The book - Cupcakes and Cashmere

So this is a little bit of a different post today and it's all about this little book.  Some of you may already be familiar with Emily Schuman and her lifestyle blog Cupcakes and cashmere - if you aren't I urge you to check it out.   I recently purchased the accompanying book ' a guide for defining your style , reinventing your space , and entertaining with ease.'  The book is divided into the four seasons with different beauty picks, fashion tips , re-inventing your personal space and recipes whats not to love? The photography is absolutly beautiful with plenty of handy tips .
My favourite sections include the seasonal beauty splurge VS steal pieces , Winterized beauty and the article all about clever packing (something I always need help with ).  Emily also discusses tips on defining your personal space.

If this sound like your cuppa tea you can pick it up From Amazon here

Get ready with me - girls night out

I don't know about the rest of you but I love getting ready for a night out, a meal, drinks or any occasion really. It's a great excuse for a guilt - free pamper either on your own or with the girlies ( I live with four other girls so it's always fun and you always have some one on hand to judge an outfit- or to borrow something)
With this I thought I'd share my make-up picks and outfit for a girls night out last week .

I wanted everything to be very natural so not to clash with the red lips and I planned on wearing my neon orange top.  So first things first I put my locks into the enrapture heated rollers - I LOVE THESE !!!

BASE - MAC face and body in C2 , Bobbi Brown creamy concealer in Warm ivory , NARS laguna for a hint of colour and contouring , Estée Lauder blush in the shade pink kiss. I also used YSL touche éclat to highlight my cheek bones , under eyes and under the brow. Touche éclat is one of those products which really splits a crown but you know for me it's a cult product.

EYES AND THE BROWS BABY -   I used Sin from the Naked palette all over the lid with MAC hand written through the crease.Along both the top and bottom lash lines I used hustle from the Naked palette. As for brows I used MAC wedge just to fill in and add a little more definition.For lashes I used YSL volume effect effect faux cils.

LIPS -  For lips I wanted to try something a little different and used LOOK beauty loud lip liner in the shade cherry bomb with CLINIQUE chubby stick in chunky cherry . I was a little worried this wouldn't look very vibrant and would constantly need re-applying but in fact it worked beautifully .

Make up done I spritzed on some Marc Jacobs daisy eau so fresh  and took the rollers out and got dressed. I wore American Apparel disco pants  and a Topshop neon orange cami with brown wedges and a coral studded clutch . Hope you liked this little get ready with me post I just thought I'd give it a go to be honest !

What's in your make up-bag #3 Anna

So last time I did one of these posts I mentioned the amazing response from other bloggers interested in showing us all whats inside their make up makes. Well the lovely Anna from and this little piggy beauty - cute name eh? sent me a number of pictures so we can all have a cheeky peek !
(http://andthislittlepiggybeauty.blogspot.co.uk/)

Just a little bit about Anna and her blog -
From the chat's I've had with her so far I can tell shes a lovely lady with her blog featuring travel , fashion and beauty and how can you not love a girl who has J.R.R Tolkien in the background to her photographs :)

I must say I do really love these little Cath Kidston bags 

So What is in Anna's make up bag ? 

Both the bags are from Cath Kidston as previously mentioned
Brush wise -  Bareminerals Full Contour Shadow Brush, MAC 234 Brush, Sigma E75, Sigma F75, Models Own Powder Brush, Elf Contour Brush, Sigma F80.
Lips-  Rimmel Nude Delight, Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya, NYX Lipgloss in Beautiful, No7 BB Lips in Blink Pink and Yes To Carrots Lipbalm in Berry
Eye shadow's Urban Decay Naked Palette, Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, MAC Paint Pot in Painterly, MAC Eyeshadow in Woodwinked and Benefit Brows A Go Go Kit
Eyeliners and mascaras: Natural Collection Brow Gel, L'Oreal Volume Milion Lashes, Maybelline Master Precise, Benefit Badgal Eyeliner.
Cheek products :NARS Laguna Bronzer, Benefit Girl Meets Pearl, NYX Blush in Taupe.
Face products : Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, Benefit Lemon Aid, Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer.  

