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28.11.13

NOTD: Essie Top Coat in A Cut Above


Ooooh glitter. The light is terribly bad in my house, and its dark outside so I haven't captured the true beauty of this polish. I saw a pinterest of rose gold glitter nails ages ago, and just knew I had to have something similar. When I was in Boots last I saw this new Essie shade (I think it's new?) and I grabbed it and I'm glad I did. The top coat is quite sparse and to get a full coat I used about four shades, so it does take a little bit of patience, but it really pays off. Its the perfect colour to team up with winter colours (looks great with a khaki jumper!) and is even better for the party season. The light reflects perfectly off the particles and gives an amazing shine. When it says 'multi dimensional', it really means it!

20.10.13

NOTD #3: Barry M Matte Nail Paint in Crush


Oh I have a love affair for matte nail varnishes, and until very recently, did not own a single one. And then Barry M released a small line of matte shades, and I snapped up two. I think there are four in total but I chose the best two. I chose a matte grey/neutral shade, and this baby - a deep vampy red that I am super excited about. It's such a gorgeous red, in some lights it can look almost black, and its the perfect colour for autumn/winter/Halloween/Christmas/whenever you are feeling it. I would love to say it is the easiest to apply - but it isn't. Matte shades are not forgiving when you have a wobbly hand and the lines will show up as you can see on my imperfect set. This in daylight won't look too bad, but on camera it shows up a hell of a lot! It definitely needs two coats as well to perfect the gorgeous shade. When I first applied it, it came out a really shiny colour and I was convinced it wasn't going to go matte. Shame on my impatience, a couple of minutes in and it goes a lovely texture which I have been loving. I definitely recommend this varnish for those who love a good red, and have a steady hand.

COMING UP SOON: Budget Halloween Makeup!

13.10.13

Empties #4



Woooo I have lots of empties again. I have been trying to narrow down my collection of half used beauty items by attempting to use up everything that I've got, but as you can probably tell from my most recent hauls I'm not really doing very well with narrowing down my collection! I've managed to use up a mini Aussie conditioner, although this used to work for my hair, it doesn't so much now as now my hair is much longer it has the tendency to tangle, and this doesn't cut it anymore, I used it anyway! Make up wise, I've gotten through an entire Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, and I've already bought another one because as you are all well aware, its such a fantastic foundation and I use it every day to spare my eye wateringly pricey ones. I also used up a Benefit They're Real! mascara, although I can't tell if I used it all or if it dried up really quickly. I did quite like it although the brush was a little spiky for my liking and I always ended up poking myself in the eye with it. I didn't review it as there was so much hype surrounding it already, I thought you guys would of heard enough about it without me putting my two cents in. I also got through yet another Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, and yes of course I bought another one! I love love love this concealer as it covers my super dark circles that nothing else seems to touch. I got through a mini Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference serum for combination skin, although this didn't take long as it was such a tiny little tube. I did like it but I don't think I liked it enough to buy a full size, for now anyway..

I absolutely loved this Avon Anew Line Corrector, I don't think I'm really at that stage where I have enough lines to correct, but it did make my skin feel super soft, but for the price of it, it wasn't mind-blowing enough for me to grab another one. However, I won't forget about you Avon! The Body Shop Dry Oil in Shea is a multi-use tool and can be used for pretty much everything, however I solely use it for shaving my legs. It gets amazing close shave, leaves my legs feeling super soft and the razors last longer because of the oil. I will be grabbing another one of these when I remember to!

I've been trying to get through all my half used shampoos and shower gels. Bed Head's superstar shampoo gives such good volume and it smells like strawberry sweets, and I'm a little bit sad to see it empty. You get a huge amount for the money though and a little definitely goes a long way, so I may have a little splurge once I've gotten through my others. I also used up a mini Rehab shampoo by Lush. I didn't really feel like this did anything for my hair, but I did love the smell of it, but I don't think that's enough for me to part with my pennies. Sorry Lush! Of course I've gotten through another Batiste cherry dry shampoo - the cherry is my favourite scent at the moment and I'm dying to try the new oriental one. I've also finished my Bed Head Health Goddess detangling spray, which I did absolutely adore but its discontinued now, waaa. Lastly, I finished up my Original Source Lime shower gel, which smelt like sweet limes and I think its a definite dupe for everyone's favourite Soap and Glory Product! If I could recommend one product out of these for you to try, it would definitely be the shower gel, who doesn't want to smell like a zingy lime?

