Monday 26 September 2016

Pamper time - Products used for this weeks pamper session

Tonight I fancy a bit of tlc, i've not been feeling well so as soon as the kids are in bed i'm hitting the bath. We all need a regular bit of me time right? thats why I want to make this a regular post (good excuse for me time eh?) just to show you the products that I have been using, its always good to have a nose at what other people use so you can get some inspo for the next pamper night.

*Has anyone else had a Diptyque candle that's gone yellow?

Some might have a read for a bit of relaxation, if your anything like me you will be sat looking at pictures of your babies thinking how much you love them and how blessed you are. Then you hear them stir, panic sets in that they might wake up, you have thoughts of "NO please no! stay asleep, not tonight!" then luckily they do return to their sleep, relief sweeps over you and you return to looking at pics of them.

 I will actually be sat on the internet getting some ideas for my blog revamp - OK I know my blog is new so its not really a revamp as such, but its basic and needs work. I will be looking at blog designs, layouts, post inspo etc if you have any comments or ideas send them my way.

Back to the pampering, here's a quick run through of the main players in tonight's session:

BARE MINERALS DEEP CLEANSING FOAM


I got this with Septembers Look Incredible deluxe beauty box - if your thinking of subscribing you might want to read my review post HERE - spoiler - I wouldn't go deluxe!
I am yet to try this but its the sort of product that I would normally buy, anything deep cleansing is right up my street.The only part that puts me off is that its foaming which can be over-stripping for oily skin. I will give it a whirl and let you know my thoughts at a later date.

 This cleanser has actually been discontinued and I believe its been replaced with Pure Plush Deep Cleansing Foam for £18.00 link HERE

TEMPLESPA QUIETUDE SPRAY


I recently had a spa break with the hubby, it was lush! think massages, prosecco and relaxation. The products used at the spa were all Templespa and this little treat was left in our hotel room. Quietude - a room and body spray for relaxation, to sum it up how it smells in one word - SPA. I will be giving myself my pillow a lil spritz of this to help me into the land of nod. I got this as a freebie in my hotel room, but if your interested its £25.00 for 100ml link HERE

DR DENNIS GROSS ALPHA BETA DAILY PEEL


After reading great reviews about these pads I made a purchase. I actually bought mine off of Amazon for £15 for a pack of 5, (who else loves Prime?) Ideally you are supposed to use these everyday, I use them when I need a good exfoliation. I love the feel of my skin after using them, not stingy or anything but it feels like 'something' has happened if you know what I mean, call it a tingle if you will

LUSH BATH BOMB - DRAGONS EGG


Well duh obvs need a bit of lush on my pamper night, this bath bomb has been sat in my draw for a few weeks now, I need to get this bad boy out! I must head down to Lush soon as the Halloween themed goodies are now out, woo hoo! or should a say wooooooo (in a spooky voice) 


I have been shopping my stash recently, I am running very low on beauty supplies! I will be hitting the shops soon - let me know of any must have beauty products on the shelves at the mo

See you next time x 
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Sunday 25 September 2016

For the love of leopard print / Come shop with me

Leopard print, I think it's safe to say it's one of those universal prints that everyone (well almost everyone) loves. Personally, I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame, if there's leopard print in a store somehow I end up stood in front of it. Almost like sleep walking, I don't know how I ended up there, it's got its own magnetic field that lures me in. I've seen a lot of leopard print banded about Instagram lately, apparently it's in this season but I wouldn't know because in my eyes it's always in. In fact it never really leaves the fashion scene, it's always there like a good friend. An instant crowd pleaser, have you ever seen a miserable person don a leopard print item? No because it simply doesn't happen, leopard print makes you smile. In my opinion Its a wardrobe staple that's here to stay.



Now there's two camps when it comes to LP, you fit into one or the other or swing between them both. Each have their own merits. 

