No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush

It's coming up to June and I'm only just getting around to telling you all about one of my favourite Christmas presents..at least you know it's been tried and tested eh?

Like everyone else, I was interested in the benefits of the Clarisonic Mia, but at around £100 I wasn't prepared to splurge and see. So, when this No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Brush turned up in my stocking I was one happy girl. This brush deep cleanses by gently exfoliating and removes all make-up, oil and dirt much more effectively than usual. 

All you have to do it remove your eye make-up (you wouldn't really want to use this on your poor eyes would you?!) and then apply your cleanser as usual while leaving excess on your forehead, chin and cheeks. Then press power and in circular motions, massage each area for around 30 seconds to ensure all make-up is removed. There are two speed settings, which I love as I tend to alternate the speed each time as the fastest speed can be a little rough sometimes. Once cleansed, just rinse off the remaining cleanser with warm water and splash a little cold water on your face to close any pores.

It's recommended that you use this 2-3 times a week, so I tend to alternate, using it every other day and I'm left with fresh, clean and super soft skin. The brush heads tend to last 3-4 months and a pack of two replacement heads are a bargain at only £8.

This is the perfect Clarisonic dupe and woks wonders for my skin! At £15 you really can't go wrong..

Have you used this or Clarisonic?

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Summer Brights - Wishlist #2

As usual there's a lot of stuff that I've been loving, and so my wishlist is never ending! So here are my top 5..can you sense a colour theme?

Jo Malone Silk Blossom - Jo Malone perfumes always smell amazing and never dissappoint (unlike the pricetag..why, just why?!) and the limited edition Silk Blossom, described as 'fruity and enticing', is yet another appealing scent by Ms Malone. Plus, how bloody pretty is the bottle and ombré pink tassle?!

Triangl Milly Santa Rosa Splash Bikini - I've been lusting over this bikini, who am I kidding, all of the Triangl bikinis for months but this one is my favourite. I think the colour is perfect for around the pool with a sun-kissed glow. I also love the bikini's signature black, structured lines.

Topshop Stand Out Flower Prom Dress - What a beauty! This has caught my eye everytime I've popped in to Topshop lately and if only I had an occason to buy it for..anyone? The low back and bow keeps it sexy and classy. Perfect.

Kate Spade Cedar Street Elissa - Kate Spade bags are to die for and this Cedar Street Elissa bag in Dark Geranium may just be my favourite. I honestly think there's not one of her bags I don't like/want/need, and this one is up there with the best! It's the perfect size, colour and well, it's just bloody gorgeous. I think this'll be staying on my wishlist for quite some time, or maybe just until my birthday.

Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet - This luminous matte lip colour is bloody beautiful and may have to be purchased in duty-free. The shade La Fascinante (38) is my favourite as it's so bold and fun. A vibrant pink lip is all you need to perk you up sometimes, and I think this pink may be the one for me.

What's on your wishlist?

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P.S. Apologies for the bad quality picture. It looked fine until I published the post...

VO5 Hair Saviours!

My hair is naturally really fine and pretty boring if I'm honest and I don't tend to make much effort with it  (slap on the wrist, I know!) so I've been meaning to purchase a few products to lend a hand so when I saw an offer going on for VO5 I couldn't resist. I mean it was pretty much fate...no? 

The first thing I picked up was the Smoothly Does It Heat Protect Serum. I don't tend to use much heat on my hair (I'd love to say it just doesn't need it but it's down to pure laziness), but when I do I always forget to use heat protection. This serum promises illuminated hair with shine, as well as protecting so I thought I'd give it a whirl. It says to use it on damp, towel dried hair before drying for a sleek look and after the hair is dry if you want curly hair, although I'm not sure how it's protecting from the heat after it's dry? Anyway, I opt to use it before drying as I think it's thick, gel-like consistency would make my hair feel a bit slick otherwise. I've used this a few times and really like it, plus it smells good! 

