The Dream Team

Working full time has really made me appreciate bedtime. I've never really had much of a problem getting to sleep *touches wood*, but sometimes, if I've had a busy week or stressful day at work, I can find it hard to shut down for the day. I also find Sunday nights extremely hard to navigate - the imminent morning alarm seems to taunt me. I'd heard a lot about This Works Sleep range but was a bit dubious as to whether these kind of products actually work. 

I found myself in Space NK on one of my lunch breaks and decided to pick up the Deep Sleep Night Time kit, as I had a £5 N.centive. The kit comes with a full size Deep Sleep Pillow Spray and Sleep Balm. The pillow spray does what it says on the tin, you simply spray above your pillow before getting into bed and the Lavender and Vetiver helps you to unwind and fall asleep. The Sleep Balm is a 100% natural, multi purpose balm that can be rubbed onto temples and pulse points to help sleep and also ease nerves. 

So does it actually work? The first night I used both products, I felt extremely relaxed and sleepy, but I was also watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy and found it a little difficult to switch off when it was finally time to sleep. Having said that, I woke up the next morning less groggy than usual and I found I wasn't battling with my eyelids on the commute into work. The next evening I decided to skip Grey's (sorry McDreamy) and go ahead with the pillow spray and balm. I can't remember much else past my head hitting the pillow. Some might argue it's the placebo effect, but I have been sleeping much more deeply than I have in the past and I'm starting to feel a bit better come morning on work days. 

At £22 for this kit, it's not a a necessity but if you find it hard to drift off to sleep, this range might be worth investing in. My only problem now is I don't think I'll ever not be able to have these products by my bedside... 

Beauty Wishlist | The High End Edit

Although I've been loving what high street brands have to offer lately, I can't help but be sucked in to Space NK and other high end concessions wishing for something more luxurious.  I wandered around my local Space NK a few weeks ago and picked up the Living Proof Prime Style Extender, which had been on my wishlist for a while, but if my debit card had, had its evil way, I would have been walking out with a lot more besides.  I write down my wishings in a notepad and adding another product to the list I noticed a high end trend going on.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

1. Origins GinZing Moisturiser; £23 - There's no denying that Origins is one of my favourite skincare brands and they've since launched the moisturising sister of their popular GinZing Eye Cream.  I'm currently on the look out for a daily moisturiser that keeps the oil at bay and this sounds right up my street.

2. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation; £33 - I picked up a sample of this from House of Fraser the other day and have used it everyday since and I love the finish.  It's got great coverage but it also has a glow to it, something often lacking from higher coverage foundations. Do I really need another foundation? No, but that wont stop me lusting.

3. Bioderma Sebium Micelle Solution; £9.99 - I love the original Bioderma, so I want to try the Micelle Solution formulated for oily skin, Sebium.  I've still got some of the original left to finish up first, before jumping into an impulse purchase.

4. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder; £38 - Hourglass is a brand in general I want to try but the Ambient Lighting Powder has really caught my eye of late, and not just because of all the blogger hype.

5. MAC Brushes in 217, 219 and 266; from £17 - I've been really getting into eyeshadows of late and want to update my brushes.  The 217 is the infamous blending brush which is great for blending shadows into the crease, 219 is a pencil brush, great for smudging colour along the lower lash line and 266 is a small angled brush perfect for applying eyeshadow as eyeliner.

What's on your beauty wishlist?

Living Proof Prime Style Extender

Primers have become big business for the cosmetics industry over the last two years, with a boom in popularity and the high street market tackling the popular trend, so it was only a matter of time before a primer for your hair was invented.  A primer is essentially the glue that holds everything together - first helping to keep make up in place and now hair products and styles.  When I first heard about the Living Proof Prime Style Extender, I was initially skeptical but nonetheless intrigued.  

Living Proof claims that this will lock in your style for longer, that it's weightless, weather proofing and time saving.  When I first started using this product I wasn't sure what it was actually doing but as time went on I found that my hair was lasting better between washes, that I didn't have to apply so much heat to my hair, as it usually remained quite straight and that my hair didn't feel at all weighed down by the extra product in its routine.  The big test came when I curled my hair.  I, like many of you no doubt, struggle to keep my curls in place all day.  It seems the bigger the curling iron I use, the harder it is for them not to drop.  Using this and then spraying my hair with a curling product, I've found that my hair lasted a lot longer than it would have without.  

