It wouldn’t be the July Journal way to begin 2017 properly on this little corner of the internet without reviewing some kind of bath bomb. After all the Lush Christmas releases, I thought it was about time to share something new, completely new! I came across Pretty Suds UK when looking for a Pokéball bath bomb to gift for Christmas but I couldn’t help but order one for myself. For all you Pokémon, bath loving fans out there this one is for you; introducing the Katch ‘Em Ball Bath Bomb.
The overall bath experience definitely exceeded my expectations. As the Pokéball style bomb fizzed away in the water, it left a blanket of circular white and pink-red tones that released the uplifting but not sickening scent of candy sweets similar to Skittles or Chewits. The bath bomb has sweet almond oil which gives it the sweet scent but other than that there is not much else to it. Pretty Suds UK states: “most of our products are vegan friendly” and “we make our products handmade” so I was thrilled to find out that they are cruelty free too. I added a bit of Peeping Santa to the water before hand to give the added extra bubbles but this really wasn’t needed.
The most exciting part of the bath bomb was that it contains a Pokémon which could be from any of the generations. I got a Nosepass which came from the third generation of Pokémon and which is from the Rock family. Overall, I really enjoyed my whole experience with Pretty Suds and the bath bomb. They are such a lovely and family orientated company that want customers to only have the best experience with themselves. The bath bomb is an affordable treat and just as good as the ones that Lush, their main competitor, creates. What a way to start a new year than with a new brand to fall in love with all over again?!
Have you ever heard/bought from Pretty Suds UK? What’s your thoughts? Let me know which bath bombs take your fancy.
♥
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Last week, I shared my Ultimate Cruelty Free Gift Guide that focused solely on cruelty free beauty and skincare for both men and women. This week, I am sharing with you the Lifestyle Christmas Gift Guide which has a lovely mix of lifestyle bits ranging from books and chocolate to stocking fillers ideas suited for anyone in the family. I have tried to include something for everyone. So whether you are looking for some inspiration because you still haven’t got a clue what to get anyone or you are needing to find a little extra present to put in your boyfriend’s stocking – I am hoping this list will help you out a little.
Books are a lovely idea to gift someone as you have so many options and can really make it personal by writing a nice message inside. I have bought many people books this year including this Personalised ‘My Adventures With Peter Pan’ Book* for my nephew. Even though he can’t read it yet, it will be a lovely keepsake for him in the future and it’s really personal to him as it includes his name, birthday and a little message inside from myself.
Some recent book releases that I have really enjoyed is the illustrated version of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Jim Kay’s illustrations are so beautifully designed that it makes reading the books even better. I have also enjoyed reading Girl Online: Going Solo written by Zoe Sugg. I am half way through at the moment and really enjoying it. The books always keep me intrigued and wanting to read more and more.
If they aren’t a particular fan of reading books, their favourite comic could be a good idea. I went to see Batman: The Killing Joke earlier this year and I know the Blu-Ray is coming out before Christmas so I thought it would be a nice idea to get the comic book for the film too.
Personally, I am a stationary addict. I would happily admit that too. An illustrated print, a quoted notebook to write lists and blog ideas or some cute highlighters with little faces on always makes for a lovely present. There are a lot of lovely stockists that sell really amazing quality products including Sighh Designs and Dot Creates. My favourites are the ‘I Totally Have My Life Together’ Notebook which would be lovely for anyone that has moved out of the family home to write down budget lists and their income/expenditure. I use it to keep up to date with paying back any debts that I have and help with savings. If you are buying a gift for a blogger, they will adore The Ultimate Blog Planner to help them plan their content and keep up to date with their stats across social media. You might not understand but it is super difficult to keep track especially during busy periods.
Another creation for Dot Createswhich any blogger, student or illustrator would love to find in their stocking is this lovely set of Gold Foil Pencils. I love the crisp white design and the little slogans on the end. The rubber actually works properly too unlike any of the supermarket pencils. I have also thrown in the ‘I’m A Blogger. What’s Your Superpower?’ Print from Coconut Lane because it would make a lovely gift for any blogger that is eager to create a statement wall. Coconut Lane are another company worth looking into if you wanting to buy a Christmas present for a blogger. They have everything from cushions and socks to phone cases and jewellery.
Chocolate is next on my list of ideas. What is Christmas without chocolate?! If you’re looking for a vegan friendly option I highly suggest Thortans Chilli Chocolate Block especially if you know someone who loves hot foods. Another option could be the Sainsbury’s Freefrom Chocolate Coins or the Moo Free Merry Moo Selection Box. If they aren’t a chocolate lover and have more of a sweet tooth then I highly recommend heading to your local Magic Candy Factory as they have created the world’s first 3D gummy candy printer which gives you the ability to customise vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free gummies. They are made with vegetable based gelling agents and natural fruit and vegetable extracts so they don’t even feel as though you are having a treat. You can get text, images and shapes printed and beautifully gifted in a box for £10.00 which personally I don’t think is too bad.
