• Canvas Dezign review & 15% off coupon code •

I'm always changing up my bedroom - changing my mind, changing the colour scheme, even simply changing my duvet cover

...as I feel like, since I live at home, my bedroom has to be a reflection of my personality as I only have one room to play with. I'm planning on moving out next year and I've already started to imagine what my kitchen will look like, what sort of colour themes I'll have for my living room, whether I should go for shabby chic in the bedroom...so I've devoted a few boards on my Pinterest to home decor, cute things and DIYs (you can follow me here). I do love a good canvas and I think they never go out of date - provided you pick a classic, non-offensive design - and I've built up a small collection over the years, so when Canvas Dezign asked me if I'd like to review a personalised canvas* I was extremely excited and grateful.

I love the idea of being able to personalise a canvas and really make it your own. I chose a photo of my best friend and I overlooking Barcelona in a national park as I think it's a really lovely, special photo which brings back memories and makes me smile whenever I look at it. The canvas is great quality, it's not pixelated at all and it arrived 3 days after ordering it, which is amazing. I've hung it up in the centre of a wall in my bedroom and you can see it as soon as you walk in, I think it adds so much to my bedroom whilst still being quite a classic and interesting photo. If you're interested in picking up a canvas for yourself, Canvas Dezign have kindly given my readers a 15% off coupon code - you just have to enter Blog15 at the checkout. 

Let me know if you try one of these personalised canvas'!

Daniela

• GUEST POST // I Wish I Could Wink // Face of the Day •

Hello Daniela's wonderful readers! I'm Faye and I blog about fashion and beauty at I Wish I Could Wink. I jumped at the chance to guest blog on Daniela Scribbles as it has such pretty, fresh and informative posts! I hope you enjoy my face of the day.

I decided to do a bright, spring look using my favourite Sleek lipstick in Papaya Punch which is a gorgeous bright coral colour. It's pretty matte though so make sure you prep your lips by exfoliating and applying plenty of lip balm! (My favourite is Burt's Bees). I used the Barbara Daly Flawless Primer to smooth my skin, then applied Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Foundation in Fresh Ivory which is my absolute favourite base, as it gives a lovely, natural finish. To cover my dark circles I applied (blogger fave!) Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, and then used Benefit Sunbeam to highlight  my brow bone and the top of my cheeks. Next was a sweep of Bronze Me Up by Along Came Betty on my cheeks and forehead/nose. For my eyes I used Benefit They're Real on my top lashes and No 7 Lovely Lashes to make the bottom ones stand out (I find They're Real flakes too much to use there). I also applied MAC fake eyelashes (No. 32) which are natural but give a cute flutter, and filled my brows in with the darkest colour in 17's In the Nude shadow trio. To make my eyes look fresh and wide awake I applied a white eye shadow from Sleek's Bad Girl palette in the inner corners. Eyeko Skinny Mini liquid eyeliner finished off my eye make-up as I wanted to keep the lips the focus of the look. A spritz of MAC Fix+ was all I needed to keep my make up in place!

Faye x

If you would like to guest post on Daniela Scribbles, drop me an email - dannidiraimo@gmail.com
or tweet me @ddiraimo92

Make sure you check out Faye's gorgeous blog - I Wish I Could Wink - and tell her I said hi!

Daniela

• May Birchbox #2 // review •

I was so impressed with the last Birchbox that I just couldn't wait for the next one - and it did not disappoint.

With a mix of high-end and middle-end products (the majority being higher) I was so excited to see my favourite mascara and a well-known cleanser as soon as I opened the box. The products are based around 'outdoor adventures' - spending longer outside in the warmer weather - and this stunning box is a collaboration with Harper's Bazaar. If you wanted to see what I received in last month's Birchbox, you can click here to read that post.

Soigne Nail Lacquer in Cerise // £11 (full size)

This stunning nail polish is so opaque, so easy to apply and has such a lovely thin wand to work with. It's such a beautiful colour and I'm really pleased I received this in my box - I checked out the other colours that other's received and I already have those sorts of colours in my collection, but this one I feel is quite unique. It's grown up, but still a pretty, fun pink. And look a that packaging! How cute?!

Benefit They're Real! Mascara // £19.50 (full size)

I can't profess my love enough for this product. I've written a full review of it here, where you can see how the product works to transform my eyelashes into fluttery, volumised beauties. The plastic bristles really grip every single lash and the formula is so budge proof that it lasts all day and into the night. It volumises, lengthens and is the blackest black, making lashes stand out and appear much fuller. 10 out of 10 for this product and I will always repurchase, so it's handy to have a mini travel-size tube of it!

Philip Kingsley One More Day Dry Shampoo // £13.50 (full size)

I am loyal to my Batiste but I have heard that there are dry shampoos which don't leave your hair white, so I'm always up for giving new things a go. This product therefore was very much welcomed into my haircare collection. It works perfectly and doesn't leave any residue in my hair, it turns my hair from a greasy mess into a voluminous mane and it smells delightful, too. I've used it to death and there's still product in it which makes me think that the £13.50 price tag is worth it. I'm going to look into buying myself a bottle of this when I run out as I think it does a fantastic job (and makes me a lot more lazy when it comes to hair washing!)

