Bath & Body Works Peach Cilantro Twist Candle

Earlier this month, I was sat at home on my weekend pretty much doing nothing...food shopping, a bit of cleaning, watching The X Factor, lazing in my PJ's and drinking copious amounts of tea.  Meanwhile, my Dad was living it up with his friends in Las Vegas.  Something a little wrong with those situations, isn't there?  It should have been the other way around!

But you know...silver linings and all that.  I wasn't going to be able to afford to go to Vegas, or America at any point in the future, so I made a very concise shopping list (two things!) of what I would like my Dad to bring back!  My Dad is very much a manly man, and I couldn't see him browsing the aisles of Sephora or Wal-Mart so I could get some American Beauty bits - instead, I simply asked for a nice candle from Bath & Body Works, and a Las Vegas mug.

The candle he chose was Peach Cilantro Twist and I am so pleased with it!  It's the second candle I have had from them - my first being Leaves!  It smells absolutely amazing; really fresh, fruity and the scent really fills the room and the whole house if I leave the door open.  It also lightly scents the room if I leave the cap off the candle.  It's just so nice, and even Liam enjoys it when I burn it.  Before we moved in together, he was demanding that no candles were bought as they "just sit there and gather dust," but I think he is a candle convert!

The candle is a clean burner, but I do think that it's disappearing rather quickly!  I'm trying to use this candle sparingly - it really is so nice, and it's such a shame we can't get Bath & Bath Works easily in the UK!  My Dad said he loved the store, and even stocked up on some body lotions (?!) and aftershave for himself!

Have you tried anything from Bath & Body Works?  What's your favourite candle?

Popup Paris WizzNadine Diamond Candle

This week has been a bit of an exciting one around where I live.  You may have seen on the news that a diamond was launched "into space" with a helium balloon, which then popped and landed on the ground.  It formed a finders keepers treasure hunt for the diamond, housed in a small, steel box, and it landed within a five mile radius of where I actually live.  Queue the excitement, constant calls from my sister giving me updates, and me wishing it just happened to land in my back garden - did I mention it's worth £12000?  Well...I haven't found it, and as far as I'm aware nobody has, but I might not need to look far for a diamond as I have this.  (Believe me...you'd know if I'd found it!)

This is a Popup Paris candle!  I actually got this candle as a Christmas gift from Liam, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I actually lit it.  It was safely stored in a drawer ready for when we got our house together, which at the time, I didn't think would have been this quickly!  Popup is a brand that I have only ever seen on Firebox, but after reading up on their website, they are a company led by two young men who seem to be full of fun - just have a read of the Popup About page!  One from a family of diamond merchants, and the other from a family of financiers.

I have the scent WizzNadine (was listed as Grenadine when Liam bought it!) and I have to say it smells absolutely beautiful, and I'm so pleased that Liam chose it.  He did really well, considering he bought it blind online!  It smells really sweet, yet a bit powdery - kind of like Love Hearts!  It's light, and sweet but doesn't overpower the room.  I think when lit it's almost a subtle hint of fresh sweetness.  On the website, it's described as "mouth watering, and mischievous" and "its sweet fragrance will bring you everlasting moments of tenderness!"  Not totally convinced on that one...but nevermind!

The Popup candles are extra special, because one in fifty contain a diamond which could be worth a £1000 depending on which size you get!  Mine is a small version which cost £19.99 - it's really small, so gets lit rarely, but it also comes in a large version which costs an almighty £49.99.  I haven't found a diamond in my candle just yet...it won't be a £12000 diamond, but if that one doesn't turn up under my nose, here's hoping for one hidden in my living room!

Have you tried Popup candles?  Have you ever found a prize in a candle?

Laura Mercier Body & Bath Luxe Quartet in Crème Brûlée

Well it has been a while hasn't it.  I don't know where this month has gone at all; I've not even been particularly busy!  I can't believe it's so close to Christmas!  I work in an office where it is literally Christmas all year, so I thought I'd be sick of it, but if anything, it's made me even more excited!

A few weeks ago, you might have seen that Urban Retreat Beautique were doing their annual Christmas Quest.  I'd never played before, but I had the best week!  Basically, you have to hunt around their website and find items that are marked at £0.02, and if you find it, you need to buy it before anyone else!  I was very lucky and on the first day that I played, I won this beauty...the Laura Mercier Body & Bath Luxe Quartet in Crème Brûlée worth an amazing £60!  Bought for two perfect pennies!!

