Holiday Planning & Organisation: Booking

Yesterday my boyfriend and I walked into a travel agents to get a feel for prices, and walked out almost 3 hours later with a holiday! Usually I'd say this was crazy, but it's a holiday we've been talking about for at least 2 years now, and sometimes in life you just have to go for it. When else am I going to be able to?

We're off to America for 2 weeks, Orlando, Miami & New York!

When booking a holiday it's best to go in with a basic idea of what you want. I've been shopping around to do Orlando & Miami for a while now, so had a rough idea of prices. Unfortunately, not many online travel agents can give you a straight price and all the details. I'd recommend just going into a store, they do all the hard work for you and the holiday is customised however you like! New York was an extra bonus for us, we would have had to get an indirect flight via there anyway so said we may as well stay over for a few nights too.

We used Thomson to build the holiday, then they use Jetsave who are multi-centre Florida specialists. We could choose any day, any hotel which we liked and the holiday is created step by step. I'm not going to let you guys know how much we paid, but I will say it was surprisingly cheap considering the parks we want to do over there and all the travelling!

As soon as we got home I wrote everything straight into next years diary, with all the payment dates etc. so I know exactly where I'm up to and to remind myself of the paperwork which needs doing. This to me, makes the whole things finally seem real.

A

xx

Brace Face: Getting Adult Braces in the UK

So the time has come when I've decided enough is enough, I need to sort out my teeth before it's too late. Since losing my retainer about 8 years ago, I've known this was coming. Thinking back, it would have been so much easier to go back and face my scary orthodontist and the £50 replacement fee, but I just couldn't do it. Now I'm stuck with teeth that I know need to be put back (again) to where they should be, and a long year ahead!

I've been researching about getting braces as an adult for a while now, and truth be told there's really not much out there. There's a few articles and blogs from Americans, but really nothing in the UK. Even the dentists themselves aren't forthcoming with information unless you enquire and fork out for the consultation fees.

It was quite handy to discover that my usual dentist was broadening its services to include orthodontic treatment (as well as plastic surgery, random?!). I enquired and managed to get a consultation deal. It was £80 for two consultations; one to take measurements and moulds, then the second to explain the treatments available and the costs.

When I was younger I went through this all pretty much the same, the strange minty flavoured mould brought it all flooding back. Apart from this time its different, I don't have to have extra teeth removed and no removable wire retainer first. They're going straight in with the fixed, silver 'train track' brace. I did get given options to have the white version which blends in better, or invisalign but they were significantly more expensive. As a student, I couldn't even consider the other options. I only need a brace on my top row of teeth, as back in the day I had a fixed bar put on to hold my bottom ones in place. God knows why they couldn't do that for both rows!

The cost for the train tracks is £500 up front, then £100 per monthly consultation after that until the balance of £2,000 is reached. I think it's pretty reasonable as the package includes everything I could need, and constant assessment. The orthodontist has estimated roughly 12-18 months for the treatment, meaning I'm going to be stuck with a brace for my 21st and graduation! It's not ideal but I'd rather have a brace now and perfect teeth later, than imperfect teeth that are just going to get worse.

Fixed white/clear braces.

 Invisalign

 'Train Track' Braces

I wouldn't say my teeth are terrible, I know people with a lot worse (my boyfriend being one) but I'm definitely not as confident with myself while they look like this. Teeth are one of the first things I notice on another person, I even have nightmares about them falling out! Below is a 'before' picture so that I can document the change, for myself and for this blog. I want to create this Brace Face series so it can help other people in a similar position, and maybe we can help each other out?

 

 

Link to the NHS website, about braces - http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/braces.aspx

 

 

 

A

 

 

xx

Review: Aldi Twinkle Tealights

Walking around my local Aldi the other day, I came across these gorgeous tealights!

 

 

They are an absolute bargain for just £1.99. There's 12 in the pack and they smell absolutely amazing! Cinnamon isn't a scent I would usually go for but I'd say the smell is just an overall Christmassy one, definitely not overpowering. The 4 hour burn time is pretty accurate, though I do wish they would burn all the way down. All of the left over glitter is slightly frustrating, but for the price I can't really complain.



 

 

My mum loved them so much, she sent me back to get 8 more packs so she can use them all the time. I think they're perfect for when all your friends and family are visiting over the upcoming holidays, and even unlit they still look beautiful and decorative.

 

 

If you're near to an Aldi store, I would definitely recommend you try these and stock up while you can!

 

 

 

A

 

xx

Autumn-Winter 2014 Part 1 - New Look Sale!

So, I woke up this morning to an email from New Look announcing their latest sale had started! So obviously I had to check it out before I surfaced from bed. This isn't the best sale I've seen in a while for my personal style, but there's some brilliant bargains.

Winter (Eg. Christmas dare I say it?) parties are coming up and there's a couple of weddings happening also, so I'm in the market for some seasonally appropriate dresses. So my top five picks from the New Look sale consist of 4 dresses and a jumpsuit!

This dress reminds me of pieces I've seen in Topshop recently, especially with the black and white collar. It really meets the 'sporty' trend while still looking dressy enough to wear out. At £12 it's a complete bargain! I'd wear this with black heeled boots and a biker jacket.

 A jumpsuit hasn't been in my wardrobe since I was about 8! There usually just not my thing, and can make me look a lot shorter and frumpy. However, I think this one would be different, due to the high waistline. The red berry colour is gorgeous and perfect for winter, I'd style it with black heels and a black clutch. Even better - it costs just £9!

Sparkly and sophisticated, need I say more? I'm a sucker for anything with a bit of glitter, and this would be so easy to wear. I'm eyeing this up for one of the weddings! £8 is nothing to pay for a dress like this.

I love the mix of the winter florals and 'sporty' sleeves and collar on this dress. I think it's a bit different to what I usually wear, but for £9 it doesn't matter if I only wear it this year. I'd probably dress this down with black tights & boots for a cinema date.

Finally this piece is one I think could be really versatile, and be worn for almost any occasion. I love the print on it and the slight hint of colour. This dress will flatter most figures with the dark pattern at the waist, a bargain at just £10.

A

xx

L'oreal Skin Perfection Miracle Cleansing Oil

Recently I decided to delve into 'better' ways to remove my makeup than using face wipes! Yes I used them all the time and do still use them occasionally, but they worked for me. However, recent blogs have been suggesting alternative ways to remove makeup, while taking much better care of our skin.

This reading lead me to find cleansing oils. They sounded perfect for use on my dry, sensitive skin, as they cleanse and moisturise at the same time. This article explains a bit more about the science behind it and how they work. The L'Oreal Skin Perfection Miracle Cleansing Oil is a nice one to try if you don't like to spend a lot of money on skincare, or would just like to try out a cleansing oil before you invest.

To use the oil, you just need two pumps of the oil rubbed between your fingers, and then gently smoothed over the skin. They are even gentle enough to use on eyes (in my experience). The makeup melts into the oil and washes off with some warm water, it's that simple!

This oil doesn't leave any residue on the skin if you rinse it properly, an doesn't leave you feeling greasy at all. For an extra boost of cleansing for my skin, once or twice a week I like to add a bit of scrub to the oil, which helps to draw out impurities and smooth skin. One which works really nicely with the L'Oreal Cleansing Oil is nspa Brightening Micro-Derma Scrub (sold in Asda). It contains the essential oil Neroli along with Ginseng and Vitamin E. This scrub works well with the oil as it doesn't strip the skin or leave it feeling sensitive.

Finally to finish off my cleansing step, a quick swipe of the L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water on a Cotton Pad (I find the ones from Aldi to be the best). This can be used on it's own, but I find it a bit of a faff with lots of cotton wool being used. It's perfect to just swipe away that last remainder of oil and makeup.

I'd love some suggestions on different oils to use, but this one could take me a while to use up just yet!

A

xx

Glossybox January 2014 - Back To Basics First Impression & Review

I'm back with another Glossybox opening and this time the build up was even more intense. After a cheeky email arrived at the start of January announcing a bit of a change to the box, subscribers (and non-subscribers) have been eagerly anticipating that glorious dispatch email!

There was a few hints I found on the Glossybox Twitter and Facebook pages, but I still didn't truly know much about the changes until the box arrived on my doorstep this morning. The box seems a slightly different, deeper shade of pink, with a much glossier finish to the packaging which I love. It just feels much higher quality. The box itself is also a little bit different inside, with a larger Glossybox print and a thinker, different style ribbon. I'm not sure if I prefer this ribbon to the old one or not, I have kept all my old ones in all the different colours, to wear in my hair. The new ribbon has the Glossybox logo all over it and so I definitely won't get any use out of it. A bit disappointing but that's the only part of the new style I don't like.

Now, the contents of my Glossybox are slightly more debatable. I'm happy with them, and will certainly get use out of all the products, but there wasn't anything that really made me think 'wow'.

 

 

1. Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream - another cream which claims to be 'multi-use'. I'm not sure if I believe this yet but I do enjoy using the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream which has similar claims. Sometimes I just wish products would concentrate on just one type of usage. According to the leaflet which comes with the cream, it is one of the longest and best-selling skincare products in Japan.

Ingredients include; Glycerin (to attract and retain moisture), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). The cream also claims to be a 'year-round product' but I can't find anywhere about it's SPF content?

It goes onto the skin smoothly and isn't a thick consistency like most other skin protectant treatments I've used before. At first it smells quite odd but once it sinks in, which it does very quickly, the smell completely disappears. I often find that unscented products work better with my sensitive skin, so hopefully this will do the same. I've only tried it on the back of my hand so far, but it didn't leave a residue behind and my skin does feel a bit smoother. I am looking forward to trying the product out a bit more.

Yu-Be moisturising skin cream retails for £13.50 for 33g, so my two samples (3g each) are worth approx. £2.45.

 

2. Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash - I've never tried a toning body wash before so am excited to see this in my Glossybox, the Balance Me brand has released some brilliant products recently and I'm definitely looking into trying some more things from them. The blend of essential oils it contains is really lovely; calming lavender, anti-bacterial bergamot, circulation-boosting juniper and relaxing geranium oil. According to the Glossybox information card it can be used as a wash or added to a bath, and I love this idea of being able to use it for both.

The wash smells absolutely divine and anything which is 99% natural origin, has a big tick in my book! This kind of product usually works really nicely with my skin, and I do love to choose products based on how natural they are.

The balance me super toning body wash retails for £10.25 for 250ml, so my sample (50ml) is worth £2.05.

3. The Vintage Cosmetic Company Floral Slanted Tweezers - A new pair of tweezers has been on my shopping list for some time, as I've been waiting for my favourite brand Tweezerman to have a sale or offer going on. Unfortunately that never happened, so these tweezers were very welcome in this box. The print on them is gorgeous and they feel quite sharp to the touch. I've not had chance to use them yet but I've got high expectations, and if they meet those expectations I will definitely consider moving my loyalty over to these. They retail for £8 which is much cheaper then Tweezerman, I just hope they last as long and as well.

4. Anatomicals Puffy The Eye Bag Slayer Wake-Up Under Eye Patches - With claims to help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and revitalise the delicate skin around your eyes, I can't wait to try these out! I currently use collagen eye patches from ebay, which I was surprised to find out, actually work! I've not opened them yet, so can't comment on the smell, texture or whether these actually work, but I have bought from Anatomicals before and have loved every product from the brand. They retail for £6 for 3 pairs, so my sample (1 pair) is worth £2.

5. Vaseline Essential Moisture Lotion - I do love Vaseline moisturising products, and have used them for years. It's just one of those classic brands which I don't think can ever fail me. Though I do have this niggling feeling that I kind of wish Glossybox had included the new Spray & Go, which I've been wanting to try out for ages!
On a brighter note, this lotion does smell really nice, sort of after-sun like (which for some reason I really like) and I will definitely get use out of this. I might in fact save it to take on holiday with me as it's from a brand I trust and have had really good experiences using.
The full size 400ml of this retails for £4.99, so my 50ml sample is worth approx. £0.62. (Kind of disappointing?!)

So overall I do think the theme of this box works very well in that, all of these products I would class as basics. I'm glad to get something a bit different from Glossybox and will enjoy using every product in this month's box. The total value for this box is £15.12 which is pretty low compared to previous boxes I've had. Though I can't really complain, it's value is more than what I paid for it and everything will get used, when in the past some products I received have just gone straight in the bin. Already looking forward to my next box (pretty pleaseeeeee be Valentines themed)!!!

A

xx

How To: Clean Makeup Brushes

It was only fairly recently that I decided to invest in some decent makeup brushes. I was always just using my fingers to smother it all on or sometimes I used those naff ones that come with Christmas box sets. I first decided to purchase some brushes from Eco Tools (Boots) but then invested even more into the Real Techniques brushes. Since I made the decision to spend a small fortune on some decent brushes, the realisation came that they needed to be looked after and nurtured. With a bit of research on brush cleaning, and various, previous attempts, I think I've finally found the best way to get rid of all the build-up of makeup.

1. Gather up all brushes that need washing, to save running around later on with soap suds flying everywhere (I have learnt by experience).
2. My brush cleansing routine has four steps per brush (cleaned one by one). It may seem a lot but this is my deep cleanse, so I want the job doing properly. Now may be the time to mention, these are personal use only brushes. I never use them on any other person, and if I did they would be cleaned thoroughly both before and afterwards. They also get cleaned between product changes, whether it's just a change of eye shadow colour or a new foundation. However, if an eye shadow brush has only been once and I want a new colour, I tend to just give it a good wipe over using Sensitive Wet Ones.
3. For the first stage I like to remove as much product as I can before using any 'real' cleaning products. For this I just use any hand soap, it's brilliant for getting removing makeup from brushes in bulk. The brush is scrubbed around in the palm of my hand and run under luke warm water until no suds remain and the water is running almost clear.
4. Next I use a cleansing shampoo, today I used Toni&Guy Cleanse Shampoo for Advanced Detox (usually on 3 for 2 in Boots). Surely if the product can deep cleanse hair, it will be much better for with brushes? The logic seems to work in my head anyway, and it does seem to give a much more thorough clean.
5. Due to the last two, deep cleansing, steps, the next is to hydrate the brush again and as with hair again, I use a deep conditioning shampoo. The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Shine is brilliant for this but any good conditioner will do. I only leave the conditioner on for around 30 seconds then rinse the brush ensuring that this time the water runs completely clear once it is completely rinsed.
6. Then, because I'm a bit of a germaphobe and I don't trust leftover chemicals, I spray the bristles with the Clinique Makeup Brush Cleanser then swirl them around on a piece of kitchen roll. Although the bottle says to rinse with water, I tend not to. Mainly due to laziness but mostly because I like the active ingredients to carry on working. I do however, tissue dry them as much as possible while working them back into their individual shapes. They are then left to dry over a surface edge, eg. the handles on a shelf with the bristles over the edge, to allow them to dry at all angles (see picture 1, much faster).

 

 

One last thing, remember to wipe clean all your makeup holders/cases! There's no point in washing and disinfecting all of your brushes if you are just going to put them back in their place to fester in the same, old germs. I like to give mine a quick wipe down with Halo Hygienic Wipes which are antibacterial.

 

Happy Cleaning!!

 

A

 

xx

Essie After School Boy Blazer

Yes, I crumbled and gave in to the new 'it product of Autumn. After School Boy Blazer from Essie's new collection is the most coveted colour right now and I can definitely see why. The colour is a very dark navy with a slight hint of glisten. In some lights it can look black, but in others the perfect deep navy. It's absolutely stunning and definitely one to look it if you don't want to go with full on black nails. It's also a really lovely colour to wear if you don't want to be completely traditional with your Autumn nails this season. Everybody does the reds, burgundies and grey/nudes at this time of year, so it's nice to have such a fitting but different colour.

If you want to get this, beautybay.com actually have it on sale right now here. Even more reason to pick it up!

A

xx

Bzz Agent Campaign: Introduction to the Foreo Luna Mini

Yesterday, I finally got asked to take part in another Bzz Agent campaign and I'm so excited about this one! Obviously I only accepted yesterday and so haven't actually received my kit yet but I thought I'd look a bit more into the product. Firstly, I checked out what it actually looked like, so here's a picture I found.

I think the design looks really user friendly and not too complicated. Reading more into the design of this product, I found that it boasts a three-zone design which is suitable for all skin types. It is also fully waterproof, which sounds amazing. There's nothing worse than using a product, knowing you're going to have to clean it or use it with water, to realise that you're not meant to actually get it wet. The actual brush part of the Luna Mini is made from silicone, which is supposedly more gentle on the skin than regular cleansing brushes. The silicone also means that no bacteria is built up, and so is pretty hygienic.

The Foreo website promises that the Luna Mini will result in clearer, brighter and healthier looking skin. It uses T-Sonic technology and channels transdermal sonic pulsations across the skin, and apparently after just three days I should notice a difference in the condition of my skin.

The Foreo Luna Mini even comes in five different colours; Petal Pink, Turquoise Blue, Magenta, Purple and Cool Grey. I just hope this product lives up to the claims made about it. I was going to buy the No7 (clarisonic-like) cleansing brush but as soon as this campaign was offered to me, I jumped at the chance! I seriously cannot wait for this to come in the post. I will do an update once I've been using it for a week or so to let you all know what it's like.

A

xx

Glossybox September 2013, Operning and First Thoughts

Yay it's Glossybox time!! I was so excited when I saw the box spoiler this month, it looked amazing and didn't disappoint when it arrived. It's definitely becoming a 'thing' with Glossybox, that the special boxes contain much better products.

 

This month's Glossybox theme is 'The London Edition', and the box has a brilliant Union Jack design. This box also came with the new GB magazine which is a really lovely addition to Glossyboxes. My box was filled with the best goodies I think I've ever received in a box!

 

Product One: Elizabeth Arden Untold £48 for 50ml (5ml sample size worth £4.80)

This is a brilliant sample size to get in a Glossybox, and the bottle is really cute and pretty as well. If only it had a spray, but you can't have everything I suppose. The scent smells quite floral and I did try it out today. I'm not too impressed with the lasting power, I seemed to stop smelling it after an hour or so. Not sure if I would buy this again but I was a bit frugal with how much I used.

 

Product Two: Eylure Pre-Glued Lashes Full size worth £5.06

I was happy to see these in my box, even though I'm not usually a fan of lashes I'm willing to try out different brands and types to see if some work better than others. So far I've not had much luck but I'll definitely give them a go!

 

Product Three: Toni&Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe Classic Shine & Gloss Serum Full size worth £7.19

The limited edition packaging of this product is gorgeous! I love the colours and I think they're perfect for this time of year. I haven't tried the serum yet but I do use serum at home. At the moment I use one from Aussie which is a little bit cheaper that this one, but if the results are good then I don't mind paying a bit extra.

 

Product Four: Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Onyx Eye Liner Full size $14

This was the product which made me extra excited this month! I've been thinking of trying a liquid liner with marker like nib for a while now, so this came at exactly the right time. I immediately tried it out on the back of my hand and loved how easily it glided on and how I was able to create thick or thin lines. It isn't a waterproof product but without water it will not budge. However, when I did my makeup this morning, I really struggled to get any product out. It might be because I'm just not used to the application or because I had makeup on my eyes already for it to layer over. I'm definitely going to keep practicing with this product though because I just really want it to work and be amazing.

 

Product Five: Dr Lipp Original Nipple Balm for Lips £11.50 for 15ml (3ml sample size worth £2.30)

I had heard of this product before but was always a bit unsure about it. Why keep calling it a nipple balm if it's really a lip balm/multi-purpose balm? I couldn't even bring myself to tell my mum it's actual name. However, this balm is said to be brilliant for almost anything from lips and eczema to even helping to treat burns. If it's as much of a miracle as it sounds, I would definitely look into buying this again.

 



 

So that's it for this month. My box in total was worth £28.20! I am completely in love with my box this time around and will definitely be getting more in the future. I have earned a free Glossybox by saving my Glossydots but as next month is likely to be a not so good box, I may wait until the November box to order again. Until next time!

 

A

 

xx