Thursday, 6 September 2012

10 Day Challenge: 3 Films



This post is based on the 3 films part of the 10 day challenge. Film wise, along with books wise. Im more drawn to Romcoms. Im not really into horror films or westerns and stuff.

1) I love Mean Girls. Doesnt everyone? Linday Lohan before she went a bit funny and a cute guy. I love these kind of films, will they or wont they get the girl. Reminds me of when I was young when this film came out.
2) Cinderall Story. Again another will they get together or not film. Based on Cinderall but in the modern age. It features a lovely cinderella ballgown dress. Appeals to the fashion lover in me.
3) My final film is How To Marry A Millionaire. This is an old film with Marilyn Monroe in. The tale of 3 single girls in NY trying to bag millionaires and not being very successful in the end. I definitley recommend this to all my readers!

There is one more post today for the 10 day challenge and then I will finally be caught up. Stay tuned for my favourite 2 songs!

10 Day Challenge: 4 Books



Hello, sorry I havent posted in a while. Ive been a busy bee! Tuesday saw me graduate from Lincoln University which was a great day. Yesterday was spent being lazy and not switching my laptop on at all. Today will be a day of blogging. Im going to catch up with the 10 day challenge and then schedule some posts as I dont want to inundate you all with loads of posts today!

So this part of the 10 day challenge is 4 books. I read so many books its unbelievable. Im going to approach this challenge in a different way and rather than listing 4 individual books im going to tell you 4 authors that I love. When I find a brilliant author, I try and read all of the books that Ive ever written and I can guarantee Ill probably love them all. Im not really one to ready posh books, im more of a chick lit kind of girl but whatever floats your boat eh?

1) My top author of all time has to be Sheila O'Flangan. Ive read all of her books and now im waiting for the new ones. She needs to start writing faster I tell you! Sheila is Irish and all of her books are based in Dublin. They feature trials and tribulations of young modern women who are torn between love and other things!
2) Marian Keyes. Again another Irish author (can you see a theme here?!). There is so much humour running through Marians books that at times I laugh out loud. She portrays Irish people so well and sometimes makes them live up to the stereotypes that the rest of the world holds. You should check her out!
3) Sophie Kinsella. Sophie writes the Shopaholic series of books. These books are fab. Theyre funny but also have a serious note. Everyone can relate to overspending and feeling guilty at the end of the month when you sort out your money.
4) Belinda Jones. Ive only read a few of Belinda books but theyre great. There is no set them unlike the other 3 authors but they are still based around love. One I read was based on a tropical Island which definitley made me fantasise about living there!

So there we have it, my 4 top Authors. If you would like an in depth review of a particular book from these authors then let me know!

Monday, 3 September 2012

10 Day Challenge: 5 Foods



Today im back with the 5 Foods part of the 10 day challenge. I love food - which is glaringly obvious because im always trying to lose those few extra pounds that are constantly settled around my middle.

Food can evoke so many memories as well as being important in making new ones (stop me now before I truly sound like someone who loves themselves to much!).

1) My ultimate favourite food is my mums roast dinner. We have one every Sunday without fail and they are amazing. Yummy roast potatoes, meat, veg, gravy and yorkshire pudding. I cant wait for next Sunday already!
2) Potato Salad: I love this stuff. I never used to like mayonnaise but my tastes must have changed and now I cant get enough of it. I should probably include coleslaw in here as that another new found love.
3) Nectarines. Especially when theyre soft and juicy and the juice runs down your arm. Messy foods are a must.
4) Fried Onions: Again another new love. I could never stand onions but now I really like them. Especially fried ones. Even if they are bad for you...
5) My final favourite food is Curry. I love the subtle hint of spiceyness that a good curry brings. Im not a fan of overly spicy ones so I normally go for a Korma or Tikka Massala. Essential add ons are poppadoms, naan bread and bombay potatoes!

So there we have it, my 5 ultimat foods. Most of these are pretty bad for me which is why I dont eat them all the time. I cant even remember the last time I ate a curry!

What are your favourite foods?

Micellaire Solutions: Nivea Cleansing Toner Vs Vichy Normaderm

Hello girlies, how are we all? Today I will be comparing 2 of my favourite kind of cleanser, my micellaire solutions. I love these solutions as they're ideal for my sensitive skin.

I dont really understand the scientific stuff around these solutions but I do know that the oil particles that get rid of the grime and makeup are surrounded by water molecules. When the soaked cotton pad is pushed onto the skin the water molecules give way, grab some grime and then close up again. Youre basically trapping dirt in a water solution.

The 2 solutions i'll be comparing today are the Nivea Cleansing Toner and the Vichy Normaderm solution for sensitive skin.


The Vichy retails at Boots for £10.50 (here) and the Nivea for £2.24 which is currently on offer (price was £3.36, although it can be found cheaper in stores such as Savers, available here).


Right, onto the comparison!

Value For Money: As mentioned above the Vichy solution is A LOT more expensive than the Nivea but both products give you 200ml. This then tells us that the Nivea is better value for money than the Vichy.

