Party Season Red Lips #Blogmas2014

I love to rock a red lip all year round, but during the Christmas party season, red is always the colour of choice. Adding a little bit of red lippy can transform your look from being casual, to wow in one easy application. These are my favourite all time reds and I think they have a lot in common?

Lush Liquid Lipstick Strong

My first product from Lushes Emotional Brilliance make-up range was this orange toned red, liquid lipstick in the shade strong. I love both the staying power, and the hydration that these lip colours give. The range has a number of wonderful lip colours that I adore but it is this shade strong that stood out to me. 

Topshop Lips Rio Rio

An oldie, but a goodie that has stood the test of time and has been featured on Georgina Sparkles since this blog began! It is a matte true red that suits all complections and makes teeth look whiter. I will be sad if I ever found out they had discontinued this beaut! 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks In Love with Ginger

I was obsessed with this launch last year and bought a number of shades from the range. My favourite? Of course it has to be this orange toned red In Love with Ginger, with great pigmentation and a formula that is not entirely matte, it has been a permanent addition to my collection ever since. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Hot Pepper 

I have spoken, at length about my obsession for these lipsticks. They featured in my November favourites and my Winter lipstick top picks post, so I won't go into to much detail about it, but, they are the perfect liquid lipstick, great pigmentation, nourishing on the lips and of course, they stay around all day! 

Mac Lady Danger

My only Mac red is Lady Danger, Surprise surprise, it is another orange toned bright red shade. 

Matte? Check. Pigmented? Check. and great lasting power? Check. I will be repurchasing this bad boy again and again. 

Lush Snow Fairy #Blogmas2014

Tis the season... To grab a bottle of the candy floss scented, bubblegum pink, glittering shower gel from Lush.

Every Christmas, Lush launch their highly coveted and much loved shower gel, Snow Fairy. Customers come in all year round looking for the shower gel, but it is only available during the Christmas period. (Although, there are some products from our permanent range that share the beautiful candy scent that everyone loves.) It is my favourite shower gel for a reason and I already onto my second bottle.

This year they have improved on the formula slightly and added an ingredient that helps the glitter to suspend throughout the whole shower gel, instead of collecting at the base of the bottle. Lush have also brought out a few familiar and some completely new products, for Christmas, that share the same sweet smell;

Christmas:

Father Christmas Bath Bomb

Snow Fairy Sparkle Massage Bar

Magic Wand Re-usable Bubble Wand

Permanent Range:

The Godmother soap

Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment 

Are you a big fan of Snow Fairy? Have you picked up a bottle this Christmas?

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas #Blogmas2014

I have been adding a few festive details around my flat to get into the Christmas spirit. Decorating for Christmas is one of my favourite past times; putting up the Christmas tree while watching Home Alone, lighting the advent candle at tea time, and wrapping up all my Christmas presents, while singing along to a music channel Christmas special.

My flatmate has let me decorate the flat and I'm sure he is loving all the tinsel and candles. I have been loving buying my own decorations this year, choosing the colour theme, and hanging Christmas lights.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas:

I love all my Christmassy bits and bobs! All the knitted cuties, and my amazing Christmas jumper were actually home made by my Granny!

Festive Nails #Blogmas2014

I love that the nail game is raised in winter. Shades get deeper and everyone loves a little bit of glitter! My go to nail colour this AW14 so far has been Essie's Bordeaux, a deep burgundy shade, with a beautiful glossy finish.

I love Essie polishes, as they give opaque coverage in two coats and your nails remain chip free a few days longer than other nail polish formulas I have tried.
On my accent nail, Kim K style, I have used a Barry M Nail Paint in Majesty. I love this gold glitter as it is thick and opaque in one coat. 

This is the perfect Christmas party nail combination, dramatic with a hint of sparkle! 

Hope you guys are enjoying the party season! 

