Sunday Round Up #6

Apologies for my lack of posts recently! I've been out everyday so I've not really had a chance to blog like I normally would. I also wrote a guest post for a website (not yet up, will link when it is!) which I spent quite a bit of time on so I only managed to post up here once! Also my camera has broken but hopefully I'll get that sorted soon. Anyhoo as normal this is a rundown of my week...

- On Monday I got my eyebrows threaded for the first time. They're so blonde and not particularly hairy so I've left them until then, but I was curious to see if there would be much of a difference. My friend Roz got hers done and they looked lovely so for £7 I thought there wasn't much to lose. Here's a photo of them which I took today; I usually fill them in but since I'm lounging round the house I haven't bothered. I just bought some dye for my eyebrows though so I'll let you know how that goes!

Haha, ok at a total angle but you can get an idea

After that I went to Roz's flat where we chatted and went old school with a bit of Lego Batman which we were both apalling at haha. It was really nice just sitting in hers and drinking wine instead of always going out for meals and to the pub.

- I have an awful memory and forgot to write down what I did on Tuesday so who knows, but on Wednesday I went to the joys of work.

- I got a great book out the library called Union Street by Pat Barker. It's an amazing read although really depressing, link here if you want to check it out. I stayed at Stevens basically Wednesday night to Friday night, it was so nice! We went shopping on both days and I got some really lovely things that I'll be putting up here soon. We also went to Frankies and Bennys which was lush, and finally we seen the new Xmen movie which I loved. We seen Hangover 2 the next day which I thought was really naff to be honest.

- Saturday was the blogger meet up; it was really nice to meet a few of the girls in real life. I didn't bother taking any photos or anything like that but the other girls did so I'll post that up when they do! On the night I went to see my mate Becca for a chat which was lovely. I feel quite hungover and sick today though so I've just been lazing in the sun reading a magazine! Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!

Em xx

Outfit 21/6/11

Sunday Round Up #5

Hello everyone, god another week passed already! Here's what I've been up to:

 On Monday my Mam wanted some company to the hospital which gave me a chance to drop off the 5 glamour magazines I'd acquired, so I felt less guilty about the wasted paper! I then went out with Jo and Becca which I've already posted about that which you can check out here.

 The weather was gorgeous on Tuesday so I headed down to the beach with Molly-pops with Glamour and The Talented Mr Ripley. I've just finished reading The Talented Mr Ripley today and can honestly say it was amazing. I couldn't put it down and really recommend it if you like a good thriller. I also went to the gym and left feeling as though my arms were going to drop off my body. I only went once this week though, and with the upcoming holiday I seriously need to start getting into shape! 

Wednesday I had work, but it only took me about two hours to finish everything and I wasn't meeting up with Roz and Jo for another hour so after a bit of shopping I went to the library. I noticed an envelope with 'Story Drop' on the desk where I was sitting, and without thinking used it as a bookmark before leaving. Later on I realised it actually had a short story inside so I felt awful in case it was some body's assignment for uni etc. but I checked out the website link listed at the bottom, and it turns out that the writer distributed them across Newcastle purposefully for people to randomly find which is a cool idea. Me, Jo and Roz ended up going to a buffet in town and then cocktails which serves my ultimate favourite drink Midori Sours which are so yum.

I finally got my hair highlighted and cut on Thursday which has made my hair look so much better. Also my Foxy Locks extensions came in the closest colour I could get - I'll be writing a full review in a few months for sure. On Friday I didn't do much at all because my Grandparents were coming up from Birmingham, although I did take advantage of the 99p Subway deal that was on then. Ohnomnomnom.

Alas looking seriously rough after being rained on

Yesterday Steven came back from his 11 day Scottish hike so I spent the day with him. We went for a meal with the whole family on the night which was a bit of a disaster and I needed about 6 drinks to get me to a state of calm :/ haha.

