Oral B - Sensitivity & Gum Calm

Hello Friends!

It’s been a short minute. But I have some news!

I’m delighted to let you all know; that I was selected as an Ambassador to try out the new Oral B - Sensitivity & Gum Calm toothpaste. 

I’ve always struggled when it comes to my teeth. Cold and hot foods tend to trigger my gnashes into a frenzy, so I was excited to try this out as a product for myself. Not to mention this is the first product I have been sent to try and review, so this naturally adds to my excitement! 

So here she is, in all her full glory.

I’ve been using this for 4 days now, replacing my old toothpaste so I could give it my fair but full verdict. 

 

As a consumer, Just like you, I am without a doubt going to go to the first thing any of us would notice; the packaging. This sleek design would be instantly recognisable on any store shelf, giving us a clear indication that this is the Oral B that we all trust, the Oral B that has never let us down before. This, alongside the fact it is quick to point out exactly what this product is going to do. Which is exactly what we want. We want to know what this product is going to do for us, what is it going to help us achieve. Is this case; an easy and affordable way to tackle sensitivity. A common issue amongst the majority of us.

Now, to the important stuff. Does this product really hold up to our now exceptions? I’m going to highlight some of the key points I think we look for in our daily dental routine.

Texture

It’s a little different from my usual toothpaste. The only way I can really describe this is that it feels gummy. Soft but firm enough to get a good coating throughout your whole mouth. That pea-sized piece really does go a long way. This enables you to feel like you’ve really got into all those harder to reach places in your mouth. Don’t you just hate the kind of toothpaste that literally feels like water, and you feel you need to go in for another blob of your toothpaste? Yeah, well me too, and this isn’t that. Great!

Taste 

Not too minty you feel like you’ve just devoured a packet of soft mints, but also enough to give you that fresh lasting breath. It’s a nice mint too, almost like a gentle hug to your teeth! (Did I just say that haha). But seriously, using this alongside your normal mouthwash is enough to keep you going until your next brush. 

Sensitivity 

And now for the main part, what you’re all waiting to hear. Does this cure my sensitivity?

You know, I really don’t think any toothpaste is going to fully cure my sensitivity, more than a trip to the dentist. But does it help? Absolutely! After brushing in the morning, and going for that cup of coffee, I have not yet experienced any problems. Running my tongue along my teeth now as we speak, My teeth feel smooth. As if I’ve just brushed them. That’s a hit with me! And speaks for itself that it’s clearly doing some good!

My Verdict

Im really happy, but yet surprised by this toothpaste. I came into this with no expectations at all. Which may be why I am happily satisfied. But as we are being honest, there is just one downfall I feel the need to highlight.

Many of us tend to have more than one issue with our teeth, or something in particular we would let to gain from a toothpaste. Mine is also whitening. And unfortunately I feel that this did not give me what I needed in that department. So what I am saying to you is, if whitening is an issue with you, perhaps use alongside a whitening mouthwash instead. I guess that’s really no big deal. And after all, I think pain relief is more important than a cosmetic issue such as that.

Thanks for reading guys! See you soon :) xx

Six Corduroy Outfits

Alright, It's no secret by now; If theres one thing I am in love with at the moment - it's corduroy. I don't really know how this obsession came about, it just kinda, happened. And now it won't stop haha.

So I figured I would celebrate this, and put together a few outfits all based around corduroy pieces. I will list below all items featured! :) 

x

FIRST OUTFIT

Pink Pinafore Playsuit // Motel Rocks (similar here)

Distburbia longsleeve // Disturbia

SECOND OUTFIT

Button Down Pinafore Playsuit // Topshop (similar here)

White Longsleeve // Motel Rocks (similar here)

Shoes // Converse

THIRD OUTFIT

Polka Dot Pinafore // Topshop

T-shirt // Doomsday

FOURTH OUTFIT

No Hours Londsleeve // Dollskill (similar here)

Mom Trousers // Asos

Checkerboard Vans // Asos

FIRTH OUTFIT

Checked Pinafore // Topshop

Polka Net T-shirt // Asos (similar here)

SIXTH OUTFIT

Frill Sleeved T-shirt // Asos (similar here) 

Skirt // Asos

CHRISTMAS HAUL & LOOKBOOK 2018

HERE GOES NOTHING!

