Friday 31 July 2015

Picnic time for Teddy Bears


Hey Everyone! 

I hope you're all having a good week.

Today I am going to be a fun post in connection with the school summer holidays and to give an idea for something fun to do of an afternoon in the comfort of your own garden!

This adorable Steiff Sleep Well Bear came from www.borngifted.co.uk and I couldn't resist putting together a little picnic photoshoot using other animals in my Steiff collection!


The Sleep Well Bear is made from a supersoft plush, is lightly stuffed to make her extra cuddly and comes in a super cute little pink and white outfit. She is suitable for children from birth and you can wash her at 30oC if she gets grubby due to play.


Growing up I was always obsessed with my cuddly toy collection and still have most of them to this day, they are so special that I just can't bear to part with them! 


I think it is such a fun little idea to pop down a nice rug in the garden, lay out a selection of teddies and props and just let the little one's imagination run wild with the possibilities.


Born Gifted have some lovely accessories that would go great with the Teddy Bear Picnic theme such as the below items from Oskar and Ellen which are made of soft material :





I hope this gives you some ideas for a fun afternoon! If you are looking for toys, gift ideas and personalised items, do head on over to www.borngifted.co.uk as they have a lovely selection and their website makes for great browsing!

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally X
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Tuesday 28 July 2015

The Gorgeous Sundae Bouquet feat Appleyard London





Hi Everyone!

Today I want to share with you a post on the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers I was recently sent by Appleyard London who are a company that specialise in Flower Delivery.

I think photos speak a thousand words with things as pretty as flowers, so let me show you what the Sundae Bouquet looks like!

First of all, these were delivered via the Next Day Flowers option which meant that they arrived super quickly and they came beautifully presented. 


They are wrapped in lovely white paper and come with a little card which you can personalise.


The flowers that come in the Sundae Bouquet are:

Kimsey Germini

Peach Avalanche Rose (my favourites)

Memory Lane Rose

White Alstroemeria

Gucci Spray Carnations

Alchemilla Mollis

and finally, Hard Ruscus



As you can see, the bouquet is nice and full especially for the standard option, there is currently a free large upgrade on the website so do take advantage of that if it's still going on when you place your order. 

I have chosen to arrange my flowers in a jug vase that we picked up a while back and I think it looks perfect and summery! I've taken the pictures outside as it's better lighting but it's now taken pride of place on my bedside table.



The flowers themselves are all full of life and the colours are so vivid and pretty, I really do think that it will make a gorgeous focal point for any room and the scent is absolutely stunning. 



I would definitely recommend Appleyard London if you are planning to Send Flowers to a friend or family member for an occassion or if you just fancy a treat for yourself. The flowers arrive really quickly and I was impressed by the presentation and overall appearance so big ticks in my book.

The team have been kind enough to give me a huge discount code to share with you guys, if you enter BLOG33 this will entitle you to 33% off the range of luxury bouquets, although it does exclude the flowers by post range 

I hope you guys liked this post, the flowers were an absolute joy to photograph and I had fun writing about them.

If you want to check out the full range pop on over to www.appleyardflowers.com for the full range details.

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally X
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Friday 24 July 2015

Olverum Miracle Bath Oil


Hey Everyone!

Today I am going to share with you an absolute gem of a product, Olverum Bath Oil*. 

I've had a try of two 5ml sachets which translates to two baths and am absolutely blown away with how good it is!


Once you pour the oil into your bath it releases a lovely smell from the essential oils and it fills the room creating a sort of at home spa experience that is so nice and relaxing.

My first use was after a stressful day and I can say that I had the best night's sleep I've had in weeks. I had a bath around 8ish in the evening and was fully asleep by 10pm which is just unheard of for me. After my Olverum bath my whole body just felt so much more relaxed and my mood even improved.

The second time was while I had (and still have) flu. It helped dramatically to clear congestion in my head and chest and just made me feel so much better!  I think it was possibly the eucalyptus.

On top of all this, it gives you lovely soft skin and doesn't leave any greasy residue once you get out the bath so is an absolute winner on various fronts.

I absolutely loved this product and would highly recommend it. If you want to check it out head on over to https://www.olverum.com/ where there are two different bottle sizes available, 125ml and 200ml. 

I hope you liked this post and thanks for reading!

Love Sally X
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Thursday 23 July 2015

Help to Beautify Your Skin


Hey Everyone!

I hope you're all having a nice week.

Today I am going to be talking about an interesting supplement I have given a go in a bid to improve my skin, Help: Beautify Skin Daily Jelly Supplements*. I've tested a 7 day course which is one full packet as you take two jellies per day for optimum results and in this review I'm going to be telling you what I thought and if it worked for me.


First off, I have never tried a supplement in a jelly format so that was certainly something unique to me, the flavour was surprisingly delicious and a lovely crisp apple taste. You also have the option to freeze the jelly so on hotter days you can have your daily supplement as a cooling and refreshing treat which I thought was pretty cool.

For any of you that have problems with taking tablets, I think this jelly idea could be a really nifty alternative. 

Next let's look at what is in the supplement. It contains PravenAGE which is a patented blend of marine collagen, resveratrol, CoEnzymeQ10, aloe vera and vitamin C, all natural ingredients. These ingredients work to deliver anti-aging skin benefits and maintain a youthful and glowing complexion and you can read a little bit more on the properties of each on the website.


Now let's talk about the results, after the 7 day course I can testify that I did notice a difference in my skin. I would say that it looks visibly brighter and feels more plumped and firm if that's the best way to describe it? Especially in my cheeks. 

I've looked at photos of me without makeup on before and after and there definitely looks to be a bit more of a healthy glow and my usual reddish tint has calmed down to the point I don't need to use a colour corrector under my makeup which I usually have to do to balance me out. 

I couldn't comment on the anti aging properties as I'm lucky enough to not yet have too visible wrinkles, but it did help me out with a little sagging I suffer from under my eyes (most likely due to countless nights of little/no sleep). 

As a whole, did I enjoy this product? Yes. Do I think it makes a noticeable difference? Yes, I would say that on a bare face untouched with makeup I saw a difference after the week. I will 100% continue the second box for either a week (2 jellies a day) or stretch it out to two weeks (1 jelly a day) and after that I would definitely consider restocking my supply.

If you would like to try out this fab skin treat, hop on over to the website http://www.workswithwater.com/ where the jelly is sold for £22.94 per 14 sachet pack. 

I hope you liked this post and I will be sharing some further experiments in different supplements shortly! 

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally x

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Tuesday 21 July 2015

L.A.B.2 I'm Turning Pro Brush Kit Review

Hi All, 

I hope you are well!

Today I have a fun beauty related post for you and we are going to be talking all about a beauty essential, make up brushes.

Now I am a complete convert to using brushes, previously I've tried sponges, blenders, fingers, those little foam applicators, you name it and I've tried it! Brushes have always come out on top though in terms of results but good quality brushes generally come at a higher price.

When I was introduced to L.A.B. 2 a couple of weeks ago I was really intrigued as they are all about having beauty without compromise and giving customers Luxe for Less! Sounds good to me. As a predominantly high street shopper I really like the idea of being able to shop high quality in such an accessible price point (£18.99 for a set of 4!) and in one of my favourite stores, Superdrug. 

The brush set I chose to try out is the I'm Turning Pro Brush Kit* which is a 4 piece set covering foundation, contour, buffing and eyeshadow brushes for a very reasonable £18.99. At the time of me posting this Superdrug actually have the whole range on a 3 for 2 deal so definitely check that out if you want even more of a bargain!



Now on to my thoughts!

Firstly, the bristles are lovely and soft. They are made with FiberLuxe Technology and cutting edge synthetic fibers which are designed to give superior pigment pick up and release, even colour distribution, precise application and flawless looking results. 

Secondly the handles are a nice soft grip and sit comfortably in your hand giving really good control when you are applying products.

The foundation brush applied my liquid foundation nice and evenly and the pointed tip let me get in to areas such as around the nose that can be harder with a bigger brush. 

The contour brush was brilliant for applying my Hoola bronzer and fits perfectly into the hollows of my cheekbones and distributes just about the right level of product so I don't have a too heavy application. 

The buffing brush was good for applying an all over setting powder or could be used for mineral makeup possibly which I think it would work well for. It's good at applying the product evenly so you don't get that cakey effect and the powder doesn't cling to your dry areas. 

The eyeshadow brush was also really fun to use, it picks up pigment well, gives good product payoff and is good for blending too. I've used this brush with loose pigments, palettes and cream eyeshadows and it performs well every time.

Overall, I'm really pleased that I tried out this set, it's a fantastic selection of 4 high quality brushes you will reach for time after time and get great use from. They wash up lovely without shedding so I can see them lasting a long time and they will now form part of my permanent brush collection.  

I hope you liked this post and would definitely recommend checking them out either instore in Superdrug or online, you can also read more about L.A.B. 2 on their website.

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally X
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Sunday 19 July 2015

Beach Style and Luxurious Volume with John Frieda

Hey Everyone!

Hope you're all well, I'm having a bit of a lazy Sunday today and after a few hours shopping I'm back inside with my music on and working on the blog.

Today I'm going to talk a little bit about some hair products I've been trying out for the past few weeks from John Frieda and give you my first impressions based on my experience so far.


First there are the Beach Blonde Cool Dip Purifying Shampoo* and Smooth Seas Detangling Conditioner*. You might have seen that (THE) Lauren Conrad is collaborating with John Frieda on the collection and over the next few months there will be exclusive content posted online helping to master your best, most beachy styles ever! Now you might be thinking, hang on a minute Sally, are you blonde now? Don't worry I wouldn't keep something that big from you guys! The beach blonde range is suitable for both blondes and brunettes, basically anyone looking for cool beachy styles so it's open to everyone.

My first thoughts of the shampoo were that it smells gorgeously minty and is what I what call a "deep clean" shampoo, one that will get rid of any styling product residue and thoroughly cleanse your hair leaving it feeling really clean, fresh and soft. I really like the scent, it lasted throughout the day and was very fresh and energizing, also I felt it added a little bit of texture to my normally poker straight hair.

The conditioner in short is a god send, I suffer quite a lot with tangles and I always worry about damaging my hair so a detangling product before styling is just perfect. I applied it to my hair and then gave it a once over with my wide tooth comb to make sure the product is distributed evenly and the comb glided through with no pulling! The dried result was lovely shiny, soft hair and I had noticeably less flyaways and frizzy bits.

Now this finally brings me on to a product from the Luxurious Volume range, the 7 Day Volume In-Shower Treatment*. This product was literally made for my hair type, it's perfect for fine hair as it adds volume by penetrating each fiber and amplifying each strand to give a lift that will last through multiple washes as it is a semi-permanent 7 day treatment. For someone like me that uses a tonne of styling products to achieve the same, if not less volume, this product is going to be one I will repurchase time and time again. It made my hair look and feel so much more bouncy and voluminous which in turn made my hair look lovely and thick and healthy.

The treatment is applied after your shampoo and conditioner while still in the shower, you just need 3-4 pumps depending on how thick/long your hair is. Make sure you fully cover your hair all over including the underneath parts and give some attention to your roots, after 3-5 minutes you simply rinse the product out and blowdry and style as normal. To give even more amplifed results blowdry your hair upside down, trust me it will look awesome!

I hope you found this review helpful, the three products worked fabulously on my hair and I have always had great experiences with John Frieda especially the frizz ease range which I've sworn by for years.

If you would like to read more about the products/collections you can do so on the John Frieda website or alternatively check them out in a store near you using the handy Where To Buy page.

If you have used John Frieda let me know your favourite product and any recommendations in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally X
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Saturday 18 July 2015

Writing Down Everything

Hey Guys!

