April Favourites 2017

These are the products I have been loving in April!

Radox's mandarin and lemongrass shower gel smells absolutely amazing. I love mandarin scented products and the lemongrass gives it an extra kick. I will definitely be buying this one again!

I have been using this pink jasmine lip balm from Avon this month and I love it. It is a great size for your pocket or handbag and the consistency is exactly as I like it. It is smooth and balmy with no nasty aftertaste and it prevents my lips from drying out.

I have been wearing my cushion cut peridot necklace a lot this month. I love the bright green colour!

This NYC City Proof Twistable Intense Lip Color is great. I have it in the colour Riverside Rose which looks quite natural on my lips. I think I'm going to have to make this one permanent in my make-up bag.

I have been wearing Jimmy Choo Illicit Flower a lot this month. It is a great, elegant floral fragrance. It is definitely worth a try if you haven't already checked it out.

My MUA lipstick in shade 2 has been another lip product I have been loving this month and it has already been upgraded to my make-up bag. It is a bit darker and more bold than the NYC lip colour but I think it looks lovely on.

I have been wearing my Avon Nailwear Pro+ nail polish in shade Barely There this month and I love it. It lasts impressively well. I also have this colour as a gel finish polish, but this one seems to be just as good!

I love Clarins Double Serum. I have raved about it in the past. It improves the appearance of my skin immediately. My skin looks hydrated and radiant after using it.

Ghost Moonlight is another fragrance I have worn a lot this month. It is a sweet and creamy but it has a darkness to it as well.

January Favourites 2017

Here are the products I have been loving this month.

I have used so many different fragrances this month, but I have used Vivienne Westwood's Let It Rock three or four times. It's a lovely, warming, spicy scent.

I have been using this Sanctuary Spa moisture rich foot butter. It is quite thick and has a lovely scent. I have yet to find a Sanctuary Spa product that I don't like.

I have been wearing my bunny print scarf a lot this month. I got it from Oasis a while ago and I love the colour and the print.

I have rediscovered this non-retractable lipstick from Avon in the colour Reddy To Go. It is really easy to apply and lasts on my lips.

I won't pretend that I don't still love my EOS lip balms most of all but I have had this Burt's Bees Vanilla Bean lip balm by my bed and I'm pretty pleased with it.

I bought this Ansoka Green Grass candle from Ikea a while ago. I have been burning it this month and it smells amazing.

I have been loving Dead Sea Spa Magik's Salt Brushing. It has a lovely fresh, citrusy scent. It is a great exfoliator and it contains coconut oil to help hydrate the skin. I would definitely buy this again.

I have been wearing my silver one carat aquamarine pendant a lot this month. I love the colour. It just has a hint of blue. I love the simplicity of the design. I also have the ring to match.

A Few Of My 2016 Christmas Gifts!

I was spoilt yet again this Christmas.

Here are just a few of the gifts I received.

I got a tube of Yankee wax tarts which I am delighted with. I can't wait to melt my favourite, which is Snowflake Cookie.

I got a cute Burt's Bees gift set with two lip balms and hand salve in a gorgeous glass pot. I thought this was a really cute gift.

I shrieked with excitement when I opened my box of Thorntons Coffee Creams. I didn't know you could buy a box with just coffee creams in and I love them.

My sister kindly surprised me with Armani Diamonds, which I have discovered to be a gorgeous fragrance!

I got my favourite moisturiser which is Clinique's Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator. I am really pleased because I had completely ran out of it.

I also got a goody bag of Avon products including this gorgeous pomegranate and mango scented body spray which is so fresh and fruity. I love it!

October 2016 Favourites!

This month I have had two go-to fragrances. I have been using Nina Ricci's Ricci Ricci Dancing Ribbon eau de parfum and Reem Acra's eau de parfum.

Ricci Ricci Dancing Ribbon is slowly overtaking Ricci Ricci as my favourite Nina Ricci fragrance.

Reem Acra's eau de parfum is another lovely scent for the autumn/winter months. Out of the two fragrances I think I have used Reem Acra most often this month.

