July Favourites

Hello folks! I can't believe how fast this year is going! We are now closer to Christmas than we are the start of the year. That. Is. Insane. I didn't post a favourites post last month, mainly because I forgot until we were half way through July, but also because I didn't really have anything different to mention! But this month, I have received a few new products and a couple of samples which I have been lovingggggg!

First up is the Nokia Lumia 640* which I am currently trialling for Microsoft! At first I though I wasn't going to like it, but I must admit that so far I am really liking it! I'm not sure if I will be switching my iPhone for it anytime soon but it is certainly great for those looking for a smartphone at a more reasonable price! I'm not too keen on the neon orange hardware, but thankfully they do come in black, white and blue aswell! After my trial period is up I will be posting an in-depth review of the phone, so stay tuned for it! Besides other things, I have been using it to listen to my favourite albums on Spotify. Over the past month I have been particularly enjoying listening the album 'Talking Is Hard' by Walk The Moon. It is one of the albums I love to listen to in my car, alongside the debut album from Years and Years. They are just the perfect soundtrack to drive along to! If you thing you haven't heard of Walk The Moon, you are probably wrong - the song 'Shut Up and Dance With Me' is one of their singles!

Next up are the beautiful Lottie London makeup brushes. I've had these for a while and was going to do a separate blog post on them, but theres only so much you can say about makeup brushes before it gets ridiculous. They are soft. They are a bargain. They are beautiful. End of. My current favourite is the red handled brush (they don't have names or anything to identify them other than the handle colours; sorry!) - I love using it to apply my highlighter before blending it out with a large fluffy brush!

One of my all time favourite products is the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Coded Eyeshadow Quad in Dolce Vita. I have worn this pretty much everyday through June and July. It looks absolutely beautiful with a tan (or in my case sunburn haha) and with the 'pop' shade sparkling in the (non existent) sun. I love how Charlotte Tilbury has lots of tips and looks for her products on her YouTube channel - the 'Dolce Vita' eyeshadow look is one of my favourites! I have also been loving pairing it with The Body Shop Colour Crush Lipstick in 115 Enraptured Red, the two just look so classic! I have NEVER tried any of the makeup from the body shop so when I received this from one of my best friends I was excited to see the quality! They are so glossy and hydrating, and the colour payoff is amazing! Will certainly be checking out more of their makeup products next time I'm in-store!

At the start of June, The Library of Fragrance asked if I would like to sample some of their perfumes. I obviously said yes as we all know I love perfume! They sent me the Peony*, and Apple Blossom* fragrances and I have been loving both of them. As I am writing this, I have just returned from a few days away on the East Coast, and my perfume of choice for the trip was Peony! I love it!

This month I've also been rekindling my love for plants! After moving all my stuff out of university halls of residence at the start of the month, all my plants made their way into my bedroom at home (well the ones that survived without water).  I keep nipping into B&Q to see if they have any others to add to my collection - I'm obsessed!

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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*Disclaimer*
The Nokia Lumia 640 was kindly sent to me for 2 weeks to trial and review for Microsoft, and the Peony perfume/cologne was sent to me by The Library of Fragrance. 
All opinions are my own - see the 'Disclaimer' section of the 'FAQ' page in my navigation bar for full details.

Lush Cosmetics Haul

'A French Kiss'

'Ultra Violet Bubble Bar' - Soon to be discontinued :(

'The Comforter'

We all love a bit of Lush. And I am rather impartial to a bath filled with pampering goodies and all my friends and family know how much I love Lush. So having had my birthday fairly recently, I was given a large collection! Before this I was running pretty low, only having about half of a 'The Comforter' bubble bar. 

Mmmelting Marshmallow Moment - £3.95 

Along with the 'Floating Island' this is described as a 'Bath Melt' and is one of my Lush staples. Whilst it's not one of the most exciting bath products, it softens and revitalises your skin so is perfect for a weekend pamper session! It contains almond oil which is supposed to leave your skin and hair looking smooth and hydrated. It smells absolutely beautiful and the smell lingers in your bathroom for a truly relaxing experience.