Camp 1 - Kate Moss, classic, chic, sexy ON POINT LEOPARD 

Camp 2 - Pat Butcher, brash, in your face, loud, LAIRY LEOPARD 



I think most of us would naturally opt for camp 1, but sometimes it's full to capacity and you have to attend camp 2's team meeting. Often I start the day (or night) as team Kate but by the end of a hard day (or a few too many cocktails) PB comes out to play. I suggest keeping a pair of clip on earrings in your pocket just in case, if your going to do PB, do it right.

Surprisingly I don't have that many LP items in my wardrobe, not as many I should. A few scarves & pairs of shoes but I'm actually quite disappointed in myself, I feel like I'm letting LP down. There's only one solution for this, let's go shop. I am going to keep both Kate & Pat in mind whilst shopping as demonstrated below.

Zara £49.99 - LINK

SHOES

All items linked below under the pics - linked clockwise
Think of any style of shoe and you will find it in leopard print - fact. These are my fave picks of the bunch, I already have two pairs of LP shoes - just how many is OK in ones collection? 

1) Aquazzura £600 LINK
2) Christian Louboutin £445 LINK
3) Riverisland £22 LINK
4) Office £50 LINK

And a further two I found later!

1) Joules £130 - LINK
2) RI mules £55 - LINK


BELTS


A belt is a good way to scratch your LP itch without going crazy, just a hint of leopard to spruce up a plain tee and jeans 

1) ASOS £12 - LINK - I like this colour, it makes a change from normal LP shades and I think it suits the print
2) ASOS £12 - LINK  - a bit of double buckle action 
3) M&S £9.50 -  LINK - slimmer belt
4) Topshop £22 - LINK - a wide fit belt for jeans

BAGS
Like the other items, there is a lot of different styles that are leopard print. As its quite a busy print I like to keep it simple with a pouch type bag. I found three that I like, all quite similar but the prices range from £7.99 to £675!

1) Loewe leather t pouch - £675 LINK
2) H&M bag £7.99 LINK
3) Whistles bag £65 LINK

ACCESSORIES/MISC
This is one of my fave ways to get my fill of leopard print - particularly scarves! I love the look of the oversized ASOS one above and those slippers are ready for me to get my snuggle on.

1) Pom - Newlook - £4.99 LINK
2) M&S Brolly £10 - LINK
3) ASOS Oversized scarf - £16.00 LINK
4) UGG Slippers - Next £85 LINK - available in October

COATS

You may have seen the Tesco coat already which seems to be a popular choice, a great price point at £29.00! a fab way to get a bit of LP this season without breaking the bank. I love all of the options above - I mean Burberry is always a winner for me, but THAT Mary Katrantzou is just to die for, such an amazing print, shame its slightly out of budget...

1) Tesco Boyfriend coat £29.00 LINK 
2) Zara jacket - £59.99  LINK
3) Mary Katrantzou £1836.87 - Farfetch LINK
4) Burberry coat- £1995 LINK

TOPS

I found a bit of a bargain with the French connection number top right, reduced from £75 to £19! say what!?! it makes a change from the standard LP colours too. Side note - I've noticed a lot of items in French connection going into the sale with massive discounts! it puts me off paying full price - I would keep that in mind when looking at FC at the mo.

1) M&S Fluffy Leopard print slash neck jumper - £35 LINK
2) French connection - electric leopard £19.00 from £75 LINK
3) Oasis £22 animal crew neck top LINK
4) high neck ASOS top £25 - LINK

GIRLS


I couldn't shop for leopard print without thinking about my girl, so many cute bits! I love the backpack - I think she would love this for preschool!

1) La Redoute coat - £17.40 - LINK
2) Matalan Wellies - £10 LINK
3) Matalan backpack - £8.00 LINK
4) H&M onesie - £14.99 LINK

SAD FACT - Do you need justification for buying some leopard print? well according to bigcatrescue.org it can take up to 40 animals to be killed to produce one coat with real fur - lets buy the shit out of faux fur to stop the demand for the real stuff! 

