Oh So LUSHurious

You got it! Another purchase from my favourite cosmetic store, Lush. I am seriously getting addicted to their bath products, there is just something about bubble baths that really gets my body bumping and my heart skip a beat. Nothing like a long hot soak after a hectic day at work, I'm sure you ladies would agree with me, right?  

You know when you see the most beautiful bag in a store window and you get that "oh my god feeling"? Well, when I locked eyes on the Lush store in Straford, Westfield.. that feeling was just like that... but magnified. I had no idea they had a store there! Anyways, I instantly had to drag my boyfriend to show him how wonderful and gorgeous their products are, although I think he may think otherwise. Going in to the store, how could I not get my hands on their sensational and unique bath creations? I was like a kid in a candy store - I was seriously spoilt for choice and I didn't what to pick! After hounding the sales assistance with so many questions, and FYI, their customer service at every lush branch that I have been to are fantastic and faultless - very helpful and insightful. I bought these three delightful bath products that I have fallen deeply in love with.  

Butterball bath ballistic (white) & Creamy Candy Bath bubble bar (pink)

Butterball Ballistics is extremely moisturising and smells like custard creams - it really does! Just drop it in your bath and let the magic begin. Perfect for a mid-week bath treat - adding a few candles around your bath to make it that little bit more special.

Creamy Candy Bubble Bar is a very girly product, not only is the colour the cutest pink ever, and it smells like marshmallows! Lush describes this as "The sweet-as-sugar, giggly girly one" .. it sure is! Crumble this in your bath and you'll get the frothiest and most bubbliest bubble bath a girl can ever dream of. 

Lush Magic Wand - Ah, this one is probably my favourite one of the three. I love how innovative Lush are with their products and the idea behind this is pretty damn cool - please place enthusiasm on 'cool' because it really is. A re-usuable wand for your bath, simply just swirl it around your bath and the magic appears instantly. The water is the most gorgeous pink in colour and you get the most heavenly  bubble bath that every girl dreams about.. and more. And it smells absolutely phenomenal. 

I can't wait to go back for more.. I can't get enough of Lush! 

EOS: The Balm That Gets The Stares

Probably the most unusual lip balm that I have ever seen and purchased.  Its no surprise that I encounter numerous stares in public when I whip this out of my hand bag. I purchased two from Target in Los Angeles, and I was so happy to have finally found it after countless searches in the UK. I've recenetly been told by a friend that they sell these on Amazon for £6 each - pretty pricey for a lip balm.  I bought two for $3 from Target, which is surprisingly cheap considering how popular they are within the beauty/cosmetics community.  They come in a number of flavours, but I decided to go with the Candy floss (below) and a passion fruit one (smells like heaven!). Both are extremely moisturising and very, very addictive to use. 

Leaves your lips plumed and smelling like candy from the fair ground.  If you're in to statement pieces, then this little gem is perfect for you. Fits perfectly in my 'go-to' bag and come in handy for the winter chapped lips that I am prone to have. The gorgeous smells lures you in to use this whenever and wherever possible, so be warned. 

The Sweetest Taste

Chap lips this winter? Well, this little magic in the pot will solve any of your lip problems. I bought this lip scrub whilst on holiday to the states last month. I was immediately sold by the smell. If you love that sweet bubble smell/flavour, then I highly recommend this product because it is so gorgeous.

This lip scrub banishes away  dead skin on your lips, leaving it smooth, soft and 'bouncy'. My lips feel much more plumbed after using this scrub (and applying my favourite lipbalm, which FYI is Blistex MedPlus). 

I was informed by their wonderful and friendliest sales assistant (Lush store @ Old Town Pasedena, Los Angeles) that the ingredients within the lip scrub are all edible as its primary ingredient is castor sugar.

What I love most about this product is that a little goes a long way. You only need a little amount to use on your lips, so for just £4.95 (link), it will last you a long while before repurchasing. I also love how pink this product is, certainly great for the females.  

All in all, a great little product for winter chapped lips and ideal for a secret santa gift. I highly recommend using a lip balm straight after using this product, as it is the best way to lock in the moisture. 

What are your favourite Lush products?

Bobbing For Baubles

A bit of a tongue twister in name, a primary reason why I love this nail varnish oh so much. I bought my very first Essie varnish while I was in LA on holiday. Yes, yes, I know, why haven't I jumped on the Essie band wagon yet, you ask? Well, there's actually no valid reason why I haven't.. I guess I just didn't take much notice of it, that and maybe price tag lured me away! Either way, I am now a Essie addict!  This is one of my favourite of the batch I bought, a deep dark shade of blue with a matte finish. I absolutely love matte finishes, its the only finish that suits me.  What I mostly love about Essie nail varnishes, is that they hardly chip and the colour lasts for a good solid week before they start chipping away. The only other products that work exactly the same is OPI, which again, also have a hefty price tag. I guess you do pay for quality - Essie is definitely quality. 

 Will definitely be repurchasing! I bought 3 Essie nail polishes from Target, costing roughly $4.00 each, thats equivalent of £2.50.  Shopping in America is definitely great for bargain hunters like myself.

What are you favourite Essie colours? 

If Love Had A Smell

If love had a smell, then please let it smell like this.

Instant love at first smell. I have fallen deeply and utterly in love with this perfume, it has the perfect girly and romantic scent and the bottle is just so cute. Bought this as a one of 'treat yourself on pay day' gift and I am so over the moon because I have no found my perfect scent. The greatest thing about this perfume is that it last for the entire day and you can still smell it even when you're on the go. It is perfect for work, perfect for nights out and even for a casual occasion. It is beautiful in every possible way. 

