Nautical Style for the Home

I've been loving nautical style for the home since the Guardian ran this feature in March. That chair is just beautiful, if a wee bit out of my price range as usual, but that anchor cushion and Fresh Oysters bucket are adorable. I would love to have that in the bathroom with spare soaps etc in it.

This Ikea image cinched it for me- that is the PERFECT shade of blue for nautical-themed tableware. I really love this- aside from the shellfish, it's not overtly nautical, but the blue and white combination couldn't be mistaken for anything else. I love the little rope tie around the cutlery; very fun and cute, and it's little touches like that that make a dinner table setting memorable.

1. Sea Shanty Tea Towel, To Dry For 2. Beside the Seaside Tin, Biscuiteers 3. Life Belt Picture Frame, Breeze  4. Leaping Salmon Porcelain Serving Platter, Richard Bramble 5. White Metal Fish on Jute, Breeze  6. Mounted Nautical Print, Not on the High Street 7. Yacht Club Doorstep, Breeze 8. You Rock My Boat Cushion, Not on the High Street 9. Nautical Bucket Bag, Not on the High Street

Once I'd done the recent nautical post, I knew it was time to incorporate some seaside style into the home. I think these very cute products are nice, and less expensive way, of doing that. I love the tea towel and the bucket bag- practical elements are always twice as nice as something that's purely decorative! That said, I'm a sucker for old prints like these ships, and I love the huge range they have. Cycle through them and pick out the one you like the most! I also love the cheekiness of the You Rock My Boat cushion. Nautical can be a bit serious sometimes, and I'd want to keep that playful element. That's why I included the Biscuiteers Seaside tin. I'm not sure those biscuits would be decorating your house for long but you could always use the tin. They're not cheap, but use the discount code BISC11 for 10% off ;)

Now I just need to hunt down some glossy blue plates- or at the very least one bowl or jug.

First image from the Guardian. Second image from the Ikea Inspiration Blog. 

Product Review: Lush Flying Fox Shower Gel

Another shower gel review! I know it's working out to be loads, but until I can get my camera sorted I thought it was best to work my way through these as I think most people would like proper photos and swatches for beauty products.

This Lush Flying Fox shower gel was in a gift box I got given a few years ago. I'd never tried it before, and was intrigued by the suggestion that it was "especially good at The Time of the Month, because we’ve added the top essential oils for calming PMT" as the website says. I don't want to gross anyone out, but I tend to have very disruptive periods with wild mood swings, so I'm always looking for different things that might help. I don't usually buy into wild random remedies (homeopathy? No thank you) but I also think it's good to not dose myself up on chemicals at every available opportunity. Nice smelling things can be very calming and relaxing, and I certainly find scents hugely evocative. I was hoping this would mainly cheer me up and so help me deal with mood swings, but believe me, I was plenty suspicious.

First thoughts- when I opened and sniffed this, I loved the smell, but I also thought WOW that's a lot. It is very very very strong. This is probably the strongest smelling shower gel I've ever encountered anywhere. It mainly smells of jasmine and honey, and so it's both floral and sweet. I honestly loved this shower gel, but I can't imagine it would appeal to everyone so I would definitely recommend giving this a sniff before buying.

It works fine as a shower gel- the Lush formula lathers quite a lot, and while I never found it drying it's not particularly moisturising either.

As for the PMT claims- it doesn't help with cramps (although I would have been AMAZED if it had) but oddly enough the smells did make me feel better. That might just be because I loved the fragrance, so it possibly was just the effect of spraying a favourite perfume combined with a lovely hot shower, or maybe I am just really easily swayed by suggestion.

I will say that while I like some alternative therapies and I don't like excessive chemicals, I don't believe in making wild claims about what products can do. Saying mint tea soothes tummies is fine, and perfectly true from my experience; saying homeopathic medicine can be taken instead of anti-malaria drugs when travelling in malaria zones is BS and dangerous (I'm looking at you, Neal's Yard Remedies*).

So there you go- I try to approach such claims with suspicion, and although I love natural products I am definitely careful about which products I actually believe to be helpful. Did this genuinely make me feel better when I was tired, achy, run down, miserable and generally low? Yep, it was a nice booster and the smell cheered me up. Will it have the same effect on everyone? I have no idea, and I doubt that. But if you like strong floral scents and are not afraid of how powerful this one is, I recommend it. I also found it quite sexy, so it's nice for date night ;) That might be it then- most PMT-helpful stuff is soothing lavender, whereas this one just goes straight for sexy jasmine and honey. It's a different approach, and one I like!

Apparently you can use this as a shampoo, but I never tried that so can't say whether it's good or not. I also read somewhere that the name came from an argument the two (married) founders had once, when one had PMT and shouted 'I don't give a flying f***' at the other; apparently that inspired the product, and for some reason this story really made me laugh.

* For the record I love their bath and body products and have even treated myself to a massage at the Neal's Yard store in Cambridge, but I definitely disagree with that sort of misleading advertising. Being such a NYR fan I was actually really disappointed when I heard, but I do want to be honest on this blog and in my life. Rant over :)

Origins Offer

The Origins website is running an offer right now for a free sample of A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser (15ml) plus a Liquid Lip Color Duo  Make A Difference™ or a Rejuvenating hand treatment (15ml) or Blemish-busting Zero Oil™Deep Pore Cleanser (30ml). That's two free samples with any two purchases.

