MoominTroll.

Second year of university is finally over with, and as a surprise my boyfriend booked a hotel in Wilmslow for the weekend, so we can go shopping in Manchester, which is my favourite place to go shopping.

Alongside this one morning I got a knock at the door and the postman gave me a giant box. As someone who orders a lot online I usually get really excited waiting for the postman, but this one left me confused as I could have sworn I did not order anything (I know I’ve said this many times). Nevertheless, I opened the box and there sat nice a pretty in the middle was this…

Everyone meet MoominTroll.

Moomin is something I used to watch when I was really little, and recently when we went to London I rediscover it as they have a Moomin store in Covent Gardens. There Moomin teddies are super soft and cuddly and utterly amazing, however they didn’t have any other then the display one in stock, so I left sulking and disheartened. However, it turned out that whilst I was hunting down a good place that did pancakes (I have a pancake and nutella issue) my boyfriend had gone back to the Moomin store and ordered me the teddy for when one had come into store. Its unbelievable that I actually didn’t notice he had done this, but what can I say, when I want pancakes the rest of the world sort of disappears. I know this isn’t a post I usually do, but Moomin is something I haven't seen for years and I thought he was utterly adorable, he's super soft and cuddly and I thought I would just jog everyone’s memory of how amazing Moomin is!

So Sorry.

Recently I finished a 5-week teaching placement, which not only left me stressed and drained but somewhat missing the outside world.

The one thing people don’t seem to realise is that teaching isn’t a 8-4 job, you then have to mark the children’s work, plan the 6 lessons for the next day and do each lessons resources, its easy to say I was going to work at 7 to then be up until 10 doing work for the next day.  Due to it being my placement we have to do a whole lot of extra stuff for university, which we wouldn’t usually have to do in the job. Therefore, for the last 5 weeks I haven’t been able to see my boyfriend as much, because between planning, working and sleeping there wasn’t much time for him in-between. Anyway, recently I finished the placement and my second year of university (YEY!) which means I have a long time off to spend with him, write blogs and generally do nothing much.

Ultimately this means I will be doing more blog posts, as I know I have been away for quite a long time, and I apologise so much for that, its just been too busy for me to write and review anything. So thank you everyone for being patient, and hopefully everything will start getting back to normal.

Super sorry again!

E x

RiceRoar.

First, I hope your all having a good Monday. The weathers been amazing here, I hope your all experiencing the same sunny weather and making the most of it.

I thought I would do a little post about my new iPhone case. Mainly because its truly adorable, but also because its by a brand I don't think many of you will be familiar with, therefore I thought I would introduce you all.

So here he is...RICEROAR!

Isn't he adorable. I first came across this very cute iPhone case online; noonthehighstreet.com. It's a really good website for very unique and different products, everything is made within the UK, most of which are made to order and therefore can be personalised. I specifically like it because its very rare your going to bump into someone who has the same thing...something I loath about the high street specifically.

After some looking around I found that the brand 'noodoll' have their own website, and their own little world as it turns out. It's a very cute brand which is very unique and have the most adorable products all based round a series of little monsters. 

The website explains; 'Noodoll is a fun, bold, design-led brand. We design and produce toys, gadget holders, stationery, accessories (and lots more). We’re based in London but we send these goodies, with lots of love, to lucky recipients around the world. At the heart of Noodoll are a cast of characters, both mischievous and friendly in equal measure. Made out of noodles and rice, these playful partners appeal to children and adults alike.' As an added bonus, they also are VERY dedicated to protecting the environment and make sure that everything they do is in a way which won't harm the environment...very cool Noodolls!

The website is really colourful, bright and easy to use.

Now onto the case itself. On the website they explain this iPhone case as; 'Brighten up every phone call with our new monster iPhone cases! With a choice of four cheerful designs you can pick a monster to suit your personality.'

I think it most definitely brightens up my iPhone, and since I've had it on everyone comments on how cute it is. The quality is fantastic and it fits my iPhone really well, unlike some cases which sometimes feel a little sluggish. It's slightly raised round the front of the screen so it protects the screen completely, which if you own an iPhone you will know, the screen can be rather temperamental.

