Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan | Book Review

This is a spoiler-free review of Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan.

You will like Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery if you’re looking for a cosy Christmas book with plenty of spirit and a great story that keeps you hooked.

Set in a harsh coastal winter, it’s the perfect book to read under blankets, drinking a warm hot chocolate. There are even recipes at the end.

It has an almost whimsical feel, with exotic characters from across the globe whose lives converge on the small seaside village of Mount Polbearne.

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery has:

• lavish decorations
• a pet puffin
• freezing cold weather
• wrapped-up villagers
• drama
• secrets
• more Christmas baking than you can imagine
• romance
• reunions
• a Christmas fayre· 

This Christmas chick lit is guaranteed to get you in the festive spirit.

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop by Jenny Colgan | Book Review

 

This is a spoiler-free review of Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop by Jenny Colgan.

You will like Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweet Shop if you’re looking for all the festive feels wrapped up in one cosy novel.

This book is a brilliant Christmas read. It’s bursting with everything you’d want at this time of year including:

• carols
• excited cute kids
• sweets galore
• a puppy
• snow
• family reunions
• romance
• Christmas shopping

It’s perfect for reading while sipping a hot chocolate in the cold dark evenings, wrapped up in a warm blanket.

ffs smashes it again... this time with fake tan*

Believe it or not, we're teetering towards summer. I know, blows my mind too. Other than the one day of sun we've had here in Scotland, the rain has been near biblical.

However.

The second I get a sniff of sun I'm diving head first into the fake tan bottles. 

After four months of lockdown, being a wallflower has no appeal. It's go hard or go home.

Glitter nails? Yep.

Pink head to toe? Why not.

Straight to dark tan? Of course.

After how much I loved the body care products from ffs, I jumped at the chance to try their Deluxe Glow Tanning Set.*

ffs Natural Deodorant Review*

Following on from my rave review of their razor subscription box, today I'm sharing my experience of using natural deodorant from ffs.* There's a lot of reasons to get onboard, its:

• organic
• vegan
• handmade in the UK
• paraben / aluminium / BPA / petrochemical / palm oil free

I really care about the planet. Over the last few years I've educated myself on the impact of fast fashion and single-use plastic on the environment. So, I've tried to cut back on my consumerism and buy thoughtfully.

I've been meaning to make the switch to natural deodorant for months. 

But, probably like many people teetering on the edge of 'what I've always done' and ethical alternatives, I worried natural products wouldn't be as good or effective.

I was totally wrong.

ffs Review: Shaving and Beauty Products with the WOW Factor*

When it comes to shaving, I've always done what you absolutely shouldn't do. Despite being part of the beauty blogging community for nearly a decade, I didn't invest or care about it at all. 

I feel like I'm confessing my sins here but... I bought the nastiest, cheapest, disposable plastic razors. To make myself feel better about the disposable part, I'd probably use them more times than you're supposed to. I would occasionally exfoliate before, but more often than not it was simply a case of - cringe - hacking my poor legs. They'd be irritated and dry. Definitely not a nice blank canvas for the fake tan I love when it's legs out season.

With summer just around the corner (hooray!), you can imagine how delighted I was when ffs got in touch asking if I'd be interested in trying their razor subscription box.* One look at their website and of course I said yes. 

• Real bodies? Check. 
• Aesthetically pleasing? Check. 
• Cruelty-free? Check. 
• Rave reviews? Check.
• Kind to the planet? Check check check check check. 

I'm so here for sustainable beauty products.

The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod | Book Review

I am absolutely not a morning person. I never have been. I'm pretty much a demon until 11am. I know that the early bird catches the worm and all that and because I start work at 8am I do need to rise early out of necessity. Honestly though, I'd rather not.

I'm just finishing an online course called The Science of Well-Being by Yale University. It sounds obvious, but one of the most essential factors in people's happiness levels, studies have shown time and time again, is sleep. While I may falter in some of the other contributory factors like exercise, meditation and gratitude, sleep is something I can't not prioritise. When people say to me 'I only got 4 hours sleep last night' I'm like 'HUH?! How are you still functioning?!' I'd literally collapse. So, whether its been before exams, stressful times at work or after a night out, I always get the amount of sleep I need. I think that's why, until now, I've classified mornings as time which would be better spent unconscious.

