The Best in Beauty and a Mini Giveaway

Hello,
It's filler post day! This week instead of showing you a video of a cute cat I wanted to ask you your opinion.
I am so thankful to have so many followers of my blog and I want to make sure you're happy with what I am writing so today I'd like to know what your favourite posts are to read on Three Little Buhos and what you'd like to read more of. I'd also like to know what your very favourite beauty product is and why you love it.

As a mini incentive, I have a little gift to giveaway to one commenter who will be picked at random using the trusty random.org. The only rule is that you need to be a UK follower of my blog :)
I will pick the winner at 6pm tomorrow so get commenting :)

I couldn't quite manage to not post a cute photo at least!

Annie x

The Horror of Thinspo

To be honest, I feel a little weird writing this post because I have spent the last couple of hours looking into a world so far from my own that its hard to believe.
This morning I received an email from Pinterest letting me know that someone had tagged me in a pin on a board labelled inspiration. At first I was flattered, thinking it would be something to do with blogging or something similar so I popped over to have a look. I was shocked to find myself on a "thinspo" or "thinspiration" board full of photos of malnourished and incredibly thin women all being labelled as inspiration for people who want to lose weight.
My first reaction was, of course, to be offended that some bright young spark had thought it "helpful" to link me to such a board. As someone who admits that I am overweight and could perhaps do with losing a few pounds I find it incredibly offensive that someone who is aspiring to be something so unhealthy herself is trying to tell me how I should be.
But then I spent more time looking into the world of thinspo and that anger and offense was replaced with worry for the girl.
There are literally thousands of sites dedicated to thinspiration and they are all full of images that depict dangerously slim women with jutting bones, washboard stomachs so slight that you can see ribs through the skin and legs with "that gap" between the thighs. There are also numerous thinspo quote images which boast sayings like "KEEP CALM and the hunger will go away" or "Food will never taste as good at skinny feels".
Even after just spending a couple of hours looking through some of these sites, I can see exactly how someone could get sucked into that world which is full of pro anorexia supporters, especially those who are easily influenced, because the people who write the blogs or publish the "inspirational" photos are so passionate about what they are saying. They truly believe that what they are doing will improve them as a person.
Down the right of this post are just a few examples of the chilling quotes that I found on just the first couple of pages of a google image search and it saddens me that such harmful material is being spread so readily around the internet where anyone can find it.

I know it can be incredibly hard to see when someone has a weight issue, even those who are close friends or family, but what I do ask of you is to keep an eye on the ones you love. Maybe you've noticed that they have a pin board full of exercise tips and slogans similar to these. What we need to remember is that whilst the increase of internet and Pinterest use can be damaging, we can also use it as a way to help people and find out important information about the people we care about that we would not otherwise notice.

I wanted to share this post to raise a little awareness of what is fast becoming a big issue, especially with the success of Pinterest growing and the amount of people using blogging tools and Tumblr rising, making it ever easier to find yourself being drawn into a community like this.

And finally, I want to say that I promise you that you don't have to be skinny to feel happy. I am 5ft6 and a UK size 16 which makes me larger than what is seen as the perfect size, but I am currently the happiest I have been in a very long time. I look and feel good in what I wear, I have fantastic boobs and I have a partner who loves me just the way that I am. So rather than spending your life aspiring to be something that you will never be, or will drive your motivation into the ground, spend your time loving yourself the way that you are, because the time it takes you to slave away on body beautiful is time that could be spent doing something you really love. And in my humble opinion, people care a lot more about having a great time with you and seeing that you are a passionate, rounded person than what you look like. Try to relax and everything will be okay.

Annie xx

Sharing Love for the Bunnies!

Hello,
Whilst I may have chosen a rather light hearted title, todays post is about a serious matter that means a lot to me and should do to all you other beauty lovers out there.

As we all know, there is a lot of animal testing that goes on in the world of beauty. Both with finished products but also with the ingredients that they are made with. This is wrong. Why should a rabbit, mouse, guinea pig or any other creature be harmed due to the human desire to look beautiful? I care for two incredibly well loved pets; Florence who is my little roborovski hamster and Lolly who is my uber grumpy kitty (she doesn't like having things poked in her eyes, I know, I've had to give her eye drops in the past). Would you ever allow someone to try out their new mascara or facial peel on a pet? Of course not, so why is it ok for those things to be tested on any other animal?

This has been the general opinion for many years now. During the 80's and 90's animal testing in cosmetics was a wide spread practice and as it happened behind closed doors, many buyers had any clue about what was happening. When it finally came to light there was a complete public outcry and huge numbers of people approached Members of Parliament demanding laws be passed to put an end to the cruelty. This led to some cosmetic companies adopting their own voluntary code and publishing their own set of animal testing policies. However, because this wasn't a necessary step many companies still tested their products and ingredients on animals, and the animal cruelty stayed as wide spread as ever.

Then, in 1993 finally the people had victory. A legislation was passed by the European Government to control the use of animals in cosmetic testing. This legislation bans the act of testing both ingredients and finished cosmetic products on animals, as well as banning the sale in Europe of cosmetic products that have been tested on animals.

