I wanted to draw your attention to this giveaway:
Ms. Eggplant x Stila Blog Giveaway!
deadline for entries is on March 14, 2011
The Stila giveaway includes:
Trendsetting in Tokyo Palette
Smudge Pot
Long Wear lip color
some lovely products and a really nice blogger :)
xxMxx
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Tuesday, 15 February 2011
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 :)
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:
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).
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!
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!
Sunday, 13 February 2011
From London, with Love...
Cannot believe the weekend is over already! I'm writing this now as I forgot Dancing on Ice was on :( I'll need to wait for the repeat - I can't watch a programme halfway through.
I've felt a bit horrid this weekend and mostly just sat in the conservatory with a book, or mulled about in the house, even though it was lovely outside on Saturday. I would probably have spent the whole of the weekend indoors, if it hadn't been for my amazing cousin suprising me. He thought I needed cheering up so took me to see Black Swan at the cinema... he's such a gem. Any single girls out there around 20... he'd be the perfect BF... such a wee gentleman :) He also drove me to mass earlier as it was bucketing, and came and picked me up. Black Swan was really good. I'd heard mixed reviews about it, and a lot of negative stuff, but I found it to be really interesting. My only gripe was the sex scenes - they were unnecessarily explicit. The music was amazing.
On Saturday morning I was bored and decided to give my nails a little Valentine's make-over. I was pleasantly surprised with the results actually (they also matched my mug, surpsrisingly).
to give some added sparkle and a bit of depth. The photos don't really do them justice, they are like the nail version of Dorothy's ruby slippers - I <3 them :)
Here's what I wore yesterday:
I've felt a bit horrid this weekend and mostly just sat in the conservatory with a book, or mulled about in the house, even though it was lovely outside on Saturday. I would probably have spent the whole of the weekend indoors, if it hadn't been for my amazing cousin suprising me. He thought I needed cheering up so took me to see Black Swan at the cinema... he's such a gem. Any single girls out there around 20... he'd be the perfect BF... such a wee gentleman :) He also drove me to mass earlier as it was bucketing, and came and picked me up. Black Swan was really good. I'd heard mixed reviews about it, and a lot of negative stuff, but I found it to be really interesting. My only gripe was the sex scenes - they were unnecessarily explicit. The music was amazing.
On Saturday morning I was bored and decided to give my nails a little Valentine's make-over. I was pleasantly surprised with the results actually (they also matched my mug, surpsrisingly).
I used 17 Fast Finish in Ruby Gem first of all
then Barry M Red Glitter,
followed by silver glitter from Claire's,
to give some added sparkle and a bit of depth. The photos don't really do them justice, they are like the nail version of Dorothy's ruby slippers - I <3 them :)
Here's what I wore yesterday:
Dress: New Look
Cardi: Primark
Most favourite scarf in the world: TKMaxx
Ballerina earings from Topshop I think? Perfect fot going to see Black Swan.
Today's outfit:
necklace was b/day gift from a dear friend, I think from ASOS
Cardi from Primark that I customised with patches from Hobbycraft
Dress is an old summer one from last year
I wish my hair was longer :(
I'm beginning to feel better so thought I'd chillax with some wine and my fav sweets ever!
What's everyone's plan for tomorrow then? Who is single and who is attached?
Friday, 11 February 2011
If I still had a boyfriend...
I would have bought this and impressed him with my amazing pout!
Instead I'll just have to try and justify my purchase some other way.
Today is wet, cold and I don't feel very well :(
Letters posted and now I'm curling up on the sofa with Loose Women, fruity tea and my uni hoodie.
Have a lovely weekend everyone!
xx xx
Last night's outfit :)
I'm not posting today's outfit as, well, it's just far too boring (leggins and uni hoodie). I didn't really see the point in getting dressed up today as it just rained, constantly. I spent most of today sitting in the conservatory (I have an insane love of the sound of rain on a conservatory roof, whilst warm and cosy) writing up my entry profile for teaching in August, listening to music and drawing this:
I'm just a bit disappointed I chose to draw it on the back of scrap paper, as I was actually quite happy with it in the end. I think I might transfer it onto a canvas and paint it. Maybe. I really want to go see Black Swan now! We didn't go last night because the times it was showing weren't suitable as my cousin didn't finish work until 9.30pm. Instead we went to see A Little Bit of Heaven. Oh, my goodness it was so sad! If anyone is looking for something to see this weekend at the cinema, I'd suggest this, along with tissues and waterproof mascara! I ended up crying, a lot, and had less than delightful panda eyes by the end. I had a really lovely evening though.
Here is what I looked like yesterday:
Tomorrow I have to hit the post office early doors to post lots of forms then hopefully have a float around the shops for a while. DVD night afters with my two little cousins who are staying with me over the weekend... fun times! :)
Here is what I looked like yesterday:
ancient Avon Lipstick in 'Kiss of Pink'
No7 Extreme Lengths Mascara
Dress and Shoes from Primark
Tights from Topshop
I have an obsession with matching nails to outfits :|
Tomorrow I have to hit the post office early doors to post lots of forms then hopefully have a float around the shops for a while. DVD night afters with my two little cousins who are staying with me over the weekend... fun times! :)
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
NOTD: Strawberries and Cream
Todays nails were inspired by my sudden craving for strawberries and cream (even though it's only February). Please excuse my horrible nail beds, I need to give myself a proper mani soon...
I'm off to explore and hopefully going to the pics tonight to see Black Swan :)
Boots Intensive Naith Growth Solution is excellent!
Nails inc and Caite polish were free in magazines at some point - result!
17 Double Gloss Top Coat is really cheap and works great
I'm off to explore and hopefully going to the pics tonight to see Black Swan :)
Pantene Pro-V Colour Protect & Volume // Soap & Glory Scrub Your Nose In It
I mentioned yesterday that I've switched shampoo and conditioner and was inspired after reading another girls blog post about what she uses on her hair - here! I decided to go for the Volume collection rather than Smooth, as my hair severely lacks any sort of oomph.
For the first half of last year I'd been using Loreal Elvive Full Restore 5 - a la Cheryl Cole. This was great for my hair and really improved it's overall condition, as well as giving it 'some mojo'. However, after dying my hair RED in October and subsequently realising it's the most difficult colour to maintain, I felt I needed to switch to a colour-friendly routine. I have always used Elvive products so naturally went for their Colour Protect range, which worked really well at keeping my hair 'redder for longer', but left it looking quite flat and, well, boring. I decided to bite the bullet and alter my routine (and being a Taurus who doesn't like change this was quite something).
I've only used this three times so far, but can already see a massive difference in my hair. It doesn't feel weighed down anymore and, although not massively big and bouncy, it does seem to have a bit more life to it. The smell is gorgeous and the shampoo produces a lovely lather in the shower. After drying my hair, it felt really smooth and I could easily run my fingers through it (how unfortunate that I don't have a boyfriend for Valentine's this year...). Colour wise, it still looks great and shiny and there doesn't appear to be significant fading. I'm genuinely quite won over with this product and am going to invest in the concentrated conditioner when I get paid and dye my hair again in a few weeks. Verdict: great shampoo, nice smell, does what it says on the tin!
Next I want to talk about Soap & Glory's Scrub Your Nose In It. If you have read any previous entries on my blog, you will know that I am a massive S&G fan and swear by several of their products. One of the newest products I've tried is Scrub Your Nose In It. This product was part of the huge tote that Boots were selling before Christmas at the ridiculously cheap price of 25.00! Before trying this out my scrub of choice was Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub or St Ives Apricot Scrub. However, as I was moving to London I was limited to what I could pack, and so decided to throw SYNII into my case and give it a go.
I've only used it twice and I'm not sure what I think of it yet. First reaction when I applied it was that the smell was really minty and fresh, and not at all like most S&G products. When using as a scrub it felt like some form of mild micro-dermabrasion! You can use the product as a scrub and mask and so I decided to leave a layer on my skin for around 5 minutes... WOW... talk about feeling it work! My face was extremely tingly, like nothing I've experienced before! I washed it off and splashed my face with really cold water to help close my pores. When I sat down to moisturise I was amazed at how tight my skin felt. It was really dry though, and I had to use a considerable amount of moisturiser to make it feel normal and smooth. Alas, I don't quite know where I stand with this. On the one hand, I clearly felt the product doing something to my skin, and it definitely scrubbed away and dead cells, however the drying out concerns me a bit, and the insane tingling sensation. I have a problem with my face, that doesn't seem to affect the rest of my body. I can use pretty much any product on my body, no matter how perfumed etc. but when it comes to my face - super sensitive! I'm going to keep using this product one day a week, just to see if it makes a difference over time, but I'm sorta missing my old favourites left behind in my Glasgow bathroom... cest la vie... Has anyone tired this? Please comment below with your thoughts...
Finally, I found this languishing at the bottom of the make-up bag, never been used before. This looked pretty strange to me when it first came out, and still does today. I'm just not quite sure what the point in it was... Has anyone used this? What did you think - useful idea or just a gimmick?
