ESSIEBUTTON

Fig + Yarrow is a brand I hadn't heard of until I went to a blogger event maybe 5 months ago? The event was run by Cult Beauty which is a website that offers "cult" beauty products such as Anastasia, Escentric Molecules, Beauty Blender and many, many more. Anyway, they had a few Fig + Yarrow products out on the table and I was instantly drawn to the look and design of their products.

Considering I'm not a coffee lover & NEVER drink it (unless I want to feel jittery for a few hours), I was surprised that the first product I went for was the Cardamom + Coffee Body Scrub. It was love at first sight & my love for it grew exponentially when I actually got to take it home and try it.

Ooouuuu sexayy shower pic ;)

The texture is literally like coffee. It's a really refined, smooth scrub that isn't abrasive on the skin at all. It's also incredibly moisturising (due to the Shea Butter, Almond Oil, Coconut Oil etc.) and leaves your skin feeling wonderfully nourished-no need for lotion after using. My skin has never felt so soft in my life. I absolutely love using this in the morning for a little pick-me-up!

I had no idea how much even the scent of coffee could wake me up?! It's perfect.
Main Ingredients: Cane Sugar, Coffee Bean, Oils mentioned above.

So with my love for the Coffee Scrub at an all time high, I thought I'd test out one of their other products. I take a lot of baths before bed-maybe 3 a week? I have a lot of trouble sleeping and taking a nice hot bath around bed time always makes me feel relaxed. I used to use bath milks constantly, but they're kind of hard to come by. I knew this Floral Milk Bath was going to be my next Fig + Yarrow purchase. Bath milks in general soften the water, make it smell nice (it's quite heavily fragranced) and gently exfoliate the skin. I add about 2 tbsp. into my bath & try not to fall asleep.

Main ingredients: Sweet Cream Buttermilk Powder, Epsom Salt, Baking Soda & Essential Oils.

Fig + Yarrow products are certainly not cheap, but they are all organic & hand made. I just really like this company & found an interesting article about the owner of the brand which you can read here if you're curious. I especially love the coffee scrub though & purchased it for Aslan's mom on her birthday last week. It's kind of a conversation piece-I've never seen anything else like it!

I might attempt to make my own coffee body scrub once I've finished this up.

Judging from the ingredients it shouldn't be too difficult.

Fig + Yarrow Cardamom + Coffee Body Scrub*-£31 | Fig + Yarrow Floral Milk Bath-£24

To my knowledge Cult Beauty is the only place you can get these in the UK.

They've also got a pretty outstanding goody bag on offer if you spend £50 (just sayin')...

Have you ever heard of Fig + Yarrow? What do you think of these two products?

If you know of any other bath milks that are good I'd love to know about them!

They're a new must-have for my bath time routine : )

Keeping my tradition from last year alive, I decided to do another Spring Trilogy Series! It's basically just 3 videos related to all things Spring! First up was beauty, so I busted out even MORE coral products and a few other warm weather favourites.

Cream blush, bright lips, fresh fragrance-OH MY!

What are your favourite beauty products for the warmer weather!

Stay tuned for part two in which I'll show you a few of my favourite fashion items : )

In the first instalment of my Spring Cleaning Series (read the first post here), I was swamped with University work, went through my clothes & cleaned out my dresser.

In today's post I'm going to be focusing a lot more on organizing-particularly makeup.

I'm not sure about you, but it seems that I can't be productive these days without fresh flowers. These are the ones currently on our table & I love them! Thought I'd branch out to something a bit more colourful.

Now, onto business.

Organizing a Trip!

Copenhagen travel books! I'm assuming you've already put the pieces together-we're going to Copenhagen! Aslan and I love travelling & have been dying to go on a little trip. After a few months of deciding, we finally settled on a destination. Just a short 3 or 4 day trip, but we're so excited! Neither of us have been to Denmark so it should be a wonderful time full of lots of adventures. We're still working out the details and need to book a hotel etc. so if you have any recommendations they are very welcome!

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Organizing My Makeup!

I was well and truly inspired to re-organize my makeup after seeing Lily post a photo of her makeup on Instagram. I've been wanting to switch things up for awhile, so using my existing Muji storage and a few new Muji containers I went at it last night. It was a long and painful process & I'm still not completely satisfied, but it makes much more sense than what I had before.

For reference this is the Ikea Alex Unit.

I thought it made most sense to divide my makeup into categories.

Of course lip products would be right in the top drawer-they're my favourite!

Here are most of my foundations and powders with a few extra mascaras thrown in the back.

This is my drawer for all things eyes! Lots of eyeshadow palettes, cream eyeshadows and pigments.

I put my nail polish in two boxes & tried to keep most upside down so I could see all of the colours. There was some slight overflow, but it doesn't bother me too much.

Aslan walked in halfway through this makeup mania and was shocked by the amount of nail polishes I own. To be honest-I am too! I never used to care about nail polish and now look at me! I'm an addict!

Are you still Spring cleaning? Or is it just taking me a LONG TIME!

Here's my original makeup collection post & video if you're curious about that!

Do you know of any good makeup collection posts? I'm always up for a read!

I was leisurely strolling through Liberty the other day (as you do) and was on the hunt for a new Spring fragrance. I've recently finished up myChloé perfume& have the citrus scent covered with my Caudalie Zeste du Vigne, but I was looking for something a little more special. I tried out the new See by Chloé, a few Marc Jacobs scents as well as Flowerbomb, but it wasn't scratching that itch! Finally I was compelled to venture into the Diptyque shop where all of my fragrance prayers were answered.

Diptyque L'Eau du Trente-Quatre (50ML)-£60

I was chatting with the sales assistant, telling her what I was looking for and the first thing she suggested was L'eau du 34. Perhaps it's because this is the latest & greatest fragrance release from Diptyque (it's an interpretation of the original 34 Boulevard Saint Germain) and she was trying to spread the word? Whatever the reason, I fell in love right then and there. I usually like to think about fragrance purchases, but with Diptyque it always seems to feel right straight off the bat.

L'eau du Trent-Quatre is a fresh, green scent with notes of citrus, birch-tree leaf and that classic Diptyque spice. It's the perfect combination for Spring as nothing within the perfume takes over. Everything blends together for a clean (almost soapy?), yet romantic scent.

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Another thing I love about Diptyque fragrances is that they last ALL DAY on my skin. Something I noticed when I was in Paris was that all of the women smelled so amazing-the French know how to "do" fragrance, I'm convinced!

I opted for the 50ML size which isn't too big & isn't too small. Right down to the matte black spritzer, Diptyque nails the packaging once again. Can you tell I love this brand?

If you ever get the chance to go into a Diptyque store I promise you it will be a thoroughly enriching, fragrance experience. It's also available at Liberty & John Lewis.

Have you ever opted for a Diptyque fragrance?

I think it's so nice to have a really unique fragrance & in the two days I've had it, I've had 3 compliments.

Not bad ladies & gents.

The idea of beauty boxes is understood by most of us by now, but in case you're new to the beauty world I'll do a quick rundown. You sign up (like a subscription), in this case it costs £10 + P&P per month & Birchbox will send you 4-5 beauty samples from brands you might not otherwise have tried. I know I found one of my holy grail items (Taaj Micellar Water) through Birchbox (then Joliebox) about a year ago.

If I'm being honest, I think I prefer reading the little magazine that comes with the samples more than the samples themselves! It's an entire magazine dedicated specifically to beauty.

THIS MONTH I RECEIVED:

La Société Parisienne de Savons Soap (full size £8.50)

French soap-what's not to like?! It smells a bit like rose & jasmine, but a bit musky?

Weleda Skin Food (full size £8.95)

I'm already a fan of this product (I think I have about 5 samples of it already), but it's a really rich salve that's perfect for dry patches of the skin. It's a miracle worker for cuticles.

Natio Gentle Foaming Facial Cleanser (full size £6.80)

This is a plant based facial cleanser, featuring essential oils. I haven't tried this yet so I can't give my thoughts, but the ingredients seem mostly natural minus the parabens.

Mirenesse Perfect Kiss Lipstick Pencil (around £17 judging from the US price)

This is RIGHT up my street. I love lipsticks in pencil form & this one glides on like a dream. It's a gorgeous cherry red colour with some gold shimmer running through it. It'll be great on summer nights.

Gerda Spillmann Renaissance Age Serum (full size £69.00)

This is a serum by a Swiss cosmetics brand. Again, I haven't had a chance to try this one.

Paname Paris Mirror (£7.50)

Not sure if any pocket mirror is worth £7.50, but it's always a handy thing to have around.

I know beauty boxes are a bit hit & miss, but I think it's a great way to start getting into beauty or brands you might not have heard of before. My mom has a subscription and LOVES trying out new things each month.

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Birchbox have been kind enough to offer this month's box to 5 lucky readers, so if you live in the UK be sure to read the rules below to enter.

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Leave a comment down below telling me product you've recently discovered or re-discovered.

2. Include your email address in the comment.

3. Follow my blog through Bloglovin' or GFC.

4. This isn't necessary, but feel free to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (essie_button). That'd be nice ;)

I will email the 5 winners on Friday, April 26th.

Thanks for entering!

There was a moment last week when I had to sit myself down and say "LAY OFF THE CORAL!" It was basically an intervention except I was the interventionist as well as the one who needed intervening. It was time to put down the coral and go for something a bit different.

I'm still sticking with my neutral shadows, but this one is Rosewood by Burberry. It needs an entire post dedicated to itself, so look forward to that! It's a gorgeous neutral, rosy shade. Saying goodbye to coral meant I had to put down my favourite orange blush Gladiola by Stila. It was hard, but it had to happen. A quick dab of Revlon's cream blush in Flushed* (using my Real Techniques Stippling Brush) and I was well on my way to transforming my everyday coral look.

