*New* Jason Smoothing Coconut Range

Jason is a brand that I can never go wrong with. Since their giant shower gels first caught my eye some years ago, I've been loyal to the range (the Glowing Apricot and Mango ones are divine!). Recently they have added three delicious scented coconut products to their skincare range with coconut oil and shea butter. The hand and body lotion and coconut oil are great moisturisers which I have decanted into little pots and take around with me. Despite the hand and body lotion being for extremely dry skin, I actually find the oil a richer moisturiser so favour this for putting on any chapped skin, but the HB lotion makes a great hand cream. Admittedly when I first saw the shower gel £10 seemed a bit of a steep price to pay, but I use mine every single day and it lasts for three months! In my (humble) opinion Jason is one of the best value brands on the high street and it's nice to know that the skincare I use every day is without parabens, SLS, petroleum, phthlates and artificial colours. 

Manuka fitness

Last year ended on a bit of  fitness high. I actually had a pretty good diet and exercise routine, which completely disappeared over January. In a bid to get this back, I have been buying "hip" work out gear and equipment in the hope that it will motivate me again!

Recently I got the Manuka yoga mat, footwear and a fitness ball which are made from sustainable, non-toxic materials. I'd never heard of the brand before; they were things my savvy mum picked up from John Lewis, but I'm so impressed with the brands ethos and quality. The mat is comfortable, light-weight and easy to carry around, and it's all really good value! If you want to incorporate a little exercise into your busy routine without forking out for a gym membership you probably won't use, I recommend having a little gander at the website here

Healthy food and Tennis

So the Australian open has come to an end and I won't bore those of you who aren't interested in tennis, but I gave a massive applause for Novak Djokovic the world number one player! Last year, Djokovic published a book which explains how dietary changes completely transformed his life both on and off court. 

Whether you're a tennis fan or not, anyone who is considering cutting out dairy, gluten or just interested in making little dietary changes may find this a really beneficial read. It's a short book which is packed with so much information. What I love is how he explains in really simple terms what certain foods do to our body and the way our organs are working to repair damage throughout the day. There is a chapter dedicated to identifying foods containing gluten and wheat, and many of the culprits had never crossed my mind such as chocolate milk! The last third of the book is a break down of his weekly food timetable with a good selection of recipes from it. Over the past year this has served as a reference book I keep returning to when I need a little positive motivation. Also, I love history so the account of his humble upbringing in war-torn Serbia was a really insightful glimpse into what living in Belgrade would have been like at that time. It seems so long ago but Djokovic is still only in his mid-twenties!

Merumaya

2014 was an experimental year for skincare, as I'd fallen into a bit of a rut of sticking with my tried and tested, safe brands such as Burt's Bees and Weleda. But oh, it's exciting when you discover a new brand which quickly makes its way into your daily skin rituals, isn't it?

That's exactly what I have with the Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm which has been part of my daily ritual for the best part of three months. What I love is that a small amount of this gorgeously scented balm rubs in like a face oil and turns into a milky lotion when a little water is added.  I give my face a quick swipe with a muslin cloth and my makeup just comes clean off- lip stick, mascara, the lot! With none of that tight feeling that many face cleansers cause. 

The Skin Brightening Exfoliating Peel is the first I have ever tried, and to be honest I think it's probably a bit too early for my twenty five year old face to be meddling with skin peels. It's different for everyone but I haven't noticed the slightest change in my skin tone with regular use. The first time I applied it, I had the worst face reaction causing a bit of a dramatic rash to appear, but with perseverance my skin got used to it. It also stings for the first minute. A lot. I'm going to give it to a willing guinea pig with a different skin type and update you.
It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has used the peel before, or can recommend another one!

Hello lovelies, I hope you're enjoying a nice Christmas break! I've got two weeks off work so I'm indulging in so much mulled wine and cake. It feels strange having the time to actually relax and pick a book up! A new release I'd been eyeing up for a while was 'How to be Parisian wherever you are' which I treated myself to while on an epic search for my little brother's Christmas present. The book was written by four French friends who offer little snippets of advice on how to handle every day life and affairs of the heart. It is split into short sections, some which are scenarios for the every day Parisian woman; others offered more as pointers such as 'a mother's advice on love' and 'the ideal man'. Like some of the reviews point out, there are quite a few ridiculous parts to it (ie, the typical French woman "randomly exclaims 'this is the most wonderful day of my life") and it hasn't got much substance, in fact you could finish the book in an hour, but it certainly made me laugh which has to be a good thing! It's sassy, fun and got me thinking about how I could channel some of the nonchalant Parisian attitude to my own life.

Overall it's a nice coffee table book or stocking filler. I got mine from the Urban Outfitters (RRP £16.99), but you can probably get it a little cheaper off Amazon.