What's In My Bag: The Cambridge Satchel Edition

The Cambridge Satchel is the new addition to my weekend wardrobe as I have been looking for something a little smaller and more casual than the Michael Kors suitcase that I lug around during the week. It took a little while to arrive but I am thrilled with my choice and have fallen instantly in love with the gorgeous colour, practical size and the quality of the bag.

This is the 13" Cambridge Blue satchel. 

It's not the most roomy of bags which means decanting and downsizing for those laid back weekend days where minimal make up and fuss are a must!

So the essentials that I carry around with me are:

• iPhone 5 in white with Accessorize case
• Ted Baker Elonka Wallet in gun metal.  I managed to pick this up in the sales after my last Ted Baker wallet gave up after 8 hard wearing years. It is large so takes up a lot of room in the bag but I can't be faffing with a separate wallet for weekends as well! Plus it's silver and shiny *heart eyed emoticon*. 
• Teal notebook from Paperchase. God knows I do not need another notebook but this is a handy size, a pretty colour and was in the sale.  This lets me jot down any little random thoughts that I think deserve pen and paper rather than a digital life. 
• Ray Ban sunglasses because I am the eternal optimist that the sun might just come out!

As it is the weekend I try to wear a slightly paired back make up look. This little silver bag from a Xmas hair gift set a number of years ago gets a de-clutter to face the weekend. No where near full on a Saturday and Sunday it squashes down to fit in the bag before being ceremoniously refilled on a Sunday night before the Monday morning commute / train make up scenario happens again.

 My weekend essentials include:

• Mini Hairbrush for on the go grooming
• Hair band and grips
• Hand Sanitiser
• L'Occatine hand cream
• Nivea Hydra Care Lip Balm - I brought this after watching this Lisa Eldridge beauty solutions video
• Benefit lip gloss in 'nudie-tude'
• Rimmel mositure renew lipstick in 'To Nude Or Not To Nude'
• KIKO natural concealer in shade 2
• Calvin Klein Euphoria roller ball perfume

As I said I like to keep the weekend edit as minimal as possible but I am still covered for almost all eventualities with this selection whether it be a trip to the cinema, meeting friends for coffee or shopping. 

I love reading 'What's in my bag posts' so please link yours in the comments below so that I can have a good nose and I will also plan a week day edition. 

100 Day Spending Ban 2014

Things have become a little excessive of late, in the purchasing arena, spurred on by even more excessive blog reading and youtube watching. My love of make up and all things sparkly, along with a penchant for accessories and an almost unhealthy relationship with Paperchase means that our little house is bursting at the seams. 

A week away with no purchases and a New Year makes it the perfect time to take stock (literally) and try and rein it all in a bit. So here comes the 100 day spending ban. My oh my 100 days is a long time though taking us up until the 10th April.

I do want to use this time wisely - a big clear out and charity shop drop along with more focus on diet and fitness after the festive season and a holiday saw this all come to a grinding halt - to ensure that I see the new year started in a healthy and practical way. 

Whilst this is my idea my husband is 100% behind it - obviously!

So I think that I need to set some rules.

THE RULES

1. Simples. Do not spend money on unnecessary purchases. 

2. Unnecessary means anything new make up wise unless replacing a crucial item for which there is no viable alternative already within my stash. 

3. This does not include personal hygiene products like deodorant, shower gel and shampoo/conditioner which will only replace what I am currently using when it runs out and I'm sure is something my nearest and dearest will be pleased about. 

4. Unnecessary also extends to clothes, accessories and stationery products. 

5. I will also stop the pre-work Starbucks habit and when possible take a pre-prepared lunch. 

6. The 100 days started on the 1st January and will continue until the 10th April. 

So far it has been easygoing as I have been sat on a sun lounger in Egypt with very little to no spending temptation or desire to spend money. So far so good! I'll keep you updated ...

If you are doing a spending ban at the start of 2014 then please link your blog in the comments below and follow me on Twitter @mrsnicholls33 so that I can follow you back and keep up to date with your progress.

Laura Mercier Shimmer Effect Mini Caviar Stick Eye Colour Collection

This was a case of not being able to resist after spying these in the Space NK Christmas 'lust-fest' catalogue. 

I am loving cream shadows at the moment and think they are really having their moment with both high end brands and in the drug store. Although, I have stuck with potted colour from Bobbi, Smashbox, Maybelline and even more recently Bourjois but I haven't really been impressed with their crayon cousins..I am looking at you Chubby Sticks.

