Friday 29 November 2013

Sunshine Blogger Award

Hello!

Even though it's almost December now, with temperatures really cold and not much sun in sight, I got nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award! Yay! I got nominated by Lindsey and in her own words "The Sunshine Award is given to bloggers who bring sunshine to the blogging world." so, thank you for thinking that I bring sunshine to the blogging world!


The Rules:
1. Post 11 random facts about yourself
2. Answer 11 questions from the nominating blogger.
3. Nominate 11 wonderful bloggers, that you feel bring sunshine to the blogging world. Be sure to notify them.
4. Write 11 questions for your nominated bloggers.
*Don’t forget to acknowledge the nominating blogger.
11 Random Facts about me:
     1. I need fragrance things in every room (ie. Candles)
     2. I'm in my silky soft robe 90% of the time I'm at home
     3. I love the colour Pink 
     4. I am the only girl in my first cousins
     5. I dance and performed at a theatre 2 weeks ago
     6. I used to be a tom boy when I was younger and can now probably not be any more of a girly girl!
     7. I am finding this quite hard! I can't think of 11 random facts! haha!
     8. I prefer chocolate over sweets
     9. I love baking but don't get to do it a lot
    10. I love reading
    11. I've always loved writing and had never dreamed that I'd start a blog: it was totally random but I love it so much!

Her Questions:
    1. What is your favorite book?
I loved Me Before You and find I am constantly trying to look for books like it - however, that was a recent read and I don't really remember all the books I have read and remember. Although, when I was about 10 years old I read 'Dragon Rider' which I was so proud of reading because it's so big! It wasn't a bad book, either! (she spelt favourite wrong - it's not spelt like that in the UK! haha!)

   2. What's the one beauty item you cannot do without?
Mascara. I wear mascara almost everyday. If nothing else, I just put of a few coats of mascara and run out the door - it makes the world of a difference!

   3. Coffee or Tea?
Tea! I rarely have coffee at home and only when I'm out and feel like getting a Starbucks. If I have coffee in the morning I get headaches so I have chai tea lattes on most days! 

   4. What is your favorite season?
FALL. I love fall, the weather is perfect as it's sunny yet not too hot and I find I can cosy up and I find that it always feels like Golden Hour. The leaves also turn golden and ahhh it's just wonderful! 

   5. If you could tell your 18 year old self anything, what would it be?
Well, I'm 17, turning 18 next year but I'd probably tell myself to keep moving forwards, keep your head held high and stay positive, be kind and be happy.

   6. What is your dream vacation destination?
I LOVE the idea of New York and LA. I sometimes feel I've been born in the wrong country and am an American at heart! Although, I love the city of London that I live in and then feel that I am also British at heart, so I don't really know! haha! But I would love to go to New York - even though I've been there for an hour as I had a stop over on the way to Florida - but that doesn't count!

   7. What is your favourite online shop?
Boots. I love the way it is set out and so easy to use. It's also great for checking the prices without having to go to store and search for the item! However, I rarely actually buy anything from there but go to the actual store to. I do buy a lot from Amazon as it has everything and anything and BeautyBay has great deals!

   8. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I find I kind of mentioned this in Q6, but I would either live in New York or Central London - as I prefer slightly colder climates to extremely hot ones, these would be my choices!

   9. It's Christmas time, do you prefer eggnog or hot cocoa?
Well, I've never had eggnog before but I have Hot Cocoa all the time and LOVE IT! So, technically I prefer it but would love to try eggnog.

  10. What do you consider your greatest accomplishment?
Getting good grades was a great accomplishment yet it doesn't feel real. I was featured in a local newspaper for it and many people congratulated me however, it still hasn't hit me yet that it happened!

  11. What is your guilty pleasure?
Sitting at home being completely unproductive, watching YouTube videos/movies/tv shows with a cup of Hot Chocolate and biscuits - what more could a girl need?! haha! 

