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May Glossy Box | Unboxing


Hello Again,

It's been a while since I've done a Glossy Box unboxing so I thought I would show you what I got inside May's. If you want to see what I got, keep reading.

This months theme is Glossy Getaway, city breaks are now as popular as beach breaks (I actually prefer city breaks) so the team at Glossy Box decided to dedicate this months collectors edition to their favourite urban destinations. I got the green box which was, London. Which I was actually really happy with because I am going to London in July and I'm oh so excited! The four collectible boxes depict London, Paris, New York and Berlin and they were all designed by OMY Studio. (I always try to come up with good ideas of how to re-use my boxes and this months box is going to go to April so she can colour it in, I'm sure she'll love it).

Let's take a look at what products I got:


Absolute New York Velvet Lippie

"This pretty hippie glides over lips, delivering a slick of highly pigmented colour, which then sets into a plush matte finish." I got the shade Lolita, it's a very bright but pale pink, it doesn't really suit my skin tone as I'm quite pale but I think with a tan it would look nice. (by the by - it smells AMAZING). 


Cetaphil Gentle Cleanser

"There's a very good reason this gentle, soap-free cleanser has a whole host of advocates, from top dermatologists to celebs such as Alexa Chung. It's suitable for any skin type and soothes and nourishes skin as it removes every once of makeup." This kind of looks like it should be contact lens solution but I'm looking forward to giving it a go!


A few months ago we were able to choose which kind of Revlon Mascara we wanted and I went for the Ultra Volume. I have really long eyelashes so lengthening mascaras don't really appeal to me but anything that helps them look fuller I am good to give it a try!


Bee Good Youth enhancing plump and firm moisturiser

"This nourishing moisturiser works to plump, smooth and soften your complexion, leaving it dewy and glowing with luminosity". This sounds great, hopefully I can tick all of those boxes!


Hawaiian Tropic Protective Dry Oil SPF 15

"Whether you're off on a city break or catching the rays during a staycation, protect your skin and prolong that sun-kissed glow with this water resistant dry oil. The bend of cocoa butter, coconut oil and vitamin C nourishes the skin, while SPF 15 offers medium protection against UVA and UVB rays." I like what this claims to do but I am really put off by the smell (it's kind of like cat pee). I don't think I will be using this as if I think it smells like this I don't want people thinking I smell of that.


That's everything I got in this months Glossy Box, I'm excited to try most of the products but a few I think I will give away to friends - You can't like everything all the time.

Have you tried any of these products before? Let me know.

A day at Adelphi Kitchen | Restaurant Review


Hello Again!

Today I am back with a Restaurant review but this isn't any restaurant, this is Adelphi Kitchen. Adelphi Kitchen is a nice and homely restaurant in the heart of the city of Aberdeen. If you are a lover of seafood or meat or seafood and meat then this is the place to go. The team are lovely and very welcoming, it's really refreshing as you just know the staff love what they do. They work with local produce and a lot of thought has went into the menus.



The design of Adelphi Kitchen is really great. When you walk in you feel like you're walking into your home. Wood is a man feature at Adelphi which really helps make it look and feel rustic and homely. There's a large chalkboard wall which features the daily specials and a nice large bar in the middle of the restaurant. I also want to say that the bathroom has been designed so differently. There's a copper pipe with a tap that goes into a metal bucket - it's just all very rustic - right up my street. Let's get onto the food:

Here we have a selection of the starters. My personal favourites were the black pudding balls which were very moreish and perfectly spicy. Also the New Season Lamb served with a spring vegetable broth, broad beans and herbs - this was really something special!



Before we had Adelphi Kitchen we had La Stella and below we have one of their stars, the Mussels. Presented in a rather large pot, filled to the brim with creamy garlic west coast mussels cooked with cider and smoked bacon. Here we also have the Salt Cod which consists of tomato orzo, avocado and baby squid. I had never tried any form of squid before but this was rather good!



After all of that we were still to have Mains and Desert (don't worry, I had plenty of room of course). For the meat there was a selection of the Charcoal cooked Aged Ribeye which was very tender but the one that took my fancy was the Salt and Pepper Beef Short Rib which was served with charred artichoke, triple cooked chips, spinach, honey and a lemon glaze. This literally fell off the bone and is some of the best beef I have ever tasted. If you are a lover of ribs then you must try these. 

