Beauty Wish-List #1 - Chanel, Liz Earle, MAC, OPI.

Hi lovelies, how is everyone's week going? As it is payday this week and my shopaholic itch starting again, my want list has been ever growing - shocker, right?! 

Instead of flooding you all with images of the new dresses that I want to whisk into my wardrobe, which is my regular want list, I decided to focus on the beauty items that I have been coveting for months now but either never got round to buying, or just couldn't justify the purchase:

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(2)

(3)

(4)

(Images from Debenhams; Fashion Stare; Liz Earle; MAC Websites)

1) Blush Horizon De Chanel - £46

From the moment this blush was released in Chanel's spring collection, I have wanted it. And I'm not talking about just a casual 'aw that's a pretty colour' sort of brush-off want, but the sort of want where despite swatching it about twenty times, I still go and stare at it lovingly everytime I come across a Chanel counter. Sadly, even with payday round the corner, £46 on one small blush is too much for this girl to afford. But if there is anyone out there who can afford it - get it! Quick! It is honestly the most perfect pink shade, for that fresh-faced girl look. 

2) Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser - £14.25

The most talked about hot cloth cleanser in the bloggersphere, no? Well after reading glowing review after review, I can't help wanting to give into the hype and find out just what IS so great about this cleanser! Even though I have just bought the No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser and love it, I am thinking this will be one of my first purchases on payday (exclu. The Avengers cinema tickets!) to find if it really can magically transform my skin back to its baby-born glory!

3) OPI's 'Excuse Moi!' The Muppets Nail Polish - £11

I love The Muppets. Seriously, its one of those things that was an integral part of my childhood that I have continued to love into adulthood - which includes the 2012 movie with Jason Segal that I honestly thought could not have been better! But one of the great things about The Muppet's revival was the OPI Muppets Collection! Miss Piggy has her own nail-polish range, and if Miss Piggy could be transformed into a little bottle of nail polish, this would be it. Its glittery, its bright pink and it definitely has star power. Now I love Miss Piggy, I even have a mini pillow with her face on it on my bed, so this nail polish is a joint No.1 to buy on payday. 

4) MAC Lipstick - Chatterbox - £13.50

I have to admit something to you all, even though I have been blogging since 2010 (more consistently 2011), I have not yet bought myself a MAC lipstick - commence the flogging! I know, I know what a failing as a beauty blogger but I just haven't somehow got round to buying one, I mean I always swatch the different colours but each time I do either I don't have the money or say I will come back and get it later but never do. So, it has been decided that on my payday or at least this month, I will get a cute pink MAC lipstick in the shade of Chatterbox as I do not own a real pink lipstick, and I am a chatterbox. Look forward to a review coming on this!

Anyway, that is my current beauty wishlist. I can think of so many more things to add but then this post would never end and you would fall asleep reading the never-ending list, so I whittled it down to these four products that I have been lusting after for months. 

Do you have a beauty wishlist on the go? Or have the need to buy any of these items? 

Love,

Review: No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser

Hello my lovelies, the weekend has just zipped past hasn't it? I can't believe it is already Sunday! Hope you have all had a great weekend, and are enjoying the London Marathon in what appears to be sunshine... 

Anyway, onto the post! Recently, my skin has decided to go on a tirade against smooth skin and has instead gone for the bumpy look that is just oh so attractive. Now, I will admit, I have not been the best person when having an evening beauty regime - using Dove soap to just wash off the day's make up and be done with it. I'm lazy, and I have now realised that I'm probably not getting away with it as much as I did in my teen years. So on a trip to Westfield, I splurged and bought the No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser for £10 that I had been reading about on so many blogs:

(sorry for the not amazing photos, still at the boyfriend's house and this was the best place could get to take photos)

My first thought went to the sleek design of the box & product itself: it's a very simple, fresh sort of look which mirrors the product itself - to be honest, I am one of those people that love how things come in boxes, all pretty & packed - its sad, I know. 

But onto the actual using of the product: I have used it twice so far, and some may think that's not enough time to get an accurate feel of the product, but for me, generally if I feel like I can't get on with a product in the first few uses it is just going to end up being piled up in my wardrobe or bathroom cabinet. Luckily for me, this one has made it past the two-time test and I love it!

It has a thick consistency, a bit like lotion really, that has a fresh & natural smell to it that comes out in an even amount from just one pump (as shown above). I usually use two pumps to cover my whole face in a nice layer, and then massage it into dry skin as the instructions tell me to - no maverick here! After dousing the muslin cloth in hot water, I am enjoying the spa effect of having it open my pores before rubbing off the cleanser where you can really feel it working its magic on your skin. At first it stung a little which worried me, that even though it is hypo-allergic, my sensitive skin may still be allergic to it, but after talking to other bloggers who have used it they have the same effect so its really just showing its working. 

