Book: Love, Tanya by Tanya Burr

First of all an admission, I have never seen any of Tanya Burr's videos or read her blog. There, I said it, it's out there, so why did get the book out of the library? I know Miss Burr is currently one of the biggest vlogger on Youtube at this current moment, I was intrigued by this as I knew it was more of personal book than Zoella's novels.

It is a mixture of autobiography, hints and tips and personal experience. It starts from Tanya's childhood with more focus on how she got into make up industry (She got her experience assisting one of the Pixiwoo ladies). Tanya dives into different topics from make up, fashion, love, baking to her experience with living with anxiety.

The chapters, to me, are then split into sub chapters, her life story, top 10 lists and then hints and tips. The style is easy going and light, Tanya has openly admitted that this has been ghost writed, it still is essentially her at the heart but she has had help with how to put all the thinking together. This does give it a more polished look than say a personal blog would of been.

Apart from her history, did I learn anything new? Not really, the majority of the make up and fashion tips is something I knew from my own experience in make up or have learnt through magazines/other blogs. In simple terms this is a very person focused magazine, targeted at the people who already watch/read her.

If I got given this as a present I would of been happy with it, it has the perfect format to be able to dip in and out of with a cup of tea when you have five minutes to spare. I would like to point out that Miss Burr is only 25 years old and the book is targeted towards that market, so a lot of advice and recommendations is towards them.

RRP £12.99 but currently on offer on Amazon for half price.

Chateau Rouge Tea's

Other than nail varnishes, Game of Thrones, and My Husband (Obviously apart from when he snores), I am very partial to a cup of tea. Actually, that is a  huge understatement, I love the five minutes I get with the hands wrapped round a cuppa, and I don't do small cups either. The mugs I have could easily hold 2 'normal' cups. There is seriously nothing better than a cuppa.

I, somehow, one day starting chatting to Chateau Rouge Tea Company generally about tea and how my blog is generally run on tea consumption. After a while of having banter, they offered me two bags of their loose tea (and to be proper tea it has to be loose) to try.

The first was Fergussons Ceylon, a rich, smooth tea that is from Southern Sri Lanka. I found this was a great afternoon pick me up with a rich tea biscuit. Medium bodied has a deep redish tone, came be drunk with milk but tastes great on its on (which I do with all my tea - Black, no sugar). This has now gone to my parents who are avid tea drinkers as I no longer can drink tea with caffine inside because of my pregnancy. (Winner Great Taste Awards Gold 2012)

This then leads me to the one I now have constantly brewing - Wild Harvest Organic Honeybush. It's light delicate flavour has a honey and pepper tone, and the best things is for me it's caffeine free so I can brew a pot of it and sip away to my hearts content. Picked and dried in the South African sun, you cannot over stew this, that means that for people like myself you can get easily distracted can leave it, come back and the flavour is still beautiful. (2 time winner of Gold at Great Taste Awards 2011)

A note on Chateau Rouge - They are lovely people, please tweet them and ask them for recommendations and advice. They also regularly tweets facts about tea that are fascinating. Founded by Steve Farrell, it's a small company run from London which pays attention to detail and has a genuine love for tea.

Sample packs from £1.95 and can be purchased at http://www.chateaurougetea.com/

Love Yourself This Valentine's

I have a love-hate relationship with Valentine's. The romantic in me likes the planning and the reaction of creating something to share love to another, the cynic in me hates the force fed feeling that I must show someone I love that I love them today or else! These two sides have battle overs the years and have left their scars behind, I have many war story's that I could share.

I now, thankfully, have a loving husband who does the little things that reminds me that he loves me everyday, as well as tells me he loves me everyday. When we came to our first Valentine's day we both came to same conclusion, we spend every day loving each other; Why is this day any different from any other? We both re-met after 7 years apart (we originally met as 13 (him) and 15 (me) at school) on a night out with friends exactly a week after Valentine's. It made sense for us to put the day to rest and create our own day.

A tradition I did continue from my teenage years is that I brought a present for myself, it usually was something that was a treat - In my younger years was chocolates, etc. As I grew up and my love of beauty came forth it turned into Lush bath products, face masks, nail varnish. This year is the eye shadow single from the latest Bourjois collection - it is a pale lilac sparkle beauty in compact.

What I am really building up to is that this Valentine's is love yourself. Love yourself for who are, what you have accomplished, and love how stunningly beautiful you are (stop arguing - you are). Throw convention out of the window and treat yourself. I'm not talking about madness here, even just taking 10 minutes of the day to take a breath and take stock is a treat in itself.

Now matter what you choose to do I wish you all a Happy Valentine's and remember: You need to learn to love yourself because how are you going to let someone else love you?