Hello Stranger...

Hello lovelies, 

I bet you thought I'd fallen off the face of the Earth hey? No such luck!

I know, I've been completely and utterly rubbish at updating my blog over the last few months but hope to be checking in a bit more often again from now on.

Since I last posted I've become an aunty for the first time!

She has been taking up a LOT of my time. I wouldn't change it for the world. 

Sadly it's not all good news. In June we had to say goodbye to Jasper after 11 years of love.

We miss him like crazy. When you've been used to having a dog sometimes all you want is a warm, furry hug to cheer you up. 

On a lighter note...

I've been enjoying summer and what a summer we've had in the UK. I don't remember so many days in a row where you could wake up and not have to wonder what the weather will turn out like. Normally if you want to wear sandals and a dress without drowning/having a gust of wind expose your knickers you have to be psychic. I've been told by several oldies of the infamous (to them) hot summer of '76. Hopefully we won't have to wait 37 years until the next! While I'm on the subject it wouldn't be very British of me not to moan about the weather too, because let's face it, whatever it does is never right for us...

and this year I wouldn't have minded a little more rain as I finally got an allotment after being on the waiting list for ages...

I was starting to think that you had to wait for one of the plot holders to be pushing up daisies before you got anywhere on the list. Turns out I wasn't far off but in this instance the council decided to rent half of another field to cope with demand for plots. Phew, no need to bump off an OAP!

Lauren X

Primark Haul April 2013!

Hello lovelies, 

Here are the things I bought at Primark on Sunday. As usual you will have to excuse my poor photographs! I've left out a few other things that were run of the mill tops and underwear, etc as you don't really want to see that. There were so many nice things that I wish I'd got more, defo going to need to go again soon because there's plenty more I want. The only disappointing thing was that they didn't have the £10 denim looking dress with the rose type flowers on it, but oh well it's still early in the season yet. 

Denim(ish) polka dot dress - £10

Black floral dress - £10

Denim shorts - £5

Cropped cardi - £5

Navy polka dot dress - £10

Stripey nautical skirt - £6

Tan buckle bag - was £4 now £2

Tan plaited skinny belt - was £1 now 50p

Floral duvet cover set - was £16 now £8

Can't wait for some warmer weather now so I can wear summer clothes! Leave me a link if you've posted a haul recently - I love them!

Lauren x 

I'm Back! Sunday Summary 7th April 2013

Hello Lovelies, 

I know, I know, long time no see but I'm back to blogging after a month-ish long break. I just felt like I'd hit a wall and then decided to leave it for a while and come back. I've still been reading all my favourite blogs though, so I think I'm up to date with what you ladies have been getting up to ;) 

While I was gone all this furore happened surrounding the end of Google Reader. Unless you've been under a rock I'm sure you'll have heard about it's demise on the 1st of July, so if you want to keep following me here are my links: 

Bloglovin

Twitter

Pinterest

It's such a pain that Google Reader's going because that's how I've always followed blogs until now. In the next couple days I'm going to make sure I follow everyone on Bloglovin so that I don't miss anything when the change happens!

Apart from that everything's pretty fine. Since I last posted: I've had four driving lessons and am absolutely loving it! Jasper's had us worried sick so we've had frequent trips to the vets but he seems to be picking up now thank goodness. My friend has had a beautiful little boy called Marcus and is moving to a village just down the road from me. 

Later in the month my niece is due to arrive, my mum turns sixty and I start an employment skills course. So it's fair to say that there's a lot going on. I like being busy :)

Well done if you've got to the end of this. I bought a few bits and pieces in Primark today so have a haul post of that coming up in the next couple of days, but for now I'll say goodnight because it's not actually sunday anymore but I'm still counting this as a Sunday Summary so shhhhh!

Lauren x

Soap & Glory - Fab Pore Facial Peel Review

Hello lovelies, 

I've always been a huge fan of a good face mask, that feeling you get when your skin is squeaky clean and you have a nice base for everything else you're going to mess it up again with. It's so easy to just slap one on and leave it to work its magic. 

After receiving a S&G set for Xmas I found myself with some money off vouchers for their products. I managed to pick this up last month for the bargain price of £3 and I have been using it regularly since I got it. 

The Soap and Glory Fab Pore Facial Peel, Boots, RRP £8.

Firstly, I'd like to point out that this isn't really a peel in the rip off a layer of your skin, leave your face red way that you might imagine. It's more of a refining treatment that makes your skin feel rejuvenated and fresher looking. I have very fussy, problem prone skin and was a little concerned that I might not get on with it, but we've got along fine so don't let that put you off. 