My Nominees:
 tweet 

My Questions:
 1. A staple in your wardrobe?
 2. A beauty product do you keep repurchasing?
 3. What's on your christmas list?
 4. Your favourite winter scent/smell
 5. A TV show are you obsessed with?
 6. Your favourite movie?
 7. Your go-to food item?
 8. What MUST you do everyday before you sleep everyday?
 9. First thing you check in the morning? (ie. Twitter, FaceBook etc.)
 10. One word to describe you
 11. Your favourite quote

That's it! If you want to do this tag, consider yourself tagged by me and I'd love to hear your responses to the Questions! When you've done it, let me know!

So, tell me: One word to describe you

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Moisturising Skin Oil - Vaseline Review

Hello!

Harsh wind makes skin especially dry in the winter time - getting rid of the healthy glow that we accumulated in the summer time and instead replacing it with dull, dry and sometimes itchy skin!

I had purchased this Vitalising Oil from Vaseline about a year ago, then I forgot about it and recently rediscovered it, and yesterday I bought my second bottle!


I apply this beauty after my night time shower. This makes it so my skin can moisturise during the night so I wake up to soft, silky skin! All I do is dry myself after I get out of my shower (brush my teeth etc.) and apply the oil all over my body.

Yes, as it's an oil you can imagine this is not a sink-staight-into-your-skin type of moisturiser. It is slightly sticky when you first apply it, but it does leave a nice sheen. If you're going on a special day out and want your skin to glow, you can apply it 2-3 hours prior and you'll look good!


It is very cheap and can cure dry skin very well. It also smells AMAZING and I love bath and body products, especially if they smell good! The first bottle smelt amazing, exactly like cocoa butter - the rich smell like the well-known Palmers Cocoa Butter, however, the second/newer bottle smells more like chocolate to me? It's not bad - believe me - but I did REALLY prefer the first and am kind of disappointed.

This is the second time I've bought it, and I remember that I stopped using it the first time because it was not good for my morning showers as it would not sink in my skin quickly, hence making everything 10x more difficult in the morning (when I'm half asleep!).. so fit this into your night time routine if you can!


Oils are great for your skin - you may have heard many using coconut oil on their body - which I've never tried but have baked with.

For your skin saviour this winter, give this a try!
It's also on sale in superdrug at the moment at half price, although the product is available in many stores! With a price of under £3 - what is there to lose?

What is your winter skin saviour?! 

Monday 25 November 2013

Motivational Monday

Hello!

I feel I haven't done a Motivational Monday in ages.. the last time I did was 2 months ago! So, being it Monday, a motivational thought is due, and if you can have a great start to the week, or day, or even a good start to the next hour of your life, it's worth it…

 A lot of the time life just passes by, yet we don't make the most of it - so Enjoy the Little Things like enjoy your cuppa tea or watching the sun rise or even making someone smile by saying Good Morning…


Stay Happy.

Have a great day and LAUGH… it's free! ;)


source 1,2,3.

Friday 22 November 2013

Day in the Life: Meeting Nick Clegg

Hello!

I haven't done this sort of post in a long time whereby I show you pictures I took in one day! Yes, I do Weekly Roundups but not really one of a single day! Last time I remember doing that was in the summer time.

Anyway, so I thought I'd tell you about how I spent the other day, it was quite fun and I took a few good pictures!

Okay, so I was going to the city due to an event I was attending where I met the DPM - aka. the Deputy Prime Minister: Nick Clegg.
When I first saw Nick Clegg, he was right next to me, smiled too, and I had no idea who he was. Then all of a sudden all the cameras turned to him and I was like what? Is that Nick Clegg?! And it was! I was too late to get a picture of him from the front but I got one from behind!

The place we were at was so grand - the Grand Old Duke of York had build it! There were chandeliers everywhere and the whole place was accented with gold paint - I'm pretty sure there was ACTUAL GOLD in the paint! Stunning!


Oh, and can you believe there was even chandeliers in the Bathroom! How fancy?!

