The Random Days...

So today was my day off from work for the week (I work as an "All rounder' in a hotel to save some pennies for my next venture) and having had quite the A-hole of a boss previously, I was anxious to meet my new ones. Especially because they were on holiday when I got here and I worked 2 weeks before actually meeting them. 

Today one of my bosses (Owen) offered to take me on his farm. 'Bring some drinks' he said, and I knew I was gonna have a good day. As soon as we got there we saw a snake... my first one in all my time here. Oh my good god I was scared haha. Owen drove on as if it was nothing, he even offered to kill it for me - apprently it's a tiger snake. Then he shown me around the shed where he shears the sheep (which he'll be doing next week, hopefully I'll get to go along and I'll take some pictures). 

Then he got on his tractor and loaded some cottonseed for the sheep into his UTE and off we went. The wheels on the tractor were as big as me, I was so gutted I didn't take my phone to take any pictures with. We scooped handfuls of cottonseed as his Mum drove the ute along and scattered it on the ground for them, we saw the sheep all running for the food and some even ate it out of our hands. We went to the cattle farm part and as part of the cows getting used to being without the calves that were sold, we had to walk them around the paddock (is it called?). It was all really different stuff to what I am used to. It was so lovely and I chatted to Owen for ages, it's really made me feel so much better about being here. When you have one bad boss, it really knocks you for six and makes you think they are all like that, it's so refreshing to learn that it's not the case.

We also saw some Emus, Kangaroos, Pigs, Chickens and a peacock! The Peacock was absoloutely stunning, the colours of it were awe inspiring. Nature is so beautiful (Hippie moment). 

I will definately update you all next week when I shear a sheep (or attempt to) and I just want to say, to anyone reading this - thanks for taking the time out of your day to do so. I know I only have a small amount of followers but everytime I get a new one it's unbelieveable to me that anyone would want to read what I write. So thank you and I hope you all have a great day! xxx

So... Where to next?

Here's my dilemma. When I came out to Australia my family were pretty adamant that I would need to buy a return ticket, just in-case of emergency. So I did. Here comes the dilemma... You can only use your return ticket in your first year of travel. CRAP. I came here in November last year, and this means I only have around 8 weeks left in Australia. A truly frightening prospect.

So... what do I do? I have given myself 3 options...

1 - New Zealand.

When I got to Australia I never thought I would want to travel NZ. I knew I'd like to visit, maybe for a week or so, but I never thought of it as a place to spend a prolonged period of time in. That was, until I saw pictures. So many people I have met whilst travelling have showed me the most incredible pictures of New Zealand and oh my god I want to go. I have just stolen some pictures off a friends facebook page to show you what I am talking about. Swoooon.

I should point out these pictures are not taken by a professional which just goes to show how incredible this place looks. Absolutely.... insane. It hurts my head a bit. & the finale -

Ohhhh yeah baby!! Hobbit-land! Amazing! Going to New Zealand obviously has it's perks but it would mean another year or two away from family and friends, going it totally alone and losing out on my plane ticket home as the bloody company will not give me even a partial refund. Swines.

2. Asia.

It may or may not come as a surprise to you that I have an English degree. A Bachelor of the Arts, if you will. Not putting this to use makes me sad, sometimes. In comes the allure of teaching English as a foreign language. New challenges, fantastic scenery and something that will look pretty frickin good on my CV in a few years.

Again, this would mean giving up my plane ticket and spending more time away from home, not to mention the fact my Mother is almost sure that me going to Asia alone is basically asking murderers to turn me into some form of gourmet kebab. I'm thinking Thailand or Vietnam. My friend did it and she got paid well and had the experience of a lifetime but... she was with her boyfriend. Am I brave enough to do this alone? Here, have some pictures...

3. Home/Manchester

Ok, admittedly this does not fill me with as much excitement. The prospect of going home, to find a job to fund my next travels whilst I could just be moving straight onto them seems pretty silly. But oh my god, the lure of spending a Christmas with my family and friends is right up there with travelling to New Zealand! I miss home and my family SO much. The thought of going to lush, stocking up on bath bombs and having hot wine and cake with my Mum and Sisters sounds like heaven to my ears. Also, I have a ticket there already. Am I realistically going to be able to save enough money to get a flight to NZ and spends too before summer comes around? Or do I just go home and spend a few months there and try not to dip into the savings I'll have when I get there? I spent last Christmas away and it killed me. I got drunk on a beach in St Kilda and vowed I would never be away again. So... what do you think I should do? What would you do? This would also mean I can travel the UK a bit, visit my friend in Ireland over Christmas and my friend in Brighton who's visiting from Australia. Help anyone?

