Bathroom wishlist

Last week's autumn home wishlist went down really well so I thought I would perhaps make it a more regular thing. Ever since moving into our house I've wanted to redecorate the bathroom. Although we're only renting, it's still nice to be in a place you actually like - at the moment the walls are a horrible green colour so I think, when we've got a bit of money to spare, it's time to tackle the bathroom.

I've been finding it really difficult to think of a colour to paint the bathroom. I didn't want to paint it a traditional sea blue colour and I don't want it all white either. I recently spotted some bathroom accessories in Sainsburys, which were a pretty duck egg blue colour and I thought this might be a nice way to go. The bathroom isn't very big and there's not actually that much to paint, just one wall and a bit above the window, but a little bit of colour with the white tiles would be nice.

Through researching for this wishlist I came across the white and dark blue bathroom accessories and I really like these too, so now I'm pretty torn as to what colour to go for. What would you suggest?

The Sunday Catch Up #37

I must have written this post about three times now. I've had one of those days where I've been really unmotivated and moody. I think it's because I didn't sleep very well last night, but I tried taking some blogging photos and just got really annoyed with myself because I couldn't get the perfect shot.

So instead I decided not to bother as I don't want to make it a chore. I did manage to snap some photos of some nail polishes and I've written up another wishlist post so I think those will suffice for the upcoming week. I really don't want blogging to become something I don't enjoy and it slowly is becoming that so when I have a day like today I'd rather not do it at all and take a break. Hope you understand.

Anyway, enough moaning. My mum and dad went on holiday today so I've moved into their house for a week to look after the dog. It's going to be really weird being back after living in my own place. I'm not really sure how Vince and I are going to work things out like eating dinner etc but I'm sure it'll be fine and I expect the week will fly by. The poor dog is already wondering where they've gone though!

How has your week been?

Essence Colour & Go Miss Universe nail polish

I have finally been able to get my hands on some Essence Cosmetics products. I couldn't find them anywhere near me until I popped into Wilkinsons and there they were in its new beauty section. I have to say Wilkinsons has really stepped up its beauty game recently, even releasing a range of their products, which I'm hoping to pick up and try soon!

Anyway, I was spoilt for choice at the Essence stand. There were so many nail polishes to choose from but I went for something dark and sultry. 'Miss Universe' is a gorgeous green/blue/black mix with a hint of shimmer and it's absolutely lovely. The pot itself is rounded and really bulky, which I quite like and the brush inside is huge, big enough to go over the whole of your nail in one go.

The polish needs about two coats in total for the finished look above but it dries really quickly so I was super impressed. It really catches the light well and thanks to its gel formula, it's also super shiny. What I loved most about this polish is the £1.60 price tag. What an absolute bargain! Not only is it cheap but it's also a pretty good quality and lasts really well.

I'm really impressed with this polish so I'll definitely pick up some more from the range. Have you tried Essence's products yets? What do you think?

Autumn home wishlist

I love autumn and I am very slowly turning my living room into an autumnal hideaway. It kind of happened by accident thanks to a red rug and red cushions. I then added a snuggly throw (the one pictured above to be exact) over the sofa and voila, it was like autumn in a room. I love it. I'm not sure what I'll do when it comes around to spring/summer again but for now, it's perfect.

There's still a few bits and pieces I'd like to add and as it's been quite a while since I did anything like this, I thought I'd put together a little wishlist!

I'm a sucker for cushions and I really want the two featured above from Matalan. They're perfect for my living room and they look so squishy and snug but unfortunately they're around £10 each so I'm going to have to wait for pay day.

This year there seems to be a real trend for patterns emerging. Checks and zig zags in particular and they're quite refreshing from the usual autumn/winter home trends. I adore the stag candle from Asda, can you believe it? I'm absolutely loving Asda's home range at the moment and their cute little catalogues, which are available in store!

What's on your autumn home wishlist?

Models Own Diamond Luxe

Models Own Diamond Luxe polishes in Carat Coral, Oval Plum and Princess Pink - £4.99 each*



Models Own has been one of my favourite nail polish brands for SUCH a long time. Years infact, so I was really excited when a press release for its new Diamond Luxe collection dropped through my virtual letterbox.

These are just in time for the festive season and the collection contains 10 opulent, luxurious nail polishes from pinks and reds to purples, green, blues and gold. All equally gorgeous.

I was very lucky to receive the pretty Princess Pink, the delicious Oval Plum and the very festive Carat Coral. The polishes themselves are really lovely colours and very thick to apply. I have to admit one was kind of on the gloopy side but the others glided on beautifully. They dry pretty quickly and I don't think I've been able to pick it up on camera, but they're super sparkly.

Each polish contains real Diamond Dust to deliver a multi-dimensional super-sparkly finish. They're definitely super-sparkly and multi-dimensional but I'm not sure if it really is diamond dust in there. They probably wouldn't be £4.99 each if it were. None the less they catch the light perfectly and make for a really luxurious and glamorous manicure. They would be perfect for nights out and as I mentioned earlier, for the festive season.

What do you think of Models Own's new Diamond Luxe collection?

The Sunday Catch Up #36

What a lovely relaxing end to the week I've had. I actually had Thursday and Friday off work as on Thursday it was Oscar's first birthday! I can't believe he's one already, it's gone super fast. My sister put on a lovely little family party with a monster theme as you can see from the monster cupcake. Oscar got lots of trucks, fire engines and cars for his birthday - proper boys toys!

On Friday I was aiming to have a full on day of blogging but I ended up spending most of it sleeping on the sofa. I'm not sure why I was so tired as I didn't go to bed late at all, but when Vince came home from work we kind of both just slumped down on the sofa and fell asleep so I only actually got one blog photo taken. Oops.

Luckily I spent the majority of Saturday catching up and taking loads of pics as today I'm off to Woking. My mum's side of the family is getting together to scatter/bury my great nan and grandad's ashes so we probably won't be back until later, meaning there wouldn't be time for blogging.

What have you been up to this week?

My love of live music

I don't think I could imagine a world without music. I must start this blog off by saying that of course everyone's music tastes differ so what I like might not be what you - mr or mrs reader - like but hopefully you can appreciate my love of it.

I've grown up having my dad's favourite bands played in the house and I liked your typical pop music but around my teens was when I first discovered 'alternative' music and that has where my love has lied ever since.

My first ever gig was Taking Back Sunday and I think I was about 13 or 14. I went on my own. People think it's really weird that I went on my own but none of my friends liked the same music as me so why should I miss out? Besides, it doesn't really matter once the band is playing because everyone is concentrating on the music anyway.

From then onwards I attended pretty much every gig on my own. I've lost count of the number of gigs I've been to actually. I've been to ones in tiny venues and I've been to ones in stadiums and they always give me this great, euphoric feeling, no matter how big the crowd is.

There is one thing that I love even more than seeing my favourite band on-stage and being in a room packed full of people who all have the same interest and that is hearing the crowd singing the words, especially when the music cuts. It gives me goosebumps! I can't imagine what it must feel like being on-stage and hearing it.

I was able to work my love of writing into my love of music many moons ago. I used to run a music website full of reviews and interviews. I would chat to some of my favourite bands and be given free tickets, it was great! Sometimes I wish I was still doing it and even now I still get sent the odd press release.

These days I don't go to gigs too often. One of my all time favourite bands split up and the others don't tour too much. I always feel a bit old at a gig now but I'm happy to stand at the back and watch and appreciate the music without getting pushed around. I often get that feeling of needing to go to a gig when I see a band is playing nearby. I was hoping to see A Day To Remember when they tour here in November, but these days it all depends on work and travel. Isn't it boring being a grown up? If, unlike me you don't have to worry about booking time off work why not check out Alt J Tickets at the O2.

What are some of your favourite bands to see live?

Kiko Cosmetics: The Daring Game

Don't you just love a collection that has a great theme behind it? The new Daring Game range from Kiko Milano is inspired by Bond girls and casinos and all the products and packaging reflect card decks, the roulette table and dice while remaining elegant yet andogynous. Perfect.

I'm so lucky to have received a couple of products from the new range as it is limited edition! My favourites are probably the eye products, the chunky, almost marker pen like double ended eyeliner and the shimmering green Smoky eye pencil and Longlasting eyeshadow pencil, both of which are as soft as velvet to apply and stay put for hours.

My next faves in the collection are the gel effect nail polishes in Orchid (pink) and Bluenoir black). These polishes are just wonderful to apply and as they're gel effect, they're ridiculously shiny and are free from Toluene, Camphor, DBP, Formaldehyde Resin and Formaldehyde.

I may not be a lip product fan but I can certainly appreciate the gorgeous shades of the Ace of Diamond lip pencil and Ace of Diamond Lipstick. As I don't use lip products very regularly I thought I'd give one lucky reader the opportunity to win them! Just follow the rules in the giveaway box below - UK only!

Overall I really love this range and love the innovative idea behind it. It's refreshing to see a collection with some ideas and not the same old shades you get every season. The Daring Game range is fun, colourful and makes me want to take a trip to Vegas right away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Sunday Catch Up #35

I realised this morning that the only photos I've taken this week are make-up/nail polish related so apologies for that. However, this week I did feature my absolute new favourite collection from Barry M. If you missed it, check it out here. This week I've been wearing the grey and yellow combination and I absolutely love, love, love it!

Anyway...As usual the week has been pretty quiet, Vince has been home later than normal every day this week just gone so I've had to make my own dinners, which I'm really not used to anymore!

