March Favourites

It's monthly favourites time again, and this time I've gotten my arse into gear and actually posted on time! Can I just take a quick second to say how bloody fast this year is going?! I feel like I've literally blinked and we've skipped all the way from Christmas to Easter! Nonetheless though, March has been a fab month for me and I've got a few little favourite things I want to share with you...

The first thing I've been loving is the Lush Roots Hair Treatment. I've been having a right hair 'mare with it being so dry and dull! I bought this on a whim, without really reading the little description which claims it's for fine hair, but even so this made a real difference to my dry patches and my hair has never felt softer! The minty smell is amazeballs too, although I think this is a contributing factor as to why my scalp tingles like crazy when I apply this to my roots for 10-20 mins before shampooing out...I can get over that though, and this is a firm March winner for me!

The next thing that has got a thumbs up from me this month is Rimmel London! The first thing I've been loving is a new little discovery for me and it's their Lasting Finish primer. I've always been unsure about whether primers actually do work, but I have to admit, I've seen a real difference in my makeup staying power when I use this one! Of course it doesn't work miracles, but I find that my makeup lasts a good 2-3 hours longer than it normally would, which is a life-saver for those 9 hour Friday night bar shifts!
Last up is their Wake Me Up foundation and concealer, which I have worn pretty much every day this month! The medium-full coverage of the foundation is fantastic and lasts all day, and the best thing is it brightens my skin which is perfect for my horrible, dull mess. The foundation blends beautifully and the concealer manages to disguise my dark circles, which trust me, is not an easy task!

I've been reaching for my Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey perfume constantly this month as I think it's the perfect fragrance for spring! I've had so many compliments on the scent and I find it lasts all day, which again, is fab when you're working long hours and don't want to smell like it! 
Forever on my nails this month, is the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in the colour Damson, which is the most beautiful electric blue shade that I've ever seen! It compliments my milky skin perfectly and is pretty hard-wearing too. Can't get enough!

Last up are my 2 non-beauty favourites, and the first is my recent Netflix obsession...Orange Is The New Black! Now I don't know if I should be admitting that I've watched every single episode in the space of 2 weeks but lemme tell ya, I was hooked! After getting up to date with PLL, I didn't think anything could fill the void but this has definitely filled the space in my heart and I urge you all to watch it if you haven't already!
Lastly is the Twinings Cherry Bakewell green tea, which I cannot get enough of! If you read my November favourites, you'd have seen me mention the other flavours but this newbie has taken over! It's the perfect sweet indulgence whilst still being healthy, and I love the smell! Green tea lovers out there, get your hands on some of these!


What have you been loving this month? 
Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with more of my posts :)

Always, Alice x

Fresh Hair.

top to bottom: New, Copperhead, Ultimate Shine

I know, I know, it's another Lush post but I think it's time for me to preach to the high heavens about my ultimate favourite Lush products...the shampoo bars.

I first purchased one of these on a whim last Autumn, as I seemed to go through shampoo like nobody's business so thought I'd try and see if these would last me longer...and whaddaya know, a whole 4 months later, I was only just using up the last little wisps of that same shampoo bar (and I wash my hair pretty much every other day gals, just so yano...)!

The 'New' shampoo bar was the first one I tried out and is by far my favourite. I was instantly drawn to it cos my of the smell...MY GOD the smell is amazing! I am obsessed with anything that smells of cinnamon or gingerbread or anything festive (even now, don't judge.), so I instantly snapped this one up. One of the lovely Lush ladies gave me a little run down on it's benefits too and it claimed to stimulate the hair follicles and aid hair growth, all while giving the hair a glorious shine! 

My hair has always been stubborn and refused to grow so I thought I'd give this a try and see if it made a difference. Well let me tell ya, I was not disappointed! Obviously it doesn't work miracles, but my hair grew noticeably longer and would stay clean for days on end - the glorious scent lingered for ages too! If you want to give your hair a boost and perhaps make it grow a little, give this a try! It might not work for everyone but it's worth the £5.75 for the scent alone...

