A Little Lush Haul

Ohhhh how I love Lush. I became a massive Lush fan a few years back when my best friend bought me one of their amazing bath bombs for Christmas, I haven't looked back since. If I am not lying in a purple bath with stars floating around my toes and the bathroom isn't filled with some kind of amazing fragrance then life just doesn't make sense!!
Lush is a company that makes handmade products from fresh organic fruit and vegetables. All their products are made with the finest essential oils with no preservatives. They buy their ingredients from companies that do not commission tests on animals and believe in testing their products on humans. They're leading the way on reduce, reuse and recycling of their packaging in the hope that one day they can eliminate packaging altogether. They value and support ethical buying to find local sources of ingredients within our own communities, whilst helping maintain sustainable practices as well as fair conditions for the workers. What's not to love about that?
So with that all in mind I headed to my local Lush Shop. When you walk in you are over come with the most amazing smell of all the soaps and cosmetics combined, that I wish you could just bottle up and take home. The ladies that were working that day were so friendly and helpful, I purchased a shampoo and 3 bath bombs and had to share them with you.
Daddy-O Shampoo  I just love this shampoo! I love the scent, the way it leaves my hair and the shine it gives. It works to add volume and shine to the hair, using lemon and lime juice, which allow the cuticles to lie flat and reflect more light. Seaweed to cleanse and soften and virgin coconut oil to hydrate the hair, whilst sea salt gives body to my flat lifeless hair. It also revives my bleached blonde hair and the bright violet helps to tone and neutralise the brassy yellow tones. I use this shampoo every couple of days and love it!!

Butterball Bath Bomb  My favourite bath bomb! It looks like a plain white ball but don't be fooled, it is packed full of cocoa butter. It has tiny chunks of cocoa butter that melt in your bath water, leaving your skin so silky and soft. If your skin is dry and sensitive you will love this! It doesn't leave any colour to your water so it's great to mix with a bright bath bomb.

So White Bath Bomb  I loved the smell of this one in the store, it smells like apples with a hint of floral. Watch it fizzle and foam away to create a snow-like apple scented froth in the tub and then its rosy center reveals itself. This bomb is part of the Lush Christmas Holiday 2014 collection and in the words of Lush "it revives your Christmas spirit".

Golden Wonder Bath Bomb  Another bomb from the Christmas collection. The colours in this bath bomb are AMAZING!! It is three bath bombs in one and when you shake it you can hear them rattle inside, just like shaking a present from under the Christmas tree. I found the scent very pleasant if you like a citrus smell. Drop into the bath and it reveals so many beautiful colours, the gold outside quickly gives way to a blue, a burst of purple and gorgeous sparkling stars. It left my bath water a lovely turqoisey colour with swirls of gold glitter. This bomb makes a lovely festive treat!

I could have bought so many items in Lush that day but I resisted and have put them on my Christmas list instead.  P.s., Don't worry none of these products stain you or the bath!!!!
Have you tried any of these products? Can you recommend me any Lush products you have tried?
Samantha x

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

Today, I thought I would share with you one of my holy grail products. I am the biggest skin care junkie and I am always trying out new products, but the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil is a product I have used for many years and love. I have a combination skin type and sometimes more to the oilier side than being dry, no matter what time of year it is. This is where this product just works magically for me.

With a oily skin type the sebaceous glands are overactive and produce more oil than is actually needed. I know, to many people, the thought of putting an oil on to a oily skin type sounds crazy and you feel like it will make the problem worse. However, applying a oil will trick the skin into thinking it has produced enough oil and will help to balance the skin out. 
With 100% pure plant extracts with no preservatives, The Blue Orchid Treatment Oil contains Lotus oil from the Lotus Water Lilly Flower. It is one of the most expensive essential oils for its proven results to improve skin tone, tighten pores, purify and reduce wrinkles. Rosewood extracts, which is anti-bacterial and can help heal blemishes and fade scarring, Geranium extracts for its toning and balancing effect on the skin and finally Hazelnut oil to soften and soothe, locking in moisture to prevent fine lines. 
This is a really light oil, it doesn't feel heavy or unbearable on the skin and it absorbs in quickly. I use three drops at night after toning and before my night time moisturiser. I rub the oil into my palms to warm the product up and then massage it into my face. The smell reminds me of being at a spa with its herbal fragrance. When you wake up in the morning, there is no oily residue and your skin looks even, bright and has a gorgeous healthy glow.   I have seen a dramatic improvement in my skin using this product, I still get oily but not nearly as much or as fast throughout the day, as I did before. It really helps to balance my skin and helps my skin to feel less congested. Also, a bottle of this lasts me months! I have just repurchased another bottle but the previous one lasted for nearly a year!
Clarins do have a few facial oils, so if you have a dry skin Santal Face Treatment Oil is one that you can try or if like myself,  you have a combination to oily skin type, then the Lotus face Treatment Oil is the one for you. It retails at £32 and I think it is money well spent for the results and for how long the bottle lasts.    If you are looking for the perfect evening treatment to improve your complexion, I can not recommend this product enough.
Have you tried The Clarins Lotus face Treatment Oil?
Samantha x

My Favourite Christmas Beauty Gift Sets

As there is only 35 sleeps till Christmas (eekkkk), I thought I would share with you some of  my favorite beauty sets I have found this Christmas. Not only are there some brilliant bargains out there this year, but there is always some kind of deal to tempt you, like triple points, 3 for 2 or money off. Now is the right time to start shopping for beauty sets whether you want to treat yourself or buy one of them as a gift and I think I have found the perfect beauty ideas for you.

Lancome All Eyes On You £30  This set contains four of Lancome's best selling mascaras. A full size Hypnose mascara in black and three handbag-sizes mascaras, which are Hypnose Drama, Hypnose Doll Eyes and Hypnose Star. My all time favourite mascara is Lancome Hypnose, it is a great volumising mascara. I think this is absolute fantastic value for money. Boots have a great deal when you buy two Lancome items at the moment online, you will receive 750 points. That is £7.50 in points! Bargain!!

Benefit Sweet Spot Box O'Blushes £29.50  Five Blushers, one Bronzer and a Highlighter! Amazing! The blushers are "Dandelion", "Sugar Bomb", "CORAlista", "Bella Bamba" and their newest blusher "Rockateur". The bronzer is their all time best seller Hoola and the highlighter is called Watt's up! Don't you just love the names of their products! First time ever Benefit have brought us this gift! It is my favourite Benefit Christmas set this year and it is exceptional value for money. It is beautifully packaged with good sized blushes. A perfect set for the blush lovers out there!

Mac Keepsakes Red Lip bag £32  When I saw this on the Mac website, I'm not going to lie, I squealed a bit! I wrote on my first wish list here on my blog (can read here) I wanted to try the Mac "Ruby Woo" lipstick, so this set is perfect! It comes with the full size lipstick, the full sized lip gloss "Ruby Woo" and the full size lip liner "Ruby Woo". A "Ruby Woo" overload! All nestled in this beautiful limited edition cream glitter makeup bag, with a pearl beaded trim. It is now pretty much sold out everywhere and the only place I can still find it, is on the Selfridges website. Grab it quick!

Boots Mini Fragrance Set £40  I think this set is such a fantastic idea! Boots have picked their favourite fragrances for women in sample sizes.You then pick which one you like the most and you can redeem the voucher given in the set against the full size product. Great idea if you want to buy a perfume for someone or yourself and can't decide which one to choose.

Lush Treat Your Dears £19.50  A red nose reindeer filled with four festive bath and shower goodies. "Yog Nog" soap, "Snowman" shower jelly, a "Dashing Santa" bath bomb and "Golden Wonder" bath bomb. Lush have picked their most popular festive items and I think this set is just too cute!

O.P.I Mini Christmas Holiday Stars £14.50  Each shade in this mini nail varnish set is Christmas inspired. It would make a perfect little stocking filler and O.P.I nail varnishes always deliver in my eyes.This set includes "Red Fingers & Mistletoe", "What's Your Point-Settia?", "I Carol About You" and "Kiss Me Or Elf". I was lucky enough to receive one of their Christmas sets last year and the colours are always fab!

The Body Shop Coconut Festive Picks £17  I have been using the Coconut Body Butter from The Body Shop for a month now and it really is a feast for the skin. The butter just melts into the skin, leaving it feeling so soft and smooth. So I was excited to see they have a Christmas set with the Coconut range. The festive box contains 250ml shower gel, 50ml body scrub, 50ml body butter, coconut soap and a body polisher. This is a must on my Christmas list.

NARS Lip Pencil Set £32  The sought after satin Lip pencils! I have one in the shade Luxembourg and it is a stunning colour (review here). They provide great wear and an intense colour with a satin finish. I would highly recommend them, this set is a little beauty. Comes with five shades and is packaged within a frosted box. The shades are "Yu", "Torres Del Paine", "Descanso", "Iberico" and "Cruella". I love the variety of colours in this set comprising of a vibrant red and a subtle nude.

Real Techniques Brush Set £29.99  In case you are not familiar, these brushes are part of a line created by well known makeup artist and YouTuber Samantha Chapman. I find theses brushes to be of a real high quality but at an affordable price. The brushes are really soft and made of a synthetic taklon bristle. This set is amazing value for money with six full sized brushes in total and are Sam's very own favourite picks. Included are the Multi-Task Brush for powder, blush and bronzer. The Buffing Brush is ideal for full coverage of powder and mineral foundation. The Crease Brush is designed for contouring. The Setting brush to complete any look with a controlled dusting of powder or highlighter. The Foundation Brush to apply a liquid foundation and the Ultimate Fine liner brush to apply precision liquid or cream eyeliner. A great collection of brushes for someone starting out new with brushes or even a full proof makeup buff. 

So here they are.... my favourite Christmas beauty gifts. I hope you love them as much as I do and I hope this may have helped you with your Christmas shopping. 

Will you be putting any of these on your Christmas list?

Samantha x

Rimmel London Wonder'Full Mascara With Argan Oil Review

After having eyelash extensions for the past three months my eyelashes are in need of some TLC. I loved having eyelash extensions, it made life in the morning so much easier and quicker getting ready for work. I have always had thick, long eyelashes and only had the extensions done for my summer holiday, just so I wouldn't need to apply waterproof mascara for laying by the pool (lazy I know!). Now after three months of extensions my eyelashes have lost their length, which I am hoping will come back!

So when I saw this Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara with Argan Oil, my eyes lit up! I use Argan oil on my hair every day and thought my hair loves it, so hopefully my eyelashes will too. I decided to go with the colour Extreme Black. I posted a picture to instagram and the response was of mixed reviews, but I was still excited to try it.

Rimmel is one of my favourite highstreet brands and this mascara is a fairly new mascara, as it has only been out for a few months. It is a super smooth formula that uses the Argan oil to condition the lashes and it does actually feel very conditioning as it goes on. I have to say I love the texture of this mascara on my lashes, there is a no crunchy feel to you lashes once it has dried. Rimmel claim it is a clump free mascara and I really do think this claim does deliver. This mascara is all about the volume and length. It glides onto the lashes and really does create volume from the roots of the lashes to the tip, however I did find this is after I applied a few coats. It does build beautifully and no matter how many coats you apply, it still feels lovely and light.

The real point of difference, I think, with this mascara compared to others, is the flexiable brush. It kind of bends whilst you're applying, really grabbing at the lashes separating and fanning them out with hardly any effort. I also really like when you open the mascara the rubber brush comes out excess mascara product free, with just a blob on the end of the tip.

  I think this mascara is perfect for a everyday natural look or buildable if you do like a volumised eyelash look. I  probably wouldn't use this mascara for a evening night out look as I like my lashes to look really dramatic of an evening.   Has it helped with the condition of my lashes? I have been using this mascara for over a week now and they haven't grown in length (think it is going to take a few months of TLC) however, I have noticed a difference in the overall condition of my lashes.
Have you tried Rimmel Wonder'Full Mascara? Do you have any tips to help my eyelashes grow?
Samantha x

A Massive Thank You

I woke up this morning and whilst drinking my morning coffee I checked my emails......I was completely over the moon to see my, little, blog, had 90 followers. As I am writing this now, All Over This has 101 followers and 885 page views....WOW!!!! I have been blogging for just over a month now and there really is no better feeling than knowing people are reading and hopefully, enjoying my blog. 

I really am so very grateful and I am thoroughly enjoying reviewing products and writing posts for you all. My blog posts list is growing bigger everyday, so keep your eyes peeled for lots of festive December posts, my top make up tips and my birthday trip to New York!

There are a few ways you can follow me to keep up to date

I love posting pictures on Instagram, so you can follow me here if you're not all ready!

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You can also follow me via twitter here and read my daily ramblings!

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Last but not least, you can follow me on bloglovin here!

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Thank you again for all that have followed me. I really do appreciate it! If there is any future posts you would like to see, please do leave me a comment in the box below or drop me a email.

Samantha x