Alternative UK Weekend Breaks

Why choose an average hotel for a getaway, you usually end up paying a pretty hefty price for real luxury which can be nice but what about paying for some unforgettable experiences. That's what i thought to myself as i browsed the Internet for a birthday getaway with a difference. Then i came across glamorous-camping or glamping for short. Sounded pretty interesting and i found some amazing places from luxury tree houses to gypsy caravans. I spotted a perfect little gothic yurt in Lincoln. Tucked away in the countryside of Lincoln on a lovely farm with nothing but fields in every direction. Pretty perfect.

So what is a yurt?~ A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure traditionally used by Asian nomads. The structure is usually covered by layers of fabric and sheep's wool felt for insulation and weatherproofing. Unfortunately the gothic yurt had been booked, but they also had Balinese, oriental, french and Mongolian yurts available.

Upon arrival we were taken to our french yurt which was set in a field of fat little Shetland ponies. The wood burner and candles had been pre lit to give a warm, cosy yet romantic atmosphere. The yurt was furnished with a huge four poster bed, shabby chic dressing table, chest of drawers and a table for two with a beautiful white candelabra. The wood burner filled the yurt with warmth all night (with refueling every few hours or so). We were offered a selection of breakfasts each morning, the bucks fizz breakfast being our favourite by far. This included various meats, cheeses, breads and crackers along with a bottle of bucks fizz for the two of us. Darren and Katherine were extremely welcoming hosts and were incredibly helpful. We will be returning again in the summer with a group of friends.

My Top 5 Alternative Weekends in the UK
1. Gothic Yurt~Lincoln Yurts
2. Treehouse~ Harptree Court
3. Gothic Temple~Buckinghamshire
4. The Joker~Batman Themed Barge Liverpool
5. Culloden Tower~ North Yorkshire

February Glossybox~The valentines edition

I have been subscribing to glossybox for a while now and have to say that compared to other beauty boxes out there they are bringing out some pretty good boxes. They retail at £12.95 (including p&p) and include 5 beauty products a month. These can be anything from sample sachets to full size products. My february box arrived in the post this yesterday and i was not dissapointed.

 

 

As you can see the products in this box are all of a really good size, they even added in a valentines lollypop which was a nice touch. The box itself has a slightly different design for valentines day.

 

 

The first thing i reached for was this, the Balance Me rose otto body cream. i have recieved a few balance me products in glossybox before but this is the first hancream. The cream itself has a really delicate rose scent, not too overpowering. Its also 99% natural which is always a good thing. This product is full sized (30ml) and retails at £6.

 

Next up is the Figs and Rouge balm, this is a multipurpose balm that can be used on the lips body and face to elliminate dry skin. I recieved the product in rambling rose, other boxes contained sweet geranium, peppermint tea tree or cherry balms. I'v wanted to try a figs and rouge product for a long time so i was really excited to recieve this. Again this is a natural 100% organic product.

 

Then i reached for the Me, Me, Me beat the blues illuminator and highlighter in oyster gold. I have only recently started using highlighters but have found that most of them look are far too shimmery (the twilight vampire look is not for me). This highlighter has an applicator similar to that of a nail varnish which is a little odd but does apply well onto the skin, a little really does go a long way. It needs buffing in with a fluffy brush which leaves a very subtle shimmer to the cheek and browbones. This is also a full sized product (12ml) and retails at £5.50

 

This is the Miners Cosmetics lip colour in seduction. Lipsticks are always a tricky thing for me to get right, i am very pale and most red tones make me look like a 6 year old that has found mummys makeup box. But i am loving this shade, it is just dark enough to compliment my skintone (i tend to blend a little black into most reds that i have). The lipstick has a nice creamy texture and has good staying power without staining the lips. The lipstick is a fullsize (4g) and costs £3.99

 

Finally is the Micabella mineral eyeshadow in shade 53 deep secrets. I'm not the biggest fan of neutral browns and i really don't wear them often but i think most people would like this shade. The shadow has a lot of glitter and shimmer which again isn't really my cup of tea. It is very pigmented as is expected from a mineral eyeshadow and does have good staying power. This is a sample size eyeshadow (1g), the full size (2.5g) retails at £14.95

 

 

I swatched the coloured products so you can get an idea of colours and finishes. The miners lipstick was really hard to remove, even a day later i can still see a slight red patch, be sure to apply a liner over the lip to avoid staining. Also included in the glossybox are discount codes for the company's featured, i will share these below.I hope you all enjoyed my first post, not really an alternative one but i think it gives a different perspective on glossybox.
                                                                 Thanks for reading.
                                                                       Rottentouch

15% off Miners Cosmetics~ GLOSS15
20% off Me,Me,Me~ Glossybox2013
£5 off 2 rose otto body creams~ GLOSSYLOVE
25% off Micabella Cosmetics~ MICAGLOSSY2013

When Darkness Falls

Hi everyone, I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while now and here's where it begins. When Darkness Falls is all about alternative fashion, beauty and lifestyle. Mostly the blog will feature creative ideas and inspiration, perhaps some fashion and cosmetic reviews and hopefully in the future a YouTube channel will follow . So have a browse and fall into the darkness.
Thanks Rottentouch