Make-up Revolution Haul

Yes I finally did it, I succumbed to the magic that is Make-up Revolution/I Love Make-up Range. My local Superdrug doesn't stock any of the brand, but in the West End, there is everything you need and much more, so I thought I would treat myself to a few bits and this is what I bought:

Summer of Love Triple Baked Bronzer - My beloved Hoola has almost run out, so I decided it was time to try something new, after all I can always go back to it right? This caught my eye because of the packaging and having had a quick swatch, I think I am going to like it alot! Priced at £4.99 this cute 3D heart-shaped box is just stunning.

Goddess of Love Triple Baked Highlighter - Again, a similar design to the bronze with the 3D heart shaped box, this highlighter is perfect for my complexion and one I am looking forward to using a lot. Priced at £4.99, an absolute bargain.

I want Candy Blusher - I bought this because I loved the swatch in store, it is a beige pink to me, not too neutral, not too pink but a perfect mixture of the two and for £2.99 again it is a bargain.

I Heart Definition Palette - I bought this in fair because these are the shades which closesly match my skintone and as a palette of three you get a Blush, bronzer and highlighter all in one compact with a really handy mirror. Again it costs just £4.99

Make-up Revolution Nail Polish in Heavens above - with over 40 shades to choose from, I was like a kid in a sweet shop and I finally settled on this shade as I don't have one like it.  It is a deep pink shade and for £1 pretty amazing.  The two shades I had actually gone to purchase, Are You Available and You Are Amazing available were out of stock, so I have my eye on the two of those still along with Devil Inside and Heart was broken, which again are two amazing shades!

The final item I bought was a lipstick - oops.  I saw it and just had to have it, I was intrigued by the shape and design, not to mention the shade is just amazing.  The Amazing Care #Happylips in Nude, is everything I want in a nude lipstick.  As I said it was the design which drew me in.  The colour is seen in the inside and surrounding it is Argan oil to add hydration to your lips. Once applied it feels really smooth and almost like a lip butter on the lips as well as leaving behind a glossy sheen.  It costs just £3.

So there you have it, my very first look and purchases from Make-up Revolution and I have to say, I am really impressed with every item so far and don't doubt that I will be adding to my collection.

Which piece from Make-up Revolution do you recommend as a next purchase? Do you have a favourite product?

Aromatherapy Associates Amazing Oils

It is very rare that I get a cold, or any illness come to think of it, but when I do, I get the worst kind possible. I was very kindly send some Aromatherapy oils to try and test at home from the Revive Evening** and Breathe Support** ranges to see if they would help.

The first thing that struck me was how cute and dinky the packages are, not too mention great colours which are definitely eye-catching.

The Breathe Support range I have come in the form of a bath and shower oil and a breathe essence, designed to reduce stuffiness and congestion and ease your breathing. Two of the things I needed the most with particular cold because I was bunged up, had a headache, couldn't breathe out of nose and was very miserable and feeling sorry for myself.

Aromatherapy Associations described Breathe Support as being

"A refreshing, antibacterial inhalation essence. Eucalyptus, peppermint and tea-tree lend their soothing properties to maintain clear breathing"

With the Breathe Essence, you are advised to either sprinkle a few drops of this antimicrobial blend onto a tissue and breathe in deeply or it can be used on the Aromatherapy Associates Home Fragrancer. I don't have the latter, so what I did instead was to sprinkle a few drops onto either side of my pillow and wow, as soon as I removed the lid from the bottle and did the first sprinkling, it took my breath away, more so because I could instantly breathe and with a feeling of relief that I would be able to sleep and not give myself a headache with the constant sniffing, I was one happy lady.  A 10ml bottle has an RRP £18

The Support Breathe Bath and Shower Oil again is amazing. I have used it in both the bath and shower and my preference is the bath, because having added a capful to hot running water, the vapours envelope you and help ease everything from a blocked nose, a tight chest, congested sinuses and general
cold and flu like symptoms.  A 55ml bottle is priced at £44.

The Revive Evening Bath and Shower Oil (there is also a morning version) and it Enhances feelings of self esteem and sociability and Increases confidence. Using the instantly reviving powers of geranium, ylang ylang, patchouli and sandalwood to re-energise you for the evening ahead . For me, if you need something to get you ready for a tough week ahead, this oil is the one you need, as with Breathe Support, you can use it in the bath or in the shower and for me, I prefer to use this in the shower, again the scent mixes with the water vapour and it comes to life and really awakens your senses. Alternatively if you have a big night ahead, you can use it to get yourself geared up and ready to go out partying.

