Easter 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 whopping 15 yummy food and drink items to sink our teeth into, I'm going to kick things off with some of the sweet treats within the box as theres quite a few this month starting with the Degustabox product of the month which is two bars of the brand new Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo Peanut Butter and Oreo Mint Chocolate (RRP £1.49 each), I have been wanting to try these for a while so I was so happy to see them in this months box, their not going to last long that's for sure. We also have a packet of The Jelly Bean Factory Jelly Beans (£1.49), I love jelly beans, I find their such a good movie night snack he he. The next sweet treat we have this month is the £onepouders Chocolate Eclairs (£1.00), I mean whats not to love about a chocolate eclair, yum! The final sweet treat this month is the Whitworths Full Of Super CACAO RAW BARS (£1.50), theres two mini bars in the packet each are crammed full of almonds, chia seeds, coconut, flax seeds and loads of other good stuff, perfect for when your craving something sweet but don't want to be too naughty.

Next up theres a couple of savoury things that where in the box this month starting with a big sharing bag of Pipers Crisps in Cider Vinegar and Sea Salt £2.00, I've had these crisps before in another flavour and they where delicious so I'm excited to try these, their perfect for my Broadchurch marathons I keep having too he he. Theres also some Maldon Smoked Sea Salt Flakes £1.50 and Heinz Seriously Good Peppercorn Sauce £1.99 to try.
Lastly this month we have loads of drinks to try, first up are a couple of Weetabix On The Go drinks £1.39, these contain the same energy, protein and fibre as having two Weetabox with milk so their perfect if you've pressed the snooze button too much and are running late in the morning. Theres also a Rebel Kitchen Chocolate Mylk £1.89, I've heard soooo many good things about this brand so I cant wait to give this chocolate milk a whirl. Then we have a couple of cans of  Westons Cider £1.99, these can at the right time really as the weather in the UK has been beautiful and these went down a treat at the weekend whilst soaking up some sun. Finally this month we have a Gusto Organic Lemon Energy Drink £1.50, this a great 'pick you up' drink that isn't bad for you or full of sugar like normal energy drinks, it's made with Sicilian lemons and is sweetened with agave nectar, apple and grape juice, yum!

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

Meet my March 'Sparkling' Advertisers!

Hey beaut's!

 As we are nearing the end of March I thought it was about time that you lovely lot got to know my gorgeous March 'Sparkling' Advertisers a little bit more, hopefully you have seen their blogs sitting in my sidebar and have already had a cheeky little peek and found some great, new reading material... arrrhh I love finding new blogs to read, it's so inspiring and often sends me into wish list overdrive ha ha... Anyway enough of me rambling, let me introduce you all to my March Advertisers!
My name Is Kate and I'm from Norfolk , England, Kate's Closet is my opportunity to share with you all , some of the things I love , anything from Fashion and beauty, Lifestyle to just stuff I wanna share with other women ( I live in a house surrounded by men , my husband and my two sons) so don't get much chance to talk about my latest beauty find or that new handbag I need . Lol 
Thank you for taking a look at my blog , I hope you enjoy.
Love Kate
xxx
Jordan Alice
Hello! My name is Jordan, a 26 year old nurse from the East Midlands. I blog over at www.jordanalice.co.uk . My blog consists of mainly makeup reviews with a few hauls every now and then. I try to post ever Tuesday & Sunday so let you know if you drop by!
Poppyseeder is a lifestyle blog based out of coastal Maine, USA. Poppyseeder talks music, beauty products, adventures in Maine, and more. 

If you would like to come and join the fun and advertise with HaySparkle all details can be found HERE!

nopin

Embroidery 3 Ways With EGO Footwear

Hey beaut's!

