AD | Starting That Skincare New Years Resolution Off Gently | Lush Cosmetics Gentle Cleansers 2026

  Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! The wonderful and lovely team at Lush White Rose kindly gifted me three of the brand new Gentle Cleansers from Lush that have just been released so I thought that to I would talk to you all about them!

All three of the Gentle Facial Cleansers that are mentioned within this blog post are inspired by the cult classic that is Ultrabland Facial Cleansers from Lush. These brand new facial cleansers are vegetarian friendly but not vegan friendly due to the inclusion of Honey and Beeswax.  All three (and Oat) come in beautiful glass jars which hark back to a retro era of Lush Cosmetics whilst using recycled packaging to house brand new products for those who love Lush to try out. 

Açai & Sacha Inchi Cleanser (£16)

Ingredients: 

Fair Trade Organic Sesame Oil, Juniperberry Water, Beeswax, Fair Trade Organic Brazilian Honey, Organic Sacha Inchi Oil, Açaí Oil, Fresh Fennel Extracted In Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Turmeric Root Extracted In Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Glycerine, Manuka Honey, Juniperberry Oil, Rosemary Oil, Kenyan Geranium Oil, Eucalyptus Oil, Tincture of Benzoin, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Limonene.

'We might not be able to help you with your recent breakup, but a cleanse with clarifying, calming acai oil can help with the breakouts. Vitamin E-rich sacha inchi oil provides lightweight hydration to wash away your woes in a balancing, non-sticky and non-stripping oil-based formula. Now, please ditch the 3-in-1 face wipes!' - Lush UK. 

When I first heard about the brand new cleansers via a press release from Lush, I was intrigued to try all of them but I was super interested in trying the Açai & Sacha Inchi one. As someone who suffers from acne prone skin quite a lot due to hormonal breakouts, stress and being lactose intolerant. Having all of this causes me to break out quite often  has caused acne scars to form in the past which have made me super unconfident to go out and get on with my day. Due to all of the above, an acne prone Cleanser sounded right up my street. This Açai and Sacha Inchi Cleanser contains Juniperberry Oil which is known to control excess sebum. Alongside Juniperberry, Açai Oil also helps with breakouts due to being able to clarify the skin thus helping to remove dirt and impurities from the face. I've been using this Cleanser for a fair while now mainly targeting a couple of raging spots and I have noticed that after using this cleanser my spots have looked reduced and less like they're a step away from having a voice of their own and screaming my house down.

Talking of Açai Oil, Açai and Sacha Inchi Oils create the basis of this cleanser with all of its lovely skin helping properties but also creates an interesting scent that I have been really enjoying. The Açai, Eucalyptus, Geranium and Sacha Inchi blend together to create a fruity berry fragrance with a sort of deep smoky element to it. I guess a bit like smoking berries on a barbecue in a fresh open slightly grassy garden. I think that the scent may be a bit marmite for some but I really quite like it. The scent is there whilst you massage this lovely gentle cleanser into the skin helping to reduce any breakouts that you're having and getting rid of any dirt on the skin. I did notice that after rinsing this cleanser off, the scent was quite subtle so I think that if you're a bit unsure on the scent then I think that you should try and grab a sample and try it out especially if you're someone who needs help with breakouts but wants skin that feels healthy, hydrated and not stripped.

 As skin is unique I think that it's always a good idea to grab a sample of skincare from Lush to test out to see if your skin falls in love with it or not. If you do grab a sample of any of the Cleanswrs then do let me know your thoughts via the comments section or social media. 

This fantastic cleanser contains two main oils that help to create a gorgeous lightweight feel to this cleanser which ensures that this cleanser can get to the core of your breakouts without  causing the skin to become dry or  strip the skin. The first oil that helps to create the base of this Cleanser is Sesame Oil. This Clenaser actually contains over 35% Sesame Oil. Sesame Oil is a natural source of Vitamin E which is known to help soothe and protect the skin which we all need after our skin has been through an angry breakout attack. The second is Sacha Inchi Oil which also contains a good chunk of Vitamin E but is known for its hydrating and lightweight properties which means that this cleanser helps to hydrate the skin and doesn't strip it. As I have mentioned I have been using this cleanser lately to try and target a couple of raging spots on my face and get them from raging to calling and being on their way off my face. When I scooped a bit of this cleanser from the pot and worked it into a lather, I was surprised that instead of a lather this cleanser created a sort of light serum texture that was definitely lightweight and nourishing. I was surprised because I wasn't expecting it to be as lightweight as it was nor was i expecting it from a cleanser that has a sort of light whipped balm texture when you first look at it when you unscrew the lid from the glass jar. When I washed this gorgeous cleanser off my skin I felt that my skin felt majorly improved. Less rough, dry and honestly less  like the feeling of the singer of a heavy metal band singing and screaming their lungs out on my face to more of a tired couple having a pointless argument I the middle of a shop which I was thankful for as my spots have been that bad recently. With using this cleaner regularly on the one area that I've had the worst breakout on I have noticed that the spots have reduced massively and are slowly on their way to being gone but obviously with breakouts it takes time even when you're using a cleanser that's full of ingredients that help to reduce breakouts. 

Honey, Almond Oil & Beeswax (£17)

Ingredients: 

Almond Oil, Rose Water, Beeswax, Honeycomb, Fresh Iris Flower Extracted In Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Glycerine, Tincture of Benzoin, Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Cinnamate.

'Lush Co-Founder, Mark Constantine, first created this blend using raw honeycomb from the bees he kept. Staying true to this formula, we’ve used over 3% raw honeycomb for its clarifying and hydrating action, it also helps keep this formula self-preserving. We’ve wrapped your cleanser in a beeswax cone, a natural alternative to plastic packaging. Pop it into your compost bin along with the cellulose wrapper (just remove the label first) once your cleanser is finished.' - Lush UK. 

