Tuesday 29 September 2015

Life Lately #87

 
Hello lovelies,
 
Weekend before last, we introduced Prudence into our home for her first bath. She went to the local chicken show on the Saturday & won first prize! So proud of her.
 
After watching Zoe's August favourites last month, I decided to pick up "The Life Changing Magic of Tidying" by Marie Kondo as she totally raved about it! I'm hopeless when it comes to tidying, don't get me wrong, I love being tidy & neat but to everyone else my "tidy piles" make it still seem messy. This book makes you become clutter free & helps you let go of all the stuff that you will "need one day". I can't wait to read it.
 
Sunday before last I met the girls for a late brunch before work. Was so lovely to catch up with them. We went to Cote, who do the most delicious full English breakfasts.
 
On 21st September, it was my parents' 30th wedding anniversary. We had a family meal the previous Saturday night with my grandparents & they had a lovely day celebrating together. I just love this photo from their wedding, they look so happy.
 
Last Wednesday, I met Gemma & Cathy for a catch up & a Nandos in town. Was so nice to see Gem & catch up on all her news after the wedding & of course her honeymoon!
 
& finally, myself & the family have just got back from a long weekend break to Exmoor. We had such a lovely time, I'm going to do a full post on our adventures soon, so keep a look out for that in the next week or so. : )
 

Thursday 24 September 2015

Oxford Street Lush Haul

Hello lovelies,
 
Myself & my lovely friend Lorna went to Oxford Street in London & we couldn't resist going into Lush. They have three floors crammed with new & exciting product just waiting to be smelt! We had a guided tour by a lovely member of staff & of course, that meant only one thing.. buying way more products than we intended on getting!
 
 
First of all, this shower cream. This is the first time I've tried The Comforter when it hasn't been in the form of a bubble bar, but I'm just addicted to the scent, so thought I'd pick up the shower cream. It'll be perfect for Autumn / Winter when you want something uplifting & homely to shower with in the colder months.
 
& The Comforter bubble bar, one of my absolute favourites! If you haven't smelt it, it's one of the most delicious scents Lush have made (in my opinion!) It smells just like black current juice!
 
I've smelt this bubble bar many times & always really liked it but have never picked it up before! I'm really into my citrus scents this year so this bubble bar is perfect for me. Also, who can resist a bright orange bath!?
 
I hadn't heard much about this bath bomb until Lorna told me it was one of her favourites & I just HAD to try it. Because of it's appearance, I always thought it would produce a lemony scent, which I'm not too keen on, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it actually smells very appley. It also produces another bright colour when used in the bath.. (all to be revealed soon!)
 
These final three products are bath oils & are unique to the Oxford Street store. (sorry no links!)
 
Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment Bath Oil
This little bath oil was actually gifted to myself & Lorna. The lady who was giving us the tour in Lush noticed that we both loved this one when we were hunting around the shop for our goodies. It smells just like sweeties & is perfect for me. As you would have seen in my recent Boots Haul, I'm a sucker for sweet scented products..
 
Razzle Dazzle Bath Oil
This little ball of glittery goodness won my heart because of the scent (& maybe the fact it's pink & sparkly helped draw me in too..) You can guess by the name it has a very strong raspberry scent to it & feels very greasy to hold. I can't wait to try this one - I have a feeling it's going to make my skin very soft!
 
Floating Island Bath Oil
This one smells like chocolate. I kid you not. Even though you can smell vanilla as well, all I can think is white chocolate when I smell it. Maybe it's appearance has something to do with it. It's supposed to be a very relaxing bath oil, that makes your skin incredibly soft. I'll let you know the results when I try it!
 
I'll be doing individual reviews on these product when I use them so keep an eye out for that over the next few months : )
 
Oh & I have to mention again just how fabulous the Lush staff are. They seriously pay attention to every detail that your saying while informing you about the products. The seem to have knowledge about all of the products they are selling & know exactly what would suit you best. Myself & Lorna had a lovely time visiting the shop in Oxford Street & I'd highly recommend visiting if you haven't already!
 
Have you tried any of Lush's new range? What's your ultimate favourite product? : )
 

Sunday 20 September 2015

Our Holiday To France

Hello lovelies, hope you're all well.

I mentioned in my last Life Lately post that I'd been on holiday to France at the beginning of September. (Again I apologise for the lack of posts around that time, I decided to have a little break from blogging while I was away)

We travelled on an over-night ferry from Portsmouth to Caen so we could take our car with us. The boys do a lot of golfing on holiday, so it's cheaper than flying with the extra luggage. I've only ever been on a ferry to the Isle Of White before, (45 minute journey!) so this was a new experience for me. We had our own cabin & access to the beautiful bar & entertainment area while on board.

We left Portsmouth around 11pm & myself & James went to watch the ferry depart. I've never seen Portsmouth look so beautiful.

Leaving Portsmouth / The sunrise the next morning arriving in France

We arrived in France the next morning at 6.30am, which meant a 5.30am wakeup call. The ferry plays this relaxing music into your cabins, which you can't turn off! Most annoying, but it did get us up & out of bed pretty quick! We had a full English breakfast before jumping back in the car to start our 7 hour journey down to Souillac.

James & Alex (James' brother) have been going to Souillac since they were little, so it's almost like a second home to them. The chalet we stayed in was absolutely beautiful, right in the heart of the countryside.

Our chalet from the front / Cup of tea in the back garden

The boys were keen to get golfing asap, so the next day, we booked two buggies & drove round the beautiful golf course. The views from which they tee off are simply stunning. I even had a go driving the buggy! 

Driving the buggy / View from the golf course

Apart from doing sport (yes I count driving the buggy & watching the boys play golf as sport..!) we had a lot of relaxation time by the pool. The pool is shared by ten houses, but as we went off season, we had it to ourselves most days. The water was pretty chilly but once the sun came out, we were able to strip off & enjoy the rays.

Chilling by the pool / James blowing up my inflatable

We also found the time to eat a lot of food, & when I say a lot, I mean a lot! They had a club house on site which did lovely meals but we also went out for dinners at local restaurants.

Chicken, chips & salad / Pudding

& finally we did a bit of exploring in the local area. This is the Sainte-Marie Abbey, which is in the heart of Souillac & we also visited the Dordogne River where we saw a lot of people canoeing on. It looked so peaceful.  

Sainte-Marie Abbey / The Dordogne River

We came back on the ferry the following Tuesday after what has to be one of the most relaxing holidays I've been on. It was such a lovely place to stay, I definitely want to go back.
 
Have you been on holiday this year or have one booked for next year? I can't wait to get planning for our next adventure!

I also made my second vlog today so you can watch these pictures come to life here if you like! I started my YouTube channel over 4 years ago (along with this blog) but have only just started uploading videos again. Would be lovely if you headed over & checked them out. : )

Thursday 17 September 2015

Life Lately #86

 
Hello lovelies,
 
Feels like I haven't done a Life Lately for ages! (Well I haven't so that's probably why..)
 
Myself & James went for a meal at our local Smith & Western back in August, which we haven't been to for ages! It was delicious. Those curly fries are to die for!
 
Harvey went to the vets to have a check up & a blood test. He's always so hyper so seeing him all drowsy after the aesthetic was really odd, but he was back to his normal self the next day, he just wasn't keen on being left at the vets..!
 
On the bank holiday Monday at the end of August, James' family hired a canal boat for the day. It absolutely tipped it down & we were all soggy by midday! We stopped at the most gorgeous pub for lunch to warm ourselves up. I had a jacket potato with salad along side some nachos!
 
If you've been following me on Twitter &/or Instagram, you'll have seen I've been on holiday to France! (Sorry for the lack of posts while I've been away!) We stayed in the most gorgeous chalet, which had a shared pool between 10 houses, but it was very quiet & peaceful as we went off-season. James has been going to the chalet for over 13 years, & it was so lovely to go & for him to show me around. I'm going to do a full post on our France trip soon, so keep a look out for that!
 
& finally, I managed to meet up with my girl Lorna for a trip to London. We live about an hours train journey from London & although I know a lot of people that commute each day, I rarely get the opportunity go to there. We arrived at Victoria & bought lunch before heading to Hyde Park & sitting amongst the pigeons & squirrels in the sunshine. We then headed to Oxford Street, where our first stop was New Look, followed by Forever 21 & finally we headed into Lush. We had a full guided tour around the shop, going through all the new & some of the old products. If you haven't been, it's definitely worth a visit!
 
How have you been lovelies?
Normal blogging will resume from now on, I promise : )
 

Thursday 10 September 2015

What I've Been Wearing On My Nails #25


Barry M - / Accessorize - Nail Art Pen in Dark Blue / Models Own - Nail Art Pen in White
This nail art is from my American themed BBQ back in July. I literally did these nails in 10 minutes before everyone arrived! My Models Own nail art pen is slowly dying.. need to get my hands on another one!

Barry M - Pit Stop & Silver Glitter
I tend to stick to glitter nail polishes at Christmas time, but I just can't resist this combo. The silver glitter just goes so beautifully with Pit Stop, it's my favourite design to do, despite the glitter being a nightmare to remove..

Models Own - Utopia
A classic. What can I say about this polish? It's simply beautiful. I remember it being massive in the blogging world a few years back & it's still one of my favourites in my collection.

Sinful Colors - Unicorn / Acessorize - Nail Art Pen in Dark Blue / Barry M - Nail Art Pen in Black, White & Silver.
Ok, let me be honest, I'm not the biggest Minions fan, but as I work at a cinema (& believe it or not we are still showing this film!) it was only right I embraced my inner Minion & created this nail art. I was really proud of it, despite me removing it after a few days. : ' )

What have you been wearing on your nails this month?

& on a seperate note, I'm back from France! Regular blog posts will resume soon, thankyou for sticking with me! : )

Tuesday 1 September 2015

July & August Favourites

 
You might remember seeing this shower cream featured in my latest Boots Haul at the beginning of the month. When I picked it up, obviously I was amazed at the scent, but I never knew I would fall in love with it as much as I have. It's so light & fresh & perfect when you want that extra lift in the morning. I'd highly recommend this product, along with the other beautiful new scents Imperial Leather have recently released. (The marshmallow one is also to die for!)
 
I was in Superdrug a while back & walked past the MUA stand & this beautiful lip balm caught my eye. I love the MUA lip sticks, they have always been one of my favourite lip products to use & at such a steal as well, you really can't go wrong for £1. This sweet sheen lip balm retails at £2, so I thought I'd give it a go. As you can see, I obviously love it as it's featuring in my favourites this month. Firstly I have to say I was surprised by the colour it came out on my lips. It was a lighter red than the packaging suggests but it's absolutely stunning & although it doesn't last as long as I'd like, every time you top it up, it applies so smoothly onto the lips.
 
If you guys haven't seen the new range by the blogger Zoella, you really need too! She has recently released a second collection of beautiful products, including this 'Scrubbing Me Softly' body scrub. I've done a full review here if you'd like a read, but to sum it up, I'm in love with this scrub!
 
Again, another product by Zoella, but I just can't seem to get enough of this lip balm! My favourite thing about this product is the pigmentation. When you first apply it to your lips, the colour is simply stunning. Again, if you'd like to read more about it, you can in a full post here.
 
 
 This mascara. What can I say? I want to do a full post reviewing it so won't say too much on here, but I've been using it all this month & feel it really has made a difference to my 'everyday face'. It really does lengthen & adds so much volume to my lashes.
 
My two most played songs this month! Not much to say about them really except I love them & they've been on repeat! Love how I've been singing the Marvin Gaye song so much my friends keep sending me snapchats of the song.. hahaha!
 
Just wanted to mention as well, that August has been one of the busiest months of my life! 7 birthdays, a hen do, a wedding, full time work + celebrations, James moving out of his flat & a range of different social events has made me so exhausted. But, myself & James are off to France on holiday for a week today! I'm massively looking forward to some relaxation time, despite the weather not looking great.. I was all packed with my bikinis & summer dresses in my suitcase to find we have highs of 22 degrees. Not great, but hopefully better than the weather in the UK.
 
Hope you've all had a fabulous August!
Please link me to your favourites post's, I'd love to read them : )