Yesterday I popped to my nans in the morning with my dad, sister and neice and nephew, which was nice. It was actually the fifth anniversary of my grandad passing away, which has gone so quickly, I can't quite believe it's been so long. Obviously we always go to see nan and take her some flowers - she was over run by flowers! I took her a bunch of roses and my sister took her some massive, lovely sunflowers and then my dad got her two bunches - she had so many that she didn't have enough vases for them. Hopefully they cheered her up a bit.

I spent the afternoon having a nap (obviously) and then headed to the park with my mum, dad, neice and nephew and the dog before Vince and I went to our friend's for the evening. We had lots of food and a few too many drinks. Vince actually has the day off today, which is so rare! I'm currently waiting for him to go to the shop to buy something for breakfast, I can't wait! Yum yum!

Next week I only have a three day week! I have Thursday off because it's my nephew, Oscar's first birthday! I can't believe he's going to be one! I've got him a toot toot drivers airport, which connects to a car garage he's got - hopefully he'll like it. I decided to book Friday off as well…just because! It's always nice to have week days off, there's something extra special about it!

What have you been up to this week?

Before you go, catch up on the posts that went live this week:

Barry M Autumn/Winter 2014 gelly nail paints

The Steamcream Face Challenge

Bee Good Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm

Lush Yuzu & Cocoa Bubbleroon

Barry M Autumn/Winter 2014 Gelly Nail Paints

(From L to R) Chilli, Mustard, Chai


(From L to R) Cocoa, Paprika, Cardomom










Gee whiz! What a collection. The new Barry M autumn/winter range has fast-tracked it's way onto my list of contenders for products of the year and I'm hoping you can see why.

The colours...oh the beautiful colours. I don't think I've seen nail polish colours as on point as these ones. The trendy combination of Chai and Mustard is to die for and what I'm currently wearing on my nails at this precise moment.

I don't think I can put into words how much I adore these nail polishes. When I spotted them on the shelves in Superdrug I snapped them all up (luckily they were on 3 for 2) without a second thought and I have to say the names of the shades are pretty spot on. The gorgeously green Cardamom for example.

They're a joy to apply as well. No streaks, no horrible thin layers, just lovely thick polish that glides on effortlessly and only needs one coat. Not only that but they last too. They last the majority of a week, which means pretty much everything on my list of nail polish wants has been ticked off. Hallelujah!

At £3.99 these are absolutely bargains. Maybe a bit pricey if you buy all six together so definitely look out for 3 for 2 offers, but overall they're so, so worth it. I don't even care that these are from the autumn/winter range as I'd wear these all year round without fail.

Have you tried the new Barry M Autumn/Winter 2014 Gelly Nail Paints? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

The Steamcream Face Challenge

Steamcream Precious 75ml - £12.95*
I genuinely can't believe I've not tried Steamcream before. I've definitely heard of it before but I wasn't aware of how good it is. It's simply a moisturiser for every need and every body part. You can use it on your face, hands, legs, feet…well, you get the idea really. You can use it all over!

It's absolutely ideal for dry skin as it contains oatmeal, cocoa, jojoba and neroli oils to name a few, all of which work their magic when combined. All of the natural, high quality ingredients are fused together with a shot of steam, which is a unique method that causes the finished product to be very thick but lightweight and a lovely texture.

Having been using this I can say for certain that everyone needs something like this in their make-up bag. It really is a staple product and the patterned tins are a really cute bonus. You can buy bigger and smaller tins depending on where you want to keep them - in a make-up bag/handbag or maybe a suitcase/holdall.

Bee Good Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm

Bee Good Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm - £4.75

A little while ago I reviewed Bee Good's Honey & Propolis 2-in-1 Cream Cleanser and I have been using it every single day ever since as part of my morning routine.

I recently saw on Twitter that the range is now being stocked in various Waitrose stores, which I was excited to hear but I didn't think for a single moment that the Weston-super-Mare branch of Waitrose would be on the stockists list…however, it was, so off I went to have a little nosey. Admittedly there wasn't much from the range on offer but there were a few bits. I wanted to get myself a moisturiser but I was horrified at the £19.50 price tag so opted for the slightly purse friendlier Vanilla & Honey Lip Balm, which was £4.75. Even that's a bit on the expensive side if I'm honest…it's really tiny but I didn't want a wasted journey so I popped it in my basket.

I've been on the hunt for a new lip balm that repairs cracked and chapped lips ever since the medicated chapstick I would buy regularly seemed to be discontinued.

I'm a big fan of honey/bee products so this lip balm was pretty interesting to me. I've seen the benefits beeswax/honey have on my skin so wondered if they'd have the same effects on my lips, which unfortunately are always dry thanks to the never ending lip balm cycle.

