Mini Haulin'

Just thought I would share a little haul of goodies I've bought over the past month or so. As I've just started a new job, I'm going through a bit of a transitional period so it's a small but, in my opinion, perfectly formed haul.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum #52
I'm a big fan of the healthy mix foundations and I'd read around a bit on the serum but kept getting the impression it might not be great for my combi to oily skin. I don't want to blab on about it too much as I'd love to do a more detailed review but in a nutshell it's a nice, light feeling foundation although perhaps not suitable for oilier skin types or those who want something with good coverage over imperfections.
Maybelline The Collossal Volum' Express Waterproof Mascara
If you read my review of the normal i.e. non waterproof version of this mascara then you should realise how much I like this however I don't think I ever specifically needed a waterproof mascara. I suppose I wanted to see the difference and now I know...it's basically a pain in the arse to get off. I get it, it's waterproof, it's meant to be long lasting but I can't be bothered with the faff.
Bourjois Liner Pinceau Eyeliner
I've only used this a couple of times as I don't have much time to do full make-up nowadays but I absolutely love this. This was free as there was a promo on Bourjois and initially I thought it like a pen tip liner which I've always wanted to try. When I discovered it was just a normal flicky kinda brush, I thought all hope was lost but it was literally so easy to use as the brush is quite thin and precise, as the name suggests.
Carmex Lip Balm
My lips have been disgustingly dry recently, to the point where I had to start using this cream every day and that is some seeeeriously heavy duty stuff. As the dryness situation improved, I reverted to an old favourite, my good old Carmex.
Revlon Lip Butters - Strawberry Shortcake, Creme Brulee, Juicy Papaya
These are so widely raved about so I decided to finally snap some up when I spotted a 3 for 2 in Boots. It's obvious to see why they are so loved...creamy, awesome pigmentation and soooo many colours, I want them all.
No7 Total Renewal Microdermabrasion Exfoliator
My skincare regime is pretty dire at the moment, I've been in urgent need of a good exfoliating sesh so I googled my options. This popped up a few times so I snapped it up with the help of £5 off voucher, I love those things. I've only used this twice so far but initial thoughts...my skin literally feels baby soft after using it and not too iritated. Definitely give this a whirl if you have a voucher as it works out pretty cheap for what is marketed as a more high end product.
Paperchase 2014 Diary
A bit of a random purchase and considering I'm normally super organised, I have no idea why I have only just bought a diary for the year! This was half price, I can't remember how much exactly but I think it was £6 in the sale and there was only one left! When I was going through school, college etc, Paperchase was like one of my favourite shops ever and they always have such cool diaries with so many useful bits so I was very happy to have spotted this. It has a little slot in the back for a disc and a little pencil case built in, I am so impressed...sad I know. Here's few more pictures of the internals anyways, if anyone wants to see how the weekly planner looks and all that shebang.

Fashion Picks: Spring In Your Step

From top left going clockwise: Pounce Peep Toe, Limited Buckle Boots, Grey Strap Detail Boots, All Yours Ankle Boots.

We have the most unpredictable weather in the UK, particularly where I live in Manchester which is known as the rainy city. This is where ankle boots become your best friend. You can pair them with jeans on a colder day and they also look great with floaty, daytime dresses meaning you can wear them all year round. What's not to love? 

Here's my pick of ankle boots currently available on the high street.

Pounce Peep Toe Boots - £95 - Topshop

I'm not one for having my toes out to be honest but for some reason I really love these boots. They would look good with so many different outfits, I think you could even dress these up for a sophisticated evening look.

Limited Black Leather Buckle Boots - £69.99 - New Look

I used to work in New Look once upon a time and I've always been really impressed with the shoes in particular...there's always a good choice of styles, lots of on-trend stuff and the prices are really good. I'm a sucker for patent boots so my eyes lit up when I spotted these.

Grey Strap Detail Ankle Boots - £75 (Now £45) - River Island

A bit of a different choice and there is a pretty good selection of alternative coloured boots if black or brown ain't floating your boat. I particularly like these ones though as they are a lovely, grey tone and they also have added blingy gold which I always love.

All Yours Ankle Boots - £80 - Topshop

These beauties have been on my wishlist for donkeys now and I feel quite sad that they still don't exist in my wardrobe! I have so many little outfit ideas in my head about how I would wear these as they are such a gorgeous style.

Review: Vertbaudet Play Kitchen

I thought I would review something a bit different today and that something just happens to be my little girls play kitchen from Vertbaudet that we purchased quite a long time ago now. It's  We bought it for her 2nd Christmas in 2012 and to be honest at the time, I think she probably was a little bit too young for it as she wasn't really in that whole role play stage of childhood. Nowadays, it's definitely one of her more loved toys and she loves having little pretend dinner parties.



So I'll start off with the good points about it and the reasons why I opted for this one over other kitchens. First of all, it looked beautiful and fitted perfectly into the owl/bird theme in her room which is what initially attracted me. Secondly, it was cheap, like really cheap considering it's not plastic and a lot of the wooden effect toy kitchens from toy places such as Early Learning Centre and Little Tikes are over £100. I paid around £40 from someone on eBay selling damaged goods and returns and you can see on the photo above, if you look carefully that it has the slightest bit of damage on the right corner of the door but this has never affected the functionality so I'd still say I got quite a bargain. My final hurrah about the kitchen has to be the added bonus of storage space within the unit which was a biiiiiiiig selling point for someone like me who hates clutter and seeks out any method of hiding messy looking toys. I'm sure I'm not the only anal person who is like this....if you throw out the majority of McDonald's, magazine, lucky bag etc toys by the end of the day, your not alone. One last tiny pro, there are wheels underneath the kitchen so it is also super easy to move if need be.

Now for the not so good points about it, the main thing being that it's not really got much to fiddle with in comparison to the other toy kitchen's out there such as IKEA's Duktig Mini-Kitchen which comes with a snazzy light up hob and realistic sink area or the Kidkraft Pink Vintage Kitchen which is just brilliant in general and has knobs that click...call me sadly nostalgic but I loved the satisfaction of a clicky button or knob as a kid! Another final thing, is that it is quite wide so if you have a petite toddler then they might struggle to reach all the interesting bits like the taps and sink.

I honestly really struggled to come up with negatives to say about the kitchen although I'd say the lack of features that other kitchens have compared, may heavily sway which type you go for. If you have a little one that loves role play they will still have hours of fun with this provided you throw some accessories in such as toy kitchen utensils and dinnerware. This particular kitchen isn't available from Vertbdaudet anymore as far as I'm aware but I did spot a few on eBay whilst writing this post. If you want a similar style though, Vertbaudet tend to always have the wooden style play kitchens on their website but to my knowledge, they change the designs every year...consequently the old ones normally go into sale so keep an eye out for when their sales go live.

From Top Left: Pan Set from Spotty Green Frog, Duktig Dinnerware from IKEA, Wooden Toaster Set from AliExpress, Wooden Lolly Set from Great Little Trading Co.

The accessories featured inside the kitchen are also from Vertbaudet but I'm not sure if they stock them anymore, you can get similar sets online from a broad range of retailers as I've pictured above. By the way, the Duktig range by IKEA is pretty awesome...me and the other half were pretty curious as to how the plates haven't broke yet so we tested this notion on our laminate floor, living life on the edge I hear you say...anyways the flipping plate did not break, crack, nothing, nada...they certainly are child proof. The tea set on top of her kitchen is from a mail order company called 24Studio, again I don't think they stock this anymore as it was a long time ago when I purchased everything. All is not lost though, you can get the same set online from here: Spotty Green Frog.

I really hope this has helped anyone considering purchasing a play kitchen or given you an idea of a good present idea for a toddler girl or boy.

My Top 5 Nail Polishes...At This Moment In Time

Since starting up my blog, my addiction to switching up my nails every other day has definitely waned, to the point where I've finally succumbed to the reality that I need to get rid of some polishes. In a vain attempt at condensing my little collection down, it ultimately ended with me getting slightly overexcited at all the pretty but sadly unloved colours and swatching everything to my little hearts content. Despite this serious setback, I eventually whittled down my stash and came to the conclusion that really, I could probably survive with just a few polishes, maybe 6 or 7...okay at least 25, JUST in case.

Image Source: Like a Candy Shop

Nowadays, I do tend to play it safe with my nails by sticking to shades I love and that I know suit me but the babies pictured are the ones that are without a doubt, my most loved and used colours.

L-R: Models Own Beth's Blue, Models Own Pastel Pink, Barry M Peach Melba, Barry M Gelly Lychee and Models Own Nude Beige.

I know there isn't a huge variety of brands in there and that's not to say I don't like other brands. I just happen to own a lot of Models Own and Barry M polishes but admittedly, I do absolutely love Models Own...there kinda bang on for price and formula whereas Barry M can sometimes be a bit more inconsistent. I just find that with SOME of the Barry M colours, I have to paint 3 coats and to be completely honest, I simply cannot be bothered with that kind of faff considering I often have a limited window of time to do my nails, between putting a toddler in bed and doing housewifely stuff. Overall though I really like the Barry M range and the shades featured here usually do the trick in 2 coats.

Remember, it's good to share so comment away with your favourites.

Daisy Dukes and Dope Accessories

Hey anyone left reading :-) sorry for the rather extended hiatus, I'm doing a bit of blogging on the side more for work purposes and when I get home all I wanna do is snuggle up with my bubba's! The benefits of having a job that involves perusing the internet all day means I get to look at loads of shamaze fashion but the downsides are that I now have lists upon lists of things I wish, want and need in my life...damn you Polyvore! Gotta admit I've become a bit of a polyvore junkie, I love it and I'm so envious of some of the amazing fashion sets people put together on there. Well, if you can't beat them, join them I say and the creation of this little outfit came together, hope you like.

