Just say yes - Disney on Ice and Brighton adventures!

Well hello to you my reader chums! It feels like forever since I've sat down and typed out a long chatty post. Today is going to be an overlook/ inspirational style living post about getting out and enjoying every adventure whether they're big or small. Over the past few weeks/months, I've been lucky enough to visit Barcelona, see James Bay, have a spa day and most recently go to Disney on Ice, plus finally going to Brighton. It's all been very hectic, yet doing many different, exciting things has made 2016 a brilliant year so far.

The Saturday before last, I celebrated my lovely friend Emily's hen do. The plan was to drive up to London, head out for a meal to Zizzi's and then go watch the magical Disney on Ice. It turned out to be a truly tremendous day; I got the chance to talk to a group of new girls, experiencing hours of joyous laughter.

Disney on Ice silver anniversary tour
All the characters together.

The show itself was utterly impressive! I'm a massive Disney fan so seeing the stories brought to life, fulfilled my childhood dreams. I was amazed by the sheer talent of the ice skaters and how they used the expressions to tell the tale. I loved every minute and was singing along to all the classic tunes.

Disney on Ice silver anniversary tour
Opening section

The overall show was sensational but my favourite part had to be the Little Mermaid segment. When the song 'part of our world' came on my heart sang with joy and I couldn't help but sing along! For the entire production, I was astounded by the costumes, stage design and how the whole thing was put together; it's so clever. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend, a universal show for all.

Disney on Ice silver anniversary tour
Peter Pan and Captain Hook

It was the best Saturday, celebrating such a special occasion!

On the Friday just gone, I accomplished such a personal achievement, I travelled to Brighton on my own. To many people this may seem like a minimal thing but to me it meant the world. If you've been reading my blog for a while and read my post on anxiety, then you'd know travelling on my own is something I'm completely petrified of, especially to new places. I headed to Brighton on Friday to attend Brighton SEO, a marketing conference with my work pals. I chose to travel up early morning instead of the night before as I didn't really want to stay in a hotel room as I wasn't 100% comfortable doing that. I set off early morning, hopped on the 6.30am train, had one change and them embarked on a further 2 hour journey. When I arrived at Brighton station, I felt a sense of relief I made it but slightly worried of the outcome of the day. I made it to the Brighton Dome quite easily and attending various talks on different topics. The talks were scattered in different rooms and the overall atmosphere was quite packed, however for some reason I didn't feel panicked the entire day. Brighton has to be the first new location I've felt at ease straight away, the cool toned down beach vibe made me instantly happy; I fell in love with the city.

Brighton pier

After the conference was over, my marketing crew and I took a walk down to the pier as I've never visited before and I must say it was as cute as I imagined! We took pictures, played in the arcades and shared a lot of laughs - the perfect end to the day. I then hopped in a cab ( I was running late for my train) and travelled home, feeling immensely happy with myself.

Gelato in Brighton

Earlier in the day in our lunch break, we had the classic fish and chip meal ( a must when you're by the seaside), followed by this delicious gelato. I opted for the Kinder Bueno and sea salted caramel - the best mouth watering combination. We then had a little gander of the lanes and walk around Brighton until our next talk began; it was incredibly relaxing.

The beach will forever by my happy place and I think that's why I fell in love with Brighton so quickly! The blend of quaint shops, beach views, colourful buildings and chilled vibe had me amazed, I can't wait to visit again soon (hopefully when it's a bit sunnier!)

GOMO - Going out more often, is something I've certainly strived for this year. Including the above events, I've experienced a vast amount of exciting things and can't wait to plan more adventures. I'm hopefully going on two holidays this year and I'm sure loads of other days out will crop up in between. There's nothing I love more than planning things to do, whether that's a day trip to London, going for a walk or doing something a lot bigger like a holiday. Adventure fills my heart and there's no better people to do it with than my best friends, those who bring laughter to each moment. If you need to create your own event, check out Eventbrite's event planning software for your next adventure!

I hope you enjoyed this adventure style post. Have you visited Brighton before?

Thank you for reading <3



3rd Blog birthday and Mac lipstick giveaway!

Well hello to you my reader chums! Today is a very special day on my blog as it's 'Della Loves Nutella's 3rd birthday! 3 years ago today, I took the plunge and created my own little space on the Internet, which in turn has been one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Della Loves Nutella Blog 3rd birthday!


Through the course of these three years, this blog has grown with me. I've used it as a diary, writing about holidays, adventures, special moments, a place to discuss all my favourite beauty items and even an area where I've shared some of my personal issues- in a sense it's been a form of therapy for me. Writing is something that makes me extremely happy; this blog has become an escape, a hobby I adore and I couldn't be more glad I'm still posting to this day.

When I began I was only 16 years old, with no clue whatsoever on how to run a blog, what to write about or where I would be in the future; a shy, insecure teenager. Now, I've grown into a happy young woman, confident in my body, my looks and growing in happiness everyday. I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by the most loving friends, family and to have experienced countless exciting memories with even more to come.

