If you read my blog frequently you will probably have been able to gather that I’m obsessed with Lush. The release of Lush’s new summer range clashed perfectly with my trip to the Lush Spa in Edinburgh, eeeek! I’m not going to talk about my experience at the Lush spa in this blogpost as it definitely deserves it’s own but I am going to talk about all the products I picked up from their new range.
1) The experimenter – This was the most hyped about Oxford Street exclusive by far! It deserves to be with it’s amazing array of colours and unique shape. I think this is a great bath bomb to watch fizz away as it’s so colourful and fun. However I have heard reviews of the bath water turning a grey colour when all the colours mix so I’ll definitely be prepared for that.
2) Karma – This is a new formula product and I think the new karma is so much more pretty and quirky than the old one! This looks very sophisticated and purple is one of my favourite colours for a bath to be. It has mango butter and sweet orange oil mixed with pine oil and patchouli oil which gives a contrast of fruitiness with earthiness. 
3) Granny takes a dip – I had the original granny takes a dip before it got reformulated and I wasn’t very impressed. It didn’t smell of anything in particular and it didn’t do anything special to your bath. It has been reformulated into a bubble bar which will give it that wow factor as we all know that lush bubble bars produce a hell of a lot of bubbles!
4) Intergalactic – I’ve never has a peppermint bath bomb before but after smelling this I think I will really like it. The colour is all in the middle of the bath bomb so I think it will fizz in nice ribbons into the water. I’m very excited to try out this bath bomb as it is spoken very highly of and seems to be a winner for many people!
5) Pink Flamingo – My first impression of this bath bomb was that it was very pretty but also very expensive. I always stay away from bubble bars on sticks as I think they will be messy and if it falls off the stick into my bath it’s a lot of money for just one bath. However this day I was in a Lush induced giddy mood and bought it. I’m intrigued to try it out as it seems an amazing product beside the stick part. Who knows, I may be converted to bubble bars on sticks, who knows… Side note; this smells incredible, it smells of a really sweet sickly cocktail, mmmmm. 
6) Yoga Bomb – I love all the jazzy bath products but sometimes a plain one just fits your mood perfectly. This smells earthy like karma but is a much subtler scent and I love products that look plain on the outside but have a little bit of excitement on the inside! This will be perfect to relax the body as (unfortunately) exam season is creeping around the corner.
7) Skydancer – I didn’t even smell this product before popping it into my basket as I always get the charity bath bombs. May day was a favourite of mine! Even if I don’t like the bath bomb (practically impossible), it was for charity and if buying a bath bomb helps prevent an animal from becoming extinct then I’m all in. 
8) Milky Bath – Cleopatra was said to have bathed in milk and it known to make your skin really soft. I don’t really like milk so I really hope it doesn’t smell of it! It’s a new and fun idea for a bubble bar so I was up for trying it. 
9) Frozen – I never jumped on the frozen hype bandwagon but this bath bomb looked too cute to resist! It smells soooo good and it looks amazing when in the bath (thanks to JustJodes lush demo video).
After going on the Lush website to check the names and information about the bath products I realised I bought every single one of the new bath bombs and bubble bars, OOPS!! Overall I am very impressed with the aesthetics of the new range and now I have taken photos of the products I can get around to using them. Most likely I will be tweeting what I think of these bath products once I’ve used them so if you want to know what I think be sure to follow me @rubyredr0ses. 

This is part 3 of 3 in my summer essentials series and lets be honest, we haven’t really had a summer at all. I go on holiday in a couple of days (I will be on holiday when this goes up) so for me, these summer essentials are my holiday essentials.

