Lust list!

Happy Friday!
I've been in Edinburgh since Wednesday taking my CIPD and haven't had chance to blog! Edinburgh is absolutely stunning and I've loved being here even though I've been on the course. I spent the whole of Wednesday on Twitter and Facebook banging on about Alex arranging for flowers, chocolates and champagne to be in my room when I arrived because he knew I'd be sad being here alone! There were tears. Lots of happy tears :) I probably did everyone's heads in waxing lyrical about it but come on that's the sort of stuff I've only ever really seen in films. I phoned my friend Emily and she was all 'oh my god that happens in real life?' LULZ. Yes! It does! TO ME. Ahh. Smitten kitten.

I've done a little bit of shopping since I've been here but I'm trying to be good with my pennies because we're off to Warsaw in a few weeks! Anyway, here's my current lust list! ♥


This top from New Look combines two of my favourite things, Pandas and moustaches! Lets face it, at £7 this is likely to be in my wardrobe soon! ♥


This studded clutch from Topshop is an absolute beaut. I'm trying to convince myself that I don't need it but its swoon worthy don't you think?!



My beloved black Bailey Button UGG's have finally kicked the bucket (after 3 years!). I think their end of life could have been caused by me traipsing around Edinburgh for an hour and a half in torrential rain on Wednesday and I'm absolutely gutted! I think I'm going to replace them with some Classic Short Boots in Black, but I also really want the Bailey Button Mini's in Grey! I think I'll just buy both pairs over a couple of months to justify the £300+ *shudder*


Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb! This was all over the bloggiverse a year or so ago and recently I've been working with a girl who wears it, it is amazing! I need to just bite the bullet and buy it but I'm also tempted by the extreme version would you recommend one over the other?

I've been leering at this MK watch for ages now, I'm completely in love with it but both of my Fossil watches have crystal surrounded faces and I can't help but think I might need to mix it up a bit. Who am I kidding though, I'm all about the sparkle. This will probably go on my Christmas list this year :)


Yep. I've got the Bayswater Bug again! For some reason it subsides every now and then but never really goes away! Just recently I've been obsessing over them again, my favourites are the black (above) and the Hot Fuschia Ostrich although at £3,500 that one should have stayed on the Ostrich! Pretty, but not that pretty haha!

Sigh. I think that's enough 'window shopping' for one night! Is there anything you're lusting over at the moment? Tell me in the comments! :)

xo

Quick Reviews: Installment 1!

Hiya you lovely bunch! I've decided to start a regular feature of 'quick reviews' to put all of the smaller reviews together... let me know what you think in the comments because if you'd prefer lots of seperate reviews I'll just keep doing that!


Clearasil Daily Clear Vitamin and Extracts Scrub - this is absolutely lovely, it smells of pomegranate and makes my skin really soft and smooth. It's also the perfect balance between 'scrubby' and 'scratchy'. Big thumbs up! You can get it from most supermarkets and places like Boots and Superdrug for about a fiver, bargain!


Naked 'bare Faced cheek' Face Wash - I'm all about skincare at the moment, stress and a lack of sleep has caused my skin to really suffer and this seems to be helping a lot, you just massage it onto your skin until it goes creamy then rinse it off. I like to buff this into my skin with a muslin cloth before I rinse it to get my skin really clean and it feels amazing afterwards. It's only £4.49 for a huge 200ml bottle as well, another bargain!


Melvita Argan Oil - Another skincare product! I've been using this religiously at night time recently in an attempt to repair and nourish my skin whilst I'm asleep. I've been suffering from a lot of dryness and breakouts so I massage a few drops of this onto my face before bed and it's amazing. Melvita really is an incredible brand, I'm getting a bit obsessed with it actually! This isn't as cheap as the other products at £16 but you only need one pump of oil to do your whole face, I'd estimate that this will last me about 3 months which is ages!



Liz Earle Natural Glow Bronzer in 'Bronze' and Liz Earle Healthy Glow Blusher in 'Peony' - these are my current 'go to' cheek products and are amazing for day and night because they're so easily buildable. Both powders are well pigmented and really blendable giving a gorgeous natural finish. They've both also got a very, very slight shimmer boosting the infamous 'Liz Earle Glow' that I get from my Cleanse and Polish and Sheer Skin Tint. If I had to say one negative thing about them it would be that the packaging seems a bit old fashioned to me, but that's probably just me being old fashioned! These are a must have so snap them up :) the bronzer is £19.50 and the blusher is £16.50, they're probably in the 'middle' price bracket but they're worth paying that little bit more for!

That's all for now, hope you enjoyed it!
xo

Outfit of the day: work!

Hi everyone! Just a quick post on the outfit I wore to work today, the photo is a bit useless actually in hindsight but hey ho!

Black Sheer Shirt - Primark, £10. I don't know if good ol' Primarni are still selling them but Boohoo have a similar one here for £18 and New Look have this, this and this - any of those would work! I'm wearing a black ribbed tank top from Topshop underneath mine :)

Maroon skirt - Marks and Spencer, £15. Annoyingly, they don't have this exact one on the website but I know it's still in store. The closest one online is this one.

Black tights - Marks and spencer, £6. Let's face it, any opaque black tights will do won't they? I just happen to prefer these 'stay opaque no matter how many times you wash them' ones!

Heels - Office, £65 here

You can't see them in the photo but I'm also wearing my day-to-day jewelery, a tiffany necklace, ring and bracelet and a Fossil watch that was a gift from Alex ♥

This is the first outfit post I've done for well over a year!

xo

The Warsaw Weight Loss Challenge: Update!

Good Morning everyone! Apparantly it's going to be the hottest day of the year today, all I've got to say is that Derby didn't get the memo... I'm sorry it's taken me two weeks to update you all on this, I've been mega busy!



I've stuck 14 little post it notes to a shelf unit in my room, this is where I do my make-up so I have to look at this every day! It's really rewarding being able to take one of the notes off when the scales go down :)

Week One
When I weighed myself unoffically on the Saturday the scales told me I'd lost 2lb as planned, but when I got on the scales officially on monday, they said I'd stayed the same! I think this was to do with mother nature bringing her monthly gift because for me this = water retention and bloating. I didn't let it put me off though and this week has been much better. I'm being a bit naughty and updating before my official weigh in on Monday though!

For reference, literally all I'm doing is eating healthily and sticking to 1,200cals a day. I haven't had much time at all to exercise so this has fallen by the wayside a bit but I'm going to work on that next week! (more on that in a minute).

I'm also using a few healthy weight loss aids, I'll blog about those throughout the challenge then do a big comparison of them at the end of the challenge.

Week Two


I've actually lost 4lb this week! I'm hoping that I'm not jumping the gun here by updating before my official weigh in though haha! This week I've stopped having carbs at breakfast and I've been making my portions a lot smaller. I'm also saying 'no' to Ben&Jerry's (heartbroken!), wine, chocolate, high calorie crisps and anything 'full fat'. I've increased my water/general fluids intake dramatically as well. That's really important, I know you're probably thinking 'oh I'm sick of hearing that' but when women aren't hydrated, the liver has to do what the kidneys would normally do and the liver breaks down fat so actually, by being even slightly dehydrated, you're stopping yourself losing weight! Go and drink a whole glass of water right now please :)

Action Points for Week Three
More exercise! Alex is nearly better from his horrific attack of HSP now so we're planning on going swimming and playing badminton. Mr good-at-everything is trained as a lifeguard and used to be part of a badminton club so I'm hoping my competitive genes will kick me up the bum a bit and I'll try extra hard to get at least on-par with him! I doubt I'll ever be better than him, I'm convinced I'm shit at swimming because my boobs weigh me down...

Anyway, I think that's all on weight loss for this week! If you've got any questions or there's anything specific you want me to write about then please let me know in the comments :)

xo

The 'at home facial': How to!

Woohoo! It's saturday :)
With all the talk of a 'double-dip-recession', 'tightening your belt' and 'highest unemployment ever', everyone seems to be trying to save a few pennies... myself included! As I'm now paying for my flat completely by myself, I'm having to give up big treats like facials at £75 a pop.
That's not to say I'm just leaving my skin to get minging...



Step One and Two: Cleanse and Exfoliate
My preferred products are the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser and the Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator. These will remove all of your make-up/any dirt from your face, and will also get rid of any gross dead skin thats going to be leaving your skin dull and lifeless.



Step Three: Face Mask
My current favourite are the Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask and the Sanctuary Spa 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask. Apply your mask and sit back and relax. The Sanctuary Spa one does get rather warm so don't panic if you're using it for the first time! A good mask will remove impurities, tighten pores and brighten your complexion. Don't do this the night before a big date/event/piss up because they can break you out... try to do it 2-3 days beforehand :)



Step Four: Moisturise!
I'm currently obsessed with the Naked Thirst Aid 12 Hour Moisturiser. I've been using it day and night for weeks now and still can't get enough of it. You'll probably find the exfoliator and face mask have left your skin feeling a wee bit tight (because they've removed all of the oils from your skin) so it's important to use a good quality nourishing moisturiser.

Optional:
Spot treatments - apply these before you moisturise
A steam treatment - soak a flannel in hot water and place it over your face/your problem areas before you exfoliate, and again before you apply the face mask, the heat and steam will open all of your pores and allow the products to really penetrate the skin. If you do this, splash your face with cool water to close your pores before your moisturise
Serum - if you use a serum, apply this before your moisturiser
Eye cream - again, apply this before your moisturiser

Happy facial-ing!
not the rude kind! haha!

xo

Boots Bargain Haulin'

Happy Freakin' Friday!
I've actually agreed to go into work tomorrow to catch up on some filing because we've been so busy over the last two months so it isn't quite my weekend yet but I'm in a good mood anyway!
You may have read on my twitter that I'm having my little flat treated for some surface damp (thank you, shit british weather) and redecorated! I got home today and the place was a tip. I promptly turned on my heel and drove to Boots... well, what else is a beauty addict supposed to do when she can't face putting the curtains back up and moving furniture? ;) I managed to come away with some complete steals so I thought I'd share!



First up, these bad boys. Lee Stafford products are currently 3 for £12!!! Yep, you read that right! Being the wee bargain hunter I am, I spent a good 10 minutes picking the products that I not only wanted the most, but that would give me the biggest cost saving!
(can you tell that my beau is an accountant? I've never thought about the largest percentage saved before in my bloody life!)

I picked up Hot Shots For Blondes (because I'm really down in the dumps about my hair at the moment, I paid a painful amount to have a full head of foils and you can't even really tell it's been done and I'm pissed off, to put it mildly!), Treatment For Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length (I've blogged about this 5,000 times before and I haven't used it for a good few months so I thought I'd go back to it, also refer to aforementioned pissed-off-ness with hair) and the Beach Babe Sea Salt Spray (mmmm tousled tresses!).
Combined, these should have cost me roughly £22. Number crunch time! They cost me £12, therefore I saved £10 which is a 46% saving. Incredible. Alex (I know you're reading this) I'm learning, see!



I also grabbed a Sanctuary Spa thermal detox mask for £2 (I've got a hot date tomorrow night and need to be sexual), a new razor for £3.50ish (half price! read above reason!), my favourite on-the-go make-up remover - Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing 2-in-1 make-up remover and Barry M Nail Paints in 'Pink Flamingo' and 'Pink Silver Glitter' (this is new! and gorgeous!), you got £1 off if you bought two and I don't think you can ever have enough Nail Polish. Ever. ♥

There was a million and one other things I wanted to buy but I managed to reign my spending in a little bit so I'm feeling please with myself for being a good girl!

Have you picked up any bargains lately? Tell me in the comments!
xo

ps - I've had a bunch of emails and tweets from readers asking about Alex lately, I'd quite like to keep some things to myself but you lot certainly are a curious bunch! You're all wondering how we met, what he does, and whether I'm about to move in with him... The answers are; at work, he's a management accountant and no not yet ;). I know everyone says this but he's easily one of the most incredible people I've ever had the intense pleasure of meeting and for now I'm too busy enjoying myself to spill all of the gory details onto this little chunk of the internet! The time will come and I'll tell you everything but for now I'm afraid I'm keeping schtum! :)

Melvita Rose Nectar

This is potentially a product of some sort of god somewhere. No joke. It's a sheer, light yet intensive cream that is applied all over the face for nourished, glowing, radiant, fresh skin all day long. I absolutely love it!

The scent, obviously, is rose/rose water and it smells lovely... A little bit goes a long way so this 40ml bottle is going to last forever :)

It's available here at Big Green Smile, costs £24.00, and comes stamped with a big fat reaching for the stars seal of approval and recommendation! If your skin needs a treat then get hold of this ASAP!

Thanks for reading! xo

Velvotan Giveaway! ♥

Happy Monday everyone!
I told you I'd be holding a giveaway this week! I'm giving you all the chance to get a free Velvotan Tanning Mitt and you barely have to do anything to get it!



All you have to do is:
*Read the questions below
*Email your answers to courtneyconroy@targetgroup.co.uk
*Remember to provide Courtney with your postal address as well :)




Here are the questions:
1) How often do you fake tan?
a. Every day
b. Once a week
c. Twice a month
d. Once a month
e. Every three months
f. Twice a year
g. Other – please specify

2) Do you use a tanning mitt to apply fake tan?

3) Have you ever had a problem with streaky application?

4) If yes to the above, how often do you get streaks?
a. Every time you apply
b. More often than not
c. Now and then

5) Have you ever been left with orange stained palms from fake tan application?

6) What is your worst tanning disaster?

7) Have you ever tried getting rid of streaks by using home remedies – please specify (eg. lemon juice)?

That's it! Simple eh?

Once you've completed the questions drop me a comment and I'll enter you into an extra little surprise giveaway as a thank you for taking the time to do it :) please note though, you'll only be entered into the extra giveaway if you're a follower of my blog!

xo

Bit MIA...

Sorry I've disappeared a bit, I've been really busy with work and looking after Alex who has been struck down with a terrible malfunction of his immune system for the last 3 weeks :( I've got product reviews and giveaways coming up for you this week though because everything has calmed down a little bit!

The image above was taken at my Dad's BBQ yesterday afternoon, a few points to note:

*I haven't had my hair cut off! It's just down my back
*Check out all my jewelery! Pandora bracelet, tiffany bracelet, tiffany ring, ring from my mum for my birthday, tiffany necklace, fossil watch! perhaps a bit too much...
*I am beyond delighted to announce that my jeans and top are both brand new and both a size 12!! I seem to be getting somewhere with my weight loss again and it's making me really happy
*I know my sunglasses are a bit wonky ;)
*The sweeties I'm holding were goodie bags for the children at the BBQ... I wanted one, I got one! :)

I'm going on holiday to Warsaw in September (I'll dedicate a blog post to it at the time) so I'm embarking on the 'Warsaw Weight Loss Challenge' over the next 6 weeks, would you like to see a weekly update on this? They seemed to go down really well last time... let me know in the comments below!

xo