Friday 28 June 2013

Review | Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner



I'm going to be honest, My names Adele and I never used to use a toner! I never really understood the importance of using a toner until I started working in my current job and got a lot of training on skincare. So I've been on the market for a toner for a while and have tried and tested quite a few. I'm not a cosmetic snob but none of the drugstore ones I tried felt like they were really doing anything and I didn't feel I was gaining anything from them. So having the benefit of working in Duty Free I thought i'd take the chance to chat to some of the consultants and ask them about their toners. I decided to settle on the Elemis brand and their Balancing Lavender Toner. As I can get some redness and uneveness to my skin the lovely Lydia that works for Elemis recommended this one for me to try. And the result, I LOVE IT! It totally calms my skin after I've cleansed and reduces the redness and hydrates my skin.

What toner do you use?



Thursday 27 June 2013

My 2013 Favourite Summer Scent


I was kindly sent some products from The Body Shop to trial out as part of their summer line and have fallen in love with it all. I was sent this Strawberry EDT*, Satsuma Body Polish* and The All In One Blusher in 06-Guava*. Ever since receiving the package I have fallen in love with this fragrance and it has now become my favourite scent for this summer. I love sweet fragrances anyway so when I saw this was Strawberry my first thought was "Is it going to smell like artificial strawberry?". And to my delight is does not! Very strangely it reminds me of when I was about 13/14 years old because its a dead ringer for Paris Hilton's original perfume which I wore all the time at that age.


This fragrance contains actual Strawberry extract and is available in a 30ml size from The Body Shop website for £8.50 £4.25 (it's part of the sale at the moment so go quick!). I would give this fragrance 10/10 and would definitely recommend for anyone who loves sweet, fruity fragrances.


Have you tried any of the Body Shop EDT's before?



Sunday 23 June 2013

Guest Post: LWBloggers

Blog Post Feature: Sport Luxe

The thought of roaming the streets of London dressed as a basket/baseball player never seemed to appeal to us. The likes of Isabel Marant and Marc Jacobs however, introduced a fresh new wave of sport luxe that intertwined pure androgyny with classic femininity. Perusing through magazines and blogs envisioned us with new takes on gym class dressing. The integration of baggy Troy Bolton-esque sweatshirts and classic peep-toe courts opened our eyes to a world were work wear was interlaced with evening gym classes. What could possibly be more convenient? 


Take this oversized baseball jacket, for example; something we certainly wouldn’t consider to echo femininity and classic dressing, but combine with courts, or womanly wedged trainers, and any scent of masculinity has long been forgotten. Unless you’re advocating towards the let’s-play-basketball vibe (which we’re certainly not), erasing parts of boyishness has never been simpler. Still clinging on to your longstanding they-sit-at-the-back-of-my-wardrobe tracksuit bottoms? Ever thought of giving them a wash (a must) and piecing them with black patent courts? Bloggers and editors alike are embracing the gym-wear-as-outerwear trend. (Top secret: it’s right on trend) Shh.



Shopping trips now heavily result in a private sneak at what the sports aisle and men’s section has to offer. No, we don’t take Our Father or boyfriends, or Granddad, we simply peruse the aisles for our own satisfaction.


Although androgyny is taking the fashion world by storm this season (see Balenciaga and Dolce and Gabbana), fresh floral envisions that shy away from sweaty basket ballers (no offence if that’s your kind of game) evoke new tangs whereby flowers can become part of your gym kit. No doubt will we always name ourselves fans of the style that coheres boyishness with pure femininity, however this new idea whereby we can actually retain pretty floriated garments but still go for a lunch-time jog is a breath of fresh air. Literally.


Forget the haunted primary school P.E lessons and delve into a world were jogging, work and drinks attire become one. Okay, so if you can’t, or won’t, wear wedged trainers to work then just take some spare courts in your bag for later. Simple. Get your game on.


Be sure to check out their blog over at LW.

Thanks girls for being my first ever Guest Bloggers!


Thursday 20 June 2013

Ice Cream Cupcakes


I'm back with another baking post and it's another sweet treat. My mum made these for her work at christmas time and I've been meaning to make them for myself but just hadn't got round to them until now!

It's pretty simple all you need is some Ice Cream cones but you need the flat bottomed ones so they can stand in the muffin tray whilst they are baking. Either make your cake mix from scratch or like me I just trusted good old Betty Crocker. I decided to go for Red Velvet as a bit of a difference. Then I  had a can of Betty Crocker cream cheese icing spare or of course you can whip up your own.


Mix up your cake mix then pour into the cones. I went about 3/4 full so they didn't rise over the top and they turned out perfect. Then once cooled apply your icing. I did try my hardest to make it look like ice cream but i'm still practicing on my piping skills. I chose to decorate mine with chocolate chips because I didn't have any flakes to hand but with a flake stuck in it really looks like a cute little 99!



These would be perfect for a birthday party or a summer party to have as little snacks. Have you ever made these? If you have let me know!



