The Body Shop

It's nice to visit old friends. Especially ones you've not seen for ages. I've not investigated The Body Shop for years but recently I went in and was deeply impressed.

It seems to be the law that all 10-15 year old girls love The Body Shop. Thus I found myself in the Oxford Street branch with my friend who has a 12 year-old daughter. She was after the advent calendar but it was long since sold out. However, they had a little booth where you can instantly print personalised covers for their body butters. What a great idea. It's not online so you have to pop in but we were entranced and I only just managed to stop getting one for me.

I bought this.

The Almond and Milk Honey bath milk. I basically bathe in my new bathroom any time I can so bubble baths are a must. This is sublime. It's soothing, delicious and soft. 

I came home and immediately went online to explore more. I bought this:

If you love rose scent, then this is for you. It's gorgeous, not greasy but deeply moisturising. 

It's almost impossible to pay full price. Currently there is 40% off if you spend £15 and more. I stocked up on Christmas presents. If you're reading this and in my family, DO NOT BUY, DO NOT BUY!

The Body Shop does appeal to girls but it has serious products in there as well. The skincare range is excellent. I avoid anything strawberry scented but that's just me.

A word about REN

I've always liked REN beauty but tend to forget about it. However, a few things reminded me. Firstly, I have finally managed to get a bathroom renovated. This has been months in the making, it was going to be the shower room but at the last minute, I decided I needed a bathing boudoir and so I did the attic bathroom. This is a tiny little room and it was unusable. Now it's a pink, bathing heaven.

It's been a slog getting this room done and I won't bore with you with the details but I think we can all agree that a new bathroom needs new products.

Then Caroline Hirons posted a 20% code for REN and the deal was done.

The classic Moroccan Rose Otto body wash. The last time I had this, it was a present from my mum so it's been a while. You may have noticed my new bathroom is pink. Very, very pink. I wanted it to feel like a haven and a retreat and it really does. I lie there in rose scented bubbles admiring my excellent taste.

I also purchased some skincare. Ready Steady Glow tonic. This is incredibly good and pretty strong. You really feel your skin tingle. It may replace my beloved Zelen pads which are expensive and I wince when I buy them. This is much more reasonable at £25 (plus 20% off!) and it has properly good packaging, as you press your cotton pad down on it and pump. Why more brands don't do this is a mystery.

Finally, I bought Evercalm Anti Redness Serum. I wanted this as my skin was feeling a little red and flushed. I think it's the change of season, central heating, endless dust because of the renovation (the project is bigger than one bathroom). Anyway, this does exactly what it promises and feels very soothing. 

I've fallen back in love with REN. I got a ton of huge samples with this order too.

Before I go, several people have asked me how my husband feels about a pink bathroom. Why would he object? Men like pink too. In fact, he encouraged me to go for this brighter pink (Farrow & Ball Rangwali). I find questions like this so interesting, as if men only like steel grey and blue and can't enjoy a bath while looking a pink walls! Mind you, I may have taken a step too far with my Joan Collins portrait...

Badedas Original Indulgent Bath Gelee

This cold weather is made for long hot baths, sitting in the front of the fire, and plenty of toast with tea. I am indulging on all fronts because brrrrrrrrrrr.

I found myself buying this at the weekend. My mum used to have this and talk about being transported back to the 80s! I put some in my bath and could almost feel 16 again. Guess what? I am delighted to report that this product is still fabulous. It turns the water green (bonus), it smells heavenly and it makes the whole house smell gorgeous. My husband asked me, did you just have a bath with Badedas? Such is the power of this scent, even he recognised it.

It comes in a pointless box which is annoying in today's environmentally conscious world but other than that, I can find no fault. I am planning lots of baths over the next week so I can be a jolly green giant.

Ragdale Hall Pamper Bath Essence

I don't understand people who don't bathe. The joy of sinking into a bath, especially at this time of year, is heavenly. Sometimes I spend all day dreaming about when I can get into the bath.

Sometimes you just want something soft and fluffy that smells of expensive hotels. This fits the bill. Available from M&S for £7.50, it's almost perfect. To make it truly perfect, I add essential oils and my current obsession is with Marjoram.

