Empties Haul!

As always there's a wonderful time when I have used up enough products to do an empties haul and that time is now! I am on a huge mission at the moment to use up the products I already have and try not to buy so many of them, aside from a few cheeky purchases of new summer products! Like every empties haul I do I have some products that I constantly get through so quickly like Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes, these are my go to makeup removing wipes every single time! I love that they are perfect for sensitive skin and remove stubborn makeup really well but as much as I love them I have decided that I need to try out some other makeup removers like different wipes or even liquid! Keeping along the lines of Simple's products I love their moisturizer, I use it every morning before applying my makeup and it leaves my skin feeling so soft, again it is perfect for sensitive skin but I do tend to switch it up between Nivea and Simple moisturizer! As for skincare that I wasn't loving I really didn't like the Bare Minerals facial cleanser, I just found it didn't do much for my skin and I didn't like gloopy texture!
I know there are lots of skincare pieces in my empties haul this time but getting summer ready I have been focusing on taking care of my skin and that included some bath and shower goodies like The Body Shop passion fruit shower gel, I love the classic Body Shop scents and the passion fruit is one of my favourites,I find it so summery and it lathers so well! When it comes to the bath I still have such a huge love for the Zoella Beauty scents and the fizz bar is the perfect summer scent, I got a couple of baths out of this one block and it leaves your skin so sweetly scented and feeling so soft! Lastly in my empties is one of my favourite mascaras, although it is so expensive and I do have favourites that are high street prices, I think Benefit Roller Lash mascara is brilliant, it gives me such long curling lashes with so much volume!

June Favourites!

I will probably continue to say this all year long but I cannot believe it is the end of June already! In this months favourites, aside from two products, I have so many exciting new products I have just discovered, I'm so excited to share them with you and even though I have only been using these for about a month I already love them so much and I know a few will definitely be regular purchases!

Garnier Skin Active Micellar Water- This all -in- 1 cleansing water removes your makeup and cleanses your skin leaving it feeling soft, clean and refreshed! It's such a huge bottle and is perfect for everyday use as well as all skin types but I just wish it had a better scent, I think it smells really earthy so I wish it smelt better!

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara- Oh my goodness I have found my true mascara love, I have seen so many people using this and so I decided to try it out... This is amazing, it makes my lashes so long, they look really full and fanned out! I bought it in the blackish brown shade and I actually really like that it's not jet black! I will definitely be buying this again!

CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat- I used to be someone who painted their nails and never thought to bother using a top coat until I discovered this one, lasting 7 days this top coat is really smooth to apply and dries really quickly, it keeps my nails chip free for ages and leaves my nails looking so shiny which I love!

No7 Beautiful Skin- Overnight Radiance Boost and Clear Complexion Serum- I use both of these as part of my night time skin routine and I love them, they have both really helped clear my skin and leave it feeling soft and full of life as well as blemish free! Little skin saviours!

Coppertone Clearly Sheer Sunscreen Spray- I was recently sent this and being in such hot sunny weather I have been using this so much, I love that it is so easy to apply and doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky, a simple mist giving you lots of coverage! The biggest thing I love about this is that it doesn't clog my pores or make my skin breakout, it can actually breathe! At first I was worried that a mist spray wouldn't give me enough coverage to not burn or I might miss patches but I used only this and sat in the sun for quite a while and no burn, just great coverage!!

Summer Lip Loves!

Summer times calls for all the prettiest lip colours, pink pick me ups and colours that just bring you sweet happiness! It's no surprise that all of them are pink... it's my favourite lip colour and I can't resit! People always have their favourite shades that work on them and I just really like pinks, at least I have a few new exciting brands for this seasons lip loves. NYX is a brand that has just recently caught my attention, I had heard some really great things about their colours and products including the butter gloss, its a really smooth and creamy light weight gloss with a rich colour pigment. I have the colour Strawberry Parfait which is a bit brighter than I normally would go for but when it's applied its actually a really nice touch of colour, I cant wait to try some more of their products!

It's obvious that I have a slight love for Clinique seeing as I have two of their products in my lip loves, I have loved Clinique's products for a long time and so recently I thought I would try a few of their new colours. I already love their Chubby Sticks but I had never heard of their Baby Tint Chubby Stick, I thought it was going to be a very pale almost clear gloss but I should had really paid attention to the name... I didn't realise as time went on it tints your lips and the colour gets stronger and darker, as much as I wish it was just a slightly pink gloss I really like that it tints your lips! A pleasant surprise!! Their classic lipstick is one of my absolute favourites, it's very soft and smooth to apply and has really rich colour, I love this pink it's gorgeous!! As always on most of my lip loves is the classic Rimmel London lipstick in the colour Candy, it is so subtle but it has the perfect amount of shimmer with such a soft pink colour so I had to include it!

In The Name Of Gucci- By Patricia Gucci

I was really excited to receive a copy of 'In The Name Of Gucci' by Patricia Gucci the granddaughter of the great Guccio Gucci! As a keen lover of fashion and the fashion industry I couldn't wait to read about a life behind the label, a tell all tale of unspoken secrets are released as Patricia speaks out for the first time ever in a tribute to her father Aldo Gucci. This book takes an adventurous stroll down memory lane as Patricia reveals life as a secret love child and the relationship between a father and his daughter. Although quite complicated I found this book enticing and very fascinating, it is a true page turner and I couldn't put it down! It is beautifully written and I love the vintage photograph sections though out the book. This is perfect to take on holiday with you, it's a really good length and a perfect book to get into whilst laying in the sun or dipping your feet in the pool! I love the design of the book, the cover is gorgeous and makes a perfect coffee table book too!

