July Outs

Normally i cover my in's and out's in one post but i have so many out's this month i'll post them separate

I've finally used up some perfume samples which were just waiting for the summer sun to come out, sadly i was disappointed, i used 2x Calvin Klein down town bottles and they were a lovely fresh scent for both day and night, then i tried the Nicki Minaj Minajesty and it was so sickly sweet that i used it all in one go just to use it up, i used a Calvin Klein Beauty bottle up and it was a nice enough scent but nothing special enough to warrant buying a full bottle, I had a Cacharel Amor Amor sample lying around and was surprised by it's lovely scent, it was refreshing and elegant but a little out of my price range, lastly was the Blvgari Omnia crystalline and i'm in love, this has to be my top scent this year and I've put it on my Christmas list.

Other than the Blvgari i won't be purchasing any of the scent, i had quite a few and they just didn't tick all the boxes for me.

Pantene pro-v aqua light coniditoner, this stuff is great for after swimming and for people like me with thick, heavy hair, it didn't leave any residue and i'd be happy to purchase it again

Herbal Essences intensive mask, this is my holy grail hair product, i have over dyed, under conditioned hair and mixed with the chlorine from swimming i really needed help, this conditioned, strengthen and really softened my hair, i love it.

Rituals Zensations shower foam, this had a lovely scent to it and it was fun to use but there wasn't enough in the bottle and it's quite pricey.

Nivea creme care shower cream, i found this quite drying on the skin and it wasn't a great scent so i won't be purchasing it again but i imagine it's great for sensitive skin.

Whish body butter, this was lovely and soothing, it's smell was lush and it covered my skin really well, i'd certainly buy it if on offer.

Schwarzkopf color mask conditioner, these came with the dyed that i used, they did the job but aren't available without the dye and i have so many other conditioners to use up already.

Garnier pure active facial scrub, i would not buy this again ever, i'd been using it for about 2 weeks when i noticed it went from being a tingly wash to burning, it dried my skin out and left me sore, i could just have sensitive skin and not taken well to it but it's not for me at all.

Spa bath salts, i'd love to fill you in on these but i don't remember where they came from and they simply did the job intended.

No7 protect and perfect night cream, i swear by all No7 products, i love them, my skin loves them, they are nourishing and work even after i've applied them, i'll be repurchasing this later.

Anew renewal cream, another one that's not for me, this was really thick and laid heavy on my face, i found it made my skin greasy and i seemed to struggle with spots more when using it.

Anew clinical laser, i'm rubbish at remembering to use eye roll ons but after a few months in the draw this has dried up to a brown gooey mess so i won't be using it or repurchasing.

Maybelline dream matte mousse, i've gone off Maybelline foundations of late, every shade i thought i was in winter i'm now not in summer so i've used this up and won't be repurchasing.

Danni waterproof eyeline, rubbish! i don't like slating products but this was useless, it was hard to apply, lumpy and after 2 weeks it had become a solid block them just fell out of the pot in one lump.

My winner for this month has to be Vichys Liftactiv, my mum taught me never forget your neck, it wrinkles just like your face and this filled, lifted, firmed, i really love it, my face is soft and more elasticated,i'll be purchasing this the next time i see it.

Don't forget your products come with a time limit, most are around 12 months but be sure to use things up in order of opening them to ensure you don't waste them.

TJ x

Caudalie Divine Legs

I recently got sent a bottle of Caudalies diving legs tinned body lotion, I've tried so many fake tans and tinted moisturisers all leave me sticky, streaky and feeling pasty up top because my legs are so dark from them but this was different, the difference in my legs was great but not too much, I found it went on really dark but with some gentle rubbing it blended in really well, i'm not great at applying fake tan so i worried about streaks but as this is a lotion it was just like applying a body cream.

As you can see my legs are really pasty and i often hide them in summer because i simply burn if i try sunning them, the change wasn't too drastic and i liked that, and it's 93% natural ingredients is a winner for me.

I found a down side, but it's minor, if you rub too much your get this

I find the same with many night creams so the trick is if you have an itch, pat don't rub!

But as i said it's a minor thing and patting up the rubbed off bits and adding a dab more lotion soon fixes the problem.

It's also so easy to get off, unlike fake tans where you have to exfoliate and scrub away to get rid of it i thought i'd show you how i got it off last night

With 2 wipes of a baby wipe i'd got rid of all of it in that section, it was so easy and didn't leave patches or stains which is ideal because i love my ivory skin some days and wouldn't like to be stuck with a tan i didn't want.

My verdict, if your going on holiday and want to hide you pale bits, you have really pale skin or just want a tan top up then get this, it's quick, easy and uncomplicated to use and perfect for all occasions.

TJ x

Bubble lush bath goodies

This week i took a drive to a store in Carlton, Nottingham called BubbleLush divine gifts, it's like a tardis in this shop, it looks tiny from the outside but they have walls packed with gorgeous candles, melts, bath bombs, reed diffuses and tons of other things!

I picked up this lot :

I got 3x bath bombs for £5.99 and 3 bath creamers for £1.29 each, i couldn't leave without picking up some bits for the little one and at 20p each these little bath oil beads were perfect.

The size and price made it worth the trip and since they stock every scent and type of Yankee candle among many others i'll be taking another trip very soon.

The bath bombs are big enough to get 2/3 uses from them if your not keen on heavy scents and everything is dissolveable so not need to rinse the bath to rid if of bits afterwards which can be a pain.

The details are so cute and great for gifts but more so they are sealed so they last forever and i don't have to worry about storing them and bits being all over the cupboard .

They are on Facebook here: Bubblelush divine gifts

Of course if you aren't local and can't get to the shop they sell online and have some really great offers on especially at Christmas: http://www.bubblelush.co.uk/

Let me know if you spot anything i should look out for on my next trip or if you plan on making a purchase yourself

TJ x

Todays Haul

I've not had a lot of time to enter competitions this month with so many wedding plans and with schools due to break up but i have had some great items to review.

 I was sent a gorgeous lotion from Birchbox by Caudalie, it's so gold and dark in the bottle i had serious doubts it would go on well but after running it in a little (the right side of my hand) it really worked as a light tanner, i'll be doing a full review later this week.

 Next was a NYX lipstick and lip line, they were so vibrant and really down my street, i wore them all day today with no bleeding and little need for a topup, the lipstick says matte but it had a sheen to it and didn't dry on my lips so i'll be using some lipcote on top to keep it in place.

 Then i popped into boots and find these lovely glitter polishes so me and the little one to share over the holidays, they look like a top coat and glitter but give a lovely coat after two applications and at 50p were a steal

Whilst shopping in Morrisons i noticed they have a 'flower of the week' section in the flower part and they had some lovely mini roses for just £1 each so my other half treated me to a lovely red and a white one, they will go perfect in my new pots and a really bargain so i'll be checking in on this section of the store more often.

 All in all i'm really pleased that in total i spent £3.50 and got all this, the Nyx products came from a weekly competition Lipcote run called Post your Pout and it's worth a look.

TJ x

Birchbox VS Glossybox - decision time

This month i have enough points for 2 free BB's and 1 GB once i send in my surveys for the products so i decided it was time to have a rethink on my beauty box orders.

In my Glossy box this month i received 4 full sized items and 1 sample size

 I was excited to see what was on offer this month with there being 4 full sized items however i had my reservations since i was disappointing with the last few boxes.

The first thing i noticed with a lovely tub of carmex, i've seen it around a lot lately but not had chance to try it out and on first impressions i really like it, it's smooth and not strong smelling.

 Sadly i don't like Color Club varnishes and i particularly don't like the shade they sent, i had hoped for a summery colour if they insisted on sending yet more varnish so this will be put in a Christmas box for someone else that might actually use it.

Then i saw this lush little lilac parcel and my hopes were picked up, sadly i can't use perfumed soap and lavender is just too strong to risk on my skin so i've given this to my daughter who loves the flowery smell.

 I thought i'd been sent another mascara but thankfully it wasn't, it's a tube of eye lid primer and since i got a mini one in my BirchBox by another brand a few months ago i'm happy to give this one a go, it's pale in colour so not suitable for everyone

And lastly was a Lipstick in an orangy/coral colour, it's not my colour and i won't be using it, sadly i don't know anyone that suits this shade so it's likely to be a throw away or get lost in the back of a makeup draw. 

All in all i wasn't overly impressed with the box and i don't feel it's really broadening my make up box and i seem to be getting a lot of the same products just in different shades i won't use so i think i'll use my free box points and then cancel until i think they are swapping some brands around.



On to the Birchbox which was very late this month and a lot more paper i never read:

I loved the bright colours in this months box so was excited to see what was in the it

I love the little foody extras that birchbox send but this month i was disappointed, i don't drink coconut water so coconut lemonade was something worse, needless to say this went straight in the bin.

 Then i saw this little beauty and i've been meaning to try it for a long time, this was a winner for me and i'm glad i got this months box just for this.

The next thing to come out of the box was a Weleda product, i've not tried anything by them so i'm looking forward to this.

 I've not heard of Whish before and this smells yummy, it's a great texture and doesn't take forever to soak in like most do.

 Sadly this was another coral type lip product and it just isn't for me, i gave it to a friend who seemed to like it much more than me.

And this was my last item, again i've not used balance me before and i don't normally use eye creams but i'll be sure to give this a good go before making my mind up on it.

All i all i was pleased with my Birchbox and i'm glad there were no more polishes, i got a few products that i've not seen or tried before which was refreshing and i think i'll hang onto BB for a little while longer, i'm now looking at what i can swop my GB for so next month may bring something different.

TJ x

Acco Quartet Magnetic Weekly Organiser

This week i received a weekly organiser from Shoplet, i was dubious as to whether the average household could make use of this but i quickly found that it is so useful i'm not sure how i managed without it.

I keep my calender above my computer screen but it's a month by month page and i often miss certain things when quickly glancing at it and my other half barely checks it so i decided to place this in the kitchen (for lighting and photo purposes i put it on top of my computer).
It came well packaged and comes with a marker which also has a soft felt top so you don't have to get smudged fingers when rubbing things out.

It was easy to write on and came with magnets for those with a large enough surface to stick it up, i found my partner checked it often and noticed things a lot more, i also found it helped my daughter keep an eye on school and family events which she'd otherwise forget as well as being able to put her own notes on so we knew her plans.

I've found it really helpful and i'm now looking at getting another one for my daughter to keep in her room to note when homework needs to be in :)

You can find the product here:
http://www.shoplet.co.uk/Acco-Quartet-Magnetic-Weekly-Organiser/102282/spdv

and other products in the office supplies range here:
Office Stationary - Shoplet UK

I'd love to hear how you use yours if you decide to get one.

TJ x

Ozeri CardioTech Pro Series digital blood pressure monitor

I was asked to review a product recently and i was really excited to be sent the Ozeri CardioTech Pro Series digital blood pressure monitor.
Lots of ladies post about beauty products and how to maximize your appearance but often we also have concerns about our health, i've only recently taken my health seriously and taken up regular excersize, i'm never going to be a gym bunny and i find repetitive work outs quite boring however i've managed to include my daughter in my weekly swim and my mum in my weekly walk so when i was offered this product i knew i'd be able to make the most of it.

I have been using this 3 times a week to monitor the difference in my heart rate and also at times when i feel my heart rate is a little irregular, it's a great size and completely voice operated but there is also an option to turn this off and the voice is replaced with a beep to notify you when the reading is done, it holds a lot of information and records several days of results so you can compare them at a later date.

It comes in a little box so you can put it in your back pack when travelling around and is so easy to fit onto your wrist with no real effort, it is a great item for putting your mind at rest and my mum was recently told she had very high blood pressure so after trying this was able to record her readings for her doctors which makes everyone's job easier.

For the price and ease of use if you have high blood pressure or are concerned you may have i'd recommend getting one.




You can find the Ozeri Blood Pressure Monitor here: Ozeri CardioTech blood pressure monitor

Junes In's and Outs

Last month was a quiet month on the In's and Outs because life literally took over and left me sleep deprived and exhausted but this month i'm making some me time so lots of blog posts and lots of getting things done :)

My Outs last month were:

The Avon naturals body scrub was a back cupboard item and since checking the latest Avon book i cannot see it for sale so i won't be able to buy it again, like other Avon scrubs i found it left a sticky residue so this month i'm hoping to find a great new scrub.

I got the Beauty protect shampoo and conditioner 2 boxes again in a beauty box and they smell amazing! i really love them however they did strip my hair a little and i found it lacked it's usual bounce afterwards so i won be rushing to repurchase just yet.

Liz earle is a product my mum, nan and friend all swear by, i got it in my previous BB and i'm sure it's great but so far i've found it leaves my skin a little dry and blemished however i'm not writing it off, i have a larger tube and i'm determined to give it a month to help my skin so i'll revise at a later date.

Lastly is Max factors false lash effect masacar, an oldie but goodie and only my second mascara to be thrown away this year, it is a great product and a great handbag friend, i did find it dried out quite quickly but if you use it daily like i do i don't expect to get months out of them.

My Ins are a little larger, i've had some other great items over the last 30 days but they deserve there own posts so these are just items i've got but not used yet.

I recently entered a fab giveaway on Twitter for @LTBeautyBlog at the letstalkbeauty.co.uk and got sent some fab fav products along with winners a Crabtree and evelyn competition on twitter and an imperial leather competition on facebook.

First off is the Imperial Leather, i have fallen in love with their new range of foam burst and the smells are amazing, this one is honey and milk and i'm really looking forward to using it.

The Crabtree and Evelyn condition is from their La Source collection which is my favourite, it contains seaweed and smells so fresh.

Lastly some of the products from LTB (i've missed a suncream out because i couldn't find it for the photo)

I was sent a big hitter on the current beauty market which are shine absorbing sheets by Kleenex, i've heard so many good things about these little sheets so i'm excited to try them out.

I also received a bottle of Aromatherapy bath and shower oil, i've only recently learnt the joys of Oils over creams so i'm looking forward to soaking in this lush smelling oil.

And lastly i got a Covergirl primer and shadow in forever pink which is a lovely shimmery summer shade, i love all things pretty so this is perfect to add to my shadow collection and with an added primer it'll be nice to see how to lasts.

TJ x