I recently visited Dubai and stocked up on as many as I could fit in my luggage. I ended up picking 3 of their large 3 wick candles and one of their small ones, just to be on the safe side. Bath and Bodyworks are well known for their offers on their products. It's how they suck you in and get you to buy 3 large candles instead of just 1. I think the offer I had was buy 2 get 1 free, or something along those lines.



Salted Caramel is exactly what it says on the tin. It's caramel, but not quite as sweet. I would say that this probably isn't for you if your not a fan of sweet scents, as this does pack a punch when burned. It reminds me of popcorn...

Vanilla Bean is one of the sweetest, cleanest vanilla candles I have ever come across. Like the truest representation of a vanilla bean thrown together with heaps of sugar. I am a massive fan of anything vanilla, so this one was a no brainer.




Dark Kiss is different from the other ones I picked up. It has a musky smell, but also smells like flowers. Not  how you would imagine pretty pink roses to smell. More like deep purple almost black flowers. If you can imagine that. It's a scent that would work really well worn as a perfume. Why not have your room smell like it instead?

Last, but by no means least is Marshmallow Fireside.... I have been burning this non stop since I got home. It literally is Winter in a jar! A wood fire, mixed with the scent of toasted marshmallows. Who wouldn't want that? I would describe it as quite an earthy scent, with just a hint of sweetness. I would say this is easily my favourite from the bunch. I would definitely pick up another one if I could.

 This beautiful Palette from Hourglass has caused quite a stir on the inter-web over the past couple of weeks/months. I was umming and ahhing whether to purchase or not, when someone was selling it for less that the RRP. I would have been an idiot not to have snatched it up. It arrived today, in all it beautifulness. I was/am soooo excited to be basking in all it's ambientness! I can't remember the last time I was pee my pants happy about makeup. The £65 price tag is, for me, personally a little steep. But for sure is a reeeaaalllly nice Christmas present....


I believe it was released in the last month in the US and has only recently become available here in the UK. It comes in the well known Hourglass packaging, which is very ascetically pleasing, but is a pain in the arse for mucky fingers. I think I must have cleaned my fingerprints off this around five trillion times whilst photographing it.


I have yet to give this a proper go, but do own one of their blushes already and they really are something else. Really finely milled, pigmented and lasts all day. This will be applied to my face tomorrow morning, or the first chance I get!

It contains 6 of their powders in total - 3 'strobing' powders, 2 blush shades and a bronzer. I know some people apply the ambient lighting powders all over their face, while some use them for highlighting. There is a coral/pink blush and one with more of a purple undertone, so I will have to see if that one suits my paleness. The bronzer is certainly not one to be used for contouring, but looks like a really nice colour to give some natural warmth to the face without looking like you've smacked yourself in the face with a tub of hot chocolate.


 Hourglass is by no means a cheap brand. Everything about it is expensive. The packaging on this products feels very luxurious, as do the powders themselves. Whether this is worth the £65, you will have to decide that for yourselves. As the powders are substantially smaller than their standard ones. I believe it actually works out a little expensive to buy them like this. But it is Limited Edition... So won't be around forever. Maybe Father Christmas will bring it?... The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit is available (as I write this) here  for £65 from SpaceNK.


Have you splurged on a Christmas Limited Edition?

The leaves are falling, the nights are drawing in and the sun is definitely not around as much. But I for one, am not willing to let go of my 'sunkissed' glow.
I just wanted to show you these two beauties. Both I have loved, but for different reasons.


The Clarins Summer Bronzing Compact, from the Aquatic Treasures collection. Unlike the NYC bronzer, was limited edition. Some of the Clarins bronzers are really beautiful with their intricate designs on the surface.

I like this one in particular, as it contains 4 bronzer shades can be used on most skin shades. Or you can swirl your brush round to get a deep terracotta shade.





They are both on the large size, so not so great for travel. Most bronzers of this style are mahoosive. Can anyone explain why this is? baffled.. The NYC bronzer is amazing quality for the price and even the packaging isn't bad. For more moola, you get better packaging, but not necessarily a better formulation. It all comes down to personal preference. I always say, go and swatch your heart out till you've got no arm left and then decide what it is about makeup that floats your boat.


