Friday Finds

Hello Treacles. I'm sorry to be bringing you this week's Friday Finds on a Saturday, but we have been away visiting the hubby's parents for a couple of days. I had prepared all my blog posts in advance, ready to upload, knowing that I wouldn't have a chance to sit down and write one while we were there, but as it happened, we ended up staying an extra day. Cue, my careful planning being scuppered. But these things happen!

Feast your eyes on these little beauts from Shabby Chic Originals . This is a gorgeous little site, full of cute little vintage treats for the home, and something I came across purely by chance while looking for some pretty bits and bobs to add some character to my new house.

Garden Mirror, £40

Decorative Hanging Heart, £6.

Birdcage Lamp Shade, £13.99

Egg House, £16.

Three-tier Regency Cake Stand, £13.99

Set of three stacking tins, £10.50

Regency Sugar Bowl, £8.50

Two Drawer Botanical Chest, £15.99

Floral Party Bunting, £10.

Well. after looking at this little lot all over again, I know where I would like to be kitting out my house. I actually think that Shabby Chic Originals ' prices are really reasonable, and while you could probably find yourself some similar goodies by rooting through a few charity shops, this little site will save you the time. It will also save you plenty of pennies if you are someone who doesn't have the patience for thrifting, as you are going to pay a lot less here than some other places I could mention.

My absolute favourite of the bunch just has to be the little egg house! What a cute idea. It's basically a little wooden chicken house, but instead, you pop your eggies inside until you fancy scrambling/poaching/frying them up for brekkie, which in my case, is often on a lazy sunday morning :)

Hope everyone is making the most of the weekend so far! Don't forget to check out Shabby Chic Originals' website by clicking on the links above if you have enjoyed my little selection here. It's always fun to have a little browse!

xx

July Agenda

- My beautiful home town -

At the end of last month, I set myself a few little goals and tasks to reach and complete, but I only allowed myself a week to do it. Being the busiest week of the year for me at work, this was probably a little bit foolish, and unsurprisingly, I didn't get very far towards achieving what I had hoped to!
So this time, I'm giving myself the whole month, which means I have absolutely no excuses for falling short, especially as I now have a couple of weeks off work with nothing much planned!

So what do I have planned for myself this month?

1. Learn to do a fishtail plait/braid.
It's just a small goal, but it's something I have been wanting to do for ages now and for some reason I never seem to find the time to figure out how to do it. Well, go me, I'm one step ahead on this one and have already successfully taught myself how!I did it about five minutes ago, but I don't see this as cheating, because I was already intending to include this little challenge on my list. It just so happened that I had a moment of motivation before sitting down to write this post, so I am off to a great start...start as you mean to go on, and all that!

2. Bake Macaroons and Slutty Brownies.
Baking was on last month's agenda, but alas, it wasn't to be. My oven is absolutely rubbish, as I mentioned before, and it takes all day to cook anything! But as I've got some free time, this shouldn't be an issue. I love baking, and it's not something new for me, but I haven't had the time to do it in an absolute age.

        

      - Not really relevant...but on the subject of baking/ food, here's the delicious dessert I had last week! -

3. Save my pennies.
This is an absolute must for this month, as I've got a lot of things coming up that are going to require funding! June was a complete nightmare for spending, and I really don't feel like I've got anything much to show for it, so throughout July, I shall endeavour to keep my disobedient little hands away from Ebay and my Paypal account, which seem to have been the biggest hindrances to my saving of late!

4. Get away.
Ok, so this is a complete and utter contradiction to number three, but given that I have time off work, and that the hubby and I haven't been anywhere nice together in ages, I'm going to make an exception and figure this into the old budget. It won't be anything too fancy, but a day and a night away is going to be just what we need to recharge after all that's been happening over the past few months.

5. Blog every day.
This is a general goal of mine anyway, and not something I see as a chore. I usually do manage to post on most days, but during July, I'm going to make the most of my free time and post more, and hopefully I'll have the chance to get lots of nice photos and put together some things I haven't had the time to do yet. I want to branch out a bit.

6. Do something crafty.
I don't know what yet. But something. I love being creative, and I've been really fidgety and restless recently because I really want to do something! If anyone has got any relatively simple craft ideas then please do let me know in the comments. Again, this was something I wanted to do last month, but didn't have the time!

And that's my lot! I am giving myself until 31st July to complete these,

Do you have any little goals or plans for the month?

xx

June Empties

Not many empties for you this month, and as you can see, most of the ones I do have are Liz Earle!

Liz Earle Energising Body Wash

At £11.50, this body wash is not something I would usually go for, as I don't like to spend too much on shower gels. I just think that they get used up so quickly that it can become an expensive habit, and there are lots of lower-end ones that smell delicious! However, last time I ordered my Liz Earle skincare from the site, I was kindly sent this as a free gift, and I must admit, I really like it. The naturally active ingredients are Damask Rose flower water, sweet orange oil, pure essential oils and Vitamin E, which made me think that it would smell really sweet and fruity (which would have been fine for me - I love fruity shower products!) but actually, it's got quite a strong, almost menthol scent to it, which is really rather invigorating first thing in the morning. It really does wake you up, which is something I think we could all do with a bit of help with most days!

Would I repurchase? Yes, probably, though I wouldn't go to the site specifically for this product. I might be inclined to slip it into my basket next time I pop on to replenish my skincare products, though.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

You all now how much I love this, and you can read my review of Liz Earle skincare in  this post. Cleanse and Polish is my holy grail cleanser and I am extremely upset to have run out before having had the chance to purchase a new one!

Would I repurchase? Absolutely, time and time again.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser

Again, I have already reviewed this in the post linked above, so I won't bore you by rehashing all the details about why I love it. It's not exactly big news any more, as it's constantly featuring on other blogs.

But yes, again, I would - and will - repurchase.

Palm Olive Naturals Hydrating Shower Cream

I actually picked this one up in Brazil, so I'm not sure of the exact name of the 'scent' in the UK, but on the bottle, it is fruit and yoghurt. This is literally like washing yourself with strawberries and cream. It smells gorgeous, and is an all time favourite. I love Palm Olive shower gels and creams in general, so it came as no surprise.

Would I repurchase? Definitely.

L'oreal Glam Bronze Duo Sun Powder in Blonde Harmony.

This is actually the best bronzer I have tried in a long time. The compact contains two shades, split down the middle, so that you can blend the perfect colour for your skin tone. It has a matte finish, so it's greate for contouring as well as just for giving a nice, all-over glow without looking like a disco ball. Actually, I must confess that I didn't exactly finish this one by choice - I dropped it on the floor and smashed it! I know, clumsy, clumsy me. It was only a few days after I did the same thing to my Mac Studio Fix, too. It clearly wasn't my week.

But anyway, I scrabbled around and collected all of the remnants I possibly could, and they were soon used up.

Would I repurchase? Yes!

So as you can see, I quite enjoyed all of this month's empties, though there are, of course, plenty more products I have been using, some of which I have not felt so positively about. I haven't finished them yet, but as soon as I do, you will be the first to know my thought!

Sorry about the rubbish photo, and lack thereof - it's been so grey and overcast here for the last couple of days, and my camera just wasn't feeling it. I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on a better one, which is in no way broken! And while we're on the subject, a tripod too. I really want to do some outfit posts, but this is currently proving impossible! Oh well, I will get there eventually!
(Please also excuse the broken Skin Repair Moisturiser lid in the picture - yet ANOTHER thing I dropped on the floor!! I'm a nightmare.)

Hope everyone has had a marvellous week so far!

Mac Matchmaster SPF15: Review

Some of you might be aware that a few weeks ago, I knocked my Mac Studio Fix foundation on the floor, and it smashed into a zillion tiny pieces. At the time, I was devastated, as there was quite a lot of it let, and I do not particularly enjoy having thrown £20 or so down the drain. But I soon came to see it as something of a blessing in disguise, as it gave me a good excuse to try out a new foundation! I did really like my Studio Fix, but truth be told, it was a shade too dark for my skin, and I had been having to mix it with my other Mac foundation, a Mineralise Satin Finish which, ironically, is a shade too light. Now, before you go shouting/ laughing at me for being absolutely rubbish at matching myself up with the right shade, I would like to point out that on both occasions, I was, in fact, advised by someone on the Mac counter. But I won't blame them - the lighting in department stores is not the most 'truthul', and the same goes for duty free shops in airports.

