062 : Mother's Day Gift Guide 2015

It's Spring! February came and went really quickly, we saw Pancake Day and Valentines come and go in a flash, now, I'm not a massive fan of sentimental days, but I am a firm believer in Mother's Day, it's so nice to have a day to appreciate the woman who bought you into the world & spend time with family. I'm really lucky to have a wonderful mum who's supported me through my brightest and darkest days. Mother's Day also gives me time to reflect on myself as a mother, I feel like the luckiest girl in the world to be blessed with my two beautiful sons. While I'm incredibly close to my own mum, I do find her difficult to buy for, we have entirely different tastes in everything which always makes it a little tricky. I've put together this little guide with a few of my favourite gift ideas for Mothers Day 2015, spoil her rotten!

(in numerical order, Elemis Sparkling Care Gift Set - £56, Neom Happiness Travel Candle - £16, Laura Mercier Creme Brulee Honey Bath - £33, Emma Bridgewater Personalised Rose & Bee Vase - From £25, Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne - £82/100ml, Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball Gardening Range - £9-£25, Ted Baker Casine Cascading Floral Skinny Scarf - £35, Cath Kidston Clouds iPad Cover - £28)

For the beauty loving mum, I've picked this gorgeous little Elemis Sparkling Skin Gift Set, it comes in an adorable silver box with lots of little Elemis goodies in it, including; Pro Radiance Illuminating Flash Balm, Aboslute Eye Mask, Rehydrating Gingseng Toner, Pro-Radiance Cream Cleanser, Pro-Collagen Oxygenating Night Cream and White Flowers Eye & Lip Make-Up Remover. This set is designed to rejuvinate and revitalise the skin,ideal for those mama's that work just a little too hard! Second up, I have the 'Happiness' Travel Candle by Neom. I'm an absolute sucker for a scented candle, I love anything that smells amazing and makes me feel super chilled. The Happiness candle contains white neroli, mimosa, lemon and fresh grass notes, helping to balance emotions and promote a more uplifted and positive state of mind. Neom products are also vegetarian and Neom are massively against animal testing. This sweet little candle would be perfect to have lit whilst having a nice long soak in the bath, hopefully using the Laura Mercier Creme Brulee bath, with scents of caramel, vanilla beans, white musk and creme, it smells divine - it also firms, lifts and tones the skin. Containing vitamins A & E, it moisturises and conditions the skin too. I bought the Laura Mercier Fig Body Scrub a few weeks and I'm besotted with it, it smells gorgeous and has left my skin so soft - a nice alternate option! 

On the subject of smelling gorgeous, is the Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne, described as having the 'sensuality of a seductive red dress' this dark, enigmatic fragrance is laced with pomegranate, raspberry & plum, with subtle hints of pink pepper and Casablanca lily - you can also get your bottle engraved on the Jo Malone website too. I think any mama would be happy to get this on Mothers Day (and Jo Malone boxes with the black ribbons... love some good packaging!). For the mum that loves flowers, I found this amazing vase by Emma Bridgewater, you can have these personalised with anything you like and they come in a range of different designs, I think it's a really nice touch rather than buying a standard vase. It's far more personal & just looks a little more thoughtful, if you've never shopped online with Emma Bridgewater before you also get 15% off your first order. Next up is the Sophie Conran range for Burgon and Ball - this range is priced from £9-£25 so it's good for the purse strings and its a really sweet little range, I love the herb pots - there's a lot of choice, it's worth a look if your mum likes to spend a lot of time preening the garden!

For the more fashion savvy mum, I love this Ted Baker Casine scarf, it's probably not something my own mum would wear but I think it's really chic and I love the bright cascading florals against the dark fabric. At £35 it's a bit of a steal! Finally, if your mum is a little more technologically advanced than mine and knows how to work an Apple product (sorry mum!) this Cath Kidston clouds iPad cover is utterly beautiful, I love the new Clouds range and can imagine laying on the beach or in the garden, iPad in one hand, cocktail in the other! 

I really love the idea of homemade gifts, they're so thoughtful and you can make them so personal to your mum. A little hamper of her favourite homemade foods, you can handmake soap or bath bombs, candles, if you're good at sewing perhaps a sweet cushion. And pop in your favourite picture of the two of you together. Pinterest is full of amazing ideas for homemade Mothers Day gifts - it's definitely worth a browse.