Floating Island - £4.35

Although this doesn't look as impressive as some of the other products available at Lush, it is one of my favourites. I've lost count how many times I have repurchased this! It is very aptly named as it is literally a 'floating island' and slowly melts away on the surface of the water. It doesn't create any bubbles or anything and isn't as exciting as some of the bath bombs, but it does release oils into your bath water leaving your skin super soft!

A French Kiss - £4.25

This is one that I have never tried before, my mum bought it for me for my birthday and I am so excited to try it! I'm not usually one for lavender scented things, it generally reminds me of an air fresher my dad used to buy. But I must say that this looks extremely impressive with the stick of dried lavender poking out the top. According to the Lush website it has recently been reformulated and is jam packed full of lavender goodness. I am yet to try it out, but have heard that it leaves your water a beautiful lavender (ha get it?) colour with mounds of white bubbles.

Ultra Violet Bubble Bar - £4.75

This was a first for me, and when in the shop the woman behind the counter said that it was being discontinued soon. So if you are wanting to try it, you better head to Lush ASAP! It smells absolutely beautiful and turns your bath water a deep shade of purple, which is soooo soothing. I had half in my bath today as a little Friday (or should I say FriYAY) treat and I smell incredible! 

The Comforter - £4.75

Can you tell this one is my favourite from how many I have? I love the bubble bars as you can break them up and use them multiple times making them more economical than other Lush bath products! This one is my all time favourite, I've been using this for years and hopefully for many more to come! It turns the water a beautiful shade of bright pink and creates thousands of bubbles for you to relax in. If they ever discontinue this I will cry. A lot.

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

PS: Did you know that 'Charlotte Sophia Roberts' is now on Facebook? You can follow the page to keep up to date with all my blogposts and adventures! 

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Recipe: Spiced Chicken Burrito Bowl with Coriander and Lime Rice

Hello everyone! So after scouring for recipes and dinner inspiration on Pinterest, I came across this and I've been enjoying making it (and eating it!) a lot recently so I thought I'd share it with you! I'm making mine with chicken but you could use whatever meat you like - beef steak, turkey, quorn?

In no particular order, you'll need:

 

The first things first, you'll need to create the marinade for the chicken - so in a large bowl, mix a good glug (extremely accurate measure there Charlotte) of olive oil with your taco seasoning mix, add the juice of 2 limes (or more/less if you choose) and add the chicken. With your hands, or a spoon if you don't like touching raw meat, coat the chicken in the marinade and cover and set aside for 15 minutes - 24 hours.

When you have set the chicken aside, you can start on the rice. I've used Tilda Easy Cook Long Grain Rice as I think it absorbs more of the flavouring, but you can use any long grained rice! Simply boil the kettle and cook the rice following the cooking instructions on the packet, then leave to cool.

Once your rice is on you can start chopping your veggies! I absolutely love most of the veggies in existence, but these are my favourites to go in this particular dish. If you don't like what I have used, feel free to swap and change as you please! :) 

By the time you have chopped your veggies, the rice will have cooled slightly. Chop your coriander and stir it into the rice. You can use dried coriander if you wish, but the fresh tastes and looks so much better. Juice more limes into the rice and stir to make sure all the rice is flavoured. 

Heat up a pan with a LITTLE oil (there is oil in the marinade remember!), and add in your chicken. Cook the chicken through and place in your bowl along with your rice and the salad!

If you want to be all 'Jamie Oliver' you can finish off the dish with a few leaves of coriander and a wedge of lime. Perfect!

Bon Appétit! 

And as always, if you make this dish - remember to send me your photos on Twitter (@charrrroberts) or Instagram (@charlottesophiaroberts)!

Thanks for reading!

Love Charlotte x

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