I want to take this moment to say a big thank you - whether you were with me from day one and are still reading today ( I know the odd few) or are a newcomer to my blog; thank you for the endless loving comments and adoring support. The beauty blogging community as a whole is incredibly heart warming, constantly advising or sending sweet messages on various social platforms especially Twitter. Blogger chats on there are one of my favourite things to join in with as everyone is so welcoming and we can share our love of beauty, together!

Since I've hit such a milestone, reaching the 3 year mark, I thought I would do a giveaway as a gift of gratitude. What better item to giveaway than a Mac lipstick - I'm utterly obsessed with lip products so I thought it was only right to give away a Mac lipstick of your choice!

Simply fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*Open to UK only*

I hope you enjoyed this anniversary post - good luck with the giveaway! What's your favourite hobby?

Thank you for reading <3

March favourites ❤️

Well hello to you my reader chums! With the exceptional month of March completely over, it's time to share with you everything I've been loving over the past few weeks. March was a whirlwind to say the least. It was packed with many incredible moments, adventures and experiences, all I will cherish forever. As loads of exciting things did occur, I don't have many beauty products to share, however there's a couple of gems I adore.

Here's an overview:

March favourites

March favourites

Sleek's Face form palette in 'Light'

The first product is a rediscovered, old favourite of mine, Sleek's Face Form palette in 'Light'. This used to be my go to contour/highlight palette because the bronze shade was the perfect colour to achieve that shadowed look and the blush/highlight were incredibly shimmery, drawing light to the cheek bones. Over the past few weeks, I've been loving the blush and highlight shade especially, together or even using one, because it gives the make up look that natural added glow. Also, the packaging of this product is brilliant, not only does it come with a large mirror but if travelling you have 3 products in one!

Kiko single eye shadow

Another love of mine has been this single gold toned Kiko eye shadow. I've gained an obsession with Kiko recently, every product I've tried of theirs has been top quality for the price you pay. This eye shadow in particular reminds me of Mac's 'amber lights', however is slightly more gold than orange toned, ideal if you prefer a gold coloured eye look. I find as I have blue eyes, like 'Amber lights, this colour really helps emphasise them. The pigmentation and consistency is gorgeous, I definitely want to give more of their eye shadows a try!

Perfect pink nude lip duo

The last products are a favourite lip duo of mine that I've been wearing quite frequently in the past few weeks, either together or just the lipstick on it's own for a more subtle effect. The lip liner is another gem from Kiko in the shade '315'. I absolutely adore this, the colour is a slightly dark dusky pink and the overall lasting power is amazing; it'll last for hours on end without fail. It somehow once applied has the ability to cling to the lips so when paired with a lipstick helps the duration of wear last. I like pairing it with Mac's Faux as the liner is a tad darker, enhancing the lips even further. The colour together blends to a gorgeous dark dusky pink, a rather sophisticated yet natural option to opt for. As the lipstick is a satin finish when I wear it with or without the liner, it's quite moisturising on the lips, giving them a ever so subtle sheen; I love this combination.

As I previously mentioned, March was an extremely busy month for me; I visited Barcelona, saw James Bay live, went to the Cadbury Crème Egg Café, celebrated my best friend's birthday, brother's birthday and many other events in between, I feel extremely lucky. Looking back I can't believe all the exciting and incredible things I got to experience over the past month, the fun I had with the most important people in my life. The spontaneous adventure, endless laughs, quirky chats, loving moments and more, March was a month to remember.

I hope you enjoyed my monthly favourites! What products have you been loving over the past few weeks?

Thank you for reading <3

London exploring and James Bay concert ❤️

Well hello to you my reader chums! On the Thursday just gone, 31st March to be precise Chloe and I headed to London for a fun filled day out. Several months before, we were lucky to get tickets for James Bay's tour in Hammersmith Apollo London and couldn't wait for the day to finally come long.

Best friends in Hyde Park

Since the concert wasn't till the evening, we headed up around lunchtime and made a complete day of it! Starting off in Covent Garden, we had a browse around the markets, shops and ate a scrummy lunch in Morelli's - they made the largest, most delicious milkshakes ever! Afterwards, we headed over to Hyde Park which for some reason, we've both never visited before. It was a stunning location filled with immaculate greens, a lovely lake and an overall picturesque, London vibe. We spent a while here, taking some OOTDs, selfies and enjoying a good old chat about our next adventures we'd love to embark on; utter bliss.

Best friends in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, best friend adventures

Hyde Park river

After a good old wander and explore, we headed over to Hammersmith to get a spot of dinner before James Bay began. To our surprise there wasn't many restaurants in Hammersmith until we found the little gem of Bill's tucked away. I've been wanting to try out Bills for a very long time after seeing many youtubers and bloggers rave about it! Safe to say it didn't disappoint at all - we went all out an opted for a three course meal. I had sweet chili chicken wings for starters, a halloumi burger for mains ( the best burger I've ever tasted) and sundae for dessert. I would 100% recommend going even if it's to just taste the halloumi burger ( I want another)!

