lush and lush again

I've mentioned my love for Lush Shampoo Bars briefly in the past and so I am finally going to show off to you and review my latest Lush hair treats.

Firstly it is the Trichomania Shampoo Bar, this white and creamy bar has a gorgeous coconut stench and lathers up much quicker than you expect. Get the bar wet in your hands and give it a good rub, then rub into your tresses a little, massage your hair and tah dah you are all lathered up and ready to go. Now, I have sworn by Lush shampoo bars ever since my first with experience them and here is why.. They last up to 3 months; cost the same as a large bottle of decent shampoo; smell divine; are full of natural and wonderful ingredients, no nasties allowed; and leave your hair feeling soft and smelling unreal. Need I say more?

I went to grab my usual block of Trichomania and saw they also have solid conditioners now, I jumped at the chance. I grabbed a small bar of Jungle Solid Conditioner. I don't know if these conditioners are new but I hadn't seen them before and I have to say I love Jungle so far. It has most of the amazing qualities of the shampoo however it is a little more difficult to apply as you don't get a lather but a creamy lotion, once you have the creaminess on your palms you can stroke the bar along the mid to ends of your hair and rub in to get soft and cocoa buttery locks. 

I can't recommend these bars more, a little goes a really long way and they are 100% worth it. I've turned my mother into a Lush lover, how about you?

howard's beauty stash

my little best friend, chloe howard is one of the most beaut ladies i know, so it is only natural that when I went to her house I completely raided her make-up and beauty stash! She called me nosey, I say I'm curious..

Once she showed me all her fave products I thought it only fair that I dedicate a post to her as planned... Showing off every single beauty secret and guilty pleasures she has in her stash! And here are her reasons for loving each and every one of them...

chloe cleanses...

Chlo's got many favourite products as you can see, she is like me. And so she has a lot of cleansing products, just like me she knows how important cleansing is for your skin and also your hair. 

On her hair she uses the Lush It's Raining Men Honey Rich Shower Gel for Body and Hair, which is like nothing I have ever smelt. It's definitely lush. Chloe loves this gel as a shampoo because the ingredients such as ginger and honey are naturally sourced from the rainforest and so it's all pure goodness unlike he previous shampoo's. 

Then she uses Herbal Essences Rainforest Flowers Shimmering Colour Conditioner because she finds with this conditioner you only need a small dollop to get your hair lovely and soft and is cheap enough for her student budget. 

Even though the Lush shower gel is for hair AND body, Chloe loves to the vegan appropriate Original Sources Lime Shower Gel because it feels nice on the skin (and again it's naturally sourced and packed full of limes).

Vitamin E Gentle Facial Wash from The Body Shop is Chloe's go to face wash because it is lovely and gentle on her pale and sensitive skin, and its really good for when she doesn't need or want any rough exfoliation. It also smells really nice and has the all important Vitamin E in it, healing any scars or blemishes and improving the skins tone.

Clean & Clear Exfoliating Oil Free Daily Wash  is perfect for Chloe's stash because you only need a little bit to exfoliate your face and know it's doing it's job. It's not too harsh and has no oil's in so you don;t end up with and oily complexion.

chloe moisturises...

There is one moisturiser that works miracles for Chloe's skin, it's Dove Nourishing Intensive Moisturising Cream. It seems that any issues or bad skin days Chloe has can be cured by putting this on and the next morning she wakes up a new woman. She says it makes her skin really greasy which worried her, but this probably means it draws out all the good oils in her skin to help moisturise and heal and dry skin or blemishes she has. Sounds bloody perfect if you ask me!

In the same line as her favourite Vitamin E Facial Wash is the Moisture Cream and Nourishing Night Cream. Loving them for their Vitamin E qualities, treating her skin to a little healing vitamin love.

And for her little hands, a woman by my own heart, with the Soap & Glory Hand Food. I love this for the marshmallowy fragrance. Chloe loves it because it's the best hand food she has ever had. And more relevantly, it's non-greasy unlike other hand creams.

chloe powders...

A secret wonder in Chloe's amazing stash of beauty goodies that totally took me by surprise (and I have to say I am going to invest) is the Lush Silky Underwear Dusting Powder. you heard right, powder for your knickers to make them silky and smell amazing even after you have washed them. Chloe pours it all over her knick knacks so they are super soft and pretty smelling, (and they slip off easily!)

For the rest of her body to keep it super soft she uses Johnson's Baby Powder (who doesn't love some talc!).

chloe treats herself, she tans, masks and oils...

