WHAT IS A REAL WOMAN?

Hello lovelies! I have a bit of a different post for you all today and this is in no way supposed to come across as moany, negative, attention seeking blah blah blah, but it is something I've wanted to address for quite a while. I don't know about the rest of you, but I've recently seen a lot of nasty or bitchy comments on twitter, facebook, magazines, tv and sometimes even blogs (don't get me started on tumblr) about body image. It's coming up to bikini season and I see so many people stressing about diets, quick fixes and insane exercise routines etc etc etc.
However, the negative comments I've seen aren't always about bigger girls, though I have seen a lot of that, celeb magazines anyone? I'm not a Kardashian fan, but I think the hate Kim's been getting is disgusting, she's pregnant for god's sake! But in this case, I'm talking about skinny hate. Maybe hate is too strong a word in some cases, however I do feel slimmer girls are getting judged way more than we ever used to be. 'Skinny' or 'Slim' used to be something women strived to be, and often still is, but it seems now, it's something that's frowned upon or considered 'unhealthy' or not 'womanly'. The latter being the one that frustrates me the most.

I personally have a naturally small frame as in I've got a naturally flat stomach and not much going on in the boobie area. I have a small waist and I have hips and while I'm small, I've always considered myself 'curvy', maybe not in the Kelly Brook way, but I still think I have curves, despite being small. Recently though, I saw a picture on instagram of a girl around my size (UK six, small chest etc) but with curves, so small waist, hips, the norm, and another woman around a UK ten/ twelve with a similar shape, however the caption under the smaller girl said 'this isn't a real woman' then under the other woman 'this is'. Now I unfollowed the account as it annoyed me a little and can't find the bloody photo anywhere, but I so wish I could because I'd like to think a lot of you would agree with me that it's a little ridiculous! I'm small and don't have a huge chest, so am I not a real woman?

I've also seen a lot of 'bad boobs' articles in magazines, small boobs, saggy boobs, no boobs, if they're not melons, they seem to be hated on and it's horrible! My Mum and Sister are both a little more blessed in the chest department and while it used to bother me, I actually quite like having smaller boobs now - my boyfriend isn't a big boob person and likes my 'cute' boobs (I quote, wasn't sure about that one to be honest!!), which has made me a lot more confident about them, but it's absolutely impossible for me to get a bra in the right size (you may have seen my twitter rant!), it's as though us smaller girls get forgotten! Not everyone is a 32+ back and I hate having to spend a fortune to find my actual size, which is a 28 back. It's sometimes as though smaller girls don't exist! Does anyone else feel this way - let me know if you do! But what I'm trying to say, is that it's okay not to have a size 32 DD chest, you don't need huge boobs to look fab in a bikini. Equally though, I find it ridiculous that ladies with bigger chests have to pay so much more for the 'specialist' companies. Some people get boob jobs yes, but most of the time, the size of our chests are not our choice and it's such a struggle to get it right if you're not 'average' sized! I'm aware this one blog post isn't going to make companies change their ways and start making smaller/ larger bras but if by any chance you are from an underwear company - it's just a thought ;)

There's a stupid amount of controversy about the 'thigh gap' too and it's really getting to me. So many girls strive to have one, while others hate on it and say it makes you look 'anorexic' or 'like a skeleton'. I exercise and I eat well, because I like to stay slim and this means I do have a gap between my thighs, It doesn't mean I only eat lettuce all day and work out in every spare hour of my life, it's just how my body is. I recently got an email from a girl asking how to 'get' a thigh gap, I won't name her in case she doesn't want to be named and while the email didn't bother me as such as I know she was just asking a question, I just didn't know how to respond, I just naturally do have a thigh gap. It's the way I'm built, yes, I work out to keep my legs toned and as slim as I can, but I have hips, so I just do have a thigh gap. Some girls just aren't built that way and that's okay. You could be tiny with narrow hips and still not have one, I just cannot understand the big deal about it - who cares!

What frustrates me the most, is that we can't seem to ever get it right. If you're too small, you're not a 'real' woman, you've got a boyish figure, you're too skinny, you 'need to get some meat on you!' etc etc etc. But then when a girl is bigger, shes 'fat', 'obese', has 'thunder thighs', it's insane. It seems if you don't have that 'inbetween' figure, that's curvy, but still relatively slim, but of course, not too slim. You're getting it wrong. Some of us aren't built to have big boobs and hips with a tiny waist. Some of us are straight up and down, others are naturally slim, others might be pear shaped and fact is, a very small percentage of women are/ will ever be the 'ideal' woman. Whatever the hell that may be.

