Review | Spin For Perfect Skin | BLOGTOBER DAY 3

I'm finally getting round to reviewing this product! I've been saying for MONTHS that I'd write this and still have yet do to it. So finally, here goes...


Spin for Perfect Skin is a skin cleansing brush system, similar to that of the Clarisonic. It comes with four different interchangeable heads making it easily have great value for money. To be perfectly honest I don't use all of the heads on a regular basis but I love it nevertheless. The different heads are a Daily Cleansing Facial Brush, an Exfoliating Facial Brush, a Body Brush and a Pumice Stone.

The Daily Cleansing Facial Brush

This is the one I use most often, its so easy to use too. I just squeeze on my Clean & Clear Daily Wash and two minutes later a have perfectly clear, soft skin free of any dirt and debris. 

The Exfoliating Facial Brush

I love this brush head so much. I have the most sensitive skin and really struggle to find any exfoliators that don't make me look like a tomato...but finally I found one! I use this alongside the Clean & Clear Blackhead Scrub and it works like a dream! 

The Body Brush

I really haven't used this brush head much if I'm perfectly honest with you. I mean, it's nice and all but a loofah could do the same thing. So if this brush id the reason you want to buy this, save your money and go and get a £1 loofah instead!

The Pumice Stone 

This is unreal, it's honestly amazing. If you've got cracked, dry heels it's the product for you. It leaves your skin feeling super smooth and soft and it's just incredible. I love, love, love it!

I bought this back in March from Vanity Planet (I wasn't kidding when I said I'd been meaning to write this for AGES.) I paid in total £31.72 including delivery fees and all of those extra costs that companies like to add on but currently it retails for £81, so if you plan on buying it I'd suggest waiting for offers to pop up so you can save yourself a bit of money. But overall I'd say that this is 100% worth the price and even 8 months later its still working like a dream. I'll link it below for you to go and have a look at, I'd suggest reading some of the other reviews on the site to make sure it's definitely the product for you. 

Spin for Perfect Skin from Vanity Planet: www.vanityplanet.com/products/spin-for-perfect-skin

Thank you so much for staying with me through my ramble of a review. I'll see you again tomorrow for Blogtober Day 4!

Love, Lily

xoxo

Social Media:

Twitter: @lilyblogssInstagram: @lilyblogssSnapchat: lilyblogss

GOALS & CHALLENGES | BLOGTOBER DAY 1

Helloooo! I'm so excited to be doing Blogtober, I've read countless different people's blogs all who have challenged themselves to this so I thought I would do the same.

Challenges. They're something I don't put myself up to enough, something I always step back from and shy away from. But, why? Why don't I go out of my comfort zone and do something different? Is it because it's not in my nature or because I'm afraid? That I can't answer, but I can change. In the mext few months I want to challenge myself more, starting with Blogtober. Blogging for 31 days is not going to be easy, I know that. Thinking of new ideas for posts every day and uploading them consistently will not be easy but hey, isn't that what a challenge is? Something that will not be easy but results will come from it, I guess so. 

My goal? Challenge myself. Get out of my comfort zone. Broaden my experiences. That's what I want to do.

So what's your goal? What do you want to do? Let me know down in the comments or by contacting me via the links below, I'd love to know! 

See you tomorrow for Blogtober Day 2!
Love, Lily
xoxo

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat

An Exciting Announcement!

There is not even a reason for why I've not been posting much recently if I'm perfectly honest but I'm back! I need to get back into the swing of blogging so I've decided to got a little bit crazy and push the boat out a bit... I'M DOING BLOGTOBER!

So I'm pretty sure literally every single one of you will be aware what this is but incase you're not familiar with it, it's blogging everyday throughout the month of October.

I've been thinking about doing it for months but I wasn't sure I had enough inspiration for posts but I've talked myself into it and I'm going to be blogging about an array of different topics so stick around and check back at my blog for the first Blogtober post this coming Saturday!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I will, 

Love, Lily

xoxo


Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat

My Bucket List...

