Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm Review

Nuxe is a brand that I have a whole lot of love for. I'm currently using their miceller water, toner, moisturiser, hand cream and of course this little pot of wonder.
I picked the Nuxe Reve De Miel lip balm with a recent Space NK order when I decided that I deserved some post operation treats. What with the op being on my throat I thought a lip balm was a sensible choice and I've been looking for an excuse to buy it for a while :P

I'll start by saying that at £9.50 this lovely little lip balm doesn't come cheap, hence my hesitation in purchasing, however, it has really been my saving grace this week. Instant relief on application!
As I expected, after my operation my lips were horribly dry and chapped and with constantly needing to force myself to sip on water to stay hydrated I really needed something long lasting, ultra-nourishing and non-sticky.
The gorgeous blend of honey, shea butter, soya glycerine and sweet almond oil give a soft, melt on the lips texture that isn't greasy and has an uplifting grapefruit scent. I've never been a huge fan of citrus scents and would personally have preferred a softer smell but it isn't over powering and fade away fairly quickly.
I've been slapping this on in a nice thick layer and letting it slowly sink in whilst I've been housebound but a small amount goes a long and you can very easily get away with using next to none per application. I also love that the formula is shine free meaning it is easy to wear without looking like you've smothered yourself with grease.
To sum it up, I think that this is an incredibly high quality lip balm that is a good investment for the winter, especially if, like me, you suffer a lot with dry, chapped lips. The light but deeply nourishing formula is perfect for protecting from the winter wind and cold without getting hair stuck all over it and because it sinks in quickly is also suitable to apply lipstick over the top for a wash of colour. Definitely worth the mini splurge I'd say or something to pop on the Christmas list.

Annie xx

Lanolips Christmas Kisses Gift

Beautifully soft, kissable lips are a must for the Christmas season, you never know when mistletoe might pop up and leave you needing to pucker up.

Lanolips have put together a super sweet Christmas gift designed to get you prepped and ready for all eventualities. Christmas kisses* contains the two best selling Lanolips lip products meaning you have all you need to keep your lips in tip top condition this winter.

First up is the classic 101 Ointment which contains 100% pure grade lanolin. It is completely colourless and literally just melts on contact with the skin (as you can see beginning to happen in my photo) leaving skin instantly moisturised as well as protecting from the elements. Because it is 100% natural, the 101 ointment is suitable for even the most sensitive of skin. I find this to be a great multi-purpose product and rather than using on my lips I use the ointment on my very dry elbows and on patches of stubborn eczema on my legs and ankles. Simply a wonder product.

The other product in the set is the Lanolips Lip Treatment with Colour and SPF 15 in the shade Rose. This super hydrating lip treatment makes a fabulous alternative to lip gloss when, like me, you need that extra moisture hit. The shade is universally flattering so anyone can pop it on without worry that the shade might not suit them. I also found (when taking this photo, I hadn't used the product before!) that you need very little product per use as lanolin holds up to 200% its weight in moisture so even the tiniest amount will give a tint and deep condition at the same time without feeling sticky and nasty.

The Christmas Kisses gift, containing two full sized products costs just £12.99 and would make a great gift for nearly all beauty lovers. I definitely find that its been useful to me as someone who wears a lot of lipstick which in the winter really drys out lips! You can grab one fairly easily from most stores like Boots and Superdrug.

Annie xx

A Very Lush Christmas #1 Santa's Scrub and Santa Baby

Its that time of year again and all of the Christmas ranges are being released!
One of the most anticipated has to be that from Lush with devout Lushies asking in store for several months prior to the launch when it will be. Well this year its on 4th October (this Friday!) so I thought I'd give you a few sneak peeks this week to get you s excited about the range as I am.

First up are two items that I've already pretty much fallen in love with being a bit of a lipstick junkie. We have Santa's Lip Scrub which is a gorgeous, cherry cola fragranced scrub complete with edible glitter hearts and lip plumping lime and black pepper oils which is designed to not only taste amazing but get your lips beautifully soft and ready for those festive parties where you may want them kiss-ably soft.
There is also Santa Baby lip tint which is a vibrant holly berry shade of red with the same scent made up from cherries, dates, lime and pepper giving that cola aroma. A great festive lip colour to pair with shimmery eyes.

As you can see both have a lovely vivid colour. They're also both very soft on the skin.
Santa's Lip Scrub has a much softer base than some of the previous scrubs. It uses a blend of extra virgin coconut oil and coconut milk powder as the base to keep the texture light yet nourishing.
On the other hand, Santa Baby uses a lovely rich blend of fair trade shea butter, organic cocoa butter, capuacu butter and aster oil to give that lovely soft texture and stop lips from drying during wear making the tint great for wearing all day and evening without worry of lips getting chapped and sore.