In regards to delivery. I can't fault this brand enough, I ordered my case on the 11th July and it was on my doorstep on the 13th. I had to pay for the deliver, however for that it to land on my doorstep that fast, it was well worth it. Also, the packaging it came in was soooo cute, it just made the whole experience of receiving my iPhone case the most amazing experience ever!

If you want to have a look the website is; www.noodoll.com.

My New BestFriend.

About two weeks ago I thought I would treat myself...normally it would be a new bag, or another piece of unnecessary make up. However this time I thought I would push the boat out and buy myself something I really wanted.

ALL HAIL Dory...my new iPad :)

Now I already had one, we'll technically me and my dad were sharing, therefore I thought it was time I had my own. Plus, it's really helpful and useful for University and means I don't have to rely on writing as much anymore, which due to me having Dyslexia was a complete pain in the bum and a everyday struggle. Another advantage of having it is that I'm hoping it means I will be able to write more reviews...but at the moment I'm addicted to Hay Day, so thats taking up my complete attention..sorry university work :(

As you can see Dory's pulling off a very amazing pink leather case, which protects every inch of her, and also has three...ledges/ridges/things which means I can prop her up to watch films, read books and makes typing so much easier. I'm not sure where its from as my boyfriend bought it for me :)

Have you got an iPad, do you know any must have apps, if so please leave them as comments below, there are so many out there I cant make up my mind which ones to download...hope your all having a nice and lazy Sunday like me :)

Marshmallow Clouds.

Yesterday me and my boyfriend decided to go for a walk round Roundhay Park in Leeds. Granted its pretty far away from where we live, but it gets us out of the house on a boring Sunday and gets us away from South Yorkshire for a bit. If you live near Leeds and haven't been to Roundhay Park its really stunning with a massive lake and loads of woodland, its beautiful in spring/summer but its still nice during winter. Its definitely somewhere you have to go when you've got quite a bit of time free because even though we've been many times we still manage to get very lost and have to revert to the iPhone to find our way back on the right path. On the way home we nipped to the White Rose Centre, which is a really cute shopping centre, its nothing special but its nice for a change, it has all your usual shops; Debenhams, Topshop/man, Miss Selfridges, Superdry, Next, Boots etc. and of course no shopping centre would be complete without the Disney Shop. Now I know I may be 19, but I still love Disney, especially the films, however whilst having a nosy around I came across a little Thumper teddy, not only is he super soft, and super cute but he also smells AMAZING. However due to not having my card, I couldn't give in and buy it therefore had to leave with my head down somewhat sulking. 

However...when we got back to the car, a Millies cookie in tow, my boyfriend decided after decided that he wasn't hungry and didn't want a cookie, that now he did, so disowning me in the car he went skipping (yes he skipped) back to get a cookie (men these days!). Now...I not a genus, but he was gone for a VERY long time (probably about 10 minutes, but when your sat in a car on your own the time begins to drag) and not only had I looked through all my favourite blogs and made a list of "must research later" products I began to get bored and after a mass amount of texts asking how long it took him to choose a cookie he re-appeard, with a giant grin on his face and would you believe a DISNEY BOX! You can only imagine my childish excitement. Not only had he bought me the Thumper teddy, but also the Wonder fragrance which is in a hefty 125ml bottle, which is what makes Thumper smell so incredible. The description on the box says; a delicate scent of lemon sugar, apple blossoms and marshmallow clouds...and let me tell you...its amazing, its not something I would wear, as it states its a 'linen spray' however I would definitely spray all my bedding with it to make it smell lovely. If you haven't tried it and want something a little different, i would definitely say to go in and try it.

Once again the boyfriends made me a happy bunny (literally)!!

Up and Coming.

This is just a quick post about reviews which I'm planning to write as soon as I get chance, just so you all can see what's coming up.

- My New Favourite Haircare Brand
- The Best Light Weight Foundation

- The Most Dramatic Mascara Ever

- A Few Natural Beauties

Feel free to leave a comment below if there is anything specific you wish for me to do a post on
 :)

Winter Reading.

I know this isn't something you would expect to find on a beauty blog, however believe it or not its coming up to winter. With winter comes the cold, the rain, the dark night and means cuddling up in a nice cosy room reading a good book, or at least for me it does. Therefore I thought I would write a really quick post about my favourite 5 books over the past couple of months, and also about a few I cant wait to get my hands on...so lets begin.

