Thursday 31 October 2013

Love My Ankle Boots


Getting ready for autumn/winter can only mean one thing... A big hello to ankle boots! Ankle boots are always a great transitional piece that takes you between the end of summer to autumn and this year I thought it was about time I picked up and treated myself to a new pair. As soon as these platform ones came in at work (River Island) it was love at first sight! Yes they are a little bit higher than what I would usually go for, but the platform makes them so easy to walk in and I love that extra bit of height that you get as it just makes your legs great. I can see me getting a lot of wear out of these little booties, they will go with everything from leather look leggings to pretty dresses. I've paired mine with my jazzy sparkly socks, but these would look fabulous paired with some frilly ankle socks. Not only do they look amazing on but are a great boot to take you from day to evening. I just love them!

I would love to see what ankle boots your loving right now and how you plan on styling them.

Lots of Love





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Tuesday 29 October 2013

Time For An OOTD || Casio Watch From The Watch Hut


At the weekend I decided to make the most out of what sunshine we had (despite this awful weather we've had due to the storm) and thought I would take some outfit pictures for an outfit related post. The other week I was kindly accepted for a blogger campaign and was sent this retro but chic Casio watch from the Watch Hut to review. With the sun making an appearance I thought it would make for the perfect opportunity to show it off.

I absolutely love how dainty this Casio watch is and no way at all does it look too big for my little tiny wrists. The deign has a vintage/retro feel to it and reminds me of a watch I had way back when I was younger. Digital was definitely a big thing back then and its nice to see that it's made a little comeback in the form of this watch. Casio has always been a brand that has produced watches of high quality and performance that wont do much damage to your bank account at all - So this is a great piece to add to your watch collection, especially if your looking for something with that vintage feel to it. The 90's fashion trend has made a huge comeback this year, so I just know that this watch is going to work perfectly with so many current outfits in my wardrobe.

I am a huge fan of the burgundy face of this Casio watch as it has to be one of the best colours you can wear for autumn, no other colour best describes autumn than beautiful berry tones. Not only is the design of this watch amazing with its delicate silver strap, it's deign makes for a great bit of arm candy and this will work perfectly with any other pretty bracelets you may have. When it comes to watches I always have a major issue with sizing! As you can see from the pictures my wrists are pretty tiny and I can never find a watch to fit me - Let's face it going to the trouble of getting links taken out is a right pain. However this Casio watch is adjustable and it's so quick and easy to change the sizing of it which makes it perfect!

It's so nice to see Casio making a come back and you can find this watch and loads of other models over on the Watch Hut website here.


What do you think of this watch? Like it or love it?

Lots of Love





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Sunday 27 October 2013

TRESemme Platinum Strength Shampoo & Conditioner


No matter what your hairstyle is, I think its fair to say that a lot of the time our hair can take a right beating! I know over the years my hair has been constantly abused by the straighteners  curling wand, hair dye, backcombing, the sun... you get the idea the list is endless and as a result I think my locks have taken a right beating.... think dry damaged hair that is prone to snapping and breaking easily. As a lot of you probably know and can guess I'm an absolute lover of hair products and although I love to stick to my holy grail favourite products, I do love trying out new products on my hair and seeing if what difference they make and if they actually work.

I was on the hunt for a new shampoo and conditioner and I thought I would give the TRESemme Platinum Strength duo a go. I've always heard a lot of good things about this shampoo and conditioner that claims to repair up to two years worth of damage done to your hair in only five uses. I thought that these were pretty bold claims and this hair obsessed beauty blogger was eager to test this out and see if these products lived up to all the hype.

On first impressions I have to say I wasn't overly fussed or excited about picking these products up. As far as packaging goes, TRESemme products don't really excite me. Yes some may say that the back and white packaging makes these products look sleek and salon ready. But personally I prefer a little more excitement and brighter and bolder packaging when it comes to hair products. However packaging aside, after incorporating this shampoo and conditioner set into my hair care routine, I have to say I'm really impressed with how well the products actually work. If your looking to give your hair a major health boost and a bit of repair these products are definitely worth picking up.

I find that the TRESemme Platinum Strength Shampoo cleans the hair really well. You get just the right amount of lather when washing your hair and it makes your locks feel really clean. I also love how the shampoo does a great job of getting rid of any product build up that you may have in your hair, so you really are getting a good wash. It has that familiar TRESemme smell to it, which smells really pleasant and I find that the smell does transfer on to your hair, which is something that I love with hair products.

As for the TRESemme Platinum Strength Conditioner, I find that it's pretty lightweight and distributes though the hair pretty quickly - You really don't need to use a lot of product to give your locks a good condition. The conditioner smell matches the shampoo which makes this a lovely smelling set which is going to make your locks smell amazing. Because the conditioner is on the light side, it makes your hair really manageable which is great for styling. I also find that my hair is not that knotty after using, which is a huge plus if you have long hair.

As far as repairing two years worth of hair damage in just five uses is a bit of an exaggeration in my opinion. However since using this shampoo and conditioner I have noticed a huge difference in the overall condition of my hair. My hair looks and feels so much healthier and the ends of my hair definitely have a lot more strength. This shampoo and conditioner gives your hair great shine and seams to hide away any frizz or split ends you may have - which is always the biggest sign of damaged hair. I don't think its quite repaired two years worth of damage, however it does seam to mask major damage that your hair may have and it definitely does make your hair feel a lot stronger - And you really do need strong hair to achieve a good hair swish! 

I really do enjoy using these products, however I am a huge believer that if you give your hair too much of something all the time it will get used to it and for that reason I only use these products when I feel like giving my hair a little pick me up. If I were to use them every time I washed my hair I don't think I would see such dramatic changes in my hair after using them. I think I would get a little fed up with these products if I had to use them on my hair all the time. 

Overall I do think the TRESemme Platinium Strength Shampoo & Conditioner is a great set and if your hair needs a health boost then I would really recommend them, especially as they are pretty cheap at costing £4.99 a Bottle from Boots. If your looking to give your hair some TLC then I think you will love the results that this shampoo and conditioner give.

After loving these two products as much as I do, I'm really tempted to try some other products in the TRESemme Platinum Strength range, if you ladies have any recommendations be sure to let me know in the comments below. I would also love to know what your thoughts are on this shampoo and conditioner.

Lots of Love



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Tuesday 22 October 2013

Bikini Body Ready - Keeping Motivated


Way back in April I wrote up a post sharing with you all how I was planning and aiming on getting my body bikini ready. As it turned out it was a pretty popular post and it was great finding out that so many of you were in the same mind set about looking and feeling good for summer. For those of you who are new here on my blog, I decided to take it upon myself to do a series of 30 day challenges to help tone up and get in shape. These challenges were amazing and gave me incredible results, so if you would like to read all about what I got up to in the summer you can find that post here.

Since typing up that post (which only seams like yesterday) and having successfully completed the challenges, I found that it really opened up a whole new door for me in terms of leading a healthy lifestyle. It got me thinking why did I just want to have a bikini body for the summer and not have one all year round? So I took it upon myself to join a gym and have taken my fitness to a whole new level since. Having spoken to loads of you lovelies over Twitter I know I'm not the only one who is a fan of the gym; But what I've found from talking to you all is that as much as it's great giving your body a great workout, motivating ourselves to go can be sometimes really difficult and I know for sure that I have those days and moments where I just can't be bothered.

I don't know about anyone else, but with darker evenings drawing closer and with the days becoming colder and generally a lot more miserable, motivating yourself can be quite tricky. I know I'm terrible for just wanting to finish work and jump straight into my cosy pajamas - it really is the time where it feels ok to hide away from the rest of the world and just chill. However I am determined not to let months of hard work go to waste just because its cold and because I'll be wrapping up in layers of chunky knitwear - Just because my body is not going to be on display in the form of pretty bikinis and summer dresses, does not mean that I don't want to keep looking and feeling good in my own skin. Just think party season is just around the corner and I am 100% certain that I want to look good in those sparkly dazzling Christmas dresses!

So today I thought today I would share with you some things that help keep me motivated to keep working out and that help me get my little butt down to the gym four times a week and hopefully it will give you a little motivation boost too.


1. I thought I'd start with a point that most of us shopaholics will love! Buy new gym clothes. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that I get that little buzz of buying something new. Whenever I buy new clothing, there is always little excitement feeling I get popping on new clothes. So if you treat yourself to some new gym gear, the thought of wearing your new clothes will give you that little boost of motivation you need to get to the gym. If it helps, make sure your getting changed at the gym so there is no excuses not to go.

2. Think about how you feel after a workout. If you put in everything you've got into your workouts of course your going to feel the obvious - tired, hot, sweaty and a bit achy but I'm always left with a feeling accomplishment and I feel good, despite working so hard. Before your next gym session think how good you are going to afterwards and let this be your motivation.

3. Take plenty of pictures to track your progress. No matter what your goals are for working out I think it's a good idea to whip your phone out and start taking some seflies of your body, even if its for your eyes only. Before I started working out I took some pictures and I can see such a difference in my body now. Looking at my own personal progress makes me so motivated and more determined to reach my goals.

4. Sort out your gym playlist. Everyone loves a good bit of music and working out to some tunes is essential to a good workout. Sort out a playlist full of your favourite tunes and just go for it. I love listening to things have a good beat and of course have plenty of lines I can sing along too, even if I am only singing along in my head. But having the right music definitely makes working out fun and makes the time go fast. Sorting out a good playlist will help keep you motivated to go.




6. Don't make excuses. It's so easy to make an excuse and talk yourself out of doing something especially after you've been working all day and this time of year really doesn't make things any easier. But I think the more you talk yourself out of exercising, it's more than likely that you will keep talking yourself out of it in the future which in the long run is going to make you feel even more unmotivated and guilty because your not doing anything about it. 

7. Keep things fresh. I'm one of these people that can get bored pretty easily if I'm doing the exact same thing all the time so I try and vary my workouts as much as possible and I'm forever talking to the gym staff and my personal trainer friend to help me vary my workouts. Recently I've become a little addicted to the classes at the gym trying out all the different ones and seeing which ones are best for me. Classes have to be one of my favourite things do to at the gym as I always find working out in a group like this and having a professional talking you though each exercise makes for a better workout and makes me so much more motivated. If I've taken the time to book myself into a class, I'm more than likely to get my butt down to the gym.

8. Schedule your week and fit in your gym sessions accordingly and most importantly stick to it. If you really want to see changes and reach your goals then you have to actually do something about it. Every Sunday I look at my week ahead and workout what I'm doing and I plan what days and what times I'm going to fit the gym in. If I say I'm going to do something then I'll do it and stick to it.




So that's it for my motivational tips to help keep you motivated and working out. I really hope this helps as I always get asked a lot how I manage to go to the gym so often as well as make time for everything else. But I think really if you want to go and see changes then you will make the time to go. I'm thinking of doing more posts like this ladies or do a post letting you all in on my workout routine, if this is something you would like to see then be sure to let me know.

Lots of Love




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Wednesday 16 October 2013

L'Oreal Collection Privee || The Perfect Nude


If any of you where to take a peek into my lipstick collection you would see so many beautiful brights and sassy deeper shades from berries to daring reds, however you would notice that my collection is lacking some much needed and essential nude shades. I think its fair to say that I gravitate towards these more daring colours when choosing a lipstick, but I've come to realise that sometimes you need a bit more nude in your life (or collection). I also think that nude shades are perfect for this time of year - I think the colder weather allows us to be a little more daring with our eye shadow choices and it's much more acceptable to wear a smokey eye for day wear, therefore the perfect nude is a must to accompany such a look.

I have to confess, I really struggle with picking out the right nude shades that will work best for me and suit my skin tone perfectly, no one wants to sport the manikin lips kind of look and it's probably for this reason why I usually choose a bright over a beige. However I was browsing the L'Oreal section in Boots the other weekend and the new limited edition Collection Privee Color Riche lipsticks caught my attention immediately and after swatching the entire collection I walked away with two gorgeous nude lipsticks to add to my collection.

