Tuesday 25 March 2014

The Spring Beauty Tag



Image: weheartit.com Edited by myself.

I was recently tagged by the lovely Gillian to do the Spring Beauty Tag. Quite exciting because it's the first time somebody's actually tagged me; I've usually just jumped on the bandwagon and done the tag anyway so I'm quite chuffed that I've been tagged in this one! You can find Gillians blog here and her You Tube channel here.  I'm not as brave as her so I'm doing this tag in blog form! Hope you enjoy!

1. Do you change up your makeup when Spring arrives? If so, how?
Sort of.  I don't really think "Oh it's Spring so I must do my make up differently" or anything like that.  I always get excited over new Spring/Summer makeup releases and more often than not will purchase one or two things, but I guess I'm not using them because it's Spring, I'm just using them because they're new and I like them. Does that make sense?! I know what I mean! ;)

2. What's your favourite Spring fragrance?
Again, I don't really use specific frangrances depending on the seasons.  Although my all time favourite perfume is Stella, but I do tend to associate that more with the cooler months.  I also really like Viva La Juicy La Fleur which is a bit more floral so I'll go for that as my favourite Spring fragrance!

3. What's going to be your favourite accessory this Spring?
Hmm... I don't know.  I do tend to swich from a dark coloured handbag to a lighter coloured on in the summer months.  Nothing flash, usually just a cross over style one.  I had a lovely nude/pink coloured one from Dorothy Perkins last summer and was gutted when the strap snapped! I'll probably be on the lookout for something similar in the next few weeks. So, favourite Spring accessory will be a new bag!

4. What's going to be your most worn item of clothing this Spring?
I got really into maxi dresses last summer.  At just over 5ft I always struggled to find ones that fit but after buying a couple last summer I fell in love with them.  If we have a warm enough spring, I'll definitely be getting them out at the earliest oppurtunity!

5. What are your Top 3 favourite Spring nail polishes?
Nail polish is definitely something I change according to the seasons.  Spring is the time I'll get out my pastel and bright shades and put my darker colours to the back of my collection.  Some of my favourite Spring polishes would have to be:
Barry M - Papaya: A pretty pale orange shade from the Gelly collection.
Essie Cute as a Button: A beautiful pinky coral that I wore to death last year.
Topshop Prim and Proper: A slightly muted baby pink.  Perfect if you're not quite ready for full on pastels yet!

6. Do you prefer pumps or sandals in Spring?
I'd say pumps for the Spring.  I live on the coast so while the majority of the country is basking an early summer heatwave, it's almost certainly a bit cooler and breezier in my neck of the woods.  I tend to stay in my pumps til June at least!

7. What's your favourite Spring jacket?
It would have to be a short length, parka style jacket I got from Dorothy Perkins a good few years ago.  It has a hood and three quarter length sleeves and is just really casual.  It's a khaki/green colour and I love wearing it with skinny jeans and then pumps or sandals. That's pretty much my go to "look" for the warmer months.  In all honesty the jacket has seen better days, but I've yet to find another I like so much so it's staying put for now!
SHARE:

Friday 14 March 2014

Pinterest Picks #3: Clubbing



Last weekend myself and my best girl friends ventured into town for one of the girls' birthday night out.  As with any night out, there had been careful planning before hand; what time to go out, where to go first, what everyone was wearing, and so on.  I couldn't get out of my late finish at work, so opted to go down slightly later with one of the girls and meet the others there.  The night started out well, sat around a table on comfy chairs, having a good old gossip over a glass or two of wine.  We moved onto a little cocktail bar a bit further down the road and I enjoyed a delicious frozen Strawberry Daiquiri, even if I did manage to spill half of it.  Ooops. From there the night rapidly went downhill as we went to a club...

... The thing is, I don't really like clubbing. I've never been a massive fan, but as the years go by, it interests me less and less. Give me a pair of flats, plenty of space and a good dollop of cheesy music and I'm as happy as larry, but for the most part none of these happen on your average night out.  Instead you're forced to stand/dance in uncomfortable shoes, whilst getting pushed, shoved, walked into and/or have at least one drink spilt all over you, with music so loud you can't hear yourself think, let alone have a conversation with your friends. The queues to get in, the price to get in, the toilets with no locks or loo roll... yep, you guessed it, it's just not for me.  If the musics alright, I can tolerate heels well enough, but once they start to hurt that's it, I've had enough.  I don't care if they're playing my favourite song (The Killers, Mr Brightside if you're wondering...) I just want to go home.  Or at least, wait til that song's finished, and then go home.  Via a takeaway of course. 