Top 5 Must Reads!

Hunting Violet - Alyxandra Harvey

"Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts, especially since her mother has worked as a fraudulent medium for a decade. Violet has taken part in enough of her mother's tricks to feel more than a little jaded about anyhting supernatural. The ghosts, however, believe in Violet and she's been seeing them everywhere. One ghost in particular needs Violet to use her emerging gift to solve her murder . . . and prevent the ghost's twin sister from suffering the same fate." 

This book is just gripping from start to finish, and for me this is ridiculously rare. I have a really bad attention span, therefore if something doesn't grip me from the start...it gets ditched somewhere. Everyone really needs to read this book, its just a really good story thats forever developing and has millions of unexpected twists and turns along the way. Fantastic Book!

1984 - George Orwell

"Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, chief city of Airstrip One. Big Brother stares out from every poster, the Thought Police uncover every act of betrayal. When Winston finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and deadening, and awakens to new possibilities. Despite the police helicopters that hover and circle overhead, Winston and Julia begin to question the Party; they are drawn towards conspiracy. Yet Big Brother will not tolerate dissent - even in the mind. For those with original thoughts they invented Room 101...Nineteen Eighty-Four is George Orwell's terrifying vision of a totalitarian future in which everything and everyone is slave to a tyrannical regime. The novel also coined many new words and phrases which regular appear in popular culture, such as 'Big Brother', 'thoughtcrime', 'doublethink' and 'Newspeak'."

I'll be truthful, I read this in year 11, which was 3 years ago, and it was the first book I had ever read fully. Bad I know, but I found reading difficult, and this book changed all that for me...along with some help from my amazing English teacher who would explain parts of the story to me. Basicly its just a really good book, it opens your eyes to the world, and makes you think about so many different things you take for granted normally. A serious MUST READ!

Hush, Hush Series - Becca Fitzpatrick

"For Nora Gray, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgement. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her then her closest friends. She can't decided whether she should fall into his arms or fun and hide..."

This is the most beautifully wrote series of books ever. Becca Fitzpatrick has just explained everything in such a clear way it transports you there, you feel everything Nora feels and you get so drawn in it's ridiculously hard to stop reading once you have started. The series include; Hush Hush, Crescendo, Silence and Final (which has just come out, and I'm currently reading)

Daughter of Smoke and Bone - Laini Taylor

"Errand requiring immediate attention. Come. The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things. When Brimstone called, she always came.  In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole. Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought."

This is going to be the first book of a soon to be trilogy, which may just become the most incredible trilogy ever. I wasn't sure when I read the synopsis of this book, however the ridiculously endless raving reviews swayed my desision and i downloaded it, reading it during my holiday. I spend a week truly entwined into this book, its INCREDIBLE. There isn't anything else I can say about it because until you read it, you will not believe me how amazing this book is...READ IT NOW!

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads: 'Opens at Nightfall. Closes at Dawn'. As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears. Le Cirque des Rêves. The Circus of Dreams. Now the circus is open. Now you may enter."

Truly the most enchanting story I've ever read. Its stunningly wrote and it just flows so amazingly. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and glued to the pages its just that good. Its a true magical, fairy-tale-esk book, for those who have grown up, but not really lost there love and passion for fairy tales.

Now, its also important to note that I absolutely loved the Hunger Games books, however I really don't think anyone in the whole world has not read them, therefore I thought I would keep it off the list.

Books I can't wait to get my hands on...

Entwined - Heather Dixon

"Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her...beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing...it’s taken away. All of it. The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation. Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest. But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late."

Envy - Gregg Olsen

"Crime lives - and dies - in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka Empty Coffin), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen, so 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic 'twin-sense' to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits. Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined. Based on a shocking cyber-bullying true story, Envy will take you to the edge and push you right over."

Days of Blood and Starlight (Kindle) - Laini Taylor (sequel to Daughter of Smoke and Bone)

"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a new way of living - one without massacres and torn throats and bonfires of the fallen, without revenants or bastard armies or children ripped from their mothers' arms to take their turn in the killing and dying. Once, the lovers lay entwined in the moon's secret temple and dreamed of a world that was a like a jewel-box without a jewel - a paradise waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness. This was not that world."

Hallow Pike (Kindle) - James Dawson

I saw this in WHSmiths not long ago, after reading the back cover I was determined to find a Kindle version and buy it straight away. Here's the synopsis; "Something wicked this way comes...She thought she'd be safe in the country, but you can't escape your own nightmares, as Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she's being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn't believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn't believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you're alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hallow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps."

The Tooth Fairy (Kindle) - Graham Joyce

Firstly, when I know the title sounds pretty rubbish and child like, however from what the reviews are saying its totally mis-leading. Heres the synopsis; "Seven-year-old Same Southall loses a tooth, and that night he's visited by a sinister, rank, foul-mouthed, mercurial Tooth Fairy, a demonic being that apparently only he can see, be whose malignant influence spills over onto his family and friends. The Tooth Fairy stays with Sam throughout throughout his growing years, teaching him to make mischief at school, influencing his actions. One day she insists that Sam have his friend Terry sleep over. That same night, Terry's father shoots his wife, his other children, and himself..."

Im waiting for Entwined and Envy to be released in Kindle versions, however if they don't hurry up I may have to give in and buy the book forms. 

What's your favourite book/s?

Hectic.

This is a little post just to apologise for my absence over the past few weeks. This is purely down to me starting university and as its my first year its somewhat hectic. Im really determined to get back on track with my blog posts, however I do apologise upfront if there is a little gap between post, its just down to me not finding enough time between; university and work, to write one. 

Anyway, thank you everyone for being really understanding, and hopefully I will be able to post a few sometime this week as I have a few goodies which I cant wait to show you all!

Three Weeks Alone.

Its clear to say the next three weeks will consist of work, writing blog posts, university prep work and seeing friends I haven't seen in a long time. The reason for this...my boyfriends disowned me to go on holiday for 3 weeks with family. The reason I'm not there with him... not only do I have a new full time job, but I go to London for training on Tuesday for 2 night, and have House of Fraser training this weekend and next. Therefore I had to give it a miss...not impressed. However being a good girlfriend, I didn't think it was fair him missing out on family time to spend three weeks at home bored as I'm busy doing work related things. Its ridiculous how much I miss him to say he went yesterday, however being cute and so very sweet, he did buy me a new teddy to keep me company for the next 3 weeks and some pink roses (which are my favourite flowers ever) which I hope will last for 3 weeks.

Overall I thought I would let you in on the reason for the mass of blog posts which will no doubt follow, which is down to just shear boredom and to take my mind off missing him.

What do you do to stop you missing someone?

Oh-So-Sweet.

My Boyfriend Is Amazing!

My boyfriend doesn't do surprises very often, however tonight he surprised me with this pretty PINK (my favourite colour) rose. He'd bought it earlier today, whilst on his dinner break, and gave it me whilst walking round the woods with his dog, who is just adorable. I just thought I would upload a picture and tell you all about it, its something he doesn't usually do, and my blog is becoming something of a memory bank...therefore in some ways i wanted to document this incredibly romantic and cute gesture from him.

He's just amazing, I love him so much more everyday that passes :)

Whats the cutest/most romantic thing your boyfriends ever done for your?

Weekend in Manchester.

Best Weekend Ever!

My boyfriend surprised me with a weekend in Manchester, he literally only told me we were going like the week beforehand...somewhat quite worrying as hes not usually the SURPRISE type of person and leaves it to me to book everything...until now. We went this weekend, going dinner time Friday and coming back mid-day Sunday, and the whole weekend was just incredible and the weather was definitely on our side as it was so beautifully sunny and hot, which meant the dresses and skirts were out for the whole weekend (which isn't like me at all).

This post is just a quick overview of what we did over the weekend and where we visited.

