Review: Yves Rocher Moment de Bonheur

I was very kindly sent this fragrance to review from Baobella, click here to check out their site. I have loved Yves Rocher for years but  I wish they had stores or concessions here! I did have a couple of their fragrances two/three of years ago called Peach and also Flower Party both of which I really liked, especially the latter. 

I have the *Yves Rocher L'eau Moment de Bonheur (50ml, EDT, £38). Firstly, the packaging is just gorgeous - so simple, clean and fresh, perfect for the time of the year. The bottle is pretty too as well as being simple and practical. However, one thing about the packaging that I don't like is the green writing on top of the green liquid. The fragrance comes in a 50ml size and also a 15ml purse spray (£13) which sounds so convenient and handy for travelling.

The fragrance notes are as follows: centifolia rose, sweet apple and virginia cedar essence. Individually all of the notes sound just gorgeous, especially the rose and unusual sweet apple. The notes combine beautifully to create a gorgeous floral, fresh, crisp scent that does have a slight musk towards the end of the wear of the fragrance but it still remains very light and refreshing. The scent is almost an instant pick me up, it is so refreshing - perfect for spring/summer. 

The longevity of the fragrance is good, on clothing it lasts for around four hours on me and on my skin it lasts for around five hours which I think is very good overall - however everyones skin 'chemistry' is different so fragrances may last longer on some people when compared to others. Considering this fragrance is an eau de toilette, it is not expected to be amazingly long lasting anyway. Tip: applying a unscented body lotion before using a fragrance may make it last longer! 

Overall, I love the packaging and the fragrance - it smells like spring/summer in a  bottle to me. It is very uplifting, refreshing and light. The longevity is very good, although not amazing on me personally. I am very happy with the fragrance and I would definitely recommend Yves Rocher perfumes. ★★★★★, 5/5 from me! 

Have you tried any fragrances from Yves Rocher? 

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Pin Point Clothing Prom + Formal Dresses

Pin Point Clothing is a new clothing company based in London, they have a range of gorgeous dresses online currently that would make beautiful prom/formal dresses! Prom season is nearly here and I think these dresses would be great for your prom or any other formal occasion. 

1. Embellished Evening Dress (Pink, £74.99): How gorgeous is this dress! I love long flowing dresses but sadly as I am tiny, I don't think I could pull it off. I love the embellished detailing on this dress around the neck line and waist, I think it works well with the subtle pinky/peachy colour of the dress. I think this dress would be great for prom, wedding or sweet 16 party!

2. Embellished Evening Dress (Black, £74.99): This dress is the same as the previous one but it is in black. I love black dresses as they are so easy and they go with any accessories or heels! If you are unsure what to wear for your prom or a formal occasion you really cannot go wrong with a classic black dress. This dress also comes in white and turquoise. 

3. Embellished Evening Prom Prom Style Dress (Black, £59.99): A bit of a cheaper option with this simple black dress with gorgeous embellishments on the waist. The neckline is just gorgeous on this dress it looks like a subtle sweetheart necklace. The dress has adjustable straps which is great as I find dress necklines fall very low on me but with this dress you don't have to worry about that. This dress would be so pretty with black patent heels and silver accessories/jewellery. This dress also comes in pink and red. 

4. Beige Dress (£19.99): Here is an even more affordable dress, the dress has a shift style shape with gorgeous beige sequins. It looks like a great gatsby, flapper style dress from the 1920's, so gorgeous! This dress would look amazing with a tan to show of your pins! Team the dress with nude heels, a golden clutch and you are ready to go! Great for parties or as a more daring prom dress. This dress also comes in chic black, blue and a stunning coral colour. 

5. Bow Top and Dress (2 in 1, Taupe/Mink, £18.99): Here is a bit more of a girly, subdued option for those girls that don't really like dressing up in sequins and flowing ball gowns. I love the cute crocket/lace top and bow. The white and taupe/mink colour combination is so pretty and chic! I didn't go to my high school prom, as I was too nervous, but I probably would have picked a dress like this. 

Pin Point Clothing offer delivery within one day, free delivery on orders over £100 and sizes range from 10-18. For more information on their prom/formal dresses, click here. 

What do you think of these dresses? What did you wear to your prom?

*this is a sponsored post*

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Bloggers Lounge Road Trip Style Competition

Bloggers Lounge are currently running a competition (which ends on the 31st May) where you can win a £100 fashion shopping voucher. All you have to do is create a blog post about your road trip style based on one of the amazing fly drive adventures Round the World Experts have on offer on their site. For more information about entering, click here. I choose the Coastal California holiday as inspiration for my style collage. I have always wanted to go to California but for now, California style is the closest I can get! 

Here is my entry, all of the pieces are from Topshop as they have an amazing summer range! The road trip sign image is from Google. I was inspired by the gorgeous California sunshine to create this outfit and makeup collage toad trip outfit. 

1. Topshop White Broderie Suntop (£28): How cute is this sun top, I love the breezy look and the crocket detailing adds a really nice details to a fairly plain top. I also love the simple frills at the hem. I love white tops in the summer, they just go with everything. 

2. Topshop Facated Stone Necklace (£6.50): There are so many gorgeous necklaces on topshop that would go with this outfit such as the white tusk necklace, the green ovals necklace or the turquoise stone collar necklace. I chose this necklace as the stone looks so beautiful, like the water around the California coastline - so blue and inviting. The necklace is such  bargain too, I am definitely going to get this necklace for summer!

3. Topshop Sheer Lips in 'play wit fire' (£8): Coral/orange lips are a big trend this summer and this shade looks perfect! I love sheer lipsticks, especially during the summer, as they are so quick, easy, fuss free and you don't have to worry about them. I am a fan of the Topshop lipsticks, I definitely need more in my collection. The Topshop mermaid/holographic makeup bags also look amazing, great for travelling. 

4. Topshop Naive Cross Through Sandals (£45): Oh how I wish I didn't have teeny tiny feet! These heeled sandals are just perfection! *cries* I love the colours, tan sandals always remind me of summer holidays and the chunky heels means that they will be easier to walk in. I think these sandals really compliment the rest for the outfit. 

5. Topshop Moto Bleached Ripped Mom Shorts (£32): I have had a few pairs of Topshop shorts in the past and they have been amazing. This pair looks gorgeous, especially with the rips. Denim shorts just make me think of America for some reason, they would look great with the sandals and a California sun kissed tan!

6. Topshop Vintage Tan Alba Hobo Bag (£60): I am a bit of a bag lady, I love bags and this one is so gorgeous. I really don't have enough tan bags in my life...I love the slouchy look of the bag with its vintage washed leather and unstructured shape. I think it works well with the outfit. 

There you have my California road trip style outfit inspired by the California coast! If you want to enter this competition check out the link at the top of this post. I tag @monpetitbillet, @lovesprettywildthings and @missmakeupmagpie to do this competition if they want to - if you enter this competition leave your post link below.  

What do you think of my outfit? 

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10 Years Of Being A Vegetarian

As of this month I have been a vegetarian for 10 years (well I did eat fish but I stopped that after about three weeks of becoming a veggie). I wanted to talk about my experiences of being a vegetarian, how to deal with the drastic change in diet and what I eat - I am not trying to make anyone become a vegetarian or feel guilty about eating meat, this is just my experiences and my opinions. Also this week 19th - 25th May is national vegetarian week!

All images above are from Google

Firstly, I became a vegetarian as I saw a video online (I think it was on Viva's website) about how some animals are being killed and also I think it was just a realisation of were the meat I was eating actually comes from. My family have been very supportive over the years, making meals specifically for me although I think it was a bit of a shock at first - and a bit worrying for a girl who was almost 12 years old to stop eating protein. Apart from me, there isn't another vegetarian in my family (or my friends) that I know of but my grandad is a pescatarian so he hasn't eaten meat for about forty years but he does eat fish. I understand eating fish for health reasons as it does contain good nutrients but I am fully vegetarian for moral reasons, I don't eat meat, fish or meat products because I personally think it is wrong to eat meat. Animals do not need to die for me to live. 

