Morrison's Cocoa Butter Moisturising Lotion

I’ve treated myself to quite a few beauty related essentials lately. I used to buy body butters/moisturisers quite a bit although not as frequently now. I was looking on the Morrison’s website a little while ago at their own brand beauty products, and this popped up with lots of great reviews. It retails at £1.00 which is pretty extraordinary for 400ml.

The cocoa scent is absolutely stunning, and reminds me a little of the discontinued Boots Extracts cocoa butter range. The packaging is pretty standard, with its orange and brown design. The lotion sinks into the skin well, and the cocoa scent lingers on. This product is cruelty-free, and features the leaping bunny logo which I always look out for. View product online here.

I really recommend this product!

Do you have any skincare recommendations to share with me? :-) Xx

Beauty Haul (+ Eco-Friendly Item)

Welcome back and hope my readers are well. I have a beauty haul to share today, with mostly cruelty-free items, and an additional eco-friendly purchase. If you are looking to buy reusable make-up pads yourself, Gracie Goes Green ebay page is a lovely place to go. I bought a few make-up essentials, which are nearly all new to me, so I’m looking forward to sharing a few reviews here on my blog.

What I Purchased:

Ebay

Gracie Goes Green washable make-up remover pads. £5.25 (Buy here)

Morrisons

Morrison’s own brand cocoa butter body lotion. £1.00 Cruelty-free.

Superdrug

Barry M All Night Long medium cover foundation in milk. £5.59 Cruelty-free.

MUA Amplify mascara in black. £3.00 Cruelty-free.

Rimmel Hide The Blemish concealer in ivory 1. £4.49

Home Bargains

Carmex lipbalm. £1.69

Do any of these items interest you?

Do you have any related recommendations to share with me? :-) Xx

Recent Reads Reviewed #21

Billie’s Big Audition (World Elite Dance Academy) by Kimberly Wyatt – 4/5

Although this book was a gift, and not normally something I would pick up, I found myself enjoying it. The first in the series, we follow Billie who has aspirations to be a successful dancer. She has gone through some hardships, but applies to a world-famous dance school, with the support of her mother.

I found the characters were written well, each adding something extra to the story. The theme of friendship, tied the book together in a lovely way. The element of dance, was interesting to read about, and because of this I would like to continue with the series.

Jane Blonde Sensational Spylet by Jill Marshall – 4/5

The first in the Jane Blonde series. In this hilarious and often bizarre story, we meet Jane who feels invisible at school but then this larger than life woman shows up claiming to be her godmother. According to her godmother, 'G-Mamma' Jane is something special, and in fact a sensational spylet.

It was nice to read about such powerful, and go-getting female characters. It did take a while for me to get into the story but I found it to be unique, and engaging overall.

The Twelve Days of Christmas [Correspondence] by John Julius Norwich – 3/5

A young women writes daily thank you notes to a secret admirer that sends things from The Twelve Days of Christmas. At first she is pleased with her pear tree, but more and more strange things turn up and she ends up having to seek legal assistance.

This is a beautifully presented book, perfect to gift someone around Christmas time. The illustrations by Quentin Blake are as always fabulous. The story was above average but it wasn’t one of my favourites.

Paper Girls #2 by Brian K. Vaughan – 5/5

This is a wacky, sci-fi story about a group of teenage paper girls. The plot tends to veer off into random directions, so I’ve learnt to just go with it and enjoy it for that reason. The illustrations are fabulous, particularly the colour palette and the unique characters.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the Paper Girls series so far. It’s one of those times the internet made me get into it and who can resist those vivid, ombre covers? This series has inspired me to read more graphic novels. 

Monster Cake by Damian Harvey – 3/5

This was a short and sweet rhyming book for children. The story follows a baker, who makes a monster cake, and puts all kinds of bugs and things in it. I could imagine the very young thoroughly enjoying it and it made me smile!

The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees – 5/5

I was a little late to the party with the hype of this book, but last year I asked for The Curated Closet for my birthday. I found the book highly informative, and it has inspired me to elevate my current wardrobe.

The book has a technical method to finding your style, which I found refreshing and interesting. Fashion is one of my main passions, and while reading, I gained a new perspective.

I can see a wide range of people, benefiting from reading this book, whether you know a lot about personal style or not. It’s a beautifully presented book too, with minimal, photographs and text that’s easy to follow.

Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi – 5/5

This was probably my favourite book of 2019. The topic of social media, technology and the psychology of how it affects us is an important one that has interested me for a while. The author reflects on her experiences, including how time doing nothing can lead to new ideas. 

The writing was highly engaging, informative, and insightful. I wish I could more eloquently review this marvellous book, instead, I’m going to let you pick this title up, and find out for yourself.  

Out of these books, which have you heard of before?

Are you currently reading anything at the moment? :-) Xx

Original Source Water Infusions Range

Hope my blog readers are doing well. Today I’m excited to share my thoughts on some new to me Original Source shower gels. I think the water infusions range has been in the shops a little while now, and I’ve been wanting to give them a go. I treated myself to some for Christmas, and have been pleased with using them in the shower since.

Original Source is one of my favourite brands for shower gels, particularly for the scents along with the fact they are vegan. I find the branding really eye-catching too, so the products are easy to spot on the shop shelves. I wasn’t sure whether the water infusions were going to be as good as the standard range, I was worried the consistency would be a bit runny, but it’s actually a bit jelly/gel like, and easy to use.

Again I figured the scent wouldn’t be as strong, but both the raspberry and rose as well as apple and melon have a prominent scent, that is so fresh, and beautiful. I don’t have a favourite of these, I love them both! The retail for about £1 each for 250ml, which is extremely affordable.

Let me know if you are going to try these!

What shower gel do you currently have on the go? :-) Xx

Sophellie's Café Review & Tour

I’ve visited Sophellie's café a good number of times now so I thought it was about time I shared my review of it. It’s part of an open area with other things like Kirkleatham museum, a bird sanctuary, a playground and so on which makes it a good place to take families. I visit with my parents, and we tend to have a walk about on the grounds, visit the art exhibitions and go for a coffee in the café.

The café is fairly spacious, with big glass windows, letting a lot of natural light in. The staff are keen to assist and the prices are reasonable. We all ordered a very scrummy, enormous toasted teacake with a hot drink, and I went for a decaffe cappuccino. The coffee is always very good here. They do a nice selection of cakes too if you are after something indulgent. They also serve a range of tempting meals.

Do you enjoy going to cafes too?

Does this look like somewhere you might like to try? :-) Xx