So what is it I hear you ask? Well the Fab Pore is essentially a clay mask with added extras that are tailored to troublesome skin; a pore tightening mushroom extract, salicylic acid to loosen dead cells, Vitamins E&C for their anti-oxidant qualities and of course kaolin (or clay to you and I) to absorb oil. The mask also has little green beads running through it which S&G instruct you to massage into your face focussing on your t-zone or wherever you feel you have problem pores. They recommend using it 2-3 times a week for either 5 or 10 mins depending on whether you want a quick refresher or a deep clean. 

I've become quite a fan of this mask and have been using it about every 3 days to do the 'deep clean' just because I don't see the point in just using it for 5, and also I forget I've got masks on and potter about doing other things so they tend to get taken off later rather than sooner. There's something strangely satisfying about rubbing the beads into your face and having them dissolve, while the mask starts feeling as though it's getting thicker on your skin. When I wash it off it leaves me with really really smooth, clean skin and it definitely makes my pores appear smaller and tightened. It absorbs all the excess oil from my t-zone and if anything leaves my skin a little on the dry side (which by the way is not a complaint because I know it's supposed to, I'm just saying it works very well) so I make sure to moisturise after. I've used it about 10 times now and have probably got a quarter of the way in, so it seems as though it will last a few months (obviously depending on how much of your face you do) and works out pretty good value for money.

Basically it's just another reason to love Soap and Glory.

Lauren x

Sunday Summary - 17th Feb 2013 - Driving.

Hello lovelies, 

Just a quick one. It's been a while since my last SS but things are much the same, I hope that you're all well too! 

I've applied for my provisional license this week which means I now need to find a good instructor. I'm not really sure how to go about learning to drive. We've had a quote for how much it will cost to put me on my mum's insurance so I can practice with her, but obviously I'll need proper lessons too. I was thinking I would have a few until I get comfortable with the basics then just practice practice practice as much as poss with family and then pick the lessons back up to do a mix of both. I don't know really because I think it's one of those things you might have to just do to find out how it's going to go. I'd love to hear how you went about it? Comment me below! I'd love to be driving by the summer but maybe that's a bit ambitious?!

Lauren x

My First Ever OOTD!

Hello lovelies, 

I've been wanting to do an OOTD for ages but for various reasons (lack of space, tripod, light, etc) I'm only just dipping my feet in the water now. 

As this is my first OOTD I think I should just explain a little about my style (if you could call it that!)...I'm the first to admit that I'm not an avid follower of fashion. Yes, I like to buy the occasional on trend item, but I'm not at all someone who buys tons of new clothes every five minutes - I don't have the money. This brings me to my next point, if you're a regular reader you'll have noticed how little I spend on things, clothes included. It's not that I don't want to spend (sometimes I feel like Rebecca Bloomwood in Primark clothing) just that in my current jobless state I have other priorities!

 So anyway, this is what I wore yesterday.  I was volunteering in the charity shop during the morning and then went to town in the afternoon and then on over to a friend's house for a while. I've got into the lazy habit of just throwing on jeans and a jumper but yesterday I wanted to wear my new shoes and decided they would go best with a skirt and tights. The weather's been quite mild down here for the last couple weeks so I got away with wearing just one set of sleeves (the cardigan) with a thin top underneath that tucks in to my skater skirts nicely without looking all bumpy.

Shoes from George at Asda and everything else from Primark (told you I'm cheap!)

...and to acknowledge that it was V-day I wore this love ring from Accessorize. 

So there you have it, my first OOTD!

Lauren x

New Shoes: Lace Up Wedge Shoe Boots

Hello lovelies, 

Sorry I've been a bit MIA this week. I've had a few things on and whenever I get around to taking photos it's always dark. I really can't wait for spring to roll around when we'll get more light and better weather. I always think I love winter, when all the knitwear comes in the shops and nights get dark early and you can stay in all cosy. Then after about a month I realise that I can live without the dry skin, colds, threat of the country shutting down because of an inch of snow, etc. 

Yes, I know I need to cut off that loose thread!

Anyway, I won't moan on any longer. I want to show you these little pretties that I bought in Asda yesterday.    The other day I showed you a dress I got for a steal at £1 from there and it seems that they have now got even more sale stuff in. I know it's not really a place you would think of as 'oh wow, I must go clothes shopping there', but actually I think they do really well with their clothing ranges and they're certainly better than what's available at the other supermarkets (in my opinion!).

