Sunday, 9 March 2014

A Camera for the Iphone

When the beautiful Louise mentioned she had bought a Macro Lense for her iPhone I was intrigued, you can read her post HERE, but so impressed that I was straight on Amazon to order my own version.  After looking around I settled on the XCSource 180 Degree set which cost me just £6.79 - an absolute bargain!

I have mentioned a few times on my blog that the one thing that gets to me is my useless photos, mainly all taken with my iPhone because I always have it within my grasp and it is simple and easy to use.  So one of my aims was to improve my photography and this is just the start.


It features a detachable and portable clip which you attach to your phone and then place one of the three lenses in, a pouch to store all of your lenses and two lense covers.  The three lenses are as follows:
  • Fish Eye Lense  - has a magnification of up to 180 degrees
  • Wide Angle Lense
  • Macro Lense
The photograph below shows two photographs, the first is taken using the Macro and Wide Angle lense together and the one below is taken just using my iPhone with no lense and the difference to me is quite amazing.




Once the clip is attached to the phone, all you need to do is twist the lenses into place and then you can twist them too and fro to get the right angle and ensure there is no blurring and then snap away.  The clip, which you can see below, is similar to a bulldog clip and once it is on your phone, it stays in place and doesn't move about, unless you move it.







As you can see from the photos above, the lenses fit really nicely into the clip and are easy to add and remove, which again is a bonus.

I have been using these lenses for a good month or so now, getting used to them, trying out new things and I think I have almost mastered the art, some of the photos that have appeared on my blog over the past few weeks have contained images taken using the camera, not sure whether any of you noticed or not - now there is a quiz to be had!

If you are looking for something like this, then it is compatible with the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 5C and the Samsung Galaxy S2, S3 and S4 to name a few of them.  Everything else they are compatible with is listed on Amazon.

Now obviously this is a quick fix solution and not as good as having a proper camera, but for a novice like me it has been a brilliant addition to my iPhone and something which gives me just that little bit more confidence when taking photos.

Have you got anything like this?

Saturday, 8 March 2014

Love Rocks Candle - Bomb Cosmetics

If you hadn't gathered by now, I am a huge fan of candles, whatever their shape or size, I love them.  I find them relaxing, they create a relaxing atmosphere and of course send wonderful scents throughout the home.

Bomb Cosmetics have so many amazing candles, they come in tins, glasses, paint tins and teacups to name but a few, all of which you can see HERE.  I am currently burning Love Rocks which is a tinned candle and described as being 'truly sensuous'.

Love Rocks Candle - Bomb Cosmetics

Love Rocks Candle - Bomb Cosmetics

Love Rocks Candle - Bomb Cosmetics

Love Rocks Candle - Bomb Cosmetics


As you can see it is very decorative and a little biy funky, quite different to alot of the candles you purchase online, in your local supermarket or from specialist shops.  I love the design and colour of this candle, the hearts which are placed around the wick, for me, give it such a fabulous and fun finish.

A further description of this candle reads "A truly opulent floral- musky fragrance fashioned from luxurious accords of heliotrope and lilac blossoms, white violets and ylang ylang, enveloped in layers of velvety musks. Vanilla and soft woods infuse the base, while a sparkle of bergamot freshens the top".  Now this candle contains some of my favourite scents and as soon as the lid is removed, some of those scents have already come to life.

Priced at £7.99 you get around 35 hours burn time with this candle and the amazing thing is, you only need to burn it for 2-3 hours before extinguishing the wick for that scent to have filled every room in your home, it is lovely and floral and thankfully the vanilla isn't too overpowering, it is there and noticeable within the scent but it is the Lilac and violet that are the more dominant scents, or the ones I can detect the most.


Have you ever tried one of these candles?


Friday, 7 March 2014

My Lottery Wishlist

Whenever you buy a lottery ticket, do you ever, whether on paper or in your head come up with a wishlist of things you would buy if you ever won?  I do all the time, I can't help it. The most I have ever won is £1500 and that little win didn't even scratch the surface of my wishlist.

So chatting with some friends of mine on Facebook chat today about lotteries and what they would buy if they won, it amazed me just how many different ways there are to play and win money - Euromillions, Irish Lottery, Health Lottery, Postcode Lottery, National Lottery, Thunderball to name just a few that come to mind.  Friends of mine across the pond play something called Powerball and I asked What is Powerball and was quickly told it is a form of Lottery with prizes starting at $40million dollars (wow).

Like most people my wishlist is huge, the list is endless and obviously I want want to make sure family and closest friends got to share my wealth, but once all of that has been done and dealt with, if money was no object what would I buy? Naturally I would want to go on hliday and one of my dreams is to go back to Las Vegas where beautykinguk and I got married before going on to Reykjavik which I am also really wanting to visit because I want to sit in a hot geyser!  Holidays aside, my wishlist is quite long, but these would be high up on my list:  



Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Soleste Band Ring - A ring with round brilliant white and Fancy Vivid Pink diamonds in platinum and 18k rose gold.  At a mere £11,400 it is unlikely I will ever own this ring unless I do win the lottery, but it is on my wishlist because it is just stunning and I love everything about it.

Canon D600 - Every blogger needs one and this particular camera is one I keep looking at and wishing I could afford to buy it, I have mentioned so many times how poor my photographs are on my blog and how I lust after some other bloggers photos with how fabulous they are - camera, I need you!

Hermes Birkin Bag - Well who doesn't want one? My only problem would be deciding on the colour, would it be a classic black version or something a little more out there and perhaps a coral colour?!

Creme De la Mer Asprey Ultimate Collection gift set - having seen this in Selfridges, the only thing I can say is that it looks amazing and has a price tag to match. I would love to know if this stuff is as good as all the 'celebs' claim it is and if I had the money to do it, I would quite happily work my way through the entire collection and then blog about it!

Jo Malone Signature Collection Gift set - I am dying to try some Jo Malone products and almost every one which has been suggest to me is featured within this gift set, so it would be mine!

Bvlgari moonphase Watch - I love Bvlgari watches they are stunning and I spend hours drooling over them.

Ted Baker Large Blue Cubic Print Flapover Purse - I have loved this purse from the moment I saw it and at £99 I can't quite justify purchasing it, though I do need a new purse as mine is clinging on my mere threads.  I just love everything about this purse from the design, to the zips, to the inside and think it is just fabulous.







*Written in collaboration with Lottoland

Thursday, 6 March 2014

Ambience volumizing dry shampoo

How I have survived without dry shampoo in my life is a complete and total mystery to me, infact it was only a few years ago that I did discover it and one brand or another has remained a staple product within my bathroom cupboard. So when I sent some Ambience volumizing dry shampoo in blonde, I was really keen to try it.

Arriving in its black box, everything you need to know about the product is clearly displayed for you to read. It states that it is 100& natural, instantly cleans and refreshes hair without water, is both Paraben and preservative free, not tested on animals, contains no alcohol, is non-flammable and is sulfate free - wow!

 Ambience volumizing dry shampoo

 Ambience volumizing dry shampoo

 Ambience volumizing dry shampoo

 Ambience volumizing dry shampoo

 Ambience volumizing dry shampoo


This product is quite unlike any that I have used before, for example it isn't in an aerosol can and it has an applicator brush that you use to apply the product to you hair, as you can see in the photos shown below. Like many dry shampoos it states that it will:
  • Lift roots to add body and fullness to hair
  • Cleans hair and absorbs excess oil, leaving hair looking, feeling and smelling freshly shampooed
  • Tinted powder blends with hair colour, does not leave white residue, which can cause the hair to look grey
The applicator brush is found inside a protected lid to keep the brushes shape and a retractable sleeve, as soon as you remove the lid the brush comes to life and to use you simply tilt the brush and having sectioned your hair, use the brush in circular motions to distribute the powder, which was much easier than I was anticipating and it doesn't create any mess, then I used my Tangle Teezer to brush my hair through once I had finished and voila, those greasy looking oily roots were no longer. If you are someone who has their hair highlighted or coloured regularly, this dry shampoo also works to conceal those roots which is an added bonus.

So how did it fair? Well it did leave my hair looking as though it has just been washed and feeling clean, my oily roots had disappeared and there was no white residue or stickiness, so it ticks all of those boxes for me. Did it add some volume, yes it did, once I ran my fingers through my hair there was a bit of a lift round the roots so my hair was no flat against my head and it saved me having to get my hair dryer out and add any further products, so again another ticked box. The only thing I would change is to get a darker shade, as my hair is dark blonde, I think a darker shade would be more suitable, though this one did work really well.

Ambiance Volumizing Dry Shampoo has a RRP of £26.98 though if you look around you can find it priced a little cheaper around £14.99 HERE , however as it is more than just a dry shampoo it is something I would recommend people who do highlight and colour their hair regularly to try because it does conceal those roots, which is brilliant for those inbetween hairdresser appointments. I have been using my dry shampoo for a good few weeks now and it shows no sign of running out anytime soon.

The Ambiance Volumizing Dry Shampoo is available in Blonde, Black, Brunette, Grey and Red the box I was sent did contain a refill which is one of those limited time offers, so it is worth hunting it down until the offer is rescinded.

Have you tried the Ambiance Volumizing Dry Shampoo?

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