Aromatherapy Associates Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil // £39 (full size)

This smells divine! It doesn't get more luxurious than Aromatherapy Associates and I'm so happy to have received this in my box. I've used it once but I used it sparingly (so I could get another use out of it - cheapskate!) and it created the most uplifting, invigorating scent in my bathroom. My skin felt so soft after use and I'll be popping this on my Christmas list as I don't think I could justify spending this much money on myself for a bath product, however I'd very happily receive this as a gift! *secretly hopes Mum/Dad/brother/boyfriend is reading this...*

Liz Earle Beauty Co Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser // £13.50 (for 100ml)

I don't want to say too much about this product as I'm planning a post where I compare it to one of my favourite lower end hot cloth cleansers, but I have to say that this product really is lovely. My skin is going through a bit of a rough patch at the moment due to a certain product (read this post here) so I'm treating it with a little more TLC as I usually would, and the Cleanse and Polish is so gentle that it's helping to calm my skin down a little. I love that it comes with a little muslin cloth, and honestly, how generous is this sample size? You literally need a pea-sized amount so I can see this lasting me a rather long time!

There are the five gorgeous products I received in this months Birchbox - not one of them a dud, a mix of make up, skincare and haircare - which is exactly what I'm looking for in a beauty box. If you haven't subscribed yet, I really urge you to give it a go. It's opened my eyes to some products which I ordinarily wouldn't have the opportunity to try out (Aromatherapy Associates...)

What did you think of this months Birchbox? Which was your favourite product?

Daniela

• Mr Nutcase personalised phone case // review •

Lusting over a pretty custom-made phone case has long become a distant memory thanks to Mr Nutcase.

I first became interested in the idea of a personalised phone case when watching an old video of Fleur's (Fleurdeforce) and was in love with her phone case. I decided there and then that I needed one in my life. When I received my iPhone 5s in March, I knew all too well that I'd be searching for the best company to provide me with the best quality personalised phone case. And then Mr Nutcase contacted me; a company that creates custom phone cases at very affordable prices. The process was so easy - I went onto the Mr Nutcase website, chose the make and model of my phone and uploaded the photos that I wanted on the phone case. 2 days later the phone case arrived. If that's not great customer service, I don't know what is.

As you can see on the photos, the case is such amazing quality and the photos on the case are so clear and sharp. I was worried that when I chose the photos the quality wouldn't be great as I took a few of them on my phone, but when I received the case I was so chuffed to see that the photos aren't pixelated at all. I went for a floral/bird pattern theme running throughout the whole phone case, a photo of my best friend and I on a beach in Barcelona, my favourite quote 'enjoy the little things', my gorgeous little bunny rabbit Tilly, and my boyfriend & I at a national park in Croatia. I chose the 'Ultra Light Weight Slimline' case so the case only covers the back of the phone. This option costs £14.99 (but read below for a 10% off code!)

So a massive thank you to Mr Nutcase for providing me with such a fantastic phone case! And as a special welcome to you, you can receive 10% off a personalised phone case with the code Thanku10 at the checkout. All you need to do is head over to Mr Nutcase and get creative with your design!

Let me know if you try out this amazing service - you won't be disappointed!

Daniela

• Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towelettes // review •

Every now and then, I come across a product that confuses me;

a mind-boggling, annoying product.

Luckily this doesn't happen very often but recently I had a terrible experience with the Yes To Cucumbers Facial Towelettes. I received them in a Birchbox (which, by the way, is an absolutely FANTASTIC beauty box and I really recommend - check out my review here) and I was so excited when I saw these in the box. They promise to "pick up the slack, providing a portable source of cleansing and exfoliation when your sink and bathroom shelf are out of reach. In fact, with their natural, biodegradable ingredients, you don't even need a trashcan..." and go on to say "these 98% natural wipes pull triple-duty as a cleanser, exfoliator, and moisturiser, all in a handy pocket-sized package. Organic cucumber extract removes dead skin cells and relieves puffiness, while aloe vera soothes and hydrates skin. Green tea's dual antioxidant and astringent properties help to ease troubled skin and prevent unexpected breakouts." So instead of absolutely pulling apart their claims, I have to first say that everyone's skin is different - mine is combination, and yours may be combination, and my skin might hate this product, but yours might love this product. Now, onto the slating.

After just one day of using this product I broke out in a horrible spotty, red, sore rash. My face looked as though volcanoes were brewing underneath it. It was painful, dry and was sensitive to the touch. I decided to try the towelettes again, thinking that it can't have been them after only one use, and my face became even worse. On the third day, I used them to remove my make up once more, but then I swiped my Garnier Micellar Water over my face afterwards to calm it down a little. It was still a red, spotty mess. I made the right decision and decided to stop using them.

