Just My Luck

Hey guys,

Long time I know! Well I just wanted to explain whats been going on in my life at the moment. As some of you might recall in an earlier post I told you that I was starting my new job with Molton Brown. I've settled in and am absoutely loving my new role and all the team are amazing! I took a short hiatus from blogging until i was comfortable with my new working week. Well its been about two months and with a few posts put up here and there I finally have figured out whens easiest to write and schedule posts. So i planned to tap out a few posts today ready for the rest of the week when another obstacle is now in my way. The laptop I share with my mum has decided it doesn't want to play game and when we turn it on the screen remains blank. So needless to say my plan of getting back into blogging has once again been halted. So i just wanted to write this quick post as i felt all you lovely lot who take time out your day to read my little blog deserved an answer as to where i've been lately. I'm not sure how long it will be until we manage to get the laptop fixed so i dont know when my next proper post will be as right now I'm typing this out on my dads tablet and its taken me about an hour to write this little passage out.

Hope you will all forgive me for the lack of posts in the near future!!

Thanks again for sticking by me!!

Review | Chanel Hydramax+ Active Sérum

Up until about a couple of years ago I never used a serum! I didn't know what it's use was and just thought it was one extra step in skincare that wasn't needed. Oh young naive me! Now after being obsessed with beauty items and learning so much new stuff I know that Serum is an important step in skin care and to fight against ageing.

In case your still unsure what a serum is and why we use it I thought I would quickly explain. A serum is a skin care product with high concentrations of certain active ingredients. These can be such things like Hyaluronic acid which helps reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles and Vitamin C to help brighten the skin and help reduce high pigmentation and dark spots. The difference between a serum and a moisturizer is moisturizers are made to keep your skin hydrated by forming a protective barrier between your skin and the outside. Serums penetrate deeper into the skin to deliver the active ingredients.

I was lucky enough to receive this off my friend who won it in a raffle but usually it retails for £59 for 30ml from Boots. I know this is a lot and will probably stop me from repurchasing it as I know there are so many good drugstore serums but if you can afford this then I do really recommend purchasing this and giving it a go. If not then why not think about putting it on a birthday or Christmas list.

Anyway onto my little review. I have definitely noticed a difference since I started using this little beauty. Along with my moisturizer (I use the Super Facialist By Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Brighten Skin Defence Daily Moisturiser) these make my skin so hydrated and soft ready for me to apply my makeup in the morning. It is suitable for all skin types and restores radiance and delivers intense hydration. I love the texture of this, it's a gel creme formula and doesn't leave my skin feeling sticky as it soaks into the skin quite quickly and doesn't leave a greasy film on the surface. The scent is lovely, fresh and clean.

The packaging like all Chanel products is very sleek and clean cut. The pump bottle is hygienic, means you don't waste any product inside and gives you the perfect amount for a single application. Through the translucent plastic, you can see how much is left, allowing you to stock up when you are running low which is always helpful. As it is plastic, the bottle isn't heavy and is perfect for travelling.

What do you think of Chanel skincare? Would you splash the cash?

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Wishlist | My Top Work Jewellery Picks

| Charmnest Bright Pink Statement Necklace | Forever21 Wish, Love Dream Necklace Set | 

| Forever21 Classic Bow Cuff | Delilah Dust Silver Infinity Chain Bracelet | H&M 2 Pack Turquoise Rings | 

| Tresor Paris Tassilly Earrings | New Look Black, Grey & Polka Dot Snag Free Hair Ties |

At my new job I have to wear all black as my uniform so to add that pop of colour I have to do it through jewellery and accessories. So I thought I would show you kind of a wishlist of a couple of items I've come across which would be perfect for me at work.

First is this bright pink statement necklace from Charmnest. Charmnest is a newer jewellery site which I have already purchased off and loved the things I received. This bright pink necklace is perfect as I love pink and it will help accessorize a plain black dress perfectly.

The next two items are from Forever21. I've only ever ordered from Forever21 once and that was for holiday bits but I always hear such amazing things about their jewellery. I chose this cute necklace which spells out Wish, Love & Dream which is not only cute but very inspirational. And then I found this cute cuff which has a gold bow on it and who doesn't love bows right?

Then this next item I've been eyeing up for some time. If I wear a bracelet it's usually a chunky variety or bangles so when I came across this dainty infinity bracelet from Delilah Dust I knew I had to have it. I think it's such a nice idea and think it gives off a nice message.

For rings I only ever constantly wear one and I got it in Greece in 2008 when I went on holiday with a friend. On nights out I love to wear big statement rings but obviously this isn't convenient for work. So to come to some mutual ground I found this 2 Pack of turquoise rings from H&M. They are so nice and are great to wear together or separately  One is a turquoise band and the other is decorated with a gold chain.

For earrings I like to stay quite small. I love big out there earrings but we aren't allowed to wear them at work so I opt for something glitzy instead. I love Tresor Paris jewellery and do already own a pair of their earrings so I've included the same pair but in a different colour.

Finally a hair product, and you may already be aware of these as they seem to be everywhere. These snag free hair bands from New Look seem to be the hit product at the moment. I know there is a brand called Popband which is where I've seen most people talking about these but they are hairbands that claim not to leave a kink in your hair and come in some adorable patterns/shades which you can wear on your wrist as a bracelet. Genius idea!

So there you have it, my top picks of jewellery for work. Let me know if you have any ideas for what I can jazz up a plain black outfit with by leaving a comment below.

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Baking | Stuffed Cookies

Hey everyone, long time no see! Just a quick update I am loving my job and am so excited and what's coming up for me. I'm still trying to get to terms with my shifts so will resume my blog very soon but today I thought as I have today off work and wasn't up to much else I would do what I love to do best... BAKE! I scoured Pintrest for a good couple of hours and saw so many wonderful recipes that I will try out one day but today I just wanted something simple and easy. So when I saw a couple of pictures of these I thought that is exactly what I want to make. These are super easy to make and you can choose so many different varieties.

So what will you need...

2 packets of Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Your choice of filling (In my case it was Hersheys, Oreos & Peanut Butter Cups.)

Yes that is all you need. Now if your not lazy like I was feeling today you could make the cookie dough from scratch which I will try later another day.

First pre heat the oven to whatever the cookie mix says, mine was gas mark 5. Then I simply mixed up the cookie mix into a dough. I then took a small ball of the dough and squashed it down on the pre-greased tray. I took my choice of filling and lightly pushed it into the dough. I then took another small ball of dough and squashed it over the top and joined it up with the other piece of dough. Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and voila bite into the yummy goodness you've just created.

Hope you enjoy recreating these if you do and let me know in a comment what your choice of filling was.

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Hiatus... Only for a short time!

Hey strangers! I just wanted to quickly type out this post to explain my brief absence. As most of you will probably know I've recently started my new job with Molton Brown and I am loving it! But along with a new job comes stress and hectic work days so due to this I may be a bit MIA from my little baby of a blog. I wish I was a super human and could manage it all but right now that just isn't possible! On my days off I will TRY my best to schedule some posts but at the moment these precious short days fly by and are being spent relaxing and spending time with my friends and family.

So finally I just want to say a BIG

THANK YOU!

For sticking by me and my little blog and hopefully when I get into more of a rhythm with my job all will resume as normal!

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Baking | Hershey's Kisses Cookies & Cream Cookie Bars

So once again Becky over at milk bubble tea has got me hooked on the amazing recipes she finds online and has me needing to try and recreate them. I've done some posts in the past of my attempts at recreating some delightful recipes found on her blog so I thought I would bring you another one.
American chocolate is a marmite product to us brits, with the UK being the home of Cadburys which we all know is ah-maze-ing chocolate some people just don't like the American brown stuff (most likely it will have been Hersheys). I on the other hand love it. It is completely different to our chocolate but there is just something about it I love. So with that in mind when I saw this recipe I knew I had to remake it. The clue is in the title of this post... Hersheys Cookies & Cream Kisses!! I looked on the site where Becky found the recipe from which is called Picky Palate which is just another amazing baking site and followed from both really. So firstly what do you need to make these amazing little cookie bars of goodness...

1/2 cup softened unsalted butter

1 cup of white sugar 

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups of plain flour

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp of baking soda

1/2 bag of chocolate chips

10 oreo biscuits

10 hershey's kisses, cookies and cream flavour.

First pre heat your oven to 180 degrees which is gas mark 4/5 and let that heat up whilst you start preparing these yummy treats. In a bowl mix the butter (its best when it's at room temperature, easier to mix!) and add the sugar and egg and mix well. Next add in the flour, salt & baking soda and mix then fold in the chocolate chips. Crush up the oreos either with your hands on bash them with a rolling pin and mix in. Line a dish or I used a brownie tin with tin foil and spread half the mix in the tin. Place a Hersheys kiss evenly around the tin and push into the dough. Then use the remaining mix to cover the kisses. Bake for around 25-30 minutes.

Now fair to say mine didn't come out looking quite as scrumptious as Becky's did but they were still super yummy! And you know what they say, Practice makes perfect!!

Do let me know if you take a attempt at making these, I would love to see what yours look like.

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Haul | Blog Sale Purchases

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that Adrienne from The Sunday Girl was having a blog sale and having never bought anything from a blog sale before I thought I would check it out. She had some really good products up for sale and if I had been quicker I would of definitely had purchased more but here is what I did get my hands on.

The first thing is an Elf Blush, there isn't a colour name on it but after looking at the website I think it might be Giddy Gold. I don't own any Elf blushes nor do I own many elf products but I will be buying more stuff to try as the pigmentation in this blush is amazing. Next is two Nicole by OPI nail polishes in the shades Stand By Your Manny and Alex By The Books. They are both perfect spring/summer colours and I especially can't wait to wear Alex By The Books which is the mint green colour. Another nail polish I picked up was by Angelica and it's in the shade Brit Pop 92. Its a really pretty glitter polish which will be great as an accent nail or even all of them at New Years Eve. And finally I got a Revlon Lip Butter in 045 Cotton Candy which is a pretty dark rosey pink colour. This is only my second lip butter and do plan to add many more to my collection.

So that's what I bought, I hope you liked this post and do let me know of any blog sales as I'm always on the hunt for new beauty goodies!

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