Little Treats.

 

I personally think that treating yourself is essential to keeping yourself happy. I'd noticed that, as is the norm around this time of year, I end up spending all of my money on Christmas presents. And I actually enjoy buying myself new things. Treating yourself doesn't even have to cost to be fair. A few days ago when shopping in town I ended up in Boots looking for a certain hand wash for my Granma and while I was in there I, naturally, wandered to the make up counters. There was quite a few things I wanted and as sad as it is I started to get a little bit down at the fact I couldn't buy any of them until after the big day. However, when I went to pay for the hand wash the nice lady behind the till informed me that I now had around 700 boots advantage points. Well hello free treats.
So here's what I "bought".

 

Firstly I picked up the Collection Extreme 24 hour felt tip liner. I've had this before and I really liked it but unfortunately I lost it. I'd had it a good 8 months until then and it was still really full of product. I've had felt tip liners that dry out really quickly or that don't work well over eye shadow. But the Collection one just shows unstoppable with these

kind of things. It has a liquid liner effect finish

and is SO easy to apply. It literally takes no time

at all to create the most perfect winged liner look.

Would it be reckless to say that I genuinely think

this is my all time favourite felt tip liner?

 

 

Next I bought a Collection lipstick. Now, I didn't really know this was happening until it hit stores, but it appears that Little Mix have collaborated with Collection and brought out their little range of make up within the Collection brand. Looking at it now, I think it's a little odd and I can't get my head around it. Basically there are 4 girls, each with their own 'look' and way of styling meaning each girl brings for example one nail polish, one lipstick, one eye shadow ect; thus limiting the range to 4 shades of each product. Which sort of makes me question, what's the point? I didn't like one of the nail polish colours and the eye shadows were in some really odd packaging that put me off so I didn't really take much notice of them. However I do like two of the lipsticks. One I think was maybe by Perry and was a really vibrant classic red colour but I have one by Calvin Klein that is almost identical. So I went for this one by Jade, and yes it is called "Jade". I absolutely love this lipstick as it's the perfect deep nude. It's not entirely cream so it doesn't give you the 'concealer lip' look but instead it has really pretty pink and berry undertones. The formula is lovely and creamy whilst being super pigmented and it has a really nice staying power.

And finally from Collection is this gorgeous blush in the shade

"04 Trouble". As soon as I saw this I knew I'd love this and oh

lord do I love this? Although it was clearly formulated to be a

blush I actually use it as a highlight due to the amount of

shimmer it has in it. I think that it makes a really good highlight

and is perfect for Autumn/Winter as I like to drop bronzer near

enough completely and add a glow to my face with highlighter

alone. This is just perfect, down to the beautiful printing you can

see in the picture. I think I'll be heartbroken when it's all faded

off.

 

 

Now, that's all I bought on my little treating shop but it's really not bad to say it cost me nothing at all. Each item was £2.99 however Collection were on a 3 for the price of 2 offer which I can never resist. I'm really happy with these products as they all together look fantastic for a nice natural every day look and what's best is with the lip and cheek products being so simple it really allows for me to go all out with my eyes, making them my best feature which I love to do. So yes, I think that has curbed my need to shop for a few more weeks, besides all the Christmas shopping I've STILL got to do.
Nothing to add on to the wish list today as I'm starting to think I might just want Boots gift vouchers and nothing else! Haha!!
Much love, G x

Morning Shower Routine!

I'm very particular with my showers. I don't like a cold shower or a shower that's as hot as hell fire. And when it comes to cleansing my body I never do baths. A bath is for relaxing in my mind. However, when I have my shower just right, it leaves me feeling excellent. So, here's how I get my morning shower perfect.

Before I jump in I wash my face with any every day soap, brush my hair and brush my teeth, I do this while the water is warming up. When I get in the first thing I do is wet my hair to get it out of my face and begin deep cleansing with this Tea Tree facial scrub. I seriously adore any kind of scrub, face or body and this is one of my favourites for every day use. The scent is just so fresh it's perfect for morning use as it really wakes you up instantly. The cleansing beads in it are wonderful too, there's just the right amount and they're not too harsh on the skin as something such as a salt scrub would be. It does a great job of removing excess oils and dead skin from the face thus making your skin feel super healthy.

When I've rinsed this off after a good scrub with it, I go ahead and use this body mud. I have fallen so hard for this this autumn. It's been in the bathroom for years now, in fact i'm pretty sure Boots don't even sell 'the SPA' range anymore but it still smells good and it hasn't gone off, so I'll still use it. Essentially this contains Pelan mud (whatever that is) and has vitamins, minerals and amino acids in it which leave your skin seriously soft and instantly toned. It has a clay like texture and takes a lot of work with the fingers to warm it through to create a kind of facial mask but it's well worth it. I apply this and leave it for about 10-15 minutes while I wash the rest of my body.

 

 

 

  

Next I go ahead and start washing my body. Lately I have been using this Sanctuary Spa foaming shower mousse. I don't think that this is the most amazing product in the world to be fair. I received this as a gift and was thrilled as I've heard pretty good things about Sanctuary Spa yet unfortunately I was disappointed. I don't think this is to be any way reflecting to the brand itself, I think it's just the concept of a shower mousse that I don't get on with. While the scent is beautiful and zesty it takes a lot of this product to thoroughly wash the body with. About three pumps of this will do one arm. Saying that however I have used this about four or five times now and still have over half a bottle left, also the pump that delivers the foam is super handy as I hate trying to open bottles with wet hands. I think I've been using this product for the sake of finishing it and getting rid of it as I hate wasting things, especially things that were thoughtful gifts.

 

 

Next I go ahead and wash my hair. I don't generally buy specific shampoo's as I live with three other people and there's always shampoo lying around. At the moment the shampoo I've been using is this Palmolive anti-dandruff shampoo with wild mint and sea minerals. Essentially this smells like head and shoulders and cleans the hair so, as far as shampoo goes, this is alright. I wouldn't go out and buy this myself though as I find it makes my hair feel a little brittle towards the ends and I don't like to use conditioner every time I wash my hair but when using this shampoo I do have to. 

When using this I do the typical 'lather, rinse, repeat' scenario. I always use shampoo twice as someone once explained it to me like this. The first time you shampoo you're breaking down the dirt that lies in your hair then the second time you shampoo you're actually removing that dirt. Weather this is true or not I have no idea, however, having dirty hair is not a chance worth taking. It's better to be thorough. After rinsing this out I go ahead and grab my conditioner. Right now I'm using a Tesco's own brand 'Pro Formula' conditioner.

This is a conditioner that gives best results to dry or damaged hair which is great for me as I tend to have mistreat my hair in the past with excessive dying. This conditioner contains keratin and Argan oil which, although I don't know the science behind them, leave the hair feeling absolutely amazing. I've had great experiences with Argan oils before and my heat protector has keratin in it as well, so combined they really do make my hair feel not just silky soft and smooth, but really well fixed and healthy. This conditioner is perfect for someone with a smaller budget as well as it's usually under the £3 mark which is a great deal for such a big bottle. The packaging doesn't thrill me which is a shame as I like things to look nice on my bathroom shelving. Maybe that's just me being picky. Overall I've found this conditioner to be pretty great however it does come second to the Tresemmé cleanse and replenish conditioner mentioned in my empties blog post. Once I've left this to sit for about 3-5 minutes I rinse it out.

I then spray a fair bit of this Herbal Essences 'bee strong' strengthening cream in to the middle section and ends of my hair. This is basically a leave in conditioner that helps repair the hair while leaving it looking shiny and feeling soft to the touch. I'm really liking using this as my hair feels all the better for it. The scent to the 'bee strong' range is beautiful as well. It's really sweet as you'd expect with a honey based product. I apply this to wet hair and run it through with my fingers or a wide toothed comb to ensure it is evenly distributed.
 

Once that's done I then wrap my hair up in a towel in the classic 'turban' manner and get out of the shower. I pat myself dry with a towel before applying a moisturiser. The one I've been using recently is this Calcot Manor 'the lazy evening moisture soufflé'.

I've had quite a few things from Calcot Manor, including a salt scrub and a bath soak and I absolutely love it. I think it's pretty much a rip off of Sanctuary Spa what with the colour scheme and whatnot. However it's affordable and decent quality when it comes to the actual products. The calcot manor range do two scents as far as I'm aware. One is quite a floral sweet scent with tones of rose and fruit, but the one I love and am using is more of a zesty fresh scent, quite like that of Sanctuary Spa. This moisturiser is really really really nice on the skin. It soaks in quite fast and a little bit goes a very long way. Also what's best about it is that the scent sticks around for ages. I find myself sniffing my arms and hands quite a lot after using this, potentially making myself look like a complete loon but hey, who cares right?

 

So there's my morning shower routine. After all this I then get dressed, slap some make up on and get on with my day feeling wide awake and ready for life's little tricks and trials. I hope you enjoyed reading this. Let me know in  the comment section below if you have any questions or suggestions on what to blog about.

 

 

Next on my Christmas wish list is this.

 

 

I loved chiffon blouses last year and I think it's something I will be into again this winter. I love the colour of this and the lace detailing on the shoulders is beautiful. The contrast of deep purple to an almost gold cream is sensational. I love the classy side to shirts like these and think they're perfect for family occasions or night's out as they're just so smart with the right things. This is for sale at £7 at Tesco right now. Absolute bargain. I love it!

Love, G x

  

October Favourites!!

October has been and gone, and I'm hoping that I'm not the only one who thinks that it literally flew by. It honestly feels more like June than November. October has been quite a good month for me actually. What with having 11 whole days off work! That was nice. I've also been getting back to grips with Autumn and how to style not just my face, but my life, around it. So here follow my monthly favourites.

Firstly, eyes. I have been absolutely loving this eye shadow pallet from VIVO. For those who don't know, VIVO is essentially Tesco's own brand of affordable make up and realistically it's actually very good. This is their "Unprotected" pallet. Interesting name hm? But the colours inside as you can see are just amazing for the Autumn/Winter seasons. This month I've been loving the first and second shades on the top row (Escape and Forever) as an inner eye highlight, the first on the second row (Wisp) as an all over lid colour and then smoking the look out with the second on the bottom row (Devine). This creates the most perfect autumnal brown look while the shimmer to them gives the eyes a nice glow, making me feel bright eyed and bushy tailed.
Now, the mascara. Oh my GOD! The mascara. This is Rimmel London's Scandaleyes Lycra Flex mascara in the shade "001 Black". I adore this mascara. Applying this on curled eye lashes just looks immense. The formula is very thick but still applies evenly with very minimal clumps. When wearing this my lashes look fuller and thicker. I can't find one fault with this mascara at all, which is really saying something. And the best thing about this? I got it for free from Boots after spending £10 on other Rimmel London products saving me the retail price of around £8. What more can a girl ask for?

 

Next, Lips. My favourite lipstick this month has to be the Loréal Paris Color Riche lipstick in "290, plum passion". This for me is the most perfect deep berry shade out their next to one of the Kate Moss lipsticks. The formulation of this is creamy and thick making it last literally all day on the lips. It has tiny sparkles in it giving the appearance of what I think is a fuller lip which I adore. I must of bought this last Christmas time and I remember being really in to it but then obviously summer hit and I felt it'd be quite gothic wearing it in the warmer seasons. The smell of the Loréal lipsticks as well is to DIE for. It's a scent all of it's own but it is gorgeous. The only problem I find with this lipstick is that it smudges quite a bit. That's where the lip liner comes in. Yes, the white stick is in fact a lip liner. It is Rimmel London's moisture renew universal transparent lip liner. I've fallen for this. I hate the idea of having to buy a different lip liner for every different shade of lipstick I buy so this is just a wonderful idea. And it does the job, when wearing this my lipstick stays in place for hours on end. I love it. Thankyou Rimmel.

