Lush Easter Range | What's Really Worth Picking Up? | Event AD

Recently, I was kindly invited to the Spring product launch at the Leicester branch of Lush, for an evening of fun and games and to preview the new Easter collection. We had a great time learning about all the new products, and they also had some masterclasses too! We got the chance to make a Butterball bath bomb, which was great as I missed out on the bath bomb masterclass at the Christmas event, as well as a Cupcake fresh face mask - again I was all ears as I've never tried a Lush face mask, and Cupcake was one of the ones that I'd had my eye on! Big brownie points to the delicious vegan cakes and refreshing fruit infused water too. But enough of that, and onto the Easter range...

This year, I've really been concentrating on minimalism - and no, that doesn't mean I'm going to be condensing my belongings until they fit into a suitcase, but I am being a lot more choosy with the products I buy. A few years ago, when I first started blogging, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up an entire collection for the purpose of a blog post or video, but now that isn't something that appeals to me, I just don't see the point. I found with Lush especially, that I'd end up with way too many products, and I'd struggle to find the time to enjoy a bath. I've still got a huge basket full of bubble bars that I'm yet to finish up! With that in mind, I knew that I was going to be approaching this event with a different mindset so I wanted to put together a post that takes a look at each product, and let you know which are the ones that I think are really worth spending your money on.

The products that aren't for me...

Flopsy Face Wash Jelly 

This is a cute bunny-shaped jelly, similar to the shower jellies (which I've never tried) but this time it's for your face. It has extracts of fresh carrot, carrageenan (Irish moss seaweed which gives its gelatinous texture) and has a zesty lemon and bergamot scent. It's adorable, but quite honestly it isn't something I'd use personally, even though I quite like Lush skincare, and it's quite pricey at £7.95 for a gimmicky product. I'd be very intrigued to see whether this works though.

Golden Egg

Covered in glitter, the Golden Egg was quite the novelty for creating #HighlightOnFleek during the event! This is a bath bomb melt so it's a bit of a cross between a bath bomb and a bath oil melt, which I'm yet to try. It has the signature Honey I Washed The Kids scent and is packed full of cocoa butter and olive oil for a moisturising finish. This is a lot bigger than most of the Lush bath oils and is pricier at £3.95 too. It's not insanely expensive but I don't really fancy having to clean all the glitter out the bath. It's a bit of a mood killer y'know...

The products that are okay...

Bunch of Carrots Reusable Bubble Bar 

I love bubble bars as you can get a ton of uses out of them. This comes as a bunch of 3 cute carrots, and it's designed as a reusable bubble bar that you pop under the tap and leave to dry until you next use them. I tried the Magic of Christmas bubble bar want and I didn't have the best experience it, so I'd probably break each carrot here in half to get a good 6 baths, which justifies the price of £6.50. The Bunch of Carrots has a fresh scent of Sicilian lemon, bergamot and buchu oil (a South African evergreen shrub with a blackcurrant/minty aroma) to wash away your worries, and although citrus scents aren't my number 1 choice, this would be great for an uplifting morning bath.

Chocolate Easter Egg Soap 

I really enjoy Lush soaps, and I think they're fairly priced as you get a good old chunk for the money. I find them gentle on the hands and leave them feeling soft and moisturised, so I'm always keen to see what new scents they come out with! If you see the whole Chocolate Easter Egg soap in store, it is the cutest huge yellow Easter egg, and it has a yummy scent of creamy white chocolate, vanilla and zesty citrus. As lovely (and tempting!) as it is, I won't be picking this one up though as I got some of the Rockstar soap in the goodie bag which I'm currently enjoying.

The products I'm all for!

Wash Behind Your Ears Shower Gel

Shower Gels are one of the Lush products I really truly enjoy, and I think that you are getting a really great quality product for your money. I'm someone that really enjoys a more indulgent body wash, and so I don't get that much joy from drugstore shower gels. I've found all too many times that they smell great in the bottle, but they are lacking that real scent experience when you use them in the shower. Lush shower gels are great, and they have so many scents that I love, so they are such a go-to for me. Wash Behind Your Ears is a blend of Jasmine and Rose, with a touch of sweetness that is just perfect for spring. Just don't be put off by it's bright orange appearance! This one is really thick and nourishing, and a little really goes a long way.