Therefore, even though I've heard The Miracle Morning recommended time and time again over the years alongside books I have loved, I prematurely judged it as 'not my thing'. However, when my cousin dropped her copy at my house in the middle of a pandemic saying it had changed her life, I kind of had to take notice. And I'm super glad I did.

What is The Miracle Morning?

The book begins with testimonies about how The Miracle Morning has transformed people's lives. From losing 25 pounds to quitting smoking to attaining top grades to finding true love to improving relationships to having more energy to accomplishing long term goals to having every day 'feel like Christmas' - this book can purportedly help you do anything.

The Existence of Amy* by Lana Grace Riva | Book Review

Trigger warning - this book contains depictions of OCD, depression and suicidal thought patterns.

This is a no spoiler book review.

Hello you lovely folk and happy Saturday! I hope you're having a swell weekend. As I mentioned in my last book review, for a few months now I have been really struggling to get into a book. Only a tiny fraction are cutting it. I've currently got three books on the go and they're all very mediocre. So, I was delighted to read 'The Existence of Amy'* by Lana Grace Riva last weekend because it gripped me straight away and I finished it within a few hours.

What's the story?

From the outside you'd be forgiven for thinking Amy was normal (whatever 'normal' actually means...). She has a great job in digital marketing, brilliant work friends and a nice house. However, we are privy to Amy's perspective, and from the inside her life is a constant struggle. The title pretty much sums it up: she's just existing, not living.

Amy's whole existence is dictated by her OCD (and subsequent anxiety and overthinking) and bouts of depression. She fights with herself to keep up appearances and continue the charade of a normal life but its exhausting.

'The Husband's Secret' by Liane Moriarty | Book Review

This is a no spoiler book review

The Husband's Secret has been on my to-be-read pile for well over a year after I got it at a jumble sale 3 for £1 (bargain!). 

For such a book-loving gal who usually roars through novels alongside working full time, since we've went into lockdown and I've had so much free time, I've been finding it so difficult to get into a book. I don't know if it's because right now our brains are constantly distracted by the enormous threat of a pandemic. Anyway, while other folk have been using this time to whittle down their TBR pile, mine has been slogging along almost untouched. 

Have you been feeling the same difficulty in settling into reading lately?

I'm a big believer in 'feeling' what to read next. I need to be in the mood for a particular genre or type of book. For every few fiction books I read, I'll throw in a non fiction between to change things up. The diversity is the beauty of reading: having such variety to choose from means I never get bored.

Let's leave all the hard hitting science and canonical literature for later. My brain just can't deal. Right now? I need something light with a great story which hooks me in immediately. 

Cue The Husband's Secret.

'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen

This is a no spoiler book review (except the mug in the photo)

Way back in 2014 in The Reading Tag, I said the next book I had my sights set on was Pride and Prejudice. When I wrote that, I was just about to start university studying English Literature. Fast forward nearly six years, I have the degree and a whole lot of other classics under my belt, but still no Jane Austen.

Why?

'Everything I Never Told You' by Celeste Ng

This is a no spoiler book review

In October I got a fanta-bulous book haul from a local annual jumble sale, including Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng. In jumble sale situations there's not much you can do except judge a book by its cover unless you spot one you have wanted to read for a while. In the case of Everything I Never Told You, I read the blurb, thought it sounded a bit like Riverdale (dead body of teenager found in lake in small American town, whodunit vibes) and would therefore be a decent read. Besides, you can't go wrong at 3 for £1.

What I thought would be a semi-good book completely surpassed my expectations. Not only was it a fantastic story, well thought out and well written, it was also complex in its handling of various themes. Also, it avoided the over-dramatic, thriller/ whodunit angle in favour of a much more sophisticated yet simple explanation.

