The Mani | Essie Truth or Flare

Let's face it, when a new Essie collection makes its way into my local Boots it's not long until I'm down there taking my pick. This year I only picked the one up as I was a little meh about the others - don't get me wrong they are beaut - but I thought they just reminded me a lot of other shades they have.

Truth or Flare called to me with its grey blue tones. I love Maximillian Strasse Her (which I believe is from a previous collection) and I think this is a slightly darker toned version. Even though its in their Spring collection I think it's such a versatile shade it can work all year around. It's not your typical spring shade (floral pigments) and I love that about it. For me it's a very sea colour. 

Formula-wise it's your usual Essie goodness or long lasting an chip resistant. No complaints here! This colour does need about three coats as its a touch sheer on first application but it's all good. It ends up as a beautiful blue.

What's your pick from the new Essie collection?

The Review | Montagne Jeuness Black Seaweek & Hot Spring Sauna

MONTAGNE JEUNESSE BLACK SEAWEED PEEL OFF MASQUE* AND HOT SPRING SAUNA*

I love using a face mask as a little pick me up and I think Montagne Jeunesse's offerings are cheap, cheerful and affective. I was very happy with both of these as they do completely different things but are both perfect for my skin type. I get oily skin and as the weather gets warmer it gets worse so I have to work really hard to keep it clean and clear - quick and easy masks like this are ideal!

The Black Seaweed Peel Off Masque is a detox mark - it cleanses deeply and the peel off factor gets rid of any dirt and grease left on the skin. Personally I'm not a huge fan of peel off masks but I did really like how this left my skin. It felt so cleansed and grease/oil free.

The Hot Spring Sauna is definitely my favourite of the too. It's a self warming mask (feels a little weird but very luxurious) which helps to open up the pores for a deep clean and exfoliation. My skin was left looking brighter then ever incredibly clean.

Both masks are only a £1 and can be found in your local high street Boots and Superdrug. I would highly recommend them!

What's your favourite budget mask?

The Video | April Favourites

Shock horror - it's a video! It's been we'll over a year since my last video offering. Recently I've been getting so into those on YouTube and I really wanna join the fun! So, excusing the crap editing and natural lighting, I hope you like! Please subscribe if you like and let me know if you have any requests! Click here to watch it and don't forget to subscribe and give it a thumbs up!!

What's your April favourites?

The Review | Lush Ocean Salt

LUSH OCEAN SALT FACE & BODY SCRUB

Another little product from my Lush haul, I picked up this little scrub after a recommendation from my bestie Amber. She has gone on and on about this and how amazing it makes her skin feel. Amber has gorgeous skin so I had to snap it up and give it a shot.

I've been using this scrub once a week as my cleanser just to give my face a really good deep cleanse. I grab a scoopful and rub in circular motions around my face for a minute to get the blood in my face going and getting rid of all the dead skin.

It's a very weird feel to be honest as you have the very salty bitty crust with a thick gel type formula so it's a bit of a mix. Usually I'm not a big fan of the Lush pots, however with this product it really works well so it doesn't bother me in the slightest bit. So what about the product itself?

To begin with it did make my skin feel a bit greasy however once my skin got used to it it was really a lovely product. After each use my skin began to feel healthier, cleaner and softer. My skin does still feel a little greasy sometimes when I use this so I think it's definitely for those with drier skin as it will add moisture, whereas with oilier skin types like mine it can exacerbate it depending on the condition of your skin that day.

What scrub do you use for oilier skin?

The Top 5 | Long Distance Tips

Okay, so something a bit different today! I've had a couple of requests of this from friends outside of the blogging world so I decided to actually sit down and write it out. Me and Adam had a long distance relationship for three years while we were at uni, he was in Oxford and I was in Portsmouth. We were luckier than most in terms of distance cause really it was only about 2 hours tops away from each other and I know a lot of people do a lot further, but it was still difficult and a real challenge. I have a couple of friends who've recently started long distance relationships and they've asked me for a couple of tips and they've had a lot of the same issues I had when I was in a long distance relationship. It is probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do so if I can help just one person whose in this situation it is worth doing it. So, here's my top five tips for long distance love!

CREATE A ROUTINE

Whether it's a set phone call every day/week or set weeks you see each other, we found having a routine really helped. We made sure we saw each other every other weekend so we had something to look forward to and something to focus on when it was getting tough. We also made sure that we said good night every single evening, so even if we didn't have time during the day to chat we made sure we had a chat before bed and said good night - this is something we still carry on now. 

Long distance throws a lot of things out of whack in your life, so setting a routine quickly with your other half for calls, visits etc will help in a big way.

DON'T GO TO SLEEP ON A FIGHT

I always, always made sure that if we had a fight we made up before we went to sleep (even if he didn't want to). It's so easy to stay mad at each other when you're apart as you don't have to see each other or talk to each other so you don't have to make the effort to make up. This is so toxic and it can get out of hand really quickly. I do remember one night when I just kept ringing Adam until he picked up to talk cause I wouldn't sleep without sorting it out.

ADAPT OR DIE

A little bit strong maybe, but oh so true. Adapting to being away from someone if you're used to seeing them is probably the hardest thing, especially if you've been living with them. The thing I found was that all the little quirks that annoyed me to begin with, which I then got used to when we were together, reverted straight back to being annoying when I wasn't around him anymore. Learning to readapt was incredibly hard, especially when you probably only see them for a couple of days at a time, but it was necessary. If you let it all get to you then it's going to be the death of your relationship. 

JUST COMMUNICATE

This seems obvious but it's really easy to just forget about it. You really just need to talk to each other. If you're struggling, tell them. If they are doing something that's not helping the situation, tell them. I found that I was awful at this - I just wouldn't say anything cause I wouldn't want to fight when apart, and then it would just get to me and then if I drank when we saw each other it would all come tumbling out causing a row and ruining a perfectly nice weekend. You cannot bottle it all up, it ruins the times you do see each other and it really just doesn't help either of you. 

MAKE QUALITY TIME

One thing I struggled with was when Adam would come home and we would have to use our time to see each other but also families and friends that he didn't get to see while he was away. Those weekends were good but we didn't get any time with each other and it was always a little bit hard. You're continually rushing around and doing things and it's not relaxing and it can cause problems when you then seperate again as you feel like neither of you has made the effort to actually see each other properly. My biggest advice would be to create quality time together - no matter what. When i went up to Oxford it was my favourite weekends as we just got to be with each other and didn't have to worry about anyone else.

The only other thing I would say if that don't worry if you struggle, don't be embarrased by it. It is difficult and people will understand. It does get easier to be apart, not to say goodbye every time, but it does get easier to be apart eventually. I hope I've helped and you've enjoyed reading it. 

What tips would you give long distance couples?