Degustabox Review + £5 off Discount Code!


Hey 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!
The shortlist for this months box is:
- YES Fruit and Nut Bars x3 £1.20.
- LioBites Freeze Dried Strawberry Crisps £1.50.
- Willy's Apple Cider Vinegar £2.95.
- Ryvita Protein Red Quinoa & Sesame £1.59.
- Miso Tasty Original Ramen Noodle Kit £3.50.
- Pipers Crispeas Mater Paneer £1.00.
- PBfit Peanut Butter Powder x2 75p.
- Pick Up Milk Chocolate Bars £1.69.
- Hartley's 10 Cal Jelly Pots x2 75p
- Kallo Corn Cakes & Lightly Salted Organic Rice Cakes £1.30.

Overall I think the January Degustabox has a great variety of yummy yet healthier treats to try and enjoy, theres everything from rice cakes, low calorie jelly pots which I love by the way, chocolate snack bars, ryvita's and even fruit crisps! Plus so much more

If you like the look and sound of Degustabox you can grab your first box for just £7.99 with the code 039DB HERE.

nopin

*This post contains gifted press samples, all opinions are my own!

Raspberry & White Chocolate Valentines Cupcakes!

 Hey beaut's!

Valentines Day is fast approaching -  so obviously that gave me the perfect excuse to get back into the kitchen and do what I love....and that's to get my bake on! Today I have a yummy raspberry and white chocolate cupcake recipe for you which is not only quick and easy to make but they contains one of your five a day too (lol)! These are the perfect Valentines treat for you and your partner to share or you can make them for you and your best girls to enjoy if you like!
What You Will Need For The Cupcakes
165g unsalted butter
         115g caster sugar         
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
165g self raising flour
2 tbsps milk
120g raspberries + extra to decorate
60g grated white chocolate

What You Will Need For The Icing
150g unsalted butter
300 icing sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons of milk
Pink food colouring
Sprinkles & raspberries to decorate (optional)

How To - Cupcakes
1. Firstly pre-heat your oven to gas mark 4 /180 and line a muffin tin with your cupcake cases.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whack in your butter and caster sugar and mix until smooth with a hand whizzer. Once the butter and sugar mixture is smooth whack in all the remaining ingredients apart from the raspberries and beat again! Finally fold in the raspberries carefully as you don't want them to break apart, you want to keep them as whole as possible within the batter.
3. Pop a heaped tablespoon of the cupcake batter into each cupcake case and bake in the oven for around 18 minutes or until the top of the cupcakes are springy to the touch, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool.

How To - Icing
1. In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric whizzer for around 5 minutes or until  smooth and whippy, then start adding the icing sugar slowly to avoid the dreaded icing sugar cloud and again mix until smooth. Then pop in the vanilla extract and a couple of tablespoons of milk if you feel your buttercream is a bit stiff. Once the icing is at the perfect consistency pop in the food colouring a tiny bit at a time until you get to your desired shade of pink.
2. Pipe or spoon the icing on top of the cupcakes and top with some sprinkles if you like, I found these cute little princess sprinkles in Tesco which I thought looked perfect for Valentines Day, I also popped some remaining chunks of white chocolate and raspberries on mine too!
Will you be baking any treats for Valentines Day beaut's? I'd love to know what your thinking of doing!

nopin

January 2019 Beauty Favourites!

Hey beaut's!

It's the first monthly favourites of the year and my god it's felt like it's taken forever to get here, January just seems to go on and on doesn't it! This month I don't have a huge selection of favourites mainly because I've been obsessed with a select few products starting with my true love....my Huda Beauty New Nude Palette! My boyfriend bought me this palette for Christmas and I can honestly say I've not put any other eyeshadow on my eyeballs since! Not only are the shades absolutely stunning and totally drool worthy but the quality of this palette has me shook...I've never known matte shades to be so intensely pigmented, their not at all chalky but buttery soft, theres minimal fall out in the pan and none of my face at all and they blend so beautifully without any patchiness, not to mention those stunning reflective shades, arhh I just cant cope! 
I've really been enjoying using my Magnitone Blend Up Makeup Brush for the last couple of months, I was always a beauty blender kinda gal but those day's have gone since I starting using this brush! I use the Blend Up to apply ALL of my base makeup everyday and I cant tell you how much time it saves me, it's so quick and easy to use and my skin is left looking airbrushed, I honestly cant recommend it enough! For nails I've literally only been using one nail polish - Barry M's Hi Shine Nail Paint in Rhubarb, I must have re-painted my nails like ten times with this shade over the past month or so, it's gorg!

