NUGG BEAUTY FACE MASKS

You guys should know by now that I am a sucker for a good face mask. There's nothing better than putting your feet up after a long day and catching up on soaps whilst pampering yourself. 

The lovely team at Nugg very kindly sent me two of their masks to review. My skin type is normal but can be quite oily so I was recommended their hydrating and deep cleansing masks. As well as the hydrating and deep cleansing masks, Nugg also have other masks targeted at different skin types. These include: soothing, revitalising, exfoliating and anti ageing.

I have seen so many bloggers rave about these so I was pretty darn excited to try them out for myself. The packaging is super cute and the perfect size for travel. 

 

  

These masks are really easy to use, just peel back the lid and apply generously and evenly to the face and neck. I popped the masks in the fridge for about 10 minutes before applying them to give me a cooling sensation - this was so refreshing as it was a super hot day when I was testing them out. After about 15 minutes, all that's left to do is to wipe it away with a wet cloth.

The texture is light and non sticky. I have found in the past that some face masks can feel really heavy on the skin, but thank fully these weren't. 

Out of the two, my favourite was the deep cleansing mask. The cucumber was really refreshing and took away a bit of shine. Both masks left my skin feeling soft and hydrated.

My only concern is that I personally think that there is too much product in the pods and therefore they should consider making the lid resealable for further applications. Besides the packaging, I really recommend Nugg face masks. They are really affordable and have great results. A pack of 4 is available to buy here, for just £13.00.

Let me know which ones are your favourites!
Love, Maddie x

BIRCHBOX JULY 2016 - NEVER-ENDING SUMMER

This month, Birchbox teamed up with style icon Millie Mackintosh for July's box design and an exclusive lip product. Theres so much to love in this months box! First of all there is TWO full sized products, and the chance to choose a John Frieda hair product. At the end of my post is a link in which you can earn £5 when you sign up to Birchbox.

LOCxMillie Ultra-Gloss Lip Pencil in Bohemian Rose - RRP £9

First up is this LOC lip crayon designed by Millie Mackintosh herself. She certainly has great taste as this is going to be a winner with everyone. The colour is really summery and can be worn both day and night. Its really easy to apply, and unlike other gloss lipsticks, this one ISNT sticky!! Hallelujah!

John Frieda Frizz Ease - RRP £9.99

Next up is a full size John Frieda Fizz Ease Forever Smooth Anti-Frizz Primer - gosh, what a mouthful! This is designed to fight the frizz by realigning the structure of your hair. I must say that this is my favourite product in this months box. Every subscriber has the choice of the Frizz Ease or the Luxurious Volume 7 Day In-Shower Treatment.

Nails Inc Nail Varnish - RRP £15

Also in this months box is a mini nail varnish from Nails Inc. I got a gorgeous blue shade called Chelsea Physic Garden. Its a lovely summery shade and will look amazing with a tan on holiday. I am so happy with this one as surprisingly, I don't own a blue nail polish - shock right?! 

Elemis Hydra-nourish Night Cream - RRP £43

I also got a 15ml sample of this Elemis night cream which I am yet to try out. It is designed to bring skin back to life and rehydrate your complexion. Whats also interesting is that it has silk tree extracts which helps reduce the signs of fatigue.

Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Mask - RRP £19.99 for 4

Finally we have a moisture boosting face mask from a brand called Indeed Labs. I had never heard of this brand until now so I am excited to try them out and see the results. These masks work by slowly releasing hyaluronic acid into the skin to relieve dry skin. These masks look so cool and I cant wait to try them out tonight!

If you would like to treat yourself to your very own Birchbox, use my referral link to sign up and you will receive 50 points (worth £5) to spend in the birchbox store. If you are signed up to Unidays you will also get a massive 50% off of your first box. 

Love, Maddie x

MY GO TO EYESHADOW PALETTES - THE BALM

The Balm has to be one of my favourite make up brands out there. The quality of their products is incredible and such good value for money. Can we also talk about how damn cool their packaging is?!! I'm going to be talking a little bit about my favourite eye shadow palettes. 

