Organic & Botanic Skincare Review

 **Sponsored Post**

I had never heard of the Organic & Botanic brand before so I was so excited when they sent me a few of their skincare samples in the mail to try out! I wanted to use them for a little while before giving my opinion on the products as my skin tends to act like a roller coaster at times. I am always weary trying out new skincare products because I never know how my skin will react to the product. I received an orange mandarin eye serum and moisturizer and I'm quite surprised with how much I actually loved these products! Organic & Botanic is a vegan friendly brand as well which is a plus.

When I first tried the night moisturiser, the mandarin orange scent was so lovely and I'm quite picky with how a face product smells. The product description says that it works to heal and nourish the skin when it's most receptive to repair. The directions say to apply in the evening after cleansing and applying the serum. I love how after you apply the moisturiser it doesn't leave that greasy feeling like you can get with some other products on the market. It's a perfect night time product to use because it left my face feeling very smooth and hydrated. For 50 ml, you definitely get a lot of use since a little bit goes a long way. I used one finger swipe of product and it covered my face and neck area as well. I love knowing what ingredients I'm using on my face and I like the fact that these products are vegan friendly. On the box it says the Alp Rose Stem Cells aim to preserve existing cells by protecting against environmental stress, whilst encouraging skin regeneration. Neroli Oil aims to nourish and replenish the skin, whilst restoring elasticity for smoother, firmer skin.

This is honestly my first ever eye serum product that I've ever used and I love it! I believe that prevention is better than cure so why not introduce a serum into your night time routine before getting those nasty wrinkles? You don't have to have wrinkles already or be 40+ years old to begin using an eye serum. It states that this product is gentle yet effective, working to firm, smooth, and brighten the delicate eye area. After using the serum for more than a month now I would agree that it does help the eye area become firmer. The serum comes with a dropper and you really just need very little when applying. Here's what the box says about a few of the key ingredients: Beautifeye, derived from the Persian Silk Tree, aims to lessen crow's feet and wrinkles around the eyes. Elderflower is known for it's nourishing benefits, it aims to leave the skin with a naturally healthy appearance. Sweet Almond Oil is rich in vitamins and fatty acids, working to soften and hydrate. This comes in a 15 ml bottle which can definitely last you a good few months at least. 

 

Overall, I'm very happy with these two products and I would recommend them to anyone who is looking for new skincare items to try. I'm usually not too crazy over an orange scent but I love how this smells. My skin feels so much better after applying the serum and moisturiser especially with how dry my skin tends to get in the colder months. Will definitely purchase these in the future! Thank you to those from Organic & Botanic for introducing these into my skincare routine!

Ashley

The Autumn Tag

Hello everyone and Happy fall! I know it's already the 20th of October and fall started about a month ago but I've taken a little break from blogging and now I'm back and feeling inspired. I know there have been a ton of Autumn posts going up out there so I wanted to join in with the fun (who doesn't love being festive this time of  year!?) Let's get to the questions:

1. Drinks - What's your favorite seasonal drink from Starbucks (or anywhere)?

I used to LOVE going to Starbucks around the holidays because of their yummy coffee flavors. Dunkin Donuts back in the States was my go to coffee place though. My fave is definitely anything pumpkin spice or gingerbread! I would start ordering it as soon as it would be available for the season! I would seriously have a pumpkin coffee every day right up until the season was over and they were no longer ordering the flavor (yes, I was that nuts!) 

2. Accessories - What do you opt for? Scarf, boots, hats? 

   

  When it starts to get into the colder weather I'm all about staying warm! Even though I'm used to harsh winters with tons of snow, this English weather has a different kind of bone chill to it. I love wrapping up with scarves and gloves. I'm not much of a hat person because I don't think I look that good in a beanie. I love riding boots and I think they can make any outfit look classy. I need to invest in a few more sweaters and turtlenecks or roll necks I think you call them. Because of how windy it gets here along the coast, I definitely make sure that I am wrapped up as possible. 

3.  Music - What's your favorite music to listen to during Autumn? 

I love mostly all types of music all throughout the year but as Halloween rolls around I start listening more to festive music. I like watching Michael Jackson's thriller video. The monster mash song is cute as well as the Addams Family theme song! Mainly though, I just stick to whatever music is on the radio but every now and again I like some Halloween songs to get me in the mood to decorate! 

