Bubble T luxuries for the bath

Weirdly around this time last year everyone went mad for The Body Shop's Fuji Green Bath Tea. A year on I still have mine. The pot has rusted and is really hard to open and the tea strainer is full of the green tea gunk so I thought it was about time I got something new for bath times.

I've seen Bubble T on the blogosphere quite a few times so when I spotted some of the products on the shelves in Superdrug on a random shopping trip, I just had to stop and pick something up. The Bath T-bags caught my eye instantly and reminded me a lot of The Body Shop tea from last year so in the basket it went. I also spotted the Bath Oil Pearls, which reminded me of the ones I used to get as a kid, so decided to pick these up as well. I also wish I'd got myself a packet of the Bath Fizzies too but maybe next time!

Inspired by Taiwanese tea, the Bubbles & Tea range includes a shower gel, body spray, bath fizzes, bath pearls, bath and shower jelly and bath T-Bags. The range has a super fresh and fruity scent and the T-Bags in particular smell exactly like strawberry sherbert, it's amazing! They look exactly like tea bags too, with the bath product coming in a little material bag complete with string. You simply pop them in the bath and they turn your water a pretty pinky shade, infusing it with Goji berries and antioxidants and leaving you smelling super fresh and your skin feeling super soft.

The Bath Oil Pearls are a real treat for the skin. They come packed full of the same fresh berry and tea scents and once melted, the oils leave your skin feeling lovely and moisturised.

I paid £5.99 for each of these but they have reduced in price now to £3.99. I personally didn't mind paying £5.99 each for these as I guess I was feeling a bit flush on the day! You certainly get your money's worth as there are absolutely loads of the pearls and a good number of the T-Bags too.

When you think of bath products you immediately think Lush and bath bombs but sometimes I find bath bombs a little bit too much. Too much colour/fizz and scent, they can be a bit overpowering so the Bubble T T-Bags and Pearls are ideal if you want something a bit simpler and fresher.

Have you tried any Bubble T products? Let me know what you thought in the comments.

PS - fun fact, when I was a kid I sniffed a green bath pearl up my nose in Boots...30 minutes later it started to melt...I'll leave that image with you.

The history of hairstyles

*This post is sponsored. Credit to Crown Clinic for the infographic.

Simple accessories from Jewellery Box

If you know me personally (or maybe even virtually) you'll know I'm a big earring fan. I'm a big piercing fan full stop but I have ears full of piercings and that therefore means I'm always changing up my earring game and looking for new ones. I was getting a bit bored of the tacky cheap earrings I was previously wearing so when JewelleryBox.co.uk contacted me and asked if I'd like to try some from their website I absolutely jumped at the chance.

It was a complete surprise as to what I was going to receive, I just let them know I was a big earring fan! A cute little box arrived for me a couple of days later and inside that box were even more cute little boxes, like a Russian doll of boxes if you will. Each box had a gorgeous pair of earrings in and one even had what I thought was a ring but is actually a toe ring!

I received the Cute Bow Stud Earrings, the Small Sterling Silver Infinity Pull Through Earrings, which are super duper dangly, the Sterling Silver & 7mm Round Sky Blue Topaz Gemstone Rubover Stud Earrings and finally, the Sterling Silver Arrow Design Adjustable Midi Toe Ring, which I think I'd prefer to wear as a normal ring!

Everything is super cute for a start and looking at the pricing, it's pretty reasonable too. What really interested me were the super dangly pull through earrings, which aren't something I've tried before. They don't have backs on obviously so you can pull them through your ear to a length you'd prefer. Now, without backs on you'd think these would fall out but I've been wearing them for days at a time and they don't move at all. I've been wearing them at the longest length you can but I could pull them through further just to shorten them a bit as they did sometimes get tangled in my hair!

The bow studs are also super pretty and I've found they look really nice with the blue topaz studs. I've been wearing the blue topaz studs in my third piercing along but they're pretty big and bulky so I think it might be worth wearing them in the first piercing hole so there's a bit more of my lobe around them.

I'm not fussy with gold or silver but I do often suffer with sore ears from some of the cheaper jewellery that I do wear. I've been wearing all of these for a week now (the dangly ones off and on) and they haven't affected my ears at all, which I'm really happy about.

I'm so glad that JewelleryBox.co.uk got in touch with me because I've discovered so many different, lovely earrings and I'm pleasantly surprised that they also sell nose studs, which is great! There are some really gorgeous pieces at reasonable prices and what I love most is that the little boxes they come in can be used as storage, something which I've been looking for for absolutely ages!

