Balance Me Reader Event

As many of you will know, I am a massive fan of Balance Me products and have featured them on my blog quite a few times.  If you are yet to try them, are a big fan like me or need to stock up, this could be the event for you! 

Balance Me have teamed up with Marie Claire and Debenhams to hold four in-store events this September and October.  Those dates are:

• 30^th September – Oxford Street
• 2^nd October – Cardiff
• 8^th October – Chester
• 9^th October – Leeds

At the event you will be able to address your individual skincare needs with a team of skincare experts as well as a personal skin reading session with the Balance Me mobile skin scanner.  I have had this done and I was surprised at the results, not as bad as I expected and it felt good to know where my problem areas actually lurk rather than me guessing.

All you have to do is click HERE too book your tickets for just £10 and what's more, you'll receive a goody bag worth over £75!  Enjoy.

Are you a fan of Balance Me products? Do you have a favourite?

Super Facialist by Una Brennan - Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask

Super Facialist By Una Brennan is a brand I have never personally encountered before, I have only seen and read about it on other peoples blogs.  I am a huge fan of facemasks, I tend to use one or two a week depending on how much TLC my skin needs.  Then the Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask came into being and I adored it from the very first use.

Designed for all skin types, including the most sensitive. Said to be thirst quenching, this mask uses White Willow Extract which is known to enhance skin cell turnover, Vitamin E and Urea with soothing Marshmellow which work together to effectively hydrate, plump and replenish skin.  The one thing however which stands out is the fresh scent of roses, the kind of scent you get when you are wondering around a flower shop, park or open space which is full of roses, not the bitter synthetic scent you often get in candles.

The directions of use are to use it once or twice weekly and to apply a generous and even layer to a thoroughly cleansed face and neck and leave  on for 5 minutes which helps to maximise the hydrating benefits.  As you apply the cream to your face, it is of a similar texture to the Origins overnight mask in that it isn't too thick and it isn't too thin, but you do need to be careful how much pressure you put onto the tube when squeezing because a little too much pressure and you will have enough to cover the faces of your entire street!  Then once on the skin, lay back, relax and allow the magic to happen.  My skin loves this mask, as soon as it is applied, it literally drinks it.  Rather than staying wet on the face, it dries slightly to leave a thin layer of white mask on the face, so to remove you need some warm water and a flannel/cloth and then pat the skin dry.

After using, my skin is so soft and smooth to the touch it feels amazing.  The following morning, after a good nights sleep, my skin feels just as soft as it did the night before.  This is  a brilliant facemask and if you haven't tried it, I urge you to do so because it is that good, I love it.

Super Facialist By Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Moisture Intensive Mask RRP: £8.99 and can be found in Boots.
Have you tried any of the Una Brennan range?

Best ways to Inexpensively Furnish your Home

You don’t need to spend a fortune in order to have great furniture. There are loads of ways to furnish your home for less. Here’s how to go about it.

Up-cycle

It’s no longer about just recycling these days, but about taking unwanted items and either enhancing their quality or using them for a different purpose than what they were designed for (e.g. wall-mounting old bicycle handlebars as coat and hat racks). There are so many different things you can come up, you’re really only limited by your imagination. If you like the rustic look and want to introduce some quirky or funky elements to your place, this is a great way to go about it. Up-cycling is a great way to achieve a totally unique look in your home and you won’t have the guilt of adding more rubbish to landfill. For more great interior design ideas, you can always check out display homes from home builders such as Coral Homes.

Shop second-hand

There are unbelievable savings to be made by buying second-hand furniture. Make sure you shop around as some people expect far too much for their items, while others might even offer things for free as they just want them gone. If you’re searching online, see if you can set up and save a search, so that you automatically get email notifications whenever new items matching your description are listed for sale.

Swap your stuff

Swapping is becoming increasingly popular and there are now a bunch of swapping websites dedicated to linking people who want to swap their items with other people. Also, ask around your circle of family and friends and see if anyone is up for exchanging things.

Discount furniture

Affordable furniture doesn’t necessarily mean cheap and nasty. There are a number of discount furniture outlets out there who offer quality furniture at very reasonable prices. This is usually because they can buy in bulk and pass on the savings to you. Online furniture stores often offer items on Sale and Clearance as well. You can choose just one or two pieces of furniture or buy entire dining, bedroom or outdoor suites. This is a great way to save money, especially if you want to direct your money towards owning your own home.

Op shops and markets

This is a great way to pick up some funky vintage and retro pieces to add some flair and originality to your furniture collection. By shopping at second-hand stores and markets, you can often pick up an absolute bargain.

Restore and re-upholster

You can breathe new life into old and damaged pieces by stripping, sanding and either staining or painting them with exciting, modern colours that really make a statement. If you’ve got a tatty old sofa, don’t throw it out. Pay a visit to a restoration company and take a look at some of the stunning colours and patterns now available in upholstery fabrics.

Furnishing your home doesn’t need to cost a small fortune. Just use a bit of creative thinking and employ some of the methods above to make your house feel like home for less.

Do you do any of these? Do you have any hints or tips?

**Guestpost

NEW from Models Own – DIAMOND LUXE – containing real Diamond Dust!

Every now and again, an email pops into my inbox which I immediately want to read, this is one of those. At the minute, I am obsessed with nail polish, particularly as we move from Summer to Autumn and then to winter. Whilst the weather is still undecided about what it wants to do, there is still a chance to wear those lovely bright colours before morning to the Berry and Black shades.

Then I saw these!

With 10 brand-new opulent polishes that are Luxe by name and Luxe by nature, each polish contains real Diamond Dust to deliver a completely unique, multi-dimensional super-sparkly finish and some serious bling appeal!  The shades from left to right are called Princess Pink, Trillion Taupe, Heart Red, Pear Purple, Marquise Maroon, Carat Coral, Asscher Blue, Radiant Pink, Emerald Green, Oval Plum     

The ultra-fine diamond dust glides smoothly onto nails, giving a hint of sophisticated shimmer, coupled with the colourful shades for year-round grown-up glam. They are quick-drying, achieve a long-lasting, ultra-smooth sprinkling of sparkle for the most glamorous manicure.

Price at just £4.99 each, they launch EXCLUSIVELY online at www.modelsownit.com on September 19th in all UK Models Own Bottleshops from September 20th and in Superdrug stores nationwide from September 24th. I will most definietly be looking up these shades and trying them out for myself.

Will you be trying them out?