YANKEE CANDLES; TOP THREE BIG JARS

So as most of you already know, I am completely obsessed with candles. Like, creepily obsessed.

I used to have to buy a new candle whenever I went into a shop that sold them and heaven forbid I'd go to Ikea and only buy one.. Nope, that never happened.

Recently though, I've been really focusing on building a strong Yankee Candle collection. Yes, they're slightly more expensive than your average candle, but the scent pay off that you get from them are unreal. They're like no other candle. If I light a Yankee Candle in my living room, I can smell it up in the bedroom for a good few hours afterwards.

With Yankee Candles, I find that the last an extraordinary amount of time too, so you definitely get your money's worth. Just a few months ago, I finished my first ever Yankee back from my 16th Birthday, so yeah, that's a good 6 years that I had it.

Anyway, today I thought that I'd share my favourite three large jars and then I'll do another post on smaller jars and the tarts at some point.

1. Cotton Candy (aka candy floss)

Wow. This candle smells heavenly! I'm a massive, massive fan of sweet, sickly scents (probably my sweet-tooth showing through) and so this is practically my perfect candle. Once lit, it seems to linger around for a while before getting to it's full potential, but once it's there, it's there for the evening.

2. Cranberry Ice

Not something that I would generally choose for myself.. I didn't even know that cranberry had it's own scent, but once this candle is lit, it's so pretty! It does smell quite fruity (obviously) but is not at all overpowering, which I love.

3. Beach Holiday

So this candle comes under the 'fresh' category and I couldn't agree more. It's refreshing and subtle and leaves my house smelling clean and open. It's an absolutely beautiful candle and I would recommend this if you're stuck for one, or you're not a massive fan of overwhelming candles.

Have you ever tried a Yankee Candle?

xxx

SIBEL HAIR STRAIGHTENER HOLDER

I've had this little thing since last Christmas, but I've never had anywhere to put it until I recently got my new dresser and now, I'm not sure how I ever got on without it.

It's a plastic, heat-proof holder in which you slot your hair straighteners in, keeping them safe from causing any damage to nearby surfaces and simply making your dressing table/getting-ready-area neat & tidy.

It has little sucker pads underneath so that it grips your surface, making it perfect for sticking on to a wall, however I love to keep it just on my dresser.

Here's the link to where you can purchase it on eBay for just £9.95:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hair-Straighteners-SIBEL-Table-Top-Stand-Holder-Black-/360852765158

I'd 100% recommend this to anyone that uses straighteners on a regular basis or simply for anyone who wants to tidy up their desk area.

xxx

L'OREAL SUBLIME BRONZE EXPRESS PRO SPRAY: QUICK REVIEW

Img taken from Google

(yep, it's that bad that I couldn't even be bothered to photograph it myself)

Hey guys, me again.

Another fake tan post, sorry- but honestly, this one is important. I promise!

So, luckily, I got this from our bargain shop at work for £1. You all know that I'm constantly on the look-out for new brilliant fake tans, and this was just another one of those whims that I take so very regularly.

So, I've tried this at least 3/4 times now just to make sure that the first couple of times, I didn't have any leftover body lotions or products on however every single time, I've found the results to look awful. 

I've applied this in the evening, straight before bed and also in the morning and I've tried it not only on my entire body, but I've tried to apply it to more specific places (chest, feet, legs) to no avail.

I've done a cheeky review search to see what you guys think and, thankfully you all agreed (ruling out user error!) and so this one will be going straight in the bin.

It's so unfortunate, because the rest of the range is fab and I use it regularly (although it's a bit on the pricey side) so it looks like I'll be sticking with my trusty Soltan for now!

xxx

WEST-MIDS WEEKEND AWAY

Hey guys,

So last weekend (the Bank holiday), me and Luke decided that we wanted to go away somewhere- it's not very often that I get a 3-day weekend and so we thought that we would make the most of it. 

Luke generally left it down to me (because his suggestions suck) and I fancied going somewhere that has more to offer than just drinking and shopping (eventhough they're my fave activities!) and I figured that Cadbury's World is somewhere that I've always wanted to visit so that was my plan.

