November She Said Beauty Box

Last month's She Said Beauty Box was such a disappointment, so I'm so pleased they seem to have stepped it up a bit in November! I love how there is a good mix of haircare, skincare, make up and perfume so definitely something to suit everyone. Not to mention, a good amount of full sized products in this box too.. I can't wait to see what She Said do for the Christmas box!

In a previous box, i received the Redken radiant 10 spray which i totally loved using, so seeing the brand reoccur i was excited to try their smooth lock shampoo and conditioner combo. Yes, it was nice but it didn't wow me. It doesn't really stand out from any other shampoo and conditioner but i think that's mainly down to the fact that the samples are for one use only. I don't know about you guys, but i don't feel like i can really get a feel for a product if i only try it once. I'm sure it's a lovely product, but I couldn't see the effects of this, so therefore I wouldn't want to fork out £12 or so for the full sized product. However, on the topic of shampoo and conditioners, can anyone recommend any good hair products for coloured hair to make the colour last longer?

Moving onto possibly my favourite products in the box, the Andrew Barton Max Hold Grips and Ponybands. I haven't photographed the hair grips but you actually get 24 in a pack for £2 and 10 hair bands for £2.50 which i would repurchase in a second. These are ah-mazing. The actual bands have a sort of rubbery texture around the band which stick in your hair and do not budge. It stays in the same place all day when you're on the move, and all night if you like to sleep with your hair up. The hair bands are definitely a staple piece in my hair care collection and for such a miracle product, i think £2.50 is very reasonable. The only downside to the bands are that sometimes they stick and pull a little bit too much on the hair. The grips are also superb at holding your hair in place and for 24 i think £2 is great value. These were both full sized products in the November She Said Beauty Box and would make brilliant stocking fillers!

Another full sized product that was included was the Makebelieve enhance Luminize Skin Highlighter which is obviously a make up product. As you can see, i've been using this product quite a lot already this month and i really like it. A little goes a long way which means it's probably going to last a long time and i really love the creamy texture. I usually dab some on my eyebrow bone and cheekbones where the light hits to make my face glow a little more. I love how this is slightly pink because it makes it feel a lot warmer on the face. This retails for £7.50.

I'm not a huge fan of floral scents, but this reminds me of turkish delight which is my favourite, so i really enjoyed using this product. I haven't tried anything from Weleda so from first impressions i'm pretty happy. I love the pink packaging, i think it's adorable and the product itself sinks in really nicely on the skin. I haven't used many night creams, to be honest at night i just want to go to sleep rather than faff around with all kinds of products but this has made me more excited about looking after my skin. Supposedly all of the ingredients are natural which is another bonus to know you're not putting any silly chemicals onto your skin. It's also meant to be anti-aging and it "aids the regeneration of the outer layer of skin during the night." Sounds a little bit like the Estee Lauder advanced night repair? I'm not sure i'd pay £14.95 for the full size of this but it's definitely a thumbs up product. 

The bonus product this month were these adorable Murrays manicure emery boards which are perfect for your handbag and you get 15 in a pack. I love the cute pinstripe pattern which make them really girly but i have tons of these lying around the house anyway so i thought they could be a cute stocking filler? The downside to these is that they probably won't last very long because of how thin they are. However for £1.99 you can't really complain. 

Lastly in the box was another Yardley sample which is another reoccurring brand. This is the Royal English Daisy Eau de Toilette which is definitely more of a springtime fragrance than an Autumn/Winter which makes me wonder why it was included in November, but still a nice enough scent. This is obviously very floral which isn't really my preference but i do like how fresh it is. Also what i like about this fragrance is how it would suit both the older and the younger, it's quite versatile. I know there's a lot of controversial views on perfume samples across the bloggersphere but I don't mind the occasional sample especially if it has an appealing scent. Personally i wouldn't buy this full sized perfume but I do think it's reasonably priced at £9.99 for 50ml.    

So that was the contents of the November She Said Beauty Box and my thoughts on each item. Like i said, i am far more impressed than last month and I love how there's a bit of everything in this one, not to mention 4 full sized products if you count the individual Andrew Barton pieces. 

What did you think of this months She Said Beauty Box? You can visit my She Said Beauty Profile here. 

RedHead

Jumper - New Look

Shirt - Quiz (Old)

Necklace - H&M

Jeans - New Look

Boots - Peacocks (Old)

Notice anything different? Yes, i am now a red head. I decided to change my hair a little for the autumn/winter, sometimes I think it's nice to have a change and not get stuck into a routine. Plus i was in drastic need of doing something to my hair because before it was so damaged. I used to have red hair before I started my blog and since changing back, i remember how much i loved it! I think it looks quite feisty and vibrant without looking too unnatural for work. Also, i love treating myself to a hair cut now and then - is it me or is it totally expensive these days to get it done in a salon?! Luckily my friend introduced me to her mobile hairdresser who was able to do this for me at late notice and a very good price, so a big thank you to her! If you live in the Bristol area and are looking for a good hairdresser, she is absolutely amazing so drop me a message and i'll pass on her details to you.

