Thursday 31 July 2014

GUEST POST: CLARE, SPARKLE BLOSSOM BEAUTY

Hi all, 
I'm Clare from SparkleBlossomBeauty. I love all things beauty, makeup, crafty and sparkly. The reason I'm here is
Chloe the very lucky lady is off to Spain on her holidays and she has trusted me with her blog readers for one day, thanks Chloe! 
In light of Chloe's holidays I decided to do a holiday inspired post so today I will share with you what would make it into my holiday makeup bag! 


Here it is! Hope you like my attempt at summery photography. 
I like to travel light when I'm going on my holidays and don't tend to wear much if any makeup. 
First to make it into my bag is a holiday must have Aloe Vera Gel. This is essential for cooling and moisturizing skin  after days in the sun. 
Second to make it is Garnier Micellar water.perfect for quickly wiping away the day and I find it cooling on skin also perfect for a quick hassle free cleanse. 
Next up is Garnier bb cream. This is the closest thing to make up that I ever wear when I'm on my holidays in the sun. It is perfect for long hot evenings. 
I don't leave home without my mascara so of course my benefit they're real is coming with me too! 
Because I don't wear much makeup while I'm away I always bring a bright lipstick to give me the look of makeup just in case I need it for somewhere fancy. This particular one is mac creem sheen in speed dial. A perfect pink for a pop of holiday colour and looks fab with a tan. 
My sanctuary spa shower gel joins me too to keep me squeaky clean. 
I have packed two brushes my real techniques buffing brush and my Eyeslipsface small stipple brush. 
My makeup revolution bronzer and my eyeslipsface mineral booster also make the cut to help keep down evening shine and help me look bronzed for the first few days until the sun does it's job. 

I've loved being a guest poster for Chloe hope you have enjoyed my post. What's in your holiday make up bag? 

WHAT TO GIFT A PERSON WHO LOVES THE SEA*

Thousands have lived without love, not one without water - W. H. Auden. Most of us are captivated by water. In fact, several scientific researchers have been conducted to identify people's fascination with the sea. A 2010 research conducted by Plymouth University in the UK found that most adults associate a positive mood with items representing on containing water. A gift that represents the ocean would be perfect for a loved one. The sea symbolizes endlessness, and we would want our relationships to be long-lasting. The ocean is mysteries and intriguing. It also symbolizes travel and adventure, with several famous voyages being recorded in history. Moreover, the ocean represents vastness, which is associated with generosity. So, if you're looking for a present, getting something from a nautical gifts and home décor shop may be just the right decision.

A Unique Gift is remembered

Wish to gift something that will become the talk of town? You can get something that represents the sea and travelling. Choose from a variety of nautical gifts from sites such as Premier Gifts and try to get something that has an antique touch it.
For instance, you could select a nautical compass in a brass case with a lid. It could be crafted in the 18th century style. This will not only represent travel and seafaring, but also have an old-world appeal. You may pick a compass crafted in the Victorian style or the Georgian style. Such items add to the elegance of any decor. There are compasses available that include a sundial. This could make a fascinating gifting idea that will be remembered for years to come.

From Sea to Space

The ocean as well as space depicts vastness. There is another connection between these two - both of them are associated with travel and even seafaring. Seafarers used the positioning of the stars in space for navigation - to determine the direction in which they need to travel. You could select a telescope on a stand for people who are fascinated by both water and space. You can be sure that the receiver will spend hours gazing at the stars and the moon and remain mesmerized with the gift for years. Such nautical presents are ideal for men and women. If a telescope is too large, you can opt for a pocket sextant. This historical instrument allows you to calculate the angle of the sun and stars. Such presents are great as decorative pieces, while also being intriguing to use by the recipient.

Other Ideas


Among the other ideas for nautical gifts are hourglass, calling bells, magnifying glass, signal flags (with flags of different countries on a string) and microscope. If it has a vintage touch and is from a reputed nautical gifts and home décor shop, you are sure to have won your friend over. Whatever you choose, ensure that you plan ahead. This gives you the time to check out different options and spot amazing deals on them. Don't forget to write out a message telling the person your thoughts behind choosing this unique gift.

