June Book Review Roundup

I haven't had a fantastic reading month in June as I have been so focused on my driving test last week which I didn't pass but it was only because of a teeny tiny inconsequential mistake that I'm so annoyed by but anyway, I only managed to finish five books in June *cries*. Here are my thoughts: 

*Soft In The Head by Marie-Sabine Rogers 

I already have a full review of this book on my blog so I won't go into too much detail here but I just want to say that I loved this book even though it isn't from a genre that are usually read from; I was very kindly sent it from the lovely people at Pushkin Press which is quickly becoming one of my favourite publishers. I love the cover and the characters especially Margueritte. The themes of friendship and the power of books within this novel is so endearing and sweet! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5. 

*This Savage Song by V.E Schwab 

Again I also have a full review of this book on my blog which you can check out if you want a more in-depth review; I was sent it to review by Titan Books so thank you! I'm not a massive fan of the cover but the story is fantastic! The writing style is so incredibly easy to read, it is fast paced and I loved the character of August and even the monsters – it's such a unique book but it feels oddly familiar and I can't recommend it enough! I now need to buy more of her books, particularly A Darker Shade Of Magic which sounds amazing. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5. 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 

Before I bought this book I had heard nothing but amazing things about it but I don't usually tend to go with the hype especially the book isn't in a genre that are usually read from but I was so wrong with this one! I adore the cover, the characters, the writing style and the story overall. It is such a unique story, it's magical, enchanting (literally!) and it wraps you around and around until you never want to leave - like the circus itself! I love the two main characters and well all of the characters of the circus! I need to see if she has any of the books as I need them all – her writing style is amazing although the only thing I didn't like about the book was the chapters jumped back and forwards in time so it was a little bit confusing but I still loved it. I read it in a couple of days and I can't recommend it enough! I love the magical and mysterious circus elements so if you know of any similar books then let me know in the comments. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5!

Uprooted by Naomi Novak 

Again another very hyped up book especially in the booktube community and again I didn't want to believe the hype but it's a fantastic book! I have the hardcover version which is just gorgeous! The writing style is very easy to follow and it isn't a very complicated story (although the ending to me was a little bit confusing and anticlimactic). I loved the main character and the Dragon even though he is quite annoying at times and I liked their relationship although I wish certain to people got together in the end. The magic in this world wasn't super unique but it was still interesting and entertaining to read. I especially like the world and the effects of the wood on the villagers – it was darker than I thought it would be and I loved it! Highly recommend, although it did seem a little predictable and familiar at times. Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5. 

*A Graphic Cosmogony 

Another book I already have a full review on my blog so check it out if you want to know more. I really started to get into graphic novels and illustrated books this year and Nobrow have some gorgeous books to choose from! The cover is gorgeous, all of the other illustrations are gorgeous and I loved the majority of the stories especially Luna, Deity School and Pilgrims. Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5. 

*The Pendragon Legend by Antal Szerb 

This book is definitely one of my favourites of the month as well as The Night Circus and This Savage Song. Firstly, I adore the cover, it's beautifully published and the story has so many elements that I love such as myth, mystery, the occult, folktales, ghostly beings, Welsh legends and so much more. I adore the storyline, the characters were so interesting and the writing is surprisingly easy to read on the whole. The only thing I didn't like were the remarks and insinuations tat intelligent woman are masculine which really gets under my skin. I have a full review already on my blog. Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5. 

I'm currently reading an advanced readers copy of The Lament of the Fallen by Gavin Chait which I also really like so far as well as With Malice by Eileen Cook from Hot Key Books. 

Have you read any of these books? What are you currently reading?

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Summer Handbag Wish List

It's now officially summer *how that happened I have no idea!* so I always feel the need to add some colour to my wardrobe! I'm not usually a fan of colour unless you count greys, navy, black and white as colourful but one way in which I think I can easily add colour is through accessories and bags. Here's my summer bag wish list:

DKNY Tote (£102.50, SALE)  -  Lulu Guinness Light Blue Cross Body Bag (£147.50, SALE)  -  Radley Tote (£10)  -  Michael Kors Bag (£220)  -  Ted Baker Pink Bag (£54.50, SALE)

House of Fraser are currently having their The Big Brand sale so they have so many discounts on a range of products from designer handbags *drools*, dresses and home items to shoes, accessories and makeup. The sale is up to 50% off but there are now further reductions and it is taking pretty much ALL of my willpower not to make an order as learning to drive is SO expensive *cries* and that sadly has to come first - I don't want to be an adult anymore! This is a sponsored post.

What do you think of my wish list? Have you bought anything from the House of Fraser sale? 

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Unique Gift Ideas Ft. PrezzyBox

I love to give gifts, the more unique the better and I love to receive unique and special gifts *who doesn't*. PrezzyBox has a fantastic range of gifts and I was very kindly sent a couple that are really unique and would be great gifts!

Firstly, a great gift for foodies and green fingered friends, the *Indoor Allotment (£24.95) which is the cutest storage/herb garden. It comes with three plant pots and trays, instructions, soil pellets, scissors and oregano, basil and coriander seeds. I use fresh herbs pretty much everyday as does my dad so this is perfect. We usually buy those packets of fresh herbs but they never last so growing our own seems like the solution.

I love the design, it has a cute white picket fence which hides most of the ugly plant pots and it has an adorable little shed on one side - the door opens and you can keep the seed packets, instructions and scissors in there so there is no mess! I've planted the seeds and yes, it was a bit messy but I can't wait for them to grow so I can use the herbs. 

