Hair Removal With Veet Natural Inspirations

It's long been joked about that as soon as it hits autumn, no one shaves for about 5 months. Because who cares right? When I lived in Finland I wholeheartedly joined in with this, I no longer conformed to what society expects of us and I relished in the extra warmth it provided me when it was -30 degrees outside! But as someone who swims & does cross fit during the week, hair removal is still a must for me in the winter months these days, and especially with nights out if your legs are on show. However, it doesn't matter what month of the year it is as I am incredibly lazy with hair removal and I'm always in search of some easy options so I usually opt for shaving, so Veet's new hair removal range Natural Inspirations was definitely something I had to test out! 

1. Veet Natural Inspirations Wax Strips*

Waxing has always been one of my most preferred types of hair removal methods, even though it hurts for that split second of time it's much quicker and lasts for a LOT longer! Over time your hairs eventually grow back slower and thinner anyway so you can even benefit from having hair free skin for up to 5 weeks!I've used Veet wax strips before and have always been pleased with their results. These wax strips from their new range are enriched with aloe vera which is incredibly soothing to your skin and should leave your skin feeling moisturised afterwards. Wax strips are self explanatory in their selves and the way you do it doesn't really differ from brand and once you've got the hang of doing it, it becomes a lot easier and less painful. But if you aren't familiar with waxing these 5 steps printed on the packaging are easy to follow. These wax strips feature easy grip tabs too which makes them a lot easier to hold back to keep your skin tight whilst waxing to achieve the best results possible. They also come with Veet perfect finishing wipes which are ideal for applying after waxing to get rid of the stickiness of the wax and to calm your skin down. 

2. Veet Natural Inspirations Spray On Hair Removal Cream*

Out of their new range they sent me a spray on hair removal cream and a standard hair removal cream tube. Being lazy at hair removal, the spray jumped out at me straight away as it saves so much more time without having the extra hassle to ensure it's been thoroughly rubbed in. Hair removal creams always have a distinctive smell that I have never been keen on, and brands in the past I have used have always made my skin sting so I was slightly dubious about using this product. The spray on function was incredibly easy to use and you just need to ensure you spray an even coverage over the desired area. It still had the tell tale smell of a hair removal cream, but it didn't sting when it had been on my skin for a few minutes which was a big bonus! After leaving this to sink into your skin for roughly 5 minutes you can then remove it with the plastic spatula that comes with it. I would say this is just as time consuming as shaving, I actually think that it would be quicker than this process. However, it did remove all of my hairs more or less and it claims that hair re growth will be smoother than before so only time will tell. 

3. Veet Natural Inspirations Hair Removal Cream*

The spray on removal cream was aimed at sensitive skin, whereas this one is targetted for normal skin. Enriched with shea butter it promises to be nourishing for your skin, with natural soothing properties. Unlike waxing, hair removal cream can remove the shortest of hairs. This works in the same way as the spray on cream, but you only need to leave this on your skin for 3 minutes, which is not such a life sentence as the 5 minutes feels for the spray on - making it a much quicker and easier process. I personally preferred the formula of this one as I felt it was more effective in removing my hair, this may be down to the time I left it on my skin though. 

Overall I am impressed with their new range and think more people should look into considering different options during the winter months. My favourite product was the waxing strips, purely because of the amount of time saved over a month period where you can leave your skin alone. Either way I'm definitely stocked up on enough hair removal products to see me through to next summer! 

Have you heard of this Veet range before? What are your thoughts on hair removal during the winter? 

*Products marked with an asterix (*) have been sent to me for review. However, all opinions in this post are 100% my own

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Lush Haul!

I can't believe my birthday was over a month ago now, time really is flying by and it will be Christmas before we know it, which I am already SO excited about! In true Birthday fashion I received A LOT of Lush stuff as you can see, I was one lucky girl as there really isn't anything I love more than seeing a Lush paper bag or gift set, I can usually smell it before I see it though, and I am just so happy with all of the bits I received. I am now well stocked up on bath bombs & bubble bars to keep me going for a while, but we all know this little lot won't last very long! 

As well as lots of individual bath bombs and bubble bars I received 3 Lush gift sets! I just love the designs on the packaging too, I always save the wrapping paper from them as it's too good to throw away, and I usually reuse it on other peoples presents!

James got me this amazing box of Lush goodness, called Happy Bathday for my Birthday, it took me about a week to realise that the box didn't say Happy Birthday! This set includes 6 bathing beauties, including bath bombs, bubble bars and red fun to play with in the bath. It also came in the most amazing tin that I will definitely be reusing, I thought it would make a pretty cake tin but I'm not sure the Lush smell would ever really go away? It also came with an adorable Bath Day garland printed onto colourful ducks that you can see floating around these pictures!