I did one of these last year and I really enjoyed creating it, so without further or do, here is the 2018 version. I will list links to all products (or similar items) down below, for all your shopping needs :)

Thank you so so much for watching. 

T-SHIRT DRESS // DISTURBIA 

- CLICK HERE

HALLOW COLLECTIVE T-SHIRT
- CLICK HERE

CHECKED TROUSERS // TOPSHOP
- CLICK HERE

VELVET CAMI TOP // BERSHKA
- (SIMILAR) CLICK HERE

BOXY T-SHIRT // TOPSHOP 
- CLICK HERE  

LACE HEM STRIPED TSHIRT // ASOS
- CLICK HERE

SHORT DUNGAREES // ASOS
- CLICK HERE

PLATFORM CONVERSE // ASOS OR ANYWHERE REALLY
- CLICK HERE

CORDUROY SKIRT // ASOS
- (SIMILAR) CLICK HERE

KILLSTAR SOCKS
- CLICK HERE

Smashbox // Cover Shot Metal Petal Palette

I've been a pretty lucky girl lately with the blessing of not one, but two new palettes, the Smashbox Cover Shot Palette in Metal Petal being one of them. I have had my eye on this for quite some time, and decided to cash out my Boots points and finally invest in it. 

I had never actually seen this palette in the flesh before; the only images I had to go by were some I found on Google, so it was pretty much me going in blind. First thoughts? If were being honest, I was pretty shocked at the packaging upon first glance. It came in a flimsy little cardboard box, which had a window on the front so you could see the whole front of the palette. I don't know if there is anyone else who thought this (let me know if you have one of the Smashbox Cover Shot Palettes, and you did), but to me it instantly looked cheap and 'tacky' - not something you'd expect from a high end palette. 

Because the packaging had a window, with no protective seal the holographic image on the front on the actual palette came all scratched. I was a bit disappointed in this. I like to keep my palettes looking fresh and cute. Nevermind, we can look past that.

As you can see the colour theme is a beautiful array of pinks - shimmers and mattes. I like to have a mixture of different finishes when it comes to picking a palette. However, I am a major fan of metallics and shimmers, so the fact that the majority of this palette was just that, was great by me! And I absolutely love shimmers. I kind of feel like the last brown shade didn't need to be there though, I already have WAY too many of them. Perhaps if it was replaced with another dark toned pink; I feel like that would have complimented the theme of the palette more?

So what are the pros? Because of the shade range, this would be great for both day and night looks; it's very versatile. The colours blend so well together and you can mix and match them up, to create several different looks; every colour works well together. 

A for staying power, this stayed put and in place all day, and as you can see from the pictures, they are very pigmented. I really didn't have to use a lot of product, or 'build up coverage', because it was already there; which makes it seem silly to complain about a bit of flimsy packaging! 

Huda Beauty // Topaz Obsessions Palette

If theres one make-up trend I have been living for lately, it would be without a doubt that orange eyeshadow look. All of the 9739737 palettes I already owned, just weren't cutting it. I was looking for a palette that had an array of orange and gold tones, but also to tick all of those boxes on my checklist of what makes a 'good', durable eyeshadow.

When I first got my hands on this palette, I was quite surprised at how small it is. But really, a little goes a long way. Each colour is so soft and smooth, which means that you can pick up a lot of product with even the most gentle touch. I truly think this will last me quite a while because of this. And on the plus side, it's going to be great for travel.

You would think that because of the product itself being so 'creamy' in texture, that you would have a problem with fall out. WRONG. I have been using this since Christmas, and I have used it every day, not having this problem yet. 