What I like the most about these two products though is how well they complement one another. The combination makes a great little gift for a beauty lover that won't break the bank. I think the scent and taste of the scrub may divide a few people (as they all do) but the effect is lovely and the prodcts, as always, are great quality so for me, a big thumbs up :)

Tomorrow I have an ultra cute bubble bar to show you :)
Annie xx

Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter Review

During thw inter, my lips get so dry and nasty so I'm always on the hunt for a good lip balm or butter, and I think I may have found something special in the Nivea Raspberry Rose Lip Butter.

There are others in the range, including caramel cream, vanilla macadamia and the plain original but it was the smell that really drew me to this scent. As you would expect from the cute pink packaging it has a light raspberry aroma to it, which to me smells just like raspberry yoghurt, yum! The tin holds a very generous 16.9g/19ml and because its a fairly large round it's nice and shallow so there's no annoying nail-in-butter situation which really grosses me out.

The butter is lovely and soft and actually buttery unlike some balms that call themselves butters. I find that buttery balms sink in a lot better because they really melt in to the lips. This is the case with the raspberry rose lip butter, it is really fast acting and leaves my lips feeling relieved and nourished. The swatch on my finger looks rather light and white in colour but it applies perfectly clear on the lips and doesn't make them look washed out.

My one slight niggle with this product is the ingredients. In my opinion there is no need to have paraffinum liquidum (mineral oil) which is a byproduct of crude oil in there however the combination of butyrospermum parkii (shea) butter and ricinus communis (castor) seed oil makes the butter incredibly nousishing, and the glycerin is humectant, locking moisture in to the lips.

Over all, I really like this lip butter; it gives the high level of hydration that you would expect from a Nivea product, has a yummy smell and taste, is generously sized yet still perfect for dropping into a handbag. It also has a pretty fab price tag at just £1.49 in Superdrug. I'll definitely be picking up the caramel scented one!

Have you tried any of the Nivea Lip Butters? What do you think of them? What flavour would you most like to try?
Annie xx

The Body Shop Chocomania Lip Butter Review

Hello,
Its a lovely day here in Canterbury, all hot and sunny and there's rabbits lazing all over the grass which is pretty fab :)
A couple of weeks ago I picked up the Chocomania body butter (reviewed here) and fell in love with it. I still get way over excited about it and use it every day. Its doing wonders for my eczema scars on my legs.
After the huge success I found with the body butter I went back to get some of the lip butter, in hope that it would be just as lovely and effective. So far I haven't been disappointed.

If you read the post where I reviewed the body butter then you will know I had a horrible cold for a few days over the weekend. Thankfully the cold has gone now but it gave me a great chance to test the lip butter on some uber dry lips.
I have been so happy with this product. My lips have been drinking it up and it sinks in nice and quickly and without leaving any feeling of greasiness or stickiness which is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to lip products.
The smell is divine. Not quite as chocolatey as the body butter, and with more of a nutty edge to it, but its a smell that I'm more than happy to have near my nose :) One thing that I like about it, but maybe some people wouldn't, is that although it smells so lovely, it doesn't taste very nice at all. Which is good for me as I tend to   find myself licking it off again in an absent minded manner if lip butter tastes too nice.
Another great thing is that a little goes a long way, so although a small tub costs £4, it lasts a nice long time.

I think every body should have this product in their life.
What about you? Have you tried any of the Chocomania range yet? Which product do you like the look of best?
I think we're off for a wander and an ice cream now, catch you later :)
Annie x
PS. don't forget that today is the last day to enter my giveaway and win some cute little prizes!

A Day at the Shops :D

Hiya!
I've had a lovely day today. The cold seems to have been flushed out a little from all the squash and rest I got yesterday so today my mum and I headed into town for a long day of looking around all the lovely shops that Bath has to offer. I really am so lucky to live in such a great place!
The weather here today has been wonderful; warm and bright with plenty of blue sky. We even managed to comfortably sit outside and drink a nice cup of coffee without being driven back inside by cold winds or rain. Spring is truly on its way!
We were both a little naughty and spent lots of money, even though we're both a little tight this month and trying to save towards other things. I am, however, over the moon with the lovely bits and pieces I picked up.

As you can see, considering I'm meant to be saving money, I picked up a few lovely bits and pieces. I was also given a couple of samples to try out as well which is always lovely.

These are the smaller bits and bobs. I got the new issue of Grazia, I buy it most weeks these days. I think it may well be my favourite women's magazine because it has a good mix of articles, fashion and good old gossip. The little round tub is The Body Shop Chocomania Lip Butter. I simply had to go back and grab one of these because I have been so impressed with the effect the body butter has had on my skin that I wanted to try this on my lips and see if the effect is as good (I'll let you know in a few days). They gave me a sample pack of the body butter for free when I told them how much I'm enjoying the range which I thought was sweet. I think I'll save it for when I go away during the summer to save some room in my toiletries bag. The other sample I was given was a Clarins Skin-smoothing Eye Mask which I'm pretty interested to try out. It promises to make skin look fresher, more awake and more energised, even on very little sleep so I'll have to put that to the test and report back.

In Uttam London I picked up this pretty light pink dress which is decorated with little, beautifully detailed butterflies, lace and sequins. As it was in the sale it was reduced down to just £19.99 so I think I found a nice bargain there. It will look lovely in the summer with sandals and sunglasses but it also looked rather fab today with black leggings and cowboy boots so I think I'll be able to carry it over well through most seasons.

Please excuse how I look in this picture, it is the exact reason I don't often add photos of myself, however, I couldn't think of a better way to show off this pretty skirt I bought in New Look. I love this style of skirts with the short underlay and sheer top layer. I think they look so pretty with the waterfall effect down around the leg and then maxi length at the back. This has been my first "summer buy" because I couldn't get the picture of walking along a sandy beach in the sun wearing this and a pretty tribal top out of my head in the changing room. Whilst I think it will look lovely year round with black tights and killer heels for an evening out, I think it will really be a summer staple.

What have you been up to today? Have you been out enjoying the sun? What do you think of my new bits and bobs?

Annie x

ps. enter my giveaway *here* for the chance to win some pretty, homemade goodies

The New Kids on the Block

Hello,
I swear I must have the worst track record ever when it comes to illness! Once again, I've woken up this morning with a proper wipe out cold type illness despite feeling more unless fine yesterday. I feel completely pants and only seem capable of sitting in bed drinking gallons of squash and cuddling Lolly the grumpy kitty.
I have, however, managed to summon up enough energy to get uber excited about my two little treat purchases I picked up yesterday. Everyone needs to own both of these lovely little pots.

Soap and Glory A Great Kisser lip moisture balm and The Body Shop Chocomania body butter

I've read some brilliant reviews about both of these products recently, especially the body butter so snapped them both up while I was in town and had the chance and I have to say, I haven't been disappointed with either so far.

The Body Shop Chocomania body butter mini £5 for 48g

First of all, lets take a look at the Chocomania body butter. I honestly am so excited about this latest collection to be released by The Body Shop. I often find that chocolate scented products smell rather sickly and slightly manufactured in a chemically way. This collection however does not have that smell but instead has a smell rather reminiscent of chocolate cheesecake. It smells delicious! And, although I would never taste the product myself, I can fully understand why the samples  in the shop were plastered with signs saying "UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION" in large, threatening letters.
Although I have only been using the body butter since getting home yesterday afternoon, I already love it. I have trouble with eczema and dry skin on my legs in particular and my skin seems to just drink up moisuriser, but since several applications of this, my legs have already been noticeably less dry and itchy. It also contains shea butter, coconut oil and sesame oil so I'm hoping that the oils in the shea particularly help to take down some of the redness and scarring left by the eczema. I'll keep you posted : )

Soap and Glory A Great Kisser lip moisture balm £5 for 18g from Boots

I am a big fan of Soap and Glory products, especially The Righteous Butter so leapt on this lip moisture balm when I found it. The coconut flavour also drew me in if I'm honest what with my current coconut addiction.
Everyone hates having chapped lips, me included, so I've been looking for a good lip moisturiser for some time. So far from using this product, while I'm a little put off by the slight stickiness it gives my lips, it does seem to be doing a pretty good job. My lips look healthier and a lot fuller and less dry. You need to use very little at each application so it looks to be a nice long lasting product which is always handy :) There are also two other flavours to choose from, both of which are also tinted so if thats your thing, they're definitely worth looking out for.

Have you tried out either of these products? What did you think of them? Maybe you've tried some of the other products from these collections? I'd love to hear from you :)
Annie x

ps. Don't forget to enter my first giveaway *here* so far there haven't been many entries so your chances of winning yourself some pretty little treats are good!