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.

My Lush Skin Care Routine

As a big Lushie, most of the products I use and try out are from Lush. It has been a while since I bought skincare from the likes of Boots or Superdrug and I wouldn't even say I miss it. 

The wonderful thing about Lush, is that they offer free consultations where they tailor a skincare routine to your specific needs and desires. 

My skin is oily/combination with the occasional hormonal blemish and redness around the nose. I was looking for products that would absorb oil, cleanse my skin, reduce redness and moisturise and the Lush team helped put together the perfect line up. 

First up is the wonderful best selling cleanser, Angels on Bare Skin. (100g £6.40) I had never tried anything like this cleanser before but was intrigued by the concept. Angels on Bare Skin is one of Lush's fresh cleaners and contains some lovely fresh ingredients, including, Kaolin, ground almonds, lavender and Rose Absolute. Kaolin is a natural preservative and helps to absorb oils and cleanse the skin. The ground almonds act as a gentle exfoliant to help buff away dead skin cells and the Lavender and Rose are great for calming the skin, reducing redness and restoring and balancing the skin.

I was then recommended to try adding a toner water into my routine and was advised that the Tea Tree Toner Water (100g £3.95) would work wonders on my skin. Tea tree is antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial so can help to keep away bacteria and help to prevent spots. It is also refreshing and cooling on the skin, great for after cleansing. 

Finally, I was looking for the perfect moisturiser and I think I have found it. Million Dollar Moisturiser (45g £32.50) is their newest moisturiser offering and it was love at first use for me. A thick, sweet scented cream that contains SPF 30 and some of their lovely 'Feeling Younger Highlighter.' Definitely a hit for me. It adds instant glow and protection and I have had so many compliments on my skin whenever I use this moisturiser.

After using these lovely products for the last month, I can honestly say my skin looks and feels so much better, oil and redness have been reduced, blemishes are a rarity and my complexion just looks healthier. Pop into your nearest Lush for a tailored-to-you skin consultation and you will not be disappointed.

A Lush Bath Cocktail

As a way of making sure that I take time to look after myself and take a well deserved break each week, I plan to have a lush bath; to relax, read a book and just treat myself to some alone time. This Lush bath series will also be an opportunity to review the many different Bath Ballistics, Bubble Bars and Bath Melts that are on offer at Lush.

I have recently discovered that more than one product can be used in the same bath to create a unique cocktail of aroma, bubbles and moisturising goodness. The first combination I tried is the Amandopondo Bubble Bar, with the Floating Island Bath Melt, a recommendation from a colleague at work.

Amandopondo is a rose and lemon scented bubble bar with a little rose bud embedded on the top. I took half of the bubble bar and crumbled this under hot running water. This created a lovely aroma and beautiful frothy bubbles. 

Floating Island is one of the amazing bath melts from Lush. It has a lemon and sandlewood scent which compliments the Amandopondo. The Floating Island contains Cocoa Butter and Almond Oil for adding lovely moisture.

I love bubble baths! They are so relaxing and a real form of escapism for me. The combination of the Amandopondo and the Floating Island was a treat. The bubbles were lovely and the scent created by both products was fresh, floral and uplifting. The scent does linger on the skin and my skin feels soft and luxurious. 

I can not wait for my next bath treat, any reccomendations that you guys love? 

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White

As a girl growing up in the 90's, I was hugely influenced by the iconic twin sisters that are Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. I used to watch Two of a Kind on Nickelodeon, I was obsessed with all Mary-Kate and Ashley movies; It Takes Two was regularly rented out from our local movie rental place, and I even had an Olsen Twin inspired wardrobe that looked like it came straight out of their movie, Passport to Paris.

I've been following their careers as long as I can remember, from television, to high fashion, I feel like I grew up with these girls. When I read online that they were releasing exclusive fragrances within their Elizabeth and James line I was super excited and added these perfumes to my wish list. 

