Imperial Candle Review

I first heard about Imperial Candles when they popped up on my Facebook home page as a suggested post. I was instantly intrigued and knew I needed one in my life. If you aren't aware of what an Imperial Candle is then you are missing out. These gorgeous 100% soy candles are not only lovely candles within themselves but contain a jewel in every candle worth between £10 and £2,000. Each candle is hand poured and contains either a ring, necklace or earrings. Some candles you can opt for just a ring or you can leave it as a surprise as to what you receive; what is also great about this candle is that before ordering you can let them know your ring size so you will know it will fit when it arrives. 

Getting your hidden jewel out of the candle is simple, it took around 4-5 hours of burn time before I could get my jewel out. The jewel is located at the back of the candle and wrapped in a heat proof foil to protect it. Once the jewel is revealed just gently prise it out from the wax with tweezers to reveal your new piece of jewellery. 

I picked up the scent Festive Cranberry as it was in the sale for only £23.99 (usually £28.99). I'm a big fan of christmas scents as it is (even it is spring). The candle itself is lovely, it throws off a strong but not overly strong scent around your whole room, plus it burns evenly and nicely too; a big plus for me. 

Imperial Candle Festive Cranberry Ring Candle

 In my candle I received this gorgeous ring with a gorgeous purple stone surrounded by tiny little 'diamonds'. Valued at £35 this covers the price of the candle and more so is great value for money. I'm quite picky when it comes to jewellery but looking at pictures of rings people have received, these are beautiful, classic rings.

 Katie xx

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Make Up Haul March 2015

I've been make up shopping yet again, whoops! I was lucky enough to have a family friend pick me up a few items whilst they were over in the US as well as a few items I picked up from work this weekend during the triple point event. Some of these are trusty repurchases as well as some new products I can't wait to try out. 

Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water (£20)

I've heard many good things about Smashboxes new Primer Water so couldn't help but pick it up to give it a try. I picked this up from Boots as I needed to spend over £30 to qualify for triple points, any old excuse eh? This primer water claims to restore moisture as well as waking up the skin due to the added electrolytes. This water is silicone, alcohol and oil free and suitable for all skin types.

Tarte Amazonian 12 Hour Full Coverage Foundation ($38 in the shade Fair-Light Honey)

My holy grail foundation! When my friend said he would pick me a few items from Sephora this was the first thing that went on my list. This full coverage foundation is creamy and thick yet blends seamlessly into the skin. With SPF 15 this foundation claims to last a good 12 hours. I picked up the shade Fair-Light Honey. 

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette ($49)

Of course I couldn't not get the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette at some point. Being a good £10/£15 cheaper over in the US compared to UK I couldn't say no to getting this from Sephora. I haven't swatched this yet but I can't wait to give this a go; the chocolate scent makes it smell good enough to eat! Another great thing about this palette is that it contains a little product card with ideas of looks you can do with the palette.

Benefit Brow Zings (£24.50)

I brought a Brow Zings by Benefit probably about a good 3 or so years ago and I'm finally almost out; it's starting to get difficult to scrap any more from the sides. It was finally time to repurchase especially with triple points at Boots this weekend. The shade I picked up is medium and the powder is a great match for my eyebrows. I use this every day and it is well worth the money for how long it lasts. 

Fresh Sugar Berry Lip Treatment ($22.50)

After getting the Give Me Some More Lip set from Sephora for Christmas I fell in love with this Fresh Sugar Berry lip treatment, containing SPF 15 this super thick creamy lip balm not only moisturises your lips but leaves a great colour payoff in a gorgeous berry shade. As well as being a lovely colour this lip balm smells divine as it has a very strong berry scent to it. 

Tarte Lights, Camera, Flashes Statement Mascara ($23)

I brought this mascara almost a good two years ago when I was in New York and it was probably one of my all time favourite mascaras so I jumped at the chance of owning this again and put it straight on my list. This mascara by Tarte claims to boost your lashes volume by up to 752% as well as lengthening and curling. 

Bath & Body Works Hand Sanitiser (5 for $5)

I'm a big hand sanitiser fan especially the ones by Bath & Body Works so these were a big must on my list. I did originally have ten but my mum stole two off me before I even got to look at them. I got a variety of spring scents and are all very fresh, sweet and fruity. 

