The Jewel Hut - Pandora Openwork Heart Bead*

The Jewel Hut is an online jewellery store offering some of the best branded jewellery at competitive prices. Not only can you buy Pandora you can also purchase Links of London, Thomas Sabo, Swarovski and many more well-known brands. I have previously reviewed the Around the World Pandora Charm and some of the Valentine’s Day gifts.  When The Jewel Hut contacted me again with another charm I couldn’t say no to adding a gorgeous piece to my collection.

I received this gorgeous Pandora Open Work Heart Charm which would make a lovely gift for a friend, loved one or even for yourself. At just £20 it does not break the bank and is a really affordable gift idea. The charm comes complete with genuine Pandora packaging ready for you to use if you are giving this as a gift.

The charm is so delicate and I love the openwork hearts that form this beautiful piece. Show a loved one how much you care with this charm or add it to your own collection alongside your current charms. The charm is made of sterling silver and comes complete with the relevant stamp.

I received my parcel very quickly from The Jewel Hut which was nicely packaged and I cannot fault the service in any way.

What do you think of this charm? Will you be visiting The Jewel Hut to see their fantastic range of branded jewellery?

*I received this item free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

February 2016 Glossybox

I always look forward to the February Glossybox because from past experience it’s usually a limited edition design and usually full of great goodies. In the past we have even received chocolate! This month was no exception, with a fun and flirty design I couldn’t wait to crack open my box and see what was inside. With 5 full sized items we were certainly in for a treat.

Browtician – Love Skull Tweezers – Full Size £7.99
I have never heard of this brand before but it is readily available in Superdrug. I was in need of some new tweezers as my mum stole mine so these couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I love the limited edition packaging. It makes them super easy to see in my makeup bag. The tip of these tweezers have been finished by hand and allow great precision when plucking those pesky hairs. I can see these being my new favourite.

Naobay – Protective Hair Mask Volume Conditioner – Full Size £10.64
I have received a few Naobay products before from Glossybox and it is a brand I like but I was disappointed the packaging didn’t follow on from previous products with the wood finish lid. Nevertheless I love a conditioning mask. I use heat on my hair often so it’s always nice to be able to give my hair a deep nourishing conditioning session. Upon trying this I loved how my hair felt. It was silky smooth and really easy to comb through at the end which was great. I would repurchase this product and use it every so often when I am in need of a pamper.

Nicka K New York – 24 Hr Waterproof Eyeliner – Full Size £3.99
I have previously received items from Nicka K in the past from Glossybox so this is a brand that is familiar to me (see my product directory for previous reviews). I love waterproof eyeliners as they don’t budge and they are great for the colder weather when the icy winds make your eyes water. I received this in the colour brown which I do not currently own and I enjoy wearing this when I want something less harsh than dark black. The great thing about this eyeliner is that it comes equipped with a built in sharpener.

MUA – Power Pout Glaze Low Voltage Gloss – Full Size £3.50
I will be honest I am not a huge fan of this product as I don’t like sticky glosses. I have seen that some people were able to choose the colour they wanted but I must have missed the email as I never got to choose. I received the colour Serenity which is a lovely pink colour with sheer colour payoff. I love the subtle hint of colour it provides but the formula is too sticky for me. For £5 off when you spend £20 or more, use code MUAGLOSSY2 online.

Wilkinson Sword – Intuition Razor – Full Size £6.99
Correct me if I am wrong but have we received this item in a Glossybox before? I’m not sure but I was pleased as this is the razor I currently use and it saves me buying some new heads for a little while. I recommend taking the head off after each use and popping it back in the plastic container because otherwise the soapy bit gets everywhere especially when I pop this in my gym bag. I am a huge fan of Wilkinson Sword and love this razor. It is great for more sensitive areas and provides a really close smooth shave without leaving nasty rashes or bumps. I will continue repurchasing this item.

Overall I really like this month’s box and will be making full use out of it. Do you get Glossybox? Link me your reviews in the comments.

If you’d like to sign up for Glossybox, click here.

Get Flirty and Fruity This Valentines with Echo Falls*

With Valentine’s day right around the corner I am sure some of you will be planning something with your partners or even planning a night alone. This year to save money I am cooking a meal for my boyfriend at home and it wouldn’t be complete without a glass of my favourite Echo Falls wine. As you may recall, I created some delicious cocktails with a festive twist so when Echo Falls contacted me about trying their exciting limited edition Rose infused wine, I knew it would be the perfect addition to my Valentine’s Day meal.

Echo Falls have been experimenting with innovative flavours to come up with this limited edition fusion that will go down perfectly on the most romantic day of the year. Blended with the natural flavour of roses, this sweet treat with a floral twist is absolutely delicious. Echo Falls is currently the third largest wine brand in the UK and my personal favourite. I love trying out any new flavours that they come up with and seeing this in the shops would definitely catch my eye.

Even the label oozes with romance. Decorated with beautiful roses and a metallic stamp reading ‘I Love You’ this is the perfect Valentines’s gift and accompaniment. The back of the label even allows you to come up with your own ‘Roses are red’ poem with a space for you to write a little message to that special someone.

This drink is best served chilled over ice. When I poured myself a glass I instantly could smell that lovely rose fragrance but upon taking a sip this is a subtle and welcome taste to the wine. It’s a shame this is limited edition as I love this combination of sweet flavours and I hope Echo Falls bring it back each year. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

Echo Falls Limited Edition Rose Infused Wine is currently available in Morrisons and Tescos RRP £5.99 a bottle. There is still time to pick your loved one up a delicious treat today. Check out Echo Falls on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

*I was provided with this Echo Falls Wine free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Lovely Slow Cooker Fudge Recipe

Ever since I got a slow cooker I have lived on Pinterest and slow cooker groups on Facebook and one of the most popular things people seem to make is slow cooker fudge. Unlike traditional fudge you literally only need 2 ingredients. 500g of chocolate and a tin of condensed milk. You can then add whatever extras you like to make it unique to you. For Valentine’s day I decided it would be appropriate to add some heart shaped treats to make them fit in with the holiday.

 
To make your fudge simply put 500g of milk chocolate and one can of condensed milk into your slow cooker. I have tried a few different brands of chocolate but I find the supermarket brand names work the best, and they’re cheaper which is always a bonus!

Leave the lid off the slow cooker and fix the setting to ‘low’. Stir with a wooden spoon every 10 minutes until the mixture is fully melted and combined. You will notice it start to get a firmer, fudgier texture. That’s how you know it’s done! Turn off your slow cooker once you reach this stage. This should take around 20-30 minutes.

 You can add whatever you like at this stage but I decided to add some heart shaped sugar treats. Stir into the melted fudge mixture and then pour into a baking tray. Then add more hearts to the top of your fudge. Allow to set in the fridge for a few hours.



Slice into squares and serve when ready. I love popping these into little treat bags for friends and family for little gifts. These will keep for a couple of weeks if stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You could even try crushing mini eggs into your mixture for Easter, or candy canes at Christmas. The possibilities are endless and they taste great. I baked these for a charity cake sale at work and bagged them up into individual sized portions. I hope everyone enjoys them!

If you’re looking for other Valentine’s Day treat ideas, check out my Marshmallow Bark recipe which can easily be adapted to make a lovely treat for your loved ones.

Have you got any other great ideas for slow cooker fudge?

Valentine's Day Gifts feat. The Jewel Hut*

The first thing I think of when I think ‘Valentines Gifts’ is beautiful Pandora charms, rings and bracelets. It’s every girl’s dream. When The Jewel Hut offered me the opportunity to review a beautiful bracelet I jumped at the chance knowing I could share it with you all and show off such a lovely gift that you could hint to your partner about buying for you or even treat yourself.

 
The Jewel Hut is an online jewellery store offering some of the best branded jewellery at competitive prices. Not only can you buy Pandora you can also purchase Links of London, Thomas Sabo, Swarovski and many more well known brands.

I received the beautiful Pandora Silver Heart Clasp Bracelet which costs £55 at The Jewel Hut and comes complete with official Pandora packaging. This bracelet forms part of the Pandora Valentines 2015 collection and offers an alternative to the standard Pandora bracelet. I love that the design is finished with a unique heart shaped clasp which really emphasises how glamourous this bracelet really is.

To finish the gift off, I also received the Pandora ‘I Love You’ Heart charm which costs just £30. This stunning charm is also from the Valentines collection and as you can see it is a sterling silver heart engraved with the words ‘I Love You’. Perfect to give as a gift to the one you love. It really is very charming. 

My bracelet and charm came boxed up in official Pandora packaging and even included a gift bag and the latest brochure so I can start circling what I want next! I received my parcel very quickly from The Jewel Hut and I cannot fault the service in any way.

What do you think of this bracelet? Will you be visiting The Jewel Hut to see their fantastic range of branded jewellery?

*I received these items from The Jewel Hut free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way.

Valentine's Day Gifts feat. Snapfish*

The most romantic day of the year is nearly upon us and I love buying my other half a gift that is not only personal but unique. Whenever I am looking for personalised gifts, I always turn to Snapfish. They have a great range of Personalised Valentines Gifts consisting of beautiful photo books, canvases, cushions, mugs and many more items that can be personalised to your exact standards using any photos or text that you like. There are endless possibilities for product customisation so you can really make a unique gift that can be cherished for years to come and help you to preserve those special memories.

My boyfriend and I are planning to move out this year so I chose some special gifts that we can bring into our own home. The Snapfish Photo Cushions can be personalised however you like and make a great gift. I toyed with the idea of having a photo of us on there, but went for something more subtle and designed it with a romantic quote “You are my sunshine”. I just know the cushion is going to make us smile every time we sit down. I designed the cushion using  photo editing software and uploaded the design straight onto the website. The 11x11 sized cushion is perfect and only £19.99 . I was really impressed with the quality. The front face of the cushion is made from heavyweight fabric with a canvas feel to it. The reverse is soft faux suede in a ‘fawn’ colour. The cushion cover features a hidden zip too.

I also bought one of the Snapfish photo prints that I put into a frame. Prices start from just 7p a print which is absolutely excellent value. The quality is always sharp and you can order a range of sizes for your prints.

The final gift I purchased was the personalised photo keyring. I used the same photo as I did in the frame of me and my boyfriend. It is something he can keep close by and the photo is protected in a sturdy good quality acrylic housing.

My order arrived very quickly and is always nicely packaged in ‘do not bend’ envelopes. Snapfish https://www.snapfish.co.uk/ have never let me down when it comes to good quality personalised gifts.

Order by 9th February to get your gift in time for Valentine’s Day. For 30% off photo panels, cushions, phone cases and mugs use code SP216 by 14th February 2016.

*I received these items free of charge in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please see my disclaimer for more information. 

Valentines Day Gift Ideas under £5

Looking for that perfect Valentine’s day gift but don't have a lot of money? Me too! I have tried to come up with a few ideas that could save you money, let me know if you have any ideas too, I'm coming up stuck with what to get my boyfriend! 

Home made food gifts always go down a treat.. literally. I recently made this Rocky Road on a budget and you can find this recipe here . Wrap this in cellophane with a nice red bow, or pop into a nice gift box and you're good to go! You could also make cupcakes or salted nut crunch or cookies.. The possibilities are endless!

Image source: John Lewis

Charbonnel et Walker Mini Red Heart Champagne Truffle, 34g £4.00

Alternatively if you have no time to bake something, you can always buy something edible. Chocolates and sweets are always a winner - well especially with me they are! John Lewis do a great selection of chocolates for under £5 and anything in a heart shaped box screams Valentines does it not?

Image source: Not On The High Street

'Bee-Mine' Bee Friendly Wild Flower Seeds £3.48

Not on the high street is a great place for personalised gifts and I love these little 'bee-mine' seeds. Not only is this a practical gift, it gives you and your Valentine an excuse to do something together (plant the seeds of love). Great for gardeners and outdoorsy-types.

And last but not least, the best bargain of them all! These hearts filled with love are the perfect gift especially if you are on a budget. Not only are these designs great for Valentine’s day, they also make great anniversary or wedding gifts. The words and colours can be personalised to suit you, you could even add little phrases which mean something to the recipient or dates which mean a lot to you.

The print is only $5 (that's like £3?!) and what you do with it is endless. I have chosen to print mine and frame it with a cheap frame from Ikea. A fantastic bargain and a great gift that will last a lifetime.

Purchase your JPEG file here for just $5 for you to print and customise at your own will.

What will you be buying/making for Valentines Day?