Music and films are always a great option for anyone. They are a nice stocking filler to give to someone or you could treat them to their favourite box set of films or TV programmes. As I mentioned earlier, I got Batman: The Killing Joke but one which was definitely on my list is Finding Doryand any other Disney films that I haven’t got yet.
Music is another one loved by all. If you know that they are into their YouTuber’s, Dodie’s Intertwined EP is a lovely listen when your writing blog posts. If you know the person that your buying for is really into their music, you could buy them a subscription to Spotify or Apple Music. These are really good options for students as the subscriptions can be really expensive.
Other miscellaneous ideas include a Photo Frame with images that are personal to the receiver of the present, slippers, cosy socks, a candle such as The Body Shop Candle and cookbooks are a useful gift to anyone whether it’s your Mum, Brother-in-law or Student. My particular favourites are The Vegan Stoner Cookbook and The Hungry Student because the recipes are all really easy to follow and are so affordable.
I hope this was helpful to any of you who still are looking for ideas. Let me know what your favourite budget friendly present ideas are.
♥
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One of my favourite things about seasonal changes is discovering new skincare. Cold weather and strong winds means that your skin takes a good beating so finding the perfect skincare regime is vital in order to keep you face in tip top condition.
Now I don’t know about anyone else but I like to keep things simple instead of slapping five million moisturisers on my skin and don’t forget that double cleanse. The list I am about to share have certainly been my skincare saviours this winter and coming from someone who used a makeup wipe every morning and night, I now enjoy that time of day when I can remove all the makeup, dirt and dead skin cells from my face.
Since receiving a sample of this back in September, I’ve never looked back. I was on the look out for a vegan and cruelty free friendly cleansing oil for a while, one that lived up to DHC’s standards and I had no luck until I tried this. I have recently bought a full size bottle for when my sample runs out because it leaves my skin feeling soft, nourished and hydrated. I think cleansing oils, such as this one, are a lovely pamper evening treat as you’re ensured that they can remove dirt and makeup thoroughly. I usually pour a little amount into my hands and rub them together but using circular motions on my face to remove all the makeup and dirt. I then use a cloth and warm water to rinse off the oil before applying a moisturiser. I found that this works better than applying to a damp face.
My skin has been super dry and dull during the colder months so I have been using this to awaken and hydrate my skin before I apply my makeup. I have used the Hot Cloth Cleanser from the same range before and fell in love with that as a cleanser, however, this is something I don’t see anyone rave on about in the blogosphere. The moisturiser is infused with plant extracts like Kiwi and Mulberry Fruits to brighten and even out skin tone. Whilst the Sugar Beet extract helps improve the skin’s barrier and leave it feeling soft and subtle. After using the moisturiser my skin feels super soft and smooth as well as leaving a perfect base to apply makeup.
This is one of the newest cleansers in my collection but it has quickly won me over. Just like the Terre Verdi Cleansing Oil, I gently massage this all over my skin until it has melted and then use a warm cloth to clean my face. I honestly don’t know why it has taken me this long to try the Cleansing Butter because I have heard so many good things from other bloggers. It smells amazing and leaves your skin feeling clean and silky smooth. The butter melts from a cream to a lightweight oil based formula which helps to remove impurities and dirt. It’s a nice treat that isn’t too harsh to use on the skin.
Lush Bûche De Noël Facial Cleanser
I couldn’t include a skincare favourites without mentioning the limited edition facial cleanser from Lush. Bûche de Noël is full of skin softening ingredients that are perfect for dry and sensitive skin such as cocoa butter and ground almonds. Dried cranberries are in the cleanser for a natural exfoliant whilst fresh mandarins are ideal for toning and refreshing the skin. As with most Lush cleansers, you mix with a little bit of water to create a paste and then rub into your skin with circular motions. My skin feels super clean and moisturised after using this and is usually my go-to cleanser on a daily basis.
If there is one thing I have an obsession with, it’s hand creams. I have them on my desk. I have them in my collection. There is probably one hiding in the car. I have nearly half a dozen in my bag. I just think they are generally a handy thing to carry around especially during the colder months when your hands are cold and dry. When I received this nourishing hand balm from Botanicals, it changed my life. The softening and nourishing oils and butters makes your hands feel super nourished, hydrated and deeply conditioned. I have found that it is best to use this in the evening so that it has a chance to sink into the skin without your hands feeling really oily and you only need the smallest amount of product for it to work. It smells amazing and a new found home on my bedside table.