FINAL THOUGHTS

I know Leopard print is popular at the mo but I didn't think that there would be quite so much in the stores this season. Every single website I went on had something leopard print available, there is just so much choice. Personally I think it is a print worth investing in, its something that will always have a home in your wardrobe so don't be afraid to splurge. On the other hand, there is so much available that if you don't want to spend a lot there are many options that are just as good - look at the three handbags I found, all very similar with very different price tags. 

So whats the most Pat-esque item I found - well check out the pic below - leopard print top complete with cats and matching bottoms - shes even got the earrings and the lippy. If you like this look its going to cost you £525 (for the top that is) see being Pat is more expensive than you think

D&G £525 LINK

The other option is of course Kate - and what better way to channel your inner Kate than wear a top designed by her - it costs a fraction of the price of the Pat look at £370 (its still a fraction even though its £370!) Kate Moss for Equipment - LINK



Finally, when it all gets too much just remember this one thing......


See you next time x 
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Tuesday 20 September 2016

Come shop with me - T-shirts

You may have been given the idea from my Instagram feed that I like to shop, well that is absolutely correct. There isn't many things I can say I excel at in life but one things for sure is that if I studied shopping at university I would have a first class degree with honors, I would even have a brownie badge. I blame my mother, she is my enabler, I have learnt many a skill from her that has got me to my shopper status today. I don't always spend a lot, my mother and I created a game where we go out and can only spend £10 each for the day and see what we can get, this is totally a quantity over quality shop (aka buy a load of shite from the pound shop) its not wasting money when you can say "I got all this for a tenner!"

Generally 60% of whats purchased is returned on the next shopping trip, meaning there is always some spends in the kitty. Should I be ashamed? probably, am I ashamed? nope! I don't go crazy, I can afford it and I am not harming anyone (obviously slightly ashamed if I need to justify) but at the end of the day you have to enjoy the good things in life, if that's my good thing so be it.

I am much more of a pound the pavement kind of shopper, I like to touch, feel, try on, eye up the latest displays, try samples, have a coffee, browse etc. I could be out waiting for the doors to open up until being chucked out at close. However since my two little kiddy winks came along they have, to put it kindly, changed my shopping experience. Pitstops/nappy changes/tantrums means the joy is gone and it becomes a chore, we all end up crying. Therefore I have become more of an online shopper, its not replaced my love for the high street but it is there for me when I need it most.

So I am inviting you to join me on my online shopping journey, I am going to select the items I like (or don't) from my fave shops and share my thoughts with you, feel free to join in with your comments. Today, I am shopping for T-shirts - statement T's and nice basics, lets see what we can find...

Selfridges


Christopher Kane £145- its a K T-shirt and i'm Kim - kinda meant to be don't you think?
Link HERE


Calvin Klein £50 - Old school but you gotta love it, I did until I realised it was cropped...not a fan with the old mum tum. link HERE


Givenchy £1075 - oh you beauty, bargain price of £1075, it is silk though - not the best for a baby sick situation, moving on. link HERE


Gucci - This is so cute and I love the sleeves! actually I love the whole outfit.
Link HERE


69 £255 - I think this could look quite striking with the right pair of jeans, simple but interesting, Link HERE

WHAT THE FRIG IS THAT

Here is the not so loved finds


69 - £320 - OK I know I have had children and my boobs are heading south but I do not need flap holders on my top. Its £320, I can create this look for next to nothing with an old T and a pair of socks. Or even a tight top would no bra would do the trick - MOVING ON
If your crazy here's the LINK


Vetements - £510 - Where to begin? This is a real top available to buy at the bargain price of £510. I was debating what to wear to drop my daughter off at preschool the other day, if i'd of known about this top maybe this would of been the one, shame that. Other hideous colours available. Link HERE because I know you will go and look

Zara


£15.99 I love the neckline and the sleeve length, the small pop of red on the bird is a nice touch plus it looks good with a pleated skirt which is what I'm looking for! link HERE


