May Favourites 2014

Wow I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the year and this weekend I’ll be off to Bristol for mine and my boyfriends first anniversary together. I’m beyond excited!

Also I apologise that this post is all of a day late but I had a rather busy weekend and I sadly didn’t get time to get anything written down, apart from notes on which products would be featured on this post this month.

So let’s get on with it!

• Soap & Glory Hand Food Hand Cream.

I wrote about this hand cream a while ago on this post and since then I won’t lie, I hardly used it. It sat in my room being unused for months on end until recently I decided that I would keep it in my hand bag to use on the go and boy am I glad I did just that! This hand cream has the Soap & Glory pink scent to it, which is one I can tolerate in the body spray but not in their body products. This however isn’t so bad and has a lovely conditioning feel to it, I love to use it before I leave the house for work as well as when I’m out on the go as it absorbs quickly and isn’t greasy or sticky feeling so it won’t leave your hands feeling clammy. I recommend this if you want a good hand cream for your bag, this being said I probably won’t repurchase this just because I want to try something new when this is finished.

• Dettol Revitalise Hand Wash.

This was a random purchase during May and one I’m glad that I made! As regular readers will know I love my Dettol E45 hand wash and have always said I will never replace it, however I don’t think this counts as a “replacement” due to the fact it’s by Dettol too, it just doesn’t contain any E45. It only cost 99p from B&M and for that it really does keep my hands soft and smooth, as well as clean and smelling like pomegranate. Can’t go wrong really!

• Phillip Kingsley Flaky/Itchy Scalp Shampoo.

I love Phillip Kingsley’s shampoos and you can’t really go wrong with his products as they suit all hair types and do exactly what they say on the bottle. This one is the flaky/itchy scalp shampoo and whilst I don’t suffer from dandruff as much as I used to when I was younger, I do suffer from my hair getting greasy every few days so I like to try and tackle that with a good shampoo. This shampoo is amazing for that and since I started to use it my dandruff has pretty much disappeared and my hair feels soft and looks beautiful all day long after use. Not only does it leave my hair feeling and look good but it also leaves it smelling delicious as it has an apple scent to it! I love this shampoo so much and this huge bottle should last me ages too.

• Lady Million by Paco Rabbane.

A while ago over on a guest post I wrote for my friend Amy over at Von Dork I announced how I hated the smell of this perfume… I’ve kind of taken that back now as I’ve been using this perfume none stop for the duration May. Yes this does smell of fresh towels and clean bed sheets but that’s actually pretty nice, especially if you’re feeling a little down in the dumps and need a reminder of your nice warm bed. This was actually my Mom’s perfume but she wasn’t getting on with its scent and ended up giving it to me to try out. My boyfriend loves this perfume and when I say to him, “Hey help me pick out a perfume to wear.” he’ll usually pick this one. If I’m not feeling too well I won’t wear this as the powerful scent can give me a headache and a bit of an irritated throat, other than that I love it and it’s become my favourite perfume to throw in my bad so far this summer.

• Sure Maximum Protection Deodorant in Sensitive.

I’ve spoken time and time again of how much I love this deodorant but there is one reason why this is being featured on here this month, besides the fact that I love it anyway. As regular readers or even new readers will know I went to the Lake District with some friends during May and it was amazing! I also mentioned how we all climbed up a very tall mountain whilst we were there and without my deodorant I would have sweated loads, as well as being smelly and shown sweat patches on my t-shirt. Luckily this didn’t happen and if that isn’t some sort of marketing ploy then I don’t know what is! I love this deodorant and I wouldn’t go a day without using it.

• Maggie James Candle.

I have to first add that I don’t actually know the scent of this candle but when I’m sniffing it it does remind me of a latte, a caramel or a vanilla one, a sweet coffee anyway! I bought this from TK Maxx about a year ago and since then I’ve not burnt it all that much, due to neglecting it for my Yankee Candles. However whilst I had the house to myself I’ve been able to burn it, as well as the fact I decided it needed to start being used. It leaves a lovely strong scent behind, which doesn’t fade straight away after blowing it out either, which is always good. Although this is a strong candle it doesn’t leave you a headache or a dry throat, which is always good in my books! Apparently Maggie James do a lot of different scented candles, but where I do not know! I paid £3.99 for mine.

• Bath & Body Works PocketBac Hand Sanitizer in I Love S’Mores.

I love my PocketBac’s and I always make sure there is one by my bed, as well as in my hand bag for when I’m on the go and at the moment the one I seem to be reaching for the most is my favourite, I Love S’Mores. It’s such a yummy cake scent to it but not as strong as the cakey PocketBac scents, if that makes any sense! Sadly this was a limited edition one for autumn last year and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to find a replacement bottle of it on eBay somewhere, which is where I got this bottle from. As well as keeping my hands smelling gorgeous is leaves them lovely and clean, leaving me less worry about germs so I can concentrate more on how good my hand smell!

• Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Lip Balm.

An old favourite and one that’s come back around again for yet another favourites post. My lips have been  pretty dry this month and I don’t know if that is due to being poorly, using too many satin lipsticks on my lips or just the dramatic weather changes. I know there is only one lip balm that can save the day when my lips get really dry and sore and that’s this baby! It’s a thick formula that applies like butter and feels super moisturisng as well as smelling and tasting of chocolate. I had a cold sore at one point in May and this did really help soothe it and calm it down too. I’ve actually missed using it and since beginning to use it again I’ve been making a habit of using it for work.

• L’Oreal Paris Glam Shine Stain Splash in Milady.

This was a new purchase I made mid May and since buying it I have done nothing but wear it out, both day and night! It’s a gorgeous purple lip stain that can be applied light or heavy to get the type of purple you desire. It lasts ages on the lips so I’ve been able to wear this for work and not have to worry about applying anymore, same can be said about nights out and when I’ve been out in the day time with my boyfriend and friends. I’m going to be writing a huge review on this soon, I have the images ready and everything, I just need to get some better pictures of myself wearing it. If you’re after an affordable and gorgeous lip stain then try out one of these by L’Oreal as they’re really worth the money.

• The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.

I literally finished reading this book today and it has been one of my favourite reads for quite a while now. The film version of the book is one of my favourites and it always makes me cry when I watch it so I KNEW I had to buy the book to read and for £3.99 I knew I wasn’t exactly spending  fortune on it. I’m so glad I bought this as it was such an enjoyable read. I’ll be writing a full blog post about it because I just loved it so much. If you’ve watched the film version then I recommend you read the book as you’ll love it and if you’ve read the book but not watched the film because you’re worried you won’t like it, then I suggest you give it a go as the film is pretty great! Stephen Chbosky who wrote the book also directed the movie, so the film is pretty much how he pictured it to be. Definitely a good way to end May, such a lovely book!

So those were my favourites for May! I hope that June will be full of lovely summery things so when July comes along I hope to have lots and lots of lovely summery things to talk about with you all, if not a few new bits and pieces.

What were your favourites during May? Let me know in the comments!

So until next time take care all and see you soon!

2013’s Top 10 Favourites

Image taken from weheartit.com

Well I can’t believe 2013 has come and gone, and boy what a year it has been! I’m glad to be starting a New Year and with that I thought I would share my top 10 favourites from 2013! I probably couldn’t have picked any favourites from December itself as due to Christmas and such I was so busy trying to get everything sorted, as well as working and being with my boyfriend, my family and my friends.

So here are my top 10 favourites!

• Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant Deodorant Cream in Sensitive.

Since buying this deodorant in the summer time, it’s by far one of the best things I’ve EVER bought and since getting it, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live without it. I sweat terribly during the winter time so when the summer comes upon us I panic like crazy about if I’ll leave patches on clothes or smell really bad. However since buying this stuff I’ve not had an problems at all! You’re meant to apply this before you go to bed and even if you shower it off in the morning, it’ll still work. However I just apply it when I’m getting ready after a shower and it works for me that way. I’ve only recently started my second one of these, so it lasts a long time as you really don’t need a lot of product, it goes a long way. I have this in sensitive due to my sensitive skin. This isn’t cheap and costs just over £5.00 but it’s definitely worth it if you suffer with terrible sweating like myself. I was close to going to my doctor for help, but this stuff has saved me the embarrassment!

• Diesel Loverdose EDP.

I’ve owned this perfume for quite a while now, since it came out in 2011 to be exact and since November time it’s been running out and I desperately need another bottle! My boyfriend loves when I wear this perfume and I do too as it smells gorgeous and nothing like I’ve smelt before. It contains various notes such as liquorice, vanilla, mandarin, star anise and dry woods. This is a scent I wear all year around, but more so during the colder months as it has a lovely warming scent to it. I was going to try and pick another 30ml bottle up in the sales but I really need to save money right now. Hopefully I can get a bottle in the near future, as when this runs out I’ll be rather sad.

• Dettol Honey Nourishing Hand Wash with E45.

I LOVE this hand wash and although I’ve been using it more towards the end of the year it has fast become one of the best hand washes I’ve ever used. As regular readers will know, I suffer from eczema on my hands and most hand washes can irritate it and make it worse, however this hand wash helps it and keeps my hands lovely and soft. This is because of the E45 and after you wash your hands with this you can feel how soft it leaves your hands afterwards too, which is great. As well as that it smells of honey and the Dettol inside makes sure to wash off any bacteria, thus leaving your hands smelling lovely, feeling soft and being germ free. What more could you want from a hand wash?!

• Aqueous Cream.

As well as the steroid cream I get from my doctor for my eczema, my aqueous cream is amazing stuff and seems to be the only thing that keeps my hands soft and smooth. I use various different hand creams and more during December than any other month, so I didn’t feel I could really include those in my top 10 for 2013, but I’m sure they will feature in a post in the near future! However aqueous cream is an amazing invention and my boyfriend bought me this massive tub a few months ago as something to use alongside my eczema cream. I use this alongside that, as well as on its own but it’s also amazing to use on any dry patches on skin, which I sometimes get on my face. You don’t need a lot of this and it goes a long way and I always apply it after washing my hands to ensure that my hands stay lovely and soft. This huge tub cost £2 and for the new year I’m going to be finding a little pump tub or tube to keep this on for when I’m at work. I recommend this stuff to anyone, it’s especially lovely to use in the bath if you’re suffering from dry skin, as well as using it in place of a shower gel. Amazing product for not much money!

• Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo.

Over the year I’ve owned this shampoo a couple of times and the first time I owned it, I really couldn’t get on with it and if anything I hated it. I felt that it was making my hair thin, not thick like it is supposed to. You need to ensure your hair is soaking wet to ensure you get a lather with this otherwise it won’t give you any lather, I learnt this after months of usage. This shampoo smells amazing and I love sniffing my hair after I use it (didn’t just sniff my hair!) and I don’t really know if it’s making my hair thicker, but my hair feels and smells lovely and clean, as well as leaving it feeling soft and gorgeous looking. Over the past month or two I’ve only just started to enjoy this shampoo and use it once a week, alongside my tea tree shampoo which I use once or twice a week. I would love to try more of the Philip Kingsley shampoos, as they seem like amazing products and well worth the money!

• Soap & Glory Smoothie Star Body Lotion.

I bought this lotion back around the start of 2013 and around the end of spring I sadly stopped using this due to work and being too busy to apply it due to needing to leave the house in a rush. This being said this lotion is amazing and is the most used one of  2013! Since getting loads of Soap & Glory products in the Yule Monty gift set I have realised I do really need to keep my body moisturised and it’s something that a lot of us seem to neglect due to lack of time or laziness, mine being the latter. Since Christmas Day I have been moisturising more, only not doing it on the odd occasion due to not feeling too well. Smoothie Star is one of my favourite lotions as it smells of vanilla and honey, which is of course a smell enjoyed by many, including myself. I will be using this body lotion before work as it’s a very nourishing lotion but it’s rather thin so as soon as you rub this onto the skin it will begin to sink in and get to work, which is good! It only takes me 5-10 minutes to apply this to the skin and doesn’t feel sticky or take ages to dry! I can’t wait to start using this again and probably will for my birthday in a couple of days!

• Montagne Jeunesse various face masks.

I love Montagne Jeunesse face masks, usually clay or sheet ones as the peel off masks really irritate my sensitive skin and causes break outs to happen. But this being said the clay and sheet masks leave my skin feeling clean, soft and fresh and usually something I use at night-time during a hot bath or whilst I do some blog writing. My favourite this year is probably the Tea Tree and Dead Sea sheet masks, alongside the Chocolate clay mask. The Tea Tree mask helps when I have break outs as it calms them down and stops any redness too, this one proved to be amazing during the summer as the tingling and cooling feeling the mask left behind on my skin really helped to cool me down during the hot summer nights. The Dead Sea mask is just lovely to have as a treat if my skin is feeling and looking a little dull and needs some perking up, I use this one at least once a month, maybe once every two months depending. Like the Tea Tree mask, it leaves my skin feeling tingly and a little cold which is lovely during the summer too. Finally the Chocolate mask is a winner and one I pick up whenever I know I’m running out! It’s a very thick mask and smells just like Cadbury’s chocolate! This mask helps to soften your skin and leave it feeling clean too, which is what I always look for in a mask. Some of the masks I’ve tried by Montagne Jeunesse have left me with break outs days later, but as of yet I’ve never had a problem with the Chocolate mask… Well apart from wanting to eat it off of my face, of course! I recommend these face masks as whilst they aren’t the cheapest out there, they are by far the best and worth every penny! You can pick these up in Home Bargains at 3 for £2, which is pretty good. Primark also sell these at 99p each and Body Care sell them at around that price too. Also check out Montagne Jeunesse’s Facebook page as they have some great offers on there and competitions where you can win loads of their face masks.

• MAC Archie’s Girls Lipstick in Daddy’s Little Girl..

I couldn’t pick one MAC lipstick but I finally came to one choice and it was Daddy’s Little Girl, which came out in March for the Archie’s Girls collection. I debated for ages which lipstick to buy from this collection and Daddy’s Little Girl was at the bottom of my list, as swatches of this lipstick online were completely wrong and made the lipstick look bright purple! Instead it is a subtle purple pink that can be worn all year around, which is why it has won a place in my top 10 favourites for 2013! I wore this lipstick loads during the year and most people I know really love this lipstick. I wear this for work quite a lot too as it lasts ages and looks lovely over the end of summer, during autumn and throughout winter so far. Most of my MAC lipsticks can be worn throughout the year but this is the one I seemed to reach for the most. I don’t know if it’s due to its purple pink colour, or because of the limited edition packaging shouting out at me, but either way I love this lipstick and the day it comes to an end, is the day I’ll probably pay a lot to get a new tube of this lipstick. If you wish to read more about it, please check out my review!

• Nails Inc Nail Polish in South Molton Street.

Since I got these at the start of 2013, I have discovered that I have never EVER used a nail polish as much as I have with this one, as you’ll see from the image above. This is a gorgeous pink manicure pink and I used to wear this in my old job to try and make my nails looks healthier than they probably are, even though I wasn’t allowed to wear nail polish, sneaky Nat! It dries with a slight gel feel to it and with two coats it looks beautiful on the nails. I wear this for work now and I’ve had many compliments on it! As well as that, I wore it for New Years as I really couldn’t be bothered to paint my nails all special and such and I had lots of compliments on how healthy my nails looked, if only they knew! I kid, I told them it was nail polish! My Mom bought me South Molton Street in a two pack set for about £20 which is good considering Nails Inc nail polishes sell for £12-£12.50. So I’m glad I have a back up of this polish as I know I’ll probably be finishing this bottle off during 2014! I will be writing up a review for South Molton Street early 2014, so keep your eyes peeled for that!

• The Body Shop Shower Gel in Strawberry.

Last of all we have the amazing Strawberry shower gel by The Body Shop. It is by far my favourite shower gel EVER so the fact I own a huge 750ml bottle, as well as a cute little 250ml bottle makes me very happy! I got the little bottle for just a £1, thanks to the £3 gift card I got from Glamour Magazine in November and I picked up the massive bottle for less than £6.00, bargain huh? They’re selling for £8 at the moment in The Body Shop and as tempted as I’ve been to buy another, I’m being good and not doing that, however I did pick up a Satsuma one too so I have plenty of shower gel to last me until the end of 2014! Anyway, a story about this shower gel. When I was little my Mom would take me to The Body Shop once and month and buy me a bottle of the Strawberry and the Satsuma shower gels to use before school, as well as in the bath after school and over the weekends. I would be so excited to use them and as soon as they ran out she would take me back to The Body Shop to buy more bottles. The scent of them both just reminds me of my childhood, the Strawberry one more so than the Satsuma one. Sadly after a while she stopped taking me to The Body Shop and therefore I stopped having the lovely shower gels in my shower. I’m so glad to have picked these us up and both at bargain prices too! I’m going to have a lovely smelling 2014 me thinks.

So that’s my top 10 for 2013! It was hard to pick all those items, but I’m rather pleased with what I chose.

So, what top 10 products did you love during 2013? Do you like any of the ones I mentioned? Let me know in the comments down below!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you’re not feeling too hungover and if you’re a Sherlock fan, make sure to watch the first episode for series 3 tonight! I know me and my boyfriend will be eating yummy food, playing Beyond Two Souls and watching Sherlock all day!

Here’s to 2014! Take care all and have a great New Years Day.