This brand new cleanser contains over 3% Raw Honeycomb which contains Raw Honey that has been sourced from Brazil and supports local communities and reforestation. Honey is known for being a humectant for the skin. This essentially means that the Honey will help to lock moisture into the skin which for anyone with dry skin or skin that gets affected by cold weather then Honey is an amazing ingredient for you. After using this cleanser for a while,  I did notice that my skin felt more plump and less dry. Following on from this, Almond Oil is known for helping to plump the skin and protecting the skins barrier due to its nourishing properties and again after using this cleaner for a while, my skin did feel a lot more plump. As I've mentioned in this post my skin tends to be on the dry side with some acne prone properties to it so if my skin feels nourished then it's easy to tell. 

As this cleaner doesn't contain a lot of ingredients, it lends itself to being an unscented cleaner. I love my cleansers that have a bit of a scent which I know might be a bit controversial saying so but sometimes a scent to my skincare can help me to do it a little bit more first in the morning. However, I do grasp why a lot of people enjoy unscented skincare as it means that skin is irritated less for those who are sensitive to fragrances. As I know that this cleanser lends itself towards the unscented category of skincare, I have been using this on the regular on a night as a first cleanse of a double cleanse routine. All of these cleansers are inspired by the OG Ultrabland which I have used regularly as a first cleanser after a long day or a day of wearing makeup on top of my regular skincare routine and SPF so I was definitely intrigued to see if I could see if there was a difference between the two. I do have to say I did. I think that due to the very high percentage of Almond Oil and Iris Flowers extracted in Olive Oil I noticed that the Honey, Almond Oil and Beeswax Cleanser was lighter in texture compared to Ultrabland. I do love Ultrabland but I know a fair few people do find it a bit on the heavy side when it comes to removing dirt, impurities and makeup and that it can leave a layer on the skin post washing it off. In my opinion, there is none of that with Honey, Almons Oil and Beeswax. I think that this could be a good replacement for the Summertime maybe? I do wish that I had this available when I was in Hong Kong to remove my skincare and makeup when the weather over there was quite humid. Trust me I'll definitely be sticking to Ultrabland for when I've got really dry skin due to the weather or my skin is having one of those days  but if I'm in a rush or if I want something a bit lighter when my skin is feeling a bit bleh then I think that I'll definitely be using this. Is it bad I'm tempted to see what double cleansing with both of these together would be like? I might try it when I've got a full face on (full coverage foundation, glitter, highlighter, a dark lip etc) and let you know what I think about it. If you have been looking for a truly unscented cleanser that is light on the skin but can do everything that you need it to then honestly I think the wonderful people at Lush have made your dreams come true! 

Turmeric & Argan Oil (£17)

Ingredients: 

Rice Bran Oil, Vanilla Water, Beeswax, Fair Trade Organic Brazilian Honey, Fairly Traded Honey, Fresh Turmeric Root Extracted In Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Glycerine, Organic Argan Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Vanilla Extract, Sandalwood Oil, Australian Sandalwood Oil, Guaiacwood Oil, Tincture of Benzoin, Buriti Oil, Vanillin, Benzoic Acid, *Anise Alcohol, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Farnesol. 

'Lavish mature skin in antioxidant-rich oils and fresh turmeric for radiant results. With a cleanse like this, you’ll only get better with age.' - Lush UK. 

This brand new cleanser contains over 40% Rice Bran Oil which is a natural source of Squalane. Squalane is known within the beauty industry for being a lightweight active ingredient that moisturises the skin richly whilst sinking into the skin quite easily. Turmeric and Argan Oil also contains Argan Oil obviously. Argan Oil is known for being a gorgeous ingredient for bringing moisture to the skin and for its gorgeous glowing properties which when blended with Fresh Turneric which is also known for giving the skin a gorgeous glow amplifies the benefit and helps you to glow for the gods.

I am very much into my glowing for the gods phase and I have to admit that alongside my skin feeling quite moisturised and not dry that my skin has been glowing for the gods and has looked a lot more radiant which I have been loving because my skin becomes slightly dull during the colder months and therefore I normally try and compensate with more glowing beauty products and makeup during the Winter time but since trying this cleanser I've been skipping at least one of these products so that shows how radiant my skin has looked. 

Alongside a plethora of hydrating and glowing ingredients that helps to make skin look healthy, this gorgeous cleanser contains both Sandalwood and Vanilla Water. Sandalwood not only gives this cleanser a slightly resinous and deep woody fragrance but also helps to tone the skin whilst Vanilla Water is known for soothing the skin. The blend of Sandalwood and Vanilla creates a sweet and creamy fragrance with a slightly woody background. I am not going to lie, with this Cleanser being Turmeric centric I was expecting this cleanser to smell like the iconic Turmeric Latte fragrance from Lush however I quite like Vanilla so I wasn't too mad. If youre looking for a product that will create the base of a gorgeously hydrating and glowing skincare routine and also love scents from Lush like the fan favourite Yummy Custard then I think that you'll love this cleanser. 

I haven't fully tried out the Oat Cleanser that is a part of this range but when I do I will do a post about it and let you all know what I think about it. 

Have you managed to try out any of the brand new Gentle Cleansers? If so what are your thoughts on them? Let me kno

Thanks again to the wonderful staff at Lush White Rose Leeds for gifting me the Cleansers! 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x 

My Friends Of Lush Affiliate Link. 

Stepping Into A New Store Full Of Imagination | Lush Cosmetics York Store Reopening Preview Event

 Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I was recently invited to the preview event of the new Lush York store and I thought that today I would talk to you all about it. 

Myself and Luke arrived in York after a quite lengthy train delay and we ventured from the train station to the city centre. Once we had made it onto Coney Street, we made our way down to the brand new store which was glowing in an array of lit Christmas decorations along the street. 

We made our way into the store and was greeted by the lovely Sarah who told us about the night and offered us some Lush York themed cupcakes which not only tasted amazing but looked amazing too! 

After this, we were guided around the brand new store by the lovely Emily as I was unsure on where certain things were such as the new Bath Bomb Wall and the new Archive Wall. During the tour, my friend Michelle turned up and joined us in store. After a quick chat we rejoined Emily and Luke and discussed the gourmand products from Lush that have been getting a lot of love at the moment and the brand new The Lush Version products. 

These are products based on old formulas that Mark Constantine made for The Body Shop before Mark went on his own beauty adventure and created Lush. These products are in stores but Lush York had gotten a few goodies from the range early for us to smell and enjoy. 

The brand new store is full of sections for customers to explore and experience in their own way such as a gourmand section for those who want to delve deep into the gourmand scents that the Lush Community have been loving at the moment, a Super Milk section for those who have seen the love of Super Milk but haven’t enjoyed it themselves yet and a Snow Fairy section full of the festive goodies that make up the Snow Fairy Range such as the brand new Snow Fairy Milkshake Shower Gel and Snow Fairy Glitter Spray! 

After a wander around the brand new and beautiful store, we headed towards the front of the store which contains a wall of previously loved goodies from Lush that were once discontinued but now stand tall and proud on the wall for new and old Lushies to fall in love with once again. 

Alongside these retro goodies, at the Lush York store there lays the Fireworks Makeup Range. These products are exclusive to certain stores in the UK and now are available online. The fireworks makeup range includes a plethora of products including lip products, body lustre and glitter mists! The lovely staff took me through a lot of the products such as the Pink Grapefruit Lip Jelly. Now I do own the Cola Lip Jelly from Lush but I have been a bit intimidated to use it. The lovely staff at Lush York guided me through how to use it so when I’m next out I’m going to grab it from my shelf and wear it out even if I am only running errands around town. The lovely staff at Lush York also demonstrated the Glitter Sprays that are a part of the Fireworks Makeup Range at Lush. These glitter mists come in three different scents. Golden Egg, Intergalactic and Snow Fairy. The formula of the Glitter Sprays contain Glycerine which help to suspend the glitter in the mist and also help to moisturise the skin. The lovely staff also showed me the Cocktail Body Lustre which contains the much loved Cocktail Perfume scent from Lush. I love anything that’s moisturising and contains glitter so this was an instant love for me. Michelle also had this demonstrated on her over a tattoo and the Cocktail Body lustre made it shimmer and shine so if you have any tattoos then this product would also be perfect for you! 

After a look into the fireworks makeup range, I went over to the hand and arm massage area where we all had a chatter about all things Lush and an amazing pamper! The wonderful Emily started off by scrubbing my hand and arm with the much beloved Sticky Dates Body Scrub. After this, Emily asked for me to pick one of the massage bars on offer to be massaged with. Now, if you know me then you will know that I am a massive lover of Turmeric Latte so when I saw Turmeric Latte I knew that I had to be coated from elbow to fingers in it! Some of the other massageh bars that were on offer to choose between included Coconut Drench and honestly I think that Coconut Drench is a bit of an underrated Massage Bar at Lush! Coconut Drench is truly a scent made for anyone who loves Coconut and holidays. This Massage Bar contains Babassu Oil, Tonka Absolute, Vetivert Oil and Vanilla Absolute alongside some other goodies that helps to nourish the skin and help you to smell like you’ve been drenched in hydrating Coconut Water. After Emily gave me an amazing massage. I compared the well pampered arm and hand to the other one that had not been touched and I noticed a massive difference! As my skin is on the dry side, my skin loves the Massage Bars from Lush due to the moisturising oils and butters that are in every one of their Massage Bars. I was asked if I wanted some Silky Underwear on top of the massaged arm and I can’t remember the last time I used Silky Underwear so I thought why not?! I instantly fell in love with the scent as soon as it was applied to my skin! Once Silky Underwear had sank into my skin, the lovely Emily spritzed Let The Good Times Roll Body Spray onto my skin. If you haven’t smelt Let The Good Times Roll before then imagine that smell of walking into a cinema and instantly smelling the scent of freshly made popcorn bottled into a Body Spray that will have people asking you what you smell of because you smell so good! 

Once we were done with the hand and arm massage, I had another quick look around the store and then headed to the bath bomb making station where we were greeted by the wonderful Joe. After chatting for a couple of minutes, Joe told me that we were going to make the Magical Santa Bath Bomb. Not only does this bath bomb look amazing due to its layers of different colours but it also smells amazing due to the inclusion of Sicilian Lemon Oil, Rosewood Oil and Lemon Myrtle Oil which creates a very uplifting and zingy scent! I mixed up the different colours, added Citric Acid to one of them and got to making my own Magical Santa. After having a chat, layering up the bath bomb mixture and having a great time, it was time to bag this Santa up and leave him to set up for 24 hours. Honestly I don’t think I’ll be hired to make bath bombs at the Lush factory anytime soon but I had an absolute blast making my own Magical Santa at Lush York. If you ever get to go to a Bath Bomb Workshop then remember that once you’ve used your bath bomb you can take your mould back to the store for a discount on your order. 

Sadly after the bath bomb workshop it was time to say goodbye to the staff. 

Before we left, I was handed a gorgeous goodie bag full of Lush goodies. The goodie bag contained a bottle of the iconic Super Milk, a wonderful Scrubee, a pot of Ultrabland Facial Cleanser, a bottle of the Sticky Dates Body Spray that is now available all year round at Lush and a Little Snow Fairy Gift Set that contains a Snow Fairy Bath Bomb and a Snow Fairy Shower Gel (100g). Alongside all of these goodies that came in a beautiful Fighting Animal Testing Tote Bag, the wonderful staff at Lush York gave me a random act of kindness product out of the kindness of their hearts. This product that was gifted to me is the brand new Ginger Shampoo that is a part of The Lush Version range. This shampoo helps to fight off dandruff and includes Fresh Ginger Infusion, Mimosa Absolute, Bergamot Oil, Sicilian Red Mandarin Oil, Kenyan Geranium Oil and Sandalwood Oil alongside Salicylic Acid. This Ginger Shampoo is scented with the Ginger Perfume scent from Lush so if you love the perfume then you will love this Shampoo. 