£17.99 - sequin sleeves - whats not to love? link HERE

 Topshop


£30- Oversized T with a shirt fabric back - love it! link HERE

£25 - Colour block T - a tad summery with the orange and yellow but I like the hit of colour. Link HERE

WHAT THE FRIG IS THAT


£32 - I like the contrasting stripes but the stepped hem neck line would do my OCD head in - link HERE

H&M

£7.99 I love the quality of basic tees from H&M, the deep V and loose fit on this one is perfect. Link HERE



£12.99 I love the look of the material, a soft lightweight knit with rough seams - link HERE



£12.99 FLAMINGOS - enough said - link HERE

ASOS

£22.00 - so easy to wear, chuck on with jeans, skirt, job done - link HERE


£18.00 Boyfriend fit tee, slogan and rolled sleeves. Easy to wear and a bit of fun link HERE


WHAT THE FRIG IS THAT


£16.00 - This is another look I could create for free, my dog likes to chew holes in blankets, it looks exactly like this. Before I go to bed I will chuck an old tee in the dogs bed and by morning it will be ready for me to wear, just saved £16.00 there. Link HERE


That's it for today! see you next time 

x
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Monday 12 September 2016

First impressions of a beauty box - Look Incredible Sept 2016 deluxe box

***Important update at the end of post***

Beauty boxes have been around for a while now, they arrived on the scene when I was blogging the first time around (yes this is not my first blog!) but its only been now that I have taken the plunge and subscribed to a beauty box.

If you are not familiar with the concept, the idea is that you subscribe to receive a box of beauty products once a month. There are many websites that offer this, all have different types of products but the one thing in common is that you don't know what you are going to get. Each month a box arrives and inside there are beauty surprises! kinda like receiving a nice little present through the post.

The idea is that you try things that you wouldn't normally try, there might be samples of new products, old faves, full sized items - depending on the box its a mixed bag. With so many different boxes it was hard to choose but after a bit of investigating, I discovered that the Look Incredible box only supplies full sized products - no samples. now I don't have anything against samples, I welcome them, I just don't like rubbish 'barely one application' type samples. You know the sachet types where you have to squeeze it to death to get anything out, half of it then ends up on the floor, you get pissed off and throw the packet across the room - you know the drill. 


Lookincredible.co.uk offers two boxes, the standard at £18.99 plus p&p and the deluxe at £35.00 which includes postage. The difference between the two is that you are supposed to get more higher end products in the deluxe compared to the standard box. Me being me, I didn't go for the standard box oh no, my go hard or go home mentality kicked in and I signed up for the deluxe box.

I subscribed at the end of August, payment then comes out on the 1st of the month and you then receive your box between the 5th - 10th of each month. So I patiently (impatiently) waited for the 5th to arrive and from then on I stalked the postman. nothing. 6th, nothing. 7th, nothing. OK its the 8th it should be today! I did order deluxe, nothing. 9th everyone and its dog are putting up Instagram pics of their box and what they got, today's the day! nothing. 10th - it finally arrived. 

Now this is one of annoying things about the box - there is a time frame where you have to avoid social media otherwise your surprise will be spoilt. I had to squint whilst scrolling through my Instagram just in case i saw anything, hubby thought I had a migraine, I had to explain my Insta-squint.

I have filmed a chatty video of me opening and reviewing this box - if you fancy a watch click below! if not carry on reading underneath.


Opening the box is tres tres exciting, its like a kid at Christmas - fingers crossed that you haven't got the naff Xmas present that you don't want but your mums really excited about!

The box is nicely packaged with a ribbon tied around it, the quality is good and overall it is pleasing to open. Inside there is a little bit of stuffing and some items are bubble wrapped. Not too bad but one of the boxes was a little squashed - I know its only a box but these details niggle me slightly.

So whats inside???? 