What I love about this cleanser apart from that I can feel it actually deep cleaning my pores and removing the dry skin, is that it leaves my skin incredibly soft! I may have looked a little crazy after I first used it because I just kept sitting in my boyfriend's living room stroking my face because I couldn't believe how soft it was, and that it had no oily feel to it. Even after two uses, my skin is definitely starting to feel a lot cleaner and less clogged up - which to me, is a huuuuge plus and is the product doing exactly as it says. 

The only thing that puts me off really is the £10 price tag, which as someone who has not had a real beauty regime, seems a bit steep to spend on a product I will be using daily and can see going down quite fast. But then again, with the regular £5 off vouchers that Boots give out, I can avoid the £10 cost most of the time (I hope) and it is cheaper than Liz Earle's at £14. 

In all, I would recommend this cleanser to all you beauty bloggers out there, that like me, may have not started a reeeal evening regime as this makes your skin feel great and really remove any traces of make up that are left after an initial soapy wash. I already have my eye on the Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser to compare it with...

Have you used the No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser? What's your night-time beauty regime?

Love,

Friday's Frock #4 - Oasis' Oriental Date Dress

Hello my lovelies, hope you are all enjoying the start to the weekend! I'm currently at le boyfriend's house so can only write a short blog this morning as the internet keeps failing - boohoo!

As I didn't get the chance to blog Friday's Frock yesterday, here's my date frock from Oasis:

 Dress: Oasis
Cardigan: Abercrombie & Fitch
Belt: New Look
Tights: M&S
Shoes: New Look

With it being my first week back at work full-time, I have absolutely been cream-crackered this week not helped by going hand-in-hand with the whole Weight-Watchers dieting thing (which incidentally, have found out that because I haven't reeeeaally been portion controlling my food, has not worked quite as planned but I am eating salads at work). With all the stress & everything else that comes with dieting and returning to work with Year 10/11s preparing for GCSEs, I couldn't wait for my date night on Friday - American food & milkshakes are the way to see the weekend in, in my books. 

I went rummaging through my wardrobe to try & find a frock that I hadn't worn in a while (being a hermit limits the amount of times I can wear snazzy going out dresses) and found this little gem squashed in amongst my work clothes. I got this dress in the House of Fraser sale last year because I loved the oriental flower & dress design, but also the bright colour & silky feel. The stretchy material is just a huuuuge bonus for going out for dinner, as hate being in restricting clothes when trying to gorge myself on the weekend treats! Anyone have this feeling too? My motto is always dress in regards to what you will be doing - food wise, never going to wear skinny jeans when heading out for Wagamamas!

So with a thick cardi and some thick tights I was set to brave the winter weather in style! Here's a little peek at what I got treated to yesterday at All Star Lanes restaurant in Westfield Stratford:

(Chilli Cheese Dog) (Hush Puppies) (Reese's Cups Milkshake)

Luckily for me, I have been trying to be extra healthy and good during the week and with the exercise I do around a school, managed to score myself quite a few extra weekly points so lunch & dinner it is out! Next week, Weight-Watcher portion control begins - here's hoping the will-power sticks! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who has a hankering for American food, I love everything they have to offer here and not just diner food - plus their cocktail menu is pretty much endless!

Do you have date dresses? Do you dress according to the date you will be doing?

Love,

Pandora Memories: My Ever-Growing Pandora Bracelet & Pen Pal idea,

Hello my lovelies, is it just me or does this week feel like it is just dragging its heels?! I'm thinking the cold & the rain is definitely a factor in this, have had to drag the winter wardrobe back out again - sad panda! Firstly, hello and thank you to my new followers! Getting closer to the '100' and love that so many people find my ramblings worthy of following, so thank you!

Secondly, I've come to realise I haven't really blogged that much, or at all, about the jewellery I have. To be honest, I pretty much wear the same jewellery every day because of its sentimental value, but have been trying to change it up a bit more recently! Anyway, one of the pieces of jewellery that I absolutely love is my Pandora bracelet that was given to me by my parents last Summer, and holds so many memories & sentiment to it. After reading a post from another blogger about their Pandora charm, it inspired me to write my own, so here it is!

 At first, I was resistant to buying a Pandora bracelet, thinking they were over-priced for beads, and with a girl that I had a rivalry with having a bracelet, it made me even less inclined to get one so we had less in common (petulant child, table for one please). But after spending a few hours a day browsing the Pandora website, I loved how the charms could represent my personality & have a special connection with the people who gave them to me, eventually letting go of my stubbornness and begging my parents for one. I haven't regretted it since, its one of my most personal pieces of jewellery that is almost a hobby as well as love collecting charms.

