A lucky find

It isn't often I am caught off guard, but during a sort out I remember an outing earlier this year where I was, and the lucky finds I made.

I won't go into details as to where I was off to or why, but I got to work and found I had my outfit to change into but completely forgotten my make up bag. Not the cleverest idea for an evening event. So in my lunch time of all of 30 mins I dashed into the nearest shop which was a shop I had never been to called Savers. Now I knew I would at least be able to get perfume there, although not my normal choice of scent. Instead I ended up testing a variety and the surprising result was the sugarbabes one. Now I have never even heard they had joined the world of celebrity perfumes so this was a big shock. The perfume was called Tempt and came in a roundish black bottle, very similar to the Britney Spears style bottles. I found the scent quite moreish, it had hidden sweet notes whilst maintain the heady evening scent. At £8.99 the price was reasonable and I am certainly living that in my travel bag for emergencies. Although the shape of the bottle isn't that handbag friendly, it certainly can hold its own on style on your dressing table.

The other little marvel I found was a palette of eye shadow. Now I am funny about using an unusual brand as I tend to end up looking like red and white panda in a non cute way. So after a call to work colleagues I double checked if any one had heard of W7 and what they thought of it, due to the positive replies I took the gamble and picked up The Big Five palate. The five colours are metallic and vary from right to left with a steely heavy silver, deep gold , light gold, rose pink and light silver white.

I found the colours could be as subtle or strong as you choose to apply, the pink looks almost shocking in the palette, but the actual look is gentler and very wearable. Although it is missing a strong dark colour like a black it is a very wearable palette, the packaging is a very funky zebra strip and the in built mirror is good for the application of the eye shadow, but not for full face make up. The other let down is it has only one double ended sponge brush, which quickly found itself replaced for a brush or two. But for the price of £1 it was a really find and often finds itself in my handbag or weekend bag.

So these are my two lucky finds of the year, what are yours?.

I am confused

Life was easy. In the beginning there was eye shadow, eye liner, foundation, powder, mascara. lipstick and blusher. Now I am taking a real interest in all matters beauty I am swamped.

I understand there are various versions of eye shadow powder, cream  etc etc. Now lipsticks can come in pencils now, an actually I find them a lot more successful and easier to carry. But foundation now involves highlighter, primer and what ever BB cream is. To be honest I would hate to be a teen learning all this stuff now a days, you need to do a GCSE in it, no wonder girls start using the products earlier and earlier.

But have we gone that little bit too fair? I get primer, in fact I prefer it to foundation as it is lighter on the skin. In my ideal world life would involve primer, powder and  touch of highlighter. Maybe it is just me but when I put foundation on my face feels clogged and yukky. But that's just my opinion and I have friends who feel naked with out it.

Then there is the eyes. I am firm believer in eyeliner, but now my choice is so varied I am banging my head against the table. Liquid eye liner and I don't get on, it makes my eyes water uncontrollably, so much as I love it I can't wear it. Gel liner? Well based on my experience with liquid I am ashamed to admit I have yet to be brave enough to try it. My personal favourite is the tradional kohl pencil although I do like the softer twist up pens as well. But even they need practise or its panda eye syndrome, good in the 60's not in the office. Then there is the eye pen, think felt tip pen for eyes and you get what I mean. As easy as a kohl pencil to apply and the effect of a liquid liner.. now that has to go on the to try list.

Just don't get me started on eye shadow either. I have long given up on buying single colours unless there is one really special colour I have never come across. I tend to buy quads as the bare minim, purely because I have found even if a colour isn't suitable for this seasons look you can beat that it will be in season with the 12 months. I love big colour palettes the bigger and weirder the better, as long as there is a black and white in there as well.

The extent of my make up addiction is so great I only use a make up bag for days or weekends away, for storage at home, I kid you not, is a tool box worthy of the greatest electrician. Not very lady like but very very practical. I just wish it came in a more girly colour than builders blue. In fact that is the one thing there is no excess in, proper makeup storage for the true fashionista. That is something worth writing about.

The highs and lows of Monday

I really don't like Mondays which is funny as it was the day of the week I was born on. That said I didn't show up till 5.15pm so I had the right idea from the start. Anyway my morning has been one of highs lows then highs again. So much so I think I am on a roller coaster.

First of all it looks like I am off to the Marie Claire L'Occitane night next week as there is one with tickets near to me. Providing they don't sell out by tomorrow I am so there. What is even better is I am allowed to take my travel carer with me free so no crutches accidents on public transport. I can't wait, its a case of buy ticket tomorrow then off I go. I can't wait as this is my favourite skin brand and I haven't been able to get to one of these events before as I have been too ill. I even missed the free smash box one earlier this year because of lack of mobility.

Then there was the crash as I sorted out my physiotherapy. I was told I needed to be seen urgently and my referral would be labelled as such. That is a joke I can't get an appointment before 7th December and that is just the assessment. So the chances of me being mobile before Christmas is highly unlikely. Guess I will be barking orders rather than actually the doing the tree decorations. Brilliant, husband doesn't have an artistic bone in his body, that talent went to his sister, so I can envisage the state of the tree already unless I supervise. Not to mention the small matter of the tree being in the loft so it will be a case of having to buy a real one as I can't get up there and hubby is too big to get up there. Oh the fun, still at least I have an appointment and I suppose that is a good thing.

Fortunately there is then some good news I am off to the motorbike show at the end of the month with a friend. So that is another day scooting round the NEC at speed again. I can't wait as the smell of 2 stroke is sorely missed. It will be and early start and defiantly a jeans and jumper day, but hey a girl has to have a her down days where make up isn't necessary (that said eyeliner may be required to make me look awake at that hour!)

So when you add that up with a doctors appointment or two booked, a repeat prescription ordered, a call to the DHSS to sort my sick pay and trying to locate my builder its been one hectic morning. This afternoon? Well I think it is nap time before I end up with indigestion from all this.

Remember Remember the 5th of November

I know it isn't till tomorrow and I don't begrudge any one having fun, but this year it is doing my head in. It is the constant noise that seems to have filled in the darkeness for the last few nights. In fact it started the week before Halloween and seems to be getting louder every night.

Now in the suburban area I live in there are more than enough properly organised displays, and I mean big displays with entertainment, food and glow in the dark sticks. Entry prices are reasonable as most of them are in aid of charity and there is no risk of the neighbours shed going up in smoke. So why oh why are people persisting in having full blown displays in their garden. Not only is it safer to be at an organised display, but it saves the nerves of humans and animals around you.

Having worked in a party shop years back I was taught about the dangers of this objects. So much so that for the ten years after I used to organise the church display as I was afraid of anyone else handling them. Sure the results of a perfect firework are that brief colourful explosion that every one enjoys. But the handling and lighting of them is a dangerous game and one where many people have been very badly hurt.

I am sorry if I am going to upset people, but I truly believe that fireworks should not be on sale to the general public for use in the their gardens. I am not saying no availability to them for charity organisations or proper displays. But they are not some toy to be used at a family gathering. I have read about too many accidents to ever hold a private party display again. As the years go on the fireworks are getting bigger and louder.

What is most annoying is in the days of my youth if someone was to have  fireworks party at home they would have the courtesy to at least inform their neighbours, so animals and children could be keep in safe and warm. But even those manners have gone and people just let these insane amusements off with no warning. Tonight the light had barely gone from the sky and the noise started. I was extracting cats from cupboards and trying to calm dogs from an early coronary before the black ink sky was truly set. No warning nothing, just an explosion worthy of the Gulf invasion from the house opposite. So bad was it that it shook the house and how I wish I was exaggerating.

So evenings in our house till at least mid week are going to be spent with a dog in a muzzle under my duvet, cats hiding in the most original of places and my TV on so loud you can hear it from the street so it drowns out 50% of the noise for the sake of every ones nerves. Yes I wish I had got to enjoy my local display last night, but how I wished that was the only display locally.

Returniing to old faithfuls

If you follow my blog in full you will realise I live a life peppered with illness and medication. This has a problem of the fashionista kind, my skin gets trashed. With a constant stream of pain medication and other tablets enterin my system my skin has more spots than it did in my teens, and its dull and dry.

Over the years I have tried and failed various creams and potions, so much so my collection is endless and a lot gets relegated to the bin after a couple of uses as it physically hurts on my skin. I have finally found my skin basics that don't drive my skin insane and seem to work for me. The price range is varied and probablly unexpected.

For starts I swear by E45 cream for very dry skin anywhere. I was introduced to it by my GP to repair my skin after steriod creams and not looked back. It can be used on any part of my skin from face to cracked heals, nd you will find it hard to over apply. I personally like to apply it straight after a a bath as it locks in the mositure and that doubles it affect. This is a constant on our shelves at home and I also tend to walk around with a tube at the bottom of my hand bag. I know they have extended their range to release difference creams for different parts of the body, but if you buy the general cream as shown here it would cover all.

If you don't have the funds to pay for the label any aquaous cream would provide the same service and most pound shops have an unlabeled brand on their shelves. Just check they are aquaous creams.

My next faithful purchase is Nivea cream. I use this on my face to deeply rehydrate my overly dry skin. If my skin gets to the flaky stage due to a mixture of weather and meication, this cream will clear it up after a couple of nights of application. Although I do look a fright with my face caked in the cream it works, and whats a couple of nights of horror for hydrated skin. The bitter wind and rain can demolish the best of routines so we all have to have our emergency repairs, this is mine. A small hand bag size tin starts at £1 in major supermarkets and is worth every penny plus some. It is low on fragrance with means even the more sensative of skins are safe using it .

