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Friday 26 June 2015

The Ultimate Beauty Icon | #HoFBeautyAmbassador

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous week so far! I thought today I would bring you something a little different and share with you my entry for the House of Fraser Beauty Ambassador competition they currently have running at the moment. When I had an invitation to join the competition pop into my mail box at the beginning of the month I was over the moon - the competition seemed so fun and creative so I thought I would give it my best shot entering. So, in today's post I am going to share with you my ultimate beauty icon(s). What I love about their iconic look that makes it stand out for me and what my favourite products are to re-create it. 


Who would you choose if you had to pick your ultimate beauty icon? Now, for me I found this so incredibly hard narrowing it down to just one, because lets face it I have an absolute passion for makeup and I look up to so many different people when it comes to makeup and beauty inspiration. My Mum has been a huge inspiration to me throughout the years, as well as my Grandmother and of course a wide range of celebrities that we see on a daily basis. One thing I know for sure is how iconic dewy skin and a statement red lipstick is. When looking through the different generations the red lip has been something that has stuck around from the very beginning from the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren and so on. So I knew I wanted to take that and create a modern take on a cult classic - so to do this I stemmed inspiration from several gorgeous ladies; Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Cara Delevingne, Angelina Jolie, Blake Lively, Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift.  

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation \\ Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer \\ Benefit Hello Flawless Powder

Starting off with my base I decided to use three products that I know work well for my skin and offer me that demi-matte dewy skin I absolutely love and the ladies above all seem to be sporting (I love glowy dewy skin). The Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation is a foundation I can always turn to, it has a water based formulation that offers an almost incomparable second skin effect. Overall, it has a super light weight consistency but still has the power to cover up redness and imperfections - it never fails me. I then opted to use one of my holy-grail concealers underneath my eyes and to spot correct any imperfections a little more. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer is as amazing as everyone raves about. It offers me the perfect about of concealing underneath my eyes without adding any cakeyness and I opted to use a lighter shade to illuminate and add a slight contour effect. Finally, once I added all of my base products I decided to lock everything in place using my beloved Benefit Hello Flawless Powder. 


Benefit They're Real Mascara // Benefit Gimme Brow // Benefit They're Real Push-Up Liner // Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Brow Pencil // Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

After starting my base I then went on to perfecting my brows and defining my eyes. I love a bold but natural brow and when wearing such a bold red lip I think balancing the eyebrows brings everything together. I opted to use a new favourite of mine, the Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Brow Pencil to define but keep my natural eyebrow shape. I then set everything in place with my holy grail brow gel, Benefit Gimme Brow. I always like defining my eyebrows before going in with eyeshadow, this is a personal preference but I feel that I can highlight my brow bone and contour my crease so much easier when my eyebrows are ready to go. I shopped my makeup stash and opted to use one of my top palettes, the Urban Decay Naked 3. I just love the warm rose gold tones featured in this palette and when combined with a winged eyeliner I just love how my eyes look. Then to bring everything together I used my Benefit They're Real Push-Up Gel Liner to add a classic winged eyeliner. and my Benefit They're Real Mascara to coat my eyelashes and give me that fluttery lash effect. I am quite partial to a smokey eye and I feel I found a balance when creating this one with inspiration from my beauty icons.

MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Give Me Sun // MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Light Plus // Bobbi Brown Shimmer Bricks in Nude // Benefit Sugerbomb Blush

To get that sunkissed and dewy glow I opted to use a handful of my favourite bronzers, highlighters and blushers. I started off by setting my undereye concealer with my MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Light Plus. This is a new step in my makeup routine but I love how awake it makes me look. I then went in with my contouring product of choice and added a glow to my skin with my MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in Give Me Sun. You do have to have a light hand with this at times, however, overall it is such a gorgeous product that literally gives you sun! I then decided to add a pop of colour to my cheeks and I decided to use one of my all time favourite blush shades, Benefit Sugerbomb, Not only does this blush sound and smell good enough to eat, it adds the perfect amount of colour and glow to your cheeks! Finally, to pull everything together I decided to use one of my favourite highlighters, the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nude. When I first started getting into makeup this was the first highlighter that I was absolutely obsessed with. It adds the perfect amount of glow and instantly enhances every makeup look. I sweeped the entire palette and added a touch to my cheek bones, the bridge of my nose, tip of my nose and cupids bow. Hello Hollywood glow!

