UK Beauty & Lifestyle Blog

Fathers Day Gift Guide // 2014


an image of fathers day gift ideas
an image of the real shaving company gift set
an image of the real shaving company
an image of fathers day ideas
an image of ralph lauren click fragrances
an image of fathers day presents
an image of fathers day gifts
With Father's Day just around the corner I've been busy gathering the latest launches and old time classics together. Men are most definitely the hardest to buy for and it only gets harder...or at least in my family, they certainly don't hold back from passing their judgement. 

Newcomer Bluebeard's Revenge has definitely caused a stir in the market. Their packaging adorned with their witty slogan reminds me very much of what the male Soap & Glory should have aimed for. Turns out the brand has already been the talk amongst the law firm my brother works at, needless to say Dan was eager to snatch these up when he came home for the bank holiday. If you're on a budget or like myself love to give a bundle of small gifts, Bluebeard's Revenge have a fantastic range to look at with pre-bundled products to order too. The products really are endless with all the accessories you can imagine and every aspect of skincare, shaving and body covered. 

Here I have the 100ml EDT which retails for just £19.99, encased in a blue opaque 'weighty' flask-Esq bottle complete with just the BBR's logo. The overall packaging may appeal to the younger fathers out there, or as long as the male in mind loves fragrances from Joop or Ralph Lauren you'll have the perfect gift. This EDT packs top notes of Sicilian bergamot and basil, with a heart of rich jasmine, black tea and watermint completed with warm musk, Madagascan vanilla and sandalwood highlighting the hint of patchouli & oakmoss. To accompany their wonderful EDT we have the Shaving Solution, a paraben & sls free shaving cream containing Decelerine, an ingredient present in the brands shaving creams and post shave balm to reduce the appearance of beard growth over time, moisturises and protect skin during & after. Packaged in a handy 100ml pump this would be perfect even if the Dad in mind travels a lot, or perhaps go for the even handier 5ml & 20ml samples as little extras.

Movis is another of Lush's latest creations, a soft, gritty bar designed for use as a facial soap. When recently placing an order I decided to pop in a small 100g slice for my Dad to try out. He's a huge fan of Lush soap since they have such a large selection of citrus based bars. Despite being classed as a facial soap he'll most likely use it as an exfoliating soap bar. His face was a picture when I passed this to him, baffled as to why it was so soft (packed with coconut oil and cocoa butter) and smelt of bread - it's ended up in his bag ready to hit the work showers.

Ralph Lauren have an amazing selection of fragrances and although they do contain very similar notes there's still enough variety to cover most men! Of course Polo Red had to have a bold, red bottle with RL taking inspiration from the fabulous taste in cars. This woody fragrance has a heart of red saffron, with top notes of red grapefruit and a base of red cedar wood.

Aramis is my Dad's signature scent and he's worn it for as long as I can remember. Over the years he's ventured into the array of Aramis products on offer, from the deodorant to the soap to the body splash - his absolute favourite to the EDT. It's the last product to apply after a long work out at the gym, just as strong as the EDT itself but also incredibly cooling. Perhaps you have a Dad or a Grandad that wears Amaris but hasn't yet ventured into owning the Body Splash? 

Denman* | The Precision Styling Brush £7.99 | The Easycare Styling Brush £5
If you've followed LW for quite some time you'll know how much I rave about the brand Denman so to keep your Dad looking healthy, fit and presentable these two products from the Hair Fitness range are ideal. The sleek black tools are designed to optimise scalp health and promote perfect, manageable hair. Both are light weight, great for slipping into the gym bags. The Precision Styling Brush has seven rows of nylon pins, rounded heads glide smoothly through, reducing static hairs and creating a nice gloss. Now the Easycare Styling Brush has been designed with thinning hair in mind. With 8 rows compared to the previous 7, the ultra soft bristles gently massage the scalp, stimulating without scratching to promote hair growth and even natural oils throughout. Who knew brushes could get so technical?

A great trio worth gifting this Father's Day comes from The Real Shaving Company, one of many on offer. The Real Shaving Company Complete Grooming Kit consists of three simple steps, Step 1 being the Daily Facial Scrub - a gentle exfoliating gel scrub to exfoliate away dead skin, remove impurities and help towards a closer, smoother shave.  Following on with the Traditional Shave Cream as step 2, a double concentrated shave cream to provide a luxurious lather leaving skin feeling supple and nourished thanks to being packed with organic cocoa butter and willow bark which also reduces razor drag. As the last product in this routine, SPF15 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser to prevent premature ageing, protects from daily sun damage and contains Q10, an anti-ageing technology that targets wrinkles for firmer, younger skin. Again, packed with plenty of cocoa butter to condition skin yet creates a matte finish. Of course you can buy all the products featured in the kit alone but for only a few pennies more you do get the simple, black travel bag that makes the gift a little more presentable.

