Top 10 Products I Miss

Hello!

Today's post is a bit of a nostalgic one, I've been doing really well at saving money and using up my stash. I honestly have been doing so well at not buying things I feel like I might be ill!
It's been such a long time that I haven't bought anything essential that I was looking back and thinking of all the products that I would buy if I could....here's my Top 10 products that I miss:

Aura Manuka Honey Mask

Love this, need to repurchase to save my skin!

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser

Need to repurchase this too, this lovely cleanser not only makes my skin feel super clean but also it exfoliates my skin without any abrasiveness and leaves it feeling tip top.

Lush Ocean Salt Scrub

This is not only a facial scrub but also a body scrub, it smells DIVINE and to be honest just sniffing it is great but I felt like this wasn't rough on my skin at all. Not only that but the fact it is made up with completely natural ingredients just makes it that much better.

Viper Venom Wrinkle Fix

Me and M both love this serum - it sinks in super quick and doesn't leave a greasy residue. Not only this but I SWEAR my skin looked so much better after using this and my little wrinkles were much improved.

Origins Make A Difference Cream

Another favourite of mine, this rejuvenating treatment just seem to get rid of all spots, soothe dry skin and generally make my skin appear a lot healthier and happier. I try and buy Origins products in sets so that I can try out new things that they have brought out, I've only thought one of them was a bit hit and miss so it has always been worth it!

Benefit They're Real Mascara

This is quite possibly the best mascara, it manages to separate curl and volumise my seemingly poker straight lashes and although I begrudge paying out for it, it really is worth every penny! There's nothing like the brush to separate out every lash and give the full fan effect.

Macadamia Hair Repair Masque

For day to day, my hair is happy with Aussie 3 Minute Miracle - but this makes my hair feel like silk and it goes super shiny and manageable. It just makes life so much easier when your hair plays ball!

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

All of these seem to be skincare don't they?? Can we tell I maybe have an obsession....
I loved this oil, it was a dry kind of oil so absorbed right into my skin and didn't leave a greasy layer at all. I'd love to try the dry/combination skin version now that I'm a bit older and my skin needs more hydration than before.

Aesop Parsley Seed Serum

Sadly this was only a little bottle of serum that came in a Selfridge's Beauty Box a few years ago, I put off using it as I wasn't convinced but as soon as I began it was magical - I really want to save up and go for a spree in Selfridge's Beauty Hall again and this would be number one on the list!

Lush Solid Serum Full of Grace

A recent addition to my product experience. I picked it up in store and my hands felt amazing, I knew if my hands felt that good then my face would feel even more amazing! And I was right.
My skin feels like it's being fed every time I use it, it's a winner and it's made of lovely natural ingredients too, I have to confess I have actually picked one up since I wrote this post!

What's your favourite product that you miss? Do you like any of the products that I miss?

I should probably branch out from being so skincare obsessed....!

L xxx

10 Forever Wardrobe Pieces

Hi there!

I've been browsing websites and magazines for the last 2 weeks whilst off and have been loving catching up with celeb gossip and changing fashions. It's got to the point when I read them and think 'who on earth is this?!' My celeb radar has clearly been off for a while!

Whilst browsing though i have come across an interesting article on Cosmopolitan called '10 Forever Pieces you need in your Wardrobe' It's pretty self explanatory but I wasn't sure about some of their choices.....so decided to make my own list.

1) Leather Jacket

There really is nothing better than a leather jacket. I would absolutely die and go crazy if I got my hands on a 100% soft buttery leather jacket in a timeless style from somewhere like All Saints. I'd love one, although I'd be wary that my long body would not allow one from there to fit me....sigh.
If I could pick though, it would be something like this:

Unfortunately I don't have £358 lying around tho. Sob.

2) Jeans

You absolutely cannot go wrong with some well fitting dark indigo jeans. I've found a perfect pair for me recently, having started my gym life a few years ago my glutes have suitably increased in size (Kardashian level not quite reached yet though). My current faves are therefore Levi's curve ID jeans in Demi curve which fit my derriere quite nicely.
I think in future a few more colours will be necessary but currently the dark indigo colour is perfect.

3) LBD
A Little Black Dress is a staple that no one would deny. Whatever your shape there's one to suit you, in fact there's probably 10 to suit you and that's the best part. I have a few faithful ones but it's going to be time for me to get a new one soon. A lot of dresses recently have been quite high neck so I think it's time to show a bit more cleavage, though I do really like a shift dress for simplicity and comfort!

4) LCD

Sometimes you just get fed up of wearing black. I've worn black dresses for about 10 years and I'm trying to add a bit more colour to my wardrobe, not least because it's boring to wear the same thing all the time but also because coloured dresses look awesome! not only that but as well as colour blocking which was what got me into wearing colour again, there are some amazing patterns to get your hands on.

The three above are all from Warehouse, would suit most shapes and are all under £50. Might have already picked up the bottom one....

5) Blazer

I'm in love with my blazer; a beautiful black Ralph Lauren military style blazer with emblem and gold buttons on the sleeves and the front. I couldn't be without it and it goes with so many things and gets me so many compliments - because it's so beautiful not because I'm wearing it. If it's good enough for Kate Middleton....

6) Handbag

The handbag is a tough choice for me. Having been a black leather lover all my life I've recently found myself branching out and had a dusky pink one for my birthday that has shown me the lighter side. Regardless, you need a fairly sizeable bag for daily life and here's a few on my wishlist:

 

You cannot beat simplicity.

7) Heels/Wedges
I could gaze at heels for hours, but as a lady of 5'9 and a very short patience span they just don't work for me. I found wedges about 2 years ago and haven't looked back. They allow me to gain some good looking leg muscles plus some extra chic points without crippling my feet (once they've been broken in obviously). They're like magic shoes!

 

Oh come on, who on earth wouldn't go for Louboutins by choice??

8) Flats
Following on from above it means I also clearly wear a lot of flats. I have an amazing pair of black brogues from Clarks that are so perfect for work and after a year still look new without any polishing whatsoever and I could cry with happiness at finding them. That aside, I love trainers too and am very much lusting over some new 'kicks' with some bright colours, or something that comes up with a high top like these:

I just need another spare £100 to snap them up!

9) Shirt/Blouse
Cosmo have a white shirt on their list. Whilst I love them....they don't love me. My boobs tend to get in the way of that and I can never find ones to fit, not that they're even that big which is why it's so frustrating. I've been wearing my black sheer loose fitting blouse for years and its so perfect for work, interviews and the pub with jeans. Sheer shirts like this are my haven, they skim over everything and flatter and hide in all the right places. Winning.

This ones from Zara for £30.


10) The coat.
I'm quite a fan of a coat. There are so many styles that part of me thought maybe this also included blazers and leather jackets but lets not include it for now.... I always think that nobody of any age or body shape can go wrong with a trench coat style or any style where the coat is above knee length and belted at the waist.This year I'm on the hunt for an emerald green coat so hopefully one will appear in the next few weeks. I've spied this one from Nina Ricci:

Stunning green and a leather belt at the waist.
But let's face it; if I can't afford the £100 for some trainers the £1880 price tag for this beauty certainly isn't happening. But if I win the lottery......? First on my list!!!


So what do you think? Are your top 10 classics similar to mine?
The only category I'm doubtful on is the trainers.....but even those will come back around again in the vintage category!

If you make your own lists let me know, I love reading them!

L xxx

10 Tips to Live a Happier Life

Hi there pals!

I recently wrote about my choice of 'happiness' by quitting my job which was essentially taking over my life without any benefit to myself whatsoever. (see here for more info!)

I've been reading a lot about happiness recently and have seen lots of articles and debates about it. What is true happiness? How can you achieve it?

Happiness is different for everyone, but there are a few key things everyone should try to add a little but more happiness to your day and your life. There's no point living a miserable existence for the sake of it!

In fact even the Pope has recently released his own top 10 tips for happiness, although in my opinion a lot of his are very similar and a little too, shall we say boring?

Here's my top ten tips for being happier:

1) Take care of yourself, have some 'me' time. Sleep, pamper, curl up in bed. Stuff your face with chocolate and don't speak to anyone for a whole 24 hours if you don't want to. It's important to be alone with your own thoughts, it gives you chance to know what you really want. If not, go and get your nails done as a treat, spend an hour in the bath until you're wrinkly and if all else fails, life is always better with a tan! Just make sure you save some time for yourself.

2) Connect with others and do something to help them, particularly those who are already important in your life. Always make time for your family and friends, they are the people who are and will be there for you when you really need them. Even a text, phone call or a snapchat can be an easy way of communicating with them and brightening their day and it will make you happier too. It can be great to have a bitch fest too, just to get your bad day, nightmare colleague, irritating partner etc all off your chest! Catching up in any way possible will always make you feel better.

3) Learn new things, be curious, read, ask and question everything. There's nothing worse (and I'm talking from experience) than having a bored mind with nothing intellectually stimulating to occupy yourself with.
I'm someone who loves to read, loves to learn and I'm generally quite a fast learner, having that taken away from me made me so unbelievably unhappy that I couldn't even see a way out. Since I've taken back control of things I've been reading so much more and finding everything interesting again. It's good to relax but it's also good to keep your mind busy too.