Everything I Never Told You is about an underrepresented mixed race family (Chinese American) in an underrepresented setting - small town America in the 60s and 70s. I'm saying underrepresented because I personally have never encountered this genre of identity story, which either says a lot about my own limited reading perimeters, the school/ university curriculum, or both.

'You Are A Badass' by Jen Sincero Book Review

I always feel a bit deflated after Christmas. It's my favourite time of year and I build up to it from October, so it all seems to go by in a flash and come Boxing Day normality slaps me in the face like a big dry turkey. 

I'm never quite sure what to do with myself in the days between Christmas and New Year and I'm definitely not someone who gets hyped up about Hogmanay (what's the big deal?) BUT there is something extremely inspiring and energising about the first of January. I always reflect back on what I've done in the previous year and plan out what I want the coming year to have in store.

It seems like the stars aligned because I stumbled upon the perfect new year book. I had wanted to read 'You Are a Badass' by Jen Sincero for a while but I didn't want to pay full price from Waterstones because I'm trying to restrict my spending so you can imagine my delight when I found a copy in a charity shop for £1.50.

You Are a Badass has the subtitle 'How to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life'. While there is a tiny part of me that felt a bit cringe reading this i.e. with people on the train looking over and thinking 'Woah she must think a lot of herself reading a book like that'... I also can't help but think its exactly what our generation of over-thinking, self-conscious social media addicts need - a bit of positive affirmation. And let's face it, besides everything else it's a pretty attention grabbing title.

Liz Earle Skincare Review, Routine and My Top Tips

The background

Throughout my late teens and into my twenties, the condition of my skin was a source of constant frustration for me. I had mild acne when I was about 16 then pretty frequent break outs and scarring. As you'll know if you've been following me for a while, I've tried pretty much everything over the years to clear it up - Soap & Glory, La Roche Posay, Sudocream, Simple, Clinique... the list goes on. I wouldn't say I was on the confidence lowering or extreme end of the bad skin scale. Because I discovered blogging and makeup tutorials around this time, I did a pretty good job of covering it up over the years. Also, I came round to the belief that it wasn't so much external factors (skincare, makeup) which affected my skin but internal (hormones, diet, stress etc). 

Fast forward to about a year ago, my skin was alright but I'd still get breakouts on a weekly basis. My friend who had been working at Liz Earle at the time told me while I was moaning that I should give it a go as it had transformed her skin. A lot of my other friends piped up at the same time saying its what they used and loved it.

To be honest, I was a bit sceptical.

I had tried Liz Earle when it first became a thing years ago when I was young. I can't remember exactly when, but to give some perspective, it was when it was all the rage among my mum's friends and she let me try hers. It stung my eyes. Because of this I then swerved the blogger blow up of 2012ish when everyone seemed to be raving about it. I just wrote the whole range off as overpriced and overhyped. Also, I didn't really understand the whole cloth thing. I mean, wasn't that really unhygienic?

So what happened?

I reasoned that if everyone was raving about it maybe it was worth another go. 

Basically, since I bought my first cleanse & polish in November 2018, I haven't looked back. 

Treasures from the Old English Company

Happy National Stationary Week everyone! I saw that this was a thing today on my instagram and knew there was no better time to share my new bits and bobs from the Old English Company* with you all.

If you've followed me for a while, or even if you've just landed on this page and have had a first glimpse, you'll know that I have a real penchant for beautiful notebooks and anything pink. You can imagine my delight when I found the Old English Company's website: a sanctuary of dreamy homeware, stunny planners and subtle colours. Swoon. 

Old English Company hand letter all their own products with cute quirky messages. I for one am obsessed with the selection of unique fonts which make each one of their products extremely instagrammable. Their website is really easy to navigate (or ahem, spend hours on) and there's even a cute little feature which pops up to tell you who is buying what as you browse. Maybe it is just because I'm nosy but I love this. I guess it's like when you're in a shop and see someone pick something up to buy and suddenly you need it too. 

