Australian Bodycare

Hello Everyone, 

So recently I have been trying a new skincare range from Australian bodycare. 

Australian Bodycare is a brand leader in tea tree oil products since it started in 1992. It firstly began introduced in salons & the spa market & has since developed into also home use. Their body care products not only help heal but they help to maintain clean & healthy skin & hair. 

These are the first products I have tried from the brand.

The two products I got are two different skin washes.

The first products I got are:

Lemon Myrtle, Mandarin & Thyme - Skin Wash 

This body wash is packed with Tea tree oil & the added zesty scent of Mandarin Peel oil, Orange Peel Oil & Australian Lemon Myrtle. The zesty aroma adds to your daily showering! Plus the added Tea tree oil adds to giving you that all over freshness. It is skin friendly PH, suitable for all skin types.

Lavender Skin Wash 

This Tea tree & Lavender combined skin wash helps to cleanse, refresh & soothe the skin. It has antiseptic properties of Tea tree oil which helps remove odour which can cause bacteria & calm minor skin irritations such as blemishes & breakouts. While Lavender gently cleanses & soothes while leaving a subtle aroma.

Both of the products smell amazing & left my skin feeling so soft & fresh after using them. They also don't leave your skin feeling dry which I like as some can leave a like drying effect.

So I would definitely love to try more of Australian Bodycare's products.

You can find their products at:

https://www.australianbodycare.com

https://www.qvcuk.com/australian-bodycare

Take Care, 

Love Lottie xox

*Items were gifted from brand or PR company

Stylpro Original Review

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all well & having a fab week.

It less than 2 weeks till I go on holiday now to Greece & I am super excited! I cannot wait to have a break & get away from here for a while & clear my head. It is definitely needed.

I have been eying up the Stylpro* for a while now. I have seen several other bloggers use it & I saw it when I went to Pro beauty in London at the beginning of the year & toyed with the idea. But I never brought it. So when I was approached by a PR company that I work with to try it. I snapped it up! 

There is nothing more tedious & time consuming than clearing your make up brushes right? But it's one of those jobs you have to do because its hygienic & can give you bad skin. So I try to banish out anything that can cause that. So I try to clean my brushes as often as I can.

I have recently tried using a make up cleaner soap block from make up revolution & I have to say I was impressed with that! It left my brushes so clean & smelling fresh. Foundation brushes can be such a pain to get clean simply because they always seem to get the dirtiest. But the worst part is waiting for them to dry. I can leave them by the window to air & still the next day they are wet. 

So when I heard that the Stylpro not only cleans your brushes but dries them I really was sold! What girl wouldn't be right?

The Stylpro make up brush cleaner was invented by Tom Pellereau who was the winner of the apprentice. The kit contains:

*8 flexible silcone collars (30mm,24mm,19mm,15mm,11mm,9mm,7mm,5mm)
*Stylpro device
*2 x AAA batteries
*Tritan unbreakable bowl neck & collar
*2 x 10ml Stylpro make up brush cleaner sachets

I found it so easier to use! & it really does do what it says on the label it cleans & dries your brushes in seconds!

*Remove the small plastic battery tab & that the batteries are correctly inserted

*Ensure the 8 silicone collars are on the base

*Select a brush thinking of whether it is water soluble/not?

*Select the best fitting collar & push the brush firmly into the collar

*Push the collar into the handle, the square hole.

*Fill the bowl:

-For water soluble make up e.g blusher/bronzer/powder) squeeze a small amount of anti bacterial soap into the bowl & add water to the bowl until it it half the height of the brush

-For non soluble make up e.g foundation, add 10ml-20ml of Stylpro make up brush cleanser depending on the brush size. Ensure the cleanser is less than half the height of the brush

*Dunk the brush into the liquid up & down

*Work liquid into the bristles & repeat for 5 seconds

*After 5 seconds gently push the brush down in the bowl & switch on the Stylpro. The brush will spin rapidly. Slowly move the brush up & down for 10 seconds

*After 10 seconds lift the spinning brush out of the liquid. Leave it out of it spinning for 10 seconds

*If after this time the brush it not as dry as you like it repeat the last step

It may sound abit technical but I can do it anyone can. It is super easy!

You can buy yours at:

https://styltom.co.uk/products/stylpro

Take Care,
Love Lottie xox

*These items were gifted products to me to try & review from a PR company.

Perfect Glasses

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are well, how dull is the weather currently?

I feel like it hasn't stopped raining recently & being cold. I know it's winter & you should expect the cold weather but the rain is just annoying. I literally hate cold & wet weather. 

For those of you who don't know, or you may well know I do wear glasses. I don't have to wear them all the time but for computer work, reading & when watching the television for a long period of time I have to wear glasses. Which to begin with I hated, I hated the fact I had to wear them but now they do not bother me in the slightest but that is simply because I now make sure I buy pairs of glasses that I like the wear & feel suit me which is a huge thing when buying glasses.

Previously I have purchased glasses & sunglasses from an online website: Perfect Glasses which I have to say I do love. Simply because they have such a vast choice of both glasses, sunglasses both prescription & normal sunglasses to chose from. Whether it be designer glasses or even a cheaper cost frame there literally is something to suit everyone!

The designer frames are my favourite simply because I always love the style that they do & yes I am a bit of a label lover. Perfect glasses cover the more high end designers like Jimmy Choo, Gucci, Marc Jacobs & then brands such a Hugo Boss, Police, Lacoste, just to name a few. But even if it isn't a higher market brand you are looking for then there is other cheaper options to chose from but even the designer frames are half price & you can pick a pair of glasses up for such a good price! especially compared to your usual high street optician. 

People maybe less likely to buy glasses online simply because unlike in a shop you cannot try any on. But on perfect glasses you can take a picture of yourself & then try the frames you want to on your face. So you can see what they look like on. Because I always find a frame that I might like might not necessarily suit my face shape & things. So it is important to be able to try them on before you buy them. This way it means you can buy online & get better prices! So it is a win, win!

Currently at the minute I am happy with the glasses I have so I decided to look for some new sunglasses simply because I don't have any prescription sunglasses with my latest prescription on them. Especially when at this time of year the sun is low & when driving it can be a nightmare trying to see, plus with summer on it's way it's good to have sunglasses with your prescription lenses in them because you may need them when outside. 

I knew the kind of style I was looking for which did help but the website is easy to use as you can filter down what you looking for whether it be gender, brand, price, material, colour. So this makes life easier. Normally I do tend to go with a black frame & dark lenses but this time I fancied a change. I wanted to go for a more tortoise shell frame which I love. Because I find them stylish, chic & also suit my colouring of hair, etc. Then I wanted more of like a block frame rather than a rounded shape frame. So by knowing what I was looking for it did help narrow my search down. But not only that if you find a normal frame that you like this can be changed into a pair of prescription sunglasses for you too! Which I loved because the frame I loved was just a glasses frame. So it opens up the door to even more to chose from. 

In the end I picked:

Oxydo OX559 HWE

Which is a bold & stylish frame in a tortoise shell colour.

The frame is a plastic frame but has soft nose pads to help with comfort. So these for me were the perfect choice for what I was looking for. Not only that but they were under £100. So such a bargain & value for money! Plus they come a case & micro fibre cloth to ensure you can keep them clean & not scratch the lenses.

The whole process of purchasing on the website is so easy to do which makes it great for everyone. You can sign up to get text or email updates on your order so you can track where they are & find out when they will be delivered to you to ensure someone is around to sign for the delivery. Plus they despatch within 48 hours or they do now offer a super fast 24 hour despatch in there 24 hour section on selected frames. so you don't have to wait long till you receive your new glasses or sunglasses & can start wearing them! Which I find is a super quick turnaround. 

I cannot fault the service I received at all simply because it was such a quick, easy & hassle free way to buy glasses or sunglasses when you need them. I love being able to have a vast amount of choice too so to me this is important. 

So if you are a bit hesitant or concerned about buying glasses online then really don't be if you shop around you truly can find some great prices on them which will save you money! 

Definitely check out Perfect glasses range & prices because there will be something to suit you.

You can find out more & shop at:

https://www.perfectglasses.co.uk/

Take Care 

Love Lottie 

xox

How do our eating habits differ by region?

