layla

Tuesday, 11 February 2014

Shine Like A Celeb Body Cream Review

Hi everybody,

I hope you're all happy and well.
I recently requested a sample of Diamond Sparkle Body Cream from Shine Like A Celeb and it has arrived! I've been looking for a really good body cream with just the right amount of shimmer for a while now, and I think I've found it!!! 
My initial thoughts about the look of this product were positive. I like the little clear sample pot with the simple black lid. It looks clean and effortless. The full sized product looks even better and very classy.


When I opened the tub, I found that the cream inside was really smooth and looked as if it would glide on the skin. The scent is lovely, luxurious and smells expensive. It's not quite a fruity scent, but more of a high end perfumed smell. I couldn't stop smelling or touching my skin after I had applied the cream! It left my hand feeling super soft and nourished. It dries in under a minute and doesn't leave any stickiness. Perfect!


I love how the cream also gives a hint of shimmer without making the skin look glittery. I hate glittery skin!! It looks so tacky, however this cream is perfect for creating that slight sexy shimmer that we love. I've applied it to my hand so that you can see:


I can't wait to try this product on my legs and arms when I'm all tanned and ready to go out. It'll be perfect for making me feel more confident about my legs as I often feel that they look dull in skirts and dresses, especially in colder months. 

To buy this gorgeous body cream visit www.shinelikeaceleb.com
It's £38 for the full sized product and is totally worth it. 
Also find them on twitter @shinelikeaceleb for other products and great giveaways.

Any questions please done hesitate to comment!
Thanks for reading!
Love Kirsty xxx

Monday, 10 February 2014

Smear fear no more

Hi everybody,

This is my concluding post to the smear fear and smear fear follow up posts that I've already written. If you've read them you'll already know that I had my first smear test in October but the sample was inadequate and the lab couldn't process it or provide me with any results. I then had to wait for a letter inviting me to have another test 3 months later, which I have recently had. 
So I thought I would share my second experience with you in the hope that it might help more women to fight the fear of the smear test and to get it done.
I wasn't half as nervous this time as the last time, because I knew the procedure and what to expect. I saw a different nurse which bothered me slightly, but she was lovely and actually turned out to be more talkative and approachable than the first nurse although she was nice too.
She talked me through the procedure again and then proceeded to take the sample, which turned out to be harder than she had anticipated. Apparently I have a 'hidden' cervix, which means that it's tilted towards my back and it was preventing her from getting a decent sample, hence the inadequate first sample. It took ten minutes of maneuvering before she had to stop due to a little bit of bleeding caused by continuous swabbing. She was convinced that she hadn't got the sample  she needed and didn't want to send it, but I persuaded her to. I'm not going to lie, it was very uncomfortable but not painful. 
I left the doctors feeling doubtful and a little bit down. I was convinced that the nurse hadn't got the sample.....but I was wrong. My results came within the week and revealed that my sample was normal. I am very relieved! 
I will never ever miss a smear test, because they are so important and they help to save lives. Being uncomfortable for that tiny amount of time is well worth knowing that I'm healthy and well and if I wasn't I'd definately want to know.
So please ladies, do not fear your smear. It usually takes less than 5 minutes, and it's nowhere near as uncomfortable as you imagine. It could save your life and you could inspire someone else to have the test.

Love Kirsty xxx

Friday, 24 January 2014

Pesky Pet Problems

Hi,

I have been asked to write a post about my pets and my experiences with them, by My Pet Uk. By reading this blogpost, I'm hoping that people will be better prepared before getting a pet.
Visit their website www.mypet.guru or find them on twitter @mypetuk for news, pet product reviews and advice on all your pet problems.

'A pet is for life...not just for Christmas' 

How many times have we heard this warning before considering bringing a new pet into our homes?...a lot is the answer!!! And rightly so I might add.
My partner and I took this warning on board when we decided to purchase our first pet together. We decided to get a female kitten from our local pet centre, and keep her as an indoor cat. On the day, we excitedly went to the pet centre and chose from around 6/7 kittens, a little tabby one. We named her Lola. Here she is in the glass fronted section of the centre where we first saw her.