It's Saturday morning and the weather is looking rather fine outside. I hope you all have fun plans for today.

This morning I am going to be talking a bit about a passion of mine, writing. 

When I was young I watched a film called Harriet The Spy, it's really good so watch it if you haven't! The main character, Harriet, is a writing obsessive just like me and records every detail of her life and surroundings in her journals. There was a particular line that really spoke to me and summed up everything I want to do:

I want to see the world, and I want to write down EVERYTHING.

I've always been into writing since I can even remember, at school I would get so excited for our English lessons where we would read the most fascinating books and poems and most importantly get to write our own. I spent hours writing my own short stories in my notebooks and still have quite a few as I could never quite bring myself to throw any of them away. Maybe one day I'll post a few on here as a throwback post, let me know if you'd like to see them!

Now any writing enthusiast will tell you how important a good notebook is, you are recording your precious thoughts and memories in there so you want the cover to be as special and creative as possible to reflect the contents. 

After years of going through countless notebooks, some of the most beautiful in design have come from Paperblanks

Below are the two books of theirs that I'm currently working on filling up.


The Vintage Vogue Plume Notebook*




Don't the covers just look exquisite? 

The first notebook design is inspired by the sway and sensuality of movement celebrated in Parisian Art Deco style. The image was created in 1932 by British theatre designer Alec Shanks using charcoal, watercolour and gouache on paper and the illustration just exudes elegance and glamour, synonymous with the atmosphere of the showgirls with their feathers and sequins glittering in the spotlight.

The second was designed by Laurel Burch, a self-taught artist and “flower child” who sold handmade jewellery on the streets of San Francisco in the 1960s. Later on, she continued to rely on her intuition and passion, speaking from the heart with an unmistakable style that was the manifestation of her love of life and strong imaginative nature. From her fertile imagination, she created brilliantly coloured, vibrant and moving themes with paint and paper, exquisitely embellished with gold and silver.

I absolutely love both of them, the designs are beautiful and the notebooks themselves are have high quality paper inside and a nice sturdy cover to keep everything protected. 

If you are like me and into writing, I literally cannot recommend checking out their website (http://www.paperblanks.com/enough as there are just the most fabulous array of designs to choose from and it's a pleasure to browse. 

I hope you liked this post, feel free to leave me a comment below if you did.

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally X


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Friday 17 July 2015

Summer Festivals - Fashion Ideas


Hey Everyone!

Today is going to be a festival fashions roundup, I hope you enjoy!

Clothing








Dress - Vita Gotlieb for Evans




Accessories


Bumbag -  Horses - Milly Green








Shoes


Gina Ballet Pumps - Jones Bootmaker




Hottie Casual Sandals - Jones Bootmaker


Kanye Flip Flops - Jones Bootmaker

I hope you liked the items I've picked out, let me know any recommendations you might have in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Love Sally X

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Thursday 16 July 2015

Season To Taste - An Adventure in Food


Hi Everyone!

Hope you're all having a fab week.

Today is going to be a foodie post which is very quickly becoming my favourite topic to write about and this time it's all about the Season To Taste.

Unilever kindly provided me with a few products to try out and share my thoughts on and we are also going to be looking at different ways to use each ingredient. 

Lets get started!


Firstly we have PG tips teabags in vibrant blackcurrant and juicy red berries. The aromas that come out from these are so nice and fruity and the tea bags are in a pyramid shape to allow the water to move through the leaves more efficiently and allow the tea to infuse quicker. 

For the best, strongest taste I would recommend leaving the bag in for 6-7 minutes which for me was perfect.


Next are the condiments. The Maille mustard with honey is a lovely French product and my serving recommendation would be with thick cut honey roast ham in slices of granary bread. Delicious!

Hellmann's mayonaise needs little introduction or serving advice but I can attest that it tastes awesome on fat chip shop chips and in juicy steak burgers (and about 100 other things). 



