Neon Sheep Black and Gold Collection

I absolutely love stationary and when Neon Sheep got in touch to say they had launched their sleek black and gold collection, marrying ebony hues with glorious golds, I was a little bit excited and ewe guessed it, that is what I am sharing with you today. My love of stationery goes right back to buying new school books and stationery every term/semester and then when my Auntie introduced me to the world of penpalling, I would spend hours trawling the internet for fancy paper (Diddl being my favourite) to reply to letters on.  As well as stationery, Neon Sheep also sell homeware, party products, clothing, jewellery and other accessories to name just a few items.

I was very kindly gifted a package which contained stationery and homeware and everything arrives so beautifully and carefully wrapped, I actually didn't want to remove anything from the box.  Inside I was greeted with two notebooks, a beautifully designed card, a pineapple trinket tray and a metallic patterned photo frame.

What I really like about this collection is how it comes together and just works.  The notebook which is A5 in size with a hardback features the word 'Notes' in gold writing.  It is very on trend with its monochrome design and inside the pages are lined and in the bottom right-hand corner, each one features the Neon Sheep logo.

I am never without a notebook in my bag.  As I travel too and from work, or if I have a day of meetings, I am a tad old school and like to handwrite down notes and points rather than use my iPad or even Notes on my photo.  During my exams and even through University, I would sit and handwrite my notes and found writing parts over and over again was a way in which to revise and it must have worked well for me because I did get a 2:1!!   When it comes to writing blog posts, I always list which products have come in and from which brand, note which ones I have bought myself and as I use them, I write notes next to each one which helps form the basis of my blog posts. it also costs just £4.

Staying with notebooks and I also happen to keep one beside my bed with a pen. Odd you might think, but as someone who has bouts of insomnia, this is often the time I come up with some blog post ideas.  The Night Thoughts A6 notebook is perfect for this.

Again sticking with the black and gold theme, this A6 notebook, which costs just £1, has lined pages inside and also features the sheep logo.  This is one of the handiest notebooks I have got and it is one which I have almost finished using!

When it comes to photos, I have lots of frames on my bookcase which feature a lot of family photos and a few of the mister and me, but there is always one or two photos that I never get around to framing. I absolutely love this Gold Metallic Patterned frame which now sits on my bookcase with a photo of my year old nephew inside.

At 4 x 6 inches, this frame holds a normal sized photo and it is incredible sturdy and has a really well-made stand so it doesn't have to be propped up to stand up. It is priced at £6 and what it has done to my photo frame collection is add a bit of colour and it really stands out.

If trinket dishes are something you love, then this is one you will love.  The Ceramic Pineapple Trinket Tray is as fabulously fun as it is handy.

Until now, I never knew I really needed one of these, but I have it sat on my bedroom table and I put all kinds of knickknacks in it, including my house keys, lipsticks and jewellery from the day.  It is priced at £4 and I now have my eyes on another one from the range which is in the shape of a cats face!

The final item from within my box is the Star Chalkboard Card.  I am someone who sends a lot of cards, whether it is a birthday, anniversary, Mothers Day or more likely, just something to let someone know I am thinking of them, am thankful or grateful for something, then I think a handwritten note makes a lot of difference and shows appreciation.

This 'You're a Star' card which costs just £2 is blank inside so you can write your own message and it comes with its own envelope.  This card has already been sent to someone who I thought needed a little bit of a pick-me-up, so hopefully, she isn't reading this blog post, but it is the perfect card for her!

I have loved my introduction to Neon Sheep, a site and brand I had never come across until an email hit my inbox and I am really glad of the introduction.  I am debating whether or not I need everything within the beauty section and just how many notebooks is too many or whether that is just not a thing!

