Happy Easter and March Favourites!

Today's post is a double whammy post! 

(can I hear an ooh?) 

First of all it's Easter and I wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter! I'm a Christian so this celebration has special meaning for me. It's a time when I'm reminded that someone perfect and blameless loved me enough to die for me, and that because of that I no longer have to feel guilty for my imperfections and screw ups! That's pretty amazing, right?

Secondly, it's also the end of the month. And that means, it's beauty favourites time!

Favouritest favourite product of the month has to be Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream without a doubt. I've done a detailed rave review post which you can read, but I wanted to mention it just in case you missed it! It's a lovely hydrating, moisturising multipurpose cream, that only smells slightly odd! Well worth a try if you have dry skin like me!

I've also been loving the "10" blusher bronzer duo by Benefit. It was the first real blusher I ever bought, but I haven't really used it for quite a while. But I randomly decided to give it a use half way through the month and have regularly used it since. It is made up of a shimmery bronzer and a shimmery pale pink blusher. This blush is so pale that I have occasionally used it as a highlight along the top of my cheekbones. Although you are supposed to use the colours stripped next to each other along your cheeks, I've been swirling it together on my brush and it gives me a lovely healthy glow!

Another product I've been enjoying using lately is the Pencil Eyeliners by No.7. They're lovely and creamy, and the one I have is a very dark grey colour, with a lot of sparkle. I've been using it a lot recently to smudge out, creating a subtle smokey eye!

The next product was one I was given by a friend, the Benefit Eye Bright. It's a pale pink concealer in a jumbo pencil form. I like it because the pink counteracts the blue shades I sadly find below my eyes, and also because the pencil form means you have greater control and accuracy of where you place it.

I've also recently got into contouring and highlighting a lot this month. Although it's quite a lot of work for everyday, it's lovely for special occasions. I use the Blank Canvas Cosmetics Contour 1 Palette which I really have enjoyed using as it has different shades so is easy to adapt according to your skin colour. It also means you can start off lightly and then intensify it to your taste. 

I don't have any skin or hair products this month, is there anything you'd recommend me trying?

Couscous Stuffed Peppers Recipe

Today's post is slightly different to the usual posts for me... because it's a recipe!

As you may or may not know, I'm planning to go off to Uni in September and since I enjoy cooking, I thought now would be a great opportunity for me to start playing around with food, seeing which meals I like to cook, and which dishes I can prepare fairly easily. Last night was about the third time I've made this dish, and I've altered it a bit since I first made it. It was delicious and didn't require lots of hard work, so this is definately one I'll make again!

If you fancy trying this recipe out, you will need: Several peppers, Couscous,

Various chopped vegetables (I used onion, courgette and mushrooms), Pesto and Grated cheese.

So here's how to make them! Chop several peppers in half, from top to bottom, and remove the insides. I chose to use red peppers as they have the sweetest taste.

Cover them in a bit of olive oil, place them on a tray inside down and put them into a preheated, medium temperature oven for 20-30 minutes depending on the size of the peppers.

 

Whilst your peppers are cooking, cook some couscous according to the instructions on the packaging.

 

Then dice and fry some vegetables to go with your couscous. I used onion, courgette and a couple of mushrooms, but feel free to use whatever vegetables you like. You could even try some pepperoni or chicken if you fancy!

 

Once the vegetables are fried, add some pesto. I used half a jar and that was enough. Once heated, add your vegetable pesto mix to your couscous.

 

Now for the fun bit! Turn over the pepper halfs and stuff them with couscous, packing it down as you go. This was a bit messy, but I quite enjoyed doing it! Then sprinkle some grated cheese on top! I used chedder as that was what we had, but if you feel like being fancy, you could try some parmesan!

 

Pop your stuffed peppers under the grill until the cheese melts. Put on a plate et Voila!

 

I'm not sure the final photo truly does them justice, but they were so delicious. My sister isn't a huge fan of pepper, but she really liked them too!

 

Fancy giving these a go?

Levis Jeans Curve ID Collection - Why I love them!

It's official. I hate jeans shopping. I can never find my size, length and style, no matter how hard I try. And when I finally do, they look great in the shop, but after wearing them for a bit they suddenly don't fit anymore. They cling to my hips, they sag around my waist. So frustrating.

 

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this, which is why I'm super excited to be sharing why I love Levis Jeans Curve ID Collection with you today!

 

 

When my mum got a pair when we went to London Fashion Weekend roughly a year and a half ago, I was slightly skeptical. I mean, £50-£80 per pair is quite pricey for me. But when I finally bought a pair last summer, I realised that certainly for me, Levis Jeans Curve ID Collection were worth the hype and I have definately got my money's worth out of them!

 

They have a really great system of sizing you not purely by size and leg length, but also how curvy you are. They have three seperate curve sizes;

Slim Curve, Demi Curve, Bold Curve.

Recently, I've seen Supreme Curve advertised too but I'm not sure if this has been released in England. To find what size you are, work out the difference between your waist size and your hip size (they can do this for you instore). These measurements have really helped me find nice, well-fitting jeans.

 

 

I would say that sometimes your curve size does change depending on the style. For example, in skinny jeans I would be a demi curve, but in straight cut jeans I'm a slim curve. But as long as the jeans fit (and they do!), that's the last of my concerns!

 

Does anyone else love Levis Jeans?

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Review!

I thought I would do a quick little product rave tonight, about Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream.

This product is kind of a cult product, but I had never really tried it before. It may have a not so desirable smell but it has worked wonders on my hands and for the first time in months, after just one use, I've been able to look at my hands without feeling embaressed!

 

In general, I have wrinkly, dry hands that will not moisturise no matter how many lotions, potions, creams and serums I put on them when it's cold. That was until I tried little bit of this on my hands. I wish I had taken a photo of my hands before, so I could do a before and after comparison, but trust me, there was a huge difference!

 

 

It's great on all kinds of dryness, whether it's your lips, face or hands like me, and it is so deeply moisturising I love it!

Sadly it does come with a comparitavely heavy price tag, but this may end up becoming one of those products I'll splurge on!

 

Have you tried it? What are your thoughts?

25 things you might not know about me!

So I was thinking about blogging the other day, when I realised that I haven't really introduced myself... so I thought I would!
Here are 25 things you might not know about me (and a few silly photos!)

1) I have a skin tag on my ear. It's pretty tiny and barely noticable not I'm older, but it's still there, promise!

2) I cried more at the end of Lord of the Rings Part 3 than I did at P.S. I Love You... I mean Frodo and Sam will never see each other again! *sniffs*

3) The two main careers that I dreamed of as a child were Prime Minister and Rapper... Pretty sure neither of those are going to happen!

4) I don't like eating chocolate by myself, I'm a "social chocolate eater"

5) I prefer cooking meals to baking, because I get impatient waiting for things in the oven!

6) I have my Legoland drivers license (who doesn't?!)

7) I will eat pretty much any food, except caramel... I just don't like it.

8) My favourite food is Lasagne, specifically my Mum's lasagne.

9) I suck at sleeping in. Waking at 10am would be an achievement for me!

10) I have never eaten  at KFC.

11) I'm studying French, German and English Literature at Sixth Form, and hope to study German and Linguistics at Uni next year!

12) I always forget to put on perfume!

13) I can sing "Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" in 3 languages, when I have kids I will teach them all three.

14) My favourite book for years was "Anne of Green Gables", it's now "Pride and Prejudice". I guess I like reading about tempestuous relationships?

15) I have really short, wide feet... My sister and I call them elephant feet

16) I am a terrible liar. But that's a good thing, I guess?

17) Movies must have a happy ending for me to enjoy them

18) Despite being a slightly soppy mushhead when it comes to romantic films, I really dislike the plotline of Romeo and Juliet. I mean, you've known each other 3 days... grow up?

19) I regularly feel the need to dance around my bedroom to music.

20) I climbed Snowdon when I was roughly 8

21) I drink Hot Chocolate. Like all the time.

22) My head is really small in comparison to my body. I have a pea-head.

23) I prefer savoury food to sweet food

 

24) When I was about 3, I blew out the candles on my best friend George's birthday cake!

25) I have never broken a bone in my body, I have however, dislocated my sister's arm! Oops...

 

So there you go! Hopefully, you now know a little bit more about me! Is there anything I should know about you?

My January and February Favourites!

If you don't know what a favourites blogpost is, then this is one!
A review of the a few of the products I've found myself reaching for time after time the past two months!

Collection2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

This is honestly probably the best concealer I've tried, and it's rediculously affordable for the quality! Priced at £4.19, it's got a lovely creamy consistancy and provides great coverage making concealing blemishes and bags under your eyes look really natural. It also does a great job at minimising the appearance of open pores! This is so good, I've already bought another for when this one runs out!

 

Soap and Glory Scrub'em and Leave'em Body Buff

For a while now I've been looking for a replacement for my Body Shop Balgamot Salt Scrub (sadly discontinued...) and although this isn't quite the same, it is reeeeally lovely! The salt in it does a great job of exfoliation, whilst the oils in it provide moisture to leave the skin soft and smooth. The name also makes me smile a little bit which is always a plus!

Soap and Glory Hand Food

With all the winter weather we've been having, my hands get really horrible and dry. I've tried quite a few hand creams, but none quite live up to this one. Having sensitive skin means normally I react badly to fragranced smells but this one doesn't have any negative effects on me at all, in fact for me the soft scent is a plus! It moisturises without feeling greasy and leaves your skin feeling lovely and smooth. I have a larger 125ml version for my vanity table and a smaller 50ml version for my handbag!

Loreal Elvive Essential Oil

It makes my hair lovely and soft and smooth, without being greasy! It works miracles on my dry hair, I've done a full review which you might like to read.

 

MUAprofessional Eyeshadow Pallette in Undressed

Beautiful colours that are neutral for with a pop of colour that are perfect for everyday, or for evening if you're not wanting to be dramatic! (most are almost exact dupes for the Urban Decay Naked2 palette!) It's really affordable at only £4, however the colours will fade unless you use a good primer. In any case, I'm pretty sure you can tell how much I've used it from the dirty packaging!

Maybelline 24hrs Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold

I've already done a more detailed review of the collection so i'll keep this short and sweet. It's a beautiful colour, neutral but pretty and girly, so I like to wear it on lazy days as it's quick and easy to apply with your fingers, and I can be secure in the knowledge that it'll last all day. If you fancy seeing swatches, they're all on the full review!

A flannel?!

Please don't laugh at me, I'm dead serious! I haven't used a flannel in years as I, like many people, figured I could just use my hands whilst in the shower. However, recently I watched a youtube video by AModelRecommends who talked about the benefits of flannels. Ever since, I've been slightly hooked. Using a flannel has definately improved my skin, as it provides some light exfoliation. This removes dead skin cells (gross I know!), leaving you with a fresher, brighter face.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturiser

This has definately been my go-to body moisturiser these past 2 months. Not only does it smell like chocolate, but it also gives your skin a lovely radiant glow which makes it look healthy and tanned. Just be careful not to eat it, it might not taste so good!

 

What about you? What have you been loving?

 

L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Review!

Is it just me or has the entire beauty world gone absolutely mad for Hair Oils? Well... I decided to jump on the bandwagon (slightly late, I know) and try one!

 

I was slightly overwhelmed by the amount of hair oils out there, but I chose L'Oreal Elvive's Extraordinary Oil because it's firstly one of the newer ones on the market and I trust Loreal as a brand, but sadly also because I'm very easily influenced by adverts!

 

So what can I say about it? Well firstly, I love the packaging! I'm a slight sucker for anything that's going to look pretty on my vanity table and this certainly fits the bill. Being a glass bottle it looks lovely and classy, whilst the pump nozzle means it's easy to apply the product.

 



So pretty to look at..

So onto the actual product, well firstly I love that it's multipurpose! You can use it in pretty much anyway you like; overnight, before styling, as a mask before shampooing, or as a finishing serum to tame those awkward winter flyaways!

I've tried it in all of those ways and it definately gets a big thumbs up from me! My hair has never looked or felt better! My friends have also been noticing and have commented on how soft and smooth it feels.

For me, that was lovely to hear as I often feel like my hair is fairly thick and course, especially in the drying winter months. This hair oil gives my hair that moisture boost it needs, without making my hair feel heavy as I might have expected either.

"If you dye your hair, pick me!"

 

Unlike most other hair oils, they also have a different one for my hair dying friends, which might be well worth a try!

What do you think? Have you tried any hair oils yet?