The Sunday Catch Up #44

This week was a good one as I had just three days at work and Thursday and Friday off! On Thursday Vince and I went to Bristol to get some Christmas shopping done and unfortunately it was a huge fail. We both just had no idea what to buy anyone so were wondering aimlessly around the shops for hours, starving hungry at the same time. Luckily in the end we worked through it and were able to pick up a few presents but there are still some that Vince doesn't have yet, argh!

During our trip we also popped to Five Guys, which is a new American burger place that is slowly opening across the UK. I have to say I wasn't that impressed. The menu is hamburgers, cheese burgers or bacon or bacon and cheese burgers with various toppings, fries and drinks. The up side is they have loads of different flavours of coke, Fanta etc but other than that it was a bit of a let down. A bit of an overpriced Burger King if I'm honest, so I was a bit disappointed. Chips were good though!

On Friday I did a few bits and pieces that I can never usually get done during the week due to work. I also popped to town and picked up yet more presents and my Christmas shopping is finally complete…which means one thing, wrapping. I hate wrapping presents as I'm so rubbish at it but I'm trying to do it slowly, bit by bit, so it doesn't drive me completely crazy.

Yesterday and today have been pretty relaxed. Yesterday morning's lie-in was ruined though as Vince's car wouldn't start so I was up at 7am de-icing the car half in my PJs with my hair all over the place. Not fun. Unfortunately the car still isn't starting so we're not quite sure what's up with it. Vince is going to be biking it to and from work now when I can't give him a lift. Great time for the car to die to be honest, but that's always the way!

How has your weekend been?

Before you go, catch up on this past week's posts:
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Give the gift of pampering with Seascape

Yves Rocher Flowerparty By Night Eau de parfum

Christmas gift guide: For Her

Give the gift of pampering with Seascape

Seascape Island Apothecary Revive Duo Gift Set - £30*
Seascape Island Apothecary Unwind Body Wash - £16*




I was sent these products much earlier in the year and I never got around to featuring them. I still hadn't used them when I came across them a couple of weeks ago but I thought they'd be perfect for a Christmas gift feature post and luckily, they're still available!

As well as my Christmas gift guides I will also be featuring a few products individually, which I want to talk more about. The first to feature is this gorgeous Seascape Island Apothecary Revive Duo Gift Set, which contains a shampoo and conditioner. Now I know what you're thinking, £30 is pretty pricey for shampoo and conditioner and I would definitely agree with you but I think the receiver will get LOADS of use from these. They will last absolutely ages, even if they're used daily.

The Unwind Body Wash is equally luxurious and a little cheaper as it comes on its own. This one contains 100% natural essential oils of Jersey Lavender to soothe and relax and exotic Ylang Ylang to balance the mind and ease tension, perfect for when you're trying to unwind in the tub.

The products don't contain paraben, silicone or petroleum and are SLS free and suitable for vegetarians. No artificial colours or synthetic fragrances are used either and the brand itself is against animal testing. All ingredients are sourced from ethical suppliers and bottles and packaging are recyclable so this is what bumps up the price a little, but at least you know you/the gift receiver are getting something completely safe and cruelty free.

I think these make really lovely gifts and they're easy to wrap too, perfect for people like me who can only wrap things in square boxes.

Have you ever tried this brand? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.


*These products were PR samples and were sent to me free of charge. I have given my honest opinions on them in this post.

Yves Rocher Flowerparty By Night Eau de parfum

Yves Rocher Flowerparty By Night Eau de parfum 50ml - £19*






I think my new motto in life is that you can never have too many perfumes. I was recently sent the Yves Rocher Flowerparty By Night Eau de parfum and I'm so in love with it!

The bottle does remind me slightly of the Marc Jacob's Daisy perfumes just because of the flower lid but this is definitely where the similarities end. Flowerparty By Night is the 'spicy' nighttime version of Yves Rocher's original, with accents of licorice.

It's a relatively fruity scent with sweet top notes. Its base ingedients include bitter almond essential oil, star anise and bourbon vanilla absolute extracts as well as the hint of licorice. All these combined make for a really gorgeous scent that lingers for hours and hours.

I usually spritz my perfumes all over in the morning but I popped this one on my wrists as well. I could smell it all day long while I was at work and would get constant whiffs of it every time I propped my head up with my hand. It just lasts forever. I love the bitter and floral mix, which I'm quite surprised at as I wouldn't think this would be for me.

This is currently 50% off at £19, which is a HUGE bargain. This is the second Yves Rocher fragrance I've been sent and the second one I have absolutely loved. It's going to become a staple of my collection and I'll definitely be usuing it on a regular basis.

Have you tried Yves Rocher's perfumes before? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.


*This was a PR sample, sent to me free of charge. I have given my honest opinions on it.