Have you ever used Neon Sheep before?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Rifle Paper Co x Corkcicle Tumbler

If you love coffee or tea, travel to and from work on public transport but like to combine the two whilst doing your bit for the environment by not using takeaway coffee cups and thus avoiding the side glare of most people who look at you disapprovingly, then I have the answer to that problem and it comes from Corkcickle.  Living in London, you only have to walk a few yards and you see Pret, Costa, Starbucks, Eat as well as many trendy coffee bars which pop up and they all make life easier to drink on the go. 

Who is Corkcicle you might be asking? Well, I had only briefly come across them as a brand on Instagram and I was drawn to the design, more so with their latest collaboration which I am sharing with you today. Described as being an innovative and award-winning hydration brand, Corkcicle began back in 2010 with a simple question - How do you chill wine to the perfect drinking temperature without the mess of an ice bucket? After a lot of prototypes and testing, the Corkcicle Air was born. Moving forward all Corkcicle products are made to enhance your personal style and reduce personal impact on the planet. Every time you use your Canteen or Tumbler, you help the environment by reducing plastic waste in landfills and the ocean. Plus, their Tumbler Straws are completely reusable too.  

Collaborating with Rifle Paper Co., a stationary and lifestyle brand known for its eye-catching hand-painted prints, patterns and designs to create a limited edition range of bespoke Canteens and Tumblers and the new Rifle Paper Co. x CORKCICLE collection features three unique prints, each with its own personality - The Lively Floral, The Tapestry and the version I have which is called Queen Anne and I have the Tumbler but there is also the option to have the Canteen too.

The Tumbler (£35) is crafted from stainless steel and it has what is referred too as proprietary triple insulation and what this does is keep your beverages cold for 9+ hours, even in the sunshine and if you have ice in it, then it stays cool even longer.  If your preference is to have something hot, then you can expect it to stay hot for 3 hours, or closer to 3 and a half hours if, like me, you have something like Jasmine tea which requires no milk.  This has been quite a revelation for me because I do travel on public transport every single day to and from work, often on the bus and sometimes I need to be moving across London and I always like to ensure I have something to drink with me and depending on the weather depends what it is I want to drink.

The Tumbler also comprises of a spill-resistant lid, it has easy to grip sides and a slip-proof silicone bottom and it is BPA Free.

I have, in my time purchased a whole host of travel mugs and tumblers from a variety of brands and whilst they sound amazingly value at between £4-£12 on average, they either don't last, spill everywhere or actually don't keep your drink hot or cold like they claim too.  Whilst this Tumbler costs £35, which it does do is everything it tells it will and for me, I think it actually is great value for money because it is something I use every single day. It is also easy to clean but is hand wash only and it fits into my handbag with minimal effort once I am finished.

You can find Corkcicle at Selfridges and Amazon* as well as finding one-off products elsewhere online too.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

The Beauty Easter Eggs You Need To Get Your Hands On!

Easter Eggs have been on sale since Boxing Day, or at least that’s how it feels. To that extent, as much as I love Chocolate, the excitement of waiting for a Cadbury’s Cream egg to be on sale has worn off, I can get them any time of the year now and well, it just isn’t the same.

With Easter rapidly approaching, there is plenty of alternative products to be had and many of them filled with beauty products and here are some of my favourites:

Glossybox - With their constant sell out Beauty Boxes, Glossybox is launching their first-ever beauty Easter egg and it looks just absolutely incredible. Inside you'll find a whole host of must-have minis from brands such as Pixi, Benefit, Living Proof and more! The beauty Easter egg is worth over £80 but will come with a £30 price tag when it launches on April 9th and you can subscribe and find out more right here (afflink).

L’Occitane - If ever someone could take a beauty product and turn it into a beautiful egg, it would be L'Occitane. This Easter, there are two offerings from L'Occitane - Almond and Cherry Blossom.  Inside each egg, you will find three best-selling mini products which include soaps, shower gels and hand creams.  They cost just £15 each and are available now from Fabled, allbeauty and Debenhams.