My Winter Lipstick Top 5 #Blogmas2014

A bold lip is my favourite accessory, and Christmas is the best time of year to showcase all my wonderful lip colours. A dark red or berry lip is the perfect shade to jazz up a casual outfit or to pair with the perfect party dress. I now can not go a day without applying lipstick, as I feel so naked without it and here, I share my top 5 lip products for Christmas 2014:

Mac Diva 

One of my favourite Mac lipsticks is Diva, a matte dark berry shade that compliments so many complections. I usually bring this out in the autumn and winter for big nights out to pair with a natural eye.

Rimmel Kate Moss 107

A classic berry lip colour is the Kate Moss 107. I will forever wear this shade and keep repurchasing this lipstick because it looks great on everyone. 

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Ole Flamingo 

My previous favourites post praised the formulation of these liquid lipsticks from Bourjois and Ole Flamingo is another shade that I adore. It is a deep pink that is matte and long lasting on the lips. 

Topshop Lips The Damned 

The Damned is a purple toned berry lipstick that is a bit more sheer than my other offerings but is a beautiful winter colour. Sadly a pen burst in my bag and ruined the packaging :( 

Chanel Rouge Edition Gloss Pirate 

My newest and most exciting winter lip colour is the Chanel Rouge Edition Gloss in the shade Pirate. I was so excited for this new launch from Chanel and rushed out to get one on payday! It is the glossy alternative to the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets and just as pigmented. Pirate is a dark berry shade with a glossy finish. My favourite thing about these Chanel Rouge Edition Glosses is the packaging, you press down on the gold lid and the lipstick wand pops out! Amazing packaging! Very excited to pick up more shades!

My November Beauty Favourites #blogmas2014

Didn't November just fly by? Suddenly it's December and Santa is coming and people are rushing to get their Christmas shopping done. I did a little bit of shopping myself, where I treated myself to a few beautiful beauty products, as well as rediscovering some old favourites in my beauty drawers. I also did all my Christmas shopping, which is wrapped up and tucked under my tree until Christmas. If I have not mentioned before (haha) I love Christmas shopping!!

These are a few products I have been loving this month, including make-up, hair care and one amazing experience:

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Hot Pepper

The lip colour I had been reaching for the most in Novemeber was the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Liquid Lipstick in the bright red shade, Hot Pepper. I love everything about these lipsticks; the liquid to matte formula, the lasting power and the shade choices. Hot Pepper is the perfect true red and I have been loving using the a red lip to add a little colour to my monochromatic wardrobe. 

My Little Beauty Mascara Soin Et Volume

This amazing mascara came out the November edition of the 'My Little Box' subscription box. I wasn't holding out much hope because I am very picky and fickle when it comes to finding the right mascara but after trying the My Little Beauty Mascara, I was hooked and I only hope that I can find it again once I have finished this tube. It has quite a wet formula and is super black and it leaves the lashes separated and volumised. 

Urban Decay Naked Palette 

I picked this beauty up on one of my payday shopping sprees. After months of desire and temptation, I finally went for it and picked the original Naked palette. I have been loving experimenting with different eye looks using this palette and I particularly love the shades Sidecar, Buck and Toasted. The packaging feels so luxurious and the double ended brush is perfect for packing on the colour. 

Tigi Bed Head Small Talk

I have been loving running this thickening cream through wet hair and then using my hair dryer to quickly dry my hair. It adds the perfect amount of natural looking volume to my flat and boring hair. You only need to apply the smallest amount of product, so my 125ml bottle will last my ages. Small Talk also smells fruity and delicious and I can not imagine another bad hair day when I have this product in my stash.

The Lush Synesthesia Treatment 

My final favourite is a Spa treatment that I received at the Lush Spa in Edinburgh. I don't want to give too much away about the beautiful Synesthesia treatment, as I do believe that it is an experience that one must experience for themselves. It is a wonderful treatment that focuses on both the body and mind and really helped me to relax. The treatment includes a full body and facial massage using a special Lush Massage Bar and hot stones that are tailored to you. After the treatment is complete you get a special cup of leaf tea and receive a new massage bar and bubble stone to use yourself at home. I would certainly recommend the Synesthesia to anyone looking for a treatment that helps you discover your subconscious need and wants a beautiful massage. 

