Things That Smell Like Holidays - Guest Post By Lovely Girlie Bits!

Ah, Thank Crunchie it's Friday!

This morning we have the one and only Karen from Lovely Girlie Bits taking over the site. Does Karen need any introduction? One of my favourite bloggers and people, her posts never fail to make me laugh and if you're not one for reading you can follow her youtube shenanigans too!

Take it away Karen!

Unless I win one on the radio or win the lotto, I've no plans for a summer holiday this year.  While I am now accepting this (kinda), I can still go to my happy place - my beauty stash - and pick out some products that will help me pretend I'm away in Spain.  I like things that have light and bright scents because when I'm feeling all meh and want to pretend I'm away and not at my desk at work, a quick sniff of one of these beauts and all is right in the world, for a few minutes anyway!

The Body Shop Coconut everything.

I've never been on a tropical island, but the Coconut range from The Body Shop instantly transports me to a white sandy beach where I'm wearing a coconut shell bikini, the sand isn't getting stuck everywhere, you know where I'm talking about ladies and I can walk effortlessly in the soft sand, rather than my usual oaf-like method.  I've a massive fan of the lip balm and body butter from the range and it's an added bonus that they help my skin and lips stay smooth, soft and moisturised.

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When Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino first launched a few years ago, I feel in the ultimate and absolute love with it before mentally chastising the models in the ad campaign for wasting such precious smelling liquid.  I will own this some day because it's one of the only scents I visit when I'm in Brown Thomas and I know when I do own it, I'll be rationing it because it's mucho expensive-o.  Until it's mine, I'm happily making do with this bottle of 471 I bought in TK Maxx recently.  It smells like orange blossom, sunshine, blue skies and happy days.

Malibu lip balm

This was a recent impulse purchase in Penneys and I'm obsessed with this Malibu lip balm.  Now hands up, I totally did think it was going to smell and taste like the Malibu you drink with Diet Coke, but no, it's mango flavoured which makes me imagine the massive fruit salads I eat outside in the sun on holidays.  Fruit just tastes better in the sun doesn't it?  Anyway, it's one of my new favourite lip balms and really hydrates my lips while making them smell and taste fruity.  Can't get much better than that.

Nuxe Prodigieux Le Parfum

This stuff is seriously amazing and again, has the ability to transform me from my drab work clothes into a pretty white summer dress, complete with a big white sun hat, but in my imagination, the sun hat actually fits my massive head, rather than leaving a big dent across my forehead and a headache.  It's got those orange blossom notes that I'm obsessed with, is warm, tropical and one of the must have scents for summer, whether you're going away or not.

SPF

We've all done it.  On a lovely sunny day at the start of summer, we've rooted out a bottle of last year's SPF, readying ourselves to sit outside and complain that it's too hot.  We start with the arms and as soon as we start rubbing it in, we say to ourselves and whoever else happens to be there "Ooh this smells like holidays".  It's a fact and if I'm sitting out my back garden with goose pimples galore, if I squeeze my eyes shut real tight, take a whiff of my arm, then I could be anywhere in Spain.... That's the theory anyway.  The fact that SPF stops you from burning is a bonus.  I just love the smell.  

And just so you know, I now smell like all of these things at this moment in time.  Yes, I'm one of those bridies that swans through duty free and tests out all the perfumes and then you're left to sit beside her. I smell like holidays right now.  Holidays on speed and I blahddy love it.  Now, where would one get an elasticated sun hat for a massive noggin like mine?

Karen x

Beauty Advent Calenders - The Best of 2013

Personally I'm a newbie to advent calendars that don't involve me popping  a Dairy Milk stocking into my mouth before porridge of a December morning but the burgeoning beauty advent calendar is slowly converting me. I say slowly as I've yet to part with my cold hard sponds for one yet but 2013 is looking like the year that that just might happen. 

The Body Shop Honeymania Range - Luxuriously Rich Bodycare

It would seem honey is the hottest beauty ingredient of both scents and skincare in 2013. From Marc Jacobs to L'Occitane this amber nectar is bolstering ingredient lists the world over but The Body Shop's upcoming Honeymania range contains honey that's just a little bit different. 

The indulgent bath and body Body Shop Honeymania range uses Ethiopian Community Fair Trade honey in its products and it uses quite a lot of it too. Just one of the facts that blew my mind hole is that it takes over 100 bees visiting over 50,000 flowers to make enough honey to put into just one product. I was a little sceptical at first but then I tried them. (The products, not the bees)

The scent of the products is sweet but not overly so with a delicate floral kick that makes this one of the most subtle, comforting Body Shop ranges I now use. The honey smells light but authentic, very unlike some of the cheaper, synthetic honey scents on the market. 

Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt: €13.95

This literal honeypot of goodness is the Bubble Bath Melt and is unlike any Body Shop product I've tried before. With the same golden, slow moving consistency as honey itself, a little of this luxurious melt goes a very long way. I've not only used it to bathe but the tiniest amount on a flannel makes a foaming, indulgent shower time treat. 

Honeymania Body Butter: €18.95

The Body Shop body butters are my weakness and Honeymania's offering is no different. Designed for dry to very dry skin, this subtly scented, rich moisturiser promises 24 hours hydration and delivers. I had thought this would be a winter time staple to keep my legs soft and supple but nope, the youngest has taken a serious shine to it and we're almost through our first pot already. He has expensive tastes that boy. 

Honeymania Lip Balm: €7.50

 Finally in my press pack I was kindly given the Honeymania lip balm. This melting balm takes a moment to become malleable but gives just the right amount of hydration without becoming greasy on the lips. More pleasant than sweet tasting, this will be a manna for dry kissers this Autumn. 

Also included in the Honeymania range are a honeycomb shaped soapless soap (€3.95), an Eau De Toilette (€13.95), shower gel (€8.95) and a rich exfoliating scrub (18.95). 

Having heard the story of just one Ethiopian Mum that has been able to send her children to school based soley on the money she earns producing the Community Fair Trade Honey that The Body Shop use, I'll be picking up the shower gel and the scrub too. Well that and the fact that they smell incredible... but mostly the loving playing a small part thing. 

Honeymania launches this month, look out in store and online for further information and make a bee-line for a sniff once you see it. 

May Favourites ft L'Oreal, Pixy, Real Techniques, Glam Glow, Body Shop, Smashbox, Garnier, Origins & Tinchy Stryder(!) (Pic Heavy)

Can you believe May is over? Nope, me either! Time for a little looksie at what's been making my life easier and stuff I be lovin' this past month. There's some doozies. 

GLOWING BODY BUTTER €12.99

First up, I was convinced that I'd been duped when Pixy's Glowing Body Butter landed on my mat. The whipped light & fluffy mousse of cocoa and shea butters feels like air in the tin and most pleasingly, on the skin. With Coconut, Vitamin E and Sweet Almond oils to sweeten this beaut my skin has never looked brighter. 

Keep an eye out as Pixy's Glowing Body Butter will have pride of place in an upcoming feature where you can have a closer look. 

Origins Plantscription Anti-Aging Cream €62

Boasting brand new Rasberry Plant Stem Cell Technology, Origins Plantscripstions Anti Aging Cream has rocketed to the top of my visage creams of choice this past month. 

The thick and ridiculously moisturising cream plumps my skin more than any other and I detected a noticeable decline in my skins brightness when I forgot this little gem on a weekend away. 

So impressed am I with this new face love that I've featured it in my first beauty column for the Fingal Raven magazine (more deets on that very soon). 

L'Oreal Fresh Dust Dry Shampoo - €11.85

 'Dust, anybody? no? DUST' honestly, Marjorie Dawes goes through my head every single time I pick up L'Oreal's Fresh Dust dry shampoo and that's been hella lot this past month. 

The only dry shampoo to cure my bereavement at not being able to find Batiste's Gold Shimmer ANYWHERE, this version is actually worth the extra sheckles for lack of build up and continual shine (not the greasy kind) when I'm using it. I'll be definitely repurchasing in the next day or so. 

Real Techniques Duo Fiber Face Brush (Set of three €19.99) (or €11.38 from iHerb.com)

I never was a big user of setting or finishing powder, preferring instead to set my visage with a spray of Thermal Spring Water instead. Those times have changed thanks to Real Techniques. 

I'm all about this Duo Fiber Face Brush since purchase last month and the air brushed effect I can achieve with Smashbox's Halo Finishing Powder. 

I'm a complete convert & wouldn't be without it now. 

Smashbox Halo Highlighting Wand €32

I mentioned this pen of wonder in a recent Instagram pic as one of my go to products when I want to look less dead in 5 minutes when I'm flying from work straight into town. 

With a design similar to Touch Éclat but with a wider brush and some form of witchcraft in it's pearlescent pinky highlighting cream, this highlighting wand is certainly aptly named. 

Garnier Perfect Blur €15

I'm all about speed when it comes to make up so when Garnier promised instant results with their 5 Sec Perfect Blur I was all over it, if a little dubious at the same time. 

