Wilkinsons Kiss Apricot Lip Scrub

Everyone loves a good lip scrub and finding them can be a total nightmare, unless of course like me you absolutely love Lush and think Bubblegum is one of the best products you have ever come across!

Whilst in Wilkinsons or Wilko to those of you from the North, I came across the Kiss range which features some really interesting products which included a clay mask, cleansing water, body butter and even a primer, plus lots more.

The one product which really caught my attention however was the Lip Service Apricot Lip Scrub, the little pot cost just £2 for 10g and it contains Jojoba Oil, Coconut Oil and Macadamia Oil. The directions for use are really straightforward and they are apply it to your clean lips (remove any gloss, lipstick or balm) using your index finger and then gently massage across your lips.  The scrub itself reminds me, scent wise, of the St Ives Apricot Scrub but is actually really effective, more so than I was expecting to give it credit for. The tiny particles which are sugar work really well at removing those pesky bits of dead and dry skin which cling to your lips, leaving them soft, smooth and buffed after using.

For the grand price of £2 this is a scrub which is well worth its price and one that I am glad to have found.  Whilst I prefer the scent of Lush's Bubblegum Scrub, this works just as well.

Have you got a favourite Lip Scrub and have you tried any products from the Kiss range? 

Beautyqueenuk

Bomb Cosmetics Sherbet Lemon Lip Scrub

I am a huge fan of Lip Scrubs and have used quite a few different ones. Today's post is about a lip scrub called Sherbet Lemon from Bomb Cosmetics, a product that I won in a competition a few months back and its only now when I have run out of Bubblegum that I came across it.

Described as follows "The Bomb Cosmetics Sherbet Lemon Lip Scrub is a classic sweetshop favourite, sherbet lemon oozes zestiness with sweet and sharp notes in this gentle scrub to exfoliate your lips".

The directions are that you should apply liberally and evenly as often and as necessary and you use it as you would similar products.  Inside the cute little tub, the formula is similar to a lip balm and not at all what I was expecting.  As soon as you apply it to the lips and apply a bit of pressure you can feel the tiny sugar particles which work to remove the dry and dead skin from your lips and because the sugar is within the balm it also stops your lips feeling dry as you exfoliate.  

Naturally coming from Bomb Cosmetics it contains some amazing ingredients such as Shea Butter and Olive Oil to moisturise and smooth the lips.  Sucrose or sugar to you and I is used for the exfoliating particles

It also smells wonderful, think of those sherbet lemons you can buy or lemon bon bons and that is the exact scent, it is amazing, I love it.  As soon as you have finished using it on your lips, they do feel soft, smooth and moisturised and because the scrub is much more like a balm than similar products I have used, I never feel the need to quickly apply my lip balm immediatley, it basically does two jobs in one with exfoliating and moisturising at the same time.

This little pot of goodness costs just £2.49 and it lasts for such a long time.  I currently use my pot once a week and I am less than a third of the way throug the pot in 5 weeks, so it is great value for money.

Do you have a favourite Lip Scrub? Do you use Lip Scrubs?

Bomb Cosmetics:

• Are against animal testing. They believe that neither animals, humans nor the environment should suffer for our luxuries.
• Believe in the power of essential oils.
• Believe handmade is always better.
• Recycle whatever they can and uses recycle materials for packaging wherever possible.
• Use natural ingredients wherever they can.

How to make your own hand and body scrub

Like most people I use my hands a lot, whether it is cleaning, washing-up, polishing, ironing or typing to name just a few of my every day things, it takes it toll on my skin, not to mention the ever change in weather which can leave my hands feeling really dry and horrible.  

A few weeks ago I shared a post on my blog about how I love to use Coconut Oil and listed some of the ways I like to use it best, which you can see HERE. In that post I mentioned a quick recipe that you can use at home to make your own scrub.  Today's post is a similar scrub which I have been using, made at home in my kitchen and given it takes less than ten minutes to make, I thought I would share it with you.

All you will need to make this scrub is:

• 1 Kilner Jar because it has a secure lid
• A tablespoon, 
• A knife to cut the orange
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar which will act as your exfoliant to remove dead, dry and flaking skin
• 1/4 cup of Pure Coconut oil, this will soften and moisturise your skin 
• 1-2 tablespoon's of freshly squeezed orange juice which smells wonderful and is both invigorating and uplifting

I have the little ramekin as an extra for when I squeeze the orange juice onto a spoon for measuring so it can catch any excess juice.

Once you have gathered all of the things you need for this scrub, all you need to do is follows:

Put the coconut oil directly into the Kilner jar which is where it is going to stay and then add the sugar.  Once both of these ingredients are in the jar, give them a stir, using your tablespoon, to ensure they are mixed together, then do a little test to see how if you are happy with the coarseness of the mixture by taking a small amount out of the jar and place it on your skin and then rub gently, if you are happy that it will give your skin a good scrub leave it as it is, if not add a little more sugar and test it again.  

Once you are happy with your scrub, cut your orange in half and then squeeze the juice onto the tablespoon, add it to your scrub and mix it in before repeating.  Again, give your scrub a really good mix and again text it on your skin.  If you are happy with it, clean the edges around the top of the jar, securely close the lid.  

A little tip - You need to ensure your scrub is stored in a cool, dry place and I would recommend leaving it for 24 hours or overnight before using it to give the coconut oil time to solidify again before using.

Now I have used this scrub on my lips, legs, arms and hands to date and it is really lovely, effective and best of all cheap, not to mention really effective on dry skin.  It also makes a nice little gift for someone too.

Have you ever made your own products at home?

Coconut Oil - my favourite ways to use it!

Coconut Oil is one ingredient we all probably have in our kitchen and are never really sure what to do with it. As a natural oil coconut oil is a perfect moisturisers, lightweight, absorbs really easily not to mention smells divine. I am a huge fan of coconut scent products whether it is a cream, hair mask, face-mask or sun tan lotion.

Just mentioning all of the above means that it is an item you can incorporate into your beauty routine, especially if you are on a spending ban, wanting to save money, are having a bit of a DIY moment or are simply wanting to try something new.  All you need to do is Google Coconut Oil uses and within seconds before your eyes you will have over 4.3million pages to look at and go through.

The lovely people at Viridian sent me a lovely jar of organic raw virgin coconut oil** and it smells amazing, I absolutely love it.

So rather than read all of those pages, I thought it would be a good idea and a good post if I picked my favourite 5 ways to use Coconut Oil and share them with you below.

1.) Eye Makeup remover: This is a tip I was given by a friend when she was training to be a beautician.  Coconut oil will gently remove your makeup, all you need to do is place some on a damp cotton pad and rub gently in circles around your eye area to get rid of makeup.  Once you have finished be sure to wash your face thoroughly.

2.) Hair Mask: Use coconut oil as a DIY hair mask to soften your hair and add moisture. Just scoop some out into the palms of your hands to warm it through and then apply to your hair, focusing on the ends (if like me you have greasy hair, then definitely avoid the root area altogether). Once applied, leave it on for around 30 minutes and then rinse it out in the shower before shampooing and conditioning your hair.  You can also use this method as an overnight treatment, just put a towel on your pillow to make sure it doesn't stain and then wash out in the morning.  I do this when my hair is feeling really dry, particularly at the ends when my hair is due to be cut and my hair feels so soft and smooth after using.

3.) Body Scrub:  You can make your own body scrub really easily and there are a lot of tutorials which show you how to do just that.   Below is one of my favourite home made body scrubs which the people at Eco Market sent to me to try a few months back.

Combine coconut oil with: 

• 1 small organic lemon

• 1 small organic lime

• 1 cup organic pure cane sugar
• 
1/2 cup organic coconut oil
• 
1 teaspoon organic peppermint essential oil/extract
. 

You can, if you like also add some mint leaves and lemon & lime peels. Mix the coconut oil, the peppermint oil and the juice from both the lemon and lime. Then pour in the sugar and mix it up well. If you want to add the mint leaves and citrus peels then stir them in at the end. Transfer the mixture to a clean, dry container like an old jam jar and you're ready to scrub.

This is such an effective exfoliator and definitely one to try if you fancy trying a DIY version because it is so easy to do and it smells so good.  You can also use this scrub on your feet, hands and lips!

