I think it’s the best bit of PR I’ve seen from a cosmetics company in a long time!

The premise of the deal was that if Models Own got to 100,000 likes on their Facebook page then they would throw a 50% off sale for one week on their website.

They reached that number last Friday and I don’t think that even they were prepared for the sheer volume of traffic the site would receive. Since then it’s been constantly falling over but with perseverance and a hell of a lot of patience orders can be made! Trust me!

I placed my order late Friday and it arrived this morning. Tbh I didn’t expect to see it for a few weeks so kudos to the staff. I’m very impressed by any company that doesn’t just fold under the pressure of a big sale.

Also loving that each polish was individually bubble wrapped. To me this says Models Own are a company that care about what state my purchases reach me in. I like!

On to the haul….

Well… initially I had 4 polishes in my basket but OBVIOUSLY the lure of 50% was just TOO much of a bargain. I ended up with 8.

Total was £20 inc free p&p. Now that’s flipping fabulous! I already have several Models Own polishes and I believe that even at £5 they are ridiculously good value for money. £2.50 each is just a steal!

I got:

L: Pearly Queen R: Snow White

Pearly Queen is very subtle pretty pink and the name is apt. It’s pearl earrings in liquid form.  The Snow White swatch is a bit pointless but basically I got this as a base for the blue glitter.

L: Champagne R: Nude Beige

Going on sight and swatches alone Champagne is the stand out beauty, a rich pearly light gold. Nude Beige on the other hand is slightly disappointing, definitely not as nude as the site swatch. Much more minky than I was expecting. Jury is OUT!

L: Raspberry Crush R: Tickled Pink

I love both of these. Raspberry Crush is much more cerise than it’s appearing here, really vibrant and it’ll make a great toenail colour. Tickled Pink is a great glittery rose. Super feminine.

L: Blue Sparkle R: Silver Spangle

I’ve wanted both of these for an absolute age but I probably wouldn’t have bought them unless the sale was on. Why? Well crazy glitter polishes always seem like a bit of a waste. Lets be honest I’ll rarely wear these. I am looking forward to experimenting with them though.

Initially the glitter seems like it will be easy to place on the nail. If I had to pick a negative I’d say that these took almost twice as long to dry on my swatch card. Definitely not ones to be apply if you’re in a hurry.

Overall I’m delighted. I really hate spending big bucks on nail polish, unless it’s something super special, because quite honestly it’s not my favourite beauty product. However I’m well chuffed that I have eight new shades to play with and they didn’t break the bank.

You can still take advantage of the offer here up until midnight Friday the 27th of August. Make sure you add in the code FACEBOOK50 at the checkout

xo

*raises both hands*

I love red wine. I love Indian food. Sadly my insides disagree.

Today I am STILL recovering after a fun Saturday night out. Bread and muchos water please!!

Outfit wise I had planned to wear a frock on Saturday night, but absolutely crazy weather put an end to that idea. I ended up heading out in straight leg jeans and a white blouse from Warehouse. Absolute bargain at £7.50! There is another 50% off their sale prices in store.

This was a bit out of my comfort zone, so I did spend a large proportion of the night pulling at it and feeling the need to smooth it down. However it was very comfortable and cool to wear so it’s definitely opened me up to the idea of a shirt and jeans as alternative going out attire.

Both necklaces are from River Island. I think my favourite high street jewellery comes from there. It’s always a bit different and the pieces I have already have lasted well, unlike Primark bits n pieces. I’d rather spend a few quid more and not worry about it falling off my neck halfway through a night

Shoes were another sale bargain from the fail that was Faith. £10 in the Debenhams outlet. I thought they were really cute but classy, and they even have a little cone kitten heel. I can see these getting a tonne of use!

Speaking of fashion I’m currently lemming a hacking jacket… you know the type. Fitted tweed with elbow patches? I’ve tried a few on in Zara but not been overly happy with the fit and at £79.99 I expect to be! Anyone seen anything similar? Link me up please

xo

It’s from the Top of the Shops (Topshop for the slow ones…) and cost 80 smackaroonies. I’d rather have spent less… about 80 pounds less.. but since it wasn’t in the sale and I’m not keen on shoplifting I had to suck it up!

Excuse the crap in store photo, washes the colour out a bit and I appear to be sucking on a lemon… but you get the general gist of what it looks like on. It’s a Wool Duffel and it’s AMAZING!!

You can see the caramel colour better here.

The deep pockets, cuffs and hood have a classic tartan detailing.

Check out the wooden toggle buttons with quirky red and green stitching. The quality and finish is superb.

One of my favourite features is the deep hood. My head ain’t small and a hood normally pulls up to my hairline at most. This can be pulled right down over my eyes if needs be and two top buttons allow the coat to be fastened up over the chin. A perfect hidey hole on a bitter cold morning.

Size wise it’s an odd one. I’d normally be a UK size 14 in a coat, especially a winter one where I’ll be layering jumpers underneath. In this even the size 10 was ok on me, room to spare. I think it’s the intended fit. It’s meant to be a roomy coat. I ended up going for the size 12. Happy medium

I really don’t want to take it off yet! However I don’t think it’ll be too long until I’m pulling this coat on out of necessity.
Especially once the NI Brrrrr! sets in.

The only other thing I bought today was this sweet little necklace from River Island for £6.99.

xo

I honestly don’t know where this week has gone. ……Sunday to Tuesday was spent in Dublin with Matt to celebrate our fantastical 2nd Wedding Anniversary, after that it’s all a bit vague. So vague I thought today was Thursday… which it clearly isn’t…

Ho hum

Friday it is! Perfect day for a little in and out

Loving

Lipsy Dress

This is the frock I wore for our Anniversary dinner. I bought it in the Topshop sale for £30. Really flattering wee number if you hold any weight around your middle/ hips like moi.

Sorry about the flash but the hotel room had “mood lighting” and this was the only way I could get the colours to show up.

The Farm Restaurant, Dublin

“Affordable, tasty and home sourced” With as much of the produce as possible being organic and free range.
I didn’t quite know what to expect, especially as we were going on a Sunday night but it really was a treat. The interior is modern but homely, with a very feminine feel. Little sparkly lampshades and floral wall mirrors.

The food was gorgeous, my steak was melt in the mouth good. Matt had the lamb and was similarly impressed. The dishes were uncomplicated and clean though. No overly fancy “jus” or seasoning. Just good Irish fare at a reasonable enough price. We’ll be back.

Tesco Pumps (not the petrol kind…)

I’m not a massive fan of flats due to the negative impact they inflict on my joints, but when I see a pair as nice as these for £10 I can’t resist. One pair of foot pillows later and they are comfortable as well as cute.

Treating myself

Ah you’re a long time dead. If I want something I tend to write it down on a desktop sticky. If I still want it a month or so down the line, I usually purchase. It’s a good system.

I’ve deleted 5 MAC lipsticks off one already this week. Turned out I really didn’t want any of them that much

One thing I have wanted for about 3 months though are the David Smallcomb cuff bracelets that Lorraine sells on her website. I went for 3 small silver and 3 small gold fill, and people they ARE small. I have really slim wrists (about the only part of me that is) and they fit me just perfect. If you regularly have to get 3-4 links taken out of any watch you buy then the small is for you, if not order the large.

I totally <3 them. Brilliant buy!

Clogs

I love the clog trend. I had a pair when I was younger and they were the easiest things to wear. 2010 clogs, not so much. Sky scraper heels and open toed numbers are all very well but lifestyle wise they just wouldn’t suit me.

I needed practical & comfortable and the hubby delivered. He treated me to them in Clarks of all places. Reduced to 40 euro. They have hardly been off my feet. Perfect heel height, spongy lining and look trendy to boot. I’m a happy camper!

This also requires an honourable mention, Compeed Anti-blister Stick. I could feel my clogs rubbing slightly on the side of my foot. One swipe of this (it’s like hard vaseline) and the issue was gone.
No more rubbing because the surfaces can’t get purchase on each other. Best invention evaaaar! I got mine at Superdrug. It was a few quid.

