Big Birthday Book Wish List

Today is National Book Lovers Day!

It's my birthday next week *cries* which I'm not ready for! I'm going to be 24, how did that happen, I feel like I'm 20 and still in university but sadly I'm not. I used to love birthdays but now the only things I look forward to are presents and being able to use the excuse 'it's my birthday' to eat whenever I want...

Here's my ultimate birthday book wish list and to be honest, I'm leaving quite a lot off the list as my saved for later list on Amazon is almost 150 items long, the majority of which are books...I think I have a problem...the problem being that I don't have loads of space for all of the new books I want.

Have you read any of these? What books are on your TBR or wish list? 

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Book Review: With Malice

Mystery, thriller and YA books have become some of my favourites for this year and from the description, this book ticked all of my book loving boxes as it's a mystery YA book set partly in Italy and I LOVE Italy! Additionally it's a relatively short book and shorter books are great to read in between longer and more heavy going books.

I received *With Malice by Eileen Cook from the super super lovely people at Hot Key Books and I chose it because I'd heard great things about it from so many people on booktube; also the cover is really interesting and I obviously gravitate towards pretty and interesting looking books. It's 293 pages and on Amazon the genre is 'young adult' and 'action/adventure' and I'd definitely says it's a YA books but it's not really an action/adventure book - to me it is a YA psychological thriller/mystery.

The book follows Jill, she's woken up in hospital with no recollection of the past few weeks but what she does know is that something is very wrong and she hasn't been told the whole story and she doesn't even know the whole story herself. I don't really want to give anything away but it did remind me a little of the real crime case involving Meredith Kercher, so if you are familiar with that case then you will probably see some vague similarities.

I like the writing style and the inclusions of interviews with characters, transcripts and social media comments from various characters as it added an immersive element to the book. I got through the book in less than two days as it is an interesting and page turning read so I think it would be a great holiday or summer read. I did like a couple of the characters, especially Dr Weeks and Anna but eveytone else was annoying on some level and the way the lawyer, Jill's parents and others were to Jill was just so incredibly frustrating but I think it was written to be make you feel frustrated like Jill was rather than because of poor writing. I did have an issue with the ending which I think was a little rushed and wrapped up quite conveniently but it did leave questions unanswered. In summary, even though I did have issues with the book, I still think it's worth picking up as it's an interesting and entertaining book that kept me turning the pages to find out what happens. Overall rating: ★★★☆☆, 3.5/5.

Have you read this book? What have you been reading recently? 

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Joico K-Pak Colour Therapy

I tend to think that I look after my hair well with masks and oils, I also never really use heat on my hair but one area I always overlook is colour protection. I have been colouring my hair every shade of red and brunette under the sun since I was about 16 but I hardly ever use specific colour protection products...oops! Colour protection is really important, especially during the summer! I was very kindly sent a range of products from Joico, a brand I've wanted to try for years, which are specially designed to strengthen and protect the colour from fading as quickly.

*Joico K-Pak Colour Therapy Shampoo (RRP £14.45, 300ml)

The  shampoo claims to 'heal' damaged hair, improve elasticity and shine as well as helping to prevent fading. I love the packaging and the scent; the shampoo lathers well and when rinsed out it leaves my hair smooth and completely detangled, even before conditioner. I haven't been using the products long enough to notice any anti-colour fading results but I am going to be colouring my hair red next week so hopefully these products will help! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

*Joico K-Pak Colour Therapy Conditioner (RRP £15.45, 300ml)

My hair is naturally quite dry, especially the ends, but even more so since colouring my hair for years  so I always need good conditioner and I'm loving this one! It has the same fantastic packaging and pleasant scent as the shampoo. I don't usually use a matching set of haircare products so it's nice to use a matching pair. The conditioner is just want I look for, it's moisturising and smoothing as well as an amazing detangler but it doesn't weight my hair down. I also received the *Joico K-Pak Revitalise Bio-Advanced Treatment which I haven't been able to use yet but I'll update this post when I do. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried anything from Joico? What haircare products do you use in the summer months?

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Get GBBO Ready With NuCasa

The Great British Bake Off is due to start on the 24th August at 8pm and I'm so excited! It has been pushed back because of the olympics *cancel the olympics* so todays post is to keep you in the GBBO mood in the meantime! I was very kindly sent some amazing baking goodies to test out and I'm kind of in love with them.

