2nd Birthday of The Blog + BIG ANNOUNCEMENT & GIVEAWAY

HAPPY 2ND BIRTHDAY

I can't believe I have been blogging for two years, I have changed so much in these two years, become a better person and I want to thank those who have supported my blog, now there are a few things I want to announce plus the giveaway.

REVIEW: Barry M Lip Rehab Nourishing Lip Mask

Barry M has a new lip mask that I thought I would try out.

CLAIMS:

• Avocado oil to help soothe and heal chapped lips
• Hemp seed oil to treat dryness
• Vitamin E to protect and prevent UV damage

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: patchology FlashMasque Hydrate 5 Minute Sheet Mask

I love face masks as you may know when reading my blog.

CLAIMS:

• A super-quick, SOS treatment for dry and dehydrated complexions
• Only takes five minutes to refresh and revive parched complexions, 
• Hyaluronic acid to help improve skin elasticity and retaining moisture levels
• Vitamin B5 to soften, smooth and moisturise and finally, betaine to help skin retain moisture levels for superior and long-lasting hydration. 
• Perfect for long-haul flights or pre-party, simply leave this sheet mask on cleansed skin for five minutes and watch your skin recover lost lustre. 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Revlon ColorStay™ Foundation For Normal/Dry Skin

I haven't really tried a lot of Revlon products except their nail bits so thought I would try out a foundation and when they have a foundation specifically for dry skin I thought it would be perfect.

CLAIMS:

• Longwear foundation stays flawless all-day, up to 24 hours
• Smooth, perfect looking skin lasts all day without drying or caking
• Medium buildable coverage with a natural finish
• Contains hyaluronic acid to hydrate skin over time
• SPF 20

UNBOXING: Birchbox UK March 2020

The third box of 2020 is to celebrate International Women's Day.

The Box

The box is cute, there is white shredded paper to protect the products and I will reuse this for presents I give out. There is also the information page as well as a discount sheet.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask

I have wanted to try this award winning face mask for a while now, it was all over Instagram when it first came out with amazing reviews. It was the best face mask on Nylon Korea's Beauty Hit List 2018, best face mask for Women's Health Beauty Awards 2018. Did you know that one of these face masks sells every three minutes and once had an 8,000 person waitlist when they sold out, it sold out seven times between Sephora and Glow Recipes site.

CLAIMS:

• Luxuriously bouncy
• Breathable 
• Smoothe and perfects skin overnight
• Radiance boosting 
• Soothes
• Pore refining
• Gently exfoliates and clarify
• Suitable for dry skin, normal skin, sensitive skin, oily/combination skin and vegans
• Free of parabens, mineral oil, sulfates, phthalates, synthetic dyes
• NOTE FROM THE WEBSITE: Since our Watermelon Mask is made with real watermelon, you may find real fruit chunks in the formula

February 2020 Favourites & Dislikes

This is my first favourites blog post of the year and I sad to say that it is also a dislike blog post.

GIFT IDEA: New Baby (For Talia & Ben's Baby Boy)

Before I start I want to just say that I didn't pay for this gift by myself so at work when somebody leaves or goes on maternity leave we put money together to get a gift, I decided I will message everyone about the gift now this gift idea was something I wanted to do but it was actually one of the bosses Chris who mentioned doing a hamper so here it is.

I found this grey toned basket and thought it was cute, what I have heard of Talia and Ben's place it is very grey themed.

I decided to get some toiletries that I have seen my parents used on me and my siblings when we were younger:

• Pampers Nappies - size 1
• Pampers Nappies - size 2
• Pampers Change Mats
• Johnson's Gentle All Over WIpes
• Johnson's Cottontouch Wipes
• Pampers Sensitive Wipes
• Johnson's Baby Powder
• Johnson's Baby Shampoo 
• Johnson's Baby Oil
• Johnson's Baby Lotion
• Johnson's Baby Bath
• Sudocrem
• Dentinox Cradle Cap
• Tommee Tippee Brush And Comb Set

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Vitamasques Lip Mask - Plump And Repair

I got this lip mask in my latest Birchbox and thought now was the perfect time to use this as my lips are suffering.

CLAIMS:

• Improves elasticity
• Adds moisture
• Repairs and soothes dry skin
• Subtly plumps for noticeably softer lips in just 15 minutes

REVIEW: H&M Nail Colour Remover Cream

I saw this and was intrigued with it, I have never used a nail polish remover cream so had to get it and give it a try.

CLAIMS:

• A gentle nail polish remover in cream form that effectively removes nail polish and keeps the cuticles soft. 
• With a soft fragrance, it comes in practical packaging that is perfect for your handbag or to take on your travels. 
• Contains vegetable oils and Vitamin E. 32 ml. 

REVIEW: Ciaté Status Grow Nail Grow

I am obsessed with doing my nails and saw this and thought I would try it out to see if it works.

CLAIMS:

• This daily treatment is packed with a mulitvitamin keratin activator to boost growth and strengthen your mani
• Use the clever nail length tracker on the bottle cap to track your progress

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: INC.redible® Flower Power Hydrating Sheet Mask

I got this face mask in my Birchbox UK, November 2019. I feel like I haven't done a first impressions on a face mask in ages, my last face mask blog post was FIRST IMPRESSIONS: H&M Hydrogel Clean Sheet Moisturising Sheet Mask which was published on 3rd January 2020 but actually tried it on Tuesday 24th December 2019.

CLAIMS:

• Packed with hydrating goodness
• Help restore your skin to its glory
• Hydrates and nourishes dry and dehydrated skin
• Enriched with botanical flower extracts and vitamin E to help provide antioxidant protection, intense hydration and plumps, smooths and refreshed skin

UNBOXING: Birchbox UK February 2020

Second box for the year and it's From Birchbox With Love X. This month we are treated to an extra product so normally we should have five products but this month we have six.

The Box

I love the box, it is a gorgeous pattern, I opened it and just saw pink and red, there is shredded tissue paper inside which I put into a zip lock bag and reuse with other gifts.

Empties #1

I have been saving the empty bottles and packaging over the past couple of months of the products I have used up and wanted to write a blog post where I did a brief description on what I thought of each product and whether or not I would repurchase them.

FOTD & OOTD: Maine's Leavers Night Out

I work with an amazing woman called Maine who has really made me feel welcomed and part of the team since I started, we have had some good chats, been to Hull Fair together and danced at the Christmas party so to hear that Maine was leaving was sad, I know it is what she wants, she can progress in her new job and it's a job where she is going to work with friends of ours so we decided to go to her hometown of Hull on a night out.

REVIEW: IT Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+

My sister came over and her skin looked amazing so I asked what foundation she was using and it was this one so I popped to Boots the following day and purchased a mini version of it to test out because I know my sister doesn't have as dry skin as I do.

CLAIMS:

• CC+ Color Correcting Full Coverage Cream
• Hydrating and Anti-Aging Concealer

Clinically tested results:

• 100% showed increased skin hydration
• In just 10 days 96% saw softer, smoother skin
• In just 10 days 85% saw an improvement in the appearance of wrinkles
• In just 10 days 77% said pores appeared smaller

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser

So my last blog post was FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Bondi Sands Aero Aerated Tanning Foam and when I purchased that fake tan I notice that they had the Bondi Sands Self Tan Eraser so I was interested to see if this worked and purchased the mini size.

CLAIMS:

• Bondi Sands revolutionary Self Tan Eraser effectively removes self tan without harmful ingredients or exfoliation, in just 5 minutes. 
• This unique cleansing formula also moisturises and leaves the skin silky smooth.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Bondi Sands Aero Aerated Tanning Foam

I am related to Casper the Friendly Ghost, lightest shade in all foundations and it's just not something I like right now so when I saw a few YouTubers mention this tan I had to try it out myself.

CLAIMS:

• Enriched with nourishing ingredients for intense hydration
• Lighter than air
• Develops into a deep, natural looking colour that lasts up to 7 days
• Achieve the beautiful bronze tan of your dreams with Aero, and leave them wondering if you've spent two weeks at Bondi Beach
• Dual action formula
• Our signature coconut scent
• Quick drying and non-sticky
• Natural finish
• Ultra lightweight aerated foam
• Enriched with nourishing ingredients
• Suitable for: First time tanners and tanning pros alike, and most skin tones. 
• Perfect for those looking for a long lasting, dark tan.

UNBOXING: Birchbox UK January 2020

First box of the year and it's a collaboration with Rochelle Humes, if you don't know who she is, she was in the band The Saturday's but also is one of the presenters on M&S Food's YouTube channel.

The Box

The box is a drawer, I am so confused because when I used to have Birchbox it would come in a box then a drawer, I don't know if they have changed but let's see. I am going to do a blog post at the end of the year showing all the packaging of 2020 for Birchbox and see which one I prefer. The drawer is quite nice, it's gold, rose gold, pink marble, salmon, it's really nice. Inside there is the usual booklet which I don't look at until the end of me looking at the products and there is also a 20% off voucher for New Look.

What I Think About The Duke and Duchess of Sussex? (+why I missed a blog post?)

In the news it’s either about Love Island or the royals and I most definitely am not writing about Love Island (not a fan).

Prince Harry born Henry Charles Albert David on 15th September 1984 to Prince Charles and Princess Diana, he served over ten weeks in Helmand, Afghanistan during 2007 to 2008 and then 20 weeks during 2012 to 2013 with the Army Air Corps. Launching the Invictus Games in 2014 and is a patron of its foundation, he is really into helping the soldiers and service people. Harry took a live HIV test on the royal family Facebook page back in 2016 and later attended the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban, South Africa in 2016. Both him and Rihanna helped publicise World Aids Day by taking the test themselves. The Elton John AIDS Foundation announced in July 2018 that the Duke of Sussex and Elton John were going to launch a global coalition called MenStar that focuses on treating HIV infections in men. Even though he is very hands on with charities he has earned the reputation as the party boy, wild child. He was seen smoking cannabis, underage drinking and wearing a Nazi German Afrika Korps uniform with a swastika armband but he has now turned a new page or whatever the saying is and has become more sensible. He was made Duke of Sussex hours before he got married to Meghan Markle.

Even though I’m not into the royals I have always liked Harry because he seemed normal, there was always a story about his wild side and when you think about it most of his “wild side” would be seem as a normal lads holiday or a normal lads night out but because he’s a royals it’s different. He did two tours for the country, serving for us and some say the royals have to serve but I’ve also read they only have to do one tour. I don’t know, I really do like him.

Meghan Duchess of Sussex born Rachel Meghan Markle on 4th August 1981 raised in Hollywood, America, she descends on her mother's side from enslaved Africans and on her father's side from European settlers. She was privately educated, attending an all girls Catholic private school and even earned her bachelor's degree from Northwestern's School of Communication in 2003, with a double major in theatre and international studies. In 2011 to 2017 she played Rachel Zane in the legal drama Suits, married an actor and producer Trevor Engelson in 2011 but divorce in 2013. Meghan founded the lifestyle website The Tig in 2014 which was a website where she wrote about beauty, fashion, food and travel and profiled inspirational women. The website grew and she brought in expects but made sure the message of self-love, positivity and spirituality will be reached on all her platforms, reaching 800,000 followers on Facebook, 3 million followers on Instagram and 350,00 followers on Twitter. However in 2017 The Tig closed. She too is very into the charity work.

I personally didn’t know who she was until she was seem with Harry but what I’ve seen of her prior to Harry she seemed like a normal actress and the royalty status may come with certain rules but I feel she’s tried to make sure it doesn’t change who she is as much as possible. There are rumours that she might bring back The Tig or even something similar and I think it is a brilliant idea and would love to see something like this come from her, maybe do a bit more of an insight into what it is really like to be a royal. I think she is stunning.

My overall opinion of them as a couple is I want them to survive, you can tell they truly love each other and I think this whole "leaving the royals" makes sense, they can live a little more of a reasonable life, Harry deserves to be happy after going though so much tragedy like losing his mother. I know they will be in the spotlight but soon people will get bored of them, look at Princess Eugenie and Beatrice, they don't have the life Harry has, they have a little more of a normal lifestyle. Archie is such a cute little baby.

My overall opinion of the royals is blah blah blah, I have never been into the royals, I appreciate that they bring a lot of money to our economy but I didn't follow the royal weddings or anything like that, I might one day be interested in them, I do feel for Harry and William and I quite like hearing the stories of Princess Diana but the royals don't really interest me so if we didn't have them I wouldn't be bothered.

Why I Missed A Blog Post?

Straight to the point, my laptop broke, my laptop keys 8, I, L, >, right and left arrow didn't work which actually meant I couldn't sign into my laptop, I could write any blog posts or anything so I have pushed a few blog posts and rescheduled a few now that I have my laptop back.