Sunday Summary 30/09/2012

Hello lovelies,

*Another week has flown by and we're creeping closer to Christmas. I like this time of year because although the days are getting shorter, there always seems to be a little something or other to look forward to what with Halloween, Bonfire night, and a couple family birthdays in between. This week I caught up with a friend who's having a baby and she's finding out the sex in two weeks, so that's also something exciting to look forward to :) 

Of course I also found some time for much needed shopping and got myself some bits and pieces from Primark once again. I'll do a haul post really soon of what I got. I think that'll be the last time I go shopping for a while now as I got a pretty hefty vets bill (I don't think there's such a thing as getting off lightly at the vets?). On the plus side Jasper is now set up for 3 months worth of arthritis tablets, so hopefully when it gets damper he won't feel it as much. He normally has a lumpy elbow and the anti-inflammatories have already bought it down, so that's money well spent.

I've had a bit of luck this week with my comping and received an awesome prize which I will share with you in the next few days. Aside from that I've got a few other posts in mind and obviously the haul I mentioned. I'm missing doing nail posts at the moment but I'm trying to leave them alone because I got a couple caught on a door and they're all split and horrible.  If you have any ideas of a specific post you would like to see then do let me know!

And as I never do a post without at least one pic, here's something I saw on Pinterest.

I normally hate pictures of babies I don't know (sorry,I just don't find them cute!), but this is a a rare exception. 

Lauren x


*Excuse my random ramblings

Samples and where to get 'em

I'm sure most of you will already be partial to the odd sample; not only are they useful but it's also pretty good fun trying out new things without spending any money.  However, there are always a few who maybe can't be bothered with these pocket sized pretties and are missing out. So that's why I thought I'd write a thing or two about where to get them. 

Beauty Counters - By this I mean the ones you find in department stores and Boots with the consultants... If you express interest in a product or range you'll often be given a little sample. This happened the other day and I ended up with three Benefit samples from Debenhams. I'm thinking about moving over to this moisturiser so these will be really handy to try before I buy so to speak!

Online - There are many places online where you can get samples, sometimes directly from a company's website or often from their Facebook page. It's also worth checking out the forums on MSE website as people are always listing links to samples.

Company reps - If you have an Avon lady and are interested in a product ask for a sample. The worst she can say is no and you don't get anywhere if you don't ask. The same applies with Body Shop Party throwers - it's in their interests to give you them, the more you try the more chance they have of making a sale. This is the case with most companies where commission is based on sales!

Magazines - The Superdrug Dare magazine and Boots Health and Beauty mag have both had free samples in the past. There are probably other free magazines that have samples, you just have to keep your eyes peeled. 

Shops - We all know Lush are pretty good at dishing out samples, as are The Body Shop. You can often also pick out free samples when you buy things so make the most out of the money you're spending!

  

I'm sure there are loads of other places you can get them, so leave me a comment and I'll add them.

Lauren x

17 Peep Show Mascara Review

If you read my review on 17 Va Va Voom mascara then you would have seen that I really liked it and because they worked out at £2 each I also bought two others from the range. One of these is Peep Show and I've been using it for about a month now. 

The packaging's so pretty!

After really liking Va Va Voom I have to be honest I was a little bit disappointed with Peep Show. With the promise of lengthening fibres which you would usually find in more expensive mascaras, I was quite interested to see the results. I'd seen a really expensive mascara and base coat with these types of fibres on QVC and the results looked amazing. 

The first time I used it I was impressed, I could see the fibres and how they were kind of attaching to my lashes. I found though that the more I've used it the less I've liked it. I'm not a fan of having a lot of claggy mascara on the wand and that happens a lot with this, normally I'd wipe it off against the top of the tube, but that just isn't possible with this because of the nature of the mascara. 

I also find that more often than not my mascara is ending up looking clumpy; the fibres are okay if they attach to the end of your lashes but if they hang around elsewhere they get in the way and join your lashes up. Perhaps you really need some kind of lash base to get the full effect from it. 

Some days I think this mascara looks good, but it's still not as good as others I've tried from the same range. In my opinion it's very hit and miss and I won't be bothering to repurchase.

Have you tried this one or any with lengthening fibres?

Lauren x

Sunday Summary 23/09/2012

Hola Amigos!

