Mybeautywaxstash

Tag: stockingfiller

  • The Festive Candy Cane Bubble Bar From LUSH

    There is nothing nicer than getting hold of bath and body pampering products that are festive in look, style and fragrance. As per usual, high street store LUSH have rolled out their seasonal products ready for customers to lap up, enjoy and give as gifts. One product brought out for Christmas is their Candy Cane Bubble Bar. This retails for £5.00 each.

    Candy Cane Bubble Bar By LUSH
    What does it look like?

    Like a candy cane! Candy cane shaped with stripes of red and white (now pink because this has been boxed with other items). Chunky in look and feel, raised and slightly rounded on the front of it while the back is totally flat.

    Fragrance

    This has a soft sweetie like scent to it but with a minty freshness. It’s pleasant, not too minty so doesn’t have the traditional coldness to it. This would appeal to most people fragrance wise.

    How to use

    While holding the Candy Cane Bubble Bar, place it under warm running water and when finished put to one side to dry out ready to use again.

    In use

    I placed this under warm running water and as soon as the two met, the bubble bar created bubbles and colour. The bubbles came thick and fast and were white and fluffy. While the bath water turned into a pretty shade of pink. Using this again for a future bath wasn’t what I wanted so I crumbled up the bubble bar under the running water. The bubbles increased and the pink colour of the water intensified. The bath itself looked very inviting, full of bubbles and colour. And the fragrance was there, although subtle but noticeable.

    The water itself was very soft and nourishing on my skin. Candy Cane Bubble Bar felt very moisturising both in and out of the bath. My skin afterwards wasn’t dried out at all or irritated. Overall I really enjoyed using this bath treat, I just wish I was less sleepy to truly appreciate it!

    Recommended?

    The shape and fragrance of Candy Cane Bubble Bar is fun and festive. The fact this can be used multiple times makes this better value although £5.00 for a bubble bar isn’t actually that bad of a price. With this being quite moisturising on the skin it was a winner too. Definitely recommended, perfect stocking filler for a bath loving person.

    Candy Cane Bubble Bar is available, for a limited time, online and instore now.

  • A 99p Stocking Filler, Aldi’s Lacura Sleep Bath Salts

    You know when you eye up something in a shop for months, pass it by, and then one day you see it and it’s reduced? What do you do? BUY IT! It really is the simple things for me that I enjoy and a good deal on bath products is one of them. Latest item I’ve bought now it’s on sale is Aldi’s Lacura Sleep Bath Salts. Originally was £1.99, then went down to £1.49 and I just bought it for 99p for 300g.

    Aldi’s Lacura Sleep Bath Salts
    Why did I buy this?

    I love bath salts. But when I first saw this in my local store I didn’t want to pay £1.99. Despite it coming in a handy little container, I knew I could get better value weight and cost wise from other brands on the market. For 99p I thought this was much better value.

    What is this?

    These are bath salts which have added essential oils and extracts to help aide with relaxation, such as lavender, jasmine and vetiver.

    Packaging

    300g of bath salt live happily in a plastic screw top lidded tub. Dark blue in colour but semi translucent. This isn’t sophisticated in look but it does the job! It’s appealing because it makes me think (thanks to the colour of the tub) this will be relaxing. AND it’s practical too. You can pour out what you want to use and put the lid back on keeping the salts safe and contained.

    Fragrance

    The distinctive scent of lavender and eucalyptus hit me straight away! There are other fragrances in there as well but hard to make out but they are aromatherapy like. The scent of Aldi’s Lacura Sleep Bath Salts is strong but not overwhelming. And if you like lavender and eucalyptus you will love this!

    How do the bath salts look?

    Not like my usual Westlab ones that’s for sure! They do have that small, crystal like look to them. But rather than them being clear these are white, a little like white,tiny decorative rocks.

    How to use

    Under warm running water, add a handful of salts and enjoy for 15-20 minutes.

    In the bath

    I was a bit cheeky and although I added these into the bath I also poured in some Simple bath soak because I wanted bubbles. I used Simple because it’s kind to my skin and there isn’t a fragrance to this so all I could smell was the bath salts and smell it I did! Before it hit the water it was there and I loved it. It wasn’t overpowering or eye watering which these types of products can be, it was the ideal strength. While enjoying the scent this filled my bathroom with, some of the salts dissolved, some didn’t and the bath itself had bubbles (from the bath soak) and no colour.

    I didn’t want to get out of this bath! Normally I use salts if my skin is playing up and irritated, so they won’t have any form of fragrance (natural or not) added to it. And they do help. With this one? It was all about being able to unwind physically and mentally which this does. I wouldn’t go for this if you are sensitive to fragrance or aromatherapy oils. But this did the job and really put me at ease.

    Recommended?

    Definitely! Packaging is practical and nice for gift giving. Fragrance is fab and really gives a great chilled out bathing experience so perfect just before bed. And the price was cheap! A good quality bath product which if you can grab from Aldi would make a great stocking filler for someone who loves a bath and possibly stressed, or needs a good night’s sleep.

  • £1.50 Primark’s PS Raspberry Ripple Bath Bubbles

    I didn’t think it was possible but I’m spending more time in the bath than usual. Winter was made for hibernation and I hibernate quite well in the tub. More baths mean more bath products because if you know me, a plain bath just won’t cut it! So I’ve dragged out Primark’s PS Raspberry Ripple Bath Bubbles I bought a few weeks ago to use in my night time bathing ritual. The cost? £1.50.

    Primark’s PS Raspberry Ripple Bath Bubbles
    Why did I buy this?

    I bought this along with Primark’s PS Candy Cane Kisses Bath Bubbles because they both looked and smelt good. These must have been newi-ish as I hadn’t seen them before so I wanted to give them a go.

    How does this look?

    Shaped like a heart, Primark’s PS Raspberry Bath Bubbles is flat on the back and slightly rounded on top. There are two colours merged in this which is a deep purple/aubergine and off white. Size wise, this is impressive as it takes up most of the palm of my hand and is very solid in feel.

    Fragrance

    Imagine a raspberry/berry flavoured sweet. This is how this smells. It’s sweet, red berries in fragrance and mouth watering. Does it smell like actual fruit? No. This is definitely the fake, sweetie version. But you know what? It smells good!

    In the bath

    I halved this and crumbled it under warm running water. It was quite hard and not the easiest or quickest thing to do. So not ideal for those with issues with their hands. But once broken up it immediately created foam and a little colour in the form of a pink hue. Fragrance was there but light. I wish it was stronger because I like the fragrance but grateful for something rather than nothing.

    The bath itself was absolutely fine and I liked the time spent in it. The bubbles lasted awhile although there wasn’t loads, and the colour added to the water was a nice touch. With cheaper bath products I always worry how they will react to my skin but this was ok. My skin didn’t react to it, no drying out or irritation.

    Recommended?

    Although this isn’t perfect I would recommend this. Why? Generous size which means you get two baths out of it rather than one. It looks great and fun. It smells nice and creates some bubbles and colour. Not to mention how much this costs which is great if you want a cheap bath treat that doesn’t mess up your skin (or bath!). Good stocking filler for a bath lover, a decent bath treat for yourself or a nice addition to a group of smaller gifts for someone. But if you want something that provides tons of bubbles, colour and fragrance, this won’t be for you!

  • £2.00 Marks and Spencer’s Shea Butter & Honey Hand Balm

    It is COLD! We knew it was coming in the UK so it shouldn’t be a surprise. But it doesn’t mean we have to like it! Hats are on, gloves at the ready and woolly jumpers have been dug out of the back of wardrobes. As much as I’m all for grabbing these items to make myself feel cosy and human, there is one thing that’s been suffering like mad the last few days-my HANDS! They feel and look dry, lacklustre of colour and they need a much needed zap of moisture. So I thought I would give Marks and Spencer’s Shea Butter & Honey Hand Balm a go. For 75ml this cost just £2.00.

    Marks and Spencer’s Shea Butter & Honey Hand Balm
    Why did I buy this?

    I have various hand creams in my collection, but a hand balm sounds so much more moisturising, right? My hands look and feel slightly battered at the moment and I wanted something richer than my usual hand cream. I’ve used Marks and Spencer’s Hand Scrub, which I loved, and thought this would be a good product too. The fact it costs only £2.00 means it’s another affordable product to buy, use and hopefully enjoy.

    How to use?

    You can use this like a traditional hand cream (when needed). Or it can be used as a hand mask and use twice a week by applying a thick layer onto the hands for 10 minutes then rub into hands balm that hasn’t sunk in.

    Packaging

    This hand balm comes in a screw top lidded tube, which is standard. But it’s interesting in appearance because of it’s colour which is a vibrant shade of gold. It doesn’t look like it cost £2.00 but more.

    Fragrance

    I got a shock with this because I thought I picked up the almond version and this is clearly honey! It definitely does have a sweet, honey like scent to it. There’s an almost floral element to this as well, although very faint. If you’re not a fan of honey this won’t be for you. Personally, I don’t mind it but it’s not my favourite scent for a hand cream if I’m completely honest.

    Texture

    White in colour and holds it shape once squeezed out of the tube. Not runny like a body lotion but quite as thick as a body butter, it’s somewhere in between.

    On the hands

    I used a 5p sized amount of hand balm which I rubbed into my hands, which went in very easily. What makes this different from some hand creams is this has more of a slip to it. I won’t use the word ‘greasy’ but it’s obvious there is something in this giving it that feel (this contains Shea butter). My hands felt more moisturised and looked more healthy colour wise, but I expected more and felt I needed to get a little more balm for a second application. Just remember this is after one application and my hands are a bit rough! A plus point was my hands didn’t feel slippy after use and could use them straight away.

    The fragrance is very specific but not too strong, but it’s there. This is one of those scents I couldn’t or wouldn’t want to smell on my hands all the time but occasionally.

    Marks and Spencer’s Almond Milk & Vanilla Hand Scrub wit their Shea Butter & Honey Hand Cream
    Recommended?

    The fragrance for me probably is a no. This wasn’t the version I wanted and the Marks and Spencer’s Almond Milk & Vanilla Hand Scrub scent wise I found quite comforting and really liked. This doesn’t give me that same comfort. Formulation wise it’s nice to use and does improve the look and feel of my hands but I need to use this for longer to give it a true thumbs up or thumbs down. So I’m siting on the fence with this one, for now. But if you’re looking for a nice hand cream, and you like the fragrance of honey, this will be absolutely fine and make a good stocking filler. Available instore and online through Ocado here.