MAC Lady Danger Lipstick // MAC Cherry Lip Liner

This is the pièce de résistance of the entire makeup look, the bold red lip. I decided to be slightly more adventurous and go for MAC Lady Danger which is more of an orange based red shade and instead of using a spot on lip liner I decided to go for one that had more of a blue undertone with a true red post box feel. I lined my lips with MAC Cherry Lip Liner and feathered the edges in slightly, I then added Lady Danger on top and blended everything in...I was so pleased with the final look and I feel it really gives off that Hollywood red lipstick vibe. I remember being so scare of wearing red lipstick and feeling so conscious...I just never thought it suited me or that I would be able to pull it off. Trust me when I say that absolutely anyone can rock a red lipstick, it is one of those shades that looks good and enhances any makeup look. I have so many people to thank who inspired and pushed me to wearing red lip shades and now I am obsessed!


Overall, I am so pleased with how this inspired look came out. Obviously, creating an inpsired look is really fun and in no where means am I saying I look like any of the above celebrities...I mean, I wish I did but unfortunately I don't haha. If you like the sound of any of the products mentioned above, I made sure that  they were all available to purchase from House of Fraser - you can visit the House of Fraser Beauty Department here. I really enjoyed getting involved in this #HoFBeautyAmbassador competition and I really wish everyone who entered the best of luck!

Lots of Love
*Competition Entry

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Sunday 21 June 2015

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella


Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and have had a glorious week and weekend! I thought today I would mix things up a little bit and bring you a brand new book review. As you all know (as I sound like a broken record) one of my New Years resolutions was to write more diversely over on my blog and I love bringing you more lifestyle related posts. If you like book reviews then you can see a few of my previous reviews here and here. Sophie Kinsella raced into the UK bestseller list in September 2000 with her first novel in the shopaholic series - The Secret Dreamworld of a shopaholic (also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic). Now Sophie is incredibly excited to introduce her first young adult novel, Finding Audrey. I had the pleasure of reading the latest edition to Sophie's portfolio and here is what I thought about it without giving the story away. 


Audrey can't leave the house. she can't even take off her dark glasses inside the house. Audrey is a teenage girl suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder. She has experienced bullying, and as a result has become virtually a prisoner in her own home. Finding Audrey is the story of her journey to recovery, with the help of a boy named Linus. Without giving too much away you will stumble across some sad places, but also some funny and romantic ones too. Audrey's brother's friend Linus stumbles into her life. With his friendly, orange-slice smile and his funny notes, he starts to entice Audrey out again - well, Starbucks is a start. With Linus at her side, Audrey feels like she can do the things she'd thought were too scary. Suddenly, finding her way back to the real world seems somewhat achievable.

The story itself explores Audrey and her emotional journey where she can finally understand her limits and starts to recover from her bullying and social anxiety ordeal. The story of Audrey and her chaotic family is a funny and uplifting one. Audrey is brave, charming, resourceful and is incredibly inspirational. Be prepared to laugh, dream and hope with Audrey as she learns that even when you feel like you have lost yourself, love can still find you. Sophie always has a way of using her writing skills to transform contemporary themes with fun-loving characters that are totally relatable. She already had my giggling after reading the first page! Finding Audrey is technically a young adult book, however, the story can be relatable to pretty much all ages and I think everyone who finds the time to read this novel will walk away feeling glad that they did.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend Sophie Kinsella to anyone who is looking at diving into a new book. I really liked how the book was broken down with quirky interview transcripts of various people in Audrey's life - it really sets the style of this book apart from other traditional writing styles. I had high hopes when I started reading Finding Audrey, especially knowing that Sophie had written some incredible stories, one of which was transferred into the well-loved 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' movie featuring Isla Fisher. The story itself lived up to expectations and it was such a great read. In some instances it takes a while for me to find a book I really enjoy, however, I found this one so easy to read and some evenings I struggled putting it down - even when I was so tired! Not only was the writing enticing but the cover art and overall design feel of the book really stood out for me. I really like the semiotic elements of the cover and the use of bright colours!

