Autumn Leaves Photo Series

Hi there! Today’s post is a photo series which I have slowly been incorporating more into my blog especially as they have been some of my most popular posts. I have noticed tons of autumn related content on other people’s blogs and there has been some really lovely ideas. I pondered over what I would like to feature on my blog related to this and decided to include some of my photography work.

There are so many autumnal gorgeous scenes out and about plus the leaves are such pretty colours. I didn’t have to go far though, in fact some of these are just taken in my garden. I’m loving macro photography at the mo and I find going right up close to a subject really interesting. Hope you enjoy this post, feel free to link your own autumn posts I would love to check those out!

What have you been up to over the weekend? Hope you are having a fabulous week so far!!
Love Helen xxx

Galaxy Hot Chocolate

I’ve mentioned my love for hot chocolate a couple of times now and you all seem to enjoy it too so todays post is a review of a variety I love… Galaxy! This brand are definitely known for their silky, indulgent chocolate bars but actually I think the hot cocoa range is also pretty on point and great if you are on a budget. I picked this box up in a discount store for only 99p which to me is a great deal.

It tastes like Galaxy chocolate, its rich, creamy and with lots of bubbles. Just add hot water and milk, a perfect way to warm up after a crisp Autumn walk. This was not the first time I’ve tried their hot chocolate, it’s actually probably one of the best you can find in supermarkets although I do have special place in my heart for the Whittard’s brand.

So are you about to boil the kettle and make yourself a hot chocolate? 

Do you enjoy trying different varieties? :-) xx

The Origins Ginger Range

So at the beginning of this year in the January sales I purchased an Origins Ginger gift set. I’d tried the Gloomaway range previously and has been my holy grail ever since. The ginger range was actually really amazing too, the scent is just incredible, I was literally blown away, almost on par with the Gloomaway range and that’s saying a lot as its one of my all time favourites.

So in this set I purchased it included three products firstly the Ginger Burst Savoury Body Wash, Incredible Spreadable Smoothing Ginger Body Scrub and the Ginger Soufflé Whipped Body Cream. Each being amazing in their own right, I was not left feeling disappointed. As follows a quick summary of what I thought…

Ginger Burst Savoury Body Wash
Such a treat to use, the scent was very prominent even after stepping out the shower. Such a luxurious product that wakes you up.

Incredible Spreadable Smoothing Ginger Body Scrub
I was impressed with the scrub, the ginger scent was just as good here as with the other products. It was a gritty scrub that left my skin feeling smooth after using.

Ginger Soufflé Whipped Body Cream
Really loved this, the body cream was just perfection and a great way to let the scent linger after you have showered/bathed. The cream sank in reasonably quickly too.

This gift set was originally £22 and reduced to £14. Unfortunately this particular set may not be available now. There is a new gift set that’s come out, it’s a little pricier but includes similar products, link here. If you are after trying the ginger range or want to get more info visit the Origins website here.

Have you heard of this product range before? Are you intrigued to try any the items mentioned? :-) Xx

Beauty, lifestyle etc. Collective Online Haul

I feel like I haven’t done a beauty haul in a good while, these are collective items I needed to either stock up on or wanted to treat myself to. My biggest splurge of the haul is the Armani perfume, I have got into the habit of buying a nice perfume a few times a year and now A/W is now upon us I wanted to get an appropriate scent.

I’ve been drinking lots of hot chocolate lately but wanted a healthy alternative or something for when I fancied a change. The Heath & Heather one was perfect because it included cranberry, which is so seasonal. Pukka love is a repurchase, I’ve been loving this one as it’s so calming.

I also bought some new shower gels which I’m looking forward to using as the rhubarb and vanilla one in particular smells heavenly. I was in desperate need of a new mascara, this one by Max Factor looked pretty good and got positive reviews, look out for my further thoughts in a review post for this and other items. And finally I got a shower mop and a sleep mask, which I was hoping would help me drift off to sleep more easily.

So what’s your fav thing I bought? Have you been online shopping recently? :-) Xx

Holland & Barrett Website

Pukka Love Tea £2.39 (Buy Here)

Heath & Heather Echinacea & Cranberry Tea £1.79 (Buy Here)

The Fragrance Shop Website

Armani Code Satin 30ml Perfume by Giorgio Armani £33.99 (Buy Here)

Wilko Website

Clump Defy Extensions False Lash Effect Mascara £11.99 (Buy Here)

Wilko Varsity Eye Mask £1.50 (Buy Here)

Fruits Shower Gel Passionfruit and Watermelon 250ml £0.95 (Buy Here)

Fruits Shower Gel Rhubarb Vanilla 250ml £0.95 (Buy Here)

Fruits Body Mop Purple £0.50 (Buy Here)

Halloween Inspired Baking

So Halloween is less than one week away and I decided I wanted to do some related baking. I made triple chocolate fudge cake with mini smarties on the top. It was made from a ready mix but there were quite a few elements that needed doing including creating the icing at the end.