*Press Sample was Provided. All opinions are my own.*

For The Love Of Rose Jam

I will never understand why Rose Jam shower gel is not a permanent product in Lush all year round, they have a few continuous things in the same scent like the Rose Jam Bubbleroon and the Pearl massage bar so why is the shower gel only around at Christmas?! I know many people will have limited edition favourites that they wished were available all year round and not just seasonal or limited to the Lush Kitchen but I can't get enough of Rose Jam! I don't tend to use it all the time but I love it all the same and I only managed to stock up on small bottles at Christmas but I made sure to get lots of them! It's such a sweet, floral rose scent and I find that it can mix really well with lots of other scents or is perfect on its own to lather up in! Just like most shower gels I do use them as bubble bath too, there is nothing better than layers and layers or rose scented clouds of bubbles. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and silky as well as being gently scented with a touch of rose. I will just have to make the bottle I have last until I can stock up again later on in the year!

Rachh Loves Spring Favourites Box!

I recently got the most adorable tube filled with spring goodies from Topbox. Their limited edition Rachh Loves Spring Favourites box is packed with some perfect products for spring! Most of the products I got were brands I had never tried before which was perfect because it meant I could give some other brands a try! I had the choice of which colour lip gloss and nail polishes I wanted which was great because I really like more pink colours compared to blues and greens so I knew I would be getting colours I would wear! Below is what I got!

NYX Cosmetics Butter Gloss- I had never tried NYX before but I have seen and heard so many good things about it so I was really excited to try their butter gloss. I chose the colour Strawberry Parfait, it's a little brighter than I thought it would be but it's so smooth on the lips and is really long lasting which I love!

Elizabeth Arden Grand Entrance Mascara- I really like trying different mascaras because it gives me a chance to see if I find a different one I like and see how it works on my lashes! This one worked amazingly, it gave my lashes so much length and volume, although I wish it hadn't smudged under my eyes so much through out the day!

Glamglow Flashmud Brightening Treatment- I have tried some Glamglow products before so I was excited to see how this exfoliator worked. I found it a bit odd rubbing it on to dry skin and then leaving it like a mask because I felt like it needed a little bit of water for an easier application but when I washed it off my skin felt so smooth!

Cake Beauty Delectable Everything Balm- This smell AMAZING oh my goodness, it smells like sweet vanilla and strawberry cupcakes which means that using this on your lips tastes delicious!! I love the fact that this balm can be used on anything, it's such a good multi-purpose balm. I already need a full version of this!

Essie Summer 2016 Collection- I paint my nails quite a lot but I had never tried Essie nail polish, I chose the colours Coconut Cove and Berried Treasures. I was so happy there was a neutral colour and a pink, my favourite! They actually apply really well and I was really impressed with how quickly it dried!

April Favourites!

I know I always say this but it's that time again to talk about everything I have loved this month! I can't stop using all these pretty pink goodies and they have pretty much become part of my every day routine! Spring is here and you can definitely see this in my April favourites!

Dove Dry Spray Beauty Finish- Is this an odd thing to include in my favourites? I had previously bought this in the cool essentials but I really started to go off the scent so I wanted to try a new one! The beauty finish scent smells so nice, it's very fresh and floral and it give such good protection leaving me feeling and smelling fresh all day! 

Pixi by Petra Beauty Blush Duo 'Rose Gold'- I love Pixi products and this has become my favourite cheek product, the pink blush side isn't very strong so I have to apply quite a lot but the lighter golden side is an amazing highlighter, it sits so nicely on my cheeks and has the perfect amount of shimmer. I can see this becoming a regular buy for my beauty bag!

Herbal Essences Wild Naturals Oil Elixer- This smells amazing, it's so fruity! I just squirt a few drops in to my hand and rub it through the ends of damp hair, it's worked wonders on my dry ends with its intense deep conditioning, it has strengthened and softened the ends of my hair so they feel like new!

Nivea Pearly Shine Lip Balm- I have been loving wearing very subtle light pink shimmers on my lips at the moment, I think it's a perfect natural spring look for every day wear and this lip balm not only nourishes and soothes dry lips, it gives me a subtle pink shimmer too! 

Sephora Acne Fighting Roll On Gel- Just like most people, I have bad skin days where I get a spot that just springs out of nowhere and I love that this is perfect for instant spot battle! You simple just roll a bit of the gel on your problem area and it heals and drys the spot, it's really helped me stop picking at them and ending up with scaring! 

Zoella Foam Sweet Foam Shower Gel- This is my ultimate summer scent, I love this, it's so sweet, fruity and floral! It lathers up so nicely and always leaves my skin feeling so soft and smelling heavenly! I need so many more things in this scent because I can't get enough of it! Also I love how pretty all the packaging is, everything just looks so adorable!

Tokyo Treat- April Box!

