Elemis beauty bargain thanks QVC

Beauty, self care, skincare

If you like beauty and a bargain then QVC has some great deals. Now I sound like my mother. This deal was ridiculously good. So good my mum got one for her and one for me as a nice birthday treat.

Rose fragrance

So Elemis is one of my favourite brands and last year I tried the rose balm cleanser and fell in love. I know this smell is not for everyone. Roses always smell like people’s nan . But I am telling you it’s because nans got it right.

As a flower, roses aren’t my favourite but I can appreciate their beauty and I love there fragrance. Every time we visit a garden and there are roses you will find me having a good sniff.

Lots of fragrance mimics roses as powdery but I find them fresh with a hint of citrus. I love the smell I truely do. So this set it beyond perfect for me.

The smell is heavenly.

What’s in it

First of all the gorgeous makeup bag! I find Elemis do the perfect makeup bags and this is the perfect colours for me!! I am obsessed with this bag it’s suck a pretty colour and it will be coming away with me this Christmas!

What’s inside the bag

  • Rose cleansing balm
  • Apricot toner
  • Marine cologen moisturiser
  • Rose face oil
  • Rose hand and nail cream
  • Rose shower wash
  • Rose body cream

Do they work?

Well it’s Elemis so yes and they smell wonderful. I am trying to buy less and only replace instead of trying new things but this was a gift!

I also have the Marks and Spencer calendar to try out! I may even try and do a mini blog on it to see what I think about the products.

I have put my rose shower milk on the side ready to replace my flamingo shower gel. This will be coming to France with us at Christmas.

The details

I have used the moisturiser for years and it’s a firm favourite. My skin loves it, it feels light and moisturising which is what it’s supposed to do. It gives instant relief to my combination skin and I love it.

The facial oil

I have combination skin so I thought that meant stay away from oils. I was getting break out from trying the Drunk Elephant marula oil. So I forgot that when ever you try new products your skin may not take to them straight away and that you are probably using too much.

So I used less and had no more breakouts. Oily skin doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use oils! Just find the right one. I am hoping I fall in love with facial oil, smells so good I will let you know how I get on.

Apricot toner

Again I have used this one for years and I was sort of running low. Apparently Elemis has a two year life span before you open them. So I have enough time to use it all up. Hopefully they will bring out a rose one!

Hand cream and body creams appear to be similar if not the same as the other ones I have tried just with the rose smell.

Was it worth it?

I was lucky, this was a gift but for £48 and all these products yes it really was a bargain! I would have paid my hard earned cash for this deal. The cleansing balm akin is over £40!! And the amount of product in it is amazing, plus I will use it all.

Without sounding like my wonderful mother you really can grab an amazing offer at QVC.

A french affaire: Christmas in the Alps

Travel

I love Christmas, decorating the house, which I will still do. Eating the food getting snuggly. But this year as our first married Christmas we are treating ourselves to Christmas in the Alps.

It will be hard because I love Christmas so much. I love the build up and the magical Christmas night.

I am lucky that my best friend and husband are joining us.

Its great as couples we all get along, very easy going its going to be great.

What’s not to love about Christmas in the French alps?

Snow, the views, French wine, all the cheese, stews and steak. Okay I will have to stop because I am drooling thinking about all the Vin Chaud and cheese.

We will actually have a white Christmas!

When I first learnt to board over ten years ago it was in Le 2 Alps and ten years later I am spending Christmas there with the same man who wanted me to learn. This is going to be really special.

I am still not a great boarder

But I love it.

I love the clean air.

The views.

Going from top to bottom.

I really love the Apres ski.

This is good practice for Japan not the drinking, but the boarding.

I am trying to make it a bit special so and idea would help.

So far, I am thinking stockings and crackers but I also have the two meals to consider.

French Traditions I am looking forward to

• Christmas eve feast

• Champagne

• La Galette des Rois

Christmas Eve feast

In France Christmas or Le Réveillon is normally the big feast. It’s the time that you spend with your family and traditionally head to Mass. As we are not religious, we will just be taking part in the feast.

