Sarah Happ Lip Scrub | Beauty

So Lip Scrub is a thing! I feel like this year with the Kylie Jenner over hyped lips, I have seen every huge beauty blogger using lip scrub before they apply the ultra matte liquid lipsticks. I however never really got into the matte trend, I love a nude lip and I love a creamy nude lip but matte just seems a little too much for me, considering most of my make up is kinda dewy anyway so a matte lip looks a little odd. 

However I think everyone can agree that lip care is like super important, we've all been there when we are a little lazy an forget the ol' lip balm and then you go to smile and your lip bloody cracks...the pain! Personally, I always sleep in lip balm so that I don't spend the day reapplying and then licking it off then needed to use more as I think this creates a bigger problem. I went to a work event in October and got a whole bunch of freebies and this Sara Happ Lip Scrub was one of them so I thought I would give it ago and see what all the fuss is about. 

I have to mention the scent, oh my god, Midnight Blueberry was everything I hoped it would be, smelled divine and I wanted to eat the damn thing, but you can't (booo).I must admit it did feel a little weird when I first used it because the skin on your lips is actually quite delicate and here I am using something so abrasive on it, but I tried to be a little gentle. Once you rub it all over your lips you need to remove it with some tissue, it doesn't have an unpleasant taste but it does have a kind of cosmetic zing to it. First thing I noticed was that my lips kinda felt a bit tingly, it doesn't have anything in it to make them tingle but they just felt a little weird for like 5 mins. Then I noticed that my lips looked actually quite plump, amazing! I don't have flat lips but my top lip is a little meh but after using the Sara Happ product I could kind see why now all the girls have a scrub in their lip care regime. It was really good a removing some dry skin on my lips for sure. 

I will probably use this lip scrub every now and then, for me I just can't get my head around using such an abrasive product on my lips, but I would say that if you do already use lip scrubs then you need to check out Sara Happ products, they even have a Red Velvet Cake scented one which smells delicious. I would say it was a little on the pricer side and I know that Lush does a range of lip scrubs that are a little friendlier on the ol' purse. 

What are your thoughts on lip scrubs?

Things that make me smile | Lifestyle

Basically, I'm grumpy as hell lately and sometimes I need to remind myself of the little things day to day that might make me smile...

Gifs...
I mean, I can pretty much hold an entire conversation with gifs alone, they are just so damn funny and also random! You can find one to fit any mood!

Christmas Songs...
Yeah before someone moans, I know I am a bit early, it's not even December yet, blah, blah, blah but last year I was by myself ok and this year I will be back in England so I'm getting myself all festive now. In fact, I have a little life update for ya next week so look out on Sunday! 

Trail mix...
Peanuts, cashews, almonds, raisins and m&m's what more could a gal ever want...ever...ok maybe a French bulldog but until I can get that I will stick with the trail mix

Autumnal Colours...
Just UGH!!!! I swear autumn seems to get prettier and prettier each year and I don't quite know why but I am loving it! You simply cannot beat that cold chill in the air, with bright blue skies and golden leaves! Every damn walk down the street is an Instagram moment.

Phone calls...

I really love having a good chat and you know what I love even more is that my pals are literally always there for me. I can call my dear at like midnight and she will pick up. Even speaking with my dad daily makes me happy because it's just nice to check in and hear what's going on back in the UK. 

Name one thing that has made you smile recently?

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream | Beauty

First Aid Beauty is one that again I haven't really heard of but I feel like I have seen the brand around. This is another product I go free at an event, basically I got a whole goodie bag filled with beauty products so I though I would just write about them because I wanted to start getting beauty back on the blog! I am talking about the newly released Ultra Repair Cream and just give you guys my first impression.

I must admit, I'm a bit of a lazy moisturiser like, sometimes I either can't be bothered or just don't have time. I mean don't get me wrong I exfoliate with my little gloves everyday but the whole process of waiting for the product to absorb into your skin is just too much some times. I always moisturise after I have had a wax because obviously it's a shock to the skin so I try and nourish it a bit. This being said I struggle to find a product that I really like. I don't really have dry skin but I always buy products for dry skin because I feel it just give my skin a bit of a boost.

I got two tubs of this Ultra Repair cream and when I gave it a little smell I bloody fell in love, for some reason it just reminds me of sherbet, that sugary sweet but a little zingy kinda scent, on the packaging it says it's a vanilla and citron scent which is probably a better way to describe it than what I just have. It's actually for intense hydration and can be used on eczema which I think is fab! When I think of eczema products I think of god awful thick creams that smell vile, I don't suffer from eczema but in the past I have had a little when I was on skin medication. 

As you can see the product is super thick and creamy and I guess you would expect it to be a little heavy on the skin, well you are wrong my friend, it's almost weightless. In fact when I scooped out the cream I was so surprised, it almost has a whipped texture to it and melts into the skin! First Aid Beauty, I am bloody obsessed with this product, you don't have to wait ages for it to dry it just does the job. I don't have any problems with my skin so actually I can't comment on whether it does help with other skin conditions but if you just have normal to fractionally dry skin like me then give this product a go.   

The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream probably isn't one used use daily, but every now and then when your skin needs a bit of a pick me up, you should try it out.

What are your favourite skincare products?

Finding the perfect Fragrance | Lifestyle

Fragrance is a tricky one right? I growing up I long to be one of those girls who carries around a little bottle to spritz every now and then but my problem was finding something I actually liked. 

Even when I was young, perfume of some sort would be on my Christmas list and not because I actually liked it or that I had ever smelled it before but because I liked the adverts or it was in Elle magazine and I so desperately wanted to be as sophisticated as the women in Elle. For the first few days of having the perfume I would spray it and then about a week later I would hate it. The problem is I find so many fragrances just to strong and chemically. All the popular fragrances in Boots seemed to smell the same, too sweet or too bitter. My best dear Vernia loves a scent, that girl is always spritzing and always smells incredible, she has a very good nose for scents. So this year I thought, you know what I am just going to go on a proper hunt and I'm dragging her with me.

I went back to the UK in March and met Vernia in London and we went into a Jo Malone store so we could have a little smell. Let's face it Jo Malone has reached cult status in the blogging world so of course I tried some scents that my fave bloggers liked but they just didn't suit me. I would smell one, give it to Vernia and she would give me her opinion, we spent quite a lot of time there but I genuinely wanted to try everything because I fee that Jo Malone has a lot of unique scents that aren't stereotypically women's or men's if you know what I mean. I ended up settling on Peony and Blush Suede which in itself just sounds like a bloggers dream but the reason why I picked this one was because it wasn't too over the top with floral scents or too sweet or too heavy it was just right, sounding a bit like Goldilocks there aren't I? I opted to buy the smaller version of the bottle because I just know what I am like. 

Once I started using it I loved it and then a week later I started to hate it. I was so annoyed because I was sure that this would be my scent...so I just carried on using it, but I started adding it to my bed sheets or just putting it on my clothes as opposed to wearing it on my skin and then I started falling in love with it again. I think my problem is that I need to get used to the scent, I needed to find my way of wearing it and the next thing I knew I had used the entire bottle so it was time for an upgrade.  

I think when finding the fragrance that's right for you, don't look at the ads, don't look at what everyone else is wearing just use your nose, spend 20 mins in Jo Malone smelling every product, go to Boots and try everything, try something unique like the Library of Fragrance scents. 

What is your favourite scent?

SheaMoisture Shampoo and Conditioner | Beauty

SheaMoisture is a brand I have never heard of before, I picked it up in the US as a freebie but you can get some SheaMoisture products from Boots I wanted to share with you my thoughts on the shampoo and conditioner from the Fruit Fusion range.

I always feel that it's so hard finding a good shampoo and conditioner for fine hair, because most products really cling to my hair weighing it down and just making it look super flat. Another thing that doesn't help my hair is that I was it too frequently which means I strip the natural oils from it making it very greasy even after one day, I can't bear to have dirty looking hair. The first thing I noticed about the SheaMoisture shampoo and conditioner was that it's for fine, wavy curly hair...like that's 3 different types of hair all needing different types of products, curly hair tends to be drier a needs deep conditioning, I would never be able to use the same products on my fine hair. This said, I was still super excited to give it a go. 

The thing that I really love about these SheaMoisture products is that they are so conscious to the planet, I mean look at the list of things these products don't have, no added nasties that we have just become used to having in all of our hair and skin products. Not only this, on the side of the bottles it's proudly listed that it's a family owned and operated company, that the ingredients that are used are fairtrade and sustainably sourced and points out again that they are cruelty free, I mean this company is seriously talking to the millennial in me, like who wouldn't want to try this out?

I was obsessed with the scent, because though it has coconut water in it and you know I bloody hate coconut scents, you really can't tell it. There are subtle undertones but the fruity and vibrant scent wins and I love it. I actually wash my hair backwards with conditioner first and then shampoo and with my conditioner I only put it on the ends, never on the scalp because it would never wash out of my hair, I learned this mistake long ago

When I first used it my hair looked and smelled incredible only after one use, I was so happy and telling people about it. However my excitement didn't last long. Every time since I have washed my hair which is probably about 20 times now my hair feels awful, the product doesn't properly wash out of my hair an leaves it looking so greasy. When I try to use less, it doesn't actually wash my hair so whilst I don't have any product left in it, it hasn't cleaned my hair properly so when I dry it, it still looks a bit dull and dirty. I just think that the shampoo doesn't work well with my hair and it's so disappointing. 

Moving onto the conditioner though, this is the real winner here, it is super thick and super creamy, it feels luxurious. This conditioner I can so get on board with and doesn't stay in my hair at all  it washes out perfectly and definitely leaves my ends feeling smooth. The scent is exactly the same as the shampoo and I love using it in the morning I just wish the shampoo worked with my hair. I would totally try more from this SheaMoisture as they have such a lovely history behind the brand. 

Have you used any SheaMoisture products before?

Papyrus Greeting Cards | Lifestyle

I'm sorry but let me start by saying that I am addicted to cards, I have always loved finding unique or different designs. One of my all time favourite brands for this stuff without a doubt is Papyrus. 

I was recently at an event of which they were sponsoring as well and got talking to the girls, I explained how much loved their quirky designs and that I have been purchasing from them for absolute years and so the girl gave me a whole bunch of cards. Of course they were for free, but she didn't know I had a blog so this post definitely isn't sponsored. I don't know what it is about giving people cards that I love so much. The thing is, I fully know you can sometimes pay a lot for something that is looked at for a week and then discarded in a draw to be forgotten so I get why people go to cheaper shops because the sentiment is still the same regardless of the price. But for my, nothing compares to someone opening up a card they expect to see something generic and get they get something bedazzled in jewels or smothered in glitter telling them that the are AMAZING and this is where Papyrus steps in. 

Papyrus is a brand that has been around for a long time now, but I still kind of feel it's a bit understated which is odd because the cards are so in your face how could you miss them. The thing is they aren't you stereotypical "Happy Birthday" type of cards, like hat killer heel boot is a birthday card telling the person to have a Fierce birthday, now that's my kinda card. It's got studs, it's got leather and is has a heel, what more could a gal want. My friends and family are anything but generic so why would I give them a boring card? It's this reason alone why Papyrus is my go to brand or even Moonpig depending on the person or occasion.  Fun fact about Papyrus they are actually an American brand, I had no idea and totally thought they were British or European. 

I feel like I don't tell people enough how much I bloody love 'em so I am definitely going to use some of these little cards to send back home to remind them! 

Do you still like sending cards or are you all about the gifts?

L'Oréal Superliner Eyeliner | Beauty

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love liquid eyeliner, in the last 10 years I have rarely gone a day without it! My favourite for many years has always been the L'Oréal Superliner, I have been buying just the standard version of this product for so long because it wears incredibly well and always looks good.

A big fat "HOWEVER" has to be said now as my fave was sold out, this is mainly because I live in Italy and the beauty shops I go in rarely restock the L'Oréal counters which is damn annoying! This meant that I had to try out a different Superliner which I thought couldn't be THAT bad, it's part of the same range so should just be fractionally different..oh boy was I wrong. I picked up the Superliner from the Black Lacquer range and it's waterproof.

Firstly, when I applied this liner I immediately felt it on my eyelids, it was uncomfortable it felt like every time I blinked it was tacky, I was just so conscious of it all the time. It was almost like there was no movement of the liner it was like I was wearing a sticker on my eyelid. The second and probably most important was that this product wears terribly! Considering it's water proof, I found it leaving weird marks on my eye socket from where my eyes are open! Like I don't have over oily eyelids, but this eyeliner transfers so badly to the point I would have to wipe my eyes several times during the day which is so rubbish.

I was so disappointed with this product, it was a massive waste of my money, I didn't even want to wear it because I didn't want to rub of my eye shadow and actually left the house a few times without the liquid eyeliner on which is a big deal to me.

Sorry L'Oreal, this eyeliner is bad...on every level.

What products have you been disappointed with?

Girl On The Train | Book

I haven't written about a book for a very long time and I know that Girl On The Train is a book that everyone has read but I have only just got around to it and I kinda wanted to share my thoughts not only on this novel but the hype that surrounds these types of books.

It took me a very long time to pick this up, in fact Girl On The Train I feel was released around the same kind of time as Gone Girl I think and I read Gone Girl, in fact I inhaled the damn thing and loved it! However when I saw Girl On A Train I just felt like it was too similar to the other one for me to be interested even though I know the plots are complete different, like I get that.

The problem is I waited far too long to read the book, everyone told me I should read it and then the film is soon to be released and my god there is just so much hype that I caved and bought it in an airport. I have been told how utterly amazing the book is, my expectations were high but it wasn't only it was that I knew a twist was coming and I knew it was supposed to be great. It was the latter point which ruined the novel for me because with every page I turned I kept thinking oh there's a twist but I know there will be another coming soon so I was literally awaiting for something amazing or shocking to happen.

Let me break it down a bit though, the book is written really bloody well, I simply adored the characters and their darkness. I also really liked that the novel was written from 3 different people's perspectives, I love multiple narratives! The book is good, with other a doubt but I hate it when it gets so over hyped that it takes all the mystery out of it for the reader! I love deep, complex books and in order for them to remain complex you need to keep an air of mystery about it. With Gone Girl I literally had no expectation that it would be that good and when the film came out I had to go an see it just to see the film makers adaptation of it. However I have no urge whatsoever to see Girl On The Train purely because I know what's coming and I believe it'll be filmed in a very similar way to Gone Girl and I just have no need to see it now.

Overall, fantastic book but if you're gonna read it just don't have your expectations too high, stop thinking about the twist and just focus on each page as and when it arrives!

What are your thoughts on cult books? Does the hype ruin or add to your enjoyment?

Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Wipes | Beauty

Just a couple of points to note before we go too deep into this post, yes oh yes, this is a beauty post which means it's making a slight comeback to my blog as I try and increase my posts to twice a week! Second thing, before we all go crazy that I'm writing about a face wipe and they are the worst thing in the world in beauty land...we all use them, they're quick and easy so let's not pretend here guys!

So today I'm doing a little review on these Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Facial Wipes, I was actually given these for free as they came in a goodie bag I received for sponsoring an event. I personally haven't tried any of the Yes To products but I know they have quite a wide range which include a variety of different facial wipes. Obviously the first thing I noticed was that the wipes are actually black, the little goth girl inside me squealed when I realised! It's quite a quirky idea especially because I don't think I have seen any facial wipe that is anything other than white.

We all know the amazing properties of charcoal on our skin, a lot of facial masks have this product included in them, charcoal really gets into your pours for a deep clean and almost extracts some of the toxins on your face. However Yes To has added it to their wipes, as well as the super veggie (or fruit) that is tomatoes, in fact 95% of these wipes are made with natural ingredients which is obviously gonna be way better than using a standard wipe.

The first time I used the wipe I tried to remove my eye make up, it was rubbish like these wipes are not designed to remove eye make up! I do wear a lot of mascara and liquid eyeliner but it would take a lot of rubbing to my eyes to remove all my eye make up so I would definitely recommend not using these on your eyes. But when I started using them on my face that's where things got interesting and a little grosse! Basically because the wipes are black you can actually see all the dead skins cells on the wipe which was disgustingly fascinating. There is no doubt about it my skin definitely felt very clean after using these wipes, more so than any other wipe I have used in the past which I think it really impressive. The scent of these wipes is a little unusual, it is pleasant but it's kinda earthy but not too powerful so it's nice.

The reality is you should never just rely on facial wipes to cleanse your face but adding these to your already good skincare routine I personally think isn't such a bad thing! I use them to take my facial make up after the day and then use my Liz Earle cleanser or put a face mask on.

Have you tried these facial wipes? What are your favourite Yes To products?