Tips on How to Get Smooth Legs

In aid of getting my body Summer ready, I have been using a few different products to make me feel a little more confident for when the weather picks up a little. I have been after some wax strips for my legs for a while; I shave my legs in the Winter, but for Summer, I feel waxing is so quick and easy and lasts a lot longer than shaving so when the weather is warmer or if I am off to a special event, I think wax strips are ideal.

I thought I would share a few other tips on how to get your legs feeling super soft and smooth.

• Cleanse and exfoliate - exfoliating the skin removes dead skin cells which makes the skin much more clear for hair removal
• Hair removal is personal choice - if you do choose hair removal you can shave, wax, use an epilator, hair removal creams - there a few different options. 
• Shaving is a great way of leaving your legs feeling smooth, especially when used with a shaving cream or body wash. Always be careful when shaving and don't share razors!
• Waxing can be expensive if you go to a beauty salon, so waxing strips can be ideal to do at home to prolong that smooth feeling on your legs. I have been using Veet's Wax Strips Natural Inspirations which are for normal skin. They are super easy to use by following the simple instructions on the box. They come with finish wipes too to remove any of the wax after use. They leave my legs feeling super soft and they work really well and last a lot longer than shaving, I would definitely recommend as they are reasonably priced too.
• Moisturising your legs after shaving will help to keep them feeling soft for longer.
• Drink water as this is proven to keep you hydrated which were help to keep your skin to feel smooth.

What are your top tips for smooth legs?

*Post includes PR sample*

Protecting Your Skin in the Sun with SmartSun

We all understand the importance of protecting our skin in the sun - it is extremely important that we use sun cream and protect our skin as much as we can. 

The SmartSun wristband is a really clever product which is able to measure the amount of UV radiation that you have been exposed to, and it changes colour according to when you need to reapply lotion or stay out of the sun. To use, you simply put on the wristband before going out into the sun and apply sun lotion to yourself and the wristband. It will change colour to beige when you need to reapply suncream, and will change colour to pink if you need to stay out of the sun,


I think the wristbands are great as they are suitable for everyone to wear, are discreet, waterproof, and a really handy and clever way to keep an eye on how long you have been in the sun and how long the sun cream we use protects us from the sun. These are perfect for both taking on holiday as well as using them at home when you are outside in the warmer Months. Being able to protect our skin in the sun is very important as the sun can cause serious damage to skin, so any product which helps us become more aware of the protection we need to use is always useful. 

The wristbands are available from Smart Sun UK for £4.99 for a pack of five. Each wristband is one time wear only.

You can keep up to date with Smart Sun UK by visiting their website and following their pages on Facebook and Twitter.

*Post includes PR sample*

Degustabox June 2015

My Degustabox delivery has become one of my favourite things to look forward to at the end of the Month. If you are unfamiliar with Degustabox,  it is basically a Monthly subscription service where you receive around 9-14 surprise food and drink products which are often new to the market or products you might not normally buy in the Supermarket. The box costs £12.99 per Month, which is a fraction of the price of the products inside the box if you bought them individually. I also have a £3 off discount code GUBN9 which you can apply at the checkout to make the box just £9.99.

This Months box theme was picnic inspired, really perfect for (some!) of the weather we have been having recently. I have been on a few days out, and also spending more time in the garden, so a lot of these items have been great to take out for a snack or a picnic type lunch. I am really impressed with this Months selection, everything in the box will be used (the majority of it already has!) and I have found items I have never tried that I am keen to have again. That is the main reason why I love Degustabox services, it allows me to try items I would usually walk past in the supermarket or products I have never heard of.

Maui & Sons Coconut Water | £1.50 at Primark
Maui & Sons 100% Pure Coconut Water is a light and refreshing alternative to sugar filled sports drink, and it has the nutrients and antioxidants which boost energy.
I have to be honest in saying I am not the biggest fan of drinking coconut water; but as I have heard it has good heath benefits, I chose to mix it with something else. I added this to a smoothie I made earlier this Week with fresh fruit and ice and blended it all together - the smoothie tasted great and I will definitely be adding it to smoothies again.