This Christmas set contains four miniture eye crayons in great wearable shades which are brightening and vibrant even in one swipe. Whilst all very wearable I don't think that I would be able to use all three of the light shades together which does limit them as a package but the darker colour (amethyst) does work with all of them individually.

Below and above from left to right are the colours: rose gold, amethyst, pink opal and sugar frost. In the swatches I've included one swipe on the left followed by a double swipe on the left.

Amethyst is a really deep shade and works well in the crease for a blended out smokey eye or flicked out into a cat eye using a MAC 217. The lighter colour 'sugar frost' has been functioning as an easy to use highlighter on the brow bone and inner corner of the eye. 

For me though the winner is the rose gold. Mainly because I have been amassing a huge collection of rose gold shades in both powder and cream formulas. I am just loving this shade right now. I used this crayon for a muted day look and even without primer it lasted all day with no creasing. 

A great little stocking filler or just a Christmas treat for yourself. Found here at Space NK.

Silver & Sparkle Birthday Wishlist

My birthday is in one week and I have been mentally compiling my wish list for a little while...well 364 days to be exact. Here are just some of the things I am wishing for this year.

Laura Mercier Smokey Violets

Laura Mercier is a brand that I haven't really looked at before but recently I have been gravitating towards that stand every time I visit my local Space NK or John Lewis. The products are high end so good quality with high levels of pigmentation coupled with chic packaging which will give the classic look I long for. 

The Christmas collection really caught my eye this year and has also managed to indulge my love of make up palettes...

Lust at first sight with the Laura Mercier Colour-To-Go in Smoky Violets. Anything with a different way of presenting the products and I just can't contain the excitement and this palette features a double decker design.

Open the first layer and you are confronted with a full mirror and the piece de resistance as far as I am concerned the eye colours that give the palette this name.

From left to right you have the trio of eye shadows, soft with great pigmentation and easily buildable and blendable for a basic day look or something a little smokier for the evening. In the far left we have the luster finish in 'Violet Steel' and in the middle a matte 'Plum Smoke', to the right there is another luster finish to be used as a highlighter which is a 'pink champagne' shade. The darkest shade in the palette is a tight liner in exclusive shade Violet Asphalt. Use a damp liner brush to get the right depth of colour otherwise it is all just a bit 'meh'.

Open up the second level and there is a beautifully presented bronzing powder in 'Golden Bronze' a second skin cheek colour in 'Barely Pink' and one of the famous lip glacé products in a nude 'After Hours'. I really really do like the finish that the blusher gives you and is different to other things that I have as it is matte rather than a little shimmery. A little does go a long long way so I will definitely be checking out some of the other colours.

The lip product has a milky finish and a lovely pink nude colour which again is different to anything that I have but I'm afraid that is where the things I like about this end.  It does have a tendency to look a little 'gloopy' and sticks to any dry spots that you have on your lips. It also has the most horrific smell, I think it is supposed to be chocolate / coco butter but there is an underlying chemical plastic scent that makes me want to gag. For now it can just stay in the palette and continue to look pretty which it definitely does.

This is definitely going to be in my make up bag through out Christmas especially when we travel home as it is practically a whole face in one beautiful packaged palette. 

It can be found at Space NK for £31.00 here.

Hillmotts Boot Camp

At the end of October I packed my bags and headed into deepest rural Cotswolds to Hillmotts Residential Bootcamp for lots and lots of exercise and some bonding time with my mum and sister.

So what does 3 days at a residential bootcamp entail?

Accommodation

The Hillmotts cabin is about 10 minutes from the Cotswolds town of Chipping Norton. It is off a track even further down a track...seriously remote with no 3G and even worse no phone signal whatsoever. 

An initial check in included a brief chat with one of the trainers about your goals for the 3 days. Your food likes and more importantly dislikes and a quick check through you medical history before stepping on the scales for a weigh in if weight loss was something you were interested in.

As I was travelling with my mum and sister we had checked into a triple room with en-suite. The room was very warm and comfortable with country chic decor.

 Food

Straight up there is not a lot of it. You are told in the initial orientation that you will be given around 1,400 calories a day. Everyday before your early morning session (more on this later) you are given half a banana (and only half) with some green tea to get that metabolism kick started. After the first session you are treated to breakfast; porridge with fruit compote  / honey or weetabix. A mid-morning snack is 2 rice cakes with humus or peanut butter and then lunch which consisted of white fish and salad on the first day and butter nut squash soup on the second. 

