Long time no blog!

Yeah, basically what the title says. I do really enjoy blogging and really want to make it a routine part of my life, and get nicely involved in a little bloggy community, but it seems to have taken a back seat recently. I started a new job a few months back and it was all very stressful. It's what I deem to be a Proper job. It's not a proper job in the sense that it's related to my degree, because it couldn't be further removed from my degree if it tried, but it's a proper grown up job nonetheless. It's mostly just been a bit of a difficult time. No one ever tells you that graduating university is going to be so difficult! You think that when you get to be a 'grown up' you'll know exactly what it is you want to do with your life. Absolutely not the case. I still don't know what I want to do. But I'm going to be more positive about it in 2013 and take every opportunity I can and not be a lazy bum. I have been called that before now. So yes, that's why I haven't blogged all that much.

Secondly, my previous employer paid in advance and my new employer in arrears, like most other normal employers. I ended up not being paid for two months so didn't even want to turn my laptop on for fear it might cost me money! Nightmare.

I plan to blog much more and on a wider range of subjects. I was so worried about posting things that I thought people would enjoy reading or things that a 'beauty blogger' would blog about, that I ended up writing rubbish that I really wasn't enjoying. So I vow to write not just about beauty and nice smelling things, but also about things that I enjoy and find myself getting up to! Lots more lifestyley post. I'm fairly handy with a needle and thread so I might even blog about my crafty exploits from time to time, call me crazy. I'm just going to enjoy this blog more for what it is and not worry so much about what people might think.

I hope you had a lovely christmas and are already having your best year yet!

♥

My Current Beauty Wishlist: November!

This is seriously a month for super girly, sparkly, frivolous make-up things. I go through phases with skincare, make-up and body care, and at the moment it's most definitely make-up. So for this one post, I will undulge my utterly girly side; no holds barred, superfluous frivolity.

Topshop Nails in Panther - Topshop, £6.50; Lipstick in Whimsical - Topshop, £8; REN F10 Smooth and Renew Face Mask - REN, £20; Revlon Nail Enamel in Sparkling - Superdrug, £6.49; Rimmel Match Perfection in Ivory - Superdrug, £6.99; Lipstick in Beguiled - Topshop, £8.

My recent dabbling with sparkly nail varnish has got me hooked, and I absolutely LOVE this glitter polish from Topshop's Dark Side of Nude collection. I saw it on Lily Pebbles' nails, on Instagram I think, and just fell in love with it. It looks seriously good on top of black nail varnish and I want to utilise my recent Barry M discovery as much as I can! This is definitely going to be gracing my fingernails this festive season!

I'm basically just a massive copycat, so it's the same with the two Topshop lipsticks. I've seen them both on various blogs and gracing the lips of my friends too, and they both look so wearable. Whimsical is perfect for everyday and Beguiled is just perfect for what I'm looking for when I want something a bit extra. On Guy Fawkes night I really wanted to wear a dark Autumny lip, but do I own anything darker than a very pale nude? No.

I've heard a lot about the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation and I definitely want to try it. I'm a bit out of love with Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua at the moment, I have weird dry skin at the moment and I'm finding it just seems to sit on my skin and look a bit chalky. I just want to shake it up a bit and give myself a bit of choice in the base department!

The Revlon nail varnish is possibly the most frivolous. It's just so pink and sparkly and just, amazing.

A couple of posts ago I talked about the little REN tester set I purchased. I've since fallen completely, head over heels in love with the F10 Smooth and Renew Face Mask. After using it my skin is very noticeably clearer and feels so clean and refreshed. It basically does exactly what it says it's going to do, with absolutely no disappointments. It really feels like it's doing my skin some good and I think it's going to become my go-to face mask.

I'm on a big money saving drive at the moment so I can eventually move in with the boy, so this is really all in a fantasy world.. A girl can dream, hey?

♥

Sparkly Nails!

PS. Please ignore my hideous cuticles.

I've finally found a way I like to wear Models Own Disco Heaven. I bought this polish back in May and I've tried it in so many combinations and just haven't loved it. What with it being Halloween, firework night and almost a little bit festive, I decided to pair it with black. I thought that was seasonally appropriate! I used Barry M Black, which is basically just black. I really like Barry M nail varnish; they are SO affordable and I really don't think that is reflected in the formulation. I only had to use a regular two coats before this was completely opaque. 

Annoyingly, the sheer sparkliness of this combo just doesn't show up pictures! It looks the best under the spotlights in my bathroom, but even then it just doesn't do it justice. I even thought about making a tiny video clip of me waving my fingernails around, but I came to my senses and realised that would be totally ridiculous. 

The Models Own glitter wears so well too, I've had this on for about five days now and there's not a single chip. I've also seriously reawakened my love for sparkly nails. It's so perfect for this festive time of year and I can see myself rocking many a sparkly fingernail in the run up to Christmas and New Year!

Any recommendations for lovely sparkle?

♥

Can you do dry shampoo wrong?

I was all ready and fired up to sit down and write a damning review of this dry shampoo, but about half an hour has now passed since I gave it an ultimatum, and I'm starting to change my mind. I shall begin.

I bought this a good few months ago, because I love LUSH and I love dry shampoo. Who doesn't? A whole extra day without the laborious task of hair washing?! Don't mind if I do. I've used it about 3 times before today and have been hideously disappointed with it each time. It's like shaking talcum powder onto your head.

When you first apply it, it is literally powder, then you rub it in and use a shampooing motion to make it work. It makes my hair feel really heavy, whereas when I use Batiste it immediately lightens the hair and any trace of grease is gone. I usually like to spray dry shampoo into my roots surrounding my face, particularly down the sides. That's my problem area that gives my dirty hair away first! Trouble with this is, it makes my hair SO white. And my face. It drops everywhere, so it's preferable to do this outside, in the buff. It's just not practical at all. When I shake it onto my roots near my hairline, it stains my scalp and my face white and even when I try to brush off the excess it doesn't budge. It also takes ages to brush out all the powder and even now my hair is looking ever so slightly grey. Ash brown if you will. It's one redeeming feature is its smell. Typical of any LUSH product, it does smell really nice.

However. As I sit and write this, I am aware that my hair looks pretty damn good. I'm on Day 3 hair now, and you wouldn't be able to tell. As long as I don't touch my hair, I'm pretty happy with it. As soon as I touch my hair, my hand is dry and powdery and I realise that my hair feels matted and weirdly dusty.

I really think this is one that you need to try yourself. For some people, this might be the dry shampoo of dreams, but for me it's just not. I can't remember exactly how much this was, but I do know it wasn't what you might call budget. When I can use a brand I much prefer for a fraction of the price, I'm going to pass on this one.

Blimey, what a negative nelly. Has anyone tried this and loved it? Maybe I'm just doing it wrong...

♥

My Current Beauty Wishlist: October!

This is my absolute favourite time of year. I used to be such a summer girl, but I can't deal with the changeable weather. I like that with autumn and winter you know exactly what you're going to get. It will be cold, you will need a coat, you will need boots, and you might need wellies. I've felt super inspired on the beauty front this month, with all the autumny colours flying around, along with lots of Sunday evening wintery pampering products! I've thrown a few fashion items in too just for a bit of variation, I feel like I might branch out a bit on the blog! Let me know what you think :-)

MAC Hue lipstick - £14; Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - £33; Aubergine Cloche Bow Hat - Marks & Spencer, £25; Autograph Lace Up Ankle Boots - Marks and Spencer, £75; Essie Bahama Mama - Boots/Superdrug, £7.99; Dachshund Notebook - Anthropologie, £10.

I'm ready to make the transition to lipstick. I've got my lipcare down pat now and they're smooth enough for lipsticks. I started off with the Revlon Lip Butters because they weren't as scary. Now I'm ready! I'm going to start off with Hue because it's a relatively unscary shade that will ease me in gently!

Now that WINTER IS COMING, I'm looking for a foundation with a bit more coverage, I don't know why, I just really like that look in winter. I've wanted to try Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation for yonks and I think I'll finally get round to it this winter.

Now. This hat. It's so Downton Abbey it hurts me. If you'll now look to the right hand side of this post, you will see that my Twitter feed is full of my professed love for Downton. I love cloche hats anyway and the colour of this one is just spot on. I really think that Marks & Spencer are on top form at the moment. With their new beauty destination it's quickly becoming one of my favourite places to shop.

More M&S! I tried these boots when I was in Cornwall, under the demand of my boyfriend. I reluctantly pulled them on, thinking they might be a bit dominatrix-y. But oh my, they are just so classy and lovely. I was wearing my Zara tweed fitted blazer at the time and they just went to perfectly. I'm waiting and waiting now until women's boots are the M&S Deal of the Day!

The obligatory Essie shade. Bahama Mama, aside from the name, is just so autumnal and lovely. And it matches the hat. Done deal.

Lastly, this dachshund notebook from Anthropologie. It's excessively long and highly impractical, but it would just look so good wherever you decided to put it. It's definitely a decorative notebook! 

Eventually, you will come to realise the extent of my love for dachshunds. Oh my.

♥

REN Skincare Test Run

I'd heard a lot about REN skincare before I finally got round to trying it. Let alone hearing about it on every blog I read, my boyfriend always used to rave about their Moroccan Rose range. So when I saw Lily Pebbles' video about her sample box, I popped to my local apothecary (oo-er, apothecary), and purchased the selection for sensitive skin. I've never thought of myself as having sensitive skin before, but the gentlemen who owns the shop immediately had me down as sensitive skinned. Apparently if you experience a lot of redness, it's sensitivity. Shows how much I know, I thought that was just the colour of my skin!

For starters, this kit is just so cute. It just really appeals to me. It's such a fantastic way of trying lots of new products without having to spend an absolute fortune; you can pick up these kits for different skin types for only £13. The deluxe samples have lasted me so long and I've really been able to get an idea of whether the products suit me. 

To begin with, rather negatively, the cleanser. I hate to be a negative nelly, but I really don't like this cleanser. You apply it to dry skin, add a little water to emulsify it and then rinse it off. I found it really drying on my skin; after using it my skin felt incredibly tight and shiny. I actually think this is the product that prompted a resurgence in the eczema around my eyes. It also didn't remove any leftover makeup that well. I just found it really ineffective. Thumbs down!

The night serum is absolutely lovely, since using it I've really noticed that the redness on my skin has lessened and everything is generally clearer. It is an incredibly oily serum and when I first used it I thought it would really play havoc with my skin, but its actually a really light oil and soaks in very quickly. The only downside is, it does have a rather suspect scent to it - a sort of rotten fish smell. It's quite faint so I can just about get over it.

The stand out product for me is the day cream. It smells clean and fresh, it's light, absorbs well and is the perfect base for make up. It keeps my face hydrated for the whole day, without it feeling oily by the afternoon. I can honestly say I've noticed an improvement since using the two products together. I love it so much, I purchased full size only yesterday. I can't quite justify the serum yet though...

I'm still on the fence about the face mask, I'm not keen on the texture. It's incredibly shiny and sticky and I'm never quite sure if I've managed to remove it all! It also smells very strongly of orange, overwhelmingly so! 

Overall, I think these little sample sets are such a good idea. It's such an affordably way of trying a relatively high end skincare brand.

Are there any REN products that stand out for you?

♥

The Sunday Night Pamper Sesh!

So, it's Sunday night. Back to eleven hour days tomorrow! Sunday nights just feel perfect for pampering; a nice face mask followed by a glass of wine and Downton Abbey is just unbeatable. I've had flu followed by a really bad cold this week, so I feel more in need of it than ever.

I started with a hair mask. Now, I'm pretty new to the world of hair masks. This James Brown one is the first I've ever tried and I won't lie, I mostly bought it for the smell. Not that I can smell it at the moment with my cold, but I know its there. I honestly notice a difference when I use this. My hair feels so much lighter and softer after using this, even after a couple of washes. I just need to get myself into using it weekly and stop being lazy! I was worried that I would notice my hair getting greasier quickly when I use this, but there's absolutely nothing of the sort. It's so lovely. After washing my hair I use Moroccanoil, but I always use that, so it technically doesn't deserve to be in this post...

At the same time, I whack on a face mask. I love Mask of Magnaminty, it just sets my skin back to normal again, it's like a magic face-yuk eraser! My skin feels particularly gross at the moment from blowing my nose all the time and just generally dry from the change in weather, so this was definitely needed. It's my magic cure-all and Sunday nights wouldn't be the same without it.

As soon as I hop out of the shower I slather on a small bucketful of Biotherm anti-drying body milk. I swear this stuff is the best body moisturiser I've ever used. It feels very sheer to apply and soaks in really easily, but at the same time it is incredibly moisturising. It smells delightfully fresh and light too.

This is the gross bit, so I'm going to gloss over it quickly! Foot scrub and moisturiser! I hardly ever take the time to scrub my feet; it's that extra step in the shower that I can just never be bothered to do. It's awkward, you end up hopping around on one leg and invariably slip over. But I'm always really glad when I do manage to do it. I then rub in some of the Sanctuary foot moisturiser and pop on some moisture socks (sexy) until the next morning. Et voila, smooth tootsies!

Happy Sunday Pamper Sesh!

♥