This week has gone really quickly for me and been rather good. I'm now having a lazy, PJ day. I spent most of yesterday standing in a field,  doing a car boot sale and I think that all the fresh air tired me out. Luckily the weather stayed good and we didn't leave it til today, because it's all cold and rainy here now.

What else? In addition to the Primark haul I showed you earlier in the week, I also finally bought myself some decent make up brushes. All I've seen is good praise for these, so hopefully they'll live up to expectations...I'll let you know. I didn't know brushes could be so exciting, but I was so pleased when they arrived!

In the spirit of my SS's being random (and because there's not  much else to say), here's a picture of one of the sunflowers I've grown this year....I'll be sad to see them go once winter properly arrives.

Lauren x

Primark Haul September 2012!

Hello lovely readers, 

Everyone loves a haul right? I went on a spontaneous visit to my local Primark yesterday in search of a few tops for winter. I came back with the exact opposite - bottoms! Here's what I bought. 

Shorts £5

First up, dark denim shorts. The Denim Co £5 shorts range is great. I bought the wine coloured ones last month and have practically lived in them since. These have a cute aztec pattern in the inside back and the button and studs have a sweet little flower detail. 

Reindeer Skirt £10

When I saw this skirt I loved the design (hello, snowflakes and reindeer!) but wasn't so sure about the shape until I tried it on. The waistband folds over so naturally it's quite chunky and the pattern makes me feel all cosy and wintery. They also had this in black. 

Skater Skirt £6

This was something I had my eye on after seeing it on other blogs and vlogs. I was after black but they didn't have it in my size. When I got home I found out that this wasn't the 10 it had said on the hanger, but actually a 6. I couldn't believe it but at least I'd tried it on so knew it fitted me. I was a bit annoyed with myself for not noticing as they had a 6 in black and I could have got it. Grrrr!

Fair Isle Skirt £8

Another skirt that's pattern grabbed me. They had it in a sort of oaty colour way too.

Long Cardigan £10

Ignore the colour of the middle pic, but you get an idea of the shape of this. It's quite a thin cardigan sort of like the ones that everybody seemed to have from New Look. Again, it's one of the tones of red that I keep going for this season. The baggy curved pockets make it that bit different and they're finished with two small studs. 

Cosmetics Bag £3

Finally, I picked up this little bag to use as a make up bag for things that I use everyday. I'm fed up with having to fish things out from a box that has everything in it. They had it in turquoise too but I thought the blue went really well with the gold studs and zip. 

***

Primark hauls are probably my favourite thing to read on other people's blogs so if you've done one recently comment and let me know! I know the quality can sometimes be a bit dodgy but the prices (though they've gone up recently) are still the best around and like most places you have to just use common sense when buying things there. I was really impressed by the new season stuff they've got in and could probably have spent much more if I had it to spend!

Lauren x

P.S If you want something to fit you, ALWAYS try it on. I didn't used to think it was that important but the things I got yesterday range four sizes from a 6 to 12!

BooHoo Blogger Challenge

I was recently contacted by FashionVouchers.com about this challenge in which you have to put together an outfit for £50 or under using items from BooHoo.com. After completing my first blogger challenge last week, I've got a taste for it and was raring to go!

Glasses £8. Blouse £15. Skirt £10. Wedges £15.

Finding an outift for under £50 was surprisingly easy as things are so reasonable on BooHoo.com. I started off by picking the shoes. I've seen the flat version of these on a lot of blogs, but the wedges are new to me and I adore them. Teamed with the skater skirt, in my favourite colour way for winter, the blouse and the geek chich glasses, this is a really cute smart-casual outfit. 

Lauren x

My New Quilted Coat!

You know how it is when you see something you like, think about buying it, find out they haven't got your size and immediately realise just how much you wanted it? You suddenly have to have it and it's not there. Your minds working overtime thinking how you can get it; order online, try another store, check the dressing room rail. This is what happened to me when I saw this coat in Asda on Saturday. 

Pics taken from the George website

They had these perched right in the front of the store so you couldn't miss them as you walked in, advertising the fact that they're only £15 until the 20th when they go up to £19. Having lusted after a quilted jacket for the last month or so, I made a bee-line for them, only to find they didn't have my size. Lucky for me there was an odd one in the aisles with the rest of the clothes. 

