Going to School or Work sick?

Hey guys! So recently there have been a lot of viruses and nastiness going around just in time for the end of Christmas break. Great. Now in times of need you can take a break from school or work in order to recover, I mean hey that's why we have sick leave, but sometimes you just have to battle on. This is extremely evident if like me you have a reoccurring condition that always likes to rear it's ugly head in the most inconvenient of times. So this is my quick guide to how to carry on your normal day to day life when you feel like doing nothing more then curling up under your duvet with a hot drink and your laptop.

• Water - Now if you're the kind of person that doesn't normally carry a bottle of water with them on a day to day basis doing so when you're sick is vital. I know they can be inconvenient to carry about as they're heavy and can spill but they really do make a difference so even a tiny bottle can help. Take small sips throughout the day to help keep you hydrated and if you find you have to take pills you have something to wash them down with.
• Pills - For me personally this is always a last resort but if you're going to be out all day make sure you have a decent stock of any pills you may need. Just be sure to read the packets first and take the correct dosages.
• Explain - If you have a class explain to your teacher that you're not feeling great and may have to leave in the middle of a class, most of the time they will be sympathetic and just happy that you've still made the effort to come.
• Plan - If you are experiencing any symptoms that may mean you have to quickly use a toilet such as vomiting* make sure you know where the nearest ones are so if you suddenly find yourself in an awkward situation you know where to go
• Relax - Stressing over your situation will make you feel so much worse just stay calm and things will go a lot smoother. Panicking will lead to your body thinking there is something really wrong and may make your symptoms worse
• Contact - Always keep a phone on you or money for a pay phone so if you suddenly find you are to sick to stay in that situation you have a way to contact someone to come get you. This is more applicable to people who can't drive yet.

So they're my basic tips to surviving a day out while feeling like death. *It is really important to remember though if you are really sick or contagious please do just stay at home and rest you'll be doing yourself and the people around you a huge favor.

Love and TubTubs

Alexi Metal Pirate

Disclaimer: This guide is designed for those experiencing mild sickness such as period pains, IBS attacks, nausea or panic attacks. I'm not a medical professional in any way so please do go and see a doctor about your illnesses especially if they are severe or reoccurring. It is very important not attend school or work if you are contagious. All information is from personal experience and not based on any medical documentation.

Gadi 21 Mineral Nail Kit

Hey guys! So recently I went on a shopping trip to look through the January sales and pick up some make-up storage boxes that I had pre-ordered and while I was walking through the shopping center I was approached by a woman asking if I had a minute to try the nail care she was selling. Now normally I'm quite weary of these people as in my experience I found they're either really pushy in their sales technique and make me feel uncomfortable or are a complete scam. Seeing as I was in a good mood though I agreed and let her mess about with one of my nails and that's how I discovered this awesome little set.

What this kit consists of is a 200ml hand lotion, a four sided nail buffer, some cuticle oil and a nail file and this is how it works. Firstly you file your nails into the shape you want them then you use the buffer, all the instructions for the buffer are on the side of the product so it's easy to follow, and it leaves you with the most amazing shiny nails I've ever seen. It looked as though I had clear nail varnish on! Finally you finish off your nails with the cuticle oil and slap on some hand cream if you wish, quick, easy and looks awesome.

I'm not a huge nail person in all honesty, my hands are super tiny therefore I have almost non-existent nails which are thin and break easily so my nail care goes about as far as slapping some nail polish. However I'm currently in the process of growing my nails out after many years of nail biting and this makes them look so beautiful I don't want to bite them in fear of messing up the manicure. Also I don't know how many of you know this but I'm currently studying science which means when I have a lab class I'm not aloud to wear nail varnish so this is perfect for people like me who can't wear nail varnish because of their studies or profession because it really keeps your nails looking nice. As for the cuticle oil and hand cream I have honestly never used a cuticle oil before so I have nothing to compare that to but the hand lotion really is great, not greasy, smells lovely and fresh (there are three scents to choose from, I got the Ocean scent) and leaves hands moisturized.

The only downside of this product is the price, I went onto the Gadi 21 website to see exactly how much this retails for and found out it was £30. I brought mine from the stall in the shopping center for £20 because the woman serving me gave me a student discount but even then it's still a pretty steep price. The other negative of this product is you can't buy the items separately so if you want a new buffer you have to order an entire new set which I could see adding up very quickly. On the other hand though there's no need to use this more then once a week as the effects do last and on my receipt I was given a three year guarantee where they would replace the buffer surfaces for free however I lost my receipt so can't really comment on the service of that.

So all in all this is a really nice product and I really recommended it if you're into nails or in a job where you can't have painted nails. However I think people who always have painted nails or aren't to fussed about their nails should give this one a miss as it is quite pricy.

So have any of you guys seen the Gadi 21 sets in your local shopping centers? Also are any of you like me and desperately try to avoid eye contact with stall workers so you won't get dragged into sampling their products. Let me know in the comments and don't forget to follow my blog :)

Love and TubTubs

Alexi

Tubby Tuesdays | Christmas Celebrations

Heyo all! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year, I know I did! In the weeks leading up to Christmas I had a great time joining in with all the festivities with my family, you know the usual steeling the noms off the bottom of the tree,snoozing and I even helped my Gran with the wrapping...who may I add was less then grateful and told me to bring the ribbon back. Rude.

I don't know how many of you saw but my Mam insisted on sticking me in this red and white fluffy hat and then proceeding to stick a camera in my face. As if this wasn't bad enough she then went and edited it all Christmas like before putting it up on Facebook as an E-Card. Cheers Mam, mind you I got some lovely gifts for Christmas! My Great Granny got me some lovely cuddly toys for me and Ash to play tug of war with and I got a lovely stocking with all sorts of bits and bobs in from my Granny and finally some lovely rawhide sticks and Christmas tree treats from my Mam. I'ma lucky Tubby!

After this lovely giving of food and toys I had a great play in the mound of wrapping paper and boxes before they were rudely taken from me. This is when the humans settled down for food and my mission began of winding around under the table in hopes of food being dropped down to me. Sadly this mission went on failed, however just as I was about to give up my Gran lifted me up onto her lap and fed me the remainder of the turkey on her plate I ate and ate untill I was utterly stuffed...and that's when this happened...

Okay so maybe I ate too much, but that is no reason to take pictures of me! So Christmas came and went and I snuggled up in bed for the night. A few days passed and I wasn't starting to feel too great...However I hear the familiar jingle of leads being picked up so i'ma go off for my walk now. Not to worry though, I'll see you on the next Tubby-Tuesday and continue my Christmas tail!

Love and ME

Tub-Tub

Lush Review: You've Been Mangoed

Hey guys, so today I'm going to do my first review of a Lush bath melt on this site. This was recommended to me by a store assistant in Bluewater in earlier this summer and for some reason I've only just gotten around to using this.

Now in some of the pictures I've seen of this product it appears a vivid orange, sadly in person this is not the case and it is more of a muted orange but very pretty none the less. Now despite the name it doesn't particularly smell like mango, more of an orange scent with a hint of mango and a slight soapy undertone that goes away once placed in the bath. It has a very strong citrus scent therefore making it perfect for summer, however it is also a very strong scent, being one of Lush's smaller melts I wasn't expecting much from the scent once in the bath but this is defiantly one of those products that will have your whole house smelling lovely. 

It leaves the bath water a pale orange color with a very milky and moisturizing texture as a bath melt should, however it also melts very quickly in and out of water so this isn't a product I'd recommend leaving in your car on a hot day, mine was only in the car for about an hour whilst driving home and as you can see it is slightly melted in some places. The only other downside of this product is that it is quite small so it's not very practical to break up and really only does one bath which is a bit of a bummer considering the price. Overall I do quite like the product even though the scent isn't really my cup o' tea I think it is a great product for those who would like an energizing citrus smelling bath. What are you guy's opinions on You've been Mangoed?

