GlossyBox

I returned from a wee holiday in Turkey on my own last week (not nearly as sad as it sounds!), and had completely forgotten that I’d effectively treated myself to a new present every month. Enter http://www.glossybox.co.uk/

I first heard about GlossyBox on another blog and thought it sounded like a fantastic idea. You set up a profile on their website where they ask questions about your skin tone, hair colour, make-up routine and skin concerns (etc.), you pay £10 per month for your subscription and then each month they send you 5 FULL SIZE brand new products to try based on your profile. Well, I’m sure you can appreciate that it didn’t take long for me to part with my £10 and sign up straight away!

I was so impressed when Mr. Postie presented the package to me that I think I may be guilty of letting off a small girlish squeal. Just look at the packaging!

When I opened it there was another beautiful gift box inside (which I will be saving to put Christmas presents in!), and in that box the products were delicately wrapped in sophisticated black tissue paper and white grosgrain ribbon. It really did feel like my birthday. Inside I found...

Illamasqua Pure Pigment eyeshadow in Involve

Ciate Paint Pot

Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil

LP Skin Therapy Lip Rescue Gel

Ultrasun Anti-Ageing SPF for Face

L-R: Ultrasun Anti-Ageing SPF, Weleda Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil, Ciate Paint Pot, Illamasqua Pure Pigment, LP Skin Therapy Lip Rescue Gel

The Illamasqua Pure Pigment came out way better than I expected. Having green eyes, I am personally a fan of purple eyeshadows but find it a struggle to find one that’s not the colour purple you find in a children’s paint palette. Yeps, definitely more of an aubergine/plum kinda gal. I would say that this is the perfect mid-point between a lilac and a plum, and really makes my eyes pop – the shimmering particles really help to brighten the eye area. The formula is soft and super blendable, and you can use it for a wash of colour or build it up to create a strong smoky catwalk look and coloured eyeliner. We all know berry tones are so AW11 ;) It has come out a lot brighter in this image than it looks in true light, so don’t be put off!

Next up is the Ciate Paint Pot. I’ve seen these being sold on ASOS for a while now, but given their low price I always suspected they would be one of those cheapy nail varnishes that are a waste of money. How wrong could I be! This bad boy puts my Chanel and YSL nail varnishes to shame, just 2 coats was all I needed for a flawless finish and it has hardly budged in 7 days of wear. The colour is fantastic, it’s bright orange and fits in perfectly with summer’s colour-blocking trend (and my Turkish tan of course). The only thing that lets this down is that I can’t find the name of the colour on the pot!

Equally impressive is the Pomegranate Regenerating Body Oil by Weleda. I find body oils such a pain in the bottom because they’re messy, greasy and can take an age to absorb into your skin. Luckily, given my peeling post-holiday skin I ignored my anti oil instincts and used this twice a day to keep my tan in tip top condition. It is ultra moisturising and you really do get the feeling that your skin is hydrated...plus it smells DIVINE. The scent reminds me of a clove and orange essential oil that I burn during Winter for that Christmassy smell. Another trick I’ve been using this oil for is as a replacement for shaving gel – seriously, this gives the smoothest legs ever!

This GlossyBox really has not let me down, because I adore the next product too. LP Skin Therapy Lip Gel (developed by TV psychologist Dr. Linda Papadopoulos) is a lip gloss that plumps, moisturises, softens and even contains a herb extract to reduce anxiety and calm you down! *It is my new best friend* I usually hate lip glosses for that ever seductive ‘hair-stuck-to-face’ moment, but this isn’t sticky at all – your lips just feel sort of waterproofed. It does exactly what it says on the tin, the packaging is grown up and elegant, and it tastes like orange Opal Fruits! (they will never be Starburst to me, only Opal Fruits!).

I must admit that given the somewhat dull Liverpool weather we’ve had since I got back from the 44-50 degree heat of Turkey, I haven’t bothered to test out the suncream. If we are ever awarded with the rest of our summer I’ll be sure to test it out and review.

All in all, I was massively impressed with my GlossyBox. Considering these are all full-size products and the Illamasqua eyeshadow would have been £14 just on its own I think this is fantastic value and means I get to refresh my make-up bag with new products every month. Plus, when you log into your online account and review the products, you get one ‘glossy dot’ per review – when you have collected 100 you qualify for a free GlossyBox. Winner!

In other news, I have just 4 short weeks left of my Invisalign Refinement! Given that my dodgy incisor has finally decided to move into place, I am confident that this will be the end of my treatment. So watch this space for before and after pictures when I get my retainer J

Sleep In-a-Box

No dear reader, this is not a suggestion or a command, but rather a review of a fantastic new line of products released as part of the Boots Sanctuary Spa range.

