My Perfume Collection

Hi folks!

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! 

Todays blog post will be a little look at my ever growing perfume collection. 

Starting from left to right:

Body Shop 'Vanilla Brulee' EDT

I picked this little bottle up during this years January sales. Unfortunately it is no longer available as it's only released for a limited time at Christmas. The fragrance is sweet with top notes of vanilla. It vaguely reminds me of freshly baked cookies (which is never a bad thing!) This is an indulgent fragrance and worth picking up when Christmas rolls around again!

The Library of Fragrance 'Waffles' Cologne spray

I still can't quite get over the fact that a waffle scented perfume exists! 
If you haven't heard of The Library of Fragrance before, it's worth while checking them out. They offer a wide range of unique scents, from marshmallow, vanilla ice-cream and Playdoh...yup, Playdoh.  This cologne when first spritzed is quite strong but after half an hour or so when the scent has settled it leaves a lovely warm freshly made waffle scent. You can purchase the full range of this little gems from most Boots stores for the reasonable price of £15 each. My love for breakfast food has reached new heights with this fragrance!

Laura Mercier 'Fresh Fig' EDP
I've spoke about this in my February favourites post, so I won't ramble on too much about this perfume. I received this as a gift and was pleasantly surprised at this fragrance- I am not a big lover of fig scented products as I can find them quite overpowering, but this little bottle of fresh fig delivers a sweet and uplifting and somewhat floral scent. I think this will become my go to spring perfume this year.

Philosophy 'Pure Grace' EDP
'Nothing smells better than soap and water.' 
This sentence pretty much sums up this perfume in a nutshell. Philosophy are one of my favourite brands and this perfume doesn't disappoint. This perfume actually reminds me of Yankee Candles 'Fresh Linen' candle, it is a clean and a non fussy fragrance. If you are looking for a mellow and refreshing scent and want too smell like you have just stepped out of the shower- this is for you!

Jo Malone 'Wood Sage and Sea Salt' Cologne
Okay, so this is definitely a front runner for one of my all time favourite scents. 
There was an awful lot of hype whenever Jo Malone released this edition and rightly so! 
It is gorgeous, however it is a shame about there colognes being so pricey but none the less, a worth while investment or even if you just feel like treating yo' self!  
This fragrance delivers a fresh sea salt mineral scent along side a woody earthiness of sage. It is ever so slightly masculine but I like that in a scent. However, I have to be honest, the lasting power of this cologne is weak, I find myself having to reapply this every hour or so and for the price I would have like to have been a little bit more long wearing. 

YSL 'Black Opium' EDP
First of, I have to admit that when I read that this perfume had top notes of coffee, I needed it. I am an absolutely coffee addicts and pretty much love anything coffee related, so this too me was a needed purchase. I really enjoy wearing this perfume, it has top notes of black coffee, heart notes of white florals and base notes of vanilla. What's not to love? 
It is the perfume that I find I reach for the most out of my collection. It is sweet, not too strong and lingers on the skin long after having applied it. If you a fan of sweet perfumes, I highly recommend you give this a sniff. 

Lastly!
Emporio Armani 'Diamonds' EDP
I have been repurchasing this perfume on and off for about 5 years now, I always seem to miss it whenever I don't have it in my collection. It is warm and floral with hints of rose, litchi and raspberry. A staple perfume that I can't help buying over and over again.

New York Cult Recipes

Happy Monday everyone!

Todays blogpost will be a mini review of one of my favourite recipe books. The New York Cult Recipes cook book.

I picked this up a few months ago and I love it! I'm an avid fan of New Yorks famous foods; bagels, cheesecake and pizza. (What's not to like?!) 

The photography alone is a reason enough to pick it up- it's beautifully layed out and would make a great coffee table book.

 It includes 130 recipes of some of NYC's cult food establishments. The recipes are divided into 7 chapters including recipes for breakfast, brunch and snack time!

One of my favourites, is 'Home-made Oreos.' These little chocolate treats give your store bought Oreos a run for there money! 

Another favourite is the classic 'Grilled cheese sandwich.' This is one of the cult snack sandwiches in NYC and is so quick and easy to make and it tastes great!

You can purchase this recipe book on Amazon for under £20 and if you love American junk food as much as me- you may need this book :)

Lazy Sunday Routine

"A Sunday well spent brings a week of content."

Firstly, Coffee!
After a nice lie in, I like to make myself a cup of coffee (loving salted caramel flavoured coffee at the minute...yum!) which I like to drink back in bed and read a book. This is something I always enjoy doing if i'm feeling particularly lazy!

