I have always loved English and used to read lots but as I moved to secondary school I am ashamed to admit my love for books kind of faded. Before I turn this into an utterly cheesy, deep story I am basically trying to say I have returned to my old hobby and have been getting into a few stories lately. One of my favourites is 'Spilled Water' by Sally Grindley. The story is about a little girl born in China who is sold as a domestic servant in order to earn some money for her beloved mother and brother. I have yet to complete the book, but so far I have fell in love with the story and haven't been able to put it down. I've enjoyed Sally Grindley's writing so much I have recently ordered another of her book's 'Bitter Chocolate' and cannot wait to read that. I would love to hear about any recommended books or authors you think are worth having a look at!
It was my 13th Birthday Wednesday, yet we celebrated the weekend after. I am a mahoozive Disney fan and one of my favourite films is The Lion King so when I opened an envelope that revealed the tickets and found out we were going to see the musical I was super excited. We travelled up to London Saturday 26th and visited Choccywoccydoodah down Carnaby Street as soon as we had arrived. For those of you who are totally new to the wacky store - it is a world of chocolate! (brilliant, huh?) They sell sculptured fantasies, bespoke wedding cakes and more. Everything is so garish and extravagant, it was slightly out of my price range! I opted for the banoffee chocolate bar. A thick slab of chocolate, banana, caramel and biscuit - it tastes even better than it sounds! We then headed over to Nando's for some celebratory lunch (my mouth is saluvating thinking about my meal!) Next, we made our way to the Liceum theatre where we watched the matinee perfomance of The Lion King. I was blown away at the costumes and the production. I sat through the whole show with a big grin on my face, it was UH-MAY-ZING! To end the day, we visited M&M's world. Who would think you could make four floors of colourful fun? Next year's Birthday has a lot to live up to!
I was recently given a hamper of bath goodies from my best friend, being the Lush maniac I am! An item which I was particularly interested in was the 'Cupcake' face mask, used to prevent oily, teenage skin and calm breakouts. I personally don't think Lush's face masks look that appealing, neither do they smell that appetizing. However, I can not fault the product itself. Some face masks, I find, look and smell amazing but don't do what they say on the label, unlike Lush face masks. Whilst shopping in Covent Garden yesterday I popped into Lush to view their other range of face masks. A very helpful lady offered that we could test a sample of 'Love Lettuce' on our hand. After 5 minutes, it was washed off, and the difference between the other hand was unbelievable. My skin looked re-vitalised and so much more healthy. I thought to myself, if my hand looks fantastic, what will my skin look like? I had to purchase some. After using both masks a few times now, I am very happy with the results. They work a treat!
After going to see Les Miserables last Saturday, I can't do anything but praise it. Anne Hathaway was stunning as her role as Fontaine, as was Hugh Jackman as John Val Jean and the rest of the cast playing their characters of course. If you aren't a Les Mis fan, you most probably won't be familiar with the storyline - it is based on the French Revolution where ex-convict John Val Jean is given a second chance to turn his life around. It follows him and the people who he comes to know, such as Cosette, whom he adopts, and the revolutionary students in Paris. The film is incredibly emotional and moving - I balled my eyes out at the end! I am struggling to find the words to describe how great it was so if you haven't already seen it, you should.
It's that time of year we all want to wrap up in our duvet covers and hibernate until it's summer (that's how I feel, anyway). Nevertheless, winter can be great for experimenting with new looks and different styles.
1) Faux Fur
Not only does faux fur look stylish, it is an extremely practical way to wrap up warm! Ranging from coats, to headbands, to scarfs - it is ideal for bracing the cold brrrrrr!
2) Mulled Wine Lips
I find it hard to describe the exact name of this colour. To me it is burgundy with a hint of plum, similar to the colour of mulled wine. I love this shade for this season, as it reminds me of winter berries!
3) Onesies
After a long, hard day at school it is lovely to come home and jump into my onesie. They are gorgeously snug and ideal for lounging about round the house!
I am a big fan of Barry M and being the nail addict I am, I am always super excited to hear what is next. First 'Crackle' then 'Magnetic' then 'Chameleon' and now 'Gelly'! For those of you who aren't aware what 'Gelly' is, it is a high shine gel effect nail polish. I bought two colours - watermelon and pomegranate both £3.99 from Superdrug. I definitely recommend you go and grab some now as they are totally worth the money and leave your nails looking like they have come straight from the salon!
I have always been pretty gullable when it comes to old wives tales and love a cheap, natural remedy that works. I have previously tried rinsing my hair in coffee to darken it and even tested dabbing my eyebrows with milk in hope they would grow! (Please note, none of these were successful!) After many attempts, I was able to find 5 food products which aren't just for eating! Why splash the cash on beauty products when they are all there in your own pantry?
1) Water - Glowing Skin
I know it sounds ridiculously obvious but water really is the best-kept beauty secret. Drinking plenty of water can flush out toxins and cleanse your body. Splashing your face first thing in the morning and before you go to bed can also clear up any blemishes and leave your skin looking great.
2) Lemon - Removing Nail Polish and Lightening Hair
Chipped, tatty nails? And you cannot get it off
no matter how hard you scrub? The perfect way of getting rid of old nail
varnish is by sticking your fingertips into lemon halves. This makes the nail
varnish brighter and easier to remove. Lemons are also great for lightening hair. When I was younger, my Mum would squeeze some lemons and apply over my hair like a conditioner, then rinse and shampoo as normal. This works best on blonde hair as natural highlights.
3) Vinegar - Darkening Hair
Vinegar does exactly the same job as lemon, except it darkens the hair instead. All you need to do is apply some over your hair, rinse and shampoo as normal!
4) Strawberries - Whitening Teeth I was using my good ol' friend Google searching for a way to whiten my teeth. I came across lots of toothpastes and mouthwashes, which are very helpful, but I didn't like the idea of spending lots of money on products that may not even work. I was amazed to find out that strawberries are a natural teeth whitener because of their acid content. Simply, mash a ripe strawberry and dip your toothbrush into it and brush normally. Make sure you rinse your teeth thoroughly after!
5) Cucumber - Removing Eye Bags
I suffer from quite bad eye bags due to lack of sleep and constantly gazing at the computer screen. However, I was able to find a way of minimizing the dark circles under my eyes. All you need to do is slice a cold cucumber and then put it on both eyes.
I hope you found this blog interesting and a helpful way to save money and stay beautiful at the same time!