Hello Everyone, 

Hope your week is going well. We are nearly half way through it already. Which means one thing? The weekend is nearly upon us! Yay! 

So today my post is another more topic based post...

How do our eating habits differ by region?

Britain is a nation of foodies, with 66% of UK adults describing themselves as passionate about food and drink. It comes as no surprise then that 50% say they are passionate about home cooking and 53% of millennials eat out at least once a week.

Brits spend a small fortune on food – whether it is takeaways and restaurants or luxury food from the supermarkets. On restaurant bills alone, the average Brit spends around £44 per week. But what does our money get spent on? Harvey Jones,Kitchen Designers Glasgow,takes a look at the UK’s eating habits by region. 

Takeaway lovers

According to a survey by Payment Sense, the average Brit spends around £9.75 on eating out or takeaways for themselves at least once a month. Annually, this works out at£117 per person!

Whilst Bristol is named the Takeaway Capital of the UK with a reported 279 takeaway restaurants, Leeds appears to be the greatest lover of the takeaways. 77% of Leeds folk admit to having at least one takeaway a month.

This love of ordering-in isn’t reflected across the whole Yorkshire region however. Less than 25 miles away, people in York don’t dine as regularly on takeaways, with only 25% of them ordering a monthly take out. 

Chinese appears to be the favourite cuisine too – a favourite across the whole country. Only 3 out of the 30 cities questioned didn’t crown Chinese as their favourite takeaway – and of all individual respondents asked, 35% voted Chinese as their favourite. This trend is mirrored between male and female respondents, too. 

Indian takeaways follow closely in second place with 24% of the votes – and Indian stole the crown as the number one favourite in Aberystwyth, Coventry and Wolverhampton.

Eating out 

According to The Sun, the average Brit can spend around £288,000in their lifetime eating out at restaurants, 

Whilst Millennials are expected to eat out more than any other demographic, the average Brit now eats out twice a week with pub grub stealing the title as their favourite option. 18-29 yearolds spend double the amount of other demographics on eating out – with an average spend of £88 per week! 

London is the city of eating out according to The Chronicle, with the capital consuming the most Indian, Chinese, Thai, fish and chips and pizza meals at restaurants than any other city. The South East and Northern Ireland aren’t far behind the big city though, whilst Scotland appears to be the region that eats out the least. 

Birmingham is also known as the Curry Capital with 43% of residents claiming curry restaurants are their favourite, and 34% of Londoners seem to agree. Glasgow prefers authentic Spanish tapas (14%), while 14% of Edinburgh folk loveSushi. 

Pub grub is one of the most popular choices in the UK – and Liverpudlians couldn’t agree more; 49% would choose traditional pub food. 

Home cooking 

With busy work schedules and family life, dinner time at home has become far less formal and structured than in previous decades. In 2017, just over 20% of British families said they sat down to dinner together once or twice a week, and one in five have their ‘family meals’ whilst sitting in front of the television. However, some people prefer to cook their own meals at home, as they can control their own ingredients(49%). 

According to Statista, 64% of people enjoy cooking, whilst 55% describe cooking as something they have to do but don’t. There has also been a 10% increase in the number of people preparing meals from scratch at least once a week from 2005. But which regions are most likely to cook homecooked meals? 

Judging by how much London, the South West and Northern Ireland eat out, we can assume that they are the regions that are least likely to stay home and cook meals. However, Scotland, Wales, the North West and North East were the regions that appeared to eat out the least, leading us to the assumption that they are more likely to stay home and prepare home-cooked meals more often. 

The kitchen, for many, has become the heart of the home meaning we now tend to spend more time there. Now that open-plan living is on the rise, cooking a meal doesn’t have to be a lonely task; you can prepare a family meal in your kitchen whilst spending time with the family. Or entertaining friends.

Take care 

Love Lottie 

xox

Hot Cloth Cleanser - Skin Truth

Hello Everyone!

Hope you are well.

Previously I've posted about a new Skincare brand which I started to try "Skin Truth". I had previously heard of them through being a beautician as I have used some of their products while training & things. But I had never tried the skin care products on myself. I had looked at them when going to Pro Beauty at the Excel but never actually brought the skin care range.

