Review | Wahanda & Full Body Massage - Beauty Above

Hello my lovelies.

Wahanda recently contacted me & asked if I would like to pick a massage treatment* from their site to review. I'd never had a massage before & was uber excited to book one. Incase you've never heard of Wahanda before here is a little information on them...

'Wahanda is the online home for health, beauty and wellness, with comprehensive listings of spas, salons and health centres across the globe at its very foundations. You'll also find that it's decorated with expert tips and advice, with everything you need to know about treatments, trends and therapies proudly on display for all to see. So, if you’re wondering where your nearest spa is, whether to wax or shave, what to eat before yoga or maybe you’re just curious about colonics, at Wahanda you can gather together a scrapbook of everything you need to know and all the exciting spas and clinics around the world you want to try out.'

Before Wahanda contacted me I had actually used them in the past to purchase vouchers at my local hair salon. the booking experience is very simply, you just input what you're looking for in what area and you'll see what they have to offer. You buy an e-voucher which you print, call your chosen salon & take the voucher along with you to your appointment. Easy as peas!

After Wahanda contacted me it took me a little while to pick the salon I wanted, I didn't want to waste my first massage! i finally settled on Beauty Above in Gravesend, it had really good reviews & the lady I spoke to was really friendly.

Beauty Above massage room

After I booked my full body massage with Laura I was SO excited all week! When I arrived at the salon Laura was really friendly, she took my coat and talked me through what the massage would entail. I explained about my blog & she allowed me to take pictures. I took lots on the day but they didn't turn out too well, the only half decent one is the picture above so apologies for that.

I had booked a 90 minute full body massage and i have to say I have never been so relaxed in my life. Laura started off on my back & shoulder area, I've always suffered with tension in this area and she spent around 45 minutes working the muscles and popping out the knots, eww! She then moved onto the arms & legs, I found it quite tickly at first but soon got used to it. I go to the gym regularly so the muscles in my legs often ache, she paid special attention to this area & it felt amazing. She finished with a head massage, I can't comment on this too much as I fell asleep, how embarrassing! If anybody ever plays with my hair I fall straight to sleep, from what I remember it was lovely!

Overall I enjoyed the whole massage experience a great deal & will certainly be booking another with Laura very soon. I always thought massages were a waste of money, I would prefer to have something to keep like a new blush or lipstick rather than a massage but now I know what they're like I can't wait to book another!

If you're looking for a massage in Kent I would definitely recommend taking a look at Wahanda!

Are you a massage fan?

Sarah xx

*PR sample

Glossybox | July 2012

Hello my lovelies, it's nearlyyyyy the weekend, yay!

This month I was super excited about receiving my Glossybox, after seeing what other people had received I couldn't wait to rip open that cardboard box! Here is what I received...

July Glossybox 2012

This month Glossybox want to help you get festival ready, whether you're a Glastonbury girl taking a well deserved break this year or a wireless fan. Glossybox want to help you rock the festival look & get you feeling glam in an instant. 

Included in my July Glossybox:

HD Brows Foxy Eye & Brow Palette | I was beyond happy when I saw this,  I missed the HD Brows palette the first time around and have never let myself live it down. When I saw other girls had received it it I was praying to the beautygods I would too! I can't wait to start using this & will of course post a full review soon.

Clynol Enrich Colour Shampoo | Not the most exciting product & I don't have coloured hair but it was nice to see a shampoo, something I haven't received before. I travel quite often to see my boyfriend & hate lugging bottles of shampoo around so this should come in handy!

Monu Golden Glow | This is another first for me, I've never received a fake tan is a Glossybox before so it was nice receiving something different. I won't be using this on my face as Glossybox suggest but will certainly give it a go on my body. 

Jelly Pong Lip Frosting | I've heard of these before and I was really pleased when I saw this in my box. I tried it out almost straight away & I loved the colour and feel of it on my lips. It also smells & tastes delicious, I will certainly be getting a lot of use out of this!

