Review: Lush Honey Lip Scrub.

Lush have a great line of affordable lip scrubs. Some are seasonal and others permanent. The Honey Lip Scrub is part of the permanent line and retails for £6.50 for 20g. I reuse the glass pots by decanting face masks etc in them to use when travelling/ hospital stays.

I need to exfoliate my lips regularly or they become painful, sore,  Sahara desert dry and flaky very quickly due to my fentalyn/morphine patches. As the cold weather approaches/ central heating etc is put on and cranked up, my lips get even worse plus I also like to wear liquid or matte lipsticks which don’t look great with peeling dry lips! I normally bulk buy the LE Christmas Cola lip scrub but they have discontinued it so I decided to try the honey version.

The product claims Stay honey-mouthed and sweet-lipped wherever you go. Rub this sugary scrub over your lips and let spoonful of honey smooth your smackers. The menthol of peppermint oil cools and freshens, while sweet wild orange oil gives you a buzz. Get your honey for nothing, get your lips for free.  

The scrubs, like all Lush products, are handmade. The Honey version is a combination of honey, white chocolate, vanilla and jojoba oil to moisturise the lips.  It is suitable for vegetarians. To use take a pea size amount and rub it over lips until they are soft and exfoliated. Lick (or wash off) the excess.

I don’t particularly like the taste of honey or white chocolate but the taste and smell were okay and not overpowering. I loved how moisturised, exfoliated and healthy my lips look after using the scrub. No flaky bits to tempt me to pull at, my lips felt and looked softer but not greasy and slightly plumper.  After a few uses my lips are no longer dry and flaky to the extent they are painful. They don’t look chapped and sore anymore which is why I will continue to use the honey version despite not particularly liking honey!


I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog post are my own.

Review: Acdria Common Blue Butterfly Necklace & Tiger Butterfly Hairpin.

I purchased and reviewed the Tiger Butterfly Stud Earrings earlier this year so I was thrilled to be selected by Acdria Jewellery to select £60 of jewellery to review. I am keeping the Tiger Butterfly Gair Pin and grudgingly putting the common blue butterfly necklace in to a Rafflecopter competition so a lucky subscriber gets to win/ wear it.


Acdria Jewellery was established in 2012 in Liverpool and they make unique see through (resin) jewellery. Acdria is a small family business.  All the jewellery is designed and hand made in the UK at their workshop in Liverpool.  Acdria bacame a member of the British Jewellery Association in 2013. The first design was the Tiger butterfly. The design was an instant success and they have since expanded their designs to include several different types of butterfly, fans, leaves, flowers, feathers, planets and spiders. Earrings, hair pins, bangles, necklaces and brooches are all reasonably priced considering they are all hand crafted and beautifully made. They arrive in an Acdria embossed gift box so no need to wrap it if it is a present, just pop a ribbon around it. 

The Common Blue Butterfly Necklace (£30) is a new design. Launched in April 2018 the butterfly measures 6cmx3cm and the steel chain measures 45cm. I get common blue butterflies every year in my garden and Acdria have got the tones and different blue hues exactly right. When the butterfly is held up to the light the blues shift and it looks as though it is flying. The steel chain is easy to fasten and the slightly blacken silver looks great against the blue butterfly.  It is an unusual, gorgeous addition to their range of butterfly inspired jewellery (a brooch (£30) and earrings (£18) are also available). 

The Tiger Butterfly Hair Pin is £28 and available in 5 colours: orange, blue, dark blue, purple and red. I chose orange as it matches the tiger butterfly stud earrings I purchased earlier this year.  The butterfly measures  9.4cm x 4cm and like all Acdria Jewellery is made from resin. It is very detailed and realistic. This would make a great bride/ bridesmaid’s head piece as it is so pretty and feminine.






To enter my Common Blue Butterfly Necklace Rafflecopter competition click:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules:
Prize: Common Blue Butterfly Necklace (£30)
Open internationally,
Must complete the compulsory Rafflecopter option,
Opens 25 Nov 12am closes 3 Dec 12am GMT
This competition is not affiliated to Acdria jewellery in any way. If there are questions or comments relating to this competition please contact me via my blog link.
Good Luck


I was gifted these items by Acdria but this doesn’t not influence the opinions expressed in this blog post.

Kneipp Pure Bliss Poppy & Hemp Sparkling Bath Tablets

Kneipp Sparkling Bath Tablets retail for £1.95 per tablet and each tablet does one bath. The bath tablets are formulated with the same essential oils as the original Kneipp bath salts.  There are four  tablets in this range: Pure Bliss, which contains poppy and hemp; Balancing which is infused with lavender; Cold Season, which contains eucalyptus and Joint and Muscle which are infused with arnica. The sparkling herbal tablets are great for travel as each one is wrapped in its own packaging.  Kneipp is very clear and precise in how long you should stay in the bath (15 to 20 minutes) and water temperature (36-38C).

