Weekend Wishlist

London Pop-up book, £5, Topshop/ Printed Headband, £10, River Island/ Caudalie Divine Oil, £25 (100ml), Caudalie/ Nars American Dream Palette, $55, Nars/ Tiger Beret, £10, Topshop/ Studded Bralet, £26, Miss Selfridge/ Cake Cases, £1.99 for 54, Hobby Craft/ Tribal Shorts, £32, Miss Selfridge/ Ram Head Studs, £5, Topshop/ Origins Spot Remover Blemish  Treatment Pads, £24, Boots/ Leopard Skater Skirt, £18, River Island/ Chain Peplum Top, £39, Rare at Topshop

Hi lovelies, hope you've all been having a great weekend so far and making the most of the sunshine. Apparently, it's going to last throughout the remainder of August, so hopefully that means finally getting some wear out of all the gorgeous Summer pieces we have been stockpiling since Easter!

I must admit, for once in my life, I felt a little bit uninspired by the 'New in' sections this week. I'm not sure whether it's because all my favourite clothing and accessories stores are a bit 'in limbo' at the moment, with a mixture of Summer's leftovers and new Autumn/Winter bits, but I think that must be it. Understandably, after the lack of sunny weather so far this year, I'm not really ready to start thinking about my Winter wardrobe yet. However, aside from clothes, there are certainly a few other random bits I'd be more than happy to get my mitts on, whatever the weather.

Origins Spot Remover Blemish Pads are not something I would have needed to consider purchasing until recently. Even as a teenager, I had perpetually good skin, and luckily for me, outbreaks have always been rare. However, more recently, my skin has been starting to play up a bit. I think this is probably down to my recent experimentation with skincare, and I now need to let my skin settle down into a routine, but while I am doing that I would very much like to try out these pads. Origins always come up trumps with their skincare, and I have heard good things about these, such as that they are gentle and do not strip the skin as many blemish-fighting products can do. They are, however, a bit on the pricey side at £24.

I've also got my eye on the Caudalie Divine Beauty Oil, which may sound odd given that I was just talking about my forehead being a bit oily, but I have again heard fantastic things about this and am keen to give it a try. It's a multi-use oil, so it can be used on the body and hair, as well as the face.

I'm still feeling a bit patriotic after the Queen's Jubilee and the Olympic Games, so I fell in love with the idea of the pop-up London book from Topshop. Granted, I am not a tourist, but I really like the idea of having a pop-up London landscape at my fingertips. Plus, I love books and like to collect quirky and unique ones from time to time.

I have been promising myself I'd find the time to bake for ages now, and I finally did  last night, when I made some scrummy banana bread. The hubby was more than impressed, and it has inspired me to get back into baking on a more regular basis (not TOO regular though, ashaving cake around all the time can only end in tears!). Next up, I'm planning to make some beautiful cupcakes in a selection of flavours. I'm thinking cookies and cream, caramelised apple and cinnamon, and peaches and cream, but if you've got any other suggestions then I would absolutelylove to hear about them in the comments box below! :) Anyway, the plan is to get a few of these pretty cake cases and a cake stand and to hold a little afternoon tea party, because let's face it, who doesn't love those?

The Nars American Dream Eyeshadow palette also caught my eye this month. Do I need to explain why? I don't think so, but let's just say that it's pretty, and it's Nars. As much as I love my beauty products and makeup, the one thing that I just can't seem to get the hang of is creating pretty looks with eyeshadow, and it really annoys me, so I'm hoping to be inspired to try again. Sadly, this is not yet available in the UK, but click on the link and you can buy it from the U.S. site.

I won't go on about the clothes, as I think they are pretty self explanatory. I just like them. Bralets, peplum tops, animal jewellery and Aztec print have all featured heavily across my Wishlists in recent weeks, and these are just the latest creations I have been admiring.

Are you ready to start stocking up on winter warmers, or are you still stubbornly holding out for more sunshine?

What's on your wishlist this week?

xx

Desire of the Day #6: Laura Mercier Deep Cleansing Clay Mask

Have you noticed that I have become a little bit obsessed with facemasks lately? Well, I have. I have been going a bit mad of a weekend, throwing together DIY mixtures and slathering them onto my face, and all to no avail. I think what I really need it this Deep Cleansing Clay Mask, by Laura Mercier, as I always find clay masks to be a lovely treat when my skin is really in need of some extra care and attention. As I have mentioned, my t-zone seems to be a little bit oily at the moment, which is unusual for me, and my forehead is not happy at all, and clay masks are great for drawing out impurities. The only downside, in my experience, is that they tend to 'draw them out' onto the skin's surface, as I often end up with a couple of spots after using one, before they disappear and give way to lovely smooth, clear skin. I think this is one for a quiet weekend when I am happy to hide away at home!

