Yankee Candles!

I think I have developed a slight obsession over Yankee Candles in the past few months. I have always liked candles, I like to have one burning in my room when i'm working or just relaxing, they just give a really nice atmosphere. I do like non-scented candles as well but I think I would always choose scented over non-scented. Last Christmas I was given a few small Yankee Candles, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Tree, which both smell absolutely divine and I wish it was acceptable to burn them all year round! Anyway due to the fact that most of other candles are Christmas scents I decided to get some new ones.

I bought Midnight Jasmine in a regular tumbler for £7.99 in the Debenhams sale a couple of weeks ago. I love it, it gives off a really strong jasmine scent which I love, its really relaxing but not overpowering, as sometimes I find the more flowery scents to be a bit heady. But this is quite light. The second recent addition is Cinnamon Stick in a small jar which was a birthday present from my sister, this smells amazing, I cannot tell you how much I love this candle! I love cinnamon in anything, on greek yoghurt, in my hot chocolate, so this candle is perfect. Now I know that it could be classed as a Christmas scent or just a general winter one but I don't care I just couldn't wait that long to burn it! Plus with the English summer weather leaving much to be desired I can pretend its winter anyway!

I believe the small jars are usually around the £8 mark but I try to buy Yankee Candles when they are on offer because they are expensive unless you just want testers or sample sizes. I do think that they are worth the money though, one of my pet peeves is buying a scented candle that doesn't actual disperse the fragrance in a room! Yankee Candles definitely do leave a room smelling amazing! Does anyone else love scented candles as much as I do or have any suggestions of ones I should try?

xx



Dare to imPRESS

So I've been a bit behind with my posting but it was my birthday this Wednesday just gone and i've got a few posts lined up about things I got as gifts but also a couple of mini hauls because i've been a bit naughty with shopping lately...oops. Anyway I had a lovely birthday and this first post is about the (relatively) new imPRESS nails by Broadway Nails. Now i'd seen a few posts on these and I wasn't really struck by them, i'm not really a fake nails kind of person and recently I haven't been painting my nails either. However the day before my birthday my sister gave me a pack of these to try out, and I was a bit dubious however after having them on for nearly five days now I have to admit that I really like them!

This design is called TGIF, and at first I was leaning towards the 'they're a bit tacky' feelings about these nails, as i've seen a lot of people say, however i've found that i've enjoyed wearing them and they are quite cheerful for summer, despite the atrocious weather we're having! My dislike for fake nails has previously come from the fact that they can be fiddly to apply and prone to dropping off at any given moment, however these are so simple to apply, I took me literally about five minutes after i'd decided on sizes. You just peel of the backing and press down, and these bad boys do not move an inch once they are on! It says on the box 'lasts up to a week' and so far i'm on day five and they are still firmly on and look exactly the same as when I put them on. I'm extremely impressed and today I went out a bought another pair called Rated R, which are a plain burgandy colour, which i'd seen before and really loved.

So overall I'd definitely recommend these, they are a tad tacky depending which pattern you go for, but to be honest who cares!? They are fun, easy and quick to use, you can get them in Boots and they cost £7.99 for plain colours and £8.99 for patterned ones, but the last a long time and i'm sure you can use them again if you wanted to with nail glue, plus you get 24 in a pack so plently to do another set with. I'll definitely be using these again.

x

Power of Botanics!

Apologies for the lack of posts i've been working at a summer school so i've had no internet for the past week and a bit, but i'm back now! For the past couple of weeks i've been trying a new day cream and I thought i'd do a review on it now. It is the Botanics Radiant Youth Protecting Day Cream with SPF 15 from Boots and it was £7.99. I couldn't find it online so maybe it's only available instore?!

First of all the packing is nothing special to be honest, although I do like the box it comes in, but its just a white plastic pot but that doesn't bother me too much as it just sits in my bathroom. You get 50ml of product which I think is pretty good and a little goes a long way with this product which I like, I much prefer lighter moisturisers than really heavy feeling products.

This acts as a great base for make-up and i've definitely noticed that my foundation and powder stay in place a lot longer than without this cream, so that's been a huge plus while i've been working long days, I haven't had to worry about reapplying and the SPF has worked a treat (well on the two days of vague sun we had last week!). My skin has felt much better as well, not as tight and the dry patches on my cheeks have cleared up which i'm really happy about. The only thing negative about this product is the smell when it you first put it on, I cannot describe it but I really don't like it at all, however it doesn't last long which is good, but it is slightly offputting to start with, however i've persevered because it has really helped my skin a lot. So all in all I would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a light day cream suitable for young adult skin and i'll be repurchasing this when mine runs out.

