The Lush Life

Lush is my go-to shop for a beautiful bath bomb or any kind of bath product for that matter, but what I didn't realise was just how many other products they provide.

Recently I attended a blogger's event at Lush in Peterborough with fellow local bloggers to find out what's on offer in the highly scented store.

 

Did you know Lush have toothpaste tablets!? Yup, just pop one in your gob, crush it up and brush away! They even had other flavours that taste like cherry colar bottles and more. I'd never even realised that they did oral hygiene products and even have solid deodorant with antibacterial properties and powder deodorants too to keep you smelling fresh and are gentle to you too.

Another product I was introduced to were massage bars. There are so many benefits from massage such as aiding sleep, soothing tired muscles and general relaxation, making you feel generally better in body and soul. Lush have a huge variety of scented bars that melt to the touch, making them easy to work into the skin.

We were shown lots of lovely smelling products and I was particularly drawn to these lip scrubs, smelling like bubblegum and popcorn! The Lush team had so much knowledge of what the products do, how they're made and their benefits with so much enthusiasm for their products which just goes to show they love what they do and love their products.

During the event I was of course swooning at the pretty products and amazing scents throughout the store and had to give everything a smell or a try!

Soon we had seen all the products on offer and the Lush team were demonstrating how their face masks are made - proving just how fresh and handmade they really are.

The lovely ladies made a batch of "Catastrophie Cosmetic"; a soothing, cleansing and moisturising mask for all skin types. As you can see there were fresh blueberries in the mix and we were offered to nibble on some before they were thrown into the mix. The smell of the mask was incredible and lasts up to two weeks when kept refrigerated. That's got to be better for our skin than processed products and since using it I have to say my skin has really enjoyed it!

Another thing I discovered is that Lush have their own spas dotted around the country with what sound like the ultimate relaxation and pampering. I am definitely looking to indulge in one of their treatments because they sound incredible and a lot of thought has been put into creating the ultimate relaxation treatments. We were told about The Sound Bath by Lisa of the Lush team who'd experienced it - a meditative and rebalancing treatment which sounded like heaven.

There are lots of wonderful masks to choose from, with skin treats for all and showcased in a bath of ice as Lush don't like to hide their products away in the fridge and rightly so! It's lovely to see just what goes into their products and if they say strawberries (for instance) go into one of their products, it's not just an extract, oh no... We're talking punnets people!

We were then treated to a hand and arm massage each. Here's the gorgeous Georgina from 2 Pretty Ladies being pampered. I was amazed at just how relaxing it was compared with a back massage which for me is the ultimate heaven and soon I was feeling very dreamy.

We then had a demonstration on their famous bath bombs which are my favourite Lush product and make any bath a magical and luxurious experience.

Lush also have the most gorgeous gift sets, wrapped in the prettiest paper and are perfect for any bath and beauty lover. I always have Lush on my birthday list and have never been disappointed.

I picked up some lovelies goodies* from the event and also picked up some bits too!

So if you haven't already tried Lush, my question to you is why not? All of the products are free from animal testing, fresh, handmade and where possible it's free from packaging! They're a truly fantastic brand and one I've become even more of a fan of than I was before.

Don't be shy to ask for advice in store because the Lush team are so knowledgeable and helpful -  you won't be disappointed.

Live the Lush Life.

This is Where to Reach Me Now

Dress - Self Portrait (similar here)
Shoes- eBay
Bracelet - Victorious Bee

Its been a long time since I've worn a dress that's made me feel like a "real lady" until this little beaut, which was perfect for a date night during our stay in France. 

The dress really speaks for itself  with the lace detailing and midi length to swoosh in. All I did was pair it with some nude heels and some dainty jewellery and I was ready to go.

This outfit with our beautiful surroundings in France (which you can read about here), made me never want to come home.

This is where to reach me now.