Friday;

Friday was incredibly hectic, and the morning was focused primarily on packing and getting ready to go. My boyfriend had to go to work in the morning, however he finished at dinner so I had until then to get everything ready and sorted. I have to say, for a weekend, I had a lot of things with me, it was apparent I went slightly over the top packing wise. At 1 it was finally time to go, due to me never have been to Manchester before, it was easy to say I was incredibility excited. Instead of going to the hotel straight away, we decided to go to the Manchester City Centre, we thought it would be rude not to, especially with the sun shining. I never expected it to be as big, I think you could walk around all day and still not have seen it all because its ridiculously huge. However most of the best shops; Selfridges, Harvey Nichols etc were right in the centre, and you are forever surrounded by restaurants and cafes, so if you get peckish there's no worries about trying to find somewhere to go. The thing I was most focused on however was finding a Shu Uemura stall as I really wanted one of their lipsticks, there has been so much buzz about them that I really wanted to try one, and hopefully get treated to one by my amazing boyfriend. I finally found a counter within Harvery Nichols and the lipsticks are stunning (a review is to follow). One thing I have to say is that everything in Manchester, the shops, the counters etc are all really pretty and the designs are impeccable, they really focus on making there building look eye catching and really beautifully stylish, this definitely made the experience even more memorable. After a full day shopping and looking around, and a quick something to eat at Café Rouge we thought it was time to go find the hotel; which was actually a good 20 minute drive from Manchester. It was just out side of Wilmslow which is a very pretty little town. It was actually a really nice hotel and really quite with a pub/restaurant next door which meant we didn't have far to travel for breakfast, which turned out to be all you could eat which made my boyfriend a very happy person indeed in the morning.

Saturday;

Saturday we woke up early for breakfast and headed to the Trafford Centre at about half 9. The building is just mesmerising beautiful, I wish I could live there is so stunning...my mouth just dropped when I saw it. Inside its actually not that much different from the shopping mall near me, other then it had a John Lewis and a Selfridges, but overall the building and the feel of it was so amazing its really hard to explain how amazing it is just to look around and be there, everyone should really go because its fantastic. Whilst there I did buy a few make up things, which I will do individual posts on sometimes soon. The rest of the day was spent looking in  all the shops, and we even went back to Manchester City Centre for a change of scenery and bask in the sun for a bit. I did also get a SuperDry top, which I thought was really pretty. I did aim to get some holiday clothes however being 6'2 and a size 8, clothes have a tendency of stressing me out when they don't fit properly, so I just bought make-up mostly. On the way back to the hotel we did stop in Wilmslow, we thought originally it was just going to be a quite little town, with the usually shops boots, superdrugs, river island etc. However, it was definitely one of those, "don't judge a book by its cover moments", it was really nice, it also had a Hoopers which was something neither me or my boyfriend had heard of, so imagine our surprise when we walked in and saw Chanel, Dior etc make-up counters a massive Mulberry bag counter...its easy to say we were confused and somewhat shell shocked, it turns out Wilmslow is actually a very posh little town with some really massive houses which are just fairy tale houses that everyone dreams of living in. Overall it was a really lovely, chilled out day and I really loved it.

Sunday;

There isn't much I can say about Sunday, it was just basically re-packing everything and loading the car. It was weird because I really didn't want to come home, the weekend had been really incredible and we don't usually get to spend a whole weekend together because of him working and other things. We nipped to Stockport on the way home, to have a look around and get out of the car, it was just ridiculously warm even with all the windows down. It wasn't anything special, just a strip of shops like in most towns. I was looking for a SpaceNK however there wasn't one which really was quite disheartening.

Overall, the weekend was unforgettable. I was treated like a really Princess, and the weather just made it that bit better, I really do think the sunshine puts you in the best of moods, my boyfriend was also a real prince charming and as lovely as every. I really urge anyone who hasn't been to Manchester to really go, its a really lovely place to go, especially if you enjoy shopping, however I also saw many museums so I guess it has something for everyone there. The Trafford Centre is also someone I believe everyone has to go, even if its just to go and look around, the building is just stunning and something you would never expect to see. I'm hoping we'll be going back again at some point soon, as there is so much I think I missed the first time round.
Oh and by the way, in regards to my Manchester Dream List, which I posted last week...it sort of, pretty much went out of the window. I think I bought like 3 things out of the 5 on it, and one of them I bought before I actually went to Manchester (TIGI Dumb Blonde Smoothing Stuff). However I did buy many make-up products, so dont worry there will be at least 5 new blog posts coming shortly.

Have you every been to Manchester or The Trafford Centre, what did you think to them?