The Lush Easter Items Not On My Wish List || MaddyBeautyLove

I love Lush's seasonal collections, they always manage to lure me back even when I've sworn off spending. So surprise, surprise I found myself in Lush yet again ready to pick up their new Easter Limited Editions. But while I picked up most of the collection, there were a few items that I gave a miss. 

Pot O' Gold Shower Jelly ||
This is the product that I "Um"d and "Ah"d over the most. It is by far the most stunning shower jelly that Lush have ever created. It's decadent, it's mesmerising and it almost glows. Ingredients include fresh pineapple juice, carrageenan extract, Fair Trade vanilla absolute and sweet orange oil which creates this warm yet sweet scent, not too dissimilar from the scent of the Golden Egg. Plus there's also a heavy sprinkling of lustre too! I've heard people say that it cleanses like a dream and nourishes your skin.
So why didn't I pick it up? 
Being wary that I have a mountain of soaps (in all forms) waiting at home for me, I decided to give this one a miss.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Soap ||
Guess which one this soap is in the photo….(Hint: it's the one that looks like a giant lemon drop!).
With sicilian mandarin oil, neroli oil and rose absolute, it not only looks like a lemon drop but was created to smell like one too. They've named this mixture "rainbow"which reminded me a little of the Lush's soaps like Bohemian and Baked Alaska, but not as strong. It certainly is visually stunning with the blend of colours and the lustre throughout.
So why didn't I pick it up?
Like with Pot O' Gold, I was wary about adding another soap to my collection unless I fell deeply in love with it like I was with the Carrot Soap. It also didn't tick two important boxes; the scent was quite light and because of this I didn't believe the scent would linger on my skin.

Ultraviolet Bubble Bar ||
Looking like the Comforter and Brightside Bubble Bar's long lost sister, this big bubble bar is sure to give you the most for your money from the bath products in the collection.
So why didn't I pick it up?
Unfortunately with essential oils like jasmine absolute, rosewood oil, violet leaf absolute this really isn't my thing. If you loved the Valentines Day collections or products like Sex Bomb Bath Bomb or Flying Fox Shower gel, this will be the pick for you.

I would love to hear what you have to say on the products I gave a pass on and perhaps what products you didn't pick up this time around!

Bisous, bisous

MaddyBeautyLove

XxXx

MASSIVE Europe Beauty Haul || MaddyBeautyLove

If you're not subscribed to my channel or haven't visited YouTube for your daily fix, this weeks video is a very belated Europe beauty haul. Visiting countries like Ireland, Holland, France and England it is near impossible not to have collected some unique items along the way. 

These are also products that will feature in upcoming reviews, tutorials and videos, so definitely go ahead and check this one out if you're curious as to whats coming up! 

I would absolutely love to know what products you wish were available in Australia or what Australian products you wish were available in your country!

Beauty Haul Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=465SNIcKxBI

Bisous, bisous

MaddyBeautyLove

XxXx

My Lush Jar || MaddyBeautyLove

So I might be stating the obvious but, I have a fondness for Lush. I love Lush like Poo Bear loves honey. I guess it's not so surprising then that I find a lot of my money disappearing while simultaneously a basket full of Lush goodies materialises. I have no problem supporting an ethical brand that creates amazing products and the price tags that comes with it, but as a University student I need to limit my spending.

That's when Lizzie made a comment on my Instagram joking about starting a Lush Fund jar. We quickly both realised what a good idea this was so I got to work on finishing my peppermints and - Ta da!

Though I currently have some spare change in it, focusing just on a few coins here and there will be a hard way to satisfy my compulsive Lush spending. Especially since any spare change I have goes straight on to my Myki. So I've decided that this jar will be my motivation.

My Rules:
1. $10 A week to be added to the jar (just to help things along)
2. A few dollars added upon completion of all my daily tasks (homework, cleaning, class reading, and etc)
3. If I take part in something that is out of my comfort zone (because we need to be rewarded for big and little achievements)
4. If  I successfully hand an assignment in early (win, win!)
5. For every 4 products I finish

So here we have it, my Lush Jar! Ill be taking donations ; )
If you have any suggestions for more rules, please leave them down below and I'll take them on board.

Bisous, bisous

MaddyBeautyLove

XxXx

Cupid Love Soap ||MaddyBeautyLove

Cupid Love Soap Review

To add to my building collection of soaps, I couldn't resist picking up just one more. Cupid Love is a soap that Lush has released in time for Valentines Day. I've read some not quite so rave reviews about this soap when surfing the net, and it got me interested since soap is something that Lush has never faulted with for me. 

Price: 

$6.95/100g

Palm Oil Free, Vegan, Animal Cruelty Free.

My Thoughts:

This soap has the look and the consistency of sparkly, raspberry jelly. I still can't pin point what makes it so, but the texture is extremely squishy. At least it made it a dream to cut up in to smaller pieces.

The ingredients in this soap like the passion fruit juice, figs and soya yoghurt are meant to have vitamin B properties and super nourishing for your skin while the rosewood oil and cinnamon leaf oil is supposed to create a kind of spicy, woody aroma. Super weirdly, there is something about this soap that reminds me of pasta. Being ethically and economically conscience, they have also made this soap palm oil free by instead using coconut oil and rapseed oil, and of course there's no packaging. Making this soap completely guilt free! 

Because of the texture I doubted how well it would later up in the shower and it turns out I was right. Even with the aid of a loofah it didn't create the suds that I adore from Lush's other soaps. As an extension of this, I didn't find that the scent lingered on the skin at all when I left the shower. A positive of this is that it won't mix at all with any perfumes you might use for Valentines Day. 

Overall I find that this is one thing from Lush that I neither absolutely adore, nor dislike. The lack of nourishing lather and the fact that the scent doesn't linger on the skin (something I get from other Lush soaps is a little disappointing), but I like their choice of ingredients and the sweet scent. But of course the scent of something is always up to personal preference, so I definitely recommend popping in to a store and checking it out for yourself!

Lonely Heart Bubble Bar Review

Lush Prince Charming Review

Lush Valentines Day Haul

What are your thoughts on the Cupid Love soap?

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx

Finding My Prince Charming ||MaddyBeautyLove

"Oh Prince Charming, will you be my Valentine?"

 Prince Charming Shower-Gel

Review 

As you might have guessed, I've done a little bit crazy for the limited edition Lush range on my instagram (nice_n_spiffy). Well, today I'm back for yet another review following videos, instagram posts and blog posts coming from me left right and centre. 

"Prince Charming" certainly lives up to its name. It's sweet, but not candy like, its romantic while being fun. Pretty much what I look for in my Prince Charming…this is just a shower-gel version! 

The colour of this shower gel is a gorgeous dark pink that is more sensual than the pink you'll find in the Snow Fairy bottle. In fact, scent wise, I think that lovers and non-lovers of Snow Fairy will adore this Jaffa lolly like scent. Does anyone else smell Jaffa lollies when they smell this too? 

I must admit with ingredients like marshmallow root and vanilla pod, I was thinking something extremely creamy-yet sweet. However with the inclusion of the grapefruit and pomegranate oil, it's certainly more tangy. But, I won't complain. When you look at the benefits of the ingredients, it far out weighs what little disappointment I had. 

The vanilla pod that is used in this product is fair trade - a creamy scent that is also used in some other of my favourite products like American Cream hair conditioner. the vanilla pod mixes well with the marshmallow root to give it that sweet strong fragrance and what is great is that it's a humectant so it brings moisture in to your skin AND an anti-inflammatory! I love my vitamins in any form, so I was happy to find out that the grapefruit oil will not only clear my mind but tone my skin and add a little more vitamin C in to my day. The fresh organic pomegranate juice also works to cleanse and brighten your skin while the deliciousness that is almond oil, will work to soften your skin and add's some of that vitamin E goodness. 

