Day out at Basildon Park

At the weekend I ventured to one of my local National Trust properties, Basildon Park.  The rooms of the mansion are a patchwork of Basildon through the decades.  The tour of the interior leads through rooms with curio cupboards, both decorated with and housing a plethora of peachy pink shells (..and hummingbird nests), rooms restored with green silk from the curtains of a neighbour and ceiling panels in the dining room which replaced the originals, now housed in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York.

The quaint gardens with their cottage garden style borders are also definitely worth a wonder.  Heavily scented roses rub shoulders with elegant hollyhocks and the borders were hosts to busy bumble bees.  There are also various walks and trails to explore, ranging from half an hour to three hour rambles.

Basildon Park has provided the backdrop to some of my favourite period films, including Pride and Prejudice and The Duchess.  I couldn't help but imagine I was Keira and dressed in the finest silk dresses whilst meandering through the rooms and up and down the staircases!

While I was walking round Basildon Park I decided to take advantage of the National Trust's young person's membership.  If you're keen on exploring stately houses in the UK this Summer, it's definitely something worth considering as you only need to visit two or three properties to get your money's worth!

I would love some recommendations of other properties to visit.  What's your favourite National Trust property?

P.S. This post is NOT sponsored!  I just really enjoyed my day out and wanted to share the Young Person's membership as it's such good value!

Scully's of London @ Popup Britain Camberley

A couple of weeks ago, whilst shopping in Camberley, I came across one of the Popup Britain stores.  Intrigued and keen to kind out more, I stepped inside and found myself introduced to the Popup Britain store concept and six independent brands I'd not heard of before.

Popup Britain offers online start-up businesses the chance to try out selling their goods in a physical space for two weeks at a time.  Empty stores are taken over by six different independent retailers for their first chance to get their products onto the high street.  Not only is this a fantastic opportunity for the retailers but also an inspired idea to improve the health of Britain's struggling high streets.

I was delighted to see an organic skincare company, Scully's of London, occupying a sixth of the space in the Camberley store.  Their product range includes hayfever balms, bath milks and candles.  They also have unique ranges tailored to gardeners and chefs.  I particularly liked the Chef's Hand Cream, containing Sweet Mandarin to counteract the odours of garlic, fish and onions!

I'm really glad I stumbled across the Camberley store and hope to see more stores opening up around the UK!

Have you discovered any new brands at a Popup Britain shop near you?

May Favourites

Not only does this post contain my favourite items from May, but April too!  Over the past few months, I've found some new staples for both my make-up bag and bathroom cupboard!  The items I've included are also great for a good pamper session when combined!

Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter
The Righteous Butter is perfect for dry legs and elbows and sinks into the skin so quickly.  It also doesn't leave a greasy residue as other butters do.  It's fast becoming my favourite body moisturiser!

Lush Cupcake Fresh Face Mask
Chocolate and face masks are two of my favourite things for a girly night in.  The miracle workers at Lush combined the two in their Cupcake fresh face mask.  I have to exert a lot of will power when using this to stop me from eating it!  It's perfect for oily, blemish prone skin and leaves my face feel super clean and soft afterwards.

Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Fruitti
This purchase was completely inspired by Estee from EssieButton back in April!  Just in case you haven't yet tried Revlon's Lip Butters, the formulation is silky soft and the pigmentation is fantastic.  I love Tutti Fruitti, although it's not a colour I would usually go for!  The lasting time of the colour is the only negative point.  But for a pop of colour on the go, this is fantastic!

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Lychee
I've heard mixed reviews about Barry M Gelly Nail Paints.  Lychee is my first foray into the collection and I have to say I'm impressed!  Lychee is a beautiful, buttery nude with a perfect glossy shine.  For me, the polish lasts longer than Barry M's regular polishes.  I'm hoping the shade Dragonfruit will be joining Lychee in my nail collection soon!

Good Things Fresh Start Creamy Cleanser
Good Things are fantastic natural skin care brand for those on a budget.  I've been loving using their Fresh Start cleanser in the mornings and love it's berry scent!  It's moisturising but also perfect for oily or combination skin.

Tu Orchid & Sweet Coconut Candle
I popped this in my shopping basket whilst doing my shop in Sainsbury's the other week.  The delicate coconut scent is perfect for lazy sunny days and I've been burning it every day since I bought it.  Its also currently on offer for only £2.66!  Bargain!

17 Falsifeye Mascara
This is definitely my new favourite lash product!  It makes my lashes look fuller and longer, whilst also separating them.  The bristle brush coats all of my lashes and it certainly picks up a lot of product.  When I first started using Falsifeye I had to wipe the excess product before application.  However, this ensured for fab lashes!

What were your May favourites?