Favourites

I'm very cynical when it comes to products, in the sense that I don't think anything really works as described; or does what it should for an extended period of time. Sometimes I get excited over a new shampoo and conditioner in shiny packaging offering magical results (blinding shine you say? follicles as strong as an ox?!) or a face wash that will give me perfect glowing skin...only to find that the second time round, it doesn't prove as successful or give me the effect it did initially. So I have a bathroom cabinet full of things I never use. However, it's a small price to pay in Operation Process By Elimination as at least I know which tried and tested to stay far, far away from. I have also realised I should probably take the time to invest in skincare that suits my extremely sensitive skin, like every other person does for their type, and start taking care of my skin properly, with the right aids.

Above are some products I've been using for over six weeks now and not one of the above has let me down or turned me off or in the case of the facial products, irriated my skin in any way! They have all secured a permanent place. All I need now is a makeup remover that doesn't sting...

1.) Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser - Gentle, no fuss cleanser. Doesn't irritate the skin or dry it out

2.) Jurlique Rosewater - Just simple rosewater, used in Spas everywhere really. Cleanses, tones and moisturises. It's very refreshing and works well on cotton pads on the eyes.

3.) My FAVOURITE. Lee Stafford's Hair That Never Grows Past A Certain Length growth treatment. This is my second tub, the first one lasted quite a while, despite the instructions to use an egg sized amount each time you wash your hair. At first I wasn't sure that it would be any more than a conditioning mask, as it just left my hair extremely smooth and shiny. But after 3 or 4 applications (in between shampoo and conditioner) I started to notice my hair felt stronger, had definitely grown a little, felt thicker and extremely shiny. It smells extremely clean, people always comment on the scent. Every time it makes hair feel fresh and light, it never feels weighed down. The instructions on the tub say to leave it on for 5 minutes, but depending on what I'm doing or where I'm going, sometimes I leave it on for 5 minutes, sometimes 30. My absolute favourite product at the moment...I will most likely get three tubs in Boot's 3 for 2 promotion at the moment so it will be roughly €20.90 for three.


 

4.) Lancome Nutrix Facial Moisturiser - I received this as a gift from a friend who knows about my sensitive dry skin very well! It's for very skin that's prone to dryness, so it's extremely thick. I use it at night time, just before bed. It smells a little weird, but not off putting as the scent is more or less forgotten after a minute or two. It will fix an extremely dry patch overnight, removing any redness leaving everything smooth. It doesn't sting so it can be applied anywhere really. I doubt many wear it as a day moisturiser as it would be a nightmare as a makeup base but I might consider doing this during the harsh winter weather.

5.) Vasaline Intensive Moisture - This is a body lotion but it's gentle enough for use on the face. It keeps the skin moisturised and plump so it's so easy to apply makeup, it literally glides on. This cream is also ridiculously cheap. I've had it over 6 weeks, maybe 8 and there's still a good week left in it!

6.) Oral B Pro Expert Toothpaste. This is more for health and dental hygiene purposes, obviously! But it's very effective and quite new, as far as I know. It has tiny little beads in the toothpaste that you can crunch between your teeth, which obviously drag out the dirt and get rid of stains. Strange writing about toothpaste, but it's definitely worth a try...it whitens, protects against tartare and plaque..freshens breath, good for gums..all the usual things but more impressive than the others out there at the moment.

All I need now is a makeup remover that doesn't sting and one of these Clarisonic things. The Clarisonic slogan sounds very promising - 'One minute a day for the best skin of your life'. They cost $235 each but all the models use them, so they must be great! Hmm.

♥ ♥ ♥

Mint minis

Last Monday I got two free samples of Aveda products when checking out of our hotel in Kilkenny. The samples were Rosemary Mint Shampoo & Conditioner..such a nice surprising parting gift! They were wrapped up, side by side in shiny crinkly plastic, tied at the top with an Aveda ribbon, inside a small brown paper bag.

A post Kilkenny trip into Dublin city also meant seeing the Aveda concession in the middle of Brown Thomas, reminding me of the natural treats that awaited me. Rats! I had just washed my hair the previous evening. So I tried them last Tuesday and the products were very impressive.

Although, I washed my hair before bed that evening, in hindsight, this wasn't the best idea when minty ingredients were involved. The products smelled lovely, and cleaned my hair thorougly. It seemed to remove all traces of styling product build up which I haven't really experienced with any other shampoo and conditioner duos. The ingredients really woke me up and my scalp felt cool and tingly - in a good way of course! This is what I meant about it's probably not a great pre-sleep choice but it would be perfect for a morning shower pick me up.