So what I got was these shoe boots that were £9 half price from £18. They're quite versatile so hopefully I'll get a lot of use out of them. I think with tights they'll pretty much go with anything; shorts, skirts, dresses. They also give me a bit of extra height but the wedge keeps them comfy!

What do you think of supermarket clothing ranges? 

Lauren x

20 Random Facts About Me

Hello Lovelies, 

I realise this is a bit of an egotistical post but seeing as a lot of bloggers are doing them at the moment it seems I can get away with it. Besides, what's this blog about if not me? Here goes:

1. I've never been abroad.
2. I often eat cereal or toast in the evening. I'm a bit upside down like that.
3. Thinking too much is one of my biggest faults.

4. Sometimes I wish I had a job that required me to dress nicely so that I could justify buying more clothes like this: 

(Pictures courtesy of Pinterest)

5. I have no idea what I'm doing with my life. This scares the crap out of me.
6. I live in a rural village in a beautiful part of the country and don't think I could ever be a city girl.
7. I'm a hopeless romantic thanks to Richard Curtis films.

(Pictures courtesy of Google)

8. I'm a thrifty shopper and love getting bargains at car boot sales and charity shops.
9. I'm a bit slow with technology. Even installing Google Analytics proved a challenge for me.
10. Watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S will never get old for me. It's the TV version of comfort food.

11. I spend too much time on Pinterest.
12. I have a very sweet tooth coupled with a fear of the dentists. Great combo.
13. I like to grow veg and flowers but I hardly ever eat it (the veg obviously!).

(Things I've grown)

14. I always have cold hands.
15. I wish I had a bigger family. My sister's 16 years older so I grew up like an only child.
16. I'm an extremely fussy eater.
17. My dog cheers me up when I'm down. He's a sweetie.

(Jasper)

18. I really like learning new things, it gives me a sense of accomplishment. Life is one huge lesson.
19. However hard I try, I'm not a morning person and will bite your head off if you make noise around me during those first 10 minutes of the day.
20. I have a thing for quotes and am stockpiling them on one of my Pinterest boards.

So there you have it! I've seen so many of these going around at the moment and I've enjoyed reading them. It gives you a better idea of who the blogger is and I hope you liked it . 

Lauren x

New Buys On A Budget

Hello lovelies, 

I've been very good but boring lately and haven't really bought much at all other than things that are necessities. I made my way to Primark this week and still didn't really manage to spend any money (go me!). Even though I hadn't been since before Christmas, there didn't seem to be anything different. I suppose this is a bit of a weird time of year where they're trying to shift the old to make way for the new. I have however picked up a few bargains this week:

Since I fell in love with S&G I've spent a considerable amount of time perusing the range in Boots. The other day (after having sniffed the sugar crush buttercream for the gazillionth time, boy is it good) I spotted this on the bottom shelf, with a reduced label marked £1.38. Now I fell out with dry oil sprays after using the Avon one and getting a huge oily patch on my duvet from letting my leg touch the bed.  However, I'm sure I can make an exception for S&G and since I live in shorts during the summer this should be pretty good :)

My skin is becoming the bain of my life, it's never great but has really been playing up lately. I've had breakouts left, right and center, and an oily t-zone combined with dry skin. Sounds a bit weird to have dry skin when it's oily, but believe me, it's possible! After trying several different moisturiser samples (and getting on with none) I decided to cut the crap and go with something stripped back and oil free. This had great reviews on the Boots website and was only £2.79. 

While in Primark the only thing I bought was this tank and shorts PJ set for a fiver. I didn't want to leave with nothing and if you spend as much time in your dressing gown as I do then you can never have too many PJs. 

Next up is this bag from  Matalan. We had a leaflet through the door saying it was going to be on offer from £12 down to £5 this week so I'd been waiting to go in and get one. It comes in black, tan, a pale pink and  grey and I really had trouble deciding which to go for because they were all nice. In the end I thought that this would go with the most things, but I think I'll probably go back and get another colour because I like it so much. 

Last but not least is this cowboy shirt dress that I picked up in Asda. It was only £1! so I really couldn't say no and although it doesn't look much here (these pics wouldn't do anything justice) the design is really flattering on me because it draws attention to my waist and gives me a bit more of a shape rather than looking straight up and down like a 12yr old boy. It's quite wimpy material but it feels really nice, has cute piping and looks good with leggings and boots. 

Lauren x

NOTD: Mavala Candy Floss

Hello Lovelies, 

I've been having rather darker nails recently and thought I'd go for something a bit on the lighter, more cheerful side when I painted them yesterday. I chose to use Mavala's Candy Floss which is part of their 'Delicious colours' S/S '12 collection. 

The quality of the polish seems to be pretty good, this is what two coats looks like. I was expecting it to be on the pale side but it's actually quite a bright bubblegum pink. Definitely a colour I'll get more use of in the summer. 

What do you think?

Lauren x

Lush: The Comforter Review

Hello lovelies, 

If you were with me in December you may have seen my Xmas post which showed you that I received a  Lush 'Hello Gorgeous' gift set. A month on I've just got round to having a very long, indulgent bath using the comforter bubble bar. I have to admit to being way behind and never having used anything from Lush before. Well, clearly I've been missing out. I can honestly say I had the best bath ever this afternoon .

For a total newbie like me, a bubble bar is basically a solid form of bubble bath. You break a bit off and it looks like a pumice stone. To use it you crumble it under the hot water tap when you start running your bath. This one costs £4.25 and judging by the amount I used will last about 5/6 baths.

First impressions were that the bubble bar smells great, it's been sitting in my room making it smell lovely and now that I've broken a bit off it's re-awoken the smell. It's actually blackcurrant, but if I didn't know this then I wouldn't have been able to pin point what it was, only the fact that I love it. 

I was a bit sceptical as to whether it would bubble up, but it was fantastic and even when I topped my water up mid bath it was still creating bubbles. My bath water was also a really girly pink that didn't stain the bath or me. 

It's been a great intro the the brand and I can't wait to try out the other things in the set!

Do you have any Lush favourites?

Lauren x

Review: Sudocrem - Not just for babies' bums!

Hello lovelies, 

If like me you suffer from more than your fair share of spots then you will have probably tried a shed load of products that claim to get rid of the buggers. Enter Sudocrem.

I'd been meaning to try this for ages after seeing it doing the rounds but finally got it a few weeks ago. I paid £2.25 for 125g in Superdrug but you can get it in all the usual places; Boots, Wilkinsons, Supermarkets, etc. 

Not having any little people around I've never had much to do with it and didn't realise quite how many uses it covers. As it's quite thick and white it gives you a bit of a ghostly look unless you rub it in well. I find it's just easier to put it on at night and let it work its magic. It definitely makes my spots appear calmer and tones down the redness of marks. I think it probably stops them from getting worse due to the antiseptic properties (at least it makes me think that!). It's really kind to skin and now I've tried it I expect it'll be something I'll always use. A little goes a long way and I can see this tub lasting for ages. 

All in all I'd recommend it if you're after something that might make a difference. 

Lauren x 

New Budget Buys Jan 2013

Hello Lovelies, 

Just some things I've been buying lately. All budget buys so nothing breath taking I'm afraid, but something to nosey at nonetheless! Something to look at has gotta be better than nothing.

I think I must be getting old as I really wasn't happy this year until I got a diary. Over the last few months of 2012 I got really into writing in my old one, just noting what I'd done that day so that I could keep track of things. This is the one I ended up with; nothing flashy, just an A5 day to page from Wilkinsons for £3. 

While in town I also used one of the vouchers I blogged about that came with the Soap & Glory Best Of All set. It gave you £3 off facial skincare. I decided to go for the Fab Pore Facial Peel which was already £8 down to £6 and with the £3 knocked off that only left £3 to pay.  If you have them then the first set go out on Jan 22nd - go and spend them ladies! I used it last night and was impressed - review coming soon.

Next up - something boring but essential. This one smells nice and is really gentle on my skin. It was super cheap too. I've found that if you use a print out advantage card voucher (in this case 25% off a deo) it will take it off the full price even if something's on offer. So instead of £3 something it was just 80pish. This works for other boring things like toothepaste too, which means more money to spend on pretty/fun things instead. 

I also needed to spend my £3 Body Shop card (the one from Glamour). I was in a real hurry in the shop and it was the last day so I opted for this fresh smelling watermelon and eucalyptus shower gel for £2.50. It sounds pretty good and is completely eco friendly. 

Last but not least, was this Palmers lip balm for £1 from Asda. My lips are really feeling the wintery weather and I like to have lip balms in my various bags and pockets whenever I need it. You can never have too many. 

...and that's it!

Lauren x 

Recent Empties January 2013ish!

Hello Lovelies, 

You must all know what an 'empties' post is, so without further ado...

Peep Show Mascara: Read my review here

Palmers Cocoa Butter - I've already repurchased, great at moisturising very dry skin and an addictive scent.

Skin Therapy Eye MU Remover - Another thing I've repurchased. I use this every night and it does the trick without irritating my eyes.

Vaseline Deodorant - I never actually ended up using this all. It is so strong smelling and used to make me feel like I was being asphyxiated, I got complaints from the family too for making the house smell of it!

Timotei Shower Gel - Cheap and cheerful. Probably wouldn't repurchase in a hurry, because I think I need to use less soapy and more moisturising shower gel (IYKWIM).

Sleeptherapy Shower Gel - This was wasted on me as I always shower in the morning. I needed a shower gel and it was hanging around from my days as an Avon rep. It's pretty good.

Dove Shampoo - I used this before and repurchased - it's really moisturising.

Boots Expert Scar Care Serum - This is the second tube of this I've finished but it wasn't really a repurchase as I bought them both at the same time on special offer because they were re-branding the product. I believe it's now called 'Scar Reduction Serum'. I used this twice a day over a pro-longed period of time. I'm not 100% convinced whether it was other factors, or just skin regeneration, but my scarring has certainly been calmed down *I have/had really bad purple/pinky scarring on my face, particularly cheeks*. It feels quite nice and soothing on skin.

That's all folks!

Lauren x 

NOTD: Glittery Mauve

Hello lovelies, 

I haven't painted my nails since before Xmas but I thought I'd go for something with a bit of sparkle.

 I've used Avon Mirror Shine in Metallic Mauve with a couple coats of Chit Chat (Poundland's brand) glitter in Violet shade. They took ages because the glitter polish didn't dry very quickly, and it absolutely stinks, but it looks fab and you can't complain when it only costs £1. 

Lauren x

Revlon 9429U Make-Up Mirror Review

Hello lovelies, 

There have been two things lately that have really made a difference to how I apply my make-up. The first is my Real Techniques brush set that I talked about the other day in this post, the other is something I asked for  and received at Christmas; this Revlon mirror. 

A decent mirror is something that I'd needed for a while. Even more so when it's so dark and dull in the mornings like it is here at this time of year. I originally had my eye on the No 7 one from Boots but when my mum offered to buy me this one for Xmas I wasn't going to say no! She got it at £25 on half price offer from  Very. 

I've now been using it every day since Xmas and have to say that I love it. It's so so handy for getting a good close up (scary at times!) of your face. I usually just use the normal side but the 3x magnifying side is really good for doing your eyebrows because you can see them so well to get individual ones out. It can be angled at almost any position, the only thing you can't change is the height (which I wouldn't expect anyway). I really like the fact that it plugs in so you don't have to worry about batteries and also that it's so easy to flick on and off. The illumination is excellent and I can see really clearly in the mirror in poor light. 

I'm very pleased with it and just hope the bulb will last or be replaceable when it does go!

Lauren x

DIY: How I Wash My Brushes

I don't know if this comes off as a little big headed telling you how I do this? I'm by no means a pro at anything to do with make up, but I just thought I'd share how I take care of my beloved Real Techniques brushes because I would have liked a post like this when I first got them. 

I want my brushes to last as long as possible, but also know that it's important to clean them to avoid bacteria building up and various other obvious reasons. So that meant I needed to buy a brush cleaner. This was a whole new world to me and to be honest I kind of grudged the idea of spending money on one. I mean there are much prettier things to spend your money on, right ladies?

Fortunately I learnt that baby shampoo is gentle but effective enough to clean your brushes, before I forked out on a fancy pants cleaner. I expect the ingredients are pretty similar really. I bought good old Johnson's baby shampoo. 

Cleaning the brushes is dead simple, I literally just use lukewarm water and a little of the shampoo then brush the brush about (if that makes sense!) in the shampoo in the palm of my hand. I just keep rinsing the water away and brushing about until the water runs clear. 

That's it! You need to be careful not to get water in the ferule if you can help it so for this reason I try to keep my brush bristle end downwards while washing and also when they're drying. I don't know about other brands but if I wash my RT brushes at night they're always dry by the time I want to use them in the morning. They clean up really well, like new almost and they smell nice because of the shampoo. 

I know other people have different ways and it's all about what works for you, but this is how I do it and it works pretty well.

Lauren x