Wednesday Wants!

This weeks wants are being done on time!

1) China Glaze "Awakenings" Halloween 2010 Set - £19.95 from Amazon

I've never used China Glaze nail varnish but their collections always catch my eye. They do seem quite expensive as they work out at around £5 each. This collection includes Zombie Zest (green with glitter), Ick A Body (dark green with orange glitter) and Mummy May I (purple with pink glitter) as well as a top coat. These are only limited edition so if you want to get yours then pick it up here.


2) Villette Lace Mary Jane Pumps - £20 from Topshop

I don't often wear pumps in the winter and so most of my wants of recent have included boots. However, I saw these on the Topshop website and fell in love with them. They are so pretty and cute! Get a pair from here.








3) Dragon's Blood Necklace - from £8 at Shottle Bop

I love these little bottles from Shottle Bop. This is one of the halloween specials. The other two that caught my eye were Vampire Venom and Pumpkin Juice. You can even get them with little spoons! Get yours from here.






4) Team Edward T Shirt - £24.99 from Truffle Shuffle

Embarrassingly, I already have a Team Edward t shirt (of the Cullen variety!). I would prefer this one though! This shirt pays homage to the original Edward from Edward Scissorhands. It is one of my favourite films and I would kill for this top! Get yours here.







5) Go Away I'm Reading Mug - £9.95 from the Literary Gift Company

This mug is just so "me". I love it. Enough said. Get one from here.









6) Banana Guard - £4.99 from Lakeland

Do you hate it when your bananas get squished in your bag? Yes?? Me too! I really want one of these... they are funny but also practical! Get one from here.








7) Tia Tie Dye Bodice Prom Dress - £8 from Boohoo.com

This is more of a summer dress really but it definately caught my eye. I love the colours and the style. If you want one of these you'll have to act quickly as it is in the sale! Get one from here.








8) Heritage Rabbit Top - £14.99 from New Look

I totally love this top. It's very Alice In Wonderlandy and I think it is beautiful. If you love it too then get one from here.









9) Cream Cable Longline Cardigan - £42 from Miss Selfridge

This cardigan just looks cosy and lovely. A plain top, leggings, ugg boots and this cardigan would look nice I think. It would also be lovely and warm! Get one here.








10) Marzibain Bubble Bar - £2.75 from Lush

This years christmas Lush will be released on Friday and I plan on telling you all about it then. Until then.. I have been wanting one of these for a while and it is definately one of my wants of the week. This bubble bar smells like marzipan (just like snowcake soap). I've been using my snowcake recently and I love it so I would love to have one of these to pair it with!

This Week's Wants (a bit late!)

Sorry I am late with my Wednesday wants this week, I spent all day Wednesday in the library! Here they are:

1) Hand Painted Panda Mug and Bowl - £10 from www.traidcraftshop.co.uk

How cute is this mug and bowl set? I love Pandas. It is handmade by the YMCA in Thailand so the money goes to a good cause as well! Get yours from here.







2) Butterfly Umbrella - £8.50 from Paperchase

Yesterday my umbrella got blown inside out so I need a new one! This umbrella is beautiful and is printed with different coloured butterflies. It can be bought on the new and shiny paperchase website here.







3) Cloud 9 Stationary Set - £5 from Paperchase

I have just started my third year at university, and like every september, I am currently obsessed with stationary. Paperchase do an amazing variety of cute and quirky stationary sets and this is one of my favourites. At £5 I don't think the price is too bad either! Get yours from here.






4) Short Checked Cotton Skirt - £29.90 from Nomads

I love most of the clothes on the Nomads website but this particularly caught my eye. This skirt is so cute and quirky. It can be used in an emo/goth outfit or just any outfit (I think I'd team it up with my "Team Edward" T Shirt and some black leggings!). On top of this it is ethically friendly too! It is also available in red. Get one from here.






5) Oasis Hooded Duffle Coat - £85 from ASOS

I really want a new warm coat for the winter and I think this one is really bright and eye catching. It is a bit expensive for me though! Get yours from here.








6) The Dark Side Nail Polish Set - £8.50 from Eyeko

I've never ordered from Eyeko but I love the look of most of their nail varnishes. Every year as the weather gets colder, I start putting away my bright neon and glitter nail varnishes and turn to my trusty blacks, purples, blues and dark reds. This set really caught my eye and for £8.50 I don't think it is badly priced! It contains three colours: Cosmic Polish (black with silver glitter), Vampira Polish (black with red glitter) and Indigo Polish (dark shimmery blue). Get your set here.




7) Pom Pom Slipper Boots - £16 from Accessorize at Monsoon

My feet get really cold at this time of year and what better way to keep them warm than these cute and warm slipper boots. I am dying to buy some of these! If your willpower is anything like mine and you have money to back it up then get a pair from here.







8) Longline Purple Cardigan - £70 from Monsoon

I fell in love with this as soon as I saw it. It is so sophisticated and lovely. Shame about the price tag! If you can afford this then get it here.

9) I'm Toasty PJ's Set - £35 from David and Goliath

I love the clothes from David and Goliath and this Pyjama Set is so cute! The only criticism I have is that I don't think I would be toasty in that top in the winter (which is when I wear long PJs) so I think it would be better if it had long sleeves. Still, I would buy these if I could justify it! Get yours from here.






10) Bat Necklace - £5 from Must Destroy Jewellery

Halloween is on its way and Must Destroy Jewellery have just come out with their halloween range. I love this bat necklace, it is so emo and cute! Get one from here.

Greyhound Racing

I found out today that one of my favourite companies, Lush, are going to be launching a campaign which supports “Greyhound Action” who campaign against Greyhound Racing. There is a lot of controversy around this so I thought I would give you some information and tell you what I think.

In the UK 40,000 greyhounds are killed every year by the racing industry. This is due to over breeding and also to short racing careers. It is quite common to find Greyhounds that have had their ears chopped off as the dogs have tattoos on their ears which identify their owner. People therefore chop the ears off if they steal the dogs. Thousands of puppies are also killed if they are not good enough for racing. It is estimated that over 10,000 greyhound puppies are killed annually in the UK for this reason. Injuries from running are extremely common. These include injured toes, torn muscles, strained tendons and arthritic joints. Greyhounds retire from racing at an average age of 2.5 years old and very few of these manage to be rehomed. The British Greyhound Racing Industry have said that 500-1000 retired greyhounds are killed every year because they can’t be rehomed. Many owners will kill the dogs by cruel methods because they don’t want to pay to get them put to sleep by the vet.

In my opinion, the only way to get rid of this cruelty is to ban Greyhound racing. I think it is disgusting how these animals are treated and am totally backing the Lush campaign. I got the data for this blog post from Greyhound Action.

Thursday Thoughts - Marc Bolan

Today is the 33rd anniversary of the death of Marc Bolan. For those of you who don't know, Marc was an English singer/songwriter who did solo stuff as well as stuff with his band, T Rex. Marc Feld was born on the 30th of September, 1947 in Hackney (London). He was given his first guitar at the age of 9 and his first band was called "Susie and the Hoops". He left school at the age of 15 and became a male model. He changed his name to Toby Tyler when he met and moved in with his first manager (Allan Warren). He later left this manager and changed his name to Marc Bolan.

Marc's first single was released in 1967 and was called "The Wizard". He then joined the mod band called John's Children which wasn't very successful and didn't sell many records. One of the singles that Marc wrote for John's Children was actually banned by the BBC for having the line "lift up your skirt and fly".  When this band collapsed, Marc and one of his band mates (Steve Peregrine Took) formed a band called Tyrannosaurus Rex that played acoustic, psychedelic folk rock.  They used songs written by Marc and released four albums and four singles. They were highly supported by John Peel and got to number 15 in the charts. After a while, Bolan bought a Gibson Les Paul and started bringing electrical influences into the music. This increased when Took was replaced with Mickey Finn. After marrying his girlfriend (June Child) Marc shortened the name of the band to T Rex and released Ride a White Swan, one of his most popular songs.

Ride a White Swan got to number 2 in the charts and Bolan started getting more and more flamboyant, turning up for shows in feather boas and glitter. Other rock stars also started getting glam, including Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart. It was also around this time (1971) that David Bowie rose to fame. After Ride a White Swan came Hot Love, Get It On, and Jeepster. In 1972 Telegram Sam and Metal Guru got to number 1 while Children of the Revolution and Solid Gold Easy Action got to number 2.

Due to an affair with his backing singer, Gloria Jones, his marriage came to an end. The T Rex line up disintegrated and Marc spent a lot of time in America. His health deteriorated as he put on weight and he stayed quite popular until his death although he never got back as popular as he was in 1972. His son, Rolan Bolan was born in 1975 and Marc returned to Britain. In early 1977 T Rex was reformed with different people and a new album was released called Dandy in the Underworld. The band went on a UK tour with The Damned and Granada Television gave him a TV series named Marc where he had new and established bands performing as well as performing himself.

Bolan died two weeks before his 30th birthday in a car crash. The car was being driven by Gloria Jones and it struck a tree as she lost control of the car. The site in Barnes, London is now a Marc Bolan shrine and I would love to visit it. Although I am too young to remember Marc, his music lives on and he remains one of my favourite artists.

Wednesday Wants!

Time for this weeks Wednesday Wants!

1) Suede Strap Boot - £39.99 from New Look

These look lovely and warm for the winter. I am looking out for some nice waterproof boots/shoes to keep my feet warm and dry in the coming months and these look perfect. Alas they are leather so I wouldn't buy them. I would have to find a similar pair which are animal friendly. These boots are available in black, dark grey or stone henge. Get yours here.






2) Tea For One in Cloud 9 Design - £13.50 from Paperchase

I love my tea and I don't usually share it with anyone. This cute tea for one set is a little teapot that holds just enough for one person and a cup and saucer. The cute design on it is brilliant and I would love to make my tea in this! It would also save me having to make multiple trips downstairs for refills from the kettle when I am busy essay writing in the winter. Get yours from here.





3) Wake Me For Cookies PJ Set - £25 from Topshop

The colder weather makes me want to lounge around in my cosy pyjamas even more than usual. These pyjamas are really cute and I would probably wear them with my chunky red cardigan and some fluffy socks. Get a pair from here.








4) Art of Darkness Nail Varnish Set - £39.50 from Illamasqua

I had never heard of this website until somebody else posted it on their blog and I had a nosey. I found this gorgeous set of nail varnishes in their autumn/winter collection. They look amazing but I would never pay that much for nail varnishes! If you can afford them you can get them from here.






5) Military Belted Coat - £80 from Topshop

It is an annual tradition for me to buy my winter coat. If I had £80 to spare this would be the one I would choose this year. It is a gorgeous military style coat that reminds me very much of Captain Jack from Dr Who! Get yours from here.








6) Mela Poppy Gem Tunic - £27.99 from New Look

I found this gorgeous tunic on the New Look website. The model wears it as a dress but I think I'd wear it with my black 3/4 length leggings and black pumps. The weather is probably getting a bit cold for this now so I would also wear a nice cardigan with my outfit. The colours are lovely and so is the bubble style. If you love this tunic then get it from here.






7) Bite Me Tee by Little Fox - £25 from Topshop

As a big fan of all things vampire, I adore this t shirt. I would love it more if it was more of a skinny fit as this is how I prefer my t shirts. I still want it though! Get yours here.








8) Recycled Owl Mid Year Diary - £8 from Paperchase

I have just started the third year of my Zoology degree and have yet to buy a diary to keep me organised. This one is so cute and I think I might venture into town and get one of my own. If you have no paperchase near you then you can get one from here.







9) Pom Pom Knitted Beanie Hat - £14 from Topshop

This is one of the cutest hats I have seen in a while. It reminds me of being a school girl. I love woolly hats in the winter and this is a really nice style. Get one from here.








10) Pocket Stitch Satchel - £14 from New Look

I think this bag is really cute and it has an across the body strap which is a quality I really like in bags! It is made of fake leather which means it is animal friendly. The website does not tell me what size this bag is but from the look of it on the picture, it looks just big enough. You can also get it in brown. Get yours from here.

Happy Roald Dahl Day!

Roald Dahl is simply the greatest childrens writer of all time in my opinion. His stories are so imaginative and I love the dark humour that underlies most of them. Willy Wonka seems so dark when I read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (my favourite Roald Dahl story and favourite children's story) again now.

Today is Roald Dahl day which celebrates the fact that it would have been Roald Dahl's 94th birthday tomorrow. To celebrate I have found one of my favourite poems from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. What is your favourite Roald Dahl story? Comment and let me know!

"The most important thing we've learned,
So far as children are concerned,
Is never, NEVER, NEVER let
Them near your television set–
Or better still, just don't install
The idiotic thing at all.
In almost every house we've been,
We've watched them gaping at the screen.
They loll and slop and lounge about,
And stare until their eyes pop out.
(Last week in someone's place we saw
A dozen eyeballs on the floor.)
They sit and stare and stare and sit
Until they're hypnotised by it,
Until they're absolutely drunk
With all the shocking ghastly junk.
Oh yes, we know it keeps them still,
They don't climb out the window sill,
They never fight or kick or punch,
They leave you free to cook the lunch
And wash the dishes in the sink–
But did you ever stop to think,
To wonder just exactly what
This does to your beloved tot?
IT ROTS THE SENSES IN THE HEAD!
IT KILLS IMAGINATION DEAD!
IT CLOGS AND CLUTTERS UP THE MIND!
IT MAKES A CHILD SO DULL AND BLIND
HE CAN NO LONGER UNDERSTAND
A FANTASY, A FAIRYLAND!
HIS BRAIN BECOMES AS SOFT AS CHEESE!
HIS POWERS OF THINKING RUST AND FREEZE!
HE CANNOT THINK–HE ONLY SEES!
'All right!' you'll cry. 'All right!' you'll say,
'But if we take the set away,
What shall we do to entertain
Our darling children? Please explain!'
We'll answer this by asking you,
'What used the darling ones to do?
'How used they keep themselves contented
Before this monster was invented?'
Have you forgotten? Don't you know?
We'll say it very loud and slow:
THEY...USED...TO...READ! They'd READ and READ,
AND READ and READ, and then proceed
To READ some more. Great Scott! Gadzooks!
One half their lives was reading books!
The nursery shelves held books galore!
Books cluttered up the nursery floor!
And in the bedroom, by the bed,
More books were waiting to be read!
Such wondrous, fine, fantastic takes
Of dragons, gypsies, queens, and whales
And treasure isles, and distant shores
Where smugglers rowed with muffled oars,
And pirates wearing purple pants,
And sailing ships and elephants,
And cannibals crouching 'round the pot,
Stirring away at something hot.
(It smells so good, what can it be?
Good gracious, it's Penelope.)
The younger ones had Beatrix Potter
With Mr. Tod, the dirty rotter,
And Squirrel Nutkin, Pigling Bland,
And Mrs. Tiggy–Winkle and–
Just How The Camel Got His Hump,
And How The Monkey Lost His Rump,
And Mr. Toad, and bless my soul,
There's Mr. Rat and Mr. Mole–
Oh, books, what books they used to know,
Those children living long ago!
So please, oh please, we beg, we pray,
Go throw your TV set away,
And in its place you can install
A lovely bookshelf on the wall.
Then fill the shelves with lots of books,
Ignoring all the dirty looks,
The screams and yells, the bites and kicks,
And children hitting you with sticks–
Fear not, because we promise you
That, in about a week or two
Of having nothing else to do,
They'll now begin to feel the need
Of having something good to read.
And once they start–oh boy, oh boy!
You watch the slowly growing joy
That fills their hears. They'll grow so keen
They'll wonder what they'd ever seen
In that ridiculous machine,
That nauseating, foul, unclean,
Repulsive television screen!
And later, each and every kid
Will love you more for what you did.
P.S. Regarding Mike Teavee,
We very much regret that we
Shall simply have to wait and see
If we can get him back his height.
But if we can't–it serves him right."

Friday Favourites

Today I am going to tell you about my favourite blogs at the moment.

1) The Gluttonous Vegan
This blog is amazing. The cakes and desserts that this lady posts make me seriously drool. They're all animal friendly but you would never know they were dairy free!

2) Dottie K
I only found this blog this week and I love it already. It has reviews of lots of lovely make up and makes me want to spend lots of money!

3) Slow Rise
This is another foodie blog (because I love them!) but it is not vegetarian or vegan. It still has lots of lovely recipes that I can drool over and I'm considering trying some of them when I have some money.