I then realised that whilst we are travelling that way, we may as well take a trip to the West Midlands Safari Park too (obvs!) and so a plan was born. 

So yeah, Saturday morning we got up bright & early and set off towards the West Midlands Safari Park, stopping for a Mcdonalds breakfast, of course. Once we had got there, we realised that it was going to be crazy-busy due to school holidays and the bank holiday, which wasn't brilliant, but I was still so excited to get in and see some animals. We queued in our car for what seemed like forever in the sweltering heat, whilst getting strange looks from families around us (yes, we are early twenties and still like safari parks, so what!) and once we had finally got in, we found that there were.....
MORE QUEUES!

For any of you that have been here before, you'll know this, but for you guys that haven't been, you basically go around the safari in your car, following the trail in and out of different sections e.g. 'Wild Asia' or 'The Lion Kingdom' etc, however it was that busy that you can't move anywhere so it's basically like sitting in stand-still traffic for 3 hours... Like that's not bad enough, there are such steep hills that you are expected to sit on and there were cars breaking down all over the place! (this is not told before you book tickets, so watch your clutch on your car!) I also thought that it was pretty pricey for what you got, but I do think that it would've been tonnes better had it been mid-week and a lot quieter. You can book tickets here.

After this, we went to the hotel that I had booked (a Park Inn situated in West Brom), left our bags, freshened up and went out to find some dinner as by this point, I was starving. We found a local shopping centre called 'New Square' (I think) that was fantastic- it had so many different retailers and restaurants and we settled on a Nandos which, as usual, was amazing. (Nandos has quickly become my favourite food btw). We mooched around the shops for a little while and then nipped into the biggest Tesco I've ever seen & got a cheeky bottle and some snacks then went back to the hotel to enjoy them. The next morning, we got up & got ready and luckily, we had breakfast included (yay!). Breakfast is by far my favourite meal of the day, although I'm more of a continental breakfast kinda gal, not really a massive fan of fry ups. This hotel has the best breakfast I've ever seen. Everything was help yourself, including lattes, warm food, pastries, cereal.. You name it, they had it. Amazing! Here is a link to the hotel in case you're ever in the area: Click Here

After checking out, we made our way to Cadburys world in the hope that it would make up for the disappointment that we had encountered at the West Mids Safari Park and boy did it do the job. It was everything that I had expected and more. There is something for everyone- down to the history of Cadburys, to the way it's made, through to old packaging, games and a 4D experience. It was just a great day. I don't want to give too much away for those of you that haven't been, but honestly, if you haven't been, go and book here!

So after we had been to Cadbury's world, Luke decided that he wanted to go out for dinner in Birmingham as a nice end to the weekend and so we travelled there, parked up & got out. As I went to walk off, he shouted be back and gave me my overnight bag and let me in on the secret; we were staying in Birmingham overnight, wahoo!! I honestly had no idea- I was so sure that we were going home...

He directed us to the hotel (The Macdonald Burlington) and wow. It's one of the nicest hotels that I've ever had the pleasure to stay in. The period architecture is what makes it feel so posh and elegant- the chandeliers are to die for- and this was only the reception. I stayed back with the bags whilst Luke checked in & then off we went to our room...

By room, I mean suite!!!! Luke really had gone all out and had booked us in to an executive suite which Blair Waldorf would envy. It was a huge apartment overlooking the busy streets of Birmingham city centre that had one of the largest bathrooms that you could wish for (and included a fancy robe and designer toiletries), the comfiest bed, pillows and bedding that I have ever used and also a living room complete with comfy settees and a TV. I felt like a princess! 

We did end up going out for dinner again and, no surprise, we couldn't resist walking past Nandos and so that's where we ended up :) I woke up the next morning to Luke telling me that we had breakfast in this hotel too, which I was really looking forward to- and for a good reason too. We had waitress service and it was all very posh, but you could order whatever you wanted off the menu, they bought you over tea and coffee with toast and an array of jam jars (cute) but then you could also pop into the other room and help yourself to a continental breakfast too. Fantastic!

I really did have the best weekend and if you've never been to any of the places listed above, please please please go and give them a go. I'd love to know what you think!

Ciao for now!
xxx

THREE THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND: WELCOME IN AUTUMN

*img taken from Pinterest*

How perfect is that photo above?

The thought of Autumn gives me physical butterflies in the pit of my stomach as it truly is the most wonderful time of the year. For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to this time of the year; when I was younger, I'd look forward to going back to school (I know, strange), but it's that feeling of a fresh start, the new uniform, your new stationary stash. It's about finding that winter coat that you love and getting gloves, scarf and a bag to match. And not to mention the new school shoes, too!

As I've gotten older, it's more the promise of dark, cosy evenings, sipping either a salted caramel hot chocolate or a pumpkin-spiced latte, smothered in cream of course. It's the thought of all of the family getting together on Bonfire Night to watch a few fireworks, to enjoy hot dogs and mushy peas and to light a few sparklers. It's also the fun planning of halloween costumes, the acceptance of putting up fairy lights... everywhere. Putting away your sandals and replacing them with boots and a fur coat. I could go on for days!

So this weekend, I will be doing a few things to welcome in this fantastic time of the year & maybe you should start on this too:

1. Start building up your warmer clothes;

Now is the perfect time to start looking for a new winter coat. The tricky bit is choosing which type!

img taken from Pinterest

There are so many different coats in such different colours that it's almost impossible to pick just one, but this year I think I'm going for a light-coloured/pastel coat in a woolen-variety. I'll be on the look out this weekend for a new one, as it's definitely getting chilly here in the UK at the mo. 

2. Step up your skincare;

I know that us bloggers bang on about skincare all the time, but now is a good time to start using thicker, more nourishing products. Make sure to exfoliate, use face masks, use a creamy cleanser that will prevent stripping moisture from your face and always, always moisturise. This doesn't just stand for your face, but also for your hands and body too.

3. Cosy-up your house/room;

There's nothing that I love more than coming in from work, switching on a lamp/fairy lights, lighting some candles and grabbing a blanket, so go ahead and buy some candles, grab some lights and pop them around your room/house. I love the battery-operated lights from Primark (especially the feather ones) and they're so cheap, so you can't go wrong.

Do you love Autumn as much as I do?

Let me know!

xxx

REVIEW: SOLTAN BEAUTIFUL BRONZE

So by now, you should all know that I have an unhealthy obsession with fake tan.

I'm whiter than white, but I'm olive skinned at heart. It's just not fair. And so I spend copious amounts of time on a daily basis slapping my fake tan on, hoping that this new tan will take over my top position. 

I can't even tell you how much time, effort and not to mention money(!) I've spent on searching for that great fake tan and thankfully just recently, I've discovered this fantastic range. 

Please tell me why I've only just got my tanned paws on it?!

As you know, I've worked at Boots for almost 2 years now and I've been so focused on trying out new tans that I've completely overlooked our own brand- naughty Jess. 

Needless to say, I saw this in one of our shops and figured "what the heck" and picked one of each up; a lotion, a mousse and a spray and eagerly went home and gave it a go. 

After speaking to a friend (who always has a flawless tan, btw), so enlightened me in her tanning process where she places the mousse all over her body, leaves it to dry and then sprays the spray tan over the top, leaving you pretty sticky but definitely covering every inch of your skin.

The next morning, I woke up with a glow that I've not seen in a long, long time. I was tanned. Like really, really tanned but not in a fake-tan kinda way. Wow.

Bonus: this even works on my face (which never usually happens!). 

As for the lotion that I picked up, I tend to use that after few days when it's looking a little pale and it picks the tan straight back up.

The longevity of this product on the body is unreal, too. I've left it for a week, un-topped up and it's still visible and not even all that patchy if I'm honest! Jeez, I sure have been missing out!

If you're looking for a new tan and have never tried this before, please please go and pick it up. I promise that you won't be disappointed!

xxxx