Review & Giveaway - Toppik Brow Building Fibers Set

Toppik is a brand that is new to me and when I was asked to try their Brow Building Fibers Set with the promise of fuller eyebrows, I was very keen to see if it would work on my two rather thin brows.

The company, from the US, specialises in hair loss and problem hair and has over 40 years' experience in developing products and services for hair and beauty, hair sciences and hair loss, including surgical, medial and cosmetic solutions.

Toppik also offers an internationally renowned range of products for male and female hair loss and thinning hair.

Toppik Brow Building Fibers Set

Try as I might, I cannot for the life of me get my eyebrows to arch or look anything other than straight.  No,  I'm afraid my 'brow game' has never been particularly strong.

Just the promise of thicker, fuller brows is enough to cheer me though so I gave Toppik's set a whirl.

It's a clever little multi-layer pot which contains brow wax on the top and, underneath, coloured Keratin fibers to give your brows density and volume.

The Contents Of The Kit

You get a double ended applicator and use the angled side to lightly apply wax to your brows to help shape, define and prep them for the fibers.

Once you have applied the wax you then use the rounded end of the brow brush to apply the brow building fibers.

You lightly dab onto your brows to fill in sparse areas and give brows more definition.  Any stray fibers can be easily brushed away.

The fibers are specifically formulated for eye brow hair which behaves differently to the hair on our heads.  The fibers cling to brow hairs in the same way hair building fibers cling to the hair on your head. Additionally, the wax doesn't remove the static charge but the brow fibers cling to the wax when it hits them due to the emollient nature of the wax.

The product comes in three colours - Light Brown, Medium Brown and Dark Brown.

I chose Medium Brown as even though my brows are naturally dark, I have highlighted hair and didn't want too much of an unnatural contrast.

Before & After - Even  A Light Application Makes A Difference

You can see how the product works here.  If you scroll down the page these is a handy video which shows you everything you need to know.

I was really impressed with my Toppik Brow Building Fibers Set which retails at £16.95 and is available from their online shop at www.toppik.co.uk.

I also have one Toppik Brow Building Fibers Set to give away in the colour of your choice.

Simply enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.  UK entrants only and the usual terms and conditions apply.

The giveaway ends at 11:59 pm on Friday 29th April 2016.

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Good luck!

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Give Expecting Parents the Best Gifts with These 5 Ideas

This article lists 5 great gift ideas for newborn babies so you can get the parents-to-be something they will really appreciate.

Image by killrbeez via Flickr

Once a newborn has graced the world with their presence, there’s no turning back. All you can do is welcome them and provide them with all the love, care and attention you can give. When it comes to buying the perfect gift for a newborn baby, many people struggle to think what might be appropriate.

Normally, clothes are on the top of everyone’s list but that’s just it. It’s on everyone’s list. You want to be different and make sure the mother and father have things they will need but won’t necessarily get as gifts from friends and family. Going out of the way to put extra thought into your gift shows you truly care about the new life entering the world and will leave a lasting impression on the parents.

So, are you stuck for ideas on some of the best gift you can buy a newborn? Looking in the right place can be a good way to get some good ideas. The Baby Gift Box Company is a prime example of inventive and helpful gifts for babies. Their selection of funky baby hampers and boxes will allow you to present to parents a mixture of gifts in one compact set that comes at a reasonable price.

Here are some more ideas for newborn gifts:


MamaRoo Swing 

This creative gift has been designed to recreate the motion of a mum or dad cradling their baby. On a basic level, it’s a chair that has 5 speed settings so the baby can enjoy their sleep or get ready for play. You can also change the angle to a more comfortable setting for you and the child. On top of this, the chair comes with different sounds to help soothe and keep the little one entertained. It’s a fantastic all-rounder that achieves multiple things in one!

Baby bottle holder

This is another inventive gift which encourages the baby to start feeding themselves from an earlier stage. This speeds up the development as they intuitively start to hold onto the handles and learn from their experiences.

Alphabet wagon blocks

No nursery would be complete without these! Get your babies playing and building all sorts whilst slowly familiarising them with the alphabet. You can also get blocks with animal images and numbers on if you wanted to think outside the box. This gift is something that lasts for years to come and can even be passed down the line!

Hooded towel made from organic material

Give the newborn baby nothing but the best. Anything organic will go down well in their parents' books and, more importantly, will be kind to the baby’s skin too. These handy little towels keep the babies nice and wrapped up after a bath. You can find plenty of funky designs with natural and organic cottons.

Rattle with 16 tones

This soothing gift helps babies enjoy their toy whilst gently lulling them into a peaceful slumber. As the elongated rattle has 16 gentle tones, the newborn will have plenty more calm spells and keep entertained.

Hopefully I have listed some fun, quirky and different baby products that would be perfect for any newborn. The great thing about these suggestions is that they are slightly more unusual yet still essential gifts that parents and babies will treasure. So, make sure you remember this list next time you hit the baby stores!

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5 Tips To Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine & Win £30 Boots Giftcard

As the days get longer and the weather improves, we all feel that little bit brighter and more inspired to take care of ourselves.

Hands up if your beauty routine needs a spruce up?

And there's no better time for a Spring clean of your beauty routine.

My own routine is, I have to confess, quite haphazard and it needs to improve because, at almost 52, my skin definitely needs more love and care than it used to.

But there are things everyone can quite easily do to make the most of your products, your time and your precious cash!

Throw out all half-used products over a year old

Beauty experts would probably say throw them out a long time before that but when money's tight, we all tend to hoard our beauty products, don't we?

Actually, most products have a little symbol on them which tells you when to throw it out.

Throw out after 12 months!

Throw out all those samples you've kept from magazines and will never use

I have loads of these and I never get round to using them? If you have a teenage daughter, a fun thing to do is to save them up and put them in a toiletry / gift bag as a little present. Otherwise into the bin they go!

Check your skin's condition

I still have products suitable for oily / spotty skin.  Those days are long gone and lots of the oily skin products are much too harsh for dry, mature skin.  

Are you using products better suited to how your skin was five or even ten years ago?

If you don't know what skin type you have, why not book in for a free skin consultation?  Lots of the top brands will happily offer this service if you visit your local department store beauty hall or branch of Boots.

Buy The Products Which Suit Your Skin Today

Once you know what your skin type is, you can refresh your skincare products accordingly.  You might want to try some of the new formulations - for example one of the new oil based products or an anti-ageing serum.  

These are on my wishlist.

L'Oreal Paris' New Age Perfect Golden Age Range - around £9.99 from Boots.com

These are designed for very mature skin so I am not sure if they will be a little too heavy but I'm still itching to try them.

The products are enriched with Imperial Peony extract and Iris flower and the formula claims to help rehydrate the skin and restore its natural colour with a healthy rosy glow.  There are also natural pink pigments to instantly improve the complexion.

Around £17 www.lookfantastic.com

L'Oreal claims that this serum, Revitalift Laser Renew will give you 'intense action' and target wrinkles, skin firmness and skin texture leaving it smoother, plumper and more even with visible results in 4 weeks.  It isn't, of course, a laser treatment!

It contains the 'wonder molecule' Pro-Xylane which has been proven in a 6 month study to reduce the appearance of crow's feet wrinkles, boost skin density and improve bounce.  I can't find any reference to the study itself but I figure it's worth a try!

£4.99 - www.tesco.com

Micellar cleansing waters seem to be everywhere and I haven't tried them yet.

This one, from Garnier, claims to be a super efficient and gentle way to cleanse, remove makeup, soothe the feel of skin and hydrate in just one step.

It contains micelles which act like magnets, gently lifting away makeup and impurities from the skin, without the need to rub or rinse.

The formula is suitable for the face, eye area and lips, has no perfume and comes in a generous 400ml size.

If this one can get rid of a full face of make-up in a trice whilst I'm having to tiptoe around the bathroom without waking the kids up, I'll be a happy woman.

Do The Things You KNOW Will Help Your Skin

We know what we need to do, don't we?  Most of the time life gets in the way and we just DON'T but we really owe it to ourselves to at least try.

I'm talking about:-

- drinking 2 litres of water a day
- getting 8 hours sleep a night
- getting at least 20 minutes sunshine each day to help our bodies make Vitamin D
- having at least 2 alcohol free days every week
- not mainlining on sugar, caffeine or unhealthy saturated fats.
- using a high factor sunscreen  (not Factor 5 Hawaiian Tropic, although I will always love the smell...)

