Dublin.

In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussells, alive, alive, oh!"

"Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".

She was a fishmonger,
But sure 'twas no wonder,
For so were her father and mother before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

"Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh". 

She died of a fever,
And no one could save her,
And that was the end of sweet Molly Malone.
Now her ghost wheels her barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

I said I'd be away for a bit and I wasn't wrong. After finishing my exams (They went terribly. Discussion over.) I got horrifically intoxicated in Manchester, before jumping on a train, another train then a boat and getting horrifically intoxicated in Dublin for the weekend, before taking a few more days off and landing in Shropshire for some much needed rest, relaxation and a severe lack of getting horrificaly intoxicated.

I'd never been to Dublin before, going away for me is a rare occurance; I hate flying, don't have a valid passport, hate the sun as am terrified of aging and don't allow myself the time off anyway. I still sit and complain about the fact I don't go away, but that's not the point.

Nonetheless, going away was probably one of the best decisions I have made for a long while, and I would highly reccommend Dublin to anyone in the UK looking for a weekend away.Whilst the Euro isn't wonderful and so it's not the most economical city in the world; the atmosphere, scenery and feel are just spectacular. I'm not going to go through a step by step analysis of where we visited, as I'm sure you don't really care, but I would say if you every get the chance to visit then do stop off at the Guinness factory (and try to end up in the gravity bar at the very top just as the sun is setting) and also try and see the porter house bar, which is handily located just on the high street, to sample some of their own brews as well as the Fruli strawberry beer, which if you are a wimp like me and can't handle the black stuff is the drink to have.

Now I've been away however, I have come back with the awful ailment of itchy feet; if I had my passport I would probably be sitting in the departure lounge of Manchester airport waiting for to next flight to, well, anywhere, and so seeing as I have a dissertation to write (which is also going terribly. Discussion over.) it's probably a good thing I'm stuck up north for the time being.

So now I'm back, and I have four months left of my degree. A prospect which I'm equally daunted and overjoyed by. I still have no concrete plans of what I shall be doing once I graduate, but the prospect of what may await me afterwards keeps me motivated.

I know I did terribly in these last exams, and I don't imagine the final set will be much more of a success. It's not that I have not enjoyed university, rather the oppposite, but you get to the point where it just doesn't challenge you any more. And as much as I do have itchy feet, I also want to settle and make something of my life*. In the meantime you'll have to put up with my whimsical posts, as you may be able to tell I seem to be taking this blog into much more of a personal direction than it has been before, although fear not, a bit of mascara and other cosmetic chatter is sure to ensue shortly, after all, I am doing a philosophy degree so need something shallow to counteract me turning into much more of a self-absorbed twat.

Cat
xx

*Mother if you are somehow reading this, don't worry, there's no sign of grandkids just yet. 

Review: Rich orange and chocolate fudge.

I admit it's hard to get excited about fudge. It's usually associated with seaside holiday treats, or something your nan keeps in the car for long road journeys. I have quite a specific memory of fudge; every other week my mum would take me to the Friday market and we'd buy a pack from the Women's instuitute cake stall. It was handmade vanilla fudge, made by a lady called Mary, was sickly sweet and the lasting memory I have of it is a gritty sugar finish that was always that little too sickly.

Then, a few years ago I visited York on a weekend break with friends, and we stumbled over what I believe still is, the quaintest, most lovely shop I have ever visited: Jim Garrahy's Fudge Kitchen - link to the website here. The fudge kitchen handmakes it's fudge using a recipe that dates back to 1830, they have a range of wonderful flavours, and FYI if ever visiting they are more than happy for you to taste test them!

Now imagine my utter joy this morning when the postman dropped off a package from Lee, creator of the excellent chocolate review blog, link here, containing a full sized slab of rich chocolate and orange fudge.

 

And after my housemates getting hold of it...

Now, just to clarify I only had a very small amount myself! This stuff is seriously sweet a little goes a long way, but living with three guys they lobbed off huge chunks, and are now sitting on our sofa feeling rather full.

So let's get down to the best bit, taste test time.

According to the fudge kitchen website...

"when you bite into the outer crust, you’ll experience a mouth-watering soft chocolate fudge centre, with a fruity orange taste to savour."

And according to me...

The first thing you notice is the texture; it's like cutting through butter. As soon as it rests on your tounge a wave of fresh orange passes over your taste buds, then quickly followed by the dark chocolate, as the two meet they envelop into a pure taste sensation.

This is unlike any other fudge you will have tasted. It's wonderful smooth and creamy, and there is no artifical aftertaste or gritty sugary sensation. The high quality ingredients and handmade, loving process shines through in the flavour. As soon as it hits your tongue you are powerless to let it take over; you don't talk, don't chew, or think of anything else. Then, once it's gone you are left with a feeling of pure, well, 'wow'.

Lee puts it beautifully when he says this fudge "Consumes you...Its difficult to explain but literally it melts to hug every part of your mouth in all consuming delight."
 

I want to make it clear here that I have not been asked in any way to promote the fudge kitchen, but as I happen to be aware of it I have no qualms with making the point of how good it is! I have ordered from them offline once before, I brought a selection box which costs £14.99 filled with the double chocolate, caramel chocolate, vanilla and strawberries and cream flavours. Each of course, was as delicious as the next. I would say however only buy offline if you are buying something as a gift, or something to share between friends. I ordered offline because me and my previous housemates decided it would be a lovely treat to celebrate finishing our exams, of which it was :-)

I would like to thank Lee for letting me review this (still can't believe he sent me a whole slab!) and if you are like me, a chocoholic, then do check out his chocolate review blog. He clearly has a passion for the subject and an excellent palette.

On a slightly ironic sidenote, I'm going to be a late started to the lovely Cat's weight loss challenge. I would like this year to finally be the time I slip back into my size 10 jeans (which after having a very odd eating pattern during these exams, I am very close to doing so!) and I also think it's about time I started getting fit and healthy, and this seems like a great way to do so. Why do I mention this here? Well I'm actually a very keen cook, so plan on posting some recipes, food inspiration and perhaps the odd cooking video in the ear future.

On that note I must get off and continue with revision. Leave me a comment telling me what you thought of my reiew, and Lee's blog. Have you tried anything from the fudge kitchen before?

Cat

xx



P.S I'm really very sorry if I have disrupted anyones diet plans!

Grace under pressure.

I have exams this week. Finals. I'm pretty much screwed already considering my shitty semester and lack of motivation/laziness when it comes to revision. I have a bad case of third year blues. But nonetheless I'm giving it a final push, and shall probably be away for a week and a bit as after I finish I'm off to Dublin for a much deserved long weekend away.

As a little post exam treat to myself (not that I deserve it) I am planning on picking up a little something special. I spied this little beauty of a polish just a moment ago on Donna and Nadaz's blog, which I reccommend you go check out here now. Go do it!

Every girl needs a little chanel (granted I can only afford a nail polish) in her life.

To all those also suffering with the dreaded exam fever, I wish you good luck. If you are feeling stressed, low or pretty shit about the whole process (which I certainly am) then have a little listen to this glorious elbow track to uplift you.



Cat
xx

Review: Nude cleansing oil.

The other day I decided I needed a cleansing oil. I've seen quite a few posts of late raving about Shu Uemura’s and MAC's versions to name a few, but picked up NUDE's version after the lovely Mizzworthy mentioned on twitter that it was half price on spaceNK. It also happens to be made from completely natural ingredients (no mineral oil here, officer) infact the whole NUDE range don't contain any of the following nasties:  

parabens, sulphates, PEGs, TEA, DEA, propylene glycol, phthalates, GMO, mineral oil and silicones.

Not bad, eh.

The oil itself comes in a sexy little bottle (I seem to remember there was a court case with stella Mccarthy over packaging, either way I think it's very sleek and stylish). To use just pump a coule of squirts, rub into dry skin so it lathers up into a milky liquid, then rinse. Simples.

The idea of a cleansing oil is to remove make up effortlessly and leave skin super soft. So you ask me, does it do either? Well, yes and, yes.

I'm yet to use it on any heavy make up, but my usual mascara and wee flick of bobbi brown gel eyeliner (review to come soon) is gently swept away with 2 pumps, and my skin is left feeling as soft as a babys bottom. 1 pump would probably suffice on a non-make up day (like that happens...) and because it's so light I don't follow with another cleasnser (however I imagine if I was trying to remove heavy make up I would probably need to) -I simply tone and moisturise.

The only downside I have with this product is the heavy oilve oil-like smell that comes with it. I'm not overly fussed by it, but at the same time it doesn't exactly tickle the senses.

So in conclusion I am pretty satisifed with this product, I am tempted to try the MAC cleanse off oil once this is finished, because paying £28 for 200ml of oil kinda scares me a little. Yet I fully recommend this cleansing oil to anyone who is suffering from dry and slighly sensitive skin this winter.

Price: £28 (although still half prce on spaceNK.com)
Quantity: 200ml
Repurchase: Likely. Certainly if another half price offer was on!
Perfect for: Those with sensitive, dry skin, who want something gentle, light and effective.

Cat
xx

Bag envy: Mulberry Alexa.

 "Hi, I'm Alexa Chung, yeah I'm Vogue's best dressed female of 2009, a model, presenter, oh and have a lush boyfriend (did I mention he's in one of the most successful UK bands of the 21st century?). Yeah so Mulberry like totally designed a bag inspired by little old me, yeah life's pretty cool right now..."

I am so in love with this bag its unreal. I mean I like the Mulberry bayswater, it's such a classic, but this is like it's younger, more effortless cousin. It's got that used, school satchel charm about it. If that even exists.

It comes in two styles, a lepoard print (which is already sold out on the Mulberry site) and then this classic leather style - which is much more my cup of tea. There's something very old-school British about this design, it's ever so slightly Solane Square but with a cheeky school-girl kinda egde. Urg I'm so totally in love. Unfortunately it's £795, so unless I sell a kidney before it's released I don't think I will get anywhere close to owning it. But A girl can always dream.

However I can't be all doom and gloom, t'other week I did pick up this little satchel-type bag from ASOS,

Yeah ok, so it's no Mulberry, but it was £32, is big enough to hold my uni folders and has plenty of added pockets to store all my bits and bobs.

And if I had the money (and figure) heres what I'd ideally wear it with:

Tell me, what's your 'it' bag this season?

Cat

xx

Human rights, moral responsibility.

Article 1 of the human rights doctrine:

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Article 3.

"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person."

Article 5.

"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."

Article 25.

"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."
Souce from: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/


Gemma has set up a justgiving account where you can donate towards the disasters emergency committee, a charity which 'unites the leading independent Humanitarian Agencies in the UK in their efforts to maximise income from the British Public to mount an effective humanitarian response to major disasters overseas.'

To donate please visit http://www.justgiving.com/youtubersforhaiti - you can donate through your debit/credit card or through paypal.

Cat
xx

Tattoo today, tattoo tomorrow.

Tattoo inspration.

I have been thinking of getting a tattoo for a while, I know exactly what I want; a quote from William Blake's poem 'London'

The quote reads: 'The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.' (final line of second stanza).

I think I want it in Blake's style of handwriting, below is an image of one of the few slates he originally transcribed it to. I'm not sure where it would look best, I did think along my foot, but I'm now leaning towards having it along my upper body. What do you guys think?

Tell me your tattoo stories or inspiration.

Cat

xx

The best of...2009, duh.

Ok, ok so I'm behind on this. Can we blame exams? The weather? The last episode of Gavin and Stacey? Alright fine, I've been lazy. But I felt it would be a good idea to highlight some key products that have saved me throughout the year.

MAC nail paint in cool reserve.

This was limited edition released with the fall/winter collection. I am more than halfway through using this, which never happens with me. It's a beautiful dirty grey lavender and it just looks stunning on. The formulation is lovely, as this is my first MAC nail polish and it has tempted me to buy more. The only thing that worries me is that they won't re-lease this again for a while, cos it'll be a sad day when this is finished.


MAC unbasic white starflash shadow.

Yes, another limited edition purchase, this time from the love that look collection. I adore this shade for the inner corner, if I'm on a night out I always pop it on. This is my first and only starflash shadow, and I really do love the creamy, pigmented texture. I shall certainly be buying more when they are next released.


Bobbi brown skin foundation.

Yes, I know I talk about this stuff a lot. But seriously, it's the only foundation that I have ever repurchased (in fact I have just ordered my 3rd pot!). The coverage isn't fantastic but for everyday wear it blends beatuifully into my skin and the colour range is just fantastic, and of course in my case this is the only brand with a shade light enough to match my skintone! Hallileuigh!

 Kerastase resistance range.

A few months ago now I had a hair dye disaster. I went from blonde to brown, I had to put red in before the brown as I had bleached sections, and the result was very dark, very damaged hair. I was distraught and there was nothing the hairdresser could do except pack me off with these horrifcally expensive products, which is turn, saved my hair. I will never go back to high street hair products now, my hair is in such a wonderful condition.

Illamasqua eyeliner pencil - Sophie.

I have mixed emotions towards gel eyeliners. I have only tried MAC and sleek, but get a bit fed up with them drying out, looking cakey and being a bugger to apply. However the illamaqua pencil is one I reach to automatically when I fancy breaking out the liner. It's easy to work with, the colour is lovely and rich and it blends like a dream. Best eye liner pencil I am yet to try, hands down.

Benefit dandelion blush.

This is my fail safe blush. MAC well dressed comes a close second, but the cute packaging and lovely fresh smell seals the deal to this one. Because of my light skintone and rosacea I don't need too much in the way of blush, this isso fine and gentle I can get away with looking healthy, and not over-done.

Maybelline colassal volume mascara.

I got this at the garnier event and have since repurchased. I have been trying out the vibrating mascara thingy of late, but when that magically dissappeaed off the face of the planet I went back to colossal, and was reunited with an old friend (aww). As much as I hate the packagaing you can't deny this is a darn fine mascara, builds length, adds volume and is very nicely pigmented.

NOTD - Illamasqua rampage

 

My terrible application aside, this picture unfortunately doesn't do this nail polish justice. It's a beautiful rich sea-weed green, no shimmer or sparkle. I quite often find I want something dramatic on my nails, that isn't as harsh as black, for everyday wear. Eyeko has a very dark blue/purple 'vamp' polish that almost fits the bill, but I just find this colour a little more unusual.

I own two illamaqua nail polishes, this and baptiste. At the price (£12) they ain't cheap, and it makes me squirm somewhat when I think of it, but for me they do have some key colours that are so stand out it justifies the price tag. Added to this application is a dream, dries quickly, last for ages and you get plenty for your moneys worth.

Speaking of which,have you seen the colours for the S/S 2010 collection? I can haz now plz?

I am dying to try the one on the far right, caress. Any you would like to try?

Cat
xx

Operation beautiful.

When I saw Ellie's post earlier I had one of those 'awwww' moments. Operation beautiful is about women as a community reminding ourselves (as we have a habit of forgetting) that we are all beautiful just the way we are.

The idea is to post notes in public places for people to find, reminding women of this small fact. I know it's a wee bit cheesy, and to the more synical, vomit inducing. But I think it is a very sweet idea, and plan on taking some post it notes and a pen to uni with me in the next couple of weeks :-)

Would any of you guys ever get involved with a community project like this? What would you think if you saw one of these notes lying around?

Cat
xx

Best. Shoes. Evar.

So over the last few weeks a few things have happened, I turned 21, welcomed the new decade in an alcoholic stupor, came back to uni and started stressing about my impending exams of dooooooom.

Now, like most students, I have been making the most of my procrastination. Seeing as I still can't leave the house for fear of landing flat on my arse and never getting over the humilation, I have been doing what a girl who can now remember her debit card details off by heart does; online shopping. Which has resulted in me owning, amoungst many other things, what I declare to be the most awesome shoes known to man, ladies and gents, I give you the clarks originals desert boot:

How amazing!? These are part of the clarks originals collection, the print is called 'liberty print'. There are 6 designs in total, each representing a different decade to celebrate clarks 60th anniversary. Now these RRP at around the £80 mark, but I found them at schuh.com with 30% off. Unfortunately these seem to be out of stock in most places, clearly I am behind on the trend :-) but have spied them for sale on asos. I'm just saying.


As I also mentioned earlier, I turned 21 just before xmas, and fancied showing off my little bit of 'bling' that I recieved.

Why hello, Mr Jacobs. I had been lusting after this watch for ages, but couldn't seem find it anywhere in the UK, luckily Manchester's branch of House of Frasier came up trumps, and my lovely mumsie nabbed the last one in stock for me. I did try the micheal kors watches, but as I have a small wrist they just looked too chunky. Wheras this is a beautiful fit.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful 2009 so far, goos luck to all those with uni, a-level or GCSE's. It's giving me great strength knowing these are the final set of January exams I have to go through!
xx

In with the old, out with the new...

...Wait, that ain't right?

I have just had a small mental realisation. 2009 has been quite a year. I don't normally go for the whole 'looking back at the year that was' - but when I thought about it, it really has been quite the year.

I suppose I should have known I was in for a rollarcoaster at the start. I made the decision to get high on NYE, not because I wanted too (call in peer pressue, I call it being a stupid fuckwit), which resulted in a massive panic attack and staying in my room all night feeling like the world was going to cave in on me. Welcome to 2009.

I lived in a house that began to fall apart at the seams. Now this isn't the place to discuss what happened, but it wasn't fun. My uni work suffered, my relationship suffered and looking back I never knew how unhappy I was. I became a bitch, I nagged, I shopped to make myself feel better. I lost control.

Just past the halfway point of the year I moved into a new student house, got a job over summer and was truly independent from home. It felt good. I started this blog, was invited to amazing events in London, meeting some incredible people along the way.

Then in September I started back at uni again. Final year. It was hard, not necessarily the workload but I had the third year blues, I couldn't, and still can't, wait for it to be over. University is great, but I need a new challenge now.

As we raced towards and entered winter I went through a break up, I left my partner after many years. It was horrific. It had to happen, and I do not regret the decision, but it doesn't change the fact that it was the lonliest and hardest times of my life, I was so upset I was physically sick. So lost and confused I was calling samaritans at all hours of the night and I didn't sleep for weeks. But then I started, day by day, to feel better. I had some awful family news, but it kind of put things in perspective. I was able to look at myself and say 'You know what Cat, you are ok.'

And now we reach the end of the year and I was 21. Originally I planned to celebrate with massive parties. But when it came to it, after everything that happened, I couldn't face that. So I just celebrated it with the people who I call friends, and you know what? It was amazing.

Christmas came, and went. My family came up, and we toasted my uncle, who passed away just before xmas after a cancer battle. Being at home, with my family and friends was wonderful (and still is - I'm not back in manchester just yet!) everyday I honestly believe I become stronger, learn a little more about me and feel happier.

So here we are at new years. I shall not be welcoming the year like I did last year. I am spending the evening my good friends, in the place I love. 2010 will have it's up's and downs. Every year does. But I know that whatever happens only I have the power to influence it. I didn't think I would be able to say this at the start of last year, but I am ok. It has taken a long time to get here, but t feels wonderful.

I don't have any new years resolutions as such. Well apart from that old trying to fit into my 'skinny' pair of jeans....

But I do know I am going to have to make some major decisions his year, I graduate, and whilst I know where I want to be in 5 years time, I don't know how I'm going to get there. This year will really be the final year of education, the start of the rest of my adult life. So I guess I've got to make the most of it.

If you read this far well done, you can be safe ion the knowledge that I am cringing at the fact of putting this all down for the world to see.

Happy NYE and all the best for 2010

Cat
xx

A small online sales guide.

Happy Christmas one and all! I don't know about you but I'm feeling fat, hungover and generaly shattered. What better time to go sales shopping, eh!

I adore sale shopping. However I also adore my bed. I live half an hour's drive away from any decent shops, and cannot be bothered with the early start, parking and being punched in the ribs repeatedly as I battle my way through topshop. So I stick to online shopping, yes it takes a little longer to get here this time of year, but who doesn't love getting packages in the mail?

So here's my little guide to the online sales so far...

The best:


Harvey nicks.

Fancy a little Marc jacobs reduced? I know I did...

The postage isn't all that cheap but they have some amazing bargains. You're credit card won't be the same again after visiting the handbag store...

River Island

I love how everything is ordered by price, I think their website is a dream to use and they seem to have plenty of items left in stock.

Kurt Geiger.

A lot of items have 50% off, and for the longevity and quality of KG shoes I don't think you can go wrong. I purchased these beauties:

RRP £160, reduced to £99 then a further 10% off when you get to the til. Fabbity fab. I have needed some knee length boots, and thought these were just lurvely. Of course it's always risky buying shoes offline fit wise, but free returns are offered.

And now the rest...

Topshop

Not amazing. Quite a lot sold out and personally have not been fussed by much of their designs this season. However if you are a student you do get an extra 10% off if you have your NUS number handy. I got a nice little pair of lace up flats.

ASOS

I love ASOS, but sometimes I feel overloaded when on their site. I was looking at tops in the sale, hit the view all button and then saw that there were 1000 tops in the sale! 1000! I do not have the patience to flick through that many. However they do offer free next day delivery on orders over £100, and let's face it,  it isn'texactly hard to spend that much

Oh, FYI, they do have some good illamasqua sale offers...I'm just saying!

Urban outfitters.

A few good deals, but I'm kinda getting bored with their designs. I don't think I'm hip enough for them anymore. Plus each model they use looks about 14 years old and can't weight more than about 7 stone. Taking a leaf out of American Apparel's book I see...


So what's your tips and tricks when it comes to sales shopping? Do you battle it out on the shop floor or do you stick to your sofa? And what bargains, if any have you found?

Hoe you all had a lovely Christmas

Cat
xx

Honest review: Body shop.

Blogger events held by PR companies remind me of men. They take you out for the day, buy you a drink, get you something to eat and give you some presents at the end of it all in the hope that you will put out for them. Now whilst I love free things (who doesn't?!) I always feel obligued to be super nice to a company, but I have decided not to be a PR company's whore and give my honest opinion about products I am sent to review, so here is my open and honest opinion of the body shop products that I have been asked to try out. Enjoy :-)

I wanted to talk about this in one giant post because I imagine most of you are fed up with the whole 'ooo it was so amazing, look at all the free stuff I got!' posts. Because it is a kick in the teeth. It's shit when you don't get invited to something, it turns blogging competitive and into a popularity contest. Just remember that these events aren't about blogging, they are about cheap PR and promotion. I can understand why cosmetic's companies do it, heck I would do it if I were them! But whether it is worthwhile business wise I'm not sure.

Anyway: The body shop.

The body shop had a couple of things to promote; firstly their new make up collection, secondly their soft hands kind hearts hand cream and finally a new perfume called love etc.

So let's start with the make up. The main reason we were there was so they could promote their new 'autumn trend' (hmm, original name) make up range. In this range are some pearlesant shadows, blushes and eyeliners, as well as a whole load of lippies. My initial thoughts of the make up were not inspired. The eyeliners everyone had been complaining about after picking up the free ones in a magazine (can't for the life of me remember which one) and the two shadows and two blushes didn't exactly blow me away.

So let's have a look at some product swatches.




*Blush trios in warm dusk and cool sunset



*Eyeshadow trios in sundown glow and moonlight lustre. My look with moonlight lustre below (how awful do my eyebrows look? It's no wonder I got dumped, those things are a crime against beauty.)



Yes they are sparkly, but nothing amazing. To be honest I have never been overly impressed with the body shop's make up range. I love their brushes, but everything I have ever purchased I have soon forgotten about. Of course when make up artist Chase Aston did a demo of the make it it looked amazing (of course) but just because Kate Moss looks great in a mini dress doesn't mean I will.

I applied the blue eyeshadow trio using my fingers (as chase did) over my lid in above pic. As you can you can create an entire look with the 1 product, darker colour on the outer corner, going lighter on the inside. In fact the formulation of the shadows and blushes are nice, creamy, pigmented and there is very little fallout of 'chalkiness'. I have to admit that I have used the sundown glow trip a lot lately, I just use my fingers to apply it to my lid for work and top it off with some winged eyeliner (I can't leave without some liner, love it).

But of course the ultimate question is would I buy these myself? The answer is no. Yes they are nice shadows, and if they were part of a drugstore brand collection for around £5 I would probably be interested, but as it stands they are way overpriced at £9.50 each (the blush's are £12.50). Part of the problem is the packaging. It's clearly cheap plastic and feels flimsy. If I am paying nearly £10 for a shadow I want something with a bit of glamour and luxury, quite frankly I think TBS are missing a trick here.

Another new range we got to see were the lippes. The colourglide collection is designed to be moisture rich and provide lasting colour. Now out of all the make up products I think these are certainly worth a look at. There's a whole range of colours and the price isn't too scary (£8 each, but have just been on the website and they are on sale for £6 right now). These do what they say on the tin, they are very glossy and glide on easily. However, I'm not so sure about the 'rich' part - the formulation is very sheer so pigmentation is not strong at all.

This is number 58, a really rich deep red with a hint of purple. As you can see the amount of pigmentation lost in the swatch is immense, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, for those looking to try darker colours but a bit scared of going the whole hog this is a nice in between colour.

Finally (yeah I'm nearly done)

We were given some hand cream and perfume to try out.


The body shop soft hands kind heart hand cream has had a lot of press lately, even Ashton Kutcher was tweeting about it. Now for every sale a donation is made to ECPAC which raises money to stop sex trafficking of children and young adults. Pretty darn good cause. However I'm not letting that interfere with my view of the product. I am a totally cynical about beauty campaigns and charity and would rather give my money direct to a charity than have 90% of money made go to the company itself, but I guess that buying these products is a lesser of two evils in some way. I am in some way annoyed at the body shop - with loreal more precisely - since it was taken over the campaigning history and focus Anita Roddick brought to the company is not there any more and I can't help but feel this is all a bit of a marketing ploy (gah, when is anything not).

Anyway, the hand cream itself. Well it isn't anything special. It has a nice fresh non-perfumed fragrance and isn't too greasy so is absorbed into the skin easily. It won't change your life, but it will stop you having dry hands.

Ok, last product (gold star if you made it this far) is the love etc perfume. This retails for a very reasonable £16 for a 50ml bottle of eau de parfum (not toilette) and the scent is lush. It's floral, with a hint of citrus and I was bloody impressed. Apparently it was mixed by world famous perfumers yet whether TBS brought the formula from someone or had it made themselves I'm not sure. Either way, go try this stuff - I reckon you will love it.

So have you tried/been sent any of these products to try? What do you think of them, are they good, bad and how much do you reckon getting the product for free interferes with your review?

Final note:

Sorry I have been away, been busy with life lately (not always for good reason) but I have just had something leave my life which means I will have a lot more time and energy to blog. Fantastic :-)

FYI: I shall be reviewing the illamasqua dystopia collection soon (just as soon as I can get my hands on the products).

How I lost 2 stone quickly

And put it all back on again.

I wanted to write this post because I am becoming really concerned about young people and bloggers using unheathy methods to diet and loose weight. I have struggled with my weight for many years and want to share my story, what I have learnt and how it has affected me.

I was a very active healthy child with a normal weight, however during puberty at around the 13-15 mark I put on a bit of weight - about 1-2 stone in total. I felt heavy, tired and my parents often commented that perhaps I should loose a little for health purposes and also because it was costing them a fortune re-stocking the fridge! I used to hate my parents commenting on my weight, I'd get so angry, stop eating then feel awful and turn to food for comfort. It was a dangerous cycle. A few months later and I was stuck in a rut. Then I spied one of my mums books in the cupboard, it was Gillian Mckeith's 'You are what you eat' book, and I read it from cover to cover. That book and her story inspired me and from that day I decided I had to do something about my weight, and went about changing my lifestyle. I starting eating loads of fruit and veg, plus porridge, brown rice and oily fish etc. My diet was great and I looked and felt AMAZING! I had never had so much energy and weight was quickly coming off at a healthy 2 lb's a week.

As the weight came off it drove me to diet further, I didn't have a goal, I just wanted to be 'skinny', and so I started to restrict my diet and calorie count. I started halving my portions, then skipping meals. In the end I was eating about 500 calories a day. I would have a muller light or fruit for breakfast, 2 ricecakes for lunch and s small carb free meal for tea. I would make excuses so I didn't have to go for family meals, and if I went out for meals with friends would complain I didn't feel well or had eaten earlier to excuse my tiny portions. I was starting to look very skinny, my friends told me I was silly and should eat more - but I used to maintain I ate plenty (out of their sight, of course).

Added to that I exercised. I used to get up at 6am and do a fitness DVD for about 30-40 mins. I would also do the gym 4 times a week and go for walks every chance I got. I would aim to exercise for an hour every day. I'm not sure what weight I got down to, but I remember trying on a pair of trousers in river island and a size 8 was far too big. I was overjoyed.

Then I started being a teenager. I started going to a lot more nights out with friends. Then I had my first 'serious' relationship, which meant I had to eat with his family and in front of him or else he would get worried. So my weight began to creep up, I had spent so long practically starving myself I couldn't keep it up anymore, and you know what, food was great!

So, as the story goes, I put all the weight (and more) back no. I lost little bits at a time (through my usually method of starvation and exercise) but each time I would put it back on again, plus a little bit more. I have tried all sorts of diets in the time between then, and of course they have all been successful in getting me to loose weight, but not in keeping it off.

The sad fact is yo-yo dieting doesn't work. We all know this, yet we still do it. However I want to make you aware of the psychological, emotional and health consequences od such activity.

I now have a warped relationship with food. I don't know when I'm full, I don't know what 'normal' diet is and I go from binge eating to starving myself on a regular basis. Food turned into my comfort, and I used it to mask a whole load of psychological feelings, which now bring themselves forth whenever food is around. Added to that the health risks, god knows what I have done to my heart, bones and risk of disease in later life.

So please, to anyone considering a 'quick fix' or stupid fad diet STOP. The only way to loose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle, not for a month, not for 2 weeks, but for LIFE. I have made a lot of stupid choices and they will cost me greatly, I just really hope that others can learn from my mistakes and not go through the pain of them.

As for me, well I still hope one day I can get to my ideal size. I think one day I will, but it's going to be a long, slow and hard process.

Thank you for reading. Please leave some comments, tell me about your weight loss journey. Do you agree or disagree with what I'm saying. Share your thoughts, I dare you.

Much love
xx

R.I.P bobbi.

Me and bobbi met in Selfridges about 3 months ago. Hidden between the tinted moisturizers and dazzling shimmer bricks we found each other and needless to say it was love at first swatch. It was meant to be; bobbi's yellow tones balanced out the red in my skin, whilst his oil free formulation didn't slip off my greasy t-zone.

Of course things wern't always easy; his price tag meant my bank balance took a hammering and my rosacea was diffcult for him to cover. Then we faced a tough hurdle when I was unfaithful, being seduced by revlon coloustay. However the fling was brief; revlon was far too heavy and spf 6 wasn't enough to cover my delicate skin. I went back to bobbi. I sometimes wondered about straying again, but why ruin a good thing?

In the end we had a good time together. Bobbi never broke me out, never made me orange and lasted most of the day. However today he finally gave in, there is nothing left to pump. I have considered scraping out whats left on the inside edges, but I think thats pure desperation. It's time to let go, time to say goodbye and lay bobbi to rest.

So RIP bobbi skin foundation SPF 15. Thank you for all the good skin days you gave me.


So now I am stuck. Do I repurachse or try something new? My heart is telling me to stick to what I know and stay with my trusted bobbi brown, but my head tells me to test the water, there are plenty more fish in the sea after all.

So this is where I throw the question out to you all, what do you recommend as a foundation? What to you love and what do you hate, what makes your skin sikly smooth and dewy, and what makes you break out and look as orange as an umpa lumpa? Powder, foundation or tinted moisturizer let me know.

P.S Loved meeting the beautiful girlies at TBS. And if I met you and have yet to check out your blog then link me up (or link me if you didn't go, I love finding a gem of a blog to read!)

Guess what I've forgotten.

I am back home in beautiful Shropshire for the weekend to see friends and family. I had to drive up from work yesterday so only had half an hour on Friday morning to pack my stuff up, and originally I thought I had done pretty well packing wise (I mean I knew I had brought way too much, but that's better than too little). However, when it came to make up application today I realized I have managed to leave a vital piece of kit.

Can you work out what it is?

Brushes. I managed to leave all but one of my brushes at home. I have blush, MAC palettes, primers, lippies - everything else and more. But no brushes. Luckily I managed to bring my MAC 182 kabuki so can still manage some blush but eye make up has to be what I can apply with my fingers, today I have just swept some MAC melon pigment over my lid and added loads of mascara. I can't even do any winged eyeliner courtesy of illamasqua's sealing gel and MAC carbon. The worst part of it is I wanted to do something special with my illamasqua contest prizes as I'm off out tonight, but that looks like it will have to be delayed. Gutted.

On a lighter note I found this necklace in my room earlier

It's adorable! I can't remember where I brought it but it's one of these necklaces that goes missing for months on end and then randomly turns up out of the blue. Let's hope I don't lose it again.

So how's everyone's weekend going? Is everyone who is attending the b/s event excited? I can't wait!

xx

Product rant and rave.

Rant.


Naked rescue intense care shampoo and conditioner.
















They say: 'Naked rescue uses naturally derived vitamin and plant extracts to give damaged hair that special swish factor*. We don't use harsh ingredients, just gentle plant based cleansing ingredients'

I say: Whilst going natural seems to be all the fashion right now (i.e bubblegarms fantastic natural skincare tips) it doesn't equate to much in this product. This stuff is very much just a shampoo. Yes it cleans my hair but it has done nothing to repair damage or soften. Luckily I got this stuff for buy 1 get one free at boots but at around £4.50 a pop I would never buy again. Final thoughts? Nice smell, great philosophy but no noticeable results and awful packaging.

Rave.


Tresemme colour thrive brunette
















They say: 'With cinnamon and cocoa bean extracts, removes adding mineral deposits to restore vibrancy and radiant shine. Your hair will stay vibrant and shiny wash and wash, so you can relax until your next colour appointment'

I say: I used this when I went to my boyfriends and somehow it has ended up on my bathroom shelf ever since! I have always trusted tresemme as a brand and whilst the marketing or packaging for these products may not be top notch they do deliver. This leaves my hair super shiny, conditioned and strong. As for colour, well the red in my hair has faded a lot, which I knew was going to happen, and I am thankful for, but the brown looks great. I'm not sure how much that is due to shampoo but I guess time will tell. Final thoughts? Inexpensive and worth every penny.

So have you used any of these products? If so what did you think of them?

Finally I am getting my hair cut tomorrow, I'm doing a lollipop (i.e having my hair cut to grow it as Laura has done). I'm going to a new hairdressers so hopefully all will turn out well! Eeee!

Monday Poll

I love reading these and so thought it time to do one myself!

Mood: Uneasy. Had a little bit of a breakdown earlier due to Halifax being cocks and general things getting on top of me. Thankfully I have an amazing boyfriend who ran to my rescue and have me lots of hugs!

First words out of my mouth this morning: I stubbed my toe on the coffee table, I don't think I should repeat the word here :-P

What I'm looking forward to this week: Going home on the weekend and seeing my friends and family.

One things I'd like to improve about myself: Being more organised. I have such a bad habit of putting things off and they all end up snowballing and getting on top of me, like this evening. Everything just collapsed in on itself. I need to do things as soon as they crop up, rather than leaving them to stew.

On my makeup list: Couple of the shadows from the love that look collection and lily lolo mineral foundation. I usually have a wish list as long as my arm, but I'm pretty happy with my collection right now.

What I ate: Fruit and toast for brekkie, yogurt with nuts, seeds and dried fruit for lunch, chickpea curry in pitta for tea (Can you tell I'm trying to be healthy!)

Cheeks: Illamasqua bronzer duo, I have the glint/writhe duo and I used the lighter colour which is utterly beautiful.

Lips: Body shop lip butter.

Outfit: Grey top and cari, red skirt tights and heels.

Fragrance: Vera wang - princess.

Weekly goals: Try and continue the healthy eating and staying organised.

What's on top of your Monday poll?

xx

Garnier - the final round.

I have been using the garnier pure active range for over a week now and so it's time for the final review - with the obligatory before and after photo's of course.

So let's start off with last weeks before photo...


As you can see there are one or two spots, I actually managed to take a rather flattering photo, my skin certainly didn't look quite as good in true light!

48 hours later...



Ewww greasy. Apart from that there is a noticeable difference in spot size - however that one on my top lip looks like it's going to burst.

Finally the finished product (and a different pose!)


Now this was taken this evening and I'm not wearing a scrap of make up to cover any nasties - this is my bare naked skin. Not bad eh? I'm seeing a spot reduction - although I am biased. What do you think, can you see a noticeable difference?

So lets get onto the final review.

Did my spots clear?

Well, clearly my spots have dramatically reduced in size and redness. After I posted the 48 hour piccy (where the red spot looks bloody massive) I washed my face and the head of that spot fell off - it had dried out and just flaked off my skin! After that my skin cleared up completely and I was spot free. However this didn't last long and towards the end of the week a couple of new spots did appear.

Any side effects?

Unfortunately yes - and I always thought this was going to be the case. This range is not designed with sensitive skin in mind and coupled with the high percentage of acid I was expecting it to dry out my skin - and no surprise, it did. Like most medicated spot treatments the head of the spot flakes away, which whilst does reduce the redness of the spot this dry skin is incredibly annoying and it feels rather as though this only tackles the outer layer of spots, rather than getting to the cause of them, which may be why I continued to get spots during the trial.

Repurchase?

I have always maintained that I will repurchase the moisturizer and I am still planning on doing so, the same goes for the spot stick. The wash I am unsure about, I love how it doesn't make my skin tight and removes every scrap of makeup, but I fear my skin is too dry for this product - I think I may use it once in a while, but every day is too much for my dry sensitive skin!

Final thoughts.

The Garnier pure active range is perfect for those of you with young, oily spot prone skin. If you use medicated skin ranges then this is probably the best you can find on the market due to the 2% purifying salicylic acid which is going to kill off any nasty spots. However the question remains in my mind as to whether the 'acid attack' method is the best way to treat troublesome skin, however the results speak for themselves and I can't deny this stuff has cleared my skin - thereby proving this stuff does exactly what it says on the tin :-)

Phew, so that's the review over. I did have a play with my illamasqua products this weekend but didn't end up having the time to take some photos or so anything interesting with them - so I'm going to have to keep you all on tenderhooks as to when a look will be posted!

Much love
xx