I can not wait to try more of the unique treatments that Lush offer at their Spas and will definitely be booking myself in for a treatment after christmas! 

What have you lovely lot been loving in November? 

Lush Christmas Gift Guide #blogmas2014

For Blogmas day 3, I have put together my Lush Christmas gift guide. All of Lush's gifts are beautifully packaged and lovingly filled with carefully put together products! These are my top picks from the amazing Christmas gift range:

Nightingale £82.50

This gift is stunning with its packaging inspired by the Hans Christian Anderson story, The Nightingale. 

It contains an assortment of Christmas bath bombs, bath melts, bubble bars and soap all tied together with a velvet ribbon. Within the gift is my favourite bath bomb, Lord of Misrule, a spicy yet sweet green bath ballistic that turns a dark wine shade in the water.

Contents:  Dreamtime Bath Melt, Avobath Bath Bomb, Yog Nog Soap, Ceridwen's Cauldren Bath Melt, Star Light Star Bright Bath Melt, Sakura Bath Bomb, Snow Angel Bath Melt, Twilight Bath Bomb, Blue Skies Bubble Bar, Gold Fun, The Christmas Hedgehog Bubble Bar, Holly Golightly Bubble Bar, Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb, Cinders Bath Bomb, So White Bath Bomb, French Kiss Bubble Bar, Rose Jam Bubbleroon, Christmas Eve Bubble Bar, Sunnyside Bubble Bar and Snowcake Soap

12 Days of Christmas £49.95

Another gift with beautiful packaging is the 12 days of Christmas gift that opens up like a book to show 12 expose 12 special treats! This gift has a bit of every thing from bath to shower, to body lotion and soaps. Definatly one to pick up for the person that loves Lush. 

Contents: Star Light Star Bright Bath Melt, Snow Angel Bath Melt, Dashing Santa Bath Bomb, Honey I Washed the Kids Soap, Celebrate Body Lotion, The Olive Branch Shower Gel, Karma Soap, Holly Golightly Bubble Bar, Lord of Misrule Bath Bomb, Cinders Bath Bomb, Golden Wonder Bath Bomb and Hot Toddy Shower Gel

Christmas Candy Box £14.95

This has been such a popular gift this Christmas, due to its great price and even more amazing contents. A sweet candy smelling collection that includes the Snow Fairy Shower Gel, Candy Mountatin Bubble Bar, Butter Bear Bath Ballistic and the Rock Star Soap. 

Night Before Christmas £12.95

I love the concept of this little gift as it contains some of our lovely bath bombs and bubble bars that are perfect for making sure you have a good night sleep. The Night Before Christmas contains; the Twilight Bath Bomb with it's beautiful relaxing lavender and tonka scent, the Father Christmas Bath Bomb that shares the same scent as Snow Fairy Shower Gel; and finally the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar, that is made with jasmine and ylang ylang to create a magical scent. 

Mrs Frosty £12.95

Lush have a family of Snowmen gifts and my favourite is the Mrs Frosty set. She comes with two bath bombs and a bubble bar and wrapped up in a cute snow-woman knot wrap. A perfect present for those people who loves baths. 

Contents: Butterball Bath Bomb, So White Bath Bomb and The Comforter Bubble Bar

Festive Cheer £10.25

This is a small gift that packs a big punch! Hidden Within this little orange parcel is the Hot Toddy Shower Gel and a slab of the Yog Nog soap. Hot Toddy is a warm and spicy shower gel with ginger and cinnamon and is the perfect companion for those cold mornings and evenings. Yog Nog soap smells exactly like cinder toffee and is a rich and creamy soap which is great for sensitive, dry skin. The perfect winter duo! 

Stocking Fillers Under £10

Santa Lip Scrub £5.50

Lip scrubs are a perfect stocking filler for those beauty lovers out there. Lush lip scrubs exfoliate and hydrate the lips with castor sugar and jojoba oil, and make a perfect base for applying this bold lipsticks this party season. The Santa's Lip Scrub is a Cola Cube lip scrub, flavoured with cherries and dates

Snow Fairy Shower Gel £3.50

Everyone and their granny has heard of this shower gel and I know plenty of people that would love to receive this in their stockings.  Snow Fairy signifys Christmas time to me and the smell is so nostalgic and sweet. 