4)  Revisit old things. I've had a huge clear out recently which is something that I try to do regularly as I just have far too much stuff and seem to be a bit of a hoarder! It's great to declutter and make more space in your room/house. But aside from that, look at old photos, make a scrapbook of some of your favourite memories, reminisce with friends over coffee or cocktails about your school days or holidays you've been on. Memories are all you have that nobody can take away from you!

5) Get active, get outside. I'm a firm believer that exercise is a massive factor in happiness. I would never have said this years ago but it truly is the main thing that keeps my stress and food intolerances at bay. I now think that there really is no excuse for you not to get some exercise in a few times a week; whether it be walking, dancing, running, swimming or any kind of exercise class or gym that you can find. I find that mixing it up and doing different things is the best way to go about it, hiking up a hill getting tonnes of fresh air, seeing new scenes and following it up on the way back with fish and chips is one of my all time favourites things to do! Fresh air literally works wonders, get out in it.

6) Move on, live and let live, there's so many sayings I could list but sometimes there's just nothing you can do but walk away from something. Whether it's your job like in my case, your relationship, a friendship or any number of things, sometimes it's best just to move on and leave it all behind. The negativity can drag you down and it's not worth it when you could be having such a better life. Surround yourself with happy people who support your choices.

7) Cut down on the social media. I'm a firm believer in taking pictures on a night out and sharing them with my friends; but constant photos, tweets and statuses can't truly mean you're having a good night? I almost always tweet a picture on the night, it's lovely to be able to share your new dress, hair etc with your friends but for day to day life sharing every meal and constantly comparing yourself to other people's feeds isn't healthy. Social media is a portrayal of someone's life as they wish you to see it not how their life really is. Take a break from it for a few days, and you'll see that really, you're not missing anything.

8) Set yourself goals, make plans for the future, be organised. It can be great to just live each day as it comes but if, like me, you want to get loads done in your life it' a good idea to make a loose plan. 

9) Don't take life seriously. Throw those shapes on the dancefloor, have an eating competition, pull faces in photos. I haven't done any of these things in a long time, it's high time I had a little more fun with life and wore something crazy and danced like a loony!

10) Choose your own path; never give a fuck what anyone says you should or shouldn't be doing. They don't know you, they don't know what you want and you should never do something to please somebody else who wouldn't do the same for you.

If in doubt; refer to Harry Potter:




L xxx

Top 10 Glastonbury Highlights

Hey there!

You might have seen our tweets for the last few weeks of noticed our lack of tweets/posts last week. me and M both finally went to Glastonbury festival after wanting to go for YEARS!

We finally got tickets for this year and were so excited we've spent weeks preparing for it, picking up goodies like bars and cider and essentials like new clothes and cat ears (like I said, essentials!)

We've got a whole post dedicated to Glastonbury coming up on Sunday, but I wanted to share my top moments with you as I'm sure M will be doing the same. So in no particular order:

1) Arrival. In through the gates, tent up and off for breakfast with a Pimms in hand by 9am, winner!

2) Imagine Dragons. Enjoyed their set so much I had goosebumps by the time they ended on Radioactive. The photo below is not mine as I was too busy singing and dancing to BEFORE they came on stage. Me and M would like to party with these guys WHENEVER THEY ARE AVAILABLE!!

3) The randomness. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer crazy things that you will see and experience during your time there. Banksy also made an appearance in the form of a slaughter truck filled with squeaking and moving stuffed toys - mental.




4) Arcadia. I'd heard many a thing about this bug-like beast but nothing compares to the real thing. Check out the pre festival picture and then 2 from Nero's DJ set on the Friday night. Unbelievable!








5) Brother's Cider. Festival strength at 7% one of these was all we needed a day to keep us 'happy' I would fully recommend visiting this stand if you ever go!




6) The ability to wear glitter, crazy eye make up and any kind of head wear and clothing imaginable and it all be perfectly acceptable! We didn't venture much further than glitter, coloured eyes and cat ears/floral crowns but some people wore catsuits and all sorts!

7) Skrillex. One of the coolest dudes ever, spaceship on the stage and involved the lion king in his Friday night set. What a cool guy!




8) I'm not sure I can fathom my love for the man that is Ed Sheeran. Amazing singer/songwriter and a genuinely nice guy it seems, asked the crowd if they minded him taking a picture and he certainly wooed me during his set on the Sunday. Bonus points for a cool video courtesy of swirling around clothing above your head during 'Sing'. LOVE.




