Two Year Blogiversary and Giveaway!

Friday, 30 January 2015


Two years ago I started this blog, and to be honest it was a little bit on a whim. At the time I was writing a Nail Blog and wanted to branch out to something more, I just knew my readers at the time wouldn't be interested, so I thought starting a new blog would be easier. I never knew how much I would enjoy writing it, and the opportunities and friends that it would bring me. It's been an amazing two years and I can't wait to see what else is in store. I already have so many exciting things planned for the next few months, and I can't wait to share them with all of you! 

In honour of the second birthday on Alyssiarose, I thought I would share five of my all time favourite posts!
  1. Skyrim Diary: The Day that everything happened!
  2. Blogger Meetup and Benefit Makeover
  3. Easy Peasy Ice Cream
  4. Bliss in Bristol
  5. Welcoming New Cuties to our family!
Also as I did last year I thought I would do another Giveaway to celebrate my second year of blogging, so if you want to be in with a chance to win all the below prizes, then simply fill out the widget below! 



You could be in with a chance of winning:
  • Bourjous Little Round Pot Blusher in Cendres De Roses
  • Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Huckleberry
  • Along Came Betty Dare to Define Eyeliner
  • Along Came Betty Wow! Lashes
  • Make Up Revolution What you waiting for? Palette
  • Along Came Betty PriEYEmer
  • Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Rose Hip
  • Along Came Betty Fix me Quick Mattifying Primer
  • Bourjous Smoky Eye Palette in Rose Vintage
  • Along Came Betty Highlighter Stick (not pictured)
The giveaway will be closing on the 28th of February, and is a UK ONLY giveaway, so you have almost a whole month to get your entries in. Good Luck!

2 Year Blogiversary Giveaway
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Wishlist Wednesday: Phone Case Edition #2

Wednesday, 28 January 2015




I didn't realise how much I was craving a change in Iphone case until I saw my colleagues watermelon phone case yesterday at work. So I took to Etsy in search of the next beauty to adorn my Iphone, and I found some gems...

  1. Floral Monogramed Case
  2. Black and White Beauty and the Beast Case
  3. Tangled Artwork case
  4. Zombie Disney Princesses Case
  5. Blue Moroccan Case
  6. American Horror Story Case
  7. Evan Peters Phone Case
  8. Doctor Who Leather Phone Case
  9. Doctor Who Starry Night Case
I have no idea which one of these to pick guys, so I need your help! Comment below with which case you think I should go for next, and I will go with the most voted one.
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Try a Tutorial Tuesday: Mug Cakes

Tuesday, 27 January 2015


Ok so technically I haven't done a tutorial this week, because I'm still dieting and I had a REALLY naughty week last week. I'm trying to reign myself in, so no baking for me... BUT I still want to share this book with you because it is an absolute beaut.

I picked this up in the works a few weeks ago, because I am a big fan of cakes that can be made in the microwave. That same day I got my brother and sister involved and we all made chocolate chip cookie cakes in our mugs. Considering they only took about 5 minutes to make, they were really good!

It's so easy, you pretty much mix all the ingredients in the mug, and then microwave them together to bake. Even better, there are such a great variety of cakes in this book, from Peanut Butter Chocolate to Chocolate Fudge Smores. 

Seeing as I didn't actually make anything on this week's TTT I thought I would share with you all a recipe from the book so please enjoy, and make sure you tweet me pictures if you make it!


