Lush Oxford Street/Flagship Store

You haven't died and gone to Lush heaven, yes this place really does exist.

Three floors of Lushness, I was super excited to pay a visit to the brand new Lush flagship store in London. This is the brands biggest and best store to date and they've really gone to town on this place. 

I was actually quite restrained for me when shopping, probably a good thing for my bank card mind you but never the less I treated myself to a few things. 

This is the only Lush store to offer 'Oxford Street Exclusive' products, 200 of them in fact.

You could easily spend a good couple of hours in here, I loved the Oxford Street soap and all the amazing products I'd never seen before. The idea is many of these products will stay exclusive to this store, although some will roll out to other branches later this year.

Here's my mini haul, I was limited to what I could buy as I had to train it home, but I picked up 4 of the exclusive products......

The Experimenter Bath Bomb, The Karma Bath Bomb, Yuzu & Coco Shower Gel & Refresher Shower Jelly

I cant wait to use these goodies, as soon as I do I'll be sure to share my thoughts on them, keep an eye out on my Insta for updates.

I adore Lush and this has made our relationship even stronger :)

xoxoxo

Cocoa Brown/1 Hour Dark Mousse Review

I love a good faux glow I've reviewed quite a few lately, this is the Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan, in the new Dark shade. I always opt for the darker if there's an option too, I much prefer the darker results. 

This tan was developed by Marissa Carter, she launched Cocoa Brown back in 2012 and as a blogger I know its a tan we rave about in the beauty bloggers world, so It's been great to get a taste of what all the fuss is about. 

Things I love about the Dark mousse: 

Really quick and easy to apply, melts into the skin, no tan smell, suits all skin types thanks to it's paraben free formula, the colour is always brown ans never orange, and the value for money is unbeatable. 

You can leave the formula on the skin for up to three hours, like I did to get the darkest result, but it's really up to you how deep you want to go so just keep an eye on your colour whilst you develop. 

You get quite alot of product colour run off in the shower but you are left with a beautiful golden natural looking tan. 

The only downside for me is the fade off, it seems to be a little more patchy than some other brands although the colour fades loads so you cant really notice it, it wouldn't put me off buying it again. 

These products are multi award winning and this tan being under £8 is just fantastic. If your new to tanning and you don't want a deep result then opt for the standard 1 Hour version. 

Many tans don't offer skincare to accompany them, and for me this is a bit off putting as it's great to be able to have a prep and a maintenance step to use alongside the tan itself. 

Cocoa Brown has a whole wardrobe of products to offer and that includes varying tanners as well as body care products. I'm going to invest in the Chocolate Whip Body Lotion and the Tough Stuff Scrub. I am super impressed by the travel kit which comprises of a mini scrub, a small mousse, and the body lotion so you can tan while your on the go, so impressive! 

The products are stocked in supermarkets and Superdrug & Primark stores here in the UK meaning they are easily accessible rather than only being able to order online like some other brands. Here's a link to the full list of stockists in the UK, wherever you live you'll be able to find your closest retailer by heading over to the website. 

I'll definitely be using this tan again, are you a fan of Cocoa Brown?

xoxo

The London Edit/EdSheeran Shopping & Sightseeing

My Instagram followers will know I went to London last weekend after my better half surprised me with tickets to see Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium.

I had the best time, as I always do when visiting my fave city ever.

We travelled up on the Thursday, despite the train strikes we had no problems getting there. When we arrived the tubes were on strike, meaning we had a couple of hours to walk before we arrived at the hotel. Via Oxford Street this was no problem as it meant I was able to make some purchases en route.

We stayed at the Hilton Tower Bridge meaning we had the Shard to look out from our window and the stunning Tower Bridge out the back, it's a lovely area and full of historic landmarks and things to do. 

St Paul's Cathedral was beautiful, I've never seen it before despite all the times we've visited London so it was wonderful to see it , and of course just round the corner is the Paternoster Chophouse which you'll be more familiar with from the hit TV show First Dates. 

We had a cocktail each in there, i opted for the First Dates Cocktail, and my other half had a Summer Cup. 

Friday Night was the one we had been waiting for, Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium. I was blown away by the size of the place, what a great atmosphere. Ed was on stage for 2 hours straight and was joined half way through by musical legend Elton John, the place went crazy when Ed announced he was joining him. Ed is absolutely amazing live, pure talent. If you get the chance to go and see him, do it!

Saturday was shopping time, so we headed out to Knightsbridge and then to Covent Garden, lots of yummy food and of course Pimms on the Southbank made for a perfect day. I did buy a few things, and had a cheeky trip to Space NK which I'll be featuring in another post shortly. 

I have found my next pair of Louboutins, they are on my wish list! At around £700 they are mega money so think i'll save a bit longer before splurging on them. 

Cocktails up the OXO tower.....

Another fab weekend away in my fave city, I love this place and cant wait to go back again already! 

xoxo

Thierry Mugler/Angel Eau Sucree Limited Edition 2015

Thierry Mugler have just launched their second version of this delicious, limited edition offering of the cult classic, iconic Angel fragrance, I've been reviewing this over the past week* and I'm head over heels for this stunning scent. 

