New in: August 2015

Last month was my birthday and I got a couple of gifts from my coworkers and lots of cards, as well as some money from my in-laws and nieces. Dot got me the cutest bunny eared fluffy pyjamas, Albert Hammond Jr's signed album, and the Elie Saab L'eau Couture perfume with a shower gel and body lotion. 

The toys are the bits I won in the Blackpool arcades, I'd never won a prize in one of those crane machines but I was so excited when I got the little dog, I couldn't believe it haha. The bear and the piggy I won in one of those racing games where you throw a ball and the more points you score, the further you go on the race. 

Got a 3 notebook set in a shop in Blackpool and when we got back, a pack of 5 inkjoy pens in the pound shop.

After trying a sample of the oil free version of the Garnier BB cream, decided it was time to purchase a full size one. The Alice in Wonderland Rabbit Tsum Tsum was a gift from Dot.

Last but not least, a book for learning French from The Works for just 4p as I had some money in my rewards card, and a set of Paris themed sticky notes that Dot got me.

xo

Stripes & Flats

H&M Top // Topshop Jeans // Paul Costelloe Bag // New Look Flats

(Similar: Top, Bag, Flats)

Last weekend I got a couple of bits for work, which I'll show you soon. There's still a few more that I need to get, like a pair of boots for winter, an umbrella and some wellies so I don't get wet when I walk to work.

xo

The Autumn/Winter Wishlist

Time to start stocking up on autumn & winter essentials, the ones I've got my eye on are:

Primark Reversible Scarf £5 A very affordable way of updating and adding a touch of texture and colour to an otherwise monochrome winter outfit.

Uniqlo Ines Check Shirt £30 A long sleeve shirt is a must during colder months, this one has a classic check design and feminine rounded collar.

Uniqlo Wool Cashmere Coat £100 I'm on the lookout for a camel coat, I want one with a masculine shape and simple design and this one seems really nice and good quality. 

Reebok Black Trainers £55 I'm not 100% decided yet but I do want a pair of black leather trainers, and this is one of the top choices.

Paul Costelloe Purse £17 A purse where I can keep my cards, notes and coins all in one place without being bulky would be greatly appreciated. 

New Look Black Chelsea Wellies £16 Rainy season is back, and since I walk to work a pair of wellies are much needed. These in a chelsea style are just gorgeous.

H&M Sripe Jumper £15 I am obsessed with knitwear, and with breton stripes as of late. This jumper combines classic stripes and grey (my favourite colour) in one. Must. Buy.

H&M Wool Scarf £30 This scarf in grey wool it looks warm, cosy and sophisticated. It seems a nice choice to add to my collection, 

H&M Check Shirt £15 Another flannel but in a lighter colour scheme, which means it can be also worn in the summer with a couple of undone buttons at the top and rolled up sleeves. 

xo

Paul Costelloe Triplet Bag

This is another birthday gift to myself that I got a couple of months ago, the Paul Costello Triplet Bag. After seeing the (overpriced) stylish Celine Trio bag a lot on social media, I really wanted a similar bag, so when I learned about the Paul Costello Triplet Bag, I couldn't wait to get my hands on it. Originally retailing for £150, found it on the sale for just £40.

It has 3 zipped compartments with gold hardware, one zipped pocket inside the back pouch, and a phone pocket on the front one. Also features a removable and adjustable strap so it can be used as a cross-body bag or a clutch. It is just the right size for me not to overfill it and end up with a back ache. It has the Paul Costello fox logo on the front and it is made out of 100% super soft leather.

xo

Sanctuary Spa Matte Perfecting Hydra Lotion

Since becoming a skincare fanatic, I love trying new products all the time. I found the Sanctuary Spa Matte Perfecting Hydra Lotion in Savers for just £3 so I just had to get it, as I have tried a few other Sanctuary Spa products and really liked them.

This lotion is meant to be refreshing and easily absorbed without clogging pores, as well as giving targeteted hydration where it's needed. It contains an extract from an alpine plant that cuts down excess oil production and helps minimise open pores. A concentrated blend of five fruit acids helps promote cell renewal to increase radiance without shine

After using this lotion for a few months I can definitely agree with the fact that it moisturises without clogging my pores, feeling heavy or greasy. It is not exactly what I would call mattifying, but it's fine, as it absorbs really quickly and doesn't leave my skin looking shiny, only naturally glowing.

I've been using the Sanctuary Spa Matte Perfecting Hydra Lotion morning and night. The only downside to this lotion is that it has no SPF, so it would be amazing if they reformulated it as it would be my go to product. 

Find Sanctuary Spa Matte Perfecting Hydra Lotion in Boots and Debenhams.

