Merry Kissmas! | #BourjoisTheMetallics

Hey lovelies!

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noël, Feliz Navidad and Happy Holidays1 I Hope you all had the best Christmas day, full of far too much food (and alcohol), lots of lovely presents, and happy times with your loved ones. Since I'm still feeling pretty festive, I thought I'd show you one of the Christmas releases from Bourjois, that I was very kindly sent from Influenster earlier this month.

Easy Vegan | Gift Guide 2017

Hey guys,

Christmas is nearly upon us which means it's time for the final post in my Gift Guide 2017 series!! As most of you guys already know, I'm a dairy free vegetarian, and with that I try to incorporate as much Vegan food into my diet as possible. I've spent a lot of time trawling the aisles in shops trying to find vegan-friendly treats and snacks, and searching online for the best cruelty free and vegan friendly brands! For that reason I thought it might be fun to do an exclusively Vegan gift guide, to help you with some inspiration for that vegan friend or family member of yours. (FYI this isn't me saying you should only buy these items for Vegans.. no no, anyone would love these prezzies!)

Little Luxuries | Gift Guide 2017

Hey friends,

I'm back with Part Two in my Gift Guide series, and today's post is all about the Little Luxuries you can treat your friends and family to! Most things mentioned in this post are above the £15 mark, some, a lot higher, some just a little higher. There will be a couple of products that come under the £15 mark, but I still felt like these were classed as Luxury Items, so included them in this guide! Remember, if you were looking to spend a little less, check out my Stocking Fillers Guide for gifts £10 and under! I've been getting loads of lovely comments and messages that I've been giving you guys lots of present inspo, so please keep those messages coming, cause I love reading them!

Take Some Time | Wellbeing with Jet 2*

Hey friends,

I've been wanting to write this post for a while now but ironically, I've not had the time! But nevertheless, Winter is officially upon us (insert Game of Thrones gif featuring John Snow covered in, well, snow...) The days are getting shorter, the evenings darker, and the nights colder. It's easy to just want to cuddle up into a little ball and hide away from it all. But it's SO important to take some time off to de-stress and relax.

 I was kindly sent a wellness hamper from the lovely team at Jet 2, so I thought I'd show you what I received whilst giving you some tips on how to look after numero uno. Sound good? Good.

Superb Stocking Fillers | Gift Guide 2017

Hey guys,

Can you believe how close it is till Christmas? Now I'm sure you're all totally prepared and have all your xmas prezzies bought and wrapped already... No?

Well luckily I got you covered!

I've put together three gift guides to give you some Present Inspo for the lovely lady in your life. Whether she's 12 or 72, your bestie, neice or great aunt, I guarantee you'll find something perfect on here over the next couple of weeks! This first post is full to the brim of fabulous stocking fillers, (oh and spoiler alert: if we know each other, you might potentially end up with one of these, so be ready to act surprised!)

The Glossier Dossier

Hey girls (and boys),

Hope you're all feeling fabulous as ever! I'm back with a post on the cult American beauty brand that's taken the UK by storm ever since they finally answered our prayers and started shipping to our side of the pond. I'm talking about Glossier of course. (I mean it was in the title, so you probably already guessed that..) If you've been living under a rock and haven't heard of Glossier, or you just hadn't got round to placing an order yet, stay tuned, cause ya gal's gonna share her favourite products with you! There's also a cheeky discount code too!

Poolside Chic | OOTD*

 Hey angels,

I love an Outfit of the Day post as much as the next girl, but I rarely do them. Why? I've been asking myself the same question and I've yet to find an answer! I'm consciously going to make an effort now to create more fashion content for both my Instagram and my blog, so hopefully you'll see some more of that very soon! Today's post is a fashion-themed one (yay me) and contains a couple of gorgeous pieces from UKSwimwear that I wore during my recent trip to the Algarve in Portugal!

Is there something interesting on the floor hun?

#FightTheFrizz | My Realistic Shower Routine

Hey my loves,

I thought I'd talk to you about something I'm sure you've all been dying to know: my shower routine.

(We'll call this segment "Behind the Curtain"... get it?)

I wish I could say that my shower and hair washing routine is as glamorous and effortless as the adverts you see on television. Sadly it's just not the case though - What with all the rogue shampoo droplets that make a b-line for my poor, poor eyeballs - as I'm far too clumsy/lazy/easily distracted for that. Nope, mine consists of a lot more procrastinating and singing for starters! But more on that later; first I'll talk you through a few products I've been loving recently!

Leicester Loves Boo! | Boo Burger Review*

Hey fellow foodies,

We need to discuss a burger I ate a couple of weeks ago, because quite frankly, I've not been able to get it out of my head!

I was invited for a meal at Leicester's newest burger joint, Boo Burger by the lovely people at Spottydog Communications. Situated on London Road, about a ten minute uphill walk from the train station, you might be wondering if it's worth the effort? Abso-friggin-lutely. Started up by two brothers with a love for burgers, you can see that their passions have been passed down to the whole team at Boo, as everyone we spoke to was so upbeat and friendly. They have an open kitchen too, so you can keep a watchful eye on your beloved burger as it's being made. (Although not for long, service is fast!) The menu is fairly simple, in that there are only 6 burgers to choose from, but they do everything on it so well that I'm not mad in the slightest.

Cutie Patootie Sorcha perusing the menu...

Music To My Ears | Volume 1*

Hey loves, 

I’ve been wanting to write a music related post for a while now, a desert island ditties, if you will; and it’s finally reached a point where I have so many songs floating round my head that I need to share them with you before my head does indeed explode.

You’ll need to have a killer sound system when you’re listening to some of these; great music is nothing without a good set of speakers! The Panasonic Multi Room Speakers are a fab option, as they're wireless and come in a range of sleek designs so blend in easily with your decor. Then all you need is a great CD, your smartphone, or perhaps you can just use this little playlist I've put together!

So without further ado (and rambling, cause let’s be real, your girl knows how to talk) here are all my favourite songs right now, and a little bit about why I love each one.

Lingerie Lovin' with Little Women*

Hey honeys!

Apologies for being a little MIA lately, I've been working full time at Next HQ and trying to get into a good fitness regime, and have a social life, (I know, calm down Izzy) and I swear there just aren't enough hours in the day to fit everything in! If you're one of those people that manages to get their butts out of bed early enough to squeeze in a gym sesh/exercise class before work then I COMMEND YOU!!

#StandOutStyle with Paul Mitchell | Neon*

Hey beauties,

The lovely people over at Paul Mitchell recently reached out to me to ask if I wanted test out their Neon range ahead of its launch this month. (To which I obviously said a big fat yes). What's even cooler is that Neon has teamed up with The Diana Award's charity Stand Up To Bullying to encourage and support young people that wish to counter-act bullying.

Summer Garden Dreaming with Fishpools | Outdoor Homeware Lust List*

Hey Angels!

As you all know summer is finally upon us, (yes yes it took its sweet old time but we do live in England) and with each season I love to change up the decor in my house and garden by getting a few jazzy new pieces. I've teamed up with Fishpools to put together my summer garden wishlist, which was so much fun with my imaginary, unlimited budget! I've scoured the web for my favourite pieces,  so I hope this post gives you some #GardenInspo!
 

Cheeky Little Competition & Life Update

Hello my beautiful internet friends!

How are we all? Good? I certainly hope so. I decided to do this impromptu little post, because quite frankly I thought it was about time I did another giveaway. I've been gathering up some of my favourite drugstore products for a while now ready for when I hit 2K on Twitter, and then suddenly I jumped up to 2250 followers, and I'm wondering where the time went!

Mask it Up! | My Fave Face Masks For All Your Skincare Woes.