What are your must have products that I should pick up next time I go shopping? 

Katie xx

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Non-Beauty Favourites 2015

 Today I wanted to share a few things non-beauty related with you guys that I have been loving recently from CD's to movies and food. Make sure you let me know what you guys have been loving in the comments below. 

Taylor Swift 1989 Deluxe (£16.79)

With the sun shining and the weather getting warmer Taylor Swift's recent album is helping me get right into the mood of summer. If you know me then you know how much I love Taylor and her new album (newish okay?) 1989 is fun and light hearted. It's my current favourite album and its all I seem to be listening to in the car. It's so hard to pick just one favourite song but my top songs are definitely 'Welcome To New York', 'Style', 'Wonderland', 'I Know Places', 'Wildest Dreams', 'New Romantics' and 'I Wish You Would'. 

I do realise I have just listed half the album, I could of listed every song to be honest, I love them all. If you haven't listened to this album yet, GO DO IT! Especially the deluxe version, its worth it. 

If you follow me on twitter then you have probably seen my near constant tweets about Pretty Little Liars. Going to put it out there and say that I'm well and truly addicted. I watched all 5 seasons in about a month, pretty good going if you ask me. After searching around Netflix for something to watch I'm glad I stumbled amongst this. I don't want to give away any spoilers in case you haven't watched it yet, but I highly recommend it, probably one of my favourite ever TV programmes apart from Friends of course! If you watch Pretty Little Liars let me know who you think A is before the reveal on the 24th! I can't work out who I think it is! 

Love, Rosie (£9.99)

Who doesn't love a good chick flick? I watched Love, Rosie after it came out on DVD at the beginning of the month. It's a classic love story where two people are meant to be together but there are all sorts of problems along the way. This is a light hearted, fun film that leaves you in a great mood. 

Love, Tanya (£6.49)

I'm not a big book reader but I couldn't help but pick up Tanya Burr's new book 'Love, Tanya'. It's full of great helpful tips from Beauty to Hair to Baking. I love Tanya as a person, she is such a happy, bubbly person and this really shows in her book. 

Clipper Pure Green Tea (£2.79 for 80 tea bags)

I've always been a big fan of Green Tea, drinking at least a cup a day but recently I've found myself getting more into Green Tea and its benefits. It's full of great antioxidants and helps with weight loss. The main Green Tea I drink is Clipper pure Green Tea however I have recently been trying out Matcha Green Tea, which is a powdered Green Tea and is supposedly the equivalent to drinking ten cups of regular Green Tea, I must admit it does taste a bit weird when you taste it at first as it is very strong but I'm slowly starting to grow to love it. 

I've been craving Avocado recently and have been eating a lot of Avocado and Bacon Salads. This salad from Bills is by far my favourite, a side of chips and ketchup is all it needs. 

Katie xx

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Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask Review

 After receiving a sample of the Ren Glycolatic Face Mask in January's Birchbox and road testing that, I couldn't resist splashing out on the full size. At £32 a bottle for a face mask, it is quite pricey but totally worth it in my opinion.  The masks itself is a fairly thick mask that you are meant to leave on for 10 minutes before washing off with the cloth provided. The mask is recommended for congested or mature skin types but can work with well with every skin type except very sensitive due to the acids in this product.

Containing four natural fruit acids this peel face mask works by exfoliating the top layer of skin, removing any dead skin cells for brighter, more youthful looking skin. This mask is great for combating blemishes and blackheads due to it exfoliating, de-congesting properties as well as reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I've definitely noticed a difference within my skin since using this mask hence why I have brought the full size. My skin looks clearer and more flawless than ever before and I want to thank this mask. My skin looks way more radiant even after one use, you can definitely see the difference. Personally on me I find this mask can sting a little but it is not uncomfortable at all, more like a small discomfort that proves it is working by doing something.

The mask is very thick and has a similar consistency to marmalade but smooths on evenly and a little goes a long way. It has a lovely citrus scent too it which is probably something to do with the pineapple, lemon, grape, passion fruit and papaya extracts it contains. 

Have you ever tried the Ren Glycolatic Radiance Renewal Mask? What do you think of it? 

Any other recommendations from Ren? 