It can last up to 6 hours. My mum has been to a few where they were talking so much that the first course wasn’t served till midnight and she arrive at 7pm.

Hopefully it wont be that long but we are trying to book a restaurant at the moment now so we don’t end up starving.

Champagne

Well, when in France. I love champagne, I do.and a glass before dinner sounds heavenly. A friend bought us champagne glasses for a wedding feast. She knew I hate flutes (bubbles go up my nose and I often spill it. I much prefer the traditional champagne saucers!

I am imagining champagne and candle light everywhere.

French Cake

Ummmmm I am glad I will be boarding for the most part. I am going to be glad of the exercise because I need to work off all the patisseries and cakes.

Galette des Rois is really yummy.

We had one with my nephew and said to him that he may not find the “king” Feve and he did! It was a really wonderful moment and we were all smiling!

A french affaire

I can’t wait but I will miss a few things about not being home. This will be a true experience for us and we are all getting excited. Looking at Christmas jumpers and silly things!

If there are any other French traditions and things, I must try please let me know.

And if you have any ideas how to make Christmas personal when staying in a hotel I would love to know.

Instagram filters need to go

Advice

I am sorry but I have said it. I am not a fan.

It was all supposed to be for fun but now Instagram is filled, absolutely choc a block with pictures of people with eyelash filters and animal filters. They look like Disney characters.

It’s an illusion that people are buying into and quite frankly I detest it.

You look fake.

You are fake it’s not even your best self it’s basically an avatar that you have created and it need to stop we need to embrace ourselves.

img_4602

These filters have a lot to do with self confidence and literally hiding behind a mask. I looked so terrible in this photo I cant tell you.

Because it isn’t you!

I play with my niece and she loves them but she already looks like a Disney princess.  Perfect hair and big eyes she is gorgeous! She likes it because it’s a bit of technical magic that she can see. But when we skype she focus on how she looks with all the filters.

For us its a bit of fun.

But adults are going a wee bit too crazy over it. Thinking that’s how they look and that they look nice.

We are entering an era where you can hide behind a filter to make you look perfect.

My friend George doesn’t buy into bullshit of any sort. If i comment that i dont like a photo she always challenges me why? Its your face and you actually look like that. She is non plussed with any hype ( unless it involves Jason Donovan). Thats doesn’t mean George doesn’t want to look her best she always does she just doesn’t see a unflattering photo when the rest of us does.

If thats the way you look you should just get on with it or fix it.

Filters wouldn’t bother her though. Not like they do me.

I wouldn’t mind filters if they were just silly but people using them in every photo or as profile pictures grates on me.

I don’t normally rant on anything on my blog but this does wind me up.

Life update organising and focus: taking a deep breath

Advice

It’s Christmas in two months

So work is full on as you can imagine. It’s our busiest time of year and we are making plans plans plans!

So I thought I would update you on what we have planned.

  • Hen do catch up with my girls
  • Halloween feast for two
  • Getting the house sorted
  • Digging up my dahlia bulbs!
  • Frank is starting puppy school
  • Yorkshire birthday treat
  • Christmas in the Alps!!
  • Honeymoon planning in Japan
  • Saving for a new kitchen

Madrid catch up

Some of the girls are meeting up at Glorias for a big Italian feast and we can’t wait. Everyone got on so well it will be great to see everyone again!

Halloween feast for two

We love Halloween.

We have carved our pumpkins and have bought the treats for the neighbourhood kids! I will be preparing a Mexican feast for just the two of us. I am going to light all the candles and we will watch an old school horror movie I can’t wait!

The sitting room is dressed

Frank has his outfit!

Getting the house and garden sorted

My house is a tip. Every room is messy and I just need to gut it. We still have boxes of wedding stuff everywhere that need to be sold on or put in the loft.

I also need to tidy the garden in time for the bad weather. The garden really needs some tic and I need to dig up my bulbs for next year!

Frank is off to school

Our puppy was fully house trained and now he has decided to pee and poop where ever he likes, sometimes he will go outside and poop then come inside and pee!

We don’t know what’s up with him and we think he is bored. We don’t want him to be stressed so we are sending him to puppy school once a week. They will train him and hopefully get him used to more people.

We want frank to be happy.

Yorkshire Birthday treat

I grew up in Yorkshire. It’s one of my favourite places in the world. Most of my favourite memories are set there. Walking the dales, having ice creams in Richmond. Horse riding, long walks in the snow.

Just the beauty of Yorkshire!

So not sure what the plans are yet but I can’t wait!

My first ever Christmas away!

Now don’t get me wrong I have had Christmas in New Zealand and France but always with my immediate family. I even convinced them to come to Scotland once!

As I work for a retail company Christmas holidays are not allowed but as Christmas falls midweek and because we just got married I am allowed to go. Yay!

Plus my best friend and her husband are coming too.

I can’t tell you how excited I am.

Snowboarding on Christmas Day is going to be amazing!

Honey moon planning

Japan has been on my bucket list forever and when we got engaged we both agreed it was the perfect place!

We have already started planning and have a meeting set up with Sam and Jon who recently went.

Half the fun is in the planning!

Plus we will try and snowboard there too!!

We are going to book our flights and pay for the bullet train soon. Then we can plan everything else as we plan to travel around a lot.

Saving for a new kitchen

Omg I am so excited. Our house is pretty perfect. We love it. It is not the biggest house but is big enough for us and the fur babies.

Yes I said plural. I miss Manhattan terribly and I can never replace the place she held in my heat the ten years we were together. But I miss cats.

And I know two that need a new home so watch this space.

But top priority for the house is the kitchen pretty much everything needs to be replaced. Oven sink cupboards you name it! I would like to switch the kitchen dining room and bathroom around to create a much better layout.

But it takes money and planning!

So we need to save first!!

Taking a skincare break getting my life back on track

skincare

I my shelves are full.

Jam packed with skincare and they are all open and being used.

It’s not a waste but I just have to organise myself and get real.

There is no more room for more products and although I really really really want the Cult beauty box advent calendar in all its glory luckily if sold out in two hours so I have my hope on the Marks and Spencer one!

I don’t need it ( yes I do just put it on the credit card). But it’s a nice treat for Christmas so screw it!

So messy even when it’s tidy!

Will I try a no buy year?

Probably not! I am not that strong!

I have decided to only replace things when I need to! This will be hard. It’s Christmas time and all the offered are amazing and I want it all.

But I have so much skincare that I can’t use it all.

So I am going to reorganise.

  • Day care
  • Night care

All into separate boxes

I need to set aside an evening and actually do this!

I am going to use my gorgeous new bullet journal to list absolutely all of my products to see what needs replacing and what doesn’t.

I will try harder not to splurge on crazy products especially since I still want that Elizabeth Arden serum!

And haven’t bought it yet… my birthday is coming up so I should treat myself.

I really should.

Plus I need to focus on Christmas as we are going away more to be explained!

So I am trying to cut back on my skincare. Maybe now the wedding is over I can calm down the crazy!! It feels like my life is back on track. The wedding has been such a focus for the last two years which is crazy.

But weddings are crazy.

Decorating for Halloween a house filled with pumpkins!

Advice, interior design

I love Halloween.

I always have, the dressing up the food the colour palette! How often do orange and purple get pride of place on the shop shelves or even in your home.

Plastic mass production is getting me down a little so rather than go mad on fresh decorations I thought I would just use what I had and this year cook my pumpkins!

Do throw anything away

Well even though I am Mary Kondoing my home I still love a lot of stuff. The gin and books are always on my mantle piece.

As is the severed finger

Gav proposed to me with that finger so I will always have it pride of place!

I did buy the candles.

But knowing me I will just light the unscented ones and have them for years too! Plus when I do eventually use them up I will keep the containers.

