Life - Who doesn't love a freebie?

At work over the last year we've had some great freebies which is a great office perk. Looking in papers these days there are always people out there working out how to feed a family of four for £1 per head per day or most recently, families affording Christmas at rock bottom prices. I've always been a bargain hunter and Christmas is when I am in my element but people always ask me, where am i getting these bargains and how do i find them? The answer; by putting in a lot of effort.


Lets begin with the cheapest of cheaps... freebies.

My work place use a company called Gems At Work. Sign up your office today to get freebies. All they ask for in return is a review of the products sent over for their market research.

Here is one of the recent freebies we had:

Recently in the office we had another freebie at the same time as the above by chance as a someone on our customer service team won a competition as per the below:

For my own freebies I've recently been applying through Magic Freebies. This site is a little "hit and miss" but I've found a lot of the money saver articles suggest this site. Mainly I apply for samples this way but even with samples I receive only 40% of what I apply for.

Onto bargains. I am a bargain queen if I do say so myself. I hate to pay full price for anything and have become so used to paying low prices that faced with full priced items I dispair at the full price ticket.

My favourite site for the last year has been everything5pound. This wonderful site sells everything for £5 (shocker right). A lot of thier product are previous seasons branded items. From here I've bought ASOS, h&m, new look , cameo rose, topshop and many other brands we know and love for as I've said before £5. It is hit and miss so you could end up with something cheap looking as well as cheap costing. I've now got colleagues hooked on this site and j hope you become hooked too.

Everyone knows about Primark of course but as we all know this is another hit or miss store..often I have asked colleague "where did you get that" they tell me primark and I'm astonished. How do people find these gems? I've had a few which i was really pleased with but generally i usually leave with something i like but not love.

Believe it or not even places like Poundland and Aldi are upping thier homeware game currently and there are some great bargain finds in places like these if youre willing to take the time to look.



Lastly we have Discounts and Voucher codes.

I would do no shopping if not for discounts and voucher codes. For any big purchase my first port of call is Quidco. This website offers discounts and most importantly cash back on purchases. Some of these cashbacks are minuscule but its still more than nothing. This site also gives you the ability to sign up a card and for instore purchases at certain stores you will still get cashback when using this nominated card. I've made on average £70 a year on this site for the last three years.

For most discount codes, especially those for fast food i simply google search the store/restaurant "voucher codes". This usually brings up a plethera of sites to choose from. Two of my favourites are Voucher codes and Hot deals UK. These are hit and miss as a number of codes will be out of date but also these codes are provided by outside sources and are often unreliable.

Currently with my beauty boxes i am searching for a number of codes online but also using my one stop source of information on beauty boxes Which beauty box UK.On this site you will find not only reviews about the latest beauty boxes but also some discount codes. Its been really helpful.



The above are not the only options as occasionally I've been known to even barter in store (especially furniture stores) but this is a rough guide to how i do get bargains.

Well that's all i have for you on this.

Peace Out ☮䷊🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 19 - The weekly list (which is becomming less regular)

Apologies to anyone who is actually keeping regular tabs on this blog trying to read some of my more regular updates, for which there havent been many. I'd say life got in the way but actually i have very little on my plate at the moment, especially in comparison to how it's been the rest of this year. Just had some time to myself so spent it with me, myself and I.


Well onto the main topic of this article. Let us begin with the new stuff:

 
I'm sorry to say that even over a week theres not much to show for it on the new side of things however these two newbies are massive winners for me so hopefully that makes up for the lack of variety.


Soaper Duper - Rich and creamy shea butter body wash
I am in LOVE with this body wash.This came with my cosmopolitan latest in beauty box which i am still yet to review however for sure this was the best item in the box. The smell is delicious but i struggle to put into words why i find the smell so enticing. This leaves a wonderful scent on your skin without making it irritated (for new readers, i have Psoriasis and Eczema so struggle to find body washes). The texture of this is light and comes out very fluid. I would love to buy this again but it is more expensive than i'd usually buy.

Currently available in Tesco for £4.33


Murad - AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleanser
I recieved this in my Latest in Beauty (my own picks) recently. I chose this as it was the best rated exfoliating cleanser in thier selection however i was unsure as it's been available as a choice for some time which indicates it was perhaps unpopular (average review doesn't reflect lots of reviews, just mainly good ones). I am happy to report that this didn't disapoint. My skin feels better after use and seems a lot clearer. Until i choose myself a decent moistouriser it is hard to judge enitrely how well this is working. I am however happy that i recieved another bottle of this cleanser with another box as reviewed here which means i get to use this for even longer. Sadly to say the full price product is fairly expensive meaning once these bottles are gone i may not purchase again. Saying that this has lasted me almost 2 weeks and this is a small bottle.....

