My Weekend ...

This weekend I went to Preston to visit my boyfriend's extended family. We go every year for a late Christmas gathering, and it is always lovely to catch up with everybody. Although we live in Manchester everyone is so busy it's hard to meet up frequently, so it's lovely to have a set time of the year when we know we will all get together. Pretty much as soon as we got there we had to rush off to watch Preston play football, which I was actually really looking forward to because I love watching football. Although Preston lost :( it was still a really good day out and I definitely want to go more often! 

Mike's brother, Mike and me freezing but still smiling :)

After the football game had finished, we went to visit a relative in the hospital, and then we went to a lovely Italian restaurant for some food. We ordered loads of garlic bread for the table, and I had fishcakes with sweet chilli sauce for a starter, followed by a vegetarian pizza. The food was lovely, but boy were the portions huge! I couldn't even manage a dessert which is normally my favourite part :(

Today, we got up late and pottered about for a bit. I did some more work on my essay :( and then Mike's family came over for a lovely lunch! Now, I'm back at home sorting everything out from Christmas and then I'm back on my essay :( and ..... I have to pack for DUBLIN!!!! I've always wanted to go and Mike is taking me for New Year's Eve. It was a surprise Christmas present and I had absolutely no idea. I'm not a huge fan of flying but you can't let these things put you off doing things so I'm going to man up and get through it! I'm so excited!!!!

Cupcakes made by Mike's cousin! Absolutely gorgeous!

I thought I would also include a quick outfit post. I wore my big warm coat from River Island, a red scarf that I made myself, my River Island bag, some topshop leather look leggings, and my boots from Brantano (I think, but they are a year or two old and the brand has worn off). Underneath my coat I wore a pale pink woollen cardigan and a white sparkly top which are both from River Island as well. I love this cardigan! It is so soft and cosy!

xxx

Empties and Repurchases - Toner

I've finished quite a few products in the last couple of months, so I thought I would share them with you and also if I've repurchased them or gone for something else. The idea behind this is that it will highlight the products I've loved enough to finish, and then whether I love them so much I've repurchased them! First off, I thought I would start with toners. Now, I seem to have gone through a lot of toner in the last couple of months but it really is something I can't go without. I know some people don't see why it is necessary, but I personally love how clean and fresh it makes my skin feel. So, these are the toners I have used up ....

L-R - Top-Lancome Douceur Hydrating Toner, Nivea Daily Essentials Refreshing Toner
Bottom- Simple Soothing Facial Toner, Garnier Soft Essentials Comforting Toner

Lancome Douceur was a sample I received when I bought the Lancome Hypnose mascara, and I absolutely loved it. It was so refreshing and I felt like it got rid of all the last bits of my make up. It had a lovely light scent, but I got through it quite quickly as the sample was only 50 ml, and at £34.00 for 200 ml I couldn't justify it when I hadn't tried any cheaper ones. 

So, the next toner I tried was the Nivea Daily Essentials Toner, which was quite a bit cheaper at £3.59 for 200 ml (in Boots). I did really like this one as well, however, it just didn't match the Lancome one for me. It didn't leave my skin feeling as refreshed, or prepare it for my moisturiser as well either, but at almost a tenth (yes a TENTH) of the price I still couldn't justify repurchasing the Lancome toner. So, I thought I would try another cheaper toner before I ran back to the Lancome counter. 

The next toner I tried was the Simple Soothing Toner, which was £2.99 for 200 ml at Superdrug. I love Simple as a brand, and this toner didn't disappoint. I was sad to see it go, but not sad enough to repurchase it. It did the job well enough but nothing special so my hunt continued... and I ended up picking up Garnier Soft Essentials Toner which is my last toner that I've finished. It has a really lovely scent, as it is enriched with rose extract, and is really refreshing. It is £3.40 for 200 ml at Tesco, so still in the same price range as the Nivea and Garnier toners but it is my hands down favourite out of the three. It is also for dry skin, and although my skin hasn't been dry recently, this toner really helps reduce that tight feeling you can sometimes get in between cleansing and moisturising that I really hate. It makes my skin feel much cleaner and I am really sad to see the end of it. However, you may have thought my journey to find my holy grail toner was over, but alas it is not so. I wanted to see if I preferred the Garnier toner to a more middle of the price range one, because if I do I will be repurchasing the Garnier one in a flash and I think it will be in my skincare routine for a while. So ... the toner I have just bought today is ....