Tokyo Treat box is now one of my favourite things I look forward to each month, I was so happy with March's box so I had great expectations for this month too! I get so excited that what I'm getting is such a surprise and I look forward trying new things without really knowing what it is, there are some tasty discoveries and a few surprise shocks! This months box was certainly not a let down and even though I couldn't quite work out the theme as easily as last months fruity filled box the treats were still delicious! Below are some of my favourites from this months box!

Meiji's Pucca Chocolate- Thin crispy biscuit nuggets filled with a really smooth creamy chocolate filling. These were delicious, the biscuit is really thin and the they are packed full of the chocolate filling for a perfect balance, I wished the biscuit had been a little bit sweeter but they were still delicious!

Crunchy Panda Z- Really crunchy panda shape chocolate biscuit topped with a thick layer of chocolate. I have never really been a fan of bitter sweet chocolate but once I tried one of these I couldn't stop! They were actually a perfect treat, not too sweet but not too bitter either!

Sakura Pepsi- This was a really special treat in this months box, to celebrate the season this limited edition cherry blossom drink was included! I really wasn't expecting it to taste the way it does, I thought it would be a floral cherry soda but it actually tastes exactly the same as regular Pepsi with a sweet after taste of floral cherries, it's literally pink Pepsi! I couldn't believe it when I tasted it!

Lottie's Koala Custard Pudding Limited Edition Flavour- This was my absolute favourite thing in this months box, I already knew I was going to love these when I saw the box, they were koala shaped thin crispy biscuit shells full of a sweet, creamy caramel filling which was delicious! The outside biscuit was not very sweet but the filling created a perfect balance! I'm so sad these are limited edition, I need more of these!

Empties Haul!

It's that time again when I have finally used up enough products to do another empties haul! I am on a huge clearing out spree of all my half empty products that I have lying around, so much so that I am turning it into a little project for myself which I talked about in another post but for today I'm chatting about everything I have managed to finish recently! These are all products I used regularly which is why I ran out of them pretty quickly! Some of them I really loved and some of them I probably wouldn't use again!

Lush 'It's Raining Men' Shower Gel- I love the scent of this, I only ended up buying a small bottle because at the time I was buying lots of other things but now I wish I had got a bigger bottle! The toffee- honey scent is so scrumptious I ended up using this as bubble bath, shower gel and shampoo sometimes, I love how versatile Lush products can be and that it smells so delicious hence why this became empty so quickly!

Nivea Extra Gentle Eye Makeup Remover- I really like Nivea products but I have never really been a fan of liquid makeup remover, I find it too messy and I end up getting through lots of cotton pads when I use it. I had picked this up when I was rushing and had run out of makeup wipes, I did use it until I finished it because it did get my makeup off really well and was perfect for my sensitive eyes but I definitely prefer their makeup wipes!

No4 Non Aerosol Hair Spray- I received this in one of my Birchboxes when I was getting them and I actually loved it, it was great for really direct spraying and it was really concentrated so you don't need to use much, it's prefect for travelling because it's not under pressure and it's a great size! It gave great hold but I do love both normal hairspray and this!! 

Softsoap Body Butter Coconut Scrub- This smells amazing!! I love coconut scented things and this just makes me think of being on holiday! It has a really yummy creamy coconut scent and because it's super rich and packed full of jojoba butter it's been amazing on my post winter skin, I love using this with an exfoliating glove to really help get rid of dry skin.

Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips- These seem to be on every one of my empties post because I use them all them time! I'm so sad there are only 8 in a pack and they are quite expensive but they are the only ones I find work best on my pores! They remove all the dirt really deeply and just leave my skin feeling really fresh!

Treacle Moon The Honeycomb Secret!

As many of you know I have a love for honey products, whether it's the scent or it's packed full of the good stuff I love it! I find that it repairs my dry damaged skin and hair amazingly and really deeply nourishes it. When I saw the honeycomb secret between all of Treacle Moon's heavenly delicious products I had to try it! I've talked about how I always end up using shower gel as bubble bath because I like the scents and this one is perfect because it is a bath and shower gel so you can choose to either lather it up or bathe in honeycomb bubbles! It's creamy sweet honey scent fills the air perfectly infused with real honey extract! All of Treacle Moon's scents smell so edible but don't eat them! It lathers up really well in either the bath or shower and its left my skin feeling so soft! If their scents are not enough the packaging and look of the bottles makes me just want to display all of them in my bath room, they are so pretty with the little stories and pictures on the front and they are such a perfect size too, such a big bottle full of goodness! I can't wait to try some more of the Treacle Moon collection!

March Favourites!

I say this every single time I do my monthly favourites but I can't believe it already time for my favourites again!! Where is this year going?! Spring is in the air and I'm loving it just like all my March favourites!

Zoella Beauty 'Wonder Hand' Hand Cream- One of my favourite products I own because it looks beautiful and smells heavenly! I normally treasure this little rose gold tube but after this cold weather I thought my hands could do with a little bit of pampering this month, I have been putting this on all the time and my hands feel so soft, it has a really sweet fruity floral scent which I love along with it's really pretty packaging! 

Imperial Leather Marshmallow Shower Cream- This pretty pink bottle is packed full of the yummiest scented shower cream ever, I love to use this as both shower cream and bubble bath because it lathers and bubbles so well! It leaves my skin feeling so soft and smelling of yummy sweet marshmallows, what could be better?! 

Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturizer- This is an essential part of my every day skin routine, I love most of Simple's skin products because they are perfect for my sensitive skin! I use this every day in the morning before I put my makeup on and I find that it really deeply moisturizes and hydrates my skin, it's a perfect way to start my day!

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick '002 Candy'- This gorgeous shimmer pale pink is the perfect spring lip colour, I'm loving how smooth it is to apply and long the colour lasts! It has such a gorgeous rich colour and I always think that Rimmel London lipsticks smell of cherries!

Natural Collection LashCurl Mascara- I love this mascara, I use it every day, another one of my everyday essentials! Even though it's not an expensive brand I think it gives my lashes so much volume and colour and makes them so long, I have that really happy feeling with my lashes when I use this and it's become one of my must have favourites! 

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish- I unfortunately can't remember the name of this colour because it's not written on the bottle, it was only on the little box it came in that I recycled but I love how rich and vibrant this colour is, it applies really smoothly and is really long lasting without chipping, Trust Fund Beauty has such a great story behind the brand in all that it does! Perfect colour for spring!

Lush Easter Collection!

I love it when Lush has different collections throughout the year that are only around for a little while because it makes it fun and exciting to try new things and see new things launch! Seeing as I love everything Lush I thought I should definitely treat myself to some of their new Easter bits! I was originally going to buy the whole collection to review but after debating it I didn't actually like some of the scents and thought it would be a waste to just buy them so I ended up just stocking up on a few of the ones I loved, it's only a little haul but it's smells scrumptious and they all look so pretty!

Humpty Dumpty Bath Bomb- If you loved the Christmas exclusive 'Shoot for the Stars' bath bomb then you will love this adorable little Humpty, he shares what I think is the exact same scent as that, a delicious blend of honey and toffee scents, some of my favourites! This is a huge bathbomb and you could definitely get 2 or three baths from it! My favourite part is the secret surprise hidden inside, when you crack Humpty opened he has a little egg shaped mini bath bomb inside! So cute and smells heavenly!

Fluffy Egg Bath Bomb- This vibrant pink egg shaped bath bomb is so pretty, it's topped with candy flowers and shares the same scent as "Snow Fairy" shower gel, another Christmas exclusive, a very sweet and yummy candy scent fills the bath along with the brightest pink waters! It may be small but it's so pretty and powerful!

Golden Egg Bath Bomb Melt- This glittering gold egg not only looks spectacular but it smells amazing, an almost desert like blend of toffee and caramel make this the ultimate heavenly bath, I had never used a bath bomb melt before until this, it's very slow fizzing because it's part bath bomb and part bath melt but the water makes you skin feel amazingly soft and looks so glittery! I couldn't resist getting more than just one!

Tokyo Treat- Japanese Candy and Snack Box!

Tokyo Treat is a Japanese candy and snack monthly subscription box that comes straight from the heart of Tokyo and is packed full of the some of the cutest and most delicious Japanese treats! They offer 3 different sizes; small, regular and premium so no matter what your budget you can still have a taste of Tokyo, on top of their great prices they offer free worldwide shipping too! Each month they have one collection of candy and snacks but depending on what size box you get determines how many treats and which ones you get! The small box contains 5-7 snacks, perfect for trying it out if you are a new subscriber, the regular box contains 8-12 snacks including everything in the small box plus some more goodies and the premium box, the best of them all, contains 13 to 17 treats, everything from both the small and regular boxes plus some really great extras like DIY candy kit, a drink, a bonus snack and a special item.

I was really excited to receive the premium box, I couldn't believe how full the box was when it arrived! I think I was really lucky this month because lots of things were pink and strawberry flavoured, my favourite, so I couldn't wait to try some of these cute tasty treats! I love how pretty all the packaging is, it was almost too pretty to open! I decided to get my brother to help me taste some of these because I wanted a second opinion and it was just really funny trying some things we had no idea what they were, it does come with a little menu in the box but it didn't fully tell us everything so some of them were a surprise! I won't talk about every single treat or this post would be super long, but I will talk about some of my favourites or not so favourites!

Hello Kitty Strawberry Biscuit Sticks and I Want To Gobble Up Strawberry Chocolate Fish Shaped Snack- These were definitely two of my favourites the biscuit sticks were very similar to Pocky sticks I've had before, light crunchy sweet biscuit covered in sweet strawberry chocolate, a perfectly delicate treat in the cutest package. The pink fish is a strawberry wafer filled with strawberry bubbly chocolate, it was so light and airy but so yummy!

DIY Candy Kit and Alforts Mini Blonde Chocolate Topped Biscuits- The DIY kit was slightly disappointing, I've seen lots where you have to mix things up to make something, this one is just candy fondant that you roll and press into different shapes, still so cute and fun though! The blonde chocolate biscuits were absolutely delicious though, they biscuit base was really soft and buttery and the white chocolate on top was so yummy, it isn't like plain white chocolate it has lots of delicious flavour, it's very similar to Caramac chocolate you can get in the UK and I loved these!!

Melon Cream Soda and Strawberry Cotton Candy- I was really excited to try the cream soda, but I didn't really like it, it tasted like artificial melon flavour, it was just too sweet and candy tasting but I loved the cute little can it came in! If the melon soda wasn't sweet enough then the strawberry cotton candy is, very delicious but very sugary and sweet, perfect in little amounts, it's so light and fluffy!

