Product empties

Over the last couple of months I’ve turned into a packaging hoarder, not because I couldn’t bare to part with pretty or luxurious boxes, but because I wanted to keep track of products I’m using up. I can’t remember exactly when this stash dates back to, but I think it’s around mid January time.

Firstly the most boring products: Cotton wool pads and deodorant. These are clearly the items I get through pretty quickly, infact my current stash is also getting low. I always buy the Boots round cotton wool pads which I use for my morning and evening skincare routine, they don’t disintegrate or leave bits of fluff stuck to your face which is probably why there are 4 packs in my empties stash.

The next not very exciting essential is deodorant, I clearly need to start buying bigger bottles! I don’t have a brand I’m loyal to so tend to try various ones, although I am about to come to the end of another Right Guard can.

In terms of body and hair care I’ve used up a bottle of Schwarzkopf Supersoft Repair & Care Coconut Conditioner, which I used as shave cream after hearing they work as a better alternative than actual shaving products. I tried this one as I thought the coconut would be moisturising for the skin, and the silky smooth conditioner would give a smooth shave- and I was impressed!

I’ve also used up Right Guard Shower + Oils, there has been a lot of hype over the benefits oils can bring to your hair so when I saw this shower gel contained Argan, Marula and Almond Oil I had to try it out for my body. And I would definitely re-purchase.

I came to the end of my V05 Nourish My Shine shampoo and conditioner, although I forgot to hold onto my empty shampoo bottle! These are super affordable and smell really good, although I can’t say I noticed much difference in terms of shine. But I would pick them up again when in need of budget haircare.

And lastly, onto the face. That sad day occurred when you come to the end of your Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, but luckily I had a spare ready and waiting as I’d loved using this product so much.

 I’ve recently got into face masks, hence the 2 Lush pots. The small one was Catastrophe Cosmetic but I found this a little drying for my skin although it claimed to help with blemishes, so after some research I went back and brought BB Seaweed which suited me much better. I love the Lush fresh face masks, although some people find putting the chilled, thick product all over your face a bit strange, I find them really natural and calming.

And finally, my Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof has seen better days, I liked this mascara a lot so re-purchased but made the error of not buying the waterproof formula. My new one now leaves some smudges under my eyes which isn’t a good look, so I will make sure I purchase the right one in future!

What products has everybody else been using up?

Weekly Loves #5

So this week I turned the grand old age of 22, I know in the grand scheme of things this isn't an old age but to me it marks the end of the 'young' years. I think because turning 21 is kind of a big deal and an exciting age, this birthday just didn't excite me.

Having said that, this weeks loves is purely birthday based as i got some lovely treats from my friends and family.

On my birthday morning i was greeted by this monster chocolate cake which my mum had made for me by her friend, the picture doesn't quite do it justice size-wise but it is seriously huge! I'm always drawn to the pretty cakes that are decorated in pretty pink icing and delicate decorations, but my mum knows that chocolate cake is always the top of my list. This one is even decorated in some of my favourite chocolates.

On saturday night i headed out with a few friends which turned out to be a really fun night to say our local town is hardly the party capital. But if you drink enough wine, try not to stick to the floors and dodge the pervy 40 year old men you can have a good night!

As if the monster chocolate cake wasn't enough, my friend also got me a rainbow cake which i'd always wanted to try. It even came topped with Disney princess candles- he knows me too well!

Pre- birthday celebrations in London

So i appear to have abandoned the blog for a few days now, shame on me i know, but i do have a reason as to why i've been MIA. I went to London for a long weekend to visit some uni friends, a trip that was long overdue, and also tagged on a couple of extra days to stay with my Dad. It's my birthday tomorrow, i'm still trying to come to terms with the fact i'm turning 22- where are the years going?! So this trip was like a pre- birthday celebration.

I am very disappointed in myself that i haven't come home with many pictures but that has to be a sign of a good trip right? There's not much time for snapping away when you're having a good time.

On Friday night i met my friend from work and we headed for a drink or two at a bar in Hoxton, the London nightlife is one of the things i miss the most about the city, I love that there's always so much activity and bustling atmosphere wherever you go. The night ended with a late night dominoes and chill out session back at my friends flat- a great way to end a day of travelling.

Saturday evening saw us head into central London to meet a couple more friends for dinner and after much deliberation we had made a reservation at Cocochan, which turned out to serve the most delicious food. Our table was soon full of an array of Asian dishes including from Dim Sum, Thai green curry, spring rolls, duck salad, edamame, jasmine rice, chilli and lime chicken and of course cocktails and wine. Oh god i'm getting so hungry just writing about it. After dinner we headed to Carnaby Street for gin and tonics... and more wine.

I was also treated to some birthday cupcakes handmade by my friend which were super tasty, that tasty infact i asked for the recipe so i can attempt to make my own.

So all in all i had a lovely few days away, it's always so nice to be reunited with close friends as we all live in different places now. One of the girls brought along her snazzy Fuji polaroid camera and captured some cute photos although sadly she isn't in the one below as she was playing photographer!

What's In My Bag

What’s In My Bag posts are regular features throughout the blogging world, and I love being able to cyber snoop through peoples bags. Yes, I know that makes me really nosey but I think it’s interesting to see how handbag essentials differ from one girl to another. So for any nosy people such as myself, here’s what I carry in my bag.

The bag I’m currently using is the Michael Kors Selma in orange, I think mine is the medium size but the collection has vastly increased in the year since I’ve had mine, so I’m not too sure! My Dad brought it for me for my 21^st birthday last year which was an amazing present!

The main thing I obviously always carry with me is my purse and I brought this leather tan Osprey one just after Christmas. It has plenty of room for cards and notes, and equally for change, although sadly it’s never overflowing with either. I also carry around my diary but I’m not too sure why as I tend to write everything on my phone, but the glitter and bird print makes this Paperchase one make too cute to be left at home. I have a habbit of always carrying a mini umbrella with me, as even though you can leave the house in glorious sunshine it’s highly probable it will rain at some point. Got to love the UK weather…  

When it comes to bits and bobs I stash them in a Cath Kidston zip up pouch, the likes of hair pins, bobbles, mini perfumes, tissues, odd sweets and paracetomol can all be found in there. I’m the person my friends always come to for any random supplies! There’s also always a pack of chewing, hand sanitiser (I’m a bit OCD with it) and some Carmex lip balm floating around. I think the cutest thing I carry in my handbag is my Estee Lauder compact mirror that my Auntie gave me, it is detailed with my birthstone and even has a translucent powder inside.

Other essentials are my keys which I never loose in the bottom of my bag as they’re attached to a selection of cat keyrings, resulting in them looking like they belong to a 12 year old. My Iphone comes everywhere with me, and so does my Ipod if I remember to charge it, which I evidently didn’t on this occasion. When it comes to makeup it changes on a daily basis, as I tend to throw in anything I think I might need. This usually consists of powder, concealer and a lipstick, I’m definitely not one of those girls who carries round their entire makeup bag, that sounds like far too much effort!

Does anyone else get satisfaction from seeing what others carry in their bags?

Weekly Loves #4

You will never see me without nail polish on, i actually feel naked without it. I think it's like makeup, once you get used to seeing yourself with it on, you just don't feel right without it. I usually have a block colour on my nails but this week i thought i'd try something new. I opted for a nude/glitter combo which i think is a refreshing change from pastels for the start of Spring. I'm wearing Essie's Muchi, Muchi as the base, with Models Own Hedkandi Ibiza mix as the glitter topcoat.

I brought this Rimmel Moisture Renew lipstick in As You Want Victoria a few months ago, i've always loved the colour but as the formulation is so moisturising it bleeds a lot into my skin. It's a beautiful bright fuchsia shade which for some reason refused to show up correctly on my camera, so really isn't shown at its full potential in this image. Anyway, i rediscovered this product recently and decided i had to find a way to wear it so tried it with a 'your lips but better' coloured lip liner which worked wonders! Now it stays in place much better and has been a regular on my lips.

Ireland Baldwin's purple hair! Everything about this girl warrants her as girl crush material, but when she took to Instagram this week to show off her newly coloured locks it made me even more jealous, for the pure reason i could never pull off something so bold and cool. I'm also wishing i had blonde hair so i could play around with some more subtle pastel dip dye for the summer!

Boots haul | Going nude

The Boots 3 for 2 offer is a dangerous time for me, as i'm sure it is for many of you, especially this time as pretty much the whole store is included in this deal. I restrained myself and only purchased some makeup products, i might have to venture back though and hit up the skincare!

I was on the search for a new blusher to take me through the Spring months, and i've been wanting to attempt the nude lip without getting a case of the dreaded foundation lips look. With this is mind my purchases resulted in a definite nude/ natural theme.

For blush i opted for the Revlon Powder Blush in Racy Rose, which i was drawn to as it has no shimmer in it, and looked to be the perfect pink to add a subtle glow. I've been using this everyday since i brought it which must mean it was a good buy! It blends nicely on the skin, and can be built up to give the desired flush of colour.
Lip products have become my recent obsession, weather it be a lipstick, gloss, balm or any other kind of hybrid that gets invented- i want it! I've wanted to try the new Revlon Colourburst Matte and Lacquer balms since they hit the shelves, but i wanted to make sure i got a shade that bought something a bit different to my collection. I'd read a few reviews which claimed Matte balm Complex was the perfect nude, so i decided that was the shade i would opt for as a base for my nude lip. The final product falls into the lip hybrid catergory and it's the L'oreal L'extraordinaire Liquid Lipstick in the shade Rose Melody. I saw these featured in one of Fleur De Force's recent videos and felt i needed to try one! I brought this intending to use it either as a gloss to use over the Revlon Balm, or on its own for a natural hint of glossy colour. I've tried it both ways but it's more sheer than i expected after swatching it, so i'm still figuring out how to get the best results out of this one.

Has anyone else increased their makeup collection on the 3 for 2 offer?

Weekly Loves #3

So this week sees us enter March, which to me marks the start of Spring... hopefully. I am so ready for the weather to get brighter and warmer, and to be able to pack away the tights and winter coats. Flowers always brighten up my mood aswell as a room, so to get into the Spring spirit i added some pretty florals to my bedroom.

In keeping with the Spring trend, i managed to get my hands on a pastel pink coat which is something i've wanted for a while now. I scoured the internet high and low, and finally decided to try out this one from Boohoo. I didn't get my hopes too high as in the past i've been disappointed with their items once i've seen them in the flesh, but this coat was a winner! I've had a lot of compliments on it too, and to see me wearing it check out my OOTD post below.

Are there even any words to caption this picture?! On Saturday my mum and I decided to go to Centre Parcs for an afternoon outing, Sherwood Forest Centre Parcs is a 5 minute drive from my house so is the perfect place for a little trip out. Our walk was slightly cut short when we felt the need to hit The Pancake House... and this happened, the American pancake stacks. They were so good but left us in a bit of a sugar coma, but it was totally worth it. You have to end the week with a treat, right?

Today I'm Wearing | Monochrome & Pastel

Playsuit | Boohoo

Coat | Boohoo

Boots | Topshop

Watch | Michael Kors

Bracelet | Pandora