A Happy Sunday

I'm having one of those days where every little thing is making you smile, and you appreciate all that is going on around you. I've done my workout for day, had a gloriously long shower using all my favourite 'for a special day' products even though today is nothing special, I've popped to Boots for an obligatory browse, walked Max, shared a glass of Pimms with some neighbours and I plan to spend the rest of today relaxing watching dvd's and doing my nails - what a nice Sunday indeed. Here are some of the things that have made me happy today.

001. Minimal make-up days. Sometimes it's nice wearing the bare minimum on your face.

002. Freshly made beds and cushions. For me, I'm not ready to start the day until my bed is made and cushions assembled. I just feel more ready, awake, and organised.

003. Pretty looking perfumes. I have mine on aligned on my chest of drawers and mirror - how can perfume not make you smile? Especially when you have pretty Chanel bottles.

004. Tulips in a jug. Even though tulips don't last as long as some flowers (and these will soon be on the way out) they still look fresh and the epitome of Spring.

005. Spending time recording. I'm nearing 250 subscribers on my YouTube channel and uploaded a new cover last night - a duet of 'I See The Light' from Disney's Tangled. Thank you to everyone who has subbed and leaves comments on my videos :)

006. Heart shaped fruit basket. I love fruit at the best of times, but in this lovely heart shaped basket that Jonny bought for the kitchen a few months ago, it looks even more yummy.

Other things I'm happy about: Steph becoming engaged - I am beyond excited for her! Brogan reaching 10k subs on YouTube..if you're not subbed to her..why not?! My new smoothie maker is on it's way and should be here tomorrow..time to use that fruit up in a scrumptious way.

I hope you're having a lovely Sunday and remembering to appreciate all things that make you smile :)

-Tamsin xxx

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Popband - Hair and Wrist Candy

Before we start, this isn't a post about a new tv show or a memory of the 90s. Oh no. This is a legit beauty/fashion accessory post, I promise. Functional is good and the standard ideal that we want from everything we use in life. Functional and pretty is a bonus, but lets face it: aesthetics make us happy. For example, I want a toaster that works, but I'd rather buy the toaster for my kitchen that matched the rest of the colour scheme. That's just the way we are as humans. We like things to look nice. Popband are new company that are aiming for just this: functional and pretty. The owners of Popband said the idea for functional but pretty hair accessories came to them one night, and since then, there's been no stopping them. Popband are cute, vibrant and fun hairbands that will hold your hair up tight but won't give you that kink and ridged 'I've had my hair in a ponytail all day' look afterwards. On the flipside, when you take your hair down, you don't have to wear a plain, standard hairband on your wrist that cuts off your circulation (yes, we've all been there and had that lovely indented groove around our wrists!). Popbands serve as something prettier for the wrist, with some of the bands being adorned with diamontes and charms, and a whole array of colours and designs for you to choose from.

I was sent a few to try out. At first, they did strike me as a bit 'primary school' and would probably be more of a hit with younger girls, but after using them, my mind has been swayed. Personally, I think the plain, bright neon ones are my favourites, and with the neon trends around, these can be incorporated into so many outfits. I've also loved the leopard print headband, and wearing this when I exercise and walk Max has kept all my long hair pushed securely back. I'm left with no kinks after wearing them during the day, no hair gets pulled out when taking the band out and lets face it, they are prettier to look at than normal hairbands. I am wondering if they will lose their shape after a while however - they are essentially elastic and elastic loses its shape after use, so we will see what happens - especially as my hair is so long and can be quite heavy. Apparently, these are quite the hit in the US at the moment so they've obviously stood the test of time across the pond! 

