My Top 5 Ways To Relax

Good morning!

It's Sunday - the day of rest! After working all week I like to try and put a couple of hours aside on a Sunday afternoon to relax and have some 'me time' . I think people's lives are generally very busy these days, but it's important to take some time out from all the madness and so I've made a list of my favourite ways to relax!

Valentine's Day Inspired Home Interiors Samuel Charles Interiors

Happy Valentine's Day! I thought I'd bring you a little something different and show you how you can spread the love throughout your home. The shops are Valentine's mad at the moment with cards, flowers and chocolates everywhere, but you don't have to look far to find gorgeous love-inspired homewares that won't look out of place year round.

Thomas Sabo Silver Heart Charm From Burns Jewellers

It's that time of year again when Valentine's Day is getting closer and all those husbands and boyfriends are struggling to decide on what to buy for the lady in their lives. I don't know about you, but I don't think you can go wrong with jewellery and Burns Jewellers has an amazing collection to suit all budgets.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Review - Is This The Best Mascara Yet?

The 26th February is a date that all beauty lovers need to mark in their diaries  -  if you didn't know already, it's the date that Benefit Cosmetics release their new Roller Lash mascara!

If you read my last post (link here) you'll know that I attended the exclusive launch event in Manchester at the weekend and since then I have been testing out Roller Lash* mascara to see if it lives up to its claims. If you want to know more then read on!

Benefit already have two best selling mascaras under their belt so you might be thinking why are they releasing another one? Well, if you think of everything you might want from a mascara...

Length

Volume

Curl

Staying power

Ink black colour

Easy to remove

Lash conditioning ingredients

...this is the first mascara that claims to have it all. It promises to deliver all this with the help of the innovative patent pending 'Hook N Roll' brush and a new long-lasting formula. 

The inspiration behind Roller Lash was the thought that one of the best ways to curl hair is with rollers, so what if there were rollers for lashes? After three different brush designs that didn't quite give the required results, Benefit hit the jackpot with their fourth design - the 'Hook N Roll' wand. The strategically placed hooks made from a soft rubbery material grab and hook round each individual eyelash, lifting and coating them from root to tip. I can actually feel my lashes being 'grabbed' by the little hooks as I apply the product and I can see each lash being coated evenly. The curved wand curls lashes upwards to open the eye. It works in a similar way to curling ribbon with scissors, as the ribbon passes over the blade of the scissors it creates a perfect curl. There really is no need for eyelash curlers if you're applying Roller Lash. It's ideal if you have short or straight lashes. 

The top of the wand features slightly longer hooks which are curved for applying product to the top lashes to create length, volume and curl. The bottom of the wand has short straight hooks that are perfect for coating the bottom lashes. The shape has been designed to suit all eye shapes and sizes.

The quick drying formula sets the curl instantly and it promises to last for 12 hours. After trying it out myself, I can say that my lashes stayed curled all day and there was no flaking at all (nobody likes smudged black mascara under the eyes halfway through the day!) The clever design of the wand also ensures that the precise amount of product is applied to each eyelash, reducing clumps and eliminating those dreaded 'spider-leg' lashes. Even though Roller Lash is long lasting, it isn't waterproof - which is a bonus for me as I find waterproof mascaras really hard to remove. I've found that this removes easily with my cotton pads and micellar water and there's been no need for me to rub vigorously at my eyelashes when I'm removing the product.

In a consumer panel survey carried out by Benefit on thirty-one women over a period of four weeks they found that 97% said that Roller Lash visibly lifts lashes, 87% said it gives long lasting curl and 94% said eyes look more wide open. 

I definitely think that this mascara makes my eyes look more wide open. I can see each individual lash being lifted as I apply it and the curl sets almost instantly.

Here you can see one eye with no mascara and the other with one coat of Roller Lash - I think the results are quite dramatic, do you?

This picture shows the curl created by the 'Hook N Roll' wand.

Roller Lash contains Provitamin B5 and Serin which are ingredients known for their lash conditioning benefits. I can't say that the condition of my lashes has improved whilst using this mascara, but I have only been using it for four days so I will be able to see whether the condition is affected over a longer period of time.

I think I may be a little bit in love with Roller Lash - it delivers everything I want from a mascara and it's all wrapped up in the cutest hair roller inspired packaging! My favourite L'Oreal mascara has been put on the sidelines since I first tried this mascara and I can see myself reaching for Roller Lash on a daily basis from now on.

If you want to get your hands on Roller Lash before it goes on general sale to the public then you may want to buy the March issue of Elle magazine which hits the shelves tomorrow (29th January) as there will be a free travel sized sample included! You can buy the full sized mascara at Benefit counters and online from Thursday 26th February and it will retail at £19.50.

Are you excited for the launch of Roller Lash? Will you be buying it?

(This post contains a sample provided for review - all views are my own honest opinion)

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara Launch Event - Manchester

A couple of weeks ago an exciting email from the lovely people at Benefit Cosmetics popped into my inbox inviting me to an exclusive launch event for the new Roller Lash mascara. I was told to attend at Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester at 1pm on Saturday 24th January and all would be revealed...

Valentine's Day Gift Guide...Ideas For Men

1. Liz Earle Men's Try Me Gift Set £19.75
I'm a huge fan of Liz Earle skincare, especially the Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, and I think it's important for men to look after their skin just as much as women. I think this cute little 'try me' kit with travel sized products is a great way to introduce the man in your life to Liz Earle skincare before purchasing full sized products. It contains a cleanser, a moisturiser, a face & body wash and shave cream.

2. Pringle Men's Boxer and Sock Gift Set* £20 from House of Fraser
I think all men love getting new underwear (no it's not just us ladies!) and I love this boxer and sock set from Pringle which you can buy from House of Fraser. The colour co-ordinated set comes in a nice sturdy presentation box and I think this would make a great gift for your boyfriend or husband.

3. 'How To Be A Good Husband' Book £4.95 from www.prezzybox.com
Traditionally Valentine's Day is all about romance but if your fella has a good sense of humour then this little book which I spotted online might just be the perfect present. It contains advice written in the 1930s on how to be a good husband.....that should make an interesting read!

4. Personalised Romantic Jigsaw Keyring Set £14.95 from www.prezzybox.com
I like finding different and unusual gifts for special occasions and when I saw this personalised keyring set I knew I had to include it in this gift guide. You could simply have it personalised with your names or something more romantic and personal to you!

5. Hotel Chocolat 'The Valentines Goody Bag' £18
Who doesn't love chocolate on Valentine's Day (or any other day for that matter?!) This little goody bag is a perfect gift - containing truffles, caramel hearts, milk chocolate slabs and some cheeky 'nudge-nudge' chocolates - I think any man would appreciate this treat.

6. Romantic Hotel Stay With Dinner For Two £149 from Red Letter Days
If you've got a few more pennies to splash out on for Valentine's Day then why not treat your man to romantic night away somewhere? A romantic hotel stay with dinner for two is a winner for any man on Valentine's Day.

7. Handmade Leather 'Calum' Bracelet £19.99 from Gemz By Emz
These gorgeous hand woven leather bracelets made by the lovely Emma at Gemz By Emz are a great gift idea if your man likes jewellery and accessories. Even Celebrity Big Brother contestant Calum Best has this exact one made by Emma! I love the fact that it is all hand made.....it really adds a personal touch.

8. Dolce & Gabbana The One Aftershave 50ml £38.99 from Fragrance Direct
This has to be my absolute favourite men's aftershave - it smells amazing! If I could get away with wearing it myself then I would! I always buy this fragrance for my husband - the woody base notes make this a gorgeously sophisticated and masculine scent. Fragrance Direct always have amazing discounts on their website and this is the cheapest I could find anywhere.

9. Hugo Boss Round Enamel Cufflinks £59 from House of Fraser
These smart looking cufflinks from Hugo Boss at House of Fraser are a great gift for any man who wears a suit. The sleek and classic design would add a little something special to your husband/boyfriend's attire and make sure he's looking extra sharp at the office or for a special occasion.


I hope I've given you some inspiration for Valentine's Day this year. Let me know if you plan on purchasing any of these items for the man in your life!



(This post is a collaborative feature)

Riverford Organics Fruit & Veg Box Scheme

I've been wanting to sign up to an organic veg box scheme for ages so, after lots of research into different companies, I finally took the plunge before Christmas and signed up with Riverford Organics.

The Riverford box scheme began in Devon when founder Guy Watson started delivering vegetables to a small number of friends and family who lived locally. They now deliver a whopping 47,000 boxes per week to homes around the UK from there four regional farms. 

There is a large selection of boxes to choose from on the Riverford website and I decided on the small original fruit and veg box which costs £12.95 with free delivery. You can completely change or add/remove anything in your order up to 48 hours before delivery. I was allocated Wednesday as my delivery day and was informed that my fruit and veg box would be coming from Home Farm in Yorkshire. As I work full time, it's good to know that you don't have to be in when the box is delivered - it can be left anywhere that you like or you can give an alternative delivery address.

Here's how my fruit and veg box looked when it was delivered - 

It was all packed up nicely in recyclable packaging with a welcome brochure full of information regarding each vegetable - like how to store it, prepare it and cook it, as well as several recipe ideas.

Everything looked really fresh when I unpacked it and I was impressed with the quality and quantity of all the fruit and veg. It is certainly enough for two people as indicated on the website.

My fruit and veg box contained:

A bag of new potatoes

Clementines
Tomatoes
Pointed cabbage
Redcurrants
A bag of sugarsnap peas
A bunch of carrots

The fruit tasted much fresher and sweeter than any supermarket-bought fruit I've had before and it had so much more flavour. The tomatoes tasted so amazingly sweet that I could have literally eaten them all there and then.

I'm really impressed with my first box from Riverford Organics and I think the scheme is great value for money. The website is really easy to use too and if you don't like the menu for one particular week you can pause the delivery or make up your own box.

Have you signed up to a weekly fruit and veg box scheme? What do you think of the contents of this box?