RRP - £3.10

Overall Rating - 7/10

Until next time, Love & TubTubs

Alexi Metal Pirate

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation Comparison

Hey guys! So recently I've been on the search for a new daily foundation and have heard amazing things about the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. So I went down to my local drugstore to pick it up and realized there where two different types, one being marketed as a serum/foundation the other marketed as the regular foundation. Now I hadn't heard anything about the two different kinds so had no idea which one would be better for my skin as the packaging was rather uninformative, so what did I do? Picked both up to review them for you lovely lot!

Left: Healthy Mix Serum. Right: Healthy Mix Regular

So the first thing I'm going to look at about these products is the packaging. At first glance I much preferred the packaging of the serum formula, it has a sleeker looking design with a red lid and what I originally thought was a glass bottle (turns out it's plastic after all, credit where credit's due though it is thick plastic!). However once I started using the products it became apparent that the regular formula had a much more practical design as in addition to the pump at the top it also has a base that moves up the foundation as you use it ensuring you get all the product out. Both products come with a pump, 30ml of product and are both fairly lightweight.

To truly compare these foundations I put the serum formula on the left side of my face and the regular on my right, I applied both with my fingers onto a freshly cleansed and moisturized face and set with a MAC pressed power on a fluffy brush. Both products were very bendable and sank right into the skin and had a dewy finish, the serum formula however was much more of a liquid constancy and felt lighter on the skin. I found both products looked almost identical when I had finished applying them and they gave a very natural finish whilst covering up my redness and freckles. I would recommend using this product with a concealer for any blemishes you have as it didn't do such a great job in covering them however this is a very good medium coverage foundation for everyday use which was exactly what I was looking for.

After a few hours I checked on the foundations and this is where I saw some downsides, the serum formula had settled into the fine lines around my eyes and although that was easy to correct by just re-blending I could see how it could become a pain to have to do on a regular basis. I also found that both foundations had completely vanished on my nose as my nose is very oily so I wouldn't recommend this foundation for people with super oily skin for this reason and it's dewy finish however for people with combination skin as long as you set it well with powder I think you should be fine. I'm not totally convinced by the 16 hour stay claim that is on the front of the bottles however the staying power of these foundations is quite good and they will easily last your average day out.

So over all I'm quite impressed with both these foundations, they're a great daily use products didn't break me out and only retail for apx £10 each so are great value for money. Overall though I have to say the regular healthy mix foundation is the winner for me, it's a lot easier to apply in the mornings as I can just put it on and forget about it for the day. I also feel that due to the packaging design that it's better value for money but maybe that's just me! Have any of you tried the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation or know of an even better daily foundation let me know in the comments!

Love and TubTubs

Alexi Metal Pirate

Lush Christmas Haul & Review

Hey guys! So despite it only being November you'll have been noticing all the festive lights and cheesy songs appearing all over town which means only one thing, Christmas is coming! In the holiday spirit Lush has just released their Christmas line for this year and I was in store like a shot to grab some goodies after sadly missing it last year. Yes I did have that awkward moment at the counter admitting I didn't need it wrapped as it was all for me and yes I did spend more than the budget I had given myself, but was it worth it? Yes.

