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.

Nail Week #1: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Blue Plum

If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I'm off work this week; it's my first week off since June so to say I'm ready for it is an understatement! Anyway, no work means I can paint my nails so I thought it might be fun if I did a sort of 'nail week'and paint my nails each day and post a picture on here.
Unfortunately my Internet is currently down (damn you Sky!) so I'm having to do yesterday's post today, and do so via the Blogger app. Anyway this is what I had on my nails yesterday. It's kind of similar to the Rimmel polish I blogged about a couple of weeks ago, but a little darker. It's a lot darker than what I'm used to wearing but I'm getting used to it. It was definitely too dark for the summery weather we had in the north east yesterday, and it much more suited to today's misty, drizzly weather.

I'm a latecomer to the world of Barry M gelly polishes but I have to say from what I've tried, I'm very impressed and will certainly be adding to my collection!

Review: Soap & Glory Glow All Out

It's no secret on here that I'm a big lover of Soap and Glory; ever since I tried their Calm One, Calm All over five years ago, I've been hooked and have tried so many of their products.  One thing I love about them is they're continually bringing out more products and I was so excited when they added a makeup line to their range.  For the most part, the makeup line is great and I've liked pretty much everything I've tried and this is yet another product to add to their 'hit list'

Glow All Out is described as a 'luminising face powder' which I guess is more or less the same as a highlighter.  Although while some highlighters can be overly glittery or shimmery, this is way more subtle.  It gives a beautifully subtle sheen to the skin that is perfect for this time of year.  My skin can often look dull and tired and this perks it up just the right amount.  Soap and Glory say you can apply this over the whole face, but I just apply it to the tops of my cheekbones.  Even though it's subtle, I think the whole face may be a bit too much, and you really would 'glow all out' (see what I did there?!)

To be honest I'm not overly keen on the packaging.  While the cardboard is strong and sturdy (in a similar way to the Benefit boxed powders), I still suspect it will pick up a few knocks fairly easily, and I'm not sure how long it'll look so white and pristine either... I think after a couple of month, general wear and tear will stop it from looking so pretty!

I bought this product a couple of weeks ago, and I've used it pretty much every day since.  I've even added it to my most basic of make up routines; the one I tend to do for work, or if I'm just in a rush.  I haven't swatched it for you in the photos as it's that subtle, it's really hard to capture how lovely it is with my basic camera. 

At £11, it's not the cheapest out there, but Soap and Glory is currently part of Boots' 'buy one, get one half price' offer, and is also often on 3 for 2...  either of which would justify a cheeky splurge if you ask me!

Amargan Hair Therapy*

Amargan Advanced Styler* £10.95 (100ml), Hair Therapy Oil* £15.00 (100ml), & Ultimate Curl* £7.86

After mentioning the Amargan Hair Therapy Protect and Shine Spray in my haircare routine post, I was contacted by the lovely peole at Amargan to ask if I'd like to try some more of their products.  Obviously I jumped at the chance and a few days later, a parcel arrived in the post.  I was sent a full size version of thier Ultimate Curl Cream, which I am still trying out, and also two bottles of their oils which I'm going  to talk about here.

The oils came packaged in their own little box along with a small detangling comb, and also a letter explaining what each product was for, which I thought was a nice touch. First up is the Hair Therapy Oil which is the original Amargan product.  Designed to be used on wet hair in place of conditioner, this oil is pretty thick in texture but it soaks into the hair instantly.  This really does leave your hair feeling soft and in great condition.  I've often put this on my hair and left it to dry naturally which normally would cause my hair to frizz.  With the oil, this frizziness is greatly reduced and my hair is left smooth, shiny and healthy looking.

The Advanced Styler is for use on wet hair that is going to be blow-dried or heat styled, as it is heat activated.  Along with Argan Oil, it also contains Keratin which is a potent ingredient that strengthens hair by improving its structure from the inside out.  Keratin fills in any breakages or gaps in the hair shaft, which in turn helps to make hair more supple and easier to style.  After applying the first oil, I apply the Advanced Styler in the same way and comb through.  I'm really impressed with this oil too; my hair is so much smoother after using this, and takes a lot less straightening too which is obviously great for my hair.  It works just as well if I'm wanting to curl my hair as opposed to straighten it.

Both these oils are well worth checking out if you're a fan of Argan Oil.  They can be used independently of each other but when used together they're brilliant.  I received a 30ml bottle of each and as you only need a couple of drops, I'm sure they're going to last a long time.  However when they eventually do run out, I'll definitely be repurchasing!

You can find out more about Amargan here and buy them in selected salons, or online here

*All of these products were sent to me free of charge by the company.

This does not affect my thoughts on the products.

Boots No7 melting gel cleanser

  
I was considering purchasing the Clarins equivalent of this cleansing gel, but as it was the end of the month and therefore I was a little skint, I decided to go for the No7 as I couldn't wait til payday to clean my face!  This cleanser formed the basis of my skincare overhaul, something I needed to do as I'd been getting very lazy with my skincare routine.  When I wasn't being lazy I'd use No7's hot cloth cleanser, which has been a staple of mine for a couple of years, but as everyone's going mad for 'double cleansing' lately, I decided to use this in addition to get my own double cleansing experience.

The cleanser comes in typical No7 packaging, very basic and no-frills, but doesn't look at all cheap or tacky.  It's just a simple white plastic tube with a pink cap.  It's priced at £9, more than half the price of the Clarins cleanser, and can be bought even cheaper when No7 have their £5 vouchers (I got a voucher the other day actually...) out.

As the name would suggest, this cleanser is of a gel consistency, that when massaged into the skin transforms into an oil.  Upon contact with water, it turns into a more creamy consistency which you then rinse away.  I tend to massage the gel into dry skin; (apparently this is how you're meant to cleanse your face, none of that damp skin malarkey!). The oil does make your skin feel kind of heavy, but this loosens as soon as I add a bit of water.  All in all, it actually feels quite nice and soothing. I continue to massage this into my skin before taking a hand-hot flannel and massaging away.  The flannel feels much more luxurious than a muslin cloth and also gives the smallest amount of exfoliation.

 I'd say it removes about 90% of my makeup.  Unfortunately it isn't designed to remove eye-makeup; it made my eyes sore when I tried to remove my mascara! My skin does feel clean and soft after use so it's not all bad.  I've now switched to using this as my morning cleanser and it leaves my skin feeling soft and fresh, and ready to start the day.

The 'First Time' tag

Myself and Scamp. More on him later...

I've seen this post crop up on many a blog YouTube channel and even though I've not been tagged by anyone,  thought I'd give it a go anyway! I love reminiscing about my childhood, and often a night in with my friends turns into doing just that.  We didn't grow up together, so it's interesting to see how much we actually had in common without realising.  We once realised we took ballet lessons at the same place when we were much younger! It's so strange to think we could well have been in the same class without knowing and now 20+ years later, we're best friends.  Anyway, I'm going of track here, onto the tag!

First Best Friend

Joanne and I in our early years!

Outside of school my best friend was Joanne.  She lived down the road from me, and our mothers were the best of friends so it was inevitable that we'd be friends too.  We went to different schools but would see each other once school and finished.  When she wasn't at my house, I'd be at hers.  We were inseparable until the age of about 10 or 11 when she decided she didn't want to be my friend any more! We didn't even speak to each other for a good few years, and although we were never best friends again, I'm glad we're still in touch now.

My best friend from the age of bout 6 or 7 was a girl called Claire.  We remained best friends on and off for the remainder of primary school, amidst the usual childish fallouts.  Come senior school, she was part of the 'cool crowd', you know the ones who don't pay attention in lessons and spend their breaks smoking in the toilets or wherever.  She actually bullied me at one point. Nothing major, I escaped lightly compared to what some kids go through, but it was enough for me to once get a lift home from a teacher even though I lived less than five minutes from school.

First Job

Like most teenage girls, I often babysat for relatives to earn a bit of pocket money.  I remember looking after my cousins from when they were about 6 and 2 years of age.  It was fairly easy money, most of the time they were already in bed when I got there so I didn't have to do a lot.  Even when they got a bit older and I'd have to put them to bed, they were never really any bother.  Despite there being such a big age gap between us, I'm actually really close to them and was even bridesmaid to the older one when she got married earlier this year! 

First Phone

I got my first phone aged 17 as a Christmas present and I remember being so excited! It was by Phillips and the network was BT Cellnet, talk about old school! The screen was the tiniest little thing, but all in all it was a cute little phone that was more than enough at the time.  I had this phone for almost a year, when I saved up to buy myself a Nokia 3310. I loved this phone; it had Snake and you could change the covers on it. I also remember how you could compose your own ringtones, and there were websites where you could learn how to convert your favourite songs to ringtones using the ringtone composer. 

