September Favourites

It's been a long time since I've done a monthly favourites around these parts, but this month there was a lot of standout products that deserved a little mention, so I figured I'd bring it back! 

September has been a busy month for me, I'm kind of surprised it's over already, it seems to have disappeared in something of a blur. Normally when I have a busy month, I don't wear much makeup, or I stick to old favourites, but this time I've still been enjoying a few beauty bits!

Let's start with base! This month I've been putting the NARS Sheer Glow through it's paces and so far so good. This shade is a little dark for me, but I really love the finish of the product. It's light in texture but it's got a good medium coverage, and it looks glowy and natural. It's a nice option for days when you want a little more coverage.

I've been skipping concealer most days, and opting for a little of the Estée Lauder Brush on Glow BB Highlight instead. I've been using this in giant triangles under my eyes, to add brightness in a natural way to my skin. Despite being a highlighter, this has a good amount of coverage, but it blends out beautifully into the skin.

All my cheek and eye needs are being met by the In theBalm of Your Hand Palette. It's really all I've been reaching for since I got it. I don't think I've had a palette before where I've loved every single shade inside, but this fits the bill. I especially love Bahama Mama as both a bronzer and a crease shade, and Mischevious Marissa on the lids. You'll be wanting to get your hands on this when it launches!

I usually opt for a low maintenance pencil or gel formula when it comes to brows, but I've recently fallen back in love with my Soap and Glory Archery DIY Brow Bar. When I mix the two shades together, they create the perfect shade to fill in the sparse patches, and add definition, and it's a little more precise than a pencil.

For lips, the standout product this month has to be the L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss in Smoke Me Up. I don't normally go for bold pinks, especially in gloss formula, but this one is a bit of an exception. It's more of a liquid lipstick, and the colour really suits my skin and hair colouring.

And last but not least, the arrival of Autumn was the perfect excuse to pull out my Diptyque Eau Duelle Perfume. The warm vanilla scent makes me excited for rainy days, pumpkin spice lattes, and the changing of the leaves.

What have you been loving this month?

A Little NARS Lip Haul

 My makeup collection recently expanded to include two new NARS lip products, and they've got most of my autumn lip needs covered. NARS is pretty much my favourite makeup brand, they just get it so right all the time, I haven't tried anything I haven't liked! 

I've been eyeballing the NARS Audacious Lipsticks since their release, but I haven't been able to settle on a colour. It took a while, but I finally opted for the shade Bridgette. A neutral peachy nude, this is a very me colour, perfect for everyday wear. The formula of these is out of this world, rich and creamy, intensely pigmented and man can we talk about the magnetised packaging? I can't stop playing with it, that satisfying click shut gets me. 

On the other end of the colour spectrum, I picked up the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Damned, a deep warm berry shade. I'm normally scared of these kind of shades, but there's something about this that is so bloomin' wearable. It's comfortable to wear and long lasting, and it even makes your teeth look whiter. Fabulous.

No new lip products necessary around these parts any time soon!

Are you a fan of NARS Lip colours?

Postcards from Brighton

 Whilst I love living in London, I also love getting out of it from time to time. So when the opportunity arose for me to spend a day in Brighton with some lovely blogging friends, I jumped at the chance.

Brighton is only a fifty minute train journey from London, but it feels a million miles away. Stepping off the train and I could immediately taste the salt air in my lungs, and feel the bite in the wind that only comes from being by the sea. As someone who was born and raised on the coast, it's a welcome feeling.

My wonderful friend Allie met me at the train station, and whisked me off in the direction of The Laines for breakfast. We headed for The Breakfast Club (because where else would you want to have breakfast?!). I've been to The Breakfast Club in Soho before, but never returned because I couldn't understand the ridiculous queuing. Luckily, there was no queue here, and we were immediately seated at a little table for two.

 I've been trying to cut back on my coffee intake so I opted for a fresh pressed apple juice, delicious, refreshing and revitalising! My breakfast choice - not so healthy, I indulged in the All American, a mini stack of pancakes served with bacon, sausage, eggs and fried potatoes, and of course, lashings of maple syrup. It was deliciously decadent, and exactly what I needed! 

We headed out after spending too long admiring the chairs outside, modeled to look like bird cages, so cute!

 Our day included a quick tour around Sea Life where Allie works (I learnt I REALLY do not like octopi), meandering in and out of shops, and a LOT of lipstick swatching.

We of course made the obligatory stop into Snoopers Paradise, to check out the photobooth. We tried pulling funny faces but kept laughing, so we ended up with a series of awkward laughter photos, which is probably better than anything we could have posed! 

After lots of walking and shopping, we stopped for a refuel (raspberry tea for me and a latte for Allie) in Jolifee, where I admired the beautiful pastries, but was far too full to eat any (that didn't stop me picking up some pic'n'mix for the train journey home!). 

 I took advantage of having a fellow blogger around to grab some outfit snaps! Since it was the first official day of autumn, I went for a thoroughly autumnal vibe with my outfit! Autumnal shades and cosy fabrics! This skirt is a new found love of mine! I picked it up from Hollister, who knew they did clothes that don't say Hollister all over them! 

SWEATER - ZARA // SKIRT - HOLLISTER // WATCH - SKAGEN // BOOTS - PRIMARK // RINGS - ACCESSORIZE, ACCESSORIZE AND PANDORA // NECKLACE - ACCESSORIZE // SCARF - ZARA // BOOTS - PRIMARK 

After bidding adieu to Allie, I made my way to Starbucks, to meet the wonderful Carrie for a large coffee and a catch up. Although Carrie and I had met before, it was at an event with lots of other people, so we didn't get much of a chance to chat. I was a little nervous about meeting her, in case of any awkward silences, but I needn't have worried. From the moment she arrived and gave me a big hug, til the moment we left because I had to catch my train, we barely stopped for breath. It's always so good to meet someone who you have a lot in common with!

And that was it, I had to head back to London!

I think I could make Brighton a home away from home!

Mini Lush Christmas Haul

 When Lush announced on Twitter that they were launching their Christmas range in the Oxford Street store, as I was on a train headed into central London, I quickly added a detour into my plan for the day. I'm a fully fledged Lushie anyway, but man I just can't resist their Christmas stuff. 

I was pleased to spot a few old favourites amongst the loot (notably Cinders bath bomb, Candy Mountain & Holly Ho Lightly Bubble Bars), but I was mostly excited about checking out the newbies.

 

I was good and somehow managed to restrain myself, only buying three things! Pretty sure I'll be making a payday visit next month though!

Firstly, a Halloween purchase, the Sparkly Pumpkin Bubble Bar. Made with fresh citrus oils and cinnamon sticks, this smells like autumn when it fills your bath with big sparkly orange bubbles. I've been using about a quarter for each bath and that seems to be plenty, so you should be able to get four baths out of this!

Sticking with the orange sparkly theme, I couldn't resist picking up The Magic of Christmas Bubble Bar Wand. Packed with orange and all the autumnal spices you could dream of, it even has a cinnamon stick handle. When I'm waving this into my bath I feel like the festive fairy queen of festivity. 

And lastly, I had to pick up this old favourite fragrance, the Yog-Nog Bath Bomb. I loved last year's soap in this scent, but I never use solid soap, so I was excited to find it in bath bomb form! This yummy thing contains jojoba oils, shea butter and coconut, the perfect thing to soften up dry winter skin!

Will you be picking anything up from the Lush Christmas range?

Mini Blog Sale

Because what else is there to do on a grey and rainy Sunday than shop online?

The details!

1. This will all be done first come first served. If you see something you want, send me an email to jaye@bedinthekitchen.co.uk with the subject title BLOG SALE. List the items that you would like, their prices, and your postage address. 
2. I'll then send you the information to send me payment via Friends and Family on paypal so neither of us get charged! Payment will be accepted by PayPal only, and items will be held for 24 hours, if payment is not made in that time, I'll put them back up! 
3. I couldn't include swatches for all these products or we'd be here all day, but give them a google and you'll probably find something. 
4. UK postage will be £3 second class, and then 50p for each additional item. I'm happy to ship outside the UK, but let me know in the email since shipping costs will be higher! 
5. Similarly if you would prefer them to be sent via Recorded Delivery, please let me know and I will let you know the cost for that. 
6. Please do your research before committing to a product, I can't do returns so make sure you'll like it!
7. All products will be posted within 4 working days, I will aim to go to the post office twice a week, but please remember I work full time so it may take a few days!
8. All items will be cleaned and sanitised! 
9. All items are non refundable! 
10. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I'll answer ASAP, I've turned on my email notifications for comments.

So here are the products!  

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in 89 Satisfaction - RRP £25, used twice, £10.

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Foundation shade B10 - RRP £36, used twice, £15.

NARS Velvet Matte Deluxe Travel Size Pencil in Cruella - RRP £19 for full size, never used, £6.

NARS Velvet Gloss Deluxe Travel Size Pencil in Rikugien - RRP £19 for full size, never used, £6.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner - RRP £12, never used, £5.

Real Techniques Bold Metals Contour Brush - RRP £22, used once, washed, £10.

Happy shopping!

39/52: Preparation

This week has been a busy one of cleaning and organising, baking & ironing, and generally getting my ducks in a row before starting work next week. I've got this sneaking suspicion that next week is going to knock me off my feet, so I wanted to get everything organised, so that it can be as easy as possible.

Despite having to tick a lot of boring and mundane tasks off my list, this week has also been a good one. I caught up with friends in both London and Brighton, and celebrated five years with Connor too. It's been a happy week, and I'm looking forward to finishing it off with a lazy day today, before heading to my new offices bright and early tomorrow!

To the happy things!

1. A quick coffee date on a busy busy Monday. I can always find time for coffee and catch ups.
2. Feeling organised again! The flat actually now feels more organised than it's ever been in the two years we've had it. It's nice to know that everything has it's place, and it's made it so much easier to find things! 
3. Revisiting The Breakfast Club, this time in Brighton. Those guys know how to make a pancake stack, that's for sure!
4. Hanging out with Allie, enjoying a little shopping, a little sightseeing, and a lot of giggling. We even indulged in a little Pic'n'Mix too, because we're basically five.
5. Meeting up with the wonderful Carrie, and having one of those conversations where two hours have suddenly disappeared. I love meeting people I have so much in common with.
6. Indulging in dirty burgers with Daphne. There's nothing quite like a Five Guys.
7. The cobblestones in London. A random thing, but the narrow cobbled streets found around Covent Garden make me feel blissfully happy. It's so very English, and I love it. Especially when I'm able to navigate them in heels and feel like a pro.
8. Celebrating our five year anniversary by staying in bed with a Big Mac and watching the Avengers. I've been nagging for a duvet day for the longest time and I finally got one.
9. Connor surprised me with theatre tickets to see McQueen on Friday night. Not only am I a bit of a theatre geek, but McQueen was also one of my favourite designers, so it was the perfect gift!
10. Starting a busy Saturday getting stuff done with a naughty Full English.  A full belly makes me a lot more productive!

Here's to a busy, productive and happy week! x

How To Spend £30 in Boots

One of the things I get asked most (as I seem to have become family & friends' go to for beauty questions) is, what should I buy in Boots. Often, the question comes from friends who live overseas, and so I always try to recommend purse friendly products, that mostly aren't available in other countries.

So say you have £30 to spend in Boots, this is what I recommend you spend it on!

Boots Botanics Hydrating Day Cream All Bright - £4.99: Most of what I've tried from the Botanics line has been great, but this is my favourite product from the line. A moisturising day cream that helps add brightness back to the skin, and keeps things nourished, but not greasy. I can't see this not working for anyone!

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Blur and Brighten Concealer - £6.00: This is a rare concealer that works well for undereyes, redness, and even looks great without foundation. The crayon shape makes it super easy to apply too.

Natural Collection Powder Blush in Sweet Cheeks - £1.99: How this blush is simultaneously so cheap and so good is beyond me. Soft and pigmented, easy to blend, and a pretty shade. You can't go wrong.

Seventeen Eye Eye Shadow in Rose Quartz - £3.89: Soft and pigmented, easy to blend, and oh so bloody beautiful. This shade is a beautiful shimmering taupe with pinky tones. It's stunning, and you'll get change from a fiver.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist - £3.50: They recently repackaged these and bought the price down, amazing news for anyone who didn't already have one. The perfect nude lip that's not matte, drying or glossy. Good stuff.

L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss in Smoke Me Up - £6.99: This one is available outside of the UK, but man it's so good I think everyone should have it. A liquid lipstick in a deep berry shade that dries beautifully matte and stays put all day. A firm favourite.

What would you spend £30 in Boots on?

10 Things You Should Do This Weekend

For some reason the beginning of autumn prompts more of a 'fresh start' feeling within me than a new year, or springtime. Perhaps it's the fact that every year as far back as I can remember, September has meant the beginning of a new school year, and I was always one of those strange children who liked going back to school. Fresh notebooks, a new pencil case, and a brand new start, for me, September means reassessing my goals, and getting organised.

I thought I'd share with you my to do list for the weekend, because it's a list of things I think we could all benefit from doing.

1. Autumnify your wardrobe. Get ready for lots of layers, cosy scarves and heeled boots. I'm dying to pull out my stack of burgandy jumpers. 
2. Indulge in some R&R. I'm thinking bubble baths, Netflix binging sessions, and copious amounts of tea.
3. Bake some sweet treats for the week. Because a drizzly Tuesday afternoon is made much better by homemade cake. I'm going to be making these flapjacks and these snickerdoodles!
4. Clean up your computer. I've got to tackle my Macbook, iMac and external harddrive. A tedious task, but one that can be completed whilst watching a movie, and will be so satisfying when it's done. 
5. Buy a new notebook. For that back to school feeling. You'd be surprised what a new notebook can do for your productivity levels. 
6. Have a drink with a friend. Whether it's a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and marshmallows, or a cheeky cocktail. Make some time for the people you love.
7. Invest in some autumnal decor. Whether it's something simple like these fairy lights, or a luxe blanket like this, make your home all cosy and snuggly.
8. Make an autumn bucket list. Mine includes taking a walk with my guy under the falling leaves, make hot apple cider and cinnamon caramel cookies, and build a fort.
9. Compile a Pinterest board of recipes to try. I'm looking for slow cooker meals, and things I can take to work for lunch that aren't sandwiches! 
10. Get a good nights sleep. Because you'll feel so much better for it come Monday.

What are you going to do this weekend?

Neutral Nails

Right now, I can't get enough of barely there nail colours. I'm all about milky pastels and sheer polishes, I'm barely wearing anything else! I seem to have fallen into a 5 polish rotation, and it goes a little something like this.

Essie Mademoiselle: the sheerest of the bunch, this is a barely there milky pink that in one wash just gives the nails a lil something something. This is what I go for when I want professional and sophisticated.

Essie Urban Jungle: an almost white with a hint of greige. I didn't think I'd be able to pull off a colour like this, but I love this shade so much, I'm over halfway through the bottle. I also love that this only needs one coat for a dreamy, glossy finish.

Nails Inc Gel Effect Porchester Square: this colour has been a staple in my polish collection for a very long time now. This colour is just appropriate for every occasion, and goes with every outfit. The perfect taupey greige polish. And the gel formula makes it easy as pie to apply, no need for a topcoat.

Nails Inc Swan Street: I never used to like the formula of the Nails Inc standard line, but the polishes from The New White collection seem different. Swan Street is an almost white mint that I'd love to paint on everything I own.

Nails Inc White Horse Street: same collection, different shade, this time a lilac that's almost purple. This one is even more subtle than Swan Street, but I adore them both.

Are you a fan of neutral nails?

Top 5 Powder Blushes

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Dirty Dogs at The Bohemia

 I'm totally guilty of going to the same restaurants over and over in point (case in point, my Franco Manca addiction). I'm something of a creature of habit, you could say, and never wanting to pay good money for a bad meal, I tend to go back to my favourite spots again and again.

Last week I helped my girl Daphne move house, and since we didn't know anywhere in the area for food, we dropped into the first pub we saw, planning on grabbing a quick drink before picking up a Tesco meal deal and getting back to work.

We picked the Bohemia, a pub that looks rather ordinary from the outside, but inside is quite extraordinary. We took a seat (Daphne on a sofa MUCH fancier than her, and me on one that was so well worn it hugged me back), and one glance at the menu left us both craving the Beer Street Dog, so that was that and we were staying put.

Our food arrived quickly leaving us with only a few moments to admire the interior. Think hipster bar meets, industrial air craft hanger, meets micro brewery. There were even beer cans with succulents in on the table, does it get any cuter? I think not.

No matter how cute the decor, once the food arrived there was no concentrating on anything else. A brioche bun and frankfurter, with fresh chunky salsa, crispy onions and mustard, on a bed of curly fries. Yes it was every bit as good as it sounds! The food was hot and fresh, and oh so tasty, and exactly what we needed after a long day lugging boxes around!

I'm already planning my next trip back to the Bohemia (for a Sunday roast, or hot wings, or maybe even another hot dog), and if you're ever in the North Finchley area, I'd highly recommend checking it out!

Exfoliating Mask Show Down

Until July, I had no exfoliating face masks in my life, and then I acquired two. I picked up the Soap and Glory No Clogs Allowed mask in Duty Free before setting off on my travels, and then the Sephora Collection Double Duty Exfoliator and Mask.

The concept of these masks is very simple, massage onto the skin and allow the gritty texture to work it's exfoliating magic, and then leave it to set, like any other clay based mask. They're designed to target oily skin or areas prone to blackheads, drawing out impurities, to leave your skin clearer. And in essence, they do what they say on the tube.

In all honesty, these two masks are much of a muchness, as far as I can tell, The only real difference is that the Soap and Glory offering warms up on the skin, which is nice, but doesn't really make a difference in terms of results. If you want something to help get rid of blackheads, then both of these are great products, it's simply a case of which product you can get hold of easier.

Are you a fan of exfoliating masks?

Relaxing with Neom

If there's one thing I could always use a hand with, it's relaxing. I'm a stresshead through and through, and whilst I'm working on it, I can always use a bit of help.

I've recently been trying out these bits from Neom, in the hopes that they'll make me a more zen person (haha!). The Perfect Night's Sleep Bath and Shower Oil does exactly what it says on the tin, and relaxes you from head to toe, making crawling into bed and drifting off oh-so-easy. Like most bath oils targeted to help you sleep, this one has a lavender base, but notes of jasmine and basil make this different to any other oil I've tried, it's a little lighter! I got three baths out of this little jar and each one was followed by a great night's sleep. 

Something a little different to anything else I've tried was the Energy Boosting On The Go Mist. Made with grapefruit, lemon and rosemary essential oils, this smells divine, and whilst I'm not sure it does much really, it does give you a little boost, and it feels so luxurious!

Do you have any go-to products for relaxing?