First impressions - Mr Bean Coffee Bean Scrub with Coconut Oil

So this literally is a first impression review if there ever was one ... I'm currently sat in my towel, still dripping and smelling like a macchiato! 

I've seen a few of these coffee scrubs around and a friend of mine recommended Babescrub (I think that's what it's called?!) but I just never got round to buying any. That was until I browsing through Instagram the other day and come across this one - Mr Bean Coffee Scrubs (@mrbeanbody) and thought why not give it a go.

I thought seeing as though I am a Marketers dream and will literally buy anything with a funny name or funky packaging, why not go for this scrub - I mean I love coffee, I love body scrubs and I love the awkward mishaps of Mr Bean - why wouldn't I love this?! ... You can see why I get drawn into so many unnecessary purchases with thought processes like that one! 

Anyway ... Luckily this one has lead me to find what I can only describe as a little piece of beanie heaven in a bag!

Here is what you get - the bags are 220g and I went for the Coconut Oil option but they also offer a mandarin one and one designed specifically for men!

So the blurb from the website - I'll link below where I brought it from - reads as follows:

Organic Coffee Scrub with Robusta Coffee Beans, Organic Cold Pressed Coconut Oil, Himalayan pink rock salt, Demerara Sugar, Organic Cacao and Vitamin E oil.

I’m tough enough to improve your skins imperfections, yet leaving you feeling softer and smoother than ever.

• Caffeine will stimulate blood flow and help reduce the appearance of cellulite, eczema, stretch marks, age spots, varicose veins and psoriasis. 
• Demerra Sugar and Himalayan Salt will exfoliate your skin, removing dead skin, acne, whiteheads, blackheads, breakouts and other skin blemishes
• Coconut Oil will hydrate and moisturize your skin
• Cocoa and Vitamin E are high in antioxidants which nourish and protect the skin, promoting cell repair and rejuvenation

As it was payday in Thursday I thought why no give myself a little treat, as far as I can see it is an Australian company (not 100% sure on that one so don't quote me!) that ships worldwide and has a warehouse in London. I paid £13.95 and I think £1.77 postage, which I thought was a complete bargain and I was shocked when it turned up at my door this morning, this morning being Saturday - to disapproving looks from my Mum as in to say "you spent how much on a bag of coffee!?" - to which I replied with a "this isn't just any normal Nescafe Mum" look and waltzed off with my little parcel in hand.

So the instructions are pretty simple - wet your skin, apply all over in circular motions and work a little harder into any problem areas. Let it dry for 5 minutes (while you have a lite naked dance to Spotify ... No just me then?!) and then rinse ... Simple!

Obviously whilst in the shower covered head to toe in coffee the first thing that springs to mind is - Lemme take a selfie!

So let's get down to the nitty gritty (excuse my terrible pun!)

The good:

- The smell!! I love coffee and anything that tastes or smells of the stuff so this was always going to be a winner for me. Literally smells like freshly ground coffee beans (ok so it basically is!) and even though the bag tells you not to eat it, the first thing I did when I opened it was a little squeak and said "I JUST WANT TO EAT IT!!" whilst chucking it in my Boyfriends face demanding he sniffed it!

- It's all organic and we all love to feel a little bit at one with nature don't we?! I feel like if something is certified Organic then it's obviously going to turn me into some sort of nature goddess!

- Coconut Oil - to me, Coconut Oil is a gift from the gods and if anything has it in then I'm sold! I'm such a product tart ...

- Texture - I love the texture as it has a really gritty scrubby texture that you could really feel working it's magic but doesn't feel like it's taking off several layers of skin! Saying that I did found it dried quite quickly so I had to scrub pretty hard in some areas but I might just need to make sure I have more water on my skin in future.

- Quantity - when I first pulled this out the box I though are you kidding me!? Not sure what I was expecting but it was a lot smaller than I thought but after using it I have completely changed my mind. You hardly need any at all. I poured mine into a little plastic container to save my drippy hands making the packet all wet and must have used maybe 3 tablespoons all together for my entire body - toes to face (plus lips for good measure!) and even had to pour some back into the packet after. I'll keep an eye on how many uses I get but so far I think it's great value for money! 

The Bad:

I adore this - yep from one use it's love at first scrub but there were a few things that weren't as I was expecting - I'm pretty sure after re-reading this it was just me being me ...

- the mess ... Ok so I am the messiest person alive but this stuff isn't the easiest to apply without getting it everywhere and it probably took my longer to rinse the remains from my Mums bright white bathroom than it did to take my whole shower. 

- The oily residue - so I know it's supposed to me moisturising and all that but I can't help feel like I still have a tint of coffee stained oiliness to my skin?! I didn't use any soap or body washes to take the scrub off (there isn't any instructions to do this) so the water just kind of slips off the skin and doesn't seem to take all the coffee residue away?! But on the plus - I do look fairly tanned ... Eeek!!

- My towel - so I've pretty much stained every white towel and bed sheet in our house with fake tan but as I mentioned above when drying myself the coffee residue seemed to rub off on my towel. Considering it's all stuff you could technically eat (if you wanted too!) then it should come out in the wash?!

Overall I love this stuff - I'm silky smooth and still have a faint whiff of cappuccino -  what more could a coffee addict, body scrub loving girl want hey?! (God I'm easily pleased!!)

It also claims to help with signs of cellulite and combat dry skin and being a normal female with a few lumps and bumps here any there and an occasional dry skin suffer let's hope with regular use it will help reduce signs of both. This really was a big selling point for me so I'll keep you up to date on how I find it fighting my orange peel! 

Like I said I brought my 220g packet for £13.95 from http://uk.mrbeanbodycare.com and it arrived within 2 days - I'm more than impressed with the price and delivery times so it's safe to say I'm a coffee scrub convert!

