Get to Know Me!

Hi everyone, are you as glad it's Friday as I am? 

Today I thought I'd pop up a bit of a 'get to know me' type video as I've never done one before so it seems like it's about time. Do excuse the fact that I'm wearing this monochrome shirt again - I filmed three videos that day, one after the other, so that explains why! I'll definitely be wearing something different next time! Ha. Also, for the same reason, please ignore the lipstick swatch on my hand, as I had filmed a beauty favourites video just before this one. I do wash, I promise ;-)

Anyway, hope you enjoy it! As always, if you do then I'd love it if you would pop over to my Youtube channel and subscribe, and you can do that by clicking on the Youtube button in my sidebar, or down in the bottom right-hand corner of the video window.

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

xx

What I Wore

Shorts, Miss Selfridge  //  Lace-sleeved top, Topshop  //  Clutch, Primark(old)  //  Sandals, bought in Brazil  //  Bracelet, Ebay

Oh hii, thought I'd pop up a bit of an outfit post today. This is photographic evidence of my new peach studded Miss Selfridge shorts' first outing, paired with a white lace-sleeved top from Topshop. I must admit, in retrospect  I'm not all that keen on this combo as I've since found that the shorts look a whole lot better against black, and accessorised with some golden goodness. Not too much though, as I think the stud detailing speaks for itself, and along with the studded sandals there's already a fair bit going on. You'll probably see what I mean soon enough anyway, as it's bound to pop up in another outfit post. Faux pas wearing the same shorts twice in OOTD posts? Oh well, I'm sure we'll all get over it. 

Hooray for it being Friday tomorrow! I don't know about you, but for me today is always the busiest day of the week. As I've mentioned before though, I do get Fridays off, so it's not all bad!

Last night was the hubby's night off from work, and I finish earlier on Wednesdays too, so we decided to have a bit of a film and foodfest at home in the evening. I whipped us up some homemade spicy chicken tacos with guacamole, followed by banana pancakes, as we had a ton of leftover bananas that needed using up quickly (any excuse!). Needless to say, we pretty much ate ourselves into food comas and collapsed in front of The Lovely Bones - a film I have put off watching for the longest time because it's one of my favourite books, and for me, the film adaptations don't usually make the cut. I have to say though, they did a pretty good job with this one, so there was no shouting at the TV as there was when I watched One Day or The Time Traveller's Wife (don't even get me started!). Anyway, it was quite nice to be a bit naughty and treat ourselves food-wise, as we are both healthy eaters the majority of the time. Saying that, I do have a bit of a tough time saying no to chocolate, but don't we all!? ;-)

Hope you all have a lovely end to the week!

xx

Review: Mac Blush in Peachy Keen

As we all know very well, a girl can never have too many Mac blushes, and you might remember seeing in last month's beauty haul video that on my last trip to my closest shop, I picked up a new Sheertone Shimmer blush in the shade Peachykeen.

Sheertone Shimmer blushes are, as you would expect, quite sheer, but can be built up to achieve a bright pop of colour if that's the look you prefer. They also contain hint of shimmer, and while tiny flecks of glitter are detectable in the pan, they don't transfer onto the face at all, appearing only as a beautifully subtle golden sheen. 

 Peachykeen is described by Mac as a 'very baby peach', and I have to say, it looks nothing like the swatch on their website, which is more of a reddish plum shade. It's a good job we have beauty blogs to help us out with things like this! Personally, I'd describe Peachykeen as a dark pinky-peach - it's not a soft pastel peach, and there is definitely something a bit earthier about it.

I had actually had no intention of taking home a blush when I popped into the Mac shop, but the assistant there kindly swiped some onto my cheeks to complement a couple of other products I was trying out, which I purchased, satisfied, and left. But for the rest of the day, which I was spending doing a bit of clothes shopping, whenever I caught sight of myself in the mirror I was impressed with the healthy glow I seemed to be exuding. Of course, I had the blush to thank for this, and by the end of the day I had swiftly popped back and snapped it up. It's now become my most-used powder blush, as it's such a flattering, wearable shade, and the subtle, radiant glow it provides is enough to perk up any tired, run-down or lacklustre face. Although it's sheer, it's also highly pigmented, so a light hand is recommended when applying it. It wears well too, and is still going fairly strong by the time I get home after a day at work. For me, this was my first Sheertone Shimmer blush, and after it's success I have now got my eye on Springsheen and Peachtwist.