£35 per bottle



Now for the empties:

Rosie for Autograph - Nuit Parfum
Recieved as a part of latest in beauty box I was excited to try this when it came however upon reciept i was sorely disapointed. My hope was to use this as an alternate perfume for work, which i did use however i really found the scent old fashioned and too flowery. I won't be trying this again but it would make a great present for someones nan.

Available at marks and spencers for £28

 

The Body Shop - Satsuma body wash
Smells beautifully fresh but doesnt leave much of a lasting scent. I've used this before and reveiwed this before because it is one of my favourites. Always an added bonus that The body Shop are against animal testing.

Not currently available online but is usually £5 in store


Aldi - Dentix 6 in 1 Mouthwash
I've reviewed this before but as always i was impressed with this mouthwash. This really leaves long lasting minty freshness but also makes my teeth feel great.

Absolute steal at only 95p


Rituals - Ritual of Sakura foaming shower gel
I tried this out in Belgium and didn't like it. I tried it again when i came back and i really don't like it. Not only do i find the scent inattractive but also this made me sting in.... lets say some sensitive areas... YES... there. This product is fairly expensive for an everyday product but also it irritated my skin quite badly. Never again. I also reveiwed this product here.

Available for £8.50 from the rituals site.


Well the Mr has no input this week so in the famous words of Looney Tunes "thats all folks".

Peace out ☮䷊🕊

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 18 - Not so Rockin' "Roccabox"

I'M BACK. I wasn't really gone very long but here I am again. This time its a new beauty box which unfortunately unleashed fresh disappointment.....


Recently I discovered a awesome new blog about beauty boxes called Which Beauty Box UK. Through it i've discovered more beauty boxes to try but also gained some more discount codes which rather than saving me money has meant I've bought even more beauty boxes! Through this blog i discovered Roccabox. This monthly box is £10 plus postage and packaging but through Which Beauty Box UK i used a 10% discount code.

If you have been on which beauty box UK before, or have since i've included the link above then you may be asking why did i chose this box? Well if you check out the September blog for Which Beauty Box UK you will see that the selection was AMAZING as were the prior selections for the months prior. I was so excited to give this a go especially as its a blogger edition based on ReallyRee suggestions....


So i began to unbox......

I was getting so excited.... then......

IS THAT IT?!?




Lets begin with what I did like....

Murad - Exfoliating cleanser
I actually picked this up recently in my Latest In Beauty box which I blogged about recently. Since i already had tried and tested this I wasn't wow-ed but it was nice to know I liked this and could put it to use.

Omorovicza - Deep Cleansing mask
This is also available on Latest In Beauty though i haven't picked it up as yet. I am looking forward to using this and have heard great things. It is however expensive so its not a product i'd buy again, but i like that i get a chance to try it.


That is it really for the items i look forward to trying.

I want to give the eyelashes a go as i'm wanting to experiment with lashes, however I just bought four sets of lashes to try so this is just another which will wait in line.

The last is the Pureology, Strength cure shampoo conditioner duo. I'm least excited about these since i'm fairly happy with my current shampoo, oil combo and wasn't really looking to replace/improve.


Its not just me. Jaina who writes the blog Which Beauty Box UK has expressed her disappointment in this box also explaining how although she see's a theme (which i cannot even grasp this theme) this wasn't great for her.

I don't think i'll be trying this box again since i especially didn't like the lack of visibility you had. No previews and as its not that popular, instagram didn't help at all.

Sorry this article was a bit of a bummer but i hope you enjoyed or found it useful regardless.

Peace out ☮🕊䷊

Life - pets are family too

When you call your pet your baby you are always going to get those people who look at you like your mentally unstable. Just like parenthood however there are militant pet owners who will on the flip side tell you you aren't doing enough or your doing everything wrong.


Hi. My name's Laura and I'm addicted to giving my love to animals (even those which are not mine). I am a super animal lover.... Not to say I'm vegetarian or vegan (I love my furry friends but I do still eat some.... 😬). Yes I love animals and not just my own. I give my love to animals I meet on the street, in parks, in zoos and at friends houses (beware friends I could steal your pet). I've long loved furry creatures but as a child left the rearing and care of my creatures to my mum. Poor mum was left picking up dog poop, cleaning out fish tanks and scooping the poop for the hamster. It's only as an adult in my own home that I've met with the other side to pet ownership..... Others opinions of you.


When I bought my first place I was all on my own for a few years. Sure the boyfriend came to visit but it's a lonely life when he wasn't about. To keep me company I invited two guinea babies into my life. It was there my zoo began.....a year later I had also gained two budgie babies. Being that I had a one bed flat I decided (the boyfriend kind of demanded) that four pets were my limit.