I have also been loving Soap And Glory's Glam-A-Lot body spray which is another great scent. I think this is quite difficult to get hold of now which is a shame.

My brown New Look boots are back on my favourites list. I still absolutely love them! I love the cutouts and the chunky heel and they are really comfortable.

I adore my silver tourmaline ring which is full of autumnal colours. Sometimes I can't stop staring at it.

I tried Carex's Love Hearts hand wash for the first time this month and I am really impressed. I love unique scents like this and it really does smell like Love Hearts.

My bottle green boohoo skater dress has been my dress of choice this month. I love the colour and the fit!

I have been using Avon's glimmerstick eyeliner in blackest black and I am pretty pleased with it.

September Favourites!

These are the items I've been loving in September!

I love my cobalt blue dress from boohoo.com. The colour and the fit are gorgeous and it can easily be dressed up or down.

I find that Avon lipsticks can often be too shimmery and I recently went through all my lipsticks and found this one had never been used. The shade is called Divine Wine and there is no shimmer in it. It is a dark purple colour, but it doesn't look unnatural. I love it!

I've been loving my new handbag from H&M. It is a good size and it looks really smart. I have had large handbags before, but not with such a rigid shape to them so I am still getting used to this one.

I have rediscovered my MUA Undressed palette and I love it. I have been using my matte eyeshadows a lot recently so it's good to bring some shimmer back and I love the golds and browns in this palette.

I finally bought Garnier's oil-infused Micellar water this month and it is great for removing, even waterproof, make-up with no rubbing or scrubbing. I'm really pleased with this.

I have been using Sanctuary Spa's body scrub this month. I love the scent of it and it leaves my skin feeling lovely and soft.

My favourite Impulse body spray currently available is Sweet Smile. It has a scent of pear and jasmine and this has been my body spray of choice for September.

A Few Autumn Purchases!

I finally bought some more gel nail polishes from Avon which I think are great. They last a lot longer than normal nail polishes without chipping.

I bought 4 different colours; Moondust, Very Berry, Rain Washed and Dazzle Pink.

So far I have tried Rain Washed and Very Berry. Very Berry is the colour I have on at the minute. In the bottle it looks a deep pink colour but it looks a dark, cherry red colour on my nails.

I was also pleasantly surprised last week when I wandered into Matalan. It's been a while since I have been in. It isn't somewhere I think to go when I'm looking for clothes as the stores are usually out of town, but I was passing so I went in and I found these lovely black corduroy trousers. I love them.

I also spotted this lovely 'shawl kimono' in wine/grey.

I also bought a new handbag at the weekend as I'm tired of not having a big enough bag. I love my new bag. It is a great size! I got it from H&M.

July 2016 Favourites!

Here are my favourites for July 2016! This month we bought this 'Stay Cool' water dispenser from Clas Ohlson. Even at the time I thought it was a silly purchase that would never get used, but I love it. It has made me drink so much more water. I put slices of lemon in the water for a hint of flavour.

I have been using my Avon glimmerstick eyeliner a lot this month. I also use it to wave through my lower lashes to make them look thick and black. My eyeliner is in 'blackest black' but this eyeliner is available in a lot of different colours.

I have been using my Barry M Brow Kit a lot lately. The tweezers aren't great as they are so small and difficult to pinch together, but I love the little brush and the powder. The lighter brown colour is a gel to set your brows in place.

I am a huge fan of this Calvin Klein lipstick in First Kiss. The colour is great. It is very subtle. I love it!

I have used Avon's Outspoken Party! by Fergie (from Black Eyed Peas) a few times this month. It reminds me of Vera Wang's Princess Night fragrance. It is a sweet, fruity scent and it has good projection and lasts well.

The sun has been shining and I just love this dazzling yellow citrine ring for the summer. I think it has been my most worn ring this month.

The Beauty Want List!

I have a long beauty want list at the minute. I keep seeing products that I want to try.

I have wanted to get an original beauty blender for a while. Cheaper imitations tend to get poor reviews so I think it's probably worth going for the real deal.

