Long Weekend

Muji Ring Holder // L'occitane Neroli Orchidee Perfume // Versace Bright Crystal

Had a bit of a busy weekend, and I liked it haha. On Saturday we went to the town and looked in charity shops, didn't actually get anything from there but some "garment covers" from wilko to put away a couple of coats now that it is finally (kind of) sunny and warm. Then in the afternoon we went to play tennis at a local court, it was very hot and it felt like we weren't there for that long, probably up to an hour - oh and this time my muscles didn't ache for days, which is amazing. 

On Sunday we went to a car boot sale, I did see a couple of cute things but didn't get anything as I need time to think about whether I really want something or not, and by the time I make up my mind it is always too late. Then in the evening we had a barbecue at home with the family, on our new bbq that we assembled ourselves. We had just started cooking the first couple of burgers on it and it started raining, not just raining but pouring actually. By the time it stopped raining we had all finished eating our stove cooked sausages and burgers haha. And somehow the coals were still hot after all that rain. 

On Monday we went to the town again, and the parking was free because it was bank holiday. Didn't look in the charity shops this time but in the other stores in the town. I saw a really cute summery dressing gown in Primark and was looking for a juicer as I want to make my own version of Orangina but couldn't find a juicer that I liked. The only thing I got was a Botanics Hibiscus Toner from Boots. 

And that was it, an action packed 3-day weekend brought to you by spring. I wish every weekend was 3 days long. Did you have a nice bank holiday weekend?

xo

PS. Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win a $45 Zaful gift card. 

Zaful Review + Giveaway!

Hello everyone, today I would like to talk to you about an online shopping destination called Zaful. As I mentioned, they are a website where you can find pretty much everything, from clothes to shoes, jewellery to handbags, print bikinis and even beauty items, all for a really affordable price, plus they have free delivery on orders over $30 which is very convenient.

I first found out about Zaful when they contacted me about 6 months ago to do a collaboration with them, where they would send me some products so I could try them out and then write about them on my blog. (You can find more about the products I've received here.)

When I visited the website I noticed that the menu is divided in categories, such as dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes and accessories, as well as a New category right in front of all the others, which is quite helpful if you want to know what new trendy items have landed on the Zaful website and are available to purchase. Speaking of trendy, don't forget to check out the high waist bikinis at Zaful. 

My favourite section would have to be the Bags, as they have so many to choose from and in a great variety of styles, perfect to fit any mood and occasion you can think of. Some sections, like the jewellery one, have so many items (over 1000) which can be a bit overwhelming but if you select a sub-category it makes it easier for you to find what you are looking for. 

Recently they started a section called Z-Me, which is a community where the members can share their pictures wearing Zaful and it's a great way to find inspiration to create new looks and outfits. (There is actually a giveaway going on in the Z-Me section at Zaful, which you can enter here.) 

        

On to the giveaway!

I've teamed up with Zaful to give you the chance to win $45 worth of Zaful goodies of your choice!

To be elegible to win you must:

- Follow me @msvanille and Zaful on instagram. 

- Like the giveaway picture on my Instagram. 

- Comment on the giveaway picture with your favourite thing about summer and tag 3 friends. 

Terms and conditions: 

- Open to everyone that follows the requirements above.

- Competition is open worldwide.

- If you are under 16 ask your parents for permission before entering.

- Giveaway starts 28/05/2017 and ends 04/06/2017 at midnight GMT.

- Limited to one entry per person, multiple entries and fake accounts will be disqualified.

- Winner will be selected at random from all the Instagram entries.

- I'll contact the winner by the 6th June 2017 by Instagram private message.

- Winner must reply within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

- The winner must open an account at Zaful.com, fill out their personal information and place an order for up to $45 USD, including delivery (don't worry, you do not have to pay for it) then send me the order number so I can forward it to Zaful and they can ship your prize out to you. 

Disclaimer:

-This Giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administrated by Instagram inc. By entering, entrants are confirming they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram's terms of use. 

- Financial compensation was not received for this post.

- Prize provided by Zaful and can't be exchanged for cash. 

Red Stripes

These Are a Few of My Favourite Tints

Never been a fan of lots of layers of makeup on my face, as I don't like the look nor feel of it. I don't use concealer, liquid foundation and rarely wear lipstick - for me, the least maintenance needed, the better. Which is why I love tinted lip balms and eye creams, just dab a little bit on and you instantly look better but still natural. 

I've been loving the Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose, super moisturising and with a red tint, makes you look made up without trying too hard (or needing to touch up after every drink) and the Botanics Radiant Youth 5 in 1 Amazing Eyes Roll on is also ever so slightly tinted, which won't conceal much but after a couple of minutes from application, darkness under the eyes is visibly reduced - amazing indeed. 

Have you tried any of these products?

xo

Double Denim pt II

New In: April 2017

Just realised I got a lot of skincare last month haha. Can't help it, it's one of my favourite things (along with stationery). 

