Coloristiq Manicure Box Review*

The company Coloristiq is an online nail polish rental service, however they've recently ventured out into producing a monthly manicure box (with polishes you get to keep), which includes a specific theme every month. Monthly beauty boxes are very popular these days, with companies such as Glossybox and Birchbox being popular amongst beauty bloggers. 

I received September's box called "Nails and the City", which includes four vibrant colours relating to "bright lights, shopping opportunities and stunning buildings" that can be found in the cities London, New York, Venice and Budapest. By having a specific theme, you can be sure of receiving a variety of polishes that complement each other.

There is no need to subscribe to this service, you can just buy one box if you like the theme/colours included. Buying this box allows you to try the newest polishes from a range of popular collections (and some up and coming British indie polishes). It works out a lot cheaper! This box is only £15.00, even though it's worth more than twice as much.

♥ Bluedapest by Danglefoot

"Handmade and mixed at home in Norfolk, these polishes use the best 5-free non-toxic ingredients to create amazing shades, shimmers and holographic effects." 

Danglefoot is the featured indie brand for the September box, and this gorgeous baby blue colour is a limited edition polish, just for this box! Although you need two coats to make it a solid colour, the gold shimmer makes it stand out and glides on the nail smoothly and consistently.

Inspired by Budapest's "thermal springs located in the city park" and "represents the beauty of Hungary's capital city. This indie polish has gold flakes and a scattered holographic finish". Check out their other nail polishes, there are plenty of other shimmery colours to choose from.

♥ My Gondola or Yours? by OPI

Everyone needs a black nail polish! You definitely need two coats AT LEAST with this polish, otherwise it remains a grey, transparent colour. If I'm honest, I've had better black nail polishes that more vibrant - this one is more charcoal, so if that's the type of colour you're looking for, this is perfect.

This polish is one of four mini polishes from OPI's latest collection. Inspired by Venice, the set includes "shimmery copper shades to pastel melon tones, each bottle exuberates elegance." 

♥ Fifth Avenue by Essie

This nail polish out of all of them is the most bold (and probably my favourite!) You only need one coat to get the most out of the colour, which is a gorgeous coral red. The wide brush helps the polish glide on easily, making sure to paste the colour onto every part of your nail.

Inspired by New York, this Essie polish stands out with its feminine, elegant shade.

♥ The Mall by Nails Inc London

I love the metallic finish of this polish. The colour is very solid, meaning you could get away with just applying one coat (which saves time!) However, I found that it does chip within a couple of days, but the colour is beautiful so definitely worth a buy.

This Nails Inc polish is inspired by London: "Inspired by the Royals, this midnight blue shimmer captures the rich culture that this capital city has to offer."

Overall, I found that every polish has a great application; the formula glides on easily without becoming sticky and dries fairly quickly.

You can buy the September Manicure Box here.

You can also browse the other boxes available here.

Thanks for reading!

A Little Skincare Haul

As someone who has been suffering with a fair few spots recently, I was on the lookout for some new skincare products that will clear my face of bacteria and keep my spots at bay. I like to switch up my skincare routine now and again; I think the majority of people do this whilst they search for the "perfect" product (I'm yet to find it!) 

Whilst I was in Boots the other day, I decided to try the Clearasil Hydra-Blast Gel Wash for £2.99 and the Clearasil Deep Cleansing Toner for £3.99 from the Daily Clear product line. I also picked up the Olay Complete 3in1 Moisturiser Night Cream for £9.99, as I had used the last of my Olay day cream, and wanted to give the night time one a go.

Clearasil Hydra-Blast Gel Wash
I tend to use this in the morning when I wash my face. It helps get deep into your pores, giving your face a thorough jet wash before you start your day. It tightens your pores and makes your face feel quite tight, so I recommend moisturising afterwards to get rid of that "botox" feeling.

It smells fresh due to its cucumber extracts and aloe vera ingredients, which are gentle on the skin and it has helped keep my breakouts down these past couple of weeks. It lathers up only slightly, which I love, as I hate getting bubbles all up my nose and in my eyes haha!

Clearasil Deep Cleansing Toner
I use this at the end of the day after I shower to remove any makeup left on my face. Again, it tightens your pores and makes your face feel dry (perhaps due to the alcohol content), so make sure to moisturise afterwards. I pour a few drops onto a cotton wool pad and wipe across my face, which helps remove any oil, dirt and bacteria that have gathered on the surface of my skin throughout the day.

Olay Complete 3in1 Night Cream
I like to put a thick moisturiser on before I go to bed to help my face recover from the moisture lost during the day and to allow my skin to absorb the cream overnight and keep my skin looking fresh. The somewhat magic three-in-one formula helps to hydrate, nourish and protect, supplying 24 hour moisturisation due to the anti-oxidants and a variety of vitamins (I don't have a clue what they mean, but they must do a good job!)

Have you tried these products?

Or have you discovered the perfect skincare products for your skin?

Thanks for reading!

How To Correctly Remove Mascara

Having mainly worn waterproof mascara for the past few years, I know first hand of the struggle it can take to remove the stubborn black formula from your eyelashes before bedtime. Especially if, like me, you like to put coat on top of more coats to make sure you get every single eyelash to look thick and long.

One thing you shouldn't do is rub your eyes viciously with a facial wipe, as the skin around your eyes is very sensitive, and by pulling on it you can loosen the natural elasticity underneath, resulting in wrinkles (I had previously done this for a few years, so I'm expecting to look 60 very soon ;)!!)

So I have composed a few tips to help you remove mascara in a safe, pain-free way.

♥ Decide which product you want to use; I recommend trying a variety to find what works best for you and your skin. 

♥ You can use an oil (such as coconut oil) to remove your mascara, by soaking it in a cotton wool pad and applying it to your closed eye.

♥ You can also use a cleanser/makeup remover (using cotton wool pads), by holding the pad onto your closed eye until the makeup has began to dissolve, and then by gently rubbing in a downward motion.

♥ But be very careful with this method, as you don't want to be getting anything in your eyes - it's a very sensitive area, so make sure you're not allergic to any of the products first!

♥ If you still have some mascara left on that refuses to come off, take a facial wipe that is alcohol free (I don't recommend this if your eyelashes are prone to fall out; this is just what I personally do, as I don't like to get the tiny hairy fibres from cotton wool stuck to my eyelashes).

♥ Place the wipe between your fingers and gently grab your eyelashes with it, whilst slowly rubbing. Be very careful, as you don't want to lose your eyelashes, but sometimes this is the only way you can get it off.

♥ You can also use the wipe to swipe your eyelashes as though you're applying mascara, which will help to remove it.

♥ After you're done, clean up any oily residue you may have and apply your favourite eye cream underneath and around your eyes, in case you have slightly tugged on your sensitive skin.

What method do you use to remove stubborn eye makeup? 

Do you disagree with the use of wipes?

Thanks for reading!

Shoeaholics Sale - £39 And Under

Hello! Just thought I'd quickly share with you a few pictures of these gorgeous Kurt Geiger White Carly strapped heels that I received from http://www.shoeaholics.com/. I chose these as I thought that they looked summery and they're perfect for both daytime and nighttime. The chunky heel makes them easy to walk in, and the buckle around the ankle makes sure that your foot won't escape mid-walk! These would look gorgeous with a tan and for £39.00 (they were previously £85.00), they're a complete bargain for a pair of designer shoes!

Check out their website www.shoeaholics.com - you're bound to find a pair that you absolutely love for £39.00 or under! The sale ends Monday 20th!

Thanks for reading!

Mother's Day Ideas: The Book of Mum*

Hello! Whilst busy with college, I thought it best to post a few reviews whilst I concentrate on college work, so what better way than to present the perfect gift for Mother's Day (15th March!) I was recently contacted by the brilliant The Book of Everyone company, which I had previously heard of due to reading reviews. It's basically a website that helps you create your very own personalised book for absolutely anyone - from grandparents to boyfriends/girlfriends.

