The £4 Cleanser - Is It Any Good?

- Disclaimer: I have previously worked with Boots, however this post is not sponsored. All thoughts are my own. All links in this blog post are affiliate links. - 

I spotted Boots had released a new Glow skincare range a few months back, but hadn't got around to picking anything up until a couple of weeks ago. They had everything from a toner to a mist, but I decided to just pick up one product - their Glow Cleansing Oil. A cleanser that promises to rid the skin of dirt and add a radiance all in one, but how well did this £4 really work? 

For a cleanser under £5 I wasn't expecting much from the get go I have to admit and was initially worried that it'd be a thick oil that would leave my skin feeling greasy and irritated. When opened, the scent was prominent. I feel like Boots has definitely taken inspiration from Glow Recipe's watermelon range and that's the scent that it's most similar to. If you've got sensitive skin I would recommend giving this a miss entirely purely because of the fragrance, but if you've not adverse to it then read on... 

I feel like cleansing oil texture is down to personal preference, some prefer a thicker oil that 'lathers up' whereas others including myself prefer a thinner oil that can be worked into the skin to remove makeup. This is definitely on the thinner side and although it was a good first cleanse to melt away my foundation, it didn't do as well on my mascara, leaving me with panda eyes even after washing it off. It was nothing that a bit of eye makeup remover or micellar water could get rid of, but it's something to note - this isn't an allrounder. 

That being said, I feel like for £4 this is super handy if you're looking to see if you like cleansing oils (and the feel of them) and it does do a good job at removing your base makeup as long as you steer clear from the eyes. Depending on your skin type, you may find this leaves a little oily residue, but personally as I'm using it as a first cleanse, after I'm done my second one as well as adding toner, it's nothing to note. 

Overall, I'm actually impressed enough that I would like to try out bits from their range. I've heard good things about their Glow Tonic and they've also released a Pineapple Range including a Pineapple Mask that looks like it'd be great (and smell great too!). 

Have you tried the new Boots Glow skincare range? 

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Amazon Autumn Decor Favourites

- All links in this blog post are affiliate links. For more info head to my disclaimer. - 

You'll have to be living under a rock to not know that I'm obsessed with Autumn. The cosy knits, the delicious baked goods and the chill in the air are just a few of my favourites. On top of all that, I've got into the habit over the last couple of years to decorate my house for the new season too and by doing so, I've got a knack for finding some gems. Today I'm sharing with you my current favourite Autumn Amazon finds that I've either treated myself to or are sitting in my wishlist at the moment. 

Anything pumpkin themed and I'm there, so when I spotted this Pumpkin Sugar Bowl I immediately fell in love. Not only is this super cute, it's practical too and if I'm honest I'd probably keep this out in my kitchen all year round. On a more decorative side of my wishlist though I have this Flashing Light Up Pumpkin that I'm tempted to get as I don't actually have many Halloween decorations at all and would love to get super involved this year. If that one isn't your thing, then this Pumpkin Ceramic Light offering looks great as well as being a little more understated. One's I really want, but after quite had the excuse to purchase yet is these Glass Pumpkin Fairy Lights which just look incredible - I'm obsessed! 

Stepping away from pumpkin themed items for the time being, I have these Autumn Leaves Nail Stickers which I've shared before, but I've had these stored up for the longest time. They're a cute way to add a little bit of the season to your outfit and great practice if you want to experiment more with your nails. 

For the kitchen and if you're feeling a little peckish, I've been planning lots of baking posts and so I've been looking at some unique items to add to my bakes. These Edible Maple Leaves were super popular amongst those who were around last year on this blog and I had to bring them back again! Currently I'm also looking at these Black Bat Sugar Cake Sprinkles for a Halloween bake (yes I know I'm early!).  

Lastly, I bought my Autumn Leaf Garland last year and I've been tempted to buy a couple more to dot around the house. Although it could be a little thicker, it works to add colour to a room and gives the effect that I want when decorating. 

Do you decorate for Autumn? If so, have you got any favourite finds? 

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4 Ways I'm Preparing For Early Autumn

- All links in this post are affiliate links. For more info head to my disclaimer -

It goes without saying that Autumn is my favourite time of the year. I watch as the season changes colour, the rust tones of the chunky leaves, the cosy chunky knit jumpers and a field full of orange pumpkins. The new season comes with the delight of warm hot chocolate, steaming homemade soups and the delight of Halloween sweets - It's safe to say I'm ready, so here's how I'm preparing for (I know I'm a month early!) Autumn right now. 