 Now a little surprise for you all. Just like in my previous book reviews, I was very kindly offered an additional book to giveaway to one of my lovely readers. So, if you would like to see why I enjoyed reading Finding Audrey so much and to read about the story yourself you can enter the giveaway via the rafflecopter widget below. Good luck everyone!

The Giveaway Rules 

1. You MUST be following my blog through GFC & Bloglovin' to qualify
2. This Giveaway will run from 21st June 2015 until 5th July 2015
3. I am using Rafflecopter for this giveaway so please follow the instructions on the widget. The more you enter the better the chance of winning this giveaway


What are your favourite books to read? Would you give Finding Audrey a try?

Lots of Love
*Sponsored Post

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Friday 19 June 2015

National Kissing Day with Balmi

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and have had a fabulous week so far! Do you know what today is?! It is Friday but it is a special Friday indeed...it is National Kissing Day! There literally seemed to be national day for everything these days and I love how they just add a little something to any regular day. I have teamed up with Balmi to bring you a review of one of their Lip Balms and how you can get your lips ready for National Kissing Day...pucker up! It is something a little different and fun to include alongside this review. 


Perfect your pout and ensure your lips are irresistibly smooth in time for National Kissing Day with Balmi. Formulated with antioxidant rich Vitamin E and soothing Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter, this cult wonder balm will leave your lips beautifully moisturised and soft to the touch. 

The lip balm itself has been designed with active people in mind which is perfect as I love a lip balm I can throw in my handbag on the go. The unique square packaging and the conical shaped balm ensured quick and easy application when on the move whilst SPF 15 and UVA protection means you are guarded from the elements whatever the weather. The cube style packaging doesn't look like your stereotypical lip balms but that is one of the reasons why I love them and I want to collect them all. I really like how the outer packaging corresponds with the flavour of the lip balm itself. The luminous coraly red silicone packaging is cute to the eye but also incredibly handy when rummaging my handbag for necessities. To use all you have to do is twist the top to reveal the conical shaped product and apply straight to your lips. The packaging is great, however, I did notice one flaw that you may have to keep in mind when using them. The first time I twisted open the lip balm itself I actually created a hefty dent in the product (cries). This may not occur for everyone and it may have been Sophia being an eager beaver as usual but I thought I would let you know...I am extra careful now!

I decided to give the Raspberry flavour a try on this occasion to try something a little different to what I usually opt for. However, if Raspberry is not for you then there are four other flavours to try including Strawberry, Coconut, Mint and Blackcurrant. You are sure to find a fruity flavour you will enjoy! Also, the lip balms themselves are £4.99 which I think it a great deal for a product you know is going to work and lasts a considerable amount of time. Also, for a limited time Boots.com are offering the Balmi lip balms for £2.99 so what better time to give them a try than now! One thing that sparked to mind when I saw these lip balms were there resemblance to EOS lip balms! They are also incredible EOS Lip Balm dupes so if you are on the hunt for those (they are hard to come by in the UK) I seriously recommend you give these Balmi lip balms a try. I have both brands in my collection and I think they come in pretty close to each other and have so many similarities which is great. 

Top 3 Tips for Kissable Lips

1. Exfoliate: Firstly, you will need to use some sort of lip scrub to exfoliate any dead skin away and create a smooth surface. I love using a mixture between home-made sugary lip scrubs or my favourite Bubblegum lip scrub by Lush. 

2. Moisturise: Once you have exfoliated your lips are ready for a super moisturising lip balm...this is where your Balmi lip balm comes in or any of your favourite lip balms. You can keep your lips smooth and hydrated by applying a good coating of lip balm every night before you go to bed to let the balm work its magic throughout the night. I love doing this and waking up with transformed lips!

3. Keep Hydrated: Just like our skin our lips will reap the consequences if we don't drink enough water daily. I am guilty of this and find keeping a bottle of water with me at all times has really helped me increase my fluid intake. Alternatively, if you find it harder drinking plain water then spice it up a little (not literally haha). Incorporate and infuse your favourite fruits and/or vegetables into your water - this will also aid in your daily vitamin intake. 

