#AtoZChallenge / Validation Facial at Lush Spa Liverpool

As a part of Boyfriend's birthday celebrations in March, I booked us both in for a treatment at the Lush Spa in Liverpool. I love going to the Lush spa. It is such an ultimate treat, and every time I've been there, I've left floating on a cloud! (My blog is full of reviews of other treatments I've tried if you fancy a read.)

The one treatment that I hadn't tried but that I'd really wanted to was the Validation Facial. I have never had any kind of facial in my life, and from reading the description of Validation on the Lush website, I knew I was in for a treat. 

The treatment started in the comfort of the spa's cosy country kitchen reception. I was greeted by my massage therapist - Kora - who sat me down and explained a little about what the treatment would entail. Displayed in front of us was a slate palette - almost like one an artist would have - and a vast array of Lush products. Kora went through each type of product individually, talking over their key properties and ingredients, and helping me select the ones that I thought would work best for my skin. Now I have no other facial to compare this one to, but being able to touch, smell, and feel the products before they were applied immediately made the treatment feel incredibly personal. There were a few that Kora disregarded immediately - in line with my sensitivity to tea tree oil, but there were still loads I could choose from. 

Kora also asked me to pick out some key words about how I wanted to feel after the treatment, and how I wanted my skin to feel. Knowing that she understood my needs and what I wanted to get out of the facial really added to the personalisation and made me feel really looked after. Even though Kora had probably done the Validation Facial loads, it really felt like she cared about my experience.

Heading in to the therapy room, I felt a wash of excitement and relaxation wash over me. The room was very atmospheric/ Glowing tea lights twinkled in a dimly let room that really evoked a sense of tranquillity. Kora began by "cleansing" the room ready for the treatment, which filled the room with billows of dry ice, and kick-started the enchantment. After time to get ready, and with a little ring of a bell next to the bed, I was ready to begin.

The Validation Facial is beautifully choreographed to the musical soundtrack. If you're thinking any of the Lush treatments come with a bog-standard, run-of-the-mill spa CD background, you'd be very wrong. Each treatment comes with it's own musical score, with the treatment choreographed to each track. It takes away any sense of anxiety you might have, and takes you to a really special, unique place. The whole concept of the facial is to help you feel uplifted, evoking positivity and helping you regain a sense of self. And the music really underpins that in a way that is really personal. 

The techniques of the facial ebbed and flowed over my face like a ballet. I lost all sense of time and space and floated away on a sea of peace and tranquillity. Kora was incredibly patient with me and understanding of my needs. I am a fidget when I'm getting a massage. When my left side relaxes, it moves so much more, and I know this might put people off, but I didn't feel foolish at all, and anywhere I needed to move, Kora worked with me. 

All the products that I had chosen for the facial kissed my skin, making it feel soft, supple and incredibly loved. My face zinged with vigour and I just felt so relaxed/ From the top of my head to the tips of my toes I lay in ultimate peace. A feeling I never thought you'd get from a facial. 

But Validation isn't just a facial. It's so much more! It's a journey. It allows you to really let go and relax, letting any tension, any stress and any anxiety leave you. By the end of the treatment I felt very emotional. Like a great weight had been lifted and I was finally free. It's a feeling I can't really describe, but it's one I won't ever forget.

At the end of the treatment, Kora poured me a glass of a fabulously fruity punch. I was allowed ample time to collect my thoughts and get ready. My legs had turned to jelly with relaxation, and I wobbled out the room holding in my tears of happiness. 

I left Lush floating on a cloud. Boyfriend - who had had The Spell - felt just the same. We spent ages just walking around, digesting everything that had happened, and feeling amazing.

The Validation Facial is just amazing. It's not just a spa treatment, it's a full-on experience that really makes you feel uplifted. It is definitely a treatment that I would go for again, and know that each time I would get something different out of it. 

#AtoZChallenge / Wishlist: Bridal Beauty

I am a self-professed beauty junkie! I love al things make up, skincare, bath products...hair....face....you name it. I love it all.

