The Absinthe Palace

Love don't live here any more....

2011-09-20T10:06:00.003+01:00

If you want to know where I am, I live over at www.thepancakehouse.org now!

An Update

2011-04-26T13:09:00.000+01:00

What's this? I've actually updated this blog! Now don't go spitting various things over your computer in disbelief or anything. Like a lot of people I move from one unfinished project to the next, forever searching for the next big thing to occupy my time. And once again I have come back to the realisation that blogging is good for me. So here I am. And what have I been up to you might ask? Here is a short synopsis:

Still working in the hospital but job hunting on a regular basis
Still finishing the masters. Have one report and then my dissertation to
I got engaged! Just before Christmas but still it feels pretty weird saying it. No wedding plans yet though!

That's about it really!

So what are the plans for this blog? Well I will be posting more of a mixture of everything really. No real direction as of yet! Stay tuned, things will get interesting!

Long time no post

2009-10-17T12:55:00.002+01:00

Well hello there!

Umm remember me, the girl who used to write in this blog? You're all going to be looking at your blog feeds scratching your heads with no recollection of who the hell I am.

Just thought I'd update you on what's been happening around here.

Work is the same old stuff really. Just trying to get my way through each day while dealing with the rubbish that is involved with working in health care.

On a kind of positive note I've finally started my Masters after months of agonising over it. We've definitely been thrown into the deep end with no sign of a life raft. I'm really going to enjoy one half of this year, the other half...well when you're told there is no reading list because you have to read in relation to an area that you are interested in and you're expected to answer a whole 3 hour exam on this...it's ever increasingly likely that this module will = FAIL!

I've already made some friends (there are 3 of us doing it part time so we better had get along if we've got 2 years together!) and there are rumblings of going to a Champagne bar next Wednesday but we shall have to wait and see. I'm already loving the Central London location but don't think my bank balance will next week. Shopping is a big weakness for me, it never used to be but the girly girl in me is starting to take hold of the cool, laid back, one-of-the-guys-girl. We can't let this happen. I've also been appointed as the mysterious girl on the course purely because I wore a beanie and leather jacket this week with a dress....I did get some male attention during the fire drill we had from some undergrads. And that's another thing, I love being able to tell people I'm a postgrad, you actually get respect from people for it!

I know I'm rambling but that's purely because I'm procrastinating from reading about Social Constructionism theory. I never thought anyone would write a WHOLE book on the subject but oh well. One thing I should say to the Uni is that I really don't like the library. Well my campus library. They have this really stupid one way system thing so that you have to walk all the way round the perimeter before you are allowed to actually get anywhere near the books or workstations. I tried to take a short cut on Wednesday and was accosted by a security guard for trying to save myself 10 minutes.

Ok so the procrastination has to stop now, time to clean my room!

Greetings!

2009-07-09T14:50:00.003+01:00

Hello.

I'm in Amsterdam.

That's right I'm sad enough to check my email etc when on holiday.

Well the hotel has free Internet that is just sitting there begging me to use it.

To be honest a week here is a bit too much. I only say this because of 2 reasons that I discovered on our first day:

1) As soon as I stepped off the plan I wanted to go back home. I was bloody petrified because everything was dark and disturbing and that seedy underbelly of society immediately presented itself to me. I was so serious I almost went up to the nearest airline desk to enquire about a ticket home. Not really a place to come if you have a nervous disposition.

2) Amsterdam is small. You can walk North to South in about 45 minutes. Therefore things have to be spread out over the week. So that day you were going to spend looking at all the museums, you had better look at one a day.

The hotel is pretty cool. It has to be the cheapest one I've ever stayed in yet the room is probably the biggest I've ever experienced. The beds are so comfy and you just kind of melt into them at the end of a long day.

I will do a proper update of the holiday when I get back and have some proper time, at the moment I am aware of people reading over my shoulder and that's not really something I like when updating this. Hope you are all well wherever you are in the world.

And if you live in Amsterdam and happen to see a girl with brown pigtails and a bag almost as big as her, then pop over and say Hi!

Hello There!

2009-07-03T23:12:00.002+01:00

I keep meaning to update this thing...

Oh well here it goes...

It's Friday night and I've just returned from a 14 hour day at work. In this heat it's a nightmare. The thought that i've spent more of the last 48 hours at work than I have at home depresses me. There isn't anything I can do to change that. However it has put me in a good mood. I am no free of work for the next 3 weeks!

Why you might ask?

Well I'm on annual leave and I'm going to Amsterdam for a week. I'm really rather excited about it. It gives me a chance to relax, not have to worry about things and just generally get away from it all. Of course I keep getting comments about the things that the Dam is famous for but I would like to make it perfectly clear that I never have nor will I ever indulge in illegal substances. I have been there before for the weekend but it was with a good friend and we spent the weekend escaping our problems with drink. I have already planned to go back to one club that we loved out there called the Sugar Factory. It's like a jazz club with a dj and very good cocktails. I will of course post pictures when I get back and there will be a lot!

Other than that, not much else is happening in my life...my parent's house might be bought out by the local council and demolished but that's not something I really worry about at the moment.

My head is all a bit over the place! I will update properly when I get back!

Happy 4th July to the American's out there, you're welcome!

"Show me the Money!"

2009-05-17T15:31:00.002+01:00

I would if I had any.

This week has been a very stressful one with regards to money.

You may or may not know that I am trying to save £4000 for my Masters. Currently I have £1000 sitting in the bank earning me a meagre amount of interest every month (I think it was 1p last time I looked). That's not so bad, I'm on track to get it all by October which is when I only have to hand over half, but I like to be prepared with these things. That way it means I wont have to worry in a years time that I don't have the other half to pay for the last year with.

The main problem I have is with my overtime at work. When they sort out the rotas at work, you can never have enough people to cover all the shifts that we have. So that's where the Bank comes in. The Bank is full of staff that ring up when they want to work and they are told what wards are short and they get to pick where they want to go (most of the time). Permanent members of staff on those wards are also allowed to cover the shifts if they want to but they must first sign an agreement with the Bank to show that they have been given permission by their ward managers to work overtime. Last Saturday I decided to work a long day (7am till 9.30pm) on Bank. Bank pay you on a weekly basis so Friday rolls around and I check my online banking to see...Nothing.

That's right the stupid Bank hadn't paid me.

Turns out I have to ring payroll tomorrow when I am again doing some Bank shifts to see what the problem is because the Bank said they authorised the payment to payroll...Great.

The second money thing that happened Friday involves Tax. I paid almost £300 tax last financial year when I didn't earn enough money to justify paying tax. So I phone my local tax office who first inform me that although a large number of the people working for my employer have their files there, mine are in a place called Bootle (I looked it up, it's near Liverpool). So I phone Bootle and they tell me I need to phone the Job Centre to get a statement from them to prove I didn't work during the rest of the financial year...The job centre is open till Monday. Great. I just want my money back!

The third thing is that I have had to start paying my student loan back. This majorly sucks because eve though my basic salary is no where near the threshold for paying back my loan, because I work unsocial hours and live quite close to London, I get little bonuses which don't really mean much to me. But apparently over the course of a year they will elevate my salary above the threshold for paying back my loan. This sucks. If I did my job anywhere else in the country I would be just under the threshold and not have to worry about it. I pay so much in tax/national insurance/pension/union payments that I don't really get to see any of it. The way the university system is funded in this country is a bit of a joke really. Especially when you compare it to the MP's expenses scandal.

Let me stop here, otherwise things could turn out rather nasty.

2009-05-06T20:00:00.002+01:00

Urgh, updating remorse gets me down a lot of the time. I keep meaning to write something but when I actually have time I can never think of anything interesting to say.

Like now.

The only things I can think of is that I'm not very happy at the moment and I don't know why. Do you ever have a niggling doubt that you've made a big mistake? Well not a big mistake but just that a decision you've made might not be the right one and you could be locked in for a while? On the other hand, the grass may not be greener on the other side as the saying goes and you should just put the thoughts to the back of your mind and get on with it?

I don't really want to go into too much detail, just trying to vent I guess.

Use it Up!

2009-04-26T18:14:00.003+01:00

It seems that the beauty bloggers have come to the realisation that you can have too many products! I am one of them and have decided to start listing all the products that I use up on a weekly/monthly basis and review them as I go along just to help you all out. So this month's are:

Herbal Essences Dazzling Shine Shampoo 400ml

This has replaced the old Normal Shampoo from HE and I have to say I prefer the original! This made my hair so shiny that it look almost greasy after it had dried! Definitely will not be repurchasing this one. Why did they have to change the formaluations, they could have just changed the packaging and everything would be fine.

Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo 150 ml

This was my first foray into the Lee Stafford brand (I have been to his salon once, the original one is not that far from where I live) and I'm unsure whether I will go any further. It takes so much effort to get this dry shampoo out of your hair that it makes it more oily in the process, thus defeating the whole purpose of the product!

That's it for this month. If you want to know anything else about these then leave a comment below!

Couch to 5K Running aka C25K

2009-04-26T16:12:00.003+01:00

I have always been a chubby girl. No matter what I did I was always the biggest girl I knew. I used to dance 4 times a week, swim 3 times a week and even played football, rugby and badminton a hell of a lot a college and in my first year at uni. 3 years ago I was the thinnest I can remember being in my teenage life and I was happy even though I was still big. That was until I hit uni and started drinking more and eating all the wrong food a lot of the time. I was still on the go a lot and didn't notice my weight start to creep up on me. Before I started work I was at the same weight I was at the age of 13 (I remember this because we had to weigh ourselves in Physics that year and me and another girl in my class started crying at the numbers on the scale and refused to tell the teacher what it said). However just by working I have managed to lose half a stone fairly quickly but have now come to a stop. Therefore I am making a pledge to start the Couch to 5k running program that you can find all over the internet.

I have decided to start this because to be honest, as much as I would like to, I can't afford to join a gym at the moment. When I start uni again in September I can become a member of the gym there at a highly reduced rate and make use of the shower at my dad's office round the corner (it is the most amazing power shower you will ever see) before I hit the lectures. Until then I am going to start running because it's free and there are lots of fields and green spaces in the vicinity of my house.

The Couch to 5k running program takes the form of 9 podcasts, where you listen to one of them 3 times a week. The early ones are a mix of walking and jogging to get you used to moving again, slowly working your way up to a 45 minute run/jog which should equal approximately 5k. The podcasts are great because they are set to a dance music mix that changes tempo as you change from a run to a walk intermixed with verbal instructions in case you loose where you are. I am starting these in a week because I need pay day to roll around so I can get a new pair of running shoes and have time to break them in.

Of course in addition to the running I'm going to try and swim at least once a week (hopefully on a day off) and cut out the morning toast breaks and scavenging from the canteen that occurs a lot at work recently...I'll keep you all posted and here's to losing weight and staying healthy!

You can read more about the program here in addition to downloading the free podcasts.

Products of the Moment

2009-04-26T13:44:00.006+01:00

So I have been letting the beauty aspect of this blog slip a lot recently. I think this is probably due to not having much time to devote to myself. Because I have to be at work very early or till very late (followed by an early) I would rather devote my time to sleep than beauty. However to day I present you with a run down of my favorite products of the moment:

1) The Body Shop Zestini Eau de Toilette

I picked this up last summer in the sale and I am in love with it. At first it does have that hint of oven cleaner, you know the harsh lemon scent, but eventually it dries down to a lovely fresh citrus that reminds me of a lemon grove I wandered through on holiday last year. There are notes of peach and grapefruit which add to the general citrus scent. The bottle is the perfect size to throw in your bag so you can spritz through the day. I have to say this is a scent that divides my friends, some love it others hate it. To be honest it reminds of a lovely summer's day and I wish they would bring it back this year because my bottle is running dangerously low :o(

2) The Body Shop Aloe Vera Night Cream

This is part of my updated skin routine that I have been using for about 3 months now (probably should do an updated routine post some time soon...) and I love it. It has an almost balmy texture to it and a little goes a long way to making your skin feel soft, smooth and hydrated. It sinks in immediately and the effects can still be felt the next morning; you wake up to radiant skin that you could just apply makeup straight on top of if you were so inclined. If you are looking for a universal night cream then this is it!

