Preparing my skin for my wedding day

Hello!  Sorry, I know it's been ages since I blogged.  As usual the main reason is work has been so busy.  We are staging a new production which première's next weekend so that's been taking up all my physical and mental energy.  I also came down with a kind of flu which knocked me out for about a week.  So yeah, that's what's been happening in my life for the past couple of months!
I'm sure I promised at some point I would write about what I did to get my skin in good condition for my wedding day.  Obviously everyone's skin is different so these things might not work for you, but I thought you might be interested to read what I got up to.
I'm usually pretty lucky with my skin which I think is partly down to having an active job where I dance around all day.  My main problem is dryness which I tackle with moisturising regularly, apart from my forehead which tends to be oily, so I guess that means I have combination skin.  Being a ballet dancer also means I have to eat a pretty healthy diet and I do notice a difference when I'm eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and drinking lots of water.  I get spots from time to time though so I wanted to up my game before my wedding day to give my skin the best chance of being spot free.
Things I did lifestyle wise were try to snack on fruit instead of chocolate as much as possible.  I actually snack on chocolate fairly frequently so I made an effort 3 weeks or so before to by fresh fruit to snack on instead.  I also made sure I was drinking enough of course (water, that is!).
Other than that I headed in to Boots to seek out some skin care essentials that would help keep my skin clear.  I do find salicylic acid works well for me when I have a breakout so I looked for products that contained that but which were also not too expensive as I probably wouldn't use such harsh products on my skin all year round.
The three things I bought were: the Boots Skin Clear Deep Cleansing Lotion, Tea Tree and Witch Hazel Charcoal Facial Mask, and the Skin Clear One Touch Spot Stick.
Every morning and evening I would wash my face with my usual face wash, Garnier's Pure Active Blackhead Clearing Scrub and then I would usually follow that with a sweep of the Deep Clearing Cleansing Lotion on a cotton wool tab.  I would moisturise afterwards with my usual morning or evening moisturiser.  In the evenings I would follow up any potential blemishes with a dab of the Spot Stick gel.
Once or twice a week I would use the Tea Tree and Witch Hazel mask which was probably my favourite of the three items I bought and one I have been wanting to use regularly ever since.  It smells delicious and my skin felt soothed and less oily after using it.
It's hard to say whether it was down to using these products or pure luck but I was fortunate enough to have clear skin on the day!  Now I only use the Deep Clearing Cleansing lotion when my skin is getting particularly bad as it feels quite strong to use on my skin every day.  Of course I still use the spot stick to target any spots that might pop up.  I find it helps to stop me messing about with them and making them worse.  If you're wondering why I ended up buying everything from Boots own range it was purely for economical reasons, I think there may have also been a special offer on at the time!
Obviously as I had good skin on the day I was pleased with all the products even though I wouldn't use such a harsh regime on my skin normally,
Hope this was helpful to you!  I'm off for a bacon sandwich, so pleased I finally blogged :)

On feeling like I should be 24

I'm in my last year of being in my 20's.  I feel like I've grown so much in the last decade I've been working as a ballet dancer but, I tell you, it's just now I feel ready, right now, to take on the job and the world.  I feel fully formed and experienced enough to go out there and find my place in it..... and yet, I can't help feeling like it's all too late.
How I feel now is how I thought I would feel at 24.  Self-assured, experienced, confident.  Let me say first of all that the world of ballet is very different to a conventional career.  Twenty-four probably sounds premature to the majority but a dancer's career is very short.  There's no university and you dive straight in to working professionally (if you're lucky) at the age of 18 or 19.  From then on you really don't have very long to make an impression and move up the ladder if that is what your ambitions are.  Many dancer's give up before they reach the age of 30 for various reasons; lack of financial security, injuries, the gruelling nature of the work etc. Very few make it to 40.
I didn't want to make this post about ballet but it's hard to explain my thoughts without giving it some kind of context.  Something that seems very much at the forefront of my thoughts right now is a lack of time.  I feel like I've enjoyed my twenties, done some good work and had a really good time, but now, I want to cement something, to do something definitive and memorable whilst I still have the chance and to make the most of the short time I have left of my youth.  When I was younger I don't think I ever looked farther ahead than 28.  I think in the back of my mind I thought my best work in this career would be done by then, and I would move on to the next phase of my life, hopefully moving in to an exciting new career.  Then I hit 28 and I still felt like I was 22, and had no where near achieved what I wanted to achieve yet.  The scariest thing is the realisation that I can't fit everything in.  The travelling and the second career and all the dancing I want to do, not mention starting a family.  In case you couldn't tell I've always been a bit over ambitious and a high achiever.   I can imagine a lot of women feel this way, that they haven't achieved enough yet in their careers and they face the burgeoning approach of soon being at the age they might want to start a family.  Probably I set myself too many big goals to reach and am now realising that there's no way I'll be able to get to them all.  Yet when I sit back and think about it, I suppose I'm glad for the ambition because it's dragged me to do all the interesting things I've done on the way there.  So maybe achieving the goals isn't what truly matters after all.  Perhaps you set them purely to give you a road to follow in the hope that it will lead you somewhere eventually, but the most important thing is that the journey will be interesting.

Till next time!

Twirlybirdie

Weekend in Bath: The Forum Coffee House

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I popped down to Bath to get out of London for a bit.  We had a lovely time wondering around the town and enjoying the vast array of shops there.  We spotted a new cafe called The Forum Coffee House and decided to pop in there for some lunch.  It is a really cool place with of the moment décor and fancy coffee making equipment.  When we were sat there I think I said to my husband 'I feel like I'm sat in an instagram picture', which, I'm not gonna lie, I did kind of love.

I think we had just missed the lunch rush as there weren't many sandwiches left out on the counter.  I could tell from the signs though that they had a nice range of snacks as well as drinks and the sandwiches we had were fresh and delicious.  Sadly I can't have caffeinated beverages so I went for a decaf iced coffee, which tasted great.  I did sneak a sip of my husbands americano though and it tasted rich and flavoursome.  He commented on how much he liked the flavour of it and that it wasn't too strong.

Some of the things I noticed on the boards were that they sold soup with bread which seemed like a reasonable price and also they had gluten free bread options.  All in all I would recommend a little trip to this coffee house if you come across it.  Perhaps try to go when it isn't lunch time as it was nice and peaceful when we were there but I can imagine this place must be popular come lunch!
Asides from that we came across a parade which was fun....noisy but fun!  I particularly enjoyed all the people dressed up as Disney characters.

It was a lovely day in Bath and I can't wait to pop down for another visit sometime soon!

Till next time :)

Bourjois Nude Sensation Foundation Review

Hello there!

I've got a long weekend to finally relax and rehabilitate...so naturally I've decided to write a blog post!  It surprises me that I feel motivated to blog as soon as I have the time and space to do it.  I obviously enjoy blogging and wish I could figure out how to do it more permanently.  For the meantime though I will have to make do with squeezing in little posts when my schedule allows me the time.

I wrote recently about how new make-up purchases had been happening in the past few weeks including this spur of the moment foundation purchase.  In the last couple of days before the wedding I literally ran around the shops purchasing anything and everything I thought I might need.  Talk about leaving things to the last minute!  Something I hadn't quite decided on at the time was whether or not I was going to wear foundation on the day.  I don't really enjoy the feeling of wearing foundation so normally I go with out it.  We have to wear really thick foundation for performances and I think that puts me off wearing it on an every day basis even more.  I had been having the odd spot appear though so I thought I should buy something in case and just decide on the day.  

I considered buying the foundation I normally use but had left at home, however it seemed daft to buy a foundation I already owned so I opted for the new Bourjois Nude Sensation Foundation.  I tested it on the back of my hand in the shop and the colour match of shade 42 'Nude Rose' seemed really good.  What appealed to me even more was the texture.  It felt really light and soft on the back of my hand so I decided to take and risk and just go for it.

On the day my skin luckily was really good, I took up an intensive skin care regime (which I'll write about at some point) a week or two before and it paid off.  As there would be so many photos taken I decided to go for it and wear the foundation anyway.  I couldn't go wrong really as it was so light it was barely visible on the skin.  I still felt a bit more confident though that my skin tone was evened out and more matt.

I don't think this foundation would be good if you want a lot of coverage as it is quite light and sheer.  I have layered it on a bit thicker though for example under the eyes by patting it in with my finger which seems to work well on areas you need more covered.  The texture does remind me of a silicone based primer, just with a bit more colour, so if that's your kind of thing you'll probably love this.

I really enjoyed using this on the day mostly because it felt so much nicer on my skin than I was expecting to feel from a foundation.  It felt smoothing and light and I really didn't notice I was wearing it at all on the day.  I pretty much loved it and would definitely pick this to wear for a big event again in the future.

I'm just glad that this wasn't a wasted purchase!

Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)

Pretty Silver Necklace from TK Maxx

Ok so maybe I'm late to the party here but a couple of weeks ago I popped in to TK Maxx for the first time in a while and came across it's jewellery counter.  I've never seen a jewellery counter in TK Maxx before so I was very intrigued and had a good nosy around the whole counter and all the stands on it.  I've been having a bit of a jewellery fetish this summer so browsing through all the pretty necklaces on display was very likely to result in a purchase.  It took a while but eventually I settled on this beautiful 'Love' necklace.  I have no idea what the brand of it is as there was nothing on the label but it is real silver and I thought it was a bargain for £15 reduced from £24.

You did have to have a good rummage through the stuff on sale, some of the bits and pieces had the odd stone missing etc. but I would definitely go there again if I was on the hunt for some new jewellery at a reduced price.
I'm pretty obsessed with delicate jewellery right now with tiny details on it.  Everything in Oliver Bonas's jewellery range for example!  I have a couple more new pieces to show you in future posts, including the necklace my husband bought me as a wedding present!
Till next time

Twirlybirdie :)

New Make-up Buys: Bourjois Aqua Blush and Liner Pinceau Reviews

Hello there!

How are you?  I am now married!  I got married at the weekend and am now a Mrs.  I had a wonderful day and will hopefully get up some wedding day related posts when things calm down a bit and I have more time.  We came almost straight back to work after the wedding day and are now almost in the throws of performances!  So I'm sure you can imagine how busy things have been.  Since I've been in London though I have done a little bit (or not so little, oops!) of shopping.  Some of my favourite things I've purchased have been new make-up additions.
One day at work they suddenly announced to us that they were going to take our head shots for the programme!  Normally I wear a bit of make-up to work but this particular day I'd been so tired I had gotten out of bed late and was completely make-up free!  I also didn't have any make-up with me that day so I had no choice but to pop out in my break and buy a few things.
After perusing the aisles of Boots for quite a while trying to work out what was the best offer I settled on the Bourjois deal where if you spent £15 or more you got a free gift consisting of a Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Peach on the Beach and a Maxi delight bronzer with a kabuki brush.
The items I bought were the Liner Pinceau Eyeliner in Ultra Black and the Aqua Blush in Shade 03.

I was worried that these products might end up being a waste of money seeing as they had been purchased in a hurry just because of bad planning regarding the photo shoot, however they have both proved to be really useful additions to my collection.
I actually ended up using both these products on my wedding day.  I was disappointed at first when I opened up the liner and found it to be a small brush which I have found more difficult to use than a sponge wand tip, yet somehow it was easy to get the hang of, perhaps because the brush itself is so fine making it easy to control.  The colour really is 'ultra black' which I appreciate, I can't stand a wishy-washy shade of black liner.  It also does seem to be long lasting.
The Aqua Blush I've been really loving as well.  The shade is really perfect for me, a slightly warmed up true pink and I only need a tiny bit to provide a subtle flush on both cheeks.  The formula is super smooth and feels lovely gliding on the skin.  I would recommend this.  I haven't really been checking on how long it's stayed on yet but I did pick it to wear on my wedding day as well!

  Of the free gifts the bronzer was in shade 02 for more olive toned complexions, unfortunately too dark for me.  I tend not to wear bronzer but thought I would give it a go, however the tone of it just doesn't work on my super pale skin.  The free brush was a nice touch but I felt that the bristles were a bit too rough.  The Models One brushes I own are so much softer and compared with them I really didn't like this one.
The one part of the free gift I did love was the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon.  The shade looked like it might be a bit too Barbie coral pink but once I tried it on I really loved it.  The formula is really creamy and the shade is bright and wearable.  I loved that it wasn't opaque but it definitely wasn't too sheer either.  It is a perfect shade for summer and I've kept it in my bag and taken it to wear at work with me everyday.  The SPF 15 in the formula is an added bonus and a great incentive to keep applying it throughout the day.  It's not that long lasting but I enjoy re-applying it and it does leave a subtle tint of colour on the lips anyway.
If you're interested in the free gifts the offer still seems to be on at Boots.

Till next time :)

Twirlybirdie

Life Lately: London and Wedding Preparations!

Hello!

 I am back in my home town of London for work which is so exciting.  Being in London is like meeting up with an old friend.  One you haven't seen for so long you almost can't remember what it's like to hang out but once you meet up again it's like it's been no time at all.  It's so wonderful to have so many places to go and explore, particularly all the lovely coffee shops we can visit.
Starting a new job is always a slightly stressful experience.  I couldn't sleep the first few nights properly as we were also staying somewhere I hadn't stayed before.  It takes me a little while to settle in anywhere new.  I'm a week in now though and things are starting to feel more familiar.
I feel like I'm at a cross roads in my life and hope I'll use this time in England to try to figure out what I want next.  There's a part of me that would love to live in London one day and I know that if I don't try to do this soon I wont be in a situation where it's easy to do it for much longer.
Last minute wedding preparations are being made as the wedding is this month.  I can't believe it will be here soon!  I just bought my last bridesmaids dress at the weekend.  It was a lucky find as we only had one day to get it before the bridesmaid jetted off to America for another friends wedding.  I had quite specific criteria for the dress (vintage, short, gold. 40's/50's era) and was lucky to find the perfect thing in a size that fitted.  Things are coming together quickly luckily as I also had to find shoes for myself and finally managed to find the perfect gold sparkly pair in Dune (in case you hadn't noticed gold is in the colour scheme!).  So now as things become hectic and tiring with work I'm glad that I've only got a couple of things to do.  One of them being the last flower crown for the bridesmaids to make.  I'm enjoying the preparations now that the actual day is in sight.  I don't like to drag things out over a really long period of time!

When we went bridesmaid dress shopping we stopped at a nice cafe on Brick Lane and the cakes there looked amazing!  My fiancé ordered the Banana and Butterscotch cake which I had a taste of, it really was delicious.  The cafe was called Kahaila and I would recommend checking it out if you're around the area.

Sorry if the photos aren't as good quality as usually but I don't have my DSLR camera with me so I'm making do with my iphone for the moment!
I hope you enjoyed this little catch up.  I don't really have a lot of time to blog at the moment but I'd like to try to keep this little blog as up to date as I can manage anyway!
Till next time
Twirlybirdie :)