The Make-Up Brush Wish

29 November 2014

Ahh the ending of another month. This month has been an interesting one; I’d also say it’s been a good one. It’s been a month of many firsts and a month of growth for me but I don’t have any learning to share. I don’t technically have a wish list for you either, I just have the one item a make-up brush, one that I think will rule them all:

This is the Kevyn Aucoin 'The Foundation Brush' priced at £66. 

The minute I saw this come into the frame in Suzie’s video I was like ‘what on earth is that beauty’ and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. I don’t even know why I love the look of it so much, but I do and seeing Suzie use it in the video I was just like ‘I need that in my life.’ 

Thing is, I don’t think I’d ever be willing to part with my hard earned cash for a foundation brush, seriously I’m not gonna lie. So it’s a wishlist item, not a save to buy item, because I cannot justify the price tag no matter how much I love the look of it. If anyone reading this is secretly in love with me, you should know that this is the way to my heart. 

Img Credit: 1

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EATS: Dirty Tommi's Pop Up

26 November 2014

So I am a burger fiend through and through, I have a long list of burger places in London that I will chow through. That’s in addition to my 'restaurants in London to go' to list. I just bloody love burgers. So when I read about a Mac and Cheese burger in Timeout London, I was ready to cross another burger place off my list.

I’d read about Dirty Bones before, but after reading that they were collaborating with Tommi’s Burger Joint to create a one off menu and it involved mac and cheese and burger in one, I knew I had to finally pay it a visit. So 2pm last Sunday I took myself to High Street Kensington, to do something other than sitting at home dreading Monday. The collab is only available on Sundays, so there's that as well. Not going to lie there are far better blogs out that explain the collab properly, so give it a search if you’re really interested but for now, let’s get on to the food!






I don’t have the greatest pictures as it was so dark in there. 
We ordered: Chicken Wings. Strawberry Shortbread. Dirty Bounty. Dirty Mac Burger. Dirty Fried Chicken Burger. Dirty Bones Mac and Cheese. Sloppi Dirty Fries.

So as you can see we did quite well for the three of us. We only ordered one starter because two of us just wanted to get straight to the burger. I thought the chicken wings were absolutely lovely and I’m pleasantly surprised by this because it didn’t sound all that great, but they were lemon, chilli and spring onion chicken wings and they were just amazing.

My friend and I tried out the two boozy shakes on the menu which were Strawberry Shortbread and Dirty Bounty and they were looooooovely. My other friend got orange juice, so I didn’t even ask what he thought of it.

So onto the main meal then! So two of us got the Dirty Mac Burger and then there was the Dirty Fried Chicken Burger. Plus two sides of mac and cheese and some Sloppi Dirty Fries. Let’s just say it was like love at first bite, the bun was so soft, the burger was delicious and the mac and cheese just gave it all kinds of cheesy goodness. I could have been cheesier, but the burger was a beaut there is just no denying that. I am told the Friend Chicken Burger was absolutely amazing, but I was too busy chowing down on mine that I declined to taste. So the actual mac and cheese was where I was a bit like ‘meh’ don’t get me wrong it was nice, but it lacked some flavouring. The boys were mega happy with it though, so maybe that’s just me!

For me the star of the show was the Sloppi Dirty Fries, I just looooooved the Kimchi sauce which I had never tried before. To give you a better idea of what was on the fries I’ve kindly borrowed the description from here ‘triple cooked fries covered in Tommi’s sloppi joe mince, topped with Kimchi sauce & spring onions. Served with Dirty Bones gravy.’ I loved it and so did the boys, they actually ended up finishing if for me because I was super stuffed! I think because it was something I'd never tried before, it really stuck out in my memory, that and it was bloody tasty.

The boys said they could have happily eaten the meal again, but I was stuffed, so we talked for a long arse time and were not made to feel like we had to leave (there wasn’t that many people around anyway). We didn’t order desert though, I’m not actually a person that really orders deserts in restaurants as I’m always SO full from my main, as was the case here.

Now I will say I think the reason I wasn’t uber impressed was because the food was like lukewarm, I dunno about you but I like my burgers like fresh from whatever cooking device. So I think that’s what made me feel ‘so so’ about everything, because for the most part the flavour was all there, but I feel like when food is hot it just tastes better. We had the most fantastic waitress though; she knew her stuff and was super friendly so overall I was super happy with the dining experience.