4) David Tennant Treat for the Day
The David Tennant fan in me feels the need to mention this blog. Every day it posts a picture, video or interview of the lovely man. Fantastic.

5) CK's French Adventure
Last, but not least, a friend of mine is currently spending 9 months in France as part of her French course at university. I am amazed and envious at how brave this is because I don't think I would be able to do it! I love reading about her adventures on her blog and I'm glad she's having a good time.

Thursday Thoughts

Today I am thinking about books. I have no shame in admitting that my favourite series of books is Harry Potter. I grew up with Harry and I get the same magical feeling now that I used to get when I was younger. When I first read Harry Potter I was the same age as him and as he grew up, so did I. I think it is brilliant how the first book (The Philosopher's Stone) is aimed at younger readers and as the series goes on, the style of writing seems to grow with the reader. If you read the Philosopher's Stone and then read the Deathly Hallows it is so different. The Deathly Hallows is much darker and more of a teen book.

I am currently rereading the series in time for the new film which comes out this year. It got me thinking about when the last few books came out and they were available in adult covers or children's covers. Is it really that embarrassing to be seen reading a children's book? Children's books always seem that little bit more magical to me and I think that is why they appeal. On Saturday I will unashamedly sit on the train to Southport reading my Harry Potter book, as I have been doing for the past few weeks.

Billiesue

Could You Please Sponsor Me?

I'm doing a sponsored memory walk for the Alzheimer's Society next weekend and it would mean a lot if you could donate even a tiny amount! The link is here. Thank you!

Wednesday Wants

The top ten things that I have been lusting over this week!


1) Ash Rem Studded Biker Ankle Boots - £269 from ASOS

This is way more than I would ever spend on boots! I have been wanting some of these biker style boots for autumn/winter and hopefully I will get my hands on some cheaper ones (*sob*) when I manage to get some money! These ones can be found on the ASOS website here but they are real leather so I wouldn't buy them anyway. Some faux leather ones similar to these are what I am after!










2) Urban Decay NYC Book of Shadows Vol.III - £30 from Debenhams (or £27 at the moment in the sale!)

I love my Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows, I use it most days and the colours are amazing. This box is almost as beautiful as the Alice in Wonderland one and the colours in it look amazing. The primer potion is brilliant so another little bottle of that would come in handy and I use the black eyeliner all the time. This also comes with a purple eyeliner which is my favourite colour. I hate having no money! You can buy it here.








3) Lust Perfume - £20 for a 27g bottle from Lush/Gorilla Perfumes

 

I have a small sample of this perfume (which you can get for £2 from the website) and it is divine. I am a huge fan of Lush's Flying Fox shower gel and this is so similar. It is a strong jasminey perfume but that description does not do it justice as I usually can't be doing with florals. Lush describe it as "Unashamedly carnal jasmine. Wear it if you want to get lucky. Mark is particularly fond of working with jasmine absolute and he's gone all the way. The indolic character of the white flower is in full bloom, accented by rich florals and a soft, woody base.". I will probably end up forking out on this perfume! You can buy it here.


4) Enchanted Large Halloween Set - £40 from Enchanted

I love Enchanted (as you may have noticed) and they have just come out with their Halloween range. This box has a pumpkin shaped soap in a choice of fragrances, a massage bar in a choice of fragrances and then 6 products of your choice in your choice of fragrance. The halloween scents sound amazing, particularly Monster Mash (It was a graveyard smash….sweet mango, lime, fizzy lemonade and a huge shot of sugared strawberry), Blood Bath (Fresh strawberries, tart raspberries, sugar, marshmallows and more sugar), Dark Spell (Plump black cherries dipped in dark, dark chocolate), Dia de los meurtos (A luscious autumn medley of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa, maple, walnut, citrus and caramel) and Gingerbread House (In the sinister tale of Hansel and Gretel they are lured by the sinfully tasty gingerbread house, this smells good enough to eat. Sweet and spicy iced gingerbread). It would also give me a chance to try some of their new products such as bath milk and lip balm. Get yours here!