I hope everyone is well and having a lovely weekend.

xx

Return to The Body Shop!

So today I decided to go a do a bit of shopping and to be honest it was mainly just window shopping just to see what was about. I must say there are some nice things about, i'm particularly liking H & M and Zara at the moment! I could spend a lot of money in both shops! Anyway I was walking past The Body Shop when I noticed they were having a sale, now I used to get bits from The Body Shop as a child (did anyone else have the animal shape soaps? So cute!) but as an adult i've never really shopped in there. Mainly due to the fact that in my hometown its really out of the way and I tend to forget it exists! So today I decided to have a look and was pleasantly surprised. The smell of the products in there remind me of childhood and birthdays, which is nice and they have certainly increased their range vastly since I last looked in there. So after browsing for quite a while I bought two products and they were both in the sale!

The first is the Fuzzy Peach Bath and Shower Gel which was £2, such a good price considering they are normally £4! This smells amazing, its quite sweet and reminds me of Robinson's peach squash which might be off-putting to some but I love it! It's soap free and contains peach extract and Community Trade aloe vera, so good stuff! I'm excited to use this and I think I will take it with me when i'm working at the summer school next week as its a good size to fit in my suitcase.

The second product I bought was the Cucumber Freshening Water, also £2 down from £4. This is branded as a toner that refreshes and cleanses, which sounds good to me and its for all skin types, so I would imagine its quite gentle. I'll probably do a full review on this after using it for a while. Anyway this also smells lovely, cucumber is such a refreshing scent, it almost smells cooling if that is possible so I think this will be nice for hot days (if England ever sees any!!). So i'm pleased with both products, and i'm definitely going to heading to The Body Shop more often now especially when they are having sales, and if anyone has any Body Shop product recommendations i'd love to hear them!

Hope everyone has had a good day :)

x

Giveaway winner!

Congratulations to Clare at Happy Go Lucky who has won my giveaway!! (I've sent you an email) Thank you to everyone that entered and I will be doing more of these throughout the year so don't worry if you didn't win this time there will be more opportunities!

I am finally over my cold/flu and will be posting again later on today and tomorrow. I hope everyone is well and having a good week!

x

Little shop and the dreaded flu!

First off I apologise for the lack of posts recently, I've been really busy over the Jubilee weekend and am now pretty ill with some sort of cold/flu type thing. Its actually driving me mad now, I hate being ill! I hope everyone else is well and had a good weekend/long weekend if you're in the UK! I celebrated the Jubilee first at a dinner party on Saturday night and then me and boyfriend did a massive BBQ for his family which was nice. Yesterday was my sister's 21st, unfortunately we were both pretty ill and spent most of the day on the sofa watching dvds, I had to go to Bristol in the morning for some work training, I'm an ambassador for my university so in a couple of weeks i'll be doing a summer school, which will be good but having to travel yesterday feeling like death warmed up was not fun! Anyway my sister had a good day regardless and didn't seem too disappointed that she spent the day inside with the tissues so thats alright. Anyway last week I did a bit of shopping so I thought I show you a couple of bits I got. Nothing amazing but I just wanted to write a post.

The gemini necklace was one of my sister's birthday presents, I found it in Topshop and really liked it, its simple but cute and also it doesn't look horribly cheap like some of the jewellery in there, it was £7 which isn't too bad and the chain is a good length, I hate it when they are really short! My sister liked it which is good!

The nail varnish was from Urban Outfitters and was £6, so a similar price to the Topshop polishes, i'm undecided about whether I like this or not to be honest. Its called 'Twinkie' and its a clear polish with tons of holographic glitter in and pastel pink and turquoise stars. It looks so pretty in the packaging which is what made me buy it but actually getting the stars out and on to your nails is a bit of a mission! They don't stick well to the brush so I have a feeling that the more I use it the more i'll just end up with a load of stars at the bottom of the jar which is disappointing! However it does look lovely over pastel lilac nail polishes! Oh you will need a good topcoat over this one, otherwise the stars will disappear within a couple of hours!

Okay now i'm a bit ring mad to be honest, and I should probably stop buying them, however I couldn't resist this one! Yes its huge as you can see from the below photo.

However I love it! It was £2.99 from H&M, absolute bargain if you ask me, it feels weighty, not cheap and the stone is set nicely and doesn't sound hollow or loose if you tap it. I love the detail on the silver (e.g. some kind of metal that looks silver) as well. I've worn it a lot already so i'm really happy with that!

So thats just a couple of bits i've purchased recently, I will hopefully be feeling better soon so I can post more, me and boyfriend are meant to be going to Brighton this weekend if i'm better so i'll hopefully get some photos and maybe do a bit of shopping so I can post about that! I'm pretty excited to go to the lanes to shop and to try some of the vegetarian restuarants there! If anyone has any suggestions of where we should go let me know! Hope everyone is having a good day, ooh and remember to enter my giveaway if you haven't already!

xx



11 Questions Tag!

I was tagged by the lovely Clare at Happy Go Lucky to do the 11 questions tag. It's such a fun idea so I thought i'd give it ago!

The rules:

• Each person must post 11 things about themselves on their own blog
• Answer the questions the tagger has sent you, as well as create 11 new questions for your 'taggers' to answer
• Choose 11 people to tag and link them in your post

11 things about me:

1. I have been to two universities.
2. I'm so pale that I once got sunburnt through a pair of jeans!
3. I eat pick 'n' mix sweets a lot.
4. My favourite film is Howl's Moving Castle.
5. Me and my boyfriend have been together for five years, his name is Oli.
6. I would love to go to Barcelona it looks beautiful.
7. I never try on clothes in store changing rooms, I hate them!
8. I have a sister who is also at university.
9. I'm from Devon and I love it there!
10. I'm a PC girl, when I had to use my parents Mac I felt like I needed anger management classes, really didn't like it!
11. I love taking photographs.

Questions for me from Clare:

1. If you could be any famous person for a day who would you be and why?

Hmm that's quite hard, maybe Sandra Bullock because I love her, she's so funny and seems really down to earth, plus she's less jumped all over by the press and I think that would be easier to deal with!

2. Which superpower would you choose and what would you do with it?

When I was little I used to wish I could fly, so probably being able to fly, not sure what i'd do with it though, maybe travel around and see the world.

3. Favourite clothing brand?

I don't buy exclusively from one shop but I love Zara at the moment.

4. Favourite make up brand?

I mainly buy drugstore brands with Revlon being my go to brand, but I do love M.A.C.

5. Where do you like to eat when you go out for a meal?

I love Giraffe, they have the best foccacia bread with goats cheese and caramelised onion topping, its so good!

6. Summer or winter? Why?

Winter!! I really don't enjoy Summer that much, i'm extremely pale and have to lather on high factor suncream so I spend most of Summer shade hopping and trying not to burn. Also I much prefer Winter clothes and Christmas is my favourite time of year.

7. Favourite ice cream flavour?

I don't actually like ice cream!

8. Do you prefer reading blogs or watching youtube videos?

Ahh thats tough, I love both to be honest, although I do spend more time reading blogs so I 'll say that.

9. What is your biggest achievement to date?

Probably getting my place at university :), oh and also getting into the county youth orchestra when I was a teenager.

10. What would your ideal job be?

This is really hard because i'm not entirely sure what I want to do at the moment, but something in criminal intelligence would be amazing!

11. What are your hobbies/pasttimes?

I love music, listening to it and playing it, I spend a lot of time on that. Also a newish hobby is blogging of course, which I've been loving over the past couple of months. I also like taking photographs, especially when i'm home from uni me and my boyfriend like to go on day trips and just take random photos. Its kind of fun!

My questions for the people I tag:

1. Blackberry or iPhone?
2. If you could be any animal what would you be?
3. Where would you most like to visit in the world and why?
4. Who is your favourite author?
5. Do you play any sports?
6. What is your favourite TV program?
7. Would you rather live in the city or the country?
8. Can you speak more than one language?
9. What is your best memory to date?
10. Do you have a favourite number?
11. Do you have any guilty pleasures?

And finally I tag:

http://diaryofaclosetgamer.blogspot.co.uk/
http://duckandegg.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.fluffandfripperies.com/
http://sharmartinez.blogspot.co.uk/
http://weareunderthewillowtrees.blogspot.co.uk/
http://hellofrances.blogspot.co.uk/
http://violeteli.blogspot.co.uk/
http://daisychurchward.blogspot.co.uk/
http://dashof-this.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.brandnewbutterflywings.com/
http://cmclueless.blogspot.co.uk/

Giveaway time!

I finally made it into the shops after my exams and I picked up a few bits and bobs but my most exciting purchases were my giveaway prizes! This is the first giveaway on my blog, I hit 65 followers which I was over the moon about, thank you all! So this giveaway is basically just to say thank you. Anyway onto the prizes:

I'm giving away the Sleek Au Naturel i-Divine eyeshadow palette, this has twelve neutral shades which are very wearable and suitable for all skin tones, they are mineral based and are a really good quality. I own this palette myself and I love it!

Along with the palette the winner will also recieve two Revlon Colourburst Lip Butters in shades Macaroon and Peach Parfait, which are both gorgeous colours.