Every year for Mother's Day I buy my mum the same thing - flowers, a card and maybe some chocolates, which is the typical cliché thing that people go for. She's really hard to buy for, I'd much prefer to give her something more personal, something that a lot of thought has gone into and something that she can keep for a long time. The Book of Mum is a special edition, helping you to show your appreciation for everything that your mum does for you.

As you can see, it comes in different formats; you can choose either a digital version, softcover express (which is the one I have), hardcover or deluxe edition.

It's something that you can really get involved in (and you can also name yourself as the author), as the website allows you to personally create it so it's original. There are certain pages you can edit to make it unique and there are also plenty of pages filled with humorous facts about the year in which that person was born. You can even add images, creating a lovely surprise for when they receive it.

It would also make a great gift for someone's birthday, as you can make it personalised for their age. The book is full of interesting facts relating to the year in which they were born and childhood memories, which is a nice touch to allow that person to indulge in some fond memories, such as the biggest film out in the year in which they were born and how much things were in "those days" (which makes you realise how bloody expensive things are these days!)

My dad is fond of this, he's thinking about buying one for my grandad's birthday in a few weeks, which he will be sure to appreciate. It's something a little different and makes for a lovely, personal gift!

Take a look at their website here to make your own personalised book for your mum this Mother's Day!

Follow them on Twitter at @BookOfEveryone.

Thanks for reading!

Snuggly Winter OOTD: Ft. Blue Vanilla*

Well, Happy New Year (better late than never!) I can't believe this is my first post of 2015, I'm an absolutely awful blogger. College is wearing me down at the minute, so I need to concentrate on my exams and coursework. I'll try and keep up with my blog but expect fewer posts from me over these next few months. Hopefully I'll be back to normal fairly soon though (I have a few posts lined up that I'm looking forward to writing).

I recently received this gorgeous Reanna Roll Neck Checked Poncho from Blue Vanilla the other week and it's perfect for winter. I've wanted a poncho for a while now, so when I got this delivered I knew it was spot on as soon as I tried it on. You can throw it on over pretty much any outfit; it's like being snuggled in a big blanket!

The checked pattern is really trendy as well and the subtle design adds a bit of colour, but also keeps it basic, making it versatile! It comes in one size, so fits pretty much everybody and it has a thick roll neck so it keeps me warm in the chilly weather.

It reminds me of a big, warm picnic blanket with the frayed hemline at the bottom. I love wearing this when I haven't got much to wear, as I can throw it on top of my outfit and no-one will ever know what dreadful top I'm wearing underneath!

This originally cost £30.00 but has reduced down to £15.00. 

Check out Blue Vanilla here.

I'll definitely be shopping here in the Spring! It looks like a great online shop filled with my sort of clothes!

Thanks for reading!

You've Got To Love Lush

Ahh, Lush! Lush products just make the perfect Christmas gift for girly girls, don't they?! Well not just Christmas - birthdays too, Valentine's day, maybe Easter, Halloween... (okay, maybe not). It'd be great if you received presents for all of them, wouldn't it? ;)

So I received the Lush "Christmas Candy Box" for Christmas and I tried to make the photo look Christmassy by chucking a bit of tinsel around the products (did it work?!) In the box, I received four items. I think most (or all) of these items are just available around Christmas time, so they may be hard to come by during the year - but they may still be available in the sale that's currently on at Lush, so get yourself there if you want to pick up any of these items for a much cheaper price.

1♥ Snow Fairy Shower Gel

Unfortunately, I can't link this product to the Lush website because it's only available around Christmas, but like I said before there may be some still available in the sale. This has such a sweet, candy scent (steer clear if you hate super-sweet scents!) The bright pink colour combined with the glittery bits makes the appearance really pretty and the smell reminds me of candy floss!

 2♥ Candy Mountain Bubble Bar

Hahaha, it made me laugh when I saw this; obviously something went wrong in the production or something seeing as it's lopsided, but it'll still work nonetheless! ;) Another sweet scent, this mainly smells of bubblegum. If you don't know how to use a bubble bar, you basically crumble it in your hand under running water and your bath then becomes filled with all these vanilla-scented, pink bubbles. I've had this before and I can't wait to use it once again. Again, it's not available through the website as it's a Christmas special, but you may be able to pick it up in the sale.

 3♥ Butterbear Bath Bomb

How cute is this? It's basically the ever-so popular Butterball (that's available all year round) but molded into a little bear shape. Made with cocoa butter, it's supposed to leave your skin feeling incredibly soft - it apparently also leaves a vanilla scent on your skin! I can't wait to have him in my bath hehe!

 4♥ Rock Star Soap

Now the "Rock Star" soap is available all year round -yay!! Again, it smells sooo sweet as it has vanilla running through it. The creamy texture persuades me into believing it'll be moisturising and quite similar to the 'Butterbear', so I'm looking forward to using this! Plus, seeing as it's a soap I'll probably get a few uses out of it.

I might update you either through my blog, Twitter or Instagram on how I got on with these products once I've used them, so look out for that if you're interested in knowing!

Are there any classic Lush products that are your all-time favourite?

Let me know in the comments :)

Thanks for reading!

Ideal Accomplishments For 2015

(not my photo...obviously, have you seen it?!)

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas with whoever they spent it with (and ate enough to see you into the new year) - I know I did! I'd also like to say a big thanks to everybody who entered my giveaway and continued to promote it through Twitter; the winner has received her prize, which included products from Elf, Lush, The Body Shop, Rimmel and of course Caprilicious Jewellery, who teamed up with me for the giveaway.

In order for me to get back into the blogging game, I've decided to kick start myself off with a typical New Year's resolutions post. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, as the concept of failing within the first week is quite frankly, probable! But I've decided to set myself a few little goals that I'd like to have accomplished by the time we're waiting for 2016 to approach.

1♥ Pass my driving test

2♥ Come to a decision about what I'd like to do after college

3♥ Start earning some money!

4♥ Get decent A level results

5♥ Stop procrastinating!

6♥ Develop a unique/distinctive blogging 'style' of writing

7♥ Blog more!

8♥ See family more often

9♥ Say yes more!

10♥ Be in a happy/content place in my life :)

What are your New Year's resolutions?

Thanks for reading!

UK GIVEAWAY: FT. Caprilicious Jewellery, ELF, Rimmel, Lush & The Body Shop (CLOSED)

Amazing is an understatement! Thank you so much to everybody who has taken the time to follow me; it means so much to me that people are reading my blog! In just one year, I was able to reach a staggering 1000 followers on Bloglovin', which is unbelievable! So that only means one thing ... GIVEAWAY TIME!

So, enough of the thank yous, I'll get down to the nitty-gritty (and what you probably clicked on this post for!) I'll be hosting a giveaway which one person will win.

First of all, I'd like to say thank you to the lovely Neena from Caprilicious Jewellery who makes gorgeous, handmade, unique jewellery using a range of materials and was kind enough to collaborate with me for this giveaway. She is offering a £25 coupon (including P&P) on anything from her website (not redeemable for cash) so you can pick any piece!

She designs for "the woman who likes to be noticed - stylish, individual, confident with a sense of humour and a zest for life - Delicious jewellery for the Capricious woman -Caprilicious!"

If you don't win, you can still use the 10% discount promo code in my sidebar! -->>

As well as this coupon, I'll be giving away:

♥ The Body Shop Chocomania Soap

♥ Rimmel 60 Seconds Rita Ora Nail Polish in "323 Don't Be Shy"

♥ Lush Snow Fairy Sparkle Shimmer Bar

♥ ELF Small Tapered Brush

♥ ELF Lip Balm Tint in 'Berry'

♥ Ad in my sidebar (until Feb!) -->>

RULES:

♥ You must be following me either on Bloglovin' or GFC

♥ Follow me on Twitter

Enter the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win all of this!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

CONGRATS TO KIM WHO WON!