The Body Shop: Haul and Review II

Hey guys!

So let me start of by saying that this wasn't supposed to happen. I went into The Body Shop because I needed to buy a candle for Diwali and I had been eyeing up the Sandalwood and Ginger scented candle for a while now. Obviously, I got sucked into buying more things and with their 'Spend £25 and get £10 off' deal, it would be stupid not to buy more. 

Soo lets get on with the review!

Sandalwood and Ginger Scented Candle (£10.00/200g)

So this is the reason I went into The Body Shop in the first place - I love scented candles - especially when I am doing work it just makes me feel calm and the atmosphere is so much nicer that I don't mind doing work. The scent to this product is amazing! I would recommend everyone to go and give this a sniff because it's a spiced wood aroma which is just lovely to inhale. I love how this really does do the job - the fragrance stays in the room and so it's wonderful to light up.
The one bad thing about this product is that the packaging isn't that great. I love the box it comes in because it looks like it is worth the money but the candle itself is just in a plain jar which automatically makes it cheaper in my opinion because no one knows what you are lighting up. Apart from that I am super pleased with the candle - I think it's a good size and I think it would be great as a Christmas present. 

Rainforest Moisture Shampoo (£4.50/250ml)
This is something that I wasn't so happy about - this shampoo does give a lot of moisture which I like (that's why I bought it) but I didn't like it because it doesn't lather up at all! This might not seem like much of a problem but applying this to your roots is so hard - I felt like I was ripping my hair out trying to massage this in. It was honestly awful and I am not going to purchase this again. If they created a version which lathered up then this would be an awesome shampoo because it smells nice and it does do the job.

Papaya Shower Gel (£3.00/250ml) *on sale

Shockingly I have never tried a shower gel from The Body Shop - so when this one was on sale (just a pound lower but it doesn't take much to get me to buy something) I knew it was time to try something new. I really like this scent, it's nice and wearable and just a normal shower gel - if you want to try out some fragrant shower gels then go to The Body Shop since they have a massive range. The only thing is the scent doesn't last on the skin but that's pretty standard for me. This is cool if you want to try something new.

Vanilla Body Mist (£7.50/100ml)

Vanilla is my scent, like all of my friends know that I love vanilla as an everyday scent. So this instantly appealed to me - I used to wear the Boots natural collection vanilla body spray for a few years but it's been discontinued so I have been on the hunt for something equally as good. I think this is halfway there, I'm happy with it but the Boots vanilla spray was my scent for years so nothing can really live up to it. I do like this but I am not sure how far I would recommend this - if you like vanilla then be sure to smell it in store but it's still a nice and easy every day scent. I wouldn't mind repurchasing this either since it does linger on the skin nicely but hopefully I can find something even better!

So that's the end of my mini haul :) If you have tried any of these things be sure to tell me what you think about it - it's nice to hear different opinions :) I hope I steered you towards what I like and what I kinda don't :)
Thank you for reading,
Anjna x

Bath Time! (Ft. Lush)

Hey guys!

First I have some exciting news - I am working as a Christmas Temp at Lush! I can't even explain how over the moon I am about this since talking about products all day every day seems to be what I do best. Since I am now working there - I get to try out some awesome stuff that I probably wouldn't have picked up myself and so if you wanna know some more about Lush products then stayed tuned for the next few weeks on my blog because I think Lush will feature quite heavily. 

Today I wanted to talk about what Lush is particularly famous for: bath bombs and bubble bars. I also have a confession to make: before this week, I had never used any of the bath stuff from Lush, shocking right? I can truly say that I had been missing out -  here is a review about two of the products I used.

Golden Wonder (Bath Bomb): (£3.75/1)*

The reason I was drawn to this was because it was shaped like a present and if you shake it then something rattles inside! It just made me excited for Christmas since it's seemed like it would be full of 'wonder' and I was totally right. As soon as this hit the bath water it was just captivating to watch the water change from yellow to green so quickly. The fragrance that soon filled my bathroom had a citrus scent which was fresh and relaxing and so this would be perfect relieve stress in the evening. The shimmer from the bomb does transfer to the water but honestly it looks so lovely with the dark green water and although some of it does get on your skin it really isn't noticeable. I thought I would have problems with the water staining my bath but it didn't leave a single trace which is amazing - Lush uses natural ingredients and also safe synthetics so that probably explains why my bath didn't turn green! All in all I would recommend this product to everyone who is looking to try something extremely special this Christmas. See it in action in the photos below :)

The Christmas Hedgehog (Bubble Bar): (£3.25/1)*

I am going to be honest and say I wanted this because it was shaped like a hedgehog - it's so cute! The next reason that this got my attention was the smell. It is fantastic. It smells like the forest and just nature - so clean cut that you can never get bored of it - I think it's the Ylang Ylang oil in it which is extracted from a plant. The way this works is to crumble it underneath your tap while your bath is running to make bubbles - easy! While the colour of the bath didn't change for this product, the feel of the water transformed into something more silkier and softening which I think is perfect for the colder winter nights where your skin becomes drier. The bubbles that were created were so big and soft! I loved it ;) Again with the cleaning up, this gave me no problems - I thought I would need to hose down the excess bubbles but they went straight down with no effort from me. I would recommend this for people who want a change in their bath routine - it really is something else.

So my first experiences with bath bombs and bubble bars went down a treat! I loved the entire experience and I am a total convert now - I'm so curious to try what else Lush has. Another thing I would like to add is that  both products would be suitable for people of any age - the colours and fizziness of Golden Wonder would be mesmerising for children but the scent is something an adult can appreciate. The bubbles of The Christmas Hedgehog is something a child would enjoy yet the texture and smell is just so appealing to everyone. I think these products would make lovely add on Christmas gifts for anyone of any age or gender and I urge you all to try them. 

Thank you so much for reading, 

Anjna x

*The products featured in this post were not purchased by me, it was a 'welcome to the team' gift that Lush gave after my induction. This is not a sponsored post.

Review: Zoella Beauty Blissful Mistful

Hey :) 

So today's post is something special - it isn't that often that a blogger/YouTuber gets a range out but when they do I just need to have it. Zoe Sugg is now a celebrity in my opinion, she is always mentioned when anyone has a conversation about YouTube and is just very current. What I like in general about what she has launched is that they are all easily accessible and very very affordable. To me this means that she understands that her audience lives all over the place and are generally around the teenage/young adult range. 

Today I will be reviewing the body mist that she launched called: Blissful Mistful. I bought this product online and that is something I never do with scents because I just really think it's a risk - especially if you have no clue what it smells like. I have to say I was curious to what it would smell like and pleasantly surprised when it smelt the complete opposite of what I thought. Here is a break down of my points :)

Good points

Smell: I thought it would be extremely girly and sweet with a heavy fragrance - a bit like when you go and buy your first body spray, instead it was relaxing, subtle and just really nice to inhale! It's feminine because it smells like flowers and it's just... clean cut. I like how universal this scent is - I can't imagine a girl who would be disappointed to wear this.

Packaging: I really like the the packaging of this - it's cute and feminine without being childish and girly. The balance that she has made is actually fantastic in my opinion. 

Application: A small amount goes a long way with this product - honestly 3 spritz is enough - which I think is a small amount - sooo I have a feeling that this is going to last. 

Price: As I mentioned above, I like how the price is cheap because it shows that she knows her target audience. This product is £8.00/45ml, which I think is a perfect price for the product. I think this will be perfect as an add-on Christmas gift for someone. 

Bad points:

Spritz: So although I really like this product and would recommend it to almost everyone - the way the spray comes out isn't the best - I wouldn't go as far to say that it squirts water at you but it isn't exactly a fine mist either - it's more towards water squirt than fine mist. I personally don't mind this - again with the price you are paying there has to be something not so great and this is it. 

Longevity: This is a half hearted bad point, the scent is subtle and so it doesn't last as long as I would like. However, like the comfort laundry advert, when you move you can sometimes notice the scent which is nice and calming, because you forget that you have worn it. 

So that was my review of the Zoella Beauty Blissful Mistful, the name fits the body mist exactly. My overall thoughts are that Zoe has put a lot of thought and attention on these products because I really do feel like it reflects her and her personality perfectly. I can't wait to try some more of her products - I was truly impressed with this perfume and I do think it's worth a shot. Let me know in the comments what you would like to try from her range or your thoughts if you have tried her range. :)

Thanks for reading, 

Anjna Harish

Every Girl Should Have: A Wooden Hair Brush

Hey Guys :) 

So today's post is another 'Every Girl Should Have' :) All the products I mention in this mini series are all obvious and simple but still I think they should be mentioned because the basics are the most important right? 

The product that deserves a mention is: a wooden hair brush. Now, although this seems like a weird choice, the fact that the comb is wooden is a key part of this review. This is why you should invest in one: 

1) Conditioning -  Wooden brushes naturally condition your hair because the bristles distribute the natural oils in your hair evenly making them softer and healthier.

2) Static - Wooden brushes don't produce static electricity in your hair since the bristles are wooden! so you will always have a good hair day!

3)Breakage - Since the bristles on a wooden hair brush are wide and gentle it is less likely to break your hair when you comb through it - helping it in the long run.

4) Massaging -  Wooden hair brushes have gentle bristles, again which are wide, this means when you run it through the scalp it has a nice massaging effect - making hair brushing a more enjoyable experience. 

5)Longevity - Wooden brushes generally last a lot longer than plastic hair brushes - this is because it's stronger and made out of better material. I have always found that the bristles on a plastic brush always lose the nib (which has the massaging effect) and so scratches my scalp instead of massaging it. 

6)Types - Wooden brushes come in all different shapes and sizes depending on your hair requirement - so you have no excuse not to have one in your life!

I got mine from Amazon a while ago and I have never looked back. They honestly just feel so luxurious which is weird to say since it's just a wooden hair brush. If you haven't tried a wooden hair brush then I urge you to buy one since it doesn't actually have any bad qualities in my opinion. 

Remember to subscribe if you like my content - I don't always advertise my posts so you might be missing out! 

Thank you for reading, 

Anjna Harish

My Organisational Secret: Academic Diary

Hey guys :) 

So today's post is a little different from my others :) it's more to do with lifestyle and how you can maximise productivity in my opinion and I can tell you right now that I can't live without it at all. 

So the secret is actually in the title - it's my academic diary. I cannot even express how much this diary means to me - it literally goes everywhere with me because it has my life in it.

 My memory isn't that bad but occasionally I do forget to do important work - for university or just in general and writing things down just makes it so much easier. I honestly list things I have to do in the day - a bit like a check list and by the end of the day everything should be ticked off and that's how I know it has been a productive and useful day. Having this sort of check list is self rewarding too because you get a lot of satisfaction from ticking each thing off as you have accomplished a goal each and every time. Another reason why this is specific to an academic diary and not just a post it note (I use those too) is that everyday you will have a set of goals to do - I have hardly had any days which were completely empty because there is always something to be done.

I always carry my diary around with me because I start planning for the goals or events for future weeks in advance and if asked about my availability I know exactly what days I might be free in a matter of seconds. 

Oops - I was two hours late posting this!

Honestly having an academic diary is a game changer if you use it like this - this post really is for people who are struggling to balance out how they should tackle the amount of work they have to do and I think organisation is a large part of it - if you know what you need to do and when then you will automatically be quicker at achieving it since you wake up with a purpose - even if it is something simple like buying milk or doing laundry for the day.

I hope this has let you all in on how I achieve my maximum potential and I hope you invest in one if you are finding it difficult to remember and plan properly. 

Thanks for reading,

Anjna x

Review: Eau Thermale Avène

Hey everyone :) 

So I had the absolute pleasure of trying out two sample sized Avène products and I can't sing their praises enough - I did their skincare diagnosis to see what products would suit me and imagine my surprise when they sent me my recommended products straight to my doorstep. Again they are sampled sized and only two of the recommended four products but still - I was blown away.

My skin is oily and blemish prone and so if you have similar skin to mine then try out these products too -  Avène do have something for everyone though.

Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser: (£11/200ml)

I absolutely love this cleanser, it's so gentle on the skin and is perfect for cleansing my blemish prone skin. I never used to label my skin as sensitive but I still feel as if everyone should care for their skin in a gentle way and this is a product that does just that. I love the smell - it smells exactly like soap which just makes me think that my face is squeaky clean. I like that a little goes a long way too - I have used this sample for a week now and I'm not even half way yet. I wouldn't just use this by itself though - I haven't even attempted to take my make-up off with it, I just don't think that is the purpose of this product. I usually take my make-up off with my Camomile Cleansing Oil and then exfoliate my skin with the Nip+Fab glycolic scrub. This Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser is what I use after I have exfoliated my face so it works it's magic while I sleep. I have really enjoyed using this product and I will probably purchase the full size. 

Cleanance K: (£11/40ml)

This product is supposed to 'reduce spots, blackheads and breakouts', now I feel like two out of three I am positively certain has reduced - mainly the spots and breakouts, I haven't noticed any new ones crop up. Again, I have only used this for a week but I feel like with continued use this will probably work even more magic. A word of warning though - this smells really weird, like I can't even describe it - you can smell it when you apply it on your face but afterwards you can't so it's not that much of an issue. I don't know if I would repurchase this or if I will keep on trying out other products. I still do enjoy sampling this out though.

I wanted to give this brand a shout-out because you guys should do the skin diagnosis and score some free samples too :) Honestly, it's opened my eyes to the brand and I'm glad that I have tried it out. 

Have you tried this brand?

Thank you for reading, 

Anjna Harish x