Instagram #8

001. Waiting for a lift to work on a lovely Spring morning, it's a shame my good mood didn't progress past the clocking in machine though!

002. My box of stuff, I got this out earlier in the week and had a look through all the bits and bobs I've kept from over the years. Lots of birthday cards, various tickets to places and 20 page letters from people I've never met. I love going through everything and remembering stuff I'd forgotten about.

003. I bought myself two new books from Tesco, I got Me Before You after seeing Selin recommend it, and I also jumped on The Hunger Games bandwagon, can't wait to start it and out what the fuss is about!

004. Spur of the moment afternoon tea (well, strawberry milkshake & a scone) with my grandma ♥

005. Weight Watchers Crispy Greek Pie as previously featured on Where Are My Knees, handmade by me and it was SO GOOD, even if I do say so myself.

006. Wise words.

007. I bagged myself tickets to Radio 1's Hackney Weekend, it's day before my birthday and for £2.50 I'll be seeing Rihanna, Jessie J, David Guetta, Tinie Tempah, Plan B & loads more (full line-up is here). Downside is that I'll be going on my own but to be perfectly honest I don't really mind!

008. Making the most of Lincolnshire and going to a place called Hubbards Hills, I spent so much time here when I was growing up and even though I haven't been for years, nothing has changed. It's such a perfect place and I can't wait to go back more this Summer.

009. Raspberry Ripple ice-cream, my first proper one of the year!

Thank you to everyone who has entered my giveaway so far, if you haven't seen it yet then make sure you check it out :)

Giveaway

Picture one: Mark Hill Beach to Bar dry shampoo | Sleek MakeUp blush by 3 palette in Flame | MAC mineralize skin finish in Sunday Afternoon | MAC Chenman Reflects Glitter pigment | MAC Pro Longwear Eyeshadow in Sweet Satisfaction

Picture two: Estee Lauder Pure Color shimmer lipstick in Tiger Eye | 3 x Models Own nail varnish (Dream Stream, Zest a Peal & Smash Up silver) | Sleek MakeUp blush by 3 palette in Lace | MUA Love Hearts Sweet Kiss lip balm
I've been on about posting this for a while now but I just haven't got around to it. There isn't really a reason for it as such, just the same old story: make-up that's kicking around my bedroom/bathroom that hasn't been used and probably won't ever be so instead of it gathering dust I thought I'd share the love. This is either what I've bought or what I've been given through various stints at Cosmopolitan, none of it has been provided (or bought!) for the purposes of an actual giveaway. I guess I'm just kind.
SO, there's going to be two winners. The first person chosen will pick which "prize" they want and the second will get whichever is left. Sound fair? Good.
The rules:1) You must be a follower through Google Friend Connect.2) It's only open to people in the United Kingdom - sorry guys!3) Leave a comment below with your name and email address so if you win I can get in touch. You can say something nice too if you like.4) Feel free to tweet about the giveaway, it's not necessary but you can if you want. You won't get any extra entries or anything though, soz.5) It'll close two weeks from today (22nd March) at midnight on 5th April 2012. I'll pick the winner using random.org and announce who it is shortly afterwards. There's no telling when I'll post the prize though, I'm useless.6) Good luck :)

Instagram #7

001. HEALTHY PUDDING. I started Weight Watchers last Monday, I signed up online using the £30 Quidco cashback offer that I know a few other people have taken advantage of. I'm doing it in unison with the Maxitone diet trial I'm doing too. It's my first weigh in tomorrow so we'll see how it's gone!

002. Another diet savour, I think Milky Ways are up there with my fave chocolate and for 2 (or maybe 3?) points a pop I've stocked up on these bad boys.

003. Hi, this is my face in case you didn't already know. I perfected my scousebrow and added some Viva Glam Nicki before I went for dinner with a friend.

004. The John Frieda Full Repair range (post here) that I was sent. I started using this in the week and so far I'm really liking it!

005. Homemade birthday cake. No, that isn't a chocolate boob/nipple, it's a Lindt chocolate. It was my Dad's 50th on Friday but he had a little party on Thursday, unfortunately I was working but I enjoyed leftovers in the evening.

