TOP WAYS TO DE-STRESS: TREAT YO' SELF - BATH BOMB, FACE MASK, CANDLE & 80's TUNES

As someone who experiences more frequent anxiety, and higher doses of adrenaline than the average person it is extremely important for me to find good ways to relax. It is always beneficial to release those feel good endorphins to say goodbye to stress! So I'm hoping to share with you all, over the next month or so, ways that I de-stress and help tame my anxiety.

First is up is a deep hot bath complete with a bath bomb. I tell you, it feels great to just shut your eyes and lounge in the bath and feel your worries drift away for a half an hour. Although there are many great brands of bubble bath, and good smelling bath salts, for me there is nothing that compares to a fabulous smelling lush bath bomb/bubble bar/bath melt. Ever since I discovered that lush didn't irritate my eczema prone skin a few years ago it has been a divine but very expensive love story. There are so many lush products that I would recommend to friends and the Northern Lights bath bomb is no exception! It smells quite exotic with aromas of jasmine and ylang ylang, and the colour display when dissolving is beautiful. However, it was a limited edition bath bomb released around Halloween (I will definitely be stocking up this year come October).

There is no better way to compliment a bath than with a face and/or hair mask. Most recently, I opted for tying my hair up in a bun and letting The Body Shop's Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask do it's work. In comparison to other clay masks I have tried in the past this particular one does not create dry patches on my face the next day. I have had an awful time trying to find a clay mask that cleanses the skin of any dirt and impurities without having a mass of raw skin or eczema on my face, but as long as I don't extend the time of the seaweed face mask past 10 mins I have found it to be fine. Finally a mask that my skin agrees with! My skin also feels so clean and smooth for a day or two after using it.

Other ways to make your bath super awesome is by lighting your favourite candle (mine is Yankee Candle's cherry blossom scent) and playing some upbeat music. I tend to go for the 80s radio station on spotify the last few times I have had a bath. Cue me singing dramatically in the bath tub! 

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Ooohh! Ohh!

JUST ANOTHER NAKED PALETTE REVIEW | NAKED MAKE-UP LOOKS

If you love beauty products and have never heard of the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay I do not know where you have been for the last few years! They are super popular and well-loved,  and for a good reason - each palette has 12 neutral options for your eyes and are high quality shadows.  I know that some people have complained about fall out but I believe that this can be a common thing for shimmery eyeshadows, or is that just me? It is nothing that a primer for your face or eyes can't fix anyhow (which is probably how Urban Decay do so well selling their primer potions). In essence they are pricey at £38.00 but worth the hype, as the palettes last for a long time which is perfect for everyday use. They also come with a handy primer potion sample!

I already own the Naked 2 palette, and LOVE IT. So when I decided to invest in some warm-toned neutrals I knew the original palette would be a good shout. There are 2 matte & 10 shimmer shades in the original Naked palette and which give many options for different make up looks. I tried out 4 below to show you all. The biggest downside so far is that I have found that the packaging gets grubby very easily due to the suede material. It does looks sleek inside, but I think I prefer the metal tin in the other palettes as the clip mechanism opposed to magnetic makes it more secure. 

Shade Lowdown

Shade 1 is called Virgin and is a frosty shimmery nude, a perfect shade on the pinky side for highlighting. The next is called Sin (which I believe is available from the UD range). This is champagne pink which I think would look gorgeous with a summery outfit. Naked is a matte light brown, and Sidecar is a lovely shimmery medium bronze colour. Shade 5 Buck is your everyday matte mid brown, which would be great for a grungey look! Half-Baked is a colour that is also in the Naked 2 palette, which is a beautiful golden colour. Smog is a darker golden colour better suited for a contrast with a lighter colour. I think know if this is just me, but I see Darkhorse as a brown with a khaki hue? Anyway the speckles of gold make this shade absolutely gorgeous. Toasted is one of my favourite shades from the palette on the swatches above, it is a kind of brown/bronze colour with hints of pink. It is really pretty to look at! Then there is Hustle, a chocolate brown that shimmers. Absolutely lovely. Then there are two colours for a night out look Creep (shimmery black) and Gunmetal (blue grey metallic). My favourite thing about the Naked palettes is the versatility, most of the shade mix and match so well together so the looks you can create is plentiful.

