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Friday 28 March 2014

Flowers & My Best Friend

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well! Happy Friday everyone…it is safe to say i have had a rather hectic week at University but i am so glad it's over. I am off to dinner tonight with my cousins and then off to the #3CountiesBloggersMeet tomorrow with some blogging girlies which i am rather excited about also. I have another jammed pack week next week which i will be filling you all in on very soon. A few days ago i was invited to take part in a challenge by Flowers Of Holland which was all about flowers and your best friend. I thought it would be such a lovely idea to get involved in so I literally jumped at the chance. Who doesn't like talking about flowers and your best friend right haha?!

Firstly, who is my best friend?! Well, this was so hard to narrow down as i have such a wide friend base personally but also throughout the blogging community. As cliche as it sounds the first person that sprung into my mind was my Mum aka Mamma Meola as i usually call her on my social media haha. She is the rock of the family, supports and inspires me and i literally wouldn't know what I'd do without her…she is truly my bestie! My favourite flower?! This was yet again a little tricky to narrow down as i love bouquets of mixed flowers. After having a little think about it, the flower that came to mind which is pretty much an all rounder throughout the year, smells and looks gorgeous was the Rose. Roses are such a stunning yet simplistic flower. 

1. What is my friends favourite Cafe?

Whenever we travel to and spend a long weekend away in London one of the first places we have to go is Harrods. Your probably thinking Harrods…Cafes? Well, Harrods offers a wide range of different Cafes like The Tea Room, Caffe Florian, Laduree and so on so there is literally so many choices to go take a break and enjoy a hot beverage and a sugary treat. 

2. What is my friends favourite place to shop?

Ohh ok…this is a little trickier as myself and my Mum literally have the biggest shopping addiction ever haha. One place i think she would probably agree on is Selfridges or Harrods as there is literally everything you'd possibly need under one roof!

3. What is my friends favourite city?

I don't think i could pick just one again but two cities Mum can never stop going on about (which i love also) are Los Angeles and Barcelona. We are constantly making excuses to go back to the cities as they offer everything we could possibly want from the beautiful weather, culture, food and shopping!

4. What is my friends favourite movie?

This is an easy one! Mum's favourite movies are the Sex and The City duology. Who doesn't love them?! Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda are simply amazing!

5. What is my friends favourite flower?

I am pretty sure one of Mum's favourite flowers are Roses just like me but i also know she is quite partial to some colourful Gerberas!

6. What is my friends favourite fragrance?

This is another easy one as whenever i smell this particular scent it instantly reminds me of my Mum and when i was little. Chanel No.5 is one i know she is constantly reaching for and i made sure that my Dad got her the Limited Edition 200ml bottle for Christmas one year, which i must add is pretty spectacular haha. 

I would love it if you all got involved with the challenge too…if you decide to i would love to take a peek! There is a competition running with Flowers Of Holland which you can take a peek at here. All you have to do is guess your best friends favourite flower and if you guess the right answer you are entered in to win a bouquet of flowers. Who wouldn't love to receive a lovely bouquet?! With the weather slowly getting warmer, the days getting longer I can not wait for the Summer time and for everything to be in bloom!

To share the floral love i am going to nominate two fellow bloggers! My bestie The Jewel Beauty and also Messyla!

Lots Of Love
*Sponsored Post
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Thursday 27 March 2014

Personal Mothers Day Treats + Surprise

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a lovely evening! I just submitted two assignments for my University degree and i am feeling pretty grand…like a total weight has been lifted haha. I recently posted my 2014 Mothers Day Gift Guide and i have had such a lovely response to it so far. If you read my post then you would have seen a little hint about a second Mothers Days instalment with a little surprise for one of my lovely followers.

