Showing posts with label bath. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bath. Show all posts

Wednesday, 16 December 2015

Have Yourself a Very Smelly Christmas | Lush Magic of Christmas Bubble Wand


If there's something I love about Christmas it's the smells. And I'm not talking about the latest Yankee Candle everyone and their cat seems to be buying at the moment (I'm a clean cotton type of gal) I'm talking about the smells from the great outdoors, and admittedly indoors. From the smell of fresh baked cinnamon buns and rolls in local supermarkets to the sickly sweet hot chocolates and ginger bread lattes wafting down the high street, and let's not forget the seasonal goodies from Christmas German markets, a treat only just afforded to the Granite City this year, let's just say the only time it feels like Christmas is when I can literally smell it in my nasal cavity. And according to any and all beauty bloggers you seem to speak to, nothing smells as good as a Lush Christmas bath does, so I thought okay, this year I'll give it a bash.

For someone who loves smells so much it's hard to believe that I have never been afforded the luxury of a Lush bath, let's face it I've had just about everything else from them, moisturisers, cleansers, eye creams, face masques, shampoo bars, you name it I've probably had it, but a bath? Unfortunately not, that is until now! This was something on my list when searching for our new home this year, it MUST have a bath...I swear I didn't move so I could have a bath... ahem. So a few weeks ago off I popped to my local Lush store and picked up their Magic of Christmas Bubble Wand.

You could say it was love at first sniff (I seem to be falling for an awful lot lately!) with a couple of cinnamon sticks as the wand as well as almonds and orange oil as the key notes I was sold, cinnamon and orange happen to be my favourites scents, so between that and the gorgeous gold and glitter filled appearance I was sold! And so it was that after a long week back at work and a rather stressful evening I would have my Lush bath after all.

Like a regular Lush bubble bar / wand you use this by holding it under your running tap and swishing it around (rather magically and flamboyantly) in the water, you can reuse this one which would have been great... had I known that before and not wasted the entire thing on a single bath! Nevertheless the bar changed my water into a gorgeous deep orange colour with glitter throughout and an abundance of fluffy silky bubbles that left my skin feeling pampered! I must have lay there for a good half hour just taking it all in and relaxing before finally admitting defeat and rinsing off in the shower. I have to say the scent didn't scream cinnamon or orange to me and I wracked my brains for a good hour afterwards sniffing the bag to try and unpuzzle what it really reminded me of. It wasn't until much later when I was brewing my nighttime Chai Tea that I realised it was literally like bathing in Chai Tea, a very luxe, silky smooth Chai Tea mind!

Overall I think I would repurchase this bubble wand, with the intention of using it properly and not treating myself to the entire thing all at once! My only criticism is that the scent didn't hang about for very long and I had expected to continue feeling the warming and relaxing effects throughout the rest of my evening - this didn't happen. But perhaps that's just me and I'm just overestimating the power of baths, for which I blame my fellow beauty bloggers, don't be duped baths won't solve all of your problems!

What has been you favourite Lush  Christmas product so far? Or even just your favourite Lush product full stop, I'd love to hear your top picks. Be sure to leave them all in the comments below, come share your smelly goodness with me on Twitter or if you'd just like to hear more from Granite City Girls and future bathing adventures be sure to follow me on Bloglovin.

Until next time folks, it's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas.

H.Elizabeth x




Sunday, 4 January 2015

Oh my god, look at her buns | Philosophy Cinnamon Buns

Hello everyone and welcome to the first blog post of 2015 on Granite City Girl! Instead of having another festive, New Yearsy post I thought I would just get stuck right in and share with you one of my recent purchases (with my Christmas money so it is probably a little festive) which I have been lusting after since time began! Well since I bought my last one. May I present the Philosophy Cinnamon Buns shampoo, shower gel and bubble bath!

If you've read my previous Philosophy review which revolved around Granny's Apple Pie shower gel all the way back in March 2014, then you'll already know how I feel about Philosophy and I have to be honest I've become a bit of a Philosophy groupie, which has been both an enriching and money draining experience but I of course have found a way to rationalize my little obsession as always (excuses like it's for the blog have since become a staple in our house!)


This gel was not on offer and I feel a bit crazy for having paid £14.50 for it, but as a post holiday treat this is how I was able to reason with myself into actually buying it. Unlike the Christmas specials Philosophy annually come out with, this one doesn't come in a fancy wee box but has the usual luxe packaging with a recipe for cinnamon buns on the front, which I love. Just as a little note of how long these shower gels actually last, I still have the Granny's Apple Pie shower gel which I bought back at the end of February in 2014! This one, like the last one, feels very silky, sumptuous and rich, it's very creamy and it's easily worked up into a foamy lathery delight which as you'll know I love! The scent is very very sweet so if you like fresh smelling scents then this one isn't for you, and because of the white, silvery colour along with the smell it feels like you're washing with the icing off a cinnamon bun which is amazing, but may not help any healthy eating or food cravings for a post shower snack! Another aspect of the Philosophy gels which I love is the fact that when you do shower and you're bathroom is all steamy the smell lingers and travels through your house (which isn't difficult for our tiny one bedroom) but it's so lovely and it smells beautiful all day!

Even though thinking about the price of course still hurts me a little bit, I can simply wash all of my cares and woes of the price tag away as soon as I step into the shower, and being able to walk around all day smelling like a cina bun helps too!

Have you guys ever spent this much on a guilty pleasure? I'd love to hear what your thoughts are on the Philosophy shower gel range! Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below or if you've found any Philosophy dupes be sure to come Tweet them at me or of course if you'd like to keep up with the latest Granite City buys, adventures, antics and reviews you can follow me on Bloglovin

Until next time folks, I'll be the one smelling like a cina bun!

H.Elizabeth x


Wednesday, 5 March 2014

Philosophy | Granny's Apple Pie Review

A bargain buy at only £3.50 from Boots (courtesy of a Christmas clearance sale), I have only just this past week been introduced to up and coming luxe body product brand, 'philosophy' and their fantastic shower gel/bubble bath/shampoo range and so far I love it.

 On offer in my local Boots store were two of philosophy's Christmas inspired homey scents, Granny's Apple Pie and Peppermint Stick, and with my personal all time favourite scent being apples and cinnamon I just had to grab the chance to use it as a shower gel!

As I have now implemented quite a vigorous skincare routine into my morning and evening rituals all I really look for in a shower gel is foamy, lovely smelling goodness rather than specific moisturizing or any particular skin related aspect, so if like me you are just looking for a sumptuous smelling shower gel then this will be right up your street.


As you can see the gel comes in very cute packaging and they give you a surprisingly generous amount for only £3.50. I am a bit of a sucker when it comes to pretty looking bath and shower products I tend to buy things because they're pretty, I mean you ought to see my Soap and Glory miniature collection, but this was a fantastic investment!

A little of this lovely gel goes a long way it gives a really rich smelling, very foamy lather which leaves your bathroom (and in my case, my entire flat) smelling like a home baked apple pie with a hint of cinnamon as well as your skin feeling soft and well treated.

If you get the chance I urge you to run down to your local Boots store (unless it's my local in which case THEY'RE MINE!) to get yourself a bargain in the form of these lavish gels while they're cheap. I would however say that if you are looking for that Soap and Glory like squeaky clean smell and feeling you're probably not going to love this product but if you just want to smell beautiful, homely and a little like Christmas this is right up your street!

Has anybody else tried the 'Philosophy' range from Boots, if so what did you try? and did you like it? Drop your comments below, come chat with me on Twitter or if you want to keep up to date with the latest Granite City posts come follow me on Bloglovin

H.Elizabeth

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