I was given Nirvana White as a gift from my flatmate after she got back from The States and I was so grateful to receive such a wonderful gift. The textured bottle is sleek and very different to anything else in my collection. The white and gold packaging is chic and modern yet the bottles design reminds me of vintage perfume bottles from the 1920's. 

The fragrance within is a crisp, clean and sophisticated scent with notes of Peony, Lily of the Valley and Musk. I am terrible at describing scents and picking out certain notes but this is floral perfume that I love. It has taken over from my beloved Marc Jacobs Daisy as my Daily fragrance since I received it and it is a fragrance that lasts all day. 

 I really want to get my hands on the Nirvana Black perfume but as it is a Sephora exclusive in The US and Canada for now, I shall have to wait until it becomes available in the UK. 

My New Shoe Obsession: Pool Sliders

When it comes to summer footwear i usually stick to converse, flip flops or sandals, but summer 2014 has brought back the Birkenstock/pool slider trend that was oh so popular in the 90's. I am loving this 90's comeback and I am welcoming all the old trends I used to rock when I was younger, in a slightly more fashionable and chic way. I love looking back at old photos and realising what a stylish kid I was.

Unsure at first my opinion on the return of the Birkenstock sandal, I was categorising this trend under the UGLY footwear bracket that most shoe trends seems to come under nowadays. However, I take back every harsh word and judgemental look because I love them. 

I picked up my pair from River Island for a complete bargain. They were down to £15 from £28. I love the monochrome trend right now and these bright white pool sliders suit my current style perfectly. I plan to wear these all summer, as they seem to go with everything in my wardrobe and definitely plan to pick up some more in a variation of colours. 

Lush Tiny Hands: My New Favourite Hand Cream

Another Lush Post... Whoops.

I bet you guys are sick of hearing about my dry hands on Georgina Sparkles but it is an every day battle I must address. I have recently come across an amazing hand cream that is moisturising, nourishing and softening. 

Tiny Hands from Lush is a solid hand cream, that melts from the heat of your hands. The impressive list of ingredients include, Fair Trade Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, African marigold Oil, Chamomile Oil and Aloe Vera, which are all incredible in hydrating and calming those dry hands. It has a floral/vanilla scent that is pleasant and I am loving the novelty of this product, it is shaped like a little hand. I've never used a solid hand cream before but it is now my new favourite hand cream.

As much as I love this product, it isn't the most convienient for carrying about in your hand bag, as it is one of Lush's naked products, but it is permanent addition to my bed side table. Tiny Hands is £4.25, which I think is a great price for such a long lasting product. 

Lush have a lot of solid massage bars which are next on my list to try to add extra moisture to my skin., have you ever tried any of the solid bars from Lush?

How To Achieve that Summer Glow

I love nothing more than sporting a healthy glow that makes my skin look radiant. As someone who rocks the pale and interesting look all year round, my current obsession has been finding beauty products that can effortlessly transform my complection from Casper the Friendly Ghost to Bronzed Goddess.

An amazing moisturiser I have discovered recently is the Million Dollar Moisturiser from Lush. As well as hydrating the skin, it adds a natural glow as it seems to contain tiny shimmers. Lush have added a little bit of their highlighter, Feeling Younger to the formula. This moisturiser has a SPF 30, therefore is perfect for this time of year. 

The base I have been favouring to create a healthy complection is the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser. I have the shade Groenland which is a perfect match to my skin tone and this gives a beautiful, my skin but better, finish. 

To hide dark circles and brighten the under eye, I have been using the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. This is a lightweight concealer that doesn't crease, which is great, because that is never a good look when you are trying to look healthy and glowing. 

A Bronzer that I have been loving for a while now is the Topshop Bronzer in Sandcastle. A matte formula that adds a natural bronzed glow to the cheeks and temples, it is the perfect summer Bronzer for achieving that sun kissed look.

Finally, a healthy glow could not be achieved without the help of the NO7 Instant Radiance Highlighter. This champagne toned stick highlighter adds the perfect amount of sheen to the tops of my cheeks, giving the impression my skin is glowing from within. 

What are your summer beauty essentials? 

