An Update And A Nails Of The Day - AVON Gel Shine Nail Enamel - Citronized

Hey Guys x I hope you've all had a good week x I've been a little bit under the weather this week but I've been busy doing bit of blog admin and I'm also trying to sort out my SEO. Having over 9 years of blog post to go through, I think I've  under estimated the task but this is the way that blogging's gone and if you can't beat them then you have to join them- no guesses what I'm going to working on for the next month or so then! Anyways, apart from sleeping, and getting stressed over back links and no follow links, I have managed to take quite a few photos and I managed to film a few You Tube videos, so normal posting and video uploads will resume from today.

Despite a pretty positive weather forecast this week has turned into a bit of a damp squib, it's been dull, and boy has it rained! Having just watched the weather forecast better weather is hopefully on the way but in the meantime I decided to brighten up my day with a super bright nail polish.

AVON Gel Shine Nail Enamel is Citronized is one of those shades that people will either love or hate. It's a way brighter than it's appearing here and it's a very bright, yellowy, lime shade, think Shrek, pond slime or even mushy peas before they took out the artificial colouring! - this is one noticeable shade but it's one that I can totally get on board with.

I don't really find a great deal of difference between the AVON Nailwear Pro polishes and the Gel polishes but this polish is probably a touch thicker then the Nailwears. With a wide brush and a thick formulation you would expect this polish to cover really well, and in a round about way it does. The application was a touch streaky but the polish levelled out nicely, and as AVON claim one coat was probably enough on most nails.

As per usual though I went for two coats, and as well as an even finish and a great depth of colour, what was apparent with this polish was the shine - this colour was super, super glossy, I did apply a top coat after I'd took these pictures but gloss wise it really didn't need it . I can't really comment on wear time because I used a top coat but as I say I haven't found a lot of difference between these and AVON's original nail enamel formulation.

Citroized definitely isn't for everyone but for the summer season I think it's a real winner. The super bright colour looks great with a tan be it real or fake, and it's just a happy colour and one that is bound to get you noticed. AVON Gel Shine Nail Enamel in Citronized comes in a 10ml bottle and has a recommended retail price of £7 but it's currently half price on both the AVON UK website and in the latest sale brochure x Are you a fan of lime green nails or are they a bit too much like pond slime for you? Let me know in the comments x

Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover - A Review For My Pure*

As much as I love nail polish, there are aspects of it that I don't love. I hate waiting for it to dry, and I hate it when it chips, but more than anything else I hate having to remove it! There are now products on the market to help our polish dry more quickly and there are things to help stop it chipping, but despite advances in beauty and science, nail polish removal doesn't seem to have got any easier. It still takes an age to do, it can be messy and more often than not it smells terrible.

Like nail polish itself, nail polish remover more often than not is crammed full of strong chemical compounds that are designed to dissolve lacquers, plastics and even paints. Most of them do the job that they're designed for but there are side effects, certain ingredients such as acetone can be very drying on the nails and the hands, and oh did I mention the horrible smell!

Thankfully there are a lot of acetone free removers on the market now but a lot of them still contain way too many chemicals for some, so for one of June's My Pure reviews I decided to try out a more natural, gentle and non drying nail polish remover from German brand Benecos.

At first glance it's hard to see how a nail polish remover would ever fit into Benecos ingredients philosophy. Traditionally full of chemicals and preservatives, making a nail polish remover that contains natural ingredients, and no nasties, genetically modified material, soy or gluten was no easy task but like with their nail polish, Benecos have stuck to their guns and created a product that fits right in with their philosophy and the rest of their range.

The Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover is an acetone free product, that's created without any synthetic preservatives, mineral oils, or parabens. It contains ethyl lactate which is a natural degreaser that comes from sources of lactic acid, alcohol, water, and vegetable glycerin for moisture and nail condition. It also contains sweet orange oil and lemon peel oil and other citrus extracts.

Packaged in a wide necked plastic bottle, the remover itself is clear and resembles water in both colour and in consistency, when you touch it though it has a slightly viscous, oily feel.

The first thing that you notice when you pour the remover onto a cotton pad is the smell. Now I would never advise that you go around smelling nail polish remover, but you can't help but smell it when your using it. Compared to some I've used this one doesn't smell too bad, it still isn't great though and it's a bit like really strong alcohol with a bit of a citrus hit. Thankfully the nastier aspects of the fragrance die off quite quickly and your hands and nails are left with a subtle citrus scent.

