Lush - Plum Rain

When I first saw this Plum Rain in Lush, the first thing that jumped into my head was Purple Rain by Prince (yes I am sure you are now singing it too) and being drawn to the name, the shower gel was in my basket doubly quick and paid for (£4.95 for 100g).

Plum Rain is one of these exclusive to Oxford street products and smells just absolutely incredible, something I associate with most Lush products if I am being honest. Now unsurprisingly, I havent seen a lot of information about Plum Rain and with it being a new product, I am surprised it isnt even online.

Anyway, if you have ever tried a Lush Shower Gel, then you will know that they are amazingly thick and creamy, which ultimately means you only need a small amount for lots of lather and bubbles. Bright purple in colour (purple rain.... purple raaaaaain) it shimmers in the sunlight and smells slightly plum like, quite fresh rather than artificial and sweet but earthy all at the same time and as you might have guessed, it has quite a few amazing ingredients.

Starting with Umeboshi Infusion, something I have never come across before, Google tells me that it is infact translated to mean a Japanese pickled plum only it is more like an apricot than a plum and it tastes extremely sour and salty. Also included is: 

• Petigrain oil which helps to clear greasy skin and fight skin blemishes and have calming and relazing properties.
• Sicilian Mandarin oil helps to relieve stress and works to increase circulation to the skin, reduce fluid retention and help prevent stretch marks
• Carrageenan extract which is extracted from Irish moss seaweed and acts as an excellent moisturising agent
• Osmanthus oil is said to help with the body’s removal of toxins and is a great emollient for the skin leaving it feeling soft, smooth and moisturised. 

Plus there is also the inclusion of Fresh plum juice.

I absolutely love this shower gel, it doesn't take the top spot away from The Comforter, but it is just a delight to use and has such an amazing scent to it that I am without question going to purchase a larger bottle next time.  It leaves your skin soft and smooth and with a scent that lingers on the skin for hours after use.  A big thumbs up from me!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Lush Event - Regent Street

Last Thursday I was so excited to be invited to a Lush event in Regent Street here in London, those of you who read my blog will know that I am a bit more than a fan, I am more like a Lush-a-holic.

The aim of the event was to promote and introduce to us Danger! Cosmetics to Go, a book on the story of the company that preceded Lush which tells the meteoric rise and devastating fall of the the brand in just 6 years.  Written by the beautiful Mira Manga, a musician and writer, she was commissioned to write the book by Mark Constantine OBE, Lush Co-Founder and managing Director.  Mira herself worked for Lush, starting as a Saturday girl in Lush's Carnaby Street Shop (which has since closed).  I was lucky enough to get Mira to sign my copy and for anyone out there, who like me, is a huge fan of Lush, this is a book you should have in your possession because it is a fascinating insight into the world of Lush, the products they have and how they came to be.

As well as meeting Mira, Lush put on a brilliant event with nibbles and drinks to keep those of us present fed and watered and we had exclusive access to the staff to ask as many questions as we wanted, see demonstrations of the products and try out the products that Lush sell.  

All of the staff I spoke to were absolutely brilliant and so knowledgeable in what they knew of each product, some sharing funny stories of mishaps with customers and others giving a real detailed introduction to things I was yet to try and advising on other products that might work well with either my hair, skin or hands.

With Valentines Day not too far away, Lush have their own Valentines Day products out there to grab and my advice is to grab them quick because they are amazing.  I have already taken a shine to the Valentines Shower Gel Prince Charming which smells wonderfully of marshmallows and pomegranate juice.  Then there is the Love Locket Bath Bomb which has three parts to it, not something I am going to ruin for you now, but look out for the review.  There are 11 different products within the Valentines Day range, including three different gift sets, a lip gloss and some soap, all brightly coloured and beautifully packaged.

I had an absolutely brilliant time at this Lush Event and know so much more about the products I liked, loved and swoon over and whats more, I really loved the chance of being able to meet Mira and ask her many questions about the book she has so brilliantly written and it may just feature in its own review.

I was also surprised to get a goody bag and this one was just amazing and below are the contents, each of us was asked to choose Bath or Shower, now for someone who is as indecisive as I am, this was a hard task, but I did choose bath:

Of course I couldn't leave such a fabulous event without something for my beloved hubby could I? Especially when he has his own blog now, so this is what I bought for him:

Ickle Baby Bot was my first choice, designed for children but it is filled with Lavender to help calm and relax before bedtime.  Then there is Dirty Springwash Shower Gel which has the opposite effect to the Bath Bomb and because it is filled with Spearmint and menthol, it leaves you feeling wide awake and alert, ready to tackle the day.

Thank you Lush, the experience and the event was fantastic.

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel

I am a bit of a Lush fanatic and I love the colour pink. How right that person was and I get very excited at Christmas Time when the Lush Limited Edition products come out.

One of my favourite Lush products ever is the Snow Fairy shower gel.

The shower gel inside the bottle is a bright candy pink colour and once you squeeze a little out onto the palm on your hand you can instantly recognise the sweet candy scent which has to be one of the sweetest things you will ever smell but in a nice way, it isn't overpowering like a vanilla scented product is, instead this shower gel is so sweet it reminds me of candy canes which you hang on your Christmas tree, Also within this shower gel are little pieces of glitter which sparkle in the light and is perfect for Christmas. When using this shower gel you will need to squeeze the bottle quite hard at first to produce a small blob like portion on the palm of your hand and the gel is quite thick in texture so you wont need as much as you would normally. 

After my shower my skin was very soft and moisturised and the sweet candy scent was to me really nice and I could still smell it on my skin in the evening, after being at work all day. Also, rather than using it as just a shower gel, I have to admit that I have used it as bubble bath, when I've come home from work and am so tired all I want is a long hot soak and I really cannot be bothered to have a shower, using this shower gel as a bubble bath substitute works really well, lots of bubbles are created and the smell lingers throughout the house much better than when I use it in the shower. 


Snow Fairy retails from Lush in three different sizes and naturally three different prices. The bottle I was given was the 100ml bottle which is the standard size within gift packages such as the one I received and that would retail at almost £3.50. There are much bigger bottles which I would buy usually to last me through the year and they come in a 250ml size which would cost £6.85 and a 500ml bottle which would cost £10.95.

As I have said this is one of my absolute favourite Lush products and if you haven't tried it, then get to Lush quick because it is only ever available at Christmas time.

Project Shoebox - needs YOUR help!

So I have Grace from AllThatSlap to thank for alerting me to this amazing cause that I too had to share with you.

Project Shoebox was an idea brought to life by a lady called Kate just 6 weeks ago and she, like many of us Beauty Bloggers has a bit of an addiction to buying beauty products and then a few weeks later realising we have so many that there are not enough hours in the day to not only use them or review them but we forget about them too. Kate took it upon herself to ring her local shelter for woman to see if they could make some use of the product she did really need. Many of these women are victims of domestic violence, who have been traumatized and often have to leave their homes with absolutely nothing, just the clothes they are wearing.

The appeal itself is asking for any unwanted beauty products to give to these women at a shelter who have been through a lot during this year, and Christmas may not be something they are looking forward to or have any presents to either give or receive.

I am the first to admit that I could probably fill more than one shoebox and I am guilty of having products sat around that I bought and didn't like so just leave them there until I eventually throw them out.  But rather than throwing them out, this year I am giving them to this fantastic cause and I hope some of you will be doing the same too.   This is just some of the stuff that has been sent to support this project to date:

All of these photos have been kindly given to me by Katie herself and feature her baby son. As you can see, there has been a lot of generosity so far, but still more is needed. Below you will find a list of what are deemed accepted products, naturally they are preferable unused:

*The Basics List*

Toothbrush and paste
Shower gel
Shampoo
Some sort of moisturiser
Tampons/towels

*Luxury List*

Hair conditioner
Hair products - spray, mousse, gel, etc
Body lotion, cream
Hand/Foot cream
Facial wash/cleanser, toner, moisturiser
Body scrub/loofah
Make up remover
Make up - unused mascara, lippy, etc
Cosmetics
Razors
Hairbrush/comb

If you think it a worthy cause, please give what you can. Simply go to the Facebook page which you can find by clicking here, send them a note with your postcode and a paid label to simply print off, as well as a list of local shops for you to drop your goodies off to will be given to you as quick as that.  It really couldn't be easier.