Tadaaa! It's the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic. It was £12.50 from Boots for 200 ml, so nowhere near as expensive as the Lancome toner but not as cheap as the Garnier one. I decided to go for this one because I wanted something in the middle of the price range, and I already use (and love) the Cleanse and Polish so I thought it would be a good one to go with. I have only just bought it today so I will have to update you on whether I like it or not, but first thoughts are that the scent is not as nice as either the Lancome or Garnier one. It is quite an earthy floral scent rather than the fresh rose scent of the Garnier toner. It also has a screw top sort of contraption rather than a simple lid, but I will see how I get on. 

I thought I should add that I do use the occasional spray toners as well, but not really as a staple part of my skin care routine, more of a when I fancy it sort of thing, so I didn't think it was really appropriate to include them in this post! I was going to talk about more than just toners in this post but I think we would be here all day so I think I will do another post like this for some of my other empties, rather than one long one. Let me know of any other toners you have used and loved and maybe I will find one that will beat the Lancome one! If I had the money I would never have strayed, but until that day I will carry on searching for an alternative :) 

xxx

Long overdue update ...

So guys I know it has been a seriously long time. I'm sorry! I had a lot of thinking to do over the summer and since September I have been doing midwifery so I have been super busy, and so I have seriously neglected my blog! I've been thinking about writing a post for a while but I didn't want to come back to it too soon, so I've been reading lots of blogs again and slowly getting back into it :) 

I have been doing so much that I don't even know where to start, but I think my trip to New York will be a good place! I was lucky enough to go with my parents and my sister in August and it was amazing. I have never been anywhere else like it! We went for 5 nights and I would love to go back there. 

L-R - Top row - Me, my dad and my sister on a boat going round the whole of Manhattan. The weather was beautiful and the tour was really interesting and funny.

The police on their motorbikes. We definitely thought we were trying to be sneaky but I highly doubt we succeeded.

Bottom row - We were all sat in a park up by NYU and there was a man playing this stunning grand piano (as you do). It was so surreal but one of my favourite memories from the trip.

Me, my dad and my sister outside the diner attached to the hotel where we ate every day. The food was always lovely but jeez the portions were huge! 

I think I will leave it at that for now but I'm sure I will show you some more pictures from my trip at some point! 

xxx

Excuses excuses ...

I would firstly like to apologise for the lack of posts recently. I will only make this quick but I started blogging because I really enjoyed it, and oddly enough it helped me focus during my final exams for my degree, so I made sure I would only do it when I wanted to and never make it become a chore. Unfortunately, recently, writing on my blog no longer felt like a priority and so I decided to not force myself to do it if I didn't want to. However, now I feel that it is the right time for me to get back on the horse and so I thought I would do a quick post apologising for my absence to get me back into the swing of things. I would also like to dedicate this post to Alice and Charley, who will always have all of my love. 

'You can shed tears that she is gone

Or you can smile because she has lived

You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,

Or you can open your eyes & see all she's left

Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,

Or you can be full of the love you shared

You can turn your back on tomorrow & live for yesterday

Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday

You can remember her & only that she's gone,

Or you can cherish her memory & let her live on

You can cry & close your mind, be empty & turn back,

Or you can do what she'd want; smile, open your eyes, love & go on.'

I promise the next post will be more cheerful :)

xxx

Clinique Chubby Stick ...

