Bloglovin!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Beauty Parlour Skin care review!

Hello readers! 

I'm back with a review for you, today's review will be a few skin care products I've recently purchased! If you haven't already guessed from the image above, it's from the Beauty parlour products range. I've been meaning to buy some more skin care stuff after I ran out of my (well my mums) Liz Earle stuff! Okay, enough babbling, onto the review!

While I was out shopping looking at all the facial scrubs etc trying (hopelessly) to decide which one would be best for me, I spotted the beauty parlour products. I must say if they had been trying to sell me the products based on packaging alone, they would have had a sale right there and then! I love it, seriously it's just fabulous, and as an added plus it (kind of) matches the 'retro' theme my house has.

So anyway, I decided I'd give them a go! Since I knew I'd regret not buying them later on. I decided to get two products I needed the most and one as a treat. I ended up buying the Clean up! Daily face wash 150ml, Saving face cream with SPF8 100ml and the Beauty Parlour face mask chocolate 75ml. (pictured below)

The beauty parlour daily face wash; RRP; £3.99 from superdrug I got it for; 99p!

I'll start with the Daily face wash since I use that first!

This is what the company/website claims; 'The perfect wake up call! A gently exfoliating facial wash for all skin types... Containing soft yet effective Peach Kernel beads and moisturising Peach Kernel Oil, your skin will feel soft and squeaky clean. Smells great too!'

When I used this wash the first time I learnt a little goes a long way, so I just squeeze a small amount onto my hand and then gently (or what I class as gently) spread it all over my face. Once I'm happy it's covering my face I then begin to rub it in circles, and I must say it lathers up beautifully, unlike some of the products I've tried previously! 

I do this for 5 minutes or so, during which time I can really feel the wash working and getting rid of the dirt etc. I've found that in most facial washes you can't feel the little grains/beads while you scrub, which then makes me wonder why people advertise it as having it if you can't even feel it? I could of course be completely wrong, but I prefer being able to feel them, that way I know they're actually working! 

After 5 minutes of scrubbing I wet a towel with warm water and wash it off. I know you're supposed to rinse your face with water to get it off, but I don't like it. So I use a towel instead, it basically does the same job. Once I've washed it off I pat my face dry and I can feel the results of the wash straight away, my face feels clean and new, which is exactly what I wanted.

I should also mention that the wash smells lovely, it smells like fruit, peaches to be exact. I prefer my products to smell of fruit than, I dunno, say chocolate?

All in all I would rate this product

 

It's not 100% perfect, but dam it's close enough.

The beauty parlour day cream with SPF8; RRP: £3.99 from superdrug I got it for; 99p!

Onto the next product! The moisturiser!

What the website/company claims; 'Be a good girl and protect your skin all day long with this fabulous moisturiser with added SPF. Protection is the key to perfection. This daily moisturiser is suitable for all skin types... A light, non greasy and fast absorbing cream that protects against harmful rays, and with Horse Chestnut and refreshing Cucumber your skin will feel soft and supple - ready to face the day!'

Okay so this gets applied almost straight after the daily face wash, and as with the face wash I learnt a little goes a looong way. So use it very sparingly. I usually do the same with this as I do with the wash, spread it evenly on my face and then rub it in gently with my hands. 

This moisturiser is light and sinks into my skin, it doesn't leave me with a face that feels greasy at all. So that is a major plus. Another major plus is that it has SPF, which I will admit is normally something I overlook, I know I'm terrible for it! 

  

I can't get over how soft and fresh my face feels after applying it, I just want to touch it but I won't.  It smells like an average moisturiser to me, all moisturisers smell the same to me though. I don't think I can smell Horse Chestnut and cucumber, but don't let that put you off buying it.

It says on the tube that you should reapply this through out the day, normally I would be hesitant to do so as it means I have to carry it around (I am so lazy) but I can honestly say this is something I will be carrying around with me. It fits easily into my bag and because it's light and sinks in quickly I can apply it quickly at work with out having to worry about waiting for it to dry.

I would rate this product

Okay, so as I said above I bought three products.
The third product was this;

The Beauty Parlour chocolate face mask; RRP £4.99 I got it for; 99p!

This is a face mask basically and a chocolate one at that. I haven't tried this yet as I've not actually had the time to! So this is on my to do list, even though I haven't tried it I'll tell you what the website/company claims; 'Every girl deserves chocolate! Our face mask not only smells divine but is effective in deep cleansing, drawing out impurities with Kaolin whilst moisturising with Cocoa Butter to reveal smoother skin and a radiant glow. Zero calories - good for the waist line, even brighter for the skin!'

Now I was a little hesitant to buy this at first as it sounds quite messy and I'm not really keen on chocolate, BUT I did buy it because I thought why the hell not eh? I'll let you guys know if its worth buying asap!


So have any of you ever tried The beauty Parlour products? Do you think they work as well as I do? Are the a good value for money? Did the packaging catch your eye like it did mine? Let me know what you think! I'd love to know if it's worked for others as well!

I hope you've all had a lovely weekend, did you do anything nice?

Love,
Chris x

Blog sales.

Hello!

Just a quick post today! I was at work yesterday, and it dawned on me suddenly, there is no place for people who are having blog sales (that I'm aware of) to let the world know they're having one! Someone, anyone, needs to make a site where you can post your sales, so that they're easily accessible and stored in one place. It would be so convenient and useful. Just me who thinks that would be great? I always miss out, purely because I am never able to find the sales! Let me know what you think? Is it a good idea or is it silly?

 I hope you've all had a great week, I really do!

I'm off shopping! yay!

Chris x

Payday post #1!

Hello again! 

I am so sorry for the lack of blog posts, but I'm back with a quick post. I've been so tired the last week, but I've not wasted it away. I did something incredibly useful and organised my room! Here are some bits and bobs that I'll be purchasing come payday, I can't wait to get my hands on them! It honestly feels so good to have money of my own. 

Spot print jumper,Asda, £14.
Chiffon Layered Skirt V Fronted Dress, AX Paris, £19.99

Frill Front Heart Two In One Dress, £35.
Bird Print Zip Front Dress, £35.

Chiffon Striped Shirt, £25.

Leopard Cross Tee, £18

Heart Printed Chiffon Dress, £35

Navy Polka Dot Drop Back Dress, £19.99

Layered Skirt V Fronted Dress, £19.99.
Black Chiffon Drop Back Skirt, £29.99.

Padded jacket, £14.99
Chelsea boots, £29.99

What do you think of my future purchases? Are they your style or not? Is there anything you'll be rushing to the shops to purchase come payday?

Chris x

The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter.

Hello again! 

It's just me. So I've got another book review for you! This time around I'm going to be reviewing The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter.

So here is a little background on the book and the Author himself. Chris Carter is a crime and fiction author who was born in Brazil and moved to the USA after graduating high school. He studied Psychology and specialised in criminal behaviour. He worked as a criminal psychologist for several years before moving to Los Angeles were he joined several glam rock bands. A few years ago he gave it all up and decided to become a full time writer.

The Crucifix Killer is the first in a series of books which are based on the lives of two detectives, Detective Robert Hunter and his 'rookie' partner Detective Carlos Garcia, who work as part of the homicide squad. Chris carters own description of the book is as follows "In a derelict cottage in Los Angeles National Forest, a young woman is found savagely murdered. Naked, strung from two wooden posts, the skin has been ripped from her face – while she was alive. On the nape of her neck is carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer.

But that’s not possible. Because, two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed.

Could this be the work of a copycat killer? Someone who has somehow accessed intricate details of the earlier murders – details that were never made public? Or is Homicide Detective Robert Hunter forced to face the unthinkable? Is the real Crucifix Killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Hunter with his inability to catch him?

Robert Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining, where there's no such thing as a quick death."

So onto the review! I bought the book second hand from a charity shop, as I was making my way home from college a few months ago (I think). I was waiting for the bus and I had some money, so I thought why not take a look in the second hand book shop? I can honestly say it was a great decision. I had a look around, as I was hoping to stumble on some Stephen King books, when I came across The Crucifix Killer. I was drawn to it as soon as I saw the cover, It looked gruesome and that's exactly what I love from a book! So I bought it.

I started reading it straight away and I fell in love with it almost immediately. It starts at the end of the case which I thought was a great touch, throughout the book you are switched from one time period to another, which can, I must admit, get a little confusing at times! Furthermore I really enjoy how Carter throws you straight into the action, I prefer being thrown into the deep end, so to speak, rather than reading 20 pages of setting the scene and such (It just bores me). Throwing me straight in captures mine (and the readers) attention and encourages me to read on. His use of description throughout the book is just right, It not only helps me establish the setting of the scene in my mind, without spoon feeding me the story or overdosing on the details, but it also helps me build up my own view of the characters, again without being spoon fed a forced view on them.

With most crime and fiction writers I expected the books to, not quickly, but sort of skim over the murders if that makes sense? Carter does no such thing, he describes the murders beautifully. In a totally non creepy way he makes it seem very realistic and I feel helpless because of it, all I want to do it help these poor people. After I read about the first murder I thought to myself 'How is he going to top this? How is he going to make it worse than this?'. By gods grace he managed to make each murder worse than it's predecessor's!

As I mentioned previously it skips randomly between time periods, E.g It starts at the end of the case, then continues at the start etc. When I came to the end of the first chapter and saw that Carter had used that style of writing, it instantly compelled me to read on (to the point were I almost missed my bus stop!) because I wanted to know what happened next, I wanted to know the outcome.

So I continued with my reading after I'd walked up the hill to my house. I really hate hills. Throughout the books Carter drops hints as to who the 'Crucifix killer' may be, you may think it's one person, then all of a Sudden Carter drops another clue which suggests an entirely different person may be responsible! I loved it, I don't like for the books to be to hard to solve, at the same time I hate when they are to easy. A nice balance is just right and Carter has got that spot on.

After each of the murders Carter gives a little background information on the victims in the form  of a story, which ultimately tells us how he/she ended up at the hands of the 'Crucifix killer'. This is a great (and quick) way for me to get to know the victims without, again, going into masses and masses of detail. 

Carter uses words, phrases and experiences, among other things, from his time as a criminal psychologist, which makes the story all the more believable and realistic. It adds, I feel, a human touch to the story. This story (though it may be fiction) isn't just a fairy tale manufactured from nothing, it has elements of reality to it.

Now if you know me well or at all, you'll know I HATE romantic stories. They just make me cringe. The book it's self does have a romantic sub plot, BUT, in Carters defence it is very small  AND a hell of a lot more realistic than most romantic plots/sub plots. I'm willing to make an exception in this books case.

Throughout the week that I was reading the book, I was kept on my toes, always wondering what would happen next, wondering what the Crucifix Killers next move would be. I was never bored reading it, I never wanted to stop once. I felt real compassion towards both the detectives throughout their struggles within the book, be they personal or work related. When I neared the end, I began to go through everything I had learned and tried to solve the case, to no avail sadly. Then I reached the last few pages and it had started to become clearer, the ending truly is an explosive climax. I literately threw my book at the wall and shouted "NO GOD NO" when I discovered the killers Identity. I was not, in a thousand, million days expecting that kind of ending. All I can say is WOW.

The only criticism I have is that it, in my opinion, wasn't long enough. The print in the book was bigger than average, even so I still finished it within a week. I was clearly so desperate to find out what happened eh? I suppose it would have been worse had I not gone onto the internet and discovered the other two. 

So all in all this is, in my honest opinion, one of thee, if not the best books I have ever read and it's successors, The Executioner and The Night Stalker live up to the standards set by the first book. I squealed with delight and joy when I found out Chris Carter is realising ANOTHER yes ANOTHER book in the series. This one is called The Death Sculptor. As you can imagine I have Already pre-ordered it and Eagerly await it's arrival!

Thank you for reading!
Have any of you read The Crucifix Killer? If you have, did you like it as much as me?
Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Chris x

Dead Batteries, a short story by Jason Beech.

Hello there!

So here it it, my first ever review, Exciting times huh?

I've recently stated my love for crime and fiction books on twitter, which has caused quite a few writers to follow me. Not that I'm complaining! I received a direct message from the lovely Jason Beech (@Beech_Jason) telling me about some sweets I should try, because I eat a lot of mints (It's a long story). We got talking and I asked him about his writing, he then informed me that he had written three short stories! (He is also releasing a book, so be on the look out for it!) I asked him for them and he promptly sent me a link to his webpage. Click here! His three stories are Dead Batteries, Secret Mind and The tree. The story I'll be reviewing is Dead Batteries. 

My review;
Well first thing's first, I loved the writing style. I can really relate to the character because the language Jason used is very true to life. Which surprisingly isn't the case with most of the books I read. I also like how Jason has made it relevant to people by including brands/sites such as Apple and twitter, I really think it adds to the true to life style he has created.

The description of the character is top of the line, he has really told me about the character and gone into nice detail. Jason has described the different aspects of his life and to me that makes him human and not just some character in a book. Although I would try to work a name for the character, as it helps the reader engage with the character further.

I also love the humour Jason has used! If there is one thing I cannot stand about books/short stories it's when they make it 100% serious. There is always room for some humour and he has included the right amount for his story! He has also used relevant humour. Humour that he knows his audience can relate to.

I think the ending was really quite sweet and unexpected. I had half expected him to drive off without a care or without gratitude towards the people. Another theory was that they would attack him! I love how you turned it around and managed to make me re-think the previous feelings I had towards the Character.

The story really held my attention and I wanted to read on and find out what happened at the end.

The only criticsm i have is that Jason should give his character a name (unless that's happened on purpose), other than that it's a really good story!

Seriously, well done to Jason. I really enjoyed reading it. I am looking forward to reading the others!

Thank you for reading!

Chris x

Introduction to my blog.

Hello there!

My name is Chris!
This blog is hopefully going to be a little side hobby for me, A nice relaxing safe haven where I can share my thoughts with you on book I'm reading perhaps, possibly even a product or two, maybe even a Film I've been to see at the cinema recently. Who knows?
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog, even though it may not be the best!

Chris x