Friday 14 June 2013

My Summer Hair Product Wishlist


With it coming up to Summer I thought I would show you the products that I will be lusting after to keep my precious locks at their best.

This is a big beauty must have at the moment to create those textured beach waves everyone is craving to create. My hair is naturally curly but along with the curls comes frizz. So hopefully this will let me embrace my natural curls more often. Available from Boots for 125ml and costs £20.50.

After my visit to the Trevor Sorbie Salon last week lets just say there are a fair few products I now need to purchase. After having my hair bleached over the past year and a bit my hair has weakened and the lovely Louella told me to look out for any of the green Kerastase products as this helps with strengthening the hair. Available from lookfantastic.com for 30ml and costs £29.33.

My friend advised me about these beauties since having my blonde made more ashy. These are a shampoo treatment to help stop any brassiness and to help prolong the ash shade in the hair. Available from Boots for 45ml and costs £7.49.

Again another much hyped about product in the beauty world. It's a hair oil formulated with hair repairing oils from around the world. It protects, nourishes, softens and boosts shine. Something I definitely want for my hair this summer. Available from Boots for 45ml and costs £29.00.

What are your must have hair products for this summer?



Wednesday 12 June 2013

Sinful Colors Nail Polish Haul



When I heard that we were getting Sinful Colors polishes here in the UK I knew straight away that I was going to have to buy every colour! And even better they are at an incredible price of £1.99 per bottle. That even beats Barry M prices. I have yet to try out any of these colours so I will have future posts with my review on them but first let me show you what colours I picked.

Hottie is an incredible bright blue glitter polish which I haven't found with any other brand before. As I haven't tested these out yet I'm not sure how many coats it will take to make it opaque but they will be tried and tested soon!

Unicorn is going to be the perfect colour for summer (if we ever get a summer!). I own a few yellows but they are all bright, neon and this is a creamy pastel yellow and we all know pastels are the in trend this year.

Island Coral is again another pastel colour. I love corals, it's definitely my colour and can't wait to wear it.

Mint Apple is a very sought after colour. It's note quite Tiffany blue, but think that with an added jade green. It's gorgeous.

Social Ladder is different from the other colours I purchased. It's more on the pale side with a pearly finish. This would be a great colour if your one who likes to paint their nails but don't really like colour or maybe you can't for work then try this shade!

These are available from larger Boots stores and online.


Sunday 9 June 2013

American Beauty Goodies


Last month my cousin went to Vegas as she turned 21 this year and although I really wished I could of gone as well the next best thing I could think of is she could get me some beauty goodies! I gave her a list of a few things I really wanted to try and she managed to get me these beauts. Bless her she went round every Sephora she could find just to see if they had the stuff I was after.

I asked for the Covergirl Lash Blast as it has always been one of those cult beauty items that I've never got the chance to try and this was my chance so I grabbed it. I can't wait to start using it and will have a review up once I've given it a chance. The next thing she got me was a EOS Lip Balm. Again another cult beauty product that is hard to get hold of in the UK although we have our own version in the Balmi balms you can pick up in Boots but they just aren't the same so excited to give this a try. And lastly she picked me up a Maybelline Color Whispers lipstick. These have been massive in the US and after watching countless amounts of youtube videos from gurus from across the pond rave about these I knew I wanted to try them out. Look out for review posts on all 3 products soon.

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin'


Saturday 8 June 2013

My Trevor Sorbie Experience


A couple of weeks ago I was invited along with the other beauty girlies from Brighton to the Trevor Sorbie Catwalk to Salon event which I already write a post about here. Along with a Essie polish and a Loreal shampoo one of the generous gifts they gave us was a complimentary colour, cut and blowdry which I was amazed by and couldn't come at a better time as I had some serious rootage going on.
As soon as I stepped foot in the salon I was made to feel comfortable. I was sat down, offered a complimentary drink and then seen by the lovely Kate who is the co-owner and technical director of the salon and we went through what I wanted to achieve with my hair. I wanted to stay blonde but was finding it was going a bit yellow and brassy so we decided to go a bit more ashy blonde and she put a toner on after. She then took some before photos.


I know right, super bad roots!!

Creative Stylist Louella then came and sat down with me to discuss what kind of cut I wanted and was made to feel so comfortable which for me is different as usually I always feel I can't say anything to a hairdresser as I'm quite shy. I only want a trim as I wanted to keep the length and she cut some layers in but left my fringe as I'm trying to grow it out.


And for the finished look....


I absolutely am in love with my hair and it turned out exactly how I wanted it to. I can't recommend the Trevor Sorbie salon enough and definitely know I will be returning for treatments and for further hair cuts. The staff are friendly and it's a lovely atmosphere to relax in. If your in the Brighton area definitely pop in, you won't regret it!

Follow Trevor Sorbie and Kate on twitter!



Wednesday 5 June 2013

New Job Uniform Wishlist

As you may have read in my last post I went for a job interview and got the job so now obviously I have an excuse to go shopping as the uniform is all black and I actually own very few black items. I picked out 8 items that are on my wishlist and hopefully will purchase at the end of the month.


