Sunday 22 December 2013

The Candle obsession continues... Featuring Bomb Cosmetics



One of the things that I love doing most in Winter is lighting lots of lovely smelling candles, whether i'm just relaxing in my room, writing a few blog posts or having a bubble bath then you can almost guarantee that I will have a few candles lit (unless i'm at my college house, It's a rental so I can't be burning things there.)  I discovered Bomb Cosmetic's candles last christmas time as a shop in the Westfield centre began selling them but as they have since changed their stock I have been unable to repurchase anything as I don't really like buying candles online, I have to be able to check if I like the scent first. So I was pretty happy to stumble across their stand at the Clothes Show this month and for just £10 for two I couldn't resist a little purchase.

Vanilla Honey has a lovely sweet scent that is really comforting in this cold and gloomy weather weather and my mum has already tried to steal this little one from me. However my favourite scent has to be the Chocolate Orange which does actually smell exactly like a Terry's Chocolate Orange and lets be honest you can't go wrong there. Both of the candles are decorated with four small wax hearts around the edge which add a little bit of extra cuteness to these already lovely candles.  My last experience with these tell me that they burn for quite a long time, they lasted me a good month of burning for a few hours every night which is pretty good in my book and I think they do compare quite well to Yankee Candles which is another of my favourite brands.

They normally retail for £7.99 each which is good for a candle this size, especially with how great their scent throw is and how long they last for. They would make a great gift for either Christmas or Birthdays or just a random present for someone you really care about. Since I've decided I love the Chocolate Orange scent I'm also thinkig about trying this gorgeous little teacup candle or this candle in a glass. They also have a massive range of bath cosmetics such as Bath Blasters, Bath Melts and Soaps which are all ridiculously cute and I think we all know at least one person who would appreciate a soap in the shape of a slice of cake or a calorie free cupcake that will leave your skin soft and smooth.

Have you tried any candles or other products from their range? What are your thoughts?

Wednesday 18 December 2013

Help out with every card you write this Christmas.



For the past few years my Mum and I have been making a donation to charity each with the money we would have spent on Christmas cards and while this works for us, This year I just felt like I wanted to give out cards and whilst I was debating whether to buy regular cards or make a donation it got me thinking about how I could combine the two and all of the Charity Christmas Cards that are out there. 

So many different charities have their own christmas cards, I've selected a few lovely ones above but there really is a design for everyone to love and if there's a charity that's particularly close to your heart then this is a small but so significant way to give back over the Christmas season. They are a little bit more expensive and I know quite well that sometimes cheap and cheerful is the only way I can afford something but they're for a good cause so you know your hard earned money is going to a good place and if you've already bought yours and sent them out then why not buy a pack and save them for next year? As there only a few pounds so some might not see how it would make a difference but I suppose that even the smallest donations add up and can really make a difference to someone.

I know a lot of people already buy these cards and if you do that's amazing but I also know it's one of those things people know about but sometimes forget about. It's just something for people to think about this Christmas and something that probably should have occurred to me way before this so I think I've got a new Christmas Tradition from now on. This year I'll be going for the Cancer Research Uk cards as it's something that's affected both sides of my family and I really support the work they are doing, is there a set of cards you have your eye on?

Happy Holidays to you all.

Monday 16 December 2013

My Christmas Wishlist


This year seems to have flown by and as cliche as it is I really can't believe that it's Christmas already! Now this wishlist is a little late for me to receive any of these as my Mama always finishes her christmas shopping practically by the end of October (one day I will be that organised, I hope...) but there's nothing wrong with a little Christmas screen shopping.

I have a bit of a soft spot for both chiffon shirts and anything with a touch of leather so this shirt from Monki is perfect for me and would go with so many outfits which I've decided will be a new rule when I'm shopping, If I can't think of at least three outfits it'll fit into it has to go back, luckily with this one I can fit it into about fifty. Monki also has some lovely inexpensive lingerie and this is one of the only times that having no chest to speak of comes in handy as they are the tiniest slips of lace but they are oh so pretty and made for showing off just a little bit.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my coffee (mainly skinny caramel latte's with one two shots of coffee and a drizzle of caramel sauce if anyone was wondering) so of course I need lots of mugs to drink it out of and how adorable is this little Minnie mug? As well as coffee, makeup is another love of mine and I've been wanting one of the Ted Baker cosmetic bags for that last couple of years, I might just have to show this one to Jon as a little hint (or a blatant 'I want this!') as it's just perfect, who wouldn't need a sparkly makeup bag for Christmas?

Also who doesn't need a sparkly Rose headband anytime of the year...Well that would be me if we're going to get technical about it but if I can find a way to justify this purchase even a tiny bit then I will be buying it. It's just so pretty, it would more thank likely end up being used as a decoration in my room but then again it is made to be looked at. Another sparkly item is OPI's Affair in red square which doesn't look all that special in real life but I promise you it is absolutely gorgeous, it's a bright red metallic that is perfect for the christmas season and is also a one coat wonder (aka opaque in one coat.) I used to have a bottle of this but it smashed a few months ago so I think I just may be able to justify buying it again.

This is the not-in-a-million-years-will-I-ever-get-this-but-it's-so-pretty-it's-here-anyway item, You can't go wrong with a bit of Tiffany's and as Swarovski don't seem to be doing many gold charms this year, I have turned my sights elsewhere to the store with all the little blue boxes with the very large price tags. I love this teeny tiny letter charm and it's so perfect for this time of year with all the christmas cards being sent around.

I'm also looking at practical items this year as I really do need a good pair of boots now the cold weathers here, I trust the quality of Office's shoes and I love the quilting on these Chelsea Boots as it's adds a bit of a twist to such a classic item. I'm slightly obsessed with snoods ( I seem to have one on every wishlist in winter) but for some reason I've never purchased one, maybe this is the year and this Topshop version is the one for me.

What's on your Christmas Wishlist?

Friday 13 December 2013

Haircare Review - The Neal and Wolf Smooth Giftset




At the East Midlands Blogger Meet two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to recieve this giftset as a prize in the Lucky Dip organised by the lovely Emma and I have to say I've been really impressed with this set. I hadn't heard of the brand before so I was a little wary at first but after being assured that it's a great brand by Harriet (she know's her haircare stuff) I gave them a go and I'm hooked.

The set includes three full size products - The Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo - £11.50, The Harmony Intensive Treatment -£13.50 and the Silk Smoothing Blow Dry Balm - £12.50. This particular set is currently unavailable to buy which is such a shame as it's lovely however they do have three other sets on their website ,which you can see here, all of which would make the perfect gift for any beauty lovers this Christmas.

The Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo is a really lovely product, it has the same great scent that the other products have, which is a unusual but strangely nice scent, I would say it's slightly musky/herbally but it's one of those things that can't really be described very well, you'd have to sniff it in person to really understand what I mean. It cleanses my hair without leaving a residue that weighs it down which can be an issue for me but doesn't dry my hair out the way that I have experienced with other cleansing shampoos. The website states that 'An infusion of silk and milk proteins combine to boost vital moisture and reduce flyaway hair. Liquid shea extract delivers brilliant shine' and whilst it does leave my hair shiny and moisturised it doesn't quite conquer my flyaway hairs but my hair is particularly resilient when it comes to being tamed but if you had normal hair then I think it would do the trick.

The Harmony Intensive Treatment is another lovely product and a bit of a godsend in this cold weather, As my hairs been bleached it can get quite dry, especially in winter and I'm always in need of a good deep conditioner. It has the same unusual scent as the shampoo so it is a good thing I like it and does it's job well. They say that after using this product 'The difference in texture and appearance is truly stunning, leaving hair shiny, healthy and manageable.' As with the shampoo this is slightly true, as it does change the texture of my hair (In other words it keeps it looking more like hair and less like candy floss which seems to be it's preferred state these days...) however it doesn't quite tame my hair on it's own, it still needs help.

Which is where the Silk Smoothing Blow Dry Balm comes in and this has to be my favourite product from this set. It's a medium texture balm (by this is mean not so runny it goes everywhere but not so thick you can't get it to go into your hair evenly) and I only need to use a 10p size amount to cover all of my hair which I'm hoping means it will last quite a long time. This product really helps to smooth my flywaway hairs and stop my hair from frizzing as I blow dry which normally happens and it means I can get away with just blow drying my hair and leaving it without having to get the straighteners out as I normally do. I've begun to use this in rotation with my morrocanoil since I received it and any of my long time readers will know it has to be good to make it into that spot.

I really do recommend the Neal and Wolfe Products and if you can get your hands on a giftset then you won't regret it. These three products together create a great routine for anyone with difficult to manage hair like myself and I'm also thinking about working their Ritual Daily Conditioner into my routine soon.

Have you tried any Neal and Wolf Products? What are your thoughts and if not, do you want to give them a go?

Monday 2 December 2013

Finding the Perfect Christmas Party Dress is easier said than done.



It might seem to some like the easiest decision ever but I know that there are so many ladies out there that are like me and can't find the perfect Christmas party dress for the life of them, everything I try on seems to be not quite right. The three that have caught my eye this season are all from Little Mistress and for once I haven't been drawn to all things sequinned and sparkly (I think I've already overloaded on glitter with my christmas tree, so much so that Jon is considering a ban on anything sparkly next year...)

The first dress I've been drawn to is this lovely red peplum dress, I love the origami detailing and the colour is gorgeous, red dresses always make me think of christmas time. I'm not a big fan of strapless dresses as I spend the majority of my night praying it will stay up but I think I need to be a little bit braver this year and maybe invest in a better strapless bra...

The second contender is this stunning cream bodycon dress with black lace, I adore how the lace is placed to create an hourglass figure and I don't think you can ever go wrong with monochrome as it just means you get to play around with makeup and accessories My only issue with this is that the majority of it is cream, great for a meal where I can tuck a napkin in the top to protect it but if I go down town I may as well chuck a drink down myself before I go as it'll happen at so many points during the night anyway.

The final dress is this black bodycon dress with mesh panels, which even though it's the simplest of the three, it has a classic chic feel with a little modernity added by the cutout sections. I really love the back of this dress which you can see if you click on the link under the photo's, it does mean that I would definitely have to wear my hair up if I chose it (not by law or anything but you can't cover up pretty back detailing can you.) I love that like the first dress I would be able to go all out with the accessories, so of course I would be able to justify the purchase of this little number (only in my ind however, my bank balance definitely doesn't stretch that far.)

Which is your favourite of the three? Let me know if you've already found your perfect party dress.