Haul

BODYSHOP HAUL

Published on November 11, 2018November 7, 2018 by simplycarinaxo12 Comments

Good morning beautiful souls,

I recently purchased some new Bodyshop goods, products I haven’t tried before. I thought about doing a first impressions post, but then decided to try them out a little first before reviewing them. So without further ado, here’s what I thought:

Waterproof Mascara –

I’m going to be blunt – I hate it and definitely will not be repurchasing this again! Saying that I like the brush, it makes for a an easy application and creates good lash length. However the product itself leaves me with dark circles under my eyes quite quickly and removing it at the end of the day is practically impossible without ripping out half of my eyelashes!

Lipgloss –

I didn’t need a new lipgloss but this beautiful shimmery metallic rose tone just wanted to be bought haha. The application brush is a works really well and the lipgoss has a nice consistency and sparkle to it without being uber shiny and sticky which I hate.

Vitamin E Face Cream –

I’ve been really enjoying this face cream as it is nice and light and doesn’t feel like it clogs up your skin. The reason I picked this though is because it has an SPF 30. It’s important to remember to protect our skin from the UV rays in autumn and winter too when the sun and sunburn aren’t as obvious! I use this every morning and am very likely to repurchase!

Primer –

I’m going to admit I one of these people who doesn’t really pay much attention to primers, I mean I understand what they do, but as to whether my makeup is really smoother or stays on longer, I really couldn’t tell you. Saying that it does make the application process easier and does seem to soften and even out the skin well.

Have you tried any of these products?! I’d love to know 🙂

ANOTHER BOOK HAUL

Published on March 25, 2018March 3, 2025 by simplycarinaxo10 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

I feel like this is becoming a habit, buying books from The Works! I don’t have the time to read them all but I’m excited to try haha. Here’s some more books I recently added to my ever expanding collection.

Happy and L’art de la Simplicité

I picked up these two beauties in the Works. I’m really looking forward to reading these. I mean it’s always good to learn more and be inspired about how to be happy and live a more simplistic life. I’m still in the very long process of wanting to declutter and live more minimal so I think these books will be great!

the sun and her flowers

Having recently finished milk and honey and really enjoyed it, I decided to get rupi kaur’s other book. I’ve not read much poetry since my English Lit A-level and it’s nice to read some modern poetry which is very relatable.

Have any of you read these books?! I’d love to know what you think if you have!

COCKTAIL O’CLOCK

Published on March 2, 2018March 2, 2018 by simplycarinaxo12 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

For Christmas my friend Anna gave me a bottle of the Edinburgh Rhubarb & Ginger Gin and I was instantly in love! Hands down the best gin I have ever tried! Now a while back Alice from Zest Of Alice posted a photo of this Hortus Rhubarb & Ginger Gin Liqueur on Instagram and told me it was only £11.99 at Lidl! I got very excited and as soon as I had a chance I went to have a look for myself and low and behold this beautiful bottle was on a shelf just waiting to be bought by me! I picked a bottle up immediately and then also decided to try the Hortus Raspberry Gin Liqueur. So I thought I would do a little recipe & review of these two gins – enjoy!

My friend Anna came over for dinner on Wednesday and there couldn’t have been a better opportunity to try out these new gins than with my fellow gin loving friend. I personally love to add a slightly flavoured tonic to my gin cocktails to give them that extra something in flavour and thus I picked up an Elderflower Tonic and a Lime Tonic from Tesco to mix the Liqueurs with.

We tried the Rhubarb & Ginger Gin first and although good I have to admit it couldn’t best the Edinburgh Gin. I would probably buy it again as I did enjoyed it and it is cheaper but if just based on taste, its flavour just doesn’t quite pack the same punch as the Edinburgh Gin, sorry Hortus. Next to be put under our scrutinising taste buds was the Raspberry Gin and with this one I must say I was disappointed. I love raspberries – they’re one of my favourite fruits – but something about this raspberry flavoured gin was sadly too sweet / too sickly and too artificial for both myself and Anna. I will not be purchasing this gin again.

However that being said everyone’s taste buds are different and you might really like the raspberry gin, so don’t let me put you off from trying it! If you decide to go for a bottle here’s how I prepared these two gin cocktails:

Start with some ice cubes in a large cocktail glass – then add 2 shots of Hortus Gin – fill the glass to your strength liking with 1/2 elderflower and 1/2 lime tonic – next garnish with some fresh lemon or lime or even pop in some cucumber !

Et voila – easy peasy gin cocktail – now sit back and relax!

Tip – I bought these amazing cocktail glasses from Poundland the other day, they are really sturdy glass and great for cocktails. If you don’t already have cocktail glasses I suggest you pop into your local Poundland and treat yourself to some! Well worth it – and so are my stainless steel straws! Please look after our environment in little ways such as using non-plastic reusable straws at home ❤

P.S. Please do let me know your favourite gin recipes and whether you have tried these two flavours before!! I’d love to know!

COOK BOOK HAUL

Published on February 23, 2018March 3, 2025 by simplycarinaxo10 Comments

Good evening beautiful souls,

I recently purchased a few new cook books from The Works and thought I’d show you. If you’re not in the habit of frequenting The Works, I really urge you to check it out on a regular basis because they always have some amazing deals and sales on.

I always find it too easy to fall into the same cooking patterns recycling the same recipes over and over again, so I’m really looking forward to trying out some new recipes from these books. There’s so many yummy recipes out there I just need to make more of an effort to try them all. Which makes me think… Has anyone ever watched Julie & Julia?! It’s about a woman named Julie who decides to cook every single recipe from Julia Child’s cookbook in a year and blogs about it. I’ve always wanted to do that haha a day although it’s never going to happen, the idea of actually cooking every single recipe in a cookbook is kinda cool. I’d love to achieve that, I mean who knows what delicacies we’re missing out on by not trying more recipes!

Anyway here’s the cook books I just added to my collection and I can’t wait to read through them and try some new recipes out!

I’ve already got one of Aine’s cook books but for a fiver I couldn’t complain and the more new recipes for inspiration the better. Then I also liked the idea of discovering some raw food ideas, as I’ve heard lots of positive things about a raw vegan diet. Oh and the last book I guess isn’t a cook book, but a book about vitamins and minerals which I thought would be a very interesting and hopefully informative read. Being vegan now has opened my eyes more to making sure I’m receiving all the nutrients my body needs; and this is not due to the ever present stigma that vegans struggle to get all the nutrients their body needs (a rant for another time), but rather because the whole vegan lifestyle for me is about starting to take better care of my body. So I’m looking forward to educating myself some more!

Now I’d love to know if any of you already own these cookbooks and if so what are your favourite recipes?!

CHRISTMAS HOMEWARE HAUL

Published on November 29, 2017November 29, 2017 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Hey beautiful souls,

I have been so excited to share this blog post with you! I am obsessed with homeware and just love decorating the house, so of course I get very excited about Christmas and can’t wait to make the house all festive. I do have a rule though that Christmas decorations can’t go up until December, however as I am now currently in northern Ireland, I did make an exception to this rule and started a little early.

The milk bottle ghosts and pumpkins have been taken down and the Christmas candles and decorations are slowly being put up. Here are some of the Christmasy bit’s and bobs my housemate Jessica and I picked up on our trip to Newcastle the other week:

Star tealight holder £5 Wilkos – Red Display plate £1 Wilkos – Bath bomb £1 Wilkos – Candles £3 Primark – Room spray £3 Primark

Tealight holders £1.50 each Tiger – Cookie tin £3 Tiger – Napkins £1 Tiger

These are only the first few Christmasy decorations we bought and I can’t wait to buy some more bits and bobs, put the tree up and finish decorating the house! Have any of you started decorating yet??

Love Carina xo

RECENT BUYS – HAUL TIME!

Published on September 24, 2017 by simplycarinaxo4 Comments

Hello guys,

So I’ve been really excited to write this blog post! I have been spending a little too much money recently aha but sometimes I just can’t help it, all things fashion, beauty or homeware just excite me too much and I don’t always have enough willpower to listen to my reason telling me ‘No Carina you don’t need this!’ aha. So here is my haul, anything I can find online I will add a link to. I hope you enjoy!

Unicorn Slippers – £4.99 B&M

Black Loafers – £15 Asda, Sunglasses – £1 B&M

Palm Leaf Duvet Cover – £14 (King Size) Asda, Yellow Cushion – £4 Asda

Buddha Tealight Holders – £3 each Asda, Fairylighs – £1 Poundland

Ivy plants – £1.50 each B&Q, White Romantisk Tray – £7 Ikea, Napkins – £0.90 Ikea, Tealights – £1.35 Ikea

Trinket dish – £1.50 Ikea, Candle holder – £2 Asda

Reusable Glass Bottle – £3 TKMaxx

Anybody else in a current shopping phase and buy anything exciting?

Hope you are all having a lovely day!

Love Carina xo

AUTUMN WISHLIST!

Published on September 21, 2017 by simplycarinaxoLeave a comment

Good morning guys,

Recently I have been in a real shopping mood because there are so many cosy autumnal things that I currently want. It’s a dangerous time seeing all these things I want to buy and it’s difficult trying to restrain myself from spending too much money aha.

I like all seasons and can never decide which is my favourite time of year; however when it comes to fashion, Autumn has definitely got to be my favourite! I am a sucker for deep dark colours so when the mustard’s and wine reds come out and it’s time to snuggle up in big knits, I get really excited, I mean what’s not to love?!

Another thing I have become obsessed with in the last 3 years is homeware. I feel like I should have studied interior design so I could homeware shop all day long for other people, because I just don’t have the space or money to constantly rejig my bedroom theme or buy more homeware decorative pieces or add to my kitchen… aha.

Well, here are some of the things on my current wishlist, I might treat myself to some, like a new candle, others, like the yellow velvet shoes, I really want but would barely get any wear out of, I will only gaze at from a distance but not buy. Sometimes I wish I had an office job so I could wear nice clothes, get my nails done and wear heels aha, but when you work in a cafe/as an artist your clothes will always get dirty with coffee or paint, your nails would be ruined in no time and you’re on your feet most of the day so heels are not comfortable at all. Anyway, here’s my current autumn wishlist:

Yellow Velvet Block Heels, Wanderlust Canvas, Chevron Knit Throw, Cream Colour Block Ladder Lace Up Jumper

These New Look Mustard Velvet heels are the bomb! I am in love! However I know I would only ever wear them once or twice as I am not good with high heels; but that doesn’t stop me from admiring them from a distance!

This canvas from Wilko’s is just super cute and would fit well into the accessories scheme in my bedroom I think. I dream of travelling one day, this wish is so rooted into me that I feel it would only be appropriate to have the Wanderlust definition on my wall with this pretty floral nature pattern around it.

Throws, throws and more throws, I mean you can never have enough right?! This throw from Next just looks super cosy and snuggly and I need it aha. It’s getting solder now and my duvet just isn’t quite warm enough anymore so I want a new throw to match my new bedroom colour scheme to keep me that bit warmer at night.

What can I say about this River Island jumper?! It’s just so funky! I love the colour mix and pattern with the laced through effect on the side and sleeve. This would also look well cute with the velvet boots and a pair of black skinny jeans.

black-suedette-embroidered-block-heel-boots

Black Suedette Embroidered Block Heel, Yankee Candle Cosy By The Fire, Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette, Black Sheer Floral Duster Coat, Black Fringe Sleeve Sweater, Vegan Polley Shoes

Again another pair of beautiful New Look Boots and again a pair I will probably admire from a distance as I sadly just wouldn’t get much wear out of them, but oh the embroidery is just stunning. I love floral patterns and this is a really nice design in beautiful colours.

I know it’s not Christmas yet but Yankee candles just smell amazing I think it’s never to early to accost your nose with wintery smells. They just ooze out cosy evenings and I love nothing more than to enjoy an evening in candle light whether it be with my favourite book or watching a movie with my housemates.

OMG can someone please just buy me this pallet already!?! Ever since Urban Decay’s Naked Heat pallet came out I have been drooling over these beautiful rustic colours and itching to try them. However I try to be sensible and I’m not sure I can justify splashing out on this at the moment whilst I have plenty of eyeshadows for the time being; but wee’ll see, maybe I’ll cave aha!

This River Island duster coat just aught my eye because of the beautiful rusty hues. This is probably to cold to wear without a coat in autumn, but would be perfect for a night out with a LBD for example.

Ah Dr.Martens how long I have eyed your shoes up! These pretty Polley shoes are from their Vegan range as I would not buy real leather shoes anymore. I am in love but at £115 I’m going to have to save up for quite a while!

I do love black as it just goes well with anything and this tassel jumper is just fab. The tassels just add that something extra and make it fun. You could pair this with a skirt, on top of a dress or with jeans, it’s a great versatile jumper.

the-little-book-of-hygge-penguin-hot-chocolate-lisa-hjalt-02

Grey Check Trousers, The Little Book Of Hygge, Palm Leaf Duvet Set, Light Wash Ripped Mom Jeans

Trouser time! I have always been a leggings girl, but recently I have been loving my black cropped jeans and really want to add to my trouser collection. I love these checked high waisted trousers from River Island. They are smart but can be worn casual with just a black t-shirt and so they’d be perfect for me to wear to work still as well.

The Little Book off Hygge – it’s been on my wishlist for a while. Learning how to live well, finding a peaceful state of mind, seems like an important thing fro everyone to do! I think this is one of my wishlist items I will treat myself too!

Bedding – I love new bedding and I have resisted so long to buy new ones, but this one from Asda I just love. All my bedding is white or light colour based with greens and greys, but I love that blue is the background colour here. It gives a nice rich feel and with it getting colder I think I want a deeper darker coloured bedding, so I think I will invest in one.

And last but not least these cute River Island Mom Jeans. I struggle to find jeans that fit; as I have big thighs for them to fit there they will then usually be to loose around the waist. But I as I mentioned I have been loving a pair of black cropped skinny’s which I found in a charity shop actually, and they made me want to start wearing jeans more often which is great for this time of year anyway. I think I will definitely have to go jeans shopping soon!

So that is it for my current wishlist, do let me know what you think guys and I’d love to hear what’s on your current wishlist too!

Love Carina xo

MINI PRIMARK HAUL

Published on March 24, 2017March 24, 2017 by simplycarinaxo2 Comments

Hello my beautiful readers,

On my day off on Tuesday I went into Newcastle in the afternoon as it was such a nice day, although really windy, and I just needed to get out of the house for a bit and enjoy some me time. I popped into Primark as I needed some new leggings and trainers, but as usual ended up picking up a couple of other things too, so I just thought I’d share!

First I just picked up some plain black leggings; they are my no.1 wardrobe staple. I then spotted this cute peplum top for only £3 and had to get it. Admittedly it’s not quite warm enough yet to walk around in tops aha, but it has such a cute floaty shape and is great for layering. Shoe wise I only needed new light breathable trainers but I fell in love with these greeny/grey slightly sturdier trainers and had to get them too!

Next I decided to treat myself to some new gym wear; having new stuff to wear to the gym is always motivational don’t you think? So my old gym trainer were very worn through and needed replacing, these black ones are super lightweight and airy which is perfect for the gym. I always get sweaty feet and hate trainers which are too thick and don’t let your feet breath, so I hope these will do the trick. On my way to town on Tuesday I dropped of some clothes at a charity shop, including a pair of gym leggings which were just too large, so when I saw these beautiful leggings I had to get them! Such cute floral pattern with a bit of meshing at the knee – I am in love! Although I’m a sweaty mess at the gym it’s nice to at least feel a little pretty in what you’re wearing aha. I also decided to get a new sports bra as I really liked the back mesh like pattern.

Just to mention, this is the first time I’ve posted photos of me in skin tight clothing and part of my stomach out, but you know what, it’s all about self love, and I felt great taking these photos and knowing I’m on my journey to self improvement makes me very happy and proud, this is my body, the only one I’ll ever have and I am learning to love it!

Love Carina xo