You can purchase Popbands from their website, get in touch via their Twitter and Facebook, and prices are between £4-£6. I want to get my hands on some of the glitter headbands to push back my hair when on holiday. Super kind to hair, and super cute to wear - (poet and I didn't know it) ;)

-Tamsin xxx

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Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick in Rose Neon

It seems to be imprinted into my DNA that pink shall be worn on my lips and it shall be good. I love the playfulness that pink lippies can portray, and they can instantly give an outfit a little hint of fun and 'I'm not completely serious' feel, which is me all over. In the new Bourjois Rouge Edition lipstick collection, Rose Neon stuck out to me like a sore thumb and I was desperate to get my little hands on it. Only downside is that there wasn't a single lipstick on the Bourjois counter in my local Boots that hadn't been tested or all bashed up - massive pet hate - please give your counters some tlc Boots! I finally picked it up recently and it has been happily on my lips since.

Rose Neon (12) comes from the 'Colour Block' shades and is the more Barbie pink of the collection, but not as bright and in your face as MAC Saint Germain. It also has a hint of MAC Viva Glam Gaga about it too. It's a cool, blue toned, bubblegum pink that isn't as bright as you'd expect it to be, but has a brilliant amount of pigmentation and relatively good lasting power. Apparently, infused with Orchid Blossom extract is what makes these lipsticks so moisturising and hydrating, and I'm happy to report that I get no dryness with this lipstick - something which can be a downside to these shade lipsticks. Don't be put off by the word 'neon' in its name - it's not particularly neon - it's just more of an amplified, brighter shade of light rose and I've found it more wearable than I thought. Application is smooth and silky, and the finish is lustre and shiny - just what you want from a pigmentated lipstick. Highly affordable too at £7.99, I think Bourjois have filled their lipstick shaped hole with a winning collection here. There's a couple of other shades I want to try too - Beige Trench and Fraise Remix look like they would settle down nicely in my collection ready for Summer!

-Tamsin xxx

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Upload: Blonde to Ombre Hair

Remember to watch in HD!

When I say I have been thinking about doing this for months, I really mean months. The ombre/dip dye trend has been a fav of mine since I was very young - I distinctly remember 'dip-dying' my Barbie's hair with different shades of felt tip, and dabbled with having reds and darker browns put into the bottom of my hair when I was in the lower years at school. I've been blonde for around 8 years now, and you get happy. Comfortable. Secure. Even when you get itchy feet and think 'I really want to try that shade...' you don't let yourself do it because of that security and comfort. Well, today I beat that comfort and went for ombre well and truly! 

I've gone for a dark blonde which has been blended into my original bright blonde from before. The method used was a 'reverse ombre' effect which you will see in the YT video, and it was scary and fun all rolled into one. I am super happy with the results and it just goes to show, stepping outside that comfort zone isn't a bad idea at all sometimes. 

If you enjoy my videos, please make sure you subscribe to my channel :)

- Tamsin xxx

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Models Own Pink Punch

I am like a magpie for a lot of things, and one of these elements is neon. Add it into a nail polish, mix it with a bit of Models Own magic, et voila - a winning combo in all of my books. The Ice Neon collection has got to be one of my fav shares from Models Own in a long time. The five neon blinding shades are the perfect addition for Summer and holidays, although nothing stops me from wearing neon all year round if I'm honest. Housed in an iced, frosty bottle, Models Own recommend keeping these babies in the fridge to protect the fluoro from fading. I recently picked up two of the shades which you might have spotted in my recent haul video and I think my fav of the two has to be Pink Punch.

Pink Punch is an orange pink that really packs a punch (A* to me for some serious alliteration there). These are made up of the usual easy to use formula that Models Own offer, and you only need two coats with this shade to get a bright and vibrant colour. Another feature of these polishes? They have a specific matte finish - this can be changed by putting a top coat on which I have tried also, and both do the shade justice. If I'm honest, it's not the end of the world if you don't put the bottle in the fridge - the fluoro shades are so bright that it doesn't make much of a difference. I will say that photos don't do the brightness justice - these really are fluoro! It is kinda fun to see your family or friends do a double take when there are a load of polishes in the fridge instead of food however ;)

At a usual £5 per polish, you cannot go wrong. I haven't taken this shade of my fingers in weeks now and come rain or shine, I think it's going to be on my pinkies for a while!

-Tamsin xxx