A/W Haul Part 2

A couple of weeks ago I posted part 1 of my autumn haul (here) so this is the second part. I have needed some new winter jumpers so that is mainly what this is so not particularly exciting!

Most of this is from Primark as I don’t really see the point in buying a £40 jumper when the Primark ones are just as good! So the first one is this lovely chunky turquoise blue jumper which actually looks a lot lighter in this picture but it really is such a lovely mint colour.

Also from Primark I picked up a couple of thin knit jumpers in the same mint blue colour and another in a dark blue with coloured fleckles in it. These are great for uni when I just want to chuck something on!

The other tunic top I got a little while ago from Vera Moda when I went on a shopping trip to Westfield. I really like this as it’s a nice smart top but I haven’t actually worn it yet, which is really bad! I think I kind of forgot about it! I will make sure I wear it this week haha.

Then I also picked up another pair of skinny jeans from Primark in a dark blue as they are so comfy! The studded shoes are from Primark too, which I know aren’t the most practical for the cold weather but I can suffer cold feet for these gorgeous shoes!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer Review

I had seen this advertised on TV a few times and thought it sounded like a great product so I was eager to try it out. The product is a primer and moisturiser in one which is great if you’re like me and rushing around in the morning and don’t have time to be applying lots of different creams and products! I don’t know why anyone else hasn’t already brought one of these out. I hadn’t actually tried any products from Nivea before, (crazy I know!) so it was definitely time to.

The product comes in two types; one for dry/sensitive skin and the other for combination/oily skin, which is the one I bought. The jar is really nice, although I will say it is quite heavy as it is made from glass, so not great if you want to take it out with you. The actual moisturiser/primer is really light and smells really nice. It has more of a gel texture and is not creamy like a normal moisturiser, but you only need a small amount and it sinks into the skin really quickly.

I have been using this over the last week now and I definitely really like it. It has kept my makeup in place all day and is really moisturising. It is usually £4.99 but currently£ 3.99 in Superdrug which is a great price so be sure not to miss out!

Weekend catch-up

I hope everyone has had a nice weekend, I love that with the clocks going back today the day is going nice and slow! Last night my boyfriend and I went to see Skyfall at the cinema which he really wanted to see and I don’t mind the Bond Films with a bit of Daniel Craig too and really enjoyed it! Then today I have been spending the day cooking butternut squash soup and a beef stew and catching up on X-factor and Take Me Out, so a nice little Sunday!

I also had some pretty amazing news on Friday. Back in August I entered a competition on the Batiste Facebook page where they were giving away prizes to be in their next magazine ad campaign and 2 people could win branded batiste Vespa’s, and guess what? I only went and won a Vespa!! I was completed shocked when I had the phone call on Friday and still can’t believe that in a few weeks they are going to be delivering it to me! I don’t even know what I am going to do with it because I don’t have a license to ride it and then I’d need to get insurance, tax etc. But I will wait and see once I have got it! Oh yeah and its bright pink haha!

Vespa - This isn't the actual one but in case your not sure what it is!

I also won a competition with Fashion Vouchers for the blog post I did a little while ago here. I won £50 to spend on the BooHoo website and I made an order this week for some goodies, so hopefully they will come this week and I can show you all! If that wasn’t enough I also won a comp with Pop Couture and I love Cutie Pie where I got the jumper shown in the picture and I think I am going to get a necklace. So guys get entering competitions because they are definitely worth it and great when you win!

Jumper from Pop Couture here

So I have had a pretty good and lucky week which has been nice when I keep getting stressed out with uni work and panicking with how much time I have to do stuff!

Does anyone else enter competitions or have you won anything recently? 

Comfort food

There is nothing better than eating comfort food in the winter months... well I think so anyway! It’s so nice to come in from the cold and darkness outside and sit down with a bowl or hot soup and crusty bread or stew and dumplings! So one meal I have made lately is sausages with smoky bacon and cider, served with creamy mash and it is a lovely comfort meal to have. Although I have only made this twice so far, it really is a favourite. Here is the recipe for this really yummy meal.

To serve 4

Ingredients

8 pork sausages

Olive oil

6 rashers of streaky smoked bacon (chopped)

I onion (halved and sliced)

1 tablespoon plain flour

450ml cider

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Handful of parsley (optional)

Mashed potato

Method

1.       Heat 1 tbsp oil in a casserole. Add the sausages and cook until browned all over. Then set aside.

2.      Add the bacon and onion to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for 1 minute.

3.      Then stir in the cider. Simmer for 2 minutes and stir in the mustard.

4.      Add back the sausages. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until sauce has thickened. Then add the parsley and serve with mash.