Sounds great right? There's one more thing that I love. The sandalwood oil is sourced right here in Australia!

Another thing about this Shower Gel is that it's a great multi-tasker. Use it for the bath to create delicious bubbles and you can also use it to wash your hair! It's the ultimate scent enhancer and so delicious. 

I didn't find my skin as soft as if I had used The Olive Branch Shower Gel on my skin, but my arms and legs felt more toned and softer than when I stepped in to the shower. But the soft texture was such a pleasure to use. Needing no more than the amount of a 5cent piece, it created a gorgeous soft later. I know that this bottle will last me for months. 

I definitely recommend using the opportunity in store to try this soap on your skin for two reasons. What you smell in the bottle will not be how the product smells in the shower. I've heard a lot of people mention how much nicer it smells in the shower. For me, it was an extremely light smell in the shower. Secondly, you'll be able to suss out how moisturising it is on your skin and how/if it lingers after you've used it. As there are some people like me who love to have a shower gel linger on the skin, while others opt for ones which don't in fear it will overpower a perfume. Have no fear to the latter group of people. I found that this scent was almost undetectable when I left the shower. Even after softly patting my skin dry.

I purchased the 250g bottle for $16.50 knowing full well that I was likely going to fall in love with it too much for a small bottle to last me for the year. Don't be surprised if you see it a few times throughout the year in favourites! 

Have you thought about picking up Prince Charming? 

I'd love to know what you think of the scent! 

Bisous, bisous

MaddyBeautyLove

XxXx

Lush Valentines Day Collection ||MaddyBeautyLove

Lush Valentines Day Collection

It’s no secret that I am a Lush addict and as an extension an avid Bath user.

So it should be no surprise that weeks ago when pictures and Hauls were appearing from left, right and centre from bloggers in the UK – I started going a little crazy. So look what I have in my hot little hands!

Prince Charming Shower Gel:

I picked up the 250g bottle for $16.50 because the small bottle would not be enough. Like other Lush showergels, you won’t need an amount bigger than a 5 cent piece to create a nice lather over your skin. To me this showergel smells exactly like a jaffa lolly and it quite sweet in the bottle and the colour is the most gorgeous pink.

Cupid Love Soap:

I purchased a lovely chunk of this soap for $10.98 ($6.95/100g), not that I needed more soap! The soap looks like a beautiful piece of sparkly jelly. It feels like it too. You can almost mould the shape of it! There is something about this scent that somehow reminds me of pasta – I have no idea why. With passion fruit juice and soya yoghurt and figs this soap is ultra moisturising for your skin while also containing vitamin B and antioxidant properties. The rosewood oil is an essential oil that gives it it’s spicy wood aroma. Delish!

 What I love about Lush is that not only have they stopped using animal tallow in their soaps – they have also found an alternative for palm oil – coconut and rapeseed oil.

Floating Flower Bath Bomb:

Did you know that bath bombs like Floating Flower and Love Locket are actually made over several day? Think about the effort and time! Floating Flower is given the title of a slow fizzer and it goes for $6.75 which is a common price for the BB’s with lustre and colourful insides.  It shares the same scent as products like Flying Fox, Godiva Shapoo and Conditioner Bar, Lust perfume and Lustre Dusting Powder. This bath bomb is extremely strong in Jasmine Absolute, for me its almost off putting as I'm not a floral kind of gal. Jasmine Absolute is also believed  to have aphrodisiac and stress aid properties and mixed with ylang ylang and cypress oil it will a fun way to tone and calm the skin.

Love Locket Bath Bomb:

For this Bath Bomb you'll be forking out a whooping $8.95. It does contain a surprise bath bomb inside it’s gigantic body and I’ve seen people break this one up and split it in to a bath or two, which would give it a worth of around $4.45 per bath (cheaper than one use bath bombs). I picked up two of these because hey, it's a locket shaped bath bomb! I am still contemplating about what I'll decide – experience a whole one and separate the other in to a few bath? People have also noticed that with this bath bomb it’s an extremely fast fizzier. One thing is for sure it will give you a show. This baby is full of lusters, confetti, hearts and contains fair trade vanilla, jasmine absolute and neroli oil – all the products to tone your skin and give your mind a lift. In Tanya Burr's recent haul she named it her favourite!

Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar: They do exist!

You may have seen these once mythical items everywhere on social media recently (check mine out here) and that’s because they’re so darn cute! You can pick one of these up for $6.95 which is actually the cheapest price range of bubble bar available. Unicorn Horn is much smaller than what pictures from other countries have shown (it's a little smaller than Candy Mountain Bubble Bar), and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed, but it’s still beauteous. Like Floating Flower, this bubble bar is strong in Jasmine Absolute however it is much, much nicer. With ylang, ylang and neroli I am expecting one very relaxing bath. 

Heart Throb Bubble Bar:

If you love the scent of Lush's new in-shower body conditioner African Paradise, then the $7.50 to bathe in delicious African Paradise bubbles will be truly…paradise. Though it's not my favourite scent, the organic shea butter will do wonders to soften skin while the sicilian lemon oil will work on rejuvenating my outlook. It also contains the toning sweet floral scent of geranium oil and fair trade vanilla absolute. 

Lonely Heart Bubble Bar:

The least floral product from the collection, the ingredients of this one definitely caught my eye. For $6.95 you will be enveloped in gorgeous red, shimmery waters infused with bergamot oil, rose absolute, jasmine absolute and most deliciously, lemongrass! I picked up two of these! 

Lonely Heart Bubble Bar Review

Lush Prince Charming Review

Lush Valentines Day Haul

Are you looking to pick anything up from the Valentines Day range? 

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLove
XxXx 

Here We Go Again.||MaddyBeautyLove

   

Gimme That Smile, I haven't Seen In A While.

Hello all!

 I hope you still remember me! After all this time, I thought it was time to get those laptop keys, and my writing mind working again. So here I am! As you will find, the time between this post and my last is too long. 

So what have I been up to? Well firstly, I knuckled down on my YouTube schedule. I am currently uploading every Thursday and Sunday (though the time varies every week). Secondly, the roller coaster of finishing my first semester of University, with the stress of major assignments stopped my ability to write and finally, HOLIDAYS! I got caught right up with fun things like work, housework, make-up free days and living on Instagram.You can take a peek of some of the things I got up to on this Vlog and this Vlog, I hope you find my awkward self entertaining enough!
But I'm back! Back for good…I hope. 

What's coming up, you may ask. This week I will be uploading a video-to-blog collaboration with the lovely Courtney, where we tackle our Top 10 Under 10 and the Top 5 Under 5 beauty products. So keep a look out for that!

Well I have been working on my Disneyland blogpost, in conjunction to my Disneyland Vlog. A post, which will feature stories and pictures that didn't make it on the video.I also cannot wait to welcome back Spring in September, so there will be many ootd’s, motd’s and Top Spring Lip Picks.I can’t wait to get started! I hope you keep in touch.

Bisous, bisous
MaddyBeautyLoveXxXx

I Didn't Forget You! ||MaddyBeautyLove

Being bored in class today, I thought I'd check out if I had neglected any drafted posts…it turns out that I've neglected four! Quatre! So this post is just to say that I haven't forgotten about your guys yet and to remind myself to get my head back in the game! (That will be the first and last HSM reference I promise). But I'm back again! Or at least I am going to try.

So very soon you will see from me, a Lush review/Haul (Australian and America), an Empties review, Make-up/Beauty haul and another product review. YAY!


I've posted some videos on my YouTube since my last blog post, feel free to check them out in the mean time (or any time)! Oh and stay tuned! I have a very special tutorial coming up soon. (Hint, hint; the photo below! Can you guess what it is?!)

