She sheepishly returns..

I am not going to try and make excuses for the fact it has been a disgusting 6 months since my last post.. but a lot has happened!

I went full-time at my work in December, permanently taking on the glorious 6am starts that funnily enough no one else wanted. I know, I didn't understand it either. But also, I was nearing the end of the first semester of my final year of university. While I was incredibly lucky and had no exams, I did have two very long and very brutal essays. When I say brutal I refer more to the topic - the Historical novel - Scottish history from the 1700's. It was heavy going, I won't lie. But I digress. I made it and I'm here to tell the really boring tale. So after the Christmas rush, and the full time and the horrible essays I thought 'I shall return to my blog!' But that was about as short-lived as Zayn Malik on the One Direction tour and my dissertation date loomed closer and closer. 

Obviously I had to take the obligatory 'I've-just-handed-in-my-dissertation-look-how-smug-I-am' photo (Please see smugness above) But honestly, it's been one of the biggest academic achievements of my life. 42 pages of blood, sweat and tears (oh so many tears and about 50 takeaway pizzas) but I'm over the last hurdle to obtaining my degree (hurrah). It's been a long four years, but a good four years.. sob, sob. Enough with the nostalgia though, or I will make myself vomit. 

Obviously I have still been hammering my discount card buying copious amounts of beauty goodies, so I will begin to get back to my blogging duties and promise not to ever leave you again..

..Unless I do a post-grad.

XO

Glamour Beauty Power List Box 2014//Review of Bourjous Volume 1 Seconde Mascara

My go to pay day treat is always a beauty box of some description! This month I had been eying up the Glamour Beauty Power List Box which can be found on Latest In Beauty. 

 Glamour Beauty Power List Box//£15.99 from Latest In Beauty

This box comes with:

• Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (30ml)
• Eyeko Eye Makeup Remover Wipes (22ml//10 pure cotton wipes)
• Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defense (60ml)
• Laura Mercier Foundation Primer (30ml)
• James Read Sleep Mask Tan (25ml)
• Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara (12ml)
• Maybelline Stripped Nudes by Colorsensational (full size)
• A one year subscription to Glamour for iPad/iPhone through the Glamour app!

This blog will be about the Bourjous Volume 1 Seconde Mascara as I've yet to try out everything enough to warrant a review, but this product I've used every day since I got it!

 

I am a mascara junkie. My everyday, favourite mascara is YSL False Lash Effect (obviously with a lick of Estee Lauder Lash Primer Plus underneath) My eyelashes are sky high, and I've had many people asking me if I actually had falsies on. It also comes in a waterproof version which is good for everyday antics, however I must say it isn't the most waterproof mascara in the world, and the texture is rock solid, so it is quite tricky to get off. As my YSL one was running low I received this Glamour box just in time! I've used Bourjois mascaras in the past and have been impressed by darkness of them but they never really gave length or volume to my lashes. I was slightly suspicious of this mascara, I wasn't expecting it to be my new miracle mascara but I was very impressed. I can even use it without my trusty lash primer.

 

Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara//RRP £9.99

 

 

Please excuse the fact my eyes are bright pink and I don't even have eyeliner on! I've had a horrible chest infection for the last week! The results are the same, if not better than the YSL mascara, and a damn sight cheaper with change from a tenner. The mascara feels very light and lashes feel soft - usually to get results of this caliber, I resort to chiselling my mascara off before bed as my lashes are rock solid, but not at all the case here. The only downside is the fact that it is not waterproof, and it can flake a little bit, but only if I absent-mindedly rub my eye. For an every day mascara I feel like this may be my new winner. It has actually made my lashes grown longer, and I feel like this is largely due to the fact that I'm not having to scrub away at them with a cotton pad to get the mascara off at night. So for the moment this is my new favourite mascara.. but I just took delivery of Younique 3d Fibre Lashes.. so I feel like that is all about to change!

What's your favourite mascara?

xoxo

 

 

Viva Aveda!

I am so poor at doing anything on time. Seriously. I got my hair cut and highlighted a solid two weeks ago, and only now I am finding time to blog about it. 