5) Jolly Roger the Captain Necklace - £5 from Must Destroy Jewellery

Must Destroy Jewellery are celebrating International Speak Like a Pirate Day with a range of pirate lego necklaces and this is my favourite of the bunch. I already have a skeleton lego necklace and I love it. I always get comments when I wear it because they are so different.You can get your very own pirate from here.












6) Tickets to Alice Cooper's Halloween Night of Fear - £39.75 from Ticketmaster

This man is seriously a legend. I went to see him in Manchester a few years back and he was amazing. I would love to be able to go and see him again but I'm not sure there will be tickets left by the time I have money and I can't really afford to fork out to get to London and stay over. He promises the night will be fab though with his very own freak show that he has been holding auditions for and he wants the crowd in full fancy dress! Buy tickets here.


7) Poison Necklace - starting at £8 from Shottle Bop

How brilliant does this necklace look? I love the Shottle Bop necklaces and can't wait until I can afford to buy one. This is my favourite one and you can even get them with little silver spoons! I feel I may own one of these before the year is out... buy yours here.














8) Linger by Maggie Stiefvater - £3.99 (usually £7.99) on Amazon

I have read the first in this series (Shiver) and I really enjoyed it. It is a bit like Twilight but with werewolves instead! I can't wait to get the second one and find out what happens next. Get your copy here.














9) Professor Layton and the Lost Future - £29.91 (usually £39.99) on Amazon

When I went on Amazon to find the link for Linger (number 8 in my list) I saw this on the homepage and got extremely excited! I have literally just finished Professor Layton and Pandora's Box. I don't often complete games as I get bored with them but this one had me gripped from the off. Now I read that there is a new one coming out on the 17th September 2010! Get yours here.










10) Military Wool Jacket - £39.99 from New Look

Last but not least... when I came across this jacket I fell in love. I love the style and the colour and I need a new jacket for winter. This would be perfect teamed with my band t shirts, black skinnies and those boots at number 1 in my list. I can dream... Get yours here.

Enchanted Try Me Sets - Whipped Bodywash

I first found enchanted through a forum which I frequent. Enchanted is an online store (www.enchantedbath.co.uk) which sells a variety of bath, shower and skin products as well as perfumes and wax melts. The products are all handmade and are decorated and coloured beautifully. This is reflected in the time from when you order to when you receive your goodies but the waiting time is always posted on the website and is usually a couple of weeks. I am happy to wait this for such lovely products.

My favourite Enchanted product is the Whipped Bodywash. This is a creamy soap which is the texture of a cream. It contains jojoba oil which is excellent at moisturising the skin and it can be scented in any fragrance that is on the list on the site. To use, you wet the skin and then scoop out a small amount of cream and rub it on your skin. It becomes a gorgeously soft, thick foam which is amazing for shaving with. A little bit of product goes a long way and a 200g jar lasts me a long time. After I rinsed this product off my skin and dried myself, it was the softest skin I have had in a while. My skin was lightly scented with the fragrance I had chosen.

One of my favourite things about Enchanted is the fragrance list. There are a variety of fragrances on the website which you can choose to have your Whipped Bodywash in. These include girly, sweet, floral, herbal and unisex scents so there really is something for everyone. With all this choice it is very hard to choose one fragrance and this is the reason I love the Try Me Whipped Bodywash Set. For £12.50 you can get three 100g tubs of Whipped Bodywash in three fragrances of your choice. This is a great idea for trying different fragrances or for having three different fragrances on a budget. It is also good for gifts for Enchanted newcomers.

Enchanted Roll On Perfume

With my last Enchanted order there was an offer where you could choose a free roll on perfume. I therefore chose my favourite scent which is Cherry Bakewell and then promptly forgot about it. When I opened my parcel I found this at the bottom of the box and got very excited! Enchanted is an online business (www.enchantedbath.co.uk) which sells all sorts of handmade bath, body and wax goodies. As they are handmade, it can take longer to get your order than from other companies but this depends on how busy a time it is and it is totally worth it in the end.

Cherry Bakewell is a gorgeous scent. It is very sweet and girly and smells very strongly of cherries, almonds and pastry. Cherry is my favourite fragrance in any product so it is unsurprising that it is my favourite Enchanted fragrance. However, the Enchanted fragrance is the most accurate version of Cherry Bakewell that I have smelled.

