Sharing the Blog Love #1

I feel like I don't do enough to tell you guys about the blogs I love, I mean, I have a blog roll, but I'm useless at Twitter Follow Fridays, and maybe you don't even know about my blog roll?

The lovely Tamira tagged me to do the Bloggers Love tag, but instead of answering a load of questions, I thought I'd just mention a few of my favourites right now, so you can have a read!

First off, let's talk about Celina. I noticed Celina's name popping up frequently in the comments on my blog, so I followed the link and oh boy am I glad. I trust every word out of this lovely lady's mouth, her reviews are spot on and she really gives the important stuff. I love that she's not afraid to tell it how it is either, whilst everyone was spouting the press release for the Ciate Doll House collection, Celina put her opinion out there, and it was definitely the opposite of those who had been gifted the product. Just goes to show. Find Celina here.

I came across Jenn's Blog after befriending Vanessa and Daphne, and many a four-way Twitter discussion ensued. I love that I never quite know what to expect from Jenn's blog, she really has a good mix of products going on, and she really covers all bases in her reviews. Plus, she's pretty damn hilarious. Find Jenn here.

When I discovered Sleep and Water I promptly read the whole blog in one evening. Seriously gorgeous photography and awesome reviews. Also, because she lives in Australia, there's often mention of some different products, which is always good by me. One of my biggest enablers, by far. Read more here.

I found Blush and Brunch via someone else's blog roll, and I'm now hooked. Not only is the layout totally drool-worthy, it's home to some really fab photos. I get super excited whenever I see a new post in my Bloglovin' feed! Get hooked here. 

And last but certainly not least, there had to be a special mention for Brittany. Brittany's blog just has it all, a good mix of beauty and lifestyle posts, a gorgeous layout and stunning photos, and now she's even on YouTube! And on top of all that, she's just seriously lovely. I even had the pleasure of interviewing her for Blogbranch, which you can read here. Everyone should be following her, and if you aren't already, go now! Discover Life, Set Sail here. 

I hope that gave you a few new blogs to read, please feel free to leave your links, and the links of your favourite reads in the comments!

Mother's Day Breakfast

I thought I'd show you some snaps I took at breakfast this morning. We bundled into the campervan bright and early this morning with the dogs and the ingredients for a barbecue breakfast and headed for a spot where we can park right on the beach front, but it turned out the beach front was shut for a half marathon. Typical. So we popped into one of our favourite breakfast places near the beach instead, Urban Beach, and had breakfast on the terrace.

I love the cute little details in this place, the colourful chairs, flowers on the tables, quotes on the beams, it's just lovely, and the service is always great.

I had a full English breakfast and a big pot of Teapigs Super Fruit tea, my favourite! 

The dogs were very well behaved considering that they didn't get their play on the beach (or any bacon) and sat with us for breakfast, but our Cockapoo Finn is terrible on the lead right now, he just pulls and pulls until he half chokes himself, so my Dad decided to pick him up and carry him back to the car, which definitely put his nose out of joint!

We were planning to have a barbecue back home this evening, but our neighbor just lit a bonfire so... this could be a problem.

March 2014 Favourites

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSJaiGKRz10]

I asked on Twitter whether you guys would prefer a monthly favourites post or video, and you were pretty much split down the middle, so I figured, I'd just do both! I'm gonna keep this post really brief, so if you want more information on the products, watch the video! 

First up, there are two primers I have been loving, the Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser for keeping my makeup in place all day, and the Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion for maintaining eyeshadow. I've worn both every day this month and think they're great.

I've fallen in love with the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade for setting my under-eye concealer, it just really brightens the under eye area and makes me look glowier and healthier. To apply it, I've been using the Real Techniques Contour Brush, which is just perfect for precision powdering. I've also been using this brush to blend out my under eye concealer, it really blends it in whilst leaving as much coverage as possible.

For cheeks I've been obsessed with the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour blush in Doll Face, it's such a pretty pink that really flatters my (paler than pale) complexion. It's also got amazing lasting power, it really stays put all day. 

I've been using a different lipstick every day, but I have been obsessed with The Body Shop Aloe Lip Care, which totally saved my lips this month, for under £5 you cant find a better lip balm. 

Two haircare products, both from Dove, made the cut this month. The Dove Style + Care Heat Protect Spray smells amazing, detangles your hair after washing and protects against heat styling. I'm rubbish at remembering to use heat protectant, but this smells so good and doubles up a detangler so I've been using it religiously. I've also fallen in love with the Dove Style + Care Nourishing Dry Ends Serum, which you can use on dry hair to smooth out your style, but it also adds nourishment back into dry ends. I've been carrying this around in my handbag and using it throughout the day!

The nail polish I've loving this month is the & Other Stories Polish in Stonewash Jeans, a gorgeous pearlescent powder blue. I am totally obsessed with the colour powder blue right now, hats, bags shoes, they've all been powder blue this month. 

Two non-beauty favourites also deserved a mention, first up the Diptyque Pomander Candle which I finally started burning this month. It's a gorgeous spiced orange scent, not really suited to this time of year but I love it. I've also become obsessed with Clipper Teas, particularly St Clements and Cloud Nine, if you like herbal teas, you need to try this!

What have you been loving this month?

5 Things To Buy in April

When trying to stick to a monthly budget, deciding what beauty bits to splurge on can be tricky. Especially when you're a bit of a beauty junkie. So I thought I'd pick out five items I've discovered this month that are definitely worth the splurge in April. And if you already have some of these, well, then buy a burger instead.

The first product I wanted to mention is one that I've had for a really long time, but have only just understood why everyone loves it. I've had the Urban Decay Primer Potion for over a year now, but since I was quite happy with my Benefit Stay Don't Stray I never really touched it. I finally ran out of the latter recently and since then I've been reaching for the Urban Decay offering. What I love about this stuff is that once you put it on, you can't see it, you can just feel that your lids are smoother. It really makes your eye makeup stay looking freshly applied all day long, and you only need a tiny amount.

I don't often get excited about haircare, but I've recently fallen in love with the Dove Style & Care Dry Ends Serum. You can put this in your hair when it's dry, and not only does it smooth flyaways, but it really helps nourish your hair, adding moisture back into dry hair. I've been reaching for this a lot.

The most budget friendly of the five items I've chosen is the Kiko Kiss Balms. I have two of these now, I bought one in Milan back in September, and now they've finally come to the UK so I picked up another one. These are incredibly soft and hydrating lip balms, with a tint of sheer colour. The two I have are Blackberry, a nudey pink shade, and Tutti Frutti, a pretty coral. These are so easy to wear and so pretty too.

For my birthday this month, the awesome Daphne got me a naughty gift in the shape of the Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow 2.0 in The Epiphany. It's a beautiful eyeshadow duo with a gorgeous metallic. shimmery, warm bronze shade and a warm deep brown for the crease. I would go as far as to say these are the best quality eyeshadows I've ever tried, the pigmentation, texture and staying power are better than even the likes of Urban Decay, which is saying something. The perfect multi-look duo. I'd recommend getting your mitts on this, fast.

And lastly, I wanted to talk about my go-to everyday highlight. I can't remember the last time I didn't use the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade to set my under-eye concealer and top my cheekbones. There's no glitter just a really subtle shimmer that on the skin just makes you glow. You need the tiniest amount and it just looks so naturally radiant.

As for my April wishlist? I think a Sephora order might be in order, it would be rude not to!

What will you be picking up in April?

The Best Of Rimmel

I kind of abandoned my 'The Best Of' Series over Christmas, and then by the time January rolled around I had completely forgotten about it. I think because I'd done most of the brands that I've tried a lot of products from, I just sort of forgot about it. However, I thought it was about time to reinstate it, after going back through my posts and realising I've never done one for Rimmel.

Rimmel is probably my absolute favourite drugstore brand. I just feel like they get a lot right, whereas some drugstore brands have great products, but also a lot that's hit and miss. I also think it's really affordable, not like some drugstore brands (Revlon, L'Oreal, Max Factor) whose prices often sit between the £9-13 mark, which in my opinion is too much. I've tried a lot of Rimmel stuff, and most of it I've loved. There are a few misses which I will mention at the end, but for the most part, it's all good!

 The Best

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - Of the three Rimmel Foundations I have in my stash this is my favourite. It's a medium coverage foundation that is buildable, you can easily cover everything with this. It blends really well and it lasts well too, I rarely have to touch up with this foundation. I like the finish of this, it's not dewy but it's not overly matte either, it just looks natural. It's a great colour match for me despite me being super pale, and I don't even have the palest shade, so if you have a really fair complexion I'd check this one out.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation - I really liked this foundation about a year ago but I haven't reached for it in a long time. It's around a medium coverage with a very dewy/glowy finish. In the bottle it looks shimmery but it doesn't translate to the skin, it's just glowy. It's a good one, but I don't really like the scent, which puts me off reaching for it.

Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation: As the name would suggest, this foundation has a completely matte finish. It's pretty drying so I wouldn't go near it unless you're having an oily day, or you generally have oily skin. This is one I reserve purely for oily skin days, otherwise it's too drying for me. However, when I am having an oily day, this is a great foundation, good coverage and it wears really well, no touch ups required, with good coverage.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer - One of the only concealers I have ever repurchased, this is one of my favourites for tackling the under eyes. It's a good medium coverage concealer, but it really brightens the undereyes, making you look more awake and healthy, which is always a good thing.

Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 Concealer and Highlighter - I like this, again as an under eye concealer, it doesn't cover as much as the Wake Me Up does, but it's more brightening (makes sense since it's also a highlight). I normally apply this over my under eye concealer of choice to brighten everything up, and I also use it as my browbone/inner eye highlight.

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - This is a great setting powder, it doesn't offer any coverage, but it helps makeup stay in place, but I'm always put off by the packaging. It's just crap, after two weeks the lid won't even go back on properly. But it's a good setting powder, especially if you don't want to mattify your skin too much, and it's really affordable.

Rimmel Exaggerate Under Cover Shadow Primer - I didn't have high hopes for this eyeshadow primer, but it's actually a perfect dupe for the NARS Smudgeproof Shadow Base. I did a full post on it, which you can read here.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner Pencils in Bronze and Nude - It doesn't matter that these are drugstore, these are some of the best eyeliners on the market. Nude in particular is amazing for brightening up the waterline and inner corners of the eye, whilst Bronze looks great smudged along the lash line.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Crayons - These are perfect for an easy smokey eye. Cream shadows in stick form, I recommend Bulletproof Beige and Bad Girl Bronze.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Paints - I don't think there is anything quite like this on the market, these are liquid eyeshadows that you apply straight to the eyelid with the doe-foot applicator, blend out, and then they set and don't budge. The shade range is a bit dodgy, but Rich Russet is beautiful, and Golden Bronze is a nice one for summer.

Rimmel Eyeshadows - these are amazing quality considering the price, you can get little quads for around £4, the shadows are beautiful, really soft and pigmented, and the colours are amazing too.

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tints - A nice one for summer, or to layer under lipstick to increase the staying power, these are just nice lip tints in felt-tip form, with a balm too. To be avoided if you have dry lips!

Rimmel Lip Liners - I'm not much of a lip liner girl, but when I want one, I have an army from Rimmel which work perfectly. Cheap and cheerful, and there's some good colours in there.

Rimmel x Kate Moss Lipsticks: I think I have nearly all of these now? An awesome range of matte and satin finish lipsticks, with incredible staying power. I and half the blogging community, are particularly fond of the red shades.

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks in Notting Hill Nude and Let's Get Naked - There are a few misses in this line, but for the most part these are spot on. Let's Get Naked is my favourite nude lipstick, it's got a hint of peach and it's so flattering, whilst Notting Hill Nude is a true nude, and just as lovely. The formula of these is super creamy and soft, but they still last well.

Rimmel Nail Polishes - I'm lumping these all together because they are all equally fabulous. They have the most amazing shade range, good wide brushes, fast drying and they last at least four days before they start to chip. Some of my favourites are Rose Libertine, Orange Your Life and Hip Hop. Their Nail Nurse Topcoat is also fab, and very similar to Seche Vite.

The Misses

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil - This is just really too warm toned, it makes your brows look orange, and it doesn't last past lunchtime either.

Rimmel Mascaras - I've tried a few mascaras from Rimmel but they all seem to just clump on me and make my lashes feel heavy and horrible. I tried to like them! 

Rimmel Apocolips Lip Lacquers - Everyone seems to love these but I really just don't. They cling to any dry bits on your lips, they don't set so they are constantly smudging and some of the shades are just bizarre. Even my boyfriend hates these. The one exception is the shade Celestial, which is quite pretty and, if applied sparingly, sort of works. It's a lot of hassle though for something that's not that special. 

Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Glam Plum Fullham - The first thing to note here is that this lipstick isn't plum. It's a dark pink. That makes your teeth look yellow. The second is that this stuff just won't stay put on your lips, it prefers to be on your chin, nose, upper lip and teeth. Nice.

What are your favourite products from Rimmel?

A Foodie Day

I wish I had some photos from yesterday other than food to show you, but hey, I documented the important stuff, right?

Yesterday is the first day off the boy and I have both had in months where one of us hasn't had coursework or something to keep us at home. I'm on my Easter break now, and the boy is done with classes for exam period, finally. I needed to pop into Central to pick up my Mum's Mother's Day present, and I'd had to cancel my plans with Daphne earlier in the week because my hip was playing up (#OldLadyProblems), so we decided to combine the two and meet Daphne for tea before wondering around the shops. We met Daphne and headed straight for Yumchaa which is tucked away behind Oxford Street in Soho. Daphne and I are something of tea addicts so it made sense that we would head there for a drink and a catch up. I'd never actually been into a Yumchaa Cafe before, I've had plenty a Yumchaa tea, but never direct from the source. It's a really cute, simple cafe, with a scrumptious looking selection of cakes, even a few gluten free options, and the biggest selection of tea ever. What I love is they have a little of each tea in little pots by the till, so you can have a sniff to make your selection. Daphne and I are both on a bit of a juice hype right now, so we both opted for frozen fruit teas, which were downright delicious (the boyfriend didn't fancy anything so he just sat stealing mine). I can't remember what the names were, but there are only four frozen teas, Daphne had the Berry & Rooibos one, and I had Mango and Green Tea. They were massive and the Boyfriend ended up having to finish mine, whilst Daphne transferred hers to a to-go cup, since we both ended up with brain freeze.

