My beautiful Fiorelli Bag from Bagable

It's amazing what things can brighten up your day...I won't go into specifics, but I had an absolutely horrendous Bank Holiday weekend. One thing that did cheer me up though was a little red card through the letterbox telling me I had a parcel to collect from the sorting office.

That parcel was from Bagable who contacted me recently too see if I would like to review one of their gorgeous bags. I browsed the website and was instantly drawn to the Fiorelli bags. I always lust after these when walking through the handbag section of Debenhams when I go shopping.

I chose the Fiorelli Alice Satchel Bag which is beautiful, stylish and very practical. I chose the black colour as its so versatile. Alice will be my go to bag for work and for when I am shopping and out and about.

Alice has a flap over front which locks with a metal turn lock, perfect for keeping all those essential bits and bobs safe inside. On the lock it has the Fiorelli logo which is classic and understated.

Inside there is enough room for all my important daily items, keys, phone, purse, diary etc and at the back there is a secret little compartment for a little bit of spare change or if I want to make sure my phone is secure.

Alice also has a handle on the top as well as a strap for the satchel which makes it even more versatile. Sometimes I like to carry my bag in the crook of my arm, especially if i'm visiting a busy place like London.

On the other side there is another pocket perfect for other knicknacks i'm forever accumulating!
 

If black isn't your colour, Alice also comes in a Dusky Pink, which is perfect for the summer season! Alice is priced at £44.10 which is 10% off the retail price.

Bagable offer free UK delivery (but also post worldwide) and if you place an order before 3pm they dispatch the same day.

Have you checked out Bagable yet? Make sure you take a look at their ranges of purses, luggage bags and backpacks too!

Jelly Button Jewellery Giveaway!

Hi everyone! Hope you all had a lovely sunny Bank Holiday weekend!

I have a special treat for you today! You may remember my post on the amazing jewellery I received & reviewed from Jelly Button Jewellery (If not, you can read it here). 

Well, the lovely Michelle has offered one of my readers a very special prize of a surprise selection of jewellery from her new range!

The photo below gives you an idea of some of the lovely items you could win!

All you have to do to enter is fill in the rafflecopter form below.

Sorry this giveaway is for my UK followers only.

The giveaway will run for two weeks and the winner will have to provide their contact details which will be passed to Jelly Button Jewellery to claim their prize.

All entries will be checked.

Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pandora Charm Wishlist

 

The new collection from Pandora for Spring Summer '13 brings together new florals and romantic fairy-tale inspiration with stunning colours and designs to adorn with true adoration and are sure to charm you like never before - John Greed Jewellery

I am completely in love with Pandora's Spring/Summer collection of charms and even more so with their new Fairytale collection. I am a lover of all things pink, cute and girly so I have put together my dream wishlist from these two collections. How amazing is the Pink Polka Dot Charm? It matches my blog!

 Mouse in the Cup Charm £30

Golden Nightingale Charm £50

Pink Polka Dots Murano Glass Charm £30

Silver Eiffel Tower Charm £40

Castle & Crown Charm £65

Cherry Blossom Murano Glass Charm £30

 What do you think to the new Pandora Charm collections? Do you collect the charms?

*all charm photos are from John Greed Jewellery

Aruba Bar & Restaurant Bournemouth

Now that the sun has decided to show its face a little, I thought it would be the best time to tell you about my favourite bar/restaurant to visit when it's lovely outside.

Aruba is situated on pier approach in Bournemouth, it has an amazing holiday feel to it with tropical trees, beautiful lanterns hanging from the ceiling and great holiday style music.

"Serving a vibrant, fusion international menu from 9am to 11pm daily.  Aruba’s interior is a stylish beach haven; highlights include a sun terrace, day beds, swing seats, snug, tropical palm trees, cocktail bar, and al fresco and indoor open and private dining areas. The venue boasts glorious 180 degree ocean views taking in the pier and the sandy beach. Located at the base of the pier, you won’t find much more of a central Bournemouth location than this" - Tastecard

 There is a balcony with a swing chair which looks over the pier and out to the sea and you can see over to Swanage. It's so pretty when the sun starts to go down and you can see all the lights start to appear.

Another reason why I love to visit Aruba so much is the food and drink. I recently visited after work with one of my work colleagues for dinner.

You may spy the Tastecard in the photos below. Aruba participate in the Tastecard scheme and if you visit during the week (not Friday) you can get 50% off food!

For my drink I chose the Chocolate Brownie Cooler which has chocolate brownie chunks, chocolate sauce and cream! Doesn't it look amazing!

For my main I had the Aruba Burger which is a char-grilled beef burger on a multi seed bun served with bacon, cheese, salad, relish and fries. So good!

Have you visited Bournemouth before or been to Aruba?

*first image from Aruba

*second image from Tastecard  

Beautiful Brushes from Nanshy

 Having used Real Techniques brushes for a long time now I thought I would never find another brush I would like as much, but whilst recently browsing for a Kabuki brush (one I have never owned before) a brand called Nanshy caught my eye.

 Nanshy pride themselves in acquiring what they would consider the most affordable cosmetic products coupled with superior customer service.
Nanshy wanted to be different and focused their attention on creating affordable high quality cosmetic products that are uniquely different to what is already seen out in the make up market.

I was instantly drawn to their new Kabuki brush range, mainly because I am pink obsessed and this brush is completely adorable! It's made from soft synthetic hair and is 100% cruelty free! It comes with a short handle for easy storage and better control for creating all over coverage. It's sleek compact design is great for travel or when you're on the go. I'll be popping it into my travel make up bag. I love using it with my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder.

This Kabuki brush retails at £8.95 and can be found here.

 I was also sent this cute little Blending Sponge which at £5.95 is a fraction of the price of the Beautyblender.

This cute little sponge is perfect for applying makeup. Its soft firm design blends foundation on your skin leaving flawless finish. The top narrow part of the sponge allows for dabbing around the hard to reach areas of your face like nose, eyes or any blemishes. The bottom, wider part is used to apply makeup on the larger areas of your face.

 It is available in both Pink and Purple and if you buy both of them together at BeautyStore4u, you can get the second one for £4! 

You can buy Nanshy products at several different outlets including BeautyStore4u, eBay and Amazon.

Have you heard of Nanshy before? What do you think of their brushes?

Top 5 under £5

I've seen this post on a few blogs recently so I thought i'd have a go at it myself! Here are my top 5 make up products which are under £5 each.

 

 

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder RRP £3.99

I love this powder, it creates the perfect matte look and its such a great price too.

Barry M Gelly Paints RRP £3.99

Barry M is one of my favourite brands for polishes, I only ever need one coat and they last for ages before chipping. I love the range of colours especially the Lychee and Greenberry.

Models Own Nail Polishes £5

Models Own are also one of my favourite nail polish brands. They're slightly more expensive than Barry M at £5 each but there are such a great range of colours including glitters. I love their new pastel and neon collections.

Rimmel Kohl Eyeliner pencil in Black £3.99

This pencil is so soft, I love using it to create the perfect sultry look with my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette.

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter £3

This powder creates a natural healthy look which is the perfect pick me up for when I have tired eyes.

What are your top 5 products under £5?

Amie Skincare | New Leaf Skin Exfoliating Polish

As soon as I saw Amie Skincare's products, I knew I would be in love. They have the cutest style of packaging, are not tested on animals and do not contain any Parabens, Mineral Oils, Sulphates, GM Ingredients or Petrochemicals. Their products are also suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

The Amie New Leaf Exfoliating Polish is is a moisturising exfoliating cream wash that cleans deep down into pores removing excess oil and dirt. It is made with 93.8% natural ingredients and contains bamboo and jojoba beads which remove dead skin cells. It also contains mango seed butter which softens and moisurises.

When I first opened the polish there was an amazing smell of mango and orange and the formula is really thick and creamy. I have been using it most days in the shower and have definitely noticed a difference. I suffer with quite sensitive skin (even Johnsons baby wipes, send me out into a rash!) but I found this to be quite soothing rather than drying out my face.

The range was originally created for young, teenage skin (i'm a little older than that!) but has proved popular with all ages, especially as hormonal changes and stress throughout life can cause skin issues such as increased oiliness, spots and acne rosacea.

 Amie is also ideal for people who want an affordable, effective cleansing and moisturising regime using natural ingredients and no harsh or irritating chemicals.

New Leaf retails at £4.95 for 75ml, which I have found is the perfect size for a months use (and the perfect size for popping in your wash bag if you're travelling).

  You can find full Amie range, including the New Leaf Skin Exfoliating Polish on the high street in Waitrose & John Lewis or online at Victoria Health or John Lewis.

Guerlain Rouge Automatique | 168 L'Heure Bleue

I've never really been a lip product person, but every now and then something catches my eye that I really love. I was lucky enough to win this gorgeous Guerlain Rouge Automatique lipstick in the shade 168 L'heure Bleue from Lipcote's Facebook page competition a few months ago now but it has just been sitting in the bottom of my make up bag, unopened and unloved - until today!

This lipstick just oozes quality! The packaging is amazing, as you can see from the photos its encased in gold and you slide the little "G" down to reveal the lipstick. Inside there is another Guerlain logo on the black rim at the base of the lipstick.

L'Heure Bleue is a ruby-shimmered blue-based red with a subtle pinkness. The color payoff is mostly opaque, but there’s an underlying sheerness that gives it a translucent look. It looks quite red in the photo but wears a lovely pink colour and once the initial application wears off it leaves a soft stain behind which is just as pretty. With a coat of lipcote on, i'm sure it will last a lot longer too.

I can't believe i've had this sitting in the bottom of my make up bag for so long and not used it! I'ts definitely going to be at the top from now on!

This lipstick retails for £24.50 and is available to buy from Debenhams.

Burgers & Cocktails | James Street, London

All photos were taken by Jaye

Have I died and gone to heaven? Milkshakes and burgers, my most favourite combination! 

You may remember my post on my little trip to London with Jaye for The Vintage Cosmetic Company Press Day, well after the event we went on mission to find food. One thing I love about Jaye is that as she goes to uni in London, she knows it like the back of her hand. So when she asked me what I wanted to eat, I said burgers and she brought me to Burgers & Cocktails!

Burgers & Cocktails is situated on James Street which is close to Bond Street tube station & Oxford Circus and has a classic diner feel. It was nice to escape from the bustling streets and find somewhere quiet to chat and have good food!

 Firstly, lets talk about the shakes! One word - wow! I chose the Cookies & Cream shake which was made with Oreo cookies, chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream. You just can't beat a milkshake on a nice day. It was so hard not to finish it and order another one!

The food menu at Burgers & Cocktails is quite extensive, firstly you have to choose which kind of burger you would like, beef, turkey, chicken or veggie and then choose your filling (they have everything you could wish for!) I went for the Rodeo chicken burger which had bbq sauce, crispy onion rings, bacon and salsa and oh my god was it good! I added a side order of crinkly fries too to dip in my salsa!

The service was great, the staff were all really chatty and friendly and the food was ready in what seemed like minutes!  

I'll definitely be visiting again when I take my next trip up to London!

Have you ever been to Burgers & Cocktails?

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*image from we heart it - edited by me

Hello followers of Impatience is a Virtue, old & new!

You may have seen on my blog over the last few months that I have been doing a button swap post, well it occured to me recently that not all of you lovely people have blog buttons so I decided to try this blog collection as well as the button swap.

I think its a great way for us to all connect and read each others blogs and it gives me a chance to have a nosy too!
 

In the last blog hop back in March I found some lovely new blogs to read and hopefully this time i'll do the same. If you took part last time you can still take part this time, as it will help create a wider network of bloggers.

I have created a widget below which allows you to leave your blog name and link. This will not be a regular post as there is a weekly blog hop on the #bbloggers chat page but I would love it if you left me a link so I can check out your blog personally. It also gives me the opportunity to get to know other types of blogger as well as beauty bloggers.

There are no official rules, all I ask is that you are a follower of my blog on GFC or Bloglovin (or both!) if you would like to take part!

I look forward to reading your blog!
 

Macadamia Hair | No Tangle Styler Brush, Deep Repair Masque & Healing Oil

Somedays I feel like my hair is lacking that special something, like it's shine has gone and it's in need of a little TLC. I always try to look after my hair, especially as it's getting quite long now and it can be prone to split ends and becoming quite dry.

Macadamia Hair specialise in products which have been specificially created to nourish the hair and scalp leaving your hair feeling naturally beautiful. Macadamia Natural Oil combines many years of experience in hair care with some of the very best natural ingredients for skin and hair.

I was recently sent some products from the Macadamia range to try. Firstly, was the No Tangle Styler Brush which is available in pink and green (you wouldn't even need to guess what colour I chose!) The brush is designed to be gentle to ensure that cuticle damage is minimised which reduces hair breakage and split ends. It is safe to use with hair extensions and for fragile or chemically treated and coloured hair. I have been using this for a few weeks now, even when my hair is wet so that I can minimise unruly kinks that I would usually have to straighten out. When I first saw the product before trying it, I thought that the bristles would be quite hard, but they'll actually really soft and make getting tangles out really painless.

I was also sent the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque which was a one time application that combines macadamia and argan oils with tea tree oil, chamomile oil, aloe and algae extract. The Masque is applied to clean, wet hair for approximately 7 mintues before it is rinsed out. It is an intense treatment which revitalises dry, damaged hair. You can buy the masque in three different sizes 100ml (£12.50) 250ml (£23.95) and 500ml (£36.75). I will be purchasing this for when my hair requires a pick me up as it is only recommended that you use it twice a week. It also smells amazing and I noticed that the scent lingered in my hair for a while after using.

 Finally I was sent the Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment which is available to buy in three different sizes 30ml (£12.95) 125ml (£29.95) and 300ml (£60.00). I was sent a 10ml sample to try which I have been adding to my conditioner when I wash my hair as I find that oils tend to make my hair feel greasy. The oil is suitable for all hair types and helps to create smooth, manageable and shiny hair.

Have you tried anything from the Macadamia Hair range? Or do you use repair masques and oils? If so, which ones?