Wednesday 24 June 2015

What I'm Currently Loving








It's a bit of a mixed one this month. Two lovely smellng things, and one fairly potent smelling one.

This Bath and Bodyworks candle in Market peach has a very sweet, but still pleasant smell. I never really burn candles in my bedroom because I'm slightly paranoid about forgetting it's there and burning the house down, so instead it just sits on my bookcase and remember about it
from time to time and smell it.



This Jack Wills body spray, whch I got in a set of three for my birthday also has a nice scent- a fairly fake sweet floral one but pleasant nonetheless.



 I've also been using the avon nail corrector regularly recently. It has a small nib which is coated in nail polish remover, meaning you can remove any polish from around your nails easily. I'm very messy when I paint my nails, preferring the approach which involves putting the brush vaguely near my nails and hoping for the best. This comes in very handy.






 Helen x

Thursday 4 June 2015

8 things I want to do this Summer


It was my last AS exam today, and I am now officially free for the summer! Actually, I'm not: I have to go back into college on the 8th for 'A2 fortnight' It's such a pain, I only have 4 days free before I'm back again. Oh the joys.
To cheer myself up, I thought I'd come up with a list of all the things (big and small) I want to do this summer.

1) Get a job
Ok, maybe not the most fun thing in the world, but I'd really like to find a part time job. I'd like to have a bit more cash, so I can do all the rest of the things on my list! I've applied for a couple, so fingers crossed!

2) Travel
Generic one, but something I'd like to do all the same. I'm going on a family holiday to Sweden, which I'm super excited about-I can't wait for the pretty lakes and cabins and forests and IKEA! I'd like to do some travelling on a smaller scale too though-day trips with friends to cities nearby on the train.



3) Read
I love reading, but it's taken a back seat during exam period (unless sociology revision guides count) and I've got a stack of books I'd like to get stuck into.



4) Exercise 
I've recently got back into running, but again, I haven't been out as much as I'd like due to revision. Although I enjoy it I've just been too tired to go on a regular basis. So I'd like to start going more and building up my fitness, especially as I'm considering joining my college running club next year and I don't want to get left behind! As well as running, I want to get back the exercise videos I enjoy doing (most are from fitness blender) just to get a bit fitter.

5) Blog
Definitely on my to-do list (it's been sitting there patiently for a while). I want to devote more time to writing posts, but also trying to improve my blog layout. If I say it enough, I'll do it. Probably.

6) Socialise 
I love all my friends a lot, but don't see them nearly as much as I'd like to. Three of my close friends live in the same town as me, but the others live in villages which involves a lot of lifts from parents for us all to meet up, but hopefully we can organise ourselves into lots of coffee dates, shopping trips, picnics by the river and walks. Looking forward to it lots.

7) Cook and Bake
My mums a really good cook, and is always creating lovely healthy meals for us all, as well as lots of cakes, so there's never been any huge incentive to learn to cook! I can cook, and used to make tea once a week with my sister which we all enjoyed, but it sort of stopped for no particular reason. I'd like to start making some more (simple) meals and sweet treats, because nothing tastes better than something you've made yourself. Actually, that's a lie. The brownie from the Bakery in town tastes better than anything I could ever whip up. You get the gist though.





8) Knit
My mum taught me to knit a while ago and I'm terrible at it. I always get myself all mixed up and drop stitches and have to get her to fix it all for me. The blanket I'm working on for some miniature human is wonky and messy, but I'm quite proud of it. I'd like to pick it back up again, because when it goes right it's very calming to do in front of the TV. Maybe I'll even have finished the blanket by the time I'm I'm 92, who knows!



Friday 22 May 2015

My New Favourite Blush

My makeup collection definitely isn't huge, by anyone's standards, but the thing I own most of is blush. I don't know why, there's just something so pretty about it that draws me to it, and I think it makes such a difference to a tired face (which mine always seems to be). This Max Factor Creme Puff Blush is the most recent addition to my collection and I'm loving it. They have a baked formula, similar to that of the Hourglass ones. I like the compact packaging, and I can imagine that it'll be a while before I hit the pan, as a little goes a long way.





I have it in the shade Lavish Mauve, a lovely dusty pink which would work well on fair to medium skin to give a good subtle colour.