Katie xx

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Birchbox March 2015

This months Birchbox is a collaboration with Habitat (the homeware store) and aims to allow you to refresh yourself and your home as we go into spring. There is an exclusive offer inside for subscribers to give you 20%  off all full priced items at Habitat as well as a sneak peak into the April box which allows you to pick your Laura Mercier sample.  I love the box design this month, the bright paint stripes really throw you into spring!

Birchbox March 2015 (10 per month plus £2.95 p+p)

Benefit Roller Lash (£19.50)

This month you were able to pick which Benefit mascara you wanted to receive out of the They're Real, BADGal or Benefit's new Roller Lash mascara. I chose Roller Lash as after receiving a sample of this mascara in last months Elle magazine and falling in love with it. For a more in depth review of this mascara check out my Benefit Roller Lash First Impression.

Serenity Skincare Dead Sea Bath Salts (£9.50)

Being a dancer bath salts are a necessity to me to relieve sore and tired muscles so these bath salts are welcomed. Upon first impression these salts don't have a very strong scent to them which is nice because sometimes it can be rather overpowering. This is a great sized sample and should last a good few baths. 

Catherine Malandrino Style de Paris fragrance (from £50)

I'm rather fussy when it comes to perfumes so receiving perfume samples is always a bit of a worry for me. However I love this perfume! It's a sweet, fruity perfume but not overly sickly. At around £50 a bottle I don't think I will be buying this just yet but I can't wait to make use of this sample.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (£27.50)

I've already received a sample of this before and I can't say I've used it before so I was kind of disappointed receiving this sample but after reading good reviews on this product I might finally actually give it a go. This pre-shampoo treatment claims to restore suppleness and bounce.

TanOrganic Self Tanning Oil (£24.99)

Tan Organic is the worlds first tanning oil. This organic tanning oil moisturises the skin whilst leaving the skin with a healthy glow. I have a full sized version of this product and love it. It leaves a gorgeous colour on the skin, applies great and smells great too, a sort of citrus scent.

This months lifestyle extras are a cute, little red notebook from Birchbox and Habitat, and a extract from the book A Perfect Heritage by Penny Vincenzi. 

What did you think of this months Birchbox? 

Katie xx

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Deciding to go to University?

Deciding to go to University is a big decision, at least for me it is. It's a big decision going into further education and moving away from home, a decision I can't quite seem to make. A decision I'm almost scared of making in case I make the wrong one. Whilst some may not even question about whether to go to Uni or not, I'm certainly in the boat where I can't decide and I know others are the same as me. Hopefully this post might help in us making that decision.  I'd always thought I would go to University after College when I was younger just because it was the 'normal' thing to do, but fast forward to the time I was actually I applying to University it made me question whether I actually wanted to go and whether I actually needed to go?

 I'm currently studying Dance at College and don't get me wrong I love Dance, it is one of the main parts of who I am as a person, without it I'd be lost. But do I want to carry on studying it, that I'm not sure on. The stress of studying Dance is taking away from the pure joy I get from Dancing. I don't want to go to University just for the sake of going.  Everyone always tells me I should just go to Uni for the experience because it's 'fun' and I just worried I'll hate every minute of it. 

It's okay to be scared of going to University, it's okay to not want to go. It's a big deal moving out from home and across the country by yourself, it's quite a scary prospect. I find people tend to give you weird looks when you say you don't want to go to University, that you don't make the cut. They are wrong, you don't need to go University to do well in life, as long as you are doing something you love it doesn't matter what you do and the journey you take. 

Pros of going to University: 

- You'll learn more than just what are you are studying. Living away from home will require you to be independent and you'll learn how to fend for yourself.

-You'll expand your knowledge in your chosen subject. 

-You'll become a pro at cooking baked beans ;)

- Hopefully you will make some great friends and some great memories. 

Cons of going to University:

- It's bloody damn expensive (university fees and living costs will leave you a nice poor student). 

- It's a long time, 3/4 years even more for some courses is a long period of time for something you aren't sure you want to do. 

-  You may not enjoy it if your heart isn't in it. 

- It doesn't guarantee you a good job when you come out the other side.

- You'll have to cook for yourself and fend for yourself (cooking definitely isn't my forte).   

I can't seem to make a decision, writing this is has really helped me start to think about what I want to do. I hope this has helped anyone to think about both sides of going to University and hopefully you might be one step closer to making that decision. 

Katie xx 

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