Do you use a facemask? Which one is your favourite?

xx

SAVE #1: Bourjois Wild Paris Collection (A/W 2012)

So, I have been putting off writing this post, because I knew that this collection would be the perfect 'Save' alternative to the gorgeous Dior Golden Jungle, which featured in the first 'Spend' post of this Spend/Save series (find the post here), but as it's not due out until September, information on this collection is proving somewhat hard to come by. But eventually, I decided that I would give in and just share with you what I can for now, and then I will do a little update in an upcoming blog post in which I hope to be able to share some more images of the collection with you.

Wild Paris is the stunning new nature-inspired collection by Bourjois, due for release on 5th September, and featuring a palette of earthy browns, khaki greens, mustards and burgundys.
The most exciting addition to the collection, for me, is the gorgeous Python Topcoat, a burgundy nail polish which creates something similar to a crackle effect on the nails, only much more sophisticated, leaving you with a  chic snakeskin manicure.

 We can also expect two new smoky eye trios. The first, in Vert Jungle, features a deep khaki green, a light leafy green and a medium green which is somewhere between the two. As I mentioned in my Golden Jungle post, I am quite excited at the prospect of using khaki greens on my eyes, as it's something I haven't tried before. I used to be a huge fan of green eye makeup in the past, but I haven't ventured into that colour palette for a while now.

The second Trio, Brun Wood, will feature three complimentary brown shades, and is sure to do well, given that brown generally tends to suit all skin tones and is forever a popular choice.

It's clear that jungle colours, military hues and animal prints are here to stay, and that's fine by me. You can luxe up your look by adding gold accents, which will contrast brilliantly with khaki shades and is a look which translates well into clothes and accessories.

What do you think of the jungle trend?

Will you be 'Splurging' or 'Saving' this Autumn?

xx

Maybelline Moisture Extreme Lipstick: Sugar Plum

I am not usually one for nude lipsticks. Or at least I wasn't, until recently. I have been really enjoying using lovely bright corals and fuchsias throughout the 'summer' months, but I was beginning to get a little bit tired of the maintenance they require throughout the day. I kept seeing people wearing lovely nude lipsticks across the blogosphere, so I decided that now might be the time to give them another try, having been put off by the infamous 'corpse effect' on my last couple of attempts.

I didn't want to splash out a huge amount on a lipstick I might not like, so I went for Maybelline's Moisture Extreme Collagen Lipstick in the shade Sugar Plum. I actually picked this up abroad, hence the name being slightly different on the tube (over there it's called Hydra Extreme).

Sugar Plum is a moisturising pinky-nude shade with a glossy finish. It is not hugely pigmented or buildable, leaving a sheer veil of colour on the lips, and is a really wearable shade. It doesn't seem to create the afore-mentioned corpse effect at all, though the colour doesn't apply all that evenly and may require going over a couple of times, as it is quite slippery.

It's not quite as pink as it appears in the swatch here, but it is a lovely every-day lip colour, especially on those days when you want a 'my-lips-but-better' look, without having to worry about how perfectly you have applied it, as you do with bright shades.

Wear time is really not great here though, I have to admit. The slippery consistency means that it slides of the lips in an instant, and despite the moisturising formula, it will still show up any dry or flakey patches if you haven't exfoliated your lips well beforehand. 

Do you ever wear nude lipsticks?

What's your favourite brand and shade?

xx

Caudalie Eau Demaquillante Cleansing Water

Selling at £9 for 100ml on the Caudalie website, which you can find here, the Eau Demaquillante Cleansing Water is a micellar solution designed to remove your makeup before cleansing. You just apply a small amount to a large cotton pad and sweep it over your face and neck, repeating as necessary until you are satisfied. In fact, you could actually use this product alone, but personally I like to either exfoliate or cleanse my skin with a hot cloth cleanser afterwards in the evenings,to ensure that my skin is completely clean. In the mornings, however, I am happy just to use this to wipe away any oil or grime that may have accumulated during the night and it leaves my skin feeling refreshed, soft and clean.

Being a micellar solution, this product is very gentle, and yet it still removes all traces of makeup with ease. This is designed for use on the eyes, too, and it doesn't sting at all, nor is it oily, which are both huge bonuses in my opinion. I have quite sensitive eyes which are easily irritated by a lot of products, and I really dislike having to use anything unneccessarily oily on my face.

I usually tend to give my skin a couple of sprays of the infamous Caudalie Beauty Elixir after use, and I feel that together, they really leave my skin feeling supple, smooth and 'awake', without a trace of oil. I then moisturise as normal.

A quick summary:

                                                    The Good                                                  

  Gentle on the skin

Gentle enough to use on the eyes

Removes all traces of makeup

Leaves skin feeling refreshed and soft

Practical and easy to use, as it doesn't require water. Perfect for use on the go.

                                                          

    The Bad

A little bit on the pricey side at £9 for just 100ml, especially as...

