Wednesday 26 February 2014

Battle of the body butters



Body butters are something that I never used to give too much thought to as long as it moisturised my scally bits and smelt nice I was generally happy . For this reason I tended to stick to the Body shop and Soap&Glory offerings . 
These offerings provided me all the moisture I needed and I was a happy bunny , however before Christmas I was having a nosy in the Nottingham branch of Khiels and decided to pick up there infamous Creme de corps which as beautiful as it is certainly isn't the cheapest . 
My appetite for more luxurious body butter's was wetted and when I saw this Laura Mercier fresh fig offering in the January sales I had to pick it up . 
Last night I was doing some thinking in the bath(doesn't everybody think about beauty related things in the bath?) about whether paying extra for a body butter is worth it ? 


Considering theres a £14 difference between the two there's not a lot in it to determine which is better. 
The texture is very similar I'd probably say the Laura Mercier one is a little lighter in texture and absorbs a little quicker than the Body Shop's offering . However saying that it's so much easier to get the Body Shop butter out of the tub. They both smell gorgeous I'd maybe say I prefer the sweet fresh fig but that's personal and nothing to do with the price. They both also do what it says on the tin and provide rich hydration and soothe the skin. 
So is it worth paying the extra doller for a body butter? 
Honestly probably not It's a luxuary to be smothering yourself in the more expensive option so for the odd treat I'd happily plump for the Laura Mercier or Khiels butters but for everyday I'll probably just stick with the cheaper options. After all the Body Shops butters have been bestsellers for 20 years so they must be doing something right.

The Body shop butter - £12.50 (200ml)

What do you think is it worth paying a little extra when it comes to body butters? 

Monday 24 February 2014

Judy's affordable vintage fair

Vintage certainly isn't going anywere fast it just seems to go from strength to strength and this can be seen through a number of fairs popping up throughout the country.
Judy's affordable vintage fairs tour up and down the country bringing something new to each town everytime it pays a welcome visit.
These fairs were set up by ex-Selfridges personal shopper Judy Berger in 2005 as she "had nothing to wear!"(many a project must be based upon these words)
Just before the fair came to Lincoln(on the 15th of Febuary) I was lucky enough to interview the Emily Hughes the brand and event manager for Judy's affordable Vintage fair and thought I'd share it with you lovely bunch especially as she provides some great tips.

For those who may not be aware of Judy's Affordable Vintage fair could you give a little background to the event? 
Founded through love,lust and a little frustration, "I had nothing to wear!" declares founder Judy Berger "and vintage was through the roof!"  The Affordable Vintage fair was born in 2005 and started in London. The mantra of Judy's has always been to host fairs filled to the rafters with the most affordable vintage in the land.

The event started in 2005 and is still going strong eight years on. What makes it so popular? 
Vintage has gone from strength to strength since Judy started the company back in 2005. The formula of affordable vintage,great venues,fabulous traders and a loyal fan base means our events just keep getting better. There's lots 'vintage inspired' fashion on the high streets at the moment too, at our events you can pick up the genuine article at a snip of the price.
Photograph courtesy of Judy's Affordable Vintage fair

Photograph courtesy of Judy's affordable vintage fair


Having attended a number of the fairs myself it is clear to see that they have a wide appeal why do you think this is? 
The beauty about these fairs is the wide demongraphic they do attract. You've got the true vintage lovers who wear vintage everyday to thrifty and fashionable students who are out to get themselves a bargain. I love seeing older customers too who get very nostalgic when they come to fairs(they saw it the first time round)!

