I just can't get enough of green nails...

I'm not sure whether it was the amount of alcohol drunk over the weekend, the amount of singing done on Sunday at the football or the dodgy air con on the bus home from Glasgow, but I've now lost my voice and have a horribly sore cough. Good job it's half term and I don't actually have anything important to be doing this week! I have so much to update on, so I'm going to do a few posts throughout the remainder of this week.

Look forward to:

• the usual outfit, make-up and NOTD posts
• two recent experiences of eating out in London; the good and the bad 
• what caught my eye at LFW
• Twinings Tea
• recent film reviews

I had a fantastic time in Glasgow at the weekend and it was really nice catching up with family and friends, albeit a bit manic. I literally arrived late Friday night, spent Saturday catching up with family, topping up the red in my hair (only my mum can do it) and getting ready for a family party that night. The party was brilliant; pouring my own measures of vodka, not so! I've probably not mentioned on here but I also work at Celtic Park and even though I'm now living in London, they're very kindly keeping my job open for me as long as I try to make it up for as many home matches as possible. So on Sunday morning, along with a less than delightful hangover, I made my way to work. It was really nice seeing everyone and the atmosphere at the Celtic V Rangers game was electric! I was more than chuffed with the 3-0 result and ended up going to Bairds Bar for some post match celebrations with the male members of my family and some of my brother's friends. There are hardly any photos that I can post where I don't look a complete shambles, so it's probably best if you just use your imagination! Apologies if you are not football inclined, but I am a strange mix of football fan and beauty addict!

My cousin James on his first visit to Bairds Bar

This clip sums up my Sunday :)

Obviously I had green nails, with a hint of silver (representing the trophies Celtic are bound to win this season).

 Barry M Mint Green and Claire's Glitter 

(pinkie nail was re-done after this photo!)

I didn't get a chance to update about this last week but all my paper work has now been processed and I have been approved to start teaching. As this week is half term I'll start teaching on Monday 28th - I'm very excited! Not sure how much time I'll have to spend on here when I'm actually teaching, but hopefully I can catch up on everyone's blogs in the evenings and post then. I'm so relieved that it's all sorted now and that I made the right decision moving to London, I just hope I adapt quickly and teach as well as I did in Glasgow. This week I'm just going to relax (and get rid of this cough) and make up a few little activities for each stage that I can use as a back up if there is no work already set.

I'm off to get some cough medicine and  paint my nails :)

Post-Valentine's Musings...

Yesterday was a really strange day for me, and although I have read all your lovely Valentine's posts, I myself didn't quite know what to write, therefore I didn't. I split up with my ex at the end of November, and even though it was for the best and a few months have past, yesterday hit me a lot harder than I'd expected.

I know I was only missing the guy I fell in love with, not the guy he turned into. I was missing the happy times, not the relationship as a whole. Yesterday I decided just to take some 'me' time - have a relaxing bubble bath, watch some DVDs and finish a book I've been reading for a while, on and off. My cousin even invited me out for drinks with him and his mates, but I really wasn't in the mood for any of that. He even got me a really cute Valentine's card and Adele's new album (however listening to 'Someone Like You' was inevitably going to lead to tears), and that made me smile at least. After some good old Disney and a good night's sleep I was back to normal again this morning. Hopefully that's the end of it now and I can finally put the past behind me.

Yesterday I gave myself 'new' Valentine's nails, this time opting for a 'sweet' pink to replace the 'sexy' red. I actually thought they were pretty cute :)

Barry M 'Shocking Pink' and Claire's Glitter

I really miss my nail collection at home as I'm finding that I actually want to wear colours that I've left behind in Glasgow. The same with shoes - living out of a suitcase really does have it's drawbacks. However, I'm going back to Glasgow this weekend for a family party on Saturday and the Celtic V Rangers game on Sunday. It should be a fun weekend, if a bit hectic, and hopefully give me the chance to grab a few more things from home that I'm missing.

Here was what I wore yesterday, clearly going for comfort over style:

Yesterday I was missing my friends a lot. I know I can still call and text them easily, and I know what everyone is up to thanks to the wonders of Facebook, but I missed the fact I couldn't just call up a friend and go to the cinema or for a coffee. I'm usually quite independent and enjoy the fact I'm a stranger in a new city, but I think on days like yesterday, everyone needs a friend who you can drop in on at a moment's notice. I'm glad my cousin was here, even if he is a boy and didn't quite know how to react to my 'sad face', other than to bring me in a piece of caramel shortcake on his way home from the pub. He's also taken to just staying here with me at my aunt's house in London as it's way to big for one person , though it does mean I've had to take on a sort of 'housewife' role - doing washings, cooking, cleaning etc. To be fair, he does take the bins out (I am germophobic), go into the garage(I hate spiders) and most importantly, closes the curtains at night (I have an insane fear of looking out a window when its dark outside).

Still no progress on the teaching front. One of my references came back (from my old programme leader at uni) and they're still waiting for the teacher at my last school, but I'm still in touch with her anyway and know it will be great. I just cannot wait to get back into the classroom!

Tomorrow I'm going to have to go do another food shop as I'm running out of ideas for meals and feel like I'm starving my poor cousin with my pitiful servings. I'm totally living it up in London eh, Morrisons will be the highlight of my day!

17 Concealer does not hide the fact you are no longer 17...

Well, first things first... the interview went fabulously! It wasn't as formal as I had expected and the staff interviewing me were so friendly and nice. The interview was in an office just off Oxford Street but I found it really easily and managed to arrive early, looking not too windswept. They have basically told me that as soon as the General Teaching Council in England approve my registration (you must have this to be allowed to teach in a school) I can start teaching, and they have plenty schools for me to go to. I'm so happy today – literally have not stopped smiling!(getting very strange looks on the tube). 

Right, now on to the massive update! I was toying with the idea of either doing a mammoth post, or splitting it up into smaller ones – I've decided to just go with the biggie, so if you don't fancy a long read, you can scan the few the photos and be off... :P

Starting off with my review of the 17 products, I must say I wasn't that impressed. Apart from my most favourite lippie (see previous), I don't think I'm going to become a massive fan like I was in my youth. The Hide Away concealer is really dry and doesn't blend into my skin well at all. Obviously this could just be because I have temperamental skin, but I doubt it. I've tried it a few times now, before moisturiser, after moisturiser, before and after foundation, applying with my finger and applying with a brush – it just aint happening. It's really noticeable when it's on, and dries too quickly, therefore not blending correctly into the skin. For 3.99 I guess I shouldn't have been expecting miracles, but I think they might need to have a rethink of the formula and make it a bit less chalky and more blend-able. For now, it's a no no. If anyone else has tried this and has a similar or different opinion please comment below. The Shine Control Pressed Powder wasn't as bad, but I'm still not to keen on the one shade fits all. Shine-controlling? Yes. Flawless finish? Sort of. I think if this came in a wider variety of shades it might be a little more perfect for me, but I guess I wouldn't really know unless I tried that out. However, saying all that, it did prevent a shiny-face mid-afternoon and stayed put relatively well. For a budget option it's definitely a winner but I think this one will take a few more wears to win me over completely. It comes with an applicator but I've been applying it with a brush which makes it appear a lot less 'caked-on'. I'll continue with this a little longer and see if the product grows on me.

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation is surprisingly good and gives a nice even coverage, albeit the formula is a bit thick. I've been applying this with a foundation brush from The Body Shop and today I added a little moisturiser, which made the product go on a lot easier. I think I've chosen a shade darker than I should have, but the foundation itself is really good. I've been a fan of Maybelline's Dream Satin Liquid for well over a year now, but I would consider using Match Perfection as an alternative. I'm going to keep using this bottle until I get paid, and might try a lighter shade to see how that goes. Verdict – reasonably priced, good coverage, best applied with a brush.

If you're still reading after all that – waaaayy! Your attention span is great! Next on the agenda... a huge collection of images from the past few days:

Nails: No7 and Barry M

Faces from the past few days:

Clothes: Dress - Primark

              Cardi - Primark

              Tights - Topshop

              Bird Necklace - gift from my gran

Interview Outfit: Dress - Primark
                            Tights - Asda
                            Shoes - Primark
                            Clover Necklace - Gift from a friend

I invested in some new shampoo and conditioner, after seeing it mentioned on another blog, and will be updating on that tomorrow. So far so good, I must say...

Again, a massive thanks to everyone who has been reading and following – I really appreciate you taking the time and if you want to know anything/see anything on my blog, I'm all ears... :)