I read a lot of reviews about this eyeshadow palette before committing to asking Dan to kindly get it me for Christmas. They were quite mixed, but on a whole very positive. There were all sorts of comments on how they don't find the pigment of the matte shades weren't as pigmented, or how to metallic shades didn't come out as 'shimmery' when applied to the lid. I can safely disagree with these comments. This is probably the most pigmented and beautiful eyeshadow palette I own to date. With that in mind, they blend together so effortlessly.

After having this palette in my life for just over a week, I am already trying to hold myself from buying one of the other palettes from the range; Ruby Obsessions - I'm looking at you! For anyone else obsessed with that orange grunge eye look like me, I couldn't recommend this enough. And for £25, I say thats the ultimate steal. 

August Burns Red // Islington Academy, London // 13.12.2018

What a perfect way to end the year; August Burns Red with support from Wage War and Betraying The Martyrs. This was up there with 'best gigs of the year', for me. 

Below is a video I put together of a couple of clips I got from the show. Just a couple, as there is nothing more annoying than that person who stand there with their camera phone! hahaha! :) 

The Body Shop // Tea Tree Range

BEHOLD! THE HOLY GRAIL OF NIGHT TIME SKIN CARE! Well, let's be real here; just like any products, each individual is going to find products that work better for their skin than others. Something that works for me, might not work for someone else. Where as what works for someone else, may not work for me! 

But for someone who has tried and tested 92827094 different face washes, face scrubs, face masks (you get my point), I have only really got along with the Body Shop.

I have combination skin. I was blessed with the power of my skin to be greasy along with dry, and add on to that blemishes, spots, you name it - this sisters got it! Tea Tree for me, has always got along with my skin well. I always seem to find if it has Tea Tree in it - it's going to work for at least a little while.

The Body Shop, however, has not let me down (yet). So I have been using both the Tea Tree Face Wash and Tea Tree Night Cream for a good few years now - and I have never switched to anything else. I use the face wash twice a day as it is kind and gentle and makes your face feel all tingly - in a good way! Like it's all fresh and pampered. The night cream i use before bed, applying a thin layer all over my face. If I have a particularly lovely spot, I add a blob of the cream onto the spot, and I have found it makes the spot disappear quicker. I am not sure if this is how you are to use it, but it works wonders for me! 

Last month I decided to dive deeper into the range and picked up this '3 in 1' Tea Tree product. It claims to be a face scrub, a face mask, and a wash - all in one! 

I can now confirm after a month of using this; this product is just as amazing. The face wash claim, I will kinda ignore (I already have face wash *flicks hair*), but as far as scrubs go - it is gentle and does the job. Using it as a face mask is SO easy too. You apply a thicker layer, and it really drys down to a mask! Afterwards, you wash away and it also scrubs too!

One of the best things about all this, is these all last for AGES! Not to mention all the deals Body Shop do. I would say, if any of this rings familiar with you; try these products! This is me, your friend, helping you out, as a friend. You're welcome. 

:) x

Too Faced - The Sweet Smell of Christmas

I think we would be kidding ourselves if we didn't agree that it's a pretty exciting time of year! Christmas is just around the corner, and more importantly; all the limited edition Christmas makeup collections are being released!

As every year, the collection I anticipate most, is Too Faced. I have had a couple of lipsticks from the Melted Matte collection before, and I absolutely loved them. So there was no doubt about it; I had to have these!

In the set you get four lipsticks; Pumpkin Spice, Sugar Cookie, Cinnamon Bear, Hot Buttered Rum, ALL of which smell EXACTLY how they sound, and they smell so delicious! Each lipstick is a 'mini', and you get just under half the amount of product you would from a full size; each lipstick contains 3ml of product. Which for a retail price of £22 (plus discount if you get these from the right place), I would say that is well worth the price!

