What's in my bag ?

Hi , everyone!  I'm often watching youtube videos and reading blogs on " what's in my bag?"  You would think perhaps that these sort of posts would be a little mundane and pointless , but to me I'm intrigued in what people carry in their day to day life. You never know if you're going to see something that will make your own life a little easier, If anything just to take a nose as to what everyone's hoarding around !

As you can see from my photo's I'm no professional photographer and I strived to find a place to take the photos, as natural light struggles to exist in my apartment. what you can see " in my bag" are the basics I take every where, give or take a few things depending on whether I'm travelling or going to work. For example, if I'm going to work I take a fob watch & mug and if I'm travelling I take my toiletries bag. You get the gist...

I am currently using two bags and alternate between them depending on my outfit. My first bag is a "Mi-pac" back pack from Asos in this floral granny chic design that I adore. The second bag is a classic black holdall  from River island with silver zips that is more formal and spacious.

Listed in my bag in clockwise order is as follows ;

1. Ipod shuffle ( one of the best things I've ever bought)
2. pack of tissues for the winter sniffles
3. my silver glittery notepad ( closeup picture below)
4. Burts bees lip balm
5. Badger balm lip balm 
6. Wallet
7. chewing gum from Lidl ( It's great!)
8. Hugo boss glasses
9. pen
10. small Jack wills fragrance ( i change fragrances alot  , this is just a conveniant size for travel)
11. leather coin purse
12. 2015 diary
13. pink notepad for more notes ( mostly medical notes from Uni) 
14. iphone 5 (the gold case is from Amazon by a company called Ringke. I recommend it as it's sturdy, thin and the colour doesn't fade with scratches and bumps)

A close-up photo of my glittery silver owl notepad from paperchase , for my blogging ideas. I never thought a notepad would bring me so much happiness! I hope you enjoyed this quick and simple post. What's a must have item in your bag ?

Sincerely , Harry 

Lip balm of 2014

The lip balm winners of 2014!

lip balms are my kryptonite , ( among many other things). I can even think as to why I'm such a lip balm obsessive though this may be my excuse to the situation. I recall being young and having the most battered and beaten trout pout. I would ask to have lip balms but being young I would always lose them and so the final result was using some cold cream that lurked under the kitchen sink that did nothing more than have me looking like I was coco the clown. *shudders* Then one day   stumbled upon my sisters lip smacker  and it was game on ; I've been hooked on finding the perfect lip balm ever since.

I always carry a lip balm on me all times to ensure I avoid any withdrawals. Through my years of dedication to purchasing lip balms, only few have conquered but many have fallen. very dramatic, right ? Throughout 2014 there have been just two clear stand out winners . These are two lip balms that I've enjoyed using ,  repurchased and plan to repurchase again. So , drum roll please....

Nuxe - Reve de miel

A well hyped lip balm in the beauty blogger and youtube community and now I know why. Reaching towards the more pricey end of lip balms , though I can't deny how intensely moisturising it is. Ingredients include honey , shea butter and grapefruit essence that give it a sweet scent. Despite being marketed as a lip balm I find it to be more of  a putty , due to it's thick texture that melts away on contact. I use this before i go to bed and I wake up with supple lips. sometimes I question that they look fuller! Great to use early on the day as it will last for hours , it's not greasy and comes in a sturdy glass jar. I will most certainly be repurchasing !

Reve de miel can be purchased from space.nk or feelunique.com here.

Burt's Bees lip balm

A staple product of mine for years and continues to prove it's still got the edge over the other lip balms i've tried and tested. A lip balm made mostly of bees wax that comes in an iconic yellow tube, perfect to throw in your pocket for on the go. whenever I try a new lip balm that falls flat, I return straight to my trusted Burt's bees. Burt's bees  lip balms come in a variety of flavours and colours from mango to coconut & pear, though the original lip balm with peppermint oil is my favourite. It makes the lips soft, without creating a greasy shine or causing a build up that leaves a gunky film on the lips. ( you lip balm obsessives will know what I mean). long lasting and great for guys too. I certainly won't be going short of this lip balm wonder!

Burts bees can be purchased from Boots stores or online here .

Sincerely, Harry 

Fragrance collection 2014

Hi, I'm Harry and I'm addicted to fragrances. Welcome !

  

For anyone who knows me well, you'll know that fragrance is my Achilles heal. From the advertising to the bottle design , I'm hooked. If i'm out and about in town, it is inevitable for my nose to wander at the latests fragrant offerings retail has to offer. There's a beauty to fragrances where a certain scent may evoke an emotion , a certain time of your life or perhaps a memory with a loved one. Saying that, fragrances can also haunt you as a constant reminder of someone or something you'd rather forget. A stranger can walk right past you and BAM , their fragrance has kicked you in the crotch and in your nostrils is the haunting scent of your ex.

