Sunday 29 January 2012

#122

Just a quick post on some samples I ordered from skincare company Origins.

My skin has been playing up over the last month or so, as horrible as it sounds I was getting tiny under the skin spots and bumps on my cheeks and chin, which I never used to get. Having combination to oily skin I'm very wary of what i put on my face, as it could really irritate me.
I noticed my friend had been using the Origins super Spot Remover and I've heard nothing but great things about it, so popped it in my online basket.


Even though the bottle is tiny, you only need a small amount. I tried it out last night before going to bed, and this morning my spots have decreased in size, redness and they're no longer sore. I can see this getting rid of them completely within the week, which would be amazing! But I'll keep you updated with how I get on with it.


I was then given the chance to add three more sample to try out,so I chose the Clear Improvements charcoal mask, which is said to clear pores, draws out impurities and brighten your complexion. I really dislike my pores so I'm willing to try anything.
I also got a sachet of Youthtopia Lift firming cream and Modern Friction gentle dermabrasion, I'll only get one use out of each so I won't be able to make a valid decision whether I like them or not, but it's always good to try new things out.


Do you use anything from Origins? Anything I should pick up?

Also a quick note that I've just made a profile on WIWT after spying it on LeanneMarie's latest post.
It'll hopefully push me to take more outfit photos, so if I don't pop them on here, you'll probably find them here :)

Saturday 21 January 2012

#121

Just a quick post on some things I've picked up recently and loved from the get go.
After seeing Vivianna's post and video on her updated Nailcare Routine and Collection, which included her raving about OPI's Nail Envy nail strengthener, saying her nails are in great condition after using it.
As a serial nail painter, my poor nails have taken a severe beating over the years, and are currently quite weak and peeling. Certainly doesn't help that I've been wearing false nails for the last month in an attempt to hide my poor nails!




Vivianna said the OPI Nail Envy collection are priced at £18 each, but Ebay's a good place to hunt for a bargain if you can't justify forking out that much. So I had a little geg and found this seller, and snapped up the OPI Nail Envy and OPI's Rapi Dry top coat for just £17.95 - 5 pence cheaper than one bottle alone. I couldn't ignore this brilliant deal so snapped them up with free P+P.
The seller stated 2nd class delivery takes between 4-6 days which I obviously didn't mind, but I ordered these Thursday afternoon, and by the time I woke up on Friday, they were waiting for me on the hall table - talk about excellent service!
I'm unsure if they still have this offer running, but I would definitely reccommend looking at this seller's item as they have lots of OPI, Essie, Shellac and other high quality nailcare brands available.




Another item I'm loving is my Travalo. I ordered it just before Christmas from Amazon as it was on offer for £5 instead of £10 which, being honest I would've begrudged paying, and it arrived within two days. At a tiny 8cm tall, it's the perfect size to shove in my bag for whenever I need it, I despise lugging round awkward shaped perfume bottle; I always lose the lid and it sprays in my bag, sad, but nice smelling times :|
You just remove the spray nozzle of your perfume bottle and there is a small rubber bit on the bottom of the Travalo that you attach to the tube and simply pump it up and down until the little gauge has filled up, so easy and fool-proof.

Also, I've just resized my photos on trust Picnik only to see a notice that it's shutting down in April, and moving their facilities to Google+. It's probably going to be exactly the same, but I'm not a fan of Google+. I'm also writing this and realising I'm possibly the last person to see this notice and I'm just rambling on for no reason whatsoever, so I'm going to shut up now and return to my cuppa and Jersey Shore :)

Sunday 8 January 2012

#120



Top, Cardigan, Tights: Primark - Skirt: H&M - Nails: 17 Catwalk Couture
Jewellery: Lily Loves Lola, Vivienne Westwood, LLYMLRS, Gifted.


You wouldn't think I took these photos at 3pm in the afternoon! It's pitch black by 4pm most days, pretty depressing, but it means having to cope with crap quality photos for the time being, sorry guys!
Bought this vest/blouse in Primark a couple of weeks, ago, makes me feel all grown up haha. I'm really into monochrome outfits at the moment, and adding a pop of colour with accessories. I guess I'm more comfortable in black/white/grey clothes, it's just what I usually wear and what the majority of my wardrobe holds.
Also, my hair is a dark browny-auburn in real life, it just looks nearly black on photos :/

I've had a really nice weekend - spent yesterday in town with Jack, spending our Christmas pennies. I got a new bag, make up, shoes, and in a "pound shop" a set of 200 Nailene falsies with glue for just £2 as opposed to a fiver online. I suggest you root through your cheap shops before forking out as you might find some hidden gems!
We spent last night watching Dinner for Schmucks which is hilarious! Then Lee Mack's Going Out standup, also so funny. And continuing our Sunday morning ritual, watched Rocky III this morning, only Jack didn't warn me about the sad part so I got all emotional, booo!

Hope you've had a great weekend, anyone do anything nice? :)

Tuesday 3 January 2012

#119 - 2011 Favourites

Yes, my first post of 2012 is on my 2011 Favourites, but I wanted to post it whether I was on time or not! I wanted to post about my favourite products that I discovered/started using in 2011; ones that I would repurchase over and over again and would reccommend each and every one to all of you.


