January 2014 | Playlist

Playlist:

1. Ben Howard - Depth Over Distance
2. Tired Pony - Your Way Is The Way Home
3. One Republic - Something I Need
4. The 1975 - Fallingforyou
5. Mat Kearney - On & On
6. The Gatsbiers - Young And Beautiful (A Tribute to Lana Del Rey)
7. The Weeknd - Devil May Cry (The Hunger Games Soundtrack)
8. The Killers - Be Still
9. Katy Perry - By The Grace Of God
10. Kodaline - All Comes Down

I decided to put together a playlist of songs i've been enjoying over the past few weeks. My music taste is quite diverse but I definitely prefer listening to slower songs over loud, i'm sure you'll be able to tell that when you listen to these songs.

Enjoy!

Love Me Beauty Box: January 2014 (REVIEW)

I'd been toying around the with the idea of subscribing to a beauty box for some time. There are a whole host of beauty boxes out there like the Glossybox or the Birchbox for example, but it wasn't until I came across the Love Me Beauty Box that I decided "Yes i'm going to give it ago!" 

What really intrigued me about this beauty box was that you are given the choice of it's contents. Each month you are given three different menus to pick from. Whilst this does take out the whole surprise element to beauty boxes, it suited me much more as I was able to pick the box I think I'd get the most use out of.

NYX Single Eyeshadow - Cherry

(RRP £5)

I've heard good things about the NYX brand but had never used any of their products before. I normally only wear beige, brown and gold coloured eyeshadows, so I was a bit skeptical when I received this. However this is a beautiful cherry red colour and although I won't be using this all over my eyelid anytime soon, I think it would be perfect to blend into other eyeshadows. 

Cosmetics A La Carte Divine Lash Mascara - Black

(RRP £23) 

This has to be my favourite product out of the whole box. Being a bit of a mascara junkie, I was eager to try this one out and I'm happy to say i'm impressed! The thin wand creates great length and separation between lashes, and also leaves you clump free. Not to mention the mascara comes in a lovely sleek shiny silver tube, so tops marks for packaging! 

Lord & Berry Pailettes Eye Pencil - Sparkle Black

(RRP £8.95)

Again another brand i've heard talked about heaps before, but never have I got round to purchasing anything from them before. I've never owned a sparkly eyeliner either, so I was quite excited to try this one out. I tried the eyeliner on my waterline and was impressed with it's pigmentation, the sparkle in the product is just the right amount too. I'm definitely looking forward to using this to experiment on different areas of my eyes. 

Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Oil (Sample Size)

(RRP Full Size: £15.95) 

I'm not a huge fan of body oils, I much prefer using body butters after my bath or shower. However, I think this product may have changed my mind! The oil has a beautiful fresh orange scent to it that stays on your skin for a long time after use. It leaves your skin not only smelling delicious but feeling and looking it too! This is definitely a product i'm considering purchasing once i've used up the sample.

Pureology Colour Stylist Silk Bodifier

(RRP £15)

I used two pumps of this mouse on damp clean hair, just before blow drying. The first thing I noticed was that it hadn't left my hands feeling horrible and sticky, which you can sometimes get using mousses. The next thing I noticed was the smell, it's almost cinnamon smelling - maybe that's just me, but it lingered in my hair for a long time after use, and yes I may have been sniffing my hair every now and again.. i'm not crazy I swear, it just smelt really good! I used this on my naturally straight/wavy hair and it left it looking nice and shiny, so i'm looking forward to how it compares when I curl my hair.

Overall i'm really impressed with the box and it's value for money and would I recommend to anyone thinking about subscribing to a beauty box. I'm already looking forward to what February's box has to offer! You can subscribe to Lovembeauty via their website for just £10 + P&P. 

Are you subscribe to Lovembeauty? Did you enjoy this months box? Or are you signed up to another beauty box?

Hearty Vegetable Soup

There's nothing that quite beats a bowl of homemade vegetable soup in the winter time. Perfect if you're feeling a bit under the weather at the moment or if you just fancy a nice hot bowl to cozy up on the sofa with.

Ingredients:

• Four carrots
• Two potatoes
• One onion
• Two pieces of bacon
• One OXO cube  

You don't have to stick to what I have used. This recipe make around four bowls, so you can definitely use double the amount of ingredients I have selected to create more. Or you could even use totally different types of vegetables. It's up to you!

One you have washed, peeled, cut and chopped (oh and cried a little over the onions!) you're ready to start cooking!  

Add 3 tablespoons of oil into a good sized pan and add some chopped up pieces of bacon. Once the bacon starts to crisp add in the onions and carrots, give them a stir and place a lid on the pan. Leave to cook for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Next stir in the potato pieces and replace the pan lid. Make up 750ml of stock, i've opted for the beef OXO cube, but you can use whichever stock cube you wish. Pour the hot stock over the vegetables and stir in well. Turn the heat down gently and leave the soup to simmer for around 15-20 minutes.

Once the vegetables are tender you can then take the pan off the heat. Scoop the mix into a blender, and blend until the smooth. I tend to do blend about five spoonfuls of the mixture at a time, simply because my blender scares the hell out of me! Once you have blended all of the mixture, season with salt and pepper, grab a bowl and enjoy!