about me

Looking after me, skincare update

Advice, Beauty, confidence, skincare

My mum is proud of me because I know more about skincare or at least the latest skincare since getting engaged.

I have become a little obsessed with my skincare, I have mentioned that before. I don’t wear a lot of makeup. But I have started buying a wee bit more.

We went to SpaceNK on Kings road and I am so happy we did, there was a lot of staff ready to help and we did a sweep around the store trying the sample and planning the next purchases for my Nydulge card.

I can’t wait for payday I am out of B hydra and the CFirma serum. Or I could just buy the Elizabeth Arden serum oh I still don’t know.

Skin type: I have

  • Combination skin
  • Oily tzone
  • Large pores
  • Millie
  • Blocked pores
  • Broken veins
  • Dry patches on my eyelids

How sexy do I sound! You probably think that it’s strange that I don’t wear makeup. If I go out at night then I put eye makeup, a red lips and a wee bit of blusher. I have a Lancôme tinted moisturiser with SPF. Which doesn’t smother my skin.

So with all these issue I now have skincare staples.

Morning

After reading drunk elephants skincare routine from the littles I have learned that after cleansing at night I don’t really need to cleanse in the morning as I was my face in the shower. So afterwards I just use a vitamin serum and a moisturiser. Then after that has set into my skin I use an SPF.

At night

I cleanse my face. Then I use a serum and then a retinol and sometimes a moisturiser or a night oil if I think my skin needs it. I cant get along with sheet masks. Maybe I am the ones I am using the wrong ones but I don’t really understand them. I use a face mask once a week I would use it more but I don’t want flakey skin to add to all my other issues!

I do like to mix and match

My favourite products are

  • Elemis Rose balm cleanser
  • Indee Lee Toner
  • The Ordinary Matryxal 10% +HA
    Drunk Elephant Whip moisturiser
    Alpha H retinol
    Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Oil
    Elemis night moisturiser
    Drunk Elephant BHydra
    Drunk Elephant C-Firma
    Drunk Elephant Babyfacial
    La Roche Posay Anthelios SPF 50+

I own a lot more products but these are my favourites.

I will go into more detail on what the products do for my skin in a later blog and will try not to repeat myself. If you want any information about Drunk Elephant click here but Baby Facial isn’t there because I hadn’t bought it yet. Plus it deserves its own blog, I love it so much.

My mum is proud of me because I care about what goes on my skin. I am worried about my makeup on my wedding day. I understand that preparation is key.

So I am looking after it now.

Confession time

Organising, Planning

Day29, a confession, 30 day blog challenge.

I have Destiny child Confession song going through my head.

Confessions

I have a few.

I never thought I would complete this challenge after all this is a goal I set for myself. I wanted to do it and I know that after the wedding I will do it again because I thoroughly enjoyed it. I will just need to find a different set of challenges to complete.

I know I said at the beginning that I never complete things but I mean like never!

This is actually an achievement for me.

Writing

I didn’t write all my blogs on the day. A few I wrote on one day and then went through them and corrected a few mistakes. I think that my grammar in general on this challenge is poor and I need to work on that.

Do I feel like I cheated?

Nope.

I still got them out every single day, I worked on them every day.

The trickiest part was the photographs. Sometimes it was easy picking them. Sometimes it was difficult and I had to travel through my photos and find them.

When I couldn’t do that I set up a mini studio in my dining room table. Bought some props and took the photos.

It was work but I enjoyed it! I had to plan it, if I had winged it then you wouldn’t have had a blog every day!

Organisation is key

I think this is going to be another short blog and I don’t really like them when they are too short. But we all have a few confessions to make.

Brief confessions

  • Gav I ate all the french chocolate
  • Manny I took you for granted
  • Trainers I don’t use you enough
  • I like to buy fitness clothes and sit on the couch
  • Gav I ate all the sour cherries
  • I wish I had more time before the wedding
  • I am glad of where I am

Most embarrassing moment

Personal Experience, Travel

Day 28, most embarrassing moment, 30 day blog challenge

Most embarrassing moment!

Well, there has been a few!!!!

Okay I need to take you on a little trip to an incredibly beautiful city Krakow. We had arrived and spent two days wondering the city. Heaven.

Mulled wine!

We went to lunch and had steak I think. All the food in Poland was exceptional. We had a few vodkas. Trying out the homemade flavours. Then we went to the market and tried the mulled wine. Also yummy.

Vodka

Then we went to Krakows oldest vodka bar. We did a few rounds pretty sure we had 10 shots on the table at one point. This place was cool and tiny it had 2 tables inside. A cute little bar and then to get to the toilet you had to climb up ladder type stairs to get to the top.

I was tipsy when I left

Then we went to another bar. Again we had to climp up ladders to get to our seat. Gavin asked me to get a round in.

I was drunk.

Too drunk, I needed air.

Only I didn’t go back to the bar afterwards. Instead I went back to the market place. Crawled under a stall and asked the Polish man to show me how to make a nail.

Forge a nail!

Yes this drunken Brit talked the old polish man into forging a nail. I was dressed in my fancy green skirt. Unfortunately I still had Gavins wallet on me which I promptly lost.

No idea

This is the bit I don’t remember.

Getting home. Gavin was out looking for me and when he had searched everywhere he decided to head home. I also had the key to the apartment.

Gav found me, singing to myself outside of the apartment trying to get in. He said that when he asked me where I had been I just smiled and said I made a nail. Then we walked up all those stairs and I passed out.

So I woke the next day feeling pretty okay considering I had drunk a lot of vodka. But then I had had over ten hours to sleep it off.

So embarrassed

What happened next is what was embarrassing firstly I couldn’t really remember what had happened except that I made a nail, but secondly Gavin suggested that I had stolen a nail from one of the many crucifixion statues.

I had no idea and I was horrified.

We also had no money except a few euros and technology.

It turned out I did make the nail. I remember clearly chatting away to that man and his whole family. Thinking of it now is horrifies me.

Gavin was amazing. He didn’t yell but he did make me promise never to wander of ever again.

He still doesn’t let me take his wallet in case I don’t come back. So this is the nail.

It’s a beauty.

The irony is that we traveled hand luggage only. So we had to leave the nail there!

It was a very expensive nail!

And maybe my most embarrassing moment!

I blame the good vodka.

What’s in your closet: Marie Kondo made me do it!

Uncategorised, wardrobe

Blog 27, what’s in your closet, 30 day blog challenge.

I have two, I have a traditional oak wardrobe that we bought with the house and a rail in my room that I abuse with far too many clothes.

Kon Marie

Last year I Marie Kondo my wardrobe. I read her book and couldn’t wait to get back home so I could start sorting through everything. I got my bin liners and charity bags ready for a good old sort through.

I dragged everything down stairs and began sorting through. I found it fairly easy except when it came to gym clothes and work clothes.

Paint stained clothes

I teach kids art which means my work wardrobe gets flicked with acrylic paint and my shirts get stained with ink. So even though I love some of my work clothes they don’t necessarily spark joy.

Reading further I understood that if it’s practical and used I am allowed to keep them.

I donated sentimental stuff, expensive cashmere jumpers that were far too small for me, chucked silk Jigsaw shirts that had holes in them. I also boxed a few items of beautiful clothes that I will never wear but my niece may like them when she is older.

We have a large wardrobe in our bedroom that even when it is empty is far to heavy for me to move. Trust me I tried. They don’t make wardrobes like they used too! Gav Has most of his clothes and suits in there.

We have two draws under the bed, one for sports, snow boarding and gym gear and the other is for holiday items such as swimsuits and coverups etc.

We still have too many clothes and Gav is a bigger hoarder than I am!

I won’t be showing you my actual wardrobe that will be in another blog but you get the gist.

I love print and pattern all year round! Tomorrow I am having a bit of a clear out.

This blog has inspired me to sort it again. Put away some winter pieces and arrange it a wee bit better.

If you can make me laugh, I am yours

Advice, Personal Experience

Day 24, what attracts you in love, 30 day blog challenge.

Laughter is the way to my soul

It this supposed to be about love but actually it is about all the relationships I have had.

All my friends make me laugh, they all have funny stories to tell and we love seeing each other! There is often a bottle of wine and a catchup involved.

Humour makes the world go round

I grew up in a house full of laughter and joy! So when looking for a partner I wanted the same.

Gav makes me laugh like no one else. Belly laughs, teasing. Chuckling, snickering even Nelson Munst Ha Ha.

If a day goes buy without a snicker then that is a really odd day.

He is very funny, often crass, sometimes offensive which I don’t find so funny. If something silly happens we can often just look at each other and know what the joke is and why we find it funny.

Gav took this photo, it was a lovely cold sunny day and the coldest gust of wind blew

Things in common

I don’t think you need to have everything in common but a level playing field is always important. Gavin is a geek, he loves games: computer, board games, role play. He tries to include me but it’s not my cup of tea.

We do however love comic book shows, movies and Sci-Fi. So we look forward to going to the pictures ( cinema) ets and watching Netflix series!

We love food! We like eating out and cooking, take always. You name it we like to eat it! I link my favourite foods here.

Politics

I don’t want to get in to politics too much here. I am well versed in my opinions. Gav is a bit more conservative and I am more liberal but actually with Britain in the mess it is now we are definitely on the same page. Brexit brought us closer together and we read a lot about it, watched debates and followed all the lies. We were really passionate about it and still are.

We are firm remainers. We believe that we should never have been put in this position in the first place. Cameron was lazy and thought it was a given, Boris lied through his teeth and quite frankly should have been sacked. He bafoonery and bravado don’t stop me from seeing the coiled snake beneath.

Wow that was a little deep for what do you find attractive in someone but it’s true. Having someone who has the same core values not necessarily the same political party is intrinsic to a good relationship.

Can you be tall please

I also like tall men. It’s nothing to do with being heightest but actually that I am almost 5″8 so I am pretty tall myself.

I will never be cute in height but Gavin is 6″4 and to me the perfect height.

We met online, after my last relationship to an Aussie I new I wanted a relationship with someone British. I didn’t want to have to move again. So I asked for a Brit, which probably sounded xenophobic but was just about me not wanting to move again!

I also asked… could you be tall please?

Romantic conclusion

Laughter is truly key

Core values are similar

We love food and travel

We like our own space

What attracts you in a partner!

My worst habit, procrastinating

Personal Experience, Planning

Day 22 what’s your worst habit, 30 day blog challenge.

I thinks it’s everyone’s worst habit isn’t it?

Putting off things to do later or an a later day. This weekend has been wonderful. We had an amazing day walking in East London where I used to live!

It’s spring so it’s all about the bluebells. We then had an impromptu picnic in the park and had a mini pub crawl!

It was bloody wonderful.

Then the next day I did some wedding catch up with my bestie. It was great drinking, shopping laughing.

Sunday was a proper rest day. I had a big list of things to do but I left them all till today.

Procrastinating is definitely my worst habit

I always put things off it’s why I have to be a slave to my lists and bullet journal.

My list this weekend was small!

  • Plant my dahlias
  • Buy running shoes (yup)
  • Find wedding glasses ( think we found them)
  • Try making the favours ( failed but will try again
  • Clean up the garden
  • Wash and dry clothes for the week ahead
  • Answer work emails (done)
  • Gut the kitchen
  • Organise my art supplies
  • Dye napkins

Not a massive list for 4 days but today I need to these things in one.

Because I have procrastinated so much I have left the majority till the last minute. Too late.

I still plan to do it all, getting up at 9am has helped!

At work I have to stick to my list. I try an deal with problems straight away because when I put something off it builds up into a larger issue when it never needs to be.

So procrastinating is definitely my worst habit.

I need to just do it!

What’s your worst habit?

My favourite movie,

Advice, Uncategorised

Day 19, favourite movie, 30 day blog challenge!

There is a few

Calamity Jane, is probably my absolute favourite!

Princess Bride is a close second!

I love watching films! There is something very satisfying about being transported into a different time and place! I love transformation films.

When Calamity Jane gets a makeover as well as her cabin to the sound of ” a women’s touch” I love it. Even the feminist in me doesn’t care so much about the meaning of the song but Calamity Jane was the ultimate feminist not that this is what this film was about.

I live a makeover in a film.

If you asked me if I liked musicals I would say no, not really my cup of tea, but I do love them.

  • Calamity Jane
  • Moulin Rouge
  • Guys and dolls
  • Funny face
  • Fiddler on the roof
  • Hello Dolly
  • Half a sixpence
  • My fair lady

I loved them when I was younger, I guess it’s just the next step in Disney movies!

I loved Calamity so much because she was fiesty and a story teller. She was happy being lonely with her crush on Lieutenant Dan. And then she makes a mistake which turns into a friendship and the man who loves her finally steps forward and tell her he loves her.

He always did.

I am a big romantic.

I love love

I think it is completely precious and rare. So when you find it you need to either be good to it or let it go.

Movies about love are always just the beginning never the end. The beginning is the magical bit. The rest is the work and making it work part. Which has it magical moments thrown in.

I am lucky. All my closest friends have really amazing partners who I like, love and respect. We are a lucky group!

I even though I really love love and romance I do think it’s a private thing. Grand gestures mean nothing to me.

Nothing

Grand gestures are all show and no work. They are a bandaid on an amputation. If you need to do a grand gesture then there is a massive fault in your relationship.

Sorry

This was supposed to be about my favourite film and it turned into a rant about love!