Haircare Haul

 

Charles Worthington Intesne Rescue Melting Balm - £16.99

Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes Shampoo -  £6.49

Lee Stafford Nourishing Miracle Treatment - £14.99

Does anyone else always have a little haircare splurge after visiting the hairdressers? I do. Boots current 3 for 2 haircare offer certainly didn't help matters, and after much deliberation, I decided on these three beauties to help care for my new locks.  First up is Lee Stafford's 'Purple' Shampoo.  I know I'm late to the party here, but on this visit to the salon, I had my hair ombre'd.  After doing a bit of research, I found that these sorts of shampoos are great for removing brassy tones from bleached hair, and this one in particular had some good reviews.  In hindsight though, perhaps I didn't really need this as my ombre is quite subtle; although my stylist used bleach, it was very diluted and the end result was more of a caramel kind of tone, as opposed to a full on bleach blonde.  It may just be that I use this very occasionally, perhaps mixed in with my regular shampoo.  If anyone has an thoughts on this, please let me know! I also picked up two hair masks as the ends of my hair were inevitably feeling a touch dry.  I'm a big fan of Lee Stafford's, Miracle Argan Oil (review here) so I decided to give the Deep Nourishing Treatment from the same range a go.  This one is designed to be used after shampooing, and is then followed with your usual conditioner.  Lastly I picked up the Charles Worthington Intense Rescue Melting Balm.  I'm sure you'll have heard about this one; I wanted it for the longest time, but couldn't get hold of it.  I'd actually forgotten all about it until I saw it the other day. This one is a solid balm, similar to a cleansing balm, that transforms to an oil when warm.  It's applied to dry hair 20-30 minutes before washing, and then you just wash your hair as normal.  Two masks may seem a bit excessive to some I guess, but I quite like how they apply differently and I'll probably alternate between the two.

Have you used any of these products? Is there anything similar out there that's better? Let me know your thoughts!

Scotch Pop Up Tape Dispenser.

As I began my wrapping mission last night, I tweeted a picture of what has proved to be a life-saving product for me, and had quite a few questions about it so I thought I little blog post was in order.  If you've ever had trouble wrapping presents; locating the sticky tape that always rolls under the table, cutting a piece of said sticky tape, all whilst holding the gift wrap in place, then this is the product for you.  I picked up my Scotch Pop-up Tape Dispenser a few Christmases ago, and I would not be without it now.

This nifty little device simply attaches to the back of your hand with an elastic strap, meaning you can hold down the gift wrap with that hand, and pull out a strip of tape with the other.  You get one refill included with the dispenser and additional refills are available in packs of three. Prices vary from £2-3 for both the dispenser and the refills depending on where you buy, but are often on some sort of offer such as 3 for 2.  That said, it does still work out more expensive than buying a regular roll of sticky tape; so if you have a lot of presents to wrap, it could turn out to be quite costly.  However for how much easier it makes wrapping, and how much time it saves, I'd say it's just about worth it. If you have lots of large presents to wrap, I'd say use the strips sparingly, just to secure the paper in place, then go over with regular tape if, like me, you like your presents to be difficult to open/peek at.

While it may not be great value for money, the Pop-up Tape Dispenser is something I'd still highly recommend.  The tape is nice quality, and is virtually invisible once stuck down, helping to give a seamless look to your wrapped gifts.  It definitely saves a hell of a lot of time when wrapping your presents, and at the busiest time of the year, I'd say it's definitely worth it.

Review: Trevor Sorbie Curl Creator

I'm loving curling my hair at the moment, and am always looking at ways to help my curls last longer.  I picked this up during a recent trip to Manchester, and I'm so pleased I did.  Previously known as the Curl Constructor, this along with the rest of the Trevor Sorbie brand has recently been revamped to include some new products as well as giving the bestsellers a new look. I really like the packaging, it's fresh and modern, and looks great on my dressing table. To use, just lightly spray each section before using your curling appliance of choice, making sure the section is dry before doing so.   It dries in seconds, and also the spray contains heat protectant so it adds virtually no time at all to curling your hair.  I used this for the first time on a recent night out and my curls stayed in place, and hardly dropped all night long. The next morning after brushing my hair, I misted some more of the spray all over my hair and gently scrunched it to tidy and add a bit of definition to the remaining waves and I was good to go.  I'm not sure this product would work as well on naturally curly hair, but if your hair is straight, or slightly

wavy like mine, then I'd definitely recommend giving it a try.

