BeautyBecca - UK Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

Loving Life: London & P&G Beauty Awards

2014-06-26T18:00:00.000+01:00

Around two weeks ago I managed to squeeze in a trip down to London. This must have been one of the busiest weeks of my life! Going to London was my little break from everything going on further up north. I love London and I've started to realise why. I forget all the worries and niggles going on in my life when I'm in London. I like to just wander around enjoying our capital city, partaking in a little shopping and eating along the way.

In the evening I attended the P&G beauty awards, the 10th anniversary of the awards, celebrated with a glamorous event in central London. For this I needed some serious make-up, after walking around London for a few hours I knew my face wouldn't look too fresh. So I trusted my Chanel Perfection Lumiere to keep me looking at least half decent and you can't beat a Chanel red lip to add a bit of glam (I wore la Fascinate lippy with the classic Rouge liner). A splash of No5 later and I felt slightly presentable! The lighting was dark - think I got away with it. The event was amazing, we enjoyed some gorgeous food and I met some famous faces of the beauty industry.

It really hit me how much variation my life has. That morning I was working outside with school children exploring wildlife in Derbyshire then in the evening in an elegant central London venue being waited on and sipping champagne. It's great, I really encourage everyone to have good variation in their life! It certainly keeps you on your toes but is totally worth it.

What are you guys up to in the sunshine?

Love Becca xx

Beauty: Favourites

2014-06-09T20:31:00.002+01:00

In all honesty, I've been slacking recently on the beauty front. I've been super busy with university and my volunteering projects that it's been slap on and go. Although I've been paying little attention to the way I look (except for the odd date), I've quickly found out what products I can rely on and which ones fall off my face before I've even reached work. Here's my favourites - they work, are reliable and fit for a student budget. What more could you ask for?

Due to exam stress my hair has started thinning at quite an alarming rate! I tried basically every hair loss treatment out there, my doctor even gave me a steroid cream. The only thing I've found that works is the L'Oreal Fibrology range (£2.99-£6.99), my hairs still falling out a little but this range really helps thicken the hair I've got left! To really inject some volume into my hair I also use the Vo5 Plump It Up spray (£2.99), blowdrying with this really boosts my hair. It also makes my hair get greasy quicker so I don't use it daily.

With the weather getting better the legs can come out. The only problem is that I'm unbelievably pale so in the first few days of sun I enjoyed blinding the locals. I picked up the Dove Summer Glow (£4.99) at Boots while it was on offer. I've used it for about a week now, mainly on my legs, and I've got a bit more colour already. I'm in London on Wednesday for P&G Beauty Awards so hopefully it's developed a little more by then! It's also keeping my legs really soft, it's what Dove are good at.

For my face I've been relying on Simple's SPF Light Moisturiser (£6.99). It's light so doesn't cause my face to become greasy but also contains SPF 15 for that all important sun protection. The bottle size is pretty generous too. After a long day The Fab Pore face mask* (£10) refreshes my skin and brightens it up. My final fave is the B. Pressed Powder (£7.99), I've spent much more on powders in the past and think this one is better than most. It sets my foundation nicely and keeps me looking fresh throughout the day. It doesn't overly dry out my skin either.

Overall: I think I'm ready for summer! With my summer glow and SPF sorted, now all I need is a good bit of sun.

What are your current favourites? Have you tried any of these products?

Love Becca x

Disclosure: Products marked with * are PR samples.

Experience: Marine Mammals with ORCA

2014-06-08T16:52:00.000+01:00

During my jam-packed April I somehow found time to visit Denmark with ORCA. ORCA are a UK marine mammal charity, they study marine mammals to find where they are and where they are vulnerable. They make their data available for research and for the government to use when it comes to making conservation decisions. They also help the UK government to study and protect marine mammals in our waters.

Back in December I trained with ORCA to become a marine mammal surveyor. This consisted of a one day session at my university. I then got accepted to work with them in April on a ferry crossing from Harwich to Esbjerg (Denmark). This involved two nights on a ferry and a day in Denmark. I really didn't know what to expect from the trip but went with high hopes. I met my team on the Friday to board the ferry and I couldn't have asked for a better team. They were so supportive and friendly, put me at ease and made the trip so enjoyable. While on the ferry we survey during day light hours, which means really early mornings. We are really privileged as the crew are happy for us to survey from the bridge (where the ferry is 'driven') being up there and watching the crew work is a fascinating experience alone.

The surveying wasn't too trying as we only managed to see some seals. Even with some calm sea states we had little sightings. On the Saturday we arrived in Esbjerg, we decided to catch the local ferry over to Fanø. The weather was beautiful and Fanø is a gorgeous little island with maritime history. We walked around the village on the island, the island itself is pretty large with a wide variety of habitats from woodland one end to heathland at the other end.

