Birthday Haul

As it was my 18th birthday last week, I thought id put together a little haul of some of the presents I received these are by no means all the presents I got and these are only small gifts as I asked for money so I could get my Macbook Pro which I will be getting tomorrow, so excited. Also I am by no means doing this to show off I just love to read these posts so I hope you enjoy.

As you can see ive been very very lucky this year and my family know me too well. As you can see from the pictures I received a makeup bag which is very cute full of aload of new products from my parents with the help of my sister that I cant wait to try. I also received a box full of cookies from my sister, this is something I found very cute as these are my favourite and this homemade gifts are always the best and the most thoughtful.

My sister also very kindly bought me this instax mini 8 camera which I have been wanting for forever and I cant wait to have loads of little cute photos as memories. My sister also bought me this necklace that I literally have been wanting for about a year so i found it so cute that she remembered all of these things.

My parents bought me this Yankee candle burner and wax tarts, I have been after one of these for ages so im so excited to make my room smell amazing! Also I have been after this Zara city bag for ages so i was so so so happy when I received this.

So I was very very lucky this year and I am very thankful for all of the gifts and the money I got, my sister just so happens to be a blogger so if youd like to please check her out here.

Essential Jewellers

I was very kindly sent these gorgeous rings by Essential Jewellers, for those of you that dont know Essential Jewellers they are a online website but they also have some stores in the  South of England. 

I was given £50 to spend online to pick some rings and you can see above the selection I made, firstly i chose the sterling silver knot ring. I love this ring as i feel like its a quite big and statement ring and would dress up any outfit. This ring is priced at £24.99 which I think is very reasonable for a sterling silver ring. You can find it here

I also got the sterling silver row of hearts stacker ring, this is priced at £10.99 which again I feel is a very reasonable price. I think this ring is so cute and although it is a stacker ring I think that this looks cute on its own too! You can find it here

This is the cubic zironia and sterling silver stacking ring which is priced at £7.99.  I think this is such a lovely ring the stone is quite petite but looks so lovely on its own or stacked. I have stacked this with my heart ring and I think they look fab together. You can find it here

Lastly I got the sterling silver cheeky daisy ring, this is priced at £9.99. I think this is adorable and its also great because daisy pattern seems to be out alot so its bang on trend too! Again I feel like this would slightly dress up any outfit. You can find it here

Overall i would defintley order from Essential Jewellers again as there service is amazing, there delivery is very fast and if your unsure of your ring size before ordering then you ask for a ring size guide to be sent out to you to ensure that the rings are a perfect gift! I think these would make the perfect gift for anyone.

You can find these at the following:

Twitter- @925essential

Website-  http://www.essentialjewellers.com/

LYDC Bag

I was very kindly sent this bag by LYDC. This is the Gracie shoulder bag, I really wasn't expecting to receive this bag so I was so happy when I received the email confirming I would receive this bag it was even better when this was waiting for me when i got back from holiday. I love this bag so much, I think this bag is so versatile and is the perfect size it isn't too big and isn't too small. I think this is perfect for on a day out and I think it will also be perfect for when I start uni. I love the structure of this bag and i also really like the way this bag only has one handle as this makes it very unusual. Also this is versatile as this can be a shoulder bag aswell!

This is priced at £35, I think this is a very reasonable price for a bag and worth the money as the quality of this bag is fab. This also come in two other colours: blue and pink. I would definitely recommend these to anyone.

Overall I absolutely love this bag and I cant wait to go out and use this! I'm going to feature this in a outfit post very soon (when i get my DSLR ahhhh!)

What do you think of this bag?

You can find them at the following:

Twitter- +LYDC Official 

Website- LYDC

Monushop Recovery Balm

I was kindly sent this to review by the people at Monu Skincare, this is a recovery Balmfor all types of skin but in particular sensitive and stressed skins so this is perfect for me as I have very sensitive skin. At first when I opened this I didn't actually think that this would agree with my skin as it has a fragrant smell which was a bit unexpected as usually skincare products for sensitive skin don't have a fragrance but ive had no problems with this. 

