24 Days of Christmas with Liz Earle

The perfect Advent Calender arrived on my doorstep. 24 mini sizes of Liz Earle Skin treats. My skin should be glowing by xmas. The first 3 doors contained the fabulous Cleanse and polish, Skin tonic and moisturiser. Who needs chocolate when you can have this instead. Its not cheap retailing at £100 but if you need a treat and a pick me up then its ideal. Still available and if you get one now you get to open the first few days all at once. What more could a girl ask for. Available online here

Xmas at Marshmallow blends

Hello lovelies, if you are still reading this then thanks so much. I know my posts have been few and far between but i wont stop blogging completely because its where i started in the online beauty community and of course id miss all you gorgeous girlies.

I have been sooooo busy with the run up to Xmas. Ive been having a few Marshmallow blends party's and I'm even putting some products into my local shops. Its all exciting stuff.

I haven't started Xmas shopping yet but it seems a lot of you have as i have orders coming out my ears at the moment. Not that I'm complaining. 

I adore everything about Xmas and so throwing myself into making products has been easy. Here's a few bits to show you what Ive been up to xx

Gingerbread soaps

Mulled Medley Shower fluffs, Body Scrubs & Body butters

Candycane Kisses Gift Set

Tinkerbelle Dreams Bath Set

If you want to take a nosey at the other Xmas products on the website then here is a link. Have you started your Xmas shopping yet?

Skin Scrubs feature

Last night the lovely Annabella over at Skin Scrubs has featured me and Marshmallow Blends over on her fabulous blog

What this ladies doesn't know about scrubs well its not worth knowing. If you don't already follow (Which i know most of you will ) Then her blog has to be added to your must have reads.

Hope you are all enjoying your weekend xx

Beautiful Bubbles!

Beautiful Bubbles is a company that makes hand made Bath & Body products, run by the lovely Claire. A few weeks ago we had a little swap of products and i am thrilled with the gorgeous goodies she sent me.

I was so excited when my box arrived that i ripped it open immediately. I always feel like a kid at xmas when new products arrive.

Excuse the rubbish photo but as i said i just couldn't wait and had to open my box straight away. I could smell the products inside as i opened up the box and was greeted with a lovely big mix of Grapefruit and sugarcane bath bomb, Scrub & Room spray. Two handmade cold process soap slices and this amazingly cute snowman soap.

 

I love the pretty soap slices they both smell great and look beautiful. I have them ear marked for my downstairs bathroom so when people come to the house they can wash there hands with a real bar of handmade soap.

The snowman soap is just adorable. As soon as my 4 year old saw it he tried to whisk it away so Ive promised to share it with him lol. Priced at £4.50 Frosty the snowman would make a brilliant gift or stocking filler that's hand made and really unique. It comes wrapped and tied with ribbon which finishes it off perfectly.

 

The first thing that hit me when i opened the packaging was the beautiful fragrance. Its described as a luscious fruity wood fragrance with top notes of bergamot and rose. Sweet rich Blackberries, dry leaves, with an amber cinnamon blend and a hint of peppermint. Its a beautiful fresh light clean smell that is really xmassy.

Pretty and glistening it reminds me of a snowy day crisp, fresh and cool. 

(Photo outside my home last year. Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow)

Now i have been using the snowman soap for a week and a half and it is fabulous it lathers really well and leaves skin beautiful and soft. Pop over to Beautiful Bubbles and have a look for yourself at all her gorgeous handmade goodies here xxx

OOTN Lady In Red

Last night i went on a much needed girls night out with my gorgeous girls. Every now and then we get together and go out for a night, no children, no men just a good old girlie chat and the odd Vodka (Cough Cough) So i thought id show you a few pics although i forgot to take them as i was getting ready so excuse the rubbish shots.

The dress is from misguided and i wore it with gold heels and a gold clutch. I had a fringe cut in a few weeks ago and I'm wearing my Halo hair piece which i love. I don't feel dressed up on a night out without it in.

The only jewelry i wore was this ear cuff. Ive been looking for a nice ear cuff for a while and i picked this up at New Look for just £3.99. Oh and i wore my wedding ring of course too :)

Red lippy from Estee Lauder in Watermelon. Its a gorgeous creamy texture and it really lasts well. I do have a soft spot for Estee Lauder lipsticks and i love the fact that this one has a bit of a gold coating which makes it feel very luxurious.

I will be spending today chilling out with my boys and having a lazy day. Back to the gym tomorrow.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend xx

Back to the gym!

 Well after 5 years of gym dodging i decided to bite the bullet and sign myself up to a gym membership. The last 6 months or so my weight has been creeping back up and my clothes have been getting too tight. 

After a short induction i did an hrs workout so come tomorrow i imagine i will be seriously aching but i know it will be worth it once i get into my stride. Wish me luck xxx

Halloween Collection at Marshmallow blends

I know its a bit early for Halloween posts but this last week i have been making new goodies with a Halloween twist.

I love Halloween, mainly because my boys enjoy it so much and we always go to a party of some sort or go trick or treating with the kids. I must admit i had my boys in mind when i made most of these products and they have gone down a storm in our house.

 Glitter Critter Bath Dust £3

Fragranced in a gorgeous Blood Orange scent this bath dust fizzes up when sprinkled into the bath water and turns it a pinky red shade with a touch of black glitter. Also hidden in there are a few critters so beware.

(Not suitable for children under 36months due to small plastic parts)

Halloween Soap (Fragranced in Blood Orange) £3

 These cute pumpkin soaps smell so delicious and fresh. SLS free they are bound to be popular with adults as well as kids.

Candy Shop Mixed Melts (Soy wax) £3.99

I had to add some candy themed products for Halloween and these mixed bags of melts will make the house smell just like a sweet shop. Perfect to set the mood for trick or treaters. 

Marshmallow, candyfloss and toffee apple. The only problem is deciding which sugary treat to burn first.

Lime Slime Bath Bomb £2.75

Inspired by the slime in ghost busters. This magical bath bomb turns the water bright green colour and is fragranced in an uplifting zingy lemon & lime fragrance. Oh and did i mention it has a hidden bug in the middle :)

Pumpkin Cream Soap £3.99

Last but not least is my Pumpkin Cream Soap. Made with coconut milk for added creaminess and silk for a silky luxury feel. Fragranced with a warming blend of pumpkin, cream and a hint of spice. These will be available very soon as they are curing right now.

Available from Marshmallowblends or come and join in the banter on my facebook page here xx

Love Hate Debate!

Ive given in and brought myself a onesie. I have been lusting after an all in one cosy snugly onesie for sooo long but but all my friends and husband think they are fowl. I cant say it will be a fashion statement and at my age i should know better but sod it. I love them and that's that.

So my question is what do you think of the onesie? Love it? Hate it?

Liz Earle Nectar Cream Blush

Ive only said how much i love the Liz Earle products and so i was very excited to be included in the Newsletter with a quote i wrote when i first tried out the Skin Tint. I still use the skin tint as my quick everyday face as it blends effortlessly and just makes my skin glow. Here's a quick snap shot in case you missed it.

I recently was sent a few of the other colour products from the range and my stand out product has to be the Healthy Glow Cream Blush in Nectar 06 

While slightly scary in the pan it is the most beautiful real to life flush of colour that blends seamlessly with no effort for a quick and easy brightening effect.

 (No Flash)

(Flash)

Swatch in natural light

Blended on the skin (Wearing Skin tint in Beech 03 & Healthy Glow Cream Blush 06)

The Healthy Cream Blush comes in 7 shades and is priced at £16.50 available here

Benefit Real or Hype Mascara review!

Hi Girls, i recently purchased the much hyped up Benefit they're Real Mascara.

If anyone can give a mascara a run for its money its me as i have such rubbish lashes and i expect a mascara to transform them into long Bambi touch your eyebrow type of look (Near impossible i know)

I purchased the small sized one in boots which is about half the size of the regular one which retails at £18.50

The brush is very firm but flexible and the bristles are spiky. The head of the brush is quite large and it does get right down to the root of the lashes easily.

The tip of the brush is a spiked ball shape and i found the mascara collected in this area a bit too much so if i tried to use this part of the brush it clumped the lashes together.

                                               Results: Naked Lashes                                                    

1 Coat

2 Coats

I have to say I'm very underwhelmed by this mascara, 1 coat was ok it did lengthen the lashes the colour is a nice dramatic black but its really nothing special for me and at £18.50 i expected a lot more. 