The Collection Privee collection are a set lipsticks which have been tailor made and designed to suit every shade of skin tone, you just have to pick the one that's going to be best suited to you. To make this matching a whole lot easier each lipstick has been designed for each of the L'oreal spokeswomen, so your able to compare your own skin tone to theirs, which gives you an idea of what nude is going to work best for you. On offer here in the UK there is Eva Longoria's nude: barley golden, Doutzen Kroes' nude: barley pink, Cheryl Cole's nude: barley greige, Julianne Moore's nude: barley peach, Freida Pinto's nude: barley parma and finally Liya Kebade's nude: barely moka. If your still a little unsure L'Oreal have generated a little quiz on their website which will help you find the perfect nude for you and you can find that here, be sure to let you know which one you've been matched too. 

I really love the concept L'oreal have come up with here and after having a good swatch in Boots I came home with Eva's nude and Julianne's nude, I really wanted to take home Cheryl's too, but they only had the tester one left - clearly everyone in my town wants the same colour lips as Miss Cole. 

First of all I have to say how amazing is the packaging of these lipsticks? For a high street product I think they are so expensive looking. The casing has been made from a black matte plastic which reminds me exactly of the NARS packaging and the gold detailing really makes this lipstick look and feel the part. I also think having the signatures of each L'Oreal spokeswoman engraved on the packaging is a lovely added touch. 

Both of the lipsticks I've tried are such beautiful shades, which give plenty of hydration and leave a gorgeous glossy shine on your lips. Admittedly the colour payout of these lipsticks is a little on the sheer side, but they can be built up for a more true colour to what you see in its packaging. Having said this, I think it's the fact that these lipsticks are a little sheer makes them so versatile and makes them that perfect nude as they are so wearable and easy to apply. The lasting time of these lipsticks is also not the longest, you'll probably get around 2-3 hours wear before having to reapply, but applying these lipsticks gives me a little buzz of excitement as they are just so beautiful to look at.

Left: Eva's Nude | Right: Julianne's Nude

I love both of these shades that I picked up equally, but Julianne's nude has been my most reached for - its the most beautiful delicate pinky/peach nude (my favourite kind) and it looks great with any sort of makeup look that your going for, it's just so pretty once it's on your lips and has a touch of elegance to it. Those of you who have paler skin are going to look amazing wearing this. Eva's nude is equally a beautiful nude, but will look best for those days I've been fake tanning. This nude has a beautiful but subtle golden sheen added to it which is going to look stunning with sun kissed skin. I also think that this shade will work perfectly with those of you who darker hair.

Overall I'm in love with this collection and it has made me found a whole new love for nude lipsticks, my bold brights best make some room! If your looking for a new nude for this autumn I definitely recommend you take a look at this collection before it leaves our shelves, it is limited edition after all. If your planning on picking any of these nudes up be sure to let me know which one is your favourite and be sure to let me know which shade you were matched up with, I was paired with Eva's nude.. perfect.

Lots of Love




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Friday 11 October 2013

Happy Birthday Miss Sunshine & Sparkle


OH MY GOSH guys, today is my blog's two year birthday! Can you believe that, because I most certainly can't, to me that just seams a crazy amount of time and I can't believe just how quick the time has passed, it's literally flown by. It only feels like a little while ago I was sat down this time last year celebrating my blog being around for a year and now I'm sat as the same desk letting you all know it's reached it's two year birthday! WOW!!

I would love to have a big fancy celebration with all you fellow beauty bloggers, although that is somewhat a little unrealistic and not very piratical, so this little blog post will have to do, so raise you imaginary champagne flute if you will as I'm about to make a classic blogging cliche type of speech... 

First of all I cannot believe that two years ago to this day I sat down at my computer and thought 'I'm going to start a blog', it was something I had been thinking about for some time - I remember having that week of work and thinking to myself I'm just going to do it! At the time I wasn't feeling my best, my confidence was a bit low and I had a lot of worry going on around me. It was my mum who sat me down one day and told me that I needed a new point of focus in my life, something I could channel my creativity into and a project or hobby to take my mind off all my worry- At the time starting a blog seamed like the perfect thing for me to do and I'm so pleased that I did as I have never looked back and it's something that's become a huge part of my life. I would even go as far to say blogging has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made, I'm not being at all dramatic when I tell you it's changed my life....

I know a lot of you will be nodding your heads in agreement when I say that blogging has changed my life. For a start it's been a platform for me to express myself, allowed me to be as creative as I like and it's wonderful to know that equally like minded and passionate people enjoy visiting and reading the content on my blog - that thought is so overwhelming, I never ever thought so many people would take an interest in what I had to say. Without sounding big headed in anyway, I feel incredibly proud of what I have achieved in the space of two years and it really does show you how hard work, dedication and passion can open so many opportunity and doors for you. I honestly believe I would have never gotten to experience certain things in my life if it hadn't been for my blog and for that I am truly thankful. 

However for me one of the highlights and the best bit about blogging for me is the amazing people that I've met along the way. I've made so many new friends though my blog and it's been incredible meeting and getting to know people who have the same passion and loves in life as myself. Knowing that I could talk for hours about the million different shades of pink lipstick is only a tweet away is amazing. I know the follower count of a blog is not the be all and end all, but I'm not going to lie, I still get that little buzz of excitement seeing the number on the side has gone up, it's still that same buzz I got when I noticed that I had my very first follower. I would like to say a huge HUGE thank you to every one of you who has taken the time to visit or follow my blog, on so many occasions it really has brightened up my day. I would class so many of you as good friends now, like I say you beauties have been one of the best things about blogging. 

To say a little thank you to you all and to celebrate in true beauty blogger style I'm planning on getting a little giveaway up over the weekend, so be sure to watch this space. Honestly though, thank you so much to each and everyone of you, I feel like you've been on this two year journey with me and have helped my blog be where it is today.

I would like to say a big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Miss Sunshine & Sparkle and I really hope I continue to blog for many years to come and to keep on growing as a blogger. I hope the next year is filled with as much fun as the last two!

Lots of Love



p.s If you would like to take a peek at my very first blog post, you can take a look at it here, major and total cringe!! 





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Thursday 10 October 2013

Hask Hair


If you've been reading my blog for a little while you will have heard me rave about some Hask hair products in the past, their little bottle of Argan Oil being a favourite of mine. You will know exactly what product I'm talking about when I say that's the little tube you see placed by the cash desks at Primark - If you've still not picked one up on your shopping spree then I highly recommend that you pick a bottle up and if you still need convincing you can find my full review here


Seeing as Hask know I'm a big fan of theirs and with a little help of my bestie and fellow beauty blogger Gemma Miss Makeup Magpie - One of the lovely ladies over at Hask got in touch with me and asked if I would like to try out some of their latest products and with hair products being a big weakness of mine of course I was going to say yes.



Yesterday the postman delivered a huge parcel which contained all the goodies you can see in the pictures above - WOW. All of the Hask hair products were perfectly placed in this bight pink shower container which was a lovely way to present all the treats for my locks. I was so excited to see that Hask have added shampoos and conditioners to their hair range. The first that caught my attention was the Hask Argan oil shampoo and conditioner. Like I mentioned I am a huge fan of the Hask Argan Oil so to see that the magic ingredient which makes your hair look and feel amazing had been infused into a shampoo and conditioner was amazing. The beauty blogger in me could not wait to wash my hair with this stuff, so I took these two bottles in the shower with me and OH MY GOSH they are incredible. Just like the Hask Argan Oil they have that delicious orange chocolate scent and after one use I could see such a dramatic difference in my hair. I wont say too much as I'm planning on doing a full review of this shampoo and conditioner, but already I've fallen a little bit in love with this duo.