 



Now, face. My daily foundation this month has been Collection's Lasting perfection ultimate wear foundation in the shade "Ivory 2". In the autumn I take pride in my vampire like paleness and always opt for a light foundation. This I've found is perfect, next to a Barbra Daly foundation I have this is probably my favourite. Considering Collection products are nearly always on offer this is essentially a perfect affordable daily foundation. It has great coverage and, as advertised, does have the 16 hour wear. Minimum. Also this foundation is outstanding for me as it's oil free and I have very funny skin so anything oil free for me is wonderful due to preventing spots. Nobody likes having spots now.
Now the blush. This is the only Natural Collection thing I own and after purchasing this I've been left wondering why. This is in the shade "Sugar Plum" (possibly the cutest name around) and is the most beautiful deep berry toned shade blush I have ever seen. It's so super highly pigmented that I've found I barely need any on my brush to create a lovely natural finish. Again, berry tones are just wicked for Autumn and after wearing this almost every day for the month I've received compliment after compliment about this. A little old lady who came into my workplace even said I looked "lovely and rosey" bless her. It really made my day. All in all this blush is a winner!

For nails this month I've really been grabbing for the deeper tones. The first is the Rimmel London (what is it with Rimmel London recently, really at the top of their game) 60 seconds varnish in "320 Rapid Ruby". I've posted about this nail varnish before so I won't go into mass detail about it. But I really have been loving it this month. It is just the perfect deep red chip resistant quick drying varnish. I love it.

And secondly is a nail varnish from New look's collection "Gold by Giles". Unfortunately I can't find a name to this and as I've had it over a year I can't remember their ever being one so I don't know if it has just rubbed off or if they are unnamed. However, it's just a really lovely deep purple colour that sets quick and lasts long. I've found myself reaching for this more than I should be really. I find it's nice alone or as a base colour to the Avon top coat featured in my last blog.

 

I've been getting back into wearing jewellery this month too.

  

Both sets of earrings are from New look I believe. I think again I bought them some time last year but they've both been worn quite a lot this month. I like the teal triangles worn with my hair up in a messy bun as they add a nice touch to a dark outfit. And the pointy gemstone earrings literally go with pretty much everything. I love the old metal look too which is also a massive factor to the necklace. I got this from Claire's Accessories quite a few years ago now and as time has passed it's ultimately lost some quality. It's chipped and the metal look is worn but really that just adds to it's appeal I think. It is quite a large pendant on a long chain and looks just lovely with dark tops as well.

 

 

So sorry about the picture quality of my bag but I had to use flash to show the true colour of it. I adore this bag. I had been eyeing it up in Tesco's for weeks and weeks until one day I went and saw it was half price. Yes, this beautiful burgundy bag with gold embellishments was only, wait for it, £6!! Biggest bargain ever really. I've fallen so hard for this bag. The quality of it is amazing, the colour is beautiful and considering it's quite a small bag it's really actually quite roomy. It holds all the essentials so I can't ask any more of it. Oh I just adore this I really do. It's become my every day handbag.

 

Lastly are three things that are not beauty or fashion related in the slightest but are things that I have been obsessed with this month.
First, scented candles. When autumn arrives scented candles are lit. Fact! I've been loving the big jar candle shown in the picture. It's scented like spiced cinnamon apples and is just gorgeous.
 

Secondly is a coffee syrup that tastes like gingerbread. This stuff is so strong that I genuinely believe it will last me for the rest of the year. Mind you, that's not really a very long time. I love this stuff as I'm really fond of flavoured coffee anyway.
 

Last but not least in any manner, is my pumpkin. If you have me on Facebook you'll have already seen this but I'm just so proud of it. I'd never carved a pumpkin before in my life before this so to see myself create something that, not to be big headed, is quite good does make me happy. I ended up giving this to my next door neighbours as they were having a Halloween party for their young daughter who loves her cat. Apparently she loved it so all is well.

 

 



That's it for my October favourites. I've really enjoyed this last month so here's hoping November will be just as good.

 

 

 

As an add on to my Christmas list, I would quite like these shoes.

I've seen these on Asos and I think they're lovely. The heel isn't that big which is great for me and I just love strappy sandals. Yes, I may be thinking ahead for next spring/summer but there's no faults in that. I think they're actually a New Look make and right now they're on sale at £12 so I'm hoping the sale wont have finished by Christmas. Unless... Anyone? No? ;) Oh well, here's hoping.

 

Love ya, G x