"Dora the Explorer on Steroids" Plymouth Bloggers Meet 2016

Hello Everyone, I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far!

Apologies for the lack of videos, I have a few to edit and upload however I haven't got round to it yet as I've been working over time to save for some wonderful adventures I'll hopefully be taking you on next year.

A combination of all the footage I gathered from the Plymouth Bloggers meet in May, I had such a wonderful time and I want to say a massive thank you to Ellie for organising the event, it was wonderful to meet fellow bloggers. I will leave a link to all of their blogs for you to follow below :) Thank you so much

Natiee blogs xox

Follow me:
Blog: http://natiee92.blogspot.co.uk/
Snapchat: natieeblogs
Instagram: natiee_blogs
Twitter: Natiee_blogs

Sleek-Chic: http://www.sleek-chic.co.uk/
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May to October: https://maytooctober.wordpress.com/
Rhian Davis: https://www.youtube.com/user/RhianDxx

Letting Go never felt so easy, the cold never bothered me anyways! Bath Bomb Wednesdays with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far; If not, then I think this review will help you let things go in a very Frozen, blue, winter wonder and relaxed oasis. It is that time of week again and still being on the Lush Cosmetics range, today we're going to review the Disney movie inspired bath bomb that taught us all the importance of letting it go and blue, calm waters; Frozen Bath Bomb.

 Deeper light blue middle with a ice, light blue to the top and bottom, you could almost tell instantly that as this dissolved in the bath water, the middle would unleash this blue icy blast whilst the ice-cold light blue top and bottom layers create the bubble, milky and moisturising gloss top finish on the bath water, almost creating a look of frozen ice and snow within the bath; the glitter shimmer adding to the magic of this bath bomb. Upon placing the bath bomb in gently, the bomb was of medium-slow fizzing as the light blue dispersed across the bath water with a glitter like glow, almost looking like Elsa's dress-train from in the movie. In terms of on the glitter scale, this one does not have much of a glitter factor to it just a small amount to make it look like a icy lagoon, which to me was an appealing factor although recently I am very much enjoying the glitter bath bombs.
During it's winter-in-the-middle-of-summer performance, Frozen unleashed a beautifully minty, calming and cool, fresh breeze air around the bathroom being someone who enjoys the winter and Autumn season, the aroma did feel like a warm, comforting and refreshing hug from an old friend. The unique blend of Grapefruit, Rose water and Neroli oil's are known for their many benefits such as  an anti-depressant,  anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, reducing redness, treating eczema, acne and dermatitis, whilst the Neroli oil acts as a bactericidal, sedative and tonic substance meaning it restores physical and mental well being. You are looking at something that will not only beat the blues, it will blast you right out of them and leave the bather feeling refreshed, renewed and perhaps they'll burst out that bathroom screaming "LET IT GO!" I know that when I left this bathroom I did feel like a Queen, ready to rule her kingdom. All pains, redness, irritation and foul mood was lifted, whilst my sense of smell was left feeling calmed and floral. I think in terms of a cocktail, this bath bomb would go beautifully with Butterball, Milky bar or Sunny side bubble bar because although the bath bomb did lift my mood, my skin was left feeling quite rough and dehydrated. I bathed for as long as I usually do at an hour and twenty minutes, I would love for this bath bomb to have more of a moisturising feel which I somewhat expected since the bath bomb had a very white and milky release. I would however, still repurchase this bath bomb although I may combine it with other moisturising products and for the price of the product being more expensive than the other bombs, I was hoping it would tick all the box, but perhaps I have an overly high standard as above all I did enjoy this bath though I didn't enjoy the way my skin felt afterwards.
Rating: 3/5 
Price: £4.95

 

  

Transfiguration lessons: Turning your Bath into a Yoga mat! Bath Bomb Wednesdays with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello one and all,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far if you haven't come here before, my name is Natalie and I do regular blog posts on cruelty-free beauty products, makeup, books and TV shows. Today I am back with another bath bomb Wednesday, we are STILL in Lush cosmetics range (so many to try and there is so much more to come during Halloween and Christmas as well, I can not wait!) with today's little beauty taking me on a complete journey that in all honesty, I was not expecting but this quickly grounded, calmed and shot straight up to being one of my favourite bath time experiences ever; transformed my bath into my yoga mat, the Yoga Bath Bomb is an orange delight that I will be repurchasing without a doubt.