I also chose the Extra Body Styling Mousse, because as I said my hair is really fine and quite lank so I bought this in the hope that it gives a bit of body to my lacklustre hair. I used a golf ball size dollop in my hair before drying, making sure it was evenly distributed and I was seriously impressed with the outcome. My hair was smooth, volumous and considerably thicker, which made it a lot easier to do something with it. Could this be a holy grail hair necessity? Maybe!

The last thing I got was the Strong Hold Hairspray which claims to have 5 vital benefits including a UV filter, all day hold and weather protection. I used this in conjuction with the other two products after a bit of styling and loved the ultrafine spray as it didn't feel like I was wearing a lot of hairspray and my hair still felt super soft. It also kept my hair held in place all night, even after a bit (ok...a lot) of dancing.

All of these products are winners for me and really helped my lank hair look full, soft and healthy.

Have you tried any of the VO5 products lately?

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Quick Fix - No7 Make-up Brush Cleanser

If there's one thing I find tedious it's deep cleaning my make-up brushes, but I try to do it every 3-4 weeks. Inbetween deep cleans I like to use the No7 Make-up Brush Cleanser which is great for a quick clean up of your brushes. It's so simple to use and works like a dream.

All you have to do is pump it on to a bit of tissue and give your brushes a little swirl. This is perfect for when your doing eye-makeup and need to use the same brush for a different shadow as you can give it a quick swish about and you're good to go with the next one. I find your brushes dry quickly after so you don't have to wait for ageeesss to use them again and it leaves them super soft.

Obviously, make-up brushes still need to be deep cleaned with warm water and baby shampoo (or whatever works best for you) atleast once a month to prevent them getting too dirty but this brush cleanser is just a quick fix for inbetween the soaks.

How do you prefer to clean your brushes?

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Mini Beauty Haul - #01

I spent my day yesterday hitting the shops with two of my favourite people and we ended up in Boots.What a surprise! There's something about that shop that sucks me in and leaves me £30 poorer every time. Like usual I tried my best to be good, but ended up buying a few bits and bobs.

The first thing I picked up is the new Orangeasm Body Wash by Soap & Glory. This is just a citrus-y wash, scented with orange peel oils, green mandarin and Sicilian lemon. Oh my, is it zesty! I used this in the shower this morning and it left me feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. It's so fresh and perfect for really waking you up in the sticky Summer months.

I've been eyeing this Maybelline Brow Drama for a little while now and finally gave in. Now, I know eyebrows are meant to be sisters, not twins but I'm not even sure mine are related. I have the worst behaved left brow ever. Today though, I did my eyebrows as usual, then used a little slick of this over the top. It's kept them in place all day and has even tamed my badly behaved brow. Hurrah!

Not the most glamorous purchase, but lately I've been suffering more that usual with chapped, dry lips and normal lipbalms just aren't cutting it. So, I popped the Blistex MedPlus Repairing Lip Balm in my basket. It contains cocoa butter, menthol and jojoba oil and is so moistursing on your lips. The menthol in it does make it smell a little medicine-y but it does the job. I applied it last night and again this morning and my lips still feel soft and are no longer sore. A little pot of heaven.

This Sleek Face Contour Kit was a bit of an impulse buy but it's definitely something I'll use. I'm not a contouring pro but I know how it works so I just need a little practise and thought this would be a good way to start. I got it in the shade 'light' as I'm quite pale and after using it today, it's definitely a good colour match for my skin. It comes with a contouring powder and a highlighter which is so pretty. I love how compact the Sleek makeup is and they always come with a decent mirror which I love for on-the-go touch-ups.

 The final thing I bought was a re-purchase of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum, but as I've mentioned it before I thought I'd show the Nail Polish from H&M that I bought. Does anyone else get tricked by all the little bits and bobs lined around the ques in H&M? Because I clearly do. I was nearly at the till when this caught my eye. 'Stop Sign' its a burnt out orangey/red and looks really vibrant on. I think I'll be wearing this non-stop for a while.