They also offer free delivery on offers over £30, and you can get a free trial sample of other products.

This isn't a bad offer if you want to try any of those products, but they have had more generous ones, and if you're not keen on these products in particular I would wait as they cycle through them often enough.

The Body Shop Offer

The Body Shop is running an offer right now, applicable in both stores and online. I use their body butters and scrubs regularly, but as I can't afford them at £12 a pop I hit them hard and fast in the sales. I just topped up my supplies at 40% off which is pretty sweet, and got a free sample of their Rainforest shampoo.

They also have free delivery on orders over £25- alternatively, you can use this in stores and skip all delivery charges.

Expires August 1st.

Product Review: Simple Kind to Eyes Corrector Pen

One of my favourite looks is a cat's eye flick of black eyeliner. I get quite a lot of practice, but there are days when I just can't get it right in one go. I saw this Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Corrector Pen, and being a big fan of Simple cleansing and make up remover products I decided to give it a go.

I liked this the first time I used it- it removes eyeliner with very slight residue. It's hard to get all of it off, so it did leave a shadowy dark mark behind that was quite easy to remove. It recommends cleaning it after every usage, so I removed the eyeliner from it.

However when I tried to use it a few days later it was a bit more dry and the more I used it the harder it was to get all the eyeliner off it, which meant that afterwards it would leave black marks when I tried to use it. Maybe you've got to be better at cleaning it :(

My major problem with this was actually that the blasted lid DOES NOT stay on. At all. I kept this in my make up bag, and it occasionally my make up bag rests in my handbag, but without fail every time I needed this the lid was off. Within a few weeks it was too dry to use. I found this really frustrating and not very practical. Simple products tend to be quite inexpensive, but this was £4.99 from Boots so I would have wanted it to last longer than a month.

I'll be sticking to cotton buds dipped into eye make up remover from now on, until I can find a more reliable pen!

Product Review: Origins No Puffery Cooling Eye Mask

I struggle with dark circles quite a lot, and staring at a laptop or reading all day takes its toll on my eyes. I have quite bad eyesight, and if I overdo it my eyes ache and itch, and definitely get a bit puffy.

I've tried various products to conceal or remedy this, and I learnt early on that there are no miracle cures- only products that will help a little. I bought the No Puffery online without trying it, which I almost never do, and was really excited to try it because I'm a big fan of Origins products anyway and have never had a bad reaction to them. I found this very very cooling and soothing. I didn't put this in the fridge, but I might try doing that next time to make it even more soothing. It starts acting instantly, and the relief was incredible. I didn't notice a huge difference in the appearance of my dark circles, but it had a good effect on the puffiness. My eyes looked less swollen and felt great. It actually made me feel quite wide awake.

I don't know that it demolished my dark circles, but if you work at a computer all day and your eyes get achy and tired and swollen, this is a great little product. I found it gorgeous for mornings when I really hand't had enough sleep. It costs £21 for 30ml, which I found very expensive, but I saved up all my Origins purchases waiting for a good offer, and ended up getting two huge and two medium-sized samples, plus free delivery, so it worked out quite well.

I ended up giving this to my mum as she was hunting for a good product and she also found it very soothing and had slightly better luck with dark circles (hers are not as prominent as mine).

You can buy Origins products from their website as well as counters in John Lewis etc. I prefer waiting for their fantastic offers which are almost as good as Clinique Bonus Time, and then getting free delivery. Boots also occasionally carries offers on Origins products with free stuff, which is also quite nice.

Product Review: Lush Godiva Solid Shampoo

Another eco-friendly post! When I heard about the Lush solid shampoos, years ago, I really wanted to try one but was sort of suspicious. Not sure why...it just seemed a little weird to me. I finally bought one of these for a long trip, as I thought it would be a lot easier than carrying liquid shampoo around. My first try using it, I rubbed it all over my head for ages without it lathering and was enormously annoyed as I thought I'd been massively ripped off. As soon as I put it down and actually started working the product in with some water, it lathered gloriously. It works pretty much exactly as a liquid shampoo would, so rest assured the formula is great.

I bought the Godiva because I honestly thought some of the others smelled unbearable. This one smells of jasmine and is extra moisturising. I found the smell fantastic, and it's really lovely in hair. The name Godiva and the tagline 'For when hair is all you want to wear' made me smile; there is something quite sensual and sexy about having your hair smell of jasmine.

It is fairly moisturising and Lush describes it as giving a 'more conditioning wash' but I wouldn't use this without a conditioner. It costs £6.25 for a 55gm bar, which seems pricey, but it honestly lasted >3 months. It broke in half after while, but not a problem if you're storing it in a tin (see below).

All in all, this is a lovely formula and the fragrance is very lovely, floral and gorgeous. I like solid products as they're more environmentally friendly, and this is definitely good for travelling although you'll probably have to invest in one of their shampoo bar tins to transport it properly. If you're travelling through the US, or taking budget airlines and would like to avoid paying hold luggage charges, this is perfect. Solid shampoo, proper soap, and face wipes instead of liquid make up remover would be my top tips for being able to take your toiletries into the cabin.