A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Rituals Sunglow Cheek & Eye Glow in Peach is a multi-tasking palette filled with some truly lovely warm-toned shades that work well even on my cool skin tone.

The palette (which contains a generous 9g of product) is currently on sale on the Rituals website and reminds me of a more affordable version of something like Laura Mercier’s Shimmer Bloc or Bobbi Brown’s Shimmer Brick.

A total of five colours that harmonise well together to create some different eye-variations or if swirled gently with a large, fluffy brush will impart a warm glow to the cheeks.

My preferred way of using this is as an eye palette, it’s one of those no-nonsense palettes that does the hard work for you.  The shade placements are pretty obvious and the mineral formula means that these shades blend together effortlessly.

The high shimmer finish means that this won’t be to everyone’s tastes and when I use this on my cheeks, I use just the tiniest touch over the top of my blusher and edging my cheekbone rather than the apple of my cheek.  In other words, I use this more as a highlighter than a blusher.

I’ve got some swatches below and I’ll make this the feature of my next FOTD – it is quite Autumnal after all no?

A comparison with my other peachy shimmer palettes (Prescriptives The Illuminator, Rituals Sunglow Peach, Bobbi Brown Shimmer Block in Nectar)…

Of the three, the Rituals is the most genuinely multi-functional but also the softest-textured, meaning that it imparts a lot of product onto the brush and creates a little dust when working with it.  The Bobbi Brown is hard-textured and doesn’t work anywhere near as well as eyeshadow but is my preferred option for blush.  The Prescriptives?  Well, seeing as you can’t get it anymore… there’s not much point me going on about it!

Rituals Sunglow* also comes in a range of pinks and a bronze-toned version.  Currently on the Rituals website priced at £17.90

* press sample

Onwards and upwards with the Mother’s Day gift guides! Yesterday we looked at some gift ideas for those of us on a budget but what if you’ve got a little more in the coffers for treating Mummy dearest?

Here’s my pick of the best Mother’s Day Gifts for £30 and under!

1. LUSH Mum Hatbox Set (£25.96)

Reusable hatbox full of luxuriously indulgent products for the industrious mums out there on Mother’s Day.  They’ve earned it!  This extravagant Mother’s Day gift box is brimming with joy for mums, containing everything she needs for bright spring days filled with flowers, fruit, rainbows, green grass, fluff and honey.

If your Mum is a bathing belle, this hatbox is full to the brim with lovely bath goodies.  The set contains: Grass shower gel, Pop in the Bath Bubble Bar, Dorothy Bubble Bar, Space Girl ‘Mum Ballistic, Keep it Fluffy Ballistic, You’ve Been Mangoed Bath Melt and Sultana of Soap.  You’re bound to come up smelling of roses with this gift choice!

2. Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me – Paula Begoun (£18.75)

Paula Begoun is the most unique, respected, and controversial source of skin care and makeup analysis available.  In the 8th edition of Don’t Go To The Cosmetics Counter Without Me you’ll find out the benefits and failings of each product so you can easily shop for the best of the best-and get beautiful skin and makeup, regardless of your budget!

A perfect choice for Mum’s who are a little intimidated by the wide choice of products available.  We can’t always be there to guide them in their selections but this book would make a really good place to start if (like mine) your Mum is cultivating a blossoming affair with beauty!  Plus, you get a free Paula’s Choice Surprise Sample Set with every book ordered.

3. Aromatherapy Associates Miniature Bath & Shower Oil Collection (£28.50)

The complete collection of Aromatherapy Associates bath & shower oils in miniature sizes.

Rapidly gaining cult status, Aromatherapy Associates deliver rich blends of scent-driven bath oils that promise to make every day that little bit more special.  Who says you need a spa to pamper?  With this miniature collection of oils you don’t need to make the tough decision over which one to choose – have the best of both worlds!

4. Sanctuary Skincare Spa Heroes Kit (£20.00)

You might be spending a bit more but who says that you don’t still want a bargain?  Wahanda have teamed up with The Sanctuary Spa to launch an unbeatable Mobdeal on its skincare products!

The set will contain: Radiance Boosting Facial Oil (30ml), Perfectly Polished Hot Cloth Cleanser (175ml), Warming Microbrasion Polish (100ml), and Warming Charcoal Detox Mask (100ml).