Which beauty bits have you picked up lately?

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Taking a break - Oxburgh Hall

A little bit of a different post than usual today, no beauty bits or outfits, but instead a nosy at some pictures from Oxburgh Hall. They were just too pretty to not share.

Last week, I had booked off a few days at work so Dan and I headed to Norwich to stay with some family. Now, I don't know about you, but sometimes a weekend just isn't enough time away from work and a few extra days are much needed and appreciated.

When we arrived we had a few leaflets of places to visit and the first of the bunch was Oxburgh Hall, a moated country house from the 1400's owned by the National Trust. I know this sort of thing isn't for everyone, but it was honestly such a lovely day. You get to walk around the house, which is full of extravagant interior, secret doors and little information cards if you want to know a little more. After walking around the house we had a stroll around the grounds which was beautiful! We were lucky it was such a nice day weather wise so we could fully enjoy the views.

On our way in we were asked by the lady selling tickets if we were under 25 and wanted to become members of the National Trust for £27. We said we'd think about it, but after spending the day there we agreed. Entry here was around £10 so we figured if we went a couple more places we'd have our money's worth and also the rest of the year for free. Even if we only use our passes when visting Norwich again, we'd be saving money, and we also got our original £10 back. Bargain!

Just outside of Oxburgh Hall, there's a lovely pub called The Bedingfeld Arms which serves delicious food and also has a really unique style. The owner of the pub and her little pooch were also chilling in the garden of the pub and chatting to the customers which was nice. I'll definitely be going back here next time I visit.

I know the subject of this post won't be for everyone but it was such a good day I thought it was worth sharing. 

Have you taken a break lately? Where did you visit?

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In my mind, they're roses on white lace...

Cardigan - H&M // Top - H&M // Necklace - Topshop // Joni Jeans - Topshop // Sandals - Primark // Watch - Everours // Sunglasses - Lozza

Sometimes I go in H&M and there is absolutely nothing in there worth buying, but other times I walk in and it's absolute heaven! The last time I visited was just that. I actually put a small dent in my bank balance by picking up so many gems. This top and cardigan being just a couple.

I've been hunting for the perfect black cardigan for so long now and when I saw this I snapped it up as I'm so fussy with them. Now the warmer months are here (hurrah!), I don't need to be wearing my beloved cosy Winter jumpers but I do need a little something to chuck on over my dresses/tops. I'm not a fan of the usual basic cardigans as I like them to be loose and baggy but I find the material of the longer ones make them hang funny and just look a bit odd. So the loose knit of this is ideal for a relaxed cardi to sling on.

Next up is this top. I just bloody love it. I originally bought it to take on holiday with me (which isn't actually until July, I'm just eager to shop!) but I've already worn it twice as I couldn't resist. The back and top half (boob upwards) is sheer and embroidered with flowers which I think looks beautiful! It's such a simple top and so easy to wear and I can't wait to wear this when I get a tan.

I got these sunglasses free the other year as part of a deal when buying my actual glasses and I love the style of them. I can't actually find them online but Boots stock a great selection of the Lozza range. They've survived two summers, one holiday and getting lost in the waves and are still in great condition.

My best friend got me this necklace for part of my Christmas present and I wear it to death! Chunky, gold neckalces go with pretty much everything and this just adds something to a basic black and white outfit. I picked up this map-faced watch a few months ago but only recently started to wear it but it looks so cute with the tan strap and is also pretty handy. I'm not sure it's still stocked on Everours but Urban Outiftters are selling one similar here.

I'm in love with these sandals so much that I even went back and picked up another pair in black (so I'll be pretty much wear them constantly until Autumn rolls around). At £8 a pop they're so so cheap and the quality isn't actually too bad. They're so comfortable with no annoying bit inbetween your toes (which I cannot stand!) and will go with most outfits through the Summer months.

What highstreet gems have you picked up lately?

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