After a long time of umming and arring I finally narrowed my selection down to:

The Blush and Gold A5 Planner

Don't Worry Bee Happy Mug

You've Got This Keyring

Love Heart Keyring

I love the gold theme of what I got. I'm going to be straight with you - I did get the 'Love' keyring purely in honour of Louise from St. Louis. The 'You've Got This' keyring is for a little reassurance whenever I need it. I had my last EVER university deadline on Tuesday and although I am so happy to be finished and have lots to keep me going for the next couple of months, I think it might be easy to slip into panic mode about the big wide world or the rest of my life. So, this will serve as a friendly reminder to take my worry hat off. I don't even need to explain why I love the mug - between the copious amount of tea I drink and the sheer cuteness of it, I'm sure you can guess. The planner is simple and gorgeous: a very pale pink cardboard cover with 'Old English Company Made in England' embossed in gold on the back and each page inside printed with bullet points for 'Today's Tasks', space for 'Notes', and a header to mark in the date. Nothing motivates me like being able to tick a task off my to do list.

I am so glad I discovered Old English Company - it is such a gem and the perfect place to buy unique gifts and treat yourself.

*These lovely products were sent to me for consideration for review, but all opinions are my own.

A New Must Have: Mont Bleu Glass Nail Files*

Pink? Check. Sparkly? Check. You can just imagine my excitment when these little beauties arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. As a notorious nail biter, one of the only things that motivates me to grow my nails is having nice products to use on them. Usually, it is a new nail polish but now its Mont Bleu's Glass Nail Files* with -wait for it- Swarovski crystals 😍😍😍.

Pixi Glow Tonic Review

I realise I'm a little late to the party when it comes to Pixi Glow Tonic. I've seen it recommended on countless blogs and Youtube channels over the last couple of years but with its heavy price tag and my set in stone skincare routine, it wasn't something I was desperate to try. When I realised it came in the Marks & Spencer Beauty Advent calendar though, I was so excited to try it. I've been using it for almost a month now and I'm really impressed with how long it is lasting for a sample- 100ml is pretty generous for a mini. I've been using it after my Garnier Micellar Water and Simple Cleanser, in place of my Simple Toner. 
First of all, I actually really like its packaging. When I first saw Pixi products online I thought they looked quite Disney-esque. I would never have put orange and pale green together but they actually work well and make the bottle look distinctive. It has a screw top and a well-functioning dispenser so you can easily control how much product you put on a cotton pad. I like the name 'Skintreats' too- who would say no to a treat for the skin? My skin feels fresh and squeaky clean when I use it. 
One thing I don't like about this product is the smell. I may just be used to the almost scentless Simple but to me, this smells like chemicals, or an industrial cleaning product. It also stings my eyes quite badly even though I avoid them when using it. I do think my eyes are more sensitive than most people's though as I remember the same thing happening when I tried out Liz Earle skincare.
Having said all that, I have actually noticed a vast improvement in my skin since using this. Usually changing one skincare product doesn't make much of a difference to my complexion but this definitely has. I am prone to spots and breakouts but this has kept them completely at bay. 
I'm now torn between wanting to incorporate this into my routine because of the improvement of my skin, despite the smell which I can put up with, and the scary price tag. I can justify having a few high end beauty bits and bobs that I repurchase time and again but I'm still a poor student!
Have you tried Pixi Glow Tonic? What do you think of it?

NUXE Huile Prodigieuse Review

I've never went in for the whole hair, face or body oil thing. I thought it would be greasy and I would be slipping about everywhere. How wrong I was. In the Marks & Spencer Summer Beauty Box, which I was lucky enough to receive for my birthday, came a 10ml sample of the NUX Huile Prodigieuse Dry-Oil. In case, like me, you're wondering what Huile Prodigieuse means, my friend Google informs me that it translates as 'prodigious oil'. As a 10ml sample, it's perhaps not the most prodigious in size, but it certainly is a remarkable product. 
It comes in elegant, square-shaped glass bottle with a gold top. It doesn't have any sort of dispenser so you have to be careful that it doesn't all run out at once. What I love most about this product is the smell. It's quite heavy, classic and womanly- it reminds me a little of Clinique Aromatics. I would wear it as a perfume it smells so nice. 
I haven't used it on my face as I think it might be a little rich for my temperamental skin. I've tried it on the lengths and ends of my hair and it was how you'd imagine an oil to be on hair- oily. I have quite thin hair too- it might have been absorbed better into thick hair. The next day though, my hair looked super healthy and felt sleek and soft. By far the best results I've had with this product is as a body oil. It isn't greasy or shiny and absorbs quickly since its a dry oil. It's a pretty thin liquid so a tiny amount goes a long way. Most importantly though- it just feels really, really nice on the skin: both light and luxurious. It does wonders for the skin on my hands- they're so soft and supple after using this. I think I love it all the more because I've never used a product like it before and its quite a novelty for someone who is so used to standard body lotion or body butter. 
With a price tag of £17 for 50ml, this is a splurge and I would only buy now and again as a treat but if I could, I'd buy it by the gallon and shower in it. (Ok slight exaggeration- but it really is amazing)!
Have you tried it? What other NUXE products would you recommend?

Harry Potter and The Cursed Child Review

This is a spoiler-free book review I hadn't actually planned on buying or reading Harry Potter and The Cursed Child for the simple reason that although I am a huge HP fan, I've never been very drawn to the 'extra' stories that have been released since the seven books came to an end. I think I was initially put off by the fact I could never find the extra stories published by J.K.Rowling to read online and I didn't even get to the Sorting Ceremony on Pottermore as I found it quite boring. I do love finding out extra or background information about the series itself through facebook fan pages, and I am really excited to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Anyway, my whole attitude changed when my mum came in from Sainsburys one day a few weeks ago with a copy of The Cursed Child for me as a treat. Having the actual book in my hand made me so, so excited and I wanted to read it straight away. My uni reading list took a decisive backseat. It was like I was back when the original books were coming out and I had the chance to relive the excitement and anticipation of a new story. The story is in two parts and is just over 300 pages but it only took me a night to read the full thing. 
One thing I will address straight away is that The Cursed Child isn't a narrated novel like the original Harry Potter books- its the script of a play. In many of the reviews I read, this majorly put people off. To be honest though for me it wasn't a big deal. I'm quite used to reading scripts as literature on my course and I didn't miss the depiction of scenery or description of character as much as I thought I might. I think the main thing you have to do when reading this is take it for what it is- the script of a play which is intended to be acted out rather than read. For this reason I would really love to see the actual show. The writing isn't anything like the original books, which is to be expected considering it was actually written by Jack Thorne. It might be considered a little misleading that J. K. Rowling's name is so prominent on the front cover.
I had pretty mixed feelings overall towards the book. I thought the plot line was quite predictable, like something a fan would come up with. Perhaps if it had taken a more decisive step away from the original story, it wouldn't be judged so harshly against it. I think it struggled in forging a link with original story while staying true to it. For example, the Harry in The Cursed Child and the Harry of the original series seem to me like two completely different people. It's a really fine line between wanting to know what happened when Deathly Hallows ended and having your expectations ruined. For me, I've decided to try and appreciate the details about the future, like what the golden trio are working as, without letting it ruin the impression I held at the end of book seven. In other words, I'm trying to be thankful that we got a little bonus, extra story after all these years, keeping in mind it could never truly live up to the original books.
I did like the introduction of the younger generation, and the exploration of the Malfoy family. In fact, Scorpious Malfoy was my favourite character. For me he was the most likeable and the least one dimensional. Again, I don't want to sound too harsh because I know that characters who may seem one dimensional in a script are supposed to be brought to life on the stage. I also liked the twist (which I won't say explicitly for fear of ruining it for anyone) as it was pretty unexpected, though perhaps a little hard to believe. 
As you have probably gathered, I didn't love The Cursed Child, but I didn't hate it either. I appreciate the story and the excitement of going back into the magical world but I sort of preferred the story ending where it was. It allowed HP lovers to form their own opinions of what happened next, what is really what you're supposed to do at the end of the story. The bittersweet nature of an ending is not being told anything more, but being able to guess at it.