The first palette I want to talk about is The Balms Nude Tude. Each shade is extremely pigmented and blends like dream. I tend to use the lighter shades in this palette to create natural day time looks. Although, it is really easy to create a night time look by using the other end of the palette. I would recommend this palette to any one who is just starting out at make up as the colours are super easy to wear and really easy to apply.

This next palette is easily one of my favourite palettes ever! its a completely matte palette, hence the name - Meet Matt(e) Nude. The eye shadow pans in this palette are so big, so you are definitely getting your moneys worth. Each shade is named after a different Matt, so we have Matt Johnson, Matt Wood etc. There are some blue, maroon, pink and yellow toned shades - perfect for creating some day-to-night looks. This is a must have for matte eye shadow lovers.

Finally we have the Balm Jovi palette. I absolutely adore the range of colours this palette offers. In my opinion, this is the ultimate travel palette. Each shade is named after a famous rock band/singer which is pretty cool. It has 12 eye shadows, a bomb asf highlighter, blush and two lip/cheek stains. What more could you want in one palette?!

I cant wait to get my hands on some more products from the Balm. I'm desperately after the Meet Matt(e) Trimony palette. I'd love to hear what your go to eye shadow palette is. Let me know in the comments section down below.

TheBalm products are available to buy from Superdrug and FeelUnique.

Love, Maddie x

BIRCHBOX JUNE 2016 - PARADISE FOUND

I'm not going to lie, when I first had a peek at what was inside my box, I wasn't estatic. I saw tubes of creams and a neon pink lip balm, my initial thoughts were disappointing. After giving all of these products a try, I proved myself wrong. I LOVE this months box. From the box design to the contents, everything about this box just SCREAMS summer to me. 

Jelly Pong Pong Paradise Pigment in Fig Jam RRP £17.95

This would look lovely on darker skin tones, but if you are fair skinned with bleach blonde hair, like me, then I'm afraid this is not for you. The formula is nice and creamy. Although I would recommend applying this with a brush and not your fingers, just to get a more precise application.

Absolution Le Nettoyant Purete RRP £26

This gel cleanser uses natural ingredients like chamomile and oats to remove dirt and make up, as well as reducing redness and irritation. I really like the formula of this, it feels so light and gentle on the skin.

Whish Coconut Milk CC Body Cream RRP £15.50

This has got to be my favourite product from this months box. In fact, it's probably one of my favourite products I've ever received in a Birchbox. This cream is designed to hydrate the skin but also bronze at the same time. It gives the skin a gorgeous shimmer which is going to look amazing on top of a tan. The smell is also INCREDIBLE! If you love coconut scented things then you are going to love this. I cannot praise this enough, I will definitely be purchasing this when I run out.

Huygens Le Gommage Visage RRP £17.90

This brand was totally new to me so I was especially looking forward to trying this out. This creamy scrub is amazing at buffing away dead skin cells. It has a strong citrus smell which leaves you feeling cool and refreshed.

Percy & Reed Reassuringly Firm Session Hold Hairspray RRP £12

So far I am impressed with this hairspray. I used it for the first time this morning to keep my braids in place. Just over 5 hours later, my hair is still looking as fresh as it did this morning. It's humidity-resistant, which makes it great for summer and ideal for taking on holiday with you.

This month you also have the option to upgrade your box to receive a beautiful pair of Quay Australia sunglasses at a heavily discounted price. I wish I had done this now because I've seen so many pictures of the sunglasses and they look gorge!

If you would like to treat yourself to your very own Birchbox, use my referral link to sign up and you will receive 50 points (worth £5) to spend in the Birchbox store. If you use the code TUBE you will get a massive 30% off of your first box.

Love, Maddie x

WHAT'S IN MY HANDBAG?

I've never done a 'what's in my bag' post on my blog before and these are my absolute favourite types of posts to read, so I thought I'd share with you what I carry around with me. Besides all of the other crap that I have in my bag (train tickets, receipts, food wrapper and bottle water), this is generally what I keep in my bag on a day to day basis.

My bag is from New Look. It's just a mini tote back with gold detailing and woven panel. Its a great size for just carrying a few bits and pieces. I also love that it comes with a long strap which gives you that option to carry it on your shoulder. 

So here is a few of my absolute essentials..
My purse, which is also from New Look, is black and has gold detailing which matches my bag. It is a good size to store all of my cards, receipts and spare change - if I ever have any!

Next up we have a bit of make up. I always carry around some powder as I tend to get quite oily throughout the day. This particular one is the Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder which I have absolutely been loving recently! I also carry around a mini roller lash and a mac lipstick to touch up my make up during the day.

Antibacterial hand gel is the next essential. I go through so many of these because I am always using them when I am out and about to keep my hands clean. This one is the strawberry and raspberry scented gel from Superdrug which I believe only cost me around 60p! I also work in a doctors surgery so this is an absolute must-have so I don't catch any nasty germs. 

I also keep a snack, usually a Special K cereal bar, and a packet of chewing gum to keep me going throughout the day.

Finally, we have my sunglasses from Primark. Can you believe that these only cost me £1?! They are such good quality and are the perfect, much cheaper, alternative to the Prada cat eye sunglasses. The weather is so unpredictable in the UK so it's good to just keep some in my bag just in case the sun decides to make an appearance.

I'd love to know what you carry around in your bag, let me know in the comments section below.

Love, Maddie x

BIRCHBOX MAY 2016 - FOR THE DREAMERS

It's that time again where I get to share with you what I got in this months Birchbox! The theme for May is 'For the dreamers'. A box packed with beauty products to make you look and feel like a dream.

This months box arrived topped with a special silver coating - like the stuff on scratch cards. Three lucky subscribers will have a secret message underneath telling them that they've won a holiday courtesy of Destinology Holidays. I wish I took a 'before' picture, but I just couldn't wait to scratch off the surface to see if I was one of the lucky ones. Unfortunately I wasn't, but I still had a lot of fun scratching off every single bit of the coating. Needless to say, I did NOT have fun cleaning up the mess it made. I'd recommend doing this outside so you don't make a mess of your mums carpet like I did - lol!

Spectrum Collections Unicorn Tears Wonder Sponge RRP £4.99

First up is this make up blending sponge from Spectrum. Can we just start by appreciating the name of this product! I mean, unicorn tears?! How cute! I am a total sponge convert ever since buying my beauty blender, so I'm happy to add another to my collection. What's also good is that this month every subscriber gets to choose what colour sponge they would like. I chose purple so I don't get mixed up with my pink Beautyblender.

Vita Coco Coconut Oil RRP £9.99

When I saw this in my box I instantly thought of Anna SacconeJoly. She literally always uses this when she's cooking meals, so I'm looking forward to trying this myself. What excites me more is that not only can this be used for cooking, but it can be used as a hair mask, as a moisturiser or to remove eye make up. A truly versatile product which I am excited to try out!

TheBalm Stainiac in Beauty Queen RRP £10.00

I was really hoping to get this in my Birchbox this month when I saw the sneak peeks. I am a massive fan of the Balm cosmetics, especially their eye palettes. This is a raspberry tinted cheek stain which also doubles up as a lip tint. The colour is quite subtle but it is buildable if you want that more intense pop of colour. Its quite a small sample which is quite disappointing, however it's a great size for popping into your handbag. I am so happy I got to try out this product!

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet RRP £23.00

I have never tried anything from this brand before but I have heard good things. This sorbet is packed with antioxidant-boosting benefits to really treat your skin. The gel to cream formula is designed to hydrate, reduce redness and soothe skin. I am going to give this to my mum as I'm not massively into moisturisers but I will be sure to update you guys on what she thinks of the product.

Rituals Tao Wai Wang Mild Exfoliating Body Scrub RRP £19.50

Next up is this body scrub made with ultra fine Chinese bamboo particles, white lotus and Yi Yi Ren extract. This stuff is described as 'a spa treatment in a pot'. I first discovered Rituals when I received a shower gel in my beauty box a few months back. If you're looking to invest in a luxury bath time treat, definitely try out this brand.

Philip Kingsley Prep Polishing Balm RRP £18.50

Last but not least, we have this hair balm from one of my all time favourite haircare brands - Philip Kingsley! This balm-to-serum formula is designed to tame flyaways and condition frazzled and dry ends. I'm all about sleek, healthy looking hair so I can't wait to see the results. This little tube is also great for using on-the-go so I will be popping this into my handbag.

So that's everything that I got in this months Birchbox. Once again, I am super duper happy with the selection of products and brands. 

