Too much free time

OPI Mod About You

Pink Crystals - eBay

Sally Hansen Topcoat

Dirty Works Glow Girl Hot Salt Scrub

What springs to mind when you think of a salt scrub?

Gritty;

Rough;

Down-right abrasive?

That was my thinking when I bought this for £4.99 from Sainsbury's.  A nice little purchase - even if it is encased in seriously naff packaging - to help slough off all those dead skin cells and patchy fake tan.  What a great find, I thought; cheaper than the usual scrubs I go for and the added bonus of promising to 'draw out toxins'.  Oh, what a fool I am.

Yes, unfortunately, this did not live up to my expectations in the slightest.

It all started to go wrong when I unscrewed the lid.  Something I admittedly should have done in store before purchasing.  Well, we all live and learn..!

See what I mean??

I really wanted this to work; to surprise me and make me realise that you don't need great big, chunky particles to give you soft, supple skin.  But, well, you do.

This herbally smelling, runny paste does nothing for me but drag on my skin and leave a horrible residue in my bath - due to the Kaolin it contains.  This is the main issue for me - is clay not used in thousands of skin care products to help combat oily skin?  Would that be why my skin feels drier after I use this?  The 'Kiss goodbye to dry skin!!' promise therefore falls short...

What a disappointment.  Dirty Works - you have some serious improvements to make.  Starting with the horrendous yellow packaging...

Perfect Polish

A few weeks ago I had on my list - 'Sky Blue Nail Varnish'.....

I think I found just what I was looking for at ASDA of all places for a mere £1.50.

Sure, it's not perfect and takes a bit of patience when applying but for a quick pick me up it's fantastic and just what I fancied...

IN & OUT #2: Holiday Edition

I got back from 2 weeks of Spanish bliss late last night and although I am freezing back in Blighty, I am happy to be home...mainly at the prospect of shopping - I missed Boots.  Sad, but true.

For now.....

IN

• Nivea Young Tinted Moisturiser - I've used this basically every day for 2 or 3 years now and I'm still totally in love with it.  It evens out my skin tone and allows me to blend my face and neck - which never tans - together.  If I want more coverage, I simply mix in some foundation with it, slap it all over my face and I'm good to go
• Jungle Formula Insect Repellent - If you are prone to mozzie bites like me - about 15 per night - you need this in your life when you go abroad!  I've come back with 2 bites - a complete record for me!
• Calypso Dry Oil SPF Spray - If the thought of rubbing greasy sun tan lotion on every few hours fills you with dread, pick up this baby from Superdrug for mere pennies.  If sprays on evenly, dries instantly, smells lovely and keeps you safe in the sun whilst tanning  - a sure fire thumbs up from me!
• French pedicured toes - I do love brights on the toe nails but every once in a while it's nice to tone it down and go for a chic french polish. 

OUT

• My natural hair - Although it's about my desired length now, I cannot stand it's texture.  All messy, wavy and frizzy...without tongs/straighteners in my life I resemble Monica in that Friends episode...you know the one I mean....
• Over packing - Hands up who had to sit on their suitcase to get it to close then wore approximately 5% of what you took????
• Pigging out - That half a stone I lost to go away soon went back on with chocolate croissants and Tango for breakfast every morning, followed by constant eating from then on....Back on the wagon now - I can substitute eating with shopping - sounds good to me!

Favourites: Lip Products

I own more lipsticks, glosses, liners and balms than any other type of cosmetic.  I am just instantly drawn to the sparkly, pink, glossy goodness and seeing as most lip products are under the £10 mark a new purchase is always justified....!

Therefore to whittle it down to 5 favourites was no mean feat but here is what I came up with...

MOR LIP DELIGHT - PASSION FLOWER

Oh my days, this is potentially my favourite product in the world. Yes, big claim there!  I received this as a present for Christmas from Space NK but before that I had never heard of the brand.  From a little bit of internet research it turns out it is an Aussie brand and this little pot (10g) is around the £12 mark.  Space NK unfortunately don't seem to stock it anymore though.  Sad face.

However, I have used this every day since Christmas day and the pot still has over half left.  It is the most delicious smelling balm I own that makes my lips feel butter soft instantly and provides the perfect base for lipsticks and glosses.  It is also a slightly opaque balm so can be used to tone down a bright lipstick when used over the top. 

PRESTIGE LIP LINER - SILK

My lip line is naturally not perfectly even so I love using a natural coloured lip liner to even the edges out and make my lips slightly fuller.  

This liner fits the bill perfectly as it is pretty much the same colour as my natural lips.  It gives me a perfectly symmetrical pout and when used all over, makes my lipstick of choice stay put longer than usual.

BARRY M 147 LIP PAINT

Out of all the lipsticks I own, this has been getting the most love recently.  It's a gorgeous corally/peachy pink that is slightly brighter than my usual nudes and therefore perfect for the Summer months.  It's also as cheap as chips, readily available and I do love the matte black packaging.

BARRY M #4 GLOSSY TUBE

I'm just going to say it - I love this and could not live without it!  I would recommend this product to everyone and anyone - it is just a gorgeous, glossy matte pink gloss that I'm sure would suit nearly all skin tones.  It's pretty, light, easily applied and smells delicious - strawberries and cream spring to mind...

On it's own it is pigmented enough to tone down my naturally quite red lips or over the top of a lipstick it provides a beautiful glossy finish.

In this picture from Saturday night I have it applied over the 147 lip paint - pretty much a match in lip-combo heaven ♥

GOSH DARLING VELVET TOUCH LIPSTICK

No surprises here...!  I know everyone raves about this and it's not very original but it honestly is such a fave! It's just a beautiful, versatile lipstick that I can wear everyday.  It goes with basically every make up look and has just enough colour to ensure you don't look like a corpse/chav rocking concealer lips.  If you haven't tried this yet, what are you waiting for?!!!

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Thank God it's the weekend

A sort of blog-vlog if you will :)

After a long week of mainly ten/eleven hour days, on Friday all I wanted to do was crash.  However, never one to miss out on a social opportunity I hot-footed it to my best friend's house ten miles away to see all my old school friends.  We had a fantastic time laughing, reminiscing and munching some highly calorific treats such as these meringues I threw together ....

After all this I didn't get the early night I needed and then being so dedicated to the shopping cause I woke at 8 on Saturday to go to a nearby open-air market which always promises a bargain.

My early morning was not in vain - a Topshop £28 dress for £6 (pictures later) and these little gems:

John Freida Brilliant Brunette Luminous Colour Glaze - £1

L'oreal Studio Secrets Primer - £2

I've always meant to try these out but never got around to it - for those prices how could I resist?! 

I was home and exhausted by midday and after a quick application of St Moritz I fell into bed and had a fantastic nap.  You know, one of the good ones where you fall asleep easily and sleep for just the right amount of time to ensure you wake refreshed and not groggy.  As a student I have perfected the art of napping...!

I then embarked on the mission of getting ready to head out for the night and after a few hours of primping and preening I was ready to go...I could not be a wash-n-go girl if I tried..!

This was the dress mentioned earlier - I was really not sure about it as 99% of the time I wear black on a night out but I warmed to it in the end.  Variety is the spice of life and all that....

I teamed it with just a black skinny belt and my new Bertie shoes which I couldn't be more in love with if I tried.

The elasticated straps mean they are so insanely comfortable and the fact that I got them in the sale for a tiny price make them 100 times more beautiful.

My make up was pretty standard for me - bit of MaxFactor foundation, 3 tone smokey eye, Hush cream colour base and pinky lips and cheeks.  Classic combo!

I had such a fun filled evening with my bestest and even though one too many tequilas were consumed I actually feel bright and breezy today!

I am going away on Tuesday for 2 weeks so today's tasks are to start packing and schedule some posts - typical lazy Sunday :)

Also, I will be watching The Wanted's music video about a million times to catch a glimpse of this beaut..

I mean...his surname is George - it'd be rude not to marry him right?!

Love Mrs George George

xxx

Review: Soap & Glory Hot Cloth Cleanser

A few weeks ago my skin decided to break out in the worse rash to man.  I think it was just an allergic reaction to Rescue Oil - Bio Oil's cheaper imitation - and it did clear up after a week or so but I decided to use it as an excuse to shake up my skincare routine.

I don't know about you but sometimes when I go into Boots/Superdrug I become totally overwhelmed with the choice, faff around looking at everything and usually leave perplexed and empty handed.
WELL, this time I decided to pick one brand and try all the products - yes I'm a bit OCD like that...!

The final choice?  The famous and fantastically girly Soap and Glory.

Obviously I didn't buy all the products in one go but I'm working my way down the list..!

First up we have..

The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser

What Soap & Glory say...

It cleans, it smoothes, it melts away makeup! A 3-in-1 concentrated deep purifying formula with a natural blend of revitalising aromatic essential oils for an all round FAB PORE™ complexion.

What’s inside that counts?

• A blend of cleansing and invigorating essential oils, orange, lavender, clary sage and rose geranium help to cleanse and refresh the skin, leaving a smoother, brighter and clearer complexion.

• Rich nourishing and conditioning oils of sweet almond, cocoa butter and coconut help to smooth and moisturise the skin

• Conditioning panthenol and vitamins.

Suitable for all skin types

Squeeze out a generous splodge of Soap & Glory The Fab Pore™ Hot Cloth Cleanser, divide it between the pads of your fingers, and then massage onto your face and neck for at least sixty seconds. (Concentrate most on your nose, chin, or other clog-prone spots.) Leave on for another minute (if you're too 'type A' to wait, fill the time by flossing) then rub it all off with a warm, wet muslin cloth.

What I say...

It does exactly what it promises!

The products comes out of it fantastically retro silver tube in the form of a luxuriously thick cream.  I put a pea sized amount on my chin, cheeks, nose and forehead and massage in before rubbing a generous amount into my eyes to get rid of all that shadow, liner and mascara.  Will you look like a panda?  Yes.  Will it sting?  Not a bit - and I have really sensitive eyes.

I leave it for a minute or so to then wipe it all off with the muslin cloth included.  I think this is what makes your skin feel so soft as you are technically exfoliating your face at the same time.  Also, as you rub it into your eyelashes you can get every scrap off mascara off.

I then splash my face with some water and voila!  My skin is left feeling squeaky clean and gorgeously soft.  I can honestly say my skin has never felt so soft or looked so good in a long time.  I've also had no breakouts at all since I purchased it...touch wood!

RRP £8.99 at Boots

Has anyone else tried this?  How does it compare to Liz Earle's version??

xx

Next up .... No Clogs Allowed Deep Pore Detox Mask