Blogmas Day 11 - Making The Effort With Bloggers || Sharing Love, Sunshine and Sparkle!

When I started brainstorming ideas for Blogmas a few weeks ago, I knew that I had my work cut out and if I'm honest I've really had to use some brain power to think of blog ideas that will take me up everyday up until Christmas. However I've always seen myself as a creative person and love thinking outside the box a little. I knew that somewhere along the lines of my Blogmas posts that I wanted to give something back to my blogging community. I thought about doing the cliche giveaway post, but it just didn't sit right me with. Don't get me wrong giveaways are great, but with only one winner I feel that it's a bit unfair, especially with it being the season of good will. So I really had to pick my brain as to what it is I wanted to do.

After thinking for sometime, I thought of something that really excited me and to be honest I can't believe it's taken me this long to think of it as the actual idea is really simple - Always the way isn't it? One of my biggest blogging flaws is that I don't have the time, or make the time to keep up to date with the blogs I love; I also struggle to find the time to look for new blogs to follow. This makes me so sad as I actually love this side of blogging, but with so much going on in my life I've just not made the time or effort. Whilst some of you are on the ball with this (I really commend you) I feel that I'm not alone in saying that I don't make as much effort as I should with other bloggers. You'll be pleased to know though that I've already started to change my ways with this and Blogmas has really helped me in doing so. I plan to make it my mission to spread as much love, sunshine and sparkle as I possibly can. 

To help start me off on my mission I would love for you to leave up to any THREE of your links below, whether that be your blog link, Twitter, Instagram etc you name it. Leave it below in this comments section and I will make it my mission to go and follow you and leave you a lovely Christmas comment. Not only will I do this, but I want to be able to share the love. So next week I shall do another blog post where I'll leave all your links (with clickable links) so others can easily find you and your blog and other social media sites. 

I really want ti give back a little something to everybody and thought this would be the best way to do it. I really want next year to be a great blogging year and really want to get to know more about you, your blogs and make new friends too. So please, please, please leave your links in the comments below!

Lot's of Love

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Blogmas Day 10 - Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base

Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base* £6.00

When it comes to primers I was always a little bit skeptical about them and questioned myself so many times if they were worth the hype or not. I had spent my money on a few cheap ones and to be honest I wasn't convinced as I didn’t see much difference and just thought thats another layer of makeup to slip off my skin at the end of the day. Fast forward a year or so and you’ll find that now I never apply my makeup without using one first. The reason for this is because I came across the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer and was completely blown away by just how good it was and the difference it made. I think Smashbox primers will always be my favourite as I swear by them, but over the last few weeks I’ve been using another primer along with my Smashbox one that I love the results that gives.

Now the first thing you may be thinking is that it is a little extreme to be wearing two primers at once, but hear me out as I promise you it works. A few weeks ago I came across the Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base, which is a primer that comes in spray form that you just spritz all over your face. Whilst this Primer Water can be used on its own, I prefer to use it along side my trusty Smashbox Primer as I find that they both do different things.

The reason why I love the Makeup Revolution Aqua Priming Base so much is that it really adds a touch of radiance to my skin. I have really oily skin, so to combat it I always use a foundation that has a mattifying effect. Whilst this is great as it stops my makeup from falling off mid day, it also means that I can never go for that dewy skin look or use any makeup products that give me one as they just don't work with my skin type. This is where the Water Primer changes things as I find once I’ve applied my foundation over the top of this, my skin almost has a glow to it that certainly wasn't there before.

I don’t have full on dewy skin, but I have to say my skin does look brighter and feels a lot more illuminated every time I use this which is so amazing. I’ve not tried this primer just on its own, so I don’t know how well it sets my makeup in place, as I always rely on my Smashbox primer to do that for me. However I do find that my foundation feels so smooth and bends effortlessly into my skin once I’ve given my face a few spritz. 

This primer is also great for those mornings where I feel extra tried, which at the moment is a lot (pregnancy problems) and find this water based product so refreshing and its that perfect morning pick me up. A few sprays and my skin looks a lot less sleepy. The scent it also really refreshing and doesn't interfere in any way with my sensitive skin. 

