A Look into Lady Veil: Hijabs and Maxi Dresses.

Hi ladies, hope you are all well. I am still debating whether it will snow or not in Leicester so thick layers of clothes it is for me for the time being. Apologies for being MIA lately, I have been meaning to knuckle down and get this review posted, but as always, things get in the way! So anyway, here I am today reviewing these three fantastic items  from Lady Veil.

Wearing a headscarf no longer means being restricted to a boring black one, just ask the lovely Lady Veil. Hijabs as they are more widely known as, come in a variety of materials, colours and prints today thankfully allowing Hijabis (girls that wear Hijabs) to have more of a choice when it comes to selecting their hijabs for the day.

Whilst I am no hijabi myself, (Inshallah -God willing- soon), what I do know is that many sisters favour to have a variety of colours and designs to allow to them to dress modesty as well as fashionably if they desire. Some may choose to colour coordinate their hijab with their clothing, others may choose to dress it up with accessories and head pieces, whatever the choice, Lady Veil has it all.

I received two scarves and an equally gorgeous ruffled collar maxi dress to try and I am in love!

Before I begin, just incase you are wondering, postage and packaging costs are at a very reasonable £2.50 (Out of UK fees will vary), so you can shop to your hearts content and only pay the one off shipping cost, how amazing is that?!

Now lets begin with the dress. This is a stunning ruffled chiffon like material khaki coloured maxi dress and the first thing that attracted me to it is that it is very lightweight and comfortable to wear. The neutral khaki colour means it is wearable for almost any occasion and can be worn alone loose or tightened with the stash provided. Personally, I prefer to have the stash slanted and have the dress tightened a little as it adds a s lovely elegant touch to it. The dress is sleeveless however, if like myself you do not do the whole sleeveless thing, there are options to wear a Waterfall cardigan that can be brought from Lady  Veil, your own cardi, or simply a blazer, the choice is yours. Personally, I quite prefer to complete the look with my Krisp blazer in black.

The dress does have lining inside too which is always  a bonus, albeit being a little shorter than the dress, yet I still prefer to wear black leggings underneath.  


 

If you are short in height like myself, the dress may prove to be too long in which case it can be easily altered. Also, special care needs to be taken when ironing due to the crinkle delicate material.

I absolutely love this dress, I will definitely be wearing mine to a special occasion be it a party, wedding, barbeque, you name it. The colour and design is absolutely stunning to wear and I feel like a bit of a princess in it, If I am honest! This is available to buy for *£20 and measures at 113cm bust and 152cm in length.

 


Now moving onto the gorgeous scarves. I also received a Versaceque maxi scarf with minor leopard print design and tassels in red. It is a generous sized scarf perfect for adding layers if you wish as there is sufficient material to cover well. It is surprisingly quite lightweight too so you do not feel all hot and bothered after wearing it for a few hours!


 


The design pretty much compliments most dark colours of clothing particularly blacks, greys and browns. Hijabis will love the fact that it is comfortable, lightweight, maxi and coordinates well with most outfits. Not a hijabi? Not to worry, the scarf is still perfect for draping around your neck. This gorgeous scarf is available to buy for an amazing *£4.50.

 

 

The second equally gorgeous scarf I received was the full leopard print maxi snood (tubular neck scarf)  that also doubles up as a scarf. For those that know me well would know that I am a huge lover of leopard prints, the style never gets old be it a scarf, item of clothing or accessory. The very first thing I noticed  was just how lightweight the material was despite having an under layer. What is even better is that you could if you wanted to wear it reversed since it is a lovely nude colour that would most definitely coordinate well with the khaki maxi dress. Now it cannot get any better than that can it? Again as it is a maxi, it means that there is enough material to create layers, volume and it covers well. Some hijabis may argue that although many other designs and materials are great, what they have a concern with is the lack of material hence having to constantly pull down the scarf to cover their necks etc. And again, it can also be used to drape around the neck to add extra coverage and goes with pretty much any colour. The primary colours are brown and beige and the scarf retails at *£6.50.

Overall, the quality of all three items are fantastic and came beautifully and carefully packaged. The customer service at Lady Veil is excellent and cannot be faulted. The product range is fantastic and I will definitely be buying some items for myself and as gifts in the near future. In the meantime, be sure to check out their Instagram page at Lady_Veil and also email lady.veil@outlook.com for any enquiries you have.