   I combined the orange ball of sunshine with 1/4 of Brightside bubble bar to add some citrus awakening to the relaxing freshness and the two scents really did compliment each other very well. The Zesty citrus like fragrance from Yoga Bath bomb worked extremely well with the fragrance from Brightside, giving the bath a very grounding, cleansing and calming feel which instantly uplifted and detoxed the mood from all negative emotions, like a 30 minute Yoga session done within a few moments of making the bath bomb. The yoga bomb having slightly dots of blue and pink with glitter dusting on the outer layer was just a sneak peak of the phenomenal show inside the bath bomb that would instantly calm the user as the watch the colours disperse.
As Yoga bomb touches the water, the sodium bicarbonate helps to create a milky outer layer that sits beautifully on top of the bath water as the bath bomb slowly dissolves, leaving small amount of bubbles and unleashing the fragrance for a long time around the bath. The moisturising qualities from the milky bubbles can be felt during the bath and afterwards, feels like a constant cuddle from the bath bomb itself to ground you back to Earth in a slow, compassionate way and whilst releasing the milky white bubbles, which makes it look like the sun, slowly the bath bomb begins to release more colour and display a show that instantly calms the bather as we see the yellow, purple and blue oasis sitting beautifully on top of the water with the added glitter shine. It was a very slow performer but absolutely beautiful to watch and extremely calming with all the colours stimulating the visual needs, whilst the scent of sandalwood offers an earthy fragrance known in aromatherapy for its mental clarity, relaxing and soothing, as well as being known to decrease blood pressure and is great in assisting those with endometriosis, by relieving the pain as an anti-inflammatory.
As well as Sandalwood, the Yoga bomb contains other beautiful oils and ingredients with many health benefits such as Olibanum (also known as Frankincense) works as an anti-wrinkle, scar, wound or acne remedy, great for digestion and relieves the body from pain whilst also being a beautiful tool to help cure the common cold or flu; this bath bomb ticks all the boxes for those who enjoy a show, need a calming, relaxation and body detox to bring them back to Earth.
Once it's dissolved, the bath was left with a beautiful orange and glitter filled lagoon, that made enchanting waters and felt like you stepped inside a lava lamp with an aromatherapy fragrance of citrus, floral and earth like nature that helped to cleanse and uplift the mood as if by magic. Skin after the bath was left feeling soft with a small amount of glitter remaining on the body and it definitely felt well moisturised and my mood was left uplifted; raised like a phoenix so overall, I will definitely be buying this bath bomb again and I thoroughly enjoyed this bath.
Rating: 5/5 
Price: £3.95

Everyone wants to AVO-bath! Bath Bomb Wednesdays with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello One and All,

It has been a while since I posted, mainly because I have been doing a lot more self-love and care these days with working out at the gym, counselling and seeking support as well as career-focused. Today, I have some time to write up the next 12 bath bombs that I have tested, in particular, is probably a symbolism of exactly what I have been needing in the last few weeks. Put the water on, get naked and AVO-Bath.

Available all year round, this green little amigo is a friend to those in need of relaxation, energising and refreshing after a tiresome and long day. Fresh, citrusy and at the same time a sea-salt fragrance making it relaxing; almost like a warm hug from an old friend as you step into the bath, that just intensely and instantly relieves stress, pain. Beautiful, big and green when first gracing eyes on it although simple and not as extravagant as the others like Golden Egg, I would seriously recommend this bomb to who needs to unwind. A mix of the Lemongrass, bergamot oils, olive oil and fresh avocado each having its own benefits, relieves the body of stress, anxiety, anti-oxidant, unclogged pores, enhanced exfoliation, filled with vitamin C and E and filled with moisturising qualities.
When placing it into the water, it is a very quick fizzer and the fragrance was unleashed instantly, something which was greatly appreciated after a 7-hour shift constantly on my feet. Softly turning the water into a green-blue I was pleasantly surprised by this bath bomb and did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
My skin when I left this green, relaxing lagoon in a bath, my skin had a slight glitter shimmer, it felt soft, hydrated, moisturised with all aches gone and any anxiety relieved, leaving me feeling relaxed and sleepy.
Rating: 4/5 would repurchase. 

Hello Bath, Hello Lush Ro-Ro-Ro-Ro-Rose Bombshell! Bath Bomb Wednesday's with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a fantastic week so far, welcome back to another Bath Bomb Wednesday and we're still in Lush cosmetics with a mother's day special that will make anyone feel like a beauty queen or like they're laying in a bed of roses (to quote Bon Jovi). Although this isn't available anymore in store, I purchased this bath bomb within a Lush Cosmetics group and when you do things like that, I do suggest you use it as soon as possible because once it is no longer fresh, there is a chance the product will not perform as well as they usual would.
Rose Bombshell is beautifully decorated with rose flowers on it beautiful, pink round physique, a purple like centre that's filled with Rose petals (see me make this bath bomb into a Shower cream). The scent of the bath bomb is very close to Rose Jam however, it seemed to have its own unique twist which I couldn't quite place.

