4 fun ways for you to take care of your appearance

People are taking more and more time to look after their appearance. If you like to do the same, it doesn’t mean that you are superficial. Instead, it shows that you value yourself enough to take pride in the way that you look. However, paying attention to your appearance can become rather stressful. It can take a lot out of you to constantly keep up to date with the latest trends and must haves. That is why it is so important for you to find the fun in looking good. Don’t view it as a chore, view it as an opportunity to enjoy yourself and get creative. Below are four fun ways for you to take care of your appearance.

Image Credit - Mandalay Bay

Go on a shopping trip with your friends

Why not consider booking a trip away for you and your closest friends? You could all go on a mammoth shopping spree. You might find that shopping with other people encourages you to try on styles that you wouldn’t usually go for. If you usually visit the shops with a list and a specific set of requirements, why not live a little? Don’t look for anything in particular. Instead just go with your gut. Obviously this isn’t a financially viable option all year round, so why not set aside one weekend each year to have a little splurge?

Have a makeup party

If you just love the creative potential of makeup, you should try arranging a makeup party. Make sure that plenty of people are invited, so that you can pick up as many tips and tricks as possible. Makeup brands such as Avon have employees that will bring along products for you to try. However, if you want to take control, why not source your own makeup and run the party independently? If you take this route, you can also include lots of ideas about how to take care of your skin before and after putting on your makeup, such as using organic rosehip oil.

Enjoy your exercise

For some people, the words “enjoy” and “exercise” should never be placed in the same sentence. However, there are plenty of ways to make keeping fit something that you actually look forward to. For instance, how about taking on the Bingo Wings Challenge, from Gala Bingo, that allows you to make a game out of exercising. This is a fantastic way to make sure that you don’t lose interest. Instead, you’ll get a thrill out of finding out which challenge you have to complete each day – and there are even demonstrations by Sherrie Hewson available online! 

Make your own jewellery

Making your own jewellery is a fun, and cost effective, way to invest in your appearance. You’ll be able to create designs that no one else will own. It may take you a little while to get into it, but once you’ve mastered the basics, there will be no stopping you. You can also turn jewellery making into a social activity by inviting round your friends or encouraging your family to get involved. This is a fantastic way to ensure that you can always find the perfect accessory for any outfit. Whatever style, shape, colour, or size, you are looking for, making your own jewellery will solve any problem.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Spending the day at Liverpool ONE #AtLiverpoolOne

Living in London ive got some of the worlds best shops on my doorstep but that doesn't mean I don't want to go elsewhere to see what the UK has to offer. Liverpool ONE is one of Europe’s leading retail and leisure destinations and it can be found right in the centre of Liverpool. It has over 170 shops but sometimes there is more to a place than shops. Liverpool One Restaurants has everything from casual to fine dining and with it comes food from right across the globe including American, Brazilian, Caribbean, French, Italian, Japanese and Thai to name just a few of those options.

Whether you’d prefer to walk, drive, take public transport or if you’re travelling via coach Liverpool One meets the needs of everyone and as it is split across six districts - Hanover Lane, Peter Street, The Tereace, Paradise Street, Chavasse Par and South John Street. Each district has something different to offer, for example Hanover Street has some of the City's most sought after bars and restaurants, if you have children then Chavasse Park is somewhere you should be looking at with activities such as Nature Trails and the chance to learn all about the wildlife and the flora and fauna.

Image Credit - ModusPublicity

If you want to shop until you drop then South John Street Liverpool to find all your favourite high street stores in one place with stores such as Zara, Office, Victoria’s Secret, AllSaints, Skechers, Hollister, The Body Shop, Boux Avenue, GAP, Charlotte Tilbury, Victoria Secrets, John Lewis and Debenhams. If by this point your feet are still not aching, then you can head over to Peter's Lane for some further retail therapy with stores such as Hugo Boss, Hobbs, Ted Baker, Reiss, Tessuti, Radley, Karen Millen, Flannels. The White Company, Valentino,Vivienne Westwood and Dolce & Gabbana. If you still have some energy left then the UK’s only Beauty Bazaar, Harvey Nichols which is described as being 'a one-stop destination and must visit for all things beauty' which features exclusive brands such as Tom Ford, Nails INC, Nars, Mac, Estee Lauder and so much more.

So with everything you need all in one place, Liverpool One is quite the destination for families, beauty lovers, shopaholics and the foodies!

*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Do you 'Catalogue'?

Online credit catalogues allow you to spread cost of goods on either a weekly or monthly basis. Each month, you receive a “statement of account” from the catalogue company which includes all of your expenditure and information about your monthly repayment and credit limit.

If you manage these monthly repayments in time, your credit limit may be increased; hence allowing you to increase your expenditure. By paying back what you owe on time then you're credit score is likely to increase!

In this article, we shall exclusively look at the two of the best online credit catalogues in terms of their credit options and product range. One of the first things to note is that both of these stores provide an almost-instant online decision as to whether you've been approved for a credit account.

Source: bigislandcolor.com

Argos:

As many of you will already know, Argos have a huge range of products to choose from, making them an ideal place to shop for anything you need. With the Argos Card, you can purchase now and pay later over a 6-12 month period dependent upon the price of the product.

It’s simple! You only need to choose the products that you want or like at the checkout. Select the “Buy Now Pay Later” option and fill in your details.

If successful, you will receive an Argos Card in the post in a few days, however, you don't have to wait until it arrives to start buying on credit.

The application process is quite straightforward, and the most interesting thing is that it can be approved online, and your items delivered right to your doorstep! You can use it in-store or online. 

Littlewoods:

The Littlewoods catalogue has a broad range of seasonal fashion, from popular and respected brands such as Adidas, Converse, Firetrap, Nike, Henley’s, Everlast Voi jeans and many more.

It also includes a significant choice of home essentials including gadgets, home appliances and furniture.

Just like Argos, Littlewoods is one of a large selection of catalogues in the UK that offer credit however, they offer interest free credit periods and respectable interest rates making them the starting point for buying on finance.

It is worth pointing out here that both of these retailers do have strict credit checks so those with no credit history may find themselves getting refused. In this case, there are other credit catalogues you can choose from that are more lenient. Creditcatalogues.org.uk provide a comprehensive list of the top UK catalogues. Remember though, before you apply for a credit account, double check the terms and conditions to ensure you fully understand how much interest you might have to pay.

**SP

 

Shopping my Haul...

I have just taken part in a beauty blogger swap and all of the details will appear in a new post in due course.  

One of the best things about taking part in the swap is shopping for bits and pieces that your swappee will hopefully really like.  When I went to buy the bits for my box there was quite a lot of bargains to be had I found and well erm yes I did do a little bit of a mini haul and this is what I bought.

You might have guessed by now that I am a bit if a lip balm addict and can never have too many of them.  So when I saw this eos lip balm on offer in a 99p store for you guessed it 99p there was no way I was going to leave it behind and as I am yet to try these out for myself, I am looking forward to opening it.  

I also picked up this Papaya Gold Paw Paw Balm in Boots which was on offer and I got with a voucher I had lurking in my purse (winning) so instead of being £5.99 I got it for just £1.99. Described as Being a Moisturising Balm enriched with Bio Active Manuka Honey 20+, is a topical balm that soothes, relieves and moisturises dry, sensitive, chaffed and irritated skin and dry chapped lips. Can be used by people who are prone to eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis. Also suitable for children.

Also in the 99p I came across this Ohyo collapsable water bottle which I have reviewed before on this blog HERE and they are just so handy to have in your handbag, especially if like me you drink a lot of water but don't want to have to keep big bottles in your bag.

The next item I managed to get my hands on was this W7 In The Buff palette which has made its way into many blog posts that I have read and in the local shopping centre that I went too there is a W7 stall and they had a sale on, this palette cost me just £2.99 when it usually retails for around £6, so I think I have got myself a bit of a bargain here.

 Next on my list was this set of four reed diffusers from Marks and Spencer and again I had a voucher that needed to be used up, so I ordered them online and went to collect in store, they retail for £25 and cost me nothing essentially.  I love have reed diffusers around the house and these scents appealed to me more than anything else and I can't wait to open them and give them a try.

The final item from my haul comes from TK Maxx, it is always dangerous going in there because I never seem to leave empty handed, admittedly I did not go in there for the item below which is a hard case keyboard for my iPad, but when I saw it had been reduced from £79.99 to just £9.99 I was not going to leave it behind and having opened it and used it already, I am not quite sure how I have managed without it before now.

So there you have my little mini haul which cost all of £17 instead of £126.96 and therefore I think I have got myself quite a few bargains!  What do you think?

Have you shared a haul recently? Link me below in a comment so I can come along and read.

London in Winter

Living in London can be lots of fun.  There is always something to do, something to see, places to go and things to do, particularly in winter when the city transforms itself from being hot, muggy and smog ridden, to a much more relaxed, serene and beautiful place to be. Links of London asked some bloggers to write about their favourite things to do here in London and these are my thoughts.

As soon as winter arrives and Christmas is on the horizon, everywhere you look, there are bright twinkling lights, Christmas displays in shops and in streets and lots of shopping to be done amongst the hustle and bustle of tourists who are all hunting for that final bargain for the big day.

Some of the things I love to do during this time is to meet with friends and go ice-skating, this can be at Somerset House where the ice-rink is open from November to the end of January with the grand courtyard is transformed into a beautiful ice-rink and you find yourself surrounded by lots of squeals and laughter as being skate around merrily chatting away.

Source

Then from Ice-skating a trip to Hyde Park to Winter Wonderland is a definite must.  It starts towards the end of November and it has something for all the family.  Whether you like to sample the delights of German Bratwurst Hotdogs, Donuts, Belgian Fries with Mayonnaise or simply enjoy a few drinks whilst sampling beers and mulled wines from around the world, you will find something you enjoy.  I have been going to Winter Wonderland for the last few years and always have lots of fun, there is the funfair element of trying to win teddies and bits of tat from stalls such as the rifle range or hook a duck, there are fairground rides for all the family from the big wheel, teacups and saucers to the rides for the more adventurous that chuck you around in the air and spin you upside down.  If that isn’t enough there are hundreds of stalls which sell all kinds of things from world cheeses, Zebra burgers, candles and beautiful lanterns and lights.

If you want something less busy but as equally beautiful, some of the more famous streets of London, such as Carnaby Street have beautiful Christmas displays which make wonderful photos and as well known as they are, I have never found them to be overcrowded, but naturally if the crowds don’t bother you too much, then Oxford Street and Regent Street is the place to be.

Covent Garden is also a great destination for a bit of shopping, followed by lunch and maybe a bit more shopping and it is here you will also find some of the big named store such as Links of London, MAC and Apple to name just a few.  What's more, if you are in need of a bit of entertainment, there is always one of the street entertainers on hand to put on a show and grab your attention for a few minutes.

What is your favourite thing to do in London?