East Midlands Designer Outlet - My Haul

Hello Beautiful!

I love designer gear. I also love a good bargain. East Midlands Designer Outlet, located in South Normanton, has combined the best that retail has to offer with the bonus of having 'up to 60% off '. How could I not resist taking advantage of some of these items?

My bargains

The first place we stopped in is the classic Marks and Spencer's. Although I do not normally shop there, it's my grandmas favourite shop so - why not?

I did manage to pick up a cute bandana bikini with pink candy stripes and bows on the bottoms. The bikini all together should have been over £30 and I manages to steal it for £18! which I think is pretty good for the quality. And what was better? That day the sun wear was an extra 20% off so I was extremely impressed.

I also had a quick gander at the clearance section (seriously, how could I resist!) and managed to find a decent 'push up' bra in my size. I do love Marks and Sparks bras as I always find them to be supportive and comfy - which any woman will know is a blessing when it comes to bras. The bra was a steal at £6.66 instead of £18 - which again is a brilliant price for marks and sparks!

As you know, I recently got a Fiorelli bag from T K Maxx and I really do like the brand. When I saw that they had an outlet store here I had to look for a bargain. I came across this glittery, funky Fiorelli London bag which I think will be perfect for carrying my University books and folders around in September. it may not be to anyones taste but I really do think it's different. 

And lastly, I have wanted to test some of the new Marc Jacob perfumes for a while now and noticed that the centre had a Fragrance Shop Outlet. So in I went in and unintentionally came out with a 50ml bottle of 'Dot'. Anyone that knows the Marc Jacob perfumes knows that the bottles are very cute with plastic flowers or, in Dot's case, a butterfly. The smell is extremely sweet, with vanilla, honeysuckle and jasmine all included in the fragrance. The bottle was £36.99 instead of £46.99 which has saved me a whole £10 - yay!

I am yet to go to the Bicester Village designer outlet, and I cannot wait to venture there!

Designer bargains are my thing!

My Current wishlist

Hello Beautifu'ls!


I really enjoyed doing my 'Birthday Wishlist' and with that being over 2 months ago - I think it's about time I updated my wishlist!

1. The 'Sex and the City' Boxset

Before I started university, I was obsessed with the movies but never interested in the series. However, I do not know if it's the inner journalist in me, or the influence of my gorgeous friends, but I have become obsessed with Carrie and her hectic love life. And because she is in the same field as me and completely obsessed with fashion - I feel connected to her! Even if my friends do say I am more of a Samantha character ... Ahem .... 

2. Cartoon/ Fun Midi dresses

OMG Fashion - £12

In my wardrobe, I have every dress imaginable - tie dye midis, paisley maxi, 'princess' dresses - the works! However, I still am in need of a fun midi dress - maybe the famous white batman bodycon dress as fashioned by Cheryl Cole, the 'Kapow' dresses that I have seen Vicky Pattison model (from Geordie Shore) or this super cute Barbie dress which I hope to wear one day myself! I think this dress is PERFECT for cocktails with the girls and with it's fun design is perfect for more of an 'upbeat' look. 

3.  Another pair of Kurt Geiger's .... 

Hope

Like any good fashionista knows (And what I learnt from Glamour editor Jo Elvin) that the more you invest in a shoe, the more comfort and more money's worth you'll get from the shoe. I love KG's - the sophistication, the style - the comfort! and the fact that the sale prices are very affordable, how can I resist! I have even found an eBay page that sells ex-display Kurt Geiger's for a small percentage of the cost. 

The link for this page is here.

4. The Beauty-Blender

For years, I have heard so much about these sponges and have always wanted to try them! However, the 'original' one is quite expensive so I am currently looking for one that is the same quality but at a more affordable price. When I do get this, I'm going to do my very first video! Exciting stuff!

This is all I can think of at the moment, but I shall update the post if anything else springs to mind.

What do you think about me doing a vlog? 