For a mere £12.75 in Boots, you can buy a gift box of generously sized samples of the recent additions to their already popular brand, and ‘Dreamtime Sleep In-a-Box’ is 4 products designed to aid restful sleep and recuperation. And we all could benefit from that I’m sure!

Each product contains the essential oils ylang ylang (for reducing stress and tension), frankincense (to calm and clarify the mind), and patchouli (to reduce anxiety). They smell DIVINE. From using the body butter right before I get into bed, I can still catch the scent on my bed sheets when I wake up in the morning. I MUST OWN THE CANDLE.

First up, we have the Soothing Bath Float. Basically, that’s a fancy pants name for bubble bath. A couple of dollops (love that word) of that under running water leave you with the frothiest bubbles fit for a princess – Kate Middleton, you heard it here first. It also suggests that you can rub the formula on your skin prior to getting in the bath for an extra luxurious skin treat.

Next, we have the Smoothing Silk Scrub, which is a nice thick cream with flakes of coconut shell in it to really shift those dead skin cells. I’m used to using a sugar body scrub with a higher concentrate of scrubbing particles compared to this one, but I was pleasantly surprised that my skin felt super smooth and nourished after use. The Sanctuary also recommends that this product can be used on dry skin prior to bathing/showering to polish your limbs to perfection.

The 4 in 1 Restoring Body Elixir is a cheeky treat in the range, since it really is as multi-functional as it suggests! It can be used as a bath oil, as a nourishing body oil applied neat to your skin, triples up as a hair mask applied to damaged ends, and can also be used as a massage oil. I think I’ve found a fifth use for this, because it works great rubbed on temples, wrists, and the back of the neck before bed time to send you into a deep slumber. Bonus, non?

Last but by no means least is the Cocooning Body Butter, which has an intensely thick formulation. The best way of me describing this is as a ‘balm’, but it sinks into skin quicker than I expected. I really think this is one of the best body butters I’ve ever used, and I can’t get enough of the smell...sometimes I undo the lid and steal a cheeky sniff for no reason, but that’s just me.

From what I can gather, in addition to the Sleep range there are also ‘unwind’ and ‘energise’ sets available. I would highly recommend this set to anyone, it really does help you get a good night’s sleep and I feel so much happier when I’m well rested. Since using the products I’ve become completed addicted to baths and had 4 in a row last week...United Utilities are well onto it!

Concert Review: Kings of Leon

On Sunday, with itching anticipation, I got to witness the event of the year I have been patiently awaiting since I bought tickets last November...Kings of Leon at Lancashire County Cricket Club! After rumours were rife that the last tour they performed would be their last ever, I was epically pleased when they released latest album Come Around Sundown and announced dates for this tour. With the threat that they may never perform live again, I would have sold my favourite arm to bag tickets (we all have a favourite arm, right?!). And I got them, without having to sell said limbs!

The whole day was fantastic. Unlike gigs I have been to in the past, the venue opened at 4pm and support acts commenced from 6pm, meaning that we had a full afternoon and evening of entertainment and to bask in the sunshine of the grounds. What glorious weather we had! First up was a band called Mona. I hadn’t heard of them before, but after watching them play the only way I can describe them is as ‘Kings of Leon wannabes’...not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. Next up was White Lies, which I was really pleased about, but missed all but the first song of the set due to a 40 minute wait for the toilet queue. Angry face. When I returned, it was Zane Lowe on stage doing a DJ set, which I thought would be promising, but instead turned out to appeal to the army of chavs at the concert. You know, the ones who recognise that one song Sex on Fire and think they’re die-hard fans. If you played them my favourite track Milk I’m sure they’d have a seizure. So to be honest, was not impressed with Zane Lowe!

Finally, the band we had all been waiting for graced the stage at 8:30pm, and I was more excited than a kid with a cardboard box. They belted out tunes Molly’s Chambers, Radioactive, Crawl, Be Somebody, Closer, Fans, Use Somebody, and many other favourites. I nearly died when they played On Call – my chest aches with how much I love that song. While the band did not have much banter with the crowd, it did allow them more time to play songs and every performance was flawlessly executed. Every time I saw Caleb’s little face pop up on the big screen I fell ever more in love. If I could’ve swapped my cat for a cheeky wink off him I SO WOULD.

Kings of Leon came back on stage for an encore, and rounded off the evening perfectly with roars from the crowd as loud as the fireworks that accompanied their last performance. Best £52.50 I ever did spend!

WOLFMOTHER Rocked!

With that cheeky Bank Holiday thrown into the mix, I've been so confused about what day it is that I've ended up blogging a day late *big slap on the wrist*

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend anyway! I spent some quality time with my younger sisters 'the twins' (I don't know why I feel the need to put that in inverted commas since they actually are medically classified as twins). Took them for a fancy meal and cocktails at Chaophraya, where it was fruity curries and deep fried ice cream a-plenty, and then we had an enjoyable night out in town. The following morning we mopped up our alcohol abuse with a bang tidy breakfast from Moose Cafe (my all time favourite place to eat), and then went to see The Hangover Part 2. Happy days!