 Helen x

Monday 18 May 2015

Belated Birthday Presents

Despite it being my birthday about a month ago, I only got my presents from some of my friends recently (and have yet to receive them from others). This normally happens most years since we're pretty forgetful as a group, but this year it was an even longer delay because I don't go to the same school as most of them any more and so don't see them as much (sad face). Its actually really good in a way though because it just means my birthday extends over several weeks-or months, since a couple of them still haven't given it to me.

Anyway, one of my recent belated birthday presents was a lip butter from Korres. Korres is a Greek brand, with their products based on homeopathic practices and herbal, natural ingredients. The lip butter contains Shea butter and Rice wax, which means its really nourishing. I tend to find with  lot of tinted balms that I have to apply balm underneath as they  dry out my lips, but this one is very hydrating.







I have it in the shade Quince-I love their names for colours, with this product also available in Pomegranate, Guava, Jasmine and Wild Rose. Wild Rose looks particularly lovely-a deep red. Quince is a medium rosy pink, and just gives a nice sheer wash of colour. I don't really like wearing colour on my lips, so this is perfect.

What's your favourite lip product?

Helen x

Saturday 2 May 2015

Missing in Action: Exam Season (plus ponderings)

Great title I've got going there-nice and catchy. 

Lately, you may have noticed my absence from the blogging world * Sadly, we've come round to that time of the year again-exams. Oh how I've missed them. I'm doing my AS levels at the moment, and they are hard. GCSEs aren't easy, and they certainly didn't feel it at the time, but they are so much better than A-levels. I take Politics, Sociology, Geography and English Language, and sometimes it feels like if I just took politics I'd still have revision coming out of my ears. 
Anyway, what I am trying to say is that there will continue to be less posts from me for a little while, although I'll try and fit it in when I can.


*On a side note, I'm not really sure anyone will have, if I'm honest with myself. I'm a pretty bad blogger. I tend to skim read all those 'how to increase your audience in 67 quick and easy steps' and don't do any thing they tell me. So I'd guess I've got a pretty small audience. I really enjoy blogging though, so I am (honestly) going to try to dedicate more time to it and then maybe this little corner of the internet will expand. Even if it doesn't I'm going to carry on, because it's fun. 
There, that's the pointless rambling finished. 

Thursday 16 April 2015

New Purchase: Eye Shadow Stick



For my birthday I asked my sister for an eyeshadow stick, having heard lots of good things about them. She chose the Bourjois Colorband 2 in 1 Eyeshadow and Liner in the shade 04 Rose Fauviste. There's five shades currently availible, which I'd quite like to try some more of. Rose Fauviste is a pink, shimmery colour.




I really like the idea of this product-a crayon like eye colour to use as liner (which I haven't tried, though I imagine the darker shades would work well) or as an all over the lid colour. It blends really easily to give a nice wash of colour which can easily be built up. it is quite shimmery however, or at least this shade is, so if you're after something more matte perhaps steer clear. Whilst it looks like a fairly pigmented colour when swatching, it isn't as intense on the eyes. I quite like this as it makes it more subtle, but it's definitely not on a par pigment wise with my other fave  'slap some on blend it with your finger and you're good to go' eyeshadows, the Maybelline Colour Tattoos.




All in all, a nice product and a good introduction to shadow sticks. 

Any shadow sticks I should try?

Helen x

Monday 6 April 2015

How I tame my eyebrows

Along with my abnormally curled over toes, I got my dads share of the genes when it comes to eyebrows. They're fairly unruly and would grow half way up my forehead if I let them! I've had them waxed professionally a few times, but then I discovered the eyelure waxing strips. They were really good but I now can't find them anywhere, and so last time I was in Boots I picked up these Eyebrow Shapers instead. It contains 4 sleeves, with various pre-cut wax strips. There's some that fit underneath your brow, some for above, and some straight strips in different lengths for between your brows.

They're very easy to use: simply make sure the area is clean, removing any makeup and moisturiser. Then select the strip, and position it. Make sure its firmly rubbed on and then pull it off, in the opposite direction to the growth of hair.

I tidy any stray hairs underneath my brow with tweezers, and so just used these above. The first time I tried I don't think the strip was pressed into my skin enough-if that makes sense-and so I had to try again, which worked better but did make the skin a bit red and irritated, though this calmed down quite quickly.

My only criticism is that its very hard to actually separate the strips in order to remove one from the sleeve, due to the way they're designed. Other than that though, they're not bad, managing to make even my eyebrows look presentable. Thanks again dad. 


How do you keep your eyebrows in shape?

Helen x

Tuesday 31 March 2015

March Favourites

Its actually slightly scary its almost April. That means Christmas was over 3 months ago. What?! Although it did snow on Friday, which I found strangely comforting, as though the weather was still clinging desperately onto Winter too. I do love Spring (it means it's almost my birthday for one thing) but sadly it also means exam season is fast approaching. Anyway, onto my favourites for this month, with a little bit of everything.

First up is this pot of Coconut oil from Superdrug. I simply scrape a little bit out, and rub it between my hands until it melts. I use this everyday in the ends of my hair and it makes it really soft. it can also be used as a air mask, which I'm planning to try out this evening, and all over your body as a softener. Not too sure about that one, I think you'd just end up very greasy!



I've also been really loving this Treatment gel from Elemis' Clear Skin range. It's a targeted spot gel, and it makes a very visible difference to my skin. I put it on in the evening and when I wake up the spot is a lot less red. After a couple of days the spot is a lot smaller and has dried out (gross, I know). by far the best spot gel I've tried.



This is the Wake Me Up concealer from Rimmel. I have it in the shade Ivory, which is slightly lighter than my skin tone so it works really well as a highlighter. It's very blend-able and brightens the under eye area nicely.


Helen x

Sunday 29 March 2015

La Roche Posay Efficlar Duo Review

It seems as though every blogger has been talking about the Effaclar Duo range, so I thought I'd throw my opinion into the mix. My sister actually bought this for herself but it didn't suit her skin type as her skin was going through a very dry and this is suited for oily skin. My skin was going through a pretty bad stage with lots of spots and so I thought I'd give it a go as it's had so many rave reviews.



The set costs £32.50 from Boots, and consists of the Purifying Foaming Gel, Clarifying Toner and Corrective Unclogging Ant-imperfection cream. The foaming gel is soap free, and is designed to 'reduce excess sebum and leave skin feeling clean and fresh'. To use this I got my hands wet, squeezed out a small amount (you don't need much) and worked it into a lather before massaging it all over my face. I like using foaming cleansers because they make my face feel so much cleaner. although I have heard that foaming cleansers are actually bad for your skin-something to do with turning it alkaline? This says its pH is 5.5, which is on the acidic end of the scale (from what I can remember of my chemistry lessons) so I think that means its fine. Let me know if you have a better understanding of all of this and can explain it.

I  like the toner-it smells good and dos leave my face feeling tighter, but not stripped of moisture like some toners do. This is also non-comedogenic. Comedogenic means something that will block pores, potentially causing blackheads. All sounds good to me. I  suffer from blackheads on my nose and whilst using this did notice that they reduced. I think the cream is my favourite part of the set though. I used this all over my face in replacement of my moisturiser. I think the US version has slightly different ingredients however and is more potent so if you're in America just use it more as a targeted spot treatment. This calmed angry red spots and also worked well under my makeup.

I used these three products solely for around  2 and a half months. Did I see an improvement in my skin? Well, it's quite hard to say because I think the reason my skin was so bad was hormonal, so as soon as that time passed it cleared up anyway. That being said, I do think this helped. I had lots of horrible big under the skin spots, a few of which came to the surface and looked even worse and using the Effaclar Duo dried them up well. It also claims to fade marks, and I'd say this is what I was most impressed by. Big red marks healed well and within a couple of days had faded lots and weren't nearly as noticeable. However, I don't think it prevented new spots from forming, and so I've now changed my skin care routine a little, which I'll do a post on soon.


Has anyone else tried these products? What did you think?

Helen x

Sunday 22 March 2015

Moisturiser for lazy people (me)

Okay, confession time. I am so lazy when it comes to moisturising. Like, really bad. Before Christmas  my arms had got to the scaly stage and were just so itchy, so my sister gave me a not so subtle hint in the shape of some Scottish Soap Company body lotion. It smells lovely and I did use it religiously every night (promise) for a while but, like I said, I'm lazy and also forgetful so after a while just used it every couple of nights. Then just when I remembered. Which wasn't often. Yes, I know this is bad. After all, it only takes a couple of minutes to slather some lotion on and wait for it to dry. But (add to the list) I'm impatient too and just wanted to put my pjs on and go to bed. So my arms and legs reverted to the horrible scaly look.

Then my mum (again, a not so subtle hint) bought me this. It's the Vaseline spray and go body moisturiser and is, quite frankly, genius. It works in the same way as a spray on sun lotion, but without the horrible greasy feel afterwards. Just spray on, rub in and wait a few seconds for it to sink in, and you're ready to go. Brilliant. I actually enjoy using it, perhaps just due to the novelty factor and so I've been using it morning and night. Is this a new me? My arms are certainly hoping so.

(It's also reduced at Boots at the moment-even better. No excuses!)



Is anyone else lazy when it comes to beauty? 

Helen x

Wednesday 11 March 2015

Weekend away: London

I spent all of Friday wishing my lessons at sixth form would go quicker, because after my last lesson my mum and I caught the train down to London. I've been a handful of times, and recently went with my politics class in January but was very excited to be going back. We met my sister off her train from Bristol and made our way to out hotel. We stayed in the Travel Lodge at Covent Garden which was great as there was a tube station 5 minutes away and was very central.

We did a lot of walking around, going for breakfast and then exploring Covent Gardens on Saturday morning, which was really nice because we got there for before the rest of London had woken up so it was very quiet. Then we walked to Trafalgar square and marvelled at the street performers (how do they manage to levitate with nothing to support them?!) before going to St James Park for lunch as it was warm enough to eat outside. It felt like summer. After a spot of sun bathing we headed down The Mall to Buckingham Palace. By this point we were a bit weary so went to the Tate for tea and scones and a much needed sit down. The evening involved just as much walking (my feet were aching by this point) as we went to Leicester Square to pick up cinema tickets and then to find some tea-we went to GBK which was lovely as always. We then went to the cinema before catching a very busy tube back to the hotel and collapsing exhausted.













Sunday was more relaxed-we went to the British Museum and got lunch before going to Hyde park and then getting our trains home. I love London because its so different to where I live, which is a small rural town. There's so many people and so much going on, yet some areas are still quiet and don't feel like a capital city. The architecture is also beautiful, with so many lovely old buildings. I find it very tiring though and am always pleased to go home. Hopefully we'll be going back soon!








Helen x

Thursday 5 March 2015

Recent Purchase: Nail Polish

I've never tried a Jessica polish before, so I was very happy when my mum brought this one home after a TK Maxx shop. She proudly told me it was only £2, which I think is pretty impressive!
Its a completely different colour in the bottle to on the nails; its basically a clear polish with a slight shimmer to it when you put a couple of coats on. Its very subtle, but just looks a little more interesting than clear nails.



My friend actually bought me this but I'd been eyeing it up for a while. Its a Topshop one- I think its in the shade Float. Its a pretty pale pink to add to my ever expanding pink polish collection, (although I never think of myself as a pink person). I like Topshop polishes because you only need about 2 coats to build a really nice even colour. This is one of the mini polishes which I also love because the consistency of the polish tends to go gloopy before I actually use it all up. 




Helen x 



Sunday 1 March 2015

Books Of The Month



This month I've been enjoying reading an old favourite The Careful use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith, the fourth book in the Sunday Philosophy Club series. I love McCall Smith's writing; its so thoughtful and funny, and extremely life like. You can imagine bumping into his characters on the street and a conversation occurring like those in the book. They feel like friends and so its a comforting read, great to snuggle up with. The series is centred around Isobel Dalhousie, a philosopher and her partner and young son. Its set in Edinburgh, a city I've always loved and these books make me love it even more.  You can buy it here.

Another book I couldn't put down is The Secret History by Donna Tart, which you can get here. Its the first Donna Tart book I've read but I'll be reading more now. The book is about a group of American College students, who become friends (though its a rather dysfunctional friendship) but it all starts to unravel and ends in them killing one of their friends (that's not a huge spoiler, don't worry-it tells you in the first sentence). Its very gripping, with so many twists and turns to keep you reading. Having said that, its very focused on Ancient Greek philosophy which is probably fascinating if that's your thing, but its not mine and I found myself getting a bit bored by it. Like yeah, we've got that point, now move on. Although the intricacies of the philosophy side was probably lost on me, I did find the general moral idea of the book interesting-we are almost persuaded to empathise with the murderers.
Another criticism: I didn't like any of the main characters. I don't really think you're meant to, but it often makes a book easier to read if you actually care about the people in it. In fact, I just found them all increasingly irritating. However, that didn't stop me reading it, as I wanted to find out whether they managed to find their brains and common sense and actually manage to get themselves out of the situations they found themselves in (they did-by killing him). That all sounds quite negative, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it-just prepare to be irritated by fictional characters.

Helen x

Wednesday 25 February 2015

What I'm Currently Loving


Belt

When I was younger, my sister and I would mark all the things we liked in the Mini Boden and Boden catalouges, just in case our parents were feeling generous. I marked this belt from Boden and was very happy to see it under the tree one year. I've had it for years now and its still in good condition. It looks great with black jeans, making an everyday outfit a bit more interesting.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo

I have this in 35-On and on bronze which as the name suggests is a sparkly bronze. It's so easy to apply-I just use my finger and wear it all over the lid. I've also been using it as a base colour recently, and it really helps shadows to stay put.

King Charles

Not, as my sister first thought, the monarch, but the Indie singer-songwriter. I've been playing his album LoveBlood on repeat for months and recently went to see him live in Newcastle which was pretty amazing. He's also just finished recording a new album which I'm very excited for!

Friday 20 February 2015

Eyelash Curlers

For a couple of years I used bright pink, plastic eyelash curlers. I was always terrified that if I held them on my eyelashes for too long I'd take them off to find half of my lashes had been chopped off, so I also used them only for a few seconds and as they were pretty awful, could never see any effects. Feeling it was about time I upgraded, I popped into TKMaxx, as they usually have some good beauty products at even better prices (Jessica nail polish for £3 anyone?) They didn't disappoint. I got these Danielle ones. They’re made of 24K gold, and certainly look fairly luxurious. They also come with two spare pads which is good, making them even better value. I simply pump them a few times and I get curled lashes that last all day, making even my short lashes look long.  Far better than the vivid pink ones!




Has anyone recently re-discovered lash curlers?
Any tips for getting curled lashes?

Helen x



Saturday 14 February 2015

Banish the Oil


I have oily skin and so need a primer when wearing foundation or BB cream, in order to keep it on my face, as it has a tendency to slide. Lovely.
 I bought this primer a while ago from The Body Shop but have recently re-discovered it at the bottom of my plant pot full of Skincare. Yup, I keep my skincare in a plant pot. It's a very prettily decorated one however-that makes it better right? It has a slightly odd consistency (the primer, not the pot) -it’s very gel like, and feels quite strange to apply. Unlike other primers which completely soak into the skin you can feel this almost like a film on your skin. That makes it sound very unappealing but I actually quite like how it feels.  I can’t really describe it, but hopefully you get my drift. I apply it all over my face, but apply a little more on my most oily areas-nose and forehead.





Helen x

Wednesday 11 February 2015

Soap and Glory Loving

I've always been a fan of Soap and Glory and am always drawn to their products whenever I go to Boots. Who can resist pretty pink packaging and their signature floral smell? Not me, certainly. I've grown my collection a little recently, thanks to friends and family who also understand the love. Here are some of my favourites. 



I keep the body scrub in the shower and use it daily. I get really dry skin in the Winter-especially on my elbows-and this has really helped to get rid of all the dead skin cells. I just squeeze a large pea shaped amount onto a shower puff and scrub away. It smells amazing and wakes me up in the mornings, to the extent I never want to get out of the shower. The foot scrub is also great for a really invigorating pedicure and perfect for making your toes smell of flowers and all things nice.

Next is this shower gel. It has a different scent to the rest as it's part of the ‘Orangeasm’ range. It has a really uplifting, refreshing smell, also perfect for waking you up.

The hand cream has long been a favourite of mine. It’s super moisturising but just smells so good I can’t help but slather it on at far too regular intervals.

Helen x

Saturday 7 February 2015

Snowy Snaps


I live in the North East, where there's been a bit of snow recently (yay). There wasn't much in the town where I live so a couple of weekends ago we ventured up the dale in search of more. We found lots, so I thought I'd share with you some wintery photos.









Helen x 

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