Nivea after sun bronze tan prolonging lotion – I am planning to use this whilst on holiday as a moisturiser to help maintain my tan. I’m up for anything that claims to help you tan more as it’s something I really struggle with and I also use suncreams in the nivea bronze range. After sun is a no brainer for me as I believe in using products specifically as what they are intended for so I don’t feel my normal moisturiser is fit for the job.  
Kiehl’s ultra daily moisturiser SPF 50 – I’ve never got along with facial suncreams, they’ve always made me look like a giant grease ball and made me break out. Online this is raved about and the main point that was highlighted was how it wasn’t greasy at all. This is a splurge, trust me, I debated whether to get this for quite a while. However, I caved in and bought it because you only get one lot of skin, so it’s best to look after it while I’m young. 
Lush olive branch shower gel – I’ve never used a lush shower gel before as I’m quite loyal to the body shop shower gels as they’re so cheap yet amazing! However, I like how lush do mini bottles which is perfect for holidays, and if you don’t like it there’s not loads to use up. This isn’t really in fact a shower gel, it’s a shower oil, oil is amazing for your skin on holiday as it helps moisturise your skin which prolongs your tan. You can really tell that I want a good tan!
Sanctuary 4 day moisture body oil spray – I am not going to be taking this on holiday with me, but in fact, I’m going to use it when I get back from holiday to (again) maintain my tan. I’ve already tried this out and it is amazing! It smells incredible, feels incredible and gives you so much moisture.
Uvistat lipscreen SPF 50 – Lips sometimes get forgotten about on holiday but it is very important to use a SPF lip balm as your normal lip balm will cause them to essentially boil in the sun. Painful! I picked up this lip balm for three reasons. 1) It has SPF 50 which is as high as you can go so I know they’re super protected 2) It has five star UVA and UVB ratings which is the new important thing that your suncreams should be (don’t ask me why) 3) It’s transparent, the worst thing about SPF lip balm is often they go on white which is not a good look.
I hope you enjoyed this little series of blogposts, I certainly enjoyed writing them! Let me know if you did as I would love to do them again for a different topic. Have you or are you going away anywhere nice on holiday?

This is part 2 of 3 in my summer essentials blogposts! Did you enjoy the first one? Did we have any summer essentials in common or similar? This summer essentials is about foot care because we all want to keep our tootsies looking nice in our sandals, don’t we! This blogpost is 100% not sponsored by the body shop, haha, I just LOVE their foot care range.

 

Body shop peppermint soothing pumice foot scrub – Don’t even get me started on how much I love the body shop peppermint foot care range! Once I discover it, I have rarely used anything else. This is a harsh but gentle exfoliant if that makes sense, its great at removing dead/dry skin yet doesn’t hurt the foot when used. The smell of this whole range is so refreshing that your feet feel practically new again after use!
Body shop almond nail and cuticle oil – This is such a no hassle, chuck in your handbag product. This cuticle oil is so handy to use as it’s not messy at all and is multifunctional. The oil is very nourishing and the oil softens the cuticles which then allows you to push them back with the cuticle pusher. I find this is very good to use on the nail when you have nail polish on as it keeps the nail hydrated when oxygen can’t get to it.
Body shop peppermint intensive foot rescue – The cooling effect when you apply this to your feet is so relaxing that after a long day on my feet, I find it helps me go to sleep. My feet are relaxed and soothed with the smell also relaxing me. This is so rich that when applied then covered with socks, it gives such a deep moisturising sensation that your feet feel like a baby’s bottom!
Body shop peppermint cooling foot spray –  This spray is perfect for when you get in and your feet are sore and a bit sweaty. It combats odour and contains menthol which cools your feet down. It’s very handy to just spritz on when you can’t be bothered to do anything else.
Lush volcano foot mask – Until using this, I’d never tried a foot mask before, but now I’m hooked. The other products are a quick fix but if I’m in a pampering mood I love to treat myself to this! Again. it’s very cooling and leaves your feet feeling revitalised after using.
These are my foot care summer essentials, what are yours? I’d love to try out some more product so let me know! Hope you’re having an amazing summer. 

I’ve decided to create an instalment of three posts about my summer essentials. The first one is haircare, followed by foot care then lastly is skincare. My posts are often very long as I like to write, but I thought it would be cool to mix it up and do a few short, snappy posts as sometimes I feel like people might not be reading my whole post as it’s too long. With that, lets get started!
OGX lemon highlights shampoo – Recently I decided that it was time to mix up my shampoo/conditioner and tailor it bespecifically for my hair instead of just using universal products. This shampoo contains coconut oil to add shine, lemon citrus oil to enhance highlights and key lime extract to add a delicious scent. All these aspects work as they say and even after the first wash I noticed that my natural blonde highlights were blonder!

