Products Currently In Use #5

January 4, 2017September 4, 2026 - Vicki

Pureology Fullfyl Shampoo

I’ve been using this range for a couple of months now & since I coloured my hair red, it’s become my goto shampoo. The Fullfyl Haircare System are a range of products which give volume, thickness and added texture to fine colour treated hair. Their signature AntiFade Complex includes a blend of antioxidants and full spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreens which care for your colour and optimise colour retention along with protecting your locks from hard environmental aggressors and damaging free radicals This is a gentle shampoo but your hair still feels clean after using it, but not stripped or dry. Its 100% vegan, sulphate free.

OGARIO Revive and Shine Conditioner

This is one of those conditioners that you fall in love with from the very first use. I have the shampoo from this range too and they work well as a duo but I adore the conditioner. This is a great conditioner for nourishing and giving your hair that healthy glossy finish. Thanks to the combination of hibiscus (which nourishes the hair) and horsetail (which gives your hair that lovely shine) I also like that this product is fantastic at detangling knot prone hair, like mine. I am impressed with this brand and all three of the products I’ve tried have been incredible quality.

Decléor Aroma Cleanse Shower and Bath Gel

I do like an indulgent body product and often think we focus much of our time and money on products for our hair and face and our body can get overlooked. This Decléor shower gel is beautiful, it is luxurious but it leaves my skin feeling and smelling like I have been to a SPA. It has Essential Oils of Lemon, Lavender and Seaweed extract which awaken the skin, whilst the refreshing gel turns into a beautiful gentle and invigorating foam bestowing a real feeling of vitality. Such a treat for my morning shower.

Elizabeth Grant Graceful Angel Body Lotion

This is quite a sweet scented body lotion which isn’t usually my cup of tea but after the initial sweetness the scent settles down to be subtle and fresh. I like using this on my legs after I have shaved, its hydrating and l like how smooth and soft this leaves my skin. I am trying to be better at using body lotion in 2017 as I quite often neglect this step in my skin care regime. I’m not too sure if you can purchase this separately as It came as part of a skincare set but Elizabeth Grant always have great gift set offers so keep an eye out for those over on Ideal World TV.

ESPA Pink Hair and Scalp Mud Mask

I have spoke about this hair mask quite a few times but it is THAT good that its getting another mention. I only have a couple of uses left in this pot & I’m 100% going to repurchase it. This is the hair mask you use when you have a good amount of time on your hands to relax and let it work its magic, I like to leave it on for at least an hour. Its a mask that will help hair that is heat damaged, dry and even dull. Vitamin C-rich watercress and Apricot kernel oil soothes and nourishes your scalp, while the red clay stimulates circulation to help boost growth and strengthen and promote healthy, glossy, manageable hair. After using this your hair feels silky smooth and has a healthy bounce to it. I also like the luxury feel to the packaging, as with all ESPA products they have fantastic attention to detail.

Bullet Journal Layout for 2017

January 2, 2017September 4, 2026 - Vicki 9 Comments

All through 2016 I kept meaning to start a Bullet Journal, my friend HayleyFromHome has kept one throughout 2016 and she said it would be right up my street. I tried to keep a planner and that fell by the wayside and it seems to me that Bullet Journalling can be a really personal thing. Most of the original bullet journals are quite basic and to the point which I like but I am also intrigued by the more creative community too and I think a combination of the two styles will work for me. I am by no means artistic but I used to love scrapbooking and doodling so I’m going to attempt to apply a little of this to my Bullet Journal.

Hayley told me to start off with only a few pages / spreads and not too make it overly complicated whilst I am still finding my feet. I did take quite a bit if inspiration from her journal and I am hoping as I get into it I can grow my journal into something that keeps me organised and a way for me to be creative. I am armed with many stationery supplies so lets see where this takes me!

As you can see from the first photo in this post I did quite a standard Hello January doodle to kick off my planner and I loved drawing this out. I have to say I find the time offline really relaxing and its nice to start something that I hope will become a hobby.

I am not too sure yet how I want to plan & document my weeks but I didn’t want to have too little space, so I have started with the Week to View Spread for January. I may find that it doesn’t work for me but we will see. That is the beauty of this being a system you can adapt and change as the weeks go on. I stuck to a simple layout for this and I like that it looks clean and ready for me to add some tasks and notes.

One of my goals for 2017 is to drink more water & I have done a grid of 8 squares so I can colour in a square for each glass of water I drink that day, In the hope I drink 8 glasses a day.

