Origins Never A Dull Moment Skin-brightening Face Cleanser Review

Whilst on the hunt for a new facial cleanser to try out, I stumbled upon the Never A Dull Moment Skin-brightening cleanser from Origins. This is an easily foaming cleanser with Papaya extract that really softens the skin - so much so that I didn't really feel the absolute need to moisturise after use as my skin was super soft and suitably hydrated. It leaves my skin feeling thoroughly cleansed, easily removes make-up, and definately gives my skin that brightness boost it has been longing for on a 5am start to the day! It smells lovely - fresh and fruity but not overly zingy - and a little product goes a long way (with a price tag of £17.00 for 150mls this is most definately a positive). I would 100% repurchase this product!

* Beauty Bargain Alert* - Essie Nail Polishes for £2.99!!

Hey everyone,

Just a quick post to let you all know that you can pick up a 13.5ml Essie nail polish on Halfpriceperfumes for a bargainous £2.99 each. That's a whopping saving of £5.00 per bottle (excluding p&p).

I have just taken advantage of this offer - will you?

Claire
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Marks & Spencer Limited Collection Underwear Spring 2013

There is nothing I love more than purchasing new underwear. I have always believed that if you feel great in your underwear, it gives you an added confidence that shines through. On a recent jaunt to my local Marks & Spencer store, I spotted these pretty little sets from the new Limited Collection for Spring 2013. I love the fit of this particular style, and they were all very reasonably priced.

Polka dots, Nautical Stripes & Vintage Florals have definately brightened up my underwear drawer and injected a dose of sunshine into my life whilst these miserable wintery days are still upon us... Hurry up Springtime!!

If you want to peruse the new underwear collection, you can easily do so my clicking here :-)

Claire

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My name is Claire, and I am a product hoarder!

You may mistake this for a stall at the local jumble sale, but in fact this 'little' lot is my stash of bath and body products. Does any girl really need twenty two shower gels, twelve hand creams and ten body scrubs (amongst many other items) just sitting in a storage box patiently waiting to be used? No. I think not. It's ridiculous, obscene, and a problem that is quickly getting out of hand.

I love new things. They don't have to be expensive, or the latest on the market, they just have to be in my shopping bag. I am a self-confessed hoarder. I am not a materialistic girl, in the sense that I can live without having the most up-to-date version of something, but I do feel at a loss for not owning a big stash of clothes/beauty products/food in the cupboard etc. Its psychological (I think) and most probably stems from not being spoiled as a child - or rather, not having much as a child. I seem to be incessantly planning for that rainy day - as if running out of shower gel would be my biggest worry! I know its silly, and it is an issue that I am determined to beat.

I know everyone makes big promises for keeping their new years resolutions, but I am going to try my hardest to stick to using up the products that I already have before I even think of buying new ones. I am hoping that this will help to re-train my brain into thinking that I just don't need to own as much crap to feel better about myself. That owning those twenty two shower gels wont make me any better a person.

Does anyone else have this problem? An addiction to buying and hoarding products that they just don't need?

It would be great to hear your thoughts!!

Claire

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Haul: What I had for Christmas...

Hey everyone,

Well, it doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to point out that this is a waaayyyy overdue blog post. Nevertheless, the recent snowy weather has made me feel a little festive, and as I had some really lovely gifts for Christmas I thought that I would share them with you...

This is obviously the You beauty advent calendar in collaboration with She Said Beauty, and I am quite aware that it is a strange item to receive as a gift for Christmas in view of that fact that it is supposed to be opened in the run up to the big day. However, the full price of this product was around £60 which (even though it is said to contain over £200 worth of products) I felt was a little pricey for an advent calendar. Mid-way through December I received an email notifying me that this had now been reduced to half the price, and the addict in me snapped it up (on behalf of my mother, who then wrapped it up to be opened on Christmas Day). Anyhow, now that you know the story behind it, I will just say that I am really pleased to have got my sticky mitts on this item, and am even more pleased that I got it for half the price as there are a few items that don't really tickle my pickle - like the fousty AS London candle! I would definately suggest holding out next year (if you can) and buy this product at half the price. Having said that, I am gutted that I missed out on the Ciate advent calendar, and would pre-order one now for this coming Christmas if I could!

