A floral treat from Blossoming Gifts

There's nothing I like better than having flowers/plants in the house. They're perfect for brightening a room up and bringing a little sunshine to it. If you saw my five simple ways to cheer yourself up post then you would have seen me mention that having flowers in the house is a sure fire way to lift your mood.

Usually my flowers come from the local supermarket but I was recently asked if I'd like to try a Blossoming Gifts bouquet and of course I jumped at the chance. I definitely wanted something summery looking but nothing obvious like sunflowers. I had to steer clear of the bouquets with lillies in because I have a cat so settled on the gorgeous Orangery bouquet, which is made from pretty coral/pale orange germini, white chrysanthemums and teeny tiny daisy-like tanacetum with tufts of delicate greenbell.




I'm a huge fan of the germini - they come in so many colours but I love the contrast of the pale orange/coral against the white of the chrysanthemums and daisies.

As I mentioned, I usually get my bouquets from the supermarket and they're usually under a fiver. This bouquet starts from £21.99 depending on what gifts (little box of chocolate etc), if any, you choose to send with it. The price is pretty reasonable for a special bouquet like this, it would make a lovely gift for a special occasion or if you were feeling particularly down you could cheer yourself right up with this one.




The risk with ordering flowers online is that they may not look like they do in the picture on the website but there was no problem with this as it looks exactly like the image online. The bouquet arrived next day, in great condition and came with special feed and instructions to care for the flowers so you can keep them for as long as possible.



They lasted pretty well too, almost reaching two weeks and the smell filling my room for those two weeks was glorious! I so didn't want to throw these away when it was time.

*This post contains PR samples.

Letting go of blogging

I started blogging around about 2009. I've been doing it ever since and I've never been more unhappy with it than I have been this year. Towards the end of last year I was thinking about giving it all up but my boyfriend bought me some camera lenses for my 'blogging' camera and I felt a bit like I had to carry on. I must admit after using the lenses I really enjoyed taking photos and I feel like they improved a little bit (despite finding out I'd been transferring minute size copies of the images onto my laptop for years) but this year I've just lost all interest.

I don't really care about the latest lipsticks and I even got a bit fed up of Manicure Monday's and felt like spending my money on nail polishes was a bit of a waste. I got fed up of pressuring myself on a weekend to get blog photos taken and posts written when I'd already spent a whole week working 9-5.30pm in front of a computer.

I'd taken multiple 'blog breaks' through the year but nothing really helped so I finally decided that was it a couple of weeks ago...so I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here now to be honest. I feel like completely taking the pressure off has allowed some words to just flow freely from my fingers. I don't have anything to review/promote this time and I'm just getting things out of my brain. I don't even know if I'll publish this but it feels good to be writing something down.

During the past few weeks I've had lovely relaxing weekends. I've spent an entire Saturday doing my housework without worrying about having to slot in some time to take photos. I even spent a Sunday or two on the sofa and I got through the entire new Harry Potter book within two hours. It was magical (lol, sorry!).

It's nice to say I don't have anything planned on the weekend. It's nice to pop out to town or if Vince has the day off from work it's nice to spend it together and go somewhere without having this nagging in the back of my head about having to get blog photos taken.

I don't think I'll go back to blogging like I was before on a regular basis. Sometimes I do get the urge to get all the pretty blog props out and start shooting away but then I remember I want to keep all the pressure off. I don't want to worry about comment numbers and who is or isn't reading and I don't want to keep comparing my blog to the thousands and thousands of other perfect ones out there so instead I think I'll just use this as my little space on the Internet where I can jot down thoughts and let words spill out spontaneously.

Until next time...

Manicure Monday: Essie Gel Couture

Trying a little somethin' new with the old blog photos today - do let me know what you think in the comments. If it's a hit I'll probably alternate this style with the usual flat lays.

Anyway, on with the post. Today I'm talking about yet another gel polish release, this time from Essie. Everytime I go into Boots it's Essie's stand that catches my eye but I only ever really buy anything when there's an offer on as £8 for a single polish is a little expensive for me personally. However, recently I came across the new Gel Couture polish range, which comprises of new twisted style bottles as well as twisted brush stem and super wide brush for ease of application, and I just had to give them a go. You simply pop on the base coat of choice, I picked up 'Looks to Thrill', which is a orange-toned coral shade, and then whack the clear top coat on top. Simples.