Chocolate Lip Scrub*

I've had a few of the Lush lip scrubs in the past, and they're ace for getting rid of dry, flaky skin on your lips. I've been meaning to pick one up for a while as I've been wearing a lot of matte liquid lipsticks, and I was so excited when I saw this Chocolate one. It has a sugar and jojoba oil base with vanilla and cocoa absolutes and sweet orange and tangerine oils to give a delicious chocolate orange taste. It's my favourite out of the lip scrub scents so far so hopefully it'll encourage me to use it more often to keep my lips soft and smooth.

Which Came First?*

Ahh the classic chicken or the egg debate... This giant pink egg-shaped bath bomb comes in two slightly different designs with a cheeky little surprise inside. I'm not a great fan of grapefruit, so I originally thought this wouldn't be for me, but it is combined with Sicilian lemon and vanilla and has quite a sweet scent that I really enjoy. I've previously said that bath bombs aren't the most cost-effective option, and this one is more expensive at £6.95 so you won't catch me dropping this straight in the bath! You can however split this bath bomb into two, and then there's the centre, so you can technically get three baths out of this. Also in the range is Chic 'n' Mix, which comes in a similar format and is completely adorable, with a scent of tonka and orange.

Which products have you got your eye on?




- Huge thank you to the fab team at Lush Leicester for hosting this event and inviting me! -
- This does not affect my thoughts and I will always give my honest opinion of a product -

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Nottingham's Hidden Gems with Snizl | Event AD

Snizl is an app that has recently launched in Nottingham to help you get the most out of the city. It gives you the chance to see what's going on around you, and scouts out the latest deals and events in the city, whilst helping out local independent businesses. Recently, the team from Snizl organised a crawl of some of Nottingham's hidden gems, and luckily my main gal Emmie invited her cocktail buddy along for the ride (thanks pal!). Even though it's one of the closest cities to me, I've not really explored much of Nottingham past its highstreet stores, because I'm perfectly happy to wile away an afternoon in Space:NK (sorry bank balance...). However, I'm always up for discovering great places and Snizl's added a few more to my list of go-to's. So here are the 4 places you'll probably have walked straight past, most of which are pretty tucked away, but they're SO worth hunting out! You'll thank me later...

The Pudding Pantry

27-29 Trinity Square, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4AF 

First on the trail (after an obligatory cocktail at Turtle Bay - it'd be rude not to make the most of Happy Hour) was The Pudding Pantry! The concept of this gorgeous French bakery-inspired, shabby chic cafe was created by 3 friends who had "an insatiable desire to provide the kind of food and coffee that will keep you coming back". And yes, I'm already planning a return visit. We were excitedly greeted by a mini Salted Caramel Brownie Freak Shake, and it was bloomin' marvellous, being sweet and indulgent with clouds of thick whipped cream. I'm not sure if I could manage a full size however! We also were treated to a slice of their Banana, Cinnamon & Walnut cake (all their cakes are baked in-house by their pastry chefs), which was moist, flavoursome and moreish. I'd definitely recommend popping in for some tea and cake, and I defy you not to want to Instagram every corner of it!

CaBella Boutique

6 Bridlesmith Walk , Nottingham, NG1 2HB

Then, it was a short walk to CaBella, the number 1 makeup boutique in the city, for a makeup masterclass. The CaBella concept was created by founder Dannica, after rushing around to get ready before a night out. She wanted to create a space where you could be pampered and preened, ready for your big night out, where the only thing you have to worry about is not spilling your prosecco down your dress (I do it every single time...). The lovely Dannica talked through some of the products they use on their clients to create the perfect smoky eye, and gave us a demonstration with her beautiful model Jordan, their resident 'Lash Queen'. As well as makeovers and masterclasses, CaBella also offer LVL lash treatments, which is something that I've been looking into a lot recently. I'm definitely going to take the plunge soon!