The New Nail Trend

A new nail art trend has been circling the beauty blogosphere and I am loving it! If you are debating between two of your favourite nail colours, why not go for both? I think this look is chic yet simple and I have had lots of compliments on my nails.

I went for my two favourite Topshop Nail Colours in Boy Next Door and Milkshake and I think they make the perfect pastel duo. 

Introduction: Lush's New Sun Care Collection

Lush has recently brought out a body and facial sun care range which I was so excited to try. As someone with fair and sun burn prone skin I tend to rely on sun cream and moisturisers with SPF's all year round, so these products were right up my street.

I have finally got my hands on them and wanted to share a first impressions post with you guys. 

The Sunblock- Solid Sunscreen Wash, 100g £8.95 SPF 30

This is a solid bar sunscreen that you apply to damp skin while in the shower or the bath. It is split into three segments and one segment will be enough for your whole body. You apply wet, rince of the excess and then pat dry your body after to lock in the sunscreen. 

I think this is a fantastic product to take away on holiday as an initial protective layer from the very start of your day in the sun. It feels lovely on the skin and smells better than your average sun cream. 

It contains Fair Trade Cocoa butter, therefore you know this product is also very conditioning on the skin as well as a protective from the sun's rays. 

Sesame Suntan Lotion, 100g £8.00 SPF 10

Sesame Suntan Lotion is a light lotion that can be applied all over the body adding some sun protection. It is described as having a toasted sesame seed scent, which to begin with is slightly odd but after a while I actually love it. 

As well as having an SPF of 10 and protecting your skin from the sun with the sesame oil and walnut leaf infusion, it contains Aloe Vera which is soothing on the skin and excellent when applying to sun burnt areas. 

Life Saver Sunscreen Cream, 50g £15.00 SPF 30

The Life Saver Sunscreen Cream has a light mousse like consistency which I love. It absorbs quickly into the skin and doesn't leave an oily residue like other sun creams. 

The scent of this reminds me of summer, it is fresh and not atall overwhelming. It is the perfect sun cream. Life Saver has some amazing ingredients such as, Fair Trade Cocoa Butter, Fair Trade Shea Butter and Avacado Oil for nourishment and hydration and it also has a soothing eucalyptus and mint infusion that helps skin to feel fresh during the humid sunny weather. 

Million Dollar Moisturiser - Bionic Facial Moisturiser, 45g £32.50 SPF 30

Million Dollar Moisturiser is a lovely fast absorbing facial moisturiser with an SPF 30, so not only does it hydrate and condition the skin,nit protects against harmful UV rays. 

The smells good enough to eat and the list of amazing ingredients and has some incredible skincare benefits. The honey, Fair Trade Shea Butter and jojoba oil all condition the skin, as well honey having antiseptic properties. 

Remember to reapply your sun cream throughout the day to make sure your skin is properly protected. 

A Repurchase- Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot

As a beauty blogger, I can be pretty fickle when it comes to makeup and skincare. I love trying out new products and changing up my beauty routines, so I rarely use up a product, let alone make a repurchase.

But I have discovered a game changer:

After hitting pan on my Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Mattifying Powder, I knew that I had to pop down to my local Boots and pick up another one and I am loving having a fresh compact in my makeup bag. 

I tend to have quite an oily T-zone, which is very apparent during these muggy, summer days, and my skin welcomes this powder. It is a finely milled, translucent powder that keeps shine away all day yet keeps skin looking fresh and healthy. 

This is one of my daily makeup bag essentials and would even go as far as to say it is a Holy Grail product that I could not live without. It has been in countless favourites posts since starting this blog and deserves special recognition. 

New Bedroom Tour

So I recently moved back up to Aberdeen, after going back to the borders to live with my mum and dad after I graduated. I've moved in with a couple of my friends until I can find a place of my own and I wanted to share some photos of my new room up here. I love the way it looks and I am loving my independence but I am struggling a little with spending and shopping, (so if you have any saving tips for me, please leave a comment.)
All my furniture is from Ikea and I have become a Pro at putting flat pack furniture together!