River Island Aviator Sunglasses

After my faithful pair of sunglasses broke and a break in the cold, stormy weather, I bought a new pair from River Island. I wasn't really sure what style I wanted so I tried on a few and decided on the aviator style.

These are the gold tone tortoise shell arm aviators and have a filter category of 2, so not the best UV protection but for £10 I wouldn't expect any higher.
The actual glass is just the right size for my face shape and finish just at the top of my cheeks so when I smile they stay in place and don't bob up and down!
Some minor glare from the sun but otherwise a nice pair of sunglasses that will never go out of fashion.

The sunglasses are in-store and online and you can buy them here with different colour options other than the ones that I have bought.

Let's hope the sun stays out for a while.

Rachel xx

Blog Your Heart Out Tag

A big thank you to Leah at Squire For Beauty for tagging me on Twitter. Sorry it has taken me so long to do this!

1) Who/what encouraged you to start blogging?
I'm not quite sure to be honest. I started to watch a lot of Amariex videos on YouTube and then headed over to her blog and I just loved her photos and layout and I thought, o that looks fun. I wanted a bit of a hobby and seeing I like all things beauty and fashion I decided to give it a go.

2) How did you choose what topics to talk about?
I never contemplated blogging about anything else really. I felt beauty and fashion went hand in hand and I love my home so I sometimes do a little post about homeware.

3) What is something most people don't know about you?
O gosh not sure, maybe that I sometimes kick out in my sleep for no reason.

4) What three words describe your style?
That depends on the mood and what I'm doing. I'd say comfortable, relaxed and safe.

5) What do you love doing when you're not blogging?
Sleeping and eating! Apart from being with my daughter, I guess reading and having a dance around the house when no one is watching.

I now tag five lovelies:
Taylor Collectionn
My Sweet Valentine
A Beauty-Full Life
Everybeauty Talks
Rach Raves

Thanks for reading.

Rachel xx

Florabotanica Perfume by Balenciaga

Leaving the house one Saturday morning in a rush to catch the post office, I forgot to spritz on any perfume. Stopping by in Debenhams afterwards,  I thought I would have a try of something new.
The new display that week was by Balenciaga with two fragrances Rosabontanica and Florabotanica.
Rosabotanica had no tester so I tried Florabotanica.

What Balenciaga say:

'A reinvention of the rose, Florabotanica embodies the spirit of the Balenciaga house. Architectural floral and hypnotic notes are fused with rose with carnation and amber, wild mint with caladium folia and vetiver giving the fragrance a bold and abstract edge'.

Basically, it smells very nice and not too floral either, which I thought it would be given the name. 
I always like to give perfume a really good test before buying to see how long it lasts and if anyone can smell it on me. This sadly didn't and I couldn't even smell it on myself after about an hour so I won't be purchasing, even though I really like it.

It's currently selling in Debenhams  for £40 for 30ml and £53 for 50ml Eau de Parfum.

Any scents you've been disappointed with?

Rachel xx

The Body Shop ~ Nature's Minerals Foundation

I want to start off by saying that this is now discontinued and has been replaced with the Extra Virgin Minerals Loose Powder Foundation, but I wanted to still review it as I have seen the new version and it's pretty much the same.
I actually bought this quite some time ago; maybe two years and have been using it off and on since then and I wanted to share my thoughts on mineral foundation.

As you can imagine, the powder is actually quite fine and one sneeze would mean it would go everywhere, which it has done when I have dropped the lid.

I make sure I have used a decent primer beforehand, such as Benefit's Porefessional and then I use my Real Techniques Stippling Brush by blotting the powder from the lid of the pot. I then work it into my face in circular motions. It doesn't give a really heavy coverage, and if you have any spots/blemishes then you'll definitely need concealer, especially under the eyes, as this won't hide dark circles. The was the lightest shade and contains SPF 25.
The product is ok, but I doubt that I would buy another mineral foundation as I do like better coverage and I do find it very messy, but for days where I'm pottering about the house and want something really light then I use this.
They maybe better mineral products out there, but for me, I'll stick to the standard foundation formulas.
The new Body Shop version is being sold for £15 here.

Any mineral powder foundations you've tried?

Rachel xx

Lee Stafford Oily Roots Dry Ends Shampoo

With my usual shampoo almost running out and getting a bit bored with it, I decided to find something new. My hair oil starts to reappear the following evening if washed the morning before. I came across this in Boots, where they have a large range of Lee Stafford products. The colour of the bottle caught my attention first to be honest and then the funky text, but what I liked most of all was the product title 'oily roots, dry ends', that's me! Without even looking at the price I thought I needed to try this.