4. Perfume - What's your favorite scent for this time of year? 

My perfumes don't really change for fall but as far as scents are concerned a few of my favorites are pumpkin spice, cinnamon, apple, cranberry, gingerbread, anything with a musky scent really! I love the smell when your baking cupcakes or a pie in the oven too!

5. Candles - What scents will you be burning this season? 

I am so bummed that I am not around a Bath and Body Works store because they are not available in the UK, but I was fortunate to have received a few in the mail thanks to a lovely person! If you have been to the U.S. and never have visited B&BW, you don't know what you're missing out on! The scents they put out around the holidays are to dye for and are so addicting. Anyway back to the question haha. Any candle that smells like a pumpkin cupcake or pumpkin anything is definitely heaven for me. I love the basics like vanilla or lavender but I'm nuts over anything that smells like you've been baking in the kitchen! 

6. What do you love most about Autumn? 

The excitement it brings for the holidays! Once the colder weather arrives, you get to play around more with your style and try out different things. I absolutely love decorating for pretty much any holiday so when October hits I think about how I want to start decorating for Halloween. Watching all of the holiday movies are fun as well and I used to love it even as a kid so it's kind of like a favorite past time of mine. Trick or treating was fun but when you grow up it doesn't happen. I still love carving a pumpkin too and will be starting on mine soon :). I love when it get's chilly to wrap up with a hot chocolate and just watch loads of movies. 

7. Make up - Favorite makeup look? 

As far as makeup is concerned, my routine doesn't really change for Fall except that I tend to get SO dry so I use more lotion and moisturizer. I love coppery and brown eye shadow colors and I really don't go nuts with makeup. I think the pale look actually works for me in the colder months! I don't need blush because the wind does it naturally to my cheeks anyway. I am going to try out wearing a darker lip color though this season because I've always had a fear that I won't be able to pull it off. Sometimes I think less is better as well as the more natural look. 

8. What are you looking forward to the most in Autumn? 

I'm looking forward to decorating the house this year since I didn't last year after just moving here. I feel like I want to go all out this year but we'll see what happens. Once I hear back about an important matter, I'll have a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders, so I'll be able to concentrate more on what I love doing around this time of  year. I want to do loads of baking and cooking. Next month is Thankgiving, so I plan on cooking a lot of yummy food and a few desserts too. 

Hope you enjoyed all of the reasons why I love Autumn and I hope that you all are just as excited as I am! I tag all of you to do this tag as well and I'd love to hear your answers to the questions! 

Ashley

The Leibster Award Tag

Thank you to Jen for tagging me to do the Leibster award tag! Check out her blog here and show her some love. I really enjoy doing these tags as you can find out more about newer bloggers and yourself too! Here is how it works:

1. Thank your nominator 

2. Answer the questions he/she has created for you.

3. Create 10 new questions.

4. Nominate around 6 bloggers for this award and include their links in your post!

Let's get onto the questions shall we:

1. Have you figured out your life calling or is it something you’re still discovering? This is a good question! I believe a life calling has a few different meanings but as far as a career I believe I've found a great opportunity, which I'll be starting very soon! I think if you follow your heart and your gut, everything will all seem to fall in place whether it's starting a family, new job, etc.

2.Name one thing you’re proud of that you did this week! My husband was on vacation so we went and visited a castle! It's always nice to be able to go somewhere exploring, just the two of us, so that was a pretty proud time. I was also proud to win £10 on a scratch ticket too!

3.You just won a million dollars! What are 3 things you would do or get for yourself? The first thing I'd treat myself to is a visit to the dentist! Back in the States, the healthcare system isn't the best  so unless you have great benefits you have to pay out of pocket most of the time. I would get my teeth looking better so I can feel better about actually smiling. Second, I would love for my husband and I to go on a honeymoon preferably to somewhere tropical since I've never been before. Third, I would give my family money because growing up my parents lived paycheck to paycheck so I would give back to them!

4. What song are you really feeling right now? Any special stories or significance behind it? It's funny because I was just thinking how much I love the song Cheap Thrills by Sia. It has a great beat and I love the meaning behind it, that you don't need any money to have fun! She is such a great songwriter too. 