Cute huh? The perfect little addition to our household right? Well...sort of! We took her home, did all the necessary things to settle her in, got her a litter tray, food bowls, toys, a bed, treats etc and gave her space until she felt comfortable enough to approach us. As you can see, it worked! 


She settled in a treat at first but after a while, became very vocal and would meow all day and night (she still does this and often keeps us awake). She started to follow me around and would literally not leave me alone (also still does this..I can't even go to the toilet alone!). She scratched everything from the carpets to the bedding! She was becoming a right little handful. 
So, we had a thought. We would get her a little friend to play with...thinking that it may bring her round a bit and cure her boredom. Enter Lily! Here she is as a kitten.


She's the most gorgeous (biased I know) tortoise shell cat, with a gentle, relaxed and playful personality. Apparently tortoise shell cats are prone to being aggressive but we have never experienced this with Lily. She's the softest little thing ever! 
We bought her from a farm and the day that we brought her home, there was
carnage! Lola hated her and tried to attack her. We hadn't researched how to introduce cats to each other properly and had simply just taken Lily into Lola's territory. It was very naive of us to think that the two of them would get along instantly.
After a long while and a lot of effort (sleeping apart with a kitten each, taking a little time off work etc) the two of them finally got used to each other. 


They absolutely love each other now, and we can't imagine not having them both, however tested we have been at times.
We have had other problems with them both, including trips to the vets to treat Lily's teeth, which has cost us a lot of money! Having them both also means that we can't go on holiday without having someone to look after them. The fact they're house cats means that they aren't used to fending for themselves and can't be left alone in the house. Another thing we didn't think about! 
I'm pretty sure some people would have given up on them, but we absolutely adore them, issues or no issues, and would spend however much we had to to make sure they are both healthy and happy.
The purpose of this post is really to prepare potential animal owners for the issues that can arise once you get them home, no matter how cute they are! They do cost money, they need a lot of care and attention, and they do affect your lives. 
Also, research is key to a successful pet/ owner relationship. 
So please, remember a pet is for life, not just for Christmas or any other time of year for that matter! 



Thanks for reading,
Kirsty x

Friday, 17 January 2014

Hdbrow WOW!!!

'Never take advice from anyone with bad brows'.

I saw this quote on Instagram and instantly loved it! It's kind of true too, I would never take anyone with really bad brows seriously! Which is why I spend ages each day trying to pencil in my hideous natural brows...they are full of gaps, one is shorter than the other, and they never look neat. Until now!

Ladies...I've discovered hdbrows!!! I first heard of hdbrows on twitter, when I followed the fabulous 'Eye Brow Queen' Nilam Patel @EyebrowQueen. She had uploaded some images of eyebrow transformations and I was instantly interested. So I decided to purchase the pallet for myself and have a go!


The compact eye and brow pallet comes in 3 shades: 'bombshell' for blondes, 'foxy' for brunettes and 'vamp' for dark brunettes or black hair. Each pallet includes 4 shades to help you create your perfect smokey eye effect, brow colour and style. 


The pallet comes with a double ended brush for easy precision styling. I found that the tapered end worked best when defining the edges with a darker colour and elongating my brows, and the softer end worked best to highlight my brow bone and fill in the inner ends of my brows with the lighter colour.



I'm still getting to grips with the pallet, combining the shades differently each day to see what works best for me. The time it takes me to create the finished look is now under 5 minutes! 
Here is a before and after picture so that you can see for yourselves how the hdbrow pallet has improved the look of my brows.


The hdbrow pallet retails at £19.96 and is worth every penny. You can purchase it from the hdbrow website www.hdbrows.com ...and I highly recommend that you do!!! 

Love Kirsty 

Wednesday, 8 January 2014

5 things I just can't get enough of...

Hey everyone!

Hope you all had an amazing festive break and a happy new year...unfortunately I had to work the entire 2 weeks which was rubbish but I still managed to have some good times with the family which was great! 
So, this post is dedicated to 5 things that I simply cannot live without. I decided to write this so that you could get a slight insight in to my life (that's if you want to!) and so that you could perhaps begin to enjoy the things that I love! 