Pandora Charms:
 

Vintage Suitcase: This was my first charm & came from my parents for when I was meant to go on my Trek America. I have travelled all over the place, with my favourite places being the US and Canada, and its such an integral part of who I am. It's definitely in my spirit to travel around, and I have my sights set on a trip around Europe & all over the US in the future!

Christmas Tree: Another from the parents. My mum is an absolute Christmas addict, and surprisingly, it came as a Christmas present! This charm always reminds me of her, and makes me carry a little bit of the Christmas spirit around with me all year round!

Princess Carriage with Pearl: A birthday present from the boyfriend because I'm his princess and it looked like Cinderella's pumpkin carriage! If there was a charm that was absolutely necessary to showing who I am, it is this one. As a kid I have been a complete Disney addict and it pretty much made me want to become a princess as a grown up, luckily, my boyfriend treats me like one ... Most of the time. I love the little pearl in the crown, just the icing to top it off :-)

Chamilia Charms:

Tigger: Of course I was going to get as many Disney charms as I can (I have a looooong list saved on my laptop for future charms), but Pandora doesn't do them, so to Chamilia I went! Everyone has called me Tigger because I am super bouncy & enthusiastic so it only made sense to get a charm - I would travel by bounce if I could get his springy tail!

Random & Glass Charms:

Penguin: With my future sister-in-law working in a jewellery company, it wasn't surprising that I would be getting charms from her company, but I love them as they have such a different range to Pandora. She got me this super cute penguin one because it would remind me of the boyfriend who is a penguin-holic. Adorable!

Sister: Pretty self-explanatory huh? Future sister-in-law, we're already jumping ahead making it official!

Shoe: Yep, I love shoes. I do. I have an ever growing collection of heels & platforms that rarely get worn, but I love them and so I buy more to add to the collection along with dresses. I am a shopaholic and I'm not afraid to show it!

Turquoise Polka Dot Glass: Wouldn't you be surprised if I DIDN'T have a charm with polka dots? You've seen the wardrobe items! Its so cute as well with its colours, very pastel and in fashion, if I do say so myself -chortle-.

Jewelled: To add a bit of glam and sparkle, I have this cute jewelled charm that I love to just throw in my love for all things sparkly. I mean it, if something sparkles I will just get completely distracted by it and be like 'ooo I want it, sparkly'. Such a child.

Pandora Flower Glass: I love the colour blue and everything floral, so a present from my parents again that just showed my love of flowers and something to add colour to an otherwise all silver bracelet.

Chamilia Blue Swirly Glass: Another glass charm that is kinda pretty to add a bit of colour, and blue is one of my favourite colours, so decided this would be the colour theme for this bracelet.

***

So, that's my collection so far but I have my eye on some new ones that I have been after for a while now, including: an owl with a textbook; a tea-cup and saucer; a panda; and a dog. It'll take some saving, but looking forward to adding some new ones onto the bracelet - yay! 

Pen Pal Idea: Really quickly, as this post has turned kiiiiiiinda long and you've probably all switched off by now, I had an idea whilst I was at the post office today. I don't know about you lovelies, but I LOVE getting post, seriously, there is nothing better than coming home from a long day and seeing post! I have seen something called 'postcard crossing' or something coming up on my twitter where people send postcards to people all over the world to make new pen-pal friends. I loved this idea but thought "hey! why not do this with my readers/followers??" as I would love to get to know bloggers from all over the world a bit more (especially those from the States or Canada)! So if you fancy this craaaaazy idea or have an even better idea, then email or tweet me! It could be snail mail or e-mail etc, but just thought it would be quite cool to not be limited by 140 characters.

Do you have a Pandora bracelet? Or ever thought about getting one?

Love,

Dreading the Detox Diet #3 -- Playing Weight Watchers!

Wow, it has been a loooooooooong time since writing about my aim to go down by a dress size or two by summer, guess its cos I've been so preoccupied with dieting/exercising and not because I just gave up and decided the rounder I got the more I could roll around instead of walking. I think everyone looks beautiful, and have never been obsessed with my weight, the only thing that kickstarted this diet was my want to fit back into my Hollister jeans as it seems a waste! I'm not going to waste some Hollister jeans for any longer dammit!

Annnnnnnnyway -coughcough-, I took the plunge and joined Weight-Watchers online for £32.95 for three months, after seeing so many bloggers rave about how successful they have been at losing weight through the program. I'm not going to lie, I have been a bit sceptical about the whole weight-watchers thing, thinking its not reeeeally that different to My Fitness Pal which is a free calorie counting app.  But I love the system of the Pro-Points which give me my daily allowance and even 30-odd extra for when I want to go out for dinner or need some medicinal chocolate after kids at school decide to drive me that bit more mental! I don't know what it is but seeing points instead of checking calories of everything makes me feel like I have that bit more freedom on this diet - totally just a psychological thing with me... Also I love the recipes that come with it, and the advice they offer. I don't go to the meetings as I don't feel that I need it at the moment, but I do like the feeling there is an online community and I have so many resources online. My only problem is the Android app which is essentially just a calculator, and not a proper app like the Iphone one which offers a lot more - seems a bit stupid really...