Sleek Face Form Palette in 'Light'

I stumbled upon these pictures in my 'To Post' folder from around a year ago and I can't believe the length of time I have been using the Sleek Face Form Palette without writing a rave review about it. I had read lots of great things about Sleek palettes before taking the plunge and buying one of my own. Coming in at £9.99, its more than I would usually spend on 1 high street makeup item so I had to do that thing where I go into Boots, look, swatch, and leave at least 3 times before I actually bought it. I am so glad I did though because I haven't stopped using it since. 

The packaging is really simple - a wipe clean black- and the palette contains a large mirror which is ideal for when you are applying on the go. I realised my initial hesitation at the cost was unnecessary as you're getting 3 full sized products: a blush, a highlight and bronzer/ contour for £10. Each shade is great quality and applies easily. The swatches actually don't do their pigmentation justice. 

The blush is a lovely rose pink and its gold shimmer acts as a highlighter in itself.  The highlight is a very pale pink/ white but not chalky in the slightest. The highlight is actually my least used of the three as I prefer a more gold based highlighter and my favourite is the MAC MSF in Soft & Gentle. However, the absolute stand out of the palette, and probably worth the £9.99 itself is the contour shade. I went through many drugstore bronzers trying to find one that would work as a contour but they were all too orange, shimmery or difficult to blend. This matte brown works excellently with my skin tone as a contour shade and I apply it with the Real Techniques Contour Brush (reviewed here). 

This is definitely the best cheek & contour palette I have found so far. I am still quite far from hitting pan on the blush and highlight so I might see if I can purchase the contour shade individually as I just couldn't go without it. 

What is your favourite Sleek product?

Makeup Revolution Iconic 2 Palette

I can't quite believe that I'm typing this but I think my MUA eyeshadow palettes have finally been knocked off their podium of my most unbeatable and most used eyeshadows. Elf couldn't do it, Accessorize couldn't do it, even the Naked Palette couldn't. Who is the new kid on the block you might ask? Well, it probably won't be new to many of you because I was very behind when it came to jumping on the Makeup Revolution bandwagon. 

For £4 in the Makeup Revolution Iconic 2 palette you get 12 gorgeous neutral colours: a mix of matte and shimmer. It ranges from pearly nudes to classic shimmery browns to golds to muted grey. This palette is my only go to at the moment where previously I would use 2/3 at once. The colours are so pigmented but there is very little fall down during application. They blend out really well and harmonise with each other really nicely. You can achieve so many different looks with this from simple daytime to dramatic smoky for night. I find this palette to work best over the top of Maybelline's Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze to lock the shades in place. 

I can't believe how long it took me to buy one of these palettes considering the storm they've caused in the blogging world. The amount of comments on blogs I've written saying 'I've still to try this' or 'I must give this a go'! For £4 it is definitely worth it- even if like me you already have eyeshadow palettes coming out of your ears. My MUA palettes aren't completely forgotten about and will no doubt make a return when the initial infatuation with MakeupRev dulls, but even then, this palette is a strong contender for HG and will definitely be a repurchase. 

It's Worth The Hype!

Even those who have been living under a rock in the beauty blogging world (ahem- me) have wanted to get their hands on the much coveted MAC Velvet Teddy lipstick- a matte nude shade made famous by Kylie Jenner's signature makeup look. I often talk myself out of buying hyped up makeup- usually because its too expensive or because I worry I'll be disappointed. I have scrolled through endless photographs of swatches and picked this up at every MAC counter I've passed over the last year but I've never actually taken the plunge and bought it. Last week though I was so pleased to receive it for my birthday (ah!).
I absolutely love a nude lip and I have used this every day since I bought it. It is very close to my actual lip colour and is a perfect mix of beige and subtle pink tones. It applies completely matte and stays put for much longer than anything else I usually wear (a good few hours at least). Usually I find matte lipsticks drying but this isn't in the slightest. It also has the staple MAC lipstick vanilla scent. I'm so excited to try different makeup looks with this, wear it with liner and mix it with lip creams and other shades. It will be my go-to for the foreseeable and is absolutely worth the hype surrounding it.
What's your favourite cult product?