Number 1 on my favourites list has to be the vitamin e stick by The Body Shop RRP £4. Before this, I used to use Vaseline to relieve my chapped lips, but after deciding that it was too greasy for me, I looked for an alternative and found these little beauties! And now I cannot live without them. I have 3..one for my handbag, one for my bedside table and one for backup!!! They're amazing and leave your lips feeling super smooth. Apply before you go to sleep, and when you wake up the dry skin literally peels off your lips (gross but good). 



Number 2 on my favourites list is Special K Cracker Crisps! These have been a godsend to me through the last 4 months of my lifestyle change. I weighed 11 stone before September, and was eating loads of fatty crisps. I knew I needed to stop eating them but you could kind of say I was addicted to them! I embarked upon a healthy eating lifestyle and have managed to lose 2 stone, by limiting my intake of processed food and only treating myself at weekends, mostly to a box of cracker crisps! They are yummy :) You can get them for around £1.99 a box from Asda and Morrisons. They are gorgeous and a much healthier option to normal greasy crisps. The salt and vinegar ones are to die for.



Number 3 on my favourites list is dental floss!!!! Now I know this is really weird, but if I forget to floss my teeth before bed, I will wake up in the middle of the night and have to go and do it!!! I'm terrified of needing anymore fillings (I have quite a few) so I'm trying to do everything I can to prevent my teeth from going bad. There's nothing else I can really say about this one haha! 



Number 4 on my favourites list is my Primark pyjamas. I love pyjamas and have to wear matching sets all year round! I wear full length jammie bottoms and long sleeved tops from spring to winter! Again, this is weird I know, but I just can't sleep in tiny shorts and cami tops. I love Primark for pyjamas because they are less than £10, are really good quality and are cute! My favourite ones at the moment are ones my grandma got me for Xmas. They have little robins on the pants :) yes, I'm very easily pleased! 




And finally, number 5 on my favourites list are my two kitty cats, Lola and Lily! Lola is a grey and white tabby cat and Lily is a tortoise shell cat. We got Lola first, and then 3 months later decided we would get her a friend...this didn't go down well! Lola hated Lily, she would attack her and hiss at her! It was horrible. 4 years in however, and they love each other :) here they both are, like two peas in a pod. Crazy cat lady you might say..yep that's me!!!




Lots of love
Kirsty xxx



Saturday, 14 December 2013

My first Xmas jumper

Hi guys

I said I would show you all my Xmas jumper this year..so that's what I'm doing :) although this isn't the jumper I actually wanted to show you all but the new one hasn't arrived yet, so I thought I'd show you one that I forgot I had bought!

I haven't worn an Xmas jumper before because I tend to look really small and frumpy in them, however this year I've decided to go for it!! I'm getting into the Christmas spirit.

I bought my jumper 2 years ago from River Island for around £20, and then shoved it to the back of my wardrobe and never wore it! Until now! I dug it out, gave it a dust off and put it on..and I actually love it! It's so warm and cosy and I don't think it looks too frumpy!

Here it is...


Have you got an Xmas jumper? I'd love to see them :)

Love Kirsty xxx

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

My Perfect Primark Purchase!!

Hi everyone,

I've been looking for the perfect faux fur coat for absolutely ages...and with the winter months setting in, I decided to take a trip to the White Rose in Leeds. I didn't have very high hopes for finding anything I liked as I'm a bit inbetween sizes at the moment (I've lost 1 stone 6lb recently) but what do you know..I found a lovely faux fur leopard print coat in PRIMARK!!!!! I never find anything other than pyjamas and socks in Primark, so to find this coat was great. 
It cost me £35...an absolute steal considering the unusual excellent quality and fit that you usually associate with Primark. The print looks so expensive, and the material is soft and durable...and it doesn't make me look remotely like Bet Lynch!!!!!! Best of all, it kept me really warm and cosy over the bitter weekend. I love love love my Primark Purchase!!!!!! 




Do you have trouble finding clothes that fit properly in Primark?
Have you recently bought anything similar? 
Let me know :) 

Love Kirsty xxx