Here's a baby Alpha:

Next question? What goes into the keeping of two guinea pigs and two budgies? Well I'm glad I asked. Firstly you need to decide where within the limited space of your one bed flat you can keep these babies? When i bought the guinea pigs from Pets at home i followed all the advices of the sales person. Since looking this up online apparently its not only the worse thing i could of done, but i also shouldn't have even bought them from there. Pets at home do not have the best reputation for the pets they sell but also for how they keep them whilst in their care. In my mind.... that means i rescued them..... right?




Well sales advice was to keep them in an indoor cage which was 1 metre long and 1/2 metre wide. Quickly i learned that two boy guinea pigs in such close confines was not a good idea. In the first 24 hours they fought fairly ruthlessly and poor foxtrot (my lil ginger baby) ended up with an infected bite on his neck. This meant the poor baby was on a weeks worth of antibiotics and painkillers (smelt like calpol and the fact he loved the taste of it tells me it probably was calpol). The next day my baby Alpha (the alpha of the pair - SHOCKER) poked himself in the eye with hay and gave himself an infected eye. This meant i had one guinea pig on antibiotics and painkillers and the other on eyedrops......Not only is it not great that within 48 hours two pets from pets at home were poorly but what was worse was the sales persons advice. When i bought  foxtrot back (pets at home as in house vets) with his swollen neck the sales person asked "if you like we can swap him for another." I asked you. What kind of question is that? That is a living animal....Of course i kept him. I make attachments VERY QUICKLY. It was a fun time for all three of us. I then upgraded to a large outdoor double hutch. Huge in fact as it was nearly 6 feet long and 5 feet tall. It was lovely and thick and in the winter i threw a huge throw over the top with some plastic covering and it was warmer in the hutch than it was in my flat!


Here we have some festive (not so) happy faces:

The second advice given by pets at home which was snubbed by forums i visited was the use of sawdust. Fellow pet owners suggested that sawdust assaults poor guinea pigs airways and also irritates their little feet. I'm not entirely sure about the feet thing but certainly it makes sense about them breathing in the dust of the sawdust. Instead I decided to use either a shredded cardboard (very eco friendly) or horse bedding. Yes horse bedding. I found this great stuff which is made from wood pulp, especially made for ponies post op as it is DUST FREE. This stuff doesn't smell too pleasant to be honest but it agrees with the guineas feet and airways.


Sometimes they even got on:

 

Before i moved again one of my furry babies passed away. Unfortunately me and the guinea baby got a particularly bad case of food poisoning from a cucumber. For a small furry it was deadly. Shortly after his passing we moved and  I soon moved my remaining fur baby back into the house so he wasn't as lonely. I'd love to find him another friend but as foxtrot was bullied by Alpha all those years he seemed to relish having a home to himself. He's an old fella and I'd doubt he'd want to make friends at his age since he's even become a grumpy bugger with me and Glenda. He currently lives in a big 6 feet long, one level on wheels. He loves nothing more than licking his Himalayan salt lick, running through his tunnel and hiding in his hut.


Just me and Foxy these days:

With the budgies i did learn my lesson and visited a breeder rather than a pet shop. I also chose my cage based on forum recommendations. These two are brothers but like the guinea pigs fought like demons. They however unlike the guinea pigs settled with age and now have loving relationship where they share their toys and perches.

My top tip for buying and caring for your pet. Don't make a rushed decision. If you want to purchase a pet then keep in mind how long they will live and how much it will hurt when they go. If you don't have the patience to keep caring for your pets for the years they may be with you, then don't buy a pet. If you can't afford the upkeep for a pet including any possible vet bills, then you shouldn't get a pet. Animal shelters are great places to pick up a new family member, because pets are 100% family, however they shouldn't need to exist. If more people were more responsible when taking on pets then there would be fewer shelters and less pets wondering why they were abandoned and wondering when they will meet their new family.


Well i hope you liked the advice but more importantly i hope you liked the pictures!

PEACE OUT 🕊☮

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 17 - Getting glam with Glossybox

I've never had a Glossybox before and since this months edition was Mermaid or Unicorn edition with an awesome eyeshadow palette from Makeup Revolution i was SOLD. So of course as many a savy shopper does, I dug out a voucher code and purchased away (uh oh... don't tell the other half). You can imagine the disappointment when the below arrived:

So I saw this and thought...Ok maybe they ran out of the boxes. I opened the box further:

I had thank sinking feeling I wasn't going to get what i thought i was purchasing.

Nope. Not mermaid or Unicorn. Regardless of not being the colourful delight i wanted it to be there was many a delight in the box.

Already reviewed in my last blog in Episode 16 of trying to be more woman I received the Too Faced Better than sex Mascara which i LOVED! Please refer back to my other blog for the full review.

As pictured, also reviewed was The Organic Pharmacy Antioxidant Lip Balm. This smells slightly Rosy however I didn't find the affect long lasting...... pity.