I'm a huge fan of the wide brushes on these polishes, they cover the entire nail with ease. The top coat brush in particular is pretty huge!



I needed a couple of coats of the base colour, which is such a gorgeous shade, as it was a little streaky. Two coats did the trick though and it dried super duper fast too, ready for the top coat, which gives it a gloriously shiney finish. Essie claim the gel polishes last up to 14 days but this is really dependent on how often you're using your hands and for what sort of tasks you're using them for. If you were a lady of leisure, unlike myself, I'm sure this would last the full 14 days.

Unfortunately one of my nails started chipping after two days of application. None of the nails lasted even seven days, there was minimal chipping on most of them and on one nail the polish was coming away in great chunks. REALLY disappointing. The point of gel nail polish is to be able to get a gel manicure at home at a fraction of the price, which means it should at least last longer than your average highstreet nail polish. I hadn't even put my nails through their paces either with housework or washing up. By day six I removed all the polish, I actually peeled it all off as it was coming away so easily.

Overall I'm super disappointed with this. The colour is amazing but it just doesn't last, chipping after two days is just not good enough, especially as these polishes are on the more expensive side. It seems like a real waste of money.

Have you tried the new Essie Gel Couture polish? Let me know in the comments what you thought.

Don't forget to let me know in the comments what you think of the new style of photo. Also, don't forget voting in the Bloggers Blog Awards is now open and it would be great if you could vote for me for Best Beauty Blog! You can VOTE HERE

Primark beauty haul

Recently I went on a shopping trip to Birmingham and of course had to pop into Primark. My nearest Primark is the Bristol one, which alongside the London ones is probably one of the biggest in the country I believe, however I found more in the Birmingham one than I ever do in the Bristol one, mainly beauty tools/nail polishes.

I was seeking out the PS Pro range from Primark in particular and was really impressed with the amount on offer. I got myself a new bargainous eyeshadow brush and some rose gold/copper eyelash curlers, which are not only necessary tools but they make nice blog photo props too! I was in the market for some new tweezers too and for £1 I picked up a pair of pretty Aztec print ones.




Primark has always been great for make-up bags too. I have loads in my collection but I spotted another with my initial on it and just had to pick it up. It was only a couple of pounds and is really roomy so can fit lots in. Again another product that can also be used as a blog photo prop - don't you just love it?!




What really impressed me most about Primark's beauty offerings were its nail polishes. There was a HUGE selection of pretty colors but I chose to pick up two really cute, bright polishes, which were only 60p each. I also picked up a pack of three bronze/glitter polishes. These are definitely my favourite, the colours are just gorgeous and I can't wait to feature them in a Manicure Monday post.

Have you picked up anything from Primark recently? Let me know in the comments.

Before you go - voting in the Bloggers Blog Awards is now open and it would be great if you could vote for me for Best Beauty Blog! You can VOTE HERE

Natural Collection Festival Basics

Keeping packing to a minimum is hard enough but when you're packing for a festival, you really need to be ruthless when it comes to necessities. Personally some deodorant and a packet of wet wipes just won't cut it for me, I need something to at least make me feel a bit more alive and basic make-up can really help.

I recently featured Natural Collection and recommended it as a great brand for anyone who is a bit of a beginner when it comes to beauty. Even if you're not a beginner, the range is fab, affordable and I believe cruelty free too. The products are also brill little festival basics too and it doesn't matter if you misplace them in your tent as they're super cheap so you can simply replace them when you get home.




I absolutely swear by Natural Collection mascara. It's the only brand of mascara I find that doesn't clump, makes my lashes look nice and long and doesn't have stupidly thick brushes so application is really easy. I usually use the LashLength but have recently been trying the Water Guard as a waterproof alternative and have found it works really well, perfect in fact for unpredictable festival weather.




In your festival make-up bag you could also pop a concealer ready for those late nights and hiding dark circles. Not a necessity as such but something to perk you up a bit and make you feel a bit more like yourself as it can be hard living out of a back pack and being caked in mud. The Natural Collection concealers are particularly handy as they come in fab lipstick type applicators, protecting them from all the heavy drinks cans you stuff in your bag alongside them.

The lip balms and nail polish are definitely not essential at all but they are great for creating a fun festival look. The polish will last a good couple of days while you're at the festival and a slick of lipbalm every few hours will keep lips hydrated as well as looking good thanks to the hint of colour.

