VITA COCO SMOOTHIES

Vita Coco is 100% natural coconut water. Not to be mistaken for coconut milk - the water is from the inside of young coconuts (before they turn brown). It's a clear liquid that contains no fat or cholesterol, making it a really healthy alternative to your usual drinks. Of course, another bonus is that coconut water is completely gluten free and suitable for vegans.

There are a variety of flavours of vita coco available, from original to lemonade, there's sure to be one that takes your fancy. My personal favourite is the pineapple flavour. However, some people do not like the flavour of coconut water on its own, but still want to get the benefits from drinking it. Below I have created two iced summer smoothies for you to try using Vita Coco!With summer well and truly here, these are the perfect way to stay cool and hydrated on hot days.

Recipe 1 : Peachy Lime smoothie ( makes approx 2 servings)

What you will need/Ingredients :

Blender/food processor 

sandwich bags (for freezing fruit)

Glass/jug for serving

2 peaches

Half a mango 

Juice of half a lime

ice cubes/crushed ice

330ml of Vita Coco in peach&mango flavour

1. Slice the peaches and cut the mango into chunks. Place the chopped fruit into a sandwich bag and put into the freezer for at least 2 hours to allow it to freeze. 

2. Once your fruit has frozen, add it into a blender and blitz. Then add the lime juice and half of the Vita Coco and blend again. At this point, you can now add some ice cubes if you wish, along with the rest of the Vita Coco and blend one more time until it is the consistency you like. 

3. Pour the smoothie into glasses or a jug. For decoration you could place a slice of peach and lime to the top of your smoothie! Also, if you did not add ice - you can add a couple of ice cubes into your drink to make it extra chilled. 

Recipe 2: Banana Berry smoothie ( makes approx 2 servings )

What you will need/Ingredients :

Blender/food processor

glass/jug for serving

sandwich bags

180g blueberries

2 bananas 

dessicated coconut ( approx. 2-3 tbsp ) 

330ml Vita Coco original 

1. Slice the bananas and add into a sandwich bag with the blueberries. Place in the freezer for at least 3 hours. 

2. Once frozen, add to the blender and blitz. Now add the Vita Coco and the dessicated coconut and blend again. You can also add some ice to make it extra chilled.

3. Now you can pour it into your serving glasses or jug. Sprinkle on some dessicated coconut and a couple of blueberries to the top for decoration. You can also add some ice cubes or crushed ice. 


And there we have it! Two super easy, delicious summer smoothies made using Vita Coco.They look and taste great and are really healthy. My personal favourite is the peach flavour. If you try either of my recipes then let me know what you think in the comments. What's your favourite Vita Coco flavour?


BUY VITA COCO ONLINE HERE!


This post contains products that have been sent to review. 

LIEBSTER AWARD

Thank you so much Fabi ( Halfway to New York ) for nominating me for a Liebster Award. It means a lot to know that people enjoy reading my blog! For those of you who don't know what this means, I'll put the rules at the end of this post.

1. A blog you visit daily : I visit so many blogs on a daily basis, and love discovering new ones. A particular one that comes to mind though is The Sunday Girl . She has lots of beauty posts that help me discover new things.

2. Why did you decide to create a blog?: I have wanted to start writing up my own blog for a long while. I absolutely love to write and beauty, fashion and healthy eating are all huge parts of my life. I really enjoy writing about things that I am passionate about for other people to enjoy and discover. Even if nobody read my blog I would probably still write posts just because I love it so much!

3. Favourite lipstick ever: Hmm, that's a tricky one! I am really loving my MAC Osbourne collection Patentpolish pencil in the shade Patentpink. I did a blog post about it which you can view here!

4. If you could own a designer bag, which one would you choose?: Probably a Chanel backpack.

5. The inspiration your blog comes from: I'd say my inspiration is probably from reading fashion magazines.

6. Do you have a favourite pair of shoes?: If ones that I don't own count, then probably some Louboutin glittery high heels.

7. What is your favourite part about blogging?: Getting to hear feedback from readers! It makes me so happy.

8. A place you would love to visit on a vacation would be: Definitely Bora Bora or Pig Beach! I am obsessed with pigs and beaches and in one that is just heaven! I love hot weather and they both just look like such beautiful places to go on holiday.

9. Describe your perfect outfit: That is a difficult question as my style constantly changes to fit my mood. However, right now I would say a baggy tshirt, Denim shorts, a kimono and some chunky sandals.

10. Favourite T.V. show: I'm gonna be real with you now guys, I really love The Great British Bake off. Mary Berry is the queen of cakes.

11. If you could have a celebrities wardrobe, who would you pick?: There are so many celebrity styles that I love, my top 3 are : Vanessa Hudgens, Demi Lovato, Ariana Grande.


My Nominees are:

1. Emme Hurr
2. Beautieboe
3.Yang Loves
4. Stitch It With Style
5.Layla Panam
6. Sequins and Sea Breezes
7.Blogs, vlogs and gurus
8.fleurbelle
9.Easy on the cheeks
10.Francesca Beauty
11.Love Joice

Here are my questions for nominees :

1. What is your must-have item?
2. Why did you start writing a blog?
3. Do you have a favourite quote?
4.  If you could only eat one type of food forever, what would it be?
5. What is your favourite blog?
6. Vintage or high street?
7. How old are you?
8. Do you have any advice to people who want to start a blog?
9. Books or films?
10. What is your favourite magazine?
11. Random fact about you is:


So there we have it! Hope you enjoyed reading this and sorry if I did not nominate you - it was really hard picking just 11.


Jemma x



Rules:
• You must answer all questions that are given to you
• Must link back to the person that nominated you
• Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers
• Provide nominees with 11 questions of your choice
• Cannot nominate the person who nominated you
• Must inform nominees of your nomination
• Provide nominees with a link to your post for more info

MARC JACOBS DAISY DREAM

So if you are a huge fan of Marc Jacob's fragrances like I am, then you most likely will have heard about the newest edition to the collection of Daisy perfumes - 'Daisy Dream'. It is one of the biggest fragrance launches of the year after all. As you may know from previous posts, I am slightly more than a little perfume-obsessed - so when I heard about this release, I just had to get my hands on it.

For starters, the bottle design itself is in fact a dream. It's one of the most beautiful perfume bottles I've set my eyes on. The perfume itself is a light blue toned liquid, inside a rounded glass bottle enveloped with a splattering of daisies. If you purchase the bottle in 50ml or 100ml, then the spherical silver lid also comes with daisies placed around it, however the 30ml bottle simply displays a mirrored effect silver lid without the daisies. Either way the bottle is something that you can admire when its on your dressing table!

The scent for Daisy Dream is a fresh interpretation of the original Daisy. It's a really breezy, summery scent that still channels the soft floral fragrance that its loved for. Daisy Dream has top notes of blackberries , fresh grapefruit and succulent pear. At the heart of the perfume lies notes of lychee and blue wisteria, and a dreamy medley of jasmine, musk and coconut water create the base. It creates a truly dreamy and luxurious fragrance. 

I would definitely say this is an everyday fragrance as it is so light and fresh for summer days. You can purchase a bottle for yourself from most perfume shops and it is priced at around £39 for 30ml, £52 for 50ml, or £70 for 100ml.  If you would like to purchase it online then simply click here. 

Also I'd just like to quickly mention the gorgeous Daisy Chain Flower Necklace featured in the 3rd photograph, which you can purchase from Punky Pins for just £12! Its so lovely for summer, it looks so realistic and thought it fitted quite well with the daisy theme of this post. 

 What's your favourite summer fragrance? Let me know in the comments below.

Jemma x


This post contains some products that have been sent to review.

TANYA BURR NAILS

If you are a fan of YouTube or even just beauty in general then I'm sure you would've heard of Tanya Burr. Earlier this year she launched her own lip-gloss and nail polish collection, which are available online and in Superdrug stores across the UK. Of course, being a huge fan of Tanya I had to give some of these products a try. Here is my review on the nail polishes.

The polishes come in a square shaped bottles, very similar to the look of Chanel / NARS . This makes the appearance of the products really pretty, however it makes it difficult to open and close them. The lids didn't go back on aligned to the bottle which I found slightly frustrating ( I am a bit weird when it comes to things like that!). However when it comes down to the quality of the polish itself I was impressed. I usually only ever use OPI nail varnishes as I find that other brands are no way near as good and long lasting, but I must admit, these are really pigmented colours, they are easy to apply and last around 5 days without chipping. I personally would have preferred a slightly wider brush, but nonetheless it was easy enough to use. You can clearly tell that Tanya has taken inspiration from favourite shades from brands such as Essie, Chanel and OPI, and catwalk trends.

I purchased 4 of the 10 shades available, as these were my favourites for summer.

The first of the shades that I purchased was 'Little Duck'. This is a minty blue colour, similar to 'Mint Candy Apple' from Essie. I really love this colour and have been wanting to purchase a mint nail varnish for a while now so this was the perfect opportunity! Its really bright once you've applied two coats and it is a great shade for summer.

Next up is 'Bright and Early', It is a gorgeous coral red colour. The polish comes out with a super glossy and shiny finish and will look amazing with a tan.This is probably my favourite of the shades at the moment - I'm even wearing it now!

'Peaches & Cream' was the colour that I was most excited about when discovering the range, I really love the simple peachy nude colour of this nail polish. It makes a change from the bright colours, and would look really pretty for a summer evening or if you are on holiday.

Last but not least is 'Penguin Chic'. The name for starters is just adorable. I am a huge fan of this grey colour, I usually go for a black nail varnish for my every day look so this is a great summer alternative as it goes with anything but doesn't look too dark.

The Tanya Burr nail collection is priced at £5.99 a bottle, which in my opinion is great value for the quality of the products. Better still - They are currently 3 for 2 at Superdrug so get them while you can!



Have you tried any of the Tanya Burr collection? What is your favourite shade? Let me know in the comments! x

ST TROPEZ GRADUAL TAN FACE LOTION

Even in the summer, I never fail to look extremely pale, especially on my face. I think this is probably due to the fact that I hardly leave my house because I'd much rather stay at home and online shop or something, but still - I want to look like I've got a lovely summer glow rather than looking like a ghost.

The St.Tropez Gradual Tan Face Lotion in light/medium was the product I decided to go for. I was a little scared of going for a full on fake tan as I did not want to look orange or crazily tanned. This product is a great alternative as it is a hydrating face moisturiser with an added touch of fake tan to it. The tan is build-able and develops over 4-12 hours. You can apply this daily to achieve the look you want.

For the first 3 days, I applied the product each morning to my face and neck as instructed. You apply it much like a normal moisturiser but all over your face and neck in light sweeping motions. I must admit that I was quite disappointed as I did not notice much of a difference in colour at all, but it did give me more of a glowing appearance. However,  on the fourth day of using the lotion, it has finally worked! I have a very subtle, natural looking tan to my face, much better than the pale, ill looking colour I was before.

Overall, The product does sort of do what it says, I'd say it gives a light build-able tan, and gives a glow to your face. I don't think it is something that I would purchase again though as it is a bit too subtle for what I was hoping.

If you are looking for a very bronzed tan then I really would not recommend this product, It would work well if you are very pale and want to give the appearance of a light sun-kissed glow.

You can purchase it here for £14.30 :  St Tropez

Do you use fake tan? What is your favourite tanning product? Let me know!


Jemma x

AUVA JEWELLERY

You can never have enough jewellery. That was exactly what I said to myself when I came across 'AuvaUK' on Instagram. Auva is a new online brand, selling handmade custom chokers, rings , and lots of other unique items. You can take a look at their website here . Trust me - they are going to be big, so get some products now to be ahead of the crowd.

The piece that initially caught my eye on Instagram was the blue 'sparkle ring' It is a silver toned adjustable ring, with a circled shape, blue textured glitter effect. There are also glints of turquoise and greens to it. I loved the look of it in the photo, however in real life it is even better as you can really see how it catches the light! Honestly it is one of the nicest rings I've ever seen - especially as it is so inexpensive at just £2.50, how could I resist. If you are not a fan of blue, the ring also comes in the option of white, which I am sure is equally as beautiful. 

Another fabulous item from their website is the 'Lumi Amethyst Charm Necklace' . A handmade charm necklace, which features a circle OM charm, with a Lumi-Amethyst and a little leaf charm. I love the hint of purple as it's my favourite colour. It comes on a 16" silver plated chain, and is priced at just £3.50. Bargain! 

Finally, the last product that I received was the 'Silver Leaf Of Life Earrings' .A simple pair of silver, handmade drop earrings. Set to be a best-seller from AUVA, grab them while you can! They add an extra touch to any outfit, and are only £1.75. 

If you are interested in any of the products, simply click on the names and it will link you directly to the page where you can purchase them. There are lots of other amazing pieces on there so if none of these have interested you, be sure to check it out as you may find something else!

Remember if you have Instagram to follow @AuvaUK , and if you don't follow me already - @Jemsbeautyblog. Thanks!

Jemma x


This post contains some products that have been sent to review.

YVES SAINT LAURENT- COUTURE PALETTE COLLECTION

Eyeshadows are one of the items that I always tend to avoid when applying my make-up. However, lately I've been trying to be more creative when it comes to my make-up looks. I recently came across the new YSL couture palettes, which is a collection featuring 8 different palettes, each composed of 5 colours inspired by YSL couture .

Of course, Yves Saint Laurent is far from cheap when it comes to price, so the palette that I chose to purchase was 05 - Surrealiste. It features a range of purple and lilac shades, with a pale pink to highlight. It's a purple lovers dream! All of the colours are shimmery so if you are not a fan of glitter then I wouldn't recommend it! It is slightly annoying that there is not even one matte shade, however I feel that the colours work well with a shimmer to them, and they are intended to be worn together. 

The formula of these shadows is rather impressive. The recently released palettes feature highly pigmented colour with a smooth and soft buttery texture. When applied, there is virtually no fall-out which is amazing as it is one of the reasons I tend to steer away from eye shadows. The colour is really long lasting too, allowing you to wear it from day to night. 

I love that you can wear all of the shades together or alone, my personal favourite is the shade on the bottom right of the palette. I wear this along with my MAC pencil eyeliner in 'smolder' along my waterline and 'They're Real' mascara from Benefit Cosmetics for an effortlessly glam look.

If you are looking to invest in some really good quality eyeshadows, then I would recommend taking a look at this collection. They have a range of colours available online for £39.50 from Debenhams . Although this is quite pricey, if you are a fan of eyeshadow then you will love them.


Jemma x

THE CHUNKY SANDAL TREND

If you are in to fashion then you have most probably seen that chunky sandals are a must-have this summer. I was in desperate need of some comfortable summer shoes this week, so I purchased a pair of Black Chunky Caged Sandals from New Look. If you are wondering why I needed some comfortable shoes, it is because my Juju jellies have given me such bad blisters - they are lovely but I really wouldn't recommend walking around in them for long periods of time as they are not comfortable.

I really love chunky sandals. You can pair them with almost any outfit from dresses to jeans. It gives an edgy 90's twist to your look but still keeping it girly at the same time. When deciding where to purchase a pair I was left a little undecided. I originally ordered some online from Missguided , however was sent an order cancellation the next day due to them being out of stock. This was disappointing - however I went shopping that same day and found a pair almost exactly the same from New Look for the same price and I didn't have to wait for delivery!

I'm so happy that I got these shoes - they are so incredibly comfortable to wear despite them having a heel. I managed to walk around all day in them with no struggle. I opted for a black pair as I think they go best with most of my wardrobe, however they also have them available in  white and silver too . I think that the silver ones would be great to wear with a summer party outfit. I love the fact that they have a low platform heel to them as it makes a great alternative to your usual pair of sandals. They are good quality for the price, I personally think that at £24.99 it would be wrong not to buy them. If you are interested in getting some of these for yourself, use the links above, visit your local New Look store, or online via http://newlook.co.uk

Jemma x