Mumford & Sons

How are they not Irish? To me they’re like a modern day Saw Doctors (sorry… I still love them too) and the whole album is a winner, real hairs on the arms stand up greatness. Get it and LOVE it!

Reading

I just love to read, but bad eyesight and a vain refusal to wear my glasses meant that lately I hadn’t done much of it. I had to finally admit defeat when I was struggling to read my computer screen and munching tension headache tablets like smarties.
So I stick my glasses on and lo and behold it’s like someone turned the world into focus. I’m such a twat.

Reading is no longer a tired squinting affair and I’m no longer considering shares with Nurofen.
I’ve just finished Skinny Bitch. It’s very clear that the authors have their own agenda in regards to animal rights however accepting the contents at face value this was an enjoyable read. Certainly not life altering though.

Not loving:

Spider Season
It can fuck right off. Creepy eight legged freaks that like to hang out in our bedroom. Ugh. Major hate.

John James
If you don’t watch the UK Big Brother my apologies. If you do I’ll take a high five on that. He’s a major twat. Please put JJ and Josie in some kind of one way space destined rocket.

Indecisive weather
Be sunny. Or don’t. Just PLEASE don’t do the sun and rain thing. It’s not big or clever, just friggin impossible to dress appropriately for.

LONG Delivery Times
11 week lead time on a sofa?! What are you doing exactly? Making the thing from scratch?….. Oh you are. Well anyway when I order from somewhere as main stream and lets face it cheap as DFS I expect that they have multiples of the same sofa lying atop each other in some big NI warehouse.

They don’t. It like really truly actually comes from Italy. My worlds on its head here
Floor down on August 10th… sofa arriving Halloween… #fail

Milk Men
Or maybe it’s just my Milk Man. He likes to deliver practically our whole weeks supply on one day. Not only is storing that a headache BUT clearly we aint paying for freshness here. Plus when I try to cancel him he ignores the “No more Milk please, just the final bill, thanks” notelet and leaves a further 2 pints of milk. I’m losing the will.

I WAS trying to be polite about canceling his services. However now I’m thinking a “Please bugger off” note is the only way to go.

And just for cuteness, the one and only Tedster doing what he does best. Winky flashing on our bed!

Over and out xo

Oh yes, this week I’m in a “can do” mood. Terribly irritating for everyone around me but excellent for the Monica Geller that was in hibernation deep within.

This was the state of my shoe/ bag closet yesterday morning…

Shameful

I’d lost ALL control of storage. Too many shoes + not enough boxes= Shoe Chaos

Thankfully the postman delivered  these two life savers yesterday….

A fifty piece shoe rack and a “purse” or bag rack. Whatever floats your boat! I paid just over 70 of my own pounds including 4 of postage. However if you live in the mainland UK I believe the shipping is FREE. Win for you! (I’ll just sit over here and grumble about being an unrecognised part of the UK… grumble… grumble…)

I did a lot of research before settling on Tszuji. I did think it was slightly pricey until I started looking into getting something custom built. I soon realised that actually 70 odd quid was a bit of a bargain!

However reviews on the site were mediocre so again I wasn’t convinced that it wouldn’t just topple down under the weight of two pairs of platforms. This is part of the reason I opted for the chrome framed one rather than the many plastic ones they offer.

I was pleasantly surprised. Although the frame is basic it does screw tightly together “Ikea” stylie. It took me about 15 minutes from start to finish.

Voila! *Happy sigh*

The purse rack was more fiddly. It comes with a set bracket size (you can order bigger ones tho) which were unfortunately two narrow for my door width. I had to use the wall fixings supplied instead which I screwed to the closet doors.

I’m really happy with it, however bags with thicker handles may require use of two clips (each rack is supplied with 6). Also if you’re a designer bag freak and can’t bear the thought of your precious leather sitting against plastic hooks then this might not be for you. I’m not that bothered. I think most bags look better with a little wear…. and actual use…

Overall I’m delighted. It’s my little Aladdin’s Cave and I can’t wait to add to it. Next up is a search for the perfect costume jewellery organiser. I quite like this one at Swag Bag but £30 seems a little steep. Maybe I can make something like it myself….

xo

I was pleasantly reacquainted. Sure, Boots is fabulous, who doesn’t LOVE those advantage card points?! but Superdrug is quite exclusive in a way. I got my fix of Gosh Cosmetics, Bloom, MUA and Sue Moxley. Different is almost always good in my book.

My main focus was on the “Famous” by Sue Moxley range. I always wanted to like this range, after all what’s not to like about a range created by a real life Make-up Artist. However first impressions were poor. Every single time I went to a Superdrug her brand stand (oooh it rhymes) was clearly unloved and unreplenished. The tester make-up was a mess, everything was covered in dust and things that I did find of interest were inevitably broken or smushed (technical term…).

I think over the 18 months I’ve been aware of her brand I’ve bought one thing that wasn’t in a complete state, a fan brush and it was amazing so I hoped they’d get their act together.

It finally looks like they have done just that.

On Sunday I was pleased to find that her stand was clean, tidy and reinvented. My eye was immediately drawn to the solo shadows which were on 2 for £6. Some really dreamy metallic shades. Then I clocked the 4 pan palettes which were priced at £9 and since I was having trouble deciding which singles to opt for I went for the palettes instead.

This particular quad of brown tones is called Cafe Culture.

Under Flash

Under Natural Lighting

The back of the palette assures me that these can be applied dry as well as wet, depending on the impact you desire. Today I went for dry.

Face – Diorskin Nude Foundation + Topshop Bronzer
Lids – Sue Moxley Cafe Culture Palette
Lashes – L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black
Cheeks – NARS Deep Throat
Highlight – Mac Shimmer
Lips – Mac Modesty

Overall I love the result, all the shades work really well together and are comparable to a few main Mac shadows.. second left is a more subtle Satin Taupe for instance.

Bad points, well there are a few unfortunately…

• All 4 colours are high in the shimmer/ sheen stakes. I’d have thought that as they are apparently designed by an MA that the nude shade at least would have been matt. I had to take a touch of Mylar and blend that up towards my brow to avoid the drag queen look.

• Not all the shadows are of the same consistency, the second from right (a warm brown) is very bitty. It separates more than the others and can be quite messy, however it is a very pretty colour.

• The packaging. At the moment I have quite long/ strong nails (how and why is a mystery) but even I struggled to open the palette. It has a good groove to get your grip on but for some reason it’s still an absolute bitch to open.

So all that’s not so positive, however I have to say I’m still really glad that I bought this.

In fact I love the 3 brown shades so much that it’s a definite must have in my going away make-up bag this weekend (wedding anniversary… YAY!!). There is no denying that each colour compliments each other perfectly. The blendability is superb and nine hours later is still looks like this…

(OMG… look how much my foundation colour has oxidised)

Ok so there is definite wear but significant shape and colour remains so I am MORE than happy.

£9 well spent in my opinion

xo

I settled on a bandeau playsuit with a cardy over the top which meant that when I got too warm I could just whip it off and pop it in my bag. I had to do exactly that for the duration of my shopping in town. Cardigan FAIL.

Playsuit – Zara

Cardigan – Tesco

Flats – Primark

Bag – Mulberry

Vivienne Westwood Necklace and DIY Disc

Links Of London Charm Bracelet and mixed silver bangles from Miss Selfridge

Eye make-up was a simple lilac wash of shadow using NARS Night Rider, blended out with a smidgen of MAC Stars n Rockets. Lilac Liner from Gosh and L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara. Lilac tones bring out the green in my eyes like no other colour <3

Shopping was very uneventful. 3 hours later I was home with 1 bottle of brush cleanser. That’s the way it goes sometimes. At least my purse is smiling.

xo

I searched everywhere for a cheap dupe online, but I just couldn’t find one that was big enough/ sparkly enough/ dirt cheap enough.

So I set about fashioning my own.

