All Things Bright and Beauty-ful - Beauty Reviews - A Christmas Pamper Routine.

Hi!!!

It's Blogmas Day Nineteen and today I have a little Christmas pamper routine to share with you. You might want to save this for when you get home on Friday night, you might want to save it for Christmas Eve - there is nothing more dreamy than a pre-Christmas pamper that makes you feel like a sparkly star on Christmas Day. But also, you might want to take some time this evening, especially if 5pm on Friday seems a million miles away and you want to give yourself that sparkly feeling to get you ready for the home stretch to Christmas. Whenever you find time to do this, I would definitely recommend taking some time for yourself. Without further ado, here's what I recommend.

This is a pretty straightforward pamper routine, and it doesn't take up twelve hours of your time, which I like. This is my go-to at the moment, but sometimes I'm all about the long baths and Lush bath bombs so feel free to add to it or change things if you want. The above photo is sadly not from my bathroom but was taken at Chatsworth last year - it was a room based on the theme of the Sugar Plum Fairy's dressing room, and I think this festive pamper routine is one the Sugar Plum Fairy would be very happy with so I had to include it.



Before I get in the shower, I wash my face with my Aloe Calming Foaming Wash from The Body Shop. I don't wear makeup everyday, but if I do happen to be wearing it then I take it off using The Body Shop's Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup Remover (if you're into cleansing balms or oils, there are also a few of those in the range). I remove my makeup with it, then wash it off with warm water and then I go back in with my Face Wash to get rid of any last dregs of makeup.

 

Then I'll hop into the shower. I use (and love) Herbal Essences Classic Silk n Shine Shampoo and Conditioner to wash my hair.

 Then, since it's Christmas, some festive body care products are in order. I'm using Lush's classic Snow Fairy Shower Gel. It has such a dreamy scent - it's super sweet, which it's bubblegum pink colour might suggest, and it definitely makes me feel like an actual fairy princess who lives in a castle made of candyfloss, so that's nice. If sugary smells aren't your thing, then check out Lord of Misrule, another one of my favourites from Lush's Christmas range which has a more earthy scent, and Vanilla Chai Shower Gel from The Body Shop which is one for those who like spicy, warmer fragrances. The shower gel featured is in a plastic bottle but Lush also make a 'naked' version of this shower gel (available here) which does the same job but without the plastic packaging and I would highly recommend checking that out and reducing your plastic consumption without sacrificing that sugary goodness.

 

To go with my shower gel, I have the Snow Fairy Body Conditioner (this is also available in a 'naked', plastic free version - here - yay and a million points to Lush for caring about the planet). This product works like a hair conditioner - you apply it to your skin in the shower (so while it's still damp), leave it for a few minutes so it can soak in, and then you wash it off. It does feel a bit weird if you're used to using typical body butters but it's a lovely product and concept and means you can just get straight into your pyjamas and get on with your evening.
 

 

I'd then paint my nails - to see my product recomendations, click here - and then either listen to some music, watch a Christmas film or read a book (but I'll definitely be drinking hot chocolate, no matter what).

Thanks for reading today's Blogmas post - I hope you find it useful. I also really hope you like the photos as much as I do.

What are your night in essentials at this time of year? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

I hope you enjoyed today's post. I'll speak to you all tomorrow.

Have a wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx 

Shopping for Treats - Hauls and Wishlists - Black Friday Sales Haul

Hi!!!

So how long ago did I last do a haul? And did you know I've never posted a clothing haul, only beauty? Guess it's just not normally my thing. But today I have one and it's all about the bargains I scooped up on Black Friday. I am really excited to give this kind of post a go, so let me know what you think.

Jumper, H&M

I called into H&M on Black Friday with Elf Girl because she wanted to get something and then I saw this jumper and ended up buying something too. I love H&M jumpers because they are always soft and comfortable and I really like the colour and cut of this one. I lovr the speckle through this as well, because it just adds something a little different. They do a bunch of colours including a lovely shade of green which Elf Girl bought. I can't seem to find them online but do look in store if you like it or maybe a look at the rest of their lovely jumpers here.

Aloe Calming Foaming Wash, The Body Shop.

The day before Black Friday, I went into The Body Shop because I needed face wash, completely forgetting about it being Black Friday week, and nearly exploded with excitement when the girl behind the till said £4. So I went and bought another on actual Black Friday because a bottle is normally £7 and the discount was fantastic.  Anyway, I love this product so much and highly reccomend it. You can shop it here.