Whilst you're pondering how to improve your own skincare routine, why not enter the fab giveaway I am running with one of my favourite bloggers, Mellissa at www.thediaryofajewellerylover.co.uk?

We have a £30 Boots Giftcard to giveaway to one lucky winner.

Entry is via the Rafflecopter widget and the usual terms and conditions apply.  UK entrants only and the giveaway ends at midnight on 8th May 2016.

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Good luck!

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Stylish Cashmere & Wool Knitwear You Can Machine Wash?

I have always been a big fan of knitwear.  It's so versatile and so easy to dress up or down.  And it's perfect for our unpredictable British weather.

Buttoned Poncho & Shrug (pre-wash)

I was recently challenged to try Wool Overs cashmere and wool to prove that, not only does the company offer a super soft wool and cashmere blend but, better still, you can wash it.

From small beginnings in 1989, Wool Overs is now a world class knitwear retailer and supplies around 750,000 customers with men's and ladies classic and contemporary knitwear.

Having identified that today there is a greater need to use natural, renewable products, Wool Overs believe that wool is ideally suited to fulfil this need because it provides warm, stylish, and durable garments.

I have to admit, given my highly dubious laundry skills, that I was more than a little skeptical.

Wool Overs knitwear comes in a variety of styles but I tried the multi-way Buttoned Poncho & Shrug in a flannel grey.

Poncho worn as Cardi - pre-wash

Made from a blend of 30% Cashmere and 70% Merino Wool, it can be styled multiple ways and comes in 6 colours.

You can wear it as a cardi, a poncho, a shrug, a waistcoat, a bandana, a headscarf, a scarf and a cape.

8 ways to wear the same garment

I found my poncho to be super-soft and well made.

Now, to the laundry test.  You need to make sure that you follow Wool Overs' instructions to the letter.
You have to make sure that you wash your garment on a wool program, using a non-bio detergent at a maximum spin speed of 600 rpm.

Use a LOW temperature of 30 degrees maximum.

NEVER use biological detergents or stain removers on wool, silk or cashmere fibres because the enzymes will eat holes into your garments.

You can't use any old non-bio detergent either.

Wool and natural fibre detergents can be found at most supermarkets.  Look out for Woolmark-approved own brand products or brands such as Silk and Wool, Woolite, Stergene and Ecover Wool Wash.

I also washed my poncho in one of those net bags to prevent any extra damage from spinning.

I have to say that I was really impressed.  The garment came out of the wash in perfect condition and after a cool iron looks like new.

Poncho - after washing - no difference!

I can see that my poncho will become a new wardrobe staple and I plan to invest in a couple more pieces such as one of their cardigans or a Breton Strip Boat Neck Jumper made from 70% cotton and 30% silk.

Wool Overs can be found HERE or you can contact them on Facebook or Twitter.

*I received my poncho free in return for an honest review.

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Day Trip Ideas That The Whole Family Will Love

When you’ve got little ones, you’re always on the lookout for fun and different things to do with them. No matter how much to see and do there is in your local area, after a while it all gets a bit too samey. There’s only so many times you can visit the zoo or go bowling without losing your mind with boredom. That’s why sometimes it’s a good idea to mix things up and explore a little further afield.

Day trips can be a great way to get the whole family out and about, having fun and exploring. It’s just a case of selecting the best places to go for a family-friendly day out - we’re spoilt for choice as the UK has so many amazing places to explore. To help you choose the best locations for family day trips, I thought I would put together this handy guide. Hopefully, this will allow you to find the day trips that are most well suited to you and your family.

London

For a city day out, it has to be London. Bristol is pretty great too, but compared to London, it’s nowhere near as exciting. Home to the London Eye, Madame Tussauds, The National History Museum, and so much more, there is an array of things to see and do here. Whether your kids are science lovers or are mad about history, London has something for everyone. The London Dungeons, The London Duck Tour, and The Science Museum are all perfect places for a family day out.

Cornwall or Devon 

Photo source 

Are your kids beach mad? If your little ones love building sand castles and splashing about in the sea, then a day trip to Devon or Cornwall could be ideal. There are so many beautiful places to explore in these two regions. From white sandy beaches to idyllic areas of countryside. For a fantastic family day out in Cornwall, St Ives, Perranporth, Newquay, or Padstow are all great. In Devon, Dartmouth, Salcombe, and Goodrington are all perfect places to explore.

Kent 

If your kids love places with lots of history, then Kent is the perfect place for a day trip. There are so many beautiful castles and ancient ruins here that make it the perfect place to spend some time exploring. Whether you choose to visit Tudor castles or Canterbury Cathedral, you’re sure to have a fantastic time. Of course, Kent isn’t just known for its history but also for its beer. So after a little exploring, a pub lunch could be the perfect way to recharge your batteries.

The Jurassic Coast 

Image credit

One of the best places to take kids with an aptitude for adventure has to be the Jurassic coast. This 96-mile radius of coastline, spanning from East Devon to Dorset, is famed for its fossils. On the beaches along this coastline, there are hundreds of thousands of fossils ready to be found. While you’re not allowed to chip fossils off the rocks, what you can do is collect ones that have already been dislodged. For kids who love adventure or are dinosaur mad, this is the ideal day trip.

Hopefully, these ideas will give you plenty of places to visit and explore with your little ones. When life gets too samey, mixing it up is important.

*collaborative post

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New Releases, Free & Bargain Books Link-up 8 April 2016

It's that time of the week again.  Why not have a look at the fab books on offer this week?

Sharing the Love of Books
Enjoy our selection of New Releases / Free & Bargain Books this week

Click HERE for this week's awesome selection.

Authors please feel free to add your own books
Readers please free to add your own finds
(any genre except erotica welcome)

This weekly link up is hosted by Beck Valley Books & these awesome book loving blogs...
Monday
 Life as Leels | IrishdaisylovesRomance | Book Babble | All Romance Reader
Tuesday
It's My Side of Life | Celticlady's Reviews | First Time Mommy Adventures | Bound 2 Escape
Wednesday
Beck Valley Books | A Library of Reviews | Cinnamon Hollow Reviews
Thursday
Miki's Hope | Taking Time for Mommy | Nicki's Nook
Friday
Ebook Addicts | I Love Romance | A Bit Bookish | Mother Distracted | Colorimetry
Saturday
Totally Addicted to Reading | 3 Partners in Shopping | Angie's Angle | I Creat Purty Thangs | Wishful Endings
Sunday
Lynchburg Mama | LibriAmoriMiei | Ali - The Dragon Slayer | Wondermom Wannabe | My Bizzy World |  Deal Sharing Aunt 

For Pre-orders post - PRE-ORDER / genre / title /author

For New Releases post - NEW / genre / title / author

For Free Books post - FREE / genre / title / author / end date 

For Bargain Books post - SALE / price / genre / title / author / end date
(Strictly no Erotica please.  Steamy romance is fine but watch those covers people, incase any underage child is viewing it!)

Click HERE for this week's awesome selection.

And don't forget you can always add some of your own!

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Work Entitlements Around The Globe - How Are YOU Doing?

This week I have officially re-entered the working world by becoming officially self-employed and I have to say I am enjoying being my own boss enormously.

I am reminded by this handy infographic from Citrix how much variation there is in working terms and conditions across Europe and the World in general.

Courtesy of: Citrix Interactions Blog

You have to wonder what may happen to UK employment conditions and even employment law in the face of a possible BREXIT (leaving the European Union).

The country will hold an in-out referendum on its EU membership on June 23.

I have to be honest here and say I really don't know which side of the fence I am on.

On the one hand I think we will suffer if we leave Europe in terms of our business relationships with our European neighbours and the UK may find we are a great deal less attractive to inward investment.

Already European companies who have headquarters here in London are muttering about upping sticks if we leave the European Union.

On the other hand, I think we really need to sort out our policies for immigration which seems to be the main factor skewing popular opinion in favour of leaving the European Union. What will happen? It's a race as uncertain as the current US Presidential Elections.

One thing's for certain, here in the UK we certainly do a LOT better than our American cousins in terms of holiday allowance!

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