I took one pair of drop disc earrings from the current Oasis Sale £4

These were good because they had a fixed eyelet already soldered to the top of them, meaning adding a chain would be wee buns (easy peasy)!
I just used a pair of pliers to detach the bar from the disc. Then took an old unused necklace and fed it through.

Voila!

I think it’s really classy, although I would like a finer open link chain but that’ll be easy enough to pick up for a few quid in Accessorize or the like. Most importantly it has satisfied my want. When I get bored of it I won’t feel guilty tossing it. Especially for £4.

My top is from Tesco, I think it was around £12. Just really loved the slogan and print

Not much planned for today, we have all 4 kids all weekend so that should be …….. fun?

I also have a tonne of housework to catch up on. Thankfully Noah has decided all things cleaning related are AMAZING!?! So I have a little helper today!

That's my boy!

Mr Mop

You could eat your dinner off it!

Have a good weekend whatever you get up to, and much love to all you kind and wonderful people. You know who you are

xo

Now we know where Noah gets his socks & crocs fetish from….
I had also totally forgot how bloomin light my hair was as a toddler! Madness!

Here I am re-enacting the famous Fairy Liquid advert… as you do… obviously…
Nanette Newman eat your heart out!

Go on, I dare you! Get hunting out some piccies of the old you and link me up to your post so I can have a giggle gander!

xo

P.S

There are rumblings of a mahoosive M&S sale tomorrow!
Totally unconfirmed BUT I’ve seen it mentioned on a number of forums now AND they do normally throw their secret sales on the day of Thurs! Worth a look just in case! Especially if you’re a fan of their shoes like me! xx

I accept that for the majority of customers The Pet Connection NI has provided excellent care. However no one can argue with the fact that WE did not. There are many positive testimonials on their website but surely I reserve the right to record my negative one.

And let me reiterate that this has NEVER been about the money. It’s always primarily been about the care. We could pay that bill a thousand times over, but we cannot make Teddy’s leg as good as new.

Any further emails/ comments etc regarding this matter will be ignored.

The Tedster’s Limp from Arlene Johnston on Vimeo.

Our 7 month old puppy went to stay with The Pet Connection NI while we were on our summer holiday. Unfortunately some time in the second week his leg was broken. He had surgery to insert 2 pins to hold the leg together but he now walks with a pronounced limp which we hope will improve over time.
The Pet Connection NI deny liability.

We paid them a total of £292.50 up front to look after him for 16 nights. We have paid the Vets a total of £407.00 to date.
No form of compensation monetary or otherwise has been offered by The Pet Connection NI.

Threat of legal action prevents me from going into any more detail than these facts. I can say though that I personally will not be using The Pet Connection NI for dog boarding ever again.

xo

Dress – Warehouse Sale £30

Totally loving this frock. Colourful, beautiful shape and such a comfortable silky feel fabric. Easy to dress up or down. I wore it last week with a waist cincher belt and it looked amazing!

Tights – Primark Sale £1

Shoes – Oasis Sale £40

Necklace – New Look Sale £2

Do you see a pattern? LOL I almost never pay full price for any clothing that I buy. For a number of reasons I guess, but mostly because I cannot stand seeing something I’ve spent a fortune on inevitably reduced a few months later. Absolute killer.

Make-up wise I’m still loving my Bobbi Brown Beach Shimmer Brick, and I’m also digging pink eyeshadow. Really brings out my eyes. Lid combo is MAC Expensive Pink, Girlie and Cranberry. The crease is blended out with a touch of MAC Twinks. Warm and pretty imo.

I’ve also got a great 30+ skincare routine down, more of that shortly.

xo

Now this isn’t perhaps the most seasonally appropriate post, what with it being July and apparently the British Summer Time. However unlike the mainland, us Northern Irelanders aren’t experiencing this fabulously warm heatwave. Instead we’re dodging rain clouds and bullets ( I jest).

So I think you’ll forgive me when I tell you that I just purchased a new pair of Uggs. To wear. Like now.

I’ve always fancied a pair in the “Cardy” style. I just didn’t fancy paying £125.00 for them. So I didn’t!

