A Random Update

So at long last I finally got around to finishing my dissertation!! I can't explain how lovely it felt to finish it, print it, bind it and to hand it in. Working on my dissertation had literally been so time consuming, I was so relieved to have it completed. The hard work isn't quite over yet as I still have an exam and an assignment or two in the upcoming weeks. After finishing my dissertation I took a well deserved break and enjoyed having time for the simple things such as, painting my nails, catching up with friends and family, and enjoying the beautiful sunshine (been nice and sunny at the moment here in England! Lovely).  

On Friday night me and a friend popped down to the cinema and ended up watching The Hunger Games. I say 'ended up' as it really wasn't planned. I've heard lots about this film as well as lots about the books by Suzanne Collins. But I personally really wanted to have read the books first. However, the film that we was planning on watching was fully booked so we agreed to watch this instead. 

I wasn't quite sure what to expect when watching this film, but I really enjoyed it. My friend hadn't heard anything about this film or the books but she also really loved the film. My only slight criticism is that I thought the background to the story could have been set up a bit more clearly. Maybe it's further explained in the books or maybe I just didn't catch it in the film. But all in all, I thought there was some really strong performances by the leading characters. I loved how different the story is to many others that are out there, it was quite thought provoking. Although the story showed bravery it was also quite tragic, if you want to know more information about this film click here (IMDb).

I know this film has been much anticipated as the books are very popular, and after watching this in the cinema I'm fairly certain that I will enjoy reading the books. 

Have you watched this film yet? Have you read the books? What is your opinion on The Hunger Games.

                          

Pink Sparkles

I had to write a post on this gorgeous nail polish that I recently picked up in Boots last week. The nail polish is Revlon's 'Sparkling' and I absolutely love it. I'm drawn to glitter and sparkles and so this really did catch my eye. Sparkling is a clear nail varnish which contains small pieces of pink glitter. Most of the glitter are small pieces, but you also get the odd little pink hexagon pieces of glitter in there too. I just think it looks so pretty in the bottle. 

On Monday night I painted my nails with two coats of Rimmel's 'White Orchid'. This shade is somewhere between a very light pink and white. On top of this I painted one coat of Revlon's 'Sparkling' just to add a bit of colour and glitter. It is now Friday afternoon and both have stayed on my nails extremely well. Okay I have a few chips on one or two nails, but that's it. I don't think that's bad going. I love this combination. 

 I personally love having a nice neutral or bright colour on my nails with a bit of glitter on top, it makes a bit of a change every now and then. Are you a glitter fan? and do you have any favourite nail combinations?

The Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty (TAG)

As you can probably guess from the title, I've decided to do the 'Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty Tag'. I've seen this one floating about on blogs & YouTube and thought it would be fun to join in. So here goes;

GREED: What are your most inexpensive and expensive beauty products?

My most inexpensive beauty products have to be my MUA clear mascara, which I use for my eyebrows. This  was priced at £1 (I wish there was more beauty products at this price!). Also my Rimmel eye brow pencil which was just under £3.

My most expensive beauty product I would have to say is probably my Urban Decay 'Naked' palette, which is around the £30 mark. Expensive but worth it, I absolutely love it.

WRATH: What product do you have a love/hate relationship with? And what product was the hardest to find?

I was recently given a beautiful Chubbi Stick from Clinique in 'Chunky Cherry'. I love this product and the shade is a gorgeous. But I'm not very confident with bright colours on my lips. As much as I love the look of them I always feel as if I can't really pull it off! Working it in and blending it makes a difference for me though as it's slightly more subtle.

As for the hardest product to find, this one is quite a difficult question for me as to be honest I'm not one that will search high and low for something. In the past when I have done this it mainly seems to be me hunting for a particular nail polish. I'll sometimes spot something I like, not pick it up (trying to be good and save some dosh), then instantly regret it. But of course when I return back to the shop it's gone! This was the case for OPI's 'Rainbow Connection' and 'Teenage Dream'.  As you can probably tell I'm a big sucker for glitter and sparkles. The great thing is there can be loads of dupes floating around, sometimes they are more affordable so that's always a bonus!

GLUTTONY: What are your most delicious beauty products? 

Only one winner shines through for me on this one; Palmers lip butter in Dark Chocolate and Peppermint. This smells AMAZING, I absolutely love this lip product. I've been repurchasing this for the last 3/4 years. The great thing is not only does it smell delicious but it's very moisturising, it leaves a nice shine on the lips and isn't sticky. 

SLOTH: What beauty products do you neglect due to laziness? 

I often find myself forgetting to put on primer. I'm not sure if it's due to laziness or forgetfulness to be honest.

PRIDE: What beauty product gives you the most confidence? 

I think in terms of confidence the beauty product necessity would have to be concealer. I feel naked without it, and hate my dark circles. Aside from concealer I would say a nice lipstick or the eyeliner and full lashes combo. 

LUST: What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex? 

I'm not sure where this question fits in... bit of a random one haha. I personally think that for me one of the best attributes in the opposite sex is a good sense of humour. Someone who is kind and thoughtful. I also like nice eyes.

ENVY: What items would you like most to receive as a gift? 

I'd really like some NARS products. They're quite pricey and unfortunately not many places around me stock them, so I haven't really had a chance to check the products out in person. I've never tried their products before so it would probably be this. Or perfume, you can never go wrong with perfume :) 

If you're yet to do this TAG, and are interested, please do... and let me know :)

Hair Care Tips

            

*image from Drink2Health.net

               

Now I'm no expert on hair care and I'm not claiming to be in anyway. But I do have fairly long hair myself and often receive compliments on the condition of my hair and so I thought I'd just share a few of my hair care tips that I've accumulated over the last few years. I'm not perfect and neither is my hair. But I do try to take care of my hair when I can. Most of these tips are just bits I've heard and read about... many of you may already know them. But if not here they are :)

• A pretty simple & obvious one here; treat your hair with love. What I mean by this is do not over do it. For example using hair straighteners, curling tongs, wands and hair dryers can all cause damage to your hair. I think everyone knows this but of course many of us want/need to use these products. So if you are one of these people... try to give your hair a break when you can. When I can I let my hair dry naturally, or part blow dry it. With hair straighteners I try not to do this too often. Sometimes I'll straighten a few unruly bits of hair and stop there. Too much heat can really damage your hair and will result in the hair dresser needing to snip off lots of split ends. 

• When your hair is wet it can be more vulnerable to damage. If you're pulling and tugging through wet hair with a brush you can cause damage and pull hair out. This can be difficult when you get out the bath or shower and your hair needs a good old brush through. So a good tip is to brush your hair before you've washed it and once you have and its wet, brush it carefully. You can use either with a wide-toothed comb or something similar which are great for wet hair. I personally use the tangle teezer and brush through slowly and in sections. My hair is quite thick so sections is best for me. Tangle teezers and wide-toothed combs can be purchased in many places such as Boots and Superdrug. I strongly recommend the tangle teezer. It's amazing!

• Product overload - I occasionally use a little bit of hair oil here and there to smooth over frizzy bits but I try not too use too much of this or use it too often. Products such as these can contain silicone - as well as Shampoos and Conditioners. Silicone isn't harmful but it doesn't 'fix' problematic hair. It can make your hair appear healthy and shiny which is great but after a while too much silicone can weigh your hair down. What I'm trying to say is be aware of what you're putting in your hair. There are some Shampoos and Conditioners that can help remove this build up, sometimes your hair may really need this. These can be purchased in places such as Boots and Superdrug. If you use lots of products on a daily basis - maybe think about either cutting down or not using these products on a daily basis. If this isn't something that you're willing to do, think about purchasing a build up remover Shampoo. It can really help clarify your hair.

• Tying your hair up too tightly can pull hair out and damage hair. I often have my hair up high in a bun or just out of my face. A few years ago I remember having like a little tuft of new hair at the bottom of my head and was told by my hairdresser that pulling the hair too tightly may have pulled some hair out (I'm not talking bald patches here - it can be unnoticeable) it's grown out now and from then on I've always been careful with how tightly I tie my hair up. 

• Don't cut your own hair. I know some people don't mind grabbing some scissors and trimming their fringe or pulling out split ends. But this can damage your hair. Unless maybe you know exactly what you're doing and you have the right tools then I would lay off and wait until you visit the professionals. I've made this mistake in the past and was told it can damage the ends of your hair.

• Keep your hair healthy and fresh by having regular hair cuts. This can differ depending your hair. Long hair should be cut at least every 8-12 weeks. Longer hair can be more susceptible to damage. I have mine cut every 6 weeks and I definitely can tell a difference when it hasn't been cut by the feel and look of it. The shorter your hair is the more often it may need cutting. Some short hair styles need to be regularly cut to help keep the style. If you have coloured/highlighted hair then it may be that hair needs to be trimmed more often. As it can leave hair dry and prone to breakages.

There are lots of ways to get more information about hair care - Hair guide, Basic tips. 

This Weeks Favourite's

I've been a bit absent recently... busy busy busy! My dissertation deadline is looming so I've been spending all my time working on that. It's been a pretty stressful week to be honest and it's looking like next week will be just the same. But I do try to take some time out here and there (it's not good to overdo it). So here I am, taking my mind off of my work and thought I'd do a little weekly favourites post. 

• 'Grey's Anatomy' - One of my favourite TV series. I have five of the series on DVD and I have watched them all but fancied revisiting it. At the end of a stressful day I've made a point of watching a few episodes a night. I've started from the very first series and am working my way through (whilst getting my boyfriend hooked on it too). 

• River Island - During the week I had a little trip to the shops and ended up spending more than what I probably should have! I blame River Island and all the stress of my work :) They had some really cute little dress/tops and they were only £20. Perfect for Summer days or teamed with some skinny jeans or leggings for a night out.  I'm loving all the spring & summer bits. Roll on the Summer.

• Organics GinZing Eye Cream - I purchased this a few weeks ago (will probably post a review soon) and have been using this every morning. It's very refreshing and moisturising. Bit of a hefty price tag which is the only downfall. 

• Tiny Tower - A really annoyingly addictive app for the Iphone. I keep popping on to it throughout the day... I think I ought to delete. If you don't know about it, it's a tower that you can gradually build by opening different types of  stores, earn money and move little people in to. 

• Real Techniques Buffing Brush - Another recent purchase is the buffing brush which is becoming quite popular. I've heard lots about this and liked the look of it so I purchased the Core Collection and gave it a go. I use it for applying liquid foundation and it's replaced my other foundation brush. It gives a lovely flawless finish, the brush is soft and makes applying foundation so much easier. I love it. If anyone is interested these brushes can be purchased in Boots and online.

• 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder - I've had this book on my shelf for literally about 4 years. It was a birthday present which I began reading but for some reason put down and never went back to. After finishing 'One Day' I wanted something else to read. I'm only a chapter in so far but I can tell this book is going to be a thought provoking one. It's a story which raises philosophical questions about the meaning of life. It's quite different to the books that I have read in the past so I'm looking forward to it.

• A slightly random one now -  Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I spotted some little tubs of these in Tesco for £1 each. I grabbed a few flavours as I've never tried their ice creams before. I'm normally a Ben&Jerry's type of girl. For a £1 for a taster sized tub I thought it was a great chance to try them out. I picked up 'Praline and Cream', 'Strawberry Cheesecake' and 'Baileys'. I can't begin to explain how YUMMY the 'Praline and Cream' one was. It was so creamy and had swirls of toffee in it. I will definitely be buying their ice creams again. If you haven't tried it... you should!

I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. Until next time x

Book Ramble/Review - 'One Day'

{Image: Wikipedia}

So I finally got around to finishing One Day by David Nicholls last night (a good couple of months later but at long last!). I must say I was genuinely surprised on how much I enjoyed this book. One Day focuses on the lives of two very different people, Emma and Dexter, who meet in their early 20s on the night of their graduation. The story effectively is of their lives and their friendship with one another. As the blurb says it's "Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY". Some people have described this as a chick lit book and I suppose in some ways it is, but it's definitely not predictable. I think it's heart warming, honest and quite touching. The characters of Emma and Dexter are easy to relate to. 

One Day begins on the 15th July 1988, and each chapter takes place on this date but a year ahead each time. The thing I like the most about this book, aside from the story overall, is how the story of these two people can make you feel so many different emotions. This isn't surprising as it does follow Emma and Dexter's life over a 20 year span, so it's only natural I'm just glad that the characters and their lives and experiences are easy to relate to. There's nothing worse when you're reading a story about characters that aren't believable and where everything is perfect, it's just unrealistic. I know some people like this, but it's not for me.

Overall, I feel that this book is well written and tells an honest but endearing story about two people and their lives. It's an unconventional love story and I'm glad I picked this up. I don't want to delve in to that much detail, I'm not one for spoiling story lines but I do recommend this book. If you've read it, what did you think? They have also made a movie adaption of this book, quite recently actually. If you'd like to know more about the book or movie then click here.

A few quotes taken from One Day;

"This is where it all begins. Everything starts here, today"   

"A moment passed, perhaps half a second when their faces said what they felt, and then Emma was smiling, laughing, her arms around his neck"   

"Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today; and I'll always remember it"

"You can't throw away years of your life because it makes a funny anecdote"    

February Favourites | 12

So here we are another month has been and gone, but at least it's one month nearer to Summer :) The last few days have been lovely and sunny which is always nice. It hasn't been particularly warm out in the sun but it's lovely when it's bright outside and the skies are blue! Anyway here are my February Favourites;

1. A firm favourite last month was my Yankee tart burner, it's still a favourite for me. I burn this on a regular basis in the evening and it fills my room with whatever it is that's burning. Currently I've been burning the Yankee tart 'Vanilla Satin'. I love it, they last ages and the burner itself is really pretty to look at.

2. Mac - All That Glitters. This eye shadow has been a bit of a staple for me this month. It has great staying power and is a beautiful natural shade that I have been wearing on it's own with a bit of mascara just to brighten the eyes up a little.

3. Good Things - Face The Day. I recently purchased this moisturiser and I've grown to love it. It leaves my skin feeling nice and soft in the morning. The thing I love the most about this moisturiser is the smell, it's gorgeous. It's a fruity, berry scent and I get a nice whiff of it every now and then throughout the day.

4. Benefit - Dandelion blusher - This blusher is a beautiful pink shade. Benefit describes it as a 'sheer ballerina pink finishing powder'. I love this shade it looks really natural when applied, but gives a healthy pink glow to the cheeks. As with most of Benefits products I absolutely adore their packaging. This blusher is one of the boxed blushers and has lasted me months. They're not the cheapest at around £23.50. Benefit - Dandelion Blusher Link

5. The cinema: I've had a few trips to the cinema this month, a welcomed break after days of hard work. I watched Underworld - Awakening and The Woman In Black, I quite enjoyed both of these. The Woman In Black was really jumpy... so be warned if you're planning on watching it. I do love a nice trip to the cinema, popcorn and drinks in tow. A nice break I'd say, only downfall is that going to the cinema can be quite pricey.

6. Music - This will always be a favourite. I do a lot of driving, my University is a good hours drive and so I listen to music quite a bit in my car. 

A few of my favourite songs at the moment; 

Gotye ft. Kimbra - Somebody That I Used To Know  - This song has seriously grown on me. Currently number 1 in the UK charts. It's become a song that I've just wanted on repeat. Check it out if you haven't heard it already Listen/Watch Here

David Guetta ft. Sia - Titanium Listen/Watch Here

Florence + The Machine - Only If For A Night, Spectrum and All This and Heaven Too. All three taken from her latest album entitled 'Ceremonials'. I love Florence she's got a stunning voice. Listen/Watch Here (If Only For A Night)

That is pretty much it, what are your February Favourites?