Decorating The House | I started to decorate the house for Autumn last year and loved it so much that I knew I had to do it again this year, but more extravagant! I've got leaf garlands, new cushions, cosy bundles of blankets and a candle to fill the house with a dreamy Autumn morning scent. Although I was initially going to wait to decorate until it's "officially" Autumn on 22nd September, it's been such a dreadful year that anything that can perk me up and make me feel a little happier I'm all for.  

Keeping An Eye Out For Pumpkins | I know it's early, but I always keep an eye out for pumpkins in supermarkets this time of the year. I'm potentially going to decorate outside our house this year to go all out, but I also love having an excuse to cook with them. The other gems of Autumn I'm planning to collect are pine cones, acorns and conkers! 

Get Baking! | I won't give away too much, but I have a lot of baking planned for my Tik Tok account which is really an excuse to experiment and eat all the snacks. There's nothing quite like baking a fresh baguette to dunk into soup and I actually want to turn my hand to more savoury items this season as well. Pastries and pies being top of my list and if they're little, I can share them out amongst friends - an Autumnal offering. 

Finding New Wardrobe Pieces | Chunky knits, comfy boots and plaid scarfs are just some of the things I love about Autumn fashion. Every year I find my love for mustard, forest green and rust tones gets stronger and this year I've been spotting some new pieces I hope to pick up. Here is some inspiration below: 

What are you looking forward to? 

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Homemade DIY Lavender Bath Soak

- All links in this blog post are affiliate links. For more info head to my disclaimer. - 

I've been using essential oils and adding candles to my bath for some time now, but I wanted to step it up a notch by putting together my own lavender bath soak. After sharing it on my Tik Tok I had quite a few requests to post the recipe, so here it is in all of it's relaxing, sleepy glory. 

After buying some lavender from our local fields a few weeks back, I have been picking my brains with how I could use it. I dried a bunch and hung it up in my kitchen to help get rid of flies, but I knew I wanted to do something relaxing with it. This soak would make a perfect homemade present for a loved one or to just treat yourself to a dreamy bath as the seasons start to change. I tend to add a handful of mixture to each bath, but if I really want to soothe my aching muscles I had another scoop for good measure.

Ingredients - 

1 Jar

Epsom Salt 

Bicarbonate of Soda

Lavender Essential Oil

Dried Lavender Flowers 

Method - 

Starting with the epsom salt, layer an inch of product at the bottom of the jar. 

On top of this, sprinkled dried lavender heads in and put in 4tbsp of bicarbonate of soda on top the salt. 

Repeat this process until the jar is full. 

Splash a few drops of lavender essential oil on the top and place some more dried lavender on top. 

Secure the jar tightly and store in a safe place to be used when needed! 

Did you enjoy this homemade DIY lavender bath soak? 

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5 Things That Made My Summer Great

It's safe to say that this year has been a little crazy and I'm on the mission to make the last four months much better. That being said, Summer definitely took a turn for the better with warm weather to enjoy, places opening back up and being able to see friends from a distance. Looking back, I wanted to appreciate the little things that made my Summer great and I thought I'd share them with you today. 

Visited A Lavender Field | I thought that I wouldn't be able to visit my local lavender field this year, but luckily they opened back up with restrictions in place. It actually made the whole experience a lot better; there were no crowds and you could just enjoy the hum of buzzing bees in the field - plus you go away feeling a lot more sleepy! We booked a slot for an evening as the sun was slowly setting, so I quickly got a few snaps and we delved into our picnic. It's probably one of my favourite date nights ever and despite feeling nervous about my first outing since March, I couldn't have felt safer and came away a lot more relaxed. 

"Cottage Core Tik Tok was a huge influence of mine this Summer. It certainly didn't disappoint." 

Enjoying The Countryside | To be honest I've always loved the countryside, but I've really learnt how to appreciate it this year. Not only looking at the skylines and sunsets, but being on the look out for the little things that change through the season. The mushrooms popping up out of the ground, the changing colours and variety of flowers that bloom throughout Summer. It's really opened my eyes to the amazing countryside around where I live and has inspired me to get out exploring. 