This is what I wore just as a casual outfit on my day off this week. I just went for a browse around in New Look and found this jeans at a discounted price and I really love wearing coloured jeans so I picked those up. The colour actually matched my hair quite well! I also picked up a dark red jumper but it's a bit much wearing the jeans, jumper and the hair! So i chose to team it with this waffle knit jumper which i actually bought last A/W and still totally love.

I also love the whole "collar peeping out" trend so i added a collar style necklace and it gave the look a pretty preppy edge. Finally I added these boots which i forgot I owned! Don't you love it when that happens? Rediscovering an old love... So I've been wearing them at every opportunity and they're such a lovely height, especially for a girl like me who needs to wear heels to feel normal! I can actually drive in these which is a bonus. 

My favourite lip product of the month seems to be the collection 2000 creme puff in "fairy cake" which i'm wearing in these photo's. I think i'm obsessed with the colour more than anything, I always feel super pale in the autumn/winter so i love having bright lips to add warmth and colour to my face.

In other news, I may have splurged and treated myself to a new Xbox which i've totally been addicted to this week - if you have any game recommendations then let me know! But at the moment i'm playing a lot of fallout and just dance! 

What do you think of my new hair colour? Do you like to have a change sometimes?
Also please don't forget to like my facebook page for regular updates and chit-chat! 

Fashion Vouchers £100 Christmas Outfit Challenge: Pearls and Feathers

I've seen a few entrant into the fashion vouchers £100 Christmas outift challenge and thought it looked fun, so i've decided to give it a go! However it's a lot harder than it looks. I originally wanted to use motel as my merchant but couldn't find any shoes over there to fit the budget.. Then, having a bright sparks moment I remembered ASOS sell motel! After hours of scrolling through ASOS, i finally settled on something completely different but so very pretty and it's this burgundy Chiffon skater dress with an elegant pearl back. It's the back that caught my attention, i just think it's so beautiful and feminine, I love the little details in an outfit.  

To continue the theme of pearls, i picked out this pearl hair barrette which could be used to pin back your hair, I sometimes like to braid mine to the back and add a pretty pin so this would be perfect. Also I found this pearl multi finger ring which looks like a lot of fun. I have a similar 3 finger ring and I love the way it looks with an outfit. 

I think this crimson colour in the dress matches well with black accessories, so to keep it sophisticated, I paired it with some plain black peep toe heels which are a steal at £18. And to add some fun texture, I love this feathered clutch bag. Finally, no Christmas outfit is complete without a bit of sparkle and glitter so I had to include a festive nail polish! I love gold glitter polishes at this time of year, so i thought i'd include this Barry M number. 

Also, I recently made a Facebook page for my blog so please go and click the 'Like' button!

 If you've entered, i'd love to see your outfits! You can enter here. What would be your ideal Christmas outfit? 

Dining in the Dark

You're probably wondering why I've just posted a picture of myself pulling a strange facial expression blindfolded? Well, I'll tell you before you go getting any funny ideas! Last week I was very kindly invited along to attend a blind dinner party by a chain restaurant, The Living Room. The company have a range of restaurants up and down the country but my local one is situated in the Millennium Square, Bristol. I'd never actually heard of the brand before, but the concept of a blind tasting really intrigued me and I don't like to let opportunities slip, so i decided to attend!

(Pictured: Basil Grande and Spiced Moroccon lamb with giant cous cous.)

The idea was to try and identify the flavours and ingredients in the tasters they provided us of their new Autumn/Winter menu, however the catch was, you have to do it blindfolded. Which, by the way, is a lot harder than it may sound. We each were given score sheets to record our answers and away we went with the starters. The food on the menu was very tasty and there was nothing I didn't particularly like, however my ability to identify flavours blindfolded did not go well with the Black forest cured ham which I thought was accompanied by blackcurrant flavours, when it was actually fig, goats cheese, raspberry and beetroot. 

Next up were sandwiches, and we were given a Pork and Chorizo burger with smoked paprika which i really enjoyed! Didn't do so well on guessing the chorizo though.

(Pictured above: Homemade Glamorgan sausages)

Moving onto mains, we were treated with some really delicious dishes. My personal favourite was the Moroccon spiced lamb with giant cous cous (pictured above). But we were also given duck, shepherds pie,  seabass and sausages, all infused with a variety of flavours to give your taste buds an adventure!

Being a bit of a sweet tooth, I was looking forward to trying deserts and I was excited to try the Basil Grande (again, pictured above). Eton mess is one of my favourite deserts but being blindfolded made it hard to guess the key ingredients aside from meringue. We also tried a passion fruit and coconut creme brulee (yum!) and a cheese board. Finally, moving on to cocktails, i thought i'd be good at identifying the spirits after working behind a bar, but what i was certain was tequila turned out to be Quince?! And it turns out, i really don't like Manhattan's. 

Unfortunately my score of 16/40 wasn't good enough to win the Dining in the Dark trophy, but it was still a fun, enjoyable experience and i'd like to thank The Living Room for having me.