Onto the treasures of the sea, there was a wide selection more Mussels, North Sea Halibut cooked in a tikka sauce, Langoustine tempura, some Crispy Sea bass Fillet with caper pressed potatoes, dressed white crab. The Sea Bass was really great, this is what I would order when I go back, not if, when.


Desert tends to be my Favourite part of a meal as I have such a sweet tooth so if you are like me you need to try the deserts at AK. I tried three of the deserts (small tasters, not full slices, although - I could have managed). From left to right: 

Lemon Meringue Pie served with jellies, vodka raspberries and a yogurt sorbet. So refreshing and a nice take on a lemon meringue as it sits on a thin, wafer crust instead of a thick biscuit base.

My Favourite, the Chocolate Mousse Cake with handmade aerated chocolate - absolutely amazing (Chris Tanner actually came out with a Plate full of this and I had a couple of pieces, I wish they sold them in bar form).

Popcorn Pannacotta, strawberry arctic roll, peppered crumble, strawberry jam and all topped with popcorn - could you ask for anything more?!


I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Adelphi Kitchen, I was made to feel at home and the service was hands down a ten out of ten! If you're looking for a place to eat in Aberdeen then you should definitely try Adelphi Kitchen. Amazing vibes, amazing team and even more amazing food! Thank you very much to the team for having us and to Julia for inviting me along - you never disappoint.


You can find Adelphi Kitchen at 21 Adelphi, Aberdeen, AB11 5BL.

You can also find them on twitter: @adelphikitchen and on Instagram: @adelphikitchen 

Does it work?! The Nivea Men Post Shave Balm | Review

Hello!

A product has been circling the beauty world recently and it's not one that you would think! It's Nivea Men Post Shave Balm! Yes, it's what men put on their faces after shaving! Somehow someone thought this would work well as a primer and it's been a hit and a miss so I thought I'd get my hands on it to review and tell you what I thought about it. So, let's get to it!


My first finding was the fragrance - it smells really strongly of a man. You know, when guys get all done up for a night with the lads - that smell! But thankfully as soon as it settles into your skin the scent goes away! When applying it, it does feel like a non silicone primer which is good. When it settles in it kind of goes tacky which I suppose is a good thing because it helps your makeup stick!

I've been using this for over a month now and I have to say - it's a Hit for me! My makeup doesn't seem to budge and it looks fresher for a lot longer than it does when I use other primers. Because this works for me its a blessing really because it comes in a 100ml bottle so that a heck of a lot of primer!


I picked this little guy up from Boots for £5.35 - Bargain!

Have you tried this? Was it a prime primer or a manly mess? Let me know, I'd love to hear how you got on.

What's your style? | Bon Accord Summer Style 16

Hello Again!

The other week I was invited along to the Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen with some fellow bloggers to see what the stores have in for their Summer Style 2016! It was great walking around the centre just us and getting to have a chat with the different brands.

My favourite clothing store New Look was there and I enjoyed seeing what they had in store for Summer. I love their sunglasses so much so that I have a pair of the green bug eye lens. They also have some great handbags and cute little backpacks.


Monsoon is a shop I like to have a gander in mainly for accessorize and for some bits and bobs for April but they also have a beautiful Wedding range. April is going to be a flower girl for the first time so it was good seeing what they had on offer.


This little blue dress really caught my eye for her flower girl dress and this colour block skirt in Lovely - what?1 I need an outfit too!


Onto some beauty brands, we got to see the new collections from Dior, Clarins, Clinique just to name a few. Some that really stands out for me is the scent that was politely hovering around the Dior table and that was the smell of their new perfume Poison girl - I am obsessed! No. 7 also have these really bright lip balms - the coral - peachy one looks really beautiful!


It was really good being able to see these sticks in the 'flesh' because I've heard so much about them swatched on the back of my hand they are a good formula and pretty good coverage! Chubby in the Nude is also a fantastic name! 


Benefit also had a table full of goodies and I got to see the new Hoola instant tan and I have to say even for not being a tan lover, it looked pretty good! 10/10 for the packaging too, it's got it's own hoola skirt! (sorry there is not a photo the table was pretty crowded).

One of my favourite skincare brands was there and they have their new Rose and Cedrat fragrance of their Cleanse and Polish hot cloth cleanser and I can't wait to get my hands on it!


We then headed upstairs where John Lewis put on a little fashion show for us. The girls were great, wearing clothes from all different brands even whistles. It was great t see a different variety of clothing, from Cutlottes to Coats - In this weather you never really know how to dress, especially here in Aberdeen. They all had their make up done by Bobbi Brown and they either had a smokey eye and a nude lip or a subtle eye and a bright lip! They were all also sporting a bag by Coach. My budget doesn't really go that far, I bloody wish it did because take a look at this beautiful backpack! Isn't it just lovely?! 


Thank you to the team at the Bon Accord Centre for inviting me along, it was a great night - I now have a lust list as long as Union Street! Also thank you to all the brands that participated as they made us all feel very welcome!

If you're in or around the Aberdeen area you should head to the Bon Accord and see what the different stores have for this summer, I'm sure you'll find some beauties!

Your 5 - Fashion and Beauty | Union Square Aberdeen

Hello Again!

I hope you're all doing great! Today's post is all about the Your 5 - Fashion and Beauty event at Union Square Aberdeen. I was invited along to have a 10 minute consultation with either a Beauty stylist or a Fashion stylist so I chose Beauty. A lovely girl from Benefit asked me what kind of make up I would like, my choices were dewy, smokey eye or a bold lip and I went for dewy - always trying to catch that glow! (sounds like some sort of pokemon, I'll be the pokemon master of the dew).


I have never used any of the products before but being a beauty blogger I have obviously heard a lot about them. The makeup was good (sorry no photo, I completely forgot) but it did sit a bit heavy as it was put on top of the makeup I was already wearing but it was still good. I even went and bought Girl Meets Pearl and I love it, Hoola and the Rockateur and next on my list!


Union Square have an app which is available on Android and the App Store and on there you can see what's new, upcoming events and there's even discounts and competitions! If you'd like to find out more just download the App, "Union Square".


Thanks to the Team at McFrank PR for inviting me along and to the girls at the makeup counters. I enjoyed speaking about our little ones together. 

Body Confidence featuring my necklace from Trinkets Jewellery | Also all about Fiona's Campaign

Hello Again!

Today I want to speak to you about my journey trying to find body confidence and I also want to talk about a campaign all about #EveryBodyInAds.

Body Confidence. It's a pretty big subject these days and I think that it has taken me up until now on my 24th year in this world, to actually like myself and the skin I'm in. I find it hard as a mum raising a little girl because I know just now the pressure on young people not only girls, is so much and there's a certain category that society want you to fit in and if you don't then you should be disgusted with yourself and should change to fit in. Why is it this way though? I think that social media plays a HUGE part in this and pretty much everywhere you look you can find the 'perfect' body. As a bigger girl this has made me very depressed and I'm not using that word lightly, I have went through spells where I hate to look at myself in the mirror because what I saw was horrible. That is why I stopped making YouTube videos, I hated looking at myself when editing because all I saw were my flaws and that made me immediately delete that footage! 

But recently (and I literally mean like the past few weeks) I've noticed that I am really hard on myself. I don't look exactly how I'd like to look and yes I'd like to lose a little bit of weight but if I do I'll be doing it for myself and not because some magazine says that I should! I am in a happy relationship with a man who loves me for me. He doesn't look at me and see my flaws he looks at me and loves me. I have a little girl who looks up to me and loves me because I'm her mummy, I shouldn't be showing her that I hate myself because I don't want her growing up and hating herself!

So what I'm trying to say is that whatever skin you're in, whatever shape, size, colour or age you should love yourself because you are you. You only get to live once, live your life how you want to! Before hand I would never have put photos of myself like the ones below online but now I am not even thinking twice about it because why should I?!


Now for the campaign, Fiona De Buitlear is a jewellery designer for Trinkets Jewellery, from Ireland and she has a campaign called #EveryBodyInAds. Let's have Fiona tell us a little about how to campaign came about.

Where are the pictures of real women?

