Dr Martens... to buy or not to buy?!

Recently, I have been scouting around for a new pair of winter boots, and strangely enough the brand that has continuously caught my eye is the very retro Dr Martens. These were very popular when I was in Junior School (back in the day!) and, in recent years, I have mostly associated this type of boot with the grungy emo types amongst us. However, I am quickly becoming more and more fond of them. From what I remember, they are really durable and also very classic in style. Having had a look on their website I am spoilt for choice, and these are just a few of the pairs that I have my eye on at the moment:




Felice Boot - Side view - £100

Felice Boot - Front View

Gayle Boot - Side View - £100

Gayle Boot - Front View



Haley Boot - Side View - £140

Haley Boot - Front View

At a starting cost of around the £100 mark, they are not cheap by any means, but I am guessing that they will last a few seasons, and I just really do love them!!

What are your thoughts? Would you recommend a particular pair of Dr Martens?

Claire

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** Ba Da Bling **

If you looking for a website offering a treasure trove of unique gifts or maybe just a treat for yourself, then Etsy could be right up your street! I began selling my handmade hair accessories on this website just a few months ago, and aside from being part of such a wonderful community of truly gifted artists and craftsmen, I love the uniqueness that it has to offer, particularly if you are someone who likes to stand out from the crowd! I have discovered one particular Etsy shop just this morning that I am excited to tell you all about.

Jamie Constantino is a 22 year old girl based in Florida who creates an amazing selection of Kawaii Nail Polishes, and sells them in her Etsy shop 'KawaiiNailLaquer'. Her Collections contain an array of glitter polishes based on several themes: Harry Potter, The Avengers, Batman, and many more. They are really unique and, lets face it, who doesn't love a bit of bling?!

The glitter used to create these wonderful polishes are tried and tested by Jamie to ensure the highest possible standard of product, with glitter that does not curl. And her 100% feedback speaks for itself.

I have my eye on three items in particular, but at just $8 a piece I may even treat myself and get them all! The good news is that Jamie ships worldwide :-)

I hope you love the look of these little beauties as much as I do :-)


Claire

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Big Fatty? Big Disappointment :-(

Recently, my most favourite everyday mascara - Clinique's High Impact - ran out :-( I always re-purchase the same one, and have done over and over again for the past 5 years or so, simply because it works for me and I am content with it. It applies easily, gives my lashes a longer, fuller look, stays put for hours, and washes off easily. This time though, I thought it was time for a change.

There are two things about a mascara that I don't like: Waterproofing and/or a Thermoplastic Brush. I have very sensitive eyes, and if a mascara/eye make-up takes alot of rubbing to remove, my eyelashes wont withstand the friction and simply fall out in their masses. Bald eyes are not a good look! No amount of mascara can make a sparsely eyelashed eye look anything short of awful. This is the reason I also don't like make-up wipes (for me, you just cant beat good old cleanser & water!). And Thermoplastic Brushes really don't tickle my pickle because I feel that they clump my lashes rather than separate. Its like they just don't have enough bristles!

I had a little scout around Boots, Debenhams and John Lewis, and the first mascara that I debated on was the Benefit 'They're Real'. This is apparently the UK's best selling mascara, with really good reviews received online. However, it has a thermoplastic brush and its waterproof, making it a big no-no for me.

I then had a look at the Shocking Mascara by Yves Saint Laurent. This is obviously a more high-end, and needless to say more expensive mascara. I have heard many good reviews, but for an everyday mascara, the price put me off. I wasn't sure that I could justify spending £23.00 on a mascara to wear simply for work, despite the nylon bristles and it being non-waterproof.

Then I remembered a mascara I used to wear alot quite a while back that, for a long time, was my favourite. The Big Fatty Mascara by Urban Decay. As I remember it, this mascara made my lashes look full and lengthy. It also removed easily with a simple soapy cleanser and water. So, with my mind made up, I took myself off to my local Urban Decay Counter. Here is where it all goes pear-shaped...

You know sometimes, when you have likes/dislikes about a certain type of product that you need to question before purchase to make sure that that product is right for you? Yet 'enthusiatic' shop assistants that are quite excitable start to rant about several other products that they think you'll love instead, which in turn makes you forget those questions you initially had lined up, and you end up blindly purchasing a product? Well, this is exactly what happened to me! I was met by a very 'enthusiastic' assistant with what she described as 'lots of time on her hands'. To be fair to her, it was not far off closing time on a Friday evening, but she got my mind in a spin from the offset. All I wanted was to purchase the Psychadelic-look Big Fatty Mascara that I knew and loved: non-waterproof with a nylon brush. I asked if they still made the Big Fatty Mascara, which she said they did, and then continued with the hard sale. I remember thinking that the packaging of the Big Fatty Mascara had changed, and commented on this (in-between her throwing random details about other products at me) but she just nodded politely. I assumed the packaging had just had a revamp. A Brush, Lipgloss, Eyeshadow pencil, the said mascara and almost fifty quid later I was free to leave. Phew.

It was only when I arrived home that the true disappointment started to set in. On opening the mascara box, it was evident that the tube was round and not square. Not such a big deal I suppose, but this started off a feeling of something not being quite right. I then opened the tube, and found a THERMOPLASTIC BRUSH. I wanted to cry. Literally. I just felt liked I had wasted £15.00. I relayed this disappointment to my sister, who suggested I just give it a go, in the hope that it may not be that bad. Unfortunately, it was. The following day I used the mascara, and I have to say that there was nothing 'WOW' about it at all. My eyelashes looked barely covered in mascara, despite a few coats, and were anything other than volumised and curled. To add further insult to injury, when I tried to wash it off about 12 hours later it wouldn't budge. Literally. I tried Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish, Eye Make-up remover lotion, and good old soap and water. IT WOULD NOT BUDGE! In the end I had to resort to picking it off?! And lost many an eyelash in the process, making me a far from happy bunny. I guess you could say the upside of this product is that it is a really good waterproof mascara!!

The other alarming thing about this product is that it is not advertised as being 'waterproof'. This word is nowhere to be seen on the outer packaging or the tube itself. It is not even advertised as being waterproof on the Debenhams or the urbandecay.com website. It says it is smudge-proof, flake-proof and ultra long wearing - but NOT waterproof! Maybe I am just being silly and not reading enough into this? But lots of non-waterproofs claim to be smudge-proof, flake-proof and long wearing too. I want to kick myself! And WILL NOT make this mistake again!!

So girls, please learn from this experience. Despite the fact that you now know how rubbish a mascara this is, don't allow yourself to be fooled by a sales assistant that just wants to sell a high volume of stock. Keep your cool, stay focused on the product that you want to buy and make sure that you ask all of the necessary questions to ensure that the product you purchase is right for you. You are the one who works for that hard earned cash you spend after all!!

I am now on the hunt for another mascara, any suggestions?



Claire

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Lush is Lush!

A few days ago, I treated myself to some little goodies from Lush. I haven't been there in soooo long, and it was nice just to have a little mosey around all of the products on display. The shop assistant introduced me to the new 'Emotional Brilliance' cosmetics range, which I have to say has a fabulous (if not a little daring) colour palette, and the skin tints are to die for! The products include eyeshadows, lipsticks, eyeliners, skin tints, loose powder and even a mascara, and range between £12 and £14.50 per product, which I have to say seems a little on the pricey side. In fact, is it just me, or has the Lush range as a whole become more expensive? I say this, because I also got to try out the Turkish Delight Shower Smoothie, which comes in at a hefty £15.95 for a large 200g black pot. The shop assistant informed me that 15,000 rose petals have been used in each of the pots, and even though it did smell divine and leave my skin feeling super-soft, I think its one of those products to splurge on when you're feeling flush!!

Anyway, back to the products I did purchase...

I'm going to start with the Stepping Stone Foot Scrub. This is a much wanted product as I work long shifts and sometimes you just want to come home and pamper those poor little tootsies that have been put to use all day. This funky little scrub, aptly moulded in the shape of a foot, smells quite citrussy and really refreshing - just the ticket for pampering those hot, tired feet. It obviously contains lashings of Jojoba oil, as the bag has become quite greasy, and has rubbed off the 'instructions' for use. On their website, they advise you to 'Give your feet a good workout with this little green footprint - because all that pumice in there will scrub and smooth away dead skin, whilst the jojoba oil will moisturise and make them soft without leaving them slippery or oily' . However, reading the reviews, most people have commented that the slightest drop of water makes this product disappear rapidly. One suggestion is to crumble the entire thing into a pot and use a little at a time, so I think that's what I am going to do!! I may also try massaging it onto dry skin then rinse off. At £2.95, its a little pricey to waste in one go!

