Friday 27 December 2013

A perfect palette ?



I'll throw it out there , I am genuinely in love with this little palette from Laura Mercier. 
This is the palette that does it all it you can create a perfect smokey eye, add a pop of colour and finish it all off with a slick of gloss. 
I can't help but gush over this palette , admitedly I hadn't used anything from Laura Mercier before but I am now itching to try more and I'm especially eyeing up another second skin cheek colour. 
In the Laura Mercier Colour-to-go in natural nudes comes with four eye shadows to create an easy going smokey eye , two cheek colours and a lip gloss.  
  
I hear you exclaim all this in one little palette?  Yes it's true. 
This palette is great for travelling or popping in you're hand bag rather than carting everything but the kitchen sink. 
The bad news is that I can't seem to find these palettes in stock anywhere else online so I'd defiantly recommend snapping one up if you see it around. 

Laura Mercier colour-to-go palette - natural nudes  £31.00  



Thursday 26 December 2013

Merry Christmas





HAPPY CHRISTMAS BOYS AND GIRLS, HOPE SANTA WAS GOOD TO YOU ALL !! 

Just a quick little post to say happy Christmas and just let you all know whats going down in the world of Feed the sharks ... 

1) I will be blogging a lot more and giving feed the sharks a lot more attention . I am looking into a blog re-design so if anyone knows of anyone? lemme know 

2) I will be the first to admit that I have being a little lack on the beauty/blog front, in honesty I've just had too much work and struggled to get back into a groove ! 

3) I'd love to know what posts you guys fancy seeing? or any  tips for  getting back into blogging? again lemme know below ! 

4) Finally thanks for all the support and those of you who follow it does make my day :) 

If you do wanna follow it's super easy 

on either Bloglovin or have a chat over on twitter @brigid_farrell 

so there you have it and I'll see you all tomorrow (if I haven't turned into a Christmas pudding) 

Tuesday 24 December 2013

The Ultimate unwind






First things first I've not had much time to blog recently apart from two that went up the other night but they are getting assessed for my course so really I've not had any time. 
When I've not been doing uni work I've been at work no rest for the wicked eh? 
I've finally got some free time and a pamper evening is definitely on the cards which leads my nicely onto today's post :)

I offer you some tips for a perfect pamper and a good nights sleep in time for Santa's arrival.

I love having a lovely hot bath when it's cold and I'm tired as it's a great way to relax. I love to use the Life Ultimate unwind body wash which just smells divine! I then pop a little bit of lavender oil in the bath to boost the relaxation.
For me bath time is truly a time to unwind so I tend to stick on the face mask and catch up on a book .
After the bath I like to banish technology from our bedroom and light a candle or two ... currently I'm using the St Eval candle company tranquility candle but another favourite is Neom tranquility 
 Whilst I'm pottering around and catching up on some reading I spray my pillow with the Neom pillow spray and enjoy a cup of sleepy tea.
My favourites are either the Clipper Snore & peace infusion or Pukka night time tea.
Finally if I'm feeling really restless I'll pop a teeny bit of the badger sleep balm on my pulse points and breath in the floral scent.
I really love this balm and find it really does help me to drift off to the land of nodd... I did a blog post a while back about it here--->http://feedthesharks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/badger-sleep-balm.html



Sunday 22 December 2013

Eat and be merry


We are officially in the festive period and therefore all diets go down the toilet. 
It's a perfect excuse to have a few extra mince pies and that chocolate bar that's in you're handbag. 
I love to bake my friends and family treats as little gifts and one of my go to bakes is a calorific Caramel shortbread. 
If you're still watching the calories then look away because this is not for the faint hearted. 


250g plain flour, 75g caster sugar , 175g softened butter , 100g butter, 100g muscavado sugar , 1 can of condensed milk and 200g milk chocolate.



1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease your chosen tin, we used a big cake tin because we couldn't find anything else :)
2. For the shortbread rub together 175g butter, 250g plain flour and 75g of caster sugar in a big bowl. Then using a spatula press into the bottom of your tin. You then need to prick the base and pop in the oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool.



3. Now for the best bit ... The caramel .   Measure out 100g of butter and 100g of muscavado sugar then pop into a pan and melt. Pour in a can of condensed milk (save a little bit for yourself as its very yummy!).
Bring to the boil , stirring constantly and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Stir for about 5 minutes or until thick.
Pour over the shortbread and allow to cool .



4. Your nearly there , for the topping melt some chocolate and pour over the caramel/shortbread base.
Leave to set and cut into pieces .






Thursday 19 December 2013

Why do you wear make up?

A friend of mine recently said that now she has a boyfriend she doesn’t see the need to wear a lot of make up when we go on nights out. These left me thinking why do so many of us wear make-up or more to the point why do I wear make - up?   Believe it or not I’ve even had people suggest that I’m a Barbie doll because of my love of all things beauty and that I am abandoning the feminist ‘fight’. What rubbish!

The Telegraph recently did an article estimating how much the average women spends on beauty in her lifetime- it’s around £18,000 in case you were wondering! Is this because we feel we must in order to please those around us, is it clever marketing or is it something deeper? Is it because we compare ourselves to the likes of Kim Kardashian who is famous for her fantastically contoured make up style? Is it that we are constantly told that having wrinkles or blemishes is unattractive so we buy the most expensive anti-wrinkle cream in the hope that it will work?

 No I don’t buy all of that. For me it isn’t about pleasing those around me , I live with my boyfriend and I’m more than happy for him to see my naked face and I’m certainly not that girl who has to have her face on to go to the shops. I’m happy not to wear make –up. It’s just that I feel more comfortable and confident with make up on. It’s something I am interested in; it doesn’t mean that I am giving into anybody else rather I can wear what I want because I am my own person! It’s about me!


So I leave you with the question why do you wear make-up? 

The rise of Counterfeit cosmetics

The rise of counterfeit cosmetics.
Anybody who knows me will tell you that I love all things beauty related. Be it a new high end foundation or a latest release from Urban Decay.  I would say I was a little bit of a collector but this doesn’t come cheap. What drives me raving mad though are those retailers’ often on eBay and Amazon who try and exploit this obsession by selling fake and frankly dangerous products.  

Online retailers are seeing growing numbers of counterfeit cosmetics being sold on their websites.  These cosmetics may look legitimate, with nearly identical packaging but be warned what’s inside could be very dangerous indeed.  Often these counterfeit goods contain ingredient’s that will at best aggravate the skin but at worst due to high levels of lead poison both the body and the brain.

These counterfeit cosmetics are so disgustingly convincing, they have slick selling pages and plenty of positive reviews. I know a bit about make-up and I have fallen for these scams so what chance does a young teenage girl starting to buy make up have? They are being tricked into using the little
 money they have to buy a product that could do them a great deal of harm.

I can completely see why people try to find a cheaper alternative; I mean who really wants to pay thirty odd pounds every time their foundation runs out. But it is disgraceful the way that these fake companies feel they can con people into buying their goods.


So my advice is to hit the drugstores instead.  Many of the brands you find in Boots and Superdrug are owned by the same companies as the high end brands and contain the same formulas.  You might not get the packaging but you won’t get the rashes or poisoning either.

Sunday 15 December 2013

The Marmite foundation


Nars sheer Glow 


I call this my marmite foundation because it's one of those that splits a crowd. Some love it, some hate it . Me I just sit in the middle one minute I love it, the next I hate it. 
I've put off doing this review because I just couldn't decide how I felt and yet 5 months later I still can't. I really want to love it because so far Nars has never let me down. 
First things first I'm sure this isn't the right colour for me but it's the one the woman matched me too.
 Let's get it out of the way I like many others hate the packaging, if I'm paying £30 odd I want a pump! 
I was lucky enough to get given this one in a local Space NK so it's worth asking about but I notice they've started selling it online, maybe because of Christmas? 

This is where I start to get a little bit confused, I don't think it's a sheer foundation instead the coverage is more around the medium but it does even the skin tone and hides blemishes. 
What I do really like about this foundation is that it does give the skin a beautiful glow. 
It isn't dewy nor is it matte it just gives a healthy glow from within. 
This foundation also doesn't have any SPF in so it's great for flash photography especially around the festive period. 

So you know what I think I'll stick with it and see what happens maybe I'll edge of f the fence soon enough.

p.s It's only ten days till Christmas!!!!! :D 






Monday 9 December 2013

Winter warmer #4 Christmas Markets

Christmas markets are great , you can buy a whole load of unique and quirky gifts whilst eating amazing foods and having fun. 
This weekend my family and I toddled along to the Lincoln Christmas market . 
It's a lovely way to get in the festive mood and pick up some gifts.  
The Lincoln market was one of the first German style Christmas markets. Walking around you're nose is opened to a number of different scents, you see gifts you just hadn't thought of before  and there's always a good fudge stand or two ! 
I spent most of the day eating and playing on the fun fayre instead of buying gifts ... OPPS! 
Instead of yacking on about the market I thought I'd show some of the pictures I took. 







I have such a weakness for these !and I acquired a taste for roasted chestnuts 




Feeling a little camera shy


Lincoln really is a beautiful  city  and has some of the most remarkable sunsets 




Apologies that this was a rather picture heavy post but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. 
I'm off to York next weekend  for some Christmas shopping,more markets and hopefully lunch at Betty's. 

What's your favorite way of getting into the festive mood?
comments below 

Saturday 7 December 2013

"Life's too short to wear boring nail polish"



Ciate mini mani month advent calender: 




Originally I wasn't planning on buying the ciate advent calender because it honestly thought it was a novel but for some strange reason I couldn't get it out of my head ... it took over - slight exaggeration! my sister and I decided to go halves and we would share it in the festive spirit. 
Side story aside I love the little calender, it's like your getting a little present everyday. 
The calender comes with 17 mini paint pots in a selection of different colours, from nudes to brights then over to the sparkles!  You also get 4 caviar blends, glitter, sequin pot, funnel and a mini luxe treatment. A little bit of everything to create a number of different looks over the party season. 

Ciate have really come up trumps with the packaging , I really like the little quotes on the calender doors yes some are incredibly girly but you know some are actually a little bit inspiring ...  I really do love this calender , the colours look amazing my only teeny gripe is that I wish they hadn't put which polishes you get on the back . I want a surprise!

Yes advent's started but hey you could just catch up on the days you missed , or you could buy this as a little treat to yourself but personally I think this would be a nice gift for any Nail lover. 
If you do fancy snapping this up it's still available at Selfridges, Asos and Space Nk  for £42 or you could ask Santa very nicely :) 
I also remember last year seeing this in the boxing day sales but I think you'd have to snap it up quickly and I can't guarantee they would do it again this year . 


Have a nice weekend :) 



Monday 2 December 2013

Mavala Tree angels



Beauty products are slowly taking over Christmas . With the likes of Benefit and Ciate doing advent calenders, Liz Earle baubles and Lancome crackers.  
It combines two of my favourite loves beauty and christmas and I have fallen hook line and sinker for all this merchandising but I've been rather good and only picked up the Ciate calender and these super cute tree decorations. 


How can you not say these little polishes aren't cute ?  
I picked up the shades black diamond and gold diamond and they are perfect for the festive period. 
The black diamond is an opaque greyish black with fine silver glitter and the gold diamond is a clear polish with gold glitter running through. The gold looks lovely on it's own but for a nice festive twist I think it would be beautiful teamed with a red or berry shade. 
The polishes applied really well, gave a strong colour pay off and only needed two coats.  
For me \I am usually put off glitter polishes because they are a pain in the bum to remove but these wiped off with a slick of remover .
 This left me very very happy! 

Thumb round - Gold diamond alone, black diamond alone, gold diamond over a black polish and black diamond over a black polish. 
At £4.50 these would make for a lovely tree decoration or as a little stocking filler for those we love.  
They are definatly something worth considering for girlfriends, bestfriends, sisters and mothers . 
Just a little warning they aren't the easiest of things to find but if you go on the Mavala website you can find a shop that stocks these near you . 

In the run up to christmas I'm going to do a gift idea post every Monday so keep ypur eyes peeled ;)  



Sunday 1 December 2013

winter warmer #3 - Candles

It's offically Christmas season! 
I opened the first door of my Thorntons calender , we bought the tree and we will be decorating that tonight ... 
So for today's winter warmer I thought I'd do a little post about one of my favourite things ... CANDLES . 
Now I'd be lying if I said I don't burn candles all year round but come winter I love having cosy scents and them flickering in the background.  Here's a little insight to some of my top picks for Winter. 

The sweet :



Lily-flame Comfort and joy -   I really love Lilly flame candles , there affordable , smell amazing ,have a massive choice and a good burn time so all in all a perfect candle brand.  Comfort and Joy definatly lives up to it's name one sniff and I smile . The website says it smells of ginger bread but for me it smells like chai latte either way it's delicious. 

Wax Lyrical Gingerbread-  Who said candles need to cost a lot? I picked this little cutie from Tescos when doing the food shop.  It's not strongly scented but it does leave a nice gingerbread smell in the house. To be honest I couldn't say no to the little fella on the front.

Gingerbread lane reviver oil -    If you hadn't guessed I love the smell of gingerbread, it's one of my favourite festive smells(just wait until I bake gingerbread then the raving begins).  This little oil is from the Gingerbread shop in grasmere-The lake district. It's perfect for popping on pot pourri or in a burner. 


The comforting:


St Eval candle company JOY - I'm lucky enough that theres loads of little independent home boutiques near my house which means finding lots of new candle brands, it's not so good for the old bank balance.   I have a couple from the St Eval candle company but JOY has to be my favourite it's beautiful and fresh- perfect for scenting the bedroom. This scent is based on mimosa and it is delightful. 

Yankee Candle Fireside treats -   I'm gunna need a new one of these as mines nearly all done. A smokey vanilla this is so comforting and definatly reminds me of making smores around the campfire in Canada. It's got a bit more substance than your usual vanilla candle. 

Flame homeware hot toddy -  This sweetly spiced candle lifts the room and really does smell of Christmas ... I'm even left wanting some mulled cider by simply sniffing it ... 


And the extra mention...

I thought I'd just give a little mention to this little Christmas candle idea that you may fancy copying... We already had a big lantern with a candle in so I just added some Cranberrys to the bottom so it looked a little more festive. 
We also have a real tree so the pine scent is filling the room as I type this!  I love real trees <3 



Hope you've all had a lovely weekend and are getting prepared for the festive period 
What are your favourite christmas scents?  Lemme know below :) 


Friday 29 November 2013

Budget beauty - L'oreal Kids tangle tamer


This is a budget buy that I actually cannot live without dramtic maybe but definatly true. 
L'oreal Kids is something my parents used on my hair and I still do today . 
My hair gets so unbelievably tatty and knotted that I need a little extra help ! cue L'oreal kids tangle tamer and a good going over with a tangle teezer. 

Firstly the sweet pear scent is beautiful. I find that using this does truely make the whole hairwashing process that much easier . 
It claims to banish tears and knots - which is music to my ears .
It may be purely placebo in effect but I love it, it also leaves my hair smooth, soft and healthy looking. 

Pick yours up from Boots , your local supermarket or superdrug for £2.19 



Thursday 28 November 2013

Wearable berry lips



It can't be denied that berry lips are a hit come winter time. They easily add glamour, interest and sophistication.
There is something about a dark berry lip that just screams sexy but they aren't the easiest look to pull off , especially for daytime. 
This post came about after some girlfriends and I were discussing how we love dark lips but they are defintaly hard to pull off without looking too 'done'. 

I thought I'd do a little post all about one of my favourite lipsticks and how I use it in the day time. 



So when wearing a berry shade I find it works best with everything else really toned down and glowing. I start my using the DIOR nude foundation  I then go in with the Rimmel wake me up concealor under my eyes, the Benefit erase paste to hide dark circles and redness. If wearing berry tones or reds you don't want any red or purple tones peeking through the skin as it causes you too look a little washed out and pap.  I also use the Smashbox Photo finish lid primer to hide any darkness in my lids and to give my shadow some staying power.

For the day time I keep my eyes simple but still use a little shadow to add interest and defination. I use the 'eyeliner' shade in the Benefit big beautiful eyes kit .  This is a really nice contour shade.
Then curl the lashes and pop on a good coating of YSL volume effect faux cils mascara . 
Brows are filled in with the Bobbi Brown brow pencil in ash .

When wearing a dark lip I usually skip on bronzer, as I feel it emphasizes my pale skin . Instead I try and match my blush with the lip colour.
So the nearest match I have to Beguiled is the in the Nars soulshine cheek pallette .
This is a gorgous grape shade with a finely milled shimmer and I love using it to contour the cheeks a little and add colour.
Anyone know the name of this colour?
I then pop a little bit of Topshop beguiled onto the lips and blot with a tissue.

There you go Bob's your uncle ! an easier toned down way to wear berries...

Sorry the pictures a little dodgy , still not used too it ! 

Wednesday 27 November 2013

New skincare bits : OILS




My skin has been a nightmare recently , I think it's due to bad eating and Masters stress so I've re-vamped my skincare routine and picked up a few bits too clear those pores, inject moisture and restore radience.

Super Facialist by Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Miracle makeover facial oil .

Intially I bought this as a moisturising oil to use during the day when my face needs an added boost but after doing some reading I found that this is infact a pre-cleansing treatment.  When I have a lot of make up on I use this instead of Bioderma .  I massage this into my face using circular motions and really work it into the skin. Then I wipe off with a warm flannel and go in with my usual cleanser. I do tend to use the Clarins extra-comfort cleansing cream so not to over do the oil factor.  I'm really enjoying using this pre-cleanser as it smells beautiful(can you tell I'm big on the way things smell?)  and it is a real luxourious treat - I even look forward to cleansing on an evening.

Nude- Perfect cleasning oil face & eyes.

Having used the Nude purfiying cleansing wash and loving it, I couldn't wait to try this little bad boy out. I was not disoppionted it is a delight to use.  Nude products don't use parabens,sulphates,synethetic fragrance, mineral oil and silcones, they really are nude eh? With a lovely slogan of 'You are more beautiful NUDE'.  The bad stuff is broken down and I do feel that  my skin feels so soft and definatly has it's glow back, it feels clean.
It does say to rinse clean but I would seriously advise using a flannel or muslim cloth to make sure you've truely removed the oil.
Now at £28 this isn't the cheapest cleanser but it certainly isn't the most expensive maybe one too add to the Christmas list?

Tea tree Oil. 

Not an oil you would use all over your face but an oil all the same and is fantastic when you get an unexpected breakout. Tea  tree has great anti- bacterial properties and can be applied directly to the skin.  You will often find tea tree in spot specfic treatments .
I use this oil by applying  a teeny bit on the breakout with a clean cotton bud before bed and leave it to do it's magic.
If you find that using the tea tree oil directly is a bit strong it can be diluted with your moisturiser or cleanser.

If your interested in a winter skincare read you can have a little peek at this article I did
http://thelinc.co.uk/2013/11/winter-skincare/

Sunday 24 November 2013

Winter warmer #2 - Hair needs moisture too!



During the colder months my hair really suffers, especially as I am blonde.
I just find that because of a lack of sun it just looks dull and straw like beautiful eh? 
Like skin your hair needs moisture too! So I find like my skincare routine I up the moisture and layer up those products. 
I've slected a few products which feed my hair !



The Thirst feeders - 

My all time favourite thirst feeder is without a doubt the Phillip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme pre-shampoo treatment. I picked up this 75ml tube for Canada and it's still going strong so it's well worth the doller.   You pop it on for 10-20minutes before shampooing, whack on a shower cap and relax. Make sure you really rinse it out well , shampoo as usual and you will be left with bouncy,lustrous locks. 
Sometimes I find that as much as I love the above treatment it can be a little heavy so I'll use the Redken Extreme shampoo and fortifying mask  I bought this from my hairdressers as a set and I can't find it online. You can buy them seperatly from feelunique though !  
First things first they both smell amazing .
 They both contain an interlock protein network which helps to fortifty and protect weakend areas. 

The colour lock down- 

So I mentioned that in winter I find my blonde hair looks a little dull and I need to rely on a few little tricks. 
First up the Marilyn hair treatment from lush. Another pre-shampoo treatment which uses chamomile and lemon to ward away brassy tones and add brightness.  
For me this works at brightening my already very blonde hair I'm not sure if it would have the same effect on darker blondes.  
It does add a lovely hit of moisture too 
Now I don't mind the smell what I do mind is that the consistancy and colour is a little suspect... 

Next up is the TIGI Bed Head Dumb blonde leave-in conditioner . Like all Bed Head products this smells beautiful so sweet and delicious. 
This conditioner contains lock down technology which increases the vibracy of blonde tones. 
It also protects from UV and thermal damage and boosts hair stregnth. 







Tuesday 19 November 2013

The MAC trio


When the days get colder I love to experiment with my make up a bit more. Recently I've loved mixing up my usual smokey eye. 
This is a combination that I've only just started wearing,even though I've had the shades since Christmas...OPPS!
I present to you ... The MAC trio ! 

L-R Cranberry , Soba and Handwritten 

I start by using a flat brush to pack on Soba which is a lovely golden shade with just a glimmer of shimmer . I put this all over the lid - it doesn't need to be the neatest job as it all gets blended together . 
I then pop a little bit of handwritten into the crease and do some serious blending. Really take you time with this so that it looks seamless.  I love handwritten it's a much richer matte chocolate brown. I like to smudge a little bit of handwritten just under the bottom lash line. 
I then pop a little bit of cranberry over the top to add a little bit of depth and colour. 
This gives an almost bronze effect which is perfect for Autumn/winter. This look is perfect for the day as it doesn't look too done but it can also be taken into the evening. 

My top tips for using mac Cranberry... 

Red/pinks are hard to pull off without looking a little bit like you have an infection, lack of sleep or worse punched in the face.
1) Use eyeliner to counteract any redness of the waterline - I like nude 
2) I like to mix it with other colour's so it's not too full on
3) Lashings of mascara!


Sorry about the dodgy picture ....

Sunday 17 November 2013

Winter warmer #1 : The cold busters



There's a definite chill in the air , the Christmas decorations are up and snows predicted for next week. Boys and girls Winter is defiantly under way . With this I decided I'd do a few weekly posts about my favourite season and the things that I love about it ...
A sign for me that winter has come is that I seem to have a constant sniffle - some weeks more than others... this week is one of those weeks. Yes I have filled the whole bin with tissues , not the most beautiful image? 
For today I thought I'd do a little run through of what gets me feeling half decent when I feel like a bag of poop ...





Before bed I like to run a hot bath and put a good few tbsp of the Burt's Bees therapeutic bath salts in the tub. This really does help de-congest the nose and clear the head. I then lie back with a cold eye mask on as I find that my eyes feel sore and heavy when I have a cold. The Origins no puffery roll on is great for relieving the eyes through out the day.
Instead of my usual moisturiser I use the Clarins Beauty flash balm  which brightens the skin and adds radiance. You can tell why this is a favourite with so many people it really does lift the skin.
Lanolips 101 ointment is perfect for relieving chapped lips but where it really shines is if you pop it on your nose. You know what I mean? when you've been blowing your nose so much that you look like Rudolph.

 For make up I like to keep it simple but I still want to look nice.
I use the Body shop moisture foundation in the shade 04. This foundation just doesn't get enough praise in my opinion, it has a nice medium coverage whilst still giving a beautiful and fresh glow. I use some of the Chanel Soleil tan de Chanel to perk up the skin and add a little hint of colour.
I then pop on the Rimmel wake me up concealer to perk up my eyes and cover those tell tale bags.
For me my eyes(and the rudolph nose) really give away if i'm feeling poop so I try and lift them so they don't look as rough.  I use the Rimmel scandaleyes eyeliner in the shade nude  to banish a red waterline, I then use Rimmel's Scandaleyes eyeshadow stick in bulletproof beige  to add a touch of colour. Is it just me or are Rimmel really coming out on top at the moment?
Finally I curl my lashes and add a good dose of mascara .