If you love sweet, berry fragrances, this is going to be a must have for you too. The smell is a wonderful blend of red berries, sorbet, caramel, and meringue. It reminds me of candy floss and I've had so many compliments on it. 

For an EDT it has pretty impressive staying power, I'd say 4-6 hours on me which is really good.

The bottle has been given a light dusting of sugar around the edges, and the box is a beautiful pastel design, of a pick n mix candy bag. 

This is only going to be around for a limited time so if you love it then grab it while you can, it's prefect for day or night times as the sweet notes help keep it light, perfect for this timke of year. 

Head over to the Thierry Mugler Website to shop the frangrance now, it retails at £45 for a 50ml bottle. 

xoxo  

*PR Sample

LA Girl/Glazed Lip Paint & Matte Pigment Gloss

 I've been playing with a couple of the new shades from the LA Girl's latest offerings, some gorgeous summer hues on offer. 

 The new LA Girl Glazed Lip Paints.....

 Come in a rainbow of shades, they are super bright and look juicy on the lips. I love this bright coral shade which is aptly named 'Hot Mess' the lip paints have a minty fragrance and glide onto the lips easily. The formula is non drying and non sticky on the lips. 

Staying power is probably an hour so not great but perfect for summer nights and if you don't like wearing lippie then these would be a fab way of getting a pop of colour in a gloss. 

This is the LA Girl Matte Pigment Gloss.....

These come in 16 bold shades and this one is beautiful, almost a creamy pink/coral colour it's perfect for summer. The colour looks really flat and almost velvet like on the lips. 

The long wearing formula goes on as a high pigmented liquid and dries to a flat matte finish. Unfortunately the colour doesn't stay put though and goes all bitty on the lips within an hour if your eating or drinking, if you don't do anything with your lips it'll hold up well all day probably. 

Have you tried either of these products? 

Shop them now over on the LA Girl Website

xoxo

Clarins/Beauty Flash Eye Revive

I'm always on the quest for the ultimate eye cream, I am so paranoid about my dark circles although I've almost come to accept they must be genetic so I don't think I'll ever get rid of them :( I drink so much water, don't smoke, get enough sleep etc so I really do all I can to help prevent them. 

I've been using this cream by Clarins over the last 6 weeks in the hope that it'll make a difference, and although it won't banish my stubborn dark circles it's definitely improved them. 

This lovely thick yet easily absorbed cream has a gentle rose scent and once patted around the eyes it gives a lovely lifted and slightly tightened feeling. There's no stinging feeling like some lifting and tightening creams and this does feel truly gentle on the eyes. 

You'll see in the top shot before I started using the cream I had small purple/blue veins along my lower lid and very purple/blue circles, in the bottom shot you'll see those small veins are gone and the darkness has lightened. 

I find my make up applies much more smoothly and doesn't sit in any fine lines or creases. 

Retails at £29 per tube and will last forever as a little goes a long way, I apply mine morning and night. Head over to the Clarins Website to pick up yours now.
  
xoxo

Bondi Sands/Dark Tanning Mousse

Bondi Sands is everywhere at the moment, and with good reason! 

Say hello to Australia’s favourite tanning brand. I’ve always been loyal to my Laurens Way tan but it’s safe to say I’m converted. This is truly the best tan I’ve ever used. 

The easy to apply mousse formula melts into skin; it’s easy to blend in using a tanning mitt & smells of coconut, even whilst it’s developing. This is the first tan I’ve ever used that I don’t emit that horrible tell-tale faux tan smell. Once you’ve applied the guide colour you leave to develop, it states on the bottle that you can rinse off after just one hour, however I slept in mine overnight and washed off the next morning. It also advises the best time to apply the second coat is 30 minutes after the initial application for the deepest result. 

Upon washing it off you don’t lose much colour at all, I don’t know about you but I always find this such a disappointing part of a tan when your guide colour looks fab and then it all goes down the plughole, not with this. I hardly lost any colour and I LOVE the results. I’ve had so many people comment on my colour today. 

I’m yet to see how it fades off, but I have good feelings and high hopes for this as the application and results are so good. I’ll be sure to update you in the next week. 

This is currently on offer at just £9.95 a bottle and that’s amazing value for money in comparison to some other brands, it’s exclusive to Superdrug here in the UK so grab it while you can. Check out the whole range over at the Superdrug Website 

I honestly can't rate this highly enough. 

xoxo

Ojon/Restorative Hair Trio

Ojon haircare has been something I've been curious to try for a while. 

Ojon is a natural product that's said to be over 500 years old, no matter what the damage or concern to you hair Ojon has something to fix it. It promises to breathe, radiance, suppleness, body and bounce back into your locks, no matter how damaged or dull they may be. 

I've been putting three of Ojon's best sellers to the test lately to see if they worked any wonders on my hair, having extensions means I need to get moisture into my hair, a good serum is a must, and keeping the ends in nice condition stops the tell tale signs of extensions from appearing. 

I picked up this little set from the Cosmetics Company on a recent shopping trip, at just £20 for all three this really is a huge saving on the RRP of £39. 

Lets take a look at whats in the box....

Restorative Hair Treatment Plus

This is a lighter scented version of the original and promises to restore life and reverse damage to lack lustre hair, leaving it soft silky and manageable.

This is a treatment that's like nothing I've ever used before, you'll see its a solid formula in the tub, they recommend a teaspoon of product for the treatment, applied to dry hair before washing. For a more intense treatment you can even sleep with it in your hair, although I'd recommend wearing a shower cap to prevent it going all over your pillows and face.
Once you scrape the product out of the pot it warms in the palms and turns to an oil like texture which you then smooth through the mid lengths and ends of the hair.

I can only describe the smell as woody, and a little citrus like, It's not a smell I love but for the sake of lovely hair it's gotta be worth it right?! I left my treatment on for 30 minutes. I washed my hair with shampoo twice to ensure all the product was removed, I was really excited to dry my hair and see what the results were like.

I'm not sure if I used a little too much or if it's just the way the treatment feels but I felt my hair was a little heavy and weighed down, it felt nice just full of product so next time I'll use a little less and stick only to the ends where I'm prone to breakage. This stuff has a great reputation so don't let my views put you off, if you suffer from damage and want better hair I know so many people do love it and swear by it.

Rare Blend Oil

All the oils in the Ojon range are beautiful as they are layered, again you shake to activate and mix the different layers.This one is the Rare blend which is best suited to thicker hair with dry ends or frizz, so it's packing moisture back into your hair. They also do a version for fine hair and normal hair too, so again something for all hair types. Personally I apply one drop after drying to smooth my own hair into my extensions, I have to admit since I've been using it the shine has been incredible and loads of people have commented on my hair.

Revitalising Mist Original

This smells delicious, a fruity,tropical mix. A two phase treatment in one bottle that you mix before use simply by shaking  it up, it's a lightweight mist that just breathes life and moisture into your hair, I've used this both following the treatment and on its own after shampooing and it felt incredibly light on it's own, leaving my hair beautifully soft and silky. 

Great to spritz in wet hair as a detangler, it tames fly aways and leaves hair looking healthy. 

Overall I'm really impressed with this range, fantastic price to give things a go to, I'd repurchase the Rare Oil & the Revitalising Mist, but I'm a little on the fence with the treatment. I'll stick with it though as Ojon promise hair breakage gets less, strength improves and hair looks healthier with continued use. 

xoxo

St Tropez/Gradual Tan in Shower Lotion

I’ve been putting St Tropez Gradual Tan In Shower Lotion*to the test this last couple of weeks, it’s a world first in the world of tanning and is the only tanning product ever to actually incorporate water into the faux glow process. 

This stuff is pretty reasonably priced at just £14.50 a tube and you don’t need much for a full body application. 

St Tropez claim to end the biscuit smell, stained sheets, having to wait to get dressed and the dreaded tanner’s palms in one easy step, just 3 minutes in the shower is all it takes. I have to say the results vary depending on the users skin, I’ve used this 4 times on myself and I’m just now starting to get a healthy glow, yet my other half saw results after one, although he is very fair skinned. 

So how does it work?

Well quite simply you just have a shower and wash your body as normal, using your  regular shower gel, shut your shower off and apply the In Shower Tan in circular motions, to wet skin.

Lather it on like a moisturiser. I always rub mine over the back of my hands and have a baby wipe or a sponge to hand to wipe across my palms once I’ve finished. Then you have to wait for 3 minutes, I find this can be quite hard to guess so keep the time to hand somewhere if you can as results may vary if you don’t leave it on for long enough. 

I do find a very distinctive tanning smell is present whilst you’re waiting but it’s a light almost citrus smell, you’ll be familiar with it of you use St Tropez, it’s the same smell.  Once the three minutes are up your good to wash off, just hose yourself down with the shower and ensure you wash all the lotion off your skin, I know some people have reported streaks if they haven’t washed it off properly.

Pat yourself dry once you’ve finished in the shower and then over the next few hours the tan gets to work, don’t worry if you don’t see any change after the first use, this stuff is very gradual and like me it may take a few applications to get your results. I love the fact that you get no streaks, no smell and its very natural, much more realistic results. 

I think this stuff is great for those of you who long for a year round healthy glow, but for the hard core tanners out there it may not be a big enough contrast between your usual skin tone and the look you like to achieve with your regular self-tanner. 

This is perfect for people with busy lifestyles, new mums, those of you who may be new to tanning or those who are fed up with all the fuss associated with regular self tanning. 

 

I hope St Tropez develop a medium/dark version of this, I think that would be a huge hit.  

It's out of stock currently on the St Tropez Wesbite so if you see it in Boots stores where it's exclusively sold then grab it while you can! 

xoxo