Right- on with the show. I have many perfumes and colognes that I've collected through the years. Some of them I've blind bought , ( bad idea I've learnt my lesson on that), and some I've bought but barely used over the years but have kept on to them for some reason or another as they remind me of a time or person.  The fragrances mentioned in this post are my most used and loved fragrances in my collection, that stand proud against the rest.

Giorgio Armani -  Acqua di gio 

A scent that  I didn't expect to fall so in love with when I initially smelt it. A mix of sea notes , citrus fruits and light florals create a sweet and sunny scent that screams of summertime and tanned skin on the beach. There's also a salty element to it that makes it refreshing and crisp, perfect for daytime wear and summertime weather .A friend and I once described it as a "sexy lemonade" and that pretty much sums it up. In my experience I've noticed the fragrance stays close to skin and doesn't project too far, so there's no fear of punching everyones nostrils who's in 20 feet of you. I've repurchased this fragrance as not only does it personally remind me of uni but it also reminds me of home and being by the seaside. A very popular mens fragrance and and I can understand why.

Jo Malone - Wood sage and sea salt 

Following the same theme as Acqua di gio is another summertime and sea inspired fragrance offering. from the house of Jo Malone comes this marine fragrance that is airy and salty. It doesn't contain many fragrances notes or any floral notes at all. with salt , seaweed and sage notes it is clear that this cologne is inspired by the seashore. Despite seeming to be a summer fragrance, I would wear this any time of the year as it's a light and uplifting scent  that warms me up and reminds me of home. Can you see a theme here? unfortunately the cologne doesn't last long on my skin, which is a shame due to it's price point but I love it nonetheless.

Abercrombie and Fitch - Fierce 

Often referred to as a popular high school or teenager fragrance but I love it!  A musky and woody fragrance that is masculine , youthful and athletic. It reminds me of a handsome man with a square jaw. With fragrance notes of lemon, fir , musk and oak moss I was surprised to enjoy this cologne as woody fragrances are very hit and miss with me. Fierce is a head turner and compliment getter due to it's projection though can be cloying if I've gone heavy handed on the spraying. The bottle is a little bit camp too but that's another reason for me to enjoy it so much.

Givenchy - play intense

My most repurchased night time fragrance. A deeper , richer and well.... more intense version of it's brother Givenchy play. With fragrance notes of coffee, tonka bean, patchouli and bergamot comes this sweet and alluring fragrance that reminds me of late nights and flashing lights. (perhaps this is mostly due to the fact I wore this as my going out fragrance at uni).  I've written a full review of this fragrance for "FAVE" magazine blog which you can check out here. The two most prominent notes to my nose are the coffee and tonka bean that create this caramel, sugary cappuccino scent. A long lasting Eau de toilette that warms up the winter air and completes my outfit for a night out on the town. Perhaps not to everyone's taste due to the coffee note, but I'm hooked !

Laura Mercier - Creme de pistache 

The most sweet fragrance I own, sweet and sickly like syrup on crushed sugared almonds. As the name suggests it contains pistachios in the fragrance notes alongside praline, chocolate , almonds and hazelnuts. I have a toothache just thinking about it! despite owning a small bottle of it, it has lasted me so long as a couple of sprays will last and linger on my skin for hours. I use this gourmand fragrance mostly in the winter due to it's heavy and delicious concoction that may even make me feel nauseous if I over do the sprays. The nearest fragrance that I have found that shares any resemblance is Thierry Muglers - Angel. If you aware of that powerful perfume than you can have some idea of the intensity of this fragrance. Not for the faint hearted but gorgeous otherwise.


As mentioned earlier this isn't my complete collection but the bottles I gravitate towards more than often and are my most loved. I shall be aiming to do some more in depth reviews of other fragrances I own , including celebrity fragrances that I've blind bought and stay hidden under the dusty bed. As a fragrance lover I also have my eye on my next perfume purchases.....

Sincerely, Harry

June Haul : Men's fashion 2014

I'm sure we can all agree on one thing this month , which is that where has the time gone ? May and June have just flown by without passing go or collecting £200. During June I decided that it was time to collect a few fashion bits and pieces for the summer,  as majority of my wardrobe still consists of heavy knitted jumpers. ( I'm a slave to winter fashion)! I don't often do Hauls of any kind, with majority of that reason being at present 1. I'm on a student budget and 2. I'm saving up for a house deposit.  The pieces of fashion I have chosen are more playful and colourful to match the vibrancy of the bright summer weather. If you wish to find the stores where I bought my items from, just click on the photo and it will send you to the webpage.