The next shampoo bar on my radar was the 'Ultimate Shine'. I picked this up for a mere £1.80 in the Boxing Day sale, which was an absolute steal and I was excited to try! 

Now I'm not going to lie, I HATE the smell. It smells really earthy and fusty which is not my cup of tea, although my other half doesn't mind it at all, so it's perhaps better aimed at men? What I will say though, is that this little baby works wonders on transforming your hair from a dull mess to radiant locks in just a few minutes! It's filled with lots of essential oils which gives the hair a deep clean, and it's really good for the scalp too!

The last of my shampoo bar experiences has been with the 'Copperhead'. If you didn't know, I've recently dyed my hair a lovely auburn colour, and upon my most recent visit to Lush, I was asked if I'd tried this! It's got a hint of red henna in it, which is perfect for boosting red and brown hair colour, so I was super excited to use it to see if it made a difference and it definitely did! My hair colour looks nice and vibrant and healthy, so I'm super happy with this bar for that reason alone! The scent isn't amazing, it's a lot more earthy and kinda smells like coffee, but it's not horrible at the same time. If your hair is in need of a little perk up, I'd definitely recommend this one!

Have you tried any Lush shampoo bars? Which one is your favourite? 

Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with my posts :)

Always, Alice x

*I'd suggest picking up the cute little metal tin from Lush to keep it in as well, so it stays nice and dry and lasts for as long as possible!

The Sunday Post: Things That Made Me Happy This Week...

- Girls night! Had a fab girls night with my friend Katie on Thursday, and it was filled with yummy food and a bit of a pamper! She made me some of her delicious spag bol and I returned the favour with some of my Oreo Cheesecake (recipe coming soon, it's a good'un!)

- I spent a bit of quality time out shopping with Mumma bear! We met up and went a bit wild in Lush and Primark, and then went back to her house and had some delicious homemade lasagne, which is THE. BEST. EVER.

- Meanwhile, my delightful other half took a trip to Leeds...armed with a shopping list of course! He brought back some makeup bits that I've been drooling over for ages, and I'll definitely be sharing with you what I got later in the week!

- Our little cake business at work is doing fab! Me and my friend Emily have been getting crazy busy in the kitchen making all sorts of sweet treats to sell and people actually like them! I never realised I could bake, so to be told that I'm actually quite good at it is AMAAAZING!

- Taking some time out to chill. I've had a lot of time to myself this week (at the expense of not seeing my other half much though, boo!), and it's been really nice to pamper myself and really chill out! I also feel like I'm in a really good place with my blog at the minute, and I'm absolutely loving it! My posts are a bit sporadic at the moment but I hope to get more organised and grow even more in the coming weeks!


What has made you happy this week?
Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with all of my posts :)

Always, Alice x

You Know You're Getting Old When...

image source 

1. Everyone and anyone younger than you makes you feel old. Like seriously get that zimmer frame ordered cos I'm nearly 23 and so close to becoming a fossil...

2. You don't get ID'd in bars, pubs or supermarkets anymore even though you're not even over 25 but apparently you look it.

3. Your FaceyB newsfeed used to be filled with nightclub photos and selfies...now it's filled with kids and engagement rings.

4. There's 8 years age difference between you and your little brother but he's not little anymore. Now he's taller than you and well into his teenage years, and and and where did the time go?!

5. The thought of going out on the piss scares you a little. I mean, think of the cold!

6. You find yourself going to bed earlier and earlier, oh but only after you've switched on your electric blanket and made yourself a nice cup of horlicks.

7. Mortgages. Need I say more?

8. Gone are the days of sexy underwear that closely resembles dental floss. Your Bridget Jones knickers are your best friend cos we all need to be comfy gals.

9. Every time you have a hot flush...*holy crap, not the menopause!*

10. When entering your date of birth on a website, you have to scroll WAAAAY down to find your birth year...

11. You used to have perfect vision. Now you need reading glasses so you can enjoy your wild Saturday nights in with a big fat novel and a cup of tea.

12. You also used to have perfect hearing. Now you can't hear a bloody word anyone says and everyone has to repeat themselves at least 3 times before you just smile and nod.


I thought I'd mix my blog up with a little humour...I hope you enjoyed reading! 
Don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to keep up to date with all my blog posts :)

Always, Alice x

Easter Lush Haul

It happened again...
I couldn't keep away from Lush for too long, and yesterday me and my mum decided to go replenish our stocks! At the end of last month, I was invited to Lush Hull's first ever blogger evening (read my post here if you missed it!) and we were kindly given a couple of products from their beautifully bright Easter range. We were only able to take home two products though as it hadn't gone on sale to the general public at that time, so I made a note of all of the products that I needed to go back and pick up at a later date!

On first impressions, it is definitely my favourite collection to date (even beating the Christmas one!). Lush have outdone themselves with the colours and scents this year and my bathroom smells absolutely divine as a result! 
Here's what I picked up...

The 'Fluffy Egg' bathbomb (£2.95). One for those having Snow Fairy withdrawal symptoms - here's your fix! It smells exactly like the cult shower gel and is a pink candyfloss sensation. It turns your bath a lovely bright pink colour and honestly makes your bathroom smell amazing for hours after! It's only a little bomb too, so you don't feel guilty about shoving the whole thing in one bath like with some of the larger bombs. Ideal as a little Easter gift for someone who's not into chocolate Easter eggs!

The 'Bunch of Carrots' re-usable bubble bar* (£5.95). By far the most fun product from the whole collection and I was lucky enough to take this home for free from the blogger event! At first glance, it's a little on the pricey side but it's said to last for around 9-10 VERY bubbly baths which is well worth your money! The smell is absolutely amazing too, so fruity, like a mix between orange and blackcurrants! You get three carrots per bubble bar and you can either swirl them around in your bath water or run them under the tap to make oodles of bubbles and lots of bright orange bath water! 

The 'Hoppity Poppity' bathbomb (£2.50). How cute is he?! This one is ideal for a more relaxing and soothing bathtime. It's packed with violet leaf and lavender absolutes, which soothe the body and soul, and make for a perfect before-bed bath! He's filled with popping candy and will turn your bath into a lovely lilac. Not my favourite scent of them all but I'm looking forward to using this when I need a little TLC in my life! 

The 'Golden Egg' bath bomb/melt* (£3.75). Don't be put off by the glitter, this is my favourite of them all! I took this home from the blogger event after seeing the amazing demo. If you want to feel like you're bathing in sparkling molten gold and want to feel like a princess, this one is for you! I'm normally completely put off by all of Lush's glittery offerings but I was like a little magpie to this one and couldn't resist. It's an interesting hybrid of bathbomb and luxury bath melt too, with an outer layer of moisturising cocoa butter and a pretty bathbomb hidden inside!

It's a slow fizzer, so perfect for a cosy, candlelit bath accompanied with a glass of wine and Netflix on the bathside. The smell is incredible too, like toffee and chocolate, mmmmm!

The 'Carrot' soap (£3.95 per 100g). This has the exact same scent as the bunch of carrots and I can't wait to use it! Have a look at my Lush event post to see the soap before and after, I'm a little disappointed you can't see the hidden bunny rabbit on mine! It smells like an amazing combo of orange and lemon, and will be perfect for spring. I'm only just getting into using Lush soaps as I'm normally more of a handwash kinda gal, but my previous Rockstar purchase has gone down well at Always, Alice HQ so I thought I'd give this a go too!

Have you tried anything from the Easter range? What is your favourite?

Let me know in the comments and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to keep up to date with all my posts :)

Always, Alice x

Style Icon...Emma Stone

Emma Stone has been my ultimate style and woman crush for years now, and I don't see the love-fest ending anytime soon! She is the opitome of sophistication and always seems to have it together, whether it's on the red carpet or strolling around the streets of New York with a coffee in hand.

In the age we're living in where young women are obsessed with showing too much of their bodies off to the world (Miley Cyrus, you're hot but I'm looking at you gurrlllll...) it's refreshing to see the old-school glamour Emma Stone brings to Hollywood - and she's only 26!

Whether she's a blonde or her signature redhead, in recent years she's not put a foot wrong in the style stakes in my opinion, and she's shown she's not afraid to take risks! My favourite looks of hers are definitely her off-duty casual looks, and I'm totally envious of her fantastic brogue collection...

I feel like her style is what I'm all about and any girl that stays true to her porcelain skin and doesn't feel the pressure to have a glowing tan all year round, is definitely a winner in my books! I feel like aside from her style as well she's just an all-around great woman! She manages to have a long-term relationship that is kept out of the public eye for the most part and she never makes headlines for all the wrong reasons like most of young Hollywood nowadays.

Yes, I'm in love, and no, I won't be moving on anytime soon! Emma, if you fancy being my best friend girl, then that would be fine by me!

What do you think to Emma Stone's style? Who is your ultimate style icon?

Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to stay up to date with all of my posts :)

Always, Alice x

The Sunday Post...Things That Made Me Happy This Week

What made me happy this week...

- I got my hurrrrr did! I finally went and got my hair done the hairdressers this week and I'll have to admit, I hated it at first! I say at first, but today is probably the first day that I'm liking what I see. I took the plunge and got my hair dyed an auburn red colour á la Emma Stone, but I came out with BRIGHT RED HAIR. Hell no. But about 20 hair washes later, I'm finally happy with the colour and I'm ready to rock my inner ginge.

- Fresh flowers and clean bedding. It's the little things, I know, but I bought myself some beautiful tulips and I've got clean new sheets and I feel like I slept the best last night than I have in months as a result!

- Appreciating my followers. It's been nearly 6 months now since I started my little space of internet and I have over 350 followers! While that might not sound like much to some people, it's a number that I'm very proud and happy with and it's been my main motivating factor this week! 

- Sunshine! It's been so beautiful up north this week (still freezing though) but I feel like it makes everyone so happy! I enjoyed a lovely breakfast at work in the beer garden today and it set my day off perfectly! More to follow please Mr Sunshine!


What made you happy this week?
Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to keep up to date with my posts :)

Always, Alice x

My Workout Essentials

If you're a regular to my blog, you'll know that I've really made it my mission this year to get fit. I've been eating better, drinking a lot more water and most importantly I've been working out a hell of a lot more! I've recently started the gym and I've been obsessed with getting into shape and looking after my body, and I'm finally starting to see some results! 

I don't know about you, but I'd have found it all impossible without little essentials that help motivate me and let me get the best out of my workouts and I'd like to share them with you!


- A supportive sports bra. It's so important to keep those puppies in place when you're working out, as there's nothing worse than your chest jiggling around everywhere when you're on the treadmill. That 60 year old man on the cross-trainer might love it but save yourself the embarrassment and properly support your boobies! There's styles and different support levels for everyone and most are good-quality and so affordable! I got mine from H&M's sportswear collection here!

- Good workout gear. I know, I know, working out isn't about looking good. But doesn't it make you feel a little bit more fit and sexy when you're in cool workout clothes? Literally every brand and store you can think of is doing their own range now, even Primark! My personal favourites are Tesco and online store Pro Direct, which are both perfect if you're out to spot a bargain!

- Make yourself a workout playlist. Whatever you're into and whatever gets your blood pumping, fill your ipod with it and get going! I love a bit of girl power when I'm getting sweaty, and I've found nothing motivates me to run a marathon on the treadmill more than listening to endless Beyoncé and Destiny's Child tracks. 

- Keep a water bottle by your side at all times! And keep the water nice and chilled too, so refreshing! 

- Read a little motivational material! I am loving Women's Health at the minute, but there are tons of websites and blogs out there filled with diet and workout tips that will keep you motivated and inspired to reach your goals! It's always fun to look at transformation photos too, nothing makes me look forward to a workout more than looking through Kayla Itsines Instagram feed!


What are your workout essentials? Do you have any tips for staying motivated? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with my posts :)

Always, Alice x

Speedy Solutions

When I first heard about the new quick dry Barry M nail paint release, I was ALL OVER THAT. I'm addicted to painting my nails all colours of the rainbow but I, like many others, get far too impatient waiting for them to dry. It's the usual story...paint nails perfectly, sit still for a couple of minutes waiting for them to dry, suddenly get an incredible pang of hunger or thirst so rush off to make yourself some lunch or a cup of tea, and before you know it your nails are a smudged mess and looked better before you started.

