Reaching For The Stars... - make-up, hair, weight loss and everything in between!

Aussie more - a whole week worth!!

2012-02-16T18:25:00.000Z

Monday

Scruffy ponytail/bun thing for work

Tuesday

Centre parting and straightened ends!

Wednesday

Fringe pinned back

Thursday

Accessorised with the monkey hat again!

Friday

Getting it styled big and glam!

Saturday

Wavy ends :)

Sunday

Straight and sleek!

Which style is your favourite?
Thanks for reading! xo

The 'Grown Up' Series: Home Insurance!

2012-02-11T21:54:00.000Z

Hello you lot! I know its been an age but I’m finally back for installment numero deux (first installment here) of the ‘grown up’ series!

Are you excited? Yay me too!

So, you’ve found your beautiful, affordable new home. Now it’s time to think about what to do next!

My top priority was insurance. Fully comprehensive home insurance to be precise.

Insurance in any form is a bit of a mine-field which is why I decided to blog about it and try to clarify things for those of you who feel a bit overloaded with options and information.

First of all, are you shouting ‘but why on earth do i need home insurance?’ at your computer? Let me explain!

• Home insurance can cover you for everything from spilling something on your DVD player, to knocking your TV off the wall. You can also get cover for your home contents, DIY mishaps and day-to-day incidents such as knocking a glass of red wine all over your gorgeous cream carpet whilst completely sober...obviously.

• In the event of a break in – you’re covered (providing your house was properly secured etc) There is nothing better than peace of mind.

• Many providers offer a 24 hour emergency repair helpline. You may like to think ‘it’ll never happen to me’ but bad luck/accidents can happen and you can’t be absolutely sure that someone’s football won’t go through your window late at night in the summer months!

• Pipe damage/seasonal cover for the winter. Believe me when I say, paying to have burst frozen pipes fixed is very, very expensive. Without digging/doing something crazy – you can’t check the conditions of your pipes before you move in. Old pipes are riskier than newer ones and I’d highly recommend having some cover for them, especially as winters are getting worse in the UK (Have I ever mentioned I hate snow? That’s a story for another day...)

• Added bonuses like money towards alternative housing if you need to leave your home for any reason, no claims discounts and even protection against unauthorised use of your credit/debit cards!

Second, ‘How much will it cost me?!’
Home insurance is really affordable, obviously the price is different for everyone so you’d need to get a quote. Mine is no more than I would normally spend on Starbucks in a month...The real question is if you look around you right now, can you afford to replace your valuables should you (god forbid) get burgled? If the answer is no, then get home insurance and get it now. I think about it like car insurance, I would never, ever drive my car uninsured... so why would I live in a home that wasn’t insured? It’s such a small cost every month in comparison to the physical and mental cost of being burgled that there’s really no excuse for not insuring that gorgeous new home you just spent weeks/months searching for, hours viewing and inspecting, and days moving into and making it your own....

And last but not least ‘How do I go about doing this? What question do I need to ask? Oh my gosh my brain is exploding, help me!’

• Decide what company you want to get your insurance with and look into their cover in detail.

• Get a quote and ask lots of questions – ask if the quote REALLY is the best price they can offer you? Is there a way you can make it any cheaper? Does it cover accidental damage? HOW MUCH IS THE EXCESS? – this is a MAJOR question. It’s all good and well if your policy is affordable but if your excess is a huge sum, it’s probably not a great policy for you. Like I explained in my post on finding a home, please don’t be afraid to ask questions. The person is getting paid to do that job and they’ll be happy to answer even the silliest of questions! “what if my cat is sick on the carpet?” “are my fish insured?” “what if I accidentally set fire to the kitchen” etc ;)

• Keep. All. Of. Your. Paperwork. I cannot stress how important this is, if you want to be extra mega uber safe, photocopy the documents. In the unlikely and unfortunate event that you need to make a claim, you’ll need all of your paperwork, reference numbers and official policy documents. Pop all of it in a file and label it clearly as home insurance documents. DON’T put it in a safe place! We all know that safe places are the most easily forgotten places!

Hopefully this all makes sense and you’ve enjoyed reading it. I had tonnes of lovely emails and comments from you all about my last Grown Up Series post and over 10 of you told me you had bookmarked the post for future reference! This means so much to me because as much as I do this for myself, I also do it for you guys and your enjoyment is of paramount priority to me.

Happy insuring!

xoxo

Current Faves ♥

2012-02-05T20:06:00.000Z

Alright you lot?
It's a bit snowy out isn't it? Anyway, whilst I'm all snuggled up inside (in two pairs of leggings, two pairs of socks, two tops, and a cardigan!) I thought I'd tell you all about some of my favourite products at the moment :)

For Skin:

Colladeen Visage Tablets

These are a beauty supplement for the skin, and although lots of people are very sceptical about them... I'm enjoying taking this! I didn't have the lovely old 'hormonal break out' this month and my skin has definitely been looking a lot healthier... It might well be a placebo effect but I don't really care either way! I'm loving having good, healthy looking, radiant skin!

Manuka Doctor Skin Repairing Cream

This is intensely hydrating and fills your skin with nutrients, thus helping to balance and repair your skin. This along with the tablets mentioned above appear to be my perfect combination for fabulous skin! This is genuinely amazing and at £25, it's also really affordable. I've been using the skin treatment serum as well and I love that just as much! Manuka offers an amazing, affordable and most of all extremely effective range of products, I'd strongly recommend you check them out ♥

Evolve Organic Beauty Body Cream

Hydrating, smoothing, relaxing, heaven in a bottle. You can find Evolve products here. If you haven't tried them yet, you're missing out!

Colour Couture BB Cream

You can find this here. It's the best BB cream I've tried so far and it's only a fiver. There's no reason why you shouldn't try it!

For Hair:

Macademia deep repair masque and healing oil treatment. MOVE OVER MOROCCAN OIL. This stuff is uh-may-zing! I leave the mask on for about 10 minutes in the bath then use a teeny bit of the oil before blow drying. My hair has never been smoother or more shiny. You can buy the oil treatment here for £10 (BARGAIN) and the mask here for £16.35.

NutriHair for Women - another supplement I've started taking and I'm sure my hair is growing faster! haha! I know people are really sceptical about this kind of stuff but I think as long as you take it properly and as per instructions, it generally will have an effect of some kind!

For the Shower:

Soap and glory foaming face wash - I love how this makes my skin feel all tingly and cool and clean and lovely. :)

I Love... Juiced Up Blackcurrant shower gel - I know this has been featured on a lot of blogs lately but MY GOOD GOD it's like washing yourself in Ribena/Blackcurrant soothers and I absolutely flippin' love it!!!

Soap and glory pulp friction body scrub - I'm not sure what it is that has made this my all time Holy Grail body scrub! Perhaps it's the non-oily-ness, or the smell, or the fact it foams up, or the way it gently but effectively sloughs off every last trace of dead skin... either way it's amazing and i'll re-purchase again and again.

For Smelling Amazing:

Prada Candy. There aren't even any words. New signature scent. 100% love. ♥.

Thanks for reading! What are your current favourites?

xo

Into triple (oops! quadruple!) figures!

2012-02-04T19:31:00.000Z

Bonjour bloggeroonies!

I've just switched on my laptop and noticed my blog has hit 1,000 followers (you wait, someone will unfollow me now!).
I am absolutely flabbergasted, I've been approaching 1,000 for a really long time but just never thought it would actually happen. The fact that a thousand of you like this little chunk of the internet so much that you 'follow' it just overwhelms me and fills me with joy and happiness.
It's been a long journey and definitely has it's up and downs (at the moment my blogpress app won't work on my iPhone so I can't post all of my Aussie More photos!) but I think I've finally settled into a routine with blogging where I don't feel stressed of pressured, and I write about what I want, when I want to.
I'm super lucky to be offered a few free products/samples every now and then and thats wonderful because it's a little perk, but I don't feel like it's a 'job' you know? I love reading your opinion and comments and it really does mean so much to me that you're all 'here' :)
I've got so many posts and fun giveaways and competitions lined up, I just need my laptop and iPhone to start working properly!
I hope you're all keeping safe and warm in the snow, I'll be posting again really soon once I've got my head around this 'your network is not ready for posting' blogpress issue on my phone. Is anyone else having this problem or have you had this problem before? can anyone help me fix it?
Once again, thank you all so, so much! Huge love to y'all!
xoxo

17 foundation giveaway winners!

2012-01-29T19:26:00.001Z

Bonjour you fabulous bunch!

I've been so unbelievably busy with work and home stuff and exercising (I've taken up yoga and I'm stepping it up big time with my running and resistance/strength training) that my schedule is just rammed! This is the first time I've switched my laptop on all week! It would appear that dedicating my life to fitness and not worrying about the number on the scales is rather time consuming...

Anyway lets get down to it! I'm going to announce the winners of my 17 giveaway :)

So, the winner of the Adapt-itude foundation is...

...Terri!!

The winner of the Photo Flawless foundation in 'Soft Ivory' is...

...Rachel!!

And the winner of the Photo Flawless foundation in 'Natural' is...

...Blue October!!

Congratulations ladies! If you could all email me your postal addresses, I'll get the goodies sent out to you!

xo

GIVEAWAY! Free Spa Treatment (or two!) ♥

2012-01-25T18:46:00.003Z

Hi everyone!

As I'm nearing 1,000 followers now (holy macaroni!) I thought it would be nice to host a giveaway for you all!

Absolutely everyone deserves a little treat every now and then, and how better to treat yourself than to some seeeerious TLC at a Spa :)

So....
I am giving away a £50 Spa Voucher (Courtesy of Wahanda) for one winner to use on any spa treatment available on Wahanda Spa Days!!!

All you have to do to win is go to the Wahanda Spa Days page... have a browse, and tell me which treatment you would book with your voucher and why! It really is that easy :)

I will then choose a winner at random (with random.org) and email them with the details of their £50 spa treatment voucher! Amazing right?

Don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you!
The giveaway will end next Wednesday the 1st February at Midnight UK time so you have a week to enter!

Happy entering and good luck!
xo

Battle of the eyelash curlers! ♥

2012-01-22T12:51:00.001Z

Bonjour Bloggettes!

Today I've decided to write about something I think is a bit overlooked by the beauty community - eyelash curlers. Sure, we all use them every day and we'd probably feel a bit lost without them but when was the last time you really looked at yours or considered which were best for you?

I got two of the 'best' pairs on the market and thought I'd compare them for you :)

First up, the classic, world famous, even-mentioned-on-the-devil-wears-prada Shu Uemura eyelash curlers.

These retail at £20 and there's a reason they're so famous... they're amazing! They give my eyes a fabulous full flutter and spread my eyelashes out beautifully meaning minimal mascara-wand-wiggling-and-smooshing is required to get a feline flutter!

The actual curler is quite curved so you have to be careful about how you place it on your eye to ensure all of your inner and outer corner lashes are gripped... this has some pro's though because it means the curlers will fit all eye types and shapes :)

Next, the Shiseido eyelash curlers...

These retail at £17.50 and I actually prefer them to the Shu curlers because they're slightly less curved, meaning you have to concentrate less on the placement of the curler over the eye, and can use them a lot quicker! It also means the lashes on the outer corners of my eyes don't get left out (meaning I have to go back and curl again)!

These spread my lashes out really well and curl them just enough for them to be gorgeous and feminine (I can't stand the over curled poking-straight-up look some girls seem to enjoy so much!).

Next time you use your eyelash curlers take a proper look at the shape and curve of them... if you have flatter eyes then you may need to invest in a shiseido pair, and if your eyes are quite round then Shu are the ones for you!

xo

Aussie more - Wash 10!

2012-01-21T22:07:00.001Z

I only went and bloody graduated with First Class Honours didn't I!

xo

17 Cosmetics Giveaway! ♥

2012-01-14T11:28:00.000Z

Hello m'lovelies!

It's a quick and easy one today, I'm giving away 3 brand new 17 foundations because they aren't the right colour for me! I won them in a 17 twitter competition so obviously can't sell them on (I know some bloggers think it's ok to sell freebies/PR samples but I'm not down with that!)

so here goes!

Adapt-itude Skin Match Foundation in 'Fair'

Photo Flawless Foundation in 'Soft Ivory'

Photo Flawless Foundation in 'Natural'

Now, the rules are simple...

1. Follow my blog!
2. Leave a comment stating which foundation you would like to win, your name and your email address. there will be 3 winners!

As is standard practice these days I'll pick the winners on random.org!

If you're feeling nice you can Tweet about this giveaway but I can't stand it when I see giveaways that expect you to do about a thousand things to enter. I just appreciate the fact you follow and read my blog, I don't want anything else from you! ♥

Happy entering and Good Luck everyone!
xo

ooh so you read all the way to the bottom before you commented and you read the post properly? Well done! for an extra entry, tell me what your favourite foundation is in the comment ;) this is more to see who takes the time to actually read the stuff I write instead of just "ooh a freebie! enter me please!" cheeky eh?

Aussie more - wash 9!

2012-01-13T18:30:00.000Z

trying out a sort-of-centre-parting for the first time!

i ended up quite liking it, what do you think?

xo

Learn to snowboard in a day? Ok then! ♥

2012-01-09T22:34:00.000Z

Hey everyone!
So, for Christmas Stew bought me snowboarding lessons! (amongst a bunch of other amazing things)

On Saturday morning we got up bright and early, packed our kit and drove to the Tamworth SnowDome.

The long and short of it is that I fell over, a lot, I hurt myself, a lot, and I made a fool of myself, a lot. But we both loved every second of it, naturally Stew picked it up straight away (what a git!) but I found it a lot more difficult to make my body do what my brain knew it had to do...

By the end of the day I could pretty much get down the slope on my own though, and could sort of turn my board around and stop when I needed to so I was happy with my progress :)

I've stuck a couple of snaps into this post but obviously we didn't take our phones or anything onto the slopes so sorry they're a bit rubbish!

Can you snowboard? I honestly think it's going to be my new hobby so expect to see a few posts about it here and there from now on! I'm already looking for a cute board and my own boots and bindings because in all honesty the hire equipment isn't particularly comfortable...

so there we go! there's another skill to add to my list :)
I ache so much though!

xo

Aussie more - wash eight ♥

2012-01-08T20:19:00.001Z

Straight, sleek, and accessorised with a monkey hat!

xo

Aussie more - wash7!

2012-01-07T00:08:00.001Z

Beachy waves :)I'm learning to snowboard tomorrow! More on that later :)xoThanks for reading! xo

Aussie more - Wash 6 and an amazing surprise!

2012-01-05T22:19:00.000Z

Hiya! Wash 6!
A very, very scruffy top knot for a lazy day at my mums house!

I was also named as one of "Most Wanted's Top 22 Beauty Experts Under 22" (!!!!)

Words cannot describe how proud I am to be named alongside the likes of Zoe aka Zoella and Jen aka Jennifer-Rosellen. Thank you so much for all of your comments, emails, and support... it really does mean the world to me that people enjoy this teeny weeny chunk of the internet that I 'own' as much as I enjoy it!

Have a lovely evening and thank you again!

Cat xo

Aussie More - Wash number 5!!

2012-01-04T20:09:00.000Z

COLOUR CHANGE!!!!

I'll be posting more about the stages of my colour change soon :)

xo

My make-up favourites for a 5-minute flawless face ♥

2012-01-03T18:38:00.001Z

Bonjour bloggettes! I hope you're all Ok, today I'm going to tell you all about my favourite products to use when I want to look flawless but only have 5 minutes to do my make-up (well, beds are warm and comfy aren't they!)

First I use my Jemma Kidd Light As Air Liquid foundation

Much raved about within the beauty community, I'm sure you've all read about this tube of amazingness before, incredible lightweight formula combined with some serious coverage and I am in love. It's perfect! I can't feel it on my skin at all, and it eliminated every blemish, every pore, and every tiny speck of redness/discolouration. If you don't already have it then I would urge, urge, URGE you to pick some up. It's the best foundation I've ever used! You can get it here for £20 on sale from £25!! Bargain!

I then use my Clarins Instant Light Brush-on Perfector

10x better than its YSL counterpart and a bit cheaper, this disguises all of my sins and makes sure I look wide awake, bright eyed, bushy tailed and absolutely flawless... even at 6am when I'm getting ready for work! You can get it here on sale for £19.35.

Next I apply some Corn Silk Pressed Powder

This is currently my favourite powder and has absolutely knocked my £20+ MAC mineralize skinfinish natural out of the water!! Sarah Walker recently reviewed this here and really I don't think I can say it much better than she has (she's also got much better photos! I just cannot work out how to use Stews new camera!). It leaves my skin matte, flawless, and shine free for absolutely hours but does smell like my Grandma! This is available at Boots and lots of other pharmacies and prices start at £7.40. You can also get a loose version and I'm going to be picking that up asap! :)

The next step is bronzer and blusher! At the moment my favourites are the Colour Couture Bronzer Block and the Stila Convertible Colour in 'Petunia'

The Stila convertible colour is the most perfect pink ever and the cream formula is so pigmented you only need the tiniest dab on your fingers or brush to get a beautiful flush on your cheeks. I absolutely love this and want to buy 'gladiola' next for a gorgeous pop of peach on my cheeks/lips :) you can get it here for £16.

The beautifully packaged Colour Couture bronzing block (that costs just £6!) has all of the colours you need for bronzing and highlighting, I sweep my brush over the bottom 4 colours to bronze my cheekbones and temples, then use an angled face brush to apply the top colour as a highlight to my cheeks. I prefer it to my Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks and it's only £6! amazing :) you can get it in 'pink' or 'bronze' here.

We're almost done! Next I apply mascara and lipgloss...

at the moment my favourites are the 17 Falsifeye mascara (£6.49) layered under MAC studio fix lash (forever my holy grail mascara! £13.50) and the VIVO cosmetics shimmer and shine lipgloss in 'just peachy'.

What are your favourite 5 minute face products?

xo

Aussie More - Wash Number 4!!

2012-01-02T13:30:00.002Z

Huge, messy and wavy! This is so quick and simple but looks really lovely :)

xo

NOTD: Tiffany Inspired

2012-01-01T14:14:00.000Z

Iyaaaaaa! First up I want to say sorry for how grown out my acrylics are! I really need to go and get infills asap!

Topshop nail polish in 'green room' (THE perfect Tiffany blue) with Colour Couture silver polish on my ring fingers.

I know the last photo is completely out of focus but it showed the colour really well so I decided to stick it in the post anyway :)

Stew bought me the Topshop polish as a stocking filler for Christmas after searching for the perfect turquoise/green/blue/teal/Tiffany colour for me for months on end. I'd even attempted a couple of frankanpolishes to mix the perfect colour to no avail! This one is pretty much spot on and looks this beautiful in just two coats which is basically unheard of with a minty/turquoise polishes as they normally require at least 3 coats!!

The silver polish from colour couture is genuinely the most opaque and sparkly silver polish I've ever used. It's so beautiful and eye catching I'm going to do a full manicure with it next time I paint my nails, I love it so much and the photos above have just one coat!!

You can get the polishes here and here! The Topshop one is £5 and the Colour Couture one is only £3! AMAZING!

xo

Happy Holidays! ♥

2011-12-30T16:34:00.000Z

Hello you lovely bunch, I know, I know... I haven't blogged in ages!

Unfortunately sometimes life gets in the way, I spent Christmas at my mums house without the internet and my Dad is on holiday in Mauritius for the festive season so I wanted to spend some time with him..

Anyway! MERRY CHRISTMAS/Happy Holidays/Season's Greetings etc etc! :)

I hope you all had a wonderful day filled with love and laughter (and food...and alcohol). I had a perfect Christmas this year and I was obviously on the nice list because Santa bought me lots of beautiful, wonderful things (including snowboarding lessons!!).

I just wanted to write a quick post to let you all know I'm still here and I've got some really exciting and lovely posts lined up over the next couple of weeks (hooray for getting a few days off at Christmas to get my blogging hat back on!) I'm currently photographing stuff and drafting posts like crazy! I've also started collecting goodies for my 1000 followers giveaway if I'm ever lucky enough to get there!

If I don't manage to get a post up beforehand, have a very happy, safe and prosperous New Year.

All my love,
Cat xo

Aussie - wash three!

2011-12-20T20:56:00.001Z

Au naturel!

Keeping it quick and easy by letting my hair air dry and just rubbing some Aussie serum through it to eliminate frizz and make it smell DELISH.

Thanks for reading! xo

Ps - you can click the picture if you want to see my ugly mug full size!

Aussie - wash numero deux!

2011-12-13T20:11:00.000Z

Helloooooo sexuals! ♥

So,as you all know I'm currently taking part in an Aussie challenge to see how long their new, bigger bottles will last me and each time I wash my hair I'm blogging my hairstyle that day!

So, I'm currently on wash two and believe it or not, I did my hair like this in the DARK this morning. I didn't put the light on or anything, just grabbed a handful of bobby pins (some plain, some pretty and sparkly), grabbed chunks of hair, and whipped it all up and back and shoved the pins in.

I'll never ever be able to do it again which makes me sad because I think it's really pretty!

What do you think?

xo

ps - my hair smells so, so, so good. Ohhhh aussie ♥♥♥

My lifestyle change... ♥

2011-12-12T18:59:00.000Z

Hello everyone!

Recently I've been tweeting about my weight loss and I asked if any of you would like to see a post about how I'm losing the weight etc, lots of you said yes so here it is!

Before I start I just want to say, I know it's cliché but everyone is different, different things will work for different people and you should only ever attempt to lose weight in a healthy and safe manner, and to make yourself happy :)

My journey has been an absolute lifestyle and mentality change for me, not just 'another diet'. I'm enjoying it so much that it doesn't feel like a 'diet' and doesn't feel like any effort at all! Obviously I have crap days where I moan and whine and maybe even have a little cry, but i'm only human... and I'm a girl! ;)

Oh, and I've sprinkled this post with various photos from my iPhone that I've been taking along the way!

So, how much have I lost so far?
When I weighed myself this morning, I took my total to 22lb lost (1 stone and 8lb)!

How much more do I want/need to lose?
I'd like to lose another 3 stone (42lb)

How have I been losing the weight?
I've been using My Fitness Pal and the Weight Watchers Online Programme. At first, my weight loss was incredibly slow so I took Capsipure tablets for a month as recommended by one of my friends who has recently lost 6 stone.

I REALLY want to stress that diet/weight loss tablets ARE NOT the key to success. They can be extremely risky and can cause you serious problems if they aren't used properly. They're also really bloody expensive and you're better off going out for a run!! If you are considering using any type of weight loss aid then I would URGE you to go to your doctor first. Some of the tablets out there are seriously dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.

The Capsipure tablets did work for me, and did appear to boost my weight loss but I'm not sure if it was a bit of a placebo effect...

As well as counting my weight watchers points, I also count calories... It's very easy to overeat on the new weight watchers pro points plan as 99% of fruit and veg is 'zero' points... but NO fruit or veg is zero calories... Think about it this way, if you eat three bananas in a day... its no weight watchers points. BUT it's 300 calories which is the same as a Boost Bar!! Those extra calories can really add up and can hinder your weight loss.

