TB to Birmingham Clothes Show Live 2014

Morning my beauties!

I am so excited and happy to announce that I went to the Clothes Show Live in Birmingham for the second time! I loved it so much last year that I knew I wanted to come back this year - especially with all the amazing bargains you can find while you're there! I have unfortunatelly broke my laptop and it's been sent off to get fixed (my poor baby) so I won't include too many pictures in this post, but I want you guys to see how great it was! 

This year I have been given a chance to meet and greet some of the models and designers so I'm super excited to share all this with you guys! Just be patient and wait until I write another post about this year's show.

Me and Amarah were both hat crazy last year! My hat is from Primark £6 and she bought hers at the show for only £5!

Hat - £6, Coat - £23, Scarf - £6, Boots - £18, PVC Skirt - £5 all from Primark.

I look like such a tourist! I loved my first time in Birmingham - especially the Bullring shopping centre!

Felt like right VIP's sat in a double decker party bus at the show!

Did you go to any clothes sho this year? If so, did you enjoy them?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Recent Buys

Hey Guys!

I know how much you love my 'Recent Buys' posts and I haven't done one in a while so thought I'd share what I got with you recently! The list is quite long so you will have to bear with me!

Hair clips - New Look £3.99 for 6.

Candles - 33p each or 3 for £1 from Tiger.

Overnight clearing serum by Witch - Superdrug £4.

Heeled loafers - primark £3 in the sale.

Party dress - H&M £7.99.

Sequin co-ord - H&M £3.99 and £5.99.

How gorgeous are those bikinis? All from Topshop and cost me £5.40 for all in the sale including student discount - that means only 90p per piece!

3 pairs of bikinis - Topshop £1 per piece in the sale.

Melting Marshmallow bath oil - Lush £2.

Derma V10 anti wrinkle cream - Poundworld £1.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, did you like them?

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Review || Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Range

I have always been a very big fan of Boots own brand called 'Essentials'. I have been using their moisturiser and cleansing lotion since I was 16 and they're my holy grail products. Recently I decided to buy the whole collection excluding the face wash and eye makeup remover pads as I don't think they're worth trying due to having something similar in the past (not saying that those ones aren't good). I went for the cucumber collection as have combination skin which can be sensitive, as I know for a fact that cucumber extract helps calm redness. I love the scent of all the products as it is fresh and makes my skin feel energised and clean. Right, let's get onto reviewing the products!

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Cleansing Wipes £1.00

I don't really like using wipes, I prefer to cleanse my skin with lotion and makeup remover and then wash it off rather than rubbing my makeup into my skin by using wipes. However, these wipes are different from the ones I've tried before as they don't rub my makeup in, but get rid of it instantly. I would say I only need two wipes to take my whole makeup off which is pretty impressive as with other cheap wipes I will probably use up around 5 to just try and take my mascara off! They are very soft and lightly fragranced but the scent doesn't irritate me at all as it is mild and makes me feel like I've been to the spa after as it leaves my skin feeling very soft! These wipes have since been reformulated and are now biodegradable.

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Eye Makeup Gel Remover £1.50

I don't use this product too often as I find it too watery and slightly sticky to take my mascara off but I don't mind it for taking my foundation off as it does the same job as micellar water. I must say that I am really disappointed with this product and I don't think it's good at all. It's merely okay, but it won't take any eye makeup off - especially not waterproof or high-end mascara. I much prefer the Nivea Double Effect Eye Makeup Remover, which is a decent dupe for Clinique's Take The Day Off Liquid Remover.

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Cleansing Lotion £1.50

I love love love this product. It takes all my makeup off within seconds and lasts for ages. It is a good dupe for Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish makeup remover as it melts the makeup off while moisturising and cleansing the face. I do usually tend to wash this off with warm water and I don't use a flannel - I prefer to use cotton pads as I find them more convenient. I do think that a warm flannel might work better with this product as it'll help to slightly exfoliate your skin after a long day of wearing makeup.

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Facial Toner £1.50

This is a really good toner, especially for the price. I have repurchased this product many times as it is so affordable and always leaves my skin feeling fresh, soft and well cleansed. It's suitable for all skin types and doesn't irritate the skin. I find that it helps to reduce the redness on my skin and keep my blemishes down. This would make a great first toner for anyone with acne-prone skin, and I wish I used it when I was younger.

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Eye Gel £1.50

I was a bit hesitant when it came to purchasing this product as I've read mixed reviews of it and never really liked any eye gels, but I have actually really enjoyed using this product. I find it refreshing on my skin and it does make my under-eyes feel refreshed as well as reduce any swelling I might get from not getting enough sleep. I tend to use this product mostly in my morning routine, as I find it helps to wake me up.

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Moisturising Cream £1.50

This is one of the best moisturisers I have ever used. At such an affordable price it not only hydrates and softens the skin but also helps to reduce redness and blemishes (in my case anyway). I really do recommend this product to anyone who's trying to save some money and still expect great results. I always repurchase it and I'm never disappointed with the results! At only £1.50 for 100ml, this should last you at least 6 months!

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Facial Scrub £1.50

I am really fussy when it comes to facial cleansing products such as scrubs. I usually tend to go for Clearasil or Neutrogena, so when I picked this up I was hoping it would be as good as the other products from the collection! I really want to say that I love this because of the texture and scent, but it doesn't do anything for my skin at all :(

It's good for cleansing but I expect more from a scrub - I want it to exfoliate my whole face leaving it feeling right and fresh but it just makes me want to wash it again with a different product. Update - I have since worked in skincare for 3 years and can say that this product is actually pretty good, especially for those who have dry or acne-prone skin. It isn't a rough scrub, but that doesn't mean that it's not doing its job! (I do not use abrasive scrubs anymore and would happily try this one again).

Boots Essentials Refreshing Cucumber Clay Face Mask £1.50

I love this face mask! It does wonders for my skin, moisturises it while getting rid of all the toxins and dead skin cells. I find that it cleanses my skin well leaving it feeling fresh and soft. Using this mask twice a week will give you the best results, but don't overuse it or keep it on your skin for longer than the required 3 minutes as it might dry you out.

For 50ml per tube, this is a very affordable product that lasts around 3 months with regular use, so I'd definitely recommend this product! 

Boots Essentials Facial Exfoliating Sponge £1.75

I needed an exfoliating sponge and because Boots had an offer on all the essential products 3 for 2 then I decided to get one to try it out. I am really happy with this as it really gets rid of all excess oils and dirt from my face leaving it feeling baby smooth. The only thing which you might not like about this is that both sides are quite rough and it does hurt a bit if you have sensitive skin, but in that case, you could use it as a body exfoliator instead.

On top of the products already mentioned in this post, I would also recommend the face wash from this range but you should avoid the micellar water as it is absolutely rubbish.

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what did you think of them? 

*This post contains some affiliate links.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Christmas Wishlist featuring POWDER

Good Evening my lovelies!

Excluding today, we now only have 5 more Mondays until Christmas. Say what?!?! I am beyond excited and thought I'd start creating wishlists and gift ideas to help you guys with your Christmas shopping! (I've already done mine tehe). 

I recently came across a fabulous accessory brand called Powder on The Blogger Programme and just had to share my wishlist with you! They have some gorgeous products which are expired by the likes of Twiggy, Marilyn Monroe etc. Very 1960's - my cup of tea!

So unfortunatelly I couldn't squish all the pictures together but I will post individual pictures with a brief decription below. But just look at those beautiful accessories! Aren't they just to die for? It was very difficult for me choosing my favourite pieces from the whole collection and I narrowed it down to 8!! 

First up we have this beautiful faux fur Chamonix Headband which comes in several colours. It retails at £22 which is quite pricey for just a furry headband, but so worth it! I'm pretty sure Topshop sells similar ones for about £28, so you do save a bit of money! I would love to find this in my Xmas stocking this year!

I'm a massive fan of mittens as not only do they keep me warm but they look so cute with a big puffy jacket or a fluffy sweater! These Igloo Mittens come in 3 gorgeous colours at £20 and I love the nude/taupe shade as I believe it would go with more outfits!

This matching Igloo Hat is so adorable! I don't usually wear hats in Winter and when I do they're usually big floppy hats, but this beanie would look lovely paired up with the mittens wearing skinny jeans and an oversized jumper. Being only £20 it's affordable and you have to get the matching mittens!

This fabulous Chamonix clutch bag is a must have this season. It's a great statement accessory for fun days out and glam nights out! It is a whooping £40 but it is so beautiful, how could anyone say no?

These Ingrid Gloves come in 4 gorgeous shades for only £16.50! They are very 1960's and would look great with a cocoon jacket and some pretty boots.

I have always been a big fan of brooches and then I came upon this lovely Crown Brooch for only £18 and I think it would look amazing attached to the Chamonix clutch.

These lovely Rosie Mittens are only £13!! I'll take five please!! They come in two different shades and unfortunately the lovely powdery pink ones are sold out, but the orange ones are just as nice!

This gorgeous Tabitha Scarf comes in 4 shades and is perfect for Spring as it is made out of quite thin material so it still blocks out the cold without suffocating you with all the thick material! It retails at £22 which is a bargain for such a pretty accessory that you an practically wear all year round!

Have you done any of your Christmas shopping yet? Do you own any Powder accessories?

Have you also entered my giveaway? If not, then hurry!! Only 5 days left! Enter here.

Lots of love,

Maya xo

Beauty Giveaway

Hi everyone!

I hope you all know how much I appreciate you spending your time reading my posts and leaving comments, always being so devoted and caring! I thought I'd treat a lucky gal/guy to a few products through a new giveaway! It is worth nearly £52 so I think I've done well with providing all these items with my own money!! This giveaway will only last around a week as I am planning on creating a new one in December which will be more festive than this one!

So as you can see there's a variety of products in this giveaway which includes the following:

- 3 pairs of patterned socks from New Look

- Roll on perfume in 'Pure Dusk' from New Look

- Makeup Revolution eyeshadow palette in 'Iconic 3'

- MUA eyebrow kit in 'Dark'

- MUA brick highlighter in 'Iridescent Gold'

- Wella Professionals Moisturising Hair Treatment Mask

- Eyelure false eyelashes in 'Double Lashes'

- LE Christmas 2015 Minnie Mouse from Disney Store

So as you guys can see, there's a few things to be won which are (well, should be) everyones favourites! Even if you wouldn't keep the products for yourself they would make great Christmas stocking gifts! I especially love the eyeshadow palette and will definitely be getting one for myself soon! 

Good luck to everyone! 'May the odds be ever in your favour'!! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lots of love,

Maya xo