Getting Crafty | After several years telling myself that one day I would learn how to embroidery, buy a candle making kit and experiment with baking - I finally did it! Learning how to embroider was definitely a highlight of my Summer as it turns out I'm not as bad as I thought I'd be and I've even started doing my own designs. 

"In-between all the uncertainty, I'm glad I made an effort to enjoy the Summer as much as I can." 

Slower Evenings | With the lighter evenings to play around with, I feel like in the Summer everything is a lot less rushed as you can finish work and most of the time have a couple of hours of sunlight left. I've been using this time to go for long walks, exercise or just go for a picnic.

A Personal Highlight | After starting Tik Tok in late Spring I never thought that at the end of Summer I'd have 60k followers on there as well as finally reaching 10k followers on Instagram - a goal that I've been trying to get to for the longest time. Although I was unsure of Tik Tok at first, I've loved building a community over there and I'm feeling super positive in terms of the content I'll be creating on my Instagram going into the new season too. 

What are your favourite moments of the Summer?  

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Easy Nail Art Designs For Beginners

- All links in this blog post are affiliate links. For more info head to my disclaimer. - 

One of my goals of over the last few months was to get better at doing my own nails, experimenting with seasonal designs and not just going straight for two layers of my favourite polish. In today's post I have shared my three favourites that I have been wearing recently and that I think are easy to replicate. 

The easiest option that I've found is nail stickers as they have an infinite amount of options and they feel like a huge throwback as they work in a similar way to temporary tattoos you used to use as a child. For Summer, I've been wearing these Watercolour Flower Stickers over a pink nail for a pretty effect that lasts nearly two weeks with a good top coat and you can choose your won design each time. Although we're still in August, I've already bought my option for Autumn which are these Orange Leaf Design Stickers which I think will look great for early next month.

Another easy option are nail gems, but don't worry gone are the days where you scratch yourself with diamantes as nail gems can be more than just sparkle. I picked up these Gold Moon and Star Jewels and I've been obsessed ever since. Although they're not as comfortable to wear as nail stickers, they certainly make a statement especially for a special event. 

I've shared my geometric nail hack on my blog before, but it's one of my favourites when I want to look like I've put in more effort than I have. All you need is three different nail polish shades, a little bit of patience and some tape if you want it to be extra neat. It's simple, easy and perfect when you want to shy away from your usual style. 

What are your favourite easy nail art designs? 

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Carrot Topped "Dirt" Chocolate Muffins

Baking is one of my favourite ways to unwind and relax, so over the last few months I have turned my hand to perfecting the crusty baguette, baking moist lemon loaves as well as creating the perfect biscuit snap. One of the bakes I've been most proud of are the deliciously moorish chocolate muffins that I'm going to talk about today. They've been designed to look like they're carrots peeking out of the soil - a perfect snack for those who love gardening or have an allotment. 

The chocolate muffin is soft and moist, in fact it may be my favourite recipe yet. For the topping, I swapped out the traditional buttercream icing in favour of a light layer of Nutella which makes the cake taste rich and works as 'glue' for the soil topping. For the dirt element, I crushed up Oreo's and stuck pre-made carrots made of icing out of the sponge. I think these would be easy to recreate with ready to roll paste icing or even using a strawberry covered in orange melts. 

Ingredients (Makes 6muffins) - 

125g Self-Raising Flour

20g Cocoa Powder

1tsp Baking Powder

80g Golden Caster Sugar

80g Butter 

1 Egg

90ml Milk of Choice

Crushed Oreos (around 6)

Nutella 

Carrot decoration 

Method - 

Preheat the oven until 180c. 

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add to the egg and a milk to the mixture and stir until smooth. 

Once mixed, add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Stir until smooth, but be careful not to over-mix too much. 

Spoon out the mixture into cases in a cupcake tin. Place in the oven for 25 minutes or until cooked all the way through. 

Immediately remove the muffins from your cupcake tin to allow to fully cool. 

In a bowl, separate your Oreos into two, scraping the white middle icing out with a knife. This isn't necessary if you don't mind white speckles in your "soil". Crush the Oreos with the end of a rolling pin. 

Once cooled, lightly cover the top of your muffins with Nutella. Press the crushed Oreos into the top of your muffins until fully covered. Add your carrot decorations and serve! 

Did you enjoy this fun, yet tasty recipe? 

