#KISSSummerParty at the Merchant Hotel, Belfast

A little over three weeks ago (I can't believe how late this post is - apologies!), I attended the KISS Summer Party on the roof of the Merchant Hotel in Belfast. I was invited by the lovely ladies at Alex Silver PR and I just HAD to say yes!

I've only ever been to the Merchant once before for afternoon tea with my mum, so I was excited about the prospect of an evening blog event there. It was actually my first ever blog event too. I find them hard to come by here in Belfast! 

When I arrived, I met Hannah from Hi Baby Blog outside and we ventured in together. Hannah and I have been friends on Facebook for quite a while now and despite living in the same city, we had never met. It was so lovely to meet her in person and she is just a doll!

The whole event itself was amazing from start to finish. When we arrived, we were greeted by the beautiful Danielle from Alex Silver PR who asked us to sign in and we handed a drink straight away - you can't go wrong there! We were also told to help ourselves at the bar for the remainder of the event - something that every Irish person likes to hear! 

We made our way onto the roof terrace and there were stations to get your KISS eyelashes applied and KISS or imPRESS manicure nails done. I spotted the wonderful Paddy McGurgan at an eyelash station and I had to have him apply mine for me! As I wear glasses, I don't ever apply false eyelashes as I never really saw the point. Would anyone notice them behind my specs? Because of this, I had no idea what style of lash would suit me so Paddy chose a style he thought would work well and oh my goodness, my opinion on false lashes changed instantly. They were incredible and I've definitely found a new love. 

Excuse the wide eyes due to my lack of glasses but seriously, how amazing are these eyelashes?

As there were quite a lot of bloggers there and I had to leave an hour early, I unfortunately didn't get a chance to have any nails applied. I did however try some from the goody bag (I'll chat more about that below!) we received when I got home. I chose a KISS pair and you can either apply them with glue or sticky tabs - both are included in the box. I opted for sticky tabs as I thought they'd be quicker and I was really surprised by how strong they were. How great do they look? 

The KISS Summer Party was so much fun and I loved mingling with new bloggers who I was only familiar with online. There were waiters floating around handing out lots of fantastic food from burger sliders and fish and chips to bruschetta - the fish and chips were divine! 

Meeting the PR team and finding out more about the KISS brand was really interesting. They are a US brand which has recently brought their products to the UK market. I think they are absolutely fantastic, even for a busy mum like me, so I can definitely see them being a huge hit! Who knew that there were so many different styles of lashes and nails?!

We all left with a fabulous goody bag packed with nails and eyelashes to try at home. I do have some other blog posts lined up where I will focus on some individual products so keep an eye out for that!

Thank you for inviting me, Alex Silver PR!

#MPBTurns 4 - Win an Urtekram Bundle worth £60

Yay! We are ten days into my blog birthday month and I am back with another prize, this time courtesy of Urtekram.

Danish organic beauty pioneer Urtekram is bringing a taste of the tropics to the UK with the launch of their coconut fragranced range. In the range, you can find Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Lotion and Shower Gel which are each infused with organic virgin coconut oil and organic coconut nectar from palm trees in the South Seas.

The coconut shampoo naturally helps to moisturise due to the organic coconut nectar and daisy flower extract, whilst seaweed extract revitalises the hair. Containing organic virgin coconut oil, the conditioner naturally helps to nourish and moisturise normal hair. Both are lightly fragranced and designed to leave your hair with a delicate scent of coconut sweetness.

The shower gel, with organic coconut nectar and diglycerin, naturally helps to cleanse and and moisturise while the body lotion, with organic virgin coconut oil and hyaluronic acid, is easily absorbed, nourishing and rejuvenating the epidermis.

All four products have achieved the Ecocert COSMOS Organic Standard, the new gold standard governing the content and methods approved for the manufacture of organic ingredients. 

Want to win yourself a bundle of the items mentioned above? Just enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

T&C's:

• One winner will win 2 x Shampoo, 2 x Conditioner, 2 x Body Lotion and 2 x Shower Gel from the Urtekram coconut range (RRP £60)
• The giveaway will run from January 10th until January 24th
• The prize will be sent via the PR
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK residents only
• One entry per person
• No automated entries

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Christmas Gift Ideas: Stocking Fillers from Peanuts, Jelly Belly and Lotil

I always struggle when it comes to filling stockings and I'm sure I'm not alone! I really dislike buying cheap tat just for the stocking, especially when it probably won't be looked at after Christmas Day! I've put together a little stocking filler gift guide for teenagers/older people in the hope that it may give you all some ideas!

Peanuts

With the new Snoopy movie being the talk of the Internet right now, there are some lovely Peanuts lip balms and nail sets that you can get your hands on without breaking the bank. These are available to buy from Primark.

Lotil

Lotil is a cream to treat skin conditions such as eczema so if you know someone who is struggling, why not get them something useful that you know will help? The 50ml tube retails at only £3.59 at Boots and you can pick up the lip balm at Chemist Direct for £1.09.

Jelly Belly

I love love love Jelly Belly jelly beans so the fact that these lip balms exist is amazing! They're perfect for anyone who enjoys the flavours of Jelly Belly beans. As well as tasting great, they soothe and soften your lips as well as being lightly coloured. You can pick these up from ASOS.

(Disclaimer: We received some samples for the purpose of this post.)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: HoMedics Elle Macpherson

Mother's Day is the perfect day for us to give our mums a bit of a pamper. Before I had children, I really took the time that I had to prim and pamper myself for granted. These days, I'm running around the kids all day and I'm exhausted when they're in bed. There is no way I'd be able to go for a spa day!

Elle Macpherson's range with HoMedics brings a little bit of that salon-feel to your own home.

The Elle Macpherson Wet & Dry Face and Body Brush (£39.99) is perfect for exfoliation. I never exfoliate. I've always seen it as too much faff and too time-consuming. This brush provides a 4 in 1 body treatment and it's a simple way to keep your skin exfoliated. It is waterproof so can be used in or out of the shower. Usually I'm a bit iffy about bringing items battery powered items near water but I haven't had any problems. The angle of the handle is great for getting those hard to reach places. It comes with four different heads (cactus dry brush, loofah, pumice stone and facial cleansing brush) so you can choose what's best for your skin type.

This has made exfoliating, for me, a lot quicker and easier. My skin is feeling more soft since I've been using it.

The Elle Macpherson Heel Smoother (£19.99) is amazing! Neither Chris or myself drive resulting in us walking everywhere so my feet have seen better days. Since using the heel smoother my feet feel and look brand new. It's a great shape to hold in one hand and the rotating blade gently removes your dead skin. The skin is stored in a separate compartment for easy emptying. After removing the skin, the smoother comes with six buffing discs to smooth your feet.

Both items can be purchased from Argos, Amazon, House of Fraser and Look Fantastic.

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Pocket Money Ideas that Won't Break the Bank

I find that when it comes to occasions such as Mother's Day, people feel obligated to buy big, expensive presents that they can't really afford and others feel bad that they can't buy anything deemed "nice" if they'r short on cash. I've put together a little guide of gift ideas that are lovely but won't leave you out of pocket.

Thorntons have a lovely range of smaller chocolate gifts that are sure to satisfy a sweet tooth.

You can get their 63g 'I Love Mum' cups for only £3.50, their 100g Heart Plaque or 350g Vanilla Fabulous Fudge for £5.00 each.

Hawkins Bazaar have a fantastic selection of unconventional Mother's Day gifts.

I'm forever taking photographs of my children but very rarely do we have pictures together. If your mum is anything like me and into gadgets, a selfie stick (£7.00) would be a great idea as she can have lots of family photographs (including her) that aren't just faces!

For the music-loving mum, you can treat her to some very cute Flower Earphones (£3.49) so she can listen in style.

If you'd rather not stick to the standard box of chocolates, why not try a gift the Russian Roulette Chocolates (£6.00)? Eleven chocolates are praline but one is a powerful chilli chocolate. Fun and delicious at the same time!

At Beauty @ Creightons you can find some great value items to pamper your mum.

The Squeeky Clean beauty range which leaves you feeling fruity fresh and full of zest can be purchased from Poundland for, yes, just £1 each! You can choose from a Scrubaholic Face Scrub (100ml), Pore Pow Wow Face Mask (100ml), Movie Matte Photo Finish Moisturiser (100ml), Daisy Fresh Shower Detox (250ml), Body Better Body Lotion (200ml), Super Strong Nail & Cutie Cream (100ml), Glow Stopper Instant Tan Matte (100ml) and Saint or Shimmer Lotion (100ml). I love the vintage style labelling and they smell divine!

The Argan Smooth range has been specially formulated with Morrocan argan oil which is rich in anti-oxidants to nourish your hair and body. Each item in the range also costs just £1 and you can find them in Home Bargains or Poundland. You can choose from Deep Moisture Shampoo (250ml), Deep Moisture Conditioner (250ml), Handwash (500ml), Gradual Tan Body Lotion (100ml), Creamy Bath (500ml), Shower Gel (150ml), Body Cream (200ml) and Hand & Nail Cream (100ml).

Finally, you can pick up the Beautiful Brunette and Beautiful Blonde shampoos and conditioners for £1 in Poundland too! They are formulated to improve manageability and combat colour change, dulling and dryness.

(Disclaimer: I received samples of these items in return for this post.)

Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Diva Pro Styling

As a mum of two young children, I have found that I just don't have the time to put as much effort into my appearance as I did before they were born. 

I recently received the Diva Rebel Limited Edition Digital Titanium Wand to try out and it is the perfect gift for mums who want to change up their appearance with minimal time. 

The wand is so easy to use. Once you've plugged it in, you'll see that there are three buttons on the front. As soon as you've pressed the power button you can choose whether you want the temperature higher or lower (between 110° and 210°) by toggling the other two buttons. The temperature that you have chosen will flash blue then the flashing will stop when the wand is ready to use. It heats up quickly so you aren't waiting around. 

For great curls, clip your hair back and work in sections. Using inch thick hair, hold the wand downwards and wrap the hair around starting from the handle end. The wand comes with a glove to protect your hand from the heat. You only need to hold the hair in place for TEN seconds - amazing! There is a little stand on the handle of the wand so you can set it down without worrying that you'll burn anything.

I've left some bits uncurled so you can see the difference. 

I'm so pleased with how simple it is to use and how quick too! The Diva Rebel Limited Edition Digital Titanium Wand retails at £30.98 and you can purchase it from Sally Express. Diva also hairdryers and hair straighteners too, if curling wands aren't your mums style.

You can find out more about the Diva Pro Styling range at their website, Facebook and Twitter.

(Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

OSMO Hair Products

I love changing my hair colour. I discovered hair dye when I was 14 and every summer I had my hair as bright as it could be. When I left school, I was totally in my element and changed it every few weeks. When I was pregnant with C, I dyed my hair brown as I obviously couldn't bleach it like I used to then when he was born, I found that I didn't really have the time to faff around with dye. Fast forward two years and I now have two children. I still don't really have a lot of time but I was desperate to feel more like me again and not just 'mummy'.

Red was my go-to colour. It was the colour my hair was when I first met Chris and that is what he said attracted him to me. In order to feel more like me again, I receive some OSMO hair products; Color Psycho Wild Rouge (£7.95), Color Psycho Color Tamer (£7.95) and Colour Protector (£6.95).

Beforehand, my hair looked like this:

The Colour Psycho dye works best on pre-lightened or bleached hair so I bleached mine first. The bleach took better on my roots so after bleaching it looked like this:

The Wild Rouge is, as the name suggests, a red. It's so easy to use as there is no mixing involved, just squeeze from the tube and off you go. However, I mixed my Color Tamer with it. The purpose of the Color Tamer is to tame the wild bright colour into a pastel effect. I still wanted mine relatively bright so I only added half of the tamer to the full tube of Color Psycho.

Color Psycho Wild Rouge

With tamer - unmixed

With tamer - mixed

The colour needs to be applied to wet hair and I saw it start to take almost instantly. Once my hair was fully covered, I waited around 30 minutes before washing it off (recommended time is 15-30 min). My hair is shoulder-length and it was covered fully with plenty of dye left over.

Excuse the mess - Chris did the dye job and got it everywhere!

After washing, I was stunned by how bright it was. The roots look amazing. I wish that the bleach had taken on all of my hair to give that same brightness but I am so pleased with how it turned out. 

Bleaching doesn't agree with my hair and it did feel a tiny bit straw-like afterwards. I've been spraying the Color Protector onto my hair before drying. It's a leave-in conditioner specifically for coloured hair. I do feel like it's helping to soften the damaged areas from the bleaching but it also contains the OSMO Anti-fade system to elongate colour. It smells beautiful too!

The Color Psycho dyes are available in 7 different colours. I'm so pleased with the results that I'll definitely be purchasing a different colour once I'm sick of this one!

You can find out more about OSMO on their website, Facebook & Twitter.

(Disclaimer: I received these items free of charge in exchange for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas: Pouty Lipzz

When it comes to buying Valentine's Day gifts for women, I don't think you can go wrong with make-up. One of the most talked about topics at the moment are fuller lips but it's all about faking it, much like Kylie Jenner! 

Pouty Lipzz is an amazing lipgloss that slowly increases the volume (by 40%) and colour of your lips, making them more youthful and luscious from the first application without the need for collagen! 

I'm always quite dubious with products like this as I have no idea how they work or if they even do work so I've been trying out Pouty Lipzz for myself. 

Pouty Lipzz works best when you apply it 3 times a day. I must say, I did often forget to apply it that many times but when I remembered, I did! It tastes minty which I love as that's my favourite flavour of anything ever. It doesn't seem to dry my lips out and I can see a difference. I love that it's a clear gloss too so it can be worn by itself or over coloured lipstick. It does tingle a bit when applied which took me by surprise but it only lasts a couple of minutes. It leaves a lovely cool feeling afterwards and I can definitely see a change in my lips.

Pouty Lippz retails at £19.99 for 7ml and you can find out more at the website.  You can also follow Pouty Lipzz on Facebook & Twitter. 

(Disclaimer: I received this item for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)