Have you tried this product?

xo

Mohair Cardigan

H&M Mohair Cardigan // Topshop Jeans // H&M T-Shirt // Topshop Leather Boots // H&M Necklace

(Similar Cardigan, Boots)

Started work again this week with mixed emotions, I'll be doing something productive with my time though who doesn't like a lot of time off?

Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to find some watercolour supplies I've eyed up online on Hobbycraft, as I would really like an upgrade.

xo

Food: Cinnamon Swirl Banana Muffins

I really like baking, so when I found a recipe online for a cinnamon swirl banana bread, I decided to try it in muffin form and with a few changes. I present to you my version:

For the muffins:

• 2 ripe bananas, smashed up
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tps vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of self raising whole flour

For the swirl:

• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tbs cinnamon 

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven 180/Gas mark 4. 

2. Mix bananas, butter, sugar, egg & vanilla. Sprinkle baking soda & salt on top of mixture. Stir in flour gently.

3. Mix in a small dish the sugar & cinnamon.

4. Pour a tablespoon of batter in each muffin case, sprinkle with the sugar & cinnamon mix. Add the remaining batter and sprinkle leftover cinnamon mix. I also sprinkled a bit of Bioglan Cacao and Flax powder* on top.

5. Bake for 15 minutes and if they're not done, turn up to Gas mark 6 for 3 more minutes. 

Will you be trying them?

xo

PS. Check out the Great Denby Cake Off competition.

4 Daily Eye Essentials

Normally I try to keep things simple when it comes to clothing and makeup. A few years back I would only wear eye liner, then I started using eye cream, then concealer and more recently, curling my lashes too. Here are the 4 items I use when I do my eye makeup:

Eye Cream: L'Oreal Skin Perfection Awakening+Correcting Eye Cream, as it is a great base for concealer, moisturises and has a faint tint to it, plus fades dark circles, bags and lines thanks to the caffeine and vitamin C it contains. It is a similar version of the Vichy Idealia Eyes for a fraction of the price.

Concealer: Maybelline Age Rewind Eraser Eye Concealer in Light, which I only started using very recently. It is lightweight, creamy and a little bit goes a long way, so it will last me for ages. Not in love with the applicator/dispensing system but doesn't bother me that much.

Eye Liner: Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner, another Maybelline product though I've been using this one for a while and really like it. The extra long pointed tip makes it very easy to achieve a nice cat eye flick. It's not exactly waterproof but that only means it's easy to remove and is very affordable.

Eyelash Curler: Sally Hansen Double Lash Curler, I got it many years ago under the name Lacross. Stopped using it for a while as my skin decided to break out where I rested the curler under my eye, but now obsessed with Jeanne Damas, upon reading she curls her lashes and omits mascara, decided to use it again. I love that it curls the lashes on 2 places, avoiding the dreaded "L" shape and achieving a more natural curl.

What are your eye essentials?

xo

Is This The Secret To Longer Hair?

Now that I've been taking them for about 6 months I think I can speak about the effects these Skin, Hair & Nails vitamins from Boots have done for me. 

The Boots Skin, Hair & Nails multivitamin and mineral food supplement is formulated to maintain healthy skin, hair and nails: vitamin B2 helps to keep skin complexion, biotin helps to nourish and maintain shiny hair, copper helps maintain a natural hair colour, and copper and selenium both help to nourish and maintain healthy nails.

I really enjoy dairy products and I have them almost daily (excluding milk which I stopped drinking in order to prevent spots), which is why, I imagine, my nails grow quite fast and need trimming every couple of weeks, especially since I don't like the feeling of longer nails, so in the nail department I didn't see that much of a difference, perhaps it did make them grow even faster but can't be sure.

Having struggled with oily skin and breakouts for over a decade I have tried many things to get rid of them. I got these vitamins as they contain vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil which are supposed to aid in regulating hormones. I don't think I have gotten as many (or as big) breakouts on my skin as I sometimes would, but that could also be due to the fact I've stopped drinking milk. I would say that my skin has improved slightly since taking these vitamins.

I've always liked my hair long, though the main reason I started taking these vitamins was to improve my skin, so wasn't expecting to see any drastic changes regarding my hair. I began taking the Boots Skin, Hair & Nails vitamins around January this year and during the February half term I had my hair cut, taking off about 10 or more cm. Hair supposedly grows at an average rate of 1 cm every couple of months though it hasn't been 7 months and the full length that I had cut off has come back, though the ends can get a bit wispy, so I would advise a tiny trim every few months. 

If you are trying to grow your hair I would definitely recommend Boots Skin, Hair & Nails vitamins, currently on offer in Boots.

Have you tried skin, hair and nail supplements? 

xo