Tisserand oils are the best. We have lots of them and they all smell divine. A few drops of this in the bubble bath with the aforementioned bath essence and it's bath heaven. Add an oil burner with the marjoram oil as well, a decent book and I can be in there for a good hour.  Baths make February bearable.

Mio: my new favourite brand

Congratulations, we made it through the first week of January.  25 days to go before February! I have made three beauty resolutions for 2018: to start dry body brushing, to wear an SPF on my face every day, and to stop tweezing nefarious hairs and get them zapped with electrolysis.

Dry body brushing. Every beauty writer raves about it. It's boring to do but I decided to bite the bullet and help my lymphatic system out a bit. I read up about it and this brush from Mio got good reviews. I have used it exactly once so far (it only arrived a few days ago!) So far, so good, yes I could feel my blood pumping a bit and I can see it'll be good for me.

Obviously I did not just order a body brush. I mean, that would be dull and they had a sale on.

This Liquid Yoga bubble soak is astonishingly good. It's perfectly named. If, like me, yoga is not your thing then assuage your guilt and lie in a bath with this in it. No bubbles but it's deeply relaxing and smells like heaven.

Anything that jump starts my mornings is worth investing in at this time of year. This quick start shower gel is very zingy and delicious.

I have mentioned this muscle gel before. I got a little sample a while ago and immediately ordered a full size and I have now bought some more. Post work out - after the above mentioned shower gel, rub this in and your legs feel alive. I am seriously addicted to it. Sometimes it can feel almost too much tingling but it stays just the right side of painful. You will become addicted to this.

I am loving it all. I look forward to reporting back on my new regime soon and wowing you all with my glowiness. More on my other two resolutions in future posts.

Waitrose Ginger & Clementine Bath Foam

£1.50 in the Ocado order and you get masses of orangey bubbles. It's my bargain of the month. I add a few drops of essential oil and a more divine bubble bath you'd be hard to find. There are several other flavours too but I've not sampled them. Lime and Basil sounds good for Summer.

Note: I only ordered this when I had, literally run out of bubble bath. I am sort of sticking to my resolution.

Fortifying Green Bath Potion

"Destress the mind and relieve aches and pains." I am a sucker for anything bath-related that claims to relieve aches and pains. This gets a lot of love and inevitably it ended up being ordered by me. It's expensive and the bottle is not big. I had a bath with it yesterday after my first session with my personal trainer this year.

It's very nice indeed. It's not an oily oil, just lovely and light. It smells like heaven and makes your whole house smell like heaven. It clears all airways and feels incredibly medicinal. I liked it very much and recommend it. However, it's £27 and I reckon you'd get 10 baths from it. Put like that, it doesn't sound too expensive but you could get a bottle of Radox for a fraction of the price. Mind you, this is far superior to Radox. If you are feeling achey, fed up, need revitalising and love your baths then you need this. Sorry but you just do.

Marks and Spencer Moroccan Escape

January is a time for saving one's pennies after the excesses of Christmas. A time to lounge in hot bubble baths and read books. And I am here to tell you that this £4 bubble bath is a steal. It smells of oranges, it bubbles beautifully and I am loving it. There is a shower gel, oil and various other things in the range which I've not tried but I am stockpiling this.

Compagnie de Provence Foam Bath

Another day, another new bubble bath to tell you about. I love this brand - Compagnie de Provence. The packaging really appeals to me as I like simple clean lines and their stuff always smells wonderful. I ordered this from lookfantastic.com and I got it in Fresh Verbena and Wild Rose.

Both are heavenly but the Verbena one is especially lovely. Zingy and fresh without being like washing up liquid, I applaud it. You too can buy it here. I want to try Summer Grapefruit next.

More bubble bath

It must be winter as I am posting about bubble baths. Twice in one week! Winter and a rather intense work week = lots of bubble baths.

So, this is my absolute favourite bubble bath of all time. Yes. I am making a strong claim for Best for this. It's amazing. Olivina bubble baths. It comes in three flavours: Lavender (divine), Olive (fresh and green - yummy) and Fig (FIG! Need I say more?) It has no nasties in it. It's a pretty bottle and not made of glass (always annoys me). It's total heaven and if you've not tried it, add it to your Christmas wish list. I've just ordered two bottles as they had free shipping on at lookfantastic.com.

No, it's not cheap. Sorry. But it lasts for a long time unless you are married to someone who is also a bit partial.

A bubble bath at the end of a long week

At the end of a, frankly long and arduous, week, I felt the need for a bubble bath. And I was in a rare position of running low on supplies. How did I let that happen? So I picked up a bottle of this on the way home. I wasn't expecting much but it is really lovely.  I've no idea what is in it but it's not over scented yet very bubbly and it has a strangely medicinal smell but in a good way. And it's only £4.10.What a bargain.

Of course I got home and did a bubble bath order immediately online.

Christmas haul

Is there anything nicer than a Christmas full of cosmetic, bathroom wonder? Obviously my answer would be no.

So seeing as my friends and family know me very well, I had an excellent result in the pampering department this Christmas.

Firstly Retro Lush. If, like me, you miss all the stuff Lush used to do so well before it descended into pink fluffiness, then Retro Lush is for you. I made a list because Lush you don't like is worse than any other brand you don't like.

And I got a massive bottle of Flying Saucers - the best bubble bath ever. And one called Smaragadine which smells very green and fresh. I used some last night. I also got some Absolute Delights - the best ballistic Lush ever made - pure rose gorgeousness. Some Silent Whites, the second best ballistic they ever made which covers the water in fluffy white snowfall. And some Hollywood bubble bath slices which are also divine. All these things have in common is no bits of leaf and flower petals and no glitter. Just beautifully scented bathing magic.

In other news, I got some Guerlain perfume from the mister. He was directed to Guerlain and did very well considering I gave him no further instructions. He even took a photo of the perfume I currently have from Guerlain. However, he was palmed off with their newest scent - Idyll. It's nice but I do believe Guerlain's older scents are far superior to anything new they can do so I shall be swapping it. Not sure what for yet.

My friend got me a very nice bath oil. I've not had time to try it yet but it smells lovely and subtle and I can tell I am going to like it.

And I got a Kiehls pack from my sister which had their lipbalm - one of the best in the business, some of their body cream (ditto), a moisturiser which is fab as I use it and this is travel sized and some life-changing handcream which has managed to transform my hands from shrivelled dry sad things to soft and pretty!

The nights are drawing in...

I quite like this time of year. I know the getting dark at 4pm is fairly grim but let's look on the bright side, you can get away with shaving your legs once a week or less. You don't have to have pedicured toes all the time (although I do because it makes me feel less depressed about winter).

And you can have more baths. At this time of year I crave comforting scents and I am currently loving good old Dove bubble bath. It smells like Granny should smell and I like it. And it's cheap too which is a bonus.

Lush has also come up with some lovely A/W ballistics. They call it the Christmas range but I prefer my title. I've had a So White and it was gorgeous. It creates a snowy froth on the top of your bath. And I have a Cinders ready to use but am put off by reports that it stains the bath. Cleaning the bath after you've got out of it is no fun.

And I am loving Moringa bubble bath by The Body Shop. It's a pretty floral and nice for when you've had a tough day at work and just want to feel girlie.

Talking of The Body Shop, they've totally copied Lush and have a Retro thing going on. They've brought back some old favourites! I bought some of the Passionfruit Cleanser because I used to love it. I can report it still smells exactly the same and is a very good cleanser. Only £3.99. Bargain. They also have the banana shampoo which I also used to love. Find out more here.

Current loves

A little round up of what I am currently loving or lusting after.

I blogged about Mario Badescu summer shine lotion the other week. I would like to report that I love this stuff and can't wait to use it in proper sunshine. It smells lovely and it's so subtle.

Serge Lutens perfume. I am in love. Gorgeous, beautiful, sexy perfume. They pretty much all smell gorgeous. I've not bought any but my lovely friend gave me three samples and I am enjoying them a lot.

I can't get enough of the blu my mind OPI nail varnish. It's such a deep fantastic blue. Like the Mediterranean on a perfect summer's day. The best toe colour you can wear in the summer.

Urban Decay eyeliners. I am getting quite a collection now. With the Urban decay primer, these are just fantastic and they stay on all day long. No smudging, nothing. Worth every penny - they are about £11 which is great value. My latest purchase is 1999 - a lovely soft grapey purple.

I said in my last post that I was on the look out for my sun protection. The wonders of having a blog. Another lovely friend read it and gave me a full bottle of Piz Buin 1 Day Long lotion, factor 30, you only need to apply it once a day. She's just come back from Greece and said not a red mark on her. So job done there.

The Olay Aqua Physics night cream is also impressing me. Very nice consistency and no greasiness. I can recommend it.

Lest you think I spend stupid amounts on everything, I am really liking Superdrug's Coconut and Shea butter bubble bath. Lots of bubbles and a nice coconutty scent. You have to like your coconut but really, how could you not?

And finally, I had my eyelashes tinted yesterday for the first time in years. What a result. Maybe I will give up on my quest to find the perfect mascara and go for this from now on!

Birthday beauty haul

It was my birthday two weeks ago. It was hard to miss if you are vaguely acquainted with me. I like to announce my birthday and give everyone plenty of notice to go shopping. I did very well on the beauty haul this year. My lovely sister knows me so well. She got me a tub of Molton Brown bath soak. Which is really very yummy. It turns the water a beautiful blue and it has a subtle, clean scent. I just had a bath with it and feel very relaxed. Which it promised me. And it looks pretty in the bathroom.

She also got me Ren Rose body scrub. Oh me, oh my. Regular readers will know my love of the rose scent. I've not used it yet but I cannot wait to break into it this weekend in the shower.

And she got me (I know, I am lucky) some blue nail varnish. Now how could she have thought I wanted that? Hmmmmmm. Essie, Mesmerize which is a very pretty denim blue. My toes are twinkling in it.

So special thank you to the best sister a girl could have. Another very sweet friend got me a Penhaligons taster set. It comes in a dinky tin and has several scents in it - like a cool chemistry set.

So I am delighted to report that I shall be smelling fabulous over the next few months.

The art of bathing

I take my baths very seriously. I usually have a bath everyday. I know that sounds indulgent but you know, some people drink wine, I take baths.

So having a daily bath habit means I have done research into lots of bubble bath products. Because a naked bath is a wasted opportunity. There is nothing nicer than sinking into a deep hot bubble bath after a day's work or a day's hard cosmetic shopping. I am sure you all agree. If you don't, you are mad or insane or both.

Now I am not a big fan of bath oils for a few reasons. They often mean you have to clean the bath afterwards which is a big no no. All that oily debris - yuk. And I know they are called bath oils but I do find them a bit oily. Having said that, I make an exception for Rose bath oil. The Ren one is fantastic and the Jo Malone one is also very nice. For a truly divine bath experience, mix one of these rose bath oils with an Absolute Delight bath ballistic from Lush. You can't get them from Lush shops anymore but you can buy them online.

I like bubbles - not so many that you can't see the water but a good amount. So, what do I recommend? Well, I have to start with Lush. Here is a company that understands bathing. Their bubble bath slices are really gorgeous - you crumble a bit in (not the whole bar unless you have Victoria Beckham's budget) and you get bubbles galore. And their products do smell very natural - nothing artificial and nasty. I am a fan of French Kiss and Amandopondo. As so often with Lush, their best products are a thing of the past. Marzibain is gorgeously almondy.

Lush also do ballistics. These don't give you bubbles but it's quite exciting to watch them fizz. My biggest beef with Lush is their propensity to add load of jetsam and flotsam to their products and nowhere is this worse than in their ballistics. So unless you enjoy fishing out petals, bits of bark, star anise and sodding glitter from your tub, stick to the pure ballistics. The all time classic was Absolute Delight but Avobath is perfectly acceptable. Although it says it has glitter in it, it's so subtle, I don't notice it.

Of course buying ballistics and bubble bath slices gets expensive and these are not for your everyday bath. Unless you are rich. I often squirt in a bit of shower gel from Lush. It gives you a nice bubbly bath without breaking the bank. In the Summer, there is nothing better than a bit of Freeze shower gel in a cool bath.

