Bomb Cosmetics Blackberry Sour Whoopie Blaster

This besprinkled doughnut shaped item is in fact one of Bomb Cosmetics 'Whoopie Blasters'.  These are similar to their normal Bath Blasters (bath bombs) except for their doughnut shape and they have a filling of cocoa and shea butter to moisturise and nourish the skin.  This particular one is called Blackberry Sour and the butter filling contains bergamot and camomile oils.

I love the smell of this one, it really is a sour blackberry scent!  When I placed it in my bath it sank to the bottom (it's huge at 140g!) and fizzed away, immediately turning the water a pale lilac colour.  It lasted for ages and dissolved very evenly so that towards the end there was a mini version still floating about!  Also, as it got smaller and lighter it started floating rather than fizzing around at the bottom of the bath.  I would have liked the scent to be a bit stronger as it was more subtle once in the bath, but this was just me and would probably would be a good thing for those who prefer not to have strong smells in the bath!

One thing I didn't like sadly were the sprinkles on the top!  The whole 'icing' part, if you will, came off and floated around separately but it wouldn't dissolve easily, so I was left with all these sprinkles, even once I'd let all the water out of the bath.  Not a big complaint but they were a bit irritating!

As for the moisturising side of it, I did feel like it was quite moisturising but it kind of felt like I was left with layer of something on my skin which I don't really like!  It could just be me but even putting on an actual body butter or cream before bed makes me feel a bit sticky and gross!

Overall I did enjoy this Bath Blaster but I wouldn't buy this particular one again.  The Whoopie Bath Blasters are £2.99 which I think is perfectly reasonable, however I did prefer the Butter Burst Blaster which I reviewed here - they are bigger and are only £2.29.  I would like to try another Whoopie Blaster though, perhaps one without sprinkles on the top!

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Lush Easter Wishlist

So on Friday there, all the Easter and Mother's Day limited edition collections became available online and in Lush stores.  Unfortunately I was in a shop on Thursday and not Friday, gutted!  However I've had a look online and compiled a list of products I'd quite like to try.  Sometimes I think with Lush it's easier looking online first as when you're in store the smell's just so strong that it can be hard to work out what individual things actually smell like!  I remember my old Home Economics teacher telling us once that the brain can only process 3 scents at a time and after that they get all muddled up, not sure if it's true but it sounds like it makes sense!

Secret Garden

             

Secret Garden is a bath bomb from the Mother's Day collection.  Floral scent filled with different kinds of flower petals which are released as it dissolves!!  Vegan.  £2.95 here.

The Immaculate Eggception

Gigantic, colourful Easter egg bath bomb which smells of lemon, grapefruit and vanilla.  Inside there is either a chick or a bunny!  Vegan.  £6.95 here.

Golden Egg

This one is a bath melt and a bath bomb in one!  Scented with the same fragrance as Honey I Washed the Kids, so honey and caramel smelling.  However, unlike HIWK, this is vegan!  £3.50 here.

Bunch of Carrots

This one is actually for my mum, she got one last year (I think it was only one carrot last year?) and only got round to using it a few months ago and really enjoyed it.  So for Mother's Day I'm going to get her this as part of her present.  Bunch of Carrots is a reusable bubble bar, if it's anything like last years it is a sweet, fruity scent.  Vegan.  £5.95 here.

The Brightside

This sounds like a citrusy version of The Comforter!  A bubble bar scented with mandarin, bergamot and tangerine, sounds very refreshing!  Vegan.  £4.50 here.

Have you tried any of these products?  Are any of them amazing or meh?  For example, I cannot believe how expensive The Immaculate Eggception is!  Is it worth paying £7 for one bath?!  Any comments will be taken on board, thankfully I have a giftcard left from Christmas but it's still adding up to about £25...

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*All photos are stock via lush.co.uk, no copyright infringement intended!

Sigma Mrs Bunny Travel Kit

I've decided to do a series of posts on my synthetic make up brushes organised by brand.  The first in this series is the Sigma Mrs Bunny Travel Kit.  I got this for part of my Christmas in 2012 but I'd bought it in the Black Friday at the end of November as they did free worldwide shipping which makes all the difference.

They have updated them since and have made the ferrules silver instead of pink but this seems to be the only change.  The set costs $75 and the brushes included, from left to right, are:

E30 Pencil - This one is good for adding very precise colour to an area, in the outer corner or on the lower lash line.  Similar to the Mac 219 but not as stiff and with longer bristles.

E40 Tapered Blending - I hoped this would be comparable to the Mac 217 but unfortunately it's a a bit too wide at the top.  However it is still good for blending once colour is in place, and also good for powdering undereye concealer.

F60 Foundation - I don't tend to use these shape brushes for foundation, I prefer buffing it into the skin with a densely packed brush, so I can't really comment much on this one.

F30 Large Powder - I use this everyday for my setting powder, no complaints - works well!

F40 Large Angled Contour - I also use this everyday for blusher and I really like the shape of it, it gives a really nice effect.

E55 Eye Shading - I found this a bit short for eyeshadow to be honest but it works fine for packing on colour, could just do with being a bit longer!  I usually go for this one if my other shaders are dirty.

