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

KIKO: FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Nottingham is such a great city and we're really lucky to be able to offer great shopping and a good night out, but there are always those pesky shops that are a little too far away that you can't take advantage of. Cough. Forever 21. Cough.

Thankfully, we got our shit together recently and was able to open a Kiko shop. Fantastic for shoppers, not so fantastic for my bank balance because I am officially obsessed!

For those of you that haven't had the pleasure of visiting a Kiko store, it's basically a very bright, very simple shop covered wall-to-wall with makeup. It's all their own brand and there are different sections e.g. lipsticks, foundations, bronzers etc and the sections have different priced ranges, so it's suitable for everyone. 

I just nipped in one day when I was in town and thought that I'd pick up a couple of bits to try out. Read on to see what I thought... 

Lip liners;

I was in desperate need of lip liners and I had heard a few people rave on about how great their liners are, so this was an obvious choice for me. I was just going to pick up one, however they were on offer and were under £2 each so figured I may as well pick up a couple. 

These liners have quickly become a staple in my makeup bag as they are so pigmented, they last all day, are so creamy and compliment my skin perfectly. I'll definitely be going back to pick up some more of these and for under £2, they're a complete bargain. 710 is my favourite out of the three as it's just a beautiful berry shade that will look lovely in the coming months. 

Eye Shadows;

I also picked up this eye shadow in a pretty, pale shimmery colour (Infinity 202 I believe). It's beautifully pigmented and really brightens my eyes, especially in the corners. This was only £1.50 & they're meant to go in to palettes so that you can custom make them, which is fantastic. I'll be popping back in soon to make my own up for sure.

Have any of you been to Kiko? How did you find it?
I'm really impressed and no doubt will be spending a heap more money in there in the future!

Find your local Kiko store here.

xxxx

GETTING FIT

images taken from Pinterest

We made it to the weekend. Phew! 

So this weekend's post may be slightly controversial and possibly won't be to everyone's taste, but this is what I'm up to this weekend and I thought that it would be nice to share it with you all.

There may be some of you lucky little ducklings out there reading this that are 100% happy with your body and your fitness level, but for the girls out there that are at a constant battle with weight/fitness and food habits, it can be somewhat torture to overcome.

Admittedly, the girls that are featured above are not what everyone considers to be perfect and in no way will I ever get that kind of body, it's just something to aspire to. 

Body weight and shape shouldn't be the be all and end all of your confidence. For me, as long as I am healthy and can walk up a hill and not get out of breath, then I'll be happy.

This being said, for a long time now, I've been at my least fit state and it's gotten to a point where I put off doing certain things or going to places and so last month, I vowed to myself that I would get fitter and make an effort to live a healthier lifestyle and so far, it's going surprisingly well!

I've started running using an app called Couch to 5k which, using interval training, builds up your stamina over 9 weeks, leaving you able to run 5k straight. I'm still on week 1 and so I don't really have much to comment on so far, but I'll keep you updated on my journey.

I have also been making the effort to get my ass back into the gym every night after work. With the running and the gym, this should hopefully help to shift a couple of pounds.

And it's not just the exercise that I've been working on, I've also cut out alcohol to take my body through a detox, I've started following Slimming World and also take my daily vitamins (something that I have always tried to do, but forgotten about). I also make sure that I get the full 8 hours sleep and try to get up at the same time every day (without snoozing may I add) and this has made me feel 100% better within myself. 

I'm not sure how long I'll last on this newly-found health kick, but hopefully it'll stick and become the norm. Watch this space for my updates on the running- why don't you give it a go too!

xxxxx