Sticking with the food theme, I also received the *Personalised Bistro Slate Sign (£11.95, SALE) which is something I've wanted for ages and to make it even better, it is personalised! It's a heavy and gorgeous slate sign that you can hang up in your kitchen and write notes, messages or a menu on in chalk.

I know that we'll get so much use out of this sign as we are always having friends and family over and it will make a cute and practical kitchen decor item/gift. It's hand cut so no two are the same and it also has flecks of fools gold in it too which add some subtle sparkle.

What do you think of these gifts? Have you bought from Prezzybox? 

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Saturated Colour Make Me Matte + Scrub Stick

Back in May 2015, I reviewed the Kiss Cosmetics Lip Scrub but since then the brand has changed it's name and I was kindly sent a couple of products from them to review, including the *Saturated Colour Scrub Stick (£6.50) which I really liked last year. The lip scrub is in a lipstick/lip balm form so it is really quick and easy to use. I rated it 4/5 stars last year and my rating is still the same - it's definitely worth a try!

I also received the *Saturated Colour Make Me Matte Lipstick Mattifier (£8) which is one of their newest products and I was very excited to try it as I haven't seen a product like this before! I love matte lipsticks but I don't have that many so a product that can change any lipstick into a matte version is amazing! I've tried it below with the Makeup Revolution Lipstick in Chauffer and Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita. The Makeup Revolution lipstick definitely has a more glossy finish and it mattified the lipstick instantly! The effect is fantastic and it does feel matte on the lips but it isn't very drying on me. I tried it with a satin/matte lipstick and it made it even more matte.

One negative for me is that it can rub off some of the lipstick underneath as you apply the mattifier but I find that if you apply lightly and then pat it onto the lips then it works really well. I'm really impressed with the mattifying effect and it seems to help my lipstick stay on for a little bit longer too. I can't recommend it enough, it's well worth trying. Overall rating: ★★★★☆, 4/5.

Have you tried anything from Saturated Colour? What do you think of lip scrubs or have you heard of a lipstick mattifier? 

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Recipe: Cinnamon Banana Bread Muffins

If you don't know, I love baking, I find baking and cooking in general so relaxing but I haven't had time recently because of learning to drive which is so time consuming and stressful! Anyway, we had some bananas that were over ripe so I thought it was the right time to bake. I'm not a fan of banana bread so I changed the recipe, the original recipe can be found, here.

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of white granulated sugar 

• 3 ripe bananas 

• 1/2 cup of sunflower oil

• 2 cups of plain white flour  

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 

•  1 medium egg 

• 1 tablespoon of ground/powdered cinnamon  

Step One: Pre-heat your oven to 170 celsius (for the fan setting) and place muffin/cupcake cases into a muffin tin ready for the mixture. I used fairly large cupcake cases that were quite sturdy as the mixture is quite thick.

Step Two: Combine the sugar, sunflower oil and the egg in a bowl. I used my Kitchenaid so there was no mess and it was SO quick and easy! Combine all three ingredients until it is smooth, yellow and fully mixed together.

Step Three: Mash the bananas with a fork, I used bananas that weren't overly ripe and I added them a little at a time so they were incorporated into the mixture easier and smoother but you will still get little chunks in the mixture which is fine! Add in as much cinnamon as you like, I used about a tablespoon as I love cinnamon but I will add a bit more next time.

Step Four: Sift in the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda into the banana, sugar, oil and egg mixture (I made it sound so appetising, I know) and mix well!

Step Five: Spoon the mixture into the cases until they are just over half full and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the muffins to see if they are cooked through - they will be if the toothpick/tester comes out of the muffin clean. Wait to cool before eating, even though it won't be easy as they make the house smell SO good!

As I said, I'm not a massive fan of banana bread but I really liked these and they are so incredibly quick and easy to make. They don't contain butter which is another plus and the mixture made about 22 for me but it will vary depending on the size of cupcake/muffin cases you use. They aren't super light and fluffy as they do contain mashed up banana in them but they definitely aren't dense or heavy either. They are so tasty, comforting and great as a snack or part of your breakfast. They are suitable for vegetarians but they are not suitable for vegans. The addition of cinnamon makes them perfect for me!

Have you made cinnamon banana bread muffins before? What have you been baking recently? Will you try this recipe? 

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Indigo Herbs Super Cleanse Tea

I've tried a few products from Indigo Herbs and I've been really happy with everything I've kindly been sent, especially the amazing Raw Vegan Chocolate Kit which I cannot recommend enough! I'm always interested in trying new/different products and when this tea arrived, I was excited to give it a go.

I'm trying to switch back to a more vegan diet and to reduce the amount of caffeine I drink so herbal teas are an essential for me. I have the *Indigo Herbs Super Cleanse Tea (£3.99, 50g) which contains fennel seed, liquorice root, nettle leaf, dandelion leaf, red clover leaf and ginger power. It is suitable for vegans, it contains 100% pure ingredients and it is a loose tea.

I use my adorable squirrel tea infuser with my loose tea; I love this herbal tea! Sometimes herbal tea can be really bitter but this one isn't and I adore it. I do get an after taste of aniseed/liquorice which I personally like but I don't think it will be for everyone but it does add a earthy warm to the tea. It's comforting, warming and soothing but there's no caffeine as there are no actual tea leaves in it. I cannot recommend it enough! Overall rating: ★★★★★, 5/5.

Have you tried anything from Indigo Herbs/Indigo Nutrition? Do you drink tea, if so what's your favourite flavour? 

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