It really is a very simple recipe and is great as you don’t need many ingredients. I don’t drink cider so I am not very familiar with the different types, so I just used Strongbow which tastes really nice but you can use whatever you like... I may try a darker cider another time to see how the taste differs.

What are your favourite meals in the winter? 

My entry for a BOOT-iful giveaway!

I have got a bit of a thing about buying new boots at the moment as I love this time of year and there are so many nice styles to choose from! So when I saw the giveaway Hello, Terri Lowe is hosting with Barratts it gave me an excuse to look at more wonderful styles on their website! So for my entry I have chosen some boots that are perfect for walking in the leafy woods... or streets in my case!

The first pair are the Lotus Lace up Wedge Ankle Boots. I think these are perfect for daytime worn with some chunky socks, some skinny jeans and a big cosy coat. I love the colour of these too and think grey is a good colour because it goes with everything. Also the wedge on these boots is good as you won’t feel unstable wearing them during the day.

The second pair are these Heeled Chelsea Ankle Boots. I love Chelsea boots at the moment and really like the dark brown colour of this pair. I also think the detail of the elastic insert is great. These would also look really nice with a pair of jeans or a flared skirt and chunky jumper!

I think this is a really great giveaway and enjoyed having a little browse on the Barratts website, as it wouldn’t usually be the first place I look for shoes. But I would love to have both of these pairs to add my collection! 

If you want to find out how you can enter as well then just head over to Terri Lowe’s blog here.

Decisions, decisions...

Now that the colder weather is here I have been looking at getting a new winter coat, but I am having difficulty deciding what one I want. There are so many nice coats on the high street in lots of different styles; from parkas, fur, tweed leather and military style. So I have put together some of my favourites in the hope that putting them all together will make me see which I like best. Also so that you lot can tell me which ones you like!

L-R

Love Label / Lipsy / Very

Topshop / Very 

So the first one on the top left is from Love Label at Very and is £59. I really like the colour of this one and the detail with the gold zips and buttons. There is a video on the website with this coat and it does look like a really nice coat for winter.

The next is from Lipsy and is tweed material with contrast PU arms. This one looks a lot better on the website than in this picture. This one is £80 which is quite a lot and to be honest I am not sure if it that practical or whether it will be very warm!

Underneath is one from Topshop which is similar style to the Lipsy one but this is more of an oversized boyfriend coat. This one is £89. I quite like the colour of this as it has a bit of a green tone to it.

Then the final 2 are from Very.co.uk and are obviously the same coat but in different colours. I think these could be my favourites and I really like the military style to them and the belt that cinches in the waist. These are £75 but I think it looks like an expensive coat so probably worth it. Which colour do you guys think is nicer?

I haven’t seen any of these in the shops and may have to order the ones from Very to see what they look like for real!

Have you bought a winter coat yet? If so where did you get yours from? 

Beauty Freebies

I am finally getting round to doing a blog post as I haven’t done one in over a week, although it feels like ages! Being back at uni means I am trying to get my head around all the work I have to do for my final year. There is so much that I haven’t had a chance to sit and write for the blog, which I am sure you can understand or may be in the same situation yourself! So although I still have loads of ideas for posts, I won’t be posting as much for a while but will try and schedule some posts when I have time!

So this is just a little post on some of the freebies I picked up from magazines, which I am sure all of you beauty bloggers are aware of! At the beginning of the month Marie Claire were giving away free L’occitane hand creams. I love their hand creams and think they are the best so I picked up the Mango Flower one. This has such a lovely smell... nice and fruity but not too strong! I really like these hand creams because they are quite thick and sink in really quickly without leaving your hands feeling greasy. I also got my mum to buy another one of these for me for Christmas as I wanted one anyway and for £3.70 it is such a bargain compared to the £8 you usually pay for it!

I also got the Benetint with InStyle magazine for £2.50. I hadn’t tried Benetint before and quite like it. I think it is nice just to add a touch of colour to your cheeks or lips and it lasts really well!

I also read on someone’s blog a week or so ago (sorry can’t remember who!) that if you do the skin diagnosis on Avene’s website then they will send you a couple of free samples of products they recommend for your skin type. I did this and received my products today and got the Gentle Gel Cleanser and a Light Hydrating Cream. I haven’t tried either of them yet but I look forward to as I haven’t used any of their products before. I think it’s a great way to be able to try something before you buy a full size.

Have you picked up any other freebies this month?

Everyday make up routine

I thought I’d share my daily makeup routine with you all and have chosen products that I reach for regularly. I have typical base products for my face that I will always use but then I will often change colours of eye shadow, blush and lipstick depending on mood or where I am going.

Soap & Glory Kickass Concealer – I start with this to cover up blemishes, redness and use under the eyes. This is a good set as it has two different shades. You can see my review on this product here. Although the case on this has recently broken which is a pain, and I have purchased the much raved about Collection concealer which I really love too!

L’oreal True Match Foundation – I have had this foundation for a while and it is a nice foundation to wear everyday and has good medium coverage which can be built up. I find the best way to apply it is with my fingers as it is much easier to blend.

Natio Mineral Loose Foundation – I then like to dust some of this loose powder over the top as it gives more of a matte finish and I think it helps set my foundation. I also have a full review on this here.

Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder – I use this to help control shine and apply it before foundation and also after I have completed my makeup.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzer – I have used this bronzer for years now, I have never really tried anything else! It’s a really nice bronzer and the colour always looks very natural. I have the duo one which has two colours, one dark and one light. This is expensive at £27 but I got my current one last Christmas and I have only just started to hit pan so I will try and make it last till December until I can get a new one. Or maybe I will try something new?

MUA Mosaic Blusher – This blusher is nice because it isn’t too pigmented and I don’t like anything too strong on my cheeks as a blusher. It is a light pink shade which can be built up and it adds a really nice glow to the cheeks. My review on this can be seen here.

GOSH eye shadow in Sunstone – I recently picked this up in Superdrug in their clearance for 99p! It’s a really nice golden/peachy colour and perfect for everyday. If I don’t use this then I usually wear YDK or Half Baked from my Urban Decay palette.

L’oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara – This is my favourite mascara at the moment and I always wear this. It gives really good volume and lengthens well too. I have featured this on my favourites post here.

Revlon Lip Butter – I usually like to wear something on my lips during the day and this is my go-to product. I have it in Strawberry Shortcake and it gives a subtle light pink sheen and is nice and moisturising. I will have to look at getting another one of these in a different shade!

So that’s my everyday makeup routine. I mainly focus on face makeup and keep everything else quite simple. Do you use any of the same products as me?

A/W Haul.. part 1

I say this is part 1 of my Autumn/Winter haul as there will probably be a few in the next month or so! I was in desperate need of some essentials now that the weather has changed and you can definitely feel a chill in the air. The items I got do feature quite a lot of black but I have hardly anything black in my wardrobe as I usually go for brown or grey so needed a change! I was in need of a pair of black skinny jeans and bought the ones from Primark for £11 which are so so comfy. You can’t go wrong for that price and I know I will get so much wear out of them. I’ve already bought a pair in a dark blue too! I also got these from the New Primark near Tottenham Court Road, it is such a big store and I could have spent hours in there but I had my boyfriend with me that hates shopping (especially in crowded places) so I had to resist tormenting him!

I also picked up a couple of pairs of black boots; the first from Primark which were only £20 and great for everyday wear, and the second are the ones that I know everyone has from Topshop, but I really like them and couldn’t find alternatives that were as nice!

I also got this faux leather jacket from Berska while in London as I needed a new “leather” jacket and like the contrasting material on the arms. This was £39.99 which I thought was a good price!

The two peplum tops were from Matalan and are £12 each but I got 25% off when they were having an offer. They are such good material too and I love the colours! I also got the black bag with the discount too but this is only £12 full price too!

And the final bits are the necklace and earrings I picked up in the New Look sale; the necklace for £2 and the earrings for £1.. bargain. I love that the earrings are vintage looking too!

I now need to look for a winter coat but not sure what to go for. I currently have my eye on this one and this one from Lipsy, althought they may not be the warmest of coats. What do you think? 

Models Own Polishes

So I mentioned in a previous post I was waiting to receive some Models Own nail polishes from their sale, and they have now arrived! I couldn’t wait to test them out and had to try each one on a finger first before I could decide on the colour to actually wear first - it was big decision. But I chose the colour Grace Green which is a lovely soft green that looks a bit like a khaki green but lighter. It is the perfect colour for autumn and is a great daytime colour. I hadn’t used any of the Models Own nail polishes before; I don’t know why but I just never took that much interest in them to be honest. But they do have some really great colours! I did notice they have a very strong smell when you apply them... not sure how I would describe it but I can get over it as they apply really well and I only needed on coat of this colour.