I purchased this tablet as I wanted to to use bath salts on a weekend trip as I have neuropathic and joint pain,  which is eased with long soaks in a warm bath.  As I couldn’t really pack a huge bag of bath salts I was intrigued and pleased to see these bath tablets in my local health food shop.  I chose Pure Bliss which is supposed to clear the mind from stresses of modern life. Infused with aromatic and essential oils, the effervescent tablet fizzed away as it released poppy seed oil which hydrates the skin and hemp oil which relaxes the mind. Kneipp focuses not only upon the benefits of aromatherapy in their products but also the sensorial benefits. I found the orange/ reddish coloured water relaxing and calming. 

I like the single use tablets - they are great for travel and I did feel my skin was hydrated and smelled flowery after my bath. I also felt more relaxed and did not ache as much as usual. I would repurchase and will probably try the others in the range. 

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

Ottoman Hands Green Agate & Pearl Bead Flower Earrings

 I love Ottoman Hands rings and have reviewed them in several blog posts. I saw these earrings earlier in the year on OT’s Instagram feed but was strong and didn’t buy them! I was scrolling through the sale section on their website earlier this month and there they were (£33,75 from £45).



The earrings measure 6.3cm and have a ear wire clasp. The semi precious stones are pearls and forest green agate hung on 21ct gold plated brass flowers. The flower drop earrings were designed for the summer festivals but I think the combination of warm gold, deep green and pearls make for a great Autumn/Winter colour combination. The earrings look elegant and are comfortable to wear.  They came in an Ottoman Hands branded gift box.




Each piece of Ottoman Hands jewellery  is accompanied with a card containing information about the gemstones incorporatesd into the jewellery you have purchased which is interesting.









I purchased the item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own.

Ottoman Hands’ Website

Review: 3 Real Dandelion Seeds Pendant.

I was lucky enough to be selected by StatementMadeJewellery.com to receive this gorgeous 3 real dandelion seeds pendant to review and keep. Statement Made jewellery items are all hand picked, unusual and quirky, aimed at the modern woman. Established in April 2016,  their vision is to create a link between the jewellery and the wearer and for the wearer to “express themselves in new and exciting ways”. SMJ have two online stores.  The  Etsy  Store has a 5* rating and they also have a web shop which has a great range of unusual and quirky jewellery, some of which can be personalised. 

The Dandelion Seed Pendant is three dandelion seeds set in a resin orb.  The orb looks just like a tiny clear crystal ball. The leatherette cord is 18” and is fastened with a carabiner claw clasp.  Both the clasp and the pendant bail are made from a silver plated base metal. All the dandelion seeds are hand picked, so no two pendants are the same. A personalised charm can be added for £2. It comes packaged  in a little pink faux suede draw string bag. 

I love this necklace. It is affordable and each one is unique. The orb reflects images of items around you whilst the dandelion seeds look magical floating inside the orb itself.  The pendant does not feel heavy to wear and it feels and looks both delicate but sturdy. I did drop it when photographing it but it didn’t chip or break. 

Statement Made Jewellery have a great selection of jewellery and Christmas ornaments, some of which are personalisable that are unique, quirky and affordable.  

I received this item as a gift from Statement Made Jewellery but this does not influence my review post in any way. 

Available here:

Statementmadejewellery.com

Etsy store  Etsy

Beak & Claws: Anastasia Beverly Hills Ruby Matte Lipstick

Anastasia Beverly Hills are renowned for their highlighters and eyebrow products. Their lipsticks, however, seem to fly under the radar and don’t get much love on YouTube etc. I got the Ruby Matte lipstick as part of a Sephora lip box last year (they retail individually for £18) but have only just pulled it out to use as it is the perfect Christmas red. 

Ruby is a cool toned red with a blueish undertone. It feels very light on the lips but did tug a little when I applied it. The finish is a non drying velvety matte which feels comfortable to wear   It lasts for around 6 hours and did stain my lips which was fine as it meant that the lipstick faded elegantly and didn’t look patchy!

I would try other colours in this range: the lipstick formula is comfortable to wear and the colour is vibrant and true to the colour in the bullet.

I purchased this item myself and the views expressed in this blog are my own. 

Available from all ABH stockists.

Beak & Claws: Clinique Pop Lip Shadow Cushion Matte Lip Powder in Pop Fushia (06).

