What's inside my handbag?

Recently, I've seen a lot of bloggers posting about the everyday necessities that reside within their handbags - the things they truly cannot live without. So I thought I would give it a go...

I personally can't live without....

1. My diary slash organizer - without it I would be seriously lost. Unlike a lot of my generation, I lack the ability to double up my phone as an organiser. I need to see each day and date set out on a page in front of me to have any hope of being in the right place at the right time, and even then it's a struggle. Relying on good old fashioned pen and paper may sound slightly outdated but trust me, in my world it is a complete necessity.

Plus I just love the pretty designs! 

2. Lip balm - because there really is nothing worse than the look or feel of dry, chapped lips. Plus you never know, today might just be the day you end up in lip-locked passion with that barman you've been hooked on for like ever... I'll admit it''s unlikely, but a girl can dream can't she?

Love this! It's hand made and comes from my home town...

3. Note pad and pen. You never know when you may need to jot something down - be it a business contact or the number of the local answer to Ryan Gosling, a note pad and pen really are as essential as wearing matching underwear on a first date.
4. A can of Dove. This cucumber and green tea scented deodorant spray is nothing less than a handbag essential (for obvious reasons).
5. A bottle of non-chip nail varnish. I don't know what it is about carrying around a bottle of the shiny stuff but knowing I have the ability to top up my nails wherever and whenever I want gives me a strange sense of comfort. I'll admit I do suffer from a slight case of chip-a-phobia, who knows, maybe it's something to do with that...

6. Hairbrush. My hair has to be the most frustrating hair on the planet, it has the most annoying and unnatural tendency to tangle... as in, within five minutes of being brushed. It really isn't normal. Hence a hairbrush is more than necessary, unless of course I fancy the birds nest look... I think it may be time to invest in a tangle teaser!
7. My iphone. If I'm being honest, I've always been a bit of a technophobe, even the most simplistic of technology ends up confusing me (I think I inherited my lack of love for technology from my mother, who at age 45 is still unable to use the internet or a computer). But there's something different about the iphone, the minute I laid eyes on it I just knew we were going to get along, and for once I was actually right. It's simple and easy to use, in fact I fell so deeply in love with it that I persuaded (aka bullied) my mother into getting one of her own.

It really is stunning....

8. My make-up bag. I'm one of these people who more often than not, ends up being late, so carrying around my make-up makes life a hell-of-a-lot easier. Many girls my age would squeal with horror at what I'm about to say...but I tend to leave the house bare faced, completely free of make-up pretty much everyday and it's only if I get a spare minute that I'll slap a little colour onto my face.

9. My purse - kind of obvious but totally necessary. I mean without my Starbucks loyalty card, oh and of course my debit card, where would I be? ... Gingerbread-latte-less.

Here we go again...

Hello lovely people, 

It's been a few months since I last blogged - time really does fly, doesn't it? I can't believe how quickly time has gone. Anyway, the important thing is that I am back. And, I have some big news to share... 

Anyone who knows me will know that while I have spent the last few years living in Cheltenham, I have always wanted to return to my hometown in Devon. And finally, after a lot of convincing, I have managed to get my wonderful other half to agree. So, in just three weeks time - eek, I will be moving back to Devon with my partner, four cats, and our new addition, Monty the dog. 

Meet Monty!

Admittedly, we aren't moving back to my actual home town, but one of the neighboring ones instead.  We will be living within half an hour of two major cities, and best of all, will be living just 40 minutes from the beach. 

Over the next few weeks, you will probably notice a few changes to the blog. I have decided to mix things up a little bit and add in a few new sections. I am also hoping to do a few collaborations with other bloggers - fingers crossed. 

In case you were wondering about my wedding plans, they are currently on hold. Weddings are expensive, we haven't even started saving up yet! But when the time comes, I will make sure to keep you posted. 

Make sure to keep an eye out for all my new posts. I promise, from now on, there will be regular content going up. I got a little side tracked back there, but I now I'm back for good. 

I'll be back soon with more...Watch this space!

