6 Month Update: Goals for 2018.

Hello everyone. So it's been a little while since I last posted, I just really fell out of love with blogging. Not only have I not been feeling the whole blog vibes, I've been so busy too. In February I wrote a post about all the goals I had wanted to achieve in 2017 and whether I had achieved them and then I wrote one saying what my goals were for 2018 that I had written on January 1st. 

So I thought I'd update you on my goals and whether I have achieved any of them...

What were my goals for 2018?

- Go to the Harry Potter Studios. 
- Pass my practical driving test. 
- Insure my car for the year. 
- Start my Foundation Degree in Early Years.
- Go to a Spa. 
- Get a new childcare job. 
- Decorate my bedroom so that it has a desk.
- Go to at least 2 concerts. 
- Start the Gym. 
- Get a Tattoo. 

What have I achieved so far?

Well I have to say, I've achieved most of my goals already and had done within the first few months of 2018.

I went to the Harry Potter Studios back in January and it was great. This trip is bittersweet for me, as it was sort of the end of a 2 year friendship but I'm not going to dwell on it too much because I'm finally over the whole situation and it has took me months. 

I finally passed my practical driving test! I am so unbelievably happy that I finally did it. I was meant to do my test in December but then when I went they didn't have an examiner for me so it got cancelled and then it got rescheduled for the next day but then it got cancelled again because of the snow. They then booked me in for 23rd February 2018, baring mind I'd been waiting since 23rd November 2017, so as you can imagine I was not impressed. After stressing to my driving instructor that my 1 month car insurance was going to run out on the 13th February, she managed to swap a few things around and I finally ended up taking my test on 31st January 2018. I was so happy and ready to do it. I came away with 6 minors and passed 3rd time lucky. 

After passing my test, I came home and insured my car for the year straight away and I was so happy about it because it is something I had saved for, for a very long time. 

I started a new childcare job in April 2018, I had been doing supply work in a school for about a month and it was at the school I'd previously worked at but it just wasn't working out for me and I felt miserable. I finally went for a few interviews and got a job in a Nursery. I absolutely adore my new job and it has definitely kept me busy these last few months. 

I finally managed to decorate my bedroom and it now has a desk and it just feels more homely and practical. I saved up for all my new furniture and then ventured off to Ikea and then I painted my room myself. It took a week to sort it but I was so happy. 

I have been to 2 concerts this year. I went to see Paramore at the O2 in London in January when I went to London and I went to see Taylor Swift in Manchester on 8th June 2018. Both amazing concerts and worth the money but that is all my concerts for this year done. 

I started the gym as I have been training for my Pretty Muddy 5k event that I did on the 7th July 2018. Having raised over £1,600 I'm so proud of myself. So yes, I started the gym but since doing my event, I have cancelled my gym membership. I went to the gym from February to July. 

What haven't I achieved so far?

Start my foundation degree in early years - I start this in September and I'm feeling quite nervous about going back into education after having a gap year. 

Go to a Spa - I haven't yet managed to book to go away to a spa but i'm tempted to do that for my birthday in October but we will have to see. 

Get a tattoo - After craving getting a tattoo for so long, I actually don't think I want one anymore. I'm not sure why, but it's not really something that appeals to me at this moment. I might change my mind in the future but right now, I'm not bothered so I'm going to cross this off my list.

I have some goals already lined up for 2019 too. 

What are your goals for 2018?

What I Wanted To Achieve in 2017 and What I Want to Achieve in 2018...

Link

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. It's been a busy few weeks for me recently and so I haven't really had the chance to just sit down and write. Although, I knew in my head that I wanted to write this post. Now we are nearly into mid February now but at the start of January I sat down and reflected on everything I had wanted to achieve last year in 2017 and moving on from that, what I wanted to achieve this year. I think it's quite important to set goals, I'm quite a self driven person and so by having goals, I'm able to motivate myself.

So last year, what did I want to achieve?

- Go to London.
- Go to a Concert.
- Harry Potter Studios.
- Buy my first car.
- Pass my theory.
- Pass my practical driving test.
- Finish College.
- Apply for a University Course.
- Save and go on Holiday.
- Get a job in a school.

What did I manage to achieve?

Go to London

I managed to tick this off at the beginning of 2017. I went to London on Saturday 14th January till Sunday 15th January for one of my work friend's birthday. She was 18 and so we all went down to London and it was a really nice weekend, we went to go see Thriller Live in the West End which was incredible and we also went to London Dungeons, which I thought I would be petrified of. Overall it didn't cost too much either and so it was a very successful weekend.

Go to a Concert

I managed to tick this off in March 2017. I had never been to a concert before and so I booked to go see Olly Murs at Sheffield Arena. I went on the 11th March 2017 and me and my auntie stayed over in Sheffield for the night, it was a great concert and I enjoyed seeing him live. I was lucky enough to go to another concert last year and that was to go see Ed Sheeran. I honestly can't believe I've seen him live and he was absolutely incredible. I went to see him in Nottingham. Me and 2 of my friends at the time went to Nottingham on the 24th April 2017 and we saw Ed Sheeran on 25th April. We stayed over in Nottingham for 2 nights and it was the first time I'd ever been there too. It was a memory I will never forget and I'm so glad I got to do it.

Buy My First Car

I did this on the 10th October 2017. I honestly can't believe I own my own car. I had been looking at cars for months and months, waiting for the day that I could finally go ahead and buy it. I say buy, I've had to get my car on finance for the next 3 years but it is still my car that I pay for every month. I have done this on my own and have paid for everything by myself and I'm so proud of myself as this is a huge achievement. I have worked so hard for over a year and half to be able to get my car on finance and have enough saved for my insurance, when the day comes that I finally pass my driving test. I actually had my first driving test on this date but I failed and went home crying and then took the plunge and bought my first car. Some call it retail therapy but honestly I just wanted to have my car. Since buying my car, I insured it for temporary insurance so every month I kept paying to have a 1 month insurance on my car so that I could go out in it with someone next to me as long as they held a licence and was over 21. I went out in my car a few times and I think this ultimately helped me gain confidence with driving. I should probably tell you all what car I actually own...I own a mint green Fiat 500 and I absolutely adore it.

Pass My Theory

 

On the 3rd attempt I finally passed my theory test. I found this really difficult and it was something that really stressed me, but I kept trying. I finally managed to pass my theory on 20th April 2017 and it was a huge relief for me.

Finish College

As you may or may not know for 2 years I was at college studying my BTEC Level 3 National Diploma in Children's Play, Learning and Development (EYE). After more stress than I care to recall, from the having to resit my GCSE maths twice, to the 10 assignments I'd have to complete in 2 weeks, it really did at time test me. There was many tears and disagreements and overall I just hated college. I loved my course but the environment and people at college were not my favourite. I finally got told I was free on 11th May 2017 even though I finished all my college assignments and work on 21st March 2017. Overall though I was happy with all the hard work I had put in and managed to get D*D*D*.

Apply for a University Course

Now, this one was a tricky one for me. In the end, I have decided not to go to University as such but I am going to be studying my Foundation Degree in Early Years this September. I am going back to college to do this and then I will go on to do my Primary Education with QTS at University for 18 months. I know this is going to test me and be the hardest thing I will ever do but I know in the end it will be so worth it and will get me to where I want to be in life.

Save and Go on Holiday

I actually managed to save up and pay for myself to go on holiday last year. I went to Gran Canaria, I had never been and it was only my second holiday abroad. It was a holiday I was really looking forward to for months as I booked it back in May/June time last year. On the upcoming weeks to my holiday, there had been a lot of things going on in my life, friendships had broken down, I had cried A LOT, Work was stressing me out and I had the worst 19th birthday ever. By the time it got round to my holiday I was just ready to go and get away for a bit and try and de-stress. Little did I know that 2 days into my holiday my nana (who I live with and am very close to) got rushed into hospital. How I found out was not how I had planned and the whole situation was horrible to be honest. I found out in the end that my nana was in intensive care and she had sepsis and pneumonia in her right lung and we just kept getting bad news after bad news. We were meant to be on holiday for 11 days but we came home early so that we could be with my nana. I had 5 more days abroad before I was able to fly home from finding out my nana and I spent those 5 days being miserable to be honest. I stayed indoors and just cried constantly. So my month had already been going from bad to worse.

Got a Job in a School

Finally, I managed to get a temporary job in a school as a 1:1 Teaching Assistant. I really loved this role and finished at this school at Christmas. I worked with an Autistic boy who I miss a lot and it was a great learning curve for me.

So what did I not achieve in 2017?

- I didn't pass my practical driving test, even though I attempted it twice last year.
- I didn't manage to go to the Harry Potter Studios.