The books I have had for years and the top one was a wedding gift and it’s a book of Japanese poems and it is beautiful.

The journey to the Centre of the earth was an event we went to with scala in London. We dressed up and the event was one of the best we have ever been to.

Reuse recycle

I am trying not to buy more crap. I do understand that tonnes of pumpkins get chucked out every year but at least they are biodegradable.

My pumpkins are ending up in my belly so I am busy looking forward to searching for recipes this weekend!

The dried flowers are from my wedding bouquet as is the Harry Potter wand and the Brockmans gin bottle.

I am not a goth by any means but I do love skulls, zombies and magic!

That’s what Halloween and Christmas are to me. They are magical!

I lit all the bottom white candles and had a really cosy evening with just me and Frank. Gavin was a way with friends.

I think our fireplace looks autumnal but also fairy elegant. The fairy lights and white candles were also from the wedding so they are also getting reused.

Everything else we have had for years!

Getting the sitting room ready for Halloween was so much fun but also it needed it. Our fireplace had become a dumping ground so I needed a good deep clean!

I thoroughly enjoyed styling it up. I still need to get my ravens from the attic and it will be perfect.

Halloween Plans

We will get treats in for the neighbourhood kids. The rule is if you have a pumpkin lit then they will knock on your door. We love it and have been doing it for 5 years now. The parents appreciate it as not every house does it so it’s a nice safe place!

Frank already has his costume! I know we are terrible but we don’t actually care and he doesn’t mind.

Do you do anything for Halloween?

After the Marathon

Fitness, running

This was my first half marathon so do excuse me for the drama that is about to entail.

So as I crossed that finish line and spent up all of my reserves I saw Gavin. Standing in front of me with a can of Coke in one hand and Frank our frenchie in the other.

I was so exhausted.

Physically

Mentally

Not sure I was functioning probably.

The finish

When I finished there were helpers holding out bananas medals and water.

I think there were also sweets but I had already eaten too many and needed sustenance.

I took the banana and said that I needed a wee. I hadn’t gone on the run but I was really afraid I would never get up again.

I had no faith in my legs any more, they were like jelly and I couldn’t trust them!

But they still held me up. Gav took a picture of me on the podium

And I struggled to get up and even more to get down. I have never been this tired in my life.

Ever

I was happy that I had done it but I had no want to ever do it again. 10K yes nothing anything further!

Then we sat down and waited for Jacqui to finish. She is almost 60 and said she would walk it but ended up jogging most of it.

The whole team was brilliant I was proud of us all.

It was another hours wait but it gave me time to rest.

I took of my shoes and feared the blisters and bruises that were fewer than I imagined. Two tiny blisters and one black toe. Not bad for a 2 day old pair of trainers. They looked after my feet well.

When jacqui joined us we all joked and laughed and then went for lunch.

We were all starving but when it came to eating we all stumbled.

Our legs and bodies where aching and we struggled to stand up with our muscles so taught.

I had a pint of doombar and was feeling sleepy.

I threw a jumper on to keep warm and just wanted to sleep.

Heading home

When we got in I ran a bath and Gav watched me get in in cases needed help. I had a drink, watched @annaedit on YouTube and let the water get cold.

I had put Epsom salts in the bath to soothe my muscles and struggled to lower myself down.

I also kept my medal with me!

I was shattered so put on a movie and rested till bed time.

Recovery

My feet were sore but not painful.

My toe went a bit black so I will probably loose a nail.

But no other injuries,

Movement was hard and for two days I had still legs and struggled with stairs.

When I mean struggled I mean I was afraid I would fall down the stairs. I had to psych myself up every time I went up stairs. Long distances were also a no no.

I had no speed and no power.

But after day 4 I felt human again. There is a park run next Saturday so I may try that out and see if I have improved at all!

My medal is at work where it shall remain.

I don’t want to run that far again but I am already looking up 10Ks for next year. A half marathon will need some actual training I think!

lessons learned!