AUGUST FAVOURITES

I can't believe Summer is almost over and before we know it we will be on the countdown to dare I say it... Christmas!! August has been a good month, although the weather hasn't been anything worth talking about. Today I'll be sharing with you what I've loved throughout August.

01. Elemis Fruit Active Rejuvinating Mask

This is something I've wanted for a while and now I've got my hands on it I absolutely love it! It contains fruity ingredients that not only give it a gorgeous scent but have lots of great benefits for the skin. It has a creamy texture that applies easily and evenly to the skin. It leaves skin feeling bright, nourished and refreshed.

02. Jessica Midi nail colour in Intrigue

I absolutely love this colour! It's a pretty natural taupe/purple toned colour that looks great on nails of any length. The Jessica polish gives a great long lasting shine and remains chip free for a good few days. Nail polish never lasts more than 5 days on me so when buying from new brands I never expect a miracle.

03. Lush Butterball bath bomb

As I've mentioned in previous posts I'm very limited with what I can use on my skin. Lush have a handful of products that I can use and this is one of them! It contains cocoa butter so it extremely nourishing on the skin and gives a luxurious feel to the bath. It also contains ylang ylang which relaxes the nervous system, this helps to reduce stress, worry & fear.

04. Aussie 3 minute Miracle Shine

In the past I've never been a fan of Aussie products because of the scent but one of the things I love most about this is the scent! It has a sweet and fruity smell that lasts after using it, leaving my hair smelling amazing all day long! It's a luxurious deep conditioning treatment that gives amazing shine in just 3 minutes. It leaves hair feeling silky smooth and is definitely improving the condition of my hair.

05. Yankee candle in Kilimanjaro Stars

This was one of many candles I received for my birthday. It smells different to anything I've had from Yankee but the scent is hard to describe. You can really smell it when it's burning and the scent stays in the air which is nice.

LUSH BATH FAVOURITES

We all love a nice hot bath every now and again. As I have to be careful with what I use on my skin I'm very limited with what I can use in the bath. So far I've found that Lush have a handful of products that I can use, 2 of which I absolutely love! 

Creamy Candy Bubble Bar

I absolutely love this product! It contains cocoa butter and vanilla absolute so it smells divine. The cocoa butter really helps to nourish and hydrate skin leaving it feeling super soft. Whilst the vanilla creates a sweet and comforting scent. It also contains almond oil that gives it a luxurious feel and also provides great hydration. I can get about 4 uses out of 1 bar, so I crumble a piece under hot running water, it creates lots of bubbles and the new formula also turns the water pink! It's only £2.75 so is an absolute bargain! 

Butter Ball bath bomb

This is the perfect product to sooth and calm irritated eczema prone skin. Like the bubble bar it contains cocoa butter, in this product it's in pieces so melts in a warm bath creating a luxurious nourishing feel. It's great at soothing and hydrating skin and also leaves it smelling delicious. It contains ylang ylang which is often used in aromatherapy blending to relieve stress. It also relaxes the nervous system which relieves anger, nerves and fear. This is £2.65 so is another real bargain!

EASY CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

It's been a while since I've done any baking so a rainy Wednesday afternoon this week called for me to do some. I decided to do chocolate orange cupcakes, they're super easy to make and even more delicious than you're thinking right now.

6oz self raising flour

2oz cocoa powder

8oz caster sugar

8oz baking fat

4 eggs

A generous pinch of baking powder

2 Terrys chocolate oranges

First of all preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Then take your cake tin and lay out the cake cases, this recipe made 16 cakes. Next put your baking fat and sugar into a large mixing bowl and cream the two together until smooth. The consistency should be creamy & smooth but you should still be able to feel the sugar in there. Then crack your eggs into a jug and give them a quick whisk. Gradually add the eggs to your mixture, whisking in between. Once all of your eggs are added, gradually add the flour sieving it as you go. This is where you need to get as much air as you can in, I add about 3 heaped tablespoons at a time and use a folding movement to mix it in. Finally break up 1 of the chocolate oranges and stir it through the mixture. Then divide the mix between your cake cases and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Whilst your cakes are in the oven you can make the frosting, for this you will need:

4oz unsalted butter (room temperature)

3oz (approx) icing sugar

A drop of vanilla essence

First of all whisk the butter until it's smooth and creamy. Then gradually begin to add your icing sugar sieving it as you do. I add about 2 heaped tablespoons at a time. Keep adding the icing sugar until it's sweet enough for you. I usually use around 3oz of icing sugar but I know some people prefer it sweeter so add more. Finally I add a drop of vanilla essence, this sweetens it a little bit more and adds a bit more deliciousness.

Once your cakes are cooked, take them out of the tray and allow them to cool. Then add your frosting in whatever design you like. Finally, break up the remaining chocolate orange and decorate. You can get creative or just place a segment on top like I did! Enjoy!!

6 REASONS WHY I LOVE LIVING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

I live in North Wales, not in the middle of nowhere but it is in the countryside and the middle of nowhere isn't far away. I've lived here all my life and couldn't imagine myself living anywhere with a lot of hustle and bustle.

01. I live in a relatively small village and although there's a lot of houses here it's so peaceful. It's always quiet and the biggest noise I hear is a tractor rattling over a speed bump. 

02. Rolling fields and hills are just a 10 minute walk away so it's easy to take a break. I sometimes enjoy a walk to the middle of nowhere on my own. Just me & the countryside is the perfect way to de-stress.

03. You get forced to be creative. As we aren't surrounded by shops and places to visit we get forced to improvise. I love this aspect of life as it makes you do things you wouldn't usually. It's brought along new hobbies for me and keeps me feeling productive!

04. The views are breathtaking & something that I'll never get bored of. There's rolling hills and green fields for miles and on a clear day it's simply beautiful. Although the sun doesn't shine often when it does it brings out the beauty in what's around me.

05. Excercise is easy because there's so many places to walk, run, cycle or ride horses. Personally I prefer walking and I enjoy a long walk as often as I can. Fresh air is better than any medication and keeps me feeling healthy phycially and mentally.

06. Best of all, it's all free! Going for a walk or a picnic on a sunny day doesn't cost a penny! Money saving days out are easy, but it does mean whenever we go further afield I hate paying an entry fee for national parks etc (even though it does go to good cause)! 

REVIEW: MII INTENSIFYING LASH LOVER

Mii is a make-up brand exclusive to Salons and Spas, so you will never find it in department stores or on a make-up counter anywhere. It's owned by Gerrard international so is a sister for the nail brand Jessica. The products are great and super easy to work with & although it's salon/spa exclusive it's really affordable.

The first thing I love about this is the packaging, the mascara comes in a white box and the actual mascara is plain black with just the pink Mii logo on. It's sleek & simple.

Although the brush looks small, it's great for adding volume and length to the lashes. You can easily build it up depending on how much volume you want. It really helps to open up the eyes and add depth and definition. It's a very dark black so it really does 'intensify' the lashes.

It lasts all day without looking stale or begin to crumble or smudge. The only complaint I do have is that when you first remove the brush from the tube, it brings out a lot of product with it so you do have to take care to wipe it off the brush. I do find that you need to take your time applying this to get the best results so it may not be ideal for someone who is in a rush.

A DAY AT THE BEACH

So far the weather this summer has been nothing but a huge disappointment. We've had a handful of sunny days, but nowhere near as much sun as we'd all like. 

Luckily the weather was gorgeous at the weekend so me and my boyfriend made the most of it and went to the beach. We went to Dinas Dinlle which is about a 10 minute drive from Caernarfon, I have many happy childhood memories here and it's always been a special place to me. It's beautiful there, the views from the beach are gorgeous and the sunshine and clear blue skies made it feel like we could have been abroad. 

We spent hours relaxing on the beach and then went for a stroll up a hill owned by the National Trust. The panoramic views over the countryside were breathtaking and made me appreciate the country we live in a whole lot more. 

If you're ever in the area, this is a place you must visit!

REVIEW: ELEMIS GENTLE ROSE EXFOLIATOR

Exfoliator is always something I've struggled to enjoy using. I usually find that they're too harsh for my skin and cause redness. Until this one I've never come across one that's gentle enough for my skin but still does the job.

The consistency is like a gel, it contains jojoba beads which work to get rid of dead skin and leave the skin feeling silky smooth. The gel part of the product almost disappears into the skin to brighten and even the tone, leaving it feeling plump and soft. 

It contains skin loving ingredients such as rose which is a great anti-inflammatory, it's also really moisturising so skin is left feeling soothed and hydrated. It also contains cucumber extract which is high in vitamin C, a natural anti oxidant. 

At £30 for 50ml, it's quite pricey but it's certainly worth it as a little goes a long way. I exfoliate twice a week so when you think about it in the long run, it's worth it. It contains ingredients that are great for the skin and it does what it's supposed to. It's also kind to sensitive skin and helps to calm any redness and irritation.  

The only thing I would say about this product is it's quite hard to remove. As the product disappears into the skin, it leaves the beads on the surface, they tend to just roll around so you have to be patient when removing this.  

LITTLE WAYS TO RELAX

(Pictures taken from my Instagram)

The world is a busy place these days, we're all guilty of getting wrapped up in the hustle & bustle and often forget to take time out for ourselves. It's important to schedule time within your week to relax & forget about whatever stresses and strains you have on your mind.Today I'm going to share a few ways I like to relax. 

01. Being outdoors

I find being outdoors extremely refreshing and relaxing. I live in the countryside so it's not hard for me to go for a walk and be completely in the middle of nowhere with nothing but nature surrounding me. Even if you live in the middle of a city it's still not that hard to relax outdoors. Whenever I visit a city I find it quite nice to take a back seat in a park and watch the hustle and bustle of the world go by.

02. Reading/Listening to music

Although I'm not a huge reader of books, I like to read magazines. If I'm travelling somewhere or spending the day at the same place I will usually take a magazine along with me to read & help me relax. Listening to music also lifts my mood, sometimes I listen to my usual playlists but sometimes I play calming sounds (Spa like music) to help relax myself before bed. 

03. Baking

Some may see this as not being a relaxing or enjoyable thing to do but I love baking! I find that it completely distracts my mind from any worries I have. It keeps me busy for a good few hours and you obviously get a yummy result! Once you get to grips with things, baking isn't that hard at all. 

04. Having a bath

I think everybody can agree, a perfect way to relax after a long day is with a nice hot bath. I like to use a Lush bath bomb or bubble bar in the bath to give it a more luxurious feel. This may not always relax your mind but it will certainly relax your muscles.

05. Spending quiet time alone

Sometimes, I just like to lie in bed alone in silence. This may sound strange but it's so relaxing, it's nice to just lie down and appreciate silence. 

What's your number 1 way to relax?