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion | I'm a big fan of Elizabeth Arden & I'm always up for trying new skincare so was happy when I saw this included in my box. I haven't got much to say about this at the moment as I haven't tried it yet but if I like it I'll certainly let you know.

Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Skincare Samples | Also included in my box were some sample products from the Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference skincare range. As mentioned above I like trying out new skincare & will be giving these ago over the weekend.

Overall this has to be one of my favourite boxes if not my favourite Glossybox to date. I was over the moon when I saw I had received the HD Brows palette & I will use everything that was included in the box, a first for me!

What are your thoughts of this months box?

Sarah xx

Wishlist Wednesday... #5

Good evening cupcakes, I hope you're all well!

With it being payday next week I've been planning what I'm going to spend my hard earned dosh on, here's what I've got my eye on this week...

 1 River Island Striped top| 2 Korress Lip Butter 'jasmin' | 3 Phyto Phytoneutre Clarifying Shampoo | Select Studded Clutch | 5 Revlon Just Bitten Balm Stains

There's been alot of talk on the blogsphere about the Select studded bag & I can't wait to pick one up. I've also got my eye on the new Revlon lip balm stains, I need to refrain from buying them all!

What have you got your eye on this week?

Sarah xx

NOTD | Essie - Fiji

Good evening my lovelies,

I can only apologise for my absence, I've had some personal issues to deal with but I'm back on full form now! You might also notice I've had a little rejig on the blog, I hope you like the changes!

Anyway, onto the point of this post! I've been obsessed with this nail polish for the past couple of days  & keep reapplying it the minute I remove it.

Essie - Fiji

I can only apologise for the state of my nails, I need a manicure ASAP!

As you can see it's the perfect milky pink. It looks lovely with a tan & now the sun has come out I can see myself buying another bottle. 

I'm so happy that Essie is finally readily available in the UK & can see myself building up quite a collection!

What are your favourite Essie polishes?

Sarah xx

Blogging Tips | My Top 5 Blogging Tips...

Hello lovelies.

From time to time I receive emails from my lovely followers asking for some tips on how to start blogging. I'm by no means an exper in blogging in any way shape or form but now I'm approaching the 1000 follower mark I thought even if this helps one person it's worth it! 

I thought long & hard (minds out of the gutter please!) about what I would suggest to new bloggers, here is what I have come up with...

Rome wasn't built in a day:

I know that being a new blogger can be a little disheartening when you feel like nobody reads your posts and you have hardly any followers but you need to stick at it. When I first started blogging reaching 100 followers was a massive milestone to me, now I'm nearing the 1000 mark I really can't believe it. The more you post the more followers you will gain. Social networking sites can also be a great way of advertising your blog so get yourself on Twitter & Facebook and tell the world about your blog! One thing I would suggest is not to spam fellow bloggers comments with the link to your blog or giveaway, this can become very annoying. If a follower of mine regularly comments on my blog without a link I will always check their blog out & if I find it interesting I will always follow back.

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Picture perfect:

When I read a blog the first thing I notice is always the photographs that the blogger has used. Good photographs are very important for any blog, it's what people notice first and can help when you're trying to describe something. By good photographs I don't mean you need to spend a fortune on an DSLR camera, I used a basic digital camera for the first 6 months of blogging. Here are my tops tips for taking great photos:

Lighting | Daylight is your friend! Where possible always take photos in natural light, it gives a better representation of the product rather than taking a photo with a flash.

Settings | Most cameras will allow you to alter the default settings of the camera, do this! Things such as the ISO & white balance can be altered and it makes a big difference. Spend some time playing with your camera & you will produce much better photos.

Macro | Macro is a beauty bloggers best friend. It allows you to take close up shots without losing any sharpness to the image. The Macro setting is normally shown as a flower on most cameras, I cannot recommend this enough for close up shots. 

