A General Ramble and the End of the Spending Ban

Today has gotten off to a very unusual start for me.  On an ordinary day I'd have already been up for a few hours and would have headed to the office trying to keep on top of my workload whilst still having dozens of emails pouring into my inbox (did I mention my job was a busy one?); instead I'm sitting around waiting for a guy to come and fix a radiator in my house and it suddenly dawned on me that this is the first opportunity I've had to blog in oh about two weeks.

So here I am, seizing that opportunity with both hands, and what do I have to say for myself?  Well, probably sounding like a broken record here, but I have one of those jobs that takes up so much energy and thought that I'm often pretty much a zombie when I get home, and if I haven't prepared and scheduled blog posts, things tend to fall off a little.  I do have things to update you on, so here goes...

100 Day Spending Ban

So the official end of my spending ban was 25th April, but as I'd had a very naughty month in March I decided to continue it on for a few extra days.  I must say that after that (major) blip I was pretty much an angel for the rest of the ban and at the end, feeling in a rather reflective mood I thought about a few things that I had learned...

1. I already have a massive stash of make-up so I really don't need to buy something from every collection that comes out, and shopping my stash is fun!

2. As much as I love skincare, I only have one face, I need to look after it properly and I can't keep trying to buy every lauded product under the sun.

3. I'm a grown-up that works very hard for the money I earn so I will continue to enjoy spending it on treats, just in a more restrained manner

4. If I need to save for something in particular I have no problem doing another spending ban but 100 days might be a little much (as evidenced by the major splurging in March)

Getting fit and healthy

My first post about my new plan to get fit and healthy was a few weeks ago now (you can read it here) and whilst I've made some changes to my lifestyle, I'm not quite on plan yet.  I've been feeling massively inspired by health and fitness accounts I've seen on Pinterest and Instagram in the last few days (you can find me as StargazyEyes on both) so expect to see another update from me very soon.

Well I guess that's all from me for now folks, I've got some great reviews almost ready to post so look out for those, and got a couple of new series planned (I just need the day job to calm down slightly now).  Hope you're all having a great day, whatever you have planned!

Leave me a comment if you've been doing any type of spending ban or if you've got any posts on kick-starting/maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Sharon x

Spring Tag!

Last week I was tagged by the lovely Ashleigh at Quintessentially Me to do the Spring Tag.  I haven't done any blogger tags before but this one looks like fun, so here goes...

First off, I need to choose five bloggers I love reading to tag, my picks are:

Kel from Kel Loves
Clara from Smiley Clara
Sarah from Sugarpuffish
Cat from Outside Beauty, Inside Health
Kat from Tales of a Pale Face

Now, here come the questions.

1. What's your favourite Spring nail polish?

Definitely Merino Cool by Essie.  I tend to like darker nail polishes most of the time so this is actually quite a light one for me, but I find the lovely lilac grey is perfect for this transitional time of year.

2. What is your must-have lip colour this Spring?

The shade I’ve been wearing the most over the last couple of weeks is Illamasqua’s lipstick in Magnetism.  It’s a lovely deep raspberry shade and can be really vampy, but at the moment I wear it most often just pressed lightly onto my lips for a lovely subtle pink.

3. Show us your favourite Spring dress.

In the past I’ve never been much of a dress person so really don’t have a favourite spring dress to show you.

4. What's your favourite flower.

I actually have no idea!  I suppose at this time of year I love the daffodils that are springing up everywhere, but my favourite find this week was this little beauty in my own garden:

5. What is your favourite Spring scarf/accessory?

My favourite scarf is actually a new one that my lovely other half treated me to from Topshop.  It's really light weight and I love the mix of muted colours to brighten up my outfits.

6. What Spring trends are you most excited about this year.

I'm really loving the bomber jackets that I'm seeing everywhere, especially those with Oriental or floral inspired prints.  I will have to pick one up soon!

7. Favourite Spring candle?

At the moment I'm still loving this natural soy wax candle scented with wild flowers - I posted about it here.

8. Favourite body spray/perfume for Spring?

I actually haven’t changed my perfumes for spring, I’m still wearing my favourites, alternating between Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb and Liz Earle Botanical Essences No.15.

9. What is Spring like where you live?

It’s very mixed here in York.  We've had a few sunny days, but quite a few cold ones too, today we've even had hailstone!  Roll on summer is all I can say...

10. What's your favourite thing about Spring?

Definitely the change in the weather, I can’t get enough of those days that are beautifully fresh and bright.

11. Are you a Spring cleaner?

I have my moments, but honestly not really.  I have been organising my beauty stash recently though, which has meant I’ve had to clean a little bit.

12. Any plans for a Spring break or upcoming vacation?

Not right now unfortunately.  I do have some time off at the beginning of summer however so I’m hoping to maybe have a few days away then.

Well that's it for my Spring Tag post, I hope you've enjoyed it.  If you've done the spring tag I'd love to read about it, leave me your link in the comments below.

Sharon x 

What I've Used Up - April 2013

Here it is people, my first ever empties post!  I haven't used up a lot of products this month and it's mainly been a skincare affair, but anyway I hope you enjoy what you read... 

 

Bioderma Créaline H20 Solution Micellaire 
I don’t think there’s anyone left in the beauty blogosphere that hasn’t heard of Bioderma.  This is the first and only micellar solution I’ve ever tried, and while I was a bit of a sceptic about how good it might be at first, I soon decided I loved it.  I use it every night as the first stage in removing my makeup, and a bottle this size usually lasts me about three to four months.  I’ve already repurchased but am still thinking about other micellar waters I might like to try.

I currently buy my Bioderma from ebay for about £12 for a 500ml bottle, but know that it is launching for sale in the UK very soon. 

Lush Eau Roma Toner Water 
This is my favourite everyday toner, and I always have at least one bottle on the go.  Used after my cleanser it really makes my skin feel refreshed and comfortable, I also think it helps to carry my moisturiser everywhere it needs to be.  The base of rose is great as its really gentle and helps to reduce redness, I also love that this it has a spray so I can give my face a quick spritz throughout the day when I need it.

Lush Eau Roma Toner Water is currently £7.25 for 250g and you can find it here. 

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream 
This was a magazine freebie late last year.  It was really nice to use, hydrating but not too heavy; it lasted a good while and made a good base for undereye makeup.  I haven’t repurchased yet, but it’s definitely on my list to test out more thoroughly in the very near future (as are quite a lot of the Balance Me products actually).

Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream is currently £20 for 15ml and you can find it here. 

Liz Earle Smoothing Line Serum 
I've used this serum for quite a few years now (for my eyes), and while I like the light texture and gentle smoothing effect, lately I’ve been feeling like I need something with a little more oomph (hence the current addiction to eye creams I have).  I still think it's a great product, but I don't think it's the only night treatment I can use for my eyes anymore.

Liz Earle Smoothing Line Serum is currently £14.75 for a 10ml pump and you can find it here. 

Origins Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment 
This was a very nice moisturiser but perhaps not 100% right for my skin, at least not in colder months.  Bought as a night cream, it did feel hydrating but sunk in so quickly I felt like I needed to put something else on my skin quite soon afterwards.  It would probably be great for more combination skin, and while I wouldn’t buy this myself again I will definitely try something else from the same range.

I think the name of this moisturiser has changed slightly since I bought it, but you can find the Origins Make A Difference range here. 

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser 
This has been my staple day cream for a number of years now, it’s always cared for my skin really well and is great for wearing under makeup.  While I still like to use it and will probably always have a pot on hand, my skin has been going through a very ‘thirsty’ stage in recent months and perhaps needs more heavy-hitting thirst quenching and anti-ageing ingredients.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser is currently £19.25 for 50ml and you can find it here.

Well that's it folks, my first ever empties post come to an end, I hope you liked what you read. 

What products have you been using up recently?  I'd love to read your comments below.

Sharon x

Spring Beauty Haul

So here it is, the haul I hinted at in my last spending ban update (here) or as I like to call it 'The Haul of Shame'!  Now as I mentioned in that update March got a little out of hand for me, I didn't buy all of these thing at once however (well most of the Kiehl's things were bought in one go) it was a more of a slow spend over a period of time.  Also not all of this haul was bought with cash, there were some vouchers involved too.

Anyway, without further ado, here is what I bought in the month of the March...

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream - A staple product from Kiehl's, this moisturiser claims to offer up to 24 hours of moisture and helps reduce water loss in the skin.  I can't attest to that at the moment, but I can say it's a nice product to use so far and makes my skin feel very comfortable (it does have a bit of a weird smell though).

Neal's Yard Remedies Wild Rose Beauty Balm - I actually haven't tried this beauty balm yet, but I'm very excited to.  It's won a multitude of awards (including one from the Green Beauty Bible, one of my favourite books) and is a real multi-tasker; it can be used as a skin-nourishing balm, a gentle exfoliator or a lovely rich cleanser.  Combine all three uses and you have yourself a facial too!

Kiehl's Actively Correcting & Beautifying BB Cream - I was so excited to try this when it came out, and I really like using it so far.  With spf50 and ingredients that are reported to improve the appearance of skin over longer-term use, I'm looking forward to seeing how this works for me.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate - So many other bloggers have raved about the product I couldn't wait to try it out.  Filled with skin-loving oils and fatty acids it claims to give younger looking skin overnight.  Here's hoping!

Kiehl's Acai Damage-Reparing Serum - This serum is full of lovely antioxidants and used under a daily moisturiser can help improve the tone and texture of skin.  I've been using it almost every day since I bought it and am loving it so far.

Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye -A perfect partner to the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, I've been using this eye cream at night for a number of weeks now and it's lovely to use.  Already it seems to make my eyes look just that little bit brighter, I can't wait to see what it does long term.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Punjab - This is my go-to everyday foundation, it has fantastic medium coverage and makes my skin look flawless.  I was wearing a lighter shade over the winter that's a little too pale now, so bought the next shade darker to take me through to the Summer.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Custard - A new release from Nars, this has quickly become my favourite under eye concealer.  It's very highly pigmented so a little goes a long way, and it doesn't crease or dry out under my eyes.  I'll be doing a review of this very soon.

Illamasqua Lipstick in Sangers - I got this little beauty in the Illamasqua sale, and I absolutely adore it.  It's the perfect blood red lipstick and like most Illamasqua lippies it's very comfortable to wear.

Stila Smudge Pot in Kitten - This is my favourite shade of eyeshadow in 'In the Light Palette', and whilst I find the texture a little dry in the smudge pot version, I still really like it.

Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24HR Cream Gel Shadow in Permanent Taupe - I've heard so many people talk about these that I really wanted to try one.  They don't have a massive range of shades and this is the only one I was attracted too.  Hopefully I'll get on with it!

Essie Nail Polish in Smokin' Hot - I'm a big fan of Essie nail polishes, and this lovely purple-gray is no exception to that.  I know it's a bit of a wintery shade, but I think it looks great on my nails when I'm at work.

Well that's it for that haul folks.  I know it was an epic one so I'll be impressed if many people got to the end of it!  As you can probably tell skincare has been one of my main obsessions over the last few months and I imagine that won't change as we (hopefully) move into warmer weather.  I doubt I'll have a haul of this size again any time soon though, I think I'm pretty well set up for a good while.

What have you been buying over the last couple of months?  Do you tend to go as overboard as I do on occasion?

Sharon x

Time to Get Fit and Healthy

Another day, and another post starting with a pair of shoes!  This pair isn't half as exciting to me as those in my previous post but they are here for a very good reason.  Oh yes, it's health and fitness time again...

The last time I posted anything about my health and fitness regime (or lack thereof) was back in January.  Although I had the best intentions when I wrote my new year post (you can read it here if you're interested) I've slowly reverted to old habits and I'm probably back where I was a year ago, feeling overweight (I'm somehow reached a size 16, gulp!) and generally a bit unhealthy.

I'm still determined to change the way I feel now, but instead of planning for some start date that never quite comes, I'm just going to start right now!

My New Exercise Routine

Although I joined a new gym a month ago I've only been a handful of times, but that's going to change!  From right now, I'm going to go a minimum of 3 times a week and follow the plan I was given on my induction.  It hurts like hell, but my body will be better for it.  When I have the time, I'll also try and work in at least 1 Zumba workout per week.

My New Healthy Eating Plan

When it comes to healthy eating, I really don't have anything major planned.  No counting calories or points, I'm simply going to concentrate on eating good clean food, cutting out processed snacks and eating smaller portions.  My other half and I already cook everything from scratch at home so this one shouldn't be too difficult for me.  Famous last words?  I hope not!

The Goal

My overall goal is to be a bit slimmer and lot healthier by the time summer rolls around.  This time around though I've decided not to get obsessed with weighing myself (in fact I'm going to stay away from scales altogether for at least 2 months if I can manage it) instead I'm going to measure myself on a regular basis.  I figure I'll be able to see more change in my body by measuring my arms, waist, legs etc once a month than I would if I was obsessing over the numbers on my scales

So anyway, that's my plan to kickstart my health and fitness.  I'm planning on regular update posts to help measure my success, so until the next update.

Do you have a health and fitness regime planned?  I'd love to hear from you if you're starting out, and I'd love to see some links if you've posted about the subject.

Sharon x

Jeffrey Campbell Rodman Spike

When I first spotted the Jeffrey Campbell Rodman Spike trainers online last year it was a true case of love at first sight.  I spent a good couple of weeks trying to find them in the UK or EU but it seemed they were only available in the US and I thought I'd never get my hands on a pair.

Fast forward to February this year, I was on a late night walk in York with my other half and spotted these beauties in the window of the Coggles Boutique in Low Petergate.  The shop wasn't open unfortunately for me, but the next time I had a chance I was in there to have a closer look, and it was only a little while later that they became mine.

I really love the look of the Jeffrey Campbell Rodman Spike trainers.  They have a mixture of textures including a snakeskin effect and patent leather and of course that eye-catching mixture of spikes and studs on the back.  The concealed wedge is 4 inches with a 1 inch platform, so they make me very tall, but feel very stable to walk in.  The stability is helped by the fact that they're a laced hi-top with a really long tongue, so your feet and ankles feel very supported and secure.  As far as high-heels go they're also pretty comfortable to wear, there's no rubbing or pinching and only a little soreness on the ball of the foot after a while.

These are actually (and by far) the most expensive fashion item I have ever gotten (and I wouldn't even have them if it wasn't for a super generous fiancé) but they're something I know I will get masses of wear out of and they already go with most of my wardrobe.  A lot of Jeffrey Campbell shoes really aren't my style, but these really appeal to the trainer loving girl in me, and give her a little bit of edge.

If you're interested in finding out more about the Jeffrey Campbell Rodman Spike trainers, you can find them here.

What do you think of the Jeffrey Campbell Rodman Spike shoes? Are they something you'd wear?

Sharon x