Christmas Gifts For Beauty Lovers

Today's post is for the hardcore beauty lovers out there! As we are in November now, I can finally start creating some Christmas gift guides without looking far too eager because truth be told, I have been excited about the festive season for at least a month already! I absolutely love buying gifts for my friends & family and I get so much satisfaction out of picking out the perfect present for each of my loved ones. I have a few super girly-girls in my life and so they were the main inspiration for my first post! I love some of the products featured in this post so much that they are even on my own wishlist (aka the Zoeva palette and the Stila liquid lip set.) Furthermore, without any further ado, here are some quick links to the items from my first Christmas gift guide of the year!

Zoeva En Taupe Eyeshadow Palette / Cowshed Christmas Cracker / Clinique Get The Skinny Eye Set / Soap & Glory Three Times Butter / MAC Enchanted Eve Brush Bag / Victoria Secret VS Stripe Make-Up Bag / Stila Eternally Yours Liquid Lipstick Set

So guys, those are the gifts I have chosen to feature in my first guide of the year! The prices for these gift range from a super affordable £8 to a more luxurious £45, therefore, hopefully there is something here to suit your budget! What do you think? Which products stand out to you and what is on your Christmas wishlist this year? Please let me know by leaving a comment down below!

This Years Best Soap & Glory Gifts!

I am one of the biggest fans and advocates of Soap & Glory's entire bath & body range, I love their products so much and I always have one of the body butters on the go - seriously, their scents are addictive! So, you can imagine that every year, I am always excited to see what Christmas gift sets that they have on offer. Boots always have such a lovely display of S&G's presents and they are already out on the shelves (even if we are still over two months away from December 25th!) Therefore, even if it is a little early to start dedicating blog posts to all things Christmas related, I wanted to show you the best of this years selection in case you want to get in a little early!

Crazy Sexy Kohl - £14.00
I have never tried any of Soap & Glory's eyeliners but I have heard some great things about them during my time as a blogger. This little set contains 5 pencils from their Smoulder Kohl range in the shades Superblack, Cocoa Bean, Blue My Mind, Grapevine and Aquabat (three of which are exclusive to this set only!)

Well I'll Be Glammed - £40.00
This gorgeous set contains eight of S&G's most popular make-up products, as well as three mini brushes to apply them with. This kit has pretty much everything you would need for a stunning daytime or night time look - from bronzer, to lip gloss and everything inbetween! This is a must have for any beauty enthusiast in my opinion. 

Bright & Bubbly - £10.00
This nifty little gift set contains miniatures of some of the brands most iconic items; Clean On Me, Hand Food, Scrub Of Your Life and The Righteous Butter. All four of these lovely products have S&G's original 'Pink' scent, plus you get a pink body polisher too. Just think of what a lovely pamper session you could have with this set!

Get A Smooth On - £35.00
This has got to be my favourite gifts from the bunch for one reason only... all of the products inside have the Sugar Crush scent, which is my all time fave S&G fragrance. It is the most amazing combination of sweet lime and brown sugar (it's almost good enough to eat.) This set includes a body butter, a body wash, a body mist and one of my holy grail items, their body scrub.

The Righteous Butter Drum - £5.00
This is such a great stocking filler to give to any beauty junkie! The Righteous Butter is one of Soap & Glory's most renowned products and with good reason, as it is extremely moisturising and rich. This present also resembles a Christmas decoration, so you could also hang it on your tree for an extra-cute touch if you wanted to! 

Belle Of The Ball - £12.00
Last but not least is this adorable giant bauble containing four products from the Smoothie Star range, which smells like vanilla, almond and pistachio (my second favourite scent behind Sugar Crush.) Similarly to the Bright & Bubbly set mentioned above, it has a hand cream, a body wash, a body scrub and a body buttercream to give your skin a real treat!

So, those are this years best gift sets from Soap & Glory in my opinion! I think that there are some really cute design concepts within the range and I am hoping to receive at least one of these gorgeous sets myself. Remember that Boots have a 3 for 2 deal on all their festive pressies, so be sure to take full advantage of it if you want to treat either yourself or your loved ones to a good old pamper this year!

My Monthly Favourites - February 2015

Hi guys, I cannot believe how fast February has flown by! It's seriously hard to fathom that we are already into the third month of 2015. As far as beauty products went, this past month was a mixture of new and old discoveries - some super simple and others a tad more luxurious! As always, I wanted to share my five favourite products of the month with you, my lovely followers, so let's just right in and get down to business and talk all things beauty!

Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream Eau De Toilette - £51.50
You may already know this if you read my Daisy Dreamin' blog post last month but my parents went on holiday and generously bought me back a bottle of Marc Jacobs' Daisy Dream perfume. As I have done an in depth review already, I won't ramble on too much but I am in love with this fragrance already. It's the perfect scent to wear as we enter into spring and it's light floral yet woody notes are to die for. This is a must buy!

Nivea Sensitive Day Cream - £4.49
My skin has really taken a turn for the worse lately and it has become prone to a lot of redness and the occasional dry patch too. I decided that a really simple moisturiser would do the trick and so far, this one from Nivea has been wonderful. As far as day creams go, this is too rich for my combination skin so I opt to use it at night time instead. However, with that being said, this cream has bought my skin back to normality and has given it a huge hit of moisture too. I highly recommend it to anybody with super sensitive or unruly skin!

MAC Mineralize Eyeshadow Duo in Joy & Laughter - £17.00
Way back in my 'What I Got For Christmas' blog post, I showed you this gorgeous eyeshadow duo from MAC that my friend Sarah kindly bought me. This lilac marble-like shadow is sooo beautiful and gives such a lovely finish on the lids. The colour really makes my eyes pop too, which is always a bonus! Rather than using the two shades separately, I like to swirl my brush around to combine the two and then add a matte shadow from my Naked 2 palette into the crease. It's seriously the perfect glitzy combo!

