Christmas gifts.

NARS Laguna bronzing powder and a mini Too Faced Shadow Insurance in Candlelight.

A Marilyn Monroe calendar, gift cards - TGI Fridays, H&M, Wendy's, Forever 21, Big Apple Bagels, Pacsun, gas card, and cash maaaney.

Vampire Diaries Season Two, gold band from Forever 21, The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides (returning to Amazon & getting a copy for my Kindle instead!).

Aztec-print top with pocket, gloves, fuzzy socks.

Lush goodies! (going clockwise) Magic Wand bubble bar, The Comforter bubble bar (one of my all time fave Lush products!), Phoenix Rising bath bomb, Candy Mountain bubble bar.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 25 Instant Camera.  This was the gift i was probably most excited to receive!  If you haven't heard of it before, it's basically like an old school Polaroid camera, but since Polaroid stopped making the film for its cameras, Fujifilm came out with an alternative.  It's lightweight & really cool looking (imo!), and the photos it produces are really cute and vintage looking.  (You can see one of the images in my Merry Christmas post, it's in the last photo!).  Although the film is quite expensive, i'm so excited to bring this on nights out & such!

What did you get for Christmas this year?

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Lush's Twilight Bath Bomb ♥

Last night i had the pleasure of using one of Lush's newer bath bombs (aka ballistics) that i got in a recent haul - it's called Twilight.  Now, those of you who may be put off by the name (if you're not to big on the Cullens, hehe) will be relieved to hear that this is not related to the series at all, but the effect it leaves on the bathwater - but more on that later.  This was the first of the Lush bath bombs made with the newer formula that i tried, and i'm really glad i did decide to try it. 

First off - the smell.  It smells absolutely gorgeous, of lavender and mild (not nose-piercing) vanilla.  It's very relaxing & calming, and really helped my mind to slow down a bit.  I actually thought about the English paper i have to write (*ahem* nerd), and figured out what i'm going to talk about - mhm, this never happens haha.

A little bit after plopping Twilight into the tub.  *Froths* haha

The ballistic itself is huge and pink with little stars & a moon stamped on it - how cute! - but fizzes away to reveal a blue inside, how awesome is that?!  Twilight was actually quite enjoyable to watch because it was just bouncing around & frothing - i was literally looking at it and smiling like a dork haha.  It lasted quite a long time in the tub as well, which is really nice.  I don't really like when they just fizz out & leave you sitting there bored!

The blue inner bit :)

This bath bomb was actually named after the way the bathwater looks as it's fizzing out & after the ballistic's all gone.  The water honestly looked SO gorgeous, i literally couldn't stop staring at it - and this is bathwater i'm talking about!  I honestly felt like i was sitting in the night sky, as crazy as that sounds - the water was left a rich purple color, with little specks of glitter (aka stars :) floating around.  Usually i'd be put off by glitter, but you can't feel the specks at all since they're quite fine.  Twilight also left the bathwater really silky & lovely, which my skin really seemed to appreciate :).

The bathwater, with flash & without

This bath bomb is $4.95 and i would definitely repurchase this.  Next time you go into Lush, i suggest you have a whiff of this!  I think Twilight has actually converted me into a ballistic person, i thought the bubble bars were my thing but i am in loveeeee!  This has easily become one of my favorite Lush products for sure :).

Playlist for this bath bomb:

Mr. Blue Sky - ELO - perfect for when you just plop it in the bath and it starts fizzing & frothing haha

Come Away With Me - Norah Jones

Pure Imagination - Gene Wilder

Only the Young - Brandon Flowers

I wrote a post a long time ago about how to take a 'proper' Lush bath, you can read that here :)

Happy bathing!

xoxo

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Little Lush Goodies :)

Lush never fails to make me smile, and since my day wasn't going very well i felt the need for a bit of retail therapy!  I had the pleasure of sniffing at the new limited edition Christmas products, but only ended up getting one, as well as a year-round product.  I didn't want to spend too much money, but i wanted to have a few new bits to try in the bath :).

First up is the Gingerbread House bubble bar!  How cute is this, seriously?!  I almost don't want to break this baby up, i have a feeling i'll try & put it on display for as long as possible :).  I wouldn't say it smell super ginger-y, but there's definitely a bit of spice and cinnamon which i normally wouldn't go for, but it's definitely got that holiday-esque smell that i love this time of year.  The lovely girl i talked to who was working in Lush told me this has ginger powder & ginger oil in it, which actually stimulates the skin and makes you feel warm...that just about sold me!  My house is absolutely freezing so it will be amazing to escape for a little while ♥.  This adorable wee thing was $6.25.

The second thing i got was the Twilight bath bomb/ballistic (the description of this on their website is soo dreamy, i love it ♥).  It smells of lavender, which i again wouldn't normally go for, but this is super lovely.  The stars & little moon on the bomb are so adorable.  This is supposed to change colors and spit out glitter as it fizzes out, which actually sounds super fun!.  The girlie who was helping me said that it actually looks like a sunset when it's done, ahh :).  Can't wait to use this, i just can't stop sniffing it haha.  Twilight was $4.95.

I was also given two samples (i never get samples there!) - Glogg (i asked how to pronounce this word haha, she said it's pronounced like "glooooog" :) which is a newer shower gel.  It smells quite spicy & masculine, but i think it's growing on me!  I was also given a sample of Snow Fairy shower gel, which i absolutely love and i'm going to stock up on during one of their sales!

What are your favorite Lush products? :)

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July Faves :)

I originally wasn't planning on doing a July favorites post, mainly because i haven't really been wearing a lot of makeup & also because i haven't bought any new products in the entire month of July...crazy to think about, but yeah - i'm absolutely broke!  The times i have worn makeup in the month of July, i usually kept it simple or tried out new things - eg. different color eyeliners, different cheek colors, etc.

I have also been focusing more on taking care of skin this month, as the summer weather has really put a strain on it!  So my July favorites consist of one hair product, a few skin products, and just two makeup items!  I still hope you ladies enjoy this post :)

Dove Heat Defense Therapy Conditioner ♥

Whenever i blow-dry or straighten my hair (which admittedly, isn't too often in the summer!), i like to protect my hair from the heat as much as possible - starting in the shower.  I don't use this conditioner daily as it can cause buildup if used too frequently, but i be sure to use it whenever i know i'm going to use heat on my hair.  It makes my hair super soft & easy to work with!

Vaseline ♥

I think vaseline (or at least petroleum jelly) is a staple in any household, you can use it for so many things!  Every summer, my feet suffer from dryness & even cracking (sorry if you were eating!), so using the right products to help heal them is really important.  Before i go to bed, i slather this stuff on the bottoms of my feet, put on socks, dream for a bit, wake up, & viola!  My feet feel moisturized & the cracks in my feet have started to heal.  This stuff is a lifesaver.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Tinted Self-Tanning Lotion in "Deep Natural Tan" ♥

I already did a post kind of reviewing this product (link here), so i won't go too in depth - but i've really been loving this stuff lately.  I don't like exposing my skin to too much sun (i sound like a hermit!), as it is soo damaging, but i still like to have a tan.  This product is a solution to that dilemma!  I think i look so much healthier & even thinner with a tan, so i really love this product.

Lush "Honey, I Washed the Kids" Soap ♥

This soap is one of the more popular soaps at Lush and gets a lot of hype on YouTube & in the blogging community, and i would say it definitely lives up to the hype.  It smells delicious - i actually may need restraint from eating it! - it is also quite moisturizing, and creates a gorgeous lather!  Definitely a product to try out :)

Clinique High Impact Mascara in Black ♥

I did a review on this product a long, long time ago, and i still love it.  I would be my favorite mascara i've ever tried if it wasn't flaky, but i digress!  The effect this mascara has on my lashes is amazing!  It makes them look thick & lengthens them a bit, it looks stunning!  It's also quite dark black, which is always a plus in my book.

Clinique Blush in "Iced Lotus" ♥

I swear this product has been in all of my monthly favorites ever, but i honestly love this stuff!  It's the prettiest color blush i own. I stopped using this for a while, but i've rediscovered it & have fallen for it once more.  It's very pretty & gives a very lovely, fresh look to the cheeks :)

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What have you ladies been loving this month? :)

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Jewelry & Accessory Storage! ♥

This post will be a picture-heavy one, showing you lovelies how i store my jewelry & accessories!

I keep a majority of it on top of my dresser, as shown above :)

I'll go into specifics of what is stored where, and i'll try to make it brief!

Oh, and i apologize in advance for all the weird colors going on in the photos of this post..i couldn't take a decent shot of anything for the life of me today :/

Let's get started!

This little stackaroo from Walmart is what i used to store my makeup in, until it didn't fit anymore haha.  Sure it's really not the prettiest thing to store jewelry in, but i can see everything i have easily & it gets the job done.

In the first drawer, i keep pins & brooches - it's definitely the prettiest drawer :)

In the next drawer down, i keep all my earrings.  I keep the bigger studs down toward the front, my dangly/hoop ones in the back right corner, and the smaller studs in a box so they don't roll around & get lost.

This next drawer contains the bracelets i don't wear as often & my SillyBandz teehee :D

The fourth drawer doesn't contain much, but i keep the loose pendants & things to be repaired in here.

The last drawer contains my other pins & badges.

On the left is a vintage jewelry holder, with some jewelry from my aunt in there.  In the "sweet" jar, i have Werther's caramel candy :) hehee.  In the little circular jar, i keep the backs of my earrings - this container is actually from Chile, my dad brought it back for me :).

Next to the drawer-unit, i keep my Lush goodies in this really lovely floral bowl from Goodwill.

Over to the right, i keep my Yankee Candle diffuser (mmmmm ♥), a gold basket of more jewelry, my everyday sunglasses, a watch, my pearl earrings from China, and a random necklace.

In this basket (from an estate sale), i keep the jewelry i wear most often & my rings.  I like to keep it out here instead of in the plastic drawers because it's all laid out for me & i can quickly pick out what i'm going to wear that day.

In the top drawer of my dresser, right below everything i just talked about, i keep my sunglasses, safety pins, hair ribbons, bracelets i rarely wear, & necklaces that don't fit with the rest of my necklaces.

In my closet, which is right to the left of my dresser with all the things above, i keep my necklaces.  They're hung on the wall with push-pins.  I really need to find a better way to store these babies!

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Hope you ladies are all enjoying your Thursdays! :)

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Heaven in a Bath ♥

So yes, the title of this post is "Heaven in a Bath" - bold accusation, i'd say.  I can justify this though, because i have found a product that really does an amazing job at making you feel super relaxed and helps you wind down after a long, stressful day.

Lo & behold the Floating Island Bath Melt from Lush!

I have been wanting to try a bath melt from Lush for the longest time & was drawn to this particular one because of all the positive reviews i had been hearing (the name also took me to another place just in itself!  Floating Island....mmmmmm :)

Don't be fooled by the plain appearance ladies!  This bath melt looks like a cupcake with the top cut off and smells of vanilla and sweets, but it's not overwhelming or headache-inducing at all.

This is a fairly decent sized BM, so i got three uses out of it - i do have quite a small bathtub though.

Floating Island is stuffed with almond oil & cocoa butter, which makes it super moisturizing (as bath melts are made to be) and makes the bathwater super silky & amazing.  My skin felt like a dream during, after, and even the morning after the bath.

I admittedly was on the verge of falling asleep (twice) right in the tub on my first go with this melt - it's that soothing :)

Oooooo, witness the frothing ;)

There are only two bad things i'd have to say about this bath melt.  One is that the fragrance isn't very strong - other Lush bath products give me a sort of aromatherapy, which makes the whole bathing experience even more relaxing & incredible, but i didn't get that with this one.  Since this smells exactly like the Butterball Bath Bomb to me, i think paired with this melt, it would make for an aaaaamazing bath.

The other thing is that it made my bath really slippery, so i had to be careful standing up as i didn't want to slip (who does, right?) - this could potentially be an issue to other people as well, especially those who are older.

Oh, just a heads up - some people may be disappointed that it doesn't change the color of the bathwater as well!

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The Floating Island Bath Melt is definitely a product worth trying out if you haven't already.  It's one of Lush's more pricier bath products at $7.95, or 3.50 British Pounds, but i'd say it's worth it!

Happy bathing ladies!

Floating Island is available in Lush stores & also online!:

US link / UK link
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Don't know how to fully enjoy a Lush bath?  Click here! :D

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Love of the Week!: Lush Vanilla in the Mist Soap ♥

I haven't done a product/love of the week post for a while, so i thought it would start it up again!

What i am loving this week is:

Lush's "Vanilla in the Mist" Soap!

I briefly talked about this scrumptious soap in my May Favorites post & here is a full review :)

Let's start with the scent :).  I would describe it as a super warm, rich vanilla scent with hints of what smells like coffee - i wouldn't say it's very sweet, and although i'm usually one to go for super sweet, girly scents (ie The Godmother & Rockstar) - i personally adore it.  As i've noticed with other solid soaps, the scent doesn't linger too long on the skin unlike most liquid soaps - but personally, i don't mind that.

I got a big chunk of this, but i cut it up into little slices for convenience, and pictured above is one of the slices.
I apply the soap right onto my skin like that & it creates a super creamy lather.  It's kinda weird because sometimes the lather is yellow do to the yellow color of the actual soap, but i honestly don't mind that either haha.

I know a lot of people are concerned about solid soaps drying out their skin, which is completely understandable.  I would say this soap doesn't add any moisture to your skin, but i do kind of feel my skin is a bit tighter after rinsing this soap off.  It's not something i mind to much to be honest, but i know it might bother some people.

The only negative thing i really have to say about this soap are the vanilla pods stuck about in the soap (those are the brown chunks in the soap in the picture above).  They don't really exfoliate the skin, they just sort of scratch at it, and they really just plugs up the bath drain.  I just pick these pods out, but i feel like it takes up space where soap could be instead - so it's almost like you're getting less product for your money.

Price-wise, this is in the midrange as far as Lush soaps go - $6.25 per 3.5 ounces & 3.10 British Pounds per 100 grams.  This soap lasts a fairly decent amount of time.
I really recommend this to anyone really, if you want to try out a new scent or if you're scoping out for a new Lush soap :)

Vanilla in the Mist is available for the US here & for the UK here.
VITM is also available in all Lush stores.


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May Faves! ♥

It's that time again!  Time to share with what products we've all been loving this month :)  The year's going by incredibly fast - we're already on the verge of summer!  Goodness... i'm afraid to blink because if i do, it'll be time to put up the Christmas decorations!

I degress...so with the sun showing it's face a bit more and with the air being more hot & humid, the products i choose to use everyday is changing, and i'm also using more products to keep my skin healthy and looking great!  This will be a long post, so i apologize in advance....Let's get onto it!

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1. Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof deodorant
Sure, this may be a bit embarrassing to put in this post, but i don't care because i have been totally loving it!  I have tried the regular Clinical Strength, but it doesn't work as well as the waterproof version, which makes sense.. ew, right?  Haha.  I'm just going to go straight into talking about sweat i guess, that's the only way to really say how effective this product is!  Ever since entering my teen years my hormones have gone crazy, and a side effect of that is sweating.  So that, along with the hot weather, is just a recipe for embarrassment & being uncomfortable.  Ever since using this, i have noticed that my underarm area is significantly drier & smelling fresh!  I believe i found my new favorite deo :)

2. Coppertone Oil Free Sunscreen Lotion
With the sunlight beating down, it's extremely important to protect your skin.  I have been using this sunscreen since last summer, and i really love it for everyday use.  It has an SPF of 30, which isn't too high, but again, it's great for everyday use - however, if i were going to the beach or planning to be outside all day, i would definately use a sunscreen with a higher SPF.  Since my skin is really sensitive to fragrances (esp. in lotions), this is a fragrance free lotion, but it still has that amazing, summery smell of sunscreen :)

3. Lush Vanilla in the Mist soap
You might've seen that i bought this delicious soap in a recent haul (link here), and since then i've gotten to use it quite a bit :)  I'll be writing up a full review on this product soon, but i wanted to include it in my May Faves because it's absolutely divine.  The scent is super warm vanilla, and almost coffee - it's incredible.  It's also quite moisturizing, which for a solid soap isn't something you come across too often.  I absolutely adore this product ♥.  Look out for a full review!

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1. Clinique High Impact Mascara in 01 Black

I did a review on this way back in the day, i kinda stopped using it since i discovered CoverGirl Lash Blast, but i've since rediscovered it.  I still use my Lash Blast, but i use this as on top of it, on the outer corner lashes - it really gives my lashes even more length & volume, and creates more of a cat-eye effect.  Love!

2. Double-ended eye brush

Whilst walking through a cosmetic aisle in Walmart looking for a blending brush, i came across some Revlon brushes, as well cheaper ones - of course i went for the cheaper ones.  I'm not sure what brand this one is exactly because the the label came off of the packaging... but if you spot the Revlon brushes in Walmart, i'm sure you'll find these right next to them.  I already own the MAC 217 brush, which is great for applying color to the crease & blending, but i wanted to find another one to use for when i'm using a look with multiple colors.  This brush is great for blending, i still prefer my 217, but this is a great brush - reminds me of the MAC 224!

