Sunday 26 April 2015

Spring Skincare Essentials (for Sensitive Skin)


At the moment, even though it's getting warmer outside, my skin's still feeling a little on the sensitive side. To combat this, I've been turning to French Pharmacy products. To cleanse, I've been using Avene Extremely Gentle Cleanser, which really helps to calm my skin down. At £8 a bottle, it's quite pricey for a High Street cleanser, but a little goes a really long way. It's definitely the most gentle cleanser that I've ever discovered. After this, I spray a mist of Avene Thermal Spring Water on my skin and dab the excess off with a tissue. I love this spray because it doubles up as a wonderful setting mist after I've applied my makeup. Then, I gently dab a small blob of Simple Kind To Eyes Eye Balm under each eye. It's packed full of Vitamins B5 & E, which help to reduce eye bags and puffiness. It's so gentle that it doesn't irritate the very delicate skin around my eyes at all. 

For my day moisturiser, I've been using Olay Sensitive SPF 15 Day Fluid, which does a fantastic job at giving my skin a lovely glow; without making it look greasy. I really like the subtle scent of this moisturiser too. For night-time, I tend to find that my skin suddenly erupts in huge spots if I use a night cream. So, to moisturise before bed, I'm still raving about La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo, which really helps to keep spots at bay and keep my skin clear while I sleep. 

What are your skincare essentials? Comment below to tell me!

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Friday 24 April 2015

Glossybox Iconic Hollywood Edition!

©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk

First of all, can we all just take a moment to appreciate how pretty this box is?! Look at it!


Lord & Berry Lipstick Pencil in Kiss
I'm really pretty happy with receiving this! It's a lovely bright red shade, with the slightest hint of orange. I would honestly expect it to cost more than £10! On its own, it leaves a matte finish, but adding a slather of lip balm will give it a bit of shine.

Astral Original
I've never really tried Astral before, even though it's a really cheap skincare brand that's stood the test of time... I've just never really been drawn to it.

However, after trying this, I'm pleasantly surprised at how light it actually feels on my skin. I expected it to feel quite thick, greasy and heavy; but it really wasn't.

One downside is that the scent is quite 'soapy' and fairly strong, so it's probably not best for those who have particularly sensitive skin. Although, I would say it's an absolute bargain at £3.89! 
(Apparently, you can use it to remove your makeup as well, so it's a handy dual-use product!)

POP Beauty Kajal Eyeliner Pen
I'm pretty sure that Glossybox sent me a POP eyeliner a few months back, which was really good for the price. This eyeliner is great as it has a pencil at one end and a smudger at the other; to give a lovely smokey eye look. The shade is 'Sooty Black', which reminds me of Sooty the puppet from back in the day... Remember him? It's also only £6.50, which certainly isn't going to break the bank! 

Color Club Barely There Nail Polish
I really like this nude shade that they've sent, and it's totally on trend too. It's kind of a 'cappuccino' colour. From the quality of the packaging, you'd never guess that it retails for just £4.10! Although I haven't tried this yet, expect to see it popping up in a Mani Monday post soon!

Nougat London Soothing Bath Pearls
Ahhh these smell gorgeous! The first thing that hit me when I opened this Glossybox was the scent emanating from these bath pearls. I can't wait to try them!

The Glossybox card reliably informs me that these pearls leave a 'very subtle shimmer which stays on the skin, creating a limb-lengthening sheen'. Sounds impressive. The card also says that you're supposed to use a large tablespoon full of the pearls and add them to your warm bath. At £6 for 25ml, these will make such a lovely pampering treat!

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Monday 20 April 2015

Mani Monday: Primark Blue Stuff...

£1 nail polish, everyone. 


Mani Monday had a break, for Easter. (As my nails were kind of crying out for a break.) But today, it's back. Everyone, say 'hooray!'. Or don't. Whatever.

The packaging design looks quite pretty. It reminds me a little of the new Nails, Inc. packaging. Although, I guess it's a little more flimsy as I broke the lid just trying to open it for the first time... Oops.

The reason that I've dubbed it 'blue stuff' is because it's kind of blue and Primark haven't given the shade a name. One coat is okay, but you'd probably need a couple to get a good coverage. As an aside, I'm not sure how many other shades Primark have on offer, as I bought this ages ago!

Considering I'm really bad at painting my nails (which is quickly becoming a catchphrase), I only managed to mess one nail up completely. One out of ten ain't bad.

I've been wearing this for the best part of a week now, and yes, it's quite chipped, but I'm pleasantly surprised as to how well it's stayed put. One negative is that it smells really quite strong. Stronger than most polishes that I've tried. 

I really wasn't holding high expectations for this, on account of it being so cheap. But, it was actually okay. For £1, you can't really complain, can you? Overall, it's actually quite good and I'd recommend giving it a try!

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Sunday 19 April 2015

This Week: Tech Goodies Galore!

©Katiewrites.co.uk
I've been a bit of a bad blogger recently, haven't I? Apologies. I've been going through a bit of a bad phase of writer's block. Hopefully it'll subside pretty soon.

As the title of this post suggests, my week has contained an abundance of tech goodies and a few lovely freebies thrown in too!

On Monday, I travelled to Leicester to try and get my dodgy iPhone fixed at the Apple Store. I got there a tad late and they told me there was a two hour wait, even though I'd booked an appointment. If you follow me on Twitter, you'll have seen that I went to John Lewis to redeem a voucher that they'd sent me; for a free hot drink and a massive slice of cake.
©Katiewrites.co.uk
I genuinely couldn't finish that cake. It was lovely though. It's definitely worth signing up to the John Lewis loyalty card scheme as they send vouchers like this several times a year. This is the first time that I've actually redeemed it though.

While waiting, I also nipped to the MAC counter in Debenhams. Of course, I ended up buying another new lipstick... Whoops.
©Katiewrites.co.uk
When I got back to the Apple Store, after sitting around for half an hour, they finally looked at my iPhone. They couldn't really work out what was wrong with it, so they just gave me a brand new, FREE iPhone! Not bad, eh?

I even did some baking this week. Insomnia struck, so I did what I do best: Not relaxing and doing practical stuff instead. So, I baked some cookies and even some fairy cakes. They weren't bad either, even if I do say so myself.
©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk
On Tuesday, Clive the Corsa had his MOT. Now, this was worrying seeing as he's been so poorly recently. But, after a few new tyres, he passed! (I'm still in shock.)
©Katiewrites.co.uk
©Katiewrites.co.uk
On Friday, I got a Chromebook! I've had a lot of trouble with my laptop since last summer, so I finally gave in and got an Acer Google Chromebook. In fact, I'm writing this blog post on it right now!
©Katiewrites.co.uk
I also picked up a pack of jam doughnuts for 35p!! Needless to say, somebody wanted to eat them all. Here he is begging my Mum for a bit. Spoiler: He didn't get any.

Lastly, seeing as I didn't publish a 'This Week' post last week, I didn't get the opportunity to share this lovely photo I took at Carsington Water:
©Katiewrites.co.uk

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Sunday 12 April 2015

Carsington Water



Water. Sunset. Bliss.


Here's a little YouTube video I quickly put together after visiting Carsington Water earlier this week.

It's so beautiful. I've never been around sunset before, and it was so lovely. As mentioned before, I've been feeling quite lacking in motivation and this has been such a refreshing change of scenery!

Also, this video contains swans. Lots of swans.

(Swans hate me, genuinely abhor me. Enjoy. Because I think the one in the video was about thirty seconds away from diving at me and trying to break my arm.)

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Tuesday 7 April 2015

This Week: Easter. Gluttony. Laziness.

©Katiewrites.co.uk Easter. Gluttony. Laziness.


This has been such an odd week. I've been lacking motivation so much. There's hardly anything worthy of writing about because I've done so little. But, hopefully it'll subside pretty soon...

Anyway, my lovely parents bought me an Easter egg (pictured above), even though I'm in my twenties. I've been really good and not eaten any of it yet! Surely I deserve a medal or something for such high self-discipline?

©Katiewrites.co.uk

As well as the Easter egg, my parents also kindly bought me some daffodils to brighten things up a bit!
Nothing says 'spring' like these beautiful, bright flowers. 

©Katiewrites.co.uk

As per usual, I've made numerous trips to Starbucks to satisfy the caffeine addiction. That's my week in a nutshell, really. Except, I went shopping on Thursday night. Whilst I was shopping in Derby, I decided to have a nosy at the Cathedral, as I'd heard on the radio that it was going to be turned blue to celebrate Autism Awareness Day. It looks so pretty, doesn't it? I don't think my photo really does it much justice.

©Katiewrites.co.uk

The main reason I did some late-night shopping was the avoid the Leaders' Debate! I only caught the last half an hour or so, but that was more than enough. I don't mind following politics and generally find it quite interesting; but I honestly can't deal with the incessant arguing! They're never going to agree and I already know who I'm voting for, so it serves little purpose for me.

©Katiewrites.co.uk

Friday night was Chinese night! (From The Golden Gate in Belper.) Pictured is the meal, with a big mug of green tea. I had this furry helper with my food... Because dogs like spring rolls and chips too apparently... Who knew?

I know I had chips last week.  It's alright once a week, for two weeks running, right? I promise I'll be healthier next week...

©Katiewrites.co.uk

I spent my Saturday night trying to make a font out of my own handwriting. (Because I know how to party...!) Except, it didn't work. I should've just sat and watched Casualty instead...

Hope you're all having a lovely Easter!

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Wednesday 1 April 2015

Glossybox March 2015!


It's always a lovely post day when my Glossybox arrives.



Essence Lash Princess Mascara
Glossybox have sent me an Essence mascara before, a few months back. It was okay, but I wasn't completely wowed by it. I am however, wowed by their cheap prices. This mascara costs £3.30! Yes, really! What a bargain! I'm quite pleased with this. It's got a good, thick wand and it leaves my lashes looking volumised and lifted without making them look like spiders' legs.

Another plus point was that there was minimal smudging under my eyes, which, if you're a regular reader, will know is one of my biggest bug bears. The only negative I've found with this is that the wand felt a tad 'sharp' upon application.

Sleek Pout Paint
I'm becoming quite a fan of the Sleek range, but haven't tried any of their lip products yet. I received this in shade 'Peachy Keen - 156' - which is quite a bright orangey-coral colour.

Sleek say:
'Pout Polish is a tinted lip conditioner that nourishes and feels like a lip balm, whilst providing the look and colour of a subtle gloss'

It is really pigmented, but I'm really not keen on the shade as it's a bit too orange for my skin tone. It just doesn't really suit me. However, I'm impressed with the high pigmentation that this has to offer and the fact that a little goes a really long way! One thing that I really love about Sleek is that their products are high quality, but also reasonably priced. This product retails for a mere £4.49!

Naobay Moisturising Peeling
When I read the description of this on my card, I wasn't quite sure what is was... Is it a face mask? Is it a moisturiser? Is it an exfoliant? No idea, so I had to Google it.

Apparently, it's an exfoliating face peel. Naobay say:
"Facial milk with natural peeling particles from the Acai palm tree. This face peel gently exfoliates the skin, removing surface cells and impurities. It helps reduce the appearance of fine lines by combining Olive oil, Shea butter and Sweet Almond oil with Gotu kola extract that soothe the skin after the peel. 98,82% of the total ingredients are from natural origin. 29,1% of the total ingredients are from organic farming."

I haven't had to chance to try this out, as my skin's in an awful state at the moment; but a full review of this will be up once I've tried it!

NCLA Nail Polish
Again, I haven't tried this yet, but expect to see it popping up in a Mani Monday post sometime soon!

Dove Youthful Vitality Shampoo & Conditioner
Right, so these are anti-aging hair products. Not quite sure what you're trying to say there, Glossybox... I'm only in my early twenties. Having said that, I really love the scent of Dove hair products. I used it anyway, and it made my hair lovely, clean and soft. Not sure it looks any younger though...

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