I have to admit that this is my first ever Clinique product, and I'm not even really sure why. I've always been attracted towards the Chanel stands and more recently Mac as well, and consequently other make up counters get neglected. My mum really loves their skincare, and rarely buys her high range products from anywhere else, so I thought I would have a quick browse when I was last in a department store. I was initially interested in their moisturisers, but quickly got distracted by their chubby sticks. I have heard quite a lot about these and I really like a sheer, subtle red lip. I have also seen the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains, but none of the colours piqued my interest so I didn't pick any of them up. However, I loved so many colours in the Clinique range that I couldn't resist temptation any longer, and I bought 05 Chunky Cherry. 

The Revlon Balm Stains cost £7.99 in Boots, but seem to be on an introductory offer of £5.99 in  most shops, whereas the Clinique Chubby Sticks cost £16. Although there is quite a price difference, I'm perfectly happy that I bought the more expensive one because I really like the colour I chose, and I didn't find one I liked in the Revlon range. Personally, I would rather spend £16 on something I liked, than £5.99/£7.99 on something I wasn't that bothered about. Well, that's my logic anyway. I'm not sure my boyfriend would agree though. :)

At first I wasn't overly keen on how bulky the Chubby Sticks are, but it has grown on me, and I quite like how substantial they are now. Another thing I was concerned about was how big the end used for applying was, and if it would be accurate, but I've found that as long as I have a mirror I can apply it with no real problems. However, I did try to do it without a mirror once, and it may be due to my inadequate make up expertise, but I resembled a five year old that had stolen their mum's lipstick. 

Another thing to add is that you don't sharpen the end (this would result in a chubby stick related disaster), you twist the other end to move up the amount of product. You also need to take care to keep some sort of pointed end, because I imagine if that goes completely it would be really hard to apply accurately. 

It has shown up more golden in this photo, but in real life and on my lips it actually appears more red. I really like this colour, and I think the colour pay off is pretty good, although they aren't super long lasting. I also like how moisturising the chubby stick is, and really leaves my lips feeling soft. Overall, I will definitely be looking at the range again to see if any other colours catch my eye, as Clinique do a huge range from nudes to purple, and I would recommend these to anyone looking for a quick and easy to use lip product. I'm also really interested to hear what people think about the Revlon Balm Stains, and I might buy one to compare with the Chubby Sticks if I see a shade I like.

xxx

Books I have read 2 ...

I actually bought the first book of  this trilogy without realising it was an erotic novel (honestly!!!). I was at the train station getting ready to go back to Birmingham from Manchester and thought I would pick up a book from WhSmiths, and this was high up on the fiction book chart. I'm also a bit of a sucker for a moody man, so thought that from the blurb on the back this would be right up my street. Cue a rather embarassing moment with my boyfriends mum when I was reading the book in my living room a few pages into the book, and she walked in and said 'oooo I didn't know you liked erotic novels, I've got that on my iPod so let me know if it's any good'. Up until that moment I had no idea it was an erotic book but a few pages later, boy did I find out. I would actually recommend this book to anyone who is tempted to read it. In my opinion, the erotic sections of the book distract from the storyline and the plot could have been made much stronger. Also, towards the end of the last book, I found I was almost desensitised to the erotic parts. Almost like 'blah blah yes you like to be tied up' , and found I wanted to know the characters in more depth instead. However, the books may have not gained the same notoriety if they had not been quite so outrageous. 

I picked this book off my mum's bookcase at my parent's house, as I had heard that the film was very good, and was looking for an easy read. I actually really enjoyed this book, and it was very interesting to look at the atrocities that happened during the Second World War from a German aspect, both teenager and adult. It also highlights other issues, which I would like to talk about but could ruin the book for people who want to, but have not yet, read it. :( Overall, I would definitely recommend this for anyone with any interest in the topic, as it is a quick and easy read. 

I picked this book up as light read for a weekend away with my boyfriend's family.  I have already read a couple of other books by Jane Costello including 'Bridesmaids', I don't think the film is based on this book but it is a similar sort of theme, which I really liked so I thought I would like this one. Although the plot was pretty predictable, it was good as a light chick-lit read. 