Even with the lack of marine mammal sightings I had the most amazing time on this trip. The experience of surveying, being at sea and the beautiful weather made it an experience I will not forget. I found being at sea so calming, just watching the waves for any signs of life makes you forget all your worries. It's something I'd recommend to anyone, it exceeded my expectations! We had a good laugh as well, especially while trying to get in and out the bunk beds! You can volunteer for ORCA like I did or they also offer I-Spy trips.

Have you ever done anything like this? Do you love being at sea as much as me?!

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Not sponsored, nor did ORCA ask me to write this. It's all my own experience and opinions.

Things I've Learnt As a Student

2014-06-01T20:26:00.000+01:00

Image Credit

So, I'm having a little mid-night inspiration right now. Sat in my halls of residence having been a student for three years now, I like to think I'm taking away more than just a degree at the end of all this. The experience of being a student is certainly a unique one and one more and more people seem to be partaking in. Yes I've learnt how to be independent and look after myself etc, but there's so much more.

How to live on little money - It common knowledge really that students have little money to live on. Whereas it can really suck at times, I've had some great days while spending very little. It certainly encourages creativity when it comes to cooking and means you end up with the cheapest booze Sainsbury's local will sell you. However, you discover some pretty tasty meals which you wouldn't have thought of before and you find that Sainsbury's basics isn't all bad (except the vodka, just don't bother). Plus, as students you're all in the same boat, cue some good laughs and super cheap nights out.
Don't let people bother you - You end up meeting a whole variety of people from all sorts of backgrounds. Chances are you're not going to get along with a large amount of them. I learnt this the hard way. Don't let people bother you, you really do only live once, you might as well live it around those that make you happy. Ignore the rest.
Get involved! - It's so easy to just do what your degree asks of you and nothing more. In my first two years I really didn't bother getting involved with any societies or volunteering. Once things started to get serious I realised that to get that all valuable experience I would have to start getting involved within the university. By doing so I've met some amazing people, some of which will be life long friends. Alongside having loads of fun and some good laughs, I've made contacts which will be highly useful when it comes to getting a job at the end of all this. Having all these extra things going on is what gets me up in the morning and keeps me motivated.
Work hard play hard - While I know not everyone is like this, I really am! The best nights out I've had have been after getting my work done! Nothing ruins a night out more than worrying about how little coursework you've completed. Having a productive day before going out meant I could let my hair down, it's a good balance to have.

This time next year I'll be finished - which is such a scary thought. Right now I honestly never want to leave uni. Although after battling through final year my thoughts might change. It's an experience that's been worth the stress and one I'd happily relive!

What did uni teach you? Or for non-students what weird and wonderful things did you get up to during your early 20's?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Not sponsored, own opinions and all.

Recently I've Been...

2014-02-28T13:05:00.001+00:00

Metcalfe's Topcorn Tribe

Attenborough Nature Reserve

One of my many new books!

As per usual, I've been stupidly busy recently, keeping me away from blogging and any sort of social life. On top of my studies I take on loads of volunteering work and various other activities that make the days fly by and will hopefully get me a job at the end of all this! This huge box of popcorn from Metcalfe's cheered me up! Packed with a variety of flavours to keep me going throughout the day. I prefer the simple flavours such as the salted popcorn. Popcorn is becoming popular as a healthier version of crisps, maybe it can help me decrease my crisp intake.

On a rare sunny day I managed to visit my local nature reserve to practise identification for my summer volunteering. Turns out it's much harder than it looks! More practise is certainly required. I've also been stockpiling books recently, my favourite one is the primate book above. Loads of beautiful illustrations to aid with my procrastination. My final year project is based upon orangutans, so my room is quickly becoming full of primate books. They're so fascinating, I'm looking forward to getting started!

What have you guys been up to? Feeling like you're juggling about 150 things at the moment too?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Metcalfe's popcorn was provided free of charge.

Getting Back Into Blogging

2014-02-02T14:54:00.000+00:00

When life takes over and your diary becomes jam-packed it can be extremely difficult to keep up with blogging. I'm in my second year at uni now and with a schedule more hectic than ever before my blog seems to be getting pushed further and further down the to-do list. It becomes a chore rather than the joy is was before. If stuck in a rut I normally do the following:

Take a step back and evaluate why you blog. For me it's just to write and talk about my interests, for example, Disneyland! Your blog is exactly that, yours. For you to write about what takes your fancy. I'll be following this more in the coming months.
Write things because you want to, not because you feel you have to. This is likely to make your blog more unique and more enjoyable.
Only write when you want to and as much as you want to. Forcing a blog post can make it boring and uninteresting. If your not excited about the topic it's highly likely you won't be thrilling your readers either. Also, if you've run out of things to say in a post, don't force it, I find this makes it a chore.
Try not to become transfixed by hits and followers. It's easily done, I know! But there's more to life.

Everyone has different approaches to blogging. This is mine. My blog isn't my job or my career so they may differ to those who blog full time. At the end of the day, enjoy your blog, if your not there's no point in doing it, life's too short.

What are your blogging tips?

Love Becca xx

Amie Deep Cleansing Mask

2014-01-30T16:01:00.001+00:00

While browsing my local John Lewis I stumbled across Amie. Their pretty, girly packaging and philosopy of pure and natural beauty attracted me straight away! Their focus is on natural, non-irritating ingredients to create effective skincare that will love rather than strip and irritate. This is everything that I look for in products. After years of suffering with acne, I found using non-irritating products made the biggest difference to my skin.

Spring Clean is a deep cleansing clay mask. These can be quite irritating, full of ingredients that make your face tingle and quite red. The other extreme is the Raw Gaia mask with just one ingredient. This is a good middle ground. It's a thick mask and really quick and easy to apply. I haven't experienced any tingling or irritation, it makes my skin feel smooth and soft afterwards. I use it when my skins starting to feel clogged and oily. This mask doesn't dry as quickly as others, once ten mintues is up I'll remove it and often escape that horrible immobilising feeling of a dry clay mask.

A do have a little bone to pick with Amie, their website states that all of their products are suitable for vegans and they contain no animal ingredients. Many of their products, including this one contain beeswax. Bees are still animals and many vegans avoid this ingredient, but not all. I personally wouldn't buy a product with it in. It's personal preference but just a warning!

Overall: I'm impressed with this product and would like to try some more, beeswax free, Amie products. Their products are available from John Lewis and Waitrose. This product retails for £5.95.

Have you tried any Amie products? I know they're quite popular with bloggers!

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: PR sample.

Introducing Halo Hair

2014-01-07T16:47:00.001+00:00

Right back in November now I attended a Halo Hair event organised by the brilliant FABB events. We were introduced to the brand by their enthusiastic managing director John, who was ever so friendly and down to earth. He introduced the concept of the hair extension on the adjustable wire, the wire makes hair extensions much easier to put in and also means you have no damage to your hair. Then we all got our brand new extensions fitted for us, this isn't essential when buying a Halo but it was really handy seeing it being fitted before I tried to put in it myself. The Halo matched my hair colour perfectly, above I'm wearing colour lightest blonde in 20 inches. The Halos are made from 100% Indian remy human hair, John was quick to put my ethical concerns to rest by explaining how they ensure the suppliers they buy from are ethical and how he has even visited the temples in India himself.

This event came at the perfect time for me. Since finishing my roaccutane treatment and with piles of university work and stress my hair has been becoming thinner and thinner. Evening thinking about my current hair state makes me want to cry like a banshee. I'm using both hair loss shampoo and supplements in hope my hair will come back! My Halo doubles the thickness of my hair, it doesn't add any length as my hair is very long anyway, but the added thickness really lifts my confidence. I wear my Halo most days now, it isn't heavy but does take a little getting used to having it on your head, especially if your not used to wearing hair extensions. I'm really, really bad at styling hair but I can put this in easily. Seriously if I can do it anyone can! It takes a maximum of five minute and a few clips.

Overall: I couldn't be more pleased with my Halo it gives me my confidence back and is ever so easy to put in. In a week or so I'll post on how I put in and style my Halo. My Halo featured costs £99.99 and they last around four months depending on how well you look after them. You can check out Halo Hair 'here', there are stockists all over the UK to find your local stockist click 'here'.

Have you tried Halo Hair? Do you have any hair loss tips you can share with me?!

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: My Halo was kindly gifted to me at the event.

New In At Catseye

2014-01-06T14:33:00.000+00:00

Welcome to 2014! I hope you all had a great Christmas and an even happier new year. For me it was a much welcome escape from university. Now exam week is in full swing and having cheerful goodies like these from Catseye popping through the post is keeping me in good sprits. In my last Catseye post I raved on about the brand and I know many will have received their delights for Christmas. Released on the Catseye website today is a new range for the new year. In keeping with Catseye tradition the new design features animals with lots of colour. The new design is Diner Dogs and is one of my new favourites, the bubblegum pink makes it super girly with a retro diner scene featuring some very cute dogs. The wash bag photographed above is large enough to fit most of my cosmetics in for a short break away. After exams I'm going on a short break to Center Parcs to relax a little, I can pack all my cosmetics for all the swimming I'll be doing in this bag!

Overall: I can't get enough of this brand, the Mr & Mrs wash bag featuring bulldogs is calling my name! You can buy online 'here' and in many gift shops.

Did you receive any Catseye goodies this Christmas? Do you like the new design?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: PR sample.