I have to say that I am incredibly impressed with all three products. The Breathe Essence is amazing for anyone who has a cold because it really does help and for me this is now a staple in my medicine cupboard because I have never come across a product that works as well as this one. Both of the Bath and Shower Oils have also won their way into my heart, from relaxing and chilled out to being hyped up and ready to go, you have everything you need in both of these too.

Have you ever tried anything from Aromatherapy Associates? Do you have a favourite product?

Naked2 Urban Decay Basics Palette

I finally have my hands on an Urbay Decay Naked palette and it is none other than the Naked2 Basics palette.  Having seen that Cohorted were going to have it on offer, I decided that if I was going to try something, a basics palette was a good place to start and I got it for an amazing price!  With an RRP of £22, I managed to get this with a 30% discount making it just £15.40, how amazing is that?

The palette comes with six cool-toned shades. Five mattes and one satin to highlight and they are:

Skimp - pale nude satin

Stark - nude-pink matte

Frisk - warm grey matte

Cover - muted warm-red matte

Primal - muted brown matte

Undone - deep, smoky brown matte

When I first looked at this palette, I was chuffed with the different shades as they are all ones I am likely to use.  The one issue I've had so far with the other palettes is that I'm not totally sure I would make that much use of them, even though I prefer the natural eye look, to something more out there and colourful. What I love about all of the shades in Naked2 Basics Palette is that they all have a rich, buttery feel to them, which makes the application really easy and Skimp, as you can see from the swatch above, has a slight satin finish to it. Now all I need to get my hands on is the double-ended applicator brush to accompany my palette.

I'm not sure that this palette is yet in sale in the UK, I haven't been able to find it that it is, but keep an out on for the next Cohorted announcement to get one, because for the price I paid, it is more than worth it and I have no doubt I am going to be continuously using it.

Are you a fan of the Naked Palettes? do you have a favourite one?

The best ways to take care of your skin

Source

Are you tired of your skin never doing what you want it to do? Have you tried every product without the desired results? Skincare is an art form, and requires a lot of trial and error. Skin experts and dermatologists know the best ways to care for your skin, no matter what your skin type. Here are some tips to help you take care of your skin the right way.

Figure out your skin type

All the products in the world will not do any good if you are using ones that do not work well with your skin type. Most brands are made for most skin types, although there are products that are more suited for skins that are more oily, or dry and flaky.

Protect yourself from the sun

Being sun safe is one the best ways to protect and take care of your skin, says the experts at the Cosmos Clinic. Use plenty of sunblock; find a moisturiser with sunblock built in so that it doesn’t feel too heavy during the day. Whenever you’re outside try to stick to shady areas and do not stand in direct sunlight for too long. If you know that you’ll be in the sun for long periods of time, wear protective clothing and reapply sunblock for optimal results. The sun can have damaging effects on your skin that might not show up right away, but can have dramatic effects in the long term.

Avoid smoking

Smoking causes skin to shrink and become prone to wrinkles. Smoking limits the supply of blood and oxygen to the veins in your skin, and therefore your skin looks weathered and older. It damages the collagen in your skin and stops your skin from retaining elasticity.

Be gentle

Be careful with your skin. Treat it delicately and the results will come. Taking a shower, or bath for too long, or having the water too hot can have adverse effects on your skin. Take care when using soaps that strip your skin of its natural oils and leave it feeling too dry. After stepping out of the shower, pat your skin dry. The blotting effect will keep much of the moisture still in your skin. Also, take care when shaving to lather well and shave with a clean, sharp razor.

Rest and eat well

Too much stress can culminate in your skin. Uncontrolled stress can make your skin breakout and inflame. Managing your life balance can help you to keep your stress levels in check. Make sure to get plenty of rest to keep your skin looking fresh and rejuvenated. A healthy diet can help you to feel balanced and stress free. A diet rich in proteins, produce, and whole grains can help to create younger looking skin.

Skin care is extremely important. What you do, or don’t do can have effects on your skin health in the future. Create a skincare plan and make it a habit. Find out what works for you and stick to it. Click here for more tips.



*This is a sponsored post

Blogging Essentials worth Investing in - Lighting!

When I was asked by the amazing people at Joebloggers "What are the things worth investing in" as part of a Legal and General campaign, I took some time to think about it. It was quite a gloomy day and I had been attempting to take some blog photos for hours, the light being horrid, I downed my camera and quickly had a strop, grunted and sighed alot - then the answer came to me - Lighting!

So having made my decision I did a bit of research, read a few blogs that gave hints and tips and decided that a portable Camera Photo Studio Box Light Lighting Cube Tent Kit with Tripod would be brilliant and the kit I had seen came with four backdrops at a cost of £35.  Now to some people, this might not seem like a lot, but I have little room to spread myself about, I live in a one bed flat, affectionately referred to as 'the shoebox' and there are three cats who also live here and like to be actively involved in everthing, so this for me is the perfect solution.

