Trying out some Aloe Vera Treats!

So recently, I was gifted some 'Forever Living' products.  These contain Aloe Vera which are great for all kinds of problems - dry skin, digestion, etc.

I was given two items.  They are Forever Bright Sparkling Aloe Vera Toothgel

& Forever Aloe Lips lip balm.

The toothgel, as well as containing Aloe Vera, also contain bee propolis.  I have read that this has many health benefits too, so I knew straight away I was getting good, natural stuff! 

My teeth are a tad on the sensitive side, so I can be a bit choosy with what toothpaste I use.  After the first use of this toothgel, I was pleasantly surprised!  It tasted really nice, kept my breath fresh & my teeth looked a lot whiter. 

After the next couple of uses, my teeth did feel a bit sensitive but I wasn't totally sure if this was down to the toothgel or something else. (Please don't let this put you off - it probably is just my teeth, as they have always been sensitive!)  So, since then, I have alternated between this & my regular toothpaste. 

As regards to the whitening of my teeth, it did start to make them look a lot whiter, so I think that if you just used this & nothing else, you would have a lot whiter teeth.  

Overall, I'm really pleased with this toothgel & knowing that it's full of natural healthy ingredients, is great with me!   

Onto the second Aloe Vera item - the lip balm....

This is in a stick formulation & contains jojoba - another great natural ingredient. 

I remember getting sunburnt in Spain a few years ago & I had booked a massage at the hotel.  The therapist noticed my bright red back & said that jojoba would help calm it down.  And she was right!   Instantly, the stinging went away & my back was completely soothed.  The redness more or less disappeared!

So, like my back, as soon as I applied this lip balm to my lips, they were instantly soothed & moisturised.

Now, as I have mentioned before on my blog, my lips are so dry & I absolutely love a good lip balm.  I have many that I rave about & this is no exception!  I really do love this!   It tastes amazing & really makes my lips soft & supple & feels great.  Another great Aloe Vera product.

All in all, I think if I had to repurchase only one of the items, I'd definitely go for the Aloe lips.  A brilliant product!  

Have you used Aloe Vera?  What do you think?  Let me know!

Bee x  

MAY FAVOURITES!

After a bit of a break, I'm back to blogging & even though we are well into June, I thought I'd share last month's favourites with you all!

So first up...

Soft skin in seconds...

I've used this product for ages now, but since the weather has been turning a bit warmer & I've been getting my legs out a bit more, I've needed my skin to look healthy & moisturised & not drier than the sahara desert! So, I've been reaching for this - Spray & Go body moisturiser by Vaseline.  I have it in the scent Cocoa Radiant.  I absolutely love the smell as it reminds me of chocolate! 

It's super light & not greasy at all. You literally spray it on, give it a quick rub & you are good to go! (Great for people like me, who haven't got the time to spend rubbing thick lotions into our limbs!)

What's not to love?!



Makeup that's cheap as chips!...

Now, I love a good bargain in Primark, but I've never been one for their makeup....until now.

I'm always a bit obsessed with hiding the shadows under my eyes & use various concealers (see my concealer post here) & powders.  So, when I came across a small pot of powder in my local Primark, I thought I'd give it a try.  It's the mineral loose face powder in the shade light.

I must say, I was really impressed.  Its a nice light tone (not orange like some cheap products can be!) & it sets perfectly under my eyes when applied with a small brush.  There is only 8g of product but I'm sure, as I don't use that much, will last for ages & its at the bargain price of £2! Wow!

I may just have to venture into their makeup department a bit more now! 

And while we are on the subject of makeup...

Hiding the shadows...

As I've mentioned, my under aye area is a problem! So, I've recently discovered NYX (see a recent post) & one product I love is their dark circle concealer correcteur.  A lot of beauty manufacturers seem to be cottoning on to the idea of colour correctors & they do work a treat, provided you know how to use them of course!

This corrector by NYX is a lovely peachy tone. Ideal for lightening up & hiding those pesky shadows under your eyes.  You only need to apply a little (or sometimes a lot!!) with your finger in small patting motions & instantly you can fake that perfect night sleep & hide the fact that you are no longer in your 20's!! 

It's another bargain too, so it's definitely one to repurchase!



Keeping your brows in place!...

You know when you have filled in your eyebrows with that perfectly complimentary colour & they look so neat & tidy? Then, at some point in the day, you might get a bit hot, scratch your forehead or flick that overgrown fringe out of the way, & then, yep, your once neat eyebrows, aren't so neat any more!

Well, this won't always be a problem if you buy this stuff - Brow This Way by Rimmel.  I always purchase this in the colour clear, hence why mine looks slightly mucky & beige now from brow product!

This gel sets your brows perfectly, doesn't budge & you don't end up with brow powder all over your forehead!

A great product & one to never go without!

A yummy treat for people like me!...

As you probably know if you regularly read my blog, I'm one of those.  One of those 'awkward people' with food intolerances!

Well, I'm so glad I've discovered these - a sweet treat that I can have without fear of at least one of the ingredients hating me!

It's the range of 'Perkier bars' & they are heaven in a bar!
The flavours are (& I think this is the whole range - correct me if I'm wrong)-
Cacao & Cashew (the BEST flavour in my opinion! Divine!)
Cashew, Chia & Pumpkin Seed
Cranberry & Cashew
Goji & Cranberry 

They are all high in fibre, protein, vitamin & minerals & are gluten, wheat & dairy free - perfect for me!

The bars seem to always be on offer in my local Morrisons too (I must stock up!!), so its a win win for me!
I love them! 

So, thats my May favourites done & I'm off to have another Perkier bar....

What did you love last month?

Bee x

'Nice Things' Cafe & Gift Shop in Ledbury, Herefordshire

Recently, I went out for breakfast to my favourite cafe, 'Nice Things'.  It's situated in the bustling market town of Ledbury in Herefordshire & it is a real gem! 

One reason why it's my favourite place to eat is that since I'm intolerant to wheat & cow's milk, I am always guaranteed to be able to eat & drink there, as they tailor their menu to suit everyone's needs & dietary requirements. They have such wide variety! 

The staff are super friendly & extremely professional.  The owners, Laura & Craig really are amazing at what they do - they really care for the customer. It has such a welcoming atmosphere that you won't want to leave!  Craig's food is superb.  His hearty soups & wonderful roast dinners are particular favourites of mine!!  They also serve the best coffee; putting the likes of Costa & Starbucks to shame! 

The gift shop is attached at the front of the cafe & is stocked full with a variety of local products, cards & gifts - perfect to treat yourself or a loved one.

So, when I headed to Nice Things recently for my breakfast, I knew I wasn't going to be disappointed - I ordered my usual large soya latte (Did I say how much I love their coffee?!) & then I went for their lighter option - the 'slimmer's breakfast' with gluten free toast - yum! 
My friend also ordered a cooked breakfast, toast & her usual mammoth hot chocolate!  The hot chocolates are wonderful too with lots of naughty cream, flakes & marshmallows!

Nice Things really is the perfect place to head out to - whether you fancy a cooked brekkie like me, a sunday roast, a toastie, a quick coffee & cake or just popping to the shop to buy a gift for a friend (or yourself!) - whatever it is you fancy, Nice Things suits everyone!  

If you are holidaying in Herefordshire (there is always lots of tourists, particularly in the summer months) or live in the locality & not tried it yet, make sure to check out Nice Things. It's the perfect cafe, restaurant & gift shop!  

Bee x 

The Liebster Award

I've been nominated by Holly from http://hollylizabeth.blogspot.co.uk/ for the Liebster Award.  Thank you very much Holly (go check out her blog, she's great!).  The Liebster Award is an award that recognizes small & upcoming blogs.

The rules for this are as follows;
1.  You should thank the person who nominated you & post a link to their blog on your blog
2.  Display the award on your blog
3.  Nominate 5 - 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award & have less than 200 followers
4.  List these rules in your post
5.  Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer
6.  Inform the people/blogs that you nominated them & provide them with a link to your post. 

So, here's the questions Holly has asked me to answer.  Here goes!

1.  Who inspires you the most?
My best friend Laura.  She has achieved a lot in her life & I would love to have her positivity.  She's always smiling!

2.  Have you ever been on a plane?  If yes, where did you go?
Yes, I've been on a plane several times. Been to many places including Florida, Dubai, Rhodes, Germany, Menorca & Tenerife.

3.  What is your favourite lipstick colour to wear?
That's a hard one! I love Modesty by MAC, Nude Pop by Clinique & shade 917 by Kiko!

4.  What is one song that you could listen to on repeat?
This is the hardest question!! I have too many! Err.. Any song by Robbie Williams or Take That, Don't Speak by No Doubt, Nobody Noticed It by Lisa Marie Presley, Careless Whisper by George Michael.... right I'll stop now! 

5.  Do you have a favourite film?  If yes, what is it?
Possibly a film called Rush (I like lots of films though!)

6.  What's your favourite perfume?
Roma by Laura Biagiotti

7.  If you could have any animal as a pet, what would you have?
I'd just stick to dogs! Love them! 

8.  Who do you like more, Superman or Batman?
Superman!

9.  What is your dream job?
Probably my current one - my day job is a mobile beauty therapist & I love it. 

10. Do you play any instruments?  If yes, which ones?
I did play the recorder at school & also the organ when I was young.  I can't play either now! 