For lips this month I've used nothing but the Benefit They're Real! Double The Lip in the shade Lusty Rose, this is a lipstick and a lip liner in one so it's so quick and easy to use and the shade is so perfect for everyday, I definitely want to get a few more shades of these as their so convenient! My final favourite this month is my Maybelline Total Temptation Brow Definer Pencil which I actually finished a couple of day's ago and I need to go and repurchase it asap! It's probably the best brow pencil I've found so far on the high street and ticks all the boxes for me in terms of what I look for in a brow pencil, I love it!

What's in your favourites this month beaut's? I'd love to know!

nopin

Benefit Makeup I've Been Putting To The Test!


Hey beaut's!

Over the last month or so I've been working my way through all the gift sets I got for Christmas and one of them was a Benefit set complete with five products to put to the test, so today I thought I'd share which ones I've been loving so far and which ones don't really cut the mustard!
So lets kick things off with the Bad Girl Bang Mascara, this is Benefit's latest mascara launch and I was so excited to try it but truth be told I'm still on the fence about it! The things I love about the Bad Girl Bang mascara is that it creates lots of length, it's super black, it doesn't smudge or flake and it doesn't feel heavy on my lashes however.. when it creates that length it almost makes my lashes look spidery which is something I really don't like in a mascara, I also find it a little hard to apply because the mascara wand is very long and the brush itself is quite thin and bendy so I really have to be weary when I apply it! So yeah I'm still a bit unsure on this one beaut's!
I knew I was going to love the Hoola Bronzer because I already have one on the go that I've hit pan on so I'm happy to have a replacement on hand! If your yet to try this cult classic it's an amazing matte bronzer that's great for both contouring and bronzing up the skin because it's that in-between colour where it's not too warm or two cool making it so versatile! Moving onto Gimme Brow which is soooo good, it's a tinted eyebrow gel which contains tiny microfibers that adhere to your skin and brow hairs, it not only sets your brows in place all day but it creates natural-looking fullness and definition, it honestly makes my brows look so full a fluffy but not in a harsh way if that makes sense, and it doesn't dry hard or crispy either thank goodness!

The POREfessional Pearl Primer was another product I was really interested in trying, I've always felt the orginal POREfessional was good at filling in my pores but was quite drying on my skin so I was interested in seeing if the pearl formula was different, and it isn't! The Pearl Primer works in the exact same was as POREfessional does however it's meant to add a soft radiance to the skin and leave your skin looking brighter and to be honest I didn't notice a difference at all, and it was still quite drying on me. That being said it is really good at filling in pores so it's not all bad I guess!

I think one of my favourite products here has to be the They're Real! Double The Lip, I have to admit I really wasn't interested in these when they launched because I thought.. how is a lipstick with a built-in lip liner going to work and be precise but actually after trying it out I bloody love it! I have the shade Lusty Rose which is the perfect everyday shade, it feels quite balmy on the lips and is so comfortable to wear and the concept really works well giving me a perfect pout in seconds!

Have you tried any of these products beaut's? What did you think? I'd love to know!

nopin

Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack Under-Eye Mask Review!

Hey beaut's!

Recently I've been giving all of Soap & Glory's face masks a whirl because I got their fab face mask gift set for Christmas and I've been so impressed so far, you can read about what I thought of their moisturising mask HERE if you like! This time around I decided to give their Puffy Eye Attack eye mask a whirl and thought I'd share how I got on with you all today!