3) Soap and Glory Flake Away Body Scrub

What would one of these posts be without a bit of S&G in there. This is a very oily scrub that has the same delectable scent of the rest of the pink range (peaches, blackcurrant and a floral/musk hint) that I love. I use it on dry ski before I get in the bath (we only have a bath in this house but it's an amazing Victorian cast iron roll top one) and it leaves me with soft, smooth and moisturised skin from the oil base. I will say that I go through this fairly quickly and will get about 2 months use from one large tub if I'm frugal...

4) MAC Eyeshadow in Copperplate

This is my first foray into the world of Matte2 eyeshadows and I have to say I like it :o). This is my new favorite crease colour for going to work with. It is a dark brown with a grey cast to it and hence it goes with pretty much everything! I cannot say enough about how much I am in love with this shadow. I think it should be a staple in everybodys collection.

Hit or Miss 20th April

2009-04-20T20:45:00.002+01:00

So here is my Hit or Miss list for the week!

Hit:

Loving the Rugby action
Finished the first chapter of my pre-uni reading
Resisting the urge to shop
Rediscovering my love of playing with filters to create different effects on film

Miss:

Losing my work diary so I have no idea what shifts I'm doing for the next 2 months
Work's phone being either engaged or just ringing so I can't find out what shift I'm supposed to be doing tomorrow (praying it's a late)
Feeling crappy on my day off and my head feeling like it's going to explode
Living at home, starting to go stir crazy

Come on the Blues!

2009-04-20T14:43:00.003+01:00

This weekend I didn't have to work *gasp*!

Only because for Christmas I bought my dad tickets to the EDF Energy Cup final at Twickenham which was on Saturday. For those that don't know, the EDF cup replaced the Anglo-Welsh cup, one of the only chances on the Rugby Union calender that Welsh and English teams have the chance to meet. At the time of purchase there was no indication of who would be in the final but in the vain hope that it would be a Welsh team (Scarlets, Blues or Ospreys especially) I thought it would make a great present. You see we are a rugby mad family and especially support the Welsh contingent. Don't ask me why, that's just the way it's always been.

We were overjoyed when the semi-finals were to be fought out between the Osprey's versus Gloucester and Cardiff Blues versus Northampton. I'm quite the Osprey's fan (if you saw the video on YouTube I did when I received the new kit you'll remember my utter excitement) where as my father prefers the Scarlets or the Blues. The final was to be fought between Cardiff and Gloucester. At this my allegiance switched to the Blues and my Blues kit is winging it's way to me as I type this!

Anywho back to Saturday...we had quite good seats in the south east corner of the stadium with a great view of the pitch. Walking around in my Osprey's shirt I did get a bit of grief from the Gloucester fans but they were soon to be laughing out of the other side of their mouth. The majority of the fans were Gloucester with the odd pocket of Blues (well they did have to travel from WALES after all).

It was a great match, particularly exciting when Cardiff scored 2 converted tries within 90 seconds of each other! The final score was Cardiff Blues 50 - Gloucester 12! Here is a very happy Paul Tito (Blues captain) holding the first piece of silverware the team have won since the regionalisation of the Welsh teams:

How do I as a daughter top this as a present? Well my dad is 60 next year so I'm toying with the idea of either F1 British Grand Prix tickets or a Welsh international match at the Millenium Stadium with a night in a hotel...we shall have to see how flush I am feeling later on in the year.

Next on the planning agenda is my best friend from university is coming to stay for a few days in June. She is from Bolton and has only ever been to London once for a few hours on a school trip. I'm going to take her to Camden, Selfidges, Harrods, Oxford Street, The Rainforest Cafe and I cant think of anything else at the moment. If anyone from the South/relatively close to London can think of anything 2 girls would enjoy doing in London over a few days then feel free to leave a comment!

If you a subscriber on my YT then don't worry I haven't left, I'm just having technical difficulties, but don't worry normal service will be resumed soon!

Jumping on the bandwaggon

2009-04-14T19:35:00.005+01:00

So since everyone is loving Soap & Glory products at the moment, I thought I would put in my two pennies on the range. I've already posted a review about the Scrub Your Nose In It Face Scrub but here is a run down on the rest of the products I use:

1) Clean on Me Creamy Clarifying Body Wash

This has the same scent as the rest of the Pink Pamper range (anything in the pink packaging) which is a fruity floral (peach and blackberry mainly). It lathers up so well and you need hardly anything to get a real good clean. I've used it for three weeks and it looks like I've hardly used any in the massive 500ml bottle! It does moisturise and the skin feels so soft and smooth after use. The scent also lingers on the skin so you can drink in the scent as the day goes on (I'm seriously addicted to it!).

2) Endless Glove Hand Mask

This is from the Spa range which is housed in blue packaging. All of the Spa range have different scents, this one being kiwi which makes it really fresh. You can use it as an ordinary hand cream or as an overnight mask which explains the thick texture. This is great for someone like me who has to constantly wash my hands at work because it really does leave the hands so nourished and soaks in relatively quickly.

3) I-Foam

Another spa product. Claims to be a peachy moisturising body wash. have yet to try this so will have to do a review later!

4) Sugar Crush Body Scrub

I had to buy this product based on the smell. It smells amazing and you should all go to your local Boots and smell it, you will not be disappointed!

5) The Righteous Butter

The thing that started it all, the best body moisturiser I have ever used!

6) Flake Away Body Scrub

Well I had to get the scrub that matched the body butter....

I think that's it...The thing that I love about S&G is that the scents are amazing, all the products work like they say they should and they aren't tested on animals!

Lemmings....

2009-04-02T12:43:00.002+01:00

Do you ever have a longing for a product that you can't get hold of and know you never will but yet can't stop thinking that if you had it your life will be so much better?

For some reason recently I have been having irrational thoughts about Essence of Beauty Brushes. Most specifically the double ended smokey one and then the 2 crease brushes that come in a pack. Now these are sold exclusively in the United States and living in the UK means I won;t be getting them any time soon. But watching all these YT guru's and reading quite a few of these beauty blogs has just made me think that I NEED them.

But isn't that the way for the beauty addicted and pretty much everybody else in the world? We always want the next best thing to come along because we think it will make our lives that much better.

*************************************************************************************

I have the day off work today and I'm spending it doing nothing. Because I can. I lie, I should be doing things but I just can't be bothered. Work is going ok, I managed to miss the Work night out last Friday because I was so tired and it sounds like that was a good thing....I won't go into details but people had rather too much to drink before they even went out and therefore disgraced themselves in the restaurant, let alone what happened in the club afterwards. The folks are going away on Saturday for a week so I shall have the house to myself but that doesn't equal a house party, far from it! I've opted to do extra shifts at work to bump up the Masters fund a bit quicker which wont be fun at all but is necessary; only £3, 300 to go...

I need your help!

2009-03-24T19:05:00.007Z

I must be the most indecisive person I know (actually that's a lie...) but anywho, I need your help deciding what bag to buy. I know, I know it's quite a strange thing to ask an opinion on but I really can't decide. They are all the same price and I really love them all. So over to you:

1)

2)

(Copyright bayanhippo @Etsy)

3)

(Copyright fromnancy @Etsy)

4)

(copyright bayanhippo @Etsy, not necessarily in this pattern)

Basically I want a bag for summer that's pretty casual, that I can just chuck everything in (including my camera[s]) and is a little different from the norm. So ladies tell me what you think!

Insert Title Here

2009-03-22T21:07:00.002Z

So an update on my life as of right now:

I've been working A LOT and will actually get paid finally on Wednesday (I missed the cut off point for payroll in February by 2 days!) which can't come too soon! I have pretty much already allocated all my pay so no shopping for me next month, especially since I have 8 days holiday booked for various things; engagement parties, rugby matches, public transport strikes when the folks are on holiday and I can't get to work...

The most exciting bit of news probably is that I was offered an unconditional place on the Psychological Research Methods MSc that I had applied for. So as of September I have to try and find a way of juggling work and the course for the next 2 years....My plan is to switch to long days at work. At the moment I work 7 and a half hours a day, 5 days a week. By switching to long days I will work from 7am to 9:30pm 3 days a week and then have time to go to uni, do any necessary work and/or reading plus try and have a life (which I don't have at the moment). It sounds like a lot but I'm going to ease myself in gently by doing 1 long day a week from the beginning of May and then eventually get up to the dreaded 3 days a week. Work for the MSc has started already: I let it slip at the interview that I hadn't covered an integral part of the course in detail before so I have been kindly sent a reading list in preparation. It may only be 2 books to my relief but when one of them costs £85 that initial relief quickly turns sour! To be honest I am quite looking forward to the challenge of being a student and working. I am one step closer to that dream job and after this 2 years I am set pretty much.

It was my birthday on the 13th March (yes I was born on a Friday too!) and I spent the morning at work and then the evening with a chinese and comic relief. After the boring events of my actual birthday I was surprised by a trip to London and more importantly the Comedy Store by Le Boyfriend to see Russell Howard (among others). It was probably one of the greatest nights of my life because I absolutely love RH to the point that I would leave Le Boyfriend if I was propositioned by him!

That is pretty much it for an update at the moment, it's late and I want to go to bed before getting up at 5 tomorrow morning to get ready for work. Look forward to proper updates and things later on this week!

Review: Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation

2009-03-10T16:32:00.004Z

So I just posted a video about this on my YT channel but I thought I'd do a review on here too.

I'm guessing everyone and their mother who has even a slight interest in MAC has heard about this new foundation. There is a lot of hype surrounding it because it's billed as a gel foundation with plenty of antioxidants and hydrating moisture that works with your skin to produce a natural luminous matte finish to the skin; your skin but better!

The big thing I will say about this foundation is - DON'T USE A PRIMER! It really makes a world of difference. This foundation is supposed to work with your skin and by using a primer you're creating a barrier to the skin that makes the foundation just sit on your skin and consequently rub off on everything it touches. The best thing I've found is to take the advice of the guys from MAC and spray a little Fix + or something similar on your face before applying. Also you only need the smallest bit to cover your whole face making this a very economical foundation.

The finish is great to this, looking like skin rather than a mask, and it feels like nothing on your skin. All in all i'm very impressed. I would urge you to try and get a sample from your local store before buying it. It hasn't broken me out but that's not to say it will be the same for everyone. Keep a look out for this in a future haul!

Long Time No See

2009-02-23T18:08:00.002Z

So it's been a while since I updated and I feel rather bad.

Work has been rather stressful. There is so much to learn and the shifts are making me so tired. It's not only the getting up at 5:15am most mornings and then working till 9:30pm before starting over again; the work is very physical and my body is just getting rather tired!

Valentines weekend was a good break from it all; a dozen red roses arrived on the Thursday and then we went out for dinner (which I was expecting) and then staying in a rather nice hotel (which I wasn't expecting).

Now today, I get an email inviting me to an informal interview for my MRes that I applied for a couple of weeks ago...I'm rather scared and don't know why the head of the department wants to see me: either I somehow lied/made a mistake on my application or they want to ask me why I want to do the course when I've already pretty much covered the course in the final year of my degree. It's just the stupid thing that I have to do this Masters in addition to my job to stand a chance of getting on the Clinical Psychology Phd program.

At the moment I'm rather stressed over the whole thing! Normal posting will be resumed (hopefully) tomorrow when I have some time before I have to go to work for the late shift.

Hope everything is going well with all of you!

I'm not moaning but...

2009-02-11T21:22:00.002Z

In case you haven't gathered from my previous post, today wasn't a very good day at work.

I almost just walked out and said I wasn't coming back. The main reason behind this was that I haven't ever done a job like this before and I haven't had any real training for it. On my second day on the ward I was expected to care for patients on my own. Now I know that I've been shown what to do a few times but I didn't feel comfortable being alone with patients this early on.

From what I can gather, the ward sister thinks that I'm being shown how to do things by a "mentor" that she's assigned me to on the shift. In reality I keep getting left with other people doing things that they think I can do and when I explain I can't they get pissed off.

There is a guy who started the same day as me and has no experience either, but he's at the other end of the ward and they are showing him everything in detail and generally taking care of him, whereas I feel a bit neglected at my end.

I'm going to feel so stupid tomorrow if I go in and say that I don't feel comfortable being left alone with patients because it will be like taking a step backwards but it will only be my 3rd day for crying out loud!

Feeling very down about the whole thing to be honest. To top it all off I was feeling so so rough and really dizzy, yet no one noticed that I was rather pale and clammy (they notice when it happens to a patient though hehe). Plus I'm missing Le Boyfriend a lot and this job means I wont get to see him a whole lot because the shift pattern is so irregular it's untrue.

