This Week - The Make Up # 10

I feel that this should be labelled the back to school edit as tomorrow I'm back at work after 6 weeks off. I'm not sure if I remember how to apply make up after having so much time off, most days have consisted of a little bit of mascara and if the world is lucky then I've filled in my brows.So I've picked make up that is foolproof at 6am tomorrow morning!

This week I've decided to be kind to my skin and reach for Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, just a little tint of colour and a small amount of coverage, this is easy to throw on in the morning and leaves a lovely summer glow. Paired with that I've picked Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector and Concealer as I know that there will be a few dark circles come Friday. To keep some summer colour I've picked Mac Harmony blush. 

Moving on to eyes, I've got my regular Benefit Browzing which is an oldie but a goodie. After a little clear out I've rediscovered a mini Benefit They're Real which I adore and can't wait to use. I forgot to photo it but I'm still in love with my Bobbi Brown Sand Palette so I'm going to keep using that. Finally a slick of Rimmel Kohl in Brown and a Scandaleyes on the bottom lash line.

I'm hoping to get a FOTD post up during so keep a look out for that, but now I need to go and get sorted for tomorrow. 

Have you used any of these products before? What are you wearing this week? xx

Saturday Shopping #2 - Next British Bake Off

I think it's fair to say that as a nation we have been gripped by Bake Off fever, I find myself thinking of making biscuit creations and melting middle puddings at the most inappropriate of times, and the only cure seems to be baking or purchasing everything needed to make the perfect Mary Berry cake.

So this weekend I'm off to pick up some new bits for our kitchen, first stop on my list is Next. We're very lucky in Watford as we have a store with a fantastic home section and I love wandering around, picking out bits for our house.

On my list are some new tea towels, we seem to ruin tea towels, I think Ted plays with them in the night, so I need some new ones and I love the check pattern of these ones. To go with the tea towels is this really cute set of oven gloves, who doesn't love a tartan pig! Along with these bits, I love the spotty bin, not that I need a new kitchen bin but I do like this one. Finally as a cute pick are these owl stacking mugs. I love these as they are small and compact so would take up little space in our small kitchen as well as adding character.

Something I have always wanted is a Kitchenaid - all the cute pastel colours, but the price has always put me off. This version is a lot friendlier on the purse but still has the look of the more expensive make. To go with the mixer a bread maker is on the list, I love fresh homemade bread, but the time it takes means I don't often make it, but a breadmaker would probably help with my current baking need.

Now I just need to decide which is the first item to buy. Which bits would you pick? xx

The Britishtag

I've seen this tag floating around; mostly on YouTube but a few bloggers have started doing it so I thought I would give it a go. 

1) How many cups of tea do you have a day? How many sugars? I am absolute Tea addict, I love tea, and I actually have gallons of the stuff. I must go through for five big mugs a day; it is a requirement for getting up in the morning plus making it through the day with the kids. I don't actually have any sugar in my tea because I find it too sweet but I do have quite weak with a lot of milk but I have to be able to drink it quickly at work.

2) Favourite part of your roast? I love a roast and I think it's on the best meals that we have here and in Great Britain. My favourite part if I had to pick would be probably Yorkshire Puddings, there's something about filling them with gravy and saving them till last! Other than that I do actually like roast parsnips, I know that they're not everyone's favourites but they are mine, there is just something about them!

3) Favourite dunking biscuit? That's easy one - rich tea biscuits if there aren't any rich teas then I would probably go with a ginger but biscuit.

4) Favourite quintessentially British pastime? I don't know if you call it a past time but it would probably be drinking tea. I don't know if that's a past time but it's the only one I can think of other then having a drink in a pub or going for a walk in the countryside...no idea... Next question.

5) Favourite word? This is a really random word it's one of my favourites to say that I can't spell it and its flibbertigibbet. It basically means someone who is a bit whimsical in old English, I just like saying it sounds great. As well as that I love saying discombobulated!

6) Cockney rhyming slang? Being a northern I don't really use Cockney rhyming slang, any I do know come from TV and films but I know that being a 'tea leaf' is a thief and 'apples and pears' mean stairs and that's about it.

7) Favourite sweet? My favourite sweets are probably wine gums, I love them but I only like the red, orange and purple ones but I don't like the green or yellow ones so the boy has to put up with them always being left - I'm the same with fruit pastilles. 

8) What would your pub be called? I will probably have to name it after being a teacher and so call it ' The Teachers Inn' or maybe name it after Ted and call it 'The Dog House' or 'Ted's House'.

9) No1 British person? Number one British person probably have to be the Queen as she is very much an icon and is also very funny on Twitter. Other than that it would have to be John Cleese or any other actors from Monty Python or Rowan Atkinson.

10) Favourite shop? The one that probably takes most of my money would be Boots, after that I would say Topshop or New Look. 

11) What British song pops into your head? As a massive fan of Britpop as a kid I would have to say that Spice Girls or a bit of Madness can't beat baggy trousers or even Queen 'Don't stop me now is one of the best anthems ever.

12) Marmite? Just no!!

There are my answers to the tag, this was quite fun to do! I don't know how British they make me but this is who I am - do you agree with any of my answers?

If you do this post, leave the link in the comments below xx

Sephora Haul

As someone obsessed with beauty products, when we booked tickets to head to Paris for the day I knew I had to find a Sephora to pop into. A quick check on Twitter and I was pointed to the one on the Champs-Élysées so we jumped off our tour bus and I practically ran into the building.

I don't need to explain what Sephora is but it was amazing walking into the mothership and just seeing all of the brands of make up just sitting there waiting to be looked at. I wandered around in a daze before setting my sights on the Sephora own brands as that's something we cant get here. After playing with as much as possible I settled on the Sephora Collection IT Palette which is a neutral palette with 12 shades, a brush and and brow pencil, perfect for travelling between all the parentals. 

Next I grabbed the Benefit They're Real Push Up liner as it was something that I've wanted for a while plus it was cheaper then in the Uk.

Finally I threw in an own brand hand moisturiser to have in my bag as I get very dry skin, plus this one smells of coconuts so I'm keeping that summer scent alive.

I could have bought twice as much but I refrained myself, plus somethings were not as reasonably priced - just something to bear in mind when shopping abroad.

I loved visiting Sephora however it was a tad overwhelming, I think if I get the chance to go again I will do my research and go with a list rather then running around like a child in a sweet shop. 

Overall the experience was great, one that I hope to repeat at some point in the future! 

What do you think of my haul? Have you been to Sephora? xx

NOTD - Models Own Coconut

 

It's been ages since I've painted my nails in ages - sometimes there are no polishes that take your fancy, plus wet nails with a new puppy is a recipie for disaster - but now Ted is in more of a routine I can find time again tu Coconut Cream from Models Own.

Coconut Cream is a new addition to the range of scented polishes. It has a gorgeous coconut scent which is subtle and sweet, it's a real mix of summer - it's like they crammed suncream into the bottle!

Added to the amazing scent is a fantastic  polish; a creamy vanilla white not bright, much more subtle. The white looks good against a tanned skin tone, It makes my hands look so tanned! I love this on its own or as a base for different top coats. The formula is what I would expect from Models Own, really smooth formula with great coverage and good lasting power. 

I love this polish, it's one that I will keep reaching for through the season, I think I want to have a play with some nail art using it - might be time to get out the dotting tools!

What do you think to Coconut Cream? Any nail art blogs or ideas I should try out? Xx

Saturday Shopping #1

Personally I love the transition from Summer to Autumn, I love being wrapped up in layers, getting cosy inside jumpers and wrapping up with longer sleeves. With that in mind I need to add some new pieces for the coming season.

I've picked 5 items from Topshop's weekly New In as they are perfect for the coming season. All 5 are items that can be worn together as well as individually. Firstly the Striped Oversized Tunic is something to wear now with skirts and shorts and then later with leggings or skinny jeans later on in the season. Next up the V-Neck sweater is something to layer up with. It's a fine knit so can easily be thrown over simple tops now or worn with shirts when it gets colder. I picked the Tunic Dress because I love a good tunic dress, its a great length plus its a deep berry colour which is bang on trend for the season. I love me a good check shirt, this Oversized CheckShirt is perfect to wear on its own, over the stripped top, tied around the waist - where ever! Finally for something a bit special I picked this jumper because it has sheer knit panels along the sleeves to add detail. 

All of these items are items that I need in my wardrobe, as it gets colder these sorts of clothes are essential. Topshop have some fantastic drops this season, I can't wait to see what else comes out!

What do you think of my picks? xx

Review - Bobbi Brown Sand Palette

I'm not the sort of person who is often falls for the latest palette, especially when its another nude collection but when the Bobbi Brown Surf & Sand collection started popping up on blogs, I knew I had to go and check it out. I popped down to the Bobbi Brown counter in John Lewis and one of the gorgeous girls just had to show me it!

A quick 10 minutes later, I walked out of the shop, practically skipping the whole way back to the car looking glam as well as holding in my hand the Sand Palette. That was a couple of weeks ago and I'm so glad I have this, one of the most gorgeous palettes I have ever seen.

Sand is inspired by sandy beaches, with 8 colours with different textures and finishes. Most of the colours are fairly sheer but when put together they create a nice, beachy look. My most used colours are the two mattes on the third row, they just blend really well with a bit of the darker colour used along the lash line. To jazz it up a bit, I use the different metallics and glitters depending on my mood. 

This is a palette that I know I will reach for loads, plus part of me still hopes that using it will give me just a little bit of Kate Upton's gorgeousness in the campaign pictures! If you want to see what it looks like on then head over to my Instagram here.

What do you think of the palette? xx

Introducing Ted

So I'm sure a lot of you will have seen him already over on Instagram but I thought it was about time I introduced the latest addition to the house - Ted the pug. 

The boy and I have talked about getting a dog ever since we moved in together 4 years ago, but we knew we had to wait until we bought our own home. We did a lot of research about what type of dog would be best for us and how we live and after spending time with other peoples pugs we knew this was the dog breed for us. 

We made a plan to look for a puppy who would be ready to bring home at the start of the summer holidays so I could be with him for the first 6 weeks, get him into a routine. We found a breeder who was registered with the Kennel Club and made contact when the puppys were 2 weeks old, out of a litter of 5 we picked the fawn male. Our breeder kept us up to date every week with pictures and updates on how he was doing. When he was 6 weeks we went to visit him and see the parents before we handed over any money and then 2 weeks later we picked the little monster up.

Ted has settled in really well, he sleeps in the kitchen at night without complaining - we use a baby gate to keep him in there to stop him wandering around the house when we're asleep, plus it keeps the mess confined to one place.

Over the last month Ted's personality has really grown and he is a loopy creature. He is learning lots of things every day and has grown in confidence! He isnt fully toilet trained but we are getting there slowly, less and less accidents every day. We've just started to go out on walks to the park and he enjoys meeting people, most people stop to fuss him which he adores - he gets quite grumpy if people don't stop to fuss him, total diva!

Its wonderful having Ted at home, his facial expressions are brilliant and he makes me laugh constantly, I can't wait to go out on lots of adventures with him in the future.

I hope that Ted will feature more on the blog in the future if that's something you want to see, as well as updating my instagram feed with pictures almost daily at the moment.

Let me know if you want to see more of little man xx

Review - Bleach Reincarnation Mask

Boots - £6

 Never before have I fallen in love with a product on the first use, not until I used the Reincarnation Mask from Bleach. I've been trying to get my hair into decent condition, I've got lazy with using conditioner, over straightening it, just generally abusing it. After reading countless reviews, I popped down to Boots and picked up a tube, along with a couple of other bits from Bleach, but more on those later.

The Reincarnation Mask is a pre-shampoo treatment, a thick and creamy product that aims to rehydrate stressed out and over processed hair. I wet my hair, whacked a good handful on all over my hair, wrapped it in a towel and left it on for 20mins whilst I got on with the washing up. After a quick rinse and shampoo I left my hair to dry naturally and I was left with with soft, not weighed down hair - this is literally amazing! I naturally have wavy, frizzy hair which becomes massive when I normally air dry my hair, but after using the Reincarnation mask, I have naturally beachy waves without the need for salt spray.

I cannot rave about this enough! For £6 you get a huge tube of product that will last for ages, plus the packaging means you can really squeeze out every last drop. This really is a must for anyone who has over processed or over dyed their hair, I need to go and pick up more of these!

Have you tried anything from the Bleach range? xx