Payday Wishlist!

If you follow me on Twitter (@LooweezBx) you might know that at the start of September I managed to get myself a full time job!  It's just in retail which isn't where I want to build my career however for the next year or so it'll keep money coming in until I can hopefully find something relevant to my degree... 

So to celebrate my first full time wage coming in I will definitely be going shopping!  Here are a few of the things I want to buy next month.

1. Antipodes Grapeseed Butter Cleanser I finished my Neal's Yard Cleanser a few weeks ago so I'm looking for a new 'luxury' cleanser to use on a daily basis.  I do still have some No7 ones I'm trying to use up but I don't enjoy using them and it's just a chore!
2. River Island Jacquard Skinny Trousers I briefly saw these in the shop but then at a course I went on for work, one of the women was wearing them and they looked great!  As they're black it means I can wear them for work as well if I wanted to.
3. Konjac Sponge Puff with French Green Clay These just look so intriguing! You can use it alone with some water and it exfoliates and cleanses the skin, you can also use it on your body.
4. Butter London All Hail The Queen I don't specifically want this shade but now that they're available in Boots I really just want to add another one (or more) to my collection of one...  I'll need to get googling swatches and decide!
5. Apple iPad Mini 32GB I'm kind of cheating with this one... It's my birthday soon I think I'll go halfers with my parents for my present and get one of these!  I do have a very basic tablet but I just feel like I'm missing out haha!  I think I'd probably get the mini as the big one is maybe a bit too big, and also the mini is cheaper which is always helpful!

Paperbacks & Beauty Facts: Favourite Hair Products

Not technically 'products' but I am very lazy with my hair!!

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Nail Varnish Challenge #19

This is Wimpole Street from Nails Inc which seems to have been discontinued :( It's a deep, metallic purple colour.  Again, not something I would normally wear as it's quite dark but I do quite like it and it's perfect for Autumn!  I think I'll hold onto this one!  As you can see there's some tip wear but I took the photo about 36 hours after painting them so it had lasted quite well, and it's still looking pretty good considering how bad my nails usually are.

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Tips for Going Cruelty Free

I've been cruelty free for the past few years now so I thought I would compile a little list of tips for anyone thinking of/going cruelty free.

• Start by having a big clear out of all your make up.  I like to try and use up and non-CF items and include them in my daily make up routine: powders, blushers etc.  Set yourself a challenge not to buy a new product until that one is finished/nearly finished.
• You don't need to bin all your 'bad' products.  I still have quite a few!  Things like blushers and eyeshadows can last for years so there's no point wasting them.  If you really want rid of them then have a blog sale or pass them onto friends.
• Don't feel guilty if you buy something then realise it's not CF.  It's so easily done, especially at the start.  When I started going CF I would quite often just buy something even though I wasn't sure and do the research afterwards, not ideal but it meant I could try the thing I wanted, and I'd know whether I could repurchase or not.
• Keep a list of companies who you've found to be cruelty free.
• Use the Leaping Bunny website to look for brands which are definitely CF.
• PETA Approved brands are not necessarily cruelty free, they don't do any proper checks into the companies suppliers etc.
• Email companies and ask them about their policies, it can be really confusing to start with but if you are struggling to understand them then it's probably best to stay clear!
• If a company sells in mainland China, they are NOT cruelty free.  Hong Kong have different rules I believe but I'm not 100% sure.

Have you got any tips for being or going cruelty free?

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Paperbacks & Beauty Facts: Currently Reading

I'm currently reading The Finishing Touches by Hester Browne!

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Hamsa Necklace

I bought this cute little Hamsa necklace a few weeks ago from the lovely Karris via eBay.  I'm not a huge wearer of jewellery but I've really enjoyed wearing this most days.  The Hamsa is a sign of luck and protection dating back from ancient times predating Islam and Christianity.  Hamsa means 'five' in Arabic and refers to the number of digits on the hand - notice there are 3 fingers and 2 thumbs!  

They were available with turquoise or cream stones but unfortunately Karris has sold out but this is the link anyway in case she does restock at some point.  Such a bargain!  I think it's just a really pretty and delicate addition to an outfit when you're not wanting anything too big or OTT.  I like how it also has an ancient meaning behind it too.

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Nail Varnish Challenge #18

I'm nearly finished my Nail Varnish Challenge!  There's only about 3 or 4 left in my box, yay!  This is The Serpentine from Nails Inc which described as a "muted navy slate" on their website, which I think is a perfect description.  Although this is isn't a colour I'd normally wear - it's a bit dark - I do quite like it.  However I found it shrunk quite a lot with Seche Vite and chipped even more quickly than normal on my nails!  Despite this unfortunate occurrence, I think I'll hold onto this one, I do have one other navy but it's more shimmery so this is a bit different.

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Summer Wedding

On the 20th July one of my close friends got married!  I absolutely love weddings and was so excited for it.  I hadn't actually started looking for a dress yet when I came across this one - I just saw it in work one day and fell in love!  When I first saw it I wasn't sure if it was actually nice or if I was just being crazy, but after seeing it a few times I knew I had to get it.  I first saw it on a Thursday and by the Saturday the 8 had sold out!  I tried on the 10 (which was enormous, usually it would be fine but oh god, it drowned me!) just to see if I liked how it looked on me before starting to search for it.  I had said the the Coast manager that I was wanting it and to let me know if anything came in, then a couple of weeks later the she came over to let me know one 8 had just became available online, so I just bought it there and then (I was still working, shh!).  

My next concern was that it would be too big as well, some Coast dresses come in a size 6 but this one didn't, and I've got a size 8 in a different style which is a tiny bit big - it's strapless so not much to hold it up!  However when it arrived it fitted, albeit a bit tight round the middle (what?!), so I was delighted!  

Usually I get wedding guest dresses in the sale - cheap, yes - so it was a bit of a shock for me having to pay full price but it was definitely worth it!  It was also a bargain (considering it's Coast!) at only £95, and then I got staff discount.

The final issue was what to wear with it!  You can't see it too much but there's black tubing around the neck and arms which was annoying...  It was quite good in the end as the only thing I had to buy accessories wise were the shoes which were only about £16 from New Look, everything else I already owned.  It was so hot that day as well, so glad I didn't wear a blazer or something!

I kept my make up very simple with neutrals and then liquid liner, and used a pinky/nude lipstick.  For my hair, I just tonged it the night before and went over any straighter bits in the morning, then pinned the front sections back.

Dress - Coast

Pashmina - Debenhams

Bag - ASOS

Shoes - New Look

The beautiful bride and her husband!

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