Why did you decide to have a fair Lincoln? 
Lincoln was a no-brainer for us! It's got such a thriving student commuinity and some fantastic vintage shops already with lots of true vintage fans. The thing about our events that Lincoln love is the variety of traders in once place(it's like a treasure trove) 




Do you have any tips on how to make the most of the vintage fairs and bag a bargain? 
1. Come with an open mind - why not try an era you've never dared to try before! Are you a 1950's fan- why not try a 60's look this season?
2.Bring friends- why not pick outfits for each other , you may suprise yourself and have a good laugh too.
3.Keep your eye out for a bargain- with £10 rails ,bargain boxes and plenty of affordable vintage offers this is the perfect time to grab yourself an absolute bargain. Have a good rummage too, you don't want to miss out on any vintage treasure.
4. Ask traders advice- If you are looking for something in particular then ask on of the traders. They are really knowledgeable about vintage fashion and give great style advice.
5.HAVE FUN!!! - get stuck in , shop till you drop and chill out at our vintage tea party.

Finally what has been your best vintage purchase? 
Wow, I've never been asked that before funnily enough. I snapped up an amazing burgundy box bag at our Leeds event back in October and it was only £7- I get compliments about it all the time! (me- I must admit I love the colour and style of this bag - perfect for travelling in style. Below is the bag Emily talks about)





So there you have it I hope that's wetted your appetite for some vintage shopping and even if your not a huge vinatge fan I'd really advise checking out one of these fairs because they are a treasure trove of hidden gems and if anything else there's loads of yummy cake at the tea parties. I picked up a really cool pair of black leather shorts last time I went to this fair. Unfortuantely I couldn't go on the 15th because of the stupid flu (I was genuinelly gutted) but I still wanted to share this with you all anyway .

Click here to see if there's a fair coming to a town near you!

I'd just like to say another big thank you to Emily for answering my questions and providing the photographs :)

Sunday 23 February 2014

Things to put a smile on you're face...

Apologies that there's been nothing to read over on feed the sharks this past week, I've been ill with flu and in bed since last Sunday and I only started to properly human again yesterday . I'm still feeling a little poop but well enough to get back into the swing of things :)

I thought I'd do this little post because when you're feeling a little poop sometimes you need certain things to put a smile on you're face and add a teeny bit more colour . Although you could also see these bits and pieces as a welcome into spring- which seems to be edging out from behind all that rain and wind.



Reads-  Theres some cracking beauty reads out for Febuary/March and I do love just curling up with a magazine or my ipad to keep up with the latest trends and new realises, it's a lovely way to unwind and put a smile on you're face. I can't wait to read this month's Allure as I'm a big fan  of Victoria Beckham. I'm also a huge fan of the Times styles magazine which contains a nice mix of fashion and beauty. If nothing else the Mrs Mills column always make me chuckle.


Body bits -   One way to make a nice big smile on you're face is to indulge in a nice hot bath with plenty of bubbles.  I love this organic surge lavender foaming bath  it's just so comforting,relaxing and all worry's drain away down the plughole after using this and you can guarantee you'll feel ready to dose off.
Another favourite is the Clarins Liquid bronze which is a welcome addtion to my evening skincare routine as it perks up a dull complextion and adds the nicest glow to the skin. Just pop it on as the last step in you're routine and you'll wake up with a slight hint of tan.
The Body shop always deliver beautiful smelling products and the satsuma body mist is no exception. This zingy fragrance is great for an everyday scent and just puts a huge smile on my face it's so fresh and makes me think of summer. The smell doesn't last a particularly long time but it's not too expensive so I don't feel too bad topping up.

and the make-up-   Another secret weapon for adding a touch of colour to the cheeks is the balm frat boy blush.  There's just something about this peachy coral pink blush that just makes the cheeks pop. It's not too much it's just nice and subtle and is perfect when you just want a no fuss hint of colour. I really want to try some more bits from the balm.

So while I was ill in bed my nails were definetly feeling a little unloved , I couldn't be bothered to even take off my old scabby polish so painting was a definte no no . Now I'm better I just wanted a super bright cheerful colour that takes me back to summer so I went for the Barry M gelly nail paint in the shade greenberry. This bright turquoise green shade is so pretty and I really love the formula of these quick drying nail paints. It's just one of those shades that you look at and smile.

My final make up pick is the Korres lip butter in pomegranate . These little lip balms are fab when you want hydration on the lips whilst still having a little bit of a non fuss colour. Perfect for popping in you're handbag .