After months of patiently waiting at home, e-ticket in hand, Tuesday 31st May brought me the heady delights of Wolfmother live at The 02 Academy Liverpool!

I love music, I love discovering a new favourite band, and more than anything, I cannot think of a thing in the world that beats the buzz of watching a live band rocking out on electric guitars and the heavy bass vibrations in the core of your chest. So yes, seeing live music always makes me happy :)

This video is looking a wee bit small, but it gives you a sneaky peek of their hit Vagabond which is featured on the film and soundtrack of 500 Days of Summer.

Oosh, what a lovely little week I'm having!

Sick Day

Being ill sucks face. The End. I have been ill for 10 DAYS now with a pesky cold, of which I'm experiencing some most unsavoury side effects - sparing you the details!

Buuuut...here are a few things I think are particularly awesome about being forced to take the day off work:

1. Watching David Bowie in The Labyrinth - my fave children's movie. Although, there is something more than a little bit suggestive going on in the trouser department, which was mildly distracting to say the least!
2. Eating Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough (for medicinal purposes of course) until you feel more sick than you originally did. Case in point.
3. Becoming feverish and having a lengthy conversation with my new Siberian goose-down feather pillow. Ch-yeah!
4. Lift! Instant Lemon Tea with a big old dollop of manuka honey in it.
5. New Covent Garden Chicken Soup...oh my days, this is THE NUTS.

All in all, I didn't have a bad day off work yesterday despite some obvious 'vom' issues. Probably cookie dough induced, so I'm not complaining!

In other news, I am now at the refinement stage of my Invisalign treatment and have been given another 10 whole sets of aligners! I can cut down to wearing each aligner for 10 days, so fingers crossed, I should only have 93 days left of brace face ;)

And...got another cheeky tattoo at the weekend to show my love and support for my beautiful younger twin sisters - our family are separating, and I am going to miss them like hell when they are moved back down to London. Keeping my chin up, we will be celebrating by going for a meal and a hella messy night out in town on Sunday! Whoop!



Natalie Day!

By jove it has certainly been a while since my last blog! Had to take a break due to revision for a psychology exam, and I am incredibly happy to say that it is all over with now! Yay J no more study until October, when I will be studying a creative writing course...could not be more excited!

So, I have had plenty to keep myself busy with over the last few weeks, and have had many ups and downs that I promise not to bore you with! In typical Natalie fashion, whenever I have anything on my mind I either attempt frantic obsessive-compulsive cleaning or change the layout of my bedroom. This time I did both, and I also painted two feature walls in my living room and used the same colour throughout the hallway. I now have Dulux Banana Smoothie walls, and the apartment is looking super cheery!

off a work friend to cheer me up :)

The main thing that has really cheered me up though was the invention of Natalie Day (not my idea!). I came home one evening after a particularly rough weekend, to be greeted by two friends with presents who excitedly informed me that they had decided it was Natalie Day. I was bought some beautiful flowers, an AMAZING teapot with chickens on it, and we ate Ben & Jerry’s and watched Grey’s Anatomy all night. Perfecto. How blessed I am indeed to have such supportive friends J

this is one of my all-time favourite gifts now. Look at the chickens!

Other than that, I was doing fantastically with my meditation up until last Thursday, and I haven’t done it since *big slap on the wrist* But, I am starting Ashtanga Yoga tonight with the wife, so I plan to meditate as soon as I get home from my cheeky yoga sesh!

I will have loads more to update you on asap, I just had to get the dreaded ‘first-blog-in-weeks’ post out of the way. My dear friends, procrastination has a hell of a lot to answer for!

unrelated, but I had so much fun at the show with my Dad

Headspace

Talk about emotional baggage...I honestly don't know how they let me onto an aeroplane with my ready-to-burst suitcases of weighty issues. It really is so incredibly easy to get caught up in your own thoughts and give all your energy to feeding your problems.

I've felt like this recently. Questions of 'What if?' and statements of 'I don't understand' and 'if you look at it this way...' were consuming me, and in all honesty I've had a face on me like an unloved pug.

Yep, major case of sad eyes. Oosh! A change is gonna come!

I read about Get Some Headspace in an old copy of Elle and thought, 'Oh boy, this could be the ticket to fixing my internal monkey!'. Just so you don't think I'm a complete loony, I had a conversation not so long ago with someone about our internal monkeys - you know, the little monkey inside your head that reflects your personality and mental wellbeing etc. My internal monkey was lying in the corner of my mind in the foetal position, clutching a handful of crayons. And it didn't really look like a monkey, it looked like one of those weird goblin things off the old Sprite adverts...

Bad times eh?! So yes, internal monkey needs therapy.

Get Some Headspace was founded by Andy Puddicombe, expert in meditation. He has put together a fantastic website with tools and voice recordings to guide you into the habit of meditating each day. I wasn't really sure about the whole meditation thing to begin with, but after following his 'Take 10' programme I could definitely tell the difference. In 'Take 10', Andy encourages you to take just 10 minutes out of your day for 10 days to sit quietly and clear your mind. Once you've completed this, you then have the option to move onto 'Take 15' and 'Take 20'. I'm currently up to Day 9 of Take 15, and I feel fantastic. I cannot praise this website highly enough, and there's so much helpful information on there. No more sad eyes, no more fixating on things I cannot change. Just a clear mind, better sleep, and being much more productive at revising for impending Psychology exam - cheeky bonus! Women and children first, emotional baggage overboard.

For more information or to start the Get Some Headspace 'Take 10' programme, please go to

http://www.getsomeheadspace.com/

p.s. You can even link it to your Facebook account so your friends can track your progress

p.p.s. my internal monkey is now sitting up and happily scribbling away in her colouring-in book

Showcase This

Yesterday I was worried I'd have absolutely nothing notable to blog about today...and then I went to 3rd Degree Festival in Liverpool.

I went to support my very talented friend's band Evelyn.Is, and boy did she rock that stage! I felt like a proud mummy when she introduced the set by playing her harp, intimately draped on the stage floor. Her sound is atmospheric and moving, and needless to say, I was an emotional wreck 45 minutes later when I greeted her off stage!

It made me so happy to see someone I love doing something that they truly live for and were born to do, and not only that but kicking the ass out of it. You can follow Evelyn.Is by searching for them on Facebook.

In other less interesting news, I was so pleased today to realise that I have reached Aligner 29/29 for my Invisalign treatment, which means I potentially only have 2 weeks left until my dream smile!

I started treatment in March 2010, and since changing aligners ever 2 weeks from that point I really thought this day would never come! My bottom row of teeth finished months ago and look fantastic - in fact, when I smile, I can hardly believe they are my own after years of hiding my spacing issues and being called 'gappy' by an evil ex (is there any other kind of ex?).

I have my review in 2 weeks to see if I need any refinement - you Invisalign geeks will know what I'm talking about! If the result is perfect, then I will have all my attachments removed and move onto the retainer stage. So, I will keep you updated and hopefully have some super shiny before and after pictures to show you soon!

If you have any questions about Invisalign please feel free to ask - I could honestly go on about it all day long.

Shoe-gasm

Today has been a happy day :)

Today was the first time (drumroll please)...

a fellow blogger commented on one of my posts! Not just a friend that I have emotionally blackmailed into following me *fake enthusiasm*. A person found me, and liked me, and is following me. I am WELL CHUFFED. And that's how I started my day at 7:47am!

Please go and check out fellow blogger Ashley's blog at http://www.ashleyborysewich.blogspot.com/ - I am such a whore for beauty blogs so this is right up my street, naturally.

Another reason I am super smiley today is that I can't wait to go home to my new babies. After much deliberation about whether my credit card could handle a manic depressive shopping spree, I splurged. And oh baby, did I splurge good and hard.

Love at first sight, right?

And if I didn't have a damaged tendon in my ankle I would be wearing these to the supermarket, to work, to play, and even to bed. If I trip over the damn cat again, I swear it's war!

These beauties are £79.99 in River Island - they've sold out online, but you can still pick them up in store if you're hot on it ;)

Guess What...?

Aaargh! I can hardly contain my excitement to tell you, that I simply cannot wait until my usual blogging day (Wednesday) to hopefully spread some cheer.

Not usually one to blow my own trumpet, but attempt #2 of making le macarons KICKED ASS! So here's me, blowing my own trumpet. Parp!

I don't like to be rubbish at anything, I take it very personally and last week's failed attempt left me with a throbbing vein in my head and an insatiable desire to eat the entire contents of my fridge to lift my spirits. Onions excluded of course. So when my little babies grew feet and started to rise, I smiled wider than a kid with a cardboard box. Big time.

Filled with Baileys buttercream to make them extra special, I gave these as a gift to Mama Gill for her mummy's day - and the mega squidges she gave me tell me they were a hit :)

Other than that I'm still feeling pretty pants at the moment. I keep having incredible urges to do the classic Ron Burgundy "I'm stuck in a glass cage of emotion!" scream from Anchorman (incidentally one of my favourite films), but fail to see a way to adapt this into a suitable expression of emotion in the office environment. Another day, perhaps.

So I'm off to buy shoes instead...oh my, I can already feel the rush!