We decided to visit Newcastle for Callum's birthday because he has supported the team since he was four so when i asked him where he wanted to visit for his birthday, it was a no brainer for him.
We traveled down on the Wednesday and made it just under four hours which isn't to bad considering how back traffic can be on the motorway. We arrived just before 2pm so had the whole afternoon to explore the place. When we return we have a few favourite places we want to visit again.
H O T E L
We picked to stay at the Romada Encore Hotel in Gateshead which is just a bridge away from Newcastle. We decided to stay just outside of the city center just so that we could get away from it all especially as the weekend approached. We have no bad words to say about this hotel. The staff were amazing and so friendly and unlike some hotel in the area, it included a car park which only cost £5 a day. We were right next to the Millenium Bridge so it only took us 10 minutes to be right in the center of the city
D A Y A C T I V I T E S
There are so many things to do in Newcastle we never got bored once, most of them involved alcohol but hey we are on our holidays! The first place we visited on Wednesday was the St James Football Stadium of course and Callum was in his element. We had a drink in the Nine bar located underneath the stadium and had a little planning sess of the next few days. Lucky we also go tickets to the Newcastle vs Huddersfield game on Saturday so we return for the game on our last day and it was a-m-a-zing!On from there we went to Lane 7 to play a few games of bowling, have a few drinks and fell like proper locals. The place is spaced out over 3 floors with bowling, ping pong, mini golf, a bar and a resturant. We really wanted to return before we left but we ran out of time.
Along the same line we also visited Space Golf in the middle of the centre which was a lot of fun. We first saw it while walking round one night but decided to actually go in during the day. It ended up being full of kids to maybe the evening might have been more fun with people the same age as us but we still enjoyed it.
Lastly if you are like me and Callum who love a walk, you will love Newcastle. most days we started and ended the days going on a random walk and we would end up at a random place with a cute little pub and having a drink. We also walked across all the bridges because they are so beautiful and the views from them are breathtaking.
S H O P P I N G
I love a bit of shopping but i was quite reserved while away but i did pick up a few bits. We visited the Gateshead Intu Metro Center first since it is meant to be the biggest center in England? There was loads there like food resturants and games areas as well as all the shops. Callum ended up winning me a Peter Rabbit in the grab machines which made me very happy! We had a lovely lunch in Coast to Coast which set us up for a day of shopping although i didn't end up buying anything that day.We then visited the Newcastle Intu Center the next day and i found it so much better! I found the lay out of the shops much easier to look round ended up finding loads of bits in Topshop. I would definitely recommend the Newcastle Center to the Gateshead Center.
F O O D & D R I N K
There are so many places to end and drink in Newcastle and unlike London, there are ridiculous ques and endless waiting. We went to quite a few places for dinner and lunch including Frankie and Bennys and Coast to Coast and then we tried a few random places. We had brunch one day at Georges Great British Kitchen in the Newcastle City Center, which also gave you 20% off if you had a match ticket which drew us in. I have definitely put on weight since we have been away.We did our fair share of day drinking while on our break (Callum more then me) and our favourite place we found has to be the The Stack in the City Center. It is made of loads of industrial containers which are made into drink and food places. You have loads of benches to site on all the levels and gas heaters attached to every table to it was lovely sitting outside. Although the weather while we were there was beautiful, it was nice to stick your face next to a heater. We ended up having fish and chips at The Stack and it was amazing!!
The last place we visited before we left was the By The River Brew and Co which is a brewery located just be the river, like the name suggests, where you can try loads of locally brewed drinks. It had a few food stalls getting ready for a busy Friday night when we arrived and we sat by the river with a heater and it was the perfect way to round off the break.
I can't wait to return to the city because it was such an amazing break. I would definitely say i prefer Newcastle to London 100% because it is less expensive, less busy and so so friendly! The only down side is that it takes me 4 hours to get there when as London is only a hours train journey away.
When we return i can't wait to explore much more of the city as i know we only saw a fraction of the place. If you have any recommendations for our next visit, leave me a comment so i can make a list of places to see! :)
This week I had a huge de-clutter of my makeup and removed a huge bag of products from my collection. When I first got into beauty blogging and youtube I thought the aim of the game was to have the biggest makeup collection. I used to watch youtubers collections and be so envious of the size of theirs and the different products they had to hand. That made me end up buying makeup every time I went out and picking up bargain products I found in random shops so that I had products to bulk up my collection.
I know now that that is stupid since I hardly used the majority of the products because I had my favourites, thankfully people started focusing on steamline makeup collections and the 'makeup declutter videos' were born. As silly as it sounds, now that big youtubers are reducing the size of their makeup collections I now don't feel deflated with my small collection and enjoy reducing my own to the essentials.
So here are 5 questions that I ask myself when I am de-cluttering my makeup!
1. Is it used up?
Sounds simple but I find so many products which are basically empty but are still in my collection. Whether its a reminder to repurchase the product or you just forgot to throw it away get rid of it. Luckily with my blog I can talk about the products that I love so in the future I can look back and know the formula and shade I want to repurchase.
2. Have I used it in the last 3 months?
Like I said when I was trying to expand my makeup collection I had quite a few products in my collection that never got used so I had wasted my money and time in purchasing them. Now I like to go through my collection and see if I have actually used the products. If I haven't used the products in the last 3 months then I will either give them away or put them in my everyday makeup bag to use them and see if I like them. The worst thing is throwing away a product to later find out you would have loved it if you had tried it. If when I next sort through my makeup I still haven't used that product it then goes in the give away pile.