The embroidery trend is huge right now and I for one am happy about that, theres nothing I love more than a floral, embroidered print and if your keen on being bang on trend this Spring/Summer then having some embroidery shoes in your wardrobe will be a super easy way to incorporate the trend into any outfit. Anywhoooo... Today I have three gorgeous pairs of shoes from EGO that fit perfectly in with the embroidery trend, I had no idea what to expect from EGO seeing as these are the first pairs of shoes I have from them but I'm so impressed, their so comfy, well made, reasonably priced and they really keep up with the trends too, and they even have some stunning Gucci Floral Mule dupes.

Lets kick things off with these gorgeous trainers, these are going to be such a staple for me during this Spring/Summer, their so easy to just throw on with jeans but can even be worn with shorts and little casual dresses when it warmer too. The pretty embroidery detail wraps around the side of each trainer which gives them such a cute, girlie feel despite being trainers, arhhh I love them so much. You can find more colour variations of these in the flat range from EGO here


Next up are the prettiest boots I think I've ever laid my eyes on. Now these beauties are totally out of my comfort zone, the boots actual shape and heel size is something I'd normally wear but I've never braved something so pattern heavy but these are stunning, their made up of a two tone floral embroidery pattern across the entire boot and heel with a faux black suede base. What I love about these boots is that their so versatile, they can easily dress up a casual outfit, add a pop of colour to a plain outfit and their also perfect for a night out. As well as being super pretty these boots are super comfy too, the 3 and half in heal is easy to walk in and my feet felt well supported too, I'm going to get so much wear out of these this Spring!

Finally are these show stopping platforms, if your looking for that one pair of night out heels for the Spring/Summer then these bad boys have to be in your wardrobe. They might look simple from the front but the heel is where the parties at, just look at that blue embroidery design, arhhh its so pretty! Admittedly these heels are higher than I'm used to and the single strap around the ankle doesn't add a huge amount of support but if your used to heels then these will be a breeze for you to walk in I'm sure.

Have you ever bought any shoes from EGO before? Which pair are your favourite? I'd love to know beaut's!
nopin

Real Techniques Multi Tech 360 Point Makeup Sponge Review

Hey beaut's!

Real Techniques recently launched a brand new collection named Multi Tech, this collection consists of a variety of makeup brushes for the face and eyes and theres also a nifty new makeup sponge which I couldn't wait to get my hands on. The aim of the new Multi Tech collection is that the entire range can be used in limitless ways, so you can really get the most out of each and every brush and the sponge. Of course being the Real Techniques addict that I am I had to treat myself to something so I decided to go for the makeup sponge first, I have so much love for Real Techniques original Multi Complexion Sponge so I really wanted to see how this new one fared. 
The Real Techniques Multi Tech 360 Point Makeup Sponge comes complete with a silver stand so that you can hygienically store on your sponge on your dressing table. I've never seen a makeup sponge come with a stand before, personally I don't really get any use out of the stand because I tend to just chuck my sponge back into my makeup bag when I've done using it, however I guess it could come in handy when I've washed my sponge as I can stand it on there to dry. 
The sponge itself is a chubby tear drop shape, it has a rounded base, slanted sides and finishes off to a point at the top and it can be used wet or dry with liquid, cream and powder products. The way I like to use my sponge is always damp, it expands well and is bouncy enough to feel soft against my skin but dense enough to get the job done. What I love about the Multi Tech Point Makeup Sponge is that I can use it for pretty much everything when it comes to my base makeup, and I cant believe how quickly and beautifully it blends my liquid foundation and concealer in, I mean I know makeup sponges are usually pretty quick and easy to work with but this one seems to blend so flawlessly for a real soft defused look, my foundation honestly feels weightless like I have nothing on and has never caked up once since using this little beauty. The point of the sponge is great at getting into those hard reach areas around the eyes and nose and I like to use the base and sides to blend my foundation in everywhere else. I also love to cream contour with the Multi Tech sponge too, I use the point to stripe on the product then use the side of my sponge to blend in, again this is so quick and looks so natural and flawless. For cream blush I always use this side of the sponge and for cream highlight I sandwich the sponge in my fingers from the point to the base to create a thin 'fan brush style' sponge.
Overall I found the Multi Tech 360 Point Makeup Sponge amazing to work with and it really made a difference in how flawless my base make up looked, it's so versatile and I'd definitely recommend it to someone who maybe struggles with blending their base make up with brushes or if you like a nice light feeling, flawless finish then you'll love the little sponge.

