Beauty SOS! (August)

- Just a random Instagram of me from last week - I feel like I haven't shown my face on here for a while and I think it's sometimes nice to put a face to the name behind the blog! - 

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the Olympics! I know I am, which is saying a lot considering my lack of enthusiasm in the lead up to the games. I think it had just been so long since the last one that I had forgotten about the adrenaline of it all, and it's actually proved to be a source of much 'friendly banter' between the hubby and I, who, if you didn't know, is Brazilian. When I say friendly banter, I mean we have been winding each other up something rotten. I got a bit too big for my boots and came over all smug during the GB/Brazil basketball game on Tuesday as it genuinely seemed like we were going to win, and he is always going on about how much better Brazil are at all sports than we are. Imagine my surprise, then, when Brazil made a comeback and managed to pip us to the post in the last quarter. Cue much word-eating for me. However, this was soon rectified when our women's football team panned theirs, although hubby naturally had to put a dampener on it by saying that it 'didn't count because no one cares about women's football', or something equally helpful. Just to clarify though, he is not a horrible person - he just knows exactly what to say to get a reaction out of me, and I always fall for it! Haha.

ANYWAY.

Today is the second instalment of 'Beauty SOS'. If you missed last month's then it's basically a series of posts I am running, where at the beginning of each month, I ask you lovely people for a spot of advice on whatever is troubling me beauty-wise that month., in that I ask for your recommendations of products and tips. I will then share the solutions and tips I have been helpfully given (or have since discovered myself) the following month so that we can all feel smug that we know the answer. For more info, feel free to pop over and have a look at the first Beauty SOS post here.

So, a quick recap of last month's 'issues'. I asked for your wisdom on:

1. Dark circles under the eyes

The lovely Alex over at The Wallflower suggested I try ginseng, although she didn't specify how to use it. Well, I have been taking a multi-vitamin with Panax and Ginseng, and using eye cream religiously, morning and evening, and I have noticed some small improvements. I'm still on the lookout for something else to help with this problem though, so do let me know if you've got any secrets!

2. A good matte bronzer

Lots of you recommended Benefit Hoola and Bourjois Delice de Poudre, so I decided to get myself a Hoola sample in order to try before I buy. Surpisingly, I didn't find this powder to be particularly flattering on my skin tone, which is odd given what a cult product it has become. Weirder still is that Dallas, an unusual sort of plummy-brown shade of powder (also Benefit) which I had previously seen and said I would never buy, has turned out to be a huge winner for me! As I mentioned in my July Favourites post, it's perfect for contouring and looks great alongside the Coralista blush. Some other suggestions were Bare Minerals the Warmth, Bobbi Brown and Nars Laguna, which has LONG been on my wishlist. I WILL get it, eventually!

3. Neutral matte eyeshadows

I have received suggestions of Too Faced Matte Colours Collection and Stila Into the Light for this one, but due to the expensive car troubles I've had this month (which I've already mentioned a million times!) eyeshadows haven't really been my priority when it comes to money. Both have been popped on my shopping list though, so again, I will let you know when I have had a chance to check them out, along with Natural Collection eyeshadows and the MUA Heaven and Earth palette.

4. Blocked pores on my nose.

Alice, one of my lovely readers, suggested that I try Montagne Jeunesse Charcoal Pore Strips, but unfortunately I haven't been able to find them anywhere near me. Alex recommended that I try a homemade baking soda and orange juice scrub, which I had completely forgotten about until now, so I will endeavour to try that out and let you know my thoughts. What I have been doing at home though, is  paying more attention to the area when exfoliating, and use my Caudalie Beauty Elixir after cleansing, and this does seem to have helped a bit. Benefit's The Porefessional also goes onto the area before my foundation, and while it doesn't solve the root of the problem, it does help with the appearance.

Please do head over to the first Beauty SOS post (linked above) and have a read through all the helpful comments my wonderful readers have left. If you are troubled with any of the above then you may well find yourself a solution, although I have tried to summarise all that was mentioned here.

So, onto this month's beauty emergencies!

1. A good clay face mask.

I've noticed that my T-zone has started to become a little oily of late, particularly my forehead, and I seem to have been getting a few more blemishes too :( So I would like a good clay-based face mask that is worth the money it costs.

2. A moisturising face mask.

I'm after a really luxurious one that doesn't cost the earth and will really quench my skin's thirst.

3. Something to banish dry lips once and for all!

Self explanatory really. If you know of any innovative new products then please do let me know in the comments below.

4. An amazing deep conditionng hair mask.

One that truly does the job and doesn't just 'coat' the hair to create the illusion.

That's it for this month, please share your wisdom if you feel that you have some on any of these topics, and if there is anything I could help you with in return then please feel free to ask!

Our car is finally, FINALLY fixed, so we are going on a little impromptu day out today, although we are not sure where yet. It's lovely and sunny, so I'll be sure to take lots of photos to share with you later.
Glad to see that we have won a couple of gold Olympic medals since I first wrote this post! Let's hope there are more to come today.

Hope you're having a lovely day!

xx

Weekend Wishlist

 

Petite Collared Playsuit, £48,Topshop
Cream Blush in Deep Throat, Nars
Rose De Rose by Terry, £40, Space NK
Studded Bag, £59.99, Zara
Petites Studded Printed Shirt, £38, Miss Selfridge
Stila Convertible Colour, £16, Space NK
Leopard Print Shirt, £35, Miss Selfridge
Topshop Nails in Twilight Tease, £6, Topshop
Topshop Nails in Queen of Green, £6, Topshop
Jordan Studded Shoe-boots, £60, Topshop
Studded Pumps, £28, Miss Selfridge
Studded Shorts, £32, Rare @Topshop

As you can see, I most definitely haven't got bored of studs since last week, and yet again, they are well and truly dominating my Wishlist! These have turned out to be a huge trend this summer and are set to continue into the Autumn, which frankly, is fine by me. They can continue forever if they want.
I've also gone a bit blush-mad this week, with Nars Deep Throat, Stila Convertible Colour and Rose De Rose by Terry all making an appearance. The Stila one is actually designed for both cheeks and lips, while Rose De Rose is a liquid blush which has a buildable satin finish. It's sheer, and can be used all over the face in spite of the colour it looks in the bottle. Actually, the one I want is called Amber Rose, which is a peachy-bronze nude, but I could only get an image of this pink shade, which is called Fresh Rose.
Yet again, Miss Selfridge have got some gorgeous printed blouses in and I was pleased to see that they had my favourite one in Petite.

I haven't been up to much this weekend so far. My other half's family might be coming for lunch tomorrow, and we really want to have a barbecue in the garden, but really, I can't see the weather cooperating! My spending ban has gone really well this week and I haven't bought anything I don't need, but I am worried that the money I have been squirreling away instead of going shopping is now going to have to be spent on fixing the car! I really hope not. Will have to wait and see what happens on Monday when we take it to be looked at.

What's on your wishlist this week?
Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!
xx

Weekend Wishlist

Hello!

Hope everyone is having a nice relaxing weekend so far, whether that means letting your hair down and partying it up, or having a cosy night in with your favourite people!

This week has just absolutely flown by again. I know I do tend to wish the working week away, but when it does end I am always surprised that a week I thought was dragging by has suddenly come to an end.

I've been really busy with lots of paperwork to get sorted, but I did. of course, manage to squeeze in some shopping time, so I will be putting together a mini-haul post for you very soon. I say mini-haul because it really is going to be very little - I bought a foundation and a lipstick, and then I've got two pairs of shorts which arrived from Ebay, and a lovely bag, courtesy of my lovely other half!

But anyway, it's not haul time just yet.

I've found myself lusting after SO many things recently, and I just can't have it all. So for this week's Weekend Favourites, I sat down and asked myself which of the things I really need in my life. I say need, but what I really mean is, which of the products, items of clothing and accessories could I really just not stop thinking about. I often have moments of being desperate to purchase something the instant I see it online (although I generally refrain from doing so), but if I'm really honest with myself, I've usually forgotten all about them a few days later. But some things really aren't just passing fancies, and I still find myself longing for them weeks later.

So, without further ado, here are the goodies that made it onto that list.

I need them in my life!

1. Studded Collar Shirt, Zara

I keep seeing this and so I can't forget it! Originally, I tried to put it to the back of my mind, because the price is not something I'm particularly willing to pay. But it keeps popping back into my mind! I'm a little bit obsessed with anything studded at the moment, so I think I'm going to have a little look on Ebay and see what I can dig up!

2. Benefit Hervana Blush

G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S.

That's all I have to say about that.

3. Stila 'In The Light' Eyeshadow Palette

I really love the look of this, and I'm really excited to hear that it contains four matte shades as well as the shimmer shades, unlike the Urban Decay Naked palettes. I do love those, but I missed having matte shades for a lower-key day time look.

For those of you who don't know, this is a neutrals palette (as are the Urban Decay Naked palettes) with lots of gorgeous, wearable every-day shades. They're super pigmented too, which is always a major bonus. The Stila set comes with a Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in shade Damsel, which is a matte chocolate brown, and I have heard amazing things about these, too.

4. Studded Cropped Tee, Red Rock

This is my favourite of everything on this list. I have only recently discovered Red Rock and I am absolutely loving their vintage and handmade clothing and accessories, which are all created in the UK.

This top is a pretty pastel pink, toughened up with gold studs and is perfect for wearing with high-waisted shorts, a staple in my wardrobe. I seriously do have to have this one.

5. Bleached Crochet Shorts, Topshop

Bleached denim. Crochet. What's not to love? These are really relaxed and summery, and will go with everything. All that's needed now is some sun!

6. Studded Collar, Topshop

As I mentioned before, I am a little bit in love with studs, and the same also goes for pointy collars. The fact that this is made from leather too seals the deal. Plus it's black, so it'll go with everything.

7. Mac Lipstick in Hue

There are lots more exciting shades than this one, and I am always drawn to bright shades. But I have been meaning to pick up Hue for a while now, as it's one of those nudey-pink shades that suits absolutely everyone, and is needed by absolutely everyone. I have somewhat neglected my collection of nudes, and now I'm finding myself drawn to them on those days where I just want a relaxed, natural look.

8. Caudalie Organic Grape Water

This stuff sounds amazing! I've been hearing so much about Caudalie on the blogging circuit of late, but I came across this delicious-sounding spray on their website and am now eager to give it a try.

Here's what Caudalie says about it: 

100% organic Grape Water: extracted straight from the grapes during the grape harvest, this mist refreshes, tones and moisturizes the skin at any time of the day. For all skin types, even the most sensitive, Organic Grape Water refreshes whenever you need it.

                                                 Doesn't that just sound amazing?

9. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation

Again, something I've been hearing loads about of late, mainly from other bloggers. There seems to be something of a craze surrounding it, and given that it's a low-budget high street/drugstore brand like Rimmel, I'm intrigued. I have been using higher-end brands such as Clinique and Mac for foundation for years, as I generally find them to be, out of all cosmetics, the one product that it's really worth spending that bit more on. You usually do get what you pay for, and after dabbling in brands like Rimmel Maybelline and Bourjois in the past, I was even more convinced of this (although for the record, I do really enjoy other products from such brands).

However, recently, such brands really seem to have upped their game, and there are now a selection of high street foundations I am interested in giving a go after hearing rave reviews on them. Rimmel Wake Me Up definitely tops this list, as I always wake up looking really tired, and could do with all the extra help I can get in that department! It's also really affordable, so I'm planning on picking it up asap.

I'll leave it there, and give you a little update on my week in a separate post. Hope you enjoyed reading about my current lust-haves!

What's on your wishlist this week?

xx

Little Catch-Up

I'm officially back and ready to blog!

Those of you who have read my previous post will know what happened, so I won't bore you with the details again! Although I will say that, despite all the time my laptop spent in 'hospital', it is still not fixed properly, and I am not impressed! My wireless is also still being a royal pain. It says I am connected and have perfect signal, but it also says that I have no internet access...!? I do not understand. So anyway, those two things put together mean that whilst I do indeed have internet access again, I am only able to use it if I plug in the ethernet cable and constantly wiggle it around in its socket in order to maintain the connection. Ideal.

While we're on the subject of technical troubles, can I also just have a quick rage about the fact that a) I couldn't use my new tablet thanks to lack of WiFi, so I returned it in favour of getting b) a new phone, which will neither connect to WiFi nor access the normal type of internet you get on your phone from your provider (I'm so tech savvy, can you tell by my description!?)

Anyway, that's it as far as ranting goes, just had to get that off my chest!

On a more positive note, the highlight of my week has been winning my first giveaway! Thanks to the lovely Natasha at Clouds and Cuticle Oil, (go and have a read when you've finished here!) I am soon to be the lucky recipient of an amazing sample set of The Hollywood Collection (skincare) by  Erno Laszlo, an MUA eyeshadow in shade 24, and a Stila Lip Glaze in Kitten! These are all new products for me, so I'm really looking forward to trying them out and writing some reviews for you. Thanks, Natasha! 

So that was a nice way to start my week, and here's hoping my lucky streak (let's pretend the technology probs don't exist!) continues and I end it with a lottery win! Ha, well we can all dream, can't we?

In beauty news, I have just ordered myself some samples of some gorgeous Benefit bronzers and blushers, and I can't wait for them to arrive! I have basically been wanting pretty much all of them for a while now, so as I was struggling to choose, I thought this might be the best way to go about it. Sadly, I wasn't able to get my hands on the Hervana blush, but I did get Coralista and Posie Tint, as well as the Hoola and Dallas bronzers.

I have also successfully managed to ombre my nails this week, NOTD post up about that tomorrow :-)

Hope everyone is having as pleasant a work week as possible so far! If you are off on holiday or just have some free time to relax then lucky you! I am so looking forward to making myself a cuppa now and settling down to catch up on all the blog posts of yours that I have missed!

xx