Chateau de Saint Paterne

What feels like a lifetime ago, I had the true pleasure of staying at Chateau de Saint Paterne in Normandy France, courtesy of Eurotunnel after winning their #Petlovers competiton (which you can read here.)

Chris, Harry and I travelled down in our car via the Eurotunnel and couldn't quite believe our luck when we arrived. Set on acres of land, this was pure heaven and the perfect place to be for three nights over a bank holiday!

We'd been told we were staying in the "Orangerie" room. known as the best room at the château and couldn't believe our luck when we first set eyes on it.

This room was just heaven and everything I could have wanted and more. The décor was gorgeous, mixing the new and the old in an eclectic look that really complimented the room. The back drop behind the bed was an antique stage back drop used in the Barcelona theatre back in 1885 and was just stunning. Everything had been perfectly styled and teamed with the light coming through the huge french windows and doors, it was a blogger's heaven!

There were also subtle hints that this place was definitely dog friendly, with these paw imprints in the bathroom and doggy treats on the room service menu which Harry was ever so pleased about.

I must admit I'm always slightly sceptical of "dog friendly" accommodation, assuming that we will get a shabbier room because of our four legged friend but here this certainly was not the case!

Our stay included a complimentary bottle of champagne each day so after jumping around and squealing like kids on Christmas (this was mainly me), we quickly unpacked and took our champers to the pool side!

We were lucky enough to be the only guests at the pool, having the whole area to ourselves and taking in the beautiful surroundings. Harry even did a spot of sun bathing on my lounger before sniffing away at all the plants and new smells.

The owners of the Chateau were very welcoming and more than happy for Harry to roam around the grounds whilst we relaxed, which put our minds at ease and he was soon making friends with their resident westies.

I can't begin to tell you how content I felt here and how relaxing the surroundings were but I think this photograph sums it up rather nicely. We spent a few hours chilling by the poolside but soon it was time to get ready for drinks and dinner.

Another interesting feature to note about the château was their honesty bar. In the drawing room and by the pool were a vast selection of drinks for you to help yourself to and in return they asked that you wrote what you'd had in the honesty book to then pay at the end of your stay. I loved this idea and how it added to the laid back feel of the place because grand as it was, there wasn't anything that made it feel pretentious or snooty and I loved that.

Harry again was able to join us for both aperitifs and dinner in the dining room which he loved and sat by our side like a noble stead!

The dining room was again beautifully decorated and welcoming. The food was also something else...I mean I like chicken but this was amazing. Infused with herbs and garlic, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it and Harry was terribly chuffed that we let him have some too! They even brought seconds out which Chris was incredibly pleased about. I was in love with the fact that a) it was a four course dinner and b) course number three was cheese and salad, with the real emphasis for me being the cheese! All the food was locally sourced and prepared to perfection which pleased my food baby greatly and each night we had something freshly prepared and cooked to perfection.

Before we knew it, the dinner service was finished and we were drinking into the small hours with some wonderful people also staying at the Château and then it was time to hit the hay.

Waking up in the Orangerie to these views is something I'll never forget. It's just. so. beautiful...!! We had been asked whether we'd like breakfast in the dining room the next morning or in our room so we opted to enjoy the room and have breakfast sent over.

Breakfast here was sooo good, with plenty to choose from and enough to keep you going all day. Of course I went for cheese, my excuse being I'm on holiday and it'd be a crime not to eat cheese in France. Am I right?

The rest of our stay at the Château was extremely relaxing, being treated to a full body massage and lots more poolside time, champagne and eating gorgeous food. All three of us had simply the best time and I cannot recommend this place enough. It's a little peace of heaven and the perfect retreat for a long weekend for both dogs and humans. I've already made Chris promise that we'll come back to visit as I've got a bug for the place now which isn't usually like me. I like to travel to lots of places and have never felt the need to return anywhere until I came here which is saying a lot.

We were genuinely sad to leave the château, Harry in particular and we will certainly be returning!

Also check out my vlog snippets from our stay to see more of the chateau: