Recipes- chocolate fudge

I have decided to post this recipe this week, as I am a fan of chocolate fudge and this recipe is one of the easiest ones. You can double up the quantities as needed, or maybe even make a white chocolate drizzle at the end to decorate the finished block of fudge before cutting it into bitesize pieces.

You don't need a sugar thermometer for this recipe, just a saucepan, sieve, spoon, 20cm square tin and baking parchment.

• 400g dark or milk chocolate (about 50% cocoa solids, you do want decent chocolate for this recipe)
• 397g can Condensed Milk
• 25g butter
• 100g icing sugar
• 55g white chocolate (optional)

You will also need...

20cm square tin, lined with baking parchment

1. Break or chop the chocolate into small chunks and place in a non-stick saucepan with the condensed milk and butter. Melt the ingredients gently over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until smooth and silky. (Alternatively melt in the microwave in 10-20 second bursts, stirring frequently).

2. Sieve in the icing sugar and mix thoroughly (you can use an electric whisk if you like). Press the fudge into the tin, smooth over the top with the back of a spoon.  If you are using the white chocolate, melt it, then drizzle over the top of the fudge.

3. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour until set, cut into squares. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Top tip: You could give this fudge as gifts in little gift boxes or tins, tied with a ribbon. You could also cut the fudge into tiny pieces and use it to top cupcakes or layered sponges.

Adapted from Carnation condensed milk recipes

Space Girl bath bomb

After I finished going to the hairdresser yesterday, I visited LUSH again and picked up one of their bath bombs that I hadn't tried in years, Space Girl. I first tried this bath bomb from their regular range around 6 years ago, when I was a brand-new customer to LUSH and wasn't sure what to try first

Space girl is a small fruity bath bomb in the shape of a UFO...it is definitely visually appealing and unusual with it's design. It is lilac in colour, and is also sprinkled with glitter. It's also topped with a deep pink/red powder, which is new. As far as I can remember, it only used to have the glitter on it.

Lush do claim this is one of the more budget bath bombs, and won't provide the visual effects that some of the higher priced ones do, but I still think it is a good buy for those who are just new to Lush, or maybe as a gift for someone when you aren't sure what type of smells they like, as this one is quite universally appealing.

Although space girl doesn't have a particularly strong scent, it is a nice one, with a grapefruit smell at the forefront, with slight berry undertones. It isn't particularly complex, but it is quite sherbety, without being too sour.

Once you drop it in the bath, it gets to work right away and pretty much dissolves within a minute or so. The deep pink on the bath bomb is the most noticeable shade, but the lilac beneath it also colours the water, to provide a slightly marbled effect. This doesn't last for long though, as the two colours merge together to create purple bathwater with flecks of glitter in it.

I didn't really hear the popping candy, but I can't imagine it really adds anything to the overall experience of this bath bomb, so I didn't really mind. Space Girl bath bomb softened the water though, making it feel luxurious and moisturising without being greasy. You still may need to moisturise after this bath, depending on how dry your skin is, however I did not.

The smell of Space Girl bath bomb did not linger on my skin for long, nor was I expecting it to, but given that it was a small bath bomb yet still managed to soften the water and nourish my skin, I am satisfied with it and would recommend it if you want to try it.


7/10

Porridge soap

We are all always told never to judge a book by it's cover, and I think this saying is a great example for this product. In fact, a number of my most favourite products from LUSH cosmetics aren't necessarily the ones which are particularly visually appealing.




Porridge soap is a gentle, exfoliating soap for sensitive skin, which is part of LUSH'S regular range, so is available all year round to purchase.It is full of oats and orange juice, which helps to nourish your skin whilst gently buffing away dead skin.

From the outside, it doesn't look particularly special- a beige block speckled with the oats contained within. It also has patterns carved into the top, but has no added extras such as glitter.

Porridge soap also has an amazing smell- this is possibly one of the best-smelling soaps I have ever had from Lush. It's scented with a gorgeous warm treacle aroma and reminds me of freshly made flapjack, It is sweet and comforting, without being sugary or candy-like. It is no secret that I am a fan of gourmand scented soaps and shower gels, and this is definitely up there within the top 5.

It lathers up especially well too in the hot water, and provides a good exfoliation. I have dry patches on my arms and after using this a couple of times, my arms feel softer and smoother with visibly less dry skin.

Because it is gentle, even when the bar has worn down and more of the oats are exposed, I didn't find it painful to use at all. I have tried exfoliating bars and creams before and usually they are too gritty and scratch my skin, but Porridge feels like it is nourishing your skin as well as providing an effective exfoliation. It is also super cleansing and leaves you feeling squeaky clean without your skin being dry or tight.

The only bad point I can make is that the lovely scent doesn't linger on your skin very long after rinsed off, however if you are planning to use perfume afterwards, this could be seen as a plus point as the scent of Porridge soap won't be able to clash with it.

Overall, I rate this soap very highly, and as it's one of LUSH'S cheaper ones, but provides an exfoliation as well as a cleanse, it is great value for money.

8/5/10

The Enchanter bath bomb

This is an old bath bomb that is no longer available, but it's my favourite LUSH product of all time, so I couldn't resist posting this review.

The Enchanter bath ballistic was a seasonal bath bomb available in the 2012 Halloween collection.

This bath bomb is massive, it is about the size of a cricket ball, and it bright orange with yellow swirls. It is actually ideal for Halloween, as it reminds me of a pumpkin in some ways from the colour and shape of it. I guess you could cut it in chunks or split it in half if you wanted to make it last, however I used it all at the one time.

When you smell this bath bomb, the smell is pretty much dominated by lime, and it's warm, citrusy and surprisingly sweet. I normally find with citrus smells they ‘wake you up’ more than relax you, however this, coupled with a hot bath, made for a relaxing experience, as it wasn't too overpowering and sherbety.

After dropping it in the bath, the visual effect of this bath bomb is possibly the best I have ever seen from a LUSH bath product. The colours slowly change as different layers of The Enchanter dissolve in the hot water

Slowly, it turns your bath water orange, yellow and then pink, and the colours swirl and marble together, and remind me of a sunset. It’s a beautiful effect and very pleasing on the eye. It does not make the bath overly bubbly, but the water and small amount of foam is soft and creamy. Even when the bath bomb has fully dissolved, the water stays a bright orange colour and the steam coming up from the hot water carries the lime scent throughout your bath.

I only managed to get 2 of these bath bombs. I was a lush ‘newbie’ at the time of buying it and wasn’t aware they were limited edition until I went back to buy one and they were gone. Apparantly Lush didn’t bring back the Enchanter, as a lot of complaints were made about the Bath bomb staining skin, or the edges of the bath. This didn’t happen at all with me, though.

Some people may sell their old Enchanter bath bombs through ebay or forums online, but please be aware that if you buy these, as they are 3 years old, they most likely will not perform as well as a fresh one.

The price was at the time was £3.50, which isn’t cheap but I think it is worth it and had no problem splashing out on one for a treat if I had some spare money. I would also like to try Calacas shower gel and jelly which also carry the same scent, but they have also unfortunately been discontinued too, I find this surprising as I see many LUSH fans obsessed with Calacas gel and jelly on instagram and LUSH forums.

The shop assistants always ask me what is my favourite product when I visit LUSH and I always insist the Enchanter. I just wish they would bring it back for Halloween this year, or even as a permanent product! 

Highly recommended.

10/10

Lemony Flutter cuticle butter

LUSH lemony flutter cuticle butter is a cuticle cream that is scented with, you’ve guessed it, lemon. It is designed for use on cuticles and dry parts of the body such as knees and heels.

It comes in a 45g pot, which may not seem a lot, but it lasts a long time. I’ve had mine a few months now and there’s only a small dent in the pot of product! 

Once you unscrew the pot, you will be able to smell Lemony Flutter straight away- it has a pretty powerful scent. It smells primarily of Lemon curd and sherbet- a rich, citrusy tang with a slightly creamy undertone to stop it smelling too much like lemon-based cleaning product.  However, It can be overwhelming to some people, so make sure you check this out in the shop first before buying.

The consistency is thick, oily and rich, so be sure to only use a little bit each time and build up if you need more. You can massage this into dry parts as suggested, and that does work a treat, but I use a tiny bit as an overall hand cream, and it DOES absorb (if you are careful about how much you use!) and as expected, the aroma of it lasts on your skin for hours.

It moisturises very well, and I have noticed my cuticles growing quicker. I use it on my arms too, where I can often get little dry patches, and it works a treat. At a push, it can also be used to smooth down split ends and flyaways on your hair without making it look greasy. You can also smooth down eyebrows with it too, instead of using vaseline. 

Multipurpose products like this are ideal if you consider lush a treat, and want to invest in something that will last ages, and can be used for lots of different things. 

Overall, I consider Lemony Flutter good value for money, and a useful product to have on hand.

7/10

Snowman shower jelly

Lush is a company that always tries to provide cosmetics that are a little different from those that are available in other high street stores, and this is an example of a product which I am yet to see anywhere else.


Shower jellies are an alternative to shower gel available from Lush. Available in pots, they are solid slabs of jelly, available in different types of scents. They are used for showering, or as an alternative to bubble bars.

Snowman shower jelly is a shower jelly released in the Christmas collection of products. It was a new item for 2015, and one which has been widely appreciated by tons of Lush fans.

Snowman shower jelly is in the shape of a (you guessed it) snowman, and is a traditional, if not slightly boring white colour, with no lustre or added extras.

It has quite a summery scent which I wouldn't usually associate with Christmas.. It smells sweet and tangy, and reminds me of tropical fruit juice, or jam. Although it's not normally what I go for scent-wise, I have to admit I love it, and it's one of my favourite citrus scents, as it's not sour or overwhelming.

Personally, I find shower jellies a little difficult to lather up on their own compared to shower gels, and Snowman shower jelly is no exception. It is quite a rubbery shower jelly, and is probably the most difficult one I have ever tried to get a lather from. To make it easier, I usually use a shower puff, or instead I use my shower jelly in my bath, using the pressure of the running water to create plenty of bubbles.

In the bath it performs well to create bubbles, although it doesn't soften the water, so you may wish to use a bath bomb such as butterball, or a bath melt, to make your bath water moisturising as well as bubbly. However, it didn't make my skin dry like some bubble bath can do.

Personally, I am more a fan of shower gel and soap than shower jelly, and the scent of Snowman shower jelly was available in the limited edition easter soap last year, Carrot.  I hope they bring this back this year, or maybe even a shower gel with the scent, as I would love to try this fragrance in other formats.

I am glad I got a couple of tubs of Snowman shower jelly, but it isn't something I'd neccesarily pick up again, simply due to the fact I am not the biggest fan of shower jelly in general. However, I did love the scent, and it didn't dry my skin out, so for those who like the shower jelly texture, I would recommend it.

6/10

Charity pot body lotion

Lush are a brand who not only refuse to test on animals or use ingredients provided by animal-testing companies - they also promote charities who are kind to animals, and raise tons of money for good causes by selling certain products that give 100 percent of profits to charity.

One of these products is Charity pot lotion, a light and beautifully scented cream in their permanent range.

Charity pot is sold in several size tubs, from the £1 sampler tub, which is ideal for a handbag essential or maybe a stocking filler, to bigger sized tubs for those who want to stock up. Each tub (apart from the sample sized one) has a sticker on the top, which shows you which specific charity will receive the money after you have paid for it. The charity receives 100 percent of the profits, apart from V.A.T.

When you unscrew the tub, you can smell the delicious aroma of the lotion right away. It smells like roses with an underlying chocolatey cocoa aroma from the shea butter contained in the lotion. It reminds me of fry's turkish delight bars, and smells good enough to eat. I imagine fans of Rose jam bubbleroon and shower gel would enjoy this scent.


Because this isn't a thick lotion, it is easily absorbed when applied to your skin, and makes an ideal face moisturiser for under your makeup, as well as a great body moisturiser for any skin type. It leaves no greasy residue and you are able to get dressed immediately after applying, instead of waiting around for 10-15 minutes such as when you use a massage bar, for example.

The scent lingers on your skin, although it doesn't clash if you choose to apply perfume afterwards.

Overall, I am pleased with this lotion, and it ranks as one of the top liquid lotions I have tried from Lush. I recommend it to everyone, especially those who are new to Lush and interested in trying one of their lotions but aren't sure which to go for.



8.5/10

Oatifix face mask

Note: Please be aware that what is suitable for my skin, may not work for you, and vice versa. All reviews of masks, cleansers and facial products are based on my experiences only.

When you go into lush, one of the first things you might see is a large tray of ice, with bowls of fresh face mask, surrounded by little black tubs of the different masks you can buy. This is Lush's fresh face mask selection. These face masks are blended with fresh ingredients, so must be kept in a fridge, and used up within 3 weeks.

Oatifix face mask is the first one I bought, after reading that the soothing butters and banana would nourish my skin, whilst the oats and ground almonds would act as a gentle scrub for the dry patches on my face. It sounded like a treat for my skin, and would hopefully be something that would become a regular part of my skin routine.

Oatifix is a soft, grainy, oily texture, with a beige colour- it looks a little different from the usual cream-based face masks you can buy, But it smells delicious, of porridge with maple syrup and honey added.

Applying Oatifix to your skin is a little difficult due to it's texture, it is best to do it over a sink incase you drop bits of the face mask. However, once you have applied it, the oils and butters in the mask help it stick.

You are supposed to keep this face mask on for 5-10 minutes. I found it didn't solidify and tighten on my face, but almost began to 'melt', it felt a bit more creamy once it had  been on my skin.

It felt a little tingly, but I expect this is because my skin is sensitive, and this mask wasn't specifically designed for sensitive skin. However, once washed off, my skin felt soft and nourished.

Although this face mask isn't my all-time favourite, it is one of the top ones available from Lush and I would highly recommend it.

8/10

Brightside bubble bar

I first picked up brightside bubble bar in Lush last year, when I went into Lush one weekend. I  hadn't seen Brightside before  in the shop, but when I picked it up and smelled it, I decided to try it out and see what I thought of it.

The bar looks very similar to the comforter bubble bar, with it's shape and hefty size. However, the colour of Brightside reminded me a little of my favourite ever lush product, the Enchanter bath ballistic. Brightside is a bold orange colour, swirled with yellow, red and hot pink. The colours of  this made me think that it would posess a strong, citrus aroma, and it didn't disappoint.

Brightside is definately a spring/summer type of scent- it is bright, playful and citrusy without being too sherbety or overwhelming. It primarily smells of tangerines, with a burst of lemon thrown in, and the aroma of freshly zested orange. It reminds me of the type of punch or cocktail you might make on a summers' day. For those who are fans of the bold citrus scents which make you more bright and alert, I am sure this will be a favourite.

Although Brightside is not as soft and crumbly as some of LUSH's other bubble bars, it is easy enough to break off a piece and crush it under the running water. You could also slice this bubble bar up into portions, as it's certainly enough for 3-6 baths. Using too much of this bubble bar at once can make it unable to dissolve and therefore cause a sandy 'grit' at the bottom of your bath, so make sure you are careful about how much you crumble in.

Once it's added, this bubble bar creates tons of soft bubbles, with soft, silky, moisturing water. It turns your bathwater bright orange, which is fun as well as relaxing. Luckily, it doesn't stain the sides of your bath or anything, and contains no hidden lustre or added 'bits', so won't clog your plughole or leave behind anything.

Although Brightside bubble bar is not usually the type of scent I would go for, I did enjoy it for something a little different, and it is good value for money. I would buy this again if I fancied a change and something citrusy, as I think it's one of their best citrus products.

7.5/10

Revlon Colorstay eyeshadow palette in SEDUCTIVE

I am a huge fan of eyeshadow at the moment. I never used to really wear much eye makeup besides mascara, but now since trying the Revolution Redemption palette, I have been looking out all my old eyeshadows that aren't past their best-before date, and testing them out.

This is an eyeshadow quad I actually bought a couple of weeks before I got the Revolution palette. I am a fan of purple, and I was drawn to this particular quad because of the bright purple shade in the bottom left of the palette. I also noticed the other three more muted shades, and thought I would be able to create a variety of looks with the different colours available.

This particular quad is called SEDUCTIVE, and contains
- a shimmery, iridescent white
- a shimmery, pale lilac
- a matte, bright purple
- a slightly shimmery dark plum

Although many people have commented that the white and lilac shade are very similar, I think they create very different looks when worn separately. I tend to use the white shade to highlight my inner corner, while I use the lilac as a sheer 'wash' for my eyelid as a daytime shade when I don't want anything too smoky.

If you are unsure how to use this eyeshadow, Revlon have provided a guide for 1 look on the back of the packet, although obviously this is just a suggestion, and you can create any eyeshadow look you choose to.

I use the darkest plum shade as an eyeliner, either brushed on neatly, or blended for a more smudgy look. The purple is the hardest to work with in my opinion, but I either use it as an eyelid shade, blended well, or an eyeliner if I want something a bit different from the usual blacks/browns/greys. I am used to wearing blue eyeliner so purple isn't too unusual for me.


The texture of the eyeshadows is creamy, and although they claim to be 16-hour wear, I never keep my makeup on that long, so I can't comment if they last the full length of time. But I have worn makeup for around 12 hours on most days, and it has lasted well for me and didn't crease at all, even without a primer.

The packaging is plastic, but the glossy black colour and clasp make it feel a bit more high-end than the cheaper brands such as Rimmel and barryM.

The price is quite steep, at £7.99, and I'm unsure if I would buy it in any other colours as none of the other quads really appealed to me. However, I will enjoy this one, and when it runs out, I may buy again.

7/10.

Catastrophe Cosmetic face mask

Note: Please be aware that what is suitable for my skin, may not work for you, and vice versa. All reviews of masks, cleansers and facial products are based on my experiences only.


When you go into Lush, one of the first things you might see is a large tray of ice, with bowls of fresh face mask, surrounded by little black tubs of different masks you can buy. This is Lush's fresh face mask selection. These face masks are blended with fresh ingredients, so must be kept in a fridge, and used up within 3 weeks.

This was never really my first choice of Face Mask, I always thought Lush's Oatifix mask would suit my skin more, but after trying this on a whim, I was very impressed, and now it is my first choice.

Catastrophe cosmetic is a thick, clay-based mask, which is grey/lilac in colour and laced with pieces of fresh blueberry. It has a gentle smell of blueberry, with a slight soft floral undertone. It is designed for people with sensitive skin and redness. Catastrophe Cosmetic contains calamine, rose, chamomile and almond which they claim will soothe and nourish skin, while cleansing gently.

My skin is dry, and also very sensitive, so I thought I would pick this up and see how it worked. I actually got a sample a year ago, but it had gone bad by the time I got round to using it, so I wanted to see how a fresh one would work for me.

It smooths onto your skin very easily, it's quite a wet paste consistency which spreads easily and sticks to your skin without any of the blueberry bits falling off. Once you leave it on for 5-10 minutes, you can feel it harden, and you pretty much know when it's time to wash it off as it starts flaking.

It washes off fairly easily, or if you are lazy, you could wipe it off with babywipes, although it can make a mess. I was worried the fresh blueberry pieces may have gotten stuck in the plughole, but they seemed to go down fine without blocking the sink.

Once washed off, my skin did feel amazing, It felt smoother and silky, with some of the redness and soreness calmed. The dry patches on my cheeks were softer and my face felt totally hydrated, without being greasy.

However, I was so keen on Catastrophe Cosmetic I decided to keep using it all week- probably not a good idea. I felt that because I used it so often, my pores were producing more oils and I began to break out a little around my t-zone. This is a fault of my own, as I know face masks are supposed to be used as a weekly nourishment for your skin, and not a daily cleanser.

I would recommend Catastrophe Cosmetic as a weekly treat, especially if you have dry/sensitive skin. I am unsure if it would work on oily skin, but Lush usually hand out free samples if you are not sure, so I would ask for one before parting with the £6.50 price tag.

9/10

Snowcake soap

Snowcake was never really a soap that appealed to me when I first saw it in 2013. Although the design was simple yet pretty, with a solid white block topped with engraved patterns and gold lustre, I wasn't overly keen on the smell as it wasn't like any of my 'usual' sugary sweet candy favourites.

Fast forward a year, and when this became available again in the limited edition Christmas product selections, I decided after buying a slice of Yog Nog that I would have a look and smell of this soap again and see what I thought this time round.

I was intrigued with the smell of Snowcake, and pleasantly surprised at the soft, yet comforting almond aroma. It wasn't overpowering, but it was a nice change from the other soaps in the LUSH range that I buy, that can sometimes be quite strong. The scent reminded me of the marzipan used on Christmas cakes, and that along with the pretty design and creamy-looking texture persuaded me to part with my money for a couple of slices.

Snowcake is the easiest-lathering soap I have ever purchased from LUSH, it literally foams within seconds of massaging it across your skin, and doesn't need any help from a shower puff or sponge to help it. However, it is a soap which easily shrinks, so I recommend that you don't handle it under the water for longer than you need to, and after you have finished using it, rest it in a cool, dry place.

I found after using this soap, my skin felt clean, but it wasn't dry so it is obviously quite a moisturising, yet cleansing bar.

Although this soap is decorated in lustre, it doesn't end up on you, and after a couple of uses, it wears off and you are left with a simple, white bar of soap with no added 'bits',

Snowcake is a surprising favourite of mine, and I regret passing it by two years ago just because I didn't want to venture out of my comfort zone of scents and try something new. I will definitly pick up more this year if LUSH bring it back, and I hope they re-release their limited edition Snowcake shower gel- I've never managed to try it and it's something I would definitely be interested in.

8.5/10

Wiccy Magic Muscles massage bar

When I was in Lush last week, I went to one of the shelves at the side of the shop, where there was several massage bars. I remembered trying out Wiccy Magic Muscles a few years ago, and not really enjoying it, but somehow I decided to give it another go and see if it had changed at all since Lush reformuated their bars to an aerated formula.

The shop assistant particularly recommended using this massage bar as a solid moisturiser as the oils in it would help my dry skin, and the beans in the bar were ideal for massaging legs and feet to help relax me before sleeping.

Wiccy Magic Muscles is a massage bar available from Lush's regular range and the first massage bar I ever tried. I decided to give it a go on a whim one day, while browsing the massage bars for the first time. The bar was wrapped in a paper bag and given to me.

When I took it home, I tried it out after I'd had a bath to put some moisture back into my skin. After massaging it in, taking care not to apply too much oil, my skin felt pretty tingly and warming. It felt a little different at first, but I imagine people with pulled muscles would appreciate the sensation which is very similar to using deep heat products.

I was a little skeptical about the beads, as I bought this bar a few years ago before Lush reformulated their massage bars, and they seemed to fall out immediately after first use. However the second time I bought this (last week), none of the beads have slipped out yet, and I have used the bar around five times.


The scent of this bar is quite a potent fusion of peppermint and cinnamon (with the peppermint coming out on top), so I would recommend that unless you like the smell, you either keep it in another room or go for another massage bar instead. I wasn't overly keen on the scent a few years ago, but now I actually quite like it. It is strong, and can be overbearing if overused, but a little of this bar goes a long way and it can be pleasant. It is also quite a unisex smell so guys could use this before/after exercising on sore muscles and enjoy it too.

Overall, I might buy this again when the one I am currently using runs out, but I look forward to trying other bars from Lush's range, such as Pearl, and Each Peach.

Rating: 6.5/10

Recipes-Pancakes

Although pancake day has passed, I found this recipe online last week while I was away, and I thought I'd share it as it's the best one I have used. You can use different toppings, and as the pancake recipe doesn't contain sugar, you could use savoury toppings such as smoked salmon or ham and cheese.

This recipe will make four large pancakes or several small scotch style pancakes

110g plain flour

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

200ml semi-skimmed milk mixed with 75ml water

50g butter

To serve- toppings of your choice

My favourites are

Nutella (either on it's own or topped with banana slices)
Maple syrup
Lemon juice and sugar
Jam

Method

First of all sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl with the sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing.

Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs using an electric whisk or a balloon whisk – incorporating any bits of flour from around the edge of the bowl as you do so.

When the mixture starts thicken, gradually add small quantities of the milk and water mixture, still whisking (don't worry about any lumps as they will eventually disappear as you whisk).

When all the liquid has been added, use a rubber spatula to scrape any elusive bits of flour from around the edge into the centre, then whisk once more until the batter is smooth, with the consistency of thin cream.

Now melt the butter in the pan. Spoon 2 tablespoons of it into the batter and whisk it in, then pour the rest into a bowl and use it when needed to lubricate the pan, using a wodge of kitchen paper to smear it round. 



Now get the pan really hot, then turn the heat down to medium and, to start with, do a test pancake to see if you're using the correct amount of batter. I find 1¾ tablespoons (35mls) about right for the Delia Online Frying Pan.

It's also helpful if you spoon the batter into a ladle or a small coffee cup so it can be poured into the hot pan in one go. Hold the ladle so that the base is very close to the bottom of the pan then pour in.

As soon as the batter hits the hot pan, tip it around from side to side to get the base evenly coated with batter. If you have any holes in it, add a teaspoon of the mixture just to fill them in. It should take only half a minute or so to cook; you can lift the edge with a palette knife to see if it's tinged gold as it should be.

Flip the pancake over with a pan slice or palette knife – the other side will need a few seconds only – then simply slide it out of the pan on to a plate.


Top your pancakes with whatever toppings you have, or simply enjoy them plain with a little butter.

SOURCE: http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/basic-pancakes.html

Unicorn Horn bubble bar

For Valentines day, LUSH release a few limited edition products, and this was one of the first ones that jumped out at me to try, due mostly to the beautiful, colourful design. It is a slim cone design, with stripes of turquoise, purple, yellow and pink, dotted with little multicoloured stars.

Looking at Unicorn Horn, I expected a fruity or candy scent, but was surprised to find out that it smelled of lavender. It isn't an Potpourri air-freshener type of scent, it's more a sweeter, less overwhelming aroma, a little like Twilight bath bomb.

Crumbling this bubble bar into the water is very easy, once exposed to water it falls apart quickly into soft grains and dissolves in the water, creating a good amount of bubbles and a lilac coloured water. Depending on whether you like muted colours, or not, you may be disappointed that the rainbow shades of the bar don't make your bath water multiple colours.

However, it is very relaxing with the soothing smell and the soft, subtle lilac colour. The water is soft and moisturises your skin too. 

If I could make one criticism about this bubble bar, it seems that the bubbles created don't last very long, and you are mostly left with the lilac water on it's own. 

Unicorn Horn is probably not my favourite bubble bar, but it's a great relaxing one for before bed, and a good one to try out, especially as it's limited edition and might not be back next year.

7/10

Rock Star soap

Every time I visit lush, I am always drawn to the big wheels and blocks of soap, they remind me of cheese counters. Picking out the perfect soap to try, having a piece sliced off and wrapped in greaseproof paper, then taking it home to enjoy.

Rock Star is part of Lush's permanent range, and although it isn't particularly fancy from the outside as a plain pink block with white star imprints, the smell is what drew me to this one, and it's remained one of my favourites since.

When your slice of rock star is cut, it is simply a plain pink block - if you're lucky, your piece may have  star imprint inside, although mine never has, but it doesn't affect the quality of the soap in any way

The scent of Rock Star soap is a girly, creamy, candyfloss mixture.  It smells of vanilla, with cotton candy, and just a subtle hint of coconut.  There is also a slight floral aroma, although it's very faint- this is more a gourmand type of aroma, rather than a flowery one.

If you enjoy creamy candy bubble bar, and the Christmas candy mountain bubble bar, you will be glad to know this shares the same sugary sweet scent.

As a hand soap or in the shower, this is quite a soft soap and lathers up nicely. The scent remains on your skin faintly but does last fairly well, although you will still need to moisturise afterwards as it can unfortunately dry your skin out.

As this soap is quite soft, left under the water it will melt and dissolve very quickly. My best tip for this is don’t handle it under the tap or the shower head for too long, and when you are finished, pat it dry and leave it in a cool, dry place.

For 100g of Rock Star soap, it costs £3.40

Overall, I love the scent of this soap, it is in my top 3 LUSH scents ever.  I just wish they'd re release creamy candy lotion and perfume which have the same scent, so I could layer it.

I would also recommend this soap for fans of Snow Fairy, because although it doesn't share the same scent (Regular product 'Godmother soap' has the Snow Fairy scent), it provides another take on the sugary sweet scents lush has to offer.

Rating- 9/10

Lush Cocktail- Candied Rosie

Sorry I have not posted for so long, I have been pretty busy this week on a break away, so there may be a delay of posts until Saturday. 

As Lush cocktails are very popular among lush fans, I have decided to post a recipe to one of my favourite ones. I haven’t actually got any pictures of it to show you as I did this cocktail last week before I went away, but I hope my descriptions do it justice.

YOU WILL NEED

1/4 of a snow fairy sparkle bar (if you can bear to cut it!)
A few drops of snow fairy (around a couple of teaspoons’ worth)
Rose Jam bubbleroon (half)
PEARL massage bar OR the rest of your snow fairy sparkle bar

1. Run the bath, and as it’s running, crumble half the bubbleroon in. It will get to work and produce pale pink water, a sweet rose jam smell and lots of fluffy bubbles.

2. Drop in the snow fairy, and even more bubbles will be produced as well as a candy scent that is sweet but isn’t overpowering.

3. When the taps are off , drop the sparkle bar quarter in. It will act as a bath melt, and as it slowly dissolves,  puddles of sparkly, pink oil will float along the surface of your pink, bubbly water.

4. Afterwards, massage your skin with PEARL massage bar to lock in even more rose-jam scent. If you are more a snow fairy fiend, you could use the rest of your snow fairy sparkle bar to massage yourself instead.

This is a great cocktail with those who have a sweet tooth but also appreciate the floral tone in Rose Jam. It is sweet, but not overpoweringly sickly, and the melted massage bar makes it particularly moisturizing.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe!

Shimmy Shimmy glitter bar

Shimmy Shimmy massage bar is something from LUSH that I’ve always been meaning to try, but it often gets overshadowed by the seasonal ‘snow fairy sparkle’ massage bar and I never managed to try it out until last week. This is part of LUSH’s permanent range, so can be picked up throughout the year. 

I never really noticed the scent of this bar until I got home and unwrapped it from it’s paper bag- it smells of the American Cream conditioner! I am unsure if this is a well known fact or not, as I know there are a LOT of fans of the American cream conditioner scent that haven’t managed to get their hands on the rare perfume or lotion- this could be a great alternative- as long as you like glitter!

And what a lot of glitter there is. Unlike the snow fairy sparkle bar, which is a soft glitter core surrounded by a fairly soft pink fairy ‘shell’, this bar is purely a off-white colour with tiny particles of silver/gold glitter running through it in their thousands. It is also quite a ‘hard’ massage bar compared to Snow Fairy Sparkle, making it less likely to squish and make a mess.

Rubbing this bar on your skin transfers a large amount of glitter and is good for highlighting places such as cheekbones, cleavage, and if you are wearing a strappy top or dress, legs and arms. It brings out a tan, but if you have pale skin, it also looks really nice.

Most people may say that this is a bar best suited to nights out, but in my opinion it looks great during the day when the sun hits the glitter, and I am planning on wearing a little bit of this to college.

I can’t really say the scent is particularly long-lasting or this bar moisturises incredibly well, but to be honest, I think the glitter is the selling point of this bar, and if you wanted something a bit more moisturising for dry skin, you wouldn’t really be looking at this bar.

This bar is 30g, which is about half the size of the bars such as Hottie, Each peach and Wiccy magic muscles, but it is a harder consistency and doesn’t seem to wear down as quickly when using it.

It costs 4.95 and would make an ideal gift…I will buy another when mine runs out and just regret waiting so long to try it!

8/10

Rose Jam bubbleroon

Rose jam bubbleroon is a bubble bar scented of (you guessed it!) roses. I am not normally a huge fan of floral scents (I prefer the foodie scents), but rose jam has converted me to liking them. I first got given one of these from my sister, but have since returned to lush to buy more.

The bubbleroon (named after the macaron cookie) looks like two small pink mounds, stuck together by a creamy splodge of coconut oil filling. It looks fairly simple compared to Lush’s other colourful, patterned bubble bars, but it’s still cute.

You can use this bubbleroon over two baths, by breaking it in half. Get one half of your bubbleroon and crumble it under a running tap. This is quite a soft bubble bar, so it is easy to squish up into little crumbs. It makes the water a pale pink colour, and the water feels rich and silky with tons of bubbles. Keep your spare half of your bubbleroon in your clothes drawer until you need it- it’ll keep your clothes smelling beautiful.

The smell of rose jam bubbleroon is not a traditional, ‘natural’ floral aroma. It is an ultra sweet, sugary, rich rose scent, intertwined with a hint of lemon. It is very similar to the popular sweet, Turkish delight. After you have used the bubbleroon, the scent lingers on your skin for a while, and the coconut oil smoothes any rough or dry patches.

Rose jam bubbleroon is quite expensive, coming in at £3.65. But it makes a lovely treat, maybe as a stocking filler, or a birthday present.

If you enjoy the scent of Rose jam bubbleroon, make sure to try Pearl massage bar, Ro’s argan body conditioner, Rose jam shower gel (limited edition), and Jason and the argan oil solid shampoo.

Overall this is a product I’ll return to time and time again, if I want something sweet and luxurious.

Rating 9/10

Ickle baby bot bath bomb

ickle baby bot bath bomb

When you go into lush you often see big plates and baskets heaped with scented bath bombs in different colourful shapes and sizes.

 Ickle Baby bot is one of the smaller, more plainer coloured bath bombs, in a cute robot design, that may not catch your attention at first, but will stand out as being one of Lush’s cheapest items. It costs £1.95.

I had honestly picked this up, as I had a couple of pounds left over from the other items I bought, and I noticed that although this was recommended for kids, it is marked as sleep-inducing, which seemed ideal as my sleeping pattern is annoying- some days I get way too much sleep, others hardly any, so I hoped this might help to regulate my sleeping pattern a little more.

This bath bomb is pretty small compared to the other cricket-ball sized bath bombs in the range, but it smells nice and soothing, with a natural lavender and chamomile fragrance. There is no visible ‘bits’ or glitter on the bath bomb, which is probably part of the reason that this is well-suited to babies and young children with sensitive skin.

Dropping the bath bomb under hot bath water, it fizzes away very quickly and turns the water a pale shade of blue. If you are expecting a ‘show’ with this bath bath bomb, you will probably be quite disappointed. But this bath bomb doesn’t claim to have any extras, so if you are looking for a glittery/colourful bath bomb, you will most likely decide to buy something else.

The bath water felt fairly soft - not the silkiest water from a bath bomb I’ve ever had, but this is probably due to it being so small and designed for a baby bath- and the scent did last well.

Afterwards, I did feel more relaxed and tired, but pretty much the same as when I use my regular lavender/chamomile bubble bath from Radox.

Overall, I would probably not buy this again, unless it was for a treat and I was stressed out, as although my regular bubble bath doesn’t soften the water, it offers more uses and a relaxing experience at a cheaper cost.

Rating: 7/10

American Cream conditioner

American Cream conditioner

Lush do a large selection of shampoos and conditioners, so after having a look online at a few, I picked up the smallest size of American cream- a ‘double strength, milkshake-thick conditioner’, to try on my hair.

I have had bleached hair for around four years now, and have tried all sorts of different colours before settling for a bright blue (which I’ve had almost 3 years). Fortunately, my hair dye is conditioning, so doesn’t damage my hair too much, but the fact I have my roots bleached every 3 months, and I straighten my hair most days, means I have dry, easily tangled hair, that requires a lot of conditioning.

American cream is available in 3 sizes, 100g, 250g or 500g. To start off with, I bought the smallest size, incase I didn’t like the conditioner, as it is quite a pricey option.

The conditioner comes in a bottle, with a flip cap at the top. There are good and bad things about this packaging. It is good, because it’s sturdy and no water can get in, but bad, because you might struggle to get every bit of conditioner out as some could settle at the bottom.

Flipping the bottle open, the smell is very nice. I wouldn’t relate it to a milkshake at all, though. To me, it smells slightly fruity, and herby, with lavender notes coming through. It’s a complicated scent with lots of layers to it.

For a double strength conditioner, this seemed pretty thin to me, but thick enough so it wasn’t spilling and dripping everywhere. I squeezed the excess moisture out and smoothed the conditioner over my hair as normal. It seemed to almost absorb in my hair, so I kept returning for seconds, thirds and fourths, and the 100g bottle was almost done after first use.

After waiting 5 minutes, I rinsed, and my hair still felt pretty knotty after use. I dried off my hair and struggled to tug a brush through it. When I use my regular conditioner, it brushes easily, but  American cream seemed to be not strong enough to tame the kinks and knots.

It didn’t remove any of my hair colour, but it didn’t make it anymore ‘radiant’ either, although it doesn’t make any promises to do this. However, my hair did have a great scent that lasted throughout the day.

I tried using this conditioner again, but it was still producing unsatisfactory results, so I ‘topped up’ with my regular l’oreal conditioner, which made the use of the American cream seem almost pointless.

American cream is a fairly expensive conditioner, priced at £4.50 for 100g, £8.95 for 250g and a hefty £14.25 for 500g

I may try American cream out again, but maybe as a conditioner only for the days when my hair is greasy.

Rating: 5.5/10 

Blousey Shampoo

Lush do a large selection of shampoos and conditioners, so after having a look online at a few, I picked up the full size of Blousey- one of the most expensive, but highly recommended for dyed and damaged hair.

I have had bleached hair for around four years now, and have tried all sorts of different colours before settling for a bright blue (which I’ve had almost 3 years). Fortunately, my hair dye is conditioning, so doesn’t damage my hair too much, but the fact I have my roots bleached every 3 months, and I straighten my hair most days, means I have dry, easily tangled hair, that requires a lot of conditioning.

Blousey comes in a large tub, with a screw top lid. There are good and bad things about this packaging. It is good, because you can get every last scrap of product out of it, so you arent wasting money. But bad, because you can end up getting water in the tub when you are in the shower.

When you unscrew the tub, the smell is quite overpowering, and I must say…I’m not a fan at all. The scent is based on ‘English country gardens’, and is supposed to be a mixture of floral and berries. Some people often say they can smell bananas in this shampoo, but all I could smell was pickle. Overpowering gherkin pickle. It wasn’t great, but I decided to press on regardless, and see if it helped my hair.

As you can see by the picture, the colour and texture of the shampoo is a little odd, a brown/beige mix with banana seeds in it, but It lathered up well and was easy enough to rinse out.