Dashing Santa Bath Ballistic £2.95

These little chaps are citrus smelling bath bombs that are meant to remind you of the satsuma that Santa always puts in your stocking. Dashing Santa has fast fizzing bath bombs on his feet so it looks like he is dashing around the bath.

Snowman Jelly £3.50

I love the Lush Shower Jellys and this year they have brought out this Snowman Jelly. carrot oil and Bushu oil combine to create black current scent, which smells delicious and I think he is a perfect stocking filler. 

Snowman Fun £5.00

Finally, we have Snowman fun! Fun is a sort of play doh product that can be used as a soap, as a shampoo and to make a beautiful bubble bath, but it's main appeal, is that you can create a wonderful snowman friend. Lush also have other colours so you could perhaps make a friend for your snowman.

Are you hoping to get any Lush goodies from Santa this year?

The Christmas Tag / #Blogmas2014

For my first official Blogmas post, I thought The Christmas Tag would be the best introduction to how much I love this time of year. Every family I'm sure, has their own wonderful Christmas traditions and I can't wait to share a few of mine with you. 

1. What is your favourite Christmas movie/s?

I actually love all Christmas movies regardless of how terrible or cheesy they are and I have been watching them since August. My two favourite Christmas movies of all time however, are The Muppets Christmas Carol and White Christmas. I have been watching the Muppets Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve for as long as I remember, and I love the muppets version of this classic Christmas story. White Christmas is a movie I discovered a couple of years ago when I was watching Christmas movies with my granny and it is such a beautiful movie. It was made in 1954 and stars Bing Crosby and Vera-Ellen as performers working at a hotel after the war. They sing one of my favourite Christmas songs, 'White Christmas' and preform amazing ballroom dances 

2. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

In my family, we always open Christmas presents on Christmas Day, opening stockings and Santa presents first thing in the morning and then opening presents from family and friends from under the tree, after our Christmas dinner. This year is going to be a little different as my mum and sister are working Christmas Day and my brother is away for Christmas. This year we will be celebrating Christmas Day on Boxing Day instead. 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

I remember when I was younger, on Christmas Eve, after being asleep for a few hours, I woke up to some banging from down the stairs. I thought it was Santa. So I went to investigate but it was just my dad cooking the turkey. I will always believe in Santa Clause! 

4. Favourite Christmas Gift?

I know this is soppy and sentimental but having everyone home for Christmas and being able to spend time with all my family is a very special gift that some people can't have and I do have a wonderful family. 

5. Favourite festive food?

I love Christmas dinner so much and my dad makes the best Christmas dinner ever. I am sure many of your mums and dad will also hold this claim also but I get so excited for Christmas Day because of his amazing stuffing and roast potatoes. I also love mince pies and pavlova and all sweet Christmas puddings. 

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

All the smells at Christmas are pretty amazing! Working at Lush, you get to smell so many Christmas scents in a daily basis and my favourite is the spicy, warming smells, like the Cinders Bath Bomb and the Melting Snowman Bath melt. Another scent that I love at Christmas time is gingerbread. I have the Gingerbread Yankee Candle and it smells exactly like Christmas should smell.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

When I was younger, we spent Christmas Eve at church at the christingle service, where I remember getting an orange with a candle on the top and four jelly babies. But as I got older, I went to the pub with my friends for a few drinks and a pub meal and swapped presents. 

8. What tops your tree?

This year, I have moved away from the family home so I will be on the hunt for the perfect tree topper, I love an angel on top of the tree though as it is a wee family tradition!

9. As a kid, what was the one crazy/wild/extravagant gift you always asked for but never received?

I actually don't think I asked for anything too crazy when I was younger, maybe a puppy? 

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?

As I said earlier, being home and having the whole family round for dinner. Snow at Christmas is another one of those magical things that I wish for every year. The countdown to Christmas is also amazing, everyone is so excited and spreading Christmas spirit.