Well, i was recently contacted by the lovely H.Samuel team about getting involved in a crafty challenge and create a home-made photo frame with my favourite photos of me and my Mum for a sentimental and personal Mothers Day gift. Don't get me wrong i absolutely love treating my Mum to little presents as she is the rock of the family and does so much for us, but i do love little sentimental gifts with hidden meanings that'll be cherished for a lifetime. When i was getting a little creative with the picture frames my Mum kind of took a peek in the room and had a little snoop and said it reminded her of when i was little…that literally got me welling up and all soppy haha.

H.Samuel supplied me with some cute crafty pieces and two mini picture frames to get creative with. I personally think i did a pretty good job and love how they turned out. I used a mixture of ribbons, colourful gems, buttons and paint to craft up these picture frames. I was going for a vintage esk theme for one and then a really blingy and girly theme for the other…can you get which one is which haha?! They are no where near perfect but i do love how they turned out and i think my Mum will like them too! When i hung them up to dry they did look rather cute together! I then chose two of my most recent favourite pictures with my Mum…it was hard narrowing down my favourites but i loved how the final pieces turned out!

If you are still thinking of a little something to give to your Mum this Sunday then maybe a personal picture frame might just be it! However, as a little added surprise from the lovely H.Samuel team, they have offered a £50 voucher for one of my lovely followers to win. As the giveaway will be running past Mothers Day it'll be the perfect post Mothers Day treat, something to share or even a little treat for yourself!

Rules: You MUST be following my blog through GFC & Bloglovin' to be qualify for this giveaway

This Giveaway will run for just over 2 weeks until the 20th April 2014

I am using 'Rafflecopter' for this giveaway so please follow the instructions on the widget about how you can enter this Giveaway! :) Also, the more you enter the better the chance you are of winning this Giveaway :)


Good Luck Everyone!

Lots of Love
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Monday 24 March 2014

Sleek MakeUP Eyebrow Stylist

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous week so far! I have quite a busy week ahead with a mixture of assignment deadlines and conducting a project management event…happy times! So i thought i would seek refuge in my blog and chat to my lovely followers haha. I though i would talk to you about a fabulous new eyebrow product that i have really fallen in love with. It is safe to say i have a wide collection of eyebrow products as i am literally obsessed with getting my brows to talk their best. Sleek's newest product release is their Eyebrow Stylist which is available to purchase in three shades; Light, Medium and Dark. Even though their are only three shades i was pleasantly surprised at how well the Medium shade matched my brows perfectly…its quite tough finding the perfect shade as my natural hair colour is pretty weird and changes colour with the sun haha. It is such a great product which offers you the quick and easy solution to taming your brows in seconds and at only £5.99 i think it is such a great price. There was talk amongst the bbloggersphere about the new Eyebrow Stylist being a pretty close dupe to the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil which costs more than four times the amount of the Sleek version. When looking at them both you can see the slight and almost identical resemblance. 


I really love how the Eybrow Stylist comes dual ended with a blending brow brush on one side and the product on the other. The brush itself is a nice size and rigid to help achieve the desired grooming before applying the product. After trying out an array of different eyebrow products i have found i do prefer pencils which comes with a spoolie; when i first saw this one it instantly reminded me of the Anastasia Beverly Hills variation which is also a treasured favourite of mine. The brow brush comes in extremely handy to brush the brows into place before applying the product. I find it works amazingly at grooming the brows beforehand but also after applying the product to seamlessly blend out the brows for a more natural finish. 

The other end of the Eyebrow Stylist has a unique, angular shaped pencil which is very creamy and ever so slightly waxy to the touch. The pencil end allows you to sculpt the brows to your liking. The flat edge of the pencil has been specially designed to achieve tailor-made strokes to fill in your brows; you are able to create thick and thin lines for outlining and filling, while the rich and creamy formula is matte and velvety smooth for a natural look which lasts. Ever since using the Eyebrow Stylist i have noticed the time it takes to fill in my brows has reduced which is amazing as lately i have found doing my brows such a chore in the mornings…the things we do in the name of beauty haha. 

Overall i think this is such an amazing little product and i find it so incredibly hard to believe it is only £5.99?! It is such a good quality product that really does help create the perfect brow shape, colour and finish. Like i said earlier even though there are only three available shades to choose from i found the Medium shade to matched me perfectly. However, i think if i was to apply this on my brows quite thick and more intense it may become a little too dark for me…but i do prefer to apply it lightly. When i use the Eyebrow Stylist i find my brows are good to go all day long without the need of a brow set or gel. I must admit i have had my eyes on a load of Hourglass products recently but now i have discovered the Eyebrow Stylist i think i might just have to cross off the Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil off my wish list. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post and another  Sleek instalment on my blog. Sleek is a brand i have really been loving and when i find a product i really love i can't wait to share it with you! I would love to know what your thoughts are and if you would give it a try! Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and i make sure to read every single comment…they really make my day!

Lots of Love
*PR Sample
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Sunday 23 March 2014

Mothers Day Gift Guide

Hello My Lovelies,

I hope you are all doing well and had a fabulous weekend! I spent my Sunday having a complete Spring Clean and decluter and have size gigantic boxes ready to be collected and donated to charity. All in all a good days work with the added benefits of knowing that my donations are going to a better place that will help all my chosen charities. 

I had been planning a few Mothers Day related posts and today's post is going to be the first instalment which will be followed shortly by a post which has been extremely fun and also exciting to get involved in…there may even be a little something one of my followers could win. Mothers Day is just around the corner (a week away) so i thought i would do a small post to show you some gift ideas. I had a little rummage around at home of some of the items i would recommend or purchase again for gifts…i wanted to incorporate a good variance of product so hopefully everyone might find something they like! I have incorporated a lot of pampering and relaxation products because i know for a fact my Mum does so much for us and some little de-stressing treats wouldn't go a miss. The majority of the items are in the pictures, however, i decided to add a few more at the end. I did go a little picture happy but i hope you enjoy haha!


Balance Me was a brand i was introduced to when i started blogging which has progressed to be a staple in my makeup and beauty collection. They offer a wide range of products which i know for a fact my Mum adores so i though i would included two of mine and Mamma Meola's favourites in the mix. I previously reviewed the Super Moisturising Hand Cream a few months ago and it is still going strong. For Valentines day the lovely Balance Me team scent me one of their Rose Otto variations which has been awarded a' Best Beauty Buy' with InStyle.com and it smells and feels amazing…it is such a luxurious product. It is the perfect pampering product which can easily be thrown in your bag on the go. My Mum cannot live without her hand creams so i know this would make a lovely little gift on its own or in a little goodies box. You can buy them separately at £14.50 each or a set of both with 50ml variations at £14. 


The Origins Ginger Burst body wash was actually a deluxe sample i received in an Origins order a few months ago. I was considering purchasing a full sized bottle of this for my Mum as i gave t to her and she has really loved it but i couldn't find it on the website. However, there is a gorgeous Ginger Burst gifts set on the website which contains three full sized body treatments which i think she would love even more. The set itself is £30 on the website, however, Origins are always giving away deluxe samples with every order so you would be receiving some other goodies also. For the price i think it would make a lovely pampering gift set. 


Soap & Glory is a favoured brand in the Meola household and every year just before Christmas myself and my Mum make sure to purchase the big deluxe bags full of goodies. You can never have enough body lotion and i know for a fact the Soap & Glory versions are incredible! Butter Yourself is a ludicrously fruity blend of super smoothing Shea butter, orange water juice, fig pulp extract, almond, mango and mooring oils. It is specially formulated to soother and soften even the driest skin, it works wonders at boosting hydration and richly nourishing the skin with melt-while-you-massage cocoa and moringa butters. 


Chanel is a well loved brand in the Meola household also, but considering i am in fact a Chanel employee i couldn't resist not adding some Chanel into the mix haha. I think you can never have enough perfume and the Chanel collection are just divine. Offering a wide range of different scents and sizes at different prices there would be something for everyone to enjoy. Currently Chanel offer three sizes in the majority of their scents, 35ml at £48.00, 50ml at £67.00 and 100ml at £95.00. 


Jo Malone was a brand i had always had my eye on but finally took the plunge on when i was in London earlier this year. It was such a lovely experience walking around the counter and finding a scent i could associate with myself. I finally decided upon the English Pear & Freesia scent and i am seriously in love with it…I would love to collect them all some day haha! Just like Chanel Jo Malone offer a wide variety of different scents and sizes at different prices. Currently Jo Malone offers two sizes in their Colognes, 30ml at £39.00 and 100ml at £79.00. However, also they offer gift sets which can be customised with your desired scent. All Jo Malone purchases are gift wrapped gorgeously and alone would make a really luxurious gift. 


Just like the Colognes Jo Malone offer the most luxurious scented home candles. When i was in London earlier this year i was lucky enough to be treated to some Jo Malone goodies, I know from being at the receiving end how incredible it was to receive them and i know they would make a lovely gift. The English Pear & Freesia home candle offers subtle hints of sweet pears wrapped in a bouquet of white freesias, it will infuse rooms with tantalising fragrance and set a tranquil mood within any home. It has a burn time of 45 hours and includes a lid and luxury Jo Malone matches…which i literally go all excited over when i saw them in the gift box (how sad am I?!) 


Chanel Rouge Coco Shines are one of my favourite lip products and are the perfect staple lip product for someone on the go or someone wanting to enhance a makeup look for a special occasion. Rouge Coco Shines make an irresistible desire for lightness flit over your lips. It literally glides over your lips seamlessly and for £24.00 will last you a very long time. As melt away as a balm, its lip-embracing texture becomes fluid on contact with the lips and provides a stunning gloss effect with natural shine and moisture. Chanel offers their Rouge Coco Shines in a array of different shades, Romance which can be seen in the picture is one of my favourite and go-to shades that i love to wear. 


The Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow is like a spa holiday in a jar! While you rub in the mineral-rich salt, the Monoi and Coconut oils combined with the Frangipani and Hibiscus whisk your mind off to an exotic holiday mindset. The mineral-rich salts and Hibiscus cleanse and exfoliate your dead skin cells to help brighten the skin, where as the super rich infusion of exotic Tahitian Monoi Oil and Frangipani flowers leaves the skin delicately fragranced which lingers on the skin for hours. The nourishing Coconut Oil base melts on contact with the skin to ensure all moisture in sealed in. This is the perfect pampering treat without going to the Spa! You get a good sized amount of product which actually works wonders on the skin. When i first received this from Elemis a few months ago my Mum literally went crazy for it, commenting on how luxurious it felt and how scrumptious it smelt…a total obvious hint that she would love her own one haha. 


MAC is my little guilty pleasure so i couldn't resist adding a MAC lipstick into the gift guide. A girl can never have too many lipsticks and in comparison to the Chanel Rouge Coco shines are slightly more affordable and offer a more intense colour pay off depending on the shade you go for. Vegas Volt is a very seasonally appropriate shade, it is a brightened orange-coral with a creamy, opaque finish. It is a very rich, intense colour that definitely brightens the complexion. The shade will depend entirely on what your Mum's favourite shades to wear are…I really love how MAC offer a wide range of choices. 


Lush is also another brand which is extremely loved in the Meola household and works amazingly as a pampering and relaxation product. Lush offer a wide range of different products but also some fabulous Mother Day collections which is what this Mum Tulip resides from. Fill your bath with essential oils and yummy fragrances, with a blend of ylang ylang, jasmine and Clary sage oils to help relax, unwined and allow all your troubles to float waya on the fragrant steam. For £5.25 i think this would make a lovely gift on it's own or paired in a gift box. How cute is the Mum Tulip though?!