11. Are you a cat or dog person?
Dog person, all the way!!

My nominated blogs;

Naomi - http://www.naomivictoria.co.uk/
Katie - http://katiesbeautiqueblog.blogspot.co.uk/
Stephanie - http://stephanieclairebeauty.blogspot.co.uk/
Amy-Jade - http://mylovesthisweek.blogspot.co.uk/
Frances - http://www.lovefrances.com/

I would like my nominated girlies to answer the following;

1.  If you could only use one brand of makeup, what would it be & why?
2.  If you could travel back to one decade, which one would it be & why?
3.  What is your favourite candle scent?
4.  What would your ideal day consist of?
5.  What is your favourite beauty treatment?
6.  Who are your top 3 youtubers?
7.  What do you do to relax?
8.  You meet a friend in Costa or Starbucks - what do you order?
9.  What is the one thing that is guaranteed to make you smile?
10.What is the first thing you do in the morning when you wake up?
11.What was the last film you saw at the cinema?

Thanks again for the nomination Holly! I look forward to seeing the responses! 

Bee x 

Let the battle of the concealers commence....YSL, Maybelline, Collection & NYX

So, I thought I'd share with you my concealer collection! 

I suffer from very dark circles under my eyes & I also have a scar on the side of my left eye which I have due to a traumatic birth.  I have noticed that, unfortunately, my scar is becoming more pronounced as I get older & I will do anything to hide it! 

I do sometimes use 'correctors' as well, which make the concealing task more effective, however, here is the low down of what I think of the concealers I have at the moment when used on their own....

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch...

I have purchased this on & off for years.  I mainly buy it at duty free as it's cheaper!

I always thought Touche Eclat would be a bit of a let down even though there was so much hype around the product, but I took the plunge anyway & I've always been really pleased! 

I really think it 'wakes up' my under eye area & it's great for touch ups too.  It's the perfect colour for me & yep, I will be purchasing again! 

Maybelline The Eraser Eye...

Now, this product I love!  (I saw the youtuber Kaushal Beauty recommend this & she was right!) 

The first time I used this I really found that this was doing something for my skin.  It contains goji berries & Haloxyl & felt really tingly.  I've not noticed it tingling as much the more I wear it, so not sure if the ingredients are wearing off, but in any case, I find that the coverage is good & I have the shade light, which I don't think is too pale for me.  I find for me, this is more for concealing & not for highlighting.  I'm sure it would be perfect for highlighting if you have a darker skin tone.

The only drawback though, is you do seem to go through the product very quickly.  It does produce good results so it's definitely worth it.

Collection Lasting Perfection...

Everyone on Youtube & in the blogging world seemed to rave about this, so of course, I gave into the hype & purchased it.

Yes, it's really good for highlighting & brightening (I have the shade Fair 1) but for directly under the eyes I find this a bit drying & it does tend to crease after a long day, so it makes me look as though I have more fine lines than I had to begin with! 

It's not the worst concealer in the world - I can understand why so many people like it & at about £4.00 it's great value for money, but I doubt I will be buying it again.

NYX HD Concealer...

This is a recent purchase.  In fact, I only bought this about 3 weeks ago.

I was on a day out in Bath, when I popped into their local (& big!) Boots & was stunned to see that they were finally stocking NYX!  I've heard so much about this brand, so I had to buy a few bits.

Anyway, I picked up this concealer & so far I can say that I'm very impressed.  I have the shade CW01 Porcelain.  It's high definition, photogenic, mineral enriched & free of talc & parabens.

It feels lovely on the skin & not drying at all.  It's light enough for highlighting & great for concealing.  A really good coverage.

It will be interesting to see how long this product lasts before I have to repurchase (& I'm sure I will!).


So, that's my round up on my current collection of concealers & I hope it has helped you if you fancy purchasing any of these.

What's your favourite concealer?  Is there one I need to try?  Let me know! 

Bee x 

My April Favourites!

It's a new month, so I thought I would let you all know what I loved in April!

Keeping Fresh...

The first of my favourites for the month of April is a anti-perspirant!  It is the Maximum Protection one by Sure.  The current scent I'm using is Sport Strength.  They have other scents in the collection which all smell really lovely.

It is a solid formula which you twist up twice & then apply.  It does advise you to use it twice a day, but I feel it is enough to use once per day & keeps you feeling fresh all day, everyday!

I think this is the best anti-perspirant I've ever used & I highly recommend it. 

A great quirky place to eat...

Next up is a new restaurant discovery.  I've heard about this place before & it really intrigued me.  It's a restaurant called 'Bills'.  

As regular readers of my blog will know, I am gluten, wheat & dairy (cows milk only) intolerant & eating out can be somewhat of a pain.  So, you can imagine my relief when I found out that Bills does some great alternatives to your 'run of the mill' restaurants.

They do have some different dishes, with a variety of funky salads, gluten free bread, breakfasts....& amazing cocktails too! The only downer for me is a lack of desserts.  Yes, they do have gluten free ones but not dairy free.  I do sadly find this very common in many restaurants, but I guess, on the up side, its better for my waistline!!

If theres a Bills near you, go check it out.  I've not quite worked out the theme yet, but the vibe is definitely a bit quirky, with great furnishings & a little shop too, so you can take a bit of Bills home with you. 

My next favourites for the month are all about makeup.....

Better Lashes...

I have a love-hate relationship with my eyelashes!  Sometimes they look great & long.  Other times, they look clumpy & short!  I do find though, since using this new product they have looked a lot better.

So, its all down to 'They're Real' Tinted Primer by Benefit, which I received in a beauty box.

The colour is mink brown & is perfect to use either on its own or under mascara. 

It does seem to really lengthen my lashes & make my eyes look more awake!

I currently use it everyday before applying my mascara & I find that I don't need to put mascara on my bottom lashes as this primer already gives a good enough effect.

If you have never used a primer on your lashes before, I would strongly recommend trying it - I'm sure you will be impressed with the difference it makes!

A New Lip Colour...

So, I popped into Kiko a few weeks ago.  I fancied a new lipstick & wanted something that looked a bit brighter & not what I normally wear.  I had in my head that I wanted a coral/peachy colour.

Anyway, I ended up with colour number 902 in the 'Smart' lipstick range - my favourite range by Kiko & such great value for money! (see my review here)

Now, its not as peachy when applying it, as compared to the bullet.  It's probably more pinky (it's called 'pastel pink' on the website & looks more pinky there than in real life), but I love it.

It's a really nice summery colour (wishing I was somewhere hot right now!) & a lovely creamy consistency.

So, as you can tell, I came away rather pleased & it didn't cost much at all! Bargain!

My First 2 MAC Items...

As the title says, I've finally purchased two MAC products & I've been loving them!

They are a lipstick in the shade 'Modesty' & a lip liner in the shade 'Soar'.

The lipstick is a cremesheen, which is perfect for me as I have such dry lips, so I need something which is very moisturising.  The shade 'Modesty' is a lovely nudey pink which you can wear with everything. 

Of course, with my lipliner, I had to purchase the shade 'Soar'.  The shade everyone seems to love!  And I can understand.  It's a nice pinky 'lip' colour & again, seems to go with everything - with most lipsticks, or on it's own.  It is also very comfortable on your lips, soft & easy to apply.

Overall, very pleased with my MAC products.  Theres a few more added to my list now....best get saving!

So, thats what I loved in April.  What products did you love last month?  I'd love to know!

Bee x

My Night Time Skin Care Routine

My skin care last thing at night does vary, but I thought I'd share with you my current routine.

So, first up, if I have quite a lot of makeup on, to give my skin a good cleanse, I will use a facial wash.  My current favourite is the Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser by Simple.  It's gentle on my skin & contains vitamin B5 & vitamin C.  I clean this off with a muslim cloth (I have many by Liz Earle - I use her hot cloth cleanser too sometimes, which is another product!).  Then, I pat my skin dry.

After that, theres usually still a bit of residue makeup, so I soak a few cotton pads in Garnier's Micellar water (I LOVE this stuff! - see my review here) & thoroughly cleanse my face & neck.

Onto cream - I apply my Garnier Miracle sleeping cream (see my last post) & then under my eyes, my Garnier (I know; a lot of Garnier products!) rollerball eye gel (review) to relax my eyes.  While I mention it, I am still on the look out for a new eye cream, if anyone can recommend one?

Finally, before bed, I apply my Songbird Naturals lip balm in vanilla - it's really thick & moisturising.  Perfect before bed.  Then, my current hand cream, which at the moment is Emma Bridgewater's Feels Like Home.  It contains camomile, lavender & orange blossom & smells divine!  I also apply a bit of This Works: Breathe In pulse point gel & then I spritz my pillow with This Works: Deep Calm pillow spray & take a deep breath!

And now.....
To bed...
Night night!

Bee x