Thanks again to the lovely staff at Lush York and Lush themselves for inviting me to the launch of the brand new Lush York Store. i can’t wait to go back to it when i next visit York which with the York Christmas Markets on at the moment will be very soon! if you are local to York or in the Yorkshire area or even if you want a beautiful day out do go visit the brand new Lush York store and see how beautiful it is for yourself! 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Some photos in this blog post are from Lush themselves. 

Costa Coffee Christmas Range 2023

Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post. I thought that today I would talk to you all about the new Costa Coffee Christmas range. Yes, I know it may be a bit early for some of you to see Christmas but who doesn’t love hearing about some new delicious goodies that are coming to a Costa Coffee store near you very soon? 

Sticky Toffee 

Who doesn’t love a good Sticky Toffee Pudding when the days get dark and cold very quickly? 

The Sticky Toffee drinks come in two formats. A Latte to keep you warm when the weather gets chilly and a Iced Latte that will help to refresh you when the Christmas shopping gets a little bit too stressful. 

Both of these drinks will feature a yummy sticky toffee flavoured sauce, topped with Light Whip, and drizzled with even more sauce, finished with a sprinkling of bronze shimmery, angel-like dusting. 

Black Forest & Cream Hot Chocolate 

Black Forest is back baby! I know a lot of people including myself were devastated when Black Forest was scrapped for last years Christmas range and then had to rush to try and grab it in a store during the last week leading up to Christmas. This year, Costa has brought Black Forest back with a bang! 

The iconic drink features a rich hot chocolate with cherry sauce topped with cream and drizzled with cherry sauce. 

If you are a Costa Club member and have the App then you are already able to get the Black Forest & Cream Hot Chocolate in stores before the rest of the range and before non-members can grab it on 2nd November. All you have to do is scan your card and ask for one at the till or order one through the Click and Collect feature on the Costa Coffee App. 

I must admit, I may have already grabbed one through the Costa App when I was out with Luke the other day and oh my god it was worth the wait. Delicious and fruity. Utter perfection. 

Roasted Hazel 

Is it just me or does the scent of roasted nuts makes it  feel like its the beginning of the festive season? Now you can enjoy that feeling in a drink! 

Roasted Hazel will be available as a Latte and a Hot Chocolate. Both of these warming drinks will include a flavourful roasted hazelnut syrup, topped with Light Whip, and completed with a beautiful, bronzed shimmer and mini gold stars. 

I do love Hazelnut and this screams a very me drink so I am intrigued to see what Roasted Hazel tastes like. I also love the addition of gold stars. I bet it looks pretty and adds to the festive vibe! 

Gingerbread & Cream Latte 

Gingy is back and  they’re looking tastier than ever! 

This drink features a milky coffee laced with a generous slurp of sugar free gingerbread syrup, topped with cream and adorned with a mini gingerbread person.

I love anything Gingerbread so I will definitely be grabbing one of these. 

Inspired by After Eight® Hot Chocolate & Terry's Chocolate Orange® Hot Chocolate

Who doesn’t love a good couple of After Eights after a filling Christmas Lunch? Well Costa have made an After Eight® Hot Chocolate so you can have it all Christmas season long! 

Is it just me who associates Terry's Chocolate Orange® with Christmas? I just imagine one of these tasty chocolate balls in the bottom of my Christmas stocking. Costa has also decided to bring back the well loved Terry's Chocolate Orange® Hot Chocolate for those who love a good Chocolate Orange drink throughout the festive period. Both of these drinks come with either a  Terry's Chocolate Orange® Segment or an After Eight® slip on the side. 

Costa Express:

Costa Express customers can enjoy a taste of the festivities with the new Sticky Toffee Latte, new Sticky Toffee Hot Chocolate, and new Sticky Toffee Iced Latte (only at Costa Express’s Hot and Iced self-serve machines). 

Shell customers can get exclusive access to the new Roasted Hazel Latte, new Roasted Hazel Iced Latte (only at Costa Express’s Hot and Iced self-serve machines) and new Roasted Hazel Hot Chocolate.

Food:

Pigs In Blankets Toastie

Pigs In Blankets is an ultimate staple of Christmas Dinner for a lot of people in the UK so cramming these beauties into a toastie sounds like a perfect idea to me. 

This brand new product for Costa Coffee features succulent pork sausage and maple cured bacon, with sweet, caramelised onion chutney, all in tempting garlic, onion and sage crumbed cheese-topped bread. 

Vegan Turkey & Trimmings Toastie

Just because Christmas is full of meat doesn’t mean that we can leave the vegans out of having some delicious festive food

This toastie consists of vegan turkey with stuffing, yummy cranberry sauce, vegan mayonnaise, vegan gravy, all in toasted white bread. 

I love to incorporate some Vegan products into my diet a lot of the time so I will definitely be trying this one out! 

Honey Roast Ham & Wensleydale Ciabatta 

All I’m going to say is Cheese, Gromit, Cheese! 

This sandwich features juicy British Honey roast ham and Wensleydale cheese, mature Cheddar and honey and béchamel sauce, packed into a cranberry stuffed ciabatta.  

I have been enjoying sandwiches and burgers with a Bechamel sauce recently so I may try this to see how Cranberry, Honey, Roast Ham, Wensleydale and Bechamel all work together. 

Melton Mowbray Pork Pies & Sausage Rolls

Who doesn’t love some good picky bits? 

The Melton Mowbray Pies consisting of seasoned uncured British pork baked in a rich hot water crust pastry. The Sausage Rolls have seasoned pork sausage meat, pulled pork and divine Bramley apples, in an all-butter puff pastry topped with a wonderful festive pastry star. 

I love both a Pork Pie and a Sausage Roll so I’ll definitely be tempted to grab one of each. The Sausage Roll sounds divine to me. Savoury, full of flavour and still utterly seasonal. 

What’s Returning? 

The following savoury delights are returning for the festive season at Costa Coffee. 

