Saturday 28 February 2015

Haul: The Body Shop





After spotting a 30% discount code for The Body Shop I couldn't resist stocking up on some skincare saviours. I picked up the Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser, Lotion and Toner as I've suffered with the occasional breakout as of late and thought I would switch up my skincare routine to something specifically targeted to fighting spots. After reading so many amazing reviews about the Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil and how it gives your skin the appearance of 8 hours of perfect beauty sleep, I knew I needed this. I struggle to get enough sleep and my skin always looks a little lack lustre as a result. The Tea Tree Pore Minimiser and Instablur have been on my wishlist for a few weeks now and are great before applying make up to really improve the appearance and smoothness of my skin. 

I will post individual reviews in the next few weeks hopefully, and have posted all the links below for you.

Tea Tree Skin Clearing Foaming Cleanser (£5)
Lotion (£8) 
Toner (£5)
Pore Minimiser (£7.50)




Tuesday 24 February 2015

Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java Review





I know I am a little late jumping on the bandwagon, and this has been reviewed a million and one times. But after my latest powder finally ran out after what seems like an eternity, I thought I would pick this up when I was last perusing Boots to see what all the fuss is about.

I absolutely love the pastel green vintage packaging.This powder was released to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Bourjois, as a 'reinterpreted' version of the powder way back when. Not only is it super pretty, but really practical as well. The lid screws on super tight and the compartment has a screw lid on the inside to stop the loose powder from escaping everywhere. I've always found the packaging of powder products to be fairly flimsy and ended up getting powder everywhere, so this was a real added bonus for me.

I've never used a loose powder before, but I found that the product was easy to apply and felt completely weightless and beautifully smooth on my skin. As you can see from my swatch above, the powder is almost translucent, but the sparkly, glittery shimmer you can see proves that the product really lives up to its illuminating claims. This also really helped to set my make up and minimise any slippage throughout the day.

The only negative about this product for me was the smell. It is fairly strong and quite old-fashioned and musty, but perhaps this is in homage to its roots from 150 years ago. 

Overall, I'm happy with my purchase, but would say it is too early days yet to say whether I will be repurchasing or not. You can pick this little gem up from Boots for £9.99*

*Bourjois is currently on 3 for 2 at Boots

If you have tried the Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java, what did you think of it? Can you recommend any other powders on the market at the moment?



Thursday 19 February 2015

BlanX White Shock Intensive Whitening Treatment Review

One of my goals for 2015 was to improve the appearance of my teeth. My teeth have never been terribly discoloured, but as an avid tea drinker, I have always wished they would be several shades whiter and they were starting to stain a little. I didn't think they were bad enough to justify the hefty price tag of professional whitening services offered by dentists, so when I saw this Blanx White Shock Intensive Whitening Treatment on offer in Boots, I thought I would give it a whirl.



The box contains a really clear and useful set of instructions, the toothpaste, the LED bite and a whitening scale to measure your progress against.

The main thing that drew me to this kit was the fact that it contains no peroxide, as I didn't want anything too harsh. I used this toothpaste three times a day, using the LED bite for one minute after brushing each time. Once a week, I also used the bite for 10 minutes after brushing.

Many of my family and friends who have used whitening products before have asked me if the toothpaste tastes horrible, and I can safely say that it doesn't at all. I have tried several whitening toothpastes before, and found that they concentrate on whitening so much that they don't work very well at actually making my mouth feel clean, but I feel that this toothpaste accomplishes both the desired whitening effects, and also leaves my mouth feeling fresh all day.

This kit claims to contain a concentrated ActiluX formula which works to get your teeth up to 4 shades white in just two weeks. 

I was quite sceptical of these grand claims, as I am with many skin/health/beauty products, but I am seriously impressed with this at home whitening kit. Here is a before and after, after just one week - half the time you are supposed to use this for. I'm really really pleased with the results, and feel much more confident when smiling now. The instructions say you can use these kits up to four times a year, and I will definitely be repurchasing just before my birthday and Graduation.




This was on offer a few weeks ago in Boots, so I managed to pick it up for £11.99, but I think it has now returned to it's retail price of £15.99, which I would still happily pay in future.

Have you tried and loved any whitening wonders? If so, I'd love it if you could drop me a comment as I am constantly on the look out for new whitening products to try.

Sunday 15 February 2015

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara



Recently I picked up the Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Multiplying Mascara from Boots. As a new release from Maybelline, it was on an introductory price offer for £5.99 - a steal if you ask me! This mascara boasts a new wand for Maybelline, with an extreme curved shape, with longer bristles on one side and shorter on the other, which the photo doesn't do justice. The packaging claims that

"The Lash Multiplying Brush makes lashes look visibly multiplied and fuller"

I'm really impressed with this mascara. My lashes feel fuller and curl really nicely with this wand, and as someone with naturally long eyelashes, I'm pleased to say that they hold in place all day with no drooping down into my eye. This mascara is also proving to be immune to both clumps and smudging. One coat would definitely be enough, although I've always been someone who applies two or three coats as I'm a bit of a mascara addict! I think the packaging is beautiful, I love the metallic pink-gold colour and think it is a lot nicer than the usual mascara packaging Maybelline opt for. At a bargain regular retail price of £7.99, I will definitely be repurchasing this in future.



Have you tried Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara? If so, what did you think? 