Trevor Sorbie Curl Creator is available from Boots and is part of the current 3 for 2 haircare offer.

Most Wanted: Cosy Christmas

 

 1. Floral Duck Egg Pyjamas: Next 

2. Aztec Print Robe: Topshop 

3. Spot Poncho: Dorothy Perkins 

4. Rabbit Jumper: Next 

5. Reindeer Jumper: New Look 

6. Onesie: Next

There's nothing I love more than getting home, taking off my make up and changing into some nice comfortable clothes. My lazy outfits of choice usually consist of leggings or PJ bottoms and, in this weather, a hoodie.  The shops are full of gorgeous, cosy lounge wear/nightwear at the moment, and I absolutely love these PJ's from Next.  I've actually bought them for my Mam for Christmas and would have bought them myself if they had my size left! As much as I love the robe from Topshop, I often find them constantly coming undone, which is why I think a poncho like this from Dorothy Perkins would be ideal.  I'm planning on wearing a bright, tacky Christmas jumper on the big day itself, but I think something like this pink one from New Look is something I'd get more wear out of over the rest of season; I think a bright red Santa jumper might look a bit odd come Boxing day! Lastly, I still do not own a onesie.  At just over 5ft tall, most onesie's would totally drown me.  Next have a fantastic petites range and this is one of a couple I'm going to stick on my Christmas list.

Urban Decay 'Shattered' Face Case

Outer packaging

Urban Decay Face Case

  Out of everything I bought in my recent haul, the thing I was most excited about was this little beauty from Urban Decay. Given that I own both Naked palettes, not to mention numerous other palettes, I really did not need this one too, but after swatching it I pretty much fell in love and I made my way to the tills before I changed my mind.  Shattered is one of two 'Face Cases' in Urban Decay's 2013 Holiday Collection, but from what I read the other one, Anarchy, is a Sephora exclusive so us Brits won't be able to get our hands on it, unless we're off to the States any time soon that is! The 'Face Case' is not new to Urban Decay, they made their first appearance in the early 2000s, containing four eyeshadows, four lipglosses and a blush. Ten years or so later and they've had a bit of a revamp; this time they come with  five eyeshadows, two blushes, a highlighter, a travel size 24/7 eyeliner and a full sized super-saturated lip pencil.  All for £30, which is a pretty good deal to me!

Top Tier.

On the first tier we have five eyeshadows, all new and exclusive to this palette, although give or take a bit of glitter, you may well have similar shades in your Naked palettes.  That is, with the exception of Remix, which certainly wouldn't be found in a Naked palette! With it's rich purple shimmer and purple micro-glitter, it's a little scary looking but it blends out into a beautiful plum shade and is a perfect way to introduce a bit of colour back into your eye looks if, like me, you've become far to reliant on more neutral shades.  I've found Bleach and Minor Sin both to make great base shades, while Nameless and Shakedown make for a fantastic smokey eye.  Also in the top tier is a travel size Zero eyeliner.  I'd have personally liked to have seen Perversion as I've yet to try it, but if you had another travel size pencil(or a full size that you'd worn down a bit!) you could always swap it over if you wanted to.

Bottom Tier.

The bottom tier contains the two blushes and highlighter, as well as the lip pencil.  Overexposed is a dusty pink, where as temper is more of a baby pink.  As far as I'm aware, Urban Decay do not currently sell powder blushes so I'm wondering with the inclusion of these, as well as two other shades in the Anarchy palette, whether it's something we'll see released in 2014.  Glint is a soft pink shimmery highlighter which looks very pretty on the skin, and I guess you could use it as an eyeshadow too.  Also in the bottom tier is a full size super-saturated lip colour in 'Lovechild' - a lovely pale pink that applies beautifully.  I think this is a shade that would suit a lot of people.  I love the fact that it's in its original pencil form as you don't have to take the whole palette with you to touch up your lip colour.  Again, like with the Zero eyeliner, you can always change the lip pencil to another one in the range if were wanting to take the palette with you.

L-R: Nameless, Remix, Shakedown, Minor Sin & Bleach

This palette is perfect for travelling.  Not only do you have pretty much everything you need for your entire face, it also has a good sized mirror in each tier.  All you'd need on top of this is your base, a mascara and maybe a darker lip colour.  The only thing I'm not keen on is the packaging. I find the whole 'shattered' glass effect a little cheap and tacky looking, and I'd have probably overlooked the palette if there wasn't one open for me to see what was inside. I also wish the names of the colours were on the actual case too rather than just the box as I tend not to keep the outer packaging. However it's what's inside the palette that matters and I certainly wasn't disappointed.  