I also picked up these two books for the weekend away with my boyfriend's family, and I downloaded them on my kindle and read them in the car. I'm not even exaggerating I was laughing the most I've ever laughed with a book. The first one especially is hilarious, and the second one carries on the same theme. The first one is about the trials and tribulations of dating, and like I said earlier, I was chuckling the whole way through. Out of all of the books I have read recently, I would recommend these the most, and really enjoyed reading them. 


xxx

Graduation ...

Last week I had my graduation ceremony. It was a really good day, and felt like a turning point in my life, so I thought I would share some photos with you! My mum, dad and boyfriend all managed to get time off work and I was so pleased they could share the day with me! I had to hire my outfit prior to the day and oh dear god they were expensive. It cost £44 just to hire them! But they have you in a bit of a bind because you can't really rock up to the degree congregation without them, so I begrudgingly paid my £44 and dressed up in my ridiculous gown, sash and mortar board. It was actually quite nice wearing them because they were so unusual, but I don't think the mortar board suited me at all. Haha. The degree congregation ceremony was really nice as well, and the speeches didn't drag or anything, and in other circumstances I would probably have found a lot of the pomp and tradition a bit too much, but actually it made you realise how much an achievement to graduate is. Anyway, here are some photos. A word of warning; blame my mother for some of the poses because she is a bit of a nutter :)

xxx

Summer Outfit ...

I thought I would do a quick outfit post today. It was so lovely yesterday, yet today is horrendous! I have been holed up inside all day. Although there is something about being all cosy and wrapped up inside and listening to the rain falling on the windows outside, it is supposed to be summer!! Give us some sun!! Anyway, yesterday my boyfriend and I thought we would go down to the logs at the end of my garden (my brother is a tree surgeon and sells wood from the trees he removes), and take some photos of my dress etc. I don't usually do outfit posts because I don't think I'm particularly fashionable but it was such a lovely day I thought I would give it a go. What do you all think? Should I do some more outfit posts?

What I am wearing ...

Dress ... Glamorous

Denim Jacket ... Topshop

Wedges ... New Look

Bag ... Accessorize

Watch ... DKNY

Bracelet ... Links

xxx

Mint Candy Apple ...

I have heard so many good things about Mint Candy Apple from Essie, so when I saw the Essie stand in my local Boots I thought I would give it a go and try it out. I was also really interested to see if I preferred the diffusion line brush to the original brush, as all my other Essie nail polishes are from the original line. The original brush is thinner and takes me a couple of strokes to cover the nail, whereas the diffusion line brush is thicker and a curved shape, so only normally takes me one, max two, strokes to apply it to the whole nail. I actually prefer the diffusion line brush, although it may not be as accurate as the original one, I find it makes the application much quicker and I'm not overly bothered about my nails being super tidy. I also really like the Essie formula. I have found with my other Essie nail polishes, as well as with Mint Candy Apple, that the coats dry really quickly, but are also quite opaque and so only need two coats and are quick to apply. I'm not overly patient when I'm doing my nails and often get bored, so this is good for me. Essie nail varnishes have only just become readily available in the UK, and I'm so glad they are! They cost £7.99 from Boots, and are apparently available in Superdrug as well. This is probably towards the top end of what I would pay for a nail varnish. Although I really like high end brands for other products, like foundation, I just can't seem to justify the price for something like nail varnish when I like other cheaper brands like Topshop just as much. I also really like the colour of Mint Candy Apple. I think it is quite unique, and I have already had lots of compliments on it (especially from my boyfriend who weirdly really likes quite out there nail varnish). I also think it is a really nice shade for summer, and overall, I'm really glad I bought it and will definitely be looking there again. 

With flash ...

Without flash ...

xxx

A Quick Life Update ...

Sorry I haven't blogged in a couple of days, for some reason I actually thought it would be easier to write most days when university was done and dusted, but nope, apparently not. So I'm sorry for neglecting everyone but sometimes life just gets in the darn way :) So, today I thought I would do a quick update on what's been going on in my real life, before I get back onto the more normal posts tomorrow. One of the most important things that has happened recently is that I have got my degree results!!! I only had to wait one month from my last exam until my results, so I really feel for everyone who hasn't got their degree results yet, and even more for the people who have to wait an age for GCSE and A Level results, but boy did that one month drag. It was such a hard month, and the results were always on my mind. I was hoping to study Midwifery at University of Manchester, and I needed a 2:2 in my current degree to get in. Now, this may sound easy, but my exams were so hard and I was really starting to doubt myself, but .... I got it!! Whoop whoop! It was a pretty horrendous experience; the results were just put up on a board for everyone to see, and everyone was trying to see them at the same time, but I did it and I got a 2:2. I'm not a huge brainbox and did find my degree really hard, albeit enjoyable, and I'm so relieved to be able to say that I'm going to be studying Midwifery!!!! I start in mid-September so I still have a while to get ready, but I thought I would share the shoes they recommend with everyone, because boy are they ugly! I've tried to see if there are possible alternatives, but the criteria for your shoes are pretty specific, and I'm struggling to find anything more attractive! However, I have been assured that they are comfortable, so maybe I will cultivate a secret love for them in time!

Clark Unloops - stock photo from Clarks website

Like I said, attractive! Although, I think it shows how much I want to be a midwife that I am happy to forgo nice footwear in exchange for the job! And I am a girl that loves her nice footwear! Anyway, another pretty exciting development in my life at the moment, is that I am going to be moving in with my boyfriend!! I am so excited about this! We have been going out for a while now (over 6 years) so this should have happened a while back now really, but we have been at different uni's so it's been impossible. We have already found a one bedroom flat in Manchester that we both absolutely love, and we move in mid-August! It is so lovely! It is a duplex apartment, with lovely exposed brickwork and a nice big living room, so room for friends to stay over because some of them were so small it would have been pretty difficult having people over. It is furnished, which is working quite well because it is severely restricting how much I can buy, otherwise I would have dragged Mike off to Ikea and bought most of the store by now! 

Hermes dressing table - IKEA - stock photo

Like this, ooooo it's pretty, but nope don't have the room, so instead I have bought lovely little tealight holders :) , which are a bit more suitably sized for our little apartment. 

Tealight from Sugar and Spiced website

Anway, that's about it for now, except for little things, like I had my athletics competition that went well yesterday, I've just spent the weekend with my boyfriend's family in the Peak District, oh and I'm going to Cardiff next weekend for a fake hen do! Pretty standard :) I have tried to find some funny drunk hen do pictures, but surprisingly they seem to be quite hard to find?? So, I will carry on the search and may add some to the end of other posts. 

xxx

OPI Nail Envy ...

I have struggled with rubbish nails for a very long time. I used to bite them when I was in primary school and ever since they have never grown, and split all the time. I have heard really good things about OPI's Nail Envy, but always balked at the price (£18.00!!!). However, I saw it in Boots today, and after no real improvement in my nails with other treatments, I decided to bite the bullet and give it a go. It was £18.65 in Boots, and I know I could have probably got it cheaper somewhere else but it was a bit of a spur of the moment purchase. 

You apply two coats initially, and then follow by one additional coat every other day for a week when you remove using normal nail polish remover. It works best as a base coat but can also be used as a top coat over nail polish, and you can also put nail polish on top of the Nail Envy coats. After you remove the nail polish after the week, you can then start the process over again. I really like the simplicity of this process, and the strengthener smells inoffensive and also makes your nails look lovely and glossy, as although Nail Envy looks slightly opaque in the bottle, it appears see-through on the nails. 

Overall,  I like this product a lot initially, but to deserve the price tag I really want it to make my nails strong and healthy, and to stop the flaking and splitting. I will keep all of you updated as I continue to use this. Has anyone else tried this? 

xxx

My favourite highlighters ...

