Life Lately #92

 

Hi lovelies,

 

Last weekend, James came down from uni to celebrate his Dad's birthday. We had a chilled weekend at home, we saw The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2 on Friday. I found it quite scary for a 12A, considering kids under 12 can go in with an adult & it's a film about war & trying to survive death, it's pretty full on. On Sunday, we went for a curry before James drove back to uni. I love our local curry house. It's an all you can eat buffet on Sundays & you also get a free drink & chocolate after your meal. Usually we get Baileys or Port, but myself & James got a coke because they thought we were underage! I'm 25 in January..

 

Our dogs have been extra adorable this week. As it's getting colder, they seem to get more affectionate. Honey's been extremely hyper & Harvey has been cuddled up with his toys in the evenings.

 

Yesterday, I attended Elisa's baby shower. It was the cutest event I've been too in ages. We all took part in a baby quiz, had tea & lots of cake & just look at how adorable Bo's cake was she made for the shower, inspired by The Hungry Caterpillar.

 

Today, I went Christmas shopping with Elisa & Cathy. We stopped at Nandos for lunch & came back to mine for tea & doughnuts. I've nearly managed to finish all my shopping now, thankgoodness! I don't have much time in December to shop, so I need to get the majority of my shopping done asap!

 

& finally tonight, my mum & I spent the evening putting up our Christmas tree. We bought a new one this year as we've had real trees the last few years, so decided to go back to an artificial one. Just look at Honey posing with the tree! Just too adorable.

 

How has your week been lovelies? : )

 

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Stocking Fillers / Secret Santa Gift Ideas From Primark

Hello lovelies,

 

Now that we are almost a month away from Christmas (squee!) be prepared for some exciting Christmas posts! This first one is for all of you out there who want a thoughtful gift for someone special, but are on a budget. 

 

I'm part of four Secret Santa's this year & our budgets are between £5-10. It's amazing what you can find for that amount of money in the shops these days & one of the first places I thought to look is Primark. Here are a few of my favourites things.

 

 

Love Wire Frame Ornament

I've wanted one of these signs for ages & just think they'd look great on someone's bedroom shelf. What's lovely about them is they can be up all year around & you'll always have love in your home.

 

Christmas Tree LED Ornament

I couldn't resist this one, what a cute idea. I love fairy & LED lights at Christmas & this one would look adorable displayed in a window. 

 

Red Berry Hanging Heart

This is such an inexpensive piece of décor for the home. I love anything red at Christmas time, especially if it includes yummy looking berries!

 

Popcorn iPhone Case

This one is a perfect stocking filler. I think anybody who loves their iPhone will love this. (especially if they are as crazy as me & have the biggest collection of iphone cases known to man..) 

 

Metal Lantern

If you know someone who is a fan of candles, you can't go wrong with this lantern. Wrap it up alongside some scented tea lights & you're good to go.

 

Home Sweet Home Sign

I'm a sucker for quotes & cute little signs for the home. Again, couldn't resist this one.

 

Bronze Look LED Decorative Lights

Like I previously mentioned, I'm a massive fan of fairy lights, not just at Christmas, but all through the year. If you've seen my bedroom, you'll know what I'm talking about! These hearts just add that extra something & being bronze, they would look lovely on a mantle piece this Winter.

 

Red Arrow Light

& finally the red arrow. I know some people who have this already & adore it. Unfortunately it won't be to everyone's taste, but if you have that friend who is a bit more out going & into quirky ornaments, this would be perfect.

 

What are you lusting over this Christmas time? Have you ever done Secret Santa? : )

Remember to pop back to my blog to check out my Christmas Gift Ideas For Him & Her which is coming very soon!

*Please note this was not a sponsored post*

 

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What I've Been Wearing On My Nails #27

 

Sinful Colors - Easy Going

I absolutely love this shade as it's slightly different to a regular white nail polish. It's got a slight pink pigmentation to it, making it such a pretty varnish to wear on your nails. I find I can wear almost anything with this & it stands out so beautifully. The only thing I will say about it is it takes ages to dry. It's one of those ones that you literally have to give yourself a couple of hours before doing anything..

 

2 True - Shade 15 & Barry M Nail Art Pen in White

Another favourite nail art of mine to do is pin stripes. I love adding them to a pastel colour, so there not too in your face. They looked so cute with this blue polish from 2 True, which is such a bargain brand! I absolutely love their nail polishes.

 

Primark - Marshmallow

This shade cost me 80p. Yes, 80p & it's such a lovely colour. I'm a sucker for pink nail varnishes as I'm sure you all know by now, but it'll be perfect for Spring time.

 

Nails Inc - Grosvenor Crescent

A new favourite of mine, this shade is simply stunning! If you picked up last month's Glamour magazine, you would have received one of four nail polishes, this being the one that instantly caught my eye. It's so beautiful & perfect for Autumn / Winter.

 

What have you been wearing on your nails this month? : )

 

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Lush - Floating Island Bath Oil

Hello lovelies,

 

Myself & my friend Lorna went to the Oxford Street Lush back in September & picked up some exclusive products from the store. They have a range of bath oils which I believe you can only purchase from the store in London, so we couldn't help buying quite a few! The first one I tried was the Floating Island Bath Oil. 

 

 

It's a small dome shape, complete with a vanilla pod appearing out the top. It's not the most exciting or pretty bath oil Lush have designed, but I think it's quite cute, it was just very hard to find one that wasn't covered in other colours from the other bath oils it had been placed next too. I guess being cream, it would be hard to find one that was pristine.

 

We smelled all the bath oils extensively, but this one just screamed out to me as I love anything that's vanilla scented. A lot of people have compared the scent to the Floating Island Bath Melt, which technically is it's older sister.

 

This bath oil dissolves into the water to create a luxurious softness to your bath. I found this one took a long time to disintegrate, but I quite enjoy watching it in the bath as it swirls around in the water.

 

Of course you are left with the small vanilla pod at the top after the dome has melted (which I forgot about totally until I saw it at the bottom of my bath & thought it was a slug!) Slightly off-putting..

 

After my bath, my skin felt very soft & moisturized & quite greasy to touch. Usually I would hate this & feel like I'd need a shower to wash it off, but actually I found it quite comforting on my skin.

 

This bath oil retails for £2 & although I was impressed with it, I won't be rushing out to re-purchase it as I think there are a lot more exciting ones to try!

 

Have you tried any of the Lush Bath Oils from Oxford Street? : )

 

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Life Lately #91

 

Afternoon lovelies!

 

Last week I went over to my friend's after work to watch a firework display. You know when you go to a back garden display, you think they'll be a few small fireworks etc, but Campbell went all out & we had massive explosions & the display lasted a good 10 minutes, complete with us being covered in ash from standing too close to them! You did us proud Campbell!

 

Last Saturday, it was Char's 21st! She came back from uni & we spent the afternoon pottery painting, which I've never done before, but it was such good fun! We got to pick out the item we wanted to paint, I chose a tea light / candle holder (which I might actually use for a makeup brush pot) & we get to collect them in the next few days after they've been glazed.

 

Last Monday, I started my Christmas shopping & I've almost managed to do half of it! Brilliant start if you ask me! I went to our local shopping centre with Gemma & we stopped at Costa for a tea & snack break. Costa have introduced their Christmas selection again for this year, including this delicious chocolate orange yule log. Unfortunately they haven't brought back the chocolate orange hot chocolate, which was my favourite last year!

 

I met up with Lorna last Tuesday & we spent the afternoon chatting away over a cup of tea & hot chocolate. I love hearing all about her tales at work & life stories. Really puts a smile on my face.

 

Friday night myself, Cathy & her parents went to see No Jacket Required, a Phil Collins & Genesis tribute band. We go most years & as always, it was a brilliant show. They are such a fantastic band.

 

Last night, myself & my family had a meal to celebrate my Grandad's 88th birthday which will be this coming Tuesday. We had a feast of duck, roast potatoes, veg & profiteroles for pudding. So delicious.

 

& finally I had to include this picture of Honey on my bed this morning. It basically sums up how I've felt the last few days! This week has been so crazy with work, meeting up with people & I've just been on the go all the time, it was so nice to wake up this morning & know I could relax. I'm currently saving like mad for Christmas & for next year when James finishes uni & we can hopefully move in together, so today is a welcome day off.

 

& I couldn't not mention the events that have happened over the last few days in Paris. Thoughts are with all the families that have had loved ones taken away from them & to everyone that's been effected. It's hard to believe that these things happen in the world we live in. #PrayForParis

 

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Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer - Cherry & Nude

Hello lovelies!

In this month's Glamour magazine, I managed to pick up two of the most gorgeous lip colours you'll find on the market. Let me introduce to you the Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer.

If I'm honest, I'm not usually a nude lip fan, they just doesn't suit me. I tend to wear bright reds & pinks the majority of the time, but I thought I'd try out the nude. It's actually a lovely shade when applied to your lips & although it's quite subtle, there is something you can't resist about it. I won't be rushing out anytime soon for another nude shade, but it's a nice addition to my collection.

However, Cherry is definitely more my colour & I love how pigmented this formula is. As well as producing a beautiful shade on the lips, these lipsticks are very moisturizing as well, so perfect for the colder months.

