The Original Tangle Teezer

The Original Tangle Teezer in Bubblegum Pink (£10.20)

The first Tangle Teezer I ever saw was being used by my friend's little girl to tame her unruly curls.  Despite being impressed by it's innovative design and bright colour, I wrote it off as a product designed for children and thought no more about it.  My next encounter came during my Grazia internship where I discovered all of the beauty girls were obsessed and had one, if not two, each.  Taking their expert advice, Tangle Teezers were back on my radar and when my hairdresser used a very sleek black one to de-tangle my wet locks, I knew it was about time to invest in one for myself.

Created by award winning hairdresser Shaun P, the initial aim for the Tangle Teezer was to smooth and tame hair without breaking or snapping it.  I'm obsessed with preventing split ends and just about break down in tears if I hear a hair snap or if I accidentally pull out any hair.  My boyfriend once got some of my hair caught in his watch in the middle of a supermarket and it didn't end well, let's put it that way.  I've noticed a real change in my hair since using my Tangle Teezer and I no longer dread brushing my hair.  It used to be a massive ordeal as my hair gets extremely tatty and knotted for some reason whenever I wear it down but now I quite enjoy it.  Unlike a normal comb or brush, the teeth are evenly spaced and a lot more flexible so it's not too harsh on your hair.

In true girly style I opted for the pink one but there are so many colours available in the range so there is something for everyone.  They have some really cool compact ones which fit perfectly in your handbag, they have an expensive-looking chic gold one and they have a one especially designed for use in water - I'm thinking this would be perfect to use whilst shampooing after a backcombing session - definitely my next purchase!  After adding the nifty Tangle Teezer to my hair routine, I can see why the Grazia girls can’t just stop at one!

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Escape to the country

So as I said a few posts ago, my life is pretty hectic at the minute.  I’m working none stop so I can build up some extra hours and a little extra money for my next trip to London at the end of April (beyond excited btw!).  When I’m not working I’m doing my best to keep in the loop with my family and friends so they don’t think I’ve fallen off the edge of the earth.  Finding the time to think about blogging, never mind actually posting, has been almost impossible so apologies if you read often and were wondering where I’ve been!

Trying to find that perfect work/life balance was proving difficult for me and so I decided it was time to have some ‘me’ time.  My boyfriend’s parents’ own a little home-from-home, lodge-style cabin about 40 minutes away from where we live.  It’s tucked away in the country, with not much around so we both decided to retreat there for a few days.  We packed the car full of yummy, naughty food, loads of comfy clothes, a stack of DVDs and off we went.  We hid indoors whilst the rat-race went on without us and became absolutely addicted to Downton Abbey.  Yes I know I’m behind the times with this one but I’m almost caught up.  Isn’t Lady Sybil just fabulous?

On the rare occasion we did venture out, I decided to put on some decent clothes other than my work attire I’d been wearing constantly.  I was given this jumper by my bf’s nana who doesn’t wear it anymore.  Being a fan of ‘granny-chic’, it’s now one of my favourite jumpers and I love wearing it over leggings for a super comfortable, relaxed outfit.  I dressed it up with a little red lipstick (you can always depend on a little rouge to brighten up an outfit) and put my hair up as it needed a wash.  I was complimented by two grannies whilst out and about who quizzed me on where my jumper was from.  They were a little crestfallen when I said it was bought years ago.  Us girls know the feeling all too well don’t we?

I wore this outfit when we went for Sunday dinner and a walk around Alnwick town.  This is my usual everyday look i.e. something I would wear to go shopping, which I did of course when I noticed they had a Dorothy Perkins in their small town.  Can’t go wrong with a bit of Dotty P’s can you?  I’m so pleased I looked in as I found myself a bargain coat for ten pound.  Ten.  Pound.  I couldn’t not buy it.  I will probably share it on my blog soon as the weather chance to remain crap enough for me to get some wear out of it before Summer comes along.  

Me and Adam couldn’t resist doing our take on this super-cute couple’s signature photograph style which got them in the papers this week.  If you haven’t seen them, they take their pictures as below with the girl dragging her boyfriend around some of the World’s most exotic locations, resulting in some amazing holiday snaps.  Naturally, being the greedy guts that I am, I’m dragging him to Greggs!  

And there you have it!  A relaxing weekend Gemma Cloughton style!  I hope you are all well and are having a lovely start to March :) I’m STILL working loads but doing my best to keep myself sane.  Hopefully it won’t be long before I blog again but until I do...

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Simple Kind To Eyes Nourishing Eye Make Up Remover Cream

 Simple Kind To Eyes Nourishing Eye Make Up Remover Cream (£3.99)

After a long day I like nothing more than coming home and taking off my make up but I hate how pesky mascara is to remove.  I normally opt for liquid eye make up removers but I am yet to find one I completely love.  They’re either too oily, require too much scrubbing, sting my eyes or in some cases, just don’t work.  When I saw Simple’s Nourishing Eye Make Up Remover Cream I thought I’d give it a go as the formula is a little different to what I normally choose.  I’m so pleased I did!

Containing no unnecessary perfumes or colouring, the cream is so much kinder to my eyes and it takes half the amount of time to remove my eye make up.  I use a generous amount on a cotton pad and it melts away make up without applying much pressure.  It even passes my shower test.  ‘Shower test?‘ I here you ask.  Well...do you ever take off your eye make up prior to a shower, get washed (hair, face and all), and then come out with panda eyes because all of your mascara STILL isn’t off?  Well that nearly always happens to me but not after I use this.  This product ensures I don’t step out of the bathroom looking like a small wet bear.

I never usually buy the same eye make up remover twice because I’m always on the lookout for something better but I can guarantee you that I will be re-purchasing this.  It’s my favourite product at the moment as I’m feeling really tired and working lots of extra hours.  Every day I look forward to getting in from work and relieving my heavy eyes and this is just a little dream for helping with that task.  I’d definitely recommend it.  

Anyway, my blog posts may be few and far between due to said extra hours so I’m sorry about that.  I have a relaxing trip to the countryside planned for this weekend and I can’t wait to just chill and do nothing for a few days!  Absolute bliss!  Right, laptop down, time to go remove this mascara...

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My Best Friend's Wedding

It’s been over two weeks since I last posted yet it feels like no more than two days.  Doesn’t time fly when you’re having fun?  And I’ve been having plenty of that.  Since my last blog post I’ve attended a very heavy hen-do weekender, worked some seriously long hours at work (not so fun), and attended the wedding of the year, playing the part of Chief Bridesmaid.  I feel like I’ve not stopped and it’s actually a little weird to be able to sit down and have the time to write.  

But I think sometimes you need to put away your phones and computers and just enjoy what’s happening in front of you, especially with a day like a wedding.  It was my first full wedding and first time being a bridesmaid and I got to see every part of the day from start to finish.  I don’t think I was without a glass of champagne in my hand for most of it.  It was a beautiful day and I’m so glad I was a part of it.  Seeing my best friend look so amazing and marry the person she loves was so special.  I’m a massive fan of weddings now.  I think I’d go to them just for fun regardless of who was getting hitched!  I’ve included some pictures of the day for you all to have a look at it.

Anyway, back to blogging.  Having two weeks off has been lovely but my fingers can’t wait to get back to the keys and get some new posts up for you all.  I’ve found some fab new products that I can’t wait to share and I have a few events coming up in the next few weeks so watch out for some outfit posts.  Thank you all for reading!

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Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H

Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H (£27.50)

The next chapter in my foundation story features the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H liquid base.  This has been my foundation of choice ever since my disastrous experience with MAC Studio Fix foundation (I whinge more about that here!).  With my skin in a really bad way I had to change the way I choose my base and the things I look for in a foundation.  I used to ask myself three simple things ‘will this make me look orange?’, ‘will it last all night?’ and ‘how cheap is it?’.  Now, whilst still considering those factors because they are still important, I realised I need to take a different approach and look at what I was buying a little more in depth.

I had a consultation with a fabulous MUA for Lancome who really spent a lot of time helping me pick this foundation.  I told her I like a lot of coverage yet I wanted my skin to be able to breathe.  I needed a product that my skin was going to love as much as I did.  Together we settled on the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H in shade 02.  

This foundation is non-comodegenic which means it doesn’t block my pores.  It has a build-able coverage so if I’m feeling like I want a more natural look, one layer of the stuff will do.  If I have a problem area I want to cover (my chin for example), then I simply buff another layer into my skin and I have more coverage.  This makes it a great multi-use product - perfect for day and night.  I can leave this on my face all day and my skin doesn’t feel irritated at all.  I would never leave my make up on for 24 hours so I don’t know if it fully lives up to it’s claims but it does last a long time.  Personally I think the price tag is worth it for this foundation.  I really like how it looks on my skin and most importantly I’ve had no reaction to it.  I would re-purchase it but not yet.  I was stuck in a rut with my old foundation for so long that I’m going to play with a few more before I commit to saying I’ve found ‘the one!’

If you are looking for a new foundation I would definitely recommend having a good chat with the counter girls to make sure you’re buying one which suits you.  My experience with the lovely Lancome lady was worlds apart from the MAC counter.  I think this was my fault as I didn’t ask enough questions when buying Studio Fix - I’d already decided I wanted it.  But seriously, do your research and don’t be afraid to ask for a sample a this will help you decide it it’s for you.  Good luck!

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My January Favourites

January is the month where I really have to try hard to make myself look decent.  I’m often carrying a few pounds from some festive overindulgence, my skin is dry and dull thanks to the freezing cold weather we have (I’m looking at you snow!) and my hair is crying out for some much needed TLC.  It’s times like this that I really rely on my favourite products to get me feeling human again so here’s what I’ve been loving this month:

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion (£17) - A good moisturiser is a must for combatting winter skin and I’ve been reaching for this whenever my skin feels a little tight.  I wear it both at night and on a morning before I apply my make up to give that well moisturised glow.  It doesn’t leave your skin feeling greasy which is important if you struggle with excess oil like I sometimes do.  Read my review in full here.

MAC Lipstick in Hue (£14) - Anyone who knows me well will tell you I’m obsessed with MAC lipsticks.  I just can’t get enough of them!  Last month I was reaching for the shade Hue a lot.  Hue is a soft pale pink which almost looks nude on the lips.  It’s glaze formula means that it gives a sweep of colour whilst looking very natural and almost glossy, on the lips.  It’s the perfect shade to wear most days when the rest of your make up is pretty neutral.

Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil (£6.99) - Another thing that I’m obsessed with: keeping my hair in tip-top condition.  I never really used to care for my hair much when I was younger.  I’d use straighteners without a heat spray and literally drag a brush through it when I couldn’t be bothered to de-tangle it properly, snapping hair as I went.  The thought of this now makes me cringe and I promise you I’m converted.  Hair oils are perfect for nourishing your locks.  Don’t be put off by the word oil - used properly they can really transform your hair.  I’d heard loads about the original Moroccan Oil but was put off by the hefty price tag.  I opted for this cheaper version from Boots and I love it.  I apply it religiously to the midlengths and ends of my hair just after washing it and I can really see the difference.  The nice price tag means it’s cheap enough to try if you’re curious but I can promise you you won’t regret it.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (£13) - You are going to be so sick of me banging on about this product but I just can’t stress enough how good it is.  It’s my product of the month!  It really earned that title for me recently when I had a nasty breakout due to a change in my diet.  I’d started drinking a lot of water every day and spots were popping up all over the place.  La Roche-Posay came to the rescue and cleared up my skin in a couple of days.  I’ll stop now...but if you want to here me rave more about it you can read my full review here.

MAC Blush in Super Continental (£17.50) - This has been my blush of choice this month thanks to the fresh, warm look it gives to my face.  Super Continental is a dark peachy blush which has finely milled glitter running through it.  It brightens my complexion with a couple of sweeps and like most MAC blushers it applies really well.  I’ve just checked online and this colour doesn’t seem to be available anymore (why do you do this MAC?) so I’m going to have to savour it now as I love it!

Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover (£4.99) - This little beauty hit the blogosphere back in the Summer and being a sucker for hype, I snapped it up then.  Bourjois Magic Nail Polish Remover is a polish melting, colour clearing wonder and it really does work.  Simply pop your finger into the sponge inside of the bottle and your varnish is gone in seconds.  It’s acetone free so it’s kind to acrylic nails and includes almond oil to give your nails a little extra nourishment.  As I said, I bought mine in the Summer and it’s not showing any signs of running out yet but when it does dry up, I will 100% repurchase.

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Cosmic Girl

Dress - River Island (via ASOS.com)

Boots - Jeffrey Campbell Lita Boots

Necklace - New Look

Lipstick - YSL Rouge Pur Couture in 32

Happy Monday everyone!  Hope you all had a good weekend.  I know I did!  I went out for drinks on Saturday night and this is what I wore.  It’s a casual t-shirt style dress from River Island with a gorgeous cosmic print.  It’s midi length which is probably something I should avoid with me being a short ass but I don’t care.  Sometimes I wear things that don’t really do me any favours but I like them anyway.  High neck tops are another one.  They don’t really flatter me and make me look bustier than I am but I wear them because I like the way they look.  Does anyone else do this?  Please tell me I’m not the only girl out there who knows the style rules but defies them anyway? I think style is about wearing what you like so if something catches your eye then go for it.

As this dress is rather casual I decided to vamp it up a little with a dark berry shade of lipstick and my hair poker straight.  I mentioned in another post that I wanted to wear my hair straighter more often and I do really like the way it looks here.  I never wear my hair this sleek so when I do it really changes my look.  You may also notice that I’m looking a little more tanned.  I’ve found a gorgeous fake tan which I’ll fully review for you soon.  I’m very happy with the results!

Sorry that my photographs aren’t up to their usual standard.  My photographer...I mean boyfriend, was out so I had to call on my mam and sister to help me out.  Cue a load of squabbling and whinging over unflattering camera angles but I think we got there in the end.  Massive respect to all the single lady bloggers who get by with a tripod and self-timer mode.  I salute you!

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