So anyway, I decided that it was time I gave Mac's Matchmaster foundation the time of day, since I clearly can't come up with the right shade by any other means!

Actually, I even had a little mini-problem when choosing the shade of this one, as for some reason, Mac has abandoned it's usual NC/NW shades in favour of numbers alone, ranging from 1.0 up to 10.0, including '.5' shades, so as I was buying online, I was left to seek out a reliable translation chart. I probably should have been more thorough on this, as I initially discovered that my NW25 skin would be about a 2.0, and promptly ordered it. However, after further research, I found out that actually, I would have been better off with a 3.0. But all was well that ended well, as when my 2.0 arrived, it matched my skin tone perfectly, and I mean perfectly.

Mac describes Matchmaster (which is SPF 15) in the following words:

New foundation technology, using translucent pigments to enable a fully personalised finish, influenced by the subtleties of your own skin's undertone. 

Moisturising demi-matte finish. Medium buildable coverage. Line-reducing, soft-focus powders.

The Matchmaster foundation comes in a 35ml bottle (5ml bigger than the usual foundation bottles) and, thankfully, comes with a pump.

Upon first application, I must admit that I was pretty impressed with the colour match, and how well it seemed to sink into my skin (which is apparent in the swatches below), leaving me with what I would call a pretty matte finish. The finish itself is not something I usually go for, as I prefer foundations that give a nice dewy, glowy finish. I never set my foundation with powder, as I don't like the effect, so I can't really say how long it lasts for those of you that do. I would say that without powder, it lasts about six hours, but it does wear a bit during that time.

Something I'm not keen on is the fact that this product does tend to cling to dry patches. In fact, I wasn't even aware I had any until I used this foundation. But after a good exfoliation, this problem was alleviated, though I wouldn't recommend it to those of you who have dry skin in general.

   Summary:

- Good colour match

- More matte than I would have liked, but not a problem if that's the finish you are after!

- Clings to dry patches - be sure to exfoliate!

- Not recommended for people with extremely dry skin.

- Not hugely buildable. Not for those of you who like a fuller coverage.

- Good, but not amazing.

Have you tried this foundation? What did you think?

What's your favourite Mac foundation?

xx

Beauty SOS!

Why hello, and welcome to the first ever Beauty SOS post! This is the first in a series of posts which will go up on roughly the first Monday of each month from now on, and is a chance for me to call upon your great wealth of beauty knowledge in order to further my own beauty collection in an educated, informed fashion. It's also a chance for you all to do the same, and will hopefully become a little space each month for us to share our biggest and best beauty secrets.

Let me explain.

I am constantly on the look-out for fantastic new beauty products, and while I have tried and tested a great many in my time, there is always something or other that is missing from my collection. Whether that's because I haven't ever bought them, or I've bought the wrong one, didn't get on with a product for some reason or can't get hold of it any more, it all comes down to the same thing, and that is that there are some great big gaps in my collection that need to be filled. So, I thought, what better way to have my requirements met than to ask you lovely ladies for your words of wisdom. I can't think of anyone else more qualified to give them! Therefore, each month, I'll be asking for your recommendations on the specific types of products I'm after, and requesting your tips on various beauty related topics - as well as offering to do the same for you in return.

So, without further ado, here is the first installment!

1. DARK CIRCLES UNDER THE EYES.
 Help!!! I have recently, out of nowhere, started getting really dark circles under my eyes, and no matter what lengths I go to, nothing seems to have the strength to send them back to wherever they came from. I've tried various under-eye creams to treat the problem, as well as industrial-strength concealers such as my beloved Benefit Erase Paste in Shade 02 (which I had always thought was the best out there until now), and all to no avail. So if anyone thinks they know of something that could help with this, whether it be a treatment or a cover-up, or even a makeup strategy, then please, I beg of you, leave me the deets in the comments box below!

2. MATTE BRONZER
I'm on the look-out for a new matte bronzer, having smashed my lovely L'oreal Glam Bronze to smithereens on the bathroom floor. I loved it, and while I could buy a new one, I think it's time to take the opportunity to try something new. I don't want any shimmer, and it has to be a shade I can contour with, too - unless you happen to know of two amazing but separate products, which would also be of great assistance.

3. NEUTRAL MATTE EYESHADOWS
I adore my Urban Decay Naked palette, but it just doesn't have any matte shades, and I am finding myself , more and more recently, wanting to save my pretty shimmery shades for special occasions and nights out, and go for something a little bit more natural looking during the day. It's mainly because if I use the glitzy ones on a more regular basis then I feel that I look just the same when I want to get all dressed up and create a look that stands out.

4. BLOCKED PORES (NOSE).
This is one that has been the bane of my life for many years now. No matter what I do to try and rid myself of them, they are always back to how they were within an hour or two. They are not horribly noticeable or anything,  but it still really annoys me, as my nose feels slightly bumpy to touch, and when I apply my foundation, it tends to cling and emphasise them even more. I just hate them, basically.

So there you have it, the four things I ask of you for the month of July! Please do leave me a comment below if you can recommend any of the products I'm after, or have any related tips! I'd really appreciate your participation.
Also, please feel free to leave me your own requests, and I will do my best to help you with them and give you some suggestions.

Weekend Wishlist

1. Studded Crown Tank, £20, Topshop
2. Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, £27, House of Fraser
3. Black Studded Skater Dress, £49, Miss Selfridge
4. Mint Studded Shirt, £39, Miss Selfridge
5. Soap and Glory 'The Fab Pore' Facial Peel, £8, Boots
6. Coral Platform Bow Heels, £48, Miss Selfridge
7. Monochrome Bag, £25, Topshop
8. Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask, £19, Boots

Has anyone noticed a slight theme in this week's Weekend Wishlist? Yes, that's right. Studs. I'm obsessed.
I literally just can't get enough of studded clothing at the moment. I've been eyeing up the infamous Zara studded collar blouse for an absolute age now, though I still haven't been able to bring myself to pay the extortionate prices it is being sold for on Ebay. I've also fallen in love with all the studded denim shorts that are flying around at the moment, and I think they are a brilliant summer investment, as they go with everything and are pretty timeless. And as an added bonus, they can be paired with tights and boots in Winter, so they definitely earn their keep.

This week, I've discovered a whole plethora of studded treats, courtesy of the high street. My favourite, by far, of all my picks is undoubtedly the mint green studded blouse. Not only does it have studs, but it is my absolute favourite colour of the moment. Of all the pastel shades I have been enjoying this summer, mint definitely takes the cake, and I've been wearing it on my nails, and in the form of a cropped tie-up shirt from New Look and a lovely Primark blazer.

The studded crown tank top is really versatile and will go with absolutely anything, plus I think it's a timely nod to this year's Diamond Jubilee and our beloved Queenie. Ok, so it's been and gone, but I'm still in love with the best-of-British theme and am still happily munching my way through cream teas at every available opportunity. Given the chance, I'd have the bunting back up in the garden and be sipping Pimms and pots of tea with my friends in the illusive sunshine in a jiffy (Did I just say jiffy!?)
The black skater dress is just a classic piece and can be dressed up or down, worn day or night, and come rain or shine. It'd be rude not to, really.

You'll notice that I've included two face masks on this week's list, and that, quite frankly, is because I love them. It has become my Friday night ritual to have a nice hot shower and then curl up with a cup of tea and a face mask to catch up on my favourite blogs, and I am always on the hunt for a new one to try. Actually, those I have tried of late have been somewhat lacking (more on those coming soon) and I really want something nice and thick that I can slather on for a good, intensely moisturising feast for my little face, and then remove to reveal baby-soft, ridiculously hydrated skin. From the reviews I have read of these gems, I am in for a treat.

And last but by no means least, the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser.
Now, Nars as a brand, is pretty impressive, with their Orgasm blush and Laguna bronzer both becoming cult , Holy Grail Products to the masses, and that, in my eyes, is no mean feat. If Nars has the ability to pretty much conquer the beauty world, then who am I to stand in the way? I have been loving tinted moisturisers for the summer months, and have been pleasantly surprised by how nice my skin actually does look when wearing them. In the past, I had been disappointed, as it was obviously a point in my life where a little bit more coverage was required, but these days I can't get enough of Liz Earle Sheer Skin Tint and Estee Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup. As predicted, I have heard rave reviews of this one, and am definitely looking to add it to my collection.