Another item which my colleague (blogger http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/ ) was particularly excited about was the Catrice Volumizing Lip Booster. I'm yet to try this but I'm not wow-ed by the colour.

Something I should have tried this weekend was the Smokey Eye Pen from Rodial. I'm not sure how to use this but I'm sure youtube will have the answer.

The other two are actually samples but I already know that i love the Himalayan Charcoal Mask from The Body Shop and as a lover of masks I look forward to trying the Hydro Face Masks from Rose of Jericho.



The subscription for Glossybox is £10 + postage and packaging so I'm not sure if I'll be trying them again. When i queried why i didn't get the Mermaid or Unicorn box they simply stated that it was sold out. I'm not sure if that's acceptable since its basically false advertisement.

That's all I have for now so Peace Out! ☮🕊

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 16 - i don't do fancy dress but i did fancy up my face

Folks it's that Halloween time of year (not actually Halloween yet) which calls for parties, which in turn calls for fancy dress of course. I'm invited to two parties this year (well three but the third is held AFTER Halloween and its my brothers party so I don't count it). My work do and my friend's house party so this episode of trying to be more woman will include two versions of my fancied up face with different products (that's the plan). Lucky you!!!!

First party was the office do. Held immediately after work in our office cafe (basically our office kitchen eating area.) Both nights out my look is goth devil. I chose this look as I need practice with my smoky eye and I already have flashing horns from when I was 13. Job done.

So here is how I looked for the office people....

The following is an end of the night shot so lighting is darker and the makeup has worn off a little in places (eyeliner and eyeshadow mainly).....

What you can't see is what I'm wearing (oooo sounds kinky...SPOILERS it's not)... Well I'm wearing an off shoulder black and white skater dress which is mainly white with black bows from ASOS. The bottoms are half pvc wonders from sofabulous (a brand within littlewoods) which I've teamed with a primark over sized thick knit cardigan. In my usual bargain ways the dress and bottoms were from ebay (LOVE searching new with tags) and the cardi was of course bargain price in primarni! The Bottom especially were a great find as it turns out Littlewoods have a clearance account on Ebay. Check it out along with all these other retailers with clearance accounts:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Littlewoods-Clearance 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/OfficeShoes 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/veryclearance  

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Trespass-Outlet 

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/thesuperdrystore?clk_rvr_id=1349026516353&rmvSB=true

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/boohoo-outlet?clk_rvr_id=1348836892763&rmvSB=true

Onto trying to be more woman... how did i get my face looking this way.... check out the below:

 

I went with a double team red lipstick: The base lipstick is from Bourjois called Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick which goes on as a gloss and mattes out. The lip gloss is from Elle and is an oldie of mine (most labelling has rubbed off over time.) I bring this out every Halloween as it gives a bloody sheen which is perfect for the occasion.

The mascara is an old fave which I've reviewed in a prior blog..here. The Gosh foundation and Primark (foundation stick) highlighter I've also already reviewed....here and here. 

The eyeliner is another Bourjois item but this was entirely new to me. It's unique in its shape and therefore application but I actually found this made it easier to apply. I got this really cheap in my local (Maidstone) TJ Hughes and would really suggest for others to give it a go.

The newest items in my arsenal for this look was the ModelCo contour stick. It looks an odd colour but let me reassure you that this blended beautifully and really finished my look. I got this in my first ever birchbox (which you can see the full review for here) and couldn't have been happier to have discovered it.

Then we have the Mac 8 colour eyeshadow palette. I used only one lighter base colour for this look.

Lastly i used Collection 2000 eyeshadow pencil. This didn't sharpen well and was very crumbly. This could be due to the age but either way this was the first and last time i will be using this.

Second party and second look is similar with a few changes:

For starters this picture is care of a bestie of mine Ruth. Check out her instagram page here: https://www.instagram.com/ruthiomac_88/ . Sorry folks but I didn't take a before so as you can see my eyeliner is already bleeding out but this is the best pic i could get. Lighting at my friends was very dark, mainly lit but UV bulbs (as pictured below) hence my fluorescent bra showing through.... my bad.

The bestie loves a sugar skull so her and her hubby went all out on the decorations. Was awesome with dry ice and the works!!!

The make up bag for this night was :

As you can see there are a number of repeats from the day before. I am also missing a key piece from the above which I will still include in the breakdown:

MAC Russian Red Matte lipstick. This isn't pictured but its a great base as it stays on all night. Tried tested and almost all gone.

Too faced better than sex mascara. This was a newbie from my first ever glossybox (review to follow). When i got this mascara my work colleague (check out her blog http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/ ) was really excited. For good reason. I find this coats my lashes to thier fullest extent making them look fuller and darker than they have ever been!