Have you tried anything from JewelleryBox.co.uk? Let me know in the comments.

Manicure Monday: Maybelline Color Show Blushed Nudes

It's that time of the week again, where we fawn over pretty nail polishes. I couldn't think of a better way to spend a Monday to be honest. This week I thought I'd feature the semi-new Maybelline Blushed Nudes polishes, which I picked up recently in Boots.

The Blushed Nudes range has a whole combination of products within it, including a very pretty eyeshadow palette and various lipstick shades. The nail polish range is obviously the most interesting to me so while on a bit of a browse I picked up two shades, a very peachy, pretty Dusty Rose and the gorgeous Crushed Petals top coat.

Inspired by the catwalks, these are absolutely ideal shades for spring. They certainly compliment the sunnier weather we've been having recently (which I bet won't continue!).

I initially thought the Dusty Rose shade would be really thin on application but it isn't at all. It's beautifully thick and applies really well, only needing one or two coats before drying super quick and shiny. The brushes aren't particularly wide but they cover the nail pretty well and the finished look is super pretty.

Having been super impressed with the base shade I thought I'd be even more wowed by the Crushed Petals top coat, just because it looks so pretty in the bottle, like little pink and white petals in a clear polish, but once applied to the base coat shade, I'm not sure if it looks quite as nice. They 'petals' have sort of buried themselves into the base coat and I can't decide whether it looks pretty or a bit like I have a disease on my nails...what do you think?

For £3.99 these are pretty reasonable and they're always on 3 for 2 so definitely worth waiting for this before you buy, which stupidly I didn't do. I definitely prefer the base coats to the top coat, once on the nails it just doesn't look as pretty as it does in the bottle, which is a little disappointing. I'm sure on its own it might look quite pretty or even on a white base it might work well but I'm not sure it has worked quite so well with the Dusty Rose.

Have you tried Maybelline's Blushed Nudes nail polishes? Let me know what you think in the comments.

PS - does it bug anyone else that the US spelling of colour is used on these? I know it's a predominantly US brand but I feel like popping a U in there wouldn't hurt!

Five good things this week #5

I can't believe I'm on number five of these posts already!

Yoga
Yoga was back again this week and I really enjoyed this class. I'm getting much better at the tree pose now, which I'm v.happy about and even demonstrated it to Vince at home, haha! The class is pretty relaxing but I cannot for the life of me hold a plank for more than two seconds. It's embarrasing really, especially when the older ladies are doing it with ease! I definitely need to get the Yoga mat out more at home I think!

Tuesday night dinner date
Not really a 'date' but Vince and I decided, on a bit of a whim, to go out somewhere for dinner. We have wanted to check out a new Chinese restaurant near us for a little while so we decided to go there. We are big fans of Chinese, especially all-you-can-eat buffet style ones, but this one was a normal sit down table service. This particular Chinese restaurant is also a takeaway so I have to admit I wasn't expecting the food to be brilliant, I was probably expecting takeaway style but it was actually really good. Piping hot and delicious! We had a mixed starter to share and then I had Thai King Prawn Green Curry, which tasted really good, even better than the Thai Green Curry I've had before from an actual Thai restaurant! Vince had chicken in oyster sauce, which he really enjoyed too.

The restaurant was absolutely dead the whole time we were there, apparently there was a football match on, which explained it, but it's such a shame as it's such a nice place. We'll definitely be going back! Afterwards we had a walk along the seafront (pic above - no filter!), which was really nice. Walking along the seafront can be a bit hit and miss, usually it's super windy and cold but it was quite warm and calm so it was a really lovely evening! Then we went home and promptly fell asleep!

Crochet

I had crochet again this week. When I have Yoga on a Monday and then crochet on a Thursday it can feel like a bit of a busy week, which is good! I got on with my star blanket during the class but I'm getting that itch that makes me want to start something new, despite not actually finishing anything first.

I have to admit I have started making some coasters for my living room, but they were super easy and quick so they don't really count. I'll hopefully be able to do a post on them once they're all finished - I'm just waiting for the darker grey ball of wool to arrive!

New Topshop top

This week I treated myself to a new top for my wardrobe, oops! It's this plain white tee with some detailing on the arms. I actually saw it on ViviannaDoesMakeUp's video and instantly bought it. As a generally clumsy person who is forever spilling food down myself, white isn't usually a colour I'd go for in a top but it just had such a spring/summer vibe to it that I had to get it. I guess I'll just have to not eat anything while I wear it (yeh, right!).

Tea and shopping

Actually, make that raspberry lemonade, sausage sandwiches and shopping! On Saturday I popped to town with my mum for a bit of a mooch round. I ended up buying myself a new jumper from New Look, although I know it's supposedly getting warmer, it was just so me that I couldn't leave it. The best bit is I had the money to cover it on my gift cards so technically I didn't spend anything!

It was a nice afternoon and the weather played nice too, which is a change. It was good to get out of the house especially as the morning had put me in such a bad mood due to me thinking my spin bike was broken! It looks like it's not actually broken but there could be a loose connection somewhere. Argh!

What are five good things that have happened in your week? Let me know in the comments.

Footwear for spring: Butterfly Twists Jade Dalmation Slip On

All winter I've been living in socks and ankle boots and I feel like it's time for my ankles to be free! As the weather is warming up I finally think it's time to cast the boots aside and get into some new spring appropriate footwear.

In 2012 (omg!) I was introduced to Butterfly Twists footwear and in particular its foldable ballet pumps. These ballet pumps lasted so long and I wore them so often so when I was recently contacted by the brand and asked if I'd like to try a pair of shoes from its SS16 range, I just had to see what was on offer. I went for a pair of Jade Grey Dalmation skater style slip ons as I was looking for something a bit more spring appropriate but something that wouldn't leave me with cold feet! These are perfect and I love the grey brushed fur and black dalmation pattern!

I went for the grey version of these as I felt like the leopard and zebra print versions were a little OTT and not very me, plus grey goes with most things so a lot more practical. £60 is definitely more than I would spend on a pair of skater shoes if I'm honest. I probably wouldn't spend more than £30 but as I've been wearing these more and more I am seeing the worth of these and I know how long Butterfly Twists' shoes last too so these could be a real investment piece.

Butterfly Twists are known for their foldable pumps, which make them super easy to pack and travel with and they're super convenient if you need to pop them in your bag ready for a night out. These skater shoes are also foldable and come with their own handy little bag so if you do need to pack them, you can make sure they're kept nice and clean. As these are foldable they do ruche up in the middle, effectively pulling the shoes up at the back so on the first couple of wears these did rub quite a bit on the back of my heel. As the shoes stretched the rubbing stopped and they're actually really comfortable. The insides are pretty padded and there is a cute cushion inside on the heel part for extra comfort.

I'm pretty much a jeans and tee/jumper kind of girl so these look really nice with a pair of jeans, whatever colour they are. They're super comfy for wearing all day long and make a perfect spring shoe!

Have you tried anything from Butterfly Twists' new SS16 range? Let me know in the comments.

*This post contains a PR sample

Manicure Monday: Rita Ora for Rimmel London 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish

I can't quite believe that it was 2014 when Rita Ora teamed up with Rimmel London to launch a range of nail polishes. I loved the pretty, girly Lose Your Lingerie shade and then last year I became a big fan of the spring brights range so when I saw that three new shades had been released for spring/summer 2016 I just had to pick them up.

Included in the three new releases are 'Give It Some Welly', which is a light grey, Loosey Goosey Dancing, which is a super bright, almost neon green and Pump Up The Purple, which, you guess it...is purple. The purple and green shades have some Halloween vibes about them but as they're so bright and fun they're perfect for spring/summer too. They work really nicely with the grey too. I guess all three are perfect for any time of year!

Each polish is a base coat, colour and glossy top coat all-in-one. They all have a super shiny finish but the purple and green are a little on the thin side so probably need around three coats to get the desired finish. The one thing I really wasn't keen on was the brushes, I'd prefer them to be much more fanned out. These ones are very cube shaped so the polish runs straight down the middle, glooping onto the nails, which isn't ideal. Once the excess nail polish is removed they do apply really nicely and dry pretty quickly too.

I'm a big fan of these three new releases. They'd all be fab on their own for spring/summer or they all work really nicely worn together too like I have in the above photos. The polishes are pretty hard wearing too, they survived my washing up test and last a good couple of days.

What do you think of the three new shades? Let me know in the comments.

Five good things this week #4

Well it took me a pretty long time to think of my five things for this week. Unfortunately it was a pretty general week with not much going on. There was no crochet class and Yoga was cancelled so I didn't exactly get up to much. I have managed to come up with my five though, no matter how hard it was...