Basically I chose products I own myself and use a lot because I think they are lovely. Just a small disclaimer these products were bought with my own money and i'm not affiliated with either brand!

Rules:

1. Be following my blog via GFC or Bloglovin

2. Leave a comment on this post so I know you want to be entered.

That's it, its as simple as that! This is open internationally I'm happy to ship anywhere but obviously I cannot take any responsibility for any issues through customs!

This giveaway will be open until Midnight (GMT) June 13th (purely because I will be away the following week and don't want to leave everyone waiting too long!). I will then assign each comment with a number and randomly generate the winner! In the comment please leave me a way to contact you so that if you win I can let you know and you can message me your address. Also if you are under 18 please get your parents permission!

xx

Happy Birthday GlossyBox!

So it's GlossyBox's 1st anniversary this month and because of this the May GlossyBox has some cute additions. Including a bright pink balloon and a compact mirror!

I loved the paper this month's products came in, it was really cute. Anyway onto the products themselves, I have to say I really liked this month's box, I know a lot of people have been disappointed but i'm quite excited to try them all and I have already tried a couple of them! So onto the run down:

Noble Isle Summer Rising Bath and Shower Gel - First off I like the packaging, its simple but nice, also a great size, it will be good for travelling. The scent is a little bit masculine I think, it reminds me a lot of the Re-charge Black Pepper by Molton Brown, I will try it as it smells quite refreshing but I feel my boyfriend might end up with this but that's okay I know he'll appreciate it!

Lolita Lempicka Eau de Parfum & Si Lolita - I love both of these scents, although i'm leaning more towards Si Lolita, they're both really light and summery. I know some people don't like perfume samples but I think they are great, I love being able to just pop them in my bag. The full sizes of these are expensive £65 and £63 eeep, but they are really nice so one of them may be a birthday list item!

Apivita Express Beauty Masks - I've already used one of the sachets and I really liked it, they have a lovely fresh scent, to me it smells like cucumber with a hint of green tea. It left my skin feeling cleansed and it didn't dry it at all. I was slightly scared by the tingling sensation but luckily I didn't break out or have a reaction so I assume that is normal! They are £3.50 per sachet and I would definitely buy more of these!

Osmo Berber Oil Hair Treatment - This is my favourite product from the box, oh my gosh I love it! I've used it two days running now on the ends of my hair and it makes it so soft! Its been so hot the past few days and the ends of my hair tend to dry out pretty quick so this has been a lifesaver! It doesn't have a strong scent either which is a plus and doesn't feel sticky or greasy! The full size is £19.99 which is a bit steep but I'm seriously considering purchasing it as I love it!

Eldora False Eyelashes - Okay so I've never used false lashes and to be honest I probably never will, I tried one of these on last night and I just hate the way false lashes look on me, I do really like them on other people just not on me! I don't know if anyone else feels the same? Anyway my sister said she would take these off my hands and seems pretty happy with them so that's alright! These are £3.90 normally which to me doesn't sound to be considering if you're careful with them you can reuse them!

So all in all I really liked this month's box and I loved the anniversary themed items as well, the mirror is competing with my Marc Jacobs compact for space in my bag now! I'm happy, what did everyone else think of this month's box?

x

What's in my bag!

I thought it might be fun to do a what's in my bag post today, I've seen others and thought it was a cool idea, it's always interesting to see what other people carry around with them on a day to day basis.

So anyway this is my bag and all the stuff that lives in it normally. My bag is a Mulberry Alexa and i've had it for nearly a year now and have pretty much used it everyday. I love this bag so much.

This is what is currently in my bag, oh I do also have keys but I seem to have misplaced those! So from left to right starting from the top;

Card holder by Santoro London which holds my bus pass and student card.

Mini make-up bag by LeSportsac which was a present from a friend.

USB data stick, I think from Paperchase I can't quite remember I got it a while ago for uni!

Mobile phone which is Blackberry Curve 9300 in a Cath Kidston which I love, its really sturdy and has a magnet which automatically locks your phone when you slide it in which is pretty useful!

My passport, and the case is from Paperchase.

Random orange highlighter!

Marc Jacobs compact mirror and a pair of star earrings.

Impulse Very Pink body spray, just because its light and easy to carry around.

Soap and Glory Hand Food, the best hand cream ever and the mini size is only £2.50 which I think is a bargain.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Lip Balm, this literally lasts forever I love it!

My purse which is by Mimco and was a birthday present, I love it though, its the perfect size, I quite like big wallets.