Brie, Bacon & Cranberry Panini, Brie & Cranberry Toastie, Turkey & Trimmings Toastie and the Turkey Feast Sandwich. 

Sweet Treats: 

Belgian Chocolate Ganache Cake

I mean, who doesn’t love Chocolate Cake? 

This new product is a rich chocolate cake, filled with chocolate frosting and topped with an indulgent chocolate ganache and star sprinkles. 

Honestly, this sounds amazing! I love anything that has a ganache in as it adds some texture to the cake. I just hope that the cake itself is terrifically tender! 

Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake 

A piece of Sticky Toffee Loaf Cake and a Sticky Toffee Latte? Can anyone imagine a better pairing? I can’t! 

This afternoon delight consists of a toffee flavoured sponge cake which is topped with caramel frosting, caramel drizzle, and indulgent fudge pieces.  

I love the different textures that are going on in this cake. You have the cake itself paired with the smooth frosting and the chunky fudgy pieces. A definite must try! 

Vegan Christmas Cake Slice 

 Vegans need a sweet treat too! 

A rich fruit cake base and is topped with a layer of marzipan and white icing.

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of Christmas Cake. If you are then this will definitely be a treat for you! 

Polar Bear Gingerbread & Christmas Tree Shortcake Biscuits 

A cute biscuit can really perk up the dullest of days! New for 2023, Costa have released two cute biscuits to go alongside a drink and a catch up with friends. There’s a cute Polar Bear shaped Gingerbread Biscuit and a festive Christmas Tree shaped Shortcake Biscuit. Definitely a great treat for a catch up or those little ones who need a sweet treat. 

Bags Of Sweet Treats 

Sometimes when you are out and about with either friends or your own, you just want a little bag of something. Well, Costa has come to the rescue with these amazing bags of goodies that are new fof 2023. 

There is Salted Caramel Honeycomb Bag (Salted honeycomb coated in caramel flavour milk chocolate, in collaboration with Mighty Fine). There’s also Clotted Cream Fudge bag (rich, crumbly fudge made with West Country clotted cream and handmade by Mr Stanley’s)., These would be great alongside a warm drink or stashed in your bag for when you need a little pick me up. 

What’s Returning? 

Back for 2023, we have Vegan Mince Tart, All Butter Mince Pie, Terry's Chocolate Orange® Muffin (which is available in Costa Coffee stores right now), Gingerbread Muffin, White Chocolate Trillionaire’s Slice and the Crispy Festive Wreath. 

Will you be trying any of the Costa Coffee Christmas 2023 range? What’s your favourite festive drink? Let me know! 

Costa Coffee’s Christmas Menu is available to purchase and try on 2nd November. 

All photos are from Costa Coffee PR. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

Having Some Fun With Barbie™ In The Tub | Lush X Barbie™ Range

 Hey everyone! 

Welcome to a brand new blog post! 

I recently went to Lush to check out the new Lush X Barbie range and I thought that today I would talk to you all about it. 

Lush has partnered with Mattel to create a one of a kind collectible collaboration range. 

‘The Barbie™ X Lush Collection offers a complete range of self-care in Barbie™’s quintessential pink hue, meant to be used and loved by everyone looking to reclaim the color as a symbol of empowerment, daring and being fearless.‘ - Lush UK. 

“Partnering with an icon like Barbie™ is truly a dream come true for Lush. Barbie™ continues to push boundaries and doesn’t let anyone underestimate her abilities. We imagined what Barbie™’s self-care routine would look like and created this range, meant to be used and loved by all. The collection is for everyone who wants to embrace the power of the color pink!” explained Melody Morton, Creative Concepts Director at Lush Cosmetics. 

Like the Lush X Asteroid City collaboration range, Lush have set up a pop up store on Beak Street in London that features everything pink for everyone to check out including this collaboration range and free pink drinks! If you have checked out the pop up then please do let me know your thoughts as I am unable to check it out due to not living near London. 

When I heard that Lush were collaborating with Mattel to create a Barbie range, I was ecstatic. Barbie has been a staple throughout my life and represents a lot to me. I know that may sound silly to some but as a kid, Barbie was a way for me to explore gender in a range of ways. Whether it was breaking down gender norms or just simply creating a world where anything could be possible, Barbie always made me happy. At the time, I may have been mocked for playing with what was considered at the time as a toy only for girls, if it wasn’t for Barbie I’m not sure if I would feel as comfortable in my own skin as a queer non-binary person in the North of England as I do. 

Bath:

Barbie Bath Bath Bomb 

It’s time to make your tub into a Pink wonderland! This bomb contains Sicilian Lemon Oil, Tonka Absolute, Coconut Cream, Coconut Milk Powder, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter and Ruby Cocoa Liquor. According to some, this bomb is meant to smell like the Strawberry Crumble Bubbleroon from Valentines Day but to me it does not. To me, it smells more of a mixture of Rose with a backnote of other floral notes with a touch of Strawberry to it. Inside the bomb, there is a heart shaped bath melt that contains a plethora of oils, cream and milk. I suffer from having dry skin so when I used this bomb and noticed that there was a surprise bath melt, I was amazed. The melt definitely nourished my skin! There is also a lot of glitter in this bomb which I adore but I do know that some don’t. I’d definitely grab this again and would love for the surprise melt to come back in another range! (I tried this in store and at home but the photos of the bath art featured in this post are from trying it as a demo at the Lush White Rose store). Priced at £6. 

Barbie Bubble Bubble Bar

Vroom, vroom! It’s time to drive some fun into the bath! This bubble bar contains Tonka Absolute, Almond Oil, Olibanum Resinoid, Champaca Absolute and Sweet Wild Orange Oil. Lush state that this has a new Sour Cherry scent but to me the scent of this bubble bar comes across more as creamy Cherry. I think due to the Tonka and Champaca, it creates more of a sweet creamy scent with a Cherry note. In the bath, the cherry does come out a lot more than sniffing it in store but it does remind me more of Cherry Sweets or Cherry Yoghurt more than Sour Cherry. I love the car shape of this bubble bar as it reminds me of my childhood! However, my main problem with this product is that it is so soft and crumbly that by the time I purchased it and brought it home, it had already snapped and crumbled in the bag which was a bit of a shame. If you know anyone who loves Barbie or acherry flavoured sweets such as the Cherry Maoam sweets that you purchase in the UK then I’d definitely suggest this product. Priced at £7.  