This product claimed  to soothe and improve your skin and provide relief to all skin types and I think it does exactly as it says, ive been using this of a morning and I definitely think it leave my skin feeling soothed and has also reduced the dryness of my skin which is a huge bonus. I also really like the consistency of this although i don't think it spreads very far but I think this would also work well on oily skin.This is retailed at £22.50 which I think is a very reasonable price.

You can find them at the following:
Twitter- @Monushop
Website- Monushop

Degusta Box- June

                

As some of you may know I reviewed a Degusta box back in April and they very kindly asked me if id like to review another box this June, so here goes.

This months box included:

1. Estrella Damm Beer- this is a award winning Spanish beer and would be great with any meal but especially tapas, this is retailed at £4.00 each.
2. Elizabeth Shaw Chocolate Flutes- this is a new range of Italian flutes, I got sent the Amaretto flavour but actually contain no alcohol so I cant wait to try these, they retail at £2.59.
3. Urban Fruit Strawberry flavor- these are fruit that have been baked and are in little packs perfect for on the go, these are one of my favorite things in this box! These retail at £1.09 each and come in three different flavour Strawberry, Pineapple and Mango.
4. BEAR Alphabites- this is actually my favourite thing in the box as I am a massive cereal lover, these are crunchy cereal letters and are multigrain so are even healthy and I think these are so nice and would definitely purchase these again. These are retailed at £2.69 per box.
5. Veetee Basmati & Wild Rice- these are very convenient microwaveable rice packets, these are ready in two minutes. I used this as a base and added chicken, egg, onions and peas to make it alot more adventurous and was very tasty. These are retailed at £1.49 each. 
6. DR. OETKER Madagascan Vanilla Grinder- this is a vanilla grinder that contains pods that can be used to grind into cakes or used as toppings to add that extra flavour. I haven't yet used these but im sure I will use these very soon in my baking! These are retailed at £4.99.
7. Lambrini Strawberry- this is a new flavour for Lambrini for summer which is a light and fruity flavour which is perfect for summer. This is retailed at a very reasonable £3.29.
8. Be Fast Banana- these are breakfast on the go so are perfect for those who have to be up supper early and dont have alot of time for breakfast. These contain fibre, protein and are low in fat. I received two banana flavours in my box but these also come in strawberry, chocolate and vanilla flavours. These are retailed at £1.00 each which I think is very reasonable.

You can find Degusta box at the following:

Twitter-Degustabox

Website- Degustabox

I have a discount code for anyone wanting to order a box- 7ABVH

Outfit Post: Sheinside

Dress: Sheinside

Just thought I would do a quick outfit post, this will only be a short post.

I bought this dress back in January and finally had the chance to wear it whilst on holiday last week and I have fell in love with it. I purchased this for £13, yes £13! I couldn't believe how cheap it was, this was from the very well known she inside that has a lot of mixed views but personally I have only ever had good experiences with them and I think this dress is very good quality for the price as it is a quite thick material with an embossed pattern on it. This is in a skater skirt style which personally I don't normally like but because it's quite structured and no loose I actually really like it. I think this could be dressed up or dressed down for whatever the occasion, personally I teamed this up with my favourite pair of tan sandals that are very worn by very well loved and unfortunately these are available any more or I would buy a fresh pair and some backups! 

What your favourite outfit at the moment? 

If you'd like to visit sheinside you can find them at:

Sheinside.com

*this is in no way sponsored of a paid post 

Di Palomo

I was sent this item by the lovely people at Di Palomo, they have four different ranges including Tuscan Rose, Wild Fig & Grape, Orange Blossom with Wild Honey & Olive. Each range have a number of different products including Fragrances, Cleansing Bars, Body Butter, Lip Balms, Hand Cream and Gift Sets ranging from £4.00- £25.00. 

