FOTD: New Year's Day

I've not done one of these posts in a very long time - I've actually not really been wearing anything other than my very plain every day make up for whatever reason.  However as it was Christmas I decided to make an effort and get back into it!

This is what how I wore my make up on New Year's Day, usually people would be posting their NYE make up but I had a very quiet Hogmanay so instead got dressed up the next day!  I didn't actually do all that much, just had family round for a meal which was lovely.   

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Half Baked, Smog and Dark Horse then Virgin as highlight

Mac Fluidline in Blacktrack (not CF)

Liz Earle Brow Pencil in Dark 02

Bourjois Fan-Tastic Volume Mascara

Face

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in 51

Illamasqua Face Base in 02

MUA Pro Conceal & Brighten in Porcelain

Mac MSF Natural in Light (not CF)

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Nars Blush in Lovejoy

Lips

Bourjois Effet 3D Lipgloss in Rose Romantic

I used the Naked palette again a few nights ago for a night out with my friends and have photos of that as well so I'll do a similar post for that look in the next week or so.

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Yaoh Hemp Seed Oil Lip Balm

I received this item in Decembers The Vegan Kind box and wanted to share it with you.  Yaoh are a UK based vegan brand selling a range of Hemp Oil products including this lip balm.  They come in 5 flavours: Spearmint, Strawberries and Cream, Mango and Kiwi, Coconut, and Blueberry.  As you can see I got Strawberries and Cream which I wouldn't have chosen myself to be honest but it's not as sweet as it sounds and has quite a pleasant scent.

I've had a bit of a cold the past week and so my lips have been ridiculously dry and cracked but I've been using this and it's actually helped quite a lot to keep my lips hydrated.  I tend to avoid lip balms, especially petroleum based ones (I avoid Vaseline like the plague!) as I don't think it's very healthy to be using a by-product of oil on your lips.  Also you can get addicted to using it as your lips rely on the balm for moisture instead of producing their own - I'm not sure if this is a legit fact but sounds about right to me!  You can find the ingredients on their website here which all looks pretty good.  At £2.75 I would happily repurchase, I think I'd like to try the Mango and Kiwi flavour!

We also got marshmallows in our TVK2 box which is so exciting!! I haven't tried them yet but I'm really looking forward to it.  This month TVK are donating 10p from every box to Greyhound Gap which is a charity which rehome greyhounds and lurchers who find themselves in a 'put to sleep' situation in UK pounds.  You can see my review of the first box here, and follow the link to sign up via The Vegan Kind website.

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Festive Nails!

Hello!  I feel like I haven't posted on here in sooo long!  I'm not even sure why?  I've just been  busy working and applying for jobs and stuff, not really had any motivation for blogging sadly!  

I've kind of decided what I would like to do as a career if possible.  I'd like to get into merchandising; they are the ones who work out how much stock goes where, and when to run promotions and markdowns going by the sales figures etc.  I have a background in maths and also in retail so it seems like something I can do!  Unfortunately most head offices are in London which would mean moving away from home but I'm not sure if I'm quite ready for something like that yet!  I have found one vacancy in Scotland so we shall see...  If anyone knows of any head offices that are in Scotland please let me know so I can investigate haha!

Never mind blogging, I've not actually painted my nails in over a month, it's shocking!  I actually felt like a 3 year old when I was doing it, I'm so out of practice... Also my nails are such a mess at the moment but never mind, at least now they look kind of cute and Christmassy.

I've used Nails Inc Victoria & Albert as the red underneath (only needed one coat!) with Deborah Lippmann Boom Boom Pow over the top.  There are smaller gold particles which are much more visible in person and give it a nice shimmer.

PS do you like my Christmas duvet set?  I got it from Primark - love it!

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The Konjac Sponge

I've had my eye on the Konjac Sponge for a while and decided to get it for using in the morning.  This is because I am a terrible human being and don't cleanse in the morning cos I am too lazy... I do 'wash' my face with cold water but that's about as far as I've gone, so I decided that this looks like the perfect way of getting me out of this terrible routine.

The Konjac Sponge is made from 100% pure vegetable fibre (from the Konjac plant) so this makes it also 100% biodegradable.  The Konjac plant itself is an alkaline and contains loads of great vitamins and minerals such as protein, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, copper, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C and folic acid.  It is gentle on the skin, naturally moisturising, deep cleansing and gently exfoliating.  They come plain, like the one above, or with added charcoal or french clay depending on your skin type. 

I wasn't very sure what to expect from this when I first got it and was quite excited to try it.  It arrived in a sealed plastic pouch which was sort of damp on the inside and smelled a bit odd, but after a first rinse the smell was gone.  When you leave it to dry it goes almost solid so you need to make sure before using it is totally soaked to soften it again.  It has the most bizarre texture, I can't even explain it properly, reminds me of a crumpet!!  It is very soft, not like a normal sponge you would buy, and when you rub it on your face it feels almost as if it is foaming... but it's not?!  It does feel very nice and cleansing on the skin, you can use it with your own cleanser for extra goodness and it also can be used to remove make up.  As I'm only going to be using it with water in the morning I can't really comment on this, however I did try it once after coming out the shower but there was still make up coming off when I toned so it didn't seem to work very well.  Perhaps the ones with clay or charcoal ones would do the job better.

The sponge should last between 1-3 months depending on use so once it starts looking a bit depleted or damaged it will need replaced.  There is a a string running through the sponge to allow you to hang it up to dry, leaving it in a damp place such as the shower will shorten its lifespan.  When you've finished with it it can be composted, or you can add it into a plant pot and help look after the plant by retaining moisture for it!

I've been using it for a while now and haven't noticed any improvements in my skin - which in general is good, combination but more dry in Winter - but I am enjoying the routine of using the Konjac sponge in the morning as it does leave it feeling nice and clean.

You can get this from LoveLula for £6.99.

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Empties #13

I seem to have managed to use a different font in the above photo to the last few empties photos... odd...  Anyway, here we are again - 5 items plus a wee sample included too.

Christmas is so soon now, it's scary!  I'm dreading it this year though as it's the first (and hopefully last!) Christmas I'll have spent working full time in retail.  Retail + Christmas = Hell.  Sadly I will be working Boxing Day, I'm so gutted, however I've managed to avoid it for the past few years so it's probably my turn anyway!

St Ives Apricot Scrub

Thoughts: I've literally had this for years so I finally decided to get rid of it.  I've had heard some things said about the particles being too rough for your skin and also Caroline Hirons saying never to use a scrub on your face anyway, use an exfoliating toner instead!  Good riddance!

Cruelty-free?: Unknown, doubtfully.

Repurchase?: No.

Lush Eau Roma Toner Water

Thoughts: I love this stuff, it's so refreshing and because it doesn't contain any alcohol or chemicals it doesn't dry out my skin or make it feel tight.  I use it after an exfoliating toner (REN Clarifying Lotion) to rehydrate my face.  This is my 3rd bottle of Lush's toner water and I've already bought myself a big bottle of Breath of Fresh Air.  £3.95/100g here. Vegan.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: Yes.

Neal's Yard Remedies White Tea Enriching Facial Mask

Thoughts: I got this free sample when I bought NYR eye make up remover a few months ago.  I managed to get two uses of of the tiny wee tube which is pretty good, however it really didn't 'wow' me at all.  £25.75/50g here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: No.

ELF Translucent Matte Powder

Thoughts:  I've been trying to finish this for ages actually!  I decided that as it's nearly finished I would use it until the end of the week and then get rid of it.  It was an okay powder but not very translucent - it definitely had some colour to it which is unfortunate.  £3.73 here.

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: No.

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Dry Shampoo

Thoughts:  I received this as a PR sample along with some other items from the Luxurious Volume collection.  It worked okay but definitely not as good as Batiste and it had a quite a strong aerosol smell to it.  It was as if there wasn't enough powder coming out the the spray as I had to use quite a lot to see any effect.  I don't even know how much this is because I can't find it on the Boots or Superdrug websites...

Cruelty-free?: Yes.

Repurchase?: No.

Dove Beauty Care Body Wash Cream Oil

Thoughts:  I've been trying to use up my large collection of non-CF shower gels and moisturisers that I've collected over the years and I've definitely made a good dent in it!  This came in a set of two where the other one was Silk Glow and it was lovely however this one was nowhere near as nice.

Cruelty-free?: No.

Repurchase?: No.

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The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

I discovered The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil on Katie's blog and really wanted to try it as she said it was approved by Caroline Hirons - excellent! - and she was using it as a pre-cleanse, or first step in a double cleanse, to remove make up which is just what I had been looking for.  Shortly after I went onto The Body Shop's website and as usual, they were having a sale so I picked up the cleansing oil for £6.50 instead of the full price of £10 which is for 200ml.

I've been using this almost every night to remove my make up, it even works brilliantly on eye make up.  I have been looking for my 'Holy Grail' eye make up remover for a while now and I think I've found it, even better that it's a normal cleanser so you don't need a separate product!

It has a handy pump on the top which makes it easy to dispense.  I use one pump and rub it over my entire face and eyes - particularly into eyelashes to remove mascara.  If I am feeling a bit lazy and not going to cleanse again afterwards then I will rinse with water - it emulsifies with water unlike a plain oil - and remove the excess with a damp flannel, then finish with toner and moisturiser.  I've had this for about a month now using it most days and I've still got loads left, I would definitely buy this again.

My only real complaint with this product is that the pump is a bit strong and if I don't cup my hand around it it will end up halfway across the bathroom!

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NOTD: All Hail The Queen

If you remember back to my recent wishlist post I said I would like another Butter London nail varnish to add to my lonely little Disco Biscuit, so the next time I was in Boots I picked up All Hail The Queen!  After quickly swatching it on my finger I was quite disappointed, it was so sheer and streaky, so it put me off trying it properly for a while.  However when I finally did I was quite pleased with how it turned out, after 3 coats that is!  You could probably get away with 2 coats if you are very careful to get them even.  All Hail The Queen is a neutral brown with a slight scattered holo through it which is really pretty.  It is quite similar to China Glaze Fast Track which you can see here which is lighter with gold shimmer instead.

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The Vegan Kind Box #1

[via with permission]

As soon as I heard about The Vegan Kind box being launched, I knew I had to sign up!  Even though I am not vegan - more a fussy pescatarian - but the idea of getting a box full of 100% cruelty free items really appealed to me.  I always said, if someone made a cruelty free beauty box I would sign up in a heartbeat so although this is more a lifestyle box, it's good to know if any beauty items are included they will be vegan and cruelty free.  Other than the fact it sounded great, I also found out it was started by one of my Scottish blogger friends Karris, so I wanted to support her in her amazing venture.

My box arrived on Monday which was a pretty quick delivery but I live relatively close to her in comparison to the rest of the UK so that could have been a factor.  Luckily my dad was in to get it off the postman - this bad boy would definitely not fit through your letter box!  The box is enormous compared to any other monthly boxed I've seen!

Inside, at the top there were a few sheets of paper including a lovely little welcome newsletter introducing themselves, a list of all the samples and a recipe card.  Every month there will be a recipe card in the box and on month 3 you get a binder to store them in - so cute!!  Also, since the box is based around helping animals, each month 10p from every box will be donated to a different animal charity which I think is such a lovely gesture.  Then underneath are all the goodies:

1. Crystal Spring 50g Salt of the Earth Travel Deodorant (unisex) This is applied to damp skin and leaves a thin layer of natural mineral salts on the skin which prevent the formation of body odour.  Personally I prefer antiperspirant rather than deodorant but I am intrigued to try this, perhaps keep it for less busy days though! link
2. Clearspring Organic Miso Bouillion Paste - Concentrated Vegetable Stock You probably would associate miso with Japanese food but this can be used in the place of any other stock in soups and stews.  I've been making a lot of soups recently so I'm looking forward to trying this out instead of my usual Knorr cubes! link
3. Living Naturally Soapnut Sample Bag This is probably one of my favourite items from the box simply because of how bizarre they sound!  Soapnut shells can be used instead of detergent in your washing machine even though they are a fruit, what?!  They can be used a few times before being composted and they are 100% natural with no chemicals in them at all.  They are also naturally conditioning so you don't need to use fabric softener either.  I am quite excited to try them actually - how sad am I?? link
4. Goody Good Stuff Fizzy Sweets 25g One thing I did miss when I stopped eating gelatine (in sweets, not raw... gross) was jelly sweeties!  I can get some from Tesco but I'm quite far away from one and there's only a couple of flavours I like, they're also only suitable vegetarians not vegans.  Needless to say, these did not last long!  They are very sour, and very fizzy!  I didn't love the flavour but only cos I'm not a massive fan of cherry but other than that they were comparable to Haribo!  I'll definitely be looking out for these and hopefully try different flavours, as they're available in places I have nearby like Asda and Waitrose. link
5. The Vegg 1.56oz This is more for the actual vegans as it's an egg yolk replacer, however I do plan on trying the french toast recipe on the front - I'll need to buy soya milk to make it with first haha!  It's great to know these products are out there. link
6. QI Tea Samples Unfortunately I don't drink tea so I've passed these onto my parents to try! link
7. Koolbadges This was added in as a little bonus which is really cute!  Koolbadges is ran by a vegan married couple who are based in England.  They hand make all their badges and source everything from the UK to keep environmental impact to a minimum, and recycle everything where possible.  They supply badges worldwide with 6000 designs to choose from! link

So there you have it!  I won't be doing this for every single month as I know myself how tedious the beauty box type posts can be after a while... but I wanted to share The Vegan Kind's first box with you.  If you're interested in signing up the link to their website is here, and it costs £10 plus £2.99 P&P.

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