Hey lovelies,

I don't know about you guys but as much as I try to stick to a regimented skincare regime, I still regularly have those "I can't be arsed" moments where I just want to grab a make-up wipe and ditch the cleanse (and the second cleanse, and the tone, and the - oh you get my point!) There is one thing I will always make time for however, and that is a good ol' fashioned face mask. I try to use a mask 1-2 times a week, and depending on my skin emergency at that exact moment, I'll pick one from my ever-growing collection! I've put together a list of my favourite ones, that each treat a different skincare problem you may be dealing with, so I really hope this comes in useful!

 (Clockwise from top)

The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Mask - £16

Gatineau Radiance Enhancing Gommage - £35

7th Heaven Black Seaweed Peel-Off Mask £1.00

Thalgo Deep Cleansing Absorbent Mask - £24.80

Boots Ingredients Lotus Flower & Tiger Lily Sheet Mask - £2.50

WOW Luxury Facial Mask Treatment - £20

Dr Jart Ceramidin Nanoskin Sheet Mask - £22.50 (for 5 pack)

For Instance Radiance - The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Mask*
Firstly, how sleek is this packaging? I'm really loving The Body Shop's branding at the moment. I was kindly sent this to review - which FYI I was ecstatic about as it was already on my shopping list - and I've been loving how much of a deep clean it gives my pores! I've since been back and bought more masks from their new line cause I'm so in love! I like using the Facial Mask Brush* with it to get a nicely even application too. It's totally Vegan which is amazing, completely free of parabens, silicone and other nasties, oh and it smells incredible. It's perfect for when your skin is looking a bit lacklustre and you want to get your glow back. Cause who doesn't love a glow?! It's also a two in one product as it works as an exfoliator when you scrub it off your face. Bonus!

For a Quick Fix Facial! - Boots Lotus Flower & Tiger Lily Sheet Mask, WOW Oxygen Sheet Mask & Dr Jart Ceramidin Nanoskin Sheet Mask
No I did not get the 'sheet masks are over' memo as my love for them is still going strong. They're fab for so many reasons; they require no effort, there's no goo to wash off your hands or face once you're done, and they are perfect for travel! (As they don't count as one of your precious liquids.) I love bringing a couple of these along when I'm flying long haul cause my skin gets so dehydrated from the recycled air and these really do give it the boost it needs! The only downside to them is that they make you look a teensy bit like a serial killer. (Jokes aside though does anyone actually look normal in these?) I've picked my three current favourites, that all replenish hydration and boost your glow, so whatever your price range, I've got you covered .

For Fading Those Pesky Acne Scars - Gatineau Radiance Enhancing Gommage
Before you all start on me; yes I know it's not technically a mask, but this product from Gatineau is a fab treatment nonetheless. It's a chemical exfoliant with the key ingredients of AHA and Activated Vitamin C which both encourage cell turnover and regeneration - which in English means that it helps get remove your old skin cells and bring your sparkly new ones to the surface! - This is one of my favourite products for fading acne scarring and hyperpigmentation and I've definitely seen a huge difference in my general skin tone since using this over the past few months. I usually leave it on for a good 5-10 minutes, to allow it to soak in and work its magic, rinse off, and then follow up with a moisturiser. Plus it's got that delicious orange jelly smell!

For Mattifying & That Squeaky Clean Feeling - 7th Heaven Black Seaweed Peel Off Mask

Remember those fun little face mask sachets that you used to take with you to girlie sleepovers? They were probably by the brand Montagne Jeunesse, which has since undergone a little revamp and are now back under the name 7th Heaven. They've kept their funky eye-catching packaging, and their price point is still so affordable considering how great the quality of these are. Everything from the range is also cruelty free and PETA certfied, with a few of the masks (including this one) actually being Vegan too! I love so many of the masks from this line, but for the sake of this post not being 5 years long I've just chosen the Black Seaweed mask. It's great for you oilier-skinned guys and gals too as it takes away the excess sebum. There's just something so satisfying about peeling it off and seeing all your impurities go away with it! 