I shopped savvy and picked them up for £64.00 in Cruise Clothing. I bought mine in store but they’re also available here in pink, grey and light brown. The black is not reduced. Remember the “Don’t you hate when clothing shops reduce like that, by popularity of colour?” Errr well yeah I do… again. Grrr

Anyway definite bargain to be had, even if it’s not for yourself! I’m gonna order the pink for my besties Xmas pressie. I know she’ll LOVE them.

Word of warning or maybe advice though in regards to Uggs. Even the authentic Uggs are bad for your feet with prolonged wear. Due to the design and composition they simply can’t offer the kind of support that a trainer or laced shoe can.

Like a lot of people my feet naturally over pronate, meaning that my foot tends to roll inward at the arch area. A shoe without support at the arch area ie Uggs, flip flops, slippers will aggravate this and ultimately cause pain in the shins/ knees and in my case lower back.

So what can you do about it?

Well personally what I do is still buy the footwear I like the look of but I adapt the support offered by inserting my own gel insoles. I wear these in almost ALL my shoes now, and I’d say that 90% of my knee & back pain is gone.

You can pick them up in most sports stores these days. Shop around though as they can be pricey. I paid around £10 in DW Fitness for a pair, and then on holiday got a few pairs for 7 euro!

Hope this helps someone

xo

I give you the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Beach.

Apologies for the shitty macro quality. I’m currently using my Dad’s Coolpix while I wait on my new camera being delivered. To say it can’t cope with getting up close and personal is an understatement.

I picked Beach up in my local House of Fraser. On first sight I thought it appeared too reddy and dark in tone and I was convinced it would just look like shimmery mud on my pale skin. Thankfully I took the advice of the MA for once and had it applied. I was pleasantly surprised, very surprised.

Even with a generous swirl of all the colours it simply creates a beautiful peachy glow.

It not only highlights in that lovely powder to cream finish but it also deposits “subtle” colour. Exactly what I want from this kind of product.

I definitely don’t want a tonne of orange/pink product sitting bizarrely where it shouldn’t. Beach is wearable gorgeousness!

OOTD is another comfy number. It’s a bank holiday in Northern Ireland today and that can be either fun or a bit of a nightmare due to the nature of the holiday….

I think we’ll just hang around the house today and catch up on all those little DIY jobs we’ve been meaning to do.

I’m wearing Asda Ski Pants, a grey tunic from Tesco sale that creases like a mutha!! and white Havaianas

xo

What we actually did was have a sumptuous dinner at Aldens in Belfast, drink lots of yummy wine (well I did) and totally forgot about the cinema part because we were having way too much fun just chatting and laughing. We finished the night up at The Lonely Poet, our local pub. It was bliss. Even more so because I’m not dying of a hangover today. Win!!!

Outfit of the Night was a smart casual little ensemble.

Skinny jeans from AWear (currently £10 in the summer sale)

Sequin body from the Dunnes sale quite a while back. I think it was a fiver.

Coral Cardigan from Dunnes £8. I just adore the crystal button detailing. Bargain!

Jewellery wise I went for my Links of London Charm Bracelet. The dolphin is a new addition and very dear to my heart. Matt and I watched the sun go down one of the nights on our cruise and we saw a school of dolphins up close. I never thought it would be as amazing as it was. They literally took my breath away and I felt completely in awe of the world right at that second in time.

My watch is an oldie but a goodie! The Michael Kors crystal square face. I actually bought two more of his watches at Duty Free (I know.. I know… v extravagant for me) while we were away. They’re definitely my favourite brand, classic as well as classy!

The shoes are a new purchase from the Oasis Sale £40. Still a little more than I would have liked to have paid but these are the comfiest heels I have ever had. I guess it’s the wedge heel that works so well for me. I’m so in love that I plan to purchase them in the dark grey also. They’re reduced to £25! Don’t you hate when clothing shops reduce like that, by popularity of colour? Grrr bugs me. Swindlers!!

Stunning tan lines....

Make-up was my fool-proof eye combo of MAC Woodwinked, Mulch & Soft Brown. MUFE Smoky Lash Mascara (review to follow), Dior Nude Foundation and the over-hyped product of the moment MAC Stereo Rose MSF. My counter had an abundance of this so I’m guessing the sell out thing is just a mainland issue. It’s nice for sure, worth selling your first born for? Definitely not. I’m still “working” with it.

Finally a little Teddy update.

Ewwww!

His wound is continuing to heal. There is a mild infection which he is on antibiotics for but his stitches were removed yesterday, and he is in great form considering. Total legend!

xo

I’ve turned into one of those bloggers that we all love to hate. Y’know… the ones that never blog… gah!

I have a good excuse though (we always do…) because I’ve been on holiday!!

The family and I went on a Royal Caribbean Cruise of the Italian Mediterranean …. well we actually went to France, Spain and Portugal too… so perhaps not the best cruise title ever. Anyway I digress, it was quite simply fabulous (well almost, came back to find the Tedster’s leg had been broken.. but that’s a whole other blog post) in that we spent long lazy days cruising the beautiful blues seas and many a relaxing stroll around gorgeous cities such as Nice, Rome and Lisbon to name but a few.

That’s what I adore about cruising. You get to see so many countries on one trip, and we all know that variety is the spice of life, don’t we

It’s like a little taster of all these undiscovered cities and ports. From the one day we spent in Nice, we have already decided that we’d like to spend a fortnight on the French Riviera, which is pretty cool

Thanks to each and every one of you who have emailed me over the past month or so. I haven’t replied to anyone yet but I fully intend to. I’m not ignoring you at all, I was simply taking an all-encompassing break from everything online.

Why?

To be plain, I got really sick of the poisonous bitchy (male & female) backstabbers on Twitter, YouTube, Blogger…. etc. I’m really not one to let these things get on top of me, but I think everyone has their limits and I totally met mine and then some. Anyone ever notice how it’s always the fugly ones that really mouth off? Jealousy really IS a bitch.

I also found that all those meaningless twerps sucked a lot of precious time out of the day. You know how it is. You find yourself defending your opinion, or god forbid somebody elses and next thing you know you’re fending off abuse from half of County Tyrone/ the beauty community/ Liverpool….

I’m half joking here..

Anyway, I’m 31 years old. My time is precious.. cos y’know I’ve only got like 9 years of sex left in me (according to teenagers surveyed on Ch4 Sex Education show)… so I’m spending my time more wisely

I’m spending quality time with my family and my true friends. I’m cooking, I’m eating out, I’m shopping, I’m hitting the cinema. I’m trying new things like Pilates and anti-wrinkle eye creams! I’m putting the wheels of a new business into action and carving a secure future for ourselves and our children.

I’m living life, the way I want to! Make sure you do too!

xox

These were MEANT to be for Noah’s Summer holiday but he’s decided that they are the best thing since sliced bread and refuses to let me put them away.

He’s also decided that socks with sandals are gonna be big this year AND that it’s super cool to mix your cartoons…

It’s certainly a look!

His smiley little face has cheered me up no end on this dreary wet day. I’m currently nursing a bad back. I “think” I hurt it cutting the garden last week but I continued to run with it (disaster). I finally had to admit defeat when I could barely walk the following day without turning the air blue with every step.

Anyone who’s ever suffered back pain will sympathise, it’s a pain in the arse (quite literally in my case… lower back). I saw the doctor this morning and she did that lovely doctory thing of POKING the sore bit. Gawd. Why?! So my poor back is in spasm and she’s prescribed Diclofenac to take down the inflammation and Diazepan to relax the muscles.

I’ve spent the latter part of today quite literally off my face. Fun for some, not so much for me (control freak).

Hopefully a few days of rest (well… as much as you can have as a Mum) will see a big improvement. I bet Kylie doesn’t have these problems!!

xo

P.S I bought the crocs here

My immediate thoughts on reading this were:

LOL

Nothing to do with regular Botox injected all over your face then?

however they were promptly followed by an altogether darker thought….

Where can I get me some of this shit RIGHT THIS SECOND?!

Answer – The Cheapy Chemist round the corner! WIN!

Now I’m not stupid, I mean I KNOW that the Minogue sisters love themselves a bit of botox BUT I am also a crazy anti-ageing obsessed 31 year old…. so that tiny nagging doubt that says “but what if it really IS the Ponds making her look amazing for her age” completely won out.

And if it’s actually just shite then I’ve only wasted £4.98, and let me tell you I’ve wasted a shedload more wonga than that on useless Origins skincare (to name but one over-hyped brand).

Who’s joining me in a Ponds purchase?

xox

Image from http://thecurrentcustom.blogspot.com/

I’m pretty sure that I’m not alone in this particular lemming, but I simply can’t afford it. It’s waaaaaay out of my costume jewellery budget range… which for the record is £30 max (and for that it has to be stunning!!).

So I was pleased as punch to see Accessorize stocking silver and gold love rings that aren’t a million miles away from the look of the Sydney Evan one.

Ok so they’re not encrusted with Pave diamonds but other than that I reckon they’re good copies at £6!!

The ring itself is Sterling Silver, so for £6 that really is a bargain and a half.

I didn’t buy the gold version but I think I will pick it up this weekend. The script writing on the gold version is more loopy, and in fact more like the font of the Sydney Evan one. I’ve tried to get links to the rings on the Accessorize website but neither of them are there.

Perhaps these are last seasons stock… if so I’d get your ass to your local branch pronto

xox

The weather in Northern Ireland doesn’t seem to know what to do. One minute it’s sunny and the next torrential rain. Ugh.

I’ve taken matters into my own hands (as usual) and I’m forcing Summer into my life by way of bright lips and sun kissed cheeks.

Helping me achieve this are two recent and very welcome entrants to my make-up bag.

Topshop Bronzer in Radiance 1 & Revlon Lipgloss in Coral Reef.

The bronzer comes in Radiance 1 which I have, it’s quite tan and looks darker in the pan, and also Radiance 2, an altogether more “orange” affair. I discounted it straight off the bat. I had concerns Radiance 1 would be too dark on my NC20 skin but it’s pretty much perfect, and as you can see it does a stellar job of carving out cheekbones.

Glitter wise it’s middle of the road, certainly not loaded with the stuff, but definitely shimmery. However it is finely milled rather than chunks. Over a week of constant wear, checking it in various light and mirrors, I have to say it honestly looks very natural and pretty. Benefit’s Hoola has been banished to the back of the drawer.

Coral Reef Lipgloss is my new go to. I already have very pink pigmented lips, so unless I blank them out with a dab of foundation first lipsticks/ glosses are never going to come out their true tube colour on me. This time I’m not complaining.

This comes out as a really flattering fleshy pink shot through with peachy shimmer on me. Flip me that was a mouthful…

To sum up, it looks hot! My top tip for a pretty summer lipgloss!

xox

I didn’t recognise Teddy. The lady disappeared out the back of the grooming parlour and brought this slimline dog hung like a horse out to me. I just stared at her blankly as she proffered me the lead.

I’m pretty sure she was thinking… this lady is slightly crazy… or about to have some kind of episode.

I paid. I left. With the fake Teddy having… some kind of episode.

I mean OBVIOUSLY I know it’s my dog… well 90% of me is convinced, but the other 10 is pretty sure there has been some kind of weird accidental Zuchon puppy switch.

When he left he looked something like this…

F-U-Z-Z-Y

Now he looks like this….

The bitches call me Ron Jeremy

That’s what I call an Extreme Makeover. I’m slowly getting used to it. I just have some unanswered questions like why is his y’know doggy lipstick so big and hangy (sorry.. I’m freaked out). He seems to be in some state of permanent arousal. It’s disturbing me. Does anyone know why this might be?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m actually super pleased with the groom, he has been cut a bazillion times more professionally than at the last place (which I was also happy with), but he is SERIOUSLY groomed, like a topiary or something, and he feels amazing, like velvet…

However that doesn’t change the fact that I am *shocked* by the transformation!

xox

xox