I tried Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune recently and I absolutely loved it. It is a citrusy scent and I'm not usually a huge fan of citrus fragrances, but this is so crisp and well defined. It's definitely a fragrance I am looking to add to my collection.

I have been thinking about buying the Hourglass Ambient Light Powder in Diffused Light for a long time. I read a review a while ago that put me off, but I have since read many more positive reviews so it is back on my want list.

I want to try this Garnier Micellar Oil Infused Water as I am running low on my cleansing water and I need something oil-based as I wear waterproof mascara and it makes it a lot easier to remove. This product is supposed to be non-greasy as well, which is always good.

I have to get some more Avon Gel Shine nail polishes. I used the lilac shade I have recently and it reminded me how good these polishes are. They don't chip as easily as regular nail polish. There are at least 4 colours on my want list and checking the avonshop.co.uk website they are currently on offer for £3.50 each which is great!

I could do with a few new make-up brushes, but next on my list is the MAC 168 large, angled contour brush.

March Favourites 2016

These are my March favourites.

First of all my sister bought this Original Source Tropical Pineapple shower gel for me and it is lovely. You hardly ever find pineapple scented toiletries. I love this, but have been trying to savour it as it's quite difficult to find in the shops.

I have been loving Marc Jacobs Lola eau de parfum this month. It has a lovely, floral scent without being as sweet as you may expect.

My hair straighteners broke recently so I managed to scrounge my sister's old GHD straighteners from her. They are the white ones with a pink design on them. They were a limited edition design a few years ago. I love GHD straighteners. They work really well.

My husband got some Avon Senses grapefruit and cedarwood hair and body wash for Christmas which he has been using this month and I love the scent. I don't use it on my hair; just as a body wash and the scent is great, but the lid is a nightmare to open.

I have rediscovered Avon's Luxe polished rose lipstick this month and I love it. It is easy to apply, feels comfortable and is fairly long wearing.

I love this check scarf that I bought a few months ago. It is really soft and I love the pattern.

I put these tanzanite earrings in for the first time this month. I bought them last year from one of the jewellery channels. They are comfortable and look very pretty.

My March 2015 favourites last year included this navy dress from Boohoo.com and this March I have been loving it all over again. It is really comfortable and flattering and it is easy to dress up or down.

February Favourites 2016!

There are a lot of products that I have been loving this month.

No.7's Beautiful Skin Eye Make-Up Remover is excellent for removing waterproof mascara. I wear waterproof mascara every day so I am pleased to have a product that removes it so easily.

I got Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire last month and I have been loving it. It has a lovely, deep tea note in it. It's become one of my favourite scents.

My MAC 217 brush is probably my favourite brush for applying and blending eyeshadow. Whenever I introduce a new brush to my collection I always end up going back to this one.

I have used up most of my EOS lip balm now and I absolutely love it. I will definitely have to buy another EOS lip balm. It is my favourite lip balm that I have ever used.

I love my MAC blush. I bought it in shade Melba, which is my current favourite cheek colour. It looks great on.

Soap and Glory Scrub Your Nose In It is a great facial scrub and mine has been getting a lot of us this month.

I have a purse spray of Avon's Strictly Ballroom Beauty eau de toilette, which has a lovely, light floral scent. I have had this in my handbag this month and I love the scent. It is so uplifting and the purse spray is so handy to carry around with you.
I also have the full size bottle of this fragrance.

Finally I have been using Dove's plum and sakura blossom body wash. I have used this one several times before and I love the scent of it. It is really creamy and moisturising as well.

Avon's Christian Lacroix fragrance range

I know it is barely summer yet, but I have been looking forward to autumn since early spring! I love autumn, but last year was the first year I got really excited for it and the thought of pumpkin scented candles is what excites me the most!

I have been admiring my rather large perfume collection today and I came across some lovely scents that remind me of autumn including Avon's Christian Lacroix fragrances, which I think are more appropriate for autumn and winter as they are quite spicy and heavy.

They have released four fragrances in this range so far and I have collected all of them. They are available exclusively through Avon.

