Wilkonsons Sweet Vanilla and Honey Bath Foam

I don't visit my local Wilkinsons very often but I found myself in there today to pick up some cheap uni essentials like pens and paper, and I noticed they had a special offer of buy any of their scented bubble baths for £1.50 and I was quite intrigued, so I picked up two, Sweet Vanilla & Honey and Fruity Berry. 

I love relaxing bubble baths but recently I never find the time to really relax and have one, but where I've been quite ill recently I thought it was about time I pampered myself a bit. When I do have bubble baths I usually prefer to use Soap and Glory products so it was interesting to see how a cheaper alternative compared. 

The scent of the Bath Foam is very true to it's namesake, it is incredibly sweet without being too overbearing and the scent lingered for quite a while afterwards. I found myself using approximately a third of the bottle as I tend to go a bit overboard when using bubble bath but for only £1.50 for two bottles I can definitely afford to! 

The amount of bubbles I got from this product was insane! The above picture is when my bath is about half filled so the bubbles probably doubled by the time my bath was full! Overall I don't think this is the be all and end all of bubble bath products as I much prefer my Lush Bubble Bars but for £1.50 this is definitely brilliant value for money and I will definitely be picking these up again, I can't wait to try the Fruity Berry alternative as I usually prefer fruity scents. 

Have you tried any Wilko's own brand body/bath products? What do you think? Let me know! X 

4 Weeks No Heat Challenge Result

At the beginning of the month I pledged to stop using heat on my hair for a month in order to give my hair a bit of a rest as well as attempt to get it in better condition. My introduction to the No Heat Challenge is here.

Overall I have really noticed the benefits of not using heat on my hair, as it appears to be much stonger and isn't breaking off as easily recently. I have also noticed that because I'm not using as many heat-related products such as sprays on my hair it isn't getting as dirty or greasy as quickly as before the challange. 

However there have been times where I have been tempted to straighten my hair. My hair is naturally quite frizzy and I would usually straighten my hair on a daily basis, so to go from everyday to not at all was quite challenging! However I think I have managed to figure out how to treat my hair better as a result of the challenge. 

I think I won't continue being as strict with my regime as some days I felt I really wanted to straighten my hair and it was so frustrating not being able to! But I do think I will definitely decrease the amount I straighten it as every day is a bit excessive! But this has given a chance to get into a new cycle of how to care for my hair better!

Despite originally planning to use the Lee Stafford Growth Range of hair care products after a bit of research I wasn't impressed with the negative reviews I had read so I decided to opt for a slightly cheaper alternative and I am incredibly impressed with the L'Oreal Elvive Triple Resist range. As well as this I also use the Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends mask once a week and I have noticed I'm not getting as many split ends since using which is great!



Have you tried the 4 weeks no heat challenge? Let me know how you got on! X 

The Big Back To Uni Collective Haul

Seeing as it is under a month to go until I begin my second year of my Psychology Degree I thought it was about time I get organised, to ensure I have everything I need for my studies. I've brought a few bits and pieces that I need as well as going through my own belongings to decide what I'll be needing. As I will be commuting to University this year I've tried to condense everything so I have everything I need without having to carry much! So I'm sharing with you a few things I've purchased, as well as things I already have that I will be putting to good use this academic year!

 A4 Lever Arch Files - Pink Polka Dot and Black Floral WHSmith, Cream Pattern Tesco

This year I am doing 3 full year modules so I've brought 3 bigger folders so I have one for each module so I am keep all my lecture slides and notes kept together. I tried this last year and I was so unorganised but I'm determined to keep everything tidy this year! 

A4 Folders - Bottom two WHSmith, Top Tesco

As well as 3 full modules I'm doing 6 half year modules, with 3 in the autumn term and 3 in the spring. Instead of buying loads of folders I've got 3 with the intention of recycling them so save on space!

Notebooks - Bottom 2 are WHSmith, Top is from Paperchase

I don't really know why I have so many Notebooks because most of the time I type my lecture notes, but I tend to pick up cute notebooks when I see them! I used the bottom two last year for uni so they're both half used but I'm going to use them for as long as possible.

The top one is brand new from Paperchase and I love the pattern on it, and it has 5 dividers on it so I might just carry this around with me when I need to.

Acer Netbook - £198 from gogodigital.co.uk

Although I have a full sized Laptop it is a bit of a chunker so I struggle to fit in it my bag with everything else and carry it around all day so I brought a Netbook for all Uni related purposes. It is so compact and light I can just chuck it in my bag and not have to worry about it being heavy. I only ever use it to type Lecture Notes on but it saves so much time. I'm quite OCD about my lecture notes so if i hand write them it takes forever for me to write them perfectly so a Netbook is a god send. Also love the super cute lilac colour!

Kobo eReader - £79.99 from WHSmith

Last year at Uni I borrowed my mum's eReader to download some of my favourite books onto, so I recently got my own. Before recently I only ever used it for books for leisure but I was having a look on eBook websites last night and I was able to download 3 books I use for university for free! Obviously this is a lot more convenient than carrying around a load of books so I will definitely be adding this to Uni Stash! 

Last year my University released an iPhone app for all students, and I never really took much notice of it until recently. It provides me with my timetable as well as syncing it to my phone calendar, gives me the contact details of any lecturer I may need to contact, as well as giving me up to date notifications through the online University system! This is a great idea and saves me having to check about any cancellations to lectures and what not!

I think with all of this I will definitely be more prepared for the upcoming year at University! Are you all organised to get back to your studies? X 

Bedroom Tour

Earlier this summer my parents very kindly redecorated my bedroom as I would be moving back from University, and I wanted a bedroom that reflects my personality, as well as allowing me somewhere to relax and work. As you will be able to see from my pictures my bedroom is incredibly small so I have to use the space I do have, but I hate clutter so things can get quite frustrating at times! 

Here is the view from when you enter my bedroom, as I said it is incredibly small and very narrow! I try to keep the floor as clear as possible, and try not to just chuck everything in random places, but old habits definitely die hard. For such a long time I had a really horrible bedroom that I hated so it is quite difficult to be strict in keeping my bedroom tidy. 

The first thing that people pay attention to in my bedroom is my wardrobe,which is quite big and takes up a lot of my space. The wardrobe was from Ikea for £80 and can be seen here. It provides so much space for everything and is actually so much bigger than I originally thought it would be. 

The baskets on top of my wardobe are from Matalan for £5 each and are available here. Two of them hold my flat shoes and the other holds all of my bags. The rest of my shoes are on one of the shelfs in the wardrobe. 

My noticeboard was a gift from Newlook last year and I don't believe it is still available but places such as Dunelm Mill and Wilkinsons sell similar things if you are interested. It holds some of my favourite pictures and I put reminders on it as and when I need to so I know I will always look at it! These are a selection of my favourite pictures but there's quite a few I want to add to it!

I was desperate to have a feature wall with a vintage floral pattern on it but I really struggled to find one I liked. I had my heart set on a Cath Kidston design but as I needed a few rolls of wallpaper for one wall I really couldn't justify spending so much money! A good friend of mine recommended eBay for wallpaper and I found this one and fell in love. The exact wallpaper is this one, but it comes in both a pale blue and pink colour too! 

I had my heart set on a unit similar to this, but I could only have a small one due to space issues. This is again from Ikea but I did cheat a little bit, for a unit which was 4x2 sqaures was something like £60 but 2x2 was only £19.99 so I brought two and put one on top of the other. The ones I have are these.

Again you will notice I have two of the baskets I mentioned above on this unit. One holds all my skincare bits such as moisturisers and things I don't have space for in my bathroom, and the other has haircare. As well as this my unit also holds some of my Living Dead Dolls, my Sky box, Psychology bits, Nail polishes, Netbook and some random DVD's and books.

On top of my unit I keep my important uni documents, it looks quite clean and organised at the moment but I'm sure it won't look this good in about a months time! It also holds my printer, iPod dock and favourite picture and perfume.

Next to my bed I have my bedside unit which holds everything I need close by. In the cubby hold in my bedside unit I have an old shoebox filled with 'everyday' uses such as face wipes, nail polish remover, cotton pads and things I usually use everyday so I know everything is close at hand when I need it. 

Next to my bin is my make up storage drawers. Mine is from WHSmith and the particular design is no longer available but they still do lots of other patterns.

I usually blog whilst laying on my bed as it's where I feel most comfortable. I have quite a thing for duvet sets and I like to change mine very regularly but the one I use most is the one shown, it is from Dunelm Mill and is available here. It is from the children's department but I think it feels in well with my bedroom. The top blanket is also from Dunelm Mill but is not shown on the website. I usually use it just to chuck over my duvet so my cats can lie on my bed without it getting covered in cat fur. 

My television was originally on the wall but it wasn't very secure and I haven't got round to fixing it yet but I quite like it where it is, it's the perfect place for cuddling up in bed and watching a film! 

My room is still not quite finished and there is still a lot I would like to get to make it a bit more personal and 'me' but I adore my bedroom and there's nothing I like more than spending time in my bedroom! What do you think of my room? X 

Face of the Day

I haven't really made much of an effort with my appearance recently because I've been quite poorly and I really missed experimenting with my make up! I had a bit of a rummage around in my make up drawers today to play with some make up I haven't used in a while!

Face 

Gosh Xceptional Wear Foundation in Porcelain - Review here

Rimmel Stay Matter Powder

Accessorize Highlighter 

17 Blusher in Nude - Review here

Eyes

Mua Heaven and Earth and Undressed Palettes - Review here

Blink + Go Mascara

MUA Brow Pencil in Brunette

Lips

MUA Lipstick Shade 9

I really like the combination of the Nude Blusher paired with the Accessorize Highlighter and it's a combination I will definitely be using more often in the future and I completely forgot I had this mascara until this morning so I will definitely be using this a lot more often too! 

What have you been wearing recently? X 

17 Blusher in Nude

Up until recently I always steered away from Nude tone blushers as I always assumed they would be too 'dark' for my naturally pale skin. Instead I opted for pale pink shades but I never really found anything that 'wowed' me. 

But whilst browsing the 17 make up stand in my local boots I was instantly taken by Nude, it's a more neutral tone than I usually go for but I felt for going for something a bit different without spending too much money in case I didn't like it, so this Blusher seemed ideal for me! 

This is the second 17 Blusher I own, the other being China Pink, which is a very cool toned pink, so I was familiar with the formula of this product beforehand, but decided to experiment with a shade I would never usually pay much attention to. 

This blusher has become a staple in my make up bag as I feel it is incredibly versatile. It is quite pigmented so a little goes a long way for a nice natural looking flush, yet can be built up for contouring without looking like it's been caked on! 

17 Blusher in Nude is available in Most Boots stores and Boots online for £3.49, and Boots are currently offering a free gift when you spend over £5.99 on 17 products! 

Have you tried any 17 blushers? What do you think of them? X 

OPI Skull and Glassbones

Skull and Glossbones is part of OPI's Pirates of The Caribbean Collection which was released in May 2011 to celebrate the release of On Stranger's Tides. At the time this was released I never really took notice of 'higher brand' nail polishes and I am deeply regretting that now as from researching this collection some of the shades look gorgeous, yet they are becoming increasingly difficult to hunt down, and I don't fully trust sites such as eBay for buying OPI polishes as it is notorious for bad quality fakes. 

Luckily whilst browsing my local TK Maxx I picked up this polish as part of a set (which also included my beloved Wocka Wocka) and I was pleased to be buying shades from two of my favourite collections. 

Skull and Glossbones can be described as quite a muted, neutral grey shade. After originally looking at the POTC Collection I would have said that this shade instantly stood out to me but after trying it on I was definitely sold on it. It's not a colour I would wear on a regular basis as I am a big fan of vivid, in your face nails, but it's a colour I would choose for more neutral look, and I have a lovely nail art planned starring this shade! 

I would love to test this shade against the silver shatter that was part of the POTC Collection as I think it would add a bit more depth and interest to the shade, but this is definitely a colour I would pick up for a a more subtle nail colour. 

Skull and Glossbones was part of the limited edition Pirates of the Caribbean set from OPI, and therefore is no longer readily available, but there are still a few floating around on amazon and ebay! 

Superdrug Tropical Cocktail Peel Off Mask

Superdrug have recently launched their own range of face masks, the complete range features a huge range of masks including deep self heating, exfoliating and my personal favourite, peel offs. I don't usually use face masks but I thought I would treat myself to one as my skin has been looking a little worse for wear recently. 

There are a total of 5 peel off masks (include one for men!) but I decided on the 'tropical cocktail' as I am a big fan of fruity scents. Upon opening this smelt very similar to coconut, but once applied the scent of  pineapple is more present. It's pleasant without being too overbearing and lasts on the skin once the mask has been removed. 

Superdrug Tropical Cocktail Peel Off Mask freshly applied

I'm not a big fan of this type of packaging as it can get quite messy to apply it to your face and I find I usually get it everywhere, but I suppose this is the most practical packaging possible. I found there was a generous amount of product, which allowed me to apply a thick layer on my face, as well as allowing me some left over for a swatch on my hand to show you what it's like. 

As you can see from the picture it's a pleasant yellow/orange colour which compliments the scent of the product, and the formula is quite thick but without being difficult to apply which I enjoyed. 

Superdrug Tropical Cocktail Peel Off Mask after approximately 40 minutes

Superdrug recommend leaving the mask on for about 20 minutes, but I left mine on while watching TOWIE to ensure it was fully dried, there's nothing worse than peeling off a face mask and still having wet patches! I could immediately feel it working on my skin, and after about 10 minutes you could feel it slightly tightening the skin but without being uncomfortable. I found once I removed the mask it was so simple. About 95% came off on one 'pull' which has never happened with a face mask before so I was highly impressed!

Overall I absolute love this face mask and I will definitely be repurchasing this again and again! I intend to also try the other peel off masks and see how they compare! I am a bit reluctant to try other types of masks as I don't like the hassle of getting it off afterwards but after such a positive experience with this one I am tempted to venture into other types of masks. The White Chocolate Mousse mask sounds very interesting and I can't wait to smell it! 

All of Superdrug's own brand face masks are a bargain price of 99p, and are currently on offer for 4 for the price of 3 - even more reason to pick up a selection! Have you tried any of their face masks? And what do you think of them? X  

Superdrug Haul

Hi Guys! Before I start I want to apologise for the lack of posts recently, I've been really poorly again, and after spending an afternoon in my local A&E yesterday I am offically drained! I've been giving a little while off from work to have a few days to relax and recover but I'm still not 100% and I've just wanted to sleep and mope around feeling sorry for myself! But I've cleared my day tomorrow in the hope to write lots of posts for you all!

On Tuesday I fancied treating myself to a few bits and pieces to give myself a little pamper session, I originally intended to go to Boots but they must have been doing a stock take or something, as there were staff everywhere and I could hardly move! 

L'oreal Elvive Triple Resist Shampoo and Conditioner and Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Mask 

I usually use the John Freida Damage Restore shampoo and conditioner but I've been interested in trying other brands. I originally intended to pick up the Lee Stafford Growth range but I couldn't get it anywhere so settled for the L'oreal shampoo and conditioner instead. I've used this once already and I'm already in love, so this may be a permanent addition.

I wanted to try a new hair mask to give extra protection to my hair, and as I am prone to split ends I decided to pick this up. I haven't used anything from Herbal Essences in years so looking forward to giving this a try!

Simply Pure Night Cream, Simple Face Wipes. Tropical Cocktail Face Mask

I picked up this Night Cream as I've been suffering from dry skin a lot recently so decided to give this a try, but due to feeling so poorly I haven't actually had a chance to try this yet so definitely looking forward to trying it! I've used the Simply Pure toner before and I was quite happy with it so looking to see how this compares.

I don't usually use face wipes unless I take my make-up off after a night out, but picked some up on a whim and these are the best I've used so far, they were a godsend last night after a day of ruined make up and lots of tears (mostly from having my blood taken, booo!)

I love love love this face mask, as you'll see in an upcoming review! Only picked the one up and I'm already regretting it. Peel off masks are my favourite because I'm gross like that but I'm going to pick up a lot more of these on my next Superdrug trip! 

Pretty Quick Nail Drying Spray

I used a Nail Drying Spray for the first time on Monday and I was quite impressed so I picked this one up because it was pretty cheap. Used it once already and my nails were dry almost instantly so I'm really impressed with this! Won't be using it all the time but it's great for nail art! 

A huge thank you for all the messages and tweets people are sending me wishing me well soon! Have you guys got anything from Superdrug recently? X

Results Day Ramblings!

So many of my lovely readers are dreading the date 16th August. For many it is 'the day' that decides where they will be heading in their immediate future, and that can be so daunting. This time last year I was so uncertain on where I would be and what I would be doing and it is such a horrible feeling, so I feel for you all! 

Whilst exams are important I must urge you all to try and not panic too much, I'm a great believer in hard work paying off, if you've put the time and effort into your exams it will be reflected in the piece of paper you will recieve!  (Unless you completely blag yourself through sixth form like I did!)
It's important to remember that if you don't get the results you were hoping for it is not the end of the world!  There are plenty of opportunities to re-sit any modules or exams you didn't perform well in. At AS level I got a really poor grade for Russian History and I had the opportunity to resit it twice, and I increased my grade a whole level (admittedly from a U to E!) 

If these are you're A2 results and they determine you're place at University then try to keep calm! I missed out on my offer for my firm university by 10 UMS marks and after a lot of phone calls and tears I managed to keep my place. If you aren't as lucky as I was there are opportunities to find a course you're interesting in through clearing, which really isn't as scary as it sounds! 

Above all the best advice I can give is don't worry too much, your teachers will provide you will all the advice you need and they are there to help! I'm sure you will all do brilliantly and I can't wait to hear all your stories! X 

OPI Wocka Wocka Muppets Collection

Wocka Wocka is a deep scarlet red offering as part of the OPI Muppets Collection, originally released last December. Despite being a big fan I never picked up any of the Muppets Polishes when they were originally available, which I now really regret, but whilst browsing TK Maxx recently I noticed they had a gift set of three OPI polishes for £11 so I decided to buy it and was thrilled to see that it included Wocka Wocka!

I am never usually drawn to red polishes but as I love the Muppets I thought I'd try it to see what it's like and I am offically in love! It's quite an intense berry shade which is unlike any reds I've tried before. The formula is of a high standard I've come to expect of OPI. I found that one coat provided enough coverage, and one coat is used in the below picture.   

Overall I am so impressed with this shade and it will definitely be appearing on my nails on a regular basis. I am currently wearing it with my Nails Inc Edinburgh Gate as an accent nail and they compliment each other perfectly. 

Wocka Wocka is no longer available to buy directly from OPI but it is available online, although I would stress the importance of trusting the seller if you were to purchase it. OPI has been known to be 'duped' and faked online, especially on eBay, and I don't want my lovely readers to be followed into buying a rip off product! 

MUA Heaven and Earth VS Undressed

I've recently become interested in the MUA palettes after seeing such positive reviews, so I thought I'd pick two of the most popular ones up, which are Heaven and Earth and Undressed. Both are neutral toned shadows which I usually tend to use for a day look. I have put them to the test to see which one wins the battle of the palettes! 

 Heaven and Earth is the original Neutral Palette from MUA and features a range of warm toned browns and cool beige and cream tones. These are perfect for a day time friendly eye look and create a lovely, less dramatic smokey eye in comparison to a traditional black smokey eye. 

However I feel that a lot of the shades in Heaven and Earth are very similar when applied, for example shade 4 and 9, which lets this palette down slightly for me. However I still feel this will earn a permanent place in my make up bag!

Since MUA's Undressed Palette has been released it has created a well earned reputation as a Urban Decay Naked Dupe and for good reason. All you have to do is google 'Undressed vs Naked Palette' and you will see the vast similarities between the two palettes. This is perfect for people who are interested in the Naked Palette but cannot afford the price tag! 

Undressed also offers a more varied colour range, with more neutral and metallic ranges which allows it to be more versatile, allowing you to create a daytime look or something more dramatic.

Overall I think my favourite palette is definitely Undressed! It provides an almost identical dupe to the Naked palette which is definitely a godsend for me and my purse! I also like that it provides a wide range of shades so I can mix up my look a bit more without having to carry around a million different single shades! 

Despite this I am also a big fan of Heaven and Earth and will not be neglecting it at all!

Have you tried either the Heaven and Earth or the Undressed Palette? What do you think, and which is your favourite? Let me know! X 

OOTD: God Save The Queen

Today I went to the Theatre today to see Legally Blonde the musical and IT WAS AMAZING! One of the best musicals I've ever seen and I can't recommend it enough! And the two dog performers they had were beyond cute and I now want a bulldog! 

Anyway on with the OOTD, I wanted to channel my olympic spirit a bit but didn't wanna go tacky-tastic so I rocked out with my gorgeous Freddie Mercury shirt I purchased from Primark on Saturday, which you can see in my Primark Haul here. I paired it with some grey faded skinny jeans which are probably my favourite jeans of all time! 

Also wore my newish red glitter wedges I got last month from Schuh, typical that in the shop they were perfect and now I really struggled to put them on! In the end my brother (who's like a size 10) tried to squeeze his foot into it so stretch it out which as you can imagine was hilarious! 

The super observant among you will see I'm wearing the bright gold shade from MUA's Going for Gold palette, which is my favourite eye shadow of the moment :) Also repping MUA with one of their Lipsticks, I'm pretty sure this is shade 11 but I have so many now I'm losing track!

Have you seen Legally Blonde the musical? What did you think of it? Let me know! X 

Primark Haul August 2012

On Saturday I popped down to London for a bit of retail therapy. Despite it being a lovely day I didn't actually spend too much at all! Primark on Oxford Street was insanely busy (as always!) and it was quite hot and crowded so I didn't have the opportunity to get much! But here's what I did manage to pick up

Black Suede Effect Loafers £6, Brown Brogues £10, Dusty Pink Slippers £2

Whenever I go to Primark I always head straight to the shoe section. I really wanted to pick up a pair of black flats and I was originally going to pick up the Brogues in black as well but when I noticed these loafers I went for those instead! I needed a new pair of slippers as the only ones I've got at the moment are booties and they're a bit too wintery for right now! Pretty annoyed that the Brogues were on a size 5 hanger but are actually a size 6, I'm gonna get some insoles from work and hope that they help!

Vanilla Lip Balm £1, 20 Hair Bands £1

I always lose my hairbands so I picked up a pack of these to restock my supplies! I was attracted to the Lip Balm because of the cute Owl print on it but I haven't tried it yet, but it smells delicious! 

Freddie Mercury Vest £8

I only noticed this vest as I was queuing up to pay but I knew I had to have it! I quickly rushed over to pick one up and was gutted that the only sizes they had were 12 and 14! I usually wear a 8-10 so I picked up the 12 and hoped for the best! It's a bit baggy but overall it's fine! 

This came to a total of £28 which I think is fantastic value for money! Have you picked up any treasures from Primark recently? X