MAC Plumful Lipstick - £15.50
I also have a second favourite from MAC this month in the form of their ever so popular lipstick, 'Plumful.' Being one of the brands 'lustre' lipsticks, this product adds a lovely glossy and semi-sheer wash of colour to the lips - although it can be built up too if you prefer a bolder lip. The shade itself is a beautiful plum/rose colour that is extremely wearable, no matter the occasion. I an imagine this shade flattering a lot of skin tones too, so it's definitely a must buy as far as MAC lipsticks go!

Soap & Glory Hand Cream Super Dream - £7.00
Last but not least is one of my most important favourites of the month. My hands and my cuticles have been especially dry lately and so, I have been using this hand cream from Soap & Glory religiously in order to get them back in tip-top condition. The reason that I like this one in particular is because its rich without being overly sticky, which is something that I really despise when it comes to hand creams!

So, that's another lot of favourites over! I hope that you all enjoyed reading about the products that I was loving throughout February! What beauty products have you been loving lately? Please leave your comments below!

Soap & Glory's Orangeasm Body Wash

Orangeasm is the newest edition to Soap & Glory's ever so popular range of body washes, which I luckily managed to get my hands on within their exclusive Christmas gift set (review here.) This naughtily-named product has been raved about by lots of beauty bloggers and although I have only just started using it due to the amount of shower gels I received over the festive period, I wanted to let you guys know my thoughts on it so far! So, let's dive right in.

Orangeasm retails for £6.50 in Boots, which may seem a little steep for a shower gel in some peoples opinions but let me tell you, these bottles last forever! It took me so long to get through my Sugar Crush body wash and so I know that it will be the exact same this time around too. The reason why I know that this product is going to last me for quite a while is because Orangeasm, just like any shower gel from the S&G range, lathers up incredibly well! So, a tiny pump each shower is all you really need in order to give your body a thorough clean. 

Now, onto the most exciting aspect of this shower gel - the scent! As you have probably guessed already, Orangeasm smells just like oranges. Its blend of fresh mandarins, Sicilian lemon and sweet orange peel is simply amazing. Although I am a huge fan of zesty and fruity scents anyway, I knew that I would love how this body wash smelt. However, one thing I wasn't expecting was that it has a really refreshing bitter element to it, rather than an overly sweet one - which is very unique in my opinion.

The only downside that I found to this otherwise wonderful product is that the scent didn't linger on my skin for that long. This disappointed me a little just because I enjoyed the smell of it so much, I just wish that it would stick around for longer!

Overall, Orangeasm is another knock out product for Soap & Glory, who are quite possibly my favourite bath & body care brand. Although it may be considered as a more appropriate scent to use during spring or summer, I am really enjoying using it so far! I would really like to purchase the matching body butter at some point in the future too, as I am addicted to its fragrant smell!

Have you tried Orangeasm yet? What is your favourite S&G product?

My Monthly Favourites - December 2014

Hi guys. I cannot quite believe that this will be my last monthly favourites post of 2014! 2015 is just two days away and I cannot wait to continue blogging and improving my content as we go into the New Year. December has been a month of new discoveries products wise and have been waiting all month to share my recent finds with you all. Let's get started!

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel
First up is the infamous Snow Fairy shower gel from Lush, which has now sadly been discontinued until Christmas comes around again next year. During 2014, I became an absolute Lush fanatic and so I knew that I had to ask for this shower gel for Christmas as it is a Lush cult classic! So far, I am absolutely loving it. Not only does it smell as sweet as can be, but it also lathers up really nicely. A little definitely goes a long way with this one, so this 250g bottle should last me a long time! Plus, who can resist the sparkle running through it? I know I can't!

Kiko Luscious Punk Lip Liner in 01 - £9.00
Next up is another gift that I received for Christmas from my friend Laura. This Luscious Punk lip liner came as part of a set with a matching lipstick. I had never tried anything from Kiko before but this duo has got me well and truly hooked! The shade of this lip liner is so natural and pretty, I have been wearing it every day since Christmas! The formula is creamy and long lasting, qualities which are two big winners in my books! I definitely think that in the coming year, I will be buying some more Kiko products because I am throughly impressed with this liner.

Real Techniques Setting Brush - £8.99
Next up is something that I bought myself as a little treat at the start of December, Real Techniques' setting brush. I wanted to buy myself a brush that would make setting my under eye concealer a breeze and this one has done just that! It's the perfect size to get into every small area of your face, whether it be for your eye area or somewhere else - such as around your nose or chin. It's the most excellent brush for pinpointing powder to a particular area and I couldn't be happier with this purchase!

The Country Candle Company Romance Candle - £8.50
I came across this candle whilst out shopping with my Mum in a kitsch little homeware store in my local town. What first drew me into the display was the cute polka dot tins but what really surprised me was the quality and the scent of the candle itself. I cannot quite put my finger on the scent of the 'Romance' candle but to me it is a musky floral smell with a hint of vanilla in there too. It smells so gorgeous and I have been burning it non-stop ever since!

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter - £7.00
Last but certainly not least is this Whipped Clean shower butter from Soap & Glory. This product was included in S&G's exclusive Boots Christmas gift set that me and Mum have decided to share (see full review here.) Out of all of the items included in the box, this one has got to be one of my favourites. Similar to the way that any other in-shower body moisturiser works, you simply apply it and rinse it off. It leaves your skin feeling really soft and well nourished after each and every shower, which is sometimes a much better option that having to apply body butters in the cold after your shower (we've all been there!) This product can also be used to shave with which means that its a great 2-in-1 product. Plus, I just cannot resist its pistachio, almond and sweet vanilla scent -it's almost good enough to eat!

So, those are my top five favourites for of December! I hope that you've enjoyed reading about my new discoveries and most used products of this month. Have you ever used these products before? What do you think of them? As always, please let me know by leaving a comment below. This is my last post of 2014 so I hope that all of my followers have a wonderful New Years whatever you are doing to celebrate and I will see you back here in January. Thank you!

Soap & Glory's 'The Next Big Thing' Exclusive Gift Set

As I'm sure that all of you are aware by now, Soap & Glory released an amazing exclusive Christmas gift set in Boots on Friday morning. 'The Next Big Thing' gift set designed by Hattie Stewart contains a whopping ten full-size Soap & Glory products for you to get your mitts on (or your friends and family if you do intend on buying it for somebody else!) With the contents of the box costing over £76 if you were to buy them all individually, this £29 gift set is the bargain of the century! Of course, this offer only lasts until the 18th of December though, so you will have to go and grab one as fast as you can before the price is raised to £60 after this introductory period.

Yesterday, my Mum kindly picked up this gorgeous gift set for us to share - what an amazing early Christmas present! So, today I thought that I would share with you all exactly which products are inside the gift set!

The 10 items included in 'The Next Big Thing' are: Heel Genius Foot Cream, Butter Yourself Moisture Lotion, Whipped Clean Shower Butter, Orangeasm Body Wash, Hand Dream Hand Cream, Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Lacquer in Charm Offensive, Off Your Face Wipes, Thick & Fast Mascara and finally the Sugar Crush Body Scrub. All ten if these items are classic Soap & Glory products that are such high quality and smell incredible!

I was really happy when I saw that my all time favorite product, the Sugar Crush body scrub, was included in this set. Not only do I love it's brown sugar and lime scent but it does such a great job of exfoliating your skin without being too rough or abrasive. Another one of the products that I cannot wait to try out is the Orangeasm body wash. I am lover anything fruity and citrus-y when it comes to body products, so I'm looking forward to putting this one to the test! 

Another product that caught my eye was the Whipped Clean shower butter as I had never heard of it or seen it before! It is essentially a moisturiser that you can use whilst you are in the shower (similar to Nivea's In-Shower Body Moisturiser.) Plus, it also doubles up as a product that you can shave your legs with too. I used this product yesterday because I was really intrigued by it and the results were amazing! My skin felt silky smooth and the gorgeous pistachio, almond and vanilla scent lingered on my skin for hours. As you can see, the set also contains some of Soap & Glory's most infamous products; Heel Genius and The Righteous Butter which makes this kit even more appealing! 

Overall, if ten brilliant full-sized S&G products for well over half price do not tickle your fancy - then I'm not sure what will! Whether you do decide to buy this present for yourself or for a loved one, you will not be left disappointed!

My Boots Christmas Present Picks: Part 1

I, personally, like to start buying Christmas presents for my friends and family as early as I possibly can! This is because I am an extremely organised person and I like to make sure that I am prepared for the big day weeks in advance. I cannot stand the last minute rush of going out shopping and there being crowds of people and queues absolutely everywhere. Plus, getting in early means that you get the best selection of presents to choose from before they end up selling out! Now that is is November and Halloween is well and truly out of the way, I have already started buying a few bits and bobs for my loved ones.

One place that I have always enjoyed shopping for the females in my life is Boots! They have such an amazing and extensive selection of gifts, so you are always bound to find the perfect one for each and every person on your list. Today, I thought that it would be a great idea to show you all some of the items on the Boots website that really stand out to me this year. Part 1 of my gift guide is based on make-up and bath & body gifts, and part two of my guide (which will be posted in a few days time) will be focusing on fragrance and hair care. Within my gift guide, I have tried to show you an array of different gifts that suit all types of budgets too, so hopefully there will be something that you like the look of either to buy for somebody else or even add it onto your own Christmas list. So, without running the risk of rambling on any further, here are 'My Boots Christmas Present Picks.'

Smashbox On The Rocks Photo Op Eyeshadow Palette - £29.00 

Benefit Sweet Tintations Gift Set - £19.50 

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Crayons Gift Set - £16.00

Fearne Polished To Perfection Nail Polish Set - £12.00

Sanctuary Best Loved and Beautiful - £20.00

Beauticology Gingerbread Tin - £8.00

Soap & Glory Nothing But The Fruits Gift Set - £30.00

Joules Fizzing Bath Bulbs - £6.00

I hope that you all like both the make-up and bath & body gifts that I have compiled into the first part of my Boots Christmas Present Picks. Which one is your favourite? Remember that part two of the gift guide will posted in the next couple of days, so keep your eyes peeled for more gorgeous gift ideas soon!

My Summer Beauty Essentials

Hi guys. Instead of doing my usual monthly favourites post, today I thought that I would talk you through my summer essentials instead. The main reason for this is that I haven't really got any new favourites at the moment, as I have been chopping and changing between products a lot and not sticking to a few key items. As the weather in the UK is pretty great (although humid) right now, I thought this would be an appropriate time to share which products keep me looking and feeling pretty during these high heats. Let's get started!

