BEAUTY: HOW I DO MY HAIR!!



Everyone's hair is different and I find it hard to copy tutorials and experiment with my hair. My hair is good, it styles easily and I can curl it or straighten it quite easily. It gets greasy quickly and I have started getting issues with my scalp but apart from that my hair is healthy and considering I haven't had it cut for a while it's not that bad.

I thought i'd share a few products i'm using right now and i've switched up my hair porducts/ tools alot recently.

Shampoo and Conditioner :

I've been using the Loreal Elvive Extraordinary clay range for a little while now, you can see my full review here.  I started having problems with my scalp back in april/may time. I quickly found out that it was product build-up that was irritating my scalp so I stopped using dry-shampoo so much and switched to this shampoo and conditioner combo which worked well for my hair and scalp. I haven't been using it alot recently but my scalps been playing up again so i've introduced it back into my routine. I use it a couple of times a week alongside my other shampoo and conditioner.

I've recently been using the Bedhead TIGI Fully Loaded range* which is a range designed to add volume to your hair. My hair can be abit limp so i've been using this whole range and I love it! The shampoo and conditioner clean my hair really well and leave it feeling so clean and soft. It also smells incredible.

Styling Products: 

Also from the Bedhead Fully Loaded range i've been using the Volume Boosting foam. I can't remember the last time I used a foam but this is lovely and really adds volume to my hair and makes it perfect for styling. I love using this when i'm going to curl my hair.

I have been a huge fan of Lee Stafford's Coco Loco range for a while now. I love the CoConut SPritz*this is such a lovely product. I use it if i'm leaving my hair to dry naturally and sometimes if i'm blow drying it. It leaves your hair smelling amazing and just leaves it more manageable. It detangles and smooths hair.

Also from the Coco Loco range is Blow and Go. *This is a cream product that you apply to damp hair before blow drying. I like using this because it contains heat protection as well as detangles the hair, smooths and de-frizz. It conditions and strengthens the hair too. It's an amazing product, i'm nearly all out and need to repurchase.

To set the hair, whether i've curled it or straightened it i've been reaching for the Bedhead TIGI Fully loaded finishing spray*. It's a really nice firm hold but it's not sticky and doesn't leave your hair all crunchy. I feel that my curls are more voluminous and hold well using this spray. I think it works well to add texture to straight hair too, I really like this product.

Hair Tools:

I love my GHD's I have had them for years and they are amazing, I could never use any other straighteners.

I have a couple of pair of curlers for different types of curl. Recently i've been reaching for my Lee Stafford Coco Loco Long Tong *for that everyday wave/ curl. The long tong has a longer tong(like the name) so it's perfect for all hair lengths. I find this easier to use that most hair curlers.

Recently i've been using the Arconic blow dry brush* which i'm loving!!  This is a curved paddle brush which is designed for medium to long hair. I find it so easy to use. It's a nice weight, not too heavy and very comfortable to hold. I really like blow drying my hair using this brush. It makes the hair really straight but not flat, it adds volume which is amazing and because the paddle is so big you can dry your hair so quickly by using this brush, which I love because drying your own hair is so boring.






 * This blog post contains pr samples. My blog post is honest and my own views. I have not been paid for this blog post.

HEALTH: WORLD HEART DAY WITH HERBALIFE BETA HEART



Today is World Heart Day! It's the biggest global awareness-raising platform for Cardiovascular Disease (CVD). The World Heart Federation is dedicated to leading the global fight against CVD, including heart disease and stroke.

There's lots more information about here on www.worldheartday.org

Today is also the unveiling of Beta Heart which is a new product designed to help lower or maintain blood cholesterol. The Vanilla- Flavored powder contains the key ingredient OatWell oat beta-glucan. Which has been shown to reduce/ maintain blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease.

For more details on Beta Heart and other Herbalife products visit : www.herbalife.co.uk

I thought i'd share a simple recipe for some yummy healthy pancakes which i've added the Beta Heart powder into. These are really easy to make and are healthy alternative to normal pancakes.

First up you will need :
35g of Oats
90g Yogurt - you can use fat free natural yogurt, I prefer Greek Yogurt. You want enough to cover the oats well. you may want to add vanilla essence if your using a plain yogurt. 
2tbsp sweetener 
two eggs 
1 scoop of Beta Heart powder 

First mix together the yogurt and oats and leave in the fridge overnight if possible, if you forget to leave overnight you want to leave it for a good hour or so.

Next up mix in the other ingredients, 2 eggs, sweetener and Beta Heart powder. This is your mixture, it should resemble a batter mix.

Heat your pan and spray some Fry Light to prevent the mix from sticking. You want to heat your pan on a low heat. When the pan is hot use a ladle and pour in your mixture. I tend to do a nice medium size pancake but its up to you whether you prefer a smaller size or larger size.

When one side is golden and the top has started to bubble/ gone yellowish then it's time to flip it over and cook the other side through, this usually doesn't take too long.

Repeat until you've used up all of your batter mix. Serve with whatever topping you like. I love banana and Nutella, it's my favourite pancake topping! What do you have on your pancakes?


Again be sure to check out the World Heart Day and Herbalife website for more information about today and find out what changes you can make to your life to ensure you have a healthy heart.










* this post contains pr samples, I have not been paid for this post. The views are honest and my own.

FOOD: JAMIE'S ITALIAN BIRMINGHAM REVIEW


Last week we were kindly invited along to Jamie's Italian in Birmingham to check out their new menu. We headed into the Bullring and did a spot of shopping and then headed along to Jamie's to refuel!

I've never eaten at Jamie's Italian before so I was very excited to be invited along to review their menu. We arrived for our reservation and was greeted by a very friendly lady who told us our table was just being wiped down and said we could get some drinks at the bar or just take a seat. A couple of minutes later she was back and sat us down at a lovely table for two in the window with a lovely view of the Bullring and St Martins Church. 

We were then greeted by Kiya who was going to be looking after us, she took our drinks order and went through the specials which sounded amazing. We had a choice of menus to look over, the standard menu and a lunchtime super lunch menu. We opted for the normal menu but the Super Lunch menu is very impressive with lots of choice and it's a great value for money. 

I ordered a Berry Blast mocktail and Clint went for an Fresh Apple Lemonade, they were both very refreshing and looked impressive. 

For starter we went for the Fantastic Fried Gnocchi which sounded amazing from the menu and neither of us had tried this before. We decided to share the starter and it was a nice size, not too much but not a small portion. It was so good! I kind of wish we ordered one each but I didn't want to fill myself up before my main. I would choose this starter again!  

For main I went for the Carbonara and added some chicken. This hands down was the best pasta dish I have ever had in my whole entire life! It was so tasty! The portion size was very impressive and there was a good amount of meat and plenty of spaghetti. There was so much flavour, it was delicious. I had to stop myself making 'mmm' noises between each mouthful. It was beautiful and I will probably order it again next time we go because I enjoyed it so so much! 
Clint went for the Porkies pizza which was a very impressive size! In Clints own words 'it went down a treat' he really enjoyed it. We shared some chilli fries which were so good! I dipped them in my pasta. 

For desert we ordered the brownie, we shared this again as we were so full up from our main. The Brownie was served with Salted Caramel Ice cream and chocolate sauce. It was a little too rich for me but Clint really enjoyed it. It was soo gooey which was lovely and the Salted Caramel Ice cream was really nice. 

The restaurant is gorgeous, the layout is good and there is a lovely atmosphere. I had a great time and will be going back to Jamie's in Birmingham again and would recommend it to my friends and family. The food was great and the service was exceptional, every single member of staff that we spoke to was friendly and professional. Kiya was very knowledgeable and an asset to the store, she was really friendly and checked up on us regularly to make sure everything was good! A guy (guessing a manager? ) had checked up on us too and told us our food was on it's way. After our food he came over to see how things were again which was lovely. Overall it was amazing, we had a great time and can't wait to go back. I thought it was going to be really expensive but I think the prices are quite reasonable and they also have an Evening Favourites menu, which is avaliable monday - thursday after 6pm where you can get 3 courses for £18.95 or the super lunch menu is 12- 6pm monday to friday, 2 courses are £10.95 and 3 course £12.95 which is a little more afforable. 
















** We were invited to review the new menu at Jamie's Italian and our food was complimentary. This review is honest and I have not been paid for this feature. We had such an amazing time at Jamie's that I will be going again.


BEAUTY: SPECTRUM BRUSHES - MARBLEOUS SCULPT SET


If you haven't heard of Spectrum Brushes where have you been? I've been a huge fan of Spectrum Brushes for a few years now. They are my absolute favourite brushes and I have quite a few in my collection. They have lots of different sets and amazing colours to choose from.

The quality of the brushes are so good, i've had some of brushes for years and washed them so so many times and they are good as new. I use them loads and have never had any issues with them.
I find the finish you get is amazing, the bristles are so soft and blend so well. I love the eyeshadow brushes, I have so many in my collection and I use them every single day.

This is one of their latest collections, the Marbleous set. I have the Sculpt set* and they also do the Smoke set which is a set of amazing eyeshadow brushes or you can get the whole 12 piece set. The handle is a gorgeous white shade with rose gold detailing and the most gorgeous grey and white bristles, they are just such beautiful brushes.

The Sculpt Collection includes 5 amazing brushes including A00 which is the new Luxe Powder brush, It's so soft and the head is bigger than the other powder brushes.

The Luxe Tapered Sculptor brush C07 is perfect for applying highlighter or setting powder under the eye.

A02 is a new angled foundation brush, I really like an angled brush foundation brush and think you can buff products into the skin really easily.

c02 is a flat contour brush, it's the perfect brush to get that perfect contour. Use your darker products with this brush so your powder / liquid contour and buff in for that bronzed look.

A05 is a precision brush, use this to blend out your products for a flawless finish. I will probably use this as a bronzer / blusher brush too!


All of the brushes are gorgeous and such lovely quality, I am going to order the Marbleous Smoke set next week with my birthday money as they are such gorgeous brushes. Have you tried Spectrum Brushes before?  







*this post contains pr samples, this post is honest and my own words/ views. I haven't been paid for this feature

OUTFIT POST: KHAKI VEST AND CULOTTES


Vest: Primark // Culottes : New Look // Sandals: Primark (old) // Sunnies: Primark // Belt: H&M // Watch: Johnny Loves Rosie* // Choker: Johnny Loves Rosie*

Thought i'd share another outfit post with you guys today. This is an outfit I wore last week just for running about running errands. I went to my parents house to take some outfit photos of my Simply Be dress, which you can check out here.  I love Khaki and I love how it's that perfect transitional shade from summer to autumn. I love culottes they go with everything but are perfect for the hot muggy weather we've been having. It's September now and Autumn is coming up so this is a great transition outfit, you could easily pop on a pair of pumps and a chunky cardigan for those colder days. I'm looking forward to Autumn but i'm not ready for summer to be over. I'm looking forward to wearing coats again though!









BEAUTY: CLARINS BB SKIN DETOX FLUID REVIEW




So, i've been using the Clarins BB Skin Detox Fluid pretty much every single day since it came through my letter box! I've been so impressed with it that it's easily become my everyday foundation. 
I have to say i'm a huge Clarins fan and I love using their skincare and make up. I'm not normally a fan of BB creams however I found this to be unlike a BB cream. 

The formula is quite thick for a BB cream but it blends into the skin so easily and effortlessly. It blends really well and doesn't leave your skin patchy. The coverage is so good but still natural, I still use a concealer under my eye and on my blemishes but there's so need to sweep your face in concealer because the coverage is good and will cover any redness / uneven skin tone. The product leaves the skin feeling so hydrated and radiant and it lasts all day. It dries into the skin fast as well which means you can apply your bronzer and other products pretty much straight away. 

I apply the product with a stippling style brush however the website tells you to apply with your hands. It says to let the product melt into your hands and apply and then pat into the skin however I didn't like the finish when I applied it this way. I found using my usual foundation brush works well for me. I think if you use a beauty blender this would work well too! I like that this product has a pump and I really love the packaging! 

You can pick this up from your local Clarins counter or via the website here, Clarins RRP: £30 





* This post contains pr samples, I have not been paid for this post.

OUTFIT POST: LOVEDROBE DIAMOND PRINT SKATER DRESS



DRESS: LOVEDROBE AT SIMPLY BE * // BELT: H&M // SANDALS: PRIMARK(OLD) // SUNGLASSES : PRIMARK // CHOKER: JOHNNY LOVES ROSIE * // WATCH: JOHNNY LOVES ROSIE*

Another outfit post!! I've been trying to get back into outfit posts for a little while now. The weathers been lovely recently so there's really no excuse apart from I just haven't had the time. 

Today i'm wearing this skater dress from Simply Be, I thought i'd team it with a tan plaited belt and some little tan sandals and think it looks so good. The dress is a light chiffon material and has a black underskirt layer. Simply Be have lots of other plus size skater dresses on their website as well as this one. I have been a huge fan of skater dresses for a long time as they always look flattering on my body shape. I've got big boobs and big legs/bum so think the skater style suits me. I wear a lot more body-con and fitted styles now that i've lost weight but I still feel a skater style suits my shaping. I love the cold shoulder style of this dress and think it's so flattering, I really want to add a few more cold shoulder style tops/ dresses to my wardrobe (late to the bandwagon) I wasn't sure about the colouring of this dress when I un-packaged it however I think it looks so much better on and I think with a decent tan it would look incredible. The colours are actually perfect transition shades and will be perfect for Autumn. You could easily pop a pair of tights and a chunky knit cardigan over the top of this dress and pair it with some suede effect chelsea boots!! 

I've popped on another new choker from Johnny Loves Rosie which I love, I think chokers just add a little something to an outfit. I feel it makes the dress more boho style and would be a perfect festival outfit. I'd team the dress with some suede effect cowboy style boots and a tassel bag for that ultimate festival vibe! 









OUTFIT POST: RUFFLE OFF THE SHOULDER

Bodysuit: Simply Be* // Jeans: New Look // Shoes: Primark // Watch: Johnny Loves Rosie * // Belt: Primark // Sunglasses : Quay Australia // Choker: Johnny Loves Rosie*

I wasn't really sure what to wear yesterday as the forecast was cloudy with a chance of rain, so I thought i'd wear my jeans. I've been wanting to wear my new bodysuit from Simply Be and I think it looked great with my skinny jeans. 

I had a busy day planned yesterday, I had a pretty chilled morning and got lots of blogging done and then popped into town with Clint to pick up a few bits. I then headed to my cousins house with my mom as it was her birthday and then went to Nandos for dinner with my mom. 

I took these photos with Clint at about 2pm and it was rather miserable and windy however the rest of the day was lovely and the sun came out. 

I love this ruffle off the shoulder bodysuit and think its so flattering, you could easily dress it up or down depending on what look you were going for. This was a great day to night outfit and was casual enough for visiting my family and then heading out for dinner with my mom on the evening. I knew my new Johnny Loves Rosie choker would look perfect with the off the shoulder top and it looked so good! I love that the gold choker is separate to the black tie choker so you can wear them separately or together. I think a choker just adds a little something to a basic outfit like this. The gold detailing on the choker goes great with my new watch which is also by Johnny Loves Rosie. i've been wearing it so much, it''s such a classic everyday style.

I'm hoping to get back on top of outfit posts as I know I haven't posted one for a little while. 








* this post contains pr samples, I have not been paid for this post