red Slippers – £3.95
A historical product returns once again, Ruby Red Slippers hasn’t been produced for a few years but this year it has made a come back! With an unusual spicy and floral fragrance this Bubble Bar isn’t for everyone but if you can handle the fragrance you’re in for a soothing and sparkly bath time treat! Main ingredients include Cornflour, Rose Absolute, Tangerine Oil and Carnation Absolute. This product is Vegan.

The Christmas Penguin – £3.95
The perfect choice for the tiny people in your life, each penguin is handmade so there’s definitely a variation of looks which makes them even cuter! Incredibly gentle for your skin with the added Cornflour to soften the water. Main ingredients include Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Sicilian Mandarin Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Butterbear Bath Bomb, Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb, Satsuma Bath Bomb)

Butterbear – £1.95
The perfect treat for such a great price! Spoil your skin with Cocoa Butter loving and take your new Butterbear home, made for the most sensitive skin this is a great product to try out if you’ve never experienced a Lush bath before. Main ingredients include Fair Trade Colombian Cocoa Butter, Ylang Ylang Oil and Cocoa Powder. This product is Vegan.

Lord of Misrule – £3.95
An old time favourite returns once more! Immerse yourself in a bloodbath of deep greens and reds with a spicy aroma, fantastically warming on a Winter night. This product is a great for men and women and attracts more and more attention each year. Main ingredients include Cream of Tartar, Black Pepper Oil, Patchouli Oil, Vanilla Absolute and Popping Candy. This product is Vegan.

Satsuma – £3.95
(This is an Oxford Street Exclusive product and cannot be purchased online. However it is available in the gifts: Satsuma, Jolly Hollydays, Christmas Bathtime Favourites, 12 Days of Christmas, Deck The Halls and Wow which can be purchased online and in all Lush stores.)
This extremely limited edition product is definitely worth hunting for, with an orange and satsuma based fragrance you’ll be feeling incredibly uplifted! The orange bomb fizzes away to reveal a hidden yellow star and a subtle shimmer inside. Main ingredients include Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil, Orange Flower Absolute and Fresh Satsuma Juice. This product is Vegan.

(Snow Fairy Body Conditioner, Snow Angel Bath Melt, Christingle Body Conditioner)

Snow Fairy – £7.95 for 100g, £13.95 for 225g
The popular fragrance in a Body Conditioner. Body Conditioners are one of my favourite pampering products at Lush but can be on the expensive side due to the rich ingredients used to create them. What I love about the Snow Fairy Body Conditioner is the fact that they have made it into smaller pots that are perfect stocking fillers and great price! This product is also included in a large amount of gift sets to keep your skin gorgeous and soft. Main ingredients include Almond Oil, Cherry Infusion, Organic Jojoba Oil, Avocado Butter, Mango Butter and Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter. This product is Vegan.

Snow Angel – £4.25
Immerse yourself in a creamy marzipan bath with a whole lot of shimmer included! Snow Angel is not the most colourful of bath products but if a relaxing bath is what you’re after it’ll do the trick! Perfect for your winter skin and to leave you feeling in the Christmas spirit. Main ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Cream of Tartar, Rose Absolute, Gardenia Extract and Cornflour. This product is Vegan.

Christingle – £9.95 for 100g, £17.95 for 240g
Need a morning wake up? Christingle is sure to help refresh and awaken you in the Winter darkness. With Peppermint Oil that’s extra cooling and invigorating you’ll love the boost that this product can give! Main ingredients include Murumuru Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Peppermint Oil, Spearmint Oil and Grapefruit Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Santa’s Belly Shower Jelly, Snowman Shower Jelly)

Santa’s Belly – £4.25
Wiggle your belly like a bowl full of jelly with this satisfying deep apple scent! The Shower Jelly’s are a perfect gift for any age, not only are they visual and fun but they clean your skin and hair! This particular jelly is one of my favourites and with the added shimmer it’s perfect for the party season. Main ingredients include Carrageenan Extract, Fresh Apple Juice, Red Grape Juice, Bergamot Oil and Gold Glimmer Lustre. This product is Vegan.

Snowman – £3.95
This cute little character is perfect to take home, missing his carrot nose that you’ll find in the Fresh Carrot Infusion fragrance! If you’re a Lush fan you’ll notice that it has the same fragrance as the Carrot Soap that we usually bring out every Easter! It’s extremely moisturising for your skin and long lasting. Main ingredients include Fresh Carrot Infusion, Carrageenan Extract, Buchu Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil and Bergamot Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Magic Wand Reusable Bubble Bar, Santasaurus Reusable Bubble Bar, Jester Reusable Bubble Bar)

Magic Wand – £5.95
Back again for another year! The Re-Usable Bubble Wands are a perfect gift to share as you can get around 6-8 gorgeous baths from the one product! This particular one has the Snow Fairy fragrance and the added dust of silver glitter. So simple to use by holding it directly under the running tap water or filling your entire bath and swooshing through the water like a magic wand to see the water change colour! Main ingredients include Cream of Tartar, Perfume and Synthetic Musk. This product is Vegan.

Santasaurus – £5.95
This product has to be one of the most adorable things I have ever seen. I remember this being delivered to the store and all of our staff members going crazy over him! This is perfect if you’re looking for something new and is suitable for very small children too. Main ingredients include Cream of Tartar, Brazilian Orange Oil and Bergamot Oil. This product is Vegan.

Jester – £6.50
An incredibly fruity swirl of colourful bubbles to give you an extra happy bath! Jester is super cute and creates a variation of shades and colours depending on what side you run your water onto whilst it’s under the tap! Main ingredients include Cream of Tartar, Tangerine Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil and Bergamot Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Santa Fun, Snow Fairy Fun, Reindeer and Robin Fun)

Santa Fun – £5.95
He returns for another year! Create your own Santa with a variation of coloured fun for his face, beard and suit. The fun is a lovely invention as it’s 4 in 1 – it can be used as a mouldable soap, a bubble bath, a shampoo and a body wash! A great gift for children who don’t necessarily enjoy bath time. Main ingredients include Cornflour, Perfume, Jasmine Absolute and Ylang Ylang Oil. This product is Vegan.

Snow Fairy Fun – £5.95
Make up your own Snow Fairy to keep your bath time sweet and fun! Including the bubblegum scent and some added shimmer this is perfect for the little fairy in your life. It also includes a paper wand and wings to perfect your beautiful creation! Main ingredients include Cornflour, Perfume, Radiant Gold Lustre, Snowflake Lustre and Soft Pink Glimmer Lustre. This product is Vegan.

Reindeer and Robin Fun – £5.95
This Fun gives you the option to create more than one Christmas character, with a spicy fragrance to create warming bubbles! It also includes Vegan Chocolate Chips for creating eyes and other features on your creations. Main ingredients include Cornflour, Persian Lime Oil, Aniseed Oil and Black Pepper Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Shooting Stars Soap, Snowcastle Soap, Santa’s Postbox Soap)

Shooting Stars – £3.50 for 100g
This super sparkly and bold coloured soap is a show stopper and is currently the best seller in my store! With a variation of fruity ingredients to create a gorgeous and unique fragrance this is a perfect Christmas treat. Main ingredients include Lime Oil, Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Lemon Oil and Star Fruit Puree. This product is Vegan.

Snowcastle – £3.50 for 100g
Snowcake soap has returned but with a twist on the name and as a giant castle for display in stores! The popular marzipan fragrance has been a hit over the past few years and the mix of ingredients make this a perfect choice for sensitive skins. Main ingredients include Almond Infusion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rose Absolute and Cassie Absolute. This product is Vegan.

Santa’s Postbox – £3.25 for 100g
Christmas nostalgia in a soap, Lush are loving the satsuma fragrances in this years range! This soap is displayed as a large postbox in stores and when cut into it reveals an array of of vivid colourful chunks inside. Main ingredients include Fresh Satsuma Juice, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Mandarin Oil and Orange Flower Absolute. This product is Vegan.

(Golden Wonder Bath Bomb, Mistletoe Bath Bomb, Shoot For The Stars Bath Bomb)

Golden Wonder – £4.25
These gorgeous miniature presents are the perfect stocking filler this season. The process of creating this specific Bath Bomb takes 7 days due to the layers that make up the product, each Bath Bomb is then hand sprayed with a gold lustre to give it a beautiful shimmery finish. Golden Wonder is one of my favourite Christmas bath products from the vivid colours that break away in the water to the tiny stars that fill your bath! Main ingredients include Sweet Orange Oil, Cognac Oil, Lime Oil, Golden Edible Stars and Golden Lustre. This product is Vegan.

Mistletoe – £4.25
An extreme burst of colour to fill the tub! Mistletoe is not for the faint hearted, it’s full on from the rich Jasmine fragrance to the bold shades of colour that fly around your bath. At first I wasn’t keen on this product at all but it has definitely grown on me and is worth trying out for yourself! Main ingredients include Jasmine Absolute, Vetivert Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil and Frosty Holly Lustre. This product is Vegan.

Shoot For The Stars – £4.25
This one is another returning product from Christmas’s past but this year it’s had a little makeover. Shoot For The Stars has now been converted into a single colour bath bomb with 3 golden star Bath Melts inside, not only are the Bath Melts amazing for your skin but these ones in particular are covered in gold glitter to fill your bath with sparkle. Main ingredients include Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Brazilian Orange Oil, Bergamot Oil, Coconut Cream and Almond Oil. This product is Vegan.