So I thought I would bite the bullet & try some out for myself. As it's always good finding new products which work well on your skin especially if you've had great experiences from previous products of theirs.

Skin Truth is a professional beauty range which includes advanced ingredients while giving a enhanced salon experience. All their products are also Paraben, Sulphate & Mineral oil free. They literally also have a range to suit everyone for everything from skin care, to manicure products to aromatherapy goods. You can purchase them from Salons who stock them, from beauty shows, to beauty trade shops or even online to try them for yourself. But I am literally so impressed with the range of products they have to offer.

The products I tried previously were more catered to my skin type but in with my skincare routine I am forever using No 7's hot cloth cleanser & muslin. It literally is my go to product & I cannot get enough of it. I use it both day & night.

So I thought I would give another Hot cloth cleanser a go & decided to try the Skintruth one. 

The Hot cloth cleanser is more of a deep cleanser which it perfect for all skin types. It is packed with Eucalyptus oil which uplifts & rejuvenates the skin. It removes impurities & any stubborn make up. It is also packed with Cocoa butter & Aloe Vera which is great to help soothe & replenish the skins moisture. 

The cleanser is perfect for:
*Deeply cleansing the skin 
*Leaving it feeling soft & radiant
*Uplifting
*Removing any dirt & impurities

Most Hot cloth cleansers do come with a muslin face cloth too which is what you should use when using the cleanser but I will admit I don't always use the cloth & just use it as a deep cleanser. 

It is so simple to use yet so effective I find. You simply:

*Massage the cleanser onto your face & neck
*Make the muslin cloth damp with warm water
*Place the muslin cloth over your face to help open up your pores & soak the cleanser in or you can just simply use the cloth to wipe off the cleanser.
*Splash you face with cold water to close your pores 
*Dry your face

It's literally that simple to use & easily one of the best skin care products I have found to include in with my skin care routine. 

Price wise it is around the same kind of price as what I pay for No 7's hot cloth cleanser & I have to say it is on par with it! I was so impressed! So if like me you like your hot cloth cleanser or perhaps you want to try one which is good for all skin types this is perfect for you!

You can find the hot cloth cleanser or more of the Skintruth products at:

https://www.skintruth.co.uk

Take Care,
Love Lottie xox

Poker Straight Hair

Hello Everyone,

Hope you are all having a good week. Half way there now till the weekend.
I went back to work this week after having a week off, it always feel like you have never had time off once you go back. 

I don't know whether I have previously discussed on my blog about my hair?
I have naturally curly & wavy hair, from a baby I had naturally curly hair as in ringlets kind of curly. I thought as I got older it may grow out of my hair a bit but it hasn't. The longer my hair has grown the more curly/wavy it has got. Especially the underneath of my hair it still to this day ends up with ringlets. It can be pretty annoying but I think I have grown use to it by now. So as you can imagine trying to find hair straighteners that actually keep my hair straight & don't dry & frazzle the ends can be hard. 

I have pretty much always sworn by GHD's to the point I would not buy any other hair straighteners than them. But I have recently decided to try & find a different brand of straighteners for a fraction of the price because you can buy other beauty & hair products for half the price of brand names so why shouldn't you be able to find a cheaper priced hair straighteners?

So I come across a brand called Xtava, who are an American brand. They strive to make every day a perfect hair day. They have a hair tool to suit everyone! Whether you want to achieve poker straight hair, curly locks or create that perfect blow dry look. They provide salon grade quality products which you can use in your own home.

I come across the Xtava pro satin infrared straightener. Which I found to have great reviews on their website of them. Where people had said "it works great on thick curly hair, it's one of the best straighteners they have used". Over 100 great reviews! So they definitely sounded good. 

The Xtava help to lock in moisture, protect your hair cuticles & adds silkiness & shine to your hair that lasts all day. Regular heat damages the surface of your hair which can cause frizz but with these infrared rays it works by penetrating the innermost layer of the strands. Which heats them from the inside to the outside.  This means it causes less stress to your hair to make it look healthier & shinier. Leaving it stress free. 

They also have a variable heat temperature so you can adjust the heat setting to whatever you want. You can change between 130 degrees to 230 degrees. The great quality ceramic heater enables the flat iron to reach maximum temperature within 90 seconds & allows for quick heat up recovery. Most importantly they have an auto shut off function so it turns off when they have been left unattended.