So living in the big city, getting my hair done is an expensive necessity. Not being a natural blonde (yeah like you didn't know!) my roots come in pretty fast, and there is actually nothing worse in life than blonde hair and dark roots, so I visit my hairdresser about every 6 weeks. I have a lot of events coming up, I spent more than I earn on dresses and shoes and then there was the sudden realisation of how close Christmas actually is and how many presents I need to buy.. My funds were low and then suddenly my roots were back and required urgent attention.  Oh adult life, how I loathe you.

I'm pretty fussy about what I use in my hair, especially with dye as I hate that dull, brittle, brassy look you get after about a month and a half, so in recent years I've only being going to places that are Aveda trained. Aveda hair colour is up to '99% naturally derived from plants, non-petroleum minerals or water', the dye is non-drying and uses 'gentle, sustainable water as it's solvent, instead of alcohol'. It has conditioning elements such as 'sunflower, castor and jojoba oil'. Also,their packaging is 100% recycled. They just make you feel like you're doing good, while making yourself look great. 

My usual hairdresser was fully booked and my roots were darker than the night sky, so I frantically started googling Aveda salons near me and I found a new hairdresser called SpoilMe - and that they did. I went in armed with photos on my phone of celebrities with great hair (everyone does this, right?) and showed Rhea exactly what I wanted. I wanted to go a little bit darker now that the winter months are upon us and I can no longer be the tanned blonde I was in the summer. She suggested adding some highlights of my natural colour that would not only give me the darker colour I wanted, but would also help me when my dreaded roots made a reappearance. I placed my life (okay, it was just my hair, same thing) in her hands, and I can honestly say it is the best colour and cut I've ever had in my whole life - hens the entire blog on one hair cut. 

The thing I love most about Aveda dye is that if you are a blonde, or like me you're just pretending, the colour doesn't go brassy like other colours will. It's also a lot glossier and leaves my hair in a much better condition than any other ones I've tried. Also, it smells a lot better. I know this isn't a reason to swap hair dyes - but it should be. 

I couldn't recommend Aveda enough and urge all you ladies to get out there and try it. The colour stays true all the way through the 6 weeks I wait before my next colour. 

Oh, and everyone should go to SpoilMe and ask for Rhea - she is a miracle worker!

xoxo

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solution 3-Step System Set Review

You know that song by Day One that goes 'It's gotta get bad before it gets good?'

If Clinique make an advert for this product - this should be the theme tune. 

I persevered. I really did. I tried. But there is only so much bad skin I can go outside with.

Clinique Anti-Blemish Solution 3-Step System Set//RRP £25

Grab it now at John Lewis for £22.50!

My skin got really bad again when I came back from Greece, the lack of sun and the sudden return of my foundation was enough for it to freak out. I'd read a few blogs and seen online that everyone was raving about Clinique's 3-Step Anti Blemish set, so when it went on a price match, I snapped it up with my discount. I was so excited to try this product, and at £18 for the travel set size, I wasn't expecting to be disappointed. I'm very much a 'you get what you pay for' kinda girl, but a £3 face wash from Neutrogena would have, and is better. For me anyway. You might be lucky and find this is the wonder product that you've been looking for.

The only thing I can say about this 3-Step Set is that it really cleans your face. It got every single little trace of make up off. I took all my make up off with my trusty Simple wipe first and let the foaming cleanser get to work. It didn't smell great, but it was light and it made my face feel squeaky clean. Next, we were on to the clarifying lotion. The first thing that will hit you about this product is the smell. I put a small swatch onto a cotton pad and swiped my face with it. I felt like someone had thrown a glass of vodka in my face. The smell of alcohol is overwhelming and as i have quite sensitive skin, I think this was the culprit that aggravated my skin. The clearing moisturiser is quite pleasant after having the clearing lotion which is quite stinging. After reading reviews online, they had said that I should expect to see an improvement even within the first week. All I saw was my skin getting worse and worse. I broke out all along my jawline and I thought okay - I'll give it another week, maybe it gets bad and then it clears up. It really didn't though. It just kept getting worse and worse, even my make up started looking awful. It was going patchy during the day, my skin looked dry under my foundation. As soon as I ditched it, bang! Skin was back to normal, make up looked better than ever and my jawline cleared up within days. 

I might give this product a try further down the line - at the end of the day, it wasn't the cheapest skincare I've ever purchased and it seems a shame to let it go to waste, but for the time being, I'm going to stick with what I know - and maybe give the Body Shop one a shot instead.. 

Have you tried this product? 

xoxo

Liebster Award//Part 2

Thank you to Samantha who has nominated me for the Liebster Award. Even though I have already taken part in this, I will still answer her questions, however I won't be renominating as I've already done it :)

Here are the questions that Samantha asked me:

Questions for the people I nominate :

1. Where would you like to travel?

I really love America so would love to start in Florida and drive along through the Deep South, round to California and then finishing in Las Vegas. Would take a huge chunk of time to do that though! I also really want to go to Koh Samui and also Japan - hopefully that will be next summers vacay!

2. Comfy or Classy?

Always classy! A high pair of heels and a statement bag is always a must.

3. What's your favourite lipstick?

At the moment my favourite is MAC Creme D'Nude and MAC Blankety. They are such nice colours for fall and are a lot lighter now that I've pretty much lost my summer tan. 

4. Night or morningperson?

I would usually have said night! However I have recently changed jobs and I start work before 6am now, so I am definitely more of a morning person at the moment!

5. What's your favourite music album?

This is so difficult! I would have to go with Rumours - Fleetwood Mac. They are my favourite band in the whole world and I was lucky enough to go and see them last year in Glasgow - my boyfriend got me the tickets for my 21st! 

6. What's your favourite thing to eat?

I like a lot of food! Anything that's really spicy. I do love a good pizza though!

7. What's your favourite season and why?

I think I would love summer more if I didn't live in the UK! We never really get a good summer, although the last two years we have been pretty lucky with the weather. Winter is definitely my favourite. I love it when it's cold and you can wrap up warm or stay in with the fire on and a big cup of hot chocolate. Also I love the snow - I'm counting down the days until I can go skiing again!

8. Are you reading a book, if so, what one, if not, what was your last book?

The last book I read that wasn't for my degree was the Wolf of Wall Street. It's amazing - everyone should read it. It was my lying-by-the-pool book this summer and I loved it.

9. What's your favourite movie?

This is so tricky! Bridesmaids is probably the chick flick I've watched the most in the last year. Pearl Harbour or Titanic is probably one of my favourites though. 

10. Why did you start a blog?

Everyone kept asking me what make up I use and what products I use and I thought this would be a good outlet to discuss that! Also sharing lifestyle tips and funny stories from my day to day life too. 

11. What's your favourite series?

This is far too difficult! I have so many tv shows I watch religiously. Friends is probably my favourite of all time - I can watch it time and time again and never get bored of it. My favourite new series is probably Californication though, I don't know how many times I've rewatched it now! I also love Modern Family, it's so funny! My boyfriend and I have watched all 6 seasons a ridiculous amount of times this year!


xoxo

Holy Zaggora!

So in my October bucket list number 1 on my list was joining a new gym - which I did! 

I've been really good and I've gone 5-6 days a week for a minimum of an hour in an attempt to get the six pack I used to have back. I can already feel the work paying off and although a lot of this is down to my hard work, I also should give some credit to my Zaggora's.

If you are a gym rat like me - rush out and buy some now. I mean it! Even if you're not, go get some right now. They will change your life. I've had mine for quite a while now and I've yet to see another person in my gym (old or new) wearing them. Everyone should own a pair, they are a-m-a-z-i-n-g. 

