Review | Sanctuary Spa Sleep-In-A-Box

Sleep doesn't come easily to me these days. I know I'm tired and could sleep for a week but my brain has other ideas. It likes to play the game 'What would you do if...' and starts making up all these hypothetical situations that never in a million years could happen and makes me toss and turn with worry! So when I was wondering the aisle of Boots this little set caught my eye, and not just the fact its my favourite colour - okay well that was the first reason! With the promise of reducing tension & stress and helping prepare for a restful sleep I knew it was something I needed to try.

With social media, phone, ipad etc etc turnt off I hid away in the bathroom for some me time. First off I used the Calming Luxury Bath Float which I have to admit didn't make the most bubbles but the smell made up for it 10 fold! As soon as the smell hit me I felt my troubles start to disappear, you could really smell the Ylang Ylang but it wasnt so powerful that it gave me a headache. Once in the bath I read a couple of chapters of the book I've got on the go, I felt so relaxed I nearly dropped the book in the bath! I then used Smoothing Silk Polish which I used on my legs, arms and the back of my shoulders, the light exfoliation felt just right on my skin, not too soft that I didn't feel it was doing anything and not too abrasive that it woke me from my soon to be slumber.

Finally I used the Comforting Night Butter, this I have to say was the star product. The smell was amazing, really calming and sleep inducing without a hint of lavender in sight! I always find that sleep products are packed with lavender which can be really over powering, so this was a big surprise. Although the smell is out of this world, dont be fooled into thinking that the moisturising properties are going to be lacking but its not the case at all! It rubbed in nicely whilst the smell lingered on my skin for a good few hours - enough time for me to slip into my fresh PJs and cuddle up in bed. That night I slept right through the night without a toss or turn in sight, it was heaven! I woke up feeling refreshed and a lot calmer then I could ever imagine.

Next time I will definitely be using the body oil - I must have forgotten it was in the box! When ever I'm feeling stressed and tired after a long day at work this is definitely the routine for me!  You can get this (slightly redesigned) set from Boots here for only £12!

K x

My Mini Mac Palette

MAC products are only something that I have been dabbling with for the last 6 months or so, I had always gazed from a far but always thought it was all a bit too expensive. That was until however I started reading blogs, much to my bank balance's dismay. Although MAC make up is on the more expensive side - not the most expensive by any stretch of the imagination, Tom Ford I'm looking at you - I do think you get what you pay for in terms of quality and longevity. 

One of my first MAC purchases was one of their eyeshadows in Shroom, a satin finish off-white shimmery shade that is perfect for highlighting the inner corner of your eyes and using under the bottom lashes to brighten up your eyes. I often use this shade over the top of MAC Bare Study as they are both similar colours and it's perfect for a natural eye look, I often do this for a quick work look. 

Next up we have All That Glitters, this is one I am sure you have heard of before, it seems to be a staple in the blogger community and in all honesty this was one of the reason I bought it, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Its a dark beige colour with gold pearl shimmer running through which is the perfect colour for a smoky eye when paired with a darker brown.

My third and final MAC eyeshadow is my newest purchase. After 2 neutral shades I felt it was time to add a bit of colour to my lids, in walks Star Violet. Although in my swatch it looks pretty brown in person its more pinky purple, being a Velux Pearl it has a gorgeous pearly shimmer running through it. I have to say its not the most pigmented eyeshadow it is very buildable so you can be as adventurous as you want to be.

I really like the idea of making your own palette as you do get to choose the colours that you want and there is so much choice you could spend all day at the counter choosing! The only downside for me is the price, £10 for a refill pan (to pop in the Pro Palettes) or £12.50 for a single is a lot considering you can buy a Naked palette for £37! Nonetheless I'm sure I'll be picking up a lot more in the future!

What are your favourite MAC eyeshadows? Do you think MAC is over priced or worth every penny?

K x

Spring Clear Out Time

This time of the year means only one thing, Spring Clear Out! Now is the prefect time to really go through everything and get rid of the stuff that's not needed and have been sitting in your drawers/on your sides. I'd like to say that I'm quite stringent when it comes to clearing out my stuff but I am a bit of a hoarder. On the surface everything is neat and tidy but if you open that wardrobe door its likely that the pile of handbags I've strategically placed (read: shoved) on the top shelf will come crashing down. There's always an excuse to keep something, you just never know when you might need those 195 Glossy/Birchboxes or those million magazines that last year you was planning on using for scrap-booking but haven't even gazed at! 

This year its all changing. I am going to be ruthless and anything that has been sitting untouched or unused for more than 2 months is going. I hate to say it but this includes clothes! I have so many items of clothing that I've had for more than 6 months that still have the tags on because I'm pretty crappy at putting different outfits together. 

I think its all going to be a big job but I know I'll breathe a sigh of relief when everything is clutter free. Hopefully it will also help me make a few pennies as I am planning on doing a car boot to sell all my unwanted bits. Last year me and my sister did one and managed to make about £200 between us which is great considering all those bits would have just got thrown otherwise. 

So wish me luck! 

Do you have any spring clear out tips? What do you keep hold of when you know you shouldn't? 

K x

Night Time Dream Team

You may think that these two products look quite unsuspecting, nothing special, just everyday run of the mill skin care. When used separately you could be right.

In the last few months I'd suffered with a lot of breakout's and after a trip to the doctors they gave me some antibiotic cream to help budge the bliters and it worked a treat however my skin dried out more than ever before and it was looking really dull. I'd been using the Boot's Botanics Hydrating Night Cream for about four months, but it just wasn't working as well as it had done before because my skin was just too dry. So I was on the look out for something that bring back that much needed moisture and add a bit of life to my skin. In walks The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil. I've always been a lover of the Vitamin E Range, whether it was The Body Shop or Superdrug version, they both have worked well with my skin in the past. The Overnight Serum-In-Oil is an 8 hour beauty sleep for skin, promising to make your skin look more rested and radiant.

There are so many different ways you can use this serum. On my first use I used this before my moisturiser but it didn't sit right or sink in so I felt like I was going to bed a sticky mess. I'm not a quitter so the next night I decided to add a couple of drops to The Boots Night Cream, it smoothed on a lot nicer and sunk in like a dream. The next morning I woke up and was astonished at the look and feel of my skin! It looked a lot more awake and glowing, something I hadn't seen in a long while! I haven't looked back since, these two products are now my most favourite night time products, and for a combined price of £16.99 it beats any high end skin care product I've tried!

Do you a saving grace night time product?

K x

Guest Post - Katie Ann Etc

Hi guys. Just a quick post to let you know you can find me over on Katie's blog today as I've done my first ever guest post! Its all about my Holy Grail beauty products. Its been a series on Katie's blog for the past 5 weeks, and each week there has been a different blogger sharing their Holy Gails. You can find my post and lots of other great posts, including Katie's amazing review on Nail Inc Perfect Plum Collection - my favourite colours, over here.

I hope you all have a weekend. I'm down in my favourite place this week, Brighton :)

K x

Empties #2

I love these kinds of posts as its like lots of mini reviews all wrapped up in one post. Much like January, during the month of February I was trying to use up lots of old products as I had lots waiting in the wings which I wanted to try out. 

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Micellar Solution - Taking my eye make-up is always a chore but with micellar waters it makes life a lot more simple. This was the first one I had tried and I really liked how easy and effortless even waterproof mascara was removed. It did sting my eyes a little if too much was used and I did feel a lot was wasted when you put it on the cotton pad as it squirted everywhere! After repurchasing this a few times I have since brought the Garnier version which is pretty much the same, but you get a lot more product for your dollar. 

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish - Cleansing my skin has never been so relaxing, this smooths on so nicely, it has a lovely aroma and makes a real difference to the texture of my skin. It has cocoa butter to soften, smooth and moisturise which it really does. I feel it really helps break down all my make up from the day and you can even use it to remove eye make-up. It leaves your skin feeling smooth and really clean! For £14 a bottle it is a little on the pricer side but I do think it is worth it. I'd look to buy this is the future, but maybe buy a bigger bottle as it works out a lot more cost effective. 

 Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Intensive Mask - I was really sad to come to the end of this pot of dreams. First off it smells A-M-Azing, just like a holiday in a hair mask. Its designed for dry damaged hair, which my hair definitely is, I used this one a week to give my locks a quick burst of hydration. Straight away I could feel and see the difference it made to my hair, it was stronger, softer and shinier which is all good in my books. I'm not much of a fan of any other products from Herbal Essences, although the smells are gorgeous but this is one product I'll be picking up again once I've used up a few different samples I have hiding in the cupboard. 

REN Invisible Pore Detox Mask - This was my first ever REN mask, I got it back in November in the British Beauty Blogger box and I have to say I wasn't exactly wowed by it. I got 3/4 uses out of this little tube which is really good but I felt that it didn't do anything that a cheaper mask couldn't do. I do have quite a few large pores on my nose which I was hoping would look a little better after using the mask but I couldn't really tell a difference. For me this isn't something I will be looking to get in the future.

Lush Snow Fairy - This was my first ever Lush shower gel - shock horror! But my gosh I chose a goodun! I love sweet scents and smelling this was like smelling heaven. I'd seen so much hype over this product but couldn't believe that a shower gel could be so amazing, I was very wrong. I remember when I mentioned to my boyfriend I'd brought this he rolled his eyes as normal, but he soon changed his tuned when he used it later on! I cant wait until next Christmas when this comes back again, I'll be added a few big bottles to my basket. 

Dead Sea Spa Magik Cleansing Facial Wash - You'll soon notice I have a lot of little samples, all of which I get from beauty boxes, and this is no exception. In the mornings I like to use a foaming cleanser as they really wake me up and they are quite light on the skin. Although this is a foaming cleanser it has the finest foam I have ever seen, it was like cleansing with air, it really gave a good squeaky clean and smelt really fresh - perfect for first thing. It even has the added benefit of fighting bacteria which with my current spotty phase is really handy. I'm fully stocked up for facial wash at the moment but may look to get this in the future.

Baylis and Harding Wild Rose and Raspberry Leaf Hand Wash - This massive bottle (500ml) has lasted me months! I got this as a gift for my birthday all the way back in May and although I used it numerous times a day it just never seemed to go anywhere! Rose isnt my most favourite scent, in all honesty I normally try to avoid it as it can be so over powering but the Raspberry Leaf really tones it down and leaves your hands smelling gorgeous. I'd love to try the Lavender scent in the future. 

L'Oreal Ever Sleek Shampoo - Normally I am not fussy about shampoo and conditioner, as long as it cleans my hair and smells pretty good I'll use it. Obviously I got caught up in all the hype of this range, but unfortunately I just don't know what the attraction was. It didn't lather up at all so in turn didn't coat my thick hair very well, I know that this is down to the no sulphate solution but surely that's what you need in a shampoo. After using this and the conditioner I felt like my hair was greasy and needed a good wash already. In the end I gave this to my boyfriend, and even without prompting he commented on how crappy it was, although he did use it all up in the end. 

No doubt my empties box will soon start to build up again - there's nothing more satisfying then finishing an old product and starting a fresh new one! 

K x

Lost and Found

Every now and again there something happens that stops you in your tracks, and not necessarily in a good way. You may have noticed that in the last week or two I have been a little vacant from my blog and social media. Don't worry I'm not about to spin you a sob story, I know that there are people that are going through a lot more in life and in comparison my troubles are next to nothing. 

Last weekend I took part in my first ever 10k - well I say 10k but unfortunately I only managed half. This really knocked me back and I was so angry and disappointed at myself for not giving it a fair go. I wasn't quite sure what the problem was on the day but my body just hit a wall and I couldn't get any further. On the plus side I did manage a 5k personal best - every cloud eh :)  

Next up came a module exam at college. I'm not sure if I mentioned before but I am going a part time beauty therapy course which I am really enjoying! I had a theory exam in Facial Skin which again I thought I was ready for. Well, let me tell you anatomy is a bitch! I crashed and burned along with 50% of my class. In a matter for 4 days I'd failed at two things I really thought I was prepared and ready for and it really dented my confidence all together. I couldnt really find the motivation to write up any post's so I kind of decided to take a step back - for all of a week. Hark at me, I took my first blogging break after only blogging for 2 months ;) surely that's a record! 

I've since retaken my facial exam and passed - only by 1%! So for now I can forget about that until my next exam on manicures which will be in about 6 weeks time. I've also decided that I'm not sure running is my thing, I had hoped that after a while I would start to enjoy it and want to go out running but we still seem to have a love/hate relationship, so I'm going to go back to the gym instead. I loved going to the exercise classes that they had on offer so I've decided to get back into that routine. 

My motivation is back, and hopefully for good this time.This weekend is going to be a very productive one so expect lots more posts coming your way :) 

K x 

Review | L'Oreal Glam Shine Splash

Pretty packaging gets me everytime and I defy anyone who says these L'Oreal Glam Shine Splash stains are anything but pretty! I noticed these in Boots all the way back in summer last year, am I the only one who feels like it was a life time ago since we've had any sun?! I have to say although they have packaging going for them the name is a little, odd. These lip products are lip stains that go on glossy meaning they give long lasting performance with the plus of adding shine.

They have a doe foot applicator which helps to apply the lip product evenly as one thing you do need to be careful with is the amount of product you use. Too much makes can make your lips sticky and too little can look blotchy and uneven. Although don't be fooled, once applied right there is no stickiness or patchiness, just pure colour. 

The colours I picked up are Romy a subtle baby pink, Juliet a deep red and Princess a red coral, of all which are super pigmented. The shine lasts for a good 3 or 4 hours before fading out but your left behind a stain that stays for a another couple of hours. These are a great lip product to use if your out for the day with no time for touch ups as they don't move about and there's no chance of them smudging either.

I like wearing a flick of eyeliner and one of these products to give a pop of colour! I'd love to get my hands of more of these babies, Boots 3 for 2 is still on right....?

Have you ever tried these L'Oreal Glam Shines? What's your go to lip product?