 

Oh and did I mention that there is currently a SALE on all scarves for £2.50! What are you waiting for?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beauty: My Monthly favourites.

 

Hi lovlies, so I thought I would try something new today and do a round up of my monthly favourites for pretty much the whole of January and Feb. Makes a nice change from all those product reviews I do doesn't it? Haha. Below are a list of all the makeup, skincare and hair I have been loving this month. Do be sure to share any of your favourite products too and comment down below I would love to take a read.
So, lets get right into it. These are in no particular order. Enjoy!

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4

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8


1- This 8 hour skin protectant is an old time favourite and an absolute classic. I have a travel sized one in my handbag for on the go and one on my bedtime table. I love multi use products and this is a definite hit. I use it to treat dry sore lips I often get in the colder weather, groom baby hairs, onto my elbows, rub onto my cuticles and use a tiny dab to keep eyebrows groomed. It is a godsend and smells lovely too.

2- This fab mask from Lush was a bit of an impulse buy after reading reviews from other bloggers and I can see why it is a must have. This is now my second pot of this and has quickly become a favourite of mine. I have an in-depth review of it *here* so do check out if you want to know more. The downside? As it is all natural and needs to be kept in the fridge, it does have a short shelf date so you need to use it up within threeish weeks, I sometimes forget mine is sitting in my fridge!

3- This was sent to me by W7 Cosmetics , review *here* and it was love at first sight. It is a close dupe to Benefits Hoola bronzing powder. The shade is just right for my skintone and works great for contouring.

4- This again was another impulse buy after seeing there was a massive hype over this, check out my NYX haul post *here*. I was actually quite dubious at first as the shade was a bright orange colour, however once applied, its this gorgeous natural corally colour that looks perfect on Asian and darker skintones. I love  the cute little packaging and the fact that it doesn't cost the Earth!

5- I purchased this restoring leave it conditioner from Tressemme early last yearish when it was on offer at Superdrug as you do. I religiously use their range of shampoos and conditioners and thought it would work well alongside it. This absolutely exceeded my expectations! I only need a drop to smooth out my hair, I use it on both wet and styled hair and it works amazingly at keeping hair cuticles in place, smoothening out my hair and adding a slight sleek and shine for straightening, with it being argan oil infused, it smells absolutely amazing too.

6-  If you have read my blog post on this, you will know exactly why I love it so much!! Say no more, head over *here*.

7- Every beauty addict should own one of these, it is definitely an investment and you will not regret it. I have started to reach out more for this for creating subtle day looks to the more smoky heavier looks for nights out. I love the sturdy packaging, the fact that the colours are insanely pigmented and buttery and the fact that it has a huge mirror inside and comes with a brush. Need I say more?

8- And finally, last but not least, this fab product from the MUA cosmetics range. I wouldn't say it is an exact dupe for Mac Soft and Gentle but it comes close to it and for £3 you really cannot go wrong. I like to reach out for this if I fancy a dewy look, or for use after contouring, oh and a little goes a long way. Best £3 I have spent.

 

 

 

What are your monthly favourites?

REN Clarimatte Skincare range: Review

 
Hi Dolls,

Hope you are all wrapped up at home in your cosies. Looking at the current weather here in the UK, all it makes me want to do is hibernate at home in front of the TV!

Its no secret that as you are getting older, your skin needs more looking after. Its the first place to show signs of neglect and ageing and vice versa, especially in the colder winter months. I think I can safely speak for the rest of us when I say it is primarily during the winter months that our skin tends to play up the most.

I am always on the lookout for new skincare products, I love my regular products but felt like trying something new particularly as I do not really have a solid regime when it comes to skincare (terrible I know!)

REN Skincare is one that I happen to come across all the time and is often hyped about in the Blogging world, that too with nothing but positive reviews of their products.

One of my many new years resolutions in terms of beauty was to really start paying more attention to my skin care regimen this year and with that, I was very excited to try out my two samples of their T Zone Balancing Fluid* and their Invisible Pores Detox Mask* from the lovely people at REN skincare. After informing them that I had combination skin, I was happy to have received these samples from their Clarimatte range especially designed for combination skin.

On their site, they describe their Clarimatte range as "Includes cleanser, moisturiser and a treatment mask to leave your skin looking beautifully balanced, mattefied,clear and radiant"

 

Seeing as I received 5ml sample sizes of both products, I only managed to get a weeks use of them so it wouldn't be fair and accurate to give a detailed thorough review. However, lets talk about first impressions atleast.

 

The very first thing I loved about their T -Zone Balancing Fluid was that it had a lovely lightweight texture that seemed to absorb fairly quickly onto my skin. Due to the small quantity of the product, I used a small squirt just around my T- zone area and it did instantly feel matte although I have to say, I am not a sufferer of excessive oily/combination skin. My skin also did feel nice and soft straight away upon first use.
 
 

 

This is generally great for combination/oily skin for its mattifying and balancing properties and perhaps those with Normal skin can get away with using this too if you like that 'quickly absorbed' feeling, yet I am not so sure it will work equally well for those with excessive oily skin simply because I do not think it is balancing/ mattifying enough.

I quite liked the fact that this didn't have that overpowering strong scent as most products do, it smelt quite botanical and spa like, very similar to Elemis products.  A full sized 50ml bottle of the fluid retails at £21.00 on their site.

 

I was very excited to try their Invisible Pores Detox Mask as it has been a while since I have tried anything for my pores in terms of a mask. REN describe this product as " A detoxifying clay mask designed to reduce the appearance of pore size and leave the skin purified, smooth and toned." and it sounded like exactly what I needed!
 
 

 

I only managed to get one use out of this. I was particularly wanting to focus on the T-Zone areas such as my nose and chin area . REN suggest using this at least three times a week if desired. I applied a generous amount of the mask on the areas I felt needed it most

and let it soak in for 25 minutes as recommended before washing off in a rubbing motion with warm water.

 

The mask application was like a thick white cream that didn't irritate my skin at all thankfully and hardened like clay after a few minutes then became creamy again when washing it off. Again, no off putting strong scent although there was a faint lavender scent if I remember correctly. 

I am not sure if the one time was enough in drawing out impurities and reducing the size of pores and blackheads sadly, however my skin did feel very smooth after. A full sized 50ml pump bottle of this retails at £18.00.

If you are new to the brand or simply want to try some of the products before buying full size, REN offer the Clarimatte travel size range for an affordable £12.00.

Truth be told, initially, I was put off their prices for most of their products, however REN products are no doubt full of natural extracts, high quality ingredients with no nasties whatsoever so you can be assured you are not putting any rubbish into your skin. What's more, they are all free from parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, synthetic fragrance and colours and so on. (Basically all the bad stuff) so surely the products are worth their price? After all, it is your skin that will thank you for it.

Have you tried any REN skincare?

 

Billion Dollar Brows : Review

Hello lovelies, happy new year and I hope you are having a good year so far. :-)
 
I have always been a big fan of eyebrow products, its the one routine in my makeup application I never leave the house without. In fact, come to think of it, more and more girls have become obsessed with achieving perfectly groomed brows, we all agree, a nice set of brows make such a difference to your face from framing the eyes to defining facial features and so on. And the true beautyholic that I am, I am always on the lookout for new products to help me get the 'look'.
As you can imagine, years of experimenting as a teen with tweezers in one hand, and curiosity in the other, the sparse scary looking brows I have today need all the help they can get.
 
A few weeks ago, I came across Billion Dollar Brows (BDB) on Twitter and it was great to hear about another brand in the market. More and more brands have now started to introduce an eyebrow range in their line. but with so many to choose from, it can be quite overwhelming finding a product that suits you.
 
Although, I hadn't come across them before, a little digging later, I found that they have become quite big in the US in the past few years. Initially, their product line consisted of just their Brow Boost -an enhancing serum which quickly became so popular, they later followed it with brow pencils, gels and powders.
 
Having quite sparse brows, one thing I have always struggled with is getting the shape right to suit my face and creating a natural look. Truth be told, I have never favoured eyebrow pencils much purely because I found that powder especially those with a waxy formula gave more of a soft, natural defined look so I was actually quite looking forward to trying their Universal Brow Pencil £17.00* It is a dual ended pencil that comes with the product on one end and a spoolie (and a sturdy one at that) on the other for grooming your brows.

