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I recently received an email from a brand called Old English Company asking if I’d like to receive a few of their products to feature. The company name rang a bell and after a few seconds of trying to work out why I realised I’d bought one of their enamel pins last year from an independent shop just around the corner from my house. As much as I love trying and discovering new brands it’s also nice to be contacted by a company that you have already purchased from.

Old English Company have a wide range of products to choose from including prints, cards, stationery (planners, notebooks, notepads, calender’s), homeware (pillowcases, tea towels, mugs, coasters) and accessories (pins, keyrings, embroidered patches and make-up bags.

Old English Company ‘You’ve got this’ print

Old English Company have a huge range of prints to choose from. I believe there are over 150 different designs available, including ones that can be personalised to celebrate a special occasion like an anniversary or birth. I haven’t checked every print on the website but most of them appear to be available in several sizes, from smaller sizes such 8×10 up to much larger sizes like A3. On some prints there is also the option for different colour schemes or different colour backgrounds.

I wanted a motivation type phrase and chose a gold foil design of ‘you’ve got this’. I think we all need a little push sometimes to keep us going and let us know we’re doing okay and even better if it comes in a pretty metallic gold finish. My print is an 8 x 10 size and is £16, which is slightly more expensive than some of the other prints due to the foil design.

I’ve ordered one print before from another company and I was disappointed that it came on what felt like standard paper and it got a bit creased from just handling it. I was pleased to find this came on what felt more like thick paper/thin cardboard and this hasn’t got creased in any way from handling it. I might try and find a large piece of gold metallic card to mount it on to then pop on the side of my wardrobe near my desk.

Old English Company leaf pin
Old English Company fingers crossed pin

I’ve always been a fan of using pins and brooches to add something to plain jackets, coats and cardigans. After attending a terrarium workshop at a local gift shop I spotted a monstera pin I wanted to add to the lapel of my black mac. I love how my monstera pin looks so I decided to choose a couple more pins to try.

I’m not keen on pins that have anything written on them because I don’t like people getting too close and trying to read them! So I went for another leaf design (Plant Leaf) pin (I’m not sure what type of leaf this one is) and a Fingers Crossed pin, to hopefully give me a bit of luck. I like that Old English Company’s pins have a good tight fastener, which does make them a little difficult to get off the card for me (I don’t have good grip), but does mean they feel really secure once in place. Both pins are £7, as I believe all of their pins are. All three pins I own are really good quality, perfectly finished, and look really nice once in place.

I really like how clean and simple the Old English Company website is. The website design has actually changed over the couple of days I’ve been getting this post ready but I like the new design even more. I’m really pleased with the products I chose and would definitely consider adding more of their pins to my collection.

Rimmel have recently released a brand new foundation and concealer and courtesy of Influenster I’ve been giving them a try along with a couple of existing products from Rimmel.

Rimmel’s latest foundation release falls within their Lasting Finish range and is the Lasting Finish Breathable foundation*. Rimmel claim this is their most lightweight, long-wearing formula with light to medium buildable coverage. It apparently has breathable skin technology and moisturises for up to 25 hours. It also contains up to SPF 20.

This comes in the same bottle as their Lasting Finish and Match Perfection foundations, but instead of coming with a pump this one comes with what I guess you might call a ‘wand’ with a sponge applicator on the end. Some might find this a little strange but my favourite foundation (YSL Fusion Ink) comes with a very similar applicator just with a plastic rather than sponge end, so I’m perfectly comfortable with this. I actually prefer an applicator like this rather than a pump as I don’t have to faff around with applying the product to my hand or a brush/sponge, I can just apply it straight to my face.

The foundation has a light, almost serum-like formula, which I personally prefer over thicker formulas that can take some work to buff in. On the bottle this claims to be medium coverage but it is definitely closer to light to medium and you will need to use correctors/concealer if you have anything that needs covering such as redness, scaring and dark circles. It applies nicely, blending well and feels quite cooling when first applied with the applicator.

I’m a little confused as to whether the 25 hour claim is relating to how long the foundation lasts (what the bottle suggests) or how long it moisturises for (what the info I received suggests). Any 25 hour claim tends to annoy me a little anyway because there’s only 24 hours in a day and who needs any product to last that long anyway? The only time I ever get anywhere near wearing my make-up for that long is when I’m working on set. But I wouldn’t say it delivers on either; I don’t find it particularly moisturising anyway (I have very dry skin) and although it lasts reasonably well I don’t think it would last anywhere near that long. I sometimes find the finish this provides looks a little bit cakey (around my eyes or where I’m trying to cover some spots) and if you do need to blow your nose because of hayfever/a cold it does very visibly wipe away around your nose. When it comes to the breathable claim I’m not quite sure how to try and measure this in any way. It doesn’t feel like it suffocates my skin or like my skin is caked in product that I just can’t wait to remove, but I’m not sure that necessarily means it’s breathable. Although in general I would prefer closer to medium coverage it’s a pretty good budget foundation and one I would consider if I couldn’t afford to replace my high-end favourite.