Garnier Summer Body Moisturising Lotion - £5.10
First up is my current go-to tanning product, Garnier's Summer Body. The reason that I love this product so much is because I am not an avid tanner and so I do not like using fully-fledged tanning products in the form of mousses and so on. A moisturiser with a hint of tan is enough for me! Not only does this product leave me with a gorgeous, sunkissed colour, it also glides on seamlessly and sinks in relatively quick too! Plus, it's very affordable and has a pleasant apricot scent instead of that awful biscuit smell that most tanning products produce! Overall, this is a great lotion to use if you want a result that is not too in your face or unnatural. I will be using this time and time again!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Scrub - £8.00
Next up is my all time favourite body scrub, Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush. The scent of this is amazing! The combination of brown sugar and lime makes this product almost good enough to it and a joy to use. As for the scrub itself, it strikes the perfect balance between being gentle and abrasive. The gritty granules slough away at dry patches incredibly well but without irritating the skin too much or making it red, which is perfect! A little goes a long way as the tub is so large, which means you definitely get a lot for your money too. I would highly recommend this!

Sure Women Maximum Protection Deodorant - £5.30
I suppose that deodorants do not get a lot of mention on beauty blogs because let's face it, they're pretty standard and not that exciting to talk about. However, I have been so impressed by this one by Sure. Plus, it's a little different! I think a lot of people that have used this product have been using it in the morning but the box actually suggests that you apply this at night time instead, which is what I have been doing. The cream simply twists up and then it can be applied straight to your underarms. I find the scent really pleasant but of course, the main factor is that it keep sweat and odours at bay - which it does! As it is a cream, it is also very moisturising which is an added bonus for those with dry or sensitive underarms. This deodorant is a must have for summer, as well as all year round too!

Urban Decay Travel Size All Nighter Make Up Setting Spray - £9.00
Last but not least, and one of my favourites of the bunch, is this make-up setting spray from Urban Decay. I am sure that all of us regularly suffer from our make-up sliding off our faces throughout the day, especially when its hot, but this spray has actually revolutionised my routine. Once I have applied all of my make-up for the day, I simply spritz a couple of sprays of the product evenly across my face. No matter how long I have my make-up on for, All Nighter does a great job of setting my face and making sure that it does not wear off throughout the day. It also prevents a large majority of shine and oiliness coming through, which is also handy as I have combination skin. I do only have the travel size but I have a feeling that it will last me a long while, plus this version is a lot friendly on the old purse strings!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about my summer essentials. All of the items mentioned above have helped me out a lot during the hot weather and I highly recommend them! Have you tried any of these products before? What are your own summer essentials? Please let me know by leaving a comment below, I love recommendations. Thank you!

Boots 3 For 2 | Soap & Glory

Soap & Glory is one of my favourite brands ever when it comes to bath & body products for a number of different reasons. Not only do their products nourish your skin really well but they have an amazing range of scents and adorable, quirky packaging too! The Soap & Glory range is exclusively sold in Boots, who have a 3 for 2 offer on at the moment where you get the cheapest item for free. So, I couldn't resist going in there and picking up a few bits as a little treat for myself! Today, I thought that I would write a mini review of each product and tell you what I think of them all. Let's get started!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash - £6.50
The Sugar Crush range is my favourite scent that Soap & Glory do, so I definitely had to buy this body wash. I have never used this product from the range before but I have used the Sugar Crush Scrub (which I will talk about below.) Of course, what initially drew me in to this item is it's delicious scent which features lime oil and kiwi juice water. I am huge fan of citrus scents as they are really refreshing and are a great pick-me-up in the morning. As for the wash itself, it lathers up really well when I work it into my loofah. A little goes a long way as I only use about 2 or 3 small pumps and this is enough for me to clean my entire body. For the size of the bottle (500ml,) I think that it's £6.50 price tag is very affordable as this is no doubt going to last me for quite a while!

Soap & Glory Foam Call Body Wash - £6.50
As I had already chosen both of the Sugar Crush products mentioned in this post, I decided to buy another body wash to complete the 3 for 2 offer. The reason I did this was to get the most out of my money and the deal by choosing a product at the highest possible price that I could still get for free! Foam Call's fragrance is part of S&G's Fruitigo range which includes orange oil and green fig - which is again another citrus range which I adore! This body wash lathers up very well, just like the Sugar Crush one does too. With two bottles of this body wash, I'm pretty sure that I'm going to be pretty set shower gel wise for a long time!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - £8.00
Last but not least, and my favourite from the bunch, is the Sugar Crush Scrub. Similarly to the body wash, I'm addicted to the scent of this! The scrub also includes brown sugar and macadamia grains which make up its gritty texture, which makes it perfect for exfoliating. Whats great about this product is that it is not too harsh but it is not too gentle either, so it is excellent at removing dry skin from the surface of your body without being too abrasive. I have had a tub of this before and it lasted me a good few months, so again this product is great value for money as well. I am looking forward to using this again especially as I am not getting back into fake tan and exfoliation is a key part of that process!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about the Soap & Glory products that I picked up in Boots' 3 for 2 offer. I'm really looking forward to using them! Have you tried any of these before? What is your favourite Soap & Glory product? Please let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!

Butter Up: My Top 3 Favourite Body Butters

Hi guys. I have always been a major hoarder of body butters and I never seem to finish an entire tub before I've moved on to the next one. I have a never ending stash of moisturisers and my collection seems to just keep on growing, whether it be me not being able to resist an offer in Boots or receiving them as gifts. With that being said, I do have a couple of favourites that I always seem to come back to. Not only do these three of my favourite body butters get the job done in terms of keeping my skin soft but they all smell amazing too! So, I thought that I would just do a little post today to share with you all my much loved top three. Let's get started!