Weaver's Wines

17 Castle Gate, Nottingham, NG1 7AQ  

I'm not going to hide the fact that we were one excited bunch of bloggers as soon as the word "wine tasting" was uttered. Weaver's Wines played host to us on the third stop of our tour of independent Nottingham. Established in 1844, Weaver's is one of the oldest independents in the city, and it is now in the 4th generation of the family. Housed in a beautiful Georgian building lies the location for their tasting events, which felt like stepping into a beautiful stately home. They also have a store just down the road at 1 Castle Gate where you can buy their fabulous wines.

We were warmly welcomed by Managing Director Alan Trease, who had provided three wines for our tasting. There was a sparkling Crémant du Jura (Château Béthanie Brut), which I really enjoyed with its citrus flavours and a slight savoury twist. Next was the red, a 2014 Cellar Cal Pla Crianza (Porrera), which I enjoyed with its notes of opulent damson fruits, nutmeg and cinnamon, as well as silky tannins, which give a lasting flavour of rich oak. Finally, there was the white: a 2015 Solitär Riesling Troken (S A Prüm, Mosel) which personally wasn't to my taste with its drier style and notes of peach, fresh apple, mineral flavours and a hint of petrol (no, really!). 

Then we were able to head down into the wine cellar, which was housed below the tasting room - beware of those stairs after a few wines! The cellar is home to some of their more rare and expensive wines, and was a great thing to experience! The team also kindly gave us a bottle of 2013 Alto Los Romeros Gran Reserva to take home, which was such a lovely touch that no one expected. Full bodied, with black fruit flavours, it sounds right up my street, and I can't wait to pair it with my Sunday roast.

400 Rabbits

15-16 Hurts Yard, Nottingham, NG1 6JD

The last call of the evening was one that was highly anticipated, Tequila and Mezcal cocktail bar 400 Rabbits. Tucked away just off Market Square, is the small but perfectly formed bar, which opened in 2015. It has such a fun atmosphere, with tons of Mexican sugar skull imagery and a real fiesta vibe, and a games area upstairs with a Sega Megadrive, board games and a fuseball table which we just had to have a go on. I'm not a huge tequila lover (it reminds me too much of uni and party holidays), but I was up for giving it a go and seeing if it would change my opinion on the agave spirit. The owner gave us a talk on the different tequilas, and their origins, and the passion in which he spoke about the spirit was inspiring.

There was a huge Valentine's cocktail and Sangria, as well as a variety of shots for us to try. One that I was a particular fan of was the Verdita shooter. The bar doesn't serve salt and lime (I know, I was shocked too when I heard), but in its place is this exquisite little blend of Aqua Riva Tequila, coriander, mint, jalapeno, lime and pineapple. Don't knock it till you try it, I'd order a pitcher of the stuff if I could! The Gringo (elderflower, apple, mint, lime, cucumber) and Bandita (mango, pomegranate, tabasco, lime) shooters also sound amazing! We're planning to make 400 Rabbits our first stop when we have our girls night out in Nottingham, especially seeing as all cocktails are £4 and they sound amazing!

I had a fantastic time at the #Snizl4Notts event, it was easily one of the most fun events I'd been to in a really long time. The Snizl team, were so enthusiastic and fun, definitely the kinds of people I'd want to take on a night out! It all just reminded me of a bar crawl on holiday, but more fun (and less sun!). I was really impressed with all the places we visited on the tour, and would definitely make an effort to re-visit them next time I'm in Nottingham. Next time you're planning to visit, it's definitely worth downloading the Snizl app (it's free and available for both the App Store and Google Play) so you can discover some independent hidden gems for yourself.

Where are your favourite places to go in Nottingham? 