Have you tried either of these lipsticks? What are your thoughts on Clinique products?

Remember to pick up this month's Glamour to grab yourself one at a fraction of the price! *

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* Please note this was not a sponsored post & all views are my own.

Lush - The Comforter Shower Cream

Hello lovelies,

 

A few weeks back I popped into the Oxford Street Lush in London & picked up some very exciting products. (I did a haul which you can read here if you like) One of my favourite Lush products is The Comforter Bubble Bar, so when I discovered Lush did the same scent in a shower cream, I was majorly excited!

 

Not everyone has time for a bath every day (you lucky person if you do!) so waking up with this comforting scent in the shower each morning just makes getting up to go to work a bit more bearable.

 

 

It has a very sweet blackcurrent scent to it, which I adore! This is how Lush describe it -

 

"This berrylicious, reassuring shower cream brings to mind warm, familiar memories. The blend of sweet cassis absolute, uplifting bergamot and assuring cypress essential oils create a blackcurranty aroma that’s like being wrapped in a snug hug."

 

I love how they've stated it's like being 'wrapped in a snug hug'. So accurate.

 

 

The 'how to use' section also made me giggle when I saw it : ' )

 

The shower gel is very pigmented which I'm sure you can see from just looking at the bottle, it did put me off a bit at first when I thought my skin would be pink forever (not that I'd mind that.. pink is my favourite colour..) but probably wouldn't have been very practical! However, the product simply foams up as soon as you apply it to wet skin & your left with little pink foamy bubbles in your shower & on your body!

 

You only need to use the smallest amount of the shower cream & it lasts forever. I've been using it most days since I got it & only just used half the bottle.

 

Have you tried anything from Lush recently? What is your favourite product?

 

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Life Lately #90

 

Hello lovelies,

 

A few weeks back I had my hair cut & highlighted. I had one of those nightmare trips to the hairdresser, where I came out & really didn't like the way the stylist had dyed my hair. I asked for balayage but I actually came out with a dip-dye with a few pieces of hair which were blonde towards my roots. My own fault I know for not saying at the time, but I came home & styled it myself & after a few tears & comforting from the girls, I realised it wasn't too bad, but still not what I'd asked for. Have you ever had a disappointing hair cut? It's the most gutting thing ever!

 

Shortly after Honey's birthday, I decided to have her spayed. She'd recently turned 6 & I never wanted to dismiss the idea of her having puppies, but it was the right time to get it done as she's 'middle-aged' now in doggy years. It was heart-breaking leaving her at the vets in the morning as she doesn't like strangers & gets very nervous about new surroundings, but all went well & she was back home later that day, wearing the cone of shame. (Up reference there!) After lots of cuddles & a good snooze, she was back to her normal happy self.

 

It was my mum's birthday on 22nd October & we had planned an afternoon tea at our local garden centre, but as Honey had had her operation the day before, neither of us wanted to leave her, so we stayed in & had breakfast together, which was equally as nice.

 

On the following Saturday, myself & James attended Rosie & Gareth's wedding in Gloucester. The ceremony was held at the local church, followed by the reception in the village hall, which was decorated with bunting & adorable glass jars with candles on the tables. It was such a lovely day & we can't thank Rosie & Gareth enough for letting us share their special day with them.

 

My girl Char was back from uni at the end of October, so we celebrated in the best way we could, with lots of food! I've mentioned the Giggling Squid many times on my blog, but it really is one of my favourite restaurants in our local town.

 

Ah Halloween! One of my favourite times of year! James was back for the week of half term, so we both traditionally carved our pumpkins on 30th. Can you guess which one is mine?

 

Also we were allowed to dress up for work the following day. I did James' & my own makeup & we found it great fun chatting (& scaring) all the customers. Of course, we had to have an opera & a ballet on that day so it was extremely busy!

 

That evening we went to see the local fireworks with Bo & Kieran. I absolutely love firework displays & although they are so expensive, it is tradition to go every year for us. This year, the display was to music which we thoroughly enjoyed. When we left the cricket grounds, it was so foggy, it seemed to happen while the display was going on. Perfect for Halloween night, as we had to walk back through a grave yard to get to the car park!

 

& I wanted to include these two new purchases that we bought for our dogs recently. Harvey got a new collar which was woodland themed & Honey has a new jumper for Christmas with Little Pudding written on it. She looks so cute wearing it round the house!

 

& finally yesterday I met up with my girl Ricka for pancakes at Bills restaurant. We had a lovely catch up & I was able to give her her birthday presents from the weekend.

 

How was October for you? Did you celebrate Halloween this year? : )

 

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