So yet again I am left in the position where I am lusting after even more beauty products especially the No7 BB lip glosses and after a chat with Anna I have decided to pop into Boots tomorrow. Maybe this what's in your make up bag wasn't such a good idea after all? especially as i'm meant to be saving OPPS!!

My summer in Canada #1

The baking bits may seem a little random but it will all become clear soon :) 

Now you have probably seen me mention in passing that this summer I will be spending two months in Canada however you may not know why.  So I thought you know I think I'll do a series of posts about Canada - what I'm doing , why I'm doing it and a peek into what I'm doing when I'm there :)  I also wanted to do this little series because well it's a fantastic experience and a lot of people have asked me how I got involved. I might try and get my best friend to do a post about her feelings towards the camp in the next few weeks.

What am I doing over there? 
So I am flying out on the 20th of June to be the head of a culinary arts program in a children's camp (similar to Camp America) . In this position I will be showing both boys and girls aged between 7-16 the joys of cooking and the benefits it can bring in a fun environment . I am so excited to start yet I am feeling more and more nervous as the time draws nearer.  I am however very lucky that the camp directors are great and my best friend is also doing Camp Canada and shes only half an hour away from me.

How did I get involved? 
So I was initially considering doing Camp America until my Auntie told me all about Camp Canada. I'd always wanted to go to Canada so this seemed an obvious choice and with this I rushed home to complete the application with a spring in my step.  I was invited to go to a job fair run by NYQUEST and a number of Camps and was offered a job. Cue a very excited Bridgey !! I will say it isn't quite that simple there are a lot of application forms to fill in as they want dedicated people but honestly they are the most supportive helpful people I have ever met. The guys at NYQUEST have honestly made the nerves of living abroad subside somewhat.

Why? 
So I am asked why I am doing this all the time and in honesty I have always wanted to travel . This seemed an amazing opportunity in which I can share my passion for food, make new friends , build confidence and travel . It's something different and exciting and you I just cannot wait ! Yes it's going to be difficult being aware from James, my friends and family but hopefully it will be worth it :)

Unfortunately applications for Summer 2013 are now closed but if this sounds apealing to you definatly check out http://www.go-nyquest.com/programs.html

*P.s all these views are my own and are no way influenced by anyone else.

NUXE - The essentials

L-R Micellar Cleansing water, Youth and radiance revealing fluid,Huile Prodigieuse , Reve de Miel hand and nail cream and Fondant shower gel

Now I am a huge fan of Nuxe I really like the brand and what they stand for but like all of us I like to try things before committing to the full size. No body wants to spend £10 upwards on something and then hate it. With this I was on the look out for this little set in Paris as it's a little different to the one sold in England and is a little cheaper with the euro . 

Eau démaquillante Micellaire : Micellar cleansing water with rose petals -  Ahhh Micellar water's are popping up here there and everywhere and although I would never use them to take my whole face off they are incredibly handy as a refresher , after a few bevy's or for me after a late finish at work.   This one isn't as good at removing make up as say bioderma but it does smell lovely not at all like old people. 

Nuxellence Jeunesse: Youth and Radiance revealing fluid -  Out of this set this is the one product I'm a bit iffy about - it claims that within the first use you will notice the difference  a result I did not notice. However I will keep going with it and keep you updated. 

Huile Prodigieuse : Multi - Purpose dry oil face body and hair -  You have probably already heard of this little wonder oil that can be used on the body , face or hair. Personally as the weather heats up I like to use an oil on the ends of my hair in order to lock in moisture. This little oil smells beautiful and I will most certainly be purchasing the full size! 

Reve de miel hand and nail cream -  For me there is a teeny problem  with this hand cream and that is that it smells nothing like the reve de miel lip balm .  However it does still smell yummy with a hint of coconut. Theres not a lot to say about this little tube at the end of the day it's a hand cream which is great for popping in your travel or hand bag. 

