Fashion Edit - trying to build on my wardrobe

As if I really need to, but i'd like to expand my wardrobe selection (even further). Currently i'm on the hunt for a smarter but quirkier look.

I've been searching the online sites for a shirt dress, jumper, legging combo. Something that all together I could smarten up with a handbag and heels; or dress down with dr martens/trainers and a back pack.

Here's the best of what I consider was a bad bunch in the shirt dress department:

Green and blue tartan £18 from Boohoo.com
Multi stripe (middle/top) £16 from Matalan
Red and black check £22 from Boohoo.com
Red and white stripe (Bottom left) £20 from Forever 21
Denim dress £18 from Matalan
Blue and white stripe tent dress £58, French connection c/o Asos


Truly I struggled to find a dress i'd like as I wanted a fairly plain shape, in my size which would cover my bum (i'm 5"7 with a big bum). My favourite of the above would be between three; The french connection number, forever 21 deck chair chic and the school kilt tartan in the top left.



I'm also after a funky pair of jeggings/jeans. Below are my wish list currently:

From left to right

Black leggings lace up front £20 from boohoo
Grey "puppy tooth" legging £4.99 from Select Fashion  
Ripped jeans with patches £9.99 from Select Fashion 
Denim stirrup jeggings £7.50 from ASOS 
Leather look, lace up side legging £25 from boohoo 
Grey and white patterned leggings £4.99 from Select Fashion 
Two tone Jeggings £14 from ASOS - I actually bought these last week. They also come in tall and petite and come in all sizes from 8 to 28!


I'm sure some people will check out some of my choices and think "she doesn't usually dress so out there/funky". That is all my own fault:
1. I don't have the money to buy everything I want
2. I am my own biggest hater and hate myself in everything I wear (I know im not alone in this self doubt and let me tell you, my other half hates how much I hate on myself)
3. I don't really want to be centre of attention - some of these are a bit more out there and I don't really want to draw attention to myself


Oh well. On with the show. I LOVE Dr Martens, and what better to wear them with than pinafores/dungarees:

 From left to right again...

Different shades of denim dungarees £17.50 Boohoo
Snoopy print dungaree dress £29.99 Pull&bear
Blue ditsy print dungaree dress £5.99 Select Fashion
Black formal style pinafore dress £5 Everything£5
Red cord dungaree dress £39 Topshop
Light denim dungaree dress £32 Topshop
Dark denim with faded knees £30 Boohoo




Now this is all fine and dandy but heading into AW17 really I should add some knitwear to the mix. Below are my Knits that I want and perhaps will buy:

From left to right for the last time
Grey sweatshirt jumper dress £30 Missguided 
Pink oversized jumper £25 Boohoo 
Green oversized jumper £18 Boohoo 
Blue "cute by crazy" sweatshirt £9.99 Select Fashion 
Woven black jumper with chiffor inserts £9.99 Select Fashion 




To some these may not be staples but to me they are. I'd love all of the above but i'd settle on at least 2 from each picture if I could. Oh well. Maybe when I win the lottery.

I hope you have enjoyed this fashion edition. Let me know if you want me to do a specific article on any styles/seasons in the comments section.

Peace out 🕊☮

Life - Reading

Most people who know me can tell you how much I love reading but it hasn't always been this way.

When I was in primary school I was tested for dyslexia and spent some time in a specialised class. This didn't last for too long and it was instead noted as a problem with being distracted or disinterested rather than an actual learning disorder. Still till the age of 8 or 9 I wrote back to front and from right to left. It was if I was writing in a mirror. Strange I know.....

Reading, hand in hand with the above was a bottom priority for me. I really didn't enjoy reading alone let alone out loud. I remember that every reading time I would pick a book with very few words or something like where's Wally with absolutely no words. My mum used to get so frustrated when reading with me because I'd start reading from the page then get distracted and start making things up.... 

I read my first full story at the age of 10 and it was called "the family from one end street". A story I remember to this day as a simple war time tale. I then didn't read for many years and that caused some problems especially when it came to my years of GCSE. It was at that point that my mum, even though she tried for many years really pushed me to read more. This came as a result after a particular parents evening where a teacher informed her that I may not pass English if I didn't start reading more. 

The first book adult book anyway that I gave a go was called "The clan of the Cave Bear". This is a large book with an adult target audience about a neanderthal clan. When I picked this up my mum stared at me with disbelief as it was too large and too formal a tale she thought to get me started. She was trying to convince me to read a handful of teen books she had chosen for me but no, I had decided. That was it... From that book I was hooked.  Although my mum's collection of books had always been available to me, suddenly I was getting through them quicker than she could. Everything from James Patterson through to Stephen King and lots in-between. 

Since then and especially since leaving school I've built a big relationship with books. I personally don't believe in re-reading books. Why, when there are millions if not billions of books in the world would you choose to keep reading the same thing? I want to try all genres and different authors! In the famous words of veruca salt of the famous willy wonka and the chocolate factory "I want it all".

Currently I have a mini work book club where we share books and spend our time (probably too much time) discussing the books at length deciding if we liked the plot and endings. I have also got a long standing family book club which includes my mum, Aunt, nanna and one of my besties Ruth. Recently my other halfs mum has been sharing some of the books too however she is a little less varied with her reading tastes so she's not exclusively part of the reading club.

I love to encourage others to read without pushing them and I particularly love it when someone falls in love with reading. Even happier when they fall in love with one of the books I've suggested or already read. My top tips for readers out there is Goodreads! This website is great for keeping track of books you've read but also sharing with fellow book lovers the hits and misses. I always think its good to leave a written review so people get a feel of why you like or dislike. Everyone's different so you may not like a book for an abrupt ending, but that may be the very reason someone else may love it.