I felt it was much more floral than Rose jam or the Rose jam bubbleroon, which is much sweeter and subtle where as Rose bombshell is very much more rose fragrance. Known for their moisturising, nourishing and balancing the skin tone, cancelling out redness to even out tone and take away any signs of inflammation, the Rose oils and petals within this bath bomb, really did tick the boxes leaving my skin soft, even in tone and moisturised as well as having a relaxing and nurturing impact, turning your water into a pink love lagoon.
Rose bombshell when it was placed gently into the water was very quick fizzing and subtle in scent, though not very frothy so if you're hoping for more bubbles and froth I would recommend combining this bath bomb with Rose Jam shower gel, Rose jam Bubbleroon or I can imagine it would go very well with pop in the bath, big bang, milky bar, butterball or a snow-fairy or no fragrance scented bath product, leaving the body feeling sweet and soft whilst adding that froth and complimenting the rose.
When I entered the bath, did feel like I was entering Barbie's dream bathtub, in spite of their being petals already which are released in the middle of the bomb, I decided to add more petals to increase moisture, fragrance and add more affection or personal touch to the bath which definitely helped me relax so much more. Does it meet my criteria for a "Mum" bath? I would say yes it does, it's nurturing, comforting, relaxing, with a floral rose aroma making it a great mother's day present.
The skin when I departed from this bath was stained with the subtle Rose Jam fragrance, extremely smooth, evened my skin tone, well moisturised and all dry areas on my body quickly became soft, dropped off and were no longer existent.
If you are not keen on a floral, sweet scent then this is not a bath bomb for you but for myself personally I will probably repurchase this item if it makes a comeback next year because of the positive effects and subtle fragrance, which it left my skin with. However, despite all this, it is not one of my all time favourite bath bombs from their seasonal/special occasion collections.

Rating: 3/5 

Suffering from wonder lust? You will after this bath beaut: Golden Wonder review. Bath Bomb Wednesdays with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far this week. Back again with another sensual bath for you all, this time with a Christmas special. You might ask how I am getting a hold of these right now? People are still selling some of these on Lush Facebook groups, two of which I am a part of and it's fantastic for getting your hands on limited edition bath bombs or goodies, which may have been in the kitchen and you missed the chance or they were on special time and you missed that opportunity; it's also a fantastic way to make new friends. You should know the drill by now but just in case, my name is Natalie, I have been doing blogs for the past year and "Bath bomb Wednesdays" on Instagram for the past two months on natiee_blogs and in today's review, we have the one that started my best friend, Chloe, off into her lush loving phase, the Golden Wonder bath bomb.

I combined this relaxing beauty with a sample of Yellow Fun kindly given to me by the lovely Chloe (thank you my dear!) and they are given in these very generous sample sizes, but we'll do a small focus on that later on. Golden wonder is as you can see, shaped like a Christmas present and it really is a delightful present. Again, similar to the Golden egg I feel like this is another bomb that has decreased in size, but great things come in small packages (you don't have to laugh at my terrible puns, I'll do that for you). At the price of £3.95, this bath bomb is definitely worth your money, very relaxing and certainly leaves a one of a kind impression on you. I did have the misfortune of dropping mine before I placed it in the bath, though I did my best to keep it together but this may effect my overall judgement of the bomb as it may spoil the performance, it was still a whole bath bomb and I still thoroughly enjoyed this bath.
A blend of cognac, gardenia extract, lime oils and orange oils are a fantastic, sweet, floral and fragrant combination inviting Christmas into the home in the warmest way, whilst being combined with cream of Tartar gives the bath bomb and many of the bubble bars, their frothy and snow-like bubbles that land beautifully on top of the light, winter-frost blue waters. The smell which rose from the steam, winter warm bath greeted my nose and senses with a gentle, baby oil and body wash fragrance, definitely more calming, moisturising and nourishing, exactly what you need when being revealed to the winter elements. When placing into the water, I saw a gentle yellow, blue and white expel and dance around with the bathwater, creating a frosty like blue with glitter shimmer to add highlight and healthy glow to the body and with a combination of small stars, adds to this winter night bath in the middle of May (I know, bizarre).
This is a bath bomb I would recommend to have in the winter over summer, to use just before bed, it's rejuvenating, refreshing, Christmassy and warming in all areas of its ingredients and in bath experience. I personally, didn't find an overload of bubbles within my bath, which I enjoyed as I don't like to smother in bubbles. Soft, gentle and relaxing soak leaving the water falling off the skin in a fast motion from the softness this product has left the skin and the fresh feel lasted a very long time. My mood was lifted, relaxed and a lot more pleasant after a stressful day, I highly recommend when this bath bomb returns.
Rating: 5/5 


 

I'm blue though I should be purple (Da ba dee Da ba Hair-Dye?...) LA Directions "Violet Night" hair dye review.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are ok, fine and having a fantastic week so far.
Those of you who have known me for years know very well that I am one for the crazy hair colours and have been since I left school, going to college at 16 (we're talking 7 years of crazy hair, that is dedication) so for the past 2 years I've just stuck to blonde hair but I never fully felt like myself.
Recently, I reverted back to a crazy colour, having in mind a Deep plum purple to lavender ombre as the aimed colour, I put my trust in La Directions, who seemed to work tremendously well for my friend, Becky Cook (Disney Polar). Usually for my crazy colours, I do tend to lean on Manic Panic just because I know they're a good brand, they're 100% vegan and their colours last well above the usual semi-permanent hair dyes, however, I thought to be a fair blogger it might be nice to gain a difference and go with a different brand.
LA Directions are vegetarian-friendly, founded in 1981 in U.K, which not only offers hair dyes but they also have products such as tattoo balms, shampoos, conditioners, toners and lightening kits. I have some of my manic panic pasteliser left over, so I figured that would do the lavender perfectly. You can purchase LA Directions from Tribal voice, Trudi's in Paignton and Blue banana, online or Hot Topic stores, the hair dyes require a minimum of 20 minutes in order to sink into the hair and work.
In the products defence, I did not bleach my hair before hand because it was already somewhat blonde aside from the roots, which I deemed to be ok as I wished for the hair to be darker at the roots and fall into lighter shades of purple until the tips were lilac to white.

 The image on the right is a rather vain selfie of my hair before I placed the dye on it, I figured it was a mousy blonde that might take the colour quite well, this one little slip up and thought lead to something that could be a recreation of a Laurel and Hardy sketch. Image the left after a slight trim and the purple dye was placed on is the outcome of the LA Directions violet night. The semi permanent dye did take on my hair quite well, leaving this purple tone for a few washes however, due to the hair not fully soaking up the colour, after one wash it soon came out and the colour seeped everywhere I was asleep, turning my white pillow cases a light blue colour. Obviously, being a purple there were blue tones within the dye, which as I washed the dye out it stained my head, neck and parts of the bath requiring a thorough bleaching afterwards. The brand are cruelty free and at a very affordable £5 a pot in comparison to Manic Panic at £9.99 a pot, with some of the colours that work on freshly bleached hair a lot better than it's taken on my hair.
Honestly, I really did not enjoy this hair dye for the fact that it went everywhere, the colour lasted 2-3 washes and soon became a green to blue hair colour, it stained my clothes and pillow cases whilst I was asleep. I would not repurchase anything from LA Directions in all honesty and I am more of a Manic Panic purchaser as when I did have bright blue hair, I had no issues with Manic Panic at all. I will gladly pay more for quality over value for money and manic panic being vegan friendly is massive bonus.
Rating 1/5.  

I want a Golden Egg Daddy and I want it NOW! Bath Bomb Wednesdays with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello Everybody,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far. Those of you who have been here before, welcome back and those of you who are new, my name is Natalie I am a vegetarian/vegan beauty blogger based in the South West of England.
Some of you who follow me on Instagram or follow this blog will know I have been doing "Bath bomb Wednesdays" regularly as a feature of my blog, today we will be exploring one of the Easter Specials that everyone pretty much loses it for, including Veruca Salt (we understand Veruca, we really do) and I think all Lushies in unison begin chanting.

The Golden Egg works as a two in one with the bath oil on the outside and the bath bomb on the inside, so with this product, you get the two in one luxury with all the glitter as well. I believe for first-time lush buyer or cocktail makers, this would be a perfect first purchase as you wouldn't frantically be searching the shop for two bath products, which compliment each other, though the members of staff are helpful and extremely good at advising. Egg shaped, covered in glitter and joy, however in comparison to last years golden egg, it's a lot smaller in size, the bath bomb certainly does draw in your attention and eyes like a clan of magpies (if you tell me you aren't drawn to shiny things, you're lying just a little bit!).
I do not recommend this bath bomb if you are not a fan of glitter, although within the bath it practically sits with the rest of the water, it's simply picking up the egg the glitter gets everywhere so do ask if you can have it wrapped up, to keep your stuff glitter-free safe.
Being a bath oil as well as a bath bomb in the centre, when first placing the golden egg in the water the lovely oils slowly turned the water to this golden yellow with a shimmer to it, something that reminds me of sunshine in a bath and the scent was a very sweet toffer like fragrance which can only be described as the inside of Willy Wonka's factory, the smell raised slowly from the bath and lasted a long time. The oil disappearing into the water almost looks like a potato lightly peeling, it isn't as extravagant a show as experimenter or intergalactic however, it is very relaxing to watch and makes for a very calming, soothing bath.
The bath bomb centre was slow fizzing, calming, simple and added to the golden yellow which the bath oil created, soking within this hydrating, slight glittery lagoon really is like bathing in liquid gold and rising from the glitter to smell just like toffee and caramel. After effects of the bath leave the glitter maintained on the body to give a slight highlight and natural looking glow, as well as the sweet toffee fragrance, which I thoroughly enjoyed though I do wish the bath bomb was a lot bigger, as it was last year.
The hype that surrounded this product made me feel slightly disappointed by in someways, but for a relaxing yet luxurious bath I do recommend the Golden Egg. To see this bath bomb in action and many others, you can view it on my instagram at "natiee_blogs"
Rating as a bath oil: 4/5
Rating as a Bath Bomb: 2/5