To get a lovely natural build up tan Chloe uses the Sugar Baby Glow & Beyond Natural Tinted Self Tan Gloss that she annoyingly bought in Australia! But the link will take you to a place you can get it online ;) She likes this tan in particular because it is a really natural colour and tops most tans she has used (she has good experience with fake tans as she is a pale gal like me). It is really easy to apply, no streaks and you can apply before a shower and still have a lovely naturally looking tan afterwards! (Chloe recommends applying the night before a night out and showering the next day to stop yourself looking like your faking it!).

When having a pamper night we all love certain face masks. Chloe has a particular favourite that is the Strawberry Souffle Moisturising & Purifying Masque. Strawberry & Whipped cream fragrance and meant to soften and nourish your skin Chloe loves how her skin feels after 15 minutes in this bad boy!

Another Johsnon's baby product Chloe loves for treating her skin is the Johnson's Baby Oil with Camomile. Camomile is a lovely ingredient that has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory capabilities and this oil also locks in double the moisture. Chloe loves it because it's the perfect post shaving product to get the silkiest smoothest stems.

So there it is, the top picks of Chloe Howard's beauty stash! Next post will be my mums left overs and products she has sworn by since I can remember. (plus tips I learnt from her)

Bah bye :)

@curiousitybty - feel free to follow me on instagram or twitter the more the much more merrier! :)

going balm'y

I was quite impressed with my pun today - It took a sleepy warm tube ride (one of the ones where you fall asleep and fall off the curb - you know the one!), that combined with a rummage through my bag looking for my new favourite lip balm to realise I have too many lips balms/glosses/ointments/scrubs/sticks in my Mandy (Mandy is from Mango, she is my handbag, and I love her). Seeing as I've shown you all my lipsticks here in my red lippy post I thought I would stick to all the other lip products Mandy has been hoarding for me.

So these aren't in any real kind of order but the Pocket Balm by Bakewell & Vaseline with Cocoa Butter I alternate because I love them both so much. I would recommend all of them -that's why they all made the cut into Mandy's infinite depths. 

Prepping - Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

When I need it a love a good exfoliation, I never thought of doing this to my lips until my best friend turned up to my hole in Uni and showed me this product. It is basically sugar in a pot to be honest and I do eat it (even though I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to) but it's so nice! - It's actual purpose is to exfoliate the lips and prep them to be balmed and lipsticked. And it really does work, even if it is just a jar of sugar goodness.

 It's The Bakewell Soap Company Multi-Purpose Pocket Balm in May Chang Citrus

This balm isn't just for lips, I've used it on my cuticles to soften and keep them in shape and my elbows when they got oddly dry the other week. It smells lush though I suspect there is hemp in the ingredients (they aren't stated on the tin!). It's very strong in smell and in action, it works absolute wonders. I swear by my Vaseline normally but I started with this product last month when it came in my Love Me Beauty box - I will be sure to invest in it in the future as I recommend you do too!

The obvious runner up is my Vaseline Lip Therapy with Cocoa Butter

Need I go into detail with this product? It speaks for itself in reputation, the cocoa butter smell is my favourite. I have all sorts of cocoa butter products (inspiration for a post) because it's really good for dry skin and soothes my itchy arms and legs (post shaving!) so I knew I would love this version of the magical Vaseline tin of miracle balm. All I need say is, try it - it lives up to reputation.

The hydrator or also known as Nivea Hydro Care Lip Balm

This one is normally found under my pillow, especially when I have a cold as that's when my lips get driest. It does what it says on the tin - hydrates your lips to the maximum, definitley a must if you tend to get dry lips/bite your lips (I have a really bad habit of this, hence the amount of lip balms I own)

Love this one for the taste... DuWop Iced Tea Treatment in Strawberry Kiwi

This is one of the products I have had for 5 years, I remember how much I love the fragrance (and taste), use it for a week and then lose it again until I move house/flat! I have no idea where I got it from but it always finds its way back into my life, and I am glad because it is lush - the smell keeps me coming back for more. All I remember about getting this lip treatment is having really bad lips and being sat rubbing it on my chops for a good hour before realising it wasn't really helping.. This means I wouldn't call a treatment, I use it as a gloss because it gives a lovely sheen.

The last two products are what I use for a bit of colour when I'm not quite in the mood for the bright red look I love to go for!

When I'm all pretty in pink and girly it's got to be Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour in Rose 

This product is from a long line of lip ointments and lanolin products. Lanolin is a miracle working thing that makes you all soft and healed (at least thats my version of it). This ointment has a lovely pinky colour that I love to use when I'm not going for my usual lipstick choices. And it has SPF 15 which is always a plus to this pale skinned red head.