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The Best Bits of January | Event AD

I haven't written a lifestyle favourites in quite some time, because I wanted the blog to have more of a beauty focus, but I think it's nice to get to know the blogger behind the blog. It's something that I've been thinking about a lot lately, and why would I want to cut something out of the blog that I enjoy? So you can expect to see a sprinkling of lifestyle coming back to Behind The Scent - I like to think of it as my own version of indulgent lifestyle, i.e. all the things I enjoy doing to treat myself. There'll be a whole lot of gin and cocktails, amongst things like afternoon teas and photo diary-style travel posts. 

On a personal level, I really love reading lifestyle favourites posts like this back and remembering the things I did. I'm going to be talking about some of the blogger events I've been to, as well as other things I've loved during the month, like books, TV and films, as well as giving a bit of love to some of my fave bloggers too.

What I Did In January

So Christmas happened (obviously), and the with that brings that awkward time where you don't know what day it is between Christmas and New Year. I spent New Years (as well as a good week after) with my family as they had a longer holiday, so I hibernated away, inhaling panettone, lebküchen and Quality Street. My January wasn't as exciting in terms of going out and doing stuff, however towards the end of the month, it started to pick up with a couple of events and seeing friends.

Debenhams/Estée Lauder Event

This month saw the first official blogging event of 2017, and it was the turn of Debenhams to host, with Estée Lauder. In one of only four workshops in the country, there were experts from the US and Paris along with their imaging suite to take photographic samples of their consumer's skin. This helps to analyse geographical trends, and to assist with the creation of new base products. Ever wondered why shades vary in the same foundation in different countries? It was really interesting to see this side of product development, and I also got colour matched to a foundation and discovered a few new products too, which I'll be waxing lyrcical about (I've fallen head over heels for the brand) in a future post.

#IndieBlogs Event

The last Saturday of the month saw the #IndieBlogs event, organised by Laura to showcase the best of Leicester's Independent businesses, inspired by the lovely Sammy (photographer at IsoElegant) who wanted to spread the word about new Leicester printing company, Matin Prime. We started off the afternoon initiating Selina and Victoria into the Leicester bloggers gang with an obligatory cocktail at 33 Cank St, and then set off on our trail. First stop was Divine, a boutique dress store located on Silver Street. Once you get past the prom-style diamante dresses, there are actually some really beautiful gowns that would be perfect for bridesmaids and balls alike. All the alterations are included in the price too, and as someone who is 5 ft 1, alterations are gonna be needed so I don't drown in a floor-length gown. Or more likely trip over it, which I'd do anyway if I had too many wines...

We also paid a visit to Lanes Fine Jewellery on Loesby Lane, which is a lovely, boutique jewellers, specialising in diamonds. It is such a friendly, welcoming place, which caters for all budgets and can create something bespoke. Fun fact - they're the official jewellers for LCFC! We also headed over to Danique Hairdressing, which is always a pleasure. We actually had the team at our #EastMidsMeetUp and also paid a visit during Laura's previous meet-up - she loves a good surprise event! They kindly gave us a couple demos showcasing the fab new highlighting toner sprays from Label M, as well as their Braid Bar. It definitely got me thinking about what I could do with my hair, as it is long enough for most braids and it just looks that little bit more put together than a classic pony or pineapple bun.

We also popped into Gelato Village for some some good old gelato (and boy is it good!). I chose Salted Caramel, Almond Val di Noto and Meringue & Sour Cherry for my tub (you can choose up to 3 flavours and I usually get the mini tub for £3.95 - they're bigger than you think!), and it did not disappoint! The Almond Val di Noto was my favourite and had beautifully delicate flavours of the highest quality almonds, orange and Bourbon vanilla (a type of vanilla, not Bourbon the alcohol, disappointingly!). It didn't quite beat the greatness of my all time fave flavour, Hazelnut, which sadly wasn't on the menu that day!