E65 Small Angle - I prefer using a thin pointed eyeliner brush rather than angled but it does do its job and gives a nice thin line.  Also good for using powder to fill in eyebrows.

I love that the set comes with a brush holder, it's so useful!  It is a travel case but then unfastens and turns into two separate containers.  I use one for storing face brushes and the other I use to put dirty brushes which have to be cleaned.  Then of course when travelling, it's so handy, especially for smaller brushes.

I just need to mention that my powder and contour brushes both broke shortly after I started using them - the ferrule and handle came apart!  However I emailed Sigma with photos straight away and they dealt with it quickly and efficiently, sending me out two new brushes.  The other ones are still usable and could be glued back into place but that sort of thing shouldn't happen - especially for the price of them!  Maybe that is part of why they've changed the ferrule in the new version?

Overall I really like this set, even though there are a couple I don't get much use out of they're always handy to have, and love that it comes with the holder.  They also feel really soft, not as soft as other synthetics I've got, but definitely good enough for me.

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NOTD: Jack the Lad

Cutecosmetics have currently got 25% off Butter London so obviously I had difficulty controlling myself!  I did very well though and only got two...  I went for Jack the Lad and the holographic Trustafarian.  So here I'm showing the the first one I've tried - Jack the Lad.

Jack the Lad is a dark forest green with gold, green and turquoise glitter through it.  It's a really pretty dark polish which is opaque with 2 coats although for the photos I had to use 3.  It reminds me of Wicked actually, maybe I'll wear this when I go to see it in May!

Butter London polishes are usually £12 but with 25% off they are £9 at the moment.

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The Book Lover Survey

Do you remember how you developed a love for reading? 
I was encouraged to read from a young age.  My dad used to make up stories for me when I was really young or read to me from a book, then I would be allowed 'five minutes' to read from my own book.  When I got a bit older I had trouble sleeping so he would read more complicated books to me such as Terry Pratchett ones and The Hobbit which helped me get to sleep!

Where do you usually read? 

In bed, usually at night or sometimes in the morning if I'm off work.  Also on the train if I'm going to be alone but I don't often get the train these days!

Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once? 

One!  I've tried reading a couple but it just gets really confusing.

What is your favourite genre? 

It's so hard to choose!  I enjoy teen books like The Hunger Games and the sort of dystopian ones which are appearing everywhere now but then I love Jodi Picoult's books which are courtroom dramas, I guess??

Is there a genre you will not read? 

Not so much won't but I don't tend to read any traditional crime or horror books.

Do you have a favourite book? 
Probably The Time Traveler's Wife but obviously I love the Harry Potter series too...

What is your least favourite book?
I read The Lovely Bones for an English project at school and absolutely hated it, I'm not even sure why.  I think it just seemed so creepy and all the characters were really annoying!

What is the longest book you have ever read? 

I recently read The Host which was really long!  I can't be sure if this is longest as it was on my Kindle but it definitely felt like it!

What was the last book you bought? 
The last book I bought was The Rosie Project as the eBook was on Amazon for 99p.  The last 'real' books I bought were a selection of chick lits from Asda which were £1 each, including the first in the 'I Heart..." series.

Do you prefer library books or buying books? 

I prefer to buy them but I do go to the library occasionally.  For example, I wanted to read the Pretty Little Liars books but they about £5 each and there's about 12 of them now, so instead I get them from my local library who can buy them in for me!

What are you currently reading?
I'm currently reading I Heart New York which I'm enjoying but it's making me want to go there so badly!

~

If you've done this tag/survey, please leave a link in the comments so I can read yours :)

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Birthday Celebrations at Òran Mór

On Febraury 4th it was my dad's birthday so to celebrate went to the cinema (Jack Ryan: Shadow Agent) and then to Òran Mór for dinner.  The Òran Mór is a bar/restaurant converted church at the top of Byres Road, Glasgow.  We'd never been there before so weren't quite sure what to expect!  We ate in the main bit which is also the bar, called the John Muir Room.

For starters, my mum and I shared nachos which came with salsa, cheese, jalapeños, creme fraîche and guacamole.  The plate was huge!  I am so glad we shared as if I'd ate that alone I wouldn't have managed much for the main meal.  It was amazing, definitely one of the best nachos I've had - especially because they come with guac, yum!!

My dad had vegetable pakora which I didn't try but he seemed to enjoy them.  Also a good size portion!

For my main course I had Goat's Cheese and Caramelised Red Onion Salad with a side of chips.  I didn't feel like anything too heavy so I went for this, but got the chips for a bit of substance!  The chips are honestly amazing, I love big chunky homemade ones which still have the skin on.  They also came with garlic mayo which is probably my favourite dip ever!  The salad was nice but I found it too much to have as a main course, I'd prefer a smaller portion as a starter given the choice.

My mum had a Salmon Burger.  We've never come across a salmon burger before so weren't sure what it would be like but she said it was really nice.  It came with chips, salad and sort of salsa sauce.

My dad had a Beef Burger which also came with chips and some salad.  He said it was a really good quality homemade burger - it's made with 100% Scotch Steak Mince.

Here is a link to the Òran Mór's website and this is link to the menu for the John Muir Room.

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Valentine's (in my dreams) Wishlist

Okay so first of all I'd just like to make it clear I am definitely not one for Valentine's Day at all!  I don't do cards, presents, mushy dates... however I do enjoy unrealistic colour coordinated wishlists/gift guides so here we are!

Vivienne Westwood Earrings  I love VW jewellery and these are no exception!  I already have a small pair of gunmetal earrings but I love the colour and detailing in these larger ones.  They cost £55 which I think is pretty good!

Ted Baker Wash Bag  I have a couple of Ted Baker cosmetics bags already and I'm loving their new collection, very cute!  They have various different sizes and also come in black, coral and mint, costing £22.

Kate Spade Gramercy Rose Gold Watch  Although I recently bought myself a beautiful Fossil watch, whilst hunting for my perfect one I came across this beauty on ASOS.  I'd heard about Kate Spade but as it's an American brand I hadn't actually seen any of their items before - they are stunning!  I love the little spade detail at the top.  As this is £225 I had to pass on it and keep searching...

Agent Provocateur Fifi Collection  What's a Valentine's wishlist without a set of luxurious lingerie??  Agent Provocateur has some beautiful underwear - some rather risqué, but with more class and elegance than Ann Summers...  Sadly they don't do my bra size but given the chance I would definitely make it fit!  This entire set comes in at an eye-watering £250!

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NOTD: Tippex Fingers

Since the trend of having white nails started sometime last year, I'd been tempted to try it out after deciding that it did actually look quite cool.  At first it just reminded me of painting my nails with Tippex when I was in primary school!

However I didn't get round to actually picking one up until recently.  I came across this one in the Topshop sale for £3 and it's more of an off-white which I feel is a good way to get me used to having white nails!  It's more warm and creamy so it isn't as harsh as plain white.  I think it will be good as a base for other nail polishes as well which will be handy.

This shade is called Blank but it may be discontinued seeing as it was in the reduced section.

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Favourite Toners

I've always (read: the past 2 years since getting into skincare...) loved toner but until reading Caroline Hiron's blog post, I had no idea what exfoliating toners did and why they were important.  I'm going to share with you the two toners I am currently using and why I like them.

REN Clarifying Toning Lotion

Through Caroline I learned that using exfoliators with little beads are too harsh and abrasive on the skin so instead you should use a toner containing acids (don't freak out, nothing crazy!) as it's a much more effective as an exfoliator.  I use Ren Clarifying Toning Lotion first after cleansing using either a cotton ball or my reusable cotton pads.  I apply it all over my face but concentrate on my nose for blackheads and on my cheekbones where I have milia/milk spots.  I think that some acid toners can be a bit stingy/tingly but I've never felt anything like that using the Ren lotion thankfully.  This toner is not cheap at £18 for 150ml but it's definitely worth it as I find it works well and I've also noticed my milia coming to the surface finally!

Lush Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water

Immediately after the exfoliating toner, I use Breath of Fresh Air Toner Water, again, using a cotton ball or reusable cotton pad, all over my face.  I've been using Lush's Toner Waters for ages now and this one is my favourite.  I've not tried the Tea Tree one yet but I find myself reluctant to move away from Breath of Fresh Air!  It contains sea water, seaweed and aloe vera, which sounds weird but it smells so good and refreshing.  I recently used it at a charity pamper night and had lots of comments on how amazing it smells!  Previously, I had been just getting the 100g one but this time I went for the 250g as I am using it every day and I know it works for me, so may as well get go for the better value one at £7.50 instead of £3.95 for 100g.

I would like to try another exfoliating toner once I finish the Ren one, I think Pixi do one so I might try that next.  Has anyone got any cruelty free recommendations?

What is your favourite toner/s?

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Bomb Cosmetics Appleberry Butter Burst Blaster

Bomb Cosmetics Appleberry Butter Burst Blaster.  Bit of a tongue twister isn't it?!  A few weeks ago I made my first order from Bomb Cosmetics which included two bath bombs and 3 soaps.  The first of these I tried is Appleberry which is a crisp green-apple scented bath bomb centred with a cocoa butter swirl.  The centre is scented mainly with blackcurrants but also strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.

As you can see from the photo it's kind of shrink wrapped which made it really difficult to open!  A pair of nail scissors will come in very handy at this point!  I dropped it into my bath and it started fizzing away happily, turning the water a bright shade of green.  I will just point out here that the bath bomb is really big, it's 160g so it lasts for ages in the water.  It also fizzes very evenly so you can bring it back out the water again and have a little mini version!  It has a pleasant scent which is mainly apple with berries coming through.  The purple sprinkles of the top are actually real sugar strands which I kept finding floating around at the end as they took longer to dissolve.

I really enjoyed this bath bomb and would buy it again however Bomb Cosmetics have so many other other amazing ones that I'd want to try!  At only £2.29 I think it's a great buy especially when you look at some prices of Lush bath bombs...

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