Lost My Heart In Wonderland - A Fashion & Lifestyle Blog By Roisin E. Keats

I'd Rather You Bought Me Shoes Than Flowers.

2013-06-23T11:30:00.000+01:00

There's something exciting, isn't there, about new shoes? About shaking the lid off the box and peeling back the tissue paper? About running your hand along that smooth, unblemished sole? About the shine of that flawless patent leather? There's something thrilling and wonderful and promising. With these new shoes you can do anything. You'll go on adventures together. You'll conquer new paths and these new shoes will enable you to skip weightlessly down that road you haven't dared to go down before. It's almost like Dorothy Syndrome, except these shoes won't take you home to the same territory you've always known. These shoes open doors. Bring new options. And when you do decide to go home you can tuck them lovingly back in their tissue paper and cardboard box nest, where they'll wait. Dependable and loyal. Ready for their next call of duty. Really, shoes are more like Toto. You can always depend on shoes. And you can always depend on the promise and excitement that new shoes bring.

Come on shoes. Let's go off on an adventure. I'm calling this one The First Day Of Turned Up Jeans.

Flats - Tory Burch via Net-A-Porter. No longer online.

The Origins Cleanser Round Up, Part 3 - Never A Dull Moment

2013-06-22T10:00:00.000+01:00

Never A Dull Moment - £17.00

And after two thumbs down reviews it's finally time for something positive - I actually like this one and it hasn't caused my any bad reactions!

This is again a gel formula, slightly thicker than the A Perfect World formula, and again it doesn't take a lot to cover the whole face - I've had this bottle since around September last year and although I don't use it every day I have used it quite a lot. This smells delicious and, above all, it actually works. When I first purchased this my skin was just not looking its best - you know when you can't quite put your finger on what's actually wrong, it's not to dry, not spotty, not too red or inflamed, but it's just not looking good - and this really sorted it out.

Within about 10 days of using this twice a day my skin was looking really clear and bright and energised. It's quite a good one if you do have spots - hence why I turned it to when the A Perfect World cleanser broke me out - because although it doesn't target spots it will keep the rest of your skin looking tip top and that can sometimes balance out a couple of spots elsewhere.

I use this when it's needed, not as an every day cleanser. I tend to wait till I can see my skin becoming slightly dull and lifeless before reaching for this as other than keeping the skin bright it doesn't do much else and I like to use it after taking off my make up as a second cleanse so that I can put it on and leave in a thin layer for around 30 seconds to a minute just to let the product really work on the skin; so it would seem silly to use it when my skin isn't in need of a boost.

It does remove make up fine if you wanted to use it as a daily cleanser but personally rather than have a 'daily' cleanser I like to assess what my skin is in need of at any one point and use products to combat that particular issue - I'm currently switching between Liz Earle for when my skin is being well behaved and just needs a basic make up removed and skin cleaned, this when it needs to be brightened up and the Clarins gel cleanser for when my skin is dry - if you have any recommendations for a cleanser to deal with spotty days I'd be most grateful!

The Origins Cleanser Round Up, Part 2 - A Perfect World

2013-06-20T10:00:00.000+01:00

A Perfect World - £18.00

This one I have mixed feelings about...

Firstly, the positives - I definitely preferred the more runny, almost gel like consistency of this cleanser and it takes a while to foam up on the face so it was a great one for using with the Clarisonic - which when used with the Checks and Balances had me blowing bubbles out my nose and gasping to get a mouthful of air rather than minty soap. It didn't leave my skin feeling at all tight. The girl in the store sold me this based on the idea that the A Perfect World range basically wraps your skin in a bubble and protects it from the outside world I was pretty much hooked in by that as that's often what I think my skin feels like it needs. It cleansed the skin, removed make up, and although it didn't foam up massively it didn't take a lot to cleanse the entire face.

Overall I wouldn't have said it was my HG or that I was going to run to repurchase when it ran out, but I wasn't disappointed... Until about two weeks in when the spots popped up. Like, majorly. Or not so much popped up, because they never truly popped up - what I got instead was a huge batch of those under the skin spots that never really come to a head- though ironically my fail safe treatment of these blighters is the Origins Out Of Trouble mask for 10 minutes 2 days in a row, skip a day, then 2 days in a row again if needed.

Now, I mentioned the Clarisonic and this get along well, so at first I thought this was 'the purging phase' and continued on, before reaching for said mask, but those bad boys weren't going anywhere, so I put down both the Clarisonic and this cleanser and picked up the cleanser I'll be reviewing in part 3 - and busted out the mask meaning that in around a week they had disappeared. So, I decided to use this cleanser again but without the Clarisonic - and the spots returned. Therefore, sadly, it is very definitely the cleanser.

I am now passing this one on to my friend Melissa who blogs at Pretty Little Obsessions as she instagrammed her wish list a while ago, with this cleanser on it - so pop over to her blog at some point in the future to see if she's written up what her thoughts were, because skin care is such a personal thing that something causing a reaction in one person isn't a guarantee it will on you, as proven by my reaction to the Checks and Balances cleanser.

PS Remember remember remember by blog URL is changing to rosekeats.blogspot.co.uk as of July 1st! x

The Origins Cleanser Round Up, Part 1 - Checks & Balances

2013-06-18T10:00:00.000+01:00

Checks & Balances - £17.00

So this little cleanser is pretty much Origins most famous one, their bread and butter if you will. I know what you're thinking - how can I have an opinion on this when all 3 of those sample bottles are clearly full? Well, if you have followed me on Instagram (rosekeats) for a while you may remember me spending what I referred to as the 'GNP of a small country' at an Origins shopping evening. I was going through a major skincare phase at that particular time and between that night and a couple of other major splurges at Origins I actually ended up with, I kid you not, 17 samples of this cleanser. Yes, I know - utterly ridiculous.

Now, this product sounds like it should be perfect for my combination skin - Origins describe it thus:

"When it comes to faces with dry and oily places, it takes a clever cleanser to balance the two. This gentle, frothy face wash carefully does both jobs without cancelling each other out. It helps to seek out oil, soaks it up then keeps it well in-check, while it balances and protects dry prone zones. And Broadleaf Kelp breaks down dirt, disperses excess oil and sends dullness down the drain. Skin feels comfortably refreshed after cleansing, never tight, pulled or parched."

So, designed for combination skin, 29 of 31 reviewers on the Origins website would recommend it, and as I said, it's pretty much Origins staple cleanser (evidently, since they hand out samples of this to everyone rather than any other cleanser) so it's guaranteed that I would like it?

Have never hated a cleanser more.

Firstly was the really thick, creamy texture and the strong smell of mint which I'm sure some people would find refreshing but for me it was just too overpowering. However these were factors I could have gotten over, had it turned out to be a wonderful product otherwise.

Alas, it definitely did not - that whole 'skin feels comfortably refreshed after cleansing, never tight, pulled or parched'? I have never felt so uncomfortable as I did after cleansing with this, no matter whether I used a tiny amount or a large amount my skin felt very, very tight after cleansing with this. And as far balancing the skin? Although I knew this wasn't making my skin feel comfortable what with the tightness I continued to use this for about 6 weeks, and developed two huge dry patches on the sides of my face. The only way i can describe it was as it someone had put a hoover to my cheeks and sucked out everything, the skin started peeling off in a large star shape and until I stopped using this cleanser no moisturiser or exfoliator was helping. After putting this aside and fixing my skin back to its normal self I decided to give this another go, but after a few weeks of use when things started to go the same way again I admitted defeat and decanted about 8 bottles onto various friends, keeping only the above three to photograph and which I shall swiftly be getting rid of onto any willing takers.

The thing is I can't call this a bad product as there are willing takers, so many people do genuinely love this cleanser, but both my skin and I hated every use of it. What I would advise with this is wait till Origins are offering samples and buy some other products then get a sample of this to try. Personally I've never come across an Origins facemask I haven't liked (I mention two here and will be blogging about some others soon) so that's definitely what I'd recommend going for. Also worth bearing in mind that Origins do offer free facials that would allow you to assess your skincare needs and try some products on your face before you commit to buying them - maybe just book in around a time when they have a promotional offer on too?

Also, on a side note - PLEASE remember that as of 1st July my blog address will be changing to rosekeats.blogspot.co.uk ! Not sure if this is the best or worst time to do this, given the whole GFC debacle but I've said it now, so it's happening. I feel like a name change has been a long time coming so I didn't want to back track after I'd put it out there - from what I've gathered if you follow me on GFC and it doesn't go or on bloglovin then you should still be a follower even after I change the address (fingers crossed!) but if not then rosekeats.blogspot.co.uk is where you should find me at!

A Glittering Affair.

2013-06-16T10:30:00.000+01:00

Excuse my miserable looking face, I was in a bit of a panic as we were already late and our driver did not seem to be appearing! The blow of returning from NYC was softened slightly by getting to go to a quite literally glittering affair for GC Watches, hosted by ROX. S looked extra dashing in his navy bow tie and, given that ROX are known for diamonds, I went for an icy pallet with my blue Topshop dress from my recent haul post, which I can't find online but which is still in some stores as far as I'm aware, a (faux) fur shawl from Harrods many moons ago (also very possibly from the children's department, is how many moons ago I'm talking!) and some diamond and platinum earrings - women of New York, frost yourselves! (Let's ignore the fact I'm not actually 'of' New York. Yet.)

We didn't actually arrive in time for any of those delicious looking canapes, the images were sent over to be by the press team, but if they tasted as good as they look then I'm sure they were amazing. I was however kept very, very watered with the champagne provided by Taittinger one of the event sponsors. And S, who doesn't care all that much for champagne (I know right?!) discovered the new love of his life - the Tom Collins. Being quite partial to a Tom Collins myself, we've eventually found what it is we'll drink in our house given that we don't tend to like the same things all that often in terms of drinks! (Like White Russians for example, whoever came up with the horrific idea of mixing milk with alcohol and, more to the point, what sort of person am I in a relationship with that actually likes them!?)

All in all a wonderful night - and one that made up for me being back on British soil rather than spending another day in the lovely land that is Bergdorfs!

PS To save me ever missing out on canapes again I wouldn't refuse this one. Something about a man's watch with a leather strap sounds all too enticing for my wrist...

Zen Salon & HD Brows

2013-06-14T00:25:00.000+01:00

Zen Lifestyle Spa - Edinburgh

A while ago now I was invited, along with a host of other Scottish Bloggers, to the Zen Lifestyle Spa in Edinburgh - and invited to get a complimentary treatment. I had heard lots about the salon but never actually been and I can confirm that the salon is beautiful, as the name Zen suggests as soon as I entered I felt a wave of calm descend on me - though that was because my treatment was first and as the other bloggers started to descend the calm definitely gave way to giggles and gossip, somewhat brought on my the glasses of bubbly substances, and never a bad thing!

The evening of the blogger meet I jumped at the chance to try the HD Brow treatment, which I'd heard so much about but never really got round to giving a go. This was me on the night of the event before the treatment:

And this was taken a few days later after the treatment:

As you can probably tell I'd had my eyebrows done about two weeks prior to the event so I probably didn't get the most dramatic of results, so before coming to a conclusion I booked myself back in for a return visit about a month later, this time treating myself to a second HD Brows and also an Aromatherapy Massage.
*NB: The first treatment was complimentary, the second I paid for myself.

This was my eyebrows following the second treatment:

In all three of the pictures provided I have no eyebrow pencil on, so you can see that the eyebrows are definitely more defined, and the shape is a little different because my therapist went over where I should let my eyebrows grow in, mapping them individually to my face. I don't know if overall I can see a major difference but the precision of the shape provided by the HD Brow treatment, given that you are waxed, plucked and threaded, is definitely on a whole other level from just threading alone. Although the colour is probably slightly darker than what I personally like it's not too dark - which I was grateful for, I had a huge fear that I was going to come out with black eyebrows.

I should probably mention that whilst I say they're too dark for me it's not in terms of once I've got my make up on,when it then looks fine, it's because I actually spend about half the week with no make up on - I don't bother if I'm not leaving the house or if I'm only going for something small I'll just put some concealer on - and I'm still not used to seeing my pale self and naked eyelashes framed by darker eyebrows!

Given that my issue is with the colour I'd probably not replace my regular eyebrow threading with this treatment every single time, however I am going to go along to Zen maybe once every 2-3 months and get it done as I loved the precision of the shape and I am trying to make sure I get my eyebrows threaded every two weeks so as to upkeep that shape. The other reason I wouldn't keep getting them done this way is because after hearing horror stories of women who get their eyebrows waxed for years the under eyebrow skin starts to hang as they get older, which has successfully put me on the threading bandwaggon, even if it is more painful!

In terms of the massage? Amazing. Zen are pretty famous for their massages, and there's a reason why. It was absolutely fantastic and that's all I can say on that subject. If you haven't had a Zen massage, you haven't lived. Go now, I insist.

The Aromatherapy/Sports Massage is £65 for 60 minutes & the HD Brow treatment is £38 per treatment, or £190 for the recommended course of 6.

SMAC

2013-06-09T11:00:00.000+01:00

Dress - H&M

Tights - Topshop

Boots - Zara

Bag - Hermes

Necklace - Swarovski

So, you know that old adage you don't appreciate having your boyfriend take your blog pictures till you don't have him there one night? Yeah, that...

Anyway, being as behind as I am with blogging here's some snaps from a night I went to months ago. Literally months. But it doesn't matter, cause I'd still wear that outfit tonight so the style still stands. And I wore it to the very first meeting of the Scottish Macaroni Appreciation Club - SMAC, which is also still going - so that still stands too!

So, Macaroni Appreciation Club - what does it entail? Well, 4 different varities of mac and cheese, one of which comes out as the winner, all very exciting and all very up my street. On the night I went the choices were Sloans Legendary Macaroni Cheese, since the event was hosted at Sloans in Glasgow - somewhere I'd never been but somewhere that I can vouch does good Macaroni Cheese, Tex Mex, which was a little too spicy for me but which was crowned the overall winner so go figure, Mac n Meatball, pretty self explanatory and then... dun dun dun... the Mystery Mac!

Now, notice this is called the Scottish Macaroni Appreciation Club, not the Macaroni and Cheese appreciation club - so the mystery mac that was revealed was not of the cheese variety. Instead is was a berry crumble mac... crazy! Though it sounds a bit stomach churning I braved it and dug in. Now, whilst I wouldn't necessarily order it if it was up against a nice strawberry sundae I can't saw this was horrible, the pasta actually was a bit like a slimey bit of apple in an apple pie as it had custard all round it so it wasn't particularly a strong taste of pasta. And I quite like that I'm one of few people who can claim they've had a macaroni dessert!

You can buy tickets for the next two meetings of SMAC on the eventbrite website for 26th June here and 31st July here and, if nothing else, it's a good night and a chance to try something new and exciting. Plus it involves pasta and cheese - what's not to love?!

(Though if you have parents like mine they will be very concerned that this is actually a real thing you're off to - which goes to show how good a Macaroni Appreciation Club must sound if they thought it was me toddling off to be murdered, given they've never batted an eyelid when I've announced I'm off to meet 'some of the blogger girls I talk to on twitter', which I really would have thought really sounded worse!)

Recent Purchases - New York Edition!

2013-06-07T10:00:00.000+01:00

So, I made this as a video, which you can view above or open in youtube here, otherwise just keep reading and I've typed it all out below :) Overall I didn't do anything like as much shopping as I thought I would but I did buy a few things so I figured I'd do the standard blogger haul post!

Beauty Bits...

Essie Nail Varnish - Angora Cardie - I hadn't painted my toenails before we went away and after having to buy some flip flops (2 pairs actually... more on that later!) due to blisters I figured I had to buy a nail varnish to make my toes as presentable as toes ever will be. I actually wanted a neutral taupe colour but Angora Cardie was the most neutral colour Duane Reade had. In terms of price I think this was $8.99, meaning Essie is definitely cheaper to buy in the US - so one to keep on the list if you're a big nail person and you're going to the US with intent to buy!

Wet 'n' Wild Lipstick - Cherry Picking - I'm not in love with the shape of this lipstick, it's not hugely ergonomic for applying straight to the lips without a mirror, but I do love the colour and the lasting time is pretty decent so for $2.99 I can't really moan!

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil - Milk - Only used this once so far but it seems like a good base, and unlike a lot of white eye shadows when this goes on it is white, not a light coloured wash over skin, a proper, pure white and it seems to stay white - though I only had it on for a few hours so haven't tested it on a whole day run yet.

Nars Blusher/Bronzer Duo - Orgasm/Laguna - Well, everyone and their dog loves Orgasm and Laguna so I figured this was a no brainer to pick up. I'm glad I've bought this, though I've used it once and wasn't blown away particularly in terms of the colour, but I'm not sure if I just expected too much!

Hourlgass Primer Duo - Veil Mineral/No.28 Serum - These have been on my list to try for ages, but I kept forgetting about them so when I saw this little set in Sephora by the tills I snatched it up. I still haven't tried them properly but the Veil primer feels like heaven, so I shall test it out properly and let you all know whether it lives up to its price tag!

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - Chantilly - As a concealer junkie I was very excited to pick this up. Again I haven't tried it yet but once I have an opinion on it I shall share!

Mac Studio Fix Powder Foundation - NC15 - My Estee Lauder powder foundation ran out just in time for going away so this was a first day purchase as I needed something to try and mattify my skin in the heat! This feels really nice and seems to do the job, so thumbs up!

Yes To Cucumbers Gentle Milk Cleanser - Having been so focused on taking a micellar water for the plane cleansing routine I completely forgot to pack a cleanser for whilst I was there, hence I picked up this one. It feels nice and hasn't irritated my skin, so I'm quite pleased with that. I didn't have eye make up remover with me and though I don't know if it's something you should do I found when I was away that I could sweep this all over, including using it on my eyes to take off my mascara and any liner I was wearing (though I think I only put on mascara and liner maybe 2 days of the entire holiday!) without it irritating my eyes, so it definitely is a good one for sensitive skins.

Clinique City Block Sheer - I'm trying to be more aware of things like daily SPF, I'm not convinced that I actually need all the lotions and potions that skin care lines bring out now, though a lot of my distrust definitely comes from the fact that all beauty counters seem to be sales driven environments and I therefore don't 100% trust what's being said, but there's no denying what sun damage can cause so that's one I'm definitely prepared to give into and prevention is the best medicine!

Freemans Bare Foot Repair - Aches & Sore Muscles - Ok, I can't reiterate enough - THIS IS AMAZING. Quite seriously when I go back to the US in December I shall be buying this by the bucket load, it's a miracle worker - genuinely when we came in we were absolutely hobbling and even crossing from the door of our hotel room to the bed was painful, but I put this foot cream on, let it sink in for 5 minutes and then walked to the bathroom and could already feel a difference. An amazing 10/10 product, and I'm gutted I only picked up one bottle of this.

Big Sexy Hair Big Volume Shampoo & Big Sexy Hair Big Volume Conditioner - I'm so happy to have found this on Beauty Bay, meaning I can buy the full sizes - this stuff gives me hair serious volume. I've found in the past that a lot of ranges promise volume but the shampoo and conditioner aren't really the products that deliver it, but after washing my hair with these I had volume instantly, which had never happened to me before with any range.

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Hairspray - Haven't tested this out thoroughly yet but if you're looking to buy Bumble and Bumble get it in the UK - I paid $19 for this size and it's £7, so nearly double the price to buy in the US!

Coconut Passion Body Lotion - Vanilla Lace Body Lotion - Lemon Escape Buffing Body Wash - Citrus Dream Buffing Body Wash - Lemon Escape Hand and Body Cream - Citrus Dream Hand and Body Cream.

Kind of standard stock up on Victoria's Secret bits and pieces. I did buy some nightwear and lingerie type items that I'm obviously not going to share, but quite seriously - why do VS not go above a DD?! Way to rule out a whole load of business.... Sigh! Shall keep my rant in for once, but, well, quite seriously?!

Henri Bendel Candles - Cedar - Fig - I really wish I'd picked up the Amber candle as well when I was away but it's just an excuse for the Diptyque version, isn't it ;) These both smell lovely, haven't burnt either yet so can't comment on how the smells fill the room but they're both very strong in the box so I imagine they're going to be brilliant burners.

Henri Bendel Travel Candles - Mandarin Blossom - Fig - Coconut Flower

Just the same as the candles above but smaller versions - though despite the fact they're called travel candles I can't say that candles are ever top of my list of essentials when I'm packing to go away somewhere! Having said that, although I do like a nice scent in the room and I like to relax by candle light I'm not sure I'd class myself as one of the more obsessive candle lovers, so maybe that's why. These tins are really pretty so I'm planning to use them to keep bobbles and kirby grips/bobby pins in once they're burnt, and use the larger ones for keeping my make up brushes in.

Random Stuff...

Canon 75-300mm Lens - Wide Angle Lens
There are some great deals to be had on lenses, but be careful and go knowing what it is you're after and what price it is at home so you know if you're getting a good deal or not. I had it in my head I wanted the 18-200mm or the 75-300mm, though I didn't really plan to get either when I was away, I just was looking at them as a possible thing to buy at home, but either way I knew what I was talking about and was able to make an informed decision.
My gran on the other hand wanted to get me a camera lens but didn't really know anything about it so I think she got ripped off a bit with the wide angle lens as I think they sensed that she wanted to buy something, wanted it to be quick because she didn't want me to notice she was doing it and didn't really know what she was talking about.
Generally the people who are working in the stores are the people who own the stores or work off commission so just be armed with knowledge on what you're going for and don't be pushed into things - despite the fact we spent around $1000 between my 2 lenses and my gran getting a case for her camera and a case for my grandfather's camera we were also shown about 50 different gadgets - everything from a device to get my pictures straight from my DSLR to my iPad to iPod speakers to a clip for my gran to keep her camera round her neck - and we had to be really firm that we didn't want them. Overall not a hugely pleasant experience in terms of the pressure but there are good savings to be made with these types of things, just know what you're talking about and what you want before you go!

Fashion Picks...

Diane Von Furstenburg Flip Flops - Forever 21 Flip Flops

I got blisters when I was away on my heels, so I bought the DVF flip flops so that I could walk without my shoes touching my heels. They then rubbed some new blisters on the side of my feet so I proceeded to buy the Forever 21 ones, which were much comfier and didn't touch any of my blisters!

Zara Skort - So happy to have bought this! I really liked this for ages but didn't want to buy online without trying it on so when I saw it in New York I was at the fitting room before you could blink, and, admittedly to my surprise, I loved it on. I did think it wouldn't actually be all that flattering on me, hence why I'd held off on online ordering, but I absolutely adore it and now I'm on a mission for the blue pair!

Zara Handbag - After Brooks Brothers didn't have the bag I wanted I was on a mission to find a neutral handbag, preferably one big enough to carry around my DSLR, my bridge camera, my video camera and all my usual bits - make up bag, purse etc - without being oversized or large, and this fit the bill perfectly. Zara definitely worked out more expensive in the states and the stock was the same, there was nothing I noticed that I hadn't seen at home, so if you're after something specific then pick it up in the UK. Or if you're a US reader, wait and get it when you come to the UK. Not a huge difference but enough that if you were buying a few things then it did add up.

Zara Dress - This is a really lovely, simple dress on that, whilst it might be cliched, can be dressed to a whole load of situations - professional meeting, shopping with the girls, even a night out. It's really flattering on as well and, overall, it's love.

Zara Blazer - Can't find this one online, but I love it! It's so classic and chic and fits really well. Blazers are something Zara seems to do well, but I often can't find them in store in the size/style that I want so I pounced on this one, though I think this shall be my next one!

Brooks Brothers Shirt - This is a gorgeous fit of shirt and I love the double tip collar and cuffs. A well cut shirt is definitely something I think everyone should have in their wardrobe and I thought this would be nice with the navy blue Zara blazer above with my red jeans you can see in my last 'Recent Purchases' post or with some tailored shorts.

Polo Ralph Lauren Shoes - The only one of three pairs I wanted that they actually had in my size! I do think they're really cute though, and the hot pink is a nice pop of colour to any outfit.

Marc Jacobs Wish Book Necklace - Marc Jacobs Horseshoe Necklace
I thought these were both really sweet little necklaces, even though I'm evidently blind as a bad as I thought one of these was silver when I got them in the store and it wasn't till I took them out to film the video I realised neither of them are! They are small enough to be worn together without it looking too much but big enough that one at a time also makes an impact.

With Your Presence And Your Grace Everything Falls Into Place

2013-06-03T16:28:00.000+01:00

Coat - Miss Selfridge

Denim Shirt - Topshop

Bandeau - Forever 21

Skirt - Forever 21

Shoes - River Island

Bag - Marc by Marc Jacobs

Necklace as Bracelet - Picked up in Prague

I am, most unhappily, back from New York. And I miss it already! I am trying to put together a New York haul video, and I attempted my first set of travel vlogs whilst I was away so hopefully there will be posts relating to my trip - though the sound on the blogs is questionable since the microphone on my video camera is apparently on the back, meaning when I'm holding it away from me pointing the front of the camera at my face the background noise pretty much drowns me out.

I wore this yesterday for a run around town and dinner at my far too frequented but very much beloved Tony Macaronis, where I had an indulgent starter and tried to be restrained with my sea bass and potatoes main course. I never posted the last week of my six week slimdown, but I did manage to lose my 7lbs for going on holiday but after some American sized portions I'm pretty sure it's all back on - and so the cycle begins again!

You may notice my new header says Rose Keats rather than Lost My Heart In Wonderland - provided no one takes the URL between now and July 1st I am planning on changing my blog address to rosekeats.blogspot.co.uk but I wanted to give people lots of notice etc. From what I've gathered those of you who follow me on GFC don't need to do anything, but if you're browsing and looking for my blog if it's not under lostmyheartinwonderland.blogspot.co.uk then you should hopefully be able to find me at rosekeats.blogspot.co.uk ! Of course if you follow me on twitter (@RoseKeats) or instagram (rosekeats) then I'll be changing my link there so you can click through.

The title of this post comes from the Gabrielle Aplin song, and if you follow me on twitter you might know where I'm going here - my friend Gillian has covered two songs on her you tube channel, Panic Chord hereand Please Don't Say You Love Me here and has entered a competition that requires her to get votes. She'd genuinely fantastic, check out the videos if you don't believe me, and if you could all take the time to vote by tweeting or liking on facebook then it would be an amazing opportunity for her and one she definitely deserves so pretty pretty please CLICK ON THIS LINK HERE and vote for her.

Rimmel Eye Primer

2013-05-24T14:32:00.000+01:00

Rimmel Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer - £4.99

YSL Eyeshadow Quad - Christmas collection many years ago, older than I really should admit.

I will openly admit I am a bit of a make up snob, I liken it to food - quality wise, you get what you pay for, so when I started reading beauty blogs I was surprised by how many cheaper products would turn up constantly. I was intrigued to see for myself if the high street's make up had come a long way from when I first got into make up about 10 years ago now and the difference between lower end and high end products seemed to be much greater.

There are certain products I would rather just pay more for and get a better product though and my face/complexion products, including primers, have always been those main ones where I wouldn't even think about checking the high street - but due to my highly sensitive skin/eyes when I tried eye primers from Urban Decay, Too Faced and Elizabeth Arden I found myself to be allergic to all of them. Far from causing my eye shadow to last longer they caused my eyes to water and wash away all traces of product, and after a few hours wear of each they dried up and cracked the skin on my eyelids. I cut my loses and gave up on the concept of eye shadow primer ever being a product I'd be able to try properly.

When I was in Boots recently buying the Collection Lasting Perfection concealor to see what all the fuss was about and a nail varnish there was a 3 for 2 on, so I wandered the aisles trying to find a 3rd product. It was then when this primer caught my eye and since it was free I decided I had nothing to lose.

No Flash.

With Flash.

As you can see in the above swatch photos the primer is basically colourless, with a sort of iridescent sheen running through which is only picked up in the flash photo, however once an eye shadow is applied on top of this you don't see anything coming through from the primer.

The main thing I like about this primer is that I don't seem to be allergic to it, which is incredible for me as when I started wearing make up I seemed to be allergic to almost everything from the high street and I always had to buy eye products in particular from high end brands, so I think this is definitely a sign that make up has moved on and that the high street is something I could start considering more regularly.

What I also like is that it works and does seem to prolong the longevity of my eye shadow. I tried this out last week with some gold shimmer and light green eyeshadows from YSL. I love YSL shadows but the lighter colours in particular seem to fade very quickly, especially when they have shimmer running through them which these shadows do, probably because they were part of a Christmas collection. In terms of results - see the photos below for yourselves:

Freshly applied eye make up at 5pm

Following a blogger event, an hour of couch to 5K and a few hours of trying to work through my far too long to-do list at 2.30am

Before going to bed the light coloured shadows were still in place, nothing short of a miracle, considering I had been out a run and as you can see my foundation and primer had definitely started to slide on other areas of my face (though in all fairness they were on a lot further in advance than my eye make up).

I have slightly oily eyelids, not awful but definitely oily and my eyes water at the slightest irritation - a gust of wind can set them off - so I am really impressed by this product and I would 100% recommend it.

Do you have any high street products that you'd recommend me to add to my 'to try' list?

Recent Purchases...

2013-05-18T09:30:00.000+01:00

Fashion Choices...

These are all recent purchases from the end of April through the beginning of May so anything I can't find online should be in stores!

Jack Wills Anchor Dress - I'm going to New York at the end of this month and since I'm a sucker for a theme I thought this would look incredibly cute when we go to The Boathouse for lunch. The fitted top and out from the waist skirt allow for maximum food consumption, win!

Topshop Princess Dress of Dreams - I am in love, with a dress. Again because I'm a sucker for a theme I couldn't resist picking this up for when we go to Florida in December as we WILL be booking to have dinner in the castle and I WILL wear this and get my photo with Cinderella. Come the 180 day countdown mark I will be phoning Disney World to confirm our ADR (reservation) as soon as their offices open. If I do not get a professional photo package with me and Cinderella then eat dinner in the castle I will cry. Because I am 5 years of age and because this dress is too beautiful not to be taken to dinner in the castle.

Forever 21 Jumpsuit - As mentioned previously F21 has only just arrived in Glasgow so I picked up a couple of things, and this jumpsuit is probably my favourite, S asked me when I produced this if I was planning to go work in a garage so I think we all know what he thinks, but I love it.

Forever 21 iPad case and Bandeau top - I got these to wear with the above jumpsuit, and am planning to use the iPad case mainly as a clutch as well as the very occasional use of actually protecting the iPad. I thought the neon would spruce up the black and I loved the big plastic yellow zip on the blue rubber, so watch out for an outfit post coming soon!

Topshop Joni Jeans - DO NOT RECOMMEND. These are a gorgeous shape for me due to the high waist and they're really stretchy and comfy but they already look so worn and battered, and not in a good way - in an 'about to fall apart' kind of way. I've owned them for 2 weeks, and worn them maybe 4 times, yet they look like I've had them for 6 months and worn them continuously. I'm honestly expecting these to rip any day, the material feels so worn and thin.

H&M Green Trousers - These are sort of chino material but in a skinny jean shape - as a girl who doesn't wear trousers I have no idea if this has its own name but let's roll with that description shall we? These are really bright green and I absolutely love them. Again these are really a New York purchase as May is quite hot there so I didn't want to take heavy jeans but I wanted some form of trouser because I'm the girl who was chittering on a July afternoon in Egypt, so I'm not all that convinced that it's going to be shorts and dresses at the ready all holiday.

Lacoste 'Ortholite' Shoes - So, it has come to it, I'm officially old. I had to go purposefully buy some comfy and supportive shoes for all the New York walking and since these have 'ortholite' stamped on the inside I figure they qualify. They are actually quite nice, and I'm sure that was the aforementioned word not stamped on the inside I wouldn't be questioning myself at all, but it is. Sigh.

H&M Necklace - I really like that this has the black ribbons to tie as opposed to a chain as it means you can pull it as tight or lose as you want depending on where you want the necklace to sit - which is excellent for me as there are so many necklaces that I'm like 'I like it but I'd love it if it just sat an inch higher/lower etc'.

Forever 21 Necklace - Yeah, I liked this. Nothing much to say, no clue when I'll wear it or what with but it was pretty so it went in the basket!

H&M Aztec Print Dress - Another Florida purchase, to justify this though the weather in December there is probably warmer than Scottish summer, so I need to start getting bits and pieces now! I loved the print on this dress even though I'm not usually an aztec kind of girl, and the back detail and the fact you can adjust the straps so that if you're a short one like me you can hoist it up a bit really closed it for me on this one, I just had to own it. Plus I think it will be perfect for our dinner at O'Hana in the Polynesian resort in Disney World, what with the flaming torches and the beach outside.

M&S Red Jeggings - Although these are called jeggings I'd say they're jeans with stretch type jeggings rather than leggings that are blue and have fake stitching on them to make them look like jeans type jeggings. I really love red, it's one of my favourite colours to wear and I saw these when my grandmother was doing a food shop and taking too long for my impantient ways, so I ended up wandering round the store. Although these aren't high waisted as such they are higher than a lot of other jeans are from other stores, probably due to the fact they're from M&S and that suits me perfectly. They also come in 3 leg lengths, but I just got the regular length and turned it up at the bottom as you can see - because they're not super tight jeggings they look fine turned up, almost more chino shaped at the ankles than jeggins I would say. Definitely have my eye on these turquoise ones now after looking up the website to find the link for these!

Oasis Floral Dress - Another New York purchase, I thought this would be sweet for during the day with flat shoes for wandering round the shops.

Oasis Floral Vest Top - Because the above dress is a bit low I got this top in the same pattern to put on underneath and shield my modesty a little!

Oasis Floral Dress Number 2 - Yep, another New York dress. I thought this would be adorable during the day with flats as well, I'm thinking beehive'd hair and a very small, lady like, little girls dressing up style bag.

H&M Shoes - Love these, so so much! Really comfy and the colours add a bright edge to any boring outfit.

River Island Boots - Really comfy and brilliant for every day wear. I'm still not wearing them often enough to justify the Marant Dicker boots, so these shall do for my ankle boot whim days!

H&M Jumper - This is almost fluorescent in real life and I love it - it's so easy to throw on and wear without any real thought and although I didn't buy it specifically for New York it's really comfy and I think it'll be my plane attire, since it's not too heavy so I shouldn't get too warm with it but it will give me an extra layer if I am unfortunate enough to be stuck next to the air conditioner lover. It's also really oversized and comfy - I got a small and as you can see int he picture it's pretty wide, but without being too baggy if you know what I mean? It does catch a little on things, I've already got a pull in it having worn it once, but that's something you already know when you buy a loose knit item.

H&M Necklace - My third necklace of the haul - oh dear! A year ago I barely wore jewellery other than earrings and now look at me! I bought this on the same trip as the jumper because I thought the turquoise and orange worked nicely together and it would jazz p the plain jumper a little.

Boohoo Swan Lake Dress - Apologies for the collage of pictures but I love this dress so much that one just wouldn't cut it! I had never ordered from Boohoo before and really wasn't sure what to expect, but I saw this dress in Marie Claire a few months ago and have been checking the website weekly for it to become available. I just love everything about this dress, and although the quality isn't the best it cost a mere £40, which I think is just amazing as I have a similar dress in black from Topshop, with a big tulle skirt but a really simple top without a whole lot of detail or anything, which I bought about 3 years ago that cost £80, so would probably cost even more if I were to buy it in Topshop now. For £40 I am a happy girl, and can't wait to get the opportunity to wear it (though the cut outs scare me quite a bit!)

Rayban Glasses & Rayban Sunglasses - I'm blind as a bat basically, so it was time for new glasses and this year I decided I'd also invest in some prescription sunglasses, as in previous years it's been a choice between being able to see but being blinded by the sun or not being blinded by the sun but being unable to see more than a few feet in front of me anyway! I originally wanted just black Raybans in both my glasses and my sunglasses but I had to finally accept that with my pale complexion and brown hair/eyes the black was just a but too harsh. I've bought myself a new pair on sunglasses every year since before I can remember but for some reason never even thought about actually seeing what brands I could get at an actual opticians. I had decided to go for Raybans this year anyway, and actually thought I might pick them up when I was in New York but when I saw them at my eye test I realised it made more sense to get them there and then.

Beauty Picks...

Caudalie Vinosource Thirst Quenching Serum - My grandmother's friend picked this up for me when she was in Paris a few weeks ago, just because she remembered me mentioning it, how sweet is that?! This is a serum for using before moisturisor that is intended to make the skin retain more hydration and stuff. So far my skin does seem much less dehydrated so thumbs up!

Caudalie Beauty Elixer - I really wanted this for my flight to NYC after seeing Lisa Eldridge mention it in her on flight beauty routine video and, yep, my grandmother's friend remembered and brought me it back. This is why it pays to be nice to your parents' friends people! So far it seems nice, not entirely sure if it's majorly essential as I keep forgetting to use it after being excited to get it, but my skins seems quite happy whenever I do use it, and since Caroline Hirons tells me I should be using a toner I am going to try and make the effort to keep this up!

Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers - So on a recent trip to SpaceNK I just decided to add these in, I actually wanted the gold version but they didn't have them so I settled for silver. Not entirely sure on my thoughts at the moment, will post a proper review once I've tested them out properly!

Malin + Goetz Acne Treatment - The main reason for said Space NK visit. Although I don't have acne I am allergic to lots of things (including dust - please imagine how difficult my life is and send your pity my way!) which flares my skin up and causes it to be unhappy, so I went out to get this for those times. I did consider the Origins Spot Remover but I've found Origins a bit hit and miss overall, so I thought I'd stick to a brand that I know always works for me and that I've never had a disappointing product from. Full review to follow!

Caudalie Travel Set - I actually went in for this set and didn't realise till I got home that I had a different one, but I'm not hugely fussed as I mainly wanted the micellar water and the divine oil, and having the travel size of the beauty elixer means I can Eldridge away to my heart's content without having to decant from the bigger bottle. I also got some hand cream and a lip balm in this, so they can also get used on the flight and are always useful to have to bang in various handbags.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation - I'm sure we've all heard the all round raves about this product but after being colour matched by the assistant and given a sample of rose ivory I was sure it wasn't for me, although I do have pink tones in my skin the rose ivory seemed to emphasise this and made me look a bit sunburnt actually. Nevertheless I kept hearing good things so I went into Space NK and was between purchasing this or the Nars Sheer Glow, which I think I will try at some point anyway. I swatched about 3 shades of each foundation on my hand, and matched myself but didn't buy anything, which was lucky because we went for lunch and as soon as I walked out the store I found that the colour I thought with the instore lighting was my match was definitely not - and instead purchased the shade soft ivory. Haven't tried it yet but will be giving it a whirl soon and letting you all know what I think.

Phyto Phytoneutre Detoxing Shampoo - I've been really trying to cut down on how much I wash my hair and I thought that a detoxing shampoo would be a good way to get a really good clean of my hair that would hopefully last a few days before I felt the need to wash it again. I used to be an every day kind of girl and I'm trying to cut down to three days a week, so we'll see - review to follow!

Phyto 7 - Another Eldridge product recommendation from the in flight beauty video, a hair cream that nourishes the hair but is non greasy and you use it on dry hair without needing to wash it straight after. It also claims to reduce static and frizz, so I'll be using this daily in NY to try and combat the effects of humid weather on my hair! Again once I've used this properly I'll give it a proper review.

Diva Big Hot Wand - So, worst name ever but this is by far my favourite curling tool I've ever used, it's really easy and quick and it's the only thing I've found that the curls last in my hair, I already reviewed the Enrapture Rollers here but I also purchased the infamous Totem Styler but I'm finding it just doesn't last in my hair, no matter what mousse and hair spray combo I use so I gave in and repurchased these after breaking my last pair - will do a properly detailed review at some point!

Hydraluron - This has been getting all round raves, and though I'm sure it probably does a similar job to the Caudalie Vinosource Serum I decided there's no such thing as too many moisture encouraging products. Haven't opened this yet to try it, but I have high hopes.

Pepta-Bright - I have some acne scarring on my cheeks that, whilst it's not terrible, I think contributes to the red/pink tones in my skin in general and is part of the reason I tend to be a bit scared of pink toned blushers, so anything that might get rid of it is a good one in my book!

Mac Eyebrow Pencil (shade:Lingering) - I loved this so much I repurchased it and I very rarely repurchase anything - so that sums it up!

Eysilix - The Indeed Labs products were on a 3 for 2 so I ended up adding this one in, as I didn't have anything else in mind that I was after and couldn't be bothered mooching round the whole store trying to pick a third products. My Strivectin eye cream I ordered from Space NK has gone out of stock and won't be delivered till it's back in stock I decided to give this one a go in the mean time. Obviously I'm not hugely concerned with aging but I have really awful dark circles that nothing seems to shift, so I'm always on the hunt for eye creams that might actually do what they promise!

PS. Remember that time I said I wasn't going to buy any more dresses? Well let's just not talk about that shall we...

Cocktail & Burger, Glasgow

2013-05-16T13:30:00.000+01:00

Dress - Topshop

Tights - Topshop

Shoes - H&M

Hat - H&M

Bag - Zara

Coat - Miss Selfridge

So firstly, please excuse the dodgy mirror shot inclusion - the wind was so strong that when we tried to take pictures before we left I could barely keep my eyes open and I ended up having to take off my eye make up before we left as my eyes watered that much with the wind that there was no way I could have kept it on - Scotland in late April for you right there!

I'm very behind with posting this - in all honesty I've had so much going on that my blog organisation has gone completely out the window lately, hence the number of beauty posts that have been going up. I find them so much easier to do and write than fashion or food posts for some reason, even though if anyone asks me I always say this is a fashion blog with a bit of beauty and lifestyle thrown in, despite the fact that the recent types of posts wouldn't reflect this. Anyway, one more exam, then I'm off on holiday and then when I come back I should be able to try and get a proper schedule organised!

This was what I wore to go to Cocktail and Burger in Glasgow - a relatively new kid on the block that everyone seems to be hailing as the best burgers in town. I don't know if I'd go that far, but they're pretty up there.

The restaurant itself has a 'cool' vibe, as in it's very laid back and chilled out what with brick exposed walls, the fact it's underground and the menus are scrawled on the walls. It's dark, verging on dingy and let's just say I fitted right in wearing my hipster-esque hat.

S & I ordered two C&B burgers, with fries on the side. The burgers were pretty damned good and I love the brioche buns and the fries are pretty standard, but pretty decent at the same time. The presentation is simple and you really can't pick any holes in simple, old fashioned burger presentation.

The meat in the patty is really good, and given that the burgers are on a 2 for 1, meaning that we paid for 1 burger, 2 rounds of fries and 4 drinks total that it was really good value for money, especially for a good quality bit of meat in the burger, as well as the brioche bun.

I had a cosmopolitan and S had something that I can't remember. What I will say is that the cosmo wasn't anything special, but if you perch yourself up at the bar, completely ignore the menu and ask the bar tender to invent you something then the staff really know what they're doing. When I did that the first time I went with a few girlfriends in tow we had some amazing cocktails - only issue being we then didn't have a clue what they were called or how to recreate them.

As you can see, we left nothing but two very clear plates. Will we rush to return? No probably not, apart from anything else Cocktail and Burger is away up Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow which means it's a bit of a trek for a post shopping meal if you've got bags in hand, but it's definitely somewhere that if I do end up up that end of town it will stick in my head to go in. In terms of the location Sauchiehall Street is probably Glasgow's main clubbing area so it's perfectly placed if you want to start your night out with a burger, but I'm not huge clubbing fan and when I do go on nights out I tend to be either in the West End or at The Corinthian or 29, which are at the other end of town from Sauchiehall Street, so that's probably why I think it's so unbearably far away.

Find out more about Cocktail and Burger here : http://cocktailandburger.com/index.html

Mac Russian Red Lipstick with Mac Redd Lipliner

2013-05-14T14:30:00.000+01:00

Mac Russian Red Lipstick - £14.00

Mac Redd Lip Pencil - £11.50

Following on from my post on Girl About Town, I'm featuring another infamous Mac shade that everyone seems to own or want to own - Russian Red.

The lipstick is a matte formula, but it feels like a matte formula with some amplified involvement - it's creamier than most matte formulas, it definitely requires a lip pencil or it bleeds, and it smudges and transfers easily which the majority of the matte formulas don't. Having said that it is still long wearing and the colour packs a punch with no build up needed, so I'm not saying this is a bad combination of formulas, but if matte is an absolute must for you I definitely wouldn't call this a true matte.

Although the not-so-matte formula means that this lipstick is less drying than a lot of the other matte lipsticks on offer it does, as I said, mean that lip liner is essential otherwise you'll have a Rudolph nose faster than you can blink. My choice of lip pencil is Mac's Redd, which is a really true, primary red that matches Russian Red perfectly. I apply the pencil all over my lips to create a base for the lipstick to adhere to so that there is no sliding or bleeding at all and this also means that over the course of the day the fade is more even, rather than that lovely look we've all seen a bit to often where someone's lipstick is long gone in the centre of their mouth but they have a perfect outline left.

Overall a really flattering, teeth whitening red lipstick (said to be used by Dita Von Teese, clear credentials right there!) which makes for a great red lipstick if you're not so much of a collector of make up and just want to buy one perfect product.

Six Week Slimdown - Weeks 4&5

2013-05-12T22:43:00.000+01:00

For the past two weeks I've really upped my exercise, I've been doing the 30 Day Shred, the beginnings of the 30 Day Squat Challenge and been walking at least 10km a day, sometimes more, and including a bit of the Couch To 5K - I moved on to week 3 today.

So of course that means that in the past 2 weeks I haven't changed my weight at all. Not one tiny bit - neither up nor down, I have still lost exactly 5lbs in total. Disheartened doesn't even begin to describe how I feel having stepped on the scales, but the funny thing was prior to weighing myself I actually felt slightly thinner, but I didn't take any notes of inches and not having a tangible number that I can look at has really got me a bit down. However we must come out fighting when we are down - so this week I shall be exercising and dieting with all the vigour I have and hopefully those last 2 stubborn little lbs will melt away at some point.

The Dukan diet definitely works for me, and I always see results when I stick to it - however due to the high protein content I don't want to 100% stick to it when I'm doing so much exercise, as the book specifically recommends only walking and not doing anything high impact.

My plan food wise is then to make sure I have at least 50% of my daily food be protein, using the My Fitness Pal app to measure the food contents, so that protein is the biggest group between the fat/carbs/protein groups.

Exercise wise my plan is as follows:

Sunday 12th May - 10K using Couch To 5K program.

Monday 13th May - 20K using Couch To 5K program, TBT's class, Body Combat Class and a Pilates Class.

Tuesday 14th May - 10K, walking.

Wednesday 15th May - 10K, walking.

Thursday 16th May - 20K using Couch to 5K.

Friday 17th May - 20K using Couch to 5K.

Saturday 18th May - 10K using Couch to 5K.

The days this week I have most time are Monday, Thursday and Friday, hence why I am planning to cover the biggest distances in those days. I wouldn't usually do a full week of exercise without a rest day or 2 obviously, but this is an intensive week before the holiday workout plan, not one I intend to continue with upon my return (though I am hoping to keep up the Couch to 5K program 4 times a week).

I think having a specific laid out plan will help me, as then I know what I'm aiming for rather than getting up and seeing what I feel like.

Wish me luck!

Soap & Glory - Quick Fire Reviews

2013-05-10T14:30:00.000+01:00

Clean On Me Body Wash - £5.50 - This does the job of making you clean, but that's about it. It claims to come with built in body lotion but although it didn't dry my skin out it certainly didn't feel moisturised, so maybe not the best one to actually go for if you suffer from dry skin/are actively looking to find a body wash that is moisturising enough to skip using body cream.

Sugar Crush Body Wash - £6.50 - Again this does the job of getting you clean, it's all down to whether or not you like the smell of this one. For me it was a bit too sharp - though that's maybe for the best first thing in the morning!

Smoothie Star Body Milk - £10.00 - This feels lovely on the skin and definitely kept my body moisturised, though that wouldn't be too hard since I had to make an active effort to use this - despite owning around 100 of them I never use any kind of body moisture products so it didn't have much to compete with. I did like this though and once I've got through the remaining 99 it may well be a repurchase. I wasn't overly keen on the smell but the lotion seemed to sink in fast and the smell itself didn't hang around too long once I was actually out the bathroom and getting ready, so not a huge issue.

Sugar Crush Body Scrub - £8.00 - I love a good scrub, and this one is high on my list. Despite not liking the smell of the Sugar Crush Body Wash I really liked the smell of this one, I think the inclusion of the brown sugar evened out the citrus a little to make it more bearable. It is a sweet smell still, though definitely a fresh, sweet smell not one to be applied before bed time - where I'm currently using The Breakfast Scrub, which smells like maple syrup and is much more suited to a relaxing exfoliation - but definitely a nice one to use in the mornings or before a night out. At £8 I think this is excellent value and I will 100% be buying this again.

Bare Minerals Boutique

2013-05-04T13:30:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago I was invited along to the Bare Minerals Boutique in Glasgow's Buchannan Galleries, and to say approached with with a little apprehension would be a huge understatement. Having tried Bella Pierre mineral make up in the past which left my skin feeling like it was crawling and have me the urge to scrape everything off my face with my nails just so I could get it off, I was pretty sure I'd be firmly in the 'nope, not blogging about this one, it's not for me, camp' yet here I am, blogging about it.

Firstly, I hate powder foundations, especially loose ones - so I was shown the new solid powder foundation that they've brought out, and how buildable it was. I am not going to lie - it is buildable but if you're a doublewear devotee it's not that kind of coverage, but with some concealer applied where necessary it definitely covered my redness and evened out my skin tone, so I was impressed.

Secondly, surely going into a boutique that caters only to make up is terrifying because when the over-pushy sales assistant jumps on you you have nowhere you can pretend you're sprinting off to? Not so much, the assistants don't work on commission - ie you're not going to have the latest colour of eyeshadow that does absolutely nothing for you applied because they need to hit a target of selling 3 an hour. This for me is a huge factor in where I spend my money - anywhere that I get the impression is focusing more on sales than customer service I just don't go anymore, looking at you House of Fraser/Debenhams/General department stores that aren't John Lewis. When I went to Bare Minerals everything I voiced was listened to, and the lovely girl I worked with also told me about how lots of their customers who come in have cancer, acne and rosacea and the boutique allows them to come in and feel like they're in their own private space, where taking make up off (which is heart stopping for most people, especially in a badly lit department store with a sales targeted assistant) isn't such a daunting task. Overall it really was a much more relaxed and enjoyable experience than any I've had at a department store, and although they are focused more on natural beauty they do have a good range of colours in eyeshadows and lipsticks, so you could definitely go in here for a night out look as well as an every day one, maybe also slightly less daunting if you like to go in and have your make up done with your rollers intact as I've seen happen countless times!

I'm sure most of you already know how mineral make up is like skincare/make up combined, and the minerals are really good for your skin and you can actually sleep in your make up and it won't age your skin by three days the way will happen with other types of make up blah blah blah, but for those of you who didn't - you do now.

Bare Minerals also have a line of skin care, which I didn't realise and which I really liked and along with the skincare the stand outs for me where the primer, which felt very similar to Benefit's POREfessional, but without any nasties in it,the eyeshadows - look how pigmented they are in that last photo - and the make up brushes, which all felt lovely and were very reasonably priced.

Overall, I'm impressed - and the foundation felt like I had no foundation on at all, not like my skin was crawling. So I was happy!

PS S said it was the best he'd ever seen my make up done at a make over, including when I went to Mac, so that probably speaks for itself as he's not usually one to comment at all.

MAC Girl About Town Lipstick and Nail Lacquer

2013-05-02T17:30:00.000+01:00

Mac Girl About Town Lipstick - £14.00

Mac Girl About Town Nail Varnish - £10.00

Girl About Town is one of those infamous Mac shades that almost everybody owns and I love it, despite being seriously against pink the majority of the time. I think for so long pale, insipid pinks were the order of the day and I just didn't suit them at all that I'd convinced myself I was a reds only type of girl and that was it. Although reds are probably still the shade family I'm happiest and most comfortable in after years of avoiding pinks I finally plucked up the courage and bought myself Girl About Town and Lickable and I now don't mind wearing pinks as long as they're bright, rich pinks and not the pale, washed out look that was so popular in my formative make up years.

This is an amplified formula and of all the amplified formulas I own this one seems to be the slippiest, and most likely to move off the lips and onto the face so I find that using a lip liner then almost staining this on in layers is the best way to avoid disaster, although this sounds like a more fussy process than just swiping it on it doesn't take long to get the colour payoff, and I'd rather do that than have it across my cheek somewhere. It is super pigmented and opaque so if you do end up with it somewhere it shouldn't be it will not just rub off, you will need to resort to layering concealor over the top of where the lipstick will have stained - hence why I'm particular about the application because as much as I can now embrace pink I don't necessarily want it on my chin.

The nail lacquer is a product I'd heard less about and didn't actually know existed till I picked it up thinking it would match Girl About Town lipstick quite well, only to find this was precisely the idea. I used the Essie no chips ahead topcoat over it and I got 3 days out of it before any chipping appeared - which is really good for me because I can manage to chip nails washing my hair, I'm just incredibly rough with them - but I don't know if that's down to this or the top coat or both. I know these nail lacquers don't have the best reputation but I can't add to that - I was impressed. At £10 as well these nail lacquers aren't really much more pricey than an Essie diffusion line polish, so I definitely don't mind the price at all.

The exact colour match really appealed to my OCD tendencies and love of all things matchy-matchy. Girl About Town isn't the only one to have a nail counterpart - there is also Morange, Saint Germain, Snob and Impassioned amongst others so if the idea of a perfect match appeals to you it may be worth having a look to see if your shade of choice is there.

Mac Dubonnet

2013-04-30T16:30:00.000+01:00

Mac Dubonnet Lipstick- £14.00

I actually picked this lipstick up a while ago after learning that Scottish Ballet had used it as the lip colour for Alice in their production of Alice in Wonderland, but despite it being an on-a-whim purchase that had no real reason or thought behind it other than it was used in Alice I've got so much use from this gorgeous lipstick and if I ever use it up I'll definitely be repurchasing.

It's an amplified finish, and I find it to be quite moisturising on the lips because of this, though it can bleed out a little after a while if you don't use a lipliner and as you can see it's not the bright, retro red of the matte Russian Reds, it's a much darker brown-red, very vampy, sultry, bond girl-esque, perfect for lingering in dark corners in a full length gown waiting to seduce a Colin Firth shaped man in a suit. I've read a few reviews of this on other blogs and it seems to suit a variety of skin tones right through from see through pale like myself to the opposite end of the spectrum.

Overall this would definitely make it into my top 10 Mac lipsticks if I were ever to be put into the horrible position where I had to chose, and I don't have a bad word to say about it.

For more pictures of Dubonnet in action see my outfit post here.

Six Week Slimdown - Weeks 2&3

2013-04-29T11:34:00.001+01:00

It's been over a week since my last post - shocking! I've been spending time at my S's house and since they are in the middle of switching from one provider to the other there was no internet for a week so I couldn't update at all!

Anyway, because I've been in the country with three course dinners and lots of potatoes I've undone a little of what I had done between weeks 1 & 2 in week 3, and between the two weeks I've lost 1lb, but that still means I've lost 5lbs altogether which is definitely in the right direction. My initial goal was to lose half a stone before I went so I'm only 2lbs off that - and 3 weeks still to go, so I think I should still manage! I think although you need to stick to a diet if you slip up and come off it then there's no point dwelling on it because that just brings you down and makes you more likely to give up altogether, whereas if you just draw a line under it and decide to be totally back on track the next week then you'll start losing again the next week.

I don't have any food diary pictures unfortunately (though I will be taking 100% of this weeks so there will be 7 days in full at my next post!) but here's a picture to liven things up a bit:

I'm going to aim to get out and do some exercise this week as well as sticking to my diet 110%. Since the weather has been nice I'm going to aim to try and get out and walk every day for around an hour, I'm not too bothered about times/distances but instead just about trying to get out and get into the habit of setting an hour aside a day to exercise. After I set that pattern this week I'm planning to start introducing the couch to 5K program next week which I did before and I really like it because you progress each week so can get a proper measurement of the fact you are getting better because last week you couldn't have done what you're doing this week with it, so that provides a bit of motivation when you really don't want to do it, to be able to say 'I've literally come this far'.

I Know That You're The Girl That's Meant For, That's Meant For Me

2013-04-19T16:30:00.000+01:00

Dress - Miss Patina

Ears - Topshop

Bag - Mulberry - this bag in last summer's colour

Shoes - Topshop

Necklace - Swarovski

Lipstick - Mac Dubonnet

Nails - Topshop One Hot Minute

You might remember me posting about my grandmother buying this bag on the day of the Wimbledon final here and she finally has got around to using it, so of course I jumped to get my turn of it as soon as she'd put it back in the dust bag. It's really soft and spongy and whilst I probably wouldn't have chosen it had I been the one going into the shop and picking a new handbag I do think it's incredibly beautiful, and I love the green colour - which makes it a little different from the usual tan and black accessories.

I'm still head over heels for my Miss Patina dress and with the small flicker of sunshine earlier this week I took the opportunity to ditch the tights I'd been wearing it with and match it to these Oxblood heels, which are again at least from last summer if not before then but which I absolutely love (I actually bought them in black suede as well, that's how much I liked them!), and added my frivolous cat ear headband from Topshop that I bought unsure if I'd ever wear. I soon forgot they were on my head and actually wandered into town and back with it on, without getting any strange looks so it just goes to show you're definitely always more conscious of what you're wearing and how it looks than anybody else is.

I actually wore this into town to see Mark Andrews, one of the directors of Disney Pixar's Brave, give a talk at the GFT which was really interesting and then we went to the newly opened brand of Tony Macaroni's (a restaurant chain which we're getting to be spending too much time in!) Instead of having any starters or main courses we opted to share a Tony Macaroni Extravaganza. Definitely not on my diet plan but absolutely incredible. If there was something worth coming off the plan for a night for then it was this.

Of course even between two of us we probably only managed a quarter of this mountain of goodness but it was an incredible quarter. Definitely worth going back for - maybe need to leave it till after New York though, if I want to have any hope of shifting some pounds before I go!

P.S This is my 'I'm a cat' face. Cause everybody wants to be a cat.

Pamper Day

2013-04-17T16:30:00.000+01:00

Marriott Pamper Day - Experience Days*

Last Monday I was treated to a Marriott Pamper day, thanks to the people at Experience Days.

Since I've been majorly stressed out with uni (and knowing that I am not on the right course for me but really really really just wanting to stick it out at least till I've got a BA and can then do a MA in something I actually like!) I opted to have a massage and since for every minute that I've been stressing out I've been taking it out on those around me I took my grandmother along and she had a facial.

The Glasgow Marriott hotel is probably a little worse for wear on the outside (that brown brick facade - yuck!), but having attended a few functions in there I can vouch that it is actually gorgeous on the inside. Having said that I had never been to the spa so was eager to see what would await me in the small building just off the main one. It was gorgeous on the inside as well - really clean, light and airy which is exactly what you want from a spa/fitness facility. The changing rooms, showers and pool areas, which I only took a quick look over, were also really clean and well kept so I would definitely be happy using those if I were staying for a few weeks at the hotel. As it was we were there for the spa, and we concentrated more fully on that.

After adorning ourselves in the white bathrobes (I love hotel bathrobes, don't you?!) we proceeded along the corridor to the treatment rooms, where we both sunk down into the brown leather sofa to wait on our beauty therapists. For a starting point we could have probably sat on that sofa for forever, it was so comfy.

Alas (?!) we weren't there to sit on that couch so after the consent forms were completed we were led off by our respective (and equally lovely) therapists to indulge ourselves.

As I said I had a massage and can honestly say it was one of the best I've ever had. The therapist asked me what pressure I liked and how stressed I felt on a level of 1-5 (I said at least a 4) and off she went. She didn't go so strong it hurt but it definitely ironed out a few kinks. When we were done she gave me a really detailed account of where I held my tension and what I could do about it, which whilst I have had other people comment with the standard 'ooh you've got a lot of tension x, y, z' I've never had anyone seem as knowledgeable about it. A lot of places I've come across have people who whilst they may have studied how to rub someone's back in a nice way don't seem to know much about actually breaking down tension and knots to get it flushed out the system the way my therapist at the Marriott did, so I was incredibly impressed and will definitely be going back. When I first lay down for my massage my shoulders were somewhere around my ears (not exaggerating) and by the end they were down where they should be. Besides one of those foot massages from a little Vietnamese lady on holiday once - a long time ago - I've never seen such a visible difference in my posture within one massage. About two years ago I was actually recommended a very expensive 3 month course of 3 times weekly massages and hand on heart I think that massage did more in half an hour than the medically recommended people did in 3 months.

My grandmother went for the facial, which she said she really enjoyed. We spend New Year in St Andrews most years at the Old Course Hotel, and she and I usually take some time to go for a spa day and get massages and facials. On our last trip my grandmother had a facial which cost over £200 and she said the Marriott facial felt just as nice, so whilst this might just be a case of the staff at the Marriott Glasgow are on fire we both found that this £75 (for both of us) spa day was was more effective than other much more expensive treatments we've had elsewhere. They used Dermalogica products and my grandmother must have really liked them - because she bought the set before we left. She's now been using it for a week and a bit and says there's been no flare up or reaction and that her skin feels lovely.

Overall we both had a lovely afternoon at the spa, and both thoroughly enjoyed out treatments - we'll definitely be back and I cannot recommend this day enough either as a gift or as a treat to yourself!

The great thing about the Glasgow Marriott is the location so after I had been parted from my lovely hotel bathrobe we skipped along to the city centre and took ourselves for lunch at Mings in Princes Square.

Grandmother wears top and cardigan by Cos, necklace by Ortak, shellac manicure.

Again another enjoyable experience in the day - and if you're looking for quick service and nice food in the city centre this is definitely recommended. I had spare ribs and I can't remember my grandmother's starter was because I was taking a call during the starters, wasn't concentrating and wasn't photographing (and yes, sod's law that call was about uni - still stressing me out on a day that was specifically designed around it not stressing me out!) but from what I can remember both starters went down well and main course wise I had lemon chicken with boiled rice and my grandmother had the chicken breast teriyaki with boiled rice. Both of us left full and happy - which is generally the aim from a lunch. Not saying it was the best food I've ever had but I've eaten worse and the location of this - right in the heart of Buchannan Street is perfect for a shopping break.

We spent a few hours in Princes Square before heading up Buchannan Street to got to John Lewis and check out the new Paperchase (the fact these seem to be my ideal combination of shops really does worry me, I had accepted I'd turn into my mother at some point, I just didn't think it'd be so soon) and ended the day in Tinderbox, me with a cookie and a diet coke and her with a coffee and a cake. All in all the perfect end to a very lovely day.

*I was sent on the Marriott Pamper Day For Two by the PR team at Experience Days but views are my own and lunch/my grandmother's dermalogic kit/the rest of the day was not paid for by the team.

Six Week Slimdown - Week 1

2013-04-15T12:14:00.002+01:00

Excuse this being a day late, I typed it up yesterday morning then hit save instead of publish!

So an excellent start for my mission - I've lost 4 lbs. Ridiculously happy, as I was hoping to lose about 7lbs in total so that puts me a good way towards that, and if I lose 1lb a week between now and going I'll have lost over 7 - never a bad thing!

My aims were to stick to pure protein - ie the attack phase of the Dukan Diet - and sticking to the 30 Day Shred. For the millionth time I have failed at the Shred unfortunatey, I've only ever completed it once but I'm going to give it another go after I come back from New York and am determined I will complete it 30 days in a row before I hit my birthday!

The diet I got along with slightly better - I stuck to it Sunday and Monday, though completely forgot I had promised a photo diary, and then it went a bit out the window Tuesday and Wednesday but I got back on track on Thursday, and obviously did enough to out do the 2 days I didn't stick to it. I also remembered to take photos so here's my Thursday-Saturday food diary in pictures (because we all know blog posts with no photos are rubbish!):

Thursday:

Breakfast - Turkey Slices. Lunch - Turkey Slices. Dinner - Roast Chicken Breast Slices.
Percentages - Carbs 4%, Fat 13%, Protein 83%

Friday:

Breakfast - Roast Chicken Breast Slices. Lunch - Sliced ham. Dinner - Turkey Joint. Snack - Half Pack of Lean Roast Chicken Slices.

Percentages - Carbs 3%, Fat 26%, Protein 71%

Saturday:

Breakfast - 3 boiled egg whites. Snack 1 - Half Pack of Lean Roast Chicken Slices. Snack 2 - 2 x Half Packets of Wafer Thin Chicken Slices. Dinner - Turkey Slices.

Percentages - Carbs 2%, Fat 12%, Protein 86%

I have done this diet before and I know it works for me - it's restrictive and, as you can probably already tell, really repetitive - but it does work. I find for me it works because there's a set list of things I can or can't eat, rather than me having a points/checks/sins allowance as I tend to use weightwatchers to make 0 point soups and then use all my points for random stuff, whereas this is much about about the type of food and how your body processes it than it is about counting any calories or points etc.

In terms of the repetitiveness I try and have 2 days where I don't eat something, for example for the first 2 days I concentrated on meat then on day 3 I had some eggs - you get to a point where you just need food to have a different texture, so eggs fish and meat are on rotation. You are also allowed fat free yogurt, but I found when I did this diet before I was stating to replace all my snacks with yogurt and it works more if you snack on protein as the protein is the basis of the diet, as you can tell from the percentages.

Saturday was the hardest day for me because I was in London and surrounded by restaurants I really wanted to go to - but the upside of the diet is that it is easy to stick to in terms of we just found a little supermarket and headed in for some cold meat and juice and then sat on the steps at Covent Garden and ate it. It's not fun when you'd rather be somewhere else, but the first 5 days are the worst and once you're through them you get into the routine of it. You also see results really quickly with this diet, i.e. I lost 4lbs when I really only properly stuck to it for 4 and a bit days out of 7, and the days I didn't stick to it I really didn't stick to it.

So - this week my aims are still to concentrate on the attack phase of the diet, I am going for dinner tonight and Monday night which were plans that were made before I started this diet, so I'm just going to have to stick to it during the day on Sunday, write Monday off and then be in the attack phase Tuesday - Saturday. As long as I lose something this week I'll be happy - I'd like 3lbs so I could say I hit the half a stone mark, but that might be unrealistic so as long as I lose 1lb and can say I've lost 5lbs and be happy :)

Edinburgh Escape.

2013-04-10T13:30:00.000+01:00

During the month of December S and I took a few weeks away, one of which was to Edinburgh. We had a lovely time, burrowed into our beautiful room in the Caledonian Hotel and visited the zoo, Harvey Nichols, the Dome and the Christmas fayre - all my favourite tourist attractions obviously. We loved it so much that last week, with the excuse of some blogger events to attend, we decided to book it again - requesting the same room, number 150, that we had last time since we loved it so much.

Although I love to travel I'm not a huge lover of surprises so I tend to stick to hotels that I know I like, whether I've stayed there before or whether it's a chain that I know I can trust. With the Caledonian being a Waldorf Astoria I knew we weren't going to be disappointed, and when we realised we loved it enough to go back I decided it was definitely due some coverage on my little slice of the internet. Lovely, helpful staff, perfect location at the end of Princess Street, gorgeous surroundings, wonderful food and a beautiful bar. This one definitely comes in at no.1 in my top 3 Edinburgh hotels.

Topshop skirt & tights, Hunter wellies and welly socks, Essie Mint Candy Apple nails.

Lounging casually with Company magazine wearing H&M jumper dress and H&M thermal socks

Although Edinburgh is a mere train ride from Glasgow each time we've gone there we really do feel like we're getting away and shutting the door on the outside world, which is just a lovely feeling and goes to show you don't necessarily need to book flights and weeks at a time off of uni/work/life to get a bit of much needed R&R. And if you happen to be taking that R&R in Edinburgh then go for the Caledonian, and book a deluxe king - the perfect room to come home to after a perfect day in Scotland's beautiful capital.

*Not a sponsered/requested/PR funded post - all paid for with our own money and getting a rave over here because we genuinely love it.

6 Week Slimdown.

2013-04-07T09:30:00.000+01:00

pic from weheartit

6 weeks today I fly out to NYC, a trip I'm majorly excited for. However with a bit too much socialising, eating out and ordering in having happened recently I'm not in the shape I'd like to be in for going. I'm not expecting to shift 2 stone in 6 weeks or anything ridiculous, however I have concluded that 6 weeks is a short enough amount of time for me to really stick to something without losing focus of the goal, yet long enough that I should be able to aim to shift around half a stone - 7lbs.

I've decided to guilt myself into sticking to it by blogging about it - so each Sunday from here till I go I shall post my daily food diaries (in pictures!) as well as what exercise I've done and whether or not I've lost that week.

The 6 weeks will be split into 3 2-week phases, with the idea being if I have something new to concentrate on or committ to every 2 weeks then I shouldn't get too bored.

I had started the 30 Day Shred before deciding to make this a blogging mini-series and today I shall be completing day 15 of that - half way through, so Phase 1 will be focussing on finishing that and doing stage 1 - the Attack Phase - of the Dukan Diet, basically concentrating on lots of protein. Having done this diet before I know it works for me, and whilst it's not easy the first 4 or 5 days are the worst and then my body tends to settle into it, so if I can get through this week I'll be well on my way.

So goals for this week - the 30 Day Shred every day & sticking to pure protein for a week. Wish me luck, I'm excited to check back in next Sunday and see how it's going!

Style @ Merchant Square

2013-04-05T12:30:00.000+01:00

Dress - Geztuz @ Cruise

Earrings - Topshop

Belt - River Island

Bag - River Island

Shoes - Office (now on sale you lucky things!)

This ensemble was what I wore to attend a fashion show a few weeks ago now (so behind with blogging - must try harder!) in aid of the Prince and Princess of Wales Hospice in an effort to fundraise for the new hospice being built in an 8 acre site next to Bellahouston Park. If you've read my blog for a while you'll realise how important charity is to me so you can find out more information about the new hospice here and, if you're so inclined, donate here. It's an incredibly important cause, I feel, for people to die with dignity.

A friend of mine's grandfather is dying currently, in a hospital. The hospital is incredibly understaffed and last month the man needed to visit the bathroom whilst he had visitors, so he asked the nurse if she could take him. He was told that she didn't have time and he was to just wet his bed and she would change it later. Imagine being told to wet the bed you're living your life in and are incapable of moving from - that's horrific enough, without being told to do it in front of your children and grandchildren. Places like the hospice allow these situations not to have to happen, and without wanting to sound cliched or preachy - every little does help so anything you'd be able to donate I'm sure would be majorly appreciated, even if not by this hospice than by one in your local area.

On a slightly brighter note the fashions modelled were beautiful (clothes were provided by House of Fraser so anything you see is available to buy there) and a great night was had by all. Especially me, cause I was feeling rather smug sitting frow at a fashion show ;) Those are my favourite types of fundraisers - the ones were everyone gets dressed up, goes along, has a brilliant night and managed to raise money for an amazing cause. Even when I don't win anything in the raffle - rigged I tell you, rigged! That box of champagne had my name on it...

Superbly cool neon body con number is from the McQ by Alexander McQueen line (can't find online!)

Beautiful blue dress that dreams are made of by Acne