And finally my Tangle Teezer, I don't think i'll ever use a normal brush again this has done wonders for my hair. My hair gets quite knotty especially when its wet and this gets through them so easily and without breaking my hair!

So that's what is in  my bag today, hope you liked this post and hope everyone is enjoying the sun!

x

Summer is here!

I had my final exam today, I feel it went reasonably well, so thats good, I also got my research project back and got a 1st so i'm seriously over the moon about that! Also the sun has finally graced Britian with its presence so that's nice, although I had to make a quick dash to Boots to pick up some factor 50, my skin and sun do not mix well at all!

Anyway i'm excited to be heading home next week to get back to this:

I do like Bristol but when the sun comes out I find myself longing for the beach and open countryside!

Anyway now that i'm done for the summer you can expect more posts from me, starting with a 'what's in my bag' now i've cleared out all the revision cards! Exciting news; I will doing a giveaway soon (which will be international), details in the next few days :). Oh and finally the blog hop on BlogLoveTherapy is still running so definitely go and check it out if your looking for some new blogs to read! Hope everyone has had a great day.

x

Blog Hop!

So it's another Blog Hop on BlogLoveTherapy, they are such a great way to find new blogs! This one is running until Sunday 27th May so plenty of time to get involved! x

21st Birthday Gift Ideas!

Okay basically my sister is turning 21 in a few weeks, it's a big birthday and she's also just finished her second year of uni so props to her for getting through her endless exams (ten in total ugh!), i'm so lucky i've only got three! So anyway I felt that to celebrate both of these things I should treat her to something nice. I've been looking online for ideas and i've come up with a few things. So I thought it might be interesting to make a post on gift ideas, do bear in mind i'm working on a student budget here! I've included a couple of items that are a bit more pricey if you can afford it but most items are below the £50 mark!

Perfume is always a nice gift, I love getting perfume and I usually get a new fragrance for Christmas. This is  Jo Malone's Wild Bluebell which I love, I don't have it personally but i've picked it up in stores and I love the scent so much. Its £72 for 100ml (eep) but for a 21st I don't think thats too bad! You can also get 30ml for £36 if you were looking to spend a bit less.

Next up these adorable little white bird lights from Laura Ashley, its a set of three for £18.75 as they are currently on offer. I think these are so so cute, especially for someone who is quite girly and likes homeware gifts like myself and my sister. They are free standing and LED lit which I think is nice so you could put them anywhere.

This is a main contender for my sister because I know she'd love it its a Monica Vinader Turquoise Fiji Pacific bracelet and these are £30 from Steffans.co.uk. I just think these are so simple but elegant at the same time and there is a huge range of products and prices.

On trend at the moment are the Shamballa style bracelets, i'm not sure what I think of them yet, sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't but I like this one, its by Tresor Paris also on Steffans.co.uk and its the Luneville bracelet and retails for £49 so quite pricey for a bracelet but nice for a special gift or treat.

This bag is by Cath Kidston (I adore Cath Kidston) and my sister has had her eye on this for a while, I won't be getting this for her, would if I could but it's £68, which I don't think is bad at all I just can't afford to spend quite that much. But the quality is lovely, durable oilcloth and its a great size!

Now me and my sister both love jewellery like this so i'm seriously considering this as well, it's a gorgeous silver leaf pendant by Pieces which you can get on Asos.com and this is £12, which I think is a bargain, its a long chain which is nice. Also because this isn't pricey it leaves a bit of cash to put something with it which is nice!

I love this bracelet its the Ellie bracelet by Orelia and its £12 which is pretty good value, its just cute and delicate which is nice and means you could team it with other bracelets or just wear it by itself. They do have other initials as well but unfortunately they have fallen into the 'CAMELS' situation which is very frustrating if you are one of the many that do not fall under those intials! Why brands have decided to do this is beyond me!?

Okay now I know a lot of people hate Jack Wills, I actually don't mind it, I would never wear a full Jack Wills outfit but I do like some of their clothes. Yes they are expensive there is no getting past it but once in a while i'm happy to pay especially if its for a gift. My sister loves JW and would love this hoodie, its the Hanstall hoodie in jade marl, I love this colour but I can't wear it however my sister is blonde and has a darker skin tone so it would suit her. This is £69 which is fairly average for JW hoodies.

So another Laura Ashley item, I love Laura Ashley if that makes me old then so be it because I love it! This is the Elsham Knitted cushion and its on sale at the moment at £41.25, these cushions are so soft they feel amazing and are so cute. I love this colour as well but they also have a beige and sand colour which are also lovely! Its something a bit different to give as a gift but definitely worth a look if the person you're buying for is interested in homeware and design.