The smell is nice and not something that I've smelt before in a shampoo; quite a clean scent. I didn't need a lot to work into a good lather. I applied twice and literally had the squeaky sound when rinsing out. I followed with my current Aussie conditioner.
Does it do what it claims? You bet, as it's a detoxifying shampoo with moringa seed extract to fight oil to keep hair clean for longer. I can actually leave my hair an extra day with my Bastiste dry shampoo in-between washes! Marvellous.
This is a bit pricey at £8.99 but I'm happy to pay that as it suits my needs and it leaves a lovely lingering scent on my hair and on the brush too! Link here.

Any Lee Stafford products you've used? I'd love to hear from you.

Rachel xx

Maybelline Illegal Length Mascara

I've had this mascara for quite a while and have only recently began to use it again, due pledging to use up some of my products that I currently own.
The great thing about this mascara is that it has clever fibre extensions that make the lashes appear longer and thicker.

I have the waterproof version in black and I am happy that I have rediscovered it.  The wand is actually quite corse and sometimes feels like it's scratching my lashes, but other than that I like the overall look. Simple and effective. Happy days.

Currently priced at £2.95 on Fragrance Direct here  (non waterproof) but normally retails at £8.99 and is on the Boots website here.

Any products you've rediscovered?

Rachel xx

Topshop Nails

I've been a bit naughty lately as I seem to be attracted to nail polish like I have six pairs of hands and without even thinking about it, I buy buy buy. Oops. BUT, I can justify my most recent purchases ~ bargain finds.
For those of you that didn't know, Topshop make up is made by the same company that produce all of MAC's make up, and I think the quality is rather good.

While out a few weekends ago with my daughter (she's 3 and loves a stroll around the shops!) I picked up these three bargain beauties for £1 each. These normally retail for £5-£6. The make up stand had quite a few marked down but I resisted (see I can do it).

Blank is a cross between white and cream and reminds me of vanilla ice cream. I think that this would work well as a base to then apply a neon colour on top. It does look nice on its own though.
Wistful is from the holographic range and is very shiny and when it catches the light, there is a mix of pink, lilac and blue.
Blitz has an orange undertone when close up and would look fabulous with a black dress and heels to wear for an evening out. My favourite I think.
I have looked on the Topshop website for these but unfortunately there aren't there. That doesn't mean though that they aren't available in store still.

Any bargains you've picked up or missed out on?

Rachel xx

Yankee Candle ~ Paradise Spice

I realised yesterday that I hadn't done a 'home' post for a while and a perfect home accessory has to be a scented candle. I love candles as they make my home cosy and I feel comforted watching the flame flicker next to a small lamp and fairy lights.
With the winter season S L O W L Y turning into spring, I thought I would burn the last of my winter stash. I bought Paradise Spice by Yankee Candle back in January.
Yankee Candle describe this as:

'An exotic island treasure ... perfectly ripe banana and creamy vanilla, unexpectedly spiced with prized cinnamon and cloves'

When I smelt this prior to burning, I thought, o wow this is right up my street as I love spiced scents like sandalwood and cinnamon. Sadly when lit, there was no aroma at all. The only time I could even get a whiff of a scent was when I actually put my nose up to the candle. Normally with Yankee the aroma fills the room and even out in to the hallway, but not this one.
Bad batch maybe, who knows? But I won't be repurchasing this one again. 
I bought the 2 wick medium tumbler from a local shop for about £12.99 (I think). Click the link here that will take you to a discount site for Yankee Candles.

Have you had this candle and had the same disappointment?

Rachel xx

Bare Minerals Ready Touch Up Veil

This is actually my first bareMinerals purchase. I was actually put off buying any of their products previously, due to having tried the Body Shop's mineral foundation and not liking it. This however, is very different. It's a new product in the READY line.

This is still of course bareMinerals' signature formula but in the form of a translucent powder. The Touch Up Veil is designed to diffuse the look of imperfections and reduce the appearance of shine, which can sometimes happen after a few hours of applying foundation.

There are four shades to choose from ~ Translucent, Light, Medium and Tan. The sales assistant recommended I went for light as the translucent is recommended if you currently use the foundation in the same line, as it can leave you with a ghostly white complexion. The light is a perfect match for me and I apply it on top of my current favourite foundation which I blogged about here (L'Oreal True Match).

So what do I think? It's actually really rather good. The packaging for a start is ideal for my handbag for a quick touch up on the go. The product itself is lovely. It does what it says and instantly hides away shine. The little applicator pad is handy but I'm not sure how easy it will be to clean properly. This is priced at £22 which is high end BUT I only need a small amount on the pad to work well, so is cost effective in the long haul. It also has the added the bonus of a SPF 15.

I bought mine from Debenhams but Feel Unique are currently selling it for £19.25 with free p&p. Link. 

Have you tried it yet and have you any recommendations of any more bareMinerals products to try?

Rachel xx