Looks/Packaging: Although this isnt an important part of the comparison because it doesnt effect the way the product works the little magpie in me is automatically drawn to pretty things. If im honest none of these are better than the other. I do like the green lid of the Vichy nd the shape of the bottle which is wider at the bottom than at the top. The Nivea has some nice illustrations on so in terms of packaging this is a tie.

Ingredients: The Nivea clearly states that its made with ingredients that are 95% from natural origins and that there are no parabens, no colourants, no silicones and no mineral oils. This might be the same for the Vichy but it isnt clearly stated. In terms of the ingredients list, Aqua is the top of the list for both products. Im not really clued up on the different names for the same ingredients but I feel that as theyre both very similar the ingredients arent going to be massively different.

How It Works: This is where the main comparisons of this post are going to lie. The Nivea solution was my first purchase of a Micellaire water and it can be seen how much I love it because ive just finished my third bottle of the stuff. When id emptied the bottle I thought it was time to hunt for something that might surpass my expectations and I was tempted by the claims that the Vichy one was for acne prone skin.

Now ive given the Vichy a thorough test I much prefer the Nivea. In terms of removing makeup and grime they both do the same job, I cant tell that one removes more than the other. There are always some traces left but both remove about the same amount.

In terms of smell, again the Nivea wins. The Vichy has a slight chemically smell whereas the Nivea smells more floral. Not overly flowery but a more naturally flowery smell which I think can be attricuted to the oils and things that have been added (Argan Oil).

The Nivea wins again in the fact that once youve taken your makeup off your skin then feels normal. The Vichy one leaves my skin feeling sticky and like its coated in leftover product. This feeling does fade after about an hour but until it does its not nice!

Overall: As you can tell from this comparison my favourite is, hands down, the Nivea cleansing tone. For something that doesnt even label itself as a micellaire solution it does a great job at helping to wipe away the dirt fron the day. Im definitely going to repurchase it but ive just got to finish the Vichy one off first!

I hope you enjoyed that comparison, do you like micellaire solutions? Id love to read all your comments below :)



Sunday, 2 September 2012

10 Day Challenge: 6 Places



Hello girlies, today im back with the new installment of the 10 day challenge. Todays part means I have to list 6 places. I assume that this means either 6 places special to me or places I want to go to. Here we go:

1) Lincoln will always be a special place to me. It where I went to uni. I loved it then and I love it now. Its such a special place and I hope to get a job there if I can.
2) London. I love the atmosphere of London its such a great place. If only I could afford to live there!
3) LA. Can a place get any better. Sun and fit movie stars :)
4) Norwich. I live relatively close to Norwich, its so nice to sit by the castle under the shade of a tree when its nice and warm.
5) Magaluf/ Palma Nova. I know this place gets called all the nicknames under the sun. Shagaluf etc. I love it though. We used to holiday in Palma when I was little and then me and my mum came here a few years ago. Its tacky but cool!
6) My bed. Although not technically a place. Its the best bed in the world. So comfy and cosy and its got the vintage shabby chic look about it.

Now you know the 6 places that I love, and would love to experience. What is your favourite place on earth?

Saturday, 1 September 2012

NOTD and Review: Barry M in Raspberry

Hello girlies, today I will be reviewing my new Barry M polish in the shade Raspberry. I recently purchased this on the 2 for £5 offer at Superdrug along with the shade Mushroom. I picked thisup because although the name signifies pink tones, in the bottle it looked a lovely maroon shade which is my favourite colour!

 
As you can tell from the pictures above, the shade as it is on the nails is very similar to the colour in the bottle. I love it, although it maybe is a wintery colour because it doesnt make your tan pop like some other polishes can.
 
Unlike my application gripe with Barry M in Peach Melba this polish goes on like a dream. Im not sure if I did 2 or 3 coats but if it was 3 the third was not needed and I just put one on for ones sake! This is opaques in 2 and dries really quickly with no streaks.
 
Sorry about the mess, I hadnt cleaned my nails up yet and im not the tidiest nail painte. The brush on this is the same as all other Barry M brushes and ive got nothing to complain about with that.
 
All in all, the nail varnish is very reasonably priced and I cant think of anything to complain about. Its definitely worked its way into one of my top colours!
 


10 Day Challenge: 7 Wants



Hello girlies, today Im back with the 7 wants part of the 10 day challenge. I think that the 7 things im going to want will be really trivial. Obviously I do want world peace and all that but seeing as this is a mainly beauty and lifestyle based blog, ill list seven things that may be more likely to come true!

1) I would like some Bioderma. Im really into Micellaire solutions and am currently using the Vichy Normaderm one.
2) I would like some skin that isnt blemished by spots and psoriasis. Slightly selfish but I feel like I would be so much happier if my skin wasnt crap and I could go out without makeup!
3) I would like to get a 'proper' full time job soon, spending my days doing nothing is getting pretty boring now.
4) I seriously want a hamster but my mum wont let me get one!
5) I want a MAC lipstick, preferably Creme Cup, I want to see if they live up to the hype.
6) I would like to reach my goal weight, ive finally got my head around it and now im ready for the hard slog to begin.
7) I want a brown leather clutch - currently top of my wishlist, I just cant find one anywhere.

So there we have it, my 7 top wants. Tune in tomorrow for my 6 places post :)