(Fairy Dust Dusting Powder, Sleepy Body Lotion, Mr Sandman Dusting Powder)

Fairy Dust – £7.50
And our final Snow Fairy product of the bunch – there’s been a few this year! Fairy Dust was created and introduced last Christmas and since then has become one of my favourite dusting powders. Not only does it have the sweet well known fragrance but it is super sparkly and softening for your skin. I also use this product in my hair as a sparkly dry shampoo and sometimes for a highlight on my face! Main ingredients include Cornflour, Perfume, Synthetic Musk and Snowflake Lustre. This product is Vegan.

Sleepy – £7.95 for 95g, £13.95 for 215g
This Twilight scented hand and body lotion is so helpful to get you settled for bed. Christmas deadlines are hell and this time of the year can be very stressful for a number of reasons, this product has seriously helped me out by keeping me calm and making me sleep with no worries! Main ingredients include Oatmeal Infusion, Almond Oil, Lavender Flow Infusion, Organic Jojoba Oil and Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter. This product is Vegan.

Mr Sandman – £7.50
The fragrance of Twilight has also been included in a dusting powder this year, similar to a Talc this is a perfect product to layer onto your skin after a luxurious Bath or Shower. This product is perfect before bedtime and will leave you feeling so relaxed and pampered, with added silver shimmer to leave you sparkling all night long! Main ingredients include Chamomile Powder, Lavender Powder, Lavender Oil, Tonka Absolute and Ylang Ylang Oil. This product is Vegan.

Fancy putting your own gift together? Take a look at the Christmas knot wraps to finish it off perfectly.
Father Christmas Knot Wrap – £4.50
The Freeze Knot Wrap – £4.50
It’s Christmas Deer Knot Wrap – £4.50
Puddings and Candy Canes Knot Wrap – £3.75
Santa’s Belly Knot Wrap – £3.75

DIY – Fixing Broken Makeup Powders Tutorial

If your makeup collection has been affected by a broken powder then you are not alone. I had an unfortunate experience with my Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost in the shade Ice Cold after my suitcase was thrown about at the airport! When I noticed it was broken I thought that my money had gone to waste but I quickly found a solution to the problem! This tutorial will help you to fix any broken makeup pans from eyeshadows, bronzers, powders and highlighters, it’s so simple to follow and will have you quickly re-united with your precious makeup items! To be even more experimental you can use this tutorial to create a pressed powder from a loose makeup pigment.

First of all if you do shatter a makeup pan then try and hold onto as many of the powdered chunks as possible. Although this is a messy job – it really will help as the more pieces that you manage to salvage will help towards fixing the product, this will also help to make it last for as long as possible.
You will need:

The broken product and its pan – This works for individual pans and also will work for palettes.
A pair of flat ended tweezers – Or something a similar size with a flat end.
Surgical Spirit – This can be purchased from Boots/Superdrug/Pharmacies/Supermarkets.

Step one – Breaking down the product.
Using the flat end of your tweezers, apply gentle pressure to the chunks of product and break them down into a fine powder, try to keep the larger pieces in the centre of your pan to not lose any excess product. Some powder formulas are softer and more buttery than others so start off gently and add more pressure if the powder isn’t breaking up as easily as you would expect. Once you have broken down all of the product into powder use your flat edge to smooth the powder along the width pan to an equal level and height.

Step two – Adding the Surgical Spirit.
The amount of Surgical Spirit that you add to your pan completely depends on the size of the product, if you are using a smaller based palette then a plastic pipette may help you as it may just need a couple of drops to mend. (With this particular product I filled the bottle cap from the bottle and slowly poured it into the pan.) You can use your flat edge to gently distribute the liquid around the pan and to carefully mix the products together, try to do this in-between caps/spoonfuls/squeezes of the Surgical Spirit to prevent any air bubbles. Finally double check to make sure that the liquid has reached all of the loose powder in the pan.

Step Three – The drying process.
Now is the time to leave your fixed product to dry, this can take 3-4 hours at least to settle as the Surgical Spirit evaporates into the air so try to be patient! For the best results leave your product to dry overnight and try to leave it uncovered to allow the liquid to evaporate into the atmosphere.

Step Four – Finishing off the fixed product.
Once the pan is completely dry you can use a tissue to gently press down and flatten the powder into place. For a professional and clean finish you can use a separate tissue, wipe or cotton bud to wipe around the edge of your pan to remove any excess and leftover powder.

The particular product that I used for the tutorial has been fixed in this way and has been used a variety of times since. The product quality is exactly the same as it was when it was purchased and is completely safe to use on your skin. The only negative of this process is that the product may have a slight chemical smell to it, this will all depend on the size of the pan and amount of Surgial Spirit you used. This product pan size was quite large so it needed a couple of caps of the liquid but I’m sure if it was a smaller eyeshadow you may not get as much of the chemical fragrance from a few drops. I was so happy when I fixed my highlighter as it was currently out of stock but if you are interested in the Jeffree Star Skin Frosts you can take a look at my review and shop on the website! I hope this tutorial will help, happy fixing!