Merumaya Gentle Exfoliating Toner*

I am in love. When I received this Merumaya Gentle Ex-foliating Toner in the post I wasn't really sure what to expect, I suffer with dry skin around my nose and the only thing that I have ever tried that actually works to get rid of it is kinda heavy duty facial scrubs. As I was reading about the Merumaya Gentle Exfoliating Toner I was sat there thinking "It couldn't hurt to try it but I doubt it will work on my sorry schnoz." but oh how wrong I was.

I haven't really ventured out in to the world of cleansing and toning too much if I'm honest, I have a few from M&S but nothing major. However the past few weeks have really opened my eyes on skincare and how amazing cleansing and toning can be for your skin instead of the usual make-up wipe and occasional face mask. 

I pop this toner on a cotton pad or ball after I have used my Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water, I don't use too much, just enough to start to feel the dampness on the other side of the cotton pad. I use the cotton pad firstly on my nose using a small circular motion and it gets rid of all the dead skin, I then wipe it over my other trouble areas such as my temples and above my eyebrows. When I use it my skin tingles a bit and feels cold but it does with any toner so I wouldn't worry, it's like you can feel it tightening your pores.

Not only does this product work for getting rid of dead skin and tightening pore but it has actually keep the dead skin from building up, where as when I use a heavy duty scrub I can't use it every day and after a day or two you can see the dry skin again.

The description of this product is "AHA's gently, yet effectively peel away dead skin, detoxify, cleanse and refine pores, revealing fresh, smooth, brighter skin. Hyaluronic acid and natural betaine provide moisture, plumpness and a reduction in the signs of skin ageing and importantly, prevent skin drying out during and after the exfoliation." and I can attest to each of these points. 

You may look at the price of £17.50 and be slightly put off but it really lasts and it most definitely works. To be quite honest Its going to save you money because:
a) its a two in one product
b) it lasts for ages because you don't need to use loads
c) you are getting more for your money than buying scrubs AND toners that wont last very long.

I shall be using this right up until the last drop, this toner is pretty much the Queen of my skincare routine.


Links to product and brand;
Merumaya Gentle Ex-foliating Toner
Merumaya Skin Care
Facebook Page
Twitter 
Instagram
Blog
Pinterest

Have you got a suggestion of a great toner/ exfoliant? Leave it in the comments!

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Thank you for reading,

Mandy x

The Body Shop: Body Butter review

I'm pretty sure that every girl that has the slightest interest in pampering themselves has used The Body Shop body butters at one point or another. Even people who don't actually buy them for themselves we all end up accumulating them at Christmas or on our birthdays when our cousins are not quite sure what to get us and they're kind of strapped for cash.

I am not going to lie to you, I was never really one who felt the need to send so much time moisturising and buffing your skin, I didn't really see the point. However over the past year my love for pampering sessions has grown enormously which in turn means I have been using more and more different products to see what makes me feel most luscious. And these body butters seem to do the trick. So much so, I'm down to my last small tub of it, deffo gonna have to re-purchase ASAP.

The Body Shops' butters have a lovely texture, they feel like whipped cream, light and creamy but also rich, making it feel very luxurious. Not only is the texture of these butters amazing, the scent is also delectable, making them almost good enough to eat (not I said almost don't be getting any ideas). This particular butter is satsuma scented, orangey but more zesty than an orange body butter, it is sweet but definitely has a zing to it! I love the scent of this because it does not smell fake or factory made, it actually smells like a satsuma and it really does smell delicious.

These body butters make my skin feel super duper soft and its amazing to slather it on when you get out the bath or the shower but I personally do not think they are quite as moisturising as they could be. They do add a bit of moisture to the skin I will give them that, but I have started to suffer with dry skin and I partner these butters with an in-shower moisturising gel or lotion so the butters can top up on moisture and make my skin feel as soft as a peach!

Definitely worth buying if you're not looking for a super nourishing and moisturing butter, if you're looking for something light, luxe and lush then this is deffo for you!

Interested in hearing some other opinions on different products? Perfect! This post is a collaboration with a few other bloggers doing reviews on various products that we have all tried and either love or hate!


TheAverageGurl
PinkPrincessOlivia
Phoebida
WhiteCinnamonn

What do you think of The Body Shop body butters? Leave it in the comments!

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Thank you for reading,

Mandy x

Peaches & Co. Products and Q&A*

I am very lucky to have been sent some stunning little hand mirrors and 2 stunning watercolour prints by Peaches & Co., I was offered one of the stunning phone cases that are for sale by the shop but unfortunately my model was not available so instead I got an extra hand mirror. 

