Monday 24 June 2013

Review: Find Me A Gift- Bomb Cosmetics Halcyon Daze Bath Set.


As much as I love buying gifts for people and watching their faces as they open them, I sure am rubbish at buying them! I can never think of ideas, so this is where companies such as Find Me A Gift come in handy- especially for funny or cute little gifts for friends. Find Me A Gift kindly offered to send me an item from their website to review- as I had nobody to buy a gift for, I decided to treat myself to an early birthday present ;) Thanks, Find Me A Gift!

I went for the Halycon Daze Bath Set by Bomb Cosmetics- I have heard of the brand before and as an avid Lush fanatic, I thought it would be nice to try out another handmade bath bomb company.
The package came packed safely in a sturdy cardboard box and as soon as I ripped off the tape a strong smell of florals and citrus fruits filled my room. Inside was this neatly wrapped box finished with a bow and a label explaining a bit about each of the products inside.

The products smell absolutely gorgeous, and definitely worthy of being compared to Lush. This gift set is filled with five bath products, including both floral-scented ones containing Jasmine, Rose and Geranium to help you feel calm and relaxed, as well as products with a more tropical, citrus scents to uplift your mood so it is the perfect mix! I have only had the chance to try out one of the products so far; the cute little yellow cupcake which is a Kiwi and Lime Bath Mallow. The scent of it was mouth-watering and true to the name, and it melted away really slowly in my bath and made the water feel nice and silky :)

I can't wait to try out the other products that came in the box, but I would already definitely recommend this as a gift for a female friend or family member (or even yourself!), especially if they are a fan of Lush products or if they just love having a pamper. Not only do the products smell beautiful, but they look super pretty too and are presented so nicely- Plus, this gift set is now reduced to only £8.99! Find Me A Gift sell a huge range of present ideas for both men and women and for lots of different occasions, including birthdays, weddings, Christmas, graduations, anything! They also make personalised gifts if you want to add a special touch to your present :)

If you would like to see what Find Me A Gift have to offer, then check out their website here.

Are you a gift-idea pro or are you rubbish at it like me?
*DISCLOSURE: PR sample. All opinions are still 100% honest and my own.

Friday 21 June 2013

Outfit: My new favourite outfit!

T-Shirt and Skirt: C/O Karma Clothing* | Boots: C/O SoYouShoes* | Necklace: C/O Chic La Chic* | Belt: ASOS | Watch: New Look

Karma Clothing kindly got in touch with me challenging me to style an outfit that included a piece from their on-trend tie-dye range. My crop top obsession led me to choose this eye-catching red number; I love that it's a little different from the usual pastel pink and purple tie-dyes that seem to be more popular. To go with it I went for a side split maxi skirt which is now my favourite skirt in my wardrobe! It fits me so well (maxi skirts usually swamp me as I'm quite petite) and is really nice quality considering it only costs £9.99! I was also worried that the splits would start too high or too low on my leg but they're perfect :) I finished off my outfit with these beautiful tassel boots courtesy of SoYouShoes; how gorgeous are they? I live in boots any time of the year and I think the fringe detailing on these makes them perfect for not only the cooler months but also Summer; especially festival season! I know this is such a rave-y post but this is definitely my new favourite outfit to wear at the moment- I think I have worn this exact same outfit three or four times already haha!

Do you have a favourite outfit?
*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.
Wednesday 19 June 2013

Review: Studded Bum Bag by Zoe Victoria.


Bum bags are one of those accessories that hasn't been seen since the late 80's to mid 90's, and probably for good reason as it has been slated and laughed at for its rather humorous names and for just generally not looking so chic. However, with the 80's and 90's trends coming back at full swing, people's opinions seem to have changed and these quirky little accessories are making more appearances with a few added twists, especially now that festival season is getting well underway.