Too Faced Selfie Powders Palette - £32.00 
This is the fun item in the box. A palette of three finishing powders designed to brighten, bronze and illuminate the skin. I don't think I would've purchased this one but I think I am going to have fun playing around with this. I like the too faced brand so I am looking forward to trying this one out. This has been valued at £32.00 on the leaflet, I have found this online for £24 excluding p&p


Tarte Lipsurgence Lip Tint in the shade Lovely - £18.00 
This is my first Tarte product so this is another item I am looking forward to trying out. The colour is a soft pink, its the kind of shade I would pick for a lip balm/stain product. There is something I don't like about it - you will have to watch the vid to find out what it is as I don't want to type it out..... 


Too Faced Bulletproof eyeliner in the shade White Lie - £19.00 
There's always one duff item in the box, this was mine. I don't do white eyeliner - I am firmly in the 90's with my black eyeliner on my waterline and that is where I intend to stay. I feel like they were trying to get rid of the naff colours and put white in this box. The blurb says you can create a smokey eye with the sponge - you can't create a smokey eye with a white liner - i'm going to have a play around but I am not convinced with this one. Its reduced to £17.10 on the Too Faced website...


Bare minerals deep cleanser - £20  
This is my favourite item, I would actually buy this and it was something that was on my shopping list so I am happy with this. Deep cleansers are perfect for my oily skin type so I am looking forward to trying this out. 



Overall thoughts *see update below*

I loved receiving a box of goodies in the post, the anticipation of what you are going to get is really fun. Receiving items that you wouldn't normally buy opens your eyes to new things and I think I am going to have fun experimenting with new stuff. I can't fault the box itself, the quality is good and the ribbon around the box is a nice touch. As for not liking an item - well its always pot luck, that's the nature of the beauty box game.


 OK now I have said what I like here's what I don't like, the over all value of this box is £89.50 - I paid £35 for this and received four items, seems OK right? yes, until you look at the standard September box. The price of this box is £18.99 plus P&P - the value of this box is £80.00 and there's 5 items inside. So I paid an extra £13.50 and only got an extra £9.50 worth of stuff....this doesn't make sense. When you pay more and go deluxe you expect more, whether that be more items, higher value or faster shipping - I just expected something else. My box in fact arrived later than others who ordered the standard box. 
Now this leaves me with a dilemma, I preferred the items received in the deluxe box and I was happy enough with the value of the goods. But when I compare to the standard box it makes me wonder why I bother paying more. 

****Important update****
After finishing this post and filming the video I looked up the bare minerals deep cleansing foam - they state the value at £20.00 however Look Incredible are selling it on their website for £11.99??? also I could not find this available anywhere else - it seems to be replaced with Pure Plush cleansing foam! have they sent an old product in a deluxe box??? this made me want to investigate further...

Deluxe box

Too Faced Selfie palette - they are selling it on their website for £21.50 not £32.00 as stated as the value on the info in the box
Tarte Lipsurgance - £18.50 - the only item that's the same price as what's listed
Bullet proof liner - £17.10 - on the Too Faced website 
Bare minerals cleanser - Selling it on their website for £11.99 - interestingly it says reduced from £15 - but it states its worth £20 on the info in the box. I can't find any reference to this ever being £20.00 on the internet, I can only find it being £15.00 as the full price. 

True value - £69.09 (although I can forgive the discount on the Tarte LipSurgance - its the items that are cheaper on the Look Incredible website that's annoying)



I was going to say I don't want to judge it on one box - and that I would subscribe to one more deluxe box. However after investigating a bit more and looking at true prices of whats been sent I am not happy. How can they say that, for example, the Bare Minerals is worth £20 when you can buy it on their website for £11.99? 

If we also bear in mind that the value difference between the standard and deluxe box was £9.50 - if the true value of the Bare Minerals Cleansing foam is £15.00 (not £20) that means the difference between the two is reduced to £4.50 - JUST AN OBSERVATION....

Did you receive the deluxe box this month? what are your thoughts?


x

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