I decided it was a must to take a selfie in the bathroom here, and I did!


After that, my friend and I went to roam the city - it was about 2pm and we'd left our homes at 8am, so we were a little hungry! We roamed to Leicester Square and decided to have lunch at Hagen Daz. - well it wasn't the healthiest lunch but lunch none-the-less!
I ordered an Apple Crumble Pie with Chocolate, Praline and Caramel Ice Cream - Yummers!


It was a great day out and was so much fun!

What did you do on your recent 'fun-day-out' and where did you go?

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Product Empties - Hair Edition

Hello!

I've been seeing these videos all over YouTube lately and thought it'd be great to do one on my blog!
Recently I've finished many products all at once, which is great because that means I can buy loads of new things! Yay!

Anyway, one area in which I have come to an end of many products is hair care. I love using products on my hair as every strand feels extra silky soft afterwards! You know the feeling after you use those GHD's on newly cut hair with no dry ends, well, that's what we strive for everyday and using these products help!


I finished these two products and was glad in one way and sad in another! You probably know the feeling of surprise but are still nodding your head in approval at products at which you didn't expect much from but turned out to be great! 


The reason I was surprised with these products is how long they actually lasted!


This product, the almighty Macadamia Leave-In Cream has been on top of the Hair Products chart for the last couple of years and being searching for a new hair product, this one was a MUST try. I've got to say, I could not be happier with this product. You may notice that this is the smaller version of the big baby that is very raved about. I bought this just so I could try it and it lasted me about 8 months! I wash my hair about 3 times a week and have used this almost, if not every time. I am so surprised at how long this lasted and have already repurchased it, the same size too as I don't see it necessary to buy the big one! You can buy it here


Another one of the chart-toppers is the John Frieda Frizz-Ease Serum which I have repurchased for the 4th time. That's right, FOURTH! I buy the Extra Strength version and always end up buying 2 at the same time as that's when they're on offer, like 2 for £8 or something, which is ok as I know I'll use it! I use a pea sized amount on wet hair - it says damp but I just can't wait that long! If I do try to wait until my hair is damp, I'll probably forget to apply this. You can buy it here.

That's my hair edition product empties, both of which I've already repurchased! What are your hair product must haves?

Monday 18 November 2013

Candle Crazy!

Hello!

I don't know if you feel the same, but candles are a slight obsession for me - I have one in practically every room and everyone that really knows me knows that they make me happy!

Being in England I haven't found the perfect place to buy candles. I mean in the US, I know there is a store called 'Bath and Body Works' which I WISH was available here!
They sell what seem like the best candles ever! Call me weird but I went onto the site and picked a few of the ones I would probably buy if I could:


Leaves is probably the most heard about candle from Bath and Body Works, especially for this time of year! People stock up for the entire year because they love this candle! Does it really smell that nice?! Let's just fly to America and smell it! This is number one on my Bath and Body Works list (okay, you caught me, I just made that list right now!)...
 I love the smell of cinnamon now - I used to hate it but nowI love it! I actually have a cinnamon and mulled wine candle (shown here) which is ALMOST finished :(
 First of all, can I just say, doesn't this look just GORGEOUS! It looks so girly and totally my style! I love the smell of vanilla too - who doesn't?! - and the rose image just tops it off - this would be #2 on my B&BW list!
This one looks pretty and like it would smell nice! You know there is no description on the website so your guess on how the candles smell are as good as mine! 
Lastly, this is a candle holder! Isn't it just the cutest thing ever!! So festive and it would look lovely! Oh, and watch out for more festive posts coming out next week on Wednesday! 

Okay, enough with my weirdness with candle obsession!
Images and products from here. At the moment you can save 45% by buying 2 of these candles!

Are you lucky enough to live near a B&BW?! 
Or if you live in England, where do you suggest a good candle place is?

Friday 15 November 2013

BerryReads: Me Before You

Hello!