Next up was the Shiny Happy People gift set, it's hard for a smile not to creep on your face with this canary yellow wrapping paper. The set includes a lovely smelly soap, happy hippy shower gel and some more bath fun - I've never use these before so I'm really looking forward to playing with it in the bath one night to see what creations I can make!

Such a Blooming Beautiful present to receive! This set included a rose jam bubble bar and sakura bath bomb, these no longer exist as I've already used these in my bath and the sakura bath bomb is a definite favourite! It smells amazing (doesn't it all?!) and it makes the prettiest bath! I love these smaller gift sets from Lush as they make such pretty presents!

As well as three lovely gift sets packed full of lushness, I got lots of individual bath bombs and bubble bars too!

The experimenter is one of my favourites because of how it looks and how it fizzes away in the bath, but the end grey result of the bath is kind of disappointing when it's such a colourful bath bomb to start with! 

Yoga bomb is divine! Don't be fooled by it's plain orange appearance as once it's been fizzing a while it starts exploding with more colours, I really wasn't expecting that!

Amongst the some of the new products I received, there were a few favourites like granny takes a dip in bath bomb and bubble bar form, cinders (if Christmas was a smell) and sparkly pumpkin - saving this for a Halloween bath this week! 

I also got a Lush gift card from my parents which I will be putting to good use on the newest Lush products! It won't be long until I've worked my way through this lot and I will be stocking up on Christmas bits and bombs for my Lush basket! It's fair to say that this will keep me going for a while though! 

Have you spotted any of your favourite Lush products? What Christmas Lush products would you recommend?

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OOTD | Feeling Autumnal

Top - Topshop

Skirt - Urban Outfitters

Shoes - Chockers

Bag - Carvela Kurt Geiger

Pom pom keyring - Dune

The tights are well and truly out now which I'm not happy about at all, but what can you do?! It was relatively warm last weekend for my trip to London but the autumnal weather has definitely set in now! In true fashion, this is a new outfit that I picked up on Oxford street last week. Mustard is my new favourite colour which I never knew would happen, but it goes with so many different colours and denim! These ribbed high neck tops are perfect for wearing with pretty much anything and Topshop do them in lots of different colours which is great news for everyone! My £10 primark bag also broke last week, what do I expect though?! I had only had it a few weeks so it was about time I invested slightly more in a bag of better quality, and I really did fall in love with this Carvela Kurt Geiger bag, it's a very similar design to some designer makes and Zara bags, and my Jerry pom pom keyring looks amazing on it - I must invest in some more! 

I will hopefully be back super soon posting more outfit posts and I also have a lush haul lined up for you all to read. It is kinda impossible to juggle blogging with my work schedule at the moment but you won't get rid of me that easily! I hope you're all having a relaxing weekend! 

What are your favourite colours for autumn? Do you like this outfit? Are you a fan of pom poms?

*Products marked with an asterix (*) have been sent to me for review. However, all opinions in this post are 100% my own

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10 Of The Best Independent Coffee Shops In Plymouth

Despite not drinking coffee myself, I love nothing more than heading to a coffee shop on my days off for a delicious treat on the weekend, whether it's by myself, catching up with friends or to get some work done, either way you just cant beat it. It's a given that every coffee shop I also go to I have to Instagram the food, it's like the law right?  There are so many cafes and coffee shops in Plymouth now which are both branded and Independent. Don't get me wrong, I love nothing more than a Starbucks or a Costa, but when a hot chocolate and a cake comes to about £8 I would rather be lining the pockets of a local and independent coffee shop. In the past couple of years we have had lots of new ones popping up and of course I have been eating and drinking my way around them! From my experience I wanted to share 10 of my favourite independent coffee shops in Plymouth that everyone should visit if you ever find yourselves in Plymouth! Be warned that you may feel particularly hungry after reading this post! In no particular order...

#1. Rumpus Cosy

Rumpus Cosy is without a doubt one of my favourite quirky cafes in Plymouth, with mismatched cups and saucers and a delightful offering of drinks and delicious cakes, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Their hot chocolates are amazing and are presented so well (see above), the marshmallows even come in a tiny plant pot - so cute! I just love little touches like this and it makes the place super Instagrammable (definitely a word!!). One of the Plymouth Blog Meets was also held here, which can read more about here. 

