XMAS GIFT IDEAS FROM LUSH

As its getting closer to Xmas, today it is time for another round of gift ideas, today from Lush. And actually, below I will show you several options so there are both suggestions for stocking fillers, small budget friendly presents, or of course another option is making up a gift consisting of a selection of different products;

What They Say:

Lush Santa’s Lip Scrub:

Prime your pout with this moisturising cola-flavoured lip scrub that leaves your lips buffed and ready for Santa Baby – or any other Lush lip tint or balm. Caster sugar, dates and cherries scrub and soften, giving them a taste of Christmas. Dab a little on and buff, licking off the excess. RRP: $9.95 (25g) - Available from Lush

Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint: A Christmassy red lip tint made with cherries and dates for sweet, kissable lips. Made with Fair Trade shea butter and nourishing carrot oil to soften and moisturise, and a cinnamon-sweet, cola-flavoured taste of Christmas, Santa will be hurrying down the chimney tonight. RRP: $9.95 (8g) - Available from Lush

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel: Let your skin be kissed by a rose with this sweetly floral shower gel. Wrap yourself in a comforting embrace with nourishing Moroccan argan oil, organic rose absolute and rose oil together with a Fair Trade vanilla pod infusion. This is an indulgent wash that lifts the spirits. RRP: 29.95 (100ml) - Available from Lush

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel: Add some Christmas sparkle to your day with this candy-sweet shower gel. Snow Fairy is back again this year, bringing its fairy dust magic into your shower, now with the addition of skin-softening seaweed. RRP: $29.95 (100g) - Available from Lush

Lush Celebrate Body Lotion: Give your skin cause for celebration by smoothing on this intoxicatingly citrusy body lotion with a splash of cognac. Lime oil and Brazilian orange oil lift the spirits, while cocoa butter and almond oil hydrate the skin - it's the perfect lotion to wear for a festive night out. RRP: $22.95 (225g) - Available from Lush 


Snowman Fun: Build your own snowman in the bath with our festive Fun kit. Can anyone smell carrots? This is fragranced with a refreshing and sweet blend of buchu, bergamot and Sicilian lemon essential oils. Mould the white, orange, and black pieces into a snowman and then use it as a bubble bar, soap or shampoo when you've finished playing with him. RRP: 9.95 (200g) - Available from Lush



What I Say:

The Lush Santa’s Lip Scrub, is as the name suggests a scrub for the lips made with sugar. All it takes is a tiny bit of this lip scrub, and gently scrubs away dry flaky bits and leaves your lips feeling so soft and smooth.

The scrub has the most gorgeous sweet cherry cola scent that that is so lovely that you are almost tempted to eat it. The scrub is red in colour and also contains cute little red hearts that dissolve.

This Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint has a beautiful scent although I cannot quite detect a supposed cola flavour!! It leaves the most beautiful red stain on your lips, and from just the tiniest dab into the cute little tin, but be vary that it does stain your finger as well, so you may want to use a little brush to avoid that.

You can also use it as a cheek stain if you like, but in that case, you need to blend it out quickly or you will end up with red clowns cheeks! And as it is made from shea butter and carrot oil, it leaves your lips feeling so soft at the same time. The tint lasts surprisingly long on the lips.

Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel and the Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel are so lovely to use in the shower, easily lathering up to the softest foam that gently cleanses your skin without drying it out.

The Rose Jam Shower Gel, has, as the name suggests, the most stunning rose scent that smells a little like old-fashioned potpourri, while the Snow Fairy Shower Gel has a very sweet and sugary lolly scent.

The Lush Celebrate Body Lotion smells seriously amazing – it may be because it contains my favourite ingredient – citrus scents, including lime oil and orange, which gives it a beautiful zesty scent.

The whipped cream is thick and rich, yet it absorbs fairly quickly into the skin, leaving it soft and moisturised, and with that gorgeous scent lingering behind for hours.

