Thursday 31 July 2014

Bloom Where You Are Planted


Hey Everyone!

Do not despair, I'm still doing the good old outfit of the day posts you know and love and I'm bringing you one today! You have probably noticed that I have reignited my love affair with beauty products, hopefully over the next few weeks I can strike a perfect balance between the two also with a couple of new features thrown in to add to the excitement. But yes, things are being shaken up a bit with some varied content and hopefully you will enjoy it all.


Today's particular outfit is quite surprising for me for two reasons. 

Numero Uno: I am wearing JEANS! This is an official first on the blog, but yes I have finally managed to find a semi decent fitting pair of jeans after months of searching and of the skinny variety! 



Unfortunately these bad boys are no longer available on ASOS which is bloody typical really, it's a recurring theme that when I find something I really like that it's discontinued shortly after. But anyway, that is where they were from and I really like them.

The second thing quite surprising is this gorgeous Kate Spade raffia clutch bag (with chain).


This was a bit of a late night impulse Ebay purchase, but as soon as it arrived I fell in love with the colour, the texture and the fact each one is handmade by women in Bosnia. It's not something I would normally have picked but I am so pleased I took a bit of a gamble and got it anyway even if it was with no thought as to how I'd style it.


Now that leaves my lovely neon floral top* I was kindly sent from New Look Inspire as part of their Electro Feel campaign. 


I think the pink bag really compliments the neon pink flowers in the floral print on the top and I love how bright and cheery the overall look is.


The sleeves are literally the perfect length, no cardigan needed, they stop just short of the elbow so you have all that coverage at the top where I feel the least confident. 


The top is a good length as well to wear over jeans, while it's a boxy cut it doesn't give you the dreaded short and wide shape I'm not a fan of. 


What do you guys think of this outfit? Let me know in the comments below!


Thanks for reading! Love Sally X


SHARE:

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Botanicals Balancing Mask in Green Clay & Avocado Review



Hey Everyone!

Today I am bringing you a review of the Green Clay & Avocado Balancing Mask I was kindly sent to review from Botanicals. It arrived beautifully presented in a small branded gift bag with tissue paper inside and I got the 60g pot (they also have a salon size 175g pot available). 


The mask contains Mediterranean green clay to help draw out impurities and eliminate dead skin cells and cold pressed avocado and jojoba which are rich in essential fatty acids to leave your skin feeling soft smooth and clear. Sounds great to me! I was advised that the mask is suitable for all skin types but anyone with oily or problem skin like me will have the best results. 

For anyone with mature or dry skin they have a rose clay and rosehip version available here which is more targeted to your skin types.


The product is concentrated so isn't watered down in any way and you only need a small amount, the directions say that you can mix with a little flower water in the palm of your hand but I haven't tried this yet. 


The directions advise to use the mask once a week which I have now done for two weeks consecutively, smoothing the product all over my face avoiding the eye area, leaving on for ten minutes and then I took it off using a warm muslin cloth and patted my face dry. 

You'll be pleased to know that the scent is really nice and due to the oils the product almost melts into your skin so it doesn't sit on the surface like a normal clay mask would and crack when you move your face!


So the results, after two weeks use (two applications) I can report that I have noticed the redness in my cheeks has calmed down noticeably and I haven't had any new spots/ the ones I did have are cleared up which must be down to the product as I haven't changed anything else in my routine. I am going to continue using it on this basis alone as spots are literally the bane of my life when I want my face to look good for pictures! (Side note- Collection's lasting perfection concealer is the best I've found for hiding the buggers)

I would definitely recommend giving this product a go, for £18.95 you get a good size pot and you only need a small amount each time so it does last a while and it's all natural ingredients (70% of which are organic) which is always something I prefer where possible.

You can check out the range at www.botanicals.co.uk for the full range of products, their cleansers and toners are next on my list to look at.

Have you used Botanicals before? What are your favourite face masks? Let me know below in the comments!

Thanks for reading. Love Sally x
SHARE:

Saturday 26 July 2014

Suits You - Nikki

Hey Everyone!

The weekend is here and Miss Forgetful here forgot to post this yesterday! So last month I styled the lovely Lisa as part of the Suits You challenge, well this month I have the fabulous Nikki from www.nattynikki.com

I was given this photo to work with and I've been following her for a while so I would like to think I have a semi-decent idea of her style. 

We shall see!


