How do you book?

With family and friends living all over the UK, from time to time the mister and I have to book hotels to stay in when attending events - weddings, funerals, christenings and birthday parties to name a few. I prefer to stay in hotels rather than with relatives (assuming they are not offended) so that we get some peace and quiet and time to relax before heading out. Infact as you read this, I will have just been to a family wedding, staying in the hotel shown below.

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One site I always use for booking hotels is Booking.com a site you might recall from those controversial adverts which got people in a bit of a spin 'Booking dot yes'. Infact, looking at my account, I have used it no less than 8 times this year and it is a site that lists over 800,000 different hotels form all over the world, and you are able to make bookings via the site. Unlike booking directly with a hotel though, you can read unbiased reviews from previous guests before you decide to stay, and will be able to cancel your booking for no fee if you change your mind. There are hotels on the site that cater for every budget, from luxury hotels through to cheap hostels, and there are also new hotels being added every day.

Booking.com is a completely online company, with no high street stores. Like most online companies, they like to keep their interaction with customers online as well – meaning that finding a way to get help from customer services by phone can sometimes be quite difficult. Well not anymore with this solution, using sites such as contact number give you that phone number you need so you’ll be able to get in touch straight away.  I often find that I need to make one or two changes at the last minute, such as adding an extra day or night to my stay, requesting a late check out or if we have been delayed due to traffic, train cancellation or even a flight delay, I want the opportunity to let someone know in advance, rather than arrived all flustered, annoyed and unprepared. I also think it is a courteous too.

However you book those few days, weeks or long weekends away, that one telephone number could be the one stress you don't need!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Sleek Rock Out Collection #SLEEKROCKSTARS

The new Rockstars collection from Sleek Makeup is the perfect festive makeup edition! It has everything you need from a stunning sparkly eyeshadow palette, a gorgeous strobing cream to a striking lipstick! Rock Out is a limited edition collection, so if you want it, then run to Superdrug right now and purchase it all. 

I am a huge fan of Sleek makeup and they have featured numerous times on my blog, everytime a new collection comes out I am wowed by it, so don't be too shocked that this one has totally wowed me. There are two parts to this collection Rock Out and Shine Bright, the latter will appear in another post, so look out for it because it is just as beautiful as this one! So here’s what’s in the collection:

I-LUST PALETTE IN HIDDEN GEMS £7.49

This palette is just absolutely stunning and if you are a fan of shimmer shadows, then this is the palette for you! Hidden Gems contains six gorgeous shades which have amazing pigmentation and colour payoff with an intense shimmer finish. 

These shades are bold enough to wear on their own or you can make a real statement by adding a bit of sparkle for a festive finish. Shown below, each shade is shown after one rub scross the pot so you can see just how much colour you get!  Shades such as Ruby Tuesday and Emerald City really standing out!

STROBING SOUFFLE-SMOKY-QUARTZ £7

If you love highlighting and strobing, then Sleek have a treat for you with this Strobing Souffle. With a bouncy texture that makes this so easy to apply, you can build it onto your skin to create your desired glow. 

The translucent gold shade just melts onto your skin giving you a luminous glow that stays in place throughout the day. You can apply using just your finger or with a small brush.

LIP VIP LIPSTICK IN SUPERSTAR £5.50

One product I do adore from Sleek at their Lip VIP lipsticks and to see a new one within this range is really exciting. Differing slightly due to the 3D design on th bullet, the colour payoff and pigmentation is just as amazing. . Autumn and Winter for me is all about the darker lip and I absolutely do love berry and purple toned lipsticks. Superstar has a moisturising formula doesn’t dry out your lips and the iridescent pearl flecks leave a dazzling metallic finish.

The Rockstars collection is available now on the Superdrug website and keep a look out for the second part of the collection which is coming soon.

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Beauty Tips for Autumn and Winter

The autumn and winter seasons are a great time to change up your look by getting new clothes for your closet, as well as new makeup for your face. Implementing the following easy beauty tips will help you make sure that you are always looking trendy, but make sure that you give your skin much-needed moisture first, especially if it tends to get dry when the temperature drops and you have to turn the heat on indoors.