After that we were actually starving, so we headed up to Tottenham Court Road to grab lunch at Franco Manca. I had never been before but The Boy is something of a pizza place dictionary and said it was good. It was pretty busy so we had to wait ten minutes for a table but MAN was it worth the wait. The menu comprises of five pizzas, so it's pretty simple, but they're all made fresh, and the menu tells you where all the ingredients are sourced from which is nice. I can't even begin to describe how good these pizzas were, but they were definitely the best I've ever had outside Italy. It's pretty cheap too, you're looking at between £5-£6.50 for a pizza, and I'd reccomend skipping the drinks since they are constantly putting bottles of cold filtered water on your table for free anyway (and the drinks are inexplicably pricey and small). It's a cheap lunch date anyway that will fill you right up. They have a few locations so it's worth checking them out!

After Daphne bid her fairwells (after we drooled at stationery in Tiger and Muji) the boy and I meandered in and out of a few shops and then headed back home, snuggled up on the sofa and watched Netflix. My favourite kind of day.

Lazy Day Beauty

The first thing I do in the morning is put on makeup. I find that once I have makeup on, I am a lot more productive, without it I'm unlikely to leave my bed. That doesn't mean I'll wear makeup all day everyday, but her, I like makeup, I like wearing it, I like applying it, so there's rarely a day that goes by where I don't wear it.

That doesn't mean to say that everyday that goes by I wear a full face, foundation and contour and complicated eyeshadow. For the days where I'm pottering around at home, or weekends where I'm doing a bit of work and maybe going for a walk, I have a selection of products I tend to reach for, enough to make me feel done, without taking much effort, or looking too over the top. 

In recent months I've really gotten in to tinted moisturisers and BB Creams, they're just great for when you want a bit of coverage, but you don't want anything heavy on your skin. Usually I reach for the Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser, but I recently got my paws on the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, which I have fallen head over heels for. This is probably the most coverage tinted moisturiser I've ever tried, with the Laura Mercier offering I often still need a little concealer for redness but with the NARS one I can just pop a brightening concealer under my eyes and be done. For that, I normally reach for the MAC Mineralize Concealer. 

I normally like to set everything in place with a powder when I use tinted moisturiser, I feel like I'm more likely to look oily otherwise? Right now I'm loving the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation, which can be built up to a medium coverage foundation alone, or lightly applied over tinted moisturiser for a touch more coverage and a more matte finish. Because this product is designed to be a foundation not touch up powder, I find it actually lasts much longer on the skin than your regular setting powder. 

I'm not about to faff with bronzer and highlight on these kinds of days, but I do like to add a little dimension back into my face. I like to reach for an 'all in one blush', you know those kinds of blushes that add definition, colour and a touch of highlight all in one? My favourite of them all is Benefit's Rockateur Boxed Blush, a dusky rose with a hint of shimmer that can be applied lightly to the tops of the cheeks and it really does a lot for them.

Realistically, I'm not much of a brow person when I am doing a full face of makeup, so on days like this I skip them altogether. Eyes I keep pretty simple, I normally just chuck on my MAC Painterly Paint Pot, and then reach for my Bobbi Brown Rich Chocolate Palette, which is home to a gorgeous selection of matte neutrals (and a couple of shimmers, but for the purpose of this post I'm only interested in the mattes). I tend to just take one shade from the palette across the lid, but occasionally I'll also smudge a darker shade around my lashline to add a bit of definition. I polish it all off with a little bit of mascara, right now I love the Dior Iconic Overcurl Mascara.

And lastly, I just add a little something to my lips. Most of the time this means either a nude lipstick or a tinted lip balm, but recently I've been loving the L'Oreal Glamshine Splash Stain in Romy, a lipgloss with impressive staying power, no stickiness and a stain to it. It's pretty similar to my natural lip colour, but it just adds a little something. 

What do you reach for for barely-there makeup?

Try Before You Buy

I mentioned briefly that the last time I hung out with the awesome Daphne I raided her stash a little, and ended up bringing home a few different products to try out for a couple of weeks, products Daphne loves that I have had on my wishlist but never tried. This is great for me since it means I won't end up buying something and not liking it! I actually bought back quite a few items and have slipped them into my rotation over the last week and a half, so here are my thoughts!

The main reason we actually did this is because I really wanted to try the Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation. I only have one mineral foundation in the ranks and that definitely comes under the light coverage bracket, and since this has been getting rave reviews left right and center, I was keen to try it out. I wouldn't say this is full coverage, but it's definitely buildable, up to a decent medium finish, and it looks incredibly natural. It doesn't look matte at all and it somehow adds a little glow. This one is a little dark for me, but I do really like it and think that this might be making it's way into a little Sephora order (I'm aware that QVC will be stocking Tarte at the end of the month, but have you seen the prices?! Ridiculous!).

Two other Tarte products made their way into my handbag, I borrowed two of Daphne's Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hour Blushes in the shades Tipsy and Doll Face. These have been on my wishlist for a long time now, and if anything I now only want them more. I thought Tipsy would end up being my favourite, it's a bright coral shade, the kind I'm currently obsessed with, but I've fallen harder for Doll Face, a bright baby pink shade that really suits my current paler-than-vampire skintone. The formula of these is great, they're super pigmented and blend really well, and the lasting power is fantastic.

A product that has really intrigued me for quite some time is the Stila In The Light Palette. So many people rave about this palette, but to be honest I've never felt the pull. After telling Daphne this, she suggested I take hers for a spin and warned me I'd fall in love with it, but to be honest, I don't think this palette is for me. I've been using it for a week now and honestly the only shade I've found myself reaching for, that really works for me, is Kitten. The rest of the shades I find I already have in other palettes, or they just don't work for me. There's two blue toned shades and two rusty shades in the palette, which really just aren't flattering on me, and I've tried to use them. I do love Kitten, but I have another palette with that in, so that might just be a pass for me.

And lastly, I took the legendary Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade for a spin. I've had my eye on this for a while but it's currently sold out on Cult Beauty. I mostly just wanted to try this because I was kind of intrigued, since it looks just like a gel eyeliner, but it's for your eyebrows? Either way, I've fallen head over heels for this product, it takes some getting used to but once you figure out how to use it, it's like magic. I've got this down now to 30 seconds per brow, they're nicely defined, well filled in, they stay put all day but they're still natural looking. 

Have you tried any of these products?

Pretty in Pink

I've been loving a very pink makeup look recently. My skin hasn't seen sunlight since my September trip to Italy, and I'm the palest I've been in a long time, so I find that a pink flush to the lips and cheeks is one of the most flattering looks I can sport. I always used to be a bit scared of pink, I feel like it could be done wrong quite easily, but I've found a way to wear it that I find works, and of course, an army of products that just get the job done.
 

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Elusive, MAC Sunny Seoul, MAC Lustering, NARS Mistinguette, Bobbi Brown Apricot

So starting with the cheeks, there are two blushes that I am currently loving to get that pink flush going. The more subtle of the two is nestled inside the NARS One Night Stand Palette, the shade Mistinguette. I didn't think I'd like this shade at all, it's a cool toned, light Barbie pink and in the pan it looks terrifying. However, subtly blended into the cheeks it's actually incredibly flattering, and because it's matte it looks really natural too. This gives a real 'I've just been out in the cold' effect, and I've been reaching for it a lot. The other shade is the Bobbi Brown Apricot Blush, another bright pink, but this one is much darker. This is super pigmented so a light hand is needed, but it really adds a pop of colour to the cheek, and puts the life back in my face! This blush also has the best staying power of any blush I've ever tried, it's just amazing!

Lips-wise, there are a few pink picks doing the rotation in my stash right now. A product I've pulled out again recently and fallen in love with all over again is the MAC Lipstick in Lustering. This is a lipstick that I wore religiously during the summer months but neglected once it got colder, but I pulled it out again this week and my oh my. It's got a slightly sheer formula so it builds nicely, meaning you can wear really ramp up the intensity. I personally love it just as a wearable pop of brighter pink, plus it's blue toned so your teeth appear whiter! Another MAC offering holding court right now is Sunny Seoul, which is the first MAC Lipstick I ever bought. It's a pretty standard pink shade, but it looks gorgeous with a gloss on top.

I usually pass on matte formulas during spring, but I do really like the Revlon Matte Balm in Elusive right now. It's a pretty neutral pink shade but it's one of the easiest shades to wear, goes with everything and not drying!

Pinks not a shade I normally reach for, but I felt like I should mention the Urban Decay Naked Three Palette, a smorgasbord of rosy-hued neutrals that I never expected to love like I do. For some reason all these shades really work, despite being pink.

I've also been rocking a few pink picks on the nails. The Rimmel Salon Pro in New Romantic, is the barely there option, a pretty pastel pink with a glossy finish, and then Essie Watermelon for something a bit bolder.

What are your favourite pink picks?

Best of the Sleep Aids

I've referenced my insomniac brain a few times on the blog, it normally causes a few rambly posts written with a lack of sleep. I have a spectacularly busy brain, and I'm a born worrier, I find it really hard to relax enough to fall asleep. My boyfriend is one of those people who falls asleep as soon as his head touches the pillow, but I need a little more help, or I end up spending five hours lying in bed remembering every cringey moment from childhood, and worrying about my workload. Whilst I haven't found anything that will send me straight to sleep, I have got a little selection of aids I employ when I need help to unwind. 

Nothing makes me sleepier than long, hot, bubble bath, so if I've had a particularly stressful day, or my anxiety is acting up that's the first thing I do before bed. I love a good Lush bath bomb, but if I'm on the sleep search it's the Aromatherapy Associates Bath Oils I reach for. Not only do these smell incredibly soothing, the leave your skin silky smooth too.

I like to cosy up in bed with a giganta mug of tea, to warm up my insides and soothe my soul (tea is the best medicine, I'm sure). Most of the time I reach for Whittard's Dreamtime Instant Tea, a super sweet honey, apricot and vanilla tea, but if I want something a little less sweet and a little faster working, I go with Clipper Snore and Peace, which is a delicious blend of chamomile, lemon balm & lavender (don't worry, you can't taste the lavender). 

There are a few products I find really aid the calming of my mind. The This Works Deep Sleep Stress Less rollerball often gets rolled all over my inner wrists and I find the scent super calming, I tend to whip it out of my handbag if my anxiety starts to pop up. I also have the This Works Sleep Balm, which is the option I prefer for travel, since it's not liquid it's perfect for flying. I tend to pop this on my temples. I used to have the pillow mist from the range, but when that ran out I moved on The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow and Body Mist, which is almost identical but half the price. This gets liberally spritzed all over the bedding and my pyjamas until my boyfriend starts to sneeze. I also find a good mist of the Caudalie Beauty Elixir all over my face and neck helps me feel ready for bed, and the essential oils make me feel sleepy. 

And if all else fails, I just knock back a couple of Nytol, switch off the lights and hope for the best!

What do you like to do before bed to help you sleep?

5 Happy Things

 After yesterday's post which didn't have the happiest vibe, I thought it would be nice to do a 5 Happy Things post, partly to remind me of the good things, and partly to brighten the mood a little!

1. The boyfriend and I went for a walk yesterday, and we discovered a really gorgeous park, less than five minutes from my flat that we had never seen before (and my boyfriend has lived on this road for a year and a half). It's got a massive field part, big trees and pretty flowers, a kids play park, basketball and tennis courts, and outdoor gym equipment, so I think I'll be redirecting my morning runs that way! 
2. Sunday Brunch. Is there anything better? I was wide awake at 9am this morning, but because the boyfriend was still asleep I ended up falling back to sleep (after brushing my teeth, drinking a pint of water and reading a bajillion blogs), and not waking up til midday. We made american style pancakes in our PJ's, covered them in cinnamon sugar and ate them on the sofa. I really love lazy sunday Mornings.
3. I've discovered a new photo editing app on my iPhone, it's called PicFX and I am totally obsessed, it's got a ton of fab filters and effects, and you can add light effects too which I love. 
4. My new MacBook. I am a very lucky girl, for my birthday this week my parents bought me a new MacBook Air, since mine was on it's way out, and I've had so much fun setting it up and downloading apps for it!
5. I am totally obsessed with The Pretty Reckless and their new album came out this week, and I'm obsessed with it. If you're a fan of rock music, you should definitely check this out.

In the spirit of spreading the happiness, leave me a comment telling me what has made you happy this week! 

April Instagram Photo Challenge

Over December and January I took part in two different photo a day challenges over on Instagram, and I really enjoyed both of them. I love taking photos, it's one of my favourite things to do, so I'm sort of hooked on Instagram. It's been nearly two months since the last one I did and I've kind of missed it, so I thought it would be fun to create my own, and share it with you guys in the hope you'll join in! 

I've picked what I think is a good mix of topics for each day, some of them are pretty straightforward and some of them are a little more complicated, and open to interpretation! I really hope you'll take part, if you do, be sure to follow me on Instagram at @jayerockett, and share this picture so I know you're getting involved. Then once April starts, get taking photos! Make sure you use the hashtag #bitkphotoaday, so I can look through all your photos!

Hopefully this will be a great way for us to get some great photos throughout the month, and also discover different people on instagram!

Let me know if you're going to take part, I can't wait to see your photos!

You can find me on Instagram here.

This Week's Most Loved #10

Deadlines are FINALLY over, I feel like I can be a normal human being again? I'm looking forward to having spare time in the next few weeks to work on my blog some more, it feels like I'm writing all my posts in the middle of the night at the moment! 

I've been trying out a lot of new products this week, I got a few beauty bits for my birthday, and I also raided Daphne's stash last week and borrowed some products to try (more on that next week!) so it's been a week of exploration!

There are four makeup products that really stand out to me this week, the ones I've reached for more days than not! The first thing I wanted to mention briefly is the Body Shop Born Lippy Pot Lip Balm in Clementine. My boyfriend picked this up for me last weekend as a little treat and OH MY this stuff smells (and tastes) amazing. It's sheer on the lips and the shimmer in it doesn't really transfer, but man it smells so good, whenever I put this on everyone around me starts asking what they can smell. These are only £2 in The Body Shop, and it's worth it for the scent alone. Oh yeah, and it makes your lips soft!

I've rekindled my love for the MAC Lipstick in Lustering this week, I think I've worn this shade four out of seven days. It's such a wearable pink, but it packs a bit more punch than my usual nudey pink pick. I actually ended up wearing this shade on my birthday! I've been pairing that with a product pinched from Daphne's makeup ranks, the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Doll Face, which is just a gorgeous matte bright baby pink that really brightens up my skin and lasts so well throughout the day. Definitely feeling the pink makeup vibe right now, makes a change since I've been on a bit of a coral streak recently!

The last makeup item I wanted to mention is the Bare Minerals Ready 2.0 Eyeshadow Duo in The Epiphany, which was a birthday gift from Daphne. This is just an absolutely gorgeous eyeshadow duo, A-Ha is a gorgeous warm toned shimmery bronze, completely unlike anything else I've got in my collection, which looks incredible across the lid on it's own, or with the second shade Foreshadow in the crease. Foreshadow is a dark warm brown colour which is perfect in the crease or as a liner. This is a great all in one duo, perfect if you wanted a does it all duo for a weekend away, you can create a lovely day or night look with this. Also the pigmentation and wear time is better than any other eyeshadow I have ever tried, and that is saying something. You did good Daphne.

I also wanted to mention a TV show I've gotten hooked on this week, it's on Netflix and it's called Grimm. Think CSI crossed with every fairytale you were ever told as a child. It's good.

What have you guys been loving this week? Do you have any post requests for the coming weeks?

The Video: Currently Loving at The Drugstore

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoDobBSpWHI]

It's here, it finally happened, I am officially in the YouTube world. I enlisted the help of Daphne for this first video, since I was pretty awkward on my own!

We decided to film our current drugstore favourites, five each in this video, then five each on Daphne's Channel too! It took a while because we kept going off on tangents and getting wildly distracted, but it's here now! I hope you enjoy it!

Hey, It's Okay.

Today’s post is not about what I’ve been up to, it’s not a recipe, or a haul, snaps from my life. In fact, even as I sit here writing this, I’m not really sure what it is. 

When I started this blog I wanted it to be somewhere where I could not only share snapshots of my life with you guys, but also a creative outlet for me. Sometimes, when my head gets a little too full, all I can do is spill out it’s contents on a page and hope that it all makes a little more sense to me. 

Problems and worries all seem a lot more insignificant when they’re just words on a page. This week, I have been really unhappy. There’s no real reason, I had an amazing day on my birthday at the start of the week, and nothing has really gone wrong, but I just feel really miserable. This is probably just a reaction to all the stuff I have going on right now, my Uni deadline was today, my boyfriend is so absorbed in his work we’ve barely spoken in the last two weeks, I haven’t spent time with my friends in over a month, it’s the end of term so I’ve run out of money until the next installment of my loan, and most of all I miss being home. I might be done with Uni work for the next few weeks, but my boyfriend still has another month to go, so I can stay here in London, and chances are I’ll be pretty bored (and hungry since I don’t exactly have a budget for food right now) or I can go home and be all alone. I don’t talk to any of my friends back home anymore, and it’s not like my boyfriend can come with me so… It also doesn’t help that I’m not really enjoying my uni course, and to top it all off the people on it are less than friendly. Turns out I’m not all that interested in fashion anymore, or at least, I’m not interested in working in the fashion industry anymore. 

I don’t want this post to be just me moaning. If it is, I won’t publish it, nobody wants to read that. I guess the point I’m trying to make here is that it’s okay not to be okay. It’s okay not to be happy all the time. It’s okay not to be having the fabulous University experience that everyone on your Facebook your age is having. It’s okay not to want to go out drinking. It’s okay to prefer spending your friday evenings with a scented candle and a good book. It’s okay to not finish your degree if it’s not right for you. It’s okay to not know what you want to do past tomorrow night. It’s okay to feel like you need to disappear sometimes. It’s okay to enjoy your own company, more than the company of people who aren’t true friends. It’s okay to have a good cry sometimes (I personally like to sit in the bottom of the shower directly under the stream of water and just let it all out). It’s okay to not want to explain all this too. It’s okay to not want to explain why you don’t want to go out, or why you feel down. It’s okay to want to feel a little miserable sometimes. 

I don’t know if this will resonate with any of you at all. Maybe I’m just chatting to myself here. Thing is, I know I’ll pull out of this funk in a few days time, and I’ll forget it ever happened. But I guess I just wanted to remind future me, and any of you who might feel the same, that you will never appreciate the best moments in life, without the crappy ones. Every crying session in the shower is worth it for the moments of true happiness, where you can just live in the moment and enjoy life. 

I’m off to go make myself a giant pot of tea, and hopefully I’ll be back soon with something a little happier to say. But for now, I’m going to grab myself a good trashy chick-lit book and snuggle up on the sofa for a while, and just breathe.

The Drugstore Edit: Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow

Cast your minds back to last Thursday, and the little haul prompted by a shopping trip with the lovely Daphne. I picked up two of the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows. Think something along the likes of the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Sticks, or the By Terry Ombre Blackstar. What we're dealing with is an incredibly creamy stick formula, that sets down totally waterproof after a few seconds. 

I picked up two, shade 06, a gorgeous shimmery bronze, and 25, the perfect taupe. 06 is a warm bronze with a fine shimmer running through. It's pretty shimmery, but it's a lot more subtle than the glitter in the Rimmel offering. Whilst this colour is in the same vein as the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and on Bronze, and the Rimmel Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze. As for 25, this could just be my favourite eye shade ever. It's a true taupe shade, a grey with a hint of silver and grey. I've been pairing this with my NARS Ashes to Ashes Eyeshadow, and it looks gorgeous. 

As far as formula goes, I love these. Granted, drawing on your eyes with a pencil feels massively weird, but it means the colour is really intense. I just draw this over my lid, and then take a coarse bristled brush to blend our the edges. These claim to last eight hours, but from what I've tried, they stay put all day no problem! These look great on their own or as a base for shadows, a great option for fuss free makeup! 

I know there aren't massive amounts of Kiko stores about, but you can order everything online, and their website is great. These came in at £4.90 each which as far as I'm concerned is a bargain! I totally love these, and would wholeheartedly recommend them!

Have you tried anything from Kiko?

Radiant Orchid

 YSL Rouge Pur Couture no 28, MAC Craving, MAC Plumful, Benefit Kiss You, Revlon Berry Allure

So Pantone's colour of the year is 'Radiant Orchid' which apparently is not just one colour, but a range of colours on the purpley pink spectrum. I'm definitely not the sort of person you'll find often sporting purple anywhere but my eyelids, but a stash rummaged proves I actually have a few products that fit the spectrum. It's a pretty colour actually, definitely one that can be easily incorporated into your makeup routine.

One of my favourite ways (without realising it) to wear this shade is on my cheeks. Benefit's Hervana Boxed Blush gives a purple tinged glow to the cheeks, subtle, but definitely purple. A shade that looks kind of pinky in the pan, but swatched and on the cheeks is possibly the epitome of 'Radiant Orchid', is the Sleek Blush in Dolly Mix, from the Sweetcheeks Blush by 3 palette. This is a really gorgeous blush colour that I've been reaching for a lot recently, it's definitely a purple, but there's enough pink in there for it to be really wearable. 

I find that wearing purple around my eyes really pulls out the colour of my eyes, so it's actually a shade I wear quite a lot. The NARS Shades Monosque, Kalahari, Brousse & Tokyo (all in the A Fairy's Kiss Palette but also available separately except Monosque) are shades I often use to create a 'Radiant Orchid' kind of eye look. I also reach for the Smashbox Eye Liner in Imperial a lot, for just a hint of purple to line the eyes.

On the lips, I'm not a fan of the full on purple-pout. There are a few products in my collection that fall under an orchid/berry hat, but they're all pretty subtle. The most out there is the YSL Rouge Pur Couture no 28,Pink Plum, a pretty mauve shade that I sport a lot on colder days. Then there's the MAC Lipstick in Craving and Plumful. They are basically the same colour, except Plumful has a sheer finish making it a little more subtle. 

I love wearing purple toned lipglosses over pink lipsticks, just to add a little purple tinge. The Benefit Ultra Plush Lipgloss in Kiss You is a true 'radiant orchid' shade, a lilac with a hint of pink to it, definitely my favourite pick of the bunch. The Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Berry Allure is a similar shade with a bit more pink in it, and is the more subtle option.

If purple is not a shade you plan on sporting on your face, I'd head for the nails. I love the Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in 615 Fast & Fuchsia as a bright shade, and the Rococo Nail Apparel in Versalille Metallic for something less in your face.

Will you be sporting Radiant Orchid this year?


P.s. I did a guest post for the lovely Beth, that went live on her blog yesterday, you can check it out here.

Birthday Bits

I've been a bit awol on this blog recently, it's coming up to my deadline (Friday) so I've not been doing much other than work!

I was looking through my phone and camera and realised I took a lot of snaps on my birthday, and I wanted to share them somewhere. I turned twenty on Tuesday, and since deadlines are coming up I had a pretty quiet day. but my parents did come up from Bournemouth to spend the day with me! Unfortunately, my boyfriend had lectures he couldn't miss, so he was at uni for most of the day, so I spent the morning getting some work done before my parents and sister turned up around lunchtime. We had a little gift swapping session at my place (it was my Dad's birthday on Monday too) before heading out.

We were all really hungry so the first thing we did was grab lunch. We ended up at Las Iguanas because it was close, it's a place I've always dismissed as being a boring chain restaurant, but we actually had an amazing meal. I had an alcohol free apple mojito, a steak burrito and we shared some nachos too. It was really great, and the waitress even bought me a slice of cake since it was my birthday. I'm not usually into chocolate cake, but this was chocolate, fudge and orange, and it was utterly delectable.

After lunch we headed down to the river, we had planned to be tourists and do the Tower of London, but since we ended up having a longer lunch than anticipated, by the time we got there it was too late. We had a stroll along the river though, and a wander round the outside of the tower, it really is a beautiful building. It was incredibly windy so we took shelter in Starbucks for a coffee pick me up. After that it was time to shop, and I got one more amazing birthday present! Then when the boy joined us, we headed to Yo Sushi, since all of us are pretty hooked on sushi right now.

In the evening after my parents had left, my friend Sam popped over. He bought me a beautiful new teapot and came armed with scones, clotted cream and jam from Harrods, so we had tea and scones! I'm so in love with the teapot, it's so beautiful!

 Not the wildest of 20th birthdays, but it was definitely a good one. I'll have a proper celebration after my hand in, but I really enjoyed just spending time with my family!