February Favorites 2015

This month has been a bit of a pamper month and I've been doing loads of at home spa days and having a really relaxed month. A lot of the beauty products are quite basic and I've been loving a lot more of none beauty related items so it's a bit of a mixed bag this month, enjoy!

Candles have been a bit hit this month as it's been quite a cold one I've been lighting and using up loads of my Yankee Candles which I adore I have re brought Orange Splash quite a few times already and I've nearly burnt my latest one. I've been really enjoying citrus and berry scent which are reminding me off autumn with hints of spring, I also find them really relaxing and quite nice to burn in the evening to fill my room with a lovely scent before drifting off to sleep.

Body butter has been a bit must for this month as my skin has been so sensitive and dry that I've had to use it pretty much every night before going to bed, I prefer using it in the evening as it's easier to put clothes on as I normally wear pj's and I find it relaxes me and makes me quite sleepy. I always go for a really strong scented one like The Body Shop's Satsuma or H&M's Pink Macaroon which are really sweet and strong scented products which have helped me loads over the last month when my skin has been far to dry.

I have been over wearing my lip balms this month as my lips have had the same affect as my legs and have gone all dry and sore, so I have opted with a really basic but great lip balm Nivea Essential Care. I picked this up after forgetting my own at home and placed it into my bag and after that it has been used all day and none stop as it works really well to help soothe lips and make them look kissable again.

Vaseline Healthy Hands and Stronger Nails Cream has been my lifesaver this last month as it's a great handbag friendly sized product that I put into my bag and use each morning when going to work but it helps my hand stay nice and protected again the horrid dry cold weather by leaving them soft and nourished they look lovely. I haven't noticed an improvement in my nails but they haven't been bad over the last month so I couldn't really test that part out with the product, but it has a lovely scent and soaks in nicely.

Lastly I have been loving some headphones as I broke my headphones earlier in the month I went into HMV and found a great pair which are perfect for anyone who wants in ear headphones. They are a great purple colour which matches my ipod and has a really long wire with a cute gold tip, I added the little clip but they work really well. The in ear buds seem to fit really snuggle and don't fall out they also seem to block out any noise which I really like, but best off all there only £5.99 which is a great price to pay! They are called sqsh+ and I would really recommend them to anyone who loves in ear buds!

So that's it for my favorites what have you been loving this month?

WLW February Update

This month fitness wise I've done quite well I've started to do a Davina dvd and I've been getting up early each morning to do a quick 20 minutes routine. But i've been struggling with my eating habits still as I have a good few days before slipping up and having something unhealthy so it's defiantly shown in my weigh in as well as this month being really short so it's not to good but I don't mind to much as I have made a loss!

The Davina workout dvd is great if you want to lose weight as she really pushes you but in the nicest way, I find I can't get bored as in total you get three workouts per dvd and if you mix them up you have something new each time. They are quite long at an hour each time but that is with the right warm up and a great cool down sections. I normally do one a week but at a push if I have a quiet week at work I will do two and have found myself getting a little fitter with how I feel on the inside, so I would really recommend this dvd for anyone who fancy's working out.

Weight 25.02.15 - 13 Stone 10 pounds 

Dress Size - 18

Weight loss of 4 pounds

Which is roughly a pound a week which isn't to bad, next month I'm going to really push myself and aim to loose 10 pounds to get to 13 stone, wish me luck it's going to be a tough month!!

At Home Spa Experience

It's no secret that I love a good pamper and when I can I have a lovely at home spa experience I jump at the chance so today I wanted to update you on what products I use and why I love to do an at home spa rather then going to a proper spa. The main reason I like home spas is that you can stay in your pj's and be all comfy rather then having to be in your costume and robe in front of loads of people you can just lounge about at home, but I also love how cheap it is as you will normally pay around £70 for a half hour treatment and then you are left to use a pool and gym, I would rather pay to stay at home and do the pamper essentials myself and the £6 swimming price to go to my local pool. But don't get me wrong when I'm in the mood I love a good spa as much as the next girl but for me at the moment it's home spas all the way!

I normally start my having a really deep and over hot bath my using one of my favorite Lush bath bombs this helps to relax me and also to open all my pores and to off course make me squeaky clean. In the bath I start with a cleanse of my face by using my cleansing stone and a face cleanser I scrub away until my face is make up and dirt free while feeling soft and pampered. Next up I like to cleanse my body so I use my scratchy gloves and use a nice body exfoliatar to cleanse my skin until really soft and healthy, at the moment I'm loving the mango one from The Body Shop as it's so strong smelling and works a treat on tired skin. Next up it's hair mask time, I tend to use my conditioner or if I have a hair mask at home I'll pop one on but I ignore the time it states on the packet and leave it on most of the time I'm in the bath, this leave my hair looking so well nourished and in great condition. Lastly I normal give my feet a scrub with a stone to remove any nasty hard skin, I use one from The Body Shop and love it as it works so well!

When I jump out of the bath I will normally paste on a lot of body butter to help my skin stay soft and nourished, I'm loving any strong scented ones at the moment as they always leave my room stinking after which is fab for me. I will apply a mask at this point to help my skin look it's best for the morning, for oily skin I find a sensitive clay mask works well and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or irritated after use. When I'm looking a little zombiefied with heavy body butter on and a face mask on I take 10 minutes to sit in a quiet room and close my eyes to just relax, sometimes I put cucumber on my eyes and other times I listen to music but I find this really relaxes me and makes me feel happy after a hard day.

After rubbing in the rest of my body butter and washing the mask off I will normally paint my nails and do a at home manicure which I find to be the perfect end to a good pamper and a perfect way to wind down. I've been loving fresh spring colours at the moment and have been having some fun painting my nails loads of new colours. When I'm feeling sleepy and relaxed I put some cream on my hand and feet before putting on some cotton socks and going to bed, this is a great way to pamper over night as in the morning my feet and hands look and feel fab.

So that's my basic pamper and at home spa experience, is there anything I'm missing out on and need to start doing let me know!

Benefit Roller Lash Review

I'm pretty sure by now every Blogger has gone to there local stores to pick up a copy of Elle Magazine which had the new release from Benefit attached and that was Roller Lash. It came out in stores on the 12th February and retails at £19.50.

The packaging for the sample is chic and cute with a lovely rose gold lid and cute little black pot, you can't go wrong. The packaging for the full sized product is pretty similar but instead of the lovely rose gold lid you get a pale pink patterned lid, both are rather nice designs.

The brush is sturdy and curved making it easy to get every lash and to create a nice full looking lash, it did however clump a little which was rather annoying but it did curve and hold the lash easily and nicely. It has a really nice deep dark black colour and doesn't fade or fall out during the day. I found removing the product was easy with my Bioderma and it didn't damage my lashes which is always good.

I found this mascara to be a really good everyday mascara which I wouldn't really wear out on a night out as it didn't really give me the wow factor but it does work well and has a great long lasting colour. Will you be purchasing the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara?

Once You Go MAC You Can't Go Back

MAC is a brand I'm sure everyone has heard off, they are a upmarket high street brand that sell make up and a few skincare products with price starting from around the £10 mark. It was always a brand I was scared off as they are normally found in departments stores with the bitchy sales assistants standing there and judging you, but after finding a small branch in Oxford which I have grown to love I am now able to shop all things MAC and not have a care in the world.

I want to share with you today the products I use with my everyday make up routine in which I use the powder, foundation and concealer. I have had a lot of trouble in the past with trying to find the right shade of pale for my skin tone so after searching the high street and after many failed attempts I decided to go into the MAC counter. I came out with Studio Fix in shade NW10 which is the lightest shade of foundation in the store, it's a full coverage and long lasting foundation that I can not get enough off. It covers my blemishes and hides my skin if I'm having a bad day and I have no worries off it looking dull or coming off during the day which I love.

I also use the concealer in shade NW15 which is the lightest shade they do in concealers but I find it cover the dark circles and any massive spots nicely while being a nice creamy texture that glides nicely onto the skin., it isn't to dark and matches the foundation nicely which was my main concern when they didn't have the right matching shade. To go over the top of my foundation and concealer I use the Studio Fix powder in shade NW13 again not a matching shade to the foundation but I only use it to stop shine and to add a more matte look to my skin and it goes over the top off the foundation with no dramas so I have no problem with using a power a shade darker then my foundation.

When using the three products together I get a lovely glowing fresh make up look that I'm proud to show off, it matches my skin type (oily) well and it also blends so nicely onto my skin that I can't go wrong. The only downside is the price for all three products it's around the £70 mark which is rather a lot to spend on make up but when they work this well I can't say no. The set lasts around three months when using it daily which is great as you only need a small amount off each product a little goes a long way.

What is your go to foundation and which ones would you recommend for a pale face like mine?

Lady Danger by MAC

I'm a sucker for bright lipsticks and seeing MAC's Lady Danger my immediate thought was I need it! so I asked for it for Christmas and have been loving it ever since. MAC is a high street store but a bit more pricey then most shops, the lipstick's cost £15.50 but there 100% worth it.

Lady Danger is a matte shade of a vivid pop coral red which looks fab on the lips, I feel it's one of those shades that any girl can pull off. As it is a matte lipstick it is a little odd to put onto the lips and I feel it goes on a little better if you have a basic lip balm underneath to create a nice soft approach to placing the lipstick on, but once on it looks fab.

It last's for ages on my lips and I've worn it both on a night out and a throughout the day, the long lasting formula took a good few hours and a few drinks before getting to that stage I needed to reapply. They do say in MAC you should use a lip liner with the lipsticks but I find with this one it doesn't bleed out or smudge so I don't really find I need to use it with this particular shade of lipstick.

The lovely pigmentation and long lasting formula makes this lipstick a winner in my books and I'm having a lot of fun wearing it, what is your favorite red lipstick?

Miss Punky Mascara by Loreal Paris*

Loreal Paris is a great beauty brand with loads of products to choose from which are affordable and great quality, they stock beauty to skincare and tanning products to hair care. I've had the chance to review the Miss Punky Mascara which is the new release from the Manga range and I couldn't wait to give it a whirl.

The 360 degree comb effect brush has a great texturising formula to create full and punk looking lashes, the mascara wand is hard and seems to get each lash with each stroke which impressed me a lot. In order to create the punk eyed look you need to then turn the brush vertically and twirl the tip to create a stuck together lash look, I found this easy to do and it create a rather edgy look to my lashes. Lastly to create that really edgy punk look you can use tweezers to carefully stick the lashes together which means your lashes look even more thicker and fuller with the oh so desired look.

The packaging is simple yet effective as the bold bright attractive colours are simple enough yet it draws you into the product, I really liked the yellow toned gold lid which has the name of the mascara on but then the bottle is black with the edgy gold toned writing with the simple statement mega volume which I thought was a really great yet simple description of the product.

I found the mascara to be a really nice rich thick black shade which went on nicely not to thick but not to watery. It lasted a good while on my lashes and I found I didn't need to top up or correct any of the lashes throughout the day which I liked a lot. I used the mascara on a normal day and then also on a night out and I found it lasted just as good which I liked a lot.

*This product was sent to me to review and all the words in the review are my own.

Book Review - Chris Pavone 'The Accident'

I am a massive fan of thriller and crime books and have recently read one from the author Chris Pavone so thought today I would share with you what I thought and try pursued you to buy it!

The story line is easy to follow and you are introduced to likable characters from the beginning, however I wouldn't get to attached as they do die off pretty quickly! It follows several characters and jumps from there point of view to another throughout the book, leaving you with cliffhangers for each character throughout. I found the book kept me wanting to read on and get to the end of the book as soon as I could just to find out the truth and what has happened, which is always a great thing with a book as you don't want to read a bit and put it down as it's easy to not pick it up again but with The Accident you just can't.

Chris Pavone has written the book in a easy to read and likable way so it's not to hard to follow and get into the story, I like how he jumps from one characters to the next as the book features a lot of different people and it makes it a lot easier to follow there individual story's when they have there own chapters. He keeps the story line fresh and adds small shockers throughout which kept me wanting more which I loved with this book.

May Contain Spoilers - As you can tell by the title the book is based on a accident and follows a women who works for a book publishing company,  she is given a script to a book which is handed in anonymously, everyone who get's a copy is found to be dead or is being followed, throughout the book you are introduced to possibly authors and it's a really guessing game as to who may be behind releasing the book and who is behind the killings and not wanting the book to be published. The end is a really twist and the book kept me on the edge of my seat throughout which I loved.

Overall this is a perfect book if anyone wants a good crime/thriller read, which is captivating and easy to read. It's available from Waterstones for £7.99 in the crime section.

Battle Of The Brows

My eyebrows have always been awful and I've never had a day where I've got out of bed and looked in the mirror and thought 'wow my eyebrows look great!' as they never have. When I was younger I went through the phase of less is more and plucked and plucked till my eyebrows where thin as they could go, after a few years of this I had a woah moment and grew them out (thank goodness). But then after that they never really grew back right and with my blonde hair they were awful looking, so I dyed them. Yep you heard write I got hair dye and dyed my eyebrows but not a lovely brown shade but black. (please don't hunt me down and yell at me!). So this post is dedicated to all the eyebrow kits and pencils and gels I've tried the past few years and ones I feel would be a much better choice then dyeing your brows black and plucking till there no more!

Tinting
After my horrible decision to dye them with a home kit I finally went to a professional and got them tinting which is much better then burning your brows off. I used Benefit and they were fab, they are always professional and explain everything they are doing and show you what they are using before applying it to your brows. In your appointment they also ask you about your make up routines and get to know your style of make up before shaping the brows into the right shape for your face and you, they use a ruler which may sound odd but it's get you they perfect shape and also makes sure your brows look good. I found I needed to go every month and it would cost around the £18 mark, which is good but due to work commitments and not having the time it wasn't right for me.

Gel
A product I looked at and just thought oh no, the idea of coating my brows with a gel was just a bit no go zone but after trying out one I got as a sample I was pleasantly surprised. The one I have to review today is More Brows by Model co, which is a mascara looking product with the same style brush just a lot smaller. To apply you simply stroke through the brows and create the right look and shade you want which is a simple and mess free way off getting the right brow. It was however a little tricky to get the right shape with the wand as I didn't want to get the gel all over my face but it didn't get to messy. I was also worried about it hardening and looking odd but it didn't which surprised me, they look quite natural which is great.

Pencils
Finding the right pencil is quite a hard task as most places have loads now and they all claim to be the best of the best, I have Soap and Glorys Arch De Triumph which is a great chunky pencil to create a nice natural looking brow. It is double sided and has a highlighter as well as a brown pencil that are easy to use and mess free, you have to just press lightly onto the brow and in stroke like moves just brush it onto the brow then using the highlighter add some light shading to highlight and make the brow look better. I find with the one from Soap and Glory I get a really nice natural look with no dark lines that won't blend and it's extremely easy and stress free using this product.

Kits
The current product I'm using and loving in the shape and define kit from Barry M which is a kit with three cubes of product, a applicator and tweezers. You use a wax to create the right shape in the brow which is really easy to use and doesn't damage the brows or make them hard and unnatural looking. After you use the second cube of brown powder to add colour to the brows which goes on lightly and doesn't add to much colour, lastly you add a highlighter to create a really nice pop looking eyebrow that stands out and looks good. I find this is the way which suits me best and I always get a good looking brow by using this method.

I hope this post has helped you out a little and if you have any input on any of these products or any that I've missed out then please let me know!

Hair Styles For Medium Hair

My hair is at an in between stage right now of being what I want so I thought I would share with you how I've been styling it and what I've been using to style my hair. I have thick unmanageable hair that get's oily to quick, it's a mousy blonde which no layers and no fringe atm!

To wash and condition my hair I use Dove's Daily Care 2in1 with moisture complex, as I'm quite quick in the shower and don't tend to take up to much time with washing my hair I use a 2in1 product which is great for any quick washers like me. The scent is nice and fresh and the product is thick and rich leaving me with really soft and shiny hair. After showering and before I blow dry my hair I add in some express blow dry lotion which acts as a hair serum to protect the hair from getting damaged, I use the Blow Pro one which smells really fresh and doesn't come out to sticky or leave any residue in the hair.

If I am just blow drying my hair I tend to have it in a ponytail or bun which is a really quick and fast way to get ready so I normally style this out for work or when I'm in a rush. I tend to have my ponytail a lot higher up then a standard one and will scrap back my hair so there isn't a parting which some light strands to shape my face, if I have it in a bun I have to go quite low as my hair is to thick now to scrap into a high top bun but I normally do a wrap around bun and add a nice little bow to add some cuteness to my hair.

For styling my hair down I use a mousse to add some texture to my hair as my hair tends to stay quite flat and dull when not moussed but I use the Blow Pro Body By Blow mousse and this adds the right amount of volume without making my hair sticky or to weighed down. I don't tend to straighten my hair nowadays as my hair has been damaged a lot in the past and as it's in quite good condition I am liking it just down and sort of wavy.

If I am doing a different style to my hair like a plait I normally add some texturing spray to add some texture before I style the plait before spritzing it with some hair spray to hold the style. I have been loving the Blow Pro Textstyle as it creates a lovely texture which makes it extremely easy to style any type of hair. To hold the style I've been using my TRESemme salon finish which I've been using for years and still love, I really should move on but it's got such a good hold and is so easy to brush out that I adore it.

Hopefully this post has giving you some inspiration on styling your hair and has also help some others out who are growing there hair out like me and are not sure how to style it. Let me know your favorite hair product to use in the comments below.

Blogging Tips

I'm coming up to my two years on blogger and thought today I would share with you some helpful tips and advice on starting a blog or improving a current one. I'm not saying I'm the perfect blogger and I may not have the best advice but I feel the tips I have could help someone out so why not do a post.

Planning
I have a small handbag friendly planner that I keep with me on most days in case I have an idea or a blog post I would like to do. I take note and then go home and write it up which has been a lifesaver on most days as I always have such fab ideas that I then forget when I come home and it's so frustrating. Another good thing about having a planner is you can take note of what posts are coming up in order to promote and know what you have already covered that month, as you don't want to do four posts on mascara in one month it's nice to spread them out.

Bulk Writing and Bulk Photos
As I also work and blog I sometimes don't have time to do a post each day so I tend to bulk write them one day, edit and spell check the next day and then do final touches before hitting the publish button. I tend to do around 10 posts in one bulk and it helps me out loads. I also do the same with photos if I know what posts I've got coming up or I have a new product I know I shall be reviewing I tend to gather them all up and what for a day with good natural light before taking all the photos at once.

Taking Photo's in Natural Light
When taking a photo there's no denying a product in natural light looks great when a photo taking in a dark room with the flash on a camera tends to look a little false. So I always bulk the product and take them all in natural dull light, which sounds odd but if you have to much lighting it can make it hard to take a photo. So you want a clear day which not to much sunshine or to much cloud and then snap away!

Scheduling Posts
I love to feature on blogger which allows you to schedule your posts, if I know I'm going to be busy that day and I won't have enough time to publish my posts that week just hitting that button and then not having to worry or panic about having a post out on time is perfect for me. It takes a lot of panic and worry off my mind and it also helps me plan a lot better and get the posts out at the right time, as there's no point putting a tanning post out in winter but with scheduling posts you know it will go out on time.

Promoting
I love to promote and get my blog out there but there is a fine line between promoting and pestering. Two years ago when I first started out I would promote, promote and promote and then a little more but after seeing my post everywhere and seeing others doing it I had a moment off thinking if it was right or not. I now promote my posts on Twitter using the hashtag bbloggers and just once a day or if there's a chat (Wednesday and Sunday 8pm) I shall do a single tweet on there about my post and I feel this is a great way to get noticed and have people interested in your posts. I also never promote my blog on others as I feel it's there work and pride and joy and if I was to come in with a follow my blog comment it would come across as being a bit of a bitch but taking an interested in someones blog commenting on there and actually reading the posts will get there attention in a much nicer way.

Post Layout
I fine a good post is one with a good layout and good structure, so not one that is all jumbled and not really talking about the right things at the right time. I have a little structure I follow and that's reason- so why am I doing the post and what is the post about, company- explain the company a little and what they are all about, product - go through the product and pro's and con's why you love it etc, and lastly purchase - where to purchase the product and where it is available to buy. I also try to end my posts with a question so it's inviting an encouraging others to comment and chat.

So there we go some snippets into creating a better blog, I hope this has helped you out in some way and if you feel I'm missing something then please let me know!

January Favorites 2015

This past month I've been loving quite a few products so I thought I would do a favorites for you as I enjoy reading them and I thought you may want to know what I've been loving the last month. I have a few beauty items and a few other bits and bobs so let's get started!

MAC Foundation
I've purchased a new MAC Foundation last month and have been using it as my day to day foundation, I find I get the right coverage and the right style of foundation for my skin tone when I go to MAC and I always find I get such a long lasting make up look that I always go back after trying some high street foundations. So I gave in and brought shade NW10 which is the lightest shade you can go for and suits my pale and oily face well, it is a bit pricey at £21.50 but I find you only need a small amount so it does last around 2-3 months.

Maybelline Colour 24hr Tattoo Eye Shadow
Over the last few months over Christmas and into January I've been using the cream colour 24hr tattoo eye shadow from Maybelline and have been loving it! It blends so nicely onto the lid and stays put which impressed me a lot. The shade you get from On and On Bronze is lovely as it's a really rich bronze/gold shade which adapts well to other eye shadows being placed on top. To pick one up there available at Superdrug for £4.99 they have a big collection of 15 shades so they should hopefully have the right shade for you!

BlowPro 
I was browsing the Superdrug sale and come across the brand Blowpro which I've tried in the past and loved so I picked up the serum, hair spray and mousse and was extremely impressed. The three products work so well on my thick and unmanageable hair that I have so much more time in the mornings now by using the Blowpro set, the mousse goes into the hair with no trouble and leaves it thicker and fuller while not leaving the hair weighed down, the hair spray gives the hair a nice hold and adds the right amount off volume while not getting to thick and unmanageable, and my favorite product the serum works wonders on protecting my hair before I blow dry it and leaves my hair soft and looking great. It's normally price at £6.99 but Superdrug were selling them for £1.99.

Zoella and Chris Pavone Books
I'm not one to normally sit down and read but throughout January I have read two great books that I just had to share with you and they were the Zoella book which is a great read for teenagers or anyone suffering from Depression/anxiety as it has some great help tips and some advice to help you get through it but it also gives you some great first relationship advice while still being a great read. The second book by Chris Pavone is called The Accident which is a crime and thriller book that keeps you gripped the whole way through while being a great read as you get to know the characters and the story line thickens all the way through before a really shocking ending I loved this book and can't wait to see what Chris Pavone has coming up.

New York Planning and Tokyo Planning
I have always had the travelling bug and as I've booked New York for September most of my time has been spent reading up and attractions and planning what shops to visit, I've also been looking online at hauls and having a look at other travelling blogs as I want to make the most out of going to New York. I've also decided in 2016 I shall be going to Tokyo and can't believe how cheap it is, to stay in a decent hostel for a weak it's £116 which was a massive shock for me. The one thing I shall struggle with is learning the language as I've had no practice or exposure to the Japanese language it shall be a struggle for me!

So that's it for my favorites if you have done a post then let me know I would love to check it out!