I am definitely a highlighter kind of girl. I really like having a dewy and fresh finish to my make up and I feel like highlighters really create that look perfectly. I haven't tried a huge range of highlighters, but I have tried two fantastic ones and I'm not sure I would ever stray from them. The first highlighter I thought I would tell you about is the Dior Shimmer Powder in 001 Rose Diamond. I absolutely love this one, and I feel that the pink tones compliment my complexion, as I am quite pale. However, if you are naturally more tanned, I have also heard really good things about the Amber Diamond powder which has more champagne to golden tones.

I like to use this highlighter after I have applied most of my make up, except for my blusher and lipstick, and I  apply it by sweeping my brush across all of the colours and then applying it on the top of my cheekbones, lightly across my nose and also on my cupid's bow. I don't know if this is the most technical method, but I like how it looks and I'm always open to new techniques so feel free to let me know how you apply highlighter or how make up artists say to do it :) This is an expensive highlighter at £32.00 (at Selfridges), but I have had it for over a year and have used it pretty much constantly and as you can see from the above photo, it doesn't look like it will run out any time soon, 

My other favourite highlighter is High Beam from Benefit, which is a lovely pearlescent liquid formulation. I like to use this in a variety of ways, usually by mixing in with my foundation or by dotting on my cheekbones and cupid's bow after I have applied the rest of my make up. In my opinion, it makes my skin look more glowing. I'm already at the end of my second bottle of this, as it has been a staple in my make up bag for years, and I will almost definitely be repurchasing it when it runs out. High Beam costs £18.50 from Debenhams etc, which although is expensive hasn't stopped me from repurchasing it in the past. 

Left - High Beam, Above Right - Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, Below Left - Chanel Perfection Lumière. 

xxx

.

7 things for 7 days...

Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter is one of my all time favourite bloggers. I absolutely love how funny and happy she is and always enjoy reading her posts and watching her videos, so after reading her interactive 7 things for 7 days post, I thought I would give it a go and get involved. The idea is pretty simple and all you have to do really is list 7 things that you want to achieve in 7 days, or as many days as you want really but Louise chose 7. I found this idea really intriguing because now that I have finished university I have been really enjoying not doing that much, but I don't want it to continue all summer, so I need some goals and motivation! If you want to try this out for yourself here is the link to Louise's original 'Interactive 7 things for 7 days' post. 

So my 7 things for 7 days are;

1. Exercise/Train - I have got an athletics competition coming up so I need to get fit and ready for then. I really enjoy athletics but sometimes staying on the sofa and watching tv seems like the more attractive option. So, this goal is to train at least 4 times a week, either long runs or shorter sessions at the track. 

2. Blog - I also want to keep on writing fun and creative blog posts. I have really enjoyed writing my blog so far, and I want to keep it up. I also don't want to fall into a rut with it, and it's always fun thinking up more creative blog ideas. 

3. Sort out bills/moving house - I tend to stress quite a lot about things that probably aren't worth the stress, and seeing as I'm moving out of my student house and temporarily back home (until I move into my flat in Manchester on August 20th with my boyfriend !!!!!!) I need to try and stay calm and get through all the annoying things that come with moving house. 

4. Sell/Sort out my stuff - When I went to university I left a fair amount of stuff at my parent's house that I wanted to keep but didn't want to take to uni, so I think it's about time I tackle the mammoth task of sorting through it all, as well as my stuff I did take to uni, and selling anything that is worth selling/I don't need or want anymore. 

5. Organising my Dad's book collection - Last year, I was working a 30 hour a week job plus doing university full time and it was getting too much but I needed the money, so my Dad kindly offered to help me out a bit financially if I did a few jobs for him when I had more time. Sounds fab ey? Well it genuinely is, however, my Dad has asked me to sort out his book collection and file them all on excel, still sounds ok ..... My Dad has literally thousands of books in his study, let alone the rest of the house, so this is turning into a huge task that I need to start tackling before it becomes far too intimidating. So, my goal for this  next 7 days is to tackle a bookshelf at a time, instead of looking at the whole lot and getting overwhelmed. I know if I sort and file all of his books it will be really useful for him, and I don't know how I would have managed without his help so I really want to do it well for him.

