Birthday Wishes and Champagne Kisses

Last month it was my birthday so it was the perfect time to receive some gifts from I Just Love It*. Of course these were treats I picked out for myself but nonetheless they were well received.

First was the 'Birthday Wishes & Champagne Kisses' Candle* which comes complete with it's own tin and would make an ideal birthday gift for anyone I think. It looks far more expensive than it's £19.99 price tag. A soy wax blend the candles scent is Toasted Marshmallow and whilst it might not necessarily be that time of year I'm really enjoy this candle at the moment. The scent fills the room even when unlit and once it's finished this is one I'll be cleaning out and re-purposing.

Sadly it does appear to be currently out of stock online at the moment but never fear I Just Love It have a large range of alternative candles, for any occasion not just birthdays. I have my eye on the Bellini Candle next.

Long term followers will know that my blogs origins lay in a love of vintage homewares so I could resist the Let's Get Warm & Toast Butter Knife*. I really enjoy and smile to myself when I use this and its definitely a gift that would make someone smile and remember you when they used it. I Just Love It has a great range of various vintage items stamped whether for Father Day or the recently married so do check them out. It's a little something different without being too over sentimental.

If you're not a fan of myself a quick look round the site will show you there is an extensive ranges of gifts for everyone and every occasion whatever your price range. It's definitely somewhere I will turn to in future when I have an event coming up and I want something that I won't fear another guest turning up with.

What item would you pick?

Please note items were gifted for the purposes of this review but no additional payment was made by I Just Love It for the review itself.

*this post contains press samples

Tarantella Tomatoes and a Slimming World Recipe

If you'd asked me a year or two ago about my eating habits I would've told you that I eat most things but fish, pasta and tomatoes were deal breakers. Today I would reply that fish still remains but somewhere along the road I've discovered a love for pasta and for the most part tomatoes.

I'm still not so much as a fan of the basic tomato having to hide them with other foods but I do love things like a good old Spaghetti Bolognaise or Chilli lately. Recently I've started dabbling with Slimming World, and I do mean dabbling. If you've seen my Snapchat you'll know I'm not the healthiest of eaters but there are certain dishes I try to do the Slimming World way, and Spag Bol is one of them.

Slimming World's Spaghetti Bolognaise recipe calls for one tin of chopped tomatoes so enter Tarantella* tomato products; passata, chopped and paste which are all 100% organic. And before you worry about having to hunt them down from some far flung small independent shop, you simply need to seek them out at your local supermarket such as Morrisons or ASDA.

Despite organic tomatoes used in Tarantella products being smaller than their counterparts they actually have been proven to contain 55% more vitamin c. There are many other positive findings to organic tomatoes that increase their health-giving properties even so far as regular consumption of tomatoes can help prevent burning to the skin and signs of ageing caused to by the sun (don't forget your SPF though!)

Whilst I'm still not able to get past the thought of drinking tomato juice, everyone tells me a Bloody Mary is the best hangover cure!

What is your fave way to use chopped tomatoes?

*this post contains press samples

Superdrug Beauty 3 for 2 Haul

Despite my 'use what I have' mantra for 2016 I couldn't help treating myself during the recent Superdrug 3 for 2 promotion. I'd seen the Revlon Ultra HD Lip Lacquer's doing the rounds and knowing there were easier to get hold of than fighting on the Kylie Cosmetics website I thought I'd stick with the high street.

The shade that had caught my attention was Smokey Topaz and was top of my list and started the buying process. It swatched beautifully as did Rose Quartz and I dithered, did I really want two of the same product. Did I need two new lip glosses or lacquers as they're known? Of course not but both came home and I'm so pleased they did. Why? Because Smokey Topaz did not work for me but Rose Quartz on the other hand is a favourite at the moment.

Smokey Topaz is just too pale and sheer for me and my dalliance with nudes recently has told me that my lips are naturally too pink so I need to ensure I pick the colours more wisely. Rose Quartz though is a subtle but pigmented shade of pink which to use a cliche is 'my lips but better'. As mentioned it's very much like melted lipstick, glossy but not sticky. I've noticed also that I prefer the brush application than a doe foot applicator. The packaging is pleasing, even the jewel in the top of the applicator doesn't look cheap or tacky as one would suspect.

Once I'd decided on my lip lacquers I needed that third product and I decided to pick up Elegant Touch Nails in Constellation. I am really into false nails at the moment finding them perfect for weekend occasions and then wiping them off so I'm able to hold a pen, type or apply eye creams without danger of blinding myself. I found these particularly pretty and if we're going to love the rose gold trend lets pop it on our nails too.

As it happened the outfit I planned to wear these with changed so I went for another option but I'm looking forward to bringing these out for an event soon.

Finally with all purchases you got a nifty little make up bag. I need more make up bags like a hole in the head but it's cute nonetheless and I'm sure my niece will be very happy to use it on my behalf.

What have you been treating yourself to recently?

Products I've used up | April 2016

A small selection of products to talk through today starting with the Scruples Pearl Complete Recovery Treatment Masque*.  A treatment to be worked into clean damp hair and left for between 1 - 10 minutes before rinsing or 1-10 minutes depending on how intensive a treatment you would like.

It both smells lovely and will aid dry and dull hair. Ironically I used this prior to colour treating my hair so I can't speak for how well it would work on that. But as a regular hair treatment even on my natural colour ensured that hair was in a healthy condition.

GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliate Treatment was one of my first 'blogger influenced' purchases and reviewed way back in 2013. Whilst this mask has a cult status and is a great product I'm still not sure, as I was three years ago whether it's worth the huge price tag. GLAMGLOW share a list of fantastic benefits for it's use, 'glowing complexion in just 10 minutes' to 'tighten, tone and lift the skin' and I can't deny that it does provide those. That said I find similar results from many of my clay masks, not least the more affordable Mask of Magnaminty from Lush. Complaints about price point aside the biggest bug bear for me is the 'debris' in this mask that just slips of skin and makes a mess everywhere.

Two perfumes climbed into my empties pile this month, Britney Spears Rocker Femme Fantasy* and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. Britney's fragrance was a surprise hit as I had the usual judgements in advance of using it. The perfect scent for summer with it's fruity mix with a musky edge it's worth having a sniff if you come across it. You'll also find it on The Fragrance Shop half price at the moment and with a free gift as well.

It's oh so cliche but Chanel Coco Mademoiselle is one of my favourite and signature scents which I won't apologise for. I often have moments when I want to 'try something new' but it's always this I return to this. Will I repurchase? I already had one on standby!

Next is not so much an empty as a dried up. Often the case with these gel type top coats I went to use eyeCANDY Gel Top Coat* one day and the lid came off but the rest was set in stone in the bottle. Often you don't find out how good something really is until you use other products (I previously claimed it was better than Seche Vite) and the topcoats I've turned to recently have made me miss this. The others don't seem to have the same shine nor the extra added wear I need constantly typing in the office if not at home on the laptop. I think I'm lucky enough to have another in my stash but otherwise I will repurchase.

A product I'm sad to see reach it's end was the Limited Edition Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish in Sweet Orange and Mint. Why oh why did I not buy more of these or at least this in it's larger size? Regrets, I've had a few... melodramatic of course but it was a favourite to use. My 'use what I have mantra' for 2016 means I must first use the cleansers I already own but I know I will be returning to Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish one day soon.

Ending with another skincare item, Trilogy Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+* a lovely oil to fit into your skincare that's certified organic an 100% natural. Plenty of ingredients that do wonderful things for the skin and if you're worried about sunspots try this out - especially if they're telling on the hands. Find out more in my original review here. 

*this post contains press samples

My Current Hair Styling Favourites

As I've mentioned once and twice I recently spent four hours in the hairdressers having my hair cut and coloured. Whist I rarely bothered with my hair in the past, my new cut and style means I've needed to pay a little more attention to styling. Thankfully I have received a number of new products recently to test and trial which have made the job fair easier.

Amika is a rather funky packaged range of products from New York. I was sent the the Bombshell Blowout Spray* and Haute Mess Texture Gel* the latter of which I'll be sharing with you today. When I had short hair years ago I would use a wax that's now discontinued and with my choppier style I would need something that ensure the style was tousled and textured so I needed to find something new. Gels scare me as I'm still scarred by the 80s versions that would leave hair in a crisp solid mess. And of course no one wants sticky fingers. Ibliphica Oil and Grapefruit add flexibility to your hair whilst still aiding your styling. You can use on damp or dry hair, damp being my preference and it works a treat. Safe for colour treated hair and free of parabens and the like this is a kind product that I now use regularly. And the stickiest - I can't believe it but there's none of that left on hands once it's run through your hair.

I would moan regularly about how greasy my hair was but I never fully appreciated how the lack of colour treatments led to it's good condition and natural oils. There are of course plus sides to my hair being on the dryer side now and that is of course experiencing the pleasure of second and third day hair - a complete new concept to me. I still want to retain the appearance of healthy hair so a luxurious product I've been using to achieve that is the Nexxus Infinite Nourishing Hair Oil*. Infused with oils including African Marula Oil which is renowned for its healing properties this is a nourishing product that has saved my hair. I've used this more commonly on dry hair to tame any obvious frizz caused from my hair dryer and make things appear smoother and sleek without banishing volume and texture.

Revlon UNIQ ONE 10-in-1 Coconut Fragrance Hair Treatment* has been part of my hair line up for some time and apart it's wonderful smell it's a great product to use that protects against heat, stops detangling and prevents split ends among its many other claims. I think I saw on someones Snapchat or similar that it's popping up in one of the beauty boxes this month so if  you'll be pleased with this product. I simply apply after I've washed my hair and I found even in my brunette days that it wouldn't leave any heaviness in my hair.

I'm a big fan of the Batiste Dry Shampoo range (even more so these days as I don't have to wash hair so frequently) so I was excited to see how their new styling range would work for me. The stand out product for me, and for only a few pounds is Batiste Oomph My Locks XXL Volume*, a worthy competitor to it's higher end counterparts. In fact everyone I talk to mentions this product so I can report back that it's not just me. A blend on Keratin and Inca Inchi oil help to strengthen and care for your hair whilst giving a backcomb in a bottle so you can avoid tugging at hair with a comb. Once I have styled my hair I apply to the roots and then have a good massage to create hair that no longer sits flat to my head.

As someone who isn't adept with hairstyling products that help me achieve the look I want with ease and speed make such a difference. My new hairdo has led to quite a few new products being tested recently which some additional favourites I'll be sharing with you soon so do stay tuned.

*this post contains press samples