Last minute Christmas gift guide

Okay so Christmas is in like 5 days.. EEKKKK!!!!!!! It's just so festive everywhere you go, I'm not usually one to be all like this but something about this year has got me excited. All the lights and the cosiness of everything and the fact I have completed all my shopping this year, finished it over the weekend.

Hopefully everyone would have everything sorted by now but if you haven't I've got another gift guide for some last minute shopping. It is a mixture for both him and her as well.

Instax mini 9 camera and accessory kit - £99.99 but originally £119.97

Trevor Sorbie curling wand - £49.99

Fifa 2019 - on offer for £39.99 but originally £49.99

FitBit Versa - £159.99 but originally £199.99

Vivienne Westwood card holder - £75

What I like to do this time of year

There is definitely something about autumn and winter that I just love, the nights drawing in an excuse to just binge watch a series on Netflix which I have been doing a lot of lately (oops) lol but who can stop me and it's cold outside! As I didn't take much holiday throughout the year, I have been a little wise, I've ended up with having quite a lot of days left between November and December so it's been giving me time to do some things I really love to do at this time of year.

Winter wonderland
This place just screams Christmas vibes, if you have never been it's basically a event that's held in Hyde Park which starts at the end of November and is on till early January. It's almost like a winter fun fair as there is rides, circus, games, food stalls, bars and stalls where you can purchase various items. Last year I went to the circus and I absolutely loved it. I will say that the price of things like food and drink are, as expected, a little pricey but entry to Winter Wonderland itself is free, I will say if you want to go to a show or ice bar you will need to be before attending and the earlier you book the better as you won't be disappointed.

My new fav coat

I feel like I haven't done an outfit post for a little while now it's not like I haven't been buying any clothes as I certainly have but I've been really lazy and not taken any photos.

Winter vegatable broth

What better way to spend a dull day then with a vegetable broth, this is a super easy and quick recipe that I found on Sheer Luxe. I'm not entirely too sure how I actually ended up subscribed to their emails but I actually love reading them they have like everything from beauty tips to recipes and everything in between and they nothing is sugar coated.

Anyway I stumbled across this a couple months ago in on of their emails which is actually from Waitrose and uses all their ingredients so your not going from shop to shop to try and get everything and thought it would be great to have something like this when the colder months come. I have tried it and I have tweaked it a bit and I'll let you know the basic recipe but also add in my additions.

Christmas gift guide for him and her 2018

How is it that Christmas is only 4 weeks and 1 day away?! I thought I would finish this month with a bit of a Christmas guide, some of you may have already started your Christmas shopping but if you're a little stuck on ideas I've a found few things to get you started.

For her

Skinny coffee review

A few months ago I was looking for something to like detox with and help with weight loss as I was just feeling a bit urgh and thought I would make a change and see if it would help at all. I had been looking online to see what products were out and there is so many different teas, coffees, powders, tablets all say they help with weight loss.

Empties of 2018 Part 6

It feels like I haven't done one of these for a little while but it was only last month maybe earlier in the month? Anyway here is some of the products I've finished lately, I am excited to do my next one as there is some products I just love that are included.

Hawaiian Tropic Island Berry lipgloss

This has summer written all over it, it's so amazing and smells lovely. It is very moisturising as I find I use this more in the summer as it's got a little gloss and keeps my lips soft. Sometimes I even apply a little of it over a lipstick just for a bit of shine to it.


Would I buy again?

Yes, I bought a two pack from Amazon!

Autumn 2018 purchases

Where I've been eating out

Over the last couple of months I've eaten out a few times and thought I would just share some of the food I've eaten kind of like a review on the places where I've been. It was slightly annoying as when I started this post I had been out a couple times but forgot to take pictures of what I ordered and I've been trying to focus a bit on the gym so going out for dinner or lunch wasn't at the top of my list but here is a few dishes I've really liked.

Caesar salad - Pattisserie Valerie

I popped here with Nowara for a little catch up, I didn't want anything too heavy like a breakfast or anything with too much bread so I chose a salad and honestly it was really nice instead of the dressing drizzled over it was all mixed up which for me has been such a game changer when I make a salad!

Primark shopping challenge with my mum

If you haven't seen this over on my YouTube, this is just a video me and my mum decided to do last weekend. We set ourselves a challenge to give each other £50 and buy an outfit with the money, the idea was a autumn outfit so check out how we got on.




What do you think of our outfit choices?

Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'
Xx

Preparing for Winter

How much has the weather change in like the last couple weeks?! The mornings and evenings are certainly getting colder and of course the clocks changed over the weekend. Right now I'm all for staying home and binge watching a TV series on Netflix and a hot drink.

So what am I doing to prepare myself for the new season?

Green pesto pasta

I got the idea for this recipe from a little pasta side dish I picked up from M&S a while back, it's pasta bows with spinach and pine kernels in a pesto dressing. It's something so simple and I would have it on the side of my salad but I did notice with the pesto which was used there was a lot of oil at the bottom so I thought to make my own but slightly different.

I tend to have this for lunches at work as it is such a quick meal to cook the night before and I make enough for a few days. If I do re heat it at work the pasta can be a little dry so I just add a little bit of water and it tastes and feels a lot better.

What you'll need

Medium sized pot

Colander

Mixing bowl

Sharp knife

Chopping board

October's Halloween Glossybox

So I thought I'd share with you all what I got in this months Glossybox over on my YouTube channel, if you have already subscribed make sure you do but see below for a quick view on my thoughts on what was received in this months box.




Do you subscribe to Glossybox? Have you tried any of these products?


Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'
Xx

Birthday wishlist 2018

Ooh it's my birthday next month I'm actually a little excited I'm not sure why as I actually don't have any plans yet! I've had my eye on a few things lately and I know one of items on my wish list I will be getting from a friend as she cannot decide what to get me, in her words what can you get the girl who has everything? But there is still somethings I don't have but would like.

Empties of 2018 Part 5

I cannot believe that it is October already like seriously where has this year gone? The mornings are colder and I'm often popping to Costa before work and buy a chai latte to try keep my hands a bit warmer! Anyway back to the post I've made a pact to myself that I must start using the products I already have before I buy new ones hence why lately you will see these kind of posts every month or so.

Garnier fresh clarifying wash

I was very happy with this face wash, it wasn't heavy it was just right and when ever I used it my skin felt clean and it was designed to be used for combination to oily skin.

Would I buy again?

Yes, I would if they didn't discontinue it but I've found another Garnier face wash instead

Autumn/Winter wish list 2018

Some of you that know me very well will know I'm such a lover of Autumn, there is something about the nights getting a darker earlier, bon fire night, big cosy scarves oh and of course my birthday! I've just been looking online and in the high street and seen a few things that I really want to purchase this season. At the moment I haven't bought anything mainly because I cannot find myself buying a big jumper or coat just yet but over the next month or so I know I'll start some autumn winter shopping!

How gorgeous is this burgundy satin shirt and the floral bodysuit, either one would be perfect with a pair of jeans and some heeled boots for a casual night out or date night so many outfits you can create with them. Who doesn't love a oversized hoody with a pair of leggings, ideal for them slouchy days or when you cannot be bothered to find anything to wear.

Mac Eyebrow Styler review

Sometime in July or August I visited the Mac store in Stratford on the hunt for a new nude lip combo but also asked about their brow products. I haven't really heard anything about what kind of products they offer as I usually stick to Benefit products as you cannot go wrong with them.

 

I wanted something that would look more natural and not so bold so the mua, who was so lovely, suggested the Eye Brow Styler in Spiked. It's a self sharpening, natural looking pencil, she just applied it in light strokes to just fill in the gaps and enhance the shape of them and literally two minutes later they were done. Also it's great for on the go as it has a brush on the other end so you don't need to have a separate brush.

What I done with my week off August 2018

This is up a little later than planned just I have been busy enjoying life! I haven't had a full week off from work since my birthday last November so this week off was certainly needed to just completely forget about work. I have had days off since last year but they have been like long weekends not actually some good time off. I did make some plans for my week off so I knew it wasn't going to be completely relaxing especially with the bank holiday but it's just what I needed.

I finished work on the Thursday and come 5pm I was running out the door, I was happy all the way home as I knew I wasn't going to be back until the 3rd of September. It sounded so good every time I thought about it.

Friday

Me and Sharna had planned to go to Now That's a Festival where they had a garage evening and few artists performing like General Levy, Sweet Female Attitude and DJ luck and MC Neat. It was in Dagenham so we drove down and stayed near by. We had such a good time apart from the weather, as we was about to leave the hotel it started to rain then stopped but about an hour after we got to the park it started to rain! It didn't stop people and we just had to make the most of it!

Sunday - Tuesday

One of my fav things to do every year is go Notting Hill Carnival in London, if you have never been I would highly recommend it if you love music, good vibes and amazing food. There was 5 of us who stayed both Sunday and Monday night and there was few other friends of friends who met us for just the day.

We drove down on the Sunday and as we was getting closer to London the rain was pouring this wasn't going to put us off as we went prepared with rain macs and all sorts. Despite the rain there was still a lot of people who attended and everyone was in good spirits and we was so thank full that one of my friends friend lives like right next to carnival and we all went back there and carried on having a good time then we got some food, which had to be the best food I had (curry goat, rice and peas), then made our way back to our hotel.

Luckily day 2 there was no rain forecasted. In the morning, the girls went down to breakfast and was just laughing so much about the day before and looking at everyone's snapchats to see who caught who off guard there was certainly some funny videos. We all got ready and made our way to carnival, where we followed one float in particular for a bit and then we just went where ever the music took us. With all the people in the area you don't think you will see anyone you know but it was so crazy that I actually see Sharna's mum and auntie. When it came to the end we all kind of looked at each other and said food? I was determined to get some fish and mac and cheese which I succeeded in!

Carnival weekend is always full on and full of good vibes, when I got back on the Tuesday I literally managed to watch Made In Chelsea but then passed out for the rest of the day.

Wednesday - Friday

I chilled for a couple days, watched some TV but also met up with a couple friends for a bit of a catch up as I had some time off. I always love a catch up with Nowara we will browse through some shops but always end up in Costa with a coffee and can sit there for hours if we could just talking about everything!

Saturday - Sunday

So I ended up back in London, why not?! I met up with a friend of mine who I've known for so many years and went for some drinks in Shoreditch which turned out to be a really good night but I was so disappointed that my Ted Baker sandals had broke luckily it was at the end of the night! After a late night I stayed in London most of the day chilling really and popped out and got a cheeky Nando's it was needed! Then got the train home but as it was a weekend there was rail replacement so it was slightly longer than it needed to be.

Overall I had quite a busy week but I enjoyed myself, I was back and forth to London (which is like a second home to me), spent time with friends and lived life. It makes you realise why you work so hard throughout the year, to have good times and make memories!

Did you get up to anything over the bank holiday weekend or had some time off recently?

Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'

Xx

Vegetable Red Thai Curry

Over the last few months or so I've reduced the amount of meat that I eat not for any particular reason but I'm just trying to eat more vegetable and get more goodness in.

I'm not sure how I only discovered red Thai curry until the past couple months I think it was the coconut which put me off as I'm not a big fan of things which have coconut in and for years I was convinced it never agreed with me. I see an old (not in age lol) friend who has recently started a vegan insta/blog and some of the things she makes just look so yummy and often so easy to do. Laura has given me the inspiration to try some new and different things I wouldn't necessarily do myself, make sure you check her insta out!

I have been loving this simply yet yummy veggie red Thai curry, it's quick and easy to make. It's great for lunch or dinner as it's not a heavy meal and something so quick to do I often make it after work.

Empties of 2018 Part 4

It's been a month or so since my last empties post, I have quite a lot of products which I have finished lately, my "little" stash of empty products is getting bigger slowly! I will say I really enjoyed using a majority of these and will definitely look at using in the future but some didn't quite make the cut.

Naobay Moisturising Peeling
When I first see this I was a little unsure because it said peeling I thought my face was going to be bright red after I used it but I would call this a light face scrub. The little bits in it are not harsh at all so it feels like a gentle exfoliation I suppose my face felt so good after and got rid of the dead skin. Only thing is it's quite runny and every time I opened it I never expected it to come out like it did!
Would I buy again?
Yes, I struggled to find this in any where and the only place which I can find that stocks it is Amazon and I'm waiting for the day it says out of stock and can never purchase it again!

August's GlossyBox Pride Edition

Ooh another Glossybox have brought out a special edition one, Pride, the packaging is so cute and I love how they have done a box this month to mark the 50th anniversary since the decriminalisation of homosexuality. This box includes multi use products for anyone to wants to their personality and be bold.

Rimmel Ink me heart stamp £4.99
When I first looked at this I honestly thought it was an eyeliner but it wasn't until I look the lid off that it was a heart shaped stamp. We had a little bit of fun with this at work I ended up with a heart on my face and left it to see if anyone would actually notice it. When we stamped it, it kind of went into the fine lines on ur hands but the one on my face was OK and lasted until I wiped it off. It's not something I would go out and buy myself but for a little bit of fun for a festival or something it's not too bad.

Victoria Secret let's pre glam sheet mask £5 or 3 for £10
I'm not sure if I will be using this as a pre glam mask but maybe after a heavy weekend to try et my skin back to life. I love a sheet mask gives you a excuse not to do anything for like 30 minutes and completely relax.

6 things I'm currently loving

I thought in this post I would share with you all a few things I'm just obsessing with at the moment whether it's food or beauty related. This list is completely random and I haven't done anything like this before but I thought I would share a little about me.

Pasta with green pesto, feta and spinach

Recently I've tried something new for lunches at work it's so simple and yet so yummy. I literally cook pasta add green pesto, spinach and feta. I'm trying to do some more recipes of what foods I'm currently eating so keep an eye out.

La Reina Del Sur (TV)

This is based on the book by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, there is already a series based on the book which is also called Queen of the South and is on Netflix. It's basically about this young female who falls in love and due to their line of work they die and she is on the run and makes a life for herself. Both series are kind of similar and I can't stop watching it. I will advise La Reina Del Sur is in subtitles so just be prepared.

Twinnings cold infusion tea in passion fruit, mango and blood orange
With the weather so hot lately putting one of these into cold water has been so refreshing it has a subtle hint of flavour and is not too over powering. There is other flavours and I've tried the watermelon and mint one but I was not overly keen on it.

Palmers Cocoa Butter Shampoo and Conditioner review

It's been a little while since I've found a shampoo and conditioner I can actually say I love! Usually I'll stick to the Aussie ones but since using Palmers Cocoa Butter shampoo and conditioner, I honestly prefer it so much more. My hair is very long and is naturally wavy with slight curls in places, I often blow dry and straighten it like once a week so I need something that is going to help protect it against the heat without it being weighed down.

Palmers have a whole range of hair products in different formulas ie, coconut oil, cocoa butter and manuka honey and more all of which have so many products within each of them. There will be something for everyone whether you looking for a leave in conditioner, edge control, root spray or curl pudding there is something for all.

This particular formula, cocoa butter, boasts of three main ingredients:

Vitamin E - to help the natural repair to damaged hair and strengthen the hair to promote healthy growth.

Peppermint oil - to balance the PH levels and stimulate the scalp.
Cocoa butter - conditions the hair without weighing it down
Also it's Sulphate and Paraben free!

Overnight oats with slim fast and chia seeds

Breakfast is a great way to start the day and can avoid you snacking mid morning, I find if I have a decent breakfast I don't feel peckish till late morning but I try to avoid eating anything as I know I will be having lunch soon. Until recently I had never tried overnight oats, mainly cause we never have oats in our house but I really fancied them and we had these slim fast porridge sachets so I thought I'd try. Using the sachet was an ideal way for me to try as I didn't want to go and buy a whole big bag of oats and if I didn't like it, it wouldn't be a total waste.

I looked a few recipes online to see what sort of things they had in and what I had in my cupboards/fridge and I now have a recipe which I use and is so simply to remember. This recipe serves two.

What you'll need

Bowl/measuring jug

Spoon
Measuring cups/utensils
Mason jar/container minimum of 400ml


Ingredients
2/3 cups of oats (2 sachets slim fast porridge)
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
2 tsp chia seeds
2 tsp honey

Handful of medium strawberries chopped up (or any other fruit of your choice)

Granola (optional)

This serves two, half the ingredients for one serving

How to make

1. Combine all ingredients apart from the granola in a bowl and transfer to a mason jar/container.

2. Leave to set in the fridge overnight

3. In the morning, take out of the fridge and top with granola (optional) and bon appetite

I did notice a slight difference when I used the slim fast porridge oats, it was sweeter and it was a little thicker, where as the oats there was some of the milk which hadn't fully soaked into the oats but this is minor. It's up to you what consistency you want them so put as little or as much milk and oats as you want.

Have you tried overnight oats? Do you already enjoy this and use other ingredients?


Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'
Xx

My go to summer nail colours

Summer is fully upon us and it has given me a reason to get the pretty summery colours out and start painting my nails. I tend to change my colours depending what the season is so in autumn/winter I sway more towards deeper and darker shades and mattes, where as in spring/summer I go more towards light and bright colours and glitter!!.


Luckily my nails are in good condition at the moment and are growing nicely and it's nice to see them painted. I'm not one to go to a nail shop and get either gels or acrylics even though I have been tempted on many occasions, I'm just worried the long term damage they will actually do. In an other post I will show what I use on my nails to keep them maintained.

Clockwise, Essie - Watermelon, Nails Inc - Claremont Street, Essie - Eternal Optimist, O.P.I - Strawberry Margarita, Barry M - Glitter Diamond, Barry M - Passion Fruit, Essie - Limo-Scene and Barry M - Flip Flop

Real Techniques brush cleansing palette review

Making sure my make up brushes are cleaned on a regular basis and free of any bacteria is a big thing for me, the thought of applying my make up with some dirty brush bacteria ridden brush makes me cringe! I'm all for cleaning my brushes every one to two weeks depending how much use they have had. If I'm in between deep cleans I use Primarks brush cleaner, read my review here, it's so handy especially if I'm on the go and don't have the space to take every single brush with me.

To clean my make up brushes I usually use this little brush egg thing, I ordered it up from Ebay a while ago it was something like 99p with free postage. It's a great little starter one but after some time it starts to get a little annoying because it is so small and the bigger brushes get a little difficult to clean properly. When I was browsing in TK Maxx a few weeks ago and came across the Real Techniques brush cleansing palette, I had looked at these before but I think they just seemed a little pricey for what it is but being in TK Maxx I saved a few £.

Empties of 2018 part 3

I think it's time for a little empties post as it's been a few months since my last one. I put all finished products unless they are repeat staple purchases in a bag and it wasn't until I looked the other day and realised it is building up so I picked some at random but I do try to get a mixture of things.

See what my thoughts were on these products

My weekend in London - On The Run Tour

Hello my lovelies, the last couple weeks I have been quiet but the last couple weeks or so I had not been feeling in the right frame of mind and then I got ill after Beyoncé, I think now I'm all good!

So about 3 weeks ago one of my friends, Luke, asked me if I wanted to go see Beyoncé and Jay-Z in London a week ago on Friday as he had a spare ticket and of course I said yes! Who wouldn't? I already had the Friday off and I decided I would spend the whole weekend down instead of going back home the Saturday.

Friday

When Friday came I was so excited and of course there was a little drama with me getting to London as the fast train I wanted to get had a fault with it and I ended up on the slower train and one of the stops was kinda near where I was staying and would of saved me going back on myself but I couldn't get off and then there was an incident at Stratford station. Me and Luke were slightly panicking that we wasn't actually going to make it on time for when they came out, we literally ran to the station got a couple cheeky cans of archers peach schnapps for the short train journey and guess what WE MADE IT! on time as well.

2018 Mid year update

How crazy we are half way through 2018 already, where has time gone?! Also was it me or did we seem to have the longest winter ever! I never thought spring or summer would ever appear as it just seemed to have dragged on but how much better is it now with the lighter evenings?


I have literally been writing this post for like a month now as I wanted to give you an update on what I'm doing and how I'm feeling, it's good to get it out now and again. The past 5/6 months have been a real eye opener for me I feel like I'm in a good place in life right now. This is not going to be in any particular order in how things happened but I just want to share what my steps were along the way to my new journey

(This is my fav filter!)

My lifestyle has changed recently and for the better! I'm going to the gym about 4/5 times a week which has had a big impact because even on weekends when I'm off I'm still getting up early and instead of laying in bed till like 9/10 I'm actually up and sometimes out the house by 7. I know what your thinking, she's crazy but I don't like wasting my days off anymore I like to get everything I can out of them lol. I get such a happy feeling after a work out and feel like I can face the day with whatever it throws at me. Along with the gym, my eating habits have changed and in the last month or so I've seen results which makes me happier so it's a win win. I am so much happier and see a more positive outcome on life even my manager at work has noticed how relaxed and apart of the team I am instead of being the quiet girl in the corner not really participating in anything and it was really nice to hear.

Late May bank holiday

Another lovely long weekend!! I work in a office Monday to Friday so it's lovely when the bank holidays comes and you get that extra day, it really makes a difference! Even though I think we should have one 3 day weekend a month.

Again this bank holiday I had no plans to do anything I would take it as it comes. See what I got up to...

Accessorize oversized tote bag review

It has been about 6 months since I actually bought a bag which if you know if is really good because I love a bag but it's mainly because on a daily basis I use my Ted Baker Chelsey shopper (sold out but here and here are similar styles) or days when I don't need to carry much I use my Michael Kors cross body one. They are all I really need but lately I've been getting annoyed with taking an addition bag to work for lunch and the days I have gym I'm taking like 3 bags to work which is too much! I had been on the hunt for a big tote bag that I can literally chuck everything in, of course I've seen a YSL one but that is a little out of my price range at the moment (one day!). So I had to bring it back down to reality and had a look on the high street.

Me and my mum were just passing through town and Accessorize recently moved to a bigger store in Ipswich and the summer colours just caught my eye so we popped in and I immediately see this oversized tote bag in lilac then yellow and then a light blue. I just fell in love like it would be perfect for work and is big enough to get everything in, I was struggling with what colour as I don't really have anything that would go so I looked a bit more in the store and found it in black (typical I know) and had to purchase.

Iconic highlighter review

With the sun now making more of an appearance I do love to add a highlighter just to add more of a natural glow to my skin, I have ones which are very subtle to ones that will make you shine bright like a diamond (literally!). It depends on what sort of mood I'm in to which one I choose, for example Bobbi Brown shimmer brick in pink quartz I like for work, it's just enough but if I want something more outside of work I sometimes add a cream or liquid one underneath. Is it me or just something about a healthy looking glow just makes you feel better?


There has been one in particular all over instagram, the Iconic London Illuminator, it's like everyone raves about this and you can certainly see why. You are literally glowing. I had been looking to buy this highlighter for quite some time now and the reason why I didn't purchase it before it because I already have so many highlighters but I just couldn't resist and I bought one. Before I made the purchase I had a difficult decision of which one I wanted as there is 4 glowing shades to choose from: original (champagne toned), glow (terracotta toned), blush (peachy toned) and shine (pink toned). I looked at them all and I personally like highlighters which have a goldy/champagne glow to them so I picked original.

Prime sports wear

If you hadn't see a couple months ago I met up with my good friend of mine and owner of Prime Sportswear and we filmed a quick little video just to give you an insight on the brand and see who is behind it.


We had a long chat and I kind of dragged him shopping with me but it was a good chance to catch up talk about what the future holds. This is definitely something new to me and such an interesting journey and feel so grateful to be an ambassador to a new and upcoming business.








Also I did have a Q&A with Kieran and if didn't get a chance to read the post previous, click here.


Have you got any new and exciting things in the pipelines?


Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'
Xx

Early May Bank Holiday

So initially this bank holiday I was doing nothing but most likely going to the gym, relaxing and maybe sort out my wardrobe get rid of things I'm no longer wearing. Well.... that slightly changed, not in a bad way as I have enjoyed my weekend, it's been nice to catch up with friends.

May, happiness month

This month I am doing something a little different. My work mum gets this TreatBox sent to her every month and it has some super cute little random things. May's box contained: Anatomicals strawberry and yarrow face mask, totes amaze tote bag, 4 mini cards (which have Calm, Breath, Believe and Smile written on them), a little card, two little coffee bags, Gnaw strawberry and vanilla white chocolate, daily concepts exfoliating scrubber and a calendar.

Now out of all of that amazing stuff I am focusing on the calendar in this post and the reason why is because it's not just a normal month one it's a May happy checklist. There is something different to do every day and as soon as I see it in the box I thought I need to do this, so I kind of borrowed it.

 

How I get soft waves

A few people at work have asked how I get this soft natural wave hair style I often do and it was hinted slightly (Nikki, lol) to write a post on it. This is my I don't have the energy to do my hair and I want my bed look. It's so easy and does not really require any long winded process or loads of products.

 

I'll go through step by step what I do to achieve this simple look.

Have you tried Paperless Post?

Recently I was contacted by a company on behalf of Papaerless Post to try out their website and services. The company is online based and specialise in customisable stationary and digital cards, honestly they had me at stationary and I just couldn't resist.

I was browsing through the website to see what kind of things they do. There is so many categories to pick from, birthdays to thank you to save date, the company is American based so there is more specific holiday themed cards like Diwali, Lunar New Year and Hanukkah. They have also done collaborations with other known brands like: Kate Spade New York (I just love the designs), Rifle Paper Co and Oscar De La Renta.

I have sent a card already, it's so simply to do!

March 2018 mini shopping haul

Throughout March I had been shopping a little bit more than I needed to, I think it's because I was fed up of wearing the same thing over and over and just wanted to update a few things. I get excited at the moment when I'm walking into shops because all new season items are around and now that it's getting warmer its a sign Spring/Summer is now on its way!

If you didn't know I love shopping and I wanted to share with you guys what I've purchased so I got everything all together and filmed it. It is my aim this year to do more videos over on my Youtube channel.


Take a look at what I bought...

Have you been shopping or bought anything new recently?

Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'

Xx

April's Glossy Box

Over the last few months or so I have been getting really disappointed with GlossyBox especially the last two boxes and more so debating to cancel the subscription. I'm not the only one who has complained and I think they are learning from their mistake. So for February and March they included 8 products on the card and you only received 5 it was not clear in the slightest that you wouldn't receive them all oh and they repeated at least 3 of the products which was very disappointing especially when two of them were mascaras (in the same box) and one of them did not agree with me and I didn't like the other one. When I complained it didn't seem like they really were bothered and sent me another product in replace but this was something I already had been sent from them before.


I have been subscribed to GlossyBox for just over two two years maybe and I get they may have stock left over but the last 9 months or so they have been either repeating products or putting eye shadow palettes in which all seem to be so similar in colour or every other month using the same brands. I used to really enjoy receiving the box every month but the excitement is not really there anymore even the speciality months are not so WOW anymore. I think my fav box was a rose gold Christmas/new years edition in 2016, it was great had different products to boost your skin before and after the festive season.

Anywhooo lets see my thoughts on what I got this month...

How I keep my skin spot free

We have all suffered with breakouts at some point in our lives and if you haven't well you're just blessed. As a teenager I was lucky enough not to really have any I had the odd one but it wasn't till I got a bit older, in my early 20's, where they wanted to make an appearance and trust me it wasn't pretty. It knocked my confidence and I wasn't one to wear make up everyday just because (who's getting up earlier to put make up on?!) but there was times I had to, to cover the redness. I'd be lying if I said it never brought me down and times I didn't want to go out because I couldn't get my make up right to cover it. Also I did pick at them which is the worst thing to do as I'm now left with some scars and uneven skin tone.

Recently I've now been able to control my breakouts better, maybe it's because I'm getting older? I'm not sure but what ever I'm doing I will continue to do and I'm going to share with you what products I use. Also my skin type is combination, typical oily t-zone but occasionally suffer with dry patches around my mouth and chin (is very annoying)

My Easter bank holiday 2018

Oh how is it Tuesday already, boooo, back to reality now. I really had quite a busy weekend it was nice but I'm kind of glad it is over and I can sleep again! It certainly is fun having weekends away and things planned but I tend to find you forget your days and spend way too much money lol.

It all started Friday, me and my friend planned to go out in o2 Kentish Town for a bashment event, Spice was performing along with others. If I'm honest I didn't want to leave my house as I knew it was raining in London and I had straightened my hair. The journey itself wasn't too bad even though they had rail replacement but they are getting better with the timings and not letting you hang around for too long for the coach, train or tube. We went shopping in Westfields in Stratford and picked up a few last minute things and went back to our rooms and started with a few drinks whilst getting ready. We went out and really had a good time, it was very packed and surprisingly the drinks were not as pricey as I thought.

Eventually we woke and refreshed after the night before, unfortunately my friend was not feeling the best and the thought of a breakfast did not go down so well. As I wasn't feeling so bad I went and got some food later in the afternoon and felt a bit more alive and really could have done with going to sleep but I didn't, I met up with my friend in Croydon to watch the boxing. A few of us went to Box Park which is located literally right next to East Croydon station and watched the fight between Anthony Joshua (bae) and Joseph Parker. Now I know I'm not the only person who thought the fight could have been better and that ref just needed to allow them to fight instead of interrupting when things could have got interesting but anyway AJ won as we all knew he would. After the fight I just went back to the hotel in North London and literally fell asleep as soon as my head touched the pillow.

Sunday, the day of rest. I wish it was a rest day I was slightly tempted to stay again another night just to sleep lol but when I was speaking to my mum in the morning we both said it will most likely be a nightmare leaving London on the Monday as a lot of people will be make their way home from where ever they have been over the weekend. So I slowly made my way home and got home late afternoon and just chilled out really watched some TV.

I had no plans for Monday apart from maybe go food shopping with my mum and fully unpack but my auntie invited me round for dinner with the family and I couldn't resist. Nothing better then spending time with your family after a busy weekend. It's always lovely seeing my niece, she's three and a little madam. I went home and chilled out and got things ready for work Tuesday.

Did you get up to anything nice this weekend? Or did you just chill out?

Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'

Xx

Empties of 2018 part 2

Is it just me but don't you find it satisfying when you actually finish a product? I have so many products I try but not all I finish, this year it is my aim to try and use all products unless it doesn't agree with me and I genuinely have no further use for it. Also a couple staple items were finished this month, I think you might be able to guess which ones they were!

See what products I've finished and what my thoughts are on them and would I repurchase?

Meeting up with the owner of Prime Sportswear

So over the weekend I met up with a very close friend of mine and young entrepreneur Kieran, he has set up a sports based clothing line, Prime Sports Wear. He very kindly asked me a while back to be a brand ambassador which of course I accepted but unfortunately we haven't really had the chance to actually sit down and talk properly about the brand due to both our work schedules since. As I was in London over the weekend, we was both free so it was a great opportunity to meet up and talk.

As you may have not yet heard of the brand I did ask a few questions just so you can who is behind the brand and what they are about.

When did you start Prime Sportswear?

We have been going for almost two years and so far its been an amazing journey.

Where did you get the idea to start the PSW?

The idea came from two things, wanting to own my own business and my love sport and I tried to find a way to combine both of them and get something started. In addition what really helped was that I go gym every day and I was seeing people wearing kind of old clothes which aren't really sporty and can restrict people doing certain exercises. *light bulb moment* lol

What have you found challenging or interesting so far?

The art of learning the needs and wants of people is very interesting. Trying to produce clothing at affordable pricing has been at the forfront of the business as we try and adopt the skills to improve peoples lives around the well living to increase motivation and confidence amongst themselves.

Is there a message you are trying to send everyone?

It is not just a anytime thing, it's literally everyday. These are our goals, to improve your lifestyle which means you always push and work hard. It is a statement. Dominating to perfections allows you to break barriers and also go above and beyond

What are your social media links?

Website, Twitter and Facebook @PrimeSportswear

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Remember our three taglines:

Dominate to perfection

Stay ready, be ready

Never settle for less

Don't forget to add and follow us on social media

#WeArePrimeSportswear

I was also very kindly given some merchandise for myself and my parents. I am not just saying this but the quality and feel of the track tops is just so good. I've since worn the black track top and the t-shirt since and honestly so comfortable. My parents were also very happy with them too!

If you haven't already seen there is a short video over on my Youtube channel with a little intro to Prime Sportswear, click here. Go check it out and give it a thumbs up :)

Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'
x

Finding a new book to read

Finding a book to read is something I find a exciting, it's not always about what latest book is out but about finding something that will take you away from your daily routine and into another zone. I haven't read a book for a while and I've been on the look out even asked posed the question to everyone on my Instagram and Snapchat, a few people did come back to me so thank you all for the recommendations. There isn't a particular genre that I will pick every time it's just about something that is a good interesting read.


I've been looking at a few books lately and I'm finding it a little difficult to choose one to start with, there is so many out there that sound so good in their own ways, here is what I've come across and been recommended so far.

Origin - Dan Brown
When I looked at this one a little further to find what it is about there was a lot, too much to write here! My understandings of the book is that Harvard professor, Robert Langdon visits a Museum in Bilbao, Spain to attend a major announcement and the host Edmond Kirsch, also a former student, is about to reveal a breakthrough. The evening turns into chaos and Langdon flees Bilbao with the museum director to Barcelona to try locate a cryptic password to unlock Kirsch's secret. Of course a lot more happens in between but this sounds very interesting.


We're going to need more wine - Gabrielle Union
Gabrielle Union has written a book which includes several chapters in which she talks about personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism and fame. Also she talks about different range of experiences including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. We only see what they want us to see and not what is behind closed doors, she appears to be very open in this book.

5 places I want to travel to

Mid August last year I renewed my passport after it had been expired after some time and went Amsterdam just after my birthday in November with a few of my friends, if you haven't read the post click here. Going away just for that one night I realised how much I want to travel more visit different countries and try new things. This year I will most likely be looking at booking a little break somewhere. There is definitely an excitement of having something to look forward to and not being at work for a week or so.

I've listed just a few places I would love to go to, hopefully in the near future I can tick these off my list and have new destinations.

The top of my list has to be Jamaica, now if you know me I have already been here before but I was 14 at the time and couldn't do as much as I wanted to but I would definitely return for a holiday. What more could you want amazing food, rum, music, sun, sea and good people?

Mini Body Shop haul

So over the weekend I popped into my local Body Shop, in all honesty the only reason I went in is because I received an email saying they have 40% off their 100ml hand creams and I am running low on the one I keep at work.

 

Whilst I was in store I noticed it was double points weekend for anyone who has a Body Shop card and thought I would look around and see what else they have in at the moment.

 

 

A lot money could have been spent but I was good and only picked up two new products to try. Also when you make any purchase on your receipt there is often £10 off any purchases made between certain days although they never for a long period but I suppose you could buy one small thing and then with the voucher you could save some money?

 

Comedy night out?

Last weekend Mo the Comedian was in Ipswich so me and some family and Sharna got some tickets and said we would go out for the evening. A few of us went to Mizu to get some food before hand, if you know me, you will know that I love Mizu! If you every find yourself in Ipswich or Brentwood and like noodle oriental food I would definitely give this a try.

Staying organised

So every year I normally buy a new diary from Paperchase or inserts for a organiser I have but if I'm honest this year I was lazy and didn't buy anything. Instead I decided to buy a personal size Filofax, Domino in Fawn, it included 2018's diary inserts a to do list and some coloured paper (not sure what I will use these for) but enough to get me started.

I tried meat free

So a couple months ago or so I had considered to try a meat (including fish) free diet only something short term to see if I could get on with it. I don't eat loads and loads of meat, mainly chicken and fish to be honest but I've heard of many people going meat free or doing the veganuary challenge where they have lost weight or felt better in themselves and I was intrigued. Also I recently heard that a quarter of UK dinners are actually meat or fish free. Personally I think going completely vegan would be a big jump with not doing anything like this before and there is a lot of things I think I would need to change but this was my first step.

Now I didn't do a straight two weeks like I originally planned my downfall was the weekends, the first weekend I went out with a few girls out of Ipswich and the weekend just gone I was in London. The first part was from Monday 29th January till the Saturday and then Monday 5th February till the Friday. It was a little different trying it that way but I suppose it was a way also to see if I really missed it which during the week I didn't but come the weekends when I'd be out it was kind of a different story, I'd be on my way home tipsy and hungry with nothing else really open it was some kind of fast food at the time.

Here is just a few meals I had cooked, I didn't get a picture every one I had tried but other dishes I made had included omelettes, roasted veg, a few Subway salads for lunch, jacket potatoes and home made soup.

Easy Mediterranean Tart Recipe

Empties of 2018 Part 1

Some more empty products to review yay!! I love reading posts or watching YouTube videos on empty products and I love giving my opinion on what products I felt that worked and maybe not so much. A few months ago I wrote my first empties post, click here and with the amount of empty products I have (a big bag full) this will become a regular thing.

Here is a handful picked at random and most I enjoyed using, a couple not so much but it's all about trying new products to see what you like right?

On a quick note how is it Wednesday already? Officially half way through the week, we can make it!

Current make up wish list

Happy Friday!!!

I don't think I've done a post like this before of what make up products, there is so many amazing products out whether they are new or ones that have been out for some time and I haven't got round to trying. I know I definitely do not need any more make up and need to start using what I've got but there is just something about buying new make up that just gets me excited.

So here's what I've got my eye on at the moment.

Charlotte Tilbury lipstick and liner in Pillow Talk

How beautiful is this colour?! Just the perfect shade of nude. I don't own any Charlotte

Tilbury products and I think this could be my first purchase to ease my way in.

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer

I already own the foundation and absolutely love it but I'm yet to find the right primer to use with it so why not actually purchase the primer to go with it. Also I;ve seen the results and alone it looks amazing.

Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palette in Heat

Do I need to really explain why I'm in love with this palette, the colours are just stunning you can create so many looks from day to evening with this and I know the pigments are great as I own Naked 3 which is lovely.

Cover FX Illuminating Setting Spray

Now I'm very intrigued by this setting spray as I've not come across one that gives you a glow. This will most likely be a summer purchase to add a little summer glow.

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

I've heard wonders about this setting spray and I really do need a good one that will keep my make up at bay especially when I'm out for the whole day.

Two Faced Hangover Face Primer

Again like the setting spray I've heard some pretty good reviews on this and I'm on the look out for a new primer but I might buy this in the travel size first to see how I get on.

LA Girl Pro Concealer in light ivory

Yes I'm late on the bandwagon with this purchase as at the time I had found my ideal undereye concealer but now I'd like to try something new, I'm still deciding on the shade maybe Natural or Light Ivory maybe both, who knows?

Mac Mineralize Skin Finish Soft and Gentle.
I've had my eye on this one for quite some time, when I was going to purchase it I was persuaded to purchase Doublegleam which I absolutely love its a great all rounder.  

Fenty Beauty Blotting Papers

As I do have an oily T-zone, carrying blotting papers has become essential and the Fenty one comes in a cute little case with a mirror and you can use as much or as little as you want and they have the refill which is always good as well.

YSL Touche Éclat Blur Primer

Can you tell I'm on the hunt for a primer? Another which looks great, not too sure which one to pick yet!

Have you tried any of the above products? What is on your make up wish list?

Twitter | Instagram | BlogLovin'

x