Little box of bathroom pleasures

I love trying new products and brands that I haven't used before. So when this beautiful box was inside my Christmas box from my friend Amy I was certainly intrigued. Its by the brand L'Occitane, which I have heard of but never used. This made me super excited but not as excited as when I saw all the bathroom goodies inside. There is honestly nothing in here you couldn't help falling in love with. Its all so beautiful and thats just to look at. 

Lets start with the eau de parfum. Terre de lumiere is in the most adorable tiny glass bottle. I love this because it can sit on your dressing table and it looks absolutely beautiful. It also is the perfect handbag size for them journeys you may be needing it. The scent of this is absolutely stunning. Its honestly heavenly. It is what I would describe as a more mature scent and it simply oozes elegance. With gourmand notes and aromatic freshness this makes for a perfect new addiction. 

The tiny hand cream you get is just adorable and perfect size for your handbag. This smells super fresh and clean. Its made with 20% shea butter, making this the perfect savour for dry hands. As we our starting to leave our cold weather behind it means its time to start getting our skin back to its normal silky soft feeling. I totally think this is a must have for your sore dry hands and will definitely be something I turn to in the future. It really does leave your hands as soft as they can be. It absorbs well into the skin leaving no residue on the skin so you can go about your day without worrying it will transfer.

I am and always have been a sucker for shower gels. I just see them and normally instantly fall in love with them. Honestly, this one is no different. I mean for one please look at how cute that packaging is. I mean come on any girly girl out there will be crying out for this. The beautiful pink floral design is nothing but stunning. In the scent cherry blossom it is a sweet scent all girls are looking for. Sweet floral scents what more could a girl ask for. This lathers up lovely leaving you feeling perfectly clean. 

I am absolutely in love with the shampoo, it was honestly the last thing I expected to see inside this box. Again I absolutely adore the packaging. This is made with 5 essential oils and is honestly a perfect blend. This is aimed to repair hair and I love it. It leaves your hair feeling soft and shiny. It lathers well and washes out with ease. 

The immortelle devine creme is a beautiful moisturiser. It is super silky and you only need a little, it goes a long way. I have been using this for a couple of weeks now and I have hardly made a dent in the tub. The packaging is gorgeous with the standard yellow packaging with the stunning gold lid. It really oozes quality. This leaves your skin feeling so soft its unreal. I have never used anything quite like it. This would work so well for older skin as it will help to bring back so much moisture to the skin. 

Overall as you can tell I love these products and well the packaging is honestly insane. I love it. I love how everything is in miniature sizes, this is perfect for me to take them away with me on my next travels. 

A Norfolk Blondie
xoxo 

A little bronze here, a little glow there

Just after Christmas I received a parcel from my lovely friend Amy. I was so excited when I opened it and saw what she had sent me. It was honestly the best late Christmas present I have ever received. She really does know me very well. With a box full of everything from beauty, stationary, home decor and much more. I felt so lucky. But today I want to talk to you in particular about the makeup she sent me. Wow wasn't I a lucky girl. She sent me the Flatter Box by Soap and Glory and also Hoola by Benefit. So lets talk about them...

Now I'm a massive lover of Soap and Glory makeup but I havent tried a great deal of it. I have just loved what I have tried. Well the Flatter Box has pretty much everything you need for basic makeup, just without foundation and concealer. But you could honestly do a full face of makeup with this. 

In it you get..

- Thick and fast high definition collagen coat mascara

- Supercat liquid black eyeliner pen

- Lid stuff eyeshadow in copper, choccy and cream soda

- Glow all out luminizing face powder

- Sexy mother pucker lip gloss in plums up

- Eye shadow and half moon brushes 

So yes as you can see this is kinda a spectacular kit. It honestly deserves all the praise it can get. The eye shadows are all beautiful shades which can be worn alone or together, either way creating a perfectly natural eye look. The mascara in my opinion could never disappoint. I have used the regular thick and fast before and it was my holy grail mascara for some time. I just love the way it applies so smoothly to my lashes, it never clumps. The supercat liquid eyeliner pen did intrigue me. Mainly because I am no good with liquid eyeliner and two I'm just no good with eye liner in general. But I will say this one does make application feel easy. I mean it still doesn't look that great when I apply it but hopefully with some practice I might be able to ace this one. It is no secret I am a lover of the sexy mother puckers. I love the way they apply, the way they feel and just how they always look flawless. Plums up is a beautiful glittery plum/pink shade. It honestly looks stunning on your lips. The highlighter is defiantly my favourite thing out of the whole box. The shimmer it gives to your cheekbones is absolutely flawless. in a very subtle pink shade it is perfect dusted across your cheeks for that extra glow we all want. The brushes that come with this kit are perfect and make the application of the products perfect. 

The packaging of the kit is incredible in the standard pink you see all over Soap and Glory packaging. Inside the box it is a blend of beautiful sleek black and endless gold. Truly one of the most beautiful packaging I have owned. 

Hoola by Benefit has always been something I have wanted to try. Benefit always make the most amazing looking products. So to find this little beauty in the box of goodies. The packaging is just gorgeous. I love how it is magnetic and shuts sharply so you know its closed. The little brush is perfect to apply it with. I love the wooden handle and the soft brush together they are the perfect combo. The product itself is a lovely colour, perfect for most skin tones. You can either apply this lightly or build it up to give yourself an even more of a bronze look. I absolutely love this and it will be my go to bronzer from now on.

Two amazing products which will be the most used in my collection for a long time. 

A Norfolk Blondie

xoxo  

Walking in Shakespeare's steps

From standing up high above Warwick, the next leg of our weekend away found us walking the steps of Shakespeare himself. I have always been a lover of Shakespeare so to be walking in the homes he once claimed as his own or of his loved ones, was an experience of a lifetime. Not to mention the incredible weather we had while we was there. With five properties in total we visited four of them due to the farm being shut till march. There is so much to see and do at all of them. With most of them being walking distance it gave us the perfect stroll around Stratford-upon-avon town centre. Its truly a beautiful place and well worth a visit for everyone. 

Shakespeares birthplace.....

This is where our adventure begun. Right at the start of Shakespeare's life. The outside of this place is absolutely incredible. As one of the original houses along this stretch of high street it oozes the history of the town. Once inside you move slowly round a beautifully set out museum which guides you through the stages and history of who Shakespeare really was. There is also some old parts of the town which have been kept to keep the history of the town on display. After that part you walk into the main home and its truly amazing and set as it would of been all them years back. With people dressed for the era everywhere around the house they are more than happy to tell you the history of the family or rooms you are standing in. While you walk around here you can really feel how old this place really is with its old windows letting the colder air in and creaky floorboards.You really do feel as if you've stepped back in time.

New place....

This was the home that Shakespeare bought for himself and Anne Hathaway when they were married. Said to be the second largest home in the town, this made her an incredibly lucky woman. The new place was only Shakespeare's and Annes for as little as 19 years as Shakespeare died. The new place no longer stands it was demolished over 250 years ago but in its place the Shakespeare Trust have transformed the area into a beauty of sculptures to represent all things Shakespeare. One of my biggest loves is that his sonnets are all written into the floor around you. Its honestly amazing to see. As you follow the path down it brings you to a mass of garden which is kept tidy and as you may have seen it in the past when there was no animals there. Once inside you again have a small museum to wonder around to help you learn more about the ground your standing on and what was once there.

Halls croft....

This stunning period house was home to Shakespeare's daughter Susanna and her husband, physician John Hall. As with all the other houses this is set out to perfection as to how the family would of lived. There are pictures in each room of them back in time so you can see why the room has been arranged as it has. In the kitchen they have a very old wooden highchair. With so much detail to it you could hardly imagine a child being placed in it to eat their dinner. Once outside the house you have a very well kept walled garden which was amazing to walk around as the sun was still shining beautifully. You can go upstairs and these rooms are set out again more in a museum style where you can learn more about Susanna and her husband and the work he done. 

Anne Hathaways cottage......

This was by far my favourite place to visit. Said to be the most romantic of them all it gave me high hopes for beauty. Where do I start, the thatched roof, the cottage itself or the beautiful gardens which surround it. This is the home where Anne grew up and her romance with Shakespeare grew into the marriage it became. We started on the garden, with so much land to cover. I wasn't sure how long it would take us but when we finished it an hour later I not only felt amazed by what I had seen but also incredibly relaxed. With plenty of pictures opportunities you can only say this place is picture perfect. Once inside the cottage we learnt so much history about the family and about living all them years back. With beautiful furnished roomsand so many pieces of furniture that once belonged to Shakespeare himself you couldn't help but fall in love with the place. They also have a lovely tea room across the road where we enjoyed hot chocolates and brownies.

I honestly can not wait to visit Stratford-upon-avon again later this year. We plan to visit Anne Hathaways cottage again so we can see it all in blossom and in its greatest form. Also we will be visiting Mary Ardens Tudor farm which is the only part we couldn't visit. But we honestly can not miss out on seeing this work tutor farm for ourselves. If your looking for somewhere truly beautiful to visit look no further than stratford-upon-avon. 

A Norfolk Blondie

xoxo     

Adding a pop of colour

Back in January I received a very special package from the team at Influenster. Now let me tell you a little bit about who they are first. Influenster is an app that you can use to review products as much as you like. Depending on how much you use the app depends on the rewards you receive. If you put yourself forward you can be selected to try a product sent by them. Which is what happened to me. Now your probably thinking why I didn't write this back in January, honestly, with leaving my job of 7 years I had a lot of others things that I was thinking about. But I was going through my makeup today and thought now is no better time to review this product. Let me add I reviewed this product directly through Influenster but I wanted to share it with you guys too. 

I guess your wondering what I received in the post?

I was lucky enough to receive two of the Marc Jacobs Highliners (Matte gel eye crayon). I was absolutely over the moon when I received the package. As let me just add, I don't own any Marc Jacobs make-up already so for me this is pure luxury. The packaging of these products are very luxury. In the classic Marc Jacobs black and white colour scheme, it fits the high standard of product it is. The boxes are made with beautiful glossy finish. Which to me is super eye catching and would be something that would encourage me to buy a product, its not only the product which makes you want to buy something. The product packaging itself is the most high quality professional item of makeup I think I own. It is extremely sleek looking. With the matte silver all over except for the band of colour to display the shade of the liner.

The liners themselves...

As I said I received two liners, these were in the shades 61 over(night) and 49 (pop)ular. Both gorgeous shades, completely out of my comfort zone. Over(night) is a beautiful deep navy and (pop)ular is a pretty pink. 

Over(night) is a colour I adore. To me a beautiful uniform colour which I love to wear in my clothing. But in makeup not a colour I dare to brave. Well thats now in the past, I have to branch out and wear these stunning colours more. 

(Pop)ular is like I said a pretty pink, this is honestly the perfect colour for a girly girl. Especially if you love your pinks. The colour is very vibrant without being an over the top hot pink.   

The texture of these gel liners is smooth and creamy. With it being a gel liner there is no drag when applying them it just glides on perfectly. It is honestly a dream to apply. Both colours are very pigmented making them vibrant enough to create an eye catching look. These are definitely a must if you are looking to make a bold statement. The staying power of these is insane. They don't smudge which allows you to keep that beautiful colour all day long. They grip so well that I will admit they are quite hard to remove but I love that. At least then I know its not going anywhere.

These are honestly the perfect gel liners the fact that they are matte make them even better. If you try these they will definitely be your makeup/handbag must have. I know I love them.

A Norfolk Blondie
xoxo

Princess for a day

A couple of weeks ago me and my boyfriend took a well deserved weekend away to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Wow what an incredible place. I drove all the way there and let me just add, my first time on a motorway. The drive itself went very well and instead of going to our hotel we went over to Warwick Castle. Now this is a place that if you havent already you need to visit. This is where I got to feel like a princess for the day. 

You might be wondering why?

Well this castle is huge, grand and a sight for many eyes. With so much to see theres no reason for me not to feel like a princess for the day. I was super surprised with how much that was to do at Warwick Castle, as soon as we walked in and saw everything we could do we was stumped where to start. So we worked out when the tours were and what we wanted to go on. After that a nice peaceful walk around the grounds taking in the breathtaking views and taking advantage of the perfect photo opportunity. The grounds are certainly special, with acres of land and the river Avon running directly along the castle. There is no better or more peaceful place on earth I could of asked to be. You are able to go up all of the towers and the views are of incredible things. The feeling of standing that high above everything else you can understand why the kings were seen so highly. From these heights you overlook the town of Warwick and isn't it a pretty one. The old style properties keep the town in keep with its incredible history. But still the town is busier than ever but hasn't lost a shred of its history or beauty. The tours were full of information and we left knowing more about the castle than we ever thought we could know.  

The stately home of the castle is something of awe. With the largest weapon collection in the UK kept in the great hall. With everything on display for the public to see you can spend a lot of time here just looking over what they have built over the years. With many suits of armour to be seen and stories to be told. Some of my favourites were the the odd suit, which was used to show the fact not everyone could afford the armour all at once. This then resulted in odd suits of armour, for instance two very different legs. My other favourite is the Childs one. Which would be worn from about 6, when they learnt to shoot arrows. By 12 they would of perfected their technique.

When it comes to the state rooms they are something of awe again. With rooms that I never dreamed of walking into. Furnished to the highest of quality it was a sea of gold. It is in most places you look. One of the things that caught my eye was the ceilings, I know a little strange. But these were works of art so delicate it took your breath away. The history of these rooms will always stick with me. The people who have lived or have stayed in the castle all have their own story. One of my favourite rooms to visit was the chapel. Now I'm not religious by no means but this place was bliss to me. I honestly could of sat in the pew for hours just looking at the stained glass and my peaceful surroundings. The castle is know for its weekly parties which always had to better the last. I honestly can imagine this was the place to be.

When we got outside again as the sun was shining and it was beautiful what better thing to do than explore the grounds some more. When we came across the conservatory it was not only a breathtaking sight itself but also home to many peacocks. I have never been this close to a peacock and for it to walk straight past your legs was an unbelievable sight. With miles to see everywhere you look there is not one part of the gardens you shouldn't pay a visit too. Especially if you are into your engineering. As if you follow the winding path round it brings you to the mill and engine room. This was completely up my boyfriends street, but for me it was just as amazing. To be able to stand and watch such an important part of the castle working away is amazing. Inside the engine room there is no shortage of machinery to be seen, some no longer working and some as close to originals as possible. 

This has to be one of the most amazing places I have visited in a while. What really took my breath away is, it is the people who visit who upkeep this stunning building in all its glory. No loans or funds, just the public visiting is what keeps the magic alive. I happily walked around all day and honestly I would love to do it all over again. there is nothing more tranquil than standing up high on one of the towers overlooking Warwick busily going about life below you. 

A Norfolk Blondie

xoxo  

Bliss in a bar

After spending a good two years working on my fitness I could easily tell you I have tried so many protein products I had lost count. So after all my searching for years for them products I love I finally come across Grenade. Now I had seen this company advertised all over instagram but I had no idea about them. As with anything I took to the big wide web and began my google search. After an afternoon of research I knew I wanted to try these products. The company is amazing, having been running since 2010 they have managed to get their goods into many countries and won many awards. They are also tested for athletes and military personnel, so I can guarantee I am safe taking them. I am always aware of how much I spend, I have never been someone to spend excessive amounts on workout products. But now is the time for something new, well known and a little more expensive.

So while walking around a local Tesco one day just having the usual ponder I thought I would go browse their workout selection. Thinking I would find nothing that would interest me I went with low hopes. When I saw the Grenade products on the shelf I definitely gained interest. I saw the Carb Killa High Protein Bars and this intrigued me as I had seen these so much over instagram. Now I have had protein bars before. Let me tell you what I normally find, they are normally hard as rock and extremely powdery in your mouth, making them hard to chew. But these Carb Killa Bars are incredible, not at all hard and chewy but soft and chewy, its like no other protein bar I have ever had. Now these come in so many different flavours and let me just say after trying all of them, they are incredible.

These are the perfect snack on a busy day or on a workout day when you need something to eat. I find they always fill the space I need filling between meals really well and always make me forget about over snacking. With the incredible range they have on offer there is something for everyone. I believe I have tried every single one and I have not yet found one I dislike. Some of my favourites include cookies and cream, Jaffa quake, dark chocolate mint and caramel chaos. But like I said all the ones I have tried are incredible. As you can see these are one amazing looking bars which is pure bliss to eat. 

So like I said forget about these hard, powdery bars which let me add are in the past to me now and start having these soft, chewy bars. I can honestly say this is like eating any other chocolate bar but this is high in protein. If you are looking for a new protein bar you have to try grenade ones. Have you tried any other grenade products? If so what I'm always looking for new stuff to try.

A Norfolk Blondie 

xoxo