When my package arrived, I was far too excited, the box was huge and I momentarily forgot what it was, then came a squeal of delight.  Inside my box I had the following:

• Studio box size: 50x50x50cm
• Double warm white LED spot light
• Light cable length: 150m (each)
• Backdrop color: Black, Blue, White, Red
• Tripod and stand

Now to be, this is the best bit of kit, besides my Canon EOS1000D camera that I own and it most definitely makes taking pictures a lot easier, especially when it is dark outside!

Described as being a complete photo studio kit, I was delighted to find that it folds away into a neat carry case which takes up absolutely no room at all and I can put it neatly away in my wardrobe or under the bed out of the way. Setting the whole thing up was also incredibly easy too, much more so than I thought it would be and everything is fully adjustable, the tripod which fits my camera perfectly, allows for me to take a really nice close up without getting my hands, camera strap and anything else in the way. Once set up, it is made of both aluminium and steel and is really sturdy, the height is fully adjustable as well going from 25cm to 45cm, though I am yet to change it from the original settings.

The box itself is made is 100% pure white nylon fabric with a stainless steel frame photographic light tent and given it's size, everything that I need to photograph, including any of the cats, fits in there nicely. If I decide to change the background to either blue, red, or black, I can easily do so and each one fits snugly using a velcro fastening.

The final important item within the box are the two LED Lights/Lamps which also fold away and again you can adjust the light angle using a simple click of a button.

I am chuffed to bits with this piece of kit and whilst I am still getting to grips with how it works properly, I hope some of you will begin to notice the changes to my photographs.

If this sounds like something you fancy trying out, you can find it HERE.

Do you use lighting to take photos? is there something you would recommend?

Purrfect Box!

When asked if I would like to review a subscription box, I was all excited, I then continued reading to find the email was infact meant for one of my cats and not for me. If you read my blog or my Hubby's blog, you will know that we have three cats, all male tabby's and often mentioned with the moniker #furkids attached to them and they often make appearances on Instagram.

The Purrfect box** is a brand new UK subscription service which allows you to treat your cat, or your dog each month you will receive each month treats, toys, accessories, hygiene and personal care products customized and based on the cat's age, size, weight, fur type and preferences. Each month has a different theme so you get different goodies each month. The cost is £19.50 per month or £15.50 if you subscribe yearly and this was what was in my first box.

As you can see, there was some excitement as to what was in the box.  My boys love boxes and paper bags, especially Primark bags, so as soon as they see one, they want to be in it.

So in the box there are five different items, all nicely packaged ready to get your cats attention. So in my box we had:

Hills Cat Shrimp Snacks - These are heart-shaped biscuits which most definitely remind me of shrimp paste, you know the stuff that you used to get in sandwiches from your Nan, and as soon as the packet was open, all three of mine wanted to know what they were.

Trixie Multivitamin Paste - I wasn't too sure how this would be recieved, but unsurprisingly, all three of them loved it as soon as I squirted some onto the pink box they had been fighting over just moments ago.  The description says it will add shine and lustre to their coats, so I intend to add some to their food each morning to see if there is a notable difference.

A Spot Laser Toy - Always guaranteed to have hours of fun with this, as soon as the batteries are in and the red light appears, off they go zooming around trying in vain to catch the red spot.

As you can see by the noisy video below, Dexter was trying as hard as he could to catch the red spot.

The Wasabycat Scratching Post - This caused the most amount of interest in my box, infact I couldn't;t get near it for a good hour whilst the three of them fought over it, rubbed themselves over it and generally became a dribbling wreck.  The post itself, is more of a box which has little vents in it to shove the accompanying catnip into.  It has a scratching mat on the top and out of the three of mine, Asbo scratches the most and Dude tries to chew it.

The final item is a 4Cats Valerian Heart Toy and again, this was fought over too, possibly because it had been next to the catnip in the box and the scent had clearly rubbed off.  This is a favourite of Dude and he had a great time playing with it, as did Asbo when he could get near it and Dexter just sat back and watched everyone generally looking a bit daft.

To see the look on the faces of my three boys as soon as I opened the box was amazing, they loved each and every item within the box, which you can see from the photos and even now, a few weeks after getting the box, all of the items are still played with, rolled over chewed, dribbled on and fought over, so for me, this is great value for money and is definitely something I would think of subscribing too.

What do you think to this box? Have you got it, would you buy it?

Love Me Beauty - A New Concept!