So why has this not happened?
When the original legislation was passed, companies wire given a five year period to prepare for the ban to be put into place on 1st January 1998. However, some of the biggest players in the cosmetics industry repeatedly lobby for the implementation date to be moved back again and again. Whenever the date draws near they petition again for another delay to the starting date. This has now been happening for 30 years.

What can We Do?
The current implementation of this legislation is due in 2013 and there is currently a request for yet another delay, this time of 10 years, being considered by the European Government. To stop this request being granted to the money obsessed, heartless companies who do not already protect animals of their own accord, what we need to do is let our government know that we all feel just as strongly about this as we did 30 years ago when the fight began. To do this, all you have to do is sign the petition to show that you are against animal testing for cosmetics.

You can find the petition *here*. Please sign and show your support. The law has already been passed, all we have to do is raise our voices and enforce it.
Will you be signing?
Annie x

Blogging Sites and What They Can Do For You

Hello lovelies :)
After enjoying a lie in this morning, I can feel a productive day coming along! I've already done all the reading for my next assignment and written the plan in the last hour so I'm feeling optimistic today!

As a blogger, we all want to get our blog seen by other people. We write down our thoughts, opinions and experiences not only to keep a record for ourselves but also to share these things with other like minded people who might be interested or inspired by what we are writing.
In this day and age, the internet is a big, vast ocean full of little fish like us who are all wanting to be heard so it isn't always easy to lead people to your little corner of the internet to discover your blog but luckily there are plenty of websites for bloggers to come together and meet one another. So here are a couple of my favourites and a bit of information about how I use them and how they can help you.

First up we have blogger (or blogspot) of course, which is the platform my blog is set up on. Blogger is run by google and is a great platform for setting up your original blog. It is also now the only platform which allows you to use Google Friend Connect, which is perhaps the most widely used tool to gain followers (or it was until google stopped allowing all blogs to use it!)
I don't find blogger useful for finding other blogs, but the dashboard is nicely laid out making it easy to see when blogs that you follow using GFC have added a new post. There is also a handy list of all the blogs you follow displayed down the left hand side of the page so you can find posts by a particular blog quickly. The cheeky print screen shows how everything is laid out.

Next we have Bloglovin' which I have to say is my total favourite blogging site. I use it solely to follow my favourite blogs because I love how it is laid out. When you start following a blog, all of the new posts from that blog are added to your feed from then onwards as with all blogging sites, but bloglovin' splits them down  for you and sends a daily email to you letting you know how many new posts have been added over all from the blogs you follow in the last 24 hours. When you log in to your homepage, down the left hand side of the page it also shows you how many new posts there are from each individual blog. My favourite feature bloglovin' provides, however, it the toolbar that opens along the bottom of the screen when you open up the first blog post. Unlike other platforms, this toolbar means that you do not have to open up a new window for each post you want to read, you simply click "next" and you  are able to move on to the next unread post you have. I love this feature, it makes reading blogs so much easier. You can also "like" any post you read which is saved into a separate section on your account so you can always find the post again in the future.
Although I only use bloglovin' to follow blogs, it is also a great site for finding them, although I do find that it likes to promote the big fish in blogging rather than up and coming talent which annoys me a little. Heres a print of the homepage once you have an account, it is essentially just one, big, easy to navigate feed. I'm really surprised that now more people use bloglovin'!

Finally, we have Bloggers, a site that I am relatively new to, but really impressed with so far. This is the site that I use to find new blogs because the way that the site is designed makes this so easy. You can search for blogs by popularity, genre/content and also country. I usually use the country option because, whilst I enjoy reading blogs from all over the world, I like reading beauty and fashion posts most and these are most useful to me if written by someone who is writing about products from my own country where I can pick them up myself if I like the look or sound of them. I have found some seriously great blogs on this site that I would never have otherwise. When you sign up you can write up a profile page where you talk about you and your blog so that other people can get a good idea about what you write. You also link up your blog to your page so people can easily access it. You have the option to add friends from other blogs and you can also "vote" for a blog if you like it. I'm not 100% sure what voting does, but I think that it increases the level of exposure the site gives you so you can work your way up to being a big fish. People can also vote for each individual post you write, drawing more people into the posts you write. It seems to be a good system, even if I don't fuly understand it because I have had a lot more exposure and page views since joining bloggers. Heres a screen print of the dashboard, I'm not as keen on the bloggers dashboard, but I don't use it much for reading blogs anyway, just finding great blogs so I'm not bothered :)

And those are my top three blogging sites and why. I hope this post was useful and that I didn't ramble on too much. You can find links to follow me on all three of these sites in the sidebar of my blog, but if you're interested in having a look at the sites yourself here are some links.

Bloglovin'

Bloggers

Do you use any of these sites? What is your favourite blogging site?

Catch you later,

Annie x

The Weekly Wedding Fix #9

Hello,
Wednesday again. Doesn't time fly these days?!
This week for the Wedding Fix I have put together a lovely Destination Wedding theme for you in tribute to the beautiful weather that we've been having here in England recently.
Enjoy : )

1. Destination weddings are usually held in a hot location so you need to remember this when choosing a dress. A popular style to for destination weddings a Grecian dress which is very light and floaty. However, I have instead chosen this short, puffball dress as it is a more fun choice and allows you to show off your wonderfully sun kissed legs on your big day. If you're getting wed on a beach, it also avoids getting sand all over the hem of your dress.

2. I love this twist wrap dress from Dessy. The dress can be styled in many different ways to suit all of your bridesmaids and it is available in lots of lovely colours. The material is also easy to care for and will not crinkle easily which is an important consideration for a destination wedding.

3. Guests may become a little over heated if your wedding is held out doors or in a sunny room so these brightly coloured paper fans make the perfect favour for your guests. The handle can also be personalised so that people will always remember your big day.

4. It is likely to be difficult arranging flowers for a destination wedding so instead, why not make use of a beautiful parasol as an alternative option that is ultra feminine and will also keep the sun off your face, avoiding any heat related make-up malfunctions. You can get these in any colour under the sun so you are sure to find a beautiful parasol for you and your girls.

5. Destination weddings bring to mind visions of dreamy fruit cocktails for me and there is a whole host of wonderful options available to you. You could choose a drink that is a popular local choice or go for something more classic. I have chosen the Bahama Mama which is a Jamaican classic and truly delicious.

6. Footwear always provides a little dilemma when abroad I find. For smart occasions I want to wear beautiful shoes but my feet just get so uncomfortable. For a style that is both smart and comfortable, why not consider beautiful floral sandals similar to these from Office? They will stay comfy in the heat all day and allow feet to breathe, whilst still being fitting for the event.

7. To follow on from the theme of travel at your reception, you can make good use of luggage tags or labels as place settings. If you only have a small party of guests, you could even get them specially personalised as an extra touch.

8. The cake is another part of the day that can be problematic to plan from the UK but by rule you should remember that you will not need a large cake because you are likely to have less guests at a destination wedding, and people also have suppressed appetites in hotter weather. It would be wise not to choose a chocolate decorated cake unless you are sure it will be kept in a well air conditioned room until being served and over all. As a different option, why not try a local bakery on your pre-wedding trip to the area and ask them to provide individual cakes or pastries for the wedding.

So there we have a beautiful destination wedding. I hope you enjoyed this one because I loved putting it together.

I'll be back later with some photos of the lovely girls day out I had with my friend Kassi today and what I bought.

Annie x

Beauty Products that I will Never Understand

Hello,
sorry there was no post up last night, I was zonked after work so just slobbed around for a few hours before an early night.
Now, we all know that there are some truly awful beauty products out there that just shouldn't be on the market. But what really bugs me at the products that are just plain pointless. Some I will just never understand. Here are my top (or should that be bottom) picks for the most pointless beauty products in the world.

Lolly and I disapproving of these pointless products. I seem to literally be made of eye bags in this photo :S

1. Lash Cards. Thats right, you can actually buy packs of cards to stop you getting mascara or make-up all over the place around your eye... Yes it is a great idea to use a little something as a "lash card" but why waste money on a special product to do so when you could easily use a tissue, cardboard tags from clothing, or even the dried up wipe you used to remove your make-up the night before which would work out a whole lot cheaper and save your much needed sanity for other, more useful past times.

2. No-touch Soap Dispensers. Soap cleans hands. Yes. We all know that. We also all know how to wash our hands; either applying the soap to dry hands before then running them under the tap and lathering up, or by wetting hands, then applying soap and lathering up, enjoying the bubbles and getting rid of the grime. Never does the soap part come last, that just wouldn't work would it? Realistically, you are only ever going to touch the soap dispenser when your hands are already dirty so why worry if that little push pump gets germs on it? Or if you pick up a few extra germs from said push pump for that matter, because the whole point of the product inside is to kill those very germs you just picked up. See, useless product!

3. Nail Varnish Wipes. I do own these and I try very hard to like them. But I just can't do it. I admit that they could be handy to take on holiday, but to be honest, why bother? A small pack of around 20-25 are quite expensive to buy, and if you are using a thick, high quality polish you need to use three of them, sometimes four, to get the damn stuff off, and even that takes a hell of a lot of persistent scrubbing (good for the old bingo wings maybe). What I don't understand is why people bother. For £1 you can get a big bottle of normal remover which takes just one or two cotton pads to clear both hands with a lotmore ease and a lot less scrubbing.

4. Seven day moisturiser. This, in itself, is a great concept. If it actually was what it says that it. It would be lovely to only need to moisturise once a week. Yet even though it claims to keep skin soft and moisturised for seven days, you still need to use it every day. Umm... Why? Surely that contradicts itself? Why not just use a normal one that admits that you need to use it each day for the proper effect and save yourself the extra money (you could maybe even save enough to fund the lash card habit...)

Other contenders that drive me bonkers:

• Bottom lash mascara- can we really not be trusted to get those little pesky hairs with a full sized brush?
• Lip tattoos- do people know how ridiculous these look? Yes, even you Jessie J.
• Venetian blind glasses- what exactly is the point of glasses that you can't see through, don't enhance your sight or provide protection from the sun?
• Stick on eyeshadow- one size really doesn't fit all girls and these crush our creative side.

So these are just some of the more pointless, or (in my mind) useless beauty buys that are on the market. How about you, do you have any products that annoy you like this? what do you think is the most pointless beauty product out there?

Annie x

ps, my blog sale is running here. If there is anything you fancy just let me know.

The Weekly Wedding Fix #8

Hello lovelies,
Its that time of the week again so here we are for another Weekly Wedding Fix. This week in feeling the lovely spring vibes so I've put together a soft yellow wedding theme for you. Enjoy :)

1. A soft colour theme allows you to choose a pretty, delecate wedding dress. This fishtail gown with a lace overlay would look so pretty with any light clour theme and the fishtail adds a touch of fashionista edge.

2. Yellow is a very feminine, fresh colour but you need to be careful when choosing the style of dress as pale yellow is very easily made frumpy by an unflattering cut. This little dress from Forever 21 has a young looking, figure hugging cut.

3. Small scented candles make a sweet favour for your guests. If you were to burn the same scented candles during your wedding reception, the scent would also remind guests of your happy day.

4. Yellow is a tricky colour to pair up exactly, so instead of choosing yellow shoes for you and your bridesmaids, opt for either white or cream to match the wedding gown. These classic white courts from Office are perfect.

5. I love simple bouquets and I think that a pretty yellow bouquet of tulips tied simply with white ribbon would look stunning. And as they are a brighter shade than the other, softer shades of yellow, they will also stand out proudly.

6. Nature is beautiful. Bring it into your wedding theme with lemon name cards. They will look lovely and fresh sat on the table and guests can take them home after the event if they wish, if not, you can make use of them yourself.

7. The obvious choice of drink for this yellow themed wedding is freshly made lemonade. But because I can't resist a good cocktail, here is the recipe for spiked lemonade which tastes wonderful and is lovely and refreshing on a hot day.

8. With a lightly coloured wedding theme, it is possible to coat the cake with icing in a shade of the chosen theme colour. This yellow wedding cake shows this perfectly. The over all effect is sweet, tasteful and not over the top. Just be careful to go for a very light shade.

And there we have it, a pretty, light yellow wedding theme. I really like this one personally, especially the pretty cake and classic shoes. What do you think?

Annie x

I've Been Shopping!...Again

Hello,
As I mentioned, yesterday mum and I went for a wander around town. The weather was lovely, Bath is so pretty in the sunshine :)
Of course, despite trying to save money, I couldn't resist picking up a few bargains.

Boots are currently running an offer on their Number 17 products where if you buy two, you get the third free. Who am I to reject this offer?! I grabbed one of the limited edition spring eye pallets, one of their new Blush and Glow blushers and one of the supreme shine lipsticks. Because I haven't really had the chance to test them properly yet, I'll do a proper review in a couple of days when I have some time off.
Whilst in Boots I also used my last £5 off No7 voucher to buy a little tube of their fabulous Nail and Cuticle Care Cream (reviewed below) because due to the nature of my job I have terrible trouble with the condition of my cuticles. I have been able to put this product through its paces sooo well today.
Finally, when I saw a copy of this month's Marie Claire in Sainsburys I grabbed it. I don't usually buy it but I NEEDED the Neals Yard Rehydrating Rose Daily Moisture. This free gift usually retails at £12 so it is more than worth the £3.70 magazine price (and with my 10% discount it only cost me £3.33! Even better!) Seriously, go get this while it's still on the shelves!

Anyway, onto the review :)

No7 Nail and Cuticle Care Cream:

I work in a supermarket. It isn't glamourous, it isn't easy, and it is DAMN hard on the nails, but it pays well for now and I work with some great people. On mondays I work a nine hour shift stocking the shelves on the chilled food department and when I get home, my nails, cuticles, and tbh, hands in general, are completely wrecked.
Today I decided to do a little experiment with my new cuticle cream so before work, and then again in each break I applied a tiny amount (thats all you need) just to my right hand, the left hand I didn't apply any cream to so that I could see the difference between the two.

Please please please excuse the dirty nails, I snapped these as soon as I got home before washing and scrubbing my hands to show you the full effect. This is my left hand which I didn't apply any cream to and, as you can see, those cuticles are looking pretty rough and sore after a long day of playing with cardboard boxes.

This is my right hand which had a tiny amount of the No 7 nail and cuticle cream applied to each nail 3 times during the course of the day. As you can see, while there is still a little bit of damage, they look so much better than the nails on my left hand. They're no where near as dry, there has been minimal splitting and there was no bleeding (yay!)

This cream is a God send for those of us who have very active jobs. The tube is small (only 10ml) but you only need a very small amount; a small dot on each cuticle. It is a smooth, creamy consistency and sinks in nice and quickly with little effort needed. It also has a very faint, sweet smell that is fairly pleasant. Uusally, this tube retails for £7 but with my £5 off voucher I paid just £2 so it was a complete bargain. I would definitely re-purchase at the full price.

Have you ever tried this cuticle cream? Do you have any other tips for keeping your nails and cuticles in good shape? How about any of these other products, have you tried these?

Annie x

Weekly Wedding fix #7

Hello,

Its time again for the Weekly Wedding Fix, and this week we have a pretty new header.

I'm sorry I'm posting this a day late. I travelled over to Canterbury from Bath yesterday and got here all worn out so went for a 30 minute nap which turned into me waking up at almost 10pm having fallen asleep at around 7 :S Oops!

Anyways, this week I have put together a pretty red wedding theme for you.

