Sorting Myself Out!

There are so many things I need to do lately that I thought I'd do a post to sort of spur me on and to organise in my head what I need to do!

One of the perks of working in a school is that I have a considerable amount of time off (this just about makes up for the rubbish pay) and whilst I'm facing a long 7 weeks left of term, I know that I'll have plenty of time off in the summer. We're not going away this year either so that's more time to sort my shit out!

• Job hunt. I am seriously considering looking for another job as thinking towards the future, in particular, our wedding (one day!) I need a job with more hours/better pay. I've found work to be more frustrating and challenging this year and it has left me questioning whether I want to branch out and try something different. Trouble is I've only ever worked in schools/nurseries so my experience outside this area is extremely limited! I don't even know what I want so that doesn't help either. We shall see. I think I'll also have a better idea of what I want to do at the end of term, when our roles for the following school year are given. 

• Saving. I desperately need to start saving seriously. As I've said I want to start thinking realistically about wedding planning. Cut backs will definitely need to be made! I need to stop internet shopping and impulse buying, in addition to meal planning properly so that we are not in the supermarket nearly every day. I'm also planning on doing some car boots in the holidays and selling some items on ebay. I have enough junk in the flat and at home to get me started! 

• Sorting & tidying. As much as I'm dreading it, the flat really does need a good sort out! The spare/junk room is really starting to stress me out- trying to get at anything in there is a challenge! I also am in desperate need of storage. Ikea trip I think! My cupboards and drawers are overflowing and I'm tired of items not having a place. I'll try not to take up too much at once as it's so easy to become overwhelmed, especially when you get to that horrible stage of the place looking worse than when you started! 

• The shit tip that is my car. My car. Urgh. It's served me well over the 9 years that I've had it, but it's starting to show its age now. I need to clean my boot out properly once and for all (contents may include a bag of poster paint, mouldy trainers and an old tv amongst all the other miscellaneous crap) and finally get my heating sorted. It constantly blows out hot air even when nothings turned on. Not pleasant at all, especially now it's getting hotter! In an ideal world I would get another, but at the moment it's not financially possible. 

• Me time. I'm planning on getting my hair coloured again during the break. I'm thinking of going back to blonde as it's nearly all grown out now, and it'll help make me feel more summery. I also want to get back into reading ( I feel I say this a lot) and get through all the books that I have stacked up. I want to get away from relying on my laptop/phone for entertainment so I've bought a pack of origami paper so I can have a go at making some more designs. I really enjoying making my lotus and what with all the youtube tutorials about it's not too hard. Well less difficult than trying to follow diagrams!

I hope you haven't found this post too boring- I just really needed to get down my plans!

Lets Go Bargain Hunting!

I do love a bargainous haul so today I thought I'd show you what I have bought lately.

In Poundworld I got two bottles of Aussie Luscious Long conditioner. One for me and one for my dad- he's been complaining that his hair feels dry lately! For a quid I'd definitely recommend you check your local for some! I also bought the L'Oreal Derma Genesis Pore Minimising Serum as I've had my eye on it on the cheapy beauty sites for a a while. Looking forward to trying it out.
I was really excited to see some packs of Elegant Touch nails. I got a gold glitter set and a pink one, both in the 'short' style. They come with adhesive tabs which I haven't tried yet, but they have to be better than that stinky glue. I keep buying false nails but I confess I still haven't tried any of them! I will do though, promise!

In The Works I bought this baking book set for a quid. There's Gorgeous Cakes, Chocolate Treats and Cupcakes & Mini Bakes. I'll be putting this away for a present, though I'm so tempted to open it!

In Home Bargains I bought this cute Hello Kitty mug for 79p. I love all the cakes and bunting on it- so sweet! I already have too many mugs but I couldn't resist. 

From 99p Store I bought a shimmery dark green OPI shatter polish. I know the trend is over but it's still a pretty colour! The purple polish and eyeliner from Manhattan came together in a pack. The khol eyeliner is in the shade Plummy and the polish is called Ping Pong Plum. A great little set come Autumn/Winter! The teeny Maybelline Colorshow blusher is from Poundland. It doesn't have a shade name but it's a candy pink which merges into a light peach. This would be good for taking away I think. 

Also from 99p Stores is a Witch tinted moisturiser in the shade Light and a Andrea Fullerton nail polish duo. I also got a blue one and one that came with loose pink glitter instead of polish. I'm not sure if the tinted moisturiser is a good match for my skin as of yet, but I shall let you know. 

So there you have it! Have you found any good deals lately?

W7 In The City Palette

I bought this palette last month but I hadn't tried it out properly until this morning, when I thought it was about time I gave it a go! I used a primer and started by evening out my eyelids with the 2nd shade 'Troy'- this matches my skin tone perfectly. I then went over the lid with the 3rd shade 'Brass'. Next I used the following shades 'Touch' and 'Autumn' in the crease, followed by a touch of 'Andrea' (most peculiar name choice). All the shades are matte and blended in well with no fall out. With the help of a bit of primer the pigmentation was good, especially considering the price. I got mine at Xtras for £3.99 with the code 'WELCOME20'. It's a really compact little palette and I think it would be great for travelling with. It's a tin (albeit not the strongest) so I think it would fare well in a bag or suitcase.
I would definitely recommend this if you are into your matte nude shades! And if your budget doesn't quite stretch to Urban Decay like myself!

Apologies for the slicked back hair! Needs a wash!

I think W7 are really upping their game lately and I'm liking a lot of their products! 

Drinks & Ducks

Hello! Happy Thursday!

So last Saturday I went out to Chester for drinks with my best friend. I don't see her nearly enough and it had been absolutely ages since I'd had a night out. My 63 year old dad goes out more than me!
I booked me and Stu (he came too) into a guesthouse so that one of us didn't have to drive. It also meant we could stay out as long as we wanted. My dad lives just outside Chester and I would have just stayed there if I had been by myself. It would have definitely saved a lot of money. Even Travelodge's are expensive without booking way in advance. Luckily I found a decent looking guesthouse with good reviews a few days before. It was still £75 for just one night but it did include breakfast and it was the cheapest I could find without going to somewhere grotty! Luckily it was a comfortable, pleasant place and I would recommend it if you're ever in the area.
We arrived at the Kings Guest House in Handbridge at about 3.30 on Saturday as Stu had been working until 1. The location was pretty good as we were close enough to the city to walk into the centre but far enough away from the noise and general hustle and bustle. We had a room near the top of the building and I loved looking out and seeing the back of the houses, as odd as it sounds. I think it's because I grew up in Chester and it's a street I walked along or went through on the bus a lot, so it was novel to have a different perspective!

Looking very dozy. I'm not used to staying up past 10!

Anyways, we dumped our stuff then had a wander around town followed by tea at Harvester. Time seemed to have gotten away from us so it was about 8.30 when we finally met with my friend. That and my hair wasn't playing ball, even with straighteners!
First we went to The Church as I hasn't been there before. It was packed but my friend reckoned it was actually quite quiet!  I had never seen so many hen parties! Most amusing watching one group dance with an inflatable penis though, I have to say. I also had a Cosmo after craving a cocktail for so long- it was really nice,but as always expensive! Later on we headed to Pitcher and Piano as all the noise was stressing Stu out. I have to agree, I do prefer places were you talk easily. Here it was nice to just have a sit down and chat without shouting! It was also much less busy, though we did get ID'd going in. I do wonder when I'll finally look my age! 26 in August and still look like a teen.

I had a really good night though I wish I had gotten ready sooner so we could have gone to more places.It was good to just have a night away and breakfast in the morning was lovely and really hit the spot and sorted my headache out- I'm such a lightweight!

Not really related but on Monday me and Stu went for a walk around the mere and saw the cutest ducklings. They were so sweet though mummy duck did get angry and quack at me at one point!
I've also been having a go at origami. I've figured I need a non technical hobby! My first attempt at a lotus blossom wasn't too bad I thought, considering I made it from some spare gift wrap (we'll ignore the fact I used the wrong side!).

Been up to anything good lately?

Bank Holiday Weekend (Food, Food, Food)!

I can't tell you how pleased I am to have had a long weekend. I've got yet another cold and am feeling a bit sorry for myself today. I really do think every weekend should be 3 days long!

Sniffles aside, I've had a pleasant few days off. On Saturday we went to Las Iguanas for lunch with my sister. Getting there was pretty stressful for me as the roads we so busy but the food was worth it! When me and Stu go we usually get tapas but this time we ordered off the lunch menu. For starters Stu had nachos and I had the creamy mushrooms with tortillas, and for our mains we both had a Cuban sandwich, mine with smokey chipotle chicken and his with braised chili beef. My sister had the halloumi skewers and the caramel cake for dessert. Me and Stu shared some churros with chocolate and dulce de leche sauces- they were really good! As usual I also had a raspberry cooler. I think I could drink these all the time!
We then had a meander around Cheshire Oaks and I bought a few items from the Yankee shop. I was hoping to get some bargains from The Body Shop but nothing there was tickling my pickle! I was really pleased to see that the 'Under The Palms' candle was 50% off as it's one of my favourite scents. It really reminds me of holidays! This huge jar was reduced to £10 so I had to get it. Admittedly a tenner is still expensive for a candle but it'll last for ages. I also bought a box of 12 'Ghostly Treats' tea lights for £2.10. These smell just like Fireside Treats which is another fave. They could be the same for all I know though- feel free to enlighten me! Lastly I bought a Macintosh tart for 49p as I love the clean, crisp apple scent. I was very tempted to get some Christmas Eve tarts as they were only 49p too but I managed to resist. I think I've already got a stash of them and they do last a while!

Sunday was mostly a lazy day but in the evening we went out for tea at the Red Lion pub in Ellesmere. Again my sister came along (her fiance was meant to join us but he didn't get the text in time-oops!) which was lovely. This was my third time eating there and as before the portions were massive! Prices are really reasonable too so it's great value for money! I chose the hunters chicken which came with chips (their chips are seriously huge- I can never finish them all!), peas, coleslaw, mushrooms, half a tomato and onion rings. Stu had a burger and Cara had the breaded place- their plates were equally big! Suffice to say I was stuffed at the end but I still had a bit of room for pudding! I chose the toffee crunch pie and it was really good- especially the little Daim bar on top. Been too long since I've had one of those! 

Today I have just been doing some chores and fannying around on the laptop. Nothing too taxing. I don't particularly want to go back to work tomorrow but I'm hoping the week will go fast. Next weekend I think I am going out with my bestie for drinks, so I can't wait for that. Need some cocktails for sure! 

St Tropez Skin Illuminator Bargains!

Whenever I go into Boots, the clearance section is always what I hunt down first as sometimes you can find some real gems. The Boots where I live seems to have the best selection as compared to the ones in Wrexham. I think it may be because of the slightly different clientele. To put it nicely! Anyways, this week I found lots of tubes of St Tropez Skin Illuminator for £2. They had them in the shades Rose, Violet and Gold and I bought the first two. The gold would be very pretty though if you are more tanned. I was also pleased to see that they had a foil seal so the majority were not messed with!
These 50ml tubes seem to be selling for between £8-12 online so £2 is very bargainous. The violet shade is the more iridescent of the two and packs more of a punch. The lotion also seems a bit more runny than the rose one so be careful when squeezing it out! It also means that a little goes a long way! You really do need the smallest amount. I wasn't sure if a violet tone would be very flattering but it's perfect for pale skin tones and looks so pretty. The rose one is equally gorgeous and is much more subtle. I think this one would work well as an everyday highlighter. You can apply this one a bit more liberally without it looking too much. Again. I think the rose shade is great for us pale people. I can't wait to give these a proper go!

I also bought a tube of One Night Tanned Instant Beach-Bronze Buttergel from Soap & Glory for a quid. I think this is normally £8 but I'm guessing it's being discontinued or repackaged as I've seen it on quite a few clearance stands. I'm not sure I'll get much use out of this but for a pound I thought it was worth a go for in the summer.
Next I bought the Sk:n Anti-Blemish Intense Spot Lotion for £2 as the spot gel I've got now is getting a bit old. The Sk:n website has this down as £15.75 which is little steep for a 15ml tube! Not much to say about this as I haven't tried it yet but I shall do shortly- my skin isn't fab at the moment!

Violet

Rose

Have you found anything good on clearance lately?

Revlon Colourstay Gel Envy Polish & Diamond Topcoat - A Disappointment!

It's not often I write 'Disappointing Products' posts but I just had to mention this one. I was really excited to see these two in the Latest in Beauty box as I've wanted to try one of these polishes for a while. I loved the colour so it's a shame it didn't work out.  At first I was really impressed though. Application was great and the finish was so shiny. However, just a day later it started to peel off in whole chunks. I've got a feeling the topcoat is to blame here as I've experienced this problem in the past with others, especially ones that offer a high shine. This wasn't my biggest gripe though. When it came to taking it off I discovered that it had stained my nails really badly. I would have expected this normally but it claims that you don't need a basecoat. Lies! At least with this bright shade.
So yes, I'm disappointed that it didn't live up to my expectations but I'm going to try it with a base coat and a different top coat as I do really like the colour.