Flamingo Candle Scent Melts Review

Flamingo candles have been raved about many a time by bloggers this year. And with their fragrance range it's not surprising. It was this range of fragrances that caused me a problem about a month ago: how on Earth was I going to decide which candle I wanted to buy first? Luckily for me, Flamingo Candles gave me a solution - scent melts. The Flamingo Candle scent melts are the equivalent of Yankee Candle wax tarts, and are melted in a tart burner. What I didn't realise upon buying them is just how long this little piece of wax would last. The scent melts can be melted again and again, and it's definitely going to take me a while to get through them!

At just £2 per scent melt, I decided to buy the six fragrances that appealed to me most, before buying my favourite as a candle for £12. The scents I decided on are:

Cucumber and Melon
Tropical Coconut Milk and Honey
Thai Lime and Mango
Lemon and Lime Mojito
Peach Splash
Pink Lemonade

I went for the fruity and fresh scents, as these are my favourites for the summer months. I've definitely not been disappointed by any of these - they all smell exactly how I would have expected them to, and the fragrance fills the whole room in an instant. I'm going to have a tough time choosing my favourite, and I'm already considering another Flamingo Candles purchase to try out some of their Candy Shop range!

Flamingo Candles candles and scent melts can be purchased from selected stockists and their website here.

What's your all time favourite candle scent?

Guest Post:- Instax Mini Review

I've got a super exciting post for you today! The lovely Bess from over at The Bess Blog kindly offered to share her thoughts on the amazing Instax Mini whilst I'm busy with exams. I've been intrigued by the Instax Mini for a long time, so I was really excited to find out more! Here's what Bess had to say.

I remember when I was younger and I thought instant cameras were the coolest thing ever, and well I still think they're pretty cool. I never had an instant camera until a few years ago as my parents refused to let me have one because of the cost of film (approx. 50p a photo). I grew up along with the growth of digital photography so maybe it seems slightly odd to go back to days of film, but there is something amazing about film photography that no app or filter can recreate digitally. Also there is something special about having a physical photo rather than just pixels to look at on a screen.
The Instax mini is the modern day answer to instant photography after Polaroid film stopped being made. The camera is fairly small in size and is available in a range of colours, and prints a small credit card sized photograph. The Instax mini is super easy to use with 4 settings to choose from based on the lighting conditions you are in. There is nothing complicated about this camera so even if you know nothing about photography it's not a problem and I can guarantee you will have lots of fun shooting with this camera and create instant memories.
I love shooting on this camera and watching the photographs develop before your eyes, it's great to take out when you go to see friends to give them a photograph to take home with them as a physical reminder of the night. The photos are really personal and one of a kind. At around the £50 mark for one of these cameras I definitely think it's worth it and with summer coming up it's the perfect time to buy one to capture all your summer memories.

How great was that review? Bess has just completely sold this camera to me. It just seems so retro and exciting and fun! I'd love to pick up one for my future adventures. Do you own an instant camera?

Thanks again to Bess, and please do go check her out over at The Bess Blog :)

Totally Turmeric by Topshop Review

Yellow. A colour that most people with overly pale skin try to avoid. I've sometimes hated on my complexion for making it difficult to pull off the ultimate spring/summer shade. However, I think I've found the perfect compromise in one of Topshop's newest shades: Totally Turmeric. The colour of the varnish in the bottle appears, in my opinion, to be exactly midway between orange and yellow. However, once a few coats have been applied (which I feel is necessary due to the formula), the colour shifts just that slightly towards orange, and becomes... well I guess, totally turmeric! Haha, sorry about that. But I do really love this shade, and feel like my skin colour looks acceptable next to it as the orange tones make sure that there's contrast between the varnish and my skin. I've already worn this a few times, and my favourite colour to pair it with is navy. A surprising combination, but one that just really seems to work. I can't wait to wear this more throughout the summer months!

Have you found a new favourite varnish for summer?