In Boots they had the buy one get one free offer on Botanics and I wanted to try the Radiant Youth Amazing Eye Roll On, which was £4, and got the Triple Age Renewal Face Oil for free. The Neal's Yard Rose Hand Cream came free with a magazine (got to love those freebies). 

Then I got a few treats for Easter, including the Simple Cleansing Oil and a Calcot Manor Massage Brush for dry body brushing. Found the bareMinerals Hydrating Powder and Retractable Brush in TKMaxx in a set for about £16. 

The Body Shop Ginseng Mask was sent to me to try out, the Nails Inc Polish came free with a magazine, and the Korres Guava Set was only £5 in Tesco. The Burt's Bees Tinted Lip Balm and Lip Shine were just £1 each at Poundland.

Found a set of incense with holder for £1 in a charity shop and the Dove Body Oil for £1 in the clearance section in Boots. 

Did you get anything nice last month?

xo

Rose Print Dresses at Rosegal

Spring is finally here and with it the warmer sunnier days, which definitely suit a cute rose print dress, of which Rosegal have a great range of. Here are a couple of my favourites: 

         

The dress on the left reminds me a lot of Dolce & Gabbana with the white background and big white red roses printed all over the fabric. The sleeveless style is great for the warmer weather and the shape is so elegant, ideal to wear to a summer wedding. 

The dress on the right has a more retro feel with the sweetheart neckline and sash around the waist. I feel like this dress wouldn't look out of place at a tea party, or maybe even a summer picnic. The print is quite similar to the white dress but this one adds a touch of blue for further contrast. 

Which one was your favourite? 

xo

Double Denim

H&M Denim Jacket // Uniqlo Sweatshirt // Topshop Jeans // Adidas Stan Smith

(Similar: Distressed Denim Jacket, Grey Sweatshirt)

Yesterday we went out for dinner as it was my niece's 12th birthday - I met her when she was 5 (!) I had a chicken burger haha and for dessert I had a cookie dough cheesecake with some ice cream but for some reason my dessert was the last one out :( I couldn't finish it anyway because it was too sweet but I liked it, cheesecake and carrot cake are my favourite cakes - must be the cream cheese haha.

xo

Bedside Beauty Essentials 2017

It's been over a year since I wrote my last Bedside Beauty Essentials, so here is an update. The eye cream I'm currently using I keep in my skincare toiletries bag so I don't really have it by my bed anymore. 

Anyway, a lip balm and a hand cream are must haves next to your bed so you can reapply often and before you go to sleep, which will be really good for the skin on your hands and lips. 

For hands I've been using the Origins Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment, which is a very rich hand cream and reminds me a bit of the Neal's Yard ones I've used, although a bit more light in texture. It has a slight citrus scent and it is nourishing and softening, however it can be slightly greasy and takes a few minutes to absorb. However it is a very good option for dry hands that need extra moisture. Make sure you leave it on for a while before you wash your hands to get the most of it.

And for lips I've been using the Malin + Goetz Lip Moisturiser, which came as a sample in a set with 2 other Malin + Goetz products with a magazine some time ago. This lip balm has a thick gel consistency, which reminds me of petroleum jelly, however that is not one of the ingredients in this product. It will help with any dryness on the lips and adds a bit of natural shine without feeling heavy or sticky. It's a really good product to use during the colder months or if you generally suffer from dry lips.

Have you tried any of these products?

xo

Ruffles & Embroidery

Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Cleansing Oil

Only recently I've been getting into oils for everything: moisturising my face, hair, body, nails - you name it - and even though I had heard about cleansing oils I was a bit scared to try one as I have oily skin. But I discovered a Korean youtuber recently that knows a lot about skincare, especially oily and acne prone, and she mentioned that not oils are the same, some are better for dry skin and some are better for (you guessed it) oily skin. 

I received the Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Cleansing Oil as a gift on Easter and I couldn't wait to try it out. It is meant to thoroughly cleanse the skin and leave it super soft, thanks to the use of 100% natural grape seed oil, vitamins A and E. It mentions that it can get rid of even waterproof makeup however I only use it in the mornings so won't be able to comment on that. 

The instructions say use 2 to 3 drops, but I use about 5 or 6 and dot them around my face, then gently massage and I can feel the dry oil and particles coming unstuck from my skin (I know, kind of gross). After that I use the tiniest drop of my current morning cleanser and wash away any residue, if any. 

I've been using it for about a week and my skin definitely feels softer and tighter (which I think is due to the grape seed oil). The only downsides to it is that I've noticed tiny white bumps since I started using it, but they don't last long so I need to figure out why this happens; and the smell is not great as it has no added perfumes to the formula but I don't mind as the scent doesn't linger and you wash it off anyway. 

Find the Simple Kind To Skin Hydrating Cleansing Oil in Boots and Superdrug.

Have you tried this cleansing oil?

xo