THE SAMPLES CHALLENGE

When I signed up for Glossy Box over a year a go I envisaged a mountain of samples which I would use on a monthly basis. But more often than not Glossy Box comes and goes and after a quick mooch over its contents, gets pushed to one side to add to my ever growing mountain of samples. Cue product overflow. This year though I have decided to do some 'housekeeping' so to speak. So this week on my days off I pulled out every box of samples I owned and proceeded in a mammoth task of categorising all the products! Hair, makeup, body etc and I have made it my mission to start using 3-5 of these products weekly which I will then report back to you guys via 'mini-reviews' either on a weekly basis or when the products are empty.

THE PERFECT BUBBLE BATH

Since I was bought an abundance of bath goodies for Christmas I seem to have re-discovered my love of baths and this latest offering from Bliss has definitely added that little something to bath times aside from a ton of glittery bath balls ala Lush! So - Picture the scene - a bath full of bubbles and an array of YouTube videos on catch up. This is definitely my time to rewind after a long day in the office. 

 This is a  dual product of a body wash and a bubble bath. I like to add lashings to a hot bath and then lather a handful up in my exfoliating mitts to give my body a good clean before shaving and what not else. Bliss is certainly a brand I had not tried before but is definitely something I will buy again. Plus the bottle is haa-uge so providing Mr Beckys Makeup doesn't get his paws on it, should last a while! But given my new found love for laying in the bath for hours at a time thats no promise! 

Providing just the right amount of bubbles to sink into this expels sweet vanilla aromas but not in a sickening sweet way, almost that holiday scent - if you have ever used the Hawaiian Tropic or Banana Boat oils on holiday then you will understand what I mean. On a plus side the smell actually lingers well after you have got out of the bath although the only downside is that its not too moisturising and can leave the skin feeling a tad on the dry side, but this is nothing that a good slap of moisturiser can't fix. If you are prone to dry skin though then you might want to reserve this for the bubble bath only and use an alternative moisturising body wash. 

Now please excuse me, I have a bath to attend to! :-) Actually I jest as I am currently at work, in a busy office completing technical tasks, or I am trying my best to look like I know what I am doing to...

DIY - LIP SCRUB

If there is one thing that I hate and that is dry lips which seems to be inevitable come the winter months which is why once in a while I like to look after my lips by doing an intensive scrub once in a while. Trust me this is a godsend for when you want to wear darker shades of lipsticks which can cling to all the dryer patches and ruin the look. A quick raid of my kitchen produced these items and make a good contender to the more ip scrubs you can buy on the market. Not that there is anything wrong with those, I have been quite partial to the Lush one before...

What you will need:

Olive Oil

Sugar

A plate and spoon 

Cotton buds

If I am doing this as a one off I will use a tea spoon of sugar and then a few drops of olive oil until the sugar sticks. You can make a batch and put it in a pot but I find that it does not last too long and goess hard after a while. If you choose to do this then just use more etc. I then like to apply with a cotton bud, rub in with my fingers for a few minutes and then rinse with cold water. Afterwards I slap on a generous amount of a moisturising lip balm, my current favourite being Nuxe Rêve de Miel which although is slightly too greasy for my liking during the day, makes for the perfect bedtime balm for soft lips in the morning. 

THE PERFECT RED? DIORIFIC 014 GRAND BAL 2012

Last Saturday I had no plans for NYE but I did know that whatever we were doing I wanted the perfect red lippie. I put the question out on Twitter and amongst the rec's Dior seemed to be a contender. So whilst mooching around Lakeside I took a detour into Boots and found myself hovering over the Dior counter. I told the assistant I was looking for a red lippy, no pink undertones, it had to last and had to be matte. Based on this info she sent me to the mirror with lip brush in hand with shade 014 - one application and it was a done deal. A seal of approval from the bf and I was good to go, new lippy in hand and £25 lighter (oops). The ultimate post box red, this will see you through the night with minimum need for re-application. After several drinks last night plus a cheeky kiss at midnight and this was still going strong and I am pleased to report back that this literally did not transfer at all - no red lips for the other half, much to his relief! I hope you all had fun last night whatever you were doing. Now I must go and catch up on some sleep zzzZZZ