So, what I'm trying to get across is, no matter how hard it may be, try try try not to get hung up on the little things. I have small boobs, but hey, it means I can go braless in backless dresses (nipples stickers are my friend, no shame) - you may have a straigher 'boyish' figure, but you probably look fab in skinny jeans, you may be top heavy, but I bet you don't have to worry about skater skirts making your hips look wide! No matter what shape or size you are, LOVE your body and be confident. We are all real women - sod what the magazines say!

You're beautiful.

MAY ADVERTISERS

Hello lovelies! I'd like to introduce my Advertisers for the next three months! This is the first month I've started doing advertising on my blog, so if you'd like to be one of my june advertisers, you can get in touch on chloe@chloesway.com! So, these are my lovely May advertisers!

 http://sweetdreamsbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/
@sweetdreamsxox
*TOP ADVERTISTER*

"Sweet Dreams is my beauty and lifestyle blog. I'm a 20 year old welsh girl who loves to bargain hunt and spend money on makeup and skincare! I have been reading beauty blogs for months and have finally found the courage to start my own! I write about bargains, fashion I like and of course all things beauty. If you get the chance to take a look at my blog, stop by and say hello! I hope you enjoy! x"

This is a gorgeous blog full of super girly and informative posts, some really helpful such as How to find ebay bargains and Top tshirts under £20, this is definitely a fab blog for bargain hunters (all of us?) - love it!

 http://www.thenameofbeauty.co.uk/
Jemma's blog is so lovely and easy to read. I love The Name of Beauty for a bit of night time reading - although she often makes me want to shop and I certainly don't need encouragement!

http://littlepieceofbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/

Leigh's blog is a new found favourite of mine, full of fantastic, informative reviews with great photography - this blog is definitely worth a peek!

http://beccammartin.blogspot.co.uk/

Becca's posts are really varied, each one is different so there's always something new and interesting to read. She also has an adorable layout - love!

http://glitterylove.blogspot.co.uk/

Glitterly Love is a new blog written by the lovely Catherine but while it's new I can tell it's going to be super popular, as her writing style and photography is just fantastic. Definitely worth checking out - show her some love!

Be sure to check out all these lovely ladies and get in touch if you'd like to be one of next months advertisers!

MINI GIVEAWAY - TOPSHOP MAKEUP

Hello lovelies! I was out shopping today and noticed that there were still a couple of these left in the topshop sale and thought I'd pick a couple up two of my lovely followers. I recently hit 900 followers, which isn't really a milestone as such, but I'm still so, so grateful to each and every one of you that I thought I'd pick them up anyway as a little thank you gift! These did the rounds on the blogs a while ago when the Louise Gray collection first came out  so I thought they'd make a nice little gift for not one but two of you! One of these has been swatched, but both are new and unused. You can enter via the Rafflecopter Giveaway below - this giveaway IS international and ends it two weeks - good luck! x
a Rafflecopter giveaway

ESTEE LAUDER DOUBLE WEAR REVIEW

Hello lovelies! I hope you're all having a fab day and those of you in the UK are enjoying this gorgeous weather! Not a lot makes me happier than waking up to sun and not having to put on 15 layers of clothing before I step out of the front door. Anyway, today's post is going to be my promised review of the gorgeous Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation. A lot of people seemed interested when I mentioned reviewing this so I wanted to get it up as soon as possible as it's too amazing not to share!

I ordered this in the colour 'Fresco' which is my perfect summer shade. As you can see, it looks a little dark on my hand before I blended it out (and I had no tan to speak of when I took these photos, I'm suitably Garnier'd up now), but it blends really well and looks super flawless and even when on the skin. I've been using this with my Real Techniques buffing brush, which provides a flawless, medium/ full coverage finish. It'd very light on the skin despite having excellent coverage, which is particularly fab in the warmer weather. The finish is also quite matte, which I like as I can get a little shiny (not oily, strangely enough just shiny!) around my nose during the day! I still apply a powder over the top but I don't find I need nearly as much powder as usual which is great. I think this would be a great foundation for most skin types, but it'd not going to be for you if you like a more dewy finish.

