Megan in the meadow

Today I went on a lunch time dog walk with my mum and our dog Jazz. We strolled around the lake before venturing into the beautiful meadows. We are very lucky to live right next to this magical place! I'm no photographer, but I did manage to capture a few snaps for you to take a peek at below...

Excuse my paleness, I really need a tan!

My doll house sugar pot ring

I hope you've enjoyed this post as it is a little different from my usual offerings! I think it's nice to do a few picture posts every now and then.

xo

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Recent purchases (fashion and beauty haul)

New Look boots, L'Oreal Super Liner, Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara (review here), Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eye shadows (Permanent Taupe and On and On Bronze), Lush Bubblegum lip scrub, Sleek blush by 3 (lace), Lush bath bombs (Twilight), The Body Shop Pore minimiser primer, The Body Shop baked bronzer, No 7 gradual tan lotion, The Body Shop Aloe toner, Schwarzkopf got2b sea salt spray, The Sanctuary pore refiner face scrub (review here), Primark pink sandals, Primark pug print duvet cover and pillow cases.

I always really enjoy watching 'haul' videos on Youtube, but seeing as I am not confident enough to make my own I thought I would show you a few of my recent purchases here on my blog! Please note that I did not buy all of these products in one go, I just thought it made sense to feature them all together. I won't go into detail about all of the products as I don't want you to drop off to sleep, but I will be doing some separate reviews over the next few weeks. Let me know if there's anything in particular that you would like to know more about!

Favourite purchase

My favourite purchase has to be the pug print duvet cover and pillow cases. It was only £11.00 from Primark, which I thought was such a great price! I love that it is double sided so you can either have it navy side up or white side up. The added bonus is that James likes it too! It makes a change from my usual girly flower print bedding.

Footwear

I absolutely love the black boots from New Look. I had spotted them in brown a couple of weeks ago, but I am so glad I hung on to see if they bought them out in black! They're so comfortable and will be perfect for all year round wear. The pink sandals were just £3.50 from Primark. I'm not really into sandals, but these were cute and cheerful so I thought I'd give them a go this summer.

Summer essentials

Summer wouldn't be summer without beach waves and healthy glowing skin. That's why I thought it was about time I picked up a new bronzer, my favourite gradual tan lotion and some sea salt spray to give my hair a little texture! I highly recommend the gradual tan lotion from No 7. I have very fair skin but it appears to be working, without looking fake or streaky. It does have a slightly unpleasant biscuit scent though. Finally, I picked up a baked bronzer from The Body Shop when I popped to Meadow Hall on Tuesday. I tend to use this very sparingly to give my skin a sun kissed glow. The lightest part at the edge also works as a great highlighter!

I hope you have enjoyed having a nosey at some of my recent purchases. If there's anything you want to know more about let me know in the comments and I'll be sure to answer questions and put things on my review post list. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

xo

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Chime For Change

  

Thanks to Kate and Hannah for the photos!

At the beginning of June I attended the Sound of Change Live concert at Twickenham Stadium with two of my best friends, Kate and Hannah. I hadn't been to a concert in years, but I couldn't have picked a better one to go to. When the day finally arrived I couldn't quite contain my excitement, I was actually going to see Beyonce live, as well as some of my other favourite singers and bands including Florence and the Machine and Haim.

We were blessed with such beautiful weather on the day of the concert. I'm so glad I decided to ditch the 'cag and in bag' raincoat before heading out - it was a risk that certainly paid off haha! After a Pimms and a couple of berry ciders we were well and truly ready to dance the night away.

Queen Bey...
Out of all of the singers and bands we were lucky enough to see, my favourite of course was Beyonce! She was every bit as epic as I thought she would be. The girls and I loved singing along to 'Irreplaceable' (one of our favourites) but the highlight for me has to be Crazy in Love, as she was joined by hubby Jay-Z. Adorable couple!

Favourites...
I also absolutely loved Florence Welch. She's such an amazing singer and I loved how she almost floated around the stage in her gorgeous green dress. The biggest surprise for me was how much I loved Jennifer Lopez's set! I haven't listened to J-Lo for a long, long time, but she was awesome! We were treated to a few of her older tunes as well as her very energetic dancing. The lady can dance, that's for sure. Oh and I must mention how awesome it was to be surprised with Jessie J as the very first lady on stage!

Guest speakers...
In between all of the acts which included the likes of Ellie Goulding, Rita Ora, Haim, John Legend and Timberland (to name just a few) we were shown video clips of some of the inspirational girls and women that Chime for Change was aiming to work with and change the lives of. Guest speakers at the event included Madonna, Frida Gianni, Salma Hayek, Ryan Reynolds, Jessica Chastain, James Franco and Blake Lively (again to name just a few). As a huge Gossip Girl fan, I was a little excited to see Blake Lively 'in real life' and introducing her bessie-mate Florence to the stage was pretty cute.