I was looking for some stock photos because I updated the website recently. I wanted to show some real women on the website. I could not find any pictures of "real women" on the stock photo sites. I don't know about you but I am a little bored with seeing all the same type of women and shots in websites, magazines and other ads. What I mean by this is stick thin highly glamorous women in their twenties or younger in very obviously "posed" shots. I do not have anything against such ladies but they only make up a very small percentage of people. There are almost no pictures of real women used in advertising. 

As Fiona has said she's not against any body type but she just wanted to see more of a variety so that's what her campaign is all about.


The faces of Trinkets jewellery

I do not have vast resources but at the same time I want to do something about this if I can. This is my idea: I am launching an initiative to find the real faces of Trinkets jewellery.  I will send a free piece of jewellery to any women who volunteer to allow me to use their pictures on my web site. They do not have to be models – I want to use pictures of real women!  I will just ask for a promise that she will send me some photos of herself wearing the piece and I will ship a piece of jewellery to her absolutely free. I will use these pictures on my website to show off my products. If the thought of your picture being used on a website to promote jewellery makes you a little queasy then please ask yourself why? This is a call to the women out there to take a step towards reclaiming their individual and collective self esteem. I know it's not a lot but I think that if enough of us start to make a change then together we can change the world!  

I think this is fantastic, Fiona's pieces are stunning and I love the piece that I got. It goes with so many outfits and I've been wearing it with pride!

If you like the sound of this campaign and would like to join then email Fiona: fionadebuitlear@gmail.com

Also go and have a look at Fiona's Website and her blog. Also check out her on Social Media.



I'd like to say a massive thank you to Fiona for letting me take part and for my lovely necklace. I love what you're doing and don't give up!!

North Hop Aberdeen | Craft Beer Festival

Hello!!

So when an email from the PR Goddess herself about a craft beer festival popped up in my inbox I knew it was going to be a good day! North Hop was coming to Aberdeen! North Hop was created to raise the awareness and love of craft beer among other things such as gin (yes, there was lot's of gin). I was allowed a cheeky plus one so Sam happily came along with me but we didn't really know what to expect but it's safe to say we weren't disappointed.



When we walked in with our North Hop glass we were taken aback by the size of it. There were long tables in the middle of the AECC surrounded by barrels of hay and around all that was a huge stage, stalls and stalls of different beer, gin, wine and cocktail stalls. There was even a Photo Booth, temporary tattoos by Rebel Tattoo and even a little camper van that was selling crème brulée! 



Once we had a walk round we settle on trying some Thistly Cross Elderflower cider and I wasn't a massive fan of cider but I can honestly say now after trying the Thistly Cross ciders I am a big fan - especially of their Real Strawberry Cider!!

Later on we tried some Brewdog beer which was definitely different, I went for a blackberry beer which wasn't my favourite but Sam helped me drink it! There was also a Mango beer by DryGate which seemed to be quite popular. 


A few others were Eden Mill, 10 Dollar Shake and solid liquids that were offering two bars specialising in gin and rum. 


Brew Dog had a really big truck at one side of the arena and there was such chilled vibe. You could get your beer, relax on a bean bag and listen to the love music or watch the live art that was being created just at the side of the truck.


I obviously don't recommend drinking on an empty stomach but all the street food vendors had taken care of that for us! There was so much selection from the Bay Chipper all the way from Stonehaven (their fryers broke down just after the second session on the Saturday and they had to get someone up all the way from Glasgow to fix it but thankfully they were up and running again by the end of the night). There was Real-Food that was selling amazing sausage rolls, my friends from Cue Barbecue were there making incredible burgers. There was nachos and tacos - basically everything that you could want you could get.



 If you still had room after all that which I definitely did there were deserts!! Crème Brûlèe made in a camper van, delicious popcorn by poporopo (I picked up some Gin and Tonic caramel popcorn which was incredible). I also have to mention by favourite food of the night which came from Stew 'n' Drews!! These men have some seriously good ice cream! We got to sample their whisky ice cream, Elvis juice and jet black heart which was made with some Brewdog beer then Drew asked us if we liked to try new things, we said yes and he handed Sam and I a spoon each with some ice cream on it. Guess what? The weirdest thing happened, the Ice cream went from cold to hot!! It was green apple flavoured which was the cold and then wasabi which made it taste hot, that was one of the weirdest things I had tasted but it was great. I settled on the Humbug and Blondie Brownie - they were great!