I used it just like I'd use any other nail polish remover, I normally hold the cotton pad over the nail for a little while to start dissolving the polish before I start wiping. This makes removal a lot easier and a lot less messy. How did I get on? well see for yourself

Before 

After

Before 

After 

The first polish I tested it with was Benecos Natural Nail Polish in Lavender Sky (read my review here) - here I used 1 coat of nail strengthener, and two coats of polish. You would expect this remover to work well with the same brand of polish and as expected it got it all off without too many problems.

I also used it with a few coats of strengthener, and on another occasion with another brand of polish, a coat of strengthener and a top coat, and I have it did take a little bit longer than it did with my usual acetone free remover but it did the job. 

The key thing that I noticed though with this remover was that my nails weren't left looking white and dehydrated and the skin around them certainly didn't feel dry or uncomfortable. As I said before this polish remover has a slightly oily feel and I think that helped to almost give the nails a hit of moisture. It was just enough though and you didn't feel as though you needed to wash your hands straight away.

I have to say this remover impressed me way more than I thought it would. I was thoroughly expecting it to struggle with polish removal but by and large it did the job, without smelling too bad and without drying out my nails and my skin. I did find that it took longer than my usual remover especially when I was removing multiple coats but considering the lack of chemicals and nasties, you really can't complain. That said I'm not sure I would repurchase it as I'm pretty happy with my current budget friendly remover, but if you're trying to cut down on the amount of chemicals you use in your beauty routine though or if you're looking for a cruelty free product, then this is definitely something worth trying. The Benecos Natural Nail Polish Remover comes in a 100ml bottle and retails at £5.95 from My Pure.Would you consider using a "natural" nail polish remover? Let me know your thoughts x 

*Sample

Trimming My Stash - June 2016 Edition - Empties And Mini Reviews

Hey Guys x I hope you've all had a lovely Saturday x The weather isn't that great for the first Saturday in July, but I'm British so I'm pretty used to summer being a wash out! I really can't believe that it's July already - I've already had a few Christmas in July press invites which is terrifying - where is this year, and where is my life going!

I've had another up and down month but I'm thinking positive and battling on regardless, blogging again has taken a bit of a back seat but I'm feeling really motivated at the moment, I've got a lot of ideas and I've got a lot of new posts planned. Before we look forward though first lets look back at June and focus on my June beauty empties.

Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml
L'Oreal Kerastase Cristalliste Luminous Perfecting Conditioner - 75ml
OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go - 7.5ml
The Body Shop Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt - 300ml
Hello Kitty Liberty Art Fabrics Body Scrub - 50ml
Bumble And Bumble Bb Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Conditioner - 60ml
Benefit Sandal Scandal - 130ml
Chanel Illusion D'Ombre - 84 Epatant - 4g
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes
Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths Brightening - 10 x Quilted Cleaning Cloths
Pixi Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner - 250ml
Impulse Tease Body Fragrance - 75ml
Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - 300ml
Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes
Total - 14 Items

Yeah - I managed to finish 14 items last month, which is best performance of the year so far. As well as managing to finish a lot of half finished product I also managed to finish a really nice mix of products, including some body care, skin care, and hair care items, and shock of horrors I even managed to finish a make up item!

1. Boots Botanics Cleansing Toner All Bright - 250ml

I've been using this Boots toner for a little while now and for the price I really like it. If you like Pixi Glow Tonic then this is an okay budget alternative. At just £3.99 for a 250ml bottle, this toner of AHA's and Hibiscus. It brightens and freshens my skin without any of the tingle associated with pricier exfoliating toners. Is it as good as Pixi Glow Tonic or Alpha H Liquid Gold? not in my opinion but it's a decent product and it's something that I will always pick up when it's on offer.

2. L'Oreal Kerastase Cristalliste Luminous Perfecting Conditioner - 75ml

This conditioner from L'Oreal's famous Kerastase range was something that I received in a beauty box. I've got to say that it didn't really wow me it was a good everyday conditioner but it didn't make that much of a difference to my hair. The only real plus point and the point that took this product to the next level was the smell, I absolutely loved the scent, put this fragrance in a perfume bottle and I would most definitely buy it, as a conditioner though I would happily use it but I wouldn't go out of my way to repurchase.

3. OPI Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go - 7.5ml

OPI Avoplex is without a doubt my favourite ever cuticle product. It smells amazing, it sinks in quickly and it works. This is the travel or on the go version and instead of coming in a glass bottle it comes in a squeezy plastic tube with an attached brush. It's a little thicker and more gel like than the original formulation but it works just as well, and it's a lot easier and less messy to carry around. I've already repurchases the original glass bottle for home use, but for travel and holidays I'll definitely repurchase this on the go version.


4. The Body Shop Honeymania Bubble Bath Melt - 300ml

When The Body Shop's Honeymania range launched, you couldn't go on twitter or read blogs without somebody raving about it. Personally though I wasn't interested, honey for me is the devils food, I hate the taste of it and I think that the smell is even worse!  Fast forward though to December 2014 and I was invited to a festive event at a branch of The Body Shop in Newcastle Upon Tyne. After receiving an amazing hand massage and finding out some more about their Christmas range I was lucky enough to received a fabulous goodie bag which contained this product. I tried it full expecting to hate it but shock of horrors I didn't, I loved it! It has a tiny bit of sweetness to it but what you smell instead of the sickly sweetness of honey, is a beautiful heady floral aroma. You can swirl a bit of this sticky, honey like gel into the bath, for a bubbly milky bathing experience or you do what I've been doing over the last few months and use it in the shower. It is specifically a shower product but put a small amount onto a shower scrunchie, and you have a super foamy, deliciously scented shower. Since I don't have a bath tub anymore I probably wouldn't buy this specific product but I would definitely consider buying some of the other products in the Honeymania line. You can read all about my The Body Shop experience and read a mini review of this product here.

5. Hello Kitty Liberty Art Fabrics Body Scrub - 50ml

I love Hello Kitty and I love florals so I was all over this Boots exclusive collection from a few years ago. Apart from the super cute packaging, again the best bit about this product was the smell. This scrub and the entire Hello Kitty Liberty range had the most amazing powdery, slightly Shea butter based, floral scent which I loved, unfortunately in this case though I just didn't love the product. This scrub had a liquidy, cream base with tiny, teeny, nut shell like particles. I like a good, grainy scrub but for me the grains in this one were just too fine to do the job properly, which is a real given everything else it had going for it is a real shame.

6. Bumble And Bumble Bb Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Conditioner - 60ml

For me one of the best parts about blogging is getting the opportunity to try something new, and hopefully finding something that you love, and this product was a case in point. I received and reviewed this product just under a year ago now, and I loved it so much that I went straight out and repurchased it. This is really nice range and this conditioner made me hair feel instantly smoother and thicker. You can read a full review of this, and of some of the other products in the Invisible Oil range here. Blogging is a fickle thing and I'm currently loving another product but this is still something that I would definitely consider repurchasing x

7. Benefit Sandal Scandal - 130ml

This is the first of two empties that I'm absolutely devastated to have finished because they can't be replaced. Nowadays we probably know Benefit Cosmetics best for their quirky and innovative make up range, but back in the day there was more to Benefit then just brows and blushers. When Benefit first launched in the UK they used to have a nice little core collection of body care products, all fragranced in their signature Maybe Baby scent. As well as bubble baths, shimmer, balms, and body creams, they also produced this pretty amazing foot cream. I'm not a huge fan of minty foot creams, so this one with the floral Maybe Baby fragrance was perfect for me. With a rich creamy texture,and crammed full of AHA's to attack that dry skin, it came with a cute pair of pink and white pompom socks. This was a perfect overnight foot product, the dry skin disappeared within hours and it left the feet feeling silky soft. This was my favourite ever foot product and I'm very, very said that it's been discontinued :(

8. Chanel Illusion D'Ombre - 84 Eptant - 4g

Something else that I'm devastated to have finished is this Illusion D'Ombre eye shadow from Chanel. This shadows have the most amazing mousse like, cream texture, they apply and blend like a dream either with the brush that's provided or if you're feeling really lazy you can apply them with your fingers. This shade is Epatant, a beautiful metallic silvery, grey, taupe, green, that changed in the light. This was one of my go to eye shadows for a long, long time, it was easy to apply, the wear time was good, and the finish was super impressive. In theory this shadows should have been binned a long time ago but thanks to using a damp brush, and spraying it with Fix + I managed to hydrate it enough to finish the pot and I'm sad. Why am I sad? Well I love the formulation and I for this one could even justify the £25 price tag but unfortunately Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Epatant is no more, I can't find it anywhere so I think it's been discontinued - farewell Epatant I loved you - even if nobody else obviously did.

9. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes

Your probably sick of seeing these in my empties post but yes this month I finished another two packets of these babies and I bought some more. In one day I took 158 swatch photographs so these babies have been busy mopping up swatches and for freshening up on sticky days. They're full of tea tree so they leave your skin feeling cool and fresh, I don't use them on my face that often but they are a good standby.

10. Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths Brightening - 10 x Quilted Cleaning Cloths

Dear readers, I have a confession to make I used this face wipes on my face and nowhere else! I don't why I did it maybe it was because I thought that a high end skin care brand would make a decent caring wipe and good for you wipe and  do you know what I did actually quite like d these. I got this ten pack of Ole Henriksen wipes in a beauty box, and feeling lazy one morning I picked these up and give them a try. They were a really nice quality, thick and quilted wipe, with a lovely citrus and vanilla scent. They left my skin looking really fresh, and bright and feeling squeaky clean, if a tiny bit sticky. Although I'm definitely not a cleansing with wipes convert, these were a good quick way to cleanse my skin and I actually felt as though they had some skin care benefits. I probably wouldn't repurchase these but if you're interested these wipes retail at around £12 for a pack of 30.


11. Pixi Glow Tonic Exfoliating Toner - 250ml

This was my first ever bottle of Pixi Glow Tonic, and I'm a total convert. As much as I love the feeling and results from Alpha H Liquid Gold, I love the convenience and ease of use of Glow Tonic. You can fit it into any skin care regime, just use it to replace your regular toner and you're good to go. Again full of AHA's this toner has made such a difference to my skin since I started using it regularly, my skin is smoother, and clearer, I get less breakouts and my pores aren't as obvious. I love this stuff and I will definitely continue to use it. All you need to remember to do is use a bit of SPF on your face, but you should be doing that anyway. You can find out a little bit more about why I love this in my March / April Favourites Video which you can watch here 


12. Impulse Tease Body Fragrance - 75ml

Whilst searching through my extensive beauty stash I found a whole load of new and half finished body sprays -  Isn't that always the way when you've bought a new one, note to self - maybe if I was more organised and tidier this wouldn't happen! Anyways if ever there was a product to take my back to my early teenage years it would be an Impulse body spray. Every girl I knew used to reek of them and we always used to try and be the first to try a new fragrance. My favourite used to be the one if the dark blue can, I don't remember the name now but they all smell pretty similar and the fragrance of this one took me right back. This one has that same sort of sweet, musky scent that I remember so well, the one I liked was a bit more fruity but this one is definitely trying to a bit more sophisticated with the musky undertones. I probably wouldn't repurchase this particular scent but at between £1 and £1.99, these are a pretty bargainious way to recapture your childhood.

13. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub - 300ml

Another product that featured in my March / April Favourites Video (you can watch it here) and something  else that I love. This is exactly what I look for in a body scrub - I'm a huge fan of coarse salt and sugar scrubs and this one is exactly that. Crammed full of sugar, and moisturising oils, it has the zingy, citrus, lime scent, that we've come to expect from the Sugar Crush line and I love it. I like using on dry skin for a really intense scrub, just massage it in and rinse it off and your skin is left feeling smooth and silky. I will definitely buy this again and again x


14. Primark PS Love Your Skin Oil Balancing Facial Cleansing Wipes For Combination Skin - 25 Wipes

Yes I finished another packet x You can read my thoughts above x 

Well that ended up being a much longer post than I'd planned so I really hope that you managed to stick it out until the end. I finished a lot of products last month and I really can't see me doing as well in July but you never know, as per usual though I'll give it my best shot.. I've got a few beauty hauls to show you over the next few weeks but then I will definitely be starting Project 10 Pan so hopefully in July I'll have a few more make up items to show you but we'll see x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions on any of the items that I've finished then please let me know x

Nails Of The Day - Benecos Natural Nail Polish - French Lavender*

Although I don't seem to write as many nail posts as I used to, I'm still obsessed with nail polish. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a flash of colour when I'm typing, or seeing a set of pretty painted toenails peeking out from my sandals. My nail polish collection is getting seriously out of control though, but I can never resist adding new ones to my collection especially when it's from a brand that I haven't used before. As you know I love trying new things so for one of June's My Pure reviews I decided to try a nail polish from German brand, Benecos.

I've tried a few products from this BDIH Certified brand now, and I have to say for the price point I've been pretty impressed. The brand produces a wide range of affordable, good for you, skin, body, hair care and make up products, that use organic ingredients where possible and are free from a lot of chemicals and preservatives that you would normally find in toiletry and cosmetic products.