After I've spent (far too long) lounging in bed reading, I finally get around to my quick and simple 3 step cleansing routine in the morning. 

I start of my using the Simple Micellar water on a cotton pad and sweep this over my face and neck. This is a recent purchase and so far i'm impressed! It's a gentle formula and is great for sensitive skin  like mine.

Next I use another new purchase the Balance Cosmetics hyaluronic 554 youth serum. It's far too early to let you know if I am noticing any difference in my skin from using this, but i'm enjoying using it so far. This little bottle of clear like gel  claims to give 'immediate hydration and is clinically proven to give 24 hour non-stop moisturisation.' Well! Anything that is claiming to boost hydration is worth a try in my books! 

My last step is yup, you guessed it, another Liz Earle product. This moisturiser is nice and light and absorbs quickly, making it a nice base if you are planning on applying makeup.

After making myself feel more human, I'll treat myself to a nice breakfast. I've opted for the healthier option today- strawberry yogurt with blueberries, chopped up banana and strawberries. 

If i'm feeling like more of a treat, i'll whip up some poached eggs and crispy bacon on a round of toast.

 

Fast forward through one Netflix binge, copious amounts of coffee, lunch and dinner, this is when the real pamper for me begins! I love having a bath on a Sunday evening, it's one thing that I feel relaxes me and prepares me for the work week ahead.

I use a Lush bath bomb (if i'm lucky enough to have any!) If not, I make do with a good old Radox bubble bath. I like to apply a face mask too while relaxing in the tub, i'm currently loving the Lush 'Mask of Magnaminty.' 
If you haven't tried it already, I recommend picking it up, you won't be disappointed!

What's your favourite things to do on a lazy Sunday? 

February Favourites

It's hard to believe we are already into March! The thought of Spring fast approaching is making me very happy- there is only so much cold weather you can take!

I have rounded up a few favourites of mine from February included makeup, skincare and books.

Rimmel Lasting Finish lipstick in shade 007 'Asia'

I've been on the hunt for the past few months for a natural everyday shade of lipstick and I finally found it! After browsing in Boots I spotted this little gem, it's a lovely 'your lips but better' shade, not too pinky and not too brown, just perfect! 

The formula itself is well pigmented and also adds a touch of moisture to the lips. It also has a pretty decent lasting power (as the name suggests) I find it stays put for about 3 to 4 hours (not including minor touch ups after eating or drinking) Also, you can't really go wrong with this lipstick as it's at the very reasonable price of £4.99. 

Laura Mercier 'Eau Gourmande EDT. Fresh Fig

Next up is this dinky little bottle of Laura Mercier perfume in the scent fresh fig.

 I don't know where to start when it comes to expressing my love for this range of perfumes- they all smell amazing!

 I received this as a gift and I was pleasantly surprised (as i'm not a huge fan of the sometimes too strong fig scent) 

It is a fresh and light perfume with top notes of juicy citrus, apricot nectar and ylang-ylang combined with the base notes of warm vanilla, sandalwood and fig musk.

You should probably go and give this a sniff yourself though- I promise you, you won't be disappointed!

No7 'Beautiful Skin- Dry skin rescue and Origins 'Drink up-intensive' face mask

These two have been serious saviors to my skin not only last month, but over winter in general. My skin when it gets cold, gets dry and I mean seriously dry. To battle this I use the No7 

Dry Skin Rescue on flaky dry patches before I apply makeup, this allows foundation to glide easily over dry areas and provide a flawless base. The consistency of this is a thick balm like cream, unscented and comes in a handy tube which make it easy to throw it in your bag and use on the go. 

Next up is the much hyped up product of 2014- the Origins Drink Up-Intensive face mask. Believe the hype, not only does this product smell amazing (think peaches & cream) it leaves your skin glowing and smooth. I would usually use this product after my evening cleansing routine and before I pop into bed, leaving this on overnight to work it's magic!

'The Prisoner of Brenda' by Bateman

Lastly, a book favourite! 

I was recently introduced to Batemans work and I haven't been able to stop reading them since! Combining crime and humour is Batemans forté and it makes for a truly enjoyable read. I finished his novel 'The Prisoner of Brenda' last month and i'm already onto another one of his novels. Each of his books is set in my hometown of Northern Ireland and contains hilarious and typical 'Belfast' characters. If you are interested in a crime novel that doesn't take itself too serious, then I would definitely recommend giving Bateman a go.

What have been your February favourites?