A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Radox. What are you playing at?

When I think of you, I think of relaxing in a blue-hued bath of wonder.  Sinking into realms of relaxation that I thought only existed in my pre-child lifetime. You don’t give me spendy guilts when I pop into Boots for a top-up and you don’t make me weep with sorrow when I discover that Mr. L has raided my bathroom cabinet.

So, what’s all this new nonsense about?

Don’t you dare try to revive, energise or uplift me! That’s not what I come to you for.

You might think that you need to compete with all those shower and bath products that set your sensitive bits alight and leave you feeling like you’ve been dragged through a polo mint backwards, but you don’t.

You’re perfect just the way you are.

However, if you do get a moment… how about more bath salts in some new and ever more relaxing scents and shades. Bath salts are set for a BIG come back don’tchano?

Radox. They’ve gone all modern n’ stuff with this new Citrus range.  £2.15 ish a bottle… but if I see you buying one, I’ll disown you.

Ayurvedic therapies have grown in popularity within the spa world this year.  The ancient holistic practices and treatments from Southern Asia are now increasingly available to book alongside the usual wraps and hot stone therapies.

Ayush Spa in Jersey – the UK’s first Ayurvedic Hotel Spa – is dedicated to the principles of Ayurvedic therapies and even offers its own Indian physician and therapists to preserve the traditions of the ancient therapies.

If, however, you don’t know your vatas from your pittas and think I’m talking a load of old kapha, don’t worry.  What has been a fairly niche buzzword within the health and beauty industry looks set to hit the mainstream.  And by “mainstream”, I mean, the “high street”.

First up are British clothing brand Monsoon, who are upping the ante with the launch of a bath and body collection, inspired by the Indian practice.  The collection features hand washes, hand and body lotions, moisturisers, body butters, body scrubs and more.  All containing natural, 100% pure plant actives that capture the spirit and knowledge of the ayurvedic tradition.  Prices start from £4.00 and there are even Christmas gift sets available to boost the well-being of your favourite aunties!

Taking the ancient principles to an even lower price point are Palmolive, with the launch of their Ayurituel shower gel range which promises a harmonious body and mind experience to leave you feeling balanced and energised.  Blimey!

The shower gels are available in three varieties: Energy, Joyous, and Tranquility – each containing exotic extracts of Indian origin including: sandalwood, Indian mulberry and neem and patchouli extracts.

You can’t beat a deliciously-scented shower gel on a cold morning and my pick from the range is Energy* (the orange one) with it’s warming combination of Indian Sandalwood & Ginger.  The Ayurituel range is priced at £2.99 each and available from Sainsburys.

Noticed any other buzzwords creeping in that look set to be a feature for 2013?

* press sample

Who says you need to spend oodles of money to smell like a goddess in the shower?

Yves Rocher’s Voile d’Ambre Shower Gel defies its (current) sub-£10 price tag and smells more like one of the department store fragrance flankers.  At £7-odd, I don’t use this daily… but it’s perfect for layering under your favourite oriental, woody perfumes and is a great scent choice for ushering in the colder weather.

I’m not going to review it like it’s a perfume… it’s a shower gel after all, and I can only hold a certain amount of excitement for shower gels regardless of how nice they are, but still… the amber in Voile d’Ambre isn’t overpowering but lasts beautifully on my skin.  I’m keen to explore the other shower gels, and perhaps even the perfumes in the Yves Rocher line – I’m glad I added this one to my recent order, it’s so nice to find a new brand (to me) to get my teeth stuck into!

Yves Rocher Voile d’Ambre Shower Gel is currently priced at £7.80 and is available to buy online in the UK from the Yves Rocher website.

I cherish those precious moments in the day when I can lock myself in the bathroom and jump under a hot shower, pretending that the sound of the water blocks out all outside interference.  Let’s face it, we all love our bathroom indulgences and I’m not talking about quilted loo roll.  The one downside to indulging in this way, is the price.  It’s tough times and I don’t know about you, but some of the first luxuries to hit the chopping block when I’m financially challenged are bathroom toiletries.

Well, here’s one luxury from Elemis that you can reacquaint yourselves with for a limited time only…

Get 2for1 on a selection of shower products, choosing from: Elemis Skin Nourishing Shower Cream Duo, Elemis Exotic Frangipani Shower Cream Duo or Wild Lavender Hand And Body Wash Duo.  My money’s on the Frangipani… trust me, it smells divine.  If you’re feeling particularly savvy, buy one for yourself and keep the other as a gift for someone special – it’s never too early to get those Christmas boxes in order.  Unless you start on Boxing Day, ‘cos that would be kinda cuckoo.

Do you have a favourite from the products on offer in this deal?