L-R: Overexposed, Temper & Glint.  Lovechild, Zero.

Origins Gingzing Eye Cream

I've never been one for using eye creams, mainly due to never really establishing a decent skincare routine; it's always just been face-wash and moisturiser in the mornings, and at best, a face wipe or micellar water at night.  Not good, I know.  However as any regular readers will know, in the last few months I've been trying to get into a proper skincare routine, and after looking into different eye creams, I decided to give the popular Ginzing one for Origins a go.

Origins claim that this caffeine-containing eye cream will waken up the eye area, while brightening and depuffing, helping you become one of the 'perky people' (their words, not mine!).  This immediately appealed to me as I've always had quite dark under eye circles; partly down to genetics but I'm also guilty of not getting enough sleep or drinking enough water.  At £23 for 15ml it is quite pricey, but I decided to take the hit and give it a go, and I'm really pleased I did.  

The cream itself is quite a thick consistency, however a little goes a long way so you only need a small amount.  I've been using it for almost two months and there's still loads left so in the long run I guess you are getting value for money.  It has a lovely cooling affect on the skin which really does help you feel more awake, especially on these cold dark mornings, and also if you had a glass of wine too many the night before! While my dark circles are still there when I remove my make up, they do seem to have reduced a little.  I don't think any eye cream would make dark circles disappear altogether if I'm honest, although I have noticed that since using this, my concealer does apply better and stay put for longer.  It's also really helped with the odd dry patches I sometimes get on my brow bone area.

This is a brilliant eye cream that I think is suitable for any age.  I do feel that I could do with something that has more anti-ageing properties to use at night, but for a morning skincare routine it's absolutely fantastic and I would not be without it.

Rocky Road

This is by far one of the quickest and easiest cakes I've ever made.  The best part about Rocky Road is that it is pretty much entirely up to you what you put in it.  Every recipe is different, but I based this one on the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook, although I reduced the quantities a fair bit to keep costs (and my size!) down.

 First of all, I decided what treats I was going to put in my Rocky Road.  Marshmallows and some kind of plain biscuits are somewhat of a necessity; I used around 100g each of mini marshmallows, and Malted Milk biscuits roughly broken up.   To this I added 100g of Maltesers, and 100g of chopped up Milky Ways.  The recipe called for Mars bars but, due to them being on offer (£1 for 4!) in my local Morrisons, there was none left I put these all in a bowl, mixed them up a little, and put them to one side.  Some recipes include cherries, sultanas and other dried fruits.  I'm not overly keen on fruits with chocolate so I left it out.  That's the beauty of Rocky Road, you make the rules!

I then melted 500g of milk chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.  It's very important to do this slowly and make sure no water gets into the bowl, not even a drop.  Water will cause your lovely melting chocolate to split, go grainy, and basically no use to anyone.  Also make sure your bowl isn't touching the water.  The best thing to do is once the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and, leaving your bowl on top of the pan, carefully stir until all the lumps are gone.  

Now for the fun part.  Pour your delicious melted chocolate into your bowl of marshmallows, biscuits and chocolate treats and mix, mix, mix until everything has a nice generous coating of chocolate.  Then pour this amazing, gooey mixture into a baking tin.  I lined mine with cling film to make the end result easier to remove from the tin.  Spread the mixture evenly in the tin, pushing down with a teaspoon, and ensuring the mixture goes right into the corners. Sprinkle on some chocolate sprinkles if you so wish, then just pop in the fridge and leave to set for a couple of hours.  Once hardened, simply cut into squares and enjoy!

Removing Glitter Nail Polish

As any regular readers of this blog will have realised, I LOVE glitter nail polishes. That said, I'm sure you'd agree that they can be a nightmare to remove; the cotton pad catches on the glitter, then dries out before you've even done one nail, and you end up with glitter everywhere... it's no fun and almost makes me wish I hadn't bothered wearing my beloved sparkly polishes.  However, there is a solution! I actually came across a You Tube video of this a good while ago, but never actually bothered trying it until this very morning.  I was so impressed I just had to blog about it! As much as I'd love to have been the person who came up with this idea, I'm not, so I'm not trying to take the credit or anything, just simply passing on a genius idea!

You will need:

Pretty, sparkly nails

Nail polish remover

Cotton wool pads cut if half

Tin foil cut into strips/squares.

All you have to do is soak your cotton wool pad in nail polish remover, just as you normally would.  Then, instead of rubbing away at your nail, simply place the pad on top of your nail and wrap one of your pieces of tin foil around it.  Try and make sure you wrap it over the top of your finger too so that no air gets in;  this is what dries out the pad and helps make removing the polish the normal way so tricky.  Just repeat this for each finger, then give each one one last squish so the foil is snugly wrapped around the finger.  Then you just need to wait five minutes or so; just watch a You Tube video, or read a blog post to pass the time.  Once the time is up, simply press down gently on the foil, and remove.  As you will see, 99% of the polish has completely gone! I was actually quite amazed at how much actually came off.  Sure, some nails had little bits of glitter still at the sides, but this came off easily with one last little wipe.  And that's it! No more tugging at your nails for ever, this method is so quick and easy, you'll never dread removing your glitter nail polishes again!

One thing I will say though is, because you're leaving a cotton pad SOAKED in remover on your nail, it can be quite drying. So once you're done and you've washed any residue remover off your nails, be sure to apply some kind of nail/cuticle cream.  I used  Lush's Lemony Flutter, but any cream/oil will do the trick.

Have you used this method before?

Sunday Spa #2

Working in retail, Sunday's off are a rarity for me so I was so excited when I saw I was off work today. I started my day with a nice long lie in, followed by a bit of a pampering session in the bath. I used my new bubble bath that I bought with my Boots Advantage points this week.  It's from the Champney's range which is a brand I've not tried too many things from as yet.  At £12, I probably wouldn't buy this myself, but I like to use my points to treat myself and I'm so glad I did because it foams up really nicely and smells divine! First of all I used my No7 gel cleanser to wash my face.  After initially being disappointed in this for not removing all my makeup, I am actually really enjoying using this as my morning cleanser. After shaving,  I then used my trusty Soap and Glory scrub in Sugar Crush which, I reviewed here, on any dry patches, followed by using their Whipped Clean shower butter all over my body. Lastly I washed my hair in the shower using my Organix shampoo and conditioner.

Stepping out of the shower, I used yet another Soap and Glory product to moisturise my skin.  I got the Smoothie Star body lotion in last year's Christmas set but have only recently started using it.  I love Soap and Glory's body butters, but much prefer the thinner body lotions for day time use as they sink into the skin quicker.  For my hair, I used my Osmo Blowdry Potion before rough drying with my hairdryer.  I'm off out to see Sarah Millican later this evening so will style my hair later on.

Last up were my nails.  After filing into shape with my Leighton Denny nail file, I used my new Sally Hansen cuticle remover to sort out my cuticles.  I then painted my nails with my current favourite nail polish, Rimmel's Navy Seal and topped with Barry M's Amethyst Glitter polish for bit of sparkle. Finally I used my Boots nail & cuticle oil to give my cuticles a bit of nourishment after using the remover.

Cheeky Little Haul

 I've been feeling a bit under the weather this week; too many early shifts, boyfriend not home for another week and an awful cold made me a very unhappy bunny indeed.  Obviously the best cure for this was to go shopping, so on Thursday I wrapped up warm, braved the yucky weather and hit the shops.

My first stop was Primark.  My local Primark isn't the biggest, but was refurbished a couple of years ago and is way bigger than it used to be and always has some great pieces in.  I blogged a while ago saying how I wanted some more dresses for Autumn and this one seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  I'm a sucker for floral print dresses and thought the colours in this one were perfect this time of year.  I'm fairly short, and this dress sits an inch or so above my knee, so come the spring I could get away with wearing it with bare legs, but it looks just as good teamed with my Primark super cosy tights.

Next up is this kimono style jacket that I've had my eye on for a while.  I've looked at it every time I've been in Primark recently but always changed my mind and put it back.  This time round there were only a few left so decided to just go for it as I was certain that next time I visit Primark, there'd be none left.  I've made that mistake in Primark before so wasn't going to to let that happen again! There were only XS sizes left, but luckily it's quite large fitting so if you were wanting to pick this up, I'd recommend going down a size.   I thought it'd look quite nice teamed with dark jeans and a simple black top.  This top was right next to them and, at only £6, I decided to grab that too.

My next stop was Debenhams where I picked  Hoola and Porefessional from Benefit.  I've had both of these in miniature form and loved them so decided to treat myself to the full size version. My last purchase was somewhat of an impulse and something I probably shouldn't have done.  As I was walking past the Urban Decay stand I spotted their new Shattered Face Case and instantly fell in love.  Despite having just spent nearly £50 at Benefit, I once again headed to the tills to make this little beauty mine.  With five new and exclusive eye shadows, a full size super saturated lip colour, a mini eyeliner, two blushers and a highlighter for £30, it's definitely a bit of a bargain and I can't wait to use it!  I'm planning on doing a blog post on it this week so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Have you been shopping lately? What did you buy?

A tribute.

Today marked the 4 year anniversary of the death of Stephen Gately; lead singer of the band that dominated my teenage years; Boyzone.  I still find it strange how myself and a friend were, that very night, talking about him while sharing a bottle of wine in a bar in town; unbeknown that a mere few hours later, he'd be gone.  I remember getting home, and before going to bed scrolling through Facebook (as we all probably do!) and coming across a status that said "RIP Stephen Gately".  I immediately checked the news, hoping it do be some sort of mix up, but unfortunately this wasn't to be.  He had been found dead in his apartment in Majorca in the early hours of the morning.  Struggling to take in what I was seeing, I turned off the news and went to sleep.  When I woke up, and realised it wasn't a bad dream, more details were emerging, and I spent the majority of the day glued to the news channel trying to understand what had happened to my teenage idol.

I was a big fan of Boyzone from the start.  My first memory of seeing them on TV is the Christmas  Top of the Pops.  I remember watching it at my Grandma's house, where we all used to gather for Christmas dinner.  I actually delayed our sitting down to eat as I had to watch them performing Love me for a Reason in their fetching woolly jumpers.  There and then I declared my love for the short one with the 'curtains' hair style and cheeky smile.  My love for the Irish boyband grew, and slowly my room became covered in posters; including a life size one of Stephen, which looking back, it must have been the creepiest thing ever to have that watching over you while you sleep! 

Unfortunately I never got to see them live, money was always tight as I was growing up, and that coupled with nobody to go with meant I had to make do with watching their live shows on VHS (this was the 90s, we didn't have DVD's haha).   One of my favourite memories is buying their Where We Belong show on Sky Box Office and watching them perform live in Manchester (where they were supported by a certain other Irish boyband...!).  I absolutely loved it, and it still remains as one of the best shows I've ever seen, even though I wasn't actually there.  I hope one day it will be released on DVD so I can watch it all over again.  

As the years went on, my favourite member did change to Shane, but I still had a soft spot for Stephen.  I remember the day he announced to the world that he was gay, which must have been hugely difficult for him. He was so brave, and also must have been so worried as to how the fans would react.  I'm sure I speak for every fan out there when I say my admiration for him grew and I was so pleased he could now enjoy being in a relationship just like the other band members had been able to do.  I remember watching their performance at London's Party in the Park, which followed shortly after this story broke, and feeling so proud when Stephen got the biggest cheer of the whole day.

When the band reformed in 2008 and announced a tour, I simply had to go, and sure enough me and my best friend went to one of their shows in Newcastle.  We had an absolute blast. They sang all their classics, including a song called And I, which wasn't actually a single, but was one of my all time favourite Boyzone songs.  I'm not ashamed to say I shed a little tear as they were singing this!  I loved how they had changed the arrangement of some of the songs so that each of them had a turn at singing lead, putting a new spin on the songs that took me back to my teens.  I remembered every word from every song, and was singing and screaming away like I was a teenager again, much to the disapproval of the boring woman sat next to us, who remained seated for the entire show.  Boring or what?!  I'm so glad I had finally got to see them live, especially in light of what was to happen in the October of the following year.

I'm so proud of how Ronan, Shane, Keith and Mikey carried themselves throughout this whole ordeal.  Although they were clearly visibly heartbroken at losing their band mate and best friend, their 'brother' as they said, the strength of their friendship really shone through.  Just as they said they found comfort in being together, I'm sure all fans found comfort in seeing them together.  I watched the broadcast from outside the funeral on Sky News and the service was just beautiful.  They boyz' speeches were just fantastic, and I couldn't help but smile at some of the memories they brought up from their days together in the band.

This year marks Boyzone's 20th anniversary.  It's crazy to think it's really been that long since they were formed, and unbelievable to think of what's changed in that time.  They're marking the occasion with an arena tour and are also releasing new material.  I heard a sneak peek of one of the songs called Love will Save the Day which I'm really hoping will be released as a single cos it's fantastic, a real feel good song, and one I'm sure Stephen would have loved; I can actually imagine him singing it, but sadly this will never be.  That said, it's a brilliant, feel good song that's sure to be a hit.  

In the weeks following Stephen's death, I remember the boyz saying they as yet didn't know whether or not they'd carry on the band without him, but I am so pleased they did.  Admittedly, at first I wasn't sure I'd like to see him without him, but even though he isn't there his memory will live on in the other members, and he will never be forgotten.

Most Wanted #4: Scarves

1. Blue Paisley Scarf - £18; Topshop

2. Dusky Butterfly Stole - £15; Accessorize

3. Pink Camouflage Scarf - £14; Dorothy Perkins

4. Cream Butterfly Snood - £8; Dorothy Perkins

5. Leopard Print Snood - £13; River Island

I love scarves. I'm not big on fashion, but my outfit of choice never feels right without a scarf.  I especially love this time of year when it's not quite cold enough for a chunky, woollen scarf and you can get away with a pretty lightweight scarf like those above.  I especially like the delicate colours of the Accessorize, and there's a little nod to my soldier boyfriend in the Camouflage print one (albeit a different coloured camouflage to his!).  The Topshop scarf is sure to brighten up a grey day with it's bright blue hue, and the two snoods at the bottom are perfect for those windy days; anyone else get really annoyed when the wind unwraps your scarf?! The butterfly snood is a jersey material so would be that bit warmer too. I'd happily pair any of these with my fake leather Primark jacket until it becomes too cold to do so!

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

After my disappointment at the No7 melting gel cleanser not being the best at removing my make up, the search continued for a cleanser that would remove all my make up before I went ahead with my trusty No7 hot cloth cleanser.  I was initially tempted by the infamous Emma Hardie balm, but not being a fan of heavily scented products on my face, my search lead me to Clinique.  I'd heard little about this in blog-land until I stumbled across it on Caroline Hirons' fabulous skincare blog, but once I searched for the actual product, I found many a review singing it's praises, and this review is going to be another one.

I was never a fan of Cliniques 3-step system; I didn't mind the moisturiser but aside from that, the only other Clinique product I've used, but actually really liked, was their Take the Day off dual-phase eye make up remover.  I'd never actually noticed the balm version before, and I guess it does look rather inconspicuous in it's little pot, next to Clinques typical tall bottles of cleansers and such. While not the most glamorous packaging, I do like it.  It's neat and compact, and certainly doesn't look cheap or tacky.

On opening the tub, balm doesn't look the most attractive of products, and to be honest it looks an awful lot like a tub of lard.  But don't let this put you off, as this lard-like substance is possibly the best make up remover I've ever used.  You only need a small amount; just scoop it out and massage it all over dry skin.  As you massage, the balm melts into an oil and dissolves make up so quickly.  You can even use this on your eyes; just make sure you do your eyes last or you'll have mascara everywhere! I then tend to add a little water so it emulsifies and massage again, before rinsing a flannel under hand hot water, and wiping away.  The result? Every scrap of make up is gone and my skin feels fresh and clean, and ready to follow up with my second cleanse. The formula is completely fragrance free, and contains no essential oils, which may not be to everyones taste but for sensitive skins it would be ideal.  However, there's no reason why you couldn't follow up with a cleanser rich in these if you so wished. 

L-R: Urban Decay foundation & eyeliner, Rimmel lipstick, Topshop blusher & Benefit cream shadow.

Going, going...

... gone!

I'm really glad I tried out this cleanser.  At £21 it's not super cheap, but it's definitely well worth the money, especially as it'll last a really long time.  I've been using mine for around a month now and apart from a bit of dent from when I was using a bit too much to start with, I've hardly used any.  Inside and out, it's definitely not the most glamorous of cleansers, but it does the job, and at the end of the day that's all that really matters isn't it?

Soap and Glory Lid Stuff in What's Nude

Yes I know, another Soap and Glory product. This little quad has been sitting in my stash for a while but it hasn't had a lot of love recently, until I rediscovered it last month. This was one of the first Soap and Glory make up items I bought. I'm a sucker for neutral shadows, so out of the three choices of colours, this was the obvious choice. Unlike my beloved Naked palettes, this quad has predominantly matte shades; Vanilla (white), Pink T (a dusky skin-toned pink) and Mudhoney (a grey-toned brown) and just the one shimmery shade, Aubersheen (a taupe-y kind of colour).

Despite just the four colours, this is a very versatile palette. I tend to use Pink T all over the lid to even out my lids and add just a hint of colour.  For an every day look I'll then use either Mudhoney or Aubersheen in the crease.  For an evening, or more intense look, I'll simply take Mudhoney more over the lid, and concentrate Aubersheen in the crease and maybe use it on my bottom lash line too. Then Vanilla makes a brilliant inner corner or highlight colour. Admittedly the matte shades, especially the lighter two, are a little on the chalky side, but as I tend to use these two shades quite lightly, it doesn't really matter too much.

Clockwise from top left: Vanilla, Pink T, Aubersheen & Mudhoney

My most recent discovery with this quad though is that Mudhoney works brilliantly on my brows. I can't believe I hadn't noticed this before! The idea just came to me while I was doing my make up one day last week so I thought I'd try it. For a second I thought it may be a bit too light, but once applied my brows looked the best they've looked in a while! My eyebrows are very thin and sparse and using something like Benefit's Brow-Zings often looked too harsh and unnatural on me (that could be the way I'm applying it though...?) but this just works so much better and has become my go to product for my brows.  I'd say if you had light to medium brunette hair, and own this palette, it's well worth giving this a go.

Not the best swatches, sorry! L-R: Vanilla, Pink T, Mudhoney and Aubersheen.

The only thing I wish they'd done differently with this palette is incorporated a mirror instead of the clear lid. I've lost count of the times I've gone to hold it like a compact mirror when I'm doing my eye make up. With a black lid, Soap and Glory could have been a bit more creative and maybe added one of their typical retro images to the front. Having said that, the quad does look very sleek and the packaging is very sturdy so it's not really an issue.  There are two more of these Lid Stuff palettes available; Off The Wall Flowers, which contains bright purples and blues, and Smokey Dokey which is made up of different grey shades and would make an amazing smokey eye. At £10 each, £30 for 12 shadows isn't bad at all, and just think of the looks you could create by owning all three and mixing and matching across all the shades.  Definitely something for everyone!

Have you tried any of Soap and Glory makeup? What's your favourite product?

Sure Maximum Protection Deodorant

Anyone else hate buying everyday  beauty products? Things like deodorant, razors, toothpaste? Obviously I still buy them, but I'd much rather spend my money on more glamourous things like makeup, skincare and body products.  But the basics needs to be bought as well, and as far as deodorants go I've always stuck to the typical aerosol cans; usually whatever's on offer.  Working in a busy kitchen, especially in the recent warm weather, I felt my choice of deodorant wasn't doing it's thing basically and decided to look for an alternative.

I'd heard great things about the maximum protection deodorants by Sure but had always been hesitent to part with that much money for a deoderant.  At £4.50, they're pretty much twice the price of a normal cream deodorant, but are also supposed to be twice as effective so I thought it may be worth the investment, as in theory applying it every 48 hours (as Sure say you should!) it should last twice as long!

Sure recommend that for best results you apply this at night before bed, which seemed a little strange but I went along with it anyway.  Apparently our body's temperature isn't constant throughout the day and it goes through a cycle called the 'circadian rythym.' This makes the skin more receptive at night when your body's resting, which allows the formula to build up a strong layer of protection for the day ahead.  It also stays put if you have a shower the next morning.  I tend to shower in the evenings but, I did try this out and I'm happy to say I could still smell the fragrance of the deoderant on me post-shower.

As I said it did feel a bit strange not applying a deoderant on the mornings, I actually grabbed it to apply again before putting it back. I went about my day at work, and even after an 8 hour stint in the kitchen plating up meals, I still felt fresh and dry.   I was even more dubious the following day, and I must admit I didn't feel quite as fresh if I'm being honest.  I did notice a slight wetness on day two (sorry, gross I know!)  although I did still smell pretty fragrant.  I think if I wasn't running around the kitchen like a crazy lady it might have lived up to it's claim.  For the most part, I've been applying it each night after a bath or shower, so it won't quite last twice as long like I'd hoped.  Having said that, it's one of the best deoderants of tried and I won't be rushing back to an aerosol any time soon.

  

nail week #3 & 4: topshop prim and proper & barry m ruby glitter.