The next product I purchased is the Green Bubbleroon Bubble Bar, which has a zingy, citrus scent to it. As a bath product meant to be twisted into two halves and crumbled under running tap water, it is suitable for two uses (one half for each bath), but I have previously purchased the Yuzu & Cocoa Bubbleroon, and I literally just smashed it up into bits using a rolling pin, then sprinkled a little into each bath I took - this way you can easily get four (if not more!) baths out of one Bubbleroon. I loved the Yuzu & Cocoa one, which left my skin feeling soft and scented for ages afterwards, so I am really excited to try the Green one out! This product cost £3.25 (another reason to try and make it go that little bit further).

Ocean Salt Cleanser - this is a facial scrub which contains sea salt, coconuts, limes and 'lots of great things that will moisturise and treat the skin'. It smells Amazing - there is just the right scent of lime, and it is also infused with fresh grapefruit - sounds like an ideal product for waking your skin up in the morning!! At £6.95 for a smaller 100g pot, it is not cheap by any means, but it smells delicious and I have never tried a facial scrub with sea salt in before, so I am really looking forward to giving this product a go! Having read some other reviews, it appears that this product can be quite drying if overused, despite Lush's attempts to prevent this by adding in Avocado Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, Lanolin, Seaweed Absolute and Violet Leaf Absolute. This product has also been described as a 'Harsh Scrub' and as I have dry/sensitive skin, I am hoping that it is not going to dry my skin out too much. I am now feeling a little apprehensive about trying this out....eek, but I will let you know how it goes!!

Oatifix Fresh Face Mask - I have heard alot about the Lush range of Fresh Face Masks, which have to be refrigerated, and was so intrigued that I decided to give one a go. I opted for the Oatifix, priced at £5.95 for a 75g pot, which smells deliciously of vanilla and contains Oatmeal, Ground Almonds and Fresh Banana (hence why it should be stored in the fridge). The shop assistant commented that this pot comes from a 'sticky batch', and if too thick, a little splash of water can be stirred through to make the consistency more manageable. I am really excited to try this mask, as my skin tends to love any product that is oat-based. However, the only downside I would have to point out is the shelf life of the product as, even if stored correctly, the period of time from manufacture to use by date is roughly 1 month!! I purchased this pot (made 30/8/2012) on 3rd Sept and now only have 23 days left in which to use it - the pressure is on!!

So that's it for my little Lush haul peeps, please let me know what you think and if you have any
recommendations for me :-)

Claire

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Origins Product Reviews

A little while back I made my first ever set of purchases from Origins. I had perused many of their products during several trips to my local John Lewis Department Store, where my sister and I love to spend a long browsing/testing session on a Friday evening - we find this is the quietest time of the week, where there are shoppers more in the way of stragglers than crowds, and pestering shop assistants are nowhere to be seen. Bliss!

Back at the end of June, I did a blog post on which products I purchased during this little online splurge, and this is going to be a little review of my thoughts on these items...

'Brightening Musts' - this gift set contains 3 products, which is a much more cost effective was of purchasing the Vitazing Moisturiser (my most wanted Origins product) as the whole set costs £26 - a pound cheaper than purchasing the Vitazing Moisturiser alone. I spent a little while pondering as to whether this 'kit' was right for me as it is meant for those with younger skin, but thought I would give it a go anyway. It is still available on the Origins website under the 'Gifts' sale tab.

Vitazing Moisturiser ~ This is the big purchase, and the item I had been lusting over for the longest time. It is a tinted moisturiser that contains mangosteen, an ingredient rich in antioxidants to give the skin a refreshing 'zing'. It is also a 'one-shade-suits-all' kind of product, and the colour of the product develops on application to blend with your skin colour. On first use, my husband commented that I looked like I had been "airbrushed" - this can only be a good thing... Right?! My skin was flawless and super healthy looking. As a moisturiser, I think that this product is perfect for summer, but personally I am going to need something a bit more moisturising during the harsh winter months, when my skin tends to get quite dry and irritated. After prolonged use as a light-coverage substitute for foundation, I have found that Vitazing is a little greasy, and even on my dry/normal skin it brought me out in spots during the first two weeks or so of use. I'm 30, I don't really get spots now, but thankfully this has calmed down and I assume the breakout happened during that initial period because my skin was just getting used to a different product. This little mishap aside, I would highly recommend Vitazing to anyone looking for a natural glow with light coverage.

GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream - This is a 5ml sample pot (the full 15ml size retails at £21), which claims to brighten dark circles and depuff. I used this after cleansing each morning, and though I don't suffer with puffy eyes (so cant comment on how this cream helps to depuff) I do have dark circles, especially after nights with lack of sleep, and this eye cream definitely helped to reduce them. However, it is not very moisturising, and as someone who suffers with dry skin during the winter months, this cream is not going to be enough on its own as a moisturiser for me. Unfortunately, I dont think I would re-purchase this product based simply on its cost-effectiveness.   

Modern Friction (Natures Gentle Dermabrasion) ~ Back in 2008, this product won 'Best Facial Scrub' in the Daily Mail Beauty Awards. I only have this product in my possession because it came as part of the Brightening Musts set, and all I can say is Wowzers!! I was really surprised to find a face scrub that is so rich and creamy as well as containing a good amount of scrub particles - I find that normally scrubs are either very creamy with minimal scrub, or too much scrub and not enough cream. This is the perfect mix. It feels so luxurious on the skin, and when rinsed off my skin felt soft, smooth, and properly exfoliated. I am quite a harsh critic, I do not easily describe a product as 'Amazing' or 'Fantastic', so please believe me when I say that this product really is Amazing!! You cannot truly believe how good this product is until you try it out for yourself . However, the downside is that this is a little pricey at £31 for 125 mls, but it is advised to be used 2-3 times a week, and a little goes a long way. So, like me,  maybe you can purchase the 30ml tube as part of the Brightening musts set? Or put it on your Christmas wish list?

Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment ~ This is a 15ml sample that came free with purchases of over £40. I have said before that, as part of my job, I wash my hands over and over each day. This causes me to have dry, chapped hands that are sometimes also very sore, and so a good hand cream is essential. This particular hand cream is easily one of my favourites. It smells lovely, is just the right consistency, absorbs well without being greasy and does its job well. I love! love! love! this product, and although the full 75ml size is £18 I can definitely see myself purchasing this product again in the future.

Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask ~ This product smells faintly of oranges, and is meant to be used twice a week (or as desired) at bedtime by massaging onto clean skin and using a tissue to remove the excess. It has a very silky feel to it, but the effects reflect this as my skin in the morning is soft and silky-smooth. It absorbs quickly and is very moisturising. I had the sample free with purchase, but a full size 100ml tube is £20. I feel a bit in limbo as to whether I would purchase the full size product as although it does its job well, I wasn't particularly 'Wowed' by it.

A Perfect World - This was another sample free with purchase. It is an Antioxidant moisturiser that contains White Tea, which is known for its anti-ageing properties. Despite the slightly iffy scent, I am loving this moisturiser! It has a very silky feel to it, that leaves a silky film on the skin for hours after application. I found it deeply moisturising, despite a small breakout of spots after the first few uses. I liken it to the Clarins Hydraquench Moisturiser, which is my favourite moisturiser ever. Would I pay £33.00 for the full 50ml pot? Probably :-)

Gloomaway Body Wash/Bubble Bath - I intended to purchase the Ginger Burst body wash, which is highly popular, and consequently out of stock online. Instead, I opted for the Gloomaway Grapefruit combined Body Wash & Bubble Bath. This product is fantastic! Although it is a bit pricey at £18 for 250ml, a small amount on a shower pouff gives a copious lather, which lasts for an all-over body wash. It smells lovely, and left my skin feeling super soft and moisturised. Although I do feel that £18 is excessive for a shower gel, I wouldn't think twice about purchasing this product again.

L'Occitane Freebies

Hiya!!

As you maybe aware, I have lost faith in beauty boxes. Glossybox is the main culprit for this, because although the theory behind the beauty box is amazing, I will never understand how a company can charge the consumer for samples which can be obtained for free?! The mind boggles!!

Anyway, this thought leads me nicely onto a little idea that my sister had recently. She was on the quest for freebies/samples and simply decided to email companies requesting samples of their products. Many politely declined, but one in particular were very generous, and so I also decided to send a little email to L'Occitane via their website requesting some free samples. I politely asked if they would be able to post some samples out to me as I was very interested in purchasing some of their products in the future as gifts for Christmas etc. I had a very friendly reply, stating that they would be happy to send out some samples to me. Simples!!

Within a week or so, a little L'Occitane labelled letter arrived, and I was thrilled to find a good handful (17 to be precise) of samples contained within. These included a selection of shampoo, conditioner, hand balm, face cream, anti-ageing cream and body milk. They are all quite generous samples, every one of which I am excited to try, especially as L'Occitane is a luxury brand and many of their products are award winning.

So, this little exercise just goes to prove that you really can get some lovely samples for FREE. I didn't even have to pay postage!! And on a further note, customer service also means alot. I was so impressed with the communication and efficiency of the L'Occitane email service that I have already purchased two full size products (to be included in a haul post coming soon.....)

Have you bagged yourself some great freebies lately? Please let me know what you think :-)

Claire

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Neglecting the blog :-(

Hey peeps,

I cannot believe almost two months have passed since I last wrote on my blog. So much has been going on for me recently that I just didn't have the time to cram everything in, and as a result my poor little blog has become neglected :-(

So, let me update you on what I have been up to for the past two months....

Back in July I returned to work after more than a year off on my maternity leave. This was always going to be a shock to the system, but has been made that much more difficult for me because we moved house during my maternity leave, creating a distance of over 100 miles between me and my job. I now find myself travelling to work each week and having to leave behind my beautiful baby girl. Difficult is not the word - heartbreaking is a more accurate description!

I now find myself living in rented accommodation for a short part of my week, which not only absorbs the best part of my salary, but I find myself in what can only be described as grotty student digs - I am thirty years old with a house of my own, I am waaayyy past this stage of my life!! It is a short term thing, the main reason being that if I did not return to work for the minimum 3 month period following maternity leave, I would have had to repay almost £8,000 of my maternity pay. And trust me, if I had £8,000 I would be jetting off on a dream holiday to Australia - not paying it back to my employers!!

Two weekends ago, whilst driving the long journey to work and singing my heart out to the radio, my little Corsa decided to die on me. It just cut out whilst I was doing 70 mph along the M4 about 10pm at night. As I sadly coasted onto the hard shoulder, I looked up to the sky and wondered what else God is going to throw at me?! All I could do was laugh - if I didn't, I would surely cry :'-( To cut a long (and quite amusing) story short, I was picked up by a machete wielding madman and his recovery truck, and towed all the way back home. The cost to fix my little car? Around £1000. Great.

On top of this, I have been applying left, right and centre for new jobs that are closer to home. The first interview was disastrous!! The second? Not much better. The third - I thought I had it in the bag - sadly not :-( But yey!! Fourth time lucky!!!!

I am now working my 8 weeks notice, and am looking forward to the changes that lie ahead. My new job is challenging at its best, and I am both apprehensive and excited about the opportunity that I have been given. I am sooo glad that I am almost at the end of the horrific 100 mile journey to work and the days on end without seeing my little boo-boos. Those 8 weeks cant go by fast enough!!

As you may also know, I run a little business making and selling hair accessories & jewellery. During the summer months I am always overrun with orders, and this year has been no exception!! I have been desperately trying to keep up with my orders, whilst juggling my now one-year-old girl, and working away in my day-job. I sometimes wonder how I have managed it, but I suppose you just have to get on with it really.

So that's it for my update on life. I hope my little blog will forgive me for neglecting her the way that I have, but fingers crossed from now on I will be able to get things back on track.

And if you're sat there wondering why I have the time to write an entry today, I will just let you all know that I jumped in the shower this morning, got soaked, and then the water shut off. It. Just. Stopped. Running. Hmm.... I tried all sorts to get it going again, but failed miserably. I telephoned switch board from my student digs, and they said that the water board have been informed and that they are working to resolve the problem. So, I am sat here with a towel wrapped around me, freezing cold with visible chicken skin, waiting for the taps to start running again. Life hey?!

I really hope your all enjoying the Bank Holiday Weekend, and having a much better Sunday than I am so far!!

Claire

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