Zeo Carbonated Soft Drink in Zesty Lime | £2.49 at Ocado
Zeo Drinks are made up of 98% spring water blended with naturally extracted fruits and botanicals, and are just 30 calories a bottle.
I absolutely love these drinks and have drank them before. I really love the Zesty Lime flavour - it is so refreshing and I enjoyed drinking it on a warmer day sat in the sunshine. I have tried the Cloudy Lemon flavour too which I wanted to mention as that is another favourite of mine, definitely check out Zeo if you like a thirst-quenching drink.

Melba Thins Multigrain | £1.39 at Tesco
Melba Thins Multigrain are great to garnish with pate, cheese or salmon, and topped with fruit or salad. They are great if you are feeling a little peckish.
Unfortunately the packaging didn't quite make it in one piece when my box arrived (by no fault of Degustabox, its the couriers!), but the thins are fine and I am still able to use them. These are the only items in the box I haven't tried yet, but I am sure they will taste nice as I have tried Melba Thins products before.

Kallo Corn & Rice Snacks in Sea Salt & Vinegar | 70p at Tesco
Kallo Corn & Rice Cakes are flavoured with all sorts of savoury and sweet toppings, this product being Sea Salt & Vinegar. Each bag contains just 70 calories.
I really enjoyed munching on these before work Today, they are really tasty and I would love to try out the other flavours; Sundried Tomato and Herbs is next on my list! I think they are a good alternative to crisps and I actually found them a lot more filling.

Kallo Rice Cake Thins Belgian Milk Chocolate with Caramel Pieces | £1.60 at Tesco
Kallo Rice Cake Thins are thin rice cakes covered with a delicious topping, low in calories and gluten free.
I have tried Kallo Rice Cake Thins before but I had never heard of this flavour so I was eager to taste it. I can't believe how delicious these are, I just couldn't stop at one! They are so low in calories too so its a guilt-free way of getting a chocolate and caramel fix.

Enhance for Water in Apple and Blackcurrant | £2.49 at ASDA and Ocado 
Enhance for Water gives water a WOW, by adding a drop to water it adds a natural fruity taste. It contains just 1 calorie per drink and is a great way to enjoy a sweet fruity drink which doesn't contain artificial colours, flavours or added sugar.
I have tried a few of these products before and I really like that they are so handy for travel and I think they are such a good idea. This flavour tastes to me just like my normal apple and blackcurrant squash. It is fab for popping in my bag and taking out with me. Having this really does encourage me to drink more water so it is a definite thumbs up from me.

Vitvibe | £1.20 
Vitvibe are vitamin and collagen jelly snack which are a great way to eat healthily. They are made from a blend of real fruit juice, and packed full with vitamins.
As far as I am aware they are a fairly new product. They taste quite sweet and I can imagine these would be ideal to pack inside a child's lunchbox or good for a picnic.

Love Chin Chin £1 at Love Chin Chin
Chin Chin is a famous sweet snack which is popula in West Africa that 'crunches like a buscuit, tastes like a cake'. They are made from 100% natural ingredients and come in a variety of flavours, mine being in cinnamon.
I have never tasted anything quite like these chin chins before, there is nothing I can compare them with, but I do really like them. They are a tasty crunchy snack and I will be looking at buying these in the future, I think they make a great treat. I ate this pack alone but I would in the future serve them on top of a dessert as I think it would make a good topping.

Coconom Organic Coconut Sugar | £3.75 at Holland & Barrett
Coconom Organic Coconut Sugar is a natural alternative to sugar made from 100% coconut tree blossom sap. It is great for use in baking, on porridge, in smoothie and hot drinks. It includes no artificial flavours.
I had never even heard of coconut sugar before this box arrived, so I was interested to see how it tasted. I did wonder if you would be able to taste coconut. I added to my Morning smoothies and they tasted only slightly sweeter. I also used the sugar in hot drinks, where I found the drink tasted quite sweet but not in the usual way that the sugar I usually use tastes. I think it has a slight caramel taste to it and I have been using it in my coffee instead of regular sugar as it tastes like something you would get from a coffee shop.