Would these new little miracles solve all of our problems? I was eager to find out!

I picked up 4 shades from the collection - which is an array of pastel coloured treats - and they're all perfect for the transition into Spring/Summer. I got the minty green 'Road Rage' a lovely pale blue called 'Eat My Dust', a bright peachy pink named 'In A Heart Beat and finally I picked up 'Lap Of Honour' which is a lovely lilac shade.
I took no time at all in testing them out and after using all four shades at some point in the last week, I'm thoroughly impressed! They really are speedy and I noticed that as soon as I'd finished painting my second hand, the first was already dry! The formula is standard Barry M, and the paler shades need a couple of coats as with any pastel colour but with the new fatter applicator brush, it takes no time at all to paint the nail!
I love the range of shades too, and I hope they release some brighter shades in the near future, and some more vampy autumnal shades when the time is right!
At only £3.99 each, you can't really go wrong and I'd definitely recommend these bad boys. Barry M has long been a favourite of mine, and I don't see that changing any time soon.

Have you tried these out before? What's your favourite shade? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with my posts! 

Always, Alice x

Come Dine With Me...Part One

So a couple of weeks ago, my friends and I came up with the genius idea to throw our own version of the show Come Dine With Me! I don't know about you, but I'm at that age now (grandma alert), where I'd rather stay in with a cup of tea and a snuggly blanket than put my heels on and go out on the piss, so we thought instead of going down to the pub, we'd have a grown-up dinner party instead!

There are three of us, so each week or fortnight we will take turn to host and on Thursday night it was the turn of my gorgeous friend Emily! I was on dessert duty and our final dinner party guest Katie would provide the starter!
We went round to Em's with pink lemonade in hand and were greeted by such a lovely little set up! She'd set the table up real nice and lit candles everywhere - so pretty!

 On to the starter...me and Katie did a mad dash around Tesco beforehand so she could buy her ingredients (it was bound to happen to one of us!) and in the end we were treated to smoked salmon, prawns, avocado and rocket with a balsamic glaze - and lemme tell ya, it was YUM! 
Next up was Emily, as we'd decided that the host would also cook the main course each time and she got to work cooking us up a delish pasta dish in front of us. She'd gone to town making us a bowl of salad and veggies too, along with homemade garlic bread! 
Our main was pasta with a ham, mushroom and pine nut topping in a creamy wine sauce and it was so good! Took me about 4 hours longer than everyone else to eat it, mind, as I'm the slowest eater EVER...but nonetheless it was tasty.
Lastly was my offering of dessert, which we had to wait a while for as we were all stuffed from the main! I'd spent the afternoon rushing around the kitchen like a madwoman making a Terry's chocolate orange cake and I was super proud with the end result! I think I might do a recipe post on it soon...

All in all it was a fab night, and I can't wait for the next one! It's something different that I've never really done before but it's definitely made me want to start cooking more meals during the week. Next up, starter!

Have you ever done anything like this before? What are your go-to recipes?
Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with my posts :)

Always, Alice x

The Sunday Post: Things That Made Me Happy This Week

What made me happy this week...

- Made real progress at the gym this week, with 4 visits! My motivation has come out of nowhere and I'm well into it now. I even put myself through hell via a spinning class early on Wednesday morning, but I powered through! Bikini body here I come...

- Finally making THAT hair appointment! I've been umming and aahhing for ages about what to with my hair. It's grown so much but I've just gotten bored! So I finally plucked up the courage to go and book in my hair at the salon and I'm so excited! It's happening on Tuesday, and I won't say too much but it'll be a transformation...I'll keep you all posted!

- We did Come Dine With Me! I'm planning a blog post on this very soon so I won't go into it too much, but me and my close friends threw a little dinner party this week where we all made a course each and it was such a lovely night, just what I needed! I made an amazeballs Chocolate Orange cake too, but more on that soon...

- I grabbed some bargains this week, in none other than Primark, where I managed to bag a faux leather biker jacket for a tenner! It's such good quality too, so it was hard not to be proud of myself!


What made you happy this week?
Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with all of my posts :)

Always, Alice x 

Boots Bargains

I don't know about you but when Boots windows are awash with offers and discounts, I can't help but grab myself some bargains! It's been a little while since I've done a haul so I'm justifying all this on account of blog purposes, and the fact that my massive collection of nail polishes NEEDED those new Barry M releases...

The Boots where I live is fairly small so I rarely find anything that interests me, but for some reason I was drawn to so many things and actually had to limit myself for once! Here's what I picked up!

Rimmel are offering 2 for £10 on all products at the minute which I think is bloody fantastic! I thought I'd be cheeky and take full advantage of this offer, and with the recent demise of my coveted MAC foundation, I FINALLY picked up the Wake Me Up foundation. I'm already loving the concealer version, and with spring coming up, it will be nice to have a foundation that hopefully brightens the skin with just the right amount of coverage! I swatched it in store and was delighted to see that the palest shade 'Ivory', was the perfect pinky toned shade that should suit my skin down to a T!
I also picked up another Kate Moss 107 lipstick which is my absolute fave as I'm sure you'll all know by now with it being plastered all over my blog! I'm coming to the end of mine - which conveniently seems to have disappeared into the pig sty I call a bedroom...so it's definitely time for a shiny new one!

I've been wanting to pick up some of the Speedy Quick Dry Nail Paints from Barry M for a couple of weeks now since I first saw the release, and with their 2 for £7 nail paints offer on at the minute, I was right for biding my time! I picked up a few different colours, all of which are a pastel dream, and I'll be doing a full blog post on them shortly so watch this space! First impressions are good though and I can't wait to properly try out all the beautiful candy colours!

Saving the best until last, I finally make an investment in the new Bold Metals collection by Real Techniques. I had to stop myself from buying the whole frigging stand as they are all so beautiful, but I'm seriously lacking in the eye brush department so I chose the shiny silver Pointed Crease brush to add to my collection. The packaging is so sleek and I love the overall design. An addiction has definitely been started and I'll be marching straight back to Boots in the near future to pick up more of these badboys! I used this for the first time last night and already I'm in love! I've always been abit crap at applying eyeshadow but this little miracle makes everything look so sleek and blended! A definite thumbs up from me so far! Not sure if this was on offer but it was only £12 so I was happy either way.

What have you bought from drugstores recently? Picked up any bargains? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' if you'd like to stay up to date with my posts :)

Always, Alice x

Style Icon...Blake Lively

Hands up if you're still secretly gutted that Gossip Girl isn't on TV anymore? I know it's been a few years now but I've still not come to terms with the fact that there's no more Serena and Blair, and don't even get me started on Chuck Bass...

It's lovely to see how the stars have flourished since the last episode aired, and none more so than Blake Lively!

I was never that keen on her character in GG...I mean she's drop dead flipping gorgeous but I was more a Waldorf fan myself (I could relate more to the pale skin, brown hair, short legged variety) but I was always in awe of Serena Van Der Woodsen's imaginary wardrobe, and I think Blake Lively has done a cracking job following that off-screen and into her own life and style!

I don't think anyone does red carpet glamour as well as Blake - she just oozes old hollywood sex appeal and sophistication without even trying! Even in the first look with a simple vest, cardigan and pencil skirt, she puts the rest of the world to shame and looks drop dead gorgeous! And can I just say that she made the most stunning pregnant person ever?!

Enough fan-girling now but I hope you like the looks that I have chosen and agree that Blake Lively is on point when it comes to the style stakes. She's a proper blonde bombshell and while that will never be something I'll strive to be, I'll definitely be looking to her for fashion inspiration when I'm in need of some effortless glamour and style.

What do you think of Blake Lively's style? Who are your style icons? Let me know in the comments below and don't forget to follow me on Bloglovin' to stay up to date with my posts :)

Always, Alice x