It Could be You!

Like many people I dream of winning the National Lottery or Euromillions, not a huge jackpot, but enough to be comfortably well off so that I can work my way through my bucket list, the first being moving to the countryside and having my own cattery for unwanted, abandoned and unloved cats. I would also love to be mortgage free, go back to Las Vegas where I got married and finally see The Northern Lights, not too much to ask for right?

To that end, I do occasionally, well when I remember, buy National Lottery tickets in the hope of a big win, I buy them randomly and hope lady luck is on my side, I personally think she has taken early retirement or is ignoring me. With more and more people playing the lottery and the odds becoming less favourable, I was introduced to Lottoland which offers you the chance to bet on the outcome of many draws, from across the world.  You might have heard of the Irish Lotto and the massively popular American Powerball which had a prize of £1billion earlier this year and currently has £515million in the kitty, but did you know there are lotteries in Australia, Poland, Sweden, France and Spain to name but a few? I am sure many of you will have even see the adverts for Lottoland on the television as it is fronted by Chris Tarrant, so what is it all about?

With Lottoland you are not buying a ticket to a lottery draw, this is where it differs from going into your local newsagent and buying that ticket, instead you are betting on the outcome of the real draw but on offer are the same prizes as the official lottery itself. Yes really. Put simply you pick the numbers that you think will be drawn and if you guess correctly, you will win prize and the size of the prize will depend on the number of balls you correctly guess. So with the American Powerball for example, you choose your 6 numbers and you correctly guess 4 of them plus the powerball, your prize would stand at £38,000, essentially hitting any of the prize tiers available on the official draw and you’ll win!

You don't have to play alone either, Lottoland gives you the chance to be part of a syndicate, you simply decide how many shares you want to purchase be it 1,2 or 5 for example, you then click the button and it is all done for you and with 1 in 5 jackpots being won by a syndicate, it is something to definitely consider.

If you do play the lottery then Lottoland I think is a really interesting idea and with prizes so big in so many lotteries, then it might just be worth little flutter, as the saying goes "It could be YOU"!

*collaboration

August Dollibox - Poolside Glamour

Dollibox is a new online subscription service for UK based beauty lovers and I have featured a past box here. With a Dollibox subscription you'’ll receive five personalised beauty samples, sometimes full-sized every month, tailored to your beauty profile. Your beauty profile consists of some quite specific questions to answer such as where you get your beauty news from, what do you splurge on and how comfortable you are applying make-up. There are also questions about hair and eye colour as well as ethnicity and it takes just a couple of minutes to complete and the content of each box you receive will be based on this profile.

The August Dollibox arrived last week and it is all about Poolside Glamour and it is designed to give you everything you need to look and smell good all summer long.

Skintruth Afterdark Age Defy Moisturiser

Skintruth is a brand that I have never come across before, so it was a nice surprise inside the box. The product is called Afterdark Age Defy Moisturiser and it is an intensive night moisturiser formulated with Rose to replenish and hydrate skin whilst you are sleeping. Infused with Goji Berry a rich antioxidant renowned for anti aging properties, this moisturiser is ideal for mature skin types. You can get this moisturiser from Sally Express for £13.99.

Schwarzkopf Liquid Oil Conditioner

Described a being an indulgent leave-in formula combines an oil phase, which gives hair radiance, shine and suppleness, with a care phase, which repairs and detangles the hair beautifully. Hair is made instantly bouncy and vital, with improved manageability from static and frizz. The light, non-burdening conditioner seals the surface of the hair to lock moisture in, and provides a perfectly polished look. The Oil has an rrp £12.95 and is available on Escentual.

Girl Meet Brush Cosmetic Brush

I am already a fan of the bran Girl Meets Brush. If you have never come across them before, all the brushes are vegan friendly and cruelty free! Each brush is made with soft fibres and they are packaged in a sleek black handle with matching bristles. There are four different brushes in this months box; the Foundation Brush, the Blending Pencil Brush, the Highlighter Brush and the Eyeshadow Blending Brush which I have. You can find the brushes right here and they retail for around £6.95 upwards.

The Herb Garden Massage Bar

The Herb Garden is another brand I have never come across but how cute is the packaging? Inside the box wrapped neatly inside some purple tissue paper is a cute little mini massage bar which smells just divine. The relaxing massage bar uses soothing chamomile and lavender alongside shea butter, almond oil and Vitamin E oil to create heaven in a little bundle. One the skin, it melts on contact, as long as your hands are warm and it is just a delight to use.  You can find out more information on this massage bar and other products from within the range right here.

Dreamy Handmade Bath & Skincare Bath Bomb

The last item in the box is this cute and delightfully scented bath bomb from Dreamy Handmade Bath & Skincare. Again, not a brand I am familiar with at all but it is an all natural, organic and vegan friendly bath bomb which is handmade. I have Vanilla and Sandalwood Luxury Bathbomb which is decorated with poppy seeds and also uses Almond oil, Mango butter, Vitamin E. Found on Etsy right here there are quite a few products within the range.

This month's box is worth around £33 which is really good value for money. I really have enjoyed this box, it has a lovely range of products inside and it is another great way to meet and be introduced to brands that you might not be too familiar with.

To subscribe Dollibox has a choice of three different subscription options right now and they start from just £10 per month - www.dollibox.co.uk

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Crystal Clear Ionic Sonic Cleanse

I have been using the Crystal Clear Ionic Sonic Cleanse for a good few months because I wanted to get a real feel as to how it works, especially having tried quite a few difference cleansing brushes and with having a market saturated with them. 

The Ionic Sonic Cleanse is a cleansing 'system' that does two jobs, it firstly cleanses and then it exfoliates and it differs slightly from other brushes that I have used in the past because it works on the face & body rather than just the face.  It has 3 speed settings so you can decide what your skin needs on a daily basis and it uses a mechanism which combines an ultrasonic action and negative ions to pull toxins and pollutants away from the surface of the skin to ensure maximum cleanliness.  Living in London, it is a polluted city and most days I get home and just want to scrub my skin clean, knowing that the Ionic Sonic system works to remove the surface dirt does help put my mind at ease that I have done everything I can to ensure that as much dirt and grime has been removed.

I love that brush on this system is made of silicone so that you never need to change or replace the head, you simply just rinse it off and leave it to air dry. On the skin, the brush is soft as the bristles are made of silicone, but you know it is doing its job, abrasive enough to remove dead and dry skin but not so much that it scratches the skins surface.

When I use the brush, I first wet my face with warm water and then apply my cleanser, instead of massaging it onto my face with my hands, I use this brush and in circular motions so that I get a little bit of a massage when doing so. It literally takes a few minutes to cleanse your face and then I repeat the same actions using a facial exfoliator to ensure that everything has been removed. Again a few minutes later and my skin can already feel like it can breathe again. Once all of that is done, a little trick I have learnt to do with this same brush once I have washed off all the gubbings, is to apply my moisturiser to my face and instead of massaging it in using my fingers, I turn to the brush and gently let the brush do the hard work for me and it is pretty much like having a facial but at home, with someone else doing most of the work for you.

Whenever I have been for a facial or to any event which involves skincare, the one point that is always made is that unless the surface of your skin, be it face or the body, is clean and dirt free, the products that you put onto your skin won't work as well and as they sink in, they take with them anything lurking on the skins surface (voms) so clean your face! I have always wondered who would ever apply a cream to their skin without washing first, but I am sure it happens.

Using it on the body is again pretty amazing.  You can use it to cleanse and exfoliate exactly as you do your face and it does a really good job at removing that dead and dry skin from your arms, legs and torso.  The stand out here for me is when using it with moisturising cream. I am sure I am not alone when it comes to being lazy about applying a body butter, balm or cream, if it comes as a spray then I use it, if it is anything else, I pretty much need a kick in the shin to do it... give me a brush that does the hard work, then I am more than happy to sit on the bed, slather myself in whatever cream I have handy and allow the brush to massage it into my skin.

Now this cleanse system is pretty good, it does the job and I am happy with how my skin feels after using it. It is perfect for travelling with whether that is for a few days, a long weekend or a week away but there are a few issues which slightly niggle me. Only the brush (head) is fully waterproof, so this is not idea for using in the bath or shower sadly, it is a job you have to do before or after bathing. It is also battery operated rather than rechargeable which isn't something I am used to thinking about with other devices, that said, having used this system for a good few months I haven't yet had to change the batteries.  That aside, for me the positives outweigh the negatives and mainly with how my skin feels after using it - clean, soft, smooth, hydrated and it is incredibly easy to use, clean and maintain, oh and it is incredibly purse friendly too!

Crystal Clear Ionic Sonic Cleanse comes with it's own cute little bag and inside the bag you will also get a Crystal Clear cleanser, exfoliator and skin repair moisturiser in pack,I am yet to use these as I favoured my own, but I will put them to the test at some point. The Crystal Clear Ionic Sonic Cleanse costs a very reasonable £69.99 and is available here.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Nourishing Facial Water

If ever there was a product beautifully packaged, it is the new Intense Hydration Nourishing Facial Water from Burt's Bees. Described as being a nutrient-infused drink for your skin that absorbs quickly, moisturizes and improves skin texture.

As you can see, it comes packaged in a book style box which is just so beautiful and a great way to introduce a new product.  

Facial waters are something that I have really enjoyed using of late, especially with the mini heat waves that we know as the Great British Summer, left in the fridge for about 30 minutes before using makes for one incredibly refreshing and cooling treat.

A Facial is not a Micellar Water and it is not a toner, what is for me, is a skin hydrator which I use after cleansing but before moisturising and my skin feels so soft and smooth after using and as it is infused with Clary Sage, this Facial water is a nutrient infused drink for your skin that helps to restore lost hydration. Also, the formula is pH balanced, dermalogically tested and noncomedogenic. It is also formulated with no parabens, phthalates, petrolatum and SLS! Within this Facial Water you will also find various botanical extracts like willow bark and kiwi alongside vitamin C.

Such a wonderful product and an amazing treat in this hot weather to keep my skin feeling hydrated, refreshed and feeling clean. Priced at just £15.99 for 118ml, this is a product that is an absolute bargain and one your skin will thank you for.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise