An Absolutely Flawless Eyeshadow Palette From Make Up Revolution

Apologies for the musical interlude but I couldn't resist - cheesy as it is I love that song :) As much as I love it I probably love this newish release from Make Up Revolution even more - What is it?  Well given the song it's obviously the Make Up Revolution Ultra 32 Shade Eyeshadow Palette in Flawless

I really, really, really didn't need another eyeshadow palette especially not another neutral one  but so many of my fellow bloggers are just temptresses and it was inevitable, weak willed that I am, that I would succumb. So last week I placed a little Superdrug order, and ordered myself a Flawless palette.

The palette comes packaged in the familiar Make Up Revolution shiny black compact. They look lovely but they are sooo hard to photograph, and the finger marks!! eeek, just try to ignore them lol.

The palette contains 32 eyeshadows that are just slightly larger than a 5 pence piece. The compact contains a large mirror and unlike a lot of their palettes you don't get any applicator I have to say I wish more budget brands would just forgot about the applicators I personally never use them especially if they're sponge ones, so in  lot of cases it just seems like a waste.

This is a real day to night palette and contains a combination of matte, metallic and shimmer shadows. The shades are quite neutral, there are lots of browns, nudes, taupe's and vanillas but there are also lots of dark, greys and greens and even burgundy toned shades that are ideal for night time

As we've come to expect from Make Up Revolution, the colour pay off is superb, and the shadows including the mattes are soft, buttery and easy to blend. It took a bit of time but I've swatched all 32 shadows for you :) Some of the colours aren't showing up too well here, particularly some of the highlighting shades in the first picture, but that's because they seem to match my skin tone perfectly, the pigmentation is fine my skin is just pasty, blue, grey pale. The lighting wasn't the best either yesterday afternoon but I think that these pictures will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from this palette.

Top Row 

Second Row

Third Row

Bottom Row 

Beautiful isn't it? This is probably one of the most wearable palettes in my collection and unlike some palettes I can see myself using every single colour in it at some point. The nudes and taupe's are ideal for day time, and some of the metallics and darker shades are ideal for a bit of night time glamour or for a smokey eye look. This palette would be an perfect addition to a make up collection  whether someone is an existing beauty junkie or whether they're quite new to or inexperienced with make up. I've only used it a couple of times so far, sticking to a really neutral day look on both occasions but I can't wait to have a proper play with it and create some more evening type looks. 

This palette retails at £8.00 which I think is great value for 32 excellent, quality eye colours. This palette is currently available from the Make Up Revolution website, the Superdrug website and from selected Superdrug stores and if your a fellow North East based lady or gent , Metro Centre Superdrug had this in stock today :) 

Yet again I'm impressed with a Make Up Revolution purchase and having had the chance to have a little play with some more of their products in my local Superdrug today, I can only see my obsession continuing x I'll have a haul post up next week so you can see some of the other things that I got, but  in the meantime if you're a fan of this palette check back on Sunday for my giveaway launch and you never know ;) Thanks for reading and if you have a favourite Make Up Revolution product I'd love you to tell me about it so exercise your typing fingers and let me know x

Feeing Fresh And Zingy With Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash - A Review For My Pure*

Although the weathers cooling off, I've still been loving my showers both in the morning to wake myself up and in the evening to freshen myself  up after long day. I am a big believer in changing my bath and shower fragrances depending on the time of day and depending on my mood. In the evening I prefer florals and more relaxing fragrances and I love using brighter, fresher, and zesty aromas in the morning to start my day off on a high. So feeling a little bit tired and weary this month I decided to try a nice refreshing shower gel from My Pure.

I've tried quite a few of the Yes To boy washes over the years (check out my reviews via my Beauty Product Directory here) and whilst some of them have changed slightly in formulation I would still recommend them in a heartbeat. Since I first started reviewing for My Pure though they've introduced two new lines to the brand Yes To Blueberries and Yes To Grapefruits.

Grapefruits are probably one of the zingiest things on the planet. I'm not a huge fan of the taste but I can just about manage a Sea Breeze or a cocktail :) The Yes To Grapefruits Rejuvenating Body Wash is 98% natural and contains extracts of both apple and grapefruit, and coconut extract to help it foam.

