First up I have been obsessed with using these Radox shower gels which I have talked about recently here, they are only one pound which is so good and they come in so many different scents. I am currently using the Pink Grapefruit and Basil scent which smells so refreshing and we also have the Mandarin and Lemon grass scent and the Eucalyptus and Citrus oil scent which both smell so amazing, The Eucalyptus gel smells like cleaning products but in a good way and the Mandarin gel smells like lemon sour sweets. These are great shower gels to use first thing in the morning to wake yourself up because they are so refreshing and relaxing you use.
Once I am all clean I then wash my mop which gets greasy quite easily recently so I have gone back to using the Pantene Prov Colour Protect shampoo which leaves my hair very soft and light after I have used it. I have really thick hair so a shampoo which leaves my hair feeling lighter makes styling my hair so much easier.
Lastly once my body and hair are clean I then wash my face so that any residue from the other products is washed off my face and I have been using the L'oreal Fine Flower Cream Gel Wash with my manual cleansing brush. I love my manual cleansing brush and use it everyday with one of two cleansers, my shower cleanser is the L'oreal one and my main bathroom cleanser is the Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser which is nearly running out because I use it so much. I hardly ever finish a skincare product as I tend to mix things up quite a big so to nearly finish a cleanser is big for me.
Anyway back to the point I have two cleanser brushes one for each bathroom because I am two lazy to run between the rooms... You can buy them in Primark for 2 pound so definitely worth a try. I think once you go cleansing brush you don't go back, my skin does not feel as clean if I use anything else.
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Since it looks like we wont be getting sunshine anytime soon in England I am gonna need to fake my glow some other way and thankfully I have some products in my stash that do just that. I am tired of being pale and wrapping up and so I looking forward to going outside without a coat and not having my makeup end up all over my coat rather than on my face.
Starting off with skincare I find using Origins GinZing moisturiser and the Clinique Prep Start eye cream leave my skin feeling and looking super healthy, it also creates a great base for makeup when I want a super dewy look. They are both moisturising products which are light weight and easy to work together and with my makeup.
Sticking with the skincare I love using the Dove Summer Glow Moisturizer to hydrate my skin as well as give me a really beautiful golden tan. I am not the best at applying tanning products but with this moisturiser you really can't go wrong. You just apply the moisturiser to your skin after a shower or bath and the more product you apply the more tanned you appear. I normally apply a thin layer to my skin on a daily basis to build it up gradually and then when a need a quick tan I just apply a large amount. This exact bottle as well is only sold in B&M stores for 2 pound so make sure you don't buy the new smaller tubs that are more expensive!
Now that my skin is glowing I need a glowing face, my two favourite bases to use for good glowing skin are the Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation in Ivory and the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation in Vanilla. Bourjois is my more natural glowy skin base where as the Rimmel foundation is my more tanned bronzed base for when I have a real good tan. Both foundations give me a great base which lasts all day and doesn't dull during wear. I like to match my concealers when I use these foundations so when I wear the Bourjois foundation I pair it with the Bourjois Radiance Reveal concealer and when I wear the Rimmel foundation I pair it with the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. The Rimmel concealer is super weightless and light coverage and good for when you don't really need to wear a concealer but feel weird not applying it where as the Bourjois concealer is super high coverage and really brightening at the same time.
Lastly to add more glow to my base I still love to use the Tanya Burr Skin Illuminator and the Loreal True Match Highlighter in Golden Glow. I have spoken about these two products many times before and you know I love wearing these underneath my foundation as an all over natural glow or on the tops of my cheekbones for a stand out glow.
I am so ready for the Spring time now after this horrible weather we have been getting so I have been getting all my Spring makeup out of my draws so I am ready for the sun. What new Spring products do I need in my life?
I love inviting people round to my house and hosting people whether its for a hour or for the night. I don't know where I have got this from but since having my own house I have developed a lot of house pride which I think everyone gets once they own their own place. I use any excuse to make people come round my house now so that I can play host so I thought Id take you through what I like to do before someone comes to stay.
One thing I love doing when someone is coming over to stay is make the bed with a fresh bed sheet, obviously tidy the spare room and then close the curtains and turn on the fairy lights. Whether it is sunny or in the middle of winter I think a dark room with fairy lights look so much more appealing. I want to make the bed look really appealing for the person because I know it isn't always nice to spend a night in someone else's bed.
I have got into the habit of leaving fresh towels folded on the end of the bed in the spare room because even though the people who stay over are mainly family members and properly wouldn't care about using the same towels, it is nice to have a fresh one. I also don't want my guests to have to ask for a towel. I am planning on replacing all of our towels soon so that they all match and match the bedding so it looks more pretty all together, sad I know.
On the night stand beside the spare bed I like to leave everything my guest could possibly need, a tooth brush in case they have forgot theirs, a empty glass and a new bottle of water in case they get thirsty in the night and don't want to go roaming round my house, a pair of fluffy socks which are very important during the winter (we are lucky our whole house is covered in carpet so we don't feel the cold too much (but some people don't like showing their feet which is where the socks come in) and a few hair bands because I know what it is like forgetting a hair band and sweating during the night with your hair stuck to you.
Because I love bath and shower products I have a huge collections that I spread across both bathrooms so when people stay over I like to leave out my mini shower gels and scrubs so that if they have a bath or shower they have something to use. Can you call it a shower if you haven't used a shower gel?! I also like to leave cotton pads out for our female friends to remind them to take their makeup off because I know how much they will regret it in the morning if they forget.
Whenever people are staying over at my house I like to stock up the fridge and cupboards, half of the time I cook a proper meal for my family and friends and the other half we get take away depending on whether I have been to work or not but I find the snacks and drinks are the most important. I know what it is like to get the munchies during the night so I like to have little snacks that people can take up with them to bed in case they do get peckish (we've all been there) and a mixture of drinks so people have a choice. I know alcohol isn't everyone's cup of tea and I am not a big drinker myself but whenever we have friends or family round we always get something to put in the fridge whether it is a bottle of wine or a crate of beer. Even if we don't drink it ourselves it is there in case our friends/family want it. We also have mason jars with little chalk boards on so we can write our guests names on the jars which goes down a treat.
Now I'm not saying I am the most amazing host in the whole entire world and that I do all of this every time someone comes over because I'm human and I work a lot but when I do these things, you can tell people really appreciate it and it gives them a rest from doing it themselves at home.
When I lived at home the most technical meal I could make was dinosaurs and potato waffles which is still a favourite of mine for lunch or when I am ill but I did need to expand my skills. I looked online, bought a few cook books and searched from some recipes on Pinterest and now I have a list of meals which I like to rotate as well as a few more time consuming meals which Cal and I love and which don't take my whole night to make. I am currently traveling an hour back and forth to get to work so quick and easy meals where I don't have to do a lot are my favourite at the minute.
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| The ingredients in the dish ready to go in the oven |
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| The finished product with peas and gravy |
Roasted Sausages and Potatoes
This is a really simple process meal which tastes so good and you can basically put anything in it. What I do is get chopped up carrots, onions and peppers, cut some baby potatoes in half and some sausages all in a bowl together, pour two table spoons of oil over the mixture and season with salt, pepper and thyme leaves and mix it all up so that everything in coated. You then pour this into a oven proof glass dish with your sausages on the top so that they cook thoroughly and put in the oven for 30 minutes (gas mark 6). You then take it out of the oven, mix all the ingredients around pouring in a pork stock cube and then returning to the oven 20. Add the gravy onto your plate and you are done.
Apart from the prep which you can do in the morning before you leave this is suck a easy meal to make and you can spend time with your family or have a bath while it cooks. If I have the time I do like to make peas and broccoli separately so that there is even more veg in the dish.
Toad in the Hole
Contrary to popular belief toad in the hole is one of the easiest meals to make and it is the side dishes that make it more complete. To make the toad batter all you need is 2 eggs, 1 cup of plain flower and 1 cup of milk. Mix the ingredients in a blender and heat a deep tray in the oven with a bit of oil (gas mark 6). Once the tray is hot put the sausages on to cook until they start to go brown and then take the tray out to add your mixture to the sausages making sure your sausages are evenly spread out before putting the tray back in the oven. You then leave the tray in the oven for 30 minutes making sure not to open the oven door otherwise the toad wont rise. Once the toad and sausages are brown your work is done, I normally boil some potatoes and carrots while the toad is cooking and just before the toad is ready to come out I drain the potatoes and mash them with some milk and butter.
I find with this the more options you make the more work you have to do but if you keep it simple it isn't much work.
Herby Baby Potatoes
I love making these to add to a meal which is a bit boring or if we have had a lot of chips the previous week, they are also really easy to make with minimal effort. All you need to do is boil a bunch of baby potatoes on the hob until they are soft, while they are boiling you can make your herb sauce. I start with a couple of table spoons of butter which I put in the microwave for less than a minute, then once it is in liquid form I add mixed herb, thyme and basil leaves. Once that is all mixed together I cover a glass dish with the sauce and then drain the baby potatoes, cutting them in half and then placing them in the glass dish. I then cover all the potatoes in the sauce and then put the dish in the oven (gas mark 6) and keep them in there until you are ready.
TIP the longer you keep them in the oven the crispier the skins will be which makes them more tasty.
Chicken in a Bag
This is one of my favourite meals because it is so easy to make and tastes so good! All you need is some Maggi So Juicey Mixed Herb seasoning and some fresh chicken. You need to pre heat the oven (gas mark 6) while you cut the chicken into small cubes and then place them into the bag. Once all your chicken is in the bag you pour the seasoning into the bag and shake it all about until all the chicken is covered. Then all you need to do is tie up the bag with the tie you get in the pack and then stick the bag on a tray in the oven for 30 minutes and you have tastey chicken for dinner.
TIP use the extra juice from the bag to use on any chips or potatoes you are having with the chicken to give them flavor.
Slow Cooker Curry
Another chicken recipe which is so easy to make and takes minimal effort. All you need to do is cut up chicken into smaller pieces, place them in the slow cooker with a curry sauce (I do use store bought to make it super easy for me) and set the slow cooker to low. I normally check on the curry every hour or so to stir the sauce and cook it for 6+ hours or until you get hungry. Stick some nan in the oven for 5 minutes and some rice and you have a tastey meal.
TIP don't waste your money buying expensive side dishes for your curry, aldi do an amazing range of sides for curry and all for such a good price. You can biy everything you need for 4 people for under £10.
Shredded Chicken
This is a new recipe that I have recently started making and it has become a favourite of everyone of my family and it is soooo easy. All you need to do is place your defrosted chicken in a slow cooker with enough chicken stock cube to cover the chicken with some salt and pepper to season. You need to cook the chicken on high for 3 and a half hours and that is it. You don't need to stir it or check on it and at the end the chicken is so soft and tender it fulls apart. To shred the chicken i tend to use two folks and basically use them to pull apart the pieces of chicken and it takes a few minutes depending on how many pieces of chicken you have cooked. I normally cook this for a roast so I do some roasties in the oven and some veg and it tastes so good. I've never thought I'd be able to cook a good roast before but this makes it so easy.
TIP cook a big portion of chicken and then use the remaining chicken for salads or wraps for the next few days. You can't beat fresh chicken.
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| Chicken in the slow cooker cooking in chicken stock cube |
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| The finish product with roast potatoes and carrots |
I am planning on trying a load more recipes this year and really expanding my cooking skills so watch this place for more recipes in the future.
PS Yes I know I do large portions, I am a growing girl who loves her food enough said.
Starting off with skincare Cal used my Glossier Wish List post to pick put some glossier products for me and he done good. He got me a set which included the Milky Jelly Cleanser, Priming moisturiser and the Balm dotcom. The balm has already made its way into my handbag and the moisturiser has really surprised me. I have used it for the last few days underneath my makeup and I have really like how it made my skin feel, my makeup has glided on afterwards. He also separately bought me the Solution exfoliating skin perfector and the Super Bounce serum. The Solution is a lot harsher than I imagined it would be so it is definitely a once a week skincare product and the serum is out of this world in my opinion. Yes it is my first serum in my life so I may just be blown away with the effects because I have never used one before but I am in love right now.
My sister got my a load of Kiko products to try and the first one which I am really excited about is the Exfoliating Lip Stick because you guys know how much of a problem I have with my lips so a stick scrub is right up my street. She also got me a Smart Fusion lip pencil in the shade 533 which is a nice deep brown nude which matches the matte lipstick she also bought me in shade Velvet Passion. This lipstick is so cool because it smells like chocolate and the top is magnetic and it is one of them things that you can't stop playing with. Lastly from Kiko I got the Volumeeyes+ active mascara in black which is great because it has a fiber brush with a thin tip which is great at getting in the corners baby lashes.
Finishing off the beauty section of this haul I have the Naked Heat palette by Urban Decay which is just beautiful. I have waited a while to try this palette and I have used it for the last few days since I got it. My favourite combo has to be He Devil with Scorched on top which looks so pretty. I love pinky red tones so this palette is perfect for me. I also got the Clinique Beyond Perfecting foundation and concealer in the shade 3.5 cream rose which I have been wanting to try for a long time. It is definitely a natural foundation which is what I like and the colour match is spot on so this will permanently be in my makeup bag for a while.
Moving onto non makeup presents Cal also got me the Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue which was one of the first perfumes he bought me over the years so we've come back full circle. I also got this lovely red Linea Cross Body Circle bag which is the perfect size for days out and a great colour for nights out with a all black outfit.
Lastly I received loads of books for my birthday mainly of Mary Berry who is my favourite human of the moment. I got two baking books which are 100 Cakes and Bakes and Mary Berry's Baking Bible and two cooking books which are Classic Mary Berry and Mary Berry Everyday. My last book is Stacey Dooley's On The Frontline With The Women Who Fight Back, I have been obsessed with Stacey ever since she was on Blood Sweat and T-shirts. I love everything Stacey is about and can't wait to read about her experiences first hand.
I make a good toad in the hole
I really should have started wearing eye cream in my early 20s
Looking young sucks no matter how much people say I will be grateful when im older
Zac Efron isn't going to find me and fall in love and that's alright
Wine doesn't taste that bad
I should have carried on dancing when I was younger, I could be famous by now
I am a bad photographer
I hog too much of the bed
Life is better with a snapchat filter
My fear of heights will only get worse as I age
I worry about things too much, I need to let go more
I'm stronger than I look
London will also be my favourite place
Also I will never be a Made In Chelsea girl
I spend way too much on food and clothes
But I'm also really good with money
I'm a simple girl
I'm a early riser and that will never change
I'm also a sloth past 6pm
I really don't care about leaving the house without makeup, bring it on
I will also cry at emotional films I can't help it
Don't bother looking at jeans unless their petit
I'm not weird for imagining myself in films and music videos when I fall asleep
I deserve that extra piece of cake
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !
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