The ready mix was by Asda and the name of it was ‘Great to Bake Chocolate Cake Kit’. The pack says just add milk, butter and eggs. I highly recommend trying out there range or even just having a Halloween inspired bake off. The smarties came separately, I just thought spelling ‘Boo!’ as the design would be a cool twist to a normal chocolate cake.

They claim it serves 8 but those would be very large pieces, the cake kept going a good few days in a family of four. Naturally I had taken lots of documentary photographs to include in this post so you get an idea of the process as well as the finished result.

Have I inspired you to do some Halloween baking? Do you like chocolate cake too?  :-) xxx

This Works Deep Sleep Stress Less Roller Ball

I thought this product review would be perfect for this time of the year as I’ve noticed This Works are really on the ball with their Christmas gift sets and people would benefit from me sharing my thoughts. I bought this product as a gift set back in the January sales, it came in a gorgeous Christmas cracker packaging design. I originally heard about the brand from Lily Pebbles YouTube channel as she thought very highly of the pillow spray.

So onto the review….I’m in love with the idea of this range, helping people to relax and unwind before bed. The 5ml bottle is perfect for travel. The scent is actually quite concentrated and has a menthol aroma. It’s a bit overpowering smelling it from the bottle but dabbing it on the wrists and neck is a lovely way to use the product.

In honesty I don’t know how much this product helped me to get to sleep but I think it’s a nice product to try and I’m in love with the gift sets they have come out with in Boots, I recommend you go over to check them out here. The prices of the sets are reasonable and a great way to try out the range.

So are you tempted by this? What products do you use to unwind? :-) xx

Castleton, North Yorkshire Tearoom Tour & Review

Today I wanted to share with you a lovely café I visited while on holiday. I really enjoyed the food and experience of the place and would definitely recommend to others who are visiting the area. And if you are not you can eye the lovely food and drink we had :-)

It was our first visit since the refurbishment and I loved the shabby chic cosy style. It was raining at the time and being inside this café was quite comforting. I noticed there were a lot of decorative mirrors which I had fun making into a photo experiment of mirrors within mirrors.

The owner of the place was so friendly and kind. We had a little discussion about how I like my eggs on a hot sandwich and I replied scrambled, she had never heard of this before but she catered for my wishes and made me smile! I was impressed with the menu in general as there were lots of choices and you could mix and match what you had.

My mum had the homemade soup which was mushroom and my dad had a seafood sandwich with side salad. I had a sausage and scrambled egg sandwich with side salad and a hot chocolate. It was all very nice, my hot sandwich was particularly yummy and my Mum was impressed with her soup. I can’t wait to return and try something else on the menu. The prices were so reasonable.

Have you been out to eat somewhere nice? Did you enjoy this post? :-) Xx

Carmex Lip Balm In Pomegranate

It’s that time of year when we need to change up our skincare just a little now we are getting into those colder months. I’ve found I have to pay closer attention to moisturising my lips so this product has been my go to and have been reaching for it daily.

Really this product is an essential for any time of year but with an SPF 15 it’s handy in summer also. I love the Carmex brand for lip balms, the tingling sensation when applying evidently shows its doing some good to my lips. The pomegranate scent seems fairly new to the range and I find it appealing!

My lips are softer and in better condition as a result. I bought the item online at Superdrug, the prices can vary but like I did search for offers. Click here to buy. Have you been using a lip balm more recently? What brand do you reach for? Xxx

Monochrome fashion haul, what I found In the Men’s department for myself.

A couple of weeks back I popped into Peacocks to do some Christmas shopping (Yes Its very early but love to be organised!). I was browsing the men’s department and spotted a few pieces that could easily have been worn on a female. The first item I saw was a bomber jacket, I loved the design and thought it would be easy to style. My eye was also drawn to a black ribbed jumper with a grey panel, I thought this look would fit the masculine vibe that you see on the women’s catwalk shows.

I had a scan through the men’s sale rack, often Peacocks do a really good selection. I saw this blue t-shirt, the colour was divine and at £5.00 decided it would work well as a lounge top. I had a potter into the women’s section and found a simple grey knit with a heart design on the front and after that I headed into the changing rooms. I had a few other items to try on but felt the three items described earlier were keepers.

So I’m getting into the habit of going into the men’s department, actually the tailoring and fit is really good plus men’s fashion is often more classic. I can’t wait to wear the items out and maybe pairing them with jeans or in contrast something quite feminine to balance out the look. Would you wear any of these pieces? What are your thoughts on unisex fashion? Have a great week! :-) xxx

Peacocks

Men's Baseball Jacket £18.00 (Buy online here)

Men's Colour Block Knitted Crew Sweater £16.00 (Buy online here)

Men's Blue Print Slouchy T-shirt SALE £5.00

Grey Speckle Knit Top £12.00 (Buy online here)