Hello everybody, I'm back! If you don't follow me on my social media (I'll put the links at the bottom of the post) then you might not have been aware that my posts were going to be very few and far between over the past few months because I've been sitting my A-Level exams and generally been a very busy bee. However all of that is now over and I can get my head down writing some fab blog posts. So, no more dilly dallying, let's do this...

I'm assuming you're all aware of what a bucket list is. In case you're not familiar with the idea, it is a list of things you compile that you wish to achieve before you die. I thought I'd share with you mine and hopefully inspire you to create your own and live life to the fullest. I created my Bucket List about 2 years ago and I've already checked off a few of the things that I've completed, some are rather simple basic things whilst there are others that take a bit of planning and some are a little far fetched dreams but not impossible. Never say never.

So here goes, this is my Bucket List:

1. Solve a Rubik's Cube

2. Make a candle

3. Learn how to make origami

4. Make homemade soap

5. Cook a 3 course meal

6. Make a tiered cake

7. Tie die a shirt

8. Make a gingerbread house

9. Read a book in a day

10. Skydive

11. Swim with dolphins

12. Go Scuba diving

13. Go Ice skating

14. Go on a Jetski

15. Go in a hot air balloon

16. Complete a marathon

17. Do a colour run

18. Bungee Jump

19. Go on a zip line

20. Go paragliding

21. Watch the sunrise and sun set in the same day

22. Go to the cinema on my own

23. See the northern lights

24. Go whale watching

25. See a shooting star

26. Name a star

27. Be front row at a concert

28. Be on the top 10 leaderboard in a game

29. Find a 4 leaf clover

30. Donate my hair to the Little Princess Trust

31. Volunteer

32. Sign up to be an organ doner

33. Donate blood

34. Learn sign language

35. Meet somebody famous

36. Set a Guinness World Record

37. Go a week without wearing make-up

38. Learn how to play guitar

39. Breathe in helium

40. Go to Easter Island

41. Go to Stonehenge

42. Go inside Buckingham Palace

43. Go to Antelope Canyon

44. Go to the Grand Canyon

45. Go to Times Square

46. Go to every continent

47. Stand on the Golden Gate Bridge

48. Float on the Dead Sea

49. Climb the O2

50. Own a dog

51. Own a cat

52. Ride a horse

53. Own a car

54. Go camping

55. Fly first class

56. Keep a plant alive for a year

57. Eat gluten free for a week

58. Eat vegetarian for a week

59. Get married

60. Have a child

61. Buy my own house

62. Visit New York at Christmas

63. Donate to charity

64. Create a life I love

That, for now, is my Bucket List. I'm sure throughout life and experiences that I have and any opportunities that come my way this will be added to. So, I'll be sure to update it every now and then.

I'll see you soon.

Love, Lily

xoxo 

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat: lilyblogss

My Night Time Routine!

Routines are some of my favourites to read so I thought that I'd share with you all my night time routine

I usually begin winding down for the evening at about 10pm, I go to the kitchen and make myself a cup of Lady Grey Tea, which if you've read my March Favourites, you'll know that I absolutely love! 

I then head back on upstairs to my room and turn off my main light for my bedroom and turn on the sets of fairy lights that I have around my room, It's a much warmer light and just looks so much prettier. I also light some candles because I love a good scented candle, put on some music and I'm ready to begin relaxing.

I begin by removing my make-up with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water on a few cotton pads. I then jump in the shower and if it's a weekday evening I'll wash my hair. Recently I've been using the Herbal Essences Clearly 0% Naked Shampoo and Conditioner and they have done absolute wonders for my hair, it's got so much more volume and it feels so smooth, I highly recommend you give these a try if you haven't already. 

Following this, I put on my pyjamas..I don't even think I can call them that, it's usually just a concert tee and a pair of shorts. I head back into my bathroom and tie my hair back to get it out of my face whilst I cleanse my skin. I take my Spin For Perfect Skin (I'll do a review on it very soon, I'm still testing it out) with the exfoliating brush and my Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser and just move it around my face in circular motions, specifically concentrating in my T-zone. I then switch to the cleansing brush and take the Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser and as with the previous one move it around the skin in circular motions. I then dry off my skin and apply the Pond's Moisturiser. 

