Review | & Other Stories Moroccan Tea Body Soufflé

Ever since & Other Stories opened its doors I've been in two minds about it. Everytime I've been I've struggled to decide whether I actually liked the clothes or not! I generally find that I only really like the bags, but they're usually rather expensive so I can never justify it! The last time I went in however I had a really good look at the make-up and bath/body range they have. I ended up picking up this Moroccan Tea Body Soufflé and I think I might be in love with the smell - is that even a thing??

As a 'soufflé' the moisturiser has been whipped within an inch of its life and is so light on the skin. It sinks in really quickly making it ideal for me. I really struggle with moisturisers that leave you feeling sticky and walking round like a madman for 10 minutes so you don't touch anything!

It smells gorgeous, my first thought was that I wanted to eat it which I always think is a good sign! For a more informed description though, the website describes it as 'crisp spearmint and lemon with a hint of cardamom and orange flower are combined with clean notes of cedarwood and skin musks topped with a pinch of brown sugar.'

Essentially its a really lovely moisturiser and even if the sound of this fragrance doesn't take your fancy they have a whole range to choose from! The pot is only a tenner, which seems pretty reasonable considering a little goes a long way with this! I've just found out that they do this fragrance in a hand lotion too.....may have to purchase that!

What are your thoughts on & Other Stories? Let me know :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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My Signature Scent?

I don't know about you, but I've been on the lookout for my 'signature scent' for quite some time now. I'm not a massive perfume collector, I only have four in my possession - and even that's pushing it as my Daisy by Marc Jacobs is definitely on its last legs, I'm just in denial! But, although I do like to mix up my perfumes from day to day I've always been looking for my perfect perfume. The one that I'll repeat buy year after year and will become 'my scent'. I think I may have found it in L'eau de Chloé!

This was such an impulse buy (which I generally find to be the best!) when I was waiting at Heathrow airport before my holiday to the big apple. I hadn't brought any perfume with me, as my current favourite is Dot by Marc Jacobs (I'm a fan if you couldn't tell ;)!) and if you've seen it I'm sure you'll know what I mean when its an awkward thing to pack! The bottle is just so big and such an awkward shape, so I settled for a Ted Baker Body Spritz instead! Anyway, ramble over - when I was perusing the shelves, (credit to the boyfriend here!) Craig pulled me over to the Chloé stand and I instantly loved this! Its floral but in a really fresh way! My favourite kind of smell! It was bought and I've literally been loving it ever since!

The perfume is described as featuring: sparkling citrus accords reminiscent of refreshing lemonade, accords of rose petals and natural distilled rose water that give a dewy character to the fragrance, and warm and elegant veil provided by patchouli.

It all sounds rather fancy! To me, its a perfect scent for spring/summer as its quite a light citrusy floral - really fresh and crisp. It was launched in February last year as a new take on the original classic Chloé Eau de Parfum and remains in the signature shaped bottle complete with pretty bow. This time however the perfume is a really lovely light green - being my favourite colour this is just another reason why I love this scent!

The only downside to this perfume it that doesn't have the longest staying power so for all day use a few top ups are required which obviously isn't great if you're going from day to evening and not retuning home! This also isn't great considering the price tag - but as I love the scent so much I think I'm willing to overlook it!

Let me know if you've tried this perfume and what you thought! :)

Aimée
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My Favourite Summer Blushes

Blusher may just be my new favourite thing to wear. A few months ago blusher would have been way down my list of favourite make-up, but now its a staple. I'm not sure what it is about the little pans of pretty colours, but I can't get enough of them. So I thought I'd share my three favourite blushes for summer with you.

Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Tipsy: This blush was one I picked up on my holiday to NYC a few weeks ago. I knew I wanted to pop into Sephora but I hadn't been sure exactly what I was going to buy. Although as soon as I saw the Tarte blushes I was drawn like a moth to the flame! I got the shade tipsy which is a gorgeous coral shade. The formula is so nice, really finely milled making it so easy to apply and blend. The colour is seriously pigmented too, so its definitely going to last me! The blush also seriously lives up to the 12-hour claim - a major plus for me when I have plans straight from work!

Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Pinched: I'm not sure how well you can see in the picture, but this blush has a considerable dip in it now from some serious continual use. The colour is just so pretty on the skin and really gives you a lovely glow. Its quite a pale coral - if you haven't guessed I have a slight love for the shade! Being a cream blush I find it applies really well with a Real Techniques Expert Face Brush and has really good staying power. Am I also the only one who really enjoys the screw lid to the pot?

Sleek Rose Gold Blush: You may remember that I reviewed this blush back in April, and I'm still loving it! The rose gold shade is so so pretty and the slight shimmer catches really nicely in the sunlight (if we had any this summer!). It gives quite a subtle glow, making it one of my favourite blushes for everyday wear. Its not as pigmented as the Tarte blush, but it definitely has great staying power and with a thrifty price-tag what's not to love?

Let me know your favourite blushes :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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P.S. Sorry for my lack of posts recently! Life has been seriously hectic but in many ways for good reasons :) I've got lots of posts lined up now though, with pictures all ready and I'm excited to get back into my blog! Also, please do follow me on Bloglovin', I'd hate to lose some of you lovely readers because of the google reader fiasco! <3

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New York, New Yorkkk.

I do apologise for the lack of posts recently, since flying home from New York (which involved a seriously stressful delayed/transferred flight and our luggage being left in America) I've been super busy and was away for the weekend at a Baking Festival (blog post to come!). I'm trying to get my life back in order now, and thought I'd share with you some (actually quite a few, grab a cuppa!) pictures of our holiday. I hope you enjoy being nosey :)

 

The Boating Lake in Central Park.

Breakfast outside the Rockefeller Center. 

Central Park Boating Lake.

Broadway Show TKT Booth. 

Ridiculously yummy Shake Shack lunch.

Lower Manhattan.

My favourite Bakery ever and the best cheesecake. 

Newsies was amazing!

My Dear Photograph inspired picture of my sister in NYC two years ago.

From the top of the Empire State Building.

An amazing Hans Christian Anderson sculpture in Central Park. 

New York was incredible. We had such a wonderful time there, and generally really enjoyed just walking around and happening upon new places. Until this weekend Craig has been living in Bangor, North Wales whilst I live down in London so having a few days to just enjoy together was so lovely and something I've sorely missed when being apart from him. It was SO hot whilst we were there, so we spent a few lovely days in Central Park just generally relaxing in the sun. Hello sunburn! We saw Newsies on Broadway, as we're both huge Musical Theatre fans and it was so so good! Its on its way to the West End soon and I'll definitely be seeing it again. We also ate. Like a lot. But I don't think that's a bad thing, especially when it contains my favourite Magnolia Bakery. The Caramelised Pecan Cheesecake I had was to die for. 

I was really sad to leave New York City behind, but I'm sure I'll be back one day soon. :) I hope you enjoyed looking at some of my pictures!

Aimée

Xxxx

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My First MAC Eyeshadows | Naked Lunch & Soba

At the start of May I made my first MAC eye-shadow purchase. I've lusted over the counter for so long, but never plucked up the courage (or money!) to buy one. But now, I have the start of my own little quad. I went very neutral, as I generally stick to more neutral shades anyway. I also wanted to get good use out of the eye-shadows to justify my spending!

I plumped for Naked Lunch and Soba and I'm really happy with them both.

I apply Naked Lunch all over my lid, and then add Soba to the crease before blending it all out. I love the really subtle effect it gives, enhancing my eyes just enough without making too big of a statement. Exactly what I wanted for an everyday look. :)

As you'd expect from a MAC eye-shadow the formulation is great and I don't find it creases at all on my lids even after wearing them the whole day. The pigmentation is really strong on Soba and Naked Lunch has a lovely subtle shimmer making it the perfect combination. I'm definitely a happy shopper!

I definitely want to add to my collection now, especially to complete my quad. I have my eye on Woodwinked at the moment, but maybe I should be more adventurous? What do you think? Any recommendations? :)

Aimée
Xxxx

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Flashback Friday Vol #4: Smells Like Teen Spirit

A few days ago me and my sister were discussing 'what we'd say to our 14 year old selves' if we could go back. Its an interesting conundrum and one I've pondered on many occasions. Not necessarily always on the age of 14, but those definitive teenage years play a major part in the person you become.