Next we have the Knorr flavour pots in garden herbs which is a seasoning paste that can be used with either warm or cold meals or to marinate meat like some nice chicken breasts to have with some salad. It was also great with pasta mixed in with tomato flavouring.  

Then last of all are the Knorr beef stock pots which are literally the best thing ever on spaghetti bolognese or a chilli con carne. The flavour is such a rich and tasty beef and would even go great in things like gravies, stir fries or casseroles.


I hope you liked this post, it's a roundup of some awesome products that are perfect for your day to day meals to add an extra something. If you want to check out any of them simply head to your nearest supermarket and grab a couple to try out or you can read a bit about each brand on the Unilever website here.

Until next time, thanks for reading!

Love Sally X
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Wednesday 15 July 2015

You'll Find Me On My Bean Bag

Hey Guys!

I hope you're all well and having a good week, I'm getting far too excited at the moment making plans for my birthday in August but more on that when everything is confirmed. 

Today's post is going to be talking about my new throne, my favourite place to lounge, my beloved beanbag from Beanbag Bazaar.

I was kindly sent one of the XXL Adult Teardrop Bean Bag Chairs* to try out and it's perfect for both indoors and outdoors as it's made of a quality waterproof fabric which wipes clean easily or can be sponge cleaned with warm soapy water. 

I've kept it inside so far because the weather hasn't been so great and I think it looks pretty good in my room but on a sunny day I will take it down to the garden and set up camp under a nice shady tree with a good book and the yummy drinks I shared a few posts back here.


One thing I would emphasise is that this is very much a beanbag chair, it has slightly more structural integrity than the usual ones that swallow you up. I think this is why I get on with it so well because it actually offers great support for my back and I feel nice and secure. The teardrop shape also means that at the top part you have additional support for your neck which is something quite unique.


For an extra £20 there is the option to get a matching footstool and both the beanbag chairs and the footstools come in an awesome array of colours including brights and neutrals. 

I absolutely love my new chair and I think you'll love the selection they have on www.beanbagbazaar.co.uk so would 100% recommend checking them out. The quality is really good and the prices are reasonable especially when you factor in things like durability.

I hope you liked this post, let me know in the comments if you would like more homewares/furniture posts and I will see what I can do!

Love Sally X

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Monday 13 July 2015

5 Ways To Use Sudocrem Skin Care Cream

Hey Everyone!

Today we are going to be doing a spin on a holy grail product and looking at different ways it can be used. I'm of course talking about Sudocrem! The antiseptic healing cream is every mother's essential product for children and something my own used sparingly at every available opportunity. Today is all about the Skin Care Cream version and five different ways you can use it.

Sudocrem Skin Care Cream is aimed at helping maintain beautiful healthy skin as part of your daily skin routines. It is suitable for all ages and skin types, and has a RRP of only £2.11 - an absolute steal. And also, coming in a handy 30g tube it can be thrown into your handbag, weekend bag or suitcase.

Now let's look at the five ways you can use this product that I can think of!


1. As a face mask. You can apply a thin layer all over your face and use as an overnight mask to give your skin a healthy glow the following morning.

2. As a moisturiser. The zinc oxide in Sudocrem prevents moisture loss and it's lanolin is great for moisturising too.

3. As a spot treatment. Use it first thing in the morning and last thing at night to help soothe, moisturise and reduce redness. 

4. To help treat rashes. A thin layer can help calm the rash, reduce redness and make things a bit more comfortable. 

5. To soothe chafed skin. Similiar to the rash treatment above you can apply a thin layer to help calm your skin and give some relief to any chafage (is that a word?). 

Basically, it's a wonder product, something I take on pretty much any holiday I go on and like to have in my bag when I'm out and about. I was intrigued to hear it's hailed as a top beauty secret by celebrities such as Rita Ora, Cheryl Fernandez and Lara Stone which is pretty cool considering it's so cheap!

You can get hold of this cream in most pharmacies and major retailers such as Boots or Superdrug or check out the Sudocrem website for further information: www.sudocrem.co.uk

I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading!

Love Sally X



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