Birthday Fun!

Sooo, it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago and I had an amazing weekend with family and friends. My birthday fell on a Saturday this year which makes it even better (no work! Yay!). So I thought I'd quickly share with you some of the lovely presents I got from my nearest and dearest.

Here's the first few items; a water bottle off my mum for my gym/zumba sessions. You can put the middle part in the freezer so it keeps your drinks cool while working out (it's currently freezing away at home ready for tonight's aerobics session!). Perfect! Then off a couple of friends I got some sweets, a little cute purse and off my friend who I was recently a bridesmaid for, she got my favourite picture of her wedding day professionally printed and framed. Such a lovely idea! The book is off my mums partners mum (if that makes sense, ha). I have really been enjoying reading this series of books at the moment, so that was a thoughtful gift.

The biggest surprise gift was off my mum, she got me a Kindle Touch! Yay! I've wanted one for such a long time now as I read a lot, especially on my way to work and on long journeys. I hurriedly finished the book I was reading so I could get reading the next one on this! I also got a pink cover for it (pictured later).
My best friend spoilt me with a few of my beauty faves including the YSL Shocking mascara (LOVE this, better than the original YSL Effet Faux Cils by miles in my opinion) and MAC's All That Glitters eyeshadow for my palette (I've been wearing this nearly every day since she bought it me, such a cute colour). The clutch bag is from River Island and was a gift from another good friend. I love the style and colour. River Island bags are such good quality and always lovely designs. The After Eights were a yummy addition from my mum! :)

Also off my bestie (who knows how beauty/makeup mad I am), I got Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish starter kit complete with two muslin cloths. I love this cleanser, it's amazing. I've tried a lot of cleansers but this definitely wins the prize. It's definitely going to be a staple fixture in my skincare routine. She also bought me one of the Korres lip butters which I absolutely love. She bought me the Mandarin Lip Butter Stick in the shade Peach. It's such a pretty colour and perfect for day to day wear. They are so moisturising and really last on the lips.

I also got lots of other lovely presents from friends and family, including a boots giftcard (to feed my beauty addiction!), a ticket to watch my favourite football team Manchester City win the Charity Shield (c'mon city), a bottle of Martini Asti, accessories, lots of lovely cards and some money.

So all in all, got some lovely things, and had a great birthday celebrating in Manchester with cocktails, lovely food, a night in a gorgeous hotel and even better, spent it with some amazing people! :)

My Saviour Lip Trio

So if you have been reading my past posts you will know I have incredibly dry lips and have to moisturise quite regularly. Luckily for me, I have found a special little trio which works really well for me! A lip scrub from Lush, NUXE lip balm and a lip butter by Korres.

Left to Right, Lush Lip Scrub in Bubblegum, Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine and NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm

Lush Lip Scrub

We all hate having chapped lips and so did I until I found this little gem! I love visiting the Lush store anyway as the staff are always super friendly and helpful and i just adore their products. I came across this while shopping and decided to give it a try. Wow-wee is it amazing! You get a little bit on your finger and gently rub all along your lips. The lip scrub exfoliates and removes all dead skin, leaving your lips refreshed and ready for action. The other thing I love is the smell, OMG, it's amazing, and the best bit is you get to lick off the product after you've scrubbed and it tastes gorgeous like sweets! All in all, this is going to be a staple favourite of mine for a long time and fingers crossed it never gets discontinued!!!

Korres Lip Butter

For a day to day lip balm with a hint of colour, you can't beat the range from Korres. I normally wear the colour Jasmine, as pictured, which has a very light tint of pink in it but you can get many colours with varied pigmentations. This lip balm has a buttery finish, glides on so easily and gives a lovely shine to the lips. They have shea butter in them, which i simply love in any product and this really helps hydrate the lips. Using this after the lip scrub is just the perfect combination. Again with this, i love the smell. It reminds me of strawberry and cream Chupa Chup lollies! Mmmm! :)

NUXE Reve de Miel Lip Balm

Now the NUXE lip balm, in my opinion is definitely the most effective. However the consistency is a lot thicker than other lip balms, so for that simple fact I prefer to wear this at night. I apply it after my nightly skin care regime and when i wake up in the morning the balm is still there and my lips feel refreshed and moisturised. I have worn this in the day before, but not when I plan on wearing a lipstick or lipgloss as well that day. It's slightly more expensive than other lip balms rocking in at the £9.50 mark, but you do get 15g worth of product, so I think it's well worth it! I use it every day and not hit the bottom yet.

Left to Right, Lush Lip Scrub in Bubblegum, Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine and the NUXE Reve de Miel

So that is my daily lip care routine and it's working really well for me at the moment. I've been wearing so many more lipsticks and glosses due to the excellent condition of my lips. What balms do you use? I might be swayed to try it out! :)