My hair felt light and stayed cleaner longer than it has with other products and it stayed smooth and frizz free. My bathroom still smelled of mint the next morning and the only con I could find was the scent was a little overwhelming and slightly nauseating  (very much like green Extra chewing gum) when I rinsed the shampoo with hot water. I think in euro, each 250ml bottle cost around €12 each but it would be worth the purchase and not much product is needed.

♥ ♥ ♥

July Haul

I didn't buy any new clothing in July but I did pick up some lovely random things and stuff in the sales lately, all of which I'm very happy with.
The box below was originally a biscuit tin for French butter biscuits from Bordeaux. Once everyone in the office cleared out the contents, I claimed the box. It's tin with a gold interior and a hinged lid. No idea what to put in it yet, but for the moment it still smells of butter!

The jewellery box below I purchased in TKMaxx for €9.99. I liked how lightweight it was, the collage print is nice and there's plenty of room inside. They have various different prints available at the moment, all for the same price.

This black satchel I bought in the Topshop sale, for €19.80. The sale price is €22.00, but I used my student card. It's exactly the style of bag I was looking for, so it was pure luck that I came across one at such a good price.

The bag is made by Nica...a really good brand in my opinion. This is my third Nica bag. The other two are excellent quality and have never fallen apart, despite all the books, makeup, shoes and heavy bottles of booze concealed inside on nights out.

Dove clasp detailing

It's not very clear here but the interior lining is a purple, pink and white floral print. It's quite a practical bag, lots of seperate compartments and it's easy to find things inside.

I also bought lavender oils in TKMaxx, €5.99 for the box below. It comes with 24 diffuser reeds and three bottles, each one with a name; 'Love', 'Peace' and 'Happiness'. They smell lavendery as they should and last ages..although the diffusers don't carry the scent as well as they should, so I usually put a few drops on some pillows or the curtains or whatever.

And finally,  I bought two hair products. The one on the left, 'Groupie', is part of Tigi's Rockaholic brand. It's also from TKMaxx and was €6.99. This one is new to me. I thought it looked interesting and the colourful packaging got me. I love texturising sprays and anything that add mess and volume.
As the bottle says, 'a ménage á trois of rosemary, basil and spearmint meets all your needs for sexy separation or dirty texture.' I found it quite good, if my hair goes a bit lank I find a few squirts through dry hair and a blast of the hairdryer creates good results. It also smells amazing and really fresh and I find it doesn't fade at all. It would probably come in handy for dirty festival hair.

The product on the right, John Frieda's Luxurious Volume Thickening Blowdry Spray (€6.79 Boots) is the best hair product. Ever. I've been buying it for years and each bottle lasts about 3 or 4 months, as only a few squirts are needed through the roots. It creates volume so hairspray isn't always essential, eliminates frizz and takes weight out of hair no matter how long it is.

♥ ♥ ♥

March 9

Last week in Sutton I came across an Esquires Coffee House. I had never been or even seen one before, so I thought I'd try it, since the majority of the time I go to Starbucks and their coffee is awful. Not to say I won't visit them again, they're practically everywhere, but my order is always the same and always tastes different - either too sweet or too weak, I always ask for extra shots.

At Esquires I ordered a tall caramel macchiato, completely unaware of their sizing scheme (what's wrong with a simple small, medium or large?!) and the staff were chatty and friendly, offered me a loyalty card and charged me £3.00. So far, so good. Not to mention that their mascot is a penguin.

I wait for my order and the barista lady puts in three shots of espresso...also a plus. I ask for it to take away and I'm given a HUGE cup. The cup size was literally the size of a medium drink from McDonalds. Amazing for £3.00 and it tasted like proper coffee, none of this watered down brown water. She also went as far as putting a caramel swirl on top...this literally made my day (pathetic, I know!)

The swirl didn't last long however. Running for a bus with a cup this size and an ill-fitting lid resulted in more of a syrupy blob.

Went back on Friday for the same coffee but in a more manageable size and the staff remembered my order from Monday, which I found quite impressive (again, pathetic, but its the little things!) A regular cost £2.65 and was still quite large but really good value. I managed to get the right size lid this time and she drew a caramel web, which after a very bouncy bus journey was still very much intact.

I highly recommend trying Esquires if you're near one. There's one in Sutton, Harrow and Upper Thames Street. Aspire to Esquire! (sorry...)

http://www.esquirescoffee.co.uk/

♥ ♥ ♥