Rocky Road Mug Cake (makes one cake):

Ingredients:
  • 2 tbsp soft butter
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 medium egg
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp self-raising flour
  • 4 tbsp mini marshmallows
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 2 tbsp plain biscuits (broken)

Method:

  1. Place the butter in the mug a microwave for a few seconds until softened.
  2. Stir in the cocoa powder until combined, then add the egg and sugar and beat until combined.
  3. Add the flour and salt and beat again until smooth.
  4. Fold through almost all of the marshmallows, raisins and biscuit then top with the remaining.
  5. Cook in the microwave for 2 min 20 sec @ 600w, 2 mins @ 800w or 1 min 40 sec @ 1000w.
  6. Leave to cool for a minute, and then go to town on it!
My mouth is watering just thinking about it, and I can't even have any because of my diet, I am actually sobbing right now...
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The "Me Time" Tag

Monday, 26 January 2015

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you are starting your week off on a good note, I certainly am! I saw this tag on a blog a few weeks ago and thought it would be a good one for me to attempt. It also got me to thinking about how much "Me Time" I really spend on myself, and I found myself saying... Not a lot... I do want that to change though, and this tag is the perfect place for me to start!

What do you watch/read during me time?

I like to watch my American TV shows, and also Disney movies when I am trying to unwind. As for reading, I just pick up whatever I happen to be reading at the time.

What do you wear during me time?

Definitely PJ's, and my brand new fluffy slippers! Or my cat onesie ;)

What are your me time beauty products?

A facemask, and some mousturisers...

Current favourite nail polish?

Anything sparkly!

What do you eat/drink during me time?

Chocolate, wine... Basically all the naughty things...

Current favourite candle?

My current favourite candle is one that was hand made for me as a Christmas present. It's set in a cute little teacup, and the scent smells like a cupcake... soooo good

Do you ever have outdoor me time?

The outdoors??? What is this place you speak of?

Would you ever go see a film alone?

Probably, when I was doing my GCSE's I went to see a play by myself, because I couldn't go on the day the school had booked the main trip. So my parents had to book me to go another time and at another theatre. No one wanted to come with me, so I ended up on my own, in a theatre I didn't know, taking notes on a play for my Drama exam... I actually quite enjoyed it, and if no one wanted to go see a film with me, I would probably go on my own!

Favourite Online shop?

Does Amazon count, because I buy a LOT of stuff from Amazon... They have so many different things and it's just so convenient...

Anything else to add?

I definitely that I need to start having a little bit more "Me Time" and I think I will start setting aside at least an hour a day for myself.
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Sum Up Sunday #9

Sunday, 25 January 2015


This week has been full of ups and downs for me. Tim and I had a bit of a naughty week on the diet, and it really showed when I weighed myself this morning and had put on weight, Tim however still lost a pound!!! Cheeky sod... Anyway I know where I went wrong and I'm determined not to make a repeat of it this week.

Pictured above is the first dessert I made from my No bake baking book that Tim got me for Christmas, it's a chocolate chip cookie and cream cake. I only had a few slices of this last Sunday, but that really set me off for a bad week on my diet. One night we had a mortgage advisor over and he didn't leave until almost 9pm and neither of us really wanted to cook, so we had a takeaway. THEN on Friday as I was about to start cooking Chimichangas for dinner I realised we didn't have some key ingredients, so we ordered Pizza instead... I know, super naughty. This week I'm hoping to be much better although I am going out with my Sister on Wednesday and also having my birthday party next weekend, means that I may not lose weight again this week, I just aim to not put any on!

Also this week Tim and I have been making big plans for the future, which involves me finally following my dreams, and us moving in with his parents for a few months so that we will be in a better financial position to buy a house by the end of the year. So my head is spinning with dreams for our future together, but most of all my head is reeling with all the ideas I have been having since signing up for my course. 

I'm just a complete bundle of excitement at the moment...

This week I'm...
Reading: The Hen who dreamed she could fly (still)
Listening To: Fall Out Boy: Centuries
Playing: Star Stable Online
Feeling: SUPER EXCITED
Looking Forward to: Getting to be a student again for one night!

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Very Exciting Announcement!

Saturday, 24 January 2015

(link now broken)

You may have noticed the distinct lack of a Youtube video upload this week, and wondered why I haven't kept up with my resolution this week. Well I have some very exciting news, that I have been waiting to shout from the rooftops, but needed to wait until everything was in place...