You can find the Real Techniques Multi Tech 360 Point Makeup Sponge (£9.99) HERE.

nopin

Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask Review

Hey beaut's!

Skincare is something I've really been getting into over the last year or so and I've noticed a HUGE improvement in my skin since I started taking care of it properly, one thing that I know my skin loves the most is a nice moisturising face mask and the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask has quickly become something I literally buy in bulk because it's just so good.

In a nutshell the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask is an absolute dream, it's a tissue mask which is suitable for all skin types - even the most sensitive like mine, and is enriched with pomegranate extract, hyaluronic acid, and plant serum which intensely rehydrates the skin, reduces the look of fine lines, and revives radiance. To apply the mask you just pop it out of the packaging, unfold it and simply place it onto cleansed skin, then peal off the blue backing once your happy with the masks placement and then leave it to do its thing for 15 minutes. Whilst the mask is on you'll notice that the mask itself is absolutely drenched in serum, personally I love this because once you take the mask off theres still plenty of serum left on my face to rub into my skin, so my skin really gets a huge dose of moisture. The mask also has a super cooling effect whilst it's on which is really refreshing and helps calm any redness of puffiness in the skin, even after the mask is removed my skin still feels super cool which feels like it's still working even after it's been taken off.

The results for me after using the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask are amazing, my skin feels super moisturised and nourished, really soft and smooth, radiant and even my dark circles under my eyes appear reduced and I always notice the day or two after using the mask my base makeup always looks so flawless. If you have dry, dehydrated skin I would highly recommend giving this mask a go, it was a god send for me last autumn and winter and even now that we are heading into Spring it's still working wonders for me, hand down this mask is the best one I've ever tried in terms of hydration, it's incredible.

You can find the Garnier Moisture Bomb Tissue Mask for 99p (usually £1.49) at the moment in Superdrug HERE.

nopin

March Secret Scent Box Review

Hey beaut's!

You might have seen back in February that I tried my very first Secret Scent Box (review here), know you might be wondering what on earth is that, well.... Secret Scent Box* is a monthly subscription fragrance box that lets you try and discover new designer and branded perfumes or colognes. Within each box you get a 30 day supply of three different fragrances, the fragrances come in mini spray bottles perfect for popping in your hand bag or clutch, and are delivered through your letterbox every month for just £15.00 with free UK delivery. When signing up - theres a choice of a box for her or a box for him, which I love, theres so many subscription boxes out their for us ladies but not so many for men so I think it's great that Secret Scent Box cater to men too.
In the March box I received....
1. Burberry Weekend - Burberry Weekend brings back a lot of memories for me, it was one of my absolute favourites back in the 90's and I used to wear it to high school all the time, it smells just as amazing as I remember it!
Top Notes - Tangerine, Red Cyclamen, Blue Hyacinth
Middle Notes - Wild Rose, Peach Flower, Iris
Base Notes - Musk, Sandalwood, Cedarwood

2. Marc Jacobs Daisy Shine Gold - I'm a huge fan of Marc Jacobs perfumes so when I saw there was a mini spray bottle of Daisy Shine Gold in this months box I couldn't wait to give it a whirl. The scent itself is really reminiscent of the original Daisy perfume and I love it, it's so perfect for Spring and Summer and the full size version of this has just hopped it's way onto my wish list because it's gorgeous!
Top Notes - Strawberry, Violet Leaves
Middle Notes - Violet Petals, Jasmine Bouquet
Base Notes - Musk, Vanilla Infusion

