My July purchases : Love or Hate?

The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet

What really attracted me to this new sorbet was its cooling effect. I tried it on the back of my hand in the shop and couldn't resist picking one up. How it stays cool in this weather is beyond me, but it really does work. You can even put it in the fridge for a few minutes if it's a particularly hot day. The moisturising sorbet is also not greasy in the slightest, which is great for hot and humid days.

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer

Like most bloggers I already feel like I've found my Holy Grail concealer in the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. However, earlier on this month I was hunting for a concealer for graduation. In order to avoid flashback in photos I needed an SPF free concealer, which is where this one comes in. It was recommended to me, and I haven't been disappointed. The lightest shade matches me perfectly, and the coverage is good. It certainly fulfilled its purpose on the day.

Groovy Food Virgin Coconut Oil
This is definitely a 'blogger made me buy it' product. Jess from Paint By Numbers' post (here) sold it to me completely. I've been using it post-cleanser as an intensive moisturiser overnight, and my skin has definitely improved. My pores have reduced in size, blemishes are fading and oiliness is being controlled. I can't wait to continue using it!

Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub
This stuff. I've fallen head over heels for its maple syrup scent. It spends more time next to me than it does in the bathroom because I'm obsessed. I actually dreamt that I'd been eating pancakes the other day because I'd been smelling it so much. So basically, if you're into maple syrup you need this stuff. I'm going to be repurchasing it for a long time!

Laura Mercier Crème Brûlée Honey Bath

This is the only slight disappointment amongst this month's purchases. I decided to buy the Body and Bath Crème Brûlée Luxe Quartet in Space NK's sale this month. With £35 off I couldn't resist them, especially when they smell like a dessert! Unfortunately for me, I'm actually not too keen on the smell. Out of the four products (Scrub, Body Crème, Honey Bath and candle), the Honey Bath smells the most similar to what I was expecting. The rest smell a bit different, and maybe a bit chemically? It might just be due to the fact that I was smelling the entire pot as opposed to the diluted smell you'd get after putting it in the bath or on your body. So I'll reserve judgement for now. I'm glad I didn't pay full price for this one though!

All in all, July has been a pretty successful month in terms of purchases, with only one thing I wouldn't consider repurchasing. How have your purchases been this month? Anything you've fallen in love with?

Chibird: the best motivational site ever

Today's post is something a bit different. About 6 months ago I stumbled onto one of my favourite sites for the first time. Since then it's become one of my go-to places on the internet, especially on days when I'm feeling uninspired or sad. I thought I'd dedicate a blog post to it in case it could help out anyone else in the way it's helped me :)

Chibird is a tumblr blog run by a girl called Jackie. She regularly posts the cutest drawings (or gifs) that are truthful, motivational and thought-provoking (as well as a few that are just downright cute). A short visit to her site is guaranteed to get me feeling revitalised, which was so helpful during my last year at uni! 

Everyone should go check out Chibird (here), but in the mean time here are a few of my favourites. 

*blushes*

Jackie's positive bunny series is my favourite! Those bunnies always have something nice to say!

Some of Jackie's posts are educational as well as cute!

 Those study bunnies sure did help me study!

This one made me laugh. An accurate representation of my life a few months ago!

I just want to say thanks to Jackie (in case you somehow make it over to this part of the internet). I found your tumblr at a time when I was really struggling, and it cheered me up no end.

I hope everyone else loves Chibird as much as I do! There's so many cute animations on there, and I had trouble choosing my favourites! Do you have a favourite site you visit when you're feeling down?

Disclaimer: all artwork belongs to Jackie at Chibird, whose tumblr can be found here.

Review: Bumble and bumble Sunday Shampoo

Four weeks later I finally have my laptop back from the repair shop! Hooray. I really hope this will be the end of my long breaks from blogging. I have quite a few posts planned in my head, so hopefully they'll all be going up soon! Anyway, onto today's post :)

In general, I don't get on very well with shampoos. Over the last few years I must have tried about ten different shampoos in the search for one that left my fine hair feeling soft and silky. On a few occasions I believed that I could stop searching. But lo and behold, a few weeks later my hair would begin to feel limp and weighed down with product build up. So frustrating. This is where this beauty comes in.