White Trainers, New Look

The rest of this haul is New Look based because their sale was full of great stuff at great prices. My package arrived today - I opted for 5-7 working days free delivery so I was super excited about that and wanted to mention it to you guys. Basically, shoes are my weakness and I've wanted some white trainers for a while now- I think they look awesome with so many things and so I'm excited to style them. You can check these out here.

Checked Shirt, New Look

I love shirts. I wear them loads. I didn't have one like this and when I saw this I fell in love - I think this will look really nice worn open over other tops and also worn buttoned up normallum The dark blue really makes the green check stand out, and I love the way that looks. The material is also really nice and quite thick, which impressed me.  If you also want a shirt like this, you can find them here.

Black Ankle Boots, New Look

 I have a pair of black ankle boots that I wear all the time and so when I saw these I put them straight in the basket. They are leather, which is great, and they have really lovely metal detailing which I love. They also have a good sized heel which is something I really like about them. They are really lovely boots and I'm very happy about this purchase. Shop them here.

Stripe Wrap Dress, New Look

I don't think that I have ever owned a wrap dress before now... I mean I'm not 100% sure but I really don't remember any. It seems so odd now because I do really like the style. I think the shape of this is really flattering and I love the combination of the red, white and black colours. There are so many ways to style wrap dresses, so I think I'll get a lot of wear out of this piece. It also has a tie belt thing but I untied it for the photo so you could get a better view of the skirt. This exact one is out of stock, but if you like the style, here's some with different colours in.

Stripe Midi Dress, New Look

Apparently, I have this thing with stripe-y dresses... This one is Midi length - it looks longer in the photo but clothes are so tricky to photograph - which means I'll be able to dress this up or down with ease, and I love the crisp white stripes on the very dark blue. It's also got a tie belt thing around the waist, which makes it really flattering. I'm basically in love, haha. You can snap one up here.

So, I hope you enjoyed that - I know it was a little different, hopefully in a good way.
Did you buy anything in the sales? Have you got any other comments or maybe a suggestion for future posts you'd like to see? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading.

Have a wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx

Going Anywhere Nice On Your Holidays? - Travel - What's In My Suitcase? Cyprus 2016

Hi!!!

Hello, lovely people. I hope you're having a brilliant week so far (and also that you enjoy this post...). Today is a post all about the contents of my suitcase. This is the second draft that I've done of this, because figuring out how to do it well has been interesting. Anyway, let's begin.



I have a whole bunch of cosmetic/wash bags. The red one contains my sun protection - two bottles of Nivea Factor 50, a bottle of Factor 50 Vichy Velvety Cream, aftersun and an SPF 30 lip balm from Malibu. The floral one is from Cath Kidston and it has my cleanser, makeup remover, toothbrush and toothpaste and deodorant. The blue one with the owls has my makeup in and there isn't loads - I have mascara, some colourful lipsticks, bronzer, concealer, primer and Nars Sheer Glow foundation and some brushes. I also have a colour protect conditioner (because it has UV filters), my fave shampoo and shower gel, some hair bobbles and insect repellent.

 

Clothes wise, I have a variety of vest tops, several pairs of shorts and some cover-ups. I also have some smarter tops and blouses, linen trousers, maxi dresses and a maxi skirt. I've got some light scarves and a light cardigan for the evenings, too. I have a couple of bikinis and a tankini - they are a bunch of different colours and prints.

 

I packed two pairs of sandals - some chunky white ones and some with black strappy detailing. I wore pair of trainers on the plane so I also have those with me.

 

I have this super snazzy (and rather glamorous) floppy sun hat which I adore - it is huge so it'll certainly help protect me from the sun. I've also got a blue and white one which has a slightly smaller brim.

 

And then the books. I packed Funny Girl by Nick Hornby, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding, Paper Towns by John Green (on recommendation) and Brighton Rock by Graham Greene. Would you like me to review them when I get back? (Tell me in the comments).

 

And that, ladies and gents, is 'what's in my suitcase'. This was a bit of a different post for me, so I hope you liked it!

Have you been on holiday this year? Are you going anywhere? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments.

Thanks for reading, speak soon.

 

I hope you day is going swimmingly!

 

GingerSnaps xxx