Brioche Pasquier Chocolate Flavour Filled Brioche | £1.69 at Morrisions 
The brioche is filled with a chocolate flavour filling with a hint of hazelnut that makes an indulgent sweet treat! Suitable for vegetarians. 
I have tried these before and they are super tasty. If you like brioche or are a chocolate lover I am pretty certain you have already tried/love these. I like that they are individually wrapped so you can have them on the go or with a picnic. 

Brioche Pasquier Choc Chip Brioche | £1.70 at Tesco
 Brioche Pasquier Choc Chip Brioche is just like their traditional Pains au Lait but with Chocolate Chips. Suitable for vegetarians.
I think this is my favourite item from the entire box this Month. I am a big fan of brioche and the added chocolate chips just tastes delicious.

*Post includes PR sample*

*Any prices or offers mentioned in this post were correct to my knowledge at the time of posting*

Top Picks from the Joe Browns Summer Sale!

Top Picks from the Joe Browns Sale!

Painted Tulip Dress  Was £24.95 Now £14.95

Polka Dot Skirted Swimsuit  Was £39.95 Now £27.95

Funky Bow Court Shoes  Was £29.95 Now £19.95

Fabulous Floral Bag p59 Was £34.95 Now £13.95

Perfect Pointelle Cardigan  Was £24.95 Now £14.95

Mexicana Denim Skirt  Was £34.95 Now £21.95

Who doesn't love a sale?! Joe Browns Summer Sale has now begun and I couldn't wait to share with you my top picks! I am a big fan of the brand, I often wear their clothing and buy gifts for family from Joe Browns as I love the quirky pieces which you don't see on the highstreet.

These six pieces are my top picks, although it was difficult to choose just six, I think these items are right up my street. My favourites are the adorable swimsuit and the stunning funky shoes - I think they are so cool and all of these items would be perfect for Summer and for taking on holiday!

As you can see there are some beautiful and unique pieces with truly great reductions, I love a bargain!

You can check out Joe Browns Summer Sale catalogue here or browse their website here.

Natural Beauty Buys: Balance Me Revitalising Hand and Body Wash

When I use body products I love anything zesty or fruity scented - so when I spotted this Balance Me product online I just had to try it!

Balance Me are an all natural beauty brand that specialize in creating fantastic products which are really good quality. I have mentioned Balance Me on my blog many, many times before; because I am a big fan of their products and I am always recommending them to friends because I personally think they are one of the best body care and skin care brands out there.
I have tried a fair few of the Balance Me bath and body products, but I was interested in trying their Revitalising Hand & Body Wash. I had never heard of this product before, and as I don't often see many naturally - made hand washes on the highstreet, I thought it would be ideal to have this to keep in the bathroom for the family to use as a lot of us suffer from irritated skin and eczema.

The product smells really nice, it is quite an uplifting and almost fruity scent. Me and my Sister absolutely love this and we can't stop using it! It smells very zesty and its become quite a staple in our bathroom now. The body and hand wash loathes really well, it is a really good quality product and we use it as both a shower gel and a hand wash. After using this, my skin and hands feel soft and very clean. The pump is really handy too so there is no waste.
 I really recommend this product if you have eczema prone skin as it doesn't cause any irritation.It reminds me of a really luxurious product you would find in a fancy hotel!
The Balance Me Revitalising Hand & Body Wash is available to buy from MyPure online here.

*includes PR sample*

TV Shows I've Been Loving Recently

Game of Thrones | Sky Atlantic
With Game of Thrones back for Series 5 this Year, I have been super excited every Monday evening to watch the latest episode. I won't give away any spoilers just in-case, but so far I've found this series fantastic! I am so gutted Series 5 is now over!

Peter Kay's Car Share | BBC One
I didn't really expect to get as hooked to this show as I did, but I actually found it really funny. The show reminded me a little of The Royle Family in the fact that you only see the cast in the car. I hope they film another series or a Christmas special, Peter Kay and Sian Gibson make a great duo.

Drifters | E4
I was looking for something to watch on netflix recently and came across Drifters. It has some of the cast of the Inbetweeners Movie (the girls) and is about friends leaving Uni and their daily struggles in life. Its very funny and quite light - hearted.

Fresh Meat | Channel 4
Another one I have only just began watching but I find it absolutely hilarious! It is based on first Year uni students placed in a shared house because Halls were full. Its pretty funny.

ECOTOOLS Bamboo Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Set

Ecotools are a well-known make-up brush brand that are environmentally friendly. As I really like the brand, I do tend to look into them first when shopping for new make-up brushes. I came across the Bamboo Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Set whilst browsing online and realized I had never seen this set before. As the brushes are double - sided, I thought this set would be a perfect go - to kit for doing my eye make-up in a rush, travelling, perfect for my make-up bag and generally some good beauty tools to add to my collection.

The set includes a shade and define brush, which is perfect for applying eyeshadow, and to add a little more detail with the define end of the brush. I have used the Ecotools shadow brush before and I really like it as it packs a lot of product on and distributes it well. The define end of the brush is good but I don't really get a lot of us out of it; it is good to know I have it if I need it though.
It also includes a blend and smudge brush, that is perfect for blending out the eyeshadow, and the smudge end of the brush is good to smudge eyeliner. The smudge end of the brush is really good and works really well. The blend end of the brush leaves your eye makeup looking blended out and soft, I am so impressed with this brush overall, as I feel it is such a reasonable price for how good this brush is alone.


The set is so inexpensive at just £5.99 , I think that is really good value for money considering that the brushes are good quality. I feel that this kit would be good maybe for someone just starting out in make-up as well as long time beauty lovers, as the price is so reasonable and you get two brushes which double up as four, and you have pretty much everything you need to apply your eye shadow products with just those two. I find make-up brushes can be quite expensive if I am honest; but I feel Ecotools are definitely a really good quality beauty brush brand which are easily accessible and are low in price too.
The Ecotools Bamboo Eye Enhancing Duo Brush Set is available to buy online from Mypure here.

*Post includes PR sample*

Fathers Day Gift Ideas

With Fathers Day so very close now, I thought I would compile together a little gift ideas post as they always seem well received and to be honest, I love doing them! I love reading these types of posts myself to get ideas for gifts, so I hope this gives you a little inspiration. I've been looking online a lot myself for some Fathers Day inspiration, and I've found House of Frasers gift guide hub pretty useful!

Bulldog Man`S Best Friend Duo Tin | Stripe Socks | Personalised Hammer | Mens Grooming Gift Set | Paul Smith London Extreme EDT

A great gift idea is a fragrance - aftershave is always a good gift to give to a male, I've picked the Paul Smith Extreme EDT Spray as it a scent which is woody and spicy and I know my Dad would like. Personalised gifts are usually a good idea too, I really like this Personalized hammer as it a really useful gift and I know the thought put into the gift will be appreciated. The Bulldog gift set is ideal as it contains a few essentials in a nice tin which can be used again. Socks - an obvious choice but Dad's can never have too many can they?! The Men's Grooming Gift Set Box* from House of Fraser is jam packed with luxury grooming products which i'm sure will be well appreciated by dad, and it is such a good deal. 

The set includes: Elemis Spa Home Sharp Shower Body Wash, 2x Fuzzy Logic Strengthening Shampoo, Recipe for Men Ultra-Sensitive Shaving Foam,  Hanz de Fuko Hybridized Wax, Scaramouche & Fandango Hydrator, and a  Molton Brown Black Peppercorn Body Wash. 

If you spend over £10 on any beauty purchase online at House Of Fraser, you can purchase the Men's Grooming Box for just £20! So that means you could treat yourself, or even buy Dad something from the Beauty section online (maybe that aftershave he loves) and purchase the grooming box which is worth over £95 for just £20!

How To Keep Your Feet Looking Beautiful

As the Summer is coming up, I thought I would share my top tips on how to keep your feet looking beautiful. Our feet do a lot for us - we should look after them! 