#2. Wills At One

Tucked away in Royal William Yard, Wills At One really is a secret garden. There is no nicer place than this to visit in the summer, the gardens are beautifully kept and become a little sun trap. They serve the most delicious afternoon teas as you can see, and this place offers peace and tranquility which is something that really is hard to find these days.

#3. The Boathouse Cafe

Recently done up, The Boathouse Cafe is situated on the Barbican and has the most perfect view of the yachts in the harbour. They have a full menu and are often open late into the evening. This is a lovely place to stop off for a warm or cold drink whatever the weather.

#4. Prime Cafe Bar
Prime Cafe Bar is without a doubt one of my favourite cafe finds from 2016, and it's not a place that many people know about. It's tucked away in Ebrington street which since the arrival of some new cafes I've never even visited before, and I had definitely been missing out. Ebrington street is really up and coming in Plymouth with a bit of an edgy vibe to it.

Prime Cafe Bar is a place that I could imagine coming to by myself, sinking into their cosy armchairs and blogging for the day, whilst surrounded by copious amounts of tea and of course, cake. The best bit? No one would bother you. It's probably one of my favourite coffee shops in Plymouth with a definite Hygge factor. Their cake is amazing, and they serve generous portion sizes as you can see below. It's 100% worth a visit away from the hustle and bustle of town, and if you get a window seat it's perfect for people watching!

#5. The Good Coffee Headquarters

One of my favourite finds of 2017, GCHQ was one of the newest independent coffee shops on the scene at the end of 2016, and they are also situated in the up and coming area that is Ebrington Street. I mean, light bulb envy, seat envy, cake envy and even puppy envy - this place is a wonderful escape from life for a couple of hours.

Coffee and a slice of cake won't set you back much, and you're free to sit and relax for as long as you like. I love the idea that lots of locals regularly use this coffee shop because of their amazing coffee. I can definitely imagine myself coming back, watching the world go by whilst getting my blog on with a rather large slice of cake.

I'd been following their Instagram page for a while before I first visited, and noticed that they had the cutest little waiter who's in fact a Golden lab called Ozzy. Having a little face appear at your table isn't unusual, but he's super friendly and adds a bit of extra character to the place. If you're at a loose end on a weekend, I'd definitely recommend you to stop by, it's such a refreshing change from the centre of town! The lovely owners have also kindly offered all of my readers a 2 for 1 offer on tea and coffee, just say you came from my blog to claim the offer!

#6. The Strand Tea Rooms

Located in the heart of the Barbican, this quaint tea room is stuff that dreams are made of. With mismatched tableware and a cluttered interior this place oozes character, old fashioned tea rooms are few and far between and this is the first one I have found in Plymouth. Their cream teas and cakes are SO yummy, you'll also have a pretty sweet view of the harbour!

#7. YAY! Koffee & Laundry

This one hasn't been open for very long and is situated on Mutley Plain. I absolutely love the concept of this coffee shop as you can combine washing your laundry with stopping off for a coffee and a piece of cake. Waiting for your washing to finish can be boring so I think this concept will really work. Needless to say you don't need to be washing your laundry to be able to go!

#8. The Bakery

Also in The Royal William Yard (my favourite place in Plymouth, if you hadn't noticed) is home to The Bakery. Filled with door step sized pieces of cake and plenty of tea and coffee, it's the perfect place to stop off at to refuel after a walk by the sea. I devoted a whole post to The Bakery last year which you can read here. 

#9. Chocaccino

Who doesn't love chocolate? On the cobbled streets of the Barbican you'll find Choccaccino, you'll be warmly invited in by the sweet smells of chocolate, and there is plenty of chocolately delights to choose from. I treated my mum to an afternoon tea here last year and everything was chocolate themed, there were chocolate chip scones, chocolate sauce, truffles, mousses...the list goes on. Is there ever such a thing as too much chocolate? I'll let you decide!

#10. The Americano Coffee House

Last but not least is the Americano Coffee House! Located in the busy shopping area of Plymouth by the Drake Circus mall, I can only describe the interior as looking like a cave, but a nice one! So many comfy chairs and sofas and everything is lit up by twinkly fairy lights. There is so much choice of smoothies, milkshakes, warm meals and cakes to indulge in. This is a perfect place to visit in the winter as it's just so cosy!

So, that's my round up of the 10 best independent coffee shops in Plymouth, it was definitely a lengthy one! A few of these places are off the beaten track though and I want as many people to know and love them as much as I do! With so much choice, its always a difficult decision to decide where to eat next...

I hope you're all having a lovely weekend! Have you visited any of these before? Which coffee shop would you like to visit? Do you prefer chains or independent cafes?

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