First thing, I have seen she likes floral dresses, well I wanted to feature floral prints but mix it up and have them in the form of a fitted jacket.

This beauty below is "new in" on ASOS and soooo pretty. The colours are gorgeous and I thought the shape would look nice on her.


I would pair the jacket with a plain black dress, as it's such a statement piece on it's own. This scuba dress below is going to pull Nikki in at the waist, flare out at the bottom and the v-neck opens up the neck area perfectly for a pretty necklace.


Just like this one! 


For the shoes, I would go simple but classic with a pointy toe court shoe, the asymmetric cut out detail adds a nice touch. 


Then finally I would go for a lovely baby pink bag to complement the pinks in the floral jacket like this one:


Nikki, I hope you like the look, I think you would look fabulous!

Guys, you can all follow Nikki on the below links and I would recommend it as her blog is a really good read! 








What do you all think of what I've picked? Let me know in the comments.

As always, thanks for reading. Love Sally X



Check out the other ladies taking part:



SHARE:

Friday 25 July 2014

Gnat Shirt Giveaway!





Hey Everyone!


Today I have a little treat for you in the form of a giveaway sponsored by a company called Gnat. Gnat are a clothing company that offer quality patterned formal dress shirts that guarantee you to be the center of attention for any occasion. You can check our their designs here: http://www.gnat.co.uk/ and there are options for both men and women.



They have kindly provided a mens Gnat Dress Shirt Classic Collar worth £59.99 for one of you lucky lot to win. Every shirt is completely unique and no two are the same, so it's a chance to own a really original standout piece for your wardrobe. 





To enter just fill in the below Rafflecopter form, you have until 12am on the 8th August so go go go!


Good luck everyone!

Love Sally X
SHARE:

Thursday 24 July 2014

NHP Nutri Argan Review


Hi Everyone!

As you can all see lately, I've been branching outside from my normal fashion posts and bringing you beauty and lifestyle themed reviews. I hope you're all liking them, I would love to hear your feedback!

Today I am bringing you a review of two hair care products I have been testing from NHP. You might have noticed that my hair is super long and something that I absolutely love, and it makes sense to look after it with the best products I can afford. I always find it so difficult when I'm in the shops and faced with such a wide selection of hair care products, I think this is where reviews come in really useful as you can hear first hand if they are any good!


NHP kindly sent me the Nourish Hair Mask* and Beautifying Elixir* to try out and review, here's what I thought.

First up is the Nourish Hair Mask (£9.60/300ml)


This is a deep and intense nourishing mask containing organic argan oil and macademia oil, perfect for dry, damaged or colour treated hair. Well my hair is all three of those, unfortunately! I've been using the mask twice a week and leave it on for 30 minutes to an hour each time  before rinsing and I have to say I have noticed a visible improvement in terms of how soft my hair feels and that I have less flyaway hairs that go all frizzy. Result!


Next is the Beautifying Elixir (£16.80/100ml)



This is a fluid product also containing organic argan oil and macademia oil with the addition of sunflower oil. It smells really good and it's used  to add shine and moisture your lovely locks. I used it sparingly after I washed my hair and before blowdrying, leaving it on for 10-15 mins and my hair felt fabulous afterwards, all smooth and shiny and healthy looking. You can also use the product as a mask treatment all over, or to tame frizzy hair in general (I put a little bit on my comb and run it through any sticky uppy hairs to tame them!).   


Overall I really enjoyed testing these products, I can see a use for both of them in my weekly routine and noticed benefits from the first time I used them. I am so pleased I was made aware of the brand as I hadn't heard of them previously so I hope this helps share some awareness as the products really are great quality and not too expensive.

NHP can be bought in bulk at www.arleneuk.co.uk or for personal use at www.beautybyzara.co.uk.

Have you used any NHP products before? What have your experiences been? Let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, love Sally X

SHARE:

Tuesday 22 July 2014

Ag-a-doo-doo-doo, Push Pineapple, Shake the Tree


Hey Everyone!

So the sun is shining, the lighting is perfect and I have a new dress to show you. The perfect combination for a blog post!

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, you will have seen that neon and brights in general is huge on the high street this summer. Well the lovely folk at New Look kindly sent me a couple of items to share with you all, so this is part 1 with part 2 to come later this week.

Today I am going to be raving about this Inspire Neon Pink Pineapple Bodycon Dress. As you know bodycon is something I don't wear a lot of and have been known to shy away from, but I thought with such an eye catching fun print and lovely neon pink I could pull it off! (Here's where you comment below "oh yeah you totally do").


I ordered one size up, so you can see it's not completely skin tight on me, which I feel much more comfortable in. I also paired it with a plain black cardigan to give me some coverage on my arms and leggings the dress is completely opaque though so I could wear it with tights if I wanted a more party look. 


By the way these pictures were taken on a little adventure I had while walking alongside the railway in Potters Bar, I discovered an entrance to a park I wasn't aware of despite living there for years!! 



I think this might be some sort of mini golf thing? I couldn't work out what the little wooden posts were for! Maybe one of you can advise?!



I ended up having quite a fun afternoon, shortly after these pictures I carried on walking straight out to an icecream van for a screwball and I saw some friends in the evening and got lots of compliments on my dress.


I hope you liked this post and let me know your thoughts below as always.

Thanks for reading! Love Sally X
SHARE:

Sunday 20 July 2014

Delectable Jewellery ft Punky Pins


Hey Everyone! 

How's it going? The weather has been crazy this week! Saying that I can't help but count down the days until September when it's that bit cooler and I can wear all my gorgeous AW outfits! I'm not going to lie, I'm already counting down the days until xmas, I have had a few releases with gift suggestions starting to come through now and I'm getting far too easily excited! 

Today I'm going to share with you two gorgeous pieces I was sent by Punky Pins to review. This is a company I have bought from in the past, I love their quirky and kitschy themed pieces and you can check out the full range here: http://www.punkypins.co.uk/.

The first item is a lovely Alice "Eat Me" Cake Necklace* which has a printed tattoo like design onto quality acrylic.
 I have to say I love their whole Alice in Wonderland themed collection, there is an Alice "drink me" necklace, an Alice "tea" cheshire cat necklace, an Alice "late" necklace which has the white rabbit and finally the Red Alice Hearts necklace. Each piece retails at £9 each except the hearts necklace which is £11, I think that's pretty affordable. 

So as you can see below, the design is printed onto the acrylic and is really colourful and eyecatching in the super cute cupcake design.


The necklace has a little Punky Pins detailing which adds a nice touch on the end of the chain.


The chain is 46cm, adjustable and silver plated, it's always important for me that the chain is long so it sits right when I'm wearing it. I've never been a real fan of the choker styles. 


The necklace came in a cute Punky Pins branded presentation box which would be great if you're giving it as a gift.


I'm going to keep the box and use it to store the necklace in and keep it safe from scratches when I'm not wearing it.


Next up is a really summery piece, the Double Ice Lolly Necklace* in Strawberry which retails at £12. 



There are also 3 other "flavours", Lemon Sorbet, Blueberry and Raspberry and the options of a single lolly or a rocket lolly so check those out too!


Each "lolly" is triple layered and has Punky Pins and the flavour printed on the wooden lolly stick which I thought was a cute touch. 


The necklace comes on a silver plated 46cm chain just like the Alice one. 



And of course has it's own presentation box as well.


I am really pleased with the two necklaces I received, they are of a good quality, affordable and just so cute in design. 


If you want to check out Punky Pins yourself then you can click this link: http://www.punkypins.co.uk/ to view the full range. 

What do you guys think of the pieces I chose? Let me know below in the comments.

Until next time, thanks for reading, love Sally X

SHARE:

Sunday 6 July 2014

Mr Nutcase Phone Case Review


Hey Everyone!

So today is a different post, one I haven't done before. Today I'll be doing a phone case review, something slightly more practical and as an Iphone user a complete god send for protecting my precious phone.

I was kindly sent a code by the folk at Mr Nutcase to design my own phone cover. The site is really easy to use and everything is fully customisable, I opted for an Orla Kiely style print which I think looks super cute on the leather case I picked.


My case is for an Iphone 5 and fits my phone perfectly keeping it secure once snapped into the felt lined hard case inside which you can see below. 


Overall I'm really happy with the quality, how the design printed out and the soft leather of the case. I've been using it ever since so hopefully that gives an indication of how much I like it.


If you want to check the site out for yourself visit https://www.mrnutcase.com/en-GB/ and have a play around with different designs. Let me know what pattern you would have picked in the comments below.

Thanks for reading. Love Sally X 

SHARE:
© The Human Mannequin. All rights reserved.
MINIMAL BLOGGER TEMPLATES BY pipdig