NOTD - Topshop Smashing Pumpkins

Evening all, hope your well. It was the first day back at school today, only 6 weeks and 4 days to go until the next holiday!


Today's nails come from the Topshop nail polish range. This is my first purchase of polish from Topshop and I really have mixed feelings.

Smashing Pumpkin is a really good blood orange colour which contains no shimmer at all. A simple Crayola orange. I thought it would be apt for today and you will see why at the end!


I think you get a good sized bottle of polish for the £5.00 price tag, the packaging is really cute and the brush is a nice stiff brush which let spread the polish evenly over the nail.


The formula was a nice even formula, no bubbles and it was easily worked across the nail with no need for clean up. It was quite thin really and needed 3 coats to get rid of the VNL that you can get!


The pictures above have been taken after 2 days wear, and really its wasn't fairing too bad considering what I have been up to this weekend. However my problem is today on day three and there is a lot of visible tip wear which annoys me as I don't want to be retouching.


I'm not sure yet what I think of Topshop's collection of polish, I think I need to get some more to really test it out (any excuse to buy more!)


And now for why it is an apt polish. I loved the name as I wanted an orange suitable for halloween, but also a strong base for my first attempt at holloween nail art!

Sitting...Waiting...Wishing...

...Knitwear Edition!


Morning all, hope your well. Its getting close to pay day and as the weather is getting colder so I am starting to look for more Knitwear which is suitable for both school and the weekend.

 Boohoo.com £22.00

First up is this gorgeous longer length Cardigan from Boohoo.com.
I love the patterns on this, as well as the belt detailing. It could easily be worn with jeans for a casual look, as well as dressing down a black dress if needed.

Boohoo.com £25.00

Next is a gorgeous cream boyfriend cardigan, which is very similar to one that Topshop have in store at the moment. I love the length of this, the buttons are lower down so as to create the illusion of a longer torso.

River Island £50.00

Finally we have this gorgeous jumper dress from River Island. As I have quite a large bottom half, as well as being top heavy I really struggle to find fitted jumper dresses so this would look okish, maybe with a belt to pull my waist in!


So there you have it, some lovely winter knits for you! What do you think?


Thanks for reading xx

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh

Morning all, hope you well, I'm currently relaxing at my parents.


Today my thoughts turned to Christmas, can you believe that it is just over 60 sleeps until Christmas (not that I'm counting of anything! 


I have a lot of perfume and have been collecting them for quite some time. It's often the go to as a present that my family get me. This perfume was one I got in the summer as a gift from my parents.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh is the summer version of Marc Jacobs Daisy. This is a floral perfume which smells of Roses and Apple Blossom. With the combinations of elements in this perfume, it could be over powering but it really isn't which makes it a great get up and go fragrance.

Like its big sister, Daisy Eau So Fresh has the ever so cute daisy topper which really makes it stand out on my shelf.


You can get the 75ml bottle for £47.50, but this will last a long while and a little bit really does go a long way!


So, there is is, my first suggestion for Christmas lists! Wt'hat do you think? What's on your list?


Thanks for reading xx

NOTD - China Glaze Street Chic

Morning all, hope your well and having a good Monday. I'm enjoying it as its my first day of half term and I'm heading up to my parents house for a few days, need some looking after!!

Today I bring you a gorgeous colour from the Chins Glaze Metro Collection. Street Chic is a very simple brown, there isn't really any other way to describe it!

Its a nice creme polish that gave good coverage in 2 coats and lasted well over 5 days. It suffered a bit on my little finger as I think my Seche Vite is getting a bit old and gloopy, any tips for thinning it out?

Really this is a simple brown, great for Autumn and it will go with a whole range of outfits! What do you think?

Thanks for reading xx

Good Old Country Comforts

Morning all, hope your well and enjoying your weekend.


This post will be my first EVER outfit post! I struggle to get these as I'm not very confident about myself, so this is one way to try and overcome this! 

