New Look Illuminating Makeup Primer review

What the brand says
It's time to revolutionise your makeup routine with a makeup primer that helps to keep your makeup looking fresh whilst giving your skin a healthy glow.

The Lowdown
I had been using Primark Ps... Perfect Glow primer for a while but I've started to get a bit fed up with it. I felt it was losing its effect and that it seems to get flaky and rub off when it dries. The formula of the New Look Illuminating makeup primer is really milky and almost watery. When I first tried it I only squeezed it lightly and loads of product squirted out on my hand. The primer felt quite light when I applied it to my skin and I easily massaged it in without it feeling sticky.

My makeup went on fairly well after the primer had dried and I didn't notice any flaking which was good. It's hard to tell if there's a illuminating effect but my skin did look slightly more dewy than normal.

The primer works quite well in keeping my makeup staying fresh for longer and it definitely hadn't faded as much by the evening. Whilst the intensity had faded a little, it was definitely a lot more visible than if I had been using the Primark primer. At £7.99 it's not the cheapest, but it's still under a tenner which gives you plenty of change to stock up on other beauty essentials.

I give it 4/5

Get it for £7.99 here

Advantages

• Light and easy to apply
• Doesn't feel sticky
• Keeps makeup fresh for longer

Disadvantages

• The product comes out way faster then it needs to meaning you could lose a lot of product!

Wedding face of the day

A few months ago I was very surprised to find my little cousin was getting married. It was all a bit of a whirlwind as they hadn't been together long but I was pleased to see she'd met her Mr Right. The morning of the wedding was a gorgeous warm sunny day, the warmest day of the year so far. I wanted to go for a glamorous look as i'd not been to a wedding for a couple of years.

I started off with Primark Ps... Perfect Glow primer to give my makeup a firm base. I used my favourite Bourjois felt tip liner to accentuate my eyes and followed this with Rimmel Volume Shaker mascara. I didn't apply too many layers of mascara as I was going to be applying false lashes later. After applying my mascara I used my new George AM to PM palette to create a soft, gold brown eye. I don't often wear false lashes, but for the wedding I really wanted my eyes to stand out. I applied Esqido handmade false lashes to get that ultra glamorous look that is natural at the same time.

I wanted my face to glow at the wedding so I used my favourite foundation Bourjois City Radiance to cover any imperfections. Once I had blended my foundation in I made sure that any dark circles were completely concealed with L'Oreal's Infaillible concealer palette. NYX No Filter finishing powder is my goto for sealing my makeup and eliminating as much oil as possible. The new Galifornia blusher by Benefit was good for adding a little warmth to my cheeks but is not so intense as to take away from the rest of my look. Finally I finished my face by using the Sleek Solstice highlighter palette. The purple Hemisphere shade is my fave as it always gives such a beautiful highlight. I didn't want my brows to feel left out so I used Rimmel's brow shakers to make them more defined. Last but not least was my lipstick, as you've probably noticed I use my Charlotte Tilbury Love Bite lipstick quite a lot as it's bright, looks fabulous and really completes my look.

With my makeup complete I put on a smart black dress with a diamante neckline and curled my hair. I used a black lace bow to add a little definition to the body of my hair.

Have you attended any glamorous events recently? Let me know in the comments below.

It's time for afternoon tea at Creams British Luxury

Afternoon tea used to be quite a rare treat but has now grown in popularity and can be found in almost every restaurant, cafe and backstreet eatery . I've tried a fair few in the last few years mostly in hotels, some have been good, others not so - the dark dingy Larkfield hotel is a prime example. So When I saw afternoon tea being advertised on Groupon at Creams British Luxury I snapped it up.

Not to be confused with the American gelato and dessert chain Creams, Creams British Luxury is a collection of independent tea rooms across the country. There are team rooms in London, Edinburgh, Norwich, Birmingham, Canterbury and lots more. The Canterbury tearoom is light and airy with delicious cakes lined up in a glass case begging to be eaten. When we got there our table had been reserved at the front of the store. We were quickly asked if we wanted tea or coffee and then sat back and waited for the afternoon tea.

When you think of an afternoon tea you know what to expect - little finger sandwiches with a selection of scones and cakes. At Creams British Luxury we were presented with rolls filled with chicken and cheese, scones with cream and jam, cupcakes, macaroons and some sort of green sponge (no idea what it was!).

It was nice to have something different from finger sandwiches although it would have been good to have a wider selection. My mum thought the cupcake tasted a little stale which was a bit disappointing but the scones were fresh and nice to eat. The staff were very attentive regularly asking if we were okay. A man who I believe was the owner even asked if we wanted a drink on the house which I found quite surprising!

There were lots of sugary treats on sale throughout the store including handmade chocolates all presented in beautiful gift boxes. The kids weren't forgotten either with cute little teddy bears lining the shelves.

I really did enjoy our afternoon tea experience at Creams British Luxury. Whilst there definitely could have been a bit more variety in the roll fillings, the tearoom is really lovely and it's set in a amazing historical backdrop. The staff were all really friendly and happy to help too. If you can't eat it all they're only too happy to give you a box to take your leftovers away.

Find out more here

How to get into investing with Moneybox

Have you ever wanted to get into investing but have no idea where to start? The investing world is massive and worth billions and placing that first tentative step into that world can be very scary indeed. The new app Moneybox has been designed to make those first baby steps more easy then you could have imagined.

The app is really simple to use, you register and create a password and a pin. Once you've signed in you can set up a Direct Debit to move over a certain amount of money into your savings each week. How much you save is entirely up to you but it can be as low as a £1. I started off with £5 a week but it gives me the option to increase that in order to increase my returns. In a couple of weeks I've invested a small amount and earnt 0.09 on my savings. It doesn't sound a lot but it all adds up! The app also gives you the opportunity to round up purchases you make and add more to your savings with the extra. For example say you spent £1.98 on a sandwich, the extra £0.02 will go into your savings pot. Not all banks cater to this function though so not everyone can use it at the moment, me included.

With Moneybox you can have a number of different accounts including a Stocks and Shares ISA (the most common) and a General Investment Account. They'll also shortly be opening a Lifetime ISA. As I've already got a stock and shares ISA I opted for the General Investment Account ("GIA"). Unlike a Stocks and Shares  ISA there's no limit on the amount you can invest in a gia but it is taxable. Moneybox splits your money into three pots - the cash fund (Henderson Cash Fund), Global Equities Fund (Vanguard Global Equity Fund) and Global Property Shares Funds (Blackrock Global Property Shares Fund). By clicking on investments you can find out which channel your monies have been allocated to and your returns on those.

You can choose what sort of risk you want to take, low, medium or high and your funds will be invested into a appropriate account. You'll also get occasional emails or notifications from Moneybox letting you know you own a bit of real estate. It's a cute little touch I haven't seen elsewhere.

It costs £1 per month to use the app (free for the first 3 months) and you'll also pay 0.45% value of your investments per year which is charged at the end of the month. You'll also have to counter in 0.23% fund management fees for Vanguard, Henderson and Blackrock.

Moneybox is a little slow in investing your savings and it can take a week or so after they take your money by Direct Debit to go through the process. This can be a little annoying but you're still going to benefit in the long run.

Whilst I do have other savings accounts it's quite exciting to log in and see the money my savings makes on the stock exchange. Of course it's not risk free and the capital can go down so it's best to only put in what you can safely lose.

You can download the app for free on the app store

Win a Nivea Indulgent Collection gift set

What could be better then a lovely long soak in the bath? Having a long soak after a long day at work or running errands can be extremely indulgent, and the Nivea Indulgent gift set will make it even better.

Inside the set is Nivea Waterlily and oil shower gel, Nivea Powder Touch anti-perspirant, Nivea soft moisturising cream for face, body and hands and a shower puff. It also comes presented in a lovely pink bag perfect for storing all your toiletries in when you go away.

I'm giving you the chance to win this fabulous gift set and all you  need to do is follow the Rafflecopter instructions below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and conditions
The competition will run from the 24th April 2017 to 24th May 2017 and will start and finish at midnight. Liking me on Youtube and subscribing to my newsletter are mandatory options and I will check if these are done. All other options are voluntary and give you more entries into the competition. Good luck!

