12/10/2016

Dear Santa... | Just Add Ginger


Christmas Wishlist - Just Add Ginger blog

Christmas is a little anti-climactic this year. Normally, the house by now would be decorated top to toe in all things festive, but with a new baby on the way and a potential move on the cards, our priorities are elsewhere, and all my excitement, along with the Christmas tree, are still packed away in the loft.

Meaning I haven't really thought about what would go on my Christmas wishlist this year. To me, the baby and all the things he'll need come first, and any goodies I've been eyeing up take second place. However, there are of course a few little bits and pieces that I would be delighted to see under the tree (or receive for my birthday, which is two weeks after Christmas). It's impossible not to write a little dream list at this time of year, isn't it?


Beauty: With clothing items being firmly off the cards for the time being, over the past few months I have been a sucker for all things beauty related. The idea of an evening of pampering well overtakes even the thought of a night out on the town nowadays, and in the phase of being responsible for a child, having some little luxuries in which I can (hopefully) have time to indulge really fill me with joy. 

The main indulgence being a new foundation. My skin at the moment is a nightmare when it comes to oxidising my base, and after having a few hormone-induced breakouts, I think the time is here to make a splurge and sort the situation out. And it's the Nars Sheer Glow foundation that's been on my radar of late. I've heard a lot of good things about it, and am hopeful there'll be a colour out there that really matches my skin. It's been a constant on my wishlist, and something which I plan to treat myself to once January comes around. With dark circles and sleepless nights on the horizon, I don't just owe it to myself, but to the rest of the world! 

Alongside foundation, maintaining a sense of normalcy when it comes to complexion also comes in the form of lipstick. Every time I walk past the Charlotte Tilbury counter in John Lewis, my beauty blogger senses go crazy. The packaging alone is the stuff dreams are made of, and being able to slip one of those shiny lipstick bullets into my handbag would be the ultimate in #bloggergoals as well as the answer to my flawless complexion dreams. 

I haven't had a roasting hot bath in months. Literally. Long hot soaks in the tub seem like a distant memory, along with super-splurgy bath products. The Laura Mercier Coconut Milk Honey Bath is just the epitome of bath time luxury in my eyes. From the packaging to the scent this has been something I've dreamt of having for ages and ages and ages. I can just envisage myself handing over parental duties for am hour to Ryan, running the hot water to roasting, and languishing with this in the bath for as long as I can. Not much to some, but as an avid bath fan, this is what dreams are made of for me right now. 

Fragrance: If you follow me on Instagram then you will know our house is undergoing a makeover. Downstairs the walls are now 90% brilliant white. It was a choice made to brighten up the space, and it has really worked. However, the crisp cleanliness has now meant Ryan has forbade me to burn candles anywhere than the bathroom for fear of getting soot marks everywhere. Well, in the new house, I want to go candle mad. And both the Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede and The White Company Winter candles are first on the list. I cannot and will not go all year without cracking out some of the scents I just love and filling the house with a cosy comforting smell that just makes you want to stay snuggled up in your pyjamas all day. 

Miscellaneous: I'm so late to jump on this wagon, but with a new house on the cards, I am totally lusting after a set of Ikea Alex drawers to house my beauty stash. I've pruned it down quite a lot, and the thought of my own little place to store all my favourite products, with a cute little Pinterest-worthy display housed on top is just really setting my heart a-flutter! 

No wishlist of mine would be complete without featuring my favourite chocolates. When the sleepless nights, hair-tearing moments and stressful situations arise, what better way to alleviate the tension than knowing there's a box of my fave Charbonnel et Walker Strawberry Truffles in the cupboard?


12/03/2016

Bathtime Made Beautiful* | Just Add Ginger


SoapBombs.co.uk Bath Blaster

Ever a sucker for a pretty bath product, nowadays, having some quality me time soaking in the tub is just one of those luxuries in which I just love to indulge. A die-hard Lush fan, it is very tricky for me to steer away from the tried and tested and delve into the depths of a new brand to try something new. However when I was given the chance to select a Bath Blaster from the SoapBombs website to try I saw it as a golden opportunity to go completely out of my comfort zone and - hopefully- find somewhere new to shop to help me indulge in one of my guiltiest pleasures. 

As a creature of habit, I am always mesmerised by just how lovely Lush bath products are at this time of year. However, just one glimpse at the SoapBombs website and I soon realised Lush had been blown out of the water! Each and every one of the bath blasters was just utterly breathtaking in design. From 3D figurines to sparkles and colours galore, I found the prospect of choosing one to try really daunting. Just how was I going to decide? 

Limiting my choices to the more festive range, I decided that fragrance was a good filtering factor, and so began the dilemma of trying to envisage what delicious combination of scents each bath blaster was going to treat my nose to. Finally, I decided to go for the Merrily On High blaster, which boasts a fragrance combination of frankincense and myrrh. Decorated with gold glitter and a beautiful Christmas ornament - things couldn't really get more festive! 

I was really impressed with how quickly (and well packaged) my bath blaster came. It arrived well within a week, and sat nestled in a bed of air-filled bags. All the decoration was in tact and undisturbed, and looked just as lovely as it did in the product image on the website. 


Slipping the blaster into the bath, it fizzed and danced away contentedly, turning the water a warm orange-yellow and filling the bathroom with a soft, spicy and inviting winter fragrance. It was the perfect balance and not at all overbearing, which is something I really appreciated, as some scents for me at the moment can prove just a bit too intense to handle. The glitter dispersed evenly, and was so finely milled that it was barely noticeable in the water. The formulation of the bath blaster itself left my skin soft to the touch, and smelling gorgeous. There was no slimy oiliness left on my skin after bath time was over, and the tub was pretty much as clean as it was before it had met the blaster.

Bath blasters are priced at £2.50 and I think the quality you get is just incredible. SoapBombs is a family-run business, and the passion they have for bath and pamper products is clearly seen from the selection they have on their website. It's like bringing a little piece of luxury into your bath routine, and there are just so many designs and scents to choose from. Perfect as a Christmas present, stocking filler, or as a cheeky little something from you to you, I can honestly say that I think I've been introduced a new little hidden gem and I can't wait to order more from the website. Not only offering bath products, SoapBombs offer home fragrances, soaps, candles and skincare too....

Goodbye bank balance!


* I was very kindly given the opportunity to select a bath blaster from soapbombs.co.uk to review free of charge. This does not affect my opinions. They are always 100% honest and guided by my experiences.