King's Ginger

Hey all!

We don't know about you but we love a good cocktail. We're regulars in our local cocktail bars and love spending evenings in with a few drinks catching up with the latest Netflix series.

We were recently sent the most amazing package from King's Ginger to try out their ginger liqueur, and who were we to say no??

Summer Fruits and Berries Rasul at Bryn Meadows

Morning all!

A spa day is always a welcome treat but after the last few weeks I was so excited to have been invited to Bryn Meadows Spa to try out their Summer Fruits and Berries Rasul offer.

This included the Rasul Mud Room Ceremony with a geranium and grapefruit scrub and a choice of mud, use of the poolside and leisure facilities for 3 hours with the usual robe, towel and slippers, followed by the Summer Berries afternoon tea with unlimited tea or coffee and a glass of Pimms.

To say I was excited was an understatement, I was looking forward to forgetting the world outside of the spa for a few hours and embracing the relaxation.

Skinny Tan Express Mousse 1 Hour Tan Review

Hey All

We're big fans of Fake Tan, we're both super pale so love to wear fake tan as it makes us feel better. We always searching for the next great tan, the one that look natural, fades well and doesn't smell of biscuit and for me now it has to be Cruelty Free. 

Havaianas

Goooooood morning!

I have been lusting after Havaianas for such a long time now. They're an iconic footwear brand for the summer and I have FINALLY got my hands on a pair.

My brother bought me these for my birthday and after mentioning to my mum that a gold pair would be perfect...it must have travelled along the grapevine some time!

Needless to say I was very happy when I saw this box on my birthday! With a trip to Thailand planned for the end of the year and an ever decreasing bank account I am extremely grateful for presents like this which will contribute to my future plans!

I absolutely love the packaging that they come in, its so colourful and happy looking, the perfect packaging for a summer product!
Inside were the havaianas that I'd been dreaming of.....the metallic gold ones that would just go perfectly with anything. I love that the sole of the flip flop is so thick and the plastic bit that goes between your toes isn't too big or too small that it will rub your toes and be uncomfortable.

I cannot wait to wear these on my holiday, they will go perfectly on the beach with a bikini and a kaftan, denim shorts and shirt, and one of my many summer dresses! They'd be the perfect accompaniment on the beach, at the pub and meeting friends for casual drinks in the evening. 

Do you have a pair of Havaianas? Do you have a favourite colour or pattern?

There are so many to choose from I think I'll need to make a sneaky purchase to add a bright pink or orange or red to my collection.....don't you??

L xxx

Life Update

Hi!

I haven't been up to much recently but I have had a good bank holiday weekend so I thought I'd share some photos with you. I went with my family to our caravan for the day so we could take out my dads new boat. It was a lot of fun and it was great to finally get the boat out on the water!



The beach was lovely and empty and for once the sun was out. My dog absolutely loves the beach and cannot wait to get on the sand.

As you can probably tell from my selfie below, I was a little bit excited to get out onto the boat! My dad bought it a few months ago but the weather was pretty bad every chance we had so this weekend was the first chance. It was still pretty cold and after being stood holding the boat in the water whilst my dad took the trailer back to the car park I was FREEZING! Luckily for me I could just sit back and watch after we got started.








The views from the sea were lush and all I was missing was a cocktail! It's not a luxurious boat nor is it very big but I'm sure a few cans of cider wouldn't go amiss next time ;)

My dog was shattered after running around the beach with me and looks lush and fluffy after getting soaked!



I came back on the Sunday night then to get ready for my personal training session on the Monday morning which went really well and I'm writing about my new program for this weeks Fitness Friday.

After that I felt I deserved to completely pig out so me and M met up in Barker Tea House in Cardiff which I'd never been to before but had heard of and been recommended so many times. I'd heard lots about the cake so we tucked in!

I fully recommend the lemon and poppy seed and also the brownies, unbelievably gooey! The peppermint tea was also amazing, the tea pots are so heavy though it was a bit misleading every time I picked it up.

After this we finally got to see Divergent which I really enjoyed. I recently finished reading the last book in the series and couldn't wait to see it portrayed in the cinema too. It didn't disappoint and you should all get your hands on the books too! The books are always better I think.