So what am I reading at the moment. My last book was a real drag so i've gone back to a comfort read. For me James Patterson books are always varied but written in the same comfortable style which is so easy and quick to read. His books which he is still smashing out a couple of time as year, are always my reliable comfort read to get me back into the swing of things. See what i'm reading on my goodreads profile and let me know what you think.

Thats all I have for now folks. I hope you enjoy and if you do, Please let me know!

Peace out 🕊☮

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 7 - Weekly, What I used

Little late so my apologies for that. Its Saturday night and I'm sat in the living room, fully reclined tip tapping away at this blog whilst re-watching Ru Paul's Drag race. Watching 4 episodes of season 8 reminded of my womanly fails so I thought now was an apt time to blog again.


So what did I use this week?

As you can see from the above there's a bit of a mish mash. Pictured is a combination of store bought, free samples, old and loved favourites and Latest In Beauty bits. Lets get this show in the road and do a bit of reviewing!


Pictures above are some of my dailies as well as a couple of one offs. Of the dailies I used some of the following:

 Aldi
Silk Body Wash - 85p STEAL. I loved this but the other half didn't. He found it a little greasy however this left my skin feeling lovely and soft and the scent was luxurious. I'll be getting it again for sure
Refreshing shower gel - Even better STEAL at only 65p and again another which my other half did not like. This is described as Eucalyptus and Grapefruit scented but really I could only smell dettol and I LOVED IT!

Nivea
Rich and nourishing body cream - Affordable £5.29, I carry this in my day to day bag. Good as a staple and Nivea is always great for sensitive skin.





Tisserand
Tea tree deodorant -  I bought this from a spa place in Hastings last weekend as my its don't often smell too fresh for too long. I really liked the scent but did it stand the test this week? On a night out this week it got its real first test of a fair bit of walking but also time spent in a warm London bar in non breathable materials. It didn't fair too well I'm afraid. Regardless I'll use this on days where i will remain fairly inactive (like today) but i won't be repurchasing.


New Look
Sunglasses - £3 from asos, bought and received this week. Been told by the surgeon to wear sunglasses til November (even on cloudy miserable days) so I'm trying my hardest to get some funky looking specs. I love these and so did my manager! The seal from authority lol.


Perfumes
Marks and Spencer
Nuit Parfum - Received from my latest in beauty box, please check out my review for this on my previously blog 


 

Philosophy
Amazing grace - Received as a freebie with my Latest In Beauty box. At £33 for the full price, full sized product its unlikely I'll be getting it. Big thing i want to mention about this however is that Latest In Beauty admitted to me that they only give samples with their first order and after that one maybe one. I feel quite duped by this.






Now for some of the new products which are pictured on the left.............





Primark 
Eye Makeup remover - No link I'm afraid as Primark don't actually sell anything online. At 90p i still wouldn't recommend anyone buys this! I brought it into the office and my colleague (who has her own blog which I'd recommend you check out http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/) immediately warned me that this burned her eyes but also made the skin around her eyes sore. This has the same affect for me I'm afraid. I reported this to Primark and they are looking into this!


Lavera
Firming day cream - This was my one freebie from Latest In Beauty this week. It was a tiny one use sample however I did like this. It was a thin cream that did the job and in the morning my skin did feel a little firmer.


Primark
Micellar water - £2 for the larger size this removes makeup gently and thoroughly but not for use on your eyes.


Regenerate
Advanced Toothpaste - See my previous blog for my review

Oh yes there was a his and hers moment this week with nose strips. I bought these for my other half as he has in the past stole mine (even though I've only used these once before).


Primark
4 One - step cleansing Aloe nose pore strips - £1 as you can see from the picture. These worked well but did leave a dusty residue. I wasn't wowed so I will keep looking for alternatives.

Charcoal & volcanic ash unclog pore strips - 90p for a pack of 3.  My other half has used this twice now. He likes them and we both think these smell GREAT. I'm annoyed that it is advertised for men as just with my past strips men can use any nose strips, not just those which are advertised for just men.




Lastly below is the Makeup which i used this week:

Of the above many of these are my usual. I have only had one decent cosmetic brush which I've had since I was 14 (AND NEVER BEEN CLEANED... Gross i know), the mirror in the far right bottom corner I've had since i was 15 from the National Gallery and the Gosh foundation though barely used I've had for some time also. There's also my MAC mascara, L'oreal Eye pencil, W7 bronzer and MaxFactor Eye luminzer which i have reviewed before on my blog.

The one new product was the Green People Lip crayon which I reviewed on my last blog. Please take a look for more information.

Well that's all I have for this week. Hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions on any of the above mentioned products, please comment.

Peace out! ☮🕊

Rage page - customer service - "manners maketh man"

The motto "manners maketh man" is from a family hierloom of mine (a decorative cheeseboard) which have always struck a chord with me. Manners are for free but certainly working in London has taught me that these values haven't been installed in everyone.

London is a tough environment where it is hard to keep up a positive demeanor. For starters, try smiling at someone on a tube/train. The resting bitch face (RBF) response is almost comedic... Almost but more than anything it's disheartening. I'm not sure how this London standard have become the normal but it took moving out to Kent to realise that this isn't a nationwide standard. Hold a door open in London and you could well be standing there for sometime without perhaps a single thanks (I have experienced this on a number of occasions). In London, especially when I'm on the move I take on another persona these days and it's not particularly one I like. My response to rudeness in the face of my manner is not usually loud "you're welcome" (one day this knee jerk reaction may get me injured so I would not recommend others to take on this stance) which in itself makes me ill mannered. If I held true to my manners I would silently take rude ignorance and move on... But how can I when it's a daily occurance? Come on london! Bring back manners.

