Current Beauty Favourites

Two beauty posts in as many days? I know, it’s not really like me but since I’ve had so much sick leave over the last few months I’ve rediscovered my love of all things beauty and started to get in to better habits/actually making an effort some of the time. This post contains some products- old and new that I’ve really been enjoying lately
First Picture: L’oreal Miss Manga Mascara I’m SO fussy with mascara and everytime I try a new one I tend to love it for a day or so then turn on it. This hasn’t been the case with this little tube of wonder, weeks have passed since my purchase and I’m reaching for it more than any other. MAC Fresh Daisy eyeshadow (limited edition) is one of those products I wish I had bought in bulk when I first discovered I loved it. I use this on an almost daily basis as a base and highlight under whatever other colour eyeshadow I’ve selected to wear, or at weekends I use it alone with a flick of eyeliner. My Oriflame brow kit has become such a staple, before I was sent this I didn’t really bother with my brow but now I feel odd without filling them in and defining them. I tend to mix the shades together to get my natural brow colour and use a Real Techniques brush to stipple it on. Simple Kind to Skin Illuminating Radiance Cream is another daily staple for me, used under foundation to give my skin a healthy, dewy glow and stopping it from drying out. I love Simple products as they are so perfect for sensitive skin, it’s a brand I grew up with (thanks Mum!) and will continue to fall back on.
Second Picture: Elizabeth Arden High Shine Lip Gloss (c/o Fragrance Expert) in Honey Glaze is a new addition to my makeup collection and has become my go-to daily lip colour either over lipstick or alone when I’m feeling not so bold. It gives a lovely nude shimmer without looking too washed out. I’d never tried Elizabeth Arden cosmetics before but will be purchasing more of these once I’m in a position to. Seventeen Cheek Stamp Blush in Blushing is such a genius product and perfect for in my handbag as it requires no brush to apply. I’m aiming to eventually own all of the gorgeous shades in this range as at £4.99 they are a bargain for such a highly pigmented and nifty little product. Also from the Seventeen range I finally braved the orange lip thanks to the Lip Crayon in Bold another bargain at £4.99 this was an impulse purchase thanks to the 3-for-2 offer and one I don’t regret. Such a long lasting and buildable colour that I’ll be wearing all Spring/Summer long.
Third Picture: It’s very rare for me to share hair products on the blog as I find myself constantly being let down by them. I recently picked up the two pictured here though and have been impressed. Long lasting waves that don’t have that crispy feel to them or have that full of product weighed down feeling. I’m not one to bother with my hair much; a wash, towel dry and scrunch/spray and I’m good to go. I wish I could say I bothered more but at the moment I don’t, this may change though with a new colour to try and plans for more changes ahead it may give me an incentive. In the mean time I’m going to be using an awful lot of V05 Give Me Texture Dry Texturing Spray and High Definition Curl Mousse.
What products are you currently loving? I pick up so many ideas and wants from other bloggers that I thought it might be time to share some of my own favourites.

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You Can’t Sit With Us

The slogan tee- not something you’ll often find me sporting but every now and again I find one that tickles my fancy and decide I’ll break out of my comfort zone. Mean Girls inspired clothing has been popping up everywhere over recent months; it was the chick flick of my teen years and supplier of many a catchphrase such as the ubiquitous “you can’t sit with us”. When my blog advertiser Lush T Shirts not only decided to host a giveaway but to also send me a top of my choosing it was pretty obvious which one I was going to go for.
Tee c/o Lush T Shirts  | Skirt: Primark | Shoes: New Look | Ring c/o jewellery world
I can’t believe this is only the first time I’m showing this Primark skirt on the blog, so many bloggers have it and I’ll admit, I was smitten the second I saw it in the shop window and had to make a cheeky trip in on the way home from Ben’s one Sunday afternoon in January. For £14 the quality is impressive, it fits rather on the large side but other than that it’s my dream skirt! I’m really hoping Primark bring it out in some more colours, a rainbow of pastels would be perfect! I liked how the girly skirt contrasted with the tee, that and the whole “on Wednesdays we wear pink” thing.
The beady eyed among you might also notice that I’ve swapped my usual silver rings for a more delicate gold one. I’ve found my jewellery tastes changing lately and at the moment I’m favouring gold and delicate over silver and chunky. Jewellery World have a huge selection of gold rings at good prices and I have my eye on several more to wear alone or layer up.
I should have been back at work today but alas I’ve been signed off for another fortnight to give my back time to strengthen. I’m quite gutted but I’m planning to use this two weeks to get my blog up together and get some much needed strengthening exercise in; if you have any hints and tips then please do share them, I need all the help and variety I can get!

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A Beauty Blast from the Past

I fell in love with a makeup around the age of twelve, my best friend’s Mum was an Avon Lady and there were always samples available for pre-teen experimentation (with some rather interesting results!). Living in a small town the choice of brands available to me was, and still is quite limited but one that really sticks in my mind is Miners.
Miners seemed to dissapear off of the radar for a few years and then I slowly saw them filter back through on some of my favourite beauty blogs. I was desperate to try out my once staple brand but clearly, being a small town girl I couldn’t get hold of it (and I refuse to pay high postage charges online, cheap!).
I recently had my cravings satisfied by Fragrance Expert who not only sell perfume but a whole host of makeup and beauty products too, including Miners of course (as well as Elizabeth Arden, Tigi, Crabtree & Evelyn and Fake Bake to name but a few).
I clearly fail as a beauty blogger as I have NO photos of my wearing any of the products, bar my random instagram selfies but when I do have a day where I don’t hate my face then you can (maybe) expect a FOTD. Pictured above is: Define and Line eyeliner (from £5.40), Lip Colour Lipstick in Icon (£7.20), nail polish in Marshmellow (£5.40), Dip and Define eyeshadow in Khaki Gold (£6.30) and Complete Base FoundatION (£9.00).
I was a bit surprised at how much prices had risen, before realising that it was a good decade since I last purchased a Miners product and Fragrance Expert have some pretty discounted prices. I was especially impressed with the nail polish which was the most perfect pastel pink and lasted a good five days, but everything was higher quality than I expected and the only product I didn’t get along with was the eyeliner through my own incompetancy!
Fragrance Expert also have a pretty awesome blog, which I’ve contributed to and it’s worth checking out for hints, tips and just a bit of fun really.
What brands do you associate with your youth? Are there any other Miners products I need to give another go?

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Sarenza Sunday- Ugg?

I’ll hold my hands up and say I’ve always been a secret fan of Ugg Boots. I owned a pair many years ago before they became really “cool” and lived in them until the fell apart. I never did replace those boots- by then they had become too mainstream and expensive for my liking and didn’t really fit with my style, but I miss them and so do my feet.
Boots aren’t the point of this post though- over recent years Ugg have been expanding their repertoire, most of which has gone straight over my head. However I couldn’t help but take notice of a new arrival on Sarenza this week.
Something about the Atasha Stripe has grabbed me. I’m not sure if it’s the bright “tomato soup” colour, the nautical stripes or the perfect low wedge for Summer days but I’m fairly smitten. At £85 they are on the pricey side, but I’m willing to bet that a) they are the ultimate comfort sandal and b) they are made to last.
Does anyone have experience with Ugg’s foray outside of boots? I’d love to know if these are worth the investment. Sarenza has new arrivals dropping left, right and centre and these are just one pair of many that have caught my eye.

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Mother’s Day with AskHerFriends

As many of you know, I’ve been taking part in the AskHerFriends.com Bloggers Panel, which has been great. Sadly my time on the panel has now ended, but to thank me – and YOU – for taking part AskHerFriends have kindly given me 25 £5 gift vouchers to give away. You can spend these on anything from AskHerFriends, but, given Mother’s Day is coming up, here’s a selection that caught my eye:

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The gift vouchers expire on 31 March 2014 so make sure you get them while you can! Just enter DAISY5 at the checkout to claim your gift voucher.
I’ll keep the post updated as I can with how many vouchers remain- happy shopping, let me know what you buy!
(Terms and conditions apply, and you cannot use the voucher in conjunction with any other offer).

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