Lastly I also had my hair done this month and decided to go a bit lighter again. I've had an ombre look for a while, not the dip dye that everyone else has but the true ombre where your hair on the lower parts of your head are all a lighter colour. As my hair is so dark it can sometimes look like it's 'blocked out' when I tie it up so I decided to have highlights all the way through my hair instead. I don't use bleach on my hair my hairdresser uses something called high lift so it isn't as damaging on my hair but it doesn't get as light as quick either. Over time the highlights will lighten by themselves and I'm hoping it will look more natural.


I'm kidding myself that my hair is anything like the fabulous Kate Beckinsale's above; her hair is amazing and I so badly want the all over blonde highlighted look. If someone could style it like for me every day too that would be even better!

What have you lovelies been up to lately? What have you seen in the cinema?

L xxx

Glasto Wishlist

Hey lovelies!

I hope you're having a lovely start to the weekend. Unfortunately for me not only is it a working day (day 6 eek!) but I've got the worst toothache ever.
I've obviously not been eating enough as when I was drunk last weekend I decided to bite my own cheek so badly that I haven't been able to eat or sleep properly since! My dentist said 'it doesn't get much worse than that' as I've bitten it right at the back on my bite line so it's not going to heal unless I stop eating and talking. WHAT ON EARTH AM I GOING TO DO!!!

Well ladies and gents I am one for a PMA - that's a positive mental attitude if you didn't know.....I will instead be living off a liquid diet for the forseeable future, perfectly timed with my birthday weekend. Looks like its cocktails all the way! And an early night on an empty stomach probably eek!

Anyway what I'm really looking forward to is Glastonbury and is the main reason for posting. Both me and M have never been to a festival before so instead of testing the waters with an overnight one, we thought we'd 'go hard or go home' and go for the full 5 days of Glastonbury delights.

They've so far announced that Dolly Parton, Lily Allen and Arcade Fire are playing, none of whom I'm particularly big fans of so I'm hoping they start confirming the other rumours PRONTO. I mean, Kanye West (for the lols), the Eagles (legends!) and a bit of Disclosure, Skrillex and Example would be lovely!


The next most important thing....the wardrobe.

What on earth do you wear to a 5 day long event that you can't shower at?

I've already got myself a pair of navy Hunters wellies and I'm sure I've got an old pair of flip flops and pumps to take so the footwear is done. Aside from that? I've got some denim shorts I can rock and that's where it ends....so here's the start of my probably endless wishlist!


I'd really like this gorgeous white shirt from Next at £22. Not only is it really versatile to be worn with anything but its also going to be great for covering up in sun (fingers crossed!) and if it gets a bit chilly. I'll just have to remember to wear this at the beginning when I'm still clean!

I think that simple tea dresses and skater dresses are also going to be the best things to stick to as they're an outfit in themselves and don't require much fuss.


All of the above are from New Look and range from £18 to £23 so are absolute bargains really!
I'm a lover of a nipped in waist and polka dots so wouldn't be able to refuse any of these, in fact I might just accidentally add them to my basket now!

I imagine I am going to need to accessorize the bejeesus out of my hair as it will only stay looking good enough to leave it down for about 2 days, 3 if its not raining or particularly sweaty. So then it's going to be time to rock some of these. I am in LOVE:

This first one is from Prairie Charms and costs £15:

How pretty! i think its a simple design that will go with a lot and the price is perfect.

These are from Crown and Glory:

The purple one is again only £15 and I surprised myself by liking it as it's not normally a colour I would go for but its just so beautiful!

The coral coloured one definitely has larger flowers and comes in at £20 because of it but it's worth the upgrade for the added drama!

So pretty much that's my plan for my wardrobe. I'm probably missing some key pieces like a hoody, joggers and an umbrella but in my head its going to be fabulously sunny and feel like I'm abroad....if only!


Let me know what I'm missing because I need a serious reality check, a girl can dream but I need to know what to take so I don't get hypothermia too.

What did you take to a festival to wear? Have you been to one before and have some must have tips?

Please get involved!

L xxx

Revlon PhotoReady Skinlights

Hi all!

If you've read our blog before you might have seen us mention Revlon products before. We're big fans of their Colorstay foundation, PhotoReady primer, lip butters, nail varnish and many other products so it was only a matter of time before I got my hands on their Skinlights as well.

I bought these on a 3 for 2 deal with their primer (a review of which you can find here) and they're always on offer which is why I'm almost always picking something up from them.

I decided to get both the Bronze Light and Pink Light because well, why not!