All of the colours I picked up were quite dark shades as I wanted some new colours that weren’t my usual pastel or bright colours. So the other colours I got are; Betty Blue, Blooming Pink, Grey Day and Purple Blue, which is part of the Beetlejuice collection.

Did you pick up any of the nail polishes in the half price sale? What’s your favourite Models Own colour?  

Foodie Friday

I thought I would share another recipe that I have made a few times now and it is definitely one of my favourites and it’s so easy to do! It is a chicken and chorizo rice pot, which is pretty similar to paella. It does take a while to cook but you don’t really have to do a lot and you chuck it all into one pot. It’s a great comfort food for dinner or lunch. The recipe I use says it serves 4 but there is always a lot leftover so I would say this could serve 5-6.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil

8 chicken pieces (I use thighs)

1 large onion, chopped

1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped into large chunks

3 garlic cloves, crushed

225g chorizo, skinned and sliced

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped (or you can use dried)

150ml white wine

850ml chicken stock

400g long grain rice

2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove from the dish and put to one side.
2. Lower the heat, add the onion and pepper, and gently cook for 10 mins until softened. Add the garlic and chorizo, and cook for a further 2 mins until the chorizo has released some of its oils into the dish. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for 1 min more.
3. Return the chicken pieces to the dish along with the thyme, white wine and stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid and lower the heat. Cook for 30 mins.
4. Tip in the rice and stir everything together. Cover, set over a low heat and cook for a further 15 mins, or until the rice is cooked and has absorbed most of the cooking liquid. Remove from the heat and leave the dish to sit for 10 mins to absorb any remaining liquid. Season to taste and scatter with parsley to serve.

I would say give yourself about 1 ½ - 1 hour 45 mins to prep and cook this so not a great meal when you just get in from work or my case uni. But it is worth it as it is so tasty and very filling! 

NOTD

Just a quick post to show you the nail colour I am sporting at the moment. I found this colour in my drawer and I had forgotten I had it. I think I bought this last year and it is from Collection 2000, or Collection... whatever they are calling themselves these days! It is called Teeny Bikini and it’s a lovely raspberry colour and has some purple tones to it. I have actually fallen back in love with the colour as I don’t think you often see colours like this... well I haven’t recently anyway!  The only thing with the nail polish as it isn’t very good when you apply it and does go gloopy quickly but with two coats it looks nice once it’s on. I think I only paid £1.50 or something for it so I guess that’s what you should expect.

I am currently awaiting my package of Model’s Own nail polishes as I caved into their 50% off sale and bought a few! I haven’t tried their nail polishes before so I am excited to try them and I ordered some lovely colours. So you can expect a few posts on those soon! 

September Empties

I wasn’t sure I would have much to put it in an empties post this month, but turns out I have used a few bits up.

                 

·         Soap & Glory Clean Girls body wash – I got this in a set for Christmas and it has lasted ages! I had the Clean on Me one before this and prefer the scent of that one but this one was still nice and very moisturising too. Repurchase? Not this one.

·         La Maison de Senteurs Orange Bath Cream – This was from M&S and also came in a set. The scent is sweet orange and petit grain and it is soo nice! Very relaxing and not overpowering. Repurchase? Yes I loved this.

·         REN Mayblossom Balancing Cleansing Gel (combination skin) – I hadn’t used a gel cleanser before but I really enjoyed using this and it removes makeup well. It made my skin feel refreshed and smooth. Repurchase? Maybe, but it is quite expensive at £17.

·         REN Mayblossom T-zone Control Cleansing Gel (combination/oily) – This came in a different set I bought. This is more suited to my skin type but to be honest I thought it was exactly the same as the previous one. Repurchase? Same view as before.

·         REN F10 Smooth and Renew Mask – This was a sample size so only got a couple of uses out of it. This was an okay mask, it made my skin feel nice and it did smooth it but nothing spectacular. Repurchase? No it’s not worth £20.

·        TRESemme Split Remedy Shampoo, Conditioner and treatment – I am not a big fan of TRESemme products and these were ok although I’m not too keen on the smell of them. I only got 2 uses out of the shampoo and conditioner and 3 out of the treatment so wasn’t expecting to see result straight away, and I didn’t. My hair did feel a bit stronger though. Repurchase? Maybe the treatment to see if it works with more uses over time.

So those are my empties from this month. Has anyone else used any of these products? What products have you used up this month? Feel free to leave me your links!