Sorry for the blurry image, my lighting was poopy

BubbleBeard Bubble Bar - This is the first thing I spotted walking into the store and not going to lie I was sold just from its appearance, come on it's a glittery moustache on a stick! Don't judge me though I did give it a sniff before buying it and although it wasn't a scent I would normally go for it really is lovely. It's got a very clean scent but I couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, originally I thought it was a clean scent with an undertone of citrus but upon inspection of the website it actually contains Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Tonka, these ingredients do give it a slightly masculine scent but nothing over powering making this a great product for relaxing bubbly baths. RRP £4.95

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar - Firstly for those who have seen Charlie the Unicorn the name of this made me extremely happy but childishness aside this is a green and pink bubble bar that smells heavenly. It is a very sweet candy smell containing vanilla and candyfloss scents and I was also told by the woman serving me it smells a lot like the Creamy Candy bubble bar from the permanent line so I shall have to look into that! The only thing I will say about this product is although it looks beautiful at first the green does leave your bath a not so appealing colour so be warned. RRP £2.45

Christmas Eve Bubble Bar - I was on the fence about this one if I'm honest as I tend to prefer sweet scents so I brought this one purely to review but the more I smell it the more I love it. It's such a relaxing scent perfect for right before bed hence the name I guess. It contains Jasmine and that's all I can smell in this bubble bar, I'm yet to try this one in a bath but I've heard that the yellow and blue can turn your bath a not so pleasant green. RRP £2.95

Party Popper Bath Bomb - Before I even get started on this I want to say that I'm not 100% if this is a Christmas collection but seeing as its limited edition and it's Christmas time I'm going to say it is. This is the prettiest bath product I brought today in my opinion and it even leaves the bath water a nice colour afterwards (learn from this candy mountain!). It smells like fizzy fruit punch and even contains popping candy. Although it claims to wizz around the bath don't get your hopes up to much it just drifts like any other bath bomb, lovely none the less though. RRP £2.95

Snow Fairy Shower Gel - I normally don't listen to the hype around products to avoid disappointment but holy tubs this is the best smelling shower gel in the world. Ever. It smells like bubble-gum and pear-drops and is pink and glittery in appearance. I honestly don't have a single bad thing to say about this product; the only thing I can think of is that all the glitter in mine was at the bottom though nothing a shake didn't fix. I wish I'd gotten a larger bottle of this it's amazing I'm defiantly going to stock up! RRP £3.50 - £10.25

So that's all I got this time guys although I'm defiantly going to go back and pick up a few more things from this line that I refrained from buying today as well as picking about a million more bottles of snow fairy! What's your favourite thing in Lush's Christmas collection, or did anything really let you down this year? Let me know in the comments section and follow my blog for more Lush reviews.

Love and TubTubs

Alexi

Review: Matey Bubble Bath

Just a quick little update to tell you guys about something I picked up while doing the food shopping last fortnight. So I found this in the children's toiletry section (You know where the baby oil and the sponges shaped like cartoon characters are) and it is the Matey Bubble Bath. The one I picked up is the sailor but they also do a mermaid and a pirate which vary slightly, I've used the pirate one before and it was a different color and scent but it was still just as good.

All I have to say for this is that I love it, on days where I don't want to use my Lush products but still want a nice bath this ticks all the boxes. It smells like really sweet candy (the pirate one smells like bubblegum) , it's cheap and it's a lovely color but best of all it actually works and makes huge bubbles! As it's made for children it's also great for sensitive skin, keep in mind though this isn't designed to moisturize or do wonders for the skin so if that is what you're going for when you're pouring things into your bath this isn't for you unfortunately. I think this would also be something really nice to pick up for kids in your family as well as it does make bubbles unlike a lot of children's bubble baths and doesn't sting if they somehow get this into their eyes. (Anyone remember that kids no tears shampoo from years ago that smelt like watermelon but felt like acid if it went into the eyes? Yeh none of that.)

I am going to point out though, this product only does work if you use it exactly as the bottle recommend (as most products do), you have to pour this under a running tap to create bubbles. Just tipping a bit in after the bath is run won't cause the same effect and will lead to that sad layer of foam, and let's face it no one wants that. This really is a great find so why not pick it up next time you're out shopping, if it works who cares if it's made for kids?

RRP - £2.05

Rating - 10/10

Love & TubTubs

Alexi