First Kiss

My first 'boyfriend' was a boy called Alan.  We were about 7 or 8 and used to hold hands and sit next to each other at school.  He once told my Mam that he'd kissed me and I was mortified! He later moved schools but we were reunited when we started secondary school, where he'd just blank me.  I didn't want to be his girlfriend any more but I remember thinking him acting like I didn't exist was a bit mean!

First Concert

I didn't actually go to concert til fairly late on in life.  I think I was about 16 and it was one of the Smash Hits tours.  Remember them? Westlife were the headline act and me and my friends were seriously obsessed with them at the time.  We had to sit through all kinds of rubbish waiting for them, but as soon as they hit the stage, we went crazy.  We all got shouted at for standing on our chairs too... oops!  My Westlife obsession continued well into my twenties, and since my friends had "grew out" of them, it meant I only got to see them in concert a few times. However myself and one of my best friends took our Mams to see the cinema screening of their last ever concert at Croke Park last year.  Obviously it wasn't the same as being there but it was the next best thing.  And it was drier too, it was pouring down in Dublin that weekend! 

First Music I Bought

The first cassette (retro!) I remember buying myself was Take That's Everything Changes single.  I've loved Take That since they first came out back in the early 90s and are basically what kick-started my love for boybands!   I can't remember whether it was this cassette or the Back for Good single that had a Beatles medley on it too.  I also remember buying Boyzones first album the very day it came out and then receiving it again four months later at Christmas!

First Word

Apparently it was "Oh dear!".  Say no more...!

First Pet

The infamous Magic. And yes, I'm questioning my outfit too...

 When I was 2, my grandparents got a black Shih Tzu named Scamp, who's in the picture with me above.  Since I spent pretty much every weekend of my childhood at my grandparents' as far as I was concerned he was my dog too.  Some of my earliest memories are of being sat on the floor with my Grandad listening to music, with Scamp curled up with us.  He lived til he was about 12 years old and I remember being so upset when he was put to sleep.

Apart from the obligatory goldfish that pretty much everyone had, I remember when I was about 8 getting a budgie.  We called him Magic after the  Cockatiel on a TV show called 'Wackaday' which was big in the 80s.  We had him for years til one day somebody left his cage door open and he escaped.  I was devastated.  A few days later our neighbour knocked on our door to say there was a budgie that looked like ours in their garden.  I can still see my Grandad chasing after him, trying to catch him with my green dressing gown! He caught him in the end, though!

 First Makeup

I have a few memories of using my Mam's and Grandma's make up as a child.  I remember once my Grandma doing my make up and then we did a "fashion show" which was basically her taking photos of me in different outfits! I bought my own make up for the first time when I was about 12.  At that age, some of the girls at school had started to come in wearing bits of makeup; nothing major as our school was quite strict, but just concealer, mascara and basics like that.  I remember buying this hideous nude Rimmel lipstick called "Earth Star" like a girl in my English class had.  It was a browny kind of nude that did nothing for me.  Sadly(!) I think Rimmel no longer make this fetching shade, but if you Google it you just may find some swatches...

First Tweet

I actually have no idea! It was probably something along the lines of  "I have no idea what I'm doing" or "Hello no-one!" as I obviously had no followers when I first singed up! It seemed so complicated at first to, now I do wonder why I struggled so much as it's so simple! I wouldn't be without it now though, such a good way to get your blog out there, and to find other blogs and bloggers too.  If you don't already follow me, I'd love for you to come and say hi, you can find me at @sarahkayblogs.

Well that's all the questions done.  I actually really enjoyed doing that tag and having a trip down memory lane.  A lot of the tags I've seen so far are beauty related so it's nice to do something different.  Obviously we all have a love for beauty, fashion, makeup etc, but I think these kinds of posts are nice to know the person behind the blog a little bit and have a little nosey into their past and so on.  If you've done this tag, I'd love to have a little read so please leave your links in the comments and I'll be sure to have a look!

Favourite Glitter Polishes

 I'm a massive fan of glitter nail polish and believe everyone should have at least a couple amongst their stash of nail colours.  Even one glitter polish can double the amount of looks you can create with your collection.  They can be applied as a top coat to add subtle sparkle, or with a few coats to each nail for a more dramatic look, perfect for parties.  Add to that accent nails, or gradient glitter effects, there's so many possibilities.  I have a few of these glittering beauties in my own collection and thought it'd be fun to share some of my favourites with you.  These aren't in any order, because let's face it, it was hard enough to choose five without putting them in order too!