I was sent the White Grape & Aloe Dry Oil, I had never used a dry oil before but after using this I think will be from now on wards. This comes in a spray form and is perfect for when you just get out the shower to allow this mist to absorb into your skin and leave a fresh fragrant smell, I usually find alot of smells are too strong for me but I think this has the perfect subtle, fresh and light smell. This also contains vitamin E which is an added bonus! I've heard that dry oils are good to use on your hair to give a glossy finish so am definitely going to try this. Overall I would recommend this to anyone and at £18.00 I think this is a very reasonable price for a 50ml bottle. 

Have you ever tried a dry oil?

You can find Di Palomo at the following:

Twitter-  Di Palomo

Website- Di Palomo

Sugarhill Boutique

        

Sugarhill Boutique Top Picks

For those of you who don't know Sugarhill Boutique is a online shop that sells a range of clothing! Personally I love there clothing and I think they have something for everyone.

I thought I would put together my top two picks as I'm loving Sugarhill Boutique at the minute.

Firstly is this fab dress, this is called Seahorse Tunic Dress in Dusky Blue, this is £49. Personally I just love these two colours together and I think this would be perfect for summer nights. Usually I don't like animal patterns but I think this is very subtle so is great and very unusual. 

Next is this gorgeous skirt, this Is called Pretty In Pink Skirt this is priced at £39. This is my favourite thing from the entire website, I don't know what it is about this skirt but I just love it. I think this would be so nice with a little white top in summer with tan wedges or sandals. 

You can find Sugarhill Boutique 

Twitter- sugarhillboutiq

Website- http://www.sugarhillboutique.com

What do you love from Sugarhill Boutique? 

Viking

        

        

I was very kindly send £40 worth of goodies from Viking and it definitely didn't disappoint. Viking are mainly known for there stationary and office supplies but they also sell a wide range of different things such as food,drink and even gifts. 

Firstly I was given this notebook with a owl pattern on the front, this will come in very handy with my blogging and I am definitely a hoarder of notebooks like a lot of people so this is perfect for me! This is retailed at £7.99 which I think is about average for a notebook of this quality. 

Next I got a 8GB pen drive which will definitely come in handy especially as I start university in September, who doesn't need a pen drive? This colour will also be very good as I tend to always loose my pen drives (oops). This is retailed at £4.99 which I think is very reasonable. 

You may be wondering what the next thing is as I to was very confused at first as I'd never seen these before. This is a dispenser for index flags which also came with three sets of index flags, I think this is very handy as index flags are so easily lost and this would also look nice left out on a desk. This retails at £11.99 which I also think is a very reasonable price.

Next is the pack of 8 highlighters, this was a very good coincidence as after finishing my exams I think every highlighter I won has ran out. Personally these are my favourite highlighters as I think they tend to last a long longer and I love the way in this pack you get colours you wouldn't normally find. These would be £7.79 which I once again think is a very reasonable price for a pack of 8! 

Lastly is one of my favourite things I revived, this is a pack of treat size chocolates and sweets! What can I really say who wouldn't love these?! These are retailed at £4.79 which I do think is expensive considering these are only treat size but having said that I don't think I have ever seen this treat size back in any shops. 

You can find Viking on:

Www.viking-direct.co.uk

Eucerin

       

I was sent a lovely goodie bag by the lovely people at Escentual featuring a number of Eucerin products. This came with a number of little samples of different products such as fillers and day creams overall these samples are very good and feel nice a soft on the skin and felt very rich but not too heavy on the skin.

I received three full sized products, this included the day cream, night cream and the cleanser.

This cleanser is meant to leave the skin feeling fresh and clean and it certainly does what it says on the tin. To apply this you have to apply cleanser by putting this cleanser on your hands and gently rubbing this into your skin. I think its helped to keep spots away and keeps your skin feeling very fresh feeling so I would honestly recommend this cleanser to anyone with a dry and sensitive skin because I think it works great. 

The day and night cream are both even brighter products so this helps anyone will dry or dull skin and helps to make your skin appear much brighter. Both of these creams are of a lovely consistency and a little bit spreads quite far so you don't even need much product! This has also helped keep any spots away and I honestly think that this helps to keep your skin looking much brighter. 

Overall I would recommend anyone to give this a go as I personally will definitely be repurchasing.

You can find Escentual on the following:

Website- Escentual.com

Twitter- @escentual

Facebook- facebook.com/Escentual

She Likes- Summer Picks

                                

She Likes

For those of you that don't know She Likes is, this is an online clothing and footwear shop, that has a range of different styles that would suit anyone and have a range of different sizes. I personally have only just discovered this website and I wish I would of found it alot earlier!

Firstly is the Sybill Daisy Print Cropped Blouse I love the pattern of this blouse, its quite bold and big but i think this is perfect for dressing up with white jeans or navy jeans.With this blouse being red I think that this is perfect for summer or to add a splash of colour into your wardrobe. This is priced at £22 which i think this is a very reasonable price for this statement blouse. This is available in sizes small, medium and large.

Secondly is the Dora Neon Pink Floral Crochet Vest Top I have literally fell in love with this which is unlike me as I tend to stick to greys, whites and blacks. But I think this  bright pink top is a perfect addition to any summer wardrobe. I feel as though this has almost a lace feel to the top which I think makes this top look very flattering. I think this would look perfect with high waisted white jeans as shown or even just normal navy jeans. This is priced at £15 which i think is an absolute bargain. 

You can find she likes on the following:

Website- shelikes.com

Twitter- @_shelikes

Facebook- www.facebook.com/shelikes

*This post is not sponsored or paid , these are my honest opinions I just fell in love with these items

miamoo- First Impressions

        

miamoo is 100% natural skincare range.This aims to help and prevent dry skin in three steps.

Step 1:

 Exfoliating and wash skin using: fresh locks 3-in-1 wash, splashy face wash for bath&body and spritz & wipe.

Step 2:

 Moisturize  your skin using: huggy lotion and cheeky cream.

Step 3:

 Massage (especially good for babies) using: baba oil

So far I think this set is really good, I think it's perfect for babies as everything is 100% natural and is super soft on the skin so i would definitely recommend this for anyone with particularly young children. Although this is for young children, I think this is so good for anyone, who doesn't love natural products that feel amazing on the skin.

I will do another review of these products next month, to let you know how i got on. 

You  can find miamoo on:

Twitter- miamooskincare

Website- miamoo.co.uk

You can get 10% off using the discount code: Blog13

Patterned Trousers

                                    

Top: H&M

Pants: H&M

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins

Recently this has been my favourite outfit so I thought I'd share it with you all! 

The top and pants are both from h&m, I'm loving h&m at the moment I think they have some fab pieces at the moment that are so affordable! These pants were £12.99 and the top was £10 I think was a bargain! 

Personally I love the patterned pants trend and I already have two pairs and I'm sure I'll buy many more to add to my collection! I particularly like these because there black and white because I think you can wear them in winter with boots or in summer with sandals or shoes! I love this top as it's an off the shoulder top that's textured but you can't really see from this picture this is also very versatile! I think this would look lovely with skirts too as it's very fitted! 

I managed to pick up the shoes whilst Dorothy Perkins had there 25% off so I managed to get these for  around £16 which I think is quite reasonable! 

What's your favourite trend at the moment? 

WalG

                           

Recently I was sent this jumpsuit from WalG, it's took me a while to get this post up because it's the first outfit post I've ever done and I was quite nervous to post this. 

WalG are a online store selling a range of women's fashion, they have gorgeous dresses and playsuits that would suit a range of different people. There delivery service is also amazing and very quick, with no hassle at all! 

This jumpsuit comes in a couple of different colours including Navy, Green and Black and is priced at £36.I'm genuinely in love with this, it's one of the most comfiest things ever! This is available I'm sizes small medium and large and I think would suit anyone as this band across the middle would draw attention to your waist.

You can also dress this up with a pair of heels and a statement necklace and clutch for the night or pair with sandals are some flats for the day. Overall I would definitely recommend purchasing from WalG if you want quality clothing with no hassle. 