Another newbie to the list which differed from the night before was the Fearne Eyeshadow base. No longer available in store but this really helped the eyeshadow stick.

I once again used the MAC eyeshadow palette, but this time i used two other colours. These seemed to work a lot better than the powder pencil combo from the night before.

All the rest was the same.


That's all i have to share for now. Hope you have enjoyed this blog and if you have please read on and check out my other blogs.

Peace out! 🕊☮

The Chronicles of "Trying to be more woman" - Episode 15 - Latest in beauty with my latest in beauty box

I've been watching the Latest in Beauty website since my last delivery, adamant that I'd choose wisely this time keeping reviews, variety and product size in mind. I feel happy with my choices this month. My box is brimming with delights, each which excite me and none of which i felt even a tinge of disappointment with. Well without delay let me introduce you to this months box of delights:

As you can see I chose the following 9 items with my "Beauty Guru" subscription:

1. Burts Bees - Tinted lip balm in rose

2. Murad - AHA/BHA Exfoliating cleaner - really excited about this and am just waiting until I'm through my current cleanser before i give this a go

3. Natracare - Regular Tampons - guess why i wanted these and what I'll be using them for.....

4. Eisenberg Paris - Moistourising smoothing serum
5. Lord & Berry - Matte crayon lipstick in Chic - tried this out and I'm not entirely sure the colour suits me. Will try it out in front of my gal pals to see what they think
6. Nanogen - Root boost thickening hair treatment spray - no hair, do care 😭

7. Feather & Down - Sweet dreams pillow spray - intend to have the Mr try this. He used to suffer from insomnia and although he sleeps better it still takes him a while to drop off to sleep

8. Wellwoman - Wellwoman energy in Lime - never taken vitamins before let alone berocca type stuff. First time for everything

9. Cetaphil - Gentle skin cleanser, Moistourising cream, Moistourising lotion - why wouldn't i try this? Three products in one selection! YAY









Another yay in this box was A FREEBIE (as pictured on the right). I have tweeted Latest in Beauty my joy at the freebie and now i shall tell you blog reading folk. YAY i love a freebie!!!! Will give this a go and review another time.




 












Lastly i was impressed with two small things included in the box this week. Two things which they may not have intended to impress by, but none the less did impress little old me. Firstly...there was instructions on how to use one (well three) of my products and also a voucher for money off another product should i wish to purchase full size later. This is a small gesture but something i really appreciate.

So folks. That's all i have to say on these for now. To see individual reviews you will have to read future blogs (oh yeah; plugging my own blog) as and when i use the products.


Peace out 🕊☮

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 14 - Whats new? Whats used?

Quite a bit of newness this week, some empties and also a return to a product which I've already reviewed.

Lets start with goodbyes with some empties:

Tesco - Coconut & Almond Milk Shampoo
A golden oldie for me. I've mentioned before but i have a sensitive scalp and often my scalp has reactions. On top of that with my super fine and soft hair, if a shampoo leaves too much of a residue then often my head is left a greasy mess. At 80p I'll be getting this again and again.


The body shop - Tea Tree Cleansing Toner
 I've reviewed this before but I got this from The Ashford Retail Outlet for a steal. I've been using this after my cleanser and its really helped to clear up my recent break out (sounds very prison break when in reality i mean SPOTS). I will be getting this again to be sure.


Avon - Sweet Vanilla Bubble Bath
Sold out on their site but you can purchase other festive shaped bubble baths so take a look if you want. I wouldn't suggest it as i have mentioned here, and here. To reiterate my prior post this smelled great in the bottle but didn't smell at all outside of the bottle.



Ok enough of the old, in with the new:

Balanceme - Pure Skin Face Wash
This is my favourite newbie of the week. I got this in my Birchbox this month and i am impressed. I'll start with the best part. It rubs on and washes off quickly and leaves my skin feeling great. I must go on again about sensitive skin but its my blog, so deal with it! This does not irritate my skin at all and leaves me feeling glorious. Now the bad bit. Looks and feels like spunk! Sorry to those who ma be insulted by me bringing up bodily fluids but that's the case. The smell is also kind of chemical for a product which claims to be 99% natural? Regards less of smell, look and texture I am loving this product!

Aldi - Mighty Shampoo
Another product which admittedly i have tried before but well worth a revisit. This moisturises better than my tesco usual but without leaving a residue which will grease up my hair. This smells delicious too which is always great for a shampoo. People don't be put off by store brands. Aldi especially are upping their game and playing against the big boys. So far there isn't a product of theirs i haven't been impressed by.

Rituals - Ritual of Sakura
My colleague seemed excited when i got this in my Tilli box however i wasn't that impressed. The smell is quite old fashioned and not a scent i like. The texture is odd. This is a gel which foams... but not that foamy sometimes and sometimes too foamy. There's no balance. I basically used the whole canister in two washes which is ridiculous.

