Spending Ban Update 1

So after one week I broke it already. I was organised or so I thought on New Year's Eve and went and got what I needed from ikea to organise,  Staples for uni stuff and boots for make up wipes, eye make up remover (boots you're evil bringing out the No7 vouchers at the start of the ban. The eye make up remover is my favourite and the best by far). But on New Years day (the start of our ban) I realised I still needed a few bits for the flat.

This flat is bigger and I have the room to be tidy and organised so I wanted everything in it's place. Off to Staples again I got 3 folders for uni. As the ban started I got the cheapest one's, I also got a clear acrylic holder for my make up brushes and some hooks for my straighteners and hair dryer. I then popped to B&M as I wanted new bedding to match the bedroom. As I'd already spent I went to Costa and bogghr a coffee.  Spending money on Starbucks and Costa will be the hardest for me to stop! I don't think this stuff is too bad as it was stuff I needed and now my flat is organised and tidy!

I haven't broke it since the 1st and haven't got any make up or anything.  Since the ban started I've found I'm lusting over even more things.

Here's a few things on my list at the moment.  Im going to just add to it weekly so I can look back at it at the end and see what I still want.

Mac Brick-O-La lipstick
Urban Decay Setting Spray
MUA Eyelid Primer
Nars Sheer Glow
Bobbi Brown Corrector
Mac Naked Lunch

My list is going to be a very by the end of this ban!

How are your bans going?

Love M

Xxx

You can check out Marvelle From Blog of Shadows post here to see some of the other lovely bloggers who've put themselves on spending bans

Review: Origin's Brighter By Nature

We've both previously mentioned an event we went to at the John Lewis beauty hall in November where we both spent a hefty sum of money in Origins resulting in us getting a bag of goodies.

Not that we were bribed with the offer of freebies at all.... ;)

One of the products in the gift bag was the Brighter By Nature face pads which we've both been intrigued by and after finding out there were 20 in the gift set for free (worth £20) we couldn't resist!

NOTD: Essie's Winter Collection 2012

I wrote a few weeks back how i had a ridiculous Essie splurge and picked up the Winter Collection from Boots.

This collection box only had 3 polishes from the 2012 set which doesn't seem to be available anywhere else nor in the original store where I got it from.

However if you did want to pick up a similar one ASOS have a set with 4 of the colours in including the following 3 for £12.95 in their sale, woo!

I am assuming the collection is called 'Leading Lady' as one of the polishes is and i am in love with the quote from the back of the box:

Too true Essie, too true!

I also love the names of these polishes, shown in the picture below:

I won't waffle on too much and please excuse some of the messy nail applications!

I painted my nails various times over the past few weeks since having them and was almost always in a rush.

Beyond Cozy:

This beauty is a combo of gold and silver which is my ultimate nail polish for a night out, as you literally cannot do wrong.

This was opaque in 2 coats, lasted really well with a top coat and got me a hefty load of compliments.

You can see in the photos the variation of colour where the flash has hit the glitter, but this is beeeeeeeeeautiful in day and night. 

Big fan!

Snap Happy:

Again this was 2 coats and a really good consistency to cover.

I love red nails and this one is no exception, an orangey 'plastic' red as I like to describe it, it would go with most skin tones.

This was a beautiful polish also but not a lot different to any other year round collection, having said that everyone needs a red like this!

Leading Lady:

This beauty is what i was really looking forward to getting my hands on.

It's a beautiful jelly polish with glitter in and the colour is just gorgeous!

I really did like this one though it would take 3 coats for an even consistency of packed glitter (which is the look i like) and then a few coats to make the top coat smooth as the glitter is quite chunky.

(The photos show 2 coats)

Having said that the results are worth it and I had so many people ask me where it was from it is probably the reason there are none left in Boots haha.

Definitely love this too!

Basically aside from wanting to show you how amazing these colours come out I wanted to make you all buy the collection from ASOS...

For £12.95 you can pick up these 3 plus another polish in a mint green colour called 'Where's My Chaffeur?' and i think this is SO worth the money!

The red and gold can be used all day every day and for weekends and nights out also, and the jelly glitter is just a beautiful colour that will mesmerize you as it did me.

What do you think of these colours? Are you loving them too?? Have you picked them up in the sale??

Essie just go up in my estimations every time!

If you wouldn't buy this for yourself it would make the perfect gift for any female in your life :)

L xxx

New Year's Resolutions

I know it's already the 4th of January but it has taken me a little while to think up some resolutions this year.

Last year's resolutions were to successfully go to the gym, lose weight, tone up and eat healthily, as well as pass uni and graduate.

I completed all of these which was a massive shock to me as I am massively partial to food and not the gym, however once I got into it I couldn't quite stop! The endorphins obviously got to me and I loved the feeling.

To top off my year the perfect thing would have been to get a job, but unfortunately that didn't happen (in my field anyway!).

I did get a Christmas job at Boots and I have been kept on permanently so I am very grateful for that and knowing that I will still have some money coming in and just have to keep my fingers crossed that something more relevant will come up soon.

With regards to this year I have a few aims I would like to share with you and certain tasks I would like to complete.

Firstly of course, I would like to successfully complete the 100 day spending ban that me and M have both begun on the 1st of January. You can read an update on that on Sunday to see how were getting on in our first week!

Secondly I would like to continue my healthy eating and exercising and hopefully manage to get some more regular hours in work making going to classes a little easier. I was going 4/5 times a week and I have been lucky the past 2 months if I went twice! 

This was largely due to late shopping hours but now those are over I'm hoping I won't have any more excuses...

Thirdly I would like to complete more of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge which you can access using the page tabs on the right of the web page. 

This includes reading more and completing project 365 which I have begun on my tumblr (let me know if you'd like to follow me or if you're completing the same thing!)

Lastly my biggest resolution for this year is to have fun!

Even though I've had some great nights out with some friends and went to America for 7 weeks, those nights were few and the purpose of my America trip was a university module which took up most of my time over there.

I have completed uni now and should have more free time, all I need is to pay off a few bills and debts from a year without work and then start saving up for the future.

I would love to do more cinema trips, more meals, more day trips (not necessarily shopping!) and an actual holiday would be luscious!

I have lots to look forward to in 2013 including 2 of my friends weddings and a few concerts planned as well as I would love to go to a festival and travel more.

Basically what I'm trying to say is.....

L xxx