Birchbox Review: Laqa & Co Lip Lube Pencils

 

As a new Birchbox blogger when I found out that I had been chosen to review Laqa & Co.'s Lip Lube Pencils, it's safe to say I was absolutely over the moon! I presumed I would be reviewing just one of the two Lip Lube Pencils, but when one of each colour arrived in the post I couldn't have been happier!

 

As my regular readers will be aware, lipstick and lip gloss are two products that I have never been able to get my head around - whilst I love the look on other people, bright, bold, glossy lips have never looked quite right on me. Perhaps it is my pale skin tone or strangely narrow lips, but for some reason lipstick never ends up applying quite right, whilst lip gloss leaves me in a sticky mess, and so I have always been a lip balm girl. However, the problem with lip balms tends to be the lack of colour, yes they are easy to apply, and yes they are amazing moisturisers, but where's the fun in a lip balm? After all, a little bit of colour never goes amiss - and that is where these *amazing* pencils come in!

 

 

 

When initially applying the lip pencils, the very first thing I noticed about them was how light and moisturising they felt on my lips, leaving me incredibly surprised at how glossy and lipstick-like the peppermint and shea butter formula actually looked. After trying out both colours I found that they both stayed on my lips for two to three hours before a quick top-up was needed, however with the easy twist up pencil, applying a new coat whilst out and about couldn't have been simpler, making the pencils just perfect for everyday wear.

 

 Of the two colours, I initially thought that the purple tone of Menatour would look far too bright with my pale skin tone, however by just applying a light coating the pencil gave my lips a gorgeous pinky hue that would work perfectly for a special occasion or a night out. The subtle colour of the Bees Knees makes it perfect for day to day use, it's coral hue making it work well with any skin tone.  

 

 

 



Overall, I absolutely love these two lips pencils, they're beautifully coloured, easy to apply and best of all, stay on for long periods of time, making them a must-have for any beauty blogger!

The Recipe Read - Avocado for Breakfast

Although I normally tend to stick to sweet recipes for my baking series, The Recipe Read, I just couldn't resist sharing this super healthy and incredibly simple breakfast recipe...

After realizing that I had completely run out of eggs - my preferred Sunday breakfast choice, I came across a pack of avocados I had completely forgotten about and got to thinking how I could use them for my breakfast. However, with the obvious choice of in a smoothie out the window due to the fact I recently broke my blender and have not yet replaced it, I realised I would need to be a little more creative... After some quick recipe hunting I came across this perfect recipe and couldn't wait to try it out!

For this yummy breakfast you will need:

1 medium avocado
A handful of plum or cherry tomatoes
2 slices of multi-grain bread (I chose to use multi-grain sour dough)
1 lime
Salt & Pepper

You will also need:

A chopping board
A fork
A sharp knife

Method:

Begin by slicing the avocado in half, peeling it and then thinly slicing it.

Place the bread in the toaster.

Slice the tomatoes in half and mash up the avocado slices ready to spread onto the toast.

Once the toast has popped up, top with the mashed avocado, add a squeeze of lime juice and salt and pepper to taste, then top with the sliced tomatoes.

Plate up and enjoy!


*disclaimer: this recipe originally came from thekitchn.com

Review: Forever Aloe Scrub

I was recently approached about becoming a distributor for health and beauty brand Forever Living, a company that until a couple of months ago, I had never heard of. Before making any decisions I decided to try out a few of the products and do a little bit of background research, especially as I knew I wouldn't feel comfortable talking/blogging about products that I don't believe in.

However, after borrowing and trying out a few of a friends products, I was totally in-love and completely hooked! I found out that all the products contain Aloe Vera, and that unlike other Aloe Vera brands, Forever is the only company in the world to use pure Aloe Vera in its products, with many other brands using the leaf and other parts of the plant as well as the pure juice. By using only pure Aloe Vera, each of the Forever products are packed full of nutrients, vitamins and all natural goodness and are perfect for use on all skin types.

Forever's Aloe Scrub has to be one of my favourite Aloe products, the clever formula contains a mixture of Aloe Vera gel and all-natural microspheres of jojoba, making it perfect for gentle cleansing. Plus, with all-natural microspheres instead of the plastic-based ones found in many exfoliating products, this product is sea-life friendly and will dissolve before making its way into the sea.

Unlike facial scrubs that contain chemicals and synthetic cleansers, the all-natural Aloe Scrub protects the skin from any drying or damaging effects whilst gently lubricating and conditioning the skin, making it perfect for anyone who suffers from dry skin. Aloe Vera also has natural antibacterial qualities so if you suffer from spots or acne this face scrub is also ideal for helping to prevents breakouts!

As someone who suffers from eczema I am always wary about what I will try on my skin as there really is nothing worse than a facial eczema flare-up! As the Aloe Scrub is all natural and free of chemicals I was more than happy to try it, especially as friends of mine had mentioned just how good it is for helping to prevent facial eczema, and boy am I glad I did - since trying out the Aloe Scrub my facial eczema rarely makes an appearance, gone are the days of sore, dry and itchy skin.

Now, you may not know this but Aloe Vera has natural antibacterial qualities, making it perfect for using to help prevent spots and more serious break-outs.

My first experience trying out the Aloe Scrub was an interesting one; when I first felt the scrub its texture seemed almost drying and gritty compared to other face scrubs, however once I had applied the scrub to my face I was astounded by just how moisturising it really was, my skin felt seriously smooth and silky - this is when I fell in love!

If you would like to give Aloe Face Scrub a try you can buy it online here, or alternatively tweet, Facebook or email me for some more information.

The Recipe Read - Homemade Fro Yo

As I am still in training for my 10K Race for Life event next month, I thought I would make this week's recipe read a nice and healthy(ish) one. After some thought and consideration about the perfect recipe, I decided on homemade Frozen Yogurt as not only is it healthy and packed full of fruit, it is also a perfect treat for the gorgeous Summer weather we have recently been having!

With so many recipes for Frozen Yogurt, I honestly couldn't decide which fabulous concoction to try first, however I eventually settled on a yummy sounding Strawberry recipe* that was not only simple and easy to do, but also did not require an ice cream maker, which considering the fact I don't have one, was rather fortunate.

To create this delicious treat you will need:

455 grams of fresh Strawberries
85 grams of Caster Sugar
160 grams of Greek Yogurt
1 tsp of fresh Lemon juice
Sprinkle of Xanthan Gum (optional)

You will also need:

A set of measuring scales
1 large mixing bowl
A blender
Wooden spoon
Clingfilm
Freezable container

Method:

Begin by slicing the strawberries into thin pieces.

Then place the strawberries in the mixing bowl with the sugar, stirring until the sugar begins to dissolve. Cover with Clingfilm and leave to stand at room temperature for an hour.

Place the strawberry and sugar mixture into the blender, add the yogurt, fresh lemon juice and Xanthan Gum if using. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

Place the mixture in the fridge to chill for one hour.

After an hour place the mixture into the freezable contain and place in the freezer. Be sure to check mixture regularly, stirring every 40 minutes to help stop ice crystals forming and ruining the texture.

Once fully frozen, remove from freezer, serve and enjoy.

Helpful hint: although the Xanthan Gum is optional, it thickens the mixture and gives it a better texture, preventing ice crystals from forming. For anyone without an ice cream maker, Xanthan Gum is an excellent buy, available from Whole Foods and Sainsbury's.


*Disclaimer: this recipe originally came from twopeasandtheirpod.com but has been modified for use without an ice cream maker.

Review: L'oreal Paris Skin Perfection Day Moisturiser

After receiving a free sample pack of L'Oreal's new Skin Perfection Day Moisturiser from the good people at Cosmopolitan, I decided to write up a little review.

Aimed at women in their 20s and 30s, the new L'Oreal Skin Perfection Range aims to perfect skin quality by transforming its appearance; blurring pores, evening out skin tone and leaving skin texture smooth and hydrated.

When applying the moisturiser I found that it was easy to apply, soaking in quite quickly without leaving any sticky or oily residue, giving a matte look finish once dried - perfect for wearing alone, or ideal as a base for applying foundation.

As someone who suffers from Eczema and sensitive skin, I sometimes find that moisturisers can leave my skin looking red and feeling sore; however with L'Oreal's Skin Perfection Moisturiser this wasn't the case, instead it left my skin feeling smooth and fresh.

If you would like to try this product, it is available to buy here!