No.4 - Lumiere D'hiver Super Comb Prep & Protect
What this incredibly long name is meant to tell us is spray which makes it easy to comb (or brush) and protects from heat (should you choose to dry your hair). I air dry my hair so protect i do not need. With my thin, fine hair it does get tangled and does need help. This spray does work to help with my issue HOWEVER it does no more than my Aldi brand. Aldi version is much cheaper so i really wouldn't buy this again nor would i recommend this.






Lastly my other half has asked me to revisit my review on a new product he tried out last week (and is still using). I shall call this sections "He has an opinion on everything":

 The other half wanted to again reiterate that he liked the scent ALOT however he has found a design floor in this bottle. He claims that its incredibly hard to get the wash out the bottle which is frustrating for him as he really does like this product. Pity its so expensive.....



That's all folks. No more new, old, empties or revisits.


Hope you have enjoyed this article and if you have suggestions please do let me know.


Peace out ☮🕊

Thr chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 13 - Feeling sorry for myself

I was feeling a little under the weather this week and as always was feeling very sorry for myself. My first go to for any pain or illness is sleep. Well unfortunately being a working day my mind wasn't willing to cooperate with that. I woke up at 5.50 and I was up for the day. Still I got to rest even if I wasnt sleeping.

I'd have loved to get some household chores done but I really wasn't feeling up to it. So as many of us do, I set up camp on the sofa under my faux fur blanket and switched on Netflix. 

Anyway Ive got distracted from the main point. As I felt a little better in the afternoon and as noted already my skin is really horrendous at the moment I thought now was as good a time as any to do a face mask. The mask I went with was the Primark Deep cleansing blueberry bubble mask. It was my first time using s primark mask and a first using a bubble mask but at 80p I wasn't worried if it was useless. 

Application - the liquid comes out as a viscous fluid with a creamy looking consistency (yes, it looks like spunk)

Smell - with blueberry in the title name of the products , I was expecting something fruity. It wasn't. It wasn't a very pleasant smell for me but that could be me being ill as I've lost some sense of taste

Consistency when on face - once on, the foam starts up pretty quickly. It did feel a bit uncomfortable and itchy while I was waiting.....

Removal and after effects - washing off was easy enough however it was sticking to my flannel and really wouldn't wash out. After my skin felt a tad sticky... But no more cleansed...

Would I recommend this? Yes. It's a cheap buy to try out a bubbling face mask. Did it do much for me? No, but again didn't expect much for 80p.

If you like this, please visit my older blog on other mask's i've tried :)

Well that's all I have for you on this one. Hope you enjoyed!!!!

Life - Paranoia - annoying as hell, or is it just me

Like most people I manage to keep the crazy within under wraps until you get to know me. If you know me well enough however (for a rare few) you'll know that I'm massively paranoid about everything.

To some that may appear to be a bold statement however let me tell you that I woke up worrying that the neighbours were still parked over my drive without looking out of the window to check which feels me with this feeling of "why do they hate me so much". Now a rational side of me says firstly check they are even there (only half over now yay) and secondly stop taking it personally. They saw an opportunity and took it. That's all. Still my mind rocks back and forth until I finally check and see the van is gone. Yay past the first anxiety of the day in 10 minutes.

It continues however in the new evolution that my car is broken and will it die entirely today? No it didn't (another yay). That isn't the end however as standing on my platform I then have a mini concern that a regular who gets on my train will be here and want to talk. He was here and and he did. Got through that. I've only been awake less than an hour and this is how much I worry. Ahead of me is a whole day of worry, paranoia and anxiety which is standard.

Is it just me? The other half is the opposite and cannot fathom why I worry so much and half the time nor can I. I seem to be in a constant state of concern but at the moment I've really upped the ante.

I have some standard worries like:

• money (who doesn't) or more importantly not having enough
• Family - been a tough busy year for both sides of the family and I worry about them all and how they are coping
• Friends - I'm always concerned that I'm not seeing them enough and that they may stop liking me all together (I know this is particularly pathetic but it's an honestly almost a daily concern of mine)
• Relationship status - I've come to realise that I compare mine with everyone else and i really shouldn't. We are one of a kind so how could I compare.

You may notice work is not on that list. Well that is something I don't actually feel concern over. I have a stable job where I have an open and  honest relationship with  my manager and i Know what is expected of me and other than the commute I feel stress free from that side of things. I do get paranoid sometimes that people may dislike me in the work place but I've come to accept this as a possible fact (forget the haters because haters gonna hate hate hate hate hate.)

