Secret Santa!

I absolutely love doing Secret Santas, so when the lovely Jess contacted me on Twitter to see if I'd be interested in taking part in a bloggers secret Santa, of course the answer was doing to be yes. I was given Nicola who blogs here. After doing much reading through her blog, here's what I picked out for her:

I read on Nicola'a blog that she liked to wear gold eye shadow all year round, so I choose this gorgeous, shimmery offering from MUA.

I thought this Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch nail polish would be perfect for the festive season.

After reading that Nicola has sensitive skin, I chose this cooling cucumber mask from Superdrug.

 

Who doesn't love a good mascara? I've heard good things about MUA Extreme Curl, so I thought this would be a great choice for Nicola.

 

 

This strawberries and cream body spritz from 'I Love...' smells absolutely heavenly, and is a lighter alternative to perfume for everyday wear.

 

 

I noticed that Nicola seemed to be in to her jewellery, so I picked out these pretty diamante heart earrings from George at Asda.

 

 

Finally, I chose this chocolate Santa as my Christmas themed item.

 

I really hope Nicola liked the things I picked out for her! When my package arrived, I was so excited to see what I'd got, and if my secret Santa was going to reveal themselves. My box of goodies came from the lovely Sophie who blogs here, and I absolutely love everything she sent me! Here's what I got:

 

 

 

 I can't wait to try out this cleanser from Sk:n, as it'll be perfect for my oily skin. Sophie said in her card that she works for the brand, so I'm glad that this gets her recommendation.

 

 

I'm a total nail polish junkie, so I was so happy to receive these two gorgeous colours from Sally Hansen. The Gem Crush one is super sparkly, whereas the Diamond Strength a delicate pearlescent pink.

I love candles, and this Christmas Cookie Yankee smells absolutely divine.

Again, Sophie got it spot on with this beautiful pink lipstick from Rimmel. It's the perfect shade for me.

Finally was this yummy Lindt chocolate Santa!

 

I genuinely love everything that Sophie picked out for me, and I want to say a big thank you to both Sophie for the goodies and to Jess for organising the whole thing. I also hope Nicola liked the treats that I sent her!

 

Have you taken part in a bloggers secret Santa? What did you send and receive?

 

 

 

Viva Las Vegas!

Well, Las Vegas was officially amazing, and holiday blues have well and truly set in. It was a fantastic holiday, and I can't believe my dad and I managed to fit so much in. From meeting up with my uncle who came over from Canada to see us, to flying over the Grand Canyon and The Strip in a helicopter, it really was a trip of a lifetime. I thought I'd share some of my Vegas adventures with you!

 

As lovely as the pool area was at the MGM Grand, there wasn't much time for sunbathing. Our first trip after shaking off the jet lag was to the Hoover Dam.

Next was a visit to the Stratosphere to go on the world's three tallest thrill rides. Such an exhilarating experience! If that wasn't enough adrenaline, we also rode the roller coaster at the New York New York hotel.

That evening, we watched the dancing fountains at the Bellagio, before going to see Elton John at Caesar's Palace. We also saw the illusionists Penn and Teller while we were there too. Their tricks are mindblowing.

Next on the agenda was a trip to Freemont Street, which is older and more traditional side of Vegas, along with exploring all the magnificent hotels. We decided to take a trip up the 'Eiffel Tower' at the Paris hotel to get a stunning view of The Strip.

The final trip of the holiday was a helicopter flight over the Grand Canyon and The Strip. With breath-taking views, it was the perfect finish to the holiday.

And of course a trip to Vegas wouldn't be complete without a few flutters in the casinos in the evening. Sadly, big bucks did not come our way!

I had an amazing time and I'm so glad I got to spend some quality time with my dad and uncle. Have you been to Vegas before?

Travel Essentials - EarPlanes

Although this post doesn't quite fit the 'beauty' theme of my blog, I just had to share with you the miracle of Earplanes. A lot of bloggers talk about their 'travel essentials', however if it wasn't for these beauties, I simply wouldn't be able to step on a plane to full stop. If you've ever suffered from painful ears on a flight, then listen up!

I first discovered EarPlanes about seven years ago, after two previous holidays abroad left me facing up to the fact that my days of air travel were over. I have extremely narrow eustachian tubes, which means air pressure can't pass through my ears very easily, and I ended up with perforated eardrums, deafness which lasted for three days, and ear/head/jaw ache that was so excruciating it couldn't be put into words. I'd tried all the usual tricks of eating boiled sweets and yawning, but nothing helped. For the entire flight, and for long after the plane had landed, I was in agony.

However, after reading some travel forums, I was introduced to EarPlanes - tested by Navy Pilots, these earplugs contains a special filter that regulates air pressure in the ears, taking away the associated discomfort. At first I was sceptical, and didn't think an earplug would be enough to help with the severe problems that I had, but my dad persuaded me to give them a go.

I first tried them out on a short flight to Spain when I was 17, and I could not believe how much they helped. There was zero pain taking off, zero whilst the plane was cruising, and just a mild amount of discomfort when landing. Flying was no longer a 'no-go' for me!

They're so easy to insert - simply twist the ribbed end into your ear until they feel secure. As well as being easy to use, they're completely comfortable too. The instructions on the box suggest taking them out once the plane has reached maximum altitude, however I keep them in for the whole flight just to be safe! I've used them on many flights of varying durations and they're just as effective each time. As well as dramatically relieving pain, they also cancel out noise, so they're perfect if you want to sleep without being disturbed by other passengers.

If you suffer from discomfort and pain on flights, no matter how mild or severe, I cannot recommend EarPlanes enough. I'm so thankful that I discovered them, as without them I wouldn't be able to go on the amazing holidays and see the places that I have. They really did give me part of my life back. And trust me, if they can help me, they can help anyone. Nothing beats the feeling of getting on a plane and knowing that I can completely look forward to my holiday, without having to worry about unbearable pain and causing further damage to my ears. They're an absolute godsend, and I shall be using them in a couple of weeks when I fly to Las Vegas (I'm SO excited!).

You can buy EarPlanes for £5.15 here at Lloyds Pharmacy.  Do you suffer from painful ears when flying? Will you be giving these a go?