January Favourites

Hey there!

Happy end of January!  We made it to the end of the month, woohoo!  The sun has already set here and it's not yet 5pm so there are still some improvements to be made season wise but at least we're moving closer the spring as we enter the month of February.  Honestly I think this is the most on time I've ever been with my favourites!  So without further ado...

• Body Shop Microdermabrasion 

I loved this from the first moment I tried it.  It says it's not for sensitive skin and mine can be quite sensitive so I applied the product very lightly in circular movements on my wet skin.  The texture of the product feels very gritty and almost like sand mixed with cream.  My skin was so lovely and soft when I washed it off that I wanted to use it again the next day!  However it says not to use it more often than twice a week and taking in to account my sensitive skin I've only been using it once a week.  Particularly after a show when I've had a lot of make-up on my face I like to use this to feel like my skin has had a proper deep clean.

• Chanel Lipstick Coco Rouge in Triomphe

I already wrote a review of this when I bought it.  The colour is beautiful and really warms my face.  It is long lasting however because of that it can be drying so I can't wear it every day or my lips get really dry.  A nice first Chanel make-up purchase that has left me wanting to buy more shades from the range.

• Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold

I bought this at the same time as I bought the shade On and On Bronze and for a long time Pink Gold was left languishing in my make-up drawer in favour of it's pretty bronze sibling.  Recently I found myself wanting a natural looking brightening shade on my lids and this finally started getting used.  It's so pretty but originally I felt that it just wasn't enough on it's own with just some mascara to make an impact.  I've been wearing it with a touch of black eye liner on the outer corners of my eye lid and combined with this the brightening cream eye shadow looks very pretty.

• Topshop Lip Paint in Hibiscus

I got this in the Christmas sales and am in love with the colour and texture.  It's so bright and creamy and not drying on the lips at all.  The colour pigmentation is amazing!  Despite the creaminess it also seems to last a long time on the lips.  The only downside is that the shade is so bright I don't feel like I can wear it as often as I'd like to (every day).  I think this has been discontinued but the packaging is identical to their Lip Varnish lipsticks so maybe they're a similar product?  If it is I'd be willing to try them in other shades.

• Body Shop Aloe Calming Facial Cleanser

I got this for Christmas and I've been using it a lot to take of my make-up. It's just a nice, simple, does what it says on the tin, facial cleanser.  It doesn't irritate my sensitive skin and has a refreshing, light and pleasant scent.

So those were my favourites for this month.  Almost all sales purchases and Christmas gifts.  I got a lot of Body Shop products for Christmas and have been loving them all but had to narrow it down to these two to stop it becoming just a Body Shop haul!

Till next time

Twirlybirdie

A nice bright red lipstick - Art Deco Poppy Red 03

Hello!

How are you?  I'm feeling quite run down today so I had to give my morning class a miss as we have late evening stage rehearsals I need to get through later on today.  I hope that keeping warm and taking it easy this morning will help me ward off anything too serious.  Anyway I wanted to write about a nice bright red lipstick I've had in my collection for a while but only got out again recently.
This lipstick is from the Art Deco Perfect Colour range in the shade Poppy Red 03, which in stores here is a very affordable 8 euros.  I went looking for the lipstick on any UK websites and found that it's sold at Debenhams for £10.25.  A bit of a mark-up but in the affordable make-up range non the less.
I have two of these lipsticks and they both impressed me with their colour pigmentation.  This red really looks to me like a true red colour with neither obvious orange or blue tones, although I would say it does stray in to the warmer tone of red.

The lipstick is creamy but the finish is neither matte nor glossy.  It's a sort of semi-matte which means it doesn't slip off your lips too easily but it isn't the longest lasting formula either.  I suspect this is why it says it's best teamed with Art Deco's Magic Fix on it's website.  When I wore this out over a lip liner I definitely got much better wear out of it so I would recommend doing that.

Over all I like the finish, the high pigmentation, and the fact that it doesn't dry out your lips like some longer lasting formulas do.  The only down side is that you will probably have to touch up after some drinks or some food however the packaging really is stylish and the bullet has a nice weight to it so getting it out to do those touch ups doesn't seem like much of chore.

I do find myself using my Art Deco lipsticks fairly regularly for a bright wash of colour.
I think now it's time for a warm bath to try and make myself perk up a bit before I go in to work.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

New boots from Aldo, clothes haul from Mango

Hello!
I hope you had a nice weekend.  Mine was a working one but I had Monday off which was nice but too short!  I need a day to recover and another day for chores and all the things I'm too tired to do during the week!  Continuing the theme of my last 'New Year, New Me' post, one of the things I've been really wanting to do is overhaul my wardrobe.  Normally I'm a very cautious shopper.  I'm very budget concious and will really only buy the odd piece (usually only in the sales) now and again.  Lately though I've been having that feeling where you open your wardrobe and you've worn everything 100 times and nothing excites you.  There are still some amazing sales on so I thought I would take advantage of that and shake things up a bit.

I've always had a thing for boots that were higher than the knee but never taken the plunge.  I'm usually put off by the price.  When I went in to Aldo the other week they had a sale of up to 60% off boots and I spotted these beautiful leather boots that were not quite thigh-high but definitely higher than anything I had owned before.
I tried them on and instantly fell in love.  I was visualising skinny jeans and oversized jumpers, or mini skirts and dresses with a 60's vibe.  I knew this was the starting point I needed for my wardrobe/style revamp.

I went to Mango in search of the skinny jeans I was picturing and found these dark denim high waisted skinny jeans in the sale as well as some black regular waist skinny jeans.  The only jeans I had been wearing until that point were some light blue denims from Mango which I had bought in the summer but were now looking very worn and baggy.

I also found an oversized jumper in the sale for 15 euros which I wanted in grey but they didn't have my size left so I went for it in white.  I'm loving my new clothes so far as they are all staples so I can easily wear them with many things I have in my wardrobe at the moment.  The only problem though is that when I bought the boots the temperature had warmed up and most of the snow on the ground was melting so I thought it was the perfect time to buy these as they are not really snow boots.  Two days later and the snow started falling again so I guess I will have to wait a little while now to get the chance to wear them!  I'm looking forward to teaming them with the new clothes I already bought, and I'm keeping my eye out for some cute dresses to wear them with as well!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

New Year, New Me

Hello!

I hope you have had a nice day.  I just wanted to put together some thoughts about the way entering the year 2015 has been making me feel.  The end of the old year and the beginning of the next always has people making their resolutions to improve themselves for the better.  I am one of the many who make plenty of resolutions and then find them hard to stick to (or even remember!) .  They are usually forgotten about pretty quickly, maybe in as little time as even days in to the month.  Pretty soon I'm absorbed in work problems and general life and you get too far away from the new year to remember those little promises you made to yourself over champagne and fireworks.
This year though I've been feeling differently about the beginning of the year.  Instead of trying to improve on myself this year I've actually been thinking of 2015 as a fresh start.  I've been feeling the urge to clear out my old clothes, spring clean my flat, change my hair colour and generally start afresh.  Instead of feeling like the calender has reached 2015 I feel like the clock has re-set to zero and a new beginning has arrived.
Usually, I would think of September as the fresh start.  Not just a hangover from school days but also because that's when we start back at work after a summer break for the new season.  Yet it is right now that I feel like something magical is in the air, ready to clear out the old and bring in the new.  I think it's a fantastic way to feel about the new year and January in particular.  Normally January's such a dreary month, this year it feels like it's the month for change.  I hope that it's true.  Have you also been feeling like this this year?  I have been making little changes for my fresh start which I hope to blog about soon.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

A couple of Body Shop sale buys- Chocomania!

Hello!

I hope you guys are having a good week.  Last week I popped in to the Body Shop and was so happy to find some things on sale at a good price.  I really needed a new body butter having just run out of my Organic Surge one which I had been loving.  I love to try new products though and as the Chocomania Body Butter was on sale and I'd never used it before I decided to treat myself to it.  The matching Body Oil was also on sale.  I've had mixed results from using these oils in the past, the lemon one I loved but it was discontinued and then I tried the olive one and it stung my skin!  I really liked the scent of this one though and missed my lemon one so I decided to give it a go.