The product itself is a creamy gel, which can be used from root to tip and has a fresh, fruity scent - not dissimilar to Kerastase Ciment Thermique.  I use about a walnuts sized blob, warm in the palms of my hands before running through my hair and adding any other products I need and blow drying.  This is a product that needs to be used on wet hair, to help lock in those products and give you the longevity you require. 

At £17.00, it's an expensive extra to add to your hair care routine and by no means a necessity, but if you find that your hair needs to be washed every other day or your sick of your styles not lasting, I would say it's worth getting a sample and trying it for yourself. 

Have you tried any of the Living Proof range?

Tested: Eyeshadow Primers

I've long been a fan of eyeshadow primers. A good primer will hold your look in place all day, whilst still keeping the vibrancy of colour.  It's no secret that I love the NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base but the price can sometimes be a bit off putting.  I was excited to see that high street brands were taking note, with Rimmel and MUA releasing their own offerings to the eyeshadow base world.  I've tested all three against each other, putting them all in the deep end, only using them when I needed my eyeshadow to stay put all day - birthday parties, 9 hour shifts etc. 

MUA Professional Eye Primer; £2.50 - available at Superdrug

The cheapest of the bunch, MUA's eyeshadow base comes in the smallest of the three tubes.  On the packaging, it boasts to be long lasting, smoothing and no creasing. This is the only primer out of the three which has any colour to it.  Similar to the Urban Decay Primer Potion, it has a beige, skin tone like colour to it.  It felt nice across my lids, not sticky but instead silky smooth.  Eyeshadows applied evenly on top and were easy to blend.  Unfortunately, the product didn't hold my look in place all day, after two hours, I noticed that my eyeshadow had started to slip and crease and by the end of the day, I had virtually no eyeshadow left.  I was left quite disappointed after hearing so many reviews and being recommended it several times.  I wonder if there is a colour chemical that doesn't agree with my skin as the Urban Decay Primer Potion also had the same results.  

Rimmel London Exaggerate Undercover Shadow Primer; £4.99 - available at Boots or Superdrug

Rimmel London have had some successful product launches so far this year, include their new eyeshadow primer.  The packaging guarantee's 18-hour wear, as well as being smudge and crease proof.  The product is silicone based, giving it that smooth and silky texture.  It's a white cream consistency that disappears once blended over the eyelids.  When applying eyeshadow on top, they went on easily and evenly and were still very blendable.  Whilst the product is long-lasting, it doesn't last the promised 18 hours.  After four hours my eyeshadow had started to move slightly and after eight - ten hours I had noticed some creasing.  In my opinion, this is good wear for an eyeshadow primer and I wouldn't need the product for much longer than ten hours. 

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base; £19.00 - available online or at Space NK

The most expensive of the three, NARS' offering has once again come up top trumps.  NARS say that this product is lightweight and wont cause your eyeshadow to smudge, crease or cake.  They don't give a time frame like Rimmel, only stating that it is long wearing.  Again, it feels silky smooth across the lids, the white cream fading once applied.  Eyeshadows apply smoothly on top, sticking to the primer but not so much that it cakes or begins to crease. Layering colour is easy and the primer allows you to blend colours seamlessly.  Whenever I wear this, I barely notice a difference after six hours and by the time I'm taking it off, it's still pretty much in place, how I applied it ten hours earlier.  

Overall, I still love NARS' offering but if you're looking for something for a quarter of the price, Rimmel's latest launch is the best bet.  

What's your favourite eye product to create a long lasting look?

Year in Review | Best of 2012

Happy New Year! 

This is part two of my 'Year in Review' series.  Yesterday I wrote about my Top 12 Beauty Products of 2012 and today I'll be talking you through each month and all the things that happened to me.  So without further adieu...

JANUARY

While for many, January is a horrible month, for my family it was a really happy one.  On Wednesday 25th January my Sister-in-law gave birth to William Alexander and he's brought so much love and happiness into the family (and quite a few sleepless nights for his Mum and Dad). Without sounding too soppy, it was the best possible start to the new year.

FEBRUARY

My birthday month always brings good memories.  This year was no exception and on my birthday we went out on the town.  The club was packed thanks to Joey Essex and Diags from The Only Way is Essex making an appearance but I can't really remember much else from the night.

MARCH

A busy month at university.  We were creating a magazine in a group as part of our course and it was a lot of hard work which would eventually pay off.

APRIL

April was both a good and a bad month.  Tuesday 4th April brought the end of my favourite TV show in the entire world - One Tree Hill.  On the plus side, I have all the box sets and will continue to watch them for years to come! At the end of the month, I started a social media internship at Phoenix, a designer reseller which meant I was surrounded by Chanel, Louboutin, Mulberry and many more for a whole month.  At lunch time, I often found myself in a small shop called 'At Home' where they sold delicious but humongous  sandwiches.  The shop was also situated about two minutes from Space NK and inevitably, I got the bug.

MAY

With the end of my internship also came the end of second year at university.  I continued freelancing for Phoenix whilst they were between interns.  May is also a big month for birthdays in my family with my brother on the 7th and my youngest niece Alice on the 25th (are you noticing a pattern with birthdays?)

JUNE

On Tuesday 5th June, myself and two of my best friends went on holiday to Spain.  It was the best 10 days of my life, we laughed, tanned, shopped and just had an amazing time.  Definitely what we needed after a stressful few months at university.  Sophia Bush, aka Brooke Davis from One Tree Hill also tweeted me on the 20th June - a pretty cool highlight.

JULY

My second internship of the year was in June at More! Magazine. I spent two weeks working with the fashion team as well as contributing to the magazine which was fun, as I read More! on a weekly basis. It was a lot of hard work, more so the commute than anything else but it was also great experience for my CV.  July also saw the arrival of another baby in the family.  My auntie gave birth to a baby girl who is absolutely adorable.

AUGUST

While I didn't get to go to the actual Olympic park (still kicking myself), I definitely got the Olympic bug.  Luckily, the cycle race came through my hometown so I got to feel the atmosphere without paying a pretty penny for it.  We saw Wiggins, Cavendish and the boys for all of about two seconds as they whizzed past.  

SEPTEMBER

I made an Apple investment in September and bought my iPad, which I've found difficult to put down since.  The first thing I did when I got it was buy Allure magazine, my favourite magazine and one any beauty junkie should read!

OCTOBER

After what felt like a year off, it was time to go back to university for my third and final year (eek).  Of course, October also means Halloween and I celebrated with the girls at a house party. I decided to go as Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter because I don't think I could have passed as Hermione with my bleach blonde hair.  

NOVEMBER

I popped my spa virginity in November as we celebrated one of my best friends 21st birthday by getting pampered. Although I didn't have any money to get a treatment, we had access to a relaxation room with herbal tea and fruit, both steam and sauna rooms as well as a jacuzzi, where we spent the majority of the day.  We finished the day with Mexican food and cocktails.  

DECEMBER

Gossip Girl ended but Christmas softened the blow.  December is one of my favourite months and the lead up to the big day was made more magical now that Alice is old enough to understand and really believes in Santa Claus. On the 10th, the girls and I got together for our very own Christmas day, complete with Secret Santa, Turkey and all the trimmings. 

That's my year in review, thanks for reading my blog this year and here's to another good year! I've got lots to look forward to in 2013 including (hopefully) graduation, seeing Girls Aloud, Williams 1st birthday, my 21st birthday and hopefully I'll be able to leave Tesco for a big girl job (fingers crossed).

How has 2012 been for you?

Last Minute Christmas Shopping Guide

It's been a while since I last posted due to university deadlines and then being struck down with a horrible cold.  Being so close to Christmas, I decided to lie low until I felt better.  Speaking of Christmas, there's only six shopping days left, which may leave some of us in a panic.  If you're working, the easiest option is to do what you can online on your lunch break, but with each online retailers having different delivery deadlines, it can all get a bit confusing.  I've compiled a list of all the popular online retailers and when their last shipping dates (United Kingdom only) before Christmas are, as well as including any discounts that the brand are dishing out.

Amazon -  For free standard delivery order by end of today, for first class you have until end of Thursday 20th December and for One Day or Express delivery, order by 11am on Sunday 23rd December. 

ASOS - Order by 2pm on Sunday 23rd December and choose 'Next Day Delivery' at the checkout. - Up to 50% off in the ASOS sale -

Benefit Cosmetics - Order by the end of today and choose 'Express Delivery' at the checkout. Excludes UK Highland & Islands.  - Get 10% off certain items online - 

Boots - Order by 7pm on Thursday 20th December for 'Collect from Store' and 'Standard Home Delivery'. For 'Next Day Delivery', place your order before 3.30pm on Friday 21st December. - Save £10 when you spend £50 on selected gifts and toys - 

Debenhams - Place orders by 12pm on Thursday 20th December.  If you're ordering cosmetics, you have until midnight on Thursday 20th December. - Up to Half Price Gift Event - 

House of Fraser - Order by 5pm today and choose 'Next Day', 'Nominated Day' or 'Collect+' at the checkout.  For 'Buy & Collect' order before 5pm on Friday 21st December. - Up to 50% Off - 

John Lewis - Order by 7pm today and choose 'Free Standard Delivery' or order by 7pm on Saturday 22nd December for 'Click & Collect' in store.  - Up to 30% off Womenswear Brands -

Miss Selfridge - Order by 4pm on Friday 21st December and choose 'Express Delivery' at the checkout. 

Origins - Order by 12pm midday on Thursday 20th December for Free Premium Delivery. - Gift with Purchase of over £30 - 

Selfridges - Order by 12pm midday on Friday 21st and choose either 'Nominated Saturday' or 'Nominated Day'. 

Space NK - Order by 12pm midday on Thursday 20th December and choose 'Free Express Delivery' at the checkout.

Topshop.com - Order by 4pm on Friday 21st December and choose 'Express' or 'Nominated Day' delivery.  If you wish to collect from store, you have until 12pm midday on Sunday 23rd December to place your orders online. 

Tesco Direct - Order by 3pm on Friday 21st December for 'Express' and 'Click & Collect' delivery.

I hope this helps some of you out of a Christmas panic. Happy shopping!

REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

I've been pretty ill over the past few days with Tonsillitis, but thankfully I'm now on the mend.  Whilst I've been ill, make up has been far from my mind but I still kept up my skincare regime.  A new product I've been using is from REN, a brand that currently has the beauty blogosphere in a spin.  I wanted a cleanser that specifically targeted blemish prone skin, to help keep my skin clear when it's trying to do anything but.  

After perusing the Space NK shelves I decided upon the Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser.  First off, you get a lot for your money.  I'm used to paying £12.75 for a 100ml bottle of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish, whereas for £18.00, REN give you 150ml of product which may be pricey but if it's  going to last 4-5 months, I think it's worth it.  It comes in a clear plastic bottle with a pump and inside the bottle is a bag filled with the product.  As you pump, the bag retracts a bit more.  I like being able to see how much product I've used and this idea means that all the product will eventually be squeezed out.  It's a lot more liquidy than what I'm used to, but it feels lovely on the skin.

I use this mostly in the evening, after removing make up.  One pump is more than enough to cover the face and neck. The instructions tell you to rub the cleanser in circular motions for 1-2 minutes.  It has a herbal scent to it which isn't too strong. I then remove the product with a muslin cloth, (mine are from Liz Earle but you can get some cheap ones here) which gently exfoliates the skin. Afterwards I'm left with baby soft skin and a reduced amount of redness thanks to the calming ingredients.  I've noticed that over the past month my break outs have been popping up less and any that do crop up go a lot more quickly when I use this and a couple other products (post coming soon).

I really like REN from what I've used so far and I'd definitely like to try another product (or two) from their range. If you're looking for a new cleanser that is targeted at blemish prone skin but doesn't strip your skin completely, then I really recommend this product. 

Do you have any REN recommendations?

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

I've really been getting into NARS products recently and after hearing only good things about their eyeshadow base, I decided to give it a whirl.  I've only ever tried one other eye make up primer, the infamous Urban Decay Primer Potion, but found it did nothing for me - if anything my eyeshadow slid off faster with it than without.  Needless to say, I was skeptical but I went into Space NK before holiday and caved. 

The product itself looks the same as the UD Primer Potion - it comes with a doe foot (always thought that was spelt dofer) applicator and the product itself is a white, silky base.  While Urban Decay wins on price - Primer Potion retails at £14.50 whereas NARS is £18 - the results from NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base were far better than what I had imagined.  

Whilst on holiday, I used this primer, hoping it would help keep my eye make up in place whilst we were out consuming cocktails.  It held it in place well but it wasn't until I was working the other day that I really noticed how great this product was.  It was a humid British 'Summer' day and I was hot and sticky and for some reason, that morning I decided to wear eyeshadow. At around 2pm, five hours after application, my eye make up hadn't budged at all.  I was absolutely amazed, I was expecting to be a creased mess, and there I stood, looking the same as I did before I left - hurrah! Instantly this became holy grail and something I will now and forever repurchase.  At £18 for 8g some may say this is too pricey, but you only need a small amount to cover your entire eyelid meaning that this product will last a long time.  

Which product do you prefer - Urban Decay Primer Potion or NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base?