4.) Shaving Cream:  If you run out of shaving cream/foam or whatever you might use, instead of reaching for your misters (oops yes I do) or using shower gel, grab some coconut oil and warm it between the palms of your hands, massage onto the skin and then you'll see how easily your razor glides over the skin leaving you with hair free soft smooth skin.

5.) Cuticle oil: If your nail beds look really dry, cracked and are a bit sore, get a cotton bud and your jar of coconut oil and dab some onto each fingers around and on your cuticle and massage it on.  If your cuticles need a little bit more TLC then don't massage it in, put some gloves on overnight whilst sleeping, in the morning you will notice quite a difference.

Those are just some of the ways I use coconut oil and naturally there are lots of other ways because it is just such a good moisturiser and so kind to the skin.

Have you ever used coconut oil in your beauty routine? How? 

1. Tell me in the comments!

My favourite products of 2013 - Part one!

It has taken me quite a long time to do this post, sorting products out into groups and categories hasn't been easy, but I have done it and these are my products of 2013, though they have been split into categories to make the posts a little shorter.

Lip care

Lips are an important part of my beauty regime and I am always trying to ensure they are in good condition and don't look dry, flaking and chapped because for me there is nothing worse.  Your lips are such an important feature and you do so much with them whether it is eating food, having a drink, kissing someone or even talking, your lips are one of your main features and should be as cared for as every other part of your body.

I have a bit of an obsession with lip products as you can see HERE and I am never without a lip balm, lip cream or lip something and these are my all time favourite lip products.  Starting with:

Dr Lipp - I got this product in a Glossybox and wrote a post about it which you can read HERE.  Quite a few people have compared it to the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream and I disagree, I cannot stand the 8 hour cream at all.  Dr Lipp is brilliant and I use when my lips are really dry and put it on before I go to bed and I wear it during the daytime especially if the weather is really cold.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub - One of the first items I wrote about on my blog which you can see HERE, this product is an absolute lifesaver and the best lip scrub I have ever used.  For those of you who are fans of Snow Fairy (like me) this scrub smells exactly like the shower gel.  So what is the point of it?  Well like any piece of skin on your body, it gets old and tired, dries out a bit and falls off, so Bubblegum is an exfoliator for your lips which, with a gentle massaging action, helps to remove that dead skin leaving your lips feeling soft and smooth.

Bach Rescue Balm - This is another one of my go to lip products when they are particularly when my lips look like they are dry and chapped and this is another product I usually slather my lips in over night and it works wonders.  It smells of lemons and is both Paraben and lanolin free and can also be used on your temples for relaxation purposes - something I am yet to try.

Korres Lip Butter - I am a huge fan of the Korres range, whether it is a shower gel, a lip balm or a lip butter, I love them and this particular lip butter, Guava is my favourite from the range and I posted about it HERE.  As a lip butter it is really lovely to apply and it smells divine, really moisturising and long lasting once on your lips.

So there you have it.  My first favourites of 2013 post and there are 4 more to come in my little series of posts - Hair and Body, Make-up and Perfume are to follow.

Do you have a favourite lip product? 

Would or do any of my favourites feature in your favourites?

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

One thing that really annoys me is chapped lips and for me, lip care is quite an important part of my beauty regime and the reason for that is because I spend a lot of my working day not only dealing with ordinary members of the public but also business clients and other professionals within my work place. So to have well a manicured hand and a smart suit for me isn't enough, there is a little bit more to it and that. 

I am a huge fan of lip scrubs. Why do I like these products? Simply because I feel there has been a gap left on the market for high street leading cosmetic companies to fill. It has become increasingly difficult to find a lip scrub at a reasonable price rather than some exorbitant price which leaves you weeping as you leave the checkout. So Lush it seems has catered for this niche in the market and at a reasonable cost as well and I am yet to find a product that is better than this product.

As shown on the Lush website

Bubblegum Lip Scrub is one of my favourite Lush products and the blurb used to describe this lip scrub states that it will "make your lips smell like our best-selling Snow Fairy shower gel. Bubblegum is made with castor sugar and our delicious vegan flavour to gently exfoliate, keeping your lips smooth and kissably soft. So what more could you possibly need from your lip scrub? Hunky man to test it one...tick....and that's all. 

Bubblegum Lip Scrub is designed to keep lips kissable, smooth, conditioned and dry, flaky skin free. So, whenever the weather changes so rapidly your skin can look dry and tired and sometimes you feel washed out and use a treatment or lotion to combat this, so why not your lips? When your lips are dry and chapped it can be quite painful to remove the dry skin and it can be quite difficult and before I spotted these two products I used to rely on using an old toothbrush to remove such skin from my lips, not that it was very easy to do or as successful as using something especially designed like this. 

Bubblegum Lip Scrub comes packaged in a small round glass tub with a black lid and on the jar of this product are the words Bubblegum on both the lid and surrounding label along with the most important two words which are lip and scrub. The pot itself is see through behind the label and through the pot you can see a bright pink sparkly looking scrub which looks like a jar of pink sugar as it glistens under the light and the pinkness of the scrub is exactly the same as the Snow Fairy Shower gel. It retails at £5.25 for a 25g jar.

I think this is a fantastic product, it does everything that I had anticipated it would do and makes your lips feel fantastically smooth. Once the lid has been removed, inside the tub the sugary cream I described as being bright pink is caster sugar which gives it the rough texture you need to act as the exfoliator on your lips which will work to remove all of the dead skins cells from your lips. The other main ingredient included is Jojoba Oil can be used on all skin types but is especially used as a moisturising ingredient for dry, flaky skin. Unlike other Lush products this one doesn't come with a long list of other ingredients to look into but it does have two colourings within it and their secret ingredient which makes it smell so wonderful and very much the same as Snow Fairy Shower gel. Its a simple product with a simple ingredient list. 

When it comes to using this Lip Scrub, it is exactly the same as I mentioned in my previous review, but got the benefit of those people who haven't read it yet. One of the first things you need to do is to remove any traces of products such as lip gloss, lip balm or lipstick which you might have applied and this is to ensure your lips are as bare as they can possibly be and as clean as they can be as well. Then I would suggest cleaning your lips using water and a relevant facial cloth before using this lip scrub, just to ensure your lips are clean and that there is no chance any bits of dirt are left clinging to them. Then as this lip scrub is quite thick in consistency and because it is to be used on your lips you don't actually need to be using too much at a time. Like with most lip balms you apply this directly onto your lips, but instead of running your finger along your lips to get that smooth look, you will need to rub it into the skin on lips in small circles to remove all of the dead skin cells and any other impurities from your lips and once you have worked your way across your lips, using some slightly damp cotton wool you gently remove the left over product from your lips and then using your finger check your lips to make sure you haven't missed anything, if you have simply copy the actions you have just done. Once you have finished, what you will notice what effect this product has had on your lips because you will see traces of what has been removed and if your lips are really chapped you might find they sting a bit if you have pressed too harshly with this scrub, because although it is castor sugar which acts as the exfoliating agent, it is quite harsh on the skin, particularly as the skin on your lips is quite sensitive compared to the skin on other body part, so take extra care the first time you use this product. Once I had finished scrubbing my lips my first initial reaction was to see how smooth my lips felt, so I ran my tongue along them. When my lips become dry it is always tends to be in the same place and that is right in the middle of my top and bottom lip and once I had used this product my lips felt soft and smooth all the way along. The after feel should be a soft and smooth one, what I noticed was no sign of any hard or loose skin but soft smooth lips and because it is a scrub you will need to use a lip balm afterwards to ensure you keep your lips moisturised. 

As shown on www.lush.co.uk

I have since continued to use this cream once a week as I go between both this one and Sweet lips and I carry both pots around with me in my bag all the time because the pots are quite petite, they add no extra weight to my bag. 

Overall I am very impressed with Bubblegum lip scrub, it was easy to use, it smelled lovely, anything which smells like Snow Fairy shower gel will be wonderful and it has a lovely smell and feel to it which is an added bonus and price wise I don't actually think it is expensive because it lasts a very long time. So for a cheap in-expensive product to keep your lips smooth, soft and kissable, I would recommend this one.

Getting a bit Lippy!