Overall, I have really been enjoying using my new Raspberry Balmi Lip Balm and I cannot wait to give the other yummy flavours in the collection 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!

What do you think of these lip balms? Which flavour would you like to try?

Lots of Love
*PR Sample
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Monday 15 June 2015

Flamingo Candles | Rose & Marshmallow

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and are having a lovely start to the week. Today I thought I would share with you one of the newest editions to my candle collection (I say collection because I absolutely love candles). There is nothing I love more than lighting a candle when I am feeling stressed, when I am in pamper mode or I just want a pretty accent somewhere in the house. You might have seen this particular candle before as it was sitting beautifully on my table in my recent YouTube video that you can see here - it looked so pretty and the scent was incredible! I always love talking about candles over on my blog because I have such a huge love for them. I reviewed a Flamingo Candle on my blog the end of last year (review here) and I was so impressed. Since then Flamingo Candles have sent me a gorgeous selection of candles to try and I can't wait to share them with you. 


If you are not sure who Flamingo Candles are, they are a fresh new brand offering fun and original collections of handmade, organic candles. Quirky contemporary designs, always making sure to incorporate their dapper friend Florrie the Flamingo. Each candle is handed-pured in Britain to the highest quality. Each candle is made with soybeans, natural cotton wicks and are all packed with unique, scrumptious fragrances. There are five beautiful scents in the collection; Rose & Marshmallow, Raspberry & Salted Caramel, Mango & Dragonfruit, Green Apples and Daisy - how delicious do they all sound?! I was asked to choose a scent from their new Spring / Summer 2015 Collection and I was instantly drawn to Rose & Marshmallow.

When I picked the scent I wasn't 100% sure what I was getting myself in for. I knew it was going to be sugary goodness but I couldn't help but think how strong the rose might come across. Don't get me wrong I do love a rose scent but sometimes they can be incredibly overpowering for me personally. When you first open the jar you are welcomes with a delightful sugary rose accord which offers the perfect balance between the main ingredients that somehow manages to fill a room. Then once you light the candle it just enhances the scent even more, leaving a delightful lingering scent. Floral and sugary, Rose and Marshmallow is the ultimate sweet combination. It has base notes of sandalwood, musk, rose and orchid blend with fruity mandarin, cherry, raspberry and creamy vanilla, coconut and of course marshmallow. 

Overall, yet again I was left completely impressed with these candles and I can't wait to try more. The burning time is still around 50 hours which I think it pretty great. At the moment I have had the pleasure of trying Macaroon & Almond, Rose & Marshmallow, Cheesecake Crunch and Mulled Wine & Berries (Christmas Collection). I think for £12 these Flamingo Candles are definitely worth the extra little splurge and I think they would even make a lovely gift. Don't forget graduation season is approaching and these would make a lovely congratulations token or a perfect gift for any occasion. I love how the packaging looks so luxuriously chic yet chubby chic and how they look sitting out on display...the cute little Flamingo just adds that little bit of character to the range. Even though it'll be bitter sweet when the candle is finished, I love how you could potentially use the empty jars for makeup and beauty storage. Just add a little glitter, some beads (for makeup brushes) a ribbon and you are good to go. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post! I would love to know what you think about Flamingo Candles and if you would give them a try. If you would like to take a peek through the website you can do so by clicking here. I have already taken a mother peek through the website and I have my heart set on trying something from their new Cocktails Collection - the Mojito candle is calling my name haha! 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 do you think about Flamingo Candles? Which scent would you love to try?

Lot of Love
*PR Sample

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Friday 12 June 2015

Britney Spears Rocker Femme Fantasy


Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and have had a fabulous week! Yay for Friday and for the lovely weather we have been having the last few days - I really hope it deciders to stick around as Summer is quite overdue haha. Also, shoutout to Papa Meola as it is his Birthday today! We just got back from a lovely family meal and I had the biggest urge to sit down and blog...I do love bursts of inspiration! I thought I would share with you a new addition to my perfume collection that I think you are going to really love. I think I can vouch for the majority and say that everyone and their best friend has had or knows someone who has a Britney Spears perfume (did that even make sense haha)...I remember getting my first one back in Middle School and being completely obsessed...#noshame! I remember having countless bottles of Curious, Circus Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy, Radiance and I recently added Fantasy the Naughty / Nice editions to my collection. 