 I prefer a matte lip and have tried out a variety of matte lip powders at various price points. Clinique launched their version - the Pop Lip Shadow Cushion Matte Lip Powder in late 2017 and although I am rather late to the party! I chose Pop Fushia (06) which costs £17 for 1.2g.

According to the Clinique website the Pop Lip Powder is a weightless matte powder that delivers highly pigmented, bold lip colour.  The product is free from parabens, phthalates and is also fragrance  free.Before first use the colour must be activated by unscrewing the clear cap from the silver wand and removing the white lid  from the coloured cylindrical cap. The sponge cap is pushed into the silver wand and twisted into place. This process seals and loads the colour in place ready for use. The sponge applicator cap is dipped into the lid to pick up pigment.

I found it was easy to activate the colour. Even though I don't have much grip or hand coordination I didn't find the process fiddly or hard to do.   The product was buildable, I found I could have a gentle blurred wash of colour, where it didn't matter if it was slightly wonky (as I cannot move my neck to check the sides of my face/lip I sometimes miss a spot) or the pigment can be built up for a dramatic, bold matte look. I really like the bright Fushia pink as it brought some much needed colour to my face. The silver wand does look very stylish but as I sometimes use a small clutch I wish it was smaller. I also found it hard to grip as it is so smooth and graduated in length. It was hard to maintain a precise line as I didn't find it as easy to manage as a traditional lipstick case. Staying time was around three hours and there was some transference of colour.

I loved the bold colour payoff and the matteness of the lip shadow powder. I like the elegance of the wand, although I also find it impractical when using smaller bags or when I want to put it in a small make up bag. Due to hand/eye coordination problems and grip issues I struggled to grip the wand and would probably get someone else to help me it on in the future if I wanted to go for a full on bold lip but I can do a lighter, blurred lip myself.




I purchased this item myself and all views expressed in my blog are my own. The lip shadows are available at all Clinique stockists.

Book Review: The Palace of Lost Dreams by Charlotte Betts

The Palace of Lost Dreams is set in 18 Century India.  Written by Charlotte Betts, this novel tells the story of Beatrice Sinclair, a young grieving widow who is financially destitute. She travels from Hampshire to Hyderabad in order to visit her brother who is employed by the British East India Company. 

When she arrives in Hyderabad she is surprised to find that he has married a local girl and is live by in his wife’s extended family home, a dilapidated Palace, Jahanara Mahal.  Beatrice has to contend with many challenges whilst also coming to terms with the loss of her husband.

As British and French forces go into battle over India’s wealth, Harry Wyndham, ex soldier, now a spy, adds to the complicated challenges which Bee has to cope with.  She has to decide where her loyalties lie.

Set in a period of a globalising textile industry and the impact this will have upon the Indian industry this romance focuses on a strong female influence - the heroine and other women are all emotionally strong, determined not to rely upon men.  Romantically realistic for this period there are bruised kisses and lots of misunderstandings.


 I received this book via Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group in exchange for a honest review. #netgalley #ThePalaceOfLostDreams

Book Review: Long Road to Mercy by David Baldacci

  

Long Road to Mercy is the first in David Baldacci’s new series featuring a female protagonist- FBI Special Agent Atlee Pine. It is 30 years since Atlee’s twin sister Mercy was taken from their shared bedroom.  Daniel James Thor, a notorious killer, has been tried and convicted of several murders but not Mercy’s.  Atlee is certain he knows what happened to her twin sister. Toe is still a residentboat a high security prison in Colorado.  

Atlee has been posted to the wilds of Western United States.  She suffers from survivors guilt and has never stopped searching for her sister.  Now she has been called in to solve the case of a mutiliated dead mule with strange carvings in its flank and hopefully find its rider, Benjamin Priest, who is missing.  Whilst  investigating this gruesome case, with the help of park rangers,  she realised this is only one in a spate of such crimes. Working with her assistant Carole Blum, Atlee soon realises that she can trust no one, not even her colleagues in the FBI.

This novel illustrates why Baldacci is an award winning and best selling author.  This storyline at first seems very fanciful and far fetched but when considering the shift in geopolitics and the increasing Russian /bro right influences on both the US election and UK Brexit disaster, for example, it becomes depressingly more realistic although still enjoyable to read.  Baldacci reveals the vulnerable side to Atlee - she is determined to find out what happened to her twin and has dedicated to her tattoos. She is a very strong woman who just missed out on a position in the Olympic team and she is dedicated to her career and solving crimes rather than climbing the career ladder. An enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the rest in the series.


I received this book via Netgalley and Pan Macmillan in exchange for a honest review. #netgalley #longroadtomercy