What do I want to Achieve in 2018?

- Go to the Harry Potter Studios.
- Pass my practical driving test.
- Insure my car for the year.
- Start my Foundation Degree in Early Years.
- Go to a Spa.
- Get a new childcare job.
- Decorate my bedroom so that it has a desk.
- Go to at least 2 concerts.
- Start the Gym.
- Get a Tattoo.

I'm sure it will be very interesting to see what I achieve this year. I was actually really surprised that I achieved so much last year and did so many things I never thought I would.

Here's to 2018!

 

 

Where Have I Been?

So where have I been? I last wrote a blog post on the 22nd August 2016, which is actually crazy. I never thought it was actually that long since I published content on my blog. For the past couple of weeks, I've really been thinking about my blog and how I really miss making content and the interaction that I used to have when I blogged. I really miss exploring other blogs, writing comments and connecting with the blogging community. My last post was all about taking the plunge and starting my driving lessons and it's weird to think that I've still not passed my driving test. If anyone would like a post about my driving lesson experience, let me know in the comments.

I have really been reflecting on quite a few things recently and one of the things I've been thinking about is, why I stopped blogging. In August 2016, I was going to start my second year of College, studying my Level 3 in Childcare whilst resitting my GCSE Maths too. I had a lot of stress and pressures going on in my life at the point, I worked a part time job where I was actually working 25-30 hours a week, as well as doing my placements, college, my assignments and learning to drive. I put a lot of pressure on myself and blogging sort of took a back step. I really regret letting it take a back step because blogging is something I love and adore doing.

Over the last 19 months, a lot of things have happened, at one point I ended up having 2 jobs and worked over 60 hours a week combined. I've done some amazing things; I went to concerts, I went on holiday and I learned to love my life. My life only really became unhappy again around October 2017 and since then it's been very rocky.

That is why I have decided to start my blog up again, write content that I love and hopefully be accepted back into the blogging community and be a part of something great.

Let me know in the comments, what content you would like to see.

 

 

Driving: Taking the plunge.

In July I finally took the plunge and looked for driving instructors in my local area. Since then I have been driving for 8 weeks now and every lesson I have, I gain more and more confidence. I turned 17 last October and I had got my provisional license a little bit before my birthday, I think it was the end of September and at first I thought 'right I can do this!' but the more I thought about it, the more I was absolutely petrified of getting behind the wheel.

 I then told myself I would start driving lessons in January but I got my maths resit results back and they weren't good, I had failed for the second time and so that put me off starting in January. I actually get my GCSE maths resit this Thursday and I am absolutely petrified, in case I have failed for the 3rd time but I am trying to be as positive as I can be. I then kept pushing it back and pushing it back and then I just thought to myself 'I don't think I'll ever do it' but I want to be a primary school teacher and I want to move out of the town I live in now, I need a car and I need to be able to drive. In order for me to explore the world - driving will help me with that.

So I took the plunge at the beginning of July, I looked at local driving instructors, chose one and the same night I was booked in for my very first lesson. It was very spontaneous and I couldn't believe that I'd booked it. I felt a bit excited but I was so anxious about it. My driving instructor is such a laugh and I feel like I've learnt so much already with him. I remember my first lesson, he drove me to this little village that I had never been to before and told me to get in the driving seat, I then had to adjust my seat, my mirrors and he showed me all the gears and told me everything I really needed to know - the car basics. Then off I went, I was gripping onto the steering wheel for dear life and I remember every time a car was approaching me or was behind me I felt all shaky and scared because I was driving a car for the very first time?! Although there's dual control in the car (Thank god!) you're also in control of the car and after my first lesson I felt absolutely fine getting into the drivers seat and I look forward to every lesson.

I've started to relax a little when I drive and try not to cling onto the steering wheel so tight. During my 8 weeks of driving, I've done a 3 point turn, roundabouts and mini roundabouts, traffic lights. gone in every gear up to fifth and reached about 40 mph. Although this doesn't sound a lot and a lot of people will be probably rolling their eyes, I feel like it's a massive achievement for me. To say I've never drove a car before and the fact I was absolutely petrified to get behind the wheel, I think I'm making steady progress. I think I'm more proud now that I can actually drive through my town and have cars behind me and not feel nervous, although most drivers are impatient and hate being on the road with learner drivers, at the end of the day, we all have to learn once upon a time.