Sorry, not the best pics I'v ever taken!

I wasn't sure it would be very flattering at first but it's actually a really nice fit. It has side fastenings which you tighten/loosen with buckles, these define your waist while the back has two parallel lines that give it a bit more of a structured shape from behind. The fit is a little on the tight side but I assume this is the nature of a quilted item, and this means it's super warm which is what I want in a winter jacket. They also did it in red, black, and possibly a green shade but I can't really remember and the navy was my favourite by far. 

What do you think?

Lauren x 

Sunday Summary 16/09/2012

Hello lovelies, 

So as I said last Sunday, I'm going to do a weekly type summary with any bits and bobs I have to say about my week...

Again, it's been fairly average (when you're not a student and you don't work life can be very boring!) but I did start volunteering at a charity shop this week. You won't know this, but it's kind of a big deal for me as I used to be pretty much agoraphobic and still get very anxious when doing new things. The people there are very nice and it's quite interesting to see what will come out of the bags of donations!

Fast forward to the weekend and I popped into town and bought a quilted jacket, I've been lusting after one for ages so will be sharing that with you this week. I've also got another blogger challenge coming up, I've found I quite like doing them :) I'm going to try and post more often because I do love blogging, I just don't always feel like I have anything interesting to say, we'll see anyway.

So it's a short but sweet Sunday Summary this week and because I hate posts without pictures here's something pretty from Pinterest. I'd love to have something like this in my garden one day.

Lauren x

Bargain Skinny Jeans!

I wasn't going to dedicate a whole post to these, but what the hell. I am soo pleased with this purchase that I had to share it with you all. I've never owned a pair of skinny jeans, I'd sort of given up on jeans in general as  I can never seem to find the right fit. I decided recently however that I really should get some type of jeans as winter's approaching and they're so handy. Walking past Peacocks the other day a pair of shoes in the window caught my eye. For the past few years I've dismissed Peacocks but before that I used to buy things in there quite often. Anyhoo, I went in just to have a quick look around and spotted a variety of different jeans for just £10. With the parking about to run out I grabbed a pair of skinnies and headed for the changing rooms. Cue dodgy mirror shot:

Ignore the rubbish in the background and the dust on the mirror, my room's a tip.

I was really pleased with the fit and immediately bought them! I mean what can you get for £10 these days?! 

Lauren x

Some More Wins

Hello,

By now you'll probably know that I love entering competitions and I sometimes share what I've won. In the last couple of weeks I've not really entered many competitions (I need to get on top of this!), but I've been receiving things that I won last month or before. 

One of my biggest wins so far is this collection of Canderel. I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, and just received it on Tuesday. They describe it as a year's supply, but I think this will probably last me much much longer. I've never really used sweetener before and I've promised some to my sister as she uses it all the time in her coffee. With over 2000 of the tablets alone I'm sure there'll be enough to go around!

The lovely people at Canderel also threw in some of their promotional goodies like pens, a tea towel and even a USB stick! If you're reading this Canderel, Thank You :)

I also won this Garnier face wash from their Facebook page. It was really nicely packed! They're quite often having competitions on there or giving away samples, it's worth checking out. 

Lastly, I won this black mint shower gel from Original Source. It was won via Twitter by re-tweeting them and at the time I didn't realise it was for men! I'm using it anyway and I don't think it really makes a difference. It's such a strong, fresh mint smell, good for waking you up in the morning.

So that's my last few wins. Have you won anything recently? Let me know!

Lauren x

Sunday Summary 09/09/2012

Hello lovely readers, 

So far I haven't really done any personal posts, as in all honesty my life isn't really very exciting, but I've decided to start doing a 'Sunday Summary' every week. It's where I'll post all the random bits and pieces that don't deserve a whole post of their own, but which I wanted to mention.

First up is a big thank you to every single one of you who read my blog regularly and have chosen to follow my ramblings. This week I have hit the fifty follower mark and I'm chuffed to bits that so many of you are listening :)

Secondly, I went on a very unsuccessful shopping trip on saturday, which is just as well as I have quite a few expenses coming up soon *yawn*. I did however pick up a few essentials. 

The brushes were another Ebay bargain which I'll do a post about in the week. I'm hoping to get a lot of use out of these. I picked up the nail varnish as I've been after a Union Jack blue for a while. This one's called 'Boom' and it goes really well with the owl top I blogged about here. 

Apart from this, I had a pretty uneventful week doing the usual stuff I do like walking Jasper and taking my nan food shopping. See, I told you my life was exciting! 

If that's not enough about me (which I'm sure it is!) you can follow me on Twitter @pink4flamingos. 

Lauren x

House Of Fraser Blogger Challenge

Hello ladies, 

Today I'm posting an outfit I put together using pieces from the House of Fraser website. They have a blogger challenge going on at the moment, so this is the entry I'm submitting (my first blogger challenge!). One lucky person will win £200 worth of HOF vouchers as the prize. For more details read their blog post telling you how to enter.

This is what I'd wear as a kind of smart casual, everyday outfit during the winter months. I picked out the jumper first as I seem to be drawn to cosy jumpers like this racoon one, he's so cute! Then I picked out the boots - I can't resist a good pair of riding boots and they look great with skinny jeans. The bag is really spacious looking for all the stuff I lug around, but at the same time it's quite structured and smart looking. Of course I had to add the umbrella, this is Britain after all! 

Lauren x

Newspaper Print Nails

I've been meaning to try this nail art idea for ages and finally got around to it at the weekend with my sister.

To start off we painted our nails with a couple coats of Nails Inc's Basil Street. We thought this would give it an antique look. Then one by one we dipped our nails in an eggcup of vodka, placing a small bit of newspaper over the nail. You have to make sure the newspaper is wet through and push down on it with another finger. It's the same as when you're a kid and you have the instant tattoos that wash on (minus the vodka of course!). Next you peel the paper off again and voila, all that's left to do is a top coat. 

Although it worked, the print came out quite faded and you could clearly tell it was our first attempt. I've since read that it may have been because we only dipped our nails in the vodka quite briefly, so if you try it make sure you give them a couple mins immersed. In hindsight I'd have also used a different base colour for more of a contrast. 

I'm definitely going to try these again and experiment with different fonts and maybe try to transfer part of the comic strips, or some other non-wordy part of the paper!

If you've tried/try these I'd love to see the results, let me know. 

Lauren  x

August Empties

Hello lovelies,

Have you all enjoyed the weekend? I know it's back to school/college for some of you this week, so hope you've made the most of it! I spent the last few days hanging around at my sister's house, watching films and tv, painting our nails, walking the dogs, and just doing the usual stuff really. Anyway, on to the empties...

I've not done an 'empties' post before, but as I seemed to use several things up at once, I thought now was the time! Hopefully it'll encourage me to use up some of the things that sit around doing nothing. 

1. Avon Advance Techniques Heat Protection Spray

When Avon changed the packaging of their hair range these were going super cheap for reps, so I bought four. I use it every time I blow dry/straighten/curl my hair. I can't exactly tell if it works, but my hair doesn't look damagaed and it gives me piece of mind!

2. Henara Shampoo

I picked this up cheap at a local discount store because it's meant to enhance your natural hair colour. I can't say I noticed any difference and I hate the fact that it doesn't lather up. It's also very liquidy, with no body to it. 

3. Avon anti-dandruff Volume Shampoo

I like this shampoo and would buy it again. I use it in conjunction with the Avon Volume spray and it does give my hair a bit of lift when I blow dry it after using this. 

4. 17 Va Va Voom Mascara

I did a post about this mascara earlier in the month. You can find it here. 

5. Garnier Deodorant Invisi mineral Calm

Looking at these deodorants in shops, there are so many different ones. I got this one because it has a really lovely, girly smell that lingers around. Having said this, I got a bit fed up with it by the end of the can. It is a good deodorant though and is really gentle on my skin.

6. Marks and Spencer's Cocoa Butter Lotion

I discovered a few months ago that M & S do a whole range of lotions, shower gels, bubble bath, etc, called Nature's extracts. The lotion's a light, non-greasy formula which actually feels quite thin but moisturises well. I opted for cocoa butter because I wanted something richly moisturising for my dry skin, but my mum has the lemon verbena and it smells gorgeous! 

So there you go, that's what's now in my bin. I'll be having to fish the mascara back out though as I read that the wands make excellent eyebrow brushes.

Lauren x