You can check out WalG at: 

Twitter- @WalGLondon 

Website- Walg.co.uk

Fuse Gel Nail

         

Fuse gelnamel is a new range by sensationail, this is a gel nail polish but this must be used with the UV light, you can buy the UV light in a starter kit which includes the light and one polish this is avaliable from boots and is £35. There are 12 different colours to chose from, the one I have above is the Elec-tric or treat, I think this colour is perfect for the spring and summer it's the perfect coral colour! 

I applied two coats to this but it is fine with just one! This is very easy to apply it does seem quite thick but that's probably because it's a gel consistency once applied it dries very quickly using the UV light and gives a glossy finish.

I haven't had it on for very long so I can't really comment if it lasts very long but I will definitely do an update! So far I love this the UV light does seem expensive but in the long run is worth it and I think the for £15 a bottle it's very reasonable co code ring this is gel nails. But so far I would defiantly recommend this anyone. 

Ill do an update soon! 

Let me know what you think! 

Degusta Box

        

I was very kindly sent a Degusta box to try. If you don't know what Degusta box is,they are a Spanish based company who send you a box of new and latest products out for £12.99 a month. 

This month I got a range of products as can be seen above, there is a list of what was included: 

Crabbies Ginger Beer- Raspberry. This is supper sweet so is perfect for the summer season! 

Lindit- 3 lindor 38g chocolate. Who doesn't love chocolate? These are delicious and perfect for taking anywhere you wish. 

Cawston Press- Rhubarb can. This has no added preservatives or artificial sweeteners so this makes a perfect soft drink.

Clearspring- Miso on the go soup this is also perfect for on the go as you literally have to add water and you have soup! 

Go Splash- Blackcurrant. I love this concept, I think this is perfect for on the go or to take on holidays. This is also perfect as it's sugar free but adds flavour to water. 

Keoghs- Salt & Irish Cider Vinegar Crisp. I haven't tried these but these sound amazing and I can't wait to try them. 

Mcvities- Jaffa Cake Mini Rolls. These are in tropical and berry burst so are very sweet for those of you have a sweet tooth you will love them, there also very very fruity! 

Dr. Oetker- milk/dark chocolate. These are fab for baking and you can see below the recipe and pictures of the brownies I made using this.

Mornflake- Superfast Pots. These are fab for on the go (there seems to be a running theme) as you can take them into work for breakfast or even a snack if your in a rush. 

Overall I think this box is so good and such a good idea to try out new brands and flavours!  So I would definitely recommend trying these to anyone! 

If anyone wants to try a box, I have a discount code you can all use for £3.00 off: SHC6F

You can check them out on the following:

Twitter- +Degustabox 

Website- www.Degustabox.co.uk

Recipe 

I thought I'd share a recipe I made using these ingredients, I made one of my favorites, brownies using the Dr.Oetker dark chocolate I got in my Degusta box so here goes!

You will need: 

4 Eggs

65g Plain Flour

1 Tsp Backing Powder

80g Cocoa Powder

360g Caster Sugar 

200g Dark Chocolate 

250g Butter 

It's very simple to make these, I used Viviannas recipe she posted on her channel if you want to watch her video I will leave her link below, if you dont know who she is you should check her out.

Before you start preheat your oven to 180C

1. Add chocolate and butter together and melt (I used microwave) 

2. Then add all the dry ingredients together (flour, backing powder, cocoa powder and caster sugar) 

3. Then add the chocolate and butter mix to the dry ingredients 

4. Crack eggs in a separate bowl and wisk

5. Add eggs to the rest of the mix

6. Add to lined backing tin 

7. Leave in oven for around 35 minutes

8. Leave to cool for around 30 minutes

Here are two photos of what the mixture should look like once mixed and what it should look like when its in the backing tin.

Www.youtube.com/viviannadoesmakeup

First Impressions: Elegant Touch

          

I've never done a first impressions before but I thought I would for this product as it's fairly new on the market and though it would be good to compare against when I've tried these out. 