I tag anyone who wants to take part in this tag! Let me know what you love about Christmas! 

#Blogmas2014

I have been absent from the blogging world for yet another month due to working in retail and it being Christmas time! Christmas is coming and the lovely people of Aberdeen are out in their thousands shopping for their friends and family. I absolutely love this time of year and working in retail actually makes me love Christmas even more. Many would disagree and call me crazy but I love the atmosphere and the Christmas cheer and the Christmas music playing in all the shops constantly till the 25th. I will never get sick of Mariah's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.'

Now to the point of this post: I am going to set myself the challenge of Blogmas, where I will blogging everyday in December. This is a big challenge that I will no doubt give up day two days but I miss blogging so much that I am willing to set time aside time every night to try. 

Look forward to festive beauty and fashion posts with a few lifestyle and food posts thrown in. I love Christmas so much that I can not wait to share my Christmas traditions with you guys. 

So you shall hear from me tomorrow, where I will start of Blogmas with The Christmas Tag.

Happy December! 

Big Beautiful Hair!

I recently had my hair all chopped off and had a full fringe cut in and I am loving my new 'do! With my new shorter hair, has come a whole new hair care routine and a few new hair products. I am used to just blow drying my hair and giving it a brush and job done, but I am enjoying putting a little extra effort.

Lush Roots Hair Treatment

This is my favourite hair treatment from Lush and it is aimed at those with fine, thin and flat hair. This treatment uses mint in three different ways to stimulate the scalp and the hair follicles, The honey and olive oil in this mask moisturises and conditions the hair. I love the way this mask feels in my hair, due to all the mint, it gives my scalp a tingly feeling that actually feels like it is doing something. You take a generous dollop and massage the product into your scalp, and leave it for twenty minutes. After that time, you just wash it off with your regular shampoo and conditioner. 

Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo

I have talked about my love for this shampoo on here before but it really is amazing stuff. It is the secret to my big bouncy hair and I notice a big difference when I use other shampoo's. Corse sea salt helps to add a lot of volume to flat lifeless hair and coconut oil and seaweed help to keep the hair soft. 

Tigi Bed Head Small Talk

This is a thickening cream that was used on my hair when I was at the hair salon and it helped make my hair look full and thick. I naturally had to buy this to try and replicate the voluminous look at home. You pump a small squidge into your hand, rub together and then run it through wet hair. This has to be one of my favourite hair care discoveries this year as it makes my hair, look, feel and smell pretty good. 

Charles Worthington Salon at Home Texturising Spray

Texturising sprays are amazing at adding volume without leaving the hair crispy or wet looking. This adds the perfect amount of tousled volume and that effortless messy look that used to take ages to achieve. I simply spray this all over my hair and scrunch it up to make my hair look like 'I woke up like this' and I love it. 

Fudge Crisp Pear and Sweet Vanilla Dry Shampoo 

When I'm heading out and my hair needs a little refresh, I have been grabbing this beautifully scented dry shampoo from Fudge and just spraying it into my roots and my fringe. As well as giving me lovely, refreshed hair, it adds that extra volume at the roots that I love and desire. 

Flat, thin hair is a thing of the past for me, when I am armed with these volumising hair saviours. Is there any other products that give you a major lift that you could not live without?

September/Current favourites/Recently Discovered

You may have noticed my lack of blog posts the last couple of months, and thought I had forgot about my little space on the internet. The truth is that life just got in the way, work is hectic and up until yesterday I was living in my friends spare room hunting constantly for a flat of my own. Finally, everything has seemed to calm down and I am back and I moved into my new flat yesterday. I have missed blogging and almost got round to typing up a few posts but time got the better of me.

My first post, in what feels like forever, is a current favourite/September favourites/recently discovered post:

As I have been saving for a flat, I had to limit my spending but I couldn't help treating myself to some new foundation. A girl needs a pick me up and there is nothing that makes a girl smile quite like Chanel. I had heard a lot about the Chanel Perfection Lumière Velvet Foundation from all of my favourite beauty bloggers and was intrigued by its liquid to powder formula. I was in a foundation/base rut until recently and could not find a good foundation that would sit upon my oily skin without oxidising hours later. This stuff is literally perfection. It is a dream to apply and feels silky on the skin. There is no need to apply a powder and I find it stays around all day. The packaging is sleek and beautiful and I think this will soon become a Holy Grail product. 

This would not be a Georgina Sparkles beauty post without a mention about a Lush product I am loving. The It's Raining Men shower gel is the most sweet and moisturising shower gel I have ever used. This honey and rosehip shower gel smells exactly like fresh honey and has a thick conditioning texture that is super softening on the skin. I am on my second bottle of this and will be repurchasing another when I am done with this one.

I have found an amazing brow product that has banished all my other brow products back to the makeup stash. When browsing (see what I did there) the Soap and Glory counter at Boots, I decided to check out their brow pencils and I picked up their Archery 2 in 1 Brow Filling Pencil and Brush. I have the shade Blonde Shell which gives my eyebrows a more natural finish than the light brunette pencils I am used to. I actually look forward to doing my eyebrows with Archery, as I used to think of filling in my brows as a chore. 

Another Lush favourite comes from their recent Christmas launch and it is their So White Bath Bomb. It is a beautiful all white ballistic that smells of crisp apples. When popped in the bath, you discover the centre is pink and has a Rose scent. This one is inspired by Snow White with skin as white as snow and lips as red as a red rose, she is poisoned by an apple presented to her by the Evil Queen in disguise. This scent is also available in a shower gel for those who do not have a bath. 

As for non-beauty favourites, I need to mention a few of my most loved items at the minute. 

I picked up these mason jar cups from John Lewis for my new flat and I love them. They are quaint and quirky and I have been loving drinking my juice from them. 

I have been loving the blanket scarf trend that has hit the high street and it is great for layering over wooly jumpers. My monochrome checked print scarf is from Primark and was a total bargain of £6. 

So those are my current most loved items, what are yours? 

A Lush Bath Cocktail #2

I have had the most exhausting, stressful week ever and this weekend I am off work and my plan is to spend it doing nothing but relaxing, pampering and watching movies.

There is nothing more relaxing than a Lush bath and for this Lush Bath Cocktail I have chosen 3 of the sweetest, candy smelling bath products that Lush has to offer. 

Twilight is my favourite bath bomb from Lush and with its Lavender, Tonka and Malt scent it is one of the most relaxing and sweet bath bombs. Twilight starts off as a lilac colour when dropped into the water, and then turns the water a dark indigo blue to mimic the nights sky. It releases silver lustre, which is one of my favourite things about this ballistic as you are basically bathing in glitter and sparkles. 

Next, I crumbled a Creamy Candy Bubble Bar under the running water which created amazing fluffy bubbles. This bubble bar smells of candy floss and marshmallows and contains Vanilla, Fair Trade Columbian Cocoa Butter and Almond Oil. As well as creating bubbles, it is really softening on the skin and great for a good soak. 

Finally, for added skin softening and moisturising, I added a Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment. This pink bath melt is perfect for people with sensitive skin as it contains many wonderful ingredients such as, Marshmallow Powder, Fair Trade Columbian Cocoa Butter, Almond Oil and Chamomile Powder. It leaves the skin feeling, silky soft and smooth. 

I am a big fan if this candy combination, with sweet and relaxing scents, fluffy bubbles and sparkles, it was just what I needed to relax. What Lush cocktail should I try next? 

Top 3 Facemasks

There is nothing better than taking 20 minutes out of your day to really treat your skin to a wonderful facemask. Two to three times a week I like to apply a deep cleansing mask that will help rid my skin of blackheads and general nasties that build up throughout the week. I have always been a fan of facemasks and these three masks are particularly great for my oily/combination skin.