Soap: 

Barbie Boombox Soap 

Boom, boom, boom! It’s time to wash your hands! This soap contains Organic Soya Milk, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter,  Brazilian Orange and Bergamot Oils. Who doesn’t love a boombox shaped soap? It just screams kitsch and cute to me! When I heard about this soap I was expecting it to smell of Honey I’ve Washed The Kids due to ingredients but it actually smells more like the Rhubarb & Custard Soap to me which threw me off a bit. It does make sense though as I can see Barbie enjoying a Rhubarb & Cusrsd sweet or two. This soap is very softening due to the Soy Milk and Cocoa Butter! I’d definitely recommend this for anyone who is trying to encourage their children into washing their hands properly as I think the soap would help them and remind them of Barbie doing the same! Priced at £6

Barbie Handbag Soap 

Out of all three of the shapes soaps, I love the Bag design the most. I don’t know  it just reminds me of my childhood and Barbie the most. As a child, Barbie helped to define my identity and looking back on it now, Barbie and her handbag brought me a sense of gender euphoria. This soap is scented in the same scent as the Boombox Soap.  Priced at £6. 

Barbie Heel Soap 

This heel soap was made for washing! I think that this heel shaped soap would look beautiful in a soap dish! I’m sure it would look like your bathroom has turned into its own little Barbie closet! This soap shares the same scent as the other two soaps. I do get the point of the different designs but personally I do wish that the soaps were different scents that could’ve been marketed maybe as secret scents a little bit like the Question Block Bath Bombs from the Lush X Super Mario range. Priced at £6. 

Body: 

Barbie Dream Sugar Scrub 

Who doesn’t dream of having beautiful skin just like Barbie? This scrub contains Caster Sugar, Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Almond Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil  Lemon Myrtle, Persian Lime & Ylang Ylang Oils and Ruby Cocoa Liquor. This scrub seems to have a new formula compared to other Scrubs that are sold at Lush. This scrub seems to be a bit more squishy than the other ones. This may be due to the addition of Cocoa Butter & Coconut Oil. To anyone who hasn’t tried this scrub but is familiar with other products from Lush. Imagine a scrub like Ocean Salt or Orange mixed with the texture of a FUN. The scent reminds me of a sort of a zesty sweet with a touch of Banana. I don’t know why this is but it may be due to the Ylang Ylang which to my nose can give off a sort of fresh Banana scent sometimes. I know that sounds weird but it kind of works nicely! I guess if you’ve smelt Out Of This World from Lush then imagine that but with a bit of a sugary backnote to it. It’s definitely a scent that evokes memories of sweet shops in tbe Summer to me. I can definitely imagine Barbie using it. If you like a scrub that scrubs well but wished that it was a bit more softening to the skin or wished that scrubs from Lush like Scrubse came in more varieties then I would definitely recommend trying this scrub out! Prices start at £9 for a 135g tub 

Barbie Body Balm 

Even in the summer, we need to make sure that our skin stays super soft! If you are unsure on what a body balm from Lush is then imagine a lighter  Massage Bar from Lush.  This body balm contains Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Butter, Organic Shea Butter, Organic Jojoba Oil, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Ruby Cocoa Liquor, Sicilian Lemon Oil and Tonka Absolute. This heart shaped beauty is meant to smell like the Strawberry Crumble Bubbleroon and it does due to the Tonka mainly for me but I also get a sort of sweet chocolate note which may be from the addition of Ruby Cocoa Liquor which I think has been added for colour and a touch of luxury to the scent. Due to the butters and oils in this product  it is super nourishing on the skin. The oil that ends up on your skin from this balm sinks into tbe skin quite quickly and doesn’t leave that greasy feeling on the skin like other body products sometimes do. My only caution to everyone that purchases this product is to keep it in a cool dark place. It has been quite warm recently and if left unattended and exposed somewhere, this balm will melt quickly! We don’t want Barbie to be screaming “I’m melting!”, do we? If you know anyone who loves Chocolate coated strawberries and loves beauty then I would definitely recommend this Body Balm to them! Priced £10

Face: 

Barbie Jelly Jelly Mask

Barbie wishes that she was ready for this jelly! This face mask might be a blast from the past for some including myself! This face mask once upon a time was more commonly known at Lush as FOMO Jelly Face Mask. This face mask contains Calamine Powdwr, Kaolin, Neroli Oil and Rose Absolute. To me this has a weird hints of cucumber to it but I don’t mind it. I used to love this for when my face flared up from spots and redness as it used to work a treat and I’m glad to say that it still does. A reason why I loved the Jaly Masks and this Barbie Jwlly Mask is that they are great for travelling with and don’t require to be chilled like the fresh masks from Lush. In regards to texture, it’s a sort of form jellt. I’d say even firmer than the shower jellies from Lush.  If you can still grab it I’d definitely recommend you doing so as I hope that Lush roll these back out soon! Priced £10. 

Hair: 

Barbie Pink Shampoo 

Blondes have fun but what about Pinks? It’s time to turn into a BarbiePink Babe! 

This shampoo contains Marshmallow Root , Fresh Strawberry Juice, Lemon Juice, Beetroot Juice, Persian Lime Oil, Camellia Oil and Synthetic Musk. Yes this is Snow Fairy scented so if you’ve been yearning for a Snow Fairy liquid Shampoo since forever then I’d recommend that you grab this whilst you can! To me though, the scent is more a snow Fairy mixed with Toffee which you’d expect to be super sweet but weirdly the toffee cuts through that SF sweetness a little bit which I quite like. If you have bleached hair then please do be careful with this product as the beetroot juice can stain the hair. For this reason also it can be left on the hair for 20+ minutes to create a  more lasting Barbie inspired tint to the hair. Definitely one for those who just want to be living in their own little pink Snow Fairy world! For me, my hair is on the very dry side so I have to be a little bit cautious with haircare. Priced at £9 for a 100g bottle. 