About Chime for Change (The important part)

Chime for Change was founded by Gucci and has Beyonce, Frida Gianni and Salma Hayek Pinault on the founding committee. The Sound of Change Live was all about drawing attention to areas where there is work to be done in the world, with a focus on women and girls. It was about empowering women and celebrating inspirational women throughout history. What I really liked about Chime for Change is that you were able to donate your ticket money to a women's charity of their choice after the concert. Basically you went on to a website called Catapult where you could scroll through hundreds of projects.

Choosing a project...
With so many amazing projects to choose from, I found it a really difficult choice to make. For a full list of projects please see the Catapult website. I ended up donating my ticket money to a project called 'Clean water to women and families and rural Kenya.' Everyone should have access to clean and safe water, which is why I thought this was such an important project. I'm not going to go off on a tangent, but some of us (including myself) do take for granted things like clean drinking water, which is why this was my project of choice.

If you want to find out more about the organisation then please visit the Chime for Change website, or if you would like to find out more about the projects, or are kind enough to donate and get involved, then please visit the Catapult website. Chime for Change also have a Twitter account, so pop over and give them a follow!

All in all it was a fabulous event for a fantastic cause. It was one of those evenings that I know I will never forget.

xo

My favourite new shoulder bag from Bagable

As much as I love shoes, I will always be a handbag girl at heart, just like my Grandma was. I have a lovely collection of bags of all shapes and sizes and the lovely Juno Jamaica Shoulder bag featured below is my latest addition. The first thing that caught my eye when I saw the bag was the gorgeous neon lime section that looked oh-so-perfect against the black and beige. With neon being a huge trend this summer, I knew this was going to quickly become my go-to handbag.

Aside from its sophisticated aesthetics, this bag is a dream in terms of practical use. Open up the bag using the smooth metal clasp and you will find five roomy compartments. A pocket at the front (the lime section), a zipped section in the middle, two more sections on either side and a concealed zipped section on the back. The Juno bag is medium-sized, yet it fits far more inside than some of the larger handbags in my collection! It's also great how organised you can be using all of the different sections. I like how I can keep my keys and purse safe in the zipped compartments and still have room for my iphone, kindle, sunglasses and makeup essentials in the other sections. There will be no rustling around at the bottom of the bag for me!

The bags strap is made from a stylish metal chain and also features a leather shoulder strap (that matches the rest of the bag) so that it sits comfortably on the body. I have been carrying it around on my shoulder but you could also carry it on the crook of your arm, as shown in the picture above.

Until recently I hadn't heard of Juno bags but I am so, so impressed with the quality of this bag and think it looks very high-end! So far I have used it to accessorise a casual jeans and heeled boots outfit and the going-out maxi dress outfit featured above. It is definitely a must-have bag for the summer months ahead.

xo

*gifted item

Sanctuary Exfoliating Pore Refiner review

Sanctuary Exfoliating Pore Refiner 100 ml - £10.50 from Boots 

Not sure why my skin is darker here than in the next photo haha, but here's a close up of what the product looks like. You can see the small beads that are used to gently exfoliate the skin.

The Sanctuary Exfoliating Pore Refiner has become a key part of my skincare routine. It is described as a complexion perfecting facial scrub for congested skin. Large pores can easily become blocked causing spots and blemishes, so this facial scrubs acts to prevent this from happening.

Out of all of the facial scrubs I have tried, this has to be my favourite so far. It just feels a lot gentler than some of the cheaper alternatives and the 'bits' or in this case 'eco-beads' in the scrub do not seem to be as big. The scent is quite citrus-sy but sour, in a good way! It's very fresh and not offensive at all.

How to use the exfoliating pore refiner

The instructions on the bottle tell you to use the product after cleansing two to three times a week. They advise you not to use it on consecutive days, however in other reviews I have read, people have done this and haven't noticed anything bad happen haha! After a couple of weeks, when you begin to notice a difference, you can reduce this down to one to two times a week. 

I usually apply the scrub to my face when it is damp and make small circles upwards, focussing mainly on my forehead, nose and chin. Once I have covered my face, I then wash it off with warm water and pat dry with a towel. I find that my skin always feels noticeably smoother and fresh afterwards!

Key ingredients

The Sanctuary's Exfoliating Pore Refiner contains witch hazel, which you may know is a product that is used to bring out bruises on the skin but it also great for fighting acne. In this case the witch hazel is used to minimise the appearance of large pores, giving you a smoother and more flattering complexion.

The face scrub also contains salicylic acid to protect against the bacteria that causes skin blemishes, along with seaweed which is used to balance out the skin's oil levels.

I love using this product and want to thank my mum for having it in the bathroom cupboard haha! I have since bought my own bottle! It leaves the skin feeling so fresh and clean and I've definitely noticed a difference to my skin, especially around the sides of my nose where I do sometimes find the pores are larger. 