Side note:

Apologies for being MIA for a while, I've been a little busy with writing up posts for my food blog. But I am back and raring to go. I have so much I need to catch up on, so please bare with me. I will also continue with My Week In Photo posts as I've missed so many weeks already.

Visit My Food Blog: Culinary Treats

Bik Bok Love

Another obessesion of mine, chunky statement rings. Not that I wear rings very often since its a bit of nuisance for work, but when I do find the occasion, I whip it out without hesitation (that rhymes!).  Purchased from Bik Bok on the whim, as I was out shopping and decided to pop in since the sale sign was up (I never really shop in there). I don't know what it is with all these sale signs, but when I see red (they are often in red), I'm automatically lured in. Its almost hypnotising.... or is it just me? Mmm.  Anyways, this beauty costed me £5 and I'm so loving it. I'm thinking of purchasing more of these kind of styles of rings - the vintage looking ones.  I have seen a few that I've been lusting for at llymlrs jewellery collection, all her jewellery are so beautiful and so affordable! I have a feeling a batch order is on the horizon. uh oh!

One For One

My boyfriend, the sweetheart that he is, surprised me with a pair of TOMS the other day and I can honestly say that it is the most comfiest pair of trainers/sneakers that I own. I had no idea the story behind this company, but I'm so glad that I'm a part of this great cause. They have a wide range of colours in  this style and I already have my eye on a green pair. Retailing at £33 in the UK, I think its a pretty decent price considering how big the cause is! Please show your support and head over to TOMS website to find out more information on this great cause. [logo image taken from www.tomsshoes.co.uk]

Ps: U.S readers, could you tell me if this is sold in the U.S? I'm off to LA in November and hoping to purchase more.

Quirky Gifts, From Yours Truly

I was at the London Film and Comic Con this week and bagged myself a few little quirky bits. I know what you are all thinking, why did I buy jewellery at an exhibition that has nothing remotely to do with jewellery. Well, they had a few stands that were selling quirky little items and I came across these two pieces and instantly fell in love with them. I love the scrabble ring (£4.99), which I found so cute! I've never seen anything like it before. The necklace (£15) is exactly what I have been looking for. I adore the green feather detailing, which gives it a unique vintage-antic'ish feel to it. 

The scrabble ring was produced by a little company called KITSCH.  You can find them on ebay @ ILOVEKITSCH2004.

The Pad Goes Floral

Cath Kidston has always been a mild obsession of mine. I love her floral designs and her vintage-style products. So, when I saw this iPad case, I knew it was the one. Cath Kidston describes this as a "Practical and pretty way to keep your iPad safe"... Practical, yes, but pretty is definitely an understatement. I love the fact that it has Cath Kidston written all over it. It fits perfectly and it looks so pretty.

Are you a Cath Kidston fan?

Q: Are You A MAC or PC?

After months of ooooh'ing and ahhh'ing, I have finally gotten my hands on the iPad2. I was told numerous times on a number of occasions that it was sold out.. literally everywhere! myself partly to blame since I was so determined to get it in white, I'm not keen on apple products in black, it just doesn't feel like an apple product if it isn't in white.

I purchased the 16G with Wifi & 3G (on 02) .. The second best investment (my Canon 500d being my first) so far this year.

No regrets at all, it is a brilliant piece of technology with the most stunning graphics and personal apps. My main objective for the iPad is to use this as a personal 'laptop' for browsing online, sending emails and reading the news on my way to work. It is definitely a good investment if, like me, you travel to work on a daily basis and just want something to keep you occupied. Also, perfect for gadget enthusiast like myself.

If you have any recommendations on apps that I can download for my iPad, please feel free to drop me a message :)

I ♥ Urban Outfitters

I was down central London after work to get a few presents for my niece who's turning the sweet age of 1 next monday (they grow so fast!). Whilst browsing a long the high street, I popped in to Urban Outfitter seeing as the summer sales are out in full swing. I came across these lovely pair of summer sandles. They are perfect for summer and even goes really well with skinny jeans. I love the little chris cross detailing on the front, it gives that kind of vintage/bo-ho look to it. I love them :)

The Haul

[1] Urban Outffiter leopard print cross logo tee [2] Gap plain loose fit vest top [3] Gap plain white short sleeve cotton top [4] Soap & Glory hand food hand cream [5] John Frieda luxury volume spray [6] Pantene repair and protect serum [7] Chanel Paris perfume (Sample)

These were purchased through the course of the week. I absolutely love my new urban outfitter tee, is just what I have been looking for. A lot of retail stores are on summer sale at the moment, the 2 Gap items that I purchased were almost half the price off, bargain! I am obsessed over the Soap & Glory hand cream, it smells so lovely. The John Frieda spray claims that it revolumize your hair throughout the day.. can't wait to test it out. My hair is so smooth and soft since using the Pantene repair and protect serum. So happy to have gotten a sample of the Chanel perfume, smells so rich!

Through The Looking Glass

After much deliberation and countless times ooh'ing and ahhh'ing about this lens, I have finally plucked up the courage to spend some dollars on this beauty. The  Canon 50mm F1.8 II  lens produces stunning macro photos with amazing depth of field. Macro photography has always been a favourite of mine. Really excited to test this bad boy out!