Origins Drink Up-Intensive Mask || Review

I'm not usually someone who suffers from dry skin but when it comes to Winter, the cold and the harsh wind definitely takes a toll on my skin and it hasn't completely recovered yet. I've been noticing dry patches around my mouth, nose and across my forehead so I've been using the Origins drink up intensive overnight mask that I got in my Origins set.

I love that this is an overnight mask because there's no fuss of timing, when you need to remove it or removing it at all for that matter. A little of this goes a long way and you can rub it all over your face or just on your dry bits whichever you prefer. When you wake up in the morning it's all completly sank in and your skin feels so smooth and soft.

It also has a really nice smell, like peaches which is ideal since you have to keep it on your face for a long time. It hasn't caused any problems with break outs but has instead left me with a fresh, healthy looking face. 

You literally only need a tiny bit of this and it can be spread across the whole face very easily. I only have the 75ml bottle and still have loads left in it so I can imagine the 100ml bottle would most definitely be worth the money especially for those dry skin sufferers. This isn't actually what it's designed for but when I've not had a lip balm handy I've rubbed this into my lips and it has actually left them lovely and soft aswell.

This stuff is expensive (£23) but for those suffering with dry skin I think it's definitely a product worth investing in.

Have you tried this mask?

Lots of Love,

♥

Garden Celebrations with Crabtree & Evelyn

A company that I absolutely adore the bones of is Crabtree & Evelyn, they were the first PR company I ever worked for and the whole Crabtree team are so lovely! Crabtree & Evelyn's latest event is a Garden Celebration where customers will be offered a daily complimentary tea and biscuit service and they'll focus on a different tea and biscuit pairing each day. This event is going on until the end of May. Being British, afternoon tea is something we're big on and although I personally amn't a tea fan, I do love a good biscuit. They will also be doing giveaways on their social media with one prize being a night in a luxurious London hotel with afternoon tea so keep your eyes peeled for that.  

 

Of course during this event there will be selected Crabtree & Evelyn ranges on offer. Theres 3 for 2 on fine food and one third off the Gardeners, Somerset Meadow, Summer Hill, Verbana & Lavender and Nantucket Briar ranges.

I was sent some delicious strawberry and cream biscuits to try which were incredible, so tasty and crunchy. The whole packet was gone within 5 minutes, in this house they went down a treat! I was also sent some of their Afternoon Tea which my mum tried and really enjoyed.

I was also sent some of the Gardeners Hand Therapy to try because this is one of the products on offer and my dad runs his own gardeners business so we were interested to see how it faired on an actual gardeners hands! The 60 minute hand fix kit comes with hand recovery - an intensive hand exfoliant and hand therapy, a ultra moisturising hand cream to keep your new hands soft.

Within 10 seconds of using the exfoliant my dad was pretty shocked at how good it was and felt on his hands and when he washed it off, he genuinely said his hands had never been so soft. I expected it to work but we didn't expect to see results on first use but as the following pictures show, this kit really is a 60 second kit!!

I don't know about you but I can see an amazing difference in my dad's hands and he's already obsessed with this stuff and has squirrelled it away so nobody can steal it. I think this would be an amazing fathers day gift or a present for anyone who  does a job that's tough on their hands.

What do you think of Crabtree & Evelyn products? 

Lots of Love,

♥

How Now Brown Cow Fake Tan || Review

When you think of a gradual tanner, you think streaky lines. Admit it, we've all been there, slathered on some gradual tanning lotion, woke up the next day and thought never again. Either that or you try it and it does absolutely nothing to tan you and you still look as pale as when you put it on. 

I thought that gradual tanners were just an awful idea that should never have been invented, I've not met a single person who likes them, that was until I tried How Now Brown Cow gradual tanning lotion by Moo Goo. Firstly how cute is that name! The product is 100% natural as it uses their Full Cream Moisturiser as a base and the two natural self tanning ingredients used are Canola Oil based DHA and Erythrulose. They actually have a break down of all their ingredients that are in their products on their website so you can read it and see how natural they all are. 

The lotion doesn't really have a smell, which I would have liked but obviously adding a smell would probably take away how natural the product is so I can live without it. It's really moisturising and easy to blend and it soaks in pretty quick too! After I first applied it I woke up the next morning and I did think I looked slightly browner, nobody else really noticed it but I could. The second day I applied a second lot on my arms and some on my legs and I was and still am so impressed. My skin looks properly tanned and it doesn't have that biscuity fake tan smell either. I think it would be a really good one for fake tanning your face too because it's so natural and moisturising it shouldn't cause any break outs.

Update - I have since used this on my face and it is incredible. It hasn't broken me out, gone patchy or left me looking like a satsuma. It's just given me this gorgeous bronzed glow that I have had so many compliments on. I actually feel like I could just not bother with foundation when I have this on because it gives me such glowing, natural skin. From someone who has never, ever, ever put fake tan on their face before and always just used a darker foundation- I definitely will be now because this gives me that golden glow without harming or irritating my skin.

I forgot to take before and after pictures but theres my arm after two applications compared to my untanned tummy.

My hand/arm after two application next to my leg after one

It's been two days since I've used an application of the tan because it's done so well with two coats that I don't want/need to be any darker. My tan is still as good as it was after the night I last applied it so it lasts even when you stop using the lotion, I'm now just using my regular moisturiser over it to keep it moisturised and when I was applying it I just used my hands and washed them after. Of course it doesn't dry your skin out either like other fake tans because it uses MooGoo's amazing moisturiser as a base.

I can't not mention the packaging I received it in either, the box was so cute. It's the little things that count and my goodness have this brand absolutely changed the game when it comes to fake tan! 

It retails for £15.50 which is pricier than my usual St Moritz but it still comes in cheaper than St Tropez and in my opinion it's worth it. It doesn't dry the skin out, it lasts beautifully, it is slightly more natural looking, it doesn't smell, there's no guide colour to wash off and it's a gradual tanner that actually works!!

Shop How Now Brown Cow here:- http://www.moogooskincare.co.uk/natural-tanning-cream.html

I'll keep you updated with how long an entire tube of this lasts because you will definitely see this in an empties post! Have you tried it?

Lots of Love,

♥

* This post does contain PR samples

My Little Dream Box || April

This month I was extra excited about my My Little Box arriving because normally before it arrives you get a despatch email telling you what the box is but this month we just got a few hints. I always am excited for this box to arrive but it was an extra surprise not knowing what the box theme was until I opened it.

The box packaging this time is probably my favourite yet, the design is amazing, I love that it's a girl sitting on her roof at sunset and you can tell so much thought goes into these designs. I was also super happy to see that the little illustration cards are back and back with the best yet - a blue cloud with a Walt Disney quote on it - "If you can dream it, you can do it.". I love Disney, I love quotes and I love cute illustrations so this made me happy instantly and I will definitely be putting this up somewhere in my room.

The first thing in the box is the lifestyle product which is a cute little stamp. It has lots of French phrases on it like 'oui, non", "avec plaisir', 'merci beaucoup' and then it has english phrases like 'to do', 'made with love' and little clouds and stars. I think the to do list one will come in handy and so will the 'made with love' for little homemade gifts. It is a novelty thing, it reminds me of playing library's with my little sister when I was nine but I like cute, old school things like this.

The fashion item this month was a necklace and I was so excited for this because I thought it would be a pretty statement piece for Summer, I envisioned big colourful gems but it was far from that. However it did come in the most perfect packaging which was a little cloud with 'once upon a dream' on it which unfortunately you had to rip to get the necklace (I'd very much have liked it in tact for my wall). The necklace is a little, delicate gold plate with bonne etoile in it which is pretty and delicate and I think it means lucky star? which is cute but I don't know if it's something I would wear. It comes on a pink cord and I think that's what ruins it for me, I just don't think wearing a pink cord necklace would be very fashionable. I think it would be much nicer in bracelet form for the Summer with denim shorts and a checked shirt.

I do however think this box would be an absolute nightmare for someone who had no background in French, I did higher French and can just about get the idea of what the products are and what they say. However, the little explanation cards they come with are super handy for learning what the products are for because the description on the products themselves is in French. The magazine it comes with is in English and usually I love it but this month they've made the magazine in newspaper material and it folds out like a poster. I'm hoping they only did this because it has a poster inside it because I know I won't read it when it's got to be folded out to be read and the pages feel horrible. 

