LIFE LATELY: AUTUMN

Remember a few years ago when I had this blog and totally loved it and updated all the time? Me too. Sadface. Where did that go? I don't know how it happened, it feels like it was one of those things that come about of their own accord I guess, like outgrowing shoes or losing touch with old school friends. I still follow all my old blogging buddies and read about what they're all up to and fawn over awesome OOTDs and make lists of new beauty products to try on the back of rave reviews...but I don't often feel inspired to write blogs about that stuff any more.

There was a time over the summer that I really panicked about letting myself and my blogging pals down by hardly posting, but I'm cool with it now. I never started FFS for anyone but myself, and throughout the three years I've been doing this I always posted whatever the hell I liked, regardless of convention or external pressures to always be talking about the NEXT BIG AWESOME THING or WHAT I'M WEARING THIS WEEK, or LATEST AMAZING GLASGOW DESIGNER or FABULOUS BLOGGER EVENT or whatever. These posts have their place, and I read them, and sometimes I DO write them, but it's not always the content I want to create. And that's OK. It's not a competition, or at least it shouldn't be.

I've been a scatty, rambley navel-gazer from the start. If you go back to the beginning, which I sometimes do because I'm SAD, after you've finished cringing you'll see that FFS has never been particularly COOL or Zeitgeistey, and I'm glad I can remind myself of this and that it's OK to be a bit weird, and stop giving myself a hard time for forgetting to post about relevant fashiony things... and basically quit feeling BAD.

So what have I been doing when I've not been blogging? Well, living my life. Obvz.

Did I mention I bought a flat? Oh, ONLY ABOUT 10,000 TIMES. Well, I did, and over the last few weeks I finally got the keys and started the long process of doing it up.

Paint was NUMBER ONE priority. The bay-windowed living room was originally a gross brown biscuity-beige which, with the dark floors, made it look dindgy. I covered it with two coats of a lighter, yellow-cream called Soft Linen from Crown and it's much fresher. Once I have all my crap moved in I might want to go for a bolder colour, but for the moment the brighter tone is working out fine. In the bedroom I went for a nice pale icy blue. My pal kindly pointed out it's "a bit NEW BABY BOY" but whatever! I've bought up practically all of Ikea's Hemnes bedroom furniture and assembled it all, so that room's almost done. I'll tell you what though, I'm a bit lazy and would have probably got painters and decorators in to paint both rooms in the past, but my Dad egged me on to do it myself (two coats each!) and I'm pure proud of myself that I did - up a wobbly ladder, rollers, dust-sheets and all. You can do it guys! Just wear boggin old stuff and a hat if you can - paint in your hair is no fun.

Next up I bought a turquoise sofa. Sorry, TWO turquoise sofas, from Made.com. I figured WHY NOT man, and I was scared the room would look too wishy-washy without a bit of colour. The sofas are from Made's Orson range and one is arriving at the weekend, so I'll be able to tell if it's comfy or not come Sunday. I'm in love with how they look online though! Gorgeous.

Thanks to a headsup from the lovely Ruth I got this adorbs cat coffee table, customised by Treemendous, from The Magpie's Eye in Govan. LOOK AT IT! So cute! There seems to be a bit of an animal/cat theme happening so far with the accessories I've bought, but I'm more than OK with that. (See rabbit night light!)

Added to my awesome bit of ATTITUDE ART from Etsy and my wee cat cushion from a few months ago, I'm pleased with how it's shaping up. Still LOADS to do, but I'm getting there.

Next up, I went blonde. SHUT UP. No, really. I just took a mad idea one day and booked myself in to my hairdressers, and BOOM. That was that. I'd had it pre-lightened with lots of foils in the weeks before, but I wanted more of an all-over bleached look. Which is what I got! It's so blonde now that I'm heading back in tomorrow to sort my roots out - my hair grows SCARY quick.

I also experimented with Bleach London's new range of wash-out pastel dyes. I got the Awkward Peach shade and was a bit MEH about it if I'm honest. The colour wasn't all that striking, and I KNOW it's pastel, but I expected to be able to notice it! Instead I found that all it really did was change the tone of the blonde a bit to a warmer, more yellowy hue. Which was OK but not really what I was after. I tried the L'Oreal Feria pastel tonight conditioner in Peach Punch and I definitely preferred the colour. Again, the payoff wasn't great (hint in the word PASTEL), but the actual tone of the colour was a nice corally peachy-pink, and if I had to decide between the two this is the one I'd go for.

And what else? Oh, yi know, just living life. Work has been mental busy with presentations, conferences and travel galore, but in a really good way. I mean, the soggy Midlands might not be the most glam of places to be constantly jetting to, but I can't complain really. Things are going well, my wee team is great and I'm working really hard. I enjoy what I do and I wake up motivated to start the day and tick things off my massive Monday Morning To-Do List. It could be worse.