Review - Marilyn by Lush

Hello my Darlings!

As promised, here I am with a lovely hair mask review!

Anyone who is a blonde will know how hard it is to maintain:- the constant hair dying, the unwanted brassy tones & the drying state your hair becomes. Some hair treatment can cause blonde hair to become more brittle & dry, which is no fun!

However! help is at hand!

I was lucky enough to be sent a sample of the Marilyn hair treatment, and I am totally in love!

In it's iconic lush packaging, I couldn't wait to try the product & ran straight upstairs.

The thick, yellow mask smells absolutely gorgeous! you can definatly smell the infusion of chamomile in the treatment, and with the addition of olive oil, lemon oil and linseed you know that it it will do good for your hair. Aswell as the moisturising properties, the mask contains lemon juice to help gradually lighten the hair, as lemon and chamomile have naturally occurring peroxide. The mask is said to 'maintains the blonde you have, whilst chamomile and lemon combine to give a hint of a glint of brightness' which I will be putting to the test. What I like about Lush is the lack of chemicals in the products, knowing that they are actually doing good to your hair. And, of course, for the their lack of animal testing (having cats as pets since you were 6, they become like your best friends!)

So, the mask is a pre-wash treatment - meaning that you use it before you wash your hair. I slathered the product on, put a shower cap 0n & enjoyed a lovely, warm bath (aaa, relaxing baths - how I love thee) I left the product on for about 30 minutes and rinsed it off with cool water - and then proceeded to shampoo, condition and dry my hair. I was impressed with the results! My hair feels soft and actually shines!:



See! I wasn't kidding! AND it took out the brassy, yellow tones (I had bleached my hair about 2 days before the treatment)

I actually adore this product, and I WILL be purchasing some more! I seriously recommend you visit your local lush store or visit them online: https://www.lush.co.uk/product/283/Marilyn-Hair-Moisturiser

Have any of you tried this product before? what was your experience?

Lauren

xoxo

Hopeless Apparel - The Review

Hello Beautiful!

Since the beginning of the 'Facebook Famous' I have noticed a lot of 'Apparels' coming onto the market. As a wannabe fashion lover, I had to sample some of these for myself. Hopeless Apparel give there own twist in the apparel world -giving their consumers unique designers at an affordable price.

I was lucky enough to be sent the 'Hipsteril' top - which is a printed image of a tattooed Ariel, pretty cool huh?

Below are a few images of my sister wearing the top!

The top itself is £12, which I think is good value for your money seeing as other tops can range up to £20 for similar designs. Since I have received this top, my sister has wore it non-stop! and loves the design - teaming the top up with jeans or a pair of wet-look leggings. There is only one real downside to the top - since washing it, my mum has noticed that the ink has ran slightly so proper precautions should be made when washing your top!

The link for the site is here!

What do you think to apparels? Too hipster?

Guys, I am going to need your help ...

Hello my Beauties,

Isn't the sun glorious today?

With the summer months fast approaching, I think that it's time to finally start a proper 'healthy' routine.

I am at an average weight of 8st 7, and at a height of 5ft 4(ish) but I'm  feeling the need to 'tone up' before I   go away to Turkey - which happens to be 3 months away.

However, junk food and sweets always seem to be a problem when it comes to me losing the weight ...

I am, and have been for the last two and a half years, a McDonalds crew member (yes, you may laugh if you wish) and I always seem to be eating them! be it a quarter pounder and fries or a chicken sandwich - I cannot seem to stop! And this seems to be the same with sweet stuff - especially biscuits!

I am now more determined to try and tone up - especially after seeing this image of Kate Thorne:

Girl Crush?I think so ...

BUT! I am going to need the help of the followers! I have no idea on what to eat or what to do at the gym! and need some ideas in order to reach my ideal weight of 8st, or until I can see a six pack!

If you have any ideas, please feel free to write to me on the Facebook page or Tweet me!