The deal is set to go live on Monday 28th March via this link.  So log on after midnight on the 28th to discover over 50% off a kit containing some real skincare treats.

5. Elemis Enriching Body Treats (£20.79)

A sensational selection of new and classic bodycare favourites in handy travel sizes, worth over £35!

The set contains: Wild Lavender Hand and Body Wash, Uplifting Sharp Shower and Bath Gel, Exotic Lime and Ginger Hand and Body Wash, Exotic Frangipani Monoi Bath and Shower Cream, Skin Nourishing Shower Cream, Skin Nourishing Hand and Body Lotion.

Nothing gets this Mum’s heart racing faster than a bunch of Elemis treats and one of the things that this British brand excels at is putting together these value sets.  The Elemis Enriching Body Treats is perfect to take on Summer holidays or to the gym!  Your Mum would be the sweetest-smelling lady in the locker room!

6. Rituals Under A Fig Tree Fragrance Sticks* (£19.90)

Rituals are one brand that need a greater high street presence in the UK.  You can pick up products in John Lewis but I’d love to see more stand alone stores like their one in Westfield.  I love this reed diffuser which is described as a natural and stylish way of fragrancing your home.  They look stylish and deliver a long-lasting scent that makes an impression without overpowering.

* I received a set of these as a press sample.

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Hope that gives you a little inspiration for lovely Mums everywhere, I’ll be back tomorrow with the £30 – £50 range – get your purses credit cards ready for it!

I’m a confirmed night owl.  I’ve always been happier to work and play when others around me are sleeping.  I won’t lie, it’s tough balancing that lifetime ‘philosophy’ with being a Mum.

When I do eventually drag myself to my pit bed, my mind is usually swimming with ideas and thoughts of things I want to accomplish the following day.  I simply find it hard to switch off.

Rituals say:

Research in the UK has shown that following a warm bath, you go to sleep around 10 minutes earlier and enjoy a deeper slumber.  So: immerse yourself in the water, leave all tension and thoughts behind, experience deep peace and relaxation. In Chinese Wu Wei, this ‘Go with the Flow’ is a key concept in Taoism.

Wu Wei is a cream bath foam that forms part of their new Tao Rituals line up.  I wrote about this range last month and have been putting this sample through it’s paces in the name of relaxation and bubbles.

The packaging is adorable… well, not quite… the lid is adorable.  Stupid thing to get hung up on, but it’s bamboo… it’s *squee* cute.  Ok, I’m over it now.

What can I tell you?  Wu Wei bubbles nicely… feels creamy on my skin and it smells like a 1000 angels have pooed in my bath (that’s a good thing by the way).

A little goes a very long way indeed… I’ve been using this 500ml bottle twice a week for the past month and don’t think I’m even halfway through the bottle yet… so that’s *counts on fingers* 8 baths so far which works out far cheaper than those pesky Lush Bubble Bars no?

Does it help me fall asleep faster?  No.  Anyone got a big mallet?

Rituals Wu Wei (£10.50) is available to buy online and in selected stores (check the website for details).

Rituals are a Dutch brand that I’d previously spotted in John Lewis, but hadn’t explored.  So I was curious to find out more about them when I popped into the launch of their latest line, Tao.

The Tao range is inspred by the ancient Chinese life philosophies encompassing energy, balance, peace and serenity.  All that Yin & Yang stuff.

It encompasses 8 new products which range from a body cream to a pillow mist, from bathing products through to massage oils.  Which brings me to my particular favourite…

Qi. Not only a top scorer in a game of Scrabble, but a surprisingly lovely stress relief serum.  I say “surprisingly” ‘cos I’m generally unaffected by things that are supposed to make you feel better if you sniff ’em or apply them to pulse points.  The most “alternative” I ever get is a drop of Bach’s Rescue Remedy on my tongue, and doing it always makes me feel like a bit of a wally.

I had a few drops of Qi (£8.50) massaged into my temples and the smell of Chinese Peppermint really invigorated me.  I spent the next half hour feeling a strange and totally pleasant warming sensation around my temples which had the effect of keeping me feeling sharper and more alert during my usual mid-afternoon slump.  I’ve never really experienced anything quite like that before.  I’m waiting for Qi to come into stock on the Rituals website so I can pick myself up a bottle.

The Tao Range is available online from the Rituals website.