Summer Beauty: The Festival Edit

Festival season is in full swing and with one happening almost every weekend across the UK until September, it's time to take advantage and make the most out of the great British Summer. So if you're ready to step up your beauty game for all those Instagram pics with your mates, read on! 

Go Bright or Pastel?

Summer Festivals are the perfect opportunity to try out a brand new hair colour, so indulge your Pinterest hair-inspiration fantasies, and grab your best friend for some cheap and cheerful hair-dying at home. These 2-in-1 packs from Schwarzkopf Live* (£5.49 each, from Superdrug) let you choose whether you want an ultra bright shade or a more subtle pastel colour. They work best on blonde or pre-lightened hair, are semi-permanent, easy to use and come in a wide range of colours including 095 Electric Blue and 096 Turquoise Temptation. What are you waiting for?!

Remember To Use Sunscreen!   

If you're going to be outside standing in a field for most of the day, you're going to need some sunscreen. Make sure you pop a bottle into your backpack - something like EVY Sunscreen Mousse SPF 30* (150ml, £16.95 from HelloSkin) will ensure that you're fully protected thanks to its unique Swedish technology that allows this sunscreen to absorb into the top layer of the skin, rather than sitting on the surface. This makes it incredibly water-resistant, and the mousse formula is non-sticky, hypoallergenic and doesn't leave you with a white cast. Win win!

Your BFF - The Humble Dry Shampoo

After sunscreen, dry shampoo is probably the second most 'essential' beauty item to take, especially if you're going for a full weekend and camping on site. Schwarzkopf Fresh It Up Dry Shampoo in Extra Fresh* (£2 from Primark) will banish dirt, absorb excess oil and keep your hair smelling fresher for longer with its uplifting citrusy fragrance. 

The Hairstyle Saviours

For those who have more high-maintenance hair, these two style saviours from Kerasilk will stop you from looking like Monica in that now meme-famous episode of Friends. The Control Humidity Barrier Spray* (150ml, £21.50) will defend your tresses against heat and high humidity and keep your hair looking sleek all day with just a few spritzes of its clever invisible barrier spray. For the ultimate frizz protection, apply a little Control De-Frizz Primer* (75ml, £21.50) before blow-drying for the smoothest possible results. Both are available from your nearest Goldwell Salon.

Keep Cool in the Heat

Us Brits are notorious for not handling the heat well when we finally do get some sun, so if you get easily hot and bothered, make sure you stock up on a can or two of Superdrug Instant Cooling Spray for Body & Face* (200ml, £3.99, link). This product does exactly what it says it'll do - just spray onto face and body and it'll provide an instantly refreshing and cooling sensation in seconds. Suitable for the whole family to use so a great one to have if you're taking kids with you! 

Brighten Up Your Makeup

Neutral palettes have no place at a summer festival - it's all about digging out those unused bright shades and experimenting with some bold new looks! If you don't have any festival-friendly colours in your everyday makeup stash, why not invest in Urban Decay's Afterdark Eyeshadow Palette* (£39.50, link). This palette contains ten pans of beautiful metallic jewel tones and there are some stunning shape-shifting duotones that change colour when the light hits them. As always with Urban Decay, these eyeshadows are incredibly pigmented and the colours are really rich and vibrant as a result. They'll stick around all day too - perfect for festivals and girls nights out.

If you're on more of a budget, you could try Lottie London Shadow Swatch Eyeshadow Palette in The Rainbows* (£9.95, link) which has 12 brilliantly colourful matte and shimmer shades with lovely blendable textures, to suit all your bright and pastel cravings. I'm really impressed with the quality of this one - it's excellent value for money so go outside of your comfort zone and have some fun with your makeup! 

Are you heading to any Summer Festivals this year?

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Sunday Style: Moonstone Magic Jewellery - Dropping Wisdom Pendant review

When I was about seven or eight years old, my grandmother bought me a beautiful moonstone necklace for my birthday. It had a large oval shaped pendant and I remember being utterly mesmerised by this magical looking gemstone that would look different when it caught the light at various times of the day. 

Sadly, I lost the necklace when I was a teenager during a family house move, and despite being upset by it at the time, I haven't really thought about it in recent years, until an email popped up in my inbox from a company that specialises in moonstone jewellery. 

When I visited their website, I couldn't help but think about the necklace that I had lost, so when they asked me if I wanted to review one of their pieces I jumped at the chance. 

Moonstone Magic Jewellery are a jewellery company based in Florida, USA and they create beautiful pieces of jewellery using genuine Rainbow Moonstone Gemstones and 925 Sterling Silver, all of which are handmade. Their pieces are heavily inspired by a youthful, fun and creative bohemian lifestyle, and as I like to think of myself as a hippy at heart, they immediately appealed to me.

Their online shop is a cornucopia of rings, pendants, bracelets and earrings, and I was thrilled when Moonstone Magic let me choose a piece to review. I was spoilt for choice, but naturally, I checked out their pendants first and after some serious umming and ahhing, I decided to opt for their Dropping Wisdom Pendant.

When the pendant arrived, I was smitten. The Rainbow Moonstone is simply stunning - it almost looks like a piece of trapped ice and when it catches the light, it changes colour gradually, moving into grey, blue and even some pink tones depending on the direction that the light is coming from. 

This classic teardrop shape is wonderfully elegant and it really adds that finishing touch to any outfit. I'm so happy to have finally found a replacement for the moonstone necklace that I lost all of those years ago - thank you Moonstone Magic!

Moonstone Magic Jewellery Dropping Wisdom Pendant* ($65) is available from MoonstoneShop.com and is supplied without a chain.

Are you a fan of moonstone jewellery?

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Foodie Friday: The Vegan Kind - July 2017 review #TVK45

Last week, July's The Vegan Kind box arrived and I've been steadily munching my way through the contents. As always, it didn't disappoint with lots of new foodie products to try out.

This month's The Vegan Kind Box boasts eight products which are mostly snack related, and there have been one or two things which have surprised me this time around. Like their previous boxes that I've reviewed (check those out here), this one contains another good mix of sweet and savoury treats, so let's take a closer look at what's inside.

The Foods of Athenry Belgian Chocolate Biscuit Rocky Road Bar (RRP £1.50)

The popular family-run Irish bakery returns with a brand new creation and TVK subscribers get to be the first to try it in the UK - awesome! This thick and chocolatey bar is a proper indulgent treat and features a yummy blend of caramel, crunchy biscuit, dark Belgian chocolate and sweet marshmallow pieces. Absolutely delicious - you wouldn't even notice that it's gluten, wheat, dairy and egg free unless I told you!

Jealous Sweets Grizzly Bears (RRP £1.50)

It can be hard finding gummy sweets that are gelatine-free, whether you're a vegetarian or a vegan, but these ones from Jealous Sweets are amazing. They have a really great texture and are packed full of natural fruity flavours. Much nicer than Haribo!

Bute Island Creamy Cheddar Sheese (RRP £2.30)

The Vegan Kind included a spreadable ambient cream 'cheese' from Bute Island in their May box (reviewed here), which I enjoyed trying but it wasn't something that I would buy again. So when I saw this Creamy Cheddar Sheese in this month's box, I wasn't expecting to like it that much, but surprisingly, it's pretty good! I like it a lot more than the other cream cheese flavour, and although it's got a similar soy/coconut oil based texture, it's the strong, realistic cheddar cheese flavour that really sets it apart. I like it spread onto a slice of warm sourdough with some cucumber slices on the top for an easy afternoon snack. 

Free From Italy Chocolate Cream Filled Organic Croissant (RRP £1.10)

A vegan croissant?! This got had a little squashed during transit, but I couldn't wait to try it. It's made by a new free from food line in Italy and this croissant is sweetened with Agave Nectar and filled with a dairy-free chocolate cream. It was obviously not as melt-in-your-mouth buttery as a normal croissant is, but the flaky pastry texture was good, if a little dry. The chocolate cream filling was great though, but there needed to be more of it as it was pretty much just in the centre and would have been a million times tastier if it was throughout the whole croissant!

The Feel Good Drinks Co Refreshingly Still Orange, Mango and Water Drink (RRP £1.20)

I love the Feel Good Drinks and have purchased this flavour many times when I've been out and about. Wonderfully fruity and refreshing, especially on a hot summer's day.

VITL Essentials Vegan Vitamin One Day Trial + 2 Week Free Trial Code (RRP £1.30)

I'm a strong believer in taking supplements every day, alongside a healthy diet, to make sure that you have all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs, so I was pleased to see this pack of supplements from VITL Essentials. This one day trial pack contains Multivitamin, Omega 3, CoQ10 and Supergreens capsules to cover all bases, and there's also a 2-week free trial code (2WKSFREE) included which I'll definitely be taking advantage of shortly.

Super Moons Cheese and Onion Lentil Puffs (RRP £0.75)

Super Moons are another brand new product and they're made by the same people who are behind Hectares Sweet Potato Crisps (which are amazing by the way!). This time, they're using lentils to create these tiny puff balls that are flavoured with cheese and onion, for a moreish savoury snack. At only 83 calories per bag, I'll certainly be buying these again! 

Ape Crunchy Coconut Bites with Sesame Seeds (RRP £1.60)

The last snack that I devoured from this month's box were these delicious little coconutty bites from Ape Snacks. They're really good and crunchy, with a subtle sweetness, and they're also baked, not fried. All natural, gluten and dairy free, these are well worth looking out for during your next grocery shop.

Also in the box: This month's recipe card is for a Courgette and Butternut Squash Rose Tart, courtesy of The Tofu Diaries, and July's chosen charity is The New Arc who are a North East Wildlife and Animal Rescue Centre. They specialise in rehabilitating injured and orphaned wildlife, but also rescue domestic animals who are in need as well. The New Arc are hoping to start construction on a new animal hospital as they are currently at capacity, so check out their website here and donate to them if you can via their Just Giving page here.

To find out more about The Vegan Kind, visit their website here. £10 + p&p each month in the UK, with worldwide shipping options available. 

Have you signed up to The Vegan Kind?

What's your favourite, non-beauty lifestyle subscription box?

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All About That Base: Leighton Denny Rock Solid & Under Cover Base Coats review

It can be tempting to skip using a base coat when you're rushing around to do your nails last minute, but a good base coat is an essential key to nailing that perfect manicure.

My unpolished, naked nails aren't the prettiest to look at as they are can be quite brittle and prone to breaking. I find that taking high-quality food supplements for healthy skin, hair and nails have helped considerably though, especially when you take them on a long-term basis, and I'm an avid fan of topical nail strengthening products to help further toughen them up on the surface. 

Speaking of the latter, as I love doing my nails at home I almost always use a base coat or strengthening product of some kind, and these two from Leighton Denny have become firm favourites in my mani routine.

Best for Weak Nails: Leighton Denny Rock Solid One Coat Strengthening Treatment* (12ml, £12, link)

Rock Solid is a one coat miracle worker for anyone who has weak nails that are prone to breaking. The formula includes a strengthening treatment which includes silk fibres that protect the nails, whilst also encouraging them to grow at the same time. You can use it like you would a regular base coat before applying nail polish, or you can apply a thin layer every day to bare nails to build up the treatment. Easy and very effective.

Best for Perfect Prep & Anti-Staining: Leighton Denny Under Cover Base Coat* (12ml, £12, link)  

For a perfectly smooth canvas to paint your nails, a coat of Under Cover as your base will ensure that your talons are perfectly prepped for a long-lasting manicure. It gives a matte finish so it won't interfere with your nail colour like some other base coats can do, and it also boasts some impressive anti-staining skills so that you can happily wear all of those on-trend bright reds and blues all summer long. Yay!

What's your favourite base coat?

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