6. Seeing friends/family - I am now nearing the end of my time at university, and I really want to fit in seeing all of my close friends before we all leave. My best friend is going off to Greece for 6 weeks and then to Slovakia for FOUR YEARS!!! So I'm going to miss her like crazy and really want to see her before she goes. My other really good friend is coming back from Australia soon after being there for a year, so I really want to make time to see her too. I also want to see my sisters, because I haven't seen them in a while as they don't live at home anymore and I miss them!

7. Spending more time being creative - I also want to finish a few projects I have got in the pipeline, mainly cross stitch ones that I didn't get a chance to finish before the madness of third year kicked off, so I really want to enjoy spending some time completing/carrying on with them. 

I have really enjoyed writing this post, and definitely recommend doing it to anyone who is thinking about it. I always find goals much easier to achieve when they are smaller and less overwhelming! Also, I'm sure everyone will know who Louise from Sprinkle of Glitter is, but if you don't go look at her blog. It is absolutely amazing, and really inspiring. 

xxx

Simple nail art 4 ...

I thought I would try out another simple nail art technique today. I have always wanted to be able to paint hearts on my nails but never really got how to do it because I don't have the steadiest hands, but my friend showed me her way of doing it and so I adapted it to suit me and I thought I would share it. 

Firstly, I painted my nails with a sheer pink nail colour, I used a french manicure colour from an 

old set I found, so you don't need anything special. 

Then, with my chosen heart colour, I picked Bordeaux by Essie, I did one dot for the base of the heart. 

I then painted one dot with the brush up and to the left of the first one, and then dragged it down to the base dot, to make the left half of the heart. 

And then finally, I did the same for the right half, creating a little heart. 

You could then add a top coat and voila! I found this was an easy way to create simple hearts but if you know of any others feel free to let me know! This technique was also made easier because my Essie polish is an original one, rather than the diffusion line, so the brush was smaller and easier to manage. Overall, I think these are quite cute and although they aren't perfect I will be trying this out again with different colours.

xxx

Lancome cleanser ...

Recently, I bought the Lancome Hypnose mascara (see review here) and the sales assistant offered me a set of mini products if I bought another item, well it would have taken a stronger woman than me to resist that offer so I went for it and bought a really nice nude lipstick. There were 5 products in the set she gave me and I'm actually really glad I bought the extra product, because I love the lipstick and it's been really nice trying out new products. The first one I thought I would review is the 'Galateis Douceur' which is a 'gentle softening cleansing fluid' for the face and eyes. 

The sample I was given was 125ml which is a pretty sizeable sample, seeing as the sizes available are 200ml and 400ml. This is a fairly pricey cleanser at £21.00 for the smaller size and £34.00 for the 400ml, which is quite a lot but I think it would last a really long time (I have been using my 125ml bottle at least once a day for about a month and have only used a quarter of the bottle). I am really impressed with this cleanser, it is really light and is good for when my skin is behaving itself so only needs a light cleanse. It is also really effective at removing make up, even stubborn eye make up. 

This cleanser is described as a 'water-light lotion' on the Debenhams website, and I couldn't agree more. It really glides on to the skin, and removes make up quickly and easily and leaves my skin feeling clean and soft, ready for my toner and moisturiser. However, there is one negative that I have to point out and that is the scent. Personally, a scented product doesn't bother me but I know that for some people it is a significant factor, especially in skin care opposed to make up. It is quite a strong scent, and isn't natural either, more like perfume. But, if you can get over the smell, I would highly recommend this cleanser, especially if you are looking for something to lightly cleanse the skin. I like to use this cleanser in conjunction with the Liz Earle 'Cleanse and Polish' for when I feel like my skin needs more of a deep clean, however, £21 is a fair whack to spend so whether I will be repurchasing this when it eventually runs out I'm not sure. Overall, I am really glad that I got to try this out without spending the £21/£34 on a full sized product, and would strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a higher end of the price range, light but scented cleanser. 

xxx