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