M&S Secret Santa - Unwrapping My Gift

2013-12-17T19:25:00.002+00:00

My secret santa gift came from M&S! I have no idea which blogger chose this for me but I'm thrilled. This Nuxe gift set is gorgeous and will provide me with soft and healthy skin throughout these colder months. I'm a huge Nuxe fan and many of their products are vegan, making this the perfect gift for me, my secret santa did an amazing job. The moisturiser is for sensitive skin and my skin certainly gets irritated in the cold weather, I'm hoping this will calm it down to stop any winter redness. I'll write a review once I've had time to try it out.

You can view M&S Skincare Gifts online and also in store. The M&S beauty halls are only in selected stores. There's loads of savings and offers online at the moment, worth putting in an order before it's too late. Christmas is fast approaching!

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Gift received from M&S, picked out by my secret santa!

M&S Secret Santa - What I Chose

2013-12-11T14:28:00.000+00:00

Christmas is fast approaching and I can't wait! I'm looking forward to a break from coursework and uni to spend time with my friends and family. This year I'm taking part in the Marks and Spencer secret santa. I'm not allowed to tell you who my blogger is but she's very into beauty! Reading her blog she seems to like so many beauty products with huge love for beauty. This left my gift finding quest quite open!

For my gift I wanted to find something luxury with a gorgeous scent. Having a little luxury at Christmas is great, it's the time of the year you can indulge in something maybe a little more expensive than your norm. Looking for a gift a came across the REN Exclusive Gift Set which is only available at M&S. It contains Moroccan Rose Otto scented body wash, cream, oil and scrub. It currently has 20% off so fitted perfectly into my £20 budget, such a bargain for amazing REN products. The products come in a christmasy presentation box which makes it the perfect gift. I'm always writing about my love for Rose Otto scent so I won't write loads again but it's such a beautiful scent.

REN have never let me down and their products always live up to expectations so I'm confident in the fact that my assigned blogger will love this gift. This gift set is also vegan which is a huge plus for me. M&S have loads of beauty gift ideas online, you can find this one 'here' and it is only available at M&S.

What have you guys been buying for your secret santa presents this year?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: The gift was sent free of charge.

Brand New: Urban Outfitters Opens in Nottingham

2013-11-19T16:09:00.001+00:00

Ever since the big Urban Outfitters orange boards went up around an empty store in Victoria Centre Nottingham, I'd been waiting for the day it opened. It's taken quite a while for the store to be ready, but the anticipation was worth it. Urban Outfitters took over two adjoining stores and turned then into the bright and colourful fashionista playground which is Urban Outfitters. When I finally got to visit the store for myself I could finally appreciate why it took such a long time to get the store ready. They've completely transformed the two stores and paid lots of attention to detail. Keeping to their urban art theme they recruited artists to help achieve their look.

After falling in love with the Urban Outfitters in London I couldn't help but think if this one would live up to expectation. It isn't as huge as the store in London and mainly houses in-house labels alongside a few other brands. Whereas the store in London does have a much larger choice of brands, I was still spoilt for choice in Nottingham. Urban Outfitters own labels are always on-trend and certainly suit student fashions. With a huge student population in Nottingham I can see the store doing very well! Opening in time for Christmas has worked out perfectly, they have a great selection of quirky and unique gifts and books, they'd make such amazing secret santa gifts.

Nottingham needed an Urban Outfitters and I'm so happy with the store. I can see many of my pennies being spent here in the future. I've worn the gorgeous jacket I picked up while there everyday so far. Right around the corner from Topshop it's in an ideal location too!

Have you checked out this brand new store yet? Are you a UO fan?

Click here to enter my Catseye iPad sleeve giveaway!

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Press event

Raw Gaia: Green Clay Mask

2013-11-15T17:53:00.000+00:00

Raw Gaia are a natural skincare company - using high quality ingredients that are only ever sourced from nature. The plant and flower oils they use are in their purest form to deliver the best results to your skin. Their products are to rejuvenate healthy skin rather than just provide a quick fix. Ever since I started using natural products that promote healthy skin rather than the harsh products which strip or overload your skin my skins been much healthier and comfortable. I really believe that products like the ones from Raw Gaia are they way forward, they're gentle and skin-loving with as little ingredients as possible to prevent irritation or sensitivity. All of Raw Gaia's products are hand crafted in Brighton, cruelty-free, fair-trade and vegan.

This is my first Raw Gaia product, they're a brand I've not tried before but I was so excited when the package came through the post. I love face masks, especially clay masks as they always leave my skin so smooth and glowing, they're fab for clearing up any spots or blocked pores. The Raw Gaia Green Clay mask comes in a powder, which you then mix with a little water to form the mask - this way you get a fresh mask every time and the pot doesn't go off as quickly. The mask is formed of one ingredient only which is 100% wildcrafted sun dried green clay. Theres no need for any preservatives in a powder form and the pureness of the ingredients makes the mask suitable for sensitive skin.

