Empties Number 18!

Hello My Lovelies

I'm here with another empties post- I seem to using up so many products recently. On average it can take me months to use even the smallest product up but I've recently made a bit of a promise that I will try not to buy any more beauty products until I've used up the huge stash I already own! Lets see how that long lasts...

First up is a Bath and Body Works foaming hand wash that I bought online for a silly (ridiculous) price but I love foaming hand washes and B&B have such great scents that I couldn't resist! I will be buying some more of the hand washes from the brand but not till October when I go back to America and I can stock up.

Next up is the So..? body spray in the scent watermelon- it was a lovely fresh mist, I've not repurchased anymore as I have a huge stash to get through but I definitely will be trying more from the range later in the year.

Another body spray I've recently finished after two years, yes two years! Is the Victoria's Secret Victoria body spray-I picked this up when I was going to Iceland the first time in duty free and having never had anything from the brand went for a body mist. I can't wait to pop into Victoria's Secret when I go the U.S at the end of the year as I'll be stocking up and its much cheaper.

My new ultimate face cream comes from Nivea and is their Q10 pore refining day cream a super rich but refreshingly light face cream that works well with my fairly greasy but sensitive skin. I've used up a couple pots of the creams and I have to say for now I don't intend to use anything else.

The Garnier moisture bomb tissue mask was a great mask to try especially as I love trying new face masks/face wipes. It was super slimy and was a bit tricky to open and place on my face but at £1 it's an utter bargain and I'll be picking up another one of these once I've worked through my stash.

Finally is a Bath and Body Works Iced Pear Margarita body spray a gorgeous summer scent from the brand that literally lasts all day- these sprays are such a good price as you can usually get them on offer in the States and again this will be another item making its way into my suitcase when I visit.

What have you been using recently? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @steaders83.

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       X 

Currently Loving Hair Edition!

Hello My Lovelies

I've recently treated myself a new pair of curling tongs after having my old pair for years. I decided to go with the GHD soft curling tong and it's pretty amazing. I'm currently using the best products to help keep my hair looking super smooth and shiny and I wanted you all to see them!

First up is the Tigi S Factor shampoo and conditioner- as you all know I love this brand anyway so it was a no brainer that it would find its way into this post. I always find that it cleans my hair perfectly and leaves it feeling so soft but without being fluffy and fly away. A small amount goes a long way, I've had these sitting in my shower for a good month or so and they are still going strong. The scent isn't over powering which is fab and the conditioner is lovely and thick but easy enough to apply and wash out.

Next is a hair oil from Josh Wood that I received in my Marks & Spencer advent calendar. I've never been a fan of oils for hair or body I hate the greasy feeling and it never seems to sink in no matter what I do, but the Josh Wood hair oil is something else! I love using a small amount from the applicator (once or twice a week) and adding it to the ends of my hair. It really helps to style my hair and is by far the only product that will make my hair feel truly healthy after use.  

Finally is my foldable travel Wet Brush that my sister bought me for Christmas and that I use most days and obviously its great for throwing in my bag when I go away as its' so small and compact. The Wet Brush is the only brand of my brush I use now- I have an original one in my drawer too. The bristles are really soft and never drag through my hair and I love that even on their travel version it has a handle, I couldn't get my head around not having one on previous branded brushes.

What are your favourite hair care products? Make sure you share them with me in the comments or tweet me @steaders83.

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       X

*PR sample included. 

Matalan Curvy Girl OOTD 21!

Hello My Lovelies

Just a short couple of years ago I wouldn't of worn a denim skirt not alone felt comfortable in one but jump to March 2017 after loosing some weight and I'm in that denim skirt!

My whole outfit comes from the super affordable Matalan! Matalan has always been one of my favourite shops to pick clothes up no matter what size I have or may be as they always have something that will fit my shape.

My skirt is such a great length especially for someone like me that has bigger thighs and skirts can tend to ride up. The colour is also a great darker denim which is super flattering! My top isn't one I would normally go for but when my sister picked it up I knew it would go perfectly with the skirt- I love the stripes and ruffles.

I then wore black leggings and chunky heeled boots from Sainsbury's which I seem to be wearing with everything at the moment!

Finally I added my new Ray Ban's that I picked up on holiday last October and have been sitting in my drawer patiently waiting to be worn. I love the vintage vibe style of these glasses and the colour way.

I can't wait to pop back to Matalan soon to pick up a few Spring items! Have you bought anything from Matalan recently? Let me know in the comments or tweet me @steaders83

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       X

What I ate in Iceland: Junk Food Favourites!

Hello My Lovelies

Iceland was amazing and so was the food, most of the things I'm showing you in this post is junk but oh my gosh was it good junk! All recommended before we travelled by other visitors of Reykjavik so well worth the research and finding the location of the delicacies.

I had seen a photo of Reykjavik chip's on Instagram and I knew as soon as I saw them that I was going to try them- I am literally the world's biggest potato fan, I'll eat them in all of their forms with chips being my ultimate favourite and Reykjavik chips didn't let me down. Here you can choose from many different sauces from chives and pickle sauce to traditional ketchup. We sat in their warm trendy little restaurant and washed them down with plenty of Pepsi.

One night we had to return to Svarta Kaffid for soup in a bread bowl, we had visited on our last time in Iceland and it was high on our list when we returned last month. This restaurant only sells soup in a bread bowl and drinks- you can choose between a meat or vegetarian option and wow does it fill you up. I have to admit I was defeated before I could even eat half of the bread bowl.

Again Instagram was behind us trying to find and devour these yummy little doughnuts which were picked up from a local bakery in the city. Both delicious and pretty to look at!

Finally this one took a bit of searching the streets of Reykjavik to find but was 100% worth it. This hot dog stand always has a long queue with people from all over the world waiting to taste the crispy onions and ketchup/mustard mix. It's also well known for hosting Bill Clinton many years ago. On the day we had the hot dog's it was super windy and snowy so was a perfect way to warm us up as we explored.

And finally something I didn't fancy eating...dried fish!!!

Have you been to Iceland? What did you love to eat?! Let me know in the comments or tweet me @steaders83

Till next time,

                 Tori.

                     X

New In: Orly Breathable Treatment and Colour Nail Polish

Hello My Lovelies

I'm a massive fan of Orly nail polish- my fascination with the brand started when I visited America at uni and picked up a couple- since then when I've seen them in the U.K I've always picked some up. So when I was sent these beautiful Spring/Summer colours in the new breathable treatment I couldn't wait to try them out.

Firstly let me tell you all about the amazing new technology from Orly which allows oxygen to pass through the colour and penetrate the nail. This means that nails don't need to be colour free and having a 'rest' as you would with most other polishes. Through the blend of argan oil, Pr0-Vitamin B5 and Vitamin C it can actually help to promote hydration and heal damaged nails along with stimulating nail growth-something we can all get on board with!

The polish was easy to apply with a large brush (be careful it does drip) though this might not be great for those with small nails as I had issues trying to paint my little nail and got in a bit of a mess. The best part for me is the no need for a base or top coat and with two quick coats of colour and you're done (which cuts time in half!)

In my extensive collection of polishes I also found that this new range from Orly is the quickest drying paint I own and by far the shiniest paint. Lasting time was about five days which is pretty good.

Available in 18 shades, I own Nail Supafood (the vibrant coral) and Fresh Start (the mint) available this month at £12 each.

Have you tried any polishes from Orly? Let me know in the comments!

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       X

*PR Samples

B. Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing Wipes Review!

Hello My Lovelies

It's been a while since I lasted posted and blog posts have been a bit thin on the ground recently, apologies but I've had a bit of writers block which I've encountered before but not to this extreme. I don't think I'm out of the woods yet but I do have a couple of products that I wanted to share with you. If you can just bare with me a little bit longer I promise I'll be back in full force soon!
Recently I can't get enough of the B.Pure Sensitive Micellar Cleansing Wipes found at Superdrug.

I was kindly given some a couple of months ago for being a Superdrug reward card holder- everybody loves a freebie and I have an obsession for trying out face wipes that I couldn't resist taking them up on their offer. I'm so glad that I popped in and grabbed some because since that first packet they've fast become my favourite face wipes. Why you may ask? Well here's why....

• They are perfect for my sensitive skin-I've tried some in the past that burn my skin these are soft, fragrance free and Dermatologically approved Hypoallergenic.

• They aren't dry sheets of material- these wipes are lovely and damp and feel great against my skin. I'm not trying to drag makeup off of my face, its easy and smooth and even gets rid of waterproof makeup!

•  Whilst I wouldn't recommend solely using face wipes as a daily skincare routine these wipes are perfect for a pre cleanse and would be great to throw in your bag during the summer to keep you cool or if you're a gym goer.

• Whilst the packaging might be white so makeup stains will end up on it the lid is brilliant- no plastic seal but an actual lid that you close after use!

• Priced at £2.99 or if you're lucky and they're on offer like they are now then they are a bargain at £1.45.

Have you tried these wipes? What are your favourite face wipes, make sure you share them with me in the comments!


Till next time,
                  Tori.
                       X

Returning to Iceland!

Hello My Lovelies

Just over two years ago I was super lucky to visit Reykjavik in Iceland and which I blogged about back then. We went for a couple of days just before Christmas and fell in love with everything that the Country had to offer. We enjoyed our trip so much we decided to take another one for longer this time so that we could visit more places. In this post I wanted to let you know what we saw on this visit and my plans to return again!

After arriving in Reykjavik 24 hours late due to weather we headed straight for the secret lagoon for some relaxation which was an interesting experience (basically not good as the Blue Lagoon) and then it was on to our apartment to settle in before our trip to the south of Iceland the next day.   

The trip to the south was a very long one-it took us over 14 hours on a round trip stopping along the way to see the incredible waterfalls of kógafoss and Seljalandsfoss and to check out the black sand beach and basalt cliffs at Reynisfjara where we got snowed on!

We were also lucky enough on this trip to explore the 700-year-old Sólheimajökull glacier and its epic rock formations. On the way back to Reykjavik we drove through some really crazy snow storms, to the point that they were about to close the roads they were that hazardous-it was the best adventure though and one you shouldn't miss if you ever visit. 

The following day we spent our time walking around Reykjavik-having already visited it was so much fun to explore all of my favourite places and also to find some other places that I hadn't seen before including the concert hall 'Harpa' with fabulous views of the sea, mountains and snow. This time we also found the famous hot dog stand (famous because Bill Clinton visited) and apparently the tastiest hot dog's ever. I can confirm that they were delicious and really reasonably priced for Iceland!

Also in Reykjavik is the Hallgrímskirkja church which was designed to resemble the basalt lava flows of Iceland's landscape. It took 41 years to build ending in 1986- the views from the top are always breath taking as you get a great outlook over the whole of Reykjavik.

On our final day in Iceland we decided to visit the Blue Lagoon again as it was pretty fab the first time we visited. We planned our visit like we did on the previous occasion and as the sun was coming up-the water is so warm you never want to get out to feel the cold air against your skin.

The highlight of the whole trip has to be the opportunity to see the Northern Lights in their full glory. The lights were green and white and danced across the night sky. It was by far one of the best experiences of my life- It's never a guarantee that you'll see them, when I visited a couple of winters ago we didn't see them so to see them this time was just magical! I would now love to go back to back to Iceland during the summer months to experience the sun never fully setting.

It was then time to start our journey home that also ended up with our flight being cancelled and with us having to spend an extra 36 hours hanging around (but that's another story!)

TIP: If you're planning a trip to Iceland make sure that you keep in mind that it's relatively cheap to get there but very expensive to buy food/drinks etc!

Have you visited Iceland, what places did you visit? Do you have plans to visit? Let me know in the comments!

Till next time,

                  Tori.

                       X