A Little Bit Of Inspiration

I've been having one of those semi-productive days today. I had such good intentions this morning, I even had a to do list! It's been my first full day off in a while and like many other people I have quite a few bits and bobs that I should really be getting on with. But I think I'll let myself off the hook today as I did manage to do at least half of the things that were on my list :) But I quickly got distracted by my laptop...typical.

I thought I'd have a little ramble about one of my favourite sites...Pinterest (the thing that has been distracting me all afternoon!). It's a fairly popular one I'm sure. It's basically a virtual pinboard, so through Pinterest you're able to share and organise pictures of pretty much anything! The reason I'm sharing this with you all is because I find it such a motivator. It really has become like a little scrap book of pictures that I find pretty, inspiring or just of things I like or would like to do/try, of places I'd like to go and the list just goes on. Categories on Pinterest can range from food, travel, weddings, home, beauty, sport and so on. 

I'm quite an arty person. I love creating things and I'm into home decor and all things creative! Pinterest is brilliant for giving me ideas on different things to try, on little D.I.Y projects as well as home decor. I also love how through some of these pictures you're able to access many of the original sources. Through Pinterest I have stumbled across some really great blogs and sites. All in all whenever I'm lacking a bit of Ooomph, Pinterest is one of my places to go! I also love going through pictures of quotes, cute animals, yummy food-recipes, beautiful travel locations, beauty and home decor. 

Well that is my ramble for today! I just thought I'd share. I know there is a handful of sites like Pinterest but for those who maybe haven't had a browse yet I'd recommend it. There is definitely something on there for everyone and it really is a lovely way to pick up some ideas and inspiration. I thought I'd attach a few of my random, favourite pictures/pins so far. I've tried to include a bit of everything. Although each of these are from Pinterest, where I can I have attached the original source. None of these images are my own. Enjoy :)

{Got to love a bit of glitter}

{I absolutely love fairy lights in the bedroom!}

{Original Source: The Beauty Department.  I love this site!! Check it out if you haven't already}

{This is so pretty... and actually quite easy to make. Original source: Sania Pell Disco Vase. Discovered Sania Pell through Pinterest, I absolutely love some of her home decor ideas!}   

{How stunning and peaceful does this look? Fairy Pools-Scotland. Original Source: Google Images}

(Just thought I should mention that I'm not sponsored or affiliated with Pinterest in any way - just thought I'd share my love for this site)

Are you a fan of Pinterest? Where do you get your inspiration/motivation from?

Essie Bargain

Hello Everyone.

I had to share my little Essie find with you all. While browsing through my local Tk Maxx, last week, I spotted a few packs of 3 Essie nail polishes for... £9.99! I couldn't believe my luck - what a bargain! After picking up Essie's Eternal Optimist (blog post - HERE) a few months back, I quickly fell in love with the brand. So it probably comes as no surprise that I didn't waste time in grabbing this bargain. I don't regularly go into Tk Maxx so I'm not sure how long this deal has been going on for, but I'm guessing it's a new thing as they definitely weren't there the last time I visited the store. There isn't a huge variety of packs of 3's, but there are a a few different shades to choose from. 

Individually these polishes can retail at around £7.99. So for 3 normal sized bottles for £9.99 I'd say that is pretty good going. My pack of 3 included the shades Jag-U-Are, Tea & Crumpets and Capri. I have spotted that Tx Maxx have made a little mistake with labelling these nail polishes, well one in particular anyway! When looking at the Essie website I noticed that Tea & Crumpets isn't actually the polish that was in this set (the real Tea & Crumpets polish is actually more of a shimmery gold colour) there must have been a mistake with the labelling! So unfortunately I can't tell you what the actual name of this Essie polish is - or what it should be. But for the purpose of this post I will refer to it as Tea & Crumpets - even though this is actually incorrect! Very annoying.

Moving on... I love the look of all of these Essie shades, so this was the pack of 3 I choose to go for. 

{L-R - Jag-U-Are, Capri and Tea & Crumpets (isn't correctly labelled)}

In terms of application Jag-U-Are is quite thick so just one coat gave me a lovely opaque finish. I'd describe Jag-U-Are as a cherry red (it looks slightly darker in some of the pictures) with a slight almost gold shimmer to it. I think this shade would look lovely on the toes. Capri is a gorgeous french manicure shade pink, it's very pretty and natural. It's definitely a barely there shade. Tea & Crumpets (which actually ISN'T Tea & Crumpets - confusing I know) is also quite a neutral shade it's a very pale pink/almost white shade which I love. I've compared this to Ballet Slippers and although they're fairly similar in shades Ballet Slippers is slightly paler and less pink in comparison. I have to say I think I'm becoming slightly obsessed with Essie! These polishes apply lovely, they give a nice finish and I love the quirky names. Definitely impressed with this bargain, despite the little labelling mistake. 

{L-R - Tea & Crumpets (again this isn't the correct name of this polish), Capri and Jag-U-Are. Two coats}

I have to say the above image didn't really capture the slight shimmer that comes with Jag-U-Are. But there is a slight shimmer there. I think its a nice alternative to the  standard red. 

So if you're an Essie fan and anyway near a Tk Maxx I'd suggest popping in and having a little browse :)

Topshop Cream Blush in Flush

After hearing so many lovely things about Topshops cream blushes I decided to pick one up. This is my first cream blush purchase as I tend to lean more towards powders. The Topshop blush I picked up was in the shade Flush. I have to say I quite like the packaging of Topshop's beauty products. It's simple but very cute and girly. This compact blush also comes with a little mirror so it's really handy for on the go. 

On first impressions in the store I was slightly intimidated by the bright pink shade. BUT the minute I swatched it I knew I had to have it. It softens to a really beautiful blushing pink shade once blended into the skin. It's easy to blend it out on to the cheeks to create a really natural and subtle finish. It's also nice and buildable so you have the option of how bright you'd like the blush to be as it's very pigmented. 

{I've blended out the top swatch more to show how this blush can be blended out to become more subtle - depending on the look you're going for}

The texture is of course creamy, but once applied to the skin the texture almost resembles powder. The packaging says to "Dot on cheeks and blend". I normally just swirl my finger around into the blush then apply to my cheeks and blend out. I also buff it out a little with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush.

Unfortunately this blush doesn't have the best staying power, bit of a shame, but for the price tag of £6 and as it's easy to take with you and apply whilst on the go, I can let it slip. I also find that the packaging gets dirty fairly quickly, but it's easy to clean with a wet wipe if this does bother you. Despite this the packaging is pretty sturdy and the little polka dots haven't rubbed away or faded.

Overall, I have to say I really love this shade I think it's very flattering and I love that it's a cream blush so overall I'm pretty happy with this purchase. 

Have you tried any of the Topshop blushes or any other Topshop beauty products?

June Favourites | 12

So here we are - July. June has been pretty eventful for me and I do have a lovely little handful of favourite's for you all today. Apologies for the delayed favourites this month!

Clinique - Repairwear Laser Focus Foundation

I'm a bit of a Clinique fan when it comes to skin care and foundation. The previous foundation I was using was Cliniques - almost makeup (which I loved). The foundation was lovely and lightweight but after using it all up I decided to go for something which offered a bit more coverage - the repairwear laser focus foundation. This foundation is also nice and lightweight, it blends easily, offers a nice medium coverage and fits my skin tone perfectly. This foundation also offers SPF coverage. I love the finish of this, it isn't at all cakey. It gives a nice smooth, slightly dewy finish. I also quite like the bottle although due to there being no pump I think I'm going to struggle to get all of the product out towards the end.

GOSH - Velvet Touch Eye Liner in Truly Brown 

I haven't actually tried many products from GOSH but after swatching a few of their eye liners I fell in love. They feel so so soft on the skin when applying. I've been using this brown eye liner smudged lightly around the eyes for a softer smoky look and I love it. The shade is warm but adds definition to my eyes. I can't fault this eye liner - it stays put, it feels lovely and soft when applying (so no tugging and scratching which is the worst!). GOSH products can be purchased in Superdrug stores. 

Aapri Exfoliating Scrub Cream 

I love this stuff. I've had this for months now and use it around once a week for a good ol' exfoliation. It's lasted me fairly well. This exfoliating scrub cream is formulated with natural apricot exfoliants so it smells like, well, apricots (adore the smell). It is what it says really - a cream with lots of little bits which help to exfoliate and cleanse the skin. This isn't the most gentle product that I have ever used for exfoliating but it doesn't irritate the skin and leaves my face feeling really clean, revived and soft after use. It may be a bit harsh for those with sensitive skin, but for me it gets the job done a lot better than many other products that I've tried. I thought I'd include it this month as I've just started including this again into my skin care routine... after briefly losing it :)

Deborah Lippmann - Stairway To Heaven 

I did a blog post on this here. This has to be one of the prettiest nail polishes that I've ever owned. It's a really gorgeous shade which I love the look of on my nails. I've been wearing this on it's own, two coats - I love it. 

N-Spa Body Scrub - Raspberry Milkshake 

I picked up a few of these from Asda as they are so affordable. I haven't tried these before but thought I'd give them a try. They all smell fantastic! Raspberry milkshake smells fruity, sweet and fresh, but not at all sickly.  I'm really enjoying using this product it's lovely and refreshing on the skin. I normally slather this on when in the shower then rinse off, it gives my body a lovely light exfoliation.

Stephenie Meyer - The Host 

The Host is a science fiction/romance novel which to begin with I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I first picked this up. I decided to give it a try at the end of May and within a few weeks I'd finished it, it didn't long at all for me to get sucked into it.  It's quite different to anything I've read before and definitely something that I could really picture being in a film... so I was pretty pleased when I spotted that it is in fact in production to be released next year! If you didn't know, although I'm sure that many people do, Stephenie Meyer is the author of the twilight saga books.

Music - always a favourite, but more specifically in the month of June I've been loving the following; Trey Songz - Heart Attack, Lawson - When She Was Mine, Paloma Faith - Picking Up The Pieces, B.o.B ft. Taylor Swift - Both Of Us and Chris Brown - Don't Wake Me Up.

What were your June favourites?

An Update

Long time no post... or at least it feels this way! I just thought I'd do a little update post today. My last post involved a 7 things which I hoped to achieve throughout last week. As I mentioned in that post, I absolutely love making lists and do it on a regular basis as I find it's the only way to keep things fairly organised in my mind, without forgetting things anyway! I'm thinking now perhaps I was a little bit over ambitious as I only managed to achieve about 3 of those things but nonetheless I had a pretty productive week. Safe to say in future it will be a fortnightly or a monthly list as the weeks seem to just fly by sometimes. 

I've been on a bit of a high this week as I discovered my results from my degree, which I finished in May, and I'm pleased to say I passed (WAHOOOO!!). 'Results Day' was really lovely actually, the University arranged a little buffet and students came in picked up their results and sort of stuck around for a chat, food and drinks. For the last 3 years my course really did pretty much take over my life but I'm pleased to say it was worth it in the end. It feels pretty odd now that it's all over but it also feels amazing knowing that I can chill out and enjoy the Summer stress free. For everyone out there who is still in the process of completing a course of some sort - all the best and good luck :)

So as you can imagine I've been pretty distracted in the last week - not to mention that I also have work which leaves me pretty exhausted at the end of the day. But on the odd days/hours that I have had free I've been taking it fairly easy and spending time with loved ones, having early nights, finishing 'The Host' - (loved this book), and attempting to keep things organised and clean. 

So, until next time ... x

7 Things for 7 Days

I spotted a lovely post by Louise (whose blog I love), that was right up my street. This post included a little list of 7 things for 7 days - filled with different things to be achieved for the week. I love this kind of thing and I'm often making lists. I find making lists and writing things down really help me to get things done! They can keep me motivated and help me to remember what needs to be done - as lets be honest sometimes life can be pretty hectic. 

So although it's now Tuesday I'm going to do the same. Here is my little list for this week;

Organise- After finishing University things have slowly began to settle down. Now I have more time for myself there is an ever growing list of things that need to be organised - and that I actually have the time to organise. Things such as piles of receipts, letters, magazines, notes etc. This pile is slowly taking over my desk!

Relax- I've had an incredibly busy weekend, I worked through it all and I'm pretty exhausted. So I'm going to try and find at least one day in this week to chill out, have a nice bubble bath and cosy up with some candles and a good book. 

Work- Kind of the opposite to relaxing eh, but like many other people I have to work... booo. I'm also starting a diploma with the company I work for so I'm going to have to get my head down and get working on this to.

Catch Up- Phone calls, friends, emails. You know the drill.

Exercise- This one was also on Louise's list, and like Louise I'm not suggesting a HUGE work out session. I'm leaning more towards the healthier lifestyle side. I need to try and make time to 'look after myself' more by being a bit more active and eating a bit more healthier (I have the WORST sweet tooth ever). I often think this to myself week in week out... but I really do need to stick to it!

Save- This will be on my weekly list for weeks. I'm planning on going away this year so I really need to put away those pennies! I'm really looking forward to having somewhere booked and to have a week away in the sun. I'll be avoiding the shops and all forms of temptation for at least a couple of months (hopefully!!).

Read- I've almost finished reading The Host by Stephenie Meyer. This was a birthday present well over a year ago now. I didn't really rush to read this and I'm not sure why as it's a really great book. Whilst reading this I've constantly been thinking "This would be such a good film!" - I looked it up and funnily enough it is in post production to be released next year! I'll definitely be doing a post on this once I'm done.

Louise is doing an interactive 7 Things - Link Here. Feel free to join in :) I think its a great idea!

What are your weekly/monthly tasks? Do you write to do lists?

Deborah Lippmann - Stairway To Heaven

Back in May, when I finally finished my University course, I decided to treat myself to a couple of Deborah Lippmann nail polishes. I often admire Lippmann's polishes when I spot them as I think there are some absolutely stunning shades. Not to mention the variety of glitter polishes that are also available (do I need to mention that I absolutely love glitter!?). 

One of the polishes that I picked up, if you hadn't already guessed from the title, was Stairway to Heaven. 

I'd describe this shade as an off white cream with various pieces of glitter in it. The Lippmann site describes this shade as "iridescent icicle glitter' which I think is quite a nice, fitting description. 

{Love the bottle shape! I think the name Stairway to Heaven really suits this shade}

The polish itself is quite thick and easy to apply giving a lovely glossy finish. Although the shade in the bottle looks like an off white cream, when on the nails this shade is a lot more subtle, almost clear looking. The colour once on the nails is a 'your nails but better' shade. It's very natural looking and I think compliments the glitter.  

The first coat gives a nice sparse layer of polish and glitter, however two coats gives a more even and fuller finish in terms of glitter distribution. There is plenty of glitter in this polish which is great, however the first coat at times doesn't always give an even glitter distribution on the nails. Although I found it easy enough to even the glitter out onto the nail without messing up the application via the brush. 

I absolutely love the pieces of glitter in this polish. There are a few hexagon shaped pieces and a few smaller square pieces. I love that the pieces are iridescent, in different lights the colour of the glitter almost changes. So when moving your fingers around you can catch bits of baby blue, light green, purple and pink coming from the glitter - huge fan of this. 

{Two coats. Ring finger is Stairway to Heaven painted over Ciate's Bon Bon}

Like many other glitter polishes Stairway to Heaven can look lovely on its own or layered over a bright or subtle shade. Unfortunately the above picture doesn't really give the finish justice, as it didn't quite capture all of the pieces of glitter that was actually on my nails - due to the iridescent pieces of glitter and me not having the best camera! However I did find some amazing swatches on Temptalia's blog, click HERE to check them out!

Overall I'm pretty impressed with this nail polish. I have tried and own a variety of different types of glitter nail polishes and don't feel that I own one that matches this - dupe/quality wise. Although the price tag seems pretty ridiculous I have to admit for a glitter junkie like me I will definitely be getting my moneys worth out of it. One of the reasons why I chose this shade was that I hadn't really spotted anything else quite like it. 

Deborah Lippmann's polishes can be purchased online or in House of Fraser. Polishes retail at around £16. Lippmann collection site; HERE

Have you tried any of Lippmann's polishes? I would love to hear what you think of them.