2 Coats and its clumpy. I will use it up but i wouldn't re buy. I had high hopes but in my opinion its an average mascara, i have better ones that cost less than half the price.

 

Obviously this may not be the case for everyone, i do have very short fine lashes to begin with so somebody with different lashes may well love this mascara but it just didn't work for me. Have you tried this and if so what are your thoughts?

Soap Porn!

I have become a soap addict, from someone who only used shower gel or cream i have totally converted to soap. Its funny how learning about a product and seeing what goes into it can change your view and give it a second chance. I'm so pleased i did.

Neapolitan Slice £3.99

Fragranced with layers of ripe raspberries, Belgium chocolate & creamy vanilla mmmm.

Watermelon Soap Slice £3.99

A refreshing uplifting fragrance with added poppy seeds for exfoliation, the perfect summery soap

All my Cold process soaps are made with Coconut oil & Castor for lots of bubbles, Palm & Shea for a creamy skin loving bar, lots of Olive oil and Sweet almond oil. I also add clay and silk to some bars for a touch of luxury. 

Once the soaps are make they need to cure. When they are left to cure they become harder (Longer lasting) and they become better over time like a good wine lol. I leave my bars for around 5/6 weeks which ensures they are bubbly, gentle and ready to use immediately when you receive them.

On the Curing Rack

Brown Sugar & Vanilla

 A delicious warming creamy fragrance with added silk. Buttery and smooth.

 White Chocolate & Raspberry

Creamy white chocolate with a hint of fresh raspberries. Cut into slices and finished with a sprinkling of pink glitter. I made this just 2 days ago so will be ready at the beginning of September.

I think one of the things i like about hand made soap is the fact that you can buy a little bit of something special that nobody else has because each bar is slightly different. 

Do you have a favourite soap or a favourite soaper?

Where has the time gone?

 Feeling a little bit strange as a new chapter is beginning. It seems like only a short time ago when Rocco was born and yet come September he starts full time school. He will look so little in his uniform :)

Then Lynden my eldest starts Secondary school at the same time. Its a happy but sad feeling as I'm watching them grow up, seeing there personalities develop. I'm proud, happy if I'm honest to get a little me time back and also sad that my baby days have slipped by as well.

Some of my favourite pics of my boys. Love them so much

 Hopefully i will soon have time to start updating here a bit more often come September. Ive been busy as usual but i haven't forgotten you all xxx

Special Offer Weekend!

Hi lovelies, well i can't believe I've neglected my blog for 2 weeks. Ive been so busy that Ive just not had time for anything else. Anyway Ive had some great reviews lately from other bloggers so just wanted to say a huge THANKYOU for that.

This last few weeks i have added a few new products to the website like Strawberry Cheesecake soap slice and my bubble bars have been selling like hot cakes:)

Strawberry Cheesecake SLS free Soap Slice £3.50

Lovers Bath Spell Bubble Bar £3.99

This weekend i have a special offer of 10% discount for anybody that leaves a review over at www.marshmallowblends.co.uk on any of the products. Just use the word MARSHMALLOWSTARS in the coupon box to receive the saving.

Have a brilliant weekend xx

Spotlight on Soapy Jo's

Recently i purchased a couple of products from fellow Bath & Body product maker Joanne over at Soapy Jo's.

Now i struggled to choose a couple of items as she has so many amazing looking products on her website here.

In the end i settled for a Spirit Bubblebar which is fragranced in a dupe for the Ghost perfume (An old favourite of mine) which cost £4.49 and smells just like the real fragrance.

 I used half a bar in the bath and it gave a lovely soft bubblebath with silky pink water which left my skin nice and soft afterwards.

I also purchased her Pink Sugar Soap which is another favourite fragrance of mine. How gorgeous does this soap look and it is so moisturising.

 

It lathers up beautifully and i love the fact that with Cold process soaps like these made from scratch you know exactly what you are putting on your skin. Pink sugar is the one fragrance i cant be without and when i used this soap i could smell it on my skin for ages afterwards mmmmm.

I have found lots of other amazingly talented soap makers and i hope to to a few little snippets showcasing some of there products that i have tried.

Do you know of any hand crafted bath & body products that i must try?