@jadedclouds Trying out some new Sinful Color polish, post coming up | Nipping home to see the parents on a lovely day | The lady of the house taking out a sofa napping | the main lady of mine making her self comfy | early morning ritual | A day at Twickenham watching my boyfriends brother pay in the Army vs Navy game (we won!)

It's just been one of those weeks! I feel as though I just haven't stopped, backwards and forward over the country.

I worked for the first half or the week leaving me with nothing exciting to report. However with it being pay day on Friday I did a tiny winy bit of shopping (read: lots) and picked up a few things I've been lustin' after recently. Including a couple of bits from REN and over due vist to MAC. I'll post a haul sometime next week.

The weekend had me and Ian driving back home. We stopped into my parents on Friday night before heading over to Ian's for an early night and early morning. On Saturday we left at 8:30 to make our way to Twickenham in London for a day of rugby. Ian's younger brother is in the Army and was playing at Twickenham for the first time. With us all being rugby nuts this was obviously a huge deal for us. Sadly the Under 21 Combined services lost, but Rob did score and try. Which made eveything worth while.

Anything to report from your week?

Watching
 Part 3 of Estee's Spring Trilogy, Food had me drooling. Her and Aslan made one of the nicest plates of food I've ever seen and It's now on my list of things I must consume. 

Reading
Lilly has intrgued me with her post all about Fig Scents . Having never been a fan of Fig's I now want to sniff anything fig scented that I possibly can get my hands of. Her list gives me a good starting point.

Lustin'
With summer on it's way (eventually) I look forward to the joy of makeup melting of my face. Lovely image for you there. I have Normal skin with an Oily T-Zone, so struggle a little with looking oily through out the day. Which has lead me to do some research on ways to combat this, resulting in Urban Decays De-Slick Oil Control Setting Spray. This gets a lot of love in the beauty world and I'm hoping to add this to my routine and avoid that sexy melty look.

Labels: instagram, misc, sunday edit

The phrase that sends my purse on a spa break is being tossed about again. I mentioned in my March Favourites that I was starting to shop my stash, and had found a few oldies but goodies making their way back into my everyday rotation. Here's what I found, just to give you a push in the money saving direction! Here are a few products that I've rekindled my love affair with.

Phyto Phytonectar Treatment Oil
This was a unwanted purchase that my mother kindly passed onto me. She brought them on a cruise on a whim about a year ago. At that point I'd never really heard about the Phyto brand, I vowed to do some research, but forgot so I stuck with what I knew and never used this.  Phyto then started popping up on quite a few blogs, so thought I might as well give it a whirl and I was pleasantly surprised. I put this in my hair either before bed and leave it in all night for a really deep treatment, or slick some in before I go for a run or exercise, giving it a while to soak in. I've found this has made a huge difference to my dry split ends. I know nothing can get ride of split ends, apart from cutting them off, but this has certainly made them a lot less visible, leaving my hair looking shiny and smooth.


MAC Marine Life Blush
Everyone in the beauty 'community' (I cringe whenever I read or type that sentence) went through that phase when you had to by everything MAC related in existence. Waiting up and refreshing the MAC website waiting for the new collection to come out, being the first to own that purple lipstick that you know you're never going to really wear, but everyone said it was a must own! Yeah, this was one of those purchases. It was the hyped product of MAC's To The Beach Collection. However, after you look at how much you've spent on MAC products in a year, over £400. Shocking, I know, you then go into absolute shock and treat those limited edition products like gold dust. I was so scared of using this product as I knew I wouldn't be able to get my hands on another one, so I just stopped using it. In no way am I saying this is sane thinking but it's how my min works something. After going through my stash I realised I needed to grow up and get over this hoarding, so out it came again to grace my cheeks. Marine Life really is pretty. It's now my go to summer blush, a bright candy redish pink, while also being slightly coral. It's fun and a little in your face. This many not look like everyone's cup of tea in the pan, but it blends into a really wearable flush. There are dupes out there of this, I not saying pay through the nose for this on ebay, but if you've got this sitting in you hoard please pull it out.