 I haven't really used a great deal of eye masks before, face masks yes - I've tried every variation of those as I do love a good face mask, but eye masks are pretty new to me so I was really looking forward to trying these! The Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack Under-Eye Brightening Hydrogel Patches are said to refresh and revitalise tired, puffy eyes which is exactly what I need before my early starts at work I tell ya! The patches their selves are little gel under-eye patches which are soaked in a jelly serum and fit perfectly under my eyes and adhered well without falling off, they didn't sting at all when they where on either which I was happy about because my eyes can be quite sensitive sometimes, they did however feel a little bit cooling when they where on which I liked but if I was to buy them again I'd store mine in the fridge for that ultimate cooling sensation. The directions suggest leaving the patches on for 20-30 minutes, I left mine on for around 20 minutes because I wanted to get on and put my makeup on, and I have to say after using these little beauties I do like really them, they do exactly what they claim to and make my under-eyes look brighter, more awake, less puffy and because I done my makeup straight afterwards I found my concealer went on and looked incredible after using these, honestly my concealer has never looked so good!

Overall I would definitely buy the Puffy Eye Attack Under-Eye Patches again, I think their best used in the mornings when your tired eyes need a bit of a boost but equally you could use them in the evening after a long, tiring day at work too. I whacked mine on whilst I was doing my morning scroll through the ole socials and they worked an absolute treat!

You can find the Soap & Glory Puffy Eye Attack Under-Eye Brightening Hydrogel Patches for £3.50 HERE

nopin

The Ultimate Winter SOS Tool - Dr.Lipp To The Rescue!

Hey beaut's!

Suffering with dry, chapped skin or lips right now because of this super cold snap we seem to be having at the moment...Well fear not because I've got just the products that will sort out those dry patches in an instant and their 100% natural too, yay!
 Dr.Lipp is literally where the parties at when it comes to helping with dryness, their Original Nipple Balm* is something I've actually used and loved for years because not only is it so bloody good for dryness but it has a multitude of uses too, the list is literally endless as you can use it for your hands, cuticles, after sun, babies bums, glitter glue, eyebrow shaping, sore nose, dry patches on your body like elbows and knees, chapped lips, lip gloss, sore boobs and you can even use it to buff and shine up scuffs on shoes and heels, it's so incredibly useful. The formula of the original nipple balm is very thick and does take some working in but personally I don't mind that because the effects afterwards are amazing, it's 100 natural containing only one ingredient which is medical grade lanolin, its fragrance free, tasteless and lasts for up to 8 hours. My favourite way to use the nipple balm (oh I cant help but lol to myself when I say that) at the moment is for my hands which where so dry they where literally cracking and bleeding, but this magical stuff cleared that up straight away, I always pop it on before bed to give it plenty of time to soak into my skin! I've also used it as a night cream on my face as I've been so dry and it works an absolute treat!
Dr.Lipp have also just launched three lip TINTS, I've actually been giving two out of the three a go and I'm really impressed! Firstly I have the tint which contains Elderberry Pigment* which leaves a gorgeous burgundy gloss to the lips, and the second I have contains Sweet Potato Pigment* which is a beautiful natural pink shade! All of the TINTS are free from parabens, fragrances, sulphates, mineral oil, petrolatum, colouring agents, T.E.A, D.E.A, silicone's and are 100% natural and sustainably sourced. Just like the nipple balm these TINTS have quite a thick constancy but aren't sticky on the lips their more balmy with the effect of a juicy looking gloss which makes my lips look so full and kissable! I love these so much at this time of the year when my lips are at their driest, I'm the sort of gal that hates leaving the house without my lippie on but when my lips are so dry it's sometimes impossible to wear lipsticks, but these TINTS give my lips a splash of colour as well as nourishing them at the same time! Their also the perfect size for travelling or for when your on the go as they come in super cute little tubes and their hygienic too because you apply them straight from the tube, so no dirty fingers going in to balm pots, yuk!
The Original Nipple Balm is literally my ultimate winter SOS product, I don't think I own another product for sever dryness that works so well as this and I certainly don't own anything else as versatile either, and the Lip TINTS are my saviour right now, I love them!

You can find the Original Nipple Balm for £12.00 HERE and the TINT Lip Balms can be found HERE for £6.99 each!

nopin

This post contains gifted press samples, all opinions are my own!

Maybelline Lash Sensational Primer Review

 Hey beaut's!

It's no secret that I love Maybelline's Sensational Mascara, in fact I'd go as far as saying it's one of my holy grails so when I received the Lash Sensational Primer for Christmas I was so intrigued...Could the primer that's meant to work a long side my holy grail mascara actually improve it's performance??? Well your about to find out!
 Maybelline's Lash Sensational Primer is actually Maybelline's first ever mascara primer and is meant to prepare your lashes before using your regular mascara, which will boost the look of your mascara's volume and length, leaving lashes soft, separated and conditioned! 

The primer itself just looks like your regular mascara until you pull the natural bristled wand out and are met with a white primer formula instead of your typical black mascara. The primer itself has a slightly thicker texture than a regular mascara and I was a tad worried it might build up a bit on my lashes but actually it doesn't, it just sweeps through my lashes coating them all with the primer, I then leave the primer for like 20 seconds or so then I go in with my Lash Sensational mascara and that's where the magic happens...The two together make my lashes look instantly thicker with a lot more volume and serious length too, definitely like a false lash effect that's for sure! I didn't have any problems applying mascara over the primer, there was no clumping, no flaking, no smudging at all, to be honest I never get with the Lash Sensational mascara anyway but I didn't know if the primer would alter that but it didn't which is good!
Overall if your looking for a good mascara primer I cant recommend Maybelline's Lash Sensational Primer enough, it even works amazingly well with other branded mascara's I have too, it definitely boosts your chosen mascara's abilities whilst simultaneously nourishing your lashes whilst you wear it, I'm obsessed!

You can find the Maybelline Lash Sensational Primer for £7.99 HERE.

nopin

Huda Beauty New Nude Palette Review

 Hey beaut's!

When the Huda Beauty New Nude Palette was released last year I instantly fell in love and just knew that the palette had to be mine, I jotted it down on my Christmas list and lucky for me my boyfriend Mike treated me to it and I'm so thankful because just look how stunning it is! I literally had no idea what to expect from Huda Beauty as I'd never tried anything from the brand before, but spoiler alert.....the quality of these eye shadows is frickin' AMAZING!
The Huda Beauty New Nude Eyeshadow Palette isn't your typical 'nude' palette filled with the usual warm tones, instead this new take on a nude palette contains a mix of  blush, mauve, taupe and beige neutrals, mingled with show-stopping copper, gold and pink glitter jewels, it's honestly a stunning combination of shades which I'm totally living for! Theres 18 shades in total within the palette, theres ten matte shades formulated with aloe vera and coconut oil for a butter-like application, four reflective duo-chromes, two glitter formula's which are infused with innovative silicone's for advanced adherence, one pressed pearl combined with acacia, jojoba and sunflower wax for a high-shimmer finish that layers effortlessly on top of mattes and finally a cream formula concealing shade to create a flawless base that will also boost any shadow applied on top of it. 
Not only are the shades within this palette jaw-dropping but the formula is literally incredible, when I saw that this palette was a hefty £56.00 I was quite shocked because that's quite a lot of dosh, but after trying these shades I can honestly say you really do get what you pay for in terms of the quality! I have honestly never used matte shades that are so good in my life and I'll admit it I am an eyeshadow snob and only really use high end palettes but the mattes within the New Nude Palette trump my Urban Decay and Too Faced palettes by a mile. The mattes are so intensely pigmented, their not at all chalky but buttery soft, theres minimal fall out in the pan and none of my face at all, they blend so beautifully without any patchiness and they last on my oily eyelids like no other eyeshadow I've tried before.
The absolute show stoppers for me within this palette are those four reflective shades and the one pressed pearl, these are best applied with a damp brush or your finger and look incredible on the eyelids, they sparkle and twinkle so much I've honestly never worn anything so beautiful on my eyes before! I'd say the two pressed glitter shades are the hardest shades for me to use only because they are pure glitter when swatched or picked up on a brush so they take a little patience to apply but again when their on the shine and sparkly in insane! The concealing shade is a very thick cream formula which does work well as a base for the glitters and the reflective shades, however I can see it getting quite grubby as my palette gets more use as the powders will get stuck within it but other than that I actually really like the addition of the concealer shade! 
 From left to right - Lace, Tickle, Spanked, Love Bite, Raw. 
 Infatuated and Excite.
From left to right - Crave, Daydream, Fantasy, Charmed, Kinky.
If your wanting to try Huda Beauty for the first time then I recommend this palette 100%, it literally ticks all the boxes for me and then some, and it's quickly become my all time favourite makeup product as well,  I know that's a bold statement but I'm actually in frickin' love! 

You can find the Huda Beauty New Nude Eyeshadow Palette for £56.00 HERE

nopin

Soap & Glory Speed Plump Miracle Moisture Mask Review

Hey beaut's! 

I love a good ole girl pamper night with plenty of choccies, Netflix on the go, nail polish and of course a face mask, and seeing as I got the Soap & Glory Face Mask gift set for Christmas and my skin was in need of a huge dose of moisture I decided to give the Speed Plump Miracle Moisture Mask that came in the gift set a whirl!

The Soap & Glory Speed Plump Miracle Moisture Mask is a hydrgel mask formulated to help smooth and hydrate the skin. The mask itself comes in two pieces so you can fit it perfectly to your face, theres a top half  for around your forehead and nose area and theres a bottom half for around your mouth and chin. Once it's on it does give the illusion of a sheet mask, its so fuss and mess free as you just whack it on straight out of the packet, leave it for 20-30 minutes and simply peel it off to remove it without any need of scrubbing or rinsing, perfect! 
The Speed Plump Miracle Moisture Mask is definitely best suited to those with very dry and dehydrated skin, perfect for this time of the year when your skin really needs a moisture boost, just like mine did! The mask is actually jam packed with super moisturisers including the wonder stuff  hyaluronic acid, plus rose, peony flower root and safflower plant extracts which work together to leave you skin instantly moisturised! I have to say after giving this mask a whirl I can confirm that it definitely gave my skin the moisture boost that it needed, my skin looked so glowy, refreshed and healthy afterwards as well as super moisturised and nourished and it felt really smooth too. There was also plenty of serum left in the sachet after I took my mask off so I rubbed some of that into my skin as well, waste not... want not! The mask also smells amazing, just like a fresh juicy orange which is so refreshing!

Overall I really enjoyed using this mask and it done exactly what it said on the tin or should I say sachet! This is actually the third mask I've tried out of my Soap & Glory gift set and I have to say I have LOVED all three so far, I'd go as far as to say Soap & Glory's masks are my absolute favourite on the high street and I think they feel so luxurious and expensive, yesss Soap & Glory!

You can find the Soap & Glory Speed Plump Miracle Moisture Mask for £4.00 HERE.

nopin

My Current Netflix Favourites #2

Hey beaut's!

I have been watching so many movies and TV series on Netflix recently, mainly because I've been bed bound after catching Gastroenteritis which consisted of me staying in bed for like 10 days solid with nothing to do apart from feel ill and watch TV so Netflix was my saviour I must admit, so today I thought I would share a fewof my favourites from the last week or two!

You
I actually watched the entire series of You in two days, once I started the series I literally couldn't stop watching and I have to say as creepy as the series is in parts I really enjoyed it and I'm hoping for a second season! The series is focused on Joe - a bookstore manager who crosses paths with an aspiring female writer Beck, Joe ends up having a obsessive crush on Beck and uses social media and the internet at his disposal to become close to her, it becomes obvious that Joe will go to any length possible to get with Beck which is where all the creepiness comes in and we also get to see some of Joe's back story too which mysterious in itself!

Bird Box
Bird Box is an American thriller based on the 2014 novel of the same name by Josh Malerman. The main premise of the film is that an apocalypse is occurring and in order to stay alive, you must keep your blindfold on or keep your eyes closed. We basically follow main character Malorie played by Sandra Bullock trying to survive the apocalypse and I have to say it's quite spooky in parts, I mean just imagine how scary it would be if you had to live life blindfolded.... I have to say this movie had me hooked! 

Taylor Swift Tour
I bloody love Taylor Swift and if your a fan too then her Reputation Tour is a must watch, everything from the songs, the visuals, the outfits, the staging, it's all absolutely incredible! The stadium in Dallas that shes performing in is huge too, it holds 100'000 people and she done 2 nights theres as well, mad! 

The Princess Switch
I know this a Christmas-y one but I loved it so much that it had to be one of favourites, it stars Vanessa Hudgens who I thought was amazing in this seeing as she has to play two parts! It honestly takes me back to the Parent Trap days so if you loved that movie then you will love this, it's cheesy, cute and romantic, whats not to love!

Let me know if you’ve watched any of these TV shows or films beaut's and if you enjoyed them, also I'd love some more Netflix recommendations too!

nopin

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Range!

Hey beaut's!

Keeping my body nourished is a must for me, especially at this time of the year! I have super dry skin so theres nothing my skin loves more than a huge dose of moisture and these beauties from Palmer's have been doing just that! Palmer's is a brand I've used for years, in fact my Mum even used to slather their lotions and potions on me when I was little so the incredible scent of their products is so nostalgic to me now!

The Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula* is made with pure and natural Cocoa Butter and enriched with Vitamin A, C and E which together softens, smooths and relieves, so in a nutshell the range is very kind and good for the driest of skin! What I also love about this range of Palmer's lotions and potions is that daily use can smooth out scars and marks on the skin as well as tone, making it great for behind the legs and butt! Scent wise.... it's literally cocoa heaven! You literally end up smelling good enough to eat - just like chocolate, it's delicate but so so yummy!
My favourites and most used products from this collection so far have to be the Palmer's Ultra Moisturising Lip Balm* and the Palmer's Hand Cream*, I have been using both of these like their going out of fashion because the cold weather has been playing havoc with my lips and hands, they've been so dry and chapped! The lip balm is lovely and really smooths out and nourishes my lips creating the perfect base for my lipsticks and it contains SPF15 which is always a bonus! The hand cream is super thick and concentrated so a little goes a long way and once rubbed in my hands feel incredibly soft without that greasy feeling, you can also use this little tube for elbows and knees too!
I also love that Palmer's now do a multi-purpose Swivel Stick*, it basically looks like a giant lip balm that contains Palmer's cocoa butter formula in solid form that you can take with you everywhere and anywhere to moisturise on the go, it's great for cuticles, chapped lips or any stubborn dry patches on your face and body, it's the perfect travel companion!
If your after faking a tan for the rest of the Winter then the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze Gradual Tan* is a must, I really cant recommend it enough. I'm so scared of properly fake tanning in case I turn orange so a gradual one is just about as much as I can cope with! I apply mine each evening just like a body lotion and then the next morning I'm looking super tanned and nourished! I actually got amazing results after just one use of this so I apply it every other evening now to keep topped up!

Are you a fan of Palmer's? Which products would you like to try from the brand?

You can find all of the Palmer's products HERE.

nopin

This post contains gifted press samples, all opinions are my own!

Degustabox Review + £5 off Discount Code!

Hey 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!
The shortlist for this months box is:
- Sleep Well Chocolate Milk £1.25
- Nestle Shredded Wheat Breakfast On The Go £1.99
- Natures Store Salted Caramel Popcorn Bar 89p
- Maggi Fusion Noodle Pots £1.15
- Slush Puppie Sour Cherry £1.29
- Funkin Cocktails Passion Fruit Martini Shaker £4.00
- Jack Daniel's Lychburg Lemonade £1.80
- Green and Blacks Blueberry Velvet Fruit + Orange Velvet Fruit £3.29
- Delverde Pasta/Spaghetti £1.99
- Real Good Ketchup 
Overall I think the latest Degustabox has a great variety of yummy treats and drinks to try, theres everything from chocolate, noodle pots, pasta, alcohol for a new years tipple, cereal for when your on the go plus so much more.


If you like the look and sound of Degustabox you can grab your first box for just £7.99 with the code 039DB HERE.

nopin

This post contains gifted press samples, all opinions are my own!