Jumper: Primark

Black Bodycon Skirt: Topshop Tall

Leggings: Topshop Tall

Boots: Next

I wore this outfit over a week ago for work as I needed some comfort but forgot to post the pictures until now! 


The jumper is really snugly and I thought great value from Primark for £10.00. The boots were a gift from my mum last winter, however I wear them to death at work as I love how comfy they are, especially as they have a 3inch wooden heel!


So here it is, the first ever Outfit post, doesn't look too bad!




Thanks for reading!  

Friday Fitness - Reebok Easytone Trainers

Afternoon all, hope your well. This is my first post since Ofsted were in school on Wednesday and it's taken me this long to start to recover!


For my first post, I wanted to do my Friday fitness, however I know it's Saturday, I fell asleep at 8 last night so only wrote half of it!!


As far as fitness goes, it is really important to have a good set of trainers. You need a pair that fit snugly to your feet, which also support your ankles and knees. Too big and you will roll around, too small and you will get blisters and you will use this as an excuse not to go to the gym!

Recently I was sent a pair of Easytones from Reebok that I won from a facebook competition they were running. I already had one pair but really they are starting to show their age as the design is different.


Easytones trainers have 'Built-in balance pods, featuring Moving Air Technology, transfer air in response to your stride and create micro-instability with every step.'

The balance pods are positioned on the feet so that as you walk you should notice minor instability. This is because the ground is no longer flat and so the muscles in the legs and core have to work harder to keep you up right.


I've been wearing mine a while now and I notice that my legs ache a lot more if I have been wearing them for a long time, ideally walking the dogs when I'm at my parents or simply walking to the shop. The Easytones are designed for everyday use, however I have been wearing mine to my gym classes and really this is where they step it up a notice!


Imagine dancing on a water bed and you are close to how my legs feel right now! A downside is that they hurt the balls of my feel if I wear them for classes such as Bodyjam or BodyCombat. I am looking at getting some of the Traintone ones that are more suited to exercise classes.


The trainers retail at about £70.00 as a starting price depending on where you are shopping, but they are really comfy and durable for that price! I haven't tried the clothing range yet but I am considering the tops as I need some more for the amount of classes that I am doing! 


Anyway, I would recommend these if you are in the market for new trainers and want to spend a bit of money of comfort and quality. I would love to know what you think, maybe you've tried the clothing as well and can let me know what its like!


Thanks for reading


xx

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Be Back Soon...

Morning all, hope your well.


I know my blogging has been a bit sporadic recently, but its about to get even worse! As a teacher there is one thing we all dread...Ofsted. My school knew we were due an inspection very soon but were all hoping that it would come later rather then sooner.


No such luck and we got the call on Friday that they will be with us on Tuesday. This has lead to all weekend plans scrapped, in school most of yesterday, working last night and I am now writing up lots of plans for next week as we don't know when they will observe us, they will simply walk into the lesson!


This week couldn't get much worse except that we also have parents evening Monday and Tuesday so I think it will be a long weekend and a late week to ensure we are totally ready! 


So I'm logging off blogger as its a total distraction, however I will keep tweeting my frustrations I'm sure! Normal service will resume hopefully before half term as I have lots of pictures taken but no posts written yet! 


All I need is for everyone to keep their fingers crossed for me! 


See you soon


Sarah xx

Friday Fitness - Little and Often

Afternoon everyone, thank someone its Friday! This week has been a tough week. Yesterday I had my first observation of the year at school and worked so hard to produce a great lesson. Sadly I didn't get the result that I wanted, and so spent most of yesterday forcing myself not to shout at all the children as I made the mistake which meant I threw away an outstanding lesson 
:(


Today, I wanted to do a bit of an update on my weight loss and talk about food. Since starting back at school I've managed to lose 10lbs in 6 weeks. For me this is great as I'm starting to feel better and I need to buy myself some new trousers!

