053 : A Little Life Update

Hey lovelies, hope you're all having a lovely week. Its finally Friday and it's 32 degrees here in Suffolk - I feel like I'm melting! Lots of ice cream in store for me this weekend! I know this blog has been mostly product reviews and outfit of the days, but I wanted to write something a little different and a little more personal.

Lots has changed lately, I know some of you may have seen my recent post about my struggles with depression & anxiety - I was seeing the Community Mental Health Team for 18 months and I finally got discharged yesterday. It was a huge step in my recovery and overall wellbeing. I'm really proud I finally got to this point and while it doesn't mean I'm totally better it means I'm well on the way!

Every other weekend I take Oliver & Alfie to my mums house in Norfolk, this weekend we went to a village fair where they had their faces painted as Spiderman and Iron Man, aren't they just so cute?! You can find other pictures from this week on my Instagram, under my username Heidiloux.

Oliver turns four next month, its crazy how time the fast goes! He starts 'big school' in September and is really excited. Alfie goes up into Year 2! Proud Mama moment!

Since splitting up with Rob in February I've been really happily single, for the first time in 8 years I'm single and content with it! I feel at 25 I probably should settle at some point, but right now I just don't feel ready to. A lot of my friends are getting married and having babies which is amazing but the thought of settling terrifies me! Right now, I don't feel the need to be with anyone. I'm surrounded by amazing family and my closest friends, men just don't come into the equation!

Definitely feeling this right now! Although I have to say, I did get a little wedding envy seeing the photos of Fearne Cotton in her wedding dress, she looked absolutely stunning. And only the oh-so-perfect Olivia Palermo could look so sweet in a cardi and bright blue Manolos! I'm kind of pining after a wedding dress but not a wedding! I think the entire blogosphere is excited to see the gorgeous Milly from Pearls and Poodles marry her beau Rob, I can't wait to see the photos and I'm sure Milly is going to look utterly divine! I've been a huge fan of her blog for years now & am so happy for her. I love seeing her Instagram updates of her wedding plans, everything looks flawless!

Doesn't Olivia look absolutely perfect?! And her husband is a bit of a dish isn't he?! Ding Dong! Olivia ditched the traditional white dress for this cream top and lace skort combo, what do you guys think of getting married in a skort?!

Hope you all enjoyed reading something a little different!

View Post

052 Review : Too Faced Sweethearts Blush / Theres Something About Berry

Hey lovelies, hope you're all having a nice week! I'm super glad the sunshines out, we have finally have some flowers growing in our garden which are starting to look really cute! When it comes to blushers, I've never been overly fussed. I usually tend to go for lipstick or foundation, nail polishes and eye make-up over blusher. When I saw the Too Faced Sweethearts blusher though, it was love at first sight. I think I fell for the cute packaging more than the actual product but I finally caved and bought it.

 (Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Blush / There's Something About Berry - £26 ASOS)

The little heart shaped box really reminded me of the Charbonnel et Walker chocolate boxes (chocolate on the brain!) it's so cute, with a gold base and hot pink lid with gold detailing. It's a strong cardboard material, for the price, I can't help but feel a more luxurious material could have been used, like a little tin! The actual packaging feels almost cheap to hold, something I wouldn't have expected for a product costing £26.

The blush itself is a baked blush, with three shades that can be blended together, or used individually, which I found a bit tricky with my Real Techniques blush brush, as the layers are fairly thin in width. There's a hot pink, a coral-y pink and a muted mauve pink. They look really shimmery in their packaging but this doesn't come off so much when applied. I usually blend the shades together when applying but I found that the hot pink shade takes center stage and seems to be the only shade you can really notice. It has good staying power with it lasting most of the day, but I have to say I'm slightly disappointed that the brighter shade overpowers the other two, as I think the other two shades are really pretty. I'm really pale skinned so it shows up quite prominently on my cheeks and I have to really blend it in well to not look like something out Chucky! 

 

Here it is on my cheeks, as you can see, I have blended it really well and the colour is quite strong! I have my eyes set on the Candy Glow shade which I think will look a little better on my pale skin! I have to say, I'm a tiny bit disappointed I didn't like this more than I do. I do prefer my Soap & Glory blush as it has more shimmer to it and is just a prettier colour. I usually love Too Faced products so I feel a little disheartened by this!

Have you tried Theres Something About Berry? I'd love to know your thoughts & if anyone feels the same as I do about it!

View Post

051 June Favourites

Hey lovelies, hope you're all having a wonderful week. The last month has been crazy busy for me, with my best friend moving home from Torquay, its been amazing to have her back and spend some time together again. My littlest boy had his big school induction too, growing up way too fast! I've been loving loads of products this month, it was really hard to narrow it down to my absolute favourites!

  (1. Too Faced Blush - Theres Something About Berry / £26 ASOS, 2. L'Oreal Super Liner - Black / £9.99 Boots, 3. Mac Mineralize Moisture Foundation - NC15 / £28 Mac 4. Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm / £22 Clinique 5. Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser - £19.25 / 50ml 6. Ralph Lauren Romance - 30ml / £39.50, 7. Toni & Guy Smoothing Lotion - £6.99 / Boots 8. L'Oréal Professionnel Série Expert Shine Blonde Shampoo - £10.99 / Look Fantastic, Mac Studio Fix Plus Powder Plus Foundation - £21.50, 10. Essie - Romper Room / £7.99, 11. Mac Lipstick - Sweet Experience / £15.50)

I picked up this Too Faced blush a while ago after pining after it for ages & ages, I will do a full review on this as I love it so much, the shades all look beautiful blended together and the packaging is absolutely divine. I've definitely got my little eyes on the Candy Glow shade, its a little lighter which I think would suit my skintone a bit better. Besotted. I've been really impressed with this L'Oreal Super Liner, I use it with an angled brush from Mac and its just perfect, its highly pigmented and literally doesn't budge all day. I've had this little pot around three months now and I still have tons left after using it everyday, you definitely get your bang for your buck. I've been a little hit and miss with Mac foundations, I didn't get on well with Studio Fix but I love Mineralize, its so lightweight and gives the perfect amount of coverage with a healthy, dewy glow. To take my make-up off at the end of the day, I've been religiously using Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm by Clinique, so it looks a little like lard but does an amazing job at getting my skin squeaky clean! I follow up with Liz Earle's Skin Repair Moisturiser which is an ultra rich, creamy moisturiser which just feels utterly luxurious to apply. It soaks in amazingly and keeps my skin nice and hydrated all day. For an added bit of luxury I've been absolutely loving Romance by Ralph Lauren, it's such a beautiful scent. I love floral, girly fragrances and this definitely hits the spot!

When it comes to haircare, I have to admit, I'm a little lazy. In the mornings I resemble something out of a horror movie, with hair here, there and everywhere. Toni & Guys smoothing lotion always sorts it out, you only need a tiny amount to smooth through to the ends, for a tamed, sleek barnet. I've been using purple shampoos for years now, to take the yellowy tinge off my blonde hair and I haven't found one that I've been head over heels for until I found this L'oreal beauty. It's pricey but you only need a small amount and I don't wash my hair every day, so a little goes a long way. Unlike other shampoos it doesn't really foam up so much but keeps my blonde locks looking bright and toned. For anyone looking for the perfect purple shampoo, get this one! The smell is to die for too! Back onto skincare, Mac's Studio Fix Powder plus Foundation has really kept me going the last few months, I use it to set my foundation but if you have good skin already, you could use it on its own. On my nails I've been wearing Romper Room by Essie, a shade that was bought out with their recent Spring Collection, it's a really cute baby pink which is kind of similar to Fiji, but just a bit pinker. It's perfect for an added girly touch and looks so good with a bit of a tan! My lips have been adorned with Mac's Sweet Experience lipstick, which I absolutely love, a gorgeous shade of pink which I think is a one shade suits all kind of lipstick. It doesn't feel too drying and it has good staying power too, it's always the one shade I go for if I don't want anything thats too out there and in your face. Classy and elegant!

What products have you guys been loving this month?! I'd love to know!

View Post

050 OOTD : Monochrome

Hey darlings! Hope everyone had an amazing weekend. Its the start of another new week and I thought I'd post another outfit of the day, I'd been searching for some formal joggers for a really long time and after trying on endless pairs, I finally found some I've fallen in love with & couldn't wait to share them with you!

 

(Top - £16 Topshop) 

(Joggers - £28 Topshop) 

(Kimono - £24.99 New Look) 

(Flip Flops - £29 Hollister) 

(Zara City Bag with Zips - £59.99 - Zara) 

I absolutely adore these joggers, they're so comfortable and really quite versatile, I think they're one of those staple items that can be easily dressed up or down for daytime and evening wear. I was unsure about the print at first but its actually really flattering, and the stretchy waistband is absolutely perfect, especially if you're planning on a big dinner! No having to unbutton your jeans!

 

 The Kimono is another New Look find, as you may have seen in my last OOTD post, I picked up a white floral lace kimono with fringing and fell head over heels for it, and this one has definitely stolen my heart too. I love the crochet detail and it looks good with absolutely everything. I can see it seeing me through chilly summer evenings and days on the beach. The cami was a bit of a steal at £16 - I really regret not picking up the white one! The floral lace collar is stunning and the lace around the sleeves is just an extra bit of cute. Floral is my absolute weakness when it comes to clothes and this little number is no exception!

My Zara City Bag is my general everyday bag, I picked up the version with zips as I love having extra pockets and I'm really good at misplacing things! The lining is a really gorgeous burgundy colour, its a really sturdy bag, I've had mine a while now and its showing no signs of wear and tear. Its definitely an investment product. Excuse the plaster on my toe, I got a little bit of a boo boo after walking into a lifted paving slab! Any excuse for a pink cat printed plaster! My flip flops are from Hollister, I got them around three years ago and absolutely live in them. They are pricey at £29 but they have lasted me so long, I don't usually shop at Hollister but I loved the braided detail on these and they don't rub between your toes - always a plus! As soon as the sun comes out, these little treats don't leave my feet!

Enjoy the rest of your week sweethearts!

 

View Post

049 Review : House of Holland Sweet Tooth Nails

Hey lovelies! Hope you're all having a super weekend, despite the washout weather! I love having some time to relax when it gets to the end of the week, Sundays are always the perfect excuse to do absolutely nothing!

If you'd have asked me six months ago to wear false nails, I probably would have laughed and said absolutely not! I'm not sure why but in the past I've always really struggled with them, my natural nails are fairly sure and I tend to pick at them when I get stressed out. I could never get used to having a longer length nail and to be honest it still takes me about half an hour to write a text, but I'm definitely warming to them. The first false nails I tried were the Elegant Touch French Manicures, I really loved them and they looked so chic. Then I saw the House of Holland range in my local Boots and fell absolutely in love, from lego bricks, monopoly boards, cats, tie dye, natural nudes, tweed and of course ones that come with letters so you can customise them yourself. There are so many to choose from and they're all in designs you probably couldn't get done at a salon.

(House of Holland Sweet Tooth Nails - £9)

I opted for 'Sweet Tooth' - you can't go wrong with ice creams in the summer months! These £9 kits gets you 24 nails in five different colours, blue, pink, white, yellow and green. You also get a file and some glue to stick them on. I've currently had these on for five days and they're showing no signs of budging - usually my false nails ping off after a couple of days! They are fairly long, you can file them down to make them a little shorter if you're not keen on a longer length but I think it would distort the shape of the cone ever so slightly so I've left mine how they are. I am absolutely besotted with them, they're so utterly perfect for the summer. 

(on my toes - Tanya Burr, Be Bright, Be Happy, Be You!)

I did also pick up the Royal Explosion nails which are utterly gorgeous, the plain darker nails had glitter underneath which was an added bit of luxury!

Have you tried any of House of Holland nails?! Let me know what you think!

View Post