REVIEW | Jimmy Choo Exotic

I decided to do a review of this because I  wear it almost every day and it is by far my favourite perfume.

It's the Limited Edition Jimmy Choo Exotic Perfume, and it's not cheap, this particular bottle was bought for me as a Christmas present and cost around £70. Though I think if you shop about a bit online you can get 100ml for about £50-60, still by no standards cheap! 

I first bought it when in an airport duty-free shop, I got the 60ml bottle for about £36 (I think), but I fell in love instantly! It was only when I ran out of it did I realise it was a limited edition, so you can no longer get it in stores or even duty-free stores (I checked), it's exclusively online as far as I know.

As for the scent, it's so fruity! Exactly what I want in a perfume, as I'm really not a fan of strongly floral scented perfumes. But with this you immediately smell blackcurrant, a very subtle hint of grapefruit and perhaps raspberry? Whatever it is, it's an intoxicating combination, and then as it fades I think there are slight floral undertones. 

For me it's a long lasting fragrance that I don't often have to reapply once I've put it on. When I wear this, I constantly get compliments on how lovely I smell, which is so nice, and it also indicates to me that the sillage (how much the scent lingers/travels in the air around you) is quite large. The bottle and packaging are really rather stylish, I love the snake skin pattern with it's colour scheme of black, white and a bright hot pink. As for the bottle, it fits nicely in your hand when you're trying to use it, I have had one or two perfumes in the past that were quite an awkward shape.

Though this is pricey it does last me quite a long time, so for me, I can justify the cost and the fact I love it so much! I would definitely recommend this perfume if like me you prefer fruitier scents, BUT if you haven't had the chance to smell this in person, due to it's cost, it could be quite a risk buying this online on a whim, so be careful!

Keep smiling,
Birds in Blossom x

My Puppies! (that are nowhere near to being puppies) and a bit of dog adoption advice

Is it me or are they grinning?!

Today I thought I'd introduce you all to my two dogs, because everyone knows the internet loves dogs!

Though I warn you I am going to ramble on a bit about their back stories, which will then lead me onto dog adoption (I didn't intend to write about that but I did, oh well)

This is Ozzy.

 Smile for the camera!

We got him from an adoption center just over 11 years ago now, and so he's about 12, well, we're not 100% on his age as he was found stray as a puppy and the center predicted he was between 6-12 months. He's a Rottweiler-Terrier cross and is an absolute sweet-heart, though it often takes people a while to warm to him, I've never been entirely sure why, I think he's just misunderstood! 

He just had a cyst on his leg that needed removing, no worries!

He does have a few problems with other dogs though, mostly ones larger than him as he was attacked several times by other dogs when he was younger, especially by two boxers that lived on our street a few years ago, I would take him for a walk and they would always escape their compound and both go for him. I've tried to socialise him again, he is good with puppies and okay with dogs he's slowly introduced to, but when on a walk he does get a little scared by strange dogs and will bark. Poor baby!

What a cutie!

Now this is Amber.

This was the first time she had seen snow!

Amber is a staffordshire bull terrier cross (I reckon she has some boxer and some labrador in her), she's around 6 years old and we got her 4 years ago. 

When she came to us, again from a rescue center, she was in a terrible condition. She was originally at an RSPCA shelter but they can only hold so many dogs, and she was actually very close to being put down! Luckily the rescue center we got her from took as many dogs as they could from the RSPCA that would have been euthanised otherwise.

I remember the first time I saw her, she was so skinny, literally skin and bones, and the people at the center said she had been abused and they said that it seemed as though she had a litter of puppies but had them taken away, this led to her being very nervous around new people and any sudden noises would make her run and hide, and she was very possessive with toys, especially teddies, it was so awful to see a creature in such a poor state. We decided to adopt her as she became very friendly with us after a few visits, we even brought Ozzy to meet her and they got on swimmingly in their first meeting, which was perfect because we were actually after a friend for him. 

Even though she was fully grown, because of her weight we had to put her on a puppy food diet that consisted of small frequent meals, then over the next few weeks we made the portions gradually larger until we thought she was at an adequate weight and then moved her onto normal dog food. In the early days when walking I would actually get people in the street coming over to me and telling me that I was abusing my dog and what a horrible person I was, which was quite a shock but I would always quickly explain that she was a rescue and we were actually helping her, but on reflection I suppose I'm glad those people did that as they weren't letting a unhealthy dog pass them by without saying something, they were just, in a way, showing they cared about the well-being of this dog, and that's kind of nice (even if I did get a good telling off by one particularly horrified elderly woman one day).

Bath time or rabies??

After a lot of training by myself, she soon became habituated with loud noises and lost the need to run away or cower as she obviously lost the association of fear, and it took no time at all to rehabilitate her with people, in fact now she is such a little attention seeker! 

Now she's loves a good fuss and is always the first one to greet a new person with a wagging tail. I've yet to find someone who doesn't instantly fall in love with her, she is one of the sweetest, cuddliest dogs I've had the pleasure to meet.

The camera loves her!

If you or anyone you know are looking for a dog I highly suggest, if you have the time and commitment, you should check out your local adoption/rescue center before considering a pedigree from a breeder. These dogs desperately need homes and are almost always diamonds in the rough that just need a little TLC to shine. 

Though it does need to be taken into consideration that rescue dogs are A LOT of work and are certain to have a few problems at first, but that shouldn't put you off (unless you honestly don't think you could handle or help this dog, as if they're not trained properly problems won't get better and can become worse), you just need to put in the effort and you will have a new best friend and family member for life. 

However I must say I am not in the slightest bit opposed to getting a dog from a breeder as long as you make sure they have taken good care of the pups and their mum, and hopefully you'll be able to view one or even both the parents (always go check out a puppy a few times before purchasing). Ask the breeder questions about the health of the parents, as if it's a breed prone to health problems (i.e hip dysplasia) you want a puppy from a completely 'health-problem free' pair of dogs as they are often genetic issues.

You really need to do your research when choosing a dog that's right for you.

Anyway I've kinda let myself get way, WAY off topic (whoops). This is a matter very close to my heart so you will have to excuse me for the lecture! 

But thank you for reading, I hope I didn't bore you too much!

Keep smiling!
Birds in Blossom x

Little shopping trip to the Trafford centre!

So today my boyfriend had a ski lesson booked at the chill factore, (the lucky boy is off to France tomorrow with uni mates on a skiing holiday for a week! I was invited but uni assignments take priority, sigh) since he was going there I thought I'd drive him and then have a toot around the Trafford centre, which is right next door.

Well I dropped him off at half eight as his lesson started at nine and went straight over to the Trafford centre, little did I know it only opened at 10 (though i did get a cracking parking spot). I literally sat in my car for 20 minutes doing nothing, until boredom truly set in and I decided to go inside incase the cafes were open. If you've ever been to the Trafford centre you'll know how hectic and crowded it is but for about 2 hours it was just this...

Utter bliss!

(And Starbucks was open so I just sat down and relaxed with a frappucino waiting for the stores to open.)

Right, let me set something straight, I had gift cards and Christmas money to spend, so if you read my last post and saw that one of my New Years resolutions was to not spend frivolously, I'm going to say this trip didn't count as it is totally part of my Christmas presents!! (Blatant denial, the money saving starts tomorrow, I promise!)

Anyway I thought I'd show you all some of my january sales purchases...

First up is some Make up.

These were a bargain at £3.99 each, especially the eye-shadow mini palette, recently I've been coveting the Urban decay naked palette collection but it's a tad out of my budget but these are just what I was looking for in a replacement. There's not just this one, there's a whole collection and loads of gorgeous shades, but I tend to only use pinks and nudes so this was the one for me!

H&M - £3.99 each

 Next up... Nail polishes!

The red ones on the left were bought together in a set, and I got these as a... sort-of impulse buy as they were at the till but I have been looking for a replacement red glitter nail polish since my topshop one ran out and they don't sell it currently. The ones on the right are topshop and I saw them from the shop entrance and I had to have them, and since it's the sales there was a little deal which made me feel a little less guilty when purchasing them (that and the god-send of student discount!). They are a little pricey compared to some more budget nail polishes but they are worth it in my opinion not only because the colours are always lovely but they're really great quality.