They're heavily scented which probably didn't bode well with my skin, so that may be why I reacted badly. But aside from the fragrance, they're very dry wipes with not a lot of moisture on them, which confuses me - why do they claim to be moisturising when the wipes themselves are dry?! They contain aloe vera (although I'm unsure as to the quantities) so my guess is that they should be soothing on my skin, but these wipes really sting like hell. My face was literally in pain. Now this could be due to the green tea which provides "astringent properties" to help "ease troubled skin and prevent unexpected breakouts" - funnily enough, after using this product, I've had no end of breakouts after a particularly good stint with my skin (which is absolutely gutting!)

After tweeting about my problems with this product, I had some interesting replies. A few other bloggers had received this in their Birchbox and also had the same problems as me. I was shocked, really, at the response I had - several girls had experienced breakouts and sore, dry skin. It seemed that no-one had a good word to say about the towelettes.

Now, after a week, my skin has only just started to calm down. I've been slathering on the Sudocrem before bed and I've been wearing less make up to try and give it a chance to breath. It's unfortunate that after a few months of good skin, my efforts have been ruined by this product. I'm hoping that soon my skin will go back to looking normal. In terms of trying new skincare, I'm still open to new things (which may shock a few of you!), however there's only one place for this and that's certainly not on my skincare shelf - to the bin they go.

Have you tried this product? What did you think of it?

Daniela

• Collection Work the Colour nail polishes // review •

I'm a nail polish hoarder - I know, it's a problem, and at my last count I was up to 197. But everyone needs 20 shades of green, don't they? No? Just me then.

When I was lucky enough to receive the whole of the nail polish collection (!!!) from Collection, I was so excited. 24 shades of what can only be described as pure gorgeousness made me a very excited girl indeed. The Work the Colour nail polishes are simply stunning - with their long wearing, chip resistant formula that doesn't streak and is extremely pigmented, there is literally nothing to complain about. When I looked up the price I just couldn't believe they were only £1.99! The colour selection is fantastic and there are a mix of shimmery and block colours which makes them perfect for someone like me who enjoys a good accent nail every now and again.

The Pastels. 

L-R; 8 Babydoll Pink, 22 Lilac Daze, 23 Baby Blue, 3 Bear Nude.

The Pinks.

L-R; 1 In the Pink, 15 Tropical Pink, 9 Pink Cadillac, 5 Neon Pink, 20 Raspberry Pink.

The Golds.

L-R; 18 Going for Gold, 13 Scorched Copper, 16 Fools Gold, 11 Golddust.

The Brights.

L-R; 21 Sonic Blue, 17 Orange Zest, 12 Purplicous, 7 After Dinner Mint, 4 Blurple, 2 Lady in Red.

The Blues.

L-R; 14 Deep Blue Sea, 6 Blue Belle, 19 Titanium Grey, 10 Peacock Green, 24 Fairy Dust.

So as you can see, there really is a colour for everyone. I'm just super impressed with the quality and shade range of these nail polishes and if Collection bring any more out, I'll definitely be purchasing them (hoarder by name, hoarder my nature...)

Have you tried any of these nail polishes? What's your favourite brand for nail polishes?

Daniela

• Graze box #1 // review •

I'm all about the food - when offered, I'll never turn it down. I love trying new things and experimenting, and when it comes to snacking, the more adventurous the better.

Cue Graze box. A healthy, pre-made snack box which requires no thinking and minimal effort. Four well-portioned snacks delivered to your door, weekly, monthly, daily, whenever you fancy. What a genius idea! All you need to do is create a Graze box account, rate different snacks and order your box. The people that pack your box ensure that your box is tailored to your tastes - they won't put snacks in that you have rated badly (foods that you'd rather not receive). There are three types - a nibble box (full of wholesome snacks), a breakfast box (for running late-ers) and a goody box which is especially for children. Graze promise to keep their snacks healthy and light, whilst being so delicious and lovingly prepared.

My box included Black Pepper Popping Corn, Korai Chutney with Baked Curry Bites (amazing), Caramel and Peanut Track and Field and Lightly Toasted Pistachios. I was so chuffed with the snacks that were chosen for me - I love a mix of sweet and savoury and this box was definitely suited to my tastes! Every single snack was yummy and was packed full of flavour, I'm so impressed. My favourite snack was the Korai Chutney with Baked Curry Bites - these were gone within about 20 seconds of me opening the packet. Seriously moreish.

I generally eat healthily anyway, opting for a packet of nuts or a piece of fruit for a snack, but sometimes we all slip up and I have been known to eat an entire family sized pack of M&M's on a cheat day. Graze just make it so so easy to eat healthily and I really recommend the nibble box. I can't speak for the other two, as I haven't tried them, but this one is just right for me. The delivery time was incredible - it only took 2 days to arrive - and the packaging is minimal and eco-friendly. But the thing that impressed me the most were the snacks, obviously, but also the price of the box. At only £3.99, you receive four decent sized snacks that are suitable for elevenses, three'sies, any time of the day. I told myself I'd only try the one box to review it, but I've already ordered myself another...oops.

So I say, just give it a go. You'll find promo codes online to get your first box for free. Why not?

Daniela