We can do this. Together.

A Benefit pamper!

Hello my Lovelies!

Ever girl loves to be pampered right? Especially when it consists of makeovers done by a well-known brand!

On Wedensday, after handing in my final assignment (hooray!) me and Emily decided to treat ourselves.

At the Benefit stand in Debenham's (Nottingham) a 'makeover' party was being held by the members of staff.

The deal was that for £5, you would get a free makeover and a goodiebag at the end.

Well, it was absolutely brilliant! A typical girly pamper session - including some wine (well, you know what I'm like!)

We all ended up doing make overs on each other, which was brilliant as we all got to learn new make up tips! Yay!

So, what was in the goodie bag you ask? All I can say is that we were spoilt rotten - with free testers of the flawless foundation (a decent size too!), bad gal mascara, porefessional, the triple action moisteriser - plus 10 testers of the latest perfumes in a 'Marc Jacob' carrier bag.

The best part is that we also got the £5 refunded, in the form of a gift voucher so technically, we received everything FOR FREE!

Do I recommend this? Yes I do! It's fun, you learn new tricks and is definitely value for your money. Apparently, most stores hold regular 'parties' so inquire at your latest store for details.

How are you guys? Pictures of the event can be found below!

Backstage at the Big Reunion tour

Original Article can be found here: http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/Backstage-Big-Reunion-tour/story-19005570-detail/story.html#axzz2TYhBcJ00

IT was the decade of grunge and gangsta rap, R&B and Britpop but the 90s also saw the chart domination of the boy bands and girl groups.

Apart from Take That, Boyzone or the Spice Girls, those past pop idols all but disappeared from view... until The Big Reunion.

Me and Liberty X

The ITV series brought the likes of 5ive, Blue, Atomic Kitten, 911, B*witched, Honeyz and Liberty X back together for our amusement but proved so popular it revived each group's career.

The one-off London show at the end of the series wasn't enough for fans who demanded to see their former pop stars back on stage in cities across the UK.

The resulting Big Reunion tour made its way to Nottingham last week and we met up with B*Witched, 911 and Liberty X ahead of the show...

What experiences do you have of being in Nottingham?

911's Lee Brennan: "We've been to the city many times before. And I'm sure, after we've had our first beer, we will be like 'yeah, let's go clubbing!' After the concert, you just can't get to sleep; you're on such a high and you wake up singing the songs."

When was the last time you were in Nottingham?

Atomic Kitten's Natasha Hamilton: "I was last in Nottingham when I supported Lionel Richie on tour around 2007, so it's been a few years. The crowd was amazing and always is."

What do you think about being back together?

Blue's Lee Ryan: "I love it – I just want to be on the road constantly. I don't want to go home."

Blue's Antony Costa: "Oh yeah, absolutely, definitely. We wouldn't be doing this if we never enjoyed it and it's nice for us to get a second chance. You don't get second chances in life at the job that you love and we love our job."

Lee: "It's a bit like going back to school and reliving the fun years."

Have you noticed a change in your fan base?

B*Witched's Sinéad O'Carroll: "It's the same ones. They are the same people but their bringing their kids now. Our music is easy for kids to enjoy so it's actually quite nice for them to share it. "They are there wearing matching denim jackets with glitter and gemstones on. There are a lot of them doing that and customizing their clothes. We have just started to go into the studio and to write some new material. We put a new song on YouTube. So hopefully, if that goes well, we'll have a new crowd as well as the older fans."

Are there any tricksters on the tour bus?

B*Witched's Sinéad O'Carroll: "Antony is a joker and does some mad stuff; putting a wet tea towel on James' head. They threw a spider in our dressing room – but it seemed like a really tired spider. It must have been dying or something. And yesterday I had to knock on Blue's door about ten times. Antony is really funny because he keeps trying to pull the Irish accent off. When people are asleep we just start calling them and that can be so annoying! People will go 'Michelle?' and we're like 'what? what?' (laughs)".

Has it been hard getting back into the shape and into a routine again?

Atomic Kitten's Liz McLarnon: "I haven't even attempted to get back into shape."

Natasha from Atomic Kitten: "I got dressed for the gym this morning and was like 'argh, let's just have a steam room!' I kind of got there!

Liz: "Because everyone was a bit hung over today, you (Natasha) decided to go to the gym – I thought 'shall I run down to McDonald's and get everyone chicken nuggets?' That's a good point... I'd have been running! Although, in the end, I didn't go."

What are your plans for after the tour?

Liberty X's Tony Lundon: "We'll be back for the Christmas tour and thank God for that! Otherwise this tour would have been it for us. We have kind of decided that were not going to be recording any new music or any of that stuff. We're just trying to live life to the full while we're on tour because this is our last chance of living, really. So we're delighted there's a Christmas tour."

The Big Reunion - My Biggest Challenge Yet ...

Why, Hello There!

Oh-em-gee, I have had the most stressful time at the moment! Right now, I should be revising for my Law exam ... But, I think you all deserve an update.

At this moment in time, I have finished my first year at uni (yay!) and now have to focus on lovely Politics and Law exams (not so yay).

HOWEVER, I have had the most amazing time last week when me and my two other got to meet the cast of 'The Big Reunion' - which included all of my favourite music when I was a child!

I have got to say, I was a complete nervous wreck before I met 911, Blue, Atomic Kitten, B*Witched and Liberty X but, lucky for me, they were the most loveliest people I have met

After interviewing each band, we all attended The Big Reunion show, and I absolutely loved it! dancing to all the songs of my childhood making me feel like a giggling 10-year-old again. Those were the days!

And Today, the article was FINALLY published! So, If you can go and buy a copy of The Nottingham Post and you will see a photo of me with Liberty X (I know right!) and the article, which I shall link here

I will be posting some more stuff on here tonight and throughout the weekend :)

How are my readers doing? Let me know!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Original-Blonde-Journalist/355544201228541

Cafe Review: Patisserie Valerie

Hello Beautiful!

Like any civilsed girl in Britain, I love a good pot of tea and a fruit scone.

Instead of the usual cocktails; Me, Steph and Emily decided on a little bit less alcoholic fuelled outing.

Patisserie Valerie was the first of it's kind to bring continental pastries to the UK and introduced the cafe-like atmosphere to a bakery. It's fine desserts are well-known across the UK with many cities - one being Nottingham.

The Napkins

The cafe is located at the side of the Town Hall, furnished with red sofas and an outdoor area. As the cafe was extremely busy (ofcourse) we decided to sit outside; which I didn't mind as the view was amazing!

The view from our seats

The Cafe

After a 20 minute wait (I wasn't impressed either) we finally got served by a waitress and after another 5-10 minute wait we were greeted with this:

The variety of jams

Pot of tea for one

Scones covered in strawberry jam and clotted cream

Being a common lass, I have never had such gorgeous afternoon tea! The toasted scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream was absolutely divine. I love tea, and I could not fault the breakfast tea that was served to us. However, I did find a hair in my milk - which was quickly replaced by the waitress.

The experience overall was very enjoyable, especially when my friend got harassed by the pigeons (yes Emily, I mean you!) although the cafe is quite expensive, I would definitely dine here again!

Sorry for the absense! I will be blogging more this week!

Competition time!

Hello my Beauties!

Today is finally here - the very first competition for The Original Blonde Journalist!

In this competition, you get the chance to get your hands on a Girlie Goodie bag!

The Prize!

So what does the bag contain? Well! Each of the items in the picture is something I would wear or LOVE! Firstly, are the 'Juicy' style earrings - I am a HUGE fan of Juicy Couture! and these earrings are so cute!

Next, we have the Essie Nail Polish in the shade flawless. A baby pink colour, this shade is one of my favourite and can be worn everyday or glitzed up for a night effect!

Pictured on the bag, is a necklace. The necklace has a fox/wolf pendant that appears to be looking at the pearl 'moon'. I really thought this was exceptionally cute! and would be perfect with a floral dress.

Last but not least, a jewellery piece that I know a quite few people have been wearing - the golden cross ring. A key piece for all the fashionistas out there!

All of these goodies are to come in this exceptionally cute red polka-dot satchel. Small in size, this would be perfect for packing a few essentials and going for a stroll in the park (or a field, for us country gals!)

How do I enter?

All you have to do is like The Original Blonde Journalist Facebook page, which can be found here and share the status about the competition! It's that simple!

The competition will be closing 8:00pm on the 12th May - which gives you a whole week!

Happy Bank Holiday Everyone!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xxlulubbzxx

Intstagram: lulujade

Twitter: Laurenjlee94

FAST Review: An innovation for hair?

Hello my Gorgeous friends!

Ever had a really bad haircut? Or a hairdresser taking off a good 5 inche because you needed a 'good trim' (pfft, trim my bottom!) Well, fear no more! As I have been willing enough to test a shampoo that boasts about how it increases the growth of hair!

I am a sceptic, always have been so as soon as I saw what this shampoo was supposed to do - I had to try it. So, after a few days, I received a few samples of the product in the post.

'FAST (Fortified Amino Scalp Therapy) is a deep cleansing shampoo & conditioner that specifically made to stimulate faster hair growth, addressing all sorts of hair problems like a bad haircut, slow growing hair and even weak dry hair that is prone to breakage.'

The hair products are full of vital vitamins such as Cystine, cysteine and methionine which are sulphur containing amino acids. Over 90% of the dry weight of hair comprises proteins called keratins, which have high disulphide content, from the amino acid cysteine. Methionine is able to strengthen the structure of hair and nails.



Amino Acids help build hair follicles & so, encourage hair growth. Also, the process in which you apply the shampoo stimulates your blood in the scalp, which again helps hair growth.

The Results: Well, I have got to hand it to them - It really works! My hair does grow quite quick but I have noticed that It grows even faster with this product - a good 5 cm over 10 days! And I seriously recommend it! Although the treatment doesn't come cheap at £24.99 for both the bottles.

Tips: Taking Folic Acid supplements while on this treatment also helps increase healthy hair growth & drinking plenty of water.

Will you be trying this product?

P.S. I forgot to mention, I actually brought this product I loved it so much!

Tanning Review: He-Shi Tanning Gel

Hello Beauties!

My tanning addiction has grown, and although I love the sunbed - sometimes I just want to get that little bit darker without the thought of having to stand in a really hot sunbed.

He-Shi is a premium self-tanning company that has won numerous amounts of rewards for their amazing quality tanning products. These products (which can be used on both men and women) can be used in professional tanning salons or at home - which again highlights the high standards of the brand!

I was very lucky enough to receive the He-Shi Face + Body Tanning Gel and desperately wanted to try it as soon as I got it! The tanning kit even came with a tanning mitt! which was extremely helpful.

The Kit

The Tanning Gel

The gel is in a lovely brown tube, which is the same with all the other products and fits in well with the colour we want to go (well, sunkissed!). The tanning comes with instructions so you know exactly what to do and they are very simple - so if you're a beginner, you'll know exactly what to do. 

What was also helpful is the fact that the gel is tinted, so you will know exactly where you have applied and where you need to add more. The tan is very fast acting! although you do have to give it 6-8 hours before you have contact with water to get the full effects. Now, the picture below is the after photo of the He-Shi tanning gel. What do you think?

After using the gel

I am actually in love with the stuff! The product is long lasting, and I keep getting compliments on how tanned I look - which is a big surprise as I usually get called a milk bottle.

Check them out here to get their full range of products. 

Do you love to tan or are you more of a pale gal?