James Bay tour, Hammersmith Apollo London

Then it was concert time! With the moment finally arriving, we were extremely excited to say the least. Doors opened at 7 and the opening act came on around 8ish - she had the coolest vibe about her! After much deliberation, at 9 James finally hit the stage and the crowd went wild! It was incredible watching some of my favourite songs live; his voice was even more heavenly in person.

James Bay tour, Hammersmith Apollo London

All of his songs live were out of this world however my highlights had to be Running, Let it Go, Best Fake Smile, Get Out While We Can and of course Hold Back the River, the classic. The most memorable moment had to be when the first few notes of Let it Go (my top song) played; everyone got up and sung along - it was magical.

James Bay tour, Hammersmith Apollo London

I always think how amazing it must be for the artist when a crowd of thousands sing their own songs back to them - too emotional. Words they've written, people fell in love with, go and buy tickets to see them live, to sing those words back to them - just magical.

James Bay tour, Hammersmith Apollo London
James Bay tour, Hammersmith Apollo London
James Bay tour, Hammersmith Apollo London

James put on a complete stunner of a show and I feel so lucky to of seen him live after listening to his album continuously for months on end. I have to admit, I've now got the concert blues and would love to go back to one asap. I keep watching the videos I took of the day and thinking back to the electric atmosphere, there's just nothing else like it.

I had the best day. Exploring various bits of London, eating like queens, enjoying heart warming chats and a surreal concert experience with my best friend, I couldn't wish for anything more.

I hope you enjoyed this lifestyle post and a insight into my day in London with my best friend Chloe. Have you seen James Bay live? What was your last concert you saw?

Thank you for reading <3

The perfect duo - L'oreal's Infallible range

Well hello to you my reader chums! After obsessing over and raving about the incredible L'oreal's Infallible primer, I decided to pick up the matching foundation to see how they would work as a pair. Even though the primer is loved by many, the foundation had varied reviews so I was a bit hesitant when testing it out.

L'oreal's Infallible primer and foundation
Primer overview

I've previously done an in depth review on the L'oreal primer, however I could rave about it all day. The primer has a thick consistency that when blended onto the skin feels incredibly soft. It takes a bit to fully work it in but once sunk in, does wonders. The transparency I prefer to a coloured primer as it doesn't feel like you've layered your face with loads of products. My favourite thing about the primer other than how long makeup lasts, is the mattifying element. It has the ability to keep the shine at bay all day long meaning there's no need to carry a powder with me to keep dusting my T zone. This beauty fixes it all and means I can wear my makeup, worry free all day long. If you haven't tried it and suffer with oily skin or just an oily t zone like me, it'll be your makeup saviour.


L'oreal's Infallible primer and foundation

Foundation

I'm always a bit hesitant trying out new bases as essentially it's the main element to your overall look. Therefore if it doesn't sit well on your skin, the rest of your base makeup won't apply as easy. Despite this, I took the plunge tried out the foundation and was very much surprised at the outcome.

Coverage: I was initially quite surprised about the variation in coverage of this product; it's very buildable. Whether you'd like a light, natural look for an everyday basis or a medium coverage to hide a multitude of sins on a bad skin day, this foundation has got you covered.

Consistency: I have to admit, the consistency of this foundation is rather unusual than others I've tried. Once spread over the skin, ready to blend, you have to work quite quickly otherwise I've found it clings and dries. Through blending onto the skin, the texture isn't watery yet has a slight drying ability which helps set it in place and build coverage. With that factor it means if you have dry skin, this foundation isn't for you, however for me it works perfectly. The consistency means the overall finish is very matte and keeps shine (if I have any) at bay.

Shade: When it comes to buying foundations, I'm the worst at picking the right shade as I have such a pale complexion. I opted for the lightest colour and on the first application found it was only a tad too light for me, something a dust of powder however could easily fix.

Lasting power: This has to be one of the most important factors in a foundation - will it last on my skin throughout the day? It certainly does. I wore it when I went to London on Thursday, I applied it around 10am and didn't get home to 3am the next morning after a concert; safe to say it still held well, despite the lengthy wear.



L'oreal's Infallible primer and foundation swatch

Combination:

Together, you couldn't find two better products that work hand in hand. Obviously as they're from the same range, you'd expect this to be the case and luckily it lived up to that status. Paired, the mattifying effect works like a dream, keeping shine away and pro-longing the makeup wear. After applying the primer, the foundation blends easier onto the skin, setting nicely and giving a natural overall finish. Despite the thickness of the primer, the foundation is quite light meaning when used together, the final combination doesn't feel cakey at all.

To achieve a medium coverage, matte look, these products have been my go to duo; I'm obsessed!

I hope you enjoyed this review style post. Have you tried L'oreal's Infallible range?

Thank you for reading <3