I found that when I used this shampoo, my hair felt dry and tangly (more so than with other brands), and a hell of a lot of hair dye came out. After I rinsed it out, I had to use even more conditioner than normal.

I kept on using this shampoo, but I had to stop after around 6 uses, as too much of my dye was coming out and my hair was feeling damaged. I was prety disappointed by the performance of this shampoo, especially for the price.

This shampoo costs £18 for a 240g tub. I feel that it’s an expensive investment - make sure you try a sample before you buy the whole tub.

I am thinking of trying ‘fair trade honey’ by lush next, although after trying this and another lush shampoo that didn’t work for me, as well as a conditioner which wasn’t much use either, I am reluctant to part with more money for something that will potentially not work on my hair.

Rating: 4/10

Snow Fairy Sparkle massage bar

Snow fairy sparkle bar is a small bar in the shape of a pale pink fairy, it is quite small and chunky. I have only seen this bar two years running, and I’m unsure if it has been around longer. The 2014 design has slightly changed from last year, it is slightly thicker and a paler shade of pink. In the middle of the pink bar there is a soft core of shimmery white lustre.

The scent of this bar is what sets it apart from all the other Lush massage bars- it is scented with Lush’s Snow Fairy scent. This is a lovely bubblegum, cotton candy, sweet smell. It is very girly and quite a ‘foodie’ sort of scent. The bar is full of nourishing shea and murmuru butters to nourish and soften the skin.

The snow fairy scent is available in a few seasonal products, including massage bar, shower gel, bubble bar and bath bomb format, as well as in regular products ‘Godmother’ soap and bubblegum lip scrub, so you can layer up the scent, which is what I am planning to do.

Snow Fairy was also available as a limited edition perfume around two years ago, but I never managed to pick it up and I am not going to pay through the nose for a second-hand bottle from Ebay. The Snow fairy sparkle bar is a great little alternative to this, as the scent lasts a while and it can be rubbed along where you would normally spray your perfume and topped up when needed.

People have suggested squishing up the Snow Fairy massage bar so you can get a bit of pink bar and the glitter core on your skin, but I just rub the bar on my skin and wear it down. I don’t always get an even distribution of glitter but this doesn’t really bother me.

You can either use the Snow Fairy sparkle bar to give someone a massage or use it on yourself as a luxurious perfumed body moisturiser. This bar melts fairly quickly, Another good idea is using the leftover bit of your massage bar as a luxury bath melt, just put it in the bath water and allow the oils to disperse over the surface of the water.

Just make sure you keep the bar in a cool, dry place, as it melts quite quickly when exposed to heat and if you aren’t careful you could end up with a pool of pink glittery oil (I have made that mistake once!).

The bar cost £4.80 full price (I bought one full price), and then went to half price in the boxing day sale, where I bought four…seems a lot, but these are limited edition and I wanted to stock up until next Christmas!.

I recommend these and although the price is a little high, it’s a nice treat and would make a good stocking filler or secret santa gift.

Rating: 10/10

Snow Fairy shower gel

Every Christmas, Lush Cosmetics release a selection of limited Edition products, including Bath Bombs, Body lotions, Bubble Bars, Shower gels, and Massage Bars

Lush Snow Fairy is an extremely popular shower gel released for a limited time around Christmas. It is bright pink in colour and smells very sweet, a bit different from Lush’s usual ‘natural’ scents.

The bottle is clear with a pink label with Snow Fairy in white lettering. The gel inside is bubblegum- pink and shot through with iridescent glitter. Once poured, it is medium-thick in consistency and you can see tiny pieces of glitter in it.

It lathers up well, especially with a shower puff, and cleanses your body nicely. The scent elevates in the shower and it can sometimes become overwhelming and intense, especially first thing in the morning. It has a very strong sweet, foodie, girlie smell of candyfloss and bubblegum. It also reminds me a little of Calpol, in a good way.

There is no glitter left on you after rinsing, and the scent doesn’t last long on your skin, so if you are looking for a long-lasting scent, you may be disappointed. The shower gel is not particularly moisturising either, so you may need to top up with a body butter, oil or lotion afterwards (I recommend Snow Fairy sparkle bar, which is a solid glittery massage bar with the same scent that can be used as a rich moisturiser).

You can also use this shower gel as a shampoo, which I have tried. It is good, but I prefer using a shampoo for colour-treated hair.

Snow Fairy comes in 100g, 250g and 500g bottles. This shower gel is quite pricey, 100g retails at £3.75, 250g at £7.50 and 500g at £11.95. It is often available between Boxing day and January at half price, but this is when it tends to get snapped up very fast as lots of people love it.

I bought one 250g bottle at full price when it was first released, and in the half price sale I managed to grab four 250g bottles of it to last me throughout the year until it is released again. It seems extravagant but this really is my favourite shower gel.

The downsides of this shower gel is that it does contain a lot of artificial perfume and is probably one of the least natural products lush produce. However, I am willing to overlook this for the lovely unique scent and how clean it makes my skin feel. 

If you love Snow Fairy, make sure you try Magic Wand Bubble bar, Snow fairy sparkle bar, Father Christmas bath bomb, and regular (sold all year) products Godmother soap and Bubblegum lip scrub. They all share the same delicious scent. There was also a Snow fairy perfume released a couple of years ago, you may be lucky and be able to pick up a bottle on Ebay, but you will probably end up paying through the nose for it (a good alternative is the Snow fairy sparkle bar).

Overall, I would definitely recommend this and suggest you pick up a bottle. If you are unsure, go to Lush and ask for a sample- the shop assistants are lovely and are always willing to help. Remember, you can only buy this shower gel between October and January so grab some before they stop selling it.

Rating: 10/10