Just over a week ago, myself and around ten others got to go along to The Sanderson Hotel, just off Oxford Street here in London to be introduced to a new Beauty box, only it is something a little more than a beauty box.  Unveiled by Oli and Sam the CEO and Co-Founders it was described as being the Netflix for beauty and this is why!

Love Me Beauty asks you to sign up to an account and then complete a short series of questions which begins the build of your personal profile.  You are then assigned to one of a team of beauty experts who read and look at your profile and recommend to you some products to try based on the answers you give to some questions. The better the beauty experts get to know you, the better the recommendations will get! Those questions to answer include your hair colour, hair type, skin type, age, favourite make-up and how much you tend to spend per month on beauty to name just a few.

Naturally if you don't like the suggestions given to you, you don't have to choose from them, you can choose anything you want from the Boutique which will have 100’s of products and brands to choose from which are updated on a daily basis. Love Me Beauty search the world for the best and most exciting brands and products out there, just for you.

Each month, once you have subscribed (read more about that HERE) you are given six credits and using those credits, you can add as many other products as you like. (That’s four or five items at the very least.) Credits are based on a weighted system and are either worth 1 or 2 credits.  If the item you want is worth 1 credit then it is typically a travel sized product and if it is worth 2 credits it will either be of high value or a full sized product, some of which will be in limited availability.

So this is what the Box looks like and this is an example of some of the brands and products you might come across during your selections:

Just how stunning is this box? The silvery grey coloured matched with the rose gold lettering is stunning and as soon as I saw it, I loved it.  It looks every much a luxury box and even the little bag inside is of really high quality.

The products I received within my box are as follows:

Percy & Reed Eau My Goodness Shine and Fragrance Spray for your hair - Is it a fragrance? Is it a shine and glossing spray? Ladies, it’s both – and what a wonder it is too! This airy green, delicate fragrance evokes the smell of a rose in the early morning, sprinkled with dew. Spray it over your locks and not only will you smell glorious, you’ll also have intense, dazzling, glossy shine.

Malin + Goetz Peppermint Shampoo - The Peppermint Shampoo is gentle and hydrating, effectively purifying and cleansing and balances all hair and scalp types. Blended with peppermint and olive oil, the hair shampoo is formulated for frequent use. The mildly foaming, residue-free formula softens and conditions.

S5 Balance Fluid for normal-oily skin - Advanced anti-ageing moisturiser for normal-oily, sensitive skim with age defying alpine, arctic and marine bioactives. Helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, balance and protect for a matte, clear complexion.

S5 Renew Serum - Targeted age defying treatment for fine lines and wrinkles with arctic bioactives to plump and smooth. Helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles for younger looking skin.

Absolute Bronzing Boost with SPF15 - Enjoy a guilt-free glow with an oil-free bronzer which protects your skin and blends easily for buildable coverage. The perfect facial bronzer that balances skin hues instantly and restores tone while giving a beautiful, even touch of colour.

The One Eyeliner Stylo - This eyeliner tool looks like a pen that comes with a fine applicator that allows you to define your eyes with precision. It dries quickly and therefore, doesn’t smudge. This item is highly sophisticated in appearance and at the same time it is fabricated by using best quality raw components so as to ensure excellence, reliability and optimality. Besides, this beauty product is long lasting and more interestingly, deep black in colour. Thus, achieving high colour accuracy is very much possible.

The One Illuskin Blush in pink glow - A Touch of Delicate Luminosity. Instantly create contoured cheeks.Sculpt & define with the darker shade. Highlight with the lighter, shimmering shade

Three Murad pomegranate exfoliating mask Sachets - Free your skin of dull, dry surface cells with Murad Vitalic Pomegranate Exfoliating Mask and restore the brightness to your skin. Pomegranate extract provides powerful antioxidant protection whilst fruit enzymes exfoliate and keep your skin clear. This tingly weekly treatment features pomegranate and gingko bilba extract which fight free radicals and inflammation whilst natural fruit enzymes and AHAs keep your skin clear and smooth.

For me this is a huge bunch of products which I am enjoying trying and testing out, especially because I have never used any of them before now and only recently realised that The One products are actually part of the Oriflame family.

All of that aside, I actually really like the concept and idea behind the box. Knowing that the more of a beauty profile you give, the more suitable product suggestions to you become, so rather than get a box every month full of stuff you won't use, instead, you get some say in what you might like to try and you never know, you might be finding you Holy Grail products.  I am looking forward to seeing what becomes of Love Me Beauty as they grow and become more established.

As with most subscription services, you can decide how you wish to subscribe. A monthly boxy is £10 plus £3.95 P&P or you can choose a 3,6,9 or 12 month subscription with prices varying.

Have you signed up yet? Is it the kind of idea you think will work?