Lush Prizes!

So I walked through the door today and what greeted me?



The gorgeous pong of this box of LUSHious goodies!

As luck would have it, I won a Lush Twitter competition and they were kind and generous enough to send me this wonderful parcel of treats.

The Comforter Bubble Bar - one of my favourites (isn't it everyones?)
Blackberry Bath Bomb - never tried this but trust me, I'm SO looking forward to it
Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly - After my battle with Shower Jellies in the past, I think the smell of this has instantly restored my faith! Maybe this time I won't be so clumsy with them haha.
Squeaky Green Solid Shampoo Bar - I think it is anyway! It was a toss up between Squeaky Green and Karma Komba but by the scent, I guessed Squeaky Green. Correct me if I'm wrong! Excited to try this too as I've only tried Seanik.
Honey I Washed The Kids - another one of my all time favourites!
Helping Hands Hand Cream - so, so soft and not at all greasy. Love this stuff.
Grass Shower Gel - Really does smell like freshly cut grass! BRING SUMMER BACK IN YER SHOWER!

The taps are running. A mid-afternoon bath is just what I need...ok...want...right now.

You can follow Lush on Twitter here. And the new Gorilla Perfume here.

Models Own Haul

Adding to the 6 polishes I purchased before the 50% off sale, I decided to order another 10 polishes. That is how much I adore them!

I only recently started getting into nail polish. I started building my collection about a year ago and think these polishes are great additions. Like I said when I reviewed my first Models Own polish, Golden Peach; these polishes stay chip free for days, they're easy to apply and they come in a range of gorgeous colours.



My Models Own collection (minus the free black kohl liner)

Swatches:



NP054 Top Turquoise



NP068 Misty Grey



NP092 Peach Sherbet



NP075 Nude Beige



NP073 Champagne



NP065 Matt Black (wet)



NP065 Matt Black (dry)

The next few are glitters (one coat):



NP006 Purple Haze



NP008 Gold Finger



Bluebell



NP010 Disco Mix

I believe the sale ends today so hurry over to www.modelsownit.com

Previous Models Own haul and swatches can be found here.

A Day On Oxford Street

And I bought next to nothing! More because I'm broke as hell than because I couldn't find anything. I'm still proud of myself though.

I got to catch up with a couple old friends Joanna and Alex.



I look like such a creep in this picture. Like...I'm not even meant to be in it. Please excuse my face.



Look at all the goodies Joanna bought for me! I feel like such a jackass because all I got her was a lousy mascara (actually...a great mascara), a nail polish, an eyeshadow palette and single eyeshadow. That's it, our budget was blown! Money really doesn't go as far here. I freaked out and threw in a palette I got for free and headed out the door to meet her feeling terrible. I'll have to pick up a few more things. She bought me an Armani palette, a really cute Skin Food nail polish, a Fiberwig mascara (which I really wanted!) and a ton of Shu Uemura samples!



The pigmentation is crazy! Very soft too.



She also got me a few boxes of my favourite treats from Hong Kong. I grew up on these things thinking eating Colon was perfectly acceptable. And it is. Because it's tasty. Especially chocolate colon. Is Collon even pronounced the same as colon? Whatever.

This is all I picked up.



I included the shower cream because it's my favourite. It doesn't mess with my skin, it smells amazing...it smells like happy would smell...if happy had a scent. AND it's cheap. I also picked up an adorable sun dress from Topshop - in the sale of course, one of the Topshop blushes in Nutmeg and a No7 eyeshadow brush using one of my vouchers.



It's a cream formula that sits well on the skin and a beautiful colour. Top swatch is blended, bottom is not.



Managed to find more Creme Eggs for Jackie!

Reggie is due for his flea and worming treatments so I had to shell out for those too...probably won't show those though...

Despite the fact that it rained and it was busy and you know...it's Oxford Street...we all had a really good time. The boys talked about games while we shopped, we managed to miss the rain while actually walking around so didn't have to deal with rude tourists - and locals - bashing their umbrellas around. I'm happy! Like the shower cream.

Fancy a trip to France?

Recently, my aunt finished work on her guest house in France and I have to say, it is absolutely gorgeous. It's quiet and secluded yet convenient; which is what we all want from a trip to the South of France.



Located in Fayence, the cottage is 50 minutes from Nice airport and very close to Cannes and St. Tropez. Day trips to Monaco and Italy are also within reach being only an hour away.







I think they really hit the mark with this place. Your choices are endless. If you want to head out and explore, there's plenty of accessbile days out with everything you'd expect from Europe - food, culture, scenery and of course shopping! If you need a day off, there's a private pool where you can chill out or stay indoors and curl up with a movie or feast on a meal cooked in the cottage's kitchen or on the BBQ by the pool.





This cottage sleeps 6 between 2 en-suite bedrooms so is perfect for a family trip or a quiet getaway for you and your other half. Equally, a week or 2 away with your girlfriends (or guy friends) would be ideal.

Additional details, reviews and contact details can be found here.

And the reason for my blog sale...August Haul!

I spent a lot this month! But it gave me a good excuse to clear out my wardrobe (and under the bed...and...the stuff stored on top of the wardrobe) so I'm happy.

I bought a ton of stuff for a swap I'm doing with one of my Twitter/BlogTV friends so I got mega excited about that! My first swap! I really hope she loves what I've bought her. I'll do a post when I receive her package and write more about what purchases I made for her and why.

I also bought a handful of things for my friend Joanna who is visiting from Hong Kong. Another separate post! I'm hoping to take her to the CCO in Bisceter Village.



More stuff for Jackie (who just got married!) which I'll send when her box is full up.



Picked up a bunch from Superdrug and made a few repurchases. First, a GOSH liner in Bananas - the best waterline colour. It's not as harsh as white and a nice shimmery alternative to my matt nude liner. They didn't have any Simple baby wipes in stock so I picked up some Pampers ones instead. Don't like them as much and they sting my eyes but they'll do for now! They had an offer on Barry M polishes so as well as picking up a few for some friends, I got Mushroom (finally!) and Lemon - a lovely pale yellow. Another item I've been wanting for a long time is Revlon's crease brush so I picked that up. It's so, so soft.

Same day, different shop. I popped into Boots and got a 17 Lasting Fix nail polish in Parma Violet and I'm very excited to try it. It looks so beautiful in the bottle. For some reason, I picked up a Miss Sporty Studio Lash mascara. Never used anything from this brand before, so it'll be interesting to try. Nice and cheap at £2.99. On my way to the checkout, I stopped to smell some of the body sprays and picked up a mango and papaya one - great for throwing in your bag when it's hot out. The smell fades quite quickly but it's a big bottle and wasn't expensive so I don't mind much.

Last two stops were The Body Shop where I picked up a few facial buffers and Lush where I bought another stash of Fresh Farmacy and CoalFace for John. These facial buffers...amazing. I now no longer need to buy a separate exfoliator!



I also picked up some ASDA own brand Skin, Hair & Nails vitamins. I've never been one to believe that a vitamin that costs 3x as much as another is any better. It all has the same stuff in it so why not save a few quid?

Pantene's new Aqua Light range pulled me in. I picked up the smaller bottles since they were 2 for £3 at Boots. I ran out of blades for my razor so instead of shelling out a ton for new ones, I decided to go back to disposables. I find they irritate my skin less - weird right?

A Filipino food store in Croydon opened up - I popped in and picked up a few of my faves including Young Coconut juice (YUM) - this is on the same excitement level as getting my hands on Mushroom!



The thing I'm most excited about (I think Reggie is too) is a No7 polish in Totally Teal 115. It was the last one on the shelf so I grabbed it quick! Of course, I bought it with one of my 500 No7/Ruby & Millie vouchers from Boots. I hate that whenever you spend one, you get one! I think I'll just have to resort to ONLY buying something with the voucher instead of...oh I'll just pick up some shampoo and conditioner as well. That's how they get us. Well...me.



My Model's Own order arrived a couple days ago and I've resisted opening anything until now. I purchased 5 polishes (buy 5, get £7 off!) in Betty Blue, Peacock Green, Jade Stone, Magenta Pearl and Purple Grey (meant to be a dupe for Chanel Paradoxal). I also got the three piece brush set and I got a free black kohl liner as it was my first purchase. Of course, the weekend after I placed my order...they hit 10,000 "likes" on Facebook and have a 50% off sale site wide. Just my luck. Go check it out - once again I highly, highly recommend their polishes.

Nail polish swatches (excuse my skanky nails):



No7 115 Totally Teal



Model's Own NP028 Peacock Green



Model's Own NP083 Jade Stone



Barry M Nail Paint 024 Lemon



Model's Own NP085 Magenta Pearl



Model's Own NP056 Betty Blue



Boots 17 Lasting Fix Nail Polish Parma Violet



Barry M Nail Paint 310 Mushroom



Model's Own NP052 Purple Grey





I picked up Marc Jacobs Basil. It's a clean unisex fragrance with top notes of tomato leaf, lemon and basil, middle notes of orange blossom, freesia and jasmine and base notes of sandalwood, musk and cashmere wood. Now I don't know what any of that means, I just know that I like it. Though I do think it might be weird that John and I will smell the same on certain days. I think he'll be using this a lot more than I will as it's a slightly more masculine fragrance - and I'm more than happy for him to. It is after all, a huuuge bottle.

So that's it for now. I'm thinking of just posting monthly collective hauls. Sometimes I'll just pick up one or two items that don't really warrant a whole blog post unless there are reviews attached to them. What do you think?

Review: Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion

I've been using Cetaphil for about a year now and can safely say that it is one of the best moisturisers I have ever used out of both high end and drugstore. It's perfect for my skin type - acne prone combination skin. I am very oily on my T-zone and can be quite dry on my cheeks and very dry under my eyes in the winter. I get acne just about everywhere - small whiteheads on my forehead and cystic acne on my cheeks and jawline. I hardly ever get acne where I am oily (strange no?) so I can only assume the cause of it is irritation from products and dryness on my cheeks - it makes me pick flakes, scratch and generally touch my face a lot more.

The reason I have photos of two bottles of the same product, is because though the labels say the same thing, the product in the bottles are different.



The one on the left was sent to me by a kind friend in the US. It's the Cetaphil packaging most people know. The second one is what I bought in Hong Kong.



The one from the States has a thinner consistency and tends to serve better as a day lotion. The other is slightly thicker so I tend to use it at night unless I have the time to wait for it to sink in properly before applying my makeup.

The difference in packaging isn't too much of an issue to me - The US Cetaphil is 250ml, the other is 200ml. I once bought a Cetaphil daily facial wash (which I absolutely loved, but never repurchased because of the price of the stuff here - 8 quid a bottle from Amazon when it's a couple dollars in the US) which has the same packaging as the bottle I bought in Hong Kong. Not sure if that's relevant at all, just thought I'd throw it in there.

What the bottles say:

"Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion: Clinically proven to bind water to the skin and prevent moisture loss. Quick absorbtion and long-lasting hydration of the (outer-most layer of the) skin. Helps maintain the skin's natural protective barrier.
Provides immediate soothing and softening. Fragrance free and lanolin free formulation, appropriate for sensitive or dry skin.
Specifically formulated to hydrate sensitive or dry skin. Recommended to re-hydrate damaged skin associated with common skin conditions and following dermtological treatments."

"Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion was formulated specifically for chronic dry, sensitive skin.
* Contains a superior system of extra-strength emollients and humectants, clinically proven to bind water to the skin and prevent moisture loss.
* Provides long-lasting relief to even severe dry skin.
* Non-irritating. Non-sensitizing. Contains no fragrances, parabens or lanolin. Non-comedogenic."

It sounds attractive. Something that's going to combat my dry spots while taking care not to tick off my acne or interfere with the smell of my perfume (which some acne moisturisers can do - they stink!). Having used this for as long as I have, it has never caused me to break out and has proven time and time again to actually help in the event of a break out. It makes my skin more supple so it's easier to smooth my foundation and concealer over my blemishes without it looking cakey or flakey, thus discouraging me to pick. I've used it on sunburn and it is absolutely fantastic for that as well. Stick it in the fridge then slather it over your burnt bits!

The US Cetaphil takes about 5 minutes to sink into the skin properly. The EU/Asia one takes slightly longer. I would say about 10 minutes. If you have the time to spare in your daily routine, I recommend the UK/Asia one.

If, like me, you've had problems with your skin for a long time and had no luck with the 1008 regimens you've tried, please consider giving this a go. I truly believe that stripping back your skincare routine to bare essentials works especially if you have problem skin. I used to believe that slapping acne treatment all over my face worked - and if it wasn't stinging and painful, it wasn't working. Now I believe that the more gentle the product, the better it is for your skin.

I use a combination of gentle skin products and only use toners that are alcohol free. The one I love at the moment is Lush's Tea Tree Water. If you have oily skin, it's important to remember that stripping your skin of natural oils with harsh cleansers and alcohol based toners will only kick your skin into panic mode and cause it to overproduce oil. So you end up with oilier skin using products designed to strip the oils! I believe I've talked about this before.

I highly rate this product and would recommend it to people with problem and normal skin alike.

Review: Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub

I'm perfectly happy with my skincare at the moment. I use Shu Uemura cleansing oil daily to remove makeup and cleanse my skin, St Ives Apricot Scrub three times a week, Cetaphil moisturiser daily and Lush Fresh Farmacy, Tea Tree Water and Grease Lightning when I have a breakout. It all works fine. BUT...

Because I LOVE the scent of pink grapefruit and I'd run out of my apricot scrub, I decided to pick this up whilst doing my weekly shop. It cost £3 from ASDA. Error.



What Neutrogena says:

"Helps eliminate spots and blemishes with a fresh clean feel. An uplifting daily facial scrub for clear, fresh and healthy looking skin everyday. With powerful MicroClear technology and exfoliating micro-beads the formula unclogs pores to clean deeply and help eliminate spots & blemishes. The refreshing scrub gently purifies the skin without over drying, while a wave of pink grapefruit uplifts the senses with a burst of invigorating freshness."

What I think:

I really don't think this does much - if anything it broke me out! I'm not sure if that's because I altered my regime or if this product just sucks but I'm going to blame it on the product because...I can.

The micro beads - if you can call them that - are certainly not powerful nor do they actually exist or do anything to exfoliate. It didn't foam up at all either. It turned into a sticky white gel which I feel is part of the reason why you can't feel the micro beads. It does smell gorgeous at first but after I massaged it into my skin for a couple minutes, all I could smell was a faint chemically scent. Not good. After rinsing my face with warm water, I patted it dry and noticed that my skin just didn't feel clean. I put it down to being used to the tight squeaky clean feeling I got from using Fresh Farmacy and moisturised as usual. As if the traumatic experience of washing my face with this stuff wasn't enough...I broke out in painful cystic acne all around my chin and jawline a day after using it. Probably not good for a product that claims to combat acne to actually cause acne...but you know...that's just my opinion.

Fortunately, my boyfriend didn't break out so is willing to use it up (I did sneakily use a bit *cough* a lot to clean my sink the other day) but neither of us will be repurchasing this product. Sort it out Neutrogena!