A couple of years back, I stayed at the Les Trois Rois hotel in Basel, the penthouse suite no-less and there’s a video of me (Mr. L keeps threatening to YouTube it), running around the suite (it’s not pretty – I was 6 months pregnant), all breathless and getting hugely excited (as only a peasant would) over the fruit displays, cinema screen TV and private rooftop jacuzzi.

But the thing that got me squealing most of all in the video were the 5 bathrooms, each filled with full-size Molton Brown products.  Infact, so decadent was it that I didn’t steal a single bottle to take home – it just felt too naughty.  I still curse that angel sitting on my shoulder – I could have at least decanted a bit from each bottle right?  Clearly, I’m only devious with the benefit of hindsight.

Which is why I would be rather pleased were I to receive this set of Molton Brown shower gels for Christmas.  Take that stupid angel!

The Spectrum Set contains 6 x 100ml bath & shower gels which include the scents: energising seamoss; relaxing yuan zhi; travel-reviving cempaka; re-charge black pepper; warming eucalyptus and invigorating suma ginseng.

Priced at £36 and available to buy online from moltonbrown.co.uk

Do you steal hotel toiletries?

… from ME!

I came across the Korres-owned line of body products whilst surfing the Zuneta site late the other evening.  I was taking advantage of the free delivery code before it ran out and stumbled over this intriguing range of well-priced, temptingly-flavoured goodies!

I’m a sucker for warm scents and tobacco is one of my favourites.  The For Kings & Queen’s version doesn’t disappoint… it’s sweet without being sickly and intoxicating without being heady.  To my nose, I can detect a hint of juiciness that’s sharp enough to gently cut through the warmer base and keep things a little lighter.  It’s simply a beautiful unisex scent and Mr. L has already made one hell of a dent in our bottle.

The formula is runny and toned brown… so beware any spillages!  Another point to note is just how much lather the formula produces… just a tiny drop combined with a mesh bath puff will create miles of bubbles, ensuring excellent value for money!

The scent sadly doesn’t linger on my skin once I’ve left the bathroom, a real shame as I imagine this would make the most perfect layering foundation for some of my warm, amber-based fragrances.  Still, at £5.00 for 300ml I can’t expect the world and I’m very happy with what I get for my money.

Rather dangerously, there’s a particularly collectible element to the line up.  The For Kings & Queens range link their scents to specific royal persons, hence the “Tsar Peter” in this shower gel who was known to enjoy the flavours of aromatic pipe tobacco so much that during times of severe laws against tobacco smoking he extended this pleasure to his people allowing them to smoke freely. It’s like the pokemon of shower gels… gotta catch ’em all!

I’m fascinated by the Korres-owned range which I believe has been around for some time now (how did I not know!) and already have a few more earmarked for future purchase.

For Kings & Queens are available to buy online from Zuneta & ThePowderRooms (where the range is currently on sale) – also check out the brand’s website which has all the historical tidbits about the various royal references!

Have you tried the Kings & Queens range?  Any favourites?

I’ve written previously about my love for Gielly Green’s Argan Rescue Oil that I use a few times a week to perk up my over-processed hair.  I recently took delivery of a couple of samples from the Gielly Green body range which included a hand & body lotion and a hand & body wash.

At 300ml a-piece, these understated but elegant bottles will last a fair length of time which is reassuring when you take into account that the ‘wash’ and ‘lotion’ are priced at £12 and £18 respectively.  These are luxury prices for products squarely aimed at the luxury market.

Now, whilst I don’t bat an eyelid at paying nearly £20 for a hair treatment, lipstick or facial moisturiser… I get more frugalistic stirrings when it comes to the kind of purchase that generally needs to be replaced more frequently.  This would include hand washes.

Having said that… I can’t actually fault the deliciousness of these products.  The Lemon and Muguet (Lily of the Valley) scent is fresh and airy.  It delivers a sparkling citrusy zing without skimping on a more grounding floral that lingers for a few hours after application and the scent conveys an overall carefree lightness without being too ‘young’, fruity or sweet.

The formula of the hand and body lotion is blissfully light, not great for those requiring more intense moisturisation but I’ve been using this on my hands (and lower arms) after washing and whilst not moisturising enough to keep my cuticles in check, it’s doing a sterling job on the rest, including my rough elbows!

The hand and body wash smells a little zestier than the lotion and delivers a non-drying formula thanks to the addition of Argan Oil (not too far down the ingredients list either!) and a welcome lack of SLS and alcohol in the formulation.

Overall, if your purse can stomach the price tag – you could do far worse than treating yourself to these bathroom gems.  Gielly Green have delivered a perfect pair of body essentials that bring a touch of luxury to a normally mundane task.

Gielly Green Hand & Body Wash and Hand & Body Lotion in Lemon & Muguet are available to buy online from the Gielly Green website.

Yum. Oh.

I’m a long-standing fan of Lush’s Honey I Washed the Kids soap. It’s got no whizz-bang exciting things going for it but it’s comforting. Like an old-favourite jumper washed many times over, I’ve been repurchasing it once or twice a year since my early twenties.