Friday 13 February 2015

Baking: Malteser Tiffin


Warning: if you are on a diet, look away now! Actually don't, because this recipe is actually PERFECT and is definitely worth the extra calories.


At the moment I'm home for Reading Week from University, and baking is one of my favourite things to do to unwind and relax. I didn't really want to do anything with too much effort, so decided to make one of my favourite recipes, Malteser Tiffin. If you're not sure what Tiffin is, it's basically Refridgerator Cake - basically chocolate, Maltsers, and digestive biscuits. Yum!

What you will need:One 20cm square baking tin
Baking parchment
For the base: 200g milk chocolate (I used Cadburys - best taste!) 100g unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons of golden syrup, 125g digestive biscuits, one 120g box of Maltesers
For the topping: 200g milk chocolate, 25g unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon golden syrup



1. Start with the base: Line your baking tin with baking parchment. Place 200g chocolate, butter and syrup in a heat-proof bowl and melt over a pan of barely simmering water, or in a microwave. I prefer the simmering method, as I find chocolate is so easy to burn in a microwave, and even if it doesn't look burnt, I just think it never tastes as good.

2. Place the digestive biscuits and 35g of Maltesers in a freezer bag, seal and crush with a rolling pin, until you have mainly crumbs (although I like to leave a few small chunks of Malteser in to add texture)


3. Add the crushed mixture and rest of your Maltesers to the melted chocolate and stir until everything is coated nicely. Spoon into your baking tin and try to get it as evenly as possible. 


 4. For the topping: Melt the 200g of chocolate, 25g butter and 1 teaspoon of golden syrup for the topping, just like you did for the base, except this time you don't add any digestive biscuits or Maltesers. After melting the chocolate, butter and golden syrup, spread it over the biscuit base.

5. Cover the tin with foil and place it in your fridge for about 2 hours. Then, when everything is set, cut it into servings, and tuck in!



What do you think to my Malteser Tiffin? Let me know in the comments below if you bake it, or if you've baked it before, I'd love to hear what you think. Also, if you know of any other recipes with Maltesers in, please post the links in the comments below as I would love to try them!



Tuesday 10 February 2015

Vivienne Westwood x Melissa Ballerina Shoes




I could not contain my excitement when I noticed a parcel sitting on my bed when I arrived home from Uni to enjoy Reading Week with my family. These are not just any pair of shoes, these are a particularly dreamy pair of shoes that I have been lusting over since Summer. At £68 in the sale down from £108, I feel I bagged myself an absolute bargain for designer shoes.They arrived in this mint green shoe box and were packaged beautifully in a Vivienne Westwood dust bag. Vivienne Westwood and Melissa Shoes have collaborated for several seasons now, and these shoes are made from the super soft patented 'Melflex' plastic typical of all Melissa shoes. These have a matt finish, and so don't feel or look like jelly shoes. What I love about the flexible plastic is that it really moulds to your feet, and I can't quite believe how comfortable they are. The tartan insole and twist on the Vivienne Westwood logo on the toes add the typical Westwood touch that all fans of the brands love so much. I am planning on saving these for several important events I have coming up this year - mainly my 21st birthday celebrations, my Graduation Day and the celebrations with family and friends afterwards, and also my Nan's 80th birthday. I'm not a huge fan of heels and prefer comfort any day, and think these will add the perfect final touch to my outfits.

Sunday 8 February 2015

Hair & Beauty Haul

Despite promising myself that I would save more money this year, I believe everyone deserves a treat now and then! I've been doing a lot more shifts at work as well, so I don't feel too guilty.


On the far left in the clear plastic bag, is my new stash of Lee Stafford Hair Growth Treatment. I absolutely swear by this stuff, I love how soft it makes my hair feel and the smell is gorgeous and long lasting. Boots are currently offering haircare on a 3-for-2, so I couldn't resist stocking up. If you would like to read my full review of this, click here

I ordered the Not Your Mother's Way to Grow Long & Strong Shampoo and Conditioner, as well as the Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream from America as a package from Amazon here. I have only used this once so far, and will be doing a full review once I've really tested it out. The conditioner was beautifully thick and nourishing, and both products smelt like something from Lush Cosmetics, so I have really high hopes that I will have Rapunzel hair in no time!

The Bourjois Poudre De Riz De Java is something which has been worshipped on so many of my favourite blogs now that I had to buy it. I absolutely love the vintage packaging, and this will be the first time I've used a loose powder so I'm definitely looking forward to using this.

The Maybelline Instant Anti-Age The Eraser Concealer was recommended to me by Beauty Bloggers on Twitter after I asked for help choosing a new under-eye concealer. After trying the Collection Lasting Concealer and the 17 Phwoar Paint which have both been raved about, I was ready to try something new. Neither covered my dark circles at all. Maybe the moral of the story is that I need to get more sleep rather than expect make up to prepare miracles. But I'm hoping the Maybelline concealer will make me look a little more alive!

The Blanx White Shock Intensive Whitening Treatment has been on my long term beauty wishlist for a while now, and when I noticed it was on offer in Boots it accidentally fell into my basket! I'm slightly sceptical of any over the counter whitening products, but as this is non-peroxide, I am more than happy to give it a go.

I will be reviewing all of these products in the coming weeks on my blog as I get used to them and really road test them out. Have you tried any of these products? If so, what did you think?

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