This body wash is crammed full of fruit acids which naturally exfoliate the skin without the need for any grains or mess. This body wash is designed to leave the skin fresh, and radiant x

It comes in a huge 500ml, with a flip top cap. The wash itself is white opaque in colour and has a thick texture. It has a lovely fruity, grapefruit aroma that fresh, without being too strong or too zingy. Despite the lack of chemical foamers, this actually foams up really well, producing a lovely creamy feeling foam. A little goes a long way and you don't need a lot so this bottle will last a long, long time. You can also pour this under running water to make a lovely creamy, refreshing foam bath.

The foam washes off easily and I was quite surprised by how smooth my skin actually felt, particularly on my upper arms, which are prone to that bumpy feeling, and texture.

Like every other shower gel I've tried from Yes To this one was another winner. I would have probably liked the scent to be a bit more zesty and a bit stronger but that's a personal preference. It's a nice shower product to use in the morning, and the lack of in your face scent also means you could also use at night especially when the weather is a bit warmer. The size is obviously a big selling point so much so that this could easily be used as a family product. This price is also really reasonable for the size - The Yes To Grapefruit Rejuvenating Body Wash normally retails at £7.99 and unfortunately as of 2019 it is no longer available from My Pure but it's still available from various other retailers including Feel Unique.

*Press Sample

A Blast From The Past Rediscovering Clarks Shoes And A Bonus Outfit Of The Day*

My name is Louise and I've been addicted to shoes for as long as I can remember. At one point in my life I owned more than 150 pairs, although I "probably" own way less than that now. I love shoes, you can never really have a fat day in shoes and they can change an outfit in moments. If you were to ask me where my shoe addiction comes from then I can most definitely tell you. There are two shoe related incidents that stand out from my childhood - one is sitting on the floor among racks of shoes at the Tommy Balls discount shoe factory in Blackburn and the other one is getting my feet measured in Clarks.

Founded in 1825 Clarks are probably the quintessentially British shoe brand. For many of us one of our first shoe experiences is putting our feet in to some weird gadget and getting our feet measured for our school shoes. That's traditionally what Clarks do best - they produce shoes that are comfortable, quality driven and practical. I have to be honest and say that as an adult I drifted away from Clarks as a brand, they were just too frumpy and too practical for my trendy teenage and young adult self. My mum still shopped in Clarks, as did my dad, gran and my godparents but not me.

Over the last few years though Clarks as a brand have tried to change their image a bit and appeal towards the younger generation Their shoes and accessories now feature regularly at London Fashion Week, and in the past they've collaborated with the likes of Liberty and Mary Portas to produce shoes which retain the traditional qualities and values of the brand but have a funkier, younger edge. Their latest collaboration which is released in a week or so is with the legendary print designer Orla Kiely. Although none of the shoes appear to be in a Kiely print they do have the retro feel that we've come to associate with her designs.

Despite their seemingly slight change in direction though up until recently I still wouldn't class myself as a Clarks shopper, but a week or so ago I was given the opportunity to rediscover Clarks, and I was very kindly sent a voucher to use in store.

After several aborted attempts my and Mummy Lou finally made it to their Metro Centre store. The store to put it politely was heaving! It was full unsurprisingly enough of little people getting fitted for their first school shoes, ah the memories. Never the less the assistants were very polite and helpful despite being so busy. I'd had a little look online before I went into store so I had a bit of an idea what I wanted. Some of their block heels, ankle boots and flatforms were to die for but instead I went for something that's still relatively on trend and something that I'd wanted to try for a while - brogues.

Clarks have a huge selection in all different colours, and leather types but the one I'd set my heart on were the Hamble Oak Brogues in Dark Tan Leather. Unfortunately they were out of stock in my size, the shoes come in two width fittings and in all full sizes between 2 and 9 and in several half sizes. The lovely assistant though brought out the same shoes in a different colour in a 7.5 and in an 8, in the D (Standard) width fitting for me to try anyway.  The 8's were perfect so what she said they could do, is order them in the store for free home delivery in 3-5 days so that's what did. I paid for my shoes then and there (Friday)  and gave them my details and then I waited. To my surprise, despite the bank holiday they came first thing Tuesday morning and I have to say it was love at first sight.