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A Huge Affordable Amazon Haul

- All links in this blog post are affiliate links. For more info head to my disclaimer. - 

Over the lockdown period, my Amazon wishlist has grown quite a bit, from arts and crafts kits, books to read and plant pots for my new houseplants additions. Over the last week I made quite a big Amazon order, finding some gems that I thought would be interesting to share. 

First up I have the Beeswax Candle Making Kit that was inspired by a Tik Tok video I'd watched and it looked like fun. Alas I concerned I would be taken back to the times when I'd get a candle DIY kit for Christmas only for it to be absolute chaos of hot wax and wicks. I've already given this a go and I can confirm that it's a lot less messy as no heat is involved, you just use the warmth of your fingers to mould the beeswax sheet into the shape you want - a perfect afternoon activity. 

Another craft kit I bought was an Embroidering Kit and within 24 hours I'd not only completed it, but found a new hobby for sure. I shared the results on my Instagram stories, but honestly it was so helpful to have something easy to practice on, so I can try out new stitching techniques. I might by myself a couple more before attempting to do a design of my own on a tote bag. 

"I managed to learn four new stitches and finish my embroidering kit in 24 hours - It was a success!"

I've been experiencing with nail art throughout lockdown and thought I'd try something completely different - nail stickers. I added these Summer Dried Flowers Stickers to my basket first as I thought they'd be perfect for the next few weeks paired with a nude polish, but I couldn't resist the Autumn Leaves version too. 

I have to mention my Dash Pumpkin Waffle Maker, which I've never had go many questions about after sharing it across my social media. I've already used it quite a lot since I got it a fair few weeks ago, but I can imagine this is going to be a staple breakfast favourite come Autumn too. 

I'm very aware that we're in August still, but I couldn't help buying something from my wishlist and it was this Pumpkin Shaped Cookie Cutter. I have plans to make some cinnamon biscuits as soon as September hits and I thought this would be handy to have in my kitchen drawer for when the time comes around. 

A couple of weeks ago, my old phone case cut my hand and I realised that it was about time I got a new one. I've been after one similar to the Galaxy Planet iPhone Case for some time and this one is perfect. It's sturdy, comes with a screen protector and looks great too. 

After delving into my makeup bag and realising I'd had my beauty sponge for far too long, I thought it was about time I picked up a new one. I've had the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge before and it was a no brainer to pick another one considering how trusty they are. 

I also picked up some more Epsom Salts because I wanted to make my own lavender bath soak with the dried flowers I'd got from going to the lavender fields. It worked perfectly and these epsom salts are a great option as you get 1kg for under £5. 

What are your Amazon favourites? 

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5 Things I've Added To My August To-Do List

Out of all the months in Summer, August has to be my favourite. The days are long, the scent of BBQ's fill the air and everyone seems in a chipper mood. Although the world is full of worry at the moment, I want to put some extra effort into taking care of my mental health, putting together a to-do list of positive activities to do throughout this month, keeping myself focused when needs be. 

Get Crafty | I recently did an order for some craft kits, so I could turn my hand to making my own beeswax candles as well as learning embroidery. I've been meaning to do this for a while, but never got around to ordering before I was inspired by scouring Pinterest. I'm going to enjoy the warm weather outside, sit in the shade with a podcast and get crafty! 

Go To A Sunflower Field | We went to the local lavender fields this month and it was my first 'proper' day out since early this year and as it was super organised I've decided to head back there mid August to have a walk around their sunflowers too. 

Keep An Eye Out For Blackberries | On my daily walks, I've been noticing the blackberry bushes getting fuller and although I won't be picking any, I just love watching them grow week by week. On top of that, I've been on a look out for an apple orchard as I haven't managed to get to a fruit picking farm this year, but would like a wander nevertheless. 

Prepare For Autumn | I know what you're thinking - Lily we're in a middle of a heatwave and it's August? I just can't help but get excited for my favourite season and as it's been a pretty poor year so far, I decided that on September 1st I'm just going to embrace it. I've got lots of plans for Autumn, transforming our home to a cosy wonderland, as well as taking crunchy leaf photos, baking lots of tasty treats and putting together some Halloween outfits too.  

Watch The Sunset | I watch the sunset regularly, admiring the changing colours of the sky, the dreamy pinks and vibrant orange being a highlight of the Summer. I want to watch the sunset from a different point of view, making it my mission to travel to a high hill and watch as the sun goes down across the land. It's the little joys I'm taking pride in for the rest of the Summer. 

What's on your August to-do list? 

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