Lush BubbleGum Lip Scrub
Bought It, used it twice, didn't see the point, chucked it in the back of my bathroom. Remember when these little guys came out and everyone brought and loved 'em? Yeah, I brought into the hype. When I got it home I just wasn't that impressed with it. I'm not sure what I was about it, maybe it didn't live up the hype surround it? While reorganizing my bathroom I came across this and though 'meh, give it a go' And so I did. Whihtout that hype around this I wasn't expecting mircales or anything so maybe that why I enjoy using it, now. It's bright pink and smells exactly like bubblegum, which is a sickly plus. I found my lips a little dry recently, and with it coming to summer it's time to pull those

MAC Woodwink Eyeshadow
Sitting in my 'Neutrals' palette this shadow tends to get over looked, I don't know, something about the colour in the pan  just didn't really appeal to me. It just looked a bit blah, and I tended to pick Mulch by MAC of this. However I saw Alix using this in her older makeup tutorial and it looked really lovely on her, so I gave it a go. I can't stay it's anything magic, and undupeable, but it is very pigmented. It blends from a golden brown into a soft slight warm brown. It blend incredibly easily while staying pigmented. I've read that I does wonders for brown eyes, but I have light blue eyes and I found it really made them pop! I've been using this either in the crease with a matte cream on the lid or an all over lid colour blended out on its own.

MAC By Candlelight  Mineralize Skin Finish 
This was another product that I brought during the 'MAC attack' phase. I used this a lot when I first got it like crazy. But then I hit a really back skin patch and I felt like this just emphasized every little flaw on my skin, so it got stuffed in the back of my draw. I accumulated a fair few other highlighter between now and then, so never really picked this back up again. I feel like I've been missing out. Leaving the perfect highlight on the top of the cheek bones and bridge of the nose this has fast become one of my most used products. I use this on my face most day and I found it works wonderfully on collar bones and all down the arms when I brushed this on for a wedding look. It's got chunks of glitter that really catch the light, but these wear down after awhile. But you are then left with the finely milled shimmer that just look amazing. This dose lean slightly on the darker side, so very fair skinned people would probably get away with using this as a blush. If you have this sitting in your collection dig it out, you wont be disappointed.

Sleek Powder Peach Perfection Pout Polish
I pulled this out from within my collection of a million and one lip balms and it has made it's way into my everyday routine. I find it incredibly moisturizing, staying on my lips for a few hours without that horrible stickiness. This works either on it's own, or what I've doing is applying this over a bright lipstick for a more toned down daytime look, I'm not quite readying for Candy Yum Yum and Show Orchid just yet!


If your makeup bag is feeling a little lack luster, delve into your stash and pull out some oldies but goodies. 

Labels: beauty, shopping the stash

 


To sum my week in one child word; poop. Yes, poop. It's been a combination of either feeling ill or very tired regardless of the amount of sleep I've been able to get. Now, I'm not sure if its the shock of being back at work after two weeks off, or if I've got some underlying lurgy going on. I'm hoping it's the first and I'm just being a bit of a drama queen and will get into the swing of thing again soon.

On a lighter ramble the week ended on a much better note than the rest of the week. I got up around midday trundled down stairs had a cuppa then Ian suggested a Sunday Lunch out someone where, Oh yesh. I was on that like a tramp on chips. So the hair went up in a top note and I slapped on the Origins VitaZing and of we went to our local Pub. It was nice to actually to able to sit out in the evening sun and enjoy a meal, it feels like so long ago since you were able to do that.
It's amazing how only a few hours can turn a back week on it's head.

So, I'm now going to go back to editing the photos from out best friends wedding last weekend,
as seen above!


Watching
To lighten my mood I've had Pitch Perfect on constant loop. It's my favorite movie of the moment, it's a perfect pick me up move. I love Anna Kendrick, come one, this tweet from her swayed me. It also introduced me to the wonders of Rebael Wilson; hilarious and Skylar Astin;Yum. The soundtrack to this has been in my car for a good few months and I just love singing my heart out to this on those horrible drives to work in the morning. Honestly, see this movie.