When you think of nail varnish though, one of the things that you probably think of is chemicals, surely there is no way that a nail polish can be natural and good for you? Well think again, all of the nail polishes in the Benecos range are not only cruelty free and suitable for vegans but they're also 5 Free. A lot of nail polishes now describe themselves as 3 Free but there aren't that many traditional style, nail polishes out there that describe themselves as 5 Free. What that basically means is that Benecos nail polishes are free from toluene, formaldehyde, camphor, phthalates, and colophonium or colophon, which have been found to cause skin irritations and breathing problems.

My Pure currently stock 15 shades of nail polish from Benecos but the shade I tried was French Lavender. I'm a huge fan of lilac and purple nail polishes so this one was right up my street.

Packaged in a 9ml size cylindrical bottle, this polish has a short, and thin, but good quality brush. The polish was quite fluid but the brush was easy to control and it applied easily and smoothly. and dried quickly. The coverage was okay after 1 coat but I felt that it really needed two coats to give the full depth of colour.

The finished colour was quite a bit deeper than it looked in the bottle, it wasn't the lilac tone that I'd anticipated and instead it had very much a dirty, dusky lavender, purple finish. Wear wise, I always test nail polish without a top coat and two days in, I only have a little bit of tip wear.

Although the colour didn't end up being quite what I expected I have to say I still liked this nail polish. It applied and wore well, it dried quickly and it definitely didn't seem to have as strong a smell as some polishes that I've used in the past. I'll definitely be trying a few more colours in the future, and if like a lot of people I know, you're looking for a gentler, or 5 Free nail polish, then this could be the brand to try. Benecos Natural Nail Polish in French Lavender comes in a 9ml bottle and retails at £6.95 from My Pure. Are you a fan of free from polishes? Let me know your thoughts x 

*Sample

Sample Saturday - Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter*

I've had a little bit of a blogging break over the last week but I'm back today with the return of my Sample Saturday series. Like blogging at the moment this series has taken a bit of a back seat but from this week Sample Saturday will be a regular thing once again.

One of my favourite brands at the moment has to be Kiehls, after an fascinating skin analysis, and an amazing facial**, At last I think I've discovered both a brand and products that can really make a difference to my skin.

The facial was the best pre birthday treat that I could have had, my skin felt incredibly, smooth and revitalised, and like all good beauty therapists, Kate from the Kiehls counter in House Of Fraser, in Intu Metrocentre went just that little bit further and gave me a relaxing and hydrating hand and arm massage.

I've made a couple of Kiehls purchases since my facial (a large beauty haul post is coming soon) and with those purchases and my skin analysis, I was lucky enough to receive quite a few sachets and sample sized products to try. I received a couple of things from the skincare line which have already become firm favourites and I also received a couple of sachets of one of their most famous products - Creme de Corps.

Kiehls have been around since 1851 and they have an amazing history and pedigree when it comes to skincare but probably one of their most famous products is their body cream - Creme de Corps. The original formulation remains one of their most loved products and it's held in high regard by a wide range of therapists, make up artists, celebrities and even Victoria's Secret Models.

The original formulation which is crammed full of sesame oil and cocoa butter remains one of their best sellers, but never one to rest of their laurels and their history, Kiehls are a brand that like to move with the times, and as a result they've introduced several new variants of Creme de Corps, including the one that I tried, Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter.

This was the product that I was lucky enough to be massaged with during my facial, and just that small taste (and scent) of it left me wanting more. Designed to provide up to 24 hours of hydration, this body cream is packed to the brim full of good for you ingredients including shea butter, jojoba oil, beta carotene and Kiehls signature plant based ingredient squalane, and of course extracts of soy milk and honey. It also contains no parabens, glycols, or silicone's.

Unlike the original this product has an almost mousse like texture. It has a whipped, airy like appearance, yet it feels creamy and buttery on the skin. It's quite thick but it spreads easily onto the skin, and a little goes a long way.

Given the creaminess and buttery feel I was expecting this product to take an age to absorb but providing you don't use to much, it sinks in pretty much straight away, without any residue, or a sticky or tacky feel. I'm not sure whether or not the feeling lasted for the full 24 hours but immediately after application and for sometime afterwards my skin felt and looked smooth and hydrated, and smelled good enough to eat.

I have to be honest and say that the name originally put off this because I absolutely hate honey! I can't stand the taste of it and to me the smell is even worse! Thankfully though, this doesn't smell anything like honey. To me this smells like cake, it's a creamy vanilla, coconut scent that makes me think of coconut cake, smothered in creamy vanilla butter cream. Despite the creaminess and sweetness this isn't too sweet a scent, and despite the fact that I'm not the biggest coconut fan either I personally didn't find it either overpowering or sickly.

Although I've only used 2, 5ml sachets I can definitely say that I'm in love with this product. Despite it thickness it absorbs into the skin easily, and leaves the skin looking healthy and with an almost glowy appearance. Given the texture and the scent I think that this product would make the perfect summer body moisturiser and I also think that it would make a great after sun. Due to the insane amount of body creams and moisturisers that I already own, I can't see myself purchasing this at the moment, but I'd definitely consider buying the full size in the future. Kiehls Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter comes in two sizes and retails at £36 for the 226g tub and at £45 for the 340g tub. It's available from Kiehls standalone stores and concessions nationwide and from their own website, and from various websites Debenhams, House Of Fraser and John Lewis. Have you tried Creme de Corps? Let me know in the comments x

*On Counter Sample
**Complimentary Skin Analysis And Facial

Large Candle Haul - Yankee Candles, Village Candles And More

My name is Louise and I'm a candleaholic! I love candles and so does my mum, you can pretty much find a candle in every room in our house bar maybe the porch and the shower room. We love candles not only for their scent, and their ability to rid the house of nasty niffs (essential if you're a pet owner!) but also for their relaxing properties. Looking at a candle flame just makes me clear my head and breathe just a little bit more slowly.

Between us we probably have enough candles to stock a small shop but like so many things, in my eyes there is no such thing as too many candles, so I decided to use some of my birthday money to replenish my stock.

The main thing that I wanted was either a medium or a large Yankee Candle in the Lemon Lavender fragrance for my room. The lilac colour matches the paint work in my room perfectly and the subtle but zesty lemon tones perfectly compliment the clean, heady hints of lavender. This is one of my all time favourite Yankee scents and I tend to burn it just before I go to bed because I find it quite a soothing scent, some people though find it quite zingy and refreshing, it all depends on your nose I guess. I bought this one from a local retailer Collectables and this is the medium jar candle which retails at around £18.99. (Note to self though don't leave candles in hot cars  because they have a tendency to melt a bit!).

While I was in Collectables I also got a few votive candles. These are ideal for more intimate fragrancing, and for fragrancing smaller spaces. I'm intending to use these ones in my craft room / office when I get it sorted, so I picked a couple of refreshing and revitalising scents, that will hopefully help me combat that afternoon slump. The two fragrances that I chose were Mango Peach Salsa, and Lemongrass and Ginger. Mango Peach Salsa is a real old favourite of both mine and Mummy Lou's, it  absolutely mouthwatering and smells like a peach and mango smoothie with just a hint of spice. Lemongrass and Ginger on the other hand is a relatively new addition to the Yankee stable, and as you would expect it has the lovely, aromatic citrus scent of lemongrass. I can't really pick up the ginger but maybe that will come to the fore when I burn it. Yankee Candle votives or sampler candles normally retail at £1.80 each.

That was it for full price shopping but a couple of weeks ago, my bestie Dawn and I went on a little road trip for her birthday, the whole point was to head to Seaham, a small town on the North East coast just south of Sunderland, and eat ice cream in probably one of the best ice cream parlours around Lickety Split! If you follow any North East blogger on Instagram (including me!) then you'll know about their amazing ice creams, and ice cream sundaes - if your up north at any point then you must pay a visit!. Anyways I digress, the weather wasn't that great on the day, so after a little walk around the marina we got back in the car and headed a little but further south to the Dalton Park Outlet.

Dalton Park is basically just a large outlet village in Murton, Co Durham that is crammed full of Outlet stores, ranging from national chains such as M&S, Next, Thorntons, Joseph and Gap, to more localised stores including a Collectables.

The first store when went into was M&S and whilst my bestie was trying on work clothes, I had a little look at the small home section and I saw some candles and decided to have a sniff. The one I fell in love with was the M&S Specially Blended Jasmine & Orange Flower Aromatic Candle.

There were several sizes and style  to choose from but since I'd never tried an Marks and Spencer candle before I went for the small 90g size which came in a cute glass jar tied with raffia. I love anything to do with jasmine at the best of times, and combined with the orange blossom, this candle has a heady floral scent that just screams summer. It actually smells very like the Courreges La Fille De'L' Air perfume that came in a recent My Little Box (see my unboxing video here). I've been wearing the fragrance quite a bit since I got it and to me that's very similar to what this smells like. It was reduced to just £2.25 and based on this experience I'm definitely going look at Marks and Spencer's candle selection next time I'm in store.

Our next stop was the Collectables outlet, and I picked up a few pieces, in some more of my favourite scents. Me and my mum already own these fragrances in both small, and large Yankee jars, but I love the scents so much I couldn't resist picking up both a votive and a wax melt, in both the Tarte Tatin, and the Pain Au Raisin fragrances. As I say votives are perfect for fragrancing a smaller space, and the melts, or tarts as they used to be called are ideal for a strong, quick hit of fragrance. The two scents that I chose are in no uncertain terms foodie fragrances, and as Yankee Candle fragrances are so true to life, the names pretty much describe exactly what they smell like. Tarte Tatin smells exactly like an apple tart, with the tartness of the apple, the warmth, sweetness and buttery taste of the pastry, and the spice of the cinnamon, where as  Pain Au Raisin has the buttery scent of the dough, and the sweetness, and spice of the cinnamon and raisins. I probably saved a few pounds on these in total and I'm really hoping that these sweet, cake scents, will help me with my cake and sugar cravings.

We had another wander round and some how we ended up in the Hallmark Outlet. This basically a card outlet and it was full of cards and gift wrap, but they also has quite a few gifting items including two huge candle displays. I was a bit candled out by this time so I just had a little look at the Village Candle display. I've never tried anything from Village Candles before so I had a good sniff, there were some amazing scents, but I stayed strong and decided to just buy some candle accessories instead. All of the Village Candle accessories were reduced and since they are the same size and the medium and large candles I decided to treat myself to a shade and a candle plate.

I didn't look at the price till I got to the till and when I did and I was really surprised at just how cheap they actually were. The Lilac Lustre Candle Plate was just £1, and the matching shade was just £2. The prices were absolutely insane, after doing a bit of research their accessories are cheaper than Yankee anyways but the quality is almost identical and a comparable set from Yankee would probably retail at around £23 for a set this size - Bargain!

I really love these, they make you candle look more like a little lamp, and the shades really help your candle to burn more evenly and last longer. I particularly love the crackle glass and the way that the candle light reflects through onto the walls. This is what the set looks like with my Yankee Lemon Lavender.

The final candle related item that I picked up was a set of glass votive holders from Poundland. Obviously these were just a £1 for the two, and the blue and white stripe and spot design will work perfectly with blue walls, and carpets and the white ceiling in my office.

If you're interested I've also uploaded an You Tube video to accompany this haul so please have a little watch below or if you're on a mobile device you can watch it via this link x



Ahhh I can't wait to start burning all of these now and to experience all of these lovely aromas. I can't help it I'm just addicted to candles and I think they are something that I will never stop buying. I am trying to branch out a little more in my brands though and step away for the Yankee, so if you've got any candle recommendations I'd love to hear them, and in particular if you have any Village Candle recommendations I'd love to them and I'd also love to know where you buy yours from x Thanks for reading and happy home fragrancing!

A Very Late May Beauty Favourites Video

I'm late again but I've just uploaded my May beauty favourites video and I'd love it you'd take a look, either by watching the video below or by clicking on this link.

Products Mentioned 

Gatineau Tan Accelerating Lotion For Face And Body 

Lavera Fine Loose Mineral Powder - Transparent*

(Read my review here x)

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate**

Kiehls Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion

Flat Top Face Brushes - Various Ebay Sellers

Jewellery From Ebay Seller - MandyMax1971

I hope you enjoyed this video and / or you found it useful, If you did please subscribe and if you have any questions on anything that I talked about then please leave me a comment x Thanks for reading and hopefully watching x 

*Press Sample

**On Counter Sample 

A Small Primark Haul - June 2016 Edition - Clothes, Shoes And Jewellery

Sometimes I really think I should start taking my own advice. It seems as though I'm very good at telling other people what to do, but then I go out and do completely the opposite. Case in point - I'm always telling my Godparents not to go shopping and not to go into Primark when the kids are off school, so what did I do a fortnight ago? I went to Primark of course! The trip was a disaster, it was hot, stupidly busy, and the renovations in the Intu Metrocentre branch meant that there was only one  set of tills open. Needless to say I took one look, dumped my basket and walked straight back out of the door!

It was a total nightmare but I still wanted to have a look round Primark, so on Wednesday I headed back in Intu Metrocentre to get my Primark fix. The store is still a nightmare due to the expansion, and if anything it was actually hotter this time round but thankfully it was a lot quieter, and I was able to have a proper look around.

Unfortunately clothing wise it was another one of those disheartening Primark trips, I had no real reason to buy anything overtly summery and most of the things that I did like just didn't look right or they just didn't seem to be available in any of the larger sizes :( I did pick up a pair of my favourite indigo jeggings which were still on special at just £6 - I virtually live in these things and they are just so comfy but they have the look and the feel of a skinny jean. I thought clothing wise that, that would be that but then I saw this stripey top.

I know fashion experts always say that horizontal stripes can make you look bigger, but I love the look and so what if I look a bit curvier. I love a Breton style stripe, and the thin very dark, navy blue stripe, gives this top a real nautical look.

This over sized t-shirt is made of a slightly textures slubby style fabric, and it would be lovely and super wearable on it own, but what attracted me to this one is the crochet detail on the cuffs and on the front hem. The slubby fabric is overlaid with a white crocheted diamond pattern which I think adds a bit of extra interest. This top also came in a variety of plain colours and it was only £4, personally though I love the stripes, and this top will be fab with my indigo jeggings and either my navy or my white Converse.

Next up shoes, and boy do Primark have some nice ones in at the moment - from knee high gladiators, to strappy sandals, trainer styles, canvas pumps, and flip flops, I really do think that have something for everyone. The first thing that I looked at was the flip flops - by rights I probably should have walked away and looked at something else, I probably have more pairs of flip flops than the average shoe shop, and since I'm not going abroad this year the opportunities to wear them will be limited, but I didn't and I added this pretty pair to my basket.

You know me I love a bow, and this super cute pair, of blush, nude toe thongs have the cutest little filigree, gold tone bow on the strap. They were only £3 and they come in loads of other different colours and patterns.

Although this is definitely going to be the years where I try and ingratiate myself with high heels again, I do love a ballet pump, and for the price, Primark's are as good as anyone elses, These tan ones though are a little bit different to anything else that I have in my shoe collection.

In the basic, flat ballet pump style with a partially open toe, the body of the shoe is almost woven together, in a slashed and criss cross design, I think these are really unusual, the fit is really generous and they have a soft padded sole, for extra comfort. I think they also come in black and these shoes were just £6.

I've been buying quite a bit of jewellery lately some of which you'll see in my upcoming May favourites video (and if you're observant the video to accompany this post!), but I couldn't resist having a look at the newly relocated jewellery section and picking up a few simple pieces.

I really should stop buying rings, although I'm trying really hard to wear more of my jewellery this year I just don't seem to be wearing rings as often as I should, this one though called out to me. I love the cage style design that seems to be everywhere at the moment, and I also loved the slightly irregular shape of the stone, and of course that the stone, looks as though it's embedded with glitter. I really liked this and it was only £2.

The final thing that I got was a necklace - It's very rare to see me without a necklace at the moment, and I'm loving wearing a variety of different types of necklace. I've worn quite a lot of chunky pieces but I've been wearing the odd more delicate piece, and this one will fit the bill perfectly.

These disc style necklaces are very fashionable at the moment, as are spinning necklace, and this one combines both of these trends in one. It comes on a fine gold tone chain, and the pendant is a spinning disc, one side is in a white, almost faux mother of pearl tone and the other size is in a plain, polished gold tone, which is outlined with tiny, clear crystals. I love the fact that you can get two different looks from the one piece and I also love the fact that it was just £2.

Please, please, please have a little watch of the accompanying video that you can see below and via this link if you're on a mobile device. You can listen to me ramble and talk a little bit more about of things that I've mentioned in this post, or can you?



Urgh why do I always do this, I filmed the video then I found something else in the bottom of the big that I'd forgotten to mention - this pretty nail polish!

I'd initially gone to see if the new beauty range was in store, and surprise, surprise it wasn't but I saw this nail varnish and it just screamed Louise. I love, love, love my daisies, and the pretty pink, polish that was just £1.50, came with a little pot of pink, and lilac daisies, to fulfil all of your festival and floral, nail art fantasies. If flowers aren't your thing though Primark have several other nail bits and bob in at the minute containing everything from Superman and Batman decals, to jewels, glittery top coats, gel effect polishes and a whole new range of false nails.

I didn't really see anything though this time round that I thought I must go back and get that so it might be a little while before my next Primark trip but you never say never do you. If you have any questions on anything that I've bought please let me know and if you've posted a Primark haul either on your blog, You Tube or even Instagram then leave me your links and user names below xx