Cookies&Cream

Christmas Wish List...

2012-12-06T09:00:00.000-08:00

1. Bare Minerals Velvet Collection

2. Asos Red Skater Lace and Sequin Dress

3. Toms Burgundy Original Cord Flats

4. Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Book

5. Bare Minerals Light up the room Set

6. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Nectar

7. Christmas Yankee Candle Collection

8. Bobbi Brown Oyster Travel Brush Set

and finally wishful thinking....

9. An adorable little puppy!

(I wish!)

What's on your Christmas wish list year?

Self Indulgence

2012-12-02T11:26:00.001-08:00

As you can probably guess, this blog is all about self indulgence.

A little "me" time I guess you could say, and today, I felt like doing just that.

My skin has been suffering quite a bit recently, especially my legs and my arms. They've felt tight and sore and so incredibly itchy.

I know this is down to the cold weather making my skin dry and the fact that I haven't been giving it the TLC it so very much needs and deserves.

So I went out in to town today and bought myself these little goodies to pamper and soften my skin. I really felt like having a bath too as it is FREEZING outside at the moment.

I've used Dove before and I absolutely love it. I really wanted to get myself a body oil though as I know oils are good for dry, parched skin. I trolled through the shelves looking for one without the dreaded mineral oil and came across the Neutrogena Seaseme Seed Oil. It smells so gorgeous and really made a difference to the appearance and feel of my skin.

I very much recommend this to anyone who is in the same situation as me at the moment. A few drops in the bath and a bit drubbed in to dry parts of my skin while it's still damp worked wonders!

So, anyone else having a pamper day anytime soon?

I know I can't wait to have my next one.

Sunday was just the best day ever to do it too.

Christmas Shopping

2012-12-01T07:29:00.000-08:00

So it's that time of year again. When no amount of saving you do can possibly prepare you for the Christmas shopping that you inevitably end up having to do. Lots of people pushing past you, busy over heated shops, the slap of cold air as you come out of them, screaming children most likely not far away but close enough for you to ALWAYS hear. Sound familiar? Does to me too.

Somehow they make it look somewhat enjoyable on the TV so you think to yourself, "oh, I really want to do my Christmas shopping this weekend" and I nearly got that feeling too the other night. That feeling quickly died when I went to work the next morning. The "not so" magic of Oxford Street in central London crushed that little dream and threw reality straight back in to my face.

So the dreaded fear of Christmas shopping dawned on me once again and the thought of doing it in London this year? No thanks!

So that's where my trusted little laptop came in. For the first time ever I used online shopping to buy my Christmas presents.

I searched for what I liked by looking in shop windows, spotting things in magazines, listening to what my family spoke about and then simply put my comfies on, made myself a cup of tea, sat in front of the laptop and went on a search and buy mission.

Yet, it wasn't really as easy as that. Although I have to say it was far less stressful than going through town and being bumped and shoved all over the place there was a certain element missing. It almost felt like cheating, like it was too easy. Plus there was the whole trolling through all the pages to find the items and you can't quite tell what all of them will be like either. The chance you have to take when using the web I guess! Nether the less, I persevered and got it all down within about 3 hours (with some breaks in between I might add) so a pretty successful run!

I decided to use very.co.uk to do my shopping as I could pay it off in 3 monthly installments so I don't have to scrape by on nothing for the next 3 weeks until my next pay day! That was a nice touch.

So, high street shopping or online shopping?

I have to say, online shopping was a total breeze and in the next 7 days all of my stuff with arrive boxed and neatly ready to go in to Christmas wrap.

So if like me though, you can't think of anything worse than being battered and bruised just to be a good person this year, then the internet may just be the place for you.

However, I did leave on or two presents out, my Mum and Dad mainly. Even though going out there in to that sea of crashing people makes me wince, I did miss that certain feeling you get when walking through town at Christmas time. Christmas songs, bright lights, Starbucks hot chocolate.