I’m pretty sure this Sunday might be the last Sunday, but it's also pretty unclear when it ends. But if you want a taste of the above, I say head down there sharpish just incase I am right!


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November Birchbox

24 November 2014



So my November Birchbox landed on my doorstep about a week ago (let me not even go into the drama that I went through to get the box, Yodel are the worst ever). So I thought I’d show you the goodies that I was given this month.



The theme for this month is Cosy at Home and we all know I’m all about cosiness. This month I got try the Montezuma’s Organic 54% Cocoa Milk Chocolate. I’m always eyeing this up in Tossed so it was nice to finally try it. I’m too used to eating crap chocolate, so for me it wasn’t as delicious as Cadbury’s bar, but it was still damn good. 

The next thing I tried was the Jane Iredale Just Kissed Lip Plumper Rio, sample boxes are so hit and miss when it comes to lip colours so I wasn’t expecting anything I can use. I personally wouldn’t wear this shade because it looks like foundation lips. Silly old me tried this on inside forgetting it was a lip plumper and spent 5 minutes wondering why it was stinging so much. 

I’ve written a couple of posts on cleansers and I was surprised to find a full size cleanser from Dr. Jart+ V7 Cleansing Foam. I was surprised for two reasons, one it was full size but also because I stay away from foam cleansers, for me they always make my skin feel stripped. I used this on the day I got the box and I’m not going to lie, it felt like I was using those soap bars that instantly make everything dry and I HATE those bar soaps. Honestly the minute the water went into contact with the cleanser I just felt that dreaded dryness. I’m going to give it another go, but honestly? I’m wishing they had given me one of the other products. 

I also received the Beauty Protector Protect & Treat Mask for hair and I’m looking forward to trying that to see if it can give my weave some life! Another full size product was the OPI Turn on the Haute Light – I absolutely love this name! To be honest when I saw it I was like ‘ooh this is nice but nope wouldn’t ever suit me’ but I painted my nails with it the next day and actually wore it out and I liked it. I think it would look lovely on the tips of red painted nails. The last thing I got was the Weleda Sea Buckthorn Body Oil, I am yet to use it but it definitely sounds perfect for winter! 

Not going to lie nothing in this box really tickled by fancy but it will be nice to try out these products.

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Cleansers On The Go

21 November 2014


Following my review on the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay, I thought I’d talk about the different cleansers I’m using at the moment and how I’m finding them. 

I have three cleansers that I have been reaching for daily and the first one is Lush’s Ultrabland. After seeing Caroline Hirons video about cleansers, I was intrigued by Ultrabland and seeing as it was more purse friendly that the others she was suggested, I decided to snap it up. I had never used a balm cleanser before so I was really interested to see what it would be like. I really enjoyed using this, as it really worked well at keeping my skin clean without stripping my skin. I use a muslin cloth to remove this after applying and I always found it just left my skin feeling calm and clean. I never used this to remove make-up so I was always applying it directly to my skin. I think super simple to use and leaves you with a lovely clean face! I think this is a perfect balm cleanser to always have for those days when your skin needs nourishment, which is mainly due to the fact that it is made with almond oil, beeswax and honey. Oh and it smells lovely! 

I received the Balance Me Cleanse & Smooth Face Balm in my October Birchbox. It is also a balm and arrived after I purchased the Lush one, so I was happy to have two types of blams to try. What I love about this balm is that it has these tiny grains which do a wonderful job of taking away dirt and helping to exfoliate. Lush’s Ultrabland is totally smooth, so it was nice to see a difference in this balm. It works wonders at making your skin feel nourished and I use a muslin cloth to remove this. Again I apply it directly to my skin after my first cleanse. The one thing about this is the smell, I mentioned this in my October Birchbox post, but the smell is so incredibly odd. I can bare it but it is super funky, I’m sure that it down to the natural ingredients they use. 

I won’t bang on too much about the FAB Deep Cleanser as you can read my full review here. This one I love because on those days when I just cannot find the hundreds of muslin clothes or flannels that I own, I can just get down to fuss free face washing. I especially love this stuff when I feel like my skin is feeling congested and oily and the last thing I want to do is slap a balm on it. This one gets right down to cleaning, without stripping and leaves me with cleaner feeling skin. 

So that’s all for what I’ve been using! I actually finished Ultrabland two days ago so I’ve added another one into the mix, which you will hear about shortly! 

What are your favourite cleansers?

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First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay

17 November 2014




So about a month and a half ago I picked up Lush's Ultrabland and whilst I have no qualms with it, I still wanted to find a cleanser that was aimed at my skin type. Having oily skin means I’m always hunting for something that’s going to help look and feel less oily. 

I’ve heard a lot about the First Aid Beauty Radiance Pads, so when I came across the First Aid Beauty Skin Rescue Deep Cleanser with Red Clay I was like RED CLAY?! What is that? I still don’t know but considering I already use charcoal and white clay in masks, I thought red might as well come along for the journey.

I’ve been using this for a month now and I can say that I am happy with it. This product isn’t really meant to do much more than balance out the oil control for oily skin, and for me that’s perfect. I switch up my cleansers anyway so I can’t say it’s really made my skin less oily, but I don’t find that I am more oily. What I do love about this is that it really does clean the skin and feels detoxifying; I mainly use this after I’ve cleansed away my foundation. I feel like it’s the best thing for my skin after I’ve had makeup on for ten odd hours, not to mention after I’ve been commuting and dealing with air conditioning and central heating. I think possibly like the name suggests, you use it when your skin is in need of 'rescuing' although as it's a cleanser it great enough for day to day use.

I recently took this to my sisters when I stayed there and she used it in the evening and in the morning she said that the product was great because had made her skin look amazing. I’m not sure how much truth there is, but I thought I’d throw that in there mainly because my sister is type of person who uses something once and expects instant results.

It is a bit pricey in terms of how much I’d spend on a cleanser (I actually got a 10% discount) and I don’t actually think I’ll repurchase it because I feel like I’ll be going back to my beloved Body Shop Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash. Overall this does what is says on the tin and most importantly, it has not broken me out so I’m definitely a happy chappy.

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Have you tried this cleanser or any First Aid Beauty products? The Radiance pads should be mine as soon as I finish the ones I currently have, I also have my eye on the oatmeal mask..oh dear.

P.S The Feel Unique addiction is real, I’ve ordered a skincare set that I can’t wait to share with you all when it arrives!

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Wishlists - Looking Back

12 November 2014

Sorry things have been quiet over here for a bit, I've been struck down by some sort of Winter bug, I guess I should have added flu mediciation to my November needs eh? Anyway on to todays post.



I was searching through my blog for something and came across some of the wishlists I posted during the year (does anyone else end up getting distracted by reading all their old posts and then spotting all their errors? No, just me?) I was pleasantly surprised to see that actually I had purchased some of the things I wanted, not a lot of them mind you, but considering I forgot about them about a week after posting I was indeed surprised. 

I mentioned in this post that a lot of the time wishlists seem to be something of a passing thing, you post it and then forget that you want it and look for the next thing you want. I think it’s super important to go back and revisit these things and see if t here is actually anything there that still makes you go ‘oh I still want that!’ I got that with my February wishlist, I seriously still want all of them apart from the NARS Bronzer. 

So everything I have bought has actually been from my March wishlist, although one was a sample that I deffo did not buy. I thought I’d round up briefly how I found them and whether I would repurchase. 

So I wanted the Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-Oil and I did end up purchasing it, I actually loved this when I first got it. I had never used a serum or a facial oil prior to using it so I was really excited for it. It worked really well in the beginning, it made me skin plump and brighter and I absolutely loved it. But as I said here / lately I think its benefits have worn off, so whilst I enjoy using it I’m not sure how effective it is on my skin right now. I’m really unsure as to whether I would buy this again. 

Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant was another product I was after and you can see from the review I did here, that I was just not impressed with the product, it didn't deliver any of the promises for me personally. I still have it now because I use it occasionally but this is not something I would buy again. Tried and tested and it failed. 

The NUDE ProGenius oil was another thing I wanted but I was lucky enough to receive a sample size in my August Birchbox. I’m super disappointed that I didn’t see or feel any benefits from it because I really wanted to. The sample size was great I felt because I got at least 2 weeks use of it. After a week of putting it on at night and not seeing any results, I switched to using it in my moisturiser (using just the one pump) to help with the change of weather. Considering how expensive this is, I just know I couldn’t buy it because I saw no benefits. 

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Have you bought yourself anything that you’ve put on your wishlist? Was it worth it? Stay tuned as I've just purchased something that's been sitting in my Feel Unique wishlist and I'm so so excited to try it out! 

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5 things you need this November

7 November 2014


The Essentials: Blankets, Electric Blankets, Candles, Hot Water Bottles and Hot Drinks


Seeing as we've arrived in November and there's a chill in air, I thought I'd talk about keeping warm and cosy in the colder months. You'll probably see a theme developing as you read, but I'm all about light and warmth right now, the season just calls for it! 

1. A blanket – If you don’t own a blanket, then I don’t really know what I can say to you, apart from GET ONE. They are so perfect in the winter, from keeping you warm in bed to keep your legs warm when you’re lounging on the sofa watching TV (admittedly I don’t watch TV, but watching it with a blanket sounds good). I actually only have one blanket that I love; I don’t even know where my other one is. My blanket was actually a present from my ex when he went to Ireland so I’m terribly afraid for the day when it has had its time, as I don’t have the slightest clue where he got it from! But it’s purple (my favourite colour) and just incredibly warm, it’s not fluffy like a lot of blankets (which I hate). Make sure you get a feel for your blanket because not all blankets are made equal! They are just perfect for keeping you cosy and warm. 

Blankets I’ve had my eye on: Fleece BlanketPearl Knitted Blanket, Winter Berry Blanket

2. An electric blanket – I know, you’re thinking this is overkill, a blanket AND an electric blanket? But trust me it is needed (plus I'm talking an electric UNDERblanket), if you get cold really easily like I do. Or even worse if like me, you have the coldest room in the house. You can layer yourself like a sandwich with the blanket method I have going on. I stumbled across electric blankets when I was visiting my ex’s (doesn't he feature a lot in this post) family in Ireland. Their house was seriously cold and in the middle of nowhere, so we had blankets upon blankets and then she told me “make sure you switch on the electric blanket before you get into bed to warm it up.” And I was just there like what is this contraption?! Call me dim but I imagined electric blankets to be these crinkly things you had when you went camping, I don’t even know where I got this idea from because I’ve been camping loads and never had one of them. I got given the Morphy Richards Electric Blanket (Double) a year ago and I love. I've had it out for a month, but didn't actually use it until like three days ago. If you live in the UK, you'll know that it is getting super cold. When my nephews come round, they do not move from my bed when this is on. This just a top up to adding some warmth into your life, just don’t sleep with it on all night because you will most likely wake up in the middle of the night feeling like you’re about to boil. 


3. Scented candles - You can just buy normal candles, but I honestly don’t remember the last time I bought a regular candle. Why buy a non-scented when you can fill your room with gorgeous smells whilst having that beautiful candlelight glow? I recently went to Primark to repurchase a favourite Sweet Vanilla & Coconut and ended up picking up Pineapple & Ginger, as well Red Berries & Orchid. I'm a lover of sweet scents and always seem to go for anything that has vanilla in it. I’m a candle whore and have tried a whole bunch, Yankee candles are obviously a favourite but Sainsbury’s have lovely smelling candles, as does TK Maxx. I actually bought the nicest candle from TK Maxx about two years ago which was eggnog scented - It was SO good, but I can't find it anymore. 

Candles I adore: Yankee Candle Strawberry Buttercream, Sainsbury's Madagascan Vanilla, For Every Body Candles (they don't seem to have the eggnog one but they do other awesome scents). 

4. A hot water bottle – Yep I have rounded it all off by coming back the topic of heat. This one is perfect for if you’re at home, at a friend’s house or at work. Obviously it depends on where you work, but I work in an office and there are forever wars about the temperature, which then results in us all working in Antarctica. So it depends on where it’s easier for you to keep one, I’ve taken mine to work because as we can tell from the above, I have enough to keep me warm at home. You can pick up water bottles from anywhere; I’m pretty sure mine is from Poundland and is like 3+ years old. 


5. A hot drink – Ah to keep one’s self hydrated. Hydration is super important anyway, but of course you know during the winter you have to really amp it up. I find hot drinks are the best way to do this mainly because it keeps you warm. I am a lover of herbal teas and I'm constantly drinking green tea during the day. I buy the Sea Dyke Brand from Chinatown or my local Thai shop, but I also love camomile tea or just hot water with lemon. Find your drink and hydrate your body, it will keep your head clear and keep you warm. 

Teas I love:  Twinings Jasmine Green, Twinings Camomile & Honey

So that is it for my November needs. Is there anything you can’t do without during the winter months? Let me know, I’m always looking for things to make this time of year bearable!