Sometimes I like to add a bit more glow to my skin and spray this on my face once my full face of makeup is completed. I know this sounds crazy, but it doesn't make my makeup run and just seems to finish off my makeup look beautifully.

I would really recommend picking up one of these bottles from Makeup Revolution, you can pick one up from their website here. Let me know if you’ve tried any water based primers like this one. Do you think they're as good as this one from Makeup Revolution? Let me know in the comments.

Lots of Love

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Blogmas Day 9 - My Weekend In Cologne || The Most Festive Place Ever!

So this weekend James and I headed off to Cologne in Germany for a super festive fun filled weekend and it was honestly so magical and perfect that I just had to let you all in on what we got up to. I had never been to Germany before, so really didn't know what to expect. What I did know after doing some research that Calogne was the number one place for the German Christmas markets and you all know how much I get excited about those. 

Way back at the beginning of the year, James won an award at work (super proud girlfriend right here) and him and all the others who won an award that weekend were gifted this winners trip to Germany and were able to take all their plus ones, which is super kind of them as everything was all paid for. Our trip started super early on Friday morning where we headed down to London at 7.00 am to catch the Euro Star to Germany. It was so lovely as we were able to travel by first class, which meant total comfort and of course lots of yummy food for en route. 

We arrived in Germany pretty late, around 4ish and it was already starting to get dark. After a long day of travelling James and I were desperate for a bit of food, so we decided to head to the market right away which was only a few steps away from our hotel and it was here where I had my first German sausage of our holiday, it was so yummy.

The hotel where we were staying was also so gorgeous and I've never stayed in a place that was so Christmasy! There was a huge beautifully lit tree in the lobby and the whole entrance was decorated with lights and wreaths so it had such a festive vibe to the place. That night we headed out for dinner with everyone at this steak house and the food was just delicious. 

We only had one full day in Germany which was on the Saturday; It was a day where we could go off and do our own thing and James and I really wanted to explore the city and of course the German Market. Everything was just so pretty and the attention to detail was just amazing, I felt like I was living in a winter wonderland. 

The whole market had this amazing ice skating rink going around it which really got busy during the evening time. I really wanted James to have ago, usually I would have gone with him but as I'm pregnant and have balance issues I didn't think it would be a good idea. I just think towns and cities look so much more festive when they have an ice skating rink, it makes it feel like a scene from a film.

One thing that I really loved was that there were Christmas tress everywhere. I've never seen so many decorated trees in one place.

Even the regular tress were filled with decorations and once it was dark they all lit up beautifully.

More Christmas trees ....

We had so much fun walking around the markets, there was so many beautiful stands and of course my favourite about the stalls was all the food on offer. As I'm eating for two I really went all out and saw it as a chance to eat as much as possible. My favourite thing had to be the banana and chocolate filled crepe, so so yummy. Also look at those lollypops!

One thing that was also really spectacular about Cologne was the fact that it had the most beautiful and breath taking Cathedral right in the middle of the city. What was really lovely was that the market stalls were all located around the Cathedral so it really was stunning. The photos don't do this amazing building any justice and don't pick up just how big it really is.

Inside was just as beautiful as the outside...

Later on that day, after doing much walking around I decided that my feet had had enough walking. Being six months pregnant is really starting to take a strain on my body physically, so James and I decided to go grab some hot drinks, another bite to eat and a sit down. Surrounded by the market are loads of bars, cafes and restaurants and most of them have an outside seating area which overlooks the market. We decided to take a seat outside. Even though it was freezing outside, the restaurant gave us cosy throws to snuggle up too and with our hot drinks we kept nice and warm; it was lovely watching families getting into the Christmas spirit and watching to world go by.

That evening we went out for another meal with everyone and had some traditional German food, my camera battery had ran out by this point so sadly I don't have any pictures, but it was amazing.