An ideal night out for me these days is an evening in a pub, with some good music playing in the background.  I love getting together with my friends, having a nice pub meal (with dessert!) and having a nice chat without having to risk damaging our vocal chords.  The idea of getting home at a semi-reasonable hour is also appealing.  When I first started going out, clubs would always shut at 2am.  These days I'm ready for my bed by midnight.  I don't know how folk stay out til four or five in the morning, I don't think I could do that when I was younger! Nights in are equally appealing.  There's nothing I enjoy more than spending an evening on the sofa, in our comfiest clothes, chatting the night away over a bottle (each...oops) of wine with one of my best friends.  We have quite the conversations, let me tell you!  We pretty much laugh til we cry which is much more of a stress relief than a night of clubbing, for me anyway!

I realise this post makes me sound really old and boring but in all honesty, these days it's just not for me!

Do you go out clubbing? Do you prefer nights in or nights out?
SHARE:

Thursday 13 March 2014

Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturiser


When it comes to body moisturising,  I'm definitely in the lazy girls camp. I seem to have a tonne of it,  but most days I end up skipping it.  Any product that is going to make this process more appealing (i.e. quicker and easier) is going to to grab my attention so I was definitely interested when these offerings from Vaseline hit the shops a few months ago. I've used Vaseline body lotions on and off over the years and have always found they do a good job, but would this translate in the quicker, spray version? Out of the three varieties, Essential Moisture, Aloe Vera and Cocoa Butter, I opted for the Cocoa Butter as it's one of my favourite scents of all time and I figured it'd be best for my slightly dry skin.

The Application couldn't be easier.  Simply spray onto skin, give it a quick little rub, and you're good to go.  Not quite 'Spray and Go' more like 'Spray and give it a bit of a rub, then go', but still a definite time saver.  It sinks into the skin almost immediately and you're not left with any of that greasy, sticky feelings you can get with a traditional body lotion.  The spray really is continuous and makes moisturising those hard to reach areas like your back a doddle.  I was a little dubious as to how moisturising this would be, and while it does make my skin feel nice and soft, it's not super moisturising and if you had very dry skin this probably wouldn't be enough to use on its own.  I suffer from dry patches on the tops of my arms and need something a little richer to keep these in check.  I tend to use this as quick fix on a morning when I'm rushing to get ready and don't have time for a body butter to sink in, then switch to one of my many Soap and Glory tubs of moisturising goodness on an evening.  Best of both worlds that way!
SHARE:

Sunday 9 March 2014

5 products, 5 minutes

I'm sure we all have those mornings where for whatever reason we've left ourselves five minutes to do our make up. Whether you've over slept, have some last-minute plans, or just simply can't be bothered to do a full face of make up, we've all been there.  For me, most days, it's the latter.  I just can't bring myself to go all out with my make up when I'm going to work for various reasons, but put simply I don't see the point; anyone who's worked in a busy kitchen/restaurant/cafe will completely understand! That said, I still like to make a bit of an effort to look a little bit human, and I'm proud to say I've got my "work face" routine whittled down to just 5 products, all applied within just 5 minutes

A recent discovery for me is the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation.  I've heard a lot of people complain that the shade range of Boujois isn't the best, and while there certainly isn't a great deal of shades, I'm one of the lucky ones as this is a pretty good match for my skin tone.  I'd say this foundation is leaning towards medium coverage, but it's very light weight and doesn't feel at all like you're wearing a mask.  It's quick and easy to blend into the skin, and doesn't accentuate any dry patches.  Concealer is a must for me, especially when I have a dreaded 7am start.  My trusty Collection concealer does a good job of minimising my dark circles; I've lost count of how many tubes of this I've gone through. I love it. I just wish they'd sort the packaging out; I hate how all the writing wears off after about a week!  Next up is a quick sweep of blusher to add a bit of much needed colour to my cheeks.  At the moment, I'm really liking this one by Boujois, but to be honest I just usually grab whichever one's closest! Almost done now, but not before a bit of bronzer.  I tend not to do any real contouring, I just sweep a light dusting all over, maybe concentrating slightly more under my cheek bones, nothing to drastic though, just enough to add a little shape.  Last but not least, mascara.  At the moment, I'm really enjoying the L'Oreal Miss Manga mascara.  I'd read mixed reviews on this, but decided to bite the bullet and give it a go, and I'm really pleased I did.

So that's my 5 minute face routine.  If I had a bit more time, I'd definitely do my eyebrows.  I'll occasionally use a bit of brow gel on them but for the most part I don't bother for work. Things like highlighter, eyeshadow and primer, I save for my days off.  This way, I know I'll look a bit different, and certainly feel that little bit more (dare I say?) glamorous on the days I've escaped from the madhouse that is work!
SHARE:
© SARLAVIE. All rights reserved.
BLOGGER TEMPLATE DESIGNED BY pipdig