What are your winter skincare favourites? Anything I should try next?
♥
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I couldn’t resist heading down to The Body Shop in the Metro Centre when they invited bloggers from the North East to check out their Christmas range. I have always been a fan of the The Body Shop, although owned by L’oreal, I like how they have remained loyal towards their stance against animal testing so I was rather excited to see some of their new products.
They have brought out three new scents for the Christmas season: Spiced Apple, Frosted Berries and Vanilla Chai. My personal favourite is the Spiced Apple scent. I can remember they had something similar a couple of years ago and it just brings back all the memories. For those of you familiar with Lush products, it is much like the So White Bath Bomb that they sell every Christmas. The Spiced Apple scent is fresh and fruity but still festive whereas the Frosted Berries is a lot more berry-scented much like their Strawberry skincare range and Vanilla Chai reminds me of fresh baked cookies.
We were given the chance to test the out the Exfoliating Sugar Scrub in a scent of our choice. Macara, who writes at Macara’s Space, chose the Frosted Berries scent and I went for the Vanilla Chai. The sugar scrub itself leaves your skin feeling so smooth and soft by lifting away any dead skin cells. After application of the matching Body Butter, my hands felt so nourished and smooth that I couldn’t help applying some to the rest of my body when I got home. As well as the usual skincare in all three scents, they have also introduced a candle that would be lovely lit on a cosy evening and home fragrance oil to spread over potpourri giving your home a lovely festive scent as guests walk into your home.
Personally, I think The Body Shop makeup is underrated in the blogging community. I’m head over heels in love with how lovely their foundation is and still use it on a regular basis so I was excited to find out more about their new makeup releases.
First up was the Matte Liquid Lipsticks which I was super excited about after stalking their Instagram page. They come in 12 shades so you are guaranteed to find one that you will fall in love with. The wand makes for easy application too. Once the gloss has set, the lipstick feels lightweight on the lips and has a creamy, velvet touch, however, I found that I did need to re-apply the lipstick throughout the day. I picked up Tahiti Hibiscus which is a lovely red shade and Goa Magnolia which is a dark pink shade. I adore both colours however I have found I’ve been reaching for Tahiti a lot more which is unusual for me as I am not usually a red lip kinda gal.
Although I love the new liquid lipsticks and it is great to have them in my collection, nothing would prepare me for their Eye Colour Sticks. Honestly, I am in love! Over the past two weeks all my eyeshadow palettes have been pushed aside for this beauty. The chunky eye shadow stick is perfect for creating flicks and wings, shading and mixing with other colours but that’s not the main reason on why I have fell in love with them. If your looking for a product with intense colour that won’t budge on your Christmas night out then this needs to be on your list, I’m telling you. After two showers later and endless hand washing, the line I drawn on my hand to swatch the product in the image above hadn’t budged and I have never experienced anything like that. I can confidently do my makeup in the mornings and feel comfortable knowing I don’t need to think about my eye makeup until I come back home. I went for Cyprus Bronze however I love the sound of the other three in the collection too.
This year, every specially selected gift that we purchase will protect one square metre of the rainforest and the creatures in it. This also includes their new personalised body butters where you can print off your favourite animal along with eleven characters and add it onto your very own body butter. As I mentioned in yesterday’s gift guide I think this is a lovely idea for a stocking or as a little addition in a present. We were gifted a body butter of our choice from the Christmas range so I naturally went for Spiced Apple. There was a range of rainforest animals to choose from but I went for the Panda because they are one of my favourite animals and I managed to fit my blog name on too but you could write whatever you like on. Another stocking filler I really like is the new Reggie bath sponges that also contribute to the cause.
Overall it was a lovely evening and I really enjoyed meeting the Metro Centre team and some new bloggers that came along to the event.
What’s your favourite Christmas scent from The Body Shop this year? Have you tried any of their new makeup releases? Let me know in the comments.
♥
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Christmas is on it’s way guys and if you’re anything like me I have been lost and confused with everything to do with present shopping this year. From expensive wrapping paper and five different types of sellotape to 3 for 2 deals and blogger gift guides suggesting everything under the sun including £280 toothbrushes and Primark’s affordable makeup range. There has been all sorts under your radar this year but in the mist of it all, it can be hard to distinguish what is cruelty free and what is tested on animals. With the intention of making things a little bit easier for you, I’ve rounded up some of my favourite cruelty free picks for you to give to loved ones or perhaps add to your Christmas list this year.