Anyone else not ready to embrace the full on pale yet? Maybe next month...

Thanks for reading!

 This is not a sponsored post and all PR samples will be marked with an asterisk (*)

 It always really interests me, to see what other people put on their faces. So though I would give you all a peak into what I've been reaching for on a daily basis.

I generally go through phases with my makeup, depending on what my skin is like, the finish I'm going for and where I'm going. This makeup is more for an everyday look, but can be used for an evening look too.
I haven't included skincare in this post,  as I didn't want to make it super long. But if you would like me to do a post on my skincare routine, please let me know in the comments.



After moisturiser, I always apply eyeshadow primer. I'm not very adventurous with this as I've never had any problems with the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. It does exactly what it says on the tin and if I don't apply this, my shadow creases within a couple of hours after application. So I say if it's not broke, then why fix it. Right?

The eyelash curlers by Shu Uemura are my go to, as they give my lashes a nice cure without making them poke out in weird directions. I always squeeze gently at the base, then halfway up. I find this gives a really nice shape to them, while still looking natural.




For base, I have been turning to the Bourjois CC Cream in the lightest shade. This has amazing coverage considering its a CC Cream and is very good at covering redness. It does dry relatively quickly and the finish is kind of a satin to matte finish which is build-able. To apply, I either use my fingers, the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge or a buffing brush, depending on what finish I want to achieve. Using my hands, I get a natural/matte finish and this is also pretty similar using the brush. I opt for the sponge for a more dewy look.

For concealer I have long been a fan of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. It is a high coverage, but using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge gives a nice finish.




For blush, I have been reaching for Charlotte Tilbury's Cheek to Chic blush in Love Glow. The idea is that you swirl your brush round the outside, apply this to the tops of the cheekbones and then use the middle colour on the apples of the cheeks to make them 'pop'. The outer ring does contain a little shimmer, but isn't obvious once applied and the centre shade is completely matte. As blushes go, it is really nice and lasts well on me throughout the day.

I don't know when it happened, but it seems I can't leave the house without highlighter on at the moment. I bought this around a year ago and didn't love it at first, but over the last few months I have really fallen in love with it. The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer is quite a well known product and is loved by lots of people and I can see why.
I apply it to the very tops of the cheek bones, down the cnetre of my nose and a little on my cupids bow. It isn't shimmery with chunky bits of glitter, but a beautiful highlight that isn't too much but leaves a subtle glow on the skin. Just bear in mind that a little of this goes a long way.





 On to the price...

Urban Decay Primer Potion (new packaging) - £16 - Available from Urban Decay here
Bourjois CC Cream - £9.99 - Available from Boots here
Collection Lasting Perfection concealer - £4.19 - Available from Boots here
Rimmel loose powder - £6.99 - Available from Boots here
NYC Bronzer - £1.99 - Available from Superdrug here
Charlotte Tilbury Blush - £30 - Available from Charlotte Tilbury here
The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer - £17.49 - Available from Superdrug here
Freedom Makeup London Pro 12 Audacious Mattes - £4 - Available from Freedom Makeup here
Anasticia Brow Products - £15-£15.50 - Available from Cult Beauty here

Total = £105.65

Obviously these products aren't single use, so my I don't use £105 worth every day. But I am quite astonished at how it all mounts up! Below are links for the brushes and lash curlers as I have only included the cost of the makeup.


Shu Uemura Lash Curler - £20 - Available from Space nk here
Zoeva 221 Luxe Soft Crease brush - £6.95 - Available from Beauty Bay here
Zoeva 234 Smoky Shader brush - £6.95 - Available from Beauty Bay here

Sorry for the lengthy post, but it seems that I use a lot of products so wanted to make sure I covered everything.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed seeing what I use on a daily basis. I'd love to see what you use, so please let me know and leave me a comment!