I've got off topic. On a personal level individuals without manners is bad enough but when you experience a lack of manners from a customer service representative for a business it's most certainly unacceptable on so many levels. I am the worse twitterer in that I use it mainly for two things being complaining (about trains, product issues and rubbish customer service) and complimenting (for great customer service or if I love some new product or range or song/artist). I've added to my tweets recently with the addition of this blog but really I signed up with twitter to complain. There! I said it...  I have twitter to moan. On the past two weeks I've contacted four companies on twitter and another smaller company on email. From this I've had three good customer service experiences, one unsatisfied experience and one which angered me further.

Primark I contacted over a product which could potentially harm others. Thier immediate response to my tweet was to ask me to direct message with my email address they then emailed soon after asking for more detail. They have asked for a receipt copy which I can only assume is for a refund which really wasn't the point of my tweet. Point being from this experience is that they took note, responded quickly and professionally ensuring company image is represented in a polite (well mannered) fashion. As a customer it's nice to know that they take note of my negative experience without becoming defensive and are looking into my issue. This is something we expect from a company this size but it's still nice as a customer to know they are listening. Good experience no.1.

Good experience no.2 was with new look. I bought a product, wore it once and then it broke. They were extremely quick to apologise and offer a refund. This was really impressive as I didn't expect a refund considering the product was bought some time ago (even if it wasn't worn til August of this year) and I no longer had a receipt. I was very impressed with their twitter team and messaged them to thanks them. The store customer service (Oxford Street branch) wasn't as impressive when stood in front of  a sales assistant with RBF while the store manager looked up the product. Overall this was still a positive experience.

Good experience no 3 and the most recent was today with a smaller company called sample beauty. I ordered some samples from them and when they arrived one of the pots had smashed and was covering the other items ordered but of course most importantly I had less of that samples than I wanted. I emailed in this instance as being a smaller company I wasn't sure which company was them. They responded within 10 MINUTES of my email! Super impressive. Thier email tone was friendly but professional and they offered to send a replacement. Job done in few words really.

Onto the not so good but not so bad..as noted in my yesterday blog, I wasn't chuffed with my latest in beauty box. I still stand by them and their product as it's great to be able to choose your product for a month box. What sucks is that first order i received on addition to the choices I made a fair amount of samples. With my most current order I received one other sample. This was disappointing but I was far more disappointed when i queried this with latest in beauty on twitter they admitted that you only get so many samples with the first order. This is misleading and upsetting. I'm not alone in this as I can see other bloggers on twitter are saying they same. So although they answered my tweet quickly and fully the response didn't seem to take note of their customers disappointment and so the query is resolved by a abrupt oh well in a sense.

Now for the negative customer service experience. I emailed and tweeted these folks. I placed my first Avon order on Sunday. I'll be honest that I couldn't remember what delivery I chose (naughty me) but when I emailed to ask when i can expect it the response was a reminder not to chase until I've exceeded the delivery window and a delivery code to search on Hermes. Now I got my required question answered and that isn't up for dispute however if I had been given this Hermes reference earlier o could have checked this myself. Secondly I'm sure it is annoying to be queried over orders which are enroute to the customer and within the delivery window, however if you are working in customer services I'm sure this is a common question and you should have a better prepared and politer response. I tweeted to say as much and have heard nothing back. This is just as disappointing considering the size of the business.

As a customer I want to know that my opinions and queries and respected and noted. Do I expect an apology for all my complaints and questions? NO. I expect a response which shows respect however as a paying customer and that even if there isn't a resolution they will note this for the future.

An acquaintance i once knew in customer services once said it's always "arsehole Friday" as for some reason returns and complaints often come in a friday. I hope I'm not one of those as I always try and phrase my queries and complaints in a polite but factual manner HOWEVER if you are rude to me you better expect a snappy response.

Reader (or readers if there are more of you out there) always remember that behind a computer or phone is an individual. Don't hold them accountable entirely responsible for issues you are having. However customer service folks out there, remember you represent a business (even if it's your own) so anything you say will make a business look good or bad. EVERYONE please remember manners are noted when used and it's a free kindness which isn't as used as much as they once were/should be.

PEACE OUT ☮️🕊️

The chronicles of "Trying to be more woman" - Episode 6 - latest in beauty with my Latest in beauty box

Let me begin by saying that I was disappointed when I opened this box. My colleagues could tell you that my face said it all. Partly this is my fault as if I had read measurements online properly then I would have realised these were all fairly small with the exception of the lip products which are all full size. My first order came with a bag, which I wasn't expecting for all future orders but what I was expecting however, was more little freebies like I got with my first order (got like 4 or 5 freebies!!!). I feel like for the first order they threw fistfuls of freebies in to entice the consumer and then by your second order... Nah...... I am on the top package out of the subscriptions so it's really disappointing to get 1 tiny sachet of moisturiser and that's it...... Oh well enough with the moans and on with the show!

The Latest In Beauty website isn't great. I find it it super slow and often I have to log in three or more times in the space of 30 minutes? Going from page to page is painful (but hopefully worth it?) The layout of the website however is really user friendly. As noted in my prior blog, I REALLY like that you build your own box. 

I love that Latest in beauty boxes always include a little postcard! I am a real sucker for a postcard and have a whole tonne from Paperchase which my and a Pal send to each other! Love that this one is a good comedic play on words. This month's postcard gives us "I came, I saw, I contoured". LOVE IT!!

Now onto the fun stuff.... The products.......