Fondant shower gel with almond and orange flower petals -  This is another re-purchase yes it's a shower gel and yes it is that great !  It smells delicious which is a definite bonus for a shower gel . Theres just something about this gel it's  soap free which allows the product to foam rather than  create suds - this then means the skin is left much softer rather than drying which is sometimes the case....  

Theres just something I love about this shower gel that makes me think £8-10 won't be too expensive. 

I hope you all liked this little travel set I would defiantly recommend it for a trip or if you just want to give some of the products a little trial run.  I'm thinking of doing another post tonight all about my trip to Canada and why I'm going etc... so keep your eyes open !!

This week #3

It's that time of the week again - the time that I share my week with you lovely readers :)

Of course no trip to Parieee would be without a trip to Laudree such a beautiful experience

We were still in Parieee on Monday so I thought I'd include the best hot chocolate I have ever drunk (the hype was right) - I may have felt a teeny sick after !


Product of the Week :

Product of this week was an easy pick and it was Mac face and body foundation. I picked this up because I am fed up of in photographs having that horrible white face tanned body effect. I was a little dubious of this foundation fearing it would be too heavy rather it is medium coverage and gives a lovely sheen to the skin.

Best read:  

I am sad too say that I've not really done any reading this week . Think I'll have to have a spy for a new book on my kindle any suggestions anyone?

Listening to/watching: 
I love love love Bastille - Pompeii - yes it's incredibly overplayed but I think that 's why I like the song it brings back a load of happy memories . It's also just such a cheerful happy summer tune !
With the distinct lack of reading I have been watching the Masterchef final which I absolutely love watching - I find Greg Wallace so funny !

Top 5 of the week :

1.  Me and my boyfriend ( fiance but I hate that word) were still in Pariee on Monday . The flight wasn't until late afternoon so we had all day in Paris . This involved Climbing to the top of the Arc de Triumph , eating macaroons,pizza and drinking hot chocolate. We then had a lovely walk down the champs elysee, tuileries garden through to the lourve. Yes I let old lady push in front of us because she had a Chanel bag :0

2. I got my Dissertation marks back and am thrilled to say I received a 2.1 with 3 marks off a first. I was so pleased to have all that hard work recognized.

3. Homemade Sangria and a girls night out . Sometimes it's just nice to have a night dancing like an idiot with some of your favourite girl-friends.

4.  This week my housemates and I threw a chilled out BBQ and then went out for a friends b-day which was such a fun night . Theres nothing better sometimes than just been surrounded by all your best friends .

5. For me Uni has  finished I am just waiting for a few more marks back. It's sad to be back home as I've made some amazing friends and memories but no doubt I'll be back within a week or two . This also means getting ready for Canada  back to work, catching up with friends up North and looking for a post-uni job. 

Sleep in Rollers

I am without a doubt a heated rollers kind of girl -I got some enrapture heated rollers for Christmas and never looked back . Yet I was curious to try the sleep-in rollers that claim to say goodbye to sleepless nights, a claim I can't ever believe . Cue a walk over to the best friends house to give these rollers a little test run.  So here it goes ... 

How do they work? 

You section your hair the same as any rollers and then secure with grips . You do get a net which you pop over the rollers but I didn't. Then relax ,sleep and awake with bouncy flowing hair. 

My thoughts: 

So when I first used these I wasn't getting much sleep anyway (a mix between last minute uni work and an early train) but I did attempt an hours kip and boy was it uncomfortable. But the results made me still want to use them so I will still try to sleep in them.... the things we do in the name of beauty !   However I have been favouring leaving them in for a couple of hours before hitting the town . I really did love the results though yes it was more volume than curls but it just looked lovely . It would be nicer if the rollers came in two different sizes rather than a set containing all large rollers. These are also a great alternative to using heat on your hair as it just isn't required and because there softer than the usual velcro rollers there's no annoying pulling or tension which I love. 

Excuse my non made up face - but here's the rollers in

And the results :)