Rouge was the first to be released in 2007. I initially didn't like it as it is quite a heavy, spicy scent, but it has really grown on me. I only tend to wear it in the autumn and winter as I think it is a bit too heavy for spring and summer.

Absynthe was the second release in 2009. It is also quite spicy, but has floral and earthy dimensions as well. It is quite unusual and it lasts well.

Nuit came next in 2011 and it is another lovely scent. It is spicy, but also has a sweet, creamy musk in it and it is a lot more wearable than the previous two releases. It is one of my fragrances that springs to mind when I think of the autumn approaching.

Ambre is the latest fragrance which came out in 2014 and it is a lot sweeter than the others. It has notes of berries and caramel. Amber is also one of the base notes giving the fragrance a slightly heavier scent.

I think there will be more fragrances added to this line eventually. They also do a masculine version of each of the fragrances in the range. I have tried some of them and they're really nice as well.

A Few Goodies From My Birthday!

It was my birthday recently so I'm going to share with you a few of the goodies that I received from my family and friends.


I got this amazing Beauticology gift set, which is really cute. It has a strawberry macaron scented body wash and a raspberry cream macaron scented body lotion both of which smell gorgeous.

I got an Along Came Betty gift set with peach and apricot scented hand wash and hand lotion in it. I have already had plenty of use out of the hand lotion. The scent is amazing.

I also got an Impulse gift set with 5 different body sprays in it. I love Impulse. The one in the middle is my favourite, Sweet Smile. It is pear and jasmine scented.

I also got some perfumes.
I got two new fragrances from Avon. Cherish and Mesmerize Black. Cherish is a beautiful, floral scent and Mesmerize Black is a creamy, woody fragrance, which is quite heavy.
I also got the matching purse sprays which are really handy to throw in your handbag or to travel with.
I also got a new bottle of Vera Wang Princess, which I was really pleased with as my current bottle is running low. I really love this fragrance. It is very unique.

I was also spoilt when it comes to jewellery and I got a really pretty Sekonda watch, a ruby ring, a lovely gold necklace and some earrings.

 I got some other bits and pieces too including Jelly Belly earphones, a shoe design notepad and a lovely light pink nail polish.
I was also given a book of postcards with covers from the New Yorker magazine on them. There are hundreds of postcards to look through and the designs are really interesting. I visited New York last year and I absolutely love the place. I definitely want to go back some day!

I also got a very relevant tin to keep receipts in.

I can always feel a shop coming on! Haha! It is the perfect gift for a shopaholic like myself!

I did get a few other gift sets not shown because I have already broken into them and started using them and I also got some cash so I was very lucky and spoilt by my family and friends.

What I Got For Christmas 2014 And A Little Bit Of Sales Shopping!

I was totally spoilt this Christmas and I love every gift that I received.

My husband bought me the new Tom Ford fragrance, Velvet Orchid, a gorgeous green floral dress from New Look, a Lord and Berry lip crayon, McBusted's DVD (I was a huge Busted fan) and a beautiful sapphire necklace.

As you may know I am a huge fan of fragrances and I got a few for Christmas.
As well as Tom Ford's Velvet Orchid from my husband I got a FCUK gift set, which has a lovely, fresh scent.

Lovely is a fragrance by Dainty and Heaps, a UK based company that I hadn't previously heard of. The fragrance has notes including star anise and liquorice and the scent reminds me of Diesel's Fuel For Life Unlimited. It's warm and spicy.

Avon's new fragrance, Christian Lacroix Ambre is one that I wanted as I have the other three Christian Lacroix fragrances by Avon; Rouge, Absynthe and Nuit.
Ambre is a lovely scent and the fragrance came with a Christian Lacroix make-up bag and a lipstick and eye shadow. 

I also received a mini fragrance gift set with miniatures of Moschino Pink Bouquet, Ghost Deep Night, Lipsy London and Ted Baker Sweet Treat Polly, which I thought was a lovely gift set as it allows me to try out lots of new fragrances and they are great for carrying around in your handbag. I already have Ghost Deep Night, but I adore it so I'm pleased to have a mini bottle of it now as well.

I received so many gift sets.

I hadn't tried Soap and Glory's new sweet lime scented products until I received the gift set on Christmas day and I love it.

The Baylis and Harding gift set I received is sweet mandarin and grapefruit scented, which I love.

Baylis and Harding also make the Beauticology gift sets and I received a Beauticology gift set (to the
left of the Nivea gift set) with vanilla frosting foot lotion and strawberry frosting foot soak crystals with some red and white fluffy socks, which I took out of the box as I have already worn them.

I received another Beauticology gift set (bottom right) with a cranberry body wash, which smells lovely and a gingerbread sparkle body wash, which has glitter in it and smells lovely. There is also a strawberry frosting scented soap in the set.

There are two gift sets from Next. One is a set of 4 lip glosses and the other is from the Gold range, which includes a small rollerball of the Gold eau de parfum, a scented hand cream, a shimmery nail polish and a pot of nail gems.

I also got plenty of candles. The Glade warm spice candle is really strong, but I love it!
The set of three candles with the silver floral patterned holders are very pretty and they are vanilla and roasted chestnut scented. They smell really nice, but I think the scent will be a lot more obvious when I start to burn them.
The set of three purple tealight holders shown at the bottom of the photo are a lovely design as well. They look very festive. 

As well as my green floral dress I got a few bits and pieces of clothing including a gorgeous grey bird print scarf, some white slippers, some black and pink gloves, which will be great for the rest of winter as I intend to take up running, some big thick Lipsy socks and two pairs of pyjamas.
I love both pairs of pyjamas. One pair are Disney with Winnie The Pooh on them and the other pair have patterned bottoms and a lovely fox on the top, which I think is such a cute design.
I was not disappointed in the slightest to receive two pairs of pyjamas.

I got lots of other bits and pieces shown in the first photo including a clock, a calendar, a purse, some floral note cards, bubble bath, a Tangle Teezer, sweets, a bottle of wine, a wine bottle holder, some ageing cream, a glass Christmas tree decoration, hand cream and a memo block.

On top of all this I got lots of Christmas money, which I bought an emerald and diamond cluster ring with from the Ernest Jones website. I mentioned the ring on my blog over a year ago as I have wanted it for so long, but unfortunately I had to take it back because I found the emerald's imperfections distracting. It looked like there was a crack running through it and I didn't want to pay so much money for something that I was a bit disappointed with.
To me this ring is the perfect design so I am not too pleased that I remain emeraldless after lusting after this ring for so long and even after finally making the big purchase.
I have thought about buying it again and hoping for a better emerald, but it was on sale when I bought it the first time and now it has gone back up to full price so the idea isn't too tempting.    

Finally on to what I got in the sales. I haven't been to the shops, but I have had dozens of emails from online retailers, whose websites I have used in the past and I ended up resisting spending on most websites, but I did make a few purchases from boots.com.

One of my favourite ever perfumes is Marc Jacobs Daisy Sunshine, which was released in Boots in early 2013, but as it was a limited edition fragrance it is no longer available.
I loved the Sunshine range from Marc Jacobs and managed to get a second bottle of Oh Lola! Sunsheer and a second bottle of Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine, but Boots were selling Daisy Sunshine again on their website on Boxing Day so they have maybe listed old stock they have found and it was only £22.50 (originally £45.00)!
I already have the fragrance, but I never ever wear it because I'm too scared of my bottle running out and it was the same with the other two scents from the range, but now I will be able to rest knowing I have a spare bottle if my first bottle runs out.

Boots.com has actually sold out of Daisy Sunshine already, but hopefully they will still be able to fulfil my order.

I also ordered a mini Smashbox gift set with a mini mascara, a mini under eye primer and a mini foundation primer, which was £12.50 reduced from £30.00. 

I had asked for the Lord and Berry lip crayon that my husband bought me and I really like it. I found a set on the Boots website with two Lord and Berry lip crayons. It is actually called the lip library gift set. You can get different colours, but I ordered the a red and a pink. The colours are called Fire and Fucsia (a foreign spelling of Fuchsia!?)
I'm hoping the pink isn't too bright as I think pinks can sometimes look really tacky, but the gift set was £13.33 reduced from £20.00 so I'm happy with that.

I also bought a few fragrances from allbeauty.com on Boxing Day to put away for my sisters for their birthdays because they had a deal on where if you spent £85.00 you could have £10.00 off.

I always say this, but I am going to try not to buy much in the sales because I've been spoilt so much this Christmas and there is nothing that I really need so hopefully I'll be able to resist the temptation to look online or in the shops.
It is the most difficult time of year to give up shopping, but I'll do my best.

Huge Avon Haul!

I have been trying not to buy many clothes and shoes lately as I have run out of space for them and I am getting married this year so I am trying to save money for my wedding.

I am addicted to shopping so when money is tight I usually look at make-up for those much needed pick-me-ups. Spending  between £5 and £20 at a time is better than spending a fortune on clothes. I always manage to convince myself that one more top or dress isn't going to hurt, but it does tend to pinch a little.

I have just put an order in with Avon where I only bought what was on offer and what should have cost £92.50 cost me just £39.00.

I bought 4 of their new gel finish nail polishes in Roses Are Red, Barely There, Dazzle Pink and Lavender Sky.
I am most excited to try Barely There, a nude colour. I have also seen the red colour on a friend and it is striking. The nail polishes are £7.00 each, but I bought them on offer for £3.50 each.

Caribbean Paradise is an eau de toilette spray. The bottle looks a bit cheap, but it looks very summery and sounds lovely. It has notes of mango, hibiscus, amber and woods. The eau de toilette was £5.00, but is usually £10.50.

I have used Avon's Anew Youth-Awakening Lipstick in the past. It is good quality. I bought two of these at £3.00 each, but they are usually £10.50 each so I saved £15.00.

I have read a few good reviews of Avon's Far Away Exotic eau de parfum. I had one of the limited editions, Far Away Dreams from a few years ago and it was lovely; very light and summery. I haven't actually had the original Far Away, though it's been out for years.

I also bought one of Avon's Luxe Lipsticks, which I am excited to try. The gold coloured casing looks lovely and I'm sure the lipstick will be great. I have used dozens of Avon's lipsticks in the past and have never been too disappointed.

Tahaitan Holiday is another light, summery eau de toilette. One of my friends has this one so I have tried it before. It smells of coconut.

I'm looking forward to my order arriving..

May Favourites and Desirables!

Here are a few of the products I've been loving this month.

Avon's Super Shock mascara has been a favourite of mine for a long time now. I love the wand. It is so much better than the other mascaras that I own. The only thing I don't like about it is it isn't waterproof and I find it sometimes smudges underneath my eyes so I'm looking at investing in a waterproof mascara soon. I'm thinking of trying one by Rimmel.

This L'Oreal Ever Riche hair mask is really nice. I love using hair masks and this one smells great and leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth.

I absolutely love Benefit's Lemon Aid and use it as an eyelid primer every day. I am running out of this at the minute so need to replace mine..

I love Sure deodorant. I think it works better than any other brand. I am using this Cotton Fresh one at the minute. I bought it, forgetting that this scent makes me choke. I love it in Radiant (purple can) and Bright (pink can) though.

I've had Versace Bright Crystal for a while and I wore it for the first time in ages and had forgotten how much I loved it.

Now for the things that I desire..

Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere is now available in the classic bottle as an eau de parfum. I'd been considering the eau de toilette for a while and now I'm not sure which one I should get.
I love the original No 5 and I have both the eau de toilette and the eau de parfum.

Searching for Benefit Lemon Aid online led me to find this MUA (MakeUp Academy) Pro-Base Prime and Conceal, which is a dupe of Lemon Aid and it costs just £1.50. As I am looking to replace my Lemon Aid I am going to have to give this one a go. It has great reviews. I have tried a few different Superdrug stores now and neither had it, but I'm really excited to try this out when I can get my hands on it.

I also fancy getting some Barry M nail polishes in pastel shades. I'm jealous of everyone having lovely pastel nails at the minute.