Blissful bath time

On a Sunday evening there's nothing I like more than a bubble bath. Since late last year I developed a problem with sleeping on a Sunday night and I don't really know why or where it came from but I think it had something to do with that 'back to school/work' anxiety thing that everyone gets.

So, in a bid to get myself to sleep of an evening, I developed a bit of a calming/relaxing routine, starting off with a lovely bath. A relaxing bath doesn't just mean tons of bubbles, oh no, I like to really use lots of lotions and potions in my bath water.

I usually start off with the bubble bath, maybe add a bath bomb or bath melt and some kind of bath oil. I recently ran out of one of my fave Noble Isle bath oils so have been using the Weleda Wild Rose Cream Bath* as a substitute and I really love it. 100ml of the good stuff will cost £12.95, which isn't too pricey as you only need a little bit for each bath, meaning you really get your money's worth here. Despite coming in something reminiscent of a medicine bottle complete with clicky lid, the cream is really yummy and nourishing on the skin. The blend of rose, jojoba and oil leaves the skin feeling really soft so there's no need for an after bath moisturiser at all.

Having a bath is also about de-stressing after a hard week and getting ready for a new one. I find Lavender scents really help with the calming process and as well as my lavender bath oil I've been loving a bit of the Argan+ white Lavender De-Stress Bath Soak*. Lavender is widely known as a scent to help you get a peaceful night sleep so I fill my bath with the stuff! Not only is this bath soak completely de-stressing but it also produces lovely skin softening bubbles thanks to its Argan Oil and Aloe Vera contents.

After stewing in a bath that's half cream/oil and half water, I like to get out and continue the relaxing pre-bedtime routine with a bit of the SenSpa Talc Free Natural Body Powder*. This stuff really takes me back to being a kid and having talcum powder literally smothered all over me after a bath. The SenSpa powder is actually talc free but contains a fusion of lavender, patchouli and geranium essential oils, which make it super indulgent and softening on the skin. The key ingredient for me in this one is the lavender...can you see a theme ocurring here?

After this I feel completely relaxed and ready for the land of nod. Developing a pre-bedtime routine has really helped me and for the past few months I've slept really well on a Sunday evening. Just writing this post has made me desperate for a bath!

What's your pre-bedtime routine? What products are your bathtime favourites? Let me know the comments.

*I've been lucky enough to be sent these products as samples to use as I see fit.

Lovin' the smoothie life

It seems I have turned into one of those gym going, smoothie making people. I wouldn't say I ever despised that sort of person but I didn't really understand why people went to the gym regularly, but these days, after I've actually given it a try myself, I've realised that I quite enjoy it. I guess it just proves that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover!

I've been really enjoying spin and yoga this year, not because I especially need to loose weight or anything but I wanted to take up some hobbies instead of sitting on my sofa in the evenings. Along with that, I really got into a phase of eating fruit on a regular basis too, however it kind of trailed off a bit so in a bid to get more fruit back into my diet I thought I'd have a go at smoothie making. What really swung it for me was my sister doing it and telling me about all the different recipes. The blender was pretty cheap too at £29.99 and it's so easy to use.

I've not tried anything too extravagant but it's such a great way to get lots of different fruits into my diet and reach that five a day goal. I've also been obsessed with researching recipes, I'm keen to give these three tasty juice and smoothie recipes by Vivianna Does Makeup a try, especially the green juice as so far I've only been blending fruits.

The only trouble I do have is the texture of some of the smoothies. I've found blended raspberries tend to leave pips behind, which aren't pleasant to drink. I've invested in some large plastic straws to help things go down a bit better but I think I'll stay away from raspberries in future. I've also discovered that while a smoothie might not look very nice (my blueberry smoothie came out a funny grey colour instead of the vibrant purple I was imagining), it usually does taste good!

Please leave a comment and point me in the direction of your favourite smoothie receipes!

Best budget beauty brands: Natural Collection

If there was a brand of make-up I'd suggest to all newbies it would be Natural Collection. It's one of those perfect starter brands for youngsters/teens making their first foray into make-up but it's also a brand that's perfect for very natural/neautral beauty looks. I've been using it for years and at 26, I still use its eyeshadows and mascara on a daily basis.