I'm not very skilled at mixing the mask and always end up with it too thin, you mix a teaspoon of mask with water until it forms a thick cream. I leave it on until dry, the time taken to dry depends on how thick the mask is after you've mixed it but it's usually about 5-10 minutes. The mask leaves my skin glowing and feeling so smooth, it draws out any impurities so my skin feels all new again! It also has longer lasting effects as my skin doesn't get as oily for the next day or so afterwards. I often find with clay masks it makes my skin tingle and when it's feeling sensitive I can't use them because it burns. However, with the simplicity of this mask I can use it whenever, it doesn't flame up my skin when its feeling sensitive and doesn't cause a tingling feeling either.

Overall: This has become one of my favourite masks, my skin loves it and it doesn't cause sensitivity. I can't wait to try some more Raw Gaia products, I think I'll be ordering some oil to help my acne scars. This pot costs £14.99 but you can also get a smaller one for £3.99 if you just want to try first. Available from 'here'.

Have you tried any Raw Gaia products before? Are you a fan of natural beauty products?

Don't forget to enter my Catseye giveaway

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: PR sample.

NEW IN: The Vegan Kind Box

2013-11-08T15:33:00.001+00:00

Monthly boxes have really taken off, with a huge variety on the market I'd been hoping a UK vegan box would pop up! After eyeing up the Vegan Cuts boxes in the US and deciding I can't justify paying the international delivery I've been waiting for a UK box to come along. The Vegan Kind are a brand new vegan monthly box in the UK which send out a whole variety of vegan goodies on a monthly basis, these include; accessories, food, toiletries, cosmetics, cleaning products, household supplies and recipe cards.

This is the first box with loads of brands I have never tried before. I'm not really sure how many of these products I'll use, I was really excited by the egg replacer as I'd love to use it in cakes but it's a blender only product, you can't mix it by hand and I'm a blender-free right now. The Soapnut is an interesting idea that I've not come across before. You put the nuts in the little bag provided and put them in your washing instead of laundry powder, I've not used them yet but will do and will update you on how it goes! They can be used up to four times. Soapnut also sent along a laundry liquid and a lavender and geranium soap which smells gorgeous.

You also receive a monthly recipe card, this months recipe is a slow cooker leek and potato soup which sounds gorgeous - so warming in the winter. A blender and slow cooker might have to be on my Christmas list! In the third box you receive a ring binder to put all your recipe cards in, a fab idea for those prone to loose the cards like myself.

Overall: The RRP contents of this box comes to about £15.00, the box costs £10.00 with £2.95 postage costs. It's a brand new box with a limited market and is currently no competition for Vegan Cuts, I will keep my subscription and hopefully watch the box grow! You can subscribe 'here'. If your looking for a foodie box the Vegan Tuck Box has recently hit the market, it's more expensive but I've heard good things.

Have you tried this new box? Is it something your interested in?

Don't forget to enter my Catseye giveaway

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: I was given a voucher for my first box free.

Catseye London - Kooky Pooches & Giveaway!

2013-11-06T16:06:00.000+00:00

I'd love to introduce you guys to a wonderful brand - Catseye! Many of you have probably heard of them or at least seen their products in stores, they're sold all over the place, my mum bought me one of their gorgeous pug make-up bags in Selfridges. They are such eye catching products, they always stand out on the shelfs in stores making all the other make-up bags look a little boring! I come from a family of animal lovers and Catseye products are popular gifts often being given out at Christmas. All so cute and my favourites to use.

When Catseye contacted me I couldn't resist these Kooky Pooch products. The cosmetics bag is ideal it's much bigger than my other make-up bags so might actually stand a chance at carrying all my cosmetics when I go on holiday! I can't wait to use it for my Disneyland Christmas holiday. All Catseye products are made of a plastic PVC material making them waterproof which is really handy for cosmetics bags as they spend lots of their time in bathrooms and carrying damp products. The inside of the cosmetics bag is also a plastic material. The flat bag is a slightly bigger version of the coin purse and would make a good little make-up bag for carrying your essentials around in your handbag. For uni I often take only one or two lip balms and eye drops in with me during the day, putting them in this will stop me loosing them in the deep, dark corners of my bag! The Boston Terriers sat on deck-chairs are just adorable, one of my grandparents recently adopted a Boston Terrier, they're such gentle, loving dogs.

Overall: Catseye products have very reasonable price tags, the cosmetic case and flat bag featured here cost £14.00 and £7.00, available online 'here'. You'll also find them in many little gift shops, they make fantastic Christmas presents, I think I'll be putting in an order for a few Christmas gifts myself.

I'm really happy with my two products and would love to give you guys a chance of winning a Catseye product. I have a Vintage Ladies iPad sleeve (iPad not provided) worth £17.00. It's all fluffy inside keeping your iPad cosy and looking brilliant! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love Becca xx
Disclosure: PR samples, see terms and conditions on the giveaway box.

Dr Organic Rose Otto Range

2013-11-03T11:55:00.000+00:00

Before coming back to university I went on a little beauty spending spree, discovering some of my current favourites like B. and Good Things. I also picked up some Dr Organic goodies from Holland and Barrett. Having never tried Dr Organic before I really didn't know what to expect, but what I did know is that I love, love, love Rose Otto scent, seriously can't get enough of it. From the Rose Otto range I picked up a body wash, bath oil and hand cream.

The body wash didn't last very long purely because the scent is gorgeous. It's an amazing foamy wash with the gorgeous Rose Otto floral scent. Floral scents aren't for everyone, if you're more of a citrus or spicy person I'd give this collection a miss! Having forgot I don't have a bath at university I used the bath oil a few times before moving back, it's very similar to the ever famous REN Rose Otto bath oil, although the fragrance isn't as powerful once poured into the bath, you're still left with lovely soft skin afterwards.

My ultimate favourite product is the hand cream! In a generously sized tube it's lasting me ages. You need so little, it's really rich so if you use too much your hands get way too greasy. It's super moisturising and when I apply it people often ask what smells so nice. Being so nourishing you don't need to use it very often, once or twice a day has been plenty for me.

Overall: I've been really impressed with this brand and look forward to trying more of their extensive Rose Otto range. Prices generally range from around £5-£15. Find out more about Dr Organic 'here' or buy online 'here'.

Have you ever tried any of the Dr Organic products? Are you a fan of Rose Otto like myself?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Bought by myself.

Faux Fur Yeti Throw

2013-10-28T15:25:00.000+00:00

As winter approaches I tend to develop an attraction towards fluffy and cosy throws, blankets and pyjamas. I love snuggling up with blankets in a pair of cosy pyjamas over December watching Christmas TV and feeling festive. This year I plan to snuggle up to this amazing faux far throw! I couldn't get a picture of the whole throw as it's an impressive 180 x 140cm in size and covers the width of my single bed easily. The faux fur is 80% acrylic and 20% polyester and incredibly soft. It's really comforting to cuddle up to at night and extremely warm. A little too warm at the moment to lie under all night but once it starts snowing I won't be emerging from my cocoon.

Just to stress this is a faux fur throw and I will never ever support the horrible fur industry. And I can only encourage you guys to do the same, why anyone would want to wear/use another animals fur and skin is beyond me. You can still get the same look and warmth from faux fur without the animal cruelty. It's often much cheaper too. This throw is available from 'here' or more specifically 'here', it would make an amazing Christmas gift!

Do you love snuggling up during winter too?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: PR sample.

Wrappz iPhone Case - Disneyland!

2013-10-23T18:11:00.000+01:00

When Wrappz contacted me asking if I'd like to try one of their phone cases I knew straight away which photo I'd put on it. This is my most favourite photo from Disney out of the 100's we took. I ordered my Wrappz on Thursday evening and received it in the post on Monday, a much faster turn around time than I was expecting, I was really surprised to see it waiting for me after my Monday morning lecture. The ordering process was really easy you select your phone, upload a photo and drag it onto the template. I had to resize my image as it was too big but this is done on the template by just dragging the image corner inwards.

I'm ever so happy with the case itself, the quality is amazing it's the perfect fit for my iPhone 4 (you select which phone you have they have a wide range of cases) and doesn't leave any room around the edges so it doesn't fall off, the trick will be getting it off when I want to change it around! The picture has come out really well, it's not blurry and the colours are really sharp. I love how the image wraps around the case properly too, it wraps around the sides to cover the whole case rather than just the back section.

The Wrappz cases are available 'here' with iPhone cases 'here', they cost a variety of prices the one above is £18.97. I can't wait to go back to Disney for Christmas and my phone case always cheers me up with happy memories and reminds me I have plenty more to come! It's a great idea for a Christmas gift.

Have you got a personalised phone case?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: PR sample, background is a faux fur throw to be featured in my next post!

Skin Blossom Gentle Face Wash

2013-10-17T17:54:00.000+01:00

While on a hunt for natural skincare products a friend pointed me in the direction of Skin Blossom. I was instantly attracted by their chic, pretty packaging and colours, there's something about name 'Skin Blossom' that makes me think the product will do good for my skin, which can be as sensitive as blossom at times!