Friday 14 February 2014

The power of a red lip


I love me a red lip for some reason if I'm feeling a bit down I'll pop on a red lip, If I want to brighten up an outfit I'll swipe on some red and when I want to look a little more glamorous yep you guessed it I'll whack on a red lip. Red represents power and strength so nobody needs to know that you're actually feeling poop!  Poppy King, creator of Lipstick Queen says that "red lipstick is a source of strength, you put it on and suddenly you feel more capable than you did without."

Whatever the finish, the shade or you're colouring a red still looks classic and sophiscated. If you're new to a red lip you can go for a tinted lipbalm and if you're feeling a little more confident you can hit up a vibrant matte. There's something for everyone!
The only problem is that a red lip does require a little bit more effort and care but it can be made a whole lot easier with a few tools and products.
I've provided a few tips I use in order to acheive a beautiful red lip.





  • Scrub lips to get rid of any dry bits so that the lipstick doesn't stick in any areas and so that you don't have flakey bits. Lush have a great range of lip scrubs which taste scrumptious but it's just as easy to make you're own by mixing a little sugar with some lipbalm. 
  • Once you've scrubbed the lips add some of you're favourite lip balm to add moisture and I think we all know my favourite - the Nuxe reve de miel. 
  • Have some make-up remover on hand for any mishaps you come across.
  • Lip liners can be you're best friend when applying a red lip. They add shape,defination,vibrancy and longevity. As you'd expect Mac do some lovely lip pencil but to be honest I'd just pick one up from the highstreet as I've found them to be just as effective - Rimmel,MUA and Look beauty all do great lip liners in classic red shades.
  • If you're not a 100% confident with applying a red lip stright from the bullet then a lip brush can allow for precsion colour. 
  • When wearing a red lip the key is to keep the rest of you're make up super simple , you don't want to over do it by wearing a smokey eye and a red lip although if you can pull that off then good on ya :) 
  • And finally if you want you're lipstick to last I'd suggest a slick of lipcote  or a dusting of loose powder before applying the lipstick. 
So there we have it my ode to a red lip , hope you've picked up a few tips. 
Have a lovely Valentines day ! 
My red of choice in this picture is Mac sheen supreme in new temptation

Monday 10 February 2014

Review // Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen wow foundation


I bought this foundation when it was first released in 2012 and I just felt a little bit blah about it and I especially hated the packaging( note to self don't judge a book by it's cover!) so I used it for a month or so and then pushed it to the back of my foundation wardrobe . At the time it was majorly hyped but it just wasn't doing anything for my skin back then .
However ...
I noticed that Lisa Eldridge mentioned the Hello Flawless Oxygen wow foundation in the March edition of Elle and thought to myself well if it's good enough for Lisa Eldridge maybe I should give this foundation another go.

A little about the foundation itself - 
Hello Flawless was Benefit's first liquid foundation and took three years to create. This is an oil-free brightening liquid foundation which aims to leave the skin looking luminious and healthy.
A light to medium coverage with 9 shades in the range . Wear time is around 6 hours but can be extended with a good primer.
The foundation is also SPF 25

So have I rekindled a love for hello flawless? 
Well I'm still not sold on the packaging at £25 I just want something a little bit more luxe looking , but at the same time it does fit in with the more fun and vintage feel that Benefit runs with. The colour range isn't fantastic , I picked up the lightest shade ('believe in me' Ivory ) and it's still a little bit too dark on my pale skin.
BUT...
All that aside this is rather a nice foundation it's very liquid which means the coverage can be built upon and it doesn't look too shiny or greasy. Rather it brightens the skin giving a luminous finish , almost you're skin but better.  Hello flawless is also very hydrating which is why I think Hello Flawless is a perfect foundation for the warmer summer months.

Girls and maybe boys the lesson to be had here is that you shouldn't judge a foundation by it's packaging and just because it doesn't work once don't shrug it off for ever!

Benefit hello flawless Oxygen wow foundation can be found at Benefit , Feel Unique and House of Fraser 

Sunday 9 February 2014

The lifestyle post #2// Cake,silly selfies & a trip to the 'carribean'

This week we went down to my Boyfriend's parents house because his mumma hasn't been feeling too great and it's always nice to catch up with family and the pet rabbit montie...
We were really naughty and ate out rather a lot this week but you know I was so glad because we visited some cute cafes and an amazing restaurant.

#1) Montie helping me with my human rights reading and wondering if animal rights will be covered.

#2 & #4)  Lunch at ARtea room on Wakefield farm was lovely. This cute little shop was filled to the rafters with cute little trinkets and an arrangement of different teas (and each hot drink came with a jammy dodger what more can you ask for? )  On the farm there was also a lovely little farm shop selling pies,bread,cheeses and vegetables with this cute little bike outside.

#3)  Do they put the tags in the middle so you can't take selfies?

#5)  And finally the piere de resistance ! we fancied something a little bit different for lunch and this little restaurant caught our eye. Now a while ago we'd been to Turtlebay (milton keynes)  for cocktails and eyed the menu with hungry eyes but then forgot about this little gem until Friday afternoon.
This is a chain restaurant but it feels warm,friendly and intimate and the carribean food is beautiful. We sat on a cosy picnic bench and took in the aroma of jerk chicken. I'm talking a lot about the food but the drinks aren't too bad either. Now I'm not the biggest chillie eater but I couldn't help but dig into this carribean delight it was super!!
The staff were all really friendly and to my delight I discovered there is a turtle bay restaurant in Nottingham - It is an hour away but a trip I'm more than happy to take.
If you spot one of these restaurant's I'd definatly recommend heading in and picking up a carribean curry like the one in the above picture .
Sorry this turned into a rave about the restuarant but I really just enjoyed it , I've not enjoyed a restuarnt that much in a little while  :)









Friday 7 February 2014

Morning skincare routine

I don't know what it is about skincare posts but I love them! I'm really nosy and find it so interesting to see what people use and why they use these things. I also think looking at other peoples routines are really great because skincare isn't cheap and it gives a little insight into what other people are enjoying.
So here's a little run through of what's gracing my face in the morning...



Cleanser-  I'm not going to lie but sometimes I 'forget' to wash my face in the morning, I know I know bad bridgey. I picked up the Burts Bee's soap bark and chamomile deep cleansing cream  way back in Canada and just carried on using it. It smells like lemonade so it's really refreshing in the morning and gently removes all the dirt and grime. As it's a cream cleanser its very nourishing. If I'm short on time I'll just use a swipe of micellar water at the momment it's the Garnier one.
For toner I use the Neals Yard Nourishing orange flower toner  which is nice and refereshing but it also adds a nice dose of  moisture.  The blue bottles rather pretty too .

Moisturiser-   when it comes to morning moisturiser I'm a little bit of a floozy and tend to alternate depending on my mood and how my skins feeling. At the momment I'm using the Nude radiant day moisturiser , Clarins Daily Energizer cream and the Body shop Vitamin E illuminating moisture cream. You may notice a pattern? they all claim to give radient skin. 




Treatments -  Ahh you'll see that good old hydraluron makes an appearance, I love popping this on my skin in the morning and you know it's true that you can tell when you stop using it. I did a little review a while ago here. I've been trying the Ole Henrikson truth serum collagen booster but if I'm honest I'm not 100% keen on it yet but I'll let you know how we get on.  Finally it's not strictly a treatment but I'm trying to be a bit better with my SPF so I've been slapping on the Clinique city block in SPF 25.  This is one of my favourite facial suncreams as it glides on whilst giving a nice glow to skin. It can aslo be used as a bit of a primer before applying foundation or simply worn alone.

Lips and eyes-   At 22 wrinkles aren't too much of a concern yet so in an eye cream I tend to look for something that hydrates the delicate under eye area. My current go to eye cream is the Khiels creamy eye treatment with avocado  which is very hydrating and has the wierdest texture (Review will be up soon). Sometimes I'll use the Emma Hardie amazing face natural lift and sculpt firming eye serum . For lips I use the lovely Nuxe reve de miel  ready for whatever lip products I decide to use that day. 