5. Name your one strength as a blogger and one thing you’d like to improve. I think that one of my strengths would be the ability to express my feelings. I love to be able to write down what I'm feeling, it's very therapeutic. I would love to improve how I take photos but I think that all comes in time with practice and experience. You're not going to have a perfect flat lay after a month of blogging. 

6.What does a really good day look like to you? Spending the day with my husband, visiting a new place that we've never been before. We don't get the chance to go many places together yet, but I look forward to everything we will do together in the future!

7. When life gets crazy, what’s your favorite way to de-stress? It might sound common but put headphones on and listen to music that you love! I find that distracting yourself from what is stressing you out is always the best way. Getting into comfy pj's and watching a movie is always a good way to de-stress too!

8. You’ve been given the opportunity to travel back five years to visit yourself! Name something about your life now that your former self would be happy to learn.  Wow that's an interesting one! I would tell my then 24 year old self that don't worry about all of the chaos that is happening now and that you will get what you want, just be patient! Cherish family time even more because you'll be living in England as a newlywed! 

9. Describe your favorite piece of jewelry. My fave piece of jewelry is my wedding ring. My husband picked it out himself and I absolutely love it. It has three pinky red rubies with little diamonds all around it. It's different to me and isn't a huge diamond ring that most girls want to have. It has a special meaning to me and I love it!

10. Name one thing you’re looking to buy. Just one thing? I just got a magic bullet, so I'm so excited to start buying different veggies to make smoothies! 

Now on to the 10 new questions!

1.  What is one thing that you're excited about for the future?

2. Do you have any goals set for yourself in the upcoming months?

3.  What are some of your favorite high end beauty products that you think are worth splurging on?

4. If you could own any car in the world, what would it be?

5. Very random, but what is your view on the whole Brexit idea, good or bad and explain why.

6. Do you have any fears and if so, do you ever think you will be able to conquer them?

7. It's almost that time of year! What is on your Christmas wishlist?

8. What's a typical day in your life like from the moment you wake up to going to bed?

9. Do you have any guilty pleasures (chocolate, etc)?

10. If you could spend the day with one person (living or not) who would it be and why? 

I nominate: 

 Meggan (@CardiganJezebel)

Lasma (@lasma_k)

Georgie (@shedreamsblog)

Sarah (@trisarahtops211)

Alexandra (@florence_afs)

Gracie (@_gracie92)

I look forward to reading everyone's answers to the questions!

Have a great day,

Ashley

Gratitude Challenge Day 30: Challenge Wrap Up

Happy Friday everyone! Today is the last day of the gratitude challenge and I can't believe how fast the month has flown by! I'm surprised that I was able to stick with the challenge and post everyday. Today's final post will be about why I'm grateful for taking part in this challenge.

For the last 30 days I have been writing about topics that I wouldn't normally and have learned to be grateful for the little things in my life. Even though you might not be in a good place at the moment or you might be at the best place in your life, it's always good to be grateful for the things you have or even don't have. 

I'm grateful for waking up everyday this month and having something to write about.

I'm grateful for this challenge so other people can also recognize how to be grateful as well!

This challenge has made me look at my past, my family, my achievements, my childhood, etc. and have made me realize that even though it might not have been great, there's always something great to take away from it. 

I'm grateful for Aurelie who was the host of this challenge. Without her I most likely wouldn't have took part in the challenge so thank you Aurelie!

I'm grateful for all of those who commented on my posts and took part in the challenge as well! I love reading all that you have to say and it's nice to know that other people out there have gone through similar issues like I have. 

Until next time!

Ashley

Gratitude Challenge Day 29: Body

  We're back with another day of the gratitude challenge! Only one more day to go I can't believe it's almost over! For today's theme, we'll be talking about my body! What are some reasons I'd like to say thank you to my body and why do I accept the way it is?

First off, I'm so thankful for being healthy and am blessed to not have had any major problems with my body in the past. I was born a healthy weight with all of my fingers and toes. Just take a moment to appreciate that fact because there are some people born with less than you!

Thank you to my hair for being thick and for the fact that it grows like a weed. I can't imagine having thin hair or no hair at all. I love being able to get my hair done and trying different colors out. I think if I had a problem that left me with no hair, I would love trying out different wigs! Maybe that's why I love Halloween so much because you can be different people and dress differently.

Thank you to my eyes for being big and brown. I love my eyes and I think they're one of my best features. I was a little self conscious of them growing up because they are pretty big and I didn't want people to make fun of them especially because I had to start wearing glasses when I was younger. 

Thank you to my height for allowing me to be a shorty! I have grown to appreciate the fact that I'm only 5'2 because I can wear heels without towering over people. It does make me feel a little weird though when kids half my age are so much taller then me but it's what God gave me so why not appreciate it?

I'm thankful to be a woman! I love having boobs and a bum and it makes dressing up challenging but fun! Even though us women go through having periods and giving birth, I wouldn't have it any other way. I couldn't imagine being a man at all!  

I have learned to accept my body mostly but still have my days where it's quite hard to appreciate it! I'm not perfect at all! I look in the mirror and think that I look bloated or that I wish I was just a little bit skinnier but I shouldn't be complaining if I'm not doing anything to change myself right? One of my goals for myself is to start eating right and eating more fruits and veggies! Taking care of your body and what you put into it is so important and beneficial! 

What about you? Do you appreciate what you were born with? 

Until tomorrow,

Ashley

Gratitude Challenge Day 28: Life Lessons

Welcome back to another day of the gratitude challenge! I hope you are enjoying being grateful and find it easier to be thankful for what you have in your life. Today's theme is about my life lessons- what are the life lessons I've learned and why are they necessary?

In my 29 years of existence, I have to say that I have learned quite a few lessons. As I came out of high school after I turned 18 I thought that I might as well get my first credit card "in case of emergencies" or at least that's what I convinced myself it was for. I liked how easily accessible it was to buy things if my paycheck was gone and soon one card turned into multiple, you get the drift. I am thankful that I was able to pay my minimum monthly balances and I never went over my limits. One thing I'm grateful for is that it's a great way to build up your credit. From 18 to about 26 I had really great credit. After having credit card debt I have learned that you either need to have full control of your spending habits or just don't get credit cards if you can help it.

The next lesson I've learned is that as you grow up you need to expect the unexpected. You tend to think that your friends will always be around but then they get married and start a family or move away and you don't get to see them as often. Relationships will come and go as your life changes and you grow up. If you asked me 15 years ago where I thought my family would be in the future, I wouldn't have thought that my parents would be divorced and that we would all be living in different parts of the world. 

Lastly, one of the most important lessons is that no matter what, you should always put yourself first and take care of yourself. My mother had my brother and I and was always looking after us making dinner and helping with homework etc. and working full time as well that she didn't have the time to focus on herself. I think a lot of mothers are like that and it's quite sad to see. It's not a bad thing to focus on yourself whether you're married or have kids, but making yourself a priority is super important. 

Hopefully you can relate to these life lessons. Let me know what you have learned down in the comments! 

Until tomorrow,

Ashley

Gratitude Challenge Day 27: My Past

Hello and welcome back to the final few days of the gratitude challenge! Today's theme is about my past and certain occurrences that I am grateful for. Let's get started shall we? 

If I could sum up my past in one word it would have to be bittersweet. I grew up having a mother and a father who loved me and took care of me and was lucky enough to be able to have an older brother to look up to. My home life wasn't the best because my parents argued a lot and both drank quite often and their marriage ended in divorce when I was a teenager. I would say that witnessing my parents and how they were towards each other made me realize that that is not what I want for myself. I told myself that once I got into a long term relationship or once I got married that I would do absolutely everything I could to make it the best. No relationship is perfect but you get what you give don't you? I'm grateful to have gone through my parents divorce because it gave me an understanding that life isn't perfect and some people just aren't meant to be with each other and they're better apart. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't a fan of the arguing and name calling but going through what I did only made me a stronger person in the end. In my own marriage I would prefer to talk about things than to yell about it. I absolutely hate yelling, I think it's such a waste of time and breath! 

One thing that I loved was when my family had a vacation to Disneyland and we surprised my aunt who had no idea we were going for a visit. I was so excited to be able to travel to California for the first time and to experience Disneyland because it seemed like such a magical place for a kid. To be able to meet up with all of my extended family was so much fun because we don't get to see each other very often. I hope one day that we will get to have a family reunion like that. 

What event in your past made you the most grateful? 

Until tomorrow,

Ashley