3. Givenchy Amarige Givenchy Amarige is a new scent to me so I had no idea what to expect, from the notes I was thinking it was going to be a juicy, fruity scent but actually all I get is quite a musky, heavy, floral scent, definitely one for the more mature I think.
Top Notes - Neroli, Plum, Orange Blossom
Middle Notes - Gardenia, Mimosa, Red Berries
Base Notes - Cashmerande, Amber, Vanilla
Overall I love this concept and if your into your designer fragrances then I think you will love it too, my favourite scent out of the three I got this month was by far the Marc Jacobs Daisy Shine Gold, it smells so amazing and I definitely need to purchase the full size ready for Spring/Summer!


To get 15% off your very first Secret Scent Box just use the code HAYSPARKLE15.

nopin

Mother's Day Gift Guide 2017

Hey beaut's!

Mother's Day is just a week away now so I thought I'd do a little gift guide with a few idea's on what we could all buy our lovely, well deserving Mum's out there. I've tried to include as much as possible in this gift guide from more affordable options to gifts that are a little bit more expensive, I've thrown in some yummy chocolates for that Mum who has a sweet tooth, a luxurious face mask for the Mum who deserves to be pampered, gorgeous flowers, an afternoon tea experience which is actually what I'm taking my Mum on, perfume and even some beautiful lippies so hopefully I've got everything covered he he.
Mothers Day Gift Guide

L'Oréal Professionnel French Girl Hair Collection Review

 Hey beaut's!

When a haircare range is called French Girl Hair I'm instantly drawn to it, when I think of french girl hair I think of cool, stylish, tousled and effortlessly messy - something I'm extremely fond of but can rarely achieve however... L'Oréal Professionnel have a range to help us achieve just that and after giving it a whirl I'm in love!
The French Girl Hair* collection is part of L'Oréal's Tecni.Art range and consists of two products, the Messy Cliche Styling Spray (RRP £15.00) recommended for fine hair and the French Froisse Styling Cream (RRP £15.00) recommended for thick hair, both products can be used in wet or dry hair however I like to blow dry the cream in and use the spray more on my hair when it's dry. After giving both of these products a whirl I've found myself pretty much obsessed, if you love that 'beachy waves' and natural wave look as much as I do then you need to get these products as they achieve just that. All you have to do is just twist and scrunch the hair whilst working either of the two products in and voila.... you get a super easy tousled look that stays put without weighing your hair down or making it greasy or crispy.
Another look I've been loving is the '90's crimped' look, to get this I literally spray the Messy Cliche Styling Spray all through my hair then do a couple of plaits either side of my head, then run my straighteners over my plaits and then when the plaits are undone I get this amazing messy crimped effect that really lasts and doesn't go frizzy, I've had so many compliments and comments on how I've achieved this look too, yet it's so simple and takes me around 5 minutes to achieve.

Overall I'm totally obsessed with these two little beauties, I'm definitely using the spray more than the cream but that's because I find the spray so quick and easy to use in my hair, if you do have very thick hair though the cream would definitely work well. I think the messy, tousled waved look is going to be my go to hair style for Spring and Summer for sure, I'm obsessed!

You can find the L'Oréal Professionnel French Girl Hair Collection HERE.

nopin

My Spring Nail Polish Picks By Barry M

Hey beaut's!