The beauty products this month are ones that I'm not too sure about. The first is My Little Box's own product 'masque reparateur' which is meant to help split ends and dry ends. I have long hair so anything for dry ends is always welcome, although last month we did get a hair mask too so I think this was possibly the wrong month to add another hair mask in. However, it smells good enough to eat and I look forward to trying it and seeing what it can do. I love the little bags the beauty products always come in too but have yet to find a use for them other than storing things in but they're just too cute to get rid of!

The second beauty product is a cow shed 'wild cow' invigorating body lotion which hasn't really got me too excited. I'm not too bothered about the brand Cowshed and the lotion smells very strongly of ginger which puts me off it so I might donate this one to my mum.

The last beauty product was a loved by Lou Lesage lip balm in red velvet. Again, not too excited by this it's a tinted lip balm and it doesn't appear to have any smell to it but hey hoe maybe it'll surprise me and end up being in a favourites post! I think it could also double up as a cheek tint if you wanted to use it as a blusher, I do like that it's diddy and won't take up too much handbag space.

I'm still pretty unsure on how I feel about this box. I love, love, love the design, the packaging, the thought process and the stamp was a really sweet touch although I'm not sure how practical it will be. However, the beauty products were a bit of a let down and I'm not sure many people will like the necklace. Again, I think I'll stay subscribed for now, I'm a sucker for pretty packaging and it makes me really happy receiving surprises each month and there's always a few things that I love but I do hope they up their game with the fashion and beauty pieces next time.

Did you receive this months box? What did you think of it?

Lots of Love,

♥

Charlotte Tillbury Glastonberry || Review

Probably one of the most hyped up lipsticks in the blogging world last year was Glastonberry by Charlotte Tillbury. Ever since Zoe put it in a favourites video, everybody wanted their hands on this and I have read a lot of rave reviews about it. Luckily I won this in a giveaway and I was so excited to try it because I've never tried anything from Charlotte Tillbury yet since it's still a relatively new brand. I obviously picked Glastonberry because it has such a hype around it and it's a colour that is right up my street. 

The packaging is amazing, if I was a lipstick this is how I'd want to be packaged! The bullet is a stunning ridged rose gold with the Charlotte Tilbury logo embossed on the top and the inside bullet also has Charlotte Tillbury engraved on it. The lipstick itself is a squared bullet shape and everything about it screams luxury.

The colour is a beautiful shade, it reminds me of red wine, a deep reddy purple and it also has a really nice smell to it. Glastonberry applied beautifully, was super creamy and buttery which I didn't expect since it has a matte finish and the shape of the bullet made it easy to apply neatly, quickly. The pigmentation on the lips was incredible, it gave exactly what I was looking for but the problem was it didn't give me it for long....

When you hear matte revolution you think long lasting, not having to top up your lipstick, being able to eat and drink without worrying about whether your lipstick has half worn off but nuh uh you'd be wrong. Everytime I've worn Glastonberry it's only lasted a few hours and if you plan on eating or drinking it wears off much quicker than that. I haven't been wearing it with a lip liner but you can wear a Mac matte lipstick without a lip liner and still keep it on your lips for a good 6 hours so I was quite disappointed. I guess the thought of a matte lipstick being buttery and still retaining it's long lasting powers was too good to be true. 

I do love this lipstick, it's beautiful, the packaging is beautiful and I'm so glad that I won it because it is stunning but I don't think I would buy another one. At £23 each, Charlotte Tillbury lipsticks do not come cheap so not something that you want to have to be reapplying multiple times per day! 

Have you tried any Charlotte Tillbury lipsticks? What did you think of them? Are they worth the splurge?

Lots of Love,

♥

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water || Review

I am a massive Bioderma fan, I bought it when I was on holiday in Italy and France and I've also bought it online from Amazon but it's very expensive and often has expensive shipping fees. I think now you can get Bioderma in the UK but it's still about £14 for a bottle which is quite pricy for a make-up remover.

When my Bioderma ran out at Gary's house, I bought myself one of these to try because for £3.33 it's a fraction of the price and they're often on a 2 for 1/3 for 2 offer too. 

I love the packaging of the bottle, it's got a pretty pink lid, the bottle is decently sized and the packaging is simple but functional. This make-up remover does exactly what it says on the bottle, it breaks down make-up gently but effectively - even water proof mascara and eyeliner. 

