Sunday 13 October 2013

French Pharmacy and holiday Haul

Hello there!
So I have been lucky enough to go on holiday the past two weeks on a little cruise from Harwich in the UK to France, Spain and Portugal. The itinerary was an interesting one as we have 3 over night stays which was a bit of a waste but the reason was it was a "immersive wine cruise" so they were taking you to ports and selling them as the locations that are 2.5 hours away i.e. "Paris" (Le Harve) funniest thing I have seen in a while. I stayed local to the ship and got the shuttles into the main towns most days and just got lost within in them, Oh and ate local yumminess!!
Anyway I digress (again) my main excitement on this cruise was to go visit a French Pharmacy or two so that I could pick up some great skincare at low prices. So I wanted to share the items I picked up in brief just in case you are interested.
So as you can see I picked up just a few items...... hahahah this is a list of what I got a prices In Euro and Pounds just for comparisons. 
Bioderma Hydrabio Brume - Soothing refreshing water for sensitive skin €5.74/£4.88
Bioderma Hydrabio Lait Moisturising Cleansing Milk for sensitive, dehydrated skin €11.55/£9.82
 Bioderma Hydrabio Gommage Gental Exfoliating Cream for sensitive, dehydrated skin €10.70/£9.09
Bioderma Sebium Mat Moisturising Mattifying Fluid for combination/oily skin €9.90/8.42
Bioderma Sebium H20 Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution for combination/oily skin Duo €17.99/£15.29 each 7.64
Nuxe Skin, Body and hair oil €18.90/£16.06
Nuxe Ultra Nourishing Lip Balm with honey and Precious Oils €8.99/£7.65
La Roche-Posay Eau Thermale Peaux sensibles Duo €10.95/£9.30 each £4.65
La Roche-Posay Serozinc, Zinc Sulfate Solution Cleansing, Soothing €6.89/£5.85
Phyto 7 Hydrating Day cream with 7 plants for Dry Hair Duo €18.30/£15.55 each £7.77
Biafine Act €5/£4.25
Homeoplasmine €4.85/£4.13
These were the sample goodies that I was given for purchasing so much stuff!! I was very impressed with this as we don't tend to get this treatment in the UK!
I then went on to splurge a little bit in a shop called Bimba and Lola. There stuff was lovely they did leather goods, shoes, Jewellery and clothes but the one thing that caught my eye was a card wallet which I have been after for a while now as I have a lot of cash cards, credit cards and store/loyalty cards. I have wanted to keep them separate since I downsized my purse to a very small coin purse which only holds my cash and drivers licence and a few other cards. So this is what I found and picked it up. At €45 it was pricey but its real leather and feels luxurious plus I love the logo for this brand!
I also couldn't resist this little navy blue make up bag which is in a nylon fabric which was reduced from €22 to €17 I just couldn't say no! 

This it was a little trip into Sephora which made me pick up only one item which was this GIANT bronzer I swatched it several times and kept going back to it so I decided to give in and get it! 
These were the samples I got from Sephora! 
Anyway I hope you enjoyed this little post. I did do lots of research into what products to get from France and hopefully I grabbed some good ones now I get to play with them and find out!!
XOXO

Friday 27 September 2013

Costco Haul

Hello lovelies, 
I am back again this time with a mini little haul which has a bargain side to it! Last weekend I ventured to Costco with the old parents as they have a membership card! I wasn't overly excited about the place until I found the cake section which I was basically just in heaven. Being on Slimming World at the moment meant that I was only able to look and not buy but hey it was all very delicious looking and I really did  have to peel myself away from the Red Velvet cupcakes which were more like a whole family sized cake each they were no where near any cup size I had seen!! 
Anyway I digress, at this point the only thing I have put in the (giant american sized) trolley were a pair of capri work out leggings which were a fab but at around £14. However it all changed when I discovered the health and beauty section!!! The prices I am quoting are without VAT so basically add 20% to the amount and that is what I actually paid.... still all bargains in my eyes!!

 I have used this toothpaste for years now I think form when it launched to be honest and I love it. It does make your teeth whiter and its not too minty which is good because I have never liked mint very much. These are normally around £3.50 each in Boots/Superdrug/Supermarket where ever you shop. Sometimes you can get them on offer which is when I tend to stock up but I think I am pretty set now! This pack of 4 cost me..... £6.38 I think it was. There was extra discount on them so they were super cheap which is fab!!
I have used Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream for as long as I can remember I suffer with very bad Eczema and this can help me take the edge of it when I sleep as I can cover the areas that need moisture with it and just let it sink in. My skin is so dry I can actually use this under my make up in the morning.... yeah tell me about it!! Crappy skin huh!! So it was my mum that found this and I luckily had phone reception in Costco so I was able to google prices of things to check them and the 50ml of 8 Hour is £25 online and this set was £24 for the two!!!! 
This is the lotion I have started using after I  have Phototherapy at the Hospital (for my eczema and acne) the basically have a selection of moisturisers for you to help yourself to after the treatment as it can be very drying. This is the only one not available on the NHS but it is available in Boots stores at £8.99 FOR 236ml and I don't think I have seen them in any of my local boots. These are 591ml and for the two it cost me around £12 if I remember correctly. They also had the cleanser which I would be interested to try and this lotion is very light but does a great job at moisturising. My skin as been alot happier since I got it. 
This was a two pack which I split with my mum as I was in need of a new mascara and thought I would share the pack with her the two pack was around £14 which is reasonable for a high end mascara. I haven't started using it yet but I like trying new mascaras so fingers crossed I like it! 
Overall I really enjoyed our little Costco trip I did have to resist buying the 64oz jar of Jelly Belly beans though...That was really tough :( 
Have you been to a Costco? Find any bargains?? 
xoxo

Wednesday 25 September 2013

Sewing Social

Hello lovely people who read my blog (if that is in fact anyone because I do assume I am talking to thin air) 


It has been a while since we last spoke, mainly because my blog hasn't found it's feet yet. I never really know what to blog about and what anyone would want to read. Anyway I'm gonna keep trying and moving forward... 



I recently took part in #sewingsocial on Twitter and LOVED IT basically its a twitter conversation where you chat about the subject of choice and answer questions whilst engaging with other like minded by people using the hastag. This was hosted by Tilly from The great sewing bee and It was brilliant. This was the first one of these I had done and it was so much fun that the hour flew by. I asked the crowd if anyone had any sewing blogs to send me their links and OMG did I get some fab blogs. I think I must have been sent about 12 blogs and I made sure to favourite each one so I could go back and read them all later, which I did. It was so nice to see lovely little blogs where people were just showing you things they had made and that they were proud of doing so. With a throw away culture nowadays its sad to see the obsession with "hauls" on YT and blogs all the time because everyone wants new things. Why not upcycle and recycle something you already have!! Or swap barter and hunt in charity shops for something you can make your own. So stemming from this I am now obsessed with Sewing/upcycle/craft blogs! And I think this may have a big impact on where my blog goes from now on.



So following of from that sewing social I discovered HUNDREDS of free patterns and tutorials online for sewing things. I decided to start simple and try making some bits and bobs. This was also fuelled by the fact we got a new sewing machine Bernina 1008 and boy is she a beauty!! So let me show you what little things I have created this month!  



So the first thing I made on Bernie (most original name for a Bernina ever!!) was this make up bag for a friends birthday present. It is made in a Macaroon 100% cotton fabric which was £4.95/mtr from Fabric Land. Its a very lovely fabric I love the pattern and I am obsessed with thicker cotton fabrics which this is. 




 
I hope you like the "view" from my window luckily mother is very green fingered so we have a gorgeous little garden! 
Oh and she loved the bag just in case you wondered :)

The second bag I just made for the sake of it. Not a clue what to do with it yet or whom to give it to but hey it was fun. It is the same method as the first bag you just don't pinch in the corners to make it boxy. Very simple indeed and there are loads of tutorials on how to make these style bags. 
This fabric was from C&H Fabrics and was £9.99/mtr and once again is a 100% heavier cotton. They also do this in a cream version which I spotted today, so I am holding off until their 25% off sales they do a few times a year. 
I also lined both of the bags with Calico which is in a cream colour and has light grey flecks in it. This is a very study fabric and means that you can use light weigh cottons for the outer fabric and bulk them out with this as a lining. I personally love it. You could use an oilcoth fabric on the inside to ensure the bag is protected from spills and mishaps but I haven't picked any up yet. 
The most time consuming part of making these two lovely bags was hand sewing in the lining. I chose a ladder stitch to do this and it makes the hand sewing undetectable by eye which I love. I personally prefer to hand sew the lining in as it means you can position it perfectly and it really finishes off the piece. There are tutorials how to sew the lining in by machine but I find the seams get rather bulky! But this is personal choice really and depends if you've got the time to sit there and stitch away by hand.

What do you think of my sewing efforts so far?! and what have you been making??
xoxo

Wednesday 28 August 2013

I hate camping......

....However



I normally cringe at the thought of going camping however due to a drastic change of plans of for my summer leave period so going camping was the one offer of fun I had had from my sister. So I decided to embrace it say YES and go for it!! And boy I am glad I did. I wanted to write a little post detailing the stuff to take with you to make camping awesome from someone who normally hates camping! So lets get on with it....


  • A large tent
  • - I realised that my main fear of camping is a have "littletentaphobia" a fear of being in small tents alone. This time a shared a massive tent with my sister and her boyfriend. This thing was bigger than my room and you could full on stand up in it which is the most important factor. I am 5ft 10 and not being able to stand up to put clothes on is just wrong!! Also if you have a rainy day like we did, where it did not stop for 7 hours!! You at least have somewhere you can all hang out and have a tent party, it turns a rainy day into a fun day!!!
  • Gas stove - Nothing beats waking up climbing out of a hot toasty tent to have a cuppa tea in the sunshine! Bring extra gas canisters too!!
  • Tea, sugar, milk and biscuits - See point above 
  • fluffy socks and fleecy PJs (Onsie's are also an option) - It gets fricking cold when the sun goes down and if you are sat outside the tent with friends chatting you wanna be warm.
  • Air bed and a car pump - best thing I borrowed was that car pump especially when you pump up the air bed at midday in the blistering heat (UK version of it anyway) and then realise its a lot flatter by the time you come to sleep!!
  • Camping chair - goes without saying but there are chair politics and you do not want to be the one who doesn't bring a chair when you are in a group.
  • BBQs - next time I think I would actually pack a small coal BBQ as we had some dramas with or disposable ones, like them relighting themselves 4 hours later so it may be works packing of folding one that can also be used as a fire pit if your site lets you have them of course, always check! It's good to have something you can do cheap meals on as eating out becomes expensive quickly!
  • Duvet and own pillow - best decision I made here also, I was toying with the idea of taking my king sized duvet or just using the sleeping bag. So glad I chose to take my own duvet and pillows, I hate the restrictions of sleeping bags I get so annoyed not being able to stick a leg out when you want to so taking your own stuff from your own bed makes you feel like you are at home!!! 
  • A Good book - for those early evenings when you just want to go to sleep early but 6pm is far too early however you drank 8 pints the night before and then did a raft race where you thought you were going to die ...I digress. It's good to have a light hearted read that you can chill with when you just fancy a quiet moment or two. 
  • Slip on shoes - finding shoes, tying laces or risking barefoot to nip to the loo at 3am can be fun. Just have something easy to hand that doesn't require brain power to get on your feet in haste. 
  • Samsung Galaxy S4 - I was the only one out of our convoy who had a phone that could pick u signal at out camp site and could get on the WiFi too, I love my phone :) sad I know!!
  • Extra sleeping Socks - feet get cold at night when in a field. Simple but effective.
  • Torches, push lights, head lamps, mini lamps and 10,000 candle lamps! - the more the merrier no one will ever say you have too many and they will also be useful!
Well other than the obvious things like pants and a toothbrush I can't really think what else to include. I really enjoyed my camping trip so much so we stayed an extra day as the weather was so nice. I went to Praa Sands in Cornwall for the Pirate raft race which we got called in to do last minute and it was amazing even those my blood sugars were 0 and a started shaking. A coke and a Kit Kat fixed that!!!

Oh I did forget one last thing... 
AMAZING FRIENDS!!!! That is what really made the time camping to be oh so special! 

What are your essentials that make your trips more comfy?? Let me know! 

xoxo

Wednesday 8 May 2013

HUGE Make Up Swap from the US

Hi there! Long time no speak, I know, I am rubbish with this blog but to be honest I don't think I've established what I should use it for. I mean I'm no beauty guru I just love make up but don't generally have a good enough face to take pictures of it daily and put them out there! However I do get the urge to write inspired posts about make up especially when I get a hefty ass box of it from the USA!!!
So I am going to warn you now this blog post will be VERY picture heavy! As I don't film videos like Jerlyn does This is just going to be a still life version! 

 So I was so excited to get this I didn't even wait till I got dressed to open this, so here's a sexy PJ shot.... hummm Doughnuts (not gonna lie bough these because of EssieButton)
 This was the first thing on the top and its a Sonia Kashuk brush set which is amazing I have wanted to try these brushes for ages and this set was perfect!
 As you can see this is one heck of a box! I love the mint green peanuts and the multi coloured tissue paper she had wrapped everything in!!!
 This was a very cute little bag of samples and perfumes that she had sent me! A fab idea. I only threw a few in to my box for her I wish I had thought about it a bit more because I have so many of those sample packs hiding around!
 A close up of the craziness.
 Heel rescue balm, two Milani lip products, MAC Creemesheen Glass and NYX Lippie
 I loves all the little notes, it's like a clue to what's inside also I think she said her cousin helped her do the wrapping hence all the stickers. They were also scratch and sniff.... No joke the Banana ones were A-MAZ-ING!!!!
 Sally Hansen Salon effects THREE OF THEM!!!

 ELF Mascara and NYX lashes
 ohhhh those stickers lol LOVE! 
 A very nice little ELF palette and cream eyeliner!
 It's never ending!!
 Ooooh how exciting... Yes I did what I was told!!! 
 These were such a surprise I adore the colours. I could not wait to try these!
 A BareMinerals blusher and a Victoria Secret Blusher
 MORE SAMPLES!
 FAB FAB FAB
 OOOH The famous NYX Jumbo eyeshadow pencils - she had sent me the one in Milk in my first swap box and I loved it!
 Milani Liquid Eye liner 
 Face masks
 ELF BLusher and mineral lipgloss

 O-M-G!!!!!
I wanted one of these palettes so bad!!! 
I was so excited to get this I had asked for this and I squealed a little bit when I got it! 
I have heard so many amazing things about these palettes I couldn't wait to try them!
 Senna - a neutral eye shadow trio which is really pretty and an Ulta single eye shadow 
 Two Maybelline 24 hour colour tattoos
 Two of the Revlon Lip butters
 Now this is so funny, I got my parcel Friday morning and I kid you not but on Wednesday I was in Boots looking at Peach Parfait thinking I really want to get this it is such a lovely colour! I refrained as I knew I was getting a box of goodies in the post soon so I walked away.... AND IT FOUND ITS WAY TO ME ANYWAY!!! Jerlyn is amazing I swear I didn't even ask for these! 
 Some lovely NYX loose pigments
 A BareMinerals lipgloss and ELF luscious liquid Lipstick and I think this one is her very favourite and I know she talks about it in many videos!
 Two Lippies from Wet N Wild
 This was a complete surprise...
 The studio Gear lippie was fab  although a little to brown for me at the moment however my mum snapped it up from me as she wears these colours all the time. I loved the packaging though so would love to see what other colours they do!
The Kat Von D Lip glosses were such a surprise the packaging is beautiful and the two colours she picked were lovely one was a red and the other a muted rose pink brown. So looking forward to wearing these! 
I knew exactly what these where....
China Glaze Anchors Away Collection
I had asked for these especially and I think she bought them well over a year ago as this box swap has been a good two years in the making I think! I loved this collection when it came out but the problem is over here the sets are around £45+ each and I think she got them for around $30 which is insane. SO I was beyond happy when I saw these! 
A NYX Make up bag and some NYX palettes plus she threw in some brushes which was very nice!
NYX Runway Collection palette in Champagne & Caviar
NYX I dream of Jamaica Palette
Some brushes
See I did what I was told!!! 
HOLY COW! 
I know she has had this on her blog sales a few times and to be honest I would have bought it off her but I could not believe this was in my box, It was so sweet! Ahhh I love it. I never managed to get this when it came out in the UK I think I was either away at sea or it just sold out before I got near it!!! Cannot get over this one!!! So amazing!!! 
This was the aftermath..... hummmm

WOW that was a post and a half! I have to thank Jerlyn so much for such an amazing box I think we really did well this time. This box was, like I said two years in the making, since we had done our last one so there has been alot of thought to it. It isn't cheap to do one of these just to warn you, we try to set a budget but don't really stick to it. Especially when it is bought over so many months it doesn't feel so bad. The shipping is a killer though our boxes were around 6-7lbs each and we both had to use a courier to ship them out. I think if I remember rightly hers cost me £44 and the one she shipped to me was $66 so it's does, do you in on that front. Hence the two year gap. 
I just want to add I hope no one thinks I am bragging with this post it was just my way of showing what she sent me as I know she mentioned it in the video and there have been comments of people wanting to see. I do also know this is alot of make up. My sister said when she saw it that it was more make up in that one box than she has owned, ever! This has sparked a clear out for me and alot of my new back ups that I don't need have gone on eBay and I've given away stuff too. So I am going to try and down size! 
Now I have to say I am very lucky to have met Jerlyn through her You tube and we are friends online which is how we decided to do this. I do see so many horror stories of people doing swaps and getting screwed over that I am very thankful I have found such a honest and lovely young woman to befriend and share this all with! 
We both wrote each other a long letter which was so nice as it meant we got to learn about each other on a more personal note. I intend to reply to her letter and keep that going as no one writes any more and I love getting letter in the post! 
I know we have already mentioned our next one which WILL be smaller but we are going to aim for a higher end package. This I imagine will take another few years... That's if we don't visit each other and end up going shopping together one day. God think of the carnage that would be!!

Anyway that is all for this epic post. Once again a massive THANK YOU to Jerlyn!!!
All her links will be below and you can check out her video on her You Tube channel to see what I sent her!
If you made it to the end I am impressed!!!
xoxo

Jerlyn's Links