Hype T-shirt ( from Topman)

I'm a lover of floral for any day in any season and I fell in love with this garden floral print by "Hype". The Hype collections are found in most Topman stores and I have admired many of their designs,  though this shirt really took my fancy. The design consists of a bouquet mingled with garden greenery and the odd butterfly here and there. It is a very bold T-shirt but the white cotton background  helps to balance out the clashing colours. ( I've edited the third picture to emphasise the detail of the pattern)

Plaid Shirt from H & M

I love this shirt from H & M as it mixes three colours that would clash against one another if they weren't softened down as they are here. The shirt consists of a neutral tone pink, yellow and light blue for a soft plaid colour combination. I usually wear it buttoned up to the top with a pair of jeans though I could throw it over white T-shirt for a more casual look. I feel that due to the softened tones of colours, the shades may become more faded through general wash and wear, but will just add further to the neutral colour scheme 

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 This currently retails for just under £20.

Nike Trainers - Asos

I have had my eye on a pair of white trainers for some time now and when I spotted this Nike pair detailed in Teal, I had to have them! Further more for my reasoning to have them was that I was able to grab them in the sale. The teal colour is beautiful, but how long I can keep these trainers sparkling white for is another question.

Jack wills- rucksack

I love my current bag but I decided it was time to get a back pack that was colourful and spacious so I can throw together anything that was needed for travel or a get away to the beach.  I picked up this Jack wills backpack from the sale, in a bright pillow box red with a contrasting navy panel and navy lining. The bag straps are comfortable and boasts an exterior and hidden interior pocket to keep items such as mobile phone tucked safely away. I'm impressed with the quality of this ruck sac which I expected as always with the Jack wills brand.

White polo shirt  - Next

My final high street purchase is this crisp white polo shirt from Next. I previously had a Fred perry white shirt that I would  wear with just blue jeans, though it seems to have dissappeared in the depths of my wardrobe . ( I still pray for it's return). I adore the contrast of a crisp clean white shirt against dark blue jeans for the summer, something simple yet stylish. The collar on the polo makes the shirt seem a little more formal and gives some structure around the neck and shoulders.

The mint Apple :)

Quick Review : Blanx 'white shock' toothpaste

Having a casual cruise around Boots , ( as you do), looking for things I wanted but didn't need,   I came across this Blanx , White shock , whitening toothpaste .Intrigued by it's eccentric packaging and the fact it was on offer, I decided that I would give it a try to decide if the product was a breakthrough or just another gimmick.

Blanx white shock toothpaste claims to whiten your teeth by activating the whitening agents in the toothpaste with light. It seemed only fitting they have created a toothpaste that has a built in blue led light in the lid. The lid can be detached from the toothpaste so the toothpaste can be either used alone or attached to another tube of Blanx White shock toothpaste. The toothpaste itself is only 50 mls so majority of the packaging comes from the bulky led light. When you unscrew the cap the light turns on automatically and the light is supposed to immediately activate the toothpaste and it's whitening properties. The more light the toothpaste gets, the more intense the whitening action!

The test

So to ensure that I gave this toothpaste the fairest chance for testing it's results I used it exclusively , morning and night , until the tube was finished. I finished the tube fully after about  4 weeks. At times,  once I had brushed my teeth with the toothpaste, I would hover the light over my teeth for around 30 seconds to see if this would increase the chances of whitening my teeth.

My teeth aren't heavily stained though they could do with going up a notch in the whiteness scale.

The result

After four weeks of using the toothpaste I unfortunately didn't notice any differences in an increase of teeth whiteness. However , I did have to take into consideration that I am a heavy tea drinker and my teeth hadn't become any more stained than before. SO the toothpaste did a good job at keeping the stains away from my teeth and maintaining them at the colour they already are. Whitening toothpastes at times can be irritating to gums , make teeth feel sensitive or have abrasive grains to scrub the stains away. I didn't have any problems in regards to any tooth sensitivity using this toothpaste nor did it leave my gums feeling sore. I already have sensitive teeth, the last thing i would want is to make it worse! 

Unfortunately overall I'll have to call this one out as a gimmick as I couldn't tell any differences in regards to pearlier whites. I took photos of my teeth prior to using this toothpaste and can't see any changes.

The toothpaste isn't particularly cheap either and you only get 50 mls of product therefore it won't last as long as most toothpastes unless you use a lot less than a pea sized amount. Sorry to say I won't be repurchasing this toothpaste though I wouldn't miss trying others in the Blanx range.

What I did find handy was that the light came in useful when stumbling across the dark hallways of my house when the lights went out. Toothpaste torch anyone ? 

Themintapple :)