Mini Succulents

After having a clear out and making space in my room, I've allowed myself to buy some more plants. I've also realised that you don't have to just stick them in simple plant pots time and time again. You can create terrariums and have hanging planters, and just be a little more creative. That's what I'm planning on doing with the little guys above. I bought them from Amazon for just over £12, and that's including delivery. They're absolutely beautiful, with my favourite being the one with the red/purple tips.

Unfortunately, they've just become unavailable, but I've found some other listings, if you're interested. These ones come to just under £20, but you get 15. These and these are just under £15 for 10, and are also beautiful. I think I prefer the second ones a little more out of these two, though.

I love succulents, and think so much can be done with these, so wanted to share them with anyone else interested in this sort of thing. I'll show you how my terrarium turns out, once I've found a nice pot which isn't too expensive!

MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balm in Dusky Rose

I love the MUA Sweet Sheens. They're probably my most used lip products of the year because they're so fuss free. They feel really light and moisturising on the lips, and while they don't last a great amount of time, they fade without going patchy or bitty. The reds actually leave a subtle stain, which is even better.

They've recently added two new shades to the collection. The first is a deep purple, and the second is the one above. Dusky Rose is just that; a dusky rose. It looks natural, and doesn't lean too pink or brown. It's a shade I wouldn't have paid attention to at the start of the year, but one I now love.

I think I'll always choose a tinted lip balm over other formulas, just because I can't be bothered with the upkeep of more pigmented products. The Sweet Sheens are only £2 as well, which makes me love them even more. You can read my post on the other shades here.

Boots, Glorious Boots

I love boots, but it's rare for me to find a pair I like. They usually look great on other people, but I struggle to feel the same when I'm the one wearing them. I feel like many, especially of the ankle variety, make my feet look huge. In the last couple months, though, I've taken on the 'screw it' mentality, and have just bought them. It's not the boots making my feet look huge, it's my feet making my feet look huge, and this isn't going to change, no matter what footwear I wear! I think part of it is paranoia as well, because I don't think this of others who have the same size feet.

Anyway, after buying the boots in this post, I've bought three more pairs from New Look. I actually bought four, but returned one pair. I know it's excessive, but like I said, I rarely find boots I like, so have to take advantage when I do. It's the same with coats. The first pair were £24.99, the second pair were £27.99, and the third pair were £39.99, but I had 20% off these prices. They're all very different, which I like. 

I was unsure about the first pair, but now they're my favourite, and were the ones I instantly liked in store. The second pair look better on, trust me, and remind me of the lace up, tan ones I had from Office a few years ago. I had a pair similar to the third ones when I was in my early teens., and because of this, I'm still not 100% sure on them. They do look nice on, though, and that's the main thing. I think I'm just associating them with a less fashionable time in my life! Not that I'm fashionable now.

Are you a boot lover? Where's your go-to place for a pair?

Free L'Occitane Hand Cream with Marie Claire November 2015

There's a choice of six L'Occitane hand creams with this month's Marie Claire. It's the one with Claire Danes on the cover, her hair looking both matted and greasy at the same time. The magazine is price at £3.99, so the hand cream isn't technically free, especially if you're only buying it for that, but it's worth £8 and is really rather good.

The scents available include Verbena Cooling, Pivoine Flora, Lavander, Vanilla Bouquet, Rose Heart, and Zesty Lime. I opted for Zesty Lime because lime is one of my favourite scents, and it's difficult to come across in a hand cream. It smells like lime cheesecake; it's incredible. It takes a little longer to absorb than some of my other hand creams, but it's more moisturising.

I can see myself picking up another tube of this, as well as the rose and vanilla ones, but we'll see. The magazines are 2 for £6 in Tesco, if you need any more persuading!

Flamingo Candles The Melt Crowd - October 2015

Another month, another box of wax melts! £2 from this box goes to The Pink Ribbon Foundation, a charity which helps those affected by breast cancer. 

For me, this box is like August's, in the sense that I'm a little disappointed. Half the scents aren't my cup of tea. I'll go through them with you.

Pink Ribbon | This is my favourite. It's described as having a rich, cranberry accord dominated by top notes of sweet cranberry blended with prune juice, complimented by a fruity floral heart of summer strawberry, sun ripened raspberry and citrus orange with sweet honey and rose notes. On dry down the base is woody and powdery with notes of cedarwood and vanilla with a hint of raspberry.

Pomegranate & White Fig | Another favourite. When I was playing the guessing game, I knew I liked it because of its subtle, sweet, and slightly floral scent. I'd say it's in the same family as Rose & Marshmallow because of the delicate notes.

Cranberry, Orange & Cinnamon | I like this one. You can smell the cranberry and orange more than the cinnamon, but that's why I like it.

Bubblegum | I didn't guess this scent, but as soon as I read what it was, it was obvious. I like it, but it's not a scent I've ever truly loved.

Nutmeg & Ginger (The Melt Crowd exclusive) | Warm, slightly fruity. This one won't be at the top of my 'to melt' list, but I don't hate it!

Thunderstorm | I've read that a lot of people are loving this. I'm not sure. It's very masculine. My sister said 'eww, it smells like rain and mud', so at least it smells true to its name?

Golden Woodlands | This one's warm and masculine, with some green notes thrown in. It doesn't repulse me, but like the two above, it's not blowing me away. I may burn it after my current one, though, for a change. It may smell nicer when it fills a room.

Applecurrant Crumble | This one is the big disappointment, and one I'm so surprised about because I love everything about crumble. It has this smell which many artificially warm dessert scents tend to have. I can't describe it, but I don't like it. It smells better when you wave it in front of your nose, so it could smell better when melted, but I can't see my opinion of it changing that much.

Flamingo Candles The Melt Crowd is just £10 a month. Everything you need to know about the subscription can be found here.

Air Plants

I love plants, especially ones of the succulent and cactus variety. Looking back through my blog, I can tell you that my love for them started seven years ago (seriously, I love having a blog for this very reason). I started hearing about air plants earlier this year, and they intrigued me. Plants which don't require soil? Say what? After reading a ton of articles and posts on them, I decided to buy some last week. I bought the mini greenhouse for £8 odd from this Amazon listing, and the plants from this Etsy seller, based in Ireland.

I gave them a soaking when they arrived, and let them dry upside down on a towel for an hour or two before transferring to the greenhouse. They're in a place with plenty of light, but out of direct sunlight, and there's good air circulation in the room, so hopefully they'll thrive. I'm going to soak them once a week to begin with, and then adjust if necessary. If, after a month or two, they're still going strong, I'm going to look into getting a couple more. The possibilities of storing them is endless, so I can't wait to get creative. If they die, I'll have a little sob, and then do a lot more research before purchasing more. But, hopefully, that won't happen!