3. CoverGirl Cheekers Bronzer in 104 "Golden Tan"

Before i got my Bare Minerals Warmth, i was running low on my favorite Clinique Bronzer ("Sunkissed"), so i went to Walmart (i'm noticing a pattern here...) & tried to look for a nice, inexpensive bronzer.  I landed on this CoverGirl bronzer, and i really like it!  I'll put a little swatch of it above here, it looks like the name sounds, goldie-brownie, but it comes up more orangey-brown on the skin - kind of annoying, but you can always blend it out a bit :)

4. Burt's Bees Beeswax Lipbalm

I'm pretty sure you've all either tried this stuff, or at least heard of it - with good reason too, it's really nice!  I have been using these for years, but went off it a couple months ago because i was trying to use up some other lip products.  Since i've used them all up, i repurchased this & have fallen back in love :)

So minty & fresh feeling on the lips!

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Urban Decay Eyeshadow in "Mad Hatter" (Original name: "Twice Baked")
I absolutely adore this color.  I use this in the outer corner & blend it into the crease, and it looks really nice!  I've tried using up other colors, from Urban Decay & other brands, and i always come back to this.  There are glitters in it, but it really isn't noticeable once applied - still a nice little touch :)

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1. DIY Sailor Button Earrings
So i was having a crafty day a couple weeks ago, as you may know (I did a blogpost on it!  Link here :), and on that crafty day, i made these earrings out buttons & old earrings!  I wore them so much this month, they go with soo many outfits!  Love, love, love - and they were free, eeeee!  Guilt-free accessories :)

2. Sally Hansen Teflon Tuff 10 Day Nail Color in 06 "Violet Frost"
This gorgeous color has been on my nails for the majority of the month!  It's a very pretty, uhh... violet frosty color?  Haha :).  I rediscovered this baby while taking photos for my recent nail polish collection post (link herezzz).  I received many compliments on it - that's always nice, right? :)  The formulation is so-so, probably because i've had this for years & years - it's still a very pretty & somewhat easy to work with polish.

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Say cupcake five times fast if you actually made it through this post!  Hahaha :O
What have you ladies been loving this month?


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No More Snow Fairy!?!

Yup.  It's official.  I'm out of my Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel!!!!!!  :(

In case you don't know, Snow Fairy SG as well as other products with the same scent are limited edition, and only come out during Christmas time.  I got 3-100 mL bottles during the Boxing Day Sale & i've officially used every last drop of them!

The scent is aaaaamazing & takes me back to last Christmas when i first smelled this.  *sigh*

The Godmother soap has just about the same scent, but it's not the same - know what i mean?  Haha.

Lush, if you're reading this, you need to start selling again asap!  Nomnom it's delish.

All that remains is the pretty blue glitter at the bottom :(

My plan?: Since the bottle still contains that amazing sickly sweet scent, i'm leaving this bottle in my drawer so i can unscrew the cap & smell it occasionally to hold me over till Christmas :) haha, i'm such a sad excuse for a person!

Snow Fairy, you will be surely missed.

Until next Christmas,

Laura

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A few Friday goodies & another award :)

First of all, sorry for this being the second 'haul'-type post in a row =/  I feel like i'm totally bragging!  Do you ladies like these haul posts?

Anyway, I finally went into Lush for the first time in way too long yesterday and my lovely mother so kindly & unexpectedly treated my two two goodies :)

♥ Lush Floating Island Bath Melt - $7.95

♥ 0.41 lbs of Vanilla in the Mist soap - $10.25

♥ Secret Clinical Strength Waterproof deodorant - LOL, i came home from to school to see this lying on my bed... that's kind of embarassing.

♥ I received the June 2010 issue of Teen Vogue in the mail yesterday!  Amanda Seyfried looks absolutely stunning - i think it's impossible to take a somewhat unattractive photo of her!  There's also a really informative story on tanning beds, i'm making my sister read it!  Also in the issue, there was also a little article on Topshop Makeup, with this lovely image on! :)

♥ I also got this really pretty purple dress (which this picture does not give justice to at all!) from Boston Store by the brand Soprano.  I still have to try it on & see if i like it.  To my disappointment, the fabric is 95% rayon and 5% spandex, not incredibly suitable for summer.  I love cotton dresses, but i'll have to see if this'll do!  I'm looking for summer dresses that can be worn without any bottoms like leggings, shorts, jeggings, etc. :) - originally $38, got for $22.80 with discounts

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I was given the Sweet Blog award by the absolutely lovely Dollface_24!!

Thanks so much hun! :)

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Expect reviews from me on the Lush goodies!  Hope you are all having a spectacular weekend, i heard there was sun across the pond today!

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