It was high time for another drink, and we took a bit of a walk to the West End Brewery on Braunstone Gate, a venue that was new to me. This played host to the first Thirst Media tasting, and this time it was the turn of beer, rather than wine. I don't drink beer all that regularly, although I do enjoy it, and it was nice to find out a little bit more about it thanks to the expertise of Laura and Selina. We got the chance to try a few different types, including IPA, stout and copper, with the rich chocolatey flavours of the stout and the fruity IPA being my personal highlights. The West End Brewery actually brews their own selection of ales onsite, which makes it unique in the city, and it's a really lovely venue with quirky little details. We even noted how great it'd be to host a meet-up there... You'll also be seeing many of the places we visited in Leicester travel guide-style post very soon, watch this space!

What I Watched & Read in January

Theatre | I went to the theatre twice this month. The first was a ballet production of Romeo & Juliet at the Y Theatre with my pal Emmie, which was a first for me! I'm no dance expert (unless I'm 5 wines in and the 90s classics are on) but it was interesting to see how they took the classic Shakespeare tale and interpreted it through movement. The theatre was intimate with a minimal set, and with no dialogue, the first half was a bit of a blur, and quite hard to tell who was who at first! I was transfixed watching the dancers glide across the stage in a flurry of graceful steps, but I'm in no real position to judge technical ability or choreography, so you can check out Em's review here for that.

I also went to see The Woman In Black at the Curve Theatre, and it really surprised me! Having only recently watched the film, I found myself drawing parallels between the two and I was intrigued to see how they'd bring it to the live stage. The production sees protagonist Arthur Kipps retelling his story in a performance, with the help of The Actor. The Actor took on the role of the young Mr Kipps in their performance (confusing right, we were watching a performance of the two characters putting on a performance), and Mr Kipps became the voice of the other characters. The lighting and special effects really added to the spooky atmosphere, and the element of comedy and lack of soundtrack made the jumps even more unexpected. I would definitely recommend going to watch it!

TV | I finished watching Friends With Benefits on Netflix which I enjoyed. It follows two friends, Ben and Sara, who are casually hooking up whilst attempting to (disastrously) date other people. It got axed after the one season, which I'm kinda sad about it as it has that easy to watch, New Girl Vibe. I also finished watching The Crown, which I enjoyed for its cosy Downton Abbey feel, and although I felt like the latter half of the series wasn't wasn't quite as good, I'm eagerly anticipating season 2! I'm still loving Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, which has new episodes of season 2 being released on Netflix every Sunday, and we can't forget the remake of The Worst Witch on iPlayer, which brings back aaaalll the childhood feels!

Films | I've made it my vow to watch more films this year, and in January I managed to watch 3 (that I actually paid attention to, I'm not counting the ones on tv that I have as background noise). The first one was Monte Carlo, which was a whimsical tale of mistaken identity where Selena Gomez gets mistaken for an heiress, and gets flown to the South of France in her place. I actually really enjoyed it, and it also has Leighton Meester from Gossip Girl in it! Next one was The Duff, a high school rom-com where a girl gets told she's the Designated Ugly Fat Friend by her jock neighbour. Unsurprisingly, in the quest to transform her, they end up falling for each other. It's predictable but still a cute watch. The last film I watched was Woman In Black, as I knew I'd be seeing it at the theatre and wanted to refresh myself. My goal for next month is to switch off the technology and watch at least one film per week!

Books | Fleur de Force's second book The Luxe Life had been sitting on my bookshelf since my birthday and I hadn't properly picked it up to read yet. It's a nice one to flick through, with a bit of beauty, fashion and some nice recipes. The imagery is beautiful, but I didn't find it overly inspiring; something I often find with lifestyle/coffee table books - I rarely pick them up again for a re-read (with the exception of How To Be Parisian, because the girls in it are my spirit animals and why am I not in Paris RN?). Over the Christmas break, I started reading Spark Joy, the follow-up to Marie Kondo's The Life-changing Magic of Tidying. I'm about hafway through and enjoying it - this time it focuses more on practical tips, so I'm sure it'll come in handy as I attempt to declutter my life this year.

