Get A Good Night's Sleep With LUSH

Sleep and I have a somewhat... tumultuous relationship. 
Don't get me wrong, I bloody love sleeping. Being Comfortable, Cosy and Cocooned are the three C's that I like to live by, it's just that, well, sleeping doesn't really love me back.
I'm not one of those freakishly simple folk that can snap into the land of nod the minute their heads touch the pillow - i.e. my husband. According to my brain, bed time is for contemplating the meaning of life and Googling the origin of the word orange. Is an orange called an orange because it's orange, or is orange called orange because of oranges?
Confused?
So am I.
To give myself a little helping hand shove in the right direction, I've been incorporating some of LUSH's Bed Time Essentials into my night-time routine. 

Twilight Body Spray - I was so flippin' excited when I saw that LUSH had released body sprays in their signature bath bomb scents. The Twilight Body Spray has notes of lavender, ylang-ylang and tonka to aid in a restful night's sleep. It can be used on the body or on clothes and bedding - a word of warning though, the lightest spritz is all you need because this stuff is stronger than my spending record on ASOS. Trust me, I speak from experience when I say that dousing yourself is not a good idea; although kudos to LUSH for delivering such an intense, long-lasting scent. I really love a light spray of this on my bed sheets in the evening.
LUSH have released a bunch of other Body Spray scents too, so there really is something for everyone. You know I'm going to buy Rose Jam already. 
Twilight Bath Bomb - A relaxing LUSH bath is the perfect way to wind down for the night. The Twilight bath bomb is the OG, baby momma of the Twilight Body Spray and carries the same sweet lavender scent. It's a slow fizzer that kicks out streams of frothy pink, white and blue to give you a calming, soothing soak in the tub with swirls of purple bath water. 
Sleepy Body Lotion - I love LUSH skincare and this body lotion is no exception. Made with oatmeal infusion, calming lavender flower, sweet tonka and Fair Trade cocoa butter, this is the perfect moisturiser to pop on just before you climb into bed. The lotion sinks into the skin with ease and feels really nourishing. The scent also lingers on the skin afterwards, but it isn't overpowering or distracting in the slightest. I highly recommend. 
Do you have difficulty in falling asleep and/or do you have any products that you like to use to help you get a good night's rest? Leave me your thoughts in the comments section below. 

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me for review, however all words and opinions are my own. 

The Ruffle Dress

I know, I know. It's technically Autumn, although really it isn't but everyone seems to think it is because it's September and a couple of leaves have fallen on the ground. 
I mean, I'm not judging. I may have lit one of my autumnal Bath and Body Works candles the other day and felt pretty darn smug about it. 
Anyway, regardless of the fact that Summer is almost over, and I should probably be steering away from blue and white stripes seeing as they practically dominated my wardrobe this year, I went out and snapped up this absolute dreamboat of a dress from Pretty Little Thing.

Outfit Details: Aaliyah Pinstripe Frill Dress - Pretty Little Thing // Pom Pom Beach Bag - Forever21

I have mixed feelings about Pretty Little Thing, I mean, some of their stuff is pretty... aherm... awful. I'll be honest. If you ever catch me wearing mustard velour leggings or anything mesh over my arse cheeks, you're free to CTRL ALT DELETE me from your life. 
But then they go and drop an absolute gem like this dress right here and all is forgiven. 
I love the fact that the hem line has a faux wrap dress look. FYI, I hate wrap dresses. I'm not entirely blessed in the boobage department but I've yet to find a wrap dress that hasn't tried to expose my knockers at one point or another. Anyway, the wrap-style ruffles are an absolute win. As is the fact that the waist tie nips you in and the ruffles on the sleeves make me want to shimmy shoulder my way around Dubai. 

In fact, I loved this dress so much, I also bought it in black. LOL. I'm not even going to try and make excuses because as daft as it may seem, I'm not even the slightest bit sorry. 
Both dresses were a 'whopping' £28 each which is an absolute b.a.r.g.a.i.n. They come in a multitude of colours and patterns - yes, I'm contemplating the red, and for any Dubai-based peeps that may be reading, the shipping fees were extremely reasonable and delivery was speedy and hassle-free. 
Boom. Drops mic. 

Brand Focus: NO7 From Boots

I blummin' love Boots. I mean, come on, who doesn't?
If there's ever a place where I truly feel I'm living my best life, it's wandering the makeup aisles in my local Boots store. 
If you're my husband, you're probably rolling your eyes right about now. 

Up until now, I've never really had much experience with No7 makeup, Boots' own brand of cosmetics. I have been using their Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum and Eye Cream for the longest time and they're absolute staples in my skincare routine, but bar an odd few purchases here and there, I've typically overlooked their makeup section. I'm not even really sure why. I'm guessing it's maybe down to the fact that I've always felt like the brand caters to a more mature audience or that besides their skincare, their makeup isn't talked about as much as other, more well-known brands. Either way, when the guys at Boots reached out to me to try out their latest range of eye products, I jumped at the chance to get to learn a little bit more about their cosmetics range. 

Left - Rose Golds, Top - Sugar Plum, Bottom - Emerald Stones

No7 Stay Perfect Trio Eye Shadow Palette:
Rose Golds - This set contains three warm, neutral shimmers. There's a champagne beige shade, a rosy brown/pink that has a pink sheen when it catches the light and a pale baby pink with gold shimmer. All three shades swatch beautifully; however, on the eye for me, they're too similar and not dark enough on my current skin tone to be used all together to create an eye makeup look. I find these work best when complimenting other shadows as highlighting shades or toppers to intensify a cream base shadow. Nonetheless, they're all very pretty colours. 

Sugar Plum - This set contains three cool-toned shimmer eye shadows. There's a silver/grey granite shade, an incredibly beautiful, deep mauve and an intense off white with a gold sheen to it. I'm not usually one for cool-toned eye shadows, but the purple, mauve shade is gorgeous and the cream gold shimmer is very smooth, which makes it uhhmazing as a brow bone highlight. 

Emerald Stones - This is probably my favourite set out of the three featured here. It includes three green-based shimmers. There's a lighter, almost turquoise green shade that has a very subtle gold sheen to it, a very deep, forest green and a very light sage green which comes across more grey/silver. Out of all three eye kits, this is the one that I feel has the most complimentary shades for creating a complete eye makeup look. 

As can sometimes be the case with shimmer shadows, I find these work best applied onto the lids with a flat, synthetic brush. I very rarely wear anything other than matte shadows in my crease so for me, I feel it would have been nice for these kits to have included at least one matte shadow. That being said, these shadows are still a really great way to try something a little different or to add a couple of new shades into your makeup collection without splurging on a larger palette. They also come in a whole range of colour ways.  

No7 Stay Perfect Eye Shadow Primer -  I find products like this aren't all that exciting to talk about, they're more of a necessary evil if you're wanting to ensure your eye makeup stays put for as long as possible. This primer does what it says on the tin. Fresh out of the squeezy tube, it's a creamy beige shade that blends out to give a very subtle brightening effect. I found that eye shadows applied evenly over this and lasted well throughout the day. I prefer to apply this using my fingers as I just find it to be the easiest and most convenient. 
No7 Lash Impact Ultra and Waterproof Mascara - Firstly, lets just get how flippin' amazing the packaging is, out of the way! Yes, if you're a bit of a magpie like me, you'll love how sparkly these mascara tubes are. Despite being sent both of these, I actually already owned the Lash Impact Ultra Mascara and have been enjoying using it on more minimal makeup days. As for both of these mascaras, I feel that they definitely cater towards those who prefer more natural-looking lashes. I love how the brush seems to catch every lash and makes them appear really fluffy. For added volume and drama, I like to go over the top with a thickening mascara, because I'm extra, but for me, these both make a great base mascara. The Waterproof Mascara has also been my go-to for my bottom lashes. I always like to use a waterproof mascara for my lower lashes because I find they're less likely to smudge throughout the day. #SayNoToPandaEyes  What I will say though is that the formula for both of these mascaras is a little on the drier side so that's something to bear in mind if you like a really wet formula. 
What are your thoughts on this range of products from NO7? Are there any Boots NO7 products that you love and swear by? I'd love to hear your suggestions as I'm keen to try more from the brand. Make sure to leave me your thoughts below. 

Disclaimer: These products were sent to me for review, however, all words and opinions are my own. 

Luxury VOESH Manicure and Pedicure - Rossano Ferretti Spa, Dubai

Celebrity hairstylist, Rossano Ferretti, made waves when he opened his luxury hair spa in Dubai earlier this year. With an Instagram feed full of happy customers and another salon on the way in Abu Dhabi, it's safe to say I was more than a little excited when I received word that the brand had branched out into the world of beauty.
A couple of weeks ago, I was very kindly invited down to Rossano Ferretti's Dubai-based salon in Jumeirah to take a look around and try out their new, signature anti-aging, VOESH manicure and pedicure. 

Hot off the streets of New York, VOESH's multi-tasking, single-use collagen gloves and socks offer a modern twist on the traditional mani/pedi. The gloves and socks are enriched with shea butter and a collagen-rich emulsion that helps to fight the first signs of aging as well as deeply hydrate and moisturise the skin. 
The glove's removable fingertips allows the mask to be worn whilst your manicure is being carried out, thus prolonging the amount of time the product has to sink into the skin and work its magic - the same applies to the socks. 
The minute you step through Rossano Ferretti's front door, you get the feeling you're in good hands. 
The staff were immediately welcoming, offering me a refreshing beverage whilst showing me around and making me feel comfortable. We chatted about the history behind the salon and I managed to grab a few sneaky shots of the spa's many different treatment rooms. 

Waiting area

The whole place oozes style and sophistication. The decor is sleek and modern - think a mixture of black and white marble, dark woods and rich leather furnishings. It's clear from the moment you arrive that the emphasis is on 5-star relaxation. There's even a swanky VIP treatment area if you're looking for the ultimate salon experience. 
When it was time for my treatment to begin, I was taken through into the nail lounge and directed towards the generous selection of polishes on display. The spa carries popular brands such as Essie, as well as various shellac/gel options. I steered away from my usual nude nails and opted for a cherry red Essie polish called 'She's Pampered' I mean, talk about appropriate. 

Before long, I'm parking my bum in one of the salon's comfy, leather treatment chairs and dipping my toes into the mass of bubbles below. The foot spa features jacuzzi jets and colour-changing led lights, and I can't help but wonder what I'd need to do to convince my husband to let us install one of these at home. 
The girls performing the treatments are knowledgeable and are happy to explain the benefits of a VOESH mani/pedi over the more traditional kind, they let me stop to have a mini photo shoot, so extra, and are clearly skilled at their craft. 

Yes, I look like I've been dragged through a hedge...

After my treatment was finished, I was told I could sit back and relax for as long as I would like, allowing time for my polish to dry and indulge in another hot drink if I so desired. I really liked that I didn't feel rushed or pressed to leave.

As for the results of the VOESH masks - I have a few thoughts. Firstly, they made my hands feel really soft and smooth afterwards, so much so that I spent the rest of the day rubbing my palms together like a conniving, James Bond style super villain. Secondly, they made doing anything with your hands - mid treatment - a bit of a 'mare, which is totally fine if you're happy relaxing, but a tad difficult getting that shot for the 'gram; however, if you're looking to try something a bit 'novelty' but that actually works too, then this is a great place to start. 
Huge thanks to the team at Rossanno Ferretti for having me and making my hands and feet feel fabulous. 

For more information on Rossano Ferretti's Hair Spa and their Signature VOESH manicure and pedicure treatments, visit their website www.rfhairspa.com or you can call their Dubai salon on +971 4 3300073.  Disclaimer: I was very kindly invited to review Rossano Ferretti's spa; however all words and opinions are my own.