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Sunday 30 October 2016

Halloween Bake with Us

Anyone who knows me knows my life revolves around food. This week has been my first half term as a qualified teacher and I've gone to town with the amount of 'food dates' I've been on during my week off. 

Today marks the last day of half term, the final day of holiday before returning back to work, so I wanted to end it well and it wouldn't be momentous without food. As it is Halloween tomorrow I decided a Halloween food theme would be too good an opportunity to pass up. 





Katie and I decided that baking Halloween cookies would be a cute way to celebrate the spooky occasion in a way that was a lot less mentally scarring than dressing up as killer clowns. 

We used a generic chocolate chip cookie recipe but bought cookie cutters of a tombstone, a ghost, a cat, a haunted house, a bat and a pumpkin to make sure our Halloween theme was obvious. 

Yes this is Sarah's blog and no, Sarah is not doing any of the hard work here. Shoutout to Katie, the real MVP. 






This was the moment we realised that our bowl wasn't big enough for all of our ingredients. I feel like it's becoming very apparent that my blog is a weekly documentation of how much of a fail my life is. 



This is the first contribution I made - unsuccessfully trying to roll out the mix. I've clearly forgotten all of my playdough skills as a child because I found this harder than I should have done. 


Katie's attempt just shows why she did Food Tech for GCSE. Chef in the making. 


So earlier I mentioned about how my life is a consistent fail, right? Here's another example. The mixture was way too wet to use the Halloween cutters and when we tried to roll it out again with more flour we realised it was stuck to the table. Sound.


After what felt like hours we were finally able to properly create our Halloween cookies and get them baking. By this point we had already decided we could be a great duo for next year's Great British Bake Off so were pretty excited to see our masterpieces come out the oven.


lol. 


Happy Halloween, Witches! 

S x 






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Monday 24 October 2016

Online Clothes Shopping FAIL!

I’ll be the first to admit that I leave EVERYTHING ‘til the last minute. Naturally, with my graduation a week away I still haven’t got around to finding an outfit so I’ve been panic buying online in the hope of finding something that makes me look a bit less like a potato than normal.

For some unknown reason, I decided that I wouldn’t shop anywhere I usually do and instead I found myself spending hundreds of pounds on Pretty Little Thing, a website I have never even browsed on before.

The first thing to note is that nude does not suit me in the slightest but in my moment of madness (my excuse is that I was online shopping at 2am so I wasn’t in a sane mindset) I decided to purchase everything in nude. Mistake number 1. But if it looks good on the model it’s bound to look the exact same on me, right? Mistake number 2.

During my agonising wait for the clothes to be delivered – I’m the Queen of patience clearly- I’d convinced myself everything was going to look bomb and I’d be able to post a great try on haul on my blog and finally achieve Instagram goals. Lol.

The order came today and I honestly didn’t even want to get anything out of the plastic wrappers it all looked so horrendous. However, I decided to be the brave girl I am and try things on. Bloody wish I hadn’t. Dreams were shattered in those few moments; lives were ruined.

I feel like I should add that I washed my fake tan off before trying anything on just in case it transferred and I wasn't able to send it back. Soz for the paleness. 

1. Catarina Nude Floral Lace Choker Bodycon Dress



Quick reminder of the title of the dress including the word 'bodycon'. Apparently not so bodycon in person. 

2. Kalli Cream High Neck Lace Detail Midi Dress



Two words: Nan's tablecloth. 

3.    Aisha Nude Satin Panel Midi Dress



Remind me never to order anything 'midi' ever again. 


4.    Freyana Rose Gold Sequin Detail Long Sleeve Mini Dress


I didn't even try this dress on because half of the sequins were sewn over the zip meaning that if you wanted to unzip it to put it on, you would literally have to rip the dress open. Smart.

5.    Azul Champagne Silky Wrap Cami Dress

God only knows what this item looks like on as it didn't even arrive in the parcel.


6.    Karlia Contrast Panelled Lace Bodycon Dress


This has got to be the itchiest item of clothing I have ever put on in my life. I couldn't even do up the back because it was so irritating on my skin. 


I hate to dwell on negativity so let's focus on the good... it's free to return the items. Now to log into my trustee Topshop account... 

S x 
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Sunday 16 October 2016

Make up Haul - Too Faced, Sleek, NYX and More!

Having a job also means having a pay packet, something I've not been used to whilst at University. Now I'm a fully fledged adult (wishful thinking) I've been enjoying spending my money on things I definitely don't need. 

You may have seen my tweets recently (@sar4helizabeth) explaining how I've gotten rid of waaaaaay too many of my clothes, meaning I now own about 3 outfits, so today when I went shopping with Katie I was in desperate need of clothes. Which is why I only bought make up. Good one Saz. 