12.10.13

Lips of the Day #7: Rimmel Kate Moss in 107


So in my most recent haul, I finally picked up a Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick. I've heard amazing things about the Lasting Finish Matte range, so naturally I went for the most beautiful red. I can't figure out if I love this lipstick. I LOVE the finish, the colour isn't as deep as I would of liked, but it has wonderful blue tones that make your teeth sparkly white, and I can definitely get along with that. The lipstick has amazing staying power and glides on the lips so easily that application takes seconds. I enjoy the packaging too, it feels nice in your hand (is that a weird thing to say?!) and is sturdy enough to not open itself in your handbag. The lipstick has a smell to it, its kind of sweet, and I do like the smell, but I don't like it in a lipstick, and I notice it for ages after application. This is an easy red that anyone can get along with though, and I think that explains it's popularity, and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

11.10.13

A Boots and Superdrug Haul


What's wrong with me? Why do I keep buying things? I popped into town today just to get my eyebrows threaded, and I wanted to nip into Boots just to buy a couple of things. As we all know, one can never just nip into boots and buy a couple of things. Boots had an offer on Rimmel products where if  you spent £10, you got a free mascara. I've been eyeing up the Kate Moss lipsticks for so long now, I felt like it was about time I chose one, and of course, I chose a red, because it's pretty much all I wear in the winter. And then I saw the new Stay Matte foundation, and the rest is history. I haven't used  the Natural Collection Peach Melba blusher since I was 16, so I bought it again to relive my youth in a very rock and roll style. I've seen some fantastic reviews on the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint and I'm rather hoping it is a good high street dupe of Benefit's Boi-ing concealer, so we shall see!

I bought my usual eyelashes, because they were on my list, and I bought a couple of Toni and Guy mini's because I'm away from home at the end of October and I didn't fancy taking a separate bag for all my full size products. And then everything got a bit crazy, and I bought the new MUA ever after palette, because the it occurred to me that I don't have an eyeshadow palette, and that it must be corrected immediately. I also saw the new Barry M matte nail paints and I think I chose the best two colours. I also ended up with another Real Techniques brush, they just seem to jump in my basket. I'm really sorry bank balance, I hope we can still be friends.

6.10.13

OOTD: Godinton House & Gardens


Purl-knit Jumper - H&M / Leggings - Topshop / Bag - H&M / Necklace - Vintage / Ring - H&M
Boots - New Look / Lipstick - Smooch in Deadly Nightshade

So I went to Godinton House & Gardens today with my mother and some friends, and it was lovely and interesting, even if my miserable face doesn't say so haha. I've never done an outfit of the day before but I thought I would give it a go. This is my super high street outfit, with a super baggy slouchy jumper that is a mix of green, gold and black and grey. I really love it! Teamed with some comfy leggings and ankle boots and chunky gold jewellery. I'm sure with time I'll get better at these outfit posts, and not look so unhappy in them...

Godinton House is a beautiful manor hidden away in Kent, with some seriously amazing interior design that dates back to the 1600's, and visits from famous figures such as Jane Austen and Baroness Thatcher. Due to the delicate nature of most of the paintings, oak carvings and furniture, photography inside is strictly forbidden which is a terrible shame. If you are from Kent or visiting the area, I would highly recommend a visit, as a guided tour around the house is a mere £8. Today was the last day for visiting this year, so if you are keen, you will have to wait a few months until they re-open! My favourite room was the oriental room, which I will leave to your imagination...

5.10.13

Food Shopping Gone Wrong


So I went food shopping today, and apparently I can't even buy food without ending up spending lots of time along the beauty isles. It turns out that Tesco have some really great offers, and I'm a sucker..

I've been needing some new moisturiser as my skin is slowly turning into 'mid twenties skin' and I'm getting those dreaded fine lines around the eyes that we all have but are ignoring the existence of. I saw this Q10 anti-ageing day cream on a half price offer for £4.99, so I couldn't help myself, I bought it. Nivea just does things to my skin that no other brand has really been able to live up to. I think we're soul mates. I got so excited by the half price offer that I bought a regenerating night cream too because it was only £1.99 and quite frankly, it would of been rude not to. I absolutely adore the St Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub and I realised I didn't have one in my travel bag, so I just had to buy one, because apparently I can't control myself when shopping..

And then we come to my greatest purchase of the month. At the beginning of October I realise this isn't the greatest deal, but I was browsing the magazines and Cosmo had the St Tropez wash off tan lotion mini as their freebie this month, so I put it in my basket. And then I wheeled my trolley around to the beauty clearance section, and came across the FULL SIZE St Tropez Instant Wash off Glow lotion for a mere £3. Yes, THREE POUNDS. I wish I'd bought two now, I'm just as pleased as punch to have found the bargain of the century. I didn't really buy any food apart from some Jelly tots and popcorn. I'm a great adult.