What are your festival basics? Have you tried taking any Natural Collection products along to a festival? Let me know in the comments.

Before you go - voting in the Bloggers Blog Awards is now open and it would be great if you could vote for me for Best Beauty Blog! You can VOTE HERE

*This post contains PR samples

Manicure Monday: Kylie Jenner Sinful Colors Trend Matters Collection

I've never heard of the brand Sinful Colors before. I have of course heard of Kylie Jenner, although I can't say I'm a fan as such. I've been watching the whole lip kit debacle from afar but I'm not a fan of lip products so I wasn't really interested in trying these myself, however nail polish is definitely my bag so thought I'd see how I got on.

I spotted a display of the Trend Matters Collection from Sinful Colors in among all the sickly sweet Youtuber products in Superdrug so decided to pick up two shades. I went for Haute Koffee, a dark coffee/purple shade with a hint of shimmer and the bold pink Miss Klaws. I thought these in particular looked quite pretty and would work well together as well as individually and I was not wrong.



I wasn't a huge fan of the brush on these polishes. These days I expect most brushes to be quite wide/fanned as we all know this makes applying the nail polish so much easier, but brush problems aside, the polish did apply really nicely and dried super speedily. I was interested to see that these dried matte but then I realised the name of the range Trend Matters and had a little chuckle to myself at old clever cloggs Kylie's little play on words.

The colours themselves are really pretty and I only needed two layers of polish for each nail so they weren't too thin and not too thick either.




At £3 each these are on the cheaper side of most high street nail polishes but they lasted a good four days before there was any really bad chipping. On the fourth day I did start the day with very minimal chipping but then I went swimming and this seemed to strip the polish a lot. I didn't use a top coat so this might of helped but I'm more than happy with it lasting four days, I would say that's just as good as any other high street brand.

They are really reasonable and a nice cheaper alternative to some other high street polishes. I just wish the brushes were a little wider!

Have you tried the Kylie Jenner for Sinful Colors Trend Matters collection? Let me know in the comments.

Before you go - voting in the Bloggers Blog Awards is now open and it would be great if you could vote for me for Best Beauty Blog! You can VOTE HERE

H&M Home blog photo prop haul

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about my New Look blog photo prop haul and I have say it went down rather well. It seems I'm not alone in seeing homeware products as blog photo props instead so when I was in London recently I just had to pop into H&M Home.

I was very good and quite restrained, just picking up three little bits in order to give my blog photos a bit of a makeover as I have to admit the copper props were getting a bit samey in every pic. I got myself a very pretty silver pinapple, which only when I got it home did I realise it was a candle, a geometric print cushion cover and a small porcelain plate with some really cute detailing around the edge. You can see the first set of photos I took with the new props here and I have to say I'm really pleased. I like the monochrome look and the plate in particular is fab for popping nail polishes on.




I'm starting to build up a bit of a collection of little plates, they're just perfect props for blog photos and I've seen lots of other bloggers using them too. I know that TK Maxx and Sainsburys have lots of cute ones so I may need to pick up some more. I love the detailing on the edge of this one, very pretty with the blank, white and gold colour pattern.

I also find that tea towels and cushion covers make fab backgrounds too, in particular monochrome ones with geometric patterns like this that I picked up. It looks nice just poking out of a photo and takes away the harshness of the fake wooden floor background. I definitely need to pick up more cushion covers, H&M had loads of different colours and patterns...I feel like this could be my new obsession.

So what are your thoughts on this mini H&M Home haul? What bits have you picked up recently for use as blog photo props? Let me know in the comments.

Summer scent-sations from Yankee Candle Riviera Escape collection

Looking around my lounge I can count 11 Yankee Candle jars...it's safe to say I have a bit of a problem, but looking around my lounge, I can't actually count many non-Christmassy/autumnal candles so that's my excuse for recently receiving four jars from the new Riviera Escape collection!

I was definitely in the market for something a bit less autumnal and a bit more refreshing. The Riviera Escape collection from Yankee Candle at Love Aroma includes four different candles, Olive & Thyme, Sea Salt & Sage, Summer Peach and Riviera Escape, all of which are super refreshing and uplifting but completely different from one another at the same time.