Back on the crochet
After last week's class I've been determined to do more crochet at home in the evenings. I'm the type of person that if something is out of sight then it is out of mind so putting my crochet away is not a good thing as I forget about it and I keep ending up only ever picking it up every two weeks during class. This week I got back into doing my star blanket! I'm not really sure what I'm making it for but I'm just keeping on going. I'm determined to actually finish it too, which I don't often do with my projects, oops!

New book
I have always been a huge bookworm but in recent years I haven't been reading nearly as much as I'd like to. A couple of weeks ago I picked up the newest book in the Shopaholic series. It's probably much too young for me now but as I've read all the other books in the series and I spotted this one, I just had to pick it up and see how the story continued. It's been nice to actually read again and hopefully it will lead me to reading more often!

Boots haul
Yesterday I somehow accidentally found myself in Boots...which is a real danger. I always pop in even if I don't need anything and I always end up picking something up! I got myself two new nail polishes from the Maybelline Blushed Nudes collection, which I'll definitely be featuring in a Manicure Monday soon so look out for those! I also picked up a couple of Biore products, which is a brand I've never tried before. Recently I've developed quite big pores on my nose and chin so I picked up some pore strips and a pore cleanser. I gave the strips a little go yesterday afternoon and while being a bit grossed out, I was also really impressed with what they managed to pick up. I'm not too sure how often I should use them but with the cleanser I'm hoping for a pore free face!

Clean house!
Yesterday was also a big cleaning day in my house. I do clean regularly every week but every month or so I go full on clean and get the big hoover out, get the air fresheners and fabric fresheners out and just spend most of the day giving everything a good scrub. The house now smells lovely and clean and I'm so impressed I managed to get the black glass TV stand dust free!

A free Sunday...
Today I have a day all to myself...my mum is off out with my sister and the kids but I'm staying home so I can get a proper day of blogging under my belt. I haven't had one in SO long and usually leave taking photos until late Sunday afternoon so I'm determined today to get lots of photos taken of products that are piling up on my desk and get lots of writing done too. I'm also going to hop on my spin bike as I'm determined to do it more often, I've been really lazy recently!

What are five good things that have happened in your week? Let me know in the comments.

Catch up on the week's posts:

Five simple ways to cheer yourself up

Manicure Monday: Barry M Coconut Infusions

Five simple ways to cheer yourself up

In a bid to mix things up a bit on the blog and stop the constant barrage of beauty reviews, I thought I'd put together this little list of things I personally do when I'm in a bad mood, which according to my boyfriend, is a lot of the time (har har!). Hopefully if you're having a rubbish day then these things might help, they're just a few simple pick-me-ups that I find really improve my mood.

Buy yourself some flowers
When I'm in a bad/sad mood I want to buy all the things! It's tricky to stop myself from going full on Supermarket Sweep in Boots or New Look. Buying lots of junk you don't need is only a temporary fix and the next day you'll be instantly regretting it. You can never regret buying yourself flowers though, they'll cheer you up for at least a week or two (if you remember to keep the water fresh) after your sad day/bad mood so I always like to have a fresh bunch in the house. You don't have to go for the expensive bouquets either, supermarkets sell cute little bunches of tulips for as little as £2.

You could even find yourself a pot, some dirt and some tulip bulbs and plant your own. Mine are just starting to come out now so when they're ready I can snip them and pop them in a vase!

Exercise
Regular exercise really helps improve my mood. I've recently taken up Yoga which is extremely relaxing and consists of sleeping on the floor for 20 minutes, oh and some stretches here and there...but if Yoga isn't your thing then something more intense like aerobics, kickboxing or even spinning is a great way to improve your mood. It's a well-known fact that exercise helps if you're feeling down, it gets your heart beat up and gives you something else to concentrate on. It releases endorphines, which trigger a positive feeling. It's also a great way of getting all your frustrations out.

You don't even need to be a Gym member or go to a class, just search up a Youtube vid and get your exercise on anywhere in your house where there's a bit of space!

Immerse yourself in something that takes no brain power
Sometimes I just need a day (usually a Sunday) where I stay on the sofa under my blanket and watch rubbish on TV or binge watch a TV series. Alternatively you could read books/mags or spend hours watching Youtube videos. Whatever it is that needs little to no brain power, do it and don't feel guilty for taking a day out either.

Go for a walk
Walking does come under the exercise category so again, getting your heart beat up and those endorphines flowing is going to boost your mood physically but walking is also great mentally and when I say walking I don't mean round the shops..I mean a proper across fields, through woods kind of walk! In my local area we have a great woods, which we like to walk in, we also have beaches and it always cheers me up to walk along the seafront, smelling the fish and chips, listening to the seagulls and the sound of the waves. Just giving your mind a break and getting some fresh air always does the world of good

Chat to a good friend/relative
Meeting up with a good friend or even a close relative is a great way to cheer yourself up. I really enjoy going for a cup of tea in a local cafe with my sister and just having a good moan. I like to let it all out and enjoy a cake while I'm there! You don't even have to talk about what's bothering you, just having a good chat and a laugh can put you in a great mood!

What are your top tips for cheering yourself up? Leave them in the comments and I'll give them a try.

Manicure Monday: Barry M Coconut Infusions

When I saw Barry M's announcement about its Coconut Infusions range it was April 1...I thought it was an April Fool's joke but one of those ones where you think to yourself that actually it would make a pretty good product, like that mood changing nail polish joke from last year, so when I saw that the range had actually launched I couldn't believe it. As soon as I realised it was real I ordered myself a couple of shades from the new collection.

The benefits of coconut oil are pretty widely known by now so why not pop coconut water and oil into a nail polish to help nourish and hydrate our nails? I'm surprised it's not been done before to be honest!

The range comes in nine different bright, fun spring shades: Flamingo, Tiki Hut, Aloha, Sunkissed, Bikini, Starfish, Surfboard, Skinny Dip and Laguna and are priced at £4.99 each. I popped into Superdrug and they were already on three for two and if you spend over a certain amount you get a free makeup bag too!

I definitely feel like I picked up the best shades of the range. They are so bright and cheerful, Aloha in particular is an almost flourescent/neon pink while Laguna is an almost pastel lilac/blue shade and Bikini is a pretty minty shade. These three really stood out to me in the collection and I think they work really well together too, complimenting eachother perfectly. I think the shade Flamingo would be a great one as well. They're perfect for spring and for bringing a bit of colour and cheer to your life.

I thought Laguna and Bikini might be a little thin because they're such light colours but they weren't at all. All of the shades were a tiny bit thicker than most thanks to all that delicious coconut within. They're wonderful to apply and the super wide brush makes it SO easy. They dried really quickly and all have a lovely shiny finish to them. They're quite similar to the Gelly polishes when it comes to application and finish but they have a slightly nicer scent to them, although disappointingly it's not a coconut one!

I did pop a top coat on these just as a bit of added protection but the finish is definitely shiny enough that you don't really need one.

This is by far my favourite Barry M release so far this year and I thought they wouldn't be able to top the likes of the Gelly Spring Collection and Speedy Spring Collection but they've really surpassed them! I am definitely going to be picking up a couple of the other shades in the range, I'd love to give Flamingo a go and a couple of the more nude/beige shades.

What do you think of Barry M's new Coconut Infusions range? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

Five good things this week #3

This post is coming a bit late today, especially when I'm hoping to have one going up on Monday morning too - as long as I get my act together and get it all photographed this afternoon, eek! I am planning to get a few blog photos taken this afternoon but really need to stop leaving it so late. I need to start taking photographs on Saturdays too and eventually, after work when it is lighter a bit later!

Yoga
This week Yoga was back after the Bank Holiday. It's only the second class we've been to so some of the stretches are a bit adventurous for us newbies but it's still good to get some exercise in - I do struggle with the breathing sometimes though. When the teacher tells us to breath in and hold it, I can't hold it long enough and by the time she's breathing out, I've already breathed out and breathed back in again! I'm not sure if it's something to do with my asthma or if it's something you learn to do better over time.

My shoulders were really painful this week, I think from sitting at my spin bike. I think the seat needs to be closer but unfortunately I've got it pulled as far forwards as it will go. I thought Yoga might help my shoulders a bit but the day after they were SO stiff so I've been suffering with them a bit this week.

This section doesn't particularly sound like a 'good thing' but I promise I enjoyed the class, especially the last 20 minutes or so when you basically get to go to sleep on the floor - some people even bring blankets!

Crochet
My Mum and I went back to crochet classes this week after a few weeks off. I haven't picked my crochet up in weeks, oops, but it was good to get started again. I'm currently working on a pink and cream star blanket, which I'm sure I'll post about soon or once it's finished. I am keen to start making some more adventurous items such as teddies/toys and am currently waiting for some kind of kit to come into stock. I'm not sure how good I will be at it but I'm going to give it a go!

Back on the bike
On Saturday, after a few days off in order to rest my shoulders and neck, I got back on my spin bike for 30 minutes. I'm still actually taking it quite slow and I have the resistance right down but I managed 15km and my shoulders didn't hurt too bad from it afterwards. I need to make sure I sit up straighter I think and really warm up/warm down properly. I guess it's easy to not do it properly when you're doing it at home at your own pace.

Although the resistance was right down I did keep up the pace for the entire 30 minutes, which I was quite pleased with. I need to start upping the time to around 45 minutes and putting the resistance up slightly, however the next resistance setting from the lowest one seems really hard! Wish me luck!

Park afternoon
Yesterday my Mum and I popped to my sister's for a cup of tea, which ended up in a trip the park for my niece and nephew. The weather wasn't brilliant and it did start raining halfway through the kids playing on the swings but I think they enjoyed themselves. They just enjoy walking through the park, Daisy said it was 'a beautiful place' and Oscar looked hilarious running around in his Spiderman costume!

Day with Vince
Vince finally has a day off today and I'm currently trying to get him off the sofa and to the shops with me. He very kindly made me toast for breakfast but now he seems to have slumped on the sofa. It's quite a nice day weather wise so even just getting outside to the shops would be nice, just so we're not stuck indoors all day!

It is his first day off in six though so I can't be too naggy with him! I'm hoping to get blog photos taken this afternoon and will probably pop to my Mum's as well. I've got housework to do but I'm currently ignoring it in favour of writing this post!

It's going to be a pretty chilled out day I think...I'm not sure what I will be doing next week. Unfortunately Yoga isn't on tomorrow and Crochet is every two weeks so it certainly won't be as busy of a week. I'm hoping to get on my bike a bit more so will report back on that next week.

What have been five good things that have happened to you this week? Let me know in the comments.

Catch up on this week's posts:

Body Fantasies Body Spray

Spring clean your makeup collection

Manicure Monday: Spring Pinks

Body Fantasies body spray

Earlier this year there was a real blogger buzz surrounding Body Fantasies Perfume Sprays, which were launching here for the first time ever! There were four different scents launching, Pink Grapefruit Fantasy, Pink Vanilla Kiss Fantasy, Japanese Cherry Blossom and Twilight Mist, all in pretty pink and purple packaging, which is very reminscent of the Victoria's Secret scents.

I wasn't able to get my hands on them before the official release date and I still wasn't able to even after the release date because we are so behind the times in this town. I recently popped to Bristol for a spot of shopping and luckily they are a bit more up-to-date and the Superdrug store there had these pretties in stock! As soon as I saw them I thought they looked very bright and cheerful sat on the shelf but with a slight pre-teen/teenager feel to them thanks to some of the imagery.

I felt like I was perhaps too old to be buying a 'body spray'. Just the words take me right back to being a teenager and dousing myself in Impulse on an hourly basis, but I didn't let it put me off and I bought two of the scents at £3.99 each. I went for Japanese Cherry Blossom because it was probably the most appealing sounding scent containing rose and amber notes, which are really feminine and light. I also picked up Pink Vanilla Kiss Fantasy as it had a super sweet scent of florals mixed with a hint of fruit.

At £3.99 each I wasn't expecting these to impress me hugely but I'm pleasantly surprised. They're a perfect handbag size so you can pop them in your bag and give yourself a little spritz when you're out and about. The scents are actually really nice and definitely my preferred fragrance to wear. The scent doesn't last all day but I wasn't expecting it to. At most it lasts for a couple of hours but the convenient size means you can take it with you and keep reapplying. It's ideal if you don't have any miniature perfumes and can't carry round a full size perfume bottle, as much as you would like to!

As I mentioned I feel like these are aimed at a much younger market than me but I found them perfect when I fancied a light spritz and a bit of an uplift during the day.

Would you give these a go or have you tried them already? Let me know in the comments.

Spring clean your make-up collection

So spring has well and truly arrived and I don't know about you but I have that 'spring clean' itch that makes me want to sort things out and get rid of all of the clutter in my house. The easiest thing I thought I'd start with is my make-up collection, which is a ridiculous size, especially when I only wear mascara and eyeshadow on a daily basis and even then I use the same palette again and again! I thought I'd share a couple of my top tips for helping to de-clutter your make-up collection or make-up bag, hope they help!



Wash your brushes
Probably one of the most obvious things to do when spring cleaning. I definitely don't wash my brushes often enough so they're in desperate need of a good clean. Not too long ago I picked up the Lottie London Soap Star Solid Brush Cleanser, which makes washing brushes a quick and super simple process so I'd definitely recommend picking this up or something similar. Alternatively, you can use baby shampoo to wash your brushes or simply some warm water and lots of scrubbing power!

Get rid of out-of-date products
The thought of how long some of my make-up products have been sitting in my make-up bags or pots for is quite disturbing. 'They' say that mascaras shouldn't be used after three months so if you have any that are older than this then definitely chuck them in the bin. It's so important to keep on top of your mascara use as they can attract nasty bacteria and lead to eye infections so if they're a bit dry or smell a bit funky then it's definitely time to get rid!

Lipsticks and foundations can last a little longer than mascaras, from six months to a year roughly. Liquid-based make-up is the most important one to keep your eye on as it can seperate and grow bacteria a lot easier than non liquids. My rule is if it doesn't look right then it's better to be safe than sorry and say bye bye!

I recently went through my collection and a couple of the liquid-based products that I've had for a LONG time had separated and had an alcoholic/chemical smell to them (gross!) so they went in the bin!



Invest in make-up bags or make-up storage
In my bedroom I keep all my make-up on a shelving unit. It gets really dusty so I have invested in lots of make-up bags to keep things nice and clean and reduce dust. It's also a good idea to invest in some make-up brush pots so your brushes are easily accessible and maybe some clear plastic storage so you can still see which products you have and choose which ones you want to use but you can keep them organised and tidy. Nothing annoys me more than seeing products rolling around all over the place!

Donate any doubles
I don't know about you but I have so many doubles of the same nail polish shade and so many eyeshadow palettes that contain nude/brown shades that I've lost count. It's time to sort through them all, decide which ones you absolutely do need to keep and maybe donate any doubles to family or friends.



Reduce your numbers
If you're anything like me then you'll have a huge collection so it's always a good idea to regularly reduce the number of products you have. If you haven't used anything in three months or more then get rid - chuck it out or donate it to family or friends, it's up to you. Think about creating a capsule collection so a range of very basic shades, products for creating the perfect smoky eye and ones that you keep for special occasions or for best, such as that gorgeous Chanel eyeshadow!

Have you got any make-up collection spring cleaning tips? Leave them in the comments!

Manicure Monday: Spring Pinks

I was struggling to think of nails to feature this week, I didn't have any new polishes to feature and couldn't find anything new on the shelves in Boots so had to dig into my nail polish collection and pick out some old faves. For this time of year I thought I'd go pretty and pink and so here we are!

It's not often I paint my nails pink in all honesty. I'm not extremely girly but there's something very feminine that I love about having pink nails and mixing up different shades is quite a lot of fun.

I picked up the Barry M polishes pretty recently as they are part of the brand's new Speedy Spring range and Gelly Spring range and even though it's only been a couple of weeks since I first tried them, it's nice to dig them out again, especially when the bright, refreshing shades match the weather a bit better! Both polishes are wonderful to apply and dry pretty quickly too, both leaving behind a super glossy finish.

Last year Freedom Makeup released its Pro Impact Les Nudes Collection and it is still my absolute favourite range of pink shades. The packaging has a bit of a Deborah Lippmann feel to it but at a fraction of the price at just £1 each. They do take a little while to dry but once ready they provide just as good a finish as the Barry M ones so pretty impressive!

After painting my nails with these shades I've realised just how much I love the Collection Field Day shade in Peony. It's a lovely almost Barbie pink shade, which isn't usually my go-to colour but there's something about it that is definitely cheering me up!

Lastly, the Nella Milano polish is actually from an Easter range from last year. It's a really thin polish so needs a couple of coats but it's a lovely extremely light pinky/peach shade. Nella Milano is one of my favourite brands of nail polish. They have such a fab range of colours, one for most moods so I definitely need to get myself some more.

How do you feel about spring pink nails? Let me know in the comments.

Five good things this week #2

So last week's post went down quite well and what's more, I enjoyed writing it. I thought I'd struggle to find five good things to be honest but it's not been too bad. Here we go...

Four day week
The downside to this week was that my holiday was over but on the plus side Monday was a Bank Holiday so for me it was actually only a four day working week! Whenever there's a Bank Holiday I always get my days muddled up and Tuesday feels like a Monday and so on. The week went pretty quickly and wasn't too stressful!

Getting my cook on
I've been continuing to cook up some dinners again this week - in last week's post I mentioned that I was making Spanish Sausage Goulash, which I did and it was so yummy! I was really impressed with myself actually. I did have help from my mum but it turned out really yummy, I just wish I had made more of it! I am definitely going to try it again.

On Friday I made Peri Peri chicken, admittedly the sauce was from a jar, but it did taste good! I need to have a root through the cupboards and see what else I can whip up for the week to come - any suggestions?

Pub dinner
On Thursday I had the night off from slaving away in the kitchen and Vince and I enjoyed dinner at the pub with our two friends. We haven't seen them in AGES, since before Christmas, so it was good to catch up. I had Sausage Whirl for dinner with sweet potatoe fries and runner beans. It was really nice, basically a sausage shaped into a catherine wheel/swirl with some yummy sauce. I've actually just seen a recipe for it in my book so maybe that will be something I whip up soon!

Pay day
When this day comes around it's always one of the best of the week but it's tricky to control myself and stop myself from blowing it all - oh to be a teenager again and spending the day shopping, blowing all my money in Topshop. These days most of my money comes in and goes straight back out again on things like rent, bills and other boring adult stuff. Pay day does always make me feel 'safer' again though, knowing I've got some money in the bank should I need it. This month coming I have a dentist appointment though and definitely need to start paying off my spin bike!

Shopping and tea
Yesterday my mum, sister and I took a little afternoon trip into town. Not for anything special, just to have a look around some of the shops and stop off for a cup of tea in a little cafe. I ended up picking up a new top from New Look, some cleaning products (fun!) and some new bath products for me to test out on the blog. I used a voucher for the New Look top so I don't feel like I was too spendy! We stopped off at a nice little cafe in the town where mum had tea and my sister and I have iced drinks - mine was peaches and mint, which was surprisingly lovely! It was a really nice afternoon, simple, not stressful and fun! Even if it was only for a couple of hours.

What have been five good things that have happened to you this week? Let me know in the comments.

PS - I've just joined Snapchat. Add me (cherryp13) for lots of behind the scenes bloggy bits!

On trial: Pixi Glow Tonic and Nourishing Cleansing Balm

I think the Pixi Glow Tonic* has become one of those products that absolutely every blogger has on their beauty shelf. It's one that has been raved about for years so I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to try it! I think I was slightly hesitant because it contains Glycolic acid and I was always under the impression that it was super scary and my skin would not take kindly to it. How wrong I was.

The orangey liquid of goodness only actually contains 5% Glycolic, which I didn't find particularly harsh on my skin at all. There is only ever a slight tingling/tightness sensation to the skin but I put that down to the product doing its thing and banishing all those horrible dead skin cells from my face. The inclusion of Aloe Vera and Ginseng really helps to sooth the skin and keep it feeling super soft and refreshed once applied.

I genuinely don't know what I was worried about when it came to using the Glow Tonic. It's actually a fab product and a good starting point for anyone like me who hasn't tried acidic facial toners before and might be slightly wary. £18 is more on the expensive side of what I usually pay for skincare but for something that leaves my skin feeling much more healthier and generally in a better condition, I really wouldn't mind paying (however on this occasion I was lucky to receive it for free!).

I've also been loving the Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm*, which is another brand new experience for me. I've not tried a balm-to-oil cleanser before, choosing to stick with generic liquid make-up removers on a cotton pad, however this has been a bit of a revelation for me and has opened my eyes to a gentler, kinder way of removing make-up from my skin, especially around my eye area.

The 90ml tub of balm is huge and here's a bit of a tip, you only need a tiny amount of product, otherwise you'll be left with a little bit of a greasy face. It also helps to have a proper flannel/face cloth for removing to make sure you get absolutely all of it off.

Once I worked out the right amount of product to use I found that the balm was super kind to my skin and was a dream to use. It melts off make-up in a flash and didn't irritate my eye area at all so that's a big bonus. It contains Sweet Almond Oil, Shea Butter and Vitamin E, which leaves skin feeling really soft and moisturised and as a perfect base for moving onto your toner.

Beauty blogging is really all about discovering new products that work for you and even if, like me, you think a product might not be right it's always worth giving it a go because you might be pleasantly surprised. I'd definitely recommend Pixi's Glow Tonic and Cleansing Balm as it's been fab for me and a great starting point in regards to the Pixi skincare range, of which I can't wait to look into more.

Have you tried the Pixi Glow Tonic and Cleansing Balm? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

*This post contains PR samples.