1. The obvious choice for a red bouquet is romantic red roses, but I think that this poppy bouquet makes a beautiful, less predictable arrangement. The slightly softer colour and visual appearance of the poppies also makes it a perfect choice for a less formal wedding.

2. This red Coast dress is a rather expensive choice for bridesmaids but the colour, style and length are wonderful. I often feel that full length bridesmaid dresses look a little too formal but the ruffles and edgy sweetheart style neckline counteract this and make it a beautiful and stylish choice.

3. This stylish cake offers an alternative to the traditional tiered cake decorated with royal icing and ribbons. Using small gemstones to add decoration to the cake is a lovely idea but you must remember that whoever is in charge of distributing the cake is aware that they are not edible and must be removed before being served. Alternatively, you could use edible silver balls to stud the cake and avoid the issue of removal afterwards.

4. I spotted these shoes at the weekend in Ted Baker and instantly fell in love. The photo does them no justice, they really are breathtaking. They are the perfect way to add a little glitz to your outfit. Think how lovely they would look amongst the white or ivy of a wedding dress for a fun and edgy alternative.

5. This eye catching cocktail is a Blood Orange Margarita. The beautiful red colour comes from the orange and would look wonderful against white table linen and crockery. The recipe is incredibly simple and sounds totally delicious.

6. With a red theme, it is very easy to go over the top when decorating tables. Instead of going all out and using red tablecloths, glassware, crockery and napkins and giving a complete over kill. Instead keep it light and use all white and just use a simple red floral arrangement as a centre piece and add small injections of colour such as a red napkin ring or red place settings. This cork name holder uses a simple red ribbon to add colour.

7. These sweet little heart shaped boxes filled with red chocolate treats will look beautiful on the table and also use the idea of just using very small amounts of the theme colour to create a light and pretty look.

8. Last but not least, is this beautiful wedding gown from Ian Stuart, my very favourite wedding dress designer. The Swan Lake inspired gown boasts layers of delicate tulle frills and graduates from a knee length skirt into a floor length train at the back. I think the soft, slightly unusual look of this gown works perfectly with this theme.

I hope you like this week's red theme, I had great fun putting it together, and I'm very sorry it's up a day later than planned.

Annie x
PS. Today is the last day to enter my first giveaway and win some pretty handmade gifts as well as a bonus secret beauty prize.

Struggling

Hello,
I hope everyone is having a lovely day in the sun.
I'm personally having a bit of a tough time of it today. I've been struggling a lot recently with motivation, especially when it comes to working for my Wedding and Event planning course and today it all seems to be coming to a head.
I'm writing an essay about organising events for corporate clients and I'm finding it a real struggle to put pen to paper and actually get anything down. This is hard for me because so far, I've never had this trouble before and its coming as a bit of a shock to me. I've always been one of these people who has felt that if you want something enough then you will go out there and get it, yet I want this so so much and still cannot find the motivation within me to force myself through it. I feel like a fourteen year old who spent her whole time trying to avoid doing her homework all over again.
I know there is no deadline for this essay and that you are meant to work through the course a your own rate, but dithering hardly seems productive yet I have no idea what to do as my tutor has given all the help she can, my lovely fiance did his best too and all I seem to be capable of is feeling sorry for myself.

Does anyone else find themselves in a pit like this? Have any of you got any tips on how to drag myself up again? I hate putting such a downer on a Sunday afternoon for such a small problem in the big scheme of things but if anyone has some great advice to help me then its going to be one of you lovely, supportive people.

Annie x
ps, my giveaway is still open and with only three entries so far there is a good chance you could win yourself some lovely goodies.

The New Kids on the Block

Hello,
I swear I must have the worst track record ever when it comes to illness! Once again, I've woken up this morning with a proper wipe out cold type illness despite feeling more unless fine yesterday. I feel completely pants and only seem capable of sitting in bed drinking gallons of squash and cuddling Lolly the grumpy kitty.
I have, however, managed to summon up enough energy to get uber excited about my two little treat purchases I picked up yesterday. Everyone needs to own both of these lovely little pots.

Soap and Glory A Great Kisser lip moisture balm and The Body Shop Chocomania body butter

I've read some brilliant reviews about both of these products recently, especially the body butter so snapped them both up while I was in town and had the chance and I have to say, I haven't been disappointed with either so far.

The Body Shop Chocomania body butter mini £5 for 48g

First of all, lets take a look at the Chocomania body butter. I honestly am so excited about this latest collection to be released by The Body Shop. I often find that chocolate scented products smell rather sickly and slightly manufactured in a chemically way. This collection however does not have that smell but instead has a smell rather reminiscent of chocolate cheesecake. It smells delicious! And, although I would never taste the product myself, I can fully understand why the samples  in the shop were plastered with signs saying "UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION" in large, threatening letters.
Although I have only been using the body butter since getting home yesterday afternoon, I already love it. I have trouble with eczema and dry skin on my legs in particular and my skin seems to just drink up moisuriser, but since several applications of this, my legs have already been noticeably less dry and itchy. It also contains shea butter, coconut oil and sesame oil so I'm hoping that the oils in the shea particularly help to take down some of the redness and scarring left by the eczema. I'll keep you posted : )

Soap and Glory A Great Kisser lip moisture balm £5 for 18g from Boots

I am a big fan of Soap and Glory products, especially The Righteous Butter so leapt on this lip moisture balm when I found it. The coconut flavour also drew me in if I'm honest what with my current coconut addiction.
Everyone hates having chapped lips, me included, so I've been looking for a good lip moisturiser for some time. So far from using this product, while I'm a little put off by the slight stickiness it gives my lips, it does seem to be doing a pretty good job. My lips look healthier and a lot fuller and less dry. You need to use very little at each application so it looks to be a nice long lasting product which is always handy :) There are also two other flavours to choose from, both of which are also tinted so if thats your thing, they're definitely worth looking out for.