The Fairy Tale Tag

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I recently saw The Fairytale Tag over on Odds and Sods, and thought it'd be really interesting to take part in. I've never seen a tag with questions like these before, so I hope you enjoy learning a bit more about me!

Snow White - Do you consider yourself beautiful?
As sad as it is, I'd say that most of the time, no. I see things about myself that I like, but I never feel like I'm someone that others would aspire to look like. It's one of the reasons that I experiment with clothes and make-up; to try and find a style that I feel comfortable in and which makes me feel more confident.

Sleeping Beauty - How many hours do you sleep at night?
Preferably 9, if not 8. If I get less than 8 then I feel exhausted until midday and I know I'm a nightmare to be around!

Cinderella - Do you have a curfew?
Nope. I can't remember ever having one. Although the only time I left home when I was younger I would be going to someone else's house, so I guess their parents were responsible for getting me home on time.

Rapunzel - Do you love being outside?
If it's hot and sunny (yeah right, when does that happen in England?) then yes. Otherwise, no. Being cold is one of my major hates.

Red Riding Hood - Do you trust strangers easily?
I always try to have an open mind when meeting new people. However I do think I'm quite wary about going somewhere by myself with someone I don't know well.

The Wolf and the Seven Young Kids - Are you easily fooled?
I don't think so! I'm not very gullible, and I try to keep on top of current affairs so I can usually tell when someone is making something up!

Beauty and the Beast - What makes someone beautiful in your eyes?
I think the most beautiful quality someone can have is being selfless. When someone cares so much for other people that they'll put their needs before theirs. Although I do understand that everyone needs to be selfish sometimes! I also think that respect for others is a must. Nothing more ugly than someone who doesn't think about anyone's feelings but their own.

The Little Mermaid - What would you sacrifice for love?
This is a hard one. I've never thought about sacrificing anything for love. I guess I'd go as far as sacrificing my job and finding a new one to be closer to the person I love.

The Frog Prince - What do you find disgusting?
Discrimination. And just generally people who are too arrogant or ignorant to understand that everyone is equal regardless of race or gender.

Jack and the Beanstalk - Do you have any plants?
Apart from bouquets of flowers that come and go, no. In first year I bought a bonsai tree (as most uni students do), and managed to kill it. So my track record with plants isn't too great at the moment!

Puss in Boots - Do you have pets? If not, do you want them?
Nope, not at the moment. Pets aren't practical for students. I'd love to have pets once I've moved into my own place. Although it might have to be fish or a hamster for a while, until I've worked out how much time I can dedicate to them!

Bluebeard - What is your weak point?
I think my weakness has to be selflessness. People have told me that I need to be more selfish, but I find it really difficult to convince myself that I'm doing myself a favour as opposed to doing other people a disservice.

Pinocchio - What is your biggest wish?
My biggest wish is that everyone in the World will be treated equally. That, and that everyone I care about is happy.

Peter Pan - What is your mental age?
This one's difficult. I'd say I'm more middle-aged than student though, as I tend to act older than my age. I've never really felt like I was missing out if I didn't go clubbing or spend lots of money on alcohol. I also love spending my money on candles and flowers. So yep, I'd say I'm middle aged really!

The Star Money - What is your most valuable possession?
I don't really own anything irreplaceable, except my memories. So I'd say photos are my most valuable possession.

Gold Mary and Pitch Mary - Are you a hard worker or a lazy one?
It depends if I enjoy the work. If I enjoy the job then I'll get it done quickly and well. However, I have been lacking motivation recently as after three years I've become bored of the work required of me.

The Snow Queen - Who is your best friend?
My lifelong best friend is my twin sister Jess. We've been through pretty much everything together, so she probably understands me better than anyone. We also have exactly the same interests, so it's easy to spend time together. I would also consider my boyfriend Ben to be a best friend. He's provided so much support over the last few years and I'm always so happy to see him.

The Princess and the Pea - Are you sensitive?
Most of the time I wouldn't say that I was overly sensitive. But if I'm feeling anxious then I do feel quite vulnerable.

