NOTD: Black tips

I've started running out of ideas for nail art. So, whilst I try to find some inspiration, and whilst my nails are of a decent length, I decided to go for a really simple look; french manicure style but with a gothic edge.

I used a standard black nail art pen over Barry M's 'Nude'. I really like the simplicity of this look, though Barry M Nude is so sheer I had to use 3 coats before it even showed on my nails!

Pin-Spiration #1: Healthy living

After experiencing a degree of post-xmas fatness, I went on a bit of a pinning sesh planning my healthy start to 2014. I'm sick of not liking what I see in the mirror, and more sick of hearing myself moan whilst full-well knowing I don't do enough to look how I'd like to. So below is a selection of images pinned onto my 'fitspo/health' board recently while my motivation is at it's peak! After the masses of food at Christmas I'm actually looking forward to eating cleaner and feeling less squidgy.

We'll see how long it lasts this time around...

All images found on instagram/ pinterest.

Wednesday Wishlist #1 : Boots

Here's a selection of the boots I've been coveting recently, all really reasonably priced from Boohoo or Missguided. I'm struggling to restrain myself, but as I wear boots 90% of the time, even in summer, perhaps that can justify a purchase?

Snake print boots: £37.99     Holographic boots #1: £35.99      Black patent boots: £39.99

Burgundy boots: £35            Suede pull-on boots: £37.99          Holographic boots #2: £35

Save my Skin! Ft. Una Brennan Superfacialist,Soap& Glory and Superdrug Hot Cloth Cleanser

Recently my skin has not been behaving itself. As someone who has had pretty ok skin for the majority of their teenhood, to suddenly reach mid-20s and have skin issues seems a cruel twist of fate. The problem is mainly focused around the chin and lower half of my face, where there are lots and lots of tiny under the skin bumps that sometimes mutate into larger painful blemishes. The blackheads on my nose have also been getting worse, and my pores seem to be growing larger by the day, with some of them becoming blocked. Sorry if that was too much info!

I've read that imperfections around chin are to do with hormones, but nothing in that department has really changed; I'm on the same pill I've been on for years. I think the excesses of Christmas and all the alcohol and naughty food has really had an affect

So all in all I've not been too happy, and have been trying a number of things to clear my complexion. I think my efforts have in some part actually contributed to my problems, as I started buying products targeted for blemish prone, oily skin, which is not really my skin type. So as well as having blemishes, I started to get random dry patches too. Nightmare!

After doing a bit of reading around, I kept hearing really good things about Una Brennan's Superfacialist range and chose two products.

Superfacialist Rose Miracle Facial Oil- £14.99

After reading on Crunchy Betty's blog all about the oil cleansing method, I knew I wanted to incorporate oil into my routine, but wasn't really up for the faff of sourcing organic oils and making my own blend. Lazy.

The bottle is a tiny 30ml and as you can see I'm starting to get through it (I've had it around 4 weeks). At £14.99, it's neither cheap nor completely unreasonable, though I do wonder why its more expensive than some of the other oils in Una's range; the Vitamin c facial oil is £10.99 for a generous 200ml. Luckily I purchased when it was on offer for about a third off.

I have to say, though I usually enjoy rose scents in bath and beauty products, I'm not overly keen on the scent; though not overpowering, it does have a more medicinal/ herbal edge to it than the typical rose scented product. After 4 weeks of use the dry patches that had developed from over stripping my skin with harsher cleansers have been soothed and my skin is feeling comfortable and hydrated despite the colder weather and central heating.

Superfacialist Tea Flower Pore Purifying Clay Mask-£8.99

I'm still undecided on this face mask. I try to use it at least once a week and its ok... it's a typical clay type mask that dries after 5-10 minutes and leaves skin feeling thoroughly cleansed and soft. My chin area has cleared up slightly, but my pores and blackheads are still getting me down and I was hoping for a more drastic improvement to my blemishes. I will make a concerted effort to stop being slack with my regime and try to use it 2-3 times a week to get a better idea of it.

Superdrug 'Naturally Radiant' Hot Cloth Cleanser

img from Superdrug.com

After reading some reviews, I've also purchased Superdrug's version of a hot cloth cleanser. They do 2- a 'Naturally Radiant' and a 'Vitamin E' version, but I went for the Naturally Radiant as it was on offer for only £2.98. The bottle is 150ml but it seems a lot more, as the cleanser is quite thick and luxurious you only need a very small amount so I can see this lasting a long time. It takes off makeup with ease and leaves skin smooth and soft. I've never used the Liz Earle cleanser, so can't make a comparison, but for the price I purchased Superdrug's for, I'm pretty happy


Soap & Glory 'Clear Here' Moisturiser

To finish up my regime I purchased this moisturiser, mainly being drawn in by the blue box at the top- "Tired of clogged pores, shine, spots and blotches?". These were all the problems I am having so I thought this would be perfect. However, I've now used up the entire tube and have to say I've seen no improvement whatsoever. It also felt slightly sticky on the skin and not moisturising enough for my personal preference, maybe because it is aimed at oily skin, which mine isn't really. I also saw no improvement to my pores or spots, so all in all this has been the least successful product out of the bunch. I'm wondering if it is now discontinued, as I couldn't find it on the Boots website.

What was in your stocking?

So after weeks of anticipation and excitement, it's over :(  Here's a selection of the lovely gifts I received; what did you get? 

(Clockwise from top left: Tangle Teaser, Topshop Lip Cream, 'S' Bracelet, Nail polish stand

(Harry Potter: From Page to Screen, Benefit 'Primping with the stars' kit, Alexa Chung 'It', Kindle Fire HD, a look inside the Benefit kit)

Saving money on online shopping

Since I finished working at Top Man and stopped spending the majority of my time in a shopping centre, physical shopping trips (i.e. actually venturing out of the house to shop) have dramatically decreased. This doesn't mean I've stopped shopping, but rather I tend to do it all online nowadays, particularly as my favourite retailer at the moment happens to be the online-only Missguided. Here are some tips for saving some money when shopping online.

1. Always search for a discount code

img: vouchercodes.co.uk

Before I part with my cash, I always do a quick google search for any discount codes. There are loads of sites that list valid codes, but my favourite is Voucher Codes. They seem to have the most up to date codes and not just widely publicised ones either; recently they listed a 30% off Motel code for at least a week before it was broadcast on Motel's website or emails, and often have random codes that have featured in magazines that you may otherwise miss.

2. Social Media is your friend

img: www.graphicsfuel.com

No brand neglects the power of social media, so I wold recommend following your favourite retailers on twitter, nstagram and Facebook. As well as getting style inspiration and notified about new items on Instagram [thank you, River Island PR], retailers frequently post discount codes on a variety of social media platforms, and I've also seen some ridiculous competitions on offer too.

(FYI: If your panicking about having nothing to wear at the weekend, a lot of sites, particularly Missguided, will offer free Saturday/ Next day delivery on a Friday to encourage you to buy a new outfit for the weekend)

3. Sign up to emails from Money Saving Expert

img: moneysavingexpert.com

The money saving expert site is an absolute gem. The site contains a wealth of information regarding more 'grown up' stuff such as banking, utilities, insurance and mortgages, which for those who have flown the nest and are struggling with the realities of adulthood could be extremely useful. But not only that, it has the latest restaurant, web site and clothing discount vouchers, gives tips on shopping on eBay, has info on consumer rights and far more stuff than I'd be able to capture here. It is pretty overwhelming just how much the website has on it though, so I find that signing up to the weekly email is really worth it. It ensures you get a compacted summary of the most recent and exciting stuff (most surprisingly for me, it has even been including a heads up of what the Boots Star Gift has been week by week)

4. Sign up or create accounts with your favourite retailers

Though a lot of these recommendations involve clogging up your inbox, I do believe that signing up to your favourite e-retailers newsletter's is worth it for offers and discounts that you might otherwise miss. You often get notified about sales early, so you can grab some great bargains before all the decent stuff in suitable sizes sell out. I've also found with 90% of the websites I've signed up to or have an account with will give you a birthday discount too, which is a sweet touch.

5. Look for cheaper alternatives

Though there will always be a place in my heart for Top Shop, without my staff discount it is a wee bit expensive to regularly splash out on. But I do find with the most popular trends you can almost always find a cheaper alternative. Prime example: the pastel cropped fluffy jumpers I was coveting but never got around to buying (fool...)- between £35-£45 at Topshop, £20 at Missguided. Why pay more?

Time Flies...

img: Michelle Kerrigan- Work Place Confidence

Wow. 9 months since blogging. I wish I could say that the reason for this was because I was off having a fabulous time doing fabulous things with no time to blog, but this would be a lie.

 Since finishing Uni and moving back home, reality has kicked in somewhat. Now I’m  close to  24, rather than enjoying life, I am overanalysing life. Thinking, when am I going to move out, (and more importantly, where  am I going to move to?), what am I going to do with my life? Moving back in with your parents is no picnic either after the freedom of uni life.

 Now I was lucky that not long after quitting my retail job and looking for a ‘proper’ job, I found one. I am enjoying it and the people are wonderful, but I’d be lying if I said it was my life’s passion. I’m quite a creative person and I would love to do something that stokes that side of me. But with the economy and the job market being what it is, I was thankful merely even to get a full time job. I felt like I couldn’t turn down the opportunity, when trying to get into the sort of industry that I’d like would likely mean months, maybe even years of starting at the bottom, interning for free, and an expensive commute to London.

So to satisfy my creative desires, I thought I’d give blogging another go. I may not have a fancy camera or a tripod, or a bottomless bank account (or probably anything interesting to say!) but I enjoyed doing it and maybe it will give me the impetus to grab life by the balls and start making something of it

x-Siobhan-x