WHAT'S ON: My Bedside Table

I've seen a few of these floating around the blogosphere recently and I thought I'd join in. I love my bedside table as it has some great essentials on there and I personally think it looks really pretty!

The Phone Holder is from eBay and I think it's really cute. I also like it because it holds the phone from the bottom and therefore I can see when my Blackberry flashes red. The mirrored photoframe (hello me) was a moving to university gift from my dad and his partner so I'm not entirely sure where it's from but it holds a picture of me, my sister, my dad, his partner and two sons in it. The other Photoframe is from IKEA and this is what I use for pictures of me and my friends. The current one is a Christmas one as well, it's Christmas! I keep the Cuticura Anti Bacterial Hand Serum* and the Renouve Anti-Aging Hand Sanitizer* by my bed just in case I get dry hands. These are also great as they're sanistizer so I can keep my hands clean without having to go into the bathroom or kitchen. I then keep the No7 Cocooning Body Balm* and Champneys Distant Shores Body Butter* on my bedside table as the packaging is cute and I like having them on display. The candle holder was a present from my mum and it says Daughter around the outside which glows when lit. The candle I currently have in there is the Yankee Candle Linen one which smells clean and fresh. My alarm clock was a Christmas gift a few years ago so I'm unsure where it's from but it's extremely useful as it tells the time, has an alarm on it and it tells me the date and day. Finally, the coaster is from a set of 4 that I bought when I first moved to university so I can't remember where I got them from. I keep one by my bed for when I'm drinking tea! What do you keep on your bedside table?

xxx

*PR Sample

How to Relieve Exam Stress

It's that time of year again, the time that all students dread; exam time. If you're like me then you're one of those people that revise as much as they can but still end up in the exam room nearly in tears as you've forgotten everything. Yes, I panic and worry about exams. More than I should. So this year I'm taking a more 'relaxed' approach and instead of cramming revision in, I'm just doing 1 to 2 hours a day for the next 3 weeks. 

These three are my must haves for revision.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - yes, I caved. I saw this all over my blogging dashboards and I just couldn't resist as everyone has been raving about it. When I first used it I can remember thinking 'oh, is this it?' But then the addiction started. Gem from GemsMaquillage described it this best; 'crack in a bottle.' And that's what it is. I've had it a week now and already you can see how much I've used. Although I don't think it has that much of a big effect on your skin (it just tightens the pores a little bit) it does smell incredible. So incredible. The smell calms me down and puts a smile of my face and I find myself using it so much. I use it as a toner, I use it as a make up refresher, I use it as a drug. It's my drug.

Britney Spears Baby One More Time Album - music means a lot to me, especially music by Britney. When it came to me choosing an album to listen to whilst revising I immediately went to this one. It's Britney's debut album and whilst there are some wonderful, upbeat pop songs, there's also some calming, beautiful ballads. But not only that, just looking at this album puts a smile on my face. It reminds me of my childhood and it shows me how far Britney's come. 14 years on and she's still here making music and regardless of what she's been through, she's stronger than ever. And it inspires me to never give up. The perfect revision album.

Ikea Flardfull Scented Candle - I have a candle obsession! So much so that even though candles are banned in student halls, I break the code and still burn them - I'm bad. This one is wonderful and smells like lemons and citrus which really uplifts me and makes me feel wide awake. It was also very cheap, under £3 and although I've burnt it for many hours, it's barely gone down!

Another thing that's making me revise is the Moddershall Oaks Spa*. I've given myself an incentive; if I pass this year then I will treat myself to something at this spa. It has 10 luxury spa suites and it was award 5 bubbles by the Good Spa Guide. Also perfect for the summertime, the spa has launched their 'British Summertime Spa Treats' which is a package that includes a relaxing Shirodhara Head Massage, Gerard's Green Tea Abdomen Treatment for a flatter bikini tummy, The Bamboo Massage for an A List no effort workout and Lava Shells Full Body Massage for the warmth of the tropics which is the perfect selection of summer time treats. The package helps you to achieve that summer holiday 'lighter' look and feel. This package includes a welcome tour and complimentary drink, use of the spa facilities, robes, lunch with a fresh fruit smoothie and a 55 minute summer treatment. Prices start from just £105 per person. You can also get this as a break package which includes everything in the day package plus extended us of the spa and an overnight stay in a 5 star suite based on 2 people sharing and the use of the outdoor hot tub. Prices start from £145 per person. You can find out more about the spa here. 

Moddershall Oaks Spa Manager, Penny Holland said that; 'All of us will feel the effects of stress at some point in our lives. It's different for all of us and so it's important that we tune in and listen to our bodies. There are many simple, small and effective steps that we can take to significantly reduce our stress levels yet they are often overlooked. I would recommend the following as my fail safe tips to restore your happy self:

1. Commit to a regular practice of yoga, tai chi or mediation. The predominant focus is to life the mind, body and spirit.

2. Enjoy the great outdoors - often getting some fresh air and being surrounded by nature puts things in to perspective.

3. Book in for a treatment with an expert therapist. I am always amazed by the difference many of my clients feel after having a treatment like a head massage.'

How do you relax and relieve your exam stress?

xxx

*I was contacted by a PR company regarding this spa and the Summertime Spa Treats package but they are not offering me the incentive. If I pass my exams and visit this spa I will be paying for it with my own money.

IKEA Candles

I recently went to Ikea to pick up some Antonius drawer separators to store my make up in and of course, I couldn't resist their candles (and a few other bits and pieces)

At university, you aren't actually allowed candles. But seeing as whenever I light them I'm always in the room, I don't see the problem. So I picked up a pack of Tindra Ljuv Scented Candles which retail for just £2.99 per 3 pack as I couldn't resist them after smelling them. One of them smells like chocolate fudge cake, another like creme brulee and the other one like sugary pastry. They are so beautiful and the smell is pretty strong too to say that they're so cheap. I'm absolutely loving them at the moment! And I also picked up a Flardfull Scented Candle which retails at £2.29 which is really cheap considering the price. This smells like lemons and it reminds me of the Yankee Candle lemon scented candle but for a tiny amount of the price. I love all things citrusy so I just had to pick it up.

Have you ever bought candles from Ikea?

xxx

What's In My Shower?

I absolutely love these as YouTube videos but as always, I don't think I'll ever be ready to put up with the negativity on YouTube so I'm bringing 'What's In My Shower?' to blogger! Click on the links to either see my full review of the product or find out where to buy the product.

I love having a variety of different shampoos in my shower and the reason for this is that my hair changes its type all the time. Sometimes it'll be dry, other times it'll be flat and sometimes, it'll need reviving. The shampoos I keep in my shower all the time are the TRESemme 24 Hour Body Shampoo as it's great for not weighing the hair down. It adds beautiful volume and also smells fresh. I usually use this before I'm going out at night as it helps hold the volume all night. I also keep the TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo and Conditioner* and the TRESemme Split Remedy Intense Recovery Masque* in there too. My hair is very fragile and it's constantly breaking. So in between hair cuts, I use this range as it helps to cover up split ends and repair the hair. It's my daily shampoo and conditioning range. I also love the Organix Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo for when my hair needs shine adding to it. It doesn't weigh the hair down and really adds a beautiful, glossy finish to the hair. I use a lot of product in my hair and I often get nasty product build up in there so the VO5 Revive Me Daily Shampoo is great for pre-washing my hair in order to remove any of the product. And finally, I will always have a Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Luscious Long Deep Treatment in my shower. It's a wonderful treatment mask that leaves hair feeling silky smooth.

I don't keep many face washes in my shower as I prefer washing my face after I've been in the shower so that I can remove any shampoo from the skin. But I do keep the OXY Seaweed Power Clear Pore Exfoliant* in there as it's such a wonderful exfoliator. After using this my skin feels super soft and it's the perfect thing to use before applying face masks. I use this 2-3 times a week and my skin looks clear after using it. When it comes to body washes, I always have a Soap and Glory Clean On Me Shower Cream in my shower as it's my all time favourite body wash. It smells beautiful and leaves skin feeling gorgeous and soft. The scent also lingers on the skin and I use a lot of Soap & Glory products and it's sort of become my 'signature scent.' I also have the Wilko Fruity Berry Shower Smoothie* in there at the minute as I received it at the Wilkinson's event. It smells incredible and also exfoliates the skin at the same time as washing it. My all-time favourite body scrub is the Soap and Glory Pulp Friction Foaming Fruity Body Scrub. A little goes a long way with this scrub and it's great for using before applying fake tan. It also has a lovely smell to it and really scrubs the skin without being too harsh. And finally, I have the JML Shower Feet* stuck in the bottom of my shower. I absolutely love this little product. It's perfect for after I've been on a night out and my feet are killing me. It massages the feet whilst also cleaning them and is great as you don't have to bend down. It sticks firmly to the bottom of the shower and doesn't move so it means you won't slip. There's also a pumice stone attached to the heel which smooths away dry and damaged feet.

I also have a lot more products in my drawers next to my sink but I'll take them into the shower with me. These are just what are in my shower permanently. I also use this shaver in my shower but it's stuck on my wall and therefore I couldn't really take a picture of it. I keep all of the above products (except for the shaver and the JML Shower Feet) in this shower tidy from IKEA which is unbelievable cheap but also very sturdy.
What products do you keep in your shower?
xxx
*PR Sample