Olive & Thyme - the lime green colour of this candle looks great and reminds me of green grass in summer. It definitely has a citrus scent in there but it's not too heavy, but very invigorating, almost like a citrus shower gel that wakes you up in the morning.

Sea Salt & Sage - crisp white candles like this one are always so aesthetically pleasing. This one not only looks good on my shelves but the scent is really light and clean. The sage isn't too overpowering and it definitely has a whiff that takes me straight to my happy place of walking along the seafront.

Riviera Escape - this one also has a coastal/seaside scent to it combined with a beautiful blossom. It's another crisp and fresh scent that's perfect if you want something lighter during the day time.

Summer peach - this one is a superbly juicy peachy scent that's not too sickening when you give it a sniff. Another great one if you want something light during the day time, it would work equally well in the bathroom if you want a nice, relaxing candle lit bath.



The Riviera Escape collection is a really nice, well rounded mix of colours and scents. Each scent is quite simple and not too over complicated. When you think of summer, you think of holidays, the beach and fresh fruit smells and this range delivers on all of these. They're all very refreshing and crisp scents so won't fill up a room too heavily like an autumnal candle can and they can be used individually as well as lit together to create more scent-sations.

Have you tried any of the Yankee Candle Riviera Escape collection yet? Let me know your fave in the comments.

*This post contains PR samples.

Rediscovering my love of reading

Ever since I was little I have absolutely loved reading. I have saved all my childhood books (I'm not quite sure why) in a huge box that I can't lift anymore and I have stacks of the things on my shelves in my living room but over the past few years I guess life has taken over and reading has been pushed to the side quite a bit, so much so that I was picking up a book but just couldn't get into it anymore. I would keep getting distracted, skim reading and just generally not enjoy it. With blogging, the internet in general and working full time the chances I got to read were pretty few and far between until very recently when I picked up Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins.

Now, this post isn't a review of the book but it's about how the book got me back into reading. After years of picking up and putting down books and being unable to really get into them, this book changed it all and I literally couldn't put it down.

My mum had bought The Girl on the Train and literally read it within two days (she absolutelt whizzes through books, even reading more than one at a time!) so I borrowed it from her and one Sunday afternoon I decided I'd give it a go. Before I knew it I was chapters into the book and loving the way it was written, from the different character's point of view.

I finished it probably within less than a week and it was one of those books where I could read it on the sofa, with the TV on and with Vince chattering away, yet I could still concentrate on it. I managed to block everything else out and get lost in this whole other world, which is why I loved books in the first place.

I also know when I really, really love a book because once I've put it down, I literally can't think of anything else and I'm constantly waiting to just pick it up again and get stuck in again.

I found that I made time for reading with this book. When I'd usually pick up my laptop and browse the internet, I would instead pick up my book and curl up with it on the sofa. Having previously read a lot of YA fiction in the past, it could be the change of genre that really did it for me - perhaps I was getting tired of the fluffy stories and needed something a bit more grown up to really open that door again to wherever my love of reading went in the first place.

This post is a bit rambly and I'm not quite sure what the point of it is but I felt like I wanted to get my thoughts down somehow. I am now so much more determined to read more and make more time for reading in general. I want to discover new favourite authors and genres so if you can recommend anything, please let me know in the comments.

Beginner beauty: Natural Collection (plus giveaway)

Do you remember when you first discovered make-up or when you first popped into your local Boots or Superdrug and saw the rows and rows of make-up stands and all the pretty colours and products staring back at you? I'm pretty sure my first make-up experimentations included some awfully bright colour of Barry M Dazzle Dust smeared across my face.

My first foray into face products such as moisturiser/foundation/blush etc all started with Natural Collection, which is a brand that has been a staple at Boots stores for the past 25 years. When I was recently sent a little goody box of products from the brand it took me right back to my early teens and the idea for this little post came together.




You can discover make-up at any age of course, you don't have to be young. Some people don't discover it properly until they're much older but a brand like Natural Collection is such a good place to start as the products are so straight forward, from their uses right down to their simple packaging. Everything is super cheap too so it's great for children/teens who want to spend their pocket money or just great for those on a bit of a budget.



The Natural Collection Tinted Moisturiser was always a holy grail product for me as I wasn't a big fan of wearing foundation all day every day. Using a tinted moisturiser gives you a little bit of colour if like me, you're super pale. I usually have to go for the lightest shade as they can come up a bit orange, but you could counteract by mixing a lightener or even adding more moisturiser to it to even the colour up a bit.