Admittedly, not nearly as beautiful but part of me feels like I am putting off real life by travelling and I am hitting 25 in a couple of months so maybe I should just go home and face 'reality'?

I hate being an adult and having to make my own bloody decisions sometimes.

I know, first world problems eh.

Love Sam

x

Do you have a blog?

Hi there! I'm Sam - 24, lover of food, travel, cosmetics, puppys and life.

 If you have a blog you think I'd like, or even know of any under-rated but fabulous blogs, please comment them below for me to check out. I'm a novice and am currently only following mostly major bloggers (Zoella, etccc) and I know there are loads of talented and interesting people out there that I really should be checking out.

Thanks in advance, Sam

 

Selfiiiie!

Snack of September

Ok, I know this one is random but I thought some of you may need a bit of foodie inspiration. It's my favourite snack/breakfast of September so far...

 

 It comprises of fruit, dates and yoghurt and oh my god is it yum! It also feels like such a treat because of the mixture of textures and flavours but is relatively good for you :) I think strawberries with dates & vanilla yoghurt is my favourite, today I have chopped up banana with mango yoghurt and it isn't as good. Oh & if you're feeling super decadent, add in some nutella. Swoooon.

Makes for a really quick and filling breakfast, which is convienient for me starting work at 7am :(

Hope you all have a fab September

Love Sam

Skincare whilst Travelling (Backpacker beauty shall we call it?)

As a 'backpacker', it goes without saying that, sadly you have limited space for luxuries. Gone are the days where I'd have a cheeky stash of 10 lush bathbombs stored for a rainy day and lots of expensive products in glass jars. Travelling makes you re-evaluate what is important in life in EVERY sense of the word - including what goes in that 20-25kg portable method of storage of yours.

 I started out with about 6/7kgs worth of makeup and toiletries. At the time, I didn't know how I'd survive... with only 3 foundations, 2 concealers, 2 face powders, etc... and the other day I was looking through my makeup bag to discover that I'd unwittingly become THAT girl. Don't get me wrong, when I whack out my makeup bag it's still likely to be more than the average backpacker carries (which is not bloody hard, think moisturiser and SPF), however I now own only one of everything - apart from lipstick, a girl's gotta have a vice, right - How did it get this way? When I lived and worked at home, I had what can only be described as an excessive amount of makeup. To the extent, I could have never used it all without it going out of date. So when I made the decision to up sticks and travel, I gave it all away to my little sister, who is training to be a makeup artist. I figured she'd give it the love that I can't.

Having been here for 10 months, I have had no choice but to delve into the world of Australian cosmetics. Most things about Australian cosmetics make me sad, they are sometimes double the price of the UK, the quality is questionable and higher end products are only available in major cities, which is an absolute pain in the ass, how I miss good ole' Boots! Having said all of this, sometimes you unwittingly find a gem of a product and I am about to go barefaced to express my love for this discovery. Enter... Moisturiser.

Don't let the packaging fool you, it is not prescription only (ha, awful jokes ahoy over here). When I first tried this in a smaller tube, I initially bought it for my hands. I was washing a lot of dishes for work (glamorous life I lead, ya know) and they were sooo goddamn dry. I tried this, it worked, woop. Then, I ran out of my regular moisturiser and was forced to use this stuff. My skin was babysoft and I felt like it looked brighter and healthier, so I carried on using it. Without even noticing, every single one of my zits disappeared. Then I ran out of my little tube and went back and bought my normal neutrogina moisturiser without really thinking about it. Then came back the spots. So I went out last week and bought a big tube of this, in the hope it would sort my face situation out and it really bloody delivered. I don't have a 'before' picture of me with all of my spots, sadly, but i do have a picture 5 days after making the switch to this stuff...

If this picture was better quality (goddamn Iphone camera) you'd be able to see some red patches where the scars are healing from the previous spots but that's about it. A little goes a long long way with this stuff and you can get a huge tub for like $8 (about 5 pounds if it is available in the UK). I am astounded and will be stocking up whenever I head home because I don't even need to wear foundation anymore. A drop of this stuff, a dab of SPF, and concealer and I'm good to go. 

So yeah, the secrets out. It's cheap, readily available and it is a bloody miracle worker (for me at least). 

Have you got any secret miracle worker products?

Love, Sam

Queensland! & other things

Ok, after my love affair with Melbourne, in particular the Mornington Peninsula, I thought - this is my favourite place. It can't get any better than this, I am happy. It had culture, Sun, fantastic food and drink, beautiful beaches and the people were just incredible. Then I went to Perth and to be totally honest, I didn't like it nearly as much. I found it to be isolated, overpriced and the people just weren't all that great in my experience. So, I decided to totter off to Queensland, with promises of Sun, Sand and good times. Plus, Australia Zoo made famous by one of my abosloute Idols (hello Steve Irwin) is just down the road. I am visiting Australia Zoo in early October (SO EXCITED SQUEAL)

Just look at him. I am gutted he's gone so I'll never get the chance to see him in action, but seeing where he lived and worked will be amazing.


On this note, I feel I should mention a wildlife Sanctuary type place I visited on Magnetic Island, just a 20 minute ferry away from where we stayed in Townsville. It was incredible! I held a baby saltwater crocodile, lots and lots of reptiles & even a 25 year old snake called Samantha (I felt it was a sign she'd look after me, with us being age and name twins). At one point, I had a reptile on my head and a croc in my hands... shit got cray!! Haha.







Having had a fear of snakes since I was small, the blurry moment above was a real achievement for me, it was celebrated with lots of yummy pear cider :D


During August, my friend Steph and I were lucky enough to housesit in a beautiful house in an awesome city called Townsville (Ironically I thought this meant it was actually a town... it isn't). I LOVED townsville, from the little bars playing the worlds cheesiest music, to bumping into AFL players, the aquarium with the living coral and having my own swimming pool with no rent to pay for 2 weeks was pretttty cool. They were some really happy days and I had a lot of time to just chill out, watch lots of episodes of New Girl and fall in Love with Australia all over again. Here's a delightful picture that sums up my average day there -





As is life, my money quickly dried up and now I am working again to save for my next venture... which is going to be New Zealand! It was never really on the agenda to visit New Zealand for a long amount of time, but having met the amount of people I have and just spied on their photos, it is simply too much of an oppurtunity to pass up, it looks absoloutely incredible. So the original plan of going home for Christmas has been scrapped, in favour for a year off traveling the world again. I never thought I'd have the balls to last a year out here, let alone want to wander off to other countries afterward.




Wow this has been a lengthy post. I also want to mention to anyone who may be reading this by chance, please learn to make the most of and appriciate the life you have. I often look at bloggers/vloggers/youtubers of a similar age and background to me, I compare how much success they have and their lifestyles to myself and I really beat myself up that I'm losing. It's only when you take a step back, stop comparing yourself and appriciate what you have that you realise, it ain't so bad. I am really proud of myself this past year, prouder than I was when I graduated University, when I passed my driving test and when I was brave enough to be someones birthing partner (trust me, with hindsight, that was freaking brave!!). I have come so far - and the liklihood is that you have too, you just don't realise it. It is so easy to sit at a screen and covet someones life - but vlogs/blogs and the like, usually only document the good. & where would we all be without the bad eh? Not appriciating a bloody thing. So I'm going to sign off now, with a picture of a rainbow. When the rain falls, look for your rainbow - even if it's TINY there's one out there :)

Lots of love, Sam

Photographic intro to Australian life

To combat the language heavy previous post, I am going to post a few photos of my travels, with a few words here and there to explain what exactly the picture is about. \

 Standard.

 This was my Christmas dinner... it's not all so bad hey! Tapas with fried halloumi, prawns, salad, oh lord it was good.

 The Melbourne Laneways! Helllllo Tourist

 What melbourne is really famous for, beautiful coffees with cake.

 The Sunset on my favourite day here so far. We went to my friend Jess's beach hut and had a BBQ, it was just beautiful, the picture really does not do it justice. We'd just met and she invited me out of the blue, she will long continue to be a close friend.

 A night out in Melbourne. This is me being entertained by the name of the trendy sidestreet bar we found ourselves in.

 This is in WA, I moved here to meet my friend from home, the beautiful Imogen

 & this is the other reason I moved... to do my reigonal work. I'll potentially do another post on this as this is on my mind a lot because I only picked grapes for a week. It was a week of HELL. We got paid around $4 a bucket... which when you consider most people are on $20+ an hour for unskilled jobs is an absoloute pittance.

 Bahahaha, British sense of humor

The view from a hammock at a BBQ about a week ago. Sometimes you just gotta sit back and reflect :)

Thanks for viewing, hope you are all having a great day!

Peace and love

Sam

xxx

almost a year on...

Last post - 5th May - Wow.

Well, a lot has changed. I'm back with my boyfriend, have a new job, have graduated fromuniversity, and have embarked on a new fitness plan. (I say fitness plan, I mean I need to get fitand fast because I will shortly be applying to join the RAF).

Makeup has become less of an obsession, I'm trying to keep to the maximum of two foreverything rule, so I've stopped buying foundations/mascaras/concealers unless I need them.Which is pretty bloody boring as far as bloggings concerned huh?

I'll let you have a little wander into what my two are in a few of the categories, just to keep thisblog suitably superficial.

Please bear in mind, these are not the only foundations/concealers/lipglosses that I have, justthe ones I have committed myself to using before I buy any more because quite simply, theyneed using up! I have got to the stage of having so much makeup that I can't use it - and that'supsetting. I know I'm cheating as some of the stuff is 'mini' but seriously, how long can you gowithout buying a new lipgloss/mascara? I rest my case :)
Foundations -

My problem here is that these foundations are very, very similar. Light/medium buildable coverage - similar colours and water based (I think - I can't seem to find a list of ingredients for 'wake me up' but it definitely feels water based). One has to make room for a heavier coverage foundation soon, and I'm thinking the Chanel will be the first one out because the Rimmel one is less expensive and is pretty much the same thing. Both are good everyday foundations but I have nothing for when I need full coverage so I better start using the expensive stuff to make room for what I imagine is going to be estee lauder double wear :)

Eye creams-

Ok - So I'm 22. I am starting to get SLIGHT wrinkles under my eyes, however I prefer my eye cream to just hydrate the area under my eyes, as that's one of the main reasons wrinkles appear in the first place. The thin skin under your eyes does not produce oil by itself, so a bit of help at an early stage always goes down well. Prevention is better than cure as they say. I'm not going to lie, both of these were presents, and I'm doing OK at using them up, but I just find myself pretty lazily slopping my moisturiser on most of the time, I use eye cream maybe once a week? I don't know if I'd repurchase either of these, as they're pretty pricey for someone who has no real wrinkles, but they're nice to have and once either runs out, I will probably think about repurchasing an eye cream that's a bit cheaper to see what the difference is, or even if there is a difference at all.

Concealer

I am going to admit - I have tried TONS of concealers, Laura Mercier secret camouflage, collection 2000 lasting finish (if I remember rightly), bobbi brown, benefit, and I have so far failed to find one that I LOVE. Laura Mercier came close, but it didn't quite hit the mark. The Urban decay was given to me from my boyfriend, who has tattoos all over his hands, and having found that it covered up his tattoos brilliantly, I thought - Jackpot - Mine! (he only needed to use it once for some photos). It is a fantastic coverage, but it's just too drying for my skin :( I have dry/combination skin, and I feel like this, and pretty much every other concealer I have tried really highlights any dry skin I have. The Rimmel concealer is fantastic, I have repurchased this many times - but it's strictly for under eyes only, as it has a highlighter in it- nobody wants to highlight spots now do they?! So if anyone knows a fantastic concealer for dried out blemishes and dry noses, please let me know! In the mean time, I'm trying my best to use up my revlon photofinish/Urban Decay which are both OK - but not the best.

Mascaras
Ok boring but here goes, my lashes are straight, literally, they almost point downwards. This has led to me buying upwards of 30 pairs of lash curlers over the years, and countless mascaras, and it's taken me my 10 years of makeup wearing experience to learn I can only use waterproof formulas 90% of the time, otherwise bye bye curl that I just spent 5 minutes solid creating. The maybelline is fantastic - this is my third tube, and I tried the clinique and I liked it, I have used it about 4 times now, I am trying to dry it out to see if holds a curl when the formula's a bit drier - if so, that will be a repurchase. I think I'm going to just try and find as many samples of mascara as I can - absoloutely no point in me trying 90% of mascaras because as soon as my lashes wilt downwards, I throw them away/give them to my sister/Mum/best friend. I have tried countless mascaras, high end, low end, somewhere in the middle - and the Maybelline one above never fails to please. But being the makeup junkie I am, I'll always be on the lookout for the one I LOVE.

Ok so I have to go pick up my Mum and little sister from the train station, I'm now thinking gym makeup. Is it ok to wear BB cream to the gym? I can't face going out in public without makeup, but at the same time, I want to avoid acne. Any gym makeup tips?

Hope you're fit and well and hoping I haven't bored you to death! Much love

-Sam

NARS, Monthly favourites and a giant Sorry sorry sorry!!

4 months since a post! Wow I must have been busy! I split with my boyfriend in January so I had to move out of our apartment and stuff which wasn't the most inspiring experience. But, here I am! Trying to do anything I can to avoid my impending dissertation work. To cheer myself up I ordered the cult NARS sheer glow foundation in 'Mont Blanc' - light and pink toned and to get free shipping I splurged on the ever raved about 'orgasm blush and albatross highlight'. I am yet to try them, however I have swatched them and the foundation seems a little too light, although like a complete dingbat i applied fake tan last night, so I will shower it off shortly and have lots of fun with my new makeup :D Yay!

So, having showered and used sheer glow, I will say this - I love it! Absoloutely beautiful finish, great coverage, no smell but naff packaging, I hate spilling out foundation onto my hand to use it. The albatross highlighter is a little darker and more golden toned than i am used to, but the orgasm blusher is lush!!!

& guys, I did my first ever youtube video, I have to say i probably need to invest in a proper camera, however i will attach my first ever attempt (turn your volume up because i am seriously quiet for some reason!) exciting :D

A few other favourites i didn't mention for fear of boring any viewers to death -

China glaze nail varnish in 'For Audrey', I always seem to love this shade in the summer, it cheers me up when i see my little blue/green nails typing away at my coursework :)

Bourgois bronzer in 51, I'm not really a 'bronzer' girl because i'm very pale and have embraced it (well, sort of) and so i didn't really see the need for this product, but i thought what the hell it's summer and bought it, and i was so glad i did, it's a lovely colour, it looks really natural and flattering and it smells like chocolate which is a bit of a gimmick but hell i was sucked in! :)

False eyelashes of every kind, particularly the pre glued ones they do in boots, absoloutely amazing, last all night and so so easy to apply.

Great Lash Waterproof from maybelline (although i've heard they test on animals, anyone know if that's true?). It's a fantastic 'primer' for my lashes, i have unnaturally straight hair and eyelashes and so, when i curl them, i want them to stay as curled as possible for as long as possible and this mascara really helps that, i can usually stick anything on after it's dried and it will hold the curl in place.

Lorel Elnett hairspray in Volume - AMAZING is all i have to say, lift your hair up, spray and let it fall down gradually and you have instant volume that isn't sticky or crispy.

So yeah, hope you enjoyed some of that, i have just washed my makeup brushes for the seoncd time this week (the joys of having a dissertation to write).
Hope you are all happy and healthy :) Sam xxx

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkZaPGqv44M

Hey guys!!

Hello guys, so sorry about my lack of posts in recent weeks, i have been so busy with assignments and my 21st birthday that blogging has slipped my mind. But... I will have a pretty sizeable birthday haul post for you very soon which will hopefully be worth the wait, i'm going to do it later in the week when i have time to take pictures, swatches etc. I had an awesome birthday!

That's me with two of my aunties (I'm from quite a large family) sporting my new fringe.
My dress is from Warehouse (size 10 if you please :D) and you can't see anything else so it's pretty pointless naming shoes and jackets. There was only 3 pictures of me my whole birthday and none of them featured my boyfriend so i have nothing to put in the '21st birthday' photoframe. Boo. Anywho i will be posting at least two more updates before Xmas, a birthday haul and what i'm getting people for christmas so you guys might get some ideas :) Although i'm leaving it a bit late because i always do my Christmas shopping at the last minute...ooops. Also my boyfriend and I have decided to shop for presents in the January sales so i am definately feeling a big fat Christmas haul too :D (and to UK residents, there's 20% off in Debenhams at the mo, i saved a bunch on my new makeup)

Hope you all have been happy and healthy

Much love and thankyou for reading xox

Completely shallow post

So when i have a spare minute or two, i find myself thinking about materialistic things, such as... items i would love to aquire for my 21st birthday pressies :D
Top of my wish list is the Urban Decay Naked Palette! They are now selling it in the UK and i cannot wait to get my little mitts on it.


It's £27.50 which is pretty reasonable in my humble opinion! Seriously excited to try it out if someone picks up on my hints haha.