For lips I used another Revlon product-the Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie. This one is really, really pink! You can build it up for a lot of colour, or just dab it on for a slight wash. To top everything off I added a couple of coats of Courtesan by Sally Hansen. Now I'm in pink overload, haha! I really do love pink shades though : )

Do you ever go months wearing exactly the same makeup? Once you find something you like I don't think there's much point changing it, but I feel guilty that my other makeup is being left out.

That makes perfect sense, right?

I by no means consider myself a fashion blogger, but I do have a general interest in clothing. I rummaged through my clothes rail to find a few items that I plan on wearing this Spring.

In short, I like sheer blouses, blazers and dresses.

My favourite phrase, "why be subtle?" comes into play while showing off a new sequinned jacket.

I love sequins and I'm not afraid who knows it!

Hope you enjoyed watching me chat about boobs & nipples (nothing new there)!

If you're interested in seeing my top beauty picks for spring click here to read the post & watch the video.

Part 3 of the Trilogy (FOOD) should be coming later this week!

As you know, Revlon is by far my favourite drugstore brand. I love their foundations, cream blushes, mascaras and their nail polishes. Today I'm coming at you with a relatively new release from the brand, their Nail Art dual ended nail polishes. There are a few different types of these polishes including Moon Candy (chunky glitter), Expressionist (1 extra skinny detail brush), Neon (Neutral base & Neon accent colour).

My personal favourite are the Moon Candy polishes even though I'm not typically a glitter girl!

Top to Bottom

Moon Candy-Eclipse*, Moon Candy-Orbit*, Expressionist-Ulterior Motif*,Neon-Fluorescent*.

It was quite hard to capture the glitter the way it actually looks, but it really brings out the colour of the darker polish underneath. It's a bit difficult to apply because the glitter pieces are quite big, but once you smooth it out and add a top coat it looks really cool.

Revlon Moon Candy-Eclipse-£7.99

Except the Expressionist range, all of them have the standard Revlon nail polish brushes (which are my personal favourite). I think they're great for travel because they don't take up too much space & you''ve got two different options.

So what do you guys think of these nail art things?

I really love the concept & they come in so many shades there's bound to be one you like.

Do you like wearing glitter? Or do you prefer to have a nice smooth manicure?

Adding a dog to our home is something Aslan and I have wanted to do ever since we moved in together. Unfortunately it's not always the right time to do such things, but we think we're finally ready to commit to looking after a furry friend. We're taking our time & doing our research, but our hearts are set on adopting a Greyhound. In this vlog series, we're going to share with you our journey & the steps we're taking towards adopting a pet.

Step one: Volunteer to walk some Greyhounds! We wanted to spend time with the dogs and get a chance to see the facility we would potentially be adopting from (Hersham Hounds).

We really hope you learned something about adopting a pet & maybe even learned something about Greyhounds! There are lots of misconceptoions about these dogs, but they are the most kind & loving dogs I have ever seen! It's love <3

Do you have a dog? Have you ever known a Greyhound?

Taking twenty minutes (or longer) to have a bath is one of my all time favourite activities. Facing burning hot water & then dipping your toes in (while screaming) is just half of the fun-when will I learn!? Anyway, yesterday I was feeling a bit annoyed, disgruntled, irritable, tired, insert more pissed off adjectives here & Aslan suggested I have a bath. No point arguing with the man, so I turned those taps, added some Neom Tranquility Bath Foam*, some bath oil and performed a hormonal exorcism on myself. What does that even mean? Well it's a phrase I have *JUST* made up relating to PMS and how I calm the hell down. For a few days out of the month I literally feel like some sort of demon has taken over my body and I don't want to do anything involving anyone. Perhaps I'm being a bit dramatic & obviously this is something that effects women differently, so I can only speak for myself when I say a bit of zen time is absolutely required.

Now doesn't that look relaxing? The important thing for me is to just clear my mind and try to relax. Sometimes I watch YouTube or listen to music, but most of the time I like it to be quiet while I take a bath.

The newest addition to my bath time routine is a bath pillow! Sick of rolling up a towel and propping it under your neck only for it to fall into the tub moments later? Well a bath pillow is for you. This is just a really cheap one off eBay, but you can get bigger ones that look a bit more comfortable.

Highly recommend getting one of these if you take regular baths.

Of course breakouts are a'plenty right about now, so I pushed the rest of my skincare aside & busted out my favourite detoxifying mask, REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask& prayed it worked some magic. It makes my skin feel clean and reduces blemishes without drying my skin out too much. After rinsing, I like to apply a light moisturiser, such as the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturising Sorbet*. This is a great day cream, but I really like to put this on my skin after a mask because it's not too heavy, but provides just the right amount of moisture. It's a pretty cool mousse/cream consistency. And last but not least, some Nuxe Rêve de Miel to moisturise those lips!

What do you do to unwind? Any tips for relaxing during those extra annoying days of the month?

In order to complete the Spring Trilogy series (beauty,fashion), I recruited my boyfriend Aslan to help me make a rather delicious salad inspired by one of Jamie Oliver's recipes. We've had this Chicken Quinoa Ceasar Salad before and it's just too good not to share! I thought I'd lend a hand and show you how easy it is to make iced tea (my favourite)! Hope you enjoy the video & here's what you'll need!

INGREDIENTS:

CHICKEN:

2 x 200g skinless mini chicken breasts

1/2 tsp. paprika (any kind you want)

2 hand fulls of cooked quinoa

SALAD:

1 small ciabatta loaf

2 pak choi

100g smoked pancetta

2 romaine lettuces

cherry tomatoes (as many as you want)

balsamic vinegar

DRESSING: (The Best Part)

2-4 cloves of garlic

juice of 1 lemon

40g Parmesan cheese

2-4 anchovy fillets

3 tbsp natural yogurt

1 splash of Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp. English mustard

1/2 bunch of fresh basil

1/2 bunch of fresh dill

***

Ahh, the filming was over, but the mess was just getting started. Gotta love the aftermath of cooking!

Oh, well. It's very worth it! I think this is a relatively easy recipe that beginner chefs (like myself) could accomplish. Aslan makes it look so easy!

Let us know if you try this out!

What are your favourite semi-healthy recipes?

Do you know of any good healthy food blogs?

Sometimes in life, you come across an item that you just can't seem to shake from your mind. Lord knows I don't need anymore notebooks, but I have been eyeing up the Rifle Paper Co. Botanicals Notebook Collection for what seems like years. Finally, the pressure was too much & I had to bite the bullet and accept the fact that these notebooks were meant to be in my life.

Rifle Paper Co. Botanicals Notebook Collection-£14

I love a good floral print & I love journals, so I couldn't get much better than this. The toughest part was narrowing down which notebooks to buy because Liberty of London has a few on show in their stationary section. I can't seem to find this particular set on their website, but they had lots when I went in last week.

I personally prefer softcover books and notepad because I like to be able to bend the cover all the way around. That might make some of you stationary lovers cringe, but I like to use & abuse my notebooks because they go everywhere with me!

The attention to detail is phenomenal.

From the inside cover the header at the top of each page, this set of notebooks is truly divine.

What do you think of these notebooks? Do you love the design as much as me?

What are some of your favourite stationary companies?

You can check out the Rifle Paper Co. here!

Travelling is such a beautiful thing. I mentioned in one of my YouTube videos that I collect mugs to remember my trips. Lots of you wanted to see them (believe it or not) so I thought I'd share with you four of my favourite mugs & a photo from each place. First up, my homeland.

NIAGRA FALLS, CANADA

(One of my all time favourite mugs. I love this one.)

I've been to Niagra Falls a few times, but the most recent excursion with Aslan proved to be rather foggy. I'm hoping to take him back another time so he can see the falls in all of their glory!

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PARIS, FRANCE

This was one of those trips dreams are made of. It was romantic, beautiful and everything I imagined it to be. We did vlog this trip so if you're into watching it here you go! (Part 1 | Part 2)

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

Most of the mugs in Amsterdam were covered in joints and boobs, so I was getting a bit sad that I wouldn't be able to find one! Luckily on the last day I found this stunning Amsterdam mug which I now cherish!

We had a lot of fun on this trip. What happens in Amsterdam stays in Amsterdam?

INDIA

India has by far been the most rewarding trip I have ever had the privilege to take. It was a huge culture shock to me and I was deathly ill for most of it, but I'm dying to go back.

Take a look here for more India photos. (Part 1 | Part 2)

Do you collect anything from your travels?

Would you recommend any travel destinations to me?

I'm really hoping to go to Japan, Iceland and San Francisco!

PS-I'd love if anyone reading this would do a post with photos & the items you've collected over the years!

I have one other YSL Glossy Stain (Fuchsia Dore) which is a beautiful deep fuchsia shade. I absolutely love the consistency, finish and lasting power of it, so I thought it was only right I picked up a more "everyday" colour for the Spring. These stain the lips for hours, don't accentuate my dry lips and stay glossy all damn day.

The key to the finish for me is that it's NOT sticky. Hallelujah!

They're truly amazing and worth the hype in my opinion.

None of the colours were jumping out at me to be honest, but I went for #7 Corail Aquatique despite it looking a bit too light for my taste in the tube. The real magic happened when I applied it to my lips. It goes on a shade or two darker than it looks in the tube (thank god because I do NOT look good in light lipsticks) and in my opinion it is the perfect balance of a peachy coral.

YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain #7 Corail Aquatique-£23.50

I've heard so many people say the packaging is ugly, but I absolutely adore it. I love that you can see inside the tube & I do love a bit of gold. My only gripe with it is that it tends to get a little worn looking after you use it a few times. Bit annoying considering the price.

The applicator is a bit of a strange shape, but the pointed tip makes it really easy to be accurate. Another thing to mention is that it's got a pretty strong candy-like scent. I really like it, but if you're more of an unscented kinda gal, definitely test it out before buying any of the glossy stains.

Of course L'Oréal has come out with the Glam Shine Stain Splash's which are supposed to be somewhat of a dupe for the YSL Stains. However, I'm still not convinced. I have a few of them and although it's a similar concept I don't think the lasting power or the finish is exactly the same.

Close, but just a tad bit off in my opinion. I still like them a lot, though & they're much cheaper so it's definitely worth a look.

Have you fallen in love with the YSL Glossy Stains or do you think the L'Oréal ones are just as good?

What do you think of this shade for Spring/Summer?

Coral is back, baby!

Time for another selection of my favourite products of the month! I always start off thinking that I'm not going to find any favourite products, but without fail every single month I fall in love with a set of beauty items. This month was no exception and I think it's a pretty good mix of products!

HAIR

Percy & Reed Dry Shampoo

This is probably the best dry shampoo I have ever used. It's goes on clear, smells good and leaves your hair feeling genuinely refreshed rather than sticky.

Pureology Hydrate Shampoo& Pureology Hydrate Conditioner

My holy grail shampoo & conditioner brand. This is sulfate free and suitable for vegans.

Bumble & Bumble Semi Sumo Hair Pomade*

I've been using this hair pomade for over 6 months (almost everyday). It gives my hair a bit of texture without making it look sticky and overdone. It also smells GOOD!

BODY & NAILS

Fig + Yarrow Cardamom & Coffee Body Scrub*

I've done an entire post (click here to read) dedicated to this truly amazing body scrub. As I mentioned in the video I will be doing a DIY video on a coffee scrub very soon!

Diptyque L'Eau du Trente-Quatre

This is one helluva gorgeous fragrance. Read my full review here!

Sweet Almond Oil

I've been using this on my nails and around the cuticles and have found it very effective for strengthening my nails as well as hydrating my cuticles!

Maybelline Forever Strong Nail Polish in Lilac Charm

No matter how many nail polishes I try, I always seem to go back to lilac. Such a pretty colour!

MAKEUP

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Soft Porcelain

If you watched the video you'll know the LONG story that goes along with this product. It's a good thing I really love this mineral powder or that would have been a lot of wasted effort! Anyway, this is an amazing foundation and I'll be doing a tutorial with it soon!

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder in Translucent*

I hate to say I like this more than my Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, but I think it's love. It's a very fine powder and I think it looks a bit more natural on the skin. Really loving this at the moment!

Revlon Photo Ready Blush in Flushed*

You guys know I love these cream blushes & this pink shade is GORGEOUS. In an effort to say no to coral, I've been using this on the regular. Very pretty for Spring.

MAC Blush in Peaches

Another one of those gorgeous blushes for spring is Peaches by MAC. It's been in my collection since the beginning of time & it's finally getting the love it deserves!

Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie

The perfect lip colour to go with the Revlon Cream Blush. A nice pink combo!

MUA Highlighter

Not the BEST highlighter I've ever used, but I was captivated by the ripples in the product itself. It's more on the pink side of things and isn't the most smooth, but it's great value for money.

I really was not messing around this month. There were lots of products to mention, but I just couldn't narrow it down! They all deserved their fifteen minutes of fame in a favourites video!

What were your favourites last month?

Think you'll try any of these?

Makeup brushes are some of my favourite beauty items to buy. Although I'm not a makeup artist, I still like testing out new methods of makeup application.

That being said, I always seem to come back to the same little group of brushes.

I've been using the Real Techniques brushes for months and months and I love everything about them. They're affordable, soft, dry really quickly after washing and are just all around great quality brushes. I'd recommend them to anyone!

BASE BRUSHES:

Real Techniques Buffing Brush-(Core Collection Set £21.99)

This brush is part of the Real Techniques Core Collection and was the first set I bought. As suspected, the Buffing Brush lived up to the blogger hype & blends foundation in beautifully. It's the perfect density and the fibres bend easily as you're using it. If I'm doing a full face of foundation this is definitely my brush of choice.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush-£9.99

This brush is sold separate from the main collection kits & to be honest I really didn't think I'd like it. I hate conventional flat foundation brushes, but because this one is a little more "chubby" it is the perfect middle ground between the buffing brush and a "normal" foundation brush. I use this if I'm applying foundation to smaller areas (the t-zone, small sections of my cheeks) and usually with heavier coverage foundations.

Real Techniques Contour Brush-(Core Collection Set £21.99)

I don't contour my cheeks everyday, but if I do this is the brush I use. It works in cream products as well as powder because it's synthetic and it's the perfect size for getting in the hollows of the cheeks. It's also great for highlighter & blush.

All of these brushes are multi-purpose.

BLUSH BRUSHES

Bobbi Brown Blush Brush-£35.00

This is the newest brush to join the family, but it's been welcomed with open arms. I apply all of my powder blushes with this one because it's fluffy without being TOO big. I like to have a lot of control when applying blush & since this is kind of pinched, you can flip it on its side for more precision.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush-£11.99

I love a bit of cream blush (especially this time of year) and the Stippling Brush is the only brush I use to apply them. It makes it SO easy to get the right amount on the cheeks and then blend it in so it looks airbrushed. Fabulous!

EYES & BROWS

MAC 217 Brush-£17.00

This could be shocking, but this is basically the only eyeshadow brush I use (I wash it constantly). I apply my base colour with it and then flip it over to apply a darker crease colour. It's great for blending and although it's a bit big for precise eyeshadow work, it's perfect for my everyday eyeshadow.

Sonia Kashuk Spooly Brush-$1.99

This is just a regular old brush that was really cheap & has served me well!

I use this to brush through my brows before and after powder.

Louise Young 37 Brow Brush-£9.00

Although I've got a full fringe now, I still put powder through my brows almost everyday. Every now and then I'll meet a gust of wind and I'd prefer the brows to be lookin fierce. Anyway, this is BY FAR the best angled brush I have ever used. It's thin, accurate and perfect in every way.

What makeup brushes are in your main stash?

Have you ever tried any of my favourites?

I've never really been one to "diet", but I do try to eat healthy when I can and I try to incorporate healthy habits into my diet whenever possible. I'm certainly not a nutritionist & lord knows I love donuts, but for the most part I TRY to eat foods to nourish my body as well as satisfy my hunger!

Neal's Yard Healing Foods*-£16.99

I don't do too many book reviews, but when the chance to review this one popped up I was like YES. Aslan and I have both been feeling a bit slow-paced lately and we're trying to liven up a bit and put an end to the winter hibernation. I thought this book would be a great way to check out some new recipes, but I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that the layout of the book wasn't solely focused on that (but there are still 130 of them).

Unlike most healthy recipe books, this one goes into detail about individual foods/ingredients, pointing out what's good and why. It's all broken up into easy to read categories which I think is important. I personally don't want to read a textbook, but I love learning about "brain food" and why certain foods (like blueberries) are so good for us! Of course we know they're fruit, but what else?

DID YOU KNOW:

--> Blueberries can increase levels of dopamine-a vital neurotranmitter-thus improving memory!

--> Sunflower seeds is an excellent source of vitamin E, which helps maintain healthy hair & skin!

It features over 175 "healing foods" so I could go on & on...

The book also breaks it down into specific plans. If you want to focus on liver health, good digestion or a radiance-boosting lunch, this book has a few meals & their recipes all laid out for you.

I haven't had a chance to make the Adzuki Bean Soup, but I've got all the ingredients ready to go!

When I was 18, I would have NEVER eaten something like this, but I can really see my tastes changing for the better.

I think this book is such a great jumping off point for someone, like me, who is trying to learn more about nutrition & maybe needs a few recipes. It gives a broad range of knowledge about fruit, vegetables, seeds etc. that you can apply to your daily meals and snacks.

What are some of your healthy foods to eat?

Do books like this interest you?

It's becoming a pattern that I film Empties videos once every two months. Before I started doing these videos I had no idea how many beauty products I went through, but trust me-once you start collecting them you will see! I also have lots of half-used products, so I usually target one & stick with it to make more room in my beauty stash!

I finished lots of body scrubs, and body lotions, but I was most sad to see my Chloé perfume come to an end. I'll definitely get it again sometime in the future, but I'm happy with my new Diptyque Perfume featured here.

I'm a huge fan of Antipodes skincare and have been for quite some time. In fact, yesterday I took on the Saturday Selfridges crowds to get my hands on some of the Antipodes Avocado Pear Night Cream which I ran out of. It's not too often that I repurchase skincare, but more on that later. Today we're here to talk about the Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream. When I first laid eyes on this I thought, if I love this half as much as I love their skincare, it'll be a good day! Of course-I did.

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(Sunday Splurge! I thought it might be a neat idea to feature a more expensive product & let you know if I think it's worth the splurge!)

Antipodes Joyful Hand & Body Cream*-£25

Combining summer berry with hibiscus flower, this scent is probably one of the sexiest things I've ever smelled. I think my friend Hannah from Hannahyep hit the nail on the head when tweeted, "it does things to me"-in regards to this product. There is something about this fragrance that is seductive, flirty and just plain EROTIC! Okay I said it!

I'm pretty sure this is a Selfridges exclusive (that's what their website says) & when I was in there yesterday the shelf was completely sold out of this product. The tester was there, but the rest were gone. I'm not sure if that's a lazy shelf-stocker, but if you ask me it's because this is just a damn good product.

Packaging is really important to me (probably more than it should be), but I love when products come in these aluminium tubes. Not only is it a great excuse to use the "tube wringer" featured in this Non-Beauty Favourites video, but it makes it really convenient for travelling. Of course, the rosy-pink hue on the box & tube had me at hello. Absolutely stunning!

INTERESTING INGREDIENTS:

Avocado oil (which gives it a really rich texture), Macadamia Oil, Vitamin E, Raspberry Seed Oil.

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Antipodes is a certified organic, New Zealand brand. Their ingredients and methods of getting them are the best of the best. They're environmentally responsible and go to great lengths researching skincare benefits. Seriously, it's impressive how much research they do. You can read more about their research & development here.

What I like about the Antipodes night cream I mentioned earlier, is that it's very rich, but not too heavy. It hydrates like nobody's business and this hand & body cream is exactly the same. I'm including this as a "Sunday Splurge" because it is an expensive product. Antipodes is expensive-there's really no way around it, but with this brand you really know what you're paying for. Premium ingredients, amazing skincare benefits, environmental sustainability & importance on scientific research for the future.

Over the past year or so I've had a great relationship with the Antipodes girls, so I've had a chance to try quite a few of their products. I'd happily do a group review of all of them if you're interested?

Have you ever tried anything from Antipodes?

Do you think you'd ever splurge on this item? I say it's worth it!

It's available at a few stores including Selfridges & Feel Unique.

I don't think I'm the best at doing tutorials, but get ready with me videos are quite fun for me to do because I can apply my makeup as normal and have a little chat about it at the same time! I'm keen to start doing more of them so let me know if they're of interest!

I did my standard "natural base" and "natural eyes" look, but with my trademark bright lip! Is that my trademark? Maybe coral is my trademark? Anyway, I was excited to show you a demonstration of the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder because I've been loving it. It's a natural coverage which does even out redness to an extend, while providing a bit of luminosity. I love it for the warmer months!

I ditched blush this time & went for the Jouer Bronzer instead. This is probably my favourite bronzers of all time & I've done a full review here.

Oh, I forgot to mention the NARS Creamy Concealer! This is one helluva concealer. It's thick & acts like a corrector/concealer in one. I'm loving it. The Maybelline Rocket Mascara...not loving it as much, but I think it's okay. I need something with a bit more lengthening powers!

Hope you enjoyed the video!

What are your thoughts on mineral powder?

Think you'll be testing out the Maybelline Vivids? They are BRIGHT!

I love sunglasses & reading glasses with a passion! I think it's a unique area to experiment with different styles and designs. My latest finds came from none other than Primark & the best part is-they only cost £1 per pair.

I love the rounded shape & the sort of key-hole cutout look they give on the bridge of the nose.

I bought these ones first and featured them in my semi-recent Primark Haul which you can watch here. Aslan actually spotted these from a distance and I was so thrilled! It's always nice to have some cheap sunglasses as they can easily get lost or broken. I also wore them in our "Adopting a Greyhound" vlog& I got so many compliments on them! Primark, baby!

A few weeks later, I went back to Primark and came across these ones! They're the exact same frame, but feature my two favourite colours-peach &lilac! It was fate!

What do you think of these sunglasses?

Is the shape and colour a bit too much for you?

Best £2 I've ever spent in my opinion!

I test out a lot of beauty products, so when I repurchase the same item over & over again, it's a big deal (to me anyway). Also, I always seem to run out of products at the same time! Does this happen to you? This time around, it came mainly in the form of skincare, but there were also some nail care essentials that I needed to stock up on.

Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream-£32.99

My skin absolutely loves this stuff. It's rich, hydrating and leaves me with well nourished looking skin in the morning. I find when I use this, my makeup applies better & I get less dry patches.

NUXE Reve de Miel-£9.50

The best lip balm...ever. It's a very thick, weird consistency to get used to, but whatever is in this stuff just plain works. In fact, this product was tested in extremely cold Canadian (yay) conditions! I used to be addicted to Blistex & would apply it about 30 times a day. Since using the NUXE Reve de Miel, I only apply chapstick about twice a day because I don't feel like I need it! Miracle worker, I'll tell you!

Caudalie Vinosource S.O.S. Serum-£26.00

My skin not only gets dry patches, but the rest of it is quite dehydrated. This S.O.S. Serum is one of the only things I've used that gives instant moisture back to my skin. It's a very thin, milky consistency but it packs a lot of punch! Even Aslan is hooked on this stuff!

Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat-£6.49

I never used to bother with a base coat, but I find it adds a lot more lasting power and keeps a nicer finish to my nail polish. This Revlon one is my absolute favourite because it really does dry quickly!

Seche Vite Top Coat-£9.85

High shine? Check. Gel-like finish? Check. No chips for about a week? Check.

This top coat is definitely worth all of the hype it gets in my opinion. I've had people ask me if I've got gel nails before, when it's just been a layer of good old Seche Vite slapped on top of my regular polish. My last bottle did get a bit gloopy about 3/4 of the way through, so I thought it was time I get a brand new bottle.

Highly recommend!

So those are the products I've been eager to get back into my life!

Gotta love Feel Unique for late night shopping orders!

What products do you consistently repurchase?

Do you think you'll give any of these a go?

It seems like the warm weather is finally upon is un the UK, so I thought I'd get crafty and make a little DIY foot scrub. You can use any essential oil you want to (in place of the peppermint) & just play around with it! It was inexpensive to make & made a lot more than some of the ones you can buy for around £10.

YOU WILL NEED:

Around 1 cup coarse sea salt

1/2 sweet almond oil

1-2 tsp lemon zest

3-4 drops peppermint essential oil (or however many you want)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix it all together.

Told you it was easy!

*I would suggest storing it in an air-tight jar & leaving it in the fridge*

It's a course scrub, but because of the almond oil it leaves your feet feeling incredibly soft.

As I said in the video, this would make a great gift! You could put it in a cute jar, put a bow around it & voila!

I really hope you enjoyed this video! Sometimes the simplest things work the best.

Do you think you'll try this foot scrub?

What other variations do you think could work well?

It's not often a nail polish will get an entire post dedicated to it, but when I find myself staring at my nails multiple times per day I think that warrants a full-on rave. I mentioned this nail polish shade in my recent get ready with me video & I just can't get enough of it!

Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish (Rose Libertine)-£3.69

It's a muted rose colour which looks so feminine on the nails. It reminds me a bit of Joan Holloway/Betty Draper from Mad Men because it's a very timeless shade and seems to go with everything. I apply two coats of this & let me tell you, it really does dry fast! Perfect for on the go application.

Just a quick overview of the nail polishes I use when I give myself a manicure. I start off with a layer of O.P.I Nail Envy which strengthens my nails, my favourite Revlon Quick Dry Base Coat,Rose Libertine and a nice coat of Seche Viteto top it all off. This combination has been on my nails for 6 days with minimal chips.

For my full nail care routine click here!

What do you think of this Rimmel nail polish? Do you love the shade as much as I do?

Rimmel have lots of different shades in this 60 seconds range. I remember my mom buying them when they were first released YEARS ago & us putting the 60 seconds thing to the test.

Perhaps that's where the beauty obsession began? Thanks mom!

I'm a bit late to jump on the Benefit Hervana bandwagon & I'm kicking myself because I absolutely love it! I think the reason why it didn't make much of an impact on me is because I don't wear too many pink blushes. I tend to stick to corals, plums or bronzer as blush. Since it's been getting a tad warmer (and when I say a tad I mean a TAD), I've busted out a few of my hot pink lipsticks & found that Hervana is the perfect blush to go with any pink lip.

Benefit Box Blush (Hervana)-£23.50

You've probably all seen these boxed powders before & to be honest I'm still not sure how I feel about the packaging. It's cute, but is it practical? It takes up a lot of room in my makeup bag & is pretty bulky, but I'm willing to overlook it because I really like the blush itself.

Inside the box you will find a miniature blush brush (which is actually pretty cute & isn't terrible) as well as a mirror. One good thing about having a blush in a box is that all of the tiny powder left over from swirling your brush around stays in the packaging, rather than all over the place.

Look at that swirl, ladies & gents! It's mesmerising isn't it? I just take my brush, swirl all of the colours together and apply it like that. I think it might be a bit difficult to selectively choose one shade, but I think they work well together so one big swirl is fine with me. The result is a peachy rose shade.

It's not the most pigmented of blushes, which is actually why I like it. I was looking for something to wear everyday that was natural, but still gave a bit of a spring flush. Although on first application it's not majorly pigmented, it's buildable; adding another layer on top will definitely give this more of a pop!

To me, i'ts a satin finish because it's fairly matte, but it has a tiny bit of sheen. Nothing glittery or sparkly about this blush which is why I consider it an "everyday blush." Sometimes I add an additional highlighter on my cheekbones, but I find the satin finish is nice on its own.

What do you think of Hervana? Did you jump on the bandwagon when it first came out?

What's your everyday blush?

Fig + Yarrow | Coffee Scrub & Floral Bath Milk

Spring Trilogy: Part 1 | Beauty

What I've Been Up To | Spring Cleaning #2

Fragrance | Diptyque L'Eau du Trente-Quatre

April Birchbox | & Giveaway

Saying "NO!" to Coral! | Think Pink

Spring Trilogy: Part 2 | Fashion

Revlon Nail Art Overview | Moon Candy

Adopting a Greyhound: Part 1

The Hormonal Exorcism | Keep Calm & Have a Bath

Spring Trilogy: Part 3 | Chicken Quinoa Caesar Salad & Iced Tea

New In | Botanicals Notebook Collection

My Favourite Mugs & Memories

Warm Weather Go-To | YSL Glossy Stain #7 Corail Aquatique

April Beauty Favourites!

My Most Used Makeup Brushes

Book Review | Neal's Yard Healing Foods

Empty Products #9 | Things I've Used Up

Worth the Splurge? | Antipodes Joyful Hand and Body Cream

Get Ready With Me | Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Demo and Bright Maybelline Vivid!

Primark Gems | Sunglasses

The Repurchases | Skincare & Nails

DIY | Lemon & Peppermint Foot Scrub

Nails of the Day | Rose Libertine by Rimmel

The Everyday Blush | Benefit Hervana