 

 

BANG! And the Fizz is on! "Fizzbanger" Bath Bomb Wednesday with Lush cosmetics!

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are fine, well and having a lovely week so far. Today, I am back with another bath bomb review with Lush Cosmetics and it is a citrus, yellow, beauty under the name of "Fizzbanger". The reviews available to read on this blog are to go hand-in-hand with the "bath bomb Wednesday" on my Instagram.

Barry Scott can officially eat his heart out and watch all of his dirt or worries disappear, but even Cillit bang has nothing on this beautiful product; mostly because this is definitely intended for relaxation, cleanse and detox rather than scrubbing the bathroom or kitchen. Looking somewhat like a child's expectation of the sun, yellow and perfectly circular, very simple and plain but looks are very deceiving and the performance which comes inside this little ray of sunshine really is something to marvel. Upon touching the water, we see the outer edge slowly dissolve into the water leaving a creamy yellow to fill the bath and the bomb itself turns a yellow, white as the foam slowly spreads around the bath, casting a beautiful fresh fragrance up through the air and into our noses. Interestingly enough, although this product does not contain any lemon and actually has far more floral scents, I would say the product is a citrus fresh sort of fragrance this probably coming from the citrus oils, which seem to be quite overpowering and cast a shadow on the slight Ylang-Ylang and cinnamon leaf oils within the product, but that doesn't mean it's not a beautiful scent. Warming, brightening, and energy-lifting, upon placing this bath bomb into the water and the smells unleashing, I felt the tired bags under my eyes slowly cast away whilst the rest of my body slowly relaxed into the cleansing, deeply relaxing and revitalizing waters. Very slow fizzing when it was dissolving but the colours that all joined together were truly beautiful and leave you soaking in a very green and almost alien-like bath as the slow blue, mixes with the yellow and inside you can find a cute little note saying "Bang" just like the blackberry bath bomb, which was so adorable. Its scent is a lot stronger than the other bombs I used which meant a pure, deep cleanse and this was certainly felt as the ingredients within it contain high amounts of anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory and a deep cleanse into the pores pulling all toxins out the body.
Personally, I'm not overly fond of slow fizzers, but I have to admit I have a soft spot for the Fizzbanger, though it isn't my favourite product but it is very much what I would say, a summertime bath bomb. Very moisturising, the popping candy is not really heard of and the scent is very cleansing as well as the bath being very awakening. I would use this more so as a morning bath product than an evening relax unless I really felt I needed the detox.
Rating: 3/5

"Intergalactic" will take your brain to another dimension: Bath Bomb Wednesdays with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello my Lovelies,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week and that the rest of it is scrum-diddly-luscious!
For those of you who are new here, Welcome my name is Natalie and I have been blogging for a log period of time now... almost a year. Wow.
Upon doing my blog, I have become extremely passionate to (as best as I can) avoid using products or brands, which sell to China, owned by a mother company which tests or test on animals, it is against my beliefs that we should harm another living creature for the sake of vanity. Upon doing this, I have fallen head over heels in love with Lush cosmetics, who pride themselves on being against animal cruelty as well and to celebrate how wonderful Lush truly are I have been doing throughout this month "Bath Bomb Wednesday's" on my Instagram (@natiee_blogs) and in the second week of doing this, I was very much persuaded by the members of staff in Lush Plymouth to purchase "Intergalactic", which has quickly become one of my favourite bath bombs.

 Intergalactic is shaped in a beautiful blue bath bomb, with slight pink and yellow around it almost making it look like the northern lights, whilst its fragrance is light mint and quite refreshing. As it dissolves in the bath, quite therapeutic to watch the pink, white and yellow expel from the bath bomb to release a deep, dark lagoon blue bath with a slight sparkle, which really did take you into outer space.
As I entered the store to purchase this product whilst bringing the pots back, a lovely store assistant showed me how truly amazing this bath bomb can be when adding SunnySide bubble bar, it creates the very beautiful bath cocktail "mermaid's tail" which looks absolutely beautiful, the intergalactic alone is superb but the extra sparkle really does add something unique and the smell is a warm, mint, refreshing fragrance that definitely cleanses your body inside and out. In this case, I also saw another cocktail again by Lush Plymouth on their twitter, with the Intergalactic and Ladybird bubble bar, which deepened the blue, it added a slight berry refreshing fragrance and really complimented the fragrance from Intergalactic it was beautiful and all toxins officially destroyed. The mix of the mint to detoxify, cleanse and used in aromatherapy to refresh and relax the mind really does work along with the mix of popping candy, grapefruit oil and cedarwood oil offers a load of different benefits for skin and body from antiseptic, tonic to help tone up all organ systems and encourage detox through body functions to anti-inflammatory properties meaning your body gets the full works.

The water in the bath is absolutely spectacular being as dark as the night sky with the sparkle of the stars that make it absolutely beautiful and when leaving this out of this universe pamper planet, my skin was left feeling quite hydrated, clean and a slight sparkle to give the skin a natural highlight glow, which looks absolutely beautiful. The colours of the bath water along with the fresh grass, floral and mint-like-scent on the skin truly made me feel like a space mermaid and the scent was not overpowering on the skin, great for those who aren't keen on strong fragrances. The combination of the two was beautiful and I definitely recommend it, one of my favourite products and baths.


Rating: 5/5

 

Lets get personal...Or not you know. It's only 20 things anyways.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far!
It's been a year since I began blogging and roughly 4 months since I started doing YouTube videos again yet I don't think I've ever given you much information about myself at all.
I figured it's time we bonded, it's time to let down those PC walls and personas to let you in on who I am as a person... maybe.

1. My middle name is Tracy, after my mother. 
2. Music taste is completely varied, one minute I'll be listening to Craig David, Two door cinema club, Arctic monkeys, The Beatles, Beach Boys, Fetty Wap, Trap city remixes, Queens of the Stone Age etc. and then next It will be Cute is what we aim for, Taking back Sunday, Beartooth, ACDC, Metallica, Queen etc. I have no genre. 
3. I prefer fruit to chocolate. Fruit will be the first thing to go snack wise, then when it comes to desperate measures because we're out of fruit, I will go to chocolate or buy chocolate because it's cheaper than buying more fruit. 
4. I dislike sweets, they remind me of a time when I was younger and my friend dared me to fit 20+ sweets in my mouth all at once, I ended up vomiting them back up within 5 seconds and I've never liked sweets since. 
5. I have made tiny steps towards the transition to Vegetarian/Veganism with just beauty products such as skincare, deodorant etc. I feel like it's wrong that we test on animals in the sake of "vanity" but I respect that it is a big lifestyle change and I don't expect anyone else to make the same decision, they can still talk to me and I will still advice them on makeup that does animal testing, if they ask for it. 
6. I was vegetarian for a year, though, but it made me ill (I didn't eat anything to replace the loss of Iron)  
7. I frantically worry about upsetting other people, so much so I often annoy people by constantly saying "sorry" and never making a decision in case the decision I make upsets someone. 
8. Also, I sometimes become quite distant quite often out of fear that I'm annoying people. 
9. I have two dogs that are lazy as anything but they're my best friends and I love them more than fruit. 
10. people once thought I was my mother at a wedding, I got called "Tracy" for the whole evening whilst my mother got called "Natalie"...it upset me a little because I'm no way old enough to have a 40-year-old daughter at the age of 23. How does that even work? 
11. I almost went to audition for the role of Hermione Granger, however, I got so worried about missing a day of school and my education that I decided not to go. (Ironic!) 
12. I started YouTube when I was 16 when a friend of mine was sectioned under the mental health act and she didn't have anything else to look forward to. I cheered her up so it was my way of being there for her, though I was not allowed to visit her. 
13.  I take things to heart even if it's not a personal attack, I will beat myself up religiously over a tiny error or mistake. It is a habit I really wish to break and one that maybe one day, I will if I persevere. 
14. I am very, very easily distracted with a short attention span and I often find my mind will wonder even during conversations. 
15. Normally I have different coloured hair and people say it suits who I am because I'm a very different person and natural hair isn't my thing because I don't blend, there is something beautifully unique. 
16. I am not allowed caffeine really, it gives me heart palpitations quite badly and migraines if I have too much caffeine in a short space of time. 
17. I don't like drugs and I'm not the biggest fan of getting absolutely drunk. 
18. I have one younger sibling called Emily, who is my best friend and I love her more than fruit as well. 
19. Exercise and drawing are my releases or the activities I choose to do when I'm alone, as well as blogging, reading etc. 
20. Heels and I do not get on, look like a deer learning how to walk.  

thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed learning more about moi! Love you all so much and you're all wonderful people, have a lovely day xoxo

Swimming with the fishes in the "Big Blue": Bath Bomb Wednesdays with Lush Cosmetics.