Today of course was fathers' day :). I got my Dad a cup printed with a photo of us on off when I was little. I always used to sit on his shoulders and since I've always been a right muncher I always got food on his head haha. I'll try take a photo and show you it when I get a chance.
And that's my week! Hope you all had a lovely week too xx

Arm Candy

     1 .  2 .   3 .  4 .  5 .  6 .  7 .  8 .  9 .

I have a vision of the perfect watch.... Gold plated, a bulky strap, minimal glitz, a round face & good quality.

However, shopping in store usually results in a pushy seller who is practically forcing my debit card through the reader, yet Internet shopping means I can't have the watch shortened to my wrist size so I'll have to faff on and get it sent away again at a jewellers. 

Similarly, I'm so bloody indecisive I cannot narrow down between these nine watches. I need someone to decide, and who better than the lovely fashionista's who might stumble onto my blog? I would love your opinions! Also, if you find any other watches you think I'd like please link them below - I'd be so grateful.

Em xx

Outfit: Bows

Holllaaaaa.

 Dress: Triple S

Accessories & Tights: Primark

Shoes: Dorothy Perkins 

This is what I wore on Monday to meet up with my mate Jo and go chill at the beach. It was really nice, we had knicker bocker glory's at Minchellas and then we headed further up the beach for a two course meal and bottle of wine. The weather was lovely so when Becca arrived we went to the park for a bit and had a cheeky go on the swings haha. Who can resist?! We ended the night slightly more grown up by heading off to the pub for a Kopparberg ohnomnom

Em xx

Sunday Round Up #4

 Hello ladies, a quiet chilled week for me! This is what I've been up to:

1) Making frantic attempts to find Glamour EVERYWHERE. I finally found five copies on Saturday after visiting about thirty (!) shops. The reason being the July issue includes mini versions of the benefit holy grail products Benetint, High Beam and Posie Tint. The mini's are usually £10 and for £2 a magazine this was a definite bargain. We could only find seven all together (my Mam took two) so we were pretty lucky and I'm really excited to try them out. I've always wanted to, but the thought of buying the full size product (never until recently seeing mini versions) only to realise it's crap after spending £24 was just too much to bear. I want to really get to know the products before I review them so that probably wont be for a month or so yet.

Image off google.. sadly not my own creation! Nomnom.

2) I had a traumatic day on Tuesday which I can fully attribute to Maxine and her vlogs. She always eats bagel, bacon and cream cheese, so I was finally won over and decided to try and make my own. I rarely eat meat so being the complete novice I am, I put the bacon right next to the heated rings. Of course, as anyone with common sense would realise, the bacon heated up splatting fat straight back onto the rings and causing a fire. Oops?

3) I also bought 9 DVD's which is quite unlike me as I hate sitting down for so long in one place. My films of choice were: Wild child, house bunny, scenes of a sexual nature, cruel intentions, closer, mean girls, save the last dance, clueless & Sydney White. Some are all time classics (mean girls) and others I'd never even heard of before but thought I'd give them a go. It was really nice just relaxing and watching naff movies, I think I'm going to start doing this more often. Do you have any recommendations?

4) I had a lovely meal with my parents and sister on Thursday. I filmed my outfit but I'm out of frame the entire time, and when I'm not you can see straight down my top exposing a bright pink bra. Not.Classy. Otherwise, the meal was lovely! I really enjoyed it even though curry is not my food type of choice.

5) I tuned into #Bbloggers tonight again, I haven't for a while because I've found the past few not that constructive and more just a chance to have a rant.

The chat today was a lot more constructive, I felt that most of the girls involved were really respectful and considerate. The topic was on how to be inspired when blogging. I think because I write about whatever is on my mind rather than being confined to say fashion, I never run out of topics, so being open to what you can blog about is good. Although if you don't feel like posting for a few weeks I think it's totally fine not to... Blogging is supposed to be fun, and forcing yourself to write is just going to be a chore! What do you think?

Em xx

May Favourites

I've made some amazing beauty discoveries this past month that will hopefully also work wonders for anyone reading. I'm forever in the quest to find high street products that really work so if you have any recommendations please leave them in the comments bar!

 Sleek Face Contour Kit (£6.50)

The amount of contours that I've tried that are so orange it looks as though two cheesy wotsits have attached under my cheekbones? The amount so dark I look like I improvised with my makeup collection in the morning by using mud? Too many to mention. That's why I love this Sleek one, the contour is just the perfect colour for pasty skin.

This is also great because it's completely matte: so many contours contain sparkle....why?!?! Contouring adds shadows to your face to create more dimension (carving the cheeks, thinning out the nose, etc.) but sparkles reflect light and draw more attention to an area, so essentially a sparkly contour isn't going to work.

The highlight I also love. It's such a pretty colour and adds a really nice dewy effect to the face. It comes in three colours, light (my shade), medium and dark. I can't vouch for the other colours and their effectiveness but the light kit is amazing! For a great video on highlight and contouring click here.

GOSH Primer (£12.99)

This GOSH Primer is a god send for anyone with a greasy look to the skin. I wear sun lotion everyday and was noticing my skin was looking very oily, but this primer has completely sorted that out. It also helps my makeup last a really long time - I honestly love this product. A little goes a long way so it lasts ages too which is always a plus.

Solait Tanning Mitt (£3)

This tanning mitt is the saviour from a streaky tan! Can't rave about these enough, if you have the same problem of looking like patchwork this is well worth a shot. The photo above is me (left) and my friend Ashley. We're both really pale and near the exact same colour but I'm wearing tan hence the slightly darker appearance. Being this pale the streaks are so obvious. Thankfully though it's turned out well every time I've tanned recently!

I found a really gross but very effective tip with this mitt... If the mitt already has dry tan on it off the last time you used it, it applies a hundred times better this time round. For that reason I usually wash it every 3 times I use it! I know it's trampy but hey it works.

Body Shop Muslin Cloth (£6 for £3)

I heard so many rave reviews about Muslin cloths I finally gave in and ordered off the Body Shop website. When they arrived, I had very low expectations (due to their handkerchief appearance), but I'm a total convert now! I usually put on my cleanser, then heat a muslin cloth under the tap before pressing it onto my skin to remove makeup. The cloth texture gently exfoliates so I then rub it on the oily parts of my skin which really has worked wonders. I never got any spots (that is until I slept in my makeup and woke up with an invasion) and my oily parts have really settled down, I think because they were getting such a scrub! Makeup wipes have nothing on this method - they just don't remove dirt the same!

Bath Gloves (£4)

This links back to the quest for a nice tan (it's summer okay!). I seen these on a YouTube video and thought I'd give them a try. I have huge tubs of exfoliaters which I usually really need to avoid a streaky tan, but popping these gloves on with a bit of shower gel does much the same job, with the bonus I can use them over and over again without ever running out. Think of the spondoolas saved! They are rough though so I only use them very lightly across my skin, and harder on my elbow/feet etc.

Et voila! These are all my favourites for the month. Hope you have a chance to try some of these out and think as much of them as I do!

Emx

Cheshire

Hello lovely ladies,
So I've been meaning to write a post about my experiences with Mecure Altrincham Bowdon Hotel and National Holidays, as well as in Altrincham and Cheshire more generally since I got back at the weekend. I left it a few days as I'm afraid this is going to be an extremely long post, so grab yourself a cup of tea, assign a partner to rub your feet for the next 45 minutes etc etc....haha.



We were planning to go to Leeds, but booking single rooms is really difficult if you leave it late so the only option left was Cheshire. It was £55 a person which was super cheap considering you get a night in a hotel, travel, and your tea and breakfast, so me and the crew (Kat, Becca, Ash, Jo) were happy to go here instead.

On the Saturday morning we were all waiting at the bus stop excited to rave it up ;).  A National Holidays coach pulled up at the bus stop with a sign saying 'Chester' so we were just chilling waiting for Rebecca to turn up. Anyway the driver started closing the coach up so we were all panicking thinking he was going to drive away. I popped my head between the doors to talk to him telling him 'I think we're supposed to be on this coach'. Ah he was so rude, he just looked at us like we were thick, shook his head, and worst of all to get me out of the way he closed the automatic doors straight into my face. You know when you stop a lift from closing by putting your foot in the way? That is effectively what my head did, I swear I was nearly bloody knocked out. Oh my god I was so angry/embarrassed/shocked you wouldn't even believe it. He didn't even say sorry or anything, just closed the doors again and drove off. Sheesh. After that little incident, we were worried there had been a problem with the booking, but thankfully a new coach pulled up with a sign saying 'Cheshire' (not Chester) a few minutes later. It's an easy mistake to make! Haha ok, maybe not if you know the area but we only knew Chester/Cheshire were near (?) to each other and we were going places near Cheshire so it could have been that one. Regardless, he could have just told us we weren't on the list instead of just slamming the door on my head. The rest of the journey was fine though haha.

The first place we were dropped off was at a garden centre which was so beautiful. However the driver kept getting lost so in the end we only got to spend an hour there instead of the few hours we were promised boooo :(. Also the next garden centre was closed so we ended up at a shop similar to B&Q haha. Not really the weekend away I had in mind!

Altrincham is a really gorgeous place and the hotel was a street away from all the pubs which was great. The pool, sauna room and jacuzzi were all fab too and super fun. There was down points to the Mercure Bowndon hotel though.... One being the swimming pool is in a building next door rather than inside the hotel itself, so before and after swimming we had to walk past past tons of people wearing next to nothing. Also they don't have lifts so I had to haul my suitcase up 3 flights of stairs. I'm only 21 and I was struggling, but some of the ladies were 80+ and could barely get up the stairs never mind carry a suitcase too. Not only that, but there was noone there to help them with their bags so they had to rely on passerbys and I really did feel for them. The two oldest staff serving food were also extremely rude and patronising, and we were confined to this tiny room where we all had to split up and sit separately for dinner. A lovely lady sitting by herself moved so eventually we could sit together which was great, but the staff were rolling their eyes etc like we were making a huge fuss. Personally I think sitting next to who you want for dinner is a fair enough request, especially since we weren't even late or anything, it was just because the room couldn't accommodate everyone on national holidays.

Honest opinions on the food, I ordered pate on toast which was so yum, if you ever go there get that! The chicken on the main was not so good because it was really cheap, like the type you get for school dinners with lots of fat attached to the slices. The dessert I got was chocolate cake which was also tasty although I nearly o'd at the table on sugar haha. The hotel room itself was fine and everything was nice and clean. I had a gorgeous bath and really took my time getting ready and watching telly- bliss!

Altrincham is a lovely place, the architecture is so nice! The pubs and clubs were quite classy affairs although they did all close at one so I'd get there earlier than we did (11pm). We got cheesy chips and headed back to my hotel room where I fell asleep straight away haha. The room didn't have temperature control and it was so hot I had to sleep nuddy pants on top of the covers. I don't know how the other girls coped since they were sharing... wouldn't be quite as appropriate haha

Breakfast was at 8.30am, which was good with quite a lot of choice. We headed off next to spend the day in Cheshire which I loved. Again, a gorgeous city and somewhere I'd definitely go back to. They had a roman festival weekend on so we had a look round all the stalls. The medical section was so interesting although massively gruesome. My favourite stall was (surprise, surprise) the makeup counter - I spent at least 30 minutes transfixed as they explained how they created and applied their makeup. It was great because the staff really knew what they were talking about and could answer all my niggly questions at ease. They had dancers on (which I recorded in my youtube vid) and later on although I didn't get to see it a fashion show and fights. We had a pub meal which was tasty and looked around the shops, I wish I could have stayed here a lot longer but alas we had to return to the coach at 3pm.

Overall I think the weekend was a bit badly planned but still well worth going. Cheshire was my highlight because the area was just so interesting and pretty. I could have spent hours there, in fact I could have spent a day just at the roman festival. The hotel was good especially for the price we paid, but I've checked out the normal prices for a night and food and I don't think it's worth that. Not having lifts, rude staff, over
Emxx

REVIEW: Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

Overall Rating: 3/10

What are they?
Nose strips that you wet and then place on your nose (6 per packet).

What do they claim to do?
Deep cleanse the nose, getting rid of blackheads and oil.

Where can you get them from? 
Superdrug website, currently half price at £4.12, but usually £8.24

Pros of product?
 - They did tame my oiliness, it was about a week before I started noticing oil build up again.

Cons of product?
- No difference whatsoever to my blackheads, no long term effects to my skin at all.
- Can only be used on nose
- Work out over a pound per strip, which is pricey considering they only address one part of the face, unlike a face mask.
- It gives a very similar effect to when I pour toner onto a cotton pad and press it against my oily skin for 5 minutes, which is a lot cheaper and just as effective.

Overall I'd save your spondoolas for a better product. Has anyone else tried these? If so, did you like them? Also, does anyone have any recommendations for getting rid of black heads?
Em x

Sunday Round Up #3

Cheshire - me and Kat

 Helloo lovelies. Sorry this is late, but alas I was too hungover yesterday to write more than a coherant sentence. Here's a run down of my week:

Minchellas Ice Cream

I had a really childlike day on Monday with Becca. We went to Minchellas where I got the huge knickerbocker glory (above) - oh nomnomnom. I used to work there when I was 14 for £3.10 an hour which was hell because we weren't allowed breaks at all and dinner had to be ate in ten minutes otherwise you'd get the sack. I hated working there because the boss's daughter was a nightmare and always made me work extra for no pay, but I've got to admit the ice creams are yum.

I then influenced Becca on the waltzers which are my ultimate fairground favourites. The guy got a bit excited and span us so much we both nearly vommed on the actual ride haha. Classy ladies.

High Force Waterfall

I slept at Stevens and on Tuesday we went to High Force waterfall which was so beautiful! We ate our lunch overlooking the waterfall which was lovely. After a 6.5mile uphill walk (pain) we went back and watched True Blood. Actually really getting into it now!

I had work on Wednesday (packing prospectuses) which was alright, and then I went to Roz's for her flat warming where I got drunk and ate lots of pizza. As I said in my last post, I didn't do much on Thursday other than force my lazy ass to the gym where I realised how incredibly unfit I am again :(.

Friday was the hottest day ever so me and Steven went to the park to feed the ducks. I was going away at the weekend, and he's away for 11 days in Scotland from today so it'll be a while until we see eachother again. We we made the most of the day and went to Minchellas. I got a knickerbocker glory again, I know I'm dead impulsive aren't I? Haha. We also went to the fair on a naff ride since he doesn't like the waltzer (?!) and we looked in a few shops. He attempted to win me a bear playing darts but he failed miserably, which was hilarious.

I went home on the night and made a half hearted attempt to pack for Cheshire at the weekend and ended up bringing a load of crap with me which is what I get for not planning properly! I'll be uploading a video of Cheshire soon as well as a blog post asap. 

Becca and me at Cheshire

I finished reading Final Theory by Mark Alpert.... It was okay. I think he writes well but the scientific jargon was a bit too intense and quite offputing for my tastes. Also I have a 0% interest in how newtons work etc so I found I kept skipping those bits. The action parts were good though so if you're into that sort of thing it might be worth a read. I'd give it a 6/10.

Finally, Emma asked me what I've been using on my face so I thought I'd write here in case anyone else has been wondering. The only two things I've changed is my contour/highlight. I now use Sleek's Contour kit in the colour light which I think it amazing. I've converted a few friends from Clinique and Nars which I think says a lot! The sleek products I've tried have been really good so the brand is well worth a check out.
Em xx

Video: Summer Loving

Dress: Internacionale
Sandals: Matalan
Bracelets: H&M
Necklace: Accessorize

Video: House Warming Outfit

This is an outfit I wore to a house warming party at my friends flat.



Dress: Triple S
Tights: Primark
Shoes: Deichmann

I had a good time at Roz's, she'd invited Jo (the maker of my cute cookie present), and her boyfriend had his mates Kylie, Richard and Martin round too. It was nice sitting in and eating pizza, apart from I drank tons of wine and cider and the room was so hot that I was fighting off falling asleep :'). I'm only 21 but alas I cannot party like I used to. We walked home at 3am by which time I was so tired after feeding the cats, another sign of my WILD lifestyle, I dropped straight to sleep. Today I've had a lazy day, other than forcing myself to the gym before I lose the ability to move my limbs.
Em xx

Favourite Books

> Check out my Good Reads Account Here and feel free to recommend books below :)

 

“There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them.” 

 ^{- Joseph Brodsky}

“Reading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms.” 

 ^{- Angela Carter}

“Reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting.” 

 ^{- Edmund Burke}

^{Novels [click on the titles for links to where you can buy them]}

^{Truman Capote:Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories (Modern Library)}

"It may be normal, darling; but I'd rather be natural." - Holly Golightly

 Blurb: New York in the 1940s. In the expensive jewellery store, Tiffany's, Holly Golightly feels calm and safe. In her apartment every night is party night. Men come and go. But Holly is searching for her place in the world. Can any of these men offer her happiness?

^{Sylvia Plath The Bell Jar (genre: self autobiographical, coming of age)}

"If you love her", I said " You'll love somebody else someday."
— Sylvia Plath (The Bell Jar) 

^{Blurb: :"}Esther Greenwood is brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time. In her acclaimed and enduring masterwork, Sylvia Plath brilliantly draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that her insanity becomes palpably real, even rational—as accessible an experience as going to the movies. A deep penetration into the darkest and most harrowing corners of the human psyche, The Bell Jar is an extraordinary accomplishment and a haunting American classic."

^{Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro (Genre: Dystopia)}

"I was thinking about the rubbish, the flapping plastic in the branches, the shore-line of odd stuff caught along the fencing, and I half-closed my eyes and imagined this was the spot where everything I'd ever lost since my childhood had washed up, and I was now standing here in front of it, and if I waited long enough, a tiny figure would appear on the horizon across the field, and gradually get larger until I'd see it was Tommy, and he'd wave, maybe even call. The fantasy never got beyond that --I didn't let it-- and though the tears rolled down my face, I wasn't sobbing or out of control. I just waited a bit, then turned back to the car, to drive off to wherever it was I was supposed to be."
— Kazuo Ishiguro (Never Let Me Go) 

Blurb: "As a child, Kathy—now thirty-one years old—lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves, but for the society they would eventually enter.  She describes happy scenes of boys and girls growing up together, unperturbed--even comforted--by their isolation. But she describes other scenes as well: of discord and misunderstanding that hint at a dark secret behind Hailsham's nurturing facade. With the dawning clarity of hindsight, the three friends are compelled to face the truth about their childhood—and about their lives now.A tale of deceptive simplicity, Never Let Me Go slowly reveals an extraordinary emotional depth and resonance-and takes its place among Kazuo Ishiguro's finest work."

^{Savage Night - Jim Thompson (Genre: Thriller)}

"Life is a bucket of shit with a barbed wire handle" - Jim Thompson 

^{Blurb: "}Is Carl Bigelow a fresh-faced college kid looking for a room, or is he a poised hit man tracking down his victim? And if Carl is really two people, what about everyone around him? Savage Night is Thompson at his best, with plot reversals and nightmarish shifts of identity." 

 

^{A Hell Of A Woman - Jim Thompson  (Genre:Thriller, pulp fiction)}

Blurb: "A Hell of a Woman is Jim Thompson's homegrown version of Crime and Punishment. It is a novel utterly devoid of sentiment, where a murderer goes about his deadly business without a prayer of redemption."

^{Plays
A Streetcar Named Desire - Tenessee Williams}

"Well, honey, a shot never does a coke any harm!"

^{A Streetcar Named Desire - Tennessee Williams}

Blurb: The story of Blanche DuBois and her last grasp at happiness

^{Em xx}