And with my wedding waving at me from eleven months away, I think it is within my right as a bride to make myself a little wedding wishlist of all the beauty bits I would love in my collection to help pamper and prep myself ready for that special day.

ESPA are - without a doubt - my favourite skincare brand. I love all of the products I have tried, and each and every one has done my skin an absolute wonder (if you look through my previous posts you can see how much I sing their praises.) The Pink Hair and Scalp Mud and the Nourishing Cleansing Balm are two products I haven't tried yet, but I'd really like to give a go. There is no question in my mind as to whether they would help sort out my crunchy ends and spot-scarred face. And to top it off, I would walk down the aisle smelling sensational!

Too Faced are a brand that I've heard a lot about, but never tried. Now I know that on the day, the lovely Polly and Sam Make Up will be helping me, MG and my maids look glorious, but there is no harm in having a few eyeshadow palettes to play with. The Chocolate Bar Palette and the Natural Matte Palette contain colours that are right up my street, and I'd get endless amounts of joy pretending I know what I'm doing and creating looks from them.

The other day I went to the Laura Mecier counter and sniffed the Almond Coconut Honey Bath for the first time. Then promptly died and went to heaven. This little pot of loveliness would be such a luxury to have in my life and I can honestly see myself relaxing in a wonderfully warm bath with this the night before the wedding and sipping on some fizz,

Now don't get me wrong, I love my Soap & Glory Kick Ass concealer, but I've heard a lot of good things about Bobbi Brown and I have been itching for an excise to give something from the line a go. Once I saw they have a corrector, I knew it had to go on my list. Being a redhead and fair I suffer a lot from under-eye darkness, and a peachy, salmon-toned concealer really helps to banish that pesky purple hue to a far, far away place.

I love, love, LOVE my nude lipsticks. Although I am very dedicated to "Boy" and "Patisserie", it has been an Hourglass lipstick that has really caught my eye. The shade I saw and immediately thought would be very fitting for my face is "Grace." The perfect warm neutral shade that is "your lips but better" and prefect for a wedding look. The Ambient Lighting Palette is another product I am desperate to try. Just look how beautiful it is! Just looking at it makes me smile!

The NARS Copacabana Illuminator is another one of those products that I've heard a lot about but have yet to try. I want my face to glow like a goddess' the day of the wedding, and I think that this could really help me achieve that look in my pre-wedding make up play-around. It'd also be a good item to have in a make up emergency kit if my face started to flag towards the end of the day.

Now, I really can't leave out an Urban Decay 24/7 liner. This product I've heard rave reviews about. I really struggle keeping eyeliner on my lids, and I have high hopes that this one would in no way budge from my face. Even with tears and all.

Lastly, Valentina isn't a brand new perfume to me, but I think it will end up being my signature wedding scent. It's a fragrance that Boyfriend really likes, and wearing it on the day will evoke so many memories of our relationship, and help form new ones...Oooo I'd better stop. I'm getting all emotional!

These are my dream products that I would love to invest in over the next year. I really want to do y best and looking after my skin, pampering myself wherever possible, and working on my wedding look so that when it comes to my trials, I know exactly what I want. And I really think this compilation of cosmetics, bath, hair and body products will help me along the way.

Guest Post Sundays | GlitZeeGlam: Flamingo Candles Review | Chocolate Orange

Blogging brings me so much joy. It has brought me so far in so many different ways. Without this little space where I can express my creativity and show the world who I really am I honestly don't think I would be the same.

I reached out on Twitter to other bloggers who would like to guest post on Just Add Ginger. For the next few Sundays (hopefully,) there will be a Guest Post Sundays feature on my blog. First up is the lovely Zee from GlitZeeGlam. All her links are down below so make sure you go and say "Hi." 

Ps: If you are interested in being a part of Guest Post Sundays, drop me an email or get in touch on Twitter

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Hi Lovelies, my name’s Zee and I blog over at GlitZeeGlam. When Jackie asked on Twitter if anyone would like to guest post on her blog I jumped at the chance, I’ve actually brushed shoulders with Jackie at a Blogger event last year and we’ve stayed in contact through social media ever since. As you can tell from the title today’s post is all about a candle from Flamingo Candles.