Hello my Lovelies, 

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far.
Recently on my Instagram every Wednesday (or Monday/Tuesday if I'm working Wednesday), I've been doing something called "bath bomb Wednesdays" where I test out different bath bombs from Lush Cosmetics, Bath Bomb cosmetics, and online independent shops on ETSY or other recommendations, which are cruelty-free or vegan. It was with the greatest pleasure that to accompany these posts, I am going to be doing "Bath review Thursdays" All of the bombs I used in last months baths, will be reviewed on the blog the following month. In the shortest form, "Sneak peeks" on my Instagram of all the bath cocktails, bombs and more are available to watch and will be reviewed on my blog. So without further ado, the first bath bomb I gave a little glance at this month was "Big Blue" by LUSH cosmetics.

Big blue comes with a white top and all blue bottom, it literally smells like the ocean mixed with lemon citrus in a small ball making the bomb a very refreshing, relaxing experience and it looks divine.
The bomb fizzled very quickly as you'll be able to see on Instagram (@natiee_blogs), slowly releasing a very mild scent of lemon and ocean sea salts it was barely noticeable but calming enough. As it fizzled quite quickly, the water became a very beautiful bright blue and the seaweed slowly dispersed from the bomb the beauty of the seaweed is that it's made with a slow, dissolving gel so the seaweed slowly melts in the bath offering your skin more moisture and luxury treatment. The calming, aromatherapy effects of sea salt are universally known, which is why this bath bomb is used in the Lush Spa's and placed gently into some dry ice, where it slowly releases the blue mist and fragrance offering spa users peace, tranquillity and calm. If you're not the keenest fan on the seaweed you can use a sieve and place your bath bomb inside under the hot tap, whilst the seaweed gel melts and offers extra moisture, the use of lemon oil cleanses the body of toxins and helps the mind to unwind just as much as the sea salts and with this combination, as well as the light blue colour, psychology studies would 100% agree that you are in for a very relaxing, detoxifying bath.
I saved big blue for an occasion where I felt most stressed, pain and aches in my body to find that it did just as expected, with little extravagant performance this bath bomb quickly soothed all aching joint pains, headaches and with no foam or bubbles, it truly allowed my body to just be with the hot water, seaweed and blue peace.
My body was ache free and when I arrived downstairs, my sister and I both, could smell whiff of lemon sherbet from my skin which was caused by the bath bomb, my skin was left feeling soft, moisturised and thoroughly cleansed, I personally think this is a wonderful bath bomb and I would very much love to repurchase.
Rating: 4/5 

This is a "Cowspiracy!" Lush Cinema, Exeter!

Hello my lovelies,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a fantastic evening! I and my beautiful best friend, Chloe, attended a Lush cinema event a few weekends back now and we had the amazing opportunity to learn how agriculture is causing over half of the world's pollutions, on top of making "Big Blue" bath bomb! It was a truly fantastic experience and I want to say, thank you to the Exeter Lush team for being as lovely and welcoming as always, I really enjoyed the experience and I learnt so much about why it is people turn vegan, to save the planet. I hope you enjoy the video as much as we enjoyed the event, hopefully, there will be more of these to come. :))

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Veleza App!

Hello my lovelies :)

I got a Veleza app account, you can follow me and find out whats on my shelf!! ^_^

Beating the Bad Book Blues or Good Book Comas: 8 Ways to rekindle your love for books.

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all fine, well and having a lovely week so far.
Cast your minds to the runners wall, writers block, the urge to do something you thoroughly enjoy, however, reaching a block or point where you can not continue or you're struggling to enjoy it anymore, no matter how much you push. Readers get it as well ladies and gents, those of you who have a love for all things paperback, e-book or hardcover with beautiful plot twists, protagonists, and vastly varied authors know all too well what it is like to reach that "wall" usually happening after an exceptionally good read or in some unfortunate cases, some less enjoyable reads; both of these have a name, in my eyes, "The good book coma" is one I have been severely struggling with last month in March, upon finishing "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard, the review you can see on my YouTube or previous post, I found myself feeling empty without the story of Mare, the plot twists and the cruel world of Reds and Silvers so much so, it did not matter how many books I attempted to read not a single book kept me hooked or filled the void.
So, this month, as oppose to creating a video like I normally do each month expressing my new love and recommended read, this month I figured I'd give the readers who have found themselves in one of these predicaments a chance to break the good book coma or bad book blues, to explore a world of ideas to regain your motivation to pick up those books and fall in love all over again.

1) Re-read a classic, favourite novel. 

 

Re-reading a book series that you absolutely loved is a really clever and fantastic way of rekindling the love for reading. Reminding yourself of things you forgot that maybe happened in the series, revisiting old characters and story lines that feel like old friends, reminds you of why you got into reading in the first place. A personal favourite of mine and one that will never get old, no matter your age would have to be the Harry Potter series. Even sometimes revisiting childhood and reading former favourites such as Faraway tree by Enid Blyton, Michael Morpurgo, Jaqueline Wilson and Roald Dahl can be even more helpful and relaxing.