The Lash-length mascara is one I use every single day and it's the only mascara I've found that doesn't clump and that makes my eyelashes look visibly longer. All of those other high-street brands are just cast aside when it comes to mascara for me and this £1.99 budget item is one of my absolute favourites.

Not photographed here but the nail polishes from Natural Collection are ultra lovely too. Such beautiful shades at bargain prices. From past experience and use of the polishes I know that they apply brilliantly and are quite long lasting too.

I'm a big fan of the concealers/corrector sticks and tinted moisturisers too. I used to use them ALL the time and do regularly go back to them. While they don't offer amazing coverage, they will do for a day-to-day basis and are ideal for those still in school who might not be allowed to wear a heavy make-up look and foundation.

Having really explored this Natural Collection I think it just goes to show that you shouldn't disregard brands just because they're cheap as you never know what might work best for you. A £20 mascara might work brilliantly for you but a £1.99 might work equally well or even better. Here's a little challenge for you...next time your in Boots/Superdrug or even in Wilkinsons or a supermarket, check out the make-up/beauty offerings and give something budget a try!

Have you tried Natural Collection before? What's your favourite budget beauty brand? Let me know in the comments.

Mad for moisture - Vichy Aqualia Thermal range

I really can't get enough of moisturisers. My skin just drinks them up and I've been on a long search for the perfect moisturiser for my dry skin. It wasn't until recently that I started using serums and I have found the combination of serum and moisturiser to be really great for my skin.

I'm now using Vichy's Aqualia Thermal range and while I'm not really sure if you're actually supposed to use both together or not, I have to say they're working really well for me. Both are infused with Vichy Thermal Spa Water and some kind of micro-encapsulated delivery system of Activ Hyaluronine works its magic and improves the diffusion of moisture into the surface of the epidermis. The skin should then feel replenished with water, as if continuously hydrated by misting micro-sprays. (PS, yes this bit is lifted from the product description, I must admit!)

I have to admit although it doesn't exactly feel as if my skin is being constantly hydrated with a misting spray, I definitely do feel as though the skin is well hydrated throughout the day.

I was previously using Vichy's Idealia Life Serum but when it ran out and I found out the price tag (the first pot was sent to me by a PR) I decided to instead go for the cheaper Aqualia Thermal serum.

The serum is very lightweight and it's been designed to sink in to the skin quickly. You only really need a small, pea-sized amount but I do tend to go a bit overboard. Before you know it, it's sunk in and I'm ready for my moisturiser.

The moisturiser comes in two variations, rich/riche and light. I opted for the rich pot just because my skin is that dry. It's very thick as the name suggests but it really melts into the skin nicely and quickly too and it doesn't leave a horrible greasy residue.

I'm loving the combination of the moisturiser and serum together as it leaves my skin feeling well moisturised all day long. If I do have a day of wearing foundation ahead I don't need to worry about any dry patches appearing thanks to this moisturiser/serum combo. The serum is around £22 and the moisturiser is £17 so not exactly cheap, but certainly worthy splashing out on. You can actually find them cheaper online if you search around, which is what I should have done in the first place, oops.

Have you tried the Vichy Aqualia Thermal range? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Sunday Summary #22

So the week started out nicely. If you read last week's post you might remember me wondering if Vince would be up for going for a walk along the seafront on Sunday evening. After an afternoon nap/laze around we did decide to get up and actually get outside as it was so nice and we had a nice long stroll. We took lots of silly pictures together too. We always say we need to take more pictures, we've not taken any together at all this year so we had a real photo session!

The week trundled along nicely. Spin class was cancelled unfortunately due to some sort of instructor problem, I'm not really sure. It did give me the evening at home though and the chance to do an extra day of yoga. I'm on day 22 of the 30 day challenge now so nearly at the end. I think once I'm finished I will go through it all again, just to get more used to the different poses and build strength. I might throw in an extra video each day if I have time too.

I'm feeling like I do want to do something a bit more energetic as well but I'm not sure what to try out. I can't really push myself too much with things like circuit training due to my asthma but it would be nice to feel like I've had a bit of a workout of some sorts.

The end of the week wasn't so good! On Thursday I went to crochet class after work as normal but when I got home Vince said our letting agency had called and it turns out our landlord is selling our house, which means we have to move out. It couldn't really have come at a worse time, right when we have zero savings, a cat to take with us and probably more debt then we had before we passed previous credit checks. So now we're into the whole cycle of looking for a place to live. We're still deciding between carrying on renting or trying somehow (I have no idea how with no savings) to get a mortgage deposit. It looks more likely that we'll just carry on renting but we're going to still have to pay deposits, admin fees and first month's rent I expect, so not good.

Our house has a viewing on Tuesday already. The agency said they could help us out with letting us know of places that become available and could also speak to landlords for us ref the cat. Finding a place that allows animals is very rare so the landlord's going to have to be persuaded that the cat isn't a problem. I'm not sure what problem landlord's have with cats to be honest. I can understand dogs a bit more but cats, ours in particular, makes absolutely no mess at all.

As I mentioned it's come at the worst time, right when I'm trying to save for a car as mine's on it's way out. I'm probably going to have to dig right into my overdraft to pay all the moving fees. The thought of moving all our stuff is not going down well either. When we first moved in it all fit into my mum's little work van but now we're going to have to hire a proper moving van. We've also got to clear out the garage, which contains our old sofa and just generally reduce all our rubbish, argh!

The ideal situation we can hope for is that another landlord buys the house in the hopes of renting it out. Then they might keep us in the house, although they'll probably put the rent up! Looking at other houses, our rent at the moment is pretty cheap so if we do end up moving we're probably going to have to pay more rent as well.

Anyway, enough of being down. It's just something we're going to have to do, however much of a pain it is. This afternoon I am hoping to have a bit of a blogging afternoon. This morning I did day 24 of my 30 days yoga challenge and also popped on a yoga video from the same channel for toning abs and arms. It was about half an hour long and it nearly killed me but weirdly I did enjoy it so I'm going to try and do it quite regularly.

I actually can't believe the weekend is nearly over already. It goes so quickly. I'm mainly looking forward to tomorrow night's Game of Thrones finale, eek! I really hope it's not going to be disappointing.

Before you go, catch up with this week's posts:

Five Friday Favourites: Youtubers!

Freedom Makeup Pro Impact Nails Les Nudes Collection

Georgio Armani Lipstick Giveaway

Flamingo Candles: The Melt Crowd

Ted Baker Body Spray

Five Friday Favourites: Youtubers

Another Friday Faves post with a bit of a difference this week, I've decided to feature some of my favourite Youtubers. I can't remember a time when Youtube wasn't around, despite it only recently celebrating its 10th birthday. It feels like it's been around FOREVER, way longer than 10 years!

I'm yet to dip my foot into the Youtube pool so at this moment in time I've just a lover of watching videos instead of a creator and these are some of the ladies I enjoy watching:

Lily Pebbles & Vivianna Does Makeup
I think Lily and Anna come as a bit of a pair these days. If you love one of them then you'll definitely love the other. Both girls are super friendly, funny and down to earth and feature a great mix of vlogs, hauls, beauty and fashion. I particularly like their Beauty Chats as both of them come across as being very normal and funny, compared to lots of other Youtubers. It's obvious that both are really good friends and that they both absolutely love making videos.

InTheFrow
Compared to the others Victoria is a relatively new watch of mine but I am love, love loving watching her gorgeous fashion videos. I absolutely love the outfits she puts together and how she styles different items and I'm also very jealous of her purple hair too! As well as fashion there's a nice bit of beauty in there as well as the odd vlog, tag and haul!

Fleur De Force
I have been watching Fleur for years now. She's one of my all time favourites and comes across as someone who you could be great friends with. She features a good mix of fashion and beauty at affordable and more high end prices.

I really enjoy her haul posts and love how she has turned 'the force' into her own brand. I also really enjoy her vlogging channel and love watching her daily vlogs. It's always great to switch on when I come back after work and see the exciting behind the scenes world of blogging/Youtubing. Fleur is just a very down to earth, normal person and I love that.

Yoga with Adriene
Adriene's channel is a bit different from all the others as in it doesn't include any beauty, none whatsoever! I actually discovered Adriene's channel through Anna as she raved about it a couple of times. It's dedicated completely to yoga and I am currently in the sweaty midsts of the 30 Days of Yoga challenge.

Before now I had never tried yoga but I bought myself a mat and got stuck right in. Adriene's method of teaching is very calming, very relaxing and helpful, despite her being behind a screen. She's also pretty funny and quick witted and she makes me giggle right in the middle of trying to hold a pose! I'm learning really well and really enjoying the 30 day challenge. I can't wait to get stuck into some more of her videos.

Who are some of your favourite youtubers? Leave me some links in the comments.

Freedom Makeup Pro Impact Nails Les Nudes Collection

So you've heard of Makeup Revolution? Well, the guys behind the brand that has taken the beauty blogging world by storm have now started a new brand, Freedom Makeup London.

Freedom is all about professional performance makeup at reasonable prices, so perfect for the likes of moi! I was recently sent the brand's new Les Nudes range of nail polishes and I have to say I'm already super impressed.

Not only are the shades COMPLETELY up my street, ranging from buttery pinks/mauve and chocolate to pretty glitter, but they are only £1 each. Can you believe that? They're good sizes too and come in bottles reminiscent of the Deborah Lippmann ones, but for a fraction of the price!

There was a slight accident with one, which had leaked a bit and so the air got to it, causing it to go a bit gloopy but I entirely blame the postman for that one. Never mind though as the other polishes performed really well, applying really nicely and only needing two coats for a nice finish.

They took a little while to dry but they do last a good old while. Only a couple succumbed to the washing up chip test! For £1 you can't really complain though!

Looking at other products from the range I do notice similarities between Freedom and Makeup Revolution but I think the idea of launching an entirely new brand is great and I'm excited to see what's to come. Besides, who doesn't love an excuse to buy yet more makeup? I think it's a hit!

*This post contains PR samples.

Georgio Armani lipstick giveaway

Just a quick one today to let you all know I'm giving away a Georgio Armani Rouge d'armani lipstick! This was given to me in a goody bag earlier in the year when I attended a blogger event, which you can read about here.

I've decided to give the lipstick away as it's not really my colour. It's never been used but there is a tiny bit of smudging on it, just from getting too hot in my conservatory, oops! Otherwise it's in great condition and comes in the shade 611. Just follow the rules below and it could be yours!

UK only
Ends Wednesday, July 17.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Flamingo Candles: The Melt Crowd

Step aside beauty subscription boxes, there's a new box in town! The Flamingo Candles Melt Crowd box to be specific.

You can't have failed to see this brand mentioned on some blog somewhere. It seems to be absolutely everywhere and I seem to be the only person who hasn't yet tried one of its candles. It's just, I have so many candles already that I really need to burn some down before I buy anymore. I don't however, have any wax melts, which is what made me sign up to the new Melt Crowd box.

The box will drop through your door for £10 each month and contains eight different scented wax melts. The first box also comes with a special wax burner.

For £10 this is an absolute bargain of a box and a fab way to discover some new scents before buying the full-size versions. You simply pop the wax melts onto the wax burner and light a tealight underneath, the wax will then melt and release it's lovely aroma. The melts last for approximately 30 hours so they're just as good as having a candle!

I can tell after a few months I'll probably be over run with wax melts but when they come in such delicious flavours, including Pina Colada, Mango & Dragonfruit, Tropical Coconut Milk & Honey, Freshly Mown Grass, Daisy, Sweet Lime & Cedar, Juice Clementine and Thai Lime & Mango, I can't really refuse. All of the scents in this month's box are right up my street, really vibrant and fruity and they hit you as soon as you open the box.

The best bit about this box is that the melts are pretty thin so fit in a thin box, meaning the post man will definitely get it through the letter box, so no trips to the delivery office for you! I'd definitely recommend signing up, even if it's for one month as that gives you eight melts already. The box is really easy to cancel too so you can pick it up and put it down as and when you like.

Are you a member of the Melt Crowd? Let me know your thoughts on this month's box in the comments.

Ted Baker Body Spray

Ted Baker Body Sprays in Pink and Mint - £2.50 each

So recently I came across the Ted Baker beauty range in Boots. I previously featured the body soufflé and was impressed with not only the pretty geometric packaging but also the scent and the fact it leaves my skin feeling super soft after application!

Along with the body soufflé I also picked up two of the body sprays in pink and mint, which for £2.50 each, are huge bargains! Coming complete in gorgeous geometric bottles, these sprays smell amazing. The mint spray contains notes of powdery violet with peach and cherry accords entwined with a soft sweet base of vanilla, patchouli and amber, while the pink spray includes neroli and jasmine, with a base of patchouli, sandalwood and musk.

Both sprays smell really fresh and sweet and last a good couple of hours. They're also super cute and perfect handbag sizes, so easy for carrying around in place of a full size perfume bottle, which I've done in the past.

Have you tried the Ted Baker Body Sprays? Let me know what you thought in the comments.

Sunday Summary #21

Happy Sunday everyone! It's been super hot and sunny this weekend and I'm not usually one to like the sun but I have rather enjoyed it. Yesterday I had lunch at my mums out in the garden with my niece and nephew. My mum put the tent up for them, which they went absolutely mad for. So we ate lunch then headed to the park before their nap.

The rest of the day I spent cleaning the house and hoovering - all very boring but a must! This morning I popped to my sister's for breakfast. Normally I wouldn't be up so early but I thought I should get myself out of bed as it was going to be a nice day, we had heaps of pancakes with lemon and honey, delish! After I popped to a couple of shops and bought some bits for some blog posts I'm planning and now I have the rest of the afternoon stretching out infront of me. I'd quite like to go for a walk along the seafront with Vince but I don't know if he'll be keen on doing so. We'll see.

This week I've been indulging in some serious smoothie making! On Wednesday I had the afternoon off for a dentist appointment (all good!) and Vince and I did our food shop. I picked up a smoothie maker and tonnes of fruit and have been enjoying the smoothie life. The texture needs a bit of getting used to but they're tasting lovely! I'm hoping to write a blog post on it too and share some of my favourite recipes.

How has your week been? Let me know what you've been up to in the comments.

Catch up on this week's posts:

An Instagram filter for your face

My first foray into (high end) foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear

Ted Baker Body Soufflé

Taking up a new hobby: Crochet

An Instagram filter for your face: Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder

I've got to be very honest with this one and say that the Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder is one of those products I've seen in the past advertised on TV or on those stands in Boots and I thought it looked a bit tacky. The nasty plastic packaging doesn't help, but once I actually used the product, it changed my mind completely, proving the theory that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover or a concealer by its packaging in this case.

In a nutshell this is a powder that contains foundation, corrects and conceals. I thought it couldn't possibly work. For starters it looks pretty orange in its packaging but I was pleasantly surprised that it matched my skin tone, seemed to cover my redness really well and left my skin looking pretty flawless.

You'll see there are various colourful splodges in the powder, which I thought were there possibly to just look pretty, however this is where the magic happens. Each colour has an important job: Pink to brighten dull skin, Mint for discolouration, blemishes and marks, Purple to help cover yellow and sallow complexions and Yellow to hide discolourisation under the eyes. Working together these four shades combine with the powder to create a fab little product.

After application it didn't look like I had foundation on but my skin looked great. It didn't look like I had a thick coating of powder on either, which is a huge bonus. The powder didn't dry on my skin like many powders do and have done in the past, instead it concealed and corrected my redness really well. It's also hypoallergenic, contains natural SPF and is fragrance free!

The actual compact is a good size but I don't like that there's nowhere for the brush to go. I'm not keen on the sponge applicator so will probably discard it but it would be nice to have some way of keeping the compact and brush together. For £9.99 this is definitely something I think skeptics need to try out as I think you'll be suitably impressed. The only thing that I personally think needs improving is the cardboard/plastic packaging but once opened you can easily discard it!

Have you tried the Jerome Alexander Magic Mineral Powder before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

*This post contains a PR sample.