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October Birchbox

4 November 2014

I know what you're thinking, why are you so late with getting this up. But my box was late getting to me! The postman (or lady) decided I obviously didn’t want my box and delivered it to someone else (I don’t know this for sure). So the lovely people at Birchbox sent me another one, and this time it made it to me! I actually ended up with two because after I got my replacement, I also got sent another one, so I e-mailed them asking if they wanted me to return it and they said I could just keep it. I'm just going to give it to a friend haha. As it's been a while since I got it, I have used some of the products for a bit now I thought I'd comment on if they worked or whatever, rather than just give you a run down of what's in the box.




For October, Birchbox teamed up with the charity Coppafeel to give us a dose of pink and a guide on what to look out for when you check the boobies for lumps. So with that came this lovely pink pouch, which I just love because it can be re-used! The theme for this month is actually “Work It” to help us 9-5 people out there keep motivated. They actually included a 14 day checklist for things to keep you going which I thought was super cool, and in order to make you use it one of the samples was Birchbox Pink Lipstick Pen, super cute and handy. So moving on to the beauty bits we have.

The Shaveworks The Cool Fix was something I was really looking forward to because ingrown hairs are a pain and I was looking into getting Tend Skin, when this came along. But I think as this suited to preventing ingrown hairs, it didn't meet my needs as such. So will have to continue using before I make up my mind. The KMS California HAIR PLAY Playable Texture was a meh product for me, I've only used this once. I'm a bit weary of hair products that say texture because ever since I used a sea salt spray in my weave and it turned into a dry mess. So I only stick to what I know.

One thing I was super excited for was the Balance Me Cleanse & Smooth Face Balm because I really thought the eyecream I received from Balance Me in July's box was great!  I do enjoy using this cleanser, can't say I have seen any sort of improvement in my skin but it hasn't broken me out. The only thing is the smell, I know Balance Me is super natural and all, but goodness this thing just smells so funky. It only lingers for like a few seconds upon application, but urgh it is not something I am getting used to at all. I do love using it because of the tiny grains it has, my other balm is Lush's Ultrabland but it super smooth, so this is nice for those days when I want to remove the nitty gritties.


I'm always looking to add to my nail varnish collection so the Lollipops Voyage a Paris Nail Varnish was perfect for me! I own a few reds but this one is still different from the other ones I own. I love the colour as it's a very bright red. Looks gorgeous on the toes as well as the fingers! So I received Pixi by Petra Shea Butter Lip Balm in Honey Nectar as my lip product, I was really hoping for the other colour because I just knew this wouldn't suit my skin tone and I was right.


I'm super excited for my November box, I've read that the theme is based around being cosy and I'm all about that life..!

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November Book List

2 November 2014



So it’s book time again! First things first - the October Book List. So I set myself the goal of three books and three books I did read, however The One Hundred Year Old Man has been left behind (again), I m half way through it though. I picked up An Absolute Deception in my work library and after reading two books on the Kindle I decided I missed an actual book so got stuck into that one. I’m glad I managed to read the three book target that I set myself, but I really do want to finish reading The One Hundred Year Old Man because I actually find the book interesting!

From the time of writing this I have 11 books until I reach my target and considering I’m averaging 3 books a month, I’m slightly apprehensive that I won’t reach that target. I’m not going to lie that upsets me slightly, but I really don’t have the time to read so much anymore :(

Anyway let us get on to what is on the menu for this month:

The Power by Rhona Byrne - After ‘The Secret’ last month, one of my friends who told me to read it gave me ‘The Power’ which is the next book up from ‘The Secret’ (I could be wrong). I’m so excited to read this! If you read my ‘3 things I learned this month’ you’ll know that I really loved ‘The Secret.’

Mother, Mother by Koren Zailckas - So I ordered a real physical book! I don’t know about you guys but I have a huge amount of books in my ‘save for later’ basket on Amazon and I decided it was time I stopped adding to it and actually started buying from it. Considering I buy most things for the Kindle I decided a physical book was needed. I really can’t remember where I heard about this book but I’m excited to get stuck into it. 

Willpower: Rediscovering our Greatest Strength by Roy F. Baumeister and John Tirney - This is another book that I have had in my ‘save for later’ basket and again I can’t remember where I heard about it but I think it sounds interesting. I think originally I thought it would give me some tips to stop stuffing my face, but after seeing the phrase ‘willpower decreases every time you use it’ I’m just intrigued to find out what it’s all about and you all know I love a self help book!

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - And of course this one is back on the list; I WILL get through it this month!


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