What's your favourite Mac blush formulation?

Have you tried any of the Sheertone Shimmer shades?

xx

Collective Fashion Haul // A Video

Please excuse what a state I look in this video, I'd just got home and found myself alone in the house during daylight hours, so I had to make the most and film in a very short window of time! It also turns out that Revlon Photoready foundation is not actually all that photo ready, as it makes me look SO shiny on camera! I did notice this before with another couple of videos, and made a mental note not to wear it when filming again, but as I said, I was in a bit of a rush this time and didn't think of it!

I won't be doing a post on this haul as I just find clothing a real pain to photograph in all its glory. However you will, I'm sure, be seeing these pieces in upcoming OOTD/outfit posts, so keep an eye out for those.

Until then, I hope you enjoy having a little nose into the contents of my (new) wardrobe, and if you do enjoy this video then please do pop over to my Youtube channel and give it a thumbs up and subscribe. I must admit, I'm feeling a bit disheartened again, as while I know it does take time to build up an audience, and I do make these videos for enjoyment more than anything else as a bit of a side project as well as to compliment my blog, my views have really decreased since I started out with filming, and I'm not really sure why! If anything, I would have thought it would be the opposite, but oh well, such is life.

Anyway, hope everyone has had a good Monday! If you have a Youtube channel then do leave me your link in the comments below, I'm always on the lookout for new ones to have a watch as I seem to get through my feed so fast!

xx

Review: Nourish Balance Mini Kit

A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed the wonderful Nourish Argan Skin Rescue (click to read review), and along with that product, which as I mentioned has now become a nightly staple in my routine, I was also very kindly sent the Nourish Balance Mini Kit* to try out.

This came at a great time for me, as only recently has my skin transformed itself from 'normal' to 'combination' - my t-zone is now quite oily, and as I'm sure you've heard me mention, I've been suffering from breakouts too. So I was really excited to get started with this lovely little set, and see what good it could do for my skin. After putting it to the test for some time, as I find to be necessary with any skincare regime, I now feel ready to share my thoughts with you .

What I love about Nourish is that when creating their skincare ranges, they take into account not only the different skin-types we are all 'blessed' with, but also individual lifestyles and needs. Their natural, anti-ageing range of products aim to optimise skin health around the life that you lead as well as providing all the daily nourishment it needs to keep it in tip-top condition.

There are four different ranges available from Nourish, including 'Radiance' for normal skin, 'Protect' for dry skin, and 'Relax' for sensitive skin. As I said, I was sent the 'Balance' kit, which is aimed at combination skin.

The mini-kit contains 50ml of the Balance Detoxifying Cleanser, 50ml of the Balance Refining Toning Mist, 15ml of the Balance Nutritious Peptide Serum, and 15ml of the Balance Essential Moisturiser, and is available to buy for £24.95 - great for anyone wanting to dip their toe in the water.

Nourish Balance Detoxifying Cleanser*

This is quite a liquidy, lotion-like cream cleanser, containing a balancing blend of emollients and apple extract to leave the skin feeling fresh and clean, as well as helping to restore the skin's natural barrier.

The instructions suggest applying a small amount of this to the face with a cotton wool pad and then rinsing with cool water, but I don't personally enjoy using my cleansers this way, so instead I just massaged it into my face before removing it with a warm flannel/face cloth. When wearing makeup, it's obviously advisable to double cleanse - once to remove it, and then once to deep cleanse. I did find that this removed all traces of makeup after two cleanses, and it has such a lovely, gentle fragrance of green apple that it was a pleasure to use. It always left my skin feeling soft and well-hydrated, ready for the next step in my routine. It's 80% organic., and comes in at a bargainous £9.95 for the full-size 100ml bottle.