This is not a sponsored post and all PR samples will be marked with an asterisk (*)

From Pirates to poshness, Plymouth really does have something for everyone. I was already down in Portsmouth, so took the coach which took 6ish hours to what felt like the arse end of know-where.


I was staying with a friend and the picture above is the view she has from her apartment. I must admit, it is pretty spectacular both in the morning and in the evening when the sun sets. I have been once before, but it was in Winter. Plus, I wasn't very mobile then and still had a crutch so was quite limited on what we could do. This time however, I was feeling much better and we had a little walk to do some sightseeing and take some pics.



The view from her apartment is really something, situated right on The Barbican. To get up in the morning, look out the window and all you see is blue skies and boats. What more could you want from a holiday? (I won't mention that it did rain quite a lot of the time).






There are some beautiful buildings in Plymouth, nestled amongst some really fugly ones. This is because it was so heavily bombed in the war.

There is the Gin Distillery, which as far as I know is still the original building. I didn't get to go this time, but it will be on my to do list for next time.



I've heard of the Boston Tea Party places before and we didn't go that evening, but for breakfast instead. I would recommend it, as the menu is quite quirky with standard breakfast options too. The decor is pretty cool as well. It's mostly white exposed brick with retro furniture, has a very laid back atmosphere and is child friendly.










We took a walk along to the seafront on my last day, just before it started raining (again). We walked from The Barbican along to The Hoe. The Hoe is quite famous in Plymouth and is a lovely place to go for picnics while watching the waves. They often have a funfair throughout the summer hols too.


This is probably one of the most memorable structures on The Hoe. Smeaton's Tower is about 70ft high and because of it's contrasting colours, it makes for a lovely photo opportunity. For those of you that don't know Plymouth, The Hoe is basically a park with beautiful views of the sea. If your visiting Plymouth and the sun is out, it's worth a visit.


Directly opposite Smeaton's Tower is whats called The Lido. I never knew something like this still existed! You remember in the 1950's, when people were still holidaying in the UK and would go swimming outdoors. There were still a couple of places left as I was growing up, but sadly they have died out to.

Whats special about this, is the pool is filled with sea water, so no chlorine! From what I remember you do have to pay to get in, but I can't find anywhere on line that gives info on the prices. Sorry... I think this is pretty awesome though. It's sooo blue!


 



 Plymouth in the sunshine is definitely a place to visit as it can be so picturesque. As can the rest of Devon/Cornwall. I personally think that there aren't many places in the UK that resemble countryside like this.

If your going and it's August, I would still take a rain jacket. The weather is quite unpredictable and even in the Spring it can get quite chilly near the coast.

Here's a picture of an ice cream. Because, why not?..

 The packaging is black, simple and quite nondescript. But I like that. Both the top half and bottom half have a matte finish, which makes it feel more sophisticated than your average drugstore lipstick. So far, I haven't noticed that it leaves makeup smudges on it, as you find with the Nars packaging, which can only be a bonus! The bullet itself has Gosh embossed into it and it's quite a way down so won't get worn away straight away. Overall the packaging is extremely nice in this product.

I originally wanted a pinky nude and eventually decided on the shade 002 Rose. After getting it home I realised it is pretty much a complete dupe for Rimmel 208, not so much a bonus for me as it is for you guys. The 'freebie' I chose was in the shade 004 Coral, which is as the name suggests a warm orangey shade.



 Both of these are from their matt range, but for me they are more of a satin (not matt or very shiny). Because of this, as with most matt lippies I have come across they do drag a bit on the lips but are very opaque with a nice pigmentation. They do stay on for quite a while, but then they become very dry and patchy. I haven't tried them on with a liner yet, but I can't imagine this would help with the dryness unless it's something with a bit of moisture.


I wouldn't be much of a trustworthy blogger if I didn't give you my honest opinion now would I? So, if your looking for a budget lipstick then I would give these a go. I can't say that I will be rushing out to purchase more of the matt ones. They are available from Superdrug here, priced at £6.99 each they aren't the cheapest on the market but may be worth it on a 3 for 2 if you are wanting to try out something different.

What are your opinions about the Gosh matt lipsticks?

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!