I hope this has given some of you a little inspiration on what to buy one of the most important women in your life this Mothers Day! Let me know what you have planned for your mum this year! 

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061 : February Birchbox Review

I don't think I've had a subscription to anything since Sabrina's Secrets when I was about 8 (90's kids remember this?!) - I've been toying with the idea of Beauty Boxes for a while and after doing some thorough research, I settled on Birchbox. I really like that Birchbox covers all areas in their boxes, from beauty, to body & lifestyle. The boxes are beautifully presented and the products come in a little cotton bag along with cute little postcards (does anyone else want to frame theirs?!) - on the back of them is information about each of the products you've recieved and a little tutorial.

The theme for this months Birchbox is 'Birchbox Loves' - tying with valentines and all things romantic. I absolutely loved the little card with the tickboxes titled 'Love Is...' - it's a really nice touch to an already lovely box. I recieved six products in my box, one full sized. There was a couple of brands that were totally new to me, which is one of the reasons why I signed up, I love discovering new brands and products and sample sizes are a great way to do it. Some of the products were slightly disappointing but there were others that I absolutely loved. I recieved - 

Eyeko Fatstick - Gilt

The Eyeko Fatstick was a new product to me, I've tried Eyeko eyeliners and didn't really get along with them. The Fatstick is a creamy eye crayon which can be used as a smokey eyeshadow, all along the lash line, or blended on the outer corners for a more demure look. I really liked the shade of this, its a gorgeous metallic brown and the consistency was really soft and creamy, which made it easy to blend, plus it was completely crease free and smudgeproof. My only qualm about the Fatstick is it was just too thick, it was hard to get a good amount on the crease of the eye just because it's so chunky. I think it'd work much better along the lash line. Otherwise, it was pretty impressive.

Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum - 10ml

I adore Caudalie, I absolutely love the Vinoperfect range and use the face mask on a regular basis so I was super happy to have recieved this little beauty in my Birchbox. This serum is designed to give you an even complexion and to eradicate any dark spots. I don't suffer with dark spots on my face so I can't comment on whether that worked or not, but my skin did feel really lovely and soft, plus it smells gorgeous. It's oil free and the consistency is very fluid. I really enjoyed the sample of this but I'm not sure if I'd buy the full size product, it does contain glycerin which is supposed to moisturise the skin, which I think would be great if you have a normal skin type but mines really dry so for me it just isn't moisturising enough. (My skin literally drinks this stuff!)

Electric Hair Electric Hydrate Shampoo - 30ml

Electric is a new brand to me, I'd never heard of their products before trying out the Hydrate Shampoo. I was over the moon to get this in my box, as someone who gets their hair highlighted every 6 weeks or so, it's in quite bad condition and it tends to get quite dry quite quickly. This shampoo was a lifesaver for me, the bottle says to use an almond sized amount but I had to use a fair bit more to get a good lather as my hairs quite thick and long. It smells so, so good and it really put some much needed moisture back into my locks. At £17.50 for a full sized bottle, it is quite pricey but I definitely think its worth its price tag. 

London Butterflies Winter Jasmine & Starflower with Sweet Almond Oil Whipped Body Cream - 30ml

London Butterflies is another new brand to me, I think they're a fairly new brand - born and bred in London. This was by far my favourite product in my Birchbox. I did end up buying the full size version, at £37 it's quite expensive but so worth the price tag. I absolutely adore it. It smells divine and my skin has never felt so soft, I usually use the Clarins Moisture Rich Body Lotion after my baths - designed for dry skin. But I think it's most definitely been replaced. It literally smells good enough to eat, even the boyfriend loves it! I really love the packaging too, a really simple glass jar with a cute butterfly on the top. I'd most definitely, definitely recommend this!

theBalm cosmetics Stainiac - Beauty Queen - 1.2ml

I've heard really amazing things about theBalm products, but I have to say I was massively disappointed with Stainiac. It's a lip/blush water based gel. You can use it on your lips for a glossy look or dab it on your cheeks and blend as a blush, neither of this techniques really worked for me and I didn't really like how it felt a little tacky on my lips. I dabbed it onto my cheeks and blended but it didn't really make much difference in terms of colour. Did anyone else recieve this product? What did you guys think of it?

Vita Coco Coconut Oil

Vita Coco is a brand I've dabbled with in the past, I've made delicious smoothies using their coconut water but haven't had a chance to use the Coconut Oil just yet so I was really happy to be able to give this a try. I love that it has so many uses, you can use it in the bath to soften skin, remove make-up (really!), as a natural energy boost when mixing it into coffee, softening hands and feet, a hair rescue treatment or for cooking. I think I'm going to try using it for cooking as a replacement for either vegetable oil or butter, and perhaps in my hair. I've heard really amazing things about coconut oil - plus its super healthy for you - can't really go wrong can you?!

So there's the lowdown on February's Birchbox - do any of you guys subscribe to Birchbox? What did you think of this months box?! - would love to hear from you!

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060 : January Favourites

Can you believe its Febuary already?! The last month flew by and I planned to blog way more than I did last month, but life just got in the way, so much happened last month I feel utterly exhausted. January saw the arrival of my very beautiful niece, Ella Gracie. She was born four weeks early but she's been an amazing way to start the new year. She's super tiny and super cute! Over the last few months there have been so many products that I've loved, it was so tough narrowing them all down to my absolute favourites, hope you enjoy!

(Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm - £36)

I'm definitely a little late to the party with this little beauty, I know its been a favourite of both Zoe (aka Zoella) and Tanya for a really long time now. I bought it on an absolute whim, I spied it in my local Debenhams and having thought I could only get it online, couldn't resist. I absolutely love it. I've been using cleansing balms for a while but this has been my absolute go-to cleansing product, I've used it every day since I bought it and its a product I can see myself buying again and again. It smells beautiful and leaves my skin feeling really soft and refreshed, as well as removing every teeny scrap of make-up. I really like that it comes with a flannel, one side is super soft and the other side is a muslin which gives a really gentle exfoliation. I don't think I've ever loved a cleanser as much as this!

 (Vichy Idealia Life Serum 30ml - £29.50)

I've been using the Vichy Idealia Moisturiser for a while now and it's a product I've really loved, it smells absolutely amazing (even my boyfriend ended up using half of my last jar!) and leaves my skin moisturised all day. I bought the Idealia Life Serum to use under my moisturiser, it's really brightened my skin and tightened up my pores, it's amazing on those days where you don't just feel tired, you look it. It definitely makes me look more awake and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed enough to face the day. Plus, it smells just as good as the moisturiser! 

(Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede Cologne - £82/100ml)

This was actually a Christmas gift from my boyfriend. It's a really beautiful, classic scent, described by Jo Malone as 'Luxurious and Seductive' - it's one of the fragrances that always gets tons of compliments. If you like floral, flirty perfumes, you'll love this. I'm going to be absolutely gutted when this runs out!

 (Chanel Jardin De Chanel Blush Camélia Roseé - £36)

Blush is the one product that I tire of really quickly, I tend to chop and change them quite quickly and regularly. I've been using the Shimmer Bricks by Bobbi Brown and a few different Mac blushers until I picked up this gorgeous little lacquered compact by Chanel. It's the first piece of Chanel make-up I've bought and I'm sure it won't be the last. It features two shades, a soft pink and a deeper hue in a stunning raised classic Camelia motif. It's such a luxurious blush, it looks absolutely stunning on when the two shades are blended together. It lasts all day too, even after tears and post-lunch snoozes, it stayed right in place. And the smell, I cannot get over the scent of this, it smells stunning, its a really floral, feminine scent. It comes with a little brush which I haven't used as its a little too small, but can imagine it'd be great for travelling. It's limited edition too, so snap it up quick!

 (Bare Minerals Lash Domination Mascara - £17)

I bought this mascara on a little bit of a whim and I absolutely love it. It's a really intense black which lengthens, seperates and curls my lashes. It doesn't smudge, clump or stick my eyelashes together, plus it contains nourishing minerals and quinoa to keep lashes healthy and has a spiralled brush for curling around each lash, so you get a nice even coat of product. Two coats of this beauty and I'm ready to go!

 (Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Balm Perfector - Rose/£18)

 I was really excited to see the launch of these new Clarins balms, I really loved the original Lip Perfectors and I think I love these even more. The first one I picked up was Rose, its a gorgeous, neutral shade. I also picked up Coral and My Pink. My Pink has to be my absolute favourite of the three that I bought, its such a pretty, shimmery shade. It's one of those shades that has just enough colour to not look overpowering. They're really plumping and give my lips a beautiful shape. The only down side is they taste so good it's almost impossible not to lick it off!

Have you tried any of the above products? What did you guys think?!

 

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059 : Review - Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub

Lush Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub - £8.75/300g

I absolutely love Lush. I adore all their products (Rose Jam Bubbleroon anyone?), the sweet scents and seeing my sons cooing over swirls of gorgeous colours and glitter in bowls of warm water. I recently picked up the Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub on a bit of a whim, I actually went in for bath bombs but realised it's all I ever buy from there. I am besotted with this product, literally besotted. I've used a lot of different body scrubs over the years, I just love having super soft smooth skin and Rub Rub Rub definitely delivers. I use this on my legs before getting the bath, rubbing a generous amount of this sea salty goodness in and smoothing it all over. It's quite abrasive but once its washed off, my legs feel utterly divine and smell absolutely delicious. The only qualm I've ever had with body scrubs is that they don't keep you smooth and exfoliated for days afterwards. But this does. My skin has never been so beautifully soft, with no real need to moisturise afterwards. I'd buy this again, again and again. Plus, you can use it on your hair too. Multifuctional products are always a winner in my book! Whats your favourite Lush product?!

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058 : 2015 Goals & Resolutions

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a good one, what did everyone get up to? I had a really quiet one and watched movies in bed with the boyfriend (no longer a Tinderella!) and we were asleep by 12.30! New Years are always a good time to reflect on the past twelve months and make new goals for the upcoming year. For regular readers of my blog, you know that 2014 was pretty bad for me, it was honestly one of the worst years I've ever had. After suffering a severe relapse of depression and going through a horrible break-up, I lost an awful lot and really struggled to get myself to a place where I felt content. I'm happy to say that I am feeling better, but still have days where I really struggle and find it difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The past year has made it easier for me to set goals for the upcoming year, that being said.. here's a few of them...

1. Be the best mother I possibly can.
I became a mother aged 18. I had Alfie almost 8 years ago and Oliver 4 years ago. It was a huge learning curve for me and looking back on those last 8 years, I wish I'd had more faith in myself to know I could be an amazing parent. My sons are the absolute center of my world and this year I really want to fill them with positivity, creativity and the belief they can do anything they set their little hearts on.

2. Save, save, save.
I really, really want to save a lot of money when I can this year. My boyfriend and I are hoping to own our own house in the next few years and we really need to pull together as much as we can for a deposit. I've always been one of those people who spends as soon as they get, I'm absolutely terrible when it comes to tightening the purse strings so this is going to be a massive challenge for me. I'd really love for us to have our own space that we can do whatever we want to do with it (so many beautiful homes on Pinterest!) I think it'll be my motivation for not buying everything in that Limited Edition Mac collection that I just really don't need.

3. Blog More.
When I first started writing Blush & Belle (it was actually a new years resoultion two years ago!) I was blogging a fair bit, but the last few months I've been so slack, between working and juggling friendships, relationships and family life - it's been almost impossible to update my blog on a really regular basis. It's something I'm absolutely determined to commiting myself to over the next year and the coming years. I adore blogging and love updating with new content, so this one is a pretty big one for me.

4. Worry Less.
I've always been a massive worrier, I have no idea why. I constantly worry about the tiniest things and get myself worked up into a little tizzy over nothing. I really want to relax more, think more clearly and more realistically to help overcome my anxiety and have a more positive outlook on life.

5. Get Healthy.
I know a lot of people have this as their new years resolution - to fight off the post Christmas/New Year Bulge, its a little cliche but I really want to get fit and healthy this year. I definitely need to cut out fizzy drinks and chocolate, plus I eat enough bread to sink a ship! I really want to be more creative when it comes to cooking, making more home cooked, healthy dinners and not skipping breakfast so often!

So, those are my goals for this year. Hopefully I'll be able to achieve all of them! What do you guys hope to achieve for 2015? Did you all achieve your goals from last year? I'd love to know!

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