Next month I am going to be training as a Professional Make up Artist at the DFMA Academy in London! I can't believe that I am actually getting to say those words out loud... I have to keep pinching myself to make sure that I am not dreaming. This course couldn't have come at a better time for me, with my work contract ending this month, and Tim and I moving in a month, it's the perfect opportunity for me. Not to mention that I have wanted to take one of these courses since before I graduated almost two years ago now!

I have been absolutely bouncing off of the walls ever since I found out that I was going to be doing it, and I can barely contain my excitement. My course starts on the 9th of February and ends on the 6th of March, at which time I will be a fully qualified Make up Artist. I do have some plans about what I want to do once qualified, but at the moment nothing is set in stone, and I guess it won't be until I actually get an idea of what it is like to be a Make up Artist. I will also receive a professional hair and make up kit with everything I require to complete the course, which will be a good starting place for me.

What does this mean for my blog/Youtube?

Well I intend to be as successful on my blog next month as I was this month, and keep posting pretty much everyday, because I have enjoyed the consistency as much as I hope you all have. As for my Youtube Channel, it's going to have to go on hold for a while. I honestly don't think that I will have the time to keep both up and running, and a Youtube video takes a lot longer to put together than a blog post. Once my course is over and everything settles back down again, I'll be straight back into Youtubing!

I cannot wait for this new chapter of my life to begin, and to share it with all of you...

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Friday Favourites: Games and Apps

Friday, 23 January 2015

This week I have been getting my hands on a few new games and apps, so I thought I would share with you some of my new favourites, in the hopes that you will enjoy them too!


Crossy Road is an app that I was actually introduced to by the Youtuber Amazing Phil, and the first I heard of it was that he had suggested a character to the makers, and they had put it in the game and let him voice it! Now I'm always game for an app where the developers have a sense of humour, and this app is certainly one of them. It's essentially like frogger, you try to cross as many lanes as you can, but there are a tonne of different character you can do it with. Some are unlocked through purchasing, and others you can win by spending your coins on them. This game is seriously addictive, and will have you desperately trying to beat your highscores, so only download this if you are ready to get sucked in!


Just before Christmas I made a bit of a mistake and purchased Tim a game on Steam, but he had actually wanted it on Playstation. Thankfully after explaining this to customer services they agreed to swap the game I bought for Steam credit, so then I only had to figure out what to spend that on. I went with Scribblenauts Unlimited. It's a quirky little game where you use a magic notebook to make objects appear in the world to help people. It's pretty funny as you can think outside the box a lot with these, and you can also download creations that people have made on Steam to grow your catalogue. 


This is by no means a new game, but I have finally gotten my hands on a copy and I have loved every second that I have played of it so far. It really brings back great memories of playing Mario cart on my uncles N64, and I love it as much now as I did then. This version brings a few new cool features such as the hand gliders and water sections, making it all the more exciting! I really need to find some friends who have this game so that we can play together...


I have been looking for a game like Star Stable for SO long, and I can't believe that I have finally found it! It's basically an online RPG for girls that revolves around horses! There are quests and you can join riding clubs, and do races and competitions... honestly thinking about it makes me so excited, and I kick myself knowing it has been out there for so long... It is free to play up to level 4, but if you want to play it further you do require membership, which is called 'star rider'. As a Star Rider you get access to the whole online world, you get 100 Star coins a week (which is the in game currency), You get exclusive items, horses and abilities, and you can create your own riding club!

Membership ranges from £4.95 a month up to £49.90 for lifetime membership, which isn't actually that bad if you ask me. I'm currently playing it for free, and I haven't decided whether I'm going to take up a membership or not yet, but I probably will. If anyone else joins and wants to add me as a


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Along Came Betty Haul

Thursday, 22 January 2015

A few weeks ago I was having a mooch around Tesco and I noticed that they had a few big baskets of clearance make up, and as I was rooting through I came across a familiar brand, 'Along Came Betty'. I had bought a few skin products from them before and had been dying to try their make up range, and with it severely reduced, I couldn't say no!



