Miller Harris Poirier d'un Soir Fragrance | Beauty

This is going to be a bit of a different post today because it's about Fragrance which isn't something I usually cover because I'm a little fussy with scents but you know sometimes when you find something you actually love you have to shout about it. 

To give a bit of back ground, I was actually given this as a gift along with a different range which I'll write about in a separate post, but honestly, it's the sweetest thing any one has ever done for me so I was thrilled when these arrived completely unexpected. 

If you aren't familiar with the brand Miller Harris, they are a niche fragrance house who do a unique range of scents, perfumes, candles, body washes and lotions. They are a luxury brand because of the price points but also because of the quality of the products. They do resell on sites such as John Lewis, Feel Unique and Very Exclusive so that kind of gives you an idea about the brand. 

Poirier d'un Soir is actually part of their new range and is just wonderful. I'm a massive fan of zesty/citrus fragrances and this one has really wonderful hints of that. When you first spray it on you get the citrus scent immediately but then it almost mellows to a sweet soft fragrance. It's described as "Evocative of the warm honeyed blooms that encircle a pear orchard at dusk"  doesn't that just create the most delightful image? 

For those of you that want to know a little more about the specific notes the website highlights them as:- 

• TOP: bergamot Italy 
• HEART: rum extract, rose Turkey, papyrus India 
• BASE: birch tar oil, patchouli oil, white cedarwood

The thing that I like about Miller Harris is that the fragrances really are different, I stopped buying perfumes at places like Boots because every single one was nice but really lacked some of the subtle and simplistic touches like that of Miller Harris. 

For me this is perfect of everyday, it's fresh, light and sweet. 

Have you tried out Miller Harris? What's your favourite fragrance? 

Posh Pickles Claret, Red Onion and Balsamic Relish | Lifestyle

Looks delicious doesn't it? I literally love all kinds of pickles, chutneys and jams, the list really could go on. I do eat a lot cheese and like a variety of different things to accompany it. I was very lucky to recieve a gorgeous little sample of Posh Pickles, Claret, Red onion and Balsamic Relish*. 

The thing I really love about Posh Pickles and Preserves is that they have really unique flavour combinations. They have quite a lovely range of pickles and have something for everyone. The products are all free from artificial flavourings, colourings and preservatives so you know it's a really great, quality product and they're all hand made. Honestly what's not to love? They have a fantastic range of jams as well from Raspberry and Red Currant to Sweet and Sour Lime (which I absolutely must try out). I also like that they have a Cheeky Chilli Relish and a Cheekier Chilli Relish, we all love a bit of cheekiness. 

I just knew I'd love my Claret, Red Onion and Balsamic relish because the ingredients just sound so yummy, it's made of:- Red onion, claret, prunes, honey, balsamic vinegar, light soft brown sugar, olive oil. At first I was a little spoiled for choice, I didn't know what to have with my chutney as I envisioned it would work well with a variety of different dishes. This chutney would be a great addition so sweet potato fries because it is tangy and would work with the sweetness of the potato. I also think it would work with chicken because it's a light meat. However, I just couldn't resist on having it with some crackers and cheese. 

This chutney is by far the tastiest chutney I've had it a very long time, all the flavours  work so well together, you can pick up on the honey and brown sugar but it really is enhanced with the balsamic too. The full size jar retails for about £3.50 online which I actually think its a pretty good price because the quality of the product is definitely worth it. 

Sweet and Sour Lime Marmalade is on my hit list, definitely going to try that one out.

Have you tried Posh Pickles? Are you a lover of chutneys, pickles and jams?


*PR sample, all views my own 

Stratford Westfield Random Haul | Fashion

The other week me and my wonderful friend Vernia went to Westfield in Stratford just for a bit of a wander. I didn't really need anything, but when the chance to see a very dear friend arises you know I'm gonna say yes. 

As you can see in the picture above it's a bit of a random haul so let me take you through my various bits and pieces. When we went, every shop had literally just gone into their Summer Sale and everywhere was chaos. I wanted to treat myself to some new underwear and went into Victoria Secret but oh my god! People were going crazy over this stuff, I mean it was a mess, trying to find your sizes was hard enough without being elbowed out the way and don't even get me started on the queue! So I left that store and though I would try out Ann Summers. I will say I was really impressed with Ann Summers sale, they are a really nice range of bras and underwear in such a fantastic size range. I know that Ann Summers can be seen as a like risque but they also had some nice lace bras that weren't too out there at all and didn't have a crazy amount of padding in them either. I bought so much stuff but I didn't think you all quite needed to see that!

Moving onto a few pieces I picked up from Superdrug. I am loving Sleek make up at the minute so much so I've actually started using the CC Cream as my everyday foundation and I'm loving it, you can read my review on it here. I have also picked up the contour kit, I have hit the entire pan on my Face Form palette and I was going to buy the same palette again however I didn't really use the blush so I saw this an though that would be far more useful than getting the Face Form palette. Recently I have run out of shampoo to wash my make up brushes in so I though I would pick up my Johnsons baby shampoo for those. 

Finally, I have decided to buy a portable charger, oh the utter pain of having an iPhone. My battery always dies which can be so frustrating so I've given in and got this little one. You can get bigger and better ones but I wanted something small that I would just slip in my bag and this should work perfectly. I bought it from Currys for £19.99 which I think is a pretty reasonable price actually. 

It's a random little haul isn't it, but that's the thing I love about Westfield, it kinda has something for everyone clothes, beauty and technology. 

Which shop do you love in Westfield? 

Garnier Micellar Water | Beauty

I thought it was finally time for me to get involved with this Micellar Cleansing Water hype, I mean what does Micellar water even mean? I don't know! I've been looking for a quick an easy way to cleanse my face, I'm probably the most boring person out there when it comes to skincare. I know what works for me and I kinda just stick to it. That being said I have noticed my skin has been looking just a little lifeless recently, so I thought I would try out something new. 

I have read a lot of blogs who bang on about Micellar water and to me it just seems like a nice easy step for my skincare routine so I thought I would try out the Garnier version. Now, there are a lot of different types of Micellar water out there, which one do you choose? I really struggled at first because the Garnier Version was in a massive bottle, which is great if I'm already a fan of this product but in terms of a first time purchase I just didn't want to commit to a big bottle. I then went to Superdrug to see what range they had and saw that Simple have their own and immediately I grabbed a bottle, but it was on offer Buy One, Get One Free, again what if I don't like the stuff? I did however notice that Superdrug were selling the Garnier version in a "Mini Format" so that made my mind up. 

The Garnier Micellar Water works as both a cleanser and a make up remover so it is pretty gentle on the skin and you don't have to rinse it off. I'd say that this isn't the best eye make up remover because it took quite a while to get my mascara off but in all fairness I do wear a lot of eye make up. It's great a removing the rest of my make up and leaving my skin feeling all fresh and clean. I did feel it dried out my skin just a tad at first but after a few uses I was fine.

I'm am loving this addition to my skin care routine and now totally get the hype surrounding Micellar water. 

What are your thoughts on Micellar Water?

Health - Fitness - Lifestyle Update | Lifestyle

Oh I know it has been a little while since I gave you all an update but now is a good time. I am now in month 6 of my healthy lifestyle change and I really am loving it. I didn't know what picture to use to I thought I'd use the cherry blossom from my tree, just because it's pretty.

I have lost a massive amount of weight which I'm not sure I want to share on here just yet because I know work colleagues could read this and I don't want everyone knowing. I have reached my goal but I have set myself another small goal of an extra 6lbs by the end of the year.

I thought I would share with you 5 things about me that I'm happy with or like now I am lighter and more confident:- 

• My Collar Bones - this sounds like an odd one but I like my frame and the way my body holds/distributes it's weight. I'm very slim at the top half of my body. 

• My Waist - I have an hour glass body shape, so now that I weigh less I can actually see this shape much clearer. 

• Muscles in my legs - whilst these aren't that visible, I still have a layer of fat over them, it's great to feel definition in them again. They are chunky but they are strong

• Fitness - my fitness levels has increased so dramatically, I love being able to go for a run and not feel as out of breath or as slow as I used to be just 6 months ago

• My relationship with food - I no longer binge on rubbish, I know that if I want something that might be high in saturated fat or whatever I can have it. I just have to not let it effect my overall routine

Most health and fitness posts include before and after pictures but in all honesty I hated the way looked so much that I didn't really have any before pictures but the people in my life can see how much weight I've lost and have been very nice with their comments. 

Now I'm focusing less on the numbers and more on how my body looks, feels and performs whilst making sure that I do carry on a live my life. I can go out for dinner and drinks with friends but I can't do that every night and I still go to the gym or eat lighter the next day. I'm really starting to understand how to balance everything out. 

What are your healthy living tips?