January Pay Day Wishlist

Well done everyone we've made it though the longest month of the year ever, and it is finally pay day! I am definitely planning on treating myself when that cash hits my bank account and so I thought I'd let you all know what I plan on treating myself to. 

My skin is really suffering in this cold weather, so I'm really looking forward to treating it with a few of these skin care products. 

This is my first go at using 'Beauty Sets'. What do you think?

ESPA Spa Hydrating Body Wrap

On a very snowy (but seemingly always football full Saturday) I cautiously made my way to the spa at my gym for a little mid-January treat, that I cleverly booked late last year. I opted for the hydrating wrap as I know how much my skin struggles in the colder months, and thought that it might need a boost!

After stripping down to some rather flattering paper knickers the therapist used a body brush up my legs, arms, over my back and belly always stroking towards the heart. This is to get rid of the dead skin and get everything moving in the right direction. She then used the ESPA 'Exfoliating Body Polish' all over. This is a rich chestnut coloured exfoliator that smells refreshingly of spearmint and gives you that tingly sensation that the majority of minty products have. The therapist then left the room and let me shower it off. At this point my skin already felt smoother than it has in such a long time.

At this point the treatment got serious, and I was lathered in marine mud, then wrapped in tin foil and blankets. Whilst all snugly and warm, and the mud mask setting, the therapist started a wonderful scalp massage with the ESPA pink hair and scalp mud. This is a red clay cream with watercress extract and apricot kernel oil. It was so nourishing and the massage was so so good. My therapist asked if I could keep it on for a little while after the treatment to let it keep doing its magic, so I didn't return home looking my most glamourous but when I did shower it off later that day my hair felt so good!

I was all warm and relaxed and unfortunately had to be unwrapped, and get back in the shower to wash all the mud off. It was seriously smelly!!! The final stage was to be covered top to toe in the deeply nourishing body cream. Perfection!

I took a couple of photos of the products that they used, but apologies they were on my iPhone in a dimly lit room but the packaging of the products is so nice and I can't tell you how difficult it was not to play with all the products on the table when they were staring at me and all looking so pretty!!

 

It wasn't necessarily the most relaxing treatment as your up and down showering but the products used were so luxurious and my skin still feels amazing. I'm trying hard to maintain and build on what good my wonderful therapist had put in.

I love spa treatments and am now going to cash in the spa day that the husband brought me for my birthday.

 

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Instagram Memories #3

 

 

 

 

Christmas day in the sun with a beautiful pool /// Christmas cocktails

 

 

 My 2 favourite people in the world Nephew Jack /// Niece Molly

  

 

New brand blusher /// My new 'Bristol Slippers'  

 

 New brand nail polishes which I've been having so much fun with /// Useless but necessary Paperchase purchase
 

I *heart* this make up look

 
For Christmas I brought myself a subscription to the electronic version of Glamour magazine, so that I can read it on my iPad, and not have 100's of magazines forever taking up space in our little house.

Anyway, I was as usual poring over the much too small beauty section (although Alessandra Steinher is without doubt my most favourite beauty editor ever!) and saw this very statement look. I wanted to share it here because I love love love it!!!!

Look at the beautiful glowy skin something I would probably spend pounds and pounds trying to re-create, and it clearly shows the benefits of contoring.

But obviously the statement eye - oh my it's amazing. I have never done a navy eye, or anything as heavy as this even in grey's or brown's but I love it and think the whole look is definitely something that could be re-created at home, and would look amazing on someone with a dark brown eye. Also how the pared down neutral lip lets that colour pop on the eye do the talking.

Oh yes, I seriously love this!!!

Our Bristol Winter Wonderland

Like the rest of the world we had a snow day on Friday and I wanted to share a few snaps of our little adventure around our estate. I managed to get some use out of my new Hunter wellies which were a present from my Parents for Christmas. I'm pretty sure I'll get lots of use out of them, now that we live in the South West.

The snow was so pretty, but unfortunately the rain has returned today and it is all melting away. Fingers crossed for another snow day at some point soon!

Photos are courtesy of my wonderful husband, and you'll have to excuse my non-existent make up look.

My Space

I have not had a dressing table for over 5 years, in fact the last time I had one I lived with my parents in my old bedroom after returning home from uni for approximately 5 months before realising that it couldn't continue. I'm sure that all 21 year olds returning from uni feel the same. So I packed up, and headed to the big smoke. In the preceding 5 years I have moved 5 times, and 4 of those places have been merely temporary (wow, there are a lot of numbers in that paragraph). The problem with temporary places, and small one bedroom flats in both London and Bristol is that there is not a lot of space, so my lotions and potions were all kept in boxes and bags, under beds and in drawers and I was generally sitting on random patches if carpet or sides of beds or standing, sometimes having to stoop to put on my make up and do my hair, and rarely able to find the thing I desperately needed.

Finally we brought our own house in Bristol (the biggest move), and after a few temporary solutions whilst we were decorating I have finally been able to slot in a dressing table!!! I am totally thrilled with this addition to my house, and I have literally made the worlds girliest corner. I was able to unpack 5 years worth of lotions and potions, chuck away the rubbish and re-discover old friends.

Whilst I still have a few things to unpack and a couple more storage solutions to purchase I just wanted to show you my little corner and my make up finally all laid out ready to use. It is like total girl heaven and I love it, my husband on the other hand is not that keen! 

Instagram Memories #2

 

Finally got the Oyster & Caviar Palette from Bobbi Brown which I love love love /// My 'first Christmas' bauble now on my tree

 

A token Christmas tree in the Nicholls household /// Hoping we've been good and that he might make a surprise visit before heading abroad

 

Blog planning for the Christmas holidays /// Planning, iPad and home decor porn = perfect evening in

 

Lone trip to the cinema and I was convinced to buy the worlds biggest drink all to myself /// Amazing street food in Bristol, nom nom

 

Wrapping style 2012 /// Pre-holiday pamper treat

The Sanctury Bargain

I finished my final week off from work with a small amount of shopping and picked up this massive bargain in Boots. Rather than £40 they were selling off the 'Sheer Sanctuary Indulgence' set for £10. I had to pick one up because it is such a good deal.

The beautiful box includes a full size; body wash, foaming bath soak, body scrub, body butter and intensive heel rescue. It also has 2 small bottles which are a body lotion (perfect for the gym bag) and a luxury bath float. There was also a sachet of salt scrub and a shower cap. I'm going to save some of the products as presents, as my mum and grandma absolutely love Sanctuary products but I am also going to be giving some of them a try! 

If they are still available you should definitely grab one while they last, even if it is just for re-gifting! 

I can feel some relaxing coming on...

 

2012 Beauty Favourites

I've always been a beauty junkie but 2012 and my delve into the blogosphere has meant that this year I have indulged my passion a little bit more - enough to even write about it.

So I wanted to share with you some of my favourite products that I have discovered this year...

From left to right: Rimmel Lip Butter (Peach Parfait), Bobbi Brown Extreme Party Mascara, Bobbi Brown Oyster and Pearl Palette, Benefit Porefessional, Essie Nail Polish (Miss Fancy Pants), Benefit Coralista

Foundation

OK I'm going to cheat a little bit here (and its only my first item) but whilst I have enjoyed trying a few new products, notably the Garnier BB cream and beauty blogger favourite 'Wake Me Up' Foundation from Rimmel, I am still on the quest for the one. So my favourite foundation product of the year is actually a primer. As I mentioned in a recent Benefit post (LINK) until I found Porefessional I had been using a L'Oréal Primer but this Benefit wonder knocks its socks off. I love that with a small amount it leaves your face feeling totally smooth and makes any drug store foundation look instantly better. I'm so glad that is now in my daily routine and will continue to be a regular purchase in 2013.

Blusher

Another Benefit product I'm afraid, but 2012 saw me fall back in love with this brand and in particular the Coralista blusher. Anything with a hint of coral and I'm your girl, so I was immediately attracted to this product, and needed it in my life as my blushers were certainly on the pinky side. I love the warmth it adds to my face with a hint of sparkle. This might sound weird but I also love how it smells. 

Lips

Having until later in the year been firmly in the 'nude and sparkly' camp it took me a little while to be brave enough to venture into colour. Whilst I'm still not rocking the pillar box red or berry pouts I so covet on other bloggers (I have the worlds thinest lips and just can't pull off brights) I have taken tentative baby steps into something a little more adventurous. I have just one word, Revlon. I have loved their high street take on more high end brands and my first 'lipstick' purchase ever, of a peach parfait lip butter which I love for a more sophisticated but still youthful look, and of course, its still sparkly!

Mascara

Back to a firm favourite of mine and that is Bobbi. As far as I'm concerned when it comes to make up, Bobbi can do no wrong and I have spent many an hour lusting over their counters asking to try product after product. When ordering some re-purchases online I was sent a sample of their Extreme Party mascara and was instantly hooked. Length, volume and not a clump in sight, it is mascara perfection!

Eyeshadow

Can I cheat again? I can't choose one eyeshadow, which are my drug of choice when it comes to make up. I could literally keep buying and buying filling my make up drawers with a kaleidoscope of colour, many of which are destined never to see the light of day. However, when I saw the Caviar  & Oyster palette from Bobbi, released as part of their Christmas range, and now sold out I knew I had to make it mine. I love all of the colours and will do a full review of the product as it so beautiful and therefore deserving of its own post. But the colours are all great, whether you are putting together a muted day look or a more dramatic smokey eye, the choice and quality is brilliant. I have just returned from holiday and this palette was the only eye shadows that I took with me and I managed to create a different look every night. 

Nail polish

On this occasion I'm not actually going to choose a colour but a brand. Pinterest and then blogs introduced me to Essie and it didn't take long for me to find the stand in my local Boots and Superdrug. I am a convert, what more can I say. I love the colours and I love the formula which gives a great slick of translucent colour, great shine and staying power. Whenever I've worn an Essie varnish I've had compliments and I can certainly see me adding to my collection in 2013, in fact I already have my eye on a couple of colours. 

So there it is...some of my beauty favourites for 2012, if you have done a similar post, please link it as I would love to have a look at some of the things that you have found. Maybe they will make it onto my favourites of 2013!

Ambitions & Goals for 2013

Picture credit from My Pretty Pennies

I don't really want to make resolutions for 2013, as like everyone else I will break them within a couple of weeks, if not days, so instead I have been thinking more about the ambitions that I have and the goals that I want to achieve over the next 12 months. 

I wanted to document them here on my little blip of the internet, so that I can keep you updated with how I do, and hopefully it might make some interesting posts for you all to read...

• Do more and see more - I'm really excited to get under the surface of Bristol and build up a greater appreciation of my new home town!
• Increase my followers on the blog.
• Organise, Organise, Organise!!!!  I want to get posts written up and scheduled every week, with tweets! Need to make some room for power hours during the week to do this.
• I would love to learn some basic HTML so that I can get to grips with a bit of editing and make my page look pretty.
• Learn how to use my sowing maching...and then make something on it (see goal below).
•  I will do one thing from my Pinterest Board "For When I Have Time..." every 3 months.
• Reading is one of my favourite ways of relaxing and for my birthday my friend brought me an amazing moleskin book journal, so I am going to start making notes on books that really inspire me or become a part of me. I sometimes feel like I have totally lost track of some of those stories that I found really special and I think this will make a great keepsake. 
• Become photo happy :-) The last few years I have been rubbish at taking photos, so I vow to take lots more, display more and organise them so that I can find them on my computer. Apologies to all of you that follow me on instagram, you might be bombarded.

I have loved reading everyone's resolutions, ambitions and goals for 2013 so please link your posts in the comments section below.  

Bodyshop Haul

The Bodyshop is one of those place I firmly remember as a teenage favourite, which evokes memories of white musk, strawberry shower gel and body butters in an array of sickly scents and pastel colours. The shop had indeed fallen out of my favour and I rarely visited it. But this has changed....

My friend recently hosted a Bodyshop party and whilst the classics above are still firmly available I have to say I was really impressed with loads of the new collections, scents and the quality of the make up. I walked in and as a total beauty junkie I was like a kid in a candy shop and ready to feed my addiction.

I found it so difficult to restrain myself as your able to have a real play with all of the products in the comfort of your own (or friends home) with a glass of wine and loads of girly chat. I ended up ordering this little lot and when it was delivered it was like a mini Christmas Day!!!

• Pink grapefruit body oil
• Ginger sparkle shower gel and hand cream
• Gold shimmer dust
• Eyeshadow quad in smoky moonstone (not pictured)
• Sandalwood and Ginger essential oil

I don't want to do a full review of every product in this post because some of them deserve a little more attention but I do want to mention the essential oil. I was so excited to see that Bodyshop had embraced home fragrance and the rep had a few of the scents to sniff. I have a little oil burner at home and anything with the heady scent of sandalwood and ginger is a winner in my book. This creates a warming enveloping scent perfect for cold dark nights. I have also used this to scent my radiators by dabbing on cotton wall and rubbing over the front. When our central heating turns on it fills every room with its feint scent which is so nice, rather than using fake plug ins! My next plan is to do the same things on my car fans. They also have this scent in a reed diffuser and scented candle, both of which are now on my wish list.

I loved the smell of the pink grapefruit range, it is quite strong but is clean and refreshing. The rep said that you can put this on straight out of the shower and just let it soak in, but my skin is so dry that I can use this as a normal moisturiser and still don't get any sort of oily film on myself, clothes or bedding. I wouldn't say this is a nourishing as a normal cream based body moisturiser and is actually quite summery so I'm looking forward to trying this again when the weather heats up. 

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NYE Glamour

Nothing says GLAMOUR to me more than New Years Eve! The one night of the year where opulence and overindulgence are a must, because the next day we start our resolutions of dieting, exercise and restraint.

This year I am going to be channeling some 1920s fabulousness because no other decade has done pearls sequins, beading and feathers so beautifully. Think of the Charleston, Gatsby, flappers and prohibition and your half way there.

I've put together a little collage of inspiration including accessories and some make up that will allow you to pay homage to this fashionable era this New Year's Eve whether your partying the night away or wrapping up warm to see the fireworks.

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