• Moisturise your feet - as well as cleansing your feet every day, using a moisturiser or a foot cream on your feet will help to prevent any dryness or cracked skin. It will also leave them feeling super soft too, and smelling lovely! I have been using the Scholl Velvet Smooth Intense Serum recently, which is great to apply to your feet when they are feeling dry, as it really improves the appearance. I have noticed a huge difference in my feet since using it. 
• Exfoliate your feet once a Week by using a good scrub, which will help to remove dead skin cells and keep your feet looking healthy.
• Use a foot file or a similar device to remove any hard skin. Always be careful though!

• Certain shoes sometimes cause blisters, cracked skin or irritation, so it is best to ensure your shoes are as comfortable as can be. Insoles and Heel Cushions (I really like Scholl's Invisible Gel  Heel Cushions for nights out) are a great way to keep your feet comfortable. 
• If shoes do cause you any irritation and leave your feet looking and feeling sore, plasters will help to comfort your poor tootsies, I always try and be prepared for sore feet by taking plasters when I am off to a special event.
• Tackle fungal nail infections and any other foot infections (like verrucas) by getting them treated promptly. Always ask the advice from a medical professional if unsure.
• Feet sweat. It is a fact of life, our feet move a lot and do a lot, so it is completely natural for feet to sweat. Sweat doesn't create an odour; odours are actually made from bacteria in the shoes - something I only learnt myself recently! Using a shoe spray like the Scholl Fresh Step Antipersperant helps to ensure there are no odours from your shoes. It smells really fresh and has given my old running trainers a new lease of life!
• Have a pamper session for your feet - give yourself a foot massage, a pedicure, all that lovely stuff to leave your feet looking and feeling beautiful.

How do you keep your feet looking beautiful?

*Post includes PR samples*

Peanut Hottie Milkshake

With Summer so close now, its the perfect time to create some cooling and tasty milkshakes. I have teamed up with Peanut Hottie to create a delicious Peanut Butter flavoured milkshake using their very own Peanut Hottie. Peanut Hottie contains just 83 calories per cup - this is perfect if you have a sweet tooth and fancy a tasty low calorie milkshake.

I love anything peanut butter flavoured and I must say this milkshake tastes amazing! I use Peanut Hottie original for hot drinks on an evening, so it is great to know I can mix this with milk to create a yummy cold drink too! I am now hooked on the Chocolate Peanut Hottie version!

This little milkshake is so easy to do, I have included the simple instructions below so you can have a go yourself! Get Shakin'! 

Ingredients

3 Teaspoons of Peanut Hottie Original or Peanut Hottie Peanut Butter & Chocolate

200ml of milk of your choice

Chocolates, nuts, marshmallows (optional)

Serves 1

Method

Take the three teaspoons of Peanut Hottie and 200ml of cold milk, empty them both into a blender and mix to create a delicious peanut butter treat. Why not add a few marshmallows and sweet treats on top too!

Peanut Hottie is available from Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Booths for £2.99. Peanut Hottie is made with real peanuts, and it is free from artificial colours, egg, dairy, gluten and gelatine, which makes it suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

You can check out the Peanut Hottie website for more information and other recipes by clicking here.

*Post includes PR samples*

The Best Hair Serums

John Frieda Frizz Ease Original Effects Serum  link | Superdrug Style Expertise Anti Frizz Serum link

Just lately I have been trying to make a little more effort with my hair. It usually just hangs (for choice of a better word) limp and lifeless, no matter what products I use in the hope of voluminious locks and shiny hair. Hair serum has been a really great way of helping to manage my hair. 

The John Frieda Frizz Ease Original 6 Effects Serum (what a mouthful!) is great at combating frizz and controlling crazy hair. Only a little is needed as it goes a long way. I apply this mostly to the ends of my hair and work it through the rest; I usually avoid my roots and work the product into the length of my hair and this seems to work well for my hair. My hair feels and looks very smooth and silky after using this.

The Superdrug Style Expertise Anti Frizz Serum is another favourite hair serum. It is really affordable and works just as well as the more higher end hair serums. The serum helps to control the frizziness of my hair while enhancing my hairs natural shine. 

Do you use hair serums?