I found the picture above on my old MySpace account, remember those? Don't ask me how I could remember my username, but in many ways I wish I hadn't been able to see it again! So. Much. Embarrassment.

Despite the fact that I look like a ridiculous poser in the picture, I figured it captured that MySpace era perfectly, complete with the posed arm. What. A. Twat. Haha Please say you have these embarrassing photos too!? Anyway I thought I'd share with you a little list of the things I would say if I could go back and steer my little 14 year old self in the right direction.

PUT YOUR ARM DOWN. And stop taking embarrassing photos of your self. 

Put the eyeliner down - you have enough on already. 

Stop stressing that you don't have a boyfriend! It really doesn't matter.

Stop writing 'teehee' after every "funny" thing you write on MySpace/Bebo

Put the Nike Drawstring bag down and walk away.

Don't wear pigtail plaits with ribbons - you're not a five year old. 

And lastly:

It Gets Better.

Did any of these strike a chord with you? Any embarrassing MySpace photos lurking? Let me know what you'd tell your 14 year old self, I'd be really interested to know :)

Flashback Friday Vol #3: Dublin

Flashback Friday Vol #2: Class of 2012.

Flashback Friday Vol #1: An American Adventure...

Aimée

Xxxx

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My Travel Make-Up, Skincare and Hair Essentials.

If you follow me on Instagram you might have noticed my increasing excitement at my imminent holiday to New York City this Thursday! Me and my boyfriend are going on our first proper holiday together and I'm literally bubbling over with excitement. :) So in wake of this I thought I'd share with you my essential beauty bits that I'm taking along with me.

Firstly;

Looking at these pictures makes me think I'm taking a lot...but it really is all essential! I promise! ......

So skincare wise I'm taking my:

* Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes * Simple Oil Balancing Facial Scrub * Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream * Vichy Normaderm Micellar Solution * Soap & Glory Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser * Original Source Lemon Tea Tree Shower Gel * No.7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream *

Hair wise I'm taking:

* Aussie Miracle Moist Shampoo & Conditioner * Tresemme Extra Hold Hair Spray * Tresemme Liquid Gold Hair Oil * Lee Stafford Flat Iron Protection Mist *

And a few extra bits and bobs like:

* Aquafresh Toothpaste * Nivea Deoderant * Ted Baker Body Spray * Satin Care Shaving Foam *

Then onto the fun part of Make-Up! :)

I've given myself quite a few options here, but hey you never know how you'll feel on the day so why not!

Skin wise, I've gone with:

* Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 52 * Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in Medium 52 * Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light 2 * Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light * Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer in 002 *

Powder and Blush wise:

* Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Translucent * MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle * Bourjois Bronzing Powder in 51 * Revlon Photoready Cream Blush in Pinched and Coral Reef *

Eyes:

* Revlon Colourstay Liquid Eye Pen in Blackest Black * Bourjois Felt Tip Liner in Noir * MAC Quad Palette with Naked Lunch and Soba * Nars Isolde Duo * Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold and On and On Bronze * Maybelline The Falsies Mascara

Lips:

* Lush Lip Scrub in Mint Julips * Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti * Topshop Lip Bullet in There She Goes * Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose * Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Roomiest Rose * Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous *

And just a few extras of:

* Essie Nail Polish in Cocktail Bling * Essie Good To Go Rapid Dry Top Coat * Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes *

So there we have it, everything I'm taking with me to NYC. I am going to take a small bag with me onto the plane so I can take my make-up off when we take off, as I know its really bad for your skin to keep it on during a long-haul flight. But, these are the main bits I'm taking.

Let me know if you usually take this amount of products with you when you go on holiday so I don't feel quite so bad?! :) I am going to write some more posts now to schedule for next week, so you shouldn't even notice I'm gone. But expect a long picture heavy post when I'm back, or follow me on Instagram if you fancy being nosy before that! :)

I hope you're all enjoying the lovely bank holiday weather!!

Aimée
Xxxx

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P.s. All products that I've reviewed are linked  :)

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