Their newest concealer release is also within the Lasting Finish range and is the Lasting Finish Breathable concealer*. Rimmel claim this has a lightweight, breathable formula with medium coverage. This has similar packaging to the Maybelline Eraser Eye concealer in terms of coming with a built-in sponge applicator. However the Rimmel one features a squeezey tube rather than a wind up mechanism like the Maybelline one. This makes it a lot easier to start dispensing the product the first time you use it; I nearly gave up with the Maybelline one I had as I didn’t think I would ever actually see the product.

I do like the sponge applicator but I do have some concerns about how hygienic it is as I can’t see how you can wash it without risking getting water in the product. You do also have to master remembering to keep squeezing slightly (not too much!) as you’re applying to keep some product coming.

I would say this is medium coverage, but I do really need more than that. My dark circles are horrendous and I struggle to cover them with a corrector and concealer, so this isn’t really heavy duty enough for them. I also regularly have to try and cover up a breakout on my chin or the marks left behind afterwards and this can struggle. My skin is usually pretty pale, almost see-through, but after spending 12 hours in a field shooting for a film in September I got quite tanned this year and so this is currently a bit too pale for me. Once we hit late November/December and I haven’t seen light for a while it will probably be fine. But right now it does look a little too stark/highlighting.

The next two products I’ve been trying out are both existing products. The first of these is a Moisture Renew lipstick* in Vintage Pink. What I didn’t realise was I already have one of these in a red shade, I have no idea where it came from, but I really should have taken more notice of it. This applies beautifully, is very comfortable to wear and provides a soft matte finish with the only shine being from reflecting the light. It’s not the sort of shade I would usually pick out for myself as I tend to be drawn to reds/bright pinks, but this is a lovely neutral a couple of shades darker than my natural lip colour.

The final product is from the Kate Moss range and is a sculpting palette* in Coral Glow. Again a coral shade isn’t the sort of blush shade I would usually pick myself but this is a pretty shade that applies nicely, blends well and looks natural. I think there is a very small amount of shimmer in there but this is negligible. I’ll admit I haven’t used the sculpting shade because it’s just not something I use but I would say it would be better as a bronzer as it doesn’t look ashy enough and again does contain some shimmer. I’m also not a huge highlight user but I’m trying to remember to use it more often. This suits my skintone and can be applied subtly (what I personally prefer) or built up a little if you prefer.

Have you given Rimmel’s newest foundation and concealer a try?

Just over a year ago I worked with Swedish phone case brand CaseApp, who sent me a gorgeous case for my iPad. Last time CaseApp contacted me I had a phone that wasn’t very common and they didn’t actually do cases for my phone. Despite having just recently got a new phone, again I have one that isn’t very common and CaseApp don’t offer cases for it. CaseApp kindly offered to send me a new iPad case as well as a phone case for a friend or family member.

CaseApp offer two types of products; cases and skins, and you can also choose from one of their existing designs or design your own. A case is a hard product that clips on to your phone or iPad and a skin is like a sticker that you apply to the back of your phone or iPad or the top of your laptop. I’ve only just realised that in my last post I incorrectly called my case a skin through the whole post.

I never really know what to do when it comes to designing my own case, I don’t really have anything in mind and wouldn’t know where to start, so I tend to go for picking an existing design. I narrowed it down to a few designs I liked and was going to make the final decision when it came to ordering, but then I discovered they’d added some new designs and I loved some of those too.

As it’s currently autumn and I’m loving collecting up conkers and kicking through crispy fallen leaves I went for a falling leaves design called I Leaf Spring (which I personally find a little strange when it has just launched in autumn). This design comes in three colours; blue, pink and green, and I went for green. I would have loved if it had come in a bronze/orange/red falling autumn leaves kind of colour.

Just like my previous iPad case this one is such good quality. The inside of the case is a little marked with some of the design showing through, but that doesn’t matter because that can’t be seen once the case is in place. When it comes to the side with the design and all the little cut-outs for various ports, lenses and buttons, everything is perfect. There’s plenty of room to access anything you need to and all edges are finished perfectly. I’m no expert on the cost of cases like this but at £35 I would say this is mid to higher end in terms of cost and the quality definitely reflects this.

When it comes to dropping his mobile phone my boyfriend is a nightmare. We went for a bike ride in the summer; he took his phone out of his pocket and dropped it. He picked it up and while checking for damage (there was none) he dropped it again and cracked the screen and smashed the camera lens. He checked when he was due for an upgrade and discovered he could upgrade the following day, the jammy bugger!