So the packaging for this is quite sleek and can be hard to open, you almost have to 'snap' the lid when you twist it off which worried me the first time but I just had to get it open!

The Pink Light can be compared with Benefit's High Beam which has been on the market for a very long time.

You can see on my hand both of the products (clearly I have no fake tan on here, what a ghost!).

Both of which are quite creamy and feel quite thin, which usually means they blend well but that all depends on the quality...

When blended in you can see that the Pink Light has blended easily and leaves a shimmer that looks great in the light and could be mixed with moisturiser or foundation for a slight shimmer all over or applied directly to cheek bones and cupids bow for highlighting specific areas.

The Bronze Light looks significantly scarier compared to my pasty pallor, but I promise you this also blends so easily and looks great for defining cheek bones and again mixed with foundation/moisturiser.
I would never have picked up the Bronze Light before but now i know about contouring it's been great for the weekends and meals with friends.

The photo below shows me with both highlighters on, the Pink Lights on my upper cheek bones to highlight and the Bronze Lights in the hollows to define them.



It's not the best photo as it's on my phone taken at 6am....oops! But you can see how nicely it has blended with my foundation and also how they have both done the jobs they were designed for, I have a lovely contoured cheek bone that took seconds to create!

Have you tried Revlon Skinlights? Which is your favourite? Do you think it's a good dupe for High Beam?

I am so sure that these will have many other uses, including mixing with body moisturisers and contouring decolletage, legs etc.

L xxx

Life Update

I have been a rather busy girl lately, so I thought a life update was in order.

I've had one of the best summers of my life so far, it's been non stop and I 100% would do it all over again if I could!
Its included weddings, hen weekends, shopping trips, wild nights out at mansions (ooh errr!) and beach trips.

So I thought I'd share a few snaps whilst having a cup of tea and catching up on Geordie Shore.

Last weekend was a bit of a crazy one, me and M decided we were going to enjoy the bank holiday delights and planned on going out both Saturday and Sunday.

My motto personally is 'go hard or go home'. It normally serves me well but dear god it did not this time.
We started off the night all glammed up and went for the LBD and heels look:

We were both pretty broke as we hadn't been paid yet, so I dragged out the red absinthe that my brother had brought back from a holiday last year.
With it being 80% we both had 1 shot of it and hoped for the best, a decent buzz but no being sick or anything.



All I can say is this was my face for a good hour after the shot:

A fireball of aniseed is not what I find enjoyable and next time I'm broke I will be shotting it with something strong tasting to take it away! Bleeeeurrrgh!

Needless to say as this was the start of the night we had a bit of a mental one. We went to a mansion party and it was absolutely EPIC!
It slept 20 people so as you can imagine it was huge, and it had an indoor pool, hot tub, pool table, cinema and arcade games room amongst others which was amazing. We spent hours opening the doors and finding our way around which was so much fun!

The day after we weren't much use to anyone and after a huge dominos order we ended up in the pub enjoying a peanut butter and chocolate milkshake before turning in, a second night was definitely not on the cards!

The day after I went to meet my family at our caravan for a day at the beach and some jetskiing.
I squeezed myself into my wetsuit and legged it onto the beach.
I love spending days doing this and I even managed to get a slight tan on my shoulders which was awesome.

Afterwards we got back for a bbq and had a massive steak which was LUSH

I've spent all week recovering from that weekend and in work I've been a complete ZOMBIE!
I'm hoping this weekend I'll be able to recover and catch up on my sleep.

My biggest news is that I have actually bought myself a new car today!
It's my first one that's actually mine, I've always shared my mums car (which was lovely of her).

The past few months since I got my new job she's lent it to me completely just so I can get back and forth to work and save up a bit more for my own, but with a time limit!
So I finally found one and went and picked it up today, I was so excited!

As my first car it's definitely my baby and I'm so grateful to my parents for lending me the extra money I needed, hopefully I can pay them back before Christmas and all my debts will be cleared.
It's so beautiful and a its a gorgeous 'tornado red' which sounds just perfect to me!


What have you guys been up to lately? Have you been on the spend or save?

After these few weeks I'm glad to be having a quiet one and hopefully will be able to save a lot over the next few months.
Any tips on saving money and doing things for cheap??

L xxx

Nicole by OPI hits the UK!

So this post is a little behind the times in terms of letting you know that Nicole by OPI has finally made it to the UK market into our Superdrug stores....hurrah!