So tomorrow I'm off to Oxford Street. Yes it's going to be hell, yes I'm going to wish I had never left the house and yes, I'll have at least three toes broken but there is just something about it that I don't want to miss.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Liebster Blog Award

2012-11-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

So I tagged for the Liebster Blog Award which I'm really chuffed about! The award is for bloggers who have less than 200 followers and to encourage them to keep writing and enjoy what they do! It's also to get their blog out there so people can enjoy it also!

The rules for the award post are:

You must post 11 random facts about yourself.

You must answer 11 questions from the person who chose you.

You must create a new set of 11 questions for who you tag.

You must then tag 11 blogs with under 200 followers and let them know

I have been tagged by Laddered Tights

://laddered-tights.blogspot.co.uk/

Thank You!

11 random facts:

I eat some kind of cake everyday.

I graduated from the University of Lincoln.

I once purposely split a full drink so the hot guy next to me bought me one. It worked.

I always eat all the white bit of an egg and leave the yellow until last.

I have been driving for 5 years now. Wow.

I spend way too much money on makeup and cake.

I recently moved to London and miss my parents quite a lot.

I really love The Twilight Saga.

I would love to be on the West End.

I'm thinking about cake right now.

I would love to make blogging my full time job.

Laddered Tight's 11 questions:

All time favorite film that you could watch repeatedly?

Moulin Rouge. I cannot get enough of Ewan McGregor in that suit singing Your Song

Favorite high street make-up brand?

Bourjois. They have amazing foundations and their make up in general is gorgeous and so inexpensive.

Top 3 holy grail products?

1.Simple Kind to Skin Night Cream.

2. Aussie Leave-In Conditioner Spray

3. Bare Minerals Foundation

If you could only clothes shop in one place for the rest of your life, where would it be?

Either Hollister or Republic. I might make my own shop that combines them both and spend the rest of my life in there.

If you won the lottery, what would be your first splurge?

Buy my Dad an Aston Martin. He's always wanted one.

Favourite band/artist of all time?

Mumford and Sons. I can't listen to an album for the first time without feeling incredibly emotional. They are incredible.

And favourite song of all time?

Thank You For The Music by Abba

Current favourite TV programme?

The Mentalist and Big Bang Theory

Last thing you bought?

Pair of Blue spotted trousers from Republic.

If you were to be stranded on a desert island with a male and female celebrity, who would you want them to be?

Zac Efron and Kristen Stewart.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

The ability to turn invisible. Oh the fun you could have...

I will tag:

http://lenlambert.blogspot.co.uk/

http://tangentshell.blogspot.co.uk/

http://jennyleeyoung.blogspot.co.uk/

http://chicbonesxo.blogspot.co.uk/

http://angelasartistic.blogspot.co.uk/

http://lilianasoare.blogspot.com.au/

http://the-blonde-rose.blogspot.co.uk/

http://themake-upcounter.blogspot.co.uk/

http://littleladyliving.blogspot.co.uk/

http://daily-hoot.blogspot.co.uk/

And my questions are...

If you could visit one place in the world, where would it be?

Most expensive thing you've ever bought?

Favorite Book?

The one makeup product you couldn't leave the house without?

Your dream job?

The best experience you've ever had?

Cats or dogs?

Favorite season?

Last thing you bought?

If you had £1000, what would you do with it?

Long hair or short hair?

Winter vs My Skin

2012-11-22T04:51:00.000-08:00

So as a lot of you willk now, Winter can be a harsh time of the year for your skin. The cold, wind, central heating, they all add up to make a nightmare for your skin for the next few months.

Skin can become dry, irritated and just plain uncomfortable, so it's always a good idea to take extra care of your skin during this time. I tend to change my skin care routine when the months get colder to keep my skin healthy and looking/feeling it's best.

I still use an oil control lotion in the winter (which I know a lot of people don't as they don't suffer from oily skin as much and need to extra moisture) as my skin still gets shiny during the day if I don't. If you have the same problem as me though and sometimes find that you need the oil control but still need that extra oomph of moisture for the drier areas, then fear not! For I have found a wonder product.

What's the wonder product?

It's the Sanctuary Therapists Secret Facial Oil.

Now you may be thinking "why would you use oil on your face when you have oily skin?" and you're right to do so, as it does seem to be counterproductive.

Sometimes the worse thing you can do is strip your skin of oil when you have oily skin, by using products with too many harsh chemicals that claim to "reduce shine".

Really all they are doing is stripping the skin of oil and causing your skin to react to this and produce even more oil resulting in an even oilier face. Not attractive.

So it's best to give your skin the one thing it's over producing in order for it to learn that it doesn't need to be making so much oil. This isn't a miracle cure though and you will still mostly likely have an oily face if you naturally have oily skin but it will be significantly reduced and not over producing it because it has to.

So back to the Facial Oil. This stuff is my savior for the winter months. It comes in a glass bottle with a little pipette, which is good for controlling how much you use each time, but I will just say now you really don't need a lot and I only ever use about two drops at a time.

I add this little wonder product to my oil control moisturizer during the day. I pump some moisturizer on to my fingers (I use the Bobbi Brown Oil Control Lotion) and then I squeeze one little drop on top and rub together lightly in my hands and then apply to my face. It helps keep my skin hydrated and comfortable out in the cold but also doesn't stop the moisturizer doing it's job in controlling my oil throughout the day.

It actually says on the bottle that it is suitable for all skin types.

I also use this product at night to help my skin repair itself while I'm sleeping and help me wake up with a fresh glowing and healthy complexion.

I scoop out some of my Night Cream (I use the Simple Night Cream) and then squeeze two drops into the moisturizer and again, rub my fingers together lightly and apply to my face. It makes my skin feel so soft and the oil also smells amazing. It's made from 99% organic ingredients and also contains no Mineral Oil so none of the nasty stuff.
This oil can also be used as a stand alone product too to give your skin a nice healthy boost and glow.

So if like me you need something with a little extra oomph to some already existing products then I recommend trying this product. It's wonderfully simple, cost effective and just a great product.

What's In My Make Up Bag...

2012-11-18T08:51:00.000-08:00

So I've been meaning to do this for a while now as I've seen other bloggers do it before and it makes for interesting read a lot of the time. It's nice to see what other people are using out there and what they think of the products.

So today I am going to talk about

What's in my make up bag!

So basically I have a little make up bag that contains all the things that I use most often and most of the things I would use on my days at work (when I can be bothered at least!)

I do have a separate haul of make up that lives in a wicker basket in some wicker draws I own, I'm always swapping things around from that draw to my bag and vice versa.

This is what I have right now though.

So I've tipped my bag upside down on my bed and this is the result.

I'll go through them in the order that I would use them.

So first up is my primer. I don't use this everyday actually as my moisturizer (Bobbi Browns Oil Control SPF 15 Lotion) has primer built in and holds my make-up really well. I use this on the days I know I'm going to need extra wear from my make-up or when I'm demonstrating on the shop floor at work under those hot lights! The primer I use is

Witch's Anti-Blemish Skin Clearing Primer.

I love this primer. It makes my skin feel so soft and smooth yet when I'm applying it I really feel like it's doing something to my skin. It tingles slightly like you know it's doing it's job in protecting your skin from what's about to go on top. The great thing about this product as well is that it's oil free and oil controlling and helps to stop the shine from breaking through during the day!

Next up is my foundation, which I don't actually wear all that much. Depends on how I'm feeling that day! I have a couple of different foundations dependent on what my skin is doing at the time and also the weather. Currently I'm using one of my long term favorites though and that is the

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation

I'm in the shade 51 Light Vanille and I absolutely adore this foundation. It's one of the best drugstore foundations, and make up brand in general to be honest, out there today. It's smooth, covers evenly, doesn't leave my skin horribly greasy and stay pretty much color true and lasts a long time! This is also a very yellow based foundation which I love as I have the complicated skin combination of quite fair with yellow undertones. It's not fun to shop for.

The other go to foundation for me, mainly when the months get colder, is the

Bobbi Brown Luminous Moisturizing Foundation.

I adore Bobbi Brown foundation and cosmetics. They are so beautiful and the colors and textures available are simply wonderful. If you have particularly dry skin or suffer from drier skin in the winter and want to keep that glow then this is a good foundation for you.

So the next item we'll have a gander at is my blush. At the moment I am using another Bourjois product and that is the the

Little Round Pot

I use the shade Rose Eclait which suits my skin tone really well and gives me that fresh faced glow. I also love the little brush you get with this and like how it applies to my cheek. Of course you don't have to use this brush but I do. I also use the Little Round Pot Illumination which I brush lightly on my cheek bones and on the places where the light naturally hits your face. Gives the skin a nice healthy glow.

My other firm favorite when I want a different texture is of course by Bobbi Brown and that is the

Pot Rouge

For cheeks and Lips

This is a genius little pot of color that can be used on your lips or cheeks and have completely build able color that goes from naturally subtle to all out pop of color! A really lovely product.

Next up in this little bag of mine is my powder. I'm afraid my powder is nothing special. I use the

Natural Collection Pressed Powder

This is a brand from Boots which is actually quite nice and extremely inexpensive. You can get three products for £5 or they are all £1.99 and under. They have some nice colors and products to choose from. I like this powder because, just like it says on the tin, it's natural and doesn't irritate my face or make eyes water which some make-up powders have done in the past. This powder is Hypoallergenic.

Now for the eyes. Depending on how I'm wanting to look that day I'll either use just my eyeliner on my top lash in which I use the

Rimmel London Waterproof Eyeliner

or I will use that plus the

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Shadow

which I have in two different sets of shades. At the moment I'm using this shade though which I'm really falling in love with a little bit! The colors are build able which is nice and can be made even more intense when applied wet. Rimmel have a really nice set of colors to choose from.

I also use the Rimmel Mono Shadow in White

which I use to brighten up the eye area in the corners of my eyes as sometimes they can look a bit dull in the early mornings.

The next thing in my bag and sometimes final step in my beauty routine is my mascara.

Rimmel Scandal Eyes Mascara

I use the extreme black and this mascara is incredible. I have very fine lashes and when I wear no mascara they are basically non existent but with this mascara that's not the case! It really makes my lashes look incredibly long and tick and makes my eyes pop! I do love this mascara. For more natural looks though I use the Maybelline Define a Lash mascara which again makes my lashes look fuller than they are but are better for more subtle and natural days.

Now I know I haven't mentioned this product yet even though it came out of my bag and that's because I haven't used it in quite a while.

The Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick

I use this foundation stick mainly as concealer instead of foundation as I find it does the same job as a concealer if not a little bit better as it's so creamy and just glides on to the skin. I haven't found myself needing to use this lately though so really I should be thinking myself lucky!

So there you have it! What I have in my make up bag at the moment. This of course in completely subject to chnage and I garuntee that it wont be the same in about two weeks. With the party season coming up I feel some brighter colors and more sparkle are going to be added! I'll update what I'm doing when new year comes up!

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Review: Bobbi Brown Face Base

2012-11-12T15:26:00.001-08:00

So I didn't quite get this post out as soon as I wanted too but I feel that one day late isn't too bad.

What I wanted to talk about today is the quite simply amazing skincare product tat I picked up a few weeks ago when I was at work. Those of you who read my blog will probably know which product I'm talking about as I mentioned it in my "My Job is Expensive" post.

The product in review today is indeed the Bobbi Brown Face Base Moisturizer.

I had heard really good things about it and people were simply raving about it all over John Lewis that day so I decided to buy it and give it a go. Being a very devoted Bobbi Brown fan I had no thoughts whatsoever that I wouldn't like this product in some way.

And I was right.

This moisturizer is just brilliant. It smells amazing, feels amazing and quite simply, is just amazing.

It has Shea Butter in it which makes it so luxurious to the touch and incredibly moisturizing for the face. On top of that though it's also oil free which is a god send to all you other oily skinned ladies out there.

It definitely helps with my make-up application (when I actually wear it) and helps it to stay on a lot longer than if I wasn't wearing it and used a normal moisturizer. I figured this would be the case though as it does say Face Base and the lady at the counter also told me that it has primers built in so there was no need to use a separate one. She was very right about that! It leaves your skin feeling extremely hydrated and looking fresh and awake. The sent it has also quite uplifting yet calming too and also not too powerful.

A little goes a long way with this product (which is great as it lasts ages) so use sparingly when applying it.

It is fairly expensive at £36 for a pot. I get discount, as I work in John Lewis, so it made the purchase of this product a little easier to handle. I would say though, if you have the money and you are keen to try this product, go for it. Despite having discount I feel I would have, and still would, buy this product at full price. It's worth the money you are paying.

It also comes in a lovely little glass jar that I think looks really good on my little skincare tray (not a reason to buy an expensive product though obviously)
So yeah, if you're thinking of giving this a go and you have my skin type (combination with oily t-zone) then get a sample and see what you think! I reckon you're going to love it.

<3

Moving house

2012-11-09T12:41:00.000-08:00

So I haven't written anything in quite a while on here but it's for good reason I feel.

I have just moved house in London!

I moved here just over a month ago but was staying with some friends as the house I was moving into wasn't available for another 3 weeks or so. To cut a long story short though I'm here and I'm finally settled.

It was quite a job thought getting all my stuff over here. My friend Jenny and I hired a van to drive back to my parents house, pick up all my stuff, drive all the way back to London and then I began the long process of unpacking it all and trying to fit it all in to my incredible tiny single bedroom.

I haven't had a single bedroom since I was about 12 and I forgot how difficult it is to fit all of your stuff in to such a tiny space. I feel I have out done myself with this new room though.

I took some photos of the progression as I started to unpack all my stuff and create my personal space.

I overcame the obstacle of small space and now I LOVE my little room.

Most people would look at my room and wonder why I went for it when there are so many bigger ones to choose from. It came to two major things though.

Rent and People.

The rent is incredibly cheap for London (and a nice area at that) and was well within my budget.

My flatmates are also incredibly friendly, sociable and just plain nice people.

So there you have it. Place found.

I have a few reviews coming up that I have wanted to do for a while now since before the big move and I'll be hoping to get one done before next week (hopefully) so Check back for that!

Good Things Deep Pore Cleanser.

2012-10-21T11:25:00.001-07:00

So today I will be talking about another product that I am fairly new to. I picked it up in Boots about 7 weeks or so ago after looking for a cleanser that would be suitable as a quick refresher for the morning and to wake up my face (mornings are not my thing!)

That’s when I stumbled across this. I've used the face wash from this brand before and I really liked it (maybe I’ll talk about at some point) as it smelt so fruity and made my face feel extremely soft and clean.

What is the product I hear you ask?

It’s the Good Things Deep Pore Cleanser.

This is a 2 in 1 cleanser and toner for skin prone to oiliness and breakouts (which you’ll know is pretty much my skin type if you've read my previous blog post) and is packed full of “good things” for your skin.

It’s a very natural product which prides itself on not containing any of the harsh chemicals that other products today use, which is always nice as you don’t want to be putting too many man-made chemicals on to your face. It respects the natural oils on your face and is gentle yet effective at removing everyday dirt and make-up.

What the product says:

“For skin prone to breakouts and oiliness, our 2 in 1 cleanser and toner helps to unclog pores and remove excess sebum without stripping your skin’s natural oils. It will take off your make-up too, and has hydrating fig extract to soften skin. Superfruit beauty boosters include wild strawberry extract for radiant skin, along with willowbark and licorice extract which both help keep bacteria away.”

This product is also free of parabens, mineral oils, sodium laureth sulphate and animal ingredients.

It’s suitable for both vegetarians and vegans.

What I think:

I think this is a fantastic product and is exactly what I was looking for when I purchased it. It was £4.99 which I think is a steal for the type product you’re getting and the amount (200ml) as there are a lot of “natural products” that can be extremely expensive which can be harsh on the wallet if you’re a budget buyer like myself.

It smells truly amazing and fresh and the smell of strawberries instantly hits you making you feel really good. It’s not the chemical type of smell though for all you sensitive skins out there, it’s very naturally sweet and soothing.

I apply it to my face with a cotton pad and sweep it gently over my face in the morning and it makes me feel awake and refreshed. It leaves my skin soft and ready for my moisturizer and make-up. I occasionally use it in the evenings too if I just want a quick fix clean (or after a bit of a long night out) and I will usually do that routine twice to remove the days impurities + make up and my face feels clean and clear.

I find it does keep my oil at bay as well, as I can get an oily t-zone during the day a lot of the time, and this product controls it well.

Overall I would recommend using this product if you have a similar skin type as me (combination with oily t-zone which I mention in more detail in my Simple Night Cream Review) as it’s a lovely cleanser and does what it says on the back of the bottle while smelling good and respecting your skins natural balance.

Note: I have had a friend with very oily skin who used this though and although she liked it as a cleanser to clean her face she wasn't sure it did anything for her oil control. So maybe think about another oil controlling product to counteract your shiny face if you have very oily skin as this may not necessarily do for you what it claims.

London Adventures

2012-10-12T13:48:00.001-07:00

As it was my day off (and I really hate wasting them!) I decided to go in to Central London with my housemate Jenny (her blog: thatjennybeeautyblog.tumblr.com, her Youtube Channel: http://youtube.com/thatjennybee. You should go watch her stuff!) and we had a really fun day out doing girly things :)

Me and Jenny about to get on tube in which a random old lady told me I had beautiful eyes and radiant skin. A pretty nice start to the day if you ask me.

So after primping and preening ourselves in the morning we began our day and we headed for Oxford Street. As per usual, London was packed! Central is a crazy place at weekends but that that didn't stop us from bustling our way through to all the shops we wanted to get to. Our first stop was Boots to pick up some girly things for Jenny, because I had previously mentioned to her that I had found the BIGGEST Boots I had ever seen in my life. The amount of brands and products would have you looking for hours if you didn't know what you were looking for.

I love looking through skin care products in stores as I just love the colors and packaging (which usually leads to buying, oops!) and so I thoroughly enjoyed just browsing through the items.

I love Sanctuary products, the packaging is so attractive and they are incredibly good products too! I resisted the urge though and didn't buy anything, I left Jenny to do that. She was very excited and happy with her new hair oil. She got the Morrocan Oil and if you go over to her beauty blog she'll have written about it, so go check it out!

Of course, as no surprise, I ended up in John Lewis looking at the Bobbi Brown counter.

(I really can't help myself) but again I was good and didn't shell out the money for another item. I really do want to try their eye cream at some point though as it feels amazing whenever I test it on my hand.

Then I saw the most amazing wall of nail varnishes. It was so insane to look at. I don't think the photo really reflects how insane it actually was.

After that we carried on wondering through the streets of London.

I also couldn't resist taking photos of London either as the lighting was lovely and the city just glowed.

It's such a beautiful place in the low Autumn sun, it's almost an entirely different city.

As you can tell by the time of day in these photos as well, we were out for quite some time!

We made a trip to Lush, which I'm sure any of you will agree, is just one of the best smelling places in the world. I love everything about that shop. We found some weird and wonderful products in there and the colors are just crazy!

It's like being in a cake shop but not being able to eat anything.

Jenny and I then started to get pretty tired so decided to make our way home and have a well deserved cup of tea. After all, London is not an easy city to man-oeuvre and almost feels like a day at work. If you've been through London before I'm sure you'll understand this. It's like survival of the fittest out there and if you're not tough enough, it'll eat you alive.

So we successfully made it home in one piece and I decided to tell all you lovely people about it.

I'm sorry I didn't buy anything amazing to review or tell you guys about but I have some reviews coming up of some other products so check back regularly for that!

The end of a long day deserves a cuppa! x

My Job Is Expensive

2012-10-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

So today I did something I fear is going to become somewhat of a regular thing. Now I can't decide if it's good or bad but what I do know is this.

It's going to be expensive.

To shed a little more light on this statement I will first start by telling you that I have recently started working at John Lewis. I love my job there and thoroughly enjoy doing it, I work with some lovely people and in the cutest part of the store ever! (The Nursery Section!) This of course still doesn't explain why it's expensive.

Well those who know John Lewis will know that it is a BIG department store full of endless items from Clothes to TV's to Rolling Pins. One of the main and most popular parts of this store is the ground floor, which contains the Beauty Department (you all know where this is going) and at the end of my shift I always find myself there. I don't really know why or how but I just do.

And then this happens...

Yes, I purchase something.

Now I would just like to say that I am a HUGE fan of Bobbi Brown and I am completely in love with all of her products which I just think is the holy grail of beauty and skin care.

So what is it?

Bobbi Brown's Vitamin Enriched Face Base. I'd heard a lot of good stuff about this product and had been wanting to try it for quite some time. I looked at it and thought "looks kinda normal, like a cream would... packaging is pretty"

Then I opened it...

The smell instantly hit me. It smelt simply gorgeous and before the Beauty Consultant had finished what she was saying when she came over to me, I just said "YES" while holding the tester tub in her face. Luckily for me, she either gets this a lot or was just happy with my blatant enthusiasm for the product.
With my John Lewis discount it wasn't too harsh on my purse, this product normally retails everywhere for £36, which even if I didn't have a discount, I would still probably pay.

I will do a review on it at some point soon to let you know how it goes. I feel this is going to be a heavenly addition to my skin care routine though and I am extremely excited to start using it!

Back To Work...

2012-10-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Okay, so as none of you will know (unless you know me) I live in London and like everybody else in London, I use the tube and the tube can be a strange place. Overly crowded, eerily quiet, too hot, too cold etc. and with that comes a stressful and frustrating environment at times. This was the situation for me on Tuesday, stressful and overcrowded, peak travel time of the day and everybody was on their way to work. So as you can imagine, there was the usual amount of pushing and shoving.

So there I was, minding my own business, on the packed Central line heading towards Oxford Street on my way to work.
As we were just coming up to the next stop on the line (about two from mine) I could feel people beginning to press against me, ready to bolt out the doors and on to the platform as soon as they opened. There was one man though, clearly more eager than the rest, that decided he was going to bolt the SECOND those doors opened.

And he did just that.

Throwing himself forward with no regard for anyone around him he leaped out of the doors and manged to take me with him! I went flying on to the platform, foot left behind on the tube and the doors went closing on my ankle. So to sum up what has just happened, I was pushed off the tube and had my ankle quite badly battered. This ended up with me spending the last week off work with a horribly swollen ankle and a frustration for someone I didn't know I could have.

So tomorrow, after having recovered almost fully, I am back off to work to help the people of London once again with their newborn baby needs.
So really I know I should be thinking about getting ready for bed and making sure that I have everything sorted for the morning (as I have to get up very early) but instead I am here, writing this, wondering if I will ever feel tired or ready for work tomorrow.

Despite having a an ankle that's been killing me for the last few days though, I've actually quite enjoyed having some time off!

Simple Night Cream Review

2012-10-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

So I thought for my first blog that I could talk about the latest product that I have bought and been using for about 6 weeks now.

The Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Night Cream.

I had been reading up on the benefits of night creams for a while, after learning that skin restores and repairs itself overnight while you sleep, and so thought it best to invest in one to keep my skin feeling and looking its best.

I walked past this when I was at my previous job and my eyes instantly locked on the words “night cream” across the tub. I have been a huge fan of simple for a long time now as well, since in my teens really, so I had no hesitations that this would be a good one to use as my “first time” so to say.

So I bought it.

It was £5.00 exactly in Waitrose but I know that I have seen it for different prices around other drug and beauty stores. Superdrug regularly do half price offers on Simple (and various other products too) so if you were thinking of giving this a go I would recommend looking in there.

You get 50ml for the price which I think is a great buy for all you bargain hunters out there. A lot of night creams can be very expensive.

A little about my skin:

I have frustrating skin to be honest (as I’m sure a lot of you do!) and it’s very much combination. If I don’t use a form of moisturizer my whole face can feel tight and itchy, especially my forehead. When I moisturize though my whole face can possibly turn in to an oil slick if I’m not careful about what I use on my face (mainly around my nose)

I have found finally the perfect day moisturizer for my face though after years of searching and trying (which I will talk about in another post at some point) but it wasn't doing anything for me at night.

Enter Simple Night Cream.

The product itself:

The back of the product says: “Our Vital Vitamin Night Cream is a perfect blend of active ingredients and multi-vitamin goodness to restore and replenish skin throughout the night, perfect for even sensitive skin.”

It’s a beautiful smooth and creamy feeling fluid that’s very light yet has a good thick texture & consistency. There isn't really a fragrance either which is nice, as I don’t think I want to be smelling florals and perfume when trying to sleep.

It goes on like an absolute dream and your skin feels instantly smooth, moisturized and fresh. There is no tightness, no greasiness and best of all, no horrible look, just a fresh and glowing complexion.

My thoughts:

This is an amazing cream and if you have my skin type or similar then I would seriously recommend that you try this product. You may think a night cream wouldn't be for you because of the oiliness and grease factor and that’s what I thought to!

It does nothing of the sort. It makes your skin feel and look so fresh and well rested in the morning. I have also noticed a big difference in the overall condition and texture of my skin. It’s more comfortable, becomes less oily less quickly and feels so comfortable all of the time. It also lasts such a long time as a little goes a very long way. Use it very sparingly and just build it up to get the best moisture. Too much can feel a little heavy.

Work it in to your skin gently in outward circular motions and I think you’ll feel you get the best results from the cream as it sinks nicely in to your skin.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone with dry, sensitive or combination skin as it’s such a wonderful product.

If you have tried, are using or thinking about using this product then share your views and tips in the comments! I’d love to hear what you have to say.

Thanks for reading guys!

Introduction

2012-09-30T16:21:00.002-07:00

Hey guys!

I've been reading blogs, watching Youtube and generally reading up on all things beauty for a number of years now, and throughout that time I've gained myself a fair amount of understanding and knowledge about a lot of products out there on offer. So when it comes to skin care, beauty, health and just general well being, I invest a lot of time in looking after myself in the best, and more often than not, most cost effective way I can. It's important to look after yourself and feel your best everyday, as it's a small luxury that I think a lot of people deny themselves when it's easier than people think to achieve.

So my friend Jenny (http://thatjennybeeautyblog.tumblr.com - she wanted to start a blog too!) thought I would be good at writing a blog about skincare, beauty, hair care and all that falls in between.

And here I am.

Soon I will start reviewing, talking and getting excited about anything past, present or new, that I think is particularly brilliant (or equally rubbish) in the world of beauty.

So keep coming back to find out more about all things beautiful!