So far I'm really pleased with these products.  My skin is actually in pretty good condition at the moment so I can tolerate products that I sometimes can't when my eczema is flared up.  This makes it impossible for me to know whether or not these products would work when my skin is sensitive.  I sense it might not because they both have quite strong scents.  I'm not going to complain about that though, at the moment I'm loving slathering these on post bathing, smelling as though I'm covering myself in chocolate.  I love sweet scents so these are perfect for me.  I wouldn't wear something this sweet in the summer months (don't want to be chased by insects!) but winter is the perfect time for me to indulge in my love of a sweet smell.

The body oil has a nice consistency but isn't moisturising enough on it's own for my quite dry skin.  I tend to apply the body butter first which I find sinks in deliciously and then sometimes go in with the body oil on top to really seal the moisture in.  Right now this is the perfect duo for me and I'm really enjoying using them, I can't get enough!  Also these body butters seem to last me quite a long time which is always good for my finances.

Till next time :)

Juliet Cap Veil DIY Update #2

Hello there!

So I think it's time for an update on how my veil DIY'ing has been going.  I've spent a long time pondering over my veil since I bought my dress.  The shade of the dress meant that the bright white tulle I'd bought didn't really match it.  The style of dress also affected the simple style of veil I was planning on making.  I did look at a few veils to buy, particularly vintage ones but the decorative vintage ones cost a fortune and newer ones are still pretty pricey so I decided to still have a go at making something to wear.  I also do really like the idea of having made something special I would wear on the day myself.
So where have I gotten so far?  I went to the fabric store and bought 3 metres of tulle in a creamier shade.  At 2.50 euros a metre this was no great expense so of course I got more than I might need just in case.  When I open out the fabric and lay it side by side with the white tulle I can't actually really see the difference in shade, it's when it's all bunched up together that it's noticeable.  Irrespective I feel better knowing that the tulle is in a better shade to match my dress.
Next I spent a really long time looking at different veils and trying to decide what I felt would work best with my dress.  When I say a really long time I mean months I've spent thinking about this.  I'm really indecisive and don't want to get it wrong and change my mind and have to do it all over again!  I had to decide how I wanted it gathered, where and how I wanted it pinned, what I wanted to stitch to the cap or the edging.  Finally I decided that I wanted to try to gather it by sewing loops either side of the cap quite low down the side of my head.  Originally I had gathered the material at the sides using a hand sewn gathering stitch and then stitched the gathered tulle on to two combs either side of the head.  This time I tried a different technique as I wanted to fabric to sit more sleekly on my head without much puffiness on either side.
I found the middle of the top end of the fabric by folding it in half and marked this place with a sewing pin perpendicular to the edge of the fabric.  Then I placed that on top of my head so that the sewing pin matched up with the centre of my head and pinched the fabric on the side where I wanted my veil to be pinned to my head.  I also marked this place with a sewing pin.  I measured the distance between the middle and side pin so that I would know where to sew the gathers on the other side.

The pleats I made and then looped thread to around to secure.

 Then at the place where I wanted the veil to be pinned I folded pleats in the fabric, folding inwards first.  I made each pleat roughly 2.5 cm wide.  I folded five pleats and then sewed them together by making a loop two or three times around them with matching thread.  I repeated this process on the other side.  I have to admit that the first time around I wasn't happy with where the way the fabric had gathered on one of the sides as it seemed to be looser on one side than the other allowing fabric to be too loose on the top of one side of my head.  It was really easy to cut open the sewn loop and pleat the fabric slightly higher up and stitch it so that it pulled the fabric tighter to my head.