The three mirrors I got are the Concealer That B**** , the Giraffe and the You're a Gem pocket mirrors. The mirrors are 76mm across, they are about the size of my palm making them a fair bit bigger that any other pocket mirrors I own and yet they're so portable and easy to store. Because of the larger mirror it makes it super easy to touch up your make-up on the go! Not only is the size amazing but the super cute designs on the back of the mirrors are what makes these mirrors super adorable and unique, each is designed by the lovely Danielle Jeffery!

I also got sent two of the stunning A5 art prints that are so dainty and sweet, these are prints of watercolour originals scanned in to print on high quality art card. I absolutely love things like this because I can feel super feminine when I pop them up, they would also be really amazing gifts for if someone is feeling a bit glum or even a little something for someone's birthday, or maybe even valentines day! I got the Hello Sweetpea print and the Cheer Up Buttercup print, can we please appreciate how cute they are? Thank you.

If you want to check out Peaches & Co. then the social media links and website are all going to be linked at the bottom of the post so carry on reading!



I also got the chance to ask Danielle Jeffery some questions all about her little business and products so here that are! 

1) What motivated you to start your own little business?
From as long as I can remember, I have always had a passion for Graphic Design. I am also a complete perfectionist which can be both a help & a hindrance to me whenever I'm designing new things. I am the typical creative person; my room is a constant mess whenever I'm creating something different, & I drown myself in tea in the time I'm not holding a pencil.

I pay lots of attention to detail in everyday life, & I'm a huge people watcher. I'm the girl you make awkward eye contact with at the traffic lights.

Anyway, back to the motivational aspect, I started up Peaches & Co without the intention to actually create a shop. The idea was really just to give myself a visual portfolio for a future career path after I decided that university just wasn't for me. Peaches & Co also allowed me fill the space where I’d usually be doing coursework. It was around August 2015 that I was approached by strangers on social media & asked why I wasn't making something more of my ideas. I love this current era, social media is such a great platform for self-promotion. I am able to listen to what others think of my designs, & I get great feedback in the process. A job should be something that you enjoy, not just something you do. The idea of starting up my own shop has just given me more of a drive & passion to expand my ideas and follow my dream of having my own high street studio & becoming a freelance designer.



2) Where does your inspiration for designs come from and what is your favourite technique?

Most of my ideas come to me when I'm on the edge of sleep & then I’d spend the early hours of the morning writing lists and little sketches. At the moment I am using a budget drawing tablet that connects to my laptop via USB. This technique allows me to draw directly into Adobe Illustrator & create smooth curves and vectors which I love, but there is something missing. Although the design and concept is all mine, the design Is too perfect. Recently, I have decided to go back to my roots & my love of watercolour.

Watercolour is without a doubt, my favourite painting technique. It’s the first technique I learnt and it’s just such a free way of painting. I am currently trialling a freehand painting technique, without the use of pencils. Colour is the most important element within Graphic Design & I love the raw and natural style that you can create with watercolour.

All Professional Graphic Designers have their own style, their own technique that gives them their individuality. Watercolour is mine. The irony is, the new technique isn't perfect & being a perfectionist you’d thing that would be a huge issue for me. I think that’s why I like it, it allows me to detach from the OCD I have & not let it define who I am. There is also something so unique about watercolour. Being able to actually appreciate real life colour pigments on real life paper means so much more than just working with digital colours. Through using this technique I am able to reflect my honesty within my designs & in turn, leave my own personal mark on my products. I have recently been working on a ‘Garden Tea Party’ print for phone cases. When coming up with what to put into an idea I usually start with three to four elements. In this case, I hand painted strawberries, peppermint leaves, tea bags, and blueberries. From this, it gives me the colour theme that I need to work with & also helps me to paint more components associated with those colours. It’s also important to stick to the subject I am dealing with so I don’t get lost in a design. Painting is similar storytelling, you create all the components of the story, and then you find a way of putting them together so that it flows and makes sense to the reader. The pattern is fruity & refreshing, as fruit tea is. I cannot wait for the new line of products to be released. It’s really going to be something special.



3) Can you list 3 goals for your independent business to achieve in the next year?

This is a great question! I’ve never thought about it before, I try to take each day as it comes & not set the bar too high for myself. The first of my three goals would be to expand to around 50 products. It’s not lots, but you’ve got to remember that I’m a 19 year old girl working in retail, funding for other things within my life (mostly food) & I’ve had to budget myself to what products work and which don’t so I don’t make a loss.

However I’m now using the money that I’m earning through my shop to expand which is great.Another goal would be to have more stability with sales. I can get anything between 3 to 25 orders a day, so good days & bad days.

Finally, I’d love to see more people get involved on social media, I’d love to see more photos of purchases people have made. It gives me such a warm feeling & makes me feel good to see that someone out there loves something that I’ve put a lot of time into.



4) Was it hard setting up your business?

With anything, there will be challenges and problems that you face along the way. As for starting Peaches & Co, the hardest challenge was finding suppliers. You really have to do your research. Finding great quality suppliers with a budget is extremely difficult. Quality tops everything & therefore I bought lots of samples to test all sorts of things. With phone cases, I look for colour vibrancy, weight and resistance. If you’re thinking about setting up your own business the advice I would give would be to not stress and do not give yourself too much work at once because you’ll crumble. I find if you give yourself deadlines, it’s so much easier to commit to and it really gives you that push you need. Overall though, I’d say go for it because it could turn into something really amazing. 

5) What is your personal favourite product and why?

If I had to choose a favourite product, I’d have to say that the ‘Origami Phone Case’ steals my vote. Although the ‘Bee Yourself Pocket Mirror’ is a close second. They have been the most popular since my shop has been open, & they were the most challenging to create. I love the pastel colours of the Origami Case; greys and pinks is a great combination I think.

I do love all of the products in store though! I’ve put equal amounts of energy and time into each design so I’m very happy with the result.


Peaches & Co.;
Twitter
Instagram

What do you think of the lovely things Peaches &Co sent me? leave it in the comments!

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Thank you for reading,

Mandy x

Top 10: Films to watch on valentines day

Having a lazy day in on valentines day? I decidecd to create a list of amazing romance films that are perfect for your Febuary the 14th, whether its oh so alone with your bottle of Echo Falls or whether you're cuddled up on the sofa with your other half and a bottle of prosecco there has to be AT LEAST one film in this list you will want to watch!

Classic stories

1) Pride and Prejudice (2005)

In my opinion every girl should have seen this film at least once by the time they are 18 years old. Such a beautiful story with up's and down's dotted throughout, I wouldn't call it a rollercoaster; bungee jump more-like!. no matter what kind of person you are there is a character you can relate to, whether that's one of the sisters or Mrs Bingley or maybe even Mr Collins. Such a heartwarming film and one of my all time favourites!

2) Romeo and Juliet (1996)
This is a classic romance if ever I saw one. Despite the fact that it is one of Shakespeare most well known and loved romantic tragedies, I love it because LEONARDO DICAPRIO IS IN IT DUH. Other than the classic plot, stunning actors and amazing cinematography the soundtrack is also beautiful; from Des'ree to The Cardigans, even a bit of The Butthole Surfers if you fancy it! (I'm being serious, it's a legit band. Check 'em out.)



Musicals
3) Moulin Rouge (2001)
Alcohol, The Can Can, giant elephants and prostitutes! What more could you want in a musical. Filled with amazing songs such as Like a Virgin and Roxanne there is at least one song to suit your fancy. But the soundtrack shouldn't be the only reason you watch this film! Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor make a great pair and it is soooo worth watching their performance in this amazing musical.



4) My Fair Lady (1964)
You can't get more classically romantic than Audrey Hepburn, a stunning lady with an even more enchanting performance on screen. An unlikely romance developed between a professor and a commoner, how scandalous! Everything about this musical is beautiful, the costumes, the musical numbers and the use of the English language.
5) Grease (1978)
Everyone has seen it and everyone wants an excuse to watch it again, so valentines day can be it! Olivia Newton John and John Travolta are stepping it up a notch when it comes to romantic gestures. I mean who doesn't want to sing about love into a blow up paddling pool.




6)Mamma Mia! (2008)
Love ABBA? Then shove this on and curl up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn, or your valentine (or maybe even both if you're one of the lucky ones!) and chill out. There are sooooo many different love stories going on in this film and my god it's amazing.

80's films
7) 16 Candles (1984)
A John Hughes film, of course, starring Molly Ringwald DUH. If you're not an 80's fan then you should be; this film is on of my all time favourite films ever! The school's indie loner girl crushes on one of the popular guys who is already kinda seeing someone. Disaster waiting to happen right? Give it a watch and drool over Jake Ryan the jock, I dare you.



8) Some Kind Of Wonderful (1987)
I can guarantee that at least one in three of the people reading this has fell for their best friend at one point or another. Every time I watch this film I can relate to Watts so much, she is such an odd character but you really do feel for her. Will Keith (her best friend) end up with the most popular girl in school or the person that has been in front of him and there for him since they were little, that is the question.


Comedy
9) Bridget Jones' Diary (2001)
To be quite frank, I think the opening sequence of this film really sums it up perfectly. Seriously worth the watch, even if it is just for Hugh Grant!