I'm catching up with our little Book Club with another Book Review! I actually have read another book after this one and was debating on which of the two to do a review on and to be honest with you, this one won hands down! The other one was good but this, this was life changing. I'm not joking.


It's basically about a girl, who is the narrator throughout the book as it is in first person, whom worked in a Café for about 7 years. That café shut down - you know recession and all these days, no I'm only joking, it was because another café kind of took over, it was to do with money problems - ANYWAY, that's beside the point. So, as she was one of the few sources of income in her home, she needed to find another job. The job that she found was as a carer in a wealthy family. She was told she would just have to talk to the man in the wheelchair. At first, the idea of a man in a wheelchair makes you think of an elderly man who has lived his life and age had gotten the better of him, but no. This was completely different.


The man in the wheelchair used to be a CEO of a huge company in the city of London, but an unfortunate accident got the better of him, and he was left with no motion from the neck down. EVERYTHING has to be done for him. He was left helpless. 


The carer, Louise, was given the job to help him out of depression. Being someone who was so high up in the ladder and living a great life to someone who cannot use the toilet must have been a HUGE jump, and I don't blame him for going into depression. Louise, who was living a simple life in a small town finally realised that she needed to break out of her shell. The man in the wheelchair, Will Traynor, has a very strong mind and opens up a window in Louise's mind that she needs to EXPAND her Horizons. She needs to get out there and get herself out of the small town she was in.

This book is written so well and I wish I could meet Will Traynor. He is so inspiring (even if he is only a character in a book!).
Honestly, when I was reading this book, the face of Daniel Grayson from Revenge was who I thought Will Traynor would be like. They seem so similar to me in my head - and my god is Daniel Grayson hot!

Louise has a mission in this book: to save a life. Did she do it? Read the book and find out!

Honestly, I cannot recommend this enough! I also told you about this book which I also recommended, but I've got to say 'Me Before You' has taken it to a whole new level.

What book should we discuss next?

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Bath & Body Products Haul

Hello!

With the colder months you get dryer skin and feel the urge to take long, relaxing bubble baths - when we get the time, that is - and drink hot beverages!

This called for a shopping trip for my bathroom! Well, I didn't specifically go out to buy stuff for my bathroom but when a shopping trip was called for, these were the products that called out to me most! Well, where my eyes were drawn to anyway! You know what they say, you're a better person when you moisturise...


Okay, I totally just made that up, but I still believe it!


I first saw these beauties on the shelves and know that it would look great! Baylis & Harding have a thing about posh and lovely looking products and you can't help but fall for it! Although the scent is Rose, Yland Ylang (which I have no idea what in the world it is!) and Patchouli and there was no tester to smell it, I thought I'd purchase anyway because I liked the bottle! I did, however, try it when I got home and I've got to say the hand cream smells lovely and lingers in a good way!


I also bought a Body polish from the same line.


Having a fresh smelling product in your shower for the morning can really waken you up, hence the reason I bought the Radox Uplifting Shower Gel in Grapefruit and Basil. The packaging is a pink and if you're a girly girl like me, then you know what I mean by falling for it! Also, these Shower Gels have a hook which fits perfectly in my shower and doesn't linger on the bottom meaning the shower looks less cluttered! 


 Finally for today's haul, I bought a new bottle of FemFresh for the feminine hygiene... but we don't need to go in detail with that!

By the way, you may have noticed the loofah - I didn't buy it today but I thought it looked nice with the bath products none-the-less! All in the name of photos!

What are your favourite bath products?

Monday 11 November 2013

What Your Hat Says About You


Hello!

This time of year brings out the hats: knit, beanie, dappy hats – you name it! So, at first glance what do these various types of hat represent?


1.  Fedora
This clean edge brown fedora straight away represents class. A sort of old English, 1900’s thought is brought to mind when this hat is seen. It can also bring about a bohemian vibe, depending on how you’re wearing it and what you’re wearing it with. With this hat a sense of priority and somewhat power is bought along – so if you want to seem fancy, go for a fedora!