Fragrance 

Barbie X Lush Perfume 

Wonder what Barbie smells like? Well no more because you can finally smell like Barbie or what Barbie wishes she smelled like! This perfume contains Almond Essential Oil, Champaca Absolute, Tonka Absolute, Olibanum Resinoid and Sweet Wild Orange Oil. I sprayed this in store and sadly I was a bit disappointed. I heard that it was meant to be Sour Cherry but to me it is very much more Cherry sweets or Cherry Yoghurt. A creamy base with a flicker of fruitiness that includes cherries and other berries. The cherry aspect flashed off my skin as soon as the perfume dried down which was a shame. I think on some the cherry will come out more but for me sadly it just didn’t hit the spot. I’d definitely recommend trying it at a Lush store and letting me know your thoughts though! Priced at £35 for 30ml. 

Have you checked out the range? Let me know! 

Thanks to the wonderful staff at Lush White Rose for looking after us and helping us to check out the range. 

Thanks for readings! 

Jamie x

BARBIE™ and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and used under license from, Mattel. ©2023 Mattel.

The Body Shop Christmas 2022 Launch Event At York Coppergate & Range First Impressions

 Hey everyone!  

Welcome to a brand new blog post. I was kindly invited alongside Luke to attend the launch event of The Body Shop Christmas Range at the York Coppergate store and I thought that today I would talk to you all about it. 

We started the event by finding the store. Now because my brain is a mess, I completely forgot where the store was but after a while, myself and Luke managed to find it.  

We entered the superb store and was greeted by the wonderful staff at The Body Shop York Coppergate and started chatting. I grabbed a glass of Apple Juice and a Mince Pie because well is there any other way to get into the festive spirit? 

After this, the wonderful staff started to tell us both all about the two new ranges such as that the Spiced Orange range contains community fair trade organic Aloe Vera from Mexico. Whilst the staff were telling us all about the ranges, we were given the correlating products to try. 

When I tried some of the Spiced Orange Body Butter, the first note that I got from the scent was deep spices. I am glad about this as I saw that the notes were Orange, Spices and Vanilla which made me think that the Vanilla would be in your face but this definitely wasn’t the case when I sniffed it. The few spices that I’d say that are the centre of this scent are Cinnamon and Ginger which helps to create a sort of resinous sort of scent. These also help to cut through the Orange for me and stop it from being too similar to the Satsuma range that everyone knows and loves. I have smelt similar scents from other brands and they seem to have a sort of sick scented note to them for some reason. I am glad that the Spiced Orange range from The Body Shop doesn’t have this note to it. 

My favourite products in the Spiced Orange range have to be the Shower Gel and Body Butter. I do love the idea of a bath bomb but I seem to notice that with The Body Shop, different products in the same range smell slightly different due to things such as additional oils and butters. I just love a Body Butter and the spices seem to come through quite a bit in it and I love a Shower Gel that I can put in the bathroom and use all the time on those cold Winter mornings. 

After we tried the products briefly, the staff then started to discuss the Wild Pine range. 

Wild Pine comes in a plethora of products to suit everyones needs this festive season. Whether this be a Shower Gel for those who want a quick wash, a bath bomb fror those who want to relax in the scent and a oil to cream body product for those who that want to feel nourished from the outside in. 

Again, I was slightly hesitant when I heard that TBS were coming out with a Wild Pine range for Christmas as when I think of Pine I instantly think of those little tree shaped car air fresheners. That’s why I was so surprised when I finally smelt the range as it smelt completely different from those little car air fresheners. 

To me, the Wild Pine range smelt very fresh and watery., I guess if I was to sum the scent up, id say that its the scent of a frozen lake in the middle of Winter that’s surrounded by a cluster of Pine Trees . Whereas Spiced Orange is warm with a touch of citrus, Wild Pine is cool with a touch of freshness. I think my favourite product of this range was the Body Butter. 

After we had smelt and tried out both ranges, the lovely staff went through all of the advent calendars that The Body Shop have on offer this year. This year, TBS have three different advent calendars ranging in prices to suit everyones. Box Of Wishes is priced at £55 and contains a plethora of travel sized goodies for the face and body such as the Vitamin E Quench Sheet Mask 15ml and Almond Milk Shower Cream 60ml  , Box Of Wonders is priced at £95 and contains a mixture of goodies such as the Vitamin C Glow Sheet Mask 18ml and Avocado Body Scrub 50ml and Box Of Wishes and Wonders Ultimate Advent Calendar is priced at £145 which contains a handful of full sized products such as Himalayan Charcoal Skin Clarifying Night Peel 30ml, Edelweiss Liquid Peel 100ml and Boost Exfoliating Hand Wash 250ml. 

After this, we chatted for a bit, grabbed more drinks and food, grabbed some photos and made our way round the wonderful store sniffing everything that we could find. We checked out the new Edelweiss range which helps the skin to feel strong and youthful and works on the skin just like how Retinol does, the well loved Vitamin C range which now has a few new products such as the Vitamin C Glow Revealing Serum 30ml and the Tea Tree range. 

We then carried on and looked at the revamped fragrances that The Body Shop have launched in the past few months. I was actually looking for a birthday present for Abbey and I know that she loves anything Rose so I decided to pick her up the Rebel Rosebud Body Mist 100ml which I smelt whilst I was in store and loved myself. Luke said that the scent reminded him of Riosé Wine… 

Following on from this, we checked out the Hair section. I love their Ginger range and saw that they had released a new product within the range. Ginger Hair and Scalp Scrub 240ml is perfect for dry, flaky and sensitive scalps and leaves hair feeling moisturised and brand new. I was intrigued by this as well that screams my hair type and I love anything that is Ginger scented. Now that I’m typing this up, I kind of wish that I had asked if I could get a sample of it or something to try out especially with suffering from trichotillomaina which can leave my hair feeling dry, irritated and everything in-between. The other new product that was in the corner of my eye was the Jamaican Black Castor Oil Leave-In Conditioner 400ml which curly and coily hair. I actually had a quick look and realised that this was a completely brand new hair range for TBS. I didn’t try it in store but I did smell it and it smelt divine. 