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Tuesday 29 July 2014

GUEST POST: CLAUDIA, BEAUTY AND THE CHIC





The Summer Face

Hi everyone! I'm Claudia and I blog over at Beauty and the Chic and it's so lovely to be writing a beauty post on Chloe's Way today! Since the sun is shinning, I thought I would write a little post on my make-up preference for the summer time. 

For my base I always use a BB cream in the summer time and I love the Diorskin Nude BB Cream. It's light-weight with a nice amount of coverage and it doesn't leave you in a sweaty mess. It also contains SPF 10 which isn't high but it's better than nothing. To cover the dark circles under my eyes and to highlight the rest of my face, I love to use the Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer as it's a concealer and highlighter in one. It covers dark circles really well and doesn't crease under the eyes with is fab! I also love the dewiness that it adds to the skin. To add some colour to my face I always bronze/contour my face. I wear a lot of SPF, in my moisturiser and in my foundation so my face is lily white compared to the rest of me. My favourite at the moment for the faux bronze look is the Make-up Revolution Vivid Baked Bronzer* in the shade Golden Days. It's not too orange and it doesn't look muddy, it's the perfect shade for my skin tone. I always use a cream blush in summertime as I think it looks more natural and I love the dewy effect it creates and my all time favourite is the Topshop Cream Blush in Morning Dew. It's a beautiful bright coral pink in the pan but adds just the right amount of colour for the flushed cheek look. I tend to powder the rest of my face just to set everything into place and so it doesn't slip and slid throughout the day, that can be embarrassing, but my go to powder is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural Powder, it gets the job done without sitting in dry patches and also doesn't appear cakey.

Moving onto eyes, sometimes I do apply eye make-up sometimes I don't but if I do I like to keep it simple. For bright non-creased eye make-up all day, I like to apply a cream underneath, I use this instead of a primer. At the moment I'm loving bronze golden shades and theMaybelline 24hr Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze sits perfectly underneath the shade Camera Rolling from the Make-up Revolution "Girls on Film" palette*. Such a pretty subtle bronze eye, it's lovely and simple. You don't want mascara sliding down your face if you go to the beach or a pool so I love the Maybelline The Rocket Waterproof mascara, seriously gals, this stuff doesn't budge! 

Finally, for lips I apply an SPF lipbalm first in the form of Maybelline Babylips Sunscreen SPF 20 and then a subtle colour over the top. I don't always apply a colour but but when I do, it's usually the L'oreal L'Extrodinaire by Color Riche in the shade Rose Melody which is a lovely soft nude pink, a "my lips but better shade," we all love them! 

That's it for my summer face. I love how this is natural and subtle look but still looks put together. It lasts all day and feels as though I haven't applied any make-up at all. The best part for me though? It takes about 10 minutes!

I hope you have enjoyed my little takeover post today. If you want to read more from me I'd love for you to stop by my blog Beauty and the Chic and you can also find me on Twitter too. Thank you so much Chloe for having me and I shall see everyone soon! 

Claudia xx

Sunday 27 July 2014

GUEST POST: ALEXANDRA, SWEET DREAMS


Hi everyone! I'm Alexandra and I write a beauty and lifestyle blog; Sweet Dreams. Chloe is away having a fab time on her holidays, so I've popped in for today to tell you all about a budget hair oil which actually works! I hope you like my post and if you get a chance I'd love you to check out my blog!

Now that I have lighter coloured hair on the ends of my hair, it's an essential for my poor hair that it gets a good drenching of hair oil at least each time I blow dry. I've been loving using Garnier's Silky Smoother shampoo, so I was really excited to try the 'Sleek Restorer' hair oil from their new Ultimate Blends range. Over the past year, hair oil has become an everyday routine for me and after developing a crush on the rather expensive Moroccan Oil, I'm always open to finding cheaper and possibly even a better alternative! The 'Sleek Restorer Oil' is taken from Garnier's 'Sleek Restorer' range which is aimed at dry and frizzy hair - perfect for my dry ends.

With the hair oil itself being part of the sleek range, I find the packaging pretty sleek itself. As you can see, it comes in a cute round bottle which has a handy dispensing pump and lid. Before I tell you any more about the product - I need to tell you just how amazing it smells. Think of the perfect summer scent - coconuts, sunscreen and sun - and you'll have the scent of the Sleek Restore Oil. The main scent of the oil is coconut as the oil itself has been blended with pure coconut oil to help restore frizz and smooth down any flyaways. I love that the oil is versatile, you can use on dry hair to smooth down flyways or just for a general quick condition on the go or you can use my favourite option of massaging the oil into the ends of my wet hair before blow drying. The oil itself is a clear liquid oil and blends easily onto the ends of my hair. I just love the coconut scent! Also a handy selling point of the oil is that it includes protection of heat up to 230°C, so you don't even need to add a heat spray to your routine!
When using a new hair oil, I have two concerns. My first concern is that it may make my hair feel greasy or weighed down - this did neither. My second concern is that it will not live up to my expectations of my usual hair oil - but luckily this didn't disappoint me and I really recommend it to you. It keeps my hair feeling soft, smooth and silky and best of all, it doesn't break the bank - what more could I ask for? The oil retails at just £9.99 for 150ml. I only need to use a small amount each time , so this bottle is going to last me a long while yet!
What's your favourite hair oil? x

Friday 25 July 2014

WHAT'S IN MY HOLIDAY WASH BAG?


Hey lovelies! With just two days (eeeek!!) until my holiday, the packing panic is starting to kick in. I've been at work every day this week and will be today and tomorrow then on Sunday, I'm off! So, to avoid as much last minute stresses as possible, I created a check list of all the thing I need, in particular toiletries! I always find that once I get there I've forgotten something and the first day is spent trying to find the nearest supermarket and attempting to figure out foreign labels on various bath and body products! So, today I thought I'd share with you all my travel wash bag 'essentials' that will be coming away with me next week!


 As you can see, (almost) everything is going to be neatly tucked away into this gorgeous Catseye London Washbag*, I say almost everything as my shampoo and conditioner will be separate, as there's not quite enough room, but if you're not as product mad as me, you should have no problem with one of these washbags as they're a really good size. The fab thing about this bag in particular, is that it's waterproof inside and out, meaning if any spillage does happen, it can easily be wiped clean.


So, first up, face products! Let's face it, we don't always stick to a great skincare routine on a summer holiday, but that doesn't mean I can't go with good intentions! I'm bringing along my Body Shop Seaweed cleanser*, which is fab for the summer as it controls oil without being too drying. As well as this, I'm brining my Elemis Fresh Skin exfoliator* as it's lovely and gentle and won't scrub off my tan! I spoke about this Shiseido Facial Tanner/ SPF* in my last post, it's great because it's super light and doesn't clog the pores at all. As well as protecting from the sun, it also gives a light tan, which is perfect as we all know tans on the face don't last five minutes! Also from my last post, this EOS lip balm*, which is great for lips that get sore in the sun! Another item from the Body Shop, this Vitamin C moisturiser*, again, it's super light, which is good as I don't really need a heavy moisturiser at this time of year. Finally, I'm bringing along my lovely Eucerin Micellar Water* to take my makeup off at the end of the day - I will not succumb to lazy holiday face wipes!


For body (and uhh, teeth..) I'm not bringing too many products, as I just know I won't use them. However these few items are absolute essentials to me. First off, toothpaste - for obvious reasons! Then I'm bringing one of my fave summer scents, Victoria's Secret Love Spell, in perfume and shower gel form. This perfume is a fab size for travel as it's a nice small bottle, but still an amazing quality scent. For sun protection, I'm bringing my favourite ever aftersun, Malibu Miracle Tan, which promotes tanning and soothes skin after sun exposure and my fave sunscreen, Malibu Dry Oil spray, this is great because it makes the skin look glowy and helps you tan, but also protects perfectly. 