Red ones are from H&M- £2.99

Blue ones are from Topshop- £6 each or 2 for £9

Now for some Accessories...

This is a really cute elastic headband which will go perfectly with a skirt I have and several other items, it's fake leather from what I can tell and feels really good quality, perfect for the spring.

Topshop - £6

I couldn't not buy these, they are so darn cute! Not exactly for everyday but cosy and have kittens on them so what's not to like?

River Island- £3 each or 3 for £7

Point of notice, as I've said these are 3 for £7 and I did have another pair of socks that were black with koalas on them (and just as cute) but the woman at the till was too busy chatting with co-workers so didn't scan them, I'm a little disappointed with that. Oh well.

Here are my favourite things to buy, the Clothes!

I have a little obsession with velvet at the minute, though admittedly I do have a red velvet skirt and I don't usually purchase things of which I own similar items, but it was in the sales and I tried it on and it's so soft and looks amazing. It's knee-length, which is another thing I'm loving right now, and there was also a lovely royal blue version (I would have bought that as well but I have recently bought a royal blue 3/4 sleeve velvet dress that's not so different).

Miss Selfridges- £20 (£18 with my student discount)

I have completely adored this coat since I first saw it and when ever I saw someone in town wearing it I would turn green with envy! However I could not justify paying £98 for it, then I saw one in the (actual) topshop store today in the sales and got all excited, but it was size 14 and £65, too large and still a little too pricey, so sadly I put it down. But later on I was looking in the small topshop section they have in Debenhams and there was one more in my size no less, and I checked the price tag again and found it was £45, that I could justify! So obviously I snapped it up (and with student discount it saved me even more moolah).

Topshop (Debenhams) - £45 (£40.50 with student discount)

Now I do have white/cream jumpers but this is a lot more fitted and lighter (as in thickness/weight) than my others, and it's got a nicer design so I thought it would be great for spring when it's starting to warm up but not quite vest top weather. It's a size or two larger than I actually am, but that's usually okay with regards to jumpers (in my opinion) and this one, like I said, is more fitted so it's just right for what I wanted. A good find, I reckon.

River Island- £10

I wasn't to sure about this skirt at first as it has a crinkly texture (which you can see in the photos) and it feels like it looks but I liked the pattern (shown in more detail underneath), but it's not uncomfortable to wear or anything it just rustles a bit when you walk. Yet when I tried it on (with the jumper above) it was just so lovely and looked really pretty and for the price I couldn't say no!

River Island- £5

This scarf was in the sales section, but didn't have a sales price tag like everything else, so I thought maybe someone had just left it there, but it was so soft, thick and with such lovely colours that I decided to take it to the till with me just in case it was on sale, as the normal price was £22 which wasn't shocking, because it's huge and really good quality but I wouldn't pay that much for this kind of thing. Lo and behold, it was on sale, and £7! Bargain!

River Island- £7


Lastly, little bath time treats!

I don't know if you can tell but I do love my LUSH bath bombs and bubble bars (even the little snowman is from LUSH) so I got quite a few. I think I'm going to make a post entirely on this 'haul within this haul' as I bought a variety of things and I think I'll review them individually, so keep an eye out for that in the very near future (I've got to use them first though!).

LUSH- Variety of prices, total around £30

I'll be more specific on prices etc. in the post I'm going to write solely for these, I just don't have the info. at hand at the minute.

I don't often go into The Body Shop, but I'm not sure why because they do so much gorgeous stuff. I need to get more things from here, most definitely! But I did wander in today as I had time to kill and there were so many amazing offers, but this caught my eye, well more my nose, as it smells AMAZING, it's passion fruit scented body butter and shower gel and I am in love with it, great price as well!

The Body Shop- £8 Bought together as a set (originally £15)

That's all folks!
Well not really, I did buy a ton of pretty Christmas wrapping paper as well since it was all dirt cheap and so I thought I'd stock up now, why not?