Bisous, bisous

MaddyBeautyLove

XxXx

Pin-curls, Purchases, Gardens: A Date ||MaddyBeautyLove

21/1/2014

Yesterday promised rain, I took an umbrella and surprise, surprise. No rain! Typical Melbourne! Instead it was a lovely 25-ish degrees! This was because I joined my boyfriend in the city for a little date. 

Of course I prepped for this the night before and decided to experiment with pin curls with what resources I had and, of course it took over 45 pins and numerous rollers (the torturous objects you can see below) alongside a night of pain and no sleep to achieve unheated curls. But I was faced with three questions. Did they turn out alright? Would I look like a poodle? Would they stay?

instagram: Nice_N_Spiffy

I was more than neatly surprised when I took the clips and rollers out and I had long curly curls instead of short poodle-ringlets! This is an incident that has happened before... A story I might leave for another time. I pinned my fringe back with a twist and a little pin curl to hide the stuck out ends. A little touch I love to do! 

But having used no heat and no hairspray at all I was risking curls that might just drop. I wondered if my 48-hour, no-frizz hair routine would work in my favour.

But first, what else did I wear that day?! 

I wore this necklace my nan gave me just recently for getting in to university. It's a lovely, thin piece that really suited my favourite cream/white shirt. 

I decided to use an odd colour for the day. It's a Rimmel London lipstick in 214 "firework".

 It was a risk as I each time I try to wear it, it clashes with my clothing. But finally I had an outfit that it seemed to work with. Hallelugh! Though, this lipstick certainly did not hide the lip issues that my Lush Lipscrub certainly couldn't clear that day. 

After a surprisingly lovely coconut hot chocolate at Max Brener (reminiscent of Valentines Day), I almost skipped to Crabtree and Evelyn to peruse through their sale stock. Here I eyed off the Lavander Hand Therapy cream. Having been told by the sales assistant that it was the last day of the sale, I just bit the bullet and purchased it even though I already have enough hand creams to use up and as even $10 is a steep price for a hand cream in my opinion as I own plenty that are quite a bit under. 

I just love the packaging. It makes me think of a Granny's house, in a good way! 

The bags are so pretty! I love the florals on the inside.

Then we headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens with a disposable camera in hand. A disposable camera with a twist! 

I bought this for Stuart a year ago and ever since we've been capturing random memories in hopes that the film turns out perfectly. But what's awesome about it, is that it prints the photos with a vintage frame. I can't wait to print them and see! 

At the Gardens we decided to explore more of the land and oh my. That place is MASSIVE! It's absolutely ginormous! It seemed we had only discovered about half of it. 

In our travels, we saw a couple taking a gondola ride in the garden's river...Lightbulb, perfect date idea! I believe that now Stuart is resolved to take me on one for either Valentines day or our two year anniversary.

On the way out of the Garden's gates, I picked up a brochure of summer activities that will be taking place there and if I'm honest, I will be dedicated to do them all! 

After Stuart left, I stayed in the city for a little while longer so I could catch the train home with my Papa bear. Which gave a nice touch to the day!

A question I left unanswered before, did my curls stay? Why yes, they did! So did my make-up!

Cue my playing around with the camera...

Excuse the weird black smudge on my forehead...You probably didn't notice, and now I've gone to point it out..

So that was my day! It was just perfect if I do say so myself! \

Now I must go back to my University enrolment! 

Have a safe and lovely week!

With all my love, Maddy.

xXxX 

~MaddyBeautyLove~

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American Haul: Bath & Body Works (Black Friday purchases) ||MaddyBeautyLove

 People that know me, or watch my Youtube videos will find that I am an avid body care enthusiast. That's why my trip to Bath & Body works at the Beverly Centre (on black friday) in LA, was like a pilgrimage for this Aussie gal and it did not disappoint! Though I do plan on filming a haul for all of my American purchases, currently IMovie is deciding not to play ball and is continuously crashing on me! So for now, I think a first impression's post is in order. Besides that, I also had fun taking these photos. So keep posted for my drugstore haul and Sephora haul! Exciting! 

If you have any questions or comments, leave them below or contact me on one of my links listed at the bottom of the page! 

Note: Keep in mind that these prices are in American dollars and the tax is not included in the ticketed price. (SILLY!)

New Cranberry Twinkle Body Lotion: 88ml $5

This stuff smells gorgeous and it's gorgeously coloured! Though they are coloured, it won't come of as colour on the skin. The scent reminds me of one of the Luxe body washes which is a great thing. It's a stronger scent than the Twisted Peppermint line and more sweet. The texture that these body lotions have is gorgeous! They have a not very thick, but soft texture. Almost like milk. I haven't felt anything like it with any Australian products that I've tried, which is why it's one of my favourite beauty purchases and thus a purchase that I plan to use sparingly!

·      Twisted peppermint Body lotion 88ml $5

    The texture and feel is the same as the Cranberry Twinkle lotion, but I much prefer this scent for the summer unlike the Cranberry one. To me this scent wasn't as long lasting or as strong as the Cranberry one either. It also doesn't have that pure peppermint scent that I expected it to give off (misleading packaging!) and of course there was minty sensation, but it was only a slight one. Though I guess you wouldn't be too wanting of that during winter! I bought two of these, as of course, I am peppermint obsessed! I actually almost chose three instead of purchasing the Cranberry one, but now I'm glad with my overall decision.

Bodylotion - right
Candle - Middle
Hand Cream - Left

Twisted Peppermint Nourishing Hand Cream: $5

As a first impression, I can't tell you how nourishing this hand cream is over a long period of time, but I can tell you that as soon as it sinks in to your hands they feel substantially softer! This is due to the presence shea butter and vitamin E, so it's not one that I would apply if I know I might soon frolic in the sun. The texture and the scent I've found, is very, very similar to that of the body lotions which also contain shea butter. But the scent is more minty. I love it!

Now these two purchases from Bath and Bodyworks aren't strictly body care, but I love them all the same!

Twisted Peppermint small candle: $4.50

Of course I had to purchase some sort of candle when I was in America, however there proved to be difficulties when I visited Yankee Candles, so I'm glad I took no chances! I chose the smallest candle due to the luggage weight restrictions and not wanting to spend a fortune on a candle and have it break before I arrived back home. I was so pleased when I arrived home and it was still intact and not melted! WIN! Due to complete fire bans, across Melbourne at least, the 40 degree heatwave and the use of air conditioners, the said 10 hours burning time isn't something that I've had a chance to test out yet. Nor have I been able to smell the candle burning. But I can tell you that like the Hand creme, it smells like the body lotions foremost, but sometimes you catch a whiff of a very strong mint scent. I can't wait to burn it! 

 Iced Gingerbread pocket antibacterial hand gel: $1.75

This was a must have purchase for me before I even left for America. I'd seen so many youtubers talk about these. But what I didn't expect was to be overwhelmed with the GIANT selection of antibacterial hand gels. Oh boy, there was. American's certainly expect a wide selection! Being overwhelmed and with little choice to chose, I picked up the Iced Gingerbread one thinking it would be a nice addition to my gingerbread collection. I didn't realise until a while later  what a strong scent it had! My friend tried this and a day and a shower later she could still smell it on her hands! 
It has an almost a burnt ginger bread cookie smell which I don't find to be strictly an "Iced Gingerbread" scent. My Betty Crocker candle (pictured) smells much, much more true to life if there was a comparison between the two. The strength of the scent after I used it once, made me feel sick so I've decided not to use this before meals as it would heavily alter the taste.
I hope that in the wintertime, I will be able to reform my opinion of it. 
The packaging claims that it contains "Tahitian palm milk" which sounds like a property that would soften one's hands, but upon trying to find more about this ingredient I've found nothing so far, which is odd.  One last thing to add, the packaging with the squirrel is super duper cute and I'm regretting not picking up any of the cute attachments!

Have you tried anything from Bath & Body works?

I hope y'all enjoyed this little post! Keep checking back and follow for the next few posts on the rest of my beauty purchases!

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