Meanwhile, I have now created a Tumblr blog in the midst of my absence from Blogger....no idea why I didn't do it sooner as it is such a great source of inspiration, dreamy pictures, arty celeb pictures and wise words. I have a little button to the right of the page where you can click through to my Tumblr blog or click the link above. In other news, it's my daughter's 2nd birthday next week *cry* I know it's a big cliche to say, but it goes way too fast...and I'm a little overwhelmed, she's a really funny, little human being and I love her cheery self so much!

I'd love it if you dropped me a comment, should I do more style posts?

Let me know what you think, 

Avon Anew Vitale Skincare Review

I bought a few bits from Avon quite a while ago now so it's only right that I finally do a little review on the skincare I purchased from the Anew Vitale range. The Vitale collection contains similar products to Avon's other age specific skincare but it's targeted at women aged 25+. As you may already know, I'm quite a fan of the much raved about duo eye cream they sell (you can see my review here) so I had pretty high hopes.

I purchased three products from the range, there's also a BB cream and a cleanser. I don't think the BB cream had even been launched when I picked my little haul up otherwise I would of loved to try that out.

Anew Vitale Day Cream SPF 25

First off, the smell of both creams is amazing although if your not into heavily scented products you may not particularly like that. Scent aside, I'd say it comes fairly close to living up to it's claims of helping fight the first signs of stress and fatigue. My skin definitely feels plumper and appears dewier when I've applied this however  it's a little too rich for days when I'm wearing make-up underneath. The fact it contains a good amount of SPF is obviously great as it's so important to protect your skin from the sun but again, I feel like this kind of adds to the greasy feel I often get from using products containing SPF. Despite this not being entirely suitable for my skin type, it definitely serves a purpose as nice, nourishing skin treat for days when I'm not wearing make-up.

 

Anew Vitale Night Cream

This smells just as lovely as the day cream but it's not as rich and creamy, something I wasn't expecting to be honest as I usually find that night creams are generally heavier on the skin. I've took a little picture of some swatches below so you can see the difference in texture. Having said that, I love this cream and feel like I'm giving my skin a really nice treat at bedtime. The texture is very different from the day cream as it's more of a gel texture which I think helps it to sink in a lot easier. In terms of the benefits it provides for your skin, it is pretty consistent with the day cream as it makes my skin feel dewy and nourished. The night cream is apparently supposed to help fight the first visible signs of ageing and fine wrinkles, and whilst I can't comment on it's wrinkle fighting abilities as I don't have any yet, I don't feel as though it tightens my skin like other anti-ageing products I've tried.

Anew Vitale Eye Gel Cream

All I can really say is that this is just a nice eye cream, there's definitely better ones out there in terms of making the skin around your eyes brighter and more radiant, I'd personally recommend Clinique All About the Eyes for brighter peepers. It also takes far too long for my liking to sink in, maybe I'm being impatient but in comparison to the Anew Clinical Eye Lift, it takes an age to sink in and it's just generally not that great in my personal opinion.

In a nutshell, I would definitely consider repurchasing the night cream once I run out because it smells be-a-u-diful and it makes my skin feel lovely. As for the day cream, it's just not great for my skin type and the eye cream is nothing special, so I don't think I'd be grabbing these again unless they were on a seriously bargainous offer. If you have normal to dry skin, definitely try the range out otherwise I'd stick to trying to get hold of some samples before you splurge on the full size shabang.

I have a burning request for someone to please recommend some creams that contain SPF that are non greasy. As much as I'd love to protect my skin, I just can't face wearing cream with SPF as most I've tried make my skin stupidly greasy! Any recommendations, would be much appreciated.

Have a lovely rest of the week!

Products available from: Avon Anew Vitale Day Cream SPF 25 £19.50, currently on offer for £13.00, Anew Vitale Night Cream £19.50, currently on offer for £13.00 and Anew Vitale Eye Cream £16.00, currently on offer for £11.00.

NOTD: Pastel Paws

Hey everyone, hope you've all had a lovely weekend and are enjoying the niceish weather? It's not exactly heatwave temperatures in Manchester where I live but even this teeniest amount of sun has put me in such a better mood! Meanwhile, I've been having a bit of a moment with the old Konad stamping kit which has led to the other half getting quite hacked off at me doing my nails every three days or so, can't see the problem myself...if I could, I would probably do my nails every day!

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of leopard print on the nails but I actually love pastel colours mixed with the leopard print. I think it looks really nice and girly, and not at all Bet Lynch-esque!

What nail art are you loving at the moment? I'm in need of some inspiration, I have hundreds of stamping designs to try but I'm already getting a bit bored at how long winded it can be to stamp my nails.

If you have anything you'd like to share nail art wise, go for it and post me a comment in the box below!