My first foray into (high end) foundation: Estee Lauder Double Wear

Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation - £29.50
To be honest this blog is usually strictly budget beauty. I simply don't have the money to be buying high end beauty products all the time and I'm a real high-street girl at heart. Give me a Boots or Superdrug any day. Unfortunately my skin just doesn't seem to get on with budget foundation.

I have tried SO many different foundations in my time that all claim to stay put all day but nothing has really worked. I realise I'm a bit behind the band wagon with the whole Estee Lauder Double Wear but it's a recent discovery for me and I wanted to blog about it. The whole reason I ended up trying Estee Lauder was because there was a free sample in a magazine. It was the complete wrong shade for me but it stayed on my hand for hours and hours. I was so impressed that I went to an Estee Lauder counter, which was in my motherland of Boots may I add, and asked to try a sample.

I've never done this before. Usually beauty counters are a bit scary, full of red lipped, orange skinned consultants that will do anything to make a comission but the lady I encountered was really helpful. Somehow from just looking at my skin under the awful lights of Boots she decided I was a 'Ecru' shade and she whacked some on my face to try, with a very used brush I might add (ew!). Dirty brush aside, I was really impressed with the match and I was given a little sample bottle to take home with me.

I don't wear foundation every day, only on special occasions or where I need to look smart, but when I did use it I was so impressed at its staying power. I only need a thin layer for good coverage and it stays in place for hours. I wore it on a couple of nights out and didn't have to worry once about reapplying. While it is good coverage, it doesn't feel thick or heavy on my face and more importantly to me, it doesn't dry out and sink into the lines in my face.

I think it's safe to say I've found my staple foundation. No more budget foundations for me I'm afraid. It's Double Wear all the way! For £29 it's not cheap and I did have to wait until pay day to be able to justify it but I got a decent sized bottle that's going to last me ages! I think once you've found something that works you really need to stick to it. I'm so happy to have finally given this a try, hallelujah!

Have you tried the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Ted Baker Body Soufflé

Ted Baker Body Soufflé - £10
I'm not entirely sure how long Ted Baker beauty has been around but in my local Boots it's pretty new in stock. When I spied it on the shelves I was fairly impressed, not only at the pretty packaging, but also at the reasonable pricing. It sits comfortably on the shelves down the 'bath and body' aisle alongside Soap & Glory and Sanctuary products...you know the one now don't you?

The range consists of body soufflés, body sprays and body lotions in pink or mint green packaging. I opted for the pink body souffle, which contains notes of grapefruit, mango, mandarin, neroli and jasmine that instantly whisk me away to a foreign country and that delicious scent of suncream, sea and freshness.

At £10 I wasn't expecting a miracle product here, just something cheap and cheerful and I've got just that. It's a lovely moisturising 'souffle' that leaves your skin wonderfully soft and smelling gorgeous for a good few hours after application. This tub will also last absolutely ages, which is a huge bonus and its geometric pretty pink packaging makes it look super fancy on your bathroom shelves.

Have you tried the Ted Baker Body Soufflé? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Taking up a new hobby: Crochet

This year has been the year of new hobbies for me. In February I took up spinning and crochet and have recently taken up Yoga as well. I thought I'd start by writing a post about crochet, mainly because I can't believe I've kept it up as long as I have.

It started out as a way to get me out of the house of an evening. I was getting a bit fed up of coming home from work every night and sitting on the sofa infront of the tv so now every other Thursday I go along to crochet class with my mum. I'm probably the youngest person in the group but it's still quite fun and I have enjoyed learning a new skill, which I didn't think I would.

There's been plenty of times when I've got annoyed with it and it's ended up across the room but I have managed to start making two blankets and get through them quite well. It's so good to see your hard work paying off as the blankets grow. At the moment we're all working on the same 'lily pond' blanket and although it is quite difficult and time consuming, it is a good way to relax in the evening and take your mind off things.

I've been looking up lots of patterns online and am itching to have a go at something on my own. While crochet is something you can get on with on your own at home with the help of tutorials and youtube, it's also really nice to go to the class every other week and see what everyone else is up to and get lots of inspiration!

I will be sure to keep you update on some of my projects in the future. What hobbies have you taken up recently? Let me know in the comments.