Nip + Fab Bath Soak and Body Wash | Review

The main question here is; who doesn't enjoy treating themselves to a new bath/shower product..!? No one, that's who! Everyone loves a new product, which is exactly why there are so many out there!

My previous experience with Nip + Fab, has been extremely limited to a 'leg fix' moisturiser that was my saving grace over the summer period. Now that summer has gone, I decided (with the added help of a Superdrug offer) to dabble into the bath and shower range. And, as you can imagine, I have not been disappointed!

I'll be honest, looking at the bath soak, and the consistency of it, I wasn't expecting great things. But, you literally only need a tiny amount and it soon begins to lather up. Not forgetting the smell! The bottle says it is a 'detox' bath soak, containing green tea, jasmine, coconut and frankincense. I can vouch, that the combination of all of these scents mixed together, results in the most amazing, refreshing and revitalising experience I've ever had from a bath product..honestly! I highly recommend this bath soak to anyone out there looking to treat themselves, and, who, like me, occasionally needs destress time.  

The body wash is more of a 'yoga' inspired product, simply due to the ingredients used, aim to help you relax and unwind after a stressful day. The lavender, rose and coconut blend really does achieve this, and, for me this has quickly become a favourite to use after commuting, as well as after the odd gym workout that happens (which, lets be honest here, I commute more than I gym...). As well as relaxing me (I'm a complete sucker for lavender),the coconut oil that is in the wash leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth I can go without moisturising. Bonus! 

If you have any recommendations for any other Nip+Fab products out there, that I need to try, leave your suggestions in the comments! :)

Megsy...xo

Soap&Glory Mascara and Eyeliner Pen First Impressions | Beauty

Does anyone else struggle with committing themselves to a new mascara or eyeliner? No word of a lie, it has taken almost 2 months of debating, and searching before I finally just committed to new products. I know some of you will be sat there, thinking this is the lamest thing in the world, but, the dramatic few months have paid off!

I've never tried anything other than body wash from Soap&Glory, yet, I've heard nothing but positive things from people who have tried their make up. I'm not overly certain what attracted me to the 2 chosen items, maybe desperation of urgently needing new mascara, or, perhaps it was the quite bright, striking packaging...we will never know. One thing I do know, is, first impressions have been incredible!

I am already absolutely, 100 percent completely and utterly in love with the  Supercat Fat Jumbo Carbon Black Ink Eyeliner. Yes, for me, it really is that good! For those of you who haven't seen it, the pen has an angled edge, which makes application the easiest thing, ever! For cat eye lovers out there, this pen is for you! It's so quick, simple, and the staying power seems to be pretty good..although, I will review this if it turns out to disappoint on the staying power. 

From first impressions, I'd definitely recommend this product to any 'first time' eyeliner wearers, or, anyone who loves a perfect 'cat-eye' within seconds! Brilliant for any lazy make up wearers like myself. 

The second product; the Thick and Fast Mascara, is a bit of an odd one. Not because it's bad, but, because the brush has 2 sides to it. The first side, has an almost V-shape, which is designed to build volume as you apply, and is the first 'side' of the brush you use. Does it work I hear you ask? Yes, Yes it does. The volume build up for me has been fantastic, and the other side of the brush, the more 'traditional' shape brush builds the length and the curl. I must say, this side for me caused a bit of clumping but I tend to get that with new mascara anyway, so I'm not too concerned at this stage, but, I have seen a lot of impressive mascara action from this product! Worth a try for any fellow mascara commitment-phobes out there.

Let me know if you've tried these products, and what your thoughts are. Or, if there are any other Soap & Glory products that I need to try! 

Lots of love,

Megsy....xo

Carrot and Coriander Soup | #cookwithmegsy

Hi guys!

This is the first in the series of #cookwithmegsy (which, before you judge me, is an inside joke - however, by all means tag your versions of the recipes with #cookwithmegsy so I can see them). Every week, I will be posting up a new recipe for you all to try. I'm a vegetarian by choice, but I do cook with meat every so often so for all you meat eaters out there, keep a look out for my meat dishes! 

Today's dish is a very quick, and simple to make Carrot and Coriander soup. 

Suitable for Vegetarians, it can be Dairy-free and is Gluten-free too. 

What you will need;

• 1 bag of carrots from the supermarket (or about 5 good sized carrots
• 1 potato (this is optional)
• 1 onion
• fresh coriander (I use half a bag from the supermarket)
• 1 tablespoon of ground coriander
• half a tablespoon of nutmeg - but this can be altered to your own taste
• 2 pints of vegetable stock
• Vegetable oil (/butter)
• Either a stick blender or a food processor - anything to whizz the soup up.

Method; 

Step 1: Prep your veg! Give them all a quick wash. Then, dice your onion, and chop the potato and carrots into chunks. Don't worry about the neatness of your chopping - they just need to be cut down enough for them to cook well, but try to make them evenly sized for cooking purposes. Also, at this point I'd cut the fresh coriander up and put it to one side.

Step 2: Use a reasonable size (about a tablespoon) of vegetable oil in the bottom of your pan (I personally prefer to use the equivalent amount of butter, its down to personal preference) and allow to heat up for about 30 seconds to a minute. Throw in all the diced onions and leave these to 'sweat' or sauté on a low heat. I normally chose heat 3 for this. 

Step 3: After about 4 minutes, add in your carrots, potato and the ground coriander. Again, leave these to sauté for about 3 minutes, or, as long as it takes you to make 2 pints of vegetable stock, if you haven't already prepped these.

Step 4: Add your 2 pints of vegetable stock to the pan, and bring up to the boil. Leave for 1 minute, then bring down to a simmer. Cover the pot, and leave it for 20 minutes or until your carrots are tender. 

Step 5: Now, add your fresh coriander and nutmeg. Take off the heat and add the soup to your food processor or use your hand blender, which is what I personally use - just for ease, and, I find it more fun to use the hand wand. 

Step 6: Grab a bowl and enjoy! You can always add a dash of fresh cream at this point if you fancy it.

Hope you enjoyed this simple little recipe. I absolutely love this, and it is one of my all time favourites! Let me know how you got on making it, or, any other recipes that you'd like to see.

#cookwithmegsy

My Evening Skincare Routine (for normal-dry skin) | Beauty Post

Hey beauties. 

Recently, I've been quite successful with my skincare routine - I do have two different routines for the evening and the morning, so this post only focuses on what I do in the evening.

Step 1: Cleanser - 

This product has been an absolute gem! I saw quite a few reviews about this before I caved in and bought it (which, lets face it - once you see what brand it is, you'll know it didn't take much convincing). 

It's the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil from The Body Shop (£11). After only using this product a couple of times I began receiving so many compliments about how healthy my skin looked, and, at the time this was the only item that had changed in my routine.

If I'm honest, I did have my doubts; first up, would it actually remove all my make-up (including waterproof mascara?!) and, secondly - eek! It's an oil?! Wouldn't it make my skin mega oily?! 

There was only one way to find out, and, that was to put my faith in the product and give it a try. You simply just squirt however much you fancy onto a cotton bud and apply it to your face to clear away any make up or dirt that has accumulated in the daytime. First up, it smells absolutely amazing, and secondly, it feels so smooth and gentle on your skin. The make up literally glides off your face, and I can quite confidently say, for me this is the best cleanser I've used in a while. After applying, just simply wash off with warm water.

One thing would say, is take caution when using it to remove your eye make - it's amazing, but will make your eyes go blurry if it gets in there! 

Step 2: Toner - 

I'll be honest with you, this is the first toner I have ever used. Bad, I know! But, up until recently, I've always seen toners as an 'old lady' product - did/does anyone else think that...? Not entirely sure where I got that concept from..anyway! I braved, or rather, embraced the old lady product, and treated myself to the Vitamin E Facial Toner, by (if you read my blog often, you'll have already guess..) The Body Shop!

I tend to use this in the same way as I use my cleanser, but, this time I don't wash it off. Again, the product smells nice - which, is always a bonus! I must say, I haven't seen any drastic differences whilst using this product, other than my skin doesn't seem to be getting many break outs or getting that dry.


Step 3 - Moisturiser - 

Now, I don't actually use a proper "face" moisturiser, mainly because I'm lazy, and if I can use one moisturiser for the whole of my body, I will! Recently, I've been loving the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula. 

If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'm a sucker for things that smell nice, and, oh my gosh does this product smell amazing, or what?! I won't go into much detail about this, other than if you like the smell of cocoa, this is for you.

For when my skin is having a 'crisis' -

Us females will know, that at.... 'certain' times of the month, for some of us, our skin can decide to play up! I am one of those people. Every month, I will have a break out of spots that I just don't need when I'm feeling crappy already. Currently, the first item I grab is one of the Lush face masks - the Mask of Magnaminty, which  I've already reviewed here; Lush Mask of Magnaminty facemask   but, honestly, this is a serious life saver! Sad thing is, I'm starting to run out rapidly, so if any of you reading this know a similar product, please, please share with me!! 

Finally, after all of that, I'll use some sudocrem on any of the spots I feel need a bit of extra help to leave my face. 

If you've written a similar post, or have any tips for how you look after your skin when there's a bit of an unwanted break out, I would love to hear about it, so pop links/tips in the comments below! :)

Lots of love,

Megsy...xo

Designing my Blog Page | Blog

Hey guys!

Here's the thing...for the last week or so, I've been sat, everyday debating over how to design, and, ultimately 'brand' my blog. I'm naturally quite a creative person, so I never thought I'd have this much of an issue over it.

I know a few of you will be sat there, thinking that it doesn't really matter - it's a changeable design that can be altered in due course. The drama wraps itself around the fact that I'm a lazy perfectionist. I don't really want to create a half-hearted design, because, reality is, that will stay with me for probably what would be until I decide to hang up my blogging hat and wave goodbye. 

How did you come to a conclusion over the design for your blogs? Some of you have absolutely stunning designs, which is definitely something to be proud of! 

I guess I just have to face the fact, that, for the foreseeable future my days will consist of writing blog posts, and the great debate whether I want pink or purple, flowers or animals and, don't even get me started on the font type! 

Please tell me that this is completely normal, and that I'm not alone in my struggle over designs?! 

Have a lovely weekend,

Megsy...xo

All-in-One BB Cream - The Body Shop | Review

For anyone who hasn't yet had the opportunity to get their hands on one of these, if you like light-medium coverage, this will be right up your street!

I picked this up on a whim last month, mainly because I was in The Body Shop, and, well once it's in the basket, it's coming home with me! Plus, I spend a lot of my free time travelling, either by train or by plane (I have my reasons..) and its always nice to have a little miracle tube that can make you look less dead, without needing an entire make up bag!

The cream itself is white and blends in to your skin tone - not entirely sure how it works, but, I'd recommend trying out the shades in store, just to make sure you don't end up looking like a wotsit. It applies beautifully, and I'd definitely say that "less is more" with this product. ( excuse the strange application process in the picture below, its mainly for the benefit of you guys to see what it looks like before being applied properly)

The one downside of this product would be that it doesn't smell very nice - I know that BB creams aren't famous for their scents, but this one has a strange smell about it that I'm not fond of, but its not so bad that I refuse to wear it.

As you can see from the before and after photos below, this product makes you look more alive! 

Before: 

After:

Retailing at £12, it's quite reasonable, and overall, I'd highly recommend this product. Its rapidly become one of my essential travelling items, 'quick skin fix' go-to for days when I'm not feeling full make up, and even as a foundation stand-in for those hot summer days (although, it hasn't got spf coverage, so be careful!)

It's genuinely my current favourite BB cream on the market! Let me know how you've got on with it, would love to hear from you guys! :)

Megsy...xo

DISCLAIMER: This blog post has not been sponsored, and all opinions and photographs are my own.

Body Shop Haul - July 2014

There are a number of items I have absolutely been dying to try from The Body Shop recently, and, seen as I had an offer from O2 priority moments, it seemed rude not to use it!

First item to be dropped into my basket, was the All-in-One BB Cream in colour 01 (retailing at £9). This cream comes out white, and is designed to adapt its colour to your skin tone. I spend a lot of my spare time travelling, and I've been looking for a replacement BB cream for a while. After hearing a lot of good reviews on this product, I am dying to give it a try!

I also treated myself to the Vitamin E hydrating toner (retailing at £8.50). I must admit, I've never actually used a toner before, and, since starting a proper skin care routine, I decided it was essential to invest in one. 

I am also running low on my current shower gel (the mango scent), so, I needed a replacement! I was initially going to go for the Chocomania shower cream, as, well, who wouldn't want to smell like a chocolate bar?! But, at the time, it was a hot day, and, I personally felt that the rich chocolate scent would be better appreciated in the Autumn time, when I don't mind a 'heavier' fragrance. Instead, I was drawn to the Early-Harvest Raspberry shower gel (retails at £4.00), and, oh my life, it smells amazing! Even if you do not need a shower gel, I suggest you go and smell this product! 

Another product that I picked up, was the Peppermint Foot Lotion (retails at £8.00 for 250ml). Now, this isn't actually for me, this is for my partner who spends a lot of his time running about, and, I wanted to treat him to a cooling lotion. After debating over whether to get this or the cooling leg gel, I decided on this product, simply because I've personally used it in the past after periods of high intensity running, and found it to be so soothing. So, we will have to wait and see what Mike's verdict of this product is!

Finally, I decided to treat myself to a scented candle. I (eventually) chose the Aloe and Soft Linen scent (retails at £10.00), because it smells so homely and relaxing. I also love the packaging of the box it comes in! 

Hope you enjoyed this quick little haul, and, if you have any recommendations for me to try out from The Body Shop, or, any other skin care items for that matter, leave a comment below!

xo

Lush Mask of Magnaminty

As a die hard Lush bath bomb and bubble bar enthusiast, I've been debating for a while about trying out some of the other amazing products that the stores stock. However, every time I enter the shop, I can't help but gravitate towards the bath bombs, and before I know it, I'm walking out of the door with a bag full. That is, up until last week.

 Last week, my partner was on leave from work, and as I'm a student living in a...let's just say, less than hygienic student household, my partner refused to let me buy a bath bomb for my own health. Instead, we browsed the shop together, looking for something else for me to try. It was only after circuiting the shop twice, that Mike suggested I tried one of the numerous facemasks; I'm always buying face masks, so I decided to give it a go.

 Although the fresh face masks not only looked, but smelt incredible, unfortunately the Plymouth store was low on stock, which is when I was drawn to the more standard face masks. The one I chose was the Mask of Magnaminty, chosen because I'm a sucker for anything with a peppermint smell.

The ingredients in this, as mentioned are a combination of peppermint oils, evening primrose seeds, vanilla and honey, as well as a number of other ingredients. This mask is perfect for anyone looking for a way to sooth any unwanted outbreak of spots, which is always a good thing, and it can be applied anywhere on the body that is prone to spot eruptions.

 Before applying this product, I cleansed my face as I normally would, and applied a good amount across my face, avoiding my eyes. The peppermint within the mask was just the right amount, it gave a refreshing tingle, but not so much that it was uncomfortable, and the seeds provided an almost scrub like texture. I found that application was easy, and the product spread evenly across my face. After about 10 minutes, I washed it off with warm water, and applied moisturiser. As I have sensitive skin, I did find this product to be slightly drying, which is why I moisturised after use.

I must say, I was impressed with the product, and I wasn't expecting a noticeable difference due to the fact, at the time I didn't have any spot outbreaks. What I did find, was, the product had made a noticeable difference to the black heads I get across my nose. However, it did cause a few spots to erupt the next day after use, but I suppose they were already there waiting to come, and they cleared up quickly within a day or two.

 The 125g pot that I got treated to, retails at £5.25 and it also comes in a larger pot of 315g which is £9.25. Personally, I would highly recommend this mask to anyone who has trouble with their skin, it's calming and soothing and I found it does make a difference unlike a lot of masks I've tried in the past! Plus, I can always tell a product is good when Mike wants to get his hands on it to try!

Revlon Colorburst Lacquer balm

This product, is by far my favourite product that I have picked up in recent weeks! Whilst browsing Boots for a new lip colour, I stumbled upon these Revlon lacquer balms.

The product itself, almost takes on the appearance of a chunky crayon, as shown in the photograph below. It retails at about £7.99 (Boots) so is a reasonable price, and comes in a range of beautiful colours, from a striking red to a beautiful daring purple shade.

 After standing around for what must of felt like a lifetime for my Mum, I finally decided on this vibrant pink shade. The colour chosen is called 'vivacious', and, as shown in the swatch, it's got the most perfect finish. As I was searching for a 'night out' shade, I went for the lacquer as opposed to the equally beautiful Matt shades, drawn by the high shine finish.

I haven't regretted this purchase, and I have had countless compliments on the colour since wearing it at social occasions. I've found the shape of the balm to be easy for smooth, even application, and the colour is long lasting. As the balm's formula contains mango, coconut and Shea butters, not only does the colour of the product leave the perfect shimmer, but it also leaves your lips feeling beautifully hydrated!

It's safe to say, I am pretty much in love with this product! And, I defiantly will be investing in more shades, and exploring the Matt range.

If you've tried them, what's your favourite shade been? . 

Love, 

Megsy....xo

Springtime

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After a number of days being house bound with the dreadful combination of a flare up, and revision, I began to get restless. The beginning of May blessed us with sunny weather, so I decided to make the most of it.

 I'm lucky enough to live in the Warwickshire countryside, which provides me with access to a variety of woodlands nearby. Having donned my best walking boots, I followed my trusty companion; my 5 year old German Shepherd, Oscar, into the woods. And I'm so glad we did.

Living in the student bubble, of days with my head buried under a mountain of revision notes, I'd almost forgotten that Springtime in the UK is absolutely beautiful; the transitional period, where the bluebells are vibrant, dancing against the browns and greens of the wood.

Fresh air, warmth and the gift of the beautiful scent given off by the sheer number of bluebells was just what I needed to replenish my energy levels.

Before I knew it, it was time to follow my Oscar back home, to put my feet up, and relax with a nice mug of tea. Bluebells; every amateur photographers dream.

Let's get to know each other...

Hi, guys!

So, after being diagnosed with an inflammatory arthritis in 2012, I have been considering blogging my journey. Not because I think my story is particularly interesting, but because, as a 21-22 year old trying to adapt to a chronic illness, it soon dawned on me that there isn't a wide range of support out there for people within this age bracket.

As I am soon to be a graduate, I guess the time has come when I actually have the time needed to dedicate my spare time to blogging!

This is going to be a lifestyle blog, with particular focuses on beauty, fashion, travel and general day-to-day life with a chronic illness, with the overall aim to raise awareness, and to show that a diagnosis like this, doesn't mean you need to stop being you. :-)

Hope you're all well!


Loves and hugs,


 Megsy...xo