Is there such thing as too many H&Ms?

I love H&M. I love their clothes, I love their accessories and I love their prices. I love that it's not far from my house too. But not only do I have one close to my house, I have four and according to Style Birmingham, there is a fifth on the way. FIVE H&Ms! Why do we need five H&Ms??? Don't you have enough stores? Stop hogging all the space, H&M!!! Why don't you just open one next door too while you're at it! (Actually, please do. I would like that very much).

If H&M and Tesco had a baby, it would look like this.

How many H&Ms are there where you live? What do you think about them opening so many stores in one area? Is it a good or bad thing?

Let me know what you think :)

xoxo

Study tips for students

Hey!

I know I haven't been writing a lot recently! As much as I wanted to write about flowers, cupcakes and rainbows, I have been so busy with a bunch of assignments. I am sure many of you are also busy with assignments and revision since it's coming towards the end of term so here are some tips that might help you get all your studying done more efficiently and with as little stress as possible.

Planning your session

• On a calendar or diary, plan ahead what you need to do each day. Instead of writing just the name of the subject, write down what topic you want to cover that day. It is even better to split up your day into different study session eg for that particular day, you can write Subject A topic X from 11am-2pm, Subject B Topic Y 3pm-6pm etc.

• Plan your breaktimes: a short break within the session and a longer break between sessions perhaps?

• Make a checklist of exactly what you need to study or what you need to cover in your assignment/ essay.

• Let others at home know that you have a lot of work to do so that they can make sure to keep the noise down and not disturb you.

• Make sure that you find a room that you can work in comfortably. If you are a neat-freak like me, you might be more comfortable doing work in a neat room so tidy up.

• Is your seat comfy? Need any cushions? How about some lovely air freshener or scented oils?
• Eat and drink well before you study so that any rumbles in your tumble won't distract you from your studies. Drink some coffee if your brain is sleepy.

• Get all your resources ready: any books, handouts, stationary .etc. Make sure that your handouts are well organised so that you can find what you need with as little stress possible.

• If you need the computer, try and not have any websites you don't need open, even if they are in the background. And, yes, this includes Facebook!

During the study session:

• Keep an eye on the time. If you are wasting too much time on one area, leave it one side and go back to it in the end.
• If you are done with any handouts, keep them in a separate pile. It will make finding other handouts easier, the workload will seem less daunting and it will motivate you to keep working.

• Be strict with your breaktimes so that you don't have one too early or too long. It will motivate you to do your work knowing you can have a break afterwards.

• If you become distracted by, for example, the sound of an ice cream van, shake it off and carry on.

• Keep reminding yourself why you need to do this. You wouldn't want to resit modules or have a job you won't like.

After the study session:

• Cross out anything you have done from your checklist. If there is anything you have missed out, try and get it done.

• If you have exams, test yourself. Anything you get wrong or have missed out, write down on a new sheet of paper or on notecards. These are the things you need to focus on. Don't waste your time relearning things you already know.

• Take a break. Watch tv or whatever you like to wind down. Maybe eat a cupcake.

Do you have any tips for successful studying?

Good luck!

xoxo

Friday Funnies

Footundeez??? Why??? :S

In case you wanna buy them for some reason, click here.

Have a great weekend everyone!

xoxo

Beauty on a budget

Superdrug have launched their new make up line today called MUA. It features nail polish, lipgloss, eyeliner, blusher and many other products. And guess what! They're all only a pound each! Plus if you fill in their Customer Satisfaction Survey, you get 25% off!

      

Not sure whether you can pull off an eyeshadow of a certain colour? Not confident about trying out a new look? At only £1 you can afford to experiment.

This is an amazing price and I will certainly be hitting my local Superdrug to stock up on some Spring colours. I'm especially looking forward to buying some new nail varnish since I can now finally let out my tootsies from their winter hibernation.

So far, the range is available to buy at 84 stores but if it's not yet available in your area, fret not as you can also order them online.

Have you tried out the MUA range yet? What do you think of it?

Are there any products you're thinking of buying?

I'd love to know! :)

xoxo

Asia Straight shampoo by Schwarzkopf

Oh how I long for straight, silky hair. Instead I have to put up with battling with my curly hair armed with a bunch of straightening products and a pair of GHDs, which takes a lot of time and effort and it still doesn't end up how I want it.