Favourite Things


Every now and again I use things that I get quite attached to, and I call these beauties my favourites. Lush's space girl is one of my favourite bath bombs, and they've recently changed the glitter on top to a biodegradable glitter, so they've covered it in the stuff. It still has the most amazing smell and makes the water a gorgeous purple colour, and so when I went to Lush last, I ended up buying four of these. Oops! Whilst I was there, I picked up Whoosh Shower Jelly, because it smells like grapefruit and its really fun to play with. Maybe in love with it a little bit?

I had a bit of a high end shop and grabbed myself the Le Volume De Chanel mascara because it does give the most incredible volume to the lashes. I went to the hairdressers and wore it, and had three separate women there compliment me on my lashes, so I think I'll be sticking with this one for a while. On the same shopping trip, I bought this matte Mac lipstick in honey love as I've got a massive girl crush on Lana Del Rey and I wanted a neutral lipstick so I could look as perfect as her. The lipstick is perfect but the rest hasn't quite caught up yet...

It might be a bit odd to put a toothpaste in a favourites, but I bloody love this one if I may say so. I really hate strong toothpastes that burn your mouth, but the Oral B 3D White has the perfect amount of mint, and it has lifted quite a few stains from my teeth. Good job Oral-B! Whilst upon my high end haul I picked up the Aveda Damage Remedy conditioner, which I have had before and it rescued me from two years of hardcore hair bleaching, and my hair is feeling a little worse for wear lately, so I have high hopes of this giving me Rapunzel hair. My skin hasn't been so great either, I go through oily phases, so this little sample size of Elizabeth Arden Visible Difference Skin Balancing Lotion (what a mouthful) is light enough to hydrate but not break me out. I have a feeling that a few of these products will be my friends for life...

2.10.13

Along Came Betty Pure Pores Detox Mask


I'm a bit of a sucker for this brand, the girly packaging and fun names really draw me in, not to mention the super budget price. Along Came Betty, a Tesco exclusive brand, have an impressive range of body and skincare products that are inspired by 1950's movie stars which is definitely reflected in the kitsch names and packaging. I picked this up on a special offer for about £3.50, otherwise full price it is a bargainous £5.50. It promises to target 'greasy, spot prone areas and purify the t-zone' for the ultimate deep cleanse. I really like this product, for its simplicity, it promises just to give your face a good old-fashioned clean and help those with oilier skin types. I have a bit more of a combination skin and I find this doesn't dry me out in the slightest, and just makes my face feel so smooth and clean after using. You can leave this on for five minutes for a quickie, or for 15 for a pamper. Its not going to shrink your pores, but then it doesn't promise to, but it does promise to give a deep cleanse, and that's exactly what it does. I love the fact it comes in a pot too, its so easy to use, and it smells fantastic. If you are on a bit of a budget and want something to spoil yourself with, this is definitely it, I've had better results with this than some masks that are twice the price. This one's a keeper!

26.9.13

Tonsilectomy & H&M Haul


It's been another few weeks since I posted, I am struggling to get on top of my time management! I've recently had a tonsillectomy and I'm in recovery at the moment. Tonsillectomies in adults are slightly more complex than in children, and I must admit it has been the most painful experience of my life! If people are interested I may write a post on my time in surgery & post-op. So I've spent a huge amount of time catching up on sleep and flicking through every online retailer I could think of. Turns out the 25% off one item code and the £5 off code are still working on H&M, so decided to order some knits for the winter and some other items, and seeing as I can't do any real posts yet, I wanted to show you all what I bought.

I went for some real neutral colours that reminded me of All Saints, that I can mix up with some real deep berry lipsticks and chunky gold jewellery. I loved the blouse (you can never have too many blouses) and the trousers really got my attention as I'd love to mix up some tailoring in my clothing. And the ring was £3 in the sale, it would of been rude not to!

The codes are - 0747 for 25% off and expires on the 27/09/13 and 1304 for £5 off. Happy shopping!

3.9.13

H&M Biker Jacket & Voucher Codes


I passed my Masters degree! Woooo congratulations to me, looks like I'll be having a second graduation day next year! To celebrate I bought myself a sneaky new purchase. My Camel wool blazer is starting to look a little worse for wear, not to mention the fact that camel is really not an in colour this season, so its time I bought a new jacket. There are loooads of super nice jackets about but I've been toying with the idea of a biker style jacket for a while now, but every time I put on leather I just end up looking like a three piece sofa. Not a great look unless you're actually a sofa. So I came across this jacket from H&M (I am loving their new collection by the way!) and it has just the perfect leather to wool blend ratio. So I've bought it - its not arrived yet, but I just couldn't wait to show you all. I am just loving that side zip and the leather lapels. Oh I can't wait for this baby to arrive.

This jacket, full price, is £34.99, which at that price, I think its a very good one to pay. I'm still in student mode and therefore looking for a bargain whenever I buy anything, and I came across two voucher codes. Turns out on H&M online you can use a maximum of two voucher codes in one transaction - so I used one that gives you £5 off, and another that gives a further 25% off, so it total with postage, I paid a mere £25.14. Now that's the bargain I'm looking for.

I can't recall the expiry of these codes but I'm pretty sure they are good until October - so if you are buying anything from H&M, don't forget to whack in these codes: 1304 and 0560. Beware though, you may have to have severe restraint when ordering, there are too many nice things to choose from.

NOTD #2: Essie Nail Lacquer in Waltz




I feel like I've been away for forever...Hello again! As it probably became clear, I took a little break from blogging. Life got seriously busy - I finished my MA last week and wanted to really focus all my efforts on the exhibition and my last assessment. I didn't make an announcement because I was hoping to be able to blog in between it all - but it didn't really happen. Oops. I'm back now, I've been missing writing and I'm going straight in with a nails of  the day post. These nails are the nails I wore to the private viewing of my exhibition - I went for a very monochrome look with a classic LBD and minimal jewellery, teamed up with this lovely white nail varnish. 

I loved this colour but it took four coats to get a solid white - not for the faint hearted or those without patience. This was also one of my Fragrance direct purchases from a while ago; £1.99 well spent, I think!

19.6.13

My Current Skincare Routine


Theses posts are quite popular at the moment, and I do find them quite interesting myself. I'm going to talk through my current skincare routine, with products I'm using at the moment (maybe not all at once though!). So lets get straight into it with my eye make-up remover; The Body Shop's Waterproof Camomile Eye Make-up Remover. I really hate getting water in my eyes so I tend to like to remove my eye makeup before cleansing or washing - and this does a great job. I put a blob on two cotton pads, hold them over my eyes and the make-up simply melts away. Wonderful. In the way of cleansing, I've recently discovered Foaming Lovely and Porefectly clean by Along Came Betty. I interchange these depending on how my skin is feeling, but Foaming lovely leaves me feeling squeaky clean whilst Porefectly Clean leaves my skin feeling so soft and really helps to prevent any dry patches. You can a review on the Foaming Lovely face wash HERE. After cleansing I move onto toning and I use the The Body Shop Nutriganics Toner, which makes me skin feel so firm and also removes any make-up or cleanser that I missed.


In the way of face masks, I use an array and tend not to stick to the same one. I really like the Montagne Juenesse sachets, but for days when my skin needs a little bit more I use Laidbare For Richer For Porer, which sorts out my large pores and oily skin. Its also a little bit of a scrub so helps to remove any dead skin off my face. I'm planning to write a full review on this product soon.

18.6.13

Spending Ban Wishlist #2


At the moment I'm not doing too badly with my spending ban, but it's early days. I've been having a browse on the Avon website and I've come across a few things I've decided I MUST have in my life. So instead of buying them, I'm putting them on a wishlist, hoping that I'll distract myself enough...

I'm hoping this Violet bubble bath smells like parma violets!

Violet Bubble Bath, £4 / Infinitize Mascara, £10 / Anew Clinical Eye Lift PRO, £19.50 / Planet Spa Revitalising Eye Pads, £5.50



Switch your followers over to Bloglovin'

Hello! Just a quick little post here. It's pretty much well known now that google reader will be disappearing in around three weeks or so, and this means we are all going to lose our followers. So I'm asking if all you lovely followers can transfer your reader list over to Bloglovin', as I think most people use this too and it seems to be the replacement for google reader. Bloglovin' have been really nice and given us all an easy way to do this, and you can simply do it with this link:



If you just want to follow me directly - you can click the button in the right hand bar.

It's very sad to see google reader disappearing and its highly inconvenient as a blogger when you've spent so much time building up following list, but lets all adapt to the change and beat it by getting ahead of the game so nobody loses out. Except google, of course!

Please do transfer all your list over to bloglovin' so you can keep updated on all your lovely bloggers!