10) The Princess Bride (1987)
As you wish. Hands down my favourite film ever (tied with Sweeney Todd of course) every time I watch it I cry and laugh, not even that sure why if I'm honest. If you don't fall in love with Westley by the end of the film you're either an idiot or heartless. Such an amazing 80's film and perfect to have a good laugh and a good cry to, so romantic and sweet, perfect to watch on Valentines day! It's so lame its great, just trust me on this one.

Have I missed anything off? Leave it in the comments!

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Thank you for reading,

Mandy x

Becoming a blogger: #2 Being successful on Social media, the ins and outs

No word of a lie, if you want to make it in the blogging world in any way shape of form then social media is literally THE most effective tool you can use. Being able to share any post, idea, question and poll instantly to thousands upon thousands of people and content consumers is massively handy, especially when you're only just starting out.

Over 90% of young adults use social media and 35% of older people use it! I mean even though your Auntie Sue only goes on to comment on your profile picture with the usual "How are you hunny, you coming over for the family meal on saturday?xxc"they still count as social media users, and if they open your post then hey! there goes another page view.

This post will cover how to use social media efficiently allowing you to get your blog out there and get the pageviews increasing with every post!

1) Use it.
There are countless bloggers who set up social media accounts and use them for about 3 days before they get bored and just stick to using Facebook. There is no point in creating social media accounts on tonnes of different platforms if you're only going to be active on one. The key to getting interaction is creating content and staying active!


2) Finding the right platforms for you
There are literally hundreds of different social media platforms out there. It can be quite baffling but you just need to finds the one that YOU like, and YOU want to use. There are different social media platforms for pretty much every type of hobby there is! If you like photography why not get tumblr, Instagram and things like that? Fan of music? Soundcloud, 8tracks and things like that might be more to your taste. But I would also recommend using the mainstream and generic social media platforms like twitter and Facebook because they are perfect for sharing pretty much anything!


3) Scheduling
Scheduling social media posts can really be a life saver. If you know you're going to be bust at a particular time then being able to post without actually posting can be a godsend! I tend to write a load of tweets/ posts in bulk and schedule them for when I want them to go up. Best thing is you can do it for pretty much all social media platforms now, you can download apps for your phone or chrome extensions, or you could just use a website! 


4) Interaction
If you expect people to interact with you on social media then you had best be up for interacting with them too. There is nothing worse than someone taking time out of their day to interact with you because they like your content and then not once ever getting a reply out of the countless times they have tried to get in touch. If you wan't people to look at your blog then why not look at theirs, leave a relevant and sincere  comment on a post that you like and then at the bottom add a link to your blog! A reply to a blogpost tweet with a nice comment and a link to your blog never goes a miss either so why not give it a go.


5) Use sharing accounts
There are loads of different sharing accounts on every different social media platform, these are basically accounts that if you tag them in a tweet or a post they will share it n their account so that all of  their followers will see it. Seriously handy if your following isn't huge and you're just starting out.


6) Use tags efficiently
Pretty much every single social media platform out there in the mass of words that is the world wide web, uses tags to make sure that searching for things out actually want is easy and efficient. We all know how annoying it is to search a tag on Instagram or Twitter and the post is completely irrelevant in every way shape and form? If you're going to use tags make sure that they are relevant to whatever you're tagging, it makes the people that see your post actually want to read it and interact!


7) There's no harm in self promotion
You will never get anywhere if you're not willing to promote yourself, I mean come on, let's be serious, no one else is going to do it for you. Especially when you're starting out. One thing I will say is that not every post on your social media accounts should be a promotion, people really dislike it if you're spamming them with tweets telling you to read this or do this and you never post anything else. Mix it up a little!


8) Get involved with the community
The blogging community on social media is ever growing and oh so kind, and I'm not just saying that. Our little community isn't so little (it's pretty darn huge actually). There are thousands of us dotted over different platforms so no matter what you choose to use there will always be people to get involved with and chat to! There are tonnes of twitter chats daily/ weekly for different types of bloggers to get involved in! Have a root around and I'm sure you will find one to suit you! The more you get involved with the community the more your blog will grow, I can tell you that right now. Honestly.


9) It is okay to take a break
Everyone likes taking a break from social media every once in a while, especially if you spend loads of time on it, and as a blogger, believe me, you do. It can get tedious and boring sitting behind a screen constantly and it is nice to get out and about and not be constantly on your phone, tablet and laptop. Even though social media is amazing and a great tool you shouldn't forget to actually go out there and live life! Go for walks and grab a coffee (without instagramming it) I dare you. If you do want to take a break but you're frightened of people losing interest because of inactivity then just schedule a few posts for however long you want the break for!