No7 gold glitter top coat

This was part of No7's limited edition range last summer, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on this and the silver one.  I love them both, but have had more use out of this one.  This makes a brilliant topcoat over pretty much any colour.  Here it is over Essie's Aruba Blue. I wore this combination to a masquerade party earlier this year (my dress and shoes were blue and accessories gold) and got loads of compliments.  Definitely one of my all-time favourite nail looks!

Nails Inc Chelsea Square

This is a relatively recent addition to my collection, but nevertheless it's shot straight into my top five.  As soon as the lovely Tor from That's Peachy featured it in a blog post, I fell in love with it and ordered it that night.  It's a beautiful coppery pink colour and is perfect for Autumn. Here I've teamed it with Rimmel's Pro in Beige Babe, with just a light coating of Chelsea Square over the top.

Barry M Amethyst Glitter

This was part of a collection that came out late last year.  I abolutely love the colours in this; turquoise, purple, gold, pink and black small hexagonal glitter suspended in a clear base.  As you can see, I've applied this one in two ways; as a top coat for Topshop's Threadbare, and then did two coats for an opaque look.  

Nails Inc Connaught Square

This one is a definite to be applied all over the nail.  It's absolutely jam packed with small blue glitter and larger purple glitter.  I usually do 3 coats of this, though can get away with two if I'm in more of a rush.  I also have another one from this collection, Bloosmbury Square, which is small purple and large pink glitter.  I love them both, but Connaught Square just swings it for me.

Technique Carnival

I think most of you will recognise it as the famous dupe from the OPI Muppet's collection.  I picked this up in Bodycare for a Bargainous £1.99.  This mix of large and small multicoloured glitter looks great with pretty much any nail polish.  I'd normally wear this with a paler colour, but to add a bit of variety I've teamed it with Accessorize's Heart Beat nail polish.

Nails Inc Devonshire Street

I received this dinky little bottle in gift set last Christmas. It's a silver glitter, but is a bit more muted than most silvers I've seen before, it's almost champagne like in colour really.  Again this could be applied all over the nail and built up to a full-on glitter look, or as a top coat like I've done here.  I've applied Essie's Cocktail Bling underneath for a real wintery looking combination. Definitely one for the festive season!

What are your favourite glittering beauties?! Do you own any of these? Any you'd recommend? Let me know!

The Autumn Tag

image: weheartit.com

Autumn is definitely my favourite season.  I've missed most of the nice hot weather this summer due to being stuck at work, and now the weather's getting cooler I must admit I'm glad to hear the end of comments such as "ooh it's lovely out there you know?" and "fancy being stuck in here on a day like this"... I'm not there by choice y'know... Anyway, I've not being tagged by anyone to do this tag (that I'm aware of!) but I've seen it cropping up in a few places so I thought I'd join in anyway!  

1. Favourite thing about it?

The crisp weather.  There's a bit of a chill in the air so which means we can get out our boots, scarves, jumpers etc... but we don't have to wrap up the point we resemble Michelin Man.  I also love walking though piles of crisp leaves on the gound!

2. Favourite drink? 

This time of year I start lusting after hot chololate again. My favouirte is the Green and Blacks one.  With squirty cream and marshmallows of course!

3. Favourite scent/candle? 

I'm a big candle fan, especially in the cooler months.  I love sat in front of the fire, with loads of candles burning.  One of my favourite candle fragrances is by a brand called Partylite, and is called Mulberry.  They also did a lovely one called Apple Allure which has sadly been discontinued :(

4. Best lipstick? 

I still tend to stick to more natural lip colours in the Autumn, especially during the day.  If anything I may go for one of the deeper colours in the Revlon lip butters range, or similar.  I am more likely to wear a red lipstick in these colder months though.

5. Go to moisturiser? 

I'm currently using the No7 Beautiful Skin moisturiser for normal/dry skin.  At the moment this is working fine for me, and I already have another pot ready to go.  However, I may purchase something else if I find my skin to get drier over the next few weeks.  I've just ordered a few origins products and I'm keen to try a moisturiser from them too.

image: weheartit.com

6. Go to colours for the eyes? 

I swear by my neutrals and tend to flit between my Naked palettes all year round.  Having said that I'd like to try out something like Mac's Cranberry eyeshadow this Autumn.  I believe there's a Maybelline colour ta too in a similar colour also so I'll probably get that as I love cream eye shadows.

7. Favourite music or band/singer to listen to? 

Music wise, I tend to just stick my 'Starred' songs on shuffle and see what comes on, there's some corkers on there let me tell you! I'm quite set in my ways when it comes to music, and I don't really keep up to date with new music.  I am really liking The 1975's album though, and my current guilty pleasure is McFly... make of that what you will!

8. Favourite outfit to wear (i.e. boots & a scarf combo)? 

I'm obsessed with my (faux!) leather Primark jacket and pretty much wear it do death til it gets unbearably cold and I'm forced into wearing, to quote my mother, a "proper winter coat". It goes with just about any outfit, and I love wearing it with a dress, tights and a nice chunky knit scarf.  That's my go to look for casual evenings out in the cooler months.

9. Autumn treat? (i.e. a new scarf or bag you have your eye on) 

I'm a scarves obsessive and have my eye on a couple from Dorothy Perkins.  I also discovered the other day due to the rain that I need new boots; I wore them that much last winter that I must've made a hole in them or something!  Also in need f a "proper winter coat"...

10. Favourite place to be? 

Sat on the sofa in my PJ's, drinking hot chocolate watching trashy TV with the fire burning.  There's nothing I love more than coming in from the cold to a nice warm, cosy house and chilling out for the evening. Even more so come the winter when the Christmas tree is up... not long now!

 

 

image: weheartit.com

Have you done the Autumn Tag? If so, send me the link as I'd love to read it!

My five most used makeup brushes

Like any blogger, I have a pretty decent collection of make up brushes.  Not as many as some I'm sure, but still enough to make cleaning them take forever! These are the five brushes I use most often, and the ones I wouldn't be without.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush

I think everyone loves this brush, and I do wonder how I coped without it! I use it every day to apply my foundation and it blends it in so effortlessly and seamlessly, and it helps to achieve a flawless finish.  My only criticism is that it can't be bought individually.  It comes as part of the Core Collection as we all know, and I just can't justify another £20 when I have no need for the other brushes.  I am tempted to try out the Expert Face Brush as it does look similar and could work as a back up for my Buffing Brush.

Real Techniques Blush Brush

Yes, another brush from Samantha Chapman's line! Although a little on the large side, it's tapered top means as long as you're careful you shouldn't end up looking like a clown! It's best to use this with a light hand, especially if using a particularly bright blush. The fluffiness of the brush means you can blend your blusher out with ease to give a nice natural look. I guess it wouldn't hurt for it to be a little bit smaller, but once you're used to the size, it's not too much of an issue.  It also doubles up as a brilliant highlight/bronzer brush so it's a real multi-tasker!

Real Techniques Powder Brush

Anyone sensing a theme here? This is the last Real Techniques brush I swear!  This one is also super soft and fluffy and disperses powder easily.  It's a nice large size so it only takes a few seconds to cover the whole face.  I was never a big powder user before, but using this with my Soap and Glory powder sets my make up brilliantly.

Crown Brush Blending Crease (C330)

Although intended for eyeshadow, I actually use this to blend in my concealer.  It's just the right size to fit into my under eye area and works better than any concealer brush I've used.  I'm quite heavy handed so using my fingers to blend concealer never really works for me. The softness of this brush means the concealer just melts into my skin and definitely helps make me look more awake in the mornings!

Sigma E25

The famous dupe for the even more famous Mac 217.  I've tired similar dupes from Crown, but this is the best by far.  It's real multitask brush and applies highlight, lid and crease colours effortlessly.  It's nice and soft and has barely shed in the 18months+ that I've had it. At almost half the price of the Mac equivalent, it's extremely tempting to order another one (or two!) as a backup. 

I think with these five brushes, I have every thing covered.  Obviously having only five brushes isn't ideal, but I could easily manage with just these five brushes on a weekend away.  Having said that, I always take more even if I'm going away for the one night! I think for my next trip away I'll challenge myself to just take these brushes and see how I get on... watch this space!

Do you own any of these brushes? Which brushes do you use most often?

Skincare Update

I'm sure I've mentioned that I'm currently overhauling my skincare routine, and after making a few more additions today, I thought I'd give you all a sneek peek into what I'm using at the moment while it's looking all tidy in its new storage which I picked up from TKMaxx for £9.99. They do briliant storage bits I've discovered, it took me forever to decided which basket to pick up and I'll be going back for more I'm sure!

 

As you can see, I've built up a bit of a collection! I've a fair few cleansers on the go; I've been using the No7 hot cloth cleanser for a few years now and I'm still in love with it. The other No7 cleanser is the melting gel cleanser which is a bit of a dupe for the Clarins gel cleanser. I'll be reviewing this soon so keep an eye out for that.  My trusty L'Oreal micellar water is tucked in at the back there and we also have my Champneys cleansing balm, which I am yet to try out. It's supposed to be very exfoliating so I'm looking forward to giving that a go shortly.  Lastly for cleansers, there's my newest addition, the Clinique cleansing balm.

My face scrub of choice is again from No7 and is another product I've bought mulitple times. I use this about twice a week but this may change with the addition of the Champneys balm.  I have the Una Brennan tea tree mask which I turn to if my pores are a bit clogged, and I've just bought the Origins overnight mask for use when my skin is feeling dry.There's also my Sanctuary toner which I reviewed here so I won't go into detail about that, and my No7 day and night creams. Lastly I'm currently using two eye creams, yet another product from No7, as well as my new Origins GinZing eye cream.

I also stocked up on some flannels while in Primark.  I followed the rather amazing Caroline Hirons' advice regarding cleansing and got myself enough for each day, with a couple of spares. If you've not checked out her blog, then I highly reccommend you do if you have any skincare queries. Like I've said, some of these products I'm yet to try out.  I don't like to overload my skin with too many new things at once, I'd much rather introduce things gradually, see if they work for me, then add something else in at a later date. 

Obviously the little Rhino isn't part of my routine, I just thought he looked cute perched on top of my flannels! And yes, that's me in the photo, I'm the one in the grey and pink dress in case you were wondering!

Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Polish - Navy Seal

 

A day off work for me means I get to.paint my nails! To some it may seem a bit too much effort, painting my nails in the morning then removing it that evening, but if I'm going out somewhere and have done my hair and makeup, painting my nails helps me feel put together and 'done'. Besides, I have that many polishes it'd be a waste to not use them!

Today's colour of choice is a new addition. I blogged ages ago about the Rimmel pro colours and how much I love them; this is from the same range but Rimmel have changed the packaging since then. Navy Seal is a muted blue/grey colour.  It's not quite dark enough to be classed as a true navy blue, you could maybe describe it as a "pastel navy" if that makes any sense?!  It's perfect for this time of year and I think it'll become my go-to colour this autumn.  If you love your pastel shades in the summer but, like me, aren't a massive fan of really dark colours, this may be well worth checking out.

Osmo Blow Dry Potion

"Once upon a time in a land far away, a potion was sent from your fairy godmother..."*

I've mentioned the Osmo blow dry potion in a couple of posts now - my haircare routine and my August favourites, so I decided that since I clearly love it so much I should give it its own review!  As I said before, I picked this up from my local beauty supply store completely on a whim; I'd gone in for a Tigi hairspray that they were apparently selling off, but were sold out of, and while browsing, I spotted this and decided to give it a try.  The product itself comes in  250ml bottle with a nozzle type applicator.  It's a bit of an odd shape with it getting slightly wider towards the top, and its a lovely pinky purple colour.  To be honest it actually does look  a bit like a "magical potion" sat on my dressing table!

Osmo say:

"Transform hair with this specially forumlated styling lotion designed to thicken and hold all styles.  Enjoy an efortless blow dry expirience while reducing friction and breakages causedby heat stying.  Hair is left full, static free and healthy."

So basically it claims to add volume to the hair while giving it a bit of hold.  So is it any good? Well, in short, yes it is! After washing and towel drying my hair I take about a 50p sized amount and rub it in my hands, then apply to my hair.  The product itself is very liquidy so be sure to squeeze the bottle gently or you'll end up with way too much product. It's described as a "thickening" product and oposed to a "volumising" one and I'd say that's about right.  It certainly doesn't give me masses of volume, but on a day to day basis, that's not neccissarily what I want.  My hair can sometimes appear a bit flat after blowdrying, but since using this I've defintely noticed my hair appear thicker and not so stuck to my head.  It leaves my hair feeling sleek and smooth, which is a huge bonus as it means I don't have to go over it so much with my GHD's.

I've found it also helps to keep my blowdry in place.  As my fair is more on the fine side (even though I have loads of it) I tend to find the ends of my hair, mainly at the front, can become a bit wispy and out of place as the day goes on.  This is no longer the case, my sleek 'do' has stayed put for much longer, with little to no static, which is another thing that used to drive me mad! It also really helps if I've chosen to curl my hair.  I like quite loose waves for a casual look, and tend to brush my curls out to aheive this.  This stuff helps to stop my hair just going frizzy when I do this, and also keeps the waves in place.

One last point; I can't end this review without mentioning the smell, which if I'm honest is what swayed me into buying it in the first place! I was in two minds until I gave it a whiff! It smells devine; it's really fruity and reminds me of some kind of cocktail.  Beautiful, but I'm fairly sure it won't taste as good as it smells!

I believe the RRP for the Osmo blow dry potion is around £8.  I paid £5.99 for mine, and I've seen it  at various prices around the web.  Feel Unique currently have it on sale for £7.99 but if you shop around, I'm sure you could find it cheaper.  Having said that, I'd happily pay the full price for it as it really has worked wonders on my hair!

Have you tried any Osmo products?

*those are the wesbite's words, not mine!

Sanctuary Pore Refining Toner

Toners are something I've pretty much always neglected. I always thought they were unnecessary, and half the time it's enough effort for me to remember to cleanse and moisturise without adding extra steps to my routine.  I'm currently in the process of revamping my skincare routine so this seemed as good a time as any to incorporate a toner.  I didn't want to spend loads of cash, so I opted for the Sanctuary pore refining toner from Boots. At £9, it's certainly not the most expensive, fancy toner out there, but it's not super cheap either.  

The toner claims to be suitable for all skin types and helps to balance skin's PH levels & minimise the appearance of open pores without the skin feeling stripped or dry.  It also contains Witch Hazel to help fight blemishes and reduce any redness.  My skin is generally normal to dry, though I do get the odd oily patch occasionally, so I was looking for something to combat this without aggravating my slightly dry skin either.

The toner comes in a blue, spray bottle and is 150mls in size.  I actually really like the packaging, it's simplistic, yet sleek and doesn't look at all cheap.  It could easily be mistaken for a more expensive product I think.  The spray bottle ensures you control exactly how much product you apply; I tend to do about 3 or 4 squirts onto a cotton wool pad then wipe all over my face after cleansing.   With it being a spray, you can also spray directly on the face (eyes closed of course!) as a mist, to refresh your skin throughout the day.  I'm yet do try this as the bottle is a bit big to carry around all day but I can imagine it's nice and refreshing.

I've been using this toner for a few weeks now and I've definitely seen an improvement in my skin.  I'd noticed my pores were becoming more noticeable on my forehead and nose and this toner has certainly helped to reduced them.  My skin is also a lot smoother and noticeable brighter.  It does have a fairly strong smell, it's not unpleasant at all, it just smells like a "real spa" product if that makes sense?  I'm not a fan of using heavily fragranced products on my face, and I always get a little paranoid when I try a new skincare product, but I'm pleased to say I have had no reaction what so ever.

I'm really glad I tried this toner, and I'd highly recommend anyone to give it a try if you haven't already.  It's also available in a smaller (30ml) bottle  for £3.99 which I'm tempted to pick up for travel.

Most Wanted #3: Autumn Dresses

 

Usually when the weather takes a turn for the worse, any summery closed are pushed the back of my wardrobe and I live in jean and boots.  This year, I've decided to change all that, and incorporate some of my summer dresses into my autumn/winter wardrobe, adding tights and a chunky cardigan to make them more appropriate for the colder months.  In addition I've been eyeing up these dresses and I'm hoping to add one or two to my collection to update my wardrobe a little.

Chestnut Embroidered Mesh Dress, £22.99, New Look 

I think this dress looks a lot more expensive then the £22.99 price tag. I really like the colour and think it'd look great teamed with cream r tan accessories.  These sorts of colours instantly remind me of autumn, and while this dress may be a little more formal for day to day, for a special day out I think this would be ideal.  The dress is also available in black which would make a great evening outfit.

 Crepe Seam Flippy Dress, £46, Topshop

To be honest I'm slightly put off by the fact this dress is twice as expensive as the previous one, but I just love the colour.  As much as I love the typical autumnal shades, it's still nice to add a bit of colour to brighten up a dull, grey day. I'd personally team this with black tights and cardigan, but with a bit of tan, this would make a great choice for a night out too.  As I'm on a budget, I think I'd have to wait for the sales for a chance at buying this one.

Burgundy Heart Print Dress, £19.99, New Look 

I love the heart print detail on this one, it adds a little bit of interest but without being over the top.  I know it's not too different in colour from the first dress I posted so I'd probably have to choose on over the other.  This one is definitely a bit more casual and I'd feel more comfortable wearing this one on a day to day basis.  I'm not a massive fan of the elasticated part around the waist, but this is something that can probably be covered with a belt.

Nude Spot Print Dress, £18, Dorothy Perkins 

Dorothy Perkins is one of those shops where I never find much in terms of evening wear, but for smart casual clothes, I think it's fab.  This dress is pretty simple, but has a nice twist detail on the sleeves which stops it being too plain.  Again, you could probably get away with adding heels and wearing it for night out so it could be quite a versatile dress.

Blue Daisy Print Tea Dress, £29, Glamorous.co.uk 

 I think everyone's seen this dress.  Caroline Flack wore it, and basically the blogosphere went mad for it. I have a thing for flowery dresses, and as much as I tried not to include any in this post, I couldn't help it, I'm just drawn to them! Although it's quite a summery colour, I think it could be carried on through autumn and although it's out of stock at the moment, I'm very tempted to put a cheeky pre-order in for it...

Oriental Print Skater Dress, £12, Select 

I know... another flower print dress, I told you I had a problem! I don't really shop in Select that much, although I always go in for a browse.  I think the print on this one is quite unusual, and although the colours aren't the traditional 'autumn' colours,  the dark background makes them work for this time of year.

 What dresses do you have your eyes on this autumn? Do you have any of the one I've mentioned? Let me know!

August Favourites

Babyliss waving wand.

I've had this for ages but I haven't used it for the longest time. Now every time I've styled my hair this month I've been using this.  I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll never be able to curl my hair with ghd's no matter how hard I try.  Using a wand, however, is so easy! This one is a more unusual shape compared to the typical conical wand, but the principle is the same.  Simply point downwards and (carefully!) wrap sections of hair around it, hold for few seconds and let go. The shape of this is meant to give more of a 'wave' than a curl, but I find it gives more than enough curl for me, and I tend to brush it out a fair bit for a more natural look.

Osmo Blow Dry Potion

 I mentioned this in my haircare routine post a couple of weeks ago, and it has definitely become a firm favourite.  It doesn't give masses of volume, but I can definitely notice a difference in how my hair looks when I've used this, it's just enough to stop my hair looking flat.  It also gives a bit of hold, which is great for when I'm using the waving wand on my hair. I hadn't heard of Osmo until I bought this, but I definitely want to try out more of their products in the future.

Benefit They're Real

I bought this product when it first came out in 2011 and to be honest, I didn't love it.  However, when I received a mini version in a gift set recently, I decided to give it a second chance.  This time around, it's love.  I'm not sure why, though I think it might be with this one being a miniature version, the wand is shorter and therefore easier to control? Has anyone else experienced this? My lashes are quite long anyway, but are quite fair at the ends, this mascara lengthens them even more and makes them such much more defined.  It's making me want to buy the full size again, but if my theory's right I won't love it nearly as much.

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot

My skin isn't overly oily but I do get a bit of a shiny forehead as the day goes on. Despite this, I've never been a big powder user as I've found them to be cakey and emphasise any dry patches.  When Soap and Glory make up was 3 for 2 recently, I decided to give this a go, and I'm so glad I did.  It's so finely milled and pretty much melts into the skin, given a lovely matte finish.  Another winner from Soap and Glory for me!

Barry M Confetti Nail Paint in Dolly Mixture

I love topcoats, so much so, I'm planning a blog post showing all my favourites.  This is a new addition but has already become a firm favourite.  I love this because it adds a bit of interest to your nail colour of choice, but is much less in your face than glitter.  I always associate glitter polishes with winter or night time, so these confetti ones are perfect for day time.

The Body Shop Almond Hand & Nail Cream

Excuse the battered-ness of the tube, but with it being in a metallic tube, it doesn't stand a chance in my handbag! My hands get really dry at work, so a good hand cream is a must.  This one does the job brilliantly, it absorbs quickly leaving no greasy residue, and it leaves my hands super soft.  It has a lovely, non-offencive smell too.  This is just the small version, though once my Hand Food has ran out, I may get a larger tube of this for my dressing table,