Wednesday 5 February 2014

The Question// Are high end lip balms worth it?

If anyone had asked me two years ago to pay more than £2 on a lip balm I'd say you were mad and yet more often than not I end up paying around the £10 mark for a nourishing treat. This got me wondering are more high end lip balms worth it?


So a bit of a back story - I get really dry scabby lips all year round to the point were they will hurt (a little gross). Personally I just found that cheaper lip balms were just sitting on top of my lips and although they gave a lovely gloss it just wasn't working.
I'd heard a lot about the Nuxe Reve de Miel lipbalm and never looked back .

Lanolin lip balms - 
These lip balms tend to be thick,long lasting and help shield against cold weather. Lanolin lip balms contain Lanolin which is made from sheeps wool and is one of natures wonder skincare ingridients, it can also hold over 200% of it's own weight of water which makes it perfect for maintaing .
I find these lipbalms are perfect for winter because they really absorb into the lips , there also rather good when you're nose is a little red and snotty.
Favourites - Lanolips 101 Ointment £10.99
                - Khiel's lip balm #1 £9.50 
                - Dr.Lipp Original nipple balm for lips £11

My Holy grial - Nuxe reve de miel  £9.50 
I love this repairing lip balm, it really comforts dry sore lips . Containing lovely ingridients like honey and shea butter this is delightful and it smells a little bit like a chocolate orange what more can you ask for? This can be a lovely night time treat but it's also the perfect lipbalm to wear under lipstick as it is a matte lip balm. Not only is this my holy grial but my family are always asking for a swipe.

The non lip balm lip balm - L'Occitane Shea butter £10.00
This isn't marketed as a lip balm but it is just so nourishing and hydrating . I usually have this in my handbag as it's such a great multi-purpose product that gives any dry patches a little bit of extra lovin.

For me I think I love the more high end lip balms because they do tend to lock in the moisture and sink into the lips rather than simply sit on top.I find that the cheaper ones tend to only temporily help my lips.  They tend to use more natural ingridients and they don't contain as many things that I can't even pronounce.
Saying that I'm not ready to part my cash quite yet over the By Terry Baume de Rose .
And if you prefer something a little more budget friendly then I'd recommend Burts Bee's, Carmex and Blistex  


Monday 3 February 2014

The lifestyle post // A Perfect Sunday and OOTD

It's rare that my boyfriend and I get a Sunday off together we'll either both be at work or I'll have uni work to do. So when we do get the day together it's nice to do something and this week we decided to have cake for lunch ! 
Luckily Lincoln has an abundence of cute little cafe's in which to grab a slice of cake and do some people watching... 
We decided on going to Bell's cafe, we also decided we'd try to go for cake at least once a week ... so much for eating healthier. 





How cute is the crockery? and the cake was delicious 
We both opted for the victoria Sponge , I had red berry tea and James had Stoke coffee which is lovely and found all over Lincoln. 
We will definetly be returning for breakfast in the next few weeks, as it looked and smelt amazing. 
One of the main things I love about Lincoln is that it's full of cute boutique shops after tea we ventured over to a little tea shop that sells leaf tea and all sorts of coffee varities , we also popped into a dainty chocolate shop . 





I've lived in Lincoln for four years now and yet the Cathedral never fails to take my breath away. 
Isn't it beautiful?
And finally a little OOTD picture . 

Chelsea boots - Topshop (similar)
Denim tee dress - Topshop
Scarf - Burberry - (Unfortunatly it's my mum's I'd have no idea where to find it )
Coat - Barbour 

Hope you enjoyed a look into my perfect Sunday and enjoyed this post and lemme know if you like these lifestyle types of posts . 
Hope you all had a lovely weekend. 
I'm off to a talk from fashion blogger Sofia Bak tonight and I'm very excited. 


