Harry Potter Studio Tour

I'd just like to start this post by thanking everyone for their lovely responses to my last post. Reading all your kind messages on Twitter and Instagram has made me feel so much more confident about coming back to blogging and it was so wonderful to hear that my post had helped other people in my situation seek help. So honestly thank you so much, from the bottom of my heart.

Since my previous post got the bad part of the last year out of the way, I feel as though it’s time to share one of the high points of 2016! In July I was lucky enough to go on the WB Studio Tour London to see the studios where Harry Potter was filmed!!!!!

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a die-hard Potter fan so when I managed to get tickets for a time myself and Joshua would be off I was over the moon! We stayed in Watford (which is where the studios actually are) for a weekend in July and on the Saturday, we grabbed the shuttle bus from Watford station to the tour!

Now the shuttle bus itself was exciting enough, painted to look like the Night Bus from Prisoner of Azkaban, but as we reached the studio warehouses I nearly fainted. Outside, underneath the giant WB sign, were the living chess pieces from The Philosophers Stone – although they were slightly less living when I saw them.

The Chess pieces were just the start of the magic. As we entered the first warehouse we could see the Ford Anglia from Chamber of Secrets dangling from the ceiling as well as Harry’s room under the stairs from the Dursley’s house. However, my absolute favourite part of the entrance has to be the flying key sculpture, I’m not ashamed to say I may have shed a tear when I first laid eyes on it!

I don’t want to give too much away about the tour just in case anyone wants to go so I’ll skip the entry chunk of the tour, but to anyone who has been before OMG how amazing is it!?

After the section of the tour that must not be named (see what I did there) we got to see The Great Hall as well as other amazing sets from the movies, including Hagrid’s Hut, Dumbledore’s Office and Snape’s Classroom – complete with self-stirring potions! I also saw Umbridge’s Office and had to resist the urge to go kick over her chair but I must say I admire the old bird’s love for all things pink and cat related.

After we completed the first section of the tour we stopped for some lunch in the outside dining area. Even the food was amazing! I had Thai fishcakes and noodles and Josh had a burger and we both had our first taste of Butterbeer! In my opinion it tastes like a cream soda float which I love, however Josh wasn’t as keen as it just tasted like sugar to him.

While we were sat in the court yard we could see the actual Night Bus from the films, The Dursley’s House set, Tom Riddle’s Grave and the Potter’s House at Godrick’s Hollow (that definitely brought more than one tear to my eye). It was really weird to see so many sets, that had always been real places in my mind, all sat in one court yard together.

After lunch, we went onto the section of the tour that contains all the magical creatures, costumes and animatronics. It was amazing to see all the effort that had gone in to making these wonderful creatures and characters come to life in the movies, but I may have ran away screaming after seeing a life sized Aragog hanging from the ceiling!

After that we saw all the original art work and sculptures from the films as well as a gigantic model of Hogwarts which, again, may have left me with mascara running down my face!

None of this though could compare with turning a corner and coming face-to-face with THE Hogwarts Express. As we entered the platform smoke billowed out of the chimney as the train sounded it’s horn and for a second I genuinely believed that I was about to board the train and start my life a real wizard. Unfortunately, the train remained where it was but I did get a pretty awesome Hogwarts Express ornament from the station shop!

Speaking of shops the main gift shop was AMAZING! It contained a replica of Ollivander’s where you go to have your wand choose you…or grab a replica of your favourite characters if you were feeling less adventurous. It also stocked essential goodies in all of the house colours, so being the natural Ravenclaw that I am, I had to get the standard blue school tie.

There was also a Honeydukes sweet shop in there stocking everything from Fainting Fancies to Chocolate Frogs – which fortunately did not have one (or any) good jumps in them. Myself and Josh came out with baskets absolutely stuffed full of wizarding goodies and I daren’t even admit just how many Galleons I spent in there!

It really was the most magical day of my life and I haven’t shut up about how amazing it was since! We’re planning on going back again sometime this year so stay tuned for more pictures, which you can see first by following my Instagram - @alicelouisealk.

Have you ever been to the Studio Tours? Or are you planning a trip in the future? Let me know in a comment below!

Alice x

Hello again

Hello! It’s been a long time since my last post on here and I’ve been trying to find a way to put into words the reason for my absence for quite some time now. I think the best thing I can do is to just jump right in so here it goes, I have been pretty ill.

Now I don’t mean ill as in throwing up or coughing or in any way that you would be able to see, I mean mentally. Now I know a lot of people that write blogs have mental illnesses and it’s thanks to their strength that I’m here writing this post today.

I don’t want to go in to the full back story of what caused me to be the way I am as I would like this blog to be a way for me to focus on my future and aid in my recovery. However, I would like to talk about what’s happened to me over the last year.

For a few years prior to now I’d been feeling really low and struggled to control my emotions (something I’ve mentioned in previous posts). I’d struggled with depression in the past but thought I was magically all better since I didn’t cry every day and ignored what my brain was trying to tell, I now know that’s not how mental illness works. Then around this time last year all of these issues came to a peak.

I was stood on a platform waiting for my train to arrive and I remember waiting there and thinking about jumping onto the tracks, apologies for being blunt but it is how it is. I remember calculating where I’d have to jump from for the train to still be going fast enough to kill me before it pulled into station. I was stood not far from the car park and it was like something just snapped in my head and I just ran away from the track and started crying in one of the stations bathrooms. That was the day I realised that something really wasn’t right.

It took another few weeks for me to speak to my boyfriend and tell him how bad things had gotten in my head, but it was the best decision I’ve ever made as he then encouraged me to go see a doctor, I was reluctant at first but after he showed me the statistics of how many people actually see a doctor for these kinds of things I felt more calm about the situation, knowing I wasn’t the only person in the world that had thoughts like this really helped.

I was fortunate enough to be seen by a wonderful doctor who took the time to sit and listen to how I was feeling and soothed me while I sobbed that ‘nothing was wrong with me and I have a good life I shouldn’t be like this’.

Dr Smith (name withheld for privacy reasons) explained that sometimes little things can build up when we don’t deal with them straight away which seemed to have been the cause of my depression reappearing with a vengeance and she also diagnosed me with a social anxiety disorder, meaning I struggle to deal with certain social situations leading me to have panic attacks – which have been regular this past year.

I was put on anti-anxiety medication along with anti-depressants and was also given the details of a service called ‘First Step’ that helps to put you in touch with local counselling service in your area who I now speak to regularly. They helped give me the strength to speak to my family and explain to them what had been happening and, instead of telling me that I'm crazy and to get on with it like I expected, they offered me all the help and support I could have hoped for.

So yeah, one year on I’m still here. I’m a far cry from being ‘well’ but I’m on the right tracks to getting where I want to be emotionally. I’m still on a lot of medication as it’s trial and error as to what works with these kinds of meds but I’m starting to see progress in the sense that I can control my emotions better. I have found it so much easier to speak to family and friends about my issues since getting in touch with First Step but I know that counsellors are always there when I need to be set on the right track.

This is such a personal post and I’ve been so scared to write it but I’ve decided that it’s time to come to terms with who I am and what I’ve been through and I refuse to let it hold me back any longer. So I’m back, hopefully for good, and plan on writing again regularly.

I would also like to say thank you to the wonderful mental health blogging community for helping me to realise that I’m not alone in this and that it’s normal to experience these issues and to even write about them!

I hope that this post might have helped someone like me to stop being afraid of what other people might think and if you’ve ever experienced anything similar I’d love to read your story in the comments below.

Thank you for your continued support.

Alice x

Avon Sleep Serenity

Everyone knows how hard it is to juggle your job or school work and a social life as well time with family/SOs. When you've got a lot on in your life, more often than not, it’s your sleeping pattern that takes a hit. I know I used to go weeks on about three hours sleep a night when I was at uni, just trying to cram in a few extra words on a project or coming in at 6am from a night out, crashing for a few hours, and then dragging myself to a class!

Even now that I’m semi-adult, with a full-time ‘grown up’ job and a mortgage to save for, I still manage to pull all-nighters like I’m in my first year of uni! Whether it’s stressing about work, or bills, or relationships there always seems to be something keeping me up at night, no matter how hard I try to sleep!

I’ve tried every type of sleeping technique going – everything from counting sheep to controlled breathing! As a last resort, before dragging myself to the doctors, I ordered some Avon Sleep Serenity products which are designed to calm and soothe you before you sleep. After leaving the doctors with a long list of recommended products designed to help you sleep I totally forgot I’d ordered from Avon.

When my order arrived a few weeks later I was already getting to sleep quite well with herbal remedies that I’d found thanks to my doctor, but I thought there was nothing to lose so why not give it a go? I got the sleep mist and balm, the mist is to spray on and around your pillow before you get into bed and the balm is to rub on your temples and chest (kind of like vapour rub).

Both the products smell faintly of lavender which is relaxing on its own, so I was pretty optimistic as I got into bed that night – and you know what? They actually did help me to relax.

Now I am in no way claiming that these products are a miracle cure for sleepless nights. However they did give me the one thing I needed, which was a distraction. I lay in bed thinking how nice they smelt and how relaxing it was to be surrounded by the fresh scent of Lavender….and then I just drifted off! No assistance needed!

They simply relax your mind so all the stress from the day simply floats away and you’re free to sink into sleep! I still need to use the other sleep products from time to time, but if I haven’t had a particularly stressful day I just spray my pillow, rub the balm in and lie back, soothed to sleep!

If you’re a bit stressed at the moment, or are staying up to meet deadlines I strongly recommend trying out these little Avon beauties. You can order them your local Avon salesperson or alternatively check them out on the Avon website.

Remember if you are having serious trouble sleeping or are overly stressed you should always speak to a friend or family member, or visit your doctor instead of suffering in silence. It may feel silly to visit a doctor over sleep sometimes but when you go they more often than not can give you a simple solution! Alternatively I’m always here if anyone needs advice or a chat – I’ll always try to help to the best of my ability.

What do you think about Avon Sleep Serenity? How do you get yourself to sleep at night? Let me know in a comment below!

Super Mega Lush Haul

Hi guys! My blogging dry January is finally over and I'm so excited to be getting back into writing! I've got so many exciting posts coming your way and what better way to start than with a Lush haul!? 

Lush hauls are my absolute guilty pleasure. I love reading and watching reviews of all the products and seeing fellow bloggers opinions on the new collections! My haul is mainly goodies from the Boxing Day sales (which were awesome this year BTW!), as well as gifts and a few bits I picked up from the new seasons range.

First up is the HelloGorgeous gift box, which was a Christmas present from Josh's parents. In it was the Rub Rub Rub shower scrub – an exfoliating scrub which can also be used as a hair product, it has a citrusy scent and is really good for scrubbing away dry and dead winter skin! Also in the box was the Love and Light hand cream which is amazingly soft and soothing and has a lovely cocoa like scent, there was also a sample of Gorgeous face moisturiser which I'm in love with – I can't wait to purchase the full size version. The Comforter bubble bar (pink and white swirled) and the Sex Bomb (pink and purple with a rose on top) bath bomb were also a part of the gift set, which are two of my all time favourites!

Next up are some of my goodies from the Valentines collection and from the new season collection. First is the Karma bubble bar, which is a gold, purple and orange pyramid. It smells like tropical fruits and is one of my new favourites. Next is the Pink Flamingo reusable bubble bar (pink flamingo on a stick!) which has a woody floral scent and leaves your bath pretty and pink!

From the Valentines collection I got the Unicorn Horn bubble bar, which is a rainbow of glittering, pastel colours in the shape of a unicorn horn! This was something I saw on Instagram a few weeks back and searched three separate stores to find – now that's commitment! I also grabbed a 500g bottle of the Prince Charming shower crème. I love this product, it smells like pomegranate and is beautifully pink but I would have preferred it in a shower gel as I just feel it lathers up better!

Now for the big boring bit! I got three separate xmas gift sets in the Boxing Day sales (festive or not, they're still good products!) as well as two mini gift boxes and some random bath bombs and beauty goodies! Sadly I can't post links to these products as they're now all sold out but I hope you al still enjoy reading about them anyway!

The first gift set I got was the Snow Fairy’s Castle box. It came in a super cute box that looked like a Disney castle and had a 100g bottle of the Snow Fairy shower gel, a So White bath bomb, a Magic Wand reusable bubble bar and a little 50g bottle of Fairy Dust – which is a glittering dusting powder! I also got a Little Snow Fairy gift set (one of the mini boxes) which contained another 100g bottle of the Snow Fairy shower gel and the Pink Fun. I’m not the biggest fan of the ‘Fun’ products from Lush as I don’t see the point in them but they still make a good shower scrub!

One of the other big boxes I got in the sale was the Fire Cracker gift set which contained two of my favourite bath bombs; The Experimenter and Intergalactic as well as on of this year’s best sellers, the Candy Mountain bubble bar. Candy Mountain is usually really pretty and pink but, as you can see in the pictures above, mine got dyed slightly blue due to the long journey packed in a box with the two darker bath bombs! I also got the Merry  Christmas gift set which was full of Christmas best sellers, including; a Peeping Santa bubble bar, a Lord of Misrule bath bomb, a Golden Wonder bath bomb, a Dashing Santa bath bomb and finally the mini Cinders bath bomb.

There was also a large tin box of goodies I ordered in the sale but I can’t remember the name! I just know it came in a round, cake tin style box with a really cute reindeer on the lid! In it was; a 100g bottle of the Gorgeous shower gel, a Golden Wonder bath bomb, a re-usable sparkling bubble bar, another Cinders bath bomb, a 100g tub of the Karma Karma had and body lotion and a citrusy smelling golden soap.

The other mini set I got was the Santa’s Belly bauble which contained a 100g tub of the Santa’s Belly shower jelly, which was bright, sparkly red and full of golden stars, as well a 100g of the Red Fun. Finally some of the extra goodies I grabbed in the sale were a couple of extra Golden Wonder bath bombs, some White Star bombs, blocks of Father Time soap and 12 Butter Bear bombs which also came in a super cute re-usable tin.

So I hope you all enjoyed reading about this ridiculously over-sized Lush haul as much as I’m enjoying using it all! Which is your favourite Lush goodie? Let me know in a comment below!

Book Club #2

The New Year Book Club post is finally here! Hoorah! This post has taken me a while to construct plainly because there were just too many books I wanted to get in here! I eventually decided there was no better way to kick of the 2016 book club than by reviewing my all time favourite kick ass, motivational, girl power books! I've picked out three of the books that have inspired me to become the (slightly scary) business woman I am today as well as a stronger person in general! I hope you enjoy the mini reviews and I hope these books inspire you to become the bad ass b*tches you truly are!

First up we have Leave Your Mark by Aliza Light. Aliza is a kick-ass communications executive, fashions favourite PR girl and a social networking phenomenon – all a 2016 girl aspires to be no? In her book she offers a personal and professional guide to people just starting out in their careers and for those who are already well on their way. The invaluable life lessons in this book got me through that awkward “what the shit am I doing with my life” phase after I finished uni. This book is ideal for those who are looking to buff up on communication skills whilst building your own personal brand.

Whether you need that little push into your new career or are looking to gain confidence in your area of work, Aliza’s book will offer you the support and sassiness you need to move on up in the world! It's also a great help for those of us who sometimes feel at a bit of a loss when it comes to their careers, maybe you've just finished uni or college? Or you've come face to face with unemployment for the first time in years? Or maybe you are picking the specialist study subjects for you’re A-levels? Whatever life has thrown at you, this is the book to get you out of your slump and motivate you to kick your problems in the ass! Get your very own copy HERE from Amazon.

Next we have a book that I stumbled upon in my second year of Uni, where I was facing one of the hardest times in my life, #GIRLBOSS. Suffering with mental illness following the loss of a close friend I was struggling to keep up with my studies and the thought of spending time with friends terrified me beyond reason. There were times when I genuinely didn't know how I was going to carry on, and then I found out about Sophia Amoruso, through her autobiographical book. This woman has faced depression and severe illnesses and had still managed to come out on top and become a boss ass business woman.

Reading about Sophia’s struggles and success gave me the strength to see that everyone, no matter their situation, can power through and become stronger than they ever were. She is the founder and former CEO of Nasty Gal clothing (who we all know and love) as well as a New York Times best selling author. The book follows the life of Sophia starting with the first thing she ever sold, a stolen book, on eBay, but is infinitely so much more than use a mediocre autobiography. It is inspirational and motivational and for me was a real life changer. The perfect book if need some empowerment in your life. Get your copy from Amazon HERE.

The final book for this month is How to be Parisian Wherever you are: Love, Style and Bad Habits. Written by four fabulously accomplished French women the book educates us all on how to dress, party and behave (without behaving) as a Parisian. It's a different kind of inspirational to the two previous books but an inspiration all the same. Anne Berest, Audrey Diwan, Carline de Maigret and Sophie Mas are all working mothers who have been friends for years. Each of them, talented bohemian iconoclasts, with careers in music, film, fashion and publishing, offer a frank outlook on what it means to be Parisian and a personal and touching take on the world. 

This books not only inspires women to become empowered and shoot for the stars when it comes to their careers, but also highlights the mistakes and faults of an everyday human being – showing that it's not always an easy ride to the top. An excellent book for fashionistas, style enthusiasts, career obsessives and just any everyday gal that strives to be a bit more….well, Parisian! Get your copy HERE from Amazon.

I hope you all enjoyed the new Book Club post and if anyone has any book suggestions for me to read and review, then let me know in a comment below!

Ciaté Mini Mani Month

I've finally got round to doing the Ciaté Mini Mani Month review! Yaaaaay! Sorry about the huge delay with this post, it was originally due to be published on Christmas Eve, but I’ve been so disgustingly ill over the last month or so that I’ve been struggling to get myself dressed let alone write such a lengthy post! I’m currently taking antibiotics for a throat infection so all should be well, and posts back to normal, this week!

So if you haven’t seen my original post about the Ciaté calendar you can view it HERE, but I’ll still give a brief description of the products mentioned in that post, in this one as well. I’ve tried to break the varnishes up into sections (top coats, pastels, nail effects etc.) to try and break the post down a bit because there is a lot to get through!

Starting with the third image down, we have the sparkly top coats that came in the Mini Mani calendar. From left to right they are: Meet Me in Mayfair which is a black and white confetti style top coat with splashes of silver and pastel colour mixed in, next is Tinsel Town which is a peachy pink glitter with a bit of green and blue thrown in, the final glitter top coat shown in the picture is Glitterball, this is possibly one of my favourite mini manis as it’s just pure pink glitter! The glitter size ranges from quite a large, sequin glitter to a super small shimmer and looks fab over a nude varnish! 

There was also another glitter top coat called Confetti which is a hologram, silver glitter. For some reason I decided not to photograph this one but you can see it in the original post HERE.

Underneath we have the pastel varnishes. From left to right they are Pillow Fight – a lilac/grey colour, Amazing Gracie – a super pastel pink, Pepperminty – yep you guessed it, it’s a peppermint colour! Followed by Raincoat – think Burberry Mac colour, Sugar Plum – a fairy princess purple and finally there’s Members Only which a nude pink with a little shimmer to it.

Next are the nail effects, to use these you paint a coat of varnish on your nail and sprinkle some of these effects on top, alternatively you can pour some onto a piece of paper and roll your wet nail into it gently. Left to right: we have Jingle Belle which is a sparkly pink fairy dust, Ring Master – multi-coloured sequins, Christmas Tree – is a multi-coloured nail caviar and finally Miss Mistletoe is a mix of sunset coloured sequins!

Below them we have the cool shades. First up is Boom Box – a really bright electric blue, in the middle is Fit for a Queen – a solid, silver shimmer varnish and on the right is Power Dressing – a deep royal blue shade.

Next there are the warm colours, of which there are many, yay! From left to right: Access all Areas – a matte varnish in a bright highlighter orange shade, Boudoir – think Mac ‘Russian Red’ lippy colour, Encore – a burnt orange, Big Yellow Taxi – guess what that’s the colour of? And finally we have Hopscotch – a similar colour to Access all Areas, but slightly darker and not matte.

Last but certainly not least are the essential top coats! I would always suggest using base and top coats whenever painting your nail, it makes varnish removal easier, helps you avoid nail staining and is also a lot better for your nails and the surrounding skin. Ciaté’s top and base coats are definitely worth investing in as they are a really good quality, help make your nail varnish last and the actual bottles themselves last you quite a while! 

In the mini mani calendar I got the Suspension Top Coat – good for mixing nail affects into to create a textured look. There was also the Speed Coat which will help any slow drying nail varnish to solidify in just 60 seconds – what’s not to love!?

I’m absolutely over the moon with all the fab little varnishes I got in the Ciate Mini Mani calendar and can’t believe how much of a bargain it was! I hope you enjoy this post even though it was more of a list than an actual review! I hope it’s given you some nailspiration regardless!

Which is your favourite varnish from the Mini Mani collection? Did you get any unusual advent calendars? Let me know in a comment below!

Golden Wonder

So I thought I’d do a super quick post on the amazing Lush Golden Wonder bath bomb I mentioned in my festive Lush Haul! This is obviously a Christmas special and is available at Lush for a limited amount of time, so if you do want to get one for yourself or a loved one follow this link HERE.

This beautiful bath bomb exceeded expectations, when you first drop it in the water it lets out a shimmering gold effect and then explodes into a blue fizz with little gold stars as it spreads through the water.

Lush say: “Shake it! You'll hear hidden contents as this present-shaped fizzer reveals glittering golden lustre and a sparkling turquoise explosion. Zesty lime oil and tangy sweet orange start a party of mood-brightening scents. This is one treat you don't have to wait until Christmas morning to unwrap.”

The smell really was a beautiful citrus mix and left me feeling really relaxed after using the bath bomb. The only downside some people might find is you will sparkle like Tinkerbell for the next week after bathing in this product, I showered every day and still found sparkly bits all over my body! I liked it to be honest, nothing wrong with a bit of glitter! However I can see why some would find it annoying!

So yeah, like I said, a very quick post! Hope you’re all enjoying the build up to Christmas and are enjoying any time off you have (if any at all). I’ve just finished work until after Christmas so you can follow my adventures on Twitter or Instagram by following ‘alicelouisealk’.

Have you ever used the Golden Wonder? What’s your favourite Lush product? Let me know in a comment below!

December Birch Box

It’s Birch Box time again!! It’s actually quite sad how excited I get over the arrival of my Birch Box each month, but it’s like a little gift from me, to me that I get to look forward to every four weeks or so! This month’s was an amazing edition and a big improvement on last month’s, which I know a lot of people were disappointed in due to a lack of interesting samples and products.

The December Birch Box however left no room for disappointment! It arrived in a beautiful clutch bag, perfect for Christmas parties, and was jam packed with mini essentials to see you through the festive season, including: Benefit’s They’re Real Push-Up Eyeliner and their Puff-Off eye formula, a Model Co lipstick, a Ciaté nail polish, the Embryolisse skin hydrator (which also doubles as a primer), a Skin & Co body gel and the bonus gift of a mini Catherine Malandrino perfume!

First up we have The Ultimate Party Kit from Benefit which consists of a mini They’re Real Push-Up eye liner and a mini Puff-Off eye soother. The eye liner is a product that I class as an essential part of my make up kit, it’s a really dark, solid black gel liner and the unique applicator style makes it super easy to swish a line on! You can get it HERE for £18.50.

The Benefit Puff Off isn’t a product I’d ever used before but after trying it I’ll definitely be re-purchasing! The day after a night out, after you cleanse away the left over make up you apply a small amount of this product to the underneath of your eyes to soothe away puffy-ness and reduce bags – to help you look like you haven’t had two hours sleep after necking a few too many tequilas, perfect for the day after your works Christmas do! Shop HERE for £22.50.

Next we have the Model Co Ultra Long-Lasting Lipstick in shade Stiletto. There’s nothing worse than perfecting your party pout only to spend the whole night checking for smudges! Luckily this hydrating, semi-matte, formula has you covered! It provides nourishment and long lasting colour so you don’t have to worry! I wore it for my staff party last week and can testify to it lasting a while, it still hadn’t come off after I’d slept in my make-up all night – go Model Co! You can get a set of three colours, including Stiletto, HERE for just £15.50 – top bargain.

As you all know, I am a HUGE fan of Ciaté London nail polishes and was so excited to find a beautiful sparkling edition in this month’s Birch Bag. They came in assorted colours, mine came in shade Star Struck, which is a beautiful blue and hologrammy silver, glitter top coat – very Frozen-esque. Ciate nail polishes are a little pricey, this one is £9 full price, but I do think you get what you pay for when it comes to nail products. If you get a Poundland polish it’s likely to peel off or chip before the end of the day, but if you splash out a little more on a decent brand polish then you’ll get a longer lasting nail colour and you’ll get more use out of the same sized bottle as you’ll require fewer coats to get a solid colour. Shop Ciaté HERE.

Next up we have the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrate. This is a really interesting product as it’s a moisturiser which also doubles as a primer, which in books is a win-win situation! I’m always very sceptical of products that have more than one use though, I feel like a moisturiser is only good at being a moisturiser and a primer is only good as a primer and an aspect of each would be lost if you mixed them. However my scepticism was unjustified as this product is awesome! It’s rich without weighing the skin down, packs a hydrating punch thanks to shea butter and aloe vera and leaves your complexion feeling silky-soft! You can get your own full sized version HERE for £12.99.

The Skin & Co Sicilian Body Gel is probably the least exciting of all of this month’s Birch goodies. It’s a very nice shower gel type product, boasting ingredients all the way from Italy, including Sicilian orange and olive extracts. However it was just a citrus-scented body wash and I felt slightly over-priced at £15 for a full sized bottle. But if you do want to wash your skin with some Italian fruit smell then you can shop the Body Gel HERE.

The little Beauty Bonus in this month’s Birch Bag was a miniature perfume from Catherine Malandrino. The Style de Paris Eau de Parfum is the new fragrance from fashion designer Malandrino and is a sophisticated, but fruity scent. It’s a combination of mandarin, red grapefruit and pear and will leave you smelling good enough to eat! The perfume starts at £50 for a bottle, a standard price for most designer perfumes, and has definitely been added to my Christmas list! You can get your very own bottle HERE – you can also get it in a gift set, which will make a perfect prezzie for a loved one this Christmas!

Finally we have the beautiful Birch Bag itself. As far as I know this exclusive clutch bag is not available to buy on the site and is just part of the monthly box service so if you want it you’ll have to pay £10 for the December Birch Box – which in all honesty is a total bargain considering you get the bag, plus all the above goodies for just a tenner! It’s a lovely jade velvet, black leather look and gold glitter mix bag which went perfectly with my jade green dress for a Christmas party last week and is large enough to fit in all your night out essentials! You can find out more about ordering your December Birch Bag HERE.

Has anyone else signed up for a Birch Box, or a similar product, recently? What did you think of the December products? Let me know in a comment below!

Primark beauty basics

As you know I always try and centre my posts around ‘life on a budget’. After struggling through uni with zero money and then working three jobs to try and get rid of my loans and overdraft – whilst also paying my normal bills, I understand what it’s like to live life on a VERY strict budget.

That’s why I’m always really happy when I can find new ways to cut costs and help my readers save a little bit of money! Today’s money saving tactics are on beauty tools!

These days judging looks are thrown when you say "Uhm my hands?" when answering the question, "So how do you apply your foundation?" Make-up brushes are in every drug store, make up shop and even most clothing stores sell their own range these days, but although they aren't hard to get your hands on, they’re not exactly cheap.

Averaging at around £7 a brush from most high street stores beauty brushes aren't pocket money spends, but they do come with a range of benefits. Applying products like concealer and foundation with a brush, will help give you a smoother application and will stop you from caking as much on as you would with your hands.

A major downside to applying base products with your hands is the fact that most of the product ends up being rubbed into pores rather than sitting atop your skin like it’s meant to. Using proper brushes for eye make-up also offers a better, more professional looking application.

So what’s a skint gal to do eh? We don’t want to look like basic make-up bitches but we have an extremely basic bitch budget…..never fear! Auntie Alice has the perfect solution.

Primark now has its own full beauty tool range. Everything from eyelash curlers, to make-up brushes, to removal wipes and each piece costs around £1.50 at the most!

My three favourite pieces of the range were the cosmetic sharpener, the foundation blending brush and the egg make-up sponge.

I’d just bought a cosmetic sharpener for just under £5 from Superdrug when I saw the £1 version in Primark. Needless to say I was a bit annoyed, I mean they all do the same job, why does a Superdrug basics sharpener cost so much? Who does it think it is exactly!? I bought two of the Primark version (just in case) and returned the Superdrug one immediately!

The foundation blending brush is another really cool tool, this is great for smoothing over lines or creases after you've applied your foundation with a brush. Its pointed shape is great as it fits under your eyes to smooth make-up under any bag blemishes and curves well round the other lumps and bumps of the face. It’s also great for blending contouring – everyone loves a multi-tool! For just £1.50 how could I say no?

The egg is a product I adore and have been using the Lottie London version until I discovered the Primark alternative. I use the egg to put my foundation on – after putting liquid foundation on my hand or face I dip the sponge into it and dab all across my face until I have an even coverage on. This allows the liquid foundation to sit on top of your skin instead of sinking into pores and causing spots. For just £1.50 I’d say this product is a 100% essential piece for every make-up bag!

As well as the brushes I got some cotton pads for £1, a tub of cotton buds for £1 and four packs of exfoliating make-up wipes which were £1.50 for two if I remember rightly.

You can get your full basic make-up application brush set for under £15 at Primark and every other beauty tool you could wish for so I suggest getting yourself to your nearest store and stocking up instead of wasting money on bigger brands – they all do the same job at the end of the day and are all of a similar quality!

Have you ever tried any of Primark’s beauty accessories? What did you think of my picks? Let me know in a comment below!

Christmas LUSH Haul

It’s Christmas Lush Haul time!!!!! It’s that time of year when the Lush fairies bless us with beautiful glittering goodness to make our bath sparkle, shimmer and smell better than a Starbucks cinnamon latte!

I went away on a Christmas shopping trip last weekend and tackled three cities in two days (Liverpool, Warrington and Manchester). After getting the majority of my Christmas presents and a new tree, I decided it was time to treat myself!

Naturally I decided to head to Lush to get myself some of my favourite pamper products! With my skin it’s really hard to find nice products that don’t make my psoriasis flare up – so when I find something that works for me I stick to it!

I think the reason Lush works so well with my skin condition is because the use natural ingredients in their products instead of the harsh chemicals that cause my skin to go crazy. If you do suffer from psoriasis or similar skin conditions then I strongly recommend using Lush goodies, however you should always do a patch test before launching yourself into a bubble bath full of unknown product!

So the first Christmas treat I got for myself was the beautiful Star Dust bath bomb. The star of wonder is quite small for a Lush bath bomb but packs a lot of punch for such a little guy! Its citrus scented and white on the outside. As it starts to dissolve it turns then water a milky white colour then as it breaks down turns blue and lets out a tonne of multi coloured mini stars! Super cute and smells amazing. This bomb is just £2.95 and you can get it HERE.

The Lush description reads: “Follow yonder star all the way to the bathroom; it will bear exotic gifts of Fair Trade Ugandan vanilla from the Mountains of the Moon and precious restorative rosewood. A twinkly dip in its starlit waters gives a bergamot-powered boost to the mind and body - ideal for a little post-party recovery. Note: wise men not included.” – Very cute indeed!

The second in my festive haul is The Experimenter bath bomb! This is one of Lush’s best sellers and isn’t actually part of the Christmas collection, but since it has such a strong cinnamon type spice smell, I’m sure we can forgive it! This bomb literally turns your bath into a magical sparkling rainbow and will leave you feeling chilled and ready to take on the hectic-ness of the holiday season! This bomb is £3.95 and you can get it HERE.

Lush say: “If you're looking for adventure... you'll find it in The Experimenter, starring vibrant colour, popping candy and Fair Trade vanilla absolute from near the Rwenzori Mountains in Uganda. An enigmatic and comforting romance of... deep, complex vetivert notes that enthral your senses before creamy vanilla and Tonka provide a sweet antidote. It's everything you've always wanted to do ... and with a plethora of five bright colours, it's the only one you'll ever want to do it with again.” – Just in case you needed some more reasons to lust after this bath time bliss!

The next bomb I got was one that I’d seen in Zoella’s latest Lush haul and I just couldn’t resist seeking it out after seeing it on her channel! It’s the Golden Wonder bath bomb which is a sparkly gold present on the outside and then as it breaks down in the water it lets out a beautiful blue mini bomb full of gold sparkling stars! This product costs £3.95 and you can get it HERE.

Want to know more? Check out Lush’s description: “Shake it! You'll hear hidden contents as this present-shaped fizzer reveals glittering golden lustre and a sparkling turquoise explosion. Zesty lime oil and tangy sweet orange start a party of mood-brightening scents. This is one treat you don't have to wait until Christmas morning to unwrap.”

I think I’ve definitely saved the best Christmas goodie for last! This wonder of a Bubble Bar costs £4.95, so is a little pricier than the other bits I got – totally worth it for the novelty factor though. I am of course talking about the amazing FIIIIIVE GOOOOOOLD RIIIIIINGS Bubble Bar! Yep Five Gold Rings obviously consists of five gold ring shaped bubble bars hanging on a ribbon and is just absolutely adorable! This was an impulse buy at the till and I have absolutely no regrets!

The Bubble Bars break down under the tap and turn your bath in to a sparkling, bubbly wonderland! Need any more reasons to rush to Lush right now? Really? Okay then, here’s the Lush description: “Forget a partridge in a pear tree, you'll want to skip ahead to the fifth day of Christmas to get your hands on these sparkling bubble bar rings! Crumble under running water for a creamy Fair Trade vanilla-filled bath, infused with skin-softening illipe butter and uplifting moringa oil. If you're hoping for a ring come Christmas day, this might just be the next best thing.”

There are so many more cute Christmas goodies to get your hands on so I strongly recommend heading to your nearest store immediately – you deserve a treat girl! Failing that, Lush have just pimped out their site which you can check out by clicking THIS link. Lush also have an app where you can shop, watch DIYs and learn more about how they make their products – just search for Lush in the app store.

All the products I got from Lush were from the Trafford Centre store last weekend, but are available in stores across the country and online, so get them while they’re still in stock!

What do you think of my Lush picks? What’s your favourite Lush product? Let me know in a comment below!