So those are some of my ideas, another couple that i've been thinking of is any product from Soap and Glory, i'd be over the moon if I received anything from this brand. Also another idea i've had is to put mine and my boyfriend's funds together and buy tickets to see Cirque du Soleil, this would obviously be for as and when they were touring but I know my sister is desperate to see them. I've been lucky enough to see them five times now and every time is as amazing as the previous! So that would be a great gift.

Anyway this was a bit random and I hope it wasn't dull. If anyone has any ideas for gifts or things to do for a 21st then let me know i'm always looking for new ideas!

x

Wishes...

So whilst on a break from revision yesterday I decided to do a bit of online 'window' shopping, as you do, anyway I came across I few things that i've sort of fallen in love with, and also I couple of things i've had my eye on. So I thought i'd do a little wishlist type post.

So the first thing is this amazing Union Flag scarf from Zara, Zara is killing me with this season I would buy everything if I had the money! I love this scarf though, much in the style of the flag scarves from J Crew I think. It's £15.99 which I don't think is too bad at all!

Next up is Caudalie's Vinosource Serum, yes I have done a post on this already after recieving the sample in April's GlossyBox, I can safely i'm a convert, I love this product and i'm completely gutted that my sample has run out. I'm literally champing at the bit to purchase the full size but my bank account won't let me until pay day! It's £26.10 on Feelunique.com which is a bit steep but i'd be happy to pay that because its a great product.

I love these shoes, I have no idea what I would wear them with or when I would wear them but I've fallen in love with them. They are from River Island for £28 which is pretty reasonable for shoes nowadays unless you head to Primark.

I adore this padlock bag, another River Island gem and it's only £25 which I think is great value as its not a tiny bag and River Island bags are usually good quality.

Now this comes on my Mum's recommendation, she has used Decleor products for years and she let me try this while I was home for Easter and I loved it. It made my skin feel amazing and so so soft. It's Decleor's Phytopeel Face Peel Cream and you can get it for £23.40 on Feelunique.com.

Now everyone know's I love my rose gold so this just draws me in straight away. Elizabeth Arden's Rose Aurora collection and this is the pure finish highlighter which looks lovely and something I'd love to try. It's currently on offer at Debenhams for £20.70, which yes its pretty expensive for a highlighter so definitely a wishlist product!

What items are currently on everyone else's wishlists?

x

Liebster Award! :)

So i've been busy revising today but popped on to have read of some blogs on my break and discoved i'd been nominated for the Liebster Award by the lovely Frances (Spot of Tea) which I was over the moon about! Very nice surprise on a fairly dull day!

This is the second Liebster Award for me and i'm very honored to receive another and it has certainly made my day. Basically this award is for up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers but whose blogs deserve recognition. As i'm sure we'll all agree that blogging can be tricky sometimes especially when there is a lot of other stuff going on, which I have well and truely found out the past few weeks during my exam period!



The rules:

1. Link the person who gave you the award in your post.

2. Put the award in your post.

3. Choose five blogs with under 200 followers to receive the award.

4. Let them know you have awarded it to them.

Blogs that i've nominated:

http://bamblingsofnaffy.blogspot.co.uk/

http://mulberryplease.blogspot.co.uk/

http://www.theblogcat.com/

http://daisychurchward.blogspot.co.uk/

http://jammyandjelly.blogspot.co.uk/

Those are my choices because I love all of their blogs, all for different reasons but they are all worth going to have a read of! Hope everyone is having a great weekend! x

Breath of Fresh Air

I hope everyone is well, once again apologies for the lack of posts, i'm currently still in revision land, my final exam is next wednesday so almost over! Anyway I thought i'd do a quick review today because i've been using this product a fair amount over the past few weeks and i've remembered why I love it so much. So it is Lush's Breath of Fresh Air skin toner.



So standard Lush packaging, just plain black with a spray nozzle on top, which makes it really easy to use. I have the 100g bottle which retails for £3.75 but they do have a 250g bottle which is £7 depending on how often you'll be using the product. I've had mine for a while now and its still pretty full as you don't need a lot of this. Lush state that this is a toner to soften your skin with vitamins and minerals and that it reduces dryness, soreness and redness. It has seaweed, aloe gel and essential oils and is scented lightly which is good because i'm not a massive fan of heavily scented products for the face. To me the strongest smell is rose water but its very light and not overpowering.