Phone cases are great little extras for Father's Day when you're stuck on what to buy your Dad. Most Dad's will have jumped onto the smart phone wagon, my Dad owns an iPhone 4s, he'll no doubt get my 5 when I upgrade next year too. Mr Nutcase got in touch where I spotted they had an excellent range of iPhone football based cases, for a huge variety of phones. Surprisingly they even have Portsmouth FC cases which will also please my Dad. Mr Nutcase have ridiculous amounts of designs and also allow you to upload your own, I know Lucy from Dinosaur Dances created one with her artwork on which turned out to be so, so beautiful. The case is durable and matches up with both iPhone cameras and all buttons remain accessible. With so many customisable phone case companies out there Mr Nutcase is one to keep in mind - I know I'll be heading there next time I need to replace my bejewelled numbers.
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

review // Bunny Bubble Bar | Lush

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an image of lush bunny bubble bar
an image of bunny bubble bar lush
The trouble with Lush creating such adorable products means that getting round to using them is incredibly hard. Thankfully ordering two means I'll still have another awaiting its time on my dedicated Lush shelf. The Bunny bubble bar is just one of numerous products from their recent Easter line retailing for £3.25. You can find my overall thoughts about both Mother's Day and Easter collections. As mentioned in that post Bunny does take its fragrance directly from Creamy Candy (£2.50) and instead of following in suits with the all over pink bar, Bunny contains blue cornflowers encased in a pink underbelly with adorable candy eyes.

Petals in baths aren't my cup of tea, the Bunny bubble bar thankfully doesn't contain too many and I really did enjoy this bath time treat. Sometimes it's nice to step away from the typical sleep inducing fragrances and settle for an old classic. Creamy Candy has always been one of my favourite scents, it's sweet without being sickly. I'd always pick a couple up passing Lush when I first started shopping there. Although this mix may not feel AS creamy as the original and permanent bar, my skin was still left hydrated and softly scented. Since Easter has been and gone, you won't be able to order them online. You can however still pick up an adorable gift set for £19.95 who goes by the name...Funny Bunny - including two Bunny bubble bars, a Fluffy Egg and a Bunch of Carrots - found here. Did you pick up a bar or two? You may find a few hidden in your local stores... Lucy xx
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.

love me beauty // May 2014 Menu


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an image of love me beauty beauty box
an image of suti skincare
an image of teapigs
an image of tea pigs creme caramel
an image of go stationary notebooks
an image of raw skincare ginger lipbalm
an image of nail girls nude pink polish
How can it be time for another unwrapping of my favourite beauty box on the block? The monthly beauty box subscription that allows you to pick from three varying menus and the option to skip the month, decided to switch things up for the month of May. Instead of concentrating purely on 4-5 beauty products, the folks at LMB added in a couple products that will be particularly handy for the bloggers amongst us.

Suti - Trial pack in Cleanse Balm, Purity Balm and Fabulous Foot Balm - £6.50
First up in Menu Two are a trio of sample skincare products from organic brand, Suti. Due to their small size I didn't expect to have much of an opinion for the three, though I'm debating ordering the full sizes of Purity Balm and Fabulous Balm. My hands have been incredibly dry, especially my cuticles while my feet definitely need some TLC in time for sandal season. The Cleanse Balm is my least favourite of the three, there are much better balms on the market. For someone with dry skin this balm didn't do anything apart from leaving my skin feeling dirtier than before...second cleanser was needed.

Tea Pigs - Rooibos Creme Caramel - three teabags £0.65 each - £1.95
As one of the non-beauty items for May, Tea Pigs were included. With a different flavour in each box, this flavour was what helped me decide which Menu to go for.

GO Stationary - Tulip Garden notebooks - £5
The last non-beauty item came as another trio, a trio of floral patterned notebooks from the brand GO Stationary. These would usually retail for £5, a little overpriced for the thickness of them but they're made and designed here in the UK. Perfect for making notes for future blog ideas and links we gather out and about?

Raw Skincare- Natural Lip Balm - Ginger - £1.98
As usual LMB contained a brand I'm yet to try but have read a lot of reviews about their products last summer. The lip balms always seem to crop up in monthly favourites, with Ginger promising to taste and smell like Ginger Beer. Containing ginger this balm is warming, protecting and conditions my lips throughout the day.