Another one that I couldn't pinpoint it's entry into my collection - Pretty:Smile Pearl Shine Lip Gloss

Pretty sure this one came from my mum when she decided the roller didn't work for her - but it works for me fine, and I love a roller (I haven't the foggiest why). But this product, more importantly, glosses a lovely lovely sheen onto your lips, it's really light (makes it perfect for summer) and has Q10 in it (which is apparently good for cell growth - so another goodie for those biters out there).

BIG post for you all today, but I hope you enjoyed it because I do own this many lip glosses and have been this way for as long as I can remember - and I KNOW I'm not the only one ;)

Try as many of these as you can because they are all favourites of mine, determined after years of research and lip application! - And believe it or not this is not ALL of the lip products I own, it's just the ones in my handbag!

PS - don't forget to click the names as they are links to see/buy the products!

@pawsandclaws101 - Always Instagramming

@pawsnclaws101 - And Tweeting

valentines kiss

2 days to go until you will be giving your Valentine a great big kiss - best done with bright red lippy - whether it be your best friend, husband, boyfriend, grandaddy or dad (like me). Whether you want to be sexy or subtle, red lipstick on Valentines is the way to go.

So you can give them the perfect red lip print on the cheek or lips [ wink ] I have gone through my hoard of red lipsticks to see which is suitable for each Valentine possibility and which will leave the best print (I've done the leg work as far as wearing it goes, however, the kissing is your bit) - thats right it is totally up to you to pick a lippy and give your Valentine a massive kiss!

Day Date

Lush, It Started with a Kiss Lip Tint

This lip tint from Lush is so perfect for a day date - When you don't want to go for risky red because as they say 'A woman in red, is ready for bed'... You want a light lip print to keep a reminder in the air of what they are missing - subtle but still obvious.

Bright & Bubbly

B. by Superdrug, Pizzazz 155

Want to maintain your innocence? Don't wear red lipstick..

No but seriously, this lipstick is such a lovely bright and pretty shade of red that it gives off a vibe that is more 'cute' than 'come at me'. I tend to wear this one during in the day because the light reflects off it really nicely too.

Bring me a Rose

Collection 2000, Volume Sensation in Cherry Pop 8

In all honesty this is the lipstick that gets a guys respect.. Okay yes I am joking again. This one is still subtle and nice enough to be sweet, but it also has an edge to it that is sexy and fashionable - Best of both worlds, why wouldn't a guy give you a rose? (Probably because it isn't 1950)

Bite it

Maybelline, Colour Sensational Fatal Red 530

This one has a funny story behind it actually - I found it in my bag when I moved to London last June and have no idea where it came from. I keep tabs on my red lipsticks because I love them so much, so I know I didn't buy it - One of my friends is definitely down a lippy, oops. But it was worth it, it is a sexier shade and I imagine it as the kind you see on the model biting her lip on the advert - you know the one...

The Mistress or the Wife?

B. by Superdrug, Carmen 038 

You can be either in this shade I recon, the sexy mistress who steals the married man from his frigid wife in the middle of the night, or the demanding wife with an attitude problem and a rich man on her arm who gives her whatever she wants. I don't know which I would rather be!

Let's Talk About Sex Baby

Collection 2000, Volume Sensation in Ruby Red 3

Pure sex on a stick, I LOVE this lipstick. It is my favourite I have at the minute (I used to have an amazing Kate Moss shade that I always get mixed up with this one - but hey ho this one is probably cheaper). It's dark, broody, full of attitude and has a slight matted effect - which is gorgeous. If you are up for the seduction, pick this up.

All Nighter

Maybelline, Super Stay 24 Hour Colour in Red Passion

I wore this lipstick for my first big night out in Manchester city centre, when I found out I passed my A Levels and at 7 o'clock in the morning in the taxi with my best friend Chlo in her smeared lippy, it was still perfect - even after all the shots. It's tough to apply to be honest but worth the effort. If the walk of shame is something you like to do with your lipstick still in tact. This is the one you want. 

I also highly recommend this GOSH lip liner to neaten up the edges of your lipstick - I've never been that bothered about lip liner till I used this one to be honest - but it is really good. GOSH, Velvet Touch Lip Liner, Simple Red.

My next post is to celebrate the fact I am still a citygal after much stress and struggle - yay me!

Sex and the citygal nail art. See you tomorrow! MWAH xxx

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PS I wasn't able to pop in pics of all the lippies on my gorge lips because my lips weren't agreeing with the constant cleaning and re-applying! - the pains of a beauty blogger.