I completely forgot to post my nails yesterday.  I had a day of tidying and sorting and completely lost track of time.  Anyway these were yesterday's nails.  I seem to have been getting more summery with my nails as the weeks gone on, while the weather has been doing the opposite.  This is Topshop's Prim and Proper which is a simple baby pink.  I've been on the hunt for the perfect pink nail colour and this is the closest I've found so far.  I've found two coats to dry slightly brighter than the colour appears in the bottle so my lookout for something a bit more muted goes on.  Nevertheless this is a lovely shade pink and two coats dries to a nice opaque finish.  Drying time isn't great I've found, and care is needed to avoid a streaky application, but with a little patience both these can easily be over come.

 

I was in a bit of a rush to get ready this morning so I've cheated slightly with my 'new nail colour every day' mission.  I didn't have time to remove my nail polish before applying another and waiting for it to dry.  Instead I just added a glitter topcoat so at least my nails still looked different.  I opted for Barry Ms Ruby Glitter; small and large matte black glitter, with larger, hexagonal pink metallic glitter suspended in a clear polish.  I really like the look of the black glitter and pale pink polish, and the pink glitter finishes the look off perfectly.  I put these colours together completely on a whim but I'll definitely be doing this look again.

most wanted #4: baking

kitchen-aid: from £386.10  / measuring spoons - £6.40 / mixing bow - £18 / spatula set - £8 / cooling rack £20 / cake stand - £24 / cake turntable - £15 / cupcake boxes - £7 & £5 / measuring cups - £16

I dream of the days of having a beautiful, large kitchen with all my baking bits and pieces matching, and plenty of space to bake lots of delicious cakes and treats. Until that day (i.e. lottery win!) arrives, I get buy with a mix-match of hand me downs, and bargain buys.  It still does the job, and I have everything I need, but a lovely white country style kitchen filled with pastel coloured equipment like in the image is what I hope I'll have one day.

First up is the famous Kitchen-Aid.  I get seriously jealous watching the contestants use these on the Great British Bake Off.  They are ridiculously expensive though, this is the cheaper model, but at nearly £400 I won't be getting one any time soon. They come in so many colours, including a gorgeous hot pink, but I think a more muted colour like this would be more timeless.  A set of measuring spoons is essential, and I love the colours of these ones and how they're tied together with a little bow.  The larger, measuring cups are great for if you're following an American recipe where everything is in cups instead of grams.

I'm more of a cup-cake baker, rather than big cakes, but I would like to get into making larger cakes too, and a turntable like this would make icing a big cake much more easy.  The last one I made I ended up with icing everywhere so I really should invest in one of these.   The spatulas are a pretty basic addition, but I really liked the wooden handles with the blue.  These are essential for getting every last scrap of cake mixture out of the bowl, and match really well with the bowl I've pictured here.

I couldn't resist this cooling rack.  It's intended for cupcakes but there's no reason why would couldn't put your larger masterpiece on here to cool if it was big enough.  I have couple of wire cake stands, but this ceramic one is so elegant and would be a great accompaniment to an afternoon tea.  Lastly, I had to include these gorgeous cupcake boxes.  They're a little pricey but if you were to have cupcakes as something like your wedding favours, then they'd look so nice in these.

I honestly could've added so much more to this wish list. Not only is there tonnes of other bits and pieces that would go with this lot, but there's loads of more contemporary equipment out there that looks really good too if you were wanting a more 'modern' looking kitchen.

What baking goodies would you recommend?

Nail Week #2 Essie's Maximillian Strasse Her

Apologies for the smudge there - was in a bit of a rush!

 This is definitely the winner of the 'strangest named polish I own' award, if there was such a thing.  This was part of Essie's Madison Aven-hue collection that came out in the Spring.    It's apparently named after one of Munich's royal avenues, Maximillianstrasse, which is recent times has become home to many a designer shop.  Dolce & Gabanna, Dior and Gucci all have branches here and are increasingly ousting the more traditional shops, art galleries and restaurants that once resided there.  I picked this up from the diffusion line in Boots and is what I wore on my nails yesterday.  As I've named this week 'nail week' the plan is to have a different colour on my nails each day.  So far, so good!

The colour is certainly quite unusual.  Kind of a greyed out green, if that makes any sense.  I don't have anything else like this in my collection, and it's definitely a step away from my usual pinks and purples.  It's completely different to the mint green polishes that pretty much everyone adorns their nails with in the summer months.  That said, if you're a fan of those polishes, then you might well like this one too.  The polish is still a pale green colour, but a lot more muted which I think makes it a good transitional colour as we head into autumn and winter.  If you're not ready to say goodbye to your summer pastel colours, this may be the one for you.