The first product I picked up was their WOW! Lashes mascara. I don't know about you, but I am always on the look out for that 'wonder' mascara that will make my lashes pop. I've never seen a brush in this shape either, so it will certainly be an interesting one to try out.



Next was their Dare to Define eyeliner pen, which I have actually tried before, and I really liked it, but my old one is now dried up, so I'm thankful that I get to replace it. As you can see from the photo's it is essentially a jumbo marker pen that you can use on your eyes!



I have never used a mattifier before, but I thought it was about time I give one a go. Particularly as I tend to get a shiny T-zone and chin, I'm hoping that this will help to calm that down.



The PriEYEmer as you may be able to guess is an eye primer.This one is a slightly brown cream primer, and whilst I haven't had a chance to use it yet, it's definitely different to any primer I have tried so far.



I'll be honest, I'm not sure this concealing kit is the perfect match for my skin tone, but having said that I cannot wait to give it a go. It comes with two cream concealers, one for your under eye area, and one for your blemishes, then in the bottom of the case there is a powder to help lighten your dark area, and set your concealer. All of that in one little pot, how can you go wrong?

If any of these products take your fancy then you may be interested in entering my blogiversary giveaway (coming soon), as there are some of these up for grabs!

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Wishlist Wednesday: Birthday Wishlist

Wednesday, 21 January 2015

I can't believe it is only a few weeks until my 23rd Birthday, it feels like yesterday that my 22nd one was creeping up on me! Tim has been begging me to do a list of stuff I want for my birthday, so I thought it was about time I gave in. This year I decided to give him a tonne of options to went for more than just 9 things like I usually do...






Wow that is one big list! At least I have given Tim plenty of options for what to get me right?

Let me know in the comments which item on my list is your favourite!


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Try a Tutorial Tuesday: Cling Film Nail Art

Tuesday, 20 January 2015

For this week's TT I decided to do something that I haven't really done since I used to write my Nail Blog... and that is a little bit of Nail Art. Back before I started this blog in January 2013, I wrote a Nail Blog, and became obsessed with Polish. I still am, I guess just not as much as I used to be!

I was browsing through Pinterest trying to decide what type of nail art to do, as there are SO many different tips and techniques nowadays, when I came across some beautiful pictures of 'Saran Wrap Nails' or as it's known in the UK cling film, and the technique looked pretty simple, so I thought I would give it a try!


Here's how they turned out! Excuse the poor photos, I took these with my iPhone because my camera lens is SHOCKING at close up photos. As you can see I opted for a beautiful gold and teal look as I think it looks a bit like a gemstone, plus we all know I love teal/blue. On my nails is NYC: Full Metal Jacket (my absolute favourite Gold polish ever), and on the tope is Sinful Colours in Savage.

These nails are actually really easy to recreate, all you need is two polish colours, some cling film, and a topcoat. First you paint your nails with your base colour, and then leave them to dry completely. This is probably the hardest part as I know when I'm painting my nails I just want to rush ahead, but it's important! Then you paint your next colour on, but before it can dry, dab it with some scrunched up cling film until you are happy with the effect (it does get quite messy). Then wait for that to dry before you seal it in with a top coat.

If you want to see how it is done, I used the below Youtube video for reference.

 


If you would like to suggest a tutorial for me to try out then please comment below or tweet me with the link!
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Bourjous Shine Lipsticks!

Monday, 19 January 2015


The eagle eyed and avid reader among you may recognise these lipsticks from a recent Wishlist Wednesday post that I wrote. I just had to have them... 

As I am currently dieting, to give myself extra incentive I decided that for every week I lose weight, I would allow myself a treat up to the value of £10. For my first week, these were my treat! They were a little over £10, but as they were by one get one half price, I thought I may as well get them both at the same time!


