'Love, Tanya' Book Review

Whilst out shopping on Tuesday morning, I decided to pop into Waterstones and pick up popular blogger and YouTuber Tanya Burr's new debut book, 'Love, Tanya.' Luckily, I was able to get the last copy in the store - apparently its been selling like hot cakes (which I am not surprised by!) Without even meaning to, I got so engrossed by the book that I have already read its entirety, and so I thought that I would share my thoughts and opinions on it with my lovely followers!

Ever since Tanya announced that she would be writing a book, I was really excited by the prospect that she would be sharing lots of aspects of her life that we didn't already know about. Within the book, Tanya delves a little deeper into her childhood and how she has grown up over the years. Plus, she has also added some more lighthearted sections to the book too - such as skincare, make-up and baking! There are twelve chapters in total and my two personal favourite topics are Love (where she talks about her relationship with Jim) and Confidence & Happiness (where she talks about learning to love and accept herself.)

The book itself has been put together so well; everything from the colour scheme and photography is perfect! You can really tell how much time and effort Tanya and the people helping her put into making this book so wonderful. Not only is there a gorgeous shot of Tanya at the start of every chapter but there are also so more personal, never seen before photographs too. 

Also, another unique element to the book is that there is the occasional page where you can write about some of your own experiences. For example, within the 'Growing Up: Part Two' chapter, there is a place for you to write about the ten things that have shaped who you have become. Although this may be a fun and interactive aspect for younger readers to make them feel more involved, I personally think that the book is just too nice to write in!

Overall, I think it's safe to say that I really enjoyed this book considering how quickly I read it! As well as enjoying the more heartfelt and personal parts of the book, I also really liked the fun chapters on all things health & beauty too! I also really want to try making one of the recipes in the book, as they all look super yummy and the recipes look easy to follow. To summarise my thoughts, below is a list of pros and cons about 'Love,Tanya.'

Pros
Lovely photography
Contains great hints and tips on a wide range of topics
Appealing to a wide age range of girls
High quality design
Reasonable price point

Cons
The book is too nice to write in yourself (in my opinion!)

'Love,Tanya' retails at £12.99 and is available Amazon, Waterstones and WH Smith. Will you be getting a copy?

Lush's Mask Of Magnaminty

One of the main beauty products that I normally neglect are face masks... well, that is until now! I have always been pretty lazy when it comes to incorporating masks into being part of my skincare routine and that is mainly down to the fact that I have never wanted to splash out on a product that I will only use once a week. Plus, I had never found one that worked well for my skin type! However, that all changed when my boyfriend recently treated me to this amazing mask from Lush Cosmetics.

The Mask of Magnaminty is full of natural ingredients that are super gentle on your skin but are still effective at the same time! Some of the main natural ingredients featured in this mask are peppermint oil, honey, African marigold oil and kaolin. The mint scented mask claims to be able to clean, calm and clear your skin of both spot outbreaks and any other impurities too - which I totally agree with! I like to apply this mask for 5-10 minutes once a week (usually on a Sunday evening) to restore my skin and give it a bit of a refresh. One thing that I like about this product in particular is that it has evening primrose seeds and aduki beans within the formula to gently exfoliate your skin as you rub it in as well, which ends up leaving your skin feeling incredibly soft after you remove the mask.

As some of you may know, Lush face masks are usually fresh and so most of them usually have an expiration date. However, I bought the self preserving version of this mask so that it would last for a lot longer and so I could ensure that I would not waste any of the product! A little goes a long way with this product too, so I know that I will not have to buy a new pot for quite a while.

Another great thing about this mask is that it can be used on your face or on your body too, so if anyof you suffer from spots or acne on your chest or back (something that I have battled with in the past,) this could be the perfect product for you!

For a small 125g tub of the Mask of Magnaminty, it will only set you back a mere £5.50. On the other hand, if you would like to purchase the larger 315g pot, you can get it for just £9.75. Personally, I think that this mask is excellent value for money in terms of how long it lasts. Plus, it is a lot more afforable than some of the more infamous and expensive masks out on the market that sometimes contain harsh chemicals and other nasties that can sometimes strip your skin!

So, what are you waiting for? Go and get your hands on this amazing face mask and see the difference that it makes you your skin! I guarantee that you will not be left disappointed!

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 New Hair Styling Saviour!

One of the main problems that I have with my hair is that it always lacks volume and texture. I have really fine and straight hair, which means that it is often incredibly hard to style. Most of the time, I use my GHD's to create soft curls in my hair to give it some more dimension and volume. However, the curls will always drop quite significantly throughout the day - even if a use a heavy duty, strong hairspray! So, you can imagine that I am very pleased that there are now thousands of volumising and texturising sprays on the market! 

As I'm sure many of you are aware, Oribe's Dry Texturising Spray has become quite the cult product amongst many bloggers and YouTubers but the downside is that it's quite pricey! Furthermore, plenty of high street brands have jumped on the texturising spray bandwagon and there are now lots of great and affordable alternatives to choose from! With this in mind, the dupe that I want to talk about today is L'Oréal's Studio Line Volume Supersizing Spray.

After browsing the aisles of Boots last week, I came across this product and immediately put it into my basket and headed towards the till. What really drew me in was the price point in all honestly, as this huge can costs a mere £3.79! Plus, I trust L'Oréal as a brand and decided that there was no harm in giving it a go - and I'm glad I did! This spray did absolute wonders for my hair in terms of refreshing my style throughout the day by giving it some gritty texture and lift. As my curls dropped through out the day, I simply sprayed a little bit of the product onto my hair, scrunched it a little and my hair looked bouncy and voluminous once again!

I have fallen head over heels for this product in a number of days but there is still one negative aspect that I have noticed about it! As the bottle claims, it adds instant matte texture to your hair (which it does) but that can leave you hair feeling rather dry at times. So, I always have to make sure that I deeply condition my hair the next time I wash it in order to keep it feeling soft. Because of this, I am not going to be using this product everyday but when I do, I know that I'm always going to have a good hair day! Overall, I absolutely love this new addition to my hair styling collection and I would highly recommend it to anybody with hair similar to mine. Plus, it's a real bargain too, which makes it a winner in my eyes!

What do you do to inject some more volume into your hair? What is your favourite texturising spray and why? Please let me know as I am always looking for new product recommendations and tips!

NEW IN! Urban Decay's Sheer Revolution Lipstick

The up and coming launch of Urban Decay's new Sheer Revolution lipstick is causing quite a stir in the beauty world at the moment. Everything about this product seems absolutely perfect; the packaging, the shade range and the price point. This lipstick is just a mere part of Urban Decay's new spring 2015 launch, however, as there are another four more new additions to this incredible brand. The other new products are the Naked Skin concealer, Naked Skin powder foundation, Moon Dust eyeshadows and the Mascara Resurrection. However, today I have decided to focus on what I think is the most exciting launch out of the five!

The new Sheer Revolution lipstick claims to be a sheer, yet still highly pigmented and shiny version of the classic Revolution lipstick that we all know and love. The product is described as being rich and creamy on the lips, as well as being deemed as buttery smooth upon application too! As far as the ingredients for the lipstick goes, it contains shea butter and jojoba, olive & babassu oils to keep your lips feeling really nourished. The formula also includes something called 'Maxi Lip,' which makes your pout look fuller and plumper!

As for the shade range, there are 10 different colours to choose from within the range. In my opinion, there is definitely a shade in there for everybody as there is a mixture of both neutral and bold colours. One of the main colours that caught my eye is 'Sheer Shame,' which looks like a gorgeous vivid purple shade. Another one of my favourites looking at the swatches below has got to be 'Sheer Streak.' I think that this coral shade will look stunning as we enter into spring and summer!

So far the new spring collection is only featured on the American Urban Decay website, so I'm not sure on what the price of the lipstick will be in the UK yet. Although, with that being said, the product is $22 which converts to about £15 (which is also the same price of the original Revolution lipstick.) So, I'm guessing that would be roughly what the price will be when it eventually hits the British shelves!

Overall, without actually being able to test out the product itself yet, I think that Sheer Revolution is going to be a huge hit judging by the description and the swatches f the product online! What do you guys think? Which shade has caught your attention? Let me know your opinion by leaving a comment below!

Tickled Pink | My Current Lush Favourites

As you may have recently seen in my What I Got For Christmas blog post, I received a lot of lovely Lush goodies from both my brother and my boyfriend. I am well and truly spoilt for choice when it comes to bubble baths at the moment! However, with that being said, I have already decided on a few of my favourite products from the bunch - so, I've decide to share my current top three Lush products with you all. I hope you enjoy!

The Comforter Bubble Bar
First up is a product that is slowly becoming one of my all time favourite Lush products, The Comforter. This gorgeous bubble bar has the most amazing blackcurrant scent! It is a very sweet smell that to me has a slight resemblance to a Fruit Pastille ice lolly (who else agrees with me here?!) Not only this but as you crumble a piece of The Comforter under a running tap, it turns your bath a water a lovely pink colour - as well as creating lots of foamy bubbles! Being one of Lush's biggest bubble bars, you also get a lot for your money with this product, as you can get at least 4 uses out of it too.

Mmmelting Marshmallow Bath Melt
Next is a product that I had never tried until now, the Mmmelting Marshmallow bath melt. What drew me in to this product is of course it's super sweet marshmallow scentl, it's just lovely! The idea with this product is to simply pop it in your bath and allow it to slowly melt away, releasing lots of oils that will nourish your skin. As well as this, it leaves your bath a gorgeous pastel pink colour too. I can honestly say that this bath melt leaves you feeling silky smooth and smelling good enough to eat!

Candy Mountain Bubble Bar
Last but certainly not least is one of Lush's limited edition bubble bars for Christmas, Candy Mountain. As you can probably tell from this post, I am a huge lover of sweet scents and so this is bubble bar is a total winner for me! Similarly to the marshmallow bath melt, it leaves your water a pastel pink colour. However, Candy Mountain has some shimmer running through it too in order to make your bath looking and feeling magical!

So, those are my three favourite Lush products at the moment. I absolutely love using them! There's something about any Lush product that makes bath time more exciting and relaxing, and these three certainly live up to that! I hope you have enjoyed reading about these three pink delights. Please let me know what your favourite Lush products are by leaving a comment below!

My New Look Petite Fashion Finds

For Christmas, I luckily received two New Look vouchers and so I've been looking for the perfect items to spend them on. I did look through the sales but I didn't find anything that stood out to me, so I headed straight for the petite range instead as a few pieces caught my eye! I ended up purchasing these two gorgeous tops, so I thought that I would do a mini haul today in order to show you what I got. I hope you enjoy!

First up, I bought this lovely floral t-shirt. What really drew me to this top was its rusty, burgundy colour. I do not anything like this hue in my wardrobe and so I thought that it would be a refreshing change for me. I am also a sucker for anything floral and monochrome too, so this entire combination is perfect for me. I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this piece throughout the rest of winter (and into spring too!)

The other item that I purchased was this stylish check shirt. The main thing that I really like about this shirt is that it is actually made out of chiffon, so that really sets it apart from the rest of the check shirts I own already. It is ever so slightly sheer when you wear it, therefore, it looks dressy yet casual at the same time.

Petite Burgundy Floral Print Ribbed Trim T-Shirt (£17.99)

Petite Dark Green Chiffon Check Shirt (£19.99)

So, those are the two items that I picked up from the New Look petite range. I hope that you enjoyed this mini haul and as always, please let me know what you think of my purchases by leaving a comment below!

Real Techniques' Eye Starter Set

Hi guys. For Christmas, I received this lovely Real Techniques brush set from my parents. After buying my first Real Techniques brushes (the Core Collection) back in 2013, I have been a huge fan of the brand due to its high quality yet affordable products. I asked for the eye starter set in order to accompany the Naked 2 palette that I knew I was also going to be receiving from my parents. Up until now, I have been a winged liner girl and I haven't experimented with eyeshadow too much for the fear of not being to have a perfectly blended smoky eye like all of the girls I look up to and watch on YouTube - including Pixiwoo themselves!

However, since this set has come into my life, it has made applying and blending out my new and beloved Naked 2 palette an absolute breeze! So today, I thought that I would do a little review of the Starter Set (which retails at £21.99) and tell you what I think about each brush so far!

Deluxe Crease Brush - This aptly named brush is perfect for applying eyeshadow into the crease of your eye to create more depth and definition. The brush is also great for seamlessly blending each colour into another. My only qualm with this brush is that it is slightly large for my eye shape, which means that it is sometimes hard to blend precisely and keep the colour exactly where you want it to be.

Base Shadow Brush - The base eyeshadow brush is brilliant at packing colour onto your lid before you blend it out. It allows your eyeshadow to be densely applied all over the eyelid, so the product is always evenly distributed. 

Accent Brush - This brush is excellent for adding eyeshadow on your lower lash line or in the inner corners of your eye. It's small size means that you can add colour where you need it precisely, which means that you can include subtle details into your look.

Pixel Point Eyeliner Brush - This eyeliner brush is very thin, so it is perfect to use in conjunction with a gel eyeliner to get a precise line. It's pixel point tip means that you can create the thinnest of lines but you can also build up your liner to make it thicker depending on what type of look you are doing that day. My only wish is that the bristles were a bit stiffer so that you feel like you have more control when applying the product.

Eyebrow Brush - Unfortunately, the eyebrow brush is the only brush in the set that I am yet to use. This is because I do not currently have a matte eyeshadow or brow gel to use with it! However, from what I have heard by fellow bloggers, this brush is perfectly angled to fill in your brows accurately whilst making them look as natural as possible. 

Overall, I am very impressed with this eye starter set. So far, I would give it a 10/10! It has everything a beginner would need to allow you to experiment with different eyeshadow looks and blend them out perfectly. As well as this, the set also comes with a holder for your brushes, so it's great to travel with too!

What do you think of these brushes? Have you got the starter set too? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!

My NARS Wish List

Hi guys. Although I did just get some new bits and bobs make-up wise for Christmas, I thought that I would compile a little wish list of some NARS items for you all. NARS are such a coveted and luxurious brand and even though I do not own any of their products yet, I am hoping to do so in the near future! So today, I thought that I would show you some of the products that have caught my eye on their website. Let's get started!

Satin Lip Pencil in Majella - £18.00
This satin lip pencil is the most gorgeous rusty magenta colour, which is one of my favourite shades to wear on my lips!

Sheer Glow Foundation - £31.00
I have heard nothing but great reviews about this foundation and so I know that I will love it. It has a medium but buildable coverage, a great shade range and gives the most flawless finish to the skin.

Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Dione - £21.00
This gorgeous light bronze eyeshadow looks like it would give a gorgeous metallic sheen to the lids and this colour would suit a lot of skin tones too.

Blush in Unlawful - £22.50
I am a huge fan of coral blushes as they add a lot of colour to the cheeks, plus 'Unlawful' has a gorgeous shimmer running through it as well.

ITA Kabuki Brush - £43.00
I have heard a lot of YouTubers rave about this ITA brush as it gives you instant cheekbones, it looks like the perfect brush for defined contouring!

Audacious Lipstick in Natalie - £24.00
The Audacious range has been a very popular release for NARS and this vivid pink/coral colour is so striking. I can imagine that it would look lovely with a tan! Also, I love how each lipstick in the range is named after a woman - it's a great concept!

So, those are the six wonderful NARS products that caught my eye on their website. Do you own any NARS products? What is your favourite item from my wish list? Please let me know by leaving a comment below!