Reviews: Micellar Water and Beautifying Oil

B. Pure Micellar Water

Sorry Soap&Glory, Una Brennan and Philosophy: it's over. There's a new make-up remover in town, and I'm all in love with it. 

I don't go to Superdrug much (I'm a Boots girl) but i be heading there a lot more often now, after sampling their B. Beautiful range. 

I've read all sorts of info about micellar water, as I'm sure you have, and finally got around to trying it. I only used the tiniest bit on a cotton ball and stared at my own face for a few seconds in awe. It normally takes a minute or two for my other cleansers to take off all my foundation (I probably wear too much) but one swipe with B. Pure Micellar Water and it was gone completely. I only had to use a miniscule amount to cleanse all of my face and neck and from that second I was sold. I've used Soap&Glory Peaches and Clean for ages now but I've never really got on board with creamy cleansers, I've always felt like they clogged my pores long after I've rinsed them off. No such problem here. My skin felt super fresh and hydrated, especially with a bit of moisturiser on top. 

- It's super cheap, I swiped it at only £3.50!

- Doesn't dry out skin or leave it oily. 

- Cruelty free!

The Body Shop Beautifying Oil (Pink Grapefruit)

I loooove The Body Shop's pink grapefruit scent. It's really light and fresh and fruity without ring overpowering. Their beautifying oil is another new love of my life. I use it after a shower on damp skin to lock in moisture (I sound like a commercial) but you can use it on dry skin and on your split ends! 

It smells heavenly and at £9 won't break the bank! You only have to use a tiny bit so it will last for ages. 

Ladies, make Superdrug and The Body Shop your next stops!

Louise xo

Fashion and Beauty 'Will Do's

This year I'm making a concerted effort to change up my fashion and beauty regime, since I've been stuck in a rather monotone rut for the last few years. It's time for change! Here's my list for the year:

- Wear more colour, less black and grey. Neons and pastels are slowly creeping into my wardrobe.
- Grow my hair. Stop getting frustrated with it and hacking it all off.
- Leave my hair colour alone for a while. Not sure I can stick to this one, but my hair would like me to!
- Show more leg. I live in jeans and leggings, and it's time my legs saw some sun! Dresses and skirts and shorts, oh my!
- Wear more maxi dresses. So what if I'm 5'2" and look miniature sized? Who cares?
- Branch out in the shoe department, and invest in good quality shoes. I used to buy expensive shoes and they lasted years; now I dip into Primark and wonder why they only last a few months. I only have about 3 pairs that I wear regularly, so it's time to expand the shoe horizons with a few pairs of staple heels and some cute flats. (Must have a look in River Island when I'm next in town, their shoes are lovely.)
- Learn more hairstyles. Currently I've mastered the sock bun, the messy pony, and the 90s topknot and want to add more to that portfolio.
- Learn to plait! OK so I can plait the front section of my hair, but anything beyond that is impossible. I'm eternally jealous when someone walks in with a perfect fishtail that they did themselves.
- Nails, nails, nails. I have gel nails on, and have started having funky colours and stiletto nails rather than plain colours or French and I love it. I once read that when your hands look and feel nice that you feel more confident... seems true!
- Fix that damn tattoo. I have a tattoo that's unfinished that I hate, and it's been sitting untouched for too long now. Time to sort it out.

That'll do for now! What's on your 2014 fashion and beauty list?

Louise xo

Photo from Pinterest

A Few Scenic Snaps...

I wanted to share a few holiday snaps with you all. We took close to 500 photos, so I'll only share my very favourites! Taken in Seattle/Portland/Medford/Crater Lake/Union Creek.

Now I'm all holiday-bluesy and want to go back!

Louise xo

New This Week!

The start of every month always brings a fresh feeling, and I think a lot of us heave a sigh of relief when our bank accounts are refilled and we can relax for a few weeks and have fun with our money.

I went shopping for a variety of things including birthday cakes, hen party decorations, car tax discs and a lot of other not-so-fun things, but these pretty things were certainly fun to buy:

Body Shop Lipstick and Monsoon necklace. A snip at £10 each!

Baby shower gifts! And a very naughty purchase of some neon orange River Island heels...

I've been dying to try this tea, and finally gave in and ordered it! 

And finally, some books to add to my self-help/happiness/journalling shelf! I can't wait to get stuck into Keri Smith's book and will probably buy a load more in the future. 

Coming soon, a February favourites post!

Louise xo

100happydays

I'm doing the 100 Happy Days challenge on Instagram, and thought I'd share my first 3 days! You can read more about the challenge here... http://100happydays.com/

Day 1: Curing my jet lag on the sofa with candles, fairy lights and Buffy.

Day 2: Unwinding at the spa.

Day 3: Seeing my beautiful kitty cat and remembering how teeny he was as a kitten!

Louise xo

Mini Beauty Buy

The Body Shop | LUSH

A little trip to town today saw me come home with a pile of goodies from LUSH and two gorgeous lipsticks from The Body Shop. 

Brazened Honey is my favourite face mask ever. It smells delicious and is so cooling when it goes on (you have to keep it in the fridge so duh). And it leaves my skin soft, supple and happy in a way that no other face mask has ever done. A close second would be the thermal clay mask from The Body Shop, but as always LUSH takes first prize. 

In the lipstick love department, Body Shop have just won my heart. I got a delicious pale chocolate colour and a baby pinky-red shade that I'm dying to try out. They are more moisturising than the Topshop lipsticks that I adore and while the colour range isn't exceptional it's definitely enough to keep me coming back. 

Louise xo

10 Things I Want To Do

I'm incredibly jet-lagged following my 12 day trip to the United States and don't have a clue where to start when telling people about it. So instead of talking about my holiday, I wanted to list a few things I want to do more in my life now that in back. Some might seem trivial, but they say the best things come in small packages!

1) Drink more water. I don't drink enough water, and tell myself habitually that tea and coffee are assimilated into the body as water so it totally counts. Time to stop that nonsense and actually pick up a bottle of water (or three) every day and start using our water filter. Adding fruit is a good way to spice it up!

2) Read more. I read 8 books during our 18-hour flights and thousands of miles in the car, and have really got the book bug. My kindle has barely left my hand since we landed back on British soil. 

3) On that note, stop buying books I have no intention of reading just because they "look good" or make me look smart. Just read the books you love and love the books you read. 

4) Work out. I always say this when I get back from holiday but this time I'm serious. Armed with my new neon Nike Free Runs and a Seattle Seahawks shirt I'm ready to hit the gym. 1-3 times a week should do it to start. 

5) Restart a yoga class. I loved yoga, but the class I was taking wasn't for me. The instructor was a bit too hands-off and rarely went around correcting postures or offering tips, and that's what I need from a class to make sure I'm doing it right! My best friend and I have found one to start in Leeds, so next week it's on!

6) Deep breathing. This seems silly, but my anxiety, insomnia and depression are under control and I want to keep it that way. Taking five minutes to breathe deeply every few hours is hugely calming and good for the mind and soul!

7) Do more for charity. I give whenever I can, but I want to do and give more to te charities I feel passionately about. If I can afford a new pair of pastel orange River Island courts then I can afford to donate to a good cause. 

8) Write more fiction. My goal is 1,000 words a week to kickstart me back into regular writing instead of sporadic manic episodes. 

9) Lifestyle focus! No meat or fish, limited dairy, plenty of superfoods and it's time to invest in a smoothie maker. Limit beauty product consumption to ethical, vegan where possible, and don't buy excess amounts of crap that I will use once then ditch. 

10) Me-time. Make time for regular pamper nights every week, and try not to be disturbed. Turn off all phones, laptops and TVs and relax with no distractions. 

Louise xo