Blogger Love

Lastly, I wanted to end this post with a couple of ACE bloggers who created some of my fave posts and videos this month. I'm going to start with the lovely Charlotte from Colours & Carousels, whose blog I've been addicted to. I absolutely loved her Must Read Books for Bloggers post, which has given me a wishlist the length of my arm of reads to help up my blogging game. Something that also struck a chord with me was Emmie's Positivity Project (and no I'm not biased because she's my Partner In Crime!). Inspired by an article in Glamour Magazine, she's created a 17-strong list of small changes she can do to make this year more of a positive one! Lastly, my gorgeous friend Izzy has just started her YouTube channel (go subscribe to her here) and she's already BOMB at it, not fair right? But seriously, she's hella funny and a BABE and a half. Trust me, you'll love her!

What has been your highlight of January? 

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The Gin Festival, Leicester | Chin Chin!

Me and gin haven't always been the best of friends. I tried it in one of those pre-made cans with tonic when I was about 18 and instantly disliked it, and didn't touch it again for a long time. Over the last few years, my penchant for alcohol drastically changed. When I moved home from uni, I realised I simply did not enjoy going out and getting drunk in clubs, and when I stopped doing it to please my social circle, I became undeniably happier. It took around a year to properly enjoy alcohol again, and finding my go-to drink definitely played a large part in that. Not being a huge wine drinker, cocktails seemed to fit the bill perfectly, but as much as I love me a mojito, I'm also just as likely to ask for a G&T.

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#LeicesterLushmas Halloween & Christmas Preview

Last week, I was kindly invited to the #LeicesterLushmas event, their Christmas and Halloween product preview evening. It was an event that I, along with the other bloggers, was highly anticipating, after last year's Summer Sneak Peek event (read the post here). After getting a message saying that they had made personalised lanyards for us all, I knew we were in for a good night.

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#EastMidsMeetUp: Planning, Event Day & Feedback!

Image Credit: Charlie Jones

PLANNING 

On Saturday 13th August, a 40 strong group of East Midlands Bloggers headed to Leicester for the #EastMidsMeetUp, an event that had taken months of planning between myself, Emmie (Carpe Diem Emmie), Kirsty (Kirsty Ralph) and Lianne (The Brunette Says). I think we can credit Bru Coffee and Manhattan 34 for thoroughly fuelling our planning sessions, as many a chocolate fudge brownie and mojito were consumed during the process! This is part 1 out of my #EastMidsMeetUp posts as I don't want to bore you to sleep with something that would take an hour to read! I also have another post on the goodie bags, as well as one reflecting on the process of organising an event. 

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#BloggerTikiParty, Birmingham

A couple of weeks ago, I toddled off to Birmingham on the train, Radhika in tow, to attend the #BloggerTikiParty. The event was organised by Kirsty Leanne (with the help of Ashton Gibbs), and was her 5th event. After a delightful brunch at The Boston Tea Party (HIGHLY recommend the Sourdough Eggy Bread with Smoked Bacon & Avocado), we made our way to Island Bar, the event venue (after the obligatory battle with Google maps). The venue was very fitting with the event theme, being decked with all the tiki paraphernalia.

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Bodega Cantina Launch, Leicester

Last week, us bloggers were invited to join Bodega Cantina for their launch night, and it was an event I'd been looking forward to for what seemed like an age. So the day came, and I stepped out  dressed for the occasion in my pineapple skirt. After a quick cocktail at nearby haunt, 33 Cank Street, the group assembled and we made our way to the venue, which is located in a prime spot in the popular St Martin's Square. The outside sure made an impact, with it's bright decor, and certainly gave a taste of what was inside.

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The Kitchen at The Cookie: Summer Menu

Last Thursday, a small group of Leicester bloggers were invited down to The Cookie, located on Leicester's High Street, to sample their new summer menu. The Cookie is most known for being an awesome music venue, and also plays host to The Kitchen (their restaurant), and The Attic cocktail & gin bar, which is the perfect place to start a night out. We actually popped down to The Kitchen's launch party at the start of the year, so if you want to check out that post, you can read that here. This time we were treated to a whistle stop tour of their newly launched menu, with brunch, lunch and dinner options. If only it was acceptable to eat all 3 meals of the day in the same place...

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