Enough about Lush. Other people make bubble bath too. I am currently enjoying Moringa bubble bath from The Body Shop. It's a pleasantly Spring-like floral. It's not going to win any awards but it's enjoyable enough. I am otherwise underwhelmed by The Body Shop's bubble baths - all too fruity for my taste. I don't wish to smell of a fruit bowl.

A company I do like is Bath & Body Works. Naturally you cannot buy this in the UK but if you are going to the US, drop in. The Sea Cotton range is totally yummy in a clean, fresh scented linen way.

The Christmas Haul

Don't you love it when your friends and family know you so well?

My beauty haul was excellent this Christmas. Lovely sister got me some Red Roses Jo Malone bath oil and a Clinque eye cream (anyone would think she read this blog).

Santa bought me a whole raft of Bliss products which are divine. And I got some fab soap and some bath 'tea bags'. Which are a lot more special than they sound.

My Christmas wish list

You just never know who is reading! Three posts in one day? I know, I am back!

This is what I would like to see in my stocking (in fantasy world, not the real world since I know most people have got my presents and CoverBoy is not allowed to buy me anything as we have got a new TV).

Disclaimer out of the way, here goes:

Ren Rose Bath Oil (as previously raved about on here)
Ren Rose Shower Gel (ditto)
Essie nail varnish - because the colours are fabulous and they stay on for 5 days without chipping
Lush bath products that don't have bits in (and that includes glitter)
Body cream from Jo Malone - have you seen it? Oh my.
A selection of Nars multiple sticks to suit my mood
The entire Nars eye shadow collection (hey, it's a fantasy)
A year's supply of monthly facials at Elemis!

I could probably think of more and may be back to post about them.

Roses - an obsession

It's interesting, I don't particularly love roses as a flower (although I am a fan of yellow ones - red is so obvious) but I am rather obsessive about rose scent. It's my desert island scent. I've already talked briefly about Jo Malone Red Roses.

Now I would like to wax lyrical about Ren please. Specifically their Rose shower gel and bath oil. Man alive, nothing smells better. It's a superior rose scent - deep and gorgeous but not sickly. The bath oil is the stuff of dreams. Had a bad day? Feeling a bit sick? Fed up and tired? Stick this in your bath and be transported to a world of opulence and gorgeousness. Don't even think about putting any perfume or lotion on afterwards. You can smell it on your skin for hours afterwards.

The gel is also divine. Perfect for a grey and cheerless morning. Honestly, this stuff should be available on the NHS, could save us millions.

The great Lush debate

Ahhhh Lush. The great divider of opinion. The marmite, if you will, of beauty. People love it or scurry past the stinking shops in horror. Well, I used to be on the horror side and then I met Mr CoverGirl who claimed that it was fabulous and their soap and ballistics were second to none. I was slightly bemused to find a man with an appreciation of beauty products but anyone who takes their bathing seriously has my vote.

So I ventured into Lush to buy him presents (we had just met, I was keen) and discovered yes, it does smell overpowering but take those products home away from the others and they smell rather lovely. And Lush Times is quite a fun read when you have raging period pains in the middle of the night and need a distraction.

So began a love affair with Lush which lasted quite some time. I joined the forum, I was running to shops to try new products. It all got a bit obsessive. Unlike me I know. Then, just like that, I fell out of love. I think it was when they stopped most of their shower gels and started selling jellies. What The HELL? And they discontinued one too many of my favourites.So I had a Lush free life for some time. But I yearned for those magic years and the product I missed the most was Flying Saucer bubble bath slices. Some said they smelt like puke but I just smelt ylang ylang and honey. I loved them. Naturally they got discontinued.

Then Lush revamped their website and opened a Retro section. You could order old, favourite products from mail order. And Flying Saucers was there in shower gel format. And Freeze - the tingly, peppermint shower gel. So I ordered them. It's been heaven to have them back. Really, Lush do make great stuff, much better than The Body Shop. Just don't get their ballistics with bits in unless you enjoy cleaning the bath AFTER you've had one.