Spring is finally just around the corner so it's time to switch things up in our wardrobes, makeup bags and our nail polish stash, say goodbye to all the dark dreary colours and hellloooo to all the pretty pastels and brighter shades. Today I thought I'd share with you all my favourite Barry M nail polishes that I like to wear during this pretty season, I'm pretty much obsessed with Barry M's nail polishes, their so affordable, great in quality and last well on my nails.
My first go to shade for Spring is Barry M's Nail Paint in Mint Green, this is a gorgeous pastel mint green shade that makes my nails look fun, vibrant and against a tan it looks insane. My next pick is my Barry M Gelly Hi Shine Nail Paint in Dragon Fruit, this is a candy pink shade with hidden micro shimmers within it, it's so springy and girlie which I love and the Gelly Hi Shine formula is incredible, the super glossy finish is so reminiscent of gel nails and they last really well on my nails too. Another Gelly Hi Shine I love is Prickly Pear, this one is a pastel lavender/lilac shade, oh my goodness I love this one soooo much. My next favourite is Barry M's Coconut Infusion in Flamingo, this one is my go to shade if I want something more vibrant as it's a bright coral, it's a great one if you want your nails to really stand out. The coconut infusion formula is also one of my favourites from Barry M so I hope they bring more shades out for this Spring/Summer. Then theres the Limited Edition Superdrug Nail Paint in Festival Fever, this ones quite similar to Dragon Fruit but it's a smidge darker and has pretty gold shimmers running through it, I've been wearing this one constantly at the moment, I beleive it is still available on the Superdrug website too depite being limited edition. Lastly is Barry M's Speedy Quick Dry in In A Heart Beat, this is such a pretty colour, sometimes it looks pink then salmon then peach and because it's in the Speedy Quick Dry range it's a great one for girls who are on the go because it drys in a flash.

What's your favourite nail polish shade for the Spring beaut's?? I'd love to know!!

nopin

Rolo Cupcakes Recipe

Hey beaut's!

I've been baking again... This time around I done some birthday cupcakes for my boyfriends Dad, he asked if I could do him some Rolo Cupcakes so I took to trusty old Pinterest in search of a yummy recipe and found this one and because they turned out so god damn good I just had to share them with you all. These cupcakes have a yummy chocolate sponge with a hidden rolo inside, caramel buttercream with more caramel and melted chocolate drizzled over the top with more added Rolos for decoration, yum!
What You Need - Cupcakes
– 175g Unsalted Butter at room temperature
– 175g Light Brown Sugar
– 3 Eggs
– 140g Self-Raising Flour
– 35g Cocoa Powder
– 1-3tbsp Milk
– 12 Rolos 

What You Need - Caramel Buttercream Frosting
– 150g Unsalted Butter at room temperature
– 375g Icing Sugar
– 75g Caramel – I used Carnations Caramel

What You Need - Decorations
– 2 tbsps Carnations Caramel
– 50g Milk Chocolate Chips, Melted
– Rolos

How To 
1) To make the cupcakes Pre-Heat your oven to 180C/160 Fan/350F/Gas Mark 4 and line a cupcake/muffin tin with 12 cupcakes cases.
2) In a bowl, beat the butter with the light brown sugar until it's light and fluffy and the add in the eggs, self-raising flour and cocoa powder with the butter/sugar and mix until well combined. If the mixture is too stiff you can add a little bit of milk at a time to get a smooth light consistency which is what I did. 
3) Spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases evenly and pop a Rolo onto the top of the mixture in each cupcake case then bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until they’re baked through and they are springy to touch.
4) To make the caramel buttercream  just beat the butter with an electric whizzer for a couple of minutes 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 caramel to the buttercream and continue mixing. If you find your icing is slightly stiff just mix in a small amount of milk to loosen it up a bit.
5) To decorate the cupcakes I just pipped on the buttercream, then I grabbed some more caramel and popped it into a piping bag and melted some chocolate and put that in another pipping bag and simply drizzled them all over the cupcakes, I then finished them off with more Rolos, and voila!
These where so yummy and actually quite easy to make, if you've got a seriously sweet tooth your going to love these bad boys he he.

nopin

Dorco Eve 6 Razor for Sensative Skin Reviewed

Hey beaut's!

When it comes to having a pamper session in the bath or shower theres one step I hate but always have to do and that's shaving, the reason I hate doing this so much is because I have quite sensitive skin especially under my arms and shaving tends irritate me a lot, plus I'm always cutting myself so when I saw that the Dorco Eve 6 Razor is said to protect even the most sensitive skin I had to give it a whirl!
The Dorco Eve 6 Razor* has an incredible six blades that have been split into a unique ‘double 3 blade’ format to contour to your body shape without getting any of those annoying cuts or nicks on those hard to shave places. At the top of the razor above the first set of blades is an innovative brush finger which massages the body as you go and raises hair follicles for a closer, smoother shave. Theres also a moisturising band around the blades which contains Aloe Vera, Vitamin E and Lavender which all work together to calm and protect even the most sensitive skins like myself.
I have to say after giving the Dorco Eve 6 Razor a whirl I've found it suits my skin really well and is so quick and easy to use without cutting my legs to pieces or irritating under my arms, the bendable razor cartridge literally follows and bends around my body and give me such a smooth, close shave without a cute in sight, not even on my kneecaps or around my ankles - now that is impressive as I ALWAYS cut my knees usually. The razor comes complete with a non-slip rubber handle too which I find super comfortable to hold and you don't have to worry about any unnecessary slips which could end up nasty. I feel like the moisturising band around the blades actually done something too, sometimes when I shave my legs I get some redness and if I try to put moisturiser on afterwards it stings but I never got that after using this razor so it must have soothed my legs to some degree too.

As far as razors go I really like the Dorco Eve 6 Razor, it does anything a normal razor would do but without all the cuts. nicks, grazes and irritation which is super impressive as I've NEVER found a razor that doesn't cut me. So if your a sensitive soul like me then I'd highly recommend this one if your looking for a new razor to try as I'm so impressed! 

You can find the Dorco Eve 6 Razor for £4.55 HERE.

nopin

Makeup Revolution Strobe Lighting Palette Review

Hey beaut's!

I think highlighting is my favourite step when applying my makeup, I'm literally obsessed with the look of highlighter on my skin, so when Makeup Revolution launched a brand new Strobe Lighting Palette I couldn't wait to give it a whirl and get my glow on he he.
The Makeup Revolution Strobe Lighting Palette* (£8.00) comes in the most gorgeous rose gold packaging with a lovely large compact mirror inside the pull up lid which is always appreciated. The palette itself contains three different highlighting powders that claim to add a stunning glow to the skin, firstly theres a bright white shade which has a stunning turquoise-green  iridescent shift to it, this is also the most intense, pigmented shade in the palette that will have people in space admiring your glow he he. Secondly theres a cream highlighter shade, this is the most subtle highlighter in the palette, it adds a very natural sheen to the cheek bones and has the slightest amount of gold shimmer running through it too. The last highlighter in the palette is a super pretty pink, again it's more on the natural side and wont have you looking like a glazed doughnut but adds a lovely pinky glow to the skin, this will be my go to through Spring for sure.
The formula of all three of the powder highlighters is very easy to blend and work with, long lasting, buildable and their finely milled too but not all of the shades share the same amount of pigmentation, as I said before the white highlighter is really intense where as the cream is super natural and the pink is quite natural too. I think these  shades would be perfect for daytime wear or for anyone who loves highlighter but doesn't want to go all out and prefers something a little bit more reserved and subtle. During the application process the powders do kick up a lot of product, I don't get any fall out whilst applying to my face but the palette does tend to get quite powdery so just bare that in mind if your wearing black jeans during application lol
Overall I do think the strobe lighting palette is nice and I do like the fact the theres a couple of more natural/subtle shades for day time looks when you don't want to go all out, but I must admit I am more of an intense highlighter gal. That being said the pink shade is super pretty and buildable and the white is really striking it's just the cream shade that's a slight let down for me as it blends out super sheer.

Have you tried the Makeup Revolution Strobe Lighting Palette yet beaut's? What did you think? I'd love to know!

You can find the Makeup Revolution Strobe Lighting Palette for £8.00 HERE.

nopin