Dark Lipsticks

Dark lipstick colours are definitely trendy during the autumn and winter seasons. So while you may have preferred donning a pale pink lipstick in the summer when your skin was tan, now is the time to contrast your paler skin with a deep red or purple hue instead. These colours will make your lips look full, especially when you top them off with some gloss.

Metallic Eye Shadow Colours

Shimmery, metallic eye colours are trending for the autumn and winter season. These colours are a great way to draw attention to your eyes and really glam them up for any upcoming holiday party and special event. Choose from emerald greens, plums, coppers, and more. Start by applying the colour faintly to the corners of your eyes before boldly sweeping the colour across the lids. And if you want a really sultry night time look, add some smoky eye makeup to the mix. Don’t forget to curl your lashes and use a lengthening mascara to complete the look. 

Full Eyebrows

Gone are the days when thin eyebrows were trendy, so go ahead and let your brows grow in. But even if you can’t achieve the full, thick eyebrow look naturally, you can use a simple eyebrow kit to fill in your eyebrows and make them dramatic and beautiful. If you need help, go to a professional who can properly shape your brows and teach you how to fill them in perfectly with the right makeup kit. 

Darker Hair Colours

Autumn and winter are great seasons to also change up your look by achieving a new hair colour that you will love to show off. Opt for a chocolate brown colour, or if you want to stick with blonde, just tone it down so that it is a contrast to the bright blonde that is popular in the summer. A good blonde go-to for the fall and winter is golden honey. Another great option for anyone, especially if you are hoping to really change up your look, is a bold red hue, although a more subdued auburn brown could also work perfectly. Head to your stylist to get a trim so that you can remove dried ends, and then colour your hair at the salon or at home. 

By following the beauty tips above, you can easily achieve a beautiful look this autumn and this winter. Go ahead and put on your cosy clothes for these seasons, but make sure you complete your look by bringing the colours of the season into your makeup palette as well.

OPTREX WARMING EYE MASK

Rest and relaxation are two of the R's that I really enjoy and try to do as much as I possibly can. With a job that requires my full on attention, three cats, a husband, blogging and house work to manage, life csn sometimes become a little bit much. So once a week, everything is cancelled for one hour. That one hour (sometimes longer) is my time to lay back, relax and chill out. Me time. 

When I saw the Optrex Warming Eye Masks appear in a few blog posts, I made a mental note to go into Boots and pick them up, I was sold on the idea of them and wanted to give them a try. At £3.99 for a pac of two or £9.99 for a pack of 8, they are not going to break the bank, but equally if they work, then they are likely to become a permanent fixture in my life.

Whilst these masks have no skincare benefits for you and nor should they, I can admit to you that they are just blooming amazing and if you haven't given them a try, then run to Boots and grab yourself some and give them a try.

These Eye Warming Masks from Optrex, the eye care specialists recognise the strain the daily grind can have on your mind and body and using the latest breakthrough innovation to relieve and relax those tired eyes in just ten minutes. Using a unique Microsteam technology, the mask starts to warm up when it's opened, releasing 10 minutes of gentle, soothing steam (which is invisible to the naked eye) to relax and revive tired eyes.  Once you have places the mask over your eyes, they hooked nicely over your ears to hold it in place, you can feel the warming sensation after just a few minutes and you can wear them for up to 20 minutes, so I always wait until they have cooled down.

The masks are a great way to encourage you to relax and wind down, especially if you find it hard to switch off or hard to fall asleep.  I often do find it hard to fall asleep, so with the use of these masks half an hour before going to bed, I find that I am ready to drift off to sleep much quicker than I would have done ordinarily.  As these masks come in handy sachets, they would be brilliant for travelling with and would be quite a blessing on those night flights when I always find it hard to sleep.

You can purchase these masks from Boots (here) and if Lavender is a scent for you, there is also the option to try the Lavender scented masks, something that I plan on doing very soon!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise