November 2014 Product Fail - Herbal Essences Clearly Naked Dry Shampoo

Let me start by saying that this product is absolutely useless. In fact it made my hair look worse instead of better.

You can see in the picture below that this ‘dry’ shampoo is not so dry. In fact it just sprays out a thin liquid. This murky liquid goes everywhere when sprayed out. It ended up on my walls, mirror and everything that was around.
As you can imagine, the liquid did not absorb the excess oil from the hair, like the packaging promises. Instead it made my hair even greasier looking and they were horribly rough to touch afterwards.

I used it about 4-5 times and made sure I shook the heck out of that can before spraying it on my hair. The result was the same every time.

I have purchased two bottles of this (why?! oh why?!). Natural Topioca is in the picture and the other one is Limited Edition Scent Fresh Balance. The second one is just as bad as the first one so I rule out the ‘faulty/one off bad product’.

I am sorry but I have nothing good to say about this product. I am going back to my beloved Batiste or just simple baby powder.

 

Beauty favourites – November 2014

I’ve got super small post for you today. I have been really lazy when it comes to beauty this past month hence not much to share with you. However three products featured in this post, I did use consistently throughout the month. I shall explain why.

Bath & Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin Body Lotion – First I mentioned it here, saying I wasn’t sure about the scent. Then I mentioned it here, saying I will make the effort of using it. And here I am talking about it again. Well, I love it! I got used to the scent, it doesn’t bother me at all. Most importantly though, it is a great body lotion. Makes my skin soft and keeps it moisturised for couple of days. The ‘moisturised’ effect does not go away after the shower which is rarely seen in body lotions.

Burt’s Bees Hand Salve – Ok, so I have a snotty nose. Like, constantly. This stuff is THE only stuff that keeps my nose from fully peeling off. Thanks to this, I still have a nose. So what I’m trying to say is that this stuff is amazing. I use it on any dry skin patches – elbows, nose, lips …

Barry M Natural Dazzle Bronzer – I get so pale in the winter, I sometimes scare myself when look in the mirror in the morning. This stuff is great for us stark white faces. Gives a natural finish, it’s matt, great for contouring and whole face bronzing.

Shopping my stash – December 2014

 1. Boots Botanics Hydrating Eye Cream – to be fair I just want to use this up. I have used it quite a lot before but didn’t really notice any hydration. I will try to use it every evening before bed to see if that makes any difference.

2. Organic Surge First Class Mask – I’ve had this for quite some time so just want to use it up. It’s a nice product, the skin feels nice and soft after using it.

3. Abi Soft Sun Self Tan – I don’t normally use self-tanners but I get so pale in the winter that I need a little tanner help during this season. This one is for English roses meaning that it’s very subtle and light. It only gives a hint of colour which makes me look healthy instead of ghost white.

4. Clinique 04 Totally Neutral Eye shadow Trio – I have been so lazy with make-up lately! I can’t remember the last time I applied eye shadow. It is so easy and quick to create a day time look with this trio. I thought it’s perfect to ease me back into using eye shadows.

5. Revlon Brown Eye Pencil – I don’t even know what pencil this is, all I know its Revlon. The writing rubbed off and most of it is used up anyway. This pencil is so old, I just want to use it up. I thought it will go nicely with the Clinique trio.

6. L’oreal Studio Secrets Primer – I did not get on with this at first. But I reached for it again in the summer and it turned out to work great. I don’t usually need to use primers in the winter because my skin gets dry. But the office where I work gets so hot and stuffy that my make-up needs a little primer help in order not to melt off of my face.

I will be reviewing all of the products featured in my ‘Shipping my stash’ series at one point or another. Not everything is worth a whole post but it might end up in my empties post, random faves or a monthly fail so stay tuned.

Product use up – November 2014 empties

Batiste Dry Shampoo – I have tried many dry shampoos and always come back to Batiste. Yes, it leaves white cast on the hair BUT apart from that it is the best dry shampoo I have ever tried.

V05 Firm Hold Hairspray – okish hairspray, left my hair little bit crunchy.

Neutrogena Multi - Defence Daily Moisturiser – lovely product. I will definitely re-purchase. It moisturises well, has SPF 15, soaks in well, leaves the skin feeling soft and smells lovely (its scent will forever remind me of the holiday in Tenerife cause that’s where I used it for the first time).

Avon Far Away Exotic Perfume – I didn’t really like the scent of it. I layered it with different perfumes just to use it up. That’s the problem with Avon, the page of the catalogue smells different to the actual perfume in the bottle.

The Body Shop White Musk Sun Glow - lovely summer scent. Shame it only lasts on the skin for a couple of hours.

Bio – Oil – I’m not really sure what to think of this. I feel like it is a great moisturizer but it didn’t really do anything with my scars. I have applied it every day for about a month but the scars (one on my leg scratched by a tree branch and on my arm – paintballing!!) still look the same.

Heart lip gloss – got this random little cute thing from a friend. Just a nice one to keep in a pocket, it was quite moisturizing!

Rimmel Bronzing Compact Powder – it’s a nice bronzer. It was a light matte shade so I only really used it in the winter when I normally get really pale.

DIY Organiser Dividers

My organiser is from Paperchase (can’t find it on the website anymore but it’s a simple black A5) and it came with an insert divided into six sections. After few months of using the organiser I found that I have only been using the Diary part of the insert. I couldn’t make the other sections work for me. So I decided to make my own dividers and customise the organizer to meet my needs.

I have traced Paperchase devider shape on a double-sided scrapbooking paper and simply cut it out. I punched the holes in the dividers using a single-hole punch. I have then found a random brown envelope that was lying around on the table and cut out the tags. Glued the tags on and stamped the section names on them.

The whole process was very easy and a lot of fun. But most importantly it allowed me to match the organiser to my needs and use it to its full capacity.

Cost:
Scrapbooking paper – approximately £1 per 12x12 inch card at Colemans (I used 3).
Stamps - £1.50 at The Range
Ink - £1
Single hole punch - £2.50 at Colemans (I use it over and over again when make my own inserts).

 

Pitta Bread Individual Pizza with Parma Ham, Black Olives and Ricotta Cheese

I have to admit that I am not a big fan of cooking. For that reason I have always been into quick and simple dinners. I have lately also tried to make them ‘healthy (or rather –ier)’.

I am not really sure how I came up with this ‘healthy’ alternative to pizza but it tastes great and I make it on a regular basis.

All you need is:

LOVE!
… kidding…

*pitta bread (I use brown)
*tomato passata
*tomato puree
*Italian herb mix
*parma ham or prosciutto (your choice dependent on preference)
*black olives
*ricotta cheese
*salad mix (I like baby spinach & watercress)

Sauce:
Mix equal parts of passata and tomato puree in a pan. Add a pinch of Italian herb mix and cook for couple of minutes. Apologies but I don’t measure things! It depends on how many pizzas you want to make. I find that half a tube of puree and half a box of passata is enough for about 6 pizzas. Don’t go overboard with the herbs, add a bit and if you feel it’s not enough add a bit more. They are quite aromatic so you’ll find you won't need much.

Pizzas:
Spread the sauce straight on the pitta bread. Place parma ham on top, sprinkle with black olives (slice them up beforehand). Add blobs of ricotta and put in the preheated (180° - 200°) oven for 10 minutes.
Take them out and put the salad on top.

Voila! Simple, easy, quick and it’s a healthier alternative to a regular greasy pizza.

 

October 2014 Product fail - Clinique dramatically different moisturizing lotion

I have heard such good things about this product. I have had such high hopes. I really wanted it to work. Unfortunately it did not work. I am glad I got the mini size before committing to buying the full sized bottle.

The lotion has a really nice texture and feels lovely on the skin. It actually made my skin feel very hydrated for the first two times I used it. But my skin started to hate it straight after that. It actually made it feel dry, rough to touch and dull looking. I have stopped using it for a while. I gave it another try after about a month but scenario repeated itself.  
Perhaps I had an allergic reaction to the product? I am really not sure but I have not had a similar experience with any other moisturiser before.

The bottle in the picture looks quite full but I have used most of the 15ml of product and I feel that I gave it a good try. I had to stop using it in the end due to my skin looking and feeling just horrible.
It is a shame because I had such high hopes for this product. Oh well! My journey to find the perfect moisturiser continues.

Packing for a weekend in York

I hate packing. I never know what to take, always over pack and always feel like I haven’t made the right choices. However on this occasion the strangely warm weather made this task so much easier for me!

I’m staying in York only for one night so packed two daytime outfits and one night outfit. Daytime consist of dress + cardi and skirt + stripy top combos. Night time outfit is the simplest thing: a dress. And here’s where I always struggle: shoes.  I am taking two pairs of ankle boots and Uggs. Seems like a bit obsessive to take 3 pairs of shoes for two day trip? Well, yes it is but I need Uggs for the day outfit but if it’s too hot I will need the low heel boots but I can’t go out in any of these so I need black ankle boots. That’s my crazy thinking. Does it make sense? Probably not :).

One little wash bag with all of the make-up and skin care essentials and DONE! Hopefully this will be enough and the weather will stay lovely for us.

Oh! I'm also taking a scarf - an Autumn must.

Shopping my stash - November 2014

I have mentioned last month that I am making an effort to use/use up products from my skin/body care and make up collections.

For November I have picked 1 skin care, 2 body care and 3 make up items. I have used all of these products couple of times before but not enough to form firm opinions. We shall see what I think of these goodies at the end of November.

1. Vichy Idealia Serum – I had a sample of this and loved it so much that I had to pick up the full sized product. Having said that… sample had enough of product for about 3 uses. I am curious to see if my skin will still love it as much after daily usage for a month.

2. Bath & Body works Pumpkin Body Lotion – I have mentioned this product in my Pumpkin haul here. It has a strong scent but it doesn’t bother me yet. Skin on my legs gets SO dry in the Autumn and Winter. I hope this stuff will sooth it well.

3. Burt’s bees Coconut Foot Cream – Skin on my feet gets super dry too. I have yet to find a perfect foot cream thou!
 
4. No7 Skin Illuminator – I have had this stuff for years…. I am pretty sure I it expired long long time ago. BUT! There is only little bit left! I just want to use it up and be done with it (it’s not a bad product thou and it doesn’t break me out despite its age).

5. Benefit Eye Bright – I do like this! I am pretty sure everybody who owns this little guy, does like it. It’s a lovely product. But again… it’s old and I just need to use it up.

6. Too Faced Sweethearts Blush in Candy Glow – Now! This is new! Brand new to be exact! Super cute packaging, lovely colours, great formula. I can’t wait to use it!

Party decoration idea – pom pom chandelier

My friend is having her 30th birthday party at home. She will have a marquee in the garden and lots and lots of massive pom poms! We made ones from newspapers and tissue paper. It will all look awesome! What I wanted to share with you today are those pom pom chandeliers I have also made for her party. I got two ‘children size’ hula hoops from a random stand in my town, they were £1.50 each. I have already had some scraps of fabric at home so used them to wrap around the hula hoops. The big poms are made from tissue paper; it was only 49p for each colour from Home Bargains! I made small poms from yarn I had at home (I was into crocheting few years ago lol).

The whole thing cost hardly anything and I think it will look absolutely awesome at the party. However I will not deny that it was quite time consuming and the excitement of making it wore off after couple of hours.

The two chandeliers are currently hanging in my bedroom and living room and will be transported to the party on Saturday. But I started to like having them there and it gave me an idea for decorating my bedroom… I’ve added the new idea to my project list and I will definitely share once completed.

Ps. All pom pom making tutorials found on Pinterest! I told you I’m addicted to that website J

Sylw x

Pumpkin Season ‘Bath and Body works’

This pumpkin bundle was only $25 with any purchase worth $30 (I think!). I am not sure if they still run this promo but I thought I will share my thoughts regardless.

1. Pumpkin Pecan Waffles Gentle Foaming Hand Soap – I like the smell of this and I am definitely a fan of the foamy soap. I think the foam pump makes it more efficient. I haven’t found this drying my skin at all.

2. Pumpkin Loofah – It’s cute, I didn’t use it yet but will definitely do so.

3. Pumpkin Sweet Cinnamon Body Lotion – I haven’t used it yet but it has a thick consistency which might mean it will be deeply moisturising (hopefully!). The scent is nice but slightly overwhelming for my liking.

4. Pumpkin Sweet Cinnamon Fine Fragrance Mist – I am not too sure about this product. Is it meant to be like body spray that you spray after a shower? Or more like a perfume so that you smell like pumpkins? Either way, I am not sure if I want to smell like pumpkins all day.

5. Pumpkin Pecan Waffles Deep Cleansing Soap – This soap has some random little exfoliating particles. I think there are not enough of them in there to actually work. It also feels a bit weird when washing my hands. I’m not too keen on it to be fair.

6. Pumpkin Sweet Cinnamon, Pecan Waffle & Spiced Cider Mini Candles – I really wanted to like these candles, they are so cute! But the scents are just too strong and too sweet for me. I have not burned them yet but and I am not sure if I will be able to do it. I might give them away to a bigger pumpkin fan.

7. Shower Gel – The bundle also included a shower gel. I gave it to my friend as unfortunately standard shower gels give me rash and I need to use the Sulfate free ones.

 

I have come to a conclusion that I am just not that into Pumpkins. Whilst these products are lovely there is just something in that scent that doesn’t really speak to me. I might change my mind when using these more, you never know! As for now thou, I would pick apple and cinnamon over the pumpkin.
I wish I could go to America again soon to try some other Bath And Body Works products.

I don’t think I will be trying the Spiced Pumpkin Latte any time soon…

Sylw x

Essence Colour & Go '130 what's my name?'

This is a lovely Autumn colour. It's a plumy purple colour but it's not too dark. I really like the brush in these Essence polishes. It's quite thick and flat at the end. My nails are big and quite wide so this brush makes the application super easy and quick for me.

Sylwia x

Products to be used in October

Just as any other beauty blogger I am slightly addicted to buying make up/skin and body care products. The problem we all have is that we end up with so much… crap (I don’t mean that the products are no good but that there is a lot of them). Let’s be honest! NO ONE needs 10 face creams, 15 body lotions, 25 blushes, 8 eyeshadow pallets …and so on. I sometimes feel like I will never use this stuff up, it will go bad and I will have to throw it away. I hate waste and I hate to think that all those lovely products I have spent my money on will end up thrown away. I have therefore decided to go on a shopping ban. I am literally not allowed to buy any beauty stuff.  

But that’s not the end. I will be picking few makeup and skin care products at the beginning of each month to make an effort of using the stuff. There is no way I will actually use up a product in one month but at least it will be used and loved for a month. I will switch the products up every month just so I don't get bored. So this is kind of like a reversed version of Monthly Favourites.

I am pretty sure that I am doing an opposite to every other beauty blogger out there. But this is who I am. I don’t like to accumulate unnecessary things and I especially don’t like to stash unused items I have spent my hard earned cash on. Don’t get me wrong, I like to shop and buy new products. But I think it’s time for me to face reality – I don’t need so much stuff and the thought of having billions of blushes does not make me a happier person, even thou I do love a nice blush.

Above are skin/body care and makeup products for October. This will give me a good opportunity to truly try and test the products and do some reviews at the end of the month. I hope you will find my monthly updates on this somewhat interesting.

Sylwia x 

Random favourites - Donna Hay, Ray Ban, NYC, Pinterest and some music

1. Donna Hay cook book – an amazing book with delicious healthy and light recipes. It’s ideal for people like me who don’t have much time for cooking but want to eat healthy and well. The recipes are QUICK and EASY. Each recipe is no longer than few sentences which is really convenient. Ingredients are simple and inexpensive. I love this book and I will definitely get more cook books from Donna Hay.
2. Ray Ban sunglasses – I wouldn’t normally spend nearly $200 on a pair of sunglasses. But I was in New York and it was a holiday of my lifetime so I have decided to splurge. The sunglasses are psychedelic and I absolutely love them.
3. New York City – I love this city. Me and Nick (the boy) have stayed there for 4 nights and had an amazing time. I hope I will be able to go back one day.
4. Pinterest – If you are on there, you probably already love it. If you are not on there, you need to register. I am obsessed with this site, so many amazing ideas and inspirations.
5. One Republic ‘Native’ and Lana Del Rey ‘Ultraviolence’ – I have been listening to these two albums nonstop for about 2 weeks now. ‘Native’ has such a positive vibe and listening to it instantly puts me in a good mood. ‘Ultraviolence’ on the other hand is something I listen to when I want to relax and sooth my soul.

Sylwia x