*Edited to add: The product is also free from parabens and the Sanctuary DO NOT test on animals. Always a massive thumbs up in my opinion!*

At £10.50 this is definitely a more expensive face scrub, especially if you compare it to other brands like St. Ives and Boots own brand, however in this case you are really paying for the quality of the product - plus the 100ml bottle lasts for ages! 

Speaking of skincare, the lovely Natasha from Shot of Beauty tagged me in the Skin Care tag earlier this week, so look out for my answers to the questions in a blog post sometime next week!

xo

Making spare cash blogging

For some reason making a little money from blogging seems to be one of those taboo subjects that people feel really awkward talking about. I'm not one of those people! Since finishing my degree last year I have been working as a freelance writer, getting paid to write blog posts and articles, as well as running Seek My Scribbles, my little corner of the internet.

Image sourced from Better in Bulk Blog

Like the majority of bloggers, I write posts for fun! It is great to be able to write about what I want to write about and share a little about the things going on in my life on my own blog. There are occasions where I will write sponsored posts or review products, but only when the content fits in with what I believe my readers will like. There is nothing wrong with earning a little money or reviewing a product for free providing that you are honest with your readers. Making a little money from a hobby isn't a new thing, nor should it be taboo or awkward to talk about! Just think, many people start making web designs, creating illustrations or making jewellery as a hobby and a lot of them end up setting up ecommerce stores to sell the products of their hobby.

I recently signed up to a new website that aims to connect brands and bloggers, called Hire Bloggers. Over the last few years brands have recognised the importance of bloggers and their social influence and have therefore wanted to cooperate with them and build relationships. Hire Bloggers aims to find the right bloggers for brands to work with. The brand gets the exposure they need and the blogger is privy to fresh and often exclusive content ideas, as well as payment for the time and effort they put into creating a post for their readers.

Benefits for businesses

The service offered by Hire Bloggers is great for businesses as it enables them to approach and connect with bloggers that have a readers who may be interested in a business, their service or products. Bloggers are usually naturally talented writers and able to product the high quality content the brands require.

Benefits for bloggers

Aside from the money (who doesn't need a little extra cash now and then), bloggers can benefit from being able to introduce something new to their blog for their readers to enjoy. This may be exclusive information about a new product range or you may even be able to introduce your readers to a new brand that they have not come across before.

Whether blogging is part of your job or you just do it in your spare time, there is nothing wrong with making a little extra money from something you are passionate about. If you are interested in finding out more about Hire Bloggers or want to sign up, hop over to their website.

xo

*Sponsored post - all opinions are my own!

Rimmel ScandalEyes Flex mascara review

Before I applied the mascara...

After I applied two coats of the Rimmel Scandaleyes Flex mascara

Let me first just apologise for not blogging yesterday - sorry, sorry! In my last post I said 'I'll definitely pop a blog up on Sunday.' Whoops! I was just mega tired after getting back from London and ended up climbing straight into bed to catch up on The Voice. Chime for Change was absolutely amazing and I had the best time. I decided to hold off blogging about it until I have a decent set of pictures to show you. My lovely friend Kate is going to send some over as my iphone pictures were too rubbish.

Anyway...the whole trip went really quickly but I managed to nip into Superdrug to pick up a few beauty bits, one of which was the Rimmel ScandalEyes Flex mascara. I had planned to just pick up an eyeliner and a Sleek blush, however after realising that the 'three for two' offer was on, I quickly picked up this mascara at the counter. I was in need of a new mascara, but was planning on purchasing the YSL faux cils mascara again, but thought that since this would be a 'freebie' it was worth a try.

I have to say, I am so impressed with the latest Scandaleyes mascara from Rimmel. They already have a couple out (one comes in purple packaging, the other in orange) but this is the first one that I've tried. If you like long, voluminous lashes, then this is definitely worth getting your hands on! I love the lime green packaging and the the big chunky bristle brush. I know some people may think the applicator is too big, but I have quite big eyes (and already fairly long lashes) so I find it really easy to work with. 

It apparently has 'Lycra technology' whatever that is...I know a lot of beauty products state that at the moment haha. Rimmel also make a point that the mascara leaves your lashes flexible (guessing this is down to the 'Lyrca technology') and voluptuous. I have to agree, my lashes do not feel stiff or heavy in the slightest. I've found that the mascara lasts all day, there is no crumbling, but it is also really easy to take off with makeup remover at the end of the day. Which is always a bonus.

All in all I think this is a fantastic mascara from Rimmel and I like it so much that I'm going to put off buying my usual YSL mascara for a little while. It is currently priced at £4.99 in Superdrug (£2.00 off the usual price) and you can also get it as part of there three for two offer.

Summary...

•  Long, thick lashes
•  Intense black colour
•  No clumps
•  Easy application (with large brush)
•  Purse-friendly price
•  Lasts all day
•  Easy to remove

Have you tried this mascara? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. xo