Category Archives: brands I love

ChloBo Jewellery Review

08th May 2017
There are some jewellery brands I’ve admired from afar without ever owning a piece. ChloBo is one of these brands– they’ve been on my radar for a long time but somehow I’ve not managed to get my hands on any pieces.

This all changed recently when the brand got in touch offering me a piece from their gorgeous collection for review. Of course I jumped at the chance (who wouldn’t?) and started to make my selection- no easy task with such an extensive, and gorgeous range I can tell you!

In the end I decided on the mini noodle sparkle rice didi hamsa hand bracelet*. I’m a big fan of delicate pieces at the moment and this fitted the bill perfectly.

The first thing to mention about ChloBo has to be the amazing packaging. Bold, bright and in your face whilst still maintaining that high-end feel. The bracelet is made of sterling silver and does come up a little on the small side- perfect for me and my obscenely small wrists but for some people this could be a problem although it does have some stretch in it.

I’ve barely taken this bracelet off since it arrived. It goes with just about every outfit under the sun and pairs perfectly with much of the rest of my jewellery if I feel like changing things up. I’m not normally one for wearing multiple bracelets at once but the idea of layering up half a dozen of these on my wrist 100% appeals and I’m currently contemplating adding the peace and buddha charms to my collection once funds allow.

It’s not just bracelets that ChloBo do well- necklaces, rings and earrings are also available and also very, very covetable. I fear this review might have started a dangerous obsession for me- now I’ve finally had the chance to give ChloBo a try I can’t help but crave more!

Are you familiar with the brand? What pieces have caught your eye?

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Posted in accessories, brands I love, fashion, jewellery, review, shopping, wish list

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Essence SS17 new arrivals

03rd May 2017
It’s been a little while since Essence featured on the blog and they’ve been busy little bees creating some great new products for the Spring/Summer season. If you didn’t already know I am a big fan of Essence products (past features here) so I was really excited when an envelope containing some of these new products arrived at my door.
There were some really intriguing looking products inside the package and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in. So excited it seems I completely forgot to get any swatches of the products but I’ll make sure to pop some up on my instagram over the coming days.
The Blush Play sculpting blush palette (£4) in “play it pink” is a very pretty little palette containing three blush shades that can be used together for a contoured effect or individually. I’m especially fond of the highlight shade, but all three really do work in harmony to create a gorgeous spring flush of pink.
I’ve always raved about Essence’s mascaras and the volume stylist 18h lash extension mascara (£3) is yet another bargain mascara to win my praise. This mascara features a diamond shaped brush which holds lengthening fibres and it creates long, full lashes that don’t budge.

Another product that really excited me was the cushion eyeliner (£3). This little jar holds a sponge soaked with super pigmented eyeliner. Applied with a fine brush this has an amazing texture and again doesn’t budge at all during the day.

You can’t beat Essence for bargain lip products and at a mere £2 these shine shine shine lipglosses are amazing. I’ve got two shades- number 12 and number 13 and they apply smoothly to give a really, really shiny and highly pigmented splash of colour. Out of the two shade 12 is my favourite, I’m really loving purple lips at the moment.

On a side note, these smell incredible too.

Last but not least we have a new nail product- colour boost high pigment nail paint in the shade 11- instant match. Essence nail products are a long standing favourite and a really affordable way to bring your look up to date at a minuscule £1.80 each. This new range takes just one application to provide super shine and solid colour coverage. There are ten shades available and I want them all!
Have you tried any of these new products from Essence, or any others from the brand for that matter? If not then I highly recommend you get acquainted with the brand which you can find in selected Wilko stores or the Wilko website.

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Posted in beauty, brands I love, make up, nails, review

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Forget-Me-Not with Silver Bubble

01st May 2017
My love of jewellery is well documented on this blog and I try to support small business sellers and buy handmade wherever possible. One of my favourite things about my blogging journey is having found so many new and talented shops and craftspeople and I always welcome new additions to my magpie radar.

I was recently contacted by Silver Bubble, a handmade silver jewellery company based on a narrowboat on the Oxford Canal in Warwickshire. All of their handmade, silver jewellery comes from Taxco in Mexico where it is bought directly from small, family businesses and independent designers and every piece is handpicked by the Silver Bubble team to ensure high quality and unique designs.

The folks at Silver Bubble kindly let me pick out a piece so I could attest for the quality and craftsmanship myself- I opted for the heart shaped forget-me-not pendant* which costs a very reasonable £12 (although not e you will need to purchase a chain separately).

The pendant arrived beautifully packaged and it is absolutely stunning. Forget-me-nots are one of my favourite flowers and to have them encapsulated in to a striking piece of jewellery is a really nice touch. This is a delicate piece that really is made of the highest quality and it’s just the thing to liven up outfits as the Spring weather ebbs and flows.

If you’re looking to add to your jewellery collection or purchase a special gift then I really do recommend checking out Silver Bubble- it’s not just pendants that are on sale, there are some rather amazing silver rings that I’m bulk adding to my wish list as well as bangles, earrings and well, just about everything really!

Have you made any new shop discoveries lately? What flower would you most like in necklace form?

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Posted in brands I love, jewellery

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A Cox and Cox Homewares Wish List*

29th April 2017
If you’ve spent any length of time reading my blog you’ll have worked out by now that I have a thing for homewares (thanks Mum!) This went in to complete over-drive when I was living in my flat and now I’m back in the parental home I’m yet to reign it in, spending an inordinate amount of time planning ahead to when I move out again.

I have a regular selection of sites that I like to browse, Cox and Cox being one of them- and it’s from there that today’s wish list came about.

It’s all a bit cliche but right now I can’t get enough of clean design with a girly twist. Pinks, greys and copper are seriously floating my boat and if I could deck my future abode out entirely in these colours I would be a very happy girl.

I dream of having wooden floors that I can cover in big, luxurious rugs, statement chairs for curling up and reading in with piles of blankets all around in complimentary shades. I’d even be prepared to part with my currently favoured bold printed bedding in favour of pastel quilted pieces- again accessorised with a blanket and cushion mountain to make my bed the cosiest place on earth.

In my head I have visions of high ceilings, bookcases rammed full of my favourite reads and a couple of cats roaming around just waiting to curl up on my feet. In reality what I’m likely to end up with is a small flat with haphazard furniture, a couple of small rugs, novelty printed bedding sets and one cat that prefers to chew toes rather than curl up on them and keep them warm.

At least I have the internet to keep my dream alive!

What would your ideal home look like and where are your favourite places to browse for homewares and inspiration?

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Posted in brands I love, inspiration, interiors, wish list

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Indulging my [not so] inner cat lady with Red Candy

17th April 2017
I always have been a bit of a homewares fiend, I blame my mother- she’s the one that got me hooked and introduced me to all of my favourite online haunts for a spot of virtual window shopping. One of the sites she introduced me to a long time ago was Red Candy and it’s been a firm favourite for both of us ever since. I was therefore beyond delighted when the opportunity to work with Red Candy came up- an invitation to select a few pieces to review? Count me in!
It probably comes as no surprise that I went to the search function and typed in “cat”. There is a delightfully large selection of feline themed items available on Red Candy and I was lucky enough to be sent my top three, which you can see above.

Before I move on to the specifics I just wanted to say what a delight Red Candy is, and always has been to browse. It’s a clean, easy to navigate site with a wide range of search options and categories to make finding whatever it is your heart desires a cinch. My parcel arrived well packaged and with the added bonus of a little packet of Haribo sweets too- I’m always straight in there when Mum has placed an order nabbing the sweets, I think it’s such a nice touch.

The first item I picked out was this fabulous plate. I’m a complete magpie and always make a beeline for dining accessories, it doesn’t matter how many plates/bowls/mugs I own, I can always find room for one more. I’ve always been told not to play with my food but with a plate like this how can one resist?

Next to catch my eye was this gorgeous lucky cat pen pot which is a brand new addition to the site. I’m dreadful for leaving pens and pencils strewn across my bedroom so having a cute and quirky way to store them has been a huge help and I can’t help but smile at it’s happy smiling face!

Last but by no means least I picked out this Peropon drinking animal planter. I’m not exactly green-fingered (I’ve killed two succulents already this year) but I really don’t see how I can go wrong with this self watering planter. I’ve got it set up on my windowsill right now and I’m eagerly awaiting the first signs of some strawberries appearing…I’ll report back on my progress with that one!

A huge thank you to Red Candy for the excellent service over the years and for this wonderful parcel of products. Fellow homeware junkies do take a look at the site and let me know in the comments what’s caught your eye.

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Posted in brands I love, cats, review, shopping

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