 "No More Guessing Games! Formulated to work with all skin tones & hair colors this amazing pencil goes on smooth and natural. Perfect for creating beautiful, natural brows for when you’re on-the-go. The pencil’s versatile color works with almost all hair colors and skin tones."

The Universal Brow Pencil has a really lovely formula and comes in a nice taupe brown that would compliment most skin tones as they say, it certainly flattered my skintone. Even when pressing on hard, it is still manageable to create soft feathery strokes that do not give a harsh effect.
Because I have gotten so used to filling my brows with shorter in length flat angled brushes in powder kits, the size of the pencil was a slight issue for me. I tried to create a defined arched brow yet I found with the larger width of the pencil tip, I couldn't quite manage to create a subtle effect. Otherwise, it is a lovely little pencil and really travel friendly as it wont crack up on you like a powder kit may if damaged.

The lovely people at BDB also sent me their Brow Gel £17.00* to try out.

"Our Brow Gel will lock in your look, giving your eyebrows a long-lasting, radiant glow while keeping them perfectly in place all day. It’s the perfect finishing touch for giving your brows a polished, perfectly manicured look."

Believe it or not, I have never actually owned  a brow gel (tut tut)! so I was very excited to try this one. This little baby is great for taming your brows without looking like you have 'gelled' them down. I actually used this just to neaten up my brows before using both The Universal Brow Pencil and my usual eyebrow powder kit and it works wonders, it helps the product go on well, didn't seem to crust or flake and was great if I wanted to retouch during the day. You actually only need to use a little as it goes a long way and is great for taming and keeping stray hairs in place. Thankfully, the gel didn't seem to have an off putting scent either. The packaging gets a big thumbs up from me, I love the clear tube so you can actually see how much product you have used/have left but most of all, I love the fact that the BDB Brow Gel is designed so that when you insert the wand back and forth into the tube, you do not end up with a nasty goop of gel!

BD Brows can now be found at most salons where they use their Brow Buddy tool (which shows you where to start, arch and end your brows with precision and ease) and products for recreating the perfect brows for salon goers. Whether you are a makeup artist, eyebrow fanatic or just someone that takes pride in their brows, either way Billion Dollar Brows (BDB) are definitely without a doubt worth checking out.

Have you tried any BDB products yet?

 

Freshskin by Elemis Here We Glow Collection- #Xmas gift idea.

 
If there is one aspect I would have to choose in beauty that I love most, it would be skincare over and over. I just love how you can really give your skin a bit of a treat and pamper with a wide range of skincare products, and what better than the fab products at Elemis.
 
If like me, you have left your Christmas gift shopping to the last minute this year, (or just a little treat for yourself) do not despair! This amazing little Freshskin starter kit is affordable and a perfect little stocking filler for teens and 20's that may use the Freskhin range already, for anyone who want to sample it before buying the full sized products, take it to the gym or simply as a travel set to take on holiday with.
 

 
The Freshskin by Elemis Here We Glow Collection costs £15* and comes in a lovely pink patent zip case and includes:

 

 

 

Skin Clear Purifying Face Wash 30ml

 

Skin Glow Exfoliating Face Wash 30ml

 

Softly Softly Daily Moisturiser 15ml

 

Magical Moisture Quenching Mask 3ml.

 

 

I am a HUGE fan of their products, check out my first review *here* for a more in depth insight on their Freshskin range, I couldn't recommend this set enough, it is great value for money and an excellent way of introducing someone new to the brand.

 

I always enjoy using my Elemis products, I really genuinely feel that I can relax, pamper my skin and get the at home spa feeling and don't we all just need that now and again!

 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

xxx

Apprentice Luisa's Bakers Toolkit: An insight and review.

Believe me when I say, I am no domestic goddess. I would have much rather poked my eyes out than slave over a hot stove in the kitchen. Oh and the endless episodes of Nigella, Rachel Allen and Ina Gartens that my mum and sisters put on were enough to make me feel nauseated.
However, once you become a mum the whole. ' cant cook wont cook' mantra goes completely out of the window, I mean lets face it, you cant be feeding your kids beans on toast all their lives.

Lately, I have started to experiment more and more in the kitchen as you do and have developed a real liking for baking in particular cupcakes.

Cupcakes have really taken the world by storm. I mean you can find them practically anywhere, a posh tea house, weddings, christenings, baby showers, graduations and even funerals. Whatever the occasion, everybody wants a piece. And whats more, nowadays, the choices are endless, more creamier frosting's, edible glitters, pearl beads, a wide range of flavours and if anyone wants to add more to the list, feel free!

I was very lucky to be sent some baking and decorating samples from the amazing  Bakers Toolkit, the 'innovators for everything cake decorating and baking related', as they put it.
For those of you that don't know, Bakers Toolkit was launched this year by 2013 Apprentice runner up Luisa Zissman, if you do not know who Luisa is, well where have you been?! Having watched The Apprentice religiously this year, it is such a privilege to be able to sample products from the very business idea she was putting forward to Lord Sugar.

From everything to the products, the branding, the website of Bakers Toolkit, one thing is clear is that Luisa is extremely passionate and professional when it comes to what she does best, certainly not just a pretty face is she?
Bakers Toolkit, on closer inspection appears to be very user friendly, simple yet effective and to the point. The site doesn't seem too cluttered either with lots of images and ads which usually has a tendency to put me off. The range is extensive and oh so pretty. Some may even argue that its only target market are females due to the imagery and colour used, however this can be debated.

So, lets move on the what I was sent shall we. (In no particular order)

I received the Blue Fully Edible Mini Pearl Beads, two Fully Cake And Cupcake Glitters in Turquoise Blue and Orange, Edible Shapes in Love, Ready To Roll Icing in Pure White and Pink as well as Blue Food Colouring Gel Paste to try.

The first thing that caught my eye about all of these was definitely the packaging. Its cute and chic and economical and would most definitely grab my attention if these were stacked on a supermarket shelf. All the products are clearly branded and come in good quality, sturdy packaging that doesn't look cheap.
I was lucky enough to try some delicious cupcakes from Yum Yum Cakes and Cupcakes and simply couldn't help but have a little play around with all the products! Don't they just look so pretty and far too good to eat! Take a look at my little creations with these and do excuse the crappy iPhone pictures.

 The blue mini pearl beads can add a great touch and extra detail to say a wedding cake, baby boy baby shower, a wedding or just in general. These are available in a wide range of colours too. And check out the wonderful innovative cute lids, I have never quite seen anything like these.

Next were the Fully Edible cake and cupcake glitters. Now we all need glitter to add a sparkle to our lives and well now you can add sparkle to your cakes and cupcakes with these amazing edible glitters. Again, these are available in a full range of colours and come in fab little pots you could almost mistake them for eye shadows! Simply sprinkle on or use with a brush as they suggest. I  got them in a gorgeous turquoise blue and orange colour.

 
Next, the Edible Shapes in Love is definitely my favourite out of the lot, these come in red and white and a mixture of the letters L, O, V and E. These are a perfect edition to cakes and cupcakes for a wedding, anniversary and valentines just for adding that extra special touch. The fact that these are edible mean you can practically use these anywhere for that romantic gesture, even of a piece of toast for your loved one. I will definitely be putting these to good use on my cupcakes come this Valentines!

 

 

As I am not a professional baker, I am still yet to try the Blue Food Colouring paste and the Ready To Roll Icing kit. The food colouring paste comes in a 30g squeezy bottle again in a range of colours and is perfect for icing, sponges and buttercream.

The Ready to Roll icing  like the other product again come in a wide range of colours and again looks like another fab product. Here is what Bakers Toolkit say about it 'The Bakers Toolkit Roll 'n' Ice Professional ready to roll icing has been made with you, the customer, in mind, by giving the smoothest, most professional look to your cakes, whilst being extremely easy to use. Simply remove it from the packet and either roll it out if you are covering a cake or get to work on your chosen model or shape'
 
 
I would like to thank Bakers Toolkit for allowing me to try these wonderful products, I would without a doubt recommend these to bakers and those who passionately bake frequently. I will definitely continue to try these out and look forward to using the food colouring and ready to roll icings. I just love how Bakers Toolkit provide simple and easy to follow recipes on their site too, they are definitely worth checking out.

Check out Bakers Toolkit here:

 

http://www.bakerstoolkit.co.uk/

Check out the stockists page here:

http://www.bakerstoolkit.co.uk/stockists/

 

Follow them on Twitter here:

 

@bakers_toolkit

 

And of course keep up to date with Luisa here:

 

https://twitter.com/TheLuluLife

Now available to purchase from www.the-bakershop.co.uk
 

Happy Baking! Until next time xx
 
 








 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation: Review.

Hi all,

Hope you are well and wrapping up for the oh so cold days. Here in the UK, although we haven't quite seen the sight of snow just yet, we are having some rather bitterly cold days.

Now, apologies I have been quite MIA lately, life have been far too busy for me particularly these past few weeks  and thus, things have been a bit slow on the blogging side. However, I have made a promise to myself to do lots more blogging in the new year so watch this space!

There has been such a hype about the not so new Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation and I have been meaning to knuckle down and get this review done.

I was sent this foundation by Glamour Magazine to sample almost two years ago as part of a beauty panel questionnaire and I must admit, I didn't exactly rush to trying it on. There are simply two reasons for this. One, well because I used to be a snob and was quite dubious about trying High Street or  'drugstore' as it is known in the US foundations (It was all Mac Mac Mac back in the days) and two, I have never been blown away by Rimmel Foundations in the past so it wasn't really on top of my list of products I wanted to try.

Lately, I had a huge makeup and cosmetics clear out as you do at some point and happened to stumble across it again and decided to give it a try. And actually, as it happens, I was pleasantly surprised! What appeared to be a thick gloopy looking liquid in a pump it bottle, actually gave an amazing natural looking radiant dewy glow to my skin but appeared to be semi matte at the same time. I have recently become quite fond of the dewy look and in fact have been searching high and low for a foundation to give me just that and here this was right under my nose.

At first, I was put off by the shade (303 True Nude)  thinking it was far too light for my complexion but giving it the good old back of the hand test, applied using my RT stippling brush, it went on like a dream. It blends well, doesn't look ashy or grey under lighting and best of all, didn't dry out or irritate my skin and stayed put all day long. Big thumbs up! It really does 'wake you up' as the name suggests. I honestly cannot fault it.

 

 

 

You cannot really tell in natural light, but this has a slight shimmer to it which I suppose is what gives you that glow but it is rather deceptive and isn't an issue at all. I was super impressed by not the coverage, but the amount needed, only a tiny amount is required for a full face coverage, I would say approximately  1.5 pumps full if that makes any sense but of course, this depends on what kind of coverage you prefer, personally I am not a fan of the 'slapped on' look and remember, as with everything, the coverage can always be built up.

 

Believe it or not, I am quite fond of the gloopy thick consistency as it means it doesn't run off the back of my hands as I have had with some liquid foundations in the past. There doesn't appear to be a strong off putting smell either thankfully, although there is a delicate floral scent and the convenient pump glass bottle which allows you to have control over how much product to use is in fact quite sturdy too so no chances of any product leaking out.

 

 

 This works a treat if you have some dry patches of skin like myself, it is surprisingly quite lightweight and you could almost forgot you had it on. Best of all? Aside from making me look fresh faced every time I put it on, it leaves my skin feeling healthy and moisturised. Oh and lets not forgot to mention the fact that it contains SPF 15. Hooray! If you have normal, dry and combination skin and you are after a natural glow without looking tanned then I think this may be the one for you too.

Overall, this is an amazing amazing foundation and definitely deserves all the hype it receives. Considering it is priced at an affordable £8.99* for 30ml in six variable shades and can be purchased at all Superdrug and Boots, it definitely without a doubt beats some of the other much hyped about highstreet/drugstore foundations and could possibly  even give some of the higher end foundations a run for their money.

I think it is safe to say, I have finally found my everyday go to, all year round  foundation and this is something that has quickly become a staple in my personal kit and will be staying with me for a very long time. I am so glad I rediscovered this and didn't throw it out, I will most certainly be heading to Superdrug or Boots soon as there is currently a 3 for 2 offer on these. Is this ground-breaking enough to replace my Mac Studio Fix? It most certainly is I reckon!

Have you given this a try yet?