What exercise do I do?
I've recently re-started the 'Couch25k' programme which has been re-named and re-designed as 'Ease into 5k'. I also use the Nike+GPS app every now and then if I'm road running instead of using my treadmill.

On top of running, I do strength training (star jumps, sit ups, push ups, crunches, leg raises, bicycle moves, reverse crunches and squats). I do these quite randomly and just do as many as I need to until I'm exhausted and my muscles feel like they've all been worked to within an inch of their life!

How often do I work out?
Between 3 and 6 times a week depending on my work hours (sometimes I work late) and plans at home. Exercise in itself is a huge commitment without the healthy eating/diet aspect of weight loss. You just have to keep pushing and pushing and eventually exercise won't be a chore, it will be something you'll look forward to every day!

What else do I do?
Without fail, I drink 2-3 litres of water a day. This is absolutely CRITICAL to weight loss success as your body can only get rid of fat three ways, sweating, wee'ing, or pooping (gross haha!). Drinking lots of water flushes out the digestive system, activates your organs, and just generally keeps your body in full working order. It is VITAL that you drink an absolute shitload of water if you want to lose weight.

Do you have any tips for me?
My main tip is to set yourself weight loss goals. I have a list of 8 small goals/targets that lead up to my 'Ultimate Goal Weight'. When I weighed myself this morning I had hit goal 1! That was such an amazing feeling I'd really recommend setting yourself lots of little goals so you can feel proud every single hour of every day and won't feel like you're 'not getting anywhere' so you're less likely to give up! Here's a little example goal list:

*Goal 1: lose 7lb
*Goal 2: drink 2 litres of water a day every day for a week
*Goal 3: lose 10lb in 10 weeks
*Goal 4: run for 10 minutes without stopping
*Goal 5: try to lose 3 lb this week!

and so on and so forth! I actually set myself a little goal every day now because it's become my lifestyle, and not just a diet. Today's goal was to only drink one cup of tea, in case you're wondering... and yesterdays was to do 50 sit ups without stopping!

Another tip is to record EVERYTHING. I have all of my weight loss stuff on my phone including a detailed list of all of my weigh ins (in pounds, stone, and kilograms), my feelings on certain days, measurements, my BMI score, and anything else you can imagine weight loss wise!

for your reference here is a BMI calculator (although in my personal opinion, BMI is a load of bollocks... its another way for you to feel proud of yourself when you're lacking motivation. I like to check how many 'points' my BMI has gone down every now and then to give me a boost!). And here is a 'healthy weight chart', again it's probably extremely inaccurate BUT its a good tool to use to set yourself goals. Why not print the chart off and put stickers where your goals are as a visual reminder?

What have you achieved so far?
Like I said earlier, I've lost 22lb!
My BMI has dropped by 4.5 points.
I've lost 10% of my body fat.
I've dropped two dress sizes and almost two jeans sizes.

How can I follow your progress/contact you/ask you for some advice?
You can tweet me
You can email me at cat.west[at]hotmail.co.uk
You can follow my Instagram to see photos of what I'm eating etc... My username on Instagram is yourenemiesaremine.
You can follow my Tumblr to see LOADS of inspirational images and quotes, break downs of the work outs I've done, and lots and lots of content from other fitblrs (fitness-tumblrs). I honestly don't think I could have gotten this far without Tumblr!

If you're trying to lose weight, or thinking about it... Please remember to do it the healthy way. I am always on hand for motivation, advice, or even just to listen. The most important thing for you to remember is that fit and healthy is always better than just being 'skinny' and your health is the most important factor to consider.

Oh and one last thing. EVERYONE is capable of weight loss success. Whether you have 7 pounds to lose or 7 stone to lose you absolutely, 110%, definitely CAN do it. A 'can do' attitude and a PMA (positive mental attitude!!) will get you a very, very long way!!

Thanks for reading this, I really hope it was useful!
xoxo

Give me more, more, more!

2011-12-09T20:06:00.000Z

More Aussie that is! :)

Yesterday I got home to find an absolutely GIGANTIC box waiting for me in the office! It had this in it...

Yep. An absolutely ginormous inflatable Aussie bottle (now THAT'S what I call cool PR)!

Oh and two big bottles of Aussie miracle moist shampoo and conditioner...

The point in this?

I'm going to be taking part in an Aussie challenge to see just how many washes I can get out of the new bigger bottles. I'll be blogging each time I was and style my hair with it and will be tweeting with the hash tag #Aussiemore so you can all keep up with my progress!

Just to show you a size comparison:

The bigger shampoo has 500ml instead of 250ml and the conditioner has 400ml instead of 250ml!

They're gigantic! So, wash one was last night and this is what my hair looked like this morning:

Just quick and easy for work, sleek and straight!!

What do you think of the new, bigger Aussie bottles?

Thanks for reading! xo

Cat's Christmas gift guide: Keeping it retro!! ♥

2011-12-08T23:15:00.000Z

Hollaaaa!
I'm sorry I haven't blogged for so long, things have been mega-super-duper-hectic!
Anyway, installment three of my gift guide and I'm going to be showing you the coolest thing in the freakin' world. It would make the perfect gift for anyone. Even your grandad.

IT'S A POPCORN MAKER!!!!

Stuff you'll need:

Popcorn maker, plate, popcorn kernels (we used the POPZ ones that are meant to go in the microwave)

You pour the kernels into the machine, and put the plate in front of it, to catch the poporn....obviously!

Then, it makes the popcorn (no action shot, i'm sorry!)
and if you're like me, you put sugar on your popcorn...

VOILA!
Warm, fresh, air popped popcorn!

Stew and I genuinely think this is the coolest thing we've ever owned (and we have a lot of cool stuff!). It quick, simple, and easy. It literally took about a minute to pop all of that popcorn and catching it all in the bowl-plate (blate?) was SO much fun :) also, air popped popcorn is a really healthy treat until you slap loads of sugar on it like I did!

If you want to get your own popcorn maker, or want to buy someone the BEST PRESENT IN THE WORLD you can find it here. It's only £30 which is uh-may-zing because most popcorn makers cost between £50 and £150!! Also, this one is really compact, but not too small so it doesn't take up tonnes of room on your worktop/in your cupboard.

The main selling point for me is the Retro look. You normally pay a buck or two more when you buy something that looks retro or 'vintage' these days because its 'fashionable' and shit but this little beast is so affordable and such good quality! We're absolutely loving it and I'm sure your loved ones will too!

Happy popcorn-making y'all!

xo

Klorane: Working hard to keep my hair healthy

2011-12-05T17:41:00.001Z

iyaaaa!
A little while ago I posted about a great offer that Klorane were running and I told you how much I had enjoyed using their products in the past...

i've recently been using the Klorane Quinine range for 'thinning' hair as my hair has been weak and lots has been falling out. Don't worry, i'm not going bald haha! I just wanted to use something that would strengthen my hair lots especially as the seasons have recently changed and we are most definitely well into winter now in the UK :(

These two products are AMAZING. The shampoo comes in a box and the bottle does look a bit clinical but it lathers up really well and smells lovely :) the conditioner also smells great and the packaging looks a lot better haha! It's also pale pink which is lurrrrvely.

I think the real deal sealer is that I went to the hairdressers yesterday (if you live in the Derby area, I go to Cocco Derby) and my haidresser, Brian (HIYA IF YOU'RE READING THIS) was like 'oh my goodness, your hair looks and feels so much healthier'! Which was great news for this shampoo and conditioner because they're the only two I've been using for the last couple of weeks :)

I've also noticed a dramatic reduction in hair breakage and a lot less of my hair is falling out which is really reassuring, I was started to get a bit worried/paranoid about it!

Have you tried any Klorane products? Which are your favourites?

xo

A little 17 haul ♥

2011-11-30T19:27:00.001Z

Bonjour bloggeroonies!

I hope you're all ok, a little while ago I went shopping and treated myself to a few bits because I was having a bad day! 17 cosmetics were on a 3 for 2 offer so I grabbed some goodies! Here they are...

I got the BB cream in 'light', pure finish sheer mineral blusher in 'rose' and the magnetized nail polish in 'teal' (the green shade). I paid £12 for all 3 items, amazing!

Here's a snap of the nail polish on my nails

This is what the BB cream and blusher look like on my skin

I've recently been carrying the BB cream and blusher with me in my handbag for touch ups on the go as they both look so pretty and flawless on my skin! They're so affordable too :) I love them! The BB cream is also on offer for £5.99 at the moment which is an absolute bargain.

I also took part in the #17cosmetics Twitter party and was lucky enough to win a goodie bag for tweeting that photo of my nails so when my goodies arrive I'll blog about them all for you lot!

xo

Cat's Christmas gift guide: Stocking fillers!

2011-11-28T18:26:00.001Z

HELLOOOOOO! Ohmygosh it's getting so close to Christmas now isn't it! I blogged a little while ago about a perfect girly gift and I thought I'd write about some lovely stocking fillers today!

I flippin' love stockings and I have one from my Mum and one from Stew every year :) I just love how you can fill them with little goodies and bits and bobs, last year I put everything from Lego's to Aftershave in Stew's and he loved it!

Here are a few bits that I think would make perfect stocking fillers this year :)

first up these adorable Hello Kitty by Liberty lip tints for £6 you get three lip tints that come in REALLY cute Liberty print tins, the lip tints smell amazing and give a really subtle wash of colour to the lips. There's a colour for everyone here with pearly pink, bright pink and dark raspberry. You could either give them to one person or split the pack and give them to three different people depending on their lip-colour preferences :) Really cute and so affordable, I love them and haven't stopped using mine since I got them!

Next up, these lovely treats from Liz Earle

This foot scrub and foot repair moisturiser would genuinely make perfect presents for anyone from your Nan to your Boyfriend! They're my holy grail foot products and I use both of them daily whenever I have a shower or bath :) These are actually my second tubes of each product which goes to show how much I love them! They leave my feet so soft and smooth and smell divine... This little kit would make a great gift too!

My favourite product in this whole post has got to be these headphones!!!!

*dies*

They're so so so so so adorable, really comfortable in my ears and my music sounds great through them! I'm often a bit sceptical of cheaper headphones as I think sound quality can be a bit sketchy but these really do sound great and they'd make a perfect stocking filler for anyone you know who's a bit cat obsessed!

Last but certainly not least is this little bottle of yumminess!

The infamous Next Diamonds perfume! I bought myself a little 30ml bottle to carry around in my handbag and it was only £6.50 so it's a perfect little stocking filler this christmas! The reason I carry it around with me all the time is because it smells exactly the same as my two favourite perfumes of ALL TIME... Miss Dior Cherie and Katie Price, Stunning.

The Katie Price one is really hard to get hold of these days and is £20-£30 a bottle and Miss Dior Cherie is £49 for 50ml so for £6.50 for 30ml of the Next Diamonds you literally can't go wrong. If you own either of the two perfumes above I URGE you to go and grab a bottle of this Next one and you'll see just how similar they all are! Obviously I don't want to lug around a large, heavy bottle of Katie Price perfume or an expensive Dior perfume so this is perfect for my handbag and will be perfect to stuff stockings with this christmas!

What do you want to get in your stocking this year? and what are you stuffing other peoples' stockings with?

xo

A quick/flash little international blog sale!

2011-11-23T16:52:00.003Z

I want to keep this as quick and pain free as possible as I need to clear a bit of space in my make-up storage because at the moment there's just stuff sitting on top of it all and it looks a right mess!!

*RULES*
Paypal only please. I've been messed about so much in the past and it's a waste of my time!

Shipping to the UK is £2 whether you buy one item or 10 items!!! I will ship internationally, just tell me what country in your comment and I'll work out postage on the Royal Mail website and include this in your paypal invoice.

NO timewasters.

Just leave a comment telling me which item(s) you would like, what country you live in, and your paypal email address :)

I'm happy for you to make offers on items and be a bit cheeky (e.g. if I buy this and this can i have this half price etc) just write a cheeky comment and leave me your email address and I'll email you telling if I'm up for it or not (no innuendo intended there!)

You'll have to be quick, I'll be deleting this post at about midnight tonight!

Sleek Storm palette – used 4-5 times - £3
Eyeko cream with extra glow – used 2 times – £2
~~Beauty UK blush in ‘peaches and cream’ used once - £2~~ SOLD
ELF contouring blush and bronzing powder, used twice - £2.50
MAC ‘giggly’ mineralize blush from the quite cute collection, swatched once but never used. Doesn’t have the box but does have the little plastic cover over the blush ‘dome’ still - £15 or nearest offer SOLD
MAC ‘creme de violet’ eyeshadow pro pan, swatched once, it’s really pretty but I have similar colours! - £5
Barry M dazzle dusts in ‘violet star 927’ (purple) and ‘mushroom 61’, both swatched once but never used on the eyes! - £3 each or both for £5
Maybelline black gel liner, used 4-5 times and COMPLETELY SANITISED with BeautySoClean, hasn’t dried out or anything! - £3
~~NYX jumbo eye pencil in milk, sharpened once, the lid is cracked but that doesn’t affect the product itself – £2~~ SOLD
ALL LIPSTICKS AND LIPGLOSSES HAVE BEEN SANITISED COMPLETELY WITH BEAUTYSOCLEAN
Barry M lipstick in 129 ‘palest lavender’ 90% left - £2.50
Barry M lipstick in ‘touch of magic’ 90% left - £2.50
Or both of them for £4
~~NYX lipstick in NARCISSUS ‘500’, used once so 99% left! - £2~~ SOLD
Barry M lipgloss is number 11, used 2-3 times and sanitised obviously - £2
~~INGLOT lipstick in number ’40’ a gorgeous peachy colour, used 2-3 times, 95% left - £7 or nearest offer (RRP £11)~~ SOLD

Happy shopping!

xo

Brighton: Papping a Postcard!

2011-11-23T14:15:00.000Z

Hiya lovelies!

Recently National Rail launched their 'Papp a postcard' competition where you can upload a photo you took on a great day out for a chance to win a trip to london and a £500 shopping spree in Topshop/Topman! I was really, really lucky to be sent a white Diana Mini lomography camera and some lomo film to take some snaps on a day out and I decided to go to Brighton with Stew as we'd never been before!

I took a whole load of photos and found it really weird using a film camera again after years of using compact digicams and most recently, Stew's Nikon D3000 and D7000... at the same time it was absolutely lovely because I can't wait for the surprise of getting the film developed!

Here are some snaps of the day :) half of them were taken on my iPhone4 and the other half were taken on Stew's Nikon D7000! I've actually stolen them from his camera today so they're all unedited which will no doubt annoy him as he's a bit of a perfectionist ;)

journey missions!

Watching The Art Of Flight on Stew's phone on the train. It's quite literally the most incredible film I've ever seen, so beautiful and breathtaking. If you haven't watched it yet then I would highly recommend it. We've watched it at least 10 times now, no joke!

nestling in my handbag on the train!

luckily we didn't get wet!

Hiyaaaa!

Stew taking a photo of me taking a photo of him taking a photo of me....... you get the idea!

Silly snaps! i just want to point out that Stew does NOT sport that moustache all year round. It's his somewhat feeble and embarrassing effort for Movember but hey, it's the thought that counts! If you want to donate towards the Movember cause then you can click here It's a cause very, very close to my heart which is why I let my boyfriend wander round looking like Hitler for a month!

I'm pretty sure that this is the image I'm going to enter into the competition! Not sure what it is about it, i just love it!

or maybe this one....

we had such an incredible day exploring all of the shops, walking around the famous Lanes, going for a mooch along the beach and playing on the slot machines on the pier! The loveliest thing was that it wasn't even cold! And we got to watch the sunset over the sea which was lovely :) Have you ever been to Brighton before? I looooved it!

Have you had any days out recently? Will you be entering the Railcard Papp a Postcard competition? You should be saying YES! to both of those questions, after all you've got to be in it to win it!

xo

ps - which image should I enter with? The nice one of Stew or the ridiculous one of myself? haha!

Hot pink glitter gradient nails! ♥

2011-11-21T20:42:00.000Z

My gosh. These are so pretty I just can't stop staring at them! So pink and sparkly. and so me! ♥

Two coats of Barry M 'Fuschia' then 4 layers of OPI 'Teenage Dream' from the Katy Perry collection. I put the first layer 3 quarters up my nails really really thin, the second layer halfway up, the third layer on quarter of the way up and the fourth layer on the very tips. I finished them off by applying a layer of Barry M top coat :)

It's the first time I've ever tried to do a glitter gradient and I think they look pretty cute! What do you think?

xo

Cat's Christmas gift Guide: It's all about MeMeMe (and my nails!) ♥

2011-11-16T16:53:00.002Z

Hi everyone!
Over the next few weeks I'll be blogging about items that I think will make perfect christmas gifts this year :)

The first gift I want to tell you all about is one that's perfect for another beauty obsessed girl, maybe your best friend, sister or mum...

The gift is a MeMeMe Nail Collection in 'Catwalk Collection 1'

The collection contains the following polishes:

Demure (no 65) - a muddy brown/grey/beige
Impulsive (no 80) - a bright yellowey lime green, so unique and gorgeous!
Proud (no 83) - a dark dirty green
Indulgent (no 58) - a deep dark blood red/marroon

Due to the appalling light conditions in the UK at the moment (it's dark when I leave work!) these polishes were practically impossible to photograph! It took me almost an hour and even now I'm still not 100% happy with them but they show the true swatches/colours of the polishes which is good!

Without wanting to sound like a total cliché, these colours are totally me and I've been changing my polish every other day so I can wear all 4 of these as quickly as possible! If I had to pick a favourite, it would have to be Impulsive (the fluro yellow/green) because I don't own anything like it!

So, here's 4 mini reviews of the colours left to right on the above image:

Impulsive - unique and incredibly bright but not completely neon/fluro... this seems to have a white base and unlike ~~a lot~~ pretty much every bright polish on the market, this is opaque in one coat. UH-MAY-ZING. Like I said above, weirdly this is my favourite of the 4!

Demure - cute, subtle and perfect for the office... muddy/murky greiges are totally in at the moment, and have been in for a long, long time! They don't show any signs of going anywhere either and this polish is perfect for any time, any place, any occasion.

Proud - another unique colour, I've never seen a polish like this and I love how it's a bit of an army brown based green. I wore this to work the other day and got so many compliments on it :)

Indulgent - probably the least unique polish in this mini collection but still so beautiful. From a distance it looks pretty much black which I absolutely love! Plus, it's perfect for christmas day!

This collection costs £14.99 and comes in a beautiful, sleek box (that will be really easy to wrap up!).

If these colours aren't quite 'you' (or your mum, or your sister, or your best friend) then there are a few other collections available:
The Summer Brights Set - this contains a bright yellow, orange, pink and blue (the pink looks amazing!).
The Classic Collection - this contains a black, grey, red and navy blue.
The Mini Collection - this contains mini bottles of polish in indulgent, proud and demure (all shown in my images above), graceful (baby pink), defiant (teal) and enigmatic (grey).

I own loads of MeMeMe polishes and I think it's one of those brands that is often overlooked. The nail polishes in particular are amazing quality and really good value at about £4.50 a bottle!

What do you think, will you be picking up this gorgeous box set for anyone this christmas? Or is it all about YouYouYou! Ok, ok... I'm done with the puns now ;)

xo

ps - I had a brainwave and wore Demure on all of my nails except my ring finger which I painted with Impulsive and it looks incredible!!! snap this box set up now!

Embracing my Wild side!

2011-11-15T19:46:00.001Z

Bonjour Bloggeroonies!

Now, it's no secret that I like leopard print... in fact I bloody love leopard print, I have everything in leopard print, shoes, underwear, tops, leggings, jewelery blah blah! I paint my nails leopard print and rahhhh I just loooove leopard print! haha :)

So, when I got a leopard print themed parcel from Batiste in the post I was just stoked. Absolutely stoked!

In the parcel there was a can of the new Batiste Wild, a little dinky fluffy leopard teddy on a keyring and a pair of leopard print Tipsy Feet shoes!

Something that not a lot of people know about me is that I use dry shampoo every day, either to remove grease/oils from my hair, to give it volume, to remove bad smells (stupid club smoking areas!) or to do all three of those things! I genuinely only use Batiste dry shampoo these days, its affordable and always smells good and works really, really well!

The new Wild scent is fun, flirty and oriental... it's my favourite one so far (AND I BLOODY LOVE THE PACKAGING!)!! The scent is really strong and it sits in your hair for a long time, I personally like that but if you don't I'd recommend the Batiste Nude which isn't scented :)

The Batiste Wild works just as well as all of the other scents/versions and I've used it every day for the past three days, it just smells sooooooooooooo good, spraying it in your hair can get a bit addictive!

The Tipsy Feet are something I've always looked at but never invested in... they're little fold up shoes that you keep in your handbag and put on when your heels are hurting you (essentially they're to walk home in when you're tipsy)!

The leopard print ones are absolutely adorable...

They come in a little leopard print pouch and ones you've taken them out of the pouch and 'unfurled' it you realise it's actually a little carry bag for your heels! squeeeeeeee it's just too cute. far too cute!

Tell me that's not the most adorable thing ever? Not only do you get a really cute pair of fold up shoes to wear when your feet are sore, you also get a little bag to carry your heels in :) The way I think about it is that the little carry bag prevents people walking/driving past you and thinking 'GIRL why are you wearing heels that hurt you?' or 'look at that girl carrying her shoes home!'. The Tipsy feet shoes are sneaky and I thoroughly enjoy that, there's no denying the fact that walking home barefoot is disgusting, and walking home carrying your heels is darn embarrassing!

Have you tried the new Batiste Wild? Do you carry your heels home and walk barefoot? Tell me all about it in the comments below :)

xo

My skin story: Bio-oil

2011-11-11T20:59:00.000Z

Bonjournoooo! :)

Like most if not all women, I have my fair share of imperfections - a 6 year battle with various contraceptives has meant that my weight rocketed and I gained 4 stone, then I lost 2.5 stone, then I gained 3 stone and so far on my most recent and most successful weight loss journey I've lost 16lb!

This up down up down means that I have stretch marks. I'm not ashamed to have them because 9 out of 10 women have them in some form, but I don't like them. In fact, I hate them. With a passion.
I also suffer with dry skin and little red bumps on the tops of my arms, and have some scarring on my face from a: where my friends dog bit me and b: where I had chicken pox when I was little!

So there you are - a complete list of my skin imperfections!

I was contacted by Bio-Oil a while ago and told about a their Skin Stories campaign on their Facebook page. The campaign is aimed at getting women to improve their relationship with their skin imperfections... I've been using Bio-Oil for a couple of months now so I feel I'm well qualified to share my story with you all and let you all know how I've found the product!

I apply Bio-Oil to my less-than-perfect areas first thing in the morning, and last thing at night. You only need a tiny bit because being an oil, a little goes a long way.

Results after one day: skin looks and feels more hydrated, make-up applies easier to the face and looks dewy, healthy and glowy once it's on and the tops of my arms feel and look a lot smoother.

Results after one week: face has less blemishes and is significantly more hydrated, compliments on how 'healthy' I look, dark acne scars have reduced, stretch marks appear to have faded slightly, the scar on my face is less visible and the tops of my arms are really smooth and soft!

Results after one month: Stretch marks are barely visible now and facial skin is extremely healthy, hydrated and blemish free. I have also found that bio-oil reduces the redness on my cheeks. The red bumps are still slightly visible at the tops of my arms but the skin is no longer itchy/sore and I'm happier wearing short sleeved tops. The major thing for me is that the dog bit scar on my face is barely visible anymore once I have foundation on. AMAZING.

Results after two months: stretch marks have now all but disappeared, facial skin is fantastically well hydrated with minimal blemishes and redness and the skin on the top of my arms has dramatically improved!

My opinion? This stuff is absolutely incredible and genuinely works! At first I was nervous about using an oil because I thought it would be greasy and messy but it sinks in quickly and is mess free, I would absolutely recommend it 100% if you're looking to hydrate your skin, reduce redness, reduce scars or stretchmarks, or just generally improve the state of your skin.

You can get Bio-oil almost everywhere now, it's about £8.99 for 60ml and the bottle will last you at least 3 months :)

Have you tried Bio-Oil? What did you think?
xoxo

Taking some time out with Floatworks ♥

2011-11-09T07:44:00.001Z

Bonjour Bloggeroonies!

Ever feel like you might explode with the stress of life? (haha!) Feel like you just need some time out to relax your body and mind in complete peace?

If the answer to those questions is "YES!" you need to get yourself down to Floatworks

Floatworks is a Floatation Pod Clinic based in London. The 'pods' contain super saturated salt solution that you quite literally float in. The water is heated to skin temperature so once you're in, it's impossible to tell what is your skin, and what is water... tricking your mind into thinking you're floating in mid-air!

As well as simply helping you to be calm and relaxed, Floatation tanks can help reduce stress levels, improve sleep, and relieve pain. They can reduce lower blood pressure, speed up the healing process (especially from sports injuries) and increase motivation and energy levels :)

Alongside all of that, it just looks really fun! My personality is such that I would probably just float around giggling for 10 minutes and then take it seriously ;) That said, is it just me that thinks of The Simpsons where Homer is in that Floatation tank? Oh it is? Fabulous!

At the moment Floatworks are running a Special Offer where if you buy 2 hours, you get one free! The price is £45 per hours session which means you get 3 sessions for £90 :) It's a great deal and something I would definitely be taking advantage of if I lived in London...

That said, you gorgeous Midlands based ladies will be excited to know that there is a Floatation Clinic opening in Nottingham soon! I'll give you the gossip as soon as I get my paws on it and I'll definitely be popping over to Nottingham to give one of the pods a go myself, I'm fascinated by them!

You can find Floatworks on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Floatworks London clinic is located at:
The Floatworks,
1 Thrale Street,
London,
SE1 9HW

For more information/to book you can call them on (0) 20 7357 0111!

Have you ever used a Floatation Pod? Tell me how awesome it was in the comments! If you haven't, tell me if you'd ever think about bobbing around in a little pod for an hour? :)

xoxo

Getting my shop on!

2011-11-08T16:38:00.002Z

Holla!

I went shopping the other day and got a few bits that I'm really loving right now so I thought I'd share ♥

L'oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 Repairing Conditioner and L'oreal Elvive Triple Resist Reinforcing TreatmentThis is my first ever foray into L'oreal Haircare and although I love the reinforcing treatment, I'm not sure about the conditioner, it just didn't seem to moisturise my hair much at all! Are there any L'oreal products you really rate?

Liz Earle Superskin Body Cream - this is my second tube and I'll repurchase it again and again, I paid about £28 at John Lewis.
Impulse Very Pink - I like to keep a bottle of 'cheap body spray' in my bag at work just to freshen up every now and then. I got a free Barry M Lipgloss with this one which I'll write about further down!
Soap and Glory Hand Food - my all time favourite. This is about my seventh tube! nuff said :)

Tess Daly tricks of the trade Gloss Lip Balm - I bought this after seeing it on British Beauty Blogger and falling madly in love with the delightfully tacky and gaudy packaging. It's so much nicer to pull this out of my bag instead of a manky tin of vaseline and it really is glossy, gorgeous, and super moisturising! It's a fiver at Marks and Spencers so snap it up!
Revlon Nail Laquer in 'Facets of Fuschia' this is absolutely completely and utterly beautiful. I layer this over a dark purple or black polish and it's just stunning! Take a look next time you're at a Revlon stand :)
The free nude Barry M gloss I got with the Impulse Very Pink. It doesn't have a name but it gives the lips a perfect slick of nude gloss. love love love.

Maybelline Great Lash in 'blackest black' - I loved this for years but haven't used it since I was about 16. I picked it up for £5 on offer in Tesco's the other night at about 11pm on a whim because I was completely sucked in by the bright, girly, fun packaging! It's just as good as it used to be, I may have just re-discovered a holy grail!
Model's Own Nail Polish in 'purple passion' - I grabbed this for £2 on 'sale' in River Island and it's so pretty :) love it!

Have you been shopping lately and picked up any lovely things? Tell me all about it in the comments!

xo

The 'grown up' series: Finding an affordable home

2011-11-07T18:55:00.000Z

Hello Everyone!
Happy Monday :) This is the first installment of the 'grown up' series and I'm going to write about making the transition from student to 'grown up'/ moving out of your parents into your first flat/ whatever circumstances you're in that mean you're finding your first rental property (lets face it, I'm only 21 - its not mortgage time for me yet!)

if you've been following my blog for a while you'll know that at the end of June my housemate and supposed 'best friend' did a runner from the student house we shared together and left me and Stew homeless. We had seven days to find somewhere to live, and absolutely no money.

We started off looking here. Great website, lots of choice but almost everything was unfurnished and those that were furnished were horribly expensive.. After trawling numerous websites for hours and hours, phoning letting agents, leaving messages, sending countless emails and in my case, crying a lot... Someone suggested we look on Gumtree.

I'm going to admit straight away, I was all "gumtree? isn't that really dodgy and gross and just generally sketchy"

I couldn't have been more wrong, within 10 minutes I had shortlisted 5 gorgeous flats and dwindled them down to a potential two. One was in the centre of the city, unfurnished and affordable. The other was 10 miles or so out of the city, part furnished and seemed too-good-to-be-true. We viewed it and met our landlord and landlady who were lovely, gave us lots of information and 'proved' to us that you can indeed find trustworthy landlords on Gumtree.

Here is a link to a flat tour video!

Our flat came part furnished which would normally just mean a bed and a sofa but actually we got EVERYTHING apart from a bed, a desk, and a TV unit. Amazing.

So there's my story! Here's my top tips for looking for an affordable home/flat to rent:

Shop around - although we only had 7 days we must have looked at over a hundred potential flats online and viewed two as we were being a bit picky really! Make sure you know what things you absolutely will not compromise on. For us, it was car parking and secure entry. Our flat came with the added bonus of an en-suite bathroom, office/study and beautiful french doors in the living room.
Make a ticklist and use this when you view properties. Important things to look for are is this front door secure? is the property clean and tidy? (if not, leave immediately, if the landlord hasn't cleaned it then the list of other things they won't have done will be as long as your arm). Is there any damp anywhere? - this is MAJOR with rental properties and people will do everything they can to hide it. Do NOT be shy about moving furniture, asking to see behind the bed/sofa, and inspecting the bathrooms carefully, damp is a real health hazard. Are there aerial points for the televison? Are you allowed pets? How much is the deposit? What is the council tax band? Are there any 'hidden costs' such as communal cleaning costs or gardening costs? (these are common in 'blocks' of flats). Why is the landlord renting it out? Is there enough storage? Does it come with 'white goods' (washing machine, dishwasher etc)? Is there car parking? Is there an alarm? As you can see, your ticklist will probably end up being a few pages long but remember a good and trustworthy landlord will be happy to be interrogated.
Think about furniture - yes, your mega king size 4 poster bed is beautiful, but will it fit in the bedroom? Yes, the flat you're looking at is huge, but as a just-ex-student can you afford to furnish it well? Is the landlord providing anything for you such as a sofa? It's often good to ask "if that sofa isn't going to stay here, could we buy it off you instead?" - lots of landlords just throw old furniture away, if you can score a sofa for £50 to save the landlord the hassle then its a win win situation!
What are the neighbours/upstairs/downstairs like. It's all good and well living in a gorgeous flat, but if you have a party loving druggy living above you, or a mum with 5 kids next door you will probably be getting disturbed quite a lot. Again, don't be shy to ask the landlord who lives there - be a bit cautious if they don't know - it's in their interests to know who lives around the property they're trying to rent out!
Be cheeky! Blagging £20 a month off of your rent will save you £240 a year! You can be particularly cheeky when the landlord is in a rush too...
Look for a property that is slightly under your budget (e.g. £400 a month when you have £500 a month to spend). You'll be amazed at how nice the 'cheaper' flats are and it saves you £1,200 - money you can save or invest into furniture/bills/the dreaded council tax!
Find out what you need to do before/during/after the move. Which bill companies do you have to register with? Do you need to go and introduce yourself to the security people? When can you have your keys?
BE LOGICAL AND SENSIBLE! Don't rent a shitty flat with a balcony, just because you want a balcony. Don't jump in and 'shake hands' on the first flat you see because it has a 'nice fireplace' or 'lots of cupboards'. Be patient and traipse around 30 flats if you have to. It's sods law that the last one you see will be the perfect one for you.
Remember - there is always another option. Never let a landlord make you feel like you 'have' to rent somewhere. They'll pull at your heartstrings and make a bedsit out to be a mansion. Be savvy, be tough and be real. They have a motive - they want to make money. As I said before, a good landlord will let you ask a million questions (and answer them all well!), will show you absolutely everything and won't care if you ask him/her to move the bed 'so you can see what yours will look like' haha!

I could quite literally write about this for weeks - I feel like I learnt so much in the 7 days that we were hunting!

Remember - I'll be writing about things like council tax, home insurance, furniture and pet insurance later on in the series which is why I haven't gone into much detail in this post!

If you have ANY questions about finding an affordable but gorgeous property to rent, please do not hesitate to email me at cat.west[at]hotmail.co.uk. I'll be more than happy to answer your questions no matter how big or small!

xo

ps - I hope this was Ok for the first installment! ♥

Cat's little grown up series: an introduction

2011-11-06T11:46:00.000Z

Bonjour bloggeroonies!

I hope you're all having a divine weekend so far, I definitely don't want to go back to work tomorrow! I thought I'd introduce you all to a new series I'm going to be running whilst I catch up on the X Factor this morning :)

As most of you know, I recently finished Uni, started a 'proper' graduate job, and moved into my first ever non-student home! All of this meant I've had to do a lot of 'growing up' in a very short period of time. Over a matter of weeks my life went from going out every night and never really sleeping and living off of a student loan, to early nights, council tax and doing the 9-5 mon-fri ;)

I feel like I've learnt so much on my journey that I may as well write it down and share it with you guys, but make it fun at the same time! Believe it or not, being a 'grown up' doesn't have to be boring!

^haha!

So, with this in mind I'm going to be writing you some posts on things like finding an afforable home, council tax, food shopping, job hunting and Cv's etc (my personal area of expertise... I work in HR!) getting stuff like home insurance, putting a few pennies away for a rainy day, budgeting, and making the transition from student to graduate/grown up.

At the moment, you're all thinking snooooooooooooooze how boring! But trust me, I'm going to sprinkle all of this with some ♥Cat Magic♥

so with this in mind, is there anything you'd like me to write about? Something you're confused by or struggling with.. let me know about it in the comments! :)

xoxo

FOTD: Bonfire night!

2011-11-05T18:10:00.000Z

Aloha!
It's been months and months since I did an FOTD (face of the day) for you all!

This morning when I did my make-up I realsed I'd subconsciously done a 'bonfire inspired' eye look... bronze and red tones with a bit of gold glitter, peach lips and flushed cheeks... So I papped a few snaps and decided to blog them, hopefully you like it!

Unfortunately the camera has bleached the shadows out a bit and you can't see the gorgeous gold sparkles in the paint pot but you get the idea!

Face: Estée Lauder double wear in 'shell', MAC studio finish concealer in NC15 and MAC mineralize skinfinish natural in 'light'

Cheeks: Bronzer, blusher and highlighter all from the MAC wonder woman 'pink power' mineralize skin finish

Eyes: MAC paint pot in 'chilled on ice' as a base, MAC 'dazzlelight' eyeshadow as a highlight, INGLOT number 407 (a pinky golden peach) on the inner corner and MAC 'sable' and 'antiqued' mixed together and blended through the crease and outer corner (i also blended these along my lower lash line). MUA black eyeliner (£1 and its so good!) on my waterline and MAC studio fix mascara on my upper lashes... clinique bottom lash mascara on my lower lashes ♥

Lips: INGLOT slim gel lipstick in number 40 (a peachy orange)

what do you think? are you wearing bonfire inspired make-up tonight?

xoxo

Free Klorane shampoo and conditioner! :) (CLOSED)

2011-11-03T17:57:00.001Z

THIS OFFER IS NOW CLOSED

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to let you all know about a great offer Klorane have going on at the moment :)

Klorane have recently launched a new website and for a limited period of time, if you register by clicking here, you can receive a Klorane shampoo and conditioner sample free!

I've used the gorgeous Pomegranate range for coloured hair whilst staying at a friends house before and it's absolutely divine! I also really rate the Klorane eye make-up remover as one of my close friends swears by it so I often snaffle a little bit of hers!

I've just registered and opted for the Mango Range for Dry Hair because my hair is in need of a little bit of TLC at the moment, oh and Mango is my favourite fruit/scent/taste EVER! ♥

Are you going to take advantage of this great little treat?

xoxo

ps - this isn't sponsored or anything I just thought everyone loves a freebie so I wanted to share it with you!

This weekend <3

2011-11-01T21:55:00.001Z

It was foggy

Then there was a MASSIVE rainbow

Emily came over

We dip-dyed my hair extensions red!

Made adorable/awesome Halloween cupcakes!

ordered pizza online and it was absolutely divine! The dominos delivery was so fast and the pizzas were piping hot when we got them :) delicious!

Saw some bands

Got drunk

Fell asleep on the toilet at MOSH in derby like the classy bird I am ;)

Parked behind this!!

Spent lots of time getting ready

And even more time recovering on the sofa...

What did you do this weekend? xo

Life through a lens

2011-10-24T20:33:00.001+01:00

Lush rocketeer bath ballistic

Stew as a nipper doing what he still does best!

Anniversary dinner - eyes bigger than my belly

Starting work at 7am

Swapping anniversary gifts

Stupid iMessages

Ma face

Favourite song of 2011

Foil and mint leopard

Getting drunk on our own in the flat for no good reason

New kicks

Chocolate apples

Watching YouTube in the bath

Working out

Potential new car (!!!!!!!)

Bath time.

Thanks for reading! xo

The Hair Series: How I keep my tresses looking top-notch!

2011-10-18T19:50:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone :)

I recently changed my hair colour and as a result my hair regime has changed a bit so I thought I'd give you all the low down on how I'm keeping my hair pretty and in good condition!

(before the colour looking sexy in the hairdressers!)

First up here are some (embarrassing and posey) pictures of my new colour! It's not drastically different, my amazing hairdresser Brian bleached my roots and toned it for me so it's now a golden-sandy-ice-blonde haha! It's lush and my hair is so much softer and has so much shine. I loooooove it :)

The Tools:

My Denman D3 purple zebra brush. My dad always used to brush my hair with a classic denman brush and I really don't think you can beat them in terms of performance and quality... the fact this one is purple and zebra print just makes it even better! ♥

My Diva Pro Hairdryer - reviewed here! I've been raving about this for months and I'm not about to stop, I absolutely love it!

My hot pink Babyliss Three Barrel Waver. This was a christmas gift from Stew and I've only just really 'got it' - at first my hair was a bit 80's and crimped, then I looked like Kesha... now I've finally perfected 'Olsen Waves' and I've constantly worn my hair messy and wavy since!

Claire's accessories 'ponytail flipper'.. I bought this for £2 after writing this post. I absolutely love it and you can do loads of styles with it! Best £2 ever!

Wide toothed comb - simple but so important! I use this when I've just washed my hair to prevent breakage and make blow drying easier :)

Washing!!
My all-time favourite shampoo and conditioner are the Liz Earle ones - reviewed here. Other than those I just use a scalp and hair treatment and a purple shampoo...

The Clynol Reflex Silver Shampoo is absolutely unbeatable when it comes to eliminating brassy tones from blonde hair. Two major plus points are that you lather it in and rinse it straight out so don't have to wait 5 minutes for it to do it's work like most other purple shampoo's, this then means your hair isn't dried out from leaving the shampoo on! It's amazing :) I'd highly recommend it to any blondies.

I reviewed the Lush Hair Doctor here

For in-between days:

I reviewed Batiste Boho here and the Tigi dry conditioner is just incredible! It keeps my hair soft and silky and moisturised without the need for washing which obviously saves on heat damage. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

Taming my tresses:

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Relaxing Balm - I use this on my hair when it's damp to limit frizz when drying and styling. It's amazing and stops my hair being fluffy, frizzy and poofy. Instead I'm left with smooth, silky, frizz-free hair that smells lovely!

Clynol Animator Hairspray - I love non-aerosol hairsprays as they're more versatile and easier to control. This one from Clynol is no exception, it gives me amazing hold and my hair is SO shiny with no stickiness at all. It smells good and brushes out easily too ♥

A little bit of TLC:

I raved about the Schwarzkopf Bonacure Hair Therapy Oil Miracle Finishing Treatment (what a mouthful!) here.

The Clynol Caress does exactly what it says on the tube. Caresses your hair and helps to seal your split ends. The sealing 'action' leaves my hair so smooth and glossy that I'm a bit addicted to this now! i'm under no illusions that you can heal split ends but sealing them helps to keep styles neat, tidy and polished. I can't get enough of this :)

What have you been using recently to keep your hair in tip top condition?

xo

Current Faves ♥

2011-10-12T18:40:00.001+01:00

Bonjour Bloggettes!

I tweeted the other day saying that hopefully this week I'd be back to blogging and all seems to be going to plan so far!

Let's talk favourites!

The Body Shop Mango body Butter:

It's been years since I've used a Body Shop Body Butter and when I walked past the other day there was a sign up saying they were half price! It took me ages to decide between the mango one and this one. The Duo ones are new and look really great but when push came to shove I just couldn't resist the mango scent :)

CoverGirl Lash Blast Mascara

I'm sure you've all read/heard about this before! Unfortunately it's not available in the UK but luckily my friend went over to the states and stocked me up :) This is my 'Plan B' when I run out of MAC studio fix lash and I really loooove it!

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

Having been addicted to Estée Lauder Double Wear for ages I made this video and fell in love with my studio fix fluid again! Flawless coverage and lasts all day ♥

Oilatum Natural Repair Face Cream

I can't sing the praises of this stuff enough :) My skin is smooth, glowing and moisturised straight after using this! It's been featured by Nic Chapman on the Pixiwoo youtube channel numerous times so it must be good!

Big Sexy Hair Powder Play

This blows the VO5 one out of the water! My hair is HUGE and textured without feeling sticky or gross or weird! I'm going to purchase this over and over again, it's fabulous!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

I bought this when it first came out and thought it was 'good but not great'... Recently that's all changed and I haven't stopped using it! I use buck to fill my brows in a lot and love smog as a crease colour! This palette is so versatile and has colours to suit everyone.

MAC Cremesheen Glass in 'fashion scoop'

Sheer enough to slap on all the time but pigmented/milky enough to look cute, slightly shimmery but not too much and a bit moisturising too. Everything I look for in a lipgloss! Don't know what I'll do when this runs out :(

Ilamasqua Cream Blush in 'dixie'

In the pictures this looks like a pale pink, in 'real life' its a slightly coral toned pink (they describe it as a warm coral pink) and is really pigmented! All of the mess on the lid is where I dab the excess product off before I apply it otherwise it can be a bit keen haha!

VIVO Cosmetics Baked Bronzer in shade 3 'healthy glow'

I've never really been a bronzer girl. Contouring yes, but not bronzing! I always thought I was too pale... and a girl I went to sixth form with called Lucy used to wear SO MUCH BRONZER it put me off for life haha but I tried this out and it's perfect. It's just the right shade to give me a bit of colour and a bit of a glow, but doesn't look like I'm wearing bronzer! I think it's about £3.50 which is amazzzzing for 12g of product!

And that's it! What have you been loving recently?

xo

One Stop for gorgeous tailoring...

2011-10-10T19:05:00.000+01:00

Hey y'all!

I don't wanna jump the gun but I think I'm back!
Totally got my blogging mojojojo back and I'm feeling rested and better after my recent horrific virus/cold :)

Recently I've had a few emails from girls asking what I wear to work and I thought I'd address that whilst also telling you about some items I received recently.

I just want to start off by saying I've never been sent clothes for free before, this is new territory for me and I feel a bit weird about it! Either way, let's get down to it eh?

I was recently contacted by the PR for One Stop Plus a website offering fashionable, well made clothes in sizes 14-36. Now I don't necessarily think of myself as being 'plus size' but I do wear a size 14-16 (god damn you jeans making me go up a size!) on my bottom half and a 12-14 on my top half so I do fall into the market segment this website is aimed at ;)

Before I accepted the offer I spent around 90 minutes browsing the website to decide if it was something I want to promote and I was pleasantly surprised. The clothes are both fashionable and classic without being frumpy or 'tent like' (something I think Evans does very well, by the way......) I personally feel that no matter WHAT size you are, you should be able to rock stylish, fashionable items that are flattering and One Stop Plus definitely makes that dream a reality!

I chose the Laura Clement Milano Knit Blazer and the Celaia Blouse and then sat back and patiently waited for them to arrive!

I ordered both items in a Size 16 and unfortunately for me the jacket is now far too big because I've lost over a stone!! :( I'm going to get it taken in by a tailor though because I love it so much!

When they did arrive (at 8:15 in the morning) I was so excited for them I put them STRAIGHT on and wore them to work that day :)

The jacket is absolutely beautiful:

For me, tailoring and work wear is all about detailing. I steer well clear of black fitted trousers and shirts and wear pencil skirts with blouses and cardigans or a sharp dress with a fitted jacket. The detailing on this jacket is superb, the sleeves are lined with a stripey fabric and have gorgeous detailed buttons on the cuffs...

There is also a cute little 'laura clement' metal badge/logo on the front of the jacket and polka dot fabric underneath the collar! Adorable!

Although this jacket is too big for me now I do often wear it as outerwear when I'm going for lunch and things and I've received no end of compliments from colleagues on it :) the only slight downfall is that at £65 it isn't particularly 'cheap', however One Stop Plus currently have it on sale for £32!! BARGAIN! I'd recommend to look at the sizing chart because the sizing on these is generous :)

The blouse:

First of all, I'm so sorry for the creases in the photos! I wore this yesterday and I'm ashamed to say it lived in my floordrobe last night because I was too tired to pick up my room!

This is a dusty pink/gold/oyster satin blouse with sequins/beading on the arms and a ribbon trim around the neckline, the material makes it wonderfully flattering and it can be worn tucked into a pencil skirt or tucked out (?) haha with trousers! I feel a bit 'glam' when I'm wearing this at work and I actually think it would look beautiful with skinny jeans and huge heels for dressy-come-casual night out for cocktails... This would normally cost £35 but is currently on sale for £14, another bargain!

I adore both of these items and think One Stop Plus has a lot more to offer, you should definitely go and check out One Stop Plus if you're a size 14-32 and want some lovely news clothes :) loads of them are on sale at the moment too so snap them up!

xo

Missing In Action...

2011-10-06T22:07:00.000+01:00

I'm so sorry I haven't blogged for a while, things are insane at work and I have some personal 'stuff' going on too at the moment as well as being really poorly! :(

To make up for it, here are some lovely, inspirational photos! Thank you all so much for following this little piece of the internet and reading what I have to say, every time I log on and that little number has increased I get so excited!

sigh they're all so so pretty! Hope you're all having a lovely week so far! i'll be back soon with some cute work wear, amazing hair products, make up reviews and looks and some lifestyle posts too ♥

see you all soon! xo

i'm just a girl...

2011-10-02T12:26:00.000+01:00

Every now and then I like to mix things up with a guest post,Charlotte from Write like no one's watching kindly offered to write one for me and I told her to do whatever she so wished! When she emailed it over to me I was completely and utterly sucked in by her writing style, and nifty way with words. I absolutely love it and think Charlotte is going to go really, really far as a writer! Read on for her word skillz!

“You’re so vain. I bet you think this song is about you.”

It all begins from the moment I wake up. Waking up is hard for me. My phone will scream away, doing that classic iPhone jingle we all know and ~~loathe~~ love. I will, most likely, hit ‘snooze’ and then realise, ten minutes later, that I’m going to be late for work. Shit. I throw back the duvet. Dislodge a bleary eyed dog that had snuck his way under the covers at the boyfriend’s earlier departure. And panic. I rub the sleep from my eyes, the drool from my chin. My baggy t-shirt will be thrown over my head. My pyjama bottoms dropped to the floor, dragging my right foot out of the (always twisted) leg, managing to avoid falling over, only to bang my shin on the bed frame in the process. It’s a wild moment. Am human whirlwind. Mass destruction befalls my bedroom.

Until I pass a mirror that is.

In front of any reflective surface my (usually hectic and extremely over-dramatic) life comes to a standstill. I stop whatever I am doing and stare. Whether clothed, naked, swaddled in blankets or even (if the opportunity arose) wearing a bin bag, I will stop. I do it every morning. My dressing table has a triple vanity mirror and I have a large engraved mirror next to it. I cannot physically leave my room without passing them. Unless I crawl along the floor, but that is neither fun, nor ladylike. I flit between the two mirrors, hopping from leg to leg like a four year-old that needs a wee. Sometimes, I will actually need a wee. But that is highly unimportant when mirrors are concerned.

I will pose straight on, twist to the side, flip backwards and look over my shoulder to inspect my arse (which is, by all accounts, difficult to locate in just one mirror, two or more are often needed). I will squint, pout, leer and scrutinise. I will undertake the hugely important Bingo Wing Test (happy to report that I think I am okay...for now). I will prod at my boobs and consider the effects of gravity, aged 23.

All the while, another ten minutes have passed, and any possibility of me arriving at work on time, suitably dressed, with immaculate makeup and freshly washed hair, seems highly unlikely. Especially when there are plenty of reflective surfaces on the way there. It doesn’t matter what they are. I have several suitable mirror replacements, but they do all come with faults (you can’t beat a good mirror can you?).

1. The car door window.
They aren’t particularly flattering and seem to squash you and give you the appearance of having been hit with the ugly stick and a frying pan at the same time. Still, as they frequently occur, they are hard to ignore. It’s a bit of a Magpie thing with me. “Ooh! Shiny surface!”

Warning: Cars do have owners and you are in danger of being stared at like a loon, when the unsuspecting driver catches you pouting in their direction. You may also be mistaken for a car thief, which, you know, isn’t that good is it?

2. House windows.
Again these are another frequent occurrence. They offer a much better representation than the car door window, but are still a little blurry, which can be a good thing on a particularly bad hair day.
Warning: Do NOT ever backtrack and stare at your reflection. You may scare someone or possibly be reported.

3. Handheld mirror.
Usually the size of postage stamp, you can’t exactly get a full view in one of these babies. They are however for makeup touch-ups, after hay fever strikes or for when that bacon bap that you grabbed on the way to work has ended up all over your face.

Warning: It has been known that gawping into a handheld mirror can cause a person to walk into a lamppost, other human being and/or similar.

There are many other examples, but wine has been consumed and I grow weary.

I know it probably seems like I’m vain. Particularly when I have been known to check my face with my iPhone camera and jump up and down for half-second glimpses of my face in that-mirror-that-is-about-two-inches-too-high-for-me at work. But I happen to think otherwise.

My hair could look like a bird’s nest. My mascara could be more panda-eyed than doe-eyed. I could have a highly Visible Panty Line, because it’s the end of the week and I’ve had to wear THAT pair of knickers. I could have ketchup round my mouth or spinach in my teeth.

I’m just a girl. Surely that is a justified excuse?

If you loved this as much as I do, go and check out Charlotte's blog, here!.

xo

Looting like a London rioter ;)

2011-10-01T20:21:00.001+01:00

Yes, the title is a bit tongue in cheek. I know ;)

Yesterday I got paid my first full salary from my new job. Cue shopping! I actually bought a LOT more than this but most of it was stuff from Ann Summers, underwear, and things like face wipes that are just boring/not appropriate for the blog haha!

I bought little White soft canvas pumps with anchors and bows on them and plain black pumps from primark for £2 and £4! I also got tights and socks, boring!

Body shop mango body butter, half price so £6.25 I think! Mac 'dirty blonde' eyebrow pencil, £12 ish, oilatum natural repair face cream £8 ish, tigi bedhead rockaholic 'dry conditioner' £10 (I couldn't resist! Didn't even know you could get dry conditioner!), Filofax paper £3, chopsticks £3.75 and a little memory card holder £2.50!

I also bought some basic tops from topshop but I dunno where I've put them :/

Thanks for reading! xo

How to make a 'Cat's Special Smoothie'

2011-09-29T22:54:00.001+01:00

After tweeting a photo of a smoothie I had made for breakfast yesterday I had looooads of requests to blog the 'recipe' so here you go!

Step 1: pick your weapon of choice. Mine is a £7 blender from asda. Classy.

Step 2: put some fruit juice in it, whatever your favourite kind is :)

Step 3: chop up a banana, stick it in!

Step 4: get some ice cubes and some form of frozen fruit, mine is 'summer fruits' from asda. £1.97. Yum!

Step 5: stick them in!!

Step 6: blend the shit out of it.

Step 7: choose your second weapon of choice. Mine is a £3.50 protein shake cup from tesco. Because I'm a meathead.

Step 8: put it in the cup, like a pro.

Step 9: put the cup in the fridge ready for the morning!

And that's it! These are yummy, healthy and filling and save you time in the morning because you can make them the night before :)

The real beauty of them is you can use whatever fruit juice, and fresh or frozen fruit you want! You can add protein powder, flax, fibre powder, spinach, granola and a whole bunch of other ingredients to make it 'your own' and make your perfect breakfast smoothie! :D

All that's left is to pop it in your car or carry it to work/school/Uni or on the bus or just wherever you want however you want!

If you happen to make a particularly delicious smoothie PLEASE share the recipe with me in the comments! Hope that was useful for you all :)

Thanks for reading! xo

Operation: Save my skin!!

2011-09-27T18:28:00.000+01:00

Bonjour bloggettes! I hope you're all having a fantastic week so far :)

A short while ago I blogged here about how dreadful my skin had been since spending all of it's time sat in an air-conditioned office. Lot's of you took the time to comment, tweet and email me with some skin recommendations so I thought I would blog this evening and tell you all what I've been doing to get my skin back to it's normal state...

First up, I've been drinking a crapload of water. I've pretty much stopped drinking tea completely at work and I'm just having big glasses of water from the water cooler in the office.

I've also been eating lots of fruit and veg, although this comes with my weight watchers plan really so I suppose that's not a change... I've just kept it up!

Myself and my boss have been keeping our office windows open and the air-conditioning off in an attempt to get some fresh air into the room.

Finally, I've tried and tested a bunch of products and thankfully managed to find some that have sorted me right out!

First up, my trusty Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish

This is my absolute Holy Grail cleanser. I'm on my fifth bottle (so far!) and I'm not intending on stopping using it any time soon! There's a million reviews all over the internet and I've written about it before so I don't think I need to fully review it again! It's amazing ♥

For the particularly large breakouts/zits I use Sudocrem:

Again this is something lots of bloggers have written about and it really does work to dry out spots and reduce redness. I use it overnight normally but if I've got a particularly bad mountain on my face I dab it on first thing in the morning before I apply my make-up... For the few pounds it costs it's fabulous!

For the first time ever, I've been using an eye cream. Not just any eye cream - Liz Earle Daily Eye Repair:

I had noticed lots of dry skin around and under my eyes so decided to branch out and use my first ever eye cream. I didn't think I needed one at the 'fresh' age of 21 but I was very, very mistaken! This is really cooling and soothing and has genuinely really helped to get rid of the pesky dark circles under my eyes. Added to that it plumps up the skin and has SPF10 in it so it's an all rounder really! I'd 110% recommend this no matter what age you are, it feels lovely on the skin and means you don't need as much concealer under your eyes as well as all of the things I've rambled about above! ♥

For any spots/breakouts that aren't quite horrific enough to warrant the use of Sudocrem, I use this:

I've been using the Clean&Clear Dual Action moisturiser since I was about 15 whenever I've had spots or breakouts and it literally does exactly what it says on the tube. Moisturises and helps prevent spots and blemishes. Kelly has also used this for years and years and she often writes little snippets about it on her blog. Proof that Clean&Clear isn't just for teens!

I've absolutely cracked out the big guns:

Liz Earle SuperSkin Concentrate:

Holy Macaroni. This is genuinely one of the most amazing and addictive products in the world. It smells gorgeous (like all Liz Earle products!) and warms your skin ever so slightly when you apply it. You can use this absolutely anywhere on your body at night time for a really intensive treatment and I would recommend you slap it on all over, lay back, relax and thoroughly enjoy the scent and feeling of your skin being pampered and nourished. The 28ml bottle costs £28.75 but if that is out of your budget you can buy a little roller ball version for £19 or a dinky 2ml bottle for £5.50. I know it's expensive but it's an absolute miracle worker and has absolutely banished the dry skin from my face. I wouldn't recommend using it in the day time (and neither do Liz Earle) as it can be a bit greasy if you use too much! I know for a fact that this is going to be yet another Liz earle product that I go and pick up regularly from John Lewis!

Bio-Oil:

I'll be writing a much more in-depth review of this in a couple of weeks but I've found that it's really helped my uneven skin tone and has reaaaaaally hydrated my skin :)

Body wise I've been using my Elemis body oil, reviewed here and my Liz Earle SuperSkin body cream reviewed here.

I've also taken a leaf out of Victoria Beckham's book and started using these little bad boys:

These are cotton rich gloves and socks! HOW CUTE ARE THEY!

I slap my SuperSkin body cream onto my feet then pop on the socks, then cover my hands in it and pop on the gloves! After all that, I lie back.....and go to sleep! My hands and feet are super soft and moisturised when I wake up and it eliminates the faffing and messing about when you're trying to let moisturiser soak into your hands and feet so you just have to lay on the bed for ages and do nothing! Lot's of other brands do these but I'd recommend the Liz ones, just for the colour if nothing else! ♥

So! That was really long but thank you all so much for your hints, tips and tricks! It's only fair to share the knowledge so I really hope you enjoyed this post :) Do let me know if you've tried or want to try any of these amazing products in the comments! I love to read them :)

Until next time! xo

My new favourite...

2011-09-26T20:35:00.001+01:00

Way to wear my hair!

Its ridiculously simple, you just twist the sides of your hair, tie it into a ponytail then flip the ponytail over! Love it so much :) if you struggle with the 'flip' part then claires accessories still sell those little loop things that do it for you, they're about £4! I had one when I was little... It's weird how trends/styles come back round after a few years isn't it?!

Thanks for reading! xo

Get ready with me video - Saturday morning ♥

2011-09-24T13:51:00.001+01:00

Hey everyone! Thought I'd do something a bit different today and upload a video for you all, it was originally recorded to show my friend Chloe how I do my make up but I thought you guys might like it too?

If you do like it then please let me know in the comments if you'd like to see more of these!

xoxo

The Hair Series: Scruples! ♥

2011-09-22T18:38:00.000+01:00

Bonjour Bloggettes!

As you all know, at the moment I'm trying to put 110% into my skincare and haircare regime's and I'm taking you lot along with me as I try out new products and attempt to improve the condition of my skin and hair :)

I'm coupling this with improving my diet and fitness; following the Weight Watchers Pro Points plan and walking and jogging on my treadmill every day! So far I've lost 13.5lb (almost a stone!) and my skin and hair are starting to really improve now I'm making a much bigger effort with them!

Today I'm going to chat to you all about Scruples haircare. Scruples is a family owned group of hair salons that has been running for over 26 years now.. Alongside providing professional salon services, they also have a range of hair care and styling products.

I've been trying out a variety of Scruples products, including the moisture bath replenishing shampoo, the emergency repair conditioner, the smooth out straightening gel and the soothing polish conditioning serum.

One of the things I like most about the range is the colour co-ordination! I think the packaging is really sleek and stylish and the colour co-ordination makes it stand out in your bathroom.

Moisture Bath Replenishing Shampoo:

This is really moisturising and leaves my hair super duper soft! Unlike most other shampoo's this doesn't leave my hair knotty/tangled and it smells amazing. This does exactly what it says on the tin; cleanses and restores moisture to excessively dry, brittle hair :)

Emergency Repair Conditioner:

Like the shampoo, this does exactly what it says on the tin. It really penetrates your hair leaving it repaires, moisturised and a lot stronger, it also seems to make my hair less prone to breakage which is lovely! It smells great and you only need a tiny little amount (even on my hair which is getting quite long now!). I really love this and I 100% feel that it's made my hair a lot stronger since I've been using it ♥

Smooth Out Straightening Gel:

This is a heat activated gel designed to smooth and condition hair whilst making it shiney and controlling any natural curly-ness of wavy-ness. To use this I just pump one pump into my hand and apply it to my hair, focusing mostly on the mid-lengths then I blow dry it in sections with a round brush. The result is smooth and sleek hair that feels well conditioned and looks mega shiny! My only slight issue with this is that if you use too much it is like, sticky-hair-central. Start off with a tiny amount and then gradually tailor the amount you need to what is best for your hair :)

Soothing Polish Conditioning Serum:

This is a thick, white, creamy serum designed to detangle, add shine, and keep your hair looking healthy and gorgeous. I personally use this on my hair when it's dry instead of when it's damp because I use the straightening gel when my hair is damp! I just squeexe a 5-10p sized blob into my hands then rub that gently through the ends and mid-lengths of my hair. I then smooth any product that is left on my hands over my roots to 'stick down' any flyaways.

I mentioned in a previous haircare blog that I don't often dabble in professionbal haircare because I often find that you can achieve the same results with 'drugstore' products. However, the Scruples range is in a league of its own and has really changed the condition of my hair. My boss even asked me if I'd had it cut on Tuesday! (I didn't tell her I haven't had it cut for about 10 weeks!! eeeek!)

The shampoo and conditioner retail at £4.99 each, the soothing polish conditioning serum is £3.99 and the straightening gel is £8.50. All of the product are available on Beauty Bay. I think the prices are absolutely amazing considering the quality of the products! Cheaper than smoe 'drugstore' brands (John Frieda I'm looking at you!). Scruples also do a "Menz" range that is also available on Beauty Bay! The perfect gift for a sexy haired fella in my opinion :)

Have you ever tried any Scruples products or been to a Scruples salon? Tell me all about it in the comments!

Lots of love,
xoxo

Lil-Lets solve all of your little problems! ♥

2011-09-21T19:29:00.000+01:00

Tampons and Sanitary towels. Let's face it ladies, we all use one/both of those products every month. And, let's face it again, they're NEVER 'Happy Periods' (You'd think the Always marketing people would be a bit more clued up?) They're hardly the nicest of things and can be a right pain in the bum (or other areas! haha!) sometimes when you're trying to be discrete.

I personally keep all of my 'personal items' in a basket in the bathroom and put a folded hand towel (neatly disguised as a 'spare towel') on the top to hide them!

Recently Lil-Lets have bought out two new products aimed at solving some of these problems for you... because it's the little things that matter isn't it :) I've never seen these 'features' on Feminine Hygiene products before and to be honest they're problems that I've personally had over the years so I wantd to tell you all about them!

Let's talk about them shall we? I know, I know, you'd rather just ignore their existance but I'm pretty 'into' these... well as much as I can be considering what they are of course!

First up, the new Lil-Lets Silk Comfort compact applicator tampons:

Obviously the first thing you notice about these is that they're in a tub, not a box! Even better than that, the sleeve comes off meaning noone will know what's in there if they're in your bathroom! Obviously there is still the small 'lil-lets' logo on the front but you can turn the tub around to hide that!

Also, Lil-Lets have put the items into soft grey 'whisper wrappers'! HOORAY! no more embarrassing rustling and all sorts when you're in a public loo! They come in packs of 16 (lite and regular), 15 (super) and 14 (super plus) and all of the packs are the same price.

Packaging and price aside, these have extreme anti-leak protection (for peace of mind) and an extra grip cord. Always good!

These are available from Boot's, Sainsbury's, Superdrug, Tesco and lots of other major retailers for £2.39.

Next up, the new FreshLOCK Ultra towels:

Although these aren't my 'preferred feminine hygiene product' (as in, I don't use pads very often!!) I actually think I prefer the packaging of these to that of the tampons! These come in a mega cute little bag that has ribbon drawstrings and again, the sleeve can be removed to make them a bit more discrete.

like the tampons, the towels come in grey 'whisper wrappers' which is actually my favourite feature of these products. I'm not embarrassed about buying tampons or pads but I really hate all the noise and rustling and plastic-ey noises! When I was still at school I used to rip my ~~always~~ pads open before I went then stick the little tab back down so it wouldn't make noise in the school toilets haha! Too much info? sorry ;) So yeah, although they grey whisper wrappers aren't the prettiest thing I've ever seen, they're function over looks in my book!

These are available in packs of 4 (normal), 12 (long) and 10 (night) and all of the packs cost £1.89!

So there's that done. Period talk on my blog ;) all LOLZ aside, these are genuinely fabulous products, both in terms of their 'performance' and the thought and care that has gone into the design of both the products, the immediate packaging of them and the storage packaging. I wish these had come out when I was younger because they would have saved me a hell of a lot of worry and embarrassment!

Thanks for reading everyone!

xo

ps - i know this isn't overly 'technical' in terms of a review but there is only so technical i can be without showing you 'in action' images and NONE of us want that!!

Skincare Series: Herbalife NouriFusion ♥

2011-09-20T17:06:00.001+01:00

Aloha!
As you all know I've been focusing a lot on my skin recently, not only because of my air conditioned office at work, but also because i'm going to be 22 next April and I'm terrified of wrinkles/any form of ageing!

Although I'm a complete Liz Earle addict i'm quite cautious of my skin 'getting used' to products and therefore the products being less effective so every now and then I change up my skincare routine.

Most recently I've been using NouriFusion products from Herbalife.

The NouriFusion products are gentle and contain Vitamins A, C and E for healthy, glowing, satisfied skin :)

I have the Cleanser for normal to dry skin, Toner for normal to dry skin and Moisturiser for normal to dry skin.

Cleanser:

The cleanser is a white cream with hardly any scent to it. You pump out a few blobs of this from the bottle and massage it onto wet skin, you can then either rinse it off with hot water or polish it off with a muslin cloth. Both techniques result in clean, fresh skin that isn't dried out or irritated. This removes every single scrap of make-up, even on 'loads of eyeliner and waterproof mascara; days! The thing I like most about it is the pump bottle. It's so convenient and easy to use, it also minimalises product waste and mess :)

Toner:

The toner is a pale pink liquid that also has very little scent to it. I sprinkle a few drops of this onto a cotton pad and wipe it over my face and neck. It's really cooling and soothing and unlike most toners I've tried, doesn't make my skin feel tight or dry. I also really like the fact its a pinky coloured liquid ;)

Moisturiser:

The moisturiser is a white cream that you squeeze out of the little tube, I actually find this really rich and often use it at night time as an intensive treatment although recently as my skin has been dried out from the air con at work I've been using it twice a day! It's really lovely and intensively moisturising and doesn't leave a residue on my face or anything1 I love it :)

i've been religiously using these morning and night since I started having skin problems recently and they've made such a difference! Before that I was just using them sporadically - cleansing, toning and moisturising in the morning then just using face wipes in the evenings and although my skin looked lovely, I did have a few breakouts. Since I've been religiously using this little routine my breakouts have pretty much disappeared and although my skin still feels dried out when I get home from work, as soon as I use this 3 step system my skin feels nourished and really well moisturised. It's really relaxing and relieving actually in the evenings after my skin has been through hell throughout the day!

NouriFusion products can be bought here and are the following prices:

Cleanser - £15.65
Toner - £15.65
Moisturiser - £20.20

A little bit more expensive that the 'drugstore' but you get what you pay for and these are most definitely worth the money!

xo

Little mouse ears ♥

2011-09-17T11:33:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone :)
Recently Sarah from The OPI Junkie emailed me and asked if I'd like to review some earrings she makes. I always try to support smaller/handmade brands and other bloggers so I jumped at the chance!

Sarah has started an Etsy shop called Little Mouse Ears (cutest name ever!)and wanted to promote it a bit so she sent me some earrings to test out :)

Here are the three pairs of earrings Sarah was lovely enough to send me!

And some close ups!

How cute and beautiful and sparkly are they!

I think these are absolutely beautiful and I haven't stopped wearing the purple and turquoise ones since I received them in the post! They're heavy enough to feel expensive and well made but not so heavy that they hurt your ears :) I'm wearing the pale pink and turquoise ones right now!!

Semi-precious stones are so in right now and these give your outfit that little bit of glam whilst not being over the top. I've had loads of comments on them at work and lots of the ladies at work have asked where they're from so I've pointed them in the direction of Sarah's shop!

The pale pink and turquoise and purple and turquoise danglies are 'one off' pairs but I'm sure if you email Sarah at littlemouseears[at]gmail.com and refer to my blog post she will be happy to make you a custom pair to order!

'Star Crossed Lovers' are available on Sarah's etsy shop for £4.22. I also really, really love Sarah's Supernatural collection they're so pretty :)

What do you think? If you order a pair be sure to tweet me a pic or link me to any blogs you write about them :) They're so lovely!

Thanks for reading! xo

Recent-ness!!

2011-09-15T19:26:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone, as you read this I'm laying on my bed actually crying because I'm in so much pain!

Why am I in so much pain you ask?

Well, yesterday I went for a run and did 3k but I've been having issues with shin splints for a while... I was pretty sore all night and all day today... Then I came home from work today to find this:

Yup! A motorised V-Fit treadmill! I had emailed a man about it when I saw the ad on Gumtree last night and Stew went and bought it and collected it for me as a surprise today! I'm SO stoked to finally own one! It's only entry level and only goes up to 8kph but it's so special to me and I absolutely love it!

Anyway being the idiot I am I was so excited to have it I went and got changed and immediately did 40 mins of interval training (jog, walk, jog, walk) on it! I'm in so much pain now but I've rubbed 'joint mud' all over my shins and ankles and it seems to be helping a little! the only problem is I can't really walk so I'm not sure how I'm going to get to work tomorrow, hopefully the pain will have subsided by then!

Here are some other things that have happened recently:

I made bubble hats in the bath

Gave some pennies to breast cancer

Wore a moustache

Worked a lot

Wore my make up exactly the same every day (boring :( but I think it looks ok?)

Wore my slippers for the first time all year (hello winter!)

Ate a banana (how AWESOME is that photo considering I took it on my iPhone!)

Had homemade cookies and a glass of cold milk for supper one night...

...And lots lots more! My skin has almost cleared up completely now so I'll be blogging very soon to share with you all which products have performed miracles for me :)

Hope you're all ok!

Thanks for reading! xo

Book Review - My Single Friend

2011-09-14T17:28:00.001+01:00

Bonjourno Bloggerinos!

A while ago I blogged here about some new books that I had bought! I've just finished reading one so thought I would review it for you guys today :)

My Single Friend by Jane Costello

This book tells the story of three women who go about Project Henry. A mission to turn their geeky friend Henry into a sex god. Henry's transformation goes from cute but shy to sex god within days and Lucy isn't too sure she likes the 'new Henry'. This book will drag you to the pit of your stomach and back up to your eyeballs (which will probably be full of tears - both of joy and sadness). It's a real roller coaster of a read and I thoroughly enjoyed every second I spent turning the pages. It's 'chic lit' at it's best, cute, fun, sexy, romantic, funny and just a bit raunchy. I promise you will not be able to put it down! I got mine from 'The Works' for £1.99 but you can also get it here! Go and buy it now!

xo

PS - did I ever tell you lot about the time Freya North commented on my review of her book!!! I almost passed out with joy when I saw the comment as it is possibly my favourite book of all time :) Thank you so much Freya, if by any chance of a miracle you're reading this! ♥

Little life savers ♥

2011-09-12T17:04:00.000+01:00

Bonjour bloggettes! Yesterday I went to a car show for the day with Stew.. It was great fun but wind, rain and dust etc meant I wasn't quite looking my best by the time we left at 5pm! We then decided to stop off at Stew's parents' house on the way home for dinner! Cue panic!

I made Stew stop off at a Tesco's and dashed round picking up essentials; water, gum, and these:

TRESemmé instant refresh waterless foam shampoo and VIVO roll on undereye concealer :)

I believe the shampoo was about £4.50 and the concealer was about £3.50 which is good!

At first I was totally freaked out about putting the foam shampoo in my hair because we were in the car and it said to rub your hair with a towel after applying the waterless foam.. well I didn't have a towel! So I just used two pumps of it, ran it through my hair focusing on my roots and brushed it through with my little mini denman brush that I keep in my handbag and it was AMAZING! My hair was completely refreshed and genuinely looked freshly washed, it also smelt of watermelons which was great :) I blogged about some of the other TRESemmé naturals products a while back here and this waterless foam shampoo is proof that the whole range is amazing ♥

The VIVO undereye concealer is very refreshing and soothing to apply because the rollerball is really cold. As a concealer it isn't particularly pigmented but it generally refreshes and brightens the whole area and I really like it :)

When we arrived at Stew's parents' house Stew's mum told my my hair looked lovely and I look really 'alert' and 'glowing'! haha! Little did she know it was all down to my little life savers that I'd grabbed at Tesco's for under a tenner!

Have you tried either of these products? Do you think they're as life saving as I do?

Thanks for reading! xo

Sheer Radiance - Club Cleo!

2011-09-11T16:07:00.001+01:00

IYA!! I know, I suck! I've just been so busy with work and everything that blogging has taken a bit of a back seat. Hopefully i'm going to get back into the swing of things this week though :)

On the subject of work I want to tell you all about one of the products that has recently helped me improve my skin a bit. I blogged here the other day about my skin SOS and as a result I've bought (and been sent) a few bits to try out to try to save my skin!

One of those things is the Cleao Probiotic Skin Sheer & Radiance Polish.

This is a clear liquid (that smells a bit like superglue!!!) that you rub onto your damp face (not your eyes!). You keep rubbing until it starts to feel 'bitty' and then wash it off with warm water.

The 'bits' that you feel after you've rubbed for a while are actually DEAD SKIN CELLS! Gross right? But totally amazing!
The first time I used this, lets just say I had a lot of 'bits' going on... I was really grossed out by it and got a bit addicted to it haha!

I now use this about twice a week and I focus on my forehead, chin and nose because thats where I've been getting the most dry skin. It's really brightened up my complexion and my skin has definitely improved a lot since I've been using this. The only thing I will say is that it can be a bit terrifying because it smells like superglue. It doesn't sting your face or dry your skin out or anything :)

I think the best thing about this is that you can actually physically feel and see all of the dead skin coming off your face which is really refreshing and quite comforting really - it means you can make sure you've got rid of all of the dead skin cells properly, meaning that more oxygen can circulate your skin, which in turn means your skin will be more radiant and rejuvinated!

I absolutely love this and if you're currently suffering with dry skin or a dull complexion for any reason I would 100% recommend this to you! Just don't be put off by the scent! Another thing is that you only need a tiny bit because its quite a thin liquid, I've had my 50ml bottle for over a month and there is still loads left :)

You can buy the polish here. Its £19.99 for 50ml but you get a discount if you buy more than one bottle!

Two bottles = £17.50 each
Four bottles - £14.95 each

Take it from me, you will get completely addicted to the way this makes your skin feel so I'd recommend you buy two bottles! ;)

I really want to try the 3 stage set perhaps that will have to be a payday treat!

Thanks for reading, have a lovely Sunday evening xo

S.O.S!!

2011-09-08T17:07:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone!
I'm going to cut straight to the chase here, I need your help!

I've been at my new job for about three weeks now, and as much as I absolutely adore it, it's destroying my skin :(

The air conditioning and computers are drying my skin out like I've never seen before! I've increased my water intake and started moisturising three times a day but it doesn't seem to be making any difference... My skin is dry, tight, and flakey and I'm breaking out EVERYWHERE. If you've read my blog for a while you'll know I don't really get spots ever but for the last three weeks my skin has been dreadful :(

Do any of you have this problem? How do you deal with it?

Obviously I'm not going to post a picture of my zits but here's a couple I've taken recently where you can see my skin just isn't good!!

Errrgh hello disgusting skin!!

So, are there any spot fighting/moisturising products you can recommend to me? Or any office tips that will also go some way towards limiting my skin problems?

I'm going to do some research tonight to see if there are any companies that specialise in office skincare :)

Hope you're all ok,

Thanks for reading! xo

An amazing surprise ♥

2011-09-05T09:00:00.119+01:00

Happy Monday bloggeroonies!

If blogger posts this correctly, it will go 'live' at 9am on Monday morning... so whilst you're reading this think of me at work! haha :) (it didn't work! Sorry)

So, a few weeks ago now I was woken up by the buzzer in the flat and given a HUGE box by the postman! Here is what the box of joy contained:

I was so, so surprised to receive this... normally if I'm lucky enough to receive anything from a PR they email me beforehand so a complete surprise was amazing!

The attention to detail was absolutely breathtaking and I've kept the tissue paper, lavender etc just because it was all so pretty!

Within the bag was some new products from Guy Kremer's new designer hair range.

I was lucky enough to be surprised with the Add The Bounce Cleanser (shampoo) and Add The Bounce Rebalancer (conditioner) both retailing at £6.95 each, the Protection Serum retailing at £8.95, the Body Booster Spray retailing at £8.95 and the Perfect Hold Putty retailing at £8.95! Also in the parcel was a jar of Raspberry and Lavender Jam from Long Barn and a packet of Lavender Fudge, also from Long Barn (the theme of the package was lavender.....)

Now, first of all I'd like to say that Kimberley, the PR who was amazing enough to send me this completely had her finger on the pulse. I'm not sure if she was just psychic or if she had been reading my Twitter but I've recently been complaining about my hair feeling very thin and flat so these bounce and volume boosting products were absolutely spot on thank you so much Kimberley!

So, I guess you all want to know my opinions! I want to keep this all fairly simple and quick because otherwise it’ll be as long as my arm!

Add the Bounce Cleanser and Rebalancer:
These are both formulated to balance the hairs chemistry and restore it to optimum condition before styling. These really, really have restored some bounce into my limp, bleached locks. My hair is full of body and volume but not weighed down and feels healthy, smooth and silky. These perform above and beyond their £6.95 price tag and smell absolutely gorgeous. The cleanser (shampoo) lathers easily and doesn't tangle my hair and the rebalancer (conditioner) makes my hair smooth and silky within 3 minutes (no more waiting around for 10 minutes to see minimal results! Yay!) A little also goes a long way which makes these really good value for money.

Add the Volume Body Booster Spray:
You spray this onto towel dried hair from root to tip then blow dry as normal. This boosts my hair even more and leaves it really, really glossy which is something I rarely see as my hair is so bleached. It doesn't weigh the hair down at all and has a really subtle scent of lavender that lingers in the hair a little bit :) lovely!

Protection Serum:
This is a leave in serum that seals the ends of the hair and protects it from the harsh environment (wind, rain, sun, etc). Since I've been using this I’ve definitely noticed less breakage when I brush my hair out after styling and it seems to infuse my hair with a bit of moisture as well as making it shiny. Like all of the GK products I've tried this is absolutely fabulous.

Perfect Hold Putty:
Obviously this isn't something I use often! I rub a bit of it into my roots to scruff my hair up every now and then, but Stew has been using it to give him 'bed hair' for work (where he isn't allowed to wear one of his 30 New Era caps :D) and he's been really impressed with it. It holds his hair really well even through a 9 hour shift and has a matte finish - something that’s massively important to him as he hates wet look/shiny finishes on his hair. He also estimated to me that the pot would last him 'the rest of his life' as he only needs to use a tiny bit. Another thing to note is that it doesn't smell overly feminine so can be used by both you and your boyfriend/partner/husband.

The pink and purple/maroon packaging is absolutely BEAUTIFUL and I love the scent of all of the products so much so that I really, reaaaaaaally want to try the Hydro Rescue Cleanser and Rebalancer that are formulated to provide intense moisture and hydration for dry, dull hair. I want to alternate using the Hydro Rescue range and the Add The Bounce range as I think these would make my hair very, very happy! The Smoothing Balm for styling sounds divine as well ♥

By the way, the jam and fudge were also absolutely delicious! I really am so grateful for this lovely surprise and think I've finally found an entire hair range that works for my hair and gives the results that I want :) normally I love the shampoo but not the conditioner or viceversa, or I adore the styling products but not the shampoo and conditioner!

Although I know these products are a little higher than 'drugstore' prices, they're also cheaper than most 'designer' or 'salon' ranges and I really think they're worth investing in! If you give them a try be sure to let me know in the comments what you think, I'd love to know!

xo

The Perfect Pair - Liz Earle Exfoliator and Sheer Skin Tint!

2011-09-04T18:50:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone! Happy sunday! :) i've actually been crazy busy today... Stew set off at 6am for Silverstone where he's press for Trax (a big car show) and I got up at about 10am and decided the flat needed an overhaul. Before I knew it I had tidied the whole flat and cleaned it and completely re-organised a HUGE cupboard that is outside our flat. It took me almost 4 hours to do it all then I did two loads of laundry, had a long bath and painted my nails and toenails! PHEW! So much for a day off eh? ;)

Anyway, sunday update over.. I wanna talk to you all about two products I've been using non-stop recently :)

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator and Sheer Skin Tint.

The gentle face exfoliator retails at £13 for a 70ml pump bottle and the Sheer Skin Tint isn't actually available yet, I was lucky enough to be sent it as a 'pre launch exclusive' or whatever you'd like to call it ;) I've been blogging about Liz Earle for a really long time and I've loved everything.. when they emailed me to tell me they were launching a tinted moisturiser I almost passed out with excitement haha! The Sheer Skin Tint retails at £21 for a 40ml tube and you can pre-order yours here.

First into the ring, the gentle face exfoliator:

This is a thick white cream packed full of jojoaba beads that gently slough away dead skin cells from your face. This leaves my skin looking smooth, radiant and healthy. I've been using it twice a week and following it with my Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser. With some facial exfoliators I find that they can really dry my skin out and leave it quite red, I suffer with a lot of redness in my cheeks and it makes me really upset and self conscious some days.. this exfoliator doesn't cause any of those things! If anything I think it actually reduces the redness in my skin a little bit, possibly because of the eucalyptus in it? hmmm..either way its fantastic and I would absolutely recommend it to anyone who finds most facial exfoliators too rough :)

Next, the sheer skin tint in 'Bare 01':

This is a really creamy yet surprisingly lightweight tinted moisturiser. The miracle workers at Liz Earle spent three years creating this and oh boy did they do a great job! I've been wearing this every single day, at home, at work, in Asda, visiting friends, running errands, shopping, everything. It's perfect.

I'll hold my hands up and be completely honest, I was worried about using this for the first time.. like I said above I have a lot of redness in my skin, I've also had a few breakouts recently (hormonal and also because I'm quite stressed out/exhausted with my new job! gahhh) and I was worried that it wouldn't have enough coverage for my needs (I'm addicted to the likes of Estée Lauder Double Wear). BUT joy of joys this evens out my skintone perfectly and gives just enough coverage to sneakily hide a few spots and large pores as well as really brightening up my overall complexion and giving the skin a lovely, dewy, healthy finish. I'm so, so in love with this. The other day when I arrived at work (at 8:30am) two of the girls in the office asked if I'd been for a facial the day before! Little did they know I'd not got to bed until 3am and I felt like POO haha! This is the perfect 'hide all sins' product :) ♥

If you're after healthy, dewy skin with just enough coverage to hide all of your skins, SPF15 and a dash of moisture in there too then this is the tinted moisturiser for you. It also photographs really well (some skin products with SPF can 'flash back' at the camera giving you a ghost face!). It wears really well throughout the day (I've found that I don't need to touch up until about 1pm and I put it on at 7am!) and when it does enevitably start to wear off, it does so gracefully (hahaha) no patches, no creasing, just subtle wearing :)

Can you tell I love these two? haha! Sorry I've rambled on for so long ;)

Have you tried either of these? Do you love them as much as I do?

xoxo

Have you heard?

2011-09-02T17:44:00.001+01:00

LUSH have recently changed their policy where if you take 5 black pots back you can get a free fresh face mask worth £5.50!

Now if you take 5 black pots back you can either get a fresh face mask or a pot of hair doctor worth £6.50!!

I only found this out when I popped in yesterday to take some black pots back! I chose the hair doctor because I prefer hair treatments to face treatments :)

Quite frankly the hair doctor looks like mud. It's a really thick consistency and actually seems hard when you open the tub! Weird! It says on the pot you should plaster it all over your hair and scalp and wait for 20 minutes then rinse off :) I did this when I got home from work today at 5 and oooohhhhh my god this stuff is incredible (hence me blogging about it straight away)!! It feels SO cooling and tingly on your scalp and left my hair feeling so soft and lovely :)

It says on the pot to use half a pot on short hair and a full pot on long hair but I actually only needed a third of a pot today meaning this is really good value for money! I'm definitely going to buy another pot of this when this one runs out, it's so lovely to use and a really calming and relaxing sensation whilst it's on your head!

Another plus is that if you have a bunged up nose or anything this will sort you right out! It smells of peppermint and essential oils, so good ♥

Have you tried the hair doctor? Did you know the LUSH policy had changed?

Happy Friday!
Thanks for reading! xo

Skincare Series: Tiny Treats!

2011-09-01T18:01:00.002+01:00

Bonjour bloggettes!

Hope you're all fabulous as ever! Today I'm writing another skin care related post but this time about some cute and amazing travel products! :)

The MÁDARA Eco face 'travel and trial' skincare kit for normal/combination skin contains a whole bunch of skincare essentials. Perfect for trying out a new skincare regime or taking on holiday :)

This little box of joy contains:
-delicate cleansing milk 25ml
-deep moisture fluid 5ml
-regenerating night cream 5ml
-2x 5ml sachets of deep balance toner
-5ml sachet of eye repair cream

I took this back to Cambridge with me recently and absolutely loved it! The products are effective and easy to use and didn't irritate my skin, they also smell really lovely and a little bit goes a long way meaning my travel kit easily lasted 3 days but I think it would last 4-5 days tops!

(stupid iphone wont spin these round sorry!!)

I also really love MÁDARA honey milk dream bath milk :)

I'd strongly recommend you try MÁDARA out :) it's a really great brand and definitely gives you the spa feeling at home!

Huge thumbs up from me!

Are you heading off on a late holiday or even just for a weekend at your boyfriends/parents/a friends? You should pick this up to save you carrying a tonne of heavy bottles around!!

You can buy it here!

Thanks for reading! xo

Skin Care Series: Eve of St Agnes :)

2011-08-29T03:11:00.001+01:00

Eve of St Agnes are a Derby based natural skincare brand offering cleansers, moisturisers, lip balms and lots of other products! I'm currently working on a project to give brands like this a bit more press, especially those based in the Derbyshire area so the brand owner Emma offered to send me some samples :)

I've been trying these out for a while now and thought I'd share my opinions with you, and use this post to kick off my skincare series!

Strawberry Lip balm:

This lip balm comes in a dinky little tin and smells absolutely divine! the tin has been nestling next to my laptop on my desk and I've been using it non stop!! It's really moisturising and tastes good as well as being really affordable at £2.95!! it also comes in 'pineapple and coconut' and 'caramel' flavours, mmmmmmm ♥

Another awesome thing about these is that they can be personalised as gifts, wedding favours or just if you want a bunch of lip balms with your name and photo on them! I think it's an amazing idea :)

Hot Cloth Cleanser:

this also came with a muslin cloth but it's in the wash!

I geuinely cannot believe I'm about to type this, but I think I prefer this to my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish! It's a 2-in-1 eye make up remover and cleanser and as I said above, comes with a lovely muslin cloth. for £5.95 you get 50ml of the cleanser and you honestly need the TINIEST amount as it's a really thick, luxurious cream and a little goes a long way! I've used mine at leaast 10x and have hardly used an eighth of the pot, it will last ages! this has a nicer scent than the Liz Earle C+P and leaves my skin completely clean with just one cleanse. I absolutely love it and I will 100% be ordering another pot! I'd recommend this absolutely everyone!

Vitamin face cream:

This is a thick, lovely moisturiser that smells gorgeous. Like the hot cloth cleanser you only need the tiniest amount to cover your whole face and it leaves my skin really amazingly soft and looking radiant :) Love it! It costs £8.50 for 50ml which I think is a great price (compared to lush's £25 for a face cream! hmph!). I'd recommend that you order this with the hot cloth cleanser as they make a perfect pair!

So all in all Eve of St Agnes gets a MASSIVE thumbs up from me! Amazing, high quality natural skincare from a small, local company :) perfect!

I think it's really important for bloggers to support local independent brands as well as the bigger corporate brands! Little independent companies don't get enough hype in my opinion ;)

xo

Update!!

2011-08-26T17:09:00.000+01:00

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I just thought I'd write a super quick update to say I have been featured here!! :) Exciting stuff!

Also,
I was recently named as a So Feminine Top 100 Beauty Blogger!

Words can NOT describe how happy and grateful I am for this :) I'm number 77 which is faiiiirly low on the list but all the same it's a huge, huge achievement for me. I just wanted to thank my mum, my production team....

....oh wait just kidding! I want to thank you guys!! for stopping by here every once in a while, following, and leaving me lovely comments :) I blog because I love it and it's a lot of fun for me and I really love knowing that other people enjoy my blog as much as I do, so thank you again and again and again! I'm going to pop the badge over in my sidebar so wanted to explain what it was to you all!

I think the best thing about this Top 100 Blogger's thingy is that it isn't a list of the 100 blogs who have the most followers or are necessarily the most 'popular', it's a real mix of established, amazing bloggers and up-and-coming, amazing bloggers! ♥

That's all for today I'm afraid! I've successfully completed my first week at work and quite frankly, i'm knackered!! time for a cup of tea on the sofa, in my pyjamas, and maybe a nap ;)

Have an amazing bank holiday weekend! I'm sure I'll be posting tomorrow :)

xoxoxo

A cheeky 'day before payday' treat ♥

2011-08-25T21:09:00.001+01:00

Hullo everyone!
Tomorrow is payday (wooo!) and payday where I work is 'dress down friday' so there are two reasons to be excited!

The other day in town I spotted this bag and couldn't resist going back today to snap it right up!

Squeeeee! HOW CUTE?!

(the colours aren't that bright, silly flash!)

It's from river island and is dark navy blue with little brown doggy silhouettes all over it and two short handles and a long shoulder strap!

I LOVE IT SO MUCH! even better than that, it was only £40! So cheaaaap :)

I also bought these little black suede heels from new look for £20 as I thought they'd be perfect for work!

Oh and I bought some tights from m+s! They're £6 a pair which is so expensive but primark ones are £3.50 a pair now which is a joke! Does anyone have any recommendations as to where I can get well priced 80-100denier black tights from?

Hope you're all having a great week :) have you bought yourself any payday treats?

Thanks for reading! xo

Some recent snaps!

2011-08-24T18:12:00.001+01:00

Iyaaaa!

Me and my cousin Mel being silly

OH HAI WATERMELON

Wavy hair ♥

This is now adorning my car!

In a spaceship at the national space centre

First-day-flowers from the boy!

Work makeup! (even though it's b+w haha!)

My second day at work was amazing, got my first payslip after just two days haha! Lucky start day or what ;) (let's just say if I get paid that much a week every week I'll be a VERY VERY happy girl!) and launched a few new projects. I'm so surprised at the amount of responsibility I've been given and my department is so incredible and supportive! The company is fantastic and I can really progress there :)

I've always been more on the 'corporate' side of things (rather than say, media or art or something) so for me an office environment is absolutely perfect! Especially in an industry that is absolutely booming at the moment! Last night I couldn't sleep because I was so excited to go back today!! Crazy stuff ;)

I'm hoping to be able to continue blogging as regularly as possible (hopefully every other day!) and I have a HUGE skincare series coming up next week which should be really exciting!

Hope you're all having a great week so far :)

Thanks for reading! xo

A little bit of shopping!

2011-08-23T21:59:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a lovely Tuesday! I tweeted the other day saying Stew's parents had sent me a lovely card with a Debenhams gift card in it :)

Well I popped to Debenhams Sunday morning and got a couple of bits!

Clinique bottom lash mascara in black and Urban Decay Super-Saturated high gloss lip color in 'Crush'!

I've wanted the bottom lash mascara for a while and the NEON pink of this high gloss lip pencil (similar to the Clinique chubby sticks but much more pigmented) just completely sucked me in!

