Shoplog | London Haul – Part I

Last November (ages ago, I know) I went to London for a pre-holiday shopping trip. The result was a big suitcase that was barely hanging in there to keep itself together because of all of the stuff I bought. You could say it was a pretty successful shopping trip. Today I’ll finally show you what I bought, which is mostly beauty stuff. Apart from fashion, London is also a true beauty mecca and there were so many things on my wish list I wanted to give a try.

Before I start showing you my haul I need to mention that 1) this trip was meant to do damage 2) I usually don’t shop as much 3) by no means is this post meant to brag 4) of course I don’t need all of this stuff, I just enjoy to try new things and blog about my experiences 5) the items shown make up a collective haul from my 2 trips to London trips last year and finally 6) did I mention what a shopping mecca London is? Anyway, because I got quite a lot I’ll need to split it up into several posts, plus I’ve got a post with some tips for places to visit coming up as well. Btw sorry for the crappy pictures! I was in a hurry to take them after work when it was still light out.

The Body Shop

The Body Shop always has awesome gift sets for the holidays and since I missed the chance to grab one up the year before, I couldn’t let the Ginger Sparkle Shower, Scrub & Moisture collection slip through my fingers again. It comes in a lovely gingerbread man tin case and contains the Ginger Sparkle Shower Gel (250 ml), Body Butter (50 ml), Body Polish (75 ml) and Soap (25 g). I also got the HoneyMania Bubble Bath Melt which you’ve probably seen already if you follow me on instagram. It smells sooo good! Lastly I got 2 accessories for cleansing/exfoliating; the Skin Sponge for the body and a muslin cloth to use together with my Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser. So much more effective than using your hands or a regular wash cloth!

Yankee Candle

I blame this purchase entirely on my blogger friends (I’m looking at you Hanne, Lisha, Kelly & Steph!) I’m a sucker for scented candles and when I learned about this brand I was desperate to give it a try. They’re available at Boots, but I happened to stumble upon a store in filled with these delicious scented yumminess. Dear Lord there were so many to choose from. Luckily it was on the last day, so my suitcase was pretty much full or this could’ve been a lot worse! Just look at how cute they are. I got a medium jar and sampler in Fireside Treats, 3 small jars in Pink Sands, Beach Walk and Clean Cotton, and then some more samplers (jars are heavy yo) in Midsummers Night, Snow in Love, Sun & Sand and Merry Marshmallow.

John Lewis

 Another scented candle brand purchase I got Hanne to thank for is Lily Flame. I got a tin version of Fairy Dust and a big jar of Snow Fall. I was also in need of a new cleanser and I heard lots of good things about he Cleanse & Polish from Liz Earle. This here is a limited edition gift set of the cleanser (150 ml) that also has 2 muslin cloths. I can’t wait to try this once I finish my current one. Noticed the shopping bag in the background? John Lewis had one of the most heartwarming Christmas ads I had ever seen and the characters of their little animation commercial were featured everywhere. So cute.

Victoria’s Secret

What’s a trip to London without a little visit to Victioria’s Secret? They have the cutest stuff. I’m particularly fond of their Pink range, which is targeted at a slightly younger audience. Think flashy colours, tongue-in-cheek text, fun prints and comfy yet sexy shapes. At 25£ for 5 panties that’s an absolute bargain. Also make sure to check out their beauty range, which smells absolutely amazing. I picked up 2 body mists in Wild At Heart and Sweet & Flirty and I noticed the packaging had changed compared to the one of my previous trip (right bottle). You can do really great deals if you buy multiple products.

& Other Stories

Then there’s my favourite new retailer of 2013; & Other Stories (who will be opening 2 stores in Belgium this year btw! Can I get a wh00p wh00p?!). Amazing fashion-forward clothes & accessories and a beauty range to die for, that’s & Other Stories in short. I picked up a small black leather card holder for my business cards which looks like an envelope. Unlike what we’re used to from sister-brand H&M, it’s made out of real leather. I’m very satisfied about the quality. Of course I had to pick up some of their beauty stuff too, which comes in the prettiest packaging. I got the Chambray Blue mascara, 2 Body Mists in Equatorial Dreams (so sad this is a limited edition) and Fig Fiction, a Body Soufflé in Couture Carnival, an Applebloom Pink blush, a lipstick in Burdet Orange and 4 mono eyeshadows: Moreen Blue, Beaupers Midnight, Worsteed Aubergine and Samite Russet.

Lush

You either love it or you hate it, but I freakin’ adore the Sugar Fairy Scent from Lush. Since they had just released their Christmas collection I just couldn’t pass on grabbing some items that had this sugar sweet fragrance. And since Lush is a little cheaper in the UK, I had little to hold me back. I got the Snow Fairy Sparkle Massage Bar, the Melting Marshmallow Moment Luxury Bath Melt, the Candy Mountain Bubble Bar and one that has been on my wish list for so long: the Magic Wand Bubble Bar. I haven’t used them yet even though I’m dying to. Instead, I just keep them out in the open so my entire room smells like a Lush store.

That was all for today, but stay tuned but there’s a lot more where that came from coming up real soon! In the meantime if there’s anything you are curious about and would like me to review, just leave me a comment 🙂

Disclaimer: The items in this post were all purchased by me.