9) The smaller stages. I loved seeing the big hits on the most popular stages but loved seeing up and coming acts such as Kiesza and MNEK (both below) on the Sonic stage and others on BBC Introducing etc. Managed to get right down the front which is a bonus on the photo front too!







10) Ending on a cheesy one - spending my first festival and first camping experience with my best friend was LUSH. We had an awesome time watching acts together and making our food choices for the 5 days as soon as we'd done a lap of the site, we clearly know how to have a good time!

Did you go to Glastonbury? Did you watch it from the comfort of your home?

I'm constantly scrolling through my pictures and missing my can of warm cider at 10am. however I do not miss my wellies, 5 days of 10 miles plus a day and they're in agony!

L xxx

Top 10 Missed Items

A little while ago I posted what I managed to pack into my suitcase for my 7 week trip (here).

I needed a lot of stuff as a requirement of the course so with my 23kg limit there wasn't much room to bring many luxuries and as a result of this I'm missing a few things!

Mostly as you can imagine I'm missing my vast array of toiletries, clothes and shoes that I have to mix and match with.

I only brought vest tops, shorts, 2 pairs of jeans and a cardigan as well as the obligatory pack a mac and thin hoodies.

As a girl who wears dresses a lot of the time and loves accessorizing, particularly choosing make up every morning the lack of choice is KILLING me!

I have bought a few items since I've been here that I can mix and match each day and this is satisfying my need for choice temporarily, but there's also lots of other things I'm missing too.

So another more personal post today, as it's all I can think about!

In a sort of order here's the top 10 things I'm missing:

1. My beautiful dog! My dad's recently had an operation so hasn't been walking him, so I've been taking him every day and I miss him so much! I always do, but more so lately, he's so clever and I miss teaching him new tricks!

2. I suppose I should mention my family and friends up here too...haha of course I miss them too and obviously could not fit them into my suitcase as they all requested! I can contact them all when I have wifi which is luckily most of them time so it hasn't been too bad. FaceTiming my dad on his iPad is always entertaining!

3. The gym! Never in my life would I have thought I would miss the gym, but after going 4 times a week for 5 months I genuinely do, and I miss the classes so much I'm tempted to make up my own ha.

They do have a gym here but it has random opening times and as I have to eat meals at certain times too, it gets a bit awkward and I've only made it there once!

4. Tea! Oh my goodness the first week I was here I couldn't find tea anywhere, until I found Starbucks which because of it's opening times and my class hours I could only go to at 8am.

Luckily I've now found 2 other places that have it on campus so I just have to plan ahead, still miss it though!

5. Healthy food! I've been trying to eat healthily since January and have mostly been eating rabbit style food with a lot of chicken so at the beginning it was a big shock to have so much food available that was definitely not healthy but tasted so good!

I've managed to tone it down a bit and am limiting myself to 1 dessert from now on (their cakes are miniature ones and 1 just isn't enough...!)

6. Make up in general! I do have a certain amount of make up with me that should in theory be fine for my 7 weeks away, especially as I did come here to complete a uni course that spends the majority of it's time outside in dirt. 

BUT the inner beauty addict inside me is not satisfied, and at the beginning insisted on wearing make up in ridiculous heat and humidity which resulted in me breaking out in spots for AGES.

I've learnt my lesson now and wear minimal make up and it's got a lot better, doesn't mean I don't play around with it in the evenings though ;)

7. Lipstick. I love wearing it now whereas I wouldn't have gone anywhere near it before! I'm so used to wearing it that here where no one wheres anything except a bit of mascara I'd feel so overdressed but I can't wait to put it back on!

8. Dresses! I miss being able to wear dresses, and generally have a choice of what to wear, as not only do I only have certain things with me, I can only wear long trousers to Uni (because of bugs and plants etc) and hiking boots. So whilst it's absolutely BOILING I have to suffer with trousers on when I'm DYING to put shorts on. Booooooooo :(

9. Alcohol. I'm nowhere near coming out in cold sweats as I'm honestly not an alcoholic....however with the weather being so damn good all I want to do is sit in a beer garden or bar terrace outside in the sun with a cocktail.
Where I am was a 'dry county' up until 2 weeks ago and alcohol wasn't served anywhere bar Walmart so hopefully it will become a little more accessible now!



10. Using products! Strange but true, I miss going through my drawers and cupboards of products to see what I've got left and will be using next. It feels really wasteful to have not brought everyday toiletries with me and to buy them here knowing I have mountains to get through at home!
I'm looking forward to getting back on track with my Beauty Rehab series and hopefully making a dent in my mahussive collection!

What do you think of my top 10? What would you miss if you went away for such a long time with minimal luggage?

L xxx