The British Tag

I saw this tag on Sammi's Channel a few days ago and thought why not give it a go for myself so here we go ..

1. How many cups of tea do you have a day and how many sugars?

This all depends on my mood. Generally I start my day with a Coffee as soon as I get to work which I tend to take Black or occasionally with a splash of Milk but saying that, there are just certain moods or situations that just call for a good old cup of tea, I like my tea strong but milky and depending on how serious the situations is depends on whether it's one lump or 2!

2. Favourite part of a your Roast Dinner?

Has to be Yorkshire Puddings!! I'm a Vegetarian which means I luck out quite often on the Yorkshire front. I love filling them up with the rest of my dinner and topping it off with gravy - a sort of little Yorkshire Pudding food boat. There has been times when I'll just buy a packet of Aunt Bessie's to get my Yorkshire fix.

3. Favourite dunking biscuit?

When it comes to biscuits, this girl isn't fussy! If I had to list my top three (No I can't pick one!) it would go something like Ginger Nuts, Bourbon Biscuits and Custard Creams - The classics are the best.

4. Favourite quintessentially British Pastime?

I'm going to have to go for enjoying a nice big glass of Pimms and Lemonade. Summer doesn't start until I've had my first Pimms of the year and I think it's pretty quintessentially British right?!

5. Favourite Word?

This one has stumped me, but I do like to say Gobbledy Gook quite a bit - Probably seeing as it's what language I tend to speak in the most!

6. Cockney Rhyming Sland?

Hairy Toes = Nose, Apples and Pears = Stairs, Rosie Lee = Tea, Would you Adam and Eve it? = Would you believe it?

But my favourite and one I probably use ten times a day is Hank Marvin = Starving!

7. Favourite Sweet?

I am a sucker for pick n mix. If I had to pick, I think it would have to be the White Chocolate Jazzies, Giant Strawberries or the Chewy Pencils with the white in the middle that do it for me! But saying that, if It's chocolate we are going for - nothing beats a bar of original Dairy Milk or Mini Eggs ... alright just English Cadburys in general!

8. What would your pub be called?

Maybe something like The Belle and Hart?! - My Parents have given me the nickname Belle since I was little and HART are mine and my Boyfriends initials - Very mushy I know!

9. No1 British Person?

This one is easy for me, it has to me Kate Middleton. I have such a huge girl crush on her it's unreal. I love our Royal Family, I think it's something we should be proud of as British Citizens.

10. Favourite shop / Restaurant?

If I had to, i'd probably pick either Dorothy Perkins or New Look. I'm a huge fan of the High Street and I find that 99% of the items I purchase from these shops fit my figure. As for restaurant, I'd pick The Mole Inn (http://www.moleinn.com/) literally my favourite place to eat and is your typical English Country Garden Pub!

11. What British song pops into your head? 

Anything by the Spice Girls ... "If you wanna be my lover!" or anything by Queen, I used to have really long hair as a child and my Mum and Dad used to make me Headbang to Bohemian Rhapsody just for their own amusement!

12. Marmite?

YES!! I am a huge Marmite fan, I adore the stuff. There is a fine line between too much and too little but when you get it just right it's amazing. My favourite breakfast would have to be Poached Eggs on Toast with Butter and Marmite!

Our American Road Trip A-Z ... Part 1.

America has always been somewhere that's completely fascinated me, so when we were deciding on where to have our Summer holiday this year, we thought why don't we make it a little bit extra special and head over to the States for a three week road trip – Cue me daydreaming of waltzing around Hollywood like a movie star or running through New York al la Carrie from the opening credits of Sex and the City – I was sold, there was no need to ask me twice! 

We flew into San Francisco where we collected our car and drove over to Yosemite, then onto Monterey, down the Pacific Coast Highway and along to Hollywood via Ventura and Malibu.

From Hollywood we travelled down to LA and the beaches before setting off to Death Valley en route to Las Vegas. From Vegas we flew to New York to finish off our trip with 3 nights in the Big Apple! Phew!

We knew we'd be on the go quite a lot so did a lot of researching before we left and booked tickets for most of our attractions from the UK so as not to be disappointed.

Apart from Death Valley, we pretty much knew where and what we wanted to see in each place, which really helped us free up time to enjoy everything to it's full potential.

So seeing as though our 3 weeks, 3 plane rides, 4 states and 9 hotel stops saw us take over 7000+ photos, summing it up in one blog post was probably going to be impossible - I'm thinking of writing a post for just the Food alone!

So saying that, I've decided to sum it up into an A-Z (forgive me for some of the cheating ... you'll understand when you reach K!) as I literally could sit and talk about this trip all day long so thought it was best to split it up a bit if I could  … so here we go with part 1!

A - Alcatraz - If you'd have asked me before we set off what I was most looking forward to, Alcatraz probably wouldn't have been at the top of my list. Don't get me wrong, I wanted to make sure it was on our list of things to do but I just didn't expect it to be quite the experience it was. We pre-booked tickets before we left the UK as we only had 2 days in San Francisco and we were told it sells out quickly.

Ask me again now and it's up there in the top things we did. We were on the island for about 2 and a bit hours, but you can stay longer if you want as a boat leaves every 15-20 minutes to take you back to the mainland.

We had a little wonder around and headed up to the old Jailhouse where we picked up our headsets for the guided tour - in my opinion the tour would have been useless without it.

The guided tour made the trip what it was, you hit start at the designated point and the tour directs you around and stops you at various points to explain why Alcatraz was and is the unbelievably fascinating place that it is today. They use the voices of the inmates, which are actually quite eerie, but also adds a little something to the experience as you feel like you are in your own little world experiencing it first hand for yourself. A definite must for anyone visiting San Fran!

Rocking the Tourist look perfectly at Alcatraz!


B - Bears - Before we set off for Yosemite, I had researched how to prevent bear attacks so much that I started to dream of Bears! I was pretty nervous as the sight of a single moth can send me into a bit of a marathon hissy fit so I wanted to make sure I was prepared for any surprise visitors.

Obviously, putting my fears aside, we hoped we'd see some in the wild but little did we know that our first encounter would have been before we even hit camp in Yosemite! Cue me screaming (David Attenbrough I am not!) BEAR! BEAR! BEAR! just as we drove past a little Black Bear having a dip in the River.

Sadly my camera couldn’t pick up a clear photo due to the dusky light and mass of trees between us but luckily over the next three days we spotted three more Black Bears - 2 Adult and a little baby. These Animals are absolutely gorgeous and I can't believe we were lucky enough to see them in the Wild with our own eyes!

"We're going on a bear hunt, a bear hunt, a bear hunt"


C - Car - We knew this Road trip was going to be a once in the life time opportunity and what better way to get around than in a Mustang Convertible. From the minute I laid eyes on that beast, it was love. 

Seeing as I currently drive a 1.2 Corsa, it did scare me a bit at first but as soon as I got behind the wheel, I didn't want to give her up! We hired the car from www.usrentacar.co.uk and I couldn't fault their service. We went for the Platinum package, which covered us both to drive, and came with a full tank of fuel you didn't need to refill and allowed us to drop it off over state lines in Nevada. I do admit to having to hold back the tears when we dropped her off again!

The Mustang - what a beaut!

D - Death Valley - Death Valley was somewhere we had discussed visiting but originally had left off our plan. A Friend recommended we at least stop for one night and recommended a little hotel called Stovepipe Wells so we added it in between LA and Vegas. We arrived around 9pm and it was too dark to appreciate the view but seeing as it was still in the high 30's at that time of night, all we were interested in was getting in the pool which stays opened until midnight. The next morning we were met with amazing views as far as the eye could see and a hotel that looked like it had come straight from a Western. We quickly googled the top 5 attractions and set off to literally "The hottest place on earth!” – phew!

Badwater Basin is a huge salt plain, which is just over 200ft below sea level and was where the hottest ever verified temperature of 135f was recorded. I can safely say I've never been that warm (!) in my entire life and I think it was only around 109-110 when we got there around mid day.

Feeling toasty at Badwater Basin!

E - Eating - Pancakes, Waffles, Hot Dogs, Garlic Fries, 2500 Calorie Nachos, Macaroni Cheese, French toast, Lobster, Coconut Shrimp - The list is endless, you name it, we probably ate it!

I can't remember feeling hungry for the entire three weeks but it was worth every single mouthful! I don't think I can do it justice in a few sentences and with that in mind, I think it does in fact deserve it's own post! 


F - Fountains - We had 4 nights in Vegas and The Fountains at the Bellagio were on top of our list of things to see - Cue getting there too late one late night and one very hung over girlfriend the next (I blame the daytime slushy cocktails for my state that evening) meaning we originally missed the fountains but thankfully we managed to catch 2 showings on the third night and the only way I could describe them is WOW!

First up was a showing to Michael Jackson - Billy Jean followed by a Chicago/Cabaret mix - I couldn't choose which was my favourite between the two, it was literally mesmerizing, a must for anyone visiting Vegas.

Fountains at the Bellagio

G - Gherkins - I have to chuck this one in just for the pure fact I've spent 26 years of my life telling everyone I hate Gherkins with a passion. A week in to our trip and I was addicted. Hence me packing my clutch bag full of Heinz Gherkin relish sachets (whilst very drunk I may add!) just so I had my fix when I got back to the UK as I didn’t think we could get it back home – that was until little parcel arrived late last week - Thank you Amazon!

H - Hollywood - Hollywood was just as glitzy and glamorous as I hoped it would be. I'd heard mixed reviews, which I thought, might have left me disappointed but far from it! Within minutes of arriving in Beverley Hills I'd already purchased a map to the stars homes (obviously the best $10 spent all trip!!) and off we went cruising around the hills in our convertible. The next 2 days saw us dining at the Grove, walking Hollywood Boulevard, taking in the views from Griffith Observatory, driving down "Rodeo Drive Baby!" and taking a tour around the Warner Brothers Studios.

Hooray for Hollywood!

I - IHOP - Being a huge pancake lover, IHOP or International House of Pancakes for those who've never heard of it before was one of the first places we ate after our arrival in San Fran. These pancakes are every thing a pancake should be - thick, fluffy and the size of your head! I've always had eyes bigger than my stomach and I'm ashamed to say the 5 stack defeated me on day one - The pain of sharing my pancakes with Richard will be one that haunts me for life.

Defeated by a Pancake!

J - Jude Law - I had to put this in just because I'm a huge Celebrity Geek and Mr Law shoots straight to the top of my celeb-spotting list.

To cut a long story short - we spotted Jude Law in the Security queue at Newark Airport - which meant I spent the entire time in line acting like a giggling schoolgirl! We got through to Departures and sadly, however hard I tried to keep tabs on him; he had disappeared from my sites. Fast forward one plane journey later when my prayers were answered, as Jude Law himself appear in Heathrow Terminal 2 right next to us! This however, was just as I've been told my case has gone missing! Now, my case going missing has been a life long fear of mine but at that moment, quite frankly I didn't care less. I was sat on the floor of Terminal 2, charging my phone next to Jude Law – what girl would be missing a bunch of dirty holiday clothes at this point?! Luckily my case did get back to me eventually but United Airlines have Jude Law to thank for distracting me and stopping me going into one almighty hissy fit (OK more than I already did) at their absolutely incompetent staff! 


I can assure you this is Jude Law - Trying to take a photo when you are bordering on stalking is tricky!

K - or AK47?? - Ok so I'm cheating with this one slightly but I have to mention the Shooting range we visited in Vegas. Battlefield range is the number 1 tourist attraction in Vegas and I'd recommend it in a flash. I didn't have any interest in shooting a gun whatsoever until we arrived at the range and I thought I'd probably never get the chance to do this again so took the chance while it was there.

Rich and I shared a package of 4 guns and then brought an extra round on the AK47 (The names of the guns were like gobbledy gook to me!)

It might sound stupid, but I was shocked how loud the guns where, even through my ear defenders so I let Rich go first while I adjusted to the noise (or just hid at the back with my hands over my ears!) until it was my turn. Fast-forward to the part where the guy tells me I could be an Assassin with my aim - oh yes, I have found my calling in life and it looks like it's right in the middle of the shooting target! In the words of Carlos himself "Not only has she hit the x, she's taken out the middle of the target!"

So in true Arnie style “I'll be back” ... on my next visit anyway!

Heather the Pink Assassin? I think it's got quite a ring to it!

L - Los Angeles and Laguna Beach - We had three days around Los Angeles and Hollywood so decided to split up our time with 1 night in central Hollywood and then 2 nights over on the Coast in Hermosa Beach. Hermosa Beach is about half an hour or so south of Santa Monica and Venice Beach. We arrived late on day one so spent our evening sampling the delights that Olive Garden had to offer followed by a few beers and a dip in the Hotel hot tub, very rock and roll some might say.

Day two saw us taking a drive down to Laguna Beach to give me the change to channel my inner Lauren Conrad for the day. We spent the day sunning ourselves on Laguna's main beach followed by an afternoon of pampering in a local salon and dinner at a restaurant called Watermarc, AMAZING! Having two days to relax and chill by the beach felt like a holiday within a holiday, the perfect way to prepare ourselves for the madness that Vegas had in store for us! 


A beer with a view on Laguna Beach

M - Monterey - Monterey was our pit stop between Yosemite and our trip down the Pacific Coast Highway. We had two nights in the Hilton Garden inn and to be honest, we arrived a lot later than expected and like a mirage in the desert, the idea of a comfy bed and a hot shower was like heaven to us!

Our first night was filled with steamy showers, room service and trashy American TV - just what you need after 3 nights camping in a tent. The next morning we headed down to the Wharf and had breakfast at a little place called Lou Lou's Griddle in the Middle and without a doubt I'd rate this as my favourite breakfast of all time - The pancakes (Or pancake in our case) was bigger than your normal dinner plate and just incredible and soaked up almost half a bottle of syrup!

That afternoon we decided that surviving three nights on a camp bed well and truly meant we deserved a massage. We came across a little spa called The Spa on the Plaza at the Portola Hotel. Our entire experience was perfect from start to finish. I chose a full body massage and Rich decided upon a full body sports massage. We booked into a double room so we could enjoy the experience together. I think the masseuse I had was called Paula but whatever her name was, I'm pretty sure she had some kind of magical powers! We came away feeling full relaxed and pampered and topped it off with a lovely romantic meal and cocktails at Schooners Restaurant at the Monterey Plaza Hotel – One of our favourite meals of the trip – The Lobster Mac n Cheese is to die for!

Monterey Beach - Ready to walk off that giant pancake!

I hope you've enjoyed my little insight into our trip, as you can tell, I wasn't lying when I said I could talk about it all day long. Part two will be up later this week!

Heather xo

  

50 random facts about me ...

Here we go ... fingers cross you don't think I'm a stark raving loon by the time you get to the bottom! 

1. My Birthday is Christmas Eve (Yes ... I do get 2 lots of presents!)

2. My Mum and Dad named me Heather after the little girl that played the lead in the film The Poltergeist 

3. Which is ironic because I absolutely hate Horror Films

4. I was born and bred in Oxford and still live there now. 

5. I am the oldest of 2 children and have a younger Brother called Dan

6. I have an amazing Boyfriend called Richard and we've been together just over 2 years now.

7. I have two little Nephews who mean the absolute world to me. I may be biased but they are the cutest babies EVER.

8. I've just got back from 3 weeks travelling around the States in a Mustang Convertible with my Boyfriend. Without a doubt the best 21 days of my entire life.

9. I've been a Vegetarian for almost 15 years now and no I don't miss Bacon! Well maybe just a little bit ...

10. I used to be able to fit an entire packet of Jaffa Cakes in my mouth in one go. 

11. I can also fit 22.5 Mini Cheddars in my mouth too ... Anyone see a trend here!? Hello big gob!

12. I found out I could fit 22.5 Mini Cheddars in my mouth on a 6am flight back from Prague with three drunken Football fanatics from London.

13. I'm a true Capricorn and stubborn as a Goat. I do not forgive and forget easily.

14. I'm addicted to watching YouTube Videos.

15. The first Beauty Guru I watched was Juicystar07 about 4 years ago and I've not stopped since.

16. My favourite place I've ever been too is Yosemite National Park in California and I can't wait to get back out there. I spent three days trekking in denim cut off and white converse - More Dora the Explorer than Bear Grylls! Next time I'll try to be more prepared.

17. My favourite place to eat in the whole world is a little pub in Oxford called The Mole Inn. The Treacle Tart is without a doubt the best in the whole wide WORLD.

18. I would eat Pasta every single day if I could. 

19. In the last 3 years I've lost over 8 stone in weight - give or take a few here and there - going from a size 22 to a 12 and one day I hope I might be brave enough to share my story.

20. I have the most ridiculous laugh in the world - a Friend once described it as 2 laughs and a breath because I forget to breathe!

21. I say I love shoes but seeing me walk in high heels is like watching a new born Giraffe learn how to walk

22. My favourite smell is Coconut.

23.  I spent my whole life telling everyone I hates Prawns and Gherkins and within a week of being in America, I was addicted to both.

24. I can squat 90kg #thighsofashotputter

25.  I've never seen a single Star Wars Movie.

26.  I recently sat on the floor of Heathrow Terminal 2 with Jude Law whilst charging my phone at a random plug socket. 

27. I'm probably the most uncool and awkward person you will ever meet. I'm clumsy beyond belief.

28. The most embarrassing moment of my life was when I found a dog in Australia, drove it around for over an hour knocking on doors trying to find it's owner only to find that I actually found it at the end of it's own driveway and because it was dark, I couldn't see the gate. I then had to return said dog and make up some story about how I'd found him miles away and that he must have escaped.

29. I can do a cracking Cilla Black impression which can also be used to impersonate Richard from the TV show The Undateables and Kermit the Frog. 

30. I know every single word to all series of Gavin and Stacey and would watch them on repeat everyday if I could ... or if Richard would let me.

31. I ADORE musicals. My all time favourite is Hairspray. I know that word for word too!

32. If my life depended on it and I had to pick an all time favourite Disney film it would be Aladdin.

33.  I love watching Rugby Union.

34.  I also love watching Rugby players thighs in shorts.

35. I have no idea what the offside rule is.

36. However hard I try, I have one eyebrow pointier than the other

37. That's probably because I have a lazy eye which loves to come out whenever I have my photo taken

38. I'd happily sleep all day if I wasn't a grown up with a job

39. I have far too many clothes and only wear about 10% of them

40. I can't remember the last time I finished a bottle of shampoo. I get bored very easily. I left 27 unfinished bottles in my bathroom cabinet when I left my house in Australia.

41. My favourite perfume is Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb and I can sniff it out at 10 metres.

42. My favourite Audrey Hepburn film is Roman Holiday.

43. I made my Boyfriend walk half the length of San Francisco with me just so I could have my photo taken outside the house used in Mrs Doubtfire.

44. My dream job would be to work as a Wedding Planner.

45. I've had a severe Nut Allergy since I was 4.

46. I've never eaten a Big Mac

47.  Or a KFC

48.  I quote lines from Forrest Gump more than is probably socially acceptable.

49.  I'm a terrible daydreamer and spend most of my days in my own little dream world.

50.  I like to describe myself as "the smartest Dumb Blonde you will ever meet"

Blogger block?

So, I think I may have won myself the title of the world's worst Blogger ... if I can even call myself a Blogger?! You know how it is, everyone has all the best intentions and then that little thing called life just gets in the way.

Since I decided to start this blog a few months ago, I've had all the ideas in the world flying around in my head and I don't know if it's nerves or what stopping me posting but I just can't seem to get the ideas from my head onto the screen.

I've decided that I need to set myself some sort of schedule as I want to share so much and hopefully getting myself into some sort of blogging routine will help me with my confidence to continue.

I love reading blogs, not a day goes by when I'm not reading a blog of sorts and hopefully, even if it's just a handful of people or even just one person, someone out there might like to hear what I have to say?!

So here we go, first up I thought being as nosey as I am, I'd start by sharing 50 random facts about me. I've seen these all over YouTube and I think they are a fun little way of getting to know someone and their quirks ... who else can fit 22.5 Mini Cheddars in their mouth in one go?! Me that's who!

Enjoy! xo

What's in my make up bag?

So I love a good nosey, one of my favourite types of posts to read are "whats in my make up bag". 

Over the years I've picked up all sorts of recommendations and tips - some that I still use now and would never be without!

So here's what I keep in my makeup bag! I realised the other day, I'm actually at a point where I think I'm pretty much happy with everything I'm using at the moment so I thought I'd share with you all and give a little mini review on each product - so grab a cup of tea and enjoy!

So this is my little make up bag, it does it's job and for it's size, it's pretty generous and I can fit everything I need into it and still manage to chuck it in my handbag if needed. It's just a Purple Ted Baker one from a few years ago - I think it came with a gift set for Christmas but it does what it's meant to do. 

Saying that, I do have my eye on the lovely Paul and Joe make up organiser!

Face - Foundation, Concealer and Powder

Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc, Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in Ivory and Boots Seventeen Miracle Matte Pressed Powder in Ivory Porcelin.

Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc: 

It's official, I've fallen head over heels with a foundation and I'm not afraid to admit it. I have quite pale, oily/combination skin - I'm not talking ghostly white but pale enough to look orange in most drugstore foundations. 

I saw this foundation pop up over and over again in tutorials and blog posts and wanted to give it a go. 

As it is quite expensive for a foundation and there are so many colours to choose from, I wanted to make sure I was making the right choice so I set off reading endless reviews for a bit of research. I found post after post raving about how amazing it was it but then I'd find another which would say "keep away if you have oily skin" so it would put me off. 

I repeated this process for months and months and kept umping and arring when one day and a lovely 20% off ASOS code later, I thought I just need to try it for myself and boy am I glad I did. 

I went for the second lightest shade, Mont Blanc, as I thought I'm probably not pale enough for Siberia but if it was too light then I thought I could always put a bit of colour back in my face with some bronzer. I love this stuff, it doesn't contain any SPF - yay for no whitecast flashback in photos - I'm pale enough thanks - and it's got a good medium coverage which you can wear for a day to day natural face without looking like you are wearing a mask or you can build it up for a more full on night time look.

I might do a full review on this from someone with very oily skin as I absolutely adore this stuff! 

I really don't think naming this foundation "Sheer Glow" does it any favours though, it's certainly not sheer and as for the "glow" - as anyone with a oily t-zone knows, this is normally a word to fear but don't be put off! 

Rimmel Wake me up concealer in Ivory:

I picked this concealer up after watching Tanya Burr's videos where she would rave about how amazing it was. I needed a good under eye concealer and I'm really happy with this. I like my under eye concealers to be quiet wet and creamy and this is perfect. I like the coverage and consistency and it really does brighten the face and I do think it makes me look more bright eyed and awake.

I'm quite lucky in the fact that I don't tend to need a concealer to cover dark marks or spots on my face but if I feel I need a bit of a lift or slightly more coverage or want to highlight a bit then I'll use this around my nose, down the bridge and between my eyebrows for a bit of umph! 

I would repurchase this, I am looking at the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer but I still think I'd always have a back up of this in my bag as a staple day-to-day product.

Boots Seventeen Miracle Matte Pressed Powder in Ivory Porcelain.

As I said, I have oily skin and I've tried pretty much very powder going! I've tried everything and thought I got pretty close with MAC MSF but it has nothing on this!

It's not cakey or too thick but I do use a light hand and very fluffy brush and only tend to use this on my t-zone day to day but I do put it all over if I'm off out and want to set my whole face. 

It does have a bit of colour to it, but nothing too noticeable. I think I've found my perfect combo in this powder and the Nars foundation - it keeps my shine at bay for a good few hours (unlike anything else I've tried!) and depending on what I've been doing with my day, sometimes I don't need a touch up at all - Hallelujah!

Bronzers, Blushes and Highlights

L-R: Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess in 03 - Medium Deep, Nars Laguna Bronzer, Nars Blush in Deep Throat, The Body Shop Highlighter/Bronzer in 02 Bronze Glow and Benefits High Beam and Moon Beam.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzer in 03:

 I do really like this bronzer, I don't tend to wear it day to day in Winter but I do if I want to add a little something extra or if I am going on a night out or want something a little more to my make up. 

I did however use these almost every day in summer when I didn't need any foundation - oh those were the days! 

This was very expensive for what it is, I think it was around the £30 mark but I saved up my Boots points and treated myself. 

I went for shade 03, and even though there were only 4 shades, this was the most natural, matte of the 4. It's not as dark as you'd expect and isn't orangey in the slightest. 

I do admit, you get what you pay for, the packaging feels very luxurious, it has a huge mirror and you do get quite a bit for your buck with 21g in the pan.

I do enjoy using it and doesn't leave me muddy looking. If I remember rightly, it was limited edition (Summer 2013) but even so, at £30, I think my purse may let out a little painful scream if I were to repurchase from my own pennies.

Nars Laguna Bronzer:

I don't think I have to say much on this, it's a bit of a cult product!

 I do really like this bronzer and I use it day to day as my contour powder as I'm not a huge fan of it as an all over bronzer but as a contour, I think it works well. 

It's quite matte, there might be a slight shimmer to it but it doesn't transfer onto the face. 

Again, I think I got this from ASOS with a discount code, I like to save up and have a little splurge if I'm getting a few pennies off but I would repurchase this again as it does the trick perfectly - no one likes a muddy contour powder do they! *shudders* yuck!

Nars Blush in Deep Throat:

I adore make up and my collection could rival a Boots store but this may come as a bit of a shock - when it comes to a blush, I'm a one colour kind of a gal! I came across this blush 2 years ago and this is my third repurchase. I just love the colour, it's a peachy pink with a slight "shimmery" glow and it's the only blush I use! 

 It's not glittery in the slightest and just goes with whatever eye/lip combo I have on. 

I do like a noticeable blush and you can build this one up if you want without looking like Widow Twankey! 

Body Shop Highlighter/Bronzer in 02 Bronzer Glow

This is a bit of a random product that I've had for a while and just pulled back out of my stash. I brought this a few summers ago after a rather pushy sales woman wouldn't leave me alone! I do like it, it's very glowy, I wouldn't say shimmery, but it's certainly not something I'd ever use as a all over bronzer. I've started to just use this on my cheekbones as a subtle highlighter just to give my blush a bit of a boost.

Benefit High Beam and Moon Beam

I remember these being one of the first Benefit products I ever tested. I do like the effect they give but I tend to save these for nights out or for when I have a bit of time to make sure they are properly blended as they are liquid and I don't want them to turn cake on my powdery base if I apply them in too much of a rush.

Eyeshadows

Naked 1 Palette, Chanel Eye Shadow Quad in 18 Kaska Beige, (L-R) Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo pots in 40 - Permanent Taupe and 35 - On and On Bronze, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP.

Naked 1 Palette:

I've had this for a while and can't begin to tell you how much I love these eyeshadows! I'm sure I don't need to say much as this palette has been around for a few years now.

The shadows themselves are both highly pigmented & silky smooth and don't cause too much fall-out. 

Plus, they blend together perfectly and create a really easy natural smokey eye. 

I have blue eyes and tend to stick to a very neutral, brown/golden eye (as you can tell from the picture!) when it comes to eyeshadows to this is absolutely perfect and if I'm feeling a bit adventurous, I may stray to the darker colours to the right hand side for a night out - Oooh! 

If I'm just doing a quick day look, I'll just sweep Virgin or Sin over my lid with a bit of Naked in my crease. 

But I am partial to a bit of Half Baked and Smog if I'm going for a more of a golden/bronze eye look - I know how to live life to the full I tell you!

Chanel Eye Shadow Quad in 18 Kaska Beige:

This is a few years old now and was a complete impulse buy - I only approached the counter for a quick browse and ended up walking away with this and a nail varnish 

 I like to use the lightest shade in the top lefthand corner as a inner corner highlight but it's not really used in my daily make up look at all - why is it even in my bag you ask!?

I'm not bowled over by this as much as I thought I'd be seeing as it's a Chanel product - the pay off is nothing like the Naked Palette and you really have to work at it to get some sort of decent colour. Saying that, when you do get the desired amount, the colours are lovely and I will continue to use this up but I'm not sure I'd repurchase - unless the formulation has changed? 

Maybelline 24hr Colour Tattoo pots in 40 - Permanent Taupe and 35 - On and On Bronze

Again, these are just staple neutrals in my bag but not really in my day to day make up routine, but I do love them as a base if I am going for a heavier eyeshadow look. 

Permanent Taupe is a lovely mushroomy grey colour with no shimmer and On and On Bronze as you'd imagine, is a lovely metallic bronze but not glittery.

I do have slightly oily eyelids and these creams seem to keep that at bay and help to keep my eyeshadow in place whilst giving them more intensity.  I do find them a little bit of a pain to blend in if I'm in a rush but that might just be me so I tend to use them when I have a little bit more time to work with them.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in RSVP.

I think I have every Benefit palette going and I think this came out of one of them last Christmas. 

I can chuck this on with my fingers or blend it in with a brush, I use it almost everyday on it's own or under the naked eyeshadows and I love it. It's very creamy and silky and blends like a dream. It's almost a rose gold with a slight gold shimmer but nothing to much. 

I just love the contrast between this and my blue eyes and it's safe bet for anyone wanting a slightly pinky eye look without looking like you have allergies!

Mascara and Eyeliner

Benefit BADgal lash, Lancome Drama Mascara, Lancome Doll Eyes, Benefit They're Real (all black),
 Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ash Blonde, Maybelline Master Precise Eyeliner in Black, Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude and Benefit Eye bright.


Benefit BADgal lash
This is the first ever Benefit product I ever owned and years later, I still absolutely love it. I'm not 100% loyal to any mascara in particular but if I had to pick a top 5, this would be in there for sure. The brush is huge but it's not as scary as it looks. I like to really curl my eye lashes before applying this so I don't have to mess around too much. It really does depend on how I'm feeling to which mascara I grab but I do like this if I'm just using it on my top lashes as it creates amazing volume.


Lancome Drama Mascara & Lancome Doll Eyes
These are a recent addition to my make up bag and were a very generous surprise present from my lovely Boyfriend. I absolutely love these! I used the Doll Eyes one first and I've never used anything like it before, it gave me lovely volume but didn't make my eyelashes clumpy or spidery. I tend to leave the Drama Mascara for a heavier, night out look as it really does give intense volume and not what I like on a daily basis. These came in a duo pack from Duty Free and even though I said I'm not loyal to any brand in particular, I'd repurchase these in a second, I wouldn't want to be without them!

Benefit They're Real
I've repurchased this a number of times and again, I'd put this in my top 5 favourites. It just gives incredible definition, I wouldn't say I've used it to get volume but if I want noticeable length and speration and want to get right into the corner lashes, then I use this. I also love the brush and sometimes use an old brush I've cleaned up to separate my lashes if I've got a bit over excited with another mascara as it really combs through the lashes.

 Anastasia Brow Wiz in Ash Blonde
I ADORE THIS PENCIL!! I will never again use anything but this again. I only got it at Christmas but from what I've used of it over the last month or so, it's true love! It comes with a very fine tip, waxy pencil on one end and the perfect spooly on the other end to tame those wild brows!
 I have quite fair brows and this colour is a great match and in the last 6 months or so I've really tried to grow them out by having them professionally waxed and shaped every 4-5 weeks and this just helps me fill them in without getting the dreaded scouse brow that I seemed to get with everything else I've tried that have been too dark! 
I'd repurchase this again and again, I'm already starting to panic about it running out!


Maybelline Master Precise Felt-tip liner in Black
This is my favourite felt liner I've tried so far. It's got a sturdy but fine tip so makes a lining my upper lash line and creating a little cat eye flick really easily and the colour is really intense. I'm not sure if it's my oil eyelids but this does tend to fade towards the end of the day, but not so much you'd notice from a quick glance and nothing a quick touch up won't sort.


Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude
This was another recommendation from Tanya Burr and I like to use this on my waterline to give my eyes a quick pick me up and tone down any redness. It makes a huge difference to my eyes and for a few pounds, it stays in place for most of the day which is what you'd hope from a waterproof product! .... Just a simple staple, at at a couple of quid, it's something I'd purchase again.


Benefit Eye bright pencil
I think this might be one a Benefits "cult products" and I can see why. I lost this pretty much as soon as I'd got it and I was devastated! I'd only used it once and cue one overdue spring clean and I found this beauty lurking underneath my bed! 
As soon as I started using this again, I remembered how much I loved it. It's more of a milky, baby pink and if I want more of a bright eyed l look, I'll pop this is my waterline and smudge a little bit into my inner corner and blend with my fingers. 

 Lipsticks, Glosses and Balms

Elizabeth Ardens Eight Hour Cream, MAC Lady Danger, MAC Shy girl, Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti, Revlon Lip Butter in Strawberry Shortcake, Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous, Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer, Bobby Brown Lip Gloss in Petal and Revlon ColourBurst Lipgloss in Bellini

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

This is a recent re-purchase - it was actually a christmas present and it's reminded me how much I actually love this. I do suffer from dry lips and I like to put a small amount of this on as a bit of a intensive lip balm / gloss as it's not heavy or greasy. I also suffer from occasional eczema and chapped hands so I like to use this as a bit of a intensive moisturiser.

MAC Lady Danger

I love a good red lip on a night out, I'm not too adventurous with my make up but I do love a neutral eye, lashings of mascara and this amazing orangey red lipstick. I also have Ruby Woo somewhere in my collection but I like to stick to the more orangey reds as I think they suit my skin tone a bit better

MAC Shy Girl

This is just a neutral nude "your lips but better" shade - who else hates that description!

I don't tend to wear this on a day to day basis but if I'm going somewhere and want to put a little bit more effort in then I'll dab this into my lips and pop a gloss over the top for that "plumped" up look.

Revlon lip butters - Tutti Frutti and Strawberry Shortcake. 

I love these - I jumped straight on the bandwagon as soon as these come out and have used them ever since. I've tried most of them and run them right down to the end. I think these are my favourites and are the two I've repurchased. I love Tutti Fruiti in the Summer for a bit of a sheerer orange lip and I just love chucking on Strawberry Shortcake if I want a bit of colour on my lips - it's just enough to notice you have something on but it's not intimidating. 

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous

Again, the good old orange lip! I don't know what it is but I'm just so clumsy when it comes to lipstick, after half an hour I end up with it all over my face so a stain is perfect for me. This very orange so I do tend to use this all over my lips and then dab another colour over the top to tone it down a bit.

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 02 Apricot Shimmer

This is a staple in my handbag, I like to chuck this in and take it with me as you can apply it without a mirror for a little pick me up. I got this as a sample and I think I'd definitely repurchase. Whenever I wear this my boyfriend always comments on how nice it smells - it's sort of a slight non-offensive vanilla smell.

Bobby Brown Lip Gloss in Petal

I got this as a sample from a friend who used to work at Bobbi Brown and I really like the consistency, not sticky but thick enough to stick round longer than 5 minutes. I've only recently pulled this back out and started using it again. It's a lot more opaque that I remembered but the colour is a lovely pinky/brown colour and goes with pretty much anything. 

Revlon ColourBurst Lipgloss in Bellini

I wore this lipgloss when I was Bridesmaid for my Brother so it does hold special memories for me. I tend to wear this alone, the colour isn't too much but it's just the most amazing texture - not too stick or runny. I layered this up with the Revlon Strawberry Shortcake on the wedding day and it's a combo that I've gone back to over and over again.

Brushes

Real Techniques Blush Brush, Real Techniques Stippling Brush, Real Techniques Buffing Brush, Real Techniques Contour Brush, Eco Tools Bronzer Brush, Eco Tools Kabuki Brush, Real Techniques Starter Set - base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush and Brow Brush, Boots No7 Fluffy Blending Brush, Boots No7 Flat Eyeshadow Brush, Maybelline Smudger Brush.


Real Techniques Blush Brush
I love this fluffy brush for my blush! It doesn't pick up too much colour so it's easy to build up and blend the colour onto your cheeks. I do randomly mix up my brushes and I have used this for bronzer in the past just because it's so soft and fluffy but for now, it's my go to blush brush.


 Real Techniques Stippling Brush
Again, I've used this for almost everything but at the moment I am using this for my contour. I'm thinking of swapping this over with the contour brush and using this as my powder highlight brush. 
It's a great size for contouring as it fits right under my cheekbones and the fluffy head is great for blending in the edges, nothing to complain about here.


Real Techniques Buffing Brush
I use this everyday for my foundation and I wouldn't swap to anything else. It's just perfect for the finish I like and just blends like a dream. I love the converge it gives and after all I've used it and abused it, it always feels like new after every wash. I've never had any fall out either which is an absolute pet hate of mine ... No one wants a hairy face!


 Real Techniques Contour Brush
I'm currently using this to apply my powder highlighter so after my next brush wash I'm thinking of swapping this round with my stippling brush - I get a bit bored sometimes and like to mix it up a bit - rock'n'roll!


 Eco Tools Bronzer Brush
I brought this to go with the Estee Lauder Bronzer last summer as I wanted a huge brush to apply the bronzer all over my face. It's sooooo soft! It did a great job of blending in my bronzer because it's so huge.- I think I'll leave these two as the match made in heaven that they are and can't wait to use them again in the Summer.


Eco Tools Kabuki Brush
I brought this brush in Australia and to be honest I first thought why have I brought a shaving brush!? But I love it for applying my powder. It's so fluffy and light that I don't feel like it's moving my foundation around when my dusting the powder over my face. I like how it give a light coverage so I can go over as many times as I need to get my desired effect.

 Real Techniques Starter Set - base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush and Brow Brush
You can see a bit of a trend going on here - I LOVE REAL TECHNIQUES - quite simple really. I've recommended them to all my friends and family and this set was the first set I purchased. I've used the base shadow brush for both cream eyeshadows and to blend in concealer and just love it. 
I use the deluxe crease brush every time I do my eyeshadow, it's so fluffy and just blends like a dream - something I'm not the best at so having good tools makes life a whole lot easier.
I don't like my lower lash line to be too harsh so I like to use the accent brush to take eyeshadow under my lower lashes as a liner.
The only brush I don't tend to use too much is the Brow Brush but I think that's because I love eyebrow pencils so much. Saying that I have used this to line my upper lash line to give a bit more definition to a smokier eye.


 Boots No7 Fluffy Blending Brush
I love this brushes and stock up whenever Boots have their No7 vouchers - they end up around £4 each and you can't complain at that. They are just soft and lovely and I like to have a few brushes to hand just so I don't end up getting too many shadow colours all over the place.


Boots No7 Flat Eyeshadow Brush
Again, I brought this when I had a voucher and it reminds me very much of the brush that comes in the Naked 1 palette. It's great for packing colour onto the eyelid as it's dense but still soft. I think I'll purchase another one of these next time the vouchers are around.


Maybelline Smudger Brush.
I can't even remember when or where I got this brush but again I use this to run eyeshadow under my eyelashes. It's densely packed but again the soft bristles stops the skin under my eyes from dragging.

---- xoxo ----