The next products that caught my eye was the Keratin Protein shampoo and conditioner, and as any hair care lover will know, products that contain a little bit of Keratin will do your hair the world of good. Keratin is naturally found in your own hair, so using any hair products that contain keratin are only going to help smooth out and restore your hair - basically give you amazing looking locks. I can't wait to try and test these two products and see what difference they make on my hair. One thing I can say though, is that they smell amazing, very sweetly scented which I just know is going to make my hair smell delicious



My little hair pamper box also contained two bottles of oils, one being another little tube of the Argan Oil (thank you Hask) and the other a Keratin Smoothing Shine oil. I've never tried a keratin oil on my hair before, so I'm looking forward to trying this out and seeing how it compares to the likes of Argan and Moroccan oil. Hask also popped two sachets of deep conditioning treatment in for me. I've had the pleasure of trying the Argan Oil deep conditioner before and it was just amazing, so I'm so pleased to have another one to work its magic on my hair. The other sachet being a Keratin Protein deep conditioning treatment, which I'm really looking forward to try out - Not to mention I love its pretty pink packaging.



Last but not least I noticed that Hask has popped in two personalised Twist Bands, each one in theme with the two different type of hair ranges Hask had sent me. In case your not sure, Twist Bands are those much hyped about hair bobbles that have been made from a soft elastic which wont break or damage your hair, nor will they leave any horrible hair bobble dents once you've taken your hair out of that pony tail. Not only do they look so pretty in your hair, but they also make a cute little bracelet for those times you wear your hair down. I don't know about you but I always have an emergency hair bobble on my wrist, and lets face it, they are not exactly they prettiest of things to have wrapped around there - The Twist Band on the other hand, looks lovely on. I have wanted to try out one of these bands for the longest of time, and now I have two - Seeing those in there was just a lovely little surprise.



I think it's fair to say I have been well and truly spoilt by Hask and that my hair is going to be in the best condition ever with all these gorgeous products to try out. If there is anything that you would like to see me do a review on, then be sure to let me know in the comments and I'll add it to my review list.



What are your thoughts on Hask products? What are your favourites? Be sure to let me know.



Lots of Love







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Tuesday 8 October 2013

The Autumn Tag


I feel like I've not done a tag post on my blog for the longest of time and I've been seeing the 'Autumn Tag' floating around on so many of my favourite blogs, I thought I would give it ago. Autumn has to be one of those times of years that I just love and seeing as the tress are starting to loose their leaves and chunky knitwear is starting to make an appearance, I thought that this Autumn themed tag would be just perfect.

For Autumn what is your...

1. Favourite thing about it?
For me I love that change in the air, everything feels a little more fresh and crisp and I love how the evenings start to get a little darker earlier. For me nothing beats walking the dogs in the afternoon, wrapping up warm and coming home to get all cosy afterwards. The feeling of hibernating away from the rest of the world when you get in is just blissful. 

2. Favourite Drink?
This question is a bit of a funny one for me as I'm a really fussy drinker! I don't drink any kind of hot drinks whatsoever so I'll guess I shall be sticking to my glasses of water.

3. Favourite Scent/Candle
When it comes to candles I only really like fresh or sweet scents, around this time of year you will always find me burning a Christmas Cookie Yankee Candle, I know its a Christmas scent but it just smells amazing.

4. Best Lipstick?
I love wearing deep berry shades and bright reds this time of year, last year my go too shade was Revlon's Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie, it's the most gorgeous deep berry colour. I'm also a fan of Revlon's Cherries In The Snow, it's a dark cherry fuchsia colour and just looks gorgeous on.

5. Go to Moisturiser?
My face doesn't get too dry around this time of year, so I usually stick to my Hydrating Light Moisturiser from Simple. However I do like to indulge a little when it comes to moisturising my skin over the colder months and Soap & Glory's Righteous Butter is a favourite.

6. Go to Colours for the Eyes?
I'm pretty much a naturals kind of girl all year round, however I do like to play around with some deep purple shades around this time of year just because I feel that you can get away with more of a smokey eye in the day time during autumn. 

7. Favourite Music or Band/Singer to listen to?
When it comes to music, really anything goes and it depends on what mood I'm in. I'm still really loving Ben Howard at the moment and Lana Del Rey. However I've been hitting the gym a lot lately and when it comes to working out, I love listening to Pitbull. But most of the time, wherever I go there is always music playing and I have no control over the playlist, so really I'll just listen to whatever is on.

8. Favourite Outfit to Wear (Boots and Scarf combo)?
I love rocking my wet look skinny jeggings this time of year, paired with an oversized sweater and some boots. I just find this look is great for daytime and one that can take you right into evening.

9. Autumn Treat (i.e new scarf or bad you have your eye on)?
There is so much on my wishlist right now, but if I had to treat myself this autumn it would have to be the new Toni & Guy Jumbo Tong. This is a fairly new thing added to my wishlist, but I saw Kayleigh from Couture Girl rave about this in one of her latest posts and her hair looked out of this world amazing. 

10. Favourite Place To Be?
The saying 'there's no place like home' couldn't be more true and this time of year I love coming home, having a pamper and hibernating from the rest of the world. I love wearing my pajamas, big fuzzy socks and plonking my bum onto the sofa and chilling out, nothing beats it.

So that's all my answers for the autumn tag, I wasn't tagged by anyone to do this post, but I do tag everyone that reads or follows my blog to give it ago. I would love to see your answers so be sure to let me know if you do it.

Lots of Love








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Sunday 6 October 2013

September Favourites


Finally we're in October, I personally love this time of year as I feel its the time when autumn gets into full swing and we can really start wrapping up warm. Nothing beats getting home from work and jumping right into your pj's and throwing on a pair of oh so cosy slipper boots. I always feel that in October the countdown for Christmas officially begins, exciting right? So seeing as we have well and truly said good bye to September, I thought it was only right that I get up my September favourites for you.

Tresemme Platinum Strength Shampoo & Conditioner.
September saw me completely run out of all my shampoo, conditioner and many other products - does anyone else find that essentials always seam to run out at the same time? So I popped down to Boots as you do and picked up the Tresemme Platinum Strength shampoo & conditioner. I've heard a lot of hype around this duo in the vlogger and blogger world so I put my trust beauty babes all over and took these two products home with me. Usually it can take me a little while to decide and evaluate just how good a shampoo and conditioner really are, as they can sometimes take a little while to work their magic. However I have to say I was really impressed with this shampoo and conditioner only after a few washes. The platinum strength range is said to repair up to two years worth of hair damage in just five uses. Now whilst I do everything I possibly can to minimise damage to my hair, I find that the ends of my hair are very prone to snapping and become easily frazzled - so this sounded perfect for me. After using it for the majority of September I have to say I love this duo. My hair looks and feels a whole lot healthier and definitely feels a lot more manageable. I'm thinking of doing a full review on these two hair products, if this is something you would like to see, be sure to let me know.

Original Source Vanilla Milk & Raspberry Shower Gel
I always think Original Source get their scents spot on or drastically wrong when it comes to their products, I think it must be down to personal preference.  Having said that, I have to say I've fallen head over heels with their vanilla milk and raspberry scented shower gel, not only does it smell incredible it actually smells good enough to eat!?! I'm not sure if its a new scent to their range, but I only spotted it for the first time a little while ago and since then I've already gotten though one bottle and am now on my second. This stuff smells just like strawberries and cream or a raspberry milkshake, whichever you prefer and showering with this is just heavenly.  If you've not let your nose had a little whiff of this yet, then I urge you too - its amazing.

Maybelline Baby Lips - Cherry Me
I won't go into too much detail about the Baby Lips as I have fully reviewed it here and I'm sure you all know they hype that's been surrounded by these little lip balms. I'm a little surprised that this lip balm has made its way on to my favourites post as I wasn't blown away by it when I first purchased it. However as it has been a little on the colder side over the last few weeks, I've found that my lips have been a little on the dry side and as I result I've been reaching for this. I know it's not the best lip balm out there on the market, but I just adore its cherry scent and I love the little wash of colour that you get from using this lip balm, its very pretty once on.

Bourjous Rouge Edition Lipstick - Neon Rose
Although September has brought in the colder weather, a part of me was still holding on to summer and I really think September is that last sort of chance you get to wear all your favourite summer lippies. Last month I was making the most of a fairly new edition to my lipstick collection, which is this gorgeous bright neon pink one from Bourjois. I absolutely love the colour of this lipstick and the finish is just fantastic on. Although I am looking forward to swap my bright pinks for berry shades, I am going to miss this little one over winter. If you would like to see what it looks like on you can find my full review here.

Revlon Color Stay Foundation 
When it comes to buying foundations off the high street Revlon have always been a brand of choice for me - I've been a big fan of their PhotoReady foundation for quite sometime now. However I needed to pick up a new foundation and I was in the mood to try something new. Seeing as I had always heard a lot of good things about the Color Stay foundation, I decided to pick one up. I knew that it was a foundation for oily to combination skin which is something I have so I thought it would be worth giving it ago. All I have to say is oh my God! This foundation is incredible, it has a matte finish, full coverage, makes my skin look perfect and has the most fantastic staying power. Just to give you an idea, I put this on in the morning, did a full day at work, headed straight down to the gym after to do a spin class and my foundation was still in place! And this was without any foundation top ups during the day. I was amazed that my foundation had not sweated all off whilst at the gym and I was even more impressed that my blusher and bronzer were still in place too - incredible!

So that's everything for this months favourites ladies, I would love to know what's made it on to your favourites list or if you love any of the products mentioned in this post.

Lots of Love 



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Friday 4 October 2013

Gorgeous Long Locks || Double Volume Straight Weave



When it comes to styling my hair the words volume and glamorous immediately come to mind - for me nothing beats wearing your hair down, swishing it around and having it look just gorgeous and luscious. However getting it to look like you've had a dozen stylists working on your barnet for a good few hours is impossible, especially for us ladies with busy lifestyles.

When I posted my most recent OOTD (picture above) I was flooded with questions asking how I styled my hair, how I got it so long and looking full of volume... well the big secret is, is that hardly any of the hair that you see in that picture is my own. Yep that's right ladies, I cheated and for this particular outfit I had my 'double volume straight weave' in which was kindly sent to me from Wonderland Wigs

In the past I've always been a hair extensions kind of girl, popping them in for big nights out, or just those days I wanted my locks to look that extra bit special. Although the process of applying hair extensions is hardly rocket science, it can be a little time consuming - what with applying each weft of hair in the correct position and if your planning on curling them then that's going to add least 20 minutes on top of your getting ready time. However since receiving my hairpiece from Wonderland Wigs my hair extensions have been made a little redundant as applying a hairpiece takes a matter of minutes and gives you the most amazing looking hair ever. 


Honestly I was so excited when the postman knocked on the door and delivered my hairpiece and within a matter of minutes it was out of the box and had made it's way on to my head. The double volume straight weave has been made from high quality synthetic hair. When I read this on the website I have to say I really had no idea what to expect as the only hairpieces I had used in the past were my hair extensions , which have all been made from 100% human remy hair. However much to my surprise the synthetic hair was really soft, shiny and so natural looking and the length of it was just amazing - I think it's one of every girls wishes to have beautiful long mermaid hair and this hairpiece gives you exactly that, 22 inches of long hair really does look give you that big sexy hair look. I also really love how the hair has been layered and has a slight flick to it at the bottom, which really makes it look so natural once its on. 

What really impressed me the most about this hairpiece is the application time. It states on the box that will only take you five minutes to pop it in your hair and they really aren't kidding. The hairpiece was so easy to apply with its grips sliding easily on to your own hair. As there is such a lot of hair for just a few grips I was slightly concerned about just how well the hairpiece would stay put though the course of the day, but amazingly they are really secure and the hairpiece does not budge at all.

Overall I am so impressed with this weave and if your looking to get lush locks in a matter of minutes then I really recommend that you have a browse though the Wonderland Wigs website as they have loads of different 3/4 hairpieces, from curly hair to dip dye hair with a wide variety of colours and shades to offer. I'm always wanting a volume boost when it comes to my own hair and this weave is packed with volume, I just love how thick and gorgeous it makes my hair look. For £39.99 I think this hairpiece is a great alternative to hair extensions and is just perfect for those nights out or special occasions where your wanting your hair to make a big impact. 


Have you tried any hairpieces from Wonderland Wigs? What do you ladies think of this one?

Lots of Love


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