---- NYX ----

I've said it before and I'll say it again - bringing NYX to UK Boots shops was the single best idea ever. Unfortunately the Boots I went into was low on stock for pretty much every product, so there was limited choice which in hindsight was probably a God send for my bank balance. 

I picked up the Born to Glow Illuminating Primer to replace my Benefit That Gal Brightening Face Primer. I've heard good things about the NYX primer and when I tested it on my hand it felt so silky and gave a lovely glow, which is ideal for those colder months when your skin is looking and feeling a bit dull. 

(I'll link everything or similar products at the end of the post!) 


---- TOO FACED ---- 

I've been after the Better than Sex mascara for a while so when my other mascara ran out I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this product. 

I actually bought this mascara when I was shopping last weekend (beginning to think I may have a spending problem...) but I'm including it in this post as I know it's very popular at the moment. 

The look it creates is exactly what I wanted - drama, length and volume. I wouldn't say this is as much of a dream product as I was expecting as it's quite clumpy, feels heavy and flakes quite a bit. I rubbed my eye the smallest amount earlier and my Mom told me I looked like something out of a horror film. How rude. 


--- SLEEK ---- 

Boots now are also the proud owners of a Sleek concession *hallelujah chorus*. 

I've been after a new foundation for a while but I hate anything that looks cakey, so I've been looking for alternatives. When I found the Barekissed Illuminator in the shade Pompeii I was in heaven. This product reminds me of the Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil because it creates a really natural bronzed look that gives you such a beautiful sunkissed glow. 

This comes in four different shades and can be used alone, as a base for foundation or mixed with foundation to illumiate the skin. GLOW UP. 

I also bought the True Colour Lipstick in the shade Mulberry which is the perfect 'autumnal' colour. It's the ultimate berry colour which I love during these months. 

The moment after I took the photo of my purchases I shut the lid on this lipstick, chopping off the top of it so that's not ideal. 


---- P.S. ---- 

'Testing Primark make up' has been a popular thread that's been circulating YouTube recently and I wanted to try out a couple of their make up bits for myself. I played it safe and got two of their lip products, one which is a lipstick crayon and the other is a liquid lipstick.  

As I mentioned before, I'm loving the berry colour for Autumn so of course the two lip colours I got were virtually identical to the one I bought five minutes previously from Sleek. I'm so ridiculous. 

The Lipstick Crayon is in the shade Midnight which is actually completely different to the P.S. Lipstick shade Midnight so be wary! The Liquid Lipstick is in the shade 07 Kendall. 



- left: Sleek; centre: P.S. Lipstick Crayon; right: P.S. Liquid Lipstick. - 


---- SOAP & GLORY ----


Colour correcting is a pretty big thing right now and when I've dabbled in this technique, I've found it makes so much difference to the finished make up look. 

I'm very lucky to have good skin but when I get breakouts, it's pretty bad and the redness is hard to hide with just concealer. When I saw Soap & Glory's colour correcting range I was dying to try it out. As redness is my biggest skin complaint, I decided to just go with the green concealer, although I was tempted by the Super-Blur Imperfections Eraser! 


Seeing as I didn't get any clothes today, I'm now going to crack on with the online shopping so watch this space! 

S x 



Products Mentioned: 

NYX:
Born To Glow Illuminating Primer:
http://www.asos.com/nyx/nyx-born-to-glow-illuminating-primer/prd/6583040

TOO FACED:
Better Than Sex Mascara: 
http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_154614000099_-1

SLEEK:
Barekissed Illuminator Pompeii: 
https://www.boots.com/en/Sleek-Barekissed-Illuminator_1750712/
True Colour Lipstick:
https://www.boots.com/en/Sleek-MakeUp-True-Colour-Lipstick_1393161/

P.S.:  
Velvet Matte Lipstick Crayon:
https://www.primark.com/en/product/velvet-matte-lipstick-crayon-in-plum,R35397119099021
Super Matte Liquid Lipstick:
https://www.primark.com/en/product/plum-matte-liquid-lipstick,R35397119134982

SOAP & GLORY: 
Kick Ass All is Calm Anti-Redness Concealer:
http://www.boots.com/en/SOAP-GLORY-KICK-ASS%E2%84%A2-ALL-IS-CALM%E2%84%A2-ANTI-REDNESS-CONCEALER_1800925/
Super-Blur Imperfections Eraser: 
http://www.boots.com/en/SOAP-GLORY-SUPER-BLUR%E2%84%A2-IMPERFECTIONS-ERASER_1800929/

OTHER PRODUCTS MENTIONED: 
Benefit That Gal Primer: 
http://www.boots.com/en/Benefit-That-Gal-primer_49605/
The Body Shop Honey Bronze Shimmering Dry Oil:
https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/body/bronzing/shimmering-dry-oil-honey/p/p000807





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Sunday 9 October 2016

Beauty Empties

I'm definitely one of those people who buys a beauty product and uses it for a while until the next new thing takes my fancy, resulting in me having drawers full of half used products. I'm calling time on having a cluttered room and am attempting to use up all of these (in date!) products once and for all. 