If you would like to treat yourself to your very own Birchbox, use my referral link to sign up and you will receive 50 points (worth £5) to spend on anything in the Birchbox store. If you are a student and have access to Unidays, you can also snag yourself a massive 25% off of your first box.

Hope you enjoyed this post, 

Love Maddie x

HOLIDAY BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

I have just returned from an amazing holiday to Morocco so I thought it was a good idea to share with you my Holiday Beauty Essentials. Trust me, my make up bags were absolutely brimming, so I have just picked out a handful of things that I think are the absolute necessities for travel.

First up are these cleansing face wipes from a brand I have only recently discovered - YesTo. I am literally obsessed with these cleansing wipes, they are coconut scented so they smell divine. They make your face feel really hydrated and do a good job at removing make up, including waterproof mascara! I also took these in my hand luggage so I could use them to clean my hands on the plane. 

I have so many skincare products so it was really difficult to decide on what to take with me. I opted for this REN wonderful night-time facial. It's really moisturising and smells nice too. This particular one is 10ml so it was perfect for travel and the size also meant that I could take it on the plane with me.

Batiste is my ultimate holiday essential! When I am on holiday my hair tends to get 'dirtier' quicker from all the sun cream and pool water. Instead of washing my hair every single day, I like to use dry shampoo in between washes to freshen up my hair. I chose the tropical Batiste because it smells AMAZING and reminds me of holidays! You can also pick this up in mini travel sized cans which is super handy if you're on a luggage weight restriction.

Next up is my trusty Tangle Teezer! It is compact so it doesn't take up lots of room and it also has a cap which prevents things getting caught up in the bristles. The Tangle Teezer can also be used on both wet and dry hair so it is really handy to take to the pool.

If you're like me and you don't tan what so ever, then bronzer is going to be your best friend whilst on holiday! My all time favourite is Benefits Hoola. Its a lovely matte bronzer with cool undertones. It also comes with a little compact brush so you don't need to worry about packing one.

Cleaning make up brushes is always a chore but if you're going away for a long period then you're going to have to clean your brushes at some point. Beautyblender's Solid Cleanser is perfect for travelling because it is so . You won't need to worry about packing a big bottle of baby shampoo or brush cleanser because this does the same job.

A good highlighter is also a necessity. If you don't feel like wearing a full face of make up, then you can pop on a little bit of this to give you a lovely healthy looking glow. I loooove Benefit's High Beam because it looks so natural and blends really well.

I hope you enjoyed this post. I'd love to hear what products you take with you on your holidays!
Love, Maddie x

HOLIDAY OUTFITS - MISSGUIDED, NEW LOOK & PRIMARK!

As some of you may or may not know, I have just come back from a lovely holiday in Agadir, Morocco. I had the most amazing time, the weather was beautiful and the hotel we stayed at was great. It was a well needed break and I am already missing it!

Here are a few of my outfits that I wore during the evenings. I have managed to link as much as I can below.

 Floral Jumpsuit- Missguided

Shoes: http://bit.ly/1VUMbjz

 Striped Playsuit: http://bit.ly/20Bpe5K

Bag - Primark

 Top - http://bit.ly/1Ytu9Eh

Skirt - ASOS

Shoes - Primark

Floral Jumpsuit: http://bit.ly/25ZNjY2

Shoes: http://bit.ly/1VUMbjz

Lace Bralet - Missguided

Skirt: http://bit.ly/23ugjsd

Shoes (similar): http://bit.ly/1YtrRFb

Denim Dress - Primark

Shoes - Primark

Keep your eyes peeled for my top holiday beauty essentials blog post which is coming soon!
Love, Maddie x

CLIPHAIR CLIP-IN HAIR EXTENSIONS REVIEW

I used to be really addicted to hair extensions at the age of fifteen. I wore extensions every day for at least 2 years until one day when I decided to go blonde. I found it extremely difficult to find hair extensions that matched my bleached locks and therefore gave up wearing extensions for a good 3 years.

I was sad of seeing all these beautiful bloggers with lushious long and thick locks, I forever wished I had hair like theirs. I wanted to give hair extensions another try, even if I only wore them on occasions or on nights out.