The Body Shop Passion Fruit Body Butter - £13.00
First up is a product that has been a bit of a rediscovery for me, as I previously mentioned in my monthly favourites post last week. I have loved The Body Shop's range of body butters for a long time and due to their thirteen pounds price tag, they are quite a treat for me. Yet, they do last such a long time and so they are definitely worth the investment. Out of the three butters that I am mentioning today, this one is definitely the richest and thickest in texture. Hence, I like to use this one right before bedtime as it does take quite long to sink in. However, it certainly does the trick and leaves my skin feeling supple and soft. To top it all off, the passionfruit scent is so summery and addictive too. This is a must have product in my opinion!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Five Fruits Super Rich Body Butter - £10.50 
Next up is my favourite butter out of the three. I am addicted to all things Soap & Glory and I have never found a bad product in their range that I have tried to this day (fingers crossed I never do either!) 'Butter Yourself' is a lovely fruity smelling body butter which features ingredients such as; orange waterjuice, peppermint oil and fruitliquid fig. This product nourishes extremely well without being sticky or leaving a horrible residue behind. It sinks in relatively quickly and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth, especially my legs! So far this tub has lasted me since Christmas and I still have a reasonable amount left, although I will definitely be re-purchasing this one when it runs out!

Boots Extracts Fairtrade Mango Body Butter - £8.00 for full size
Last but not least is this mini mango body butter which I received as part of a set from my friend Sarah. The Boots Extracts range has a great range of body butters for a very affordable price but this scent is by far my favourite. I do not use this product as often due to it being smaller in size but when I do, I love it! This body butter is the lightest of the three consistency wise, which means that it is excellent to wear during the daytime, as it does not stick to your clothing. The mango scent is very fresh and is a great pick-me-up too, which is another reason as to why I love it so much!

So those are my top three favourite body butters, I hope you have enjoyed reading about them. I really enjoy using all of them and as you can tell when it comes to body products, I love anything with a fruit-based fragrance or scent! Which are your favourites body butters? Have you tried any of my top three before? Please let me know in the comments below. Thank you :)

Mini Haul | H&M, Forever 21 and Boots

Hi guys. Today I thought that I would share with you a couple of bits that I have acquired over the past two or three days. With spring well and truly underway, I have been attempting to update my wardrobe a little and for me, this means one thing and one thing only - florals! When it comes to clothing, I love patterns and I always seem to be drawn to anything flowery. This may mean that my style is very predictable, however, I know that they suit me as well as make me feel pretty and feminine. In addition to this, I also picked up one of my favourite skincare items in Boots too. So, let's get started on this mini haul!

H&M Floral Playsuit - £12.99
First up is this gorgeous playsuit from H&M. I am a huge fan of playsuits in general as I think that they suit my petite frame really well and I love that they make you feel a little more secure than dresses (I hate the mishap of wearing a dress on a windy day!) However, what drew me in to this particular one aside from the floral pattern is the back. The cross over straps add a really detail and unique touch to the design. For now, I am going to wear tights with this but if the weather in the UK ever heats up during summer, it will look stunning paired with some simple black sandals too.

Forever 21 Floral Fuse Crop Top - £5.50
Next is this really cute crop top from Forever 21. I absolutely love wearing crop tops and this monochrome one is right up my alley. I love the silhouette that a crop top creates when paired with something high waisted on the bottom half; I think this top will look great with my Topshop Joni Jeans. Not only this but Forever 21 crop tops are such great value, at a mere £5.50 how could anybody resist?!

Forever 21 Tropical Floral Bodycon Dress - £12.00
Carrying on with the floral theme, this tropical bodycon dress was my next purchase. Initially I thought that this was a little too vibrant and loud for me but after trying it on, I am in love with this dress. It fits like a glove and the tropical print is very striking. I think that this will look really nice with a bright pink lip for a night out, however, I think I could probably find a way to tone this dress down to be worn in the daytime too. Although there are a few differences between the two, Topshop have got a very similar dress in stock at the moment (see here) but at a fraction of the price, this dress is definitely the way to go!

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean 3 in 1 Cleanser - £8.00
Last but not least is one of my favourite skincare products. The Peaches and Clean cleanser is so great at breaking down and removing my make-up, no matter how much I am wearing. I use this product both in the morning and the evening as it is just so refreshing and it makes my skin super soft. It's peach and menthol scent really makes your skin tingle as you are massaging it in, which makes it a great pick-me-up (especially in the morning time.) Ever since I started using this cleanser a few months ago, in conjunction with a few other products that I use daily, the condition of my skin has improved drastically. What makes this purchase even better is that I actually got it for £5.33, as there is a one third off offer on at Boots at the moment. So if you wanted to try this product out, I would grab it whilst the offer is still on!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about the fashion and beauty items that I have purchased this week. Which is your favourite item from the haul? What have you hauled recently? Please feel free to let me know by leaving a comment below. Thank you!

The Best Of: Soap & Glory

Hi guys. Ever since I can remember, I have always been in love with Soap & Glory as a brand. Their bath, body and skincare products, as well as their make-up range, are such high quality and are very popular due to being available in thousands of Boots stores nationwide. Regardless of their age or skin type, every person I have spoken to about the brand (and myself) have all found multiple products that work really well for them and are now permanent in their everyday beauty routines. So, with that in mind, I have whittled down my five firm favourites from the ever-so raved about brand. Enjoy!

Peaches & Clean 4-in-1 Deep Cleansing Milk - £8.00
First up is a new addition to my skincare regime, Peaches & Clean. My Mum was given a huge Soap & Glory hamper as a gift a while back, so she gave me the products that she knew she wouldn't use herself - she isn't into skincare that much and is a pretty low maintenance woman, unlike myself! This cleanser is absolutely brilliant, so I am very glad that she handed it over to me. It breaks down and removes make-up so well, as well as leaving my skin amazingly soft. It's peach and menthol scent is really refreshing, which means this product is a great pick-me-up in the mornings too. Ever since I have been using Peaches &Clean in conjunction with the Garnier Micellar Water (review here) and my Nivea Rich Moistursing Day Cream (review here,) my skin has cleared up almost entirely and I rarely ever get blemishes. I cannot recommend this cleanser enough!

Heel Genius Amazing Foot Cream - £5.50
I feel that this product is something that Soap & Glory are particularly famous for. This foot cream is absolutely amazing and even after one application. It leaves your feet ten times softer and it gets rid of a lot of dry skin from the soles too. I usually apply this liberally in the evening and then wear some thick cotton socks to allow the product to really sink in overnight. Heel Genius has that typical menthol, minty smell like most foot-related products as it is really refreshing and cooling - especially if you have been on your feet all day. Plus, at £5.50 it is pretty inexpensive considering how high quality it is and how much product you get in the tube too!

Hand Food Hydrating Hand Cream - £5.00
I tend to get really dry hands near the end of the day for some reason and so I always apply some hand cream before bed to revive my hands and leave them feeling as good as new. Hand Food is excellent for this as it is extremely hydrating, (as the name suggests,) plus it sinks in really fast and doesn't leave an oily residue on the hands, like some other brands do. With shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow as the main ingredients; it's not hard to imagine how nourishing and rich this product is. It's a definite favourite of mine!

Butter Yourself Five Fruits Super Rich Moisturising Body Cream - £10.50
I first reviewed this product on my blog back in my December Favourites, after being bought this body butter as a Christmas present from my aunt and uncle. Up until that point I had only tried the brands infamous Righteous Butter but I can now say that I much prefer the Five Fruits version. As a lover of fresh and fruity scents as opposed to richer ones, this moisturiser is right up my street. It is very nourishing without being sticky, which means that you do need to wait ages to get dressed after application (which is something that I despise!) Any of the Soap & Glory body butters are a good investment but this one is my personal favourite!

Glow All Out Luminizing Face Powder - £11.00
Last but not least, I first bought this product all the way back in August and even after one application, I fell in love with this highlighter! Glow All Out leaves a lovely, subtle glow when applied to the top of your cheekbones without being too over-powering or glittery. This product is great for achieving just a subtle shimmer, adding dimension to face even during the day time. I really believe that using a highlighter really takes your make-up to the next level, as well as it making your skin look luminous and healthy. A little goes a long way with this product and so it is definitely worth it's £11 price tag. I do not think that I could live without this product now, it's a winner!

I hope you all enjoyed reading about my five favourite Soap & Glory products. Which ones are your favourites? Let me know in the comments below! Also, I am planning on doing some more 'The Best Of' posts, so please let me know which brands you would like to see me talk about in the future. Thank you!

My Monthly Favourites - January 2014

Hi guys. Even though we are now a couple of days into February, it's time for me to talk about my monthly favourites throughout the whole of January. It was very hard to choose my favourites this month because I have been trying to use lots of products that I had forgotten about, so I have fallen back in love with quite a few forgotten about items! However, I have managed to whittle it down to these five lovely products. Let's get started!

Peaches & Clean 4-in-1 Deep Cleansing Milk - £8.00
First up is the this amazing cleansing milk from Soap & Glory. I have tried so many cleansers on the market over the past year or so but I can honestly say that this is one of the best! It is a definitely a toss up between this or No 7's Beautiful Skin Foaming Cleanser for me, as I alternate between the two. I love this milk because it leaves my skin feeling really soft and it doesn't dry it out in the slightest. In addition to this, the scent is absolutely gorgeous. As suggested by the title of this product, it smells like peaches. However, it also has a minty/menthol like quality to it which is really refreshing and tingly upon application. I recommend Peaches & Clean to everybody, I cannot get enough!

Boots Extracts Cranberry Body Butter (part of a Christmas set)
Next is this lovely little body butter from the Boots Extracts range (which is part of their fair trade brand.) I received this butter along with three others as part of a set that my friend Sarah got me for Christmas. This product is lovely to use as it is not too thick and sinks into the skin really quickly, which is excellent for me as I am quite impatient and lazy when it comes to moisturising my body. I absolutely the adore the cranberry scent too! It is such a shame that this particular scent is not in the permanent Extracts range as I have feeling that I am going to get through this tiny pot rather quickly!

Soap & Glory's Thick & Fast Super Volume Mascara - £10.00
I bought this mascara all the way back in August and initially, I didn't give it a very good review. Due to the fact that I have very thin and sparse lashes, I often struggle to find a mascara that does what I want it to in terms of giving me length and volume. This mascara used to disappoint me but recently, I have changed my mind! I love to use this product on days where I wear minimal make-up as it gives me just the right amount of length and volume for a natural, everyday look. The only thing that I find with this product is that the brush is a little too big, making it difficult to apply to your bottom lashes neatly.

Yankee Candle Medium Jar in Soft Blanket - £16.49
This is the first Yankee candle that I have ever owned as I have never been that into candles... until now! My best friend Laura bought this candle for me as part of my Christmas present and I love it. 'Soft Blanket' is a relaxing scent which is very comforting when you are stressed out. It also quite subtle, which I love as I am not one for overwhelming scents. I like to use this candle at night time in my bedroom or during pamper sessions in the bath to make them feel more luxurious. I am definitely a Yankee candle convert now and I hope to try more scents in the future - I have my eye on 'Beach Walk' or 'Loves Me, Loves Me Not' next!

