Avene Cleanance Cleansing Water

I got this cleansing water ages ago now, when it was on clearance for the bargain price of £4 at Boots. I think the regular price is £16 so it was a great steal! It's only recently though that I've been using it and I'm really impressed. It's been specially formulated for blemish prone skin and doesn't contain alcohol or parabens. I thought it might be a bit harsh considering it's for oily skin but it's actually really gentle and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or stripped. Just clean and comfortable. Another plus is that it doesn't sting my eyes like some do. I've found some micellar waters struggle a bit at removing eye makeup but this works really well. I also have to mention that I love the scent! To me it smells a bit like a baby product, if that makes sense! Sort of powdery, but fresh still.
I don't really use it often enough to comment on whether it helps fight spots, but it doesn't seem to cause them.
As much as I like this I do think £16 is a bit steep, even for 400ml, so I don't think I will be repurchasing unless it's on a good offer. Then I might be tempted!

Half Term Holiday!

*Long Post Alert!*

Hi! It's been so long since I've blogged- not that I'm keeping anyone waiting! I just haven't fancied it lately, but I thought tonight I'll write one about my recent trip away during half term.
For all its cons, at least one pro of working in a school are all the holidays, and after having our dreaded Ofsted inspection during the last week, the break was very much needed! I can't remember if I've already mentioned this, but for Christmas I bought Stu a 2 week hotel break from Buyagift when there was an offer on (ever thrifty..well, sort of) and we decided to return to the same place in Torquay that we went to in 2013. We were wanting to go to Somerset or Gloucester but sadly both of those guest houses were all booked up. A shame as they had excellent reviews. It was good to go somewhere familiar though and at least we knew that we would like where we were staying.
We set off on Monday morning and arrived there at about 3.30pm. We discovered that The Crown Lodge had new owners but thankfully the place was still as clean and comfortable as we remembered, and the breakfasts were still just as good! We took a walk into town and had a little wander before having an early tea at Harvester. Nothing fancy but cheap and cheerful enough. We left feeling ridiculously full, well at least I was, after our massive sundaes. Mm could eat one now thinking about it. Such a pig. After a chilly walk back to the lodge we just watched some TV on our amazingly squishy bed. The bed was very comfy but I don't think my back would have appreciated it after a while!
The next morning, after a yummy full English breakfast, we set off to Paignton Zoo. We went here last time too, but you can't go wrong with a zoo. The weather was really good- lovely and bright. The queues for ice cream were super long which was mad considering it's only February. We had to have some too, of course, as if we hadn't had enough the night before! In particular I loved seeing the giraffes, marmosets and emperor tamarins. So cute!
That evening we had tea at Meat 59, a new burger place in Torquay. It had excellent reviews on Tripadviser and the food looked right up our street so we thought we'd give it a go. We were the only customers there when we turned up at 6.30 but it soon filled up, which we were sort of relieved about! The decor was quirky ( I loved the little robot salt and pepper shakers on our table) and the menu was confidently compact! Still lots of choices though with a good selection of gourmet burgers and sides. I chose The Pig Smoke-  slow roasted pulled pork (locally sourced from Devon) with Kansas hickory barbecue sauce and homemade coleslaw in a brioche bun. It was amazing. So, so good. I also had a side of massive onion rings and we shared some rosemary fries. Stu had the Meat 59 burger which included pulled pork, black pudding and chorizo. He gave it a solid 10/10! The staff were friendly and the prices were very reasonable for the quality. Definitely recommend going if you are in the area. They also do them to take away!
On the Wednesday we sadly had to head off home, but on the way we stopped off at Cheddar Gorge. We didn't actually see the caves as it was too pricey, but we had a pleasant wander along the little tourist tat shops and had a lovely cream tea (well without the tea) at Cafe Gorge which was very pleasant. Was good to just get some fresh air to break up the journey! I'm very glad Stu was driving though, as at one point it was like Groundhog day trying to get out of a village- we were just going around in circles thanks to roadworks and a confused sat nav!
Overall I loved our little break, as chilled out and unsophisticated as it was! Was good to relax and get a bit of sea air in my lungs! Now I'm just counting down the weeks until the next half term!

Forgot another favourite- these cute capybaras! The baby in the trough was adorable! 

L'Oreal Color Riche Moisture Matte Lipstick

I found these lipsticks on Xtras, a site I love for little treats as it's free delivery on all orders. I frequently browse the site as you can find some real bargains such as these. They are listed as just Color Riche lipsticks but after doing a google search I've found they are the Moisture Matte ones. I don't think you can get them in the UK but they're on the Australian L'Oreal website when I had a browse. On here they are described as lipsticks that ' deliver intense moisture while providing a velvet matte vinish'. They contain jojoba oil as well as 'matte gel technology', whatever that may be! In any case it feels very smooth on application and is very pigmented. I've got the shade 'Spring Rosette' which is a pretty dusky pink that I think would suit a lot of people. I've not been able to wear it properly as of yet as my lips are very chapped, but going by the swatches I think it would be fairly long lasting as it has left a stain on my hand! As the name would suggest they are not properly matte but more of a satin finish. The other shades available at time of posting are Blaze of Red and Cherry Crush. They are £2.99 but if you use the code 'WELCOME20' (which has worked for absolutely ages now!) they are £2.39. Bargain!

The packaging is very pleasing with the shiny casing and the little 'window' showing the shade. It definitely doesn't feel cheap! 

I can't wait to wear this and I would definitely recommend Xtras if you're looking for a little pick me up!

The Day That Christmas Came Again!

So, as you may know, lately I've gotten into comping. I've had a fair few wins but just before Christmas I got a phone call that blew all the others out of the water! I had missed the call but I'm so glad they had left a message as I was told I had won a £1000 World Duty Free beauty hamper! I remember entering it a while back and thinking how amazing it would be to get it so I was so so chuffed! The lady who took my details had a bit of trouble writing down my address ('Oswestry' is pretty hard to get down I suppose if you don't know the place!) but thankfully it arrived on the 30th and it was like Christmas all over again! I feel very lucky and so grateful. I didn't know what I was getting as the comp never specified but it's all amazing. Some of the face creams aren't quite suitable for me so I'll probably end up gifting them. Though I've also been told I should try and sell them to start my wedding fund!
Now onto the pictures! Sorry for the poor quality. I just did them on the bathroom floor with my phone! They're probably worthy of much better photography!

This Clarins make up set is just gorgeous and the colours are so soft and pretty.

I love candles and this Molton Brown one smells so good. Very masculine so hopefully this will be a Stuart friendly one! 

I was so excited to see this Givenchy 'Les Mini Prismes' set! It really is a thing of beauty! I'm too scared to swatch it and spoil it! 

Extremely fancy anti-ageing creams! Sisley Global Anti-Age (and some sample tubes) and La Prairie Cellular Swiss Ice Crysyal Cream. I'm still reeling at how much these cost. How do people justify buying these for themselves?! I think if I used these I might well end up looking ten! 

I remember seeing this YSL palette on a blog a while back and lusting after it. What's not to like? It's bright pink and contains so many pretty shades. Again I don't really want to swatch it! 

I'm normally quite picky when it comes to perfumes but I adore this one and the bottle is gorgeous! It smells really similar to Narciso Rodriquez For Her which I love. The clutch bag it came with is adorable too! 

This Miller Harris 'Verger' perfume is massive! I've never had such a big perfume! Luckily it smells really fresh and zesty, and just generally 'luxe'.  I'm not sure but I think it could be unisex. 

This Shiseido Ultimune serum comes in the most gorgeous box and the bottle is very pretty! I'm looking forward to trying this as I've always wanted to try a really good serum. 

Another set of swanky creams! Lancome Absolue Precious Cells day, night and eye cream. Again when I looked these up I was shocked to say the least! I really wish I was older so I could fully appreciate these. 

Finally a lovely set of mini Armani perfumes. I particularly like the smell of Si and Acqua di Gioa.  

So there you have it. My extraordinary prize! Again I feel very lucky to have won these and I can't wait to give my sis and mum some things. 

Christmas & New Year

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a fab time as well as a lovely Christmas. I've had such an amazing Christmas break this year, I really don't want to go back to work on Monday. Don't think I'm quite ready to face the kids again! I'm lucky I've had 2 weeks off though so I can't really complain.
This Christmas has been particularly special as Stuart proposed! I really wasn't expecting it and I think my reaction scared him quite a bit! I was opening my stocking presents and the last one was a pretty box filled with tinsel. I couldn't believe it when I saw the silver case with 'Laura Will You Marry Me?'' on it.  I asked him what it was (as if it wasn't obvious!) and he asked me the question himself. I still didn't believe it and I think I asked him if he was serious! The rest is a bit of blur as I then started bawling! My mum already knew so was all prepared with a camera to catch the moment. I still haven't seen these pics- I bet they're awful with me a big snivelling mess in a Christmas jumper! The ring is gorgeous and he did a good job getting the right size considering I don't own any other rings. I later found out he took one of his work mates into the jewellers as he thought we had similar sized fingers! Of course I was on a high for the rest of the day and I loved spending the day with him and my family, eating and drinking lots, relaxing and watching TV.
The next few days were spent visiting my dad and generally chilling out, then on the Sunday we had our second Christmas with Stu's family. This meant more prezzies and more yummy food! Christmas dinner was delicious (Stu did a great job cooking the turkey- he does get a bit obsessive about it, bless!) and after some dozy, post turkey time, we had fun playing Scattergories.
The following day I had breakfast out with Stu's sister and she kindly bought me my first wedding magazine. I know it'll be quite a long way off but it's so exciting being able to peruse them now and picture my dream wedding! In all honesty, the thought of it is a bit terrifying but luckily we both have fairly small families so it's not going to be a huge affair! I can't wait to try on dresses and feel all princessy!
On New Years Eve we went down to Stu's parents lodge and had a chilled out evening. His dad made biryani and we played Scattergories again. I also enjoyed some lovely wine based elderflower drinks as well as my favourite Kir Royale! We  brought some peach bellini too but we didn't get around to it! For Christmas I got Stu a voucher for a two night hotel break, so after we came home yesterday we spent some time looking up the hotels we can choose from. Last time we went to Devon and this time around Somerset is a possibility as well as Gloucester. I'm so glad I've got something to look forward to to get me through being back at school!
I feel very fortunate to have had such a good Christmas and New Year and I feel so incredibly lucky to have Stuart as my fiancé. Knowing that I'm going to marry him makes me so happy!

Ignore my scaly hands. If I had know I would have made more of an effort with hand cream! 

What I've Been Up To Lately...

Ah, long time no see! I'm seriously procrastinating this morning and putting off doing the mountain of washing up and the tidying I have to do, so I thought I'd do a blog post instead!
I am so glad that school has finished now for two weeks. They were all extremely excited and tired and it's just not a good mix! To be honest, I don't know how much longer I want to stay in my job for. As much as I love it at times I just don't think I can do it forever. The pay is peanuts and I have to say that I really don't like how the behaviour of the children is changing. Each year they seem to be getting ruder and more argumentative. Seems this generation don't understand what no means. That's not to say they're all like that but it really is putting me off. I don't know what else I'd do though considering school work is all I've ever done.
On a happier note, I've had some lovely days out and afternoons with friends. On the 30th November me and Stuart went to the BBC Good Food Show at the NEC in Birmingham,which was a different way to spend the day! I was lucky enough to win tickets but I do think it was very expensive. I don't think I'd go again if I had to pay for them! I did get to see the Hairy Bikers at their book signing though (as well as lots of other tv chefs) so that was good and I enjoyed going round all the stalls, even if it did get confusing at times- there was just so many! I wasn't feeling great, and was actually ill the next day, so that did put a bit of a dampener on it but overall I'm glad I got to go. Afterwards we went to Ikea which is always exciting, as sad as that is, and we stocked up on random tat and snacks. I do love their elderflower drinks! I loved their origami patterned wrapping paper too and just had to take a roll of the gold fox design home- hope they do it again next year. This has also reminded me that I need to dig out of the snowball candles we bought too!
Speaking of competitions, I want to say thank you again to those who voted for my mask. Sadly I didn't win but it was amazing just to be in the final considering there was over 600 entrants! Vanilla Chai won and in fairness I would have voted for this one too if I wasn't involved! Apologies also if you follow me on twitter for the constant competition retweets! I've gotten a tad addicted I have to say! I used to comp on and off a while back but this is the first time I've kept at it to see what happens. I've had a fair few wins now and it's been lovely to treat Stuart to meals out and to share them.
Onto Christmas prep, I'm pretty impressed that I've managed to get nearly all my presents sorted, as in previous years I've left it pretty late and it's all been very stressful! I've tried not to over spend by getting things on offer and using codes and whatnot but I do think I've gone a bit over, especially considering all my car stuff is due in in Jan/Feb! Presents are lovely to give and receive but I wouldn't be opposed if they were all banned one year! The Christmas food definitely couldn't be though. I think I'd cry if I couldn't have a chocolate orange!
Along with tidying, finishing the decorating is also on my to-do list. My mum kindly helped decorate our tree, which used to be in the conservatory at home but has now been passed to us. That leaves her with just the one tree now as she did have 3 at one point! She did a really good job of it, as always, and it's a big improvement on last years 'Christmas bush'! Now that was such a bugger to decorate and it was nearly bald by the 25th! Now I just need to clean the room and decorate the mantelpiece. Do love it when it's all done and I can relax and cosy up in the evening with the tree lights on.
I normally get quite stressed around Christmas due to travelling a lot between my mums house and my dads, but in the grand scheme of things I've got nothing to complain about and I shouldn't grumble. Instead I'll enjoy spending time with both parents as well as my boyfriend and his family.

Sorry this post is so long! Also I started writing it earlier in the day and then I had to go out hence the morning procrastination. And no I still haven't washed up!

Everything's Rosy!

Well it was a surprise this afternoon to see my face on the Montagne Jeunesse site I have to say! I was sort of hoping they had decided not to use photos! Least they didn't use the ones taken on the day. I really wasn't prepared and not looking my best after hours on a train and a long walk through the drizzle! My little spiel is a bit cringe- I had to think of it on the spot and my mind just went blank!
I'd be ever so grateful if you could vote for me, if you already haven't, or indeed want to! I've been pestering all my friends and fam so I thought I might as well do it on here too! You just need to go on their page on Facebook.  A trip away would be amazing though, it's definitely that time of year when I start dreaming of holidays abroad to get me through the dreary days.
Big thanks to those of you who have already voted for me, it means a lot! :)