Jo Malone Birthday Treat

Hi everyone,

On the 17th July I booked myself, my sister Amy and my best friend Abbie on to the Jo Malone Birthday Treat. I receive a birthday treat every year due to being a regular customer.

The Birthday Treat includes a hand & arm message for every person using a fragrance combination of their choice, champagne & chocolates, and also a complimentary gift.

For my fragrance combination was Peony & Blush Suede & Tuberose & Angelica. The Peony & Blush Suede was first applied using the shower gel, and it then followed by the matching body creme. Then to finish off I was sprayed with the new fragrance of Tuberose Angelica.
My sister had chosen the combination of Peony & Blush Suede and Amber & Patchulli. The Peony & Blush Suede was applied in exactly the same way as mine, and then was finished off with a spray of Amber & Patchulli.
Abbie went with the combination of Tuberose Angelica and Amber & Patchulli. When they were doing Abbie's hand and arm message they used the Peony & Blush Suede shower gel as a base, which was followed by the Vitamin E body balm, and then finish everything off they sprayed her with the fragrances of Amber & Patchulli and Peony & Blush Suede.

After we had our hand and arm messages, and finished off our champagne; we then decided to have a look at what fragrances was on offer. As part of my birthday treat every year I always buy a new fragrance, so this year I went with the fragrance Peony & Blush Suede. My sister also made her very first Jo Malone purchase, and she chose the fragrance Nectarine Blossom & Honey :D

For our complimentary gift we were each given a small Lime, Basil & Mandarin cologne, and a small Pomegrante Noir body creme.

Birthday Haul

Hi everyone,

I have recently celebrated my birthday, so I thought I would share with you what I got. 

From my brother, sister, niece and sister-in-law I received a Pip Studio Cappuccino cup & saucer, as well as a few sleeves of the Nespresso Grand Cruz in Vulluto and Appeggio; and from my best mate I received a bath and shower set from the White Collection at Boots. As I'm writing this I have only just realised that I forgot to include them in the photo; oops.

I then went shopping shortly after my birthday to pick up a couple of things, and one of the things I picked up was the Never a Dull Moment face scrub from Origins; as I'm currently going through a sample of this and I really like it; so I'd thought I'd best invest in a full size face scrub. I also went into Jo Malone to have my annual birthday treat, and while I was there I decided to purchase the brand new fragrance which has recently been released; and its the scent Peony & Blush Suede. As part of my birthday treat from Jo Malone I received a complimentary gift which was a small Lime, Basil & Mandarin cologne and a small Pomegrante Noir body cream.

I also received birthday treats from Space NK and The Body Shop, due to being a loyalty card holder. From Space NK a received a Smokey Rose candle, and from The Body Shop I'm entitled to choose what I want upto the value of £5, so I chose the Vineyard Peach shower gel; but I had to pay a small difference in price but it wasn't much.

Blog Update #2

Hi everyone,

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday, but I've been super busy with work and I haven't had any spare time to blog. Its also been the week of my birthday. But, I will be back next week with the start of my Birthday Blogs on Tuesday at 9am. 

Take Care

Loz xx

Online Sephora Haul

Hi everyone,

I've finally placed my first order with Sephora USA, and I was extremely pleased with the service and shipping. When I found out that Sephora had started shipping to the UK a few of months ago I was like "A kid in sweet shop", and I got really excited. So, I'm going to share with you what I brought, and also any advice for anyone who wishes to place an online order with Sephora. I placed my order on a Tuesday and it arrived on the following Monday.

When ordering from Sephora its recommended that you spend £75 or over, this is so you can flat fee shipping rate of £6. Also, its worth noting that you also have to pay tax/ duty charges on top; but this is added on before you check out. While also at the checkout you will notice a conversion rate from US Dollars to UK pounds, which is good thing; as some items can actually work out cheaper than if you where to buy them in the UK. 
   Some items/ brands are actually restricted to buy and this is due to the packages being sent by airmail. The restricted items include nail varnish and fragrances, and some of the brands which are restricted are NARS, Dior, Buxom, Fresh and Urban Decay.

I would also recommend that you sign up for Sephora's Loyalty programme known as 'Beauty Insider' if you are going to be buying from them on a regular basis. This works in a similar way to the Boots Advantage Card, as its a points-based card; and with your points you then exchange them for different perks depending on how many points that you have collected. They are four different levels of point perks, and these are 100 points, 250 points, 500 points and 1000 points, and within these different point balances they have a number of different perks in which to exchange your points for. But you don't have to spend your points straight away, if you don't want to if they isn't anything you fancy. You can just save them up, and use them when your ready.

The products that I ordered from Sephora are: -
- A mini Josie Maran Cheek Gelee in Poppy Paradise (limited edition) £8.11/ $13
- A tube of First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream £7.49/ $12
- A mini pot of Glamgow original face mask £11.85/ $19
- Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Fig £14.97/ $24
- Jack Black Intense Lip Therapy Lip Balm in Mint £4.68/ $7.50
- Sephora Pro Brow Brush #20 £9.36/ $15
- Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens £6.24/ $10
- Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown £14.35/ $23

These are the conversion rates which I was quoted when I was placing my order.

Advice on Taking Up a Musical Instrument

Hi everyone,

I'd thought that it would be nice if it gave you a little bit of advice when your considering taking up a musical instrument. I've been learning how to play the violin for a number of years, but I'm still only a beginner. So here's a few hints and tips which I have picked up along the way.

Look into the Musical Instrument that your Interested in Taking Up & See if it suits you
To do this, first start researching the instrument which you want to take up. I did this for around 18 months, before I purchased my first instrument. To research the instrument I used Wikipedia and a few YouTube videos. Once you have decided which musical instrument is right for you to take up; I would then recommend you taking up a trip to your local music store and try out a few different brands/ models of that instrument, and by doing this you will find out what instrument suits you and find out whether or not its in your budget.

Look Into Different Brands & Models of Instruments
By doing this you will find out if that particular instrument is first of all suitable for your needs and also with your budget. Ask the music instrument specialists if the instrument may require a better 'set up', as well as any accessories which may be needed to go along with it, or if the instrument comes with any as standard. Also, very important TRY BEFORE YOU BUY, and most music stores offer this service, as purchasing an instrument can be a big investment. Think about the instruments which you have tried, and keep trying different brands of instruments until you find the one which you want to learn on. But DO NOT let the music instrument specialists talk you into an into an instrument that may not be for you.

Budget For Your Instrument
How much is your instrument going to cost you all together, and this includes the instrument itself, plus all the accessories which you may need, music theory and tutor books, sheet music and how much will it cost you for each lesson, if your having private lessons.
Here is my personal breakdown to give you an idea: -
- Violin outfit £320
- Sheet music £50 per year
- Music Theory Books £50
- Accessories £60
- Lessons £30 per lesson
- Graded Exams anything up to £80 per exam, depending on exam board and type of exam

Research Strings & Accessories
You may want to do a bit of research into different brands/ types of strings, as may want just a basic upgrade of strings or a completely different sound/ tone all together. By doing this you may think a brand of string is best suited to your music taste or you may want to mix the strings; depending on what your looking for. Mixing different brands/ types of strings is more commonly done by cellists. Also, by looking into accessories you will also find something which you may like, as they are various brands of rosin, shoulder rests, chromatic tuners, amps and also sheet music stands. By researching different brands, you will then be able to work out a rough budget for your accessories.

Private Music Lessons
These can either be held on a one-to-one basic or in small groups. If its one-to-one tuition your looking for then the lessons should work around your life; and by that I mean you should be able to book a lesson that suits your needs, and at time that is ideal for you. Find a local music tutor who has a good reputation, high exam pass rate, friendly, relaxed and approachable.

Look into Local Music Schools
Find one that is suited to you, and don't just go for the first one you see. Also, look into if they take both children and adult learners, as well as having a good reputation and excellent teaching staff.

Recommended Music Theory Books
First Steps into Music Theory by Eric Taylor
The AB Guide to Music Part One by Eric Taylor (Grades 1 - 5)
The AB Guide to Music Part Two by Eric Taylor (Grades 6 - 8)
Take Five & Pass First Time by Christopher Dunn