Browsing through the shampoo aisle at Superdrug, I came across this 'miracle in a bottle'.

Schwarzkopf's Gliss range has introduced a new product called Asia Straight, with bamboo and orchid essence, which promises cell repair and straighter hair for 24 hours without the need for straightening.

When I bought it, I didn't read the back. I just read 'Asia Straight' and bought it. I knew it wasn't going to give me the enviable hair of the women of the Far East, as it subliminally implies but I thought it might help calm my hair down a little and make straightening a bit easier. Let's see...

Ease of use:

Just massage the shampoo into your hair and rinse. Then leave in the conditioner for a few minutes and wash out.

10/10

Smell:

It has a mild orchid fragrance. Unfortunately the scent washes out when I rinse my hair.

9/10

Did it work?

After shampooing and using the conditioner, my hair is nowhere near 'Asia straight' but I'm pleased that it had stretched my curls. This made straightening my hair much more quick and easy. The overall result after straightening was incredibly straight.

9/10

Price:

It is normally £1.99 each but Superdrug have a buy one get one free offer on at the moment so I bought both the shampoo and the conditioner together for only £1.99!

10/10

Overall:

The shampoo and conditioner won't perform a miracle on curly hair but if your hair is wavy I would recommend giving your a hair a break from your hot straightener and use this shampoo instead. However, I would still recommend it for use on curly hair as it makes straightening a lot easier and improves the overall result.

9.5/10

xoxo

Anti-theft lunch bags

I found this clever, funny and gross at the same time.

Keep your lunch inside one of these plastic bags, and it will deter your hungry co-workers from stealing your lunch. But I'm guessing it won't help raise your popularity when they see you taking it to your desk to eat. 

They are currently £6 for 25 bags down from £12, which is still too much in my opinion. I'd rather buy a cheap insulated bag and keep it in my bag or on my desk.

What do you think?

xoxo

Over 80% off French Connection!

Remember the French Connection watchesI wrote about that were on offer at Amazon.co.uk? There has been a further reduction on this blue leather one, which is only £16.89 down from £95!! You better buy one before they're all gone!

Buy me here!

xoxo

Blog makeover

Hey guys!

You might have noticed that my blog has had a makeover. Here are the new features I have added to make your stay more enjoyable ;)

1. New wallpaper - What do you think of my pink background? Makes a change from the plain white one I had before.
2. The 'Departments' section on the top left - Here you can choose the topic you are interested in reading about, such as beauty or women's issues. Just click on one and it will show you the articles you might be interested in.
3. The 'Love it' button under each post - If you love it, then let me know my clicking. I'd really appreciate knowing that you like my articles and I strive to write more on things you love reading about.
4. Anyone can comment - A few people have had problems commenting so I've changed the settings so that anyone can comment. They all have to be moderated so that we don't get any nasty spam.

As usual, a lot of the old features are still there.

1. Follow me on the top right - That way you can keep up to date on all of my new articles.
2. My ambassador code for Eyeko is still there so if you input 'E8090' at the Eyeko checkout, you get a free gift plus P&P is absolutely free (if you live in the UK. I think you need to spend a certain amount to get free shipping if you live elsewhere)

Do you like the new layout and features? Any suggestions are always appreciated :)

Take care!

xoxo

Have you heard?

Topshop will be releasing a line of cosmetics next month!

Their cosmetics line will feature lipsticks, glosses and nail varnish as well as a skin tint and eyeliners and many others. The packaging is designed with black and white stripes and polka dots, which gives them a Moschino Cheap and Chic feel. It might be attractive for some but I personally prefer something a lot more girly.

Look out for them in May!

Do you think you'll be buying any of their make up?

What do you think of cosmetics from fashion stores such as Topshop and H&M?

xoxo

Friday Funnies

Oh, Bush!

Until next time!

xoxo

Go away, Grunge!

Now that the sun is out, shouldn't we be celebrating by dressing up in all the colours of the rainbow? Yet the grunge look doesn't seem to want to go away. I was happy to see all the florals and lace on the high street but I was disappointed that so many girls are mixing them up with leather and oversized shirts.

I made these all by myself for the Asos and Caramel Bunny competition. I didn't win :(

I think mine are waaaay better than the one that won.

If that's your look then that's fine. I think everyone should wear what they're comfortable in. But personally, it's definitely not something I enjoy seeing never mind wearing.

What are you wearing this Spring?

xoxo

Cookies and cream

Walking into Hotel chocolat is like walking into Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Your eyes are attracted by all the different chocolate they have. Dark, white, 40% cocoa, 50% cocoa, truffles, praline, small bar, large bar... It is a difficult choice having to pick just one. But no worries, I have done the tasting for you. It's a hard job but someone's gotta do it! Sigh...

Cookie Creme white chocolate

I normally adore white chocolate. I love the milky taste as it instantly melts in my mouth. I enjoy reminising my carefree childhood filled with white chocolate bars and buttons. I expected Hotel Chocolat to take my relationship with white chocolate to the next level. I expected a small punch of Hotel chocolat’s cocoa to complement a seductively creamy taste.

I was pleased with its creamy taste and texture (I’ve never tasted white chocolat as creamy as this) but anticipated some cocoa (just a little? Please?) The creaminess was so intense that I do not recommend taking large bites or eating too much of it as it becomes quite sickly.

The cookies funked up the bland texture of this ‘chocolate’ (is it even legal to call it chocolate?) whilst the cocoa flavoured cookie balls gave me the cocoa fix I needed.

However, one thing I enjoyed about this product is the smooth milky texture, as it melted so delicately in my mouth. But only in small doses, as, like I said, the creaminess does become quite sickly.

It costs £3.50 a bar. For a fraction of the price, I could've bought a Milkybar instead, which is a lot yummier in my opinion.

I give it 6/10

Have you tasted it? What do you think of it?

xoxo

Hard shampoo bar by Lush

Popping into my local Lush store, I was approached my one of their sales assistants who helped me pick a shampoo bar that's right for my hair. I told her that my hair can get really dry so she suggested 'Hard' (£4.65 for 55g), which is a two in one shampoo and conditioner that works well with hard water. Let's see...

What I liked: The smell

What I didn't: It didn't work for me

Ease of use:

Because it is a solid bar, it needs to be lathered up with some water. I found this very time consuming as it doesn't lather up well. Plus my hair is both long and thick so it takes forever!

For ethical reasons, this product doesn't come with packaging so you'd have to spend £2.50 on a tin to keep it in or buy two shampoo bars to get the tin free.

4/10

Smell:

I love its lovely salty aroma that reminds me of summers at Mediterranean beaches.

7/10

Did it work?

It cleaned my hair but not perfectly. Liquid shampoos clean my hair a lot better with minimal effort. It also left my scalp feeling tight and itchy.

If you're looking for something to condition your dry hair then I don't recommend it as it didn't condition my hair at all. It just left it looking greasy and dull.

3/10

Price:

The price isn't bad considering they claim that one bar is equivalent to 3 bottles of shampoo. But if you use it once and twice only to find that it doesn't work for your hair then that's almost £5 down the drain.

4/10

Overall:
I'm not happy with this product. It doesn't work with my hair and I won't be using it again.
4.5/10

Have you tried it? What do you think of it?

xoxo

What makes you happy?

We all go through moments when we just want to hide away in our safe places, away from the big, scary world. We have our own ways of dealing with problems. For example, when my moody alter ego creeps out, I like to shut her up with cake only to regret it afterwards.

It could be a heartbreak or not getting the job you wanted. Or maybe you have a rough day at work. There are millions of reasons for us to want to scream or cry. But it's not the end of the world. It really isn't. You're still here in this world with all it has to offer from hugs to pancakes. So you have to thank God you're here and make use of what you have and what you can have.

Gisele Scanlon, author of The Goddess Guide books, has listed over 1000 ideas to make you smile in her book, The Goddess Experience: What makes you happy?. These pleasures come from fashion, travel and food, to name a few.

The Goddess Experience: What makes you happy?

We all have our own pleasures, so this book might not appeal to everyone. But it does serve as inspiration if you need a little help finding them. Even if you are sure that you know what makes you happy, it might open your eyes to pleasures you take for granted.

"What makes you happy?"

Why not make a list to refer to when you're feeling down.