 OGX lemon highlights conditioner – When buying a new shampoo and conditioner, I always like to use both of the same kind, as I feel then you can tell better whether the product is beneficial for you or not. I’m not a fan of coconut in any form, but the subtle coconut scent mixed with the key lime scent is just blissful, it smells like a beach holiday in a bottle.

 Schwarzkopf got2b beach matt texturizing salt spray – This was the first hair styling product I ventured out and used as I always believed they didn’t do anything. I don’t know why because they most certainly do! This salt spray is amazing, I apply it to the roots of my hair to give it that oomph it would have if I had spent the day at the beach. The smell of this also reminds me of beachy hair and it replicates the look of hair that you would have if you had just walked off the beach.

John Freida sheer blonde go blonder controlled lightening spray – If you were to buy one product from this blogpost, I would 100% recommend this! Instead of splurging a lot of money on highlights, buy this spray (only £4 at boots at the moment), it honestly gives you so natural but prominent highlights. I use this when I go on holiday and apply it to my damp, clean hair before I blow-dry it. They say the more heat you add, the lighter it will go, but when I’ve used it in the past I just blow-dry it then let the sun be the source of heat.

Marilyn hair treatment – As I’ve grown older, I’ve come to terms with the fact that I need to put additional steps in place to look after my hair. A quick shampoo and conditioner followed by shoving it up in a bun just won’t suffice anymore. I’ve never ever used a hair mask before, but as my hair looks even more frayed and dry as time goes on, it was about time I bought one. As you probably know, I swear by lush products so I chose this blonde hair treatment from them.

All these products are suited to the hair colour I have, blonde, but even if you have a different colour hair you might be interested in the brand as the products I have tried are all amazing. These are my top 5 summer haircare essentials, what are yours?

The past couple of months have flown by, it feels like last week I was making New Year’s resolutions. Last month I didn’t do a monthly favourites so I thought I would combine my June and July favourites into one. As the past couple of months have flown by, my favourites didn’t really change from one month to the next.
Skin/Body Care
 
Mitchum deodorant – I picked this deodorant up at the end of June and I’ve been loving it as it simply does the job. I find spray deodorants set off my asthma so a solid deodorant is a good alternative and it works better in my opinion.
Lush eau roma water – This toner is my new can’t live without product, a week after buying the full size, I went back and bought the travel size version. I have combination skin and this toner suits my skin perfectly as it hydrates but still controls the oil. The lavender in the toner has worked really well to manage my red pigmentation which no other product has.
Pink grapefruit shower gel – It is no secret that I love the body shop shower gels, they’re so affordable, yet work so well. They are refreshing and lather up a lot which I like in a shower gel. The pink grapefruit scent is subtle but sweet which some mornings is exactly what I want.
Mango shower gel – This shower gel smells amazing! The body shop always have the perfect scents for their products. I love using this shower gel any time of the day but especially after a workout as it smells strongly so you feel super clean afterwards.
Pink grapefruit body puree – I’m defiantly into matchy matchy, can you tell? Matching products are my favourite especially when it means you’ll smell x2 of that scent or x5 depending on how many products you use in that range! I’ve never had a body “puree” before but I really like the consistency and it is very cooling. It’s perfect to whack on in the morning when you have no time to let a body lotion absorb.
Mango body whip – Aside from the name “body whip” being very appealing, the product itself is very good. I honestly don’t think I’ve come across a body shop product I don’t like. This is very luxurious and makes you feel like you’re pampering yourself but you don’t have to wait for ages for it to sink in like body butter.
Lush volcano foot mask – I’m absolutely hooked onto this product, I’m on my second tub already and my lush haul where I bought it was only a couple of weeks ago! This product makes my feet feel brand new and it’s amazing to keep my tootsies looking nice in summer.
Beauty

L’Oreal Paris million lashes so couture mascara – I’ve been using this mascara every day for the past two months! It’s replaced my Mac extended play and Benefit roller lash mascara which is something I never thought I would say. I really like it because it’s so easy to apply and stays on all day without being waterproof which means it is fairly easy to remove.

