Friday 30 October 2015

September & October Favourites


Can we just take a moment to appreciate how amazing the concept of this candle is. Mince pies.. in a candle.. can you get anything more Christmassy!? Yes I know we are only coming to the end of October, but I just love the scents that are brought out around this time of year. I bought this candle from TK-Maxx for £1.99 in a small size, hopefully the bigger candle is still available as I'm going to have to go back & find it!

Flamingo Mug
Myself & James went to The Cotswold Wildlife Park at the beginning of October & we had the loveliest day. You can read all about it in an upcoming blog post if you like. I picked up this beautiful mug in the gift shop at the end. It's one of the biggest mugs I own (lots of tea yay!) & has one of my favourite animals on, flamingos! So adorable. I've been using it every morning for that first cup of tea with my breakfast.
 
This was my go-to lipstick in September after rediscovering it in my collection. It's a dark red shade that adds the perfect amount of pigmentation if you don't want an over-the-top dark lip for wearing during the day. It's such a perfect shade for the Autumn / Winter months.

My mum actually bought me this Vaseline after seeing it in Tesco & being pink, knew I would love it! It's slightly different to the regular Vaseline's, I find the formula to be a lot creamier & thicker on the lips. I've found using this before I go to bed & first thing in the morning has made my lips feel so soft. I have very chapped lips all year round, but they get especially bad in Winter, so this has been a life saver!
 
I absolutely raved about this bubble bar in my recent Lush Haul, so much so, that I bought the shower cream as well! It's one of my favourites & just smells so good! I've been trying to save it by using the smallest amount each time I have a bath but I know I'm going to have to re-stock soon! 
 
 
& finally other memories these past two months -
 
 
I felt Elisa's baby kick for the first time! Emotional moment as you can imagine & I was in tears as expected! Didn't help that we were at work & customers were coming up to the box office..
 
Met up with my girls; Lorna & I went to London for an adventure, had a catch up over breakfast with Ricka, had tea & cake with Shez in Costa & went to Ardingly Show with Boop, Gem & Cathy.
 
Moved James into his new flat in Gloucester & went to visit him. We also attended Rosie & Gareth's wedding last weekend which was lovely. I can't wait for Elisa's next year now!

How has your month been? : )

Monday 26 October 2015

Pink Flamingo Reusable Bubble Bar

Hello lovelies,
 
I'm obsessed with Lush (as I'm sure many of you already know from Instagram, Twitter & a recent blog post!) so I wanted to show you the Flamingo Bubble Bar I picked up a few weeks ago in my local store.
 
I'd seen it on a few blogs & knew I just had to find it. Isn't he just the cutest? (I was quite tempted to name him but thought I'd get too attached & wouldn't use him if I did..!)
 
 
"Birds of a feather bathe together! Slip into something more fruity with this cocktail-inspired reusable bubble bar, filled with fragrant rosewood and sexy ylang ylang. To set the mood for all kinds of nude, softening macadamia nut oil and refreshing bergamot leave you feeling in the pink. Let the bubbly flow!"
 
 
This product retails for £5.95, so it is one of the more expensive bubble bars, but so far I've managed to have three baths out of it with a small amount remaining for a fourth.
 
The smell it produces is simply gorgeous! I absolutely love it! 

 
The only thing I will say about this product is that I'm not too keen on the colour it turns the water (sometimes!). When I first tried it, it turned my water a yellowy brown tone, but the second time, my bath water went very pink! You'd think the flamingo would create a pink bath, after all, just look at how pink it is! But it actually has a yellow undertone & that is sadly what comes through on most occasions.
 
Apart from that, it does create a large number of bubbles which is always a must for any bubble bar! 

 
I definitely think the Flamingo Bubble Bar was worth the purchase but now I've tried it, I don't think I'll be rushing out for another one. However, if they created a shower gel in this fragrance, I would definitely buy that!
 
Have you tried the Flamingo Bubble Bar or any of Lush's new products?
 
I made a trip to London with my friend Lorna in September & posted about our adventure to Lush here if you wanted to have a read! We picked up some lovely new products. Keep an eye out for the reviews which will be coming soon! : )
 

Monday 19 October 2015

Life Lately #89

 
Hello lovelies,
 
Last weekend I went to visit James at uni for a few days. One of the days we visited The Cotswold Wildlife Park which I have been to before about 2 years ago, but it was just as lovely the second time round. I'm writing a full post about our day, so I won't ramble on too much about it now, but I just love being around animals & could spend all day there. (which we did!)
 
On 12th October, Honey turned 6. I'm finding it quite difficult to believe as it still feels like yesterday her owners brought her to us & she fitted inside my shoe. Here she is snuggled up in her new bed with her new toys. Yes, she is very spoilt, but can you blame me? Just look at that face..
 
I went to see my girl Ricka for the day last week. I was so lovely to have a catch up with her. She also took me to see her two horses, Tia & Hattie who are so adorable. We gave them a brush then went for tea at our local garden centre. They've just started putting up the Christmas section, which was very exciting! After work that night, I went round to my friend Bo's house with the girls & we had hot chocolates & some home-made cookies, while watching Pitch Perfect 2. Bliss. 
 
Ok, so.. I've always wanted pink hair. Don't worry, this is just a wig! But I started practicing my Halloween makeup last week & there will be a post coming up soon on this look if you're still struggling on what character to go as. I'm thinking zombie princess!
 
& finally I had a lovely lazy Sunday breakfast before work yesterday with my girls at Bill's. I've mentioned them before, but I'm so in love with their breakfasts. I had scrambled egg on toast with bacon. Mmmmm.
 
How was your weekend lovelies? : )
 

Friday 16 October 2015

What I've Been Wearing On My Nails #26

 
I had a real phase of going through nude shades on my nails this past month. Although the Maybelline polishes aren't my favourite (they don't seem to last more than 2 days on the nails without chipping) this shade is just so pretty, I really didn't care! 
 
I've mentioned this shade many times before but I'm absolutely in love with it! Nothing beats hot pink nails for an evening out. Sinful Color polishes are also such good value for money! They retail at £1.99 & last such a long time.
 
How annoying is it that Primark don't name their nail polishes? Saying that, I did buy one the other day & it was named, so hopefully this will continue! I always tend to go for a blue shade when I'm unsure what colour to paint my nails (after going through my pink collection of course..) & this one is the perfect pastel colour. I'm really not bothered what season it is in relation to the colour on my nails, but I do love the darker shades for those cosy winter evenings.
 
A very simple nail art as I got bored of the blue. I added polka dots with my Models Own nail art pen & also a curved line at the top of the nail. This design is so quick & easy & really does jazz up a plain shade on the nails.
 
What have you been wearing on your nails this month? : )
 

Tuesday 13 October 2015

Long Weekend Break To Exmoor

Hello lovelies,
 
At the end of September, myself & James went on a long weekend break to Exmoor with my parents. It was always somewhere I went as a child on holiday & my mum has been going all her life as well. It was so lovely to be able to show James all the places we used to visit, while exploring new ones.
 
We arrived late Friday afternoon & headed straight for Dunster Beach. Honey had never been to the beach before & she surprisingly loved it! Harvey especially likes playing with the waves.
 



My outfit: Leather jacket - Select / Dress - Dorothy Perkins / Wellies - Rydale / Rucksack & sunnies - Primark / Leggins - F&F clothing at Tesco
Our cottage we stayed in was absolutely beautiful. We headed back there after the beach to settle in & grab some dinner. I didn't take any photos of the cottage, but I did vlog the whole weekend, so look out for that coming up on my YouTube channel soon!
 
Our first full day we went exploring in the Valley Of The Rocks. It was such a beautiful day & we could see for miles. There were lots of wild goats that live in the valley & we could just about see some at the top of the rocks.
 


My outfit: Faux fur gilet & leggings - F&F clothing at Tesco / Jumper dress - Ebay / Shoes - Converse / Sunnies - Primark
We then headed down to Lynmouth town to do a bit of shopping. They had this gorgeous fountain on display as part of an on-going project.
 
 
 & just look at this adorable family of ducks we passed on our way back to the cottage. There is so much wildlife in Exmoor, you'll find it difficult to not go round a bend & not bump into something!

 
& finally on our last day, we visited Tarr Steps & had a walk around the wooded area nearby.
 

 
Myself & James went for lunch at the local tea room, which was so adorable. I had scones & tea, while James had a sausage sandwich.
 
 
& finally, just before the sun set, we headed up Dunkery Beacon, one of the highest points in Exmoor. You can see for miles & we even managed to spot some red deer!

 
I had such a lovely time visiting Exmoor, have you ever been?
 
Would love to hear some of your stories : )
 

Friday 9 October 2015

Life Lately #88

 
Hello lovelies,
 
These beautiful flowers were waiting for us on our return from Exmoor last week from my Grandparents. They only live up the road & we speak everyday, so although we were only away for a short while, we did really miss them.
 
I met up with Shez & Elisa last week for tea in Costa. Was so lovely to have a catch up, we spoke for hours & I ended up having to rush to get to work!
 
On Saturday night, I met up with my girls for a movie night & Dominos at Boop's house. Her two kitties are the cutest things, who are constantly running & jumping all over the place. We watched Mean Girls (it was October 3rd!) & The Duff, which I loved.
 
& I had to include this picture of Millie, who is Cathy's cat. She has the most stunning eyes! I realised over the weekend though, that I have an allergy to cats. Amazing as I always owned a cat from the age of 5, but she sadly passed away last year, so now I think my body isn't used to the fur & being around them constantly. I've read as well that it can suddenly come on even if you hadn't had it at an early age. Makes complete sense as I always get 'a cold' when I go to James' parents' house & they have two cats. If you're allergic to cats I'd love to know as I'm currently researching the best ways to fight it & would like to know how you deal with it on a daily basis.
 
I met up with the girls again the following day & we went to Ardingly Autumn show. It was such a lovely day. They have a dog & poultry show, along with some shopping stands, including a food & craft tent. It's perfect for a day out. I vlogged that day as well, so keep an eye out on my YouTube channel for the video coming soon!
 
Finally last Monday, I took my mum out for dinner & to see The Mousetrap at our local theatre for an early birthday present. We went to The Beefeater for our main meal & headed to the theatre for a 7.30 show. It was absolutely brilliant. Have any of you seen it before?
 

Monday 5 October 2015

Maybelline - Eraser Eye Concealer

Hello lovelies,

So I finally got my hands on the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer. You might have seen me mention it in my Boots Haul at the beginning of August & how excited I was to find it my desired shade. I picked it up in 'light', as I am quite pale & thought it would suit my skin tone the best. 


I wasn't too sure on the design of this product when I first heard about it. It is very different to the normal 'doe foot' applicator I'm used to using. My go-to concealer (like most bloggers!) is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer & I've used it for over a year without finding the urge to go out & try any other concealers. That was until the reviews started coming in for this Maybelline one & I just couldn't resist picking it up.

The way you apply this is to turn the dark red section below the sponge at the top, until it starts to show signs that the product is coming through. It says to do this very carefully & slowly on the packaging, but I found it took ages for the product to come through!


It is actually so soft to use on your skin, I found myself putting way more on than I planned just because I enjoyed using it so much! Haha.

I've been testing it out for a few weeks now & am absolutely in love. I've found it's a lighter formula than the Collection concealer & it's a lot easier to blend into my foundation.

Have you tried this concealer? What were your thoughts? : )

Friday 2 October 2015

Our Bank Holiday Weekend Adventure

Hello lovelies,
 
This post has been sitting in my drafts for nearly a month! Sorry it's late!
 
I wanted to show you what we got up to on the bank holiday weekend at the end of August. I spent it with James' family. Auntie Jules came down for the weekend as well, so the Sunday we decided to go & play foot golf. If you haven't heard of it, it's basically playing golf but with a football & you kick it into the hole. It was such a laugh. We played it in teams & drew second, so it wasn't too bad!
 
 
Bank holiday Monday in the UK this year was horrific. It rained the entire day.
 
We'd hired a canal boat to go along the river Wey (obviously we didn't predict the weather would be as bad as it was..) However, we made the most of it & wrapped up in water-proofs & fluffy jumpers for warmth.
 
Our little boat was adorable. It had a fully functioning kitchen, with a stove, sink & kettle. Perfect for us as we are a family who can't live without constant cups of tea!
 
 
As well as seeing a lot of beautiful countryside, we also managed to spot a bit of wildlife. There were hundreds of ducks but we also managed to get up close to this heron. He was so chilled on the river bank, he didn't even fly off when we got near him.

 
We stopped for lunch at a lovely little pub that did amazing food. We all shared the nachos as a starter & I had a jacket potato with salad for my main. We were all starving by the time we got to the pub, so it was a welcome addition to our stomachs.

 
After lunch we headed back down the river & home to dry off. Despite the rain, it was such a lovely day & one I'd love to do again.
 
Have you ever been on a canal boat? : )