Sunday 2 February 2014

January favourites



Can you believe it's already February? where do the days go?  This months favourites really have been a mixed bag of a whole host of different things including a hint of snow although it didn't last for long. So lets commence with the first favourites of 2014. Note you may want to grab a cuppa it's rather a long one...

Beauty Favourites - 
First up we have some hair treats from Pantene Pro V, not a brand I really use but I needed some conditioner and I was in Asda. I've been really pleasantly surprised by this volume range it's light weight and delivers great volume what more can you ask for at under a fiver?

Skincare wise I've been loving using the well loved  Pixi Skin treats glow tonic. I picked this up in London as it seems to always be out of stock online and the sales assistant informed me that they've swapped the pump bottle for a cap . This exfoliating toner is great for adding life back into dull skin.  I use this after washing my face on an evening and just swipe it over my face with a cotton pad and it just feels nice and refreshing.  Another skincare item I've loved is the Body Shop Vitamin illuminating moisture cream which perfectly hydrates my face whilst giving a lovely glow which makes this a perfect morning moisturizer. I really like the Body shop Vitamin E range and I'm looking forward to trying the vitamin E overnight serum.

Finally we have make up I've been rediscovering a love of the Dr Jart water fuse BB cream which I won't talk about too much as I have a blog post/review planned for later in the week. I've also been loving pink lips and my favourite combination has to be the Smashbox be legendary lipstick in posy pink with the Laura Mercier lip glace in the sweetheart. This is such a fresh combination perfect for spring time. Another  lip product I've been loving is the Clarins rouge eclat in coral pink, this is another shade more suited to the warmer months but I still really love it. What I love about this lipstick is that the glossy finish can be built upon for a much more intense colour but it's also formulated to protect against dehydration and boost collagen. 

Everything else...
I'm trying to be a bit healthier and I've loved getting back into running and going to the gym. I love these trainers but unfortunately Nike don't make them anymore. I'm also trying to drink more water so I bought a bobble bottle so I can't use the excuse that our tap water taste yuck! This cleaver little bottle comes with a replaceable built in filter so that the water is cleared as you drink.
I started watching the ITV series Mr. Selfridge and then started reading the book which is truly fascinating, he really changed the way in which people viewed shopping.




Something to look forward too?
Valentines day , Hopefully some snow but maybe it's too late now and I'm back in uni and doing some very exciting modules but as the thesis kicks in I'm sure this will change ...


Saturday 1 February 2014

Drugstore treats


First things first but I fail at blogging and being organised. I had planned this to go up yesterday and just didn't get the chance because I was in Uni all day then went out for a friends birthday so I'm giving you a post today and tomorrow and we'll be back to usual on Monday.

I went into Boots the other day to pick up a new foundation. I'd heard so much about the Rimmel Match Perfection so I plumped for this. This is a foundation that deserves the praise it receives and could easily pass as high end. It adds a lovely light glow and is light to medium in coverage. The only bad thing is like many a drug store foundation's is that the colour range is a little pap.

Sticking with the base I also picked up the Maybelline - The Eraser eye perfect & Cover concealer from Superdrug . Now I'm just not sure about this concealer I do like it but there's just something that I'm not keen on. Again the colour range is minimal and I'm not sure how hygienic the sponge applicator is. These problems aside this is a good under eye concealer it hides dark circles, With Goji berry to firm the under eye area and haloxyl to care for inflamed bags. I think I'll do a more in depth review in a couple of weeks to see how I feel about it.

This is perhaps the most exciting product I picked up and it's the Maybelline falsies big eyes mascara . I just think this is a great idea with a thick round brush to create volume and defination on the upper lashes and then a smaller brush to coat the bottom lashes. This is something I want to do a full blog post on because it's a really great product so I'll put that up later in the week.

And finally I picked up something a little naughty in the shape of the Clarins Instant lip Perfecter in the shade apricot shimmer . When these first came out I had the Number 7 dupe and really liked it so naturally I wanted to try the original but had put it off until now . This lovely peachey gloss does leave the lips feeling a looking 'kissable' ready for valentines. What I like about the lip perfecter is that it isn't too tacky or thick on the lips.