Benefit porefessional – In a benefit gift set I got for Christmas, the porefessional was inside, but on first impressions I wasn’t very impressed. A couple of months ago I dug it out of my makeup collection to try and see if I could make it work for me. Now I absolutely love it, it minimises my pores on my nose and cheeks massively. I think the reason it works better for me now is because my skin has calmed down and it is less oily than it was.

All-in-one instablur universal – I didn’t realise until I sat down to write this post that I included two primers, three if you include the concealer primer! As the weather has got warmer, my makeup has had more of a tendency to melt off my face, therefore I have put measures in place to try and prevent this. The texture of this product is horrible! However the product is so good that I can look past the feel of it as I put it on my face.

Maybelline brow satin eyebrow pencil – This eyebrow pencil has changed my life! I am a victim of over plucking my eyebrows and this product just makes it easier to reverse this. Obviously I can’t reverse the over plucking but this product makes my brows look defined yet natural. Since using a proper brow product not just a brow gel, I feel like my whole makeup has looked better, eyebrows done correctly really do frame your face.

Benefit some kind of gorgeous – This “foundation faker” really intrigued me but after experimenting with it I discovered it was too dark for my skin colour and I didn’t like the consistency on my skin. A couple of youtubers have been raving about cream bronzers for the summer months so I decided to try and use this as one. It works amazing as a cream bronzer, it blends out so easily and leaves the skin with a natural summer glow.

Bourjois liner pinceau – Eyeliner was the bane of my life, I’d keep trying to make them even until they covered my whole eyelid. This eyeliner makes just lining my lash line to make my lashes look thicker so simple. Tanya Burr used this eyeliner in a video and it looked so easy that I decided to try to master liquid liner using this product. It is honestly super easy to use, like eyeliner for dummies (me)!

Barry M speedy quick dry in a heartbeat – I picked up a couple of Barry M quick dry nail polishes in a haul a while back and ever since I have been reaching for them every time I go to paint my nails. I’ve been particularly fond of this colour as it’s perfect for nails or toenails and it just goes perfectly with anything I wear.

Benefit stay don’t stray – As I said earlier, I’ve been loving primers in these hotter months (well they’re meant to be). This primer keeps my concealer on which no other product does which is defiantly an achievement!

Bold Metals 200 oval shadow – I originally used this brush as an eyeshadow blending brush, which worked, but I found it made a messy job as it blended the eyeshadow too much. Now I use this to blend in my concealer and it’s the best brush I have found for this job. It blends in so effortlessly and unlike every other brush I’ve tried, it doesn’t leave lines in your makeup.

Kate Moss Rimmel lipstick shade 3 – Especially in July, this was my go to lipstick as it went with every makeup look and could be applied so effortlessly. This lipstick is super moisturising, long lasting and such a perfect nude but not too nude that it looks like you have foundation on your lips.

Random Favourites

Flowers – Lately I’ve been getting into a regular routine of buying flowers for my room! A bunch of fresh flowers can really raise my mood and they just look so beautiful. I especially like pink/purple themed flowers as they compliment my bedding at the moment.

 

Headspace – Headspace is a meditation app that I have a membership for but you can actually get a free 10 session trial. Sometimes I can get quite stressed/anxious especially around exam time so this meditation app really helps to calm me down. The man’s voice is very therapeutic and I find the different packs really helpful to combat different obstacles life presents us with.
Nike pro classic sports bra – Nike sports bras are the only ones I own as I think they give such good support but also look funky too. I’m in love with the print on this and the material is so lightweight, all round winner for me.
Pomegranate and pineapple two wick candle – This candle smells how I would define summer in a scent. It’s fruity, sweet and simply delicious. Aside from the scent, this candle burns for ages and burns beautifully if that’s even possible. By that I mean it all melts down and no product is wasted up the sides.
What have been your spring favourites? Have you been loving any of the products I have or similar ones?