A few weeks ago I was kindly sent over some gorgeous hair extensions from Cliphair. Cliphair are a UK based company who sell 100% Remy human hair extensions all around the world from their online store www.cliphair.co.uk.

Their customer service is brilliant, I couldn't fault it. If you are really unsure about what shade to choose, then do not worry. They offer a FREE colour matching service, which involves you sending an image of your hair colour or even posting a hair sample to Cliphairs hair experts to be colour matched. I sent an image of my hair rather than a sample because this was quicker for me. I was really impressed with the quick response and when the extensions arrived I couldn't fault the colour. They were a near enough exact match to my own hair so they blended brilliantly.

I cannot express how important it is to choose real human hair extensions over synthetic. They last so much longer, look more natural and can be styled and looked after the same as your own hair. 

So the extensions I chose were the Double Wefted Full Head set in the shade Light Ash Blonde and the length I chose was 20 inches.
This set comes with:

• Two 8 inch (20cm) wide wefts
• Two 6 inch (15cm) wide wefts
• Two 4 inch (10cm) wide wefts
• Two 2 inch (5cm) wide wefts

You get more than enough hair in this set because the pieces are double wefted meaning that there is twice as much hair on each piece. I love how gorgeous and thick they look when I put them in and style into a ponytail. They are really easy to put in, I followed the fitting guide on the Cliphair website which can be found here. I also liked how the clips are blonde so they can be hidden discreetly under your own hair.

This set costs £79.99 which I think is really worth it for the amount of hair you are getting! I would definitely continue to use Cliphair because the quality and thickness of the hair is amazing. Although I was kindly given these to review by Cliphair, all opinions are completely honest. I really do love these extensions.

If you want to see me wearing these extensions, make sure you keep an eye out for my upcoming How I Style My Hair Extensions and How I Care For My Hair Extensions blog posts which will be posted very soon!

And don't forget to follow me on bloglovin!

Love, Maddie x

QUICK AND EASY EASTER TREATS

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you are all having an amazing weekend and not feeling too sick or overloaded with chocolate!

Here's a quick and easy recipe to make chocolate cornflake cakes in just under 10 minutes.

You will need...

• 250g plain chocolate
• 50g butter
• 75g cornflakes
• 1 bag of cadburys mini eggs
• 2 tablespoons of golden syrup

Method

First start by lining a tin with cake cases.
Then melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a bowl over simmering hot water. Stir until everything has melted.
Fold in the cornflakes until all the cereal is coated in the chocolate.
Place the mixture evenly in the cake cases and place 3 mini eggs on the top of each nest. 
Leave to set in the fridge for an hour.

I had such fun making these. Licking the chocolate off the bowl at the end is definitely the best part! I hope you have as much fun making these as I did.

Love, Maddie x

KEEPING TRACK OF MY FITNESS

One of my new years resolutions was to keep fit and healthy and to exercise more throughout 2016. 

I was kindly sent the Nuband Activ+ Wireless Activity and Sleep Tracker. As well as the fitness band itself, I also got a pack of 3 replacement bands which came in the colours purple, orange and pink. I think that having different coloured replacement bands is cool because you are then able to match your band to the outfit that you are wearing!

I have never tried anything like this so I was looking forward to putting it to the test!

The Nuband Activ+ has a free app that can be downloaded on both IOS and Android. It allows you to monitor your daily workout and sleep pattern. The application also measures the distance walked/ran in km and the amount of calories burnt. You are able to monitor your progress by day, week, month and even year. The Nuband also has a smart alarm and clock so it can be used as a standard watch. 

When I first saw it, it was slightly bigger than I had anticipated. However, when I actually tried it on, I found that it was no bigger than the watch that I already wear. The band is comfortable and altogether is really light weight - I sometimes forget that I am even wearing it! It isn't bulky so it can be worn discreetly under sportswear.

The battery life is also GREAT! I have been using it daily for 2 weeks and have not had to charge it yet. A couple of my friends from my fitness class have also decided to buy it after seeing mine in action!

Fitness Tracker

Replacement Bands

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is thinking of getting a fitness band or someone who wants a watch with some added benefits!

The Nuband Activ+ costs just £29.99 which is just a fraction of the price of some of the leading brands!

Love, Maddie x