Perfumes: I can't choose between these three, they all smell totally different but they have to be my favourites of all time, not just 2011. I've been using Britney Spears Believe for about three, maybe four years now and it's probably my "signature" scent if I had to have one. It's fresh, floral but not overpowering and it lingers for hours without having to re-apply. I got a sample of Naughty Alice when I got my 21st jewellery in 2010 and fell in love with it. I couldn't justify the price, so asked for a bottle off Jack for Christmas. I don't want to use it all up so I'm saving it for "special occasions" but I admit I do sit sniffing it a lot of the time. And Flowerbomb is something myself and my bestie Heather bought on the plane to Turkey, it's divine! If you haven't tried it, I urge you to even have a whiff of it next time you're in John Lewis. It's quite strong but you only need one squirt to last you all day. I love it even more because it's our Summer/holiday scent and it always makes me think of good times.

Nail varnish: Juicy Jules - brilliant glitter polish, not as hard to remove as others, has a gorgeous holographic look and I'd wear it all the time if I wasn't already halfway through my bottle!
Hair products: V05 Miracle Concentrate. Every blogger and their mother has raved about this, so there's nothing new I can add to it, but it smooths my hair out and keeps it straighter for longer, and makes my ends looks healthy.

Loreal Elvive Triple Resist Root Treatment - Having only used this for a couple of months I can't rave about it enough. My hair used to come out a lot in the shower/when brushing, but since applying this daily it feels stronger and I've had less fall out, so it's a winner in my book!
Another hair item I forgot to photograph is my Tangle Teezer. I urge everyone to go buy one, it's done wonders for my hair. It untangles knots easily, glides through your hair without hurting or tugging on your roots, and somehow adds shine the more you use it. Also, I bought mine 2-4-1 so gave my spare to my boyfriend as he has long hair, and he prefers it to a normal brush. I find it easier to keep clean than a normal brush too, for whatever reason I find plausible.

Body/Facial products: S&G Flake Away is the best scrub I've used. Smells amazing, makes my skin so soft (especially those horrible bumps you get on the back of your arms) you get your money's worth as the tubs are huge and last forever.
Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Daily Scrub's my favourite facial scrub to use as it's gentle enough to use twice daily, but gets rid of any leftover dirt and reduced spots and red marks quickly. It's a brilliant product for its small price.
Palmer's Cocoa Butter Moisturiser's the only moisturiser I've repurchased time and time again. I've been using it for probably about six years now, and everytime I branch out, try something new, it never seems to compare to this. (The only one that comes close is S&G's The Righteous Butter, but I'm not keen on the smell) But this works well in keeping my skin smooth and hydrated and evens out stretchmarks/scarring/skin tone.



Make up products: 17 lipstick in Beehive was my most used shade this Summer, mostly because I can't fault it. You can apply it without a mirror, it's not sticky, lasts for a good while and it's quite a light shade so it looks brilliant with a tan! Mine only looks horrible because I took it to Turkey so it went really soft in the heat and looks vile.
After using Barry M for 3 years I wanted to try something new and L'Oreal's Superliner Carbon Gloss was my first choice, even if the name's a ruddy mouthful. I love the spongey applicator, how black it is on the first swipe and the length of the handle makes it so easy to apply in a hurry. The only gripe I have with this is that it doesn't have brilliant staying power without a primer under, but I always use one so I can't reeeally complain about that.
Collection 2000 Big Fake mascara is the only mascara I've used for the last two years and I don't plan on switching anytime soon. It's waterproof, volumising, non-clumpy, lengthening and I'd class it as my HG mascara.




I won't type out a review on each book as I don't think everyone would appreciate it and may dislike me for it, but if you would like to know more about any of the above books or my thoughts on them, please leave it in a comment or email me for a more detailed answer :)
But the above are four of my favourite authors, they won't be to everyone's taste - for example Palahniuk's Haunted is a disgustingly detailed book about weird and discomforting topics; there have been people who have read the first chapter and either fainted or vomited, and it has a parental advisory sticker on the front which say it all haha.
But all of the above authors are brilliant at what they do, and I would reccommend the titles above if you haven't read anything by them yet. The Dean Koontz book is one I have read maybe three times this year, it's just such a good plot, the twists in it had me yelling at my book (in the comfort and peace of my own room though)


Band/Artist - My all-time favourite band is Deftones, and while their latest album Diamond Eyes came out in 2010 it's still a solid favourite in my book. They're not to everyone's taste, but they do have several songs that are so relaxing, they're what I listen to before bed or to chill out, here's the first and the second :)
Another favourite this year is Lights, I listened to Everybody Breaks a Glass as requested by a friend and instantly downloaded both her albums. Her slower songs remind me of another babe, Ellie Goulding, and as they are both sort of electro-pop type songs, they go together brilliantly in a playlist.


What are your favourites for 2011? Any beats I should have a look at? :)