Finally, the Snowman Fun, was just that – so much fun…

I had so much fun playing with the soft soap moulding the different colours into my own little snowman, - although as you can see I am not that creative, and I also did have a few issues with the colours seeping together. And afterwards leaving him by the kitchen sink to use as a hand soap, while making the whole kitchen smell nice just sitting there on display - although he sadly did get to close to the sun in the window one day, and basically melted down like a real-life snowman. 

 
So there you go, a range of different products that are perfect to use as Xmas gift ideas – both on their own as stocking fillers or combined in a beautiful hamper for someone who deserves a little pampering.

*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

What do you think of these products form Lush? Are you a fan of Lush products? Which of their products would you recommend?


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XMAS GIFT IDEA: SANCTUARY SPA LUXURY MOISTURE COLLECTION

Today it’s time to share with you another great Xmas gift idea, and this one the Sanctuary Spa Luxury Moisture Collection*, which contains absolutely everything for the ultimate body pamper session;

 What They Say:

Experience ultimate indulgence with the power of oils in this luxury body pamper collection. Each product is enriched with gold of pleasure oil and clinically proven to lock in moisture for up to 5 days. RRP: $25.00 – Available from Priceline


What I Say:

This gift set truly contains absolutely everything you need for to give that tired body some TLC and help you relax, revive and rejuvenate and get into a more festive mood.


The gift set contains:

• 2 Day Moisture Shower Oil, 250ml
• 4 Day moisture Oil Scrub, 100g
• 4 Day Moisture Body Oil Spray, 125ml
• 5 Day Moisture Creamy Body Oil, 250ml
• Loofa

 

 

Common for all the products is that they are containing olive oil and gold of pleasure oil, the ladder which I have never heard about before.

 

  

The 2 Day Moisture Shower Oil, has in spite of being called an oil, more of a standard shower gel texture and is hence slightly thicker than your standard oil. It claims to moisture the skin for two days with its oil formula, and while I am not quite sure if that is true, I do like that is certainly feels more hydrating on the skin. And what I like too is that it can also double as the perfect moisturising shaving cream in the shower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 Day moisture Oil Scrub is a an oil-based scrub made with fine salt crystals to exfoliate and infused with shea butter and facial oils to leave the skin soft and smooth and hydrated for up to four days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 4 Day Moisture Body Oil Spray is a two-phased spray with water and oils and added vitamin E to keep the skin soft and deeply moisturised, even after the very first use. The oil is quickly absorbed into the skin without leaving it feeling greasy or sticky.

 

 

 

 

  

 

5 Day Moisture Creamy Body Oil is in spite of the name actually a body lotion, although it has been infused with oils. And even though it contains the oils, it is absorbed quickly into the skin and leaves it feeling soft and smooth and with a nice sheen. The Body Oil claims to keep the skin moisturised for 5 days, even after taking another shower, but I am not quite sure about that claim, but do find that it is certainly sufficiently moisturised to keep my skin hydrated all day long with no need to reapply.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, the pack also contains a Loofa, which is perfect to use in the shower with especially the shower oil or with any other shower gel, as it helps develop a nice soft foam, as well as it helps gently exfoliate the skin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the products have a nice warm scent from the oil that you can only love as it is still so subtle that it won’t clash with your perfume.

  

 

At just $25.00 this is a fantastic Xmas gift set for anyone that deserves to be pampered, and the products are all in a decent size so it makes it a great and decent priced buy too!

  

*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

 

  

What do you think of this gift set from Sanctuary Spa? Tried any of their products?

 

 

 

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PRODUCT REVIEW: LA MAV MINERAL FOUNDATION AND KABUKI BRUSH

Today I’d like to share with you my thoughts on the La Mav Mineral Foundation* and the La Mav Kabuki Brush*;

What They Say:

La Mav Mineral foundation is a concealer, foundation, sunscreen and powder all-in-one that provides a flawless finish, giving your skin a natural and radiant look without clogging pores or causing irritation. La Mav Anti-Ageing Minerals™ offer a chemical-free alternative to traditional foundations and are suitable for all skin type and conditions. All products in our Anti Ageing Minerals line are infused with Vitamin C and Rosehip Oil providing proven anti-ageing benefit while also nourishing and protecting your skin from free radicals! Available in 4 shades.