Let me get a (hopefully) good night's sleep and things will be better in the morning.

So this work thing...

2009-02-11T17:49:00.002Z

So today was my 3rd day at work and I'm starting to get the hang of it.

In the morning we wash and dress the patients and change their beds. Then we help the ones who need it with their breakfast. Then as far as I am aware observations are done then it's break time for us. After the half hour break we then go back to help with dinner feeding. Then I and Ryan (the other new person on the ward) stand around because we don't know what to do. Finally we check all the patients again and change the ones that need it and at 3pm I head home.

Only being there for 2 days and having no previous nursing or care experience I don't feel comfortable being told to do things on my own. But I was today and I wasn't happy about it. But tomorrow I think I'm helping with physio and occupational therapy sessions (hopefully). The people all seem nice on the ward and the patients are all lovely (most of the time).

However I'm starting to have no life. I have to get up at 5:30am to get to the hospital for 7. I only get a 30 minute break and then I'm on my feet all day. I get home about 4 and the past couple of day's I've had a nap then I actually go to bed at 10pm. Therefore I don't get much of a chance to do anything and I feel bad for not being able to speak to Le Boyfriend :o( But the bonus is that I get the weekend off and said Boyfriend has a romantic valentines planned apparently which makes me smile!

Apologies to you girls for no makeup related updates, I can't wear much to work (*shock horror*) but I will get a routine sorted so I can update the blog properly. Sorry if this makes no sense but it's been a long day and I've seen my fair share of crap (literally) today and I just want to go to bed hehe.

Welcome to the Workforce!

2009-02-09T17:05:00.002Z

So today was my first day at work. Nothing much exciting happened, just lots of paperwork and being jabbed with a needle for the Hep B vaccine...

Tomorrow I have to be there bright and early at 7am.

Nothing much else to say right now, I have a blinding headache so I'm minimizing the computer time.

Till tomorrow...

Hey Big G, Could Do With Some Help Here...

2009-02-05T22:29:00.003Z

It appears that little things keep cropping up to try and stop me from actually working. The first big one was that I couldn't satisfactorily prove my address for a Criminal Records Bureau check; I live with my parents and have paperless bank statements therefore have nothing official with my address on.

Now I'm having a problem with references...

The place I used to work at apparently isn't allowed to send written references out anymore (don't ask me why, no one really knows) and haven't been able to get hold of the hospital to tell them this. Then my old tutor at university has apparently disappeared off the planet and isn't answering emails or the phone and no one in the department is willing to get hold of him for me or the hospital...

If I don't get these sorted by Monday (so that leaves tomorrow...) then they won't let me start on Monday. Let's hope the hospital pull through and manage to get in contact with people.

Then I have started to develop a cold/flu thing which might stop me from working too what with the patients I'll be working with being of an advanced age and the whole infection thing. Oh well we'll just have to wait and see.

P.S: I finally managed to find a pair of shoes, they aren't the perfect fit but there is a bit of give in them so I've been walking round the house to try and break them in before I have to do a 9 hour shift on my feet non-stop.

Winter-y Blue Look

2009-02-04T14:35:00.003Z

Some of you may or may not know that I have a little YouTube account where I do the whole beauty guru thing. If you're interested, here is the latest tutorial:

How Hard Can It Be?

2009-02-01T21:58:00.003Z

For work I have to buy a new pair of shoes:

Black
Plain
No Decoration whatsoever
Leather
Not Trainers
No Suede
Non-slip soles
Must not make a noise when walking

Do you think I can find anything like this? I spent 5 hours on Saturday dragging Le Boyfriend to every single shop in his town that remotely sells shoes. I found a few good candidates, but they didn't fit! You see I have short yet wide feet and the ones that were ok width wise were way too long for me (I'd be tripping over all the time).

It was utterly ridiculous. The whole episode reminded me of when I had to get shoes for school. I could never wear fashionable shoes because mine had to be made especially in Italy in order to fit and cost £90 a time.

Tomorrow is the last possible day I can go and find some. I might just have to get some trainers and they'll have to put up with it!

My Skin Saviour

2009-01-29T17:06:00.004Z

Following on from the previous post, I bought this skin kit from The Body Shop to help deal with my allergic reaction:

This is the Aloe Sensitive Skin Kit containing: Aloe Soothing Cleanser (60ml), Aloe Soothing Toner (60ml), Aloe Soothing Day Cream (15ml) and Aloe Soothing Night Cream (15ml). And within 24 hours my skin is looking better than it did before this all happened! I think I might have a new skin care regime around the corner. I'm used to face washes rather than cream cleansers like this, but I do kind of like it. The toner is very refreshing and doesn't leave a tight feeling to the skin. Both moisturisers have a strange smell that quickly disappears (just like them!) and they are extremely hydrating. All in all I'm very pleased and will wait to see how my skin turns out once I've used these samples up. There is definitely enough in the kit to last at least 2 weeks. The redness has mostly gone and the strange texture has evened itself out. We're well on the way back to normal.

A warning to you girls

2009-01-26T12:31:00.003Z

Sorry for the lack of updating this. Just been so busy with sorting stuff out for the new job, you will not believe the amount of paperwork involved in working in a hospital. That's not the only reason I haven't been updating.

Being one of those girls who is always on the lookout for new beauty products, I eagerly order a new cleanser and moisturiser from an online health food store. I tried them once before going to bed and when I woke up...

Well allergic reaction is an understatement. My face and neck was itching like crazy. I went downstairs and was greeted with a small scream from my mother. You see my entire face was red, sore, bumpy and swollen. It's also really dry in some areas (and I have oily skin usually). I have never seen anything like it. Up until this point, my skin really wasn't too bad but this is a total nightmare. This was 4 days ago and it's still the same. It's burning as well and the really worrying thing is that it's quite close to my eyes...

I can't get a Dr's appointment at all this week (my Dr's is weird like that) so I've just ordered trial sizes of The Body Shops's Aloe skin care range for sensitive skin in a hope that it will soothe and treat it.

The ironic thing is that the products that caused this are meant to treat redness and blotchy skin and that's exactly what I got on a massive scale.

So here's a warning to make sure you do a patch test of all products first and also if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Today = FAIL!

2009-01-22T15:48:00.002Z

So today I had an interview for another job, and here is the list of things that went wrong before and after said interview:

Had to get up at 6am after 2 hours sleep
Started raining on my way to the station and I didn't have an umbrella. Straightened hair that is curly at the slightest hint of moisture had no chance.
Arrive at location over an hour early (don't ask me how) and looking a mess
Walk into low security psychiatric unit and immediately become accosted by a few patients who take it upon themselves to follow me around
While standing outside trying to kill time, a mini drives past, rather fast through a puddle...think you can guess the rest. Luckily it was just my coat that was covered in mud.

Here comes the most embarrassing bit:

Was buzzed into the building and clearly said I was there for an interview. A woman comes and escorts me into a room full of people. It soon became clear this wasn't an interview. It was a meeting about infectious diseases. I was quickly escorted back out and then made to wait while they worked out how I had got in there. No one bothered to ask ME what had happened and I don;t take nicely to people laughing at me.
This really had a impact on my interview and I really performed badly. But I don't care because I already have a job offer!
On the train home a woman practically sat on my lap and her child promptly half threw up on her and the other half on me...

So there you have it, my awful day.

One mistake down, a whole lot more to go

2009-01-20T22:47:00.003Z

So after the euphoria of the other day I seem to have neglected this blog. I would just like to say thank you to all my followers! I seem to have had a couple more this past few days and it means a lot. So thank you for taking the time to follow and read the drivel that I post.

Anywho...

Today was a very important day for the world. Unless you have been living under a rock then you would know that today the most powerful man in the world was replaced by the so called saviour of the world. Personally I do think that Obama was the best candidate of the two, but maybe Clinton would have been a better choice. My reasoning behind this is that in this time of crisis, Clinton knew how the White House works having supported her husband there. It would mean a quicker settling in phase and then the real business could be started. But I'm not complaining, I'm sure he will do a good job.

The thing I will say is that I am saddened that the first African-American president has come before the first Native American president. After all they were there first. I have some very close friends who live in Texas and are part of the Comanche tribe and they haven't had it easy. Everyday their heritage is slipping further and further away from them. In a country that is said to embrace you no matter where you come from (within reason) it seems to have forgotten the people who populated it first, who showed the English how to make the most of the land that they were in and shared their knowledge. In return they were massacred.

In Australia, things are even worse. Until a few years ago, aboriginal children were taken from their families and re-homed with white Australians. This is because they were seen as being unable to bring up their own children. Rather than taking them away, why not actually help them if you think they are that bad. They really are treated as an undermenchen (the German word for underclass or sub-human, which was used to refer to the Jewish people during Hitler's leadership) which for one of the oldest races in the world, saddens me greatly.

This has turned into a bit of an essay so I will stop here, but I urge you to think about those that are forgotten by the majority and hopefully one day things will change. Maybe under Obama they will...

YAY!

2009-01-16T18:14:00.003Z

After 6 months....

I have a job!

I still can't quite believe it! It's subject to references and health checks but it's pretty much in the bag. I'm so excited (in case you couldn't tell hehe).

The job is in a Stroke rehabilitation centre at my local hospital which is perfect for me because I can put my knowledge from my degree to good use (I completed a Rehabilitation module last year) and it will give me good experience for my Phd program. Also they are willing to let me do my MRes part time and will work around that. Ok so it's shift work and there will be a lot of crap (literally sometimes) but I really don't care.

I still have another interview to go to next week for a job in another hospital that pays a lot more but might not be as good for me as this is. Anywho whatever happens I have a job. Just would be better if my mother didn't rain all over my parade with her concerns about shift work etc but I'm a night owl so it doesn't bother me.

Lets see how Thursday goes, but for now I'm over the moon!

The Best of 2008

2009-01-14T22:31:00.000Z

So here it is, my roundup of favorite products for 2008:

Best Liquid Foundation:
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse: Technically not a liquid but I am really impressed!

Best Mineral Foundation:
Pure Luxe in Creamy Natural: Perfect match but the texture could be better on the skin.

Best Blush:
Mac Plum Foolery: Perfect wintery plum colour

Best Concealer:
Everyday Minerals Sunlight Concealer: Covers up my undereye circles when I seriously need it!

Overall Favorite Eyeshadow Brand:
Urban Decay: I'm on a mission to collect them all. So far I think I have 11 to go and some of those aren't readily available in the UK. The texture is great, they last and are so pigmented!

Best Single Eyeshadow Product:
Mac Vanilla Pigment: A truly versatile product but at it's prettiest when applied wet, it becomes the most gorgeous white gold colour.

Best Eyeliner:
Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Honey: Looks like liquid gold and really brings out the honey tones in my eyes.

Best Mascara:
Max Factor 2000 Calories: Great staying power, lengthens, volumises and thickens the lashes.

Best Lip Gloss:
Mac Pink Grapefruit lipglass or Mac Wonderstruck lustreglass: Pink Grapefruit is just so pretty and goes well with my colouring, Wonderstruck goes with pretty much anything.

Best Lipstick:
Mac Lollipop Loving (would be Viva Glam V but I technically got that in 2009): Perfect peachy/pink lipstick with green shimmer.

Best Lip Liner:
Boots No 7 in Nude: My almost exact lip colour but goes with everything.

Outstanding Brush:
Coastal Scents Tapered Crease Brush: Works great at applying and blending colour in the crease.

Outstanding Tool:
QVS Slanted Tweezers: Cheap (£1.99) and do a great job.

Best Packaging:
Mac Heatherette Collection: Who can't resist bright pink with multicoloured mirror ball's all over!

Honorable Mention:
Mac Paint Pots, NYX Round Lipsticks and NYX Megashine gloss: Things that I loved that I didn't get to make a point of.

If you want a review of any products, leave me a comment!

Review: S&G Scrub You're Nose In It

2009-01-12T13:06:00.005Z

Continuing along my foray into Soap and Glory products, I bring you:

Scrub your nose in it (SYNII) is branded as a face scrub and mask in one. It has a clay base to it which would explain the face mask aspect and contains fruit acids to aid the teeny tiny grains in their exfoliation.

This comes out of the tube as a blue clay blob, quite smooth in texture with these fine grains. It has a weird menthol type scent to it which isn't necessarily that pleasant. You are advised to apply to a damp t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) rubbing in gentle circular motion and then drag it out to the rest of the face where you supposedly don't need as much exfoliation. In my case i need to exfoliate my cheeks fairly well as this is where my face gets really dry and flaky. You can simply then rinse this off or leave it on for 3 minutes as a quick mask.