The Bumble and bumble Sunday Shampoo is a clarifying shampoo, which means that it's designed to remove residue and impurities from your hair. At first, I was a bit sceptical. How could one shampoo effectively remove another shampoo from your hair? But then I read a few reviews and just had to try it myself.

It's worth saying straight away that this isn't a cheap shampoo. £18.50 is enough to make most peoples' purses cry. But a little goes a long way. It was recommended online that you use a 50 pence size amount and keep rubbing that in until you've managed to get all of your hair (apparently using too much makes it hard to wash out, which would completely defeat the point of using it). Since my hair is chest length I do find that I have to use a little bit extra for the ends. But the point is; this is going to last a long time. I've already used it three or four times and, as you can see, I've hardly made a dent.

I always thought that the saying "squeaky clean" was just that. A saying. But after using this the first time I was a bit surprised at the feel of my hair. It was quite difficult to run my fingers through, as if a little bit sticky. I can only assume that this is what wet hair feels like when it's not left covered in product. It's not the greatest of feelings (which is why I brought it up), but it's definitely worth it for the end result.

As well as only using a tiny amount each time, it is recommended that you don't use the Sunday Shampoo more than once a week. Hence the name (although I have been known to use it on a Tuesday or even Thursday. Rebel.). Because the shampoo is so good at stripping residue it can be a little damaging to your hair and has the potential to dry it out if used alone. I follow up the Sunday Shampoo with an intensive conditioner (my favourite is the Bee Strong Intensive Mask by Herbal Essences) and also make sure to apply Argan Oil to the ends whilst it's drying. Three steps to silky, light hair which feels cleaner for longer. I am in love.

Nowadays I'm still on the hunt for my favourite shampoo. But this time the search is on for a shampoo that makes my hair feel amazing for the first few uses. Because I know that, with this shampoo, I can get right back to square one and continue having amazing hair.

Sunday Shampoo is available online and in Boots for about £18.50.

Have you tried a clarifying shampoo before?

P.S. Due to its stripping ability, Sunday Shampoo is unfortunately not suitable for people with coloured hair.

Edinburgh Day One : Exploring and the Zoo

A few of you may remember that Ben and I headed to Edinburgh a few weeks ago. We had a great time and I've been dying to share pictures ever since. Unfortunately my laptop is still being repaired, so I've taken the opportunity to use my sister's whilst she's away. Here are the pictures from the first day of our trip. We decided to head to the zoo because we knew we definitely wanted to pay it a visit, and the weather was alright. The zoo is the biggest I've ever been to, and it had a few things I've not seen anywhere else. Here's how our day went :)

Mmmmm. French breakfast at Café Rouge.

One of the cutest ice cream vans I've ever seen.

The Scott Monument casts an ominous silhouette against the sky.

Meerkats are one of my favourites!

You learn something new every day!

This little lady kindly posed for a photo (ladies have rings on their left flipper, men on the right)

Slightly obsessed with photographing water droplets.

...okay. Just macro photos in general.

There was no way I was going to miss the Penguin Parade!

So they weren't drumming or marching, but it was still pretty cute! Apparently this represents a record turnout.

One of the biggest attractions of the zoo is their Giant Panda couple. This is the lady, Tian Tian, who they suspect might be pregnant. She hurried into a hiding place as soon as we went to see her enclosure and only popped back right at the end, but at least we got to see her being active. The male panda was also awake and eating bamboo. Apparently it's quite rare for visitors to see them both up and about.

A pretty close encounter with a beautiful Asiatic Lion. Thank goodness for the safety glass!

We had a great day at the zoo, and it was so easy to get to from the centre! I'd definitely recommend a visit if you have a spare four or five hours. Pictures from day two will be up soon!

Have you ever visited a zoo where they have something unusual like the penguin parade?