006. Proof that I've lost my leopard print nail talent. Think this lasted around half an hour before I took it off.

007. I went with some friends for lunch on Friday and this monstrosity was ordered for dessert, I stuck to Weight Watchers though and only had three mouthfuls (or thereabouts). Will power or WOT? Be proud.

008. Yeah, so I gave in and had a double sausage and egg muffin on my break at work. It was more than worth 15 points though, trust me.

009. The beginning of the night on Saturday, it went more than downhill from there on.

PS, just so you're all aware my laptop sadly died a tragic death last week so I'm currently blogging from our home computer which is so slow it's ridiculous. It froze about 87998 times while I was trying to write this post. I'm still going to try and update as normal but just wanted to inform you all, just in case, y'know, anybody actually cares...

Face

face: Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, MAC MSF loose powder, Dolce & Gabanna blusher, Accessorize highlighter, Benefit Moonbeam
eyes: MAC Pro Longwear eyeshadow in Sweet Satisfaction, Urban Decay eyeshadow in Snakebite (from Naked2), Maybelline gel eyeliner, Lancome Doll Eyes mascara, Benefit They're Real! mascara, MAC eyebrow pencil in Stud
lips: Viva Glam Nicki
nails: Inglot matte pink in 703 and No7 gold glitter

Not gonna lie, I'm feeling rather fragile this morning. I went out last night and I'm sure you can all guess what happened: I drank too much, got hammered and ruined my life once again. To say I'll never learn is probs the biggest understatement EVA.

Anyway, moving on. This is my face (and nails, obv) from last night, which compared to how I looked this morning looks alright actually. I am proper loving that new Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation that is doing the blogger rounds at the minute. I'll probably jump on the bandwagon and post about it seperately, I think it's a pretty big deal that I really like it cos I don't think I've ever paid less than £15 for foundation before. Also my nails are shit at the minute, I hardly ever paint them anymore because Ronald doesn't allow it and burger making ruins them too. Another reason I need a new job asap.

This is the most rubbish and incoherent blog post there ever was, so I'm just gonna leave it here and go and get ready to go for fish & chips avec my grandma, aunties and cousin. I'll be surprised if I make it through the day though, wish me luck.

John Freida Full Repair Range

WAIT. STOP. Before you all think I'm a sell-out for posting this video (which about 79% of you probably will), just hold up and bare with me. You're all probably more than aware of the new stuff from John Frieda, Full Repair, I was before I was contacted and asked to post this video, which yes, I have done and in return I'll receive the full range to try out and review.

Right, but why? Well, this little campaign was something that I felt like I could relate to. I'm obsessed with my hair, if I have a bad hair day then my mood is probably a lot worse because of it. I've always taken pride in it but ever since I discovered straighteners, I've used them. I've also coloured my hair so many times I've lost count. I've been red, blonde, ginger, purple, brown. You name it, I've probably had that colour hair. I've bleached it, I've had it highlighted, lowlighted, I've used semi-permanent dyes and even now I colour it every four weeks or so with permanent dyes. I AM SO BAD.

For the first few years of using heat (and dye) on my hair I didn't use any sort of protection (lol), like literally nothing and through university I think I noticed the effects more than ever. The fronts of my hair had snapped off, I had short bits and long bits and mismatched bits (cringing 4eva posting these pictures but look closely at my hair here, here and here).

Looking back, my hair looked entirely ridiculous because it was so damaged and seemingly beyond repair. My hairdresser would tell me off, she'd continually try and blend in the bits that were snapped off but I still never learnt, I'd still leave the salon and straighten my hair to hell and back. If it wasn't poker straight, I'd tie it back in a ponytail thus making it straight in the first place completely pointless.

So, cut a long story short I had my hair chopped into an asymmetrical bob in October 2010 and it quite literally has saved it. Straight after I'd had it cut, my hair had a natural shine to it like I'd never seen before, honestly it was incredible. All the dead bits had been cut out and I just felt so much better. I do like to think I look after my hair a lot better now, of course I still straighten it every day, sometimes more than once, but I use various types of heat defence shampoos, conditioners along with other lotions and potions to try and keep it looking it's best, to keep it as healthy as it can be. I'm always on the lookout for new brands and different ranges to invest try, I like to swap and change the products I use quite regularly as well. I genuinely believe that if I keep using the same thing over and over again, it loses the effect it once had. Whether that's true or not, who knows?

I'm sure I'm not alone in my hair obsession and I'm looking forward to trying this range, I'll see if it lives up to the hype and report back. Have any of you used this range yet? What are your thoughts? And while we're at it, how badly do you treat your hair? I feel a little bit better now I've confessed my sins over the Internet. The Internet solves everything!

Instagram #6

001. The weather at the start of the week was so miserable, I didn't realise just how bad the rain was until I'd spent ages getting ready and opened the front door. It didn't take me long to completely change my mind about leaving the house and instead I curled up on the sofa with a hot chocolate and Harry Potter. Monday afternoon bliss.
002. I was a bit naughty and had a Yorkie McFlurry and a Summer Fruits Oasis. I'm so excited Maccies have started doing Oasis instead of Still Fanta, it's the perfect cure for just about everything and it's so much more refreshing. Can't wait to have it in the summer, it tastes so much better on tap rather than out the bottle too.
003. Yet another treat, I've slipped off the diet bandwagon this week! Cadbury Philadelphia is all the rage and I can't get enough, my fave combo is with Maryland cookies. I'm not a fan of it on crumpets or breakfast muffins though. HOW DO YOU EAT YOURS?
004. Planning a giveaway, I've raided my make-up bag again for stuff that's unused & unloved (this is def my catchphrase recently!). I'll probably put it up sometime in the next week.
005. In massive contrast to Monday, the sun well and truly put it's hat on and came out. Sunglasses weather is my fave, I bought these Michael Kors frames at Heathrow before we flew to Australia last year and I think it's the first time I've worn them in this country - definitely not the last however. Can't wait for flip flop time!
006. Shopping for books in charity shops. It's been so long since I raided the shelves of Oxfam and British Heart Foundation, I came out with three trashy chick-lit books for the grand total of £3.50.
007. Dominos. I'll say no more.
008. Bought myself a tripod last week, I wasn't expecting it to be delivered until next week so that was a nice surprise yesterday! Maybe when I start wearing fashionable clothes I can cross the border and become a ~fash blogga. Probs not though.
009. I went for a drive down the seafront earlier today, the sun was shining and it honestly felt like proper summer. The beach was heaving, I had my windows rolled down with a load of chavtastic tunes blaring out the car and I was a happy bunny. I think the sun brings out the inner chav in everybody.

Tap on my window

lace top: Peacocks
skater dress: Topshop
leggings: Topshop

HIYA. I was in two minds about posting these pictures. I'm a bit scared and faceless, they're massively awkward, badly edited (I had to chop my head off one of them) and just not very good, but I decided there are more important things to worry about so went ahead and shoved them on the Internet anyway.

I bought myself a tripod last week and it arrived today, so obviously I couldn't resist trying it out. I'm not really sure why I bought one in the first place though, I never wear good clothes and I'm about as fashionable as your Nan, in fact she's probably better dressed than me! I'm still stuck in leggings that were the height of fashion in about 2007 so I think that says it all. Mum did suggest I buy some cream leggings earlier though, can you even imagine? Even I know that is a no-go situation. I'd feel like Sexpot Sharon, soz mum but my legging collection will only ever be black.

So, moving on... both of these bits were bought quite a while ago. The skater dress was purchased waaay back in December and have worn it a grand total of once. I don't like the way it fits, the flared skirt is nice but the rest of it is a bit clingy which is never good and it looks crap with a black cardigan so I didn't know how to wear it. It was only earlier today that I had a lightbulb moment and decided to see what it'd look like paired with this scalloped-edge lace top that I've never worn. I bought it in January time, £12 it cost me! Peacocks have some proper gems sometimes. I had the intention of wearing it with a bodycon skirt for a night out but that's boring so it's just sat in my wardrobe since then.

I still don't really know how I feel about this outfit, like I said I'm no ~fashionista so I don't know if it looks good. Would I get laughed at if I walked down the street like this? You can say yes, I won't be offended. Do the colours match? WOULD ANY OF YOU WEAR THIS SORT OF OUTFIT? HELP MEEEE.

Carmine beauty box

First, an apology. I've turned into the sort of person that I hate by purchasing a beauty box, let alone by jumping on the already-overcrowded bandwagon of blogging about it. Let it be known however, this is my very first beauty box and I can safely say it will be my last. I unsubscribed from Carmine about half an hour after opening this and I have no intention of signing up to any other services. I think it's probably just one of those things that I just don't 'get' - I never have and I never will.

I'm not denying that, for a fiver (I signed up after seeing a discounted link on Charlene's blog), this Carmine box isn't quite good value for money. Andrea Fulerton polishes retail for around £5 on their own, so essentially I have already got my money back. There's also a full size eyeshadow shimmer pot thing from Daniel Sandler and a blush from The Balm, but to be honest the whole thing just seems pointless. None of this stuff is anything I'd pick up in a shop and want to test out, it's just things I'm going to have for the sake of it. I'll kid myself into thinking I'll try it out but two, three, four months down the line everything will still be sat in the bottom of my make-up bag, unused and unloved.

To me, the whole idea of a beauty box just seems too gimmicky, there's so much competition about now that the brands are forever striving to be better than each other rather than focusing on their original idea. Maybe if I'd have got a box that contained more hair and body products than make-up I would have been a bit happier about it, dishing make-up out to 1000s of people is never a good idea in my humble opinion; people are different and wear different colours that it's virtually impossible to please everybody. I personally have a strict make-up routine, I go back to my old faithfuls time and time again for a reason. Anybody who tries to interfere with that probably isn't going to be very successful.

Reading this post back it does seem quite unfair and maybe a bit harsh, I do see the appeal of them, but beauty boxes aren't for everyone and I just wanted to prove that. They're never featured in magazines, and for good reason. Plus, aside from the blogging community, are there that many people who have heard of Glossybox, Carmine, She Said Beauty, etc etc? No, probably not...

Shop Shop Shop Cook Cook Cook

edit: I've added photos of me wearing each lipstick, I'm sporting my favourite hoody and a squiffy hand appears in the first picture. I don't know why I insist on doing this, but this was the best out of a bad bunch so we'll just have to go with it. Soz.

The new Shop MAC collection seems to have gone down a storm with bloggers everywhere, and I completely understand why. It's definitely one of their best recent collections and for me to actually invest in something that's limited edition is a pretty big deal. Especially when it's lipstick, I don't even wear lipstick very often! That said though, I did make a pact with myself to try and wear more. I usually forget to apply it more than once a day, but since discovering these beauts I've found myself remembering to top up.

On the left is Watch Me Simmer and the right is Innocence, Beware! which is probably my favourite of the two. I originally wanted to buy this when it was part of the Venomous Villains collection, I still remember to this day how much I debated it, finally decided to purchase and then SOMEONE IN FRONT BOUGHT THE LAST ONE. Gutted 4eva.

I don't usually go for really pale pinks, mostly because I'm not a fan of the concealer-lips look, but something drew me to this and I'm still not entirely sure what it us. It's just so easy to wear, it's a really good everyday lipstick that goes with most things. The majority of the lipsticks that I already own are either really bright pinks or reds (go hard or go home! I usually go home though because I get scared) or shades that are very understated - browns and nudes (NOT PEACH) that look more like a gloss than a stick. I do absolutely adore the coral and orange tones that can be seen in Watch Me Simmer though and I'm thinking it'll look so nice in the summer, it's such a lovely and happy colour. And obviously it'll look better when I learn how to apply it properly. I'm such a novice!

Everybody already knows about the different finishes and the longevity of MAC lipsticks so I'm not going to bore you with the ins and outs of that. In fact, I'm sure most of you are probably bored of seeing posts about this collection. I don't usually like to post about stuff that is already seen everywhere, but there's always an exception to the rule!

Have any of you lot bought from either Shop MAC or Cook MAC?

Diamonds on my grill

Lolllll, please excuse me while I have a little laugh to myself over this post's title. I genuinely think I'm hilarious. Deary me.

Anyway, potentially a bit of a pointless blog but I thought I'd share with you the jewellery I wear on a daily basis, I'm forever being asked why I insist on wearing so much. Why don't I save some for best? Well, because I don't want to. I have some lovely stuff and what's the point in keeping it hidden away, unworn and unloved? I don't do stuff enough to warrant keeping nice things for special occasions so why shouldn't I wear it all year round? I'm lost without all my bracelets now anyway, I love them so much. And, I wear a mixture of gold AND silver on a daily basis. SO WOT?

So, first up we have my two Pandora bracelets. The purple leather one was a gift off my sister at Christmas, the silver charm one was from my parents about three Christmases (is that a word?) ago and I've been collecting charms since then. Compared to others, I probably don't have many charms considering how long I've had it but I like it that way. At the minute I can tell you exactly who each charm is from and when I got it and I like to think that adds to the personal aspect of actually having a charm bracelet.

Thennnn, both my rings. The white gold one was a present for my 21st birthday, it was specially made for me and I helped design it. I wanted something that wasn't too wedding/engagement-esque and something that wasn't the same as my gold signet ring and this is what we ended up with! I absolutely love it because it's different to anything I've ever really seen before. The gold ring was a present off my Nana & Grandad on my 16th birthday, it has an L engraved into it which you can't really see.

Tiffany is my absolute pride and joy, I got this Christmas 2008 off my friend Chelsea. I still to this day don't know why she spent so much money on me but I love my bracelet so much. She bought me the L charm with it and then I got the Tiffany & Co one last year when I was in Westfield as a little treat to myself. I'm not sure whether or not I want more charms on it, it looks a bit odd with just two but I quite like it that way? I'm not sure, all I know is that the maximum I'd have on it would be four.

Finally, Mulberry and Tinkerbell. Both are tarnished because I insist on wearing them in the shower. Mulberry I got in December while I was in London and Tinkerbell is nearly two years old now. It's a Disney Couture bracelet that both me and my best friend got on a whim when we were shopping. We both wear them all the time, it's probably about time we got friendship bracelets of a decent quality but Tink does the job just fine at the minute!

Instagram #5

001. After I left everybody last Sunday, I went home and spent the rest of the day watching rubbish telly and doing my washing. I love a good lazy Sunday, it's not often that I get to actually spend a day in a weekend doing nothing.
002. I struggled to decide what colour to paint my nails on Monday, I went for MUA's U R FAB which is from the Love Hearts collection with a matte top coat and then on my 'texting thumb' I used Topshop's Starlight. Word on the street is that 'texting thumbs' are the next big thing, I'm not sure how I feel about it - I think I like it but I'm not sure the two colours I picked work together.
003. Some post containing lots of Liz Earle goodies that was addressed to me. I was ridiculously excited, I hardly ever get anything sent to me personally when I'm at Cosmo. Cherishing the moment and all that!
004. Oxford Street at rush hour. I actually really love this picture despite the fact that the quality isn't very good but I can't expect anything else when it was taken using the rubbish camera on my iPhone 3GS.
005. On Wednesday I had the busiest morning so obviously I had to grab a Starbucks to keep me going! I had to get to Central London for 9am for the launch of bareMinerals' new READY collection - which, for the record, is absolutely incredible. I'm so excited for it to be available to buy in April. I have a feeling it'll go down a storm with bloggers. So lovely. After that I had to go north to Barbican for the Boots' summer press day which was one of the best I've been to. It was set in the conservatory and honestly felt so much like summer!
006. A KrispyKreme to aid my mid-afternoon lapse, it tasted amazing.
007. Birthday cupcakes! Cosmo are celebrating their 40th birthday this month so there has been a ridiculous amount of cake being sent into the office, haven't heard many complaints from people though!
008. Train wine on the way home on Friday. Lugging a stupidly heavy case around London isn't the most pleasant of experiences so I definitely deserved a glass or two.
009. I came home to my first ever beauty box and I'm not massively impressed. I can't really complain because I only paid about a fiver for it but I never really "got" them anyway and this just confirmed my thoughts. Essentially pointless as far as I'm concerned, but each to their own and all that.

I also just want to apologise for my lack of blog posts, my last three updates have all been these instagram week in photos. I'm back home now so it's a lot easier to blog here, I have both time to update and my camera! I have lots of make-up to show you all, lots of make-up to get rid of (probably in the form of another giveaway, I'm not sure yet) and just some actual inspiration so I'm back with a vengeance!