I needn't have doubted 'em though as Perfect blur does 'sactly what it says on the tube. 

My face appears smoother even without make up on top and this here tube has replaced my beloved Smashbox Photo Finish primer for evening jaunts out. Unheard of!

Body Shop Brazil Nut Dry Oil €15

I can't get enough of this wonderful stuff! Body Shop's newest (returning) dry oil  is brazil nut and I can't describe the vanilla/chocolate/deliciousness of it's scent. It reminds me of warm candy floss without the sickly sweetness. 

I'm using this dry oil on my bod, on my cuticles, to tame flyaway hairs and even to remove makeup in a pinch. It's truly, truly wonderbar! 

Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment €45

I've reviewed this little pot of mucky goodness here  but couldn't let May faves go by without an enormous shout out for Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment. 

Not only has it vastly improved the brightness & tightness of my visage but as an on the spot treatment it has saved my skin (literally) from 3 mini Mt Vesuvius' already! 

Astonishing stuff. 

Tinchy Stryder in Ear Headphones €49 (on sale for €29 in Curry's) 

Last but by no means least one of my favourite additions to my collection of schtuff this month has to be these weenchy teenchy headphones. 

Noise cancelling and ridiculously comfortable to wear (even for a small lug holed user like me) these in ear headphones are stupidly good for pumping out the choons. 

So much so that I've even done extra laps in the park at lunchtime just to continue to listen. 

Now that's good! 

Wheweeee, that was a long post - tell me, what's been tickling your pickle this past month, eh? 

Choccywoccydoodah: Some Delicious (Not literally) Products for Chocolate Week

Did you know it's officially Chocolate Week this week? Well in the UK it is but I thought we might get in on a little of the action by having a look at some delicious chocolate products that will give you your sugar hit without doing any damage to your hips. 

First up Lush have some gorgeously scented products to whet the appetite: 

Therapy Massage Bar: This 100% organic massage bar is made with cocoa butter and shea butter to glide across the skin giving moisture and suppleness a boost. 

Cupcake Face Mask: Derived from the cocoa bean, Cupcake contains deep cleansing Rhassoul mud to absorb excess oils on the skin, Fair Trade cocoa butter to soften and spearmint and peppermint oils to gently stimulate. 

Soft Coeur Massage Bar: This Lush Best Seller is made from fair trade, organic cocoa butter and shea butter, once melted the molten chocolate centre is released. Chocolatey bliss. 

I couldn't let a chocolate post go without mentioning the masters at chocolate beauty products, The BodyShop. You'll see my review here but if chocolate is your thing then you've got to get to your nearest store to smell these divine offerings. We're currently on our second lot here at Casa Cherry such is the grá for the brown stuff. 

Never to be outdone when it comes to naturally beautiful products, Pixy.ie have 3 cocoa offerings to tempt your senses: 

Cocoa Shower Mousse: uses shea butter and apricot oil to soften and enrich your skin. Vitamin E and evening primrose oils and cocoa powder keep your skin healthy and supple. 

Chocolate Heaven Bath Bomb: promises a 'sensuous chocolate fragrance' with a sprinkling of gold mica to illuminate your skin. Goat's milk powder softens, exfoliates and cleanses your skin as you luxuriate in a bath of this chocolatey goodness. 

Pixy Chocolate Lip Balm: You'll see my review of this beauty here. Made with cocoa butter, shea butter, beeswax and almond oil, once warmed on your lips, this silky soft balm gives you a chocolate hit like no other product I've tried. Gold mica adds a subtle shimmer to your softened lips (but I've not told the eldest that, tis his punishment for pilfering it on me) If you're cutting down on chocolate or trying to combat cravings, you need one of these tins in your mála. 

And that's my round up, each product as gorgeous as the last from both ends of the spendy spectrum. 

Are you a lover of chocolate products? Is there any others I should be checking out? 

New from The Body Shop: Scents Of The World Collection

Although my first and formative foray into the world of fragrance came via The Body Shop many,many moons ago in the guise of Fuzzy Peach, Dewberry and White Musk, things have certainly changed in Body Shop HQ with this brand new line of EDTs and matching perfumed body care range, the Scents Of The World Collection.

Made with 100% organic alcohol (Community Fair Trade & made from Sugarcane) and natural extracts sourced from the far reaches of the world, you'd be hard pressed not to find a fragrance in this new line to suit your taste. 

• Japanese Cherry Blossom: a soft blend of magnolia, apple zest & cherry blossom, this scent is the perfect addition to the Japanese Cherry Blossom range already available (one of my personal faves)
• Indian Night Jasmine: sandalwood, violet leaves, orange blossom and jasmine combine to make a more sultry fragrance. 
• Atlas Mountain Rose: comprised of citrus, rose, musk and amber, I can see this one having the most universal appeal of the 5. 
• Madagascan Vanilla Flower:  this is a warm powdered blend of amber, vanilla and frangipani flowers. (See more below)
• Amazonian Wild Lily: with iris, white lily and orchid, enriched with papaya fruit zest, this is the liveliest of the five. Uplifting and invigorating. 

You can clearly see the loving Madagascan Vanilla Flower has been getting. 

I was sent both Madagascan Vanilla Flower and Amazonian Wild Lily to try and I can't let this post pass without singing from the rooftops about the former. Madagascan Vanilla Flower smells to me like a warm tropical breeze. One deep inhalation and I'm lying on a beach, drifting off to the sound of palm trees swaying, waves gently crashing and feeling the gentle breeze roll over me as I bake in the sun. Really. It's that good. 

Amazonian Wild Lily is a much livelier affair altogether, the forest florals punched through with papaya zest make it an ideal day time spritz. 

Available from The Body Shop online for UK customers or in store from this week, the Scents of The World is definitely a collection worth a sniff. Or ten. 

Are you a BodyShop fragrance fan?  More importantly were you a Fuzzy Peach or White Musk fan? 

BodyShop Sweet Lemon Body Butter & Shower Gel: Citrus Heaven

You might have noticed that, despite our Summer never fully showing up, it's hella muggy out there. After a long day in the humidity, or even a long night crocodile rolling in your sheets these Sweet Lemon offerings from The BodyShop are the perfect citrus zing to help refresh and revitalise. 

Sweet Lemon Shower Gel - €8.95

This soap free shower gel has been an instant hit when it arrived for review here at Casa Cherry, I didn't think there'd ever be as popular a product as Chocomania but I was lucky to get these pictures last week as the bottle is already half vanished! Super zesty and smelling remarkably like fresh lemons, despite my reservations, Sweet Lemon Shower Gel is a definite winner with us. 

A lot of citrus scents can seem synthetic or overly sharp, not so with this, there's a sweet base note, I'm sure from the honey used that really rounds out the fragrance. It lathers slightly and the gorgeous lemony scent stays with you long after its use. 

Sweet Lemon Body Butter - €18.90

Made with Fair Trade Shea Butter, this zesty, rich body butter melts into your skin leaving it beautifully moisturised with no film or greasy residue. I've been using this after the shower gel above to keep the scent with me right through the day and it's working a charm.

I'd recommend this rich butter for normal to dry skin but if you're skin is super dry, I'd urge you toward one of the more moisturising butters (Shea Butter for example). As an everyday body moisturiser to combat the mugginess? This is poifect!

Pink Grapefruit has always been one of my favourite citrus scents but it's been joined by Sweet Lemon as of this week. It just makes me all the more keen to try the others.

Are you a lover of the lemon? Have you tried this yet?

PS, Citrus Lovers, check out

Pixy.ie's gorgeous Lime Scrubbers

Here!

Monday's Moments - 21/05

Happy Monday one and all! Before I kick off, just a little announcement from Casa Cherry, from today I'll be posting twice a day. I've a huge backlog of nail tutorials, beauty bits, sneak peeks and reviews so hopefully this will be a way to step things up a notch. If there's anything in particular you'd like to see do please let me know. You could tweet me @ItsCherrySue or you could always drop me a line at the email address over there >>>>> I'm very rarely bitey and would love to hear from you!


But back to the task at hand, right?

1. OK, We're Both Like Me Da

Source

Haring past St Stephen's Green the other evening I happened to notice a taxi pull up. I only noticed it because I could have sworn it was my father driving. It took a moment but my brain clicked that my Dad's elder brother is a cab driver so over I bounded to greet him. 


He stood out of the car and I lunged in with an attack hug, exclaiming 'Uncle Noel, howaya!' (it's been a while since I'd seen him). In hindsight I could have gotten a dig in the gullet for my efforts if he didn't recognise me at the last minute. 'Jaysus' says he 'It's so bloody good to see you, stop running round the place, you're like your Da!'. 'Eh, you're like me Da' says I 'No wait, you're like me Da's mini me'. How we chortled. There's nothing quite like someone launching at you from nowhere and proceeding to insult you now is there? Ah, families. 

