Lush Scents Ponche Perfume

Every year around November Lush host their annual fragrance party and release a selection of five limited edition perfumes sharing the scent of some of their most loved products and all Lush fans get over excited to see which will make the cut.
Ponche was a limited edition shower gel launched last year as part of the Christmas range and brought back this year due to popular demand. It also happens to be one of my favourite Lush scents of all time!

Inspired by a buying trip to Mexico last year, ponche is inspred by a zesty Mexican Christmas punch. I'm talking blended orange, cinnamon, buchu, petigrain and a splash of tequila so as you can imagine, the scent is warm, fruity and full bodied. It terms of wear I have been really impressed. A light spray in the morning and I've found that I can still smell it late afternoon thanks to the high concentration of essential oils (10%).
For a 30ml bottle the cost is £23 which for a high quality perfume is very reasonable. Also in the collection is Calacas at £25, Rose Jam at £30 (this came out last year and smells divine!), Snow Fairy at £25 and Snowcake at £23 all of which are gorgeous smells and equally as high in quality.
The perfumes are available *here* for another couple of weeks or until stock runs out and are online exclusives.

Which scent would you be most likely to go for? I might have to add Rose Jam to my collection if money allows :P

Annie xx

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

TIGI Bed Head Blonde Bombshell Giveaway!

So it's been a little while. I had a tonsillectomy on Monday morning so for the last few days I've had zero energy and lots of pain but earlier on I managed to gather a bit of energy to take some photos for posts for the next week or so which means I can blog to distract myself :)

I've loved the Bed Head range from TIGI for a long time. I like that the products are reasonably priced, good sized and the tongue in cheek style makes me smile.

The Blonde Bombshell* kit is the perfect one stop gift for both natural blondes and those who colour their hair. Containing three full sized products; the Dumb Blonde Colour Combat Shampoo, Dumb Blonde Colour Combat Conditioner and the Dumb Blonde Colour Combat Leave-in Conditioner it is a good all rounder.
Colour combat technology helps to not only lock in the true colour and keep it vibrant but it also deep conditions and works to actively strengthen the hair.

Now, if you're a regular reader of my blog then you'll notice that I am a brunette telling you all about a gift set designed specifically for blonde hair. That is because I was lucky enough to have been sent this kit to pass on to you guys and I'll be honest, I'm actually kind of jealous. I love TIGI Bed Head products and have used the Colour Goddess collection which is designed for brunettes and trust me, the lucky winner is in for a treat.

So how can you win? Simple. All you have to do is fill in the Raflecopter form below and when the competition closes on 8th December I will select a winner at random and post out the prize. I'm afraid the giveaway is for UK entrants only and I will be checking entries to make sure there's no cheating!

Good Luck!

Annie xx
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Max Factor Whipped Creme Foundation Review

Max Factor is one of those brands that I think can constantly be relied upon for products that are both affordable and good quality. A brand you can rely on. So I was excited to give their newest foundation offer a little try, especially after swatching on my hand in Boots and feeling how beautifully soft it was left feeling!

The Whipped Creme Foundation is a new formula to the brand and is designed to give a lovely natural looking finish whilst also giving medium coverage. This is possible because of the light, texture which keeps caking to a minimum and is less drying on the skin than your usual liquid foundation.
When it comes to application I was amazed by just how little product is needed. It applies like a dream with both fingers or a foundation brush and is easy to buff into the skin leaving a very natural looking finish whilst evening out skin tone and covering most blemishes.

One thing that I have found though is that with this foundation I do also need to use more concealer than with some of my other foundations (I'm not in the photo above which means spots around my chin are visible) because this foundation doesn't seem to like sitting on top of bigger blemishes for some reason. It also took a few applications to get used to the super light, whipped texture but that wasn't a problem, more just a new experience :)

Over all I really rate this foundation and think its on that will get a lot of use on better skin days to perk up the appearance and balance redness and I think its a lovely formula that would really suit slightly dry skin as it doesn't cake or sit heavily.
You can pick up a tu for yourself for £9.99 *here* or from any Boots store.
Annie xx

NOTD: Seventeen Rock Hard Couture- Bijoux Baby

Just a quick one today because the depression is in full swing at the moment so motivation is pretty low :(
I've been obsessed with the Rock Hard Couture polishes that Seventeen released recently. The colours are gorgeous, the coverage fantastic and the wear pretty long lasting too making them an all round good choice in my eyes, especially at just £3.99 a bottle!