I went for the colours 24 and 25, or Rose xoxo and Mauve Tabloid if we go by their names!


Aren't they so beautiful side by side. They both have small flecks of glitter in them to make them extra shiny. On the left is Mauve Tabliod which is a nice berry colour, and on the left is Rose xoxo which is a lovely rosey pink, which will be perfect for me as an everyday colour!


Unfortunately my lips are in a bit of the state at the moment with it being colder than cold. Even with me using balms and scrubs! Therefore I couldn't swatch these beauties on my lips, but I thought I'd do them on my hand so you can at least kind of see what they look like. Rose xoxo is on the left and Mauve Tabloid on the righ, you can really see how much they shine. I have been craving a berry toned lipstick for such a long time, and Mauve Tabloid seems like the perfect one for my first berry lipstick!

Let me know in the comments if you have any of the Shine Lipsticks by Bourjous, and what you think of them.

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Sum Up Sunday #8

Sunday, 18 January 2015

This week has been pretty standard for me to be honest. I have been sticking to my diet and exercise plan, and I still haven't found it hard, or wanted to give up yet, which to be honest is amazing for me! A lot of what I have been up to this week, is blogging, to make sure you all have plenty of posts to read...


Last Sunday Tim and I popped into Basingstoke to do a bit of shopping, and we headed over to Pets At Home to get some Gerbil supplies. Outside were some beautiful owls from a rescue charity, and you could donate £2 and take a picture holding one of the Owls! Honestly the best £2 I think I have ever spent. I picked the smallest owl there, because he was just too cute, and Tim got some seriously great shots of him. The handler was telling me that he used to be kept in a tiny cat crate in the dark, so he used to crane his head right back to see some light, that's what he is doing in the picture above. Also because the crate was so small and he never flew his wings didn't develop properly so now he cannot fly. I'm so glad the team rescued him, I hate to think of this little beauty in the dark...


During the evenings this week I have been unwinding by playing an online version of Cards Against Humanity, which if you haven't heard of already, is probably the most offensive and hilarious game ever created. You win a point if your card is the most funny and the first to ten points wins. If you want to give it a go then click here


Yesterday Tim and I went to Bills in Newbury for a little lunchtime treat, and it was lovely. I had a butternut squash Mac n Cheese... It was so yummy, I'm salivating just thinking about eating it again! We were very good and had no extras, and I just had a cranberry juice with my meal, so I'm hoping it wasn't too unhealthy an option for my diet...


Then we went out to see my mum as she isn't well at the minute, and I taught her all about Pinterest! She was looking for knitting patterns online and I thought Pinterest would be the perfect place for her to find some, and I was right! I even had a go at knitting, and I wasn't too bad at it, so I may have to pick myself up some knitting gear this year! When I was sitting on the sofa with one knee up, Tigger decided that he want to lay on that knee... He climbed up and dug his claws in and he looked so pleased with himself... He didn't last long there though I had to put my knee down he was clawing me so much!

I hope you've all had a wonderful week, and I'll see y'all in the next one.

This week I'm...

Reading: The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly (Still)
Listening To: Topsify playlist on Spotify and loving Uptown Funk...
Playing: Hidden Object Games (more to come on the blog soon)
Feeling: Happy that I lost weight again this week!
Looking Forward To: Having a naughty slice of cake later today (More on the blog soon)




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2015 Reading Challenge

Saturday, 17 January 2015

One of my goals for this year is to read more, and I've decided to use Goodreads to keep me on track! If you haven't heard of Goodreads, it's a website where you can add reviews of books you've read, track the progress of what you are currently reading, and even add books to a 'to read' list. On top of that you can add your friends and see what they are reading, and even get recommended books just by reading reviews. There is also an app available and you can simply scan the books bar code and it will recognise the book, making it even easier to add books to your lists.