Links on where to buy: http://tinyurl.com/nnud6gl

2.  Fur Hat
This particular style of hats reminds me of the Russians. Russians being in the colder climates would generally be more associated with Fur. This type of hat is actually called a “Traditional Cossack Hat” and was originally made from sheep skin – oh the luxury! This hat brings an atmosphere of high-fashion with it and cannot go wrong by pairing it with a knit jumper – just to add with the cosiness of the fur!


3. Beanies
This seems to be the go-to for the winter months for many people. It brings about a sense of comfort and what I call “sweatpants style” – and in this case a bit of hipster too. The beanies with words and slogans like “Swag”, “You can’t sit with us” and “Killin’ It” seem to be everywhere, oh and I’ve even seen one with “Gnarly” on it, which I’m not too fond of! Beanies are great for the can’t-be-bothered-to-do-my-hair kind of days or days when you’re just not having a GHD* no matter what you do or try!


So, yes, I agree that hat’s can amp up any style and make any outfit stand out, as well as providing good protection to your head (in some cases, anyway) but if you’re trying to portray a certain style, be careful on the hat you choose!


PS. Check out this post for this seasons Clothing Trends, lookbooks and outfit ideas! 

*GHD = Good Hair Day
Source: Images from topshop

Friday 8 November 2013

Vloggers to Watch

Hello!

I was talking to my friends the other day and didn't realise exactly how many people actually watch Vloggers on YouTube. It's something you do in your own time at home and don't realise that many other people are doing exactly the same thing!

I love "looking into" peoples lives and seeing what they're up to - it might be a bit because I'm a nosey person and also because it's easy to get on that side of YouTube and time passes by very quickly! Many people tend to spend less time watching telly and more on their laptops and computers watching YouTube videos and reading blogs - you may find you're doing the same?!

Luckily I got to see some amazing YouTubers at the Summer in the City 2013 event this year as I mentioned here! It was amazing to meet them!

Anyway, so there are a couple of favourite people that I watch on YouTube that you may have heard of before or watch yourself and I thought it'd be fun to share:

1. Joey Graceffa
image from here

Joey does daily vlogs and I watch them quite often! I love how there's something to come back to at the end of the day to spend some time watching them. He also has a gaming channel which I do not watch, just his vlogs. Lots of my friends know who he is and he is doing very well for himself! He's funny, lovely and I just enjoy watching him.

2. Akaydollx2
image from here

Kayla is a beauty guru with the channel "Akaydoll" whom I watch but more recently I have been loving her vlogs. She is not a daily vlogger but does vlog quite often. Her life is really interesting to me as she moved to LA a couple of months ago by herself, leaving her parents and her cute dog Roko (sp.) in another state in the USA. Her story inspires me as I would love to live in the US but all my family live in England.

3. FleurDeVlog
image from here

Fleur is also a beauty guru by "FleurDeForce" and also runs a blog. She is gorgeous and her personality is lovely. She has a great sense of humour too and vlogs from time to time about her day and her life. I watch both her channels and love them. She lives in the UK so a lot of the products she mentions relate to me and where I live! You probably have heard of her and if not, need to check out her blog! This month she is doing daily vlogs for a month which are very entertaining!

4. TheGridMonster
image from here

Ingrid is yet ANOTHER beauty guru as "MissGlamorazzi" and has a vlog channel too. She has not recently been doing vlogs as she is probably very busy doing various other things such as Make Me Over and Polished and many other projects. She is genuinely a great character and her personality is great. She is absolutely stunning and I wish she did more vlogs, though I understand why she may not as letting us into their personal lives is quite a big deal!

That's my top 4 Vloggers for you. I watch others too and was just thinking about it the other day about how awesome it would be to have a Vlogging channel, what do you think? The vlogs would be able my life in general and this blog would be what it is now! Hmmm, that's something to dwell on!

All these people inspire me and help me get on with my day-to-day life and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Do you watch beauty gurus or vloggers on YouTube? Who's your favourite?
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