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Wednesday 24 July 2013

The Big "Muslin vs Flannel Debate" - Why I'm A Flannel Convert...


I've always had a sort of irrational fear of flannels - the sight of one would bring back memories of childhood, where my Mum would make me wash my face with one, and I've hated them ever since. A couple of years ago, after trying Liz Earle's infamous Cleanse and Polish, I introduced the muslin cloth in to my skincare routine. While they are fabulous for the first few uses, after a couple of washes, they are pretty much soft and useless. The past few days, I swapped  my trusty muslin for a Washi flannel (part of the Skin polishing set), and I am converted.








From using the Washi for the past few weeks, I have come to the realisation that muslins are useless. Girls, put down your muslins and order yourselves a set of these bad boys! Thicker than the muslin, they are much more effective at retaining heat, so your skin gets more of a spa-like steam with use. They are deceivingly gentle, unlike a brand new muslin, which is scratch-your-face-off rough. When I first tried the washi, I didn't really feel like it was doing anything - it's that soft on the skin. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my skin was glowing and extremely soft, even softer than after using a muslin - score! You really have to try it to believe it, but be incredibly gentle because that really is all you need for optimum results. After using the Washi just once, all of my useless, soft muslins went in the bin - seriously. Being a muslin devotee for years, if that's not a sign of a good product, then I don't know what is. You can buy a pack of 5 Washi's here for just £5.25, a lot cheaper than Liz Earle muslins!










Along with the washi face cloths, I received their skin polishing towel. If you suffer from skin problems such as acne, it is so important to have a seperate towel for your face, and to change it regularly. These towels are the ideal size so you can change it a couple of times a week, and not fill the washing machine up while doing so. They have a similar texture to the flannel and are to be used on damp skin to gently buff away any dead skin cells and leave the skin very glowy. It is very nice to use, but I wouldn't say it's a necessity if you are already regularly exfoliating. However, if you don't currently use a seperate towel for your face, you need one of these. And they're only £2.95 here, what have you got to lose?




If you fancy giving both the washi face cloths and polishing towel a go, they do a set which includes 4 face cloths and a towel, here, for just £5.95, usually £6.95. The products come packaged in the most gorgeous tissue paper, with information cards and even stickers - it is like christmas receiving your washi goodies (as if you didn't need another excuse to buy a set!). 


Which team are you on - flannel or muslin?

xxx

Friday 12 July 2013

Marc B "Millie" - Zara Office City Bag Lookalike

Being familiar with marc b bags from their range at Topshop, I was very excited when I was contacted about reviewing one of their bags on my blog. You can imagine my excitement when I spotted Millie - the Zara Office City lookalike. Multiple compartments for the OCD freak inside of me? Check. Bags of space (see what I did there?)? Check. Gorgeous lining and an additional long strap? Check. I was sold.






Owning both bags, I find myself reaching for Millie the most, and here's why...

1. The shoulder straps, which are actually long enough to fit over your shoulder!
One thing that really annoys me about the Zara bag is how the straps are so small that you can only wear the bag on the crook of your arm, which is ok for a day shopping, but when it comes to lugging everything and the kitchen sink to college, it just doesn't work. Millie's straps are the perfect length to be worn comfortably on your shoulder.

2. The soft, "leathery" finish
While both Millie and the Zara bag aren't actually leather, the feel of the Millie bag is so much nicer. Very soft, meaning the bag has a very nice slouch effect, whereas the Zara bag is so structured it's been mistaken for a briefcase on numerous outings. I find the Zara bag to be scratchy in texture, which isn't very nice.

3. Lots of space, depth-wise
This is the major plus for me of Millie compared to the Zara bag. The middle section of Millie resembles a bucket bag, which I love as it has so much more room than the Zara bag. Although it being notoriously a very big, I find myself quickly filling up the Zara bag, but Millie hardly ever looks full. The shape of Millie is a lot nicer as well, and definitely more feminine.

4. Variety of colours
I know Zara did bring out a tan version of the office city bag, but it seems to have disappeared off the face of the retail world. Millie is readily available in both tan and black





While Millie doesn't have a padded laptop compartment like its Zara counterpart, do you really need one? That's what I thought.

The only downside to Millie is that you can't fit an a4 folder inside, which may be a problem for some. You can fit a4 books if placed in portrait, but unfortunately no folders (boo hoo!) This doesn't stop me from loving Millie, and I've had so many compliments for the few days I've had her.






All in all, a gorgeous, good quality bag with a luxurious leather-like feel and slouched, femenine shape. Lots of zipped compartments which are very handy and a leopard-print lining. Additional long strap and gold detailing to finish.


If you fancy your own Millie, you can buy her in either tan or black from the marc b website for £65 with free UK delivery.



Which is your favourite marc b bag?


xxx



Sunday 7 July 2013

H&M Bikini Set Bargains - As Low as £2!

If you haven't got a bargain from H&M using their plethora of online discount codes, you are missing out. I've been using them for a good year now (they never seem to expire!), but my latest goodies are definitely 
the best bargains...



At the checkout, enter the codes:

1304 - £5 off your order
0241 - 25% off most expensive item

Using both of these codes allowed me to get the second bikini set for a mere £2, excluding postage! If that isn't a good deal, I don't know what is... One thing I will say though, H&M sizes come up tiny! Either try on what you want in store prior to ordering, or order at least a size bigger.


Are you going to take advantage of the H&M discount codes?


xxx