Mid-Year Reading Update

Mid-Year Reading Update

Sunday, July 05, 2020
How are we half way through the year already! It has felt like no time has passed and we've all been stuck in March for a while but the one positive of lockdown has been more time for reading. Whenever I post my reading wrap-ups, I aways receive comments about how much I am able to read and where do I find the time so I'll let you in on a couple of secrets: always take a book or audiobook wherever you go, make time for reading instead of watching TV (for example) and DNF books if you're not enjoying them to make time for other reads you may love. 

Statistics
As of the 5th July, I've managed to read 67 books and as I passed by 50 book target a month or so ago, I have upped it to 100. Currently I'm 17 books ahead of my target so I'm very happy with my statistics for the year so far. I'm also happy with the number of LGBT books I've finished in the first half of the year which was definitely helped by pride in June. The only general reading number I'm not overly happy with is the low number of classics and longer books I've finished which is something I need to change for the second half of 2020. 

Best Books
I'll start by mentioning a few of my favourite books of the year which are a mixture of non-fiction, translated fiction and fantasy, three of my current favourite genres. My favourites are listed below but I also wanted to give an honourable mention to a few other great reads: Heartstopper (Volume 3), Floriography, The Scottish Boy, The Life of Leonardo da Vinci and The Guest List, all of which I'd recommend. 

  • City of Light, City of Poison by Holly Tucker
  • The Black Hawks by David Wragg 
  • The Poppy War by R.F Kuang 
  • Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs by Caitlin Doughty 
  • Battle Royale by Koushun Takami 

Disappointing Books
Moving onto the not so pleasant task of listing some of the books that I was sadly disappointed by this year. Here are a few more disappointing reads: The Seven - The Lost Tale of Dellerin, Halloween Tales and Pure by Andrew Miller. I have read quite a few good books as well as average reads in 2020 but thankfully there aren't too many that I DNF'd or were disappointing. 

  • Pines by Blake Crouch 
  • Ghosts of the Citadel by Jen Williams
  • The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
  • Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker
  • The House of the Vampire by George Viereck 

Reading Goals & TBR
My reading goals for the second half of the year are to meet my goal of finishing 100 books and to read more classics as well as longer reads over 500 pages. I have quite a few books I want to get to such as Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett and quite a few reads by Stephen King that I'm saving until the autumn months. 

Follow me on GoodReads (Heather Nixon) for all of my book ratings, TBR and reading progress!

Have you read any of the books I've mentioned? Do you have any favourite books of 2020 so far? 

Renovate With Ironmongery During Lockdown

Friday, July 03, 2020

This is a sponsored post (AD)
Image from Pinterest

If your love for all things DIY has made you turn your house upside down during the lockdown, you might want some other renovation projects to add to the list. I mean, you will either need to continue to keep busy or relax over a good cup of tea and a book. Or perhaps one thing after the other, and if you ask me, that is the best way to do things.

You might have read the title and been a bit intrigued… how to renovate my house with ironmongery? Or even questioned, what is ironmongery? As Ironmongery Experts explain in their the importance of architectural ironmongery article, ironmongery is everything from door handles to door hinges and door locks.

Ironmongery plays a functional role in our homes and offices but that doesn’t mean that these pieces of hardware need to be an eyesore. For the contrary, ironmongery can make or break your design and can tie-in your house’s style. Have I made you start looking at your door handles or kitchen cabinet knobs in another light? Sorry, but not sorry.

As Fashion Mommy says on a latest blog post, ironmongery can either be pretty or pretty ugly, so you need to give it some thought, and she couldn’t be more right. Even small details will have an impact on the overall décor of your home, so if your door handles, cabinet handles or even door hooks are not working properly or not bringing you joy – it’s time for an upgrade, but where to start?

Entrance door
Your front door is one of the most important parts of your home. It offers security, privacy and it’s the first thing you and your guests see when they arrive at your house. This article on Janine Huldie recommends looking “at all the fixings (door hinges, door locks, door bolts, keyhole covers, door viewers, etc) and see what should be replaced.”

Interiors
If you’ve recently painted your kitchen cabinets deep blue or your bedroom wardrobe deep green, replacing your standard handles for stunning knurled brass handles would be a great choice. Or perhaps you’ve recently renovated your bathroom and added matte back hardware all around but then kept your old towel hooks because they work, go a step further and get some matte black hooks or perhaps some rose gold towel hooks. Simply have a look around and see what could be replaced, and most importantly, have fun!