Compared to Bioderma, I would say it's not 100% a dupe because I find that I need to use more of the Garnier remover to get the same results I do with Bioderma. I also have to hold a soaked cotton pad to my eye for 10 seconds before wiping otherwise the makeup isn't broken down enough and you can end up removing some eyelashes with the mascara which is never good!

I use the big cotton pads and soak the middle of one and that's usually enough to remove my make-up and then depending on how lazy I'm feeling I'll go in with a cleanser or go over once more with the Garnier remover. If you struggle with removing your make-up and cleansing at night and often sleep in your make-up I'd recommend trying this. It's so easy, if you keep it by your bed you don't even need to leave your bed to do it and although it's best paired with a cleanser, it's better just using this than sleeping in your make-up.

I do really like this remover although I have to use a little more of it to achieve the results I want, it is definitely worth it considering the massive price difference.

What make-up remover do you use?

Lots of Love,

♥

I Heart Make-Up Lipsticks || Swatches and Review

With my last Make-Up Revolution order I got the I Heart Make-Up Lipsticks free because I had spent over £20. I actually featured these in my February Favourites because they're so good and surprisingly so because free gifts usually aren't great especially if normally they only retail for £2.49!

The collection has a good range of shades including a purple, a red, a coral, two pinks and a nude. All of the shades are creamy and pigmented as the middle bit of the lipstick is like a moisturising balm. Make-Up Revolution describe the outer part of the lipstick as a matte/satin balm with the middle part being a shimmer centre. I don't really find any of the lipstick to be shimmery but I do find that the middle part moisturises my lips.

The packaging isn't great mainly because the lids don't stay on the lipsticks so it's not great for having in your bag unless you want lipstick everywhere. The writing on the side also rubs off very easily. I do like that the lipstick itself is shaped into a heart with the smaller heart inside though.

The lipsticks also have a really nice smell to them which pleased me because previous lipsticks I've tried from Make-Up Revolution had that plastic/fake smell which puts me off wearing them. These however smell very fresh. I don't think £2.49 is bad at all for a lipstick and I'd definitely repurchase some of these at that price.

My favourites from the collection would have to be the purple 'Racing Heart', the coral 'Irregular Heartbeat' and the nude 'Rising Pulse'. The only shade I wasn't impressed with was 'Heart Is Pumping' which is one of the pink shades because it comes out quite sheer. When I wear that one I always prefer to go over it with a lip gloss to give it more colour.

L-R - 'Rising Pulse', 'Racing Heart', 'Beating Heart, 'Heart Attack', 'Irregular Heartbeat' and 'Heart Is Pumping'

How pretty are these shades swatched and for £2.49 they're definitely worth trying out at least!

Which colour's your favourite? 

Lots of Love,

♥

Pretty Little Liars || Tag

I'm currently having Pretty Little Liars withdrawal symptoms, seriously I think I'm going to have to re-watch all the seasons very soon. Since I'm missing it so much I thought I would do the Pretty Little Liars tag today so...

Let's get into the questions!

1. Alison made her return to Rosewood in her statement red coat. What is your wardrobe statement piece?

I'd say my statement piece is a good pair of jeans because you can dress them up and down. I don't believe in just one statement piece though, I think there are quite a few 'statement' pieces that every girl needs in her wardrobe.

2. If you could raid anyone's wardrobe, whose would it be?

This is a difficult one because none of their style jumps out at me as amazing, they've all worn an outfit that I've loved and they've also all worn outfits that I've hated but I'd probably say Emily because I love that 'country girl' style. Plus when Emily dresses up she always wears the most stunning ball gowns.

3. Which cast member would you go to if you had a problem?

Definitely Emily, she seems loyal, kind and caring and I'd know that she'd not just be pretending to care for the gossip.

4. Which character's personality do you think you most relate to?

I think my personality is a mix of all the girls to be honest. However, I would say I'm most like Aria because I'm quiet, I like books and a few of my friends have said that I remind them of Aria and that my parents are similar to Aria's parents (minus the divorce). Gary also says Aria or maybe Spencer because you're clever and bossy... so we'll go with Aria hahaha. 

5. Which character's makeup would you most like to wear?

Definitely Aria, Emily and Spencer don't tend to wear much make-up and I definitely think Aria's more out there with her make-up which I like to do. Bold lipsticks and different eyeshadow colours.