I was recently watching an Emma Blackery video and she reminded me of a function that there is on the app to set yourself a reading challenge for the year, so I logged on and I set my challenge. I thought I would share with you what that challenge is, and also some of the books I will be reading to help me reach it! If you would like to add me on Goodreads then I would love to see what you are reading.

 
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Friday Favourites: Healthy Recipes!

Friday, 16 January 2015


As you can imagine since starting my diet last Monday, I have been looking high and low for healthy recipes for Tim and I to eat. When looking for recipes I'm looking for things with a lot of fruit, vegetables and meat in there as we are allowed as much (within reason) as we like. Then maybe with a few extras (cheese) that we add onto our weekly pro-point count.

Pinterest has become my saviour when it comes to finding healthy recipes and I have already found so many that I will be able to use, and some I've already made. If you saw last week's Sum Up Sunday post then you will know that I made Banana pancakes, and also banana and oat cookies to help keep our sweet cravings away, and they were some of the nicest recipes I have tried. So this week I thought I would share with you some of my Pinterest healthy recipe finds!

Skinny Orange Chicken

The image above is the Skinny orange chicken, and don't you just want to dive in and eat it. Everything in this recipe is free for Tim and I to eat, so we could have a plate of this without jeopardising our diets, and plus we love food like this!


Mozzarella Dippers

I believe it was McDonalds that first got me hooked on Mozzarella dippers, and now every time they bring them out I have to have them as much as I can... Well, I used to... When I stumbled across this on Pinterest I squealed, now I can have healthy(er) Mozarella dippers without feeling guilty. Unfortunately neither of the 2 ingredients used in the making of these are on my 'Filling and Healthy' list, but I would happily spend a few pro-points on them!


Chimichangas

My god do I love Mexican food... These Chimichangas look so glorious, I practically dribbled when I saw this pin. I haven't had a chance to read the recipe for these yet, but I am assuming that I would only have to count the cheese in them towards my pro-points, because every thing else in the picture looks like it would probably be on the list.


Baked Mozzarella Chicken Rolls

Another mouthwatering picture, am I right? I love Chicken, I love it in breadcrumbs, and I love melted cheese, throw these three things together and you've got a winner for me. As soon as I saw this pin, I knew I would have to try it out. I would probably serve this with a small jacket potato and a side salad, and that would make the perfect (almost pro-point free) meal for Tim and I. 


Boiled Eggs

Technically it's hardly a recipe but I have been really craving boiled eggs... I've never even really liked runny yolks, but I want them so much. I hate to say this but I have never actually boiled an egg... If like me you haven't then Egg Recipes has some boiled egg recipes you can follow.




Banana Oat Cookies

Finally I thought I would share with you a recipe that I have already tried. One night last week Tim and I were desperately craving chocolate, so I whipped up these cookies, and at 1 pro-point each you cannot go wrong!


What your favourite recipe that you have ever stumbled across on Pinterest?




**Disclaimer: I own non of the photos in the above post, please follow the links provided to see the original content





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My New Skincare Routine

Thursday, 15 January 2015


I've never really been one for a skincare routine, but I have been wanting to get into a proper routine for a long, long time. One weekend whilst in Basingstoke with Tim I suddenly remembered what I had been putting off, and popped into Wilkinsons to grab a few bits. 

Fast forward a few weeks and I have been keeping up with my routine day in, day out, and I have seen some results, before I get into that lets start with my routine!

Simple Kind To Skin Facial Gel Wash

I've heard all kinds of good things about Simple from plenty of bloggers, but I've never actually used any of their products. For my first ever proper skin routine I wanted something simple (pun intended), and something that I knew would work. The best thing about this product is it's completely colourless and odourless, there's nothing worse than a face wash that smells really weird... You only need a tiny amount, and it lathers up in your hands really well, meaning hopefully a bottle should last a decent amount of time. I use this every morning and night, and it's been easy enough to slot into my standard morning/bedtime routine.

I would definitely recommend this product if like me, you are just getting into a skincare routine, as it really is Simple.

St Ives Naturally Clear Apricot Scrub

I was first introduced to this product by Emma Blackery, when watching one of her videos about skin care. The thing she loved most about this product was the smell of apricot. I can confirm that this product smells absolutely delicious. Even better is that this scrub is a lot more environmentally friendly than some other scrubs on the market. I don't know if you know this, but some of the 'microbeads' that are used in some face washes and scrubs are pretty harmful when they finally make their way to the sea. With this though, you need not worry, the exfoliant in this product is ground up walnut shell, so it's completely natural! I use this every other day, just before I go to bed, I find if I use it any more than that, then my skin gets a little sensitive. On the back of the bottle it does recommend that for the best results you use the product 3/4 times a week, which I am still managing to do without hurting my skin.

Another product I am very happy with, one thing I would mention is that you don't need to be rough with this scrub. As the exfoliants are walnut shell, they are quite hard, so you need only gentle scrub your face, for a short amount of time, and you still get good results. If you like yummy smelling scrubs, and you love the environment, then this may be one for you.

Simple Rapid Action Spot Zapper

At the time I bought these products I was having a serious breakout, so I knew I needed something to help reduce the appearance of my spots. I'd already picked up one Simple product at that point, and this caught my eye. I'm a big fan of roll on products because they are so easy to apply, this one has a metal roller, rather than a plastic one, and it glides onto the skin. You basically roll it onto your spots, and it reduces the size and redness of them. I use this after washing my face every morning/night, or when I notice a spot coming up. The first thing I noticed about this as that it felt cool on my skin, and it didn't smell of anything. Often with 'spot zapping' products they smell really strong and can sometimes even make your eyes water when using them. There was also no stinging sensation with this, which I have had in the past with spot treatments.

If you want a spot treatment that doesn't smell too strongly, and feels good to your skin, then you should give this one a go!

The Results!

I have noticed a MASSIVE improvement in my skin. I have less spots, and my skin feels so smooth when I run my hand over it. I think I really began to notice the difference when applying my foundation, as I need even less product to make my skin look flawless now. As for the spots, I still get the odd one here or there, but overall they are much better than they were when I started this. Even if I do get a spot, I just put some of the spot zapper on, and I noticed a reduction in swelling within a few hours, and my spots seem to disappear a lot quicker than they used to!

For anyone else who doesn't really have a skin care routine at the moment, because you think it really won't make that much of a difference, I can assure you that it really does. Go out and pick up just one product to try, and even that will give you some good results.

Let me know in the comments what your skincare routine is?

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Wishlist Wednesday: Ear Cuffs

Wednesday, 14 January 2015



Just before Christmas one of my work colleagues wore an Ear Cuff to work, and it was so pretty, I almost wanted to rip it off her ear and wear it myself... OK, I didn't want it THAT much... I had never thought about wearing an Ear Cuff before, although I have my ears pierced twice, I actually very rarely wear earrings. Maybe if I owned one of these beautiful ear cuffs I might wear them more!

  1. Forest Ivy Earcuff: £10.83
  2. Thistle Earcuff: £33.19
  3. Golden Mermaid: £23.67
  4. Glitter Dragon: £11.45
  5. Golden Flower Ear Wrap: £30.45
  6. Snake Ear Wrap: £39.96
  7. Spring Leaf Ear Wrap: £33.19
  8. Double Chevron Ear Cuff: £16.26
  9. Silver Flower Ear Cuff: £16.90
My favourite of all of these has to be the Golden Mermaid, she may be making her way onto my birthday wishlist in a few weeks time...

Let me know in the comments which of these is your favourite?


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Try A Tutorial Tuesday Returns!

Tuesday, 13 January 2015

Way back when I first started this blog I had an idea for a feature, and that feature was Try A Tutorial Tuesday. The idea behind it was that my readers could tweet me links to tutorials that they wanted me to give a try, or I would find a tutorial that I liked, and every Tuesday I would give them a go.

I did a TTT post back in 2013 on Nautical Nails that you can check out here. However with this being the 'year of blogging' for me, I really felt it was time to get my bum in gear and produce this feature that I have been sitting on for so long... 


This week's tutorial is from a Portuguese Beauty blog called 'Pausa Para Feminices', and it is created using the Urban Decay Electric Palette. The look itself is based on a mermaid barbie (hence the pinks and blues), and I think it's absolutely stunning.

Now I don't actually own the Urban Decay Electric Palette, but I had heard on the blogging vine that the Make Up Revolution Acid Brights palette was a dupe for it, and knowing I had that palette, I was desperate to give this look a go.

There is a Youtube video to follow for this tutorial, and despite it being in Portuguese it is actually pretty easy to follow the different steps. This is also honestly probably the most amount of colours I have ever used on an eye make up look. 






First off I want to say that these photos do not do justice to the colours. Unfortunately I was scare on natural light and so used my LED light for these pics. To me the colours match the above tutorial photo a little better, but I think my light washed them out.

Considering this was my first time actually following an eye shadow tutorial, I think the final result turned out pretty well. The colours are obviously different to the ones in the tutorial picture, as the Acid Brights palette has slightly different tones of colour, but all things considered it's a pretty fair match. I'm pretty happy with this palette considering I only paid £4 for it, but I think I will definitely have to get my hands on the actual Electric palette so I can try this look out again! If you don't have the money to buy the Electric Palette but you have to have it, then I would definitely recommend getting the Acid Brights palette until you can save enough for the real deal.

If you would like me to try out a tutorial for you then please tweet me the link to it, and I'll take a look and see if it's something I can try. The tutorial can be for ANYTHING! Make Up, Hair, Nails, Food, Crafting, literally anything, and I will give it a go! I really want to get you guys involved in this as much as possible.
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A-Z of Me: G is for Gamer

Monday, 12 January 2015



If you've been reading my blog for only a short time then you might not know that I love playing video games. Tim is just the same, which makes a perfect living partners. I've got an Xbox 360, and a Ninendo 3DS XL, Tim has his Playstation 3, and his PC, and now we share an Xbox One!


If I think back I remember gaming from a very young age, I used to play a game on the PC called Mixed Up Mother Goose. It was a game where you were in a Nursery Rhyme world, and you have to return lost items to the nursery rhyme characters, and then they sing their nursery rhyme. I LOVED this game, I completed it five or six (maybe even more) times when I was a kid. It was my first taste of video games, and certainly not the last.


Then I got a Playstation One, and played games like Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and Croc. I fell even more in love with gaming, my favourite was definitely Croc, despite the fact that I never could complete it because it was ridiculously difficult! I think this is really where my love of gaming began to be honest.


For a while I all but forgot about gaming, and then my neighbour got an original Xbox, and I became obsessed with a demo he had of 'Jet Set Radio Future'. If you've never played this game, then you must, it's a roller-skating, graffiti tagging, about pirate radio game... That doesn't even begin to cover what this game is, but it really sparked my interest in gaming again.


Honestly though it was the Assassin's Creed games that cemented my love of gaming. My brother got an Xbox 360 for his birthday one year, and I bought a couple of games, and he would let me play them, (only when he wasn't playing it though). The first Assassin's Creed was the first Xbox Game that I ever completed, and so far is the only series I have ever completed (except Black Flag, which I am working on). I think the thing I love most about the AC games is the free running aspect of them, you can climb buildings and dive off into straw bales... It's just so liberating! Oh, and you get to assassinate people with blades hidden up your sleeves, what more could you want? 

Then my brother decided he didn't want me to play his Xbox 360 anymore, and so I didn't for a while, until I went to uni and I bought my own Xbox 360, and I've never looked back...

If you want to read all my posts relating to gaming, you can do so by clicking here.

Do you play any video games. and what are your favourite?




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