Project Empties!

I have so many products from blogging that I either receive from companies or that I buy myself to try that I end up with lots of half used or unopened products just sitting around! I always give away or donate the ones I don't want but I still have lots of unused ones or forgotten ones I still love that I should use! By using up some of the products I have it means I can buy new ones I want to try and I can clean out some more room for them! So I have decided to set myself a little project to pick 15 products to use more regularly until they are gone! I think this will really help me to finish up half used products I have before I buy more! I'm not going to set a date to finish these because I don't want to rush and just waste them but instead of opening up something new I have to finish these ones up! Below is a list of the products I chose!

- Lush Prince Charming Shower Cream

- Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet Perfume

- Lush Rose Jam Shower Gel 

- Victoria Secrets Pure Seduction Fragrance Mist

- Marc Anthony Coconut Oil Deep Conditioning Treatment

- EOS Strawberry Lip Balm

- Carex Strawberry Laces Hand Gel

- Imperial Leather Marshmallow Shower Cream

- Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

- White Shimmer Base Shadow

- Fearne Glossy Lips

- Sephora Instant Depuffing Roll-On Gel

- Benefit The Porefessional 

- LOC Tati On Point Shadow

- Bare Mineral Blemish Remedy

Nature's Pure Bliss!

I received a beautiful package from the wonderful people at Nature's Pure Bliss and it was filled with some lovely bath and body goodies! They sent me their 'Lavender Dreams' Bath Bar, 'Blood Orange Rose' Bath bar and 'Lavender Dreams' Coconut Milk Mineral Bath Soak. I've talked about how much I love lavender before in my blog, I love the scent and find it helps me relax and sleep really well so when I was greeted with the heavenly scent of lavender in this box I couldn't be more excited to have a long, hot bath with these products!

One of the products I was really excited to try was the 'Lavender Dreams' Coconut Milk Bath Soak, I had never tried salts before I received these ones. I have just never really seen any when I have been out picking new products to try and if I have then I've been slightly unsure about how to use them. There are little instructions on how to use them on the side of the jar which was perfect for me! As these ones have a lot of bits in them like pieces of lavender and oatmeal I decided to put mine in a little silk drawstring bag so that they were able to soak into the water fully but keep all the pieces contained! Packed full of real lavender, these smell incredible and the coconut milk leaves your skin feeling so soft! I felt so relaxed after soaking in these, the hot water created a delightful lavender steam which made for the perfect 'home spa' experience.

I also love bars of soap, I think they are so pretty and always smell amazing, so when I saw these two wrapped up in the prettiest paper I was so excited to see what these bars of soap looked and smelt like! The 'Lavender Dreams' bar didn't smell as strong as the bath soak like I thought it was going to but it is still such a divine soft lavender scent! Even though love rose and floral scents I have never really been keen on citrus scents so I was slightly apprehensive for the 'Blood Orange Rose' bar but I was actually delighted that I liked the scent of this, the rose and orange create such a nice blend. Both these soaps are full of coconut milk just like the bath soak, I have never really used coconut milk products on my skin before but I didn't realise how soft and hydrated it leaves your skin!

* Review samples were provided by Nature's Pure Bliss but all opinions are entirely my own!

Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes Book Review

I love smoothies, when I have the time and all the right ingredients I love to blend up a smoothie because it's so quick and easy and they are so delicious! I think my favourites have to be a classic banana or strawberry banana smoothie, so boring I know but I just love them! I was really excited when I received this book in the mail; 200 Best Smoothie Bowl Recipes by Alison Lewis, because even though I've never tried a smoothie bowl before I was so excited for lots of new recipes to try, in a bowl or not! The smoothie bowls in this book are absolutely beautiful, I think the idea is that you blend up a smoothie, place it in a bowl and top it with all different kinds of topping, fresh fruits, nuts, chocolate and more! I love the layout of this book, it starts off at the beginning with everything you need to know from the start, which blender to use, which bases work best for which recipes and lots of tips for success. The book then continues with recipes that are really easily laid out on each page, they have so many different categories from breakfast, greens, kid friendly and desert. Each page has tips on that recipie and really simple instructions! There are some beautiful pictures at the beginning of each chapter which are perfect for inspiration. With 200 recipes there is something for everyone and you can change everything up to fit in with your diet, if you are dairy free, lactose intolerant or anything else you can fit these recipes to work with you! I think my favourite ones are the Berry Banana Bowl (Page 144) or Banana Foster Bowl (Page 195) these are both so delicious and so easy to make!

*Press samples were provided for review, all opinions are entirely my own!

Lush Yuzu and Cocoa Review

Apart from indulging in the occasional Terry's chocolate orange I have never really been a fan of chocolate and orange mix nor has it ever appealed to me when it comes to shower and bath products. I was browsing the shelves of Lush and picked up the Yuzu and Cocoa Bubbleroon to smell and immediately fell in love with its sweet, sugary, citrus scent! After resisting putting at least 10 of these in my basket I was delighted to discover they also had a shower cream in the same scent, I thought it would only be fair to keep them together so I decided to pick up a small bottle of it to try! I found the scent differed slightly from the bubble bar so I wanted to really make sure I liked it. I don't find that the shower cream lathers as much as shower gel but the colour is so vibrant and really rich in pigment with only a slight variation in scent, I find it much better to use in the bath! The bubbleroon is such a good size for several uses when it has been cut up and creates fluffy clouds of yummy chocolate orange goodness on top of soft and vibrant yellow waters leaving your skin feeling so soft. It's started to become one of my favourite Lush products and I'm hoping to start to love the shower cream more too!