So get rooting through those drawes, cupboards,boxes, bags, sacks and anywhere else you hide your stash and give it to someone who needs it much more than you do! 

A holiday in your shower

If it has coconut in it, I am likely to buy it.  I love the smell, the taste and the feel of coconut.  So whilst in Asda I came across a new range of Radox Shower Gels and the one which caught my eye in its bright white packaging was ‘Coconut Kiss’ a shower cream which contains exotic coconut and milk.  On the shelves where you find shower gels, there is always a plethora of colours all trying to catch your eye and because this was bright white, I was immediately drawn to it and as it was on offer for £1, I bought two.  On the front of the packaging you will find the word Coconut in an orange colour with the word Kiss underneath in white and again, the colouring catches your eye along with the sticker that shouts ‘New’ to you as you move close to inspect it.  This shower gel is a 250ml bottle in the new design which is much easier to grasp onto with wet hands whilst in the shower.

I am quite a fan of Radox Shower gels and there is always a few in the bathroom, I buy the Mister some masculine smelling shower gels and I tend to opt for the more flowery or fruited scented ones.  This one fits in neither category, once you open the black flip top lid you can immediately smell the coconut, it is like having a Bounty chocolate bar and a bit of Malibu in a tube,  not an artificial smell at all, it just smells that wonderful.

What they say - Coconut Kiss

"For girls who like to chill and un-wind why not try Coconut Kiss: Why stop dreaming when you get out of bed in the morning? This blissful shower gel containing coconut and milk has a deliciously Caribbean scent that will allow you to calmly daydream into your very own world of paradise with super soft skin.

Radox Coconut Kiss Shower Cream is inspired by nature. This delicious blend of natural ingredients, like creamy milk and exotic coconut, evokes an uplifting burst of paradise to every shower. With fabulously fruity fragrances your Coconut Kiss shower cream will leave you smelling gorgeous all day“.

Upon squeezing the tube, you release a bright white cream which is fairly thick in texture and again that coconut aroma becomes more fragrant and unlike anything else I have used from Radox in the past, I simply loved it.  The cream itself produces a lot of lather, as soon as it comes into contact with your sponge, flannel, Loofah or whatever it is you use to wash yourself, the warm water fluffs the cream up and you are suddenly covered in coconut smelling lather, lots of it.  As you stand immersed in your coconut lather and wash yourself you could be on your tropical island with your cocktail, the smell is that fresh.

After showering I was delighted that the coconut smell was so strong on my skin and again it isn’t an artificial smell, it is a fresh coconut smell, almost as if you have covered yourself in coconut cream, Malibu and eaten a Bounty, it is delicious and it stays put for hours after using.  My skin, well soft and smooth to the touch as well, absolutely no complaints from me and as soon as the bathroom door is opened and the steam is allowed to escape throughout the house, with it goes that coconut scent into every room.

This is a delightful smelling shower cream, one of the best I have ever used from the range and one that is likely to remain in my bathroom for a long time to come, well worth the £1 I spent on it as an offer and I would happily pay the full price of £2.15 for it.  You can find these products in Boots, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Savers.

Did you know...

·         ‘Super’ power showers are costing the average family £928 a year and an individual person over £18,000 in their lifetime- the same as the average deposit for a terraced house in the UK.

·         Brits could save almost £10,000 in a lifetime, and over one million litres of water (1,514,240 litres) by halving their showers