2. Super Gran!

Courtesy of BBC.co.uk

Sitting outside the shop the other day waiting on the eldest I noticed an older lady leaving, laden down with bags. I wondered where her trolley was, surely someone could give her a hand? As she went through the car park I kept an eye, out of boredom more than anything. She was soon followed by an elderly gentleman with just as many bags. She had stopped beside a car and was waiting on him so I assumed he had the keys. 

When he took out the keys though, he didn't go to the car, instead to a little silver vespa parked beside it. Now I'm saying elderly, this couple were easily in their mid to late seventies, flat caps, pastel macs, the lot! The lady pulled off her woolly hat and pulled on her helmet and the chap did the same. They loaded up the scooter and spent about 10 minutes helping each other on and off they vroomed. I didn't even notice the eldest get back in the car I was so flabbergasted. Just raging I didn't get a pic of the Hells Angels!

3. Hang on, What?!

If you follow me on Twitter you'll have seen who the culprit for this atrocity on the Planner was, suffice to say it wasn't me. 

Moment 3 this week though, is the moment you realise your son is probably not wanting to watch a movie for the fire power. And also that he reckons you're the most unobservant mother on the planet. Nice try, child, nice try...

4. My Favourite Kind of Apology

Ooh neon half moon mani tutorial coming up later!

I had a little sit down with the gorgeous Fiona from The Works Communications yesterday to chat about a couple of things and basically catch up. I've been working with her for a little while now so am well used to her generous nature, or so I thought. 

She happened to be running a little late today so threw an apology gift into her mála but apology gifts don't come much more wow than this. I hadn't realised how seriously gorgeous Euphoria was until today. I'm sat here inhaling my scarf as I type. It's spicy, woody, sexiness in a bottle. I've also decided that for all future meetings I'll be hiding behind pillars and such in the hope that Fiona is never on time again. (You know I'm jesting)(I am!)

5.  Made My Day

A pic of the lovely spread from The BodyShop Ireland

I had the great opportunity to head along to The Body Shop's Beauty with Heart launch last week. As ever the girls were hugely inviting and made everyone feel at home. They had a seemingly never-ending supply of cream cakes and goodies that I successfully avoided until leaving time. At which point I was given several to bring with me. 

When I got back to the car there was an older lad sitting by the pay & display machine. He asked if I'd any change but I genuinely didn't. All I had was an armful of cream cakes, feeling like a sham I asked him if he fancied them instead. He told me he hadn't seen a coffee slice in years that his mother used to buy them for him. Said they'd made his week. I got to avoid horsing cream cakes and cheer someone up a bit at the same time? Win/win I'd say. 

Have you any happy haps you'd like to share? I'd love to hear 'em! 

Chocomania from The Body Shop

Whether you're cutting back on chocolate, have eaten your egg already (like me) or are looking for an alternative Easter gift, The Body Shop Ireland has you covered. To say this range is delectable is an understatement.

I was more than thrilled to receive a *ahem* taster of the range last week and when I say it was almost inhaled, I'm not exaggerating. Both boys were immediately smitten too, so much so that the poor tub of Body Butter was almost decimated in the five minutes it took me to read the Press Release!

You'd think as Blogger's sons they'd realise the sanctity of a 'before' photo. Philistines! 

Containing 13 Community Fair Trade ingredients, synonymous with the Body Shop, this Butter (€18.95) is, by far, my new favourite. (Knocking Mango off the top spot). It promises 48 hours of hydration. I'm not sure about 48 but using this before bed, the heavenly scent and velvety feel was still about following work at 6pm the next evening. I'm not sure how many times I had to explain to colleagues why I was sniffing my own arms though. (weirdo)

I did have initial reservations about the scent, The Body Shop were responsible for such olfactory crimes as Dewberry and Fuzzy Peach back in the day but this is scrumptious. Not so much chocolate as cocoa,vanilla, buttery cream and toffee. Seriously, go sniff it. I've been so taken with it that I've ordered the scrub and shower gel to match.

The Gals over on Beaut.ie ran a piece on this range yesterday, which took into account the high pricing we face in Ireland for Body Shop goodies in comparison to other countries. It's well worth checking out if you're considering making a purchase. Personally, it doesn't stop me buying but it does make me reconsider where I buy.

Have you tried any of this range yet? Tempted?

ps.. have you eaten your egg already? Tell the truth and shame the divil..

EDIT: Psst the scrubs and butters are 2 for €30 in The Body Shop at the mo!