Witch Skincare Competition Wins

A while ago I received an email from Witch Skincare on my personal account, which contained a link to a competition. I go through phases of entering competitions, and because I had a few minutes to spare I decided to click the link and fill in my details. I didn’t think anything of it after that – I’ve entered so many competitions and rarely heard any follow-up. But a couple of weeks later, I received another email telling me I had won the prize! It’s always nice to get things in the post, so I was very excited when my goodies arrived a few days later. I thought it would be nice for me to share with you the products I won.

The lovely people at Witch really spoilt me! I’ve tried a couple of their products before, but there were also a few that I’m yet to try, so the package contained a really nice selection. I first remember trying something from Witch as a teenager, as I’d been told witch hazel was really good for spots. Since then, they’ve become a brand that I really trust and I always keep an eye out for any new releases.

First up was a packet of 25 cleansing and toning wipes. I must admit, I’m a bit of a sucker for a good face wipe. I know they get a lot of bad press, but I find them a real lifesaver on days that I don’t feel well enough to do my proper skincare routine. I also like to use them to get the majority of my make-up off before I do a deep cleanse. These wipes have added Witch Hazel to clean and freshen up the skin, help tighten pores (which is always a bonus in my eyes!) and help to prevent breakouts.

The next thing I pulled out of my parcel was this Concealer Stick. I wasn’t aware that Witch did make-up items, so was really interested to see this in my winnings. I’m always on the look out for good concealers, so am interested to see what this one will be like. According to Witch, this is a true multi-tasker, which has got to be a good thing if it saves you time on your routine. It covers spots and contains Witch Hazel to help blitz blemishes as you cover them. I always worry when I use concealer that it could make my spots worse, so knowing this product targets blemishes at the same time is reassuring.

Another of the products I won was this Overnight Clearing Serum. I’ve actually tried this one out before, as I received a sample in a blogger event goody bag last year. But I really loved using it, so I was happy to receive a new one! It’s an award-winning powerful, oil-free serum, which helps to prevent breakouts and reduce the appearance of blemishes and redness whilst you sleep. The Witch Hazel extract helps clear and contract pores and Vitamin B3 visibly hydrates skin. I find with some products that work on blemishes and tighten pores that they can leave my skin feeling uncomfortably tight. But this serum left my skin feeling nourished and clear.

Another product I’ve tried before and loved is their Gentle Exfoliating Face Wash. Loaded with natural micro-granules to deep clean pores, help shift dead skin cells and trapped dirt for a soft, smooth, clearer-looking complexion, it leaves your face feeling glowing and refreshed. It’s gentle but still does the job, and doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight or irritated.

The last thing in my parcel was this Blemish Stick. I’ve got a feeling I’ve tried this or something similar before, and if I remember rightly I found it really effective. It’s another of Witch’s award-winning products and is the ultimate in blemish control. With the help of Witch Hazel (which, as you’ve probably guessed, is the main ingredient in all of the products from Witch) it helps to break down excess oils in just one use and fights bacteria that cause spots. I used to apply this on spots as they first started to appear, and found it really helped to clear them quickly but without that horrible tight feeling some other products can leave you with.

So that was everything in my winning parcel! I’m really excited to try the products I haven’t tried yet and am very grateful to Witch for running the competition. I’ll definitely have to keep you updated on how I find the rest of the products. Keep an eye on my YouTube channel as I often talk about my favourite products over there.

Have you tried any products from Witch? Which ones are your favourite? Or can you recommend any other brands I might like to try out?

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Starting University

Regular readers of my blog will know that today is the day I start University. I’m no stranger to higher education, with this being my third (or fourth, if we’re pedantic about it!) attempt to get a degree. My first University experience was when I moved down to study Childhood and Youth Studies at Portsmouth. I managed 4 months of the course before I had to leave and move back home, as unfortunately my health went downhill pretty quickly and I wasn’t able to live away from home any more. My second attempt was with the Open University and I studied for nearly 4 years for a degree in Psychology. Sadly my health put an end to that too, when I ended up having to spend 4 months in hospital, followed by another 6 months as a day patient.

By the time I was ready to study again I had lost the motivation to continue with the psychology degree, and decided to look into being an Occupational Therapist. I didn’t have the right qualifications to go straight to University, so for the last year I have been studying for an Access to Higher Education Diploma on the Nursing and Midwifery route. It was a brilliant opportunity to remind myself how to study and organise myself, but was also a chance to learn how to socialise with people of my age again. After going to a few interviews for places on OT courses, I came to realise that my health just wasn’t good enough to allow me to continue with that line of study. It was a massive blow and I’ll admit I still feel quite sad about it, but there’s no point in just sitting and wallowing about something I physically can’t do right now. Instead, I had a think about the things I CAN do and looked into local degrees that would make the most of these skills. Journalism kept popping up and, after looking into it and researching a local University, I realised that it should suit me perfectly. So that’s where I am today – starting at a new University on a brand new path. I’m both excited and terrified, but I’m hoping once I’ve settled into a routine the worry will lessen and the excitement will continue.

One of my favourite things about starting a new academic year is stocking up on all the new equipment you will need for the year ahead. Pens, pencils, highlighters, folders and more – it’s a stationery addict’s dream! So, I thought I would show you a few of the bits I’ve been buying over the summer, ready for my course to start today.

How pretty are these rainbow of Sharpies?! They were on offer in Tesco and were such a bargain that I couldn’t stop myself putting them in the trolley! I’m not quite sure what I’m going to use them for yet, but I’m sure I’ll find something!

I actually bought this pencil case last year, before I started college, but it’s lasted so well that I didn’t see the point in buying a new one this year. It came from one of my favourite places, Paperchase and I know they have similar designs in store at the moment. I really like the style of this one because it has a separate zipped pocket in the middle, with a pocket either side, so you can organise your stationery into different compartments so it’s easy to find. I also had to get a reporter’s notebook (pretty essential for a Journalism course!) and came across a pack of three for a really good price in Rymans. Whilst I was in Rymans I also picked up some new highlighters. I had the same ones last year and most of them are still working now, so I know they’re great quality and it’s nice to have a choice of colours.

This cute notebook also came from Paperchase last year, but I didn’t use it all that much during my time at college, so I thought I’d pop it in my rucksack in case I need to make any notes. Last year it seemed to end up with various plans for blog posts in it, so that may be what happens again! I also picked up this awesome Unicorn Academic Planner in Paperchase for £8, which I thought was really good value. I’ll be using it to record any work I need to do at home, as well as reminders for deadlines and appointments.

As I mentioned in my Sunday Snippets post, we were also asked to get ourselves an address book. Studying Journalism, it’s so important to make contacts with other people in the business, so I wanted something that looked pretty but something that would also be sturdy and large enough to fit in a good number of contacts. I found this lovely floral address book on Amazon for around £9, although it looks like the price has increased a bit since I bought it.

The last thing I picked up on my stationery-shopping trip was these cute little page markers from Paperchase. I’m always terrible for finding something good in a book and then forgetting where I found it, so I’m hoping if I start using these I will be a lot less stressed about what I’ve forgotten! I can’t find these ones on the Paperchase website, but these are very similar and come in at a very reasonable £3.50.

So, that’s everything really. I’m using the rucksack I used for college last year, which I picked up in Accessorize. And I’ve also picked up a couple of new folders from Tesco – they’ve got some great bargains in there if you’re still looking for stationery for school/college/university! Wish me luck! I’ll update you soon about how I’m getting on.

Are you starting University this year? Or simply a new year at school/college/university? Have you treated yourself to some new stationery?

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Lush Valentine's Haul

So, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll know that this Saturday is Valentine’s Day. Now, I’m not your biggest Valentine’s fan as I find it just reminds me that I’m single. However, this year I’ve decided to send a few friends some bits and bobs to make them smile, as in my opinion it should be about showing love to everyone around you, not just your romantic partner.

With this in mind, I decided to have a little browse on the Lush website, as I knew they usually did a Valentine’s Day collection. I wasn’t wrong! This year has got to be one of their best years yet, so I thought I would share with you a few photos of what I picked up.

Have you popped into Lush recently? How will you be celebrating Valentine’s Day?

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Origins in the spotlight

I’ve been looking for a new moisturiser for a while now, and quite a few people recommended I try out something from Origins. So I decided to place a little order and see what all the fuss was about.

The moisturiser smells amazing – so refreshing and zingy, and it soaks into my skin beautifully. Now I understand why everyone raves about it!

I also decided to try a few other little bits and bobs, so treated myself to their spot treatment, which I am yet to use and their ‘No Puffery’ eye gel, which is so cooling and calming. The set I bought also came with the charcoal mask, which really makes your skin feel squeaky-clean and helps to unclog your pores.

The people at Origins very kindly added a little free gift to my order, which was this Modern Fiction dermabrasion, which I’ve already tried out and it make my skin feel silky smooth and very revitalised.

Overall I’m really impressed with the brand as a whole and am very tempted to repurchase some of these products once I’ve used these ones up, and perhaps try some other products as well.

Have you used any Origins products before? What would you recommend I try?

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What I got for Christmas

So, after all that preparation and excitement, Christmas has now been and gone. I hope you all had a lovely time over Christmas whatever you were doing, and managed to relax a bit and spend time with those you love.

I had a lovely Christmas with my family and I feel extremely lucky and grateful for all the beautiful gifts I received, but also for having such a special family to spend Christmas with. I thought I’d share a few of my presents with you all as I know lots of you enjoy this sort of post, just as much as I do! I feel like I need to include a disclaimer that I’m not sharing these gifts with you to boast or anything, but because this is a highly requested post and something I enjoy reading from others. I am of course grateful for all the lovely things I received and have thanked those generous people who spoilt me. I hope you enjoy seeing a few of the lovely gifts I was given. These are presents I received from family members - I'm still in the process of opening presents from my friends.

Lovely Real Techniques make-up brushes I got in my stocking

A spa day voucher for my Mum and I from my Dad - definitely one of my favourite presents!

Lots of socks and a pair of fluffy slippers

A few Lush bits

A pink Polaroid camera, case and films

Some make-up, Pandora charm, candles, vouchers for New Look and River Island, a DVD, Book and chocolate Santa

A calendar and a Cath Kidston hot water bottle

Did you have a good Christmas? What did Santa bring you and how did you celebrate this year?

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Christmas Books TBR

I’ve never done a TBR (To Be Read) post before, but after seeing a few others on blogs and on YouTube, I have been inspired to do my own. Now, before I start, I must say that I’m being rather ambitious with the books I’ve chosen because it takes me ages to read a book so there’s no way I’m going to get all these read before Christmas is over! But I thought I would tell you about a selection that I have to choose from, as I always enjoy hearing book recommendations.

I was actually quite surprised by the number of Christmas/Winter themed books available out there. All I did was pop over to Amazon and type in a few generic search terms, and managed to come up with all of these. So, if nothing takes your fancy here but you still want some Christmassy reads, just do a quick search on Amazon and you’re bound to find something.

The first book I’ve got is probably one that I’m most excited about – this gorgeous Penguin Chalk edition of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I was inspired by Chloe over at Chloe’s Thoughts to start buying myself some nice editions of my favourite books as keepsakes. Up until now I haven’t really kept many of the books I’ve read, I tend to give them away when I’m finished with them. But I love the idea of having pretty books filling my bookshelves and so I have made a start on my collection with this edition. The next book I chose was also inspired by Chloe (can you see a theme developing here!?) My True Love Gave to Me is a collection of twelve winter romances by a range of authors and my favourite thing about this book is the gorgeous cover and the fact that it has pink pages! I then found The Great Christmas Knit Off and was immediately taken by the plot synopsis. I always think of knitting around Christmas, so this book sounded perfect!