Zaggora Atomica Pants//RRP £49
Get them on sale now for £34 at Zaggora

I have the Zaggora Atomica pants which have a great little fold over bit at the top which gets to work on any love handles or muffin tops you might want a little help with. It also holds you in really well, and I definitely attribute these particular pants to my diminishing waistline. They have signature fabric that warms you up and I'm not gonna lie they really do make you sweat. You would sweat less in hell than you would in these pants, but in my eyes that just means they are working. The only thing I can liken these pants to is a scuba suit that you would wear if you were diving or surfing. They are a really odd material, but this heat helps you to burn calories in ways you didn't even know was possible. If I work out wearing my regular Nike work out pants I still feel the burn the next day, but with my Zaggora's I feel it ten times worse.

The best way to see results is to measure yourself before you start using these pants to work out. Get a fashion tape and measure your thighs, bum and waist and then compare it every week. They really do work and I bet that you'll see a different after a few weeks for sure - I definitely did. You don't need to go balls to the wall at the gym either - they are also great for just going out on walks, or even doing housework. The only thing I would say about them as they are noisy as hell. I tried sleeping in them one night - that was a total no-go. Every time you move, they make a really loud swishing noise that could wake the heaviest sleeper. Also, beware of the stares you get in the supermarket. No matter how big your thigh gap is, walking is not going to be a quiet activity in these pants and you will get odd looks from people in Tesco. But hey, while you're getting evils, you are getting thin. We will see who has the last laugh (mwahahaha)

Have you tried these pants out? If not you should. But I'd love to hear! 

xoxo

October empties

So now essays are done and I have some downtime I can finally blog about some empties I've accumulated this month.

Here are my three favourites:

OGX//Ever Straight//Brazilian Keratin Smooth Shampoo and Conditioner//RRP £6.99

Grab it now at Boots for 1/3 off and browse the whole OGX range!

I just found my new favourite shampoo and conditioner! I'm going to reveal something that might shock and astound you - I'm not a natural blonde! (har-har) My usual shampoo is John Frieda Sheer Blonde and I sometimes mix it up with a Herbal Essence one when my hair gets too used to it. Due to my hair being highlighted, it sometimes gets a little dry and I'd heard Argan Oil was the best thing to revive my dry hair and help my split ends. I was perusing the ailses when I spotted OGX's Argan Oil shampoo and conditioner. I did the usual sniff test and was overwhelmed by how amazing it smelled, so naturally I started having a sniff of all of them. This was the one that I liked the smell of the best, and I knew keratin would make my hair so much softer, so I plumped for this one and the Anti Breakage Healing Oil which is also lovely - it does make my hair feel a little greasy. This shampoo and conditioner made my hair noticeably softer and the smell was incredible. I felt my hair had improved so much since I had started using it and when I went to the hairdressers yesterday, the proof was in the pudding as she hardly had to trim anything off the ends due to it being so healthy! As they have just finished, and as I am a firm believer of switching up your hair products, I purchased the Biotin and Collagen shampoo for thicker and fuller hair by OGX and this one smells even better that the keratin one (I buy products based on how they smell quite a lot!) I'm hoping this one will be as good as the keratin one.. but time shall tell, but I feel I won't be disappointed. 

My next empty is Bronze Glow Mosaic by Collection

Bronze Glow Mosaic//Collection//RRP £2.99

Available at Boots

As a MAC fanatic, when I couldn't find MAC Skinfinish in Gold Deposit anywhere in stock, I started hunting for a new highlighter. I love a bit of shine to my temples and cheekbones to give me that healthy glow, so when mine ran out in Greece, I was devastated. On my return to the UK everyone seemed to have purchased it and no one had any stock. I went to Boots again to have a look and walking past this one glittering away in the Collection counter caught my eye - and so did the price! 

Bronze Glow Mosaic Swatch

This may just replace MAC as my new favourite. It's not quite as dark, and it goes with my hair a lot better now I've dyed it lighter. It's light and frosty and gives me a nice shine without being too dark or too heavy. My only complaint is it is a little bit more glittery than the MAC one and the glitter goes everywhere. But, for nearly £20 less than it's rival - I feel like I'll be sticking with this as it gives me a healthy glow and doesn't break the bank.

What products were you loving this month?

xo