February Favourites!

It's coming to the end of the month which means it's time for my monthly favourites and this month is packed full of the prettiest pink products! Below are all the things I've loved in February!

Lush Prince Charming Shower Cream- I received this in one of my Lush gift sets but I also purchased a full sized bottle of this too. I had been really curious about this since I heard the shower gel was a limited edition last Valentine's Day so I really wanted to get it this year and I love it! The shower cream is really pigmented and has such a rich colour, it doesn't lather as much as I would like it to but I really like adding it to my bath water! It has a really fruity citrus scent mixed in with the sweet hint of vanilla! I wish it was a little bit sweeter but it's still such a nice scent.

Marc Anthony Coconut Oil and Shea Butter Deep Conditioning Treatment- This smells amazing! It makes me think of being on holiday with the the delicious blend of coconut and Shea butter. I love to wash my hair and then apply this to damp hair, massage it in and leave it on for about three hours, then wash it off. My hair not only smells amazing but feels so incredibly soft! This is my favourite deep conditioning treatment to do when my hair is drying out!

The Balm Cosmetics Meet Mr Matt(e) Hugh's Liquid Lipstick- This was my first ever liquid matte lipstick and I still love it, I've been wearing it a lot this month because it's such a nice neutral colour. I love how easy and smooth it is to apply, it's really rich and is really long lasting. It has a very sweet mint taste when you apply it too. I really want to get another shade of this lipstick in the full size! 

Ted Baker 'Polly' Fragrance- I have been wanting this perfume since before Christmas and my wonderful boyfriend recently got it for me when he came to see me! It's quite a small bottle but it's the only size they do and at the rate I'm using it it will be gone before I know it! It's quite a sweet scent, not floral or fruity at all which is my normal go to but I love it and it comes in the prettiest bottle!

Tanya Burr Rosy Flush Cheek Palette- I am terrible at contouring, I just can't seem to get a grasp on it and always seem to make a terrible mess when I try it! When my friend Daisy sent me this palette it became my saving grace, it's really helped me learn simple steps to contour easily! All the colours are beautiful and have such rich shimmering colour. The packaging is so pretty too, I love that it has the built in mirror for in the go application!

Ipsy Glambag February Opening!

How can it be time for my February Glambag already? It feels like only yesterday I was writing about my January Glambag! I was very excited when I found out that it was pretty in pink themed this month and of course I loved almost everything! I think that my favourite thing about Ipsy is how much I love everything I receive, they really do tailor it to what you love and I have it to that perfect point where I am really happy with what I get! Below are all the beautiful products I got in this month's bag!

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish in 'I'm kind of a big deal'- I love the story behind this brand, it's vegan and cruelty free, this brand aims to be beautiful without being cruel! This long wearing polish is the cutest shade of pink, it's is really rich in colour and paints on really smoothly!

Perfectly Posh BFF: Best Face Forever Exfoliating Daily Face Wash- With a refreshing blend of grapefruit and peppermint oil this gentle exfoliant is packed full of natural microbeads which clean away dry, dead skin to give you a fresher face! It's gentle enough for daily use!

Naked Cosmetics Mica Pigment 'Sierra Nevada #02'- Natural Cosmetics is the purest and most natural makeup out there. This is a highly pigmented 100% colour powder that can be used on your eyes, lips, face, nails and body! It blends amazingly and has the most elegant shimmer!

Smashbox Cosmetics Photo Finish Primer Oil- This fast absorbing lightweight lustrous oil instantly moisturizes your face to allow flawless foundation application. It contain 15 essential oils including jojoba and chamomile to calm your skin leaving it feeling soft and smooth.

Vintage By Jessica Liebeskind Sparkling Lipgloss 'Pink Sequin'- This is the perfect gloss to carry in your bag for an instant pop of shimmer and shine, it's such a pretty colour and with it's sheer reflective formula it can be worn on its own or on top of another lip colour to create the prettiest pink pout!

Lush 'In Your Dreams' Valentine's Gift Unboxing!

In the spirit of all things pretty and pink I decided to do a Lush gift unboxing for the beautiful 'In Your Dreams' gift my boyfriend bought for me. The magic of this gift starts with its unbelievably pretty packaging, I love all things glitter and unicorns and so my eyes lit up when I saw that the theme of this gift is everything to do with that. Underneath the almost too pretty to touch wrapping paper was the beautiful sweet, floral scent of the unicorn horn bubble bar. A sweet, shimmering, pastel shaped unicorn horn bubble bar that carries a citrus and lavender scent is perfect to crumble under warm running water and creates shimmering, pink bath waters topped with fluffy clouds of bubbles. Nestled deeper in this gift is the cutest bottle of Prince Charming shower cream, the 60ml bottle is the smallest bottle I've seen from Lush but it is perfect for travelling. The sweet scents of vanilla and pomegranate are combined to create this vibrant pink shower cream, the colour is gorgeous! Lastly to finish off the gift is the 'Kiss Me' Lip Gloss, they say that this is a gloss but I would say it's more of a shimmer balm. It's packed full of shea butter and has a sweet candy taste with a slight pink tint to create the perfect pout! I absolutely love this gift set, it's beautiful and I'm so sad it's going to be gone so soon!

Spring Lip Loves!

Even though it's not actually spring, the weather here has been really mild and quite warm so it feels like almost spring is in the air which means that my dark winter reds are taking a little step back for a while and some lighter and brighter lip colours are in! My favourites are nudes and light pinks, I think they go really well with lots of colours and just give your lips the prettiest pout, I love the classic shine and soft look of these colours! Some of the brands I am loving at the moment are Rimmel London 002 Candy a gorgeous pearl pink shade. Bare Minerals Marvelous Moxie in the shade smooth talker which is a pretty shimmer pink shade, this also gives your lips a gorgeous plump look and Sephora Rouge in the shade Love Life which is a very peachy beige. All of these are really rich in colour, I love it when a lip colour has really rich pigment and when they are really smooth to apply! I'm having so much fun mixing and matching different shades this season, especially when I have so many to choose from!

January Favourites!

I can't believe that it's already the end of January, it's flown by! The end of January means that it's time for all the products that I have been loving in the last month! Most of them are pretty basic beauty routine pieces, basic but essential things I can't go a week without!

I recently decided that I wanted to try a new shampoo, I had my eye on one from Lush for a while purely because I absolutely love the honey toffee scent of it! I was sort of apprehensive about using a bar of shampoo but I actually prefer it over regular shampoo, it's so easy to use and it lathers up really well and leaves my hair feeling silky soft! It is perfect for travelling too! Keeping along the lines of hair products, for those lazy days we all have I am loving using Batiste dry shampoo in the floral flirty scent of Blush, it is perfect when my hair needs a bit of a freshen up, it smells so sweet and fresh and isn't to difficult to blend into my hair!

On to my face favourites of the month all from the wonderful brand Simple, I can't go without using their sensitive cleansing makeup removing wipes every day, my skin feels so horrible if I use any other face wipes as I get super sensitive under my eyes and these make sure I'm not in an discomfort! Plus they are so easy at removing your stubborn makeup! For an even deeper clean on my face I use their foaming cleansing wash, it's gives a really deep clean and leaves your skin feeling so fresh, I also love the fact it's a foam! Finally for my everyday makeup I'm I love with the Fleur De Force quad eye shadow palette in Lunar Rose, I got this as a gift for Christmas from my wonderful friend Daisy and it has quickly become my everyday go to palette! It has some really beautiful neutral shades which blend amazingly, I love the shimmer tones it has as well as the matte shades for creating the perfect ombré shadow look!

Pamper Perfection!

Sometimes when life and work gets a bit stressful I find that a really good evening of pampering is the only thing that helps me unwind and relax. I don't mean just a bath with a Lush bath bomb in it, I mean the full works!! To me, nothing feels better than taking all my makeup off after a long day and having that fresh, clean feeling! Depending on how my skin is whether it is a bit dry and needs some moisturizing or if it's breaking out a bit and I need some deep pore cleansing I pick out a face mask to pop on, I think it's so important when pampering that you focus on everything! After painting a mask on my face it comes to my favourite part of picking out which Lush bits I want to use in my bath, I like to really splash out when it is a pamper night, using bath bombs, bubble bars, bubble bath and everything in between, I love a bath with the brightest of colours and clouds of fluffy bubbles to soak in! I also love to use nights like this to use products I don't normally use like a doing a full body scrub and using a body conditioner. After running my bath and popping in all my Lush products I like to light some candles and put on some of my favourite music and just relax, maybe do a full deep condition on my hair and just enjoy being able to switch off and do nothing for a few hours! I always feel so much better after it, my head feel so clear and my body feels so relaxed!

Ipsy Glambag January Opening!

It's that time of the month again, the most glorious time of the month when I open my Ipsy Glambag! Every month it has been getting better and better and I love everything I got this month! I really enjoy it when most of it is makeup based because my skin can be really sensitive to using different skin care products that I end up not using them where as with makeup at least I can use it and try it out! Below are all the goodies I got!

OFRA Cosmetics Universal Eyebrow Pencil- This buildable eyebrow pencil is perfect for any skin tone, the more you apply the darker it gets. Really rich colour pigment and keeps all hairs in place but also doubles as an eyeliner or lip liner!

Pixi By Petra Mineral Duo in 'Lavender Bloom'- This duo contains two silky shades to be able to use together or alone. The mineral formula reflects away from imperfections and the gem stone hues enhance natural beauty! Beautiful shimmer and pigment these shades have a such a pretty lustre! You can apply dry for sheer colour or wet for more intensity! I'm so excited for this one!

theBalm Cosmetics Mr. Write Now in Scott Bordeaux (Deep Purple)- Long lasting eyeliner pencil with built in sharpener for always ready on the go looks! Satin smooth texture allows for beautiful application and the richest of colour! I already love this brand and i'm so excited to wear this!

Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Cloths- On the go foaming cleansing cloths a perfect for those days when you don't want to do the whole cleansing routine! Infused with Icelandic glacial water it cleans away makeup dirt and oil!It fights breakouts and soothes skin as well as being perfect for travelling!