Last year I was extremely fortunate and was invited to a Britney Spears Dance Workshop to celebrate her launch of Fantasy The Nice Remix and The Naughty Remix. I had such an amazing time and you can see my review here and overview of the dance workshop here. Britney has such a fabulous collection of perfumes that there is literally a scent for everyone. Whether it's hip hop, dance or rock, Britney continues to surprise her fans with her unforgettable, chart-topping music. Now, Britney is revealing her most rebellious, rock 'n' roll side with her newest edition to her perfume collection, Rocker Femme Fantasy. 


"I love that each of my songs allows me to play a different character. Rocker Femme Fantasy is inspired by my edgy, rock side. I want my fans to experience that feelings of being confident and daring when they wear this scent." - Britney Spears

Just like Britney mentioned above, her latest fragrance captures her playful energy of her rocker-girl persona. With tantalising musks and sensual fruits, Rocker Femme Fantasy is a sexy scent that drives boldness and femininity thus revealing your inner rock star. Britney took inspiration from the original fantasy fragrance to create a completely new scent. The provocative side of the fragrance pulsates blackcurrant sorbet and blackberry liquor before moving into creamy coconut. The more edgy side of the fragrance uses bold florals of gardenia, jasmine and violet before finally moving into the mysterious side, where golden amber, cashmere woods and yummy vanilla musk finishes the scent. 

Rocker Femme Fantasy is such a gorgeous fragrance and has the perfect balance between all of the different ingredients and notes. I have been wearing this for work quite frequently and I have been extremely impressed with it's staying power. For a celebrity fragrance that is an Eau De Parfume, Britney's perfumes have always had such a great longevity to them. I leave my house around 7am in the morning and don't get home some evenings till gone 6pm and I can still smell the fragrance lingering on my skin and clothing - what more could you ask for from a fragrance?!

Rocker Femme Fantasy is very similar to the original Fantasy fragrance, however, of course it has an edgy twist. This bottle channels a wild, rock 'n' roll look with a vibrant hot pink shade that dramatically transitions into a dark, smoky black. Adored with glistening black stones and a detailed black collar, the fragrance suits the theme so perfectly. The bottle itself is also has quite a weigh to it which adds to the overall quality of the perfume. There is nothing I displace more than a really unstable perfume packaging that starts to crack after a few uses. 

Overall, I absolutely love this new fragrance and I think it is safe to say that Britney is definitely winning when it comes to Celebrity Fragrances - I mean she has an impressive 19 scents to back her collection! I really think that the fragrance itself is quite versatile and you could wear this during the daytime and also the evenings as it picks up the sweet coconut and also the sensual musks. As far as I am aware Rocker Femme is a limited edition fragrance (sobs) so if you are a Britney fan and want to pick this up I would act fast. The Fragrance Shop were holding a 100ml for £25 deal, however, I think they could be completely sold out now. However, I believe Boots are still stocking 50ml for £19.99 and also Superdrug

I hope you all enjoyed this post and finding out about Britney's newest release. Even though you can't smell a fragrance through a blog post I still think it relays helps you grip the fragrance before seeing it in real life. What do you think? 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 do you think of Britney's new fragrance? Would you add it to your perfume collection?

Lots of Love
*PR Sample
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Sunday 7 June 2015

Ted Baker | A Touch of Luxury Collection


Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and are having a fabulous weekend so far! How beautiful has the weather been the last few days - it finally feels like we have Summer on the way now (fingers crossed)! Other than the fact that weekends seem to fly by so quickly these days I have had a lovely few days and I am in such an empowering mood today. So to match the weather and my chirpy mood I thought I would share with you the latest collection release by Ted Baker, A Touch of Luxury. 