Tonight I made dinner for my cousin, who has taken to staying with me at my aunt's house in London while she's still sunning herself in the Canaries! I come from a large family and my house is always so busy, so it felt strange arriving in London and being faced with a large house completely empty. I quite like him popping over to keep me company :) James said his dinner was lovely, whilst I was totally embarrassed at the sheer thrown togetherness of it! I've not been for a proper shop yet (I've not adjusted to living on my own) and so this was thrown together from stuff I found in the fridge and cupboards. This is what I did:
For the first half of last year I'd been using Loreal Elvive Full Restore 5 - a la Cheryl Cole. This was great for my hair and really improved it's overall condition, as well as giving it 'some mojo'. However, after dying my hair RED in October and subsequently realising it's the most difficult colour to maintain, I felt I needed to switch to a colour-friendly routine. I have always used Elvive products so naturally went for their Colour Protect range, which worked really well at keeping my hair 'redder for longer', but left it looking quite flat and, well, boring. I decided to bite the bullet and alter my routine (and being a Taurus who doesn't like change this was quite something).
I've only used this three times so far, but can already see a massive difference in my hair. It doesn't feel weighed down anymore and, although not massively big and bouncy, it does seem to have a bit more life to it. The smell is gorgeous and the shampoo produces a lovely lather in the shower. After drying my hair, it felt really smooth and I could easily run my fingers through it (how unfortunate that I don't have a boyfriend for Valentine's this year...). Colour wise, it still looks great and shiny and there doesn't appear to be significant fading. I'm genuinely quite won over with this product and am going to invest in the concentrated conditioner when I get paid and dye my hair again in a few weeks. Verdict: great shampoo, nice smell, does what it says on the tin!
Next I want to talk about Soap & Glory's Scrub Your Nose In It. If you have read any previous entries on my blog, you will know that I am a massive S&G fan and swear by several of their products. One of the newest products I've tried is Scrub Your Nose In It. This product was part of the huge tote that Boots were selling before Christmas at the ridiculously cheap price of 25.00! Before trying this out my scrub of choice was Neutrogena Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub or St Ives Apricot Scrub. However, as I was moving to London I was limited to what I could pack, and so decided to throw SYNII into my case and give it a go.
I've only used it twice and I'm not sure what I think of it yet. First reaction when I applied it was that the smell was really minty and fresh, and not at all like most S&G products. When using as a scrub it felt like some form of mild micro-dermabrasion! You can use the product as a scrub and mask and so I decided to leave a layer on my skin for around 5 minutes... WOW... talk about feeling it work! My face was extremely tingly, like nothing I've experienced before! I washed it off and splashed my face with really cold water to help close my pores. When I sat down to moisturise I was amazed at how tight my skin felt. It was really dry though, and I had to use a considerable amount of moisturiser to make it feel normal and smooth. Alas, I don't quite know where I stand with this. On the one hand, I clearly felt the product doing something to my skin, and it definitely scrubbed away and dead cells, however the drying out concerns me a bit, and the insane tingling sensation. I have a problem with my face, that doesn't seem to affect the rest of my body. I can use pretty much any product on my body, no matter how perfumed etc. but when it comes to my face - super sensitive! I'm going to keep using this product one day a week, just to see if it makes a difference over time, but I'm sorta missing my old favourites left behind in my Glasgow bathroom... cest la vie... Has anyone tired this? Please comment below with your thoughts...
Finally, I found this languishing at the bottom of the make-up bag, never been used before. This looked pretty strange to me when it first came out, and still does today. I'm just not quite sure what the point in it was... Has anyone used this? What did you think - useful idea or just a gimmick?
Tonight I made dinner for my cousin, who has taken to staying with me at my aunt's house in London while she's still sunning herself in the Canaries! I come from a large family and my house is always so busy, so it felt strange arriving in London and being faced with a large house completely empty. I quite like him popping over to keep me company :) James said his dinner was lovely, whilst I was totally embarrassed at the sheer thrown togetherness of it! I've not been for a proper shop yet (I've not adjusted to living on my own) and so this was thrown together from stuff I found in the fridge and cupboards. This is what I did:
Boiled up some pasta, adding salt, for about 10 mins
Drained pasta
Mixed the tuna with sweetcorn
Added half the mix to the pasta, then the other half to pasta with mayo
Mixed olive oil, white wine vinegar and herbs to make dressing
Artfully presented the salad
Added tuna, sweetcorn and pasta (and mayo for James)
Wine anyone?
a nice pomegranate and raspberry tea
then the boring bit :(
Tomorrow I'm going for a walk around the local area, if the weather behaves...
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