I love my perfumes but find that liquid perfumes are hard to carry around with you and top up. Apart from the leakage threat, I am always worried I will break the bottle and for £15 for a full sized spray perfume of any Enchanted fragrance it is not worth the risk! Roll on perfumes are therefore a brilliant idea. These contain 10ml of an oil based perfume with a fragrance of your choice. Instead of a spray, there is a roller ball on the top so you can just roll the perfume onto your skin. There is also a twist on lid which goes on the top of the rollerball lid to prevent leakages. These perfumes are therefore perfect for sticking in your handbag so you can touch up throughout the day. I’ve found the fragrance sticks around on the skin very well and lasts for hours before needing touching up.  For £6 I think this is a bargain as my perfume has lasted me a long time. Rollerballs make it harder to waste the perfume as it all goes straight onto the skin, unlike with sprays. I much prefer to pay for one of these than buy a full sized spray perfume.

Review on Enchanted Body Cream

Advantages: Smells fantastic and sinks into the skin perfectly

Disadvantages: Expensive but lasts a long time so this is not as much of a problem

As you may or may not know, I am pretty loyal to Lush and I love their body lotions and moisturisers. However, I've been using Enchanted a lot lately and thought I would try their body creams for a change. I have been very impressed with the products that I have tried from Enchanted. They are always amazing quality and are handmade. The fragrances are amazing and you can have any product in any fragrance on the list which is on the website (www.enchantedbath.co.uk). As the products are handmade, it can take a while for your products to come but this depends on how busy it is and sometimes the time of year (e.g. Christmas). Before you order you will be told how long your order will take and so this is not a problem and the products are well worth the wait in my opinion.

The body cream is a lovely soft cream which soaks in really easily. In the pot it is highly scented in the fragrance of your choice but when it is on the skin it is a much more subtle fragrance. It can also be bought unfragranced but I have not tried this. I especially like to use this product after shaving my legs. After using this body cream my legs feel smooth and not oily like they can with some body creams. When I use it all over after having a bath, my skin feels luxuriously soft and pampered.

You can buy this cream from the Enchanted website where it is £10 for a 200g tub. You choose the fragrance from the fragrance list where there is everything from sweet and girly to floral and other unisex fragrances. The other products on the Enchanted website can also be bought in these fragrances so you can buy a complete matching set if you want to! The packaging is quite simple, the cream just comes in a transparent plastic tub with a black lid and a gold label explaining what the product is and what fragrance it has. I like this because there are no gimics, the product speaks for itself.

Review on Enchanted Moisturising Body Spray

Last summer it was so hot that I decided to try a body spray from IOE to cool down. I used two body sprays and although they were nice, I found the scents to strong and sweet and the spray did not moisturise my skin very much. I therefore decided to try the moisturising body spray from Enchanted as I loved their products that I had previously tried. With my next Enchanted order I got a Strawberry Buttercream and an Island Hopping Moisturising Body Spray.

The sprays come in silver bottles which contain 50ml of product. According to the Enchanted website (http://www.enchantedbath.co.uk) the moisturising body spray is a cross between a lotion and a body spray. I’ve also found that it is excellent for fragrancing your skin as you can smell the scent as clearly as if you were wearing a perfume. When you spray this product on to your skin it is amazing at cooling you down as well as moisturising and highly scenting the skin. If you rub it into the skin it absorbs quickly but you can also just leave it on the skin if you want to cool down. It is much better than the IOE version in my opinion and you can choose from an extensive fragrance list on the Enchanted website.

Strawberry Buttercream is an amazing strawberry milkshake type scent. I bought a scrub in this scent as well because it is so gorgeous. Island Hopping is a summery scent which makes it perfect for spraying on my skin to refresh me and wake me up. It has a lovely tropical, fruity smell.

A 50ml bottle of this spray costs £7.50 which is quite expensive considering the amount you get. However, I do not use mine sparingly and I have plenty left. I am now considering buying a lavender type fragrance to use before bed.

Review on Enchanted Bath Salts

I did an enormous order from the Enchanted website (http://www.enchantedbath.co.uk) a while ago and thought I'd branch out and try a bath product which wasn't made by Lush. I stumbled across these bath salts on the website and thought I'd give them a try. I first came across Enchanted on the Lush Forum and I tried their Foaming Sugar Scrub and Whipped Bodywash. I loved the scents, the quality of the products, the prices and the customer service. The woman who owns the business is lovely and can't do enough to help her customers.