I also recently spent some time in my beloved Edinburgh where I totally GORGED myself at the Hard Rock Cafe (did you hear about the one in Buchanan St? I believe it's open now - yuss!) and the Chocolate Lounge at Harvey Nicks, dahling! Both places to tick off if you find yourself in Edinburgh. OK, so Hard Rock isn't exactly fine dining, but their Twisted Mac and Cheese is positively ORGASMIC and it's good for a LOL. Also, quaffed myself some cocktails in Le Monde on George St which I do love when I'm pretending to be a little more glam than I am.

What else? Um, I tried to eat healthy but it only lasted about three days. One thing that stuck though was yummy Overnight Oats which I now take to work most days for breakfast. My fave is with chocolate almond milk, mashed banana and flaked almonds on top. SCRUM. More deetz here...

ALSO, can I just take a minute to talk about how awesome the Itison Drive-In for Halloween was?! A massive screen in Victoria Park, 300 cars, street food, guys dressed up as Michael from my FAVE scary movie (maybe) ever - the classic John Carpenter's Halloween. Pure hilarious spooky awesomeness! The best bit were all the Michael's cutting about scaring everyone silly - totally, totally loved it. Itison is running their massively successful Drive In series again over Christmas, this time at Loch Lomond Shores, WITH SANTA and Christmas Carol Car-eoke etc. so have a look. I've booked up for It's a Wonderful Life on the 23rd of December. Heart-warming festive perfection!

Anyway, that's what I've been doing with my life. I'm going to make a concerted effort to blog more regularly, and not box myself into a certain style. I'll just talk rubbish about whatever I want, whenever I want, and that's that. Thanks for sticking with me, those that have.

(By the by, these pics are from my Instagram, and if you find yourself desperately intrigued as to my comings and goings you can follow me on Twitter anaw. @kirsty44sunsets everywhere. ROFFLE.)



OUT THERE

Just what you want after a cryptic extended leave of absence... A post that fires y'all straight back into the thick of it that makes no reference to or offers no explanation for the aforementioned absence, RIIIIIGHT???!!

So, I'd originally put this post on ice as, when I was very kindly sent THIS beautiful faux fur throw from UBER COOL interiors website Out There Interiors (http://www.outthereinteriors.com/bedroom-furniture/mirrored-bedroom-furniture), I was in the middle of buying my new flat and had hoped to be in much sooner than this, and I figured, no one wants to see this pure cool, cosy wee throw on my jakey single bed in my kids bedroom...Not when they could wait and see it on my not-yet-purchased-but-no-doubt pure cool new bed!

HOWEVER, given that I've now finally been handed an entry date after what feels like YEARS of farting around, turns out it's going to be another six full weeks and that's just too blooming long to wait.

So without further ado, here's the awesome, snuggly, fabulous throw:

 

Not the best image from the site, so I DID attempt to take my own... At night. With my phone.

Yeah. A photographer, I am not.

Wow, is all I have to say about the quality of those.

Once I DO have a bed and a flat to put it in, I promise I'll drape this aesthetically over my bedspread and update these photos. In the meantime though, just believe me when I say this throw is awesome. Who knew I'd be into this stuff.

But it turns out I AM. Like in a big way. Mainly because soft furnishings seem easy at this stage. Sure, I like this fabric, I like those curtains, that throw is pretty, that duvet cover is cute, this rug is cool... You get the gist. Making virtual wishlists of fabrics and soft furnishings is as far as I've got with this whole interior design planning thing.

I mean, for example, I bought a cushion last week:

No, your eyes do not deceive you. This IS the best cushion in the universe!

But this is as far as I've managed to get. Everything else SOLID freaks me out! I feel as though people expect me to already know exactly how I want my flat to look, what kind of STYLE or VIBE I want to go with, when actually I have no idea. Like NONE. One minute I imagine trawling vintage warehouses and auctioneers for one of a kind one-off wardrobes n stuff, the next I'm turning down the pages in the Ikea catalogue, hooked on all things minimal and modern.

Help!

I had a look through that Out There Interiors website for inspiration but it proved useless as I liked EVERYTHING I saw, which is no help at all! Some of my favourites were this fretworked range of drawers and dressing table:

Pure pretty, right? But then I also liked the slightly more ornate, French bedside tables that have a lovely vintage feel:

And then there were the mad wardrobes!!

Because who doesn't love a mad wardrobe?! Sorry, armoire! Tell me these don't look like the hilarious wardrobe from Beauty and the Beast and I'd call you a LIAR!

Roffle!

But yeah, no help at all as I just want one of everything, and it's a WEE flat. So soft furnishings is as far as I'm able to plan for at the moment.

With the exception of this guy:

I DIE.

Hope that wasn't too painful for y'all. Normal service slowly but surely returning!



LOST INTERVIEW

So... Long time no speak.

Blah blah, I've been busy, blah blah... Aren't you sick of me starting every post like that? I know I AM! Seriously though, real life and all it's insane ups and downs (more ups than downs recently - yay!) has managed to get in the way of blogging yet again.

This job is going really well and I'm totally loving it, especially the fact that I have evenings and weekends to do what I like! Because of this though, sadly blogging often slips to the bottom of my priority heap, but I've got to start getting my SHIZ back on track lest I forget all about it!

I was recently contacted by a student at GCU (whose name I have now totally forgotten and I can't get onto my hotmail at the moment to check... Cringe. And also, I say recently but actually it was around a month ago. WOOPS!) asking some bloggers a few questions for her course so I agreed to answer them but then got totally caught up in other stuff and forgot to send them back, like a pure CHOOB.

Rather than just have wasted my time (since I assume it's totes too late to send her back this stuff - sorry!) I figured I'd post it here in case anyone is remotely interested. And as a sort of mental SLAP ON THE WRIST for being so lax.. Sadface.

Awesome treat for getting to the end, btw.


TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY YOU STARTED BLOGGING

I’m 25 and I work as a Communications Executive in Glasgow. I like tea, cats and sunsets but I hate raisins, birds and having to answer questions like “tell me about yourself”...

I sort of accidently started blogging. I had read loads of blogs for a few years but gradually I began to feel like a lot of them were becoming very samey. I disliked the lack of personality and voice in many blogs which all began to feel like carbon copies of each other. In truth, it got really boring. I’d written a Livejournal (remember them?!) right from when I was really young but had let it slip. I wanted to get back into writing online and considered starting a blog for a while but I was nervous and self-conscious about my style or tone not fitting in with what was considered the blogging norm. The thought of posing for hundreds of outfit of the day photos caused me major panic! But in the end I decided to bite the bullet 2 years ago and now I’ve had over a quarter of a million hits – small fry to most I’m sure, but it makes me happy that there’s a place in the blogosphere for something other than identical tedious outfit posts.


HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INTERESTED IN FASHION AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO YOU?

 I’ve been interested in fashion my whole life. I used to watch old films at my Gran’s when I was wee and draw pictures of Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Judy Garland, Deborah Kerr and Ingrid Bergman in all their fancy costumes. It was fascinating to me. I knew as I grew up I didn’t have the passion or talent to design but I kept my interest in fashion and, as every teenage girl in the universe does, experimented with my personal style... Sometimes to unfortunate/hilarious ends. Don't believe me...?

..Yeah. This actually happened.

CRINGE. But yeah, it’s important to me because it’s an expression of self in the same way music, art and literature are, and aren’t we all just trying to find the best ways to express ourselves? I also think it’s important as a type of escapism. I still love to watch old movies and swoon at the costumes…it’s about the element of fantasy. And again, for me anyway, catwalk fashion reflects a kind of heightened reality, which I love.


HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME OF YOUR BLOG?

It’s from a line in one of my favourite books, Le Petit Prince:

“If you could fly to France in one minute, you could go straight into the sunset, right from noon. Unfortunately, France is too far away for that. But on your tiny planet, my little prince, all you need do is move your chair a few steps. You can see the day end and the twilight falling whenever you like... "One day," you said to me, "I saw the sunset forty-four times!" And a little later you added: "You know -- one loves the sunset, when one is so sad..." "Were you so sad, then?" I asked, "on the day of the forty-four sunsets?" But the little prince made no reply.”


CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR BLOG INCLUDING HOW IT DIFFERS FROM OTHER FASHION BLOGS?

I’m asked this fairly often and I never know what to say. I think there’s a mix of fashion stuff that interests me, collection reviews, beauty bits here and there, some shopping hauls... A bit of a mix. I try hard to write in a natural way as though I was talking to a friend, which is something lots of the bigger blogs lack, I think. I’m sure it puts as many people off as it does interests them, but I don’t care! I also don’t take it particularly seriously – I blog for my own enjoyment and not for any other ulterior motive, which is an increasingly rare thing these days, in my opinion.


HOW OFTEN DO YOU POST?

It varies. Less now that I have a proper job and find that I’m just busier generally, but normally around once a week, sometimes more, sometimes less. Again, I’m aware this is a total BLOG NO NO but I’d rather only post now and again about things I actually like than all the time about any old rubbish.


DESCRIBE A TYPICAL DAY IN YOUR LIFE AS A BLOGGER

Ha! I’m not a blogger full time. Blogging is most definitely a secondary consideration, but when I get the chance it’s one of the first things I like to take time to do.


WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST AND WORST ASPECTS OF RUNNING YOUR OWN BLOG?

The best is that I really enjoy it and have met lots of lovely people through it. The worst is the guilt I feel if I haven’t posted in ages, or juggling it with my actual life. A lot of the time I can’t go to events or get involved in product reviews etc. because I don’t live in London and have a 8-5 job. I’d love to devote more time to it but I just can’t, which is frustrating.


WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU NEED TO BECOME A SUCCESSFUL BLOGGER?

I have no idea! I don’t consider myself successful in that regard, but it does make me feel good when people comment on posts or when I see the views ticking up. To get people interested, you yourself have to be interested in what you’re saying, be humble and friendly in tone and do it because you enjoy it. It’s a personal preference but I hate those SUPER SHORT boring outfit posts that are really generic and have nothing interesting to say. Half of them are so lazily styled and lots don’t have any commentary at all. I avoid them at all cost.


WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ASPIRING BLOGGERS?