Make-up Looks

1. Naked (contour/crease & lower lashline), Buck &amp (lid); Hustle (upper lashline)

2. Half-baked (lid & inner corner to crease), Smog (crease/contour & lower lashline), Darkhorse (outer V)

3. Creep (outer V), Gunmetal &amp (lid & crease/contour ); Virgin (inner corner to crease & highlight brow bone)

4. Sin (highlight brow bone & lid), Sidecar (crease/contour), Toasted (outer V)              

1.2. 

3. 4.

Hope y'all liked reading today's post and feel free to leave a comment or follow me on my social media accounts! 

PET SHOP

If any of you guys follow me on social media (e.g. Instagram @ladyellumina ) then you will definitely know that I am a Cat Lady! I'm the proud mum of two furry cuties called Sayuri and Haku, and volunteer at my local cat shelter in my free time. Sayuri is primarily my baby, and Haku Sam's, but since we live together and have known the each of the cats since they little kittens I consider them both of them my furchildren. For those that don't know, Sayuri is the fluffy birman above, and Haku is the tan tabby and white moggy. Haku is a handsome boy but a pain to try and get a photo of as he jumps about like a ninja! Sayuri on the other hand is a right floozy and will roll about in front of a camera. I tend to shop online for pet food, as I can buy quality food at bargain prices and it is convenient for me to order up at set times of the month.

I received my sample box from PetShop.co.uk* for the kitties to try out, and I was very impressed with speed of delivery. I believe it was the same day that I was notified of the dispatch. The products were well covered in a very large cardboard box and when I opened it up (with the help of Haku & Sayuri) I saw that they were placed in shredded cardboard, which the cats then had a whale of a time with! They literally played with the box for an hour, and then during that night too which was when I realised that the box had to go. Sorry guys but momma needs her beauty sleep!

The Whiskas Dentabites were a straight off hit with the cats, as they have had them before but in different packaging. They are really good for their dental health as it helps to clean up the tartar on their teeth & goodbye smelly cat breath! Essential for Haku whom loves to clean his daddy's beard in the morning..

The Nature's Menu Cat Food was a miss for the kitties, as they are fussy with meat they are given. I take full responsibility for this, as Sayuri came to me from her breeder raised on chicken breast and cat biscuits as her first experience of solid food. I continued this as she got older giving her chicken breast from brands such as Applaws or Encore, as I felt the usual Whickas or Felix cat food does not have good cuts of meats. Of course there is nothing wrong with it, my mum personally gives her cats predominately Felix as good as it looks, or doubly delicious, but I think ours enjoy the chicken breast and rice as well as it having a better protein content in the meal. Although the cat food in the sample box has chicken breast in it, they weren't fussed on the jelly!

Finally the Canagan Cat Food were a hit with the cats - although Haku scoffed too many biscuits on his first try and ended up throwing up. I wasn't overly worried as this is a common thing for Haku when it comes to rich food when he overindulges. Once he worked out to eat a little at a time everything was fine, and I think both of them preferred it to their usual dry food option. The biggest reason I always go back to buying the Royal Canin long haired indoor dry food is that it benefits Sayuri massively - with her long-haired coat she needs part of her diet to reduce hairballs. I notice the difference when I switched her to other food and the Royal Canin seems to be the best at helping her with it.

So for any other Crazy Pet Ladies or Gents looking to buy Online Pet Food I do recommend giving PetShop.co.uk a bash, they have lots of options and deliver their products very quickly. After all, your furry babies always deserve to be treated!

THE SPRING SCENT | JAPANESE CHERRY BLOSSOM

Japanese Cherry Blossom | Eau De Toilette | Fragrance Mist | Body Butter

Sometimes as a Spring approaches a lot of us girls like to mix up our perfumes, to something lighter and fruity or floral. This is my affordable pick of the bunch. As you can see I currently have the perfume, the fragrance mist, and the body butter. Nope this is not a sponsored post - I just really love the Body Shop's Japanese Cherry Blossom range!

For me this is the perfect spring scent - it is delicate, floral and fruity, and said to be inspired by a spring day in Kyoto. For those that don't know, I love Cherry Blossom trees I think they are wonderfully pretty and there is a set of blossom trees round the corner from my parents house which bloom and fall around my Birthday with masses of petal confetti on the pavement. Therefore, the smell and the flowers have a special place in my heart. Anyway, this collection is a fragrance delight.

Eau de Toilette This is the heaviest smelling in the bunch. I tend to spray the perfume on my neck and compliment it with the fragrance mist on my clothes. The mist is light and refreshing, and is a superb match to the perfume. Together, the scent lasts for around 6 hours before fading away so if you are looking for a long-lasting perfume then these might not be for you. Finally, the body butter is a lovely thick moisturiser which is fab to put after a shower or bath. It leaves the skin super soft and smelling great.

For those wanting to try out products from the 'Voyage' collection - I highly recommend the Japanese Cherry Blossom rang. It is a divine way to start the Spring.

GIRL POWER

The word 'feminist' is for everyone. It has developed bad connotations over the years as man-hating. When in fact if you believe in gender equality, then you are a feminist. Equal pay, equal rights and equal social standing. Feminism helps raise awareness of struggles that both genders experience in our society. Whether that be telling someone they do something 'like a girl' to offend, or telling men that they cannot be sensitive to 'man up', these are issues that effect everyone. Standing up for a women's right not to be scared of walking home at night, to the right to be ambitious as we like (without being called a list of names such as 'bitch') is very important. Don't be afraid to say you are a feminist. I know I am.

Today I hope women everywhere are supporting each other to celebrate our womanhood and embrace it in all it's glory. I hope we learn to stop slut-shaming and tearing each other down, and realise that we can do anything we put our mind to!  Let's try and be the best versions of ourselves and love your best gals who inspire you to be better.

ps. Is anyone else counting down the days to Games of Thrones where we can appreciate numerous strong, beautiful women?

PHOENIX RISING | CHOUCHOU COUTURE

Hello everybody, it feels so great to be back in action on Lady Ellumina! I'm sorry to any of my regular followers for the lack of posting lately. Long story short I didn't manage to schedule my posts in advance for when the bulk of my university coursework deadlines were, and with my anxiety I decided that I had to prioritise, and take a short break from blogging until a lot of my work was done. Before the break I was started to struggle with blogging inspiration, but now I am feeling re-energised and already have a few ideas for the next couple of weeks! I'm SO happy to be writing again.

At the start of the New Year I decided that I would try my best to try and shop local. When looking through websites from various Scottish designers I came across Chouchou and her hoods. I instantly began lusting after this fabulous garments, just perfected for the Scottish weather. I have owned this beautiful hood for 5 weeks now, and let me tell you it is super cosy, and warm. It has been perfect for the snowy weather that just won't quit up here in Scotland. The designer and owner of Chouchou is the gorgeous and kind Silvia Pellegrino. She is a pleasure to do business with. She shortened the Hollyhood Phoenix by 10 cm as I'm kind of small, and sent the hood in the prettiest of packaging, as well as a cheeky discount during the New Year Sample Sale. The hood itself is the finest quality and so pretty. I will treasure this hood for years to come.

Today I styled the hood with a simple, chic blouse from Topshop and Joni jeans, threw on a trusty leather jacket and my new True Religion wedged trainers with yesterdays curls. Yep these shoes are a love 'em or hate 'em kind of shoe, and once I tried them on I decided I definitely like them. Accessories included my the Rogue + the Wolf rings and choker. Finally to set off the gold flecks in the outer material of the hood I used my original Naked palette. I'm calling this make-up look with the hood 'Phoenix Rising' as I took inspiration from the golden feathers of a phoenix rising out the flames. Maybe, I should dye my hair red next and embrace the fiery look, it is no secret that I miss having 'tequila sunrise hair'.

With a stand-out style and cosy luxury this is is an amazing investment piece. It is made with a shimmering polyester lurex outer, a soft faux sheepskin inner with a faux fur trim. I pop on this hood and feel instantly kick-ass. Do you shop local?