L’Oreal - The limited edition L’Oréal Paris Beauty Egg is already available to buy at Superdrug and not only does i make a great treat at just £5 here, but it is also an amazing treat for your skin or the skin of a loved one over Easter.  Inside you will find the calming and deeply cleansing Pure Clay Soothing Mask (full-size, 50ml) with floral Mallow Flower extract. Exfoliate with Smooth Sugars Glow Scrub (4ml) to leave your skin and lips feeling radiant. Finish your cleansing routine with the hydrating Hydra Genius Liquid Moisturiser (3ml).  What's more, it costs just £5 but be warned, it is constantly out of stock, so if you see it, grab it!

Lookfantastic - Whilst the contents might be being kept under wraps, there has been quite the excitement over the Easter Beauty Egg offering from Lookfantastic and there will be at least 7 products inside.   It will be priced at £65 and you ensure you get your hands on it, you can register right here (afflink)

I Heart Revolution - Last year Revolution launched 6 metallic surprise eggs, which I have to admit were very cute and a great gift for my younger relatives and goddaughters. This year we have four new additions and they cost just £5 each and they all contain 5 eyeshadow and 2 highlighters and you can grab them in shades Flamingo, Chocolate, Chick and Candy and they cover everything from your neutrals to the more bold shades. Find them all here.

I have no doubt over the next few weeks we will see a whole lot more coming from brands by way of Beauty Easter Eggs, last year there were offerings from Lush, Olay, Essie, Tony Moly and Ghost Fragrances to name just a few!

Which brand will you be hoping to see an Easter Egg Beauty release from? 

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Justbox Perfumes - Live 'N' Loud Eau de Parfum

This week is National Fragrance Week and what a better way to celebrate it than to introduce a brand new scent from a brand that until now, I had never come across.  Jusbox fragrances are described collectively as being an exclusive range of luxury fragrances inspired by the connection between perfume and music.

Two things that evoke thoughts, feelings, memories and in some cases nostalgia are music and perfume.  I can always remember where I was and what I was doing when one of my favourite songs comes onto my Spotify playlist, it is on that favourites list for a reason and with it comes a whole host of memories.  With perfume, I have a collection of fragrances that mean something to me personally, be it Tribe (review here) which brings me back to my teenage years of Bvlgari Pour Femme which I wore on my wedding day, the two things combined is quite powerful.

Anyone who knows me will know that I love an Oud, not just any Oud, it has to be a good one and when you find one, you will know it is for you.  Live 'N' Loud comes exquisitely packaged from its brightly coloured musical note decorated outer box, to the inner detailing and the bottle itself, it screams luxury and it most definitely is and it also has quite the description.

Live’n’Loud is a scented compilation whose notes reproduce, through the aroma therapeutic power of smells, similar beneficial sensation as music genres. It conveys playlists that boost the mind. An opulent yet celebratory fragrance which starts with a hint of Disco and Hip-hop and then turns into more sensual accords of Latino and Rock. Punk and Heavy metal perform in the end to give power and adrenaline. Dominique Ropion played with spices, flowers, woods, amber and leather, to convey energy and zest.

The fragrance has top notes of Bergamot and Cardamom and when sprayed it is bright, it is fresh, it is zingy and it is warm. It is definitely a strong in your face kind of opening scent that you cannot help but love, I did as soon as I spritzed it. The middle notes of Cinnamon, Rose and Geranium take those strong opening notes and really brings them back down to earth as the freshness of the rose and geranium take control and allow the cinnamon to sit there in the background without taking over and dominating the fragrance.  As the scent settles the base notes of Patchouli, Amber, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Labdanum, musk and Oud which in this scent is Agarwood come together to bring about this incredible earthy scent that just grabs your attention and gives Live 'N' Loud its place within the Oudy Florential family.

Available from Selfridges for £140 this is one fragrance you will definitely remember purchasing, it is one you will not forget wearing and it is as beautiful a fragrance as the packaging within it sits.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.