Links I Love #2

 

1.    Naughty dog showers baby with gifts after stealing its toys – this one had me giggling! I’m a huge dog lover so love all videos like this one!

 

2.    I am beyond obsessed with dinosaurs and am completely in love with these giant dinosaur DIY framed prints. They look fab!

 

3.    This dads reason for not walking his daughter down the aisle has made me go all emosh!

 

4.    This kid has cancer and does a rap song to JayZ all about it – awesome way to raise awareness about this horrible illness.

 

5.    These Nude photos are fantastic! The photographer switches things up and is the one who is naked whilst taking photos of his subjects’ reactions. Love this concept.

6.    23 husbands describe the moment they knew they found ‘the one’ – the hopeless romantic in me adores this!

#TBT Supermarket Shopping Rage

Welcome #TBT / Throw Back Thursday! Where I am going to be delving into the depths of blog posts past and repost some of my favourites to share again with you all! As someone who has been blogging for over 2 years now, I have written over 400 blog posts, some that should probably remain hidden and some that I’m still pretty proud of and are still relevant to me. Which is why I thought it would be fun to run a #TBT series each week up until Christmas and share with you all my personal favourite old ‘Lipsticks & Lashes’ posts.

Originally Posted // 13^th February 2013

I love shopping for Make Up, Clothes, Bags, and Shoes etc. Hell I even went on a shopping holiday to New York and it was heaven! However send me to a supermarket and I turn into an evil trolley bashing troll. I HATE IT!

I used to think it was where I was single and whenever id go grocery shopping it would be full of loved up couples in the aisles pashing. Who would have thought, if you’re looking for a top romantic spot head to your local Asda! It gets worse, these loved up lumps then have to stop and kiss every few yards in the centre of the aisle so you can’t get pass or right in front of the item that’s right at the top of your shopping list so you have to wait for them to get over themselves and move on. NIGHTMARE!

Next up is the old people, who when there is one of those trolley blockages at the end of the aisle and the one hot single guy moves to let you through, they barge past you and knock you out of the way! Then to add insult to injury they then have the cheek to turn and say than you to you! Err for what?! Allowing you to be intentionally rude! Yep sure it was my pleasure!!

 

So by this point my stress levels are sky high and I've totally forgotten the reason why I entered the store and am aiming for comfort in the chocolate or alcohol aisle, whichever one is closest. Its then at this moment I usually encounter what I like to affectionately call ‘The Brats’ (all right, it’s normally something a bit ruder but my mum might read this!). They are the spawn of the devils kids and are running around like they've stepped out of a loony tunes cartoon and eaten a crate of blue smarties. They bash into you and your trolley and send you flying and are screaming louder than someone who’s being tortured in a SAW movie.  ‘Dear Parents, if you cannot control your children please don’t take them out in public to rein terror on everyone else!’ Oh and then throw in the tantruming toddler with the chav mum shouting abuse at it because you know that’s bound to calm them down. Yes kid, I understand your pain, if someone was talking to me like that I’d be taking it out on the floor too.

 

Having nothing in my trolley that I came in for, and am instead laden with a ton of impulse buys that I don’t need, I head to the checkout. After waiting ages while the checkout assistant chats a load of rubbish small talk to the person in front of me, I eventually am at the front of the queue.

 

Check out Lady: “would you like a hand packing?”
Me: “Oh no thank you, I’ll be OK”

 

Thinking I'm doing her a favour saving her from the job, its then like she’s taken offence to me and scans my items through at lightning speed! She then makes a big show of having to wait for me to finish packing!

All I can say is thank the lord for the wonder that is on-line supermarket shopping! My stress levels are eternally in your debt. As for those items I need there and then I bask in the joy that my local supermarket is open 24 hours a day so I only venture in late at night to eliminate any of the previous mentioned dangers.

I Heart London

A few weeks ago my brother and I headed to London to visit our little sister who lives up there. It was an awesome day that involved a trip to Portobello road to check out the antique and vintage shops and then a wander round Covent Garden, a walk along south bank and one too many cocktails before the train ride home! It was a perfect day and I thought I would share with you all a few pictures I took along the way!

 

 

A coffee a waterloo whilst we waited for my sister who is renowned for being late, even though we told her the wrong time in the hope we wouldn’t have to wait that long!!

 

My first ever bubble tea! Kind of tasted like perfume and no idea if your mean to swallow the bubbles of not?!

 

Beautiful fabrics and dressed in the vintage shops along Portobello road.

 

The London Eye

 

My brother and sister

 

Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser

 

A while back, during the summer my friend and I decided to treat ourselves to a spa day. We were pampered with a massage, body wrap and facial. It complete and utter bliss!

After my treatment I got chatting to the lovely beautician and talk turned to skin care and the current spotty mare which is my face. My skin looked so dull and I’ve been getting huge outbreaks of spots along my jaw line and on my chin. According to the beautician getting spots there is linked to hormones... not sure what I can do about that?! However she did recommend that I try Elemis Balancing Lime Blossom Cleanser. It’s a product she’s been using for similar problems but not one the spa sells. So on her advice I went home and jumped online to order myself a bottle!

The packaging isn’t much to write home about but I do like that it has a pump applicator as I find products last longer when distributing with a pump.

The box states that it is ‘designed for combination skin types. Active extracts of lime blossom, lecithin and vitamin E help to balance excess surface oils and soothe the skin revealing a clean and radiant complexion’.

To apply you just massage the cleanser over your face, then remove any excess with a damp cotton wool pad. Easy! I have fallen in love with this cleanser! It smells gorgeous with a scent that reminds me of the parma violet sweets!

I have been using it twice a day for just over a month now and I can really see the difference in my skin. My t-zone isn’t as shiny, my breakouts have cleared up and the few spots I have are small and less angry/red looking. Plus my skin feels smooth a little glowy!

At £22 it’s not cheap but it lasts quite a while and really has turned the state of my skin around. This is definitely now my go to cleanser!

Motivational Monday #31

 

Who else out there is amazing at making excuses for not going after their dreams?!

I am terrible guilty of this one! I dream of being a successful novelist, of people actually buying the jewellery I make and of travelling the world. My top excuses for not doing any of this goes as follows...

1.    I have no money

 

2.    What if I’m terrible at it

 

3.    What if people take the piss

 

4.    Lack of time

 

5.    Fear of the unknown

All of these excuses, and yes I know they are lame excuses, can easily be eradicated. I just need a bit more self confidence, better time management skills and a big kick up the bum to just get on with it instead of constantly procrastinating about it!

I really do believe we are capable of achieving our dreams no matter how big or small they may be. We really can astound ourselves of how capable we all actually are!

What’s stopping you from achieving your dreams?

Alchemy Grapefruit Hair Remedy

Alchemy Grapefruit Hair Remedy*

Now let me explain the mess that is my hair... for the last couple of months I have been sporting blonde bits at the front of my hair, framing my face. I really like it but it means these bits are beyond parched, they are ridiculously dry. The rest of my hair which is just past shoulder length (hurrah, been trying to grow it forever!) and is my natural brown shade, I also suffer from greasy roots and dry ends.

This means finding suitable hair products that suit this combo is a bit of a nightmare. Therefore when I was recently Alchemy’s Grapefruit Hair Remedy to try out I was a bit apprehensive, but keen to see if I could rescue my hair. It’s made from just 5 oils which includes coconut oil, avocado oil, almond oil and of course grapefruit oil. So there are no extra chemicals, which allows your hair to absorb it better.

Firstly can we take a moment to coo over the cute vintage bottle! Secondly it smells divine! Hair oils don’t tend to smell bad but never particularly amazing either. However this smells sweetly of grapefruit, obvs, and is just lush!

They recommend for dry hair to massage the oil into your scalp and apply from the roots to the tips of your hair. Then leave it on for 20 minutes or overnight if your hair needs the TLC. Then wash and condition your hair as normal. Personally, as my roots can be greasy I applied the oil from the mid lengths downwards, twisted it up into a messy bun and left it on overnight. I washed and dried my hair like normal and I have to admit there was a noticeable difference. It was much softer, a lot smoother and much easier to style.

They also recommend applying a few drops to the ends of your hair whilst damp and then style as usual. I was a little hesitant about this as its quite heavy oil. I was also unsure how to get a couple of drops from the bottle without having a ton of it pour onto my hand! I have now worked a good technique of tipping the bottle whilst the cork lid is still in, removing the cork and using the residue that’s on there as you really don’t need much of it! It really sorted out my ends and stopped any fly aways.

I’ve been really impressed with the results of this product and for £17.99, it’s a bit pricey but it will last you for a long time and the results are fantastic! Definitely worth the price tag, from now on I will be swapping my usual Moroccan oil for this grapefruit hair remedy.

The Autumn Tag

I came across this Autumn Tag on the lovely Georgina’s blog Makeup-Pixi3 which she has created to celebrate her favourite season. As I’m starting to feel Autumnal this week I thought I’d give it ago and here is what I’ve come up with...
 

1.  Ok we're talking coffee's - what's your favourite seasonal drink from Starbucks/Costa/Cafe Nero etc?
 

I haven’t drunk coffee in 6 months now! Go me! I used to mainline the stuff which looking back was insane! I feel so much better for giving it up and haven’t had a migraine since! I did however start to replace my coffee addiction for a tea one but have nipped that in the bid only have a cup of tea as a treat once in a while. I tend to stick to fruit teas, saying that though I have to admit my favourite seasonal drink is a Chai Latte, Starbucks do the best one! It’s yummy and so comforting!
 

2.  Accessories - what do you opt for, scarf, boots, gloves?
 

I hate gloves! They irritate my hands and I don’t seem to be able to do anything when I’m wearing them, they just get in my way! I do love scarves and recently bought a chunky green tartan one from Zara that I can’t wait to start wearing this autumn! I am a boots kind of girl, I LOVE uggs and leggings. Getting all slouchy for the winter seasons is my fave thing! I also usually have one pair of smart leather boots for work and am currently looking for a new pair at the moment.
 

3.  Music - what's your favourite music to listen to during Autumn?
 

I’m not sure the seasons change my taste in music, the current music I’ve been listening too includes Queen, McFly, Arcade Fire, Paloma Faith, The Who, Blink 182... I have an eclectic taste!
 

4.  Perfume - what's your favourite scent for this time of year?

Right now it has to be Jo Malone 'Amber & Lavender' Cologne, yes I know it’s a boys one but it is sexy, warm, spicy, subtle and isn’t too manly that a girl can’t wear it. I get lots of compliments about it!

5.  Candles - what scents will you be burning this season?
 

I am obsessed with candles! My favourite has to be Yankee Candles Snow in Love, it isn’t too pongy and just freshens up a room. I recently got a set of their autumn candles and really like the Fig one so I think that’s going to get a lot of love this autumn.

6.  What do you love most about Autumn?
 

I love the colours of autumn, the changing colour of the leaves on trees. I also love the crisp autumn air and the fact it also houses Halloween and firework night! Two of my favourite holidays!
 

7.  Favourite makeup look?
 

I’m pretty standard with my make up as I like a natural look, however I love playing with a smoky look at this time of year with a darker lip and dark, vampy nails.
 

8.  What are you looking forward to most in Autumn?
 

Halloween and bonfire night! I’ve also got a couple of bloggers events I’m looking forward to attending over the next month or so. Also as we are now in Autumn it also means Christmas is just around the corner, eeeek!!!
 

What are your favourite things about Autumn? I now tag you all to do this post! Don’t forget to let me know if you do it!