Skin Blossom are an organic skincare and haircare company, made in the UK with organic and skin-friendly ingredients. Their products are certified by The Soil Association, the ingredients and manufacturing process have no harm to health and minimal environmental impact. They don't test on animals and do not use animal ingredients either and are registered with The Vegan Society. I'm not sure when I last came across a company that lives by its ethics so well. They produce feel-good products so you can be sure that they're good for your health and the environment.

I've been trying out their Gentle Face Wash. The ingredients are 98.85% natural with none of the harsh ingredients that many try to avoid. The consistency of the face wash is quite watery, it doesn't foam and isn't a creamy cleanser. I can't quite put my finger on the scent, it's a aloe vera/green tea scent, however I haven't found too overpowering. I use this when my skin is feeling extra sensitive as it's perfect for sensitive skins that can react to the more deeper cleaning cleansers. For a deeper clean I sometimes use it alongside my Deep Clean scrub. For removing make-up I will normally double cleanse and to remove eye make-up you really need to rub it into your lashes and eyelids, if you have a good waterproof eye make-up on you might need a remover afterwards as well.

Overall: This is perfect for cleansing sensitive skin. If your looking for a deeper cleanse use alongside an exfoliator or face mask. I'm loving the Skin Blossom brand and ethics and recently spotted them in my local organic store - yay! You can buy online 'here', Gentle Face Wash costs £5.95.

Have you tried any Skin Blossom? What do you think to the chic packaging and ethics of the brand?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: PR sample.

Yummy Places To Eat: The Cake Hole

2013-10-12T15:24:00.000+01:00

Following numerous recommendations I marched my sweet tooth to The Cake Hole in Derby. With my not so enthusiastic boyfriend in tow! Ever since becoming vegan the luxury of eating out has become minimal with little options and never any desert options for this sugar addict. The Cake Hole has become my relapse serving the most gorgeous milkshakes and cakes, the strawberry milkshake instantly became my favourite, I need it on tap. Everything they serve is 100% vegan and they also serve gluten free goodies. Alongside milkshake and cakes they serve soups, snacks and teas - soon to be adding a lunch menu.

When I visited with my non-vegan boyfriend he bought a milkshake after trying mine and my non-vegan friend also very much enjoyed a slice of chocolate cake! I wish I could make cake like that, although I'd soon go up a few dress sizes. This will certainly be my go to place for a pit stop while shopping in Derby. I recommend it to anyone, while in Derby nip in and treat yourself, vegans and non-vegans alike. For any tea lovers wanting to try some new blends grab a bag and have a tea pix and mix, there's loads of different teas to choose from, a hot brew is lovely in this cold weather.

Located in the Derby Market Hall on the balcony, check out their facebook for more information.

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: All yummy foods bought by myself.

Quality Photos are a Must-Have!

2013-10-10T16:02:00.001+01:00

When giving advice one of the first things bloggers always say is quality photos. You need good quality photos on your site to engage your readers and build an audience, which for many means a good quality camera. The importance of photos extends to events, many bloggers write posts about the events they’ve been to and include many photos. One thing I hate is carrying around a heavy camera, especially around London as you’re always on your feet; however, London is where most events take place!

Wanting something to fit in my bag, light but still quality that will deliver the photos I want; Sony’s NEX compact system camera range really fits the bill. The NEX 5T has a DSLR-sized sensor but in a much smaller compact body. This can deliver fine details and high contrast images, in even low light; many press events have very low lighting. Sony are showing us that sometimes size matters, I actually sat through a four hour lecture today about how size can determine so many characteristics of an animal. A larger camera sensor can produce a better quality image; the NEX compact system camera range includes a 16.1MP APS-C sensor.

I know many bloggers use a DSLR for taking product photos and then a point and shoot at events to reduce their handbag weight. With these compact cameras you only need the one camera. For a small camera this has amazing capabilities, which can capture your life moments without the heavy lifting.

As the infographic demonstrates, sometimes size does matter!

Love Becca xx

Sponsored post.

Good Things Facial Care

2013-10-08T16:10:00.001+01:00

Fresh Start

Deep Clean

When my Bliss cleanser started running low I went on a hunt for a new cleanser, naturally I headed to Boots to scan their facial care aisles. I noticed Good Things lurking on the bottom shelf, I've used Good Things products in the past and I've always been really impressed with them. However, being a typical blogger I seem to struggle sticking to using the same products and always want to try something new after using another up. All of the Good Things products were on half price at the time so I picked up a facial cleanser and scrub.

The reason I loved my old Bliss wash so much was that it actually made my skin feel clean, I could feel it was doing something and my pores were less clogged. The problem with creamy and 'gentle' cleansers is they often don't feel like they're doing much, you don't receive that gorgeous refreshing feeling and your pores still feel dirty. Fresh Start is a creamy cleanser, its a thick cleanser which has a similar consistency to a moisturiser, it feels amazing to apply. The cleanser does provide a good clean feeling, my skin always feels so refreshed afterwards but it doesn't dry your skin out either. The name Fresh Start suits it perfectly, it's so refreshing and provides a good clean for a good start to your day. In the evening I prefer to use a hot cloth cleanser to remove my make-up but this has quickly become my morning staple.

I also picked up the scrub Deep Clean. A cleanser can provide clean skin but I love to use a scrub to prevent blackheads. This scrub has plenty of beads in to provide a really good exfoliation, it's not too harsh but isn't really gentle either. I use this every other day after Fresh Start, keeping away the dead skin cells means my skin is more radiant and less clogged. My skin certainly feels clean after using these two products.

Overall: I'm really happy with these! My skin feels clean and healthy. There's no harsh ingredients so there's no drying out afterwards (assuming you apply moisturiser of course), even though the ingredients are natural the products are really effective. The price tag on these products is great too, £4.99 each available from Boots, Tesco and Sainsburys.

Have you tried any Good Things products?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Bought by myself.

Balance Me Hits Debenhams

2013-09-30T17:17:00.001+01:00

Balance Me are a natural British beauty brand with the philosophy that 'beauty works naturally'. They conduct research and use 'hi-tech' natural ingredients to create quality and effective products, still in keeping with their natural philosophy to bring skin back to balance. Balance Me want their products to be luxury to use but with an affordable price tag. They have some beautiful scented ranges my favourite being the rose otto range featured above.

Balance Me is now launching in Debenhams making it more widely available. Balance Me will be launching in twenty premium Debenhams stores before Christmas so you can pick up your Balance Me Christmas gift boxes.

Balance Me will be launching at:

- Brighton
- Bristol
- Cardiff
- Chester
- Clapham
- Crawley
- Dundee
- Glasgow
- Gloucester
- Gravesend
- Ilford
- Mansfield
- Nottingham
- Oxford Street
- Preston
- Southampton
- Swansea
- Trafford (Manchester)
- White Rose (Leeds)

They sell some gorgeous products and I love their philosophy. Their products are to balance the skin rather than stripping it with harsh ingredients that can damage the health of your skin. I can't wait for the range to land in the Nottingham store, I'm saving the reward points on my beauty card to spend on some goodies!

For my vegan readers the majority of Balance Me products are vegan except the ones listed below so watch out for these!

super moisturising hand cream
rose otto body balm
rose otto lip salve
stellar face balm
shiny clean conditioner

Will you be heading to your nearest Debenhams for the range? Have you tried any Balance Me products?

Love Becca xx

B. Precise Gel Eyeliner - Rave Review!

2013-09-24T18:14:00.002+01:00

B. are a relatively new brand produced and exclusively stocked by Superdrug. I never used to shop at Superdrug and would always head over to Boots for my cosmetic essentials. However I'm starting to use more and more Superdrug products thanks to their low price tags, clear veggie/vegan labelling and impressive quality. The staff in Superdrug were all bigging up B. when it launched and they all seemed to genuinely credit the make-up.

I picked up the gel liner in brown. I wear eyeliner on a daily basis to help give some definition to my naturally washed out, pale complexion. Brown really brings out my eyes and you can't beat a good gel liner can you?! In the pot the brown has a little shimmer to it as it catches the light, however, if this isn't your thing once it's applied you can hardly see the shimmer at all. The liner glides on so easily, it doesn't drag making an even liner more achievable. The brush that comes with the liner isn't half bad either. It's not prickly like some cheap brushes but it may be a little thick if you want a thin line for a more natural look.

The most common problem with gel liners is the transfer and smudges they leave behind. Sometimes I've ended up with more liner underneath my eye than on top. As of yet I've not had any problems with this liner, it sets quickly and then doesn't move, no transfer or smudges and it's still perfect at the end of the day. I've gone from a 9am lecture all the way through to a 1am walk back from the pub and it's still sat there looking the same it did straight after application.

Overall: I've worn this liner pretty much everyday since buying it. It's so easy and effortless to use and doesn't let me down making it the perfect everyday essential. It's available in chocolate and black colours, suitable for vegetarians and vegans and not animal tested. Available at a bargain £4.99 'here' (read the reviews on the website, everyone loves this!) and in Superdrug stores. You can't go wrong, animal friendly, purse friendly and easily the best eye liner I've used!

Have you tried any of the B. range?

Love Becca xx

Disclosure: Bought by myself.

BeautyBecca - UK Beauty and Lifestyle Blog

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Quality Photos are a Must-Have!

Good Things Facial Care

Balance Me Hits Debenhams

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B. Precise Gel Eyeliner - Rave Review!