Reading
I'm sure most of you will have heard about the Steubenville Rape case and trial (if you have not, please read up on this. It makes for some uncomfortable reading, but it's worth it) The whole debacle surround this case made me mad as hell, and even now it makes me sick. Anyway, one of my favorite blogs, The F Word takes a look at how this case isn't the only one of it's kind, and is, sadly a growing phenomenon.

Lustin'
Since watching Lilys The Glow Factor video I've been adding dewy finish related product to my basket left, right and center. I've always been a bit of no frills skin kinda' girl, I like matte skin. The horror. But Lily always looks to healthy and wonderful on her blog and youtube channel. So I'm hoping by taking her advice I may to look healthy and wonderful! Two products that I've now got my eye on are; The Topshop highlighter in Glow and The Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow.

Labels: misc, sunday edit

I really don't want to start this post of by saying 'Can you really beleieve it April already?! March flew buy!' Oh, wait, I guess I just did. That maybe why I'm a little late on getting this up, I had no idea the month had ended. You'd think I would have got used to the passing of time by now.
Since January I've been trying to use up products in my hoard, as my Makeup Collection is getting out of hand.  When you have your entire spare room dedicated to Make-up while your boyfriend enquirers every now and then if there is any free draw space in 'My room'. So, long story short, I haven't been excited about any new product but I still manged to find some gems with 'shoppin' my stash'.

Alpha-H Absolute Eye Complex
I brought this after seeing Vivianna rave about it here. I had previously been using a Botanics Hydrating Eye Cream, but it just wasn't cutting it for me. I have quite a dry area and while using the Botanics eye cream there was no marked difference. However when using using this product I could tell the difference almost immediately. It feel wonderfully cooling/soothing when first applied and has been making a real impact on those dry patches.

Korres Pomegranate Tonic Lotion
Korres was always a brand I was interested in but never really got around to trying, apart from their lip butters, which I also love. Anyway, I picked this 'tonic' up when I was in TK Maxx for around the £7 mark, bargain. I was a little worried when I saw the dark purple liquid, but it doesn't show when I pour it onto a cotton pad. The reason I love this so much it partly the smell, it's delicious but it control my oily tea zone throughout the day perfectly. Removing the oil without drying out my skin and leaving it super soft. I will most definitely re-purchase this at full price in the future.

Orgins VitaZing
Remember when this was the big thing in the beauty world and everyone and their Mums were raging about it? Yeah me too, I brought and went through 3 of these, This was my forth. I used this religiously for around a year and a half. Then for some reason I just stopped using it, I don't remember why. The other day I found this in the back of my skin care draw and I was looking a little pale so smoothed this on. It reminded me immediately why I loved this and now for the life of me I can't understand why I stopped using this! I love the smell and it's the perfect base for my make-up. The slight coverage it gives me lets me use a lot less foundation and/or concealer. Shopping my stash is playing off.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Emerveille
I'll use the words my friend used when she first got this 'it's like applying liquid gold on your eyelids!' She's right. This sat in the draw for months without being touched, 'It's just to pretty' I would squeal every time my boyfriend asked about it predestine condition. But one day on a whim I just stuck a brush in there. After the initial shock, I swept this across my lids and there a love affair started. It's perfect on its own, or as a base, or a highlight. It's just perrrrfect.

Clinique High Impact Mascara
The sample of this in Glamour did it's job, I used it, loved it, so went out a brought it. Normally with sample I either toss them out immediately or I use them up and never think of the product again. But this one was different, it was everything I'd be looking for in a mascara. It's the blackest black mascara I've ever used. And Building volume perfectly. It's been my good to mascara all this month.

Labels: beauty, monthly favourites

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Labels: Tumblin' Thursday

1. Caudalie Beauty Elixir £11 | 2. Cane & Austin Retexturizing Pads £24 | 3. Nude Progenius £58 | 4. Origins High Potenct Night-a-Mins £33 | 5. Dr Jart+ Most Moist Water-Up Serum £20 | 6. Philosophy Microdelivery Peel £59

For the most part during my beauty obsessed life I only cared about make-up. However since delving slightly deeper than the Miss Sporty display in Superdrug I've gained a love for the plethora of serum, masks and treatments that now fill my draws. Dispitue my overflowing draws I'm always looking for more to add. Here are a few I'd love to add to my hoard.


I doubt this product needs any background, but up first is Caudalies Beauty Elixir. I'll put this in my shopping basket and then take it out again, I've yet to commit to the purchase. Something always nigels at the back of my mind saying it's just hyped up water in a nice glass bottle. Yet, alas, here it is on my wish list.

Number two is a tried as tested want. I got a sample of these, Retexturzing Pads from Space.NK a week or so ago, and really liked them! The lady on the counter said these had the highest level of Glycolic acid (10%) in a skincare product. Now, I don't know if this is true, but it certainly sold me on the product. Since using Alpha H Liquid Gold and the Glycolic Mask from REN I'm kinda addicted to Glycolic acid. The acid has improved the feel and look of my skin significantly. And these little pads made a startling difference simply overnight. They aren't bank breaking at £25 for 24 pads, so next time I accidentally stumble into Space.NK I'll be grabbing a tube of these.

I'm putting the blame for this lust solely on Kate. She has raved about this so often its snuck it's way into my subconscious. I don't currently has a night time serum and with my skin being alright' at the moment I wasn't sure I need one, but I do, I really do. At £58 though I'm going to see if I can snag a sample next time I'm in Space.NK. I don't want to fork out £58 for something that doesn't work for me. So this me lusting for a sample of the Nude Progenius.

This is another hyped up product, Origins Night-a-Mins- heard of it?! And I've been after it for awhile. I made an order on Origins and honestly just forgot to put this in my basket. And sadly the Origins counter near me have been out for the week. And now I really want it! I've been nighttime miosterierless(?!) for a few months now, I ran out of my previous L'Oreal one. It was nothing special and I just didn't bother to buy another one. Now I'm thinking it's about time to bring a new one into my life as my skin has been a little dryer in the morning

I've heard a lot about the Dr Jart+ Water Sleeping Mask, all good, but I have the Origins Drink Up Mask which I'm more than happy with. However when I was browsing the Boots site I found the new Most Moist Water-Up Serum. It works on the same principle as the Sleep Mask but in a intense serum. Now, with me being a bit of a sucker for a good old serum I've been religiously check my local Boots for this, but alas nothing yet. I'll be nipping into town on a un-beauty related note tomorrow, but I may have to take a slight detour.

There's something intriguing about a product that I don't quite understand, with a long winded name.  Philosophy is a brand I've always been interested in, but the price for a shower gel has always put me of slightly. One of my holy grails is The Present Clear Primer so I'm interested in trying some more of their skin care range. I've heard a lot about this In-Home Peel Kit from quite a few US bloggers, less about it over here. I doubt I'll ever buy this, but it's always something I go back to lusting after.

Are there any skin care products you've you after? Any new release I should check out?

Labels: beauty, skincare lust

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Labels: Tumblin' Thursday

1. Lightwash Jeans £35 | 2. Blue Floral Tank  £12.99 | 3. Slingback Shoes £24 | 4. Love Bullet Necklace £18 | 5. Stack Rings £6.99

1. Pleat shirt £35 | 2. Boyfriend Shorts £19.99 | 3. Cat Eye Sunglasses £25 | 4. Chunky Necklace £12 | 5. Cutout Wedges £60

1. Wrap Front Dress £40 | 2. Statement Necklace £16 | 3. Knitted Cardi £55 | 4. Metal Toe Slipper £25 | 5. Winged Clutch £12.99

Here in England this post may be wishful thinking (I'm currently looking at a slight flurry of snow) but I wanted to use it as a pick me up! Don't get me wrong, I love Fall/Winter and layer up, but enough with this ice cold wind.
This is just something I put together to give me some ideas for Spring/Summer outfits. We will see if I pick some of these bits up over the next couple of months. I've been lusting after these metal toe slipper shoes since seen Lilly wearing them in a number of outfits.

Are you lusting after the summer feeling? 

Labels: ASOS, New Look, Outfit Ideas, River Island, Topshop

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