The shade that I love the most is the pretty baby pink Bijoux Baby which I am wearing here. I love the fairy like colouring and the subtle green toned shimmer that runs through the polish giving it an ethereal sort of feel. for full opacity bottle finish you need just two coats and that's quick and easy because it applies evenly and dries in around 60 seconds. The only thing that may put some people off is that these polishe do have a textured finish which I personally like but would need several coats of clear polish to smooth off for peopl who like their nail completely smooth to touch.
You can pick them up either in Boots stores or online *here* ready to wear for Christmas party season! Or they will also make great stocking filler gifts. Either way, I think everyone needs at least one in their nail polish collection :)
Annie xx

Boots No7 Match Made Concealer Review

Concealer is a product that I haven't ever been a big lover of. I've never found one that has a good balance of colour match and coverage that doesn't look cakey for feel like I've coated myself in a thick layer of war paint so this is a product that I've become pretty damn excited about.

A few weeks ago I was invited to a blogging event at the Bath Boots store and part of the evening was a makeover from the No7 ladies which is where my love affair began.
Match Made is a new concealer to the No7 collection and is designed to be a good all round product, able to be used all over the face to conceal blemishes, even out redness and mask dark circles. All of that as well as also being the exact same colour as the newest range of foundations given the same namesake.
A pretty big ask, I was a little sceptical to begin with however I just cannot fault this product.

I haaaate this photo with a passion but it does show the fabness of this little concealer stick. As you can probably guess, I'm bare faced on the left hand side and on the right side I've applied the Match Made concealer (mine is shade Calico). Whilst it doesn't leave me looking flawless, it does reduce shine, even out the skin tone and give a lovely smooth base for me to apply foundation.
Ive been wearing this every day for around a month now and have found it amazing. I do find that it can become a tiny bit clingy on the drier skin around my nose piercing if I apply too much but that's my only slight niggle and in all honesty, that's more my fault for not taking the stud out to exfoliate meaning the skin gets a little duller.
You can pick up the Match Made concealer for £7.50 at No7 counters or online *here*
Annie xx

Aromatherapy Associates Little Bell Gift

Christmas is now well and truly approaching. Unbelievably the Christmas adverts have already begun popping up on telly and stock is being piled into shops. This years selection of gifts really is pretty comprehensive, covering all sizes and budgets possible. I was sent the adorable Little Bell* gift from Aromatherapy Associates London to take a look at.

The cute little bell shaped box contains a single 7.5ml bottle of their Revive Morning Bath and Shower Oil and is designed to give an indulgent taster of the brand, just enough to leave you feeling like a queen and wanting to try more. The brand pride themselves on using only the highest quality essential oils to create their blends and are used in some of the most exclusive hotels and spas across the UK.

The prestige and the high quality of the product is definitely reflected in the size of this stocking filler I feel. The 7.5ml bottle of grapefruit, rosemary and juniper infused oil is recommended to spread between "Up to three unique bath or shower experiences" by either pouring one third of the bottle into your freshly run bath or smoothing all over your body before a shower. Whilst this does make for an amazing experience (seriously, it is incredibly uplifting on the senses and leaves skin silky soft as well) I feel that for a gift costing £10 it could have done with being just that tiny bit bigger, even if just 10ml instead of 7.5ml so that you can grab that one last shower. I also think it would make the bottle itself feel more satisfying as it is only the size of my thumb.
However, as a little taster of the brand and a little stocking filler gift I think the Little Bell does work well to get you interested and wanting to try more, and it really is very sweet, I just think, personally, I would be tempted to spend a little more and invest in a full sized bottle of Molton Brown Eucalyptus Bath and Shower gel which smells very similar and has a similar sensory effect. You can pick up the Little Bell gift from Selfridges stores, Liberty or online *here*

Annie x