Top - Bottom; Hot Buttered Rum, Cinnamon Bear, Sugar Cookie & Pumpkin Spice

I have ranted about these before; but long story short, the product themselves for me, if were being honest, is not as good as the Jeffree Star Velour collection, but these definitely come close! They are comfortable to wear, long lasting, highly pigmented, have a beautiful smell, are easy to apply; but Jeffree just manages to outdo all of those factors. 

Scroll down for a closer look in my latest video! 

:) x

Hawthorne Heights // The Flapper, Birmingham // 22.10.2018

What a treat of a gig this was. Hawthorne Heights with support from Mark Rose of Spitalfield - like being in a time capsule. 

For a brief moment (hour or two) I forgot I was 27 and all my worries and fears were left at the door. I felt 14 again. That kid that used to sit in ICT lessons, trying to find proxy sites on the sly, so she could log in to MySpace and stream Hawthorne Heights and Silverstein tracks from their pages. You know, because I didn't have Sky TV back then, and the only way to find music was either from MySpace, Kerrang or the free DVD and CDs you would get from Victory Records. This is how I remember it. 

There was always something special about finding music back then. I don't think it's really quite the same now. I mean it's great that we get to discover music much more easily now, but there was always something fun about discovering music back then.

Anyways, back to the gig. I finally got to see Hawthorne Heights,  one of few bands from my childhood I have never tired of, or grown out of, and guess what; It's been a week and I am still pumped! Those are the best gigs, right? Where you feel on a high afterwards. 

x

Forever Came Calling & Handguns // Boston Music Rooms, London // 19.09.2018

What a night!!

It was so great to see Forever Came Calling again, and to see Handguns for the first. 

Fun story is the trains to London were once again terrible; apparently some party balloons were caught in some overhead wires, so instead of taking 40 minutes our train took twice as long, which meant we walked in as FCC were a song or two into their set. They were still great. PLEASE GO LISTEN TO THEM! They deserve so much more recognition. I've gone on about them a few times on my blog; there is reason for it.

After FCC, we were approached by their drummer. He was an eccentric fella, definitely had us laughing. Long story short it turned into a trip to find a cash machine with him. During this adventure he decided to tell us that the guitarist of Handguns was about to propose to his girlfriend, during the set we were about to see. I didn't think this at the time, but afterwards I couldn't help but find it hilarious that this guy had just told us something that was supposed to be a secret, and it may have got back to the other guys girlfriend if we had gone telling people and she may have overheard haha. He also asked us to come party with him afterwards, to which my awkward response was "WE DON'T DO PARTYS". 

As we were aware of what was about to happen, we managed to film the whole thing. First time I have witnessed someone propose, it was cute!

Afterwards we had to go collect Dans record from behind the merch table, as drummer guy said he would keep it there for us until the end of the show. I was given the task of asking Joe (the singer of FCC) for it back. I don't do talking to people, so this was a challenge. I got awkward and forgot to ask for a picture, though we did have a little chat, I told him about our train and he apologised (perhaps he had something to do with the party balloons). I did however tell him we saw him before with Four Year Strong, which was pretty cool, it's like we already knew him. Definitely now friends for life.

Heres a rubbish 30 second clip of Forever Came Calling and the full proposal video from Handguns.

:) x

How I Safely Lightened My Black Hair

I was asked by a lovely lady to do a blog post on how I managed to get my hair from pitch black, to the colour it is now (please don't ask me for the technical colour term, because truth be told - I have no idea). It is quite noticeably a lot lighter than what is was, and I had black hair for about 4 years prior. 

This is my hair currently. After allll the pain and suffering I have put it through.

A Brief Warning

Firstly, I want to state that I have no hairdressing experience, I am not a professional, so the BEST thing to do is to go to your hairdresser. But I understand that the hairdressers can be rather pricey, so I am going to tell you how I did my hair, whilst avoiding as much damage as possible.

My hair at the moment is not in the best state. You need to be aware of this before you even go near ANY hair dye. My hair is however in the best condition it COULD be right now, and that is mainly down to the products I have found that actually work (believe me, I have tried a lot of hair products), and putting time into this whole 'procedure'. 

Time

The number one thing you need to remember, before you do anything to your hair, is you are going to need to take time. Lightening your hair and getting it to the colour you want it to be from black is not going to happen overnight. Between every step, take time to let your hair recover. 

Prepping Your Hair

Coconut oil - your new best friend!

Before you even consider taking the first step; prep your hair! To do this I would recommend using coconut oil a few times leading up to the day you decide to put any chemicals on your hair. This will help make your hair stronger and 'arm itself' in a way. Your hair will feel so soft and smooth too. Honestly, this stuff is a godsend.

Coconut oil is used in cooking, you can find this in any supermarket. Its usually about £2-3. It comes in a solid form, but when it reaches above about 20 degrees it liquidises. You can melt this for a few seconds in the microwave. You can use this in two ways; Either generously smoother your hair in it an hour or so before you wash your hair, OR (and this is the best way to do so, and the way I personally use coconut oil), smoother your hair in coconut oil and put your hair up in a bun, sleep with it in, and wash out in the morning.

First Step - Strip Your Hair

This is my hair after stripping it once. As you can see, it has gone ginger on top and dark brown on the bottom - at least it wasn't black anymore!

If you can get away with it, I would avoid bleach all together. I know I am being a hypocrite here, because I did use bleach - we will get to that part soon. 

Using a hair stripper is a great way to start to process as it is not as harmful as hair colourant, let alone bleach. They say you can actually repeat this process a few times in a row and your hair will be fine - I did. 

The best brands to use for this are 'Colourless' or 'B4', which you can find almost anywhere. This basically penetrates your hair molecules removing all previous hair dye from your hair, it does not contain bleach. So what you are left with it your natural hair colour pigments. 

As I had dyed my hair many times before, I had colour build up on the ends of my hair. The top of my hair had obviously not been dyed as many times, so the colour was removed from my roots quicker than the ends. I had to repeat this three times. I then stopped doing so as I realised my ends were not going to go any lighter using colour stripper alone. This was because there was just so much build up from previous colours. 

Notes:

Although it says you do this multiple times in a day, leave a few days between each stripping session - just to be on the safe side! After each process, coconut oil your hair! In every session you may need to buy two packs if you have long hair, one pack may not be enough to cover your whole head. I have this problem!

Bleaching Your Hair

Hair after bleaching once. I didn't do the top bit on my first attempt, as I wanted it to match the colour on top.

Here is the more tricky bit. You need to read instructions carefully before you touch bleach. For this I would recommend buying Jerome Russell Bblonde High Lift Powder Bleach. This comes with 4 packets of powder. For every packet of powder you must mix with Jerome Russell Bblonde Cream Peroxide. Do not go any higher than 30 Vol with this. You can buy 40 Vol but that should only be used by professionals as it is so strong. 

On the left is the hair colour I last used,
to achieve my current hair colour. 

Use an old boil to mix in the sachet with the cream activator until its smooth. Use the directions on the back of the packet on how to cover your hair properly. Two packets and two bottles of cream activator should be used for long hair, like mine. 

If you would like me to do a separate post on bleaching your hair, let me know! 

If after you have bleached your hair once if is still not as light as you would like it, please make sure you check the quality of your hair first before doing the process again. You should wait at least 6 weeks before putting on any more bleach, to let your hair recover.

Notes:

If your hair is stretchy when wet, please please please do not do any more process to your hair. As soon as it started to feel  like elastic, move away from any more hair dyes. 

Orange Hair

So you may have noticed my hair was orange for a bit before I went to the colour I was now. Well, it was an orange, blondish colour which I actually really liked. 

If you are happy with how light your hair is when it reaches this point, but you want to take out the brassy/orange tone, you should buy an ash based hair dye which will get rid of those tones. Look  out for colours with the word 'ash' in it. Or you can do what I did...

My Current Colour

My hair currently. After applying a hair dye.

