Oxford at Christmas 2016!

Hello My Lovelies

Last Wednesday night we booked the boat so that we could pop to the mainland and in particular Oxford. We love visiting Oxford as its just an hour and half car journey and is a lovely city to visit any time of the year but particularly at Christmas.
First stop was the under cover market that originated in the 1770's and is full of wonderful little independent shops including shoe shops, bakeries and butchers and quirky food places. My particular favourite is to people watch all of the customers coming to buy their special cheeses for the festive season.

                  

          

We then walked around the gorgeous little side streets near the University of Oxford's many colleges and absorbed the history that exudes from every single building you look at. It was chilly but not so cold that you couldn't enjoy the atmosphere, we even stopped to pick up a hot chocolate.

We then popped into a few shops including the White Company as I don't have one near me, Marks and Spencer and Primark. We were pretty hungry after shopping so stopped for lunch in a local pub for baked potatoes and burgers. Before long it was time to make our way back to the car and start the drive back.

Sometimes the best trips are ones that are booked last minute and without an itinerary! Have you been any where special this Christmas? Or been to your local market? Let me know in the comments!

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                      

New In: Catwalk Backstage by Tigi Gift Set!

Hello My Lovelies

If your looking for the most gorgeous hair gift set this Christmas then you can't beat this one from Tigi. It's perfect for anyone that you might still need to buy for last minute this festive season or maybe as a gift to yourself if you can pick it up in the sales!

The set comes with an oatmeal and honey shampoo, conditioner and mask all of which is designed to make damaged and dehydrated hair silky smooth and soft to the touch. This set was surely designed for me at the moment as my hair feels absolutely frazzled from all of the hair products I've already used for Christmas parties and gatherings and it could do with some love and attention. It also protects your hair from heat damage from hair dryers and straighteners with its special ingredients of coconut oil, Vitamin E, Glycerin and wheat protein.

The bottles are all really amazing full sizes in fabulous sleek packaging though it can be a little tricky to read the info due to the colour way- I don't fancy conditioning my hair before I wash it! The beautiful fragrance lingers meaning you get a lovely whiff of fresh hair throughout the day.

I've seen this particular set on look fantastic, fragrance direct and feel unique for £16.99 and some of these sites if ordered today will deliver tomorrow (Christmas Eve!) so don't delay pick one up today from Tigi!!

Let me know if you treat yourself or someone else!

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       x

*PR Sample.

H&M Eyeshadow Review!

Hello My Lovelies
I've never bought any makeup from H&M before but when I was in Southampton last on a bit of a shopping spree I swatched a couple of the eye shadows and couldn't resist bringing these two little lovelies home with me.

I have the colours 'Act Your Beige which in the pan is a creamy nude bronze colour and 'Chin Chin' is a shiny metallic gold. When swatched in the shop they were really pigmented which is why I decided to buy the two but when I got home and tried to apply them with a brush they were super weak. I much prefer to use a brush to stop fingers getting dirty and makeup every where but with these eyeshadows they definitely work better being applied with fingers.

Both worked well with a base product, I love to use the Mac paint pot in painterly and creates a smooth starting point. Both shadows cost me £5 each which isn't too expensive but not one that I would want to pay again in a rush- I would much prefer to save my cash for some more MAC ones, but for a high street alternative they are pretty good value and have a great selection of colours! Both shades especially Chin Chin are perfect colours for upcoming Christmas and New Year parties so if you're near H&M why not try them out!

Till next time,
                  Tori.
                       X

Christmas in London 2016!

Hello My Lovelies

If you've been reading my blog for the past couple if years you'll know that I go to London every Christmas to meet my old university friend, explore and enjoy this festive time of the year. This year was obviously no different and we met super early (well early for us as we come from different ends if the country) so that we could grab brunch at Bronte and also have a quick whizz around the National Portrait Gallery and Trafalgar Square.

Bronte was a lovely festive dining experience, really chilled and not at all as expensive as you would imagine. After brunch it was time for me to pop along to Dryby off of Regent Street for a much longed for and needed manicure- I decided a few months ago after hearing such great recommendations that I would go here and try it out but it was truly awful. The customer service was a joke with staff talking about me (yes they really did that) and there was zero atmosphere. What was meant to be a festive treat really put a dampener on the day and one I wouldn't ever wish to replicate.

All was not lost after my disaster manicure as soon we were in Liberty and checking out the Christmas department- you can hardly not smile and enjoy the ambience of this department store.

Last stop before a quick Costa hot chocolate at Leicester Square was the Carnaby Street Christmas lights for our annual tradition of a selfie! It was so much fun to catch up with my dear university friend, we've not had an opportunity to meet since last Christmas so it was well overdue and plans are now under way for an Easter reunion!

Christmas is all about spending time with Friends and Family- who are you most excited about spending your time with this festive season? Let me know in the comments!

Till next time,

                   Tori.

                       X

Activities for when it's to cold to go outside!

Hello My Lovelies

Winter is well and truly upon us and sometimes you just don't want to go out into the rain and cold so I thought I'd let you know what I like to do at home when I just don't want to leave!   

1. Paint your nails- I hardly ever have time to do this so I love having the chance to sit and paint them a beautiful autumnal colour.


2. Read a book or magazine with a mug of something hot.


3. Watch a movie or box set (my favourite is Friends) on the sofa with a blanket and hot water bottle.


4. Create something delicious in the kitchen, pumpkin and Christmas cookies are the best!


5. Plan your next adventure- whether it's too some where abroad next summer or a winter staycation.


6. De-clutter your wardrobe or beauty stash and make some money by selling them on Depop or EBay.


7. Online shop (my favourite!)


8. Plan and write blog posts ahead of time.

9. Face masks (that is all!)


10. Get creative- start a new hobby (I've started calligraphy)

I hope this has given you some inspiration or maybe you already do some let me know in the comments!


Till next time,
                  Tori.
                      X

Curvy Girl Outfit of the Day Number 19: Gran Canaria Winter Sun Edition!

Hello My Lovelies

Back at the end of October I hopped on a plane for some Winter sun in Gran Canaria with my lovely mum. We spent the whole time laying on sun loungers chatting, drinking cocktails and reading our books which was utter bliss. We went out for dinner every night and wanted to let you see one of my outfits from our time away.

I love this jacket that my sister found for me in the Tesco sale at the end of the summer. I never thought I would like a white denim jacket but It's so easy to wear (and comfortable) especially over my new dress which I also picked up in the end of the summer sales from Joules. My sunglasses are from Ray Ban and ones that I actually then preceded to loose in the sea after having them for over 5 years.

My shoes are actually my mum's white leather sandals that she bought a couple of summer's ago in New Look and were an utter bargain in the sale for about £10.00. Finally my bag is my utter favourite and one that I bought this summer after lusting over it for months the Gucci Soho Disco.

Till next time,

                     Tori.

                          X

New In: Wet Brush Pro Christmas Edition!

Hello My Lovelies

My ultimate hair brush brand is Wet brush and has been for some time- I've tried lots of different brands of hair brushes over the years and none of them compare. I can totally see why Wet brush is the number one selling brush in the USA! I was looking to replace my brush and the Christmas brush-pro from Wet brush was right up my street.

The Wet Brush Christmas edition comes in four colours blue, pink, purple, red and gold and have a water drop print- all colours are beautiful and shiny. The reason I adore Wet Brush over other competitors is that each brush has the softest bristles which bounce back to their original form after each use. The brush never pulls on my hair and I feel that since using the brand over a year ago my hair has felt healthier and less split ends.

With previous brushes that I've used the handle has been hard or in some cases there hasn't even been one, but on this brush it's easy to hold and manoeuvre around my head and use on my curly hair- each and every I've used my current brush it's created lovely soft sleek locks! I have my eye on a travel version of this brush and one that I'm hoping might just end up in my stocking this Christmas.

You can pick up this brush and others from the brand in Boots, Look Fantastic, Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty and many others.

Do you own a Wet Brush let me know in the comments!

Till next time,

                   Tori.

                        X

*PR Sample

Christmas Giveaway!!

Hello My Lovelies

Happy Christmas to you all!!! To celebrate the festive season and to thank you for supporting my blog this past year I wanted to do a little giveaway.
The prize is a Liz Earle gift set that includes the most gorgeous nail polish in the shade 'Knockout.'

To win all you have to do is...

• Fill in the rafflecopter info below.
• Be over 16!
• Live in the U.K.
• Ends on December 16th 2016 so that I can try and get the prize to you before Christmas.
• I can't be held responsible for the prize getting damaged or lost in the post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Till next time,
                     Tori.
                           X

Learning Modern Calligraphy with Quill London!

Hello My Lovelies

I've always wanted to learn calligraphy but never been sure where or how so when I saw that Lily Pebbles and Anna (Anna's Edit) had taken a course in Brighton I signed up to the waiting list on Quill London and eventually found a space this past weekend. 

The course is aimed at total beginners and is a three hour course situated in MADE in Brighton. Our teacher for the day was the amazing and truly inspiring Julia Broughton who was extremely patient, encouraging and pretty darn funny. She took us through each of the tasks starting with simple thick and thin lines before moving on to practising capital letters and small letters and finishing the session with joining letters up and trying out our own techniques and styles on words we liked.  

I arrived thinking that I might be the only person on the course that hadn't come in a group but I was so happy to find that I wasn't and ended up at a table with a group of ladies from all across the U.K that had travelled to Brighton to try out Calligraphy. We discussed why we had wanted to come and try and it helped me relax and really focus on learning a new skill.

Included in the price was all of the materials you would need for the day; a pen, ink, paper etc and also a drink and piece of cake or in my case a red velvet cookie.
I chose to attend the afternoon course that started at 2:00pm and finished at 4:30pm-it was just about the right amount of time to learn the very basics of this amazing (I hope) new hobby. The only negative I would have to say about the whole day is where we were positioned in the café with their regular customers coming in and out as we tried to listen to Julia explain.

I had such a wonderful time trying something new (I'm not one for going out of my comfort zone!) and I'm glad that I did. I think with calligraphy it's definitely going to be about practise makes perfect so with the cold months stretching out ahead of us I know what I'll be up to this winter.

Whilst it was a quick trip to Brighton I did have enough time to have a stroll around the lanes and I even spotted a snow dog or two.

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       X

New In: Seventeen Let's Face It Palette

Hello My Lovelies

I'm a lover of palette's all you need in one place and easy to throw in your bag for the on go touch up's and this particular palette from Seventeen is perfect for the upcoming party season and for popping into Christmas stockings!

The palette comes in a sleek black compact with a really decent size usable mirror and contains:

• A yellow tone concealer.
• A pink tone concealer.
• A setting powder.
• A peachy/rose cream blush.
• Dual ended brush.

I have been a long time fan of Seventeen concealers as they cover my horrendous dark eye circles and are brilliant quality. I found that they both blended really well- I didn't use the brush as I'm not a fan of any that come with these types of palettes and I actually prefer to use my fingers. I did notice a little but of creasing as the day wore on but nothing major.

The setting powder worked well with the concealers and did a good job of making my skin look pretty flawless. I then finished off by using the super pretty cream blush- I again took to using my finger and adding a small amount to my pale skin so as not to over do it. It was very easy to blend and left my skin looking really natural with a subtle glow, I was really surprised with the result as I'm not a big cream blusher fan.

I absolutely love the portable size of this palette that contains everything you need except for an eyeshadow or two. Priced at £5.99 it really is a bargain and one that you can't really afford to not have in your collection! 

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       X

*PR Sample.

Autumn Curvy Girl Outfit of the Day Number 20!

Hello My Lovelies

Autumn is such a vibrant month I adore the different shades of leaves and the sunsets are so dreamy. So when I was out and about recently and spotted this perfect waterfall of red leaves I knew I had to get a few shots in front of it.

I absolutely love this whole outfit it's so comfy to wear and I feel really good when I pop it on. My scarf is a gift from last Christmas but was bought from Accessorize- its a huge blanket style scarf and perfect for Autumn and Winter.   

My jacket is new to my wardrobe, I bought this recently from Matalan-its fleece lined throughout and the softest jacket that I own plus the colour is pretty darn autumnal! My bag is my most used one of the moment from Gucci and great for everyday essentials. My trousers are from Marks and Spencer and my tops are both Primark- I love layering in the colder months and this is what I've done here.

Finally my boots are also a recent addition to my collection and are a great dupe for the Chloe ones. I picked these up from Office and I literally can't stop wearing them at every opportunity.

What are your current favourite go to Autumn clothing pieces? Let me know in the comments!


Till next time,
                   Tori
                       X

New In: Mandara Spa Christmas Collection!

Hello My Lovelies

Ok so my rule is once Halloween and Bonfire Night are over I can allow Christmas in to my life and embrace all that it has to offer! With that in mind the most gorgeous gift idea's from Mandara Spa are now available to purchase from Sainsbury's and timetospa.co.uk, all fabulous affordable gifts for friends and family and ones I would be super chuffed to find under the tree or even on it this holiday season.

With all of the good stuff you would expect from Mandara Spa including moisturising and luxurious formulations and key ingredients including Shea butter, jasmine flower milk and hibiscus flower milk they make the most pampering gifts for a friend or family member this Christmas!

The packaging this Christmas is absolutely beautiful my particular favourite is the champagne coloured tree decoration that contains two shimmer lip gloss treats-both have the sweetest honey scent and will look fab on the lips at Christmas and New Year's Eve Parties! Priced at £4.50 it's an utter bargain too.

Inside of the other Christmas decoration gift from Mandara Spa you'll find a mini shower cream and body lotion perfect for trips away in the relaxing Amber Heaven scent (sandalwood and patchouli) which promises to leave your skin feeling super moisturised during these colder months! Also priced at £4.50!

Finally from Mandara Spa this Christmas is a set that includes everything that you could possibly want from the brand. A full size body cream, bath milk, shower cream and a shower puff all inside of a super handy toiletries bag (which I would happily keep reusing!) in my favourite fragrance honeymilk dream. Whilst this is a little pricier at £17.00 it would definitely make a special treat for a mum or nan. 

If you're looking for gifts to pamper your loved ones this Christmas then make sure you check out Mandara Spa! If you've already purchased items from the range then let me know in the comments I would love to know your thoughts!


Till next time,
                  Tori.
                       X

*PR Sample

New In: ghd Copper Luxe Collection!

Hello My Lovelies

When I was strolling through Duty Free on my way to a few days in the sun I saw sitting on the shelf the brand new copper luxe collection from ghd that had just been released that day. It was like I was being called to the till with the box and before I knew it I had spent £165 on the beautiful straighteners, travel bag/cooling mat and two Nails Inc nail polishes.

To be fair this set was just too beautiful to leave behind and everyone knows the fab quality that you receive when you buy from ghd as they come with a two year guarantee. My last pair lasted for years always producing lovely soft sleek locks.

I also love to curl my hair regularly and whilst I'm still trying to learn not to burn my fingers when creating my curls I do find that the rounder barrel and smooth contoured plates allow you to create bouncy curls with tousled texture. 

The new straighteners from ghd feel much lighter and the extra long lead means I can move around my room freely which is a bonus! As with most products from the company they reach a heat of 185 degrees and promise 50% less hair breakage! The straighteners also come with an automatic sleep mode after 30 minutes, which is great for all those that walk away from their electricals! 

A highlight to the ghd premium set was the inclusion of my favourite nail polish brand Nails Inc and two gorgeous copper nail polishes!

This set would make the most perfect Christmas gift! Are you tempted to pick the copper ghd luxe collection up? Do you already have it?

Let me know in the comments!


Till next time,
                   Tori.
                        X

New in: Vaseline LuLu Guinness Limited Edition!

Hello My Lovelies

If you're a long term reader of my blog you'll all be fully aware that Vaseline has always been my holy grail lip product. I've been a fan of the brand since I was a young teen when my mum introduced me to them. I have them dotted all over my house, in all of my bags, beside my bed and I even tried having one in the car till it melted-whoops! So as you can imagine I have tried all of the different types from the original, the sugar coated (which I have on my desk at work) to the aloe vera and love all of the special packaging so it was no surprise that I needed the LuLu Guinness limited edition tin to add to my collection.

The iconic tin is designed to reflect LuLu's distinctive style, the doll face is one that I've seen throughout LuLu's bags in the past and the tin gives us all a little hint as to what is to come from this year's Christmas range!

As you would expect from Vaseline it's their usual great quality made from 100% pure Vaseline jelly which I can confirm helps heal dry lips and instantly softens and smoothes with every use! I love that Vaseline is hypo-allergenic; non irritating, non sticky, natural and leaves my lips glossy, which is great for days when you don't fancy wearing lipstick.

You can pick up your super cute Lu-Lu Guinness tin from Superdrug, Boots and Tesco priced at £2.99 and would make great stocking fillers!

Have you picked one up yet? Make sure you use #luluXvaseline on social media to show off your cute tin! What are your favourite Vaseline products? Let me know in the comments!


Till next time,
                     Tori.
                           X


*PR Sample.

New In: Sanctuary Spa Beauty Advent Calendar

Hello My Lovelies

There seems to have been a huge influx of beauty advent calendars from every brand the last couple of years but this year there seems to be far too many to choose from. After reading lots of blog posts about all of the different ones and also having tried out the fabulous w7 one last year I decided to spend all of my Boots points and treat myself to the Sanctuary Spa beauty advent calendar.

For £25 this advent calendar has a special beauty treat for every of the 24 days leading up to Christmas (none of this 12 day malarkey) and behind each door hides products I know I'll want to use and not throw in a cupboard or worse in the bin.

I don't know a whole lot about Sanctuary but the products I have used in the past have been amazing and I feel that this will give me more of an insight into a range of products from the brand.

I'm not going to give away everything in the calendar because I don't want to spoil the surprise for anyone that might be about to purchase this but like me you need to know roughly what's inside so....you'll find behind one of the pretty doors an Ultimate Salt Scrub (60g), White Lily & Damask Rose Body Lotion (75ml) a Moisture Burst Facial Wash (30ml) and a Rose & Cassis Tea Light Candle. They are all really fab sizes and perfect for either at home or travelling!

You can pick the calendar up from Boots and it's also in their 3 for 2 Christmas gift range which makes it an utter bargain!!

Are you tempted to buy a beauty advent calendar this year? Have you got this one from Sanctuary? Let me know in the comments!

Till next time,

                   Tori.

                        X

Curvy Girl Outfit of the Day 18: Halloween 2016 Edition!

Hello My Lovelies

Halloween is such a fun time of the year its a great way to break up the long stretch to Christmas from Summer and I love creating exciting things to share with you all on my blog. This year I picked up the coolest dress and frolicked in the leaves!

My dress was a great find (by my sister) on ebay for £10 and I knew it would be fab to wear out on Halloween evening to the pub without having to actually 'dress up.' I absolutley love the little orange pumpkin and bats on a black swing dress and its so comfortable and warm to wear.

I paired the dress with the comfiest black leggings and camel/sand coloured boots from Dorothy Perkins to complete the outfit. The boots have a small heel for a more dressed up look but are still comfortable enough to wear all night especially if I'm standing.

What are your plans for Halloween? What will you be wearing? Share all as always in the comments below!

Till next time,
                   Tori.
                       X