Write the list in a pretty notebook that you can keep for many years and cherish.

Every time you experience a pleasure, add it to your list.

Stick in photographs that make you smile, or postcards, cinema tickets, letters... anything that makes you smile.

Share your list with others so they would know how to treat you and how they might treat themselves.

Some of my pleasures include:

• Watching comedy - I love Ugly Betty the most (can't bear to see it leave :'( )
• Hot chocolate - yummy and warming
• My amazing boyfriend - He's my bestest friend in the whole world <3
• Watching the sunset/ sunrise - The colours are beautiful and can't be imitated
• Chocolate - Galaxy Caramel has been my favourite for a few years now and Milkybar is yummy and makes me feel like a carefree kid again
• Scented candles Yankee CandlesVanilla Cupcake smells delicious!
• Kids - they're funny and full of energy

I hope this tiny sample of my list has inspired you. What's on your list?

xxx

Handmade truffles

Mmmmmmmm.... what do you think of the truffles I made? They tasted so so good!

I would normally pay a lot of money for a box of truffles that look and taste as good as these. But why buy them when you can make them yourself for a fraction of the price and have fun with it too!

I wish I could give you all some to taste but the best I can do is to give you the recipe.

To make 10 pieces all you need is 100 grams of chocolate (I used dark chocolate that we had leftover), 100ml double cream and a teeny weeny bit of butter.

If you're not using chocolate chips, grate the chocolate yourself. It might take a while but you'll be toning your arms while you're at it :D

Heat the double cream over medium heat. Once bubbles appear, add the butter. You only need a small amount - about a quarter of a teaspoon. Stir in the butter really quick so that it completely melts before the cream starts to boil then remove from the stove immediately.

Stir this mixture bit by bit into the chocolate until it is nice and creamy. Leave it in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.

Take the chocolate mixture out of the fridge and leave at room temperature for half an hour.

After half an hour, take out any ingredients you want to use to coat your truffles. I used the Caramel Kiss Mix hot chocolate from Hotel Chocolat (it's grated chocolate with little white chocolate hearts), cocoa, icing sugar and ground almonds. It's all I could find in the cupboard. You can also use desiccated coconut, melted chocolate or whatever you like really.

Roll the truffles into small balls and roll into the toppings. I returned them to the fridge for a few minutes to set a bit more as the rolling caused them to melt a little.

Now they're ready to eat!

Enjoy!

xoxo

Spring clean your face

You probably can't tell by the rainy weather but Spring is finally upon us... apparently! That means it's time for a spring clean! A face spring clean that is ;)

Winter has been leaving my skin dull and I've been having dry bumps and blackheads on my face for quite a few years so I thought I'd try Scrub your nose in it by Soap & Glory and, well, scrub my nose in it!

The product in all it's Soap and Glory

What I liked: Gets rid of dry bumps and it feels very relaxing

What I didn't: It doesn't get rid of blackheads

How to use:

It asks to apply a pea sized amount onto my face but I find that it isn't enough for me. Maybe I just have a big face :S After wetting my face, I applied a small amount onto my T-zone and cheeks and started rubbing it into my chin in a circular motion and moving up gradually. This feels tingly and the massaging feels soooooo relaxing.

This scrub can be used as a face mask too so once it's all rubbed in, leave it for about three minutes until it's set. Then simply wash it off.

Ease of use:

The method is very simple and relaxing. The mask sets really quickly.

10/10

Smell:

What's also relaxing is the gorgeous, cool smell of the scrub. Reminds me of the hot towels you get on the plane. I can sniff it all day.

10/10

Does it work?

I noticed results immediately. The scrub exfoliated away dry bumps I've had for years and left it feeling unbelievably squeeky clean. It also increased the bloodflow in my face and gave it a healthier colour. But I was disappointed that it didn't get rid of my blackheads :(

9/10

Price:

This is normally £7 for 125ml, which isn't bad considering it works really well. You can sometimes find it on offer at Boots too.

8/10

Overall:

I will definitely buy this product again and again and again. OK so it didn't get rid of my blackheads but if I find pore strips that actually work then Scrub your nose in it should hopefully stop those pesky things from coming back to haunt me.

9.25/10

Available to purchase from Boots and Harvey Nichols.

xoxo