Christmas Space Saving Hacks with AbleSkills & Victoria's Vintage

Hi everyone! Today I've got a little bit of a different post for you. I've been following Victoria at Victoria's Vintage for a couple of years now, and have always been in awe of her numerous competition wins! When she posted about this fantastic competition she is hosting in association with AbleSkills, I knew I had to get involved!

The main jist of the competition is to create a Christmas DIY, making use of a small space. As soon as I read it, I knew exactly how I could put my spin on the requirement. Our lounge is very long and narrow, so not very practical for a giant real Christmas tree. We usually just have a small artificial tree, but this year I decided to do something a little different. 

We have a decorative tree in our lounge all year around, so I decided to jazz it up a little!  The tree fits perfectly into a little cove next to our fire place, utilising a previously wasted space. After an afternoon of creativity, this is what I ended up with...

Decorations wise, I used fairy lights, plastic jewels, mini pink baubles, and glass jars with tiny artificial flowers inside.

I also bought some larger pink baubles that didn't quite sit right on the tree, so not wanting them to go to waste, I filled some decorative "fish bowl-shaped" containers with them instead!

I am so pleased with how our "Christmas tree" has turned out, and cost under £10 to decorate! I now feel like it's really almost Christmas (because what's Christmas without some sort of tree?!) and I've received so many complements on it already!

I hope I've shown how you can have a "Christmas tree" even if you are short on space! Huge thanks to Victoria and Ableskills for running this competition, and if you feel like participating, you can do so here.

xxx

3D Hearts For Your Nails?! Kleancolor Twinkly Love

I first discovered this nail polish on Lily's (llymlrs) instagram and I fell in love! After a quick scour on ebay, I found it and bought straight away without a hesitation! Kleancolor "Twinkly Love" is a thick, clear nail polish embedded with hundreds of tiny silver, blue and pink hearts. I can safely say I am in love with it, and it was definitely worth the wait, coming from America.

How pretty is it?! I am completely head over heels with it, and it was a bargain too! I managed to find it on ebay from this seller for just £3.83 including postage, and it was coming from America! What's more, it arrived just 10 days after I ordered which is pretty impressive. Now, the only downside to the nail polish is it isn't the easiest to apply. In my experience, it definitely cannot be applied as you would a normal nail polish, as it's a bit hit or miss, as to how many hearts come out. I like to use a cocktail stick to pick the hearts from the brush and dot them on to my nails. This way, I can control how many are on each nail, and also the colours of the hearts. This may sound like a painstaking task, but it is very easy once you get the hang of it. 

As applying the hearts is a very intricate process, I would definitely save it for special occasions. Nevertheless, I love it so much and have had so many complements from wearing it. I think it looks gorgeous with my favourite nail polish recently, Essie's Where's My Chauffeur? and Essie's 3 way glaze is the perfect thickness to ensure the hearts are well-bonded to the nail. As the hearts lie quite flat on the nail, you actually get quite a long-lasting look. I've had two days wear out of mine already with none falling off, so am very pleased!

Kleancolor Twinkly Love is available from this US ebay seller for £3.83 including postage.

Do you love this top coat as much as I do?

xxx

Banishing the Blemishes #004: Balance Me

Hi everyone! Part 4 of my Banishing the Blemishes series comes from Balance Me - a natural skincare company who seem to be popping up here, there and everywhere recently! They pride themselves on creating natural yet sophisticated products, bursting with pure natural extracts, essential oils and natural actives. I was sent the Congested Skin Serum and Radiance Facial Oil to try out...

Now the weather's getting a bit warmer, it has been the perfect time for me to put the Congested Skin Serum to the test. Much like many others, my skin turns in to an oily mess in the summer, which is not a good look!

 The Congested Skin Serum is an antibacterial gel that contains lots of beautiful extracts such as lavender, eucalyptus and aloe vera to soothe and moisturise the skin, as well as fighting blemishes. I like to apply it to cleansed skin, and it acts as both a light moisturiser and a spot treatment, which is fantastic. It is perfect for use twice a day, as it doesn't at all dry out my skin. I do however like to apply SPF over it during the day, but my skin feels fine without it none-the-less. It is definitely very good for clearing congestion, which I suffer from quite badly on my chin. However, I do find for bigger spots, my skin needs a spot treatment in addition to this. I will definitely continue to use this but only on areas such as my chin and t-zone, where I'm prone to congestion. This would be a fantastic substitute for any chemical exfoliators, as it does a really good job of gently clearing up congested skin, with no irritation whatsoever in my case. It also smells delicious and is beautifully packaged WITH a pump dispenser - what's not to love? You can buy the Congested skin serum here for just £16!

Alongside the serum, I've been trying out their Radiance Facial Oil. Having tried several facial oils in the past (such as jojoba and Clarins Lotus) with good results, I was really excited to give this a go. Contrary to belief, oils can be very beneficial for oily skins as they work to balance out the skin's oil production, while smoothing and moisturising the skin. The Radiance facial oil contains a potent blend of Amazonian buriti, moringa and camellia oils, that feed skin lacking lustre, leaving it feeling balanced, hydrated and comfortable. I really like the roller-ball applicator, which makes the oil ideal for carrying around in my handbag, ready for when my skin (particularly on my forehead and nose) gets a little dry. It also dispenses the perfect amount of product, to ensure you're not left with an oily mess post-application. I like to apply the oil to my forehead (prone to dryness), as well as my chin, where most of my scarring is. Following using the oil religiously for 4 weeks, I can definitely see an improvement in my scarring. A combination of the oil and massaging my skin has been really beneficial for my scarring, and I can't wait to see the results following continued use! You can buy the oil in rollerball form and from the bottle here.

Have you tried any of Balance Me's products?

xxx