©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk


Pukka Three Mint Tea
If you regularly read my blog, you'll know that I'm a big fan of herbal teas. This is one I recently picked up by chance in Sainsbury's. It contains three different types of mint: Peppermint, Spearmint and field mint. One of the reasons that I was drawn to it is because the packaging is so pretty! When you open the box, there's a lovely design inside too! I'll be honest, I can't remember how much it was, but I don't think it was too pricey. It's definitely worth a try if you want a seriously minty kick to your tea!

The Little Book of Mindfulness
I've been getting quite stressed of late, and this book is great for making me take stock and realise that things aren't quite as bad as they might seem. It's packed full of poignant quotes; as well as breathing and cognitive exercises to help you to be a little more mindful. (Yes, it's technically a self-help book, but let's not get too bogged down in all that...)

It's a really lovely book to read before bed, as I find that it helps to calm my mind down a little and helps me to wind down more easily. You can buy it for a mere £4.79 from Amazon by clicking here.

Mango Handbag
My mum very kindly bought me the handbag that I've been eyeing up on ASOS for quite a while. It was supposed to be £24.99, but was reduced to £14.99 and then £10.50! Look how pretty it is!

Google Chromebook
I know I've already mentioned this here, but I'm really happy with my new Google Chromebook from Acer! The startup is immensely fast and, handily, everything is saved onto Google Drive, so that you can access your documents and photos really easily from any other device. 

The size is perfect. It could easily fit in some of my bigger handbags, so makes travelling and working away quite easy. The best thing, however, is that it cost less than £200!

Fliqlo 
This is a flip clock background that I've downloaded onto my Mac. I've seen quite a few YouTubers with these in the background of their videos. After a bit of searching, I discovered that the one they use is a free background called Fliqlo. You can also download it for Windows too! 

You can download it (for free!) from the website by clicking here.

Father Ted
It's the 20th anniversary of the Irish comedy this April and More4 were showing back-to-back episodes, followed by the documentary Small, Far Away. I have to admit that it's one of my favourite comedies.

Here's a clip from probably my favourite episode of all time:



'Take this lump of sugar baby, you know you want it.'

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Note: This post was not sponsored, just in case that's what you were thinking... 

At the moment, even though it's getting warmer outside, my skin's still feeling a little on the sensitive side. To combat this, I've been turning to French Pharmacy products. To cleanse, I've been using Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser, which really helps to calm my skin down. At £8 a bottle, it's quite pricey for a High Street cleanser, but a little goes a really long way. It's definitely the most gentle cleanser that I've ever discovered. After this, I spray a mist of Avene Thermal Spring Water on my skin and dab the excess off with a tissue. I love this spray because it doubles up as a wonderful setting mist after I've applied my makeup. Then, I gently dab a small blob of Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Balm under each eye. It's packed full of Vitamins B5 & E, which help to reduce eye bags and puffiness. It's so gentle that it doesn't irritate the very delicate skin around my eyes at all. 

For my day moisturiser, I've been using Olay Sensitive SPF 15 Day Fluid, which does a fantastic job at giving my skin a lovely glow; without making it look greasy. I really like the subtle scent of this moisturiser too. For night-time, I tend to find that my skin suddenly erupts in huge spots if I use a night cream. So, to moisturise before bed, I'm still raving about La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, which really helps to keep spots at bay and keep my skin clear while I sleep. 

What are your skincare essentials? Comment below to tell me!

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©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk

First of all, can we all just take a moment to appreciate how pretty this box is?! Look at it!


Lord & Berry Lipstick Pencil in Kiss
I'm really pretty happy with receiving this! It's a lovely bright red shade, with the slightest hint of orange. I would honestly expect it to cost more than £10! On its own, it leaves a matte finish, but adding a slather of lip balm will give it a bit of shine.

Astral Original
I've never really tried Astral before, even though it's a really cheap skincare brand that's stood the test of time... I've just never really been drawn to it.

However, after trying this, I'm pleasantly surprised at how light it actually feels on my skin. I expected it to feel quite thick, greasy and heavy; but it really wasn't.

One downside is that the scent is quite 'soapy' and fairly strong, so it's probably not best for those who have particularly sensitive skin. Although, I would say it's an absolute bargain at £3.89! 
(Apparently, you can use it to remove your makeup as well, so it's a handy dual-use product!)

POP Beauty Kajal Eyeliner Pen
I'm pretty sure that Glossybox sent me a POP eyeliner a few months back, which was really good for the price. This eyeliner is great as it has a pencil at one end and a smudger at the other; to give a lovely smokey eye look. The shade is 'Sooty Black', which reminds me of Sooty the puppet from back in the day... Remember him? It's also only £6.50, which certainly isn't going to break the bank! 

Color Club Barely There Nail Polish
I really like this nude shade that they've sent, and it's totally on trend too. It's kind of a 'cappuccino' colour. From the quality of the packaging, you'd never guess that it retails for just £4.10! Although I haven't tried this yet, expect to see it popping up in a Mani Monday post soon!

Nougat London Soothing Bath Pearls
Ahhh these smell gorgeous! The first thing that hit me when I opened this Glossybox was the scent emanating from these bath pearls. I can't wait to try them!

The Glossybox card reliably informs me that these pearls leave a 'very subtle shimmer which stays on the skin, creating a limb-lengthening sheen'. Sounds impressive. The card also says that you're supposed to use a large tablespoon full of the pearls and add them to your warm bath. At £6 for 25ml, these will make such a lovely pampering treat!

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£1 nail polish, everyone. 


Mani Monday had a break, for Easter. (As my nails were kind of crying out for a break.) But today, it's back. Everyone, say 'hooray!'. Or don't. Whatever.

The packaging design looks quite pretty. It reminds me a little of the new Nails, Inc. packaging. Although, I guess it's a little more flimsy as I broke the lid just trying to open it for the first time... Oops.

The reason that I've dubbed it 'blue stuff' is because it's kind of blue and Primark haven't given the shade a name. One coat is okay, but you'd probably need a couple to get a good coverage. As an aside, I'm not sure how many other shades Primark have on offer, as I bought this ages ago!

Considering I'm really bad at painting my nails (which is quickly becoming a catchphrase), I only managed to mess one nail up completely. One out of ten ain't bad.

I've been wearing this for the best part of a week now, and yes, it's quite chipped, but I'm pleasantly surprised as to how well it's stayed put. One negative is that it smells really quite strong. Stronger than most polishes that I've tried. 

I really wasn't holding high expectations for this, on account of it being so cheap. But, it was actually okay. For £1, you can't really complain, can you? Overall, it's actually quite good and I'd recommend giving it a try!

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