I will continue on my driving journey learning practically and I also need to start learning my theory and book my theory. Another thing I will be absolutely petrified of doing. I hate exams and tests and so these two will definitely have me in bits. But I will remain calm and tackle those obstacles when I get to them but for now, I'm loving learning to drive and I'm so glad I took a spontaneous plunge.

Current favourites.

Good morning! Today I'm bringing you a current favourites post as I've been loving a lot of things recently. I'm currently really loving the Monday Motivation playlist on Spotify too and even if it isn't Monday, I still love listening to it. So without a lot of my usual rambling, I shall tell you all about the products and things I am currently loving.

 

So firstly I have really been loving these tasty snack packets of *Love Chin Chin  - I've especially loved eating the vanilla flavoured ones. At first I wasn't completely sure whether I would like them but I actually do. They are the perfect snack and I've been eating these instead of  a cherry bakewell or a slice of cake! I kindly got sent the whole range to try and my favourite is definitely the vanilla flavour. I will definitely be repurchasing the vanilla flavour for sure! I've been eating these on there own but you can warm them up, have them as a dessert topping or even a pie base! I would love the packaging to have a re-sealable zipper or something just because I would never want to eat them all in one go and it would make them much more travel friendly if they were already open. I don't know how much these are per pack but I know that you can buy them in bulk on the Love Chin Chin website here.

The next product I have been loving is the *Fake Bake 5 Minute Tanning Mousse. I've actually been using this for a couple of months now but I have definitely been wearing this more often as it's summer and I want to have a tan because I'm not going abroad anytime soon and I'm so pale it's unreal. This tan is wonderful, although it has quite a biscuit-like smell, I actually really love the actual product, it gives such a natural tan and it dries super quick. I find this tan is really easy to apply and I've had several compliments when I have worn it and so this is a clear winner for me. I'm not the biggest fake tan lover and hardly ever went near it but since discovering this fake tan hero, I'm converted. This tan is £22, so it's not the cheapest on the market but I will definitely be repurchasing this.

There's two products from Merumaya which have really stood out to me recently and these are the *Luxury Facial Wash and the *Concentrated Spot Treatment. Out of the two, I love the concentrated spot treatment as I can see visible results from using it, although the facial wash is very nice. The facial wash feels quite sticky to begin with but then as you rub it into the skin, it becomes quite soapy and then you wash it off with warm water. My skin feels really clean and super soft once I've used this product, so this is why I've been loving it recently. At £16.50 this facial wash isn't the cheapest on the market but I think it's quite reasonable and I would buy this again in the future. As for the concentrated spot treatment, I'm usually quite sceptical when it comes to 'spot treatments' but this actually did work for me. My spots were reduced every time I used this and I will definitely repurchase this. At £14.50, again I think it's reasonably priced. The concentrated Spot treatment has got 75% off currently and you can buy it here.

The next product I've been loving is the *NectaPerfecta by Beegood. Now if you've read my blog for a while, you'll know that over these past 2 years I have fallen in love with Beegood as a brand and there's not been a product that has disappointed me. You can use this beautifying mask as a face rejuvenator if your skin needs an extra boost as it targets the signs of ageing and refines and improves elasticity. You can use it as a scalp treatment before shampooing which stimulates cell renewal and promotes overall skin and hair health. You can use this as a SOS reparative mask to help with sore, challenged or dry skin and areas such as elbows, feet and knees. Finally you can use this product as a hands rescue remedy as it can be used overnight to moisturise hands and cuticles. My preferred method to use this mask is as a face mask and I usually leave it on for 15 minutes and then use a muslin cloth and warm water to remove it. My skin always feels so soft when I've used it and I absolutely love it. This product is very luxe and is £39.95 - which is quite expensive. However I think it's well worth the money as it is a 4-in-1 product and a little goes a long way with this product. I will definitely be repurchasing this when I need to.

 

The next product I'm absolutely in love with is the *Botanicals Cleanse & Polish. At first I did wonder if it would be similar to Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish but it is completely different. Again, Botanicals is a brand which I have discovered over these last few years and I honestly would not look back. I love their products so much and this is another hit with me. This product is exactly what it says it is, it is a cleanser which can also be used to exfoliate. The texture is a new one for me as I'm used to products that exfoliate to be quite gritty but this product is very smooth and as you put it in your face and rub, you can feel the little bits in it but it's a lovely product to use and I will be repurchasing. My skin has never felt softer and I think it's a brilliant idea to have a cleanser that can exfoliate your skin too! Botanicals actually have 2 different cleanse and polish' but I have the rose and camellia product. It is priced at £24 and so it is quite luxury but I think it's well worth the money. I would love to try the other cleanse and polish which is for normal, combination or sensitive skin as I have combination skin, although this product works well with my skin too.

 

 

The last product I've absolutely been loving recently is these * 7 Day Doll White Teeth Whitening Strips. Now if you know me by now, you know that I absolutely love trying anything to try and get my teeth white and I've used them for 5 weeks now, as I have done 1 strip a week and I have noticed a difference. I got a pack of 7. I really love that Doll White are non-peroxide whitening strips.  I will definitely be repurchasing some of these and you can get 10% off at dollwhite.com by using the code: FLYER. In the packets you get one upper and one lower strip to put on your teeth. At £12.99, I will definitely be purchasing them again.

 

So there are my current favourites, I know all of them have been sent to me for consideration, however I still wanted to share them with you because I have been trying them out and are currently loving them.

 

What have you been currently loving?

 

 

*Disclaimer: This post contains products that have been sent to me for review purposes only. This does not influence my opinions in any way. My views and opinions are 100% honest.

Summer Holiday Fun and Failed Polaroid Pictures...

Hello all. Today's post is a lifestyle themed one. As you may be aware of, my summer holidays from college actually started on the 15th of June and they won't end until the 13th of September. This year hasn't really felt like a summer holiday for me, as, if you've read any of my previous posts you'll know that I have a part time job too. I got my part time job in March and ever since then, I don't really feel like I've had a minute to myself. Although I work part time, I practically work full time hours and so summer hasn't really met the expectation I was hoping. I love my job, don't get me wrong but sometimes I just feel like I never get a break. Now most people have exciting summer holidays which include going abroad, going on a shopping spree, enjoying the sun rays and generally having a fabulous fun summer. I hate to break the stereotype but my summer hasn't consisted of any of those things. My summer holidays have consisted of work, driving lessons and the occasional day out.

This brings me to showcase my beautiful *Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Camera in pink - it's simply the most gorgeous thing ever and I had lots of fun taking photos even if they were a total fail - story of my life. I was kindly sent this by Ocean Loans, who have set up this wonderful project, which I think was such a great idea. On one of my days off, I managed to escape to the seaside, which meant a trip to Bridlington. I tried to take a photo of the harbour but nope, it didn't develop well as you can see. That happens to be the 3rd picture in. I have also been sorting out my positive quote pictures and my photos themselves and so that is the second picture in. I then decided on one of the other days that I would take a good ol' selfie, to see how it turned out and it ended up being the best developed of the lot! #Vain.



Overall my summer hasn't been too bad, I just haven't had the exciting summer I hoped for but I would love to know what you've all been doing this summer, so do let me know in the comments.

Although I'm a total fail when it comes to taking polaroid pictures, I absolutely loved using and taking the photos. Hopefully I will get better at taking them in the future and be able to showcase them!

I would like to say a big thank you to Ocean Loans again for letting me take part in this wonderful project!

*Disclaimer: This post contains items that have been sent for consideration and review purposes only. All my opinions are 100% honest and are my own.

*Summer Dresses Wishlist.

 

Hello everyone. Today I have a different kind of post for you and it's a 'summer dresses wishlist' post and I have chosen 5 gorgeous summer/holiday dresses from the JD Williams website and I wanted to share with you the 5 that I love. I have to admit, it was a difficult one as there are so many beautiful dresses and they are reasonably priced. I could have chosen over 20 dresses to put in this post but I thought I'd keep it simple, otherwise it would be a very long post. JD Williams is a brand I have never really come across but now that I've discovered them, I am always scrolling on their website to see what is available. Throughout summer, I live in dresses and so without further a dew, I will show you my 5 dresses that I am lusting over for the summer.

 

 

So the first dress that I absolutely adore is this Joe Browns Delightful Denim Dress. Even in summer, I am that kind of girl that will where denim whether it be in the form of a dress or jeans. I absolutely love how stylish this dress is and it has pockets! I cannot tell you, how I adore dresses that have pockets, so handy. It has a stylish belt and it is perfect if you are going to a festival or even if you just want to go somewhere in general. At £50, it's not the cheapest dress but I still think it's super affordable. This dress comes in sizes 12-32, which I think is great.

 Next up, I have chosen this Navy Print Frill Skater Dress. I love skater dresses and they look super flattering on me personally and I love the colour navy too. The pattern on the dress is super summery and I think it's the perfect addition to anyone's summer wardrobe. Skater dresses are really comfy to wear and so I would highly recommend. This dress is currently £20 instead of £25 and even then I think it's a great price. This dress can easily be dressed up or dressed down and so it's perfect for any occasion you may have in summer. This dress is available in the sizes 10-32, which again is really great.

 

The next dress I have picked is the Together Print Jersey Dress, which is probably my favourite dress out of them all. This dress is stunning and I think it's perfect for all of the summer events that may take place, whether it be a christening, wedding, engagement or just a general party. This dress is super flattering and I think it would look lovely on. I'm definitely contemplating buying this dress for my birthday. At £65, again not the cheapest dress but I think it'll be amazing quality and it's still quite affordable. This dress is available in sizes 10-32.

 

The fourth dress that I think is perfect for summer is this Damson Ribbed Jersey Swing Dress. This is perfect for the transition into Autumn but ideally just as nice for summer too. This dress can be dressed up or dressed down and as it's a loose fitting dress, I think it's super flatting and perfect for those hotter days. This dress is £20, so again it's super affordable. It's available in the sizes 10-32.

 

Finally the last dress that I adore is this Blue Geo Print Deep Plunge Wrap Dress. Again, I think this is really flattering for summer and it can definitely be dressed up or dressed down. At £29, it is reasonably priced and it is available in sizes 10-32. This dress is very elegant but it looks comfortable too.

 

So there you have it, my top 5 summer dresses wishlist. I really hope you've enjoyed this post and be sure to check out JD Williams and their holiday dresses and maxi dresses.

 

 

*DISCLAIMER: This post is in collaboration with JDWilliams, although all views and opinions are my own.

BKLYN

So we're currently having the wettest summer I have ever seen and I've been going around with my waterproof coat on and even a hat. Except for the heatwave we experienced last week, July has been an odd one. I mean it's July and I'm dressed like someone who's living in December. The hat that I've been currently wearing is from the brand BKLYN and they are a luxury hat and accessory brand for men, women and kids. They use the finest Italian merino wool for their products and all the garments are made and hand finished in England which means the quality of their products are the highest.

 

BKLYN kindly sent me one of their Raccoon Fur Bobble Hats in this gorgeous pastel blue colour and it is honestly the nicest hat. It is so soft, so comfortable and for once - I have found a hat that doesn't make my head itch! I love the colour and the style and at first I didn't think I would suit the hat but I think I can kind of pull it off? I'll let you decide though, let me know in the comments.  

Here is a photo of me wearing my glorious hat, I absolutely love it and I know that in autumn and winter I will be wearing this on those chiller days. At £55, this hat isn't the cheapest but it is such good quality and I would highly recommend this brand if you are a person who wears a hat throughout winter. The A/W collection that this brand is releasing looks soooooo incredible and I may have to make a cheeky purchase!

Although I can't find my exact hat on the website, If you're interested in finding out what other styles and colours that BKLYN offer then you can have a look here.

Now hopefully the weather is going to pick up again and we're going to have another heatwave like we experienced last week but like on a day like today where it is absolutely miserable weather, I shall be wearing a coat and my lovely fluffy hat.

*DISCLAIMER: This product was sent for review purposes only. All my opinions and views are my own and are 100% honest.

My experience with Oil Pulling. #OSHUNwhite.

Recently, I have discovered a new way of whitening my teeth. I've tried whitening toothpastes, I've used whitening strips and so now I thought why not give oil pulling a go. I have to admit, out of all of them, oil pulling is probably the weirdest and it is an odd feeling in your mouth. There are endless health and dental benefits to doing oil pulling and so I definitely wanted to see what it was all about.

OSHUNwhite use virgin coconut oil and their oil pulling sachets come in different flavours: wild cherry, crushed lime, peppermint and spearmint.  I kindly got sent their *peppermint flavour and it really is true to the flavour - quite minty but it's bare-able. I would quite like to try their wild cherry flavour as I think this might be better for me, however I've used the peppermint flavour and it was okay. I used the sachets, everyday for two weeks and stored them in a draw in my bedroom. When I first put the product in my mouth, I didn't feel like I was going to be able to keep it in my mouth because it felt very weird. I usually just rolled the sachets in my hands until they felt like it was all oil and when I put it in my mouth it was pure liquid. I usually kept the liquid in my mouth for 15 minutes and usually did other things to distract me.

The feeling of oil going into your mouth is so strange but after a while - you get used to it. I just love that this process is totally natural and so no harmful chemicals are going to harm your teeth in this process. You could even put these sachets in your handbag if you were going somewhere like a friends house to stay overnight or something like that.

As you're using oil - it is recommended that after the time is up that you spit the oil into a bin as it could solidify again and block your sink if you were to spit it down there.

I have finished the 14 day course of OSHUNwhite and I do like this product, I wasn't wowed by the results but for a more natural approach to a slightly whiter smile - I would recommend them. My mouth does feel really clean though.

I also love the packaging and the days of the week on the box are an extra touch so you're not likely to forget where you are in the week with the sachets.

At £20 for 14 sachets, I think this product is reasonably priced and is probably a budget friendly purchase.

If you subscribe to OSHUNwhite's service you will also receive a free copper tongue cleaner.

I would maybe try this process again in the future but maybe with a different flavour.

 

Have you tried OSHUNwhite?

 

 

*Disclaimer: This product was sent for review purposes only. This does not influence my opinions or views on this product.

The Body Shop's British Rose Collection.

 

I love The Body Shop and anyone that knows me well enough will know this. I am constantly buying products from The Body Shop and have been since I was 13 and so I've shopped there for nearly 5 years now. The Body Shop has been going on for years and years and it's one of my favourite brands in the industry. I love the campaigns that they do and their products are natural too. Over these past few years on my blog, I have featured The Body Shop on my blog before but usually I just repurchase what I love. I did a massive haul too. Two blog posts featuring The Body Shop that I did within the first few months of me starting my blog were The Body Shop Tea Tree Face Mask Review and The Body Shop Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt Review. So when I got the exciting opportunity to review some of  The Body Shop's British Rose collection I jumped at the chance. Working with a brand which I absolutely adore, is like a dream come true for me.

So what did I receive and what did I think?

*The Body Shop British Rose Petal-Soft Bath Foam - Firstly the packaging is so simple but lovely and as for the smell - wow, I am in love. The scent of the collection reminds me of The Body Shop's Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt but obviously it smells of roses instead of honey - it is dreamy. I love a good bubble bath and this bath foam delivered as there were bubbles galore! With essence of hand-picked roses from Britain, this is truly gives it a special touch. All I simply did was, I poured it under warm water and then stirred it into my bath. My bathroom smelt lovely hours later! Now I'm not usually the rose kind of girl and I find that some rose scents are a bit in your face or too florally but The Body Shop have definitely balanced it all out and I cannot complain about the scent at all. A lovely product and for £8, it is such a bargain. I will definitely be repurchasing this.

*The Body Shop British Rose Instant Glow Body Essence - Again, the packaging is simple but I really love it. I have to admit I was a little baffled at first on how it actually worked as it has this black guard thing on it - such a good idea! But in the end I figured it out and I'm not sure if you're meant to take it off and leave it off but I just find once I've used it to stop any product from escaping, I just put the black guard thing back on. I wasn't sure what to expect from this product but The Body Shop describe it as a 'Lightweight, fast absorbing body moisturiser. Transforms on contact with skin to give an instant dewy glow'. Now we all love dewy skin and I think The Body Shop has noticed it and so they have provided us with the perfect product. The product is a lot thinner than I expected but I love it, as I'm not really a fan of thick moisturisers although I love to use The Body Shop's body butters during winter. At £15, I think it's a reasonably priced product as it will last you throughout summer, or it'll last me anyway. I would definitely repurchase it in the future. This product left my skin with a subtle glow, it left my skin feeling so smooth and I smelt of roses - what more could a girl want?!

*The Body Shop British Rose Shower Gel - As said previously, this scent is gorgeous and I love The Body Shop's shower gels anyway and so this is ultimately a winner anyway. I love how The Body Shop have rebranded their shower gels a little as they have a different bottle shape and new lid - a much more sophisticated look. This is a lovely shower gel and lathers well. At £5 it's not the cheapest shower gel on the market but I still think it's reasonably priced and I would definitely repurchase.

*The Body Shop Colour Crush Nail Varnish in 350 British Rose - This nail varnish is so pretty and is a very me colour. I'm one of those girls who doesn't wear nail varnish that often - due to getting annoyed when it smudges because I end up wanting to do 394757 things after I've painted my nails or just due to being at work nearly 6 days a week and nail varnish isn't really appropriate. But when I do wear nail varnish, I like a basic and simple colour and I don't really suit bright colours and so this baby pink shade is perfect for me. It's quite a runny consistency and so I found that you have to wipe the brush on the side before applying but other than that it is a lovely colour and I shall make the effort to wear this more often. This is usually sold for £5 but The Body Shop are currently selling it for £2. Definitely worth a purchase!

*The Body Shop's British Rose Palette - This palette is very beautiful, I love the packaging, I love the big mirror and looking at the shades they looked lovely. However these eyeshadows and blush shades are just not very pigmented. I found that I had to really pack the colour on and then the colour pay off just wasn't what I wanted. I haven't tried any of The Body Shop's make up before and so I didn't know what to expect but for me this palette just doesn't deliver. Although the shades are beautiful, the pigmentation just isn't there for me. This palette includes 6 eye shadows and 2 blushes. Some light shades and some darker so you could do a day and night look with this palette. At £20, it's quite a reasonably priced palette, however I wouldn't repurchase this product due to the pigmentation not being to my personal preference.

So there are my thoughts on The Body Shop's British Rose collection. I would like to thank The Body Shop for this wonder opportunity.

 

Have you tried The Body Shop's British Rose Collection?

*DISCLAIMER: This post contains products that have been sent for review purposes only. All my opinions and views are 100% honest and are not influenced by this.

Favourite product discoveries of 2016 so far!

 So, we are nearly 7 months into 2016 and along the way I have been discovering new products and these are a few products that I have really loved using and so I thought why not share my favourite products of 2016 so far with you.

 

The first product I have loved using and have completely finished it, is the *JASON PowerSmile Toothpaste. NutriCentre very kindly sent me this toothpaste to try and I absolutely loved it. At first I thought it had an odd taste as it was peppermint but I got used to it and it made my teeth look super white. The JASON PowerSmile Toothpaste is all natural and has an exclusive blend of natural polishers and stain-fighting botanicals. This toothpaste controls tartar, ensures you have a fresh long-lasting breathe and keeps your smile healthy. This product is available with or without fluoride. This product retails for £4.99, although it's not the cheapest toothpaste on the market, I think it is well worth the money. I would happily repurchase this product in the future. Sadly Nutri Centre has since shut down but there is an alternate link to where it can be purchased.

The second product I have absolutely fell in love with this year is the *Fair Squared Vanilla Shower Gel. The packaging was quite quirky for a shower gel as you had to twist it to release the product and although the top of mine was broken, I was still able to use it. This product smelt AMAZING, literally. I love vanilla and this scent reminded me of muller corner yogurts. It is nourishing as well as being natural too. The price of this product is 9 euros 98 which converts to around £8.23. This isn't the cheapest of shower gels however it lasts such a long time and I would happily repurchase this product.

The next product I absolutely love is the *Tammy Fender Intensive Repair Balm. Wow this product is intense but it does the job you want it to. If you have very dry patches, like I do, this product certainly solves the problem and leaves your skin feeling soft and supple. As this product is quite thick, you don't need a lot of it for an area and so a little bit goes a long way. This product does everything it claims. This retails for $130 which converts to £96.72, this product is very luxurious and as you don't need a lot of this product, it will last you a while and so I definitely think it's worth the money. I would definitely repurchase this product in the future.

The last product I have been loving is the *Nanokeratin Revitalising Mask for natural/virgin hair. This product has transformed my hair. I know that these are just samples but one sample sachet does my whole hair. It makes my hair feel so soft and nourished and really does 'revitalise' my hair. This mask is for natural/virgin hair and I couldn't recommend it more. I would definitely like to invest into the 500ml pot of this product. This product retails for $78 which converts to £58.03 and so again it isn't the cheapest of hair masks however I didn't have to use this product all the time, once a month was enough for my hair and so I definitely think it's worth the money.

 

What have your favourite product discoveries of 2016 been so far?

 

*DISCLAIMER: These products were sent for review purposes only. This does not affect my opinion or views on them in any way. My views and opinions are 100% honest.