From just the first use I was so so impressed with the shine & the straightness that they give! I didn't really know what to expect but after seeing its results I was very impressed with my choice & the results they gave me. Especially when my hair is so curly. It left my hair feeling smooth, silky & straight.

For the price they are a bargain & half the price of GHD's!

You can find them on Amazon or Xtrava at:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/xtava-Pro-Satin-Infrared-Straightener-Professional/dp/B01ENPSCFM

https://xtava.com/

Take Care 

Love Lottie xox

Heavenly Jewellery From Annie Haak

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all well & having a lovely week?
Mine hasn't been too bad this week I have to say. I think I am nearly fully recovered from my operation now so I am feeling more like myself & less tired. Which is great news :) 
I took my nephew into town yesterday to give my sister some time to herself & he was as good as gold. I definitely enjoy spending time with him. He's always so content. 

Like any other girl I absolutely love jewellery! It's one of those things you can never have enough of simply because every piece is different & unique. I don't like to wear loads of it & there is only certain pieces I wear. For example I'm not one for hoop earrings or dangling earrings I only wear studs, rings I don't wear so if I ever get engaged & married one day having a ring on my hand everyday will be a weird feeling! Then necklaces I only like something of a simple design nothing chunky. But one thing I do always have on is a watch & bracelets. I am such a sucker for a set of lovely bracelets & recently I have come across a brand that I have fallen in love with their jewellery!

Annie Haak which are a jewellery brand I think like no other. All of their pieces are sterling silver, gold or rose gold. Which means the best stuff to have your jewellery made out of. No item turning your finger or wrist green from the makes not real gold can give you. Who wants that look right? So I always think spending more on them is worth the money. Not only that but the designs of the pieces of jewellery are not like anything I've seen. They really are beautiful! Annie takes her inspiration for her jewellery from Bali, so she has factored in the local floral details, people, colours & patterns found in the local markets & villages. Most of the designs carry a special meaning through the mantra's or symbols such as luck, love, protection, strength & wellbeing. Not only that but you can have certain pieces personalised to a special recipient or even for yourself whether it be initials or symbols, charms or an engraved message. 

There literally is something to suit everyone. The stacking bracelets do come in sterling silver, gold bracelets, rose gold, or a mixture. They even do wedding jewellery which is gorgeous & a perfect gift for bridesmaids or for the bride to wear on her day. 

I spotted a beautiful set of stacking bracelets called Santi Tassel Silver Charm Bracelet which had a motto written on a heart charm on one of the bracelets. There is several mottos you can engraved on them I chose the words:

"Ride the waves of life with courage and love"

I absolutely love this quote. It reminds me a bit of the quote from the newest Cinderella "Have Courage & be kind" I have always loved quotes & these are just so fitting & something to think of everyday. What better way than having a bracelet to wear with it on. The bracelets also have heart charm to one of them, a tassel on another & half moon spacers with hearts engraved on them. So in total you get 3 bracelets which make up the most beautiful stack. All unique & equally gorgeous.

One other issue I do have with like bracelets is the size of them. I will admit I have the tiniest wrists going & they literally are like children's wrists. So I do struggle with finding jewellery that fits me. But with Annie Haak they come in different sizes so I can pick the right size for my wrists so they do just fall off which is perfect!

All of the pieces come in a box, with draw string bags so they are well protected from getting damaged or scratched. They also come with a polishing cloth to keep your items in perfect shiny condition. Because Annie Haak is hand crafted with the highest quality 925 sterling silver, 14ct gold & rose gold plate. Also all of their jewellery comes with a 12month warranty from the date of purchase. Any fault will be repaired free of charge under the 12 month warranty. 

I literally have not come across a brand like this, not only that but the service I received with spot on & that always makes me want to go back to company to buy from them again as it was such a breeze. 

So if you have a friends, or relatives birthday coming up or even if you want a treat for yourself definitely check them out! They will not receive another gift like it.

Find all their ranges at:

Annie Haak Designs

Or you can find your local Annie Haak stockist at:

Annie Haak Design Stockists


Take Care 
Love Lottie xox