They are in the basic, lace up brogue style and have a slightly block heel so they aren't completely flat.

As you would expect from Clarks you're getting a excellently qualify of shoe, they have the softest smoothest, leather uppers, and the tooling and detailing is perfection.

So what about fit? Well they are a true size 8 and the fit is perfect for me. The insole is lightly padded to give the shoes a more comfortable feel. The leather itself at the moment feels a little bit stiff around the tongue  but leather shoes only get better with age as the leather warms and softens. The colour is beautiful a rich, warm, dark tan that will compliment so many of my accessories and handbags, and they will give any outfit a real classic vintage look.

I was always a bit scared of trying Brogues because of my large feel. I always thought that they would make my feet look a little bit too big and masculine and whilst I do think they make my feel look a little bit bigger than normal the masculine aspect can be tempered by what you wear them with.

At the moment I'm just thinking how to style them, I've seen a lot of people wear them with frilly dresses etc. but I'm not sure that's really me. I'm fancying a sort of a smarter look with say an black skirt say, a white shirt and frilly socks peeping out the top - who knows? I love how something as simple as shoes can give you so many outfit options. I decided to do a little Outfit Of The Day (OOTD) for you, just to show you how I wore them today. The shoes, jeans and white vest give the look a more androgynous feel but the femininity comes roaring back with the floral jacket and bright necklace x I wore the shoes with bare feet here but you could easily wear them with socks for a different look.

What I Wore

Skinny Stonewash Blue Jeggings - H&M

White Vest - H&M +

Floral Kimono / Jacket - Atmosphere At Primark

Chunky Bright Bead Necklace  Dasiy and Eve At Evans 

Hamble Oak Dark Tan Leather Brogues - Clarks*

I quite like this look, throw a tan handbag over your shoulder and your good to go. I also think Mummy Lou deserves a bit of credit for her first attempt at fashion photography with an SLR ;) .I love new shoes and especially ones as practical and versatile as these, and these will definitely make my look at Clarks in a different light, and I'll definitely put Clarks back on the map when it comes to buying shoes. Yes you pay a little bit more than in some places, but the shoes, and materials are first class and they're made to last - exactly what you would expect from a company that's over 150 years old. The Clarks Hamble Oak Dark Tan Leather Brogues retail at £54.99 from Clarks stores, concessions and online .They also come in several other colours and finishes, that retail between £54.99 and £59.99.

 I can't wait to see what else I can wear them with so if you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment and let me know x

*Press Sample

AnarKitty In LouLouLand - Part 3 - The Final Installment - Denman AnarKitty Goldie D3 Hairbrush*

I've never made any secret of the fact that the Denman Classic D3 Styling Brush is probably one of the best hairbrushes that I've ever used. I bought my first D3 probably about 8 years ago now and it's still going strong. Thankfully because of the blog I've managed to expand my D3 collection and every single one is still is good as it ever was, despite being used on multiple occasions.

The cushioned, anti static, rubber base and the smooth nylon bristles are perfect for long and straight, knotty or fragile hair. Mine D3's have been put to a huge test over the last few months and by and large I think they've passed with flying colours. Yes, I've still been losing hair every time I brush but by taking it slowly with a good quality brush it probably hasn't been as bad as it could have been. Just imagine dragging a hard or rough brush through your hair, that really would be asking for trouble. The very fact that I've been using my D3 on both wet and dry hair when I've been having so many problems with it, speaks volumes.

The basic D3 design is the same no matter what the style but whilst the original black, white and red brush remains a staple in the line, Denman have moved with the times and have introduced a wide range of D3's in different colours, patterns and even fragrances. I've reviewed quite a few D3 Styling Brushes now and you can now find all my reviews to date in my Beauty Product Directory both here and above, but probably my favourites have to be those from the AnarKitty line x

The AnarKitty range is a collaboration between Denman and British modern artist Emma Geary, aka AnarKitty. First came the AnarKitty Sassy, which was a black brush designed as tribute to the late hairdressing legend Vidal Sassoon, and then earlier this year, Denman introduced AnarKitty Ruby, a Great Gastby 1920's, flapper, inspired red brush. 

Alas all good things must cone to an end, and June saw the launch of the final instalment of the AnarKitty collaboration with the launch of the AnarKitty Goldie D3 Classic Styling Brush.

This muted, gold, black and white brush, features the familiar AnarKitty girl design but with a 1960's inspired twist.

Dressed in the tiniest of mini dresses in a swirl design, our heroine has a high beehive hairdo which comes complete with the Denman crown. She also has super long lashes, and bold golden eye make up. The design also features the AK signature, which is also repeated on the reverse of the brush.

I've really loved the collaboration and I'm sorry to see it come to an end. The quality of the brushes remain the same no matter what the design but the AnarKitty range gives the humble and dare I say it often boring hairbrush a real designer touch, that should not only appeas to beauty junkies, but also to fashionistas and to fans of modern art. The Denman AnarKitty Goldie Classic D3 Styling Brush retails at £7.50 and is available along with the rest of the AnarKitty range from the Denman website. Are you a fan of Denman hairbrushes? What's your favourite hairbrush? Leave me a comment and let me know x 

*PR Sample

Foodie Friday On A Saturday - Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread

I think I've said it before but I hate throwing food away.Did you know that around 20% of the waste that goes into our bins is food waste? It's a pretty high percentage but I am actually surprised that it's not more. Like a lot of families we try to buy just the fresh food that we need and we know that we'll use. I know it's not always practical but it does make a huge difference with the amount of food that ends up in the bin. Even with the best will in the world though I still end up with some withered apples or some yellowing broccoli in the fruit bowl or in the bottom fridge but I always try to use it up. Juicing is a brilliant way of using fruit and veg that are past their best and most of the soups that I make are inspired by leftovers, the reduced section of the supermarket or the dregs of the vegetable drawer. 

Last week the contents of our fruit bowl looked a little bit sad. Well I say fruit bowl but I mean banana stand, try and you might bananas are one of those fruits that just seem to ripen at a ridiculous rate if they don't get eaten. I know the brown, blotchy skins aren't that appealing to look at, get past that, and look inside, usually the bananas inside are fine if a little squishy and even if their a bit brown you can still use them. Overripe bananas are sweeter making them ideal for little people. Just pop them in the freezer in their skins and they make great banana ice lollies. You can also use them in smoothies, milkshakes and in baking.

Inspired by a recent Yankee Candle that my mum picked up, last weekends sad, and overripe bananas were transformed into a loaf of Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread. The name is a bit misleading it's not a bread at all it more of a sweet, moist fruit loaf / cake.

Gluten Free Banana Nut Bread

2 x Ripe Bananas

8oz Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

1 Level Teaspoon Baking Powder

3oz Soft Butter Or Margarine 

3oz Caster Sugar
1 Egg
2oz Chopped Nuts 
1 dsp Apricot Jam or Marmalade

1.Preheat your oven to 180° C or the equivalent, and then using a pop your bananas into a small bowl and mash them with a fork

2. Put your butter or margarine and sugar into a large mixing bowl

and cream together either by hand or with an electric mixer

3. Sieve your flour and baking powder together into another bowl and add your chopped nuts. I'm using roughly chopped pecans here but you can use chopped walnuts, or mixed nuts what ever you have.

4. Beat your egg in a small bowl

Slowly beat the egg into the fat and sugar mix

5. Then add about 1/3 of the flour, baking powder and nuts, and mix together

6. Then add the bananas and half of the remaining flour and mix together 

7. Then add the apricot jam or marmalade, I'm using marmalade here but don't worry if you don't like it, I don't, as you can't taste it. It's not essential but it just adds a bit more moisture and touch of stickiness to the loaf. Add the rest of the flour and give it a final mix till all the ingredients are combined. 

You can add a touch of milk if it's too dry but your mixture should ultimately be of a soft dropping consistency.

8. Spoon your mix into a well greased loaf tin, I'm using my trusty silicone here but any well greased tin would do. 

Put it in the oven and bake for around 30 - 35 minutes or until it's golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Voila - Leave it to cool and then slice x You can eat it warm or cold, plain or spread with butter or margarine, or even topped with a butter cream or icing.

The bananas make this a really moist cake that lasts really well for a few days, just make sure you wrap it in foil or clingfilm.

The recipe could be adapted quite easily to make a bigger cake or even to make muffins. You could also add some dried for example sultanas or raisins or even chopped dried apricots to make a bit more substantial. It would also work equally well using defrosted frozen bananas and of course by using "normal flour". This is just one example of how you can use fruit or vegetables that are past their best so think before you bin x Thanks for reading and let me know if you make this, I'd love to know how you get on x 

Thank You And A Giveaway Heads Up x

Today is a good day x Okay in parts it hasn't been, but today I hit 400 Bloglovin followers. It might not seem a lot to some people but for me it's a bit of a milestone.

Way back when, when I started blogging the only way to follow a blog was to bookmark it or save it in your favourites. How times have changed, I'm still quite loyal to GFC (Google Friend Connect for you newbies out there) and as a result it took me a while to actually claim my blog and get myself a bloglovin account. It hasn't been without it's problems a lot of people still seem to have followed my actual personal account rather than my blog. It doesn't matter to me how people follow - I love you anyway :) but this is the digital age and stats matter so if you do follow please can you make sure that you follow my blog here and not my personal account which you can find here x

This year I've been a bit meh when it comes to my blog, my health hasn't been the best and as it should do, my blogs taken a back seat. I guess that's why I'm so pleased that so many of you still seem to have faith in me and my blog and you've stuck with me regardless, it makes me want to kick my stupid body in to touch and blog my weary little heart out.

I'm being a bit gushy and sentimental here but what I'm trying to say is thank you for being there x I have a few issues with the term blogging community at times but without it I wouldn't be the person I am today. I've met so many lovely people both online and in the flesh, and I've had the most amazing experiences and opportunities all because of blogging.

So how to say thank you -well I'd love to give you all a huge hug and a cupcake but that's not really very practical so I guess a giveaway is the only way. I know a lot of people say that giveaways don't necessarily reward long term followers and whilst I agree with that it's the only thing that I can think of. I'm aiming to have my giveaway live next weekend as I'm still waiting for some of my prizes to arrive. So over the next week I'm going to give you a few sneaky peaks of what you can win. Everyday on my Facebook, twitter and instagram I'm going to show you one item from the prize package - so make sure your following x

Thank you so much for your support x and I can assure you that normal less gushy posting will resume tomorrow with a yummy recipe, followed by a product rave and a review over the weekend xx Thanks for reading x

A Hair Update And A Review Of Some Hair Care Products From Naturalmente*

It's probably been pretty obvious by my sporadic posting and disappearing acts this year but at the moment I'm having a few more health problems than usual. As well as not having the energy or inclination to blog, ill health and medication are playing havoc with my body and with my skin. The thing that's suffering above all else though is my hair - it's breaking around my hairline leaving wispy ends and every time I brush it I'm losing enough to stuff a cushion. It could always be worse though and whilst it's definitely thinner than what it was I still have full coverage. As a result I'm being careful with it, I've been limiting the use of heat tools, products and colourants and to be honest a good haircut is long overdue!

Talk about sods law though, since Christmas I've received lots of hair things to review from extensions, to wavers, treatments and masks and of course shampoos and conditioners. Understandably I've been a little bit scared of trying out new things but in the last month, I've reached the stage where I'm thinking hell why not! I'm debating a haircut and I'm starting to have a play with some of the goodies I've been sent. So over the next month or so I'm going to start reviewing some of my hair care things. The easiest place to start was shampoo and conditioner, so today I'm going to review a couple of hair care products from a brand called Naturalmente.

Naturalmente are an Italian hair care brand originally founded in 2004 that only launched in the UK last Autumn. They produce a wide range of shampoos, conditioners and styling products containing natural plant ingredients that are grown to strict organic and bio dynamic standards. This range is free from synthetic fragrances, preservatives, parabens, DEA, MEA, TEA, Formaldehyde, Mineral and Petrochemical oils, and SLS or SLES. The range also comes packed in recyclable and biodegradable plastic bottles.

I was very kindly sent a small bottle of shampoo and a small bottle of conditioner to try out. They have several different varieties of shampoos and conditioners in the line so I chose the ones that were most suited to my hair type at the time.

Naturalmente Rosemary and Lavender Shampoo 

The shampoo that I went for is described as the most detoxifying and purifying one in the Naturalmente range. Specifically designed to treat a dry scalp, this shampoo is also recommended for hair that needs a deep clean, and hair that suffers from a lot of product build up. It also contains a lot of ingredients that can help to stimulate the blood circulation in the scalp and therefore encourage new hair growth -bring it on! 

Obviously that was the major selling point for me but I do sometimes suffer from a dry scalp and up until recently I was a total product junkie, dry shampoo, serums, oils, heat protection spray you name it, it went on, so there was no question that this was the one that I should try.

This shampoo contains extracts of lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon and sandalwood, all of which are designed to cleanse, detoxify and stimulate the hair and the scalp. As you would expect the smell of this was amazing. Even before I'd opened the jiffy bag it came in I could smell a strong, natural, eucalyptus aroma. I have to say it took all my strength not to use this as an great, morning invigorating body wash but I was good and just used it on my hair.

The shampoo itself was colourless, and had quite a viscous texture. As you would expect from a SLS /SLES free shampoo, you didn't get lots and lots of lather, but it produced quite a creamy foam, that was easy to work though and rinse from the hair. This shampoo left my hair and scalp feeling squeaky clean but not stripped or dry. My hair was left feeling fresh and bouncy but I personally felt that I did need a little bit of conditioner on the ends.

I can't say in the long term whether or not this shampoo helped with hair growth but it certainly left my hair and scalp feel refreshed and comfortable and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is feeling a bit meh about their own shampoo or who wants to switch to a more natural brand. The main reason I would recommend this product surprise, surprise is because of the smell, the scent was so invigorating I can imagine that this would be the ideal product to use when your feeling a lit bit fluey or under the weather, or if your need a bit of a wake up call in the morning. For a natural and organic product I don't think that this shampoo is priced too badly either. The Naturalmente Rosemary and Lavender Shampoo retails at £2.60 for a 50ml bottle which easily lasted me a couple of weeks and its just £9 for a 250ml bottle.

Naturalmente Conditioner with Fruit Acids

There are about 4 accompanying hair conditioners in the Naturalmente line and again I went for the one that was most suitable for a dry, itchy scalp. The Naturalmente Conditioner With Fruit Acids is also their most versatile and the one that's generally recommended for all hair types.

It's designed specifically for detangling and moisturising and contains extracts and essential oils of both mint and orange, and well as mango, lemon and menthol, to moisturise and revitalise the scalp.

The smell on this one is a little bit strange at first you definitely get a bit of the citrus but you also get a bit of mint and quite a big hit of  menthol. I've been thinking about what the smell reminds me of and I've finally decided that it reminds me of some cough medicine that I once had when I was tiny. Odd I know but there would definitely have been a bit of menthol in there and some fruit to make it a bit more child friendly so I guess it kind of makes sense :)

The conditioner itself is quite thick and the further and further I get down the bottle the harder it is to get out without adding a little bit of water. That said though despite being quite thick it's also very creamy and quite lightweight and it takes hardly any effort to massage it in to damp hair. It instantly feels quite cooling on the hair and scalp probably down to the menthol.

It rinses away easily and the hair is left feeling fresh, clean and dare I say it a bit more revitalised. I don't think that this conditioner would be suitable if your hair was very dry or very damaged, there are probably better conditioners in the range for that but if you want a good everyday, natural, conditioner that detangles and leaves the scalp and hair feeling clean, moisturised, and refreshed then this could be something to try. Again the prices are good with the Naturalmente Conditioner with Fruit Acids retailing again at £2.60 for a 50ml bottle which will easily last me about a month, and just £9 for a 250ml bottle.

I've really enjoyed using both of these products, and in particular the shampoo. To be honest I think this range was just what I needed at the moment, the all natural ingredients were gentle and did the job without causing any more damage or irritation to my poorly locks. I know a lot of people are leaning towards SLS and SLES free shampoos now and if that's you, then this new natural brand on the block could be a one to try. You can find more about the brand on their own website here and the salons in which it's stocked, and you can buy online here via the Gentle Bodycare website x Do your prefer to use shampoos without SLS or SLES? Leave me a comment and let me know x 

(*Press Sample)