My luxury facial brand is the Divine Cream by L'Occitane. It is a costly cream at about £56 a tub, but a little goes a long long way. If you are looking for a cream not just to mositurise, but to revive this is the cream for you. I would love to use this daily but at the moment I am waiting for Santa to replinish my supplies. It never sets my skin into a flare up, instead leaves my skin glowing almost like a primer. I have a couple of samples I am streching out till my next jar as I love it so much. If in doubt on such  big out lay, if you contact L'Occitane directly they usually will send you a sample of their best sellers including this to try. That is how I found this cream havin equired about the ranges suitable for my skin type. Usually I refuse on principle to spend so much on a cream, but when you work out how much you use per day compired to cost it works out very cost effective

This leads me on to my favourite hand cream again it is L'Occitane brand, and this has been a godsend. I hve never found a cream that didn't leave my hands feeling tacky and dirty, until this. Trust me on this I have tried just about every product on the market, especially as I have broken my wrists`on multiple times in the last 10 years and any one who has had a limb in plaster will know what damage those casts do to skin. All I have ever wanted in a hand cream is for it to mositurise with out feeling yucky, I mean that is a hardly a big request, yet only one has totally achieved it, with boy shop coming in second. I don't want to walk around all day with my hands smelling of some synthic fruit either. So I tend to go for a shea or nut frangranced cream, athough having just laid my hands on the date scented one and that is very plesant. The price is £8.50 per tube, but I found this lasted months, and well worth it. If in doubt keep your eyes open for a freebie with a beauty magazine as there is usually at least one a year, and it is a good way to try this out. If like me you love this range look for gift sets as they are often more cost effective and can make great stocking fillers for your friends.

Then there is the ever faithful Vaseline, often used on lips it is a multi purpose little tin of magic. If you ever run out of mascara or like me you find it harsh on a day to day basis, it is great to use a little of the plain product across your lashes and you have  quick fix. Also it can be used to create a gloss on lip sticks. I just can't imagine a handbag with out it. Sure you can buy all the trendy flavours for your lips, but a small tin of the plain product is good enough and serves many purposes.


So these are my old faithfuls I wouldn't be without. I am sure everyone has their own choices and favourites, what are yours?

Bang Bang Bark Bark

It isn't even the 5th of November but most of the local display were tonight. And didn't we know it, Orinoco went mental. Nothing we say or do will calm him over this period.

I love fireworks and am usually at the local display with the best of them, but as I need some one with me at these kind of events I didn't stand a chance of going this year, especially as some one has to stay at home with the animals to keep them calm. So this year it was me on dog duty, and it wasn't pleasant. Normally I enjoy every explosion and love the light it creates. This year it was filling me with dread as every explosion that ripped through the house sent Orinoco bananas. He is getting worse every year, no matter what we try, we have the hormone therapy, the darken curtains, soothing music. You name it we have tried it and this year we have pretty much thrown everything into de stressing the dog and preventing heart attacks all round

The evening ended not in my normal chill from the bitter cold and hearty soup to warm, but instead 3 paracetamol and a darken room for me and a long sleep for said dog. Not to mention two of our cats are so scared of fireworks that they disappear under the stairs and don't venture out till an hour after the final bang. But in all this chaos we have a weird one. Little Cheyenne sits and watch the display from mum bedroom it total awe. He is fascinated with the whole time, I honestly think that cat has his wiring crossed somewhere.

That said the evening ended with me having a migraine and the cats having a very late supper. I love Guy Fawkes Night, but I can reassure you most of our furry friends don't and for some of them are totally petrified.

Happy Weekend Not

Over did it today so currently back under my duvet bored. Having killed 30 mins painting my nails various different colours as an experiment I am now doing the endless competitions knowing will never win.

Last months coffee win was a total fluke. When you consider I won that yet have entered at least a hundred before that. I never win the big stuff like the years supply of tea or the gadgets from the TV competitions. But they do pass the time and some even cause my rotting brain cells to work.

How ever it won't take away from the crushing realisation that tomorrow I could have gone to London with a friend or the local fireworks, but can't go to either due to money and the lack of a chaperon as at either event I could still get damaged. So I lose out every way, and that has crushed me. I have only missed the fireworks twice in my 40 years, once due to mumps and the other because I was away, and the reason it is going to torture me more is it is 5 mins away behind my local church. So I am going to be stuck hearing every bang, and the cheers of the people. but probably not see it because of the direction of it all.

Basically my whole weekend is a blow out due to lack of funds and people to hold me upright. I can't believe my life thanks to illness has been reduced to this. I could be having a total blast watching the cars in Regents Street, followed by display I love to watch annually of firework, and instead I am going to spend it stuck at home with the joke called British television.

Wake me up on Monday I don't want to know the rest of the weekend.