I personally found the change from eating meat, fish and gelatine based sweets (such as Haribo) really quite easy, I would miss certain meals that I liked which contained meat but on the whole it was easy for me. There are a lot of meat free alternative such as store own meat free products and Quorn. My favourite Quorn product is definitely the 'bacon' as it is really nice with pasta. I don't know if it tastes like meat because I do not remember what any meat or fish tastes like. 

Some of my favourite veggie meals include pasta, I make a lot of vegetable pasta dishes. I just cook whatever pasta I want and I then lightly pan fry kale, broccoli, celery, pine nuts, green beans and samphire which is a gorgeous combination along with some cream alternative (a less fatty version of single cream) and herbs - heaven! I also love roasted artichoke, homemade Quorn coconut curry, Quorn burgers, mushroom and cheese pizza and risotto. I do eat milk, cheese and eggs as I am not a vegan. Nuts, seeds, pulses and meat alternative are good sources of protein. I also take vitamin/mineral tablets when I remember. 

There are some difficulties being a vegetarian, for example, I did become anaemic (lack of iron in the blood which causes tiredness, fatigue and reduced concentration) while I was in high school/college which may have been because I wasn't eating enough meat free protein sources. I did have to have ferrous fumerate liquid which tasted like blood/rust from my doctor. Also while eating in restaurants it can be difficult as there are usually only one or two veggie options or I would be unsure if it is completely vegetarian as the stock or cheese used may not be suitable for vegetarians. Also I have to check food packaging a lot to see if it suitable for vegetarians which can be annoying, I am definitely looking into ordering occasionally from solely vegetarian food websites - any suggestions? 

I am so glad I became a vegetarian and I think it is a good achievement to make it to 10 years meat free - if you are interested in becoming a vegetarian check out the Vegetarian Society website, here. I only have one vegetarian healthy recipe on my blog currently, you can see it here and I am thinking of starting a vegetarian blog, would anyone be interested in recipes etc? 

If you have any questions for me, leave them in the comments below 

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Birchbox: April + May

I re-subscribe to Birchbox every so often if a box looks pretty good or it is a collaboration with another company. A couple of years ago I was subscribed to both Birchbox and Glossybox but I cancelled both subscriptions as I wasn't receiving another good. However, I noticed a code on the blog A Little Obsessed for a free May Birchbox, if you bought the April one so two boxes for the price of one seemed like a great deal. 

April Birchbox (£12.95): I was excited to try a few things from this box (although I didn't get the Laura Mercier lotion I wanted). I wanted to try the Yes To Cucumbers wipes as I have been interested in this range for a while; also the TheBalm Lip & Cheek Colour looks so cute! I was disappointed with the wipes as they did irritate my skin but I will use them to remove swatches. I have heard other people with sensitive skin saying that these wipes irritated their skin too. I sold the eyeliner, lotion and nail polish. The amazing product was the lip/cheek colour, firstly the packaging is pretty amazing....and the product is great too - I am not a cheek colour kind of girl but I loved the rosy flush this gave. Overall, the box was quite poor in my opinion - ★★☆☆☆, 2/5. 

May Birchbox - Harpers Bazar (£12.95): This box is a collaboration with the magazine Harpers Bazar and the box is very colourful and cute. The box contains some positives and some negatives overall for me. I am happy with the Aromatherapy Associates Bath & Shower Oil and I will definitely try out the shampoo and conditioner travel sizes from Beauty Protection. Also the nail polish came in the most luxe packaging ever but sadly the shade doesn't suit my skin tone. I do not like the Benefit They're Real Mascara *I'm the only one who doesn't love it* and the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish irritates my skin sadly as I did love it a few years ago but then my eczema started and I haven't been able to use it since. I will keep the mascara and cleanser packaged up for a giveaway in August! Overall, this box was a good mix but I'm not very impressed - ★★★☆☆, 3/5. 

*The code wasn't explained well on their blog post so you don't get your May box free but you get two May boxes, the second one is free - I haven't received my second box yet (v. disappointed that the code wasn't explained, I probably wouldn't have resubscribed)*

Did you received either of these boxes, if so, what did you think?

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Initial Impressions: Chanel Les Beiges Multi-Colour No 1. Light Harmony

I have a whole series of 'initial impressions' blog posts coming soon with multiple products in each post but for today I thought I would share my opinions and initial impressions of the new Chanel Les beiges Health Glow Multi-Colour (SPF15 PA++) (£39). This is my very first Chanel purchase!

I bought this product from House of Fraser as soon as I saw it as I think it is going to be a sell out product this summer! I bought the shade 'No 1 Light Harmony' which is the lightest shade of two. With the compact you receive a pouch (very fancy) and a semi circular brush which is fantastic! The powder consists of a top highlight layer, followed by a bronzer and finally a blusher. The highlighter does have fine shimmer in it and the bronzer/blusher also have shimmer in them but it is very very fine, it is hardly noticeable in the compact. 

Can we just have a moments silence for the packaging....how gorgeous, luxe and freakin beautiful is this compact - even the brush and powder have 'chanel' written on them. Usually I throw away brushes but as this is Chanel there is no way this brush is going in the bin - and the brush is fantastic! The brush is super smooth, soft and effective for the highlight, bronzer and blusher. The brush is big but thin so it is great for contouring when used on its side and when used flat it is great for sweeping the product over the high points of the face that would catch the sun. 

Now onto the powders, the highlighter is a soft creamy champagne colour with noticeable fine shimmer. It is a super soft powder that is very easy to apply and blend. The shimmer isn't really noticeable on the skin, it just gives a subtle, lit from within glow *most used phrase in blogging ever*. I expected the pigmentation to be a little better as I do like a strong highlighter (such as TheBalm's Mary Loumanizer) but it is nice to have a more subtle sophisticated glow. 

Secondly the bronzer, I have only recently started to get into bronzer fully and I am loving the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer. I was slightly concerned while buying this compact that the bronzer would be too strong, dark or orange on my super pale skin but it isn't. As you can see from the swatches above, the bronzer as well as the other powders isn't very pigmented which may be a negative for some people but for me it is great as it means I will not look like a muddy, orange tangoed mess! It does not look orange or dark on my skin, it blends so well that it looks very natural. I like the subtle glow the bronzer gives and it is fantastic for contouring - it is not shimmery at all so it is nice for a bronzy summer contour. 

Lastly the blush, if you have been following my blog for a while you will know that I am definitely not a blusher kind of girl but since using TheBalm's How 'Bout Them Apples Lip & Cheek Colour, I am a convert! I use the same Chanel brush for all of the powders and it works well. The blusher is the most pigmented when swatched but on the skin it is just like the highlighter and bronzer - subtle but gorgeous. I can easily get away with swirling the brush through all three powders then dusting it on the high points of the face for a lovely subtle, healthy glow - hence the name. 

Overall, I adore the packaging and the compact. I am very happy with my first Chanel purchase. All three powders are beautiful to use and give a lovely, subtle and glowing radiance to the skin. It would be great for travelling as you have three products (well five in one, if you count the mirror and brush) together. Some people will be disappointed with the subtle pigmentation but I love it, it is perfect for my very pale skin. I am knocking one star off for the price and the scent of the powders (which is nice and floral but I would have preferred it to be unscented). I will definitely get a lot of use out of this compact, I hope it isn't limited edition! ★★★★☆, 4/5 (almost 5/5).

What was your first Chanel purchase? Will this highlighter/bronzer/blusher compact be on your summer beauty wish list?

Check out my international blog giveaway ft. Tom Ford and Benefit Cosmetics but HURRY it ends in less than 11 hours!! 

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