When it comes to holiday haircare, I do try to keep my hair in as good condition as I can, but with luggage restrictions, I've tried to keep haircare to a minimum as much as possible. So, on the shortlist we have Tresemme Keratin Smooth Heat Defence, which I think is one of the best high street heat protection sprays out there, it keeps the hair soft and smooth and defends perfectly against blow dryers and straightners, which let's face it, are definitely going to be coming with me! I also got a mini bottle of Lee Stafford Protection spray, which protects against swimming pools and the sun's UV rays, perfect for a holiday! I then got the 'Bee Strong' Herbal Essences Shampoo and Conditioner, as I think they're a great size, as travel sized shampoos can often be a bit too small for me. As your hair obviously gets oiler than usual in the hotter weather, dry shampoo is a must. This Floral Batiste one is my absolute favourite right now as it's such a gorgeous bottle and a really pretty smell. Finally, what's summer without some bright, 90s inspired scrunchies?


Finally the awkward essentials! Today, we find out I'm the type of blogger that puts pictures of tampons on her blog, but let's face it, the three things above that can seriously ruin a holiday, periods, hairy areas and dodgy sweaty smells! The tampons need no explanation, but the other two are my absolute faves right now. The Venus & Olay razors are amazing, as you don't need a shaving gel for them, so it's suitcase friendly and super easy to use. This Right Guard deodorant is great, as it's an antiperspirant that actually works so this is definitely coming with me to super sunny Spain!

What do you think of my picks? Have I forgotten anything important? Let me know! 

*Products marked with an astrix were gifted to me, all opinions are my own.

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Wednesday 23 July 2014

BRITISH SUMMER ESSENTIALS WITH FOLLI FOLLIE*










Hi lovelies! Well, do I have a exciting post to share with you guys today? Recently, I was in touch with the lovely people at Folli Follie, who offered to send me some 'Summer Essentials' for the British Summer, I of course said a huge, yes and was thrilled to receive all these gorgeous summer goodies in the post a few days later. I thought that was amazing enough, so you can imagine my shock when this gorgeous Heart To Heart Bag and beautiful sunglasses showed up in the post a couple of days later! I was completely not expecting it and was thrilled to open the huge parcel to find these gorgeous summery goodies inside - needless to say they will be coming on holiday with me!

As you can see, the products I have been sent all fall under the 'British Summer Essentials' category. There's a fake tan, incase we don't get any real sun over here, a facial SPF, because premature ageing is not on my summer wishlist, dry shampoo, because sun + sweat = greasy hair, gross but true, an EOS lip balm, to soothe lips damaged by the sun and finally a giant umbrella, because let's face it, the UK's weather is highly unpredictable. I've actually managed to try all the products and will be reviewing them all individually, but I'll give you my first impressions of them in this post, because I'm nice like that!

As I'm going away at the end of this week, I was trying not to fake tan, as I feel like going away with a fake tan means I come home the same colour, or lighter than the day I went away! However, I used this on Monday and as I'm not going away until Sunday, I figured it would fade just enough to give me a very light hint of colour by the time I go, but not so much that I won't notice my real tan coming along! Well, I'm pleased to report that after applying this and leaving it on overnight, I was left with a gorgeous, deep tan. It did cling to some dry patches, but that was my fault as I didn't exfoliate properly beforehand - oops! The Shiseido facial SPF was a product and brand I'd never tried before so I was excited to give this a go. It's also a tanning cream, so it gives a slight colour to the face, which I love as tans always fade quicker on the face. It feels more like a moisturiser when you put it on and doesn't leave a greasy suncream feeling either, so that's fab!

The Batiste dry shampoo was of course something I'd tried before and absolutely love, but the floral scent was new to me, as I usually go for Tropical or Blush. Well, this one may just be my new fave! It's a light and delicate floral scent. It's super pretty and makes your hair smell really clean, with just the right amount of girliness! The can is also very cute, which helps it take the new favourite crown. I'm saving the rest of this one to take on Holiday with me, but dry shampoo is must for me in the British Summer too, as the random weather can play havoc with my hair, so washing it less is something I try to do to keep the condition as nice as possible. Finally, another old favourite, a trust EOS lip balm. I love these because they're pretty, they're cute and quirky, they smell fab and best of all, they work. Dry lips are something I tend to suffer with all year round and this little cutie keeps that at bay. And of course, I've had to use the big umbrella on a few occasions already, but at least I can look somewhat cute in the rain with this pretty pink brolly!

Fortunately, as I said, I will be jetting off on a sunny holiday (in just four days, eek!) so many of these gorgeous items will be coming along with me. The facial sunscreen is going to be a summer staple here and abroad along with the dry shampoo and lip balm and of course the stunning handbag and sunnies! The quality of the Folli Follie items I was sent is just inredible, the bag feels super sturdy and it came in it's very own dust bag to protect it. The colour of the bag and sunglasses case is fab for a holiday abroad, but will also brighten up the British Summer time - particularly on a rainy day! What I love about the orange colour is that it will easily carry me through to the autumn, (which tends to come quite early here in the UK!) as it's lovely and bright for the summer, but then will go with the darker, autumn shades too.

If you fancy a treat this summer, I'd thoroughly recommend Folli Follie as a brand, the quality and design of the items I was sent is just incredible. The attention to detail on the bag alone completely blew me away. The Heart to Heart bag comes in many colours, but they also have lots of other designs too which you can see here. They also have some gorgeous jewellery, watches and other accessories, so I definitely recommend the site.

Let me know what you think. Is this stunning statement bag something you'd love on your arm this summer?
What are your Summer essentials?

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Monday 21 July 2014

PEACHES AND CREAM



shoes - primark
bag - unknown (aka borrowed from my mum!!)

Hey beauts! As you may have noticed, today I'm sharing with you all another gorgeous Miss Selfridge slip dress. I absolutely love Miss Selfridge right now. It may be a bit of a controversial thing to say, but they really do get it right for smaller sized girls. I often go into stores and see lots that I like, but can't always find my size. However, in Miss Selfridge, you can almost always guarantee that there'll be a size 6 and I love that.

This beautiful peach slip dress is one of my favourite things in my summer holiday wardrobe right now, as it's a really light material, so perfect for super hot weather. I love the frill detail and if you click the link above to the Miss Selfridge site, you can see that the back has a cute, subtle cut out detail too, which I, stupidly forgot to get a photo of! The colour is gorgeous and the photos seriously don't do it justice. It's a beautiful light peachy coral colour, fab for the time of year and I can imagine it's gonna look great with a tan!

I paired this with my trust chunky white heels from Primark and this super cute white studded clutch bag that I borrowed from my very stylish Mum! I think the white accessories are great as they look gorgeous with the colour of the dress, but don't distract from the dress itself.

What do you think? What's your favourite thing in your summer wardrobe?

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Saturday 19 July 2014

MARK HILL MIRACOILICIOUS, 2 MINUTE INTENSIVE TREATMENT REVIEW*




Hi lovelies! If you know me at all, you'll know that I absolutely love the summer, I love hot weather,  love going on holiday, I love wearing pretty, light clothes and going out without a coat on, but the one thing I don't love is what summer does to my hair. Yes, I love that the sun is basically like a free trip to the salon with all the natural highlights I get in my hair, but I don't love how much the heat dries out my poor, thirsty locks! I love a good deep conditioning treatment at the best of times, but when summer rolls around that's when I get serious about finding 'the one' and I think for this summer, this little beauty may be just what I've been looking for.

I bought this simply because it was on offer in Boots, I needed a treatment mask, so of course the one that was on offer looked the most appealing and as it was Mark Hill, I figured it was going to be slightly better quality than some of the cheaper brands. Anyway, lucky for me, this is absolutely fab! I had high hopes, as it has argan oil in it, hence the name 'MiracOILicious'. As well as the argan oil, something else that caught my eye when buying this, was the fact that it says 'made without parabens'. I don't specifically buy products without parabens, but it's definitely a bonus if products are free from them, as any reduced damage is a bonus!

The conditioner itself is really thick and feels super luxurious when you put it on. It contains lots of different things including Moroccan Argan Oil, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Sage, Sandlewood, Spearmint, Castor, Palmarosa, Orange, Patchouli, Clove, Artemisia Pallens Flower and White Birch. These ingredients give it a strong scent that I'm honestly not too sure about. It's kind of a citrussy, woody scent and I can definitely detect the patchouli, which isn't a note I love, but hey, it's a conditioner, not a perfume! I don't actually dislike the scent, but it's quite powerful, particularly while the product is on your hair. It lingers after rinsing and drying too, but it's more subtle and a bit fresher and nicer, so it doesn't bother me so much.

After rinsing and drying my hair the first time, I noticed my hair was softer and looked quite smooth and shiny, which is a definitely improvement from it's usual straw like state that it's cursed with at this time of year! Now though, after a few uses, I've seen the full potential of this little gem. After using this several times over a couple of weeks, I've noticed a huge improvement in my hair, it's smoother, softer and there's much less breakage when I brush my hair. I've been using this every other wash and my hair remains soft and smooth between washes and when I wash without it, which to me, suggests that this is improving the condition of my hair, rather than just making it feel nicer. I suppose I'll see properly in the long run, but I have high hopes for this!

Obviously, I'd totally recommend this if you fancy a treat for your hair. As I said, it's on offer at Boots right now, so if you fancy it, it's worth snapping it up sooner rather than later!

What do you think? What's your favourite hair product right now?

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Thursday 17 July 2014

SLIP



shoes - new look

Hi lovelies! Another outfit post for you all today. I know it won't be for everyone, but I love that this beautiful slip dress kind of looks like lingerie/ sleepwear. The best part? I got it for £10 in the Miss Selfridge sale! It's not available on the website any more, but it's definitely worth checking your local Miss Selfridge if you like it, for £10 how could you not? I'm super excited to wear this dress on holiday, probably for a night out in the evening. It's perfect for taking away with you, as it's so light, like seriously weightless, making it fab for warm evenings. The floral print is lovely, the colours make it quite subtle, which I think is really feminine and elegant.I love the lace trim too, it finishes off the dress beautifully.

As I felt like this dress was pretty enough on it's own, I just paired it with these simple shell pink peep toes from New Look. They tie in with the subtle hints of pink within the dress and I think they finish the look off perfectly. I think this dress would also have looked fab with some black wedges, but the pale, nudey pink colour of the shoes keeps the focus on the dress itself, which is exactly what I wanted. There's a link to the shoes above and I'd totally recommend them if they're your kind of thing. As you'll be able to tell from my last OOTD, chunky, blocky peep toe heels are my favourites at the moment. They look fab but they're so comfy, so you can wear them all day (or all night!) long without ending up walking home carrying your shoes. You know you've been there.

What do you think? Do you like slip dresses like this, or would you feel like

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Tuesday 15 July 2014

THINGS I LIKE


These gorgeous flip flops* were gifted to me by House of Fraser and I am absolutely in love with them! Ted Baker flip flops are my absolute favourites for this time of year and I wear them all the time. As a Beauty Therapist and freelance MUA, comfortable footwear is essential as you're on your feet a lot and I wear a pair of these almost every day to work. I thought these nude pink ones were just stunning and fab for every day. The jelly look is super on trend for right now and despite doubts from almost everyone who asks me about them, yes, they are very comfy! The material also makes them fab for the beach as sand can simply be brushed off and they can be wiped dry with a towel really easily too. No more squelchy feet!! I love the rose gold hardware on this particular pair, as I wear a lot of rose gold jewellery, so these tie in beautifully with that. They're slightly pricey for flip flops but 100% worth it!

Meet my new favourite skincare product, 'Rapid Facial' from Skin Chemists*. This is a kind of mask/ peel product that you apply like a mask, leave on for 15 minutes or so, then sort of rub off for an exfoliating 'peel'. It uses a product called Glycolic acid, which works by 'breaking down substances that bond dead skin cells trapped underneath the top layer of skin. These dead cells, which contribute to clogged pores and dull skin, can then be rinsed away.' After just one use (and even better after a few!) my skin was more even, brighter and super soft and smooth. I have fairly normal skin, but it can be more combination this time of year and this works fabulously on me, however I'm sure it would also work amazingly on any skin type, be it dry, dehydrated or oily as it's hydrating, exfoliating and very gentle too. This is very pricey, but if you fancy a real treat for your skin, this definitely a good choice.


This stunning iPad mini case was a little surprise gift from my boyfriend and I am in love with it. It's from New Look, but it really reminds me of the floral print Ted Baker have on some of their products, which I love. I love the pretty, pastel shades on this and the gold on the inside gives it an absolutely stunning finish. I really like foldover cases like this as it protects my iPad when I throw it in my bag for work. If like me, you use a tablet or iPad a lot, it becomes kind of an accessory and as with any other accessory, I want it to look fab at all times! So, for a well dresses iPad without making your bank account cry, definitely get yourself down to New Look.

This gorgeous little Estella Bartlett Rose Gold Anchor necklace was a surprise in the post from my twin sister a few weeks ago after I started my new job. As I said, I wear a lot of rose gold, so this is just perfect. I love anchors, as Darren has an anchor tattoo and I kind of like to match! Sad but true. This is super delicate and pretty, making it perfect for everyday wear. I like to have a little necklace like this for casual days, or even just wearing to work, as it adds a little extra something, without being too full on for every day. Twin points to Hannah!

What have you been loving lately?

*Starred items were gifted by PR companies. Not a sponsored post. All opinions are my own.

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Sunday 13 July 2014

BOOM CLAP


playsuit - missguided
bag - tk maxx
shoes - primark

Hi lovelies! I hope you're all doing good! What? What's this..? Yes, that's right, I am actually doing an outfit post. I'm always way more in the mood to these posts during the summer when the weather's nice (and when I have a wardrobe full of new summery clothes to wear!). So, you lucky old things, here I am, wearing some clothes to share with you all.

I absolutely love this outfit. Playsuits are one of my favourite things to wear in the summer, despite the inevitable issues when you find yourself needing to wee. TMI maybe? #girlproblems. They're fab on holiday or in the UK, as they're cute, comfy and let's face it, you don't have to worry about sudden gusts of wind forcing you into a much less sexy Marilyn pose. The print on this is super perfect for holidays as it's really bright and so pretty. I also like that your shoulders are really exposed in it, because who doesn't love tanned shoulders?

Side note, I recently got these white heels in Primark for only £12 and whoever you are, you need them. They're wide fit, so they're super comfy but not so wide that they slip about when you're wearing them. They've got a bit of padding at the ball of your foot making them the comfiest heels ever, despite the lack of platform. They also come in black, which I'm fairly sure I'll be adding to my collection soon, but I thought the white were just perfect for the time of year. If I bring only one pair of heels on holiday (damn you luggage restrictions), it'll definitely be these. Also, you may have spotted this gorgeous jelly bag in a previous post, but seriously how cool is it? This was a TK Maxx find (so I can't tell you where you can get one, sorry!!) and I'm in love. It's such a statement, but kind of versatile in that it can be used day or night. It's tacky and a bit barbie, but I don't care, it's my baby.

What do you think of my outfit? Let me know if you'd like to see more outfit posts, I forgot how much I love doing them!

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Friday 11 July 2014

EUCERIN DERMATOCLEAN MICELLAR CLEANSING FLUID REVIEW*



Hi lovelies! I don't know about you guys, but I have absolutely no idea what I did before I discovered Micellar cleansing waters. They are definitely my absolute favourite way of removing makeup as they're so quick and easy and much more thorough than a face wipe! They're also perfect for me as a beauty therapist and makeup artist as they're fab for quick cleansing or tiny touch ups.

So, when I was given the opportunity to review this one from french skincare brand Eucerin, I was absolutely thrilled! This particular cleansing water is fab because it not only does exactly what it says on the tin, (or rather, plastic bottle) but it's also fragrance, alcohol and paraben free, so if you've got sensitive skin this will be perfect for you. It's 3 in 1 because not only does the product break down and remove makeup, but it also has natural ingredients that soothe and moisturise the skin, meaning it's not drying like other cleansers can be and your skin isn't left with that tight feeling you sometimes get after washing your face.

As with all cleansing waters, this is not a replacement for washing your face, it just removes makeup. While you should always give your face a proper wash after using a cleansing water, this does actually remove all makeup very effectively and I'll be honest, on a few lazy nights, I've used this alone with absolutely no other products and my skin hasn't been affected in any way. Obviously I'm not condoning ditching your entire skincare routine in place of a single cleansing water - but it's definitely better than a face wipe (aka alcohol cloth) after a night out!

Overall, I'd thoroughly recommend this cleansing water, particularly if you have sensitive skin. While I do think a lot of micellar waters work in a very similar way, but this is the only one I've tried that does actually make my skin feel soothed and hydrated afterwards, so if that's something that interests you it's definitely worth a go.

Eucerin Dermatoclean is available to buy from escentual.com here.

Let me know your thoughts, do you like micellar waters or do you have another fave make up remover that I need to know about? Comment below and let me know!

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Tuesday 8 July 2014

MICHAEL VAN CLARKE 3 MORE INCHES MAGIC OIL REVIEW*




Hi lovelies! I hope you're all doing well! I'm desperately trying to get back on the blogging bandwagon, as I've been a very busy bee lately. I've got a new job and have been doing lots of freelance beauty therapy and make up (in fact, after finishing this post, I'll be leaving to do make up for a prom party!) so blog posts are taking a little longer to get up, but I'm slowly getting back into the swing of things, so bear with me!

Before I jump into the review of this amazing product, I'm going to give you a bit of background. I recently got my highlights redone and my hairdresser finally convinced me to have an actual haircut. I didn't have a restyle or anything, but I finally agreed to have the dead, split ends cut off. As I used to wear clip in extensions a lot, a lot meaning every single day when I was around 18-19, my hair got quite damaged and broken. While clip ins aren't generally too bad for your hair when worn once in a while, wearing them every day took its toll on my hair, they got tangled and stared to rip my hair. So, when my hair got to a decent length (around 4 inches past my shoulders) I took the plunge and stopped wearing them altogether. Anyway, long story short, I let my hair grow and grow, but the broken bits at the back where splitting where they were damaged, so I ended up with a very obvious shorter section at the back of my hair. So, we cut the dead ends off and evened my hair up, so it's more blunt and healthy looking at the ends. It was only and inch or two off and my hair is still a good 5 or 6 inches below my shoulders, but any amount off the ends freaks me out so it was a big deal for me!

After vowing to keep my hair as strong and healthy as possible, I was thrilled to be given the chance to review this 'magic oil' by Michael Van Clarke. I absolutely love hair oils, but most of them are packed full of silicones and chemical nasties that make your hair look and feel amazing, but slowly overtime, can actually be damaging to your hair. So, when I read about the product and found that it had no silicone, parabens or other damaging ingredients, just lots of nourishing natural oils, I jumped at the chance to give it a go.

I've been using the product every time I wash my hair, applying it before blow drying when my hair is still damp, then also using a tiny amount on dry hair to smooth the ends and tame fly-aways. I've honestly been blown away by the difference it has made to my hair already. Even my friends and family have said my hair has been looking much healthier lately and while I know the cut has a lot to do with it, I think this has also much a huge difference. My hair feel stronger and smoother and unlike other similar products such as Morrocan Oil, the smooth feeling doesn't go away when I wash it out, which can be the case with a lot of silicone based products. I feel like this oil really soaks into my hair, rather than just sitting on top of it. I've found my hair breaks a lot less when I brush it since using this too, which is fab.

Honestly, I don't think I've ever found a hair product I would recommend as strongly as this one. Not only will it make your hair look and feel fab, it actually nourishes your hair at the same time, no nasty, drying chemicals here!

What do you think? Do you have a favourite hair oil? Let me know!

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