The Body Shop Vanilla Pumpkin Range | Review

The Body Shop is one of those brands that I don't give enough credit too, probably because I buy most of my bath/skincare in Lush, but recently I've been trying out some of their products and realized how amazing quality they are. I also love the ethics of the shop, and being vegetarian, it means I can happily buy all their products. If you're anything like me and love the Halloween festive time of year and all it's Pumpkin and spooky glory then you will love the Body Shop's Vanilla Pumpkin range. 

When I saw other bloggers posting about this range I loved the sound of it straight away, although I didn't pick it up right away I wasn't disappointed when I finally went in store to pick some up. If you love picking up a Pumpkin Spice Latte from Starbucks and love the scent then you will love these. Obviously it smells of vanilla and pumpkin, yet it's not overwhelmingly strong, it has the perfect combination of sweet and spice, also reminds me slightly of coffee.

The first product that I tried was the Vanilla Pumpkin shower gel, and I'm a huge fan of Body Shop shower gels. I find that they lather up amazingly and you don't have to use much product for it to take effect. It fills the shower with a warm sweet scent, I might have to buy another one in case it's just a seasonal product, does anyone know?

The second product is the Vanilla Pumpkin Hand Cream, and I'm actually not one for hand creams but if it makes your hands smell as wonderful as this does I'm all for it. It has a smooth and creamy texture that isn't sticky and absorbs quickly. It makes you feel like everything you touch is instantly more Autumnal.

Has anyone else tried these products? What do you think?

Pamper Night and Self Care Ideas

If you're anything like me, this time of year is a time where you want to feel cosy all the time. With the cold weather and the intensity of college life, self care is very important. I'll admit I'm not the best at it but I do love a good pamper night now and then to look after myself and de-stress. I thought I'd share some of my favourite things to do on a pamper night.

 (Some of my favourite pamper and relaxing things at the moment.)

Bath
My number one thing to do when I have some time to myself is to run a bath. My favourite kind being a Lush bath, I normally add my favorite bubble bar and bath bomb to relax. For extra relaxation is to add candles and your favouite hot drink, which is perfect for Autumn.

Netflix
Another thing I do either after a bath or even just before bed is to put something on on Netflix and just chill and watch something good. I'm still watching my fave Gilmore Girls at the moment, and also starting to watch Riverdale again.

Mindfulness
A thing that is often looked over on pamper nights is to take time to think about your feelings and give your mind some rest. A perfect way to do this is to try to meditate or do some yoga, which is personally my favourite, it's good for your body and your mind. It leaves you with a clearer mind and more relaxeed body

Body Love
Looking after your body and your hair and skin is something that I think is very important. It goes without saying that usually when you feel like you look your best, you feel your best, well that's what happens with me anyway. So when I have time to pamper myself I take the time to look after my skin, hair and nails. I apply my favourite moisturizers for my skin to revive itself and take in all the nutrients it needs as a pick me up, especially in winter. I also find that putting a fresh coat of nail varnish on is another simple way to look after yourself, as I always pick chipped nail varnish. I also think a face-mask is perfect when your have extra time to treat your skin, Lush is very preferable.

Another thing that I think sometimes you forget is part of a pamper routine is to look after your hair, especially maintaining your hair colour, if your like me and have your dark roots always making an appearance. I recently learned about eSalon and their customised hair colour, which you can check out here. What I love about this is that it's customised and personalised to your hair colour and history, which means your hair will be looking its best. Also for October for Breast Cancer Awareness month, they have created a #SpreadHope campaign with Cancer Care where every purchase made goes to help someone affected by cancer, which is amazing. You can also check this out here. They've also constructed their own list of pamper night ideas that I totally agree with, and basically follow anyway.

Books
Being an English student, I obviously love to read, but I often find that reading before bed is also a great way to wind down and escape the real world. The one I have started recently is All That She Can See by Carrie Hope Fletcher, pictured above. It's also great to put on your coziest PJ's and wrapping yourself up in piles of blankets.

What do you think of my pamper night ideas? What else do you do to pamper yourself?