Exuviance 

Purifying Clay Masque - Not had a chance to give this a go as yet. Sample size i received was 10g which is a 1/5 the size of the full size product which will set you back £20.89. I'll give this a go over the weekend and review properly in my "what have a used this week" blog.

Marks and Spencers

Nuit Parfum - Sample size is 15ml which is decent as a travel perfume. Full size is 75ml for £28. The scent is slightly musky with floral tones (I feel so snobby for using the term "Floral tones") however it is a slightly old fashioned smell. My other half described it as "Granny".

Eucerin

Intensive Lip Balm - I received the full size product (10ml) which in store will cost you £6. I've tried this yesterday and today and although it goes on nicely and isn't sticky or greasy like some lip repair balms the effects are not long lasting. Comes off within 15 minutes. I also worry with these style applicators as they end up mucky around the top which traps in bacteria.

Natural World

Chia seed oil volume & shine anti gravity oil for fine hair - I know what you're thinking... they could have made the name more specific and elaborate! Joking aside I've used this product last night and really like the affect. I'm a fan of a hair oil as my scalp/skin being sensitive I struggle to find shampoos which are kind on my hair and skin. With fine hair you always run a risk with conditioners and oil sitting heavy in your hair, dragging it down and making it incredibly greasy. NOT the case with this product. This left my hair buoyant and soft from root to tip. I didn't have to use much (as I have very little hair anyway). The sample I have is only 25ml, but at a SUPER cheap £2.99 for 100ml, this is definitely something I will be getting. One improvement I'd make is that for both sample and actual product, they could do with a better dispenser. Perhaps a pipette would make application easier (I applied to fingertips and ran through my hair, however getting it out the bottle was messy).

PHB Ethical Beauty

Organic Lip Crayon (In Pink) - Product I received was the full size 4g in Pink. This pink is perhaps brighter than I'd usually go. Then again i don't usually use a lip liner anyway. Its nice to know this is Vegan 🍂 and a cruelty free product but its a pencil. Nothing to get too excited about. I tried this out for an hour and even after eating dinner, some of it was still there. I'll wear it on a night out sometime soon and let you know the full outcome then. At £8.95, its probably more than I would usually want to pay for a liner product however knowing that it is cruelty free I am more inclined to purchase.

Aurelia

Aromatic repair & brighten hand cream - The sample size is a small 7ml which is a suitable handbag size. It seems small but you only need a little per application. At £28 for 75ml, this would not otherwise have been on my radar. In the past I have spent a maximum of £15 on a hand cream. I'm not sold that you get your moneys worth for £28. You need very little per use, so 75ml would last me and my old lady hands a couple of months. It is however quite greasy even once rubbed in. The scent is strong and quite herbal-ly. The scent very much reminds me of Elemis Cleansing balm (please refer back to my blog on the balm). I would have considered buying this if the full size product were not so expensive.

The Green People

Instant definition lip crayon (Sangria) - Like with the lip liner I tried this out briefly last night before and during dinner. It didn't last too well but giving it the benefit of the doubt, I am trying it out again tonight. I received the full size product and I was dubious about the colour when I chose it, but am completely sold when I'm wearing it. Its quite a dry lipstick but it has a slight metallic sheen which I like. Currently on sale at £10 I'd consider re-buying this colour or trying out another 

Naveen

Firming mask - To be tried this weekend/next week. Review to follow on another blog. Could only find this on US sites? $34.50 for a pack of 6.

Regenerate

Advanced toothpaste - I cannot comment on the long lasting effects as I used it for the first time last night (and reverted back to my normal for the morning) but I did the like the scent and taste. Bad point would be that there was no cleansing burn, nor did it foam. I don't personally like non frothy toothpastes, but that is personal preference. I will review on this again when I've finished it.

That's all I've got for now folks. Follow my blog to keep tabs on the products which i haven't had a chance to test yet.

Peace out ☮

Rage page - Did someone say the "V" word?

Firstly let me say there will be NO pictures on article for the obviously reasons.....

So the "V" word... Of course being vagina *cue a certain proportion of the audience cringing*. It's strange that in this modern day in age men and women seem to be able to talk dick, dick, dick til the cows come home but for some (me included in the past) vagina's have always been a huge embarrassment. The question is why?

Some feminists would have you believe that we are embarrassed of and manicure our lady parts all because of men. I can't say I entirely agree. Partly yes. Ladies of that past (as in during Victorian times) were expected to fulfil womanly duties but otherwise remain seen but not heard. We were expected to look, act and sound a certain way. In this day and age woman can look as we want to, do what we want, speak how we want to but there are still some hangovers from the previous century mindset which still haven't worked their ways out of peoples systems/lifestyles. So why firstly do some women (me in the past included) dread speaking about something that is very much a part of themselves?

Well I totally agree there is a time and a place for everything. I was brought up that it was a private part that was to be kept private until you get married (whoops... Sorry mum) and as such don't need to discuss it with the world. Saying that everyone should feel at ease to talk about it should they want to and others should have no need to feel uncomfortable hearing about it. Ladies this is not me encouraging you to discuss this with random strangers or in inappropriate places like the work place (unless you work on gynaecology). If however, you are amongst friends or at some kind of ladies gathering why shouldn't you talk about it? There's nothing to be ashamed of ladies. It's part of you and there's nothing there to be ashamed of.

Talking of lady parts, what do you call it? These days there are so many words for it. Personally it's the lady garden, privates, lady bits, vagina or the V but I think that's the prude in me that cringe away from the others... Shall I name them? OK here goes; pussy (ugh I hate this), clunge (oh it gets worse), cunt (worst surely), clam, fanny and mini (childhood word I think most are taught) just to name a few of the other horrors out there. There is no wrong name for your own parts really. I would however suggest whatever you call it just keep in mind what others may think of your bits as a reflection of the name you give it (wouldn't suggest you call it Dave or bob).

The next thing I'd like to address is how to manicure your lady garden? Is there a right or a wrong? Sex in the city, taught me bikini lines for the WIN and that hollywoods are scary and unpleasant. Who dictates right and wrong? Feminists (some, not all - take note from Caitlin Moran who although a feminist isn't a militant man hater like some) would have us believe that again its those evil Men who dictate how we should trim/wax/epilate ourselves. In truth, I think its us ladies who are most critical of each other. Magazines like cosmopolitan inform us ladies what trends are in the lady garden design departments and more of less make anyone outside of their norm feel wrong or out of fashion. SINCE WHEN DOES YOUR HAIR TRIMMING BECOME FASHION?!?!?! 

What do I say? I say, do as you damn well please. Although I like to please my Mr I know that he'll love me whatever I call my own parts and however i present them. At the end of the day its part of me so I'll talk about it as much or as little as I want and I'll make it look, whatever way I want it to look! This attitude has only really come to me since being with him. Partly this is due to the confidence he instils in me as he knows how self conscious I can be and I think truly thinks I'm beautiful (even if I can't see it). Another reason for the change and most importantly how I have broken out of my prudish nature and am able to talk about these things, is his family. His mum and sister are really outspoken and their family believe there should be no taboos amongst them that they cannot talk about. In the six plus years I've known them, they have finally got me talking on their level and it really does feel freeing.

I hope noone feels uncomfortable reading this blog, or find it offensive. However if you do, "sorry, not sorry". My blog, my rules.

Peace out ☮

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 5, A date on the beach

After 6 years together me and the other half don't do "date nights" so often these days. Our date nights generally will be a trip to the theatre and dinner, or cinema and dinner, or dinner and trip to the local pub. You can see there is a trend with our dates. To break away from the norm' my other half asked me to think of something different. I was thinking that I wanted to do something he'd really like. You see, my other half is a gamer and doesn't overly enjoy leaving the house. His idea of spending time together is spending our time indoors sharing a nice meal with a bottle of wine (or port) between us. Whenever he does plan a venture out of the house its usually for my pleasure. As sweet as this is it feels a little unfair on him. My ideal date is a trip to somewhere where I can pet an animal, followed by shopping, followed by a meal and then maybe a couple of drinks in front of a film when we get home. You can tell I truly am a gal of simple tastes.  When I put my mind to thinking of dates for the Mr I was a little stumped. He likes the cinema, but there are no films he'd like to see at the moment. He likes the theatre but tickets are expensive and when you include his train ticket it gets a little out of our current budget. There is a game Expo this weekend in Birmingham which we have discussed attending before but the Saturday tickets were already sold out and on the Sunday there wasn't as much on.... This left me with one choice which suits us both... a day by the sea. The Ol British classic:

 Why do us Brits like the seaside so much? Well personally for me its the combination of three main things....The salty sea air, arcades and Fish and Chips (although I don't eat fish, the chips by the coast are always Superior for some reason). For me and the Mr we enjoyed a day of walking on the front, popping in and out of Arcade winning numerous toys and trinkets out of 2p machines and finishing our day in a fish and chippy. For us, it was a perfect day out, enjoying our selves and making the most having time alone together.









Back to the point of this article however... Of course for such a rare occasion I wanted to make an effort for the Mr. To do so I made sure I put real effort into the presentation of my face. He is a fan of my lipsticks since previously to learning my new skills (as few as they are) that's more or less all I'd wear on a night out. I love colour and my lipsticks are my statement style on my face. Below are the items I used and the outcome of these products used on my face:

I had to go fairly heavy with the foundation this time as since the wedding makeup application (The foundation used for my besties wedding by the makeup artist was not only the wrong colour, yellow but also applied as thick as you'd apply plaster to your wall and then the moisture mask on top of this, which i blogged about previously -refer back to http://torrancestips.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/the-chronicles-of-trying-to-be-more.html for more info) I've had a bit of a mini breakout leaving me blotchy and spotty. MASS COVERAGE was most definitely required. Eye makeup wise, I am wearing eye shadow however due to my poor photo skills and my heavy brow its not like you can see this in this picture. Lips.... stand out obviously. That is my style and I suit most colours, but especially dark ones. Below I have listed all the products used as well as a bit of a close up of the bag and products for your inspection. Enjoy:

Make up bag: This was a birthday gift from my Jojo. I think it's from Floozie By French Frost but don't hold me to that...

W7 Bronzer Fever: This is my second time using this bronzer. I like that it has a little sparkle but I'm not wow-ed by this. It does the job. Just a warning, W7 website is really annoying as a first time user. I had three pop-ups, one which took me back to the homepage when I was so close to what I wanted. They are however incredibly affordable and have a VEGAN🍃 range. I am loving these cosmetics companies who are making an effort to appeal to all audiences. I may even get some of these products for my sister-in-law for Birthday/Christmas (yes I plan ahead this early)

Maybelline Brush: I have no idea what kind of brush this is so no point in guessing. I've had this brush since I was 14 years old. It was a freebie when I attended "Capital Xmas concert", back when Craig David had just brought out "Whats your flava" so doubt this is available anymore.

MaX Factor X Eye Luminizer: I'm not sure if I am using this correctly but I have found using this around my eyes is gentler than using a heavy foundation, but does a great job at brightening my dark circles and has a slightly polyfilla affect on some the lines I'm gaining (ugh; old age). This my be a product which has come to the end of its life however since it was a struggle to find a reputable site for the link on this one.

GOSH X-Ceptional foundation: Another budget products which I really liked. I was "12 Natural" and this was a really good match to my normal skin tone. It did a fab job of covering my blemishes and didn't dry out by the end of the day. I've only ever seen this for sale in Superdrug and at the small price of £7.99, what's the harm in giving it a go?

MAC In extreme dimension 3D black lash: This teeny tiny sample came with my recent birthday present from my MR. Fitting that I should try it out for the first time on our date night. As mentioned before, the Mr likes me in a lipstick and so every birthday/Christmas he purchases me a new MAC lipstick. Lucky gal I know. This was one of the freebie samples which came with his last order. I really liked the brush however at a steep £19.50 I'm not sure its worth it.... PLUS I was recently informed that these folks still test on animals. I'm not sure whether I will be purchasing their products in the future now unless they change their cruel ways.

Magical Halo Matte long lasting lipgloss: I fell in love with MAC matte some time ago care of a colleague who recommended it (by recommended, I complimented her and still do EVERYTIME she wears it and finally asked her what make it was). I love that Matte's generally have a long lasting finish as well as looking so glamorous and luxurious. This particular matte, goes on glossy and dries Matte. When I say dry, I mean to say it drains the moisture from your lips like soil which hasn't had a drop of moisture in months. Alone it isn't really a great finish. I top it up with a gloss and like the final affect. With a small price tag of £3.99 however no one can really complain. My colour was "10".


L'OREAL Color Riche eye colour pencil: This applies really quick and easy. You can get various effects by blending and using additional colours however for this date I decided on this colour (10. Sugar Vanilla) on its own. I like the simple colour however although it applies easily and stays put, but the end of the day this did look a little cracked and crunchy. Good for a night out, but not really all day. Another super cheap and cheerful however at £3.98.


Natural Collection Clear lip gloss: weirdly I cannot find the clear version of the gloss on boots website however I have had this gloss for at least 10 years so perhaps its no longer produced in clear. This a clear gloss however over the years of use and blending with other lipsticks its not entirely clear these days. Good ol classic and still cheap and cheerful.



Overall I was happy with how my face looked from morning til night. The other half prefers the red lipsticks (what man doesn't) however he did like this colour. He isn't sure about "dribble lips" (Gloss) but he did like that I looked natural (other than the lips).

As for Hastings.... it hasn't much changed from way back when, when my parents used to take me to the front for the amusements and rides. It has a really good antiques vibe in the backstreets with lots of quirky shops. I particularly loved some of the store/pub/restaurant fronts... I've pictured two below which I particularly liked.

Super cute right?



Style wise I went with a simple light denim dress with a huge oversized gridded jumper, leggings and most importantly I brought the Dr Martens back out of summer hibernation! Oh yeah I do love my Docs. They always take a little while to wear in, but after a month of solid wearing they remain the most comfy boots until they die...

That's all I have to say for this article. I hope you enjoyed and if you did please let me know in the comment and follow :)

Peace out ☮

The chronicles of "trying to be more woman" - Episode 4 - the weekly "what have I used"

When I say, "what have I used" I am not referring to drugs.... No, I am referring to what beauty products I've been using. 

Mixed bag as you can see... some more exciting than others. I did actually forget two items which are part of my daily routine, but instead I will save them and do another article on my hair care.

Starting with the most boring stuff. Sure deodorant... a classic. I have seriously sensitive skin and especially after shaving my pits cannot always take deodorant but sure is always a safe choice. My hair brush is a golden oldie from my childhood. Its lasted the years and will probably last many a year longer, The little pink ball is a lip balm which i got from a beauty calender in Paperchase. I know... not where'd you expect to get a beauty advent calender but wasn't half bad. Some of them were cheap and useless from the advent but this little lip balm was a really pleasant surprise. Refresh drops are still in use due to the dry eye post laser eye surgery. Plasters... YES plasters. These were rubbish and fell off my feet instantly. I had blisters and these did not help. Very disappointing. Dentix is a mouthwash from Aldi. We usually use a purple mouthwash from Aldi however this cool mint was alcohol free and it felt useless. The minty taste was nice to start but wore off within 2 minutes. There was no clean burn which i like from a mouthwash. Wont be getting this again. Lastly on this picture we have the Tesco Coconut and almond shampoo. All chemicals and yet unlike products such as herbal essences, doesn't bring me out in rashes and welts on my scalp. This is a shampoo I can always return to when a new shampoo causes a reaction.

To the right, are the two cleansers I have used this week. The Body shop deep cleansing facial wash I have reviewed before. This is a staple of mine which I really like and again highly rate as it doesn't give me a skin reaction.

Clarity is a on the spot redness reducer/spot skin rescue. This stuff burns but within an hour a spot is visibly smaller. As noted in my last post i used a mask which gave me a bad reaction so i really needed this last week.


Below is a cleanser i gave a go this week. I really liked this and my skin felt so great four hours after. I'd definitely consider buying this in the future and would recommend anyone to try this out, especially if they can get their hands on a free sample as i did.

That of course brings me onto the two Britney spears bottles. Left we have a personal favourite of mine which is now incidental empty, Midnight Fantasy. The other bottle was a recent birthday gift from the ol mother in law of Fantasy. These are quite sweet scent and unfortunately don't stick around on the skin for too long. Oh well.. good while it lasts.

Last but definitely not least is my small weeks worth of lotion and potions. I love Sanctuary Spa products. I find their scents delicious and the products never fail me. The lotion on the left is a real fave of mine at the moment and its over half gone. Its been a great summer favourite as the cooling lotion leaves me feeling so light and fresh before bed. The oil balm on the right is intense, so really great on elbows and knees. The lip and eye cream I've reviewed already on my first beauty blog focusing on my first latest in beauty but to reiterate, this is light on the eyes but also so effective.







I'm hoping I'll be able to order my next "latest in beauty" box next week. I'll review again when that is received.

I hope you enjoyed the article and if you have any specific queries regarding the products, please do not hesitate to ask.

Peace out ☮🕊

The Chronicles of trying to be more woman - Episode 3, masked mayhem

So I'm trying to be more woman I am learning one must attempt to take care of oneself. One of the ways to do this is using masks and such (or so I am told).

Pre besties wedding the bride-to-be decided she wanted to use a face mask. It was her first time as well as mine which is a bold move thinking of it since it was the night before the wedding and we could have had a horrendous reaction. Luckily for us... we didn't. She chose a brand which I'm usually OK with (i have pretty sensitive skin) and which she too is OK with. The other three bridesmaids have used masks of various brands in the past and knew they could use this. One of the bridesmaids was also vegan so we chose a brand, animal and skin friendly. So here goes blog audience.....

At what I think is a fairly hefty price tag of £16.00 this Himalayan Charcoal mask was my first attempt at woman-ing up with a mask. We used the below body shop Facial Mask Brush to apply the mask as we were advised to by the store assistant.... we didn't pay for the brush however as the bride bought another mask for later use which mean the brush was FREE. In the pot the mask looked like dried lava. It wasn't particularly something you would usually choose to lather onto your face.

Regardless, it applied nicely with the brush. So well in fact that i would suggest to others to purchase the brush to along with the mask. The first bridesmaid to put DID NOT read the instructions and ended up with sore runny eyes. THIS PRODUCT CONTAINS TEA TREE. It is therefore advised that you leave generous rings around the eyes to avoid discomfort. Heed this advice. The rest of us did and like the general feel of the mask whilst on. It gives a cooling, tingling sensation. Some found it a little burn-y on their blemishes but not too uncomfortable. To remove you must ruin a flannel (or three in our case). Using hot water and a flannel, massage and remove in circular movements. Its an exfoliant too see..... Or as i felt.... SCRAPING OFF MY WHOLE FACE. Me and one other were left looking a little red and blotchy after the mask however my skin felt FANTASTIC. The next morning the blotchyness was entirely gone and my skin felt soft and clean! I will be buying this and using it again. I will also try to convince my man fella to use it too. Below is my face looking muddy and beautiful:

As you can see this doesn't apply on too thickly actually. You can also see the massive tea tree leaves which are very apparent. I should point out that the Pyjama's were a primark special care of the lovely bride herself as a last gift to us bridesmaids. She's lovely isn't she? Below this I've include a picture of the PJ's and a link to Primark's website if you care to take a look....

£10.00 https://m.primark.com/en/products/category/women,nightwear

After the wedding i was dehydrated.... I'm not sure why? It wasn't like i drank that much.....

Regardless not only was i thirsty but my skin was also dry and greasy all at the same time. It needed lotion and deep cleansing all at once. Not only this but after dancing all night I had blisters and super sore feet. I decided this would be a perfect time to try and woman and do womanly things in a womanly way, so i could recover....womanly like. I had got a free paper face mask with my order from Latest In Beauty, and a foot thing which I picked up months ago in the pound shop. On a lazy Sunday midday i decided... NOW was the time to try these things out.

A colleague at work (who also has a beauty blog which you should all check out http://riettezemakeupchapette.blogspot.co.uk/ ) recognised the make Maskorea and said it should be pretty good. WELL.... it gave me spots. To use it was sticky and unpleasant though at least easy. 

Step 1.... use cleanser in pouch labelled 1. 

Step 2.... open mask and apply to now cleansed and DRY face. Step 3.... after the specified time, remove mask and apply lotion from ouch labelled 3. This lotion is to be left on face all night. 

Well i woke up with some pretty bad spots after this. Maybe my skin didn't need a drink as much as i thought it did?

The foot thing wasn't half bad. Its simply a plastic bad with some fabric saturated in lotion. Pop feet in for the specified time. Remove from bag, chuck bag and let feet dry. Feet smelt glorious and it was a nice little lotion but with no lasting affects. At least it didn't give my feet spots.....

Below is a picture of me using said Maskorea mask.... enjoy:

p.s YES those are unicorn and rainbow PJ's.... AND WHAT?!?!?!!

That concludes this episode of trying to be more woman. I do actually feel more woman for using a mask. Its a silly little thing but you see and hear of it in movies and i always thought "women don't really do that"... turns out they do.... Can i join woman-dom yet?

Well I am most certainly #trying.

Peace out ☮

Fashion edit - "The first step is admitting you have a problem" PART 1

Sunday hangovers is the perfect reason to put together a STUPIDLY large blog. This may take me a while to write but why not since I have nothing better to do. So dishwasher and washing machine on.... Chores can wait til tomorrow... 

Let me tell you a story.... A shoe story. My friends and family know that I like shoes. I like shoes like Kanye likes Kanye.... I have a serious problem. I haven't counted my shoes in years because that would be like admitting to myself that the problem is real. I won't count today either but what I will do is take pictures and tell stories behind my shoes (not all shoes have a story thank goodness or I'd be writing this for years). Please do not count the shoes for me...... I don't need to validate my problem with a number....

 

So here we go. In no particular order I shall present the shoes and provide some stories.... Enjoy.....

 Slip on mules bought in the sales recently from River Island. No longer available in this colour but you can still get them in black......

Bought for the recent wedding I attended which i did blog about... please follow link for more wedding blog funsies. These primark (primarni) wonders were super cheap and so pretty. Shame they gave me huge blisters up my ankles but otherwise really comfy. Bought recently so may still be available in store?

I CANNOT WAIT to wear these in the winter. I got these from https://www.everything5pounds.com/en/ for you guessed it.... £5! These are no longer available so... SUCKS TO BE YOU!

Standard boring leather black work shoes both left and right... i can say no more.

These wonderful things were bought for my besties hen do. Her theme was gym chic so glittery wedge trainers seemed a must. I got them from https://www.everything5pounds.com/en/ and again these are no longer available. There are alternate glitter trainers available on there however so if you are a fan I'd urge you to check them out. As for these babies.... to the bin they go. There were not as comfortable as you'd expect and the wedge was squidgy and doesn't hold its shape.....

OOOO arty shot.....

Just jellies....... Nothing special. One paint covered from DIY and the other SUPER CHEAP from Amazon (I will not include the links to these as I wouldn't buy them again myself and nor would I recommend others to get these).

Another pair of wedding shoes for another stint as a bridesmaid this year. Again to read more on weddings visit my blog page http://torrancestips.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Wedding. Funny story on this is I've worn these the once for the wedding and when I went to put them on again today the strap BROKE. I will be contacting New Look today to complain!

Oh how i love a faux fur shoe. These pompom wonders are ASOS but i actually bought them "new with tags" off EBAY. I don't think these are available on ASOS anymore so again... SUCKS TO BE YOU. I'd really recommend anyone with a shoe addiction to become well acquainted with EBAY. Its a great and affordable way to feed your addiction and "new with tags" means you're getting a unworn product. BE AWARE... some items are listed as "new with tags" but in the description may say things like "worn once to a party". Avoid or report these adverts/sales. This is false advertisement and should not be tolerated in my books.

Worn once, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the look of my Kickers. Shame the rip my ankles to shreds 😪. I bought these lovelies full price so even if I never wear them again, I will NEVER throw these!!!!

Large black knee high boots. Not worn these for a while as my calves got too big for them. I plan to wear them all winter.... or until I walk through them...

OH these beauts. I got these when I was sweet 16. Back then I had my corner shop job and these babies were bought in a sale with a whole weeks salary. For me that was a big spend of £35. Real beige suede from a TKMAXX sale 12 years ago (don't calculate my age please), you'd be working miracles to find these again. I used to wear these all the time until a friend of mine threw up on them. I had them dry cleaned but it besmirched them forever in my mind. Don't think i will ever throw these regardless. Ah.... memories.......

Karrimor hiking boots and primark sandals.

 Ha ha ha ha ha. So; I took up running for a year. As with most my hobbies, once I decide to invest money in an accessory for the hobby I give up. Here's a classic example. These cheap looking, barely there running shoes set my parents back £123 back in the day and were used 5 whole times! They look so grubby as they have been gathering dust for about 3 years in amongst my other shoes. I enjoy running (once I claw back a stamina) so will keep and use these. Vibram 5 finger running shoes are still available if you're interested https://www.vibrams.co.uk/collections/womens-vibram-fivefingers.

More work shoes. One pair (left) unworn from https://www.everything5pounds.com/en/ and the other which have been worn from http://www.marksandspencer.com. These aren't available from either site anymore but do check out Marks's current range of leopard print shoes. They have some shoe game going on!!!

What can I say about these? Sexy? Sleek? I was and still am in love with these Leather high heeled wonders. Bought in Office in a sale I've worn these once and both times ended with crippled toes. Regardless I still have huge love for these sexy shoes and wish I could woman up more and wear these more often. Would also help if I was three inches shorter so I wouldn't tower above everyone whenever I wear these....





                                                                            
  

Welcome to part of the show and tell i love the most. Now for the Vivienne Westwoods. For my birthday one year my other half splashed out on these. Sadly they live in a carrier bag as I used the special box they came in to pass my Guinea Pig onto the Vets for cremation when he died (well he couldn't go in just any box, could he).
I have worn these once and the pain was terrible but I shall wear them again one day. There's a repeating theme with that phrase. I love them but I don't wear them but I will again...... hmmmmmm

TOPSHOP shoesies bought from https://www.ebay.co.uk/

Another present but this one worn MANY times. These were (years ago) from New look. They are almost a whole size too big so I have to pad out the ends and pop in insoles but... WORTH IT. They are super comfy for a night out even with the height of the heel. Black goes with everything so WIN.

BAM! Statement boot. Biker style boot from Dorothy Perkins about 6 years ago. Once again bought in a sale but worn MANY MANY TIMES. Although a tall stiletto heel, these a surprisingly comfortable and offer really good ankle support (something I appreciate as I get older).

Pink and Proud. These leather lovelies from Office were bought... you guessed it... in a sale. If memory serves me well these were under £10 in a boxing day sale some 5-10 years ago. I've replace the heel many times and need to again. Easy comfy and STATEMENT!

So this is some of my collection. I'm not sure how much of the collection this makes up but I'm going to say 1/3. I love all my shoes. I have thrown out two pairs this week meaning I need to begin sorting through again to find a new pair of "regular" everyday shoes to wear.

Terribly, this experience of playing with my shoes today has inspired me to find more. It really shouldn't as this is half the stock under my spare bed, not taking into consideration the stash under my desk at work, the stash in my cupboard in my bedroom and the stash by the front door. Hell I even have spare shoes at my mums and my other half's mums.... oh and those three pairs in my car ..... and those by the back door.... This may be less than a third of my collection.......

Want to see more? Well you best tune in (or sign up to my emailer below) to be kept in the loop. Til next time...... PEACE OUT