He currently has a full clear case over his whole phone, but as I had the offer of a reduced price case (I did actually pay something towards this case) I offered him a new one. He had a look at the existing designs, but to be honest most of them are probably a bit too feminine for him, so he decided to design one.

You may be aware that I’m a Parapsychologist (someone who knows a bit about ghosts) and my boyfriend is too and so he decided he wanted to design his own Ghostbusters case. Designing your own case is pretty easy; we uploaded a Ghostbusters logo and the design tool warned us that the first image we uploaded wasn’t very good quality so we changed it. It also tells you how best to position your image and how big you should make it so it fits on the case nicely. He also added his initials to make it more personal. I really like that they have a tool to centre your image or anything you type in so you know it’s smack bang in the middle. You can also choose to have a glossy or matte finish.

Just like my iPad case my boyfriends Samsung S7 case is amazing quality with perfectly finished cut-outs for ports/buttons/lenses and the design doesn’t look like we created it ourselves. By this I mean there’s no tell-tale lines or anything slightly off centre. The only issue I had with the phone case was when it arrived there was some residue on it, like if you’d sprayed something near the case and it had settled and dried on the case. I assume this might have been something to do with making the case, but all it took was a good wipe down with a damp cloth and it polished up to the shiny surface you can see in the photos. My boyfriend is very pleased and I think £19 is a good price; it reflects the quality but isn’t too expensive.

CaseApp have kindly given me a 20% discount code so you can treat yourself to a new case. Just head over to the CaseApp website and pop in code THELITTLEBLOG20 at the checkout.

Will you be treating yourself to a new case? Let me know if you do!

Today (October 4th – correction, it’s actually 6th this year!) is National Smile Day and to celebrate I was sent the Sonic Chic Urban Sonic powered toothbrush* to try out.

Using an electric toothbrush is something I appear to go through stages of. I get one (a cheap-ish one I’m talking here!), I use it until the head needs replacing, I never get round to replacing the head and end up back using a standard manual toothbrush again. I’m really pleased with how straight my teeth are after years of orthodontic work (I still have a permanent retainer on the back of my top teeth) but recently I’ve been worrying about how yellow my teeth are starting to look. I’m concerned about using any kind of whitening treatment because I suffer with sensitive teeth and I don’t think the two mix well. So I’ve been trying to use whitening toothpaste/mouthwashes and have been thinking about trying an electric toothbrush again.

Sonic Chic Urban Sonic powered toothbrush

The Sonic Chic Urban toothbrush is a travel friendly toothbrush that comes in it’s own case; the lid pulls off to reveal the brush head. The toothbrush features 22,000 strokes per minute and comes with one replacement head and a battery (it takes one AAA battery). The Sonic Chic Urban comes in 12 different designs (mine is Floral Peacock) and there is also a deluxe version available which comes in silver or rose gold.

Sonic Chic Urban Sonic powered toothbrush

Sonic Chic Urban Sonic powered toothbrush

As is usually the case with electric toothbrushes the head is quite compact but it is shaped like a manual toothbrush head rather than round. I’m aware that I usually press far too hard when using a manual toothbrush, I just can’t help it, and recently I’ve been suffering from quite a lot of bleeding from my gums. I haven’t experienced that at all with this, especially as the whole toothbrush really does feel quite dainty, so I tend to go lightly with this because it does feel a little like it might snap if I press too hard (which I’m finding is a good thing).

I love that it comes in it’s own case because it’s perfect for travel (I never quite know what to do with my toothbrush when I’m going away) and also at home I haven’t really got anywhere to store a toothbrush at the moment that is particularly hygienic. You don’t have to worry about the head being able to dry properly once the lid is on because their are three small holes in the lid so air can get in.

The on/off switch is a little on the stiff side; at first I did actually think mine might be broken because I didn’t realise how hard you need to press to turn it on. I do struggle with this sometimes but I do have problems with strength in my hands. I also like that it takes a battery rather than having to be charged via the mains. You just need to remember to have a replacement battery ready for when the battery does run out. The battery can last for 120 days assuming it’s used for two minutes twice a day, I don’t think that’s bad at all.

For £20 the Sonic Chic Urban is a pretty good basic level brush. If you do want to go for something slightly more advanced as I mentioned there is also a deluxe model for £30. That one vibrates every two minutes to tell you to move to a new section of your mouth, powers off after two minutes and also charges via USB. You can find both models and replacement heads in Boots stores.

Do you use an electric toothbrush?

I might have mentioned before that I’ve been a bit of a perfume addict in the past; at one point I owned over 30 different perfumes. I put myself on a spending ban and tried to use them up, but in the end I ended up throwing away a lot of them as I know they deteriorate over time.

Now I try to be much more selective when I buy perfume, or ask for it as a gift, but there are so many out there it can be really confusing. I occasionally go and try some new ones in Boots, but often by the time I get home I forget which ones I tried let alone which ones were my favourite. If you’re a big fan of perfume but can feel a little overwhelmed when it comes to choosing a new one then there’s a subscription box that might be perfect for you.