Godfather Death - What qualities make a good parent?
Being understanding. I think your children need to know that they can talk to you about anything without being judged. On the other hand, I think parents need to know when to use discipline. It doesn't take much to say 'no', and your children will learn to thank you later on when they've learnt how the World works.

The Twelve Dancing Princesses/The Worn-Out Dancing Shoes - Do you like parties?
Yes and no. There are times when I feel like dancing all night, but most of the time I'd say I prefer my duvet and a good film.

The Emperor's New Clothes - Do you care a lot about your clothing?
I'm quite protective about my clothes, as I have built up a collection that I'm proud of and hope to be able to wear for a few more years. However, if anything were to happen to them then I'm sure I could cope!

The Brave Little Tailor - Do you consider yourself brave?
Not particularly. The vast majority of the time I'd choose to stay in my comfort zone as opposed to trying something new or difficult. This is definitely something I want to change though!


As with all tags, this was so much fun to do! I find that tags really force you to reflect upon yourself, and can help to highlight a few things to try to improve. If you want to take part then I tag you :)

Garnier Ultimate Blends The Marvellous Glow Oil Review

Garnier's new Ultimate Blends haircare range has been making its way through the Blogosphere recently. I actually picked up The marvellous glow oil before reading any reviews, after being on the hunt for a heat protection spray with argan oil. I now totally understand why everyone's been raving about Ultimate Blends!

The marvellous glow oil is part of the 'The Marvellous Transformer' mini-collection in the Ultimate Blends range, which is targeted towards dry and dull hair. It contains argan and camellia oils, and claims to 'nourish, protect (up to 230 degrees) and perfect'. It also claims to be suitable for all hair types. Obviously I'm not able to defend this claim, but personally I've really seen an improvement in the overall condition of my hair. It feels smooth and soft (as well as non-greasy) all the way down the length of my hair. My hair also looks healthier and shinier. 

To use the marvellous glow oil I pump about two or three pumps (about the size of a 5 pence coin) into my hand and then distribute evenly between both palms. I then apply to the bottom three quarters of my hair (avoiding the roots), starting at the ends and then working my way up. This means that the application is concentrated at the ends where it's most needed to prevent split ends, and it prevents an overload of products near the scalp.

Overall I'm really happy with the benefits of this hair oil. I expect I'll continue to use it until I run out, and am now eyeing up the rest of the Ultimate Blends range! The marvellous glow oil can be purchased from Boots or Superdrug. It's currently being sold at £6.66 at both stores (RRP £9.99).

Have you tried any of the Ultimate Blends products yet?

My Bucket List: Turning 21

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So today I turn 21. People often place a lot of significance on that number. The day you finally become an adult. The start of a new era. Unfortunately for me, today marks the final day of revision before my final year uni exams start. I'm taking a few hours off to have a meal with my family and boyfriend, and also wanted to mark the day with a blog post that I've put a lot of thought into. Therefore I've spent my study breaks creating my bucket list. It's something I've been meaning to do for a while, but have put off. I don't believe in defining your life by the number of things you tick off your bucket list, but I do believe in the power of inspiration. This list will serve to inspire me on days where life just isn't going my way. There's so much we can do if we just put our minds to it!

My Bucket List:

