The Body Shop haul

So a couple of weeks back now me and my mum headed to Bury St. Edmunds to meet up with my god mum and do a little bit of shopping. It was a horrible rainy day weather wise but in general I had such a lovely day after not seeing my god mum for many years. Shopping was always going to happen when 3 girls are close to shops but I did restrain myself and basically only purchased these bits from The Body Shop. I don't normally shop in The Body Shop although some of their products are firm old time favourites of mine. But this time there were a couple of new bits that I wanted to get my hands on and try.

First a story.. whilst in The Body Shop I was looking on my phone for a voucher code as I know they normally have one on their, which they did for 40% off which was amazing. So I went to the till with my items and discount, the lady said she wasn't sure if discount would come off the flawless finish set due to it already being on offer but she would try. In the end she said the total was around £7... I was like really? you're joking? And she said no that's the only way she could see to take it off. Sooooo yeah I got all the above for £7 which is absolutely crazy but great for me I guess!

So  anyway firstly I picked up the set called 'Flawless finish collection' which includes their Instablur primer and bb cream. I got this in the shade 02 and the colour actually adapts to the colour of your skin tone. I'd seen a few people talk about both of these products (mainly gabby from velvetgh0st) and I was persuaded. I was actually in need of a new primer so this was a great way to get a new one and try both new products out together. As these came in a pack together they were slightly cheaper and came out at £20 for both but due to my discount I obviously got them cheaper.

Next I got the Rainforest Balance conditioner for oily hair. I already have a shampoo for oily hair so wanted to also grab a conditioner and see how the two worked together (although from different brands). This conditioner doesn't include anything nasty and is just aimed to keep your hair free from oil for longer. My hair can get quite oily at the roots quite quickly so any products that help keep the oil at bay are a winner for me. So I'm excited to try this to see if it helps at all. I believe this retails for around £4.50 normally.

Finally I picked up a cute travel Seaweed Clarifying toner. This is for combination/oily skin which is what I have and I actually found this in the sale section and only for 75p!! Bargain, so I obviously couldn't leave it, I actually wish I had picked up more and saved them for holidays etc. This simply aims to help remove dirt, impurities and excess oil from your face. It's got a lovely fresh scent to it which is really nice when applying and so far I've really been enjoying using it.

And that wraps it up, everything I purchased from The Body Shop. They have some amazing products in store at the moment which are definitely worth checking out! And download a voucher code app onto your phone as I'm pretty sure they always have some kind of offer on which is brilliant for us beauty shoppers. I hope you enjoyed this haul and I'd love to know if you've tried any of the products I purchased :-)

Latest in Beauty: Glamour beauty edit box

I have seen these Glamour beauty edit boxes before but never indulged in one... until now. I've had monthly subscriptions before to other beauty boxes but always found them fading out and never actually getting round to using any of the samples you receive. This box is very different to those. It's a one off beauty box for £16.95 and the products you receive in the box add up to over £86 which is crazy when you actually get full size products too.

The first item you get is an Illamasqua Glamore lipstick which is full sized and worth more than what you pay for the whole box - crazy! This is from their new nude range and is an absolutely gorgeous shade. Totally everyday wearable and I'm super excited to try this formula out. I think this is my very first Illamasqua make up product too which is super exciting. Next is Magnifibres Brush on False Lashes which is another product I was really drawn too. I have a product similar to this but I've heard a lot more about this brand. This is another full sized product again worth more than the actual box itself. These are said to lengthen your lashes by up to 5mm so I'm excited to see the results from this. Also I'm no good at false lashes so these would be a great alternative.

Next the Rimmel Instant Tan BB Skin Perfector, I got this in the shade medium. I have another Rimmel instant fake tan which I really like so I was excited to receive this new one. This product is said to have 9 different benefits to the skin which is claiming a lot. But again I'm looking forward to trying it and seeing if it lives up to those said expectations. Also a BB cream for the body is something new to me and slightly interesting! Again this is a full size product. I also got the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil aimed to remove dirt and impurities from pores and dissolve stubborn make up. I wasn't really keen on putting an oil on my face as I have oily skin but I've heard that it's still good. So I'm intrigued to try this product, this is a sample size so a great way to try it first.

I also received the Velvotan Original Tanning Mitt which I was glad to get as I was actually in need of a new one. I haven't actually heard of this mitt before. It claims it gives a streak free finish and stain free hands which is all a girl wants when fake tanning so hopefully again it will live up to these claims. Next the Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra Radiance Sun Lotion, wow what a long name. I can't say this is a product I'm excited to use but will be perfect for my upcoming holiday. This product is a travel size so again great for traveling and simply throwing in your beach bag for those daily top ups. Next I got the Bourjois Cream Blush in the shade 01, this is a cream to powder blush which is something I've never tried before and sounds interesting. I know a lot of people love the Boujois blushes to I'm looking forward to trying this one.

Next I got the Toni & Guy Volume Plumping Whip which to me sounds really interesting. I'm all about trying to get that oomph back into my hair after washing it. It aims to volumise roots and create all day body without flyaways. Another sample size so great way to try it out. I love some other Toni & Guy hair products so I'm hoping this one lives up to it's name too. I also got the Crabtree & Evelyn Nail Lacquer in a pale pink shade. I've never heard of this brand before but am a sucker for nail polishes so am excited to try it. The shade I received isn't one I'd normally go for but for the formula I'm looking forward to trying it. This is another full size product.

Overall this box is superb value for money considering you get many full size products as well as sample sizes, you really cannot complain! Considering you only pay £16.95 and get £86 worth of products I'd try snap one up as soon as possible before they sell out. I'd love to know if you've ordered one of these boxes and your thoughts? Or if you're now on your way over to purchase one I shall leave you with the link here :-)

Avene thermal spring water

It's another one of those humid and muggy days in the UK and working through one of these days can be pretty darn testing. Running around after children in the heat isn't the most pleasant, although I do get to be out in the sunshine when it's out, compromises. So if you live in the UK then you'll know recently we've been having some pretty warm weather so I'm sharing this Avene product with you today to help you through!

I purchased this a while back from the Escentual website, if you read my blog I'm sure you'll know about it, if you don't then it's a great website to grab all of your french pharmacy items if you don't live there of course. I believe this product has been raved about by pretty much everybody in the blogger world especially over the summer months. I mean it is what it says on the tin, it's a thermal spring water. Translation: when you're hot spray it on your face. It also has many other purposes such as; soothing sun burn, nappy rash, to set make up, skin cleansing and just generally in summer. It's great for sensitive skin types which I have and it works beautifully.

This is definitely a summer staple product. Myself I've only so far used it for cooling down and have tried it for setting my make up which I'm not completely convinced on. It's a nice product to spray on your face in the morning after applying your make up but I wouldn't say that it really helps prolong make up wear, especially not when it's sweltering hot. But it is brilliant at cooling you down and you can spray it where you like! (there are some restrictions however naughty). This is also a super cheap and affordable product too and if you don't find yourself on the Escentual website you can also purchase from Boots or Feel Unique. There are also a range of different sizes you can buy - this one being the smallest just so I could try it out but also great for traveling.

Overall this is perfect for the summer months and I'll definitely be taking this product away with me on holiday in September to cool me down! Who'd have thought we need a cooling product in the UK? ;-) Happy Tuesday!

Begging for payday

Washed black Joni jeans

Lace collar top

Long sleeve crepe polo top

Bleach MOM shorts

Stripe t-shirt playsuit

Golly it's only 5 days until payday but all of these bits above have made in into my Topshop basket already, although I'm still so far away from entering my card details (yes you know me, they're already saved on Topshop). But I will restrain myself until Friday at least.. 

I've always been a huge lover of Topshop, these pieces are all pretty simple staples but things that I have room for in my wardrobe. I've recently been having a slight clear out of my clothes and 1. I noticed my lack of bottoms e.g. jeans, shorts etc and 2. I do not own a playsuit any longer. Therefore they are a must right? I also seem to have a thing for high neck tops and this long sleeved one is no exception. With a nice statement necklace you can't go wrong. My oh my how pretty is the lace collar top? Anything with a collar draws me in and this gorgeous cornflower blue colour is a summer favourite of mine.

I'm also heading out on a summer holiday at the beginning of September so am slowly wanting to gather a few bits for that. I think the shorts, lace collar top and playsuit would be great pieces to take. I hope you've all had a lovely weekend - minus the storms! :-)

TK Maxx haul

And today I bring you another haul post, this time from the beloved TK Maxx. I always love having a good hunt in the beauty bits at TK Maxx as some of the bargains you can get are incredible! Although it can be hit and miss as to whether you find anything or not. This trip there wasn't actually too much but they were still all bargains so I wanted to share them with you.

Firstly I was in desperate need of a new powder brush so I was really pleased when I saw this one from Ecotools. I've heard lots about this brand, all good, so thought I would give this one a whirl. It's super soft and quite large so covers more of your face when powdering. This brush normally retails at £9.99 but I got it for £3.99 which is a bargain.

Next I was in need of a bronzer brush as I kept 'borrowing' my mums one, sshh. So on the same stand I spotted this one from Tuscan Hills. I'd never actually heard of this brand but I liked the small handle and the size of this brush. It's ultra soft and is working really well with my current bronzer and I'm loving the results. I can't actually find an RRP online for this brush and I've removed the label (naughty) but I believe it was the same as the Ecotools at £9.99 but I only paid £2.99 for this one.

Finally I picked up the Good Things blemish control gel mask. Around the time I purchased this I had watched a Lily Pebbles video who mentioned a different product from this brand and she said she really liked it. So I thought I'd try this product from that same brand, Good Things, and see what I thought about it. It retails for £4.99 from Boots and again label has gone, I either paid £2.99 or £3.99 which either is not a huge difference but still cheaper. As you know with me, anything that includes the word 'blemish' instantly attracts me so I'm excited to see how this one fairs. I also haven't used a gel mask before!

I hope you enjoyed this second haul of the week, both small but sweet too hopefully ha ha. I absolutely love TK Maxx and actually since photographing this haul I have been back and purchased some more so keep your eyes peeled and maybe I'll feature another TK Maxx haul :-)

Escentual pharmacy haul #2

I do love ordering from Escentual, it really is just hassle free online shopping and they always seem to have some kind of offer on which is obviously great. I ordered these few bits a couple of weeks back now simple because I have always wanted to try the Vichy Dermablend collection and it was on offer so I couldn't resist.

So the first two bits I picked up and the main reason for this order was the Vichy Dermablend concealer and the fluid corrective foundation both in the shade 15 Opal. As I was ordering these online I was slightly weary of the colours I had chosen but actually they are the right shade for me since trying them out which I'm super pleased with. These products are aimed to cover, well basically everything. And being someone who suffers from blemishes I thought these would be great products to try out. I have been using them since and I'm still not completely sold on them but I will be doing a full review on them shortly so keep your eyes peeled for that. I'm unsure of the prices I paid for these I think the concealer was around £10 and the foundation around £11 with the discount so pretty good prices too.

Next I picked up the Avene Thermal Spring Water which I believe to be pretty popular among beauty bloggers. So I thought I would just pick up the small size to try it out and see what I think. This was super duper cheap as it was also discounted as I've said so I believe it was around £2 which is basically next to nothing. This spray is designed to do loads of different things from a simple refresh to setting your make up. I'm actually rather liking this so far but again a in depth review will be up soon.

And that's it, my short but hopefully sweet Escentual haul. I would definitely recommend browsing their website as they stock loads of great products. I hope you enjoyed this small haul and are having a nice weekend :-)

My Summer nail varnish favourites 2014

A slightly miserable day to be sharing these gorgeous nail varnishes but hopefully they will brighten the weather up ever so slightly. Today is also one of those days where I'm practically doing nothing and being lazy. Although I'm praying for it not to rain so we can have a bbq with the family later. I thought I would share my top summer favourite nail varnishes with you. All be it rather late as it's supposedly already summer here in the UK but hey ho, better late than never.

Rimmel Salon Pro in 317 Hip-Hop

This formula of nail varnish is one of my all time favourites. It's from the Kate Moss range and they are just one of the easiest to apply and they really do last a good amount of time. This shade is the perfect coral for summer, nice and bright. I'm not a huge fan of pastel coral so this colour is right up my street.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Lychee

I love a nude nail varnish all year round but this one is perfect for the summer months. It's a nice and fresh looking nude and again this formula from Barry M Gelly range is lovely. Super glossy and easy application makes them lovely. The other colours in this range are also lovely as there are now so many to choose from. A nude is always a winner with me as whatever outfit you pair with it, it will always go!

OPI Nicki Minaj collection in Did It On 'Em

This is a firm all time favourite nail varnish of mine, I just am in love with the colour! It's a gorgeous yellow/lime and absolutely amazing in the summer. This colour does look great when you have a tan but seeing as there's no getaway for me this summer it does also look great without too, so don't worry! OPI as I'm sure we all know are amazing nail varnishes, yes they come with quite a large price tag but they do feel super luxurious.

Essie in Madison Avehue

Essie have the best colour range possible, I swear every colour is just super pretty, and this one is no exception. It has tiny flecks of glitter in which just make this nail polish that extra bit girly. It's the perfect combo between pink and purple and just the prettiest colour. Again you can't really fault Essie's formula, they are simply just amazing.

Rimmel Lycra Pro in 500 Peppermint

You can't not include a gorgeous mint in a summer nail varnish post hey. This one is the perfect mint colour, again something that would look great with (or without in my case) a tan. Rimmel do amazing nail varnishes and this one again I cannot fault. The lasting power is amazing, I have a feeling it's something to do with this lycra in them? I'm not sure but it must do super things to their nail varnishes. I own many of this collection and love everyone of them!

And that is it! My favourite summer nail varnishes for this "current" summer. I hope you enjoyed this slightly different post today and it has given you some inspiration of what colours to pop on your nails when the sun is shining :-)

Garnier Ambre Solaire 1 week glow bronzer (for face)

When I've fake tanned my arms and legs etc. ready for summer I've always been too scared to fake tan my face as I've always imagined it to be a complete disaster. So I normally just stray away and go a bit more full on with my bronzer. But not anymore, this Garnier Ambre Solaire bronzer for the face has converted my to fake tanning my face and I'm so glad I now do.

This product is so simple and easy to use yet the results are so effective which is what I love about any product really. If they're easy to use and the results are great, what's stopping you? I actually purchased this as a result from watching Vivanna Does Makeup on YouTube and it's such a great recommendation. This product comes with step to step instructions, bonus, and I stick to them every time and always love the outcome.

First I simply exfoliate my face, at the moment I just use a small tester one I found lurking in my draws but any will do as long as your scrubbing off all that dry skin. I then wash it off and then apply the bronzer. It comes out of the tube actually quite peachy/orangey looking but it's not at all once applied to the face. I actually use my hands to apply this product as I've found that, as long as they are washed straight after application, the product doesn't leave that nasty fake tan hands look. You do also just have to make sure that during application you blend this into your hairline and eyebrows so you don't have a line around your face. Also that you try and apply as evenly as possible, which is easier to say than do, but I find as long as I really work the tan into my skin then all is well.

And that's it! Voila! Such an easy product to use and it really does leave my face looking bronzed when I wake up in the morning, as I tend to do this in the evenings. It does not leave my face streaky in anyway whatsoever. It does say that with this product you then won't need to wear foundation, I still preferably do just a slightly darker one from my normal skin tone. This is obviously down to preference, I just like to still put some on for that extra coverage that I feel comfortable with. There is a slight smell to this product but personally I don't find it at all horrible and it's definitely not that horrible fake tan smell. It actually says it includes apricot extract so maybe that deters the smell away from your normal fake tan smell. As for the lasting 7 days I think it really does, I would say definitely no longer than 7 days and anything after kinda 5 days you could probably reapply as that's when it starts to really fade away.

I'd definitely recommend this product as I absolutely love it and I would say don't be scared! This was my first fake tan on my face and it turned out brilliantly so give it a whirl. I'd love to know if you have any other face fake tan recommendations :-)