By the end of the day dinner was much anticipated. On day one we were treated to lemon chicken and peppers, wholemeal spaghetti pesto, sweetcorn and roasted pine nuts. Day 2 was lamb moussaka, steamed broccoli and quinoa. I have to say that the food was restorative and filling as well as being damn delicious. 

This is not a military boot camp or jail and you can take food and snacks in with you, you are just reminded at orientation to think about and focus on your goals. I did take some snacks with me that consisted of satsumas, unsalted peanuts and some ginger nature valley bars. I ate them all!

Exercise

I'm afraid that I didn't manage to take any photos of us doing exercise, I was too busy preparing myself for the inevitable pain and hard work that the exercise would entail but it was a jam packed schedule.

There was a total mix of exercises but the idea was that you started the day with the most intense (aka fat busting) exercise and then got in to some more specific exercises. There was also a couple of choices; whilst I chose Speed, Agility and Quickness others were offered Kettle Bells and I chose Interval Training while others went for another round of boxing. 

No matter what the session there were different levels so you could work as hard as you wanted to. There was no shouting at you but you were encouraged to work at your maximum for your own benefit. 

It was hard work and oh I ached but I loved the mix of exercise that was offered and being given new challenges. There were some things that were really tough especially the hill run which made up the interval training on day 3 but completing that was also a personal highlight.

Downtime

There was also a little time for some R&R so we made the most of spending some time together away from the distractions of children, TV and Internet. 

At the end of the three days I left 4lbs lighter, feeling mightily refreshed and dare I say it happy. I returned to work full of energy and raring to take on the world again, motivated to keep going with this weight loss journey. 

I went home and did a little bit more of this...and cannot wait to go back at the beginning of next year.

Autumn Beauty Favourites

It seems like only a few weeks ago I was singing the praises of Bourjois summer hits and now I am looking out of our study window on a rather chilly, rainy November afternoon with Autumn in full swing.

It did not take long to delve head first into the Autumnal tones when it comes to make up and these are a few of the things that I have been turning to day after day.

From left to right: Nars Laguna Bronzer, Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in Beige, Revlon Nail Colour in Vixen, Benefit Sexiest Nudes Ever...Eye Shadow Kit and MAC Eye Shadow in Divine Decadence.

The Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation was a replacement for my Rimmel Wake Me Up. The every day foundation that gives a good coverage and the dewy complexion that I prefer. I personally don't think that there is much between them and I would probably just pick up which ever one was on offer in Boots...that said the next purchase will be the Happy Light foundation...why? Just because.

My first foray into Revlon nail polishes. I can't say I am surprised by the quality of this product, all of the items I have picked up from them in the last year have been great. Great packaging, great formula and great colour. 2 coats give you that deep berry red perfect for these Autumn months.

Long time favourite of many a beauty blogger the NARS Laguna Bronzer has been on my shopping list for quite some time.  I am a huge fan of the Bobbi Bronzer but this gives a little more of an understated glow which adds a little colour as the weather turns cold. This does have a feint shimmer running through it unlike the matte colour in the Bobbi version but you are not going to turn into a glitter ball it just adds a little dimension.

MAC Divine Decadence is a limited edition eye shadow colour from the Indulge Collection. MAC describe it as a soft warm bronze. The colour itself is glittery Autumn in a tub. I use this in the crease for a day time neutral eye but have also used this all over to create a great shimmery smokey eye. 

The last is this great palette from Benefit. There are 3 of these in the collection but I just couldn't resist this cool purple offering. The palette contains 4 powder eye shadows; the white 'milk it!', the deep violet 'raincheck?', the lilac wash 'pause for applause' and the shimmery silver 'blingo!'. All 4 of these have great colour pay off and I've managed to create both day and night time looks. I was always a little wary of purple tones but I am absolutely loving these and the colours certainly do work for the green eyed girls.

Also included are the 2 mini creaseless cream eyeshadows in holy smokes, a dark shimmer laden grey, and bikini-tini, a nude gloss. Bikini-tini is a little 'meh' I don't think it adds much at all but I love love love holy smoke. It is a great shade and I have been using it as an eye liner for when I don't want something quite as harsh.

I think this little lot will keep me busy until the Christmas offerings start attracting my glittery magpie eye.