Unlike many others, this lip balm isn't horribly sticky when you apply it and I personally can't smell/taste it at all so I'm not constantly licking it off. It contains vitamin E, British borage oil and echium oil, all of which work together to keep lips feeling super moisturised. I have to say I'm really liking it so far.

Let me know your thoughts on this in the comments if you've tried it.

Lush Yuzu & Cocoa Bubbleroon

Lush Yuzu & Cocoa Bubbleroon - £3.95*

Another week, another Lush product review. Sorry…not sorry. This time I'm featuring a lovely little bath product that I received in a goody bag from a blogger event last month. I had no idea these existed, they're a bit like bath bombs and bubble bars in one with a great scent.

It's actually supposed to be Macaroon shaped so the idea is you reach for this treat for a luxurious bath instead of the calorific ones. The Bubbleroon contains coconut oil and shea butter so it's lovely and moisturising. It also contains grapefruit and citrus oils, which are really mood uplifting.

I've got to say for £3.95 this is really reasonable as it not only brightens your mood, it also makes you and your entire bathroom smell delicious and leaves your skin feeling really soft. Although I received this as a sample I would definitely repurchase and I have actually recently bought the Rose Jam Bubbleroon, which smells gorgeous!

Have you tried Lush's Bubbleroons yet? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

The Sunday Catch Up #34

So that's one week of September done! I still can't believe we're into the last few months of the year, I am already looking forward to Christmas!

I've felt much better this week after being ill previously. The honey and lemon with blackcurrant worked such a treat that I've even been drinking it when I've been well because it's so tasty.

This week has flown by as usual. I've not done much after work in the evenings really, which is such a waste as I could probably be getting on with some blogging or something. I definitely need to make the most of my evenings more often. Have you noticed how it's getting darker earlier and earlier? I think it was dark at around 8pm the other day!

Yesterday I spent the morning doing a few chores like picking up parcels, doing a bit of shopping. I also popped to Homebase with Vince to pick up some pots and compost to plant up some bulbs. I know I said I wouldn't bother trying to grow anything again because everything always goes wrong, dies or doesn't grow at all but I wanted to have a go at planting some bulbs. I bought some Hyacinths and Tulips because they are some of my favourite and it would be great to be able to grow my own. We'll see how it goes come the spring…I might try my hand at growing tomatoes and beans again. It's a bit of a pain because I don't really have much in the way of borders in my garden and the earth is really hard and full of stones, not good for growing in so I have to do most of it in pots and grow bags. If you know of anything idiot-proof that I could grow, let me know!

I'm hoping to get my blogging head on today. I really want to get an outfit post shot as I was sent a tshirt to feature but I'm just not sure what to wear it with! I find shooting outfit photos around 5pm is a good time to do as otherwise I get alsorts of awful sunlight streaming through them or I'm squinting because the sun's in my eyes, no matter which area of the garden I shoot! I wish I could do more outfit photos but my wardrobe isn't particularly interesting to be honest. If I bought clothes more often I might be able to do more and be more adventurous with my locations - maybe it could be a resolution for the New Year!

Before I go I just wanted to let you know that this week I was featured on a little thing put together by Yahoo Lifestyle, who featured a range of beauty bloggers talking about their August beauty favourites. Check it out here.

Also before I go…I finished Game of Thrones this week - ahhh! I need series 5 to hurry up. Has anyone else watched it?

Let me know in the comments what you've been up to this week and what you have planned for next.

Catch up on the week:

Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic Face Mask

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette - £22*




I'm well aware that since receiving this palette another version has been released but it's SO similar that I wouldn't really see the point in having both. The shades are only a tiny bit different and I personally wouldn't splash out on it. I was actually sent the original Basics palette so I'm very, very lucky as I absolutely love it!

I was originally sent the palette as part of my Folli Follie Festival Style and it was so lovely that I wanted to dedicate an entire post to it.

The palette itself contains six neutral shades, which are absolutely ideal for me. They are my go to colours and I've been using this palette on a regular basis. You pretty much have a shade for every occasion here. 'Venus' and 'Fox' are ideal for using as base eyeshadows or you can use them if you fancy creating an extremely natural, almost no make-up look. 'Naked2' and 'Faint' are my typical, every day colours. I've been wearing them regularly but if you're off out you might want to mix things up with 'Crave' for a bit of a smokey look or you could even use it as an eyeliner as it's so dark.

The eyeshadows are gorgeous to apply, lovely and soft, almost velvety and they last an absolute age as well. Perfect for putting on and not worrying about having to re-apply or any of that silly business. There's no fall out or transfer either so I'm extremely impressed!

I believe this palette may have gone down in price a bit now so I would purchase it at a reduced price. I'd much prefer to buy this compacted basics palette than the bigger, more expensive ones as really these shades are all you need!

Have you tried the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette? Let me know what you thought in the comments.