Editing | I use Photoshop to edit my photos but if you're just starting out or can't afford to purchase Photoshop there are plenty of free alternatives on the internet. Photoscape & Gimp are 2 of the most popular ones.

The final thing I would recommend in regards to blog photos is to avoid stock photos where possible. Photos you have taken yourself are alot more interesting for the reader and often give a better reprentation of the product compared to a professional image that has probably been edited to within an inch of it's life.

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Only Write a post that you would want to read:

This may seem like a really obvious point but only write posts that you would want to read yourself. Don't just write a post because you think it'll be popular or because everyone else is writing about the same thing.

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Be original:

'Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else.' Probably one of my favorite quotes ever. This kinda follows on from the last point but I just wanted to make a point of how important it is to be original. If all bloggers looked the same & wrote the same posts there would be no point in blogging. I read such a vast array of different blogs and love reading every single one of them. Be honest with your reviews, just because somebody else likes a product it doesn't mean you have to too. People will respect you so much more if you're always honest and write from the heart.

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Have fun!

The last bit of advice I have is just to have fun! Blogging should never be a chore, you should want to do it & you should have fun doing it. Don't get me wrong, taking pictures. editing them & writing posts can sometimes take forever and sometimes I really don't feel in the mood to blog. The hard working is all worth it when I see the finished post & my lovely followers take time out of their day to leave a comment. The beauty blogging community can be such a nice community to be part of, we all help each other out & get invited to some great events. I couldn't imagine my life without blogging now!

This post has taken me a few days to write & I can only apologies for how long it is, when I started I just couldn't stop! I literally could have wrote double this but the post is already longer than any post I have ever written. I might write a separate post at some point going into further detail about photography and settings on your camera but if I had done this you would have been reading this all week! If you would like any further advice or have any questions please feel free to either leave a comment or email me at the address in my contact section.

If this has even helped one person then this post was worth writing & I hope I didn't bore you all too much!

Sarah xx

Review | So... Sinful

Good evening dolls.

Whenever I see the brand So.... in my local Superdrug or Boots it instantly reminds me of my school days. So... was a big brand when I was 12/13 and many girls had a So... body spray in their schoolbag, me included! When Mimi contacted me asking if I wanted to try out a couple of So... products I couldn't resist, So... isn't a brand I would normally pick up as I associate it with teenage girls but I couldn't resist taking a trip down memory lane!

I was kindly sent the So... Sinful body spray & eau de toilette. The moment I saw the purple packaging I instantly recognised it from my school days, this was my signature scent when I was 12/13!

Here is how So describe So... Sinful:

'So…? Sinful is a combination of fresh strawberries and juicy pineapple for a fruity scent Followed by violet, water-lily and jasmine before over indulging you with a rich creamy vanilla and dark chocolate base for the ultimate sensual fragrance.'

I'm not very good when it comes to describing scents but I would I agree with the above, it's a very fruity sweet scent. 

So... Sinful Bodyspray:

As mentioned above I used to use these in my teens & it's so weird how just a smell can evoke so many memories! I find the scent of this bodyspray quite strong for a bodypray, much stronger than say Impulse or something similar. I found the scent to be a little over powering at first but it weakened a few minutes after application. This bodyspray isn't probably something I will repurchase again but I will certainly use it after the gym or for everyday use. 

So... Sinful Eau De Toilette:

Now for something a little more positive, I REALLY like this perfume! It's similar in scent to the bodyspray but it's alot lighter & fresher. The bottle isn't anything special but you wouldn't expect anything more considering the price tag. I've been using this as my everyday perfume since receiving it and the girls in the office were all asking what perfume I was wearing, they were shocked to say the least when I whipped the bottle out of my bag! If you're looking for a girly inexpensive everyday perfume then I would reocmmend giving the So... range a whiff next time you're in Boots or Superdrug. I'm so impressed with this perfume I'm tempted to pick up the others scents in the range.

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Overall I really recommend the So... brand. If you're looking for some inexpensive gifts for a pre teen or teenager I would thoroughly recommend the body sprays & perfume, you can even buy the bodysprays in gift sets which would make a great gift for a birthday or stocking filler. I really like the perfume and have recommended it to so many of my friends. So... is a brand I have overlooked in the past 5 years as I've always associated it with young girls & my school days but I will certainly be checking the entire perfume range out when I'm next in Boots or Superdrug.

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 So... Sinful Bodyspray is available in Superdrug priced at 99p

So... Sinful Eau De Toilette is available from Boots priced at £10.49

I'd love to know that scents remind you of your school days, I was a So, Charlie & Burberry Weekend girl myself!

Sarah xx

OOTN | Primark Playsuit...

Hello lovelies, I hope you're all fab!

So on Saturday it was my Boyfriends Mums birthday & we all headed out to the local Italian. I picked this new Primark Playsuit up in the week and thought it was a great opportuniy to wear it. 

Playsuit with belt - Primark

Bag - Faux Mulberry

Wedges - New Look

Necklace - River Island

The playsuit was also available in navy and I was really attempted to pick up both colours, at £15.00 I think it's a steal! 

Hope you all have a lovely week, at the moment I'm currently writing a blogger tips post so keep your eyes peeled for that later in the week.

Sarah xx

Review | Lush - The Comforter...

Good afternoon, happy weekend blogerinos!

I'm so glad it's the weekend, this week has felt like the longest week in history & I'm so glad I can finally relax. I'm actually going for my first ever massage this afternoon & I cannot wait, I will of course let you all know how it went!

Today I thought I'd show you one of my newest purchases, a certain bath melt from Lush...

 The Comforter...

Whilst browsing in Lush recently I decided to pick up the much raved about Comforter bath melt. I've seen this all over blogs & YT for years, I've never bought it because it's slightly on the pricy side but I decided to give it a go. 

This is what Lush have to say:

'This isn’t called the Comforter for nothing. We threw everything we had at this one, to make it warming, comforting and reassuring. We wanted a bath that gave the same sense of safety and calm that your favourite teddy, your comfort blanket or a snuggly scarf gives.

At times when you feel you need to protect yourself from the world  - immerse yourself in this pink bath and allow the familiar oils to envelop you in a comforting berry scented embrace.'

I completely agree with everything above. The comforter makes the perfect bath, it creates lots of bubbles & smells beautiful. It also leaves you feeling soft & well moisturised, what else do you want from your bath?!

Here is how I use it...

 I break the comforter into 5 pieces and use one piece for each bath. I melt the Comforter in my hand under warm running water & here is the result...

A pink bubbly paradise!

It took me ages to work out what the smell of the Comforter reminded me of then it hit me, Love Heart sweets! I love sweet scents so I was totally in my element but if you're not too enthralled with sweets scents this won't be for you.

Overall I can't recommend this bath met enough. I know it's on the pricey side but you will get 3/4 baths out of The Comforter which only makes it around £1 a bath. It smells delicious and leaves your skin feeling beautifully moisturised, the colour & the bubbles are an added bonus too!

If you haven't tried this yet I recommend picking it up next time you're in Lush.

The Comforter is available from Lush priced at £4.15.

Have you tried the comforter? if so what did you think?

Sarah xx

Haul | I've Been Shopping!

Hello my lovelies, I hope you're all ok!

I thought I'd show you what I've picked up over the past week, it's a mix of sale items & beauty items. Lets get cracking!

First up I picked up a few things from Lush...

Lush - Rub Rub rub Shower Scrub £7.75 | The comforter Bath Melt £4.15 | Happy Blooming Bath Melt £3.85 | Stepping Stone Foot Scrub £2.95

Next up is something I picked up from the Debenhams duty free offer...

Clarins Multi Active Day moisturiser - £39.00 £32.50

I recently picked up a couple of very similar nail polishes from Essie, they're different honest!

Essie Mademoiselle & Essie Fiji - £7.99 each

I've had a couple of Origins products on my wishlist for ages so I decided to finally pick them up...

Origins drink Up Intensive Mask - £20.00 | Origins Super Spot Remover - £12.50

As posted earlier in the week I hit the River Island sale and was lucky enough to get a wristband so got a further 50% off sale prices so I couldn't resist!

White & Navy Dress - £20.00 £10.00 £5.00 with wristband

Long cream top with flower detail - £30.00 £15.00 £7.50 with wristband

High waist navy shorts - £24.00 £12.00 £6.00 with wristband

I also picked this top up at full price...

London vest top - £16.00

The last thing I picked up was this Lipsy dress from the Bank sale, I've seen this in the shop a few times and have always really liked it, this is probably one of my favourite things I picked up...

Lipsy bodycon dress - £55.00 £19.00, what a bargain!

So that is everything I picked up, it looks like so much now I've photographed it all!

I'd love to know if you've picked up any bargains in the sales.

Sarah xx

Get An EXTRA 50% off In The River Island Sale!

Good morning my lovelies, I hope you're all well.

This is just a super quick post to let any River Island fans out there know that the River Island sale starts tomorrow & this isn't even the best bit!

Early birds who get to the store early will be given a wristband for a further 50% off all sale prices! In my experience of River Island sales this is usually the first 50 customers to each store so get there early to avoid missing out. Most stores are opening at 8am & I for one will be getting up extra early to take advantage of this awesome offer.

Will you be queuing up at 8am to receive a 50% off wristband?

Sarah xx

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things | June Favourites

Hello my lovelies, I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

Me & the boyfriend went to the cinema last night & saw 'The Five Year Engagement' and it was rubbish! It was far too long & is certainly one for watching n DVD and not wasting £20 in the cinema!

I can't believe it's time for my June favourites, this time last month I was excited to be going on holiday. How time flies! Here is what I've been loving this month...

 Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow Iced Gold | MUA Lip Balm Sweet Kiss | Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion | Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish | Clarins Liquid Bronze For Face & Décolleté

L-R | MUA Lip Balm Sweet Kiss & Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow Iced Gold

Jemma Kidd Dewy Glow 'Iced Gold' - I bought this product well over 6 months ago and had never really used it before this month. I've been using it as a highlight on the cheekbones and it just adds a lovely natural glow to my tan. I also find this easier to use than a liquid highlight because it comes in a solid compact with a large mirror, perfect for travelling. 

MUA Lip Balm 'Sweet Kiss' -  My local Superdrug only started stocking the MUA professional range a couple of weeks ago & I was so excited when I saw the new stand! I'd heard a lot of good things about these lip balms & I was not disappointed. This lip Balm provides a lovely sheer wash of colour &  at the same time feels like it's really moisturising my lips. I'm certainly going to pick up the other shades in the range.

Victoria's Secret Body Fragrance Mist 'Coconut Passion' - I picked this up in duty free before my holiday and have pretty much used it every day since. It's perfect for using on the beach, in the gym or just for every day use & it smells delicious. I can't wait for the Vicoria's Secret store to open in London so I can pick up more from the range.

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish - I can't count how many bottles of this I've bought & it doesn't matter how many other cleansers I try I always come back to this old favourite. If I'm having a particularly bad skin day/week I know nothing else will help my skin like Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish. I'm never without a bottle of this & if you haven't tried it yet I cannot recommend it enough, buy it now!

Clarins Liquid Bronze For Face & Décolleté - I know I mentioned this in my May favourites but this is still a firm favourite of mine & I've used it for the whole of June. I've got a lovely tan on my body from Turkey but was very cautious of burning my face so slapped a high SPF on my face. I use this every couple of days & it just leaves a lovely natural tan that matches my body. i recently posted a full review of this that you can read by clicking here. 

So there we go, my June favourites! I can't believe we're more than half way through the year now, where's the time going?!

I'd love to know what your June favourites are, what have you been loving this month?

Sarah xx