Get buzzing
Banana Energy Bar £1.99
Ill give any energy or cereal bar a go, particularly if they have been created by fitness/nutritional professionals. Its generally 50/50 as to whether ill like them. I bought these as they were on introductory offer in Waitrose (usual price £2.49). I'm super impressed with them. They taste great and don't contain like 80% raisins. Instead they have raw cane sugar, apricots, honey & golden syrup. All natural energy boosters. They are a bit of an all-rounder being suitable for diabetics, vegetarians and anyone on a 'Low GI' or 'Wheat Free' diet.
I prefer to eat mine around an hour before I work out, to give it a chance to get me buzzing! Or they can be enjoyed as a post work out snack, to re-energise you.
Id love to try more flavours in this range.
Hourglass
Arch brow sculpting pencil £26.00
Ive been itching to try Hourglass products for a while now. Ive heard particularly good things about the eyebrow pencil so thought id try it out. I really like it. The colour is a perfect match (I bought the shade 'blonde'), the packaging is lovely (I like the product/brush combo) and I think, given the length of the pencil, will last a while. The formulation is quite 'waxy', therefore there is no need to go over with a gel or wax, saving time. The product glides on smoothly and the pencil is angled, making it easier to create the arch shape. In my opinion, its worth the money.
My mother is on the hunt for a good eyebrow pencil, so I may treat her to this for Christmas. She is under strict instructions not to over-pluck her eyebrows between now & then!
Got2b
Rise n Shine Whipped Mousse £3.00
I hadn't used mouse since the 90's when I used to overload the product into my hair, blow dry my hair upside down & scrunch the hell out of it using the diffuser! Nowadays, I prefer to use the babybliss wand to create my curls and thought I would give this brand a go, especially as it was on offer. I used quite a lot of this on my first use & felt sure that I had overdone it & that my hair would end up 'crunchy'. But my hair was still nice & soft.
With the exception of the heat protection spray, I haven't used anything else in this range, but I will be looking to try them. I am pretty impressed. It definitely helped maintain my curls and the smell is nice too. Love the packaging as well. Can't go wrong with pink!
Lush
Hot Toddy Shower Gel £3.95 +
Lush have gone & bloody done it again & made an ah-may-zing shower gel, which simply looks and smells of Christmas. With hints of ginger, cinnamon leaf and clove leaf, and a shimmering red colour, this is the perfect wintery product to get you in the mood for the forthcoming festive season.
I get really excited every year when the Christmas range comes out and I'm super pleased to see past favourites again, such as the snowman bath-melt and Rose Jam shower gel. I would love it if Rose Jam became an all-year-round permanent addition. Next on my list to try is the So White shower gel. Maybe mix it up with a little Hot Toddy!
Maybelline
Eraser Eye Concealer £7.99
As far as budget concealers go, I'm really enjoying this product right now. I like the packaging. Its simple, fits easily into my makeup bag and is easy to hold whilst applying. I find that a little goes a long way & on first use made the mistake of applying waaaay too much which gave a cakey and creased finished. However on my second use I applied much less and felt it gave enough coverage without looking over concealed! I find that this also works very well on the face for highlighting.
The packaging can get a little messy around the lid, but I just wipe it clear with a wetwipe and tissue.
Oliver Bonus
Fedora Belted Hat £26
I absolutely adore Oliver Bonus and shop there far too much! Recent purchases include a bracelet, a cheeseboard (complete with knife & gimmick mouse!), lots of candles and this lovely fedora hat. I wear hats almost daily and could have bought all of the hats they currently have. The only criticism I have is that they only offer 'one size', which lets face it, never 'fits all'! Heads aren't all the same shape & size, so I get rather annoyed by this. It does fit, just if I had the choice I would have got one smaller. But hey ho, its beautiful!
90's The Collection
Tesco.com £4
I bloody love anything 90's. Fashion, movies and especially the music. I am currently in talks with my friend Gemma about going on a 90's weekend to Butlins! There's also a radio station in the Midlands where I'm from, which just plays 90's music. Amazing. This CD is on repeat in my car right now. With the likes of Shakespeare's Sister, En Vogue, All Saints and Armand Van Helden, you can't go wrong!
And finally, its fair to say that October has not been a good month for me at all. I devastatingly lost someone incredibly close and dear to me. He was one of my biggest supporters of my blog & always encouraged me to post. He was positive, charismatic, talented and had a deep understanding for suffering and pain. He was gentle, funny and had a presence which was felt and welcomed by anyone he met. It is this beautiful presence that will continue. I am proud, honoured and privileged to have met such a unique, sensitive and wonderful soul. He fought his demons hard, but they cruelly dimmed his illuminous light. This is a reminder, to pick up the phone and check on someone when you think to. Let them know you're there with compassion, patience, support and light. Be kind, always. And take good care of yourselves.
xox