It's so beautiful, I've already worn it three times and it glides onto the lips really easily, has a gorgeous glossy finish and also leaves a slight stain on them so it doesn't wear off as quickly! I'm completely in love with it :) they also had a red, orangey coral, berry and a sparkly darker pink!

I havent seen anyone blog about the super-saturated pencils yet so I think they might be one of those overlooked products! Next time you're at an urban decay counter give them a swatch, you will NOT be disappointed, I promise.

Bottom lash mascara: £10
Super-Saturated pencil: £14

Bonus photo I took before went to see my all time favourite band H2O on Sunday at Camden Underworld!

Thanks for reading! xo

Ps - thank you SO MUCH for all the tweets, emails, comments an texts yesterday and today about my first day at work. My new job is fantastic, a HUGE amount of responsibility and a massive challenge but I already love it unconditionally :) not as much as I love the support from you lot though ;) n'awwww!

What's in my 'work bag'?

2011-08-22T22:27:00.001+01:00

Aloha Bloggeroonies!
Whilst you're all relaxing reading this, I'll be jumping into the shower, blowdrying and straightening my hair, moisturising like a mad woman then painting my nails, choosing an outfit and collapsing into bed to get some beauty sleep in preperation for my first day at my new job tomorrow!

I thought I'd share my bag with you all, and the things i'm taking with me :)

Bear in mind that I'm based in a head office and my hours are 8:30/9am-whenever I finish! Also, the office isn't in a city or anything like that so unless I take things with me, I can't really get hold of them!

SO, here is my handbag! It's from Marc B (at Topshop) and I bought it a million years ago haha!

Onto the contents:

My epic lunch/snack box (I twitpic'd this earlier)
Bottle of water (always important!)
Filofax Apex
Ryman soft touch notebook (moleskines are SO BLOODY EXPENSIVE! this was £4.50!)
Car/flat keys (and a swarovski keyring that Stew bought me! so pretty!)
Purse (from DC, another gift from Stew)

Umbrella (Primark)
Tissues
Hand food hand cream
Impulse body sray (smells surprisingly good, only for sweaty moments!)
Hello Kitty Mirror (need to sharpie her eyes!)
Hand sanitiser
Mints
Inhaler
Sunglasses
A million pens

(Thanks to Laura and Lucy for recommending hand sanitiser and about a thousand pens, amongst other things)

MAC liberty of london makeup bag containing:
powder (just a cheap one i want to use up) and kabuki
Lipstick (MAC - creme cup)
Softlips lip balm
Blistex relief cream
Illamasqua skin base sample
Waterproof eyeliner (rimmel)
Witch concealer pen (I hate this so want to use it up)
Barry M lipgloss
Posie tint and high beam
Eve of St Agnes lip balm (LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT)
Batiste mini denman hairbrush!

Harrods Hello kitty purse containing:
Plasters
Paracetomol
Hair bobbles and pins
Gum and
Ear plugs (I work for an engineering firm and will be spending my time on some sites - lots of noise!)

PHEW! Have I forgotten anything? I hope not because my bag (read:suitcase) weighs a TONNE!

xo

ps - I lost 2.5lb on Weight Watchers this week bringing my Weight Watchers total to 7lb but my overall weight loss total to 12lb!

pps - tomorrow I'm wearing my black M+S pencil skirt, a cute blouse from H+M, a black jacket from La Redoute, thick primark 'super cosy' tights (I have tattoos on my feet!) and black pointy court shoes! :)

may or may not be absolutely completely and utterly shitting myself about being a proper grown up now!

Pearls are a girls best friend ♥

2011-08-20T16:14:00.000+01:00

Konnichiwa bloggettes! (well, bonjour got a bit boring!)

The title is not referring to that really weird and awkward set of tampax pearl adverts (I mean really?! how can that be made glam/nice/happy?!). Nope, it's referring to my current favourite lipglosses!

Miners Pearls for Girls are a set of 6 lipgloss shades for the 'modern day Audrey Hepburn'. Designed to easily take you from noon to night, each gloss has a sophisticated yet feminine pearlescent finish and they smell really good!

Swatcheroonies:

Pink Pearl - a sheer, pale pink. I've been layering this over matte pink lipsticks to glam them up a bit!
Pearly Girly - a mid toned pink, I've had this in my car for easy on-the-go touch ups.
Crushed Pearl - a gorgeous, deep berry shade. This is bang on trend at the moment and looks great with a flawless base and heavy black eyeliner. Love it!
Pearly Kiss - a vibrant, corally red. Perfect for the summer and the one that currently lives in my handbag! It looks amazing either on it own or layered over a peach/coral lipstick!
Oyster - the most interesting shade of the bunch, although this looks very odd in the swatches in looks gorgeous on the lips, giving a slightly nude pearlescent finish, so pretty!
Mother of Pearl - a stunning gold/bronze colour that is really pigmented but I think it's better suited to darker skin tones. I'm not a big fan of this on my ghostly face! ;)

I'm really proud of how these images came out, they show the pearly-ness of the glosses really well and are true to colour :) I love the cute girly packaging and the twisty-up bit! It makes it so easy to control whether you want a sheer layer or a pop of colour!

These glosses are genuinely stunning, the packaging is really sleek and slim (making them easy to pop into even the tiniest of handbags/clutches) and there is a colour to suit everyone both in terms of skin tone, and in terms of personal taste. They're also really moisturising so I've been using them as a balm/gloss hybrid! :)

The best part is they only cost £3.50!! You can snap them up here! Miners do lots of amazing products, not just these glosses; 'vogue' lipstick is a stunning red and the Beauty Brilliance Highlighters have a gorgeous finish on the skin :)

Have you ever tried anything from Miners? If you could, what would you try?

xo

Aussie-versary Summer Party Pack Winners! ♥

2011-08-20T11:42:00.000+01:00

Happy Saturday Bloggeroonies!
I dragged myself out of bed and went and had my eyebrows waxed this morning so I'm celebrating having luuuurvely eyebrows now! I've just spent an hour reading through the entries for my Aussie Summer Party Pack giveaway and I've finally managed to pick 7 winners!!

I just want to say that all of the entries were fabulous and really made me smile, it warms my heart to know that so many people had something to celebrate, no matter how big or small! i'm sorry I didn't have 24 Summer Party Packs to give away :(

Winner 1: Catrin
Reason to celebrate: Hi Cat, I would love to win the summer party pack! I am celebrating because I've been seeing my personal trainer for 3 months now, have lost 2 stone, and can finally run a 5k!!! Xxxx

Putting up with a person trainer is an achievement, losing 2 stone is a BIG DEAL and being able to run 5k is quite frankly worth some sort of street party in my opinion so congratulations Cat! You're a winner!

Winner2: Heather
Reason to celebrate: How lovely! I am celebrating my boyfriend moving all the way from Gloucestershire to Fife in Scotland to live with me! :)

I thought this was cute and it really made me smile as I know how nice it is to be able to finally live with the boyf and build a home together :) So congrats Heather! You're a winner!

Winner 3: Caz
Reason to celebrate: I'm celebrating because i've just got my A Level results and got into university!

WOOHOO! Congratulations Caz! Now you can have your very own Summer Party Pack to take to Uni with you!

Winner 4: Sara
Reason to Celebrate: Hi Cat,
Due to medical reasons I had to defer my winter exams for university until late August, and so I won't have finally finished my third year until I sit them in a week and a half. I'm so scared about them but once I've finished them the summer will finally begin for me! And it will only last three weeks before the new term begins! So I plan on squeezing as much summer celebration into the start of September as possible, and an Aussie Summer Party Pack would make it even better!
Sara xx

Three weeks to celebrate a whole summer will be pushing it so Sara definitely deserves an Aussie Summer Party Pack to make those three little weeks even better! Congratulations m'love! :)

Winner 5: Klee
Reason to celebrate: IM CELEBRATING THE FACT IM ONLY ENTERING YOUR GIVEAWAY EVEN THOUGH THERES MILLIONS OF THEM SO I BETTER BLOODY WIN. OR SOMETHING. XXX

Just to clarify, Klee hasn't won because she said 'I better win'!!! She's won because she took a chance in my giveaway (because if she had wanted she could have entered about 50) and that's deserving of an Aussie Summer Party Pack! haha :)

Winner 6: Nikki
Reason to celebrate: I do have something to celebrate! After a few days of handling her whilst she was hissing and curling up, my cute new pet african pygmy hedgehog has finally become used to me and friendly enough for me to just pick her up whenever without her being grumpy and she's adorable! <3 xo

Lemme just explain this, Nikki is a friend of mine who has just started her own blog (link above) when she put a picture of her new pet on facebook I didn't believe it but you read it right! Nikki and Rich have just got a pet hedgehog! Definitely a FAB reason to celebrate and you know what it's so bloody cute I'm going to steal a picture from her facebook...

SQUEEEEEE!! I want one! Cutest reason to celebrate EVER congrats Nikki!
Also here is a video of one swimming. oh.my.god. ♥

Winner 7: Chloe
Reason to celebrate: I need to celebrate: making some decisions and giving up on monotonous job hunting for jobs I don't want. I also need to celebrate my first anniversary with The Guy next week (a big deal for us both as we were adamant we didn't want relationships and then got together). I'm also celebrating The Guy getting into University and starting soon. And should I be celebrating a proper referral from the hospital to finally find out what's wrong with me?!
There we go. Celebrations to go with something fizzy, must dig out something fizzy now I think of it!

There's so many reasons to celebrate in that little comment, it made me smile so much! Congratulations Chloe!

I hope you all enjoy your summer party packs! Tweet me and link me to any pictures of you with them/anything! I want to seeee!

xo

Tilly Bagshawe - Flawless

2011-08-19T15:30:00.000+01:00

Second post of the day! Crikey ;)

Yet another 10/10 read that has had me snuggled into my sofa/bed/stews car for weeks! I took this EVERYWHERE with me an even read it whilst at Stew's parents house because I couldn't put it down!

Have you read this? Did you enjoy it as much as me?

xo

Something interesting!

2011-08-19T14:53:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone! Happy friday :)
I just thought I'd share this video with you today as I found it really interesting... As I mentioned in a previous post I'm actually on the lookout for a new laptop at the moment so things like this are catching my eye a lot more than they normally would!

It's made me seriously consider purchasing one of those laptops! I think they should make a comparison video haha :) Although that would probably lead to a lot of wasted laptops right?

Did you find it as interesting as I did or am I just being extra geeky today? Would your laptop boot or bust?! I know for a FACT that my current one would bust completely! It's so broken and ruined and slow haha!

xo

ps - this is an eBuzzing video but I genuinely thought this was so clever and such a good advertising idea I really wanted to share it with you all :)

Lust lust lust &hearts

2011-08-18T20:07:00.000+01:00

Bonjour Bloggettes!
How are you all? Have you all entered my Aussie Giveaway? It ends tomorrow! Go go go!

Lets cut to the chase, I'm here to talk handbags. I start my new job this Tuesday coming and with my first 'pay cheque' (what is the English way of saying that? Pay Cheque is so American!) I'm going to buy myself a new laptop (I can't quite decide between a MacBook and a White Sony Vaio at the moment) purely because mine doesn't even have it's last legs anymore, they fell off a long, long time ago!
Aaaaand with my second 'pay cheque' I'll be splurging on a new handbag! First, as a 'first real job treat' and second as a 'well done for getting a first class degree' treat!

SO, here's my dilemma... I can't decide what to buy!

The Giant Mulberry Bayswater in 'Sparkle Leopard' is quite literally SCREAMING at me 'buy meeeeeeee, buyyyy meeeee'. It is me all over. Slightly oversized, dark in colour, and leopard print. My god.
It's £900...

The Louis Vuitton Alma BB in Black Epi Leather is also calling my name a bi, I love the semi patent-ness and strap options and well, I just generally love it! I'm not so into the monogram bags, they just aren't my style at all!
It's £800

Then, of course... there is the Miu Miu 'bow bag'.. I'd either get this in black or grey I think as they're the most wearable colours! I know this is a bit 'oh everyone has that one' but I think they're a bit dreamy!
It's £900

I think it's pretty obvious what my style is... plain, fairrrrly understated (as in no HUGE chanel/LV/anything logos) and leather.

Before we go any further (ooh-err) I want to explain something because I know someone will have something negative to say about this post! I have never, ever in my life been able to just say 'oh, £800? fuck it. I'll take it' so please don't think I'm taking spending almost a grand on a handbag lightly, I'm not. At all. I just want to be able to look at something beautiful and yes, a bit expensive and be able to say 'I earnt that and paid for it myself'. I've never been particularly 'well off' before, just comfortable and most of my more expensive things have been gifts from my Dad and Stew. Buying myself a 'proper' handbag is a huge deal for me and it'll be a moment of fear/pride/joy when I hand over my debit card!

So, that out of the way, if you were me what would you buy? Not specifically just out of those three above, but in general? I'd love some suggestions for beautiful handbags that mayve aren't so 'mainstream' because lets face it, I don't have a huge amount of knowledge of them! haha :)

Ta for reading! xo

ps - don't worry, when I finally take the plunge and type my PIN number into the little machine in Selfridges/wherever, I'll be sure to blog about it! ♥

Flash Competition!! (1 day only) Happy Aussie-versary! ♥

2011-08-18T15:30:00.000+01:00

G'day guys! Do you want the chance to win an Aussie Summer Party pack? Yes? Then read on...

A few days ago I received my very own Aussie Summer Party pack in the post!

Mine contained Aussie Take the Heat shampoo and three minute miracle (in the GORGEOUS limited edition aussie-versary bottles), sunglasses (that I've been wearing whilst driving ever since!), aussie flipflops, party poppers, a sparkler, and popping candy!

Along with it was a little letter saying I could host a competition for you guys giving 7 of you the chance to win your very own Summer Party pack! Exciting right!

So, all you need to do to win a Summer Party pack is comment on this blog post telling me something that you have to celebrate... it can be absolutely anything - big or small! So for example you could comment saying 'I need to celebrate because I got great A-level results' or 'I need to celebrate because it's my dogs first birthday' it can be literally anything! If you're one of the 7 winners you'll also get the opportunity to win VIP tickets to the Aussie-versary Summer Party this year where you can meet me and about a million other Aussie Angels and we can all make friends and such :D haha!

SO the deadline for entries is tomorrow Friday 19th August hence this being a bit of a flash competition (I've been crazy busy sorting things for my new job!) I will then pick the winners and announce them on Tuesday 23rd August!

Remember, all you need to do is comment on this post, telling me what reason you have to celebrate (there are absolutely no restrictions on these reasons!) obviously you also need to follow my blog, otherwise you won't be able to comment!

I'll put a read more break in with the Terms and Conditions so that this blog post isn't super duper long but happy commenting!
xo
ps - the read more breaks are a bit 'hit and miss' so if it doesn't work, i'm sorry! It's bloggers fault!

Terms and conditions
1.    This competition is open to the Aussie Angels online communities
2.    Winners must be UK Mainland residents and aged 18 years or over
3.    Winners of the giveaway are to be chosen by Aussie Angels
4.    To enter, community members must write a blog post, OR comment on an Angels’ Giveaway blog post, stating how they qualify for a Summer Party pack
5.    To qualify for winning the Summer party pack, they must have something to celebrate (there are no restrictions on their reasons for celebration)
6.    Selection criteria: Each Aussie Angel will select their own 7 community member winners. Selection is entirely at each Angels discretion
7.    The Promoter will not be liable for applications not received, incomplete, delayed or damaged. Last date for receipt of entries is Friday 19 August 2011
8.    There will be up to 7 winners per Aussie Angel
9.    Winners must be chosen and notified in writing, by the Angels, by Tuesday 23 August 2011
10. The Angels must also notify Aussie, in writing, who they have chosen, by Tuesday 23 August 2011
11. A list of the prize winners will be available on www.uncoveraussie.co.uk after this date.
12. The prizes are as stated and cannot be transferred, sold or exchanged. There is no cash alternative. Only one prize per household. No bulk or third party entries accepted
13. Summer Party packs will be sent by Aussie, and all delivery costs covered by Aussie
14. By entering this competition, entrants agree to be bound by the rules and by any other requirements set out in the promotional material.

Freya North - Secrets

2011-08-15T18:20:00.001+01:00

I'm starting to get a bit addicted to writing book posts on here! i've just read SO MANY fab books lately I can't resist sharing, so let me know if you're enjoying these mini reviews as much as i am :)

Easily my favourite book of all time, this review says it better than I ever could!

Buy this book now! If you haven't read it, you haven't lived!

xo

Sleek Saturday! Doing it the CRAZY way!

2011-08-13T19:56:00.002+01:00

Hello! Post Number two today!

This week I've been invited to take part in Liloo's Sleek Saturday Series!
The idea of the series is that Liloo invites two bloggers to join her in using their slightly unloved, rarely reached for Sleek items... I have to admit I haven't picked up a Sleek Palette for months after they increased their prices etc so I was fairly excited about doing this!

After selling acid, sunset, bad girl, good girl, safari and the-white-one-whose-name-i-can't-remember I only actually have curious and storm left. I decided storm would be a bit boring and not many people have curious so that was my palette of choice!

image source: I couldn't use my own photo because I dropped mine and it's all a mess!

If blogger works there will be a 'read more' link below this line of text, if it doesn't I'm sorry!
The second I opened this palette up I thought of one thing... the Team Falken BMW E30.
YES, I KNOW... I'm a beauty blogger, shouldn't I have been thinking about kittens or unicorns or something? No. No-siree! I have been obsessing over this car recently, as you all know Stew works as a drift photographer and I'll quite often sit and peruse the SpeedHunters website (awesome girlfriend alert) just because I like it. I like cars and I like the photos and I bloody love drifting. Possibly even more than I like lipstick. Shock horror!

Yes, its a bit blokey and geeky but oh my god. The first time I ever saw drifting I was watching a fella called Dan Chapman (and about 9 other men), he can be seen drifting in this video. I chose him as my favourite driver (on that day) because his car has pink wheels (not even kidding)! Although I'm now a bit more educated about whats makes a good drift car and what doesn't, I'm still swayed by colour scheme. a lot. I'm female.

I used to go to Santapod with my Dad all.the.time! Dad's a bit of a Subaru buff and he owned a 22B for a long time so we'd go in that most weekends when I was younger. Even as the girliest girl ever I was always so taken by the noise, atmosphere and the love the people had for their cars...and my dads. I once couldn't get out of it for 10 minutes because about a thousand men literally swarmed it as soon as we drove in!

Even after seeing stunt driving, drag racing and various other car 'stuff' NOTHING had prepared me for watching two men absolutely thrash their cars and then fling them sideways. holy shit. If you have no idea, drifting is pretty much driving sideways for as long as possible and as close as possible to your opponent. You earn points for the 'best drifts' and lot's of drivers will stick their hand out of the 'window' to show they're doing it one handed and that scores extras I think! OH and my favourite part, if the crowd want to see it again they literally all chant 'ONE MORE TIME' really loud over and over until the drivers go back and do it all again... it's very Japanese ;)

In case you are interested (it really is cool I promise) here's a little video of JDM All Stars (Stew is actually in Birmingham with the All Stars team shooting today!)

you even get a peek of some Falken action in that video ;)
a tenner says Stew will moan at me for not using 'a more awesome video' but lets be honest.. that's the first one that came up on YouTube.

Another fun one is Naoki Nakamura's 'coke bottle trick'. He nearly killed some bloke doing it once! Video here of the trick, not of the near death... but if you want to see that, that's here (go watch it! so funny!)

I've gone completely and utterly off track haven't I! Sorry! SO the blues/greens/turquoises on the left of the palette had me thinking all falken-ey and I decided to combine those mean machines with this Pixiwoo tutorial. Not only because it looks absolutely amazing, but because it also looks like a really dinky drift car has just taken a ride across my brow bone (imagine that!).

Here's my take:

Yes, I look a little bit mental... but this was just for fun and I'm hardly going to go food shopping in this ;)
Also my eyes are a bit bloodshot because the flash on Stew's nikon is ridiculous. Eyeball burn anyone?

I'm not going to explain how I did it because the Pixiwoo video explains it much better than I ever could. BUT I used A2 and C2 on the inner third of my lid and the graduated it out with B2 and A1 (and did the same underneath the eye), then used B1 through the inner corner and inner socket of the eye (my reason? some of the Falken cars have yellow stickers on them, and it just looked cooler than just the blues!) and finally F2 for the 'skid' through my inner corner and over my browbone. And yes, if you're wondering Stew was my 'helper' when it came to getting the black over the top of the colour (awesome boyfriend alert)!

I could have done a nice, wearable smokey eye with the colours on the right hand side but that would just be a bit 'meh' for me. I wanted to do something different!

You can see Bicky's post here and Liloo's post here :)

Hope you like it!
xo

ps - please, don't leave troll comments about the car-talk-on-a-beauty-blog, this isn't just a beauty blog this is MY blog and that was the inspiration I used. end of :)

ARK Body Scrub - all tingly and smooth!

2011-08-13T14:33:00.003+01:00

Bonjour Bloggettes ♥
How are you all?
This is the first of two posts today, although the other one won't go live until later tonight ;) I just wanted to drop by and tell you all about an amazing product that I've been using to keep cool annd refreshed in this horrible muggy/crappy weather we're having!

The product is ARK invigorating body scrub. ARK tailor your skincare to your age, they have 'age prepare' (teen to 30), age maintain (30-50) and age repair (50 and beyond). I think this is a great concept for a skincare brand but even better than that, ARK have then created an essentials range that can be used across all 3 age categories! I love it! The invigorating body scrub is part of the essentials range.

The packaging is simple, stylish and sturdy. Perfect when it can potentially be used by 15-70+ year olds! I don't know any 60-70 year olds who want their products in bright pink/yellow/green bottles ;) The packaging is just right for everyone.

with flash

without flash

with flash

without flash

As you can see, the thick cream is PACKED with little 'scrubby bits' and a little goes a very long way :)

In terms of scrubbing, this doesn't beat my elemis body polish BUT the scent and 'after effects' or this ARK scrub are incredible! It smells like a mixture of herbal, energising scents and a strong, minty, refreshing scent (imagine liz earle mixed with the original source mint shower gel)! It smells so, so, SO good!

The thing I like most about this is that it cools the skin and when you rinse it off you're all tingly and cool and soft and refreshed. It's something I've never experienced before with a body scrub and it's this little detail thats had me absolutely addicted to using this on hot muggy days, or on my feet when they're feeling really warm and in need of a bit of pampering.

I would highly recommend this scrub if you love products that cool you down and soothe you when you're bathing/showering. It leaves my skin silky soft and smooth, and of course, all tingly (my favourite thing about it). Also, because it's suitable for all ages and skin types - it's suitable for every single one of you lot! no excuses!

This retails at £24 for 200ml here which I think is really reasonable for such a fantastic product that you need so little of! I honestly use about a 10p sized blob to do my whole body (and I'm no skinny minny!). You can (and should!) buy it here.

Thanks so much for reading,
xo

Lindsey Kelk - I heart New York ♥

2011-08-11T19:15:00.001+01:00

This amazing book tells the story of Angela, after finding her boyfriend cheating on her in the back of a err, Range Rover at a wedding... She flee's with nothing but a pair of Louboutins and her crumpled bridesmaids drss. She goes and lives in a cute hotel in New York and finds a NBF (new best friend), Jenny, who gives her a 'New York Makeover' and Angela starts dating lots of fit men, and writing about them on her Blog. The only question is, does she love new york more than she loves home?

I got well and truely sucked into this book and managed to read it in two days (oops!). Its an amazing story, and an easy read for anyone who likes to use books to 'escape' once in a while! Easily a 10/10! You can buy it for as little as a penny, here! Theres no excuse not to really... is there?!

xo

Battle of the hair oils!

2011-08-10T15:05:00.002+01:00

Hello Bloggeroonies! I hope you're all having a lovely wednesday :) Halfway through the week now!

Recently I've been completely obsessed with using oils on my hair. Argan oil has recently taken the hair world by storm and quite frankly I've been all over it! To date I've used five different oil treatments on my hair, all based around the same repairing/smoothing concept. Lets take a look!

Left to right: TRESemme Salon Smooth Serum with Argan Oil from Morocco, VO5 Miracle Concentrate with Argan Oil, Schwarzkopf Bonacure Hair Therapy Oil Miracle Finishing Treatment, Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment, MoroccanOil Oil Treatment.

TRESemme Salon Smooth Serum with Argan Oil from Morocco:

Although not specifically marketted as an 'oil treatment' this serum contains Argan Oil and is applied to damp hair to help smooth and nourish, leaving the hair extra glossy.

Product:
This leaves my hair very glossy but I haven't noticed any nourishing. I think it works just as well as a cheapo boots own brand serum that I often use to get rid of flyaways. The serum itself is very runny and can therefore get a bit messy!

Price: This is £4.99 here at Boots.com. Very good value for a product that just does what it says on the tin really.

Packaging: Although the bottle has a little pump, as I've said the serum is very runny so it can just squirt everywhere and the bottle ends up slippery and difficult to hold!

Overall: this would be perfect if you're just looking for a serum to make your hair extra glossy but if you're looking for nourishing argan oil to help make your hair healthier I don't think this is the product for you!

VO5 Miracle Concentrate with Argan Oil:

Marketted as the high streets answer to MoroccanOil and other salon/more expensive brands. This little bottle boasts miracle performance and intensive restorative power.

Product: The bottle says that a little goes a long way and you only need a 'few drops'. I would massively disagree with this! To get any sort of effect you need at least one full 'pipette' of this product and even then I don't feel thats quite enough for my mid-length, thick, heavily bleached hair. The product itself is similar to the TRESemme one in consistency and quite runny. On many occasions now I've dribbled it all over my clothes by accident! I have noticed it makes my hair soft though, and it controls frizz quite well too.

Price: This is currently £3.33 at Teco's but it normally retails at £5. I feel that it's slightly too expensive for a VO5 product, but it works well enough for the price you pay.

Packaging: Annoying. Messy. Fiddly. Difficult to use. 'Pipette' drips everywhere if you don't put it back in the bottle at lightning speed. Could be much better!

Overall: great if you're on a budget and get along with 'pipette' packaging, but you can get much better argan oil treatments that don't claim to work miracles but are much more effective than this one! I feel the name is a bit misleading.

Schwarzkopf Bonacure Hair Therapy Oil Miracle Finishing Treatment:

This is the first Schwarzkopf Bonacure product I've tried. Marketted as a professional quality finishing treatment with Argan Oil, the packaging promises oppulent shine and caressable softness without overburdening the hair.

Product: This bottle of joy is simply amazing! The oil immediately absorbs into damp hair leaving it soft and tangle free. Once the hair is styled the results are immediately visible, no frizz, extreme shine and smooth, sleek ends.. even on my hair that is heavily bleached and hasn't been cut for about 8 weeks the results are absolutely stunning. The product itself is golden in colour and fairly thick. You literally need a pea sized amount even on extremely thick, dry hair like mine. I've also noticed that it speeds up my blow drying time :) FAB!

Price: This genuine miracle treatment (take note, VO5!) retails at £24.95 and is available in salons or online at hair supermarket, look fantastic and feel unique. Yes, it is more pricey than the above two BUT the products are genuinely incredible and you only need the tiniest amount, I would estimate that this 100ml bottle will last me at least 6-9 months, I've been using it every day for a few weeks and you can see how much I've used in the top photo!

Packaging: This comes in a sleek little plastic bottle with a gold lid. You pour/squeeze the product directly into the palm of your hand which is by far my favourite way to deal with these treatments. The bottle is convenient, easy to keep clean and extremely lightweight. The plastic also means it won't smash when you're travelling.

Overall: Absolutely amazing. 10/10 for this one! I'm absolutely hooked and now desperate to try more bonacure procuts!

Healthy Sexy Hair Soy Renewal Nourishing Styling Treatment:

I raved about this back in April here I'm now on my third bottle and can genuinly say I still love this just as much as I did back then.

It isn't quite as good as the Schwarzkopf BC Oil Miracle (I find the HSH one much heavier in my hair), but it's still fabulous!

MoroccanOil Oil Treatment:

Arguably the most famous oil treatment of the bunch, this has been raved about by almost everyone including celebs, bloggers and hairdressers. Boasting immediate absorption into the hair and repairing, nourishing and glossing qualities this is the 'infamous' product that everyone's running out to buy.

Product: A thick, golden oil that you either pour directly into your hand from the little bottle, or pump into your hand from the large bottle. This is easy to apply to the hair and thicker than the VO5 and TRESemme but not quite as thick as the Shwarzkopf or Healthy Sexy Hair treatments. This is incredibly effective and does intensively nourish and condition however I have found it quite heavy in my hair and have noticed my hair getting greasy quicker when I've used it. Would be fab for hair that doesn't get greasy quickly or for those of you that prefer heavier treatments. I did mention this in my July favourites video and I love ita lot but I think the Schwarzkopf one is just as effective.

Price: This costs around £15 for 25ml or £30 for 100ml here. I wish I had bought the bigger bottle now as you get 4 times the amount for double the price! At the time I just wanted a little bottle to try out though :)

Packaging: Glass bottles, very heavy. However, they're easy and convenient to use with minimal mess, dripping, or slipperyness!

Overall: This is amazing and all of the raving is with good reason :) This provides quick, stunning results and appears to greatly improve the condition of the hair, especially when your hair is in dire need of a trim!

I hope this was useful for you all! Have you been addicted to oil treatments recently too? Are there any fabby ones that I haven't mentioned here? Be sure to tell me about them in the comments and fuel my addiction haha!

xo

Talking to stuffed lions...

2011-08-10T01:12:00.001+01:00

Talking to Zeus: My year in a Greek Garden - Jane Shaw.

This book tells the tale of Jane, a young girl who has secured an internship in Greece, in a garden run by a 'batty old lady' (for my non-UK readers: 'batty old lady' refers to an elderly woman who is a little bit crazy!) called Joy. I'm not going to give anything else away because this book is a rollercoaster ride of emotions! It actually took me quite some time to read purely because I didn't have much spare time but when I did pick it up, I was immediately transported to the dusty garden in Greece and the little shack Jane lives in (she refers to it as Alcatraz) :)

This is a lovely, lovely book and it really sucks you in! Be prepared to be entirely engrossed in the pages and to ignore anyone who tries to talk to you ;) I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and found it an absolute pleasure to submerge myself into!

xo

Locks like Lady Gaga?

2011-08-08T14:24:00.002+01:00

I had the urge to begin this blog with 'whats up homies'. I'm not too sure why! Oh well, Hello!

This is going to be a relatively quick one as the actual process of trying the product is a long one but I thought I'd give you all a heads up!

A while ago (ok, a long, long time ago) I was sent a product that Lady Gaga claims to use; 'Nourkrin Extra Strength tablets' to feature on here... These tablets claim to reduce hair loss and promote existing hair growth! All sounds good right? Well. as you all know I do everything I can to be as honest as possible on here and on the back of the box it says you should take 2 tablets daily for a minimum of 6 months. However, the PR sent me one month's supply (which I actually think is a bit pants) so I can't really do a 'minimum' of 6 months for blog purposes - hence why I've been reluctant to blog about them.

However, as many of you may know I've recently 'given up' my hair straighteners in an attempt to grow my hair so I put my reluctance aside and dug these out hoping they'll give my hair a bit of a kick up the bum! I've been finding that a LOT of it is falling out in the shower lately and it's freaking me out a bit!

SOOOOO, what I'm going to do is take the one month's supply I've kindly been sent and report back to you guys on any visible differences that I see (if I see any) because in theory, if they work in a month... they'll work wonders in 6 months, right?

These retail at £49.95 for 1 month's supply here which is relatively expensive in my opinion so I really hope they make my hair long and lovely!

EDIT: I took one this morning, they're small, comfortable to swallow (with water/a drink) and don't taste of anything at all!

I will update you all in a month to let you know if I'm any closer to being Rapunzel! I'm a little bit paranoid I might grow a beard or something... we'll see!

xo

don't get me wrong I really appreciate being sent things for review purposes and I'd love love loveeeeee to have hair like Lady Gaga but sometimes I feel that bloggers will feature things 'for the sake of it'. I'd rather be completely honest and tell you all that I think it's pants the PR only sent one month when you're meant to take them for 6 than be dishonest, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that!

Bring the spa home with Elemis ♥

2011-08-07T17:59:00.003+01:00

Bonjour Bloggettes! I wrote on my Twitter hours ago that I was off to make a cup of tea and write a blog for you all... Naturally when I pottered into the kitchen I realised the washing up needed to be done and me being me, I couldn't stop there! The flat is clean and tidy, I've had a late lunch, done the laundry, washed out the bins, taken the bin bags out and cleaned the bathrooms! PHEW!

I'm so busy at the moment sorting out things for my new job, keeping the flat tidy/clean (wifey duties!), blogging, sorting things out from my blog sale and also working on some things that I can't talk about on here so although I'm currently employed-but-waiting-to-start-my-new-job, I don't have much time to pamper myself and relax, let alone go to the spa/salon for treatments!

Luckily for me, Elemis have just launched their Sp@home (spa at home) range, allowing you to bring spa results into your daily routine. The Sp@home range is made up products that are set into 5 categories; body exotics, body soothing, body awaken, body performance and body anti-ageing.

I've tried two products from the body exotics range, the Tranquil Touch Body Polish and the Frangipani Monoi Body Oil in an attempt to pamper and polish and preen my skin after a long day :)

Tranquil touch body polish:

The body polish is a thick white cream that contains a natural rice exfoliator (the little clear bits that look like bubbles in the above photo are the rice bits!)to gently polish and smooth your skin, removing any dead skin cells and generally brightening up the whole area.

This smells absolutely divine and performs amazingly well. I've mentioned a million times that I struggle with dry skin on the tops of my arms so I try to scrub/polish them every day and this body polish is the best one I've tried so far. It's exfoliating enough for you to see incredible results and an amazing difference in your skin, but not too 'rough' or 'grainy' (a problem I have with most scrubs as they just scratch and cut my skin!). I actually find using it a very relaxing, soothing and theraputic experience (probably due to the scent) and I'm incredibly impressed with the results :)

Frangipani Monoi Body Oil:

thats the back of my hand by the way!

This body oil solidifies in cooler temperatures then you pop it in warm water (in the sink, or a jug/bowl) and it turns into a liquid again! Once you've warmed it up slightly you sprinkle a few drops of it into the palm of your hand(s) and rub it onto whichever area of your body you want to intensively moisturise. Note: it works best on slightly damp skin!

I've found at the moment that it has remained a liquid for a while (that could be because its ridiculously hot at the moment in the UK though!) so sometimes you can use it at 'room temparature' or when it has been warmed up.

This is so, so moisturising and nourishing I've become a bit addicted to it recently! For me, the selling point of this is that you can use it on you skin as described above, on your nails and cuticles and also on your hair (massage a small amount in, cover in a warm towel, relax for 15 mins then rinse out).

I've been using this all over my whole body after a bath or shower, and also in my hair as an intensive treatment once a week and it is genuinely amazing. My skin is soft, silky and looks a lot healthier and my hair is nourished and conditioned but not weighed down in any way (sometimes I'm a bit naughty and I apply a tiny drop to my ends when they feel a bit dry).

I think these products are incredible because even when you live a very busy lifestyle you can still pamper yourself from top to toe using just a handful of products and it doesn't have to take a whole day/3 hours at a spa or salon to get you feeling serene, relaxed, soothed and completely pampered!

These are an absolute must have! The tranquil touch body polish can be boughht here for £20 and the Frangipani Monoi Body Oil can be bought here for £29.70. Yes, they're a bit more expensive than your average scrub and moisturiser but you really do get what you pay for and these two products have meant I now feel comfortable in short sleeves/vest tops - that says it all!

Hope you enjoyed reading this! xo

It's (international) Blog Sale Time!!

2011-08-06T14:25:00.011+01:00

Hellooooo Bloggettes! I'm just going to be perfectly honest with you all now, I'm a little bit skint at the moment! I finished my old ob on the 29th July as the company closes for August and I don't start my new one until 23rd August so I have to get through the whole of August and the whole of September with very little money.

I've kept the prices in this blog sale as low as I can because every little helps at the end of the day and a few pounds will go a long way for me at the moment :) Have a browse and if you see anything you want then feel free to email me an offer at cat.west[at]hotmail.co.uk and I'll see if we can strike a deal!

RULES:

Paypal ONLY please!
International - just write which country you're from in the comments and I'll invoice you for international shipping!
All items are sanitised. Lipsticks have been dipped in a sanitising solution and mascaras and lipglosses have ONLY been used with disposable wands (a lot of this is from my make-up kit I use for shoots!)
Please leave a comment CLEARLY stating which items you would like, where you're from (UK, France, etc) and your paypal address so I can invoice you. If you would like to send the money as a 'personal payment owed' to avoid paypal fees that is fine but please leave your email address so I can email you the price and my paypal address!
No time wasters, I really just don't have time for it and I need to get some money together!

POSTAGE:

Postage within the UK will be between £1.50 and £3 depending on how much you're buying. When I invoice you I will clearly state the postage cost. If you would like items to be sent via recorded delivery please let me know in the comments and I will add 75p to your invoice.
Nail polishes and the eyeko cream will be slightly more expensive to post due to weight.
International shipping will be quoted on the invoice.
Please bear in mind these costs are due to packing materials (jiffy bags are SO expensive!) and my travel costs to the post office plus the actual cost of post these days is expensive!

The goodies:

Diva Pro Temptation hair straighteners. I bought these (they are NOT from a PR) about a year ago and used them a few times then my Dad surprised me with a pair of GHD's. They're still in mint condition and you can read a full description of them here They retail at £59.99 and I'd love £20 for them but I'm willing to consider sensible offers so if £20 is too much then please email me your offer to cat.west[at]hotmail.co.uk.

These straighteners will be sent to you via a courier service as it is cheaper than Royal Mail! I will quote you for this on paypal but its around a fiver :) I'm also happy to send them internationally and will quote you a price for this if you'd like them but don't live within the UK :)

Eyeko cream with extra glow, used once - £5 (RRP £8.95!!)
Rimmel clear complexion powder in 'transparent' used 2-3x - £1.50
~~NYC Mosaic colour wheel in 'pink cheek glow', used 2-3x - £1~~
Avon bronzer, used 3-4x - £2
~~Famous by Sue Moxley blusher and highlighter in 'sugar plum' (with brush), used twice - £2~~
No 7 protect and perfect hand cream 25ml, never used - £1.50

~~Sleek pout polish in 'sugar may', 99% left - £3~~
No 7 liplicious gloss in 'candyfloss' (pale shimmery pink) never used - £1.50
Soap and Glory sexy mother pucker gloss in pink apricot, never used - £2.50
~~Model co double ended gloss and lipstick in a pinky red, used once - £2~~
No 7 high shine lipgloss in 'smile' never used - £1.50
~~Natural collection lipstick in 'apple blossom' never used - £1~~
~~Body shop lipstick in '01' (very similar to maybelline ambre rose) usage shown - £1.50~~
NYX lipstick in 'narcissus' used once - £2
Mini benefit lipstick in 'no competition' usage shown - £1.50
Mini benefit lipstick in 'ladys choice' usage shown - £1.50
~~NYX lipstick in 'heather' swatched once - £2~~
~~Rimmel lipstick in 006 'pink blush' usage shown - £1~~
Barry M lipstick in 129 'palest lavender' usage shown - £1.50

~~Illamasqua eyeshadow in 'bronx' used twice - £5~~
~~No 7 eyeshadow in 'tender' used once - £1~~
MAC pro pan in 'creme de violet' swatched once, never used - £5
Depotted Urban Decay Primer Potion - £4
Barry M Dazzle dusts in 927 (berry pink), 931 (candy floss) and 96 (gold) - £2.50 each or all 3 for £5
~~Maybelline one by one mascara never used - £3~~
No 7 extreme length mini mascara in 'iridescent sapphire' never used - £1
Beauty UK electric blue mascara, never used - 50p
Collection 2000 glam crystals in 'night fever' - £1.50
~~NYX Jumbo pencil in 'black bean' - £2.50~~
Collection 2000 glam crystals loose glitter in 'celebrity' used once - £1
~~Eyeko graffiti liner in black - £2~~
~~Collection 2000 glam crystals in 'rock chick' - £2~~

~~Two packs of fimo slices for nails (animals, flowers etc) 100 slices approx per bag - 50p each~~
French manicure pink and beige by 'the color workshop' - £1 each or both for £1.50
~~MAC Bad fairy polish - £7 or nearest offer, used once.~~
~~Barry M Spring green, red black and yellow all used once, £2 each or all three for £5~~
Models own gold rush (purple grey is sold)never used - £3.50
~~Rimmel lasting finish in 'green grass' used 2x - £1.50~~
Barry M emerald green, blue crackle and shocking pink, all used once - emerald green and shocking pink £2 each, blue crackle £3 or all three for £5
Collection 2000 black polish - £1
Sephora 'picnic in the park' polish used once £3
~~Rimmel lasting finish in 'tangerine queen' - £1~~

Thank you so much for looking, I really appreciate it! xo

Armani Code: Sport

2011-08-06T00:09:00.003+01:00

It's that time of year where every brand under the sun brings out a 'summer' or 'sport' fragrance, they're generally softer, lighter scents.. or more citrus-ey and 'fresher'. I, well... Stew was asked to review a new fragrance from Armani over here on my little blog and he obviously jumped at the chance so now he's used it and scrutinised it.. We're writing it up for you!

I know many of you may be thinking, well it's a mens fragrance why do I care? But I know lots of you have boyfriends and there is also some men who read my blog so I feel it's relevant!

First of all, in case you're new here let me introduce you to Stew!

(in case anyone is wondering/cares, Stew's car is a Honda Civic Coupé with SSR Mark 1 wheels!)
ps - this image is Copyright James Birch 2011. Unauthorised use is not permitted.

Stew is my wonderful, loving boyfriend of almost 3 years. He's normally found doing something to his car (as seen above), working on his Product Design degree at Uni, shooting for OMGDrift.com and Rival House Garage, working part time at blockbusters, Blogging, working on his website thats under construction, tweeting, spending time with me and collecting New Era caps and various awesome pairs of trainers!! PLUS he does his fair share of housework and DIY (ooh, manly), helps me out with EVERYTHING in general, cooks often, makes me cups of tea lots and takes me places so as you can imagine, he's a pretty busy guy!

SO, with all that in mind he's pretty much the perfect man for the job of testing out the new Armani Code fragrance, 'sport'.

Here's a little blurb:
Heart notes - Egyptian Geranium, Light Ginger
Top notes - Spearmint, Peppermint, Wild Mint, Mandarins, Lemons
Base notes - Vetiver, Labdanum, Rosemary, Hivernal®
Scent - Woody
Feel - Masculine

Over to Stew so he can tell you all what he thinks!

"The packaging of this is pretty cool, the inside of the box is bright red and the bottle itself is simple, stylish and practical. As a man who normally goes for fragrances like Paco Rabanne 1 Million and Black XS (my all time favourite) a step into the 'sporty' side of men's fragrance was a bit of a risk (the most sport I do is BMX'ing or being silly on Huffy Sliders). Although Armani Code Sport smells good (Cat says she really likes it) I just don't think it's for me. It's a bit too 'citric' and 'zingy' and once the initial scent has worn off (i'm told thats the tops notes...) it kinda reminds me of the smell of cleaning products. It's disappointing because I love the scent of Armani Diamonds. I think its the mandarin and lemon that really comes through to me the most, if the ginger and hivernal were the strongest scents in the mix then I think I'd like it a lot more!

If you're a guy who prefers to smell 'fresh' instead of using a deep, masculine fragrance then this will be perfect for you. I'm not saying it smells terrible... quite the opposite! It just isn't quite to my taste. It retails at around £50 for a 50ml bottle (the larger size) and I think thats a very reasonable price for a fragrance from such a good quality, infamous brand. I'll more than likely continue to use this from time to time as it lives alongside all of my other fragrances in the bathroom cabinet but I wouldn't purchase another bottle."

Personally, as 'the girlfriend' I love this fragrance and think it smells quite sexy! If your boyfriend is more of the sporty type then this would definitely be a perfect gift :)

Thanks for reading! xo

Batiste XXL... not so great!

2011-08-05T11:58:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone!

Just a quick one today because for once, I don't have much to say!

As you all know I very regularly talk about Batiste on my blog, predominantly because (like aussie) I've used their products for many, many years. Batiste recently bought out Batiste XXL - a dry shampoo promising extra extra large volume whilst eliminating grease and oils from the hair and giving it the infamous 'batiste just-washed' look.

I've been using the Batiste XXL for a while now - either to create more volume or to sort out my 'needs to be washed but i don't have time' days ;)

Here are some product images:

This product for me just isn't anywhere near as good as the other Batiste products. I find it sticky and it really seems to clog up my hair and weigh it down! The first time I used it I was convinced I had just done something wrong but after many, many other attempts I've decided this just isn't for me. I'm going to stick with the 'nude' and 'tropical' variations :)

don't get me wrong, it definitely gives my hair a lot more volume but it also makes it sticky and weighed down (like i said above) and I also find it makes my hair really frizzy :( It's no biggie though because there are so many other Batiste products that have had Holy Grail Status on my bathroom shelves for many years!

Sorry Batiste, I love you so, so much but this one just isn't my cuppa tea!

What do you think? Have you been getting on with Batiste XXL or have you had the same issues as me?

As I've only used this can 2-3x (couldn't stand how weighed down my hair felt) I'm willing to give it away to one of my blog readers so they can try it for free and see if they have any better luck with it! If you'd like to bag yourself a free can of Batiste XXL then just let me know in the comments below! If there's lots of comments I'll just pick someone at random :)
^this will also show how many of you actually read this little blog and don't just look at pictures!

xo

Shoes, glorious shoes!

2011-08-03T23:40:00.004+01:00

Crikey! Two blog posts in one day? That's right! I simply can't resist posting about the most beautiful shoes that I bought from New Look today. Three pairs for £25? Count me in!

Black patent block heels (with a cute little strap across them) - £6 reduced from £19.99

Grey and fluro yellow polka dot stilettos with a huuuuuuge platform - £12 reduced from £29.99

Pink suede mid-heels with a little bow across the front (squeeeeee!!) - £7 reduced from £19.99

Bish. Bash. Bosh. Before he knew it Stew was carrying three pairs of shoes whilst giving me opinions 'they look like slippers' 'they look old fashioned' 'brown shoes are awful' 'oh my god just put them down!' 'yes, buy those!' etc... and waiting whilst I tried on an emergency pair of sunglasses (£1, in the sale...) because my beloved leopard print ones snapped in my handbag, rendering me a danger to all mankind whilst driving in the sun. Oops!

The black and pink ones are for work (the pink will be spot on with the SIZE BLOODY TWELVE black suit dress I bought from M&S the other day and the black will obviously go with anything) and the spotty ones are clearly for play only! ;)

There's a little story behind those spotty bad boys - I spotted (no pun intended) them on the New Look website a while back but it said 'flagship and online exclusive' and I was gutted (because I vary in shoe size so I always have to try them on) so today when I spotted one lonely little (well.... not so little!) pair in the 'SIZE 7' sale section of the Leicester store (in highcross.. I had just been to get a new iPhone4) I pounced like some sort of wild animal and snapped them up! I took it to be a spiritual sign, or fate or something, they just had to be mine!

So, how do you like my new 'foot ornaments' ;)? I know the polka dot ones a verging on 'marmite' but personally I absolutely love them! I keep wandering around the house in them and admiring how cute they are haha!

Thank for reading! xo

I'll just check my Filofax ♥

2011-08-03T13:56:00.001+01:00

Bonjour Bloggeroonies! I hope you're all having a lovely day!

A while ago the humble Filofax took the blogosphere by storm, every day it seemed more and more bloggers were hopping on the organisational bandwagon and snapping themselves up a lovely new Filofax.. At the time I didn't bow to temptation quite simply due to the sheer cost of them! £30 for a diary? Even for me (a self confessed organisation/stationary addict with OCD) that seemed a bit steep.. For months I pondered the idea and then the gorgeous abby held a giveaway where you could win a Filofax Apex. I entered and kept my fingers crossed for absolutely aaaages and was delighted when she emailed me to say I was one of the 8 randomly picked winners! My ~~new baby~~ Filofax came in the post the other day, here are some photos of the things it came with:

Gorge Personal Filofax Apex in Pink!

Cheeky H2O license plate sticker peeking out there!

Week on two pages, 5 language, 18 month diary and frosted ruler/page marker

Coloured A-Z index, two letters per tab

Coloured ruled note paper! so cute :)

Coloured 1-6 numbered index

Address pages

'To do' pages

A top opening wallet and elasticated slot for your pen of choice (mines a black medium BIC biro, by the way!) hahah!

Squeee! How amazing is that?! I absolutely love it and have been browsing around online for extras that I'd like for it since! I thought it might be something you lot are interested in so here is my 'wishlist for my snazzy new filofax' :)

Website/email address paper, Fashion coloured ruled notepaper, Business card holder, Sticky notes, Organiser stickers, Mirror, calculator and hole punch!!

Some of that may seem completely INSANE but my new job requires me to travel all over the UK and eventually, to travel the world so all of those things will really make things easier for me :)

It's worth mentioning my best friend tipped me off yesterday that WHSmith's do their 'own brand' of Filofax refills that are much cheaper than the Filofax branded ones! You can see some of those here.

Do you have a filofax? Is there anything specific that you would recommended or do I pretty much have it covered with my huuuge wishlist? ;) Massive thanks to Abby for being so lovely as to host the giveaway and also to Filofax for giving them away! This is going to make life in my new job so much easier :)

xo

July Favourites ♥

2011-08-02T15:59:00.004+01:00

Happy tuesday bloggettes!

I thought I'd trial something 'new' today and record my July Favourites as a video... I've never done a monthly favourites before let alone done it as a video so hopefully you'll all enjoy it!

If, however you would really really prefer this to be a blog post then please feel free to let me know in the comments and I'll be more than willing to write that up for you! After all what sort of life would I lead if I didn't try new things and take risks every once in a while!

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your day!

xo

Tone it down, or keep the volume loud?

2011-08-01T17:25:00.001+01:00

Bonjourrrrrrrrrrrr Bloggeroonies!

As you all know I was lucky enough to land an absolutely incredible new job recently... As a result I've been thinking about how to look ~~corporate~~'professional' but still keep my personality. Since I can remember, I've been known for having bright bright bright blonde hair, it's sort of my signature look these days I guess.. Those of you who have been reading Reaching for the Stars since way-back-when will know I used to have my hair quite a bit darker here, here, and here if you care! Luckily I discovered another blogger yesterday who lives literally two minutes down the road from me and she's a hairdresser so I'm going to grace her salon with my presence and get her to do whatever needs to be done...

I don't want to go quite that dark again but here are some of the photos I've been saving onto my laptop for reference:

So what do you guys think? Should I tone down the white blonde or leave it how it is?

xoxo

Recent nails ♥

2011-07-29T21:53:00.002+01:00

Bonjour Blogettes!

Here's some recent 'NOTD's' for you :)

I've posted this from my iPhone4 and it always makes the images smaller, if you'd like to see detail/the full size images please just click on the photos and they will enlarge!

Jessica GELeration in 'soak up the sun' and 'merlot' (on Emily) - pretty but I wouldn't recommend GELeration it's crap!!

Barry M Ltd Edition purple with pink irridescent glitter over the top.

No 7 hot pink with Barry M blue crackle over the top.

Models own 'jade stone' with Barry M pink crackle over the top.

Pink and gold leopard with rhinestones.

Nude and gold leopard (my favourite mani I've EVER done <3)

OPI 'teenage dream' :) so sparkly!!

What do you think? If these inspire you or you recreate any of these looks please link back to this post and link me to your post so I can have a peek!!

Lots of love! xoxo

Currently Reading...

2011-07-29T19:15:00.001+01:00

Sophie Kinsella - The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic

and LOVING IT. The book is so much better than the film :)

xo

A full tour of our flat! ♥

2011-07-25T22:25:00.001+01:00

Hiya lovelies!
Here's a little video tour of our new home :)
Hope you all enjoy it lots!

Please feel free to leave comments with anything you'd like to see or hear about in more detail and I'll do my absolute best to accomodate it. Negative comments will just be ignored, this is my home not yours haha! ;) and I absolutely adore it!

Oh and one final thing, if you have any cute ideas for storage or even just ideas in general please let me know! We're lacking inspiration really as it was pretty much furnished when we got here so it's difficult putting 'our touch' on it :(

xo

Current in's and out's ♥

2011-07-23T22:11:00.004+01:00

Happy Saturday everyone!

Today we spent the day at Stew's parents' house in Nuneaton (any bloggers from the n-town? let me knowww!) and went strawberry/raspberry picking. In true 'Cat and Stew' style I dropped an ENTIRE box of raspberries on the floor and Stew got stung by a wasp! I had literally spent AGGESSSSS lovingly filling this box with carefully picked perfect plump fruit and I dropped it :( Story of my life!

Anyway, wanna hear some in's and out's? I haven't written a post like this for so long :)

IN:

Weight Watchers: I signed up online on Tuesday and I'm loving the new pro points system, fingers crossed this will work or I'm going to have to have some rather icky scans and 'inspections' to see if I have polycycstic ovaries!

"Summer make-up": a quick layer of foundation (NARS sheer glow or Estée Lauder Double Wear), powder, blush and 3 coats of mascara and I'm out the door dashing to my car whilst applying some lippy (MAC hue or INGLOT bright pink!). Quick, easy, and looks lovely :)

Our new flat and living with Stew 'properly' (as in just us two):

I've never really written too much about myself and Stew on my blog, predominantly because I feel like you guys don't really need to know everything do you? haha! Basically this October we'll have been together 3 whole years! We've always lived 'together' but with friends in student houses. This is our first 'home' and we're so happy, and so proud of what we've achieved. They say that you know when you've met the person you want to spend the rest of your life is and for me, Stew is 'that guy'. He puts up with how ridiculous I can be at times and sticks by me through absolutely everything. My love for him is completely unconditional and spending every day with just each other is only strengthening our bond. We couldn't be any happier. We have a healthy, stable and very very loving relationship and it's going to stay that way :)! (soppiness over!)

i've filmed a flat tour so let me know if you'd like to see it?

Catching up on my favourite blogs and youtube videos: I really missed having the internet and being able to sit in our office/study (ooooohhhhhh! officeeeee!) and blog and watch videos is so lovely!

My new ~~love~~ Diva Hair Dryer: just click here.

My new job: the 23rd August will be my first day as a Human Resources Officer at a massive UK based engineering firm. It's all rather 'grown up' with a (very nice!) salary, private health care plan and end-of-year-bonus... I'll have to wear a suit and I'll be working my bum off every single day doing something I love. I'm absolutely over the moon that I now have a career ladder to climb, and a job in an industry that will never die, without HR departments, there are no staff! I can't wait to go into work every day and have some responsibility. I bet some of you can't think of anything more boring but for me, it's my dream job! I'm all about anchoring myself and climbing a ladder, not flitting from fad to fad and working in the industry thats 'coolest' at the time. I'm business brained! haha ;)

Having my car back: The new flat is a 15 minute drive out of the city centre so I needed my car. I was really lucky and my Uncle (who works for my Dad) drove it up to Derby for me :) At the moment I drive one of these:

Ford Ka, all silver (no shitty black bumpers for me thanks!), alloy wheels ;), 1.3. YAWN. I've had my little ghetto bubble since I was 18!

But for my birthday my Dad bought me a new car and he's currently in the process of ugrading it a bit and generally just making it a bit 'better' but it's one of these:

image:google

Vauxhall Corsa, 1.5TDI, generally much better and bigger and more powerful!

I'm SO excited to get it because I just want something a bit more powerful and substantial, I don't feel particularly safe in my Ka really!

OUT:

'Work Limbo': I finish my current job on the 29th July and obviously don't start my new one until 23rd August! This means lots of boredom and very little money. Annoying! One thing that makes it better is thatI'm seeing H2O (my all time favourite band) on the 21st August and staying in a hotel with my very good friend Lu! Can't wait! H2O the 'hardcore' band, by the way... not the group who made that AWFUL 90's song!

Not seeing my best friend enough: My bestie Emily recently moved to Warrington (if you live in Warrington hit her up on Twitter @TheEmzilinie so she can make new friends!) and I really miss her! When we had to say 'goodbye' I just hugged her and ran away so she wouldn't see me cry haha! Luckily we're both road-trippin' home (Cambridge) next weekend so I'll get to see her!

Blog Related Bullshit: being bullied by another blogger about my weight (low blow) and dealing with anons (that are from aforementioned blogger - IP trackers are awesome!) claiming I 'only blog for free stuff' really sucks. Luckily for me, there are a few absolute BABES who are so lovely to me that it makes all of this worthwhile :)

An important note: I know that about 28% of my readers are 13-18 which is the sort of age where you might experience some form of bullying. I think it's really important for anyone who is currently experiencing any form of bullying to remember that the person is only doing it to make themselves feel better about their pathetic/lonely life. It's proven that 9 times out of 10 the bully has a bad home life, school life, work life or love life. They turn their anger on other people to drag them down and make themselves feel better about their life or themselves as a person. Recent studies have also shown that bullies are 85% more likely to bully people they are jealous of. Perhaps you've just got great school grades, a new job, new car, or new boyfriend and they're jealous of those things? Perhaps you do a lot of charity work/really lovely things for people and they wish they could be that nice? No matter what the circumstances you do not have to put up with it. You can speak to the police, your school, your parents or even Childline if none of those are appropriate then take a look at this website. I was bullied a lot throughout my entire school life (and its still continuing now) so if you wish to talk to me, I'm always here to listen and try to help you.

I'm not in this for drama or for 'freebies' and definitely don't ask/'beg' PR's for free things! If I'm lucky enough to get sent an email offering me something and its relevant then I'll try it but if not I say no! I'm 100% honest and have told you guys everything about what I've been sent/bought, sponsored articles and how much I've been paid, and what affiliate programmes I'm part of (just sigma, by the way). In all honesty, money is really tight right now (moving into the new flat cost a LOT of money) so I'm perhaps more willing to accept things for review literally because I wouldn't be able to afford to buy them in order to review them for you guys but that's literally it. I've recently replied to a few PR's politely declining their offers and linking them to some bloggers that I think would enjoy the products more than me so if anything, I actually pass the 'PR freebies' onto someone else!

I've been writing my blog for the best part of 3 years now and I've always stayed true to myself instead of being two-faced. I may be a bit gobby at times, but at least you all know I'm genuine!

'Professional Image: For me professional image means taking out my lip piercing (tongue and nose are easy to hide), having my bleached hair toned down to a Lauren Conrad/Whitney Port 'sunkissed caramel' and wearing thick tights to hide the tattoo's on my feet! I'm currently spending all my spare time looking for 'professional' clothes that still allow me to express my personality! guhhhh

Crikey this ended up being a lot longer than I'd planned! If you read it all the way through thank you very much!

Love you all loads xo

The best hairdryer in the world?

2011-07-21T14:43:00.003+01:00

Iya!

I appear to be on a blog roll recently! you guys have had updates from me almost every day I'm sure! Considering my internet doesn't get connected until the 23rd July I think this is a bit of a miracle!

Recently I was given the chance to try some products by Diva Pro. These hair styling items aren't available on the high street and are designed specifically with professional use in mind. I obviously jumped at the chance and recently tried out the Beautiful Diva Pro Ultima 5000 Hair Dryer.

Holy-Moly. Not only is this hair dryer a thing of utter beauty, it performs better than any dryer I've ever tried.

As BrionyLou said on Twitter:
"I love my Diva hair dryer, it's like a reverse Dyson!"

I couldn't put it better myself :)

Boasting 2000watts, 4 heat settings, a 77km/h air speed, 3 speed settings, 'true cold' shot and ionic conditing - this is the Veyron 16.4 of the hair dryer world.

The dryer comes with the following 3 attachments:

Two air-directing-nozzles and an 'air styling wand'

I've been using the slightly wider nozzle (centre) as my hair is really thick and frizzy and its amazing! For my second Dyson-related-comment of the post, the air coming out of the nozzle feels like the air in those Dyson hand dryers in public toilets... the 'air blade' :)

not sure whats with the whole dyson-diva-thing...sorry!

Here's a before and after pic of my hair:

To some people, the image on the right wouldn't be particularly impressive but my hair is a thick, frizzy mess normally! With my old hair dryer it would take me roughly 10-12 minutes to dry my hair then 20 minutes to straighten (read:fry) it. The Ultima5000 dries my hair in 4-6 minutes (yes, I've timed it) and I don't need to straighten my hair afterwards. Sometimes I'll run my straighteners through my fringe or over the ends if its extra-scruffy that day but that's it! This is genuinely revolutionary for me, the 'after' image above is the smoothest my hair has EVER been when i've dried it at home and not had a salon blow dry ♥

I've tried around 15-18 hair dryers over a number of years ranging from £30-£250!!! (my dads ex girlfriend was/is a beautician) some high street, some 'pro' brands bought from trade wholesalers and this is hands down the best one I've ever tried. I would strongly recommend that if your current dryer just isn't quite cutting it, that you pick one of this up ASAP!

The Diva Pro Ultima 5000 is ONLY available at Sallys stores, Sally Express or on the Diva Pro website.

It retails at £79.99 which is an absolute bargain for such an incredible hair dryer and is available in rubberised black, gloss black and metallic pink.

10/10 from me!

xo

Some serious Liz Lovin'

2011-07-21T14:09:00.001+01:00

Hi everyone! Hope you're all having a fab day?!

A few days ago I was woken by the buzzer/phone in the flat (eugh) and it was the postman with a lovely parcel from the incredible people at Liz Earle! Lovely!

I've featured Liz Earle quite a bit on Reaching for The Stars and I'm yet to use anything from the brand that isn't amazing... I had a weird phase with Cleanse and Polish where it broke me out but now it really agrees with my skin and I've had no further problems.

Anyway, I've gone off on a tangent! Back to the parcel of love. (haha)..

I was incredibly lucky to be sent the Liz Earle Botanical Essence No1 and the SuperSkin Body Cream as well as a gorgeous beach/tote bag!

Botanical Essence No1:

please excuse my finger prints on the bottle! Silly flash!

This comes beautifully packaged in its own little dinky box with a blue ribbon on the side to slide the fragrance out. The bottle itself is glass, heavy and basic whilst still looking 'classy'.

On the side of the box, it says this:

"For our first ever fragrance we’ve used the finest natural botanical ingredients from around the world and the expert skills of a distinguished perfumer from Grasse, France. We gave him the time to indulge in the age-old art of perfumery, skilfully hand-crafting this complex scent with true passion to create this vibrant, sparkling fragrance translating into warmth and sensuality."

And inside the box there is a little note from the lovely Liz:

The fragrance is fresh and very 'clean' smelling. Heavy in patchouli with a slight hint of lavender. It also contains bergamot, geranium, lavender, coriander, mandarin and vetiver essential oils :)

I normally go for very sweet, sickly scents (britney spears fantasy, katie price stunning, etc) but this has completely stolen my heart. I literally haven't stopped dousing myself in it for days! A few of my friends have commented saying I smell 'grown up' and I've even had 'gossssh you smell amazing, normally you just smell of skittles' as well!

This bottle (50ml) retails at £40.35 which is a great price for such a gorgeous, good quality scent.

I'd love to think that as this is called 'No1' Liz has a few more up her sleeve! I can see myself filling a drawer with these bad boys!

SuperSkin Body Cream:

This cream is ultra-rich and formulated with 25% plant oils making it really intensive and great for parched, dry skin. It has the trademark Liz Earle herbal/fresh scent and is a thick cream (more of a body butter consistency than a cream consistency).

I've been slathering this all over my legs, feet, the tops of my arms and my chest/stomach after I've had a bath/shower in the evenings and I've noticed a real improvement in the condition of my skin. I even prefer this to my Elizabeth Arden 8 hour body cream and that is saying something!!!

This retails at £12.25 for a 50ml tube or £28.10 for a 200ml tube. Yes its pricey but you only need a tiny bit (it goes a really long way) and it's really good quality and effective. In my humble little opinion its worth every single penny and I'll definitely be purchasing another 200ml tube when this one runs out.

Beach/Tote Bag:

This is navy and cream, with a little 'Liz Earle' logo on the front! It's made of a thick, sturdy material and is absolutely gigantic! It also closes with a little magnetic snapper thingy that you can see in the last photo :) Since I received this I've been using it constantly, for shopping, or my lunch and bottle of water, or for notebooks etc... It's so, so useful and I love it so much! ♥

Have you tried any of these gorgeous products? Do you love them as much as me?

xo

Boho, Tropical, Extra Large?

2011-07-19T17:43:00.002+01:00

Hullooooooo!

My love of dry shampoo is no secret, and I talk about Batiste quite a lot here at Reaching for The Stars... But with good reason, it's easily my all time favourite brand and I'm yet to try a product by Batiste that I don't love!

Today I just wanted to blog quickly about the new supersize cans of Batiste and in particular, the Boho and Tropical scents :)

blah blah small print: I was sent the boho as a PR sample and won the Tropical on Twitter so didn't actually buy either of these... as always this hasn't altered my opinion in any way.

If you haven't noticed, Batiste have recently bought out new mega-huge cans of their dry shampoo (and some mini ones!).

Batiste is now available in the following sizes:

50ml mini: £1.55
200ml: £2.99
400ml: £4.99

I have never found product effectiveness to differ between scents with Batiste at all and these two are no exception. They both eliminate any grease/oils from my hair and help it to feel freshly washed and clean without weighing it down or leaving any residue. These two in particular help my hair to smell absolutely gorge!

The Boho has a strong (but not overpowering) sweet scent. I cant quite pinpoint exactly what it smells of but if I had to describe it I'd just say 'summer' - it's divine!

The Tropical smells predominantly of coconut and pineapple but there's definitely a hint of citrus in the mix too :)

I love that you now get 200ml for £2.99 as it means I don't have to buy as often, however these cans are a little bit too big even for my handbag! I'm just going to buy a couple of the mini travel sized ones though - so it's not a problem at all ♥

Do you love Batiste as much as me? What do you think of the new sizes and these particular scents?

xo

ps - I much prefer the white lids! Nice one Batiste!!

Instantly Luscious Locks! ♥

2011-07-19T17:11:00.002+01:00

Bonjour Blogettes!

Long time no see eh? Last night I signed up for weight watchers online in an effort to lighten up my lifestyle and get a bit slimmer ;)

So I thought it would be quite appropriate to also speak about lusciously light-er hair in an instant!

Yes, thats right... I'm talking about Aussie Lusciously Light MEGA Instant Conditioner ♥ I mentioned in a previous blog post that I had attended the Aussie Lusciously Light Soiree with a whole bunch of Aussie Angels!

Unfortunately I had to leave super early because of my flight to Paris the next day but I was lucky enough to be given a lovely goodie bag containing macaroons, nail polish, some hair accessories and a bottle of really cute bubbles!

Oh, and this bottle of joy...

This conditioner is for day-to-day happy hair and can be used as often as you like without weighing your hair down or causing build up.

Kangaroo Paw Flower (which gets its name because of its furry, paw-like flowers... cuuuute!) makes this conditioner super extra nourishing to give you healthy, bouncy, aussome ;) hair!

I've been using this every other wash since the event and I absolutely love it! It leaves my hair smooth, silky, nourished and really well moisturised yet my hair feels like I haven't used anything on it and it's just naturally that luscious (which isn't true!). There is certainly NO residue, build up or nasty slightly-greasy-crown-area (caused by some hard to rinse conditioners). Just lusciously light, nourished tresses!

I'd really recommend this for anyone who hates that 'just conditioned' weighed down feeling, or for anyone who has naturally gorgeous, nourished hair (lucky you!).

It (obviously) has the trademark amaaaaaaaazing Aussie scent and you can get the 'matching' Shampoo for extra-super-luscious hair ;)

You can buy this at Boots (£3.67), Superdrug (£3.49), Tesco, Asda (£3.48), Sainsburys and lots of other good retailers :)

Get down to the shops and snap it up whilst you can, its definitely a must have product for me now!

xo

Artful Teasing

2011-07-16T17:49:00.001+01:00

No, not that sort of teasing! How rude are you lot ;) I'm quite obviously talking about bath salts...

I was sent samples of these Artful Teasing bath salts for review purposes. One little bottle of 'myrtle, sage, thyme, and eucalyptus' and one of 'lavender and tea tree'. I've used about half of each 30ml sample bottle so far and they just really aren't for me :( they definitely help to keep my skin hydrated in the bath, and it is relaxing... but I just can't get over how much they stink! I like my bath to smell of sweets and fruityness, I'm just not a big fan of 'relaxing aromatherapy odour' :/ maybe its something I'll grow into, or learn to love, but for now it just isn't for me...

Have you ever tried bath salts? Did you get on with them or do you like your bath water pink and sparkly like me?

xo