So there you have it how I disguise the "poop face" do you have tricks that you rely on?
Other notable mentions include a lotta lotta orange juice, Multivitamins and a good supply of tissues- I'd recommend the balsam ones as they don't hurt the nose as much...

Friday 15 November 2013

Burt's Bees' therapeutic bath crystals

First things first I apologies I've been lacking a little on the blog front. 
I have a lot of deadlines looming so unfortunately the blog gets pushed away which really upsets me . The worst thing is that I had loads ideas for this week and just didn't get chance but they will be up I promise !  
Anyway onto the product in question...

Burt's Bees' therapeutic bath crystals 



So the idea of these salts is that you put a tbsp or two in a warm running bath and relax for at least 15 minutes. 
The idea is that the essential oils in the salts work to stimulate the elimination of waste products which allows the muscles to relax and feel as good as new. 
Burt's Bees' suggest using these bath salts after exercising to aide the release of lactic acid which can cause the body to ache . 
HOWEVER 
I find that although these salts are a great post-workout treat they have a lovely second use , especially at this time of the year.
Whenever I'm feeling a congested I pop a good sprinkling of these salts in the tub as they contain Eucalyptus which really helps to unblock.
The calming scent fills the whole room . It's a little bit like your own personal sauna which works to unblock and de-congest.
So there you go the perfect way to pamper and unblock your little red nose (I plan on doing this tonight)



Tuesday 12 November 2013

Dolce Gusto Piccolo KP100640


Today's post is something a little bit different but it's got me just as excited ! 
James and I had been talking about getting a pod coffee machine for Christmas. We drink a lot of coffee and always want 'proper' coffee over granulated.
We saw this little machine on a late night shopping trip in Tesco's and snapped it up along with a box of chocachino and grand cafe crema. 
This little machine is cute and compact, has a 0.6 litre water tank and comes with a starter pack of 6 pods. You also get a £10 voucher to spend online when you register your machine - little word of warning you have to buy 4 drinks but you are getting 3 for free( what a mouthful). 


What I love about this machine is that it is so easy and simple to use , theres no faffing around with coffee and steaming the milk in the early hours . Rather you switch it on , fill the tank , pop a pod in and pull the lever to have hot or cold water .  
If you have something that has milk and the drink you need the repeat the last two steps. 
Within 2 minutes you have lovely coffee shop style drinks directly at home. 



The only big negatives about this is that the pods are a little pricey and that it doesn't stop by it's self rather you have to do this which is fine so long as you keep an eye on it! There's plenty of guidance on when to stop the machine so that you have room for the milk etc...
Generally though I am really happy with this machine, it's simple , compact and perfect for the two of us. I usually hate nescafe but I really love this coffee and it defiantly takes me back to France and Italy.
I was trying to cut back on my coffee intake but hey ho ... we have actually ordered some caffine free drinks. We got Peach ice tea, Chai late , espresso barista and skinny cappuccino. 
The machine is £44.99 and the boxes of pods are £3.68. 



And lets just take a moment to marvel at my mug... and yes it says Chocolate: the lip balm of the Gods   

Sunday 10 November 2013

The Sunday face...

How cute is this moomin tealight holder?!?



If I'm not working and James is, my Sunday's tend to be rather relaxing and comprise of household chores and uni work . Bet your so jealous?  
This means that not much make up is required and the 5 product face rolls into action. 
I start by applying the Dr.Jart water fuse BB cream  which leaves a subtle glow to the skin , it's a fantastic product when you don't want much make up as it covers a multitude of sins. No concealer required.  I then use Nars laguna to add some definition and colour to my cheeks. The bronzing powder also acts to set the BB cream a little. 
For my peepers I want them to look bright and awake so I use the Rimmel nude eyeliner along the water line. I then curl my lashes and coat them in the  sublime de Chanel mascara
Lips then get a dab of the Korres lip butter in the shade pomegranate as it adds a hint of colour whilst providing a nice dose of moisture . I must remember to buy a new one of these .



So there we have it my Sunday face :)




Monday 4 November 2013

A naughty purchase...




We've all been there had a bad day , agonizing tooth ache or generally feeling a bit pap so we walk into our favourite shop and buy something that is just a little bit naughty !  For me this shop or shall we say stand is Chanel . I usually go for bronzers or lipsticks at Chanel but this time I fancied something a bit different and picked up this lovely mascara. I mentioned in another post that I'd had a sample of the Sublime de Chanel waterproof length and curl mascara and absolutly loved it , I can't understand why it's taken me this long to purchase the full size. 
First up the packaging is so sleek and classic with the tiny hint of gold embellishment on the lid and the wand is a plastic comb wand which allows the lashes to look defined. The mascara it's self isn't clumpy at all and holds the curl beautifully whilst still looking natural .
Now for the naughty part this is not a purse friendly mascara at £24.00 . 

If this mascara has caught your eye you can pick it up from boots or House of fraser




Saturday 2 November 2013

Budget beauty #2 : Topshop beguiled and Topshop magic liner


For today's budget buy I picked two products but they are from the same brand and work beautifully together so I think this cheat is allowed. It's no secret that Topshop is one of my favourite places to shop - mainly for clothes but I'm also a huge fan of the make up range and have been for quite some time... Generally speaking Topshop and budget don't go together but the make up range is actually very credit card friendly! 

My sister bought beguiled last winter in London and I remember thinking that I must pick that up as it was a perfect winter shade. in typical me style I only picked it up last week but it was defiantly worth the wait... This deep wine shade is just perfect for autumn/winter and I find it's one of those colours that can be worn day or night. For £8.00 the formula ain't too bad either. Beguiled applies well and leaves a matte finish which can be a little drying but just make sure you have a decent lip balm at hand.  I am the most cack handed person in the world and really struggle to perfect the desired feline flick and yet with the Topshop magic liner it just works is that wierd? The felt tip 'marker' helps paint a precise flick. For me this is one of the best liquid liners I've used :)

I think I'm going to do one of these budget beauty posts every week for the next month? as I feel there's some amazing buys on the high street at the minute so if there's anything you fancy seeing a post on do let me know below !

Have a great weekend ! XO


Thursday 31 October 2013

October Favourites

Keeping up with magazines , Zara Winter coat, Yankee fireside treats candle and neom tranquility candle, Mac peaches, Origins  no puffery , lanolips 101 ointment, Chanel Sublime de Chanel waterproof mascara and Berry lips.


Beauty bits and pieces :  This peaches blush is just beautiful it add a lovely little glow to the cheeks which is perfect for these colder months. This week I picked up a Chanel mascara that I'd been wanting to purchase for ages as I had a little trial. This mascara holds the curl beautifully whilst adding volume ( I will be doing a review next week). 
       Berry lips are just perfect for Autumn through to Winter as they add a bolt of colour , look sexy and interesting all rolled into one ! My weapons of choice would be the Revlon just bitten balm stain in crush beguin,Topshop beguiled,Kate Moss lasting finish 107 and Georgio Armarni lip maestro in 201.  Sporting all these berry coloured lips and cold weather calls for a good strong moisturising lip balm I've been loving Lanolips 101 ointment which I reviewed here. Last on the beauty front is the Origins no puffery cooling eye roll on which is so relaxing when rolled under tired eyes, I just chuck it in my handbag and use it for long library sessions or whenever I need a perk up.





Random... I love reading and keeping up to date with magazines some of my favourites this month include Little white lies , Suitcase , Allure and Elle which my Aunty and Cousin kindly bought me a subscription for my birthday. I signed up for Netflix again and got hooked on House of cards.
        Autumn defiantly calls for more candles to be lit and two of my favourites this month include the Yankee fireside treats candle which smells like marshmallows and reminds me of Canada and the NEOM tranquility candle which really is helping me get a good nights sleep and relax- review here.   Finally we have the lovely ZARA coat which is the cosiest warmest coat I've ever owned and definatly worth every penny!

Something I've enjoyed ...  My Birthday who doesn't love their birthday? and getting the opportunity to write a few pieces for my University newspaper :) if you fancy a look here and  here

Something I've not loved so much ... My wisdom tooth has become infected again which means it's coming out in a month. Honestly didn't think it could hurt this much but hey ho ! 

Something I'm looking forward too... Bonfire night and the colder autumn nights