To kick start my diet, I bought some Weight Watcher meals because they were on offer at Sainsburys (3 for £2.50!!)

(images from Sainsburys.com)

I've only tried the pizza & sausages but I'm pretty pleased so far for such low prices! The only problem is that the portions are quite small and the bread of the pizza tasted a little bland, but the sauces were absolutely amazing! I'm not sure if when the deal ends I'll keep buying meals as I do prefer making my own things fresh, but this is great for when I come home shattered after a day at trying to get 16 year olds to understand that An Inspector Calls is an important play to learn! 

Well since this is my first week I haven't got much to report at the moment. The aim is to lose about 7lbs in the first week as thats when the body really kickstarts, and will mean I have hit my short term goal which will be great! I'll keep you all updated with losses on my weigh-in days :-)

The only thing I ask from my lovely readers is a little bit of support as I know how easily I can get distracted by chocolate or pop-tarts! 

Do you have any diet regime planned to get summer skinny?

p.s. - I'm on Instagram now, so if you want to follow me there I am disney_stephie

Love,

Being a Style Hunter for PLNDR fashion!

Hello lovelies, hope you are all chillaxing on the last day of the weekend - boohoohoo! I've got some exciting news to share today, a couple of weeks ago I received an email from the lovely Melysa at PLNDR to say that I had been one of the ten bloggers chosen to take part in their exclusive blogger program to be a Style Hunter! Eeeek! After checking out the popular American fashion flash-sale site to see if it fitted in with my blog, I decided that this opportunity was definitely something I wanted to be part of and would benefit my readers too - as you are the reason I keep rambling away after all! Plus I am a complete American wannabee - give it time, I am going to find a way to move over there, and so being picked up by an American fashion company has just made as pleased as punch!

For those, like me a couple weeks ago, who hadn't heard of PLNDR before, its an awesome fashion flash-sale site that offers great discounts on fashion brands such as Cheap Monday, Motel, MinkPink as well as many more. You know the first thing that caught my attention, the name. Plunder. Anything with a pirate-related title & fashion has already made me interested - is that sad? But it was the cute clothing that kept me browsing through - especially from some of my favourite brands & dresses, and by being able to offer my readers discounts/giveaway prizes as style hunter, I was sold. 

 (images from plndr website)

So sign up HERE or on the badge on the side bar, and see what I have been rambling on about in this post because you can find some real gems in the sales - and who doesn't love a sale? Plus they ship all over the world, so being in old Blighty we're sorted!

Love,

Saturday's FOTD: A Half-Baked Suspect.

It has been absolutely ages since I have done a FOTD post, getting waaaay too preoccupied with the new additions to my wardrobe clearly. Anyway, today I spent my Saturday gorging myself on heavenly food in the form of Wagamama's Katsu Curry & All Star Lanes Buttermilk Fried Chicken - Weightwatchers will be mortified with me & the weight gain! If any of you have an All Star Lanes near you, I would wholly recommend trying out one of their restaurants they do just the most American food & shakes omnomnomnom!

I know some of you out there must be loyal users of the Urban Decay Naked palettes, so did the title of the post give you a little hint about what products were used today? 

Here's another clue:

 

Eyeshadows: Urban Decay's Naked2 Palette - 'Suspect' & 'Half - Baked'

Concealer: MAC Studio Sculpt NC15

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Ivory

Blusher: Benefit's Thrrrob 

Eyeliner: Rimmel Exaggerated Liquid Liner

Mascara: Diorshow Iconic

The all over base colour is 'Half-Baked' - the perfect deep, shimmering gold shade that since discovering it in my second year of university, has been a staple in my make-up bag. On the outer edges, I blended in 'Suspect' which looks a shimmery silver colour, but actually comes out with bronze undertones which I love. As its the weekend, I decided to thicken the flicks to make the most out of being able to be a little bit dramatic before heading back to work next week. Being a little of a fail blogger here though with no lipstick - but to amend this faux pas, I have been swatching several pink MAC lipsticks that I have my eye on for next payday - shall keep updated...

I always find that I can be my most adventurous with my eyeshadow shades, because the rest of my make-up generally stays in the same style, but the different shades show my mood or if I'm feeling more wild than natural. Do any of you feel this way about eyeshadow? Or is there another make-up item that you show your personality through?

Love,