Being back at school means that I am back into a routine. I'm up early, into school, lessons, break, lesson, lunch, 2 lessons and then end of the day, work for a couple of hours, head home, tea.
I'm finding that I'm hungrier at odd times. When I went back, I thought that I could cope without breakfast and just live off cups of tea until break time or lunch time.


At first the weight fell off and I put this down to not eating a lot, however when I got home from school I would literally hunt around the kitchen for everything! With this my weight would go up and down, along with my emotions.


So I went back to my Weight Watchers books, tracked my food and realised that I need to eat more not less! 


This lead me to looking at my food choices, changing me eating and since I've lost more weight and able to maintain it.


Not eating regularly means that the body is forced into starvation mode, storing more glycogen as fat for use later rather then allowing the body to burn it off. Simple by eating a bowl of cereal for breakfast means the body burns more calories, which leads to feeling more alert and performing better, as well as being able to last longer without food. Having a routine also allows me to eat little and often, maintaining blood sugar throughout the day, so I can have less food in the evening!

I think what I'm trying to say is that its better to eat little and often then little and never or lots and all the time! Feed your body and it will reward you!


Sorry that this is a bit of a rambling post, just thought I would share my new found insight! 


Thanks for reading xx

MAC Face and Body Foundation Review

Evening all, I hope this post finds you well, its nearly the weekend! I can't wait for the weekend to be here, only one more week of this half term!  


The worst thing ever to happen to anyone happened to me a couple of weeks ago...my much loved foundation ran out, 2 weeks before payday and it's was either shop the stash or face the world without and potentially scare off small children!


To the stash I turned, searching for something that would give me just a little bit of coverage. Sitting at the box was a bottle of MAC Face and Body Foundation, this could be my saviour!

Face and Body is an incredible light coverage product that leaves a fresh, dewy finish to the skin. If you have fairly good skin, and just want a light coverage then this is the product for you, if you want more coverage then you can mix it with a tinted moisturiser for a thicker formula.


The consistency of the foundation is quite runny. From the picture below you can see that it is very thin...

A little bit really goes a long way, the small amount above spreads out like this...

It looks really shiny and greasy, but if you apply it to clean skin or a primer and allow it to dry, then it gives a lovely dewy finish. You can either leave it like that, or set it with a finishing powder, such as Benefits Georgia (now discontinued :( ) or something from MAC.

You can apply it in lots of different ways, either with a stippling brush, a foundation brush or your fingers. I tend to use a my stippling brush to apply as you get more of an airbrushed finish where as a foundation brush tends to put too much product on my face and leave it a bit too shiny! 

It gives a good even coverage, even on my skin which is combination. The problem area's I found are my eyebrows, it makes them look stuck on! 

It lasts all day, and comes off easily. You get a whopping 120ml for £25.50, which works out at £2.12 per 10ml which is great compared to my other favourite Maybelline Superstay 24hr foundation which is £9.19 for just 30ml or £3.06 per 10ml!

So a great foundation that has a place in my collection, and I'm sure many others. If you want more information, have a look on Youtube, there are loads of videos! 

Thanks for reading! xx

NOTD - China Glaze Loft-y Ambitions

Evening all, hope your well and Monday hasn't been too challenging for you.


Today I bring you yet another polish from the China Glaze Metro Collection which is the collection for Autumn.


Loft-y Ambition is a blackened cherry red with almost a brown under-tone. In the bottle I dismissed this as just being a simple brown, a bit like the leaves in Autumn.

However on the nails, this is transformed into a beautiful black cherry. 



The formula is a nice consistency, with good coverage in one coat, however i,t did need a second coat just to go over the bits that I missed in my haste on Saturday night!


Under a flash it appears very burgundy which was quite a surprise. 


I actually really like this, I tried to ignore it in my pile of untrieds, but I honestly have no others like this, if you can find me a dupe I will be over the moon!


I will try and get a picture of this in normal light as soon as possible but my camera is playing up.


What do you think, a yummy colour or what!?


Thanks for reading

Soap and Glory Touch & Glow

Afternoon all, hope your well and enjoying what is left of the weekend.


I've been trying to have a bit of a clear out of my stash and find what products I've stashed away and need to use up. One of the products I found is Soap and Glory's Glow Job. 





Now I know that this picture shows that my tube is not Glow Job, however this is the same product, just with a new name ( this is an assumption, I'm not 100% sure of this)



As I've recently run out of my favourite foundation, I've been trying to find a way of cutting down on the products on I have and use. This is one of those products that can fall into two categories.


First up its a moisturiser. As a moisturiser it is great. It looks quite white when you first get it out of the tube, but it does sink in very quickly, leaving a dewy finish without looking greasy.

Secondly, its a bronzer. Inside the moisturise there are tiny white beads. When these bust, they contain a small amount of bronzer which adds colour to the skin without being over powering. It's easily blended into the skin, leaving a nice glow rather then an obvious tan.


One flaw in this is that the beads are not distributed evenly through the product, and so you can get some product with no beads in, and in others you might get too much.


The smell of this is amazing! It smells like oranges, very fresh and fruity without being too much.


For £9.00 you get 75ml which is quite expensive for a moisturiser, but as its two products in one then really its only £4.50 a product!


I think this is one that is more of a summer time product, or one for those who only want a very very light coverage from a product. You can get this from Boots, and I'm sure that it will be in a lot in the gift sets that will be available around Christmas.


So what do you think? A good multi product?


Thanks for reading xx

NOTD - Andrea Fulerton Trio in Gold Finger

Morning all, hope your well. Up early this morning to watch the rugby, kinda wish Id stayed in bed!


Today I bring you not one but two different colours on one manicure!


I bought this polish nearly a year ago at the Clothes Show Live at the NEC, but haven't tried it until now. On the day of the Clothes Show I had my nails done by one of the nail technicians on the Andrea Fulerton stand, and if I'm totally honest, I hated the colour she put on (no idea what it was) and so I was very dubious about this one...until now!

The principle of these is interesting. You can wear each colour on its own, or layer the two for a 3rd colour.


The gold is a yellowy blackened gold, totally smooth but it leaves a mottled glitter effect. The white is a very simple silvery white which is quite unremarkable really. Layered together with the gold first and then the white you get a gorgeous silver colour.


I've been wearing this for 4 days and it hasn't chipped because the formula is so thin that it sits totally flush to the nail.


You can buy this from Superdrug for £7.99 which is quite good considering your get 3 different colours.


What do you think, is it something you would try? Are there any other colour combinations your would recommend?


Thanks for reading

Friday Fitness: Choosing the right gym

Evening all, hope your well and looking forward to the weekend! 


Yesterday my boyfriend text me to say he has signed up to a gym in London to use when he's on his lunch break, his reasons for choosing this gym... the price! This got me thinking...how do you choose a gym thats right for you?


There are 3 types of gym people:


1.The gym bunny - at the gym to work out to fit
2.The gym addict - there every day, fitness is key!
3.The 'if I must' - has to be there in order to eat 

Choosing a gym that fits all theses people in can be tricky, so decide which category you fall into.

For me, a gym needs to have a spacious gym where I can be left alone with my thoughts and music, as well as offering me a range of classes and the option to swim if I want to.

Before you sign up for the gym, have a look online, what reviews can you find? Are any of the reviews negative? Next book a visit and have a walk round, are you shown all the facilities? This is your point to ask lots of questions, especially about costings.

Top questions:

1. If I go away, can I suspend my membership?

2. What charges are there for missing a class?

3. How do I book classes?

4. What discounts can I get? ( I get a discount because I work for a council as a teacher!)

5. Will the price increase?

It's really important that the gym fits you and your lifestyle, are you going to be able to use the gym on a regular basis or do the class times clash with your timetable!

Take your time as its a lot of money and a big commitment! I hope this helps.

Thanks for reading xx