It was such a great night spent with friends and plenty of beer, cider, gin and glorious food! The live music was spot on and even Alice in Wonderland made an appearance (a hen on her hen night). It's their second year in Aberdeen and I certainly don't think it will be their last! Absolutely great job by all! Thank you to the North Hop crew for inviting me along - it was a blast!

The original Beauty Blender | Review


Hello Again!

Guess who's back? Back again? Sarah's back, tell a friend! Woo! (sorry) I'm back with a beauty post which I feel like I haven't had one in ages so I am back and today I'm talking about a cult product! The original Beauty Blender!!

Previously have just used brushes mainly but I have used sponges before for applying my foundation and I'm a great fan of the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge but the beauty blender takes my number on spot of a beauty sponge!


When I first saw it my initial thought was, 'oh that's quite small' but when you squeeze it under running water it practically doubles in size! The pointed end is perfect for blending in concealer and because it comes to a perfect point it gets right into the corner of your eye. I find that it applies foundation so flawlessly and I think it makes the overall finish really healthy and dewy.

Price Point. It's £16.00 - £16.00 for a sponge. But, it is really good and I've heard they're quite long lasting (unless your kitten gets it and takes a few chunk out - thanks Altas) so hopefully I don't need to replace it very often. Also they are now stocked in boots which is really good as before I've only ever seen them on websites such as Cult Beauty and Beauty Bay.

Overall it's great and if you're in the market for a new tool to apply foundation and concealer etc then I highly recommend the Beauty Blender!

See you next time

Why you need hotter shoes!! | Discount Code

Hello Again!

There's nothing worse when you have great looking shoes but after wearing them for 5 minutes, they're killing your feet! How does good looking shoes with the comfort sound to you, good? Well keep reading!

I was invited along to Hotter in Aberdeen to preview their new Spring/Summer collection. Now I'm not going to lie, I was a bit apprehensive only because I have always associated Hotter with mums and golden oldies but I was oh so wrong! Yes they do have shoes that your mum and gran would wear but they also have shoes that you would!

Let me tell you a little bit more about Hotter:

In February 2010 there were 5 Hotter stores - today there are over 80! They've expanded massively in just a few year. Hotter is the UK's biggest shoe manufacturer - making a pair of shoes every 20 seconds (woah). They started making slippers and now? They make shoes as comfortable as slippers (who doesn't want shoes that feel like you're wearing slippers?!?). Hotter shoes have comfort concept features in every pair and they even include wiggle room! The soles of the shoes are made in the Hotter Factory and are filled with millions of air bubbles! They stock ladies shoes in size 3 to 9 (which is really good for me as I have a size 9 - I know, you have found bigfoot). They even stock some half sizes and different widths which is very rare for a shoe shop to do these days!

Here we have some of their new floral shoes which include the Tara shoe (the navy skater shoe with flowers) I absolutely loved these! 


Sam makes fun of my 'taste' of footwear because he says that I like 'old lady' shoes but they're so fashionable right now and these little beauties are too - they are the Brieton Shoes! I love the chain across the front. They were super soft and had great cushioning all round the inside of the shoe!


Here's the Hotter Bus which has been winging it's way across the UK.


Now I got my hands on these cheeky little bad boys, Hotter's H92 - Feather Shoes! These are Hotter's lightest shoe and that really does make a difference when you're wearing them. They also have memory foam insoles so they literally mould to the shape of your foot and when you're not wearing them it bounces back! I have basically worn these every single day since I got them and I'm obsessed!!


If you want to get your hands on some great looking shoes with the comfort go give Hotter a try! The ladies in shore are very friendly and will help you find the perfect shoes for your feet!! If you do want to go get a pair or two then I have a discount code for you to get £10 off your first order and that includes free delivery! 

Discount Code: PPATEN

Terms and Conditions: £10 off plus free delivery on your first order only. You are entitled to £10 off the total order value of any full priced items in the Hotter range (excluding shoe care products and accessories) plus Free delivery. Minimum order valve £25. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or on Sale. Expires 30/06/16.

Thank you to the Hotter team for inviting me along and thank you to the lovely ladies in the store who stayed back to help us out. I will be back for more!!