The Super Facialist by Una Brennan Tea Flower Deep Clean Pore Purifying Clay Mask (longest name ever!) is an amazing mask for unclogging pores and cleansing the skin. It contains Salicylic Acid which helps remove impurities, and the Kaolin in this mask is fantastic at absorbing oil. Avocado, honey and Shea butter are fantastic at adding extra moisture to the skin as well as providing skin balancing vitamins. This applies as a thick clay that dries hard on the skin after 5 minutes and then needs to be removed using a warm, wet flannel. My skin feels fresh and clear after using this, without that squeaky clean feeling that some masks can give. 

Lush's Mask of Magnaminty is one of my all time favourite masks and I have been using this for years. They recently released a self preserving version of the Mask of Magnaminty and I must admit, I am loving this formula. They have taken out the safe synthetic preservatives and increased the amount of honey in the mask to make the mask self preserving. Due to the extra honey, this mask is not only cleansing and purifying, it is also extremely hydrating. It contains honey, kaolin, ground aduki beans, evening primrose seeds, peppermint oil and fair trade vanilla absolute. The peppermint oil is stimulating and cooling and gives a tingly sensation to the skin. The ground aduki beans act as a brilliant exfoliant when removing the mask with a warm, wet flannel and the kaolin is extremely cleansing. I will be repurchasing this again and again. 

The final mask in my top 3 is the Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask. I have heard a lot of hype surrounding this mask recently so I knew I had to at least give it a try and form my own opinion, and... I love it. I love the fact that it's only to be kept on for five minutes and is perfect for applying quickly before work on bad skin days. When I first applied it, it felt like I was applying warm melted chocolate to my face, which is a weird but satisfying sensation. It is easy and quick to apply with a thin layer spreads across the face and it is just as easy to remove. My skin felt instantly cleansed and the warming feeling slowly cools down after applying. I can not wait to try more from this range.

Is there any masks for oily/combination skin that you could reccomend to me?

My Shoe Collection 2014

I am needing a shoe intervention after recently trying to buy multiple pairs of New Balance trainers with my most recent pay. However, I seen scene and only purchased one pair, which has really just made me want to buy more...

Since moving up to Aberdeen, I had to really think about what shoes I wanted to take with me and which shoes I had to leave behind. This is a mini shoe collection of the shoes that I have up in Aberdeen and my most loved and most worn shoes.

River Island 

Topshop

Topshop

River Island

River Island

River Island

New Look

New Look

New Balance 410

Topshop

Newlook

The Reading List

I love books and my shelves at home are filled to breaking point with chick-lit and biographies but I have found a few books recently that I have been loving and haven't been able to put them down.

First up is the Lush Cosmetics To Go book which is a lovely, colourful book about the company that came before Lush. I am a big fan of Lush and Lush's values and this meant this book was a hit from the start. As a business graduate, I found the business model and ethics of cosmetics to go extremely interesting and the book just made me love Lush more than I already do. There are images from the Cosmetics To Go mail order catalogue and photos of old products that I wish I had a chance to try. If you love Lush as much as I do, this magical book is a must read. 

I recently picked up the highly coveted It by Alexa Chung and was not disappointed. Every Beauty and Fashion Blogger must own this book, so I knew I had to see what all the fuss was about. It is beautifully done with photographs and tit bits about Alexa and her likes and dislikes, her style inspiration and personal anecdotes that help you fall in love with her even more. She is one of my style icons and I'm so happy to have this book on my shelf. 

Last but certainly not least, is Mindy Kaling's hilarious book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me. Mindy is one of my all time favourite people and if I could invite any one to a fantasy dinner party it would Mindy (and Jennifer Lawrence). 'Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me' is laugh out loud funny with touching personal stories that have inspired me not to take life too seriously and to laugh at myself sometimes. 

What books are you guys reading? Any I should pick up? 

What I am Loving This Week #3

Back to work this week and back to reality. Scotland's weather is so far from the burning sun and blue skies of Barcelona and I have got the umbrella out once more.

However, there are a few beauty favourites that have made my week a little bit more special.

I have raved about the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray on GS before and I am once again loving the results this gives. Sprayed on to damp hair, it gives the best tousled beach waves. I have very fine hair and there is always the chance that a salt spray will give me "dragged through a hedge backwards" hair but this is a pretty amazing product.