Here you can see the shape of the cap

I'm very happy now that I have the shaping of my veil figured out.  Next I'm planning on sewing two beaded appliqués I've chosen on to either side of the cap.  I have a feeling this is going to take some time and patience to get right so I'll get on it when I have a moment and fill you in.  I'm also trying to decide whether to sew the veil on to two combs like I did before or sew some ribbon loops that I can use to attach the veil to my hair with using kirby grips.  I have to admit I'm leaning more towards the ribbon loops than the combs at the moment as it seems less bulky particularly with the hairstyle I'm planning on having at the moment.

The beaded appliqués I'm planning to sew to the veil.  They are from John Lewis.

So that's the story of my veil so far!  I have to admit it is tricky to do.  It definitely takes more thought and time than I initially suspected, perhaps because I'm just trying to wing it using trial and error.  I'm really excited to see how it works out in the end though.  I'm glad I've got quite a bit of time to fuss over it until the wedding!  I'll keep you updated on my progress.

You can read my previous posts on my veil making adventure here and here.

Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)

My first Chanel lipstick- Rouge Coco 60 Triomphe

Hello!

I can't believe it's already mid-January!  This cold dark month will be over before you know it and sadly, so will most of the sales.  I've been making good use of them despite my good intentions to not spend money after the expense of Christmas.  I can't help feeling that I should stock up on everything I want to buy now before the sales aren't on any more.  Something that caught my eye which I would never have considered buying full price were some Chanel lipsticks.

There wasn't a wide selection of colours on sale and my aim was to find a shade that I would wear a lot but didn't already own.  I went for the Rouge Coco hydrating crème lipstick in number 60-Triomphe.  It is a bright candy like coral shade that definitely makes me think more of spring than winter, clearly spring is what I'm already dreaming about.  Despite it's brightness it also seemed to be a shade that I could get away with wearing during the day time and at work.  It didn't take much for me to convince myself that I was sold!  I did manage not to buy it there and then so gave myself some time to look it up online and really think about whether or not I was willing to spend that much on a lipstick.  Either due to the miserable weather or a tough day at work a couple of days later I caved and I have to say I was not disappointed!

For a creamy lipstick I was expecting it not to have much staying power.  I'm used to long lasting lipsticks screaming that they are long lasting or 24 hours on the packaging and all over the display.  I suppose that's the difference when you pay more for quality as this lipstick had really good staying power!  I put it on early in the morning before work and five hours later it was still there.  I have to admit that my lips felt a little dry a while after applying the lipstick but I guess that's the price you pay to have your lipstick remaining on your lips.  The colour pigmentation is also great and I really did feel this lipstick left my budget ones in the shade.  I love the shade on too, I was worried about it at first because I've never worn a lipstick in this shade before but I feel like it really warms up my face.

The biggest problem with the lipstick is that now I want more of them in different shades!  Eeek, that one sales purchase may be making me even poorer in the future than I first thought.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Coasters from Joy

Hello!

It's nearly Wednesday, that's mid-week for most people!  Sadly for me it's still only the start seeing as I work Tuesday to Saturday.  The weather here has gotten a bit warmer which means that all the snow has turned to water and ice so conditions are pretty treacherous.  When I'm walking to work it takes some focusing to stay upright!
I wanted to show you these cute coasters I got from my sister for Christmas.  They feel really luxurious as they are glass and have such a pretty print on them.  I've always loved the Joy home section but never brought myself to fork out for something nice for my home as I'm always moving around.  I was a bit concerned about transporting these home as they felt so heavy being glass but now that I have them here I'm glad I did.
I got four of them and they're really pretty to put around the house.  I've never had glass coasters before, only plastic or flimsy cork ones so these make a nice change.  One day I hope I'll have a more permanent base that I can fill with more pretty things like this!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Bag haul from Aldo

Hello!

How are you enjoying January?  It is not an easy month to get through but we are busy at work which  I'm sure will help it go faster.  The sun still sets early but it is setting later and later now with each passing day which is a reason to be cheerful in itself.  One way I cheered myself up was with a little shopping in the January sales!  I had been admiring a couple of bags for quite a while in Aldo, a selection of sparkly clutches and a beautiful floral hand bag.  I had discounted buying the hand bag because lovely as it was I could never see myself spending the amount on it it was originally priced at.  The sparkly clutch I had been toying with the idea of actually buying because I really needed a going out clutch bag and the sparkle on it was absolutely gorgeous!

When I went in to the store after Christmas they had a massive sale on and both the bags were half price!  I couldn't resist the shopping bag at half price and I managed to grab the clutch in time for New Year's celebrations!  So technically not a January shopping splurge but I'll definitely be using these bags all of January.  I love both these bags and the floral optimism of the hand bag is perfect for my mood right now  It's also a really good sized bag so I can always fit in more than what I need to take with me which comes in useful.  The glittery clutch bag is great to carry just a few bits and pieces needed for a night out.  I like the wrist loop too so that you don't easily drop it.

Till next time

Twirlybirdie x

Daily Body Moisturisers: Organic Surge and Alba Botanica

Hello!

I hope your week is plodding along nicely.  I have to moisturise my skin everyday straight after washing as my skin is very dry and can get irritated quickly if I don't keep it hydrated.  A short while ago I bought the Organic Surge Sweet Blossom Body Cream and the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Body Cream for the first time.  As I was suffering from eczema it was quite important I was using something that wouldn't irritate my skin any further.  I bought two moisturisers that day and of the two of them the Organic Surge body cream was the one that got on with my skin the best.  On the pot it is written that it 'moisturises and calms to comfort, nourish and protect'.  I found this to be true.  Though it is scented with 'pure sweet orange and cedarwood essential oils' the scent is subtle and it didn't irritate the sensitive areas of my skin.  The texture is definitely lighter than a body butter but still thick enough.  It absorbed easily in to the skin after a shower or bath.

There seemed to be a slight after scent that made me think of calamine lotion.  Perhaps that is something to do with the soothing element of the cream.  I have gone through this fairly quickly and would consider buying it again.  Overall a nice product that I wish would have lasted me longer!

The other body moisturiser I bought that day was the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Body Cream.  The blurb on the tub says 'deep moisturising kuikui nut to nurture and smooth, hypo-allergenic'.  This is thicker and waxier in texture to the Organic Surge body cream and much more strongly scented.  Unfortunately this cream did irritate my skin where the eczema had flared up.  I wasn't surprised by this because of the intensely strong scent coming from the cream.  This doesn't mean I haven't used it though.  The scent is strong and sickly sweet so will only be enjoyed if you really like a super sweet scent.  I have to say that irritation or not the scent is to my taste and I have used this on areas of skin that aren't sensitive such as my legs and upper body.  The scent is so strong that I feel as though I am wearing a perfume after putting this on!    Now that my eczema has disappeared again I can use this with out stinging all over my body but tend to only do this on occasions just in case.

I will be on the look out for another body moisturiser soon as the Organic Surge one has all but run out.  I should probably stick with what I know and re-purchase this one however I love trying out new things!  If you have any suggestions for lovely moisturisers for sensitive skins please let me know!

Till next time :)
Twirlybirdie

Christmas Beauty Gifts

Hello!  Continuing on the theme of Christmas presents from yesterday I was lucky enough to receive quite a few lovely Body Shop products from my family.  I love trying out new products and look forward to trying these in the coming year.  Some of these things I've used before and some of them I've just started trying out.  Here are my impressions so far.

I got an Aloe skin care trio set.  It contained the Calming Facial Cleanser, Calming Toner and Soothing Day Cream.  I've never used any of these before but since I got them I've tested out all of them and they seem to be lovely products.  They haven't irritated my sensitive skin and are lovely to use.  I've been using the calming cleanser to take off my make-up and it does a good job.  I'll look forward to seeing how I get on with them over time.
I also got a Vitamin C Skin Care Duo.  This included the Skin Reviver and the Microdermabrasion.  The Skin Reviver is great for the winter, I have already written about it before, but I had never tried the Microdermabrasion before.  I was really surprised by how abrasive the texture was when I first used it.  I followed the instructions to apply using circular motions and rinse off.  However because of  the texture and having relatively sensitive skin I applied it in circular motions using a very very! light touch.  After rinsing it off my skin really did feel wonderfully soft.  I really liked the results and wanted to use it again as soon as possible but it says to only use it twice a week and considering how rough it is I can see why.  I also noticed it says that it is not for sensitive skin so maybe I will only be using this once a week.  I was really impressed with it though.
The Body Butter in Coconut I have used before and it does have a really lovely scent and thick creamy texture.  The Hemp Hand Protector I have yet to get use but I've heard it's really good and as the temperature here hit -15 celcius this morning I'm sure it's going to come in necessary.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Christmas make-up gifts and sale buys

Hello!  This is a quick overview of some beauty bits and pieces that I either picked up myself in the post Christmas sales or was given as a gift.  As I haven't had much time to use them yet I'll give you my first impressions!

I got really excited when I spotted the make-up sale section in Topshop and picked up the molten eyes eye shadow stick in Lilac Rain as well as this lip paint.in Hibiscus.  Unfortunately the eye shadow stick fell straight out of it's tube as soon as I opened it!  Luckily I managed to squeeze it back in but I'll have to be really careful now every time I use it.  I wouldn't normally wear lilac eye shadow but this was really pretty and had a nice shimmery formula so I was tempted to give it a go.  I haven't worn it yet so will let you know how I get on.  I love the lip paint though.  It is a lovely creamy formula and such a bright and strongly pigmented colour.  I've actually worn this loads and find it stays on really well!  I'm longing for other shades in the same formula if they still make them?
The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer I bought because I don't actually own a highlighter and this has got so many great reviews.  I gave in to the hype when I found this to be much cheaper to pick up at the airport duty free.  So far it lives up to the hype and I have been enjoying my first tentative use of highlighting powder on my cheekbones.
The two Make-Up Factory eye shadows were gifts which have so far been useful.  The gold toned one has a similar colour to the Mary-Lou Manizer and I've been using it as a highlighter for the inner-corner of the eye and brow bone.  The brown shade 'Chromatic Gram'  is a really nice neutral, shimmery brown, perfect for teaming with my bold lipsticks.
The ciate nail polishes are part of a set called 'Corrupted Neon Manicure'.  I haven't used it yet but am looking forwards to using it for a special occasion.  It has loose glitter which you apply to the wet pink nail polish for the neon glitter effect and it even glows in ultra violet light!  Now I just need to find a rave to go to!

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Hello 2015!

Hello there!  Happy New Year!  Well it certainly has been a little while since my last post.  It's been an intensely busy time at work with performing; followed by travelling for short trips home to see the family over Christmas; more performances and then New Year's celebrations!  I feel I have only just recovered!  I've been catching up on lots of sleep but also really struggling to adjust to the cold weather and the lack of sunlight.  I'm ready to look forward to 2015 and all the wonderful things it will (hopefully) bring!

Instead of making my usual New Year's Resolutions I straight away was asking myself what my goals were for the year 2015.  I consider this a positive sign that I'm in the right mind set to tackle them this year as even the word 'goals' seems a bit more realistic and achievable than the vague and over reaching word 'resolutions'.  I even went out and bought myself a gorgeous new note book to write them down in and keep track of things coming up in the coming year.

I've decided to make it in to a diary/planner/journal myself as I couldn't find one in the shops that matched what I was looking for.  It's also a great excuse to get using all the washy tape I bought last year but have hardly touched.  I decided to have goals for 2015 and then separate monthly goals that I will write down each month.
So what are my goals for 2015?  Turns out I came up with loads so I won't bore you with all of them with you but here are some of my favourite:

• Write more
• Take and print out more photos
• Read more
• Travel somewhere new
• Not be so scared
• Drink more green tea

I'm already working on the reading and writing more.  I'm looking forward to setting forwards in to 2015 with a positive mind set and I hope that writing positive things down in my journal can help me stay on that road.  Have you made any goals or resolutions for the New Year?
Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie