Sunday, September 27, 2015

Beauty ¦ Maple holistics skincare


When I was contacted by the lovely people over at maple holistics I was super excited to be offered some of their skincare to try. I've been loving skincare at the moment so I was very excited to give these a go!


The first product I received was the Ancient clay facial mask*, which is a mixture of three different types if clay. French green clay, Bentonite clay and Fullers earth. Each of these add different properties to the mask. The French green clay is meant remove impurities and stimulate blood flow. The Bentonite clay has oil absorbing properties and is said to remove acne inducing toxins and finally the Fullers earth helps to reduce acne scars, blemishes and blackheads.

This mask is on of the strangest masks I've tried. It's actually a powder which you mix with water to form a paste. I thought this was going to put me off using it however I was so impressed by the results I don't mind it despite the fact that it is a little bit of a pain. I've found that this mask has definitely cleared my skin a little and I've also found that it has reduced the amount of scaring on my face to.  


Next up we have the Vitamin C anti aging serum* obviously I cannot comment on the anti aging properties but I have been really enjoying using this serum. It feels very hydrating on the skin but it's also very lightweight meaning it's perfect for using under makeup as well as at night. I've found that it has also added a little more radiance to my skin and reduced some of my scaring and redness. Overall I think if I had to pick a favourite product out of the three it would be this one.

The final product I received was the Pomegranate natural lip balm* So to start it off this smells absolutely amazing and it tastes pretty great too. The pomegranate scent isn't to synthetic like some lip balm scents can be. I actually really like the lip balm as well. I was a little dubious as since trying Nuxe Reve De Meil I haven't really got on with any other lip balm. This one isn't super hydrating but for day to day use it's perfect. It feels nice and light on the lips and lipstick applies well over it without being changed in terms of texture or finish.


You can purchase maple holistics products from their website, these products  where provide for review purposes however all opinions are my own.


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Monday, September 21, 2015

Beauty ¦ Mani Monday #7 - Revlon vixen and Essence time for romance


Apologies for todays post being late but because I'm an idiot I actually forgot to schedule it so I thought instead of just forgetting todays post I'd just pop it up a little later than usual. The past couple of Mani Mondays have been super autumnal and this one is no exception. Revlon vixen is a shade I dig out every winter as it is a super nice quality polish and also a beautiful colour. In the photos it is showing a little pinker than it is in real life but it is just as pretty. I felt like the look needed a little sparkle so I got out one of my favourite glitters for this time of year. Essence time for romance is a beautiful pinky burgundy glitter with a good mix of glitter sizes. One thing I do love about this polish is that it's super opaque so it only takes two super thin coats.



Sunday, September 20, 2015

Beauty ¦ The pinky purple shadow edit



So lately I've been a little bit obsessed with wearing pinky purple tones on my eyes as I feel like they really make my blue eyes pop. I'm going to be honest the thought of colour on my eyes sort of terrifies me so today I thought I'd show you some of my favourite almost neutral pink and purple shades.

Now I'm going to start with the palette that I actually wont shut up about at the moment. If you are a regular reader you're all probably completely sick of me talking abut it but I thought I'd just pop it in one more post to make sure you know it's amazing. The two purple shades I love out of the Sleek Vintage romance palette are the 4th and 5th shades on the bottom row. The 4th shade is a beautiful metallic grey purple which look beautiful on the lid as it has a slight duo chrome to it. The 5th shade is a stunning plummy matte colour with lots of silver shimmer in it. I love this one in the crease of a gold shade to add a pop of colour.

I really love the Makeup revolution shadows and these three are no exception Hung up is a gorgeous taupe-y purple which makes a really lovely transition crease shade for a purple smokey eye I also love it through the crease when I have Good life all over the lid which is a really pretty frosted pinky purple. Finally the brightest shadow in the post Insomnia is absolutely beautiful. Once again a metallic finish it look gorgeous all over the lid with a black in the crease but it also looks nice subtly blended through the crease of a shade like good life.

 

I've been loving the colour Riche shadows from L'oreal recently and Café saint Germain has to be my favourite. It reminds me of Good life but with much more taupey purpleness (top beauty blogger description there) These shadows are so beautiful and I love to wear this one alone as just a slight wash of colour.

The Manhattan Vintage romance palette is lovely if you can manage to get your hands on it. They aren't the most pigmented of shadows however if you just want a little subtle hint of colour they are perfect. I like to use the 2nd shade in as a super subtle crease shade if I don't want a super dramatic look. They do require a little work however if you have the patience you are left with a super pretty subtle pop of colour.

Finally I had to include this shade, Maybelline colour tattoo's are one of my all time favourite products and I absolutely love Vintage plum. It's a mix of grey and lilac and it looks beautiful both on it's own just blended all over the lid or as a base for any kind of purple look. As usual it's an amazing cream eyeshadow which doesn't crease.

Left to Right - L'oreal Café saint germain - Sleek palette 4th shade on the bottom row - Sleek palette 5th shade on the bottom row - Maybelline Vintage plum - Manhattan palette 2nd shade - Makeup revolution Hung up - Makeup rev Good life - Makeup rev Insomnia

I'd love to know what shades you've been using on your eyes lately

Friday, September 18, 2015

Life ¦ Foodie friday - The German candy post part 3


So today I'm back with my third and final German candy post. I really hope you've enjoyed these posts as much as I have enjoyed writing and trying all the different sweets and chocolates, so without further ado lets get onto the third and final German candy instalment.




I absolutely love Percy pigs and these are pretty similar they have a little more apple flavour and they aren't quite a jelly like they're a little more foamy. They're also vegan so If you are vegan they are a nice little treat.



I absolutely love this one at first I thought it was dates but it's actually salted almonds and honey which is just an absolutely delicious combination as usual with Ritter sport the chocolate is really lovely and smooth. I am actually going to be really sad when this one is finished. I love that the addition of the salt means it isn't too sweet. The only problem with this is I think I could easily eat a whole bar!





Next up from Ritter sport we have the nougat flavour, I love nougat at the best of time but this one is just amazing. It's almost identical to the nougat you get in a toffifee. It's not too hazelnutty but it balances perfectly with the chocolate.



I hated this one i'm going to be honest, it tasted a lot like if you'd eaten a strawberry chocolate then had some chewing gum and then you put more strawberry chocolate enough said.


Finally we have choco Nippon which is Milk chocolate filled with puffed rice. I expected the rice to be much more a rice crispy whereas they are more like the texture of a sugar puff. I personally wasn't a fan of this but I could see younger children really enjoying this.

So that's it I really hope you've enjoyed these posts!


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Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Beauty ¦ Sunset


As you can probably see my skin isn't in the best way ever but I couldn't resist showing you this gorgeous eye look today. If you saw my autumn makeup post (Here if you didn't) I've been reaching for lots of berry tones but whilst I was having a look through my stash the other day I realised that a shade I'd never even used was the shade sunset from Stila's in the light palette. It's the most beautiful coppery orange shade and I'm absolutely loving wearing it smoked out all over the lid with plenty of black liner in my waterline and smudged out along my top lash line. I've been loving doing this in a morning for college as it takes two minutes. I also really like to pop buck from Naked 1 through the crease to add a little definition.

I also love to pair it with a dark lip for a super autumnal look. I'd love to know what products you've been loving recently!


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Monday, September 14, 2015

Beauty ¦ Mani Monday #6 - Maxfactor Colbalt blue


So it's Monday once again and it's time for another Mani Monday post, once again I've pulled out one of my favourite blue shades. I always get this one out in the transition between summer and autumn as it's not to dark but it's not a bright blue either. It doesn't pick up in the photos but it has quite a lot of green in it so it's a gorgeous deep teal shade. I love the formula of these polishes despite the claims they don't last 7 days on me personally but they are beautiful and glossy and I do still really love them. I definitely need to get around to picking up some more!


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Sunday, September 13, 2015

Fashion ¦ Inside this place it's warm, outside it starts to pour


I realised the other day that the last time I wrote an OOTD post was way back in December last year. So when I picked up this gorgeous coat I knew it was about time I got around to doing another outfit post. This coat was an absolute bargain, now I'm not at school anymore I don't have to worry about if a coat will fit over my blazer or not so I was finally able to buy a fashion coat rather than a practical one. I had a look through so many stores and online but in the end Primark won.


Coat - Primark // Top - Topshop // Jeans - Next // Boots - H&M // Scarf - H&M // Bracelet and ring - Pandora //


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Friday, September 11, 2015

Life ¦ Foodie Friday - Graze box #3

 


So it's that time of the month again and I'm back again to review my august Graze box. I really enjoyed this  months box and I think it's been my favourite so far. This month I had two sweet and two savoury snacks which I like as it means there is a little variety in the box.

Caramel and peanut track and field - 214 Cal

I really enjoyed this one, it was a mix of plain peanuts, fudge, raisins and salted caramel buttons which were absolutely delicious. They were a super smooth milk chocolate filled with a slightly salty gooey caramel. The fudge was nice and creamy and the peanuts and raisins were a nice little addition to make it feel a little healthier.

Herby Bread basket - 90 Cal

I think this was my favourite out of this months four snacks which is a bonus considering it's the least calorific one! The basil breadsticks are in a couple of the snacks and I absolutely love them so I was super happy when I opened my box and discovered that this snack contained them. Also in this snack was the garlic crostini which are super yummy as the garlic flavour isn't to intense or over powering. The final component to this snack was the oregano rice crackers which I found had a little bit of a spice to them. I wasn't sure about these after having the rice crackers from the chilli jam in a previous box but I actually really enjoyed them.

Wild Rice and beans - 143 Cal

Again I wasn't sure about this snack as it contained another of the rice cracker type things however this one was also yummy. I enjoyed the rice crackers as they had a little bit of the coating off the chilli broad beans on them so they had a nice subtle chilli flavour. My favourite part of this snack was definitely the chilli beans though. They were much crispier than I imagined they would be and the chilli flavour was actually quite strong and had a little bit of a kick to it.

Cookies and cream - 206 Cal
I think if I had to pick a least favourite snack from this box it would have to be this one. I'm not a massive fan of sunflower seeds and this was packed full of them. It also contained white chocolate buttons, cocoa cookies and cocoa fudge which were all really nice. This wasn't one that I'd shout about however if you do like sunflower seeds I can see you getting on much better with this than I did!

Do you have graze boxes? If you do i'd love for you to let me know what are your favourite snacks!

I've also got a code for you to receive your first box free enter VKQMGNGKB at the checkout to get your free box!

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Wednesday, September 09, 2015

Beauty ¦ Veet Natural inspirations wax strips*

Veet Natural inspirations Wax strips*


When I was contacted by the PR company for Veet I debated for ages about whether I wanted to try the hair removal cream or the Wax strips. I decided in the end that I'd let the PR decide and when I opened my package to find the wax strips I must admit I was slightly terrified. A couple of days later I finally plucked up the courage to give them a go. Now I'm not going to lie, they absolutely kill however the pain is for such a small amount of time I spent more time bigging myself up to pull of the strip than actually thinking about how much it hurt.

The last time I tried waxing I tried the Veet melt your own wax and do it yourself and I really didn't get along with it. However this was completely different, they were super easy to use and they weren't half as messy as the wax roll on. I was a little confused at first as I only had 10 strips in the box however I realised that they are double strips. The only think I would say is that I find that the perfect finish wipes aren't the best for getting rid of the extra wax so I would definitely recommend doing this before showering/bathing and not doing it in the middle of the day and putting brand new sweatpants on (It doesn't end well think lots of bits stuck to little patches on my legs)

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Monday, September 07, 2015

Beauty ¦ Mani Monday #5 - Maybelline Color show Burgundy kiss


I said in my last Mani Monday post that I was going to be digging out my autumnal nail shades and this weeks post is the first of many.

Maybelline's Burgundy kiss is one of my favourite polishes for this time of year. Despite the fact that in the photo's it look quite pink it's actually quite a bit darker in most lights and it looks almost black. These polishes are really lovely, they paint nicely and despite the fact that this is such a dark shade I still got about 3 days wear out of it which on me is pretty fab. The finish isn't super glossy so I like to top it with a glossy top coat (however in the images it hasn't got a top coat over it)

I think these are really lovely polishes for the price and I'd seriously recommend them to someone who is looking for budget polishes but want's to try something other than Barry M!



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Sunday, September 06, 2015

Beauty ¦ Autumnal tones


So this lot of products somehow turned out a lot bigger then I first anticipated. As you may be able to tell from the image above I love autumnal colours. So I've thrown together a bunch of my favourite autumn shades to show you today.


Left to Right - Bourjois beige - Mac Brick o la - Rimmel 107

So first off lets start with lipsticks, I thought first off I'd throw in a nude shade. Bourjois Beige shooting is a super mauve-y nude therefore I think it's perfect for autumn. Next up we have a lipstick that I really don't think gets as much hype as it should. Mac Brick O la is a gorgeous terracotta red shade which is perfect if you don't quite want to wear a bright red shade but want to wear something more than a nude. A firm blogger favourite is Rimmel 107 which is one of my all time favourite shades for the autumn months, I also love the fact that it's a matte but it's not drying.

Left to right - Catrice Jen and berry's - Essence on the catwalk - Mac Rebel - Rimmel Glam plum Fulham

Next up is a drugstore gem which sadly isn't available in the UK, Catrice Made to stay smoothing lip polish in Jen and berry's is the perfect just bitten berry shade. At first it's super glossy but once you've been wearing it a while it leaves behind a stain. Essence on the catwalk is a similar shade to Brick O la however it's a little sheerer and it's a little pinker. Another massive blogger favourite is Mac rebel it's a beautiful deep berry shade which looks completely different on every skin tone. On me it's a little more pink whereas on others it comes across much more purple. Finally for lipsticks I have Rimmel Glam plum Fulham, this is the glossy slightly pinker version of rebel. I find it a little bit of a pain to wear due to how glossy it is however I do still really love it and I still reach for it regularly.
Left to Right - Bourjois Beige shooting - Catrice Jen and berry's - Essence On the catwalk - Mac Brick o la - Rimmel 107 - Rimmel Glam plum Fulham - Mac Rebel

Left to right - MUA No.25 - Revlon Plum - Maybelline Metallic pomegranate

Next up we have eyeshadows I picked out a couple of singles and my all time favourite autumn palette. So starting off with singles First off we have this gorgeous cranberry shade, MUA No.25 this looks beautiful through the crease of a silvery pinky shade. Then we have Revlon Plum which is a stunning as the name may suggest plum shade. This is from the colourstay shadow links range which I wasn't the biggest fan of the shimmery shades but the matte ones are lovely. Finally it wouldn't be a autumn makeup post without me including the Maybelline colour tattoo in metallic pomegranate. This is a mix of brown and cranberry with gold shimmer and it looks amazing smoked out all over the lid for a autumn smokey eye.

As for the palette Sleek Vintage romance is my all time favourite palette for this time of year, all the shades are absolutely stunning. A mix of golds, berry's and purple with a few staple shades you can create numerous looks. All the shadows are incredibly pigmented and blendable and I seriously recommend you give it a go.

The final category is blushes, I absolutely love sleeks blushes and the blush by three in Pink lemonade is beautiful. I've mostly been reaching for the middle cream blush which is a lovely muted rosy shade which is really natural on the face. I also really love the more orangey shade or this time of year as it reminds me of the colour of autumn leaves. Finally for this post I picked out Maxfactor cream puff blush in gorgeous berries, I picked this up when these were first released however I didn't reach for it at all as I felt the berry shade just didn't work in the summer.






Left to Right - Sleek Pink lemonade - Maxfactor gorgeous berries

So if you've made it to the end of this post congratulations, I'd love it if you could leave your autumn makeup recommendations in the comments

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Friday, September 04, 2015

Life ¦ Foodie friday - The German candy post Part 2

So I'm back again with another German taste testing post. Today I've got another four sweet treats to talk to you about.
 
 
 So first up we have Yogurette which are little bars of super smooth chocolate filled with a creamy strawberry flavoured filling. I really like these, because the filling is yoghurt based it has a slight sharpness to it meaning that it isn't sickly, these are really yummy and I imagine that small children would absolutely love them.
 

 
These are pretty much identical to our Jaffa cakes however I find that the jelly in them has a little more orange flavour and there is also a little bit more than there is in our Jaffa cakes. The base is a little sponge-y and a little biscuit-y exactly like English Jaffa cakes.
 


This was so delicious. A beautiful white chocolate which balanced beautifully with the tartness of the smooth lemon filling. Once again like the yogurette the filling made sure that it wasn't to sweet. This was a super summery flavour and I really enjoyed eating it.
 

 
I think this has been my favourite Ritter sport flavour I've ever tried. The milk chocolate was beautiful and sweet and the vanilla filling inside didn't add too much more sweetness it just added another layer of flavour. This bar contained extra mousse so the texture was really obvious which I absolutely loved! 

Wednesday, September 02, 2015

Blog ¦ Must read blogs


I read a lot of blogs, a lot of really amazing blogs but today I thought I'd share with you the blogs that I could happily sit and read all day. I'd love for you to share your favourite bloggers and your own blogs in the comments and hopefully I will discover some new blogs to add to my reading list!

Stunning photography and amazing content Jasmine has the whole package. Her recommendations are always spot on and I pretty much want to try everything she ever talks about. Her blog is mainly beauty however she does sprinkle in the odd lifestyle type of post.
Adrienne's blog is the one I go to if I'm thinking about purchasing a product. Her reviews are super thorough and her swatches are fantastic for online shopping. I also love her series where her little sister takes over her blog and writes about teen beauty as I find it super relatable. Her blog is pretty much completely beauty. I also love looking at her blog for new and upcoming releases.
Helen's blog is the perfect mix of fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Her photo's are beautiful, her outfits are amazing and her beauty posts are nice and in depth without being to long. Oh and did I mention she is definitely the queen of giveaways.
I love how when I pop over to Molly's blog I don't know what I'm going to see as it could be anything from  a beauty post to a food post and I love that. Once again I love her photography (Do you see a theme) I also love the fact that her posts aren't to word heavy. She's also just started youtube so I highly suggest you also check out her youtube!
Khila's blog is mostly beauty however she throws in a few lifestyle and fashion posts in every now and then. Her reviews are super detailed and I find them super helpful when looking into buying a product. I also really love both her budget youtube channel and her less budget channel. Also side note she has the most amazing taste in shoes #justsaying  
Lucy has to be one of my all time favourite bloggers not just because of her fabulous content but just because she is so lovely. I love chatting to her on twitter as she's just such a friendly person. Once again her blog is a mix of a little bit of everything. I especially love her style posts as she wears the most beautiful outfits.
So that's it for my favourite blogs I hope you enjoyed this post and I hope that you enjoy having a look at the blogs I've talked about today.


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