I've been looking for a new black blazer for a while as it's such a versatile piece of clothing. You can wear it to smarten up an outfit or as a casual jacket on a warm day.

These are very similar to the trousers I wore on my interview (post about them here) but it can't hurt to have more then 1 pair can it?

Everyone loves a peplum top and I think they can be made to look quite smart. And I love that this one has a empire line which is great for a girl like me who prefers to cover her bum.

This little number will be perfect for during the summer months. I love the Peter Pan collar mixed with the lace and that it's a shirt type dress.

5. New Look Black Leather Pleated Skirt
Unfortunately I can't seem to find this on the New Look website anymore. But I love these pleated skirts and more with a leather look about them.

There's a little bit of a theme going on with lace but I love the stuff. What I want to look for when I buy clothes for my new job is stuff I can see myself wearing outside of work also.

Again another pick for the summer or in winter with some thick black tights. I love the look of the zip detail on the front.

Another top with a Peter Pan collar but this time it's sequined. It's nice to add a bit of bling to an outfit just to jazz it up a bit.

If you have any recommendations for good places to shop for workwear let me know.



Tuesday 4 June 2013

OOTD - Job Interview


Please excuse my poor attempt at taking pictures. I just don't think I photograph well in full ha. Bless my mum though she helped me by taking these photos. If you have any tips for taking OOTD photos please let me know as I want to get better at this!
So today was a big important day for me. I had a call back for a interview I went to a month ago and to my surprise I GOT THE JOB! I'm so happy and pleased as it's exactly what I need in my life at the moment, a little bit of change! Anyway enough of my blabbering and onto what I wore...

Plain Black Blazer - £14 - George at Asda
Black studded shoes - £10 - Primark




On my face I wore...
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in '103 True Ivory'
MUA Bronzed Perfection
MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in 'Bittersweet'
MUA Eye Primer
MUA Undress Me Too Palette - I used shades 'Shy' on the lid and 'Obsessed' in the crease
Maybelline Lasting Drama Gel Liner
Maybelline Volum' Express Mega Plush Mascara
Mac Charcoal Brown eyeshadow to fill in my eyebrows.


And here is a very happy me! I can't wait to start on my new venture!



Monday 3 June 2013

May 2013 Favourites


Sorry for the little break in blogging. I've been working my arse off at work and applied for a new job, got an interview and have a second interview coming up on Tuesday. So I've been stressed with that and coming home super tired and my plan of scheduling posts hasn't really taken off so for all that I apologise. But I have 4 days off now so hopefully (and I say that with my fingers crossed) I will get back on board with blogging and everything will resume back to normal. With that all aside onto my May favourites...

Real Techniques Powder Brush
I bought this back at the beginning of the month after umming over it for a while. I've wanted to try any of the real technique brushes for ages but for some reason always chose against it. But since its getting warmer (only slightly though may I add!) I bought a stay matte powder to keep me going through the day at work so needed a big powder brush to use with it. It's also been great at doubling up as my bronzer brush. I would definitely recommend these brushes if you are just starting out and want a core collection of brushes. I can't wait to purchase another soon.

Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation
This is my holy grail foundation and have repurchased it for a good few months. Before coming across this I found that no foundation suited my skin and nothing stayed on for longer than 3-4 hours before I had to touch it up. Enter Rimmel's Wake Me Up Foundation and I haven't thought about any other since. It gives your a lovely dewy finish and can I just mention the smell, its delightful!! I'm in shade '103 True Ivory' in case anyone was wondering.

Nourish Radiance Rejuvenating Peptide Serum*
I got this in the goodie bag from the Brighton Blogger Meet back in April and have been testing this out throughout May and my verdict... I love it! I was in the market for a new serum and was just lucky enough that Nourish Skincare treated us to this product. You only need the smallest amount and it's enough for your whole face which is a pro as it means this bottle will last me ages.

MUA Undress Me Too Palette
The very first MUA product I bought was the 'Heaven and Earth' palette and loved it. Being a neutrals girl and at such a reasonable price you can't go wrong really. So when the 'Undress Me Too' palette was revealed I knew I would love it too. It consists of all the colours to go from a natural day look to a smokey night look and is a dupe for the 'Urban Decay Naked Palette' for a fraction of the price. 

Green People Rejuvenating Eye Cream*
I was kindly sent this eye cream from Green People and it couldn't of come at a better time as like the serum I was looking for a new eye cream. I was finding my eyes were getting quite dry so needed something to hydrate them as it was affecting my eyeshadow throughout the day. And through using this during May I have seen a dramatic change and it's all for the better.

Hask Argan Oil Healing Shine Hair Treatment
I picked this little treasure up from the most unlikely of places, Primark!! I have noticed that Primark is stepping up it's game with it's beauty products. I love this product as I have bleached hair it can tend to go a bit dry but after a shower I just rub a small amount between my hands and run through the lengths of my hair avoiding the roots and blow dry. After my hair is so shiny and smooth that I've received many compliments after using it.

What have you been loving throughout May?

Instagram / Twitter / Bloglovin'