Nourish Balance Refining Toning Mist*

Again, this has the pleasant fragrance of apples, and comes in a spray bottle so that it can be spritzed onto the face after cleansing. I'm still going with this one, and find it refreshing in the mornings as well as being a welcome pick-me up throughout the day, so I do, on occasion, pop this one in my handbag for whenever the mood takes me. Packed with vitamins and minerals, this restores the natural pH level of the skin, which is obviously great for helping to balance things out and keep them on a level. It's also 97% organic, and for a full-size 100ml bottle you would pay just £8.95.

Nourish Balance Nutritious Peptide Serum*

This is a really light, hydrating serum which I find leaves my skin looking much brighter after use. Again, it's choc-full of nutritious vitamins and minerals, has the same delightful fragrance and helps to renew the skin's natural surface. For me, one pump is more than enough for the whole face, and I tend to apply it to my neck too. It's strange to think that in the past, I didn't bother with serums, as they are now an integral part of my daily skincare routine. It's 80% organic, and will set you back £16.95 for a full-size 30ml bottle, making it the priciest of the bunch.

Nourish Balance Essential Moisturiser*

I think this is probably my favourite product of the four. It's a light, 89% organic cream complex containing sebum-controlling properties, and sinks easily into the skin upon application, with no greasiness whatsoever. I personally find it really difficult to find suitable moisturising creams that suit both my face and neck, but this one works nicely and doesn't cause any breakouts, which for me is a rarity. The full size comes in at £14.95 for a 50ml jar.

In all, I've really enjoyed using this range, and will definitely be repurchasing. The mini kit is ideal for keeping on hand for weekends away or unexpected road-trips, and there are also full-size gift-sets available for each range, priced at £45 - that's a saving of £5.80 compared to buying each product individually.

I have to say, while I've been having some problems with breakouts and oiliness, I noticed a marked improvement in the condition of my skin within the first couple of days of use - it became much calmer and better balanced, as well as looking a lot fresher and generally healthier. Whatever your skin-type, I'd definitely recommend giving Nourish a try, as with such high levels of lovely, natural ingredients you're bound to be doing yourself a favour.

Nourish is available to buy directly from their website, and also from Feel Unique.

Do you like using natural and organic skincare?

If so, what are your favourite products?

xx

Weekend Wishlist

Mini Shopper, Zara // Aztec Scarf, Topshop // Tigi S-Factor Flat Iron Shine Spray, Feel Unique  // By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder, Space NK  // Neom Happiness Organic Treatment Candle, Cult Beauty // Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder, Space NK

Hello lovelies, I hope everyone has had a great start to the weekend! Mine isn't going to be all that exciting, as my husband is working more and more at the moment, so I'm spending a lot of time rattling around the place on my own. We already worked opposite schedules, as I get Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays off, whereas he has two days during the week. But at the moment, he's been working even on his days off, both during the day and at night. It's not ideal, and I had been thinking that if anything, work pressures would be easing off now that we are getting closer and closer to our big move. But I suppose at least it's not going to be for tooo much longer, and it does mean all the more blogging time for me. I say that, but I've got plenty already, although it will help in terms of filming Youtube videos. I usually struggle to find any time with both the house to myself and the sun still in the sky to do those!
Anyway, moving on from that, today's wishlist is, unfortunately for me, a little bit high-end. Now, before I got into beauty blogging, I wasn't even aware of a great many of the brands that I am today, particularly those available from sites such as Space NK and Cult Beauty. Now that I am though, there are just so many beautiful products I would be thrilled to try, but I just don't know if I really want to open that can of worms as I tend to think that once you do, you don't really want to go back! I was a victim of this with skincare, as in the beginning I wouldn't have dreamt of paying over £20 for anything, being of the belief that lower-priced products were probably just as effective. However, since I discovered how much I like brands that use nice natural ingredients and give chemical nasties a miss and the difference this has made to my complexion, I now find it hard to bring myself to buy anything else. At least with skincare you really are doing some good for yourself, but with makeup? Let's be honest, it just looks pretty.
Now, don't get me wrong, I've been using brands like Mac and Clinique for years, and for me those that you'd find at the beauty counters in places like House of Fraser were about as high-end as it got. Their products are already on the pricey side, and I have to admit that I often favour them over the cheaper high-street brands found in Boots. But now I have found myself lusting after products from brands such as Kevyn Aucoin and By Terry, and I just don't know that I want to start spending £30-£40 on cosmetics - in all likelihood, I would probably love them and want to keep buying them, and then where would my purse and my bank account be? It seems it might be asking for trouble!
As for candles, I just can't see myself ever forking out £40 for a full-size Neom. As beautiful as they are, and as long as they last, I just can't help thinking what else could be done with that money. I'm quite pleased to have discovered that they do smaller sizes for £15 though, which while still less than cheap for 75g is more affordable for those of us who want to dip our toes in the water.
So, will I really give this gorgeous selection of products the swerve forever more? Probably not. But I think I'll probably wait for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays, as they would make lovely presents (famous last words?). When I am in a position where I am able to get my hands on all the things I need, it will be nice to reserve real treats for the Christmas list, and I also think people enjoy giving things that are going to evoke gasps and shrieks of appreciation!

