Category Archives: review

Relax and Unwind with Aromatherapy Associates

11th November 2015
As Winter well and truly draws in I think my blog is going to step back slightly from the constant personal style and take a more lifestyle approach. I hope nobody has any complaints about that but these days lighting just isn’t conducive to outfit photos and whilst in previous years I could live with that these days I seem to be a bit more fussy about the standard of what I post on this site in terms of photographs (not that you’d notice at times!). Anyway, I digress, on to the main topic of this post…

Rest & Relaxation!

Something I’m not especially brilliant at. I’m at my best when I’m busy, or so I think. It has come back to bite me on the bum more times than I care to remember though and I’m trying to be a bit more self-aware and make sure I take some time out just to be.

Enter Aromatherapy Associates who very kindly came to my aid and sent over a couple of their best-selling bath and shower oils. I’ll preface this review by saying I don’t think I could justify spending these kind of prices on a product for myself, but perhaps I should are these are a serious dose of luxury and exactly what my down time has been missing.

Of the two oils I received my favourite was the Inner Strength variety (£45). A blend specifically designed to nurture your own inner strength it combines clary sage, frankincense and cardamon.

A capful of this in your bath, or smoothed over your body in the shower is the perfect starting point to balancing emotions and calming down a busy mind. A busy mind is my worst enemy and I really did find that the heady scent of this slow things down nicely and left me feeling ready to tackle whatever came next in the day. It might sound impossible and I myself was a sceptic but if you’re in need of some inner strength for yourself then this really is an excellent starting point.

The other oil that came my way was Revive Morning (£45) which is the perfect boost to the beginning of the day. The key ingredients in this magic potion are: sweet orange and pink grapefruit to invigorate you after a good night’s sleep. You’ll also find rosemary, juniper berry, pine and coconut oil to leave every part of you in tip top condition. I tend to use this in the shower rather than a bath as I associate bath time with winding down and getting ready to sleep. It’s a really lovely and luxurious way to start the day and with 20+ uses per bottle not actually as expensive as first appears.

Have you ever used aromatherapy to give yourself a boost? I’d love to know your winning blends or if there are any other Aromatherapy Associates products I simply need to own.

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The Neutral Palette with Beauties Factory

07th November 2015
Once upon a time I had a “more is more” approach to makeup and plastered my face (eyes especially) with the brightest colours I could find. These days I take a much tamer approach, call it getting old but I much prefer a more polished approach- the majority of my eyeshadows these days are of a golden or bronze hue and a swish of coloured liner is as adventurous as it gets.

I was recently sent an eyeshadow palette from Beauties Factory* which promised to deliver every shade of nude I could possibly be missing. I was a little sceptical though, at £12.49 for 28 shades I wasn’t sure how good it would be and whether it’d end up sit gathering dust like so many palettes have done before it.

My fears about this palette were largely un-founded. Inside a matte black case lies 28 shades of nude, 13 with some shimmer and 15 matte. Some of the colours look a little chalky in the palette but applied with a careful hand and a bit of blending the overall effect is comparable with brands that cost a fair amount more. As with any product that offers such a large selection of shades there are a couple in there that I probably won’t touch but I’ve reached for this set pretty much every day since it has arrived and would recommend it as a good value addition to any kit.

You can get yours online here…I’m really intrigued by some of the other products on offer, largely the blusher palette so please do let me know if you’ve tried it as I might have to make a sneaky purchase.

Has your go-to makeup look changed as you’ve got older or is it just me?

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Heist

26th October 2015
Once upon a time I was known for my love of tights and regularly blogged about my extensive collection. These days my choices are a little more reserved and I mostly stick to my trusty black opaques, that’s not to say I don’t appreciate luxury hosiery though and I am forever on a quest to find tights that will last more than two or three wears. Enter Heist who launched only last Friday. A luxury brand designed in London and made in Italy the team spent a year working with a collective of 67 women to design the perfect pair of black tights and when they asked if I’d like to try out a pair I was more than happy to oblige.

Dress: H&M (here) | Boots: Stylist Pick | Tights c/o Heist

These aren’t your ordinary tights, for starters there are no seams which given them a wonderfully smooth look under any outfit. The yarn count is five times that of any other tights making them extremely durable (not to mention a pleasure to wear) and then there is the revolutionary waistband that’s made on a separate machine and hand sewn on to each pair of tights, you can even pick from a high waist or a low waist depending on how you want to wear them.

I opted for a 50 denier low waist pair (£20) which may feel pricey for a pair of tights but these really, really aren’t just any old pair of tights. They arrive in a super luxe black box and slip on like a dream. They feel far more substantial than my usual Primark staples and there is no fear of causing a ladder just putting them on. The waist band is super comfortable and the low waist means they slip under skirts with no band peeking out of the top and despite putting them through their paces there are no signs of wear and tear.

The other styles available are a 50 denier high wait (£22) or for a sheer approach a 30 denier style also in a high waist (£21) or a low waist (£19). As I mentioned, these might seem pricey initially but give them a try and I think you’ll see they are well worth their price tag. Convinced? The team at Heist have generously offered readers of my blog a generous £5 off of their first purchase when they use code HeistLovesDaisyChain. Use this code to get £5 towards your first purchase from Heist Studios at www.heist-studios.com. The code is valid on first time purchases for 14 days from the date of first publication (until 9th November) and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. For more information, please refer to the T&Cs at www.heist-studios.com.

See more from the brand and follow their journey by checking them out on instagram or on twitter. Also please take a moment to appreciate my bargain H&M dress, a real Autumn/Winter winner.

Be sure to let me know if you try out Heist tights, it’d be great to know if you’re as impressed as I’ve been with the brand.

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Posted in brands I love, outfits, review, tights

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Mae Reviews: Purrfect Box

24th October 2015
It’s not just me that benefits from one of the perks of blogging. Much to the postman’s amusement we sometimes get a package addressed to Mae as well and she loves it! This is the third time we’ve been sent a Purrfect Box to review and we still think it’s a brilliant idea. The Purrfect Box is a monthly subscription which costs £19.90 a month, or £15.90 per month if you take out a years subscription. The contents of the box are guaranteed to be worth at least £30 with 4-6 premium products inside so it’s a pretty sweet deal, especially as each box is catered to your feline’s needs and preferences. Let me know if you’d decide to treat your feline friend to a box- I’ll be picking up a few on a one off basis throughout the year, I can’t afford it on a monthly basis but as an every so often treat I think it’s wonderful!
I won’t lie, Mae is not an easy cat to please. She knows what she likes and point blank ignores anything that doesn’t take her fancy. She’s also not prone to showing enthusiasm so when I bought the box upstairs to open up I was really quite surprised that she jumped straight in, literally.

Her favourite item was hands down the laser toy by Ethical. Her last laser toy broke and she has missed it. She actually pulled this out of the box and started pawing at it for me to get it open faster for her before haring around like a maniac after that elusive red dot for a good twenty minutes. Some people really dislike laser toys for cats but I think used sensibly they are really good fun for both cat and owner.

Another firm favourite was the dragonfly toy also by Ethical. Toys are one of those items she either loves or hates and she has her favourites for sure. I’ve watched her root through her toy basket countless times trying to seek out a hidden favourite in favour of nice shiny new toys so it was touch and go whether she’d give this dragonfly the time of day. The two have barely been parted for the last few days so I think it’s fair to say it’s a winner in our eyes (apart from at 3am when it’s been thrown against my bedroom door).

Food wise again I have a fickle beast but the chicken ‘n fish treats from Filous and the sachet of food from Equilibre and Instinct were both wolfed down in moments. Mae has a bit of a weak spot when it comes to treats so these are being closely rationed but I think we’ve found a new favourite here! Less enthusiastically received was the tube of salmon cream by Trixie. Meant as some kind of pudding for cats Mae won’t even get close enough to this to sniff it so I can’t really give this a fair review.

The last couple of products still have the jury out. I think the catnip tray will be a hit once it has grown as Mae loves nothing more than chowing down on plants in the garden. Whether she’ll be as taken with something she’s actually allowed to eat I don’t know but we shall see! I haven’t quite got round to testing out the shampoo from Nilaqua yet although my moggy certainly needs a good wash thanks to her love of rolling around in the mud. This is a no rinse shampoo that can be removed with simple towel drying so it sounds fantastic on paper. In reality the chances of Mae tolerating a good rub down with a towel are slim to none!

Have you given Purrfect Box a try before? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Even though there were a couple of products that are wasted on Mae I know plenty of other felines who will appreciate them so I think any box I purchased in the future certainly wouldn’t go to waste!

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Posted in brands I love, Mae, review

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Degustabox- the September edition

10th October 2015
Half way through October and I’m only just getting round to posting my review of September’s Degustabox. Long gone are the days where I’m actually on the ball with these things!

I’m sure that by now you’re all familiar with what the box is about, but just in case you’re not, it’s a monthly food subscription box that delivers a selection of new and surprise products to your door for the cost of £12.99 per one off box or £11.99 per month when you take out a bi-annual subscription. I’ve been reviewing the boxes over the last year and they never fail to impress me and get me eating outside of my comfort zone.

The October box was full of old favourite brands and new discoveries and it’s probably topped the list as my favourite box to date. The first thing I clocked was the sweets from Bassets and Maynards . I used to be such a gummy sweet junkie but have let that slide over recent years. Both the berry jelly babies and the Red and Black wine gums reminded me just how much I love a good chew and neither bag lasted very long at all- and yes, I always was that person rooting through the bags for her favourite flavour leaving the rejects behind.
More sweet treats followed with the inclusion of Reese’s peanut butter cups, a product I have craved and enjoyed for years. I admit the shine has worn off slightly now they are less tricky to find in the UK but these are perfect for a quick chocolate and peanut butter fix! I was most excited by the inclusion of some raspberry mallows by Mallow & Marsh, a brand I have stalked on twitter for an indecently long time. I’m a sucker for a good marshmallow and this trio of soft, sweet and fruit flavoured squares lived up to my expectations and then some. Bonus points for being 100% natural too. Yum!
I’m going to hold up my hands and admit I skipped over the Miracle Noodles that were in this month’s box. I’m currently struggling again with my eating disorder and don’t feel the addition of such a low calorie food to my diet at the moment is the best idea. These would be ideal for anyone trying to lose weight though and perfect for the 5:2 diet as the entire 200g pack contains just 10 calories and are suitable for both diabetics and coeliacs.

I did try the Compete Energy bites as a useful boost during a busy day. These are jam packed full of caffeine and ideal for a quick boost. At only 44 calories per bite they are a good low calorie snack for those watching their weight. I did find the taste a little…unique but I wouldn’t say they were unpleasant (but I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to buy them again).

Popcorn is one of my favourite things to eat and I love Portlebay Popcorn’s range a lot. The original sweet and salty flavour is a best seller for a reason and I find it highly addictive and the new cappuccino flavour is one of those things that you just can’t judge by it’s cover- it sounds like it really shouldn’t work but it does…this is pretty much genius and very moorish.
More Drinks is a brand I discovered about a year ago when they hit supermarket shelves and I’ve been an infrequent purchaser ever since (mainly when on some kind of offer). Their waters are infused with natural flavours and no added sugar with a boost from either multivitamins or vitamin D depending on which flavour you opt for. My favourite is the sparkling lemon and lime with multivitamins.
The other drinks in this month’s box were a bottle of Sweet Sally Tea which I am yet to try but it does look and sound rather lovely. Said to be a refreshing blend of black tea with citrus and spice I will be sampling this very soon. There were also two breakfast drinks from Aussie brand Up&Go. Containing the same fibre, protein and calcium as a bowl of cereal these are great for busy people and don’t taste half bad either!
Have you tried any of the products in the September box? I’d love to know what you thought of them. If you fancy giving Degustabox a whirl for yourself you can claim an impressive £6.00 off of your first box when you use the code BLDEG15

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Posted in food, review

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