..100ml doesn't tend to last long

I would definitely purchase this again. I have been using a hot cloth cleanser for a while now, which I love, and while I really like the fact that I can use it to remove makeup and cleanse all in one go, I hate that I end up with mascara stains all over the muslin cloths and can never use them more than once or twice without having to throw them in the wash! It's so much better to use this Cleansing Water first, as I can dispose of the used cotton pads and then cleanse with a nice clean cloth along with my hot cloth cleanser.

If you are new to Caudalie then I would definitely recommend giving this a go, as it is one of the cheaper products available, and a 100ml bottle is not a huge commitment to make. I went for this size in order to try it out, and now I know that I will like it, I will go ahead and buy the larger one (200ml for £15).

Have you tried anything from Caudalie? 

What are your favourite skincare brands and products?

xx

Week in Pictures

I feel like I pretty much told you all about my week in yesterday's post, as I was feeling a bit chatty, and to be honest, there wasn't really much to tell! I have more or less been somewhere beneath a pile of paperwork in what little free time I did have, and the rest of it was, of course, spent at work. I did manage to pop out for a nice lunch on Saturday, and the hubby and I shared a delicious miniature lemon meringue pie for dessert, before spending a while relaxing in our favourite coffee shop drinking hazelnut lattes. He wasn't best pleased that Brazil lost out in the Olympic football to Mexico, although they still won a silver medal, and a gold in the women's volleyball, so it wasn't all bad. Speaking of medals, I must admit that I'm quite disappointed that the Olympics are coming to an end. Tom Daley did us proud today, although it's a shame he missed out on the gold after coming so close, though to be honest, I think I would have enjoyed watching him however he had done, if you know what I mean! Ha. I'm especially proud, with him being from my neck of the woods, although Luke Campbell did a fantastic job bagging us another gold in the boxing, too. I actually can't believe how many medals we've won this year! Amazing.

I have been absolutely loving my Topshop Baroque jeans this week, and if you are a regular then you'll know that I snapped these beauts up off Ebay, having missed out on them in my size when they were in the shops. I wore them on a little afternoon out we had on Friday, which is when the rest of the snaps were taken - how cute are those colourful buildings? We just visited a small village nearby, which I had never been to before, and had a little wander around and a spot of lunch.

That's me for today, hope to catch up with many of you later on this evening during the #bbloggers chat!

Hope you're all having a fantastic weekend!

xx

Weekend Wishlist

A bit of a crowded Wishlist for you this weekend!

Studded Eagle Jumper, £36, Topshop
Cutwork Peplum Top, £40, Warehouse
Floral Lace Jumper, £40, Warehouse
Studded Shopper Bag, £60, Oasis
Facehunter Book, £14.90, Topshop
Phoenix Jumper, £39, Miss Selfridge
London Studded Belt, £18, Topshop
Chunky Star Ring, £12, Warehouse
Petites Studded Maxi Dress, £49, Miss Selfridge
Horse Print Scarf, £18, Warehouse
Nude Studded Boot, £65, Miss Selfridge
Union Jack Clutch, Accessorize
Indigo Studded Jeans, £45, Miss Selfridge
One Ginger Morning Shower Gel, Treacle Moon (available at Tesco)
MUA Going for Gold Eyeshadow Palette,

I've been bit greedy this week. Once again, there is a plethora of treats in the 'New In' sections of almost every online store I frequent. The chilly weather has got me lusting after cosy knits, particularly printed and studded ones, and I am also loving the patriotic 'London' belt and the Union Jack clutch, as I am feeling quite proud to be British at the moment thanks to our wonderful Olympic Team. Go GB! It's also a great excuse to get my hands on the 'Going for Gold' palette by MUA - well, better late than never, eh? Anyway, the Olympics are still going, so the way I see it, it's still completely relevant.

I've been back to work this week and I can't tell you how shattered I am feeling now! After four weeks of rest, going back to being on my feet all day (in heels, of course!) has more or less done me in, and that's not to mention the mental fatigue my job seems to give me! If you don't already know, I teach English as a foreign language, which has it's moments, but you can imagine what it's like having to deal with pupils who are not interested in learning, or unruly groups of teenagers! Ha. I have actually been so tired that I have fallen asleep at 9.30pm every night this week, and believe me, that is NOT like me at all - I usually go to bed at around one or two in the morning! And it's not that I sleep all day either, I actually get up quite early too, but as my husband works until late, we usually stay up to spend some time together, as we work very different hours.
To be honest, I can't say that I've been up to much else this week, as I haven't really had the time! But I plan on a nice relaxing weekend consisting of snuggly jumpers, cups of tea, hazelnut lattes, homemade facemasks, deep conditioning hair treatments, nail art and magazines. I would say blogging and blog reading, but that very much depends on my unreliable internet!

Hope you're all having a splendid weekend!
What's on your Wishlist this weekend?

xx