Straight away I thought these were a fab idea, who wouldn't? The idea of perfect looking nails without any glue needed at all! Each pack contains 24 pre glued nails in 10 different sizes so should be prefect for everyone. This also comes with a prep wipe for before applying the nails and a handy nail file. 

These are applied In a Few simple steps: wash nails with soppy water, dry thoroughly and clean with prep wipe. Peel of the protective film and simply press them down on your nail. How easy does this sound? Personally I think this is just a fab idea, and I really hope that they live up to my expectations because these definitely sound like they are going to be a favourite product. 

The colours shown above are Polished Neon Chick and Trend Peach Ombré but the is a wide variety of colours for everyone! 

I will post a full review of these soon so be sure to keep a look out. 

Helena 

X

Grey Ray

         

I very kindly got sent this stationary to review from the lovely people at Grey Ray.

This may look like a pen but it's actually a pencil, personally I think this is a fab idea! Surely I'm not the only one who's pencil is always snapping in my bag so this is the perfect solution, this comes I a variety of colours too but it just so happened that I got as this in one of my favourite colours! 

You may be wondering what the other things are, I was confused too. But this these are actually pencil caps, these are meant to protect the end of your pencil and stop them from snapping so these are another alternative to the other pencil and you get a lot of caps in one pack that are all different colours. 

Grey Ray are a company based in Thiland but the delivery was still so fast so I was very impressed by this. Grey Ray also have a number of other products that you should check out including sketch books. I would definitely recommend ordering from them of you love there products (which I'm sure you do) and you want great service! 

You can check them out at:

Twitter- greyraythiland 

website- grey-ray.com 

Born Pretty Store

Born Pretty store is a new website that I have discovered they sell a lot of different things but I particularly love the jewellery section they sell lots of rings which are $1 or 60p! Yes 60p, how cheap is that?! My favourite ring is this anchor ring shown above I think this is so cute and is so similar to rings I've saw whilst shopping and is no where near 60p! 

They also have a number of different necklaces which range from £2-4 and are so cheap considering the price you would pay in retail stores! One of my favourite necklaces on the website is the flower necklace shown above I think this would look perfect for spring summer to dress up and outfit and look so cute!

This bracelet is gorgeous in my opinion and i think it looks so much more expensive than it is, I think this would be the perfect statement with a outfit especially any plain outfits.This was around £3 which I think is a complete bargain!

They also offer fee shipping to the UK, so I seriously suggest you check them out as I think it is well worth the price and they are such a good website. 

I also have a 10% off code that you can all use: HYYT10

You can find them on:

Twitter- bornprettystore

Www.bornprettystore.com

Love Pop Cards Review/Giveaway

Review                                                                        Giveaway

The lovely people at Love Pop Cards sent              So I have these two cards to giveaway, these

me three cards for reviewing cards and two            are both Happy Birthday Cards one birthday 

for a giveaway! I must say I'm very impressed        cake and one birthday and one present. 

with these cards. I think they look amazing, so        Conditions: Must be following on Bloglovin    

much better than a normal card, especially for        Must be following Love Pop Cards on twitter

special birthdays! I got the ship which is very          Must be over 16 to enter or have parents 

impressive and much bigger than any other of        permission.

 the cards so would definitely wow. I also got a       The giveaway will end on the date shown 

 birthday cake which I think are so cute and are      below. 

such a good alternative to the average card, the    Must be from Uk or Ireland 

front is quite plain but I don't think this matters        Good Luck

as I would leave this card open anyway. I also        Helena

 got another one that I didn't photograph as I'm           x

 keeping it a surprise for my sisters birthday. 

Love Pop Cards have a range if different cards

 from birthdays, to wedding , baby and thankyou

 cards for very affordable prices at around £4.

 I would recommend these to anyone as I think 

there so good and I will definitely be buying in 

the future and although there from America I 

received these in 5 days!! 

You can find Love Pop Cards on:

Twitter- LovePopCards

Website-lovepopcards.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway