Friday 29 September 2017

Wales | Where We Went | Part 1

In August my boyfriend, James, and I went camping in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. We went for a long weekend, staying Friday night through to Monday morning. We stayed at Grawen Caravan and Camping site, where we pitched a six-person tent on the Friday and made our home for the next three days. *Unfortunately, I didn't take any 'tent tour' shots so I'll just go on to show you what we got up to in the land of Wales.
Our first day was spent waking up before dawn and setting off for our destination a little after four am. Our journey was filled with Spotify playlists, podcasts, and tired ramblings accompanied by long silences. We crossed the Severn Bridge a couple hours later and quickly found ourselves in Merthyr Tydfil, a short drive from our campsite. I'm going, to be honest, our first day was mostly us getting things together like food, fire wood and setting up for our first night. It also included me napping (something that is unheard of).
We spent our first evening checking out a waterfall, wandering around Brecon in torrential rain and then ducking into a quaint, local pub for some dinner; where we quite possibly ate the best pub food I have ever had. We had hoped to later make a fire that night, however, I was far too tired and the weather too damp; so we simply called it a night.
Stay tuned for more, 
Cheerio for now! 
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Monday 25 September 2017

Book Review: A Fever of the Blood

A Fever of the Blood, Oscar de Muriel 
In this second case of Frey and McGrays, what starts as a simple inquest into a patient escape and a nurses death at an asylum ensues into a manhunt far beyond their jurisdiction of Edinburgh and down to Pendle Hill, home of the Lancashire Witches. The pair becomes intwined in the dangerous world of black magic which makes for an avalanche of plot twists and adrenaline-packed scenes which keep you turning the pages.

A Fever of the Blood was an amazing read. I was apprehensive before reading this because I loved The Strings of Murder so much however, it pulled through and made for a great read. I will always love the contrast between Frey and McGray, and in my opinion, their relationship is really what gives the story that extra 'something-something' for me.

The next book in this series is A Mask of Shadows, which I already have on my window ledge waiting to crack open. If you haven't already read my review of the first book, The Strings of Murder, then you can do so here. Stay tuned for what I think of the next book. 


Have you ever read any of these books, what did you think? 
Cheerio for now! 
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Friday 22 September 2017

Summer | 17

This Summer has been a bit of a mixed bag. I say it's been a mixed bag but really it's all been rather great with a little stump popping up during September. My summer was spent moving boxes, doing trips between houses and finding things I haven't seen in months. My summer weekends were filled escaping the madness and exploring new places with my boyfriend. And most of all, my summer saw our camping trip in Wales.
Season Favourites: 
BBQ's, when I say barbeques really I mean going to the beach hut, grabbing some supplies from Tesco and cooking food down by the sea; something my boyfriend and I did a few times this summer. 

Listening: 
I know I say this at the end of each season but I have honestly just been listening to a lot of podcasts. I have been trying to listen to new music and some new playlists on Spotify but alas, I haven't really loved anything new. 
Enjoying: 
Now, this may sound odd but I've been enjoying a PlayStation game called Uncharted. I know I know, I'm becoming one of them, but honestly, it's great. Let's set the record straight, I don't play it -well, I suppose in a way I do. My boyfriend plays it and I burrito myself in a quilt on the bed and watch; occasionally shouting that he's gone the wrong way, that he's going to get shot or generally give him a running commentary. Over time it's become 'our' thing, so much so that he's not allowed to play it without me. Don't worry -we're not quite out of the honeymoon phase, he still pinches my bum ;) 

Watching: 
Besides partly watching Uncharted, I have been watching Parks and Rec which I love. Every so often I have wandered back to the Gilmore Girls on Netflix, in particular, the episodes more focused on  Rory at Yale because I can't wait to start uni again. I have also been watching a lot of vlogmas videos. As I type this now I am recovering from a medical procedure and I can quite honestly say, nothing has lifted my spirits quite like festive vlogmas videos (I'm also trying to work out a budget to get everything I need in time for Christmas so the videos are partly reminding me to get it together). 

As much as Summer has been great, I can't wait for Autumn and Winter. Autumn is my favourite time of the year with it having my favourite holiday -Halloween! My boyfriend's favourite is Bonfire night so we will no doubt have exciting plans for that too. Winter is either a love or hate thing for me but I have some surprise plans in the works which are making me super excited for it. And most of all, it will be my birthday in October which we're going away for so I can't wait for that too! The next round-up will be full of exciting bits and bobs. 

How was your summer? Are you looking forward to Autumn? 
Cheerio for now! 
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Monday 18 September 2017

Kind Natured: Deeply Nourishing

Kind Natured with Deeply Nourishing Shea & Macadamia 
Whenever I visit Boots I always check out the Kind Natured products and see if they are on offer (I tend to stock up when they are), but it wasn't until my later part of my uni year, when I was too busy to go to the shops and was doing an online shop, that I realised they had released new products. Now there are quite a few new products but the ones that caught my eye were the Love Curls Shampoo and Conditioner, which I have a post on coming soon and this Deeply Nourishing collection of products. All of the products below are catered for very dry skin, perfect to quench your dehydrated skin throughout the summer months. 

If you haven't read my past posts on Kind Natured you can do so here. Even so, I will still give you a brief rundown of the brand. Kind Natured keeps it natural, with their products being 97% natural and entirely free from Sulphates, Parabens, and Petrochemicals. Their products are cruelty-free, vegetarian & vegan-friendly and their packaging is recyclable: so as you can see, in every way possible they are animal and earth-lovers, wanting to preserve our planet and produce kick-ass products. 
Body Lotion is something I have only got into in the past year or so. I think because so many lotions can be quite clammy on your skin that it put me off for a really long time. Since having a beach hut and visiting it in all weathers (yes, even wind and rain) I have realised that we need to keep our skin hydrated and nourished, especially when the weather is harsher. 

This body lotion is very quick to absorb but you still feel as though it is having an effect on your skin as opposed to your skin absorbing it and then still feeling dry or itchy. I love applying this after a shower, especially on my legs which have been a lot dryer since the weather has been warmer and I have had them out more. 
Hand cream is something I usually overlook entirely, which is odd because I suffer from super dry hands and get really bad eczema on the sides of my fingers (really nice, I know). I didn't know what to expect from this hand cream. From my limited experience with hand creams,' they fall into one of the two categories: either super heavy oil-based creams that make your hands clammy for half an hour or useless, in that your skin immediately absorbs all product and you feel no difference whatsoever. This hand cream, however, serves up some serious skin hydration without clammy or sticky skin and without you deeming it useless. 

You can apply as frequently as you require. I tend to apply after my face routine, in the morning and at night. With it being part of my skin ritual it is impossible to forget this important step and make sure my hands get the TLC they deserve. 
I first tried this body scrub a few days after I received some pretty severe windburn. Now, I know I probably shouldn't use a body scrub on the damaged or fragile skin, such as windburn, but after feeling the creamy consistency I thought I'd give it a whirl on my burnt skin which was starting to peel. It was like magic, so gentle on my sore skin but also so effective at buffing away my dead skin and softening the dry, dehydrated skin from long days at the beach hut. I couldn't help but feel my renewed skin and constantly be surprised at its' softness. 

Its' recommended to use this once or twice a week on damp skin. Rinse with lukewarm water, and use a body lotion for maximum results and baby soft skin.

As I mentioned, all of these products are made for dry-very dry skin, however, Kind Natured do have a range of products for normal-dry skin too if that is more suited to your skin type. 

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think of them?
Cheerio for now! 
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Monday 11 September 2017

Magazine Loves

If you follow my Instagram, then you know I love a good magazine. I'm not talking about those ones that you get a free goodie with or ones discussing celebrities and frivolous gossip but rather, ones centered around topics that interest me. Topics like sustainability, alternative living, art, travel, style, stories, and articles about people who inspire me by standing for what they believe in and going against the norm. Below are some magazines that I have been loving lately. 
Peppermint 
Peppermint magazine is an Australian publication, with its content rooted from style, sustainability, and substance across lifestyle and fashion. They showcase entrepreneurs, creative innovators and thought-provoking articles about those living their lives differently to the mainstream and in the process address and aid social and environmental issues. 

For me, Peppermint has everything I have ever wanted in a magazine. Reading about real people and how they live or have adapted their lives to help and live in the most eco-friendly way possible is something truly thought-provoking and inspiring; especially when you've been bought up thinking there's no other way than to simply keep filling landfills and use harmful products. For this reason, I would have to say it is my all-time favourite magazine. 
Frankie 
Frankie Magazine is an Australian bi-monthly magazine covering design, art, fashion, photography, music, travel, and craft. This magazine is full of quirky and whimsical illustrations. The articles are photographed gorgeously and wrote with tons of sarcasm, curiosities and sometimes even rudeness -but it's awesome! The honesty that rings through the magazine is one of the main qualities that make it what it is; a quirky, cute mag filled to the brim of inspiration, beaut photos, and hilarious words. 

I have subscribed to this magazine on and off for around two years now, and over that time have learned its' issues are a necessary item in my bag. 
Oh Comely 
Now, this is a fairly new magazine to me. I've been reading it on and off for just under a year now. It isn't one of my must-haves like the two magazines above however, I do love its' content. This magazine discusses nothing while also discussing everything. What do I mean by that? Well, in all honesty, there is nothing entirely consistent in terms of the subject matter of the articles, but still, its articles have a certain quality which warms the heart. Their articles often revolve around the seemingly mundane and yet their writers' manage to narrate the everyday adventures in a way which cherishes the little moments and leaves you with a fuzzy warm feeling in your belly. 
Popshot 
Popshot magazine has a mixture of poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and illustrations. It is smaller in size, being around an A5 size, and is produced twice a year. Each issue's content revolves around one theme in particular, with the magazine showcasing only the best of the best. I'd recommend this to anyone who loves poetry or shorter reads, along with any aspiring writers'.  

*Now, I do have three other magazines I'd love to share with you guys but rather than have this post too long -I thought it best to divide the list and produce two posts. Stay tuned for the next one! 


What magazines do you love? Let me know below 
Cheerio for now! 
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