3. What is the expiry date?
I am someone who will hold onto a product because I love it even if it is a little bit old... I know it is disgusting but you ignore the fact that the product is gloppy and just spend an extra 10 minutes blending it in... I have stopped doing that you will be pleased to know and I follow a strict process now where every 6 months I go through the items which I know would have expired during that time. I do use the little icon on the back of products to identify if I need to get rid of them but lets be honest, who remember exactly when they bought that lipstick? I also use this cheat sheet to remind myself of the time frames for makeup.
 |
| Photo Credit - show some love! |
4. Do I like it?
Sounds very strange when you have spent money on this product to ask if you like it but so many times you are keeping products you don't actually like because of sentimental value or because you spent a lot of money on it. I am quite careful with high end products because I will always research them before giving over any money, the idea of spending so much money on a product I won't like scares me. So I always ask myself if I like this product when I am going through my makeup because a lot of the time the products that always make it through your sort outs are sentimental but not your shade or formula at all. You might be thinking I couldn't do that my nans best friends son's girlfriend got me that eye shadow palette but when you have minimal room for your storage and the palette hasn't been used once, isn't it better to give it to someone who will use it?
5. Do I have anything similar
Lastly the question we are all guilty of, have the same product in 5 different variations. I am not that adventurous with my makeup because I like the natural look most days so this can mean I end up with 5 eye palettes all with the same shades in which is obviously silly and wasteful. I don't need two matte nude palettes or two shimmer pink palettes sadly so I like to pick my favourite one and pass on the other to a friend. It is the same with lipsticks so many shades right now are basically the same with different packaging so who needs two browny nudes with look exactly the same.
I hate the idea of waste so any products that aren't out of date or a bit grim go to my sister or friends who love rummaging through and finding treats. I find that I might not like a product but my sister who is different in her style of makeup and shades might love the product so at least it goes to a loving home.
I hope this post helps you de-clutter and spring clean your makeup collection.
I have always been a forgetful, lazy person since i was a child and it has never really changed, but i have decided that this year i am going to get shit done. I am someone who likes to makes plans and follow a diary so a bullet point planner was right up my street. I found this one by Wendy Hobson back last year in my local B&M and kept it on my book shelf for months.
Then in January i knew i wanted to make a change so i dug out the book and started from there, if i had the time and the fancy hand writing i would make my own but sadly i don't so pre made books will do. This book is really good because it has not dates printed on the pages so you can use it how ever and whenever you want. I started using this the first week in January so hopefully if i keep at it, i can complete the whole year and become more organised.
Included within this planner is a week to week planner with to do lists, meal plans, inspirations, priorities, themes, countdown clocks and annual and yearly reviews. Here are some of the ways i am going to use this planner to organise my year.
Become more healthy
I am a serial takeaway eater and i can't do it anymore not just for health reasons but to help save for a wedding as well, so i have been planning our meals every night and prepping my lunches for work to stop myself grabbing rubbish to eat. I have cut out rubbish lunches and junk food as well opting for healthy fate free options and seriously reducing my portion sizes. I think one of my main problems is i am always scared to not make enough food and be hungry afterwards, which then makes me cook stupid amounts of food. Since January i have been filling my lunch box with fruit and yogurt and recording everything i eat to keep track of my intake in the notes section of my weekly pages. Since starting this the only thing i have seen a reduction in the size is my fingers, i feel like they are less chubby which i guess i can;t complain about.
I am also making a list of the routines/exercises i want to do each week or how many times i want to go gym. I plan in which day i am doing what so i know which type of meal i want to make for dinner and how much spare time i will have that night. I've been doing this for a 5 weeks now and if you don't include the week i was ill and dying, i have stuck to it quite well. I have purchased new workout gear, bought a yoga mat and even some exercise bands. check me out! At the minute i am doing more home workouts rather than going to the gym mainly because i don't have to go out in the cold and dark to complete them. Once spring rolls around, which i can not wait for, i plan to become more active at the gym.
Take charge of my weekends
My weekend normally start out the same. It gets to a Friday night and i plan all these things i want to achieve over the weekend, i do a big clean and go for a walk on Saturday morning and then for the rest of the weekend i am sitting on my arse dreading the approach of Monday. I don't want to be that person anymore. I now make a list of jobs i want to complete over the week and at the weekend i make sure i tick off all the job left on the list. Now they aren't boring jobs like empty the bins (even though it has been on the list once), it is fun stuff like finish my puzzle which i did this week thank you very much.
It is currently Sunday when i am writing this post and my last two jobs are look up hotels for my birthday which is very exciting and hand wash my nice party dresses which i am dreading but when they have been sitting in your dirty bin for months, you just got to bite the bullet.
Up my blogging game
Last year i made a conscious effort to post more on my blog over the summer when i had some free time to myself but once i started work again my blog kinda took a back seat. I do this as a hobby because even though i am pretty rubbish at it, i like to write. I'm using my planner this year to keep me motivated and up to date with my blog. I am planning in my posts on my weekly diary and setting myself goals to achieve blog wise. I don't write for anyone other than me so i don't put too much pressure on myself about my blog because like i said, its a hobby i enjoy for myself.
I do feel like i am a more organised person since the new year, i have more time for myself but i'm also planning in making time for other people. i have a second bullet journal which i received as a birthday present last year which is cuter and smaller than the Wendy Hobson planner. I wanted to start out with the Wendy one so i could figure out what i wanted to use it for most and make it messy ready to start again next year with my nice journal.
Moisturisers are like gold dust in a skincare routine especially for people with dry skin like me. A moisturiser is the most important step in my skincare and i find a good moisturiser can make or break a makeup look.
My skin type is dry which has bouts of normal happy skin and bouts of severly dry patches. My skincare routine consists of using a moisturiser every morning and if i remember, in the evening too. I've collected all the moisturisers I've used over the last year and ranