Crabtree & Evelyn's NEW Pomegranate & Argan Oil Range

Hey beaut's!

Keeping my body nourished is a must for me, I have dry skin so theres nothing my skin loves more than a huge dose of moisture and Crabtree & Evelyn's NEW Pomegranate & Argan Oil Range has been doing just that! Crabtree & Evelyn actually have six new naturally derived ranges too choose from, each one with a different scent and purpose, the Pomegranate & Argan Oil Range is specially designed to nourish so I knew straight away it would be right up my street. Theres 9 moisturising goodies to choose from in the Pomegranate & Argan Oil Range, I've been giving the Body Cream, Body Smoother and the Hand Therapy a whirl and the results so far have been amazing!
The Pomegranate & Argan Oil Body Smoother* (£20.00) is one of my favourites out of the collection, I'm such a sucker for a good body scrub and this one is so nice and feels super luxurious! The Body Smoother feels more like a thick cream with scrubby bit's within in it than a harsh scrub, it gently exfoliates and polishes my skin whilst I'm in the shower and conditions at the same time, leaving me with super soft, supple skin and theres not any dry flakiness in sight, I love it. I'd definitely recommend this if you have slightly sensitive skin because it works in more of a gentle way.
After using the Body Smoother in the bath or shower I always follow it up with the Pomegranate & Argan Oil Body Cream* (£28.00), this is the thickest body cream I've ever used and it's so deeply moisturising, I've honestly never tried anything so moisturising so if your a dry skinned gal like me then you HAVE to give this one a whirl. Because the formula of this body cream is so thick I find a little goes a long way and it seems to melt into the skin so quickly and never leaves a sticky residue thank goodness. I also have to add the scent of this collection is gorgeous, they all have warm fruity notes of orange, juicy pomegranate and sweet fig with the heat of ginger and black pepper spice, they all work so well together and smell so good.
I seem to go through hand cream like it's going out of fashion and I'm nearly half way through my Pomegranate & Argan Oil Hand Therapy* (£18.00) so as you can tell I love it!  The hand cream itself is white with a creamy consistency, it's enriched with Shea Butter, Ceramide and Moroccan Argan Oil which together make this a super moisturising hand cream. What I love about this hand cream is that it doesn't take long at all to soak into my hands, just like the body cream it literally melts into my skin and theres no sticky residue afterwards either, that's a huge pet hate of mine and so many hand creams leave my hands tacky after application so I'm so happy I don't have that problem with this one.

I feel like this range is so good to transition from Summer into the Autumn/Winter months because the scent is fruity but also warm and spicy, it's also going to be so so nourishing in the cooler months, overall I'm a fan!

You can find the full Pomegranate & Argan Oil Range on the Crabtree & Evelyn website HERE

nopin

August Beauty Favourites!

Hey beaut's!

It's monthly favourites time....Another month has whizzed past again and I'm so ready for it to be September and for things to start turning Autumnal, I'm definitely an Autumn girl through and through! Before I get into my beauty favourites I have to just add in a TV favourite which I don't normally do but wow, who's been watching Game Of Thrones? This season has been one of the best I think and each episode has left me on the edge of my seat gasping for breath ha ha.
  My first favourite this month is my beautiful Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette, this actually made it into my July favourites last month too but as I've been using it loads during August I couldn't not put it in my favourites again! It's crammed full of the most stunning warm tones that will see me through the rest of Summer and then the Autumn and the quality is amazing, check out my first impressions and swatches HERE beaut's! Next up is my L.A. Girl Pro Conceal HD High Definition Concealer in Porcelain, this is literally up there with one of the BEST concealers I've ever used! Its creamy with a medium to full coverage and leaves a semi-matte finish which stays put really well, once this concealer has set that's it, theres no budging it what so ever, it literally doesn't move or crease on me all day which is amazing and the fact it's so affordable is just another bonus.
For lips this month I've been obsessed with my MAC Brave lippie again, this is actually my second one and I'm half way through it again, it's literally the perfect pinky-mauve that suits my skin tone perfectly, I think I've worn this pretty much most days in August, I love it! I've also really been enjoying the new L'Oreal Paradise Mascara, it gives my lashes lots of length and volume without the need of building up coats and it doesn't flake, clump or run either which is good, check out my full review HERE beaut's! The Urban Decay B6 Complexion Prep Spray has also been something that hasn't left my makeup bag this month, not only is it the perfect priming spray but it's been so nice to use during the warm, muggy weather because it absorbs excess oil and really freshens my skin and my makeup up! Finally this month I've been loving my Accessorize Lovelily perfume, it smells super fresh with a vanilla sweetness to it which I love, and I'm on my second bottle of this too which is really saying something because the bottles are a whopping 75ml's!

What have you been loving this month beaut's?? I'd love to know!

nopin

August Degustabox Review + £7 off Discount Code

Hi beaut's...

I have a subscription box review for you all today but it's a subscription box with a difference.... it contains yummy food and drink, so say hello to Degustabox*. Degustabox works very much like how beauty subscription boxes work, for £12.99 a month (postage included within the £12.99 price) you will receive 10 to 15 surprise food/drink products, many that are completely new to the market! So if your a bit of a foodie like myself and you love subscription boxes your going to love this beaut's! 
This month we have a 'Back To School' themed box filled with 16 yummy drinks and snacks some of which are perfect for our lunchboxes. Lets kick things off with my favourites... the sweets he he. Firstly we have two yummy treats from Cadburys to sink our teeth into, the Curly Wurly Squirlies (£1.99) and a bar of Big Taste Toffee Whole Nut (65p). In my opinion you cant beat a bit of Cadburys chocolate and these two wont be lasting very long with me I tell ya! Theres also a bag of Refreshers Softies (£1.00) to try, I used to love Refreshers when I was little so I'm excited to try this new spin on them being more of a gummy sweet than a hard one! The final sweet treat is a packet of Pick Up Black 'N White (£1.69), they are essentially two chocolate biscuits with a slab of white chocolate in the centre sandwiching them together, so yummy!
Next up is a couple of savoury snacks perfect for your lunch box, firstly theres two bags of Light Bights Popped Chips (99p each), these goodies are under 100 calories a bag, gluten free, veggie friendly and are packed full of fibre and protein, the two flavours I got sound incredible too so I'm looking forward to tucking into those! We also have a variety bag of Seabrook Crisps (£1.00), these are gluten free, crinkle cut crisps and I've already dived into the sea salted flavour and their so good!
Theres quite a few drinks to try this month starting with two bottles of Orangina (£1.20 each), I used to love Orangina when I was little, it was always such a treat drinking out of a heavy glass bottle however...these are actually both in limited edition summer bottles which are plastic, so much better for those lunch boxes hey! Then theres a bottle of Twisted Halo Coconut Water, Ginger and Vodka (£1.50) probably not so school friendly (LOL) but it sounds absolutely yummy, I'm looking forward to trying it out that's for sure. Finally theres two Jelly Squeeze (69p each) flavoured jellies to try, these are so perfect for a pack up because not only are they in a handy little pouch they are re-sealable too so you can save half for later, such a brilliant idea for kids I think!
I'm finishing this months box on a savoury note starting with Maggi Fusion Noodles (£1.39 each), these are great to add in with a stir fry or to have as a lunchtime snack, the flavours are super yummy too. Theres also a bottle of Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise (£1.69) which is not only a sarnie staple but a dipping sauce for me, anyone else love dipping their chicken nuggets and chips into mayo, YUM he he. Finally this month we have a bottle of Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce (£1.89), this is great when you want your cooking to have a kick to it, wowza!

Degustabox have kindly given me a discount code for all of my beautiful readers, all you have to do is pop 039DB into the promotional code box and you'll receive a whopping £7.00 discount when registering making your first box just £5.99. And don't worry beaut's, theres no commitments with Degustabox meaning you can cancel your subscription free of charge before the 10th of any month, but I mean why would you cancel monthly surprise food treats ha ha!

What do you think of the Degustabox concept beaut's? I'd love to know your thoughts!

nopin

Tangle Teezer 'Zebra' Compact Styler Review

Hey beaut's!

Do any of you beauties have medium to long - thick hair just like mine, well if you do then you will all know that brushing your hair can sometimes be such a chore, my hair tangles quite a lot underneath and when I curl or wave it - it can take me a good while to brush things through and that's why I love Tangle Teezers, because they make things so much easier for me.
Recently I've been totally obsessed with my black and white Zebra print compact styler*, this is actually a travel exclusive in World Duty Free right now making it the perfect time to try one whilst their that bit cheaper at £11.25, you cant beat saving those pennies can you! The Compact Styler is a handbag-friendly design which makes things a whole lot easier for us when we are on the go, it's slightly smaller in size than the classic Tangle Teezer which I actually prefer because I have smaller hands so it makes it easier for me to hold and grip. The Compact Styler then comes complete with a clip-on cover to protect the bristles whilst your on your travels, for me this is great because I always end up bending my hairbrush bristles in my bag, not to mention the amount of odd bits of fluff and chewing gum that I have floating about in my bag which usually gets wedged between the bristles, but the handy little cover stops all that from happening.
The brush bristles within the compact styler are great, this is thanks to its unique two-tiered system technology, theres long teeth to de-tangle and short teeth to smooth the hair cuticle for healthier-looking, glossy hair. It’s also great for back-combing my hair to add volume and it easily brushes out too.

Overall I absolutely love this little Compact Styler and couldn't be without in my handbag now, it gets those horrible knots and tangles out with ease, smooths my hair out, adds volume on the go when I need it because I can use it to backcomb with, it's just a general essential for me now. The size is just prefect for travelling too and even though it is slightly smaller don't be fooled, it still gets the job done just as quick as a standard Tangle Teezer!

Do you have a compact styler from Tangle Teezer beaut's? What colour or patten do you have? I'd love to know!

You can find the Tangle Teezer Compact Stylers HERE.

nopin

Technic Mega Nudes Eyeshadow Palette Review + Swatches

Hey beaut's!

Recently I've been giving some of Technic Cosmetics makeup a whirl and I've been super impressed so far, one thing I've really been enjoying using is their Mega Nudes Eyeshadow Palette and can you believe this beauty is only £1.50.... Yup that's right £1.50, say whatttttt!!!
The Mega Nudes Palette* comes in a thin, compact plastic container which contains 12 neutral shades in a mix of matte, satin and metallic finishes that could easily take you from day too night. The palette is mainly made up of warm tones which happen to be my absolute favourite to wear and theres lots of different metallic browns to play around with too which I love, the beginning of the palette has a couple of light matte shades perfect for using to prime the lids or as transition shades and theres even a couple of blacks to add drama and smokiness to any look. The formula of these shadows is super nice considering the palette is so affordable, I never thought I'd see such pigment in a palette that costs a tiny £1.50 but hey theres certainly plenty of pigment to go around, the shades applied and blended well with only a small about of fallout and they lasted really well on oily eyelids too which is a bonus.
Overall I really cant recommend this palette enough, I mean the shades are beautiful, they perform really well and the fact the palette only costs £1.50 is just pure craziness. I definitely get Urban Decay Naked Palette vibes from this palette too, it's certainly not an exact dupe but some of the shades really remind me of that palette so if your looking for something similar that wont break the bank Technic have got you covered!

You can find the Technic Mega Nudes Eyeshadow Palette HERE.

nopin

Tanya Burr's 2017 Christmas Collection REVEALED!

Hey beaut's!

Now I know it's a bit early to be talking of Christmas...actually scratch that, I'm a Christmas addict and would have my decorations up now if I could he he. Anyway... last night I was browsing the Superdrug website and I came across Tanya Burr's Christmas Collection, I couldn't believe it and just had to share it with you all straight away! From what I can see theres some amazing goodies, double ended nail polishes, palettes, a lip balm and even a perfume which sounds right up my street as its vanilla scented, yum! The advent calender is back again this year along with a mega bundle and isn't the packaging gorgeous this year, I adore the berry red with the rose gold, it's so pretty! Surprisingly everything is in stock whilst I'm typing this so if your eager to get Christmas shopping or you just want to treat yourself before everything sells out I'd go take a peek asap!
Tanya Burr Christmas Collection 2017 REVEALED!

Festival Essentials by Urban Decay!

Hey beaut's!

Fancy getting festival ready...Summer isn't quite over yet and theres still some festivals and holidays left to party at and when I think of festivals and then think of my favourite thing... makeup... they are literally a match made in heaven! You can literally go crazy with makeup at festivals, I'm talking bright colours and plenty of glitz and sparkle, and Urban Decay have got us totally covered in the department! PS can we all just appciate how funky the Las Bayadas Blanket* is in the backrground, I love those bright stripes!  
The Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow Palette* (£36.00) is literally where the parties at, it contains eight twinkling shades which all have micro fine bits of sparkle within the formula to give them a 3D diamond-like effect, I have to say they do look pretty spectacular on the eyelids. The only shade that's pretty 'out there' for me is the green shade called 'Lightyear' the rest are definitely wearable for me whether I'm going to a festival or want to add some sparkle to an everyday or evening look. Formula wise....I'm impressed, despite being glitters they still have good pigment and depth of colour and the glitter isn't chunky at all, its super fine glitter which is easy to apply with a flat packing brush or your fingertips, yes there is fall out during application as you'd expect really, so I'd suggest doing your base makeup after you eye makeup if your using these shades during the day but hey I'd rock the fall out at a festival, the more glitter the better for me he he.
Urban Decay have these awesome Vice Special Effects Long-Lasting Water-Resistant Lip Topcoats* (£15.50) that can transform any lip look. Theres twelve stunning shades within the collection but I have the shade Monarchy which is a gorgeous dark purple that's crammed full of the prettiest sparkles. What I love about these lip topcoats is that they are super lightweight yet waterproof making them not only uber long lasting and perfect for festivals when you don't want to top up any of your makeup but really comfortable to wear too. Going back to the eyes... whats better than glitter.... more glitter! I'm totally obsessed with the Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner* in Spandex (£15.00), this is such a versatile glitter liner because not only can you use it as an eyeliner, you can use it all over the face to add a pretty twinkle and all over and around the eyes. If your looking for a metallic liquid eyeliner that lasts then you HAVE to try the Razor Sharp Long-Wear Liquid Eyeliner in Gold Rush* (£17.00), my goodness this stuff doesn't budge for daysssss, I've literally never found a liquid liner with such good lasting power in my life, this stuff wont budge, run, smudge or flake and the colour is just stunning, just like liquid gold! 
A festival must have is makeup setting spray because nobody got time to carry makeup on them for top ups during the day at a festival, and what better spray to use than my all time favourite Urban Decay All Nighter* (£10.00)! I've gone through bottles of this stuff, it really does make my makeup stay put for so much longer - I'm talking a good 12 hours (full working day) without any fading, caking, melting and some how it smooths out any makeup that might have set into my fine lines too. I love that Urban Decay have a smaller travel friendly version of this best seller, it makes it so easy to take away with you when you packing light!

Have you rocked any of these glittery goodies at a festival this Summer? I'd love to know beaut's!

nopin

L'Oreal Paris Paradise Mascara Review

Hey beaut's!

I'm a magpie when it comes to mascara's, I'm always on a quest to find the best one on the high street and when I saw L'Oreal's new Paradise Mascara on offer in Superdrug a few weeks back I just had to buy one to try!
L'Oreal's Paradise Mascara claims to 'add intense volume, spectacular length and a feather soft feel in just one coat' which sounds right up my street and the kind of mascara I need in my makeup bag. From the outside the Paradise Mascara is definitely pleasing to the eye, the rose gold/copper tones are so inviting and to be honest anything that pretty gets a thumbs up from me he he. The mascara wand comes with an ultra soft natural bristle brush which is my favourite, its so easy to use and crammed with bristles that catch every lash and it isn't scratchy or harsh on my eyes like plastic brushes can be! 
The formula of the mascara itself is really nice, it does indeed give my lashes lots of length and volume without the need of building up coats, it doesn't flake, clump or run, it feels so lightweight on my lashes and not hard or thick, the pigmentation is rich and super black and it lasts all day on my lashes without the volume falling. The only negative I have is that I do get some ever so slight transferring on my brow bone, I have quite oily eyelids so I find quite a few mascara's have this effect on me so it not a major or anything out of the ordinary for me but definitely something to bare in mind if your lids are oily like mine!
Overall I do really like this mascara and it wont be leaving my makeup bag anytime soon, it give my lashes length, lift that lasts and they do have a fluttery look to them, it's quick and easy to apply and even thought I do get a small amount of transferring it doesn't bother me if I'm honest as it's only from time to time!

Have you tried this mascara beaut's? What did you think? I'd love to know!

You can find the L'Oreal Paris Paradise Mascara for £9.99 at the moment HERE but the normal RRP is £11.99.

nopin

Easy Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

Hey beaut's!

My other hobby aside from blogging is baking, I absolutely love to bake and when I made this yummy Victoria Sponge recently it tasted too good not to share the recipe! Victoria Sponge is just a 'go to bake' for me, I always have the ingredients in the cupboard as their so minimal and no matter what the occasion a vicky sponge will always go down a treat!

What You Will Need For The Cakes
225g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
4 large eggs
225g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 8 inch sandwich tins 

What You Will Need For The Filling
100g of soft unsalted butter
200g icing sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk
Strawberry or raspberry jam

How To
1. Firstly preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and get the sandwich tins greased and lined.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whack in all of the butter, eggs, caster sugar, flour and baking powder and mix everything together until it's all combined, then divide the mixture evenly between the tins.
3. Pop into the oven for around 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown on top.
4. When the cakes are done set aside to cool and whip up a batch of yummy buttercream, I like to beat the butter with an electric whizzer for a couple of minutes first until it starts to go pale and fluffy then gradually add in the icing sugar and beat again for a few minutes, then add in the vanilla and if you need to loosen the buttercream slightly add 1 or 2 tablespoons of milk.
5. To fill the cake I like to pop lashings of buttercream on first, I don't do this too neatly because I love the buttercream to be edging out of the cake slightly, then pop your preferred jam on top of the buttercream again quite messy so it's edging out of the cake!
6. Once the cakes are sandwiched together I like yo finish the cake off by popping a couple of strawberries on the top in the centre of the cake and then I like to add a light dusting of icing sugar and voilaaaa!
This is such an easy, versatile cake and recently I've been doing some fondant covered cakes for birthdays and this is my go to cake recipe I use, it's such a classic isn't it!

Are you fond of a Victoria Sponge beaut's? What's your go to bake? I'd love to know!

 nopin

Embryolisse Lait Crème Moussant Foaming Cream-Milk Cleanser Review

Hey beaut's!

I recently ran out of my trusty and well loved Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish and instead of running out and repurchasing that for the millionth time, I thought I'd try something new that had been sat in my draw for a while waiting for it's time to shine - the Embryolisse Lait Crème Moussant Foaming Cream-Milk Cleanser.

The Embryolisse Foaming Cream-Milk* is a soap-free cleanser based on super fatty agents (10%), sweet almond oil and shea butter, it's suitable for all skin types even the most sensitive, and versatile enough to be used on the face and the body too. To use the cleanser all you have to do I'm simple massage it over a damp skin and let it do it's thing, it's great at deeply cleaning the skin and removing makeup however I wouldn't recommend it for removing eye makeup, I got a slight shock when I slathered it over my eyes and it stung instantly so now I use a micellar water first around my eyes.
The Embryolisse Foaming Cream-Milk is quite different to anything I've used to cleanse with before, I've literally never found a cleanser with such a gorgeous texture before, it feels so rich, creamy, slightly whipped and nourishing when it first goes on, its gorgeous and just glides over the skin with ease and has the most amazing light yet fresh scent to it. I was also super impressed by the fact that it didn't leave my skin feeling dry afterwards which many cleansers I've tried do, instead my skin felt squeaky clean, nourished, supple and SUPER soft! The only thing I did notice was the lack of foam, this is named and foaming cream-milk cleanser and I have to say it doesn't really lather up that much, it's not a major for me but definitely something to bare in mind if you are actually looking for a foaming cleanser!
Overall I'm really enjoying using the Lait Crème Moussant Foaming Cream-Milk, it's definitely super nourishing and gentle which my dry sensitive skin loves, and I find it so quick and easy to use too. It cleanses my skin with ease and I've experienced no clogged pores or break outs, it doesn't strip my skin of its essential oils and leaves my face so soft and clean, I love it!

You can find the Embryolisse Lait Crème Moussant Foaming Cream-Milk Cleanser for £14.00 from Boots HERE.

nopin

My Favourite Summer Perfumes!

Hey beaut's!

I love to switch things up in my perfume caddie when the seasons change, so today I thought I'd share with you all my favourite fruity, floral fragrances that I've been rocking constantly this Spring/Summer!
My go to scent at the moment is Accessorize' Lovelily! Lovelily has a super fresh scent with fruity, floral notes and light hints of sweetness to it too, its perfect for everyday wear because it isn't too strong or overpowering, and despite it's lightness it has really good lasting power and I can always smell the sweet vanilla notes within it on myself throughout the day which I love. Next up is my Vera Wang Hippie Princess perfume - Hippie Princess is a very fruity scent and it's exotic fruit and gentle floral notes really do come through when you first spritz this heart shaped beauty, as the scent dries down there's a slight sweetness that comes through which is down to it's warm vanilla note and as a whole the scent isn't over powering or ridiculously strong either. Can you tell I love scents with the sweetness of vanilla within them he he.
 Lacoste Pour Elle Sparkling is a favourite of mine all throughout the year really but I seem to have been reaching for it a lot this Spring/Summer, it's so sweet, girlie and playful and I think the pretty pink packaging really reflects that too. Macaron and Cotton Candy are at the heart of this fragrance so as you can imagine when wearing this you smell good enough to eat, however even though this is such a super sweet scent I never find it sickly and the fruity top notes and musky base notes really do help to balance this fragrance out, it's bloody lovely! Finally is my Jimmy Choo Blossom perfume, this is more of a summer evening scent for me because it's slightly stronger than what I usually wear during the day, its very feminine, sweet and floral, it's gorg!

What fragrances have you been rocking this Spring/Summer beaut's?? I'd love to know!!


nopin