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.

Disappointing Products #3.

 

It's been a while since I did a disappointing products posts and although I don't want to find disappointing products, along the way of trying new things, you discover that some products just don't work for you. So today I thought I'd share with you the disappointing products that I have discovered over these past couple of months and although they didn't work for me, they might work you.

 

*Richard Ward The Chelsea Collection Anti-Ageing Argan Shampoo - At first, I thought this shampoo was really nice, I thought my hair felt softer and it felt clean and I was really happy with the results. But the more I used it, the more I noticed how greasy my hair became, to the point where my hair just didn't feel clean anymore and it constantly felt disgusting. Now I naturally have greasy hair but I didn't think this shampoo would do anything other than to just nourish my hair but I was wrong. RRP: £5.99 but Waitrose currently have an offer on for £3.99. Although not an expensive shampoo, I wouldn't repurchase this.  On a positive, the packaging was quite nice.

*Richard Ward The Chelsea Collection Anti-Ageing Argan Conditioner - I had the same problem with this conditioner as I did the shampoo, even though I used the smallest amounts. I tried everything to discover why my hair was feeling the way it was but it was just the shampoo and conditioner. My hair just didn't like the product. Again the RRP is £5.99 but Waitrose currently have an offer on for £3.99. Again not an expensive conditioner but I wouldn't repurchase this product. On a positive, the packaging was quite nice.

 

*BeautyUK lips matter velvet matte lip creams - I am so sad, that I was disappointed with these products because I really wanted to love them. I absolutely loved the packaging and I love the brand Beauty UK so much. I was kindly sent the shades No.8 that'll peach you and no.2 radical red. I loved the names of the products, the packaging and even the colour range but the products themselves just weren't my favourite. Now I'm not really into matte products because I hate the drying feeling and these products were so drying on my lips. The colours were gorgeous but I just sadly don't like the formulation. The staying power was good although my lips got so dry, they were really sore and so after a while I took the products off. If Beauty UK released a more sheer or glossy lip creams then I think they would be perfect. At £3.99, they are so affordable and if I liked the formulation I would have definitely purchased more of the range.

 

 

*Fair Squared Coconut Body Lotion - Again, I really wanted to love this product but it just wasn't for me. I love Coconut and I love the scent of coconut and I just couldn't smell any of it in this product. The product wasn't very thick either which some people would like but I prefer more thicker body lotions but that is just down to personal preference. I did love the fact the product was fairtrade and the brand as a whole was lovely, I just didn't like this product very much. This product retails at 12 euros 99 which converts to around £10, so it isn't the most expensive body lotion but I personally wouldn't buy it.

 

 

*Fake Bake Skin Dluxe Dream Skin Cleansing Melt Nourishing Facial Cleanser - Well what a mouthful that product is. Again, I was so sad that I didn't like this product because I think Fake Bake's tan is amazing. Sadly this cleanser just isn't for me, it left my skin feeling greasy and I just didn't like the consistency of this product. It didn't get all the make up off my face and so I had to use additional products. I liked that it had natural ingredients in it but it just wasn't for me. At £15.00, it's not the cheapest of cleanser and I just sadly didn't like it.

 

So there are all my recent disappointing products. What products have you found disappointing recently?

 

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

Brow products I cannot live without.

So brow products have suddenly taken the world by storm and it's all about those 'on point' brows. Now I admit, my brows are not perfect, they don't look like all of the hype but I still use products in them. My brows are very bushy and dark and are not particularly sparse but sometimes putting a little bit of product in them, just finishes them off. Now previously, I have plucked my eyebrows to death, where they have needed some serious help to look even normal and so I have discovered 2 brow products that I simply cannot live without. As a blogger, I discover new products all the time and have tried a variety of brow kits since I got into make up in 2012 but these are two that I constantly reach for and so I am going to tell you my thoughts on them.

 

The first brow product I cannot live without is this *Hi Impact Brows, Brow Kit. It is absolutely lush. The packaging is gorgeous, it's compact and in this particular shade it has all the shades I could ever need. You can actually use the kit for eyeshadow too, so it is multi purpose although I usually just use it for my brows. The brush it comes with is not too bad actually and I am able to create both natural and bold brows with this kit. I find I have to take a little more time on my brows when using this kit but the end result is definitely worth it. I usually mix the 3rd and 4th colour together and then apply them to my brows. If I didn't have other eyeshadows with me whilst travelling I would definitely use this palette for my eyes as well, to create new and different looks. I sometimes use the darkest shade for eyeliner. The shades are highly pigmented which means you really don't need that much product on the brush and I love that they are mineral powders - meaning that I could create up to ten eyebrow colour variations. This is great because this means that the kit can be used with any woman, to create their perfect brow match. At £18.99, it is not the cheapest of brow products however it is a kit which is multi-purpose so I think it is a real bargain and I absolutely love it. I would highly recommend it to all.

Then the second brow product I love using is the Eylure Brow Pencil in no.20 mid brown. This is super handy and I discovered this product at Christmas when I received it as a Christmas present. It is super handy - with the product on one end and a spooly on the other, it's so travel friendly and allows you to have brows on the go. I love to use this product when I'm in a rush and need my brows to look better instantly. Within 2 minutes, my brows are sorted and I'm good to go. Although the colour range is slightly off for me, I do like this product a lot. It is soft and not scratchy - which some brow pencils can be. At £5.45, it is a very affordable product and I would definitely recommend it if you need a brow product on the go. Great for your handbag and great for your brows.

What are your favourite brow products?

 

*DISCLAIMER: This blog post contains PR samples. This does not in anyway influence or change my opinions on the products. My opinions and views are 100% honest.

Benefit #BenefitBrows Event and exciting new releases!

 

 

Hello everyone, so while I've been busy with my job and revising for my exams, I actually got to do something super exciting! Last Sunday I travelled to Leeds for a Benefit event! I cannot believe how lucky I was to receive the invite and I am so grateful to Zeal for letting me come along!

 

 

When I arrived in Leeds train station, I met up with some lovely fellow bloggers and we walked to the event together! When we got there, we got given some browchers and a glass of prosecco! We then got talks from some of the lovely ladies at Benefit. The event was all about their new and exciting brow range, which is due to be released on the 24th June! How amazing do they look though?! I was fascinated to hear all about how the brow market has changed and how it has even taken over the mascara market. I guess we all want on fleek brows right?! We all then found out about the new range and then we went through to the next part of the gallery where we were greeted with brow technicians, massive light up brow letters, fairy lights and even a selfie mirror! Who doesn't love a good selfie though! The room looked absolutely gorgeous. We also had a magician who was absolutely fab! You can visit his twitter page here.

 

I then got my brows done which I have never had them done before so I was intrigued to how they would look and I got mine done by the lovely Amy and wow she certainly worked some magic because my brows have never looked that good and I was so impressed. Amy asked me how I usually have my brows and used the shade 5 which was the perfect match. We spoke about what products would be best for me and Ka-Brow was the main product used.

 

Photo credit: zeal.buzz

 

Photo credit: zeal.buzz

 

Here are my before and after pictures and there is just such a difference! My brows were totally transformed!

 

 

Photo credit: zeal.buzz

 

After having our brows transformed, we all took advantage of the wonderful selfie mirror and had our photos printed and then in pairs we were able to go to the games room. I paired up with the lovely Becca and we went around the 4 different stations and it was so much fun. The first game was to match the eyebrows to the celebrities and it was a lot trickier than we once thought and we managed to get about 4 correct! The second station was where we took it in turns to be blindfolded and we had to draw the brow onto the face, this was so funny but overall we didn't do too bad. The third station was leg waxing and we had to wax a male volunteer's leg which was funny. Finally the fourth station was one where we had to design a cake to give it wow brows and then we had to think of a name. Mine and Becca's was all glittery and glam and we went for the name browalicious because the cake was a brow and it was delicious because it was cake! I felt very proud of that one, if I do say so myself! There was a winning cake chosen and also a selfie competition to win a prize! We were also gifted some mini Gimme Brows and so I was over the moon!

 

 

 

It was also an absolute pleasure to meet some lovely bloggers and I was so happy that I got to meet Rhianna, I absolutely adore her blog and she is so nice!

 

 

Credit: zeal.buzz

 

I can't thank Benefit and all the lovely people at Zeal Buzz enough because it was such a pleasure to be able to go to this fabulous event and it was so fun! Thank you to Zeal Buzz for taking some lovely photos too!  I met some lovely bloggers too! I cannot wait for their new brow products to be released although I think I'll be poor by the end of it!

 

What Benefit brow products are you most excited for?