Nail Girls - Nail Polish - Nude Pink - £13.50
Most LMB boxes seem to contain a nail polish these days, who can blame them when we're entering the sandal season? This months comes from Nail Girls, yet another brand introduced to me by this beauty box. I have Nude Pink, a lot brighter pink than I'd associate with the name but still one I'll have plenty of wear from.

While this months beauty box may not be the most exciting, I haven't been left disappointed and love the idea of non-beauty items being included once in a while - here's to hoping the June box is slightly more interesting though. This months contents added up to £28.93, almost triple the £10 a month (+P&P) subscription cost. Lucy xx
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.
*pr sample

home touches // the hemnes daybed



Until ordering my brother a few pieces to take to his new 'bachelor pad' I hadn't really been a fan of Ikea. Now I've well and truly been swept up into the Ikea hype. So while needing a new bed for my bedroom switchover I opted for the Hemnes Day Bed which provides a single, double, sofa and plenty of storage. When pulling out the bed to convert into a double, you pull the entire drawer unit as this is topped with slats, giving a sneaky peak at the contents before putting your other mattress on. The three drawers hold so much stuff, with one drawer for my excessive amount of sleep (front) and lounge wear (back box) (divided between two of my old Paris storage boxes), another for out of season items - I've already packed away all my winter accessories in hope that it warms up, while the last holds sentimental items, old yearbooks & sketchbooks & the odd handbag. I know I touched photographed a few items in a previous post regarding how I sleep better...I just didn't go into enough detail or where some items were from.

I had my doubts about the bed due to not seeing it in person before and reading many conflicting reviews. Living at home I decided to opt for this daybed for more storage and space rather than filling up a good chunk of the room with a bed. When I need a double I have it, with the rest of the time a perfectly comfy single, sofa and a lot of extra floor space. I wriggle A LOT and I still wake up on the bed rather than the floor :p If you're to use the bed as a double, you need two mattresses with the Malfors foam turning out incredibly inexpensive and ridiculously comfy together or alone. If they still make this bed when it comes to my turn of moving out I'd definitely buy another for guests!

To dress up my daybed I decided to drop the fairy lights I had planned, leaving the top bar plain and stick to pretty cushions, blankets and bedding. Sick of my pink floral cushions (I've also included) I decided to place a H&M order since they always have discount codes. The only problem with H&M is their delivery surprise, it's incredible slow and lacks a lot of detail. Eventually my parcel arrived when I was out one day, chucked over my garden wall...also containing a candle that thankfully didn't smash. I fell in love with an oriental tile patterned cushion before teaming with a white cover with frilled edge and a grey canvas cover that's also beige on the other. I've spotted a lot of their designs or as similar in Asda's - George Home's latest collections. Blankets I briefly touched on in my previous post, who can resist a fluffy blankets or two. Lastly, bedding wise I've chucked out all my old to make way for three new sets. While ordering the bulky items I added in a couple bedding sets from Ikea. Each set comes with four pillows, something not every double offers. Here you can see my favourite of the three, linked below are my textured white from ikea and bird print from Asda!? Great find Mama Writes!
*absolutely not sponsored, all my own

review // Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge +giveaway


This giveaway is currently closed. My thoughts on this sponge have since changed and a new blog post will eventually be on LW. 
Purchased with my own money.

lucyybakes // Bake your own Sex God

Now I don't know about you but I didn't know sex gods could fit through the letterbox? No really, Niion (home to all things creative, thoughtful and fun) recently sent over my own 'Bake Your Own Sex God' cookie cutter from their comical male trio.

Deciding to do a spot of late night baking I followed the recipe provided on the back of the pack I created 10 sex gods. I added chocolate chips, desiccated coconut and caramel essence to spice things up. Next time I'd dip the cookies into melted chocolate and drizzle some caramel sauce over to make them the perfect edible man. You could grab the icing pens and start creating tats, stubble, abs and all. The cutter itself is of a high standard, very sturdy and cuts each cookie without a struggle - even with solid chocolate chips in the dough. A few cookies caused giggles when small amounts of dough stayed between your 'mans' legs. Each cookie is a reasonable size, nobody wants a small sex god and stays in form throughout baking.
*PR SAMPLE
as you can see we couldn't wait until daylight to photograph the cookies...
Disclaimer: press sample, for review consideration only, no payment received. see disclaimer page for more.
© Lucyy Writes

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