By far my favourite thing about this foundation is it's lasting power. I've had some seriously long days at work and things lately, my make up goes on at about 6:30 some days and is still there when I've got home at 9:30 at night! I'm terrible for touching my face during the day too so it seriously hardcore stuff. Despite being very long-wearing and mattifying, I don't find it drying in the slightest and it stays flawless all day without going patchy or settling into pores. I can honestly say this is exactly what I've been looking for in a foundation and I'm so glad I finally have in to the £27.50 price tag as it's worth every single penny! I've seen a few people grumble about the lack of pump on this as it's a glass bottle but it doesn't really phase me. I think the packaging is super luxurious and the foundation is very 'liquidy' so it pours out of the bottle really easily (not so great if it was to get knocked over though!).

I'd recommend this foundation to anyone, particularly if you like a matte finish and need your make up to last a long time.

Have you tried this foundation? What are your thoughts?

THE PERFECT SUMMER DRESS

dress - warehouse *

shoes - new look

Hi lovelies! I instagrammed a picture of this gorgeous Warehouse Dress recently and lots of you seemed to love it so I knew I wanted to get a post up asap! I received an email from the lovely people at Warehouse and was so excited to be asked to chose a dress to try. I thought this one was really lovely and unique so I couldn't wait to try it on! I asked for the dress in a size six and I'd say it's pretty true to size. It fits really well, it's not too tight, but doesn't hang loose or baggy anywhere either, which is lovely. It doesn't have any elastic in it as it's quite structured, but it's still super comfortable and hangs really nicely.

I really can't wait to wear this out somewhere, I have a family party, as well as my boyfriends birthday, my own birthday and other things coming up soon, so this will definitely have its debut at one of those! I really love the coral lining as it makes it really different from any other cream lace dress I've seen and makes it a little more unique and summery. I really want to find some coral heels to match, it may be a bit matchy matchy but I think it'll work, let me know what you think!

What do you think of this dress? Is it something you'd wear?

MARC JACOBS DAISY EAU SO FRESH SUNSHINE REVIEW

Hello lovelies, happy Sunday! I hope you've all had a fab weekend. (Warning, weather related rambles inevitable). I've had a lovely chilled out Sunday with the boyfriend today as it's been a massively busy week for me, so it was nice to have a lovely long lie in and mooch around the shops. The weather's been pretty lovely too, not quite crop top and flip flop weather as yet, (though half of Essex disagrees) but definitely a lot warmer and less dreary none the less. I really do hope this weather holds up as it's my birthday in a couple of weeks and it'd be lovely to have some fab weather!

So, while in summer mode today, I decided I needed a more summery fragrance in my life and you really can't get more summery than a perfume called 'Sunshine'. I've always been in awe of all the Marc Jacobs perfume bottles whenever I wander past them in perfume departments, but for some reason, up until now, I've never really loved them. Daisy was just a bit too 'green' for me and while I loved Oh Lola in the bottle, it went super powdery and overwhelming as soon as it hit my skin. So while this gorgeous bottle immediately caught my attention (this is one lid I certainly won't be losing), I honestly didn't have high hopes for the fragrance itself. However, I tested it on those little paper sticks they have in boots (does anyone else get really stuck for where to put those once you've used them? Do you do the casual 'leave it on a random counter/ if all else fails awkwardly leave it in your bag for three months' thing? Let me know so I don't feel so alone!) and I absolutely fell in love! Trying not to get my hopes up too much, I sprayed some on my wrist so I could have a wander round the other shops to see how it settled down.

An hour or so later, I gave my wrist a sniff to see how the fragrance had settled and I loved it! It stayed super sweet and fruity/ floral so I marched right back to boots and bought it straight away! This was £48.00 for 75ml, which isn't too bad if you ask me, I've paid much more for fragrances I haven't loved nearly as much! I'm going to do my best to describe the scent/ get it off the internet and tell you if I agree because I'm really bad at describing scents. I will forever be in awe of those who can take one sniff and tell you there are top notes of jasmine, middle notes of tuberose and a musky base, I will never know. I also don't know if jasmine, tuberose and musk would even smell nice but I'm really going off on a tangent now. Focus Chloe. So, the description says 'Marc Jacobs' Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine Edition eau de toilette is a bolder and fruitier limited edition interpretation of the original Daisy fragrance. A playful, fruity, floral fragrance, it features an energetic and addictive fruity top, a breeze of airy floral petals in the heart, and a smooth, velvety base of subtle sweetness.' It feels like a bit of a cop out to say 'yeah, I agree with that', but I do. It's just a grogeous sweet, fruity floral. Fruity Floral is definitely my favourite kind of scent as it's just the right amount of sweetness without being too overpowering and sickly. 

I'm not going to try to describe it any more than that as I think the description really does say it all. It's fruity, floral and noticeable, but light at the same time, the girl in the shop actually noticed I'd already sprayed it when I went to buy it. It's super fresh and very very girly. If you get a chance, I'd definitely give this a sniff. It's limited edition so I think I'm going to have to get a backup! This is definitely my favourite perfume of the moment so I'd totally recommend it to anyone who loves a very girly scent!

Have you tried this? What's your favourite perfume for the summer months?

MY EVERYDAY MAKEUP BAG

Hello my lovelies! I hope you're all good, it feels like ages since I've done a proper 'sit down and write' post like this, life has been busy busy busy and then some lately. Lots of working, training courses, events at work, beauty completely consumes my life from every area work, blog etc! I do love it all though so can't complain, but wow I've missed you guys! I've felt so detached from the blogging world this past week and it's really weird for me. I'm back now though and I'm so pleased to be sitting down writing this post (despite it being twenty past ten at night, not my usual blogging time I must say).
Anyway, rambles aside, this is going to be a 'Everyday Makeup Bag' post and I've said I'd do it so so many times, but I was waiting until I was 100% happy with my everyday routine and I think I've (for now at least) perfected it. I'm really happy with all the makeup I'm currently using and can recommend it all whole heartedly. So, let's get into it!
If you're wondering about my makeup bag, I posted on it here.

Face

Benefit The POREfessional

I love this primer. It smoothes the skin and totally hides pores. Would not recommend this for drier skin types as it has a very matte and powdery finish, but for normal, combination or oily skin types, go for it!

MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus

I adore this powder. I literally don't know why or how I ever stopped using this but I've honestly never found a powder I love as much as this. It gives my skin a flawless finish and keeps my makeup lasting all day long. It provides coverage too so it's great for touch ups throughout the day.

Dainty Doll Concealer in Shade 002

This is the one item in my makeup bag that doesn't wow me. I like this, but I'm not a big concealer girl as I find my foundation covers enough for me. I like this, but I think it'll be Collection Lasting Perfection all the way after this has gone.

Estee Lauder Double Wear in Fresco

I adore this foundation. I've only had it a few days and I'm already wondering what I ever did without it. I've been working some longs and travelling in and out of London recently so my days were literally 6am - 8pm and this stayed flawless all day. It has not failed me once! Will definitely review this in full so look out for that.

Brushes

As for brushes, I use this big fluffy powder brush, honestly no clue where I got this, but I'm sure you can find similar all over the place. I use the real techniques buffing brush for foundation and the real techniques foundation brush for concealer.

Blushing and Bronzing

Soleil Tan De Chanel

I did a full review of this baby here so if you'd like to see that check it out. I use this lightly for all over bronzing and slightly more heavy for contouring. I adore this, it's eye wateringly expensive but it's huge and definitely worth every single penny.

MAC Something Special Blush

This is another product I'm planning on reviewing as I'm in love with it right now. It's the perfect coral pink blush for my skin tone. MAC's cream blushes are completely gorgeous and last so long on the skin. What's not to love?

LOOK Beauty Make Me Blush in Rosy

One of few highstreet/ drugstore makeup items that made it into my everyday makeup bag. I love the LOOK beauty brushes they're such good value for money and the quality is really great too. As this is very shimmery, I tend to use this over Something Special when I fancy a bit more of a glowy highlighted look.

Brush

I use my real techniques contour brush for all three of these products. It's one of my all time favourite brushes - I like multi-use brushes as it saves so much space!

Eyes

Clarins Splendours Eyeshadow Palette

I reviewed this really recently so you can check that out here if you fancy it. This has been my go to palette lately as it's just so gorgeous. I've got back into my shimmery eyeshadows lately and these colours are just so me. The rose gold shade is my absolute favourite. This is perfect for a bronzey smokey eye.

MAC Painterly Paint Pot
This has been my go to eyeshadow base for around two years now and even though I used it every single day I'm still on my first pot!! (I'm not a complete tramp, honest) These last forever and it hasn't dried out or gone dodgy at all so I'm sure I'll use this to the last little bit. Because of this, I think this is so worth the money and more as it's just lasted forever!
The Vintage Cosmetic Co Eyelash Curler
I bought this on a whim as it was on offer on Latest in Beauty for about £3 and I needed an eyelash curler. I'm so glad I bought it though, it's totally fab and my lashes stay curled all day long.
Benefit They're Real Mascara
Everyone and their Mum and their Nan and their Great Aunt Mable has one these, so I'm sure I don't need to ramble on about the amazingness of this mascara. Full review here if you'd like to see it in action.
Soap & Glory Supercat Liner
This is another product I've gone on and on about, so I won't bore you, but this really is an amazing, easy to use, very black, very long lasting pen eyeliner and I love it dearly. Full review here.
Brushes
The only two brushes I use on my eyes are this big fluffy one, which is an industry brand brush from when I trained in makeup and an elf blending brush. I'm pretty low maintenance when it comes to brushes as I hate faffing around. I don't have any problems using the same one in two colours and these work just fine!

Lips

Too Faced Lip Injection
I'm partial to a good lip plumper and holy shih-tzu this is a good lip plumper. Full review of this here.
Korres Lip Butter Guava
I love Korres Lip Butters. They're super moisturising and feel velvety soft on the lips. This is a lovely one but I definitely think I'll go back to my beloved Jasmine Lip Butter when this runs out as I just prefer the shade and smell. Can't recommend these enough if you like a more luxurious lip balm!
MAC Lipsticks in Coral Bliss and Creme D'Nude
These are the lipsticks I am alternating between lately, sometimes, I even mix them together, but that's on a particularly adventurous day, obviously. Full review of Coral Bliss here. You won't need me to tell you how incredible MAC lipsticks are, but I will anyway. They're really bloody incredible!!

So that's it! Sorry for the super late post, but I just so so wanted to get this up! Hope you enjoyed!

What's in your everyday makeup bag? I'd love to know. If you've done a similar post like this, link it below as I'd love to see it.

LIFE LATELY

Re-organised makeup bag (post soon!) - Gel nails I did for my Mum - First signs of spring

Decleor training day - Sushi for lunch! - Sneaky photos on the tube

Big clothing haul - OOTD - Funniest TV show!

Nandos beanie burger and spicy rice yum! - More Shopping - New OPI collection at work

OPI Gel colour matte topcoat at work - Magnum does NOT grow back - New things to review

Pink dip dye - More travelling to london - Finally giving this baby a go!

Hello lovelies! I've been a bit quiet on the blogging front lately as I've been so busy with work and things so I thought I'd do my first ever Instagram post today to show you all a bit of what I've been up to. Of course, this doesn't show everything I've been doing as 1. I didn't photograph it all and 2. this post would be a mile long! I promise to be lots more chatty in my up coming posts - I miss rambling on about nothing (I'm starting to do it now), I've been up since quarter to six this morning and been on and off many a train/ tube today so I just want to crawl into bed! I have lots of posts planned and exciting things to show you all so watch this space! Anyway let me know what you think of these kinds of posts and if you'd like to see more of these Instagram posts as they're quite fun and easy to do and I love to see other peoples.

MODELS OWN BEETLEJUICE

Hello lovelies! Hope you're all well and having a lovely day. The weather seems to be getting a little nicer here so that makes me happy. I feel like I bang on about the weather  I was recently sent three of the Model's Own Beetlejuice polishes and thought I'd give my thoughts on them today! I hadn't tried any Model's Own polishes before so I was pretty excited to give these a go.

I recieved Emerald Black, Pinky Brown and Golden Green. They're all slightly holographic which I think is really cool. The consistancy of all of them is fab an they're all opaque and very shiny in two coats. Pinky Brown is my favourite shade and is bascially a sparkly, dark pink. I think this will look lovely on the toes especially as I'm more one for brighter colours in the spring and summer time! I really like Emerald Black, however I feel this is definitely more of a winter colour. I think this will look amazing come the winter time, but it's definitely not something I'll go for in the summer months! Although even though I said these are both wintery shades, if this rain keeps up, I'll probably be wearing it sooner than I think! The only shade I'm not too keen on is Golden Green, I'm not really big on yellowy colours and this one's just a bit 'meh' for me if I'm totally honest. It's also a little more streaky than the others but maybe I just needed to shake the bottle a little. However, the consistency is still fab and it's totally opaque so if you like shades like this I'm sure you'd love it.
Purchase Model's Own at Littlewoods
The only one of these I've kept on at all so far is Pinky Brown on my toes and it's lasted a week so far without chipping which is great. Polish usually lasts longer than usual on the toes but it hasn't chipped at all so far so I'm impressed! Overall, I'm really impressed with the Quality of Model's Own polishes, especially considering they are only £5 each and would definitely love to try some more shades!

Do you like Model's Own polishes? What shades would you recommend?

CLARINS SPLENDOURS COLOUR QUARTET & LINER PALETTE

Hello lovelies! I hope you're all good and are having a lovely day/ week! Today, I'm going to be reviewing the gorgeous Clarins Splendours Colour Quartet and Liner Palette. If you know me and my blog, you'll have seen me go on in various posts about how I love matte eyeshadows for everyday looks and my Soap & Glory Lid Stuff palette was my absolute holy grail for everyday eyeshadow. FORGET EVERYTHING I SAID. Well, not everything, the Soap & Glory Lid Stuff is still a firm favourite. However, it's place in my everyday makeup bag has been taken over for the foreseeable future by this little beauty!

While, as I said, for a long time I was a matte eyeshadow girl, I saw this palette and it automatically caught my eye. I feel like warmer toned anything suits me way better than cooler tones. Peachy blush, coral lipstick, bronzey eyeshadows and I'm there. So when I saw these colours I just had to have it! Shimmer or not, these colours could not be more me. I was slightly worried about the fact that that these were shimmers to be completely honest as I've worn matte only for the longest time. However, as soon as I tried these little beauties, I was in love.

This palette comes with a bronzey gold shade, a champagne colour, a warm purpley brown and a rose gold shade. There is also a very dark purple liner shade down the side, which to be honest, I probably won't get too much use out of as I like my black liquid liner, but it's a nice touch. All the colours are incredibly well pigmented and can be used wet and dry depending on what look you're going for. I've only used these dry as I feel like the colour is intense enough on it's own! However, if you were going for a super intense or evening look, I think it'd create a really cool metallic effect if you used these wet.

I absolutely adore the packaging, it's so luxurious! The quad is gold on the inside and on the bottom, with gorgeous red casing on the top. It has a lovely summery design on the front that looks like a sun to me, not sure if that's what it's supposed to be though! It also came in this gorgeous little velvet effect pouch inside the iconic red Clarins box. I thought this was a really nice touch as it keeps the palette getting messed up or scratched in my makeup bag. I don't really think much of brushes that came with this, as they're little sponges and who really uses those anyway? However, I must say the little angled eyeliner brush is pretty good and if you were going to use the liner, it would definitely come in handy.

Overall, I'd completely recommend this palette to anyone who likes warmer toned shadows. If you're strictly a cool toned kinda girl, this will not be for you, but it's definitely worth swatching as I think it'd look good on pretty much any skin tone! This is a limited edition palette and is available on the Clarins website and department stores (I bought mine on the Debenhams site!) for £31, it's completely worth it so snap it up quick if this seems like your kinda thing!

BLANX WHITE SHOCK TOOTHPASTE REVIEW

Hello lovelies! I hope you're all good and have had a lovely day. A few weeks ago, I was sent this BlanX White Shock toothpaste and I'd been waiting until I'd finished the tube to review it as I wanted to see if it truly made a difference! After trying it for a few weeks, I feel like I have given it a fair enough test to do a accurate and honest review, so let's get into it!

As you can see, this is no ordinary toothpaste. This one has a little LED light in the lid. This is what the BlanX website says about this, as I'm sure I'll mess it up if I try to explain!!

"BlanX White Shock formula contains an internationally patented ingredient called Actilux®, which reacts to light to help whiten teeth naturally.

Actilux® has a photo-catalytic effect -  breaking down organic dirt and bacteria using light, washing away dirt via the lotus effect. Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets (saliva) due to a complex micro- and nanoscopic architecture of the surface, which minimises adhesion."
"The LED light works as a booster to the Actilux® in the BlanX White Shock formula, activating the formula as it passed through the tube. You can also use the light on the end of the toothpaste tube to boost the formula whist on your teeth by holding the light in front of your mouth for 1 minute everyday."

To be honest, when I first got this toothpaste, I thought the LED light in the lid was the coolest thing I'd ever seen, but I did wonder if it was a bit of a gimmick and possibly a little pointless. Although, I did as the website says, and held the light infront of my teeth for one minute a couple of times every week and I have honestly noticed a difference in the whiteness of my teeth! I didn't use the light in the first week of using the toothpaste, and while it definitely did make my teeth a little brighter, it was definitely more noticeable when I used the light. The cool thing about this, is that you can buy refill tubes, but the LED light is reusable.

This has a pretty standard, minty taste so nothing to odd! The whitening effect is nothing too mad, but they definitely seem a lot brighter and I've had a couple of people mention it so that's great! I have slightly sensitive teeth at times and this didn't irritate them at all, which is fab as some other whitening toothpastes have been a little harsh for my teeth - and didn't white as much either!

Overall, if you'd like a natural whitening effect to your teeth, with a toothpaste that's not too harsh and still good for sensitive teeth - this is for you!

BIG CLOTHING HAUL, ASOS, TOPSHOP, RIVER ISLAND, PRIMARK + MORE

Hello lovelies! I hope you've all had a fab weekend, I'm suuper excited as we've finally got a bit of sun here in the UK, about bloody time! If you follow me on twitter or instagram, you'll have seen lots of photos of shopping bags and piles of clothes etc because something very exciting happened the other day. I won Style in View's #tweet2win competition and won £300! I'd chosen some items already in the competition but some weren't in my size so I decided to go for a few different bits and pieces instead. Style in View is a fab fashion search engine, definitely worth checking out if you haven't already. It makes online shopping so much easier having everything in one place! Anyway onto what I bought, I've linked all the items I can find incase you fancy a peek.

Cat Moustache Tee - River Island on ASOS - I love this tshirt, it's fab for the monochrome trend this season, but it's also really fun and easy to wear. So cute!

Red Skater Skirt - ASOS - I love skater skirts, I think they're perfect for the spring/ summer time as they're so easy to wear. I particularly love this one with black and white tshirts.

It Girl Tee - Mango on ASOS - Little bit of a cringe at what this top says, but like I said, I love skater skirts with black and white t-shirts and I really like the style of this one.

Frill Ankle Socks - Primark - I love these little socks, I think they'll look fab with skirts and dresses in the warmer weather.

Red Vans* - ASOS c/o BST Hyde Park - These were actually sent to me and are the only item I didn't actually purchase but I seriously love these. I love them with the little socks and think I'll wear them to travel in when I go on holiday this year as they're so comfy.

White Cropped Tee - ASOS - I've always liked these kinds of tops but never thought I'd be brave enough for them, but I thought they'd look nice with skater skirts and high waisted shorts, particularly on holiday - so I decided to just go for it!

Coral Box Pleat Skater Skirt - River Island on ASOS - I really love the colour of this skirt, it's quite thick so I was worried it'd make the hip area look a little bit wider than it really is, but it's not too bad and it's such a pretty colour I think it can be forgiven!

Striped Top - River Island on ASOS - I'm going to just say it, I bought this because I saw Taylor Swift wearing one similar and I loved it so much. Perfect for the monochrome trend and I love it with these kinds of skirts.

Red Skater Dress - ASOS - I really like t-shirt dresses like this, this one is a little bit longer than I'm generally used to but I'm sure I'll get over it! I love the bright red colour of this, I can't wait for the warmer weather to wear this.

Blue Lace Dress - Miss Selfridge - I bought this dress for Darren's Mum's wedding, which is late next month. I love the colour and the fit and I think it's perfect for a summer wedding - provided we get the summer weather at the end of May!

Black Crop Top - ASOS - This is exactly the same as the white but in black (obvious), I thought I'd get this in a couple of colours and black and white tend to go with everything.

Aztec Skirt - River Island - The link I've done for this one is actually an ASOS link as I couldn't find it on the River Island website, but I actually got this in the sale in River Island for £10, so it's definitely worth looking in your local store if you like it! I love the style of this skirt, I particularly like how it looks with the cropped black tee too.

Polka Dot Bikini - Topshop - Me and Darren booked a holiday to Majorca a few days ago so of course, in holiday mode I had to buy a new bikini. I love the style of this one, it's underwired so it has a lot of support which I like. I'm not particularly chesty (at all) but I do like a bit of support from my swimwear none the less!

Nude Bow Flip Flops - Primark - I love these. They were only £2.50 in Primark which I think is bloody amazing, I really like the nude colour too as they'll go with pretty much anything.

White Sandals - Primark - Another Primark bargain at only £4, I love the little sparkly bits on these, they're super simple but I think it really adds something to them. I love white sandals with tanned feet too!

Phew! So that's it, hope you enjoyed this post! What's your favourite thing that I got?