Have you tried out either of these products? What did you think of them? Maybe you've tried some of the other products from these collections? I'd love to hear from you :)
Annie x

ps. Don't forget to enter my first giveaway *here* so far there haven't been many entries so your chances of winning yourself some pretty little treats are good!

Weekly Wedding Fix #6

Hello again,
How is everybody this evening? I'm  feeling pretty good after having some lovely dinner, moisturising my hands with The Righteous Butter (everyone needs some, seriously!) and looking forward to a girly catch up and shopping trip tomorrow with one of my best friends, Kaii.

This week I've been feeling a little old school so I've put together An Old School Glamour themed board for you. Enjoy :)

1. A glamourous wedding allows for a show stopping dress. I was so excited when I discovered this gown in Yolan Cris' 2011 collection. The 1920's inspired design is perfect for an old school glamour wedding as well as accentuating your curves beautifully.

2. A soft pink is a good choice for bridesmaids as it is a classically feminine yet glamourous colour (think Audrey Hepburn).  I chose this full length dress as the gleam of the rose coloured fabric flatters the figure and the length of the dress is more formal than a shorter style.

3. Cream shoes are nearly always a safe choice for your girls, no matter what the theme of the day, as they are neutral, do not divert attention and can be worn again and again after the big day. This pair from Office do all of the above, yet they also follow the theme with their vintage look t-bar buckle strap. The heel may look a little chunky but it does allow for photographs on grassy areas with no damage to the heels.

4. I love everything about these bottle stopper favours from the vintage style packaging to the shine of the chrome. These provide a practical gift for guests that will not lie in a cupboard forgotten about. And there is something about shiny chrome goods that are oh so glamourous.

5. These beautifully simple place settings are perfect for an old school glamour wedding. Use lightly coloured vintage china and decorate with an ornate napkin ring and a single road for a stylish, formal effect.

6. With your bouquet, I feel that in this case, less can be more. A small, tight bouquet made up of one type of flower can look just as beautiful as a large, cascading one. This Lily of the Valley bouquet is small and sweet and as a little bonus, will smell wonderful as well. Lily of the Valley is an expensive choice but I think the look it gives is worth the money spent.

7. Again, less is more in the world of glamourous wedding cakes. Instead of going over the top with an elaborate design, why not stick to a classic white design and use white ribbon to decorate. Vintage brooches also make beautiful accent decorations.

8. You cannot have a classically glamourous wedding without a classically glamourous cocktail. For me, the only option here had to be a dry martini as you can't get much more classic than that. Even just holding a martini glass makes you look the part (think Pierce Brosnan as James Bond)

And there we have it, the ingredients for a beautiful old school glamourous wedding.

Don't forget to check back tomorrow for details on how to take part in my first giveaway as well as a few other exciting things.
Annie x

Spread the Word

Hello,
What I ask of you today is short and sweet but don't for a minute think that it isn't important.
What I ask is that if you only do one thing today, please make that one thing watching this video and share it with everyone you know.

There is little we can do as individuals, but together we can bring Kony to justice and save the lives of more people that you could imagine.
Thank you,
Annie x

Weekly Wedding Fix #5

Hello,
I've spent most of today travelling once again between Bath and Canterbury and this evening I'm relaxing with Daniel and our friend with a takeaway and a few glasses of Malibu and lemonade :)

This week I've put together a pretty golden wedding for you.

1.This beautiful dress from Phase Eight is a romantic yet sleek, understated design, and I think it would be the perfect choice for a golden wedding. The simple design allows the gold detailing to make a big impression and would look wonderful teamed with a boho inspired hairstyle.

2. Light gold is a sweet choice for the bridesmaid dresses which also have detailing in the fabric adding a pretty touch to the simple cut of the dress along with a touch of glamour. Darker gold dresses tend to be unflattering on certain skin tones so be careful when picking out your colour.

3. What girl can resist a pair of glittered up shoes? This light gold pair from Kurt Geiger are the perfect shade for this theme and they're currently in the sale. The across foot strap also makes them a comfier choice to party the night away in.

4. Elephants are considered to be very lucky in many cultures and this Lucky Elephant bookmark provides a lovely reminder for your guests of your big day whilst also showing them that you wish them well in the future. And lets face it, they're incredibly cute too!

5. Peonies are a traditional wedding favourite, and lets face it, they're beautiful. I love that this bouquet pairs the beautiful light peonies with fresh green buds which instantly lifts the whole display. A bunch of white roses would also be a romantic choice.

6. A gold theme allows you to go all out when it comes to extravagant decorations and this gold embellished cake shows that although too much gold can seem tacky, if you get the balance just right you can create a stunning effect that will wow your guests.