I couldn't resist but picking up some when I noticed they were on 3 for 2 when they first hit stores so i picked up a turqoise, coral and a gold.

These colours were so summery and stood out in the shop amongst all the other brights available. I was really impressed that the range was so big and contained some of the limited edition sets that Nicole by OPI have brought out.

Not to mention the names on the bottom of all the bottles:

Turquoise: Respect the World
Coral: Find your Passion
Gold: The Next CEO

So how do they fare?

The above photos show Respect the World after 1 and 2 coats respectively. You can see it's quite streaky and 1 coat definitely isn't enough to cover the nail! 2 is a bit better but its very sheer so 3 coats as shown below is a much better opaque colour.




It also has a slight shimmer to it which helps keep the colour from looking too flat and I really like it. It's the kind of turquoise that looks good with a tan and on pale skin, you can see that it really pops on pale skin!

Next up is Find your Passion:

This polish is exactly the same as the turquoise and needs 3 coats for the full effect.
This was probably the biggest disappointment of the 3, which is pretty annoying considering I picked up the 3 as this colour was something I'd been looking for. It looked a lot brighter in the bottle and when on the nails it was pinker and softer than I had thought it would be.




I do like this colour, but I have others in my collection that are very similar, if not the same.

Last up is The Next CEO:

This is the same as the previous polishes and needed 3 coats but as it's a metallic this was expected and you could actually leave it at 2 coats if you wanted a more sheer effect. I prefer the full on glitter and shimmer look so I layered this baby right up!

In the photo below without a flash you can see how it looks in normal light and its so beautiful.

It's similar to Models' Own  Champagne but this one is more gold toned. It's so wearable and I think you could get away with this even in work as it's not glittery, just shimmery.

What are your thoughts on Nicole by OPI? Have you picked up any of their polishes since they've been stocked up at Superdrug? What would you recommend?

I do love the range, I'm sure I'll be picking up some more at some point but hopefully the colours will come out as they look in the bottle.

L xxx

Clothes Haul!

A different kind of post for you today!

I had a bit of money for my birthday a few weeks ago...so of course I went on a shopping spree!

It was so much fun, I haven't shopped for clothes since before Christmas as I quit my job so this was LUSH.

Here's what I bought...

This dress is amazing! Was so pleased with this find.

It's a gorgeous t-shirt material dress from Miss Selfridge, it has a drape style front and the back has a section cut out.

I love the bright colour (my wardrobe is very black and grey...) and it can be dressed up or down for most occasions.

I'd seen a few of these shirts around and wanted to try them out, ended up buying a black and a cream shirt as they're so comfy, will go with anything for any occasion and were pretty reasonable from New Look!

Also bought an Aztec print vest to wear too, my friend has a few of these and always looks lush so I thought I'd nab myself one too :)

We've just had a Gilly Hicks open up by us, and admittedly I had no idea what it was aside from a spin off of Hollister.

However I was pleasantly surprised with what they had, I love underwear shopping and the bright colours dazzled me!

This style is my favourite kind for knickers, and at the moment they've got 3 pairs for £15, they're originally £8 each so this is an amazing bargain!

The colour and style in the range is amazing and I will be sure to be sneaking back for some more when my mum isn't keeping an eye on me ha!

These shorts are from Dorothy Perkins, they're a summer staple I think!

There's lots of colours of these too, and as they're a touch longer they can be worn in the day time too without flashing too much leg.

This was a splurge...I'd been planning on buying a bag for ages but couldn't find one that I liked.

I knew I wanted either dove grey or a nude colour so it would go with a lot of things, but nothing took my fancy.

Cue a dash to H&M for some vests and this beauty was right there!

It's the perfect size for holding my daily essentials in and has some room for some extra items in case I go shopping, saving me from the elusive lost shopper bag problem that frequently happens now you have to pay for bags in Wales!

Lastly I found these two bold beauties in H&M also. 

The red shirt is the same style as the black and cream ones from New Look above, I was looking for a coral/orange one but am yet to find anything bright enough for my tastes! The red one looks lush though.

The blue dress was also a last minute buy, but with the elasticated waist and longer skirt it can be worn throughout the summer with leggings or without and can be dressed up or down.

I am SUPER happy with my purchases, think they're all so wearable and all were affordable too.

What do you think? Do you like the bright colours? Do you like the shirt style tops for summer?

L xxx