10) Don't listen to negative nancy's 
There are always going to be people who have something to say about every little thing you do, including what you do on social media. But let's be serious if they are literally just talking about what you do online and being super negative then it say's more about them than you. It is also most probably because of jealousy, you do you Boo. The opinions of others really don't matter if you're having fun and doing what you want!

Do you have any social media tips for bloggers? leave it in the comments!

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Thank you for reading,

Mandy x

10 things: 10 things you didn't know about me

I know I have had this blog for a fairly long time now but over the past few months my following has increased considerably and my views on each blog post keep crawling up so I thought, you know what- why not let people know a bit more about me, I mean you guys know a bit, but there is a heck of a lot more you don't know!

1. I am one of the messiest people you will ever know.
No matter how organised I try to be, everything always turns out being a tip, a lot of people say this is just a creative mind, and I can see where hey are coming from, the only time my things are ever neat and tidy is when I'm bored or when I have huge clear outs. (I'm working on this one)

2. I can not hack the sight of my own blood.
If someone else has hurt themselves I am one of the first people to say "oh do you need some help with that?" and I run and grab a plaster or get antiseptic wipes to clean where they have hurt. I have many a tale about being out with people and one way or another they have managed to hurt themselves (a lot of the time whilst being utterly hammered). However as soon as it comes to my own blood I freak out, not sure why, I just do.

3. I have never left the UK.
As of yet I have never gone any further than the Isle Of  Man, and that's not a particularity exotic place to travel to if I'm honest. In my 18 and a half years on this earth I have never left the country, however this will be changing soon enough when I travel to Benalmadena in Spain. Words can not describe how happy I am and I can not wait to jet off, I splurged yesterday on two brand new bikinis simply with the excuse of "oh I'm going away so I NEED new swimwear, duh."

4. No matter how hard I try I can not write a Journal for the life of me.
If you couldn't tell by number 1, I am not the most organised of people. I try to be, my god do I try! But it just never seems to work out. Every time I have tried to write a journal the first 2/3 days has gone fab and then all of a sudden it goes down hill, I forget to write or I just cant be bothered writing every single evening. (Hence why I started a blog, it's easier to write in bulk and then schedule).

5.  I have a shopping problem.
Okay, if you follow me on twitter then you already know this one but I can not resist buying things online. I mean you never would've guessed with me being a blogger and all- oh noooo. But yeah, sometimes I buy the most stupid things too, like, I see something online and think "OH MY GOD I NEED THAT IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW" and within a matter of clicks it is being prepared for dispatch. However I think the next point makes this a bit less naughty.

6. I am one of the best bargain hunters you will ever come across in your life.
With great power comes great responsibility, I am one of the first people my close friends grab to go shopping with, if you ever need to find something for a specific reason but you don't want to pay full price, I'm your gal. On my most recent bargain hunting escapade I managed to buy about £35/£40 worth of make up for only £15, and that includes postage and packaging. I mean come on- you cant deny the talent.

7. On the most part, I despise hot drinks.
I realllly have to be in the mood for a hot drink, if I'm not in the mood for a specific drink it tastes absolutely vile, dare I say it- even hot chocolate tastes gross if I'm not 100% feeling it in that particular moment in time. However when I am in the mood I love a good hot chocky/ mocha/ cappuccino or latte. Green teas are also fab when I'm feeling a bit run down and gross/ my tummy hurts.

8. I suck at spelling.
Being an A-level English student for 3 years now you would've thought I'd improve? No. I really do try but every time I do any kind of writing I suck. If it wasn't for spell check I would be so screwed with everything. I swear. I literally have to look over every blog post 3/4 times before all the red squiggly lines are sorted out, it's shameful really.

9. I am one of the most impatient people to exist in the history of the galaxy.
I'm definately the kind of person who puts the oven on higher so I can get away with eating stuff sooner, I hate slow internet, can't stand waiting in line and waiting for my nail polish to dry before I do things practically kills me. ( I'm even writing this with semi wet nails, whoopsie)

10. Procrastination is my middle name.
Evidently this is a big fat lie, its not my middle name- it's Charlotte, but it's something I struggle with constantly. Most of the time I struggle with motivation and I put things off until I literally can't get away with it anymore, however I am overcoming it, slowly but surely. I get bouts of motivation and wanting to do everything I need to do and want to do so thats when I write posts, do work etc, hence why I write and schedule in bulk and in advance most of the time so I dont have to worry. But its really not a fun thing to struggle with and I can't wait to kick it in the ass!

Why not tell me a bit about you? leave it in the comments!

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Thank you for reading,

Mandy x