1. Get a 2:1 at uni
2. Get a job
3. Buy a car
4. Buy a house
5. Get married
6. Have children, when I'm ready
7. Pay off my mortgage
8. Raise kids that I'm proud of
9. Visit every continent
10. Teach children abroad
11. Sign up for a monthly charity donation
12. Volunteer abroad
13. Fly somewhere first class
14. Ride an elephant
15. Go surfing
16. Learn how to make an entire roast dinner
17. Become fluent in Spanish
18. Meet someone I admire
19. Go on a spa day
20. Be an extra in a film/programme
21. Go on a three month spending ban
22. Try vegetarianism for at least a week
23. Change my hairstyle dramatically
24. Go to a drive in cinema
25. Stay up all night and watch the sun rise
26. Sleep under the stars
27. Visit a dark park
28. Go on a holiday with no itinerary
29. See the Northern Lights
30. Swim in the Great Barrier Reef
31. Swim/float in the Dead Sea
32. Conquer my fear of public speaking
33. Start my own business
34. Do a skydive
35. Ride a camel
36. Sleep in a rainforest
37. Road trip across the US
38. Sleep in a desert
39. Stay in a motel
40. Visit the Pyramids
41. Go white water rafting
42. Climb a mountain
43. Visit a casino
44. Climb a famous building
45. Get a promotion
46. Eat at The Ritz
47. Make an entire outfit, without patterns to follow
48. Attend a convention in cosplay
49. Go to a film premiere
50. Swim with dolphins
51. Write a book
52. Ride a hot air balloon
53. Run a marathon
54. Complete a triathlon (if the marathon didn't kill me)
55. Stay in an ice hotel
56. Go inter-railing through Europe
57. Be in a national newspaper
58. Be in a magazine
59. Make everyone's presents for Christmas one year
60. Buy something extravagant
61. Go scuba diving
62. Travel abroad for at least a month by myself
63. Win a game of poker
64. Produce a short film
65. Learn a new instrument
66. Try five new crafts
67. Keep a plant alive for more than a year
68. Watch the top 100 films on Imdb
69. Create artwork for my house
70. Visit a famous headquarters
71. Give blood
72. Organise an event for charity
73. Complete a movie marathon of more than 24 hours
74. Donate hair to charity
75. Become financially independent
76. Take my parents on holiday
77. Win a competition
78. Sail a boat
79. Write a song
80. Go to a music festival
81. Take part in a World Record attempt
82. Take part in a professional photoshoot
83. Perform in front of at least 100 people
84. Design my own house
85. Go skinny dipping
86. Stay in an underwater hotel
87. Go paragliding
88. Pet/feed an exotic animal
89. Go on a cruise
90. Live abroad for at least a year
91. Finish a scrapbook
92. Go to the Olympics
93. Take my kids to Disneyland
94. Go on safari
95. Visit a volcano
96. Get a tattoo
97. Learn to do the splits
98. Go to the top of the Empire State building
99. Adopt an animal from a rescue shelter
100. Be happy.

I'm aware that this list probably sounds very selfish. I tried to think of more charitable/volunteering things to include, but being selfless shouldn't be a one-off! I'll make time as often as possible to help others :)

Here's a few things I've already ticked off:

101. Become fluent in a foreign language (French)
102. Learn to drive
103. Get into uni
104. Own a pet
105. Go rock climbing
106. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
107. Visit Disneyland
108. Move out
109. Learn an instrument (piano)
110. Get a piercing (ears)
111. Be in a newspaper (local)
112. Learn how to ice skate
113. Learn how to knit and crochet
114. Go on a student exchange trip
115. Go abseiling
116. Complete a run for charity

Life so far has been good, but there's still so much more I'd love to do! I can't wait to see where the future takes me, and I'll treasure every adventure.

Have you made a bucket list? If so, how many entries have you ticked off so far?

Happy Beauty Day Limited Edition Gift Set by Benefit

As I was waiting in the queue at Boots, my eyes wandered to this bright pink Benefit box. I've not seen a sample set like this before, and since I've been wanting to try out some Benefit products for a while I decided to add this to my basket.

The happy beauty day set cost £9.95, and claims to have a value of over £21 (based on the RRP per ml of the products included). I wasn't too excited with the savings, as I was happier about the fact that I could try out some products before committing to buying the full size, but it's nice to know that they don't exploit peoples' curiosity by making samples more expensive per ml!

The set contains sample sizes of posietint (a tinted lip and cheek stain), BADgal lash (their most highly rated mascara before the introduction of They're Real) and the POREfessional (their best-selling primer). The samples provided are pretty tiny, but I think they're large enough to be able to decide whether or not the product works for you. I can't wait to try all of them out!

