Scrubbing Up - Soap and Glory Flake Away

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I haven't talked about body products on my blog for a while and so today I thought I'd talk about one of my favourites since in summer (i.e. when people are more likely to see parts of my body that are not my hands and face) I am much more inclined to crack out as many lotions and potions as possible to make myself look fabulous.

Oh also quick disclaimer: I feel like I'm seeming summer obsessed on my blog right now but if any of you come from England (particularly the north) and are experiencing the amazing heatwave right now then I think you can see where I'm coming from.

Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub
I was thinking retro packaging, wood panelling...did it work I don't know?

I was away all of last week with some friends and we ended up in a Boots, already a dangerous situation for someone like me to be in, inevitably I ended up buying beauty products (all for you guys to have reviewed of course) and one of which was a repurchase of the Soap & Glory Flake Away body scrub. I first bought this ages ago but then it ran out and (what can I say I'm lazy) I just never got round to buying another one till last week but seriously this is my favourite body scrub of all time!

I've used other scrubs, notably the Body Shop sugar scrub (which is also really good) and some other Soap & Glory ones but for me this knocks them out of the park. This scrub contains sea salt and sugar and is a little bit 'chunkier', for lack of a better word, than the Body shop scrub so the actually scrubbing particles (being so technical here) seem to stick around longer before dissolving down. I like this because if I am going to use a scrub I want to feel like I'm actually scrubbing the dead skin away but at the same time I have quite sensitive skin so overly abrasive scrubs can be a bit painful.

Soap & Glory Flake Away Body Scrub
The texture is a bit more jelly like than some other scrubs I've tried

Also, as seems to be the way with all Soap & Glory products we have to talk about the smell. As I say I've tried other scrubs by the brand and have stood there smelling each type to see which one to pick and this one is always my favourite! The smell is sweet without smelling like candy and is the standard Soap & Glory scent that is in their other products such as Hand Food and The Scrub Of Your Life.

Overall I would say a great product which boasts ingredients such as sweet almond oil and shea butter, it leaves my skin feeling really soft and paired with a good body butter makes my skin look amazing after I've been using it. Also if the actual product itself isn't enough it's slogan that 'He'll never know you've been flaking it' might give you a little chuckle in your morning shower.

Have you tried this product?? Are there any body scrubs you would recommend??

Chocolate Cravings - Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer

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It's that time of year when the sun is shining, the birds are singing and I am still as pale as a pale thing can be that has an extra special reason to be pale. I guess it's like my mum always says I'm just pale and interesting (well hopefully rather than pale and boring). But since the weather in theory is nicer and summery...er, (though as I type this the sun is hidden behind some worryingly dark clouds) I don't want to be pale and interesting I want to be a beautiful bronze goddess (i.e. regular me with a tan).


The only trouble with me is that I am terrified of fake tan, I'm not even sure why, I think I'm just worried I'll come out the other side looking more like a satsuma than the bronze goddess mentioned previously. Because of this fear bronzer is my only way to tan up in the summer without the aid of any actual sunlight.


The Bourjois chocolate bronzer is a bit of a cult classic and is often raved about in the beauty blogosphere so I knew I wanted to try it out. As usual we have to start talking about the packaging; it looks like chocolate and - is this just me? - it smells like chocolate too so straight off the bat what is not to love? Plus I like how they make the little box look like a storybook and it feels sturdy so I'd be ok traveling with it.



Now onto the actual bronzer (yes I'm impressed by how quickly I got through the packaging too). As some of you may know I'm a reacent contouring convert and, although sadly I'm not all that good at it yet (I'm still too terrified of the dark streaks across my face that I blend it to the ultimate subtlety), I can tell a good bronzer because it makes my novice life a hell of a lot easier, and this product does just that.



The colour is warm and not too orangey, it blends like an absolute dream and, although there is a slight shimmer to it that doesn't really come out when you contour. However if you want an all over bronze instead this will do wonders for you too. The shimmer really comes into its own when you dust this all over the face, it doesn't glitter or give you any added sparkle but it just gives your skin a lovely sheen that makes you look glowing.

As you might be able to tell I love this product so much and I can clearly understand why it is the cult classic that it is. Have any of you guys tried this product? Did you love it as much as me???

Top 6 Nail Polishes For Summer

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When it turns to summer nail polish seems to go from being a thing you occasionally do to a necessity! You see your chipped toenails peaking through your sandals and wonder where you went wrong in life and suddenly that bubblegum pink lipstick just can't be worn with your favourite dress because you haven't got the nail varnish to match.

Ok so it's not really all that big of a deal but I do feel like nail polish comes into it's own in the summer because there are suddenly no rules; its not about those rich, dark autumn winter colours or the pretty pastels of spring its about being as loud and bold or as demure and neutral as you like. It may not surprise you to discover that I am in the loud and bold category when it comes to summer
polish but I thought I'd show you what my favourite polish pics for summer are!

Clockwise from top left; Gold Mine, Passion Fruit, Papaya, Teal the Cows
Come Home, Mint Candy Apple, Pearly Blue Peacock

- M&S Limited Collection Metallic Polish in Gold Mine: this colour is a perfect silvery, goldy, shimmery neutral. I think it is perfect for those days when you want to wear something really simple and feel like a natural summer beauty with just that little something extra. It doesn't have great staying power though so I would recommend using with a good top coat.

- Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints in Passion Fruit and Papaya: these polishes are extremely shiny (in case you hadn't guessed from the name) but are also really thick which is something you have to bear in mind when applying them so that you don't have to wait forever for your nails to be dry. However they last for ages and the colours are gorgeous! Passion fruit is the perfect orangey toned red that's really bold but just screams summer while Papaya is a much more understated yet equally summery peachy colour which looks great with just about anything.

- O.P.I Nail Lacquer in Teal the Cows Come Home: This was my very first O.P.I nail polish and I think it is perfect for summer! The colour is the same blue as the sea in tropical countries and I just think it looks like a beach holiday, its just gorgeous, plus I really like the formula.

- Essie Nail Lacquer in Mint Candy Apple: a cult classic, this polish is just so cute and I love the mint colour so much. I'm a fan of the mint dress so I have a couple I love to crack out in summer and this polish just matches perfectly.

- Kiko Nail Lacquer in Pearly Blue Peacock: similar to Teal the Cows Come Home I love this polish because it reminds me of the sea and the sand and holidays when I look at it. Being a sparkly blue polish with golden undertones this is more jazzy than the O.P.I one and if I just want to dazzle this is the polish I would reach for this summer.

So there you go my favourite polishes for this summer! What are your favourites??

Smoothies In The Summer

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I've been loving the recent sunshine so much! Nothing is better than relaxing out in the garden with a good book, some music, my snazzy new sunglasses and a lovely summery drink.



When it comes to the summer my drinks always become so OTT, I'm all about the straws, the cocktail umbrellas, the funky glasses and my light up flashing ice cubes (seriously its like Vegas in a glass). However on a much more classy front I've been dying to make these mason jar sippy cups since the very first time I saw them! They are just really cool and quirky and perfectly fit my summer drink desires as they are portable and so perfect for taking with you on walks or picnics or (if you're much less active like me) sitting on a lounger out in the sun.



Making the sippy cups is really easy (let's face it I can do it) what you will need is:

- A mason jar
- A rubber washer
- Water resistant glue (make sure it is ok to use with food and drink)
- A drill
- A straw

To make the jars...
1. Measure your straw against the washer to make sure the straw will fit through
2. Then just remove the screw top and the lid and mark the centre of the lid
3. Drill a hole in the lid on that centre mark that is the size of the hole in your washer
4. Wash the washers to make sure they are sanitary
5. Carefully apply the glue to the perimeter of the hole on the metal side of the lid then glue your washer on to make sure that the metal doesn't cut you when you wash your sippy cup
6. Leave the glue to set then glue a washer to the other side if there is sharp metal exposed (there wasn't for me so I didn't)
7. Once all the glue is set you can put your summer beverage into your sippy cup



Me and my mum made strawberry, raspberry and ginger smoothies which were absolutely delicious and I would definitely recommend - you can find the recipe on her blog here. I hope you guys are all enjoying your summer too!

Q&A Tag

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So this morning I woke up, checked my comments and was delighted to see that the lovely Keighly Kerr from her blog Keighly had tagged me to do this post! If I'm honest I'm a little too excited about this since in the blogging world I feel a little bit like the new girl with no friends and this is like someone asking me to have lunch with them! Totally thinking about Mean Girls now...

Anyway after that rather random start lets start on the questions!

What is your current fashion obsession?
I kind of covered this question off in my June favourites my current fashion obsession has got to be my sunglasses from Topshop, even if since I've come home I haven't had much opportunity to wear them (damn you Northern summer!!)


What is your current makeup obsession?
Since I saw the poster for the Mac collaboration collection with Lorde I so so so want to try out a purple lip it just looks gorgeous so I guess that's what I'm obsessed with right now!

What are you wearing today?
Well (this is embarrassing) I don't know exactly what I will be wearing today because I'm not out my pjs yet, I was just so excited to write this post I had to do it straight away (but don't worry I will be all ready by the time this post goes out!)

Hair?
Well at the minute it is a dishevelled mess but I'll wash and straighten it when I'm finished writing this so it'll be all good...maybe...

Do you nap a lot?
Is it just me who thinks this is the most bizarre question??? Anyway no I do not I'm quite a heavy sleeper so if I was to try and nap I'd be there for hours and not sleep of a night time.

Why is today special?
I want to say because I got tagged to do this but that is just a whole new level of sadness so instead I will say because it is one of my friends 20th birthday (aren't I cute!)

What would you like to learn to do?
I would love to learn to actually play an instrument! In my life I've had lessons to learn; the violin, the keyboard, the guitar and I attempted to teach myself the recorder (which I think was just painful for everyone involved). Despite all this however I can't actually play anything so there you go. On a more practical note I would like to learn website design because since my last foray that I mentioned briefly in this post I've been too afraid to attempt it again in case I have a similarly nightmarish experience.

What's for tea?
Chicken and chorizo (mmmm). If you'd like to see more of what I have for tea (I mean who wouldn't) my mum writes an amazing food blog that I steal recipes off all the time so you could always go check that out! :-)

I love my mum's soba noodles!

What are you listening to right now?
Well right this second nothing because I find it difficult to concentrate and listen to music. However the music I'm listening to at the minute (and please bear in mind I have quite a varied music taste) is:
- Going to Hell by the Pretty Reckless (my favourite song is House On A Hill)
- Young the Giant's new album Mind Over Matter (my favourite song is It's About Time)
- Electra Heart by Marina And The Diamonds (just a favourite album of mine I love all the songs!)
So there you go.

What is your favourite weather?
I'm a summer baby so I love it when its warm and the sun is shining and I can crack out my summer dresses!

What was the last thing you bought?
So super excited for this but I bought the Naked 3 palette and I can't wait to use it today! Of course a review will be up on here at some point in the near future.

So pretty!

What are your essentials when traveling?
Err, this one is actually quite hard now I think about it...I would say my iPad and iPhone for definite, makeup wipes because I am even more lazy on holiday and good people because no one likes to travel on their own (sorry for the slightly cheesy end there folks).

What's your style?
I would say I just wear the stuff I think is nice and goes together so I don't know if I fit into a particular style category...I realise this does not help.

What is your most challenging goal at the minute?
I realise this isn't a very profound goal but its the truth: trying to book holidays for the summer (and yes I know how last minute it is).

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished, anywhere in the world, where would it be?
I'd love to say somewhere warm by the sea but in actuality if I could have such an amazing house I'd have it in the same town as my uni so I could live there with my flatmates and actually enjoy it a lot of the time!

Favourite vacation (holiday for us English folk) spot?
Florida! 100%. We used to go there every year when I was younger and I am desperate to go back (yes I am still a little kid).

Name the things you cannot live without...
Food, water...but seriously probably friends, family, my grumpy cat Sooty; those kinds of things.



How was your childhood?
Seriously what kind of question is this? But it was good thanks for asking.

What would you like to have in your hands right now?
Totally have to agree with Keighly's answer and say a winning lottery ticket!

What would you like to get rid of?
Sprouts.

What are you most excited for?
Going away with my friends!

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour where would you go?
Well since an hour isn't really long enough to enjoy a gorgeous part of the world I'd go visit my uni flatmates Anna and Josie because I miss them (sorry to be cheesy again guys what is wrong with me?)

What countries have you visited?
France (so, so, so many times), Holland, USA, Spain, Scotland, Croatia, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy and Belgium.

So that's the end of the questions! I hope you liked hearing a little bit more about me 

I'm Back! - June Favourites

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So first off I'm sorry I've been gone for nearly two months *ashamed face* I didn't realise when I went back to uni just how busy I was going to be; working full days with some weeks where I barely had time to sleep! I'm back though and I thought a good way to cover some of the beauty ground since my last post would be to tell you my monthly favourites!

My favourites

This past month has been a strange one for me because I'm the kind of person who likes to get up a little bit earlier in order to have the time to get ready at my own pace, stare into the distance between spoonfuls of cereal, sing a whole host of songs in the shower and spend time getting my makeup just right. However with being so busy I've been sleeping as late as possible in an attempt to get my 8 hours every night and as a result this month my beauty routine has been about being speedy as much as anything else.

Also the weather has been gorgeous! This has been my first year of experiencing southern summer and it has just been great! Who knew what us northerners where missing out on?? I won't pretend that I haven't felt a certain sense of glee telling my parents just how sunny and warm it is on the phone when they've been stuck inside because of the rain. This lovely weather has made me feel even more summery than I already am anyway and so I've been much more inclined towards colour and brightness in my makeup than I would otherwise normally be.

So without anymore rambling lets get into the favourites!

1. On the bright summer colours theme I have been loving the MUA blushers. I read a really good review of them and decided I had to give them a go and then when I realised they were only £1 each I decided to get my three favourite colours (because Superdrug had 3 for 2 on making it only £2 all together *happy dance*). The blushers are really pigmented which is great and they are really compact for carrying around too which makes them convienient. The only downside I can find is that the texture is a little power but for less than £1 each that doesn't bother me. I also can't say they have great staying power but I have trouble making blush stay on my face anyway since I can't seem to stop touching my face throughout the day.

MUA blush in marshmallow
MUA blush in marshmallow

My favourite of the three I bought is marshmallow because it's this really cool toned pink that goes amazingly well with my much loved Sleek lipstick that I am wearing in this post. I also think it's just a really nice bright colour to wear on the cheeks in the summer time.

2. Carrying on this summer colours thing I absolutely adore this lipstick. Was it just me who watched Made in Chelsea way back when and coveted the beautiful tanned glow and orangey lips that all the girls wore (I think in season 2 or 3) either way I really wanted to try it then and then wasn't brave enough but when I saw this lipstick from Kiko Velvet Mat Satin Lipstick in Bright Orange I was reminded of my Made in Chelsea loving days and just had to have it.

Kiko Velvet Mat Satin Lipstick in Bright Orange
Yes I risk putting my lipstick in the grass for you

The packaging is so cool with the gold coloured K motif on the lid and then the fact that you have to push down on the bottom to release the lipstick its very futuristic and cool and I just am such a sucker for it. Also I think the lipstick is fantastic. It is a matte formula and like a lot of matte formulas I find it to be a little bit drying but I think it stays on the lips really well and the colour is just so wearable and I get so many compliments on it because it is a little bit unusual but it actually isn't too out there and looks gorgeous with that Made in Chelsea tan.

3. Because my eye makeup tends to be the thing that I spend the most time on I've been staying away from my powder eyeshadows where the danger is always that I would have 5 mins before I had to be out the door and then go 'Ooh actually I've never tried this shadow in the crease before', mess it up and either leave looking like a panda, or more likely, leave 20 mins late having just redone my makeup.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze
Maybelline Colour Tattoo in on and on bronze

 Therefore I've been using my trusty Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze that I've had for ages and it has kept me nicely in check. It's a great cream shadow because it lasts for ages, which has been especially helpful for me when I've been doing really long days, its so easy to just apply with your finger and if you blend it out with just a generic, neutral crease colour, like I have bee doing, it's just so quick and it looks like you've put in way more effort than you have which is exactly what we want with makeup right??

4. I just need to pause to enjoy the name of my next favourite; the Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick from Soap & Glory in Nudist. This is another product I'be had for a while but this one just never had it's day in the sun (no pun intended - it makes more sense in a minute) until now, largely because soon after I bought it I left it in my bag in a hot car, came back and found it had partially melted all over the pocket which of course was a barrel of laughs.

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker
And again risking lip products in the grass for you

That little incident aside I love this product and don't know how it lived unloved at the back of my lipstick drawer for so long. The formula is just a teeny bit sticky (but I kinda like that) and it is majorly glossy like to the extent it looks like you've actually applied lipgloss. Plus being a fan of colours as opposed to nudes I am surprised how much I enjoy the colour of Nudist which is almost a your lips but better kind of shade that I actually think looks quite flattering on me. Also this is another really easy product to use as it just glides on and, although it won't stay all day, it isn't obvious when it has faded a bit because it is a nude colour and its really easy to reapply on the go.

5. Maybe this is the month of rediscovering old things I don't know but I have loved this SteamCream moisturiser for ages. I stopped using it in the winter because it is quite a heavy moisturiser and I would wake up feeling like my face was majorly oily so I switched to a much lighter one. However now the weather is so much warmer my skin was becoming a bit dull and dry so I switched back and this has just injected a bit of a sheen (but not oiliness) back into my skin which is lovely especially since its summer and you kind of want that look even more in summer. Plus the tin is just gorgeous! They were supposed to be limited edition but I think mine is still available. Also the ingredients list is vegan and all natural which is great if your skin is as sensitive as mine too!

SteamCream
The flowers look so at home!

6. I was going to do 5 favourites and I realise this post is already really long and your mind has drifted somewhere else by now or you've switched off and are just staring blankly at the screen but please stay with me for this favourite because I love it! I am a glasses/contacts wearer day to day so when the sun comes out I've never been drawn to sunglasses because either you wear them instead of your glasses, in which case you can't see, or you go to the effort of contacts meaning you don't have to wear glasses only to put glasses on which seems kind of counter productive. That was until I saw these babies from Topshop!

Topshop Sunglasses
Love these glasses so much!

I think they really suit my face shape while not being too similar to my day to day glasses which I think is nice because if I go to the effort of buying sunglasses I don't want it to look like I just got my regular glasses tinted. Plus I think the tortoise shell effect is so cute!

Well thats the end of my favourites! If anyone read this far thank you I will love you forever and I also want to say thanks for sticking with me despite my elongated absence *hangs head in shame again*. If you've tried any of these products did you love them too? Also is there anything you've been loving this month I should try? Please let me know!

P.S
My naughty kitty cat Sooty kept getting in the way of my photos. I think he wanted to try the products out for himself too!