RRP: $35 (8g) – Available from La Mav


Our famous La Mav 100% Vegan and Certified Cruelty Free Kabuki Brush is ethical, and also the best performing cruelty free makeup brush available due to the high bristle density and softness. Our Kabuki brush is also specifically designed for use with La Mav Mineral Foundations, Mattifying Powder and Bronzer delivering complete coverage, flawlessly. Go ahead, try it – you will simply love it!

RRP: $29 – Available from La Mav

What I Say:

I have previously been avoiding powder foundations, but recently realised that I’ve been missing out.  I do find that it takes a little longer to apply than a liquid foundation – or maybe it is just because I have years of experience doing that!

Anyway, the La Mav Mineral foundation claims to be a concealer, foundation, sunscreen and powder all-in-one, and it truly gives a nice medium coverage, covering pigmentation, blemishes and also minimizing the appearance of scarring. And while you can easily build up coverage where you need it with an extra layer, I do however feel that I still need to use a concealer on darker marks as well as to hide bags under my eyes. And on the days I feel I need even more coverage, a thin layer on top of a BB cream works perfectly too.

But even when you build up the coverage, it still gives you a very natural look, and never looks caked on, powdery or dry. It gives the skin a lovely sheen, as it contains just a touch of shimmer. It has a very good staying power, easily lasting all day, even on my combination skin, without settling into fine lines.

 

However, once I’ve applied it using the La Mav Kabuki brush, I find that it sets nicer with the Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray. 

I love the fact that the foundation is free from chemicals, and also doesn’t contain any fillers such as talc that can clog up my pores. I also love that it has inbuilt SPF15 and that it is also infused with Vitamin C and Rosehip Oil so it provides anti-ageing benefits and nourishes my skin while I wear it.


I tried the foundation in the medium shade, which works fairly well on my skin, although a slightly lighter shade would have been more ideal now that it is winter and my skin is very pale. However, it will be the perfect shade in just a few months’ time as we head towards spring and summer.

The powder foundation comes in a small round container, and it has a little internal lid which you can spin to reveal the holes that releases the powder, which all means that the amount of powder that is released is controlled so you avoid wastage. The container does at first sight look a little small, but as it is quite concentrated and you seriously use less than you think you would, it goes a long way.


A powder foundation is always best applied using a Kabuki brush that you swirl around the skin to blend the foundation into the ski. The La Mav Kabuki brush is 100% Vegan and Certified Cruelty Free and is made from100% synthetic materials and wood from sustainable forestry.


 

It has a very high bristle density and is incredibly soft, making it so easy to apply the foundation, as it evenly distributes and blends the powder into the skin. My only negative about the brush is that I would have loved it to come sleeve to protect the bristles if I take it with me in my makeup bag or when travelling. But overall, the brush is of such a high quality that it is a welcome addition to my brush collection!


These are the first makeup products that I’ve tried from La Mav from their range, and I am so impressed that I’m very keen on trying out a few more!

*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

Have you ever tried any makeup from La Mav? Fan of powder foundations?

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PRODUCT REVIEW: LEAPFROG ALPHAPUP

It has been a little while now since I have enlisted the help of our boy, Oliver to do a product review, but as he has had a few new toys for testing, it is time to get down to business again. Today we’re talking about the AlphaPup from Leapfrog. 

 

We have two large dogs, Labradors and Oliver loves his dogs to bits. And they love him back. They simply follow him everywhere, always close by, and it is so cute to see how they are so concerned when he falls over. It is like he has two reserve-mums. 

So giving Oliver his very own puppy, the AlphaPup to take for walks was the best thing ever. He simply loved it from the start, caressing its soft ears, and having fun making the long tail wobble. 

The AlphaPup has a ‘lead’ and a handle, shaped like a dog bone, but it took a little bit before he realised how to use it, and he simply started by carrying the Pup around by its tail. Looked so cute.

But suddenly he got it, and then he was off with the Pup, up and down our very long hallway, and back again! 


On that, I’d like to mention here that I feel that the ‘lead’ is a touch too short, - Oliver is still only little, and yet, the lead and handle is only just long enough, so either the string should have been longer (and I realise that it probably isn’t, due to it otherwise being a choking hazard), or alternatively the handle should have been a little longer. 

 

The actual dog is very colourful, and has buttons with the alphabet down each side of its back, and when you push a button, it sings and makes sounds introducing each letter and says words that starts with that letter. For instance, if you push ‘A’, it says, ‘Apple – I love apples’, or ‘E’ – and then it makes the sound of an elephant and follows by saying that elephants have a funny bark.

There is also a button with a music symbol on it, and it has varying phases such as ‘Let’s play together' or 'take me for a walk’.

And what is really cute is that if you leave it for a moment, it will suddenly sneeze to get attention or say ‘can I sit on your lap’ or ‘Vov vov, will you pat my head’. Definitely a very demanding little Pup.
 
When you walk the Pup, it sings the alphabet, stopping as soon as you stop walking, and then it says ‘let’s keep walking’.

It is very cute and funny that it does this, and it makes so much more fun and interactive for little ones, as it encourages them to keep playing and learning with the Pup.

The AlphaPup is recommended for 12 to 36 month olds, and I find that Oliver was the perfect age for it when it got it at 16 months. He walks well now, and can now concentrate on doing other things as he is walking. But it will still keep entertaining him for months and months to come as he starts learning and familiarising himself with the alphabet and remembering more and more words.


So if you have a toddler, we highly recommend the AlphaPup, it is a very educational toy, with that will provide hours upon hours of entertainment – although for Oliver it will never quite replace his real doggies.


RRP: $34.99ea – Available from Major Retailers, Target, Toys R Us, and independent toy stores.
 

*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.
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XMAS GIFT IDEA - BHAVE LIMITED EDITION CHRISTMAS GIFT PACK

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you’d know that one of my absolutely favourite haircare brands is bhave. I was introduced to the brand well over two years ago, actually not long after I started blogging, and since then I think I have trialled just about the full product range, and had a salon treatment too. And while, trust me, every single bhave product is nothing short of amazing, it is a little difficult to pick a favourite – I naturally have a couple, which is probably more because of the condition of my particular hair.

As always, bhave has released two limited edition gift sets. Both gift sets include a bhave signature vent brush and a gorgeous printed bhave tote that folds neatly into a compact purse and then either the bhave Deep Intense Conditioning Masque (see my full review here), or alternatively the bhave Leave In Creme (see my full review here).

I was kindly sent the pack with the Deep Intense Conditioning Masque. The Masque contains among others argan oil, macadamia seed oil and functional keratin, and left in the hair just 5-10 once a week, is making sure that my long thick hair is in top health all round. It simply corrects all the sins that heat styling, hair colouring and the sun’s harmful rays do to the hair, while leaving the hair not only stronger, but also feeling silky soft and looking healthy looking. 

The bhave Vent Brush that is also included in the pack is absolutely amazing too. It quickly and easily helps get rid of any tangles and knots in my hair, and due to the vents, it helps cut down drying time when I use a hairdryer too. The brush has a rubber grip on the handle which makes it easy to hold too.

And then there’s the stylish tote. It has stunning print on it, and I love how it neatly folds into a purse so you can pop it in your handbag and use for emergencies, for instance you stop at the fruit shop! It certainly makes for a trendier shopping bag!

 

The bhave Christmas Gift Packs both retail for the amazing low price of just $42.50, which is a saving of a whopping $49 – You basically get the Vent Brush and the tote free! How cool is that. I know I’d be excited to wake to find one of these packs waiting for me under the Xmas tree!


The Gift Packs are available from select bhave salons


*Product was kindly provided for consideration, and has reviewed in accordance with my Disclosure Policy.

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