Hair colour hacks that will make dying your hair easier then ever

If I could do a poll on how many women still have their natural hair colour I probably wouldn't be surprised by the results.  Dying your hair is great for changing your look and feeling like a new woman - but it does come with its own problems. If you're new to hair colouring, or even if you've been dying it for years, there's always tips and tricks you can learn to make your hair look its best.

Learn from the pros
When first applying the dye to your hair it's best to apply it to damp - rather than soaking wet hair. By applying it to damp hair you'll get a more subtle look.

Try something new
We've all heard of balayage where you use dye to lighten the ends of your hair. Why not switch it up and reverse the process by using a darker shade on the ends to create more depth and texture in layered hair.

Fake the sunkissed effect
When the sun comes out and kisses your hair it can leave it looking bright and a lot lighter then normal. To create a artificial halo effect apply a band of cream colourant one shade lighter then your hair around the crown of your head. Your hair will be looking bright and beautiful in no time!

If you try any of these out do be sure to let me know how you got on!

George AM To PM Eyeshadow palette review

What the brand says
George's AM to PM eyeshadow palette is perfect for transforming your look from day to night in one swipe. The light soft shades are perfect for the casual look whilst the darker smouldering shades are perfect for that glamour puss look.

The Lowdown 
I've not seen many new products in Asda recently so it was a welcome surprise to see the new Am to PM eyeshadow palette. The platte has a combination of 3 matte and 5 shimmery shades in a fairly neutral colour palette. The pigmentation is pretty strong in most of the shades although the white and  light brown were a little less intense than the colours.

I really liked the light gold and the dark brown shade so I incorporated these shades into my chosen look. As I was wearing this look to work I didn't want anything too heavy, especially as I wanted my red lips to take centre stage. The shades are super soft and the colour instantly grips the blush without having to apply any pressure. I did find the eyeshadow was fairly easy to blend together, although quite a bit of it fell around my eyes when I was applying it. If you want to recreate my look here's some guidance on how you can achieve this:

1. I applied the light gold shade (3) onto the inner 2/3 of my eye lid
2. I swept the dark brown shimmery shade (6) onto the outer 1/3 of my lid and carefully blend this into the gold shade.

The palette is a great budget buy (I can't remember how much it was but it's around £6) that is perfect for creating a number of different looks. Whilst there is a small amount of fall out when applying, it stays put during the day and has pretty good pigmentation.

I give it 4/5

You can get it all in good Asda stores.

Advantages

• 8 fabulous shades in a range of different colours to mix and match for different looks
• Great budget buy 
• Has pretty good pigmentation and shimmer

Disadvantages 

• Small amount of fall out when applying

Everyday face of the day

Today's face of the day  is relatively simple with a touch of glamour thrown in. To achieve the look I started out by applying Primark Perfect Glow primer and massaged it in so I can give my makeup more staying power. Whilst the primer is drying I applied Bourjois Ultra Black felt tip eyeliner and followed this with Essence I Love Extreme Crazy Volume mascara. I followed this by applying NYX eyeshadow in Dolce. To add a smokey look I applied Seventeen kohl eyeliner.

With my eyes complete I applied Bourjois City Radiance foundation in Ivory. I love this foundation as it gives my skin such a luminous finish and it has SPF 30 with an added anti-pollution screen. I use L'Oreal's Infallible Total Cover concealer palette to cover up my dark circles, first using the lilac shade to conceal redness and the lightest concealer on top. Once I have blended the concealer in I applied NYX No Filter finishing powder to seal my makeup. I added a bit of colour with I Love Makeup Blushed Hearts in Blushing Heart and added a little shimmer with Charlotte Tilbury Skin Gilding Highlighter.

Finally I added the piece de resistance - Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Love Bite. Love Bite is a gorgeous strong red that is perfect for adding a touch of glamour to your look.

I'd love to know what you think of my look and whether there's any of these products you'd tried (and loved)!          

Benefit Galifornia blusher review

What the brand says
If you want the look of a California gal without having to pay the price tag - Galifornia blusher is what you've been dreaming of. The new blusher mixes a pink blusher with shimmering gold to create a sunny, warm look that you get from soaking up the California rays.

The Lowdown
I saw this on the Boots website the other day and fell in love. Benefit have really come up trumps with Galifornia blush, creating a design that looks gorgeous inside and out. They've also included a round blush brush and a mirror so you can apply on the go.

Inside the blusher is a unique sun design that has been inspired by vintage California surfer girls. The colour is really soft and I love the gold that's running through the blusher. I tried it on my finger initially and was amazed at the strong iridescent gold that runs throughout the peach, the gold was so strong it really reminded me more of a highlighter. When swatched properly on my wrist however the blusher seemed a lot lighter and didn't appear to have the gold running through it. The blusher has notes of grapefruit and vanilla running through it which makes it smell amazing!

When I applied the blusher to my face I did feel the colouring was quite light and it did take quite a lot of product to get  my desired look. The blusher is buildable so if you do prefer just a dab of blush this will work really well for you. When I first put the blusher on my finger the colour was really strong so I was surprised by the colour pay off  when  using the blusher normally. I didn't think the gold in the blusher really came through on my face either.

Overall a blusher that smells amazing, looks amazing but a little bit disappointing when it comes to colour payoff. As I mentioned earlier if you prefer a very low key look this is the blusher for you.

I give it 3/5

Get it for £24.50 at John Lewis

Advantages

• Smells simply amazing
• Buildable colour
• Beautiful colours with a mixture of rose and gold
• Perfect if you prefer your makeup not to be too obvious

Disadvantages

• The colour pay off is quite poor and you have to apply quite a lot of the blusher to get a really visible effect

Spring skincare routine

Spring is all about clearing out the old and starting afresh. Whilst I'm always trying new makeup products, my skincare routine hasn't really changed over the last few months. So with the daffodils flowering, the days getting longer and the weather getting warmer I thought it was time to switch it up and try something new.

Skin chemists Bee Venom Facial Serum
I've been trying this for a few weeks now (check out my initial review here). It smells lovely and doesn't leave my skin sticky when I apply it. I'm not really noticing any major differences so far in regards to anti-ageing but I'm hoping this will start to take effect soon.
Get it for £79.95 at Amazon

Malin + Goetz Vitamin E Facial Moisturiser
Simple but effective this moisturiser helps to give my skin much needed Vitamin E. The moisturiser is lightweight and doesn't leave my skin feeling greasy.
Get it for £29 at Mr Porter

Amie New Leaf Deep Pore Exfoliating Polish
This exfoliator has a gorgeous fresh scent that is released as soon as it's applied. It has tiny little beads encased in a creamy formula that doesn't rub or irritate the skin.
Get it for £5.95 at Amazon

L'Oreal Pure Clay Purity Wash
I've only just started using this and I love it already. It has a loose clay consistency that easily massages into my skin like a normal cleanser. It smells so fresh and leaves my skin  feeling so soft.
Get it for £3.95 at Superdrug (normally £5.99)

Johnsons Makeup Be Gone Pampering wipes
These are probably the only makeup wipes I have found that don't make my skin sting when removing my makeup. Designed for all skin types they're enriched with moonflower and can remove even waterproof mascara.
Get it for £1.49 at Superdrug (normally £3.05)

Maybelline Color Drama Lip Crayon in Light It Up 520

What the brand says
It's time to make your lips pop with Color Drama Intense Velvet lip pencil.

Available in 9 shades from  the bold Berry Much to the girly Fuschia Desire.

The Lowdown
For my review I'm testing Light It up, a vibrant red intense shade. Initially the crayon felt quite drying when I first applied it, however it did gradually warm up and was a lot looser. After the first use it was quite creamy and more easier to apply.

The crayons not as creamy as a lipstick so it won't melt in the sun (perfect for the upcoming summer). The crayon tip also makes it really easy to apply. The product itself is so small I can almost conceal it in the palm of your hand, this means it'll fit into the tiniest spaces or gap in your makeup bag. Light It Up is one vibrant red shade that I love.

