Lush Valentine's Day Collection

Sometimes you need to romance yourself, have some time to pamper and unwind. Lush’s new Valentines range is perfect gift, from you to you, or if you have a boyfriend, you can drop some mega obvious hints.

I was kindly invited to preview the Valentines collection with Chester Lush at the Botanist. The lovely ladies ran through the products, sharing their knowledge of ingredients and demonstrated the latest bath bombs and bubble bars. I’ve never tried anything from their Valentine’s range so I was eager to get my hands on some products and give them a test.

Lover Lamp bath bomb creates a milky, soothing bath. Cocoa butter hearts float and skims the surface of the water, releasing their nourishing properties into the bath, resulting in silky smooth skin. This bath bomb has an orange and vanilla scent, Hayley from English Rose, compared this to a Terry’s Chocolate Orange in that it isn’t a super zesty orange fragrance, it’s a more yummy scent.

The Kiss Lip Scrub prepares you for some lip locking on Valentine’s Day. It smells just like Love Heart sweets. If it does make your mouth water you can actually eat it, it’s completely edible, even the tiny hearts. I wear a lot of matte lipsticks so this is ideal for keeping my lips smooth.

Prince Charming has a yummy marshmallow, vanilla and pomegranate scent, unlike anything I’ve smelt before. I adore the Lush shower gels and creams, they last forever and a little goes a long way. If you don’t have a Prince Charming this Valentine’s Day, Lush has you covered with this!

Unicorn Horn steals the show, it’s has a rainbow swirl and shimmer, because what else are unicorns made of?! This has a lavender base to its fragrance so it will be sure to relax you. I normally break bubble bars into two pieces and crumble under running water to produce ‘Hollywood’ glossy bubbles.

There are lots of romantic scents and products in Lush’s permanent line, as well as some new gift sets. I would recommend Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, which has a cocoa butter flower which floats in the bath. I also love the Tisty Tosty Bath Bomb, which has a romantic rose scent and really petals in, it’s one of the best sellers at Lush. If you are looking for a product to share on Valentine ’s Day, you and your partner can use one of Lush’s famous massage bars. I won’t say much more on that one, I’ll leave it to your imagination.

Every time I go to one of these events, I want to throw 10 Lush products into a bath and soak for hours! Which is your favourite from the Valentine's Day collection?

*This post contains PR samples

My Makeup Geek Eyeshadows

I wonder why I ever wasted money on MAC eyeshadows now that I own Makeup Geek ones. If you thought Urban Decay trumped MAC, well Makeup Geek tops that. These are the most buttery shadows you will ever use and a fraction of the price compared to MAC single shadows.

I added four colours to my basket in a flash when I saw that Beauty Bay had started stocking them. I’d seen American YouTubers like Jaclyn Hill and Desi Perkins using them in tutorials. I searched blogs for swatches and decided I liked the look of Crème Brule, Cocoa Brown, Bitten and Flame Thrower.

When they arrived I realised they didn’t stick in my MAC palette, the magnets on the back weren't strong enough. So I had to wait until Beauty Bay restocked the Z Palette. They are neatly tucked away in the smaller palette and are now favoured against any other shadow.

The mattes are very impressive – super pigmented and creamy. They blend like a dream, unlike MAC eyeshadow which take an age to blend in comparison. Crème Brule is a perfect caramel colour for the crease or can be used to diffuse any other colours out towards the brow bone. Cocoa Bear is one of Makeup Geek’s most loved colours, it’s a rich chocolate brown with a slight touch of purple to keep it balanced. Bitten is a sultry plum shade that works wonderfully for a coloured smoky eye, it’s very vampy.

If you want high impact, I would recommend their Foiled eyeshadow colours, Flame Thrower is a vibrant, zingy copper colour which looks amazing with green eyes.

I can’t wait to buy more, do you have any shade recommendations?

5 Concealer Face

Five concealers?! Yes, sometimes I will apply five concealers to my face to create a perfect base. Laura mentioned something similar on her blog and it got me thinking. Why do I need so many products?

 Each concealer has a different purpose, and to some this might seem a little crazy, people must think, ‘Why can’t you use the same one all over?!’ Generally, something that works on your dark circles is illuminating and you wouldn’t want to use the same for your blemishes, otherwise they would be gleaming beacons, hence the different concealers for different areas.

I’ll start with my primer and foundation, Soap and Glory’s One Heck of a Blot primer and L’Oreal Matte Infallible foundation, then I will tackle my troublesome areas – under eyes, spots and redness (most of my face).

The Maybelline Instant Eye Eraser is great for concealing dark circles, it’s lovely and light and doesn’t crease. If I’ve had a bad night’s sleep I’ll layer the Collection Lasting Perfection or the L.A Girl Pro-Conceal concealer on top of this. Both have excellent, heavy coverage, I would say the L.A Girl is a little heavier and stickier but it's a God send when your eye bags are purplish.

Once my dark circles are concealed by the previous products, I may use the Barry M Flawless Light Reflecting concealer over the top to illuminate the under eyes. I sometimes use this on the bridge of my nose, down the centre and across the tops of my cheeks to add a Kim K highlighted effect.

I do have a little redness around my nose which can be concealed with the ReCover Correct and Conceal Red*. This particular formula is targeted for concealing red areas, perfect if you suffer rosacea.

The last step will be to hide those pesky spots. The L.A Girl or Collection concealers come to the rescue when I break out, as I mentioned, they have a great, high-coverage formula. Both are cheap as chips!

I'd love to try the Charlotte Tilbury and By Terry concealer offering, perhaps I'll purchase them when I've made my way through these.

As for tools, I use my Beauty Blender to most of the blending work and for any hard to reach places I'll use my Sephora Pro Airbrush Concealer brush to buff the products into the skin. I'm always open to new suggestions of concealers and brushes, so leave your favourites in the comments.

What are your favourite concealers? How many do you use?

*This post contains PR samples

The Skincare Dream Team

Finding the perfect skincare routine is all about finding products that work well together. I don’t stick to one brand or line of skincare, as I like to tailor my routine to fit my skin perfectly. I’ve tried a number of combinations but I’ve finally found the ‘dream team’.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair teamed with Clarins Lotus Oil repairs by skin wonderfully. ANR lays down the perfect base, which soaks any product up with ease, getting the most from my oils and creams. Both Advanced Night Repair and Lotus Oil work to repair, so pairing them was a no-brainer.

In the past, I have tried serums which have been heavy and feel more like a moisturiser, resulting in overloading my skin at night. Advanced Night Repair has a lovely light formula which is quick to sink into the skin. I wouldn’t recommend you use this serum on its own as it provides little moisture, that’s where Clarins’ Lotus Oil comes in.

I would recommend the Lotus Oil to anyone with acne prone skin or scarring. It doesn’t leave your skin feel overwhelmed with oil and doesn’t disrupt any of your natural oil or clog pores the next day. Combined with ANR, my skin drinks up the oil, leaving my skin looking fresher and plumper the morning after. The dream team also have noticeably helped with acne scarring and the healing of old blemishes.

Have you tried these two perfect products together? What two products make a 'dream team' for you?

Wardrobe Essentials

There are a few pieces of clothing I cannot live without and would recommend you buy/keep as wardrobe staples. Perhaps you have decided to create a capsule wardrobe as part of your 2016 resolutions or want to streamline your wardrobe, start from these necessities and build around them.

OUTERWEAR - Smart Coat and a Leather Jacket

The coat featured in this post is from Zara, it's a pea coat with gold military style buttons. I didn't mind splashing out on this as I knew the style was timeless and will go with anything. If I need something more casual I'll opt for a leather jacket. My current one is from H&M but I'm lusting after an All Saints or Whistles one.

TOPS - Basics, Night Out and Smart

My tops can be sectioned into three categories. I have my everyday basics, which change slightly through the seasons from thin to chunky fabrics, to short sleeve to long sleeve. I'm dreaming of some beautiful women's designer knitwear, especially some cashmere jumpers at the moment.
I'll then have some lace blouses or smarter shirts which I keep for night's out or date night, which can be paired with some jeans and heels. I have a casual dress code at work but I do keep a few nice blouses aside in case I need to go to a meeting. H&M has an excellent work wear section in some of their larger stores which is perfect for this.

BOTTOMS - Leather Trousers, High Waisted Jeans and Skirts

High waisted jeans are my 'go to' at the moment, I love New Look's range but I'm saving for a pair of Citizens of Humanity UK jeans. If seen plenty of celebrities wearing them and they look to be an amazing, good quality fit.
For date night or drinks with the girls, I'll pull out my trusty leather trousers, they look so chic but also effortless. Every girl needs a pair.
I'll keep a few smarter, longer skirts in my wardrobe for meetings or occasions like weddings or christenings. You won't find a bum skimming hemline in my wardrobe.

I then add items which can be interchanged with these staples. What's always in your wardrobe? Which piece can you not live without?

*Sponsored post

‘I Woke Up 10 Minutes Late’ Face

I hit snooze at least 3 times in the morning, resulting in very little time to get ready. These are my go-to ‘I woke up 10 minutes late’ products.

 BASE – La Roche Posay BB Blur* and Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eye Eraser Concealer

I’m a lover of LRP skincare, which you might have seen featured heavily throughout the year and also in my 2015 skincare roundup. When I heard they had a BB cream on the way, suitable for oily skin I couldn’t wait to put it to the test. This has an instant blurring effect, which creates an even base. It’s very easy to work with, I just use clean fingers and smooth it over the skin, and it does have a silicone texture so it just glides on. It’s a great product for when you are in a rush.

The Maybelline concealer is lovely and light under the eyes and doesn't crease. I just paint stripes on and blend them seamlessly with a damp Beauty Blender Sponge - super quick!

EYES – Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil, L’Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim Liner, Soap and Glory Thick and Fast Mascara

I look ill without some eye make-up on, so a thin line of eyeliner just at the base of the lashes adds definition and a quick coat of mascara makes my eyes look more open.

I do have my eyebrows tinted at the salon at the moment so I can normally get away with just brushing my brows through with a spoolie, or I'll just add a touch of definition with the Archery Brow Pencil.

If you want thick, fluttery lashes in a hurry, try the Soap and Glory Thick and Fast mascara. I love my Makeup Forever Smoky Lash but that takes too much time to build, so it's not an option when I'm in a rush.

CHEEKS - Too Faced Milk Chocolate Bronzer and Soap and Glory Love at First Blush
I wish I'd found the Milk Chocolate Bronzer earlier, I've been on the hunt for the perfect bronzer for pale skin and this is holy grail, plus it smells like chocolate!
Instead of fiddling around with blusher and highlight, I grab the Love at First Blush, which combines the best of both worlds and adds a glow to the skin.

LIPS - Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm in Rosewood
To bring the look together I simply swipe a little of the Clarins Lip Balm on and this keeps my lips moisturised and adds a touch of colour. A perfect lip product when you are in a rush.

HAIR - Collab Dry Shampoo in Toyko
I just wanted to give this dry shampoo a special shout out, as it has saved my greasy hair a number of times. It smells divine and helps extend your hair style for an extra day. It's a lot lighter than Batiste, so if you aren't a fan of the chalky feeling in your hair, this is the dry shampoo for you.

What products do you pick up in a rush?

*This post contains PR samples

Mansur Gavriel Leather Bucket Bag Dupe

If Louboutin shoes were a handbag they would be this one. I am obsessed with my new designer-esque handbag, this Zara number is an amazing dupe for the Mansur Gavriel Leather Bucket Bag.

It's very high quality and the faux leather isn't plastic looking, it even has beautiful finishing touches like a red and black strap, a red lining and beautiful silver hardware.

I think it's hard for high street brands to emulate designer items but Zara has pulled this one off beautifully. It's on sale here, for £22.99 on the Zara website so grab it before it goes out of stock!

Make sure you follow Cherries in the Snow on Bloglovin for all the latest content.

Follow

What I Got For Christmas 2015: Beauty Edition

Jumping on the bandwagon, I’ll be chatting through the beauty items I received for Christmas. I’ve focused on beauty, as you guys don’t really need to see chocolates and trinkets. Beauty is what you guys are here for!

I'll start with perfumes as I received three this Christmas, two which are my old favourites and a new one from Jo Malone. Rhys bought me the larger size of Chloe, I think this perfume is so sophisticated and not too over-powering, it's a fragrance I'll never get bored of.

Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb is another long serving favourite of mine. I always wait until my birthday or Christmas to get this as it's a little more expensive. It's well worth the money, I always get compliments when wearing it.

Lastly, on the fragrance front is Jo Malone's Mimosa and Cardamon. While travelling last year, I visited my first Jo Malone store and fell in love. I just love the luxury experience you have while shopping there, from the customer service, right down to the black and white, ribbon tied boxes. The Mimosa and Cardamon really stood out to me, not too floral or sickly, it's a little more on the masculine side.

I was happy to be restocked on two of my La Roche Posay favourites; Efflaclar Duo and Serozinc. Both help tackle my acne-prone skin, I've recently over indulged on Christmas goodies and my skin is telling me to stop. These two products combined will help my skin get back on track.

Charlotte Tilbury was high on everyone's Christmas list this year, and for good reason, the products are so luxurious. I'm over the moon I have finally got my hands on the Filmstar Bronze and Glow compact. I also received her Rock 'n' Kohl liner in Veruschka Mink, a smokey grey. It's a creates a mesmerising smokey eye, without closing the eye in like many black liners do.

From reading beauty blogs, it seems that Chanel's top product is their lipsticks and it's mascara for YSL, so I'm really happy to get my hands on both. My sister did some subtle questioning to find out what shade I'd go for in the Chanel lipstick. I have the Rogue Allure Velvet in La Raffinee, it's stunning soft pink with a brown undertone. It just feels so luxurious, it even has a fancy open and closure, you press the double C's at the end of the tube and it clicks open and the black case slides off. Little extras like that give me satisfaction!

Talking of luxury packaging, the YSL Shocking mascara is beautiful, with it's super sleek gold tube. I'm hoping for big fluttery lashes from this product.

Last on the high-end beauty front is a Marc Jacobs Nail Polish in Lola. This was purchased by my aunt on our trip to Barcelona, as the UK don't stock his beauty line. The red has a touch of orange to it, making it a striking, summery colour.

I always ask for a few books for Christmas, this year I received Lisa Potter-Dixon's Easy on the Eyes. I follow her on Snapchat have fallen in love with her quirky and happy go lucky personality. She looks after Benefit makeup so I'm expecting some creative visuals and pretty step by steps.

Another makeup artist that I admire and follow religiously is Lisa Eldridge, she is so knowledgeable about the cosmetics industry. Her book, Face Paint, promises to show the history of makeup through the ages, something I'm very interested in.

I'm so thankful for all the gifts I received this Christmas. Now to polish off the last of the Christmas chocolates...

Follow