Pink Flamingo

I am officially addicted to nail varnish. I will willingly admit that I have far too many shades of pink that are not different enough to warrant having so many of them, know this as I might it doesn't seem to stop me from wanting (and buying) more more more!!  I literally think I have a problem, sometimes I wont even look as I pick them up and throw them in my basket like a crazed nail polish junkie! 


Funnily enough though, since I started doing manicures in my course and therefore have to practice, I don't really like painting my nails any more.  I used to paint my nails all the time and now I really have to force myself! It's a bit like when I did English A Level I guess and I suddenly seemed to lose the ability to read even though the books were novels I would have ordinarily wanted to read!


I love this Barry M shade, 305 Pink Flamingo, it's just really fun, bright and girly.  I love it in summer and I think it really enhances your tan and even though I only have a tiny bit of colour at the moment (it's only April I guess!) it made my tan seem nicer somehow! 

Listening to - Under The Driftwood Tree, If Only If 

Reading - The Girl on the Cliff by Lucinda Riley

The Month of March

I'd like to take you back to New Year's Eve 2011.  My lovely friend Becca and I were sat (with other lovely friend Claire) talking about the year to come, and we decided, that March was going to be our month for romance.  I'm sure Becca wont mind me saying this, but our love lives have been a bit of a joke of late, so we decided to pluck the month of March out of the New Year's Eve air as our lucky month! 


It is currently April, and I've said my last goodbyes to March so I thought I'd reflect on the month as a whole! 


March started very well with glorious weather and ice creams in Roath park with my friends on the 1st.  Life progressed as normal, and I genuinely expected that because it was March men would suddenly leap out at me (in a non violent or creepy, murderous way) and wish to marry me there and then.  Quite shockingly, this didn't happen, and March carried on with little regard for my love life.  By mid-March I was beginning to lose faith in the month I had pinned all my hopes and dreams on, and it was time to take matters into my own hands! Becca suggested that if the men weren't coming to us that we should at least meet them half way... we joined a dating website and what an experience and eye opener that has been!! I could write a book on the experience, or indeed devote and entire blog to it but trust me when I say you really do get all sorts on there! Maybe I will at least write a blog post about the world of internet dating so I wont spoil it by saying too much here, but so far I haven't actually met up with anyone (I was ill and missed the boat with one guy so to speak!) but I do wonder if this venture, which began in March, may lead to the romance I have been after?


March wasn't only about my love life.  The weather was exceptional and that made me happy beyond words.  It's like every year I forget that we have a summer and when the sun shines I just get so excited and fall in love with it over and over again.  I worship the sun, it really does mean the world to me. I know a tan is a bit of a true reflection of 'soaking up the sun' but I truly do drink it up, and I feel full of its goodness for days, it's like my body smiles from the inside out because of it.  I have loved eating as many meals as I can outside in our sun-trap of a garden, going to the park for picnics or just for a stroll around to see the beautiful flowers and going out without a cardigan because you know it is going to be beautiful all day long! 


It is now April, and the April showers are officially upon us and it is cold and horrible but I am going to keep thinking of the sunny days of March and look forward to many more. 


So in summary, I liked March. I made a conscious effort to do something about my love life, which if nothing else, has proved to be funny and a confidence boost. I've lapped up the sun and basked in its rays, so thank you very much March, I'll look forward to seeing you next year! 

dermalogica

I started my make up and manicure weeks and weeks ago but it wasn't until today, the day we started doing make up, that I decided to use the sample cleanser to make sure I wasn't allergic to it (would have been a disaster if I had been - silly girl!) I thought I'd let you know what I think of the product that I used anyway and as the weeks progress and I use more products from the same brand I'll update you on my thoughts! Anyway the sample I used was Dermalogica 'dermal clay cleanser'.

If I'm being brutally honest my first thoughts about the colour and consistency was that it looked a bit like sea gull poo...a slightly off white, thickish but runny at the same time (this really isn't making it sound any better...) 

So, aside from my childish thoughts about its appearance, I liked it.  I splashed my face with water and then applied half the sachet to my face and I've got to admit I felt the burn - it really did sting the sensitive areas (where it came in to contact with my under-eye skin   (bags!) and around my nose which is always sensitive for me) so I was quite pleased to get it off my face. I used my muslin cloth to remove it as that's just how I like to do it these days being the crazy cat that I am! I was a bit reluctant to reapply it (it does suggest cleansing the skin twice) after the burny burny stingy sensation but I went for it and finished the sachet and I have to admit the second time was better, I think my skin had prepared itself and had its little fists up ready to fight ye olde dermal clay! Once I'd washed all the sea gull poo, I mean clay cleanser, off my skin felt quite tight, which I like to think translates as 'nice and clean'. It claims to 'provide deep-cleansing to oily, congested skin' so this is probably why it felt tight, I always think a deep clean means those poor pores don't stand a chance, see you later natural skin oils! 

At college I was given a more relaxing and thorough cleanse, tone and moisturise using Dermalogica 'Ultra-Calming cleanser', 'multi-active toner' and 'active moist' moisturiser (yuck, can you imagine a worse name combo?!) and I've got to say at the end of it even my thirsty old skin feels super smooth and healthy! So thumbs up from me. And I've got to say that 'ultra-calming' has got to be the way forward for my delicate skin, I do believe it properly chilled out, no getting up tight like it did with the clay! 

Sorry that this has been a boring ramble but hey ho, its good for me to write it down because I always forget how I get on with certain products so I can never tell if it's a good idea or not to repurchase, damn my idiot brain! 

Beautiful Sunny Sunday!!

Hello shiny pretty people! (I don't think anyone reads this, so Hello Cyber Space!!)

The clocks went back last night but miraculously I was positively wide awake at ten to eight, I regrettably decided to stay in bed until half past by which time all desire to get up had left me!! I'm glad I did though because on entering the kitchen I found my housemate's mum (she's come to stay, we don't just keep her under the stairs to cook for us...although I wish we could!) half way though making two sorts of chocolate icing to go on a delicious looking cake she has made! I can't wait to eat it, and would very much like to have that for breakfast! Alas, I must wait until socially acceptable cake eating time arrives.

It is beautifully sunny in Cardiff and it really does feel like summer is well and truly on its way hooray hurrah hooray!! 

The lighting is hideous sorry! 

A very subtle smokey eye, and Viva Glam V. 

I'm going to watch my housemate in her choir concert this afternoon and it feels like a very apt thing to do on a day like today! 

Many hours later...

The concert was amazing, and the orchestra was lovely, I felt like I was in a Jane Austin novel (I was definitely born in the wrong era!!). And even more amazing with the tea that was provided by my housemate's mum (she is now under the stairs ready to whip up breakfast tomorrow) - we had cocktail sausages, cheese and pineapple, home made scones, easter cake, it was perfect!! 

Finally taken the plunge!

Hello and welcome!


I've finally taken the plunge and decided to write a blog - big pat on the back for me! I intend to indulge myself well and truly by chattering away about lots of shiny pretty things that I see and like! 


In my head I like to think of myself as some form of domestic goddess, akin to Nigella but without the tousled hair midnight feasts...who actually does that?! And no, I do not own a red silk dressing gown or any other such creepy garments!  I am also a self confessed productaholic...I can't get enough of all the lovely potions and lotions out there! I have far too many nail varnishes and much too much make up but I simply love love love it all so it's got to stay!! I love art as well, although I've been very slack recently and have done very little other than think of doing arty bits and bobs...it's not been very successful - nothing has magically created itself!! 


I'm currently doing an evening course in Make-Up and Manicure so I'll keep you posted on how that is going as the course progresses!! 

Sparkly chocolate cupcake goodness! 

Thank you for reading this and fingers crossed I actually continue to write this!! 

Bye!

x