The final range that Luke and I had a look at was the Wellness range. The Wellness range comprises of three sub-ranges. Boost, Breathe and Sleep. 

Boost contains Grapefruit and Bergamot Essential Oils and helps to well boost yourself when you need it with all it’s zesty and uplifting oils and scent. I did like this scent but I did think that it could do with being a little bit stronger for my liking as I like my zesty scents to pretty much punch me in the face. My favourite Boost product from sniffing them all in the store is the Boost Happy Hand Cream 30ml. I am forever in need of hand creams due to biting my fingers quite a bit due to my Anxiety getting quite intense from time to time. 

The Breathe range contains Rosemary and Eucalyptus Oils to help you well breathe when you need to just take a moment out of a busy day or life and just give yourself a few moments to breathe and ground yourself or for when you have a cold and are having trouble breathing. I love this scent. It has took me a while to get used to as I sometimes relate Eucalyptus to Pub Toilets for some peculiar reason but I really like it. The Eucalyptus isn’t too strong and the Rosemary gives off a good amount of its resinous scent. My favourite product from this range is the Breathe Calm Balm as it helps me to relax and is travel friendly which is perfect for someone on the go like myself. 

The Sleep range is for those who have trouble sleeping and contains Lavender and Vetiver Essential Oils. I quite like how the Vetiver adds depth and cuts through some of the Lavender to ensure that it isn’t too cloying. My favourite product from this range is the Sleep Calming Pillow Mist 100ml as it is travel friendly and I can spray it on my pillow and sheets when I need a little bit of help to get to sleep. 

We finished looking around and a wild Michelle appeared to help us get back to the train station and get home. She sniffed some of the products and loved the Spiced Orange range. We said our goodbyes, grabbed our products and goodie bags and headed for the station. 

Have you tried either of the new ranges? Let me know down below. 

Thanks to the staff at the York Coppergate branch for inviting me along to the event and for being amazing. 

Thanks for reading! 

Jamie x

This blog post was in return for an invite to an event. All views are my own. 

Krispy Kreme UK Vegan Doughnuts Review

Hey everyone!

Welcome to a brand new blog post! I recently tried the three new Vegan Doughnuts from Krispy Kreme UK and I thought that I would talk about them to you all today.




Apple Custard Crumble

‘A classic apple and custard vegan filled doughnut which is topped with icing & a cinnamon crumble crumb.’ - Krispy Kreme UK.

So the texture of this doughnut was a bit tough compared to the other two vegan doughnuts which I was a bit unsure about. It seemed soft but sort of stale around the edges? It was a bit weird. The texture of the rest of doughnut was sublime otherwise. The interior was slightly chunky but smooth at the same time due to the mixture of the apple and custard which I adored and the crunchy crumble on the top contrasted beautifully with this instantly making me fall in love with this doughnut!

The taste of this doughnut was delightful! When I took a bite, the first flavour profile that hit my tongue was a sweet vanilla taste from the dough. Once this taste had dissipated, the next flavour that hit my palette was the slightly tart but fresh apple flavour. I love a good tart apple flavour in a sweet dish as this contrasts against all of the sweetness normally and stops the sweet dish (in this case the doughnut) from being sickly. The vanilla from the custard blended into the apple flavour and normally I’m a bit iffy about custard and fruit flavours mixed together but I really loved this one. Once this combination had left my tongue, the last flavour to hit the inside of my mouth was the cinnamon crumble. Now, if you know me well then you will know that I absolutely love cinnamon. The level of cinnamon in this doughnut was quite subdue though which would enable people who aren’t friends of cinnamon to enjoy the doughnut but me being me I would have loved a bit more cinnamon here.

Fudge Brownie Bliss

‘Indulge in our delicious Belgian chocolate filled doughnut, topped with chocolate icing, dark chocolate drizzle & crunchy brownie pieces. ‘ - Krispy Kreme UK.

This doughnut was similar texture to the one above but the brownie decorations actually added a bit of texture to this doughnut. The decoration added a much needed crunch to this product which I really enjoyed.

The main flavour that I got from this doughnut was chocolate. I know that this sounds severely obvious but the level of chocolate throughout eating this product was varied which I really liked. The doughnut had a slightly sweeter flavour to it which when contrasted against the slightly more molten dark chocolate filling made for a more three dimensional tasting experience compared to other chocolate baked products that I’ve had before which have ended up being really bland and one dimensional.

Caramel Choc Delight

‘Made fresh, delicious and vegan friendly doughnut. With a double filling of creamy caramel and Belgian chocolate, topped with caramel icing & dark chocolate.’ - Krispy Kreme UK.

Honestly the texture of this was quite one note. It was soft which doughnut: should be but that was about it.

The taste was questionable for me. The first flavour that jumped onto my tongue was the vanilla from the dough and then it all got a little bit confusing.

Even though there was chocolate and caramel in the middle, neither of these flavours jumped onto my tongue. The main flavour that I got from the interior of this doughnuts was pretty much just sugar. I did get a bit more of a chocolate note from the topping of the doughnut but again the one dimensional sugar flavour overwhelmed any other flavour that was in or on this doughnut. Honestly, I’d say try this flavour but In my opinion the two flavours mentioned above were ten times better.

Would I buy them again? The first two definitely. I think I would even get a dozen of just the apple flavour which is rare for me to say. All three are definitely worth a try though! Thank goodness for brands releasing vegan items that my lactose intolerant stomach can handle.

Have you tried these? Have you tried any amazing Vegan products lately?

Check out Krispy Kreme UK.

Thanks for reading!

Jamie x