Beau Gachis Paris Smudge Brush- Perfect for creating a soft smokey eye look. Created with shorter bristles it flawlessly picks up just the right amount of pigment allowing you to control how much you want to use. It is also great to smudge out gel eyeliners!

Crazy For Coconut!

I received some really yummy new treats in my mailbox from an organic company called Prana! Seeing as it is the new year and lots of people are trying to change their lifestyles by eating healthy and exercising I thought I would share these new healthy snacks with you! Prana organic coconut chips are a great alternative to crisps, they are vegan, organic, gluten free and kosher which makes them the perfect snack to battle those salty cravings! They come in 4 fun flavours Jive (Spicy Chilli), Charleston (Barbecue), Hula (Sea Salt and Pepper) and Classic. My favourite is definitely the Classic, I love just the original sweet taster of coconut chips, they are perfect to sprinkle on top of yoghurt, mix with raisins and nuts or just enjoy one their own! They are nice and sweet with an unmissable crunch! In close running behind the classic flavour I'm also loving Hula which is sea salt and pepper, they are perfect if you fancy a salty snack but so much healthier, seeing as coconut has a natural sweet flavour it creates this really delicious sweet and salty taste! Although my sweet tooth wishes these came in desert flavours like chocolate and caramel I don't think they would be as healthy... So for now I'm keeping these close for any of those snack cravings!

An Etsy Adventure!

I have some very exciting news to share on my blog today! I have recently decided to embark on a little Etsy adventure with my mum! I wanted to bring a little English touch to peoples homes, I have been working on lots of different cute home bits and have finally opened my Etsy shop called The Little English Rose! I wanted to start off small to see how they do but I have lots of plans in the works, the first two pieces up are both wooden hanging hearts decoupaged with Emma Bridgewater pattern with a little piece of twine to hang them up! As well as being really cute little home pieces they also make really sweet gifts! If these do well I am excited to try out different shapes and pieces with all sorts of different patterns! Head on over to this link to take a peek! https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheLittleEnglishRose?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Clean & Clear Pore Perfecting Morning Routine!

I have never had really terrible skin growing up but I do always seem to suffer with blemishes and blocked pores, just like many people do. I'm always uncomfortable and feel the need to cover them up or hide them away but some days I really don't want to put lots of makeup on and pretend they are not there. The last few weeks I have been feeling really contentious about my skin and the condition it has been in but I try to remind myself that I am being really silly, why should we feel bad about the way our own skin looks? They are only a few spots. Everyone gets them and so I shouldn't feel the need to cover them up or hide away because its's natural and it's just me! Rather than looking at covers of magazines and feeling upset that I don't have skin that appears to be perfect like theirs, covered in makeup, I have decided that I should just embrace my skin for the way it is! It’s okay to let everyone see the real me.

Clean & Clear came to my skin's rescue when they sent me their Pore Perfecting Morning Routine. It really helped me understand how important it is to take care of your skin and to be able to clear it up and feel comfortable! It has also really helped me understand 3 important steps to better skin and what to use. Up until now, I had been lost in a world of what to use and in which order to use them but nothing has been easier than their 3 step routine that has been leaving my skin feeling so much better.

It all starts off with Step # 1 Cleanse using the Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Cleanser. Simply squeeze a small amount of this pore cleanser on to your hands, lather up and apply to your face. Avoid contact with your eyes, swirl it around your face, and once rinsed, pat your face dry. It leaves you feeling a fresh tingly sensation. My face felt really cool and clean after using this. I love the fact that it cleans your skin of any oil, dirt and makeup up that might be on your face after a long day and having that really clean feeling makes it feel like everything has been completely removed. I just wish it would lather up a bit more than it does. It is more of a cream lather than a bubbly lather which I prefer so I can really feel where it is on my skin, but that has no effect on how clean it leaves your skin!

Step # 2 Tone with Clean & Clear Blackhead Clearing Astringent; this is simply a toner for blackheads. I didn’t realize how important it is to tone in your morning skin routine, this is where I used to become lost. It's really important to get any dirt that is left in your pores and all you have to do is soak a cotton pad with this toner and wipe all over your face, focusing on your T-Zone where all the dirt really builds up. This contains salicylic acid which is a medicated ingredient to help your pores and blemishes. I find that this has a little bit of a medicated scent and I wish it did smell a bit nicer because the moisturizer also has the same ingredients but has a lovely scent. So it is best not to put too much on the cotton pad or it can become too much around your face but it's a step that can't be missed because it really helps to clean out your pores.

Lastly is Step # 3 Moisturize with Clean & Clear Essentials Dual Action Moisturizer containing acne fighting ingredients! This face moisturizer helps treat and prevent breakouts and spots but keeps your skin moisturized. It is oil free which means your skin doesn't feel oily or greasy after using and all you have to do is apply a small amount to your hand and massage into your skin. It smells lovely and leaves your skin soft to the touch but be sure not to over use it as it does contain medicated ingredients.

I can't thank Clean & Clear enough for sending me this little box of skin rescue, not only has it helped my skin but it has really helped my understanding on how to properly take care of my skin! Getting into a good skin care routine and taking good care of my skin are so important because it means I can embrace not having to wear makeup when I get a blemish. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3 for you to have a good skin care routine too because Clean & Clean has lots of different routines for your skin type, hopefully you can all embrace your natural skin too!