*Typhoon Vintage Cream Cake Tin (£18.99 - SALE)

Myself, my mum and my aunts as well as friends are pretty much obsessed with baking - we are always baking and sharing what we have made but most of the time we never have a strong/reliable or big enough tins to hold everything so this gorgeous vintage inspired cake tin is just perfect! It's made of coated steel, an airtight silicone seal lid and it has a 4.3 litre capacity. I will definitely be getting so much use of this cake tin especially over the autumn and christmas periods as I have more excuses to bake then! It also has a small handle so it is easy to carry around. Overall rating:  ★★★★★, 5/5.

*Typhoon Vintage Cream Kitchen Scales (£25.99, SALE) 

I have wanted an old school, vintage kitchen scale for ages, mainly for the aesthetic but I think they are so cute! I'm really glad I was able to receive this scale as it looks amazing in our kitchen, I love using it and it looks so but more expensive and nicer than my black flat digital scale. It has the same style/design and colour as the cake tin so you can get a whole set of products that match.  Overall rating:  ★★★★★, 5/5.

*Mason Cash Strawberry Red Mixing Bowl 29cm (£19.99 - SALE)

I have a Mason Cash bowl already in a gorgeous light pink colour but I think I might like this one more! It is so cute and perfect for an English summer as even though the weather isn't great (apart from the week long heatwave last month) we always have strawberries. Mason Cash mixing bowls are so sturdy, durable and massive so they are perfect for when I make gingerbread as I always make a huge batch and I need a huge mixing bowl for the dough.  I think on the GBBO they actually use Mason Cash bowls too! Overall rating:  ★★★★★, 5/5.

Overall, I'm so happy with all of the products I received and I can't wait to carry on baking more throughout August. I can't recommend these products enough! NuCasa has an amazing summer sale on their website which is up to 50% off so go, go, go!!

Have you tried any of these products? Do you like to bake? Do you watch the Great British Bake Off?

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New In: I Heart Makeup Lip Balms

I'm a bit confused with the branding, first it was Makeup Revolution, then some products under the I Heart Makeup brand and now Tam Beauty (why confuse customers like that!) so I'm not sure the proper brand these are made by but you can get them from Tam Beauty and on the Superdrug website.

I was kindly sent all five of the new *I Heart Makeup Lip Balms (£2.99) which is a fantastic package to arrive for me as I am a bit of a lip balm hoarder and I use them constantly. I love the EOS lip balms, I have three of them and these look like a close dupe but at a cheaper price so I was excited to give them a go.

They have the same design as the EOS balms, in terms of the cute, colourful and compact packaging as well as the rounded shape of the lip balm which makes it so quick and easy to apply especially on the go. I love these, they are a little glossy but not so much so that I don't like them and they are really smoothing. They are moisturising but not quite so moisturising as the EOS balms but then again they are cheaper!

There are five flavours: Cool Vanilla, Wild Strawberry, Raspberry Fizz, Mint Sorbet and Blueberry Crush. I have always loved strawberry lip balms so I tried that flavour first and I love it; obviously the flavours/scents are artificial but I don't mind - they remind me of teen versions of the EOS balms. I'd definitely recommend them as a cheaper alternative to the EOS balms and I will be using them constantly. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried these lip balms? Have you tried anything from I Heart Makeup/Makeup Revolution? 

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Birthday Wish List

I will turn the grand old age of 24 *cries under numerous blankets* which I am NOT ready for! In my mind, I'm about 20 and in university but sadly I'm not so the fact that I'm nearly a quarter of a century old is giving me so much anxiety. When did birthdays become such a dreaded prospect? I used to love birthdays as a child, mainly because of toys and cake, but now I wish I could be Benjamin Button! Anyway, enough panicking, here's my birthday wish list:

Tom Ford Orchid Soleil  -  Lush The Presidents Hat Perfume  -  Rifle Paper Co 2017 Planner  -  Lush Guardian Of The Forest Bath Bomb  -  Joules Stripy Top  -  Rifle Paper Co iPhone 5C Case  -  Sherlock Holmes Book  - Lush The Smell Of Weather Turning Perfume  -  Alice In Wonderland Book

Yes, there are a couple of books and more than a few perfumes on my wish list but I can't help it - I love everything on my wish list from beautiful books to Lush, stripyness and amazing Rifle Paper Co products. The new Charlotte Tilbury perfume is on my wish list too and it comes out on my birthday too *it's a sign*.

What do you think of my birthday wish list? Do you have any of these products? 

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