Tasty treat...

Hey dolls,

Hope you're all having a fabulous Bank Holiday. Just thought I'd do a little post on this yummy shower gel I found recently whilst perusing the toiletries section in ASDA.

ASDA Essential Care Moisturising Honey & Vanilla Shower Gel

275ml/£1

I'm a total sucker for cute packaging along with anything vanilla fragranced BUT this completely surprised me when I used it in the shower as it smelt like a Terry's chocolate orange!!

Now that's what I call a tasty treat.

xoxo

Aussie Awesomeness

Hey there beauts,

As promised, here's my review on some fabulous Aussie products I purchased recently.

My local Boots had an offer on: 2 for £6, so I decided upon the Frizz Miracle shampoo and conditioner along with the Miracle Hair Insurance leave in conditioner... really I should have taken advantage of the 2 for £6 offer and bought another item but nevermind!!

I chose the 'Frizz Miracle' range in the hope it would tame my mane; I have naturally curly hair, plenty of it but it's very fine and quite weak. Usually by 10.30am after a long walk to work come rain or shine I have big kinks *boo*

This really was time to put these products to the test...

Bottom: shampoo
Top: conditoner

As soon as I popped the top off these gems I fell in love with the scent, it's scrumptious! The Frizz Miracle range contains Australian Blue Gum Leaves from the Australian Eucalyptus tree (Blue gum eucalyptus oil is steam-distilled from the leaves and bark of the tree) which leaves hair feeling inredibly soft and silky and smelling fabulously fresh. I could still smell the scent the next day which was a definite plus :)

I use the leave in conditioner after shampooing and conditioning my hair, it's become my little shield. Miracle Hair Insurance is my new fave hair product and promises to protect your hair from everyday wear and tear.

My hair is now a lot smoother, virtually kink-free all day and gradually becoming stronger. I've noticed less hair falling out too when I brush my hair so these products DO exactly what they say on the tin.

If you have any more Aussie delights that you would recommend, please let me know

xoxo

Nailene goodies

Hey guys,

Hope you're all winding down from the weekend and having a relaxing Sunday evening.

Just thought I'd give you a bit of an update on my latest obsession... Nailene falsies!!

As I was off for a family soiree to celebrate my recent birthday I decided to hotfoot it down to Boots to preen my nails before hand.

Here's a peek at the goodies I picked up:

Nailene So Natural falsies in 71000 and Nailene Super Glue 77056

So... for under £10 I now have the perfect manicure!

Although I have read lots of reviews on the internet about the Nailene Super Glue not having the lasting power it states, I beg to differ (this is my 2nd bottle). I've truly put my nails to the test this weekend from doing household chores to fiddly tasks like the car boot - not a single nail has budged out of place! The only down side for me is the bubbles that have appeared under my nails which I think is a result of using too little glue?!

I'm really pleased with the outcome - they only took around 10 minutes to apply and DON'T damage the natural nail like Acrylic nails and Gel nails do.

The false nail market has become so popular in the last few years that there are literally hundreds of designs, lengths and shapes to choose from. I'm thrilled that people with 'petite' fingers like myself are now being catered for and are able to purchase nails that fit without having to file them down to size.

As I'm going to be heading to New York in a couple of weeks I'm definitely going to be on the lookout for more Nailene goodies especially the 7123o's as tried and tested by the lovely Milly - they look perfect for doing nail art designs. If you've seen them available in the UK please let me know where.

Thanks for reading

xoxo

OOTD

Hello cherubs,

hope you are all having a fabulous Saturday. As I'm off out for a family meal later I thought I'd share with you my OOTD...

Head band - George at ASDA

Off the shoulder top - ASOS

Butterfly Belt - Pop Boutique, Liverpool

Leggings - River Island

Flats - George at ASDA

Thanks for reading!

Hannah

xoxo

Lush Haul

Hey darlings,

hope you are all having a relaxing Sunday and have enjoyed your weekends! Just thought I'd do a little post showing you some items I picked up at Lush when I went shopping yesterday...

Enjoy xoxo


From left to right: Heavenilli massage bar, The Comforter, Blooming Beautiful gift set, French Kiss, Bubblegum lip sugar scrub, Mrs Whipy, Dorothy and Ickle Baby Bot.

Grand total: £31.40

Item # 1 - Heavenilli massage bar
RRP £5.10/55g

Packed with vanilla absolute this little beauty is to die for!! Vanilla is one of my all time favourite scents, and to have a sensual massage after a long week in work is the perfect way to wind down. Heavenilli provides plenty of moisture and leaves skin feeling soft, smooth and scented with vanilla... this really is LUSH.

Item #2 - The Comforter bubble bar
RRP £3.95/200g

The Comforter really is berry-fantastic, you can't beat this bubble bar. This bubble bar is the epitome of my favourite concepts about Lush: pretty design, brightly coloured, sweetly scented and creates lots of bubbles. The Comforter is great value for money - it's huge. I usually break it in half if I want an extra bubbly bath but otherwise if I wan't fewer bubbles it'll last for 3-4 baths.

Item #3 Blooming Beautiful gift set
RRP £6.95

Blooming Beautiful is the PERFECT gift for the ultimate girly girl, and will be received with great happiness! Firstly the packaging, did I mention how freakin cute it is?! It's flower power to the max. Containing two of Lush's most popular bath items: Think Pink bath ballistic and Pop in The Bath bubble bar - this will not fail as a present. It's ideal if you want a cheap but thoughtful gift for a friend plus they'll also receive 10% off with the voucher inside the box. 2 for the price of 1, not bad eh?!


Item #4 - French Kiss bubble bar
RRP £3.85/100g

French Kiss smells A-MAZING!! It contains lavender absolute and thyme oil which create the perfect bathing ambience for sleepy heads. Pop this in your bath before you head to bed and I ensure you'll be guaranteed a great nights sleep. The sprig of lavender popping out of the top is so cute too and will look great in any bathroom.


Item #5 - Bubblegum lip scrub
RRP £4.50/25g

Hooray!! Lush has a product that is edible. After years of scents that smell good enough to eat - they have developed a product that we CAN actually eat hehe...

Alongside Bubblegum there are two other lip scrubs in the range: Sweet Lips and Mint Julips.

'Bubblegum' is the perfect pink - scented like the infamous Snow Fairy this scrub is liplicious! I'm a newbie to lip exfoliants but this product has totally converted me. I'm that impressed I'll definitely be purchasing the other two lip scrubs.

Exfoliating your lips is important because it removes dead skin and it helps to keep them kissably smooth (whilst also avoiding sore cracked lips) - after using Lush's lip scrubs you can lick away the sugariness then coat your lips with Vaseline for the perfect pout!

Item # 6 - Mrs Whippy bath ballistic
RRP £2.50/90g


As you all know I lurvee Mrs Whippy, and am delighted it's not just another limited edition product! Mrs Whippy is what I would consider to be one of my ultimate fave Lush products.

The only downfall with this is: it's a bath ballistic - whilst I love bath ballistics I just wish they created some bubbles. Bath time for me is all about bubbles (lol)! Apart from that the colour of the water is mulled grey/pink shade... I'd prefer it to be a bright pink but that's just personal preference.

The scent is amazing, just like strawberries and milk. I'm partial to a Mr Whippy on a hot summers day so why not add Mrs Whippy in to the mixture for a hot summers eve and a lovely relaxing soak?! I think Mrs Whippy's best asset is the pink crystals resembling raspberry syrup swirled over the top.

Item # 7 - Dorothy bubble bar
RRP £2.80/100g

For me this product is a huge let-down. I read the ingredients (ylang ylang, orange blossom absolute and sweet figs) and thought it would smell amazing but it really just didn't do anything for me. It smells chemical like, has anyone else noticed that? I like the bright colours and cute design though so I'm hoping when I use Dorothy in the bath it'll smell a bit better.

Item # 8 - Ickle Baby Bot bath ballistic
RRP £1.75/65g

Baby bot is adorable, and I'm sure many kids will agree he makes the perfect bath time buddy! Scented with lots of chamomile and lavender he is exactly what dreams are made of. He is definitely a great therapeutic ballistic.

Hannah xx

** Images accredited to Lush **

Xen Tan review

Hello poppets...


Alas my long awaited Xen Tan review is finally here, as some of you may know I did order these products a while ago but was scammed by So Special *sad face*, however I have since re-purchased these and can now offer my two pence about my Xen Tan experience.

So, after little consideration I decided the ‘Dark Lotion’ range was the one for me; a self-confessed tanning junkie - this was sure to be my no1 choice. Having seen many a blog review about these bad boys I was more than ready to become a bronzed-babe.

The products I purchased were Xen Tan dark lotion, Xen Tan face tanner luxe, and of course the body scrub. I bought the dark lotion and body scrub as a package on eBay for £29.95 and was très impressed with the discount!
Along with my Xen Tan trio I also used Avon’s Natural almond & milk body lotion (99p).

The key to a long wearing summer tan is hydration and moisture, with these little beauties containing emollients and oils that are very hydrating and moisturising you will get a very long lasting tan.

My method for application was:
shower
scrub
moisturise body and face
dark lotion
face tanner luxe

Those lovelies at Xen Tan recommend the Dark Lotion as a weekly self-tan however I succumbed to this Marzipan marvel and applied it for 3 consecutive days to build up the tan. The Luxe face tanner has now become a part of my evening skin care ritual and is now my new BFF taking pride and place on my bedside table.



Product #1 – Xen Tan dark lotion

I absolutely love the Dark Tan lotion, having used St Tropez lotion in the past I felt comfortable enough to dive in at the deep end and apply this rich brown lotion to my fair skin. The lotion was much thicker than St Tropez which was a surprise but I definitely found it was a benefit as it helped the product to spread evenly without streaks and also meant I used less product. I used disposable polythene gloves for application instead of using a mitt and rubbed the lotion in using small circular motions (I find by using a mitt it actually absorbs more product than your skin does). Polythene gloves are also much better than latex gloves as they’re
a) cheaper
b) easier to apply tan with
c) don’t soak up any of the product

The colour was instant and gradually developed more in the hours that followed.

Product #2 – Face Tanner Luxe

The second I popped open this tiny treasure it was love at first sniff – it smells divine just like a vanilla pod!!
Xen Tan have amazed me so much, they have made self-tanning a pleasant experience with their scrumptious scented products.
I have never used a separate face tanner before and have always just used the same lotion as what I applied to my body so I thought this might be a bit of trial and error...

At first I was uber sceptical about this product as it was olive coloured, and I wondered how tanned my face would actually be. I quickly referred back to Milly’s blog as I am completely in love with her tan, Milly uses it as part of her evening facial routine – so that’s exactly what I did!
Another surprise for me was the consistency of this tan as I was expecting it to be similar to the lotion, however on application it had more of a gel/serum texture. My face felt like a babies bottom afterwards and there was no trace of a sticky residue. The colour developed overnight and I washed it off the following morning.

This is the product blurb from Xen Tan:
‘In response to the growing demand for nourishing facial tanners, we've developed FACE TANNER LUXE. New and advanced FACE TANNER LUXE delivers an instant olive colour for a healthy glow in seconds, whilst its skin-loving formula nourishes your skin. FACE TANNER LUXE builds an intense olive tan with an extra boost of active tanning ingredient DHA, providing the ultimate natural-looking deep tan. With Vitamin E, Ginkgo Biloba, Shea butter and anti-oxidants, its gentle moisturising formula is ideal for everyday use.’

Product #3 – Body scrub

This scrub is amazing, although it is a little pricey I would re-purchase. For me a good body scrub has to be ‘grainy ‘and really make it feel as though I’ve shed a layer of dead skin when I step out of the shower, gross I know! Perhaps it was the minty freshness of this scrub that added to the feeling of being super fresh and clean but the beads are great at getting rid of dead skin without being too abrasive. I used an exfoliating glove with about 2 pumps each approx the size of a 10p piece, this was enough for my entire body. For my face I used my Neutrogena daily exfoliating wash as featured in my skin care post.

Xen Tan step 1, 2 & 3...

*voila*

Exhibit A:


Thanks for reading dolls

xoxo

Getting to know Hannah Louise [tag]

Hey loves...

Whilst perusing through one of my fave bloggers posts I came across this great tag game so decided to give it a whirl...

Hope you all have a fab weekend

Hugs & Kisses

xoxo

What time did you get up this morning?

Ermm... about 7.15 (for a work day I overslept hehe)

2. How do you like your steak?
Medium rare
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Sex & The City 2 with my gal pal Kayla
4. What is your favorite TV show?
Eastenders, it's a no brainer!
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Los Angeles or perhaps a deserted island

6. What did you have for breakfast?

Special K cereal bar, it was food on the go for me - usually I have Rice Krispies because I have a wheat allergy and can't eat much else

7. What is your favorite cuisine?
I love experimenting in the kitchen with different ingredients, but my favourite has to be Greek and Jamaican
8. What foods do you dislike?
Hmm I can't stand tuna or salmon, I really don't eat fish at all. I have a phobia about poultry on the bone LOL weird huh, but I can't eat chicken wings, legs, thighs etc. Oh and custard too!!
9. Favorite place to eat?
Burger King, KFC, Cafe Rouge
10. Favorite dressing?
Not a dressing as such but I love peppercorn sauce on steaks
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
I don't drive, but my dream car is a Mini cooper :)
12. What are your favorite clothes?
I tend to go for staple items, you can't beat a good fitting pair of jeans, and underwear it's essential of course!
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
Cook Islands, Maldives, Mauritius, Dubai, Oman... the list goes on
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
Half full, you gotta look on the bright side of life ladies

15. Where would you want to retire?
In a very HOT country
16. Favorite time of day?
If it's a week day then it's clocking off time at work (5pm)

17. Where were you born?
Stockport, Greater Manchester, UK
18. What is your favorite sport to watch?
Football
19. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Everyone!

20. Bird watcher?
Nope
21. Are you a morning person or a night person?
A night person, I feel more relaxed in the evenings
22. Do you have any pets?
No, my baby pooch died in January *sad face*
23. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share?
I'm headed to New York in just over 4 weeks woohoo

24. What did you want to be when you were little?
A successful business woman or a pilot
25. What is your best childhood memory?
Having so much fun and so little responsibility, playing out, school, just generally living life to the max
26. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dogs definitely - I'm allergic to cats
27. Are you married?
Nope!
28. Always wear your seat belt?
Yes, unless I'm in a taxi/abroad
29. Been in a car accident?
Thankfully no
30. Any pet peeves?
I have very little tolerance for bullies - such cruel people. My other pet peeves are the tax prices in the UK hehe
31. Favorite Pizza Toppings?
Pepperoni

32. Favorite Flower?
Tulips, Lillies and snapdragons
33. Favorite ice cream?
Cookie dough is deelish

34. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Burger King

35. How many times did you fail your driver's test?
See Q11

36. From whom did you get your last email?
Topshop to confirm an order I placed
37. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Selfriges, they have the most amazing beauty hall
38. Do anything spontaneous lately?
Wow, good question... I had a spontaneous road trip over the weekend (does that count?)
39. Like your job?
Hmm... it's ok.
40. Broccoli?
Love it
41. What was your favorite vacation?
Thailand and Phi Phi Don

42. Last person you went out to dinner with?
I ate Tapas with my Nana to celebrate my birthday

43. What are you listening to right now?
Kim Cattrall on SATC

44. What is your favorite color?
Pink

45. How many tattoos do you have?
One but I want lots more
46. How many are you tagging for this quiz?
It's open to anyone
47. What time did you finish this quiz?
18.03

48. Coffee drinker?
No but Starbucks makes it very appealing!

Sleek 5-Piece Brush Set review!

Hello my little sunshines...

I have a mini-review on the Sleek 5-piece brush set that I ordered recently. I am so obsessed with make-up brushes that these adorable miniature versions were a must-have and they are truly amazing!

RRP: £3.99

I first discovered Sleek through the YouTube/Blogging make-up community and was super excited when I read Milly and Sammi's blog posts about the huge brush belt and brushes that are a part of the professional line. Eyeing up those little beauties for a long time I decided on the mini-version as the professional range isn't available to the public.

Here's the lowdown:

I placed my order on the Monday and by Wednesday they had arrived so I was a very happy bunny. They were very well packaged in two jiffy bags and the P&P charges were reasonable at £2.95. I live in Liverpool which is quite far away from their HQ in London so it was a fast dispatch.


The brushes come in their own little handy travel pouch which makes them perfect for slipping in your handbag and ideal for touch-ups.

They're made from very high quality natural and synthetic fibres which means they are less likely to shed. The bristles are really soft and gentle which was such a surprise because I've bought cheap brushes in the past that turned out to be no good whatsoever.

The 5-piece set comprises of:

Foundation brush (comparable to MAC's 190)
Blusher/Powder brush (comparable to MAC's 129)
Eyeshadow brush
Lip/liner brush
Eyebrow/liner brush


Hannah xoxo