Starting with the skincare maniac, there are so many affordable offers when it comes to skincare. The Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser set is brilliant for someone who is just starting to get into skincare. It’s definitely on my wish list and has been for sometime now. Many bloggers have wrote in-depth reviews about how much it does for your skin too so it is definitely something worth considering. For those shopping on a budget I know that Superdrug’s Naturally Radiant Hot Cloth Cleanseris a much more budget friendly option and would be great for a stocking filler too.
Superdrug usually have many deals on when it comes to cruelty free skincare. I picked up their Fruity Trio Cube for my cousin’s girlfriend because it was super affordable and packaged beautifully. They have the options of three scents: Raspberry & Strawberry, Satsuma and Coconut & White Peach, however, if you have a lot of friends to buy for Superdrug have you covered. They have an amazing Fruity 18 Piece Shower & Bath Set with six different scents all with a body scrub, shower gel and body butter. You could open it up and pair them with a shower lily and create little pamper night packages.
The Body Shop have some great deals on at the moment and if you are an O2 customer like me it is worth keeping an eye out on the Priorities app as there is usually deals where you can get a certain amount off when you spend money in store or online. One of my favourites is their Handfuls of Happiness Collection because you can easily add them into gifts divided between friends and family. Another option from The Body Shop is their Body Butters, especially their Christmas scents – Spiced Apple, Frosted Berries and Vanilla Chai. In selected stores, they have the option to personalise the body butter with their favourite zoo animal and 11 characters of your choice which is such a unique idea.
One more idea which would be perfect for a bath enthusiast and skincare lover is one of Lush’s Bubble Wands. They are such a lovely gift idea for a stocking. The Bubble Wands can be used for multiple baths and can create so many bubbles just from a small amount of product. The one pictured is the classic snow fairy scented Magic Wand, however, there are another three to choose from. On the topic of Lush, they have some amazing gift sets for bath lovers as well such as the Christmas Bathtime Favourites that I unboxed on my YouTube channel.
If you have a makeup lover to buy for then their are some amazing palettes on the shelves at the moment. My personal favourites are Urban Decay’s Limited Edition Full Spectrum and the Ultimate Basics Palette that everyone is raving about at the moment. I think what I like about them is that they are two completely different palettes. The Full Spectrum includes a lot of colourful shadows that are surprisingly really wearable whereas the Ultimate Basics include some amazing matte shades that they could create many neutral eye looks with.
If you are looking for something a bit more affordable then I would recommend Sleek’s A New Day Palette as it includes a range of shimmers and matte shades that are ideal for creating subtle smokey eye looks. Another option from Sleek which is super affordable is their Mini Matte Me Collection which includes four mini Matte Me Liquid Lipstick shades including the oh-so-famous Birthday Suit which I can say is gorgeous for every day wear.
Perfume is another lovely idea for women in your life whether that’s your Mum, Aunt or Sister. The Library of Fragrance is a lovely brand and have really affordable and unusual scents. My current faves at the moment are Blue Spruce and Myrrh because they are both scents that I think anyone can wear easily. I also know that Eden Perfumes are a good choice for those who love a certain perfume but are wanting to shop more cruelty free.
Moving on to the men in your life, the ones who I really struggle to buy for – why are guys so hard to buy for? I feel as though they would get offended if we brought them something to smell nice but I do have a couple of ideas which can help you. The Bulldog Skincare Trio Set is the perfect cruelty free option for your man – whether he is your partner, Brother or Dad. It is an affordable option for anyone on a budget so even if he doesn’t use all of the products in the set, it doesn’t much matter.
The Body Shop is another great option for men as they have four different scents for you to choose from. At first, I did feel a bit overwhelmed but I worked my way round the problem buy choosing a scent that I liked. I went for White Musk Sport but you also have the option of five other scents that include: White Musk For Men, Activist, Kistna, Arber and For Men Maca Root. The Body Shop are usually really good with sets and sell the deodorant spray, hair & body wash and eau de toilette in a set for £20 which I think is really affordable.
Lush are really good for men as well with the option of buying Kalamazoo Beard And Facial Wash for your bearded friend. I bought one for my Dad earlier this year and he loves it! I have used it too when I have forgotten my cleanser and it is great for removing makeup but it also leaves your skin feeling so nourished. The almond, jojoba oils and cupuaçu butter will leave his beard so soft whilst the fresh pineapple juice is brilliant for cleansing the skin. Another stocking filler idea is one of Lush’s Shaving Creams – I recommend Dirty Shaving Cream and Five O’Clock Whistle Shaving Cream because they are both really caring on sensitive skins.
I hope this was helpful to any of you who still are looking for ideas. Let me know in the comments what you get for the men in your life.
♥
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