Which is why I was excited to see the scent launched into a new Limited Edition shower gel that goes by the name of: It’s Raining Men. Alongside the other limited edition launches for Valentine’s Day, It’s Raining Men will only be around for a short while… so I suggest you go sniff it out tout de suite!

It foams REALLY well… and to be quite blunt, when a shower gel (that doesn’t claim to contain magical properties) costs nearly £8 for 250ml, that’s an important thing to know about it.  It means that I can see this bottle lasting me for a good long time.  Judging by my usage of the sample I was sent, I’d estimate that it’ll still be going in 3 months time.  You really only need a drop on a bath lily to work up a huge lather.

As for the scent?  To me it’s a little sweeter than my HIWTK soap… just a touch.

It’s Raining Men is a saccharine feast for the shower that bubbles up beautifully and leaves my skin with a delicate honey-ed scent.  I like it and I’m purchasing a backup at the weekend in preparation for it leaving the shelves for good.

Lush – It’s Raining Men limited edition Shower Gel is available online or instore at LUSH

It’s FRIDAY!!!!  And if you ain’t spending the day pleading with MAC to sell you a lipstick, then you’re probably doing more important things like working… or picking your toes.

But stop what you’re doing right now!  Come and enter my giveaway…

I have sets of 6 Body Shop Originals products to give away to FIVE lucky readers… the image above is just me messing about in photoshop… I dunno what ones you’ll be getting, consider it a retro pick n’ mix!

To enter my giveaway, simply leave a comment and let me know… which is your favourite Body Shop Originals product?

Have a flippin’ lovely weekend chicas!

L’Occitane are releasing a new limited edition range for the Summer set to tantalise our senses.

Verbena Summer Secret will launch this month with 4 products in the line up:

I’m a big fan of the original Verbena line up with it’s true citrusy notes that transport you from your 3’x3′ shower cubicle to the lemon groves of Sicily and let’s be honest… where else would you rather be on a Monday morning?

The range will include:

1. Moisturising Body Gel – £17.50
2. Shower Jelly – £12.50
3. Eau de Toilette – £34.00
4. Cooling Gloss – £7.00

I’m particularly keen to try the Moisturising Body Gel… it’s the word “gel”… anything that conjures up a mental image of being lightweight and easily absorbed is something that makes me sit up and take notice.  Especially in this weather.

Are you a L’Occitane fan?  What are your favourites from the brand?

Today will go down in history.

I finally reached the bottom of my seemingly bottomless bottle of Soap & Glory Clean on Me.  Usually, when I get bored of something shower-related I tell Mr. L to use it up for me.  That way, I don’t feel guilty cracking open something new when I’ve still got half a bottle/tube/whatever of something else on the go.  But Mr. L wasn’t playing ball with my S&G – too girly smelling apparently *eye roll*.

I picked the Boots No7 Luxurious Foaming Shower Oil up a couple of months ago and it’s been gathering dust ever-since.  Just as I’d turned the shower on this morning, I realised I was all out and hot-footed it across the landing, dripping water as I went.  Once I’d remembered where I’d stashed it, I dripped my way back into the shower only to realise that I hadn’t taken a photo of it for the blog!

I left the shower again and drip, drip, dripped my way into the bedroom, grabbing my camera as I went. Plonked the box on the windowsill and started snapping away.  3 minutes later, I’d finished snapping and glanced up to see my neighbour’s curtain twitch.

So now, not only does my neighbour know that I have one boob bigger than the other.  He know’s WHICH FREAKIN’ BOOB IT IS.

Dedication.  This review had better be worth it.

Oh yeah… the review…

I didn’t like it.  It barely lathered.  Wimpy, weak lather that didn’t smell of anything much at all.  Very, very lightly scented.

I tried again… and used enough to bathe Geoff Capes twice over and still…. it just gave me a thin surface layer of bubbles.  Didn’t feel much like luxury to me.  Being an oil and all… did it make my skin feel smoother or softer?  Nope.  Nothing more than any other moisturising shower gel.  It didn’t strip me of any moisture…. but let’s face it, this stuff is £8.75 a bottle (cheaper with a No7 till spit) but still… it’s a MEH kinda product.

And that’s my official rating.  At least my neighbour enjoyed it.

New for Summer, the already popular TreacleMoon lineup is expanding to include a new fragrance.

Lovely Mint Story promises to be a cool, refreshing mint fragrance that takes you back to minty mojitos and tropical times with its skin-tingling zing.

Me?  I just want something zingy to replace the tropical coconut-y phase that I’m currently going through!

Treaclemoon bath and shower gels are available exclusive to Tesco (larger stores only) and carry a very reasonable price tag of £2.89!

Have you checked out any of the other fragrances?