11.6.13

Eye Candy Strip Lashes in 009 & GIVEAWAY!


ohBeauty recently contacted me and asked if they could send me some eyelashes to review. I said yes please, and they sent me two packs of the Eye Candy Strip Lashes in the style 009 - one pack for myself, and one to give away to you guys! 

I am a huge fan of the false eyelashes and if you read my blog a lot you'll know that I adore Ardell - they are pretty much my one and only brand I will use, so when I received a set from this brand I was a little wary but excited to try them!

The packaging has a vintage feel to it and I do quite like the candy stripes. The set is a lovely style - full, but still quite natural, and they come in their own little carry/storage case, plus glue.

What can I say, I'm quite impressed. The strip is very thin and light, so it sticks to the lash line very well. The glue it comes with is the average glue I would say - nothing spectacular but it does the job. The lashes also fitted my eyes perfectly so I didn't have to waste time cutting them down to the right size - bonus!

Whilst on, they feel very light and natural. I can't stand eyelashes that you can 'feel' - I find them too irritating throughout the day. The pictures of the lashes are a bit shoddy and I apologise for that - the lighting in my house isn't too great at the moment..



I'm pretty happy with these and I do love the effect they give. I'd like to thank ohBeauty for sending these - I think I may grab another pair!

ohBeauty have sent me a pair to give away to a lovely follower - please use the rafflecopter form below. This is for the UK only I'm afraid (I'm too poor currently to afford international postage)

In the meantime if you are finding that you can't wait, you can use the discount code GET10 to get an extra 10% off at the checkout. Find their website at  OhBeauty.co.uk




a Rafflecopter giveaway

5.6.13

Along Came Betty Foaming Lovely Face Wash



Let me set the scene for you. I'm in tesco's, with the aim of doing a spot of healthy food shopping. You know the likes, quinoa and lettuce and all the things that taste like I'd rather not be eating them. So I got a little distracted and popped into the beauty section, and came across the brand Along Came Betty. I'm pretty sure I've had some bath salts from them before, but that's a little off topic. Everything from the brand was marked with a lovely half price sticker - so I had a little nose and walked away with two products. One of them just so happened to be this Foaming Face Wash. I did pick up the quinoa, but I didn't pick up the lettuce, and the other half of my shopping list. Ooops.

The Along Came Betty range is a skincare/bodycare range inspired by the Hollywood Sirens of past times, and the vintage packaging reflects this.


So the words that really hooked me onto this - brighter radiant skin. Who doesn't want that? I also got drawn in by the fruit I've never heard of either - the Kakadu Plum. Fancy! Soo I paid the lovely half price ticket of £1.74 (full price of £3.49).

Well let me firs of all, tell you how lovely the Kakadu Plum smells - if its anything like this then its bloody lovely. I've never smelt a Kakadu Plum but it smells like, generic fruity, very tropical.

27.5.13

Spending Ban Wishlist



BIODERMA Photoderm MAX Ultra-Fluid // ASOS Round Sunglasses // Daniel Sandler Invisible Radiance Foundation And Concealer // Yves Saint Laurent Shocking Volume Mascara

Yes, thats right, I'm going on a spending ban again. I can't seem to find the balance between blowing all my money on  things and saving. I'm planning on going on holiday at the end of the year and if I am to do this, I better start saving up my pennies! I also want to try and clear most of my student debt (not my tuition fee and all that lark, the rest I stacked up during my 'life experience') and the only way I'm really going to do this is if I cut my spending right on down. The last time I did this I successfully managed to pay off my MA tuition fee within six months, and that was with christmas inbetween! I'm absolutely sure I'll be able to achieve a lot of saving within the next few months by spending ban and using my money saving tips (you can find the link to those HERE).

So if I was buying pretty things - I'd definitely be buying these.

What are you lusting after currently?

26.5.13

Lips of The Day #6: Mac Lipstick in Ravishing



I am very excited to announce the arrival of my first Mac Lipstick! Up until now I was a mac lipstick virgin, and with my lip collection, this surprised me too!

One of the main reasons I have never bought a mac lipstick is the shop near me is horrible. Its a a department store and the staff are fine and lovely, but its always so busy and I like to take my time when makeup shopping, swatching anything and everything on my hand. For this reason I tend to steer clear of mac shops and much prefer online - but with lipsticks you can't tell! I took my mum shopping for her birthday recently and I saw this colour and snapped it up. In the store I really adored it, and then I got it home and I'm not really sure. It's a cremesheen formula and I really prefer matte lipsticks, or a satin. Nothing too high shine... but this one, I'm really torn. Say hello to Ravishing.


The colour is just lovely, and the lipstick actually smells and tastes really nice too. I know because its cremesheen it won't last as a well as a matte lipstick and this definitely comes off and needs a re-application after lunch. I do love the colour though - a wonderful mixture of peachy pink and it does have a little bit of a gold tinge in the shine I think.

22.5.13

The Budget Series: Montagne Jeunesse Iced Crystal Exfoliating Face Masque



I feel like it has been ages since I've written a budget post. Montagne Jeunesse still hold a great place in my heart as my favourite face masks, and I picked this one up completely on a whim. Turns out to be one of my better whims, so I'm introducing to you - the Montagne Jeunesse Iced Crystal Exfoliating Face Masque!


I do have a great fondness for these sachet face masks and you can read my previous reviews HERE and HERE. I really didn't know what to expect from this one as it is the first scrub mask I've used. The sachets as usual are super helpful and tell you exactly how to use with the our simple steps - splash, massage, relax and rinse. Easy!

So this mask contains spearmint and menthol and dead sea salt to give a combination of cooling, exfoliating and cleansing, sounds pretty good to me.


21.5.13

Model's Own Scented Nail Polish in Blueberry Muffin


Hello! I seem to be writing a lot of nail related posts recently, but I've gotten really back into wearing nail varnish. So I know a lot of people have been raving about the new Model's Own scented nail polishes, and in boots they were buy one get one half price - so I bought two. So this is one of them - The Blueberry Muffin!


You'll have to excuse the state of the application, I really don't know what's wrong with me but I always struggle to apply Model's Own colours - for me the brushes seem to hold too much varnish, and they take ages and ages to dry...but the colour is gorgeous and I love it.

15.5.13

Katy Perry Colour Pop Lashes in Ka-Pow!



I know  these have been about for quite a while now, and I've had these sitting in my drawers for a long time too. I was sent these aaages ago as a PR sample and I've not gotten round to reviewing them and trying them on. Well, today is the day!

Generally I tend to avoid any eyelash brands apart from Ardell. Ardell are my favourites and they suit my eye shape the best. However these did intrigue me, as they have flashes of colour throughout them which highlights the colour of your eyes. Sounds great to me!

I was sent Ka-Pow! which has purple running through it, and are actually made for brown eyes. I have green, and I thought 'green and purple?' Could work!



12.5.13

Empties #3




Hello! My empties are not very exciting at all at the moment, but I thought I would show you them anyway. I really enjoy reading other blogger's posts on items they have used up, and I'm trying to condense my collection and not have so many half used products left around, rather than buying constantly and using a product once or twice.


I've managed to get through my Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Shower Gel - I absolutely adore the scent of pink grapefruit, and this shower gel seemed to literally last for forever. I've recently bought an Original source Lime shower gel so I'm really excited to start using that. I've also managed to finish two of my Body Shop Body Scrubs that have been lying half used in my collection for ages - one is spiced vanilla and the other is cranberry. These are both seasonal scents but seeing as the weather has been a bit miserable lately it has been great to use comforting smells. I've also gotten through a whole pack of Kleenex Facial Cleansing Wipes which I didn't buy all that long ago, but when I'm feeling really tired or staying away from home I like to use these to remove my makeup. They actually do a surprisingly good job and the wipes are very thick and strong. I have a few more packs of these to get through yet and I'm already on a new pack as I've been quite lazy with my makeup removal lately.


2.5.13

Sinful Colors in Unicorn



Pastels are always in for spring, and I love pastel yellow but I've never been sure if I could pull it off. In a previous haul I picked up this lovely yellow nail varnish by Sinful Colors in Boots for the bargain £1.99. I've previously reviewed another colour, which you can find HERE. I looove this colour but i still can't tell if it suits me or not!


23.4.13

30 Ways To Save £1



Hello friends! Moneysupermarket are holding a competition to win £1000. I'm all for saving money so I thought I would throw in my tips for saving up! If they receive over 1000 ways to save, the money gets doubled! Get involved!

Here's my tips for saving:

1. Before buying anything on the Internet, always search for voucher codes for a % off or free delivery. Chances are there is a code knocking around!
2. Use websites such as quidco or top cashback to get money back on purchases - sometimes you get money for just walking into some shops!
3. Follow 10 ways to have more money as as student without working on facebook. I'm no longer a student, and I still use it. They post lots of price glitches for everything from food to to printers. Find them HERE
4. Always ask for a receipt when buying ANYTHING, and keep them all in an envelope. At the end of each month you can go through your receipts and see what you wasted money on, and how you can save next month by cutting out these things.
5. Sign up for every advantage card or points card that you can. They might be a pain to carry around in your purse but the chances are the day you don't have it you'll need it, and that could be points to give you money!
6. Drawing out money in cash for particular things like shopping, or nights out, can help you not overspend.
7. Keep change jars - for any amount you like. I like to keep a jar for 1ps and 2ps, and another for silvers. Put any spare change you have or find in these jars - it adds up super fast. Change them up at the bank rather than a machine, because you don't have to pay a percentage cut.
8. Regularly scout 99p and pound stores for everything because you can pick up some amazing bargains at the fraction of the regular price.
9. When food shopping, always check out the reduced isle sections, where you can find some great bargains. You can freeze them and you often get them for half the price.
10. If you live in a town that has a greengrocers, farm shops or markets, do check them out. Smaller companies have smaller overheads so you can often get fruit and veg at a really good price.
11. Websites like Approved Foods are fantastic - you can get some amazing bargains on there. These websites are especially great for students as you can seriously bulk buy on there. If you live with other people, all buy together so you only pay the one postage.
12. If you are on a budget and thinking about trying a new product, research the hell out of it and read tons of reviews, to find swatches or pictures etc. That way you can really decide if it is for you without wasting money.
13. If you have a credit card that tempts you - put it in a Tupperware, fill it up with water, and freeze it.  When you get tempted to spend, you have to take it out of the freezer, and wait for it to melt. This gives you a lot of time to decide whether you really need that impulse buy.
14. If you also have the restraint you can get a credit card that offers cashback on purchases - to avoid interest charges you have to pay these off in full every month. You can get a reasonable amount of money back if you have the self control not to overspend.
15. If you are a student, use student discount! Always ask if shops offer student discount, use student codes online, when buying Apple products use student discounts, and when buying MAC makeup, if you qualify, get a student pro account!
16. When shopping and you see offers such as 3 for 2, ask yourself - do you REALLY need other items? Can you REALLY afford them? And if you say no, then don't buy it. Sometimes these offers seem great but are just used to suck you in and convince you to spend more than you actually intended.
17. Set up an online savings account - I recently did, and its the best thing ever. You don't get a debit card for it so you can't use it unless you transfer the money across, and some can take up to 4 days to clear. Its a great way to save for something.
18. Use websites such as freecycle, gumtree and local buy and sell facebook pages for your town. You can get so many free items or items very cheap.
19. Bootfairs and charity shops are amazing too - you can pick up so many bargains at a great price!
20. Bootfairs are also perfect for selling your unwanted items without having to worry about ebay or postage fees.
21. If you do sell on eBay, wait until they have free listing days. Then you only pay a cut if you sell. Offer collection too to save on postage costs, and then you can have cash in hand too to save on the paypal cut!
22. Writing lists when going shopping are great for budgeting - then you can stick to it and not get tempted!
23. If you get tempted anyway, online food shop. That way you cut out all the impulse buys, and often replacements for your chosen items can be more expensive than what you originally chose.
24. If you have a taste for designer items - flash sale websites like Cocosa or SecretSales have amazing collections at seriously cut prices.
25. If you buy off eBay, set yourself a price limit and don't go over it. Its really easy to get caught up in a bidding war and pay much more for something than you intended to.
26. Always carry a plastic bag in your handbag. A lot of shops now charge for bags and if you nip into one quickly, you won't get caught out. 5p every now and again all adds up!
27. Don't be afraid to regularly check your bank account, its good to keep track of your money, even if you don't have much of it.
28. Save a little bit each month if you have bills like car insurance. That way you can pay it in one go and save yourself money - its cheaper!
29. When buying clothes, keep the receipt and the tag on until you decide to wear it. That way, if you change your mind, you can take it back instead of wasting money.
30. Never be too proud to accept freebies off anybody. Its so rare to get anything for free now - so when those opportunities come round - take them!

What are your money saving tips?




18.4.13

Lips of the Day #5


I  feel like I haven't done a lips of the day in ages! I thought I would showcase one of my favourite lipsticks - No7 Moisture Drench in 04 Romantic. Its one of my favourite pinky nude colours that I reach for when I don't know what to wear, and it matches everything. It's a satin/matt finish is really pigmented and long lasting.


I'm also wearing my new foundation - which happens to be Bourjois Healthy Mix. What do we think?