Secret Scent Box

Secret Scent Box* is a designer fragrance discovery box; a monthly subscription where you’ll receive three mystery perfume samples each month. You’ll receive a 30 day supply, which is enough to take you through until you receive your next box. The box is letter box friendly, so you don’t have to worry about being in to receive your box, and you can choose from a perfume or aftershave subscription.

If you’re somebody who likes to mix things up a bit and don’t tend to stay loyal to one or two fragrances you can use the subscription to provide you with a few different scents each month. Or if like me you want to find a few new fragrances that you love you can use the subscription to help you discover them.

Secret Scent Box

Secret Scent Box

I was sent the September edition to try out. When you open the box you’ll find three little sample sized bottles, the same size as the ones you might be given in department stores. They might be a small size but what I like about the bottles is they do come with a pump spray; I find the ones you have to tip on to your finger really annoying. Each one also comes with a little lid on so you can chuck them in your bag and not have to worry about them getting knocked and accidentally spraying. You’ll also find a little card telling you about each scent, including the top, middle and base notes. I think this is a great idea as you can identify notes that are common across fragrances you like and this can then help you identify other fragrances you might like based on the notes they contain.

Secret Scent Box

Secret Scent Box

In my September box I found scents from Armani, Vera Wang and Calvin Klein. I’ve always wanted to try a Vera Wang fragrance but unfortunately for me one of the top notes in Sheer Veil is lavender; a scent I hate and a plant I’m allergic to. So far I’ve tried Armani Because It’s You, a new scent this year that I’m currently enjoying, and next I’ll be trying out Calvin Klein Contradiction.

If you fancy signing up for your own monthly Secret Scent Box it’s £15 a month with free UK & European delivery. The guys over at Secret Scent Box have also kindly given me a discount code so you can get 15% off your first box. just enter code BECKYBLOG15 at the checkout. You can sign up for Secret Scent Box here.

Is Secret Scent Box a subscription box you would try?

When it comes to cleansing both my face and body I do prefer to use some kind of ‘tool’ over just using my hands. For my face I usually use either my Foreo (which will run out soon as it’s only a Luna Play) or Magnitone and for my body I use what I recently discovered is called a bath lily; one of those plastic pom pom like kind of things. I’ve recently been trying some face and body products from a brand called Afterspa. For my face I’ve been using the Afterspa Cleaning Puffs* and for my body I’ve been using the Afterspa Round Dual Texture Scrubber*.

Afterspa Cleansing Puffs & Round Dual Texture Scrubber

Afterspa Cleansing Puffs & Round Dual Texture Scrubber

Both of the products I’m featuring here are from the Exfoliating collection. One of the things that really attracted me to trying out these products is that each one comes in it’s own little pouch complete with a suction pad. Once you open the packaging you can remove the lid/flap, attach the suction pad to the hook, pop this on the wall of your shower and this can then be used to store and dry the product. One of the problems I do have with products like this is finding somewhere to let them dry; space and hygiene wise. This will also make it easy to travel with the products.

Afterspa Cleansing Puffs

Afterspa Cleansing Puffs

The first product I tried out was the Cleansing Puffs. For £6 you get two puffs and these are like flat egg shaped pink sponges. Each one should be replaced every 60 days, so with two in the pack that is 120 days worth of use. You can use them just with water or you can use a cleanser.

I think I’ve mentioned recently that when it comes to my face I tend to prefer chemical exfoliation because my skin is pretty sensitive and I find it very uncomfortable to use anything that feels at all rough against it. I bought one of the little manual facial brushes The Body Shop does once but it was far too harsh for me to actually use. Unfortunately the Afterspa Cleansing Puffs are also too harsh for me to use as they don’t really get any softer when wet and feel a little ‘wiry’ for me. My skin does appear to be particularly sensitive though so if you don’t have any problem with products like this then it might be perfect for you.

Afterspa Round Dual Texture Scrubber

Afterspa Round Dual Texture Scrubber

The Round Dual Texture Scrubber is double sided with a soft side and a rougher side for deeper exfoliation. This one is £6.50 for one pad in the pack. Although I do like a bit of a rough scrub (although not too rough) on my body I found the ‘rough’ side of the scrubber a bit too rough for me. The softer side was much better, possibly still slightly too rough, but the issue with this side is this is the side with the handle you can slip your hand in to hold the scrubber. So when using this side you need to try and keep hold of the scrubber in some other way.

I really like the idea behind both products but unfortunately they’re both just too rough for my sensitive, easily aggravated skin. If you have tougher skin than me I would say give them a try, but go gently to begin with. You can find the Afterspa range in your local Boots store.

Would you give an Afterspa product a try?