How are you going to renovate your house during lockdown? 

This article was written by Carolina Neves, lead copywriter at magento ecommerce agency AD Lab.

Latest In Beauty - Do Good Feel Good Box

Thursday, July 02, 2020

We all know by now how much I utterly adore the monthly boxes from Latest In Beauty but I perhaps love the limited edition boxes even more! I am lucky enough to work with Latest In Beauty and review their boxes; however I'm always grateful to receive one each month, especially the amazing value for money limited edition boxes, such as this one. If you want to see my bloggermail and unboxings before I publish my review posts then follow me on Instagram (@ofbeautyand) to see sneak peeks. 

Today's review is of the amazing 'do good, feel good' box which is worth over £112! The box is split into two variations, the 'renew' edit and the 'repair' edit and I have the latter. The only difference between the boxes is which Clinique moisturiser you want; either the moisturiser for compromised skin (green) or for pores and uneven skin tone (blue). Both boxes contain eleven products from ten different brands and a whopping six of the items are full sized, including the Clinique moisturiser. 
*Clinique iD Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly + Active Cartridge Concentrate for Compromised Skin 
I'll start with the item I was most interested in, the Clinique hydrating jelly and the cartridge as it's something I haven't seen before. I used to use the Clinique three step system as a teenager and liked it but I haven't really tried any of their skincare range since then but this pick 'n' mix style of skincare is very intriguing. I have the repair box so the cartridge I have is the option designed for 'compromised' skin which includes sensitive and irritated skin. 

The hydration jelly can be combined with any of the cartridges, depending on your skin type and you can also purchase a different base to add to your cartridge (such as a moisturising lotion, BB cream etc), so it's a very customisable approach to skincare. I have only been using it for a few days so I can only give you my initial thoughts and so far...I'm loving it. I do think that the jelly and cartridge could have been pre-combined to save on the amount of packaging but other than that it is a refreshing, soothing and light weight moisturiser that is ideal for the summer months. 
*Elizabeth Arden Advanced Ceramide Capsules Serum 
Sticking with the skincare theme, there are two samples sizes from Elizabeth Arden in the box, both of which are new to me. First up, the serum which comes in little capsules and is designed for maintaining healthy and youthful looking skin. I personally don't have to deal with any anti-ageing concerns currently (although I am approaching my 30's far quicker than I would like) so I think I'll pass these onto my mum to get her opinion. 

*Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream - Original 
The second and final Elizabeth Arden product is probably her most famous creation, the cult classic Eight Hour Cream. It is a cream that can be used as a lip balm, on the cuticles, to tame unruly brows, to add a shine over lipsticks and to highlight the cheekbones, just to name a few uses. I have tried the lip balm version of this product and loved it so I'm interested to try the much loved original cream! 
*Emma Hardie Moringa Cleansing Balm 
As well as the Clinique moisturiser, the Emma Hardie cleansing balm was another product I was looking forward to trying out as it is one of the blogging and beauty worlds skincare favourites. The balm claims to remove all makeup (including eye makeup) and deeply cleanse pores, all while hydrating and balancing all skin types - it sounds very impressive! I haven't tried this mini yet but I can't wait to, especially as I've heard nothing but incredible things about it. 
*Balance Me Balancing Face Moisturiser 
The final skincare item in the box is from Balance Me which is a brand that is regularly included in subscription boxes so I've been able to try a few of their samples sizes and I've liked everything so far. The balancing moisturiser has a light, fresh and gel-like texture which makes it perfect for the warmer months when my skin is a little oily. If you've been following my blog for a while then you may know that since my early teens, I suffered with horrendous eczema on my face and hands but since around February 2019 I haven't had any eczema on my face (which is almost unbelievable). However, since lockdown started, my skin has been breaking out like it is trying to punish me so any products that are targeted towards blemish prone skin are very welcome in my skincare routine right now - for the first time ever. 
*Rimmel Jelly Blush in Berry Bounce
I am sadly not a blush wearer, unless it's Nars Douceur or NYX Taupe (both of which are great contour blush shades for pale skin), as I've spent most of my life trying to cover up any redness and pink undertones within my skin. I probably won't be trying out this blush although the Berry Bounce shade is very pretty and I'd love it as a lipstick shade. It has an unusual and moveable jelly consistency that can be built up to give a juicy flush to the skin or a most impactful blush. 

*Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Rich Girl Red
You really can't go wrong with a classic red lip and this shade for Revlon is utterly beautiful. I have been wearing more red and bolder shades this year as I think they look particularly gorgeous in contrast with very pale skin tones (although I think this shade would look incredible on everyone). The lipstick doesn't feel very heavy or drying on the lips and the finish is very flattering. 
*Eylure C-Lash False Lashes (Naturals) 
Next up is an item that fits the theme of the box perfectly; these beautiful Eylure lashes were created specifically for lash replacement for those who have lost their natural lashes due to cancer treatments. The wonderful woman behind the c-lash is Codilia Gapare who was diagnosed with breast cancer and wanted to create a line of false lashes that can be worn by those who had lost their natural lashes. The strip lash has a clear self-adhesive band (or you can use the gentle glue included) that makes for easier application. 

*Morphe 3B Pure Nude Eyeshadow Palette 
The next eye makeup item is an eyeshadow trio from Morphe in the shade '3B Pure Nude'. The palette is very warm toned with a trio of browns that would be great for everyday wear. I personally don't think that very warm toned shadows suit my pale skin but it does look like a pretty palette and I will be trying out these shadows as I've heard great things about Morphe palettes. 
*Benefit They're Real Mascara 
I've gone through a few mini sizes of this fantastic mascara from Benefit and I can definitely recommend it. For me, I always want black lashes with a fluttery and volumised finish but on days when I'm at home, I just want a quick and easy mascara so They're Real is perfect. The mascara leaves my lashes lengthened, defined and intensely black. 

*Look Good Feel Better Angled Blending Brush
Last but not least is the brand and charity that the box is focused around, Look Good Feel Better. The cancer supporting charity helps people going through cancer treatments so it's such an important organisation to support. With every 'Do Good, Feel Good' box a donation will be made to Look Good Feel Good which is fantastic so you receive an amazing value box filled with beauty goodies and you'll also have made a donation to a very worthy cause too! 

Have you tried any of these products? Will you be picking up a Look Good Feel Good box from Latest In Beauty? 

DegustaBox - June 2020

DegustaBox - June 2020

Saturday, June 27, 2020
It's coming to the end of June (where has the time gone!) which means that it is time for me to review the latest DegustaBox. I'm lucky enough to be a DegustaBox ambassador so I receive the boxes each month to review on my blog although all of my opinions are my own. Check out my subscription box reviews for more information on previous boxes. 

*DegustaBox - June 2020 
Aa an ambassador, I also I receive a couple of flavours and extras that you may not receive in your box. If you are interested in your own box, you can use the code: DTPL4 to get £3 off your first box which is fantastic value for money, especially with this months box as one item out of the 16 individual items in the box is £9. 
*Blossom Hill Gin Fizz (£9, 750ml)
I'll begin with one of the prettiest items from the June box and it's a bubbly blend of wine, gin and botanically infused water from Blossom Hill. I don't personally drink very often, I usually only drink on special occasions and when I do, I have loved Blossom Hill as a brand. There are two flavour opinions and I have the rhubarb flavour which does sound delicious, especially for the summer months. 
*Le Joli Sparkling Water (£1)
The final drink within the box is also beautifully designed and another perfect option for summer picnics (socially distanced picnics, of course!). There are three flavours but you'll receive two in your box. I received the Scottish raspberry and rhubarb flavour as well as the Mexican lime and mint. I thought I'd love the raspberry and rhubarb flavour the most but the flavour was subtle and a little bitter. However I did love Mexican lime and winter flavour! 
*Baru Chocolate Marshmallow Bar (£1.69)
Moving onto the sweet snacks in the box, of which there are many! The first is quite luxurious and something I haven't come across before - a chocolate marshmallow bar. The marshmallow bar contains bourbon vanilla bean, honey and real spices, the latter makes its unique chai topping. Sadly, it isn't vegan as I would have loved to try this sweet treat. 

*Gregory's Tree Fruit Twists (69p)
My favourite sweet treat is thankfully vegan and I ate them as soon as I'd finished photographing the box.  The fruit twists are exactly what the name suggests, chewy and gummy fruit sticks that contain no added sugar. They are absolutely delicious and almost the fruit version of candy - I will definitely be buying some of these in the future. 
*Olly's Olives (£1.50)
As well as all of the sweet snacks, there are a few savoury options too including the basil and garlic flavoured olives from Olly's Olives. I personally don't like olives but my mum does so I will definitely be passing these onto her as I know that she'll love them!

*Noisy Snacks (£1.49)
A savoury snack that I absolutely enjoyed were the roasted crunchy corn in the Jamaican jerky flavour. I haven't heard of this brand before but I love the packaging and the flavour of this snack. Although it is definitely not a movie theatre or office snack as it is so crunchy and loud to eat! They are a little different to other snack companies as most use about 4% flavouring whereas Noisy Snacks use 8% and it's much more flavourful. 
*Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs (£1)
I have tried a couple of flavours of the Hippeas chickpea puffs in previous boxes and I liked them but the one flavour that I've wanted to try for a while is the 'take it cheesy' flavour so I was very happy to see it in the June 2020 box. I think that vegan snacks can be very hit or miss with some people loving them and other hating them. Although I think this brand will be a favourite for many but the taste and texture of vegan snacks can take a little getting used to. I love the cheesy flavour and I will be buying some more soon. 

*Nine Seed Bar (£1.29) 
The final sweet snack in the box are two snack bars from Nine which is a brand I haven't heard of before. There are so many reasons I love these boxes: the wide range of snacks, they usually have a good selection of vegan options and they always introduce me each month to a new product or new brand. One of the two bars was vegan and thankfully it was the flavour I was most interested in - salted caramel. I loved this bar! 
*Attack a Snack (£1.50)
The final savoury snack for June was a huge snack; it was a chilli heat nacho kit with chipotle dip and sour cream sauce. The kit contains two dips and the tortilla chips so it would be great as a sharing snack on a picnic (with members of your own household or bubble). It isn't vegan unfortunately (I wish it was as I used to love snacks like this) but my sister tried it and loved it. 

*Maynards Bassetts Superfruit Jellies (£1)
Lastly, the final sweet snack and it's a packet of the new soft jelly sweets from Maynards Bassetts. The sweets are a little unique as they contain a higher fruit percentage compared to other sweets and they have added benefits such as vitamins C and E. Can you believe that every six sweets contains 15% of your daily recommended intake of vitamins C and E! I think they're a great 'healthier' sweet treat for kids! 
*Lizi's Granola (75p for 40g)
The penultimate item in the box is actually a breakfast item which would be great for a breakfast picnic or a healthy breakfast beforehand. There are two options within the box, a high protein and a low sugar version. The high protein option includes 27% of your daily protein needs and the low sugar option only contains 1.9g of sugar. Breakfast cereals never tend to be that healthy so if you are looking for a healthy option rather than sugary cereal, check out Lizi's granola. 

*Newman's Own Italian Dressing (£1.65)
Last but not least is a heavenly vegan friendly salad dressing from Newman's Own. This brand has been included in a previous DegustaBox but this is the first vegan option, as far as I can remember. It is described as a dressing and dip but I think the consistency is really made to be a dressing instead. It's a delicious herby Italian dressing that's ideal for summer BBQ salads. 

Have you tried any of these items? What do you think of the June 2020 DegustaBox? 

Latest In Beauty: June 2020 Box

Wednesday, June 24, 2020

Gifted (AD - not paid) 

June is coming to a close so it's time for my review of the June 2020 box from Latest In Beauty. The June box is themed around 'holiday vibes at home' which is a fantastic theme for June as we've had gorgeous weather, especially today as it is currently 29 degrees celsius in Manchester! There's still time to buy your June box before the selection will change for the July 2020 box, which I can't wait for. 

*Latest In Beauty: June 2020 
I am very kindly sent the one-off Beauty Enthusiast box which contains six products, all of which you can choose! There are so many reasons I love the Latest In Beauty boxes, from the packaging and themed boxes to their incredible limited edition boxes, the wide range of brands included and the variety of items within the selection each month. The June selection is very wide ranging and I'm so happy with all but one of the products in my box, particularly the 'hall of fame' item for June. 
*Floral Street Mini Discovery Set 
I'll start today's post with one of my favourite products from the June box which also happens to be the 'hall of fame' item. I haven't tried any fragrances from Floral Street and now I need to as all five of these mini samples smell heavenly. Here's a run down of the fragrances: London Poppy (musky, fresh and earthy), Wonderland Peony (floral and sweet), Electric Rhubarb (vibrant, unusual and summery), Neon Rose (green, fresh and spring-like) and Arizona Bloom (subtle, delicate and floral). I adore all of the scents and would happily wear them interchangeably for years but I think Wonderland Peony, Electric Rhubarb and Neon Rose are my favourites. 
*Feather and Down Pillow Spray & Shower Cream
When I saw two Feather and Down products on the blog post announcing all of the items for June, I was very excited and knew I wanted to wait until both items were available before I ordered my box as I'll never turn down the opportunity to receive more Feather and Down goodies. I've tried at least four mini bottles of the pillow spray in total and I cannot recommend it enough as it's the best pillow spray I've ever tried. I also adore the shower cream and I'm very glad to have another bottle. All of the products from Feather and Down smell utterly incredible and I cannot recommend them enough, especially their gift sets. Check out the link above for more of my thoughts on Feather and Down. 
*Schwazkopf Color Expert Hair Dye 
Next up are two products that I chose for the May 2020 box from Latest In Beauty but I ordered both so I wanted to add them to my box again. I always love the new products that are released on Latest In Beauty but I also like that they keep a selection of older products from previous months so you can choose items you loved again. I tried this hair dye at the end of May and it was fantastic as it covered greys easily, the process was fuss-free and it rinsed out quickly without staining or seemly drying out my hair. I have tried many boxed hair dyes at home and I think this is easily one of my favourites, although the grey covering doesn't last as long as I'd hoped it would. 
*Beauty Laundrette Hydrate & Soothe Sheet Mask 
If you've been following my Instagram stories for a while then you might know that during lockdown I've been trying to use up my mountain of pampering products and samples so I started using my sheet masks - I then fell in love. Sheet masks have quickly become my favourite form of mask and skincare treatment so I'm always happy to receive another particularly when the packaging is so cute. I tried this mask last month and loved it for how soft, smooth and moisturised my skin felt after using it. 

*Vita Liberata Body Blur Makeup
Last but not least is a product I've wanted to try for years as it's such a famous and well loved brand of body makeup. I have a little pigmentation, uneven skin tone and visible veins on my legs which makes me never want to wear anything that shows more than my ankles so I hoped this body makeup would be a great solution. The only shade available in the selection was 'latte' which is very dark and very orange against my ghostly pale skin so sadly I can't use this item and the coverage wasn't nearly as opaque as I hoped it would be. I think I will try a lighter shade in the future and hope that it works better on my 'I've never seen the sun' pale skin. 

Have you tried any of these products? 

Shaving Made Easy with Estrid

Monday, June 22, 2020

Gifted (AD - not paid)

I haven't published a favourites post for a while so for today's post I wanted to share my thoughts about the razor that I've been loving recently which is from a new-to-me brand, Estrid. Estrid is a vegan razor brand based in Sweden. You can purchase a starter kit and then opt for cartridges to be delivered to your door as frequently as you want. Estrid currently ship to Sweden and the UK (shipping is always free!) as well as Germany, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Austria. They focus on convenience, ease of use, a female focused approach to hair removal and using vegan ingredients!
*Estrid Starter Kit (from €7.95)
I was kindly sent the starter kit which contains the handle, wall mounted holder and two five-blade cartridges. The handle and wall mounted holder are available in four colours: space, blush, cloud and peach. I have the peach shade which I love and it matches the wall mounted holder too. I also love the packaging of the starter kit and the design of the razor which is perfect in it's scandi minimalism! 

A vegan razor? Before checking out the Estrid site, I didn't know that the moisturising strip that is present on most razors for women can contain animal ingredients! I don't want to think about the amount of razors I've used since being a teenager that may have contained ingredients that were derived from animals or that were made by companies that test on animals. Thankfully the cartridges from Estrid are vegan and contain aloe vera and vitamin E to moisturise and nourish the skin. 
The cartridges and razor are both so easy to use, I love the design and shape of the handle which makes it comfortable to use and the blades are very sharp so I get a smooth, even shave each time. The moisturising strips combined with the sharp and effective blades makes shaving an incredible quick, easy and fuss free process with no cuts and no need for shaving cream. 

The holder is a great addition to the starter kit and it's something I haven't come across before! The holder makes storing the razor so much more convenient and it keeps it dry too. Overall, I think it's a fantastic starter kit with the great addition of the wall mounted holder and a super effective cartridge of blades. Head over to the Estrid site for more information and a more in-depth look at their products. 


Will you be trying the Hey Estrid starter kit?