L'Occitane Shea Vanilla Bouquet Hand Cream Review

A good hand cream is an essential in the colder months, to try and keep our hands soft, supple and looking good. The richer ones will have to include different moisturising butters, and as this promised to contain 20% Shea butter I was curious to try it out. Likewise,vanilla scent is one of my favourites but it can be really hard to come across one that isn't too overpowering in a product. 

While the butter helps to soften the hands, the coconut oil, and various other plant extracts create a barrier to protect the skin from the different elements and make sure long lasting moisture is provided. I spend a lot of time outside so any cream that manages to keep my hands moisturised all day is good! Once applied, the vanilla scent is very slight and disappears quite soon (sadly :( ).

I don't need to use much as the consistency is quite thick but it still manages to absorb quickly not leaving any residue. The tube is only 30ml, but I think it will last a long time as only a bit is needed each time.

I actually got this cream on an offer for only £1, but it is currently sold on their website for a more expensive £8.  Overall I think the ingredients do justify the price, as they are good quality and the hand cream works wonders!


xx

River Island White Shirt Collar Bib

Isn't this such a good idea?

 I have never seen this in shops before but when I walked into River Island and saw it I was taken aback. 

The collar was £10 and the size of it is big enough to cover even the deepest of shirt necks, successfully covering up to your shoulders. 

The material is a good quality, thick white cotton, and has gold spiked stud buttons to decorate. Luckily it is one size fits all! 

I have found it to be a great use under all types of tight jumpers were wearing blouses or shirts underneath would be too uncomfortable.

Under a jumper it looks exactly like a plain white shirt- no one will be able to tell it is just a collar!

What do you think of it?

The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People

By starting sixth form this year I have had so much more work to do, and have had to learn manage my spare time better, in order to get everything done.
Whilst reading different blogs I recently came across a post that summaries the key points behind 'The 7 Habits of Highly effective people' book- I was instantly interested.

This book most importantly talks about how to get the right things done, and that our greater goal should be in our minds everyday. 

Summarised here are the 7 key points of the book:

1)Be Proactive

Take responsibility for you choices and stop blaming everything else in your life. You can control your reaction to the events in your life.

2)Begin With The End In Mind

Think about how you want to be remembered by people- honest, courageous, caring- 

and keep them in mind

3)Put First Things First

Don't get caught up by urgent dramas happening day by day and do things that are important to you

4)Think Win/Win

Real success does not happen at the expense of others. A win for everyone is definitely better than a win for one person.Think karma!

5)First Try To Understand, Then To Be Understood

Listen and be genuinely interested in people. This will make people listen and be interested to you.

6)Synergise

When you work with other people to create win/win situations, you will be able to achieve greater goals you wouldn't have been able to achieve on your own.

7)Sharpen The Saw

We need to stay 'sharp' by being physically and mentally fit, taking time to rest and to look after ourselves.

It is now on my must read list, but sadly I don't think I will be able to get round to it for a while. I have to finish all my work first.

One must prioritise after all.

Have you heard of, or read this book before? Let me know in the comments below!

xx

January Sales

With January gone I can officially say that my sales shopping is over. I have bought a couple of things this month, and so here are my favourite picks:

This lovely knit jumper from Matalan only cost me £11.50 instead of the original price of £22. The jewelled collar was what caught my eye and made it stand out from the rest.

Next I bought this pair of earrings from New Look. This must be the fourth pair of pink flower earrings I own but I just couldn't resist. They look soo pretty. The original price was £5.99 and I paid £2.

From New Look I also bought this berry coloured ribbed beanie for £1 instead of £4.99. I was looking for something to keep me warm during these cold days we are now having in the UK and thought this was a perfect match.

One of the places I also visited was Accessorize, and as they had a 70% off sale I was eager to look for something. This beautiful gold chunky chain bracelet was different form anything I already owned and I paid it only £3.60 instead of £12 :) A bargain.

So,what have you enjoyed buying this month?

Christmas in Naples

How does it manage to be so sunny in full winter?

Have you all had a nice Christmas? I can tell you I have, as I went to spent it and New Year's with my family in Naples. If there is something I love about that place, it has to be the chaotic markets, the food and the beautiful landscapes which are framed by the persistent sunshine.

this seagull was just demanding to be photographed

Especially in the festive period the narrow streets are bursting of tourists exploring the market and shops, hunting for something special to take back with them. Pasta, Neapolitan playing cards, or different ornaments, they really have anything to suit everyone taste. The markets are also bursting with stalls that sell different books for a total steal.

Different musicians entertain in the piazza while you can sit and enjoy some nice food in the restaurants close-by. The cakes are sooo heavenly and you have to eat the pizza there too, as Naples is the home of it. 

mmmmmmm.........pizza

However I also love all the art they sell there as its full of rich colours, and many street artists are fantastic. Too bad I couldn't fit a print in my luggage, or I would have bought a couple!

Last shopping of the year......

After all that time spent shopping for the last presents for other people,I went shopping for myself. With all the family reunions I will have to attend i guess this will be the last shopping spree of this year.......making me very sad as there are lots of great offers and sales around. The last place I visited? Primark. And here is what I bought:

The first item that caught my eye was a grey jumper with a cut-out floral stitched detail collar. It was so warm and soft as it contained 4% angora. This cost £14 - the most expensive thing I bought.

The second item was a lace skater dress in a dark berry shade, with three quarter length transparent sleeves. The material is soft and doesn't itch at all, I'm probably going to wear it on Christmas day! This cost me £10.

 The next thing was a nice A-line leather mini-skirt with zip details. It was love at first sight with this; the quilted detail is so reminiscent of Chanel handbags and I'd been wanting a leather skirt for ages! It was also £10.

 The last section of the store I visited was the accessories, I seriously cannot leave Primark without going there! Every time I need to pick-up something so I bought these pearl earrings, 5 different sizes, for £1. Bargain.

I just love Primark.

D.I.Y. | Cinnamon And Chocolate Festive Lip Scrub

With the weather turning colder our lips may be becoming chapped and dry, and I know that just using lipbalm won't solve it. The only way I can make my lips nice and soft this season is using lip scrubs.You only need oils and sugar for a home made one and they are so easy to make. Really.

Since it's nearly Christmas one of my favourite festive flavours has to be cinnamon (hmmmmm the smell) I had the great idea to mix it with another a flavour I love-chocolate-and the final result was quite impressive.

Here's how to:

You need 1tsp caster sugar and a little less than 1tsp of whatever oil you want- I chose olive. Then add 1/2tsp cinnamon and 1/2tsp cocoa powder. Mix it all up and voilà.

 And did I mention cinnamon is also good for making lips look plumper? It also smells good and tastes sooo chocolatey I'm sure you'll love it- I know I do!