2) Reading short stories, poems or plays.

Sometimes we don't always have time to read as much as we would like to. I have often fantasised about gorging into the world of a paperback, but sometimes life just isn't on our side and the urge to just spend a week or month in a hut to read books rises (yes, I've been there too!). Alternatively, the idea of reading a big book can be daunting when you have no motivation or desire. Luckily, in these situations reading just one short story, poem or one act from a play can quench the need to read in our busy or hectic days and can remotivate us to read just a little more each day. Sometimes, a short story can be far more powerful and great than an entire series, never push it until you tried it. The beautiful part as well about short stories or poems is the fact you can find these anywhere, even by simply googling for a short story and poem, you can even come across new authors. An example is the collection of short stories by Neil Gaiman, on the right "M is for Magic" which has been on my reading list for a small amount of time since stumbling across it in Waterstones. At present for short stories, I'm reading "The Tales of Beedle and Bard" by J.K. Rowling.


3) Buy the sequel to that novel you can't get over! 
The good book coma began after finishing "Red Queen" by Victoria Aveyard, I fell in love with the plot twists, the characters, the uprising and the world or plot itself;Victoria's style of writing and everything she had created. To finish the novel left me feeling a sense of emptiness and a desire to read more of this story and characters, after having tried to read seven other books I realised I couldn't move on until I had the next book, Glass Sword, in my hands. So of course, I purchased the sequel and I have found that my love for reading has returned, there is that sense of dread and I will be honest, I have been rationing the book so I don't come back to the Good book Coma again, readers problems.

4) Read another book by your favourite author or by the same author of your favourite novel.

Often if you have fallen in love with what one author has written, you will fall in love with their other work even if it's not always along the same lines. Authors have a voice, some of them make you feel at home in the worlds they created, others make you feel intrigued, attachment or maybe the complete opposite, perhaps they fill you with emotions of rage, disdain and you actually continue to read to see if they meet the end you think they deserve. However, even within other works, you will tend to see their voice shine through and their unique style or ability to twist anything, make you feel everything. If you love one book, you may love a variety of other works by the same author, I know full well that I will certainly pick up more Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, Angela Marston, J.R.R Tolkien and many more authors other works (Of course!) etc.

5) Try a different genre. 

Sometimes you need a change of pace, theme, genre to spice it up and keep your interest. It's all fine and well to have one favourite genre, but to continuously just stick to that genre or the two same genre's can start to actually make you feel as though you're falling out of love with those genres altogether. In this situations, it's time to pick up a book you never thought you'd read, whether that book belongs to crime fiction or horror, as oppose to the usual Science-Fiction or fantasy. Perhaps by doing this, you'll even find a new genre or author that you can't help but fall in love with.

6) If you're not enjoying the book, just put it down. 

If you're simply finding that you aren't loving a book, you aren't falling into the world, as frustrating and upsetting as it maybe this book might not be the one for you at this present moment in time. It is totally ok to put a book down, do something else and then pick up a completely different book and come back to that one another time, never force yourself to read or do something you don't want to do because if it's not happening, you'll only enjoy the book a lot less than if you read it when you actually wanted to read it. Whether this book is a different genre to what you normally read or not, if it's not happening, it's not happening.

7) Watching film or media adaptations. 

Sometimes, a media or film adaptation can make the mind curious as to what the original text or book was like. Game of Thrones, for example, is of a similar nature to the show, George R.R Martin insisted on being on the set of the show to ensure it stayed true to the novels, although this meant that book readers spoiled the show for the TV watchers. A lot of media and films are based on the ideas from novels, even Mean Girls and sometimes, reading the originals adds more to the characters adventures and stories, the atmosphere of the setting etc. It makes the readers feel more involved and can really rekindle the love for TV or Books or both, and with rumours of "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett being adapted to a 6 part TV series, Harlan Coben's "the Five" being another and "Time of Death" by Mark Billingham, reading could not be more important so you have an understanding of the show.

8) Friend recommendations or joining book clubs. 

A friend who reads is a friend indeed if that friend can recommend and lend you books they are worth far more of your time than you realise. Sometimes when you exchange books with friends, again you stumble into genres you wouldn't have stumble into, you save money as you switch and swap your books, bringing them back but at the same time getting new books to read as well. Alternatively, joining a local book club or starting your own can be a fantastic way to meet new people, find new books and enjoyment, as well as it's got to be a bonus right?

Thank you so much for reading, If you have any other types to rekindling the love for books, please feel free to share them by commenting below. I would love to hear from you, until next time my book lovers. xoxo