7. Charger plates are a beautiful way to carry your colour theme onto your tables. They add depth and visual interest to the table as well as making the overall effect more impressive. I really like the shining gold pattern on the crockery used here.

8. Believe it or not, this gentle peach cocktail is a take on the traditional Spanish drink, sangria. Made using peaches and vanilla beans it has a much softer, summery flavour and would be a lovely choice for a summertime wedding. 

And there we are for another week. I hope this post has given you some inspiration and that you're now ready to start planning your beautiful golden wedding day.

Annie x

The Weekly Wedding Fix #4

Hello,
Its time once again for the weekly take over from Sugar and Spice for The Weekly Wedding Fix.
I've always loved fairy tales and when I was growing up Snow White was one of my favourites. Bearing this in mind, this week our mood board is for a "Fairest of them All" wedding.

1. How could I create a Snow White inspired board without using Alfred Angelo's Snow White style 207 dress from his Disney Fairy Tale Wedding collection. A fairy tale wedding is the perfect opportunity to wear that dream princess dress.

2. Snow White dressed in blue and yellow and these royal blue courts are just the right shade to pair with the dark yellow bridesmaid dresses as well as becoming your something blue if you were to choose them for yourself.

3. I am a huge lover of homemade favours, they add a personal touch and show your guests that you have taken time and care to please them. These Apple Pie Pops are a cute take on the very popular cake pops. They will look lovely wrapped in a little cellophane and of course, as we know, when singing "One Day my Prince will Come" Snow White was merrily baking an apple pie!

4. When I saw this wedding cake, I just had to feature it. Simply decorated with blue ribbon and sugar pansies I think it is the perfect addition to this fairest of them all wedding. The sugar flowers reflect the sweet personality of every Disney princess as well as providing a laid back chic look for a modern wedding.

5. These apple place settings are a great way to guide your guests to their seats whilst staying on theme. They are also cheap and simple to create. To create the look of the traditional "poison apple" you should use a Red Delicious apple as they are a deep blood red colour. They would look very striking on a simply decorated table.

6. I've always been a fan of bright yellow bridesmaid dresses and this theme provides the perfect time to get your girls in sunshine bright dresses. This dress from The Dessy Group is a flattering style and length and in Mango is the perfect shade!

7. Looking sleek and elegant, this Poisoned Apple Martini is a great choice for a signature cocktail at your fairest of them all wedding. Smoother than a regular martini it uses apple schnapps to give a sweet apple flavour.

8. Dark red roses always make for a beautiful bouquet. They stand out beautifully against the white of a wedding gown and the deep red colour exudes passion and romance. Pair with deep red lipstick for a real show stopping look whilst also echoing Snow White's "lips red as blood".

Would you ever consider choosing a fairy tale theme for your wedding? Or do you feel that this would be a strange choice? I would love to hear what you think :)

Annie x

A Few Beauty Favourites

Hello,
Today I've been busy cleaning, tidying and putting together some fabby blog posts for the rest of the week both for Three Little Buhos and Sugar and Spice. I love a good productive day and I have more tidying planned for this evening :)

Recently I have been really big on beauty and have really enjoyed painting my nails, cleansing, moisturising, buffing, plucking, tweaking, preening etc etc and I thought it would be nice to share with you some of my favourite beauty bits at the moment.

I cannot get enough of this Garnier BB Cream in Light. It makes skin look beautiful and works well to keep skin looking good long term.

 Batiste XXL Volume has helped me out of many hair related disaster days. It does as it says and gives great volume. It also works well when you're styling big volume up-do's.

 I love Calvin Klein perfumes and CK One Summer 2010 is my very favourite. I wear this scent almost every day and it makes me feel warm and happy :)

 Brush cleanser is an uber important make-up staple if you regularly use brushes to apply bits and bobs. Mac Brush Cleanser is a great one, it works fast with no hassle and removes all grease.

 My number one indulgence. Molton Brown products are so wonderful, and the warming eucalyptus bath and shower therapy has always been my favourite. After a long day, there is nothing better than a good soak using it.

 Have you ever used a rapid dry spray for nails? If not then you need to! They are the best! I'm rubbish with not smudging my nail varnish but since my mum bought me the Elegant Touch Rapid Dry for Nails I've used it religiously AND it works!

I get rubbish, dry lips during the winter so instead of using lipstick each day I use Vaseline Rosy Lips which tints them a pretty pink, keeps them soft and stops the chapping that I am so prone to.


What are your beauty must haves? Do you use any of these products? If you do, what do you think of them?
Annie x

Glitter Nail Varnish- The Eternal Struggle

Hello,
This evening I've arrived back in Bath after a lovely few days in Canterbury and I'm pretty zonked after the long journey. Or maybe that has something to do with the many hours of shopping I selflessly endured today while finding Daniel chinos that have a zip instead of buttons (for those of you wondering, such an invention does not currently exsist, much to Dan's dismay).

todays offending yet beautifl product!

Anyways, back onto topic. Now glitter nail varnish, I use it and I love it. It is however the bane of my life. I have just spent what feels like a lifetime (although in reality it may have been more like ten minutes) rubbing and scraping away at my nails trying to remove a particularly gorgeous yet equally stubborn red glitter nail varnish. And that was just one hand!
It saddens me to see such beautiful glitter varnishes in shops and online because I know I will be lured in, enthusiastically paint on several thick layers, enjoy them for several days until chips appear and then have the "character building" experience of scrubbing away for hours trying to shift the stuff. Why is it that it is oh so stubborn? I can't for the life of me work out why it clings on so much tighter than any other varnish. All I know is that I have another ten minutes of scrubbing to go before I can paint them in the pretty new Mint Cream coloured varnish I have from elf.


Does anyone know why oh why glitter varnish is so hard to remove? Do you have any tips on how to loosen the stuff other than sitting with my fingers dunked in a bowl of remover? Anyone who can shed some light will be loved eternally!
*is off to resume scrubbing*
Annie x

The Weekly Wedding Fix #3

Hello,
Its time for the weekly takeover from Sugar and Spice for the Weekly Wedding Fix.
Last week I was asked for some help with finding the right bridesmaid dress for a purple themed wedding so I thought it would be the perfect time to do a purple themed mood board.

1. This dress by Benjamin Roberts is a feminine choice. In my personal opinion, a lighter shade of purple is more fitting than a dark shade for a wedding as it is fresher and more romantic. This lace dress really suits a light theme as it is very soft and dainty.

2. Rather than going over the top with purple table clothes at the wedding reception, a more gentle way to bring the theme to the table is with the use of crockery either with a purple pattern, like in the image above, or alternatively you could use purple glasses or purple charger plates. (I'm very sorry but I forgot to save the source of this image, if you know where it is from then let me know, thanks!)

3. It can prove difficult to match bridesmaid shoes to the colour of their dresses so why not opt for shoes in a complementary colour? I love the look of gold shoes with a purple dress. Similarly silver or nude shoes would look just as charming.

4. Purple is a fairly difficult colour to wear, but the rule is that the darker the shade of the dress, the better it would suit a darker complexion. Those with fair skin should wear a light dress if possible or if you have your heart set on a darker tone then maybe you could treat your bridesmaids to a spray tan to give their complexion a sun-kissed glow that would work well with a darker dress. Purple dresses also work best in shorter lengths so keep your eye out for a knee length number.

5. How cute are these little purple chocolate lollipops? They are the perfect token gift to your guests and could also double up as place settings with a label affixed to their stick.

6. Purple bouquets can be stunning. I think they are at their best when left looking a little wild. Building in several different varieties of flower as well as a selection of shades can work well if assembled in a wild way. It is also a good idea to break the colour up with white flowers and greenery.

7. A purple wedding cake would most likely look a little over kill, especially at an elegant wedding, so instead, a good choice would to be to opt for a white cake and then decorate this with touches of your chosen shade. This could be done with ribbon or, like above, using purple flowers matching the floral arrangements.

8. There is a lot of scope with a purple wedding theme to develop a gorgeous looking and tasting feature cocktail. Purple Rain is a classic cocktail that tastes great and has a fantastic flavour. You may want to consider the risk involved reguarding stained clothes at the hands of a spillage however!

Well there we have it for this week. I hope I have given you some inspiration for your beautiful, purple themed wedding. If you have any advice for other readers then please comment, I'd love to hear from you :)

If you would like to visit Sugar and Spice to see all of the other great inspiration on offer there then simply click *here*

Annie x

10 Simple but Sweet Romantic Gestures

Hello,
I love my fiance to bits, yet over the years I have come to understand that he is far from being a romantic person. I don't mind this, he is brilliant just the way he is.
But for some people, romance is an important part of a relationship which can cause problems when one person in the relationship is clueless when it comes to romance. So for all those people who find it difficult to know where to start, I have put together a list of simple little gestures which will be sure to bring a smile to the face of your loved one :)

1.        Close the curtains, turn your phones off, order in your favourite food and just relax with your other half.
   
   
   2.       Breakfast in bed is always a lovely touch, even if it’s just toast and tea.
   
   
   3.       Baked goods can be made in little time and are at their best if made last minute so they’re still nice and fresh. Definitely more romantic than shop bought.
   
   
   4.       With music so easily accessible,  it’s never been simpler to make your other half a mixed tape of their favourite songs or “your songs”
   
   
   5.       If buying a box of chocolates just isn’t good enough then why not make your own? Sunshine and Carousels has featured some delicious recipes recently and they’re so simple to make too!
   
   
   6.       Write a list of 10 things you love about your other half and hide it somewhere they will find it when not expecting to. Guaranteed to put a smile on their face.
   
   
   7.       Forget about the fancy restaurants, pack a picnic and head for somewhere pretty together.
   
   
   8.       Have a movie night where you watch each other’s favourite film. Who cares if you aren’t keen on their choice, the intention couldn’t be sweeter.
   
   
   9.       Run your other half a hot bath, fill them a glass of wine and let them enjoy some relaxation time.
   
   
   10.   Have a fun evening together with a chocolate fondue that you can dip all of your favourite treats in, extra points for remembering your partners favourite treats :P
   
   
   Is there something sweet that your partner does for you that lets you know they love you? Do you have any advice for people who find it hard to express their love?
   
   
   On an un-related note, over on my other blog, Sugar and Spice, we have an inspirational "The Beautiful Bride" post to help you find the perfect wedding hairstyle for your special day.
   
   
   Annie x