Can I include trying new beauty products as a hobby?

I guess it be can, right?

Seeing as I love to write about reviews and hauls on all things beauty, I'm going to go with yes. I love trying new products, exploring new brands, and just spoiling myself to the extreme. I am sometimes influenced by trending products from the blogging scene, but most of the time I will be browsing a shop (online too), and something new will jump out at me. When I'm in a shop, I end up being that person who (when sample products are provided of course), will test out absolutely everything. My hands and forearms will be covered in different textures and scents, and usually a lot of glitters too!

I honestly don't know what attracts me to try new products, but if they're reasonably priced, there is no harm in giving them a go. I am obsessed with packaging, (as you can tell), and even though I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, it sure can persuade me to try it. I have put together a mini haul of my skincare buys from the January sales, and have also included a few gifts I received for Christmas. I have updated my beauty drawer to the max, and we are both very happy about that.

THE BODY SHOP

I have been spoilt rotten with The Body Shop shower gels and creams, and from now until eternity (well, until I have finished using these), I will have the softest, and well-scented skin ever. I can't even remember the last time I used a product from The Body Shop, (seeing as for the majority of 2017 I used Snow Fairy from Lush), so I thought I'd try something different. Plus they had like 40% off, so it felt wrong not to.

I chose a variety of gels and creams, which I can use depending on how I and my skin are feeling. I, of course, had to include two gels from their Christmas range, Frosted Plum and Frosted Berries. Both smell like warm winter berries, and I have already started using Frosted Berries and I am now a fully fledged fan. I also picked up Olive shower gel and Shea shower cream for those days when I want to feel extra pampered, and transform my skin to super soft. The last two I bought are a little different; Almond Milk and Honey to help soothe and care for sensitive and dry skin, and Tea Tree to help with blemishes on the skin. I don't have dry skin, or blemished skin very often, but I'll be saving these for those times when my skin flares up.

FRANK BODY

I can't remember where I first discovered Frank Body, but it took me less than a minute to realise that I needed their scrubs. You should already know I have a huge obsession with body scrubs and they are definitely my favourite kind of products to test. Can you imagine the high-pitched squeal when I unwrapped not one, but two Frank Body scrubs? All their products are cruelty-free, made from natural and naturally-derived ingredients in Australia. The two scrubs I got are the Original Coffee Scrub and Shimmer Scrub.

Yes. Shimmer scrub.

There are tiny gold and silver particles inside the scrub. I am going to turn into a disco ball in the bath and I am totally for that... I guess you can see which scrub I'm most looking forward to trying. I haven't opened the pouches yet, but feeling through, they feel like they're going to do wonders for my skin. Oh, I love a good scrub. I absolutely love the packaging, colour, design, and fun quotes too. They even come in a re-sealable waterproof pouch which is important to me as I'm always getting bits of scrub everywhere. I can't wait to try these both, and I know I'll be doing a review to follow up. I haven't seen much of Frank Body around the UK blogging scene, so hopefully, this will get you inspired.

SKINNY DIP

I collect Skinny Dip bags like they're going out of fashion. It honestly feels likes I have become their muse, and they have designed for me. With that in mind, my very first thought when I heard they have their own body care range coming out was "what is the packaging going to be like". And I was not disappointed. I picked up two different sets, the Preen Bee Mini Quad with the four mini products, and In the Buff with the scrub and shimmer body mist.

The four minis include a body cream, bath soak, body exfoliator, and body wash. I haven't use any of these yet, but I have swatched a little of each product, and I am really impressed. The cream is soft and silky, the exfoliator has a good texture, and the body soak and wash lathers well. One of the products has a light glitter in it too, but I got too swatch happy, I don't know which. The scent is light and sweet, so I think I'm going to save these to use in the springtime. I do have to be careful with using these because they are the perfect prop for my flatlays. A blogger is always thinking about their photography.

And yes. I have brought another body scrub. I did say body scrubs were my thing! This is a smooth blend sugar scrub, so it's less coarse than the Frank Body shimmer scrub, but still seems like it's going to work just as well. Again, I haven't opened the pouch as I like to keep them super fresh. Along with the scrub, you also get a shimmering body mist. Another excuse for me to not only smell great but sparkle like a glitter fairy. The scent is the same as the mini quads, which I am happy about. (I'm assuming the scrub has the same scent too, to match the set). The bottle, again, is going to be forever used in my photography.

OH K!

I received the Bamboo Charcoal Sheet Mask from Oh K! as a Christmas gift from my sister, (slightly strange because I bought her the hair mask). I have seen their products everywhere, and again, in love with their cute packaging. What I love about this sheet mask is that it's a 3-step mask, so it includes a cleansing wash to do before the mask, and a moisturising serum to apply after the mask. I am due a pamper evening soon, and seeing as I am yet to try a sheet mask, I'm excited to give this a go.

Let me know in the comments below any skincare products you got for Christmas or bought during the sales. Keep an eye out for some skincare reviews coming very soon too!