As I mentioned Natural Collection really focuses on the basics of make-up and carries a range of bases, bronzes and blushes to enable you to get a simple, radiant look. They're all only £1.99 each, which is a complete bargain. The blushes are my absolute fave, they're small enough to pop in your handbag or even purse and give a lovely pigmented but natural looking peachiness to your cheeks.

The brand is really great at not making its products look intimidating. The pressed powder is great for reducing shine and fixing make-up in place. You just need a simple sweep of the brush and your done. The same goes for the bronzer. I'm not a fan of bronzer personally, they are always way too dark and scary looking but this one from Natural Collection is lovely and pigmented and gives a soft, natural glow thanks to the slight shimmer.

Altogether these Natural Collection products are so simple to use to create an every day look and they're great for beginners or for anyone who is scared of using certain products/doesn't use things like bronze and blush very often. I'd definitely recommend them to anyone who isn't confident with make-up.

This is a brand that a lot of people pass by when in Boots but I'd definitely recommend giving it a go, even if you're accomplished at applying make-up. I swear by the brand's lash length mascara, I use it everyday and it's absolutely brilliant!

Have you tried anything from Natural Collection before? Let me know in the comments.

If you want to win all the Natural Collection products featured in this post then just follow the below: (UK only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This post contains PR samples.

Manicure Monday: Colour pop nails from Maybelline Color Show

Back in April I featured Maybelline's Color Show Blushed Nudes polishes and they were a huge hit with me (and you!) so this time while browsing the Maybelline stands in Boots, I decided to go for some bright, fun and funky polishes to create a bit of a 'colour pop' look on my nails. Perfect for summer, even if the sun doesn't come out!

I feel like pink and mint nail polishes always work well together so I picked up two of the Color Show 60 seconds polishes in Roof Terrace (mint green) and NY Princess (pink) and well, I hate to say I told you so but these work brilliantly together. I think the label colours are really true to how they actually come out once on the nail, they're super bright and fun and have a lovely, shiney finish to them.



The application was good, I would have liked more fanned out brushes, but I say that for all polishes without a fanned brush, and I only needed two layers or each polish to get a good coverage. They did dry super quickly. Unfortunately I didn't actually time them (I know I should have) but they were really fast drying, so no annoying hanging around waiting for your nails to dry before you can do anything. I was going about my usual business within a matter of minutes...one minute in fact.



I think these are absolutely perfect for brightening up your mood as well as your nails. I pretty much have a different polish on my nails every week and the thing I enjoy most about nail polish is when you're typing at a computer (I work on a computer all day) and you can see your coloured nails bouncing off the keys, giving you a little flash of colour every now. These are the perfect pick-me-up colours and a great little colour pop for your day.

Have you tried the Maybelline Color Show polishes? What nail polish colours brighten up your day? Let me know in the comments.

New Look blog photo prop haul

I was recently trying to think of some blog post ideas and wondered if people might like to see what blog props I used in my photos. I remembered I had recently bought a few little props that I'm loving so much at the mo and then I realised they're all from New Look and so the idea for this mini haul post was born.

You really know you're a blogger when you're browsing the home section of any shop and instead of seeing ornaments or bits and pieces for your home you instead see blog photo props. I have more than enough candles around the house but no tealights, so of course I bought copper tealight holders, but these aren't for holding candles, they're for my blog photos. I love the copper cage style holder and as you can see, it's perfect for placing a nail polish into for a really nice framed shot. It's also great for make-up brush shots. It can be a little difficult with focusing but it's definitely my fave prop at the moment, it's literally in every single photo I take!




Recently I was in New Look again and a lot of the home items were reduced so I picked up the two smaller copper tealight holders. These are super cute for blog photos and work nicely with the other one I have. They're great for holding rings/jewellery in a shot or to just place in the background to fill a space.



I also picked up a really cute white heart shaped light, which is probably not something I'd ever have in my house as I just have nowhere to put it but it makes a great photo prop. At the moment I'm using it to fill some space in photos so you can only really see it poking into the corner of a photo but it's also great for using as a white background for a little product such as a nail polish.

So these are my go-to blog photo props at the moment. I love seeing what other bloggers use in their pics so hopefully you found this semi-interesting. Do let me know what blog props you use in the comments.