The next morning it was time to take the Eurostar back to London and then back home. I honestly had such an amazing time and it was lovely to get away so close to Christmas. It was just what I needed to really get into the festive sprit and I would really recommend a trip to Cologne to anyone, it's amazing. Before we left we had to get one last picture of the huge beautifully lit tree in our hotel. I really wish I could take it home with me.

Are you going away any where festive this year? Let me know. 

Lots of Love

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Blogmas Day 8 - Gender Reveal of Baby Sparkle!

So for those of you who have been keeping up with my pregnancy posts will know that James and I found out the gender of baby sparkle, but so far have been keeping the whole thing a top secret (asides from family that is). As it’s my birthday today - I cant believe I’m 28, more like grandma rather than mummy - I thought that it would be great to reveal whether baby sparkle is a girl or boy! 

Drumroll Please …….

I am very pleased to announce and say that James and I are expecting a little baby BOY! Thats right, little man is growing away and I am so excited. I said from pretty much day one that I thought it would be a boy and the second scan was just the confirmation that I needed. I think it must be true what they say about mothers instincts. 

It still seems very surreal, but now that we know what we’re having a boy it makes everything feel much more real, its like he has a little personality already which is just so lovely. I just love the fact that I’m going to have a boy, I’ve come from a family where the girls outnumber the boys stupidly, so it’s going to be such a massive change from what I’ve been used to. I just can’t wait to spoil him now and get to do all those boy related things in the future. My dad and James are already auguring about which football team he's going to be supporting!

Now the secrets out, the next step for us is to choose a name. If I’m honest we’re really struggling. There is just so much pressure to choose a name. Not only is it choosing the right name, but it’s finding one that we both agree on. So for the time being, baby sparkle is still named baby sparkle. It’s really funny as we had our girls name all picked out and was 100% happy with it. However choosing a boys name is proving to be much more difficult. 

So guys I need you help, I would love if you could leave some suggestions below with your favourite boys names. I am thinking of something more traditional, but we’re also struggling with middle names so I would love it if you could help me out.

Let me know in the comments….

Lots of Love

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Blogmas Day 7 - My Obsession with Revlon || Free Gift Set From Boots

Before I went away at the weekend, I decided to pop into Boots and pick up a few necessary essentials as you do! I didn’t really need to buy any new makeup, but when its all there staring me on the shelves its literally impossible not to. One thing that I did need to pick up was a new eyeliner. For me eyeliner is a bit like mascara, and I’m still yet to find my holy grail one. I’m always swapping and changing and am never loyal to just one. I went to Twitter and so many of you recommend the felt tip one from Revlon and as Revlon are one of my favourite drugstore brands I thought I’d give it ago.

As I browsed the Revlon Isle I noticed (of course I did) that there was an offer on where if I spent £15.00 on Revlon products I would come away with a free Revlon box containing more Revlon makeup…. Result! As one of my favourite foundations happens to be Revlon, I thought I would stock up and of course claim my gift. As the gift set was so pretty and contained full size makeup items, I thought I’d blog about it and give everything mini reviews as I’ve used them all.

The first thing I noticed in the box was the Revlon Lip Butter. Do you remember when these first came out and the bloggosphere went crazy? I swear everyone, including myself was going mad for these and its actually been a long time since I’ve worn any of mine - I have quite a stash, so I should probably rekindle my love with some of them. Any how, I must admit, I got rather excited when I saw this lip butter there as I’ve become obsessed with nudes this year and this shade is such a beautiful one. This Lip Butter is Creme Brûlée which I think is one everyone went crazy for at the time. It’s such a gorgeous soft nude that is really wearable - Think your lips but better! One thing that I’b always loved about the lip butters is that they are so soft and hydrating on, but at the same time have a great colour pay out. I think I’ll be getting a lot of use out of this Lip Butter and am so pleased to welcome it into my ever growing lipstick collection.

Sticking with the nude theme, there was also one of the new Revlon Colour Stay Gel Envy polishes in a really pretty nude shade, which actually matches the Lip Butter perfectly. Don't you just love it when your nails and lipstick match? Thanks Revlon! When it comes to nail polish I am all about the shine, the shinier my nail polish the better, so I just love it when brands do gel nail polish. This one from Revlon gives my nails such a glossy finish. I’m actually really impressed as I’ve now had this on my nails for four days and hardly have any chips and my nails are still really shiny. I’ve not tried any of the other polishes in the range, but this one has a great formula so I think I may have to pick some more up (any excuse!). 

Being a right fuss pot with my mascara, I’m always on the hunt to look for something new - I really can’t wait to be loyal to just one! My little freebie pot came with a Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara. Now I don’t know if this is new or not, but I’ve never tried it so its new for me. I wore this for the first time over the weekend and I have to say I was a fairly impressed. I don’t think I could go as far to say as its one I’ll be repurchasing, but it did give my lashes amazing length and once layered up my lashes also had some good volume. The only thing I didn't like was that it didn't give my lashes any lift or curl, so they ended up looking quite flat. I suppose I could curl them before hand but I am way too lazy for that (beauty girl problems!).

The gift box also came with a free eyeshadow quad, which I’ve not photographed as I gave it to my sister right away as I thought she would get better use out of it - I have so many eyeshadow palettes and have more than enough colours. I’m pretty sure it was a neutral palette which had some lovely warm brown shades in for any of you who are interested. 

So as far as a free gift set goes, this one is fab and well worth picking up. Like I mentioned at the start of this post I did purchase two of the Revlon items - The Colourstay foundation which is one of my all time faves and the Colourstay eyeliner. I have to say I’m really impressed with the liner, it makes doing winged liner so easy and faff free. The only problem I have with it, is that it does fade throughout the day which is so annoying; It comes out jet black so I really don't understand where the colour disappears to, but on its first application it does look fab!

I am a big Revlon fan and if you are to I think its well worth popping into Boots right now, spend £15.00 and getting some free Revlon goodies too, especially as all the free bits are full sized products! Total bargain. 

Are you a fan of Revlon? Let me know in the comments below.

Lots of Love

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Blogmas Day 6 - Some Winter Essentials from Primark

Opps I did it again! I popped into my local Primark! If you've been keeping up to date with my pregnancy posts you will know that I've gone through another stage of things not fitting me very well. It's such a horrible feeling putting on clothes to find that they don't fit! As Primark is cheap, cheerful and a case of money well spent, I decided to pick up a few bits, which can only mean one thing.... A Primark Haul! Now I didn't go too crazy as Christmas is coming up and I'm a bit selective about what I buy right now due to my ever changing size, but they have so many nice bits in that would be perfect for Christmas. It did make me a little sad as all the things I liked, I couldn't fit into but I know its just a part of pregnancy. Anyway I know I'm rambling so I'll just get on with the haul.....

I saw this sparkly jumper and just knew that I had to try and squeeze into it. I did buy it a few sizes bigger so it fits over my bump nicely, and even with it being a little bigger, its lovely on. I love being able to wear all things that sparkle this time of year. I have a few meals out coming out and want to wear something that makes me feel a little more glam and thought this jumper would be perfect.

I also picked up some thick patterned black leggings which I thought would be perfect for day or night time. I'm not really wearing jeans at the moment as I find leggings way more comfier and thought these textured ones would be perfect.

I also spotted this little floral choker which will no doubt dress up any outfit, including my sparkly jumper; It was only £2.00 which is such a bargain! I also noticed this sparkly silver bangle which immediately caught my attention. When it comes to bracelets usually I only wear my Pandora, however as I'm not feeling very glam with my outfit choices, I thought this bit of bling would jazz up any outfit. 

Although its still quite mild for this time of year, I thought it was about time that I picked up some essentials. By this I mean a bobbly hat, gloves and furry headband. I decided to go for cream/white accessories this year as it just goes with everything. I adore the bobble hat, it just makes me feel all wintery and cosy. I also thought I'd be a bit brave with the headband as I thought it would look really nice with my hair down and curly.

So as you can see I really didn't go all out, I was very good but thought it was worth showing off what I did get. Have you been to Primark recently? Let me know what you picked up?

Lots of Love

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