The Craft Company

I love baking, and I love any website that sells anything to do with baking. I was recently asked to review an item from The Craft Company website and I was overwhelmed by choice. I ended up in the recipe books section and came across a book called 50 Easy Party Cakes which caught my eye and I decided to choose.

The book itself has incredibly clear pictures and an array of cake decorating ideas with simple steps. I can't wait to try some of them, although I'm not sure if they'll be as good as the pictures!

The Craft Company itself has an incredible range of items including ingredients, decorations, and baking sets and I will definitely be purchasing from there again once we've got our own place and I can have an area for all my baking finds!

Where do you get your baking items from?

Favourite Samples

Samples are something I come across often. Whether it's a freebie in a magazine (although I tend not to buy magazines much these days) or something like Glossybox (although I unsubscribed), I seem to have collected a majority of samples. During my aim to de-size my collection, I thought I'd start on the samples and smaller sized products as they'd get used up the quickest. Here's my pick of the bunch.

Soap and Glory Clean on Me shower gel - link

I love this Shower Gel as it always lathers up nicely and has a gorgeous scent. I have a larger size bottle which I use to fill this up so I can take it to London with me when I visit family.

Eve Lom Rescue Mask - link

I got this in the Latest in Beauty advent calendar and fell in love. Although the full size version is a little pricey, I think it's worth it as it really worked well on my skin and reduced all blemishes.

Lee Stafford Poker Straight Dehumidifier - link

This is one of the best hair products I've ever used, and I'm not sure why I'd never tried it before. Almost every day I used to battle with frizz, and this just banishes it all without weighting my hair down. No stray hairs anymore! I will be getting the bigger size version on my next shopping trip because I really love it.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream - link

Again, another item I got in the advent calendar, which I really like because it smells amazing, but not too overpowering, and it is really moisturising due to the shea butter in it. :)

Where do you get most of your samples from?

This Week #6

 

// Enjoying my new clean car // Hot bath and a book // My best friend this week // A cheeky Shakeaway

 

- So this week I got ill. It came as a shock to me as I never get ill. I get the odd headache now and then, but what I thought was a sniffle got worse and worse and Friday I couldn't get out of bed. I think it was more the bad night's sleep that made me feel awful because I couldn't lay down without struggling to breathe. Luckily it's passed now, and I'm feeling back to my usual self again!

- Not much else has happened this week; I feel like I've got into a blogging routine too. I do a 'This Week' post every Sunday, and then a blog post on Tuesday and Thursday/Friday. It helps me feel less stressed as I usually have a few blog posts scheduled in case I'm busy all week. Today is a blogging day though, so I'm hoping to get lots done.

x

My Top 5 Current Lipsticks

Before I started blogging, I never wore lipstick and never owned any. However, I've slowly fell in love with them and eventually built up a little collection big enough to have a top five. I own lipsticks from a lot of brands and they range in price from £1 to over £20. Here's the lipsticks I find myself reaching for the most at the moment.

l-r // Topshop Pillow Talk, MUA Shade 15, MAC Hue, Revlon Lip Butter Cotton Candy, YSL Rouge Volupte Shade 1

 

 

Topshop Pillow Talk £8.00 - link

 

I purchased this when it was still part of their limited edition range, but luckily they've added it to their range. It provides a lovely pink matte finish and feels lovely and soft. Perfect for summer!

 

 

MUA Shade 15 Juicy - £1.00 - link

 

I am obsessed with this colour. I purchased this one because I wanted to break away from the traditional pink and went for a slight coral, but not too bright! This nude/coral colour lasts all day too. Definitely worth trying MUA lipsticks.

 

MAC Hue £14.00 - link

 

I found this in the Cosmetics Company Outlet store in Gunwharf Quays (I blogged about it here) and only paid £9.50 for it. It's a perfect every day nude lipstick and I do admire Mac for selling moisturised lipsticks.

 

 

Revlon Lip Butter Cotton Candy £7.99 - link

 

Okay so it's not exactly a lipstick but I have been wearing it almost every day for the last two weeks. They are incredibly moisturising and creamy, yet they are pigmented and give a long lasting coverage. I have two lip butters but definitely want to get more.

 

 

YSL Rouge Volupte Shade 1 - £24.50 - link

 

Sometimes I just can't justify a price on something, but with this I can. It feels so soft on my lips and has the creamiest texture. The colour is one of my favourites, and I am in love with the packaging.

 

x

 



A Day Out In Chichester

When the sun comes out, lots of people seem to as well, don't they? We all come out of hiding and embrace the sunshine. Aiden and I both had a day off on Saturday so we decided to go and visit Chichester in West Sussex.

Chichester is a cathedral city that has some of Great Britain's oldest churches and buildings. We didn't explore much of it but we spent our day strolling around the shops, and taking in the culture. Chichester has a mixture of high street shops such as Topshop and River Island, and small independent shops (including many selling cupcakes and sweets!). Another thing that surprised me is how happy and friendly everyone is there, although I'm not sure if that was because of the sunshine!

I had a lovely time there and I'll definitely be going back to visit, especially as it's less than an hour away from where I live.

This Week #5

// Lunch with Mum // My brother making me pancakes :) // My baby <3 // Twister lolly // Aiden's certificate letter // Lunch at Slug and Lettuce // Car cleaned inside // Car cleaned outside // Painting //

 

 

- Don't you find that being out in the sun allows you to get so much more done? This is the first time since starting this little series that I feel like I've done a lot with my week. I started my week in London visiting my family, and I sorted through all my stuff there and gave a ton of stuff to charity which felt pretty good. It was also nice to just spend time with my family and chill out. I also cleaned my car fully inside and out which I've been putting off for so long. It looks so much better now.

 

- Aiden passed his theory test first time this week too. I am so so proud of him and always knew he would do it. And on Saturday we went to Chichester for the day (but I'm going to do a full blog post on that).

 

- I'd also like to ask what type of blog posts are your favourites. I'm struggling with reviews as I don't have much spare money at the moment so I'd love to see what you like to read the most.

 

x

April Favourites

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover - review // £4.99

This has made my life so much easier, as I used to get so frustrated with normal nail polish remover and cotton wool. I've been using it regularly and it still works just as good every time.

Collection 2000 Pump Up The Volume Mascara - review // £4.99

I've had this for a while, but only recently have I started using it again (trying to use up some products). I really love the intense volume it gives.

The Body Shop Almond Nail and Cuticle Oil - link // £7.00

No matter how much I grew my nails, the cuticles were always awful until I started using this. This tidies my cuticles and it has also strengthened my nails which was definitely needed as I used to always bite them and they would break very easily. It's very easy to use and perfect for travelling with.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush - review // £11.99

This brush has definitely got my seal of approval and I will be buying more from the range. Even after washing them, it feels luxurious and leaves my foundation looking flawless.

Review | Real Techniques Stippling Brush

The Real Techniques make up brushes have been orbiting the blogging world for a while now, and ever since the lovely Samantha Chapman from Pixiwoo released them, I've wanted to get my hands on them. Before my spending ban, I popped into Boots and took advantage of their 3 for 2 offer. I bought just the one brush, but now I know I will head back for more once my spending ban is up.

I decided to purchase the Stippling brush after seeing it featured on many blogs and Youtube videos. The brush is a perfect all rounder, and can be used with liquid foundations, powder foundations, cream blushers, highlighters and setting powders.

So far I've just used it for liquid foundation and a setting powder. I found that my foundation went much further so I used less foundation and got the same coverage. It blended in so well, and looked flawless and natural, but still allowing me to have good coverage. I love it so much, it has taken over my old holy grail foundation brush from Sigma. I prefer to use a larger brush for powder, but it still provided good coverage.

 

Not only does the brush do an amazing job, it is also made of synthetic hairs and therefore 100% cruelty free. I'm actively trying to make sure that the products I purchase from now on are cruelty free (although it's quite a struggle as you never know what is and what isn't!)

I couldn't recommend the collection more, I'll definitely be getting more than one next time! The Real Techniques brushes are available in Boots.