On to whether it works, the simplest answer is yes! I adore this product, I use it whenever i've been in a stuffy environment, think aeroplanes, offices, uni buildings, anywhere where the air is stale or there is a lot of air conditioning. It always makes my skin feel horrible after being in those types of places, because it drys out your skin and air conditioning is notorious for spreading horrible germs and just generally making you feel a bit grim. So I use this to refresh my skin and it really does work, it makes my skin really soft without making it feel tight, it has definitely helped any dry patches i've had particularly on my forehead. It makes your skin feel fresh after a long day and also the scent is quite relaxing so I find it quite calming if you've had a busy day or its been a bit stressful. You can also use this on the body as well which I think is great for hot summer days, it would definitely cool you down. I also use it to remove any traces of cleanser before bed and its great for that too. All in all a great product and one i'd definitely recommend if you work in an office or travel a lot!

Revision, Exams and Stress - My Tips

Okay so this is just a random post about exams, revision and coping with the stress that comes with it. I know a lot of people have exams or essays due in at the moment so I thought I give my tips and let people know how I revise as it might help someone or give someone ideas on how to deal with the stressful time that is the assessment period!



So that's my revision for the day, currently sat next to me waiting to be started. I'm in my second year at university and have one exam, two viva's and a dissertation proposal to complete in this assessment period. I've already done one viva and my proposal so that's two out of the way already thankfully! I'm not a fan of exams, I don't think they are an accurate indication of what you know and I think they cause more stress than they are worth but as with most things they are a means to an end and at some point most people will have to sit one, whether at school, college, uni or for work. So here are my top tips for keeping your head above water when studying for exams:

1. Plan! Look at how much time you have and work out a feasible revision plan, factor in breaks and downtime, do not try to work all day everyday, you won't take the information in and you will run yourself down.

2. Breakdown information into main themes/topics. I like to put the main themes down on a page and then make broad notes for each theme. Once i've done that I then reduce the notes onto small notecards like in the photo to give myself bitesize information to read over.

3. References/Sources. If like me you have to remember who said what or dates then do separate notecards with the person's name or date and then a small heading of what they said for example one of my psychology notes is - Holmes, Holmes and Tewkesbury - Fractured Identity Syndrome. Nothing  more than that,basically flashcards, something to jog your memory. I also do lists and test myself by writing them out again.

4. Use coloured pens and highlighters! First off its more interesting to look at meaning you will take more in if your brain is associating colours with names and topics. Secondly its just fun and swapping pens makes writing things down slightly less tedious!

5. Take regular breaks! Do not sit all day staring at your notes, the mind doesn't work like that, concentration starts to drop after about 20 minutes, I tend to work for 45 minutes and then stop for fifteen, i'll get a cup of tea or just stand up and walk around. Have a look at Facebook or read some blogs. It refreshes the mind and eases tension.

6.  Eat and drink. Make you drink plenty, I always have a glass of water or squash while i'm revising. Also have regular meals and try to keep it relatively healthy, fruits, veggies, protein all good to keep you active.

7. Be good to yourself! Try not to berate yourself by saying 'i've not done enough i'm going to fail', you create a self-fulfilling prophecy. You wouldn't say to a friend 'oh you've not done enough you'll fail' would you? So don't say it to yourself. Remember you are only human, you won't remember everything but that's okay, the examiners do not expect you to, it would be physically impossible. Say to yourself 'I do know this, I have looked at it, if I forget a couple of things its not the end of the world'.

Those are my main tips for revision, things that I try to stick to whilst studying. Now i've always found exams stressful and a few years ago started having panic attacks, the first one bought on by an exam I felt I couldn't do. I'd got it into my head that I couldn't do it at all and it went all downhill from there. If like me you are a very anxious person and if you suffer from panic attacks here are some tips (now this is just my personal experience, it might not work for everyone just bear that in mind).

1. Get enough sleep. If i'm tired my anxiety hits the roof, because I feel I can't concentrate and start to get worried that i'm taking in information.

2. Take deep breaths. If I feel any sort of anxiety or panic building and try and sit back and just close my eyes and take some deep breaths, it gets the oxygen flowing and makes you stop thinking a mile a minute.

3. Steer clear of caffine! A big one for me, coffee, energy drinks and pro-plus all set me off, I don't drink any coffee or energy drinks in the days before my exams. It enhances the feelings of anxiety so I try to avoid it like the plague come exam period!

4. Take a walk. Fresh air is the key, i'm a huge believer in getting fresh air everyday...now I live in a big city so the word 'fresh' is relative haha, but it clears your mind, takes you out of your room with all your work in and lets you focus on something else for a little while.

5. Treat yourself. You don't have to wait until after your exams. Have a cupcake, go for a meal, buy something you've seen, take a relaxing bath, see a friend. If you've spent the day revising, take the evening off and watch TV or go and see a film. Honestly its the best thing you can do to refresh yourself for the next day. I tend to do around 5 to 6 hours of revision a day, broken up mind you and in the evenings I try not to do any.