It arrived in a sturdy gift box, and inside was a Honey Bath, a sugar scrub, a body creme and a candle.  I was a bit worried that I wouldn't like the smell, as I'm a bit fussy with sweet smells, but they are all absolutely gorgeous.  The description on the website says that it is "succulent notes of warm caramel, spun sugar and French vanilla bean" - very luxurious and decadent.

I've managed to use everything now, and I love it all!  I don't know if I'd ever buy the full size versions of these as they're just too expensive for my purse strings, but this is definitely the sort of thing I'd love to receive as a gift if I was really being spoilt.  The sugar scrub one of the nicest I've ever tried as usually I always get left with a sticky residue, but this just rinsed away leaving me with perfectly polished skin.  My only problem with the sugar scrub was the smell - this is the most sickly scent of them all, and there's just something about it that reminds me of Baileys and Baileys is just a nightmare for me.

The body creme is so light on application, but you can really feel the moisture in my opinion - out of them all, I'd be most likely to buy this in full size.  And honestly, the Honey Bath smells nice, but there's nothing overly special about the bubble bath!  

I've had a look at other things on the Urban Retreat Beautique, and there are a few more scents that I'd like to try including Ambre Vanille and probably the most tempting...Almond Coconut Milk.  What's even better now is that they are all half price!  So if you have last minute pressies to buy, or just fancy treating yourself, then go, go, go!

Did you manage to get anything in the Christmas Quest? Tried any of these goodies?

Mystery Prize Package...from the USA!

As you all might know, I was taking part in a group spending ban.  You could all follow the groups progress using the #roseenospend.  Some girls were doing it for thirty days, like myself, and others are still doing a sixty day spending ban!  We were all paired up to spur each other on, and at the end of the swap, you got to send and receive a prize bundle from your partner!

I was paired with the lovely Hannah from Hannah's Beauty Blog and I received my prize box yesterday!  I photographed everything as soon as I opened it because I was dying to get in and try everything, and this whole unwritten blogger rule of no using it until it's been photographed was a killer.  Hannah is based in the USA, so I have been very lucky in the fact that I've been able to try some American beauty bits!  I'd love to tell you all what I popped in Hannah's box, but hers hasn't arrived yet!  Here is what was in mine...

First off, Hannah - thank you so much for sending me this!  I am so pleased with everything, and I love it all - I've tried almost all of it and everything is perfect!  The shades you've picked are gorgeous, and are ones that I'd have chosen myself - great minds must think alike!  I wish we had Wet n' Wild in the UK, and that candle....ohhhh it smells so good!

This is the Leaves candle from Bath and Body Works.  It smells absolutely gorgeous, and not remotely like leaves.  I can't remember what I thought it would smell like anymore, maybe crisp outdoors and maybe a bit of pine thrown in, but it's gorgeous spiced apple.  I love this so much that I've already tracked down a site that sells it in the UK so that I can get a larger version!

This blush is by Wet n Wild and is in the shade Heather Silk and Hannah has made the perfect choice!  She said she chose this as it's a perfect fall shade, and I have to agree!  I wore this today and it gives me that perfect flushed look.

Another Wet n Wild product that Hannah bought for me is this amazing eyeshadow palette.  I've seen a lot of reviews from other bloggers about these, and they're so distinctive with the embossed text for where to apply each colour.  I have the Comfort Zone palette and sometimes you have the odd shade in a palette that you might not touch but I can see me using every single one of these shades.  The left side is a perfect day look, and the right is a bit more dramatic!

EOS is another brand that I have heard of, so I was really excited to see this in my parcel!  I have the Pomegranate and Raspberry flavour and it is so nice, I love the packaging and they are so much better than I had expected them to be; far better than your standard lip balm.  I love this little sphere of goodness.  If anything it's made me want to try our UK equivalent, the Balmi to compare which formula is better!

Hannah also sent me a Covergirl Clump Crusher Mascara.  Covergirl is another brand that I have heard of, mainly when I've been watching America's Next Top Model as they usually win a contract to represent Covergirl!  First thoughts are that I love being able to see the brush in the packaging, most of the mascaras I've bought always come with the wand ready in the tube, so this was an interesting change!  I've tried this today and it has been so nice to wear!

I also got sent a little packet of Extras chewing gum in the flavour Raspberry Vanilla Cupcake.  I've actually not tried this yet, but it was such a nice little extra to get in the box!  I've never had a sweet flavoured gum before so this could be interesting!

I'll be reviewing each of these products a little more in depth in the future, so keep an eye out!  And thank you so much Hannah for everything!  I can see you put a lot of thought into the box, and I'm very grateful!  I really hope you like yours, please let me know what you think and keep in touch!

Have you done a beauty swap before?  Have you tried any of these products?