6. Which of the cast would you feel safest with when stuck in an 'A' situation?

Spencer! She always seems to have a plan with how to deal with everything, she remains level headed and she's pretty intelligent so definitely Spencer!

7. What has been the biggest shocking moment?

There have been so many different shocking moments! I think when Ian's body was moved and when Aria shot Shona. Actually when Alison was alive too! We totally were not expecting that!

8.  Who is your favourite character?

Hmm this is difficult, I love Hannah because she's so funny and sarcastic, I love how endearing Emily is and she's definitely the one I would want to be best friends with and I love Aria too. I think it's a toss up between Aria and Emily!

9. Sum up in 5 or less words, your thoughts on:

Jenna - bitter

Paige - annoying

Toby - sweet

Cece - suspicious

Melissa - sneaky

Jason - cocky

Lucas - irritating

10. Who do you think is A?

I still have a few theorys. I think it could be Charles (Alisons brother/Jasons twin) but I also think that's too simple. I think Charles could be Bethany and he wanted to be a girl hence the two dresses, the pink laces and that he was sent away because Mr D (thinking he was his child) sent him away to Radley. However Bethany's bodies been found so it leaves grey areas so I think it could also be CC, CC could be short for Charles, she's often been mistaken for Alison and she's disappeared into the background. However, I also feel it could be Hermes (Lucas) because of his nickname...hermaphrodite which could be why Alison called him that. Then there's also Wren who has suspiciously disappeared so altogether I'm still not sure!

I tag everyone to do this!

Do you watch Pretty Little Liars? What's your 'A' theory? Did you enjoy the season 5 finale? I thought it was really good! Obviously they can't tell us exactly who 'A' is  otherwise the next series would be rubbish. 

Do you have any recommendations for what I can watch now on Netflix?

Lots of Love,

♥

Chiquito's || Review

Recently I headed along to another of the new restaurant's that has opened at Fort Kinnaird, Chiquito's! Yet another one that I have never been to before and because it is a Mexican restaurant I wasn't sure that I'd like it however I was very surprised!

The restaurant inside is laid out beautifully with a stained glass window, a pretty patterned mirror and is very spacious with comfy seats. Our waitress 'Sam C' according to the receipt was amazing, she was so friendly, helpful and full of recommendations. She also brought us a little complimentary popcorn bowl which I think is a nice touch. 

I did think that the choice of drinks was quite limited for a big company though- for soft drinks there was only Tango, Lemonade, Pepsi and Diet Pepsi. However, for £2.55 on the lunch menu you can get free refills as many as you want which I think is really good value for money. I'm not sure if the same offer stands for dinner time though!

For starters I was spoilt for choice, I found it so hard to decide between loaded potato skins, the garlic bread or the chilli poppers but in the end I got chilli poppers and Gary got garlic bread with cheese. The garlic bread with cheese was incredible, I hold my hands up to stealing a few slices and the dip it came with was like Domino's garlic and herb but improved...who knew that was possible!! My chilli poppers were breaded jalopenos filled with cream cheese, they came slightly hotter (temperature wise) than I expected so I did burn my tongue but apart from that they were delicious. They also came with a jalpeno jelly that was delicious. 

As I'm not overly keen on Mexican food, there was nothing really on the menu that appealed to me other than the Halloumi salad so I got that and Gary got a pulled pork wrap. He loved his wrap although he was very full and couldn't finish it because the portion sizes are big. My halloumi salad was really nice, I liked the tortilla chips on the side, the sweet potato and the skewer idea. My only criticism would be that it would be much nicer if the peppers, cucumber and red onion weren't cooked because I find those nicer cold. I just find it quite hard to eat warm salads but maybe thats just me!

For dessert which was what I was most excited about they had churro's so naturally I had to get them because I've wanted to try them for years. Our waitress also recommended them to us and the golden nugget cheesecake so that's what we went with. Gary said his cheesecake was delicious which it definitely looked and my churro's were amazing. I loved the chocolate dip and strawberries too although I think they need a little extra dip because of how much churro's you get and they taste better with chocolate.

As we went at lunchtime our meal was very reasonably priced for all of this it cost us around £31.50 including the two drinks which I don't think is too bad. 

Have you been to Chiquito's? Do you like it?

Lots of Love,

♥

* I was sent a £20 voucher to contribute to the cost of this meal