"It’s safe to say that The Living Room’s new menu has been crafted to offer something for all diners, whatever the time of day and whatever the dining preference - be it a light bite at lunch or a full three course slap-up meal. With a new and growing Vegetarian category, it also acknowledges the need to cater more closely for this growing population of diners, who often find the choices in many restaurants limited." - Press release.

In other news, I recently made a Facebook page for my blog so make sure you go and check it out and please like it!

Where do you enjoy eating out?

Diva

This is the outfit I have been living and dying in recently. I've had my eye on this ballet wrap dress from ASOS for ages now and just didn't get around to buying it. I'm always hesitant to buy online just in case the fit isn't right and i have to fuss around with returns, but with ASOS it's free returns and i managed to find a discount code so i just HAD to buy it! However i didn't need to return this beauty and i'm very tempted to buy it in black as well. It's just so versatile, I've been wearing it in the day layered up with chunky tights, boots and scarves as pictured above but you can also wear it out at night with heels, a waist belt and a leather jacket. I love this cranberry colour too - so perfect for A/W12 and i have a strong feeling this will end up being my Christmas dress!

The ballet wrap effect on the dress is also really flattering. As you can see it's fitted at the top and then flares into a skater style skirt which i think works on most body types. I actually opted for the petite styled one because i'm so short and i love the length. It's not too short to be inappropriate but it's enough to still be stylish. I literally cannot recommend this enough, it's definitely a staple piece in my wardrobe and a gorgeous investment. Don't be surprised if the next outfit post contains the black version - I am sorely tempted!

Lipstick - Diva by MAC

Ballet Wrap Dress - ASOS

Fur Waistcoat - New Look

Chunky Tights - Tesco

Furlined boots - Tesco

I wore my new MAC lipstick with this dress which is Diva in matte and it's an absolutely beautiful dark red vampy colour. My friend Grace bought it for me as a belated birthday present (thanks if you're reading!) and i absolutely love it! I don't think you can get away with the colour in other seasons but for A/W12 I have been wearing it everywhere! The pigment in this lipstick is brilliant, I'm considering doing a review on it - is that something you readers would like to see? You can also really see my ombre in these photos, I've been debating on whether or not to dye my hair a darker shade for the winter, what do you guys think?

Just a quick little update - Thank you all for helping me reach 300 GFC followers! I feel like over the past couple of months i took a little step back from blogging, but now I have quit one of my jobs and i have more time and energy to focus on this again so hopefully you will be seeing more of me! I've actually just attended an event called "Dining in the Dark" which was really exciting and I can't wait to share with you guys. 

What have your staple pieces been this A/W? Have you tried a ballet wrap dress before?

Montagne Jeunesse: Exotic Fruits

Being a busy little bee, i never really get the chance to treat my skin. I'm terrible with removing my make up at night and I hardly ever remember to moisturise and give my skin the care it deserves. Now we're heading into an abyss of colder weather, it's really important that i try a little bit harder to look after myself. Therefore i've been really enjoying these little face masks from Montagne Jeunesse. They are so quick and easy to use, I don't have to take any time out of my busy schedule. Not only that, but they provide natural skin care suitable for vegetarians so it makes me feel good knowing i'm not using any harmful chemicals on my skin.

I've tried a fair few of these masks now as you will know if you've been following from the very beginning, yet the new Exotic Fruits range is my favourite so far. The range includes the Prickly Pear Peel Off, the PawPaw Peel off and the Dragon Fruit Sauna. I've only tried the pear one so far, and i just loved the smell, the colour and the application. The ingredients for this one included prickly pear, mangosteen (the "queen of fruits"), and melon which are some of my favourite fruits anyway and it just smells divine. It also has a really girly pink colour and left me with noticeably smoother skin. The peel off masks have always been my favourite because i find it entertaining and rather therapeutic peeling it off when it dries. It reminds me of peeling PVA glue off your fingers as a child! Did anyone else do that?!

I'm quite excited to try the Dragon Fruit mask because it's self heating - just what we need in this blast of winter weather so i'm off to try that now! The Exotic Fruits range are now available priced at £1.29 each and can be found at ASDA, Boots and www.montagnejeunesse.com 

Have you tried the new Montagne Jeunesse Exotic Fruits range?

Malice in Wonderland

Just a quick one today, I know i'm a day late with the Halloween celebrations, but i just had to show you guys my efforts this year. I wasn't able to properly celebrate Halloween as i was stuck behind a bar, but it's always fun to dress up and see all the Trick or Treaters! I was really pleased with how my outfit turned out this year, especially the scary make up! So this is me as Malice in Wonderland: Zombie style. 

Jenny, Me and Milly.

Working in a popular nightclub in Bristol means that i had to go all out! We had two crazy jam packed nights with 10ft spiders, creepy music and lots of costume variations! I absolutely love Halloween so i was very excited! I got my dress from Ebay and it came with a petticoat and headband which was quite good. I added a bit extra fake blood and watched many YouTube tutorials to learn how to do the make up. I also put curls in my hair thinking it was quite Alice in Wonderland-esq.

What do you guys think? What did you dress as for Halloween?