Flamingo Candles is a British brand who manufactures exciting and innovative candles using natural soybeans and natural cotton for their wicks. All their candles are hand-poured into quirky contemporary jars with their trade mark of a Florrie Flamingo on the front.

I’m a massive candle lover and have at least one candle lit in my living room each evening; it just helps me to relax after a long day at work and of course keeps my home smelling lush.  Ever since Flamingo Candles launched they have taken social media by storm and most bloggers have bought copious amounts of candles (or been sent them) from this brand. I was lucky enough to have won a blogger giveaway recently which included a Flamingo Candle.

For those people who know me well they’ll tell you just how obsessed I am with Terry’s Chocolate Orange it’s without a doubt my favourite chocolate, I just love it! However, it wouldn’t be a scent that I would usually opt for in a candle as I usually go for fresh citrusy scents but the thought of my home smelling like my favourite chocolate is just amazing!

This little jar of goodness actually burns for up to 50 hours which is insane and the scent is just sublime, usually when you smell candles in a jar they smell really strong and when lit they hardly fragrant the room. You definitely won’t get that with Flamingo Candles their scents are just as powerful when lit. These candles would be perfect to light when entertaining guests or to buy as gifts, they retail for £12 which some may find quite steep but for someone who has bought candles for well over £20 I think it’s pretty reasonable for 200g of wax which smells so incredible. 

If you fancy checking out the full range of products then head over to the Flamingo Candles website. I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, if you would like to find out a little more about me then head over to GlitZeeGlam alternatively you can follow me on my social network sites:

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Instagram

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Lots of Love

Zee

ESPA Bergamot & Jasmine Foam Bath | Just Add Ginger

I discovered ESPA last year. And it was love at first sight. 

The ESPA Bergamot & Jasmine Foam Bath was the first ESPA product that I ever tried. I found it nestled in a goodie bag at a North West Bloggers event. And with one sniff my infatuation with the brand began.

I think we all know that when it comes to me and my baths, it takes a lot for me to be blown away. As a self-professed "LUSHie." when it comes to soaking in a roasting hot bubble bath, I like to indulge in a bath ballistic or bubble bar. Bath foams get a little bit boring. 

Until I met ESPA! Firstly, let's take a moment to admire how beautiful the packaging is. The sleek, deep purple bottle with rose gold and lavender lettering just sings to me. It looks opulent and luxe, and really high-end. It calls out in hushed tones "You know you want me. Pick me for your bath tonight."  

The scent is just as enticing. The blend of notes create a deep and spicy scent that is right up my street when it comes to fragrance. It smells like you have walked out of your bathroom and stepped in to a spa. It is just divine. Once a bottle of this foam bath is merely in your presence, the bergamot, jasmine and cedarwood waltz their way in to your nostrils and bring about this sense of calm that is inescapable. 

The consistency of the foam bath is thick without being gloopy, and bubbles up under running hot water beautifully. Before you know it your bath is filled with fluffy, amazing-smelling bubbles that bob up and down on the water. Unlike quite a lot of the bath foams I've tried, the bubbles don't melt. They glide on the water for ages, and keep the spicy scent filtering in to your presence.  After the bath is over, the fragrance lingers on your skin, and makes you feel like you have just left a luxury spa treatment. 

I honestly cannot sing the praises of little bottle of bath-time joy enough. Boyfriend and I are on our second bottle, and we are both dreading the day that it is all gone. There is no question about it. We will be investing in this foam bath again. It's going to be a battle to decide who gets to have the last drop in their bath. At £18.00 a bottle it is a touch on the pricier side, but in my opinion, it is worth every single penny. The Boy and I both get so much enjoyment out of having it in our lives that I don't think we'd know where we were without it.

 There is nothing like coming home from the gym, or a really long day, and slipping yourself in to those soapy, spicy suds. 

To find out about the ESPA Bergamot & Jasmine Foam Bath, or any other ESPA product, head to: 

http://www.espaskincare.com/