Have you tried any of the brands above, and would you consider integrating them into your daily routine? Would you think twice about converting all of your products to such high-end brands?

xx

Confessions of a Beauty Blogger Tag

1. How many hours a week do you spend writing/editing posts?

It really varies, depending what I'm posting that week. Sometimes I'll reel of a post in a matter of minutes if the mood takes me, but if I'm writing a thorough review or a post that requires some research then I'll put a fair bit of time and effort into it.

2. Are you a spender or a saver?

I seem to have spent my life alternating between the two. As a child I was a sensible saver, and as a teen and when I first hit my twenties I spent every last bit. For the past few years though, I've been quite a good girl and saved up again, but saying that, I've definitely let things slip in the last year or so (since I started blogging, funnily enough). I'm now trying to get back to putting my pennies away carefully, as we are going to be needing them for our move in the summer.

3. When is it easiest for you to blog?

I tend to get more done at the weekends. I much prefer putting posts together when I've got some time to myself, as having the other half around means getting distracted is inevitable. I tend to take most of my pictures on Fridays, and then I'll edit them all and upload them to blank posts ready for me to write them later in the week,

4. What's your worst makeup/hair habit?

Until fairly recently I was awful for brushing my hair too vigorously when wet, and not washing my makeup brushes often enough. However, I've now rectified both of those, so I'd probably say not using base and top coats when I paint my nails (literally going to change that this weekend too though) and bombarding my skin with too many different products, as I can't resist trying out new skincare!

5. What's the one quote that you wish the world could live by?

Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself.

6. How long do you spend getting ready every day?

It depends if I'm washing my hair or not - about half an hour if I'm not (although that includes a quick shower), and about an hour and a half if I am (including drying and straightening my hair). If Im not going anywhere though, I tend to let my hair dry naturally, as it's gota natural wave and is a good chance to avoid heat damage.

7. What's your favourite video on Youtube?

Well these two are pretty hilarious:

But mainly, I really like watching other beauty and fashion bloggers' channels.

8.  Which blogger of whom you are a reader do you think deserves more subscribers than they 
have?
Oh, there are too many to mention, but someone who definitely deserves more followers is WY, who runs Raves 'nd Ramblings. She is such a lovely lady, and really knows her stuff, particularly when it comes to skincare. If you haven't already, do go over and have a read of her blog. You can also find her on Twitter at @wy_hu

9.  Which one thing are you most excited about in the upcoming year?
MOVING HOME!!! Excited is an understatement.

10. What's your most awkward blogging moment?
I can't think of any, but uploading my first Youtube video was definitely a bit of a cringefest! Thankfully I got over that, and now really enjoy it, although the worry is still there as you never know who might be watching!

11. Are you wearing jeans, trousers, pyjamas or a skirt right now?
I'm wearing jeans, as I'm about to go to work and the dress-code is pretty casual but we have to be covered up, and tights in this heat are actually worse than jeans!

12. What are you most proud of in your life right now?
Probably, to be honest, my little blog! I'm also proud of how far my husband and I have come together and what we have achieved.


So there you go! If any of you lovelies fancy doing this tag then consider yourselves tagged!
Thank goodness it's Friday tomorrow!

xx