Maybelline Color Show Nail Varnish in Brick Shimmer - £2.99
Last but not least is this lovely nail varnish from Maybelline. My preferred nail colours are usually shimmery or glittery, as I prefer the finish of them as opposed to solid, opaque colours. 'Brick Shimmer' is a beautiful bronze colour that looks really sophisticated when applied. This polish is usually chip resistant for about 4-5 days,which is quite good for a product that is just shy of £3. I am definitely going to be trying some other shades of this very affordable, pretty polish!

So, that's it! I hope you enjoyed reading about my five favourite products throughout January. Which products have you been loving over the past month or so? I would love to know what you have been reaching for! Thank you :) 

My Monthly Favourites - December 2013

Hi guys! As promised in the post I uploaded yesterday, 'My New Years Eve Make-Up,' here are my December Favourites. Granted this post is a few days late now (I cannot believe it is now 2014) but better late than never, eh! Usually, my favourites tend to consist of products that I have been loving for quite a long period of time, as I like to give honest and well-rounded reviews of things that I have tried and tested for at least a month. However, all of this months products have only been in my possession for a week or less. In addition, three of the products I will be mentioning today were given to me as Christmas presents,  which I am incredibly grateful for! With that being said, let's get straight into my five favourite products during the month of December.

Clinique Superprimer Universal Face Primer - £20.00
First up is this lovely primer from Clinique. I have been after this particular primer for a fair few months now after I used a sample of it that I found in a magazine. Up until now, I have only used cheaper high-street primers which I haven't got on with too well (Revlon's Photo Ready Primer in particular.) I have only used this product once so far, on New Years Eve, and I must say that I am impressed already. It provided a smooth base for my foundation, which seemed to stay put all night whilst I was out clubbing. My parents bought me this for Christmas and I am so grateful because it's a product I probably wouldn't have been able to afford or fathom buying otherwise. As it is so special, I am vowing to only use it on special occasions and nights out!

Marc Jacobs Honey Eau de Parfum (50ml) - £39.50
This perfume was another surprise present that was given to me by my Mum and Dad. I am a huge fan of Marc Jacobs fragrances overall, both their smells and packaging are amazing. I was actually given the gift set version which includes a shower gel and body lotion with matching scents to the perfume. The eau de parfum itself is a pretty sweet scent, which I usually steer clear of, but due to it's added fruity elements - it is a lot more wearable. I would agree that it is more of a spring/summer fragrance but it's gorgeous none the less!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Five Fruits Super Rich Soothing Body Butter  - £10.50
Next, my lovely aunt and uncle bought me this tub of Soap & Glory body butter. I am a lover of the brand and both me and my Mum use Soap & Glory products religiously. Considering that they are a widely available high-street brand, the quality of their products are amazing. The Righteous Butter has always been my favourite but now I am converted. I tend to prefer fruity and refreshing scents as opposed to cocoa or shea butter scents, though I still love both. This moisturiser is extremely rich and sinks into the skin really quickly, which is an added bonus.

Real Techniques Powder Brush  - £12.99
I have owned the Real Techniques Core Collection, which consists of four brushes; buffing, contour, pointed foundation and detailer brushes, for quite a while now. However, I have been stuck using a brandless powder brush that is pretty useless. The hairs of the brush always used to shed, leaving little black hairs all of my face (how frustrating!) So, with some cash that my Nan gave me for Christmas, I have finally gotten around to buying this brush. As with all Real Techniques brushes, the bristles are really soft and I know that I am going to get a lot of use out of it. I also hope to expand my brush collection in the near future. Next on my list is the Starter Set that features 5 eye brushes.

Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Color in Cherry Pie  - £7.99
Last but not least is this lovely lip colour from Maybelline. I am always on the look out for long-wearing lip products, as there is nothing I hate more than lipstick that barely lasts an hour without fading, transferring onto your teeth or bleeding outside of the lines. I bought this particular product after my friend Sarah recommended it to me, as she has it in a different colour. I bought the shade 'Cherry Pie,' which is a deep red colour which is so pigmented. The lip colour is dual ended, one end being a liquid lipstick and the other being a clear balm. What you have to do is apply the lip colour, wait for it to dry sticky and then apply the balm over the time. I assure you, this product DOES NOT budge! In fact, it is so long-lasting that is actually a nightmare to remove and it requires a lot of scrubbing to do so. That, however, is the only downfall to this amazing product. My only wish is that I purchased a slightly more wearable colour so that I can wear it in the day time too, so I might have to do that some time in the future.

So, that's it for this month! I hope that you enjoyed reading about my December favourites. Please let me know if you have used any of the aforementioned products, I would love to know how you have got on with them. Also, feel free to let me know what products you have been loving over the past month - I love getting recommendations! Thank you :)

New Years Eve Pamper Tips

Hi guys, I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas! I have had a little bit of time off from blogging due to being incredibly busy over the the past week or so. However, now that all of the festivities are over, hopefully my posts will become regular once again. So, seeing as New Years Eve is only two days away now, I thought that I would share with you all some of my favourite things to do to pamper myself prior to nights out. Making sure that you are fully prepared will ensure that you are feeling and looking your best, as well as keeping last minute stress and worries at bay. So, let's get started!

1. Exfoliate your skin
Prepping your skin the night before is a really great tip as everybody wants their skin to be silky smooth, especially if your New Years outfit is a little revealing. In addition, if you are planning to apply fake tan before the big day, exfoliating is a key step to include. As most of you will already know, fake tan clings easily to dry patches on your skin and that is not a good look! I simply like to use some exfoliating gloves which are pretty inexpensive or a body scrub, (my favourite is Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Body Scrub,) and gently buff my skin in circular motions before applying some body butter and viola... smooth skin in seconds! 

2. Look after your lips
Making sure your lips are prepped before applying your lip product of choice is another crucial step. There is nothing worse than flaky-looking lips, especially if you are planning on puckering up at midnight ;) A great way to banish flakiness is to use a lip scrub and Lush do some great ones, (Bubblegum and Mint Julips,) which are extremely popular amongst beauty bloggers. However, an excellent and cheap alternative is to make your own lip scrub. I simply slather a little bit of Vaseline mixed with some sugar granules on my lips to make a simple (and tasty) scrub. Afterwards, I apply a liberal amount of my favourite lip balm, Carmex, and my lips are really smooth and plump in no time!

3. Prime the face
As many of you are probably aware by now, using a primer before applying foundation is a great way to ensure that your make-up stays put all night long. All you have to do as apply a layer of primer onto your face and then do the rest of your make-up as normal. For Christmas, my parents bought me Clinique's Universal Face Primer (£20.00,) which I have had a tester of before and I absolutely love it. If this primer is a little too expensive for you, there are some great high street alternatives out there. A few of my favourites are Revlon's Photo Ready Primer (£11.00) and Rimmel's Match Perfection Primer (£6.99.)

4. Paint your nails
Last but certainly not least, having nicely painted fingernails and toenails is essential on a night out on the town! In my opinion, having a pretty manicure really finishes off your look and pulls everything together. There are typically five steps to a manicure/pedicure that you can do at home, which are; pushing back the cuticles, filing the nail, applying a base coat, applying two or three coats of polish, followed by a top coat. Alternatively, if you fancy treating yourself, do not have a steady hand or you have a bit of extra cash, getting your nails done professionally could be another way to go!

I hope that these tips help you to prepare for whatever you are going on the 31st. Also, I would love to know what is your favourite thing to do to pamper yourself? I love listening to your suggestions and sharing tips with fellow bloggers. I hope that you all have a fabulous New Years and I wish all of you the best of luck going into 2014! 

Boots Christmas Gift Guide 2013

In a few days it will be the first full weekend of December and so, many of us will be starting our Christmas shopping (if we haven't done so already!) I, for one, like to make my Christmas shopping as stress-free as possible, as we all know how busy the hustle and bustle of our local high streets and shopping centres can be at this time of year. With that in mind, I am very happy that I picked up a Boots Christmas Gift Guide this year because I can now look at and plan what I am going to buy for each of my loved ones before I hit the shops. Now, don't be fooled, Boots doesn't just cater for those who love beauty and personal care items. Boots has a wide range of products in the following categories: gift for women, gifts for men, gifts for kids and general gifts for everyone to enjoy.

In addition, the guide also has a Christmas Gift List where you can write down what you want to buy for each person. I think that this is a great way to keep yourself on top of everything, crossing off the presents on your list as you buy them. So, without rambling on for too long, let's see what gifts that I recommend from this amazing catalogue!

Gifts for beauty lovers

First up is this lovely Soap & Glory Bubble Barrelled kit (£18.00) which features some of the brands most coveted products including a shower gel, hand cream, foot cream, body butter, body scrub and shampoo. This bundle also has a cute headband thrown in for good measure, which you could wear during your huge pamper session! I think that this would be the perfect present for any beauty lover because not only are the products amazing, but the packaging is really gorgeous too! There are also many other Soap & Glory gift sets to choose from in the catalogue covering all price ranges, so I recommend having a look at what's on offer!

Gifts for fragrance lovers

If you have a slightly higher budget to spend, why not buy your loved one this lovely Marc Jacobs Dot Gift Set? This product includes the eau de parfum (50ml,) plus a body lotion and shower gel (both 75ml.) I think that this gift set is excellent value for money as it is the same price that the fragrance would be if sold separately, which is £49.50. This perfume is a very floral scent with hints of vanilla and jasmine, which smells divine. I would also recommend a few of the other Marc Jacobs perfumes such as Daisy, Honey and Lola.

Gifts for £10 and under

Next up, the Boots Extracts range offers many gifts for those of us with a slightly smaller budget. The Extracts Super Cranberry Collection (£10.00) includes a body wash, body butter and body scrub. This range feels really luxurious on the skin despite its value for money. Plus, the lovely cranberry smell is perfect for Christmas. The Extracts collection has many other scents to choose from. Another favourite of mine is the Mango Collection Wash Bag which is even more affordable at just £6! This set is essentially the same as the Cranberry Collection minus the body scrub and it is packaged in a vibrant wash bag instead of in a box.

Gifts for men

This Topman T-Shirt Gift, £25.00, is a great gift for the man in your life. This set includes a 100ml bottle of Topman's No.27 eau de parfum, which I have actually smelt before and I love it! The t-shirt is plain black with a white V-shape motif on the pocket. Unfortunately, the only down side to this gift is that the t-shirt is only provided in a medium (if only there were size options!) If you wanted to go for something a little cheaper, the Boxer Shorts Gift Set features a pair of boxer shorts (again only medium sizes available) with the same design as the t-shirt and a body spray for £12.00 instead.

Gifts for food lovers

Last but not least is the selection of Nandos gifts on offer. The Chilli Planter and Sauce Set (£12.50) contains a hot sauce, a packet of chilli seeds and a ceramic pot to grow your own chillis in - which is kind of cool in my opinion! For the same price, you could also treat your food lover to the Nandos Table Trio. This set contains both the medium and hot peri-peri sauces along with a pot of the ever so popular peri-peri chip sprinkle. If none of these presents tickle your taste buds, Boots also have many other food brands within the gift guide including Wahaca and Food Nation.

I hope that both this post and the gift guide makes your Christmas shopping a stress-free experience by giving you plenty of ideas as what to buy for your friends and family. I hope that you are all getting into the festive spirit as I have plenty more Christmas-themes posts coming your way this month, so keep your eyes peeled!