I would also love some new fancy bedding and boudouir stuff because my bedroom feels really... lifeless sortof? I think this bedding is beautiful!!


Also, i would love Dior Cherie. I smelt it in the Airport on my way home from Spain a few months back and i fell in love, it is beautiful both in looks and in scent.
Absoloute lust have -





So... i'm still sat here thinking away. But most of all i would like to have my boyfriend here to celebrate with... i'd rather have no presents and Mike home than him be away for 3 months which is the rumor (he's in the Navy).

I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes :) x

Career

Now i know this is rare on blogs but the blogs i read are about life and ways in which we strive to improve our own, whether that be via having clear skin, ways to save money and now i'm starting to blog about my career too, please just ignore if you don't want to know. So here's how it all began:

Aged 16 i left school with 11 GCSE's and I started to think about going into a business studies degree but these views changed along with my teachers when i went to college aged 16-18 and came out with 4 A-Levels with just a C for business. So i decided on a career teaching English, i went straight into Uni studying English and i'm now approaching my third year. I should really be thinking about my PGCE and getting more teaching experience. So then i thought to myself, do i honestly want to become a teacher? What exactly is it i want to do with my degree?

I'm now in my third year and aswell as studying and working part time to fund my makeup and product addiction, i have just signed up to volunteer for a small business who sell fairtrade coffee and offer jobs for workers in Africe and for immagrants who would otherwise be on benefits here. Any profits go to educating the workforce and building schools in Afirca. The organisation seems to benefit everyone involved and i have been offered a sales/marketing position in schools, giving them business ideas and helping them aswell as getting ideas of how to sell coffee. There are some very important people involved and it's a really great oppurtunity for me as it gives me experience in sales/marketing/retail/education so it's sort of a taster session in many different industries. I will also be acting as a sort of manager so i could also regard it as management experience which is super gooood! I'm really excited and i just wanted to post this to perhaps remind people that these times are not all doom and gloom. Money is a small aspect of enjoyment of life so if you have some spare time, look up volunteering, as i have learnt today there are many different roles to suit different people and the skills they offer so if you can, i would really advise trying something new. I'm really looking forward to this and as you can imagine, the hunt for suitable clothes and makeup begins very soon!

Today on my face i wore -

the body shop foundation in number 5 and the powder in 5 just on my crease and on my eyes, i'm now using it as a bronzer because it is quite a few shades darker than my skin (stupid assistant) and works wonderfully to contour. I wore a few coats of maybelline mascara, MAC blush in pink swoon and i used a bit of vaseline as a subtle highlight, natural yet pretty too. I just wore the body shop lip blam in watermelon (which smells BEAUTIFUL) and was good to go. For interviews i think class is essential so i whipped the Chanel perfume out and was thankful after the good old British rain washed the majority of it off.

It worked, i got the post and i'm happyyy!! :) I don't think a lot of women talk about their career choices that much and with such a gap in the pay stakes between men and women i think we should share hints and tips and work together :)

Good luck to all xxx

Coffee Table drama!

So, i'm relaxing watching junk TV on my sunday evening after dropping my lovely boyfriend off to go to work... i put my feet up and BAM my coffee table gives way. Now we can't expect much from the poor coffee table (rip) as it was very, very cheap as it was strictly a 'oh crap we are moving in with hardly any money and we need a coffee table' purchase. But now, what do we replace it with? I think i want a black, clean looking table and i have seen one on the next website that i am in love with (http://www.next.co.uk/shopping/homeware/livingroomfurniture/15/1). It's £150 which is a bit more than i wanted to spend and i have seen a black one in ikea that's a far more reasonable £45 (http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/40147726). I really love the first one - it's got space for my magazines freeing up a drawer in my bedroom! Although i'm unsure about how childsafe they both are as my boyfriend has a young son. Ahh - i don't want to buy practical at the tender age of 20 (clearly, my last table collapsed) but obviously his safety has to come first. Ahh dramas eh.


*all about a dog attack, skip at your leisure*
Speaking of dramas - My 6 month old puppy got viciously attacked today! By a pug! This horrible little dog came out of nowhere (it's owner was trailing behind it without a lead) and began to really lay into my poor little Harry! :( He was yelping so much when he walked after the attack we had to take him to the emergency vets where we were told he was in shock, had a few wounds that he'd been given antibiotics for and some pain relief because the damage to his leg was really hurting him :( poor little guy is sat in his bed sulking now. Ahh i love my little Harry and i think owners like the owner of the pug should have to go to compulsary dog training if their pet ever behaves like that - i cried a lot afterwards, i have never felt so helpless. I managed to drag my poor injured Harry away from the horrible dog after a bit of a struggle, with it's owner sheepishly saying 'sorry' and making a terrible half-hearted attempt to control the beast! It even managed to bite me as i was picking Harry up. It just about managed to break my skin so i'm waiting til tomorrow to see if i have to have an injection. I reported it to the police and with a bit of luck i will find out where the man lives (very near me i suspect) and he will get a court order to keep that horrible mutt far away from others! :( If you are a dog owner please give your dog the love and respect it deserves, you chose it afterall, because in my opinion if all dogs were properly cared for they wouldn't ever be so callously vicious. Ahh i feel better now.

How have your weekends been? I'm looking forward to the one ahead already - is that as sad as it sounds? :)x

Makeup time!

So i'll be recieving my student loan soon and will be stocking up on makeup for autumn/winter and i was thinking of a few investment items such as a decent foundation, primer and moisturiser amongst all the usual crap from superdrug that i buy. I seem to be moving away from wearing eyeshadow at all and am becoming more focused on enhancing my lips because to me if you try to do both it can be a bit 'drag queen'. So for me, winter is all about looking fresh and having a peachy blush and nice, plump lips. Ok so my thoughts:

Foundation - i have about 5 at the minute (all 'drugstore') but none of them fit the bill and so i think i'm going to go to a counter and get the right formulation and colour for me so i actually get the useage out of it. I'm thinking clinique because i know their products agree with my skin (i have fairly pale, normal skin and occasionally get a spot/blemish) however i have been enticed by NARS sheer glow for a while but it seems more of a summery foundation to me? Any opinions are more than welcome.

There was a tester of the loreal professional primer in cosmopolitan this month and while it seemed quite powdery it left a gorgeous feel to the skin so i'm considering that? And as for a decent moisturiser i'm unsure, although again i'm thinking clinique because my skin seems to agree with their formulations although i think the consistency of the dramatically different moisturising gel/lotion is a bit thin for me? Hm.

Oh and ladies if you have long hair and are thinking of chopping it - dont. I had long hair and had a good 5 inches cut off it (as can be seen above) and never have i mourned the loss of hair so heavily. I find myself actually having hair envy of pretty much everyone with longer hair than me. Hopefully it will grow back fast because i miss it! :( Sad face completely necessary. Sorry for bad photo - i was on holiday and completely do not look like it!

Anywho - 3rd year of uni starts in just over a week. I am terrified. Anyone willing to pass on any organisational tips would be a lifesaver because my idea of organisation is putting anything and everything in a big pile. I'm doomed.

Hope you all had a fab summer x

In's and Outs

Hey guys! Long time no see but i have been enjoying spending time with my lovely boyfriend as he's home from the navy for 5 weeks :) I can report that i have sucessfully managed to lose a bit of weight i am much closer to a size 10 now and i think in 2 weeks (when i go) i may well have accoomplished my mission.

So i'm ill - again- thanks to Mike's son Charlie and so i have decided to indulge in a little what i like and what i don't like therapy. I have found a fair few makeup discoveries lately so here goes!

In's

* Rimmel stay matte dual action concealer (001 Ivory). I tried the Laura Mercier secret concealer (in the lightest shade) and it seemed to only last me a little while, which could of been because of the MAC 195 brush i was using which seemed to just lap the stuff up and come out really waxy - so i'd end up using me fingers to blend which was a little useless. Also, at around £23, it isn't cheap, but it is an amazing concealer, should you be prepared to pay the price. I am however, always looking out for something that goes the one step beyond and i think this concealer is exactly that. I think it was around £4-5 and i would say it's easier to work with, it covers with more efficience, it's compact but doesn't get lost in your makeup bag and you get a lot of product. The consistency is really pleasent and workable and it doesn't flag up any dry patches. Absoloutely love this product.

* 17 Mirror shine lipstick in Nudest peach. I have to say, i'm not really a fan of lipsticks, i find them too severe and prefer to stick to a tinted balm or a gloss but this 'lipstick' makes me feel all grown up when i use it (ha!) and is basically a gloss packaged in a lipstick formulation. It's very sheer but gives a good level of colour and a 'mirror shine'. I do like this lipstick however because of the gloss like formulation after a couple of applications it broke and now resides in my fridge like a lipstick hospital.

* Kleenex 'feel me i'm gorgeous' tissues. When you have a cold (or viral infection) the last thing you want is a horrible chapped nose and i feel these are really the bentley version of tissues. So so soft and it feels nice to have a little luxury in my life when feeling this yucky.

*Maybelline Superstay 24hr foundation in 020 cameo. Lasts ages, wonderful coverage, great colour selection, no funny scents and spf 19. I don't know how it photographs but it's that great on all other levels i don't really care :)

*Holidays and having my boyfriend home :) honestly throughout all this makeup stuff hardly anyone mentions the things that REALLY matter. Like having a wonderful boyfriend make you chicken soup when you're ill or really getting excited about going away for a few weeks. I can't wait to be in the sun for two whole weeks with nothing to do but chill out, eat and drink. Bliss



Outs.

* Viral infections
Noone wants a cold in August. So we have...duh duh duh duhhhh! Viral infections which is just a posh cold. I have a rash all over my back, i'm all bunged up, hot, headachey, my ears hurt, my throat hurts and i'm being more than a wingebag about it! Enough already, make me healthy!

* Sky
Virgin on demand is SO so much better than sky. More fool us for being sucked in by skys stupid offers.

*Lancome Juicy Tubes in 108 - paris. I love juicy tubes and i was bitterly dissapointed with this one, don't get me wrong the formulation and colour is true to juicy tubes, but the scent is disappointing. It smells like plastic flowers. Juicy tubes usually make me want to lick them off they smell so delicious. I got it in a set so i wasn't as dissapointed as i would've been if i had spent £12 or so on it, but still.

So yeah that's about all i can manage right now. I can't even be bothered to spell check or edit becaus ei am hungry and so i will love you and leave you and edit on another day. Any suggestions for things (clothing or makeup) that i should pick up for my holidays? I really want a cute (cheap) kaftan. Hm. x

Update - Quest for the perfect summer foundation

So today i'm getting all excited about my holiday (2 weeks in a villa in Spain in 4 weeks) and i have embarked on an attempt to save and an attempt at dieting! I'm currently a UK size 10/12 and i want to be a comfortable size 10 by d day - the day where i have to don a bikini next to my size 6 stepmother. Hello Special K diet. It was going really well a week ago but then my boyfriend came home (he's in the navy and based in Plymouth during the week whereas i'm up North) and diet was completely ruined and the 6lbs i'd lost became 5lbs back on. So now i have decided to up my game a little and introduce lots of excercise as well as a strict diet. Well i guess my idea of 'lots of' excercise is 40 mins on the wii fit and walking the dog a lot - but still! Effort! I just hope that my efforts are eventually rewarded.

On this completely shallow note i was thinking about things to take with me, and particuarly i have recently run out of foundation and was wondering which one i should pick up? I have been using revlon photoready in 003 (yes i am pale! haha) but i really want to try something new. I think i may well pick up this again because it is a nice coverage with a spf and the colour is matched pretty well but due to the what i can only reference as being 'sparkly bits' present in it that make me look like edward cullen in direct sunlight, i am on the hunt for a holiday foundation or tinted moisturiser. I have heard many good things about the Oil Free Laura mercier tinted moisturiser but i have dry-normal skin and so i would be inclined to go for the regular version however i have heard many negative reviews on it. So i appeal to all of the blogging community - help me on my foundation quest? I want something that offers light-medium coverage, preferably a spf and that will last a relatively long time as taking makeup to the beach is a little ott for me. I have tried the boots no7 tinted moisturiser and i have to say i was pleasently suprised - it was light coverage, moisturising (as a tinted moisturiser should be presumably) fairly long lasting, but the colours are very limited and the light is a little too light for me (especially me on holiday) and the darker shade a little too, well, dark. I was considering NARS sheer glow however i would have to travel quite far to get hold of it or failing that order online and have to guess-timate my shade. I am also considering MAC's face and body but again, same problem.

Holiday question number 2 - hair. (see photo above) I have fine/medium hair that is pretty long and naturally straight (it does have the odd kink or wave in places) and i don't want to be straightening my hair all the time on holiday but also, i don't want it to look as lank as it does without heat styling so does anyone know any miracle products for maybe adding a bit more wave to hair and a bit of texture? I'm trying to be as low maintainance as possible here and to give my hair a bit of a break.


Final Thought - is it wrong to take St Tropez on holiday?
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