Blogging Essentials for being on the go!

I have a full time job which is often more than 9am-5pm and it is one which is quite challenging, so at times making some time for blogging becomes quite difficult, I can often be travelling on the tube for hours on end and when I am, I like to make the most of that time and use it constructively.  

So when I am out and about, I tend to ensure I have a few essentials with me that should an idea pop into my head, I have something to write it down on or in and should a photo opportunity arise, even better.

These are the things you are always likely to find in my bag.

My Filofax - I love the design of my Filofax, there is something about the birdcages which I really love and because of its size, it is perfect for every handbag I own.  Everything I do and every place I have to be is written down within this Filofax from meetings, dates with friends and blog events, if I lose it I will be well and truly up the spout.  I bought it to try and get out of the habit of using my iPhone as my calender as it drove me insane when alerts didn't go off, so instead I use it alongside and inside at the back is a jotting pad.

Pens - I tend to have a few pens in my bag, I love pens of all varieties especially gel pens as I find them really easy to write with.  I also always have a highlighter, usually green and a coloured pen which I use to underline.

A notepad - I am obsessed with notebooks and have made reference to their importance in my life on this blog so many times.  It is so nice to sit down with a proper pen rather than a keypad or keyboard and write things, quite old school I know, but I do it quite a lot.  I can be on the train, at work, in bed, down the park, on a bus, on the tube and even in the bath and there is always a notepad to hand.  The one shown above is where I write all my blog posts ideas and actually where this post originates from.  But for many years I have always kept a notepad and pen by the bed because you know when you wake up, usually in the middle of the night with a fab idea only to wake up in the morning to forget it, well not anymore - ta-da!

Sticky notes - Something else I am obsessed with.  I have and use so many post-it notes in all different shapes and sizes.  They are mainly used for referencing things I have written down when it comes to blogging and each colour denotes something different (I am that organised) such as:

Blue - Blog post ideas to finish
Green - Photos I need to take
Yellow - Lists I need to finish
Pink - Ideas list
Orange - Reminders

Camera - I have recently invested in a Canon E0S1000D camera which I use more and more frequently to take shots for my blog.  I am still currently learning what all the functions do, so until I am confident on how to use it, I stick with my trusty faithful Fujifilm Finepix which isn't the best camera but it does take pretty decent pictures and when I am out and about it can come in really handy when I need to take some photos, rather than rely on my iPhone, which I am still doing.

So those are the things I always have in my bag just incase I am stranded somewhere on public transport, have a spare few minutes, come up with an idea for my blog, have opportunities to take impromptu pictures, need distracting and so on.

What are your blogging essentials for being on the go? 

Birchbox Away We Go - August Edition

I am in receipt of my very first Birchbox and it is the August edition, aptly titled Away We Go. Full of samples to take with you on a weekend away.  So when the little box was handed to me by my blog reading postie, I was really excited.

The box, which is slightly smaller than the Glossybox boxes contains five sample products, all of which are available in full size from the Birchbox shop.  This I quite like the idea of because you often get sample products, love them and haven;t got a clue where to get them from, now with Birchbox, you do!

The first item my eyes were drawn too was the chapter sampler, an amazing idea if ever there was one for us book lovers.  How many of, you like, own a Kindle and before buying a book which you are not too sure about, download a sample of it first? Well this is the same concept for me and having already read that sample chapter, I have ordered the book because I was gripped!  

The Proposal by Tasmina Perry features chapter one of the spellbinding and romantic novel, which spans 1950s London and present day NYC. Just 27 pages this long, this sampler did leave me wanting to know what happened next.

Next comes this very cute travel toiletry bag which is very summary looking in bright yellow and pastel blue shades and inside it has the following products:

Liaison De Parfum - Inside this envelope which boldly states "I dare you" which happens to be the name of the perfume, it is said to capture the romantic essences of life and travel. , With notes of vetiver, sandalwood, leather and amber. A 100ml of this has an RRP £105 which at that price is out of my price range, but is a scent I actually quite like.