15.4.13

30 Day Shred Day 1 - 5


 (source)

Soooo I've seen the 30 day shred and decided to give it a go. I thought I would write about my experience with it as I've heard lots of mixed things about it - people saying its really hard, and others saying it wasn't too bad. I'm mixing it with a slightly healthier diet than normal. I'm cutting my diet coke intake down to no more than one glass a day - and trying to up my water intake as I've gotten really slack with this recently and been drinking a larger amount of caffeine than normal.

I've also been really slack with my exercise for a while now recently - I have an exercises bike but I haven't used it since January, and I haven't been to the gym since summer last year, so my fitness is most likely in a bit of a state. I'd also like to point out that I have absolutely ZERO core and upper body strength - so I'm hoping this will really help me work on that.







Because of all these factors - I was really dreading day one. I lot of people had told me how awful it would be - but actually, after finishing day 1 workout, I didn't feel as dreadful as I thought I would. I actually found the strength and toning a lot easier than the cardio - and I would definitely recommend a sports bra as ouch :( There were points where it feels a little tougher - about 10 minutes I definitely started to feel it, and then at about 20 minutes I really started to feel it, especially in my legs! The last exercise, is a killer by the way, I have nowhere near enough core strength for that (yet)!

Weight wise - I used 1kg weights, because I have absolutely no strength in my arms, and anything higher would literally destroy me. As I progress I may invest in some stronger weights, but for now, I'm sticking with these, and they were effective enough!






First thing I noticed when I woke up, was a little ache in some muscles - my core, inner thighs and a little bit on my arms. Not enough to be actual pain to prevent me from doing things though! So I completed day 2 - very much similiar points as day 1, except I noticed I was already a little more flexible with my core muscles and managed a lot of the stomach exercises a lot easier than yesterday. I found the arm toning a lot harder today though for some reason.






I woke up and my legs hurt soooo badly, in particular just one! day 3 was very much like day 2, except arm toning is getting a lot easier. I also have been two days without any caffeine!

14.4.13

Lush Avobath Bath Bomb



Hello! I'm very nearly at the end of my super huge Lush haul that I had at the start of the year with a lovely gift card from my brother. I bought a ton of bath bombs and a few other items with it - one I had to throw away because I'm pretty sure when it turned up it had gone off because it had a very strange smell to it...This is my second to last bomb, the Avobath bomb. I've not used this one before but I was really drawn in by the lemongrass and the olive oil in it.

'Use this when your skin is thirsty and your mind is blocked. If you haven’t got a friend to tell you to pull your socks up and get back up and out there, then this ballistic will do the job for you!'

 Well, I knew there would be a time where I would need something to make me feel normal again and clear my head, and this did the job pretty nicely!

The initial picture doesn't really show the colour of it - its a wonderful lime green and it has the most amazing citrus smell, which to me isn't that lemony - I almost got grapefruit notes from it. I loved it anyway, as these scents are right up my street. The nature of these smells means that they aren't intended to make you feel all sleepy and relaxed - they make you relaxed in a very uplifted way.


I should point out - this bath bomb does not create bubbles - I added those because a bath doesn't feel like bath if it's without bubbles...


12.4.13

Honey Glazed Pork With a Dukkah Crust


I really should start using my nice camera for food pictures, they never seem look as good on a camera phone!

Following the positivity on my last foodie post, I'm thinking about making this a more regular thing. Today I made Pork, glazed with honey and soy sauce, and topped with a smoked passion chilli dukka.

What is Dukkah?

NOTD: Sinful Colors in Soul Mate



I came across this lovely brand in Boots, and at £1.99 each, they are truly amazing. They apply like a dream, give amazing colour with just one coat, I am completely in love. This colour is Soul Mate and it is pretty much true to colour in the picture as it is to real life. And the formula creates an amazing shine too!

10.4.13

The Budget Series: Montagne Jeunnesse Green Tea Peel Off Masque


I'm still on my search for the perfect face mask. I saw this in the shops, and thought I would try it. I really like peel off masks because there is such little mess with them.

I'm not sure how I feel about sachet masks - I always find there is just a little too much in there for me, and then I don't know how to store it, so just waste it by throwing. At £1 a sachet it isn't such a crime, but I wish I could get more use out of the leftovers!


So this one contains Green tea, ginger and lemon, to refresh, cleanse and give a radiant complexion. I really liked this one, it certainly did refresh my skin - I felt so clean afterwards! It didn't leave my skin feeling tight either, which was great, and there was no tingling on the skin which sometimes makes me feel as if I'm going to react to it. I found it took the full 20 minutes to properly set, but after that it peeled off lovely.