I'll link everything I mention at the end of the post regardless of whether I liked it or not, as I mentioned in my Disappointing Products post just because I didn't like something doesn't mean you won't love it! 

Here are some of the 'empties' I've acquired so far... 






---- EYES ----


NO7 BEAUTIFUL SKIN EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER 




The first time I used this product I found it so disgusting. It's an oil based product so the oils break down the make-up allowing it all to come off really easily but it results in your eyes feeling so greasy. I used this once and threw it to the back of my drawer, vowing never to use it again but alas the day came when my current eye make-up remover ran out and I had no choice but to use this one again. 

Once I started using it again I realised how much I loved it. Sure, it makes your face feel greasy but if you use a cleanser afterwards the problem is solved. No7 have now released an oil-free version of this which fixes the issue even more! 

REPURCHASE?
-100% 


SIMPLE KIND TO EYES EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER



To be perfectly honest, I hated this product. Simple prides itself on being 'kind' and 'gentle' but in the case of this eye make-up remover, it's so gentle it takes a lot of elbow grease to remove any make-up. I often found that the next day I would wake up with panda eyes from mascara that wasn't removed the night before. 

REPURCHASE? 
- HELL NO



---- FACE ----


CLARINS HYDRAQUENCH CREAM SPF 15




For months I had been going into Clarins and getting samples of this because I loved it but couldn't bear to spend so much money on a moisturiser. After using the samples everyday and despairing when they ran out, I decided I needed to buy it for myself. 

This is one of my holy grail products as the dry, flaky skin I get in winter instantly disappears with the tiniest bit of this cream. 

When I went to get more of this the other day I noticed that Debenhams is currently running a gift set so for the same price as the moisturiser alone you also get small versions of the serum and mask from the HydraQuench range in a white quilted wash bag - bonus! 

REPURCHASE? 
Been there, done that... 


THE BODY SHOP SEAWEED PORE-CLEANSING FACIAL EXFOLIATOR



Myself and The Body Shop have a weird relationship; I love the idea of their products and their ethos, but I don't really like the products when I use them.

Don't get me wrong, I love their shower gel and body lotions but I just don't really get along with their skincare. As you'll see further down, I've tried some of the other skincare ranges and I still find the same thing - I don't hate them but I don't love them either, they just don't seem to do anything for my skin. 

REPURCHASE?
- Maybe if I don't find anything better. 


MY LITTLE BOX EAU MICELLAIRE DEMAQUILLANTE 



Holy cow I love this micellar water. I received this product when I used to subscribe to My Little Box, a French beauty box. I used this religiously and found it made such a difference to my skin, making it appear more glowy and reduced the redness and break outs I was getting. 

When I got to the end of this product I was honestly gutted as it isn't available to purchase on their website if you live in the UK. Since I've stopped using this I can definitely notice the difference and it's not good :( 

REPURCHASE?
- I wish


THE BODY SHOP VITAMIN E CREAM CLEANSER


When I went on The Body shop website to find this product I noticed two things: that the packaging of this product now looks significantly different and that out of 223 reviews, this had got an average of 5 stars. 

When I used this cleanser I didn't feel like it was particularly good or bad, just like The Body Shop exfoliator mentioned earlier. It was an OK product in my opinion, nothing groundbreaking. 

The last time I used this was a looooong time ago, I just had the empty bottle in my drawer (#clutterqueen) so these amazing reviews are making me feel like I need to give this range another chance. 

REPURCHASE?
- Quite possibly



---- BODY ----



VASELINE ALOE FRESH HYDRATING BODY LOTION



This Vaseline body lotion is perfect if you're looking for something very basic that's fuss free. The cucumber scent is really refreshing but the consistency is very watery which I guess is what they would describe as 'light'. Every time I applied this it leaked everywhere as it was so thin which as you can imagine was really annoying. 


REPURCHASE? 
- Probably not as there are nicer products out there. 


BIO OIL



As someone who has a huge scar running from neck to bum, Bio Oil is a must have in my beauty collection! I love my scar and would never want to remove it completely as it makes me who I am, but this gem has been so helpful for making sure it heals nicely. 

REPURCHASE? 
- Yes, I already have a bigger bottle. 


L'OCCATINE SHEA VANILLA BOUQUET HAND CREAM



Along with the micellar water previously mentioned, I also received this sample size L'Occatine hand cream. The scent of this is so dreamy I love using it. The product itself is really nice and feels luxurious - a Godsend during those cold UK winter months. 

REPURCHASE? 
- Yes, when I was in France last Summer I hunted down a L'Occatine shop so I could buy the full size for cheaper than the price in the UK. 


Feeling more zen now I've had a little clear out but there's still a long way to go!

Until next time, 
S x

Products Mentioned: 

---- EYES ----

No7 Beautiful Skin Eye Make-up Remover 
http://www.boots.com/en/No7-Beautiful-Skin-Eye-Make-Up-Remover_1245018/
Simple Kind to Eyes Eye Make-up Remover
http://www.boots.com/en/Simple-Kind-To-Eyes-Eye-Make-Up-Remover-125ml_8295/

---- FACE ----

Clarins HydraQuench Cream SPF 15
http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10701_10001_121870921299_-1
The Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Facial Exfoliator
https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/face/exfoliators-masks/seaweed-pore-cleansing-exfoliator/p/p000948
My Little Box Eau Miceallaire Demaquillante
http://www.mylittlecorner.fr/beaute/my-little-beauty/eau-micellaire.html
The Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Cleaser
https://www.thebodyshop.com/en-gb/face/cleansers-toners/vitamin-e-cream-cleanser/p/p000147

---- BODY ---- 

Vaseline Aloe Soothe Lotion
http://www.superdrug.com/Vaseline/Vaseline-Aloe-Soothe-Lotion-200ml/p/320400
Bio Oil
http://www.superdrug.com/Bio-Oil/Bio-Oil-200ml/p/355801
L'Occatine Shea Vanilla Bouquet Hand Cream
http://uk.loccitane.com/shea-vanilla-bouquet-hand-cream,83,1,29776,626403.htm#s=39668

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Sunday 2 October 2016

September Favourites

Finally I'm back!

I'm so sorry for the lack of blog post last week, I wasn't feeling inspired to post and didn't want to publish something that was so half-hearted. Hopefully today's post makes up for it! 



I'm back with another monthly favourites which is insane because it doesn't feel 5 minutes since I uploaded the last one. I know everyone says it but I have no idea how it's October already but with Halloween fast approaching I'm not complaining. 



As the weather gets colder my lips are threatening to get drier which is never a cute look. Popcorn lip scrub by Lush has been my saviour this month. Saving me from those nasty chapped lips. And the best part? It's edible *insert multiple love heart eyes emojis here*. 




My next favourite is a really random one - this tin of mints. I'm obsessed with mints and always make sure I have some in my bag at all times, after all you never know when Ryan Gosling might show up wanting to kiss you y'know? I love this princess tin as it makes a cuter packaging than a tatty paper packet of mints. I'm gonna be really annoying though because I have no idea where it's from. 




A while ago it seemed that everyone was into these pore cleansing nose strips so I thought I'd try some for myself. I tried them a couple of times then threw the box in my drawer and I've recently just found them again and tested them out and fell back in love. They're not miracle workers by any means but there's definitely a noticeable difference after using these.




I have a real problem with finding mascaras that I love as I want volume and length without clumsiness. I've been wanting the Too Faced Better Than Sex mascara for ages but until I find the time to buy it, I've been loving this one from Soap and Glory. It's the Thick and Fast High-Definition Collagen-Coat mascara and gives you all the drama without the clumpiness.




When my best friend Katie recently came back from a trip to America she bought me back this elf duo called St Lucia. The blusher and bronzer are supposedly an exact match for the NARS Orgasm/Laguna duo at a fraction of the cost which is a winner in my eyes.

 I can't comment on the NARS duo because I don't own it, but I love this elf one. The colours are really complimentary and are really pigmented, giving you such a sunkissed look which I love. 



During the summer I mentioned I had been on holiday to Spain and went shopping whilst I was there. I went to Stradivarius and picked up this v neck t-shirt with an embellished brooch. I usually hate v neck clothing but I love the cage detailing on this top. That and the brooch turns a simple white t-shirt into something effortlessly cool. 


My final favourite is a random one but the most important. Often any monthly post, whether it's a blog post or a YouTube video, is very focused upon material items so I thought I'd throw something a bit different in this post. 

My ultimate favourite this month - and every month- is the amazing friendships I have. I'm so grateful for the close friendships I've developed over the years and some friendships have become even closer this past month which I'm so thankful for. 

S X 
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© Sarah Elizabeth

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