Next, I take my hair down and give it a brush through with my tangle teaser and separate it into two at the parting. As I've got pretty curly hair it won't last through the night with me shoving it up into a ponytail so I twist each section of my hair into a bun and secure it with a hair tie, it's a bit of a Miley Cyrus look but I've been doing it for 4 years and it works very well, so anyone that sees me in the evening will just have to put up with it. 

I then move onto moisturising my skin. I've been using the Palmers Coconut Oil Body Cream (paraben free) recently and I love it so much, it's so soothing hydrating. I then sit on my bed and catch up on all of the blog posts YouTube videos that have gone up throughout the day whilst sipping on my tea. By the time eventually settle down into bed it's usually about 12/1am ish. I'm a night owl if you hadn't guessed that already.

And there you have it, My Night Time Routine. I hope you're enjoying my blog. If there is a specific post that you'd like me to do then either leave me a comment below or contact me on any of my social media, linked below.

I'll see you next Thursday for another post.

Love, Lily

xoxo

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @lilyblogss
Instagram: @lilyblogss
Snapchat: lilyblogss

Revision Tips and Tricks

I know for many people exams are coming up in the next month or so, whether you're doing GCSE's, A-Levels or University Exams, I've compiled a list of things that I do that will help you be organised and stay on track for getting a good grade. Here we go...

ONE
Have a timetable to follow. So, I know most people would've done this months ago but if you haven't, I'd strongly suggest that you do. I find it really helps me stay on track with what I need to know and by when. I created mine using Get Revising way back in September. It not only allows you to  create a colour coded timetable but you are able to insert when you have other commitments so won't be able to study. Other features it offers include emailing you when you have a revision session coming up so you're not able to forget as well as having in built flash cards that you can either make yourself or if relevant, the ones that other users have created.

TWO
Set a structure. Everyone is different when it comes to how long they can stay concentrated. For me its 45 minutes. After that my mind starts to wander and I'm not fully focused at all. So, I work in 45 minute slots giving myself a 5/10 minute break in between. Something like this:
Study : 45 minutes
Break: 5 minutes
Study: 45 minutes
Break 10 minutes
Study: 45 minutes
Break: 5 minutes
Study: 45 minutes
Break: 25 minutes
I generally combine two 45 minute slots for one subject and then after my 10 minute break change to another subject, because if you're anything like me you'll get bored easily!

THREE
Reward yourself. When I have a break, whether it be  5, 10 or 25 minutes. I will allow myself a 'treat' or something I really want to do. That could be as simple as watching TV for a while or browsing through twitter. But I find once you've done something that you want to do, it really motivates you to get through the next 45 minutes of revision.

FOUR
Remove yourself. I think a big mistake that people make when doing revision is locking themselves away in their room for 3 hours. This is a massive no no from me. I can't sit still for 10 minutes let alone 3 hours so in my breaks I will go downstairs and see my family or make myself a cup of tea, something like that. But even if I've chosen to just look through Twitter, I won't stay in my room.

FIVE
Don't study on your bed. I know, it's oh so tempting but never a good idea. I used to do this but more often than not found myself slumping into a ball of over emotional teenager and taking a nap resulting in me getting absolutely nothing done. Instead I study at my desk in my room. I do also have one in the study but that room is freezing and rarely used so I much prefer the one in my room. If you don't have a desk then you could always just go and sit at the kitchen/dining room table.

SIX
Be comfy. There is no point in sitting down to revise being totally uncomfortable because that'll just distract you more. Instead put on some comfy clothes and sit on the comfiest desk chair you own. Sounds basic but a lot of people still use the most uncomfiest basic stools that will make your bum go numb within 5 seconds of being at on it and nobody wants that.