Where does this paranoia and anxiety come from, I don't know. It's been my dark passenger (yay Dexter quote) for so long I forget when it all began. I talk this out with the other half a number of times a day but it's not getting better. Until it begins to control or disrupt my life entirely I'll continue with my mini inner turmoil. I hope it isn't just me however. Misery love company they say and it would make me less consciousness if I knew I wasn't alone in these feelings.....

That's all folks on that. Peace out ☮️✌️

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 12 - damn you blemish stick

So folks in this not so special Tuesday me and my colleague decided to jazz up an ordinary day by renaming today Neon Tuesday. It isn't to become a national day I'm afraid but for a few in our finance team at work we are rocking the bright neon today.

Since today is a little different I wanted to put an effort into my face so what happens yesterday.... Mount Etna decides to mould itself to my face.

Sod's law, I know..I bought a blemish stick from Avon a little while back so this was an opportunity to give it a whirl... well..... Meh. It doesn't want to stick to my face and like most blemish sticks it's entirely the wrong colour for my face. So rather than conceal I'm left with a large paler lump on my face..... Yay. I tried and at least this has tea-tree in it so perhaps it's helping a little. Its currently only £2.50 so if you're tempted, now's the time to give it a go. I won't go on about my bad experience with Avon again, but here's my blog about them if you're interested.

The rest of my face I'm overall pleased with. This morning I tried a the technic primer (bought from fragrance direct for £1.75) out for the first time and then used the simple light moisturiser (i reviewed this on my recent blog so please refer back for more details). I feel the combo has made a difference as a base for the makeup and am pretty pleased. The Revlon gloss is a subtle touch to my bold look (yay neon Tuesday). I tried the Primark bronzer stick again today but this time along with the W7 liquid highlighter. The bronzer is probably too dark for me but runs in well but the highlighter... It's nice and glittery but other than that I feel it does little else. I'm also wearing my gosh foundation which I have mentioned in previous blogs and my L'Oreal eye pencil and Maybelline mascara.

Onto my fashion choices (picture care of itsshradha which the tag line #betterthanitsshradha comes from)..... Bold and beautiful i say. I am a pink Princess and proud today. I got this jumper for FREE from www.everything5pound.com when using a voucher code. I hated it when I first ordered it online and when it arrived but when I tried it on..... love at first sight. The jeans (sold out already) are also from everything5pound with a simple h&m black cami. I finished the look off with my office leather bright pink beauties which I had re-heeled yesterday. I love that these beauties are back in action so expect to see more of them. The socks were another recent purchase from ASOS, all topped off with my only accessory today which is my fitbit!

Well that's all I have on this neon Tuesday. I hope you all enjoyed and please do read my other posts for more makeup newbie reviews and fashion tips (maybe I'm not the best to take tips from).

Peace out ☮️️

The Chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 11 - Weekly, what have I used.

Going to try a new direction with the weekly "what have i used". I feel like I'm posting the same things every week because being realistic, it takes a while to get through a shower gel/Soap/shampoo/conditioner. Its not so exciting to show you the same thing over and over again. Instead let me show you new things, old favourites and used items.



So in with the new:



Above are three of the new products I've been trying out this week.

On the left we have Simple hydrating light moisturiser  which is something which I've Incorporated into my daily routine. This is such a light cream that it soaks in quickly and remains lightly on the skin (until your natural oils replace it). The only thing which could improve this would be if they could do something with the scent or lack there of. I'm a massive fan of the clean Nivea cream scent and have come to expect a fresh smell on a moisturiser.

In the middle is the Avon Sweet Vanilla bubble bath. It was our (oh the Mr do love a bubble bath) first time trying this out tonight and the scent is strong in the bottle but weak out of the bottle (and in the bath.... obviously). Would i recommend this? I wouldn't recommend anything from Avon as i did not enjoy their website experience nor their customer services (see my rage page article for further information regarding my customer service experience). This was however super cheap so get it while it lasts if you want some cheap bubble bath....

Lastly on the right is the L'occitane Supple skin oil. I've been using this in the morning and at night on and around my nails. I've been using this less than a week but can really see an improvement on the skin around my nails. I've even convinced the Mr to let me use this on him. I'm hoping if his skin around his nails is less rough, it may stop him chewing his nails. We'll see........

To the left is a new Shampoo to the Mr but an old friend to me. This the Aldi's Hydration Shampoo. Another super bargain. This shampoo has a sumptuous scent (so great I'd love to eat it). Hydration is in the name and hydration  is what it does. I tried this out previously when i was regularly showering at the gym (I haven't stopped showering, I've stopped going to the gym instead) but for me this was TOO hydrating. After a month of use i found it was leaving too much of a residue on my hair meaning that my hair was greasy even after washing. I do have super soft hair and when the Mr asked for a shampoo conditioner combo I thought this could do the job for him. He seems to like it and I'm using it once or twice a week which is agreeable with the delicate fine hair i have.

On the right is the Crabtree & Evelyn moroccan myrrh hair and body wash. This is another newbie for my mister. I bought this in the January sales from T K Maxx for a steal at only £3 (you can see I've poorly attempted to peel the labels off which is why i know the price still). I was unsure that he would like the scent but he seems pleased. Although it can be used on the hair and scalp, he is using this only as a body wash. I find it quite an old fashioned scent which is why I'm shocked that the other half likes it. He does surprise me still even after 7 years....








That ends the new stuff. Sad but true......


Onto the empties. 

Looking around online, empties seem to be a big thing among beauty bloggers. I'm not sure if its a sign of  "I've used the whole product so can review this fully" or a mark of pride almost like a trophy to say "i told you i had this and was trying it out".  Well here are my empties from this week:

My empties are the Shay & Blue perfume which i received in my Tili box recently. It was a small size so didn't last me very long. When i saw that the scent was blood orange i was worried as I'm not a fruity perfume person usually. Again when i sprayed a small amount in the lid i wasn't blown away. Perfume will always smell differently on each individual and once on my skin i really loved this!


The second empty is the The body shop seaweed deep cleansing facial wash. As mentioned before in my blogs this came from the Ashford retail outlet. I really loved this and it left my skin feeling really refreshed. I'd be tempted to get this again!







Lastly for this article i really wanted to share my hand wash. I know strange thing to want to share....

The handwash bottle is from Debenhams but it was some time ago so i couldn't say what make and price it was. Sorry too long ago and that really wasn't the point of me including this. I was running low on handwash and my other half had invited a friend over. I added my new handwash to the top of the old and its created this awesome mix effect which you can see a little in the picture but trust me when i say, its much better in person.

This mix is a mix of Aldi's Bubblegum handwash and Detol antibacterial handwash. The bubblegum wash was super awesome smelling and the scent stayed on your skin for some time. I worry about going cheap on a handwash as you want it to do its job....clean. The detol wash i cannot say anything about as its mixed with the old wash.....





Well that's all folks. Hope you enjoyed and if you did please do follow me!

Peace out 🕊☮ 

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 10 - Birchbox supports breast cancer

This month I decided to get my first Birchbox beauty box. Why this month? Well I've been keeping an eye on the products within the monthly box and this month I felt that I wanted everything that was a possible option. This is something I really liked about Birchbox, not only can you see the possible options available in the box for that month but also you get to choose between two of the items every time. This months choices were between ModelCo contour stick or Megalash mascara. I actually chose the option "surprise me" as, as i have already noted I would be happy with any of the this months options.


So next questions. What were the options and what did i get? Here..... have another picture:

I am yet to try these but i can tell you i am very excited about a couple of these items and cannot wait to try them.

Firstly the Spectrum Marble cosmetic brush. I haven't had much experience with brushes in general being that I am still a super amateur. Regardless i am really excited to give this a go.

Likewise i cannot wait to try the contour perfecting sponge from Ecotools. I'm really experimenting with contouring at the moment. I've been applying bronzer and highlighter really subtly and cautiously as i have been so unsure. With the blending sponge I'm going to search for some videos and try and up my contour game. I will post the results!

Leading from the contour sponge I am really desperate to try out the contour stick from modelco. I've already tried this out on my hand and it seems to blend really well. My colleague who is also a beauty blogger seems even more excited by this and excitement is really contagious.

The Number 4 Lumiere dhiver super comb prep and protect (WOW that's a long name) will be something which I can give a go almost immediately as part of my day to day routine. I'm not as excited by this but it is a practical item which I'll be able to use.

Another item which I'll start to try out immediately will be the Balance me Pure skin face wash which appears to be a Marks and Spencer's product. I always worry about a face wash as if i have a reaction with my sensitive skin it could really ruin all the work I've been trying to do to clear up my blemishes. Oh well. Lets see....

Lastly and the least wow of the products was the Anatomicals Grab your melons shower gel. Its a shower gel folks. It may smell nice but its going to be a sweet smelling gel just like many others out there I'm sure.



As happy as I was with my box i wanted to try one other product so BAD. The product i really wished for in the box was R + Co Badlands dry shampoo Paste. Pity but its an expensive product so its unlikely i will now get a chance to try this. Oh well.



I have the feeling most boxes came with the Grab your melons shower gel as this box edition was pink in line with "CoppaFeel". CoppaFeel is all about ladies keeping an eye on our breasticles and making sure we feel for any lumps and bumps. Their website has a GREAT instruction guide on how to check them which any lady should check out https://coppafeel.org/your-boobs/boob-check-101/ .


Well i hope you folks enjoyed this article and ladies..... go have a grope.... of yourself. I do not encourage you to go grope others!!!

Peace out ☮🕊