I then picked up A Proper Family Christmas by Chrissie Manby, mainly because I thought the cover was gorgeous (it has lots of gold sparkles on it!) but I did also read the plot and it sounded like a nice read. Plus, it’s a top ten bestseller, so it must be pretty good I hope! Another book inspired by Chloe was Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle and is another collection of holiday romance stories. I’ve read a couple of John Green’s books now, and if I’m honest I don’t really get the hype, but I’ll be interested to see what this one is like.

The last two books I ordered are two by the author Jenny Colgan. I’ve read a couple of her books and really enjoyed her style of writing – it’s very Sophie Kinsella-esq, so if you’re a fan of her you will probably like Jenny Colgan’s novels. I didn’t actually realise she had written two Christmassy ones, so was pleasantly surprised when they both appeared. I’m actually giving one of these to a friend for Christmas so I don’t know if I’ll get the opportunity to read it before then, so I might have to buy one for myself next year!

Anyway, I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing a bit about some of my Christmas books to be read, and have perhaps inspired you to pick up one or two. Don’t forget to check out my YouTube video about them too!

What are your favourite Christmas books?

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Lush Christmas Haul

You’ve probably already guessed by now that I’m a big fan of Lush products and an even bigger fan of Christmas. So when the two come together I’m certainly in my element! Recently I decided to place a little *cough large* order with Lush and thought I would share with you what I got in my parcel.

I decided to go to town on their Christmas range because there’s nothing I love more than a bit of pre-Christmas pampering. I picked up a small bottle of Rose Jam, which is a bit of a change for me as I almost always go for Snow Fairy (although I am hoping I might get a bottle in my stocking!) It smells delicious and is probably quite good for you if you’re not into the very sweet smelling scents, as it’s a bit subtler. I also treated myself to a So White bath bomb, which has an amazing apple scent. Next up is the Golden Wonder Bath Bomb, which looks like a massive gold present. It’s got a sweet citrus scent and I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen to my bath water. This next one isn’t strictly a Christmas product, more bonfire night, but I couldn’t resist the Sparkler long bath bomb, which has a mix of rose oil, Sicilian lemon oil and popping candy – exciting! Last up in this photo is the Snowman Fun, which I actually purchased to give to a friend’s little girls. I can imagine they will have great bath time fun making snowmen!

Another product that comes under the Bonfire Night heading is the Northern Lights long bath bomb, which is apparently full of multicoloured swirls and little gold stars. A favourite of mine is the Candy Mountain Bubble Bar – I love the sweet smelling products so this one is great for me. I also love the Christmas Hedgehog Bubble Bar, which is so moisturising and full of cocoa butter that it melts in your hands if you hold it for too long. The Melting Snowman is another Christmas favourite and is great as a little inexpensive gift at this time of year. Last up is the Bubble Bar I use every Christmas Eve – very aptly named, the Christmas Eve Bubble Bar!

If you don’t like glitter then I would advise keeping away from this next product – Holly Golightly Bubble Bar. It is covered in silver glitter and just gets everywhere before you’ve even got into the bath! One of the cutest products available this year is the Butterbear, who smells delicious and is so tiny and cute that he would be a perfect stocking filler gift. Next up is another glittery offering – Snow Angel, who’s back is covered in gold glitter, much like the silver glitter on Holly Golightly. It’s also full of organic cocoa butter so will be nice and moisturising. Next to this one is the Christmas penguin, which I think is just adorable. There seem to be a lot of citrus smells this Christmas and I’m surprised there aren’t more spiced products, but I’m not complaining, as I love a good citrus scent! And last up, where would you be without a Dashing Santa at the end of your Christmas Day celebrations?

What are your favourite Christmas products from Lush this year? Or do you prefer another store for stocking up on your smellies?!

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