Now I usually use Lush's Angels on Bare Skin as my exfoliator of choice. It again contains a clay base but has tons of lavender essential oil in it and oats and the like to exfoliate with rather than the fruit acids. I like the way my skin feels after SYNII, the fine fine grains leave it soft and smooth, however I feel that the clay doesn't help to mattify like the clay in my Lush exfoliator does. I've used this product every other morning for 2 weeks and have to say I haven't noticed any breakouts but then again I haven't noticed my skin getting brighter or my pores becoming more refined (as it is claimed to do). I guess we will just have to see on that front.

It costs £6.85 from Boots for 125 ml tube. I received the sample size 75 ml in a Christmas present and I have to say you really only need a pea sized amount and I haven't noticed the amount in my tube decreasing so it really will last a long time. I don't know if I would purchase the full size because Lush have just brought out the new Hells Angels exfoliator which I really want to try so stay tuned for that review!

All in all it's a good exfoliator for the face but personally I think it's not the best in the world.

Here we go again.

2009-01-07T17:00:00.002Z

I have yet another interview next week!

It's for a CSW (Clinical Support Worker) position at my local hospital in the Stroke rehabilitation unit. It's a great opportunity for me because for the doctorate program I want to do, it is strongly urged that you have an understanding of the care system in addition to an academic background.

Today was the literacy and numeracy tests. I got 100% apparently and I've been allocated the first interview for the 16th January and I'm feeling very confident. I think I have an edge because one of my final year modules at university was on rehabilitation and especially Stroke so I understand the mechanisms and causes of Stroke as well as the most effective methods of rehabilitating patients.

The job is as a general ward dogsbody really but I don't mind all of that. I think my only competitor out of the people that were there today is one girl who is currently doing health and social care at the local college. But hey we'll just have to see what happens. It's good to stay positive.

Fingers Crossed for Flawless Skin

2009-01-05T17:36:00.007Z

So for a while I've not been happy with my foundation. I've been a mineral user for about 4 years but I've finally snapped. I cannot be dealing with the hassle of having to buff all the layers of powder and primer out and still not being happy after spending literally 15 minutes just trying to do my foundation. I've used Bare Minerals, Everyday Minerals, Pure Luxe and Lily Lolo (with PL being my fave). Rather than helping to cover imperfections, it seemed to draw more attention to it. So I took the plunge and bought something else. This to be exact:

Now I know that Pinksealight (Kelly) raves about it and to be honest I have tried it before, when it first came out about 5 years ago. I really like the texture and the finish it gives but I just couldn't find a good colour match. However now I have (Cameo) and I have to say I am rather pleased.

In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, this is a whipped mousse foundation, silicone based, that gives a powdery finish to the skin (hence the matte in the name). This is like the next generation cream to powder foundation. A little really does go a long way but I've found over the last couple of days of wearing it that it takes a while to set properly on my face and look good but I don't mind that, it's better than looking worse after a while hehe.

I also picked up the Ms Makeup dual ended foundation brush to use with this: it has a conventional foundation brush at one end and a smaller concealer head at the other end which is great for the under eyes and contours around the nose. This was £7.82 in Boots.

It's early days yet, we'll have to see what happens after a couple of weeks of use. If you're in the UK you can pick this up for £4.84 at the moment in both Boots and Superdrug.

Quick Hair Tip:

2009-01-04T16:30:00.004Z

When your hair serum says to use in "wet hair" then use it in wet hair.

I have frizzy hair a lot of the time near my scalp and had been using John Frieda's Frizz Ease Serum (Normal):

but wasn't really noticing any difference. After I've washed my hair I always wrap it in a towel, head upstairs and then put my serum in. However I noticed yesterday that it in fact says to use on wet hair rather than damp hair. So armed with the hair turban I received for Christmas (Thanks Kimmy!) and my serum I headed to the bathroom. Straight after washing I manipulated a blog of serum through my soaking wet hair, wrapped it in the turban and went about my business.

After half and hour in the turban I unwrapped my hair and let it dry naturally which is when i experience the most frizz. Cue me about to walk out the door later in the day and when I checked myself in the mirror, there was no frizz in sight! I am utterly amazed! That will teach me to actually follow the directions on a product for once...

My New Love

2009-01-02T22:06:00.003Z

Lets say showering at Le Boyfriend's is not a pleasant experience. He lives with 3 other guys and the bathroom is clean but not somewhere you really want to spend that long in. Factor in that it's downstairs and running through the house in just a towel can cause a multitude of problems, bathing isn't the experience I'm used to at home. Upon returning to said home, I like to unwind with a nice bath and take the time to pamper myself (especially after the few days I've had).

Tonight I decided to use some of the Christmas presents that had found their way into my possession. Namely a Soap and Glory gift set. Within this set is a new Holy Grail product for me, The Righteous Butter:

Now I'm not one to religiously moisturise my skin even though I know that if I did I would probably be a lot happier. One of the reasons for this is that a majority of body lotions make my skin itch and I just have to wipe them off after a few seconds because its unbearable. As far as body butter's go, they (especially The Body shop range) feel so heavy on my skin and never sink in regardless of how little I put on.

But this little pot of miracles is perfect. It is a body butter but it has a gel like consistency when you massage it in which I think can be attributed to the Shea butter and Aloe Vera gel it contains. It sinks straight in a leaves the skin feeling hydrated. The scent is a sweet floral with the typical Shea butter smell in the background. I didn't have to use too much for the whole body so it will last a while. It comes in 50ml or 300ml sizes with the 300ml priced at £9.78. The range is available from Boots in the UK. Oh and S&G don't test on animals so it's even better :o)

It's 2009 and Resolutions

2009-01-02T19:34:00.003Z

So I hope you all had a great New Year. Mine was rather interesting. It started with a simultaneous tyre blowout and engine failure on the way to Le Boyfriend's house (spent 2 hours standing between the entrance and exit at Junction 9 of the M25 in the freezing cold) on the day before NYE and then collapsing just before we went out on NYE. Ended up getting takeout and playing Guitar Hero with Le Boyfriend's housemates which was actually quite fun and I may have drunk rather a little too much...Oh well.

As far as resolutions go:

1) Get a Job: I'm on my way to doing this. I have an assessment on the 7th at the local hospital for a CSW position which will look good on my CV and go well towards my doctorate application. I am more than qualified for it and know a lot of people that are CSW's there so it would be quite fun (even if it involves shift work!).

That's about it! Normal service will be resumed shortly, just trying to get into the swing of things again after the Christmas break. Hope everyone is doing well and wish you a happy and healthy 2009!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-29T12:11:00.004Z

So Christmas has been and gone and I won't get a chance to blog again before new year so I hope you all have a good one.

Christmas in our house was very good, I am a very lucky girl indeed. I'm not one to brag about what I received, but lets just say I got something that rhymes with "Fripod Such" and another thing that rhymes with...well a Nintendo DS Lite.

I wasn't expecting either, didn't even ask for them and was very very much surprised on Christmas day. I just spent this afternoon trying to buy a case for the Fripod but everywhere is sold out of pretty much everything. But I did manage to get a silicon case and screen protector for £5 from HMV, which will tide me over till the Apple store gets some decent ones in. Other things of note present wise were Butler and Wilson Ruby Slippers Jewellery and The Sound of The Smiths (which I was very very excited about because there is stuff on the CD that I don't own and haven't heard before).

Anywho, I hope everyone is well and you all have a healthy and happy New Year. Let's Hope 2009 is better than 2008!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T00:03:00.002Z

Just a quick note to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope you all have a great time, eat a lot and just enjoy being with family (I know it can be hard sometimes!). Will post some photos from the day at a later point. Best wishes and hugs to all!

It's Christmas! (Almost...)

2008-12-19T19:02:00.003Z

Today I was in a really Christmas mood because I heard Band Aid for the first time and it's a good Christmas song (for me anyway, lots of memories of singing it in the Choir at school). So I decided to do a Christmas look and embrace my naturally curly hair for once. I also wanted to try out my new Bare Escentuals Prime Time. I'd had a couple of samples a while ago and didn't get round to buying the full size. When looking back at some photos recently I realised the ones where my foundation looks really good is when I was wearing this primer. So I trawled eBay and managed to pick a full size up for half the RRP! Pretty good in my opinion. I'll post a detailed review next week some time but let's just say I'm really happy! Anywho, on with the pics and products:

Weird angle pose, makes it look like the eye on the right has been photoshopped in...

I'm liking the smooth skin finish.

Products used:

FACE:
BE Prime Time
Everyday Minerals Intensive Foundation in Fairly Light Neutral
Everyday Minerals Finishing Dust
NYX Natural Cream Blush
NYX Highlighting Mosaic Powder

EYES:
UDPP
Mac Paint Pot in Bare Study
TKB Trading Forged Gold (applied wet)
Mac Heritage Rouge pigment
Mac Vanilla pigment
Mac Engraved powerpoint to tightline
UD 24/7 liners in Honey and Covet (lower lashline)
Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara
UD Brown Sugar Brow Box

LIPS:
NYX Megashine Juicy Cherry gloss

16 Random Facts

2008-12-18T14:59:00.000Z

So I was tagged to do a "16 Random Things About Yourself" post. Normally I don't subscribe to such trivial things but I thought it would be a fun thing to do. Let me just add that 16 things is a lot when you don't want to bum people out or scare them about you! So without further ado here are 16 things you may or may not know about me:

1) I am an only child. This is pretty much an obvious fact about me.

2) I am allergic to Chili. I have to be extremely careful around people cooking and eating anything with Chili in it otherwise I stop breathing. I have got better over recent years and can now just about eat a curry without needing to stab myself in the leg with an adrenaline shot.

3) I don't listen to my Dr. Even though I know I should probably lose weight, I don't want to try too hard because I secretly like being the curvy person I am. Plus I am quite healthy even though I eat crap a lot.

4) I collect Absolut vodka second skins.This is an example of one of the ones from this year. They are basically plastic cases that house bottles of vodka. But they are so pretty. There have only been 7 (I think) and I have 5 of them: Summer (seen above), Disco (you can hang it up like a disco ball!), Bling (a gold case, my first one in fact that was a present), Colours (a rainbow one to celebrate gay pride, possibly my fave) and Masquerade (the new one for this Christmas, a fabric one covered in red sequins). The other 2 are Snow and Chilly and are near impossible to get hold of because they are a good few years old.

5) I'm a bit of a tech geek. While at uni I was the person in my college that people came to with their IT problems. Drove my room mate up the wall with the pieces of computers strewn everywhere (I did in on purpose a lot of the time...). I even built my dad a computer once.

6) My name on my passport is wrong. On my birth certificate I have a double barrelled first name. However the passport office negated the hyphen and it really annoys me. Coupled with the fact my photo looks nothing like me and you've got a passport for someone that doesn't exist.

7) One of the happiest moments of my life so far was meeting Bill Bryson at my graduation and having my photo taken with him. I've read all of his books but 1 and they cheer me up when I'm feeling down.

8) I don't talk to my extended family. This includes my Aunt/Uncle and my Nan. You can only be insulted so many times before you snap. Sure I feel bad about not having the same close relationships I see other people have with their cousins and grandparents. But when you're one and only surviving grandparent calls you a fat, alcoholic slut and your Aunt freely admits she hates you because you got to go to University and she didn't, then those are people I don't want to be associated with. I wouldn't take that crap from so called friends, I don't expect it from my family.

9) I have wanted to be a clinical psychologist since the age of 13. I've wanted to study psychology since the age of 11. A friend of mine can attest that when waling home from school one day, she told me I would end up a very successful clinical psychologist and marry some Italian guy and move to Italy for a bohemian lifestyle. There's still time...

10) I daydream all the time. In a way I'm like JD from Scrubs; I play out alternate endings to decisions I've made over and over again in my head. Sometimes it means I confuse reality and fantasy but most of the time I get it right hehe.

11) I find it hard to hang onto friends. I keep in contact with no one from my primary school. From secondary school I occasionally talk to 2 people. From college I talk to 1 person. Finally since graduating I have spoken to 2 people on a regular basis. There is one person in my life that I maintain is my best friend because she really does know the most about me (not everything though because I fear she will judge me for some of it). However since university we've seen each other a handful of times and spoken a few more. Guess it's just the pressures of work and stuff but it makes me sad that we don't have the closeness we once did. I'm going to make an effort to see her over Christmas.

12) I love musicals. Much to the annoyance of those around me I love them. I don't care that they are cheesy and not true to life, I love them. I like the classics as well as the newer ones. If you ask which is my favorite I cannot pick. But if you count the ones I've watched the most it's a straight tie between The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Summer Holiday (yes the Cliff Richard one, I insisted on watching it at least once a week when I was a lot younger. I almost wore the tape out!)

13) My ultimate comfort food is Cod in Parsley sauce with Pilau Rice. Don't even ask me how this combination started but I love it. You boil up the fish in it's boil in the bag goodness and microwave the rice. Then you plonk the fish and sauce on top of the rice, eat all the fish with the least amount of sauce possible and then mix the rice with the remaining sauce. I used to eat this again, at least once a week until the age of about 15. In fact I'm craving it now...

14) My first ever boyfriend almost proposed to me. Ok so we were like 6 and were best friends, but his mum caught him trying to take her engagement ring into school one day to give to me. I never knew until a couple of years ago and it still fills me with shame and embarrassment now whenever I see his sisters because they always mention it!

15) I can't eat egg white. I don't know what it is but I can't do it. Give me a yolk any day! I can just about manage a poached egg but not scrambled. And don't even get me started on egg mayonnaise, that's something you really don't want to consume near me.

16) I love really strong coffee. I freak people out in coffee shops when I ask for 3 extra shots of espresso in addition to the 2 they give you in a medium drink. Even then it's not quite to my liking. It's not about the caffeine buzz for me, it's about the taste. I just love really good tasting coffee.

So that's it, 16 random facts that were quite hard to think of really. Hope I didn't bore you to death and I tag anyone that wants to do this!

My NYX Goodies Came!

2008-12-16T17:34:00.010Z

So look what arrived for me today! My missing Cherry Culture Order(s)!

I made these during the Thanksgiving sales with some store credit that I had. And then Royal Mail lost them. But now I have them after a lengthy back and forward with the post office.

The Gloss:

L-R: NYX Sheer Glosses in Brilliant (a fuchsia pink with glitter), Orange, Lavender Note and Vintage and NYX Megashine Gloss in Juicy Cherry and Smokey Look.

The great thing about the Sheer Glosses is that they are those squeeze tubes but they have a brush built in to the end to help spread the gloss around better. Both different types of gloss are 15ml and cost $5 from Cherry Culture but are on sale at $4.50 and $4 respectively.

More Lips:
NYX slim lip pencil in Plush Red and Round lipsticks in: Snow White, Vitamin, Iris and B52.

I have a fair few of the round lipsticks already and I love the consistency of them. And being so cheap (currently $1.50, usually $3.50) they are really worth it!

Eye and Face Stuff:

NYX Single eyeshadow in Alaska (a purple/blue grey), Glitter mania in Purple (Lilac with green and blue) and Apple (Orange with pink, yellow and green), Pearl Mania in Pearl White and Lime, Jumbo Eye Pencils in Pacific (Blue) and Rust (Brownish red), Candy Glitter Liner in Disco Queen (Black base with vibrant multi-coloured glitter) and finally down the bottom, Cream Blush in Natural (yes I have swiped it already...).

You can check prices of these online, but nothing was over $5.

Other Stuff:

Top Row L-R: Sinful colours nail polish in - San Francisco (Deep emerald green), Delightful (Mauve with gold shimmer), Pearl Harbour (Glitter City more like) and Coco Diamond (Brown with glitter, quite sheer). Bottom Rom L-R: Nyx Girls Polish in 227 (silver hearts) and 245 (red hearts).

I am a green fiend and San Francisco is a must have colour, it's so dark and intense. The others I got on a whim and the hearts, well they are in time for valentines day (I'm sad like that hehe)

So there you have it. My NYX haul in all it's glory. No more shopping for me for a while now. Though I have just got a 15% off voucher for eBay...

Any swatches you want or reviews feel free to let me know!

Monday Beauty: Its a Catastrophe!

2008-12-15T17:16:00.000Z

Recently due to illness and stress and depression, my skin has been playing up a lot. I don't have the most sophisticated skin care regime in the world but even that wasn't working for me. I had severe redness and small spots and a million and one things that I wont go into. So what do I do when I have a crisis like this?

I cover my face in blueberries like this:

You didn't seriously believe I would post a picture of myself in a face mask on the internet did you?

I use a good old fresh face mask from Lush. Catastrophe Cosmetic in fact (apt name don't you think) which is filled with blueberries for their antioxidant powers in addition to calamine to soothe the skin as well as lots of other nutritious ingredients.

It's to be used in a crisis or the prevention of one and I love it! You have to keep them in the fridge because they are fresh and have no preservatives. The cooling sensation when you use it is amazing and instantly peps me up and calms me down. I notice an immediate calming of the skin when rinsing it off and after using it every other day for a couple of weeks, there is a great improvement.

This is one of those products that is an indulgence for me rather than a necessity (although this time it was definitely needed). I like the idea that Lush will give you a free face mask when you return 5 black pots to them. They are also happy to provide samples of all the fresh face masks and there is a great range out there in which you are bound to find the one perfect for you!

A Girls Point of View

2008-12-15T01:23:00.004Z

What did you do this weekend?

I had an enjoyable weekend of eating far too much good food and drinking a little too much on Saturday night (Mojito's and cider sit very well with me). After 3 hours playing pool and laughing at 3 girls who were clearly there to pick up guys (and very unsuccessfully I might add when you add in the fact they had no clue how pool works) our group returned home and my role as the only girl was put to good use. No not in that way (you people have disturbing minds), I was called upon to provide A Girl's Point of View to a range of issues. Namely:

"We hugged, I hugged her back then eased it off, but she hugged me tighter! What does it mean?" (One guy talking about the moment he gave his recent ex the Christmas present he got her)

"I think I've met someone else. How do I tell my girlfriend I don't want to be with her? Was thinking of doing it on Christmas Day, just before lunch so I don't have to get her a present" (From what I thought was a one of the Nice Guys)

"You know my wife? Well we're getting divorced. How do I tell her I'm living with her sister and should have married her instead?" (At this point I thought I was on Jeremy Kyle - the low rate British version of Jerry Springer for you Americans out there)

Those are the 3 that I probably spent the most time answering and the others were a bit too rude and personal to answer here. I was thinking to myself that I thought I knew these guys, they seemed very normal and someone I would actively try to set up with my female friends. But it isn't until you bond with them and are left alone to talk, that you see the real them.

I have been told by countless male friends that I seem to bridge the gap between males and females. I suppose it's because Mon Papa always secretly wanted a son and being his only child, he wanted to bond with me over something since I never saw him. My friends who's parents are divorced probably see their fathers more than I see mine. He's always gone to work before I get up and comes home about half and hour before I went to bed (back when I had a 9pm bedtime). Weekends were the only time (and still are) when I actually got to spend any time with him. So we ended up doing things he wanted to do: rugby, photography, motor sport and DIY to name a few. So I have this typically male side of me and then I overcompensate with my cosmetic addiction to make me feel more female when secretly I love to just bum round the house in jeans and t-shirt, probably covered in mud and the like.

(image courtesy of DeviantArt - sorry no user name available but entitled "A Girl's point of View")

Growing up, I was the one who always wanted to play football with the boys at every available opportunity rather than Netball which girls should play (I HATE Netball). When all the girls are braiding their hair with daisies and doing cartwheels, I was playing conkers or digging a tunnel to freedom with the boys. I also remember that at my Primary school they used to mix two year groups together and I used to always volunteer to sit with the boys from the year above. It wasn't an attraction thing (although seeing them recently I have to admit they are rather attractive now). I sat with them because I could have a laugh and I was accepted as this strange girl that somehow was just as good as them at all these things they liked to do. Being thrown into an all girls Convent School and subsequent all girls sixth-form changed all that, but I do wonder how I would have turned out if I'd gone to the mixed comprehensive and college in my town.

Even now, in a group of strangers, girls always seem to have a problem with me because I have this natural affinity with the male species. They think I'm moving in on their territory but really I've just found someone who shares my hatred of Mr Button or who doesn't understand why girls go to the toilet in pairs in clubs and bars (Stark, I'm talking about you here!). I do have a large number of homosexual male friends too, one of which I've known most of my life and even knew he was gay before he did! I guess I just have this affinity with guys more than girls. A large group of girls does scare me after a while which is why I think I've gone home early after nearly every Girls Only night's out because they just annoy me after a while (even though they are my friend's and I love most of them to death).

The moral of this story is that I'm someone is is equally confused by both male and female behaviour so I can give you advice about both and neither at the same time. Oh and be careful ladies, you don't know what you're boyfriend is saying behind your back to a girl he almost threw up on at 2am.

All in all...

2008-12-11T18:00:00.003Z

So here is a review of today.

Good Things:

Really positive interview considering I had no idea what they were going to ask and it culminated in a chat about student life.
Hair looked pretty alright without doing anything to it
Wore heels all day without ending it in a crippled heap
Vitamin Water does what it says on the bottle - felt the effect of the natural caffeine and helped me through the interview.
Mesmerized Interview Guy with breasts even though they were fully covered (I went to shake his hand and he just stood there staring a foot higher than where my hand was, and it wasn't my face). This provided great amusement for me and Interview Girl.
The sight of "Colors", a gay club always amuses me. The building is painted as one giant rainbow flag, subtle don't you think?

Bad Things:

Couldn't find my watch.
Realised my foundation really doesn't match so had to take all my makeup off and start again.
It was unbelievably cold to the point where I couldn't feel my toes and it was a sensation that creeped the hell out of me.
I had that annoying old woman sit next to me on the bus who will not stop talking regardless of what you are doing i.e. trying to read over some notes before said interview.
Really wanted to just stay in bed today because it was so warm.
Ended up having a cold bath because it's cast iron and no matter how hot the water is, the bath retains cold and affects the water.
Missed yet more parcels today while at said interview.
White Cat Hair + Black outfit = Disaster
Standing at the bus stop to come home I was almost blinded by some flying glass. Thankfully it lightly brushed past the side of my head.

All in all I felt quite positive today. Now I just have to raise my body temperature to an acceptable level and I might survive the night in the house with no heating.

Randomness

2008-12-11T00:14:00.004Z

So Tuesday I had an interview with H+M which went quite well and now I just have to wait till Monday to find out about that and I have an interview tomorrow (well today now when I'm writing this) at my local hospital for a Finance Assistant job (fingers crossed).

But tonight I had to head across the river with the papa to return our coffee maker to John Lewis. See my dad is a gadget freak and decided to get a Nespresso machine, you know one of those ones that George Clooney advertises (I secretly think my dad thought he would turn into GC upon buying said machine). All was fine for a couple of months till one day it stopped working. So today was decided as the day to trek to the store and return it for a new one. Well they wont just give you a new one they have to send it off for repair first which sucks because I like my coffee in the mornings and now we have no other coffee machine and I'm a bit snobby for instant (it just isn't the same!).

Anywho so I thought while we were there I could make a quick trip to MAC. Which I did. I was in and out in less than 30 seconds. You see my friends I wanted a new foundation. I desperately need one and was toying with the idea of investing in MAC. But when I walked up to the counter they were quite busy and plus my parents were just kind of standing there a little too awkwardly for my liking. So i promptly left and I'm now in a quandary because I missed a really good opportunity to actually examine the products. Guess I'll have to see what I can do at the weekend. But before I go, I shall leave you with a very random photo of my "Going to MAC" makeup.

For some reason I look totally different in every photo that's taken of me. Just for the girls here's the breakdown:

Face:
Pure Luxe Mineral Foundation in Creamy Natural (Sounds so wrong!)
MAC Invisible Pro Set Powder
NYX Taupe Blush to contour
UD Afterglow Blush in Score (Which appears pink rather than peach on my skin)
NYX Mosaic Powder in Highlighter (Apples of cheeks)

Eyes:
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Cottage Cheese (Lid)
MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study (Rest of eye)
TKB Trading pigment in Echo (inner 1/2)
MAC Softwash Grey pigment (outer 1/2)
NYX Single e/s in Purple (Crease)
MAC e/s in Shroom (Highlight)
UD 24/7 liners in Lust and Gunmetal (waterline and lashline respectively)
UD Brow set in Brown Sugar
Max Factor 2000 Calorie mascara

Lips:
MAC Lipglass in Sock Hop (Heatherette Collection)

The Horror of Shopping

2008-12-07T18:52:00.002Z

I live not that far from the 7th largest shopping centre in the UK (and just a bit further from the 2nd largest). So when it comes to shopping I am pretty much set, just a 10 minute drive and I'm at the site of over 300 shops and can buy pretty much what I want. However there is just one down side to this:

Christmas.

It's a total nightmare at this time of the year, but I hadn't properly realised until yesterday. I have spent a large proportion of my working life at this shopping centre. It's a right of passage in my town for teenagers, all of whom at one point or another can say "I worked at Lakeside."

The problem is, when you work there, you don't appreciate what is happening outside of your store. Yow know it's Christmas and you're going to be busy and the store is rammed with customers, but you kind of think that it might just be where you work. My last job there was located right in the middle of the centre where the giant Christmas tree is (and Santa's grotto) so you could get a feel for what the volume of people was like. But I wasn't prepared for what I saw yesterday.

I needed to get a few little bits a pieces which weren't worth buying online. So my kind father dropped me off a mile outside the centre because traffic was already bad and he refused to take me any further. It was at times, impossible to actually move. People were just standing around (contemplating life I like to think) and looking rather aimless. I was fortunate to bump (quite literally) into a friend of mine, who promptly accosted me to help him pick out presents for his girlfriend. To be honest I was pleased for the distraction because I found myself unable to think about what I wanted to get. It was so oppressive and suffocating and I'm normally one who's happy in a crowd.

In the end I came away with a book for each of my parents (other things I already have) and that was it. Matt on the other hand was glad to see me because he could use my old staff discount. He walked away with a very nice (and rather expensive) diamond ring.

Guess I'll be buying a hat for his wedding soon.

You may think he's attractive, I'm more repulsed

2008-12-04T21:44:00.004Z

Today I've had some really good news.

The Honda F1 Team may be shutting up shop if they can't find a buyer in the next few weeks. This makes me extremely happy as a Formula 1 fan because I cannot stand one Mr Jenson Button, seen here:

(Photo courtesy of richardyoungonline.com)

He was supposed to be the next big British driver quite a few years ago. His biggest achievement was 3rd place about 5 years ago (I only know this because it was the subject of an English exam I had to do). Ok so the teams he's driven for have never had a really good set up and has always been at the lower end of the results table. But you can't just blame it on the equipment all the time. If he really had any talent he would be able to make the best of a bad lot. Instead he acts like an international playboy but never really delivers in his races.

I do feel bad that the team is going under as a result of the recession. However things do run a lot deeper than that. I have a friend that works for Mercedes McClaren and was reliably informed that if Lewis Hamilton had not won the championship this year, their sponsors were going to pull out and they wouldn't have been able to continue next year without that funding.

It seems that the recession is even hitting the sports world (whoever saw that coming). I hope Honda do find a buyer because they aren't a bad team but it would definitely make me laugh so hard to see Jenson Button out of a "job".

Oh and I am extremely glad that Formula 1 is back on BBC - no more advert breaks just when the most exciting part of the race has happened or the annoying Sony HD mini adverts. But I do not relish the return of guest appearances by Murry Walker...he retired a long time ago and should stay retired.

Monday Beauty: How important is Contouring?

2008-12-03T18:07:00.002Z

So I totally missed Monday Beauty this week and I apologise to my female readers that come her for that. Therefore here is something I've cobbled together in about 5 minutes:

Contouring is one of those little tricks that only Makeup artists were privy to up until well I'll say the release of the MAC sculpt and shape collection. Now it seems that contouring is a term batted around but not a lot of people are comfortable with it. The main idea is to create the illusion of good bone structure where there isn't any. When you just apply foundation your face is a blank canvas and can look lifeless and flat. By adding shading and highlighting you can bring back the natural look and look more 'human' The main aspect is to darken the hollows of the face to emphasise cheek bones. This can be done with anything from a bronzer to an eyeshadow. The most popular, suits anyone product, is MAC Blush in Emote which was sadly discontinued, you can however find this at a lot of CCO's. (Cosmetic Company Outlets). I use the next best thing which is NYX Blush in Taupe:

(Photo courtesy of dbp1515 @ MUA)

Doesn't it look so unappealing as a blush? But dab a bit on an angled blush brush (I got mine at Coastal Scents), pull the fish face by sucking in your cheeks and lightly apply to the hollow that's created.

The only other thing to do is add some highlight to the tops of the cheek bones (just under your eye) and you are pretty much done. Add some blush in between and then blend it together with a fluffy brush and there you have it! There are lots of videos on YouTube about this if you need any help, but it really isn't that difficult and will help you look more complete.

Is It Really For All of Us?

2008-12-03T11:18:00.002Z

My attention was drawn to this article on the YouTube blog.

In summary it concerns some steps that Google is taking to ensure that YouTube is safer and namely more appropriate for all potential viewers.

I agree with the removal of pornographic content, it doesn't belong that much in the public domain and anyway there is the other 98% of the internet for you if that's your kind of thing. However there are one or two other things that concern me on the blog.

The restriction on viewing sexually suggestive material for instance; what is classed as sexually suggestive? The first thing that comes to mind is ABoyWearingMakeup aka Mathieu's videos when he does his own versions of popular music videos, namely Britney Spears. That being said, what about the original. If Britney is seen gyrating around a pole in a music video, is that not sexually suggestive? What is the point in YT allowing over 18's only to watch it when it can be seen at any time of the day or night on the countless TV music channels out there.

There is also the question of appropriate language. A lot of people use YT as a personal forum to convey their views and opinions on topics du jour and get some kind of release from this. It's the next generation blogging. The most accurate and best videos are those when you just speak your mind. How can you do this now if you are constantly thinking about the fact that you might be punished for the use of expletives. I'm not one to condone the use of perpetual expletives in conversation but the occasional one is necessary in my humble opinion.

The final thing that concerns me is the use of misleading tags. I have witnessed it happening but sometimes an innocent tag that seems out of place is sometimes the most relevant of all to the video WHEN YOU WATCH IT. So is YT going to go through and watch every single video to judge if it's tags are correct?

This reminds me of the recent MySpace debacle with the Postsecret account. MS automatically made the blog private without consulting the owner of the account because they were worried about the amount of traffic the blog was getting. Now the only way to see it is by signing up to MS and adding Postsecret as a friend. What was the problem in millions of people reading about the trials and tribulations of other people? It gives you some perspective on your own life and assures you that you are in fact not the only one who feels the same way.

In my opinion yes these may not be the harshest steps that Google and YT could come up with and they make sense for the most part. But where are they leading? Is this the beginning of something bigger? Are we about to be censored on the one thing where anyone with a camera and a computer can make a video about anything?

I'm skeptical that it's going to just stop here.

It's a bit late but...

2008-12-01T21:42:00.002Z

Today is/was World Aids Day. Lets all take some time to think about the impact of Aids on the world today and hope that one day we can educate enough people to stop the spread of this virus. And if you're a MAC fan, I urge you all to go and buy at least one thing from the Viva Glam collection, of which all the money from sales goes to the MAC Aids Foundation.

Doctor = Vampire

2008-12-01T16:32:00.002Z

I would like to thank everyone that has shown concern over the past couple of weeks and wished me well. It truely is amazing that people you've never met are concerned about you.

Anywho, today I was ordered back to the hospital for more tests. It turns out that the previous set I had were inconclusive for the most part and even though the antibiotics I have been taking have reduced the symptoms, they haven't disappeared completely. So I spent 2 hours being jabbed with needles, poked and prodded before being sent for an ultrasound and fMRI. I'm happy to report that the only conclusion that can be drawn from today is that I'm not pregnant, but I knew that already. I've only had one fMRI before and they really are boring as hell - 45 minutes lying in a tube where under no circumstances are you allowed to move. At all. Blinking is ok. But that's it. Any more and you might alter the results.

Enough already.

In conclusion, I'm feeling about a million times better but I'm still "ill" according to the hospital. Oh well just got to wait and see. hope everyone had a fabulous weekend, mine was filled with being forced to watch reality television with teh folks. Not being able to move is really an inconvinience when you're parents love I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and Strictly Come Dnacing (which secretly I like watching but only because I can critically evaluate the dances being a dancer myself).

I'm rambling, I really need to get a hold on that.

If only it was this simple

2008-11-30T15:17:00.000Z

more animals

Feels Proud

2008-11-30T12:54:00.003Z

One of my goals in life is to be quoted in a book. I really would love to have some child studying Psychology have to go through the hassle of remembering how to spell my surname and the details of my study (and most importantly the date, it gets you extra marks). Well I'm one step closer to that dream! I had to email a lecturer of mine for a reference the other day and low and behold I get a reply today saying he would be happy to and that I should ask for his new book for Christmas. Myself and the lecturer in question have quite a good rapport so I cheekily emailed him back and asked why I should ask my parents to provide him with royalties. The answer is that I and a few of my classmates are acknowledged towards the back of the book for our help coding observations for him and "for showing a great interest in the subject and providing stimulating debate. I hope you go far and it gives me a great pleasure to know I have had an impact on at least 5 people's lives."

I don't want to give too much away because no one here is going to be interested in reading it (apart from me) but it's about Child Psychology and what comes first: being a parent or a Psychologist. So Chas, if you're reading this, thank you for making my dream one step closer and I think you were my second favorite lecturer (after Muncie, no one can beat his sarcasm).

Tuesday Review: Zoomlash = FAIL

2008-11-26T22:31:00.005Z

This is a tuesday review, a little early, but I thought that it was necessary because of how appaulingly bad this product is.

So I thought I would try a MAC mascara just to see what all the fuss was about (plus you can b2m them when finished). A friend of mine in the real world had a sample size that she got free with an online order and she just chucked it my way.

Well I have to say I won't be buying a full size one. It's described by MAC as:

This instant volume mascara power-lifts the lashes into length, curls them up...builds them faster than you can wink! Precision control wand glides smoothly down lashes to provide a gorgeously silky upward “sweep”. Smudgeproof and long-wearing!

Umm how about no. I did not get any volume from this and felt that it actually weighed my lashes down as the curl dropped within minutes of applying. They certainly got some length but it looked like I was missing half my lashes! Also this definitely wasn't smudgeproof and long wearing, I walked to the shop opposite my house and when I got back found that I had grey smudges under my eyes. The formula is really wet and takes an age to dry in the first place. Also the brush is quite small yet full but I think the bristles are a bit too close together and therefore it's impossible to coat all your lashes. All in all this was a big fail for me and I urge you all to not buy this! So glad I just got it for free as I was considering buying it at some point, not any more!

Edit: Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers. Let us all be thankful for something today!

RIP Woolworths

2008-11-26T22:09:00.002Z

So the retailer Woolworths has gone into administration in the UK. To be honest it really is no wonder if you look at my local store. It's split into 2 levels, the top one getting the most business as it has the snacks, books and cd's there and it faces directly onto the top of the high street. It wasn't until today that I actually ventured into the lower level. Down there I found shelves upon shelves filled with reduced homeware items, arranged in no order and half of which were in fact broken. It's sad when you see a british institution like Woolies reduced to being sold for £1 (reportedly). I don't think it will be missed really but it's still a shame.

Tuesday Reviews: OPI Nail Envy

2008-11-25T00:10:00.005Z

This weeks review is on Opi's Nail Envy, a nail strengthener that comes in many different formulations.

The one I have is the original formula but it is also available in:

Matte
Soft and Thin
Dry and Brittle
Sensitive and Peeling
Coloured

(the coloured version is pink or tan with the original formula.)

I love this product so much! I used to have peeling and brittle nails which was brought on by changes in where I lived (moved to a colder climate while at university). With this you put on 2 layers on clean nails and then top it up with a fresh coat every other day for a week. Then you remove it all and start all over again. You can do the same thing with a couple of layers of nail polish in between and it still works a treat. I have noticed an increase in growth and my nails don't peel anymore. Prices vary by location but I think I would definitely buy this again, I'm almost half way through the bottle and I don't use it all the time, but probably once a month or so. It works great as a base coat for any nail polish too. I urge you all to try it!

Edit: Sorry it's a bit short, my head isn't really with it today but I still wanted to get a post out.

Monday Beauty: TKB Trading Haul

2008-11-24T23:21:00.000Z

So I finally managed to find my camera, turned out my dad had decided to take it to work with him for some reason. With that out of the way I could finally take photos of my recent hauls from TKB Trading. Before we start just some back ground information on the company.

They are a wholesaler of cosmetic ingredients for the makeup community. Mineral etailers use them a lot as a stockist. There is a minimum order total of $25 and shipping is about $12 to the UK from my experience but if you're in the US then you just pay the flat rate on the website. They sell 1 tablespoon samples of most of their products and a few are only 1 teaspoon for $1.50 (that is for either a tablespoon or teaspoon). They come in ziplock bags so it might be a good idea to order some jars from them too. I've put all my samples in 25g tall profile jars with sifters which are 54 cents each and therefore each sample plus its jar is $2.04 which for something bigger than a MAC jar is pretty good in my books.

The samples in question are mineral colourants made from Mica's which are naturally occuring pigments but I would warn you to check some of them because a few do contain carmine and that's something I'm not too keen on using in my makeup routine. Anywho onto the pictures. I've grouped them either according to colours or by the groups that you can buy them in.

The Metalics/Crucible Collection:

I do love that Red, it's so pretty! These come in 1 teaspoon samples and the collection costs $5.40.

Edda's Got Attitude:

Pure Purple isn't so blue in real life. This collection costs $3.60 and is of full 1 tablespoon samples.

Pinks:

The Blackstar Collection:

Sorry it's a bit blurry, the camera just refused to focus! These are all the blackstar minus the blue version, which is on its way to me. These are going to be great for liners.

Finally a collection of blues and greens:

I love midnight blue and can't wait to play with it. Also Sage Green is discontinued but a very good dupe for Urban Decay's Mildew eyeshadow.

If you would like swatches then feel free to ask. But be aware that I will be doing a look with some of these during the week when I'm recovering at home. I love all of these colours and hope you enjoy the range too.

Insert scram of pain here

2008-11-23T18:34:00.003Z

Well I've certainly had an eventful weekend. On Friday evening I collapsed in searing agony in the kitchen and my darling parents called an ambulance to take me to hospital. Well I had a bout of cystitis during the week and though nothing more of it but it appears that the infection has spread to my kidneys. So I stayed in hospital this weekend on a drip and being pumped full of antibiotics. They have let me out at the moment with some more antibiotics to take but I have to go back on Wednesday for more tests to ensure that there isn't anything else wrong and that the infection has gone. Even though I'm on painkillers I can still feel a really bad dull ache in my lower back and it's driving me nuts. I have to say it wasn't the worst pain I've ever been in (that's another story) but it was pretty close.

Hope everyone else is having a fabulous weekend and keeping well!

Student Finance

2008-11-21T15:52:00.003Z

So everyone is going on about the Hello Kitty MAC collection today since some photos were released. But this post is not going to be about that.

You see I got a letter in the post this morning that looked innocent at first but when I eventually managed to open it (I've been quite ill the past couple of days, culminating in passing out literally every couple of hours) I near almost fainted again! It was from the Student Loan Company and it was detailing my outstanding debt to them for paying my way through University. And it scared me. A lot. And now I am making a pledge to myself that I am not going to buy anything that I don't need and try to use up my stash to make it more manageable.

My total debt is: £11,432.31p

That's a lot.

And I don't like it.

My only saving grace is that I only start paying it back when I start earning over £15,000 a year and then payments are automatically deducted from my wages. The thing that annoys me is that there is interest charged on top of the loan and at this moment £500 of my debt is interest. I know that you have to pay interest on any loan. But the fact is that 10 years ago, I wouldn't have had to pay anything to go to university, I wouldn't have a loan because I would have a grant from the government to pay for my way through university. And then I wouldn't have this massive thing hanging over my head. Ok so the repayments are low when I have to start paying it back, but I will barely be paying the interest off for the year. I am the girl who never wants a credit card, never wants to be in debt and yet here I am at the mercy of the government.

I'm scared by this.

Edit: I know that I have been grammatically incorrect and it might not make any sense but I attribute that to being ill.

2008-11-19T15:39:00.002Z

So I had that interview today that I may or may not have mentioned. In case I didn't mention it before it was for an admin position within a housing trust. All in all the experience was positive, it's a bit far to get too, but the journey was pretty straightforward and didn't take as long as I thought it would, however traveling earlier in the day to get to it may be different to traveling mid morning. I was impressed by the building and the offices and the staff seemed quite welcoming. They only interviewed me and one other woman who was considerably older than me and gave me a rather disapproving look when she came out...I have no idea why. I think I did quite well, I answered all their questions effectively and made my points quite clear and logical. I was even happier to learn that the contract only lasts till July next year, which would suit me down to the ground what with the hope of doing a masters course. The money is excellent, more than I could imagine for a fresh graduate and also for the kind of position it is, but then again the company is on the Times list of the top 100 employers for the 3rd year running! I will keep you posted on the progress but I'm feeling positive and even if I don't get it, I know I did my very best. Hope everyone is having a great start to the week and then end of it gets even better!

Tuesday Reviews: Palmers Cocoa Butter Skin Smoothing Lotion

2008-11-18T12:36:00.003Z

So in order to get some structure to the blog I'm doing Monday Beauty in general and then Tuesday Reviews.

For the first one I'm going to be reviewing Palmers Cocoa Butter Skin Smoothing Lotion.

This is a cocoa butter lotion with vitamin e and AHA's to help exfoliate the skin as well as moisturise. I mainly bought this because I have Keratosis Pilaris on my arms and I have read that moisturisers with chemical exfoliants in them like AHA and Lactic acid can help a great deal. In the UK, moisturisers with acids in them are few and far between, actually this is the first one I've found and to be honest I am in love! After just one use, my skin is so much smoother and my KP is definitely less red. I love how is has a flip top pump at the top so its easy to open and close with slippery hands. It has a nice consistency, half lotion half gel, and sinks in really quickly. I love it, but there is one dowside.

The smell.

It has maple syrup extract in it which I actually like, as a syrup, but on my body it is awful. My mother remarked that it smells like floor polish, which it does. It has a sweet smell with a chemical acrid tang to it. And it lasts ages. I put some on in the morning and then went out that night and when I brushed my arm against my face while dancing, I could still smell it. I have since learnt that the only way to get rid of the smell is to put a lighter moituriser all over with a different scent and it seems to dissipate quicker. I just wish it had the cocoa butter smell you associate with palmers. I think I'm going to get the lotion with spf 15 in it to put over the top, I love smelling of cocoa butter. To me its a rather comforting scent.

Anyway to summerise:

Pros:

- Easy to use
- Light texture
- Sinks in quickly
- Chemically exfoliates
- Reduces appearance of KP

Cons:

- Awful smell

Score: 4/5

Monday Beauty: November Faves

2008-11-17T16:33:00.003Z

So I was asked by the lovely Pinksealight to post about my favorite products for the month. So without further ado here they are in the Monday Beauty round up:

1) Cargo Blush in Prague

It is a rather strange colour in the pot but when on it gives a muted plum tinged pink that gives me that perfect "just stepped in from the cold" flush. To be honest I bought it for the name because I love the place, and it was rather cheap on eBay. If you're in the UK, Cargo products are now available at selected Sainsbury's (you can find out here if your local stocks it) or like me you can trawl online and find it.

2) Urban Decay Eyeshadow in "Toasted"

This is my perfect light taupe colour to add a hint of definition to the crease. Again it was another cheap eBay find, and one that I had debated about many times before. But I am glad to have caved. It's perfect for my everyday look when I don't have much time and need to look polished. I pair this with a wash of MAC Shroom shadow and I'm ready to go (and it will probably be my interview look on Wednesday!)

3) NYX Margarita with MAC Wonderstruck Lusterglass

This is more of a lip combination than specific product. I do like to play around with my lips sometimes, when I'm wearing fairly neutral looks like the one mentionned above. NYX Margarita is a somewhat bright pink with a high sheen. MAC Wonderstruck is a pinky lipgloss with small multi-coloured glitter particles. Together they make a lovely girly pink lip. (Apologies for not having a picture of the combo together, I appear to have lost my camera)

I can't really think of anymore at the moment, so hopefully that will do for you all. I am going to post a couple of reviews of things later on this week that might become part of the faves of the month club!

Woohoo!

2008-11-16T23:28:00.002Z

So this weekend started off being a bit weird but the rest of the weekend was very good.

Went to see "Zach and Miri make a Porno" on Saturday night which was very very funny. However if you are going to see it, I warn you to look away at the bit where the camera guy says "Remember I'm down here guys". Even though it is an 18, you don't really see anything, more the illusion of seeing something. Overall if you want something easy to watch, a bit trashy and something to cheer you up then this is probably the film for you. Then we went for "dinner" at Old Orleans, where cocktails were had and a few of us ended up having a kebab on the way home, and those who wanted something "proper" to eat, had to rely on my world famous muchroom risotto which was suprisingly tasty apparently.

Oh and then on to the good news...

Got home today and I had a letter inviting me for an interview for a job I applied for a couple of weeks ago! I'm so happy about it, its for a job I really wanted working in a housing initiative basically just inputting data all day. However I worked out it will take about 1 hour and 45 minutes each way to get there and back...but the money is really really good and to be honest, if I get offered it then I'll take it! It's only going to be for 10 months so it wont be so bad. Plus I'll have the chance to catch up on reading etc on the commute! This is all just a hope at the moment, have to wait and see how Wednesday goes, but I'm confident about it and have my fingers crossed! It definitely brightened up my weekend!

I need help!

2008-11-13T16:07:00.002Z

Ok so I have a dilemma. I don't know whether I want an Ipod Touch. My folks have said they'll get me one for christmas because there is a special offer on at the moment. However I do have a perfectly good MP3 player already, however the problem with it is I have to convert all my music to Atrac before loading them and this takes agggeeessss. I don't want to join the masses, I like that I haven't bought into the Ipod thing and being different is important to me. But I do like the wi-fi ability of the touch and its pretty. What would you do?

On a cheerier note...

2008-11-12T22:46:00.002Z

My TKB Trading order came today! I'm so happy! I have so many new pigments to play with, but yet I still want to order more! It's an addiction I tell you! Anywho photos will be posted soon I promise!

"To write Love on her arms"

2008-11-11T12:38:00.002Z

I came across this post by CaliforniaCosmetics and had to repost it. I came across this movement last year and took part (much to the confusion of all in my lectures).

"On November 13 write LOVE on your arm in big letters. Be creative spread the word. This is for all the survivors and all the innocent. All of the people who are hurting and who think that suicide is the only way they can turn. Also, don't forget to donate so all of the kids in need can get the help that they deserve."

Depression and suicide are causes very close to my heart. Having suffered from depression myself on and off for 7 years and eventually finding a way through to the other side, it motivated me into wanting to help others who feel the way I've felt (hence wanting to become a clinical psychologist). Suicide is also something that has graced my life when a very close friend took his own life 6 years ago. I think that in the media suicide is not seen as being the serious thing it is. Ok yes, there are some out there who may cut themselves for attention, but there are those who do it for serious reasons. Those who want relief from the emotional turmoil inside, even for a brief moment. Sometimes there is no other way out other than to end the pain permanently. Unfortunately for my friend, the medication that was supposed to help him actually made it all the more worse (anyone remember the Paxil withdrawl due to increased suicidality in teenagers taking it?)

More about the cause can be found here. Yes it is a USA thing, but suicide is not restricted to just one country, it happens all over the world.

Monday Beauty: Skin Care

2008-11-10T21:55:00.001Z

I'm going to start doing Monday Beauty posts focusing on a different topic each week, just to get some kind of structure to this, since most people that come here are from other Beauty related forums or my YT account.

I'm a big believer in taking care of my skin. I have used my fair share of products, but I feel at the moment I have the routine that works for me. I try to use as many natural products as possible and that leads me to use a lot of Lush stuff yet again. I should point out that I have Combination skin with an oily T-Zone but it can also be sensitive at times and therfore these products might not be suitable for everyone. SO without much further ado, here is my skin care routine:

In the morning I was my face with Fresh Farmacy, a lovely pink and soothing bar of "soap".

It has calamine powder in that gives it the pink colour and the soothing properties. It is also laden with essential oils like Lavender and Tea Tree to act as spot fighting ingredients. It can be a little drying for some people but sometimes this can be a good thing. I find that if I ever do break out, just making a paste from this and putting it on the spot overnight dries that spot right up and its merely a small red bump come morning. The stuff you can see on top is marigold leaves which also add to its amazing properties (but I can't think of them right now!) Its really creamy and lovely and makes everything squeaky clean. Another final plus point is that you can use it all over your body and one bar lasts ages. For instance I bought mine 6 weeks ago and I'm not even half way through. I find that the best way to use it is to cut it into chunks, that way you don't waste any and it's easier to manage rather than a large bar. Finally the price: in the UK it is £3.95 for 100g, and as I said it's going to last you at least 3 months (judging by my current usage).

After we've washed away the dirt of the night, it's time to tone. For this I use another Lush product, Breath of Fresh Air.

As for all Lush toners, it is alcohol free and in particular this one contains aloe and sea water to soothe and nourish the skin. It is so refreshing to use and really helps get rid of all the last traces of makeup in the evening. It has no real scent to it but it just feels so nice on my skin. Lush's toners come in 2 different sizes: 100 ml (£2.95) and 250 ml (£6.25). It comes in a spray bottle that you can either spray onto your face and wipe off or what I prefer to do is spray it onto a cotton pad and then wiping over my face.

As far as daytime moisturisation goes, yet another Lush product finds it's way to my house. I use Paradise Regained.
It's an anti-aging moisturiser that contains SPF 15 sunscreen, antioxidants and AHA's. It is really thick in texture but it sinks in so quickly and makes my skin feel so smooth. I absolutely love it. This is the one product that could lead to breakouts the most because I know Lush moisturisers aren't for everyone due to the natural oils that they contain. It comes in the standard 45 g pot but at £25 it is one of the most expesive that Lush do. I was lucky enough to pick this up from Ebay for £10 but to be honest, the way it has made my skin, I am prepared to pay full price next time. I can say that I have noticed a definite improvement in skin tone and texture, it's a lot smoother and I have less redness (which I used to get a lot around my cheeks and nose). Also the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles has definitely diminished and I know that I'm not that old (I'm in my 20's) but I do use a wide variety of exprssions and was starting to develop deep wrinkles on my forehead (which at the time of writing, I can't seem to see, YAY!)

My night time routine is fairly similar with the addition of a few extra products.

To remove makeup and such I use a cleansing oil, DHC's Deep Cleansing Oil to be exact.

Its primarily olive oil based but it contains emulsifiers so that when it gets in contact with water, it just rinses clean away trapping any oil/dirt/makeup in it. It helps to massage it in for about a minute on dry skin to make sure it really grabs everything you want to get rid of. I like to just make extra sure that I've managed to get rid of everything by doing a second cleanse with Fresh Farmacy again. Then follow again with Breath of Fresh Air.

Night time moisturiser is Lush's Vanishing Cream. A "low fat" moisturiser that contains less mineral oil compared to the other Lush moisturiser's. It contains lots of anti-spot agents and is very light on the skin. To be honest it's a rather average moisturiser, it doesn't promise much and is great for a little night time moisturising.

So that's it, any questions, leave a comment and I'll get back to you. It's taken me a couple of days to write this so if there is anything incorrect I apologise!

I can't read Twilight

2008-11-07T23:45:00.002Z

Well the internet has been totally taken over by the Twilight Saga (if you have no idea what i'm talking about then just search around on YouTube and you'll quickly find out all the hype!). I decided to finally bight the bullet and read the books.

Well I can't.

For some strange reason, after reading Twilight and the first few chapters of New Moon, I have come to the realisation that I simply can't read them. I have nothing against the writing, although I do have a few criticisms with how quickly and unquestionably some things happen in it. Its more to do how it makes me feel. For some reason, reading about a couple that can't bear to be parted for mystical reasons, reminds me that I'm not with the man I love. This makes me sad. I know it sounds absurd, it's just a book for crying out loud! But it does make me feel this way reading it. I guess on some profound level I feel the same as Bella does, I am wholely and totally in love with someone and can't bear being apart from him. The fact we live 2 hours away from each other makes me so upset some times but there is nothing we can do about it. He works there in a job he loves and has a future with and I'm here in our hometown living with my parents and with no job. Even if I could get work where he is, rent is extortionate there and we wouldn't be able to find somewhere that was remotely close to town. I guess we just have to wait until things are easier, but being here, reminded every day of all the places we've been, all the restaurants we've been on dates to, all the places he's stopped me to give me a spontaneous hug or kiss, it tears me apart some times. The train station is a bittersweet place. It reminds me of all the times i've had to say goodbye but also of all the times i've passed through on my way to see him. I guess things were easier when I was at uni and even further away because there was a reason for it and I went there before we had even met. But with him being 5 hours closer to me it seems harder somehow. I know we are going to be together for a long time, I mean after 2 and a half years we have never had a fight, some disagreements certainly and he has upset me at times, but it doesn't matter. In a way it makes me guilty that friends who had seemingly strong realtionships are in fact breaking up all over the place. One even had been together for 4 years and lived together. But I know that this wont happen to us. Maybe I'm being arrogant or stupid or tempting fate by saying that but i just know. I don't subscribe to fate on a daily basis but there are too many things that conspired to bring us together for it to all be a coincidence.

I don't really know what I'm trying to say in this post, but it makes me feel a whole lot better just writing it all down. I will publish this but I might take it down at some point in the future. Please don't judge me for writing a rambling post like this, but I really is a cathartic process for me. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow with the beauty and such.

Love to you all and I wish that you're lives are filled with as much happiness as mine is (apart from when I read silly books like this hehe).

AARRRGGHH!!

2008-11-07T19:26:00.002Z

Ok so i'm starting to freak out slightly! I haven't posted in a while because I've been trying to focus on getting a job. I never realised how depressed I was about it till wednesday when i went to get my hair cut and my hairdresser (who has cut my hair since i was 5) kept asking me how i could stay so upbeat when I was clearly finding it difficult in today's economic climate.

Then I went home and cried.

I don't know why but just all of a sudden it hit me that I was doing nothing with my life at the moment. I don't leave the house unless it's to go to the job centre or to see my boyfriend. This is only because I can't afford to go out with my friends die to lack of money because of lack of job.

But...

Today on a total whim I decided to upload my CV to TotalJobs a website where you can search through available vacancies and also upload your CV for headhunters and recruitment companies to search through. Well within an hour of uploading it, I had a phonecall from a company that want to see me on Monday to discuss what they can do for me! I'm not getting my hopes up too much but it might mean that I actually have a job (be it temporary) before christmas! I've already decided that if they do have something for me, then I'm going around the corner from their offices to MAC and get something to celebrate, although I don;t quite know what...

"You need Volcano Insurance"

2008-10-22T16:45:00.003+01:00

Yes I'm a Family Guy fan (extra kudos if you know what episode the volcano insurance debacle is from). I'm also a HHHHUUUUUUUGGGGEEEE Lush fan. Today I am an excited Lush fan. You may ask why? Well my readers it is because of this:

A rather unassuming pot with the word Volcano on it? Well this is a love for me and it has been missing from my life for a few years (about 3 or 4). Volcano is a foot mask. You have masks for every other part of your body so why not your feet. It deodorizes and exfoliates and leaves feet feeling like brand new. It's cool and soothing or warm and soothing depending on how much you use. The Kaolin clay in it helps draw out impurities and aids in the deodorizing of your feet as well as the lime infusion. Pumice helps to exfoliate when you rinse it off. It also has potato and tomato in it (I can't really remember why) as well as a whole host of other lovely ingredients that help keep my feet in tip top condition. It's very worthwhile money wise too: £6.95 for 250g. The only problem with it is when you use it, you have to wrap your feet up in cling film or plastic bags in order for it to work properly, which can lead to lots of hobbling and comical walking on your part but its a little price to pay for something so amazing. If you're on your feet all day I would try this once a week and follow with Pied De Pepper (a lovely warming foot cream with cinamon) for the softest and most soothed feet around. Try it the next time you have a pamper day, it really is an amazing product!

"This Little Piggie Went to Market..."

2008-10-20T15:58:00.003+01:00

So even though I don't have a "job" in the conventional sense of the word, I still do the odd stuff for my dad and get paid for it. Plus I won £62 on the Lottery last Wednesday. So after having a rubbish week I decided to treat myself a little. And what did I get....

PIGMENTS!

Yes I ordered a bunch of mica's and colorants from TKB Trading after seeing a few people haul from there. I really have the urge to press pigments, I don't know why, so I ordered those and some other bits and pieces (have to wait for my shipping notice) and then some empty pans and EZ Pressing Medium from Coastal Scents. Then all I need to complete my pressing trip is another couple of the empty 15 pan palettes from MAC and I will be complete!

I love using mineral and loose pigments because I find that you can get a wider range of colours and more special effect colours out there compared to what you find in the shops usually. The only negative thing I will say is that I'm a bit apprehensive to travel with loads of jars in case something spills everywhere. This then limits the makeup I can take with me at the weekends when I go to see Le Boyfriend. Therefore I'm going to give pressing a go and see what happens! I'll keep you all updated!

TGIF!

2008-10-17T17:27:00.007+01:00

So it's Friday and I get to see Le Boyfriend after another week apart. When he comes home or I go to visit him I always try to make an effort with my appearance be it dinner and a film or takeaway and crappy tv. Today is no different and I must say I'm loving how my hair is:

See it's all curly and lovely! Usually it's just wavy and rubbish. But today I used a new shampoo and conditioner, put some mousse in it and actually used a diffuser and boy did it make a difference!

The new shampoo I'm trying out is by Samy and you can buy it from Amazon and a lot of people sell it on Ebay as well. The range is classed as natural and is sulphate free which is a good thing for my hair, it's not that harsh and actually makes my hair look good! The range is also 100% vegan. I've been using the volume range which comes in this bright orange packaging and smells like oranges and other citrus fruit.

The shampoo itself its very gel like and takes a bit of work to lather up but definitely cleans it very well. I have quite greasy roots to my hair usually but this has actually normalised my hair a lot and now I don't feel I have to wash it as often as I did. The conditioner is very thick and creamy and leaves my hair feeling nourished. They have a lot of other products in the range and I urge you to check them out. I picked mine up in Superdrug for 25% off at £3.25 each for 500ml.

I also used John Frieda Curl Control Mousse and then the diffuser on my hair dryer. There are lots of videos on YouTube about using diffusers and styling curly hair. If you have any questions, or want a break down of the makeup used then leave a comment!

Cry Proof Mascara?

2008-10-16T17:13:00.005+01:00

One of the oldest beauty questions you find floating around is "Where can I find a cry proof mascara?" Well I've found it. First some background:

I recently graduated from University and have been trying to find a job since. I'm currently claiming Jobseekers Allowance from the UK government, a grant of money every 2 weeks that just about covers my expenses like travel, a nominal amount of rent to my folks and my phone bill. Well today I had to go for a meeting to prove that I have actually been looking for work. This rather annoyed me because to be honest I hate going to the job centre anyway, its not like I actually enjoy going there every fortnight and seeing the floating detritus of my scummy town look down on me for being there, out of place. Today I was told that the reason I dont have a job is because i'm applying for those that I am qualified for. I should lie on my CV and downplay it, to say that I don't have a degree and all these other qualifications. This rather upset me as it seems that I have wasted the past 5 years of my life, going to college and university to pursue a career. I only want a job to pay for a Masters that I want to do next year and I can't afford the £4,000 fees at the moment.

Anyway after getting rather upset (thats an understatement, I was balling!) at being told this, I was amazed to see that my mascara had not run. Nope, no racoon eyes, no black stains on my cheeks. It was all still there. Ok so my eyes looked extremely red and puffy but my makeup was intact. This miracle product...

Yes that's right, Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara! I always thought it was good but it's not a waterproof mascara (at least in the UK there isn't a waterproof version!) its only meant to be smudge proof. Well this baby lengthens, thickens and adds volume to my lashes and now it's practically waterproof! Its an oldie but a goodie. The moral of this tale: just because something new comes on the market doesn't mean you should ignore the old tried and tested stuff. Oh and don't pay any attention to what the job centre tell you.

Welcome!

2008-10-16T17:10:00.002+01:00

So this blog is going to be for all kinds of things, mainly sharing my obsession/addiction to cosmetics but also a touch of my personal life thrown in. I make youtube videos relating to beauty and cosmetics so I'll prob link to those here as well! Feel free to comment on anything asking for reviews etc and I'll try to do my best!