Face Masks | Cucumber Mask for Acne

A pleasantly zingy mask for when your face is feeling unloved, moody and dull. 

1 tablespoon of oats  +  1 tablespoon  +  1/4 cucumber  +  2 tablespoons of honey  +  1 tablespoon of lemon juice  + mixing bowl

So first off, with your spotty hormonal skin all freshly washed, you want to cut the cucumber into slices and pop them in the blender. My blender was being a giant poop today so I just worked those biceps mashing up the cucumber instead. Both methods work but a blender is essentially better because it mashes up the cucumber more making it easier to form a paste with the other ingredients. 

In hindsight, I probably should have mashed it up more but it did work! Also don't forget to use the entire cucumber. Don't throw the end away like I almost did as it'll work just the same and you're hopefully not going to be consuming it! Though it did taste quite nice...

Next, add the oats, lemon juice and honey. A little tip here, if you're using cloudy honey (which I did) instead of runny honey, heat it up a little before adding it as it will melt and mix into the mask more easily. And then, mix truly, madly, deeply.

The recipe calls for only 1 tablespoon of honey but with the excessive juice from the cucumber I added 2 tablespoons and probably could have added more. It creates a paste that sits on the face better and doesn't mean bits of cucumber are falling off your face... um cough cough. 

Just keeping adding things until you feel that it's a good paste to apply to the old visage.

AND YOU'RE DONE! 

I was pleasantly surprised by the results of this! I genuinely believe cucumber is very good for the skin and the oats were great for a light morning exfoliation. It made my skin look more radiant and glowy and I couldn't believe how smooth my skin looked. My face has been screaming for an exfoliation recently... Eww. It definitely made my massive breakout feel less irritated and sore and I like to think reduced the spot size but that could just be me haha! 

Leave this mask on until it dries and feels tight, so for about 10-15 minutes. And then wash off and apply your favourite moisturiser!

Don't forget, drinking water is the best moisturiser! I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Take care x

Summer Day

I've been struggling to know what to blog about for the last few days but today with the beautiful sun out, I found myself taking a few photos and I thought I'd share them with you.

I feel like an old lady snapping flowers but I think their beauty is often overlooked. Ooft, look at me, getting all cheesy...

 

 A fuzzy wuzzy bumblebee, Ben & Jerry's Vermonster (unbelievably delicious), Homemade iced tea, Garden flower, Pig statue (because every garden needs one...), My Mum's pride and joy, Red poppy, Rose bush, Little baby strawberry patch, Huge yellow rose.

I've been really stressed recently as I'm about to move house and it hasn't been the smoothest process but the sun and the garden today just lightened my spirits, not to mention the delicious iced tea! I need myself some more of that!

Plus, new found food love, pineapple chunks and frozen grapes! I'm so sad...

I hope today was good to you all! Take care x 

How much is my face worth?

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 51: £10.99  Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer Fair: £4.19  Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder 52 Vanille: £8.49  Benefit Cabana Glama Your DesTANation Make up Set - Peach Fuzz, Bronze Buzz, Cocoa Pizzazz & Hoola: £28.50  MAC Eye Kohl Teddy: £14  Benefit They're Real! Mascara: £19.50  Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks Pink Cloud: £1.99  Jemma Kidd Essentials Palette: £28 (varies)  Tresemme Firm Hold Hairspray: £1.79  Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick 03: £5.49  MAC Lustreglass Love Nectar: £13.50  MAC Eye Shadow Embark: £12 = £148.44

Cor blimey! That's quite a hefty amount to have on my face. I don't usually wear this much make up everyday. My usual routine is a foundation and concealer base, a wash of shadow and mascara and a bit of bronzer and then I'm off. Just to clarify things though, quite a few of these products were presents and as a student I don't have an awful lot of money to spend on make up, it just so happens the expensive stuff is my favourite! 

The photo is quite shockingly awful, I apologise for that; 4000 photos later and I'll have an empty memory card. Don't know about you, but I'm awful and uploading photos once I've taken them!

Hope you're all having a good weekend! Take care x

My Summer List

This summer so far has been a little bit of a struggle. Most of my friends are off home or away doing other things and I've been quite lonely and spending a lot of time stuck in my house feeling incredibly bored and a bit useless. 

It really hit me this morning as I was finishing yet another episode of Dinnerladies, that nothing was going to change if I didn't get up and do something, so I made a Summer Bucket List. I decided to write down all the things I wanted to do this summer and hopefully by the time I roll into 2nd year I will have completed them all. 

There's a selection of small fry activities and big steps for me so I'm interested how I'll manage it. The rule is the list can get bigger but not any smaller which I think makes it more scary but exciting! I'm not going to lie, I'm a teensy weensy bit scared but today I already picked up an application form for Oxfam and applied for a job at Starbucks! And do you know what guys? I feel so much better and really quite proud of myself :)

Do any of you find it difficult to start new things on your own? If you've got a summer holiday that isn't filled with much I'd love it if you'd try it and I'd love to hear how you guys gets on. I hope you all have a splendid holiday and if I keep to my list, I'll chat to you guys very soon!

As always, Take care x 

Nails Inc Chelsea Physic Garden

Nails Inc Chelsea Physic Garden £11

 I was out with my sister the other day and we went to House of Fraser to get her nails done. I was busy ogling all the beautiful colours and really liked this one which she treated me with.

Chelsea Physic Garden is a bright pale sky blue with a slight dash of turquoise which I think makes it look so good with golden skin tones. Like all Nails Inc polishes it applies really well and evenly and two coats is enough for a neat bold colour finish. 

It really is such a pretty polish and I think the thing I love most about Nails Inc polishes is that they don't chip half as quickly as all the other brands I own. I apply a base coat and top coat as usual and this really helps towards chipping. It seemed to dry really quickly too which was great and I think it would suit long nails too. 

It's a beautiful colour for spring and summer and as you can see from the photos, it looks gorgeous in the sunlight. It also looks very flattering with contrasting colours.

I hope you're all having a Happy Fathers Day everyone. Our oven has broken so my Mum just cooked a roast chicken in a wok. And it tasted amazing! Thanks for reading guys! 

Take care x

Review | Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil

Ever since I can remember - due to my lovely sister's very expensive tastes and influences - I've loved expensive hairdressers and being a student it often means I can't venture to get my hair cut very often. I have horrible split ends and I could just chop them all off but I absolutely love the length my hair is so I'm trying my best to find a really good conditioner.

If you're a youtube and beauty blog fanatic, you'll know that argan oil (aka moroccan oil) has been raved about and everyone and their pet donkey has tried it. It's derived from the kernels of the Argan tree native to Morocco and I bought it on a whim and at the point where my current conditioner was doing nothing for me anymore.

I don't think I've ever tried a conditioner that works so well! My hair felt the softest it's ever felt and the oil is only moisturising not greasy. It's completely lightweight which I find a definite plus because my hair's notorious for being weighed down by different products and the smell is absolutely gorgeous. I have heard that various brands smell different but this brand smells divine. The best way I can describe it is it kind of smells like a male aftershave that's quite feminine and at the same time smelling like a luxurious and expensive hair product. 

Results are the same if the oil is blow dried or left to air dry. This I only found out when I realised my sister had pinched her hair dryer back and taken it off to Italy on holiday. Here comes 2 weeks of air dried hair and it probably will do it the world of good!

I absolutely adore this oil, it's lightweight, deliciously smelling and very reasonably priced. I seriously recommend it and your split ends will definitely thank you for it.

Do let me know if you like argan oil too and as always guys, Take care x

A Day Out in Edinburgh

Left to right: White lace strap dress from Karen Millen, Aperol Spritz (Italian appetizer), Trying on shoes in LK Bennett, A floral folly in Anthropologie, Lunch at Grand Cru, My beautiful sister trying on a dress in Hobbs, White lace strap dress from Karen Millen, Jars and trinkets in Anthropologie, My new recital shoes from LK Bennett (in love!) , Starbucks Mocha cookie crumble (delicious!), a picture I drew on a cup.

These are a few cute photos I took in Edinburgh on a day out. My sister and I splashed out in Boots and spent way too much - haul to follow! Some of these photos are to make up for seriously failing on the 30 day snap! I'll hopefully improve! Hope you're all having a wonderful week :)

Take care x

Beauty Haul | Superdrug

It's been a while since I've had a little bit of cash to splash but since it was my birthday, I decided to treat myself to a few bits and bobs. 

Barry M Limited Edition and Gelly Hi-shine nail paints

I've been wanting to try these for a while and as usual, I'm super late to the party, but I picked up Mango and Passionfruit which I've heard are some of the really popular colours. I absolutely love them, I'm a sucker for any polish that looks tasty! I'm so weird... I might pop back and get Papaya too! I also picked up a limited edition polish as it was free with the £6 or over deal. It doesn't have a name, which I think is a shame but the colour is a beautiful popping grassy green so my eyes gravitated towards it. I adore the aztec lid as well, a different touch.

 Rimmel Finish Touch 3D Plumping Top Coat

I was looking for a top coat anyway but thought this sounded so hilarious that I decided to try it. It claims to give a 3D look and plump the look of your nails. I've only tried it on false nails but I didn't notice much plumping! It did leave a very shiny finish though which I really love.

Tresemmé Heat Defence Styling Spray

This heat spray actually comes in travel size which I picked up as I wanted to test it before I bought the full size. I can't say if it actually did protect my hair from heat but time will tell. It did leave my tresses feeling quite extra soft though which I really liked.

E45 Intensive Recovery Lotion

I have really really dry skin and always need special boring moisturisers! I prefer Norwegian Formula moisturisers but I picked this up instead to give it a go. I'm not hugely impressed with it but I'm going to give it a few more goes and good month of using before I decide.

Sally Hansen Miracle Growth Daily Nail Treatment

My nails are in a sad and weak condition from years of biting my nails and wearing false nails quite recently. I can barely grow them any length at all and I decided things were never going to change if I didn't do something! This treatment is to be used daily and moisturises the cuticle as well as strengthening the nail bed. I haven't tried it at all but it claims results are visible within 1 week so I'll maybe do a couple of update posts and see what the results are.

Was this post too long/too many photos/too much babbling? Let me know in the comments below! :) Take care x

The 30 Day Snap | Snap #8 + #9

Due to some really aggravating technical difficulties, (oh why didn't I just get an iPhone?!) I'm late with my June snaps but I hope you'll forgive me and enjoy them anyway.

Left to right: Shanghai Sling, Opium's Den. These cocktails were literally delicious and it was my Birthday that day so I really enjoyed it and it was boiling hot weather and a beautiful day. We went to a lovely Oriental restaurant in town called Opium. I turned 19 and I will always remember that birthday, it was so much fun :)

This was taken yesterday and I have no idea why I look so unhappy! I must have been concentrating or something haha. But this jumpsuit is from Ted Baker, I absolutely adore it but I'm going to come back and actually buy it because it was a whopping price and I'd like to get back into exercising and toning my legs before I wear it out.

I hope you enjoyed these snaps regardless of the time *slaps wrist* and I shall endeavour to be more punctual! Thanks for reading guys. Take care x

Models Own | Wah Nail Wraps REVIEW

I've always liked Models Own polishes, they're creamy and cute and pretty chip resistant. They came out with nails wraps last year and it's taken me a while to try them out but today being my birthday, I thought I'd don some fake nails and give them a try.

Advantages 

As a sticker, they're extremely easy to apply and give the impression you've spent hours on your nails. They're also really original channelling a comic/kitsch vibe and each sticker comes in a slightly different size to minimise shaping. There are 20 stickers in the pack incase you ruin the first one and they're also reasonably priced at about £7 for 2 applications and a nail file. 

Disadvantages

The wraps could me more sticky, at the moment they have the stickiness of a scrapbook sticker, not a durable nail design. I found the corners curled up on some nails but I must admit that could be due to the false nail surface instead of the natural nail. The bottom of the sticker is very square shaped which I find quite impractical as my nail beds are very round. It's also slightly difficult to file the wrap without filing too much of the nail and also the wrap doesn't always cover the entire nail and if it does, it's almost impossible to clip/cut the wrap around the nail; however, this is a first impression so I reckon it takes a bit of practice as I've never used anything like this before!

All in all I like these wraps, they're cute and fun but they can be quite difficult sometimes to apply. I won't be running out and buying these again instantly but I'll definitely purchase them again at some point in the future. Practice makes perfect! Also they look equally good with a shiny/matte top coat. Give them a try and let me know what you think.

Thanks guys, I hope this was informative and as always my lovelies, Take care x

The 30 Day Snap | Snap #6

The sun was back today and I strolled through town with my best friend looking at the area I'm living in once I've moved out! It was a nice busy day and I love coming home feeling tired, means the day was good and sleeping tonight will be amazing.

On the way into town today, I thought I'd take a photo of this old wall advert up against a block of flats. I've passed it before but I just think it is so retro and a slice from the past. Can't quite work out what it says though I think it's an overlap of two adverts. Love it.

Hope you all are having a great week. Take care x

The 30 Day Snap | Snap #5

Today was an ultra boring day. I don't think I've been so bored all week and it felt awful. Not a good day but I know tomorrow will be better.

On the plus side, I need to tell someone about these cookies, they are literally uhhmazing. They're the Sainsbury's quadruple belgian chocolate cookies. They are absolutely delicious and I couldn't wait to take the photo which is why there is a quarter cookie there, not a full one...

Hope you're doing well guys. Take care x

The 30 Day Snap | Snap #4

Today was beautifully hot and sunny and even though it wasn't the best day, the sunshine and bath made it a whole lot better!

Lush bath bomb - Honey Ballistic. Lovely yellowy orange bath bomb that fizzes and turns the bathwater a sunny yellow. Also has exfoliating grains which leave a lovely little residue present when you drain the bath! Makes baths very enjoyable.

Thanks for reading guys. Take care x

The 30 Day Snap | Snap #1, #2 and err... #3

Sprinkleofglitter aka Louise has started the 30 Day Snap where you upload a photo from your day for every day of June. Although I am 3 days late (yes, my punctuality just keeps getting worse and worse!) I thought I'd give it a go and hopefully it will help with getting back into updating my blog more often. I hope you enjoy a little slice of my day for the next month. Here are 2 extra snaps to make up for the missed days: 

Me being a cheeky friend taking a snap of Tim (unbeknown to him) tucking into a sandwich. We're desperately waiting for our exam results... which never came.

A new summer smoothie I picked up, wasn't sure at first but it's actually rather tasty. Also tried Red Sky crisps at the same time. Cor blimey they're tasty.

Another one of my frequent silly faces I made while standing in a very crowded Subway station waiting for a train. Tired, suffering from sore feet and an empty tummy after having bought my sister a little graduation present.

Hope you enjoyed these snaps! Thanks again guys and as always Take care x

TOPSHOP Martina

£30 - Don't forget your 10% student discount!

The weather in the UK is pretty terrible but we're having a beautiful bout of sunshine right now (which I'm praying continues this week for my birthday!). The sun always makes me want to spend money and so I toddled quite by chance into Topshop yesterday and came across these beauties.

These are the Martina shoe from Topshop and for genuine leather shoes they're very reasonably priced. With a 'T' bar design and cut outs, I thought these were perfect formal summer shoes that look fabulous with and without tights. I think it would be awesome to channel 90s fashion Clueless style with either distressed denim jeans or over the knee socks and pleated mini skirts.

Either way, I'm very very excited to wear these flats this summer. Thanks again for checking out my blog and as always; Take care x