SEVEN
No Technology. I get distracted easily, I'm not going to lie. So, I remove all technology from where I'm doing revision so any phones, tablets or iPods. I did this recently expecting it to make absolutely no difference but oh my, I concentrated so much better I didn't have the dings of notifications going off so there was nothing for me to worry about. (Except I forgot that I hadn't told any of my friends I was doing this so one of them kept messaging me thinking that I was ignoring her...I wasn't)

EIGHT
Keep hydrated. I always keep a glass of water next to me when I'm revising because I just can't concentrate full when I'm dehydrated. Pretty simple really

NINE
Have foods that you like to nibble on. Whether that be sweets, chocolate, or carrot sticks. I like to keep something that if I'm feeling peckish I don't have to stop my revision to go to the kitchen and grab something to eat. It also helps if you say to yourself  "I can't have another sweet until I've finished this section" It makes you more motivated to get it done a little quicker.

TEN
Get enough sleep. The same applies to a night before you have a big exam too. If you don't give yourself the amount of sleep required before a day of revision then your retention isn't as good so the revision is less effective. Getting enough sleep helps this to improve so you're more focused.

ELEVEN
Use Colour! When making revision notes make them bold and colourful that way if you're in an exam and you need a piece of information you can think back and say "Okay, I wrote that in purple". It doesn't help everyone but it helps me!

TWELVE
Go for regular walks. On days when you're stuck inside revising this is key. Get yourself out of the house even if it is only for 10 minutes it can really help you feel energised.

THIRTEEN
Don't limit yourself. If you're on a roll with something you're doing and that 45 minutes of revising time is up continue, it's only a guideline it doesn't have to be stuck to by the minute.

There we go, some of my revision tips and tricks that I thought may help some of you who have exams coming up.

I'll see you next Thursday.

Lily

xoxo 

Social Media Links:
Twitter: @lilyblogss
Instagram: @lilyblogss
Snapchat: lilyblogss

Easy Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

I thought I'd do some easy baking last weekend and so these cupcakes were perfect. They have 5 ingredients and are super simple to make. This recipe makes 12 small cupcakes or 6 larger cupcakes. Personally, decided to do larger cupcakes which take slightly longer to bake. Here's the recipe you'll need to give them a try!

Vanilla Cupcakes

For the cupcakes, you will need:

90g Self-Raising Flour

90g Softened Butter

90g Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Eggs

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C
2. Put both the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until there are no lumps of butter visible.
3. Add in the eggs one at a time mixing in between.
4. Pour in the vanilla extract and stir.
5. Sieve in the flour and incorporate well until smooth and pale in colour.
6. Spoon the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases and bake for 15 minutes or until bouncy and golden brown. (larger cupcakes will need 20 minutes)
7. Once baked, remove from the oven and place them onto a wire rack and allow them to cool.

When baking, it is easier to get the
ingredients all prepared before you
begin.

The cake batter should look smooth
and of a uniform colour, this ensures
that everything is well incorporated

I use an ice cream scoop when putting
the batter into the cases as it makes the
  quantity going into each case even

Place into the centre of a pre-heated oven
and avoid opening until it is ready to
remove them, this will stop them from
sinking

Vanilla Buttercream

For the buttercream, you will need:

100g Softened Butter

200g Icing Sugar

1 tbsp Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Food Colouring (if desired)

1. In a mixing bowl add the butter and half of the icing sugar. Combine with an electric mixer. If you don't have a freestanding mixer with a lid, I recommend that you cover the bowl with a cloth at first to avoid your entire kitchen being covered in Icing Sugar.

2. Gradually add in the other half of icing sugar and whisk until completely smooth.

3. If the buttercream is too thick at this point add the milk to make it slightly thinner.

4. Add in the vanilla extract and stir well.

5. Once the cupcakes are chilled add a spoonful of icing to the top of the cupcake and smooth it round with a palette knife or the back of a butter knife. Repeat on all cupcakes.

Once again, I have all of my ingredients
prepared beforehand

By adding the icing sugar in two halves
you ensure that it is incorporated fully 

I prefer not to use a piping bag as
I like the home made feel, however you
 can of course should you choose to

The icing should be smooth and light
in colour when whisked.

I hope you enjoy giving these cupcakes a try, if you do tag me in a photo on either Instagram (@lilyblogss) or Twitter (@lilyblogss).

See you next week,

Lily

xoxo

Social Media Links:

Twitter: @lilyblogss

Instagram: @lilyblogss

Snapchat: lilyblogss