The Body Shop Beautifying Oil range are pure beauty and magic in a bottle. Made with a lightweight blend of but oils including community fair trade marula oil, it gives instant hydration and a shimmering finish. I have previously done a review of the Mango Beautifying Oil which can be seen in a Winter favourites post and it is still i product i enjoy using as it is very versatile and can be used on the skin and hair. Even though it featured in a winter favourites it is a product that could be used all year round as it offers so much. The Body Shop offer this is a variety of yummy scent but also offer some fabulous gift sets which range from £6.00 - £25.00. 

A Bottle Of Bubbly - Champagne 

Champagne is an easy option in the Meola household as my Mum personally loves loves the stuff and is always looking for the next best thing. Christmas 2013 my Dad got my Mum a gorgeous bottle of Cristal, however, there are literally so many different variations on the market to choose from…from Cava, Moet, Krug, Dom Perignon and so on all coming in a different prices which you can usually find great deals on online. 

Spa Day / Weekend

A Spa Day or weekend would be a gift i would love to receive myself! There are so many different relaxing and pampering treatments to choose from and a variety of different spas across the UK to take a peek at. Myself and Mamma Meola are actually in the process of looking for a little cheeky Spa Break away, probably when i finish University this year so we have loved searching the inter web for some fabulous finds. 

Sentimental Goodies - Bespoke Card, Pictures Frames, Mugs, Diaries etc

There is nothing i love more that sentimental gifts which have a hidden message behind them. A simple card, picture frame, mug, diaries and so on would make lovely little gifts and you can never have too many of those. One website i have really been loving for cute girly home decor pieces has been giftsandpieces.co.uk - they offer so many cute and quirky pieces and i cannot wait to make an order for myself!

I hope you all enjoyed the first instalment to my Mothers Day inspired posts. I really hoped you liked some of the items mentioned in the post or maybe got a little inspiration for something to buy. These are only a handful of products i think would make lovely gifts but the possibilities are endless and no Mum is the same! I Would love to know your thoughts and what you are thinking of getting your Mother for Mothers Day! Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and i make sure to read every single comment…they really make my day!

Lots of Love

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Sunday 16 March 2014

Sleek Blush By 3 in Pink Lemonade

Hello My Lovelies,

Hope you are all doing well? How beautiful has the weather been the last few days?! I really hope the sunnier weather starts to stick around…everything seems so much better when the sun is shining. Since the weather has been getting warmer and it has been a lot brighter in general throughout the days i though i would post about a new blush palette i have really been loving!

I have always been a fan of Sleek products and one of my all time favourites is their Face Form palette which has a blush, highlight and bronzer all in one. It is the perfect palette for a girl on the go like me. High street beauty brands have really upped their game and Sleek is a great contender. The quality, variety, packaging and price are incredible. I have a few products in my collection despite hearing great things about the brand and i intend to add more in the near future. Recently, i got the opportunity to try out one of Sleeks famous Blush by 3 palettes in a new release shade - Pink Lemonade, which is such a fun and girly palette which comes with 3 beautiful pink shades which are perfect for me. These are £9.99 for three good sizes blushes, when worked out each blush comes in at £3.33 which i think it a pretty darn good price.


Since the weather has been getting brighter and warmer i have really loved mixing up my makeup routine and trying out more summery blush shades. Well, i say that even though i still like to wear pink in the winter - it's my go-to shade no matter what. With this palette i am able to have to option of three fabulous blush shades in one with two different formulations - powder and cream. It is perfect for travelling without the hassle of over packing making and bulky packaging (guilty as charged) and it is a good slim sized product with a great mirror inside which is perfect for everyday use on the go. 

This little palette contains three blush shades with all super cute and yummy names - Pink Mint which is a gorgeous blue toned light pink shade with slight shimmery particles (powder), Macaroon which is a scrummy true pink shade (cream) and Icing Sugar which is a lovely coraly shade with slight hints of rose gold shimmer in the formulation (powder). Sleeks powder formulation is very soft and highly pigmented, you literally need the smallest amount for a subtle flush of colour on the cheeks. They have the potential to be built up to your desired intensity depending on what look you are going for. I have tried the powdery formulation previously, however, this was my first time trying out the creamy formula and it did not disappoint. It was a very creamy consistency which made it a dream to apply and blended out seamlessly on the cheeks unlike some i have tried in the past which are very dense and hard to warm up and apply. Cream products, especially during the warmer months are fabulous as you can do so much with them. You could apply them under the other powdered shades in the palettes or even as a lip shade which i am very excited to give a try during the summer as it is the perfect pink. 

I would totally recommend this Blush by 3 palette to anybody as it would make the perfect addition to anyones makeup collection. The shades are very universal and can be worm subtly or built up for a more intense look. They have great lasting power and apply like a dream. If you would like to give these blushers a try you can pick them up from the Sleek website, Superdrug website or store. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post, i would love to know your thoughts on the blush by 3 palette. Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and i make sure to read every single comment…they really make my day!

Would you give this palette a try? What are your favourite sleek products?

Lots of Love
*PR Sample
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Friday 7 March 2014

Summer Nails | Pink Blizzard

Hello My Lovelies,

Happy Friday everyone, i hope you are all doing well! If you follow me on Twitter then you may or may not know that i did a little travelling yesterday and escaped to our Villa in Spain. I am really looking forward to the next few days relaxing in the sunshine and forgetting the stresses of University and life for a while haha. In honour of our little trip away i decided to have a new manicure done for the occasion...as you do! I opted for something really summery and fun to match the sunshine. I did not really know what to name this post so i hope the name i chose done it justice. I opted for two of the most used polishes in my collections, China Glaze Pink Voltage and Models Own Blizzard. 


China Glaze Pink Voltage and Models Own Blizzard are my go-to nail polish combination all year round when i am looking for something fun, girly and sparkly. I usually would opt for the sparkly polish on all of my nails but on this occasion i really liked the accent detail it gave. As you can see from the picture it is a very bright neon polish which reflects in the light. I think the added sparkly detail just brings the whole look together. I have really been loving experimenting more with my nails recently!

Pink Voltage is a blue undertones neon pink shade which is absolutely gorgeous. When  first saw the shade a few years ago i was literally like nahh i don't think i would like that on my nails and it would be too 'out there' for me but boy was i wrong. A friend of mine was in the salon at the same time and she had a french manicure done with the Pink Voltage as the tips and the colour was really lovely! It is the perfect shade in the sun and it looks gorgeous with a tan. 

Blizzard has to be by far one of my all time favourite sparkly polishes. It has chunky glitter in the formulation which i absolutely love and i am really regretting not stocking up whilst Models Own had their 50% off sale! I literally will pair this polish with any nail polish in my collection. I will post pictures of my nails on Instagram and looking back i have paired this with white, pastel pink, red and so many more. 

I applied two coats of Pink Voltage with one coat of Blizzard on my accent nails. The wear time of this combination is fabulous and it really lasts without chipping which i love. Pink Voltage is originally a matte shade so i usually find it dried a lot quicker in comparison to some of my other China Glaze polishes. However, i know the matte look is not for everyone and i do prefer a more glossy look so i apply a good coat of my favourite fast drying top coat. If you would like to give these polishes a try you can pick them up online or in most stores. I usually purchase my China Glaze online or at my local Sally's Beauty Supply as i have a card. Models Own you can purchase either online at their website or i usually go to Boots.com

I hope you all enjoyed this post! I would love to know your opinion on the polish combination. Like always lovelies, if you have any questions, requests or if you just want a chat you can contact me on my social media or leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you all and i make sure to read every single comment…they really make my day!

What are your favourite nail polish combinations? Would you give this one a try?

Lots of Love

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