When I was sorting through all of my make-up the other day to see what needed to be renewed and… well to be honest, see what I could justify buying, I was intrigued to see just how many Lip Balms I had, especially as I had bought a few new ones lately.

I confess to being addicted to lip balms, I have loads of them and they all come in different shapes and sizes, some are tubes, some are pots, some are slimy, some are gloopy, some you don't even know you are wearing and some you wonder why you bought them, the answer usually being - on a whim.

 

Shown above is almost all of the Lip Balms, Glosses, Scrubs and creams that I could find in my bag, make-up bag, make-up case and sample boxes

And this is what they are:

1. Nspa Pick me – is a pack of 3 lip balms which come in Mango, Raspberry and Shea Butter flavours.  The pack cost £5 from Asda.
2. Anatomicals What a complete and utter glosser Strawberry Milkshake  - not one I did purchase, well I kind of did, it was part of my February Glossybox and I love everything about it.  If purchased it would cost between £2.20 and £3.49.
3. Lush Bubblegum – okay not quite a Lip Balm, but it was in with the rest of them, it is great for buffing the lips and removing dry and dead skin cells.  To purchase it costs £5.25.
4. Vaseline – Now this tin is looking old and battered and even though I haven’t used it in a long time, it still works totally fine, though I am not a fan of Vaseline on my lips.  A tin of this will cost £1.99 in Boots
5. Figs and Rouge sweet geranium lip balm – Again comes from Glossybox and I absolutely love the packaging.  To purchase it will cost between £2-£5 and is available right across the internet.
6. Vaseline Limited Edition Pink Bubbly Lip Therapy - Okay so I am not a fan of Vaseline on my lips and I bought this, well it said limited edition and it looks nice.  It retails for £3.49 in Boots
7. I love Raspberry and Blackberry glossy lip Balm - super juicy and bursting with life is what sold it to me, that and I had gone to meets friends and had no lip balm with me.  It costs just £99p from Superdrug and I really like it.
8. Clinique Happy Lip Gloss with perfume roller - this came as part of a gift set and whilst the perfume is lovely, I really don't like the Lip Balm, it is really sticky and gloopy and clings to your lips like copydex glue sticks to your hands. 
9. Nivea Caramel Cream Lip Butter - Again another impulse purchase from Superdrug and it smells absolutely wonderful when you first open the tin and it does glide onto your lips - bargain for £1.99
10. Jason Bee Lip Care - Came as part of a Glossybox package but can be found online from places like Amazon where it retails for £3.99 and I really like it because it is enriched with Aloe Vera Gel , Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil and it smells really lovely
11. Carmex Moisture Plus Ultra Hydrating Lip Balm Clear Satin Gloss Finish SPF15 - I am a fan of Carmex lip balms and I bought this because it was 'new' and I was intrigued by the design of it. It works really well on your lips and is definitely hydrating.  Retails for £4.49 and I bought mine from Boots
12. Carmex Mint Moisturising Lip Balm - I really love the design of this lip balm, makes life much easier with the design of the tube and the applicator and it is minty and makes your lips tingle when applied.  It retails for £2.69 and again from Boots
13. Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker  - A broze coloured lip gloss which came as part of a gift set. These glosses can be bought seperately and retail at around £9
14. Sweet Revenge Lip Balm - Smells of cherries and was sent to me by a friend in America in a package a few years ago
15. Too Faced Diamond Gloss Super Shine Ultra Glam Gloss Pink Diamond - This was a gift a few years ago and it is brilliant for adding shine to your lips and it tastes quite nice too.  These Lip glosses retail for around £6-£14 but if you go to Fragrane Direct you can often get them for £1.99 
16. Palmers Dark Chocolate and Cherry – This I bought because I knew I would love the smell, never mind what it did for my lips and it was on offer in Superdrug for £1.99 when I bought it

And last but not least, the final lip balm to show is the one I bought last night (Friday) when out and about because I swapped bags and forgot to take my Lip Balm with me, oops, so I bought this:

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Lip Therapy Repair Balm SPF 20 which costs £2.89 in Asda and it Soothes and protects very dry and chapped lips.  

Is anyone else as Lip Balm mad as I am? What is your favourite Lip Balm? Lip Gloss? Lip Butter?