If there’s a blog out there you love, think about why you like it and take inspiration from it. I’d never say COPY a blog directly, but it’s important to know what kinds of things you want to talk about and how you want to present it, and a good way of getting that clear is to make notes about the things you enjoy in other blogs. Also, don’t expect it to take off. It may well do, but never go into it for that reason because people can tell straight away. And try, if you can, to read and comment on other blogs. Something I’m regrettably terrible at!


HOW DO YOU THINK BLOGGING INFLUENCES THE FASHION INDUSTRY?

I think we’re only really beginning to see this happening with the likes of retailers holding blogger events and magazines including blogger features etc. It seems to me that many bloggers like to THINK that blogging is this noble cause that deserves to influence the fashion industry, but in reality I think it influences high-street sales rather than high fashion.


WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE YO SEE YOUR BLOG GO IN THE FUTURE AND WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE WITH IT?

I’m happy with maintaining the blog as it is. If I wanted to spend more time and effort on it to grow my followers and hits, then I'm sure there are things I could do but honestly I’m happy with it the way it is. I just want to continue with it. I’ve come this far and genuinely do enjoy it so I won’t let it slide. I’ve been toying with doing some more personal posts but I’m really nervous about putting too much of my life on the internet. It’s a very fine line that’s easy to cross. We’ll see.



...Phew. Like you EVEN cared! Again though, sorry to the nameless girl for not getting this back to you in time. I'm suitably ashamed.

As promised, here's your present. Don't you just hate it when you get mutliated by your boss' drug-addict chimp? I KNOW I DO!

ESTEE LAUDER: DOUBLE WEAR FOUNDATION

I'll bet my right arm you've read ten thousand reviews of Estee Lauder DW foundation before, right? It's such a massive cult foundation that I'm sure any blogger worth their salt will have tried and tested, but it's TOTALLY Marmite - love or hate it, most folk feel very strongly one way or another.

I have to say, for years I was firmly entrenched in the HATE IT camp. I first bought a bottle of this stuff way back in my YOOF (like eight years ago) and happily slathered it all over my chops only to discover a serious case of CAKE FACE by lunchtime.

It would go on quite thick and gloopy, smell like paint, dry down really tacky then set powdery and begin to crack and disperse (gross) and ultimately break down after only a few hours. NOT IDEAL.

I have to admit though, I'm now a total convert. It all started in duty free...

I was killing time in Heathrow's terminal 5 before my flight back to Glasgow after a 12+ hour day in London and noticed that my Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation just wasn't cutting it. Y'all know I LOVE it for its satin/dewy finish, comfortable wear, blendability and NORMALLY its lasting power, but clearly a whole day in the big smoke was too much for it, and whilst peering into a mirror at Tom Ford eyewear I noticed it'd all but vanished. QUELLE HORROR!

My skin is normal, and sometimes a little sensitive. It used to be pretty oily, and I do still get shiny patches around my nose and forehead which I don't have a problem with powdering maybe once or twice a day, but it's really not as bad as it once was. I still have the odd cluster of breakouts here and there (moreso at the moment, THANKS, STRESS) but overall it's cleared up a fair bit and usually plays ball. However, as much as I love Rimmel's WMU (and I really do) I'm increasingly finding I'm having to ask more of it. Long days in the office coupled with often having to go straight out from work means I have a different checklist of requirements... Gonna stay perfect for more than 10 hours? Gonna not slide about or separate or cake up? Gonna not evaporate or sink into pores? Gonna not break me out? Gonna not oxidise? CHEERS.

It was with all this in mind that I tootled over (very slightly tipsy after a boozy lunch) to the Estee Lauder counter and picked up Double Wear again, the first time in almost a decade. What was I doing wrong before? Loads of people love it, why didn't it work for me? Sod it, I thought, and bought the damn thing.

The sales assistant woman matched me to 2C3 Fresco which is one of their slightly pinkier light shades. Which was WEIRD, since I've been buying yellow-toned foundations for years? Have to say though, it does match, almost perfectly as well, so go figure.

The trick to this, for me anyway, is APPLICATION. Whereas before I'd shclep hunners of it on with my fingers and rub it all in, making a massive mess and wasting loads of product, this time I approached it differently. Instead of using a mattifying primer I piled on the moisturiser and left it for a few seconds before going straight on with MINIMAL product and blending in with a flat top kabuki brush.

How it looks on my skin after an hour or so

The difference is having an emollient base to blend the foundation over. Before it was hard to smooth around and I'd have to use loads to get it to cover my whole face, but this lead to caking and drying and all that bad stuff...

This time it was a dream to blend and settled down well into my skin, without sooking up all the moisture underneath. It felt a little tacky about 10 minutes later which meant I could still give it a further blend/pat in with clean fingertips, if need be. But half an hour later it was set and felt comfortable and natural.The result was a FLAWLESS base. Seriously. It has a sort of blurring, soft-focus kind of effect, which you can totally see in this pic:

Not my face, innit.

It's powerful stuff. The freckles on my cheeks just about vanished, but so did all my redness and most of my blemishes and dark circles. It's not a miracle worker, and you'll still need a bit of concealer on top, but a LOT less, and if you're blessed with decent skin in the first place I bet you'll need none at all.

Also, bear in mind it doesn't have any light reflecting properties at all so you'll need to add back some shape with blush/contour or highlighter, if you want.

But seriously, the best thing about this is it DOES. NOT. MOVE. Think of it less of a foundation and more of a FACE STAIN. I didn't set this with a powder, just to test how long it would last before getting shiny, and honestly, it never did. If anything I found I enjoyed the slightly less PURE MATT finish as the day wore on, but never do I feel I compelled to powder it.

Yesterday I wore it for 17 hours and it held up amazingly well. It wasn't PERFECT and I could see it had faded around my nose and cheeks slightly but it was honestly minimal. It lasted through a whole day in the office, dinner at a crowded Yo!Sushi and a gig at ABC. Colour me FLABBERGASTED!

Downside is the stupid glass bottle with no pump. If you're a clumsy budgie like me you're bound to drop it all over your carpet - DON'T FIGHT IT, it's GOING to happen. You'll also find the screw top bit gets all grubby and clogged with product, and forget about travelling with it... Plus it doesn't smell all that nice - kind of like paint. And it's pricey. And footery...

But quite honestly the pros far outweigh the cons and I'm converted for life. Hurrah!

Just what you always wanted, eh? Another Estee Lauder Double Wear review to add to the hundreds of thousands already out there, except SUPER long and rambly!

YOU. ARE. WELCOME!

LIFE LATELY

It's not often I post personal blogs on here, but I'm becoming more and more aware that I'm letting my 'VOICE' slip away a little in the midst of sparse collection reviews and magazine editorials and the like. Don't get me wrong, I've never been one for A GREAT BIG COSY CHINWAG on FFS, and letting you guys in on the details of my boring THRILLING private life has never massively appealed (I'm an awkward orange in person too, and opening up in general can be an issue for a Cringemonster like me!) but neither do I want to lose touch with you guys, because I honestly consider y'all my actual pals. Really really! So, for a wee while I've been feeling like getting a bit more INTIMATE... Lucky you!

What's been happening? Well, loads.

Firstly, I got a new job. I mentioned it a few posts back and if you follow me on Twitter you'll probably know already since it seems I can't shut up about it! That's right, no longer a Subtitler, it's Communications Executive now! To be honest, I was really proud of myself for landing the position. I felt I'd floundered after my Undergrad and then again after my Postgrad and Masters. I did LOADS of work experience and internships in media, journalism, PR and communications along with lots of other random stuff (freelance filming, styling and events etc) off my own back. But despite my degrees and experience, applying frantically for any and all relevant jobs proved fruitless for over a year - a depressingly familiar story to loads of you I'm sure.

*sadface*

Anyway, I feel very fortunate to have been given a chance to do what I love (communicating, yo) for a company that's recently been bought by a huge international brand, and where I'll get the chance to test myself and stretch my legs properly. Staying stagnant does NOT sit well with me and I'd much rather be thrown in at the deep end, albeit a little out of my depth, and have to work extra hard to get up to speed, than coast along in a job which was going nowhere and doing nothing for me or my career.

The last couple of weeks have been spent preparing for starting i.e. buying a whole new working wardrobe, OBVIOUSLY, trying to find my way in the car (it's a wee bit outside Glasgow, although I can do it in under half an hour if I beast it) and settling in. Learning the ropes at a new job can be totes overwhelming, and for the first few days I didn't remember anyone's name, let alone get to grips with what I'd actually be doing day to day!

Thankfully I feel like it's all beginning to come together now and after a wee business trip this week, hopefully I'll start to feel more confident in my own abilities in the role. As my first proper PROPER job after uni, I think it would be unusual NOT to feel a bit anxious that it'll all work out... RIGHT?! Honestly though, everyone in my team and beyond has been so lovely and welcoming, I'm not sure I could ask for more. GROSS, RIGHT?!!

Aside from all this, I've been doing the usual - hanging out with my awesome pals, who've had a couple of occasions over the last few months to prove their worth in shitty situations and have MORE than stepped up to the mark. Totally cliche and BOKE but I don't know what I'd do without them and that's the truth.

Without wanting to sound like a PURE CHEESEBALL, things have been a bit up and down in other areas (use your imagination!) but I'm finally in a happy situation. It's been a bit of a struggle, but I'm genuinely trying hard to let myself trust and accept the things I'm told, let go of some of my hang-ups and just have fun. I'm also learning about when to go with my gut, compromise and what's worth it and what totally isn't. I'd like to be less vague but basically, although it's been a bumpy road, I'm really happy just now :) VOM!

I've been staying at a family friend's flat for the past few weeks looking after her adorable kittens while she's away on business, and it's TOTALLY given me the bug for living alone. I'm an only child with a small family so I've come to cherish my privacy and solitude. At home, although we usually eat dinner together, we all have our own space and I genuinely enjoy my own company (WEIRD?). I know there's OODLES of fun to be had in living with flatmates and I guess I'm a bit bummed I've missed out on that experience, but to be honest the thought of having my own place to come and go as I please and make my own really excites me. It's kind of my dream!

So yeah, buying my own place is my number one goal for this year. I’m about two thirds of the way there, which is terrifying and exciting in equal measure, but fingers crossed I'll be in my very own home by autumn – can’t even believe I’m saying that! Other goals for this year are to stay happy, NOT CRASH MY CAR (one accident a year since I passed my test is NOT a trend I want to continue), and generally KICK ASS in work.

Sorry this has been such a rambly  mess of a post but I know I like it when my favourite bloggers do a wee life update now and again (cos I'm pure nosy) and I like to feel like we're all pals here :)

Finshing with a few Instagram photatoes of life lately...

1. Royal Exchange Sq for a wee Crimbo night

2. Best suit jacket in the world from Zara - leather sleeves yo!

3. I went swimming a few times last month and loved it. MUST get back into it!

4. Should I buy this bowler hat from Topshop? #hairyhatman

5. Pasta with pals

6. Boozin with pals

7. Polka dots at work

8. Origins Out of Trouble mask - still my fave

9. Tasty caprese salad at a work dinner in town

10. Awesome Sunday morning scran

11. Tuesday treat at a pal's house where I've been staying looking after her kittens

12 . Nancy, said Kitten x1

13. Chilling with a kitten

14. More kitten love. Maybe a bit obsessed...

15. Trip down to Shropshire with work on one of the most horrific days ever!

16. Bed at the lovely Goldstone Inn near Market Drayton

 

17. A bit drunk after a three courser and two bottles of red...

18. Stunning sunrise

NEW SKINCARE BITS

It's been a while since I did a skincare post and since the last time I've pared things back quite a bit. A few reasons for this - my Advanced Night Repair ran out and I'm too poor to repurchase the big one at the moment, and apart from some INTENSE hormonal issues last month (gross, TMI) my skin's been really not too bad.

I still have the same issues I've always had (dullness, scarring etc) just with less breakouts. Hurrah! No idea why though - I've slept in my makeup a couple of times in the past few weeks so it really should be kicking up a spotty shitstorm, but hey ho, fingers crossed this random spell of good skin luck lasts a bit longer!

I have totes just jinxed myself.

Anway, onto the new bits...

Indeed Labs - Hydraluron Moisture Booster

I read about this over at Beauty Mouth (my new obsession) and Caroline's review was so glowing I ran out and bought it that day. Essentially it's pretty much pure hyaluronic acid which sounds scary but totes isn't. It's a chemical our skin makes naturally which allows it to absorb water particles and keep it plumped and baby soft. The natural hyaluronic acid we produce disappears as we got older (hello wrinkles) so the synthetic stuff is often found in anti-ageing moisturisers and the like. This, though, you slap on BEFORE your normal moisturiser to maximise it's absorption and make it work more efficiently. It's just a clear, scentless gel and it sinks in straight away.

I've been using it day and night underneath both my REN sensitive skin moisturiser and my Lancome Hydra Zen and it works fine. In terms of results, since I've never had dry skin I can't say I notice that it's WAY more moisturised, but certainly something I've been doing is keeping breakouts and excess oil at bay and I'm inclined to think it's this since I've been using it for around a month now. It's fairly cheap from Boots too so I probably will repurchase. But I can't lie, I am pining for more ANR...

La Roche Posay - Effaclar Duo

I've used a few products from the LRP Effaclar range before with mixed results, but I've heard a few whisperings about this badboy on the blogosphere and knew I would have to try it for myself. I'm not convinced I know exactly what it is though...? The packaging says it's "corrective and unclogging anti-imperfection care" but what does that MEAN?

 The instructions say to use it all over your face rather than just on problem areas so that's what I've been doing and I find it's working out well as a kind of all-in-one product. I expected it to be quite harsh or stripping, but surprisingly it's actually pretty moisturising, and once it sinks in it leaves the skin comfortable and matte without any stinging or tingling. The last few days I've been using Hydraluron and then this and then a little bit of the Dermatologica mattifier as a primer and it's been working great. Feels weird to skip a separate moisturiser though, but as I said, this weird wee product kind of does it all. I don't think I can credit this with sorting out my skin since I've only been using it for a week, but I'm ALL about preventing new blemishes so I'll stick with this for the time being.

Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash*

A wee sample of this was sent to me by those nice folk over at PURE Spa (keep an eye out for their upcoming Good Skincare Campaign - a cause close to my heart since, yi know, I'm obsessed and all) and I love it!

Elemis is a brand I always associate with spas as I never see it for sale anywhere else, except online, and I tend to equate its exclusivity with high quality and that's definitely true in this case. It's one of those products designed to chemically speed up cell turnover and is part of their anti-ageing range, but it's really for anyone into using AHA's or BHA's (think Alpha H Liquid Gold or REN Glycolic Peel) for exfoliation. All the RAGE these days dahling!

This is by far and away the most gentle yet effective facial cleansing wash I've used. It removes dirt and makeup, does that whole thick, luxurious foaming thing that's so DELICIOUSLY pleasing, smells gorgeous and doesn't leave a weird film on the skin afterwards. I haven't checked the ingredients but I'd be willing to bet this is because the glycerin content is low, but nor does it strip the skin either. Genuinely so glad to have found this and will definitely repurchase.

Jergens Original Beauty Lotion*

Again, this was sent to me for review but I was pretty happy to accept it since I've used the Jergens Naturals range before and enjoyed it. Well, as much as someone who never really uses body moisturisers cos of the FAFF FACTOR can enjoy a faffy body moisturiser...

This appears to be a relaunch of a "brand classic" and the big selling point, according to Jergens, is the sweet cherry and almond scent. To this end, the package they sent me contained some cute but completely DESTROYED cherry bakewell tarts and a bag of sugared almonds. Which was a nice thought...

And yes, the strong scent is the first thing you notice about this. I happen to like cherry bakewell tarts RATHER A LOT so the scent is pleasing to me, but I know loads of folk are funny about sweet smells and this may put you off. Happily (or unhappily) it doesn't linger for too long on the skin and the moisturiser itself is thick and absorbs quickly. I may well repurchase this but I'm still loving body oils for winter, when I can be bothered at ALL that is.

By the way, Jergens are running a Facebook competition to win a goody bag worth over £600. Click the link if you want, but I won't shoot you if you don't.

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask

I'd been interested in the Origins Drink Up overnight hydrating mask for a while since it's been raved about absolutely everywhere, but I held off because I'm not sure it would be all that beneficial for my skin type. This, on the other hand, sounded RIGHT oop ma street. It contains Mankua honey (as the second ingredient which means it really does ACTUALLY contain a tangible quantity) which draws moisture to the skin and calms any irritations or breakouts.

I put this clear, creamy mask on once or twice a week and leave it for a few hours if I can. By the time I rinse it away it's almost completely dry and my skin feels absolutely gorgeous afterwards. Not one for those who prefer a clay-style clarifying mask but if you're looking for organic hydration with soothing properties and a LUSH mandarin and vanilla scent then this is for you.

Origins Modern Friction exfoliatior

This isn't TECHNICALLY mine but it hangs about in the shower so, YI KNOW, I've given it a go.

I've been on the lookout for a good manual exfoliator for a while, and after a disastrous dalliance with Simple, I think I've found one. I know some folk think manual exfoliators are bad for your skin (my new skincare Yoda Caroline Hirons included) but I find that my skin often gets badly irritated by AHA exfoliators like Liquid Gold and even the Origins Brighter by Nature peel pads can leave it red and sore, plus sometimes you just NEED that satisfying scrubbing action!

This is the best of both worlds - the beads of rice starch aren't too scratchy and the thick cream contains lemon oil to soften and soothe. I'm not a fan of the weird smell but I can get over it. I'm definitely going to have to buy my own soon before my Dad's girlfriend notices hers is being slowly pilfered from under her nose...

So that's what I've been using recently. Next on my list is the Emma Hardie cleansing balm (always), a new bottle of Advanced Night Repair (double always) and that Clinique anti-dark circles roll on thingamajig. As ever though, if you have any awesome recommendations by all means PLEASE ENABLE ME!

And by the way, thanks for the comments on my last post, peeps. Especially Jessica, whoever you are. Your comment made my life day! I hope y'all didn't think I was fishing or anything. I mean, maybe I was a little bit... It's just nice to be reassured folk are interested in the same mince I am and can stomach my ramblings, especially amidst a barrage of constant outfit posts and Glossybox reviews.

I think I was just having a bit of a weird insecure moment about it all. You know when you meet new people and they say "So, you're a BLOGGER," and you die of embarrassment a little inside? Yeah. That. I would never want folk to take FFS as an accurate representation of my serious writing style or anything - CRINGEFEST! At the end of the day it is what it is. A glimpse into the frivolous guff that takes up a large portion of my time, because, ultimately, I'm too chicken to write publically about anything else. And I'm just going to carry on the same way as before because GODDAMNIT I enjoy talking about clothes and makeup and whatever else, and I've got to do SOMETHING in between opts at work, right?!

Love y'all.

RECENT PURCHASES: AUGUST

Another Recent Purchases post to remind me why I need to go on a spending ban QUICK SMART.

It'ss something I've been SERIOUSLY considering, because, quite frankly, my spending is out of control. Honestly. And bear in mind I haven't even included the Motel or Evil Twin dresses...

I need help...

Sheer floral open-backed tunic - Topshop £38

This was a totally unnecessary purchase, but I'd been eyeing it up online and when I tried it on in the shop it just sat so nicely with it's wee three-quarter sleeves and open back and pretty print that I caved. I'm weak.

High-low floral tea dress with open back - Topshop - £48

I went to Edinburgh for the festival this weekend (photos to come) and I knew I wanted something floaty and pretty to wear for a day boozing in the capital. It's been so muggy and warm recently that I didn't want to wear tights if I could absolutely help it, and when I spotted this wee number it ticked all the boxes! The high-low detail makes it really comfortable, especially if you're like me and don't love getting your pins out, plus the open back adds an interesting touch that stops it from being too granny-ish. One thing I'll say though is that it's cut quite low at the front and it's always falling forward. More than once I found myself  having to HOICK it up for fear of flashing a boob or two, and Carlin nicknamed me Tits McGhee for the day - so make of that what you will!

MAC sheen supreme lipstick in Blossom Culture

Y'all will probably be aware of my obsession with Cut a Caper by now, and how it's FRUSTRATINGLY permanently out of stock - sob! Well I think I've found the next best thing in Blossom Culture - a sheen supreme lippy which has all the pigment of a traditional lipstick but the high-shine finish of a gloss. It's ALMOST VIRTUALLY the same colour, maybe slightly more muted, but feels very moisturising on the lips and comes in a much more attractive bullet than the normal MAC lippies, no? It's just so CLASSY looking! Only thing is because of the finish it doesn't last very long and it WILL melt in the heat. Trust me!

MAC mineralise blush in Dainty

This is maybe the most pointless purchase of the lot considering I am still loving my Accessorise blushers and I just recently found my Sleek blush in Pixie Pink - which I adore - hiding in my underwear drawer... But LOOK HOW PRETTY! I always thought Dainty was a very pale pink, but actually in real life it's a little warmer in tone and goes with both Blossom Culture and Cut a Caper a dream. It's finely milled and very pigmented with a slight sheen, but not as much as I was expecting from a mineralise blush. Beautiful, but yes, totally unnecessary. Someone stop me.

MAC select cover up in NC20

This is actually a total fail of a purchase. Number one it's in the wrong shade - WAY too pale and yellow - despite the fact I was actually matched at the new MAC counter in Debenhams Silverburn. I'll be honest and say I'm not convinced the sales assistant had any clue what she was doing but I bought it anyway cos I needed a new concealer and I kind of felt like I had to after she'd slathered it on my face.

Also, I'm pretty disappointed with that MAC concession in general. When I went in last week they didn't have ANY of the Heavenly Creatures collection and couldn't tell me when they would, they'd never even HEARD of cut a Caper let along got it in stock, and no-one knew where anything was. Everything just seemed a bit haphazardly placed and unprofessional. BUT, at least a sales assistant actually approached me and asked if I was being served which makes a massive change from the MAC in Frasers where I've lost count of the times the sales assistants have actually full on IGNORED ME or continued to gossip and chat at the till making everyone wait. That MAC needs to seriously sort out its customer service issues.

AAAANYWAY, yeah, so this is the wrong shade and doesn't offer anywhere near the amount of coverage it claims. Fail.

Real Techniques blush brush

I needed a new tapered face brush and I'd heard this was the perfect one. In reality it's one of the softest brushes I've ever stroked on my face (eew) but it's definitely too big to be used for blusher in my opinion... Unless you have huge cheeks? I dunno. But yeah, the tapered tip makes it perfect for light contouring and adding powder to the t-zone. Before this I'd been using a kabuki brush for powder and bronzer but I found it didn't give much control over placement of product and often made the powder look too cakey. All issues which this brush avoids. Plus it's like a tenner or something. Score!

Caudalie Beaty Elixir

I went without this for AGES but now I'm totally hooked again. For a while I'd forgotten why I loved it so much in the first place and was happy just using my Liz Earle skin tonic, BUT NO MORE. This amazing toner spray smells absolutely gorgeous and really does VISIBLY shrink pores. But also, I feel like after I've used it my other products (serums, moisturisers and primers) sink into my skin better and actually WORK better too. I really honestly feel like whatever's in this makes my skin DRINK UP whatever else I put on it, especially at night, which, when I'm using my beloved Advanced Night Repair, makes me a very happy bunny indeed. 

Garnier Skin Naturals dark spot corrector

What's that, another skin-tone lightening moisturiser designed to fade pigmentation and scarring? SURELY NOT! Y'all probably know by now about my never-ending search for radiant, even skintone and this is just the latest product in that epic quest.

I'm still using a mix of the Caudalie vinoperfect serum and the Origins mega bright serum, both of which I like, but I couldn't resist giving this a go on top. I've been using and LOVING the Lancome Hydra Zen as a daytime moisturiser for ages now, but over the past few weeks with this sweaty and humid weather it's been feeling a tad heavy on my skin. By contrast, this is a light fluid moisturiser that dries quickly with no residue and makes a great base for makeup. I wouldn't recommend it if you have dry skin, but for oily/combo types it's perfect. I'm really liking the consistency of this and the pleasant smell reminds me of a product from donkeys ago that I cant put my finger on... It's too early to tell if it's actually doing anything, and I don't expect particularly dramatic results for the drugstore price, but I'll keep using it anyway until it runs out or until the weather takes a turn for Autumn. Which I for one CANNOT WAIT FOR.

So yeah, that's totally REDONK-A-DONK. Anyone got any good tips for avoiding the shops?