July - What I Wore, Ate, Read, Watched and Used

This year is going really quickly. June feels like it was only yesterday. I guess we've been pretty busy and a packed diary always makes the time fly. 

So this month has had it's ups and downs, we've had some new neighbours move in who aren't exactly pleasant, we never have much luck with neighbours! It's also been a year since my Grandad passed away so that's not been nice remembering how ill he was a year ago. But it's ok. We had some great days with our friends and family and we always come away from days like that with big smiles on our faces - you know when you're just grateful for lovely people? Anyway, here's a little round up.

What I Wore-
I've been wearing another little Ebay bargain. This grey skirt was about £7 and I've worn it to death. It's so easy to dress up or down and has been great on days that have been absolutely boiling. This has mainly been worn during the day with a variety of crop tops and wedges. I'm tempted to buy it in every colour to be honest!

What I Ate- 
You might have heard of the Body Coach - he's everywhere at the moment. Well he's from my area and is pretty much a local celebrity now. He's famous for his lean in 15 recipes that are easy to make and really good for you. Sam was on his meal and work-out plan last year so we've got a lot a book full of meal ideas which I go to regularly. 

The other week I made his stuffed peppers which are amazing. It's just red and yellow peppers stuffed with turkey mince which was been cooked with garlic, soy, and tinned tomatoes (you can add mushrooms but Sam isn't a fan) and then topped with mozzarella. It's really tasty and good for you too!

What I Read-

A while back my brother and his girlfriend bought Mason some Roald Dahl  books and he's just getting to the age where he's enjoying them, I'd forgotten how great they were. Revolting Rhymes brought back my childhood memories of being read them at school and they still make me giggle to this day. His version of Goldilocks and the three bears is absolutely brilliant. He points out how Goldilocks is a crook and broke into someones house and broke all their things but we still see her as the innocent one. He has a good point! This stuff is almost too good for kids!

What I Watched- 
I make no secret of the fact that my music taste is questionable. I love 80's cheese, boy bands, terrible RnB classics that remind me of my youth.... My iTunes 'most played' is a mixture of Queen, Robbie Williams, The Stereophonics, Basement Jaxx ,Justin Timberlake, Whitney Houston, Aerosmith, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, (it's quite the compilation) and Green Day. 
Yep, I love me a bit of Green Day. Most wouldn't think it to look at me (I hardly scream 'rock chic') but they are one of my favourite bands. So when my brother and his girlfriend asked if Sam and I wanted to join them to see the musical American Idiot which is based on their album of the same name, I jumped at the chance. It's a great story and if you love the album you'll enjoy the music a lot. It was the second preview and they had a standing ovation which was well deserved. I've been listening to the soundtrack ever since. 

What I Used- 
I recently shared my love for the Bleach Reincarnation Mask and I seriously love it! I absolutely recommend this to everyone. It's only £6 from Boots and makes my hair so soft. If you have dyed hair that needs a good treatment you should defnitely pick this up.

The August diary is so busy already. Mason turns 3 in a couple of weeks and although this year we're not throwing him a party Sam and I are planning some proper family time to celebrate. I'm really hoping the Summer makes a comeback -this Autumn-like weather is getting me down. Rumour has-it it's meant to get really hot again (here's hoping!) so as we're going into the last month of Summer *sob* I plan on enjoying it! 

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Late night thoughts that I'll probably delete

Ever feel like you were just destined to be unhappy?

 It's like our own happiness doesn't matter any more. Maybe it never did. 
Trying to make ourselves happy just makes others unhappy. 
Sometimes I don't even think it truly does, people just like to 'make out' it does. 
Everyone loves a drama, don't they?


Something might mildly irritate someone, but not make them unhappy. Not really affect them and give them sleepless nights.

 If I change anything it will only make me miserable and others, well probably no different to be honest. When people make their minds up it's hard to go back. It's a waste of time trying to change a persons perception.

 I don't have the energy to fight. I've faced far too many obstacles now for far too little reward. I've had millions of lows and a handful of ups. 

And even a load of those ups I now realise were 
bullshit, 
pointless, 
just a waste of time and effort. 

Even the best times of my life I was miserable inside as I knew I was upsetting someone. Maybe that's life. 

If it is, well life is crap.

 Being selfless gets you walked all over, 
being selfish gets you hated. 

Even being somewhere in the middle gets you hated because people much prefer to hate these days. That's our generation for you. 

Being fake just isn't me. I can be civil, but I don't lie. 

I guess that is a problem. 
Is fake really the way forward?
Yea, life really is crap.

I just want to be met half way, 
I want people to accept that everyone is different, 
that everyone has an opinion and it might be different but
 THATS OK. 

People judge, that's how it is, but to hate for pointless things, isn't that an awful lot of effort? 


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The Best Hair Mask EVER! Bleach London Reincarnation Mask

I have put my hair through hell. I'm surprised it hasn't all fallen out to be honest.

I blame pop culture. I always say 'you can't blame the media for your mistakes' but where my hair is concerned, you can.

For years I just didn't care about my hair, it was just that stuff on my head that would get in the way when I was doing a handstand. 

Then the Spice Girls came about and I wanted to be Geri Halliwell. I begged my Mum for a box of temporary die to make my hair red like hers. The subtle red tint it achieved just wasn't enough but I was like 10 and I had to make-do. I took to spending my pocket money on 99p wash out sachets and at times colouring strands of my hair with an orange highlighter. YEP.

Fast forward a couple of years and my fine, curly hair and I discovered the hair straightener. Mine was one with a little bottle at the end to add water to steam your hair straight (I guess!) I dread to think how often I changed that water -ew. From one experimental girly night and my 'friend' declaring I was now 'too much competition' with my new straight hair there was no going back. I assumed it was a compliment anyway...

The next stage. I'll just say two words. 
Sun In.

Dear oh Dear...

The straighteners became an obsession. This was the Avril Lavigne stage of 'I need to have perfectly straight hair at all times' meaning my hair was straightened at least twice a day. 

Then came the hair dye. I decided I wanted to go blonde. From a box. Like now. 

This was my experimental stage, not really based on anyone in particular, I was just bored and wanted a change.  Basically every night where my best mate and I were at a loose end we'd dye my hair. This was a couple of times a week at one point! From peroxide blonde to yellow to orange (all mistakes) to dark brown (to correct the mistakes) back to blonde again. Curling, straightening, DIY highlights, lowlights, and then I did that thing where I died the bottom half of my head almost black and the top half bright blonde so there was a definite line when it was tied up. WHY?! 
To say my hair was damaged was an understatement. My hair was brittle, uneven and barely made it to my shoulders.

No, I don't have any pictures. They have all been burnt.

I hadn't learnt my lesson. Mean Girls came about and I decided I needed to look like Lindsay Lohan. Out came the red dye. Never was one of these changes the result of a trained professional, that would be far too sensible of me. I thought 'yea, buy a box of dye in Superdrug for £4 and you'll be golden' ...or red or brunette.

I always loved my red hair the few days after dying it. oh yea, you guessed it, this was not a one-off thing! But the red would fade and go orange, the colours of months past would resurface and it would be a patchy mess. Rather than pay to sort it out I'd trot on down to Superdrug again.

All this time I was still blow-drying and straightening it daily. By this point they'd come on a long way so I didn't need to apply heat constantly for long periods of time but the damage was already done and I wasn't helping matters. I hated how flat my hair was when I straightened it (never happy) so I was back-combing the life out of it too.

It was only when I got to my early 20's that I started to sort myself out and get hairdressers to colour my hair, chop a load of it off and let it repair itself with time. 

Thankfully I've sorted my life hair out. I now barely use straighteners -how did I have the time?!  I've cut down the use of heated appliances a hell of a lot - my hairdryer hasn't been plugged in in months. My hair dries naturally in velcro rollers most of the time and I have highlights put in by a trained professional, no plastic cap and painful pointy device in sight!

I use oil on the ends and apply a mask weekly. I've loved a few hair masks and treatments over the years, there's great ones on the high street as well as more expensive brands from salons.

But guys, I've discovered the game changer! The Bleach London Reincarnation Mask. I actually came across this on instagram, and being a mask that I hadn't tried and on offer for £4 I had to give it a go.

It claims to resurrect and hydrate thirsty, bleached or coloured hair and improve elasticity. It's enriched with sunflower seed extract and micro wheat proteins to give great shine, strengthen colour vibrancy and help reduce colour fade. It sounded great and although my hair isn't as bleached as it used to be, it could still be a whole lot healthier.

The directions confused me a bit. It's advised to use before shampooing. You leave it on for 10-20 minutes and rinse well.
I actually didn't do this the first time round. I didn't read the instructions just thinking 'I know how to use a hair mask- GOSH! And I merrily applied it after a shampoo. It still worked amazingly and I was so impressed with how nourished my hair felt.

After it dried my hair was so SO silky soft! It didn't feel weighed down at all and the blonde had a lot more 'omph' to it too. Even my boyfriend commented how soft my hair felt. Even at full price (£6 at Boots) this mask is excellent value, it's a ml bottle so it's going to last me a while too. I'd pay twice the price for this (but shhh! Don't tell them that - don't want them putting the price up!) 

If you have dyed hair that's seen better days I really think you should try this out.

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Rimmel Kate Moss Nude Collection | Lasting Finish Lipstick 45 and Soul Session Nail Polish

It's not often there's a collection that makes me immediately go 'I need this NOW' 
- ok there's a few...

But as soon as I saw pictures of Rimmel's new Nude Collection by Kate Moss I knew it wouldn't be long before I made them mine. A nude collection with nail polish and lipsticks, 2 of my favourite cosmetic products, one of my favourite  shades - it was just meant to be!

All lined up together the collection looked so pretty. Looking at the Salon Pro nail polish, my favourite of the lot was 237 Soul Session which I already have, but it did remind me how much I love it and I dug it out immediately. 

So pretty, so shiny and it's long lasting too! Amazing for £4.49 if you ask me!

I definitely wasn't planning on going home empty handed so it was down to me to decide on a lipstick 

"just one!" I told myself to be sensible.

Boots had a 'Buy One Get One Half Price' offer and the temptation to treat myself to two new lipsticks was strong but I had run out of a base coat so I picked up a bottle of Nail Nurse (which is proving to be pretty brilliant) for a little over £2. Beautiful.

I like to do my research before I set out to buy a lipstick - this is what blogs are so good for! I love the look of the Kate Moss collection, There are 6 shades of the Lasting Finish lipsticks  to choose from and after looking at a few swatches I decided I was most suited to either shade 42 or 45 which both have a little more pink to them.

Cutting to the chase I opted for shade 45 which is a beautiful soft rose nude. I parted with my £5.49 and headed home to play!

It has the same style packaging as the other Kate Moss lipsticks, only in a peach casing to make them easy to tell apart - so annoying when you're after Creme D'Nude and you pick up Rebel!

Like many others I love my  Kate Moss 107 so I had high hopes for the quality of this lipstick. Obviously 107 has a matte finish so there was going to be one big difference. This one is lovely and creamy and feels really moisturising.

Nudes are so easy to wear and work well for both day and night. I feel most done with a lip liner and due to how creamy it is I think it needs one - I might be wrong, give it a go! I just personally prefer it with a liner.

The shade is very 'my lips but better' with a lovely dusky rose hint to it. This has been in my bag every day since I bought it and I just love it. When it comes to lipsticks and nail polish I think Rimmel are one of the best on the high street.
I'm sure it won't be long before I try out another nude polish from the collection and I  treat myself to shade 42!

What do you think of this collection?

Do you have a favourite nude lipstick?

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My Top Bronzer Picks

Ever since I was about 18 bronzer has been a big part of my make-up routine. In fact I think it might be one of my desert island items (well not technically desert island as on a desert island I'm sure it would be hot and I'd have a natural glow anyway but for want of a better phrase it's the make-up item I love most.ok) 

Back in my teens I loved me some fake tan, I blame Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, I actually based my look on her at one stage, I had red hair that was really hard to maintain (and get out -never going red ever again!) paired with my orangey glow and I always wanted more. BRONZER EVERYWHERE. 

As time went on I learnt to be more subtle and tone it down a few shades. Less terracotta, more sunkissed. 

Anyway I wanted to share 4 of the bronzers that I now consider to be my favourites.

HD Brows Bronzer 2 is actually something I picked up by mistake, I was meant to be buying the brow palette but I was in a rush (ok ok...we were at the ideal home show and it was at Amy Childs Stand and I wanted a picture with her! - don't judge) but it turns out it's a really great medium depth powder which has become a firm favourite in my make-up bag. It's really great for nights out as it's a little more striking than the others. With no orange tone it's a great big leap away from the bronzers of years past and it's really long lasting too.

It has a slight touch of shimmer to it but it's really subtle. It's really pigmented so I don't need a lot of it at all, it's going to last me a really long time. 

I can’t remember how much I paid (Amy Childs haze- I'm not even a big fan, I just get excited by celebs!) but it retails at around £20.

I have a few favourites from MAC so I had to include one. The one I've been reaching for most lately is MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer,  Aprodite’s Shell. 

Firstly the packaging of this one is so pretty, I love the turquoise mermaid feel of this collection. This was actually from Save on Make-Up where it is much cheaper than the RRP (£19.99 instead of £26).

This is the most golden of the lot and it has a very light shimmer which to be honest, is almost unnoticeable. The texture is a little different, it's not quite a cream bronzer but it's not powdery, either way it's still easy to apply and I love the slight pearlised finish it gives when it's buffed in.

Benefit's Hoola was where the obsession started. I love this bronzer and I've repurchased it loads of times. It's the perfect contour product for me, the flat brush makes it really easy to apply to the cheeks and I blend it in with my Real Techniques contour brush. I love that with Benefit box blushes you get a decent brush, I find with a lot of products that contain a brush I never end up using them as I have a better version myself but the Benefit ones are such great quality. Some say that Benefits boxed powders are overpriced at £23 but for me this has been a staple in my collection for years and I love it!

The newest addition to my collection is the Bourjois Mat Illusion Bronzer. It's

created to be used all year and I really think it will be. It’s so lovely and subtle, the mat non-pearlescent formula makes it great for contouring or adding a bit of a glow to your complexion . It's especially good for day wear as it’s not as deep as Hoola. This has been excellent for the days where I look under the weather, when I've added this I look so much healthier.  I have 'light glow' but there is a darker shade available too. 

This bronzer claims to smooth out skin too which I was a little dubious about but it really does seem to give me a bit of an airbrushed effect with no effort at all.

The best news is this one is the cheapest of the lot at just £7.99 

Swatches from top to bottom- Bourjois Mat Illusion Bronzer, MAC Extra Dimension Bronzer -Aprodite’s Shell, HD Brows Bronzer 2, Benefit Hoola

I think the high street has come a long way in the last couple of years, you don't have to spend a fortune on a really great product. I'd love to hear what your favourite bronzers are - I'm always on the look out to find some more to add to my stash! 

             

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The Summer Tag

It's been a while since I did a Tag and when I saw this one on Beans Beauty Blog I just had to take part - Summer is my favourite ever. With the weather being WON-DERFUL at the moment I took some time away from sitting in the garden all day (I wish) to fill out my answers...

What’s your favourite summer nail polish?

This is TOUGH! I love bright nails in the summer and there are some amazing neon shades about. I think a bright pink or coral looks lovely on tanned hands and toes. China Glaze have a good selection and The Models Own Polish for Tans range is great. Sun Hat and Shades being a couple of my favourites.

Favourite bronzer for Summer?
I have repurchased Benefit's Hoola time and time again. It was one of the first products I bought from Benefit and I haven't looked back. I have just tried the new Matt Illusion Bronzer from Bourjois which gives a great subtle glow so is perfect for daywear and a little bit more affordable!

You're relaxing in a hammock on a tropical beach.  What are you sipping on?

I like Pina Coladas (couldn't help but sing that one, could ya?!) But I don't drink alcohol a lot so anything icy and fruity goes down a treat!

Pool or Beach?
Definitely the beach. I spent all of my childhood Summers at our chalet by the beach and I loved every minute. I'd spend so much time walking along the beach or  swimming in the sea. The beach is my happy place.

Sun bathe or fake tan?

I love both. I am a complete sun chaser and I know it's bad but I do always wear SPF. I love the feel of the sun on my face and I get cold in the shade. I like to make the most of the warm weather while it's here so if it's a nice day there is no way I'm staying indoors.

Fake tan-wise I am loving Bondi Sands, Cocoa Brown and Lauren's Way at the moment.

Favourite Summer scent?

I am in the middle of a big debate with my bank balance and my heart (the heart says BUY BOOOOTH!) I am torn between buying Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess or Elie Saab's Resort. They are both so summery and lovely. -If anyone knows any dupes of these please let me know!

Favourite BBQ food?

It has to be Corn on the Cob. I always take it to BBQ's as it's something most don't think about and there's always more than enough meat. Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy a good burger but corn on the BBQ is delicious! 

What's your favourite summer accessory?

I basically live in my Topshop Wedges in the Summer. They are really comfortable and they go with everything.

What's the weather like where you live in the summer?

In the UK it can go either way. I remember Summers being gorgeous when I was younger but now it seems all over the place. I love when it's hot - the worst is when it's humid though.

What is your favourite thing about the summer?
The fact I don't have to wear a jacket. 9 times out of 10 a jacket ruins a good outfit! I always end up carrying it around anyway or leaving it somewhere so it just saves me the trouble!

What are your plans for summer vacation?
We've already been to Disneyland for our big holiday his year but we like to plan things as we go so who knows? We could end up with a mini break at the end of the Summer. 

Do you love Summer? I'd love to hear your answers, if you do the tag please send over the link or if you just want to do a couple just let me know your answers in the comments below!

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NEW Summer Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Enamel Shades

I am a big fan of neons in the Summer but they can sometimes be a bit much for every day. Pastels are always pretty, I wear them all year round but they are especially lovely with a backdrop of sunshine, picnics and beer gardens.

Bourjois have added 3 new pastel shades of their 1 Seconde Nail Enamels that are perfect for a sunny day!

These 3 bright sun-bleached colours are from the brilliantly named 2015 'Swimming Cool' collection which also includes 4 gorgeous shades of their Aqua Blush gel blusher and 6 shades of Sweet Kiss Lipgloss. I'll be writing more about them soon.

I can always tell I'll love a collection when I see them linked up next to each other and think 'I want them all!' These look great together and are perfect for me as they are just brighter than your normal pastel shades so they can take over from my neon for a while. These can take me right through to Autumn! The 1 Seconde polishes really are so simple to apply with their thick brush and quick drying gel-like formula. I've never been disappointed by them before, I really loved their grey that was released in time for Christmas.

So this seasons shades are- 

Blue Lagoon which is my favourite. I love a minty shade and this is so vibrant and the name is really fitting too, it just makes me want to swim! The formula is the best on this one as it's great with only one coat -really quick and easy!

I admit, orange has never been my favourite colour but Palm Peach has a lovely peach tone to it (hence the name!) and it makes it so soft and wearable. Yea it does have peach in the name but I definitely think 'orange' when I look at it. Technicalities aside, I do really like it - I love this colour on my toes at the moment.

Lastly, Pink-Etude is a really soft candy pink that has a really fresh and pretty feel to it. It is quite sheer so it needs a couple of coats but I think it's worth the extra effort. 

All of these shades are beautiful alone and really pretty next to each other too!

In these swatches I used them on top of white to really make them pop. At £5.99 each it's definitely worth picking up a couple!

What do you think? Do you have a favourite? I'd love to know your favourite Summer nail colours, let me know in the comments or tweet me!

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