Lanzarote Photo Diary | July 2017

Hey Guys!

I've been away in Lanzarote for two weeks so now that I'm back I wanted to share with you what we got up to while we were there and some photos from the trip. When we first got to our accommodation we found out that the booking system had mixed up our reservation so they didn't have an apartment ready for us until Monday, so instead they booked us into another accommodation complex down the road for the Saturday and Sunday until we could go back to our original accommodation choice. So for both Saturday and Sunday we ended up at Palmeras Garden. It was a great place and their apartments were lovely! The only problem we had was it was a bit far out from all the restaurants and shops, but thankfully we had a car. If we hadn't we would have really struggled!

But that little hiccup didn't ruin our holiday and we still made the most of it, no point worrying about it when we could still have fun as a family and enjoy our vacation ♡ 

Apartment #1

The views in the morning were beautiful! ❤ 

We really enjoyed staying at this apartment complex and the pool was so quiet and peaceful but by the Monday we had to pack up our things and move on to the accommodation we were suppose to be staying at originally.

Apartment #2

Our second apartment at Playa Limones was lovely and I loved our patio as we were able to sunbathe with our own sunbeds and had a nice patio set to eat at! The only problem we suffered with our apartment was that our neighbours were very noisy and not very respectful to the people around them. But other than that it was great! We did experience some noise from the hotel resort behind with their Karaoke night haha! But it was all fun :) 

While we were on holiday we saw so many cats around the apartments but there were two specific cats who liked us and came to visit or followed us back, so we named them Hudson (cat with the brown coat) and Alfred (black and white cat). We weren't suppose to feed them as the staff at the complex already fed them in the reception but we did anyway as we had some left over tuna to share ❤ 

We ate out quite a bit while on holiday and my favourite was the tapas we tried! We ordered canarian potatoes with mojo sauce, meatballs in sauce, chicken croquettes, fried baby squid and bread :) My favourite was the fried baby squid and chicken croquettes as I love seafood and chicken! The tapas was quite expensive considering how much we ordered but I guess it was more for the service as it was very fancy and out there ahah! 

Some of the views of Playa Blanca were incredible! There are obviously a lot of beaches but the mountains were amazing ❤ There were loads of lockets everywhere, like they have done in Paris where you get a locket and write you and your significant others initials and attach it to the chains around the island. 

There was also some great scenery and gardens. This garden was the prettiest I have seen - it looked so colourful and bright :) And only feet away from the harbour and boats. They could legit walk out straight on to a boat! 

In our first week we visited Timanfaya where all the camel rides start, they then tour the volcanoes and show tourists all the scenery and history of the volcanoes. We got to visit the museum that explains all about the use of the volcanic soil in Lanzarote's agriculture industry, it wasn't my cup of tea but I'm glad it was there so that they can share their history with tourists. Seeing the camels was the best bit! There was so many of them and it is clearly very popular! But I don't think going up the volcano on a very windy day was for me haha :)

We had such a great time on holiday and got to try so many different seafood dishes, which is my favourite! And the weather was incredible, I was sad to come back to England where it rains 24/7 haha! But its home ♡ 

Where are you visiting this summer? Let me know in the comments below!

See you on Sunday my lovelies!♡ 

Amy xx 

Hair Issues and Solutions | Lanzarote 2017

Hey Guys!

While I was on holiday I thought my hair would be fine with just shampoo and the normal hair products I use on a day to day basis but the heat, sun exposure and constant contact with water caused my hair to become very brittle and dry on the ends. My hair in general was not in the best condition, so I thought I'd look for something that would help bring the moisture back to my hair and help protect it from the amount of sun exposure it was dealing with everyday. So, we went and browsed through all the hair products in all the supermarkets, which was quite difficult because it was all in Spanish, therefore I had no idea which product did what! Eventually, we found a hair product that made sense in English/Spanish that we hoped would help return my hair back to its best. So for €4.10 we bought a hair mask that would repair the ends, hydrate and return some of the lost vitamins to my roots  💕 

It was frustrating having such dry hair and with it looking so lifeless and limp, so finding an easy solution was reassuring! I've never used a hair mask before because I just tend to stick to shampoo, conditioner, heat protect spray and oils so I was pretty excited to try something new! 😊 I always get this thrill when it comes to experimenting with new products! I used the hair mask the following night before going out for evening drinks and it worked a dream! I washed my hair as usual - shampooo etc., then added the hair mask to my hair, from roots to ends and leaving it for 5 minutes while it worked its magic. I dried the ends slightly with my towel and then let it dry naturally instead of applying any heat and making it worse! Obviously I couldn't tell if it had worked straight away but later on both myself and my mum had noticed how my hair was feeling softer and much healthier ❣️

The consistency was very thick and was similar to a jelly based product so I didn't have to use much to coat my hair thankfully! By the tub is quite large and contains 400ml of product, so I have no doubt it will last me a while! After using that several times while on holiday my hair was restored to its former health! If you are struggling with some hair issues while on holiday like I did I highly recommend a hair mask that hydrates and protects from sun exposure! It works wonders and its affordable and easy to find in any supermarket! 

What is your favourite brand for hair masks? 

See you on Wednesday my lovelies! ❤️ 

Amy xx 

Summer Reading List | 2017

Hey Guys!

As I'm currently on holiday in Lanzarote I brought a couple of books with me to read by the pool or while I'm relaxing. I've got back into reading a lot recently now that I've got a lot of spare time, so I thought I'd share with you guys a few of my summer reads. I'll be sharing the few books I've brought with me on holiday and the books I want to have read by the end of summer. Let's Go ♡ 

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

When I went away with my parents to Cornwall back in Easter we went to a museum and pub called the Jamaica Inn and its about Daphne du Maurier's work and all the publications she has released, particularly the novel 'Jamaica Inn'. While we were in the gift shop I was looking at all the novels she had published and my mum recommended reading Rebecca and Jamaica Inn, so we purchased both of them and out of the two I'm really interested in the story-line for Rebecca so its the one I plan on reading here on my holiday in Lanzarote! I've finished Henry VIII's Wives so I'm moving onto this book next! 

Assassins Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden

I recently watched the new Assassins Creed movie and my dad has always recommended reading the book as well as he loved the book and story-line, so finally I'm going to get round to actually reading it. I have watched my cousins play the game versions of Assassins Creed and now that I've seen the movie I have some idea to what the background story is, the general gist of the book and I think I'll enjoy the read! Anything with a lot of action and suspense I love, like Girl on the Train! So, I'm hopeful that it will have enough action in it comparing it to the game and movie haha :) 

Harry Potter: The Goblet of Fire by J.K Rowling

I've already read the first three in the past year, therefore I thought I might as well continue making my way through the books, as I'm determined to finish all of them. Book four is obviously much bigger than the first three so this time it will take me a lot longer as I am quite a slow reader but I'll get through it. What I love is that I've already seen all the films (I'm obsessed with the films) so its great reading the story through the book and getting a different medium to imagine the story ♡ I have a wild imagination so these books are my favourite as they are so innovative and original that nobody will ever be able to beat them!

Inferno by Dan Brown

I love the movie Inferno starring Tom Hanks and all Dan Brown's films have always been great, so I've decided to read the books as well! I've seen The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons and now Inferno, so you could say I'm a fan and considering I love the movies I thought why not start reading the books :) I bought the book for my dad a few years ago and he hasn't touched it yet as he has been reading other genres, so I'm going to take it for now and sink into the world of Dan Brown and if I enjoy this read I'll move onto his two most famous books The Da Vinci Code and Angels & Demons! I'm not planning on reading them in order though haha :p

I won't be able to read them all while here in Lanzarote but I have the rest of summer, hence I have plenty of time! What books are you reading at the moment?

See you on Sunday my lovelies! ♡ 

Amy xx

Simple Kind To Skin: Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser | First Impression

Hey Guys!

In a previous post I spoke about a recent Boots haul and how I was planning on doing a few first impression posts to see if any of the products I bought were as good as I would hope, so here we are!

 Recently I've been watching a lot of YouTube videos where Simple have been discussing their products and how they #makeup4makeup, so after not using any Simple skin care for a while I thought it was about time I tried them out again and see if my skin has changed. Around four years ago I was using their sensitive skin moisturiser when I had an allergic reaction on my cheek and neck, so since then I was really put off and any Simple product I refused to buy but I'm willing to give them a go again! And it was on offer in Boots, so I can't complain! ❣ 

I've never used a foaming cleanser before as I've always stuck to both face scrubs and face gels from Nivea or Garnier, so I got a bit excited when it came to washing my face. I love face washes that have a pump as its just much cleaner and easier to dispense and the product doesn't get all around the cap :) So I undertook my usual night time cleansing routine and then it came to using my new face cleanser. 

The first thing I noticed was the pump lets out a lot of product. On the bottle it said to use two pumps each time, but when I did exactly that a lot was dispensed and a bit too much for me. I only need a small amount to cleanse my face as I've already removed all my make up with wipes and micellar water. Therefore, I don't think next time I'l need to use two pumps worth, I think even half a pump would be enough, so least now I know to be a little less generous and be stricter on the amount I use. 

I really liked how the product lathered up in my hands before applying to my face, some products I've used in the past like the Nivea Gel Face Wash doesn't lather up that great so most of the product just slips off your hand, but this was great! No product went to waste ❣ 

It doesn't have a strong fragrance and it seemed unscented to me, which is good for a sensitive skin care range as I know a large quantity of scented skin care products react with the skin. It appears to be a very gentle face cleanser and isn't harsh on the sensitive areas of my face neither drying out my nose or forehead. 

My skin felt very smooth afterwards and appeared to be thoroughly cleansed! It wasn't a very stubborn product to wash off either. I know some face scrubs can be really hard to wash off which leads to the skin getting very aggravated but  because this is a foam cleansing face wash it comes off so easily and doesn't take much effort :) 

After completing my night time cleansing routine I went to sleep and the next day my skin looked a lot brighter which hopefully was due to this new face wash! 

Overall, I'm impressed with how well a foaming cleanser works better than a gel type face wash :) I'm glad I picked this up instead of the usual face cleansers I buy! Simple have won me back :)

 What is your favourite face cleanser? ❣ 

See you on Wednesday my lovelies!

Amy xx

Netflix Watch List | July 2017

Hey Guys!

There are so many great series on Netflix, and there are a few I've been desperate to watch, so while I've got spare time over the summer I want to finally get round to watching all these popular shows everyone is talking about :) Lets Go! 

Orange is the New Black

My best friend Sam has been trying to get me to watch Orange is the New Black for so long and has always raved about how great the story-line is, so I'm determined to finally binge watch all the seasons and see what the fuss is about! I know what the basic plot line is and what happens in some of the episodes so I'm intrigued to find out more! 

Peaky Blinders 

I've watched a couple of episodes here and there when its been on the TV and enjoyed them, hence I thought that it was about time I sat down and watched them properly, so that I could get a better idea  of what the series is about and not get confused when something really dramatic like a stand off occurs! I'm really into dramatic and action filled shows like these so if there are any other ones similar let me know in the comments below ♡ 

Shadow Hunters

I loved watching the City of Bones movie starring Lily Collins and have always wanted to read the books, so now that there is a series on Netflix I want to see how good it is. Two of my flat mates have raved about how good the series is compared to the film and that the series is closer to the books than it is the movie so I hope it will live up to my expectations :) 

The Tudors

After reading 'Henry VIII's Wives' I've got really into shows and movies based around the Tudor and Elizabethan era, so I want to start watching The Tudors after both my flat mate and mum recommended it. I know there are quite a few seasons to catch up on but I'm really into historical themed dramas so it shouldn't take me long to finish it haha! 

Pretty Little Liars

The amount I read and see on Twitter and Facebook about Pretty Little Liars I should know the story-line by now but thankfully I stayed away from some of the spoilers! This show seems to have been around forever but I've never thought to start watching it until recently :) After seeing so many different trailers and tweets I thought it was about time I started to watch season 1 and see what the hype is about. One of my friends said that she is addicted to the show and is always talking about how it was getting so dramatic and me being a drama lover it sounds right for me haha!

Reign

I started watching it a while back but I was so busy at the time that I couldn't continue watching it and now I'm really behind and have forgot completely what happened in the few episodes that I watched! But I want to get back into it as there are four seasons to catch up on now haha! Like I've said previously I love historical themed dramas and I know that Reign is all about the drama so I'm looking forward to it ♡ 

Poldark

When Poldark came out on the BBC I wasn't really bothered to be honest and I didn't see the big appeal to the show but now that I've actually been to the location of filming and read a little bit more into the history and origin of the show I'm quite interested! So hopefully I won't be disappointed. Aidan Turner is some eye candy as well ❣ 

Medici: Masters of Florence

I've never heard of this show before and nobody has ever mentioned or recommended it so when it popped up as a suggestion on Netflix I was intrigued. Seeing that the main protagonist is played by the same actor who was in Game of Thrones I wanted to see if this show is any good compared to other series based in the same time period. I didn't even bother continue reading into the series and just added it to the watch list. We will have to see if its any good :p

Frontier

Like Medici: Masters of Florence I hadn't heard anything of Frontier before until it came up as a suggestion on Netflix and from reading a little bit of the blurb I thought the action and historical theme is something I would enjoy, so its on the watch list! 

The Last Kingdom

If you are a fan of The Vikings from the History channel you might be interested in this too! He was from a Saxon family, the Vikings killed his father and raised him as their own and it sounded very compelling when I read some of the blurb! I loved the Viking series (even though I haven't finished it yet) and considering this is about the same period of history I think I'll enjoy it too :)

Hopefully I'll be able to watch them all before the second year uni work drowns me and I'll have no time for Netflix or a social life haha! :)

Let me know if there are any other shows your guys recommend! 

See you on Sunday my lovelies! ♡ 

Amy xx

Boots Beauty and Vitamin Haul

Hey Guys!

On Sunday I went to Boots to replace some products that were now empty but I brought more than I should have haha! I only went for foundation and a new face wash but I came out with some vitamins and micellar water as well ♡ There were some great deals in Boots, so if your wanting to save some money there are some offers worth going in for! 

Simple Kind To Skin: Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser

I haven't used any Simple products for ages as I had a weird allergic reaction to their sensitive moisturiser, hence I was put off and moved on to Nivea and Garnier, but after a few years and a great deal in Boots I thought it was time to try their products out again. So I picked up their foaming cleanser to try something new :) Most face wash products I use are a gel type consistency or scrub so I look forward to trying it ♡ 

Multivitamins With Iron

This was an unplanned purchase but I'm glad I was able to find the right type of vitamins after thinking about it for a while. Me and my mum have been discussing different types of multivitamins to take as I'm determined to become healthier and taking some supplements will help support my diet and help with my iron, B12 and Vitamin C intake :) So after looking at the various amounts of different supplements and combinations I was able to find one that will hopefully work for me :)

Garnier Skin Active: Micellar Cleansing Water 

I've used Garnier's Micellar Water for so long and have always had great results with my skin, so when it was on offer for £1 in Boots it was a must buy! I love their Micellar Water as its the best I've tried for removing both my base and eye make up ♡ and it doesn't leave a greasy or sticky feeling afterwards! For £1 who is gonna say no haha :p

Bourjois Paris: Healthy Mix Anti- Fatigue Foundation

I've used a few of Bourjois foundations and have loved all of them! The Anti-Fatigue formula I haven't tried before, so when I couldn't find the one I've been using the past year I thought I'd give this one a go :) I look forward to trying it as I've never been disappointed with any Bourjois's foundations! One thing I love about their formula is that they have great coverage and it lasts for so long ♡ 

I might do a few first impression posts for you guys in the next coming weeks! So look out for them :)

See you on Wednesday my lovelies! ♡ 

Amy xx