My current lip favourite is the Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Ambition. These have an amazing formula that is matte, pigmented and extremely moisturising. I feel that these are not spoken about enough in the beauty blogging world, but I promise they are a fantastic lip product with many different shades in the range. Ambition is a true red that would suit any complection and is perfect paired with minimal makeup to create a classic look. The packaging is really unique and unlike anything else on the market right now and each colour is based on the concept of colour therapy. 

A foundation that I have been loving and has been a well discussed base in the blogosphere is the L'Oreal True Match Foundation. This week I have needed slightly more coverage than my go to tinted moisturisers and BB creams, so I have reached for my trusty True Match. This makes my skin appear flawless and as smooth as silk. I would definetly reccomend this to anyone with an oily/combination skin type because it suits my skin perfectly. 

My nail polish favourite has been Essie Splash of Grenadine. This is a juicey, bright lilac shade which is a perfect colour for summer. I had this on my nails for my holiday and have been reapplying since. I love how hard wearing the formula is with minimal chipping after a week. 

My final favourite is my favourite bath ballistic that Lush offer. Twilight holds a special place in my heart and the scent just makes me feel so relaxed and happy whenever I catch a wiff. It is a lavender and tonka bath bomb that smells both relaxing and sweet. The bath starts out a pale lilac colour when the bath ballistic is first popped in the bath, then changes to a dark indigo shade with beautiful silver lustre.

Those are my loves this week, what have you been loving? 

Barcelona Baby!

So I am back after Spending an amazing week in Barcelona with my cousin and her lovely friends. a week in the sun was exactly what I needed,and I loved every minute of our Spanish adventure.

Barcelona is the perfect holiday destination, with its beautiful beaches and inspiring city attractions, and our hosts were pretty amazing at showing us the sites.

 At the start of the week, we visited La Sagrada Familia Catherdral which was stunning and architecturally brilliant to see. That evening, we went to some Spanish bars for some Cava (one of Spains specialitys) and pintxos (€1 canapé style snacks at the bars). All the cava was obviously to much for little old me as I went to bed with my head spinning!

Next up was a trip to La Ramblas, which had some typical touristy market stalls and Tapas Bars. We headed to an Irish Bar for €1 beers and watched the Hearts v Rangers game and after had a look at what all the stalls had to offer. 

The beaches in Barcelona are beautiful with white sand and blue oceans and barely anywhere to put your towel because it was so busy. I loved relaxing on the sun lounger, swimming in the sea and jumping the waves, but I did get some interesting, sore burn lines which I have yet to recover from. In the evening we dressed up and headed to a Tapas Bar for dinner, which was delicious, Tapas is such a great way to try different dishes and I could go for Tapas every day. 

On the Tuesday we went to Barcelona Football Stadium, Camp Nou, to pick up Barcelona Tickets and we had a little look around the stadium which was really fun and not something I would have usually chosen to do, as football is not really my thing, but I had fun posing for photos with the statues. 

One of my favourite days was when Elspeth and I went shopping at Catalunya, which is the main square and shopping destination I believe. We started our day off with tea and croissants at a little cafe and then started from one end of the street to the other looking at all the different shops. We came across a McCafe which was like a posh Macdonalds which sold Macarons and I ended up buying one of each flavour. (I also picked up a gorgeous striped dress from Zara which I will feature soon.)

On our final day in Barcelona we hit the water park, Illa Fantasia, which was so much fun. There are over 20 amazing slides and flumes within the park and we went on them all. Totally burnt my back but it was worth it. If you ever go to Barcelona, Waterparks are a must!

For our final meal we headed to Tacos Tacos. If you are ever in Barcelona and are looking for somewhere to eat, Tacos Tacos is the place. The restaurant had a Mexican day of the dead theme with sugar skulls everywhere and the food was incredible, they do not make Tacos like that in the UK. My absolute favourite was a pulled pork and green pepper sauce taco.

I would definitely go back to Barcelona and I miss the sun, sea and food already, but back to work on Monday.