One item that has been on my wish list for the longest time is the Ginger Burst Body Wash from Origins. I am in love with the Origins brand, and am yet to find an Origins product that I dislike. This little set is another gift from my lovely mother, and is the 'Ginger to go & stay' set, which includes a full and travel size product of the Incredible Spreadable Ginger Body Scrub,Ginger Burst Savoury Body Wash and the Ginger Souffle Whipped Body Cream. The clear toiletry bag was also include in the set, and as with all online Origins purchases, I received a bag of generously sized samples. All products in the gift set smell divine, and I cant wait to give them a whirl!

Another brand that has never yet let me down is Laura Mercier, and this gift set containing four mini hand creams is another gift from my mother. I have said a million times that, as part of my job, hand washing is essential. As a result, a good hand cream is also essential and these little beauties are the ideal size to keep in my pocket whilst I am busy at work. They all smell amazing, and I am sure that they will live up to my expectations.

Back in November, I went on an overnight trip to London with my family. I visited Liberty for the first time and my mother (again) bought me one of the much-raved-about Diptique candles. It was a tough choice, but I opted for the Patchouli scent, which smells quite musky with floral undertones. The Diptique products are a little on the pricey side, which is why I purchased one of the 'minis' - these still cost £20 for a 70g candle. My theory behind this is that I could see if they really are as amazing as everyone says without wanting to kick myself for spending an extortionate amount on a candle if they're not. I haven't tried it out yet though!

This lovely Burt's Bees gift set is from my sister. Hand creams/treatments, lip products and foot creams are always welcomed by me, so this was a lovely set to receive. I have only tried two Burt's bees products before, and was really impressed. I will definately keep you posted on my thoughts of these little beauties.

More hand cream! It appears that my family know how much I love the stuff!! I love any product that is Almond fragranced, and every item in this set floats my boat. I haven't tried any of these particular Body Shop products before though, so I am excited to try them out :-)

My auntie bought me this Small Wonders Soap & Glory gift set. All products are smaller versions of their full size, and would come in handy for travelling. I am really looking forward to trying out the body scrub and body butter, as I have heard great things about them.

And finally.... No Christmas would be complete for me if I didn't receive a large bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel from Lush. It is by far my most favourite of all the Lush shower products (I would go so far as to say my most favourite ever shower product), and lasts me ages. I also received the Christmas party gift set which contains a 100g Northern Lights Soap and a Party Popper Bath Ballistic. Both of these products aren't ones that I would have chosen myself, but that's not to say that I don't like them. Sometimes it is good to receive items like this, as you are introduced to new products that can rapidly become a favourite. They both smell amazing, and I will definately be putting them to use!

So that's it for my Christmas Beauty Gift haul - I hope that you like everything and wont hold it against me too much that most of these sets probably wont be available to purchase again for another 10 months :-(

Claire

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I'm Back!!

Hey everyone,

I have taken a few weeks off from the blogging world because, quite simply, I was exhausted. New job, increased hours, busy baby, and life in general all-combined had simply wiped me out. Today, however, is a snow day. A day for doing not alot really. And today I realised just how much I miss writing my blog. I have given it much thought, and instead of writing on an adhoc basis, I am going to be more organised and set aside some time each week to write. I will be making more regular, planned entries and will be giving alot more thought about the products that I buy. This all stems from the realisation (also today) that I am infact a hoarder. Be it body, bath or beauty products, I have become a magpie with a huge stash (post to follow!). My life feels cluttered, and part of my new years resolution was to have a good old-fashioned clear-out - starting with my hoard of products. I have become one of those people that see's something she likes and just has to have it! I need to nip this problem in the bud - fast - or I may just end up with my very own version of Boots.

So that's my little update. Keep a look out for my new blog posts, and any comments are (as always) very much appreciated. But, for now, I will leave you with a little snowy picture that I have taken from out of my bedroom window...

Happy Snow Day Everyone!!!


Claire

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