I had a really nice chill shopping day today, just by myself, it's sometimes nice to have change. I do love going shopping with friends and family but there are times you just want a little day on your own to browse at your own pace, on your own timescale, and for such a hectic shopping center I left surprisingly relaxed!

Hope I didn't blather on too much...

Keep smiling!
BirdsinBlossom x

New!- Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Just Some Good Ol' New Years Resolutions.

Happy New Year Everyone!!! Source

I hope those of you who went out are managing to nurse hangovers effectively (how many of you have a resolution to 'NEVER drink again' I wonder?).

Anyway I thought I'd just start the year by sharing my new years resolutions with the internet. Most of them are just your plain, same old stuff but there is one that slightly out of the ordinary, at least I think so, and I really am going to try to work at it because it could, if it works, be really good for me.

Here, I'll list them:

Eat healthier! (surprise, surprise!)

My diet is so, so bad at the minute, full of junk food, sugary snacks and fizzy drinks, it's doing my physical and mental health no favours and is in MAJOR need of sorting out!

More Exercise! (another shocker)

I was going the gym regularly (and lost a stone in 3 weeks!!) just before the summer, but I've piled it all back on, and then some, since July and I'm just not feeling good about myself, so exercise (and a healthy balanced diet) will help me get back into shape. I'd like to say that I'm not aiming to be a skinny minnie, just a more toned version of my self, I am a naturally er... bulkier? girl, meaning I have always have muscular thighs and slightly broader shoulders than other girls but I've never really minded that everyone has a different body style, I just say I have a amazonian build (without the height though!).

Save money more efficiently

With money I am lucky to have very supportive parents, but now I'm out living with my boyfriend I have to be much more careful with my spending as I can't just ask for a quick loan from the olds. Last year I did manage to save a couple hundred over a few months but then I had to dip into it one time and it was like the floodgates opened and it was all gone over a single weekend (whoops!), that's also something that falls under this as well, not spending so frivarously that is. I have a terrible habit to go out for a particular item and end up on a full blown shopping spree!

Be more resourceful!

By this I mean that I really should make more things myself- DIY all the way! This was really brought to light over Christmas when I spent £500+ on presents for people when I know that I have the skill and the creativity to make things for people that are just as nice, if not better, a fraction of the cost, and in my opinion much more thoughtful/meaningful (and thanks to Pinterest I have thousands of ideas to work with!).

Be more organised!

I am actually gradually getting better at this, but I'm still occasionally forgetting deadlines for university assignments, losing important documents or missing appointments, oopsy daisy. I think my room also falls under this, two of us share a room (me and the boyfriend) we are still, sort of, in the early days of living together but it's constantly a mess and things are getting broken or lost so I need to implement some kind of organisation here, though getting him to follow them will be a challenge in itself!!

Last but not least, the one I think is not quite your usual resolution...

Take more selfies!

Okay, so it's no ground breaking idea, but for me, it's a HUGE ask!

This resolution stems from me being terribly camera shy, I'm always that girl that dodges the camera like it's a loaded gun, and I'll usually avoid being in photos by offering to be the person to take the picture. To most people you probably wouldn't think being camera shy is such a big deal, but for myself, it's such a sad thing, I mean I can look back over years of photos of holidays or outings with friends/family and not find a SINGLE one with me in it, and it can sort of feel like I'm not part of the memory. There are so few photos of me in existence and so I have decided to be brave and try to take photos of myself more often, especially if I'm out and about with friends or family, you know, start being a presence in the more physical aspect of memories.

BUT!

I also want to see if this can boost my confidence a little because it's been pretty darn low these last few years, mostly being a self-esteem thing, and though it's seems a simple ordinary thing to just feel comfortable in front of a camera and happily be in photo, I know it would make such a difference to me.

That's it really for resolutions for now, though I may think of a few more in the days to come, but you should never be too critical of yourself (advice I really need to take) as you'll find yourself fretting over little things and it can make you miss out on living life! At times you just need to be you and love yourself for just that.

Here's a selfie I've just taken to get myself started, and yes, I AM THE HAMBURGLAR!

Keep smiling!

BirdsinBlossom x