So, those are my picks for the week. I hope you found them interesting or inspiring!
What is on your lust list at the moment?


xx

Mac: Heavenly Creatures Collection

Mac's beautiful out-of-this-world  Heavenly Creatures Collection, inspired by outer space, hits the shops this month, and having seen these stunning promotional pictures, I have to admit I'm really excited about it.  Why not explore a galaxy far, far away with stunning Mineralise Skinfinishes and eyeshadows, and let the marbled blushes and bronzers take you on a tour of the solar system? Sounds good to me.

Mac says: Discover a whole new, gorgeous galaxy of supernova shades. On the surface they look marbleized, but on the skin they blend for stunning celestial effects. The M·A·C Heavenly Creature colour collection features 4 Mineralize Skinfinishes and 4 Mineralize Blushes, orbited by 5 Lipsticks and 5 Cremesheen Glass.

Mineralise Skinfinish

• Earthshine: Tarnished bronze with gold pearl and pink reflects
• Star Wonder: Plummy-pink with multi-dimensional pearl
• Light Year: Pinky-peach with gold shimmer
• Centre Of The Universe: Coral with gold shimmer.

Mineralize Blush

• Stratus: Amethyst and gold brown melange (frost)
• Solar Ray: Peach and gold melange (frost)
• Ring of Saturn: Terracotta and gold melange (frost)
• Supernova: Magenta and burnished gold melange (frost)

Mineralise Eyeshadow

• Aurora: Peach, green, brown melange
• Bright Moon: Grey, silver, icy-green melange
• Earthly: Beige, peach, cool brown melange
• Invincible Light: Icy white, lavender, warm gold melange
• Magnetic Attraction: Orange, pink, gold melange
• Neo Nebula: Cream, warm amethyst, warm pink melange
• Sky: green-gold, turquoise, cobalt melange
• Universal Appeal: Gold, bronze, violet melange
• Water: Yellow, lime green, blue melange

Skincare

• Mineralize Charged Water Cleanser
• Mineralize Volcanic Ash Exfoliator
• Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Gel
• Mineralize Charged Water Moisture Eye Cream

Lipsticks

• Pleasure-seeker: Creamy peach (Glaze)
• Venus: Sheer yellow pink with pearlised pigments (Lustre)
• Cusp of Dawn: Beige Pink (Lustre)
• Cut A Caper: Mid-tone peach pink (Lustre)
• Fire Sign: Red pink (Lustre)

Cremesheen Glass

• Astral: Bright yellow pink
• Celestial Kiss: Pale cool peach
• Galaxy Rose: Mid-tone violet pink
• Meteoric: Mid-tone vibrant coral
• Strictly Plutonic: Mid-tone pink brown

Personally, I'm pretty blown away by the gorgeous selection of marbleized eyeshadows. I'm not usually one for purchasing individual eyeshadows, as I find that I am too indecisive and am constantly changing my mind about what shades I want to wear, plus I like to have palettes of complementary shades as I just find it a lot more practical when it comes to application. But I'm definitely willing to make an exception for these little beauties, particularly Earthly, Invincible Light and Magnetic Attraction.

But what has really drawn me into this collection is undoubtedly the beautiful selection of blushes and skinfinishes. While I have found myself wearing eyeshadow less and less over the past few years, mostly saving it for nights out and special occasions,  blushes and bronzers are way up there on my most used makeuo products, and I just can't seem to get enough of them. Mac has become a particular favourite of mine for these, and I would happily snap up every last one of their skinfinishes, including these four gorgeous offerings. In terms of the blushes, they all look hugely appealing, but due to the marble-effect, I'm unsure which of these would be up my street as I'd need to swatch them to be able to decide. Luckily, I won't have to wait long to do so, so I will certainly keep you updated on which of these treasures come home with me!

I must admit, I'm not hugely excited by the lipsticks or glosses. I'm a huge fan of Mac lipsticks, but nothing about this little lot particularly jumps out at me, and none of the shades seem to be anything hugely different from those available in the main range.

I'm quite intrigued by the skincare range though, as I have never tried anythng of that sort from Mac. I don't think I'll be purchasing any at the moment, however, as I have just ordered some Caudalie products to try out, as well as still having my trusty Liz Earle favourites, which I use every day.

Does anything catch your eye from this collection? If so, which pieces do you think will end up sneaking their way into  your shopping bag when you're not looking?

Hope everyone has enjoyed their Saturday!

xx