Ted Baker has always been a brand I absolutely love and they always seem to release such gorgeous pieces. I have a few Ted Baker pieces in my collection already, from a gorgeous makeup bag and a handful of beautiful dresses...one of which was my graduation dress last year! This was one of the first occasions diving into the bath and body range and I was completely and utterly impressed. Treat yourself or someone special to the ultimate touch of luxury with Ted Bakers brand new indulgent Sugar Sweet bath and body gift collection, perfect for any occasion. The romantic print depicts a waterfall of bold, luscious flowers set amongst a melting watercolour background of soft mint green or pretty pastel pink, each with their own unique and captivating fragrance. The beautiful print has inspired the delicate fragrance notes that scent this newest collection. Fruity Floral Mint; blends fruity top notes with violet, while the base combines sweet yet soft vanilla, patchouli and amber. Soft Floral Pink; entwines the soft floral notes of jasmine and neroli, while the base of patchouli, sandalwood and musk completes the scent. 


I think we need to take a moment to really appreciate the packaging of this collection - I mean just look how gorgeous it is. Each product is made of a durable plastic and the pastel hues and rose gold detailing have really stolen my heart! The more structured pieces like the Body Soufflé and Body Lotions almost have like a diamond detailing which makes everything that more luxurious. The Ted Baker Pink Beauty Gift Bag contains three full sized products alongside a stunning vanity case that features the collections beautiful watercolour floral print and rose gold detailing. The large vanity alone is of great quality and is the perfect size to fit all of your beauty essentials. This pretty pink zip up case, with a striking neon lining and rose gold zip detailing is simply gorgeous. 

The collection contains a refreshing Body Wash, moisturising Body Soufflé and a Body Spray which entwines the soft floral notes of jasmine and neroli, whilst the base of patchouli, sandalwood and musk completes the scent. Used alone each product has it's own little luxury, however, used in combination with one another will surely leave you feeling pampered. 


The wonderful team at Ted Baker very kindly sent me a selection of their new collection to try out and review over on my blog. Like I mentioned earlier I am a huge fan of Ted Baker already so before they got in contact with me I actually purchased three of their 'Mint Hat Box Gift Set' as they were on a specially 3-for-2 offer at Boots. These gift sets really do make a lovely gift and I have already given two away to a close family friend and my Nonna for her birthday last month. I had one set left which I decided to keep for myself and I thought I would showcase it within this post. 

This indulgent box of treasures is the ideal gift for anyone who likes a touch of pampering. Not only does this set come with a gorgeous watercolour floral design box but with a full sized Body Wash, Body Lotion and Body Polisher that will leave your skin feeling silky smooth to the touch and smelling divine. As the box is 'Mint' themed the products within the box itself all carry the Fruity Floral Mint scent which blends fruity top notes with violet, while the base combines sweet yet soft vanilla, patchouli and amber.


The Ted Baker Lip Balm Gift Set is a delectable trio of Vanilla, Orange Berry and Green Blackberry lip balms that will leave your lips feeling soft, smooth and instantly kissable. I really love how they decided to package this trio - I just adore how the balms themselves are housed in a gorgeous little box. The outer packing is of great quality and I think once all of the lip balms are used would make a perfect 'keep sake' box, storage option for your makeup collection or a simple piece to put on display. The lip balm packaging is just as delightful as the outer. Each lid has a T etched on it in rose gold and each lid corresponds with the flavour inside. I really like how they decided to keep the colour scheme to that of the outer packaging - the pastel pink, orange and mint all look lovely. Each flavour has the perfect amount of power and you can easily identify which scent belongs to each shade. If you are expecting extremely nourishing lip balms then these are not going to be for you - they do moisturise your lips, however, not like something from Nivea, Carmex or Nuxe would do. However, I think these would make the perfect handbag essential and are the perfect size for traveling. 

Overall, I was completely impressed with these delightful gift sets and I think they would make a perfect treat for yourself or someone special in your life. Graduation season is just around the corner and these would make a lovely little treat. I know I would have loved receiving anything like this for my Birthday, Christmas, Graduation or any special occasion. In terms of scent I don't think I would be able to choose a favourite purely because they are both so gorgeously delicious haha. If you really like the look of the gift sets mentioned above you can view and purchase them online and in-store from Boots. If the above gift sets are not for you Ted Baker also has a Mint Beauty Bag (£20.00), Hand Duo (£14.00) and Handbag Essentials Gift (£12.00) to view within the collection. 

What do you think of the Ted Baker A Touch of Luxury Collection? Which sounds like your perfect scent?

Lots of Love
*Contains PR Samples

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Monday 1 June 2015

Benefit POREfessional License To Blot

Hello My Lovelies, 

I hope you are all doing well and are having a great start to the week. Happy June everyone, here is to the sixth chapter of our 2015 journey (can't believe it is June!). I thought today I would bring you a fabulous new release from one of my favourite beauty brands. Benefit has always been a brand that stood out to me and I have loved their overall ethos and product range for as long as I can remember...they can literally do no wrong. Benefit have well and truly done is again with their latest release of 2015, 'License to Blot'. SpyGal has a new secret weapon in her mission to defeat pores, oil and shine - and the whole POREfessional family is really turning out to be the POREfect trio. 

It is no secret that Benefit's POREfessional is one of their best selling product and after releasing their equally favoured POREfessional Agent Zero Shine why not add another to the POREfessional family mix?! I didn't quite know what to expect with this little gem, however, just like the other two products in the family you can use this under and over your makeup to suit your skin type. The only thing that worries me about applying this over makeup is the fact that makeup will or may transfer onto the stick itself. I am sure this could be easily removed, however, for someone with OCD like me it is not ideal haha. You can literally blot on the spot with this instant oil-blotting stick with tiny invisible blotting spheres which mattify shine for up to 6 hours after application. I am still not 100% sure about the six hour claim, however, License to Blot does provide a good few hours of oil control and is a perfect handbag hero to transform your makeup. 

I really love how compact the product is and alongside the others in the collection almost looks like the younger sibling or baby of the family. License to Blot is presented in a compact rectangular tube with a twist applicator that is incredibly easy to use but easy to spot with it's super bright and fun Benefit packaging and beloved SpyGal branding. Not only is License to Blot perfect to use in your makeup routine, it is perfect to blot on the go. Just like with many other Benefit products the particular License to Blot branding and shape has been designed for a reason. The specially designed rectangular tip targets shiny zones...and is perfect to get up close and personal around the sides of your nose, forehead and chin. Oil has finally met it's matte! 

To some the twisty packaging may resemble a glue stick, however, License to Blot is far from anything you would use for crafts or special effect makeup. You can feel the product on the skin, however, it is nothing discomforting and the formulation glides onto the skin like a dream whilst leaving a flawless matte finish. 100% saw continuous mattifying action, 97% said it helped minimise and blur out the appearance of pores and 100% said it absorbed excess surface oil without fail. Those are some great statistics. Benefit even recommend getting triple the POREfection and using all three products together. Firstly start by blending the POREfessional primer all over the face to minimise the appearance of pores, then target oily spots with License to Blot and then sweep on Agent Zero Shine powder for all over shine control. They really are the POREfect trio! 

Personally, I think the £15.50* price tag is a complete bargain for a fabulous new beauty release. However, I don't mind spending a little extra on skincare products I know are actually going to make a difference in my routine...or on anything Benefit for that matter - I am a true Benefan! I would definitely recommend stopping by your local counter and picking up a sample of License to Blot if you can and giving it a try for yourself, especially if you are a little wary of purchasing the full size before seeing it in action. Overall, I am extremely impressed with Benefits newest release and I have a feeling it is going to hold a firm place in my skincare and beauty routine - my skin was screaming for this product at work earlier haha. I also think it is going to be a fabulous product for the Summer time with the warmer weather slowly approaching. If you would like to find out more about License to Blot you can do so my visiting to Benefit website here or by visiting a local counter - the Benebabes are always on hand to help! POREfessional License to Blot launches this June and will be available to purchase and browse online and in stores.

To celebrate the triple dose of POREfection, Benefit want you to get snapping! Use a picture frame, pop your POREfessional goodies in there and share your POREfect family POREtrait. Benefit will be keeping an eye out for their favourites and will be regramming and sharing them via social media. 

I hope you all enjoyed this post and finding out about Benefit's newest release. 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 thoughts about License to Blot? Will you be giving it a try?

Lots of Love
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