Here's where I went wrong. I originally planned on wanting grey hair. I was so set on it. I had the dye for so long, but I still wasn't light enough. I also couldn't / can't bleach it anymore yet as I know I have to wait to let my hair recover. So still having orange hair, I just went ahead and used the grey hair dye anyway. This has left me with the colour my hair is now. The dye I used was called Colour Freedom - Graphite Grey


Hair Care Products
I wanted to share with you a few products which; after years of searching, I have finally started to find products which actually work for me. Another thing you have to remember is not everyone is going to find the same products work wonders for them.

Though at first glance it may not look it, hair is very dry, flat, and annoying. I think it's important to splash out a bit on one or two products that are going to help your hair recover, or keep your hair healthy whilst you go through with lightening your hair.

Heat Protective Spray - I use the VO5 Heat Protect Spray, because it makes my hair feel soft, isn't sticky and if you didn't know otherwise you wouldn't know there is anything on your hair. It's cheap too! 

Argan Oil / Morroco Oil - I use OGX, Extra Penetrating oil, for dry and coarse hair. This one is little more expensive, but a little goes a long way. You need a pea sized amount. You can use on dry or wet hair, so it has multiple uses. I use it after I have towel dried my hair, and before I spray my hair with heat protector spray to blow dry my hair. It helps restore dry and damaged hair.

Shampoos and Conditioners - This is something I recently learnt. After trying so many different shampoos and conditioners. I found that most STILL left my hair feeling dry, even if it states it is for extra dry damaged hair on the package; it just didn't make sense to me? 

Keep on eye on the ingredients, avoid anything that says it contains silicones. It strips your hair of all the good stuff as well as dirt, and coats your hair in a sort of plastic, which when under heat (like hair dryers, or natural heat) this hardens and is what makes your hair feel more dry.

Loreal Elvive Extraordinary Low Shampoo is great to use in a replacement from your normal shampoo every now and then, I would seriously recommend this, but I wouldn't use it as an every day shampoo as your hair could start to feel greasy. Herbal Essences Bio:Renew is great for every day use, but make sure you get it whilst its on offer as this can be pricey. For an alternative I would use TRESemme Botanique Nourish and Replenish.

Coconut oil - We've discussed this one already. But this here is your reminder!

I think I have pretty much covered everything. If you feel like I have missed something, or you'd like to know more, or you have any questions, you can drop me a message either personally via email, or find me on IG! :) Thanks for reading! xx

Natural History Museum, Tring, Hertfordshire

When you think of The Natural History Museum, you probably think automatically associate the name with one of London's most known museums. You possibly forget that the one in London is just a part of The Natural History Museum, being one of three; yes it is the biggest, but you may or may not know that there is also a Natural History Museum in both Oxford and Tring.

I had been to the Natural History Museum in Tring once before as a child. I remember it as being one of my most memorable days out as a kid, with my parents. Walking around seeing all the preserved animals was something I found fascinating. From the largest mammals to the smallest birds, to all the different kinds of bugs and insects; there was something about seeing these species so close that felt absolutely mind blowing, and still does to this day on my second trip there. 

Being someone who watches a lot of nature and zoology documentaries ,It really puts into perspective the size of some of these creatures that you sit and watch behind a television screen. Just go and stand next to the tiger and stare it right in the face for a few seconds, and you really start to get a sudden fear. This is what I did. You really get a feel for just how powerful some of these animals are in the wild. I think it's easy to forget that, behind your television screens.

Tring itself was an absolutely beautiful town; I could really picture myself living somewhere like this, hopefully..one day, maybe? We did however underestimate just how long the walk from Tring station to the town centre it actually was. It took around 40 minutes, but I didn't mind. There is nothing quite like walking through nature and the countryside. Even if we was next to a country road, it beats the hustle and bustle of a city any day of the year.

I have said before but one of my favourite things is admiring buildings and architecture. One of the best places for this, is in a country town. So I probably got just as much enjoyment out of looking at the buildings, as I did the animals.