For Calming Acne-Prone & Sensitive Skin - Thalgo Deep Cleansing Absorbent Mask
Last but certainly not least is this gorgeous mask from Thalgo. It's from their 'Control' range so targets irritated and acne prone skin. It has anti-comedonic properties so helps to prevent pores getting clogged (which is one of the main causes of acne) and the Pam extract helps to reduce redness and calm the skin. I love the whole focus of the brand, as it's about harnessing the benefits of the sea, and they only use the gentlest and purest ingredients, which is fab for my sensitive skin!

Leave me a comment below telling me what one of your favourite masks is and maybe I'll try it out!

Thanks for reading your Dose of Skincare

Disclaimer: The majority of things I review on this blog are purchased by myself, however I am lucky enough to be sent some products in exchange for an honest review. These will be mentioned in the post and outlined with an asterisk (*). As always, all opinions are my own and are not influenced in any way by brands/companies. If you are a company interested in sending me something for a review, you can contact me at sales@izzymariehill.com

Killin It Cosmetics | Epic Nights Palette Review & Swatches*

Hey beauties!

Today's post is a review of the stunning Epic Nights Palette from Killin It Cosmetics. They're relatively new to the beauty scene, but don't let that fool you, they're named 'Killin It' for a reason. I've been trialling the palette for the last couple weeks, testing out the quality of the shadows and their longevity.. so read on to see my thoughts and some yummy swatches! (Can swatches be yummy? I think so...)

April Lust List!

Hey guys!

I'm back with a one of my Lust Lists, and it's a bit of a random, impromptu post, that came to me a couple of days ago in Delilah whilst I sipped a soy Flat White (yes slightly excessive detail, I know I know). I quite frankly want EVERYTHING right now and so I'm hoping to curb the shopping addiction by writing about it, rather than buying it all. We'll see how successful I am. Now I'm going to try and keep the rose appliqué-laden items to a minimum cause I'm well aware they're on everybody's wishlist this month. But yes.

Going For Gold | GLITZBOX Review

Hey beauties!

So if you follow me on YouTube or Instagram, (if not then, what you playing at girl?!) you may have seen me talk a little about GLITZBOX. It’s a jewellery rental subscription service, where you pay between £39 to £59 a month and receive three carefully selected items of beautiful gold or silver jewellery. You wear these items for the whole month and then have the option to send them back, OR buy them, at a discounted price. Along with the jewellery you also receive Glitz Credit, which you can use towards one of your purchases. I’ve teamed up with GLITZBOX to show you what’s inside my box this month, you're gonna love it!

P.S. What do you think of the glittery flooring? I felt like it fitted perfectly with all this Glitz talk!

Drink Your Greens! | Ocha Matcha*

Hey internet friends,

The lovely people over at Ocha Matcha kindly reached out to me recently about trying some of their matcha powder. If you've been reading my blog for a while its pretty likely you'll know how much of a tea fiend I am. (I've done a previous post on a few of my favourite teas which you can read here.) I'm also massively into herbal remedies for general health and wellbeing, so I've been on the matcha bandwagon for a long time! Anywaaaaaay, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to show you guys a few of my favourite ways to incorporate matcha into my diet, so if this post sounds like your cup of (green) tea, then keep on reading!

The Prettiest Makeup Brushes Ever? | Urban Beauty United*

Hey honeys,

A couple of weeks ago these gorgeous brushes landed on my doorstep from Urban Beauty United,  (before you ask, yes they were hand-delivered by unicorns!) and since I hadn't talked about brushes much on my blog, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to test these ones out, and compare them to some of my favourites! I've been playing around with them over the past couple of weeks with some of my favourite products to keep the review fair, and also trialled them with some new stuff - shhhh I know I'm supposed to be on a makeup no-buy but that Jeffree Star Skin Frost was too pretty to resist!

 

Be Our Guest! | Latest in Beauty Launch*

Hey cuties!

If you know me (like at all) then you know that before anything else I am a Disney geek. I probably didn't have much choice in it either; step into my home and you'll see rooms full of Disney merchandise, not to mention thousands (I jest) of Disney movies in our DVD cabinets. You'll often find me practising for my life-long dream of being a princess by belting out songs from my favourite film of all time, Beauty and the Beast. Most years I'm also lucky enough to pay the Big Mouse himself a visit at Walt Disney World - AKA The Happiest Place on Earth.

Waffling aside (mmm waffles!) the point I'm trying to make is that I love Disney, so when Latest in Beauty contacted me to say that they were collaborating with Disney on Beauty and the Beast themed boxes - to say I was excited would be the understatement of the century. In my reply to the LIB team, I cut down the number of exclamation points from thirty down to three (lol) and then calmly waited for more information.

Results with Lucy & UNiDAYS Blogger Event

Hey guys,

A few of weeks ago a pretty exciting (ok very exciting) email landed in my inbox inviting me to a fitness event at UNiDAYS HQ in Nottingham. Naturally when I spotted the word UNiDAYS I was immediately intrigued, with them being the number one student discount provider in the country and because they single-handedly saved me zillions - yes zillions - of pounds in my student years.

The event was a collaboration with Results With Lucy, as a way to celebrate that RWL now has 25% off all fitness programmes for students with a UNiDAYS account. Click here to get your juicy discount. So myself and a few other lucky bloggers donned our sassiest gym gear for a workout and nutrition talk, followed by a cute luncheon.

Juuuuust before we got all sweaty! Photo Credit: UNiDAYS

A Little Self Love Goes A Long Way

Hey cuties!

Since it was Valentines Day last week and there's still some love in the air I thought it might be nice to do a post on self love. You know, that "You do you girlfriend" (complete with sassy head bob) kinda stuff. Whether you're single AF like myself, or you're in a relationship, it's still important to have a little "me" time; so I've put together a list of things I like to do to show my body and mind some love!

I'm a #LashGang Gal! | Nouveau Lashes*

Hey guys,

Firstly, HAPPY GALENTINES DAY!

I really wanted to write this fun post, as a little congratulations from me to me! 

I've been an admirer of Nouveau Lashes for quite a while now so was absolutely ecstatic when they asked me to join their #LashGang. Nouveau are an amazing brand that specialise in a variety of lash services and products, plus they've created a really friendly, supportive online community that I'm so happy to be a part of!

72 Hours In | Copenhagen

Hey guys!

I've been meaning to do some travel posts for a while, but then it got really cold and really miserable here in the UK so I just wasn't feeling that inspired, buuuuuut I'm back! I just got home from the most amazing trip to Berlin and Bucharest, which I will most definitely be writing about, but for now I'm here to talk to you about Denmark's beautiful capital, Copenhagen.

Mine and Hemma's trip was a pretty spontaneous one - £36 for return flights on Skyscanner, go figure - but we still managed to get a little research in and ask some family friends for tips before we went! I've put together a list of all my favourite things to do if you're planning on visiting any time soon, and best of all, pretty much everything I've listed is mega affordable - because Copenhagen? I love you but you espeeeeeensive.

Picturesque Tivoli Gardens

Marks & Spencers Beauty Calendar | Best Bits!

Hey gals,

So we're two weeks into January now; anyone else already broke one of their New Years Resolutions? (Jokes, I didn't even make any, I have that little self confidence...)  One thing I am attempting this year however is YouTube. Yep you heard it right people, Izzy is on the tube. As you guys may or may not have gathered from my overuse of italics and brackets, I love a good ramble, and so it just made complete sense to me to start making videos! My first one is up and it's a fun little Get to Know Me tag <3  I'd love it if you could subscribe, and please feel free to give suggestions for videos too!

My Marks and Spencers Beauty Calendar has been sitting on my window-ledge staring at me this past week or so, and there are several products from it that I keep on reaching for, so I decided to do a little round up of my favourite bits!