Nail varnish provided for scale. I have to admit, I'm attracted to tiny versions of full size products. They're so cute!

The box also contains a card which you can take to a Benefit Beauty Bar in Boots for a free 'makeupper'. On the back of the card is a Boots advantage card offer: recieve 500 points when you spend £25 on Benefits cosmetics at Boots.com. You'd normally have to spend £125 to get that amount of points, so the offer is pretty amazing!

After some research, I found out that Benefit have been releasing happy beauty day sets for a few years now (where have I been?!). However they're only available once or twice a year and always limited edition. So get yourselves down to Boots as soon as possible if you'd love to try out these Benefit goodies!

Do you use any of these products?

Birthday Beauty Haul

On Thursday in Birmingham's Bullring shopping centre there was a student event which entitled students to 20% off in most shops, and a few other perks such as goodie bags and live DJs. Since it's my 21st birthday next week, and I'm likely to be too busy with revision to leave the house again before then, I decided to take advantage of the potential savings and treat myself to a few things. Well, I say a few...

Boots

Boots actually wasn't offering a discount for students, but there were a few things I needed. As Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer on most of their make-up I decided to pick up a few things I've had my eyes on.

Purchases:
Happy Beauty Day Benefit Set (contains sample sizes of the Porefessional, Posie Tint and Bad Gal Lash mascara all for £9.95. This is limited edition, so if you want to try out some Benefit products before buying the full size then make sure you pick up one of these asap!).

Quick Fix Dry Shampoo by Mark Hill
Archery Brow Tint and Pencil by Soap and Glory
Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat
Real Techniques Shading Brush


The Body Shop

The Body Shop had one of the best deals of all of the shops listed! All students were offered a free Love Your Body card (usual price £5), which entitles you to 10% off every time you shop. However during the event students were given an amazing 30% off. I also got £5 off my spend as it's currently my birthday month so I could redeem a birthday gift. How kind of them!

Purchases:
Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream
Liquid Eyeliner in Brown
Vineyard Peach Body Lotion
Peach Bath Sponge (nope, I didn't *need* a bath sponge. But look how cute it is!)


Space NK

A 'blogger-made-me-buy-it' product! The first place I headed when I got into Birmingham was Space NK. I loved the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Blond Opal when I saw it on Zoella's Spring Makeup video. Word of these eyeshadow sticks is spreading like wildfire, so I was conscious of snapping up my favourite shade before it became impossible to get hold of. I was torn between Blond Opal and Frozen Quartz, but in the end I played it safe with the subtle, champagne colour of Blond Opal. These aren't the cheapest after all! I've heard great things about the longevity of the Ombre Blackstars and can't wait to test it out!

Purchases:
Ombre Blackstar by By Terry in Blond Opal


Topshop

I originally headed into Topshop to pick up their nail varnish in Totally Turmeric, which I've had my eye on since reading Lily Melrose's review. I've never really been attracted to this colour before, but I'm really loving it so far! I half-expected it to look strange on my really pale skin, but I was pleasantly surprised and can't wait to wear it more throughout the summer months. Whilst I was perusing the varnish shelves I came across Mardi Gras. I've never seen a nail varnish quite like this before, and I thought it would look amazing on top of a white/pale shade so I picked it up. Strangely, Mardi Gras scanned through the till at £1 instead of £6 as stated on the shelves. The shop assistant made a remark about it being good value for a varnish and I agreed whilst trying not to look confused. Still not sure what went on there, but I'm not complaining!

Purchases:
Nail Varnish in Totally Turmeric
Nail Varnish in Mardi Gras


And that was everything I treated myself to! If you can't treat yourself for your 21st birthday whilst drowning in revision and tempted by discounts when can you?

Have you picked up any of these things recently?

P.S. Since I don't have much time to focus on blogging at the moment I've decided to take all of my photos for this month's posts in one go. Apologies if you get bored of seeing the same background! I'll also be scheduling my posts throughout exam period, which means that new posts will be up on Wednesdays and Sundays. Make sure you check back then! :)