The lovely Zoe Victoria customises and sells these cute little bum bags with studs and she kindly sent me one to review. The one I got is black with gold pyramid studs, but I know that she has done other versions too, she was selling one with lovely purple studs a while ago which I loved! The bum bag itself has a quilted design and comes with two pouches (although her newer ones have seven pouches!) which are the perfect size for carrying your every day essentials such as your phone, your bank cards, a small purse and your lip gloss, which is what makes these perfect for dancing around with at festivals as you don't have to worry about having a bag on your shoulder. The only downside of this bag is that the strap is quite big, so if you have a small waist like me, you will have to punch some more holes in it so you can fasten it up. Apart from that, I think it it's great and good quality, and quite decently priced at £14.99! Zoe also makes studded iPhone cases (£3.99) and socks (£2.50) which I think are super cute, and they're really cheap too! If you'd like to see what she has to offer, check out her Facebook page here, her etsy store here and her eBay page here! :)

What are your thoughts on bum bags?

*PR Sample. My opinions are still 100% honest and my own.

Outfit: Original Attire.

Top, vest (under top) and trousers: All C/O Original Attire* | Nike Blazers: C/O Get The Label* | Wedge Sandals: C/O Shoe Zone*| Necklaces (top to bottom): C/O Get The Label*, Vintage | Watch: Michael Kors

I was never really a trousers kind-of-girl; I'm really fussy about the way they fit me. That said, I have really been trying to find a style that suits me as I think every girl needs a staple pair of trousers in her wardrobe. Lately I have really been loving trousers with a tapered fit, that are quite loose-fitting but still flattering on the leg. This pair of Love Zooey silk trousers from Original Attire are admittedly a little pricey at over £100 (they have shorts in the same material and print which are a little cheaper!) but if you can afford them they're so soft and very lightweight, making them perfect for Summer, as are the t-shirt and the vest top that I wore underneath. I couldn't decide whether to dress this outfit up or down for this post, so I did both haha- Got to love versatile pieces! I paired the trousers with two of my new favourite pairs of shoes- Some Nike Blazers which I have wanted for aaages (Thanks, Get The Label!) and this gorgeous pair snake print wedges from Shoe Zone, which may I add, are now only £9.99!

Are you a trousers kind of girl? Or do you prefer leggings and dresses like me?
*DISCLOSURE: Starred items are PR samples.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

Event: Swimwear 365 S/S Collections.


Sorry for such a picture-heavy post! But lots of pictures is always a sign of a good event, right? ;) A few weeks ago (yes- it has taken me a while to get this post up, more on that later) I was lucky enough to have been invited to an event organised by Swimwear 365 to promote their Spring/Summer range. The event took place in Revolucion De Cuba in Manchester City Centre, and boy, were we in for a treat. At the door we were greeted and given a colourful Lei to wear to get in to the summery holiday mood, as well as a wristband which allowed us to get three free cocktails of our choice! Revolucion De Cuba makes the most amazing cocktails and they were presented so well with fresh fruit to finish them off- I had the Spiced Strawberry Punch and the Raspberry Colada which were both incredible. They also had staff members walking around throughout the whole evening offering us tapas such as quesadillas and chicken skewers which were also lovely- I definitely need to go back there some time soon!

Anyway, more about the Swimwear365 event. They had a rail of their Spring/Summer collection on show, which ranged from bikinis to swimsuits to pretty summer dresses. All us lucky bloggers were allowed to leave name tags on our favourite piece to be sent for review- I actually received mine yesterday and I can't wait to style it up and show you- I chose this dress; I did really want to go for one of the lovely swimwear pieces but I'm not going on holiday this year so I wouldn't have had the chance to wear it :( but hopefully I can find an occasion to wear the dress as it's stunning! There was also a station where they had placed a huge map so that everybody could pick a holiday destination to style up an outfit for to guest post on the Swimwear 365 blog. I placed my marker on the Philippines, so I'll keep you posted when it's my turn to style up a holiday outfit :) Last but not least, we were all offered a summery manicure based on the bright colours of the new collection. I didn't have mine done as I had just painted my nails with chunky glitter that day and it wasn't going to budge, but the lovely Alex (Odd Socks Alex) had hers painted in a lovely teal shade with white polka dots- Very cute!

Thank you to Revolucion De Cuba and of course Swimwear 365 for putting on such a fun event and for the lovely goody bag that we were given at the end, which contained a Swimwear 365 beach towel, a chunky wooden necklace and a sarong (god, I wish I was going on holiday!). Go and check out their website if you're looking for some new swimwear or clothing pieces to take on holiday with you- They have loads of styles to choose from! :)

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I also just want to apologise for my lack of posts recently- I know it seems like I drop off the face of the blogosphere quite regularly, but I keep going through unmotivated phases due to stress and personal issues. I still love blogging and it's my favourite thing to do and it makes me sad when I don't have the concentration to write good quality blog posts for you all :( Please bear with me, I have lots of blog posts lined up that I will churn out as and when I can, and hopefully I will be sorted and back to my old daily-blogging self soon! :)


Wednesday 12 June 2013

Review: Lush Spa Treatment- The Spell (Lush Spa Liverpool).


A few weeks ago the lovely Melissa from Lush Spa Liverpool got in touch with me and invited me along to try out one of their spa treatments; The Spell*. I have always been a sceptic to the concept of reflexology on the feet, but I'm not one to turn down an hour or so of relaxation, plus I adore the Lush Spa in Liverpool (it is huge and the staff are always so friendly!), so I graciously accepted the offer and was booked in for the following week.

Upon arrival I was greeted at the front of the store by a welcoming staff member who offered me a cup of tea, a hand massage and a seat whilst she went and let my therapist know I was there. I spent fifteen minutes or so browsing around the store with my cuppa before the lovely therapist Louise came and met me and took me up to the spa area for my treatment.

I have already written a first impressions review of the spa from when I got to opportunity to preview it before it opened, so feel free to read it here and see more pictures- It is decorated to resemble a quaint English countryside and it really does feel like you have stepped in to a Wonderland. The sounds of nature and birds tweeting can be heard and your relaxing experience starts right here. Louise sat me down to tell me a little more about the treatment she was going to be giving me. The Spell was put together with the idea of clearing your mind and getting rid of any troubles and worries you may have, which was right up my street as I am a born worrier and I always struggle with bouts of anxiety. She talked me through all the products that she was going to use and let me have a smell of them all; one of the main products in this treatment is Volcano, which is a cleansing, exfoliating and cooling clay mask for your feet.

After filling out a consultation form, Louise handed me a piece of paper and asked me to write one of my worries down on it. I folded it up and placed it in a little brass teapot where it was then set on fire with the idea of abolishing my worry and sending it up in smoke! I was then taken in to the dimly candle-lit treatment room and left alone for five minutes to make myself comfortable. There was a little bell placed on the bed for me to ring when I was ready for Louise to come back in and begin the treatment, which started off with a foot bath containing the Waving Not Drowning Bath Bomb. After this I was allowed to lay down, close my eyes and let my mind wander off to another place for a good 30-40 minutes, with the enchanting sounds of The Spell soundtrack by Simon Emmerson filling the room whilst Louise used hot stones, a foot and scalp massage and reflexology with a variety of different products to relax me and sooth my mind.

Needless to say, I felt very drowsy when the treatment finished, but definitely very relaxed (with very soft, smooth and pretty-smelling feet). There was no rush for me to get up and leave, either- Louise brought me a hot cup of water containing lemon, lemon grass and ginger to sip on whilst I pulled myself back to reality. She also gave me a cute little tag that read the words "With my feet I stand in truth. I move forward with joy, understanding and courage", to keep in my purse for times when I need a little pick-me-up.

Despite not knowing what to expect from a foot treatment beforehand, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would love to go back and try a full body treatment in the future; The Good Hour and Tailor Made sound amazing! If you would like to find out more about The Spell or book in for your own hour of relaxation, you can check it out at the Lush website :)

Have you ever tried out a Lush Spa treatment?
*DISCLOSURE: This was a PR opportunity. My opinions are still 100% honest and my own.