6. Kalms. In the weeks leading up to the exams I arm myself with these bad boys

For me they do what say on the tin, I find that the anxiety becomes more managable, its natural to be worried about exams but these help to keep the worry at a normal level so it doesn't become overwhelming. They are natural and you don't need a perscription to buy these. I buy mine from Boots and they are £6.85, but so worth it. I don't take them everyday only if I feel particularly stressed or nervous, but they have definitely helped me!

So there you go, my tips for less stress around exam time. If anyone else has any good tips they want to add that would be great :). I hope everyone is having a good day and good luck to all doing exams and essays at the moment!

New found love!

I have a new found love...great for my skin, not so great for my bank balance! I recieved a sample of the Caudalie Vinosource SOS Thirst Quenching Serum in myApril Glossybox and have used it everyday since, as you can probably see because its now flattened! I love this product! Honestly I wasn't too sure at first because it is very watery and I couldn't see how it was going to do my skin any good, but since starting using my skin has felt so much better.  It's felt really hydrated and i've had no dry patches like I normally do. It smells lovely, really fresh and clean, so its nice to use in the morning to start the day off. All in all i'm very impressed and now very sad that i've run out of this. I will definitely be purchasing the full size, I think it will be a treat when I complete my exams, it is pricey, i've found it on Feelunique.com for £26.50 and you get 30ml, ouch but I love the way it feels on my skin and its done wonders for any dry spots I had so I think its definitely worth it. Also with these types of products I definitely think you get what you pay for, 'buy cheap buy twice' that's what my mum has always said about skincare and I think she's right.

Does anyone have any other Caudalie recommendations? I'm now eager to try some of their other products :)

x

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer Review

So I apologise for not posting in a few days but today was my first exam so I needed to revise and just focus on that. It went okay I think it was a viva which is basically a mini interview with your lecturer so I was quite nervous but I'm pretty happy with how it went so thats good. Anyway the main reason for this post is to do a review on the Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer. I got this shortly after doing my wishlist post because I'd seen good reviews and wanted to give it a try.



I got mine from Boots and it was on offer for £7.99 (Usually £11.99) which I think is a bargain, I was using a Clinque pore refiner but they cheekily upped the price of it before Christmas and I haven't repurchased it because I thought it was a bit of a rip off to be honest. Anyway first impressions of this product were good, I love the packaging, feels nice and heavy, and it has a pump! The pump makes it easy to dispense the right amount so there isn't any waste. You get loads for your money because a little of this goes a long way and its a 27ml jar.

The product itself goes on smoothly and is clear, also no shimmery bits for us that don't want to look like we've dipped our face in glitter. One thing I would say is that you really do not need a lot of this because you can start to see it if you overdo it, I did notice a slight white section where I hadn't fully blended near my nose. Also if you have dry skin, moisturise before using this! It will pick up any dry patches. Apart from that there are no other bad points, it makes my skin feel extremely soft and has definitely helped where I have redness and reduced any pores I could see. It's very easy to apply and worked well with my foundation, however if I was having a reasonable skin day I would wear just the primer because it really does leave a nice feel and look to the skin.

All in all a great product for the price, i'm very impressed. Oh one thing I would say is check the 'ingredients' of your foundation, if you use liquid. Water is the main component to the primer so always go like for like, if you have an oil based foundation this probably won't work as well because water and oil don't mix, but if like me your foundation is water based you should be fine! If not then a powder would work really well with this primer.

Anyway I hope everyone is having a great day, i'm off to revise for my next exam...can it just be summer already!? :)

x 

Wishlist...

So before I immerse myself in my dissertation proposal, I decided to have a browse online and basically this is just a little wishlist of mine. Just things i've seen and think are nice and if money were no object i'd probably go and purchase asap!

Topshop Nail Polish in Adrenalin. This is so pretty, I keep eyeing it in store!

Anya Hindmarch Two-Way Journal. I'm in love, I'm a bit obsessed with stationery and journals and  this is just perfect.

Striped/Lace tee from Zara. So simple but I really like things like this for Summer as I like to cover up to avoid sunburn but this is a nice inbetween.

I just saw these on Miss Selfridge and ahh so cute! Pale pink bow wedges. They have a pretty mammoth wedge and not enitirely sure I could walk in them but they are very cute.

Okay this is one I will probably buy but at the moment its still on my wishlist. The Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer. I've been seeing loads of great reviews and I'm in need of a new primer so think I will be picking this up soon!

So now I can stop drooling and get on with work! Oh none of these photo's are mine, all from the links :). Hope everyone has a great day.

x