Important Dates Spread – This seems to be quite a popular layout in peoples journals and I am part way through adding all the dates I need to remember. I am THAT person that forgets birthdays and social events but there is no excuses now!

I have written out all the months as a calendar and will write next to a particular month the important date. This feels so much nicer than relying on my computer to notify me of special events.

Books Read – I’m an avid book worm and often wish I’d noted down the name / titles of books I’d read as I have a terrible memory. Its nice to look back on and a good way of remembering a book you want to recommend. I am hoping to fill this page by the end of 2017. If you have any book recomendations for me, leave me a comment.

I am not one for New Years Resolutions or for setting myself too many Goals but I did want a part of this journal to be a space that was positive and full of things I wanted to do, so I came up with Do More, Be More, Make More and I’m slowly adding things to this. There is something about writing them down that makes me more accountable to actually achieve them. We will see.

Bullet Journal

I bought my journal from HomeSense and it isn’t a brand I’d heard of before. It has the standard grid page layout, the pages are nice and thick and the cover is quite sturdy. I know more Bullet Journal enthusiasts use the popular LEUCHTTURM notebooks and in truth I would have bought one of those but I got mine for £3 and I didn’t want to commit until I knew I was going to stick it out. Maybe for 2018 I will treat myself to a swish LEUCHTTURM one.

Sakura Pigma Micron 01 Liner Pen

Lets talk pens – now I am a stationery addict so Bullet Journalling was a massive excuse for me to buy more pretty pens. I did consult my friend Hayley and she recommended some great ones. These Sakura are beautifully slim and have a nib of 0.25mm so very precise and the ink doesn’t bleed through the page. I have 5 colours and I think I will get a lot of use from them.

Staedtler Fineliner Pens

It seems you can’t own a Bullet Journal without having a pack of Staedtler pens so I bought 2 packs just to cover all bases. I have a pack of 10 1.0mm and a pack of 20 0.3mm. So I think I am good for fancy coloured pens.

Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen

This pen brand was the one pen Hayley said I needed in my life, I bought a 4 pack of all different nibs and I have to say I LOVE THEM. The ink is super black and pigmented and it doesn’t feather or bleed. I use the finest nib for all my writing and letter out lines. The thickest one is so nice for brush lettering, the pen glides across the paper and the nib is flexible but precise. These are a MUST!

So there you have it I am now a fully fledged member of the Bullet Journal community and I’m going to try really, really hard to make this a part of my daily life. Let me know if you journal and what tips, tricks or hacks you have & if you follow any inspirational accounts on Instagram. I need all the help I can get.

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Discovering New Beauty Brands in 2016

January 1, 2017September 4, 2026 - Vicki 3 Comments

For me 2016 was the year of trying out brands and products I’d never used before. I was not only introduced to brands I had never heard of before but also given the chance to test out products that had been on my wish list for a while.

A few didn’t live up to expectations but I’m pleased to say most of them have become firm favourites. I thought I would share some of the ones that stood out to me. I am very much looking forward to trying more new brands this year and have a few on my radar already.

Pureology Haircare

I had wanted to try this brand for the longest time as I’d only heard positive reviews from bloggers whose opinions I really trust. I was thrilled that the FULFYL haircare system that I tried out lived up to my expectations and my Mum even went out and purchased it for herself too. This particular range is formulated for colour treated hair and it protects your colour from fading whilst keeping your hair strong, nourished and looking super glossy. I am obsessed with it and the hair colour I used on my hair this year stayed vibrant for the longest time, I 100% put it down to using this trio.

NIOD

Again I was excited to try this brand and I have to say its one of my favourite skincare discoveries of 2016. NIOD are a relatively new brand to the market but don’t overlook them on that count, they’re a brand that are pushing the envelope of ingredients and producing products that are fuss free, effective and pretty damn cool. Everything from their production & packaging right down to the products themselves are progressive. I have tried out a couple of their offerings this year but this Mud Mask has changed my life – well my skin. It has restored my skins radiance and I’ve certainly had fewer blemishes which pleases me greatly. I will be purchasing a lot more from them in 2017 and also trying a few products from their sister company The Ordinary.

W7 Summer Nights Eyeshadow Palette

This is a budget brand that has always intrigued me, they are quite renowned for producing dupes and when I saw this MAC Burgundy Times Nine Palette dupe on MissMakeupMagpie blog I knew I had to try it. I love neutral palettes and this 9 pan palette has become a firm favourite. I’ve used it so much these past few months and if you are able to track it down (its like gold dust) then I urge you to snap it up. Its super pigmented, wearable and affordable, what more do you want!?

BRYT Skincare

This was a new British skincare company that I was introduced to this year but they mainly cater for younger skin and I’m certainly not in that bracket anymore. Nevertheless their skincare is gentle and although rich its not greasy or too heavy. I did enjoy trying out these three products, but I need something that offers more lift, tightening and hydration. BRYT seem to be ticking all the boxes when is comes to delivering affordable, ethical and botanical premium skincare. So if you’re under 25 then make sure you check them out. How cute and bright is their packaging too!

skinChemists Skincare

This is quite a luxury brand which has a very modern minimal feel to its branding and packaging. I have enjoyed the products I have tried from them, especially the snail eye cream which I thought was very gentle and nourishing. It was very lightweight and felt cooling around my eye area, also my concealer applied so well over this. I have been using a few products from their Caviar range too but It’s still early days, so keep an eye out for a full review soon.

Ooh! Oils of Heaven

I adore using facial oils and love how versatile they are, these two from Ooh! have been a pleasure to use. The Cacay Oil was my favourite of the two and I mostly use this as part of my evening skincare routine but I do mix a little with my serum during the day of my skin is looking lacklustre. It helps to keep my skin looking radiant and hydrated and is great at reducing scaring and uneven skint one. This particular Oil has a high content of vitamin A, vitamin E and Linoleic Acid (omega-6) which have effective results in skincare.

Blank Canvas Cosmetics

Another brand I had never heard of before trying this palette but I have learnt that they have a huge following, especially in Ireland which is where this brand is from. They produce high quality makeup brushes and also a range of makeup products. The eyeshadow palette didn’t completely WOW me but I did like quite a few of the shades and think they are a brand to keep an eye on. The double ended brush that came with the palette was incredible quality and Its made me want to try a few more from their huge range.

What brands did you try for the first time in 2016, any firm favourites that you would recommend?

Michael Bublé By Invitation Gift Set

December 22, 2016September 4, 2026 - Vicki

Some of you may remember I declared my love for Michael Bublé’s debut fragrance back in October, and It is still very much a go-to scent, in fact I would go so far as to say it is my favourite beauty discovery of 2016. So I thought I would let you know they’ve added quite a few new products to this range.

I like so many things about this scent, but I think what’s really nice to learn is that Mr Michael Bublé himself played such a big part in the development of this perfume. Unlike most celebrity endorsed products he was actually an integral part of every aspect of this release, his aim is to create a whole new category in fragrance with his debut scent, bridging the gap between luxury and affordable and I think he has more than succeed.

Right from the get-go, this is a really romantic, luxury purchase. The bottle is just beautiful and has been designed to be just as lovely as the scent itself, it feels very weighty and it’s HUGE. I love the way the bottle is suspended in the centre of a gold circle, and it looks sophisticated and very elegant. I like that the bottle isn’t aimed at a teen / younger market, but it’s more classy and the details are subtle but pretty. You immediately get the impression that a lot of thought and time has gone into this product.

This is a very sexy scent and I think that is what most people would expect from Michael Bublé, but it has a real sophistication to the mix of notes and I like that it has a sweetness that once settled turns into a more musky scent. It has notes of,

Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon and Red Fruits delight you with a sparkling and tempting introduction for what is to come.
Heart Notes: Lily of the Valley, Rose, Peony and Wild Jasmine rejoice in a fresh and elegant blend of noble owers.
Base Notes: Patchouli Indonesia, Cedar Wood, Vanilla & Praline and White Amber & Musk wrap you in an addictive warm and comfortable feeling.

Although it may be too late for Christmas delivery, many of us still have people to see in between Christmas and New Year or a birthday to buy for at this time of year and anything from the ‘By Invitation’ range would make the most lovely gift. Or even a post-Christmas treat to yourself!

The By invitation limited edition set, which includes a 100ml fragrance and body lotion for the special price of £55.00 – essentially the body lotion is free.

£55.00 for 100ml Eau de Parfum

£39.00 for 50ml and £29.00 for 30ml

Other available products in the collection are,

Luxury Body Lotion150ml £14.00

Shower Gel 150ml £12.00

Purse Spray £25.00

Candle £25.00

•This is a Sponsored Post, but all the views and content is 100% my own.

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Author: Vicki