The crayon doesn't come with a sharpener and I do find it runs down quite quickly. As the crayon is a little fat you might find it hard to find a sharpener that fits, although a highlighter sharpener may be just the ticket!

Light It Up is such a strong colour and really does  make my lips pop. I love how long lasting the colour is, although it did fade a little if I'm eating or drinking. Perfect for adding a finishing touch to your outfit if you're going out for the night or you're on a hot date!

Check out what I thought of Burnt Orange.

Grab it for £4.99 at Boots

Advantages

• Fabulous vibrant red shade
• Colour lasts for ages
• Easy to apply with the crayon nib meaning you can easily line your lips without going over the lip line
• So compact you can store it anywhere
• Available in 9 shades

Disadvantages

• Initially it can feel a little drying

Tips on how to have a great pamper night

With our busy schedules we all need a little me time. Whether your idea of pampering is washing your hair with a luxurious hair mask, or you prefer to go the whole hog here's a few tips to make it perfect.          

Have a relaxing bath
A lovely warm bubble bath is perfect for sinking down into and forgetting the world. Try to avoid making it too hot as that can leave you sweaty and feeling agitated.

• Top tip no 1 - To make your bath more luxurious add a bath bomb in. Bath bombs are great fun to watch as they fizz away leaving your bath a whole array of colours from blue to green. Some bath bombs are infused with skin soothing ingredients which can leave your skin feeling soft and rejuvenated.
• Top tip no 2 - add a essential oil like lavender in which can help to improve your mood.
• Top tip no 3- what could be more relaxing than a chilled out playlist of your favourite tunes to listen to whilst you're in the bath. 
• Top tip no 4 - Turn out the lights and put lots of little tea lights around your bath. Aim to get candles that have a relaxing scent.

Moisturise your skin

Moisturising is incredibly important, especially if you suffer a lot from dry skin.You'll find moisturisers designed specifically for the face and body, avoid using body moisturisers on your face as the skin is a lot thinner and the chemicals used are more potent.

Wear a face mask
Once you've had the best bath of your life and you're just chilling out in your PJs why not apply that face mask you've been meaning to try for the last 6 months.  Whether your skin's dry or you're trying to treat an uneven skin tone, you'll find a mask for you that will work to alleviate the problems you're having. Check out my post on the best face masks to suit your skin type.

Pick the perfect pair of PJs
I don't know about you but I love pajama shopping. Primark has the best Pjs and I love browsing the different sets available. Whether you prefer to wear a nightie or you're a classic 2 piece kind of girl, that new set of Pjs are perfect to snuggle into.

Lie back and relax
How often do you just lie back and do nothing? You probably get your mandatory 7 hours of sleep a night but that's a necessity. Taking time out to just kick back and do nothing is probably a rarity in your life and is perfect for just reflecting on life in general.

Primark PS... Strobe Highlighters review

Primark is like a Aladdin's cave, you go in not expecting to buy too much and come out laden with goods. Every now and then I'll spot a little gem in their PS...beauty range which I just have to try. The PS...Strobe crayons were no different. With strobing still being a central part of the beauty scene, and as I do love a good highlighter I had to snap them up.

The set comes in a sealed plastic bag with three cream highlighters, rose, golden and sand. It comes with a sharpener so if you start to run out then you can easily sharpen them for more product. Typically I normally use powder highlighters as they tend to give a stronger shimmer effect but at £3 for the set I had to give them a go. When I swatched the crayons I noticed that they had quite a lot of pigment but they didn't really have that iridescent effect that  you'd expect with a highlighter. Golden and Rose really remind me of a cream eyeshadow whilst sand is probably the only one that has the appearance of a highlighter.

The crayons are really easy to use and literally melt into my skin.

Both the golden and sand highlighter are incredibly subtle and it's quite hard to see the effect unless you look up close. Sand is a lot more pigmented and you can clearly see that in the swatch.

Ps...Strobe Crayons are perfect if you're looking for a low key look. They certainly don't have the same effect as most powder highlights so if you're expecting a strong impact you'll probably be disappointed. The set is  £3 so you're only paying £1 a highlighter which is pretty good value. Whilst they don't have the strongest impact I think you can still have fun with them - and at £3 what have you got to lose?

I give it 3/5

You can get the set for £3 at Primark.

Advantages

• Only £3 for 3 highlighters so fantastic budget beauty buy
• The crayons are really pigmented
• The set comes with a sharpener so you don't have to worry about fishing around trying to find one if the product runs low

Disadvantages

• The highlight effect is very subtle so you don't get a strong shimmery effect

MUA highlighter in Ice Sparkle review

From Jeffree Star to Charlotte, highlighters are the ultimate beauty accessory. Gone are the days when gold or pink highlighters were the norm - today's highlighters cover every shade from black to white. On a recent shopping trip at MUA I discovered their new Ice Sparkle highlighter - a icy blue highlighter that gives a frosty shimmer.

 Last week I tried out the highlighter for the first time, see what I thought and how it looks on the skin in my exclusive video.

          

What do you think of blue highlighters? Get it for £3 at Superdrug

Favourite Quotes On Clothes And Fashion

The power of a good quote is immeasurable. Think about it; strong words have the power to inspire and empower. They transcend time, touching people from all walks of life. Fashion has the same power; dressing can empower, engage, shaping our concepts of others and ourselves. When you get dressed, you decide who you want to be, how you want to feel, how others are going to perceive and understand you. It sounds deep - because it is! Wearing a pair of heels can make you feel like you can take on the world; stripping yourself of jewellery, wearing black, can make you feel camouflaged. Fashion and clothes have power, and these quotes highlight just that. Here are our absolute favourite quotes about clothes and fashion through the ages, from some of the most brilliant minds and innovative thinkers. Get ready to be inspired.

Starting with the most famous fashion quoter of all, Coco Chanel. When she founded her eponymous label in 1910 (she sold hats in her millinery shop in Paris), Chanel understood how she was empowering women, changing the way they were perceived and acted in society. These are just some of her very wise words, which we still quote today.

“Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman.”

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”

From one powerful woman to another, Editor and Chief of Vogue US Anna Wintour has always had a thing or two to say about fashion. Here are some of her most insightful thoughts.

“Fashion is not beautiful, neither is it ugly. Why should it be either? Fashion is fashion.”

“Create your own style… let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others.”

Manolo Blahnik is one of fashion’s most beloved and respected designers. His shoes have reached iconic status. Remember Carrie’s obsession with Manolos in Sex And The City? He is a designer who knows great footwear. And his opinion counts when it comes to great shoes.

“I love exaggerated, and I love eccentric, but you must be comfortable. Otherwise it is nonsense. There is nothing charming about a woman who cannot walk in her shoes.”

As New York - and the world’s - most respected street style photographer, Bill Cunningham has seen it all when it comes to fashion. We love his words of wisdom.

"The best fashion show is definitely on the street. Always has been, and always will be.”

This quote from Andy Warhol sums up how we feel about getting dressed up.

"Fashion wasn't what you wore someplace anymore; it was the whole reason for going.”

Here are a few of our other favourites, just for fun:

"Women who wear black lead colourful lives." —Neiman Marcus

"One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress.” —  Karl Lagerfeld

“Shoes transform your body language and attitude. They lift you physically and emotionally.”

—Christian Louboutin

“Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” —Marilyn Monroe

“Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.” —Jean Cocteau

"Fashions fade, style is eternal.” — Yves Saint-Laurent

“I can’t concentrate in flats!” —Victoria Beckham

“If I’m going dancing, then I wear the highest heels with the shortest dress.”  —Kate Moss

It’s so important to remember that fashion belongs to us - not to the runways. That’s why we love this final quote, by the incredible designer Azzedine Alaia. It’s the truest of all.

"I make clothes, women make fashion."

Guest post by Aran Sweaters Direct

Lily's Kitchen cat food review

My cat Tara is one of the greediest, noisiest little cats around. She's into everything, is always scavenging for food and my god if you don't feed her as soon as she wakes up in the morning she will miaow the house down.

Whilst my cat loves food she is also incredibly picky, especially when it comes to wet food. She'll often take two licks of Whiskas or Felix and then walk away. So when I was given the opportunity to try out Lily's Kitchen, a completely organic cat food range I was intrigued.

The range has been created with the guidance of vets and nutritionists to ensure pets get all the nutrition they need. The food is completely natural, full of high quality meat and grain free. The range features both wet and dry food and comes in the cutest packaging I've ever seen. With dainty flowers adorning a heart detailing the food Lily's Kitchen is certainly aimed at the female side of the market. The chicken biscuits and the chicken and shrimp treats come in resealable packaging which is fab for keeping the food fresh. The wet food trays are only designed for one use but they are foil fresh. I love the food tray that has been personalised with her name on, such a cute touch.

When it came to trying the food Tara unfortunately wasn't all that keen on the wet food. As I mentioned earlier she doesn't tend to like it all that much but did have quite a few mouthfuls. She loved the biscuits and treats and ate them pretty quickly.

Lily's Kitchen is a great alternative to the main high street brands like Whiskas or Felix. With Lily's Kitchen you really know what you're getting, the food is completely natural and there are no meat meal or fillers.It may be slightly more expensive then your usual products but if you want your pet to feel good and look good it's worth giving it a go. Lily's Kitchen also has a range of dog food available.

Find out more here

7 Blog tools that I couldn't live without

In a world where almost everyone has a blog it's more important then ever to take advantage of the blog tools available. Back when I started my blog in 2009 I simply wrote a post, published it then left it to do its thing. Social media was in its infancy and I didn't really have a promotion schedule. Nowadays it couldn't be more different, I regularly promote my blog and use a variety of tools to keep my blog looking the best it could be. Here's some of my favourite.

Canva
I first discovered canva after reading about it online. Canva is full of thousands of fantastic templates including infographics, collages, social media templates and so much more. Whilst some of the content is paid, there's so much free imagery available that you can edit to your hearts content. I love it for collages as it's so easy to use and pain free (unlike picmonkey which is a massive headache)
Find out more

Social media
I regularly use social media in order to promote blog posts from glitz and glamour makeup. Twitter and Facebook are great for scheduling daily updates, whilst Instagram and Pinterest focus more on a specific image to promote a post. I regularly interact with others on social media by liking and striking up conversation in order to build friendships and encourage people to visit my blog.

Buffer
Buffer is a fabulous little tool that will schedule your updates onto social media whilst you sleep. You can connect twitter, Facebook, Instagram, linkedin and google+ pages to schedule your updates. There are free and paid packages and each package comes with different allowances. With a free member you get 10 updates per week, 100 updates for a normal paid membership and 100+ for a business account. I mainly use buffer to schedule twitter updates as it's a lot easier then fiddling around with updates on twitter itself. I did try Instagram but the updates never seem to publish for some reason!
Find out more

Picmonkey
Picmonkey is one of my favourite tools for simple photo editing. There is a free and paid version and I do think the free version is a lot more limited than it used to be. I use it mainly for renaming pictures, adding text and putting pictures together.
Find out more

Sniply
I only discovered sniply pretty recently. The concept is relatively simple, you share a popular link say about a celebrity and sniply will snip your blog into the link. When the person clicks on the article about the celebrity it will come up with a pop up with your blog on. A great subtle way of getting extra visitors to your site. There is a free package available (1000 clicks) in addition to paid options.
Find out more

Archie
Archie is amazing at getting new followers on social media. It can be used for twitter and Instagram and likes and interacts with other users virtually whilst you sleep. Unlike some tools on Instagram that uses the Follow/unfollow technique that gets you banned, Archie doesn't do this. In a month Archie got me over 1000 extra followers. There's a free trial and if you like it you can pay to use the service.
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Free image sites
In the last year I've got so much use out of royalty free image sites. They're fantastic for adding great quality pictures to your blogs and there's no need to credit anyone for their work either. My favourites are Pexels and Pixabay.

These blog tools are all as useful to running my blog as the other and I don't know what I'd do without them. What are your ultimate blogging tools?