Christmas Day 2016

Hey all!

I hope you all had a fabulous Christmas - I planned on getting some posts up in time for the Christmas period but it didn't happen because of so much food prep being required for the big day! You'll see what I mean below....

I spend Christmas with my family and pretty much move home for the Christmas break, even though I don't live at home any more I still end up decorating the house too, particularly the trees!

I love doing it but now I have my own and often do the ones in work it can mean decorating up to seven! I do love decorating the fireplace though, the lights and candles seem to make it!

Christmas Eve was spent in the kitchen, I honestly spent over 8 hours in there making various things. We pre cooked the turkey in the oven and the ham in the slow cooker. The ham was then put into the oven with a honey and mustard glaze on top to crisp up - it was amazing!

We also made the pretty popular Nutella Christmas tree, this was fun and really easy for such an effective treat.

All you need to do is roll out the pastry, cut it into a tree shape - I found it easiest to put them together and cut the shape first so they were both matching.
Then you need to spread a thick layer of Nutella onto one piece and top with the other. I also filled the off cuts too, I mean those extra bits almost taste better than the main tree right?

Then you just need to cut slices of equal size into the sides and twist upwards to give a better effect. It smells amazing when it's cooking away in the oven and we just dusted some icing sugar on top for some festive snow.

This tree is dangerous as you can so easily just keep pulling off a branch here and there!

After this we made some gingerbread men and I iced them very haphazardly - I attempted to do some bow ties and dresses but they look like they've had quite a few glasses of wine instead...oops!

For the main desserts we made the James Martin cheesecake (recipe can be found on Asda's website) which was a really easy no bake recipe, and covered with macaroons from the frozen section. We also decided that seeing as it was Christmas we'd also smother it in edible glitter and sparkly sugar, it was so easy and a big hit!

Lastly we made a chocolate torte, this was the BBC Good Food recipe. It was about 9pm by the time we started this so we were pretty tired but once the mixture was done it only took 40 minutes in the oven to cook and we had earned a big cup of tea and a sit down by then.

Christmas Day is my favourite, for the food and also for seeing my dog loving playing with the wrapping paper! He goes mad for it, loves helping people unwrap their presents and then rolling around with the paper afterwards.

My brother bought him a little Santa costume (which he absolutely hated!) but he was too big so it didn't stay on, still cute though!

We went to my aunty's for Christmas Day this year, the table was beautifully decorated with a gingerbread man theme. Isn't it amazing?

I piled my plate high with as much veg as possible (yes I did add gravy after taking this picture for anyone wondering where it is!)

We finished off the day with the obvious games and selfies with props - if you have played His and Hers we played it and even though us females outnumbered the guys we lost miserably!

What did you do Christmas Day? Do you have any traditions that you have to complete every year?

L xxx

Collection Primed and Ready Primer Powered by Witch

Morning everyone!

It's my first day off for Christmas and I'm so excited, this is the first time I've taken annual leave at Christmas since being old enough to work so I've got 10 days off which is lovely!

I have lots of family things planned for Christmas time including making some gooey Nutella desserts so I'm very much looking forward to that.

For the last few months I've been testing out lots of high street products, one of which is the Collection Primed and Ready Primer that I picked up from Boots.

The Collection Primed and Ready Primer Powered by Witch is a mattifying pore minimiser. That's a bit of a mouthful!

The primer itself is transparent and contains witch hazel to help keep your skin clear with its antibacterial properties, it has long been known as an aid for spots.
It blends easily on the skin and gives a good base for make up, I haven't had any experience of it coming back off my skin in rolled up bits so that's always a good thing!

It mattifies my skin and has been really good for work, I don't think it would last much longer than that, so not all day and night but for a bargain £4.99 (currently £3.99 on offer at Boots!) I don't think that's a problem.

You could use this primer without make up if you wanted, it does help to keep shine at bay for the day but if I'm having a no make up day I'd also skip the primer.

I've been using this recently with the Invisible Setting Powder which has also been really good. I'd recommend using the two if you have a shiny t-zone like me, and the powder is really fine and doesn't seem to sit on the skin and appear to be powdery

Have you tried anything from Collection? What's your favourite?

I've been trying lots from them recently and have been really impressed, the Lasting Perfection Concealer is a personal favourite!

L xxx

Slunks Cardiff

Hey All

Hope you've had a good weekend. It's nearly Christmas, I'm so ready for a few days off work now. If you've been following the blog for a while now you'll have noticed my hair changes colour a lot.

Here's a selection of some of the colours it's been, as you can see I've tried a lot of colours (there was a bright blue but I can't find a photo) and it gets change regularly. Since moving to Cardiff I've switched between salons a lot. I struggle to find one I like long term so usually just dye my hair myself and then go for a cut. I've now found a salon that are amazing though and perfect for what I want.

Back in November time last year I saw a post asking for hair models, as I like to save money wherever possible I got in touch. I'm totally laid back when it comes to hair so I've done hair modelling before because with colour a hairdresser can do anything they like to it.

Photo credit Alex Keen, Hair Slunk, MUA Ryo Love.

This was the finished result!!! How amazing is the colour. I knew straight away I'd found a hairdressers. 

My hair was bleached up for this shoot at the end of Jan and hasn't been rebleached since. I'm so impressed with how blonde it has stayed by just using the purple shampoos. Last week I decided to book myself in for a pre-xmas hair do and could not be more pleased with the results!! Beware photo spam!! The OH took a lot of photos and the colours looked amazing I couldn't narrow it down ha!

I'm so pleased with how it turned out. I wasn't sure what I wanted so suggested a few colours to them and got this amazing result!! They used a selection of Directions and Crazy Colours (possible other brands too) to create the look. The green is a directions one and now a favourite of mine. I've not had green all over before. I may be doing green and purple next I think. Joel, Chelsea and Chris are all amazing. They also do amazing balayage work and isn't all bright colours but if you are after anything a bit different with your hair Slunks is definitely the hairdressers you need to go to!

Are you experimental with your hair?

Love M

xxx

Winter Skincare Update

Good morning!

We all know skincare needs to change with the seasons just like clothing, mine has changed a lot over the years with ageing being a wonderful factor to add to the mix - so today's post is an update of the latest products I've been using and would recommend for anyone looking to try out some new products.

Phee's Make Up Shop - Eyeshadow Pans in Peppered, Sphinx and Polilla

Good morning all!

I've been wanting to write this post for a while but I've been so busy using the eyeshadows and swatching them on my hand every day that writing about them just seemed too distracting.

If you haven't heard of Phee's Make Up Shop you have been completely ignoring almost every tweet and Instagram post we've put up in the last few months, take a look at these beauties!

First let's introduce you to Phee, she's a blogger herself who makes her own mineral make up. You can read a full bio on her About page but her make up is free of titanium dioxide (no flashback) and no talc so no powdery finish either. All they contain is Mica for a super shimmery finish and they're cruelty free with free postage in the UK - WINNER.

For my first order I picked up three eyeshadows and three highlighters, all of these were in pan form.

From left to right the pans above are Polilla, Peppered and Sphinx.

I couldn't resist picking up a few to try and ever since I have had my eyes on the rest of her collection - and I mean I wish there were more. So many more!

Let's talk about them one by one, Polilla:

I'm not sure I have ever used any eyeshadow that is so pigmented. These are such good quality and the colours are beautiful. The swatches in this post are just one swipe on the pan and swatched directly onto my hand - they're so pigmented it's kind of hard to believe.

Polilla is described as a warm toned dark brown with turquoise duo chrome. The brown gives it some body but the turquoise reflect is stunning.

The photo below shows the eyeshadow put on dry with a brush, however since then I've found that using a wet brush brings out the colour so much more! I absolutely adore it and it has fast become a favourite in my every day make up.

The second one is Sphinx, a foiled copper eyeshadow.

I can't say that I've been a fan of coppery toned eyeshadows, in fact I didn't venture much from boring basics. But I decided to embrace them recently after seeing so many pictures of beautiful looks, and this one did not disappoint.

Again, it's super pigmented and I have just applied it all over my eyelid, it's a gorgeous colour and perfect for Autumn. I've been wearing this one non stop too, especially along my lower lashline during the day for a flash of colour for work when I normally wear matte shadows.

Lastly we have Peppered. This is also a permanent choice in my every day make up now, I use it EVERY DAY and I love it.

Peppered is a foil taupe with a gold reflect running through it, this means it is super flattering on my skin tone and it's the easiest shade to just brush on in the morning and go....and with lots of liner it's a great one for the evenings too:

I really do adore all of these eyeshadows, and as soon as I can I plan on purchasing Citrine (I reeeeeeeeeally badly want this one!) and I am keeping all my fingers crossed that Iris is coming back into stock too. There are many more shades that I can only dream Phee makes soon, the quality really is amazing and I'm so in awe that she makes them herself. I wouldn't have the smallest clue how to start making my own eyeshadows let alone make enough to start my own business! Definitely #goals right?!

So in short, for £6.50 per pan I would 100% recommend these eyeshadows, and I'll be fighting anyone on my next pay day so I can pick up a few more! The highlighters are great too, there will be a separate post on those soon.

Have you heard of Phee before? Have you tried any make up from her shop?


Her Instagram is amazing and full of so many make up looks using her own products. Her highlighters are the shizz and I can't wait to share these with you next!

L xxx

Nyx Liquid Suede and Lip Lingerie

Hey All

I've been meaning to share these on the blog for ages and it's one of those things I've not gotten around to. When NYX arrived in Cardiff it was a happy day, a cruelty free brand that everyone raved about. I couldn't wait to try it. On my first visit I picked up two of the Nyx Lip Lingeries, after swatching on my hand I was sold they had such a soft mouse like texture that I had to have them.

Since then I've gotten another and a few of the Liquid Suede. I've got the liquid suedes in seductive socialite and soft spoken and the lip lingeries in ruffle trim, push up and bedtime flirt (courtesy of L as she didn't get on with the shade!). These have lived in my handbag since I picked them up, with the exception of seductive socialite, I love this shade but it's not an everyday colour. When I wore it to work a colleague talked to me, stared at my lips and said your lipstick if very purple!

The liquid suede shades are so soft on the lips, they apply well (the applicator on nyx liquid lipsticks is a bit longer than a normal doe foot applicator so takes a bit of getting used to at first!) and last pretty well. These are some of the most comfortable liquid lipsticks and don't leave you with that dreaded lipliner look as these wear off.

The lip lingeries dry slightly more matte then the suedes but are still super comfortable these also really last!! These last on me all day. One thing to be wear of with these are the shades are very similar and the colour of your natural lips effects this. Bedtime flirt looks totally different on L and me.

Subversive Socialite

Subversive socialite is a rich blue toned purple, this is one of the liquid suedes so dries semi matte. I do find it needs two coats but it wears well and is easy to reapply, it doesn't go cakey when layered up.

Soft spoken

Is another liquid suede, this shade is super popular and I can see why. On me it's a rose toned nude brown. It's so easy and comfortable to wear and really finishes off most looks. 

Ruffle trim

Is the first of the lip lingeries and slightly more orange toned than it's showing here. I love this as it's not the tone of nude I normally go for. I've been wearing it loads though and the lasting power is amazing.

Push up

Is the lightest nude I can get away with without being washed out. Anything too pale doesn't suit me as my lips are naturally quite dark. I surprised myself with how much I like this colour!

Bedtime flirt

 You can see the difference in colour on L and I here. On L it's definitely more brown toned than on me. I originally had this in my hand when I bought the first two but decided against it. On me it's more pink than the other lip lingeries I have but still nude.

Next on my hit list is exotic. I love the slight red tone to it. These formulations are my favourite of all the liquid lipstick trends as they are matte without being uncomfortable!

Have you got any lip lingeries or liquid suedes? 

Love M

xxx

Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Light Day Cream and Eye Cream

Hey all

Our Antipodes love continues today. We were recently sent some new bits to try and we've been testing them now for the past month. With skincare like this we like to wait a while to review it as it can take a few weeks for skin to decide if it like it. You can find all our other Antipodes posts here.

As I'm sure you'll all be aware by now at the beginning of the year after getting my two fluffy bunnies I went cruelty free. It meant I had to totally change everything I'd normally buy and left me searching for new brands. Antipodes is now one I throughly recommend. This year we've been lucky enough to try out more of the range and we've loved everything so far.

Today we're sharing our thoughts on the Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Light Day Cream and the Eye Cream (L has previously purchased and loved the Aura Manuka Honey Mask, reviewed here)

The Manuka Honey Eye Cream and Day Cream are both vegetarian society approved products and bee friendly products. I love the brand ethics of Antipodes! Manuka Honey is amazing and something that is everywhere. I decided to do some research on different Manuka Honey after recieving these to see the benefits and the differences. Manuka honey have different UMF ratings (grading systems for the beneficial properties) which is usually reflected in the price. The range from 5+ anything less than 5 has undectable levels, 5-9 have low levels, 10-15 useful levels and 16+ superior high grade levels. The different levels have different benefits too. Both the antipodes products are 20+ so you get great grade Manuka Honey that's really going to benefit the skin.

Manuka honey is know to help fight ageing, promote hydration and help with skin blemishes due to it's antibacterial properties. I couldn't wait to try these products out!

Here's what Antipodes say about the Day Cream.

Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Light Day Cream (60ml) features bee venom, Vinanza® grape and kiwi seed to restore a light and fresh visage. Bee venom and mamaku black fern provide a gentle lifting effect. World-famous manuka honey Active 20+ with natural antibacterial properties helps address any skin blemishes. Revolutionary Vinanza® antioxidants from grape seeds and kiwi work with peony flower for the ultimate skin-bright finish.

You get 60mls of product with this which is 10mls more than standard day creams. I've been so impressed with it. I've been using it at night as well. As my skin tends to be oily combination I tend to worry a bit about trying out a new cream but this is amazing. It absorbs into my skin easily leaving it feeling moisturised and plump. My makeup allows really well over this as well (it's never good when your foundation makes your moisturiser peel off your face!) As I've just come back from holiday my skin has been loving the extra help with hydration this has been giving it and it's not made me break out which is amazing. It doesn't have SPF in which may be a downside for some people but I've taken to using a separate facial SPF lately anyways as I'm crossing my fingers it'll help with ageing!!

Here's what Antipodes say about the Eye Cream

Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Eye Cream (30ml) with Persian silk flower helps hydrate and freshen under-eye tissue. Manuka honey Active 20+ has world-renowned moisturising and anti-inflammatory prowess. This luxury formulation introduces Persian silk flower blended with revolutionary antioxidant Vinanza® grape seed and kiwi skin to brighten delicate skin.

Again this is larger than standard eye creams and actually double most as it's 30mls. When I opened it the size suprised me. You get so much product for your money. This feels amazing on the skin. It feels so refreshing under the eye and sinks in easily leaving the skin feeling hydrated. For me I don't find many products that brightening for the under eye area so I can't comment on those bits. It leaves the skin under my eyes feeling so soft though and has been great for the changes in weather my skin has been subjected to lately.

I've really loved both these products and after using them for about a month I'm really loving them!

Love M

xxx

Hey all!

As Mia said, we're huge fans of Antipodes. Not only because their products are beautiful and actually work but their ingredients and ethos of being cruelty free are something that we believe in.

I have really sensitive eyes so am always a bit nervous trying out new eye creams because I don't want them to become sore. This eye cream however has been amazing, so hydrating and as it's quite a thin consistency doesn't feel heavy at all. I've been using it the last few weeks without any reactions and the skin around my eyes has stayed really hydrated - I would definitely repurchase this especially as the size of the pot is so much bigger than others.

The day cream has also been a treat to use, I've been using some other oils recently in the day to keep my skin hydrated for longer and the combination of the two together has been great.

Just like M I have also been using this in the night as it is so light and my skin just drinks it straight up!

We would both definitely recommend both of these and they are a great addition to the Aura Manuka Honey mask which has been part of their range for a while.

Have you tried Antipodes before? What are your thoughts on ingredients like Manuka Honey?

L xxx