These Bath Salts contain Dead Sea Salt and Epsom Salt which help to draw moisture into the skin. This is different to bath salts which contain normal salt as this can cause dehydration. They are £5 for 300g which could be considered expensive but I think it is worth it! To use you just drop a handful of bath salts into hot running water and they dissolve, giving it a gorgeous fragrance. The only thing that I thought would make the bath better would be if it was a bit more exciting. As they are salts, there are no bubbles and they don't colour the water at all. I think if they were coloured or glittered or something then it would make them a bit more exciting. After a bath with these salts my skin feels slightly softer and lightly fragranced. When I use a Sugar Scrub and Whipped Bodywash in the same scent, the result is amazing. A gorgeous scented and relaxing bath.

One of the things I love about Enchanted is that you can have any product in any scent off the scent list. New scents are always being added, especially at Christmas and Halloween. The scents I chose for my bath salts were Island Hopping, Cherry Bakewell, Wood Nymph and Rhubarb and Custard. Island Hopping is a gorgeous summery scent which smells tropical and refreshing. Cherry Bakewell is my favourite Enchanted scent, it is very true to the food and smells of delicious cherries and almonds. Wood Nymph is a sophisticated Sandalwood and Vanilla fragrance which is unisex. Rhubarb and Custard smells just like those sticky Rhubarb and Custard sweets you used to eat when you were little.

Overall I think these salts make for a lovely bathtime treat. I made the mistake of leaving the rest of the bag on the windowsill in the sunlight and this did not have a good effect on the salts so I recommend keeping them in a cool, dark cupboard to make them last longer. The fragrances you can get the salts in range from girly to sweet and also to unisex and more complex, grown up fragrances so there is always a new one to try!

Summary: Really nice bath treat and a scent for everyone

Review on Enchanted Whipped Body Wash

Advantages: Super moisturising and softening, amazing for shaving

Disadvantages: A bit pricey but it lasts ages

I first found enchanted through a forum which I frequent. Enchanted is an online store (www.enchantedbath.co.uk) which sells a variety of bath, shower and skin products as well as perfumes and wax melts. The products are all handmade and are decorated and coloured beautifully. This is reflected in the time from when you order to when you receive your goodies but the waiting time is always posted on the website and is usually a couple of weeks. I am happy to wait this for such lovely products.

My favourite Enchanted product is the Whipped Bodywash. This is a creamy soap which is the texture of a cream. It contains jojoba oil which is excellent at moisturising the skin and it can be scented in any fragrance that is on the list on the site. To use, you wet the skin and then scoop out a small amount of cream and rub it on your skin. It becomes a gorgeously soft, thick foam which is amazing for shaving with. A little bit of product goes a long way and a 200g jar lasts me a long time. After I rinsed this product off my skin and dried myself, it was the softest skin I have had in a while. My skin was lightly scented with the fragrance I had chosen.

The fragrances I have used of Whipped Bodywash are Pink Candy, Baby Powder, Cherry Bakewell and Bath Pixie. Pink Candy is a lovely dupe of the Lush Creamy Candy/Rockstar fragrance, it is a sweet and creamy smell and is very girly. Baby Powder is a comforting, clean fragrance. I wouldn't have tried it if it hadn't been given as a free gift but now I love it. Cherry Bakewell is my favourite Enchanted fragrance. It is a gorgeous sugary scent with cherries and almonds, totally delicious. Bath Pixie is a more complicated sweet fragrance. The Enchanted website describes this scent as "A decadent vanilla creme brulee base swirled with fruity sugar, rich berries, juicy black cherries and thick whipped cream". It is a truly gorgeous sweet scent and another of my favourites.

You can buy Whipped Bodywash in 200g jars for £7.50 or 450g jars for £14 which is much better value. You can also buy a try me set for £12.50 which contains three 100g jars in whichever scents you want. Layering sets can also be bought which contain a bodywash, a foaming sugar scrub and a body cream all in the same scent.

Summary: I'm so glad I tried this product, I've never found anything that is as good for shaving