Number 4 - Super comb Prep & Protect. This is a leave in conditioning spray to detangle and protect against heat and sun damage.  To use you simply spritz over damp hair and comb through before drying and styling. This is a sulfate-free formula sinks in quickly and has a pretty floral scent thanks to white freesia, amber, and musk.  A 200ml bottle has an rrp of £20

Supergoop - A Daily Correct SPF35 CC Cream.  A natural shade-adjusting CC cream with SPF to smooth fine line and even out skintone. This CC cream uses 100% natural ingredients and antioxidants to triple protect against UVA, UVB and infrared-A rays. Light-diffusing mica minerals soften the appearance of pores and wrinkles for a fresh, flawless complexion. I have two 3ml tubes in shade light-medium and it is just a little it too dark for my skintone, but mixed with my MAC foundation, it works perfectly well.

Wild About Beauty - Creme Eyeshadow. A paraben-free eyeshadow from Louise Redknapp and Kim Jacobs make-up range, which is said to give a long-lasting satin finish.  I have shade 03 Buster which is a dark bronze shade.  This is a full sized product with an RRP £13

Nude Progenius Omega Treatment Oil - Nude's signature treatment oil is a work of pure genius. Rich in omega 3, 6, 7 & 9, this pure and active treatment oil delivers a precisely balanced diet of vital skin nutrients.

The addictive oil redefines how we treat the skin, lighting skin from within. Created with 10 precious oils, the beautiful formula absorbs instantly, for deep and long lasting skin cell nourishment. Skin is instantly luminous and younger looking.   

Overall I am really impressed with my first box from Birchbox and I love the toiletry bag plus the book sampler, such great ideas.  For monthly subscriptions, Birchbox is £12.95 per month, including Postage and Packaging.

Are you a subscriber to Birchbox? Are you a fan?

If you have read my blog recently, you will have read that Birchbox have partnered themselves with Breast Cancer Charity CoppaFeel! which you can read all about HERE.

GOSH Cosmetics AW14 range

I am a huge fan of GOSH Cosmetics and a few weeks ago I went along to the launch of the AW14 range. Held in the fantastic location of The Sanderson Hotel, we were treated to the most delightful little canapes, Lychee lemonade and a few glasses of bubbles not to mention make-overs and manicures.

The AW14 range is a really exciting one for me, particularly with the nail polish. I am one of those people who prefers the darker shades to the lighter ones and my manicure was done with Night Sky which at £3.99 is an absolute steal. As you can see from the photo's below, this colour is a black but within it are little speckles which shimmer in the light. Also within the range are 4 other shades called Stardust, Milky Way, Moonlight and Million stars.

Then there is the Defining brow gel, brows seem to be the 'in thing' right now and GOSH have brought out their defining gel which is Vegan friendly and available in three shades; Brown, Brown/Grey and Black. They are priced at £4.99 each.

More mascara, well you can never have too much. There are two new ones coming from GOSH and they are - the Crazy Volume Mascara (£6.99) which has a large brush, it is designed to give you that big lash look. The second one is the Double Precision Mascara (£7.99), this one has not one, but two wands and they work together to help define both your upper and lower lashes. Both mascaras are paraben and fragrance free.

Lipsticks - GOSH have added eight new shades to their range of velvet touch lipsticks; Adorable, Temptation, Divine, Scarlet, Diva, NightKiss, Twilight and Angel. These are full of pigment and last well, but also soften the lips thanks to the Vitamin E. Each lipstick is £6.49. Unfortunately there’s no swatch of NightKiss.

Cheek blushers - These I absolutely love and couldn't wait to try them. They come in three stunning shades which are called Shy, Passion and Pink Parfait. At a first glance, they do look similar to the chubby sticks from clinique. What I love about them is how easy they are to hold and how little you need to apply to your cheeks to get this fabulous colour not to mention the fact you can also use them on your lips, so it is like having two products in one!

The Palettes - The first item I spotted as I walked through the door was the amazing palettes. I have a bit of a thing for palettes at the minute and as soon as I had said hello to a few people I was swatching away. Available in three different options 001 To Enjoy with in New York, 002 To have fun with in LA and 003 To Play With In Vegas each palette has a multitude of options for everyone, whether you like your nudes, bright colours and I mean really bright or something which is halfway between the two, these palettes are simply stunning and a first from GOSH.

The final two items are the Mineral Powder and the brush to accompany it. Priced at £9.99 this powder is said to give really good coverage to leave a flawless complexion. The shades available are 02 Ivory, 04 Natural, 06 Honey and 08 Tan and I am between the 02 and 04 shade from the swatches I did on the back of my hand. Once on the skin they blend in really well and definitely something I will be looking to purchasing.

As ever the lovely PR girls and GOSH were exceptionally generous with the goody bag and mind included this:

What do you think to the GOSH AW14 range? 

Are there any products which take your fancy?

Emjoi Micro Pedi Mini + Giveaway

When asked if I would like to try the Emjoi Micro Pedi Mini foot file with roller, I jumped at the chance.  With a holiday looming and needing to make sure my feet are in the best possible condition they can be, I needed all the help I could get.  Yes I have a hatred of feet, especially other peoples and cannot stand them being touched, even if it is me. 

The Emjoi Micro Pedi first launched on QVC in the UK at QVC.  Described as being a portable, battery-operated device which features a unique micro-mineral crystal roller for use on tough skin including cracked heels, calluses and corns, also gently and effectively exfoliates and buffs away dry, hard and rough skin - stomach churning stuff but important all the same.

Inside the box is the Micro Pedi and a brush for cleaning. It features a protective cover and a safety switch. The device needs two AA batteries which do not come with it, but a soon as they are loaded in you are good to go. The first thing I noticed about this device was the rubberised handles on the side, making it easy to grip onto, it is quite small in size, possibly lighter and smaller than your iPhone, but it fits into the palm of my hand perfectly.

To use you are advised to ensure you feet have been properly washed and dried and then once you are ready simply switch the device on, it comes with the roller in place, and then using gentle back and forth, side to side motion over your feet, you will notice the dead and dry skin coming away. A bit of advice, have a towel underneath your feet! If you have harder skin on certain parts of your feet, you are advised not too press too hard otherwise the devise will switch itself off, instead just complete the actions mentioned above.

Now my feet are as looked after as every other part of my body.  I regularly exfoliate and moisturise but because I have been wearing my Fitflops for the last week, I have noticed slight patches of dry skin on the soles of my feet toward the heel, which no-one else but me would notice, but it is the perfect excuse to try this machine out.

The Micro Pedi states you will have smooth and soft feet in seconds because the "unique micro-mineral roller spins 360⁰ at 30 times a second, quickly, painlessly and safely removing microscopic layers of hard skin on the soles and heels, giving immediate results".  So batteries in and on button located, the roller starts to spin quite quickly and then as you apply it to your feet, there is a slight tickling sensation, but you then see bits of what is best described as dust falling onto your towel so you can see it working, rather than show you my feet, you can see what I am talking about in the photo below.

To use this device on both feet took just a couple of minutes, gone was the hard skin and in its place, soft smooth skin and it was both pain and hassle free.

I have a giveaway for you lovely readers and 

it is this fantastic prize:

Nails Inc Electronic Foot File Kit - Powered by MICRO Pedi

This kit contains everything you need for fabulous feet in seconds. The electronic foot file powers mineral rollers to gently buff away hard and rough skin leaving your feet amazingly smooth and soft. We have also included two of our favourite Nails Inc Polishes so you can give your nails some love and complete your pedicure. Fabulous feet has never been easier.

Contains:

- Nails Inc Electric Foot File and Mineral Roller (2 x AA Batteries are not included)

- Cleaning Brush

- Two Nails Inc Nail Polishes - Porchester Place and Brook Street

All you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter form below (UK only giveaway sorry) - Good Luck!

The Winner was no.16 which is Becky from Lilblogofbeauty