Three Years On...

Today marks three years since my boyfriend passed out from Basic Training for the Army. Three Years. Wow. I can't believe it's actually been that long. Three years since myself and a few of our closest friends & members of his family made the long journey down to Bassingbourn Barracks, near Stevenage, to see the culmination of 12 weeks long hard slog, and I couldn't even put into words how proud I was to see him in his uniform, officially becoming a solider.  I was literally bursting with pride, and as soon as I saw him after the ceremony I burst into tears. 

Three years down the line and life as a 'military wag' is tough going.  We're not living together currently, so time together is limited.  But we manage; we make the most of the time we do have together and take comfort in the fact that it won't be forever.  Things are about to get harder though as in a little over a week, he's off on his first deployment meaning he'll be away for 6 whole months. Yes, 6 months. Gulp.  I'm telling you, it's scary how fast it's coming around; I've known since September he was going, but immediately put it to the back of mind as it was after Christmas, and therefore ages away.  But before we knew it, Christmas came and went and with the speed this year as being going, March has soon come around.

It may sound crazy, but in a lot of ways, this build up to him actually going is actually worse than the fact that he's going to be away.  We're used to spending time apart, okay we're not used to spending months and months apart, but time away from each other is normal for us.  Him being away isn't bothering me too much... yet, that could change and I know some days are just going to bloody suck, but in a way I just want him to hurry up and bloody go so I can get the initial 'goodbye' over with and focus on him coming home for his R&R.  I'm assured by other military partners that this feeling is completely normal and the main thing to do while he's away is just to keep busy.  I've a few things in the pipeline to keep me going, including a trip to see Wicked next month, and a weekend away with my best friend.  Counting down to these will hopefully be much better than having a wacking great six month countdown, and hopefully will make those weeks go by that bit quicker.

This is also partly why I've made a return to blogging. There's no real reason why I stopped to be honest; I'd had a bit of a tough time in the second half of last year so I guess my heart wasn't really into it.  I still read blogs, and had the occasional nosey on Twitter, but as time went on I realised how much I actually missed it. So here we go again, I can't wait to get chatting to other bloggers again and I'm hoping that by blogging again, it'll help these next few months just fly by!

It's good to be back!

The "Me Time" Tag

What do you like to watch or read during me-time?

Aside from watching YouTube videos or reading other blogs, I'll usually find something to watch on Netflix.  I'm currently watching Community and have recently discovered another show called Brooklyn Nine-Nine.  Another recent Netflix discovery is their documentaries; I've just added a bunch to my watch list, including one on the history of Napster (oh the memories!) and one on the founder of Burts Bees.  Defnitely worth looking through their documentaries section if you haven't already.  I also really love watching stand up comedy, both on Netflix and DVD.  I love Sarah Millican, Ross Noble, Micheal McIntyre and so many more. Can't beat a good giggle!

What do you wear during me-time?

Usually some sort of leggings and a t-shirt (plus hoodie if it's cold!) or pyjamas.  The leggings in the picture are my current favourite for lazing around in.  I picked them up, along with another pair, from Primark around Christmas.  While the other pair are a bit more festive with Christmas trees on, I think I can still get away with these penguin print ones even though the festive season is a distant memory!  Primark always have a great selection of printed tees which I'll usually wear too.

What are your favourite me-time beauty products?

When I'm in the mood for a good pamper, I'll use a really luxurious bubble bath, such as a Champneys one, or a bubble bar from Lush, the comforter is my favourite. I'll also give my hair a treat with a good hair mask, like this Charles Worthington one.  I like how you apply this to dry hair then just wash it as normal whenever you're ready. A good body scrub is a must if you're going all out on the pampering, and Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush is my all time favourite, you can read my review of it here.  It just smells amazing and does a really good job of getting rid of dry skin.  I'll usually do my nails too, following the routine I talked about earlier in the week (see my nails routine here) and apply some of my Soap and Glory's Heel Genuis to soften my feet a bit; they take a right battering from being on them all day at work! 

Current Favourite Nail Polish?

This is definitely a tricky one! I tend to go for quite pale, pastely sort of colours then add a bit of an accent with a glitter polish on one nail.  I love Essie's Mint Candy Apple; mine came in a duo with their Sparkle on Top topcoat and I love how these two work together.  I'm also really loving OPI's  Matte Nail Envy, mainly because I can get away with wearing that one for work and it has really made a difference to the state of my nails.

What do you eat or drink during me time?

Definitely chocolate! Dairy Milk, Galaxy, Milka... I'm honestly not fussy.  Aldi's chocolate is also deliecious! The bar in the picture is my last remaining bar of Irish Dairy Milk my friend brought me back from Dublin.  Believe it or not, Irish Dairy Milk tastes different to ours in the UK, it's creamier and I actually prefer it. Think I need a trip across the Irish Sea to stock up again!

Current Favourite Candle?

I'm currently burning Fireside Treats by Yankee Candles quite a lot.  It's delevious smell of toasted marshmallows is making me yearn for long summer nights, barbeques and, well, toasted marshmallows! I absolutely love toasting marshmallows and sandwiching them between two chocolate digestive biscuit... delecious! Although those summer nights are still a long way off, this secent works just as well in these cooler months and I'm sure the size of this thing will last me til summer anyway!

Do you ever have outdoor me-time?

Does shopping count...?! Aside from that, then no, not really! I do like walking though, especially having a walk around somewhere a bit different. York is one of my favourite places to have a walk around; the pretty scenery and quaint little shopping streets make it perfect for a day of exploring... and shopping!

Would you ever go and watch a film alone?

I don't think I would in all honesty.  For me, going to the cinema is a social event, maybe a bit of shopping beforehand,  and always food either before or after; my local cinema has a Nando's right next door... perfect! It's a perfect opportunity to catch up with friends I've not seen in a while.  I know I could still do all of these things alone but in all honesty I'm too much of a wuss!

Favourite  Online Shop?

For me it's probably any beauty related ones; I find online clothes shopping too much of a hassle, especially if you need to return something.  I love scouring through Feel Unique, Look Fantastic and Love Make-Up, they all have brilliant offers and my basket always ends up at least twice as full as it should be!  I have to give Amazon a mention too, they have pretty much everything on there, and my Prime subscription is a God-send... when they deliver on time that is!

Anthing to add? What else do you like to do during me-time?

One of my favourite things do do when I have some spare time is to bake.  I'm a bit out of practice lately, but I do make some pretty good cupcakes! I made delicious lemon cupcakes with white chocolate buttercream quite recently and they went down a  treat! Definitely need to make those ones again! I also could happily spend hours scrolling through Twitter, Instagram, Bloglovin' and of course Pinterest.  Bit obsessed with that one!

February Favourites

1. Lush The Kiss Lip Scrub.

I think I'm addicted to this stuff.  The combination of sea salt and caster sugar gives it that salty-sweet taste which I'm a bit of a sucker for (salted caramel, anyone?!) and the cute little edible hearts were a nice little addition for this Valentines Day themed scrub.  It's a little messy to apply, so don't make the mistake I did of applying it after make up! Also, mine seems to be lacking in the sprinkles department so I'm hoping they're just hiding around the middle of my pot!

2. Soap and Glory Hand Dream.

Another winning product from Soap and Glory. This was a welcome addition in the Best of All gift set that everyone was going crazy for over Christmas.  As much as I love Soap and Glory, I was getting a little bored of getting tube after tube of Hand Food in pretty much every gift set I ever got.  This is a little richer than Hand Food, yet seems to absorb into my skin quicker, leaving much less of the greasy residue that I found Hand Food left.  The scent is similar to Hand Food, but more subtle which I definitely prefer.

3. Florance Anne Blackcurrant and Fig Eau de Toilette

I spotted these very Jo Malone-esque bottles in Boots for a mere £10 which I thought was a bit of a bargain! I opted for the Blackcurrant and Fig, which I'm assuming is a dupe of Jo Malone's Blackberry and Bay scent.  Having not tried any Jo Malone fragrances, I couldn't possibly compare the two, but I really do like this.  It's a little different to the sweet, floral scents I'm tend to wear.  It's rich, sophisticated, fruity smell is perhaps a little much for day to day wear, but it's perfect for the evening and I've had a few people ask what perfume I'm wearing.

4. Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil Primer.

I'm sure you've heard of this product by now. It caused quite a stir among bloggers late last year and I can certainly see why.  First of all, it smells gorgeous.  I can't quite put my finger on what it smells of, but it's really light yet lasts all day. I actually can't stop sniffing my hair after I've used it! Secondly, and most importantly, this stuff works miracles! My hair is quite wavy when wet, and usually if I leave it to dry naturally, I end up with a big frizzy, knotty mess which makes any kind of styling impossible.  However, If I spray this liberally into my hair after towel drying, my hair actually dries into lovely, soft natural waves with virtually no frizz or knots.  The first time I used this I was amazed, and thought it was a bit of a fluke and I'd never be able to do it again, but I was wrong. This product really does work wonders!

5. Benefit Roller Lash Mascara.

I wasn't sure what to think when I first heard Benefit were bringing out another mascara.  I wasn't a great fan of They're Real!, as I found it to clump very easily and dry out in next to no time.  Yet when I saw Elle magazine were giving away a free sample I knew I had nothing to lose. I never usually buy magazines but I'm so glad I bought this one.  It really does lift the lashes, and the curl lasts all day.  I fell in love with this mascara from the first use and couldn't wait to buy the full size version, so much so that I took advantage of the offer of free shipping when you bought two mascaras on the Benefit website (one for me, one as a gift for someone!) before it's official release on counters. 

6. CoLab Dry Shampoo

When Ruth Crilly announced she was launching hair own range of dry shampoo, I was intrigued. I love dry shampoo and use it most days, even if it's just to sort my fringe out as it has a mind of it's own. I'm a huge fan of Dove's dry shampoo (you can read my review here) yet I'm still always trying out new ones.  This is another winner for me, mainly because there's very little grey residue, which can be a bit of an issue with some dry shampoos.  It also adds a good amount of texture to the ends of my hair to give it that messy(ish!) lived in look I really like.  I love how there's a travel size version of each of the five scents too, and I've recently spotted an 'extra volume' range which I'll be checking out next.  I love me some big hair, I do!

What have you been loving this month?

Nail Care Routine.

Like most bloggers probably, I'm a huge fan of nail polish.  I own an obscene amount, especially for someone who can't wear it every day.  My job involves handling food, so nail polish is a big no no, so for the most part, my collection of pretty colours often gets overlooked.  That said, I still do like to take care of my nails so that when I'm not at work I don't have to spend too long whipping them into shape; I can just paint on my colour of choice and I'm good to go... well, once I've taken it off and reapplied it 3+ times because I've not waited long enough and it's smudged... anyone else do that?!

First of all, I'll simply wash my hands in some warm soapy water. Aside from the obvious making my hands nice and clean, it also softens the cuticles a little, to make removing them a little easier.  I'll then use one of the cuticle tools to get rid of any gunk that's lurking under my nails... yuk! 

Then it's onto a bit of cuticle work. I'll admit I'm not great at this, and definitely need to work on my technique a little bit.  I'm currently using the Sally Hansen Maximum Strength Cuticle Remover which I picked up in Boots.  I leave this on my nails for a minute or two then gently push back my cuticles with either the tool I was using before, or an orange stick.  I think I'm going to invest in a rubber tipped one soon as I feel I'd get better results with one of those.  This metal one I just bough on ebay for a couple of pounds.  Once that's done I'll wash my hands again before starting on filing and buffing.

I highly recommend the Leighton Denny Crystal Nail File. Although expensive it will last you forever (unless you stand on it like I did with my first one... oops!). I've had this for almost a year and it's still as good as new and files my nails brilliantly.  It's super gentle, yet you can file your nails in no time with it, it's a fantastic product. I love it. I just it came with a bit more of a protective case; for the price you pay a flimsy plastic wallet isn't really good enough in my opinion.    I then buff my nails with this 4 way buffer that was cheap as chips from Boots. I don't do this every time I do my nails as it's not meant to be great for them, apparently it can actually weaken your nails! I tend to do this once or twice a month and mainly use sides 2 and 3 of the buffer to remove any ridges and smooth my nails out ready for polish.

I remember reading somewhere that dehydrating the nail is a good step to do before applying any polish.  All you need to do is take a bit or your usual nail polish remover on a cotton wool pad and just sweep it over the nail.  This just makes sure your nail is properly clean and ready for your polish to adhere to.  

Although I said I'm not meant to wear anything on my nails for work there is one sneaky step I do next whether I'm going to be wearing nail polish or not, and that's apply a nail strengthener.  I'd heard great things about OPI nail envy, and when I saw that they did a matte version I decided to be a little bit naughty and see if I could get away with it for work.  Although not as matte as I was hoping for (there's a definite shine there, especially under the harsh lights at work!) I've so far got away with it and my nails are much stronger as a result.  After this, if I'm not at work, I'll paint my nails then use my Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat to add shine and help my colour last a bit longer; though I only wear nail polish for a couple of days at a time so longevity isn't too much of an issue for me.

Finally, I'll add a bit of moisture back in to my hands and nails and for this I'll either use my Boots Salon Nail and Cuticle Oil, which comes in a glass bottle with a roller ball, making application quick and easy, or if I want something a bit more intensive I'll use Lemony Flutter from Lush.  This take a bit longer to absorb but it's worth it if you've maybe been a bit too harsh on those cuticles! My last step is to apply some hand cream.  My one of choice at the moment is Soap and Glory's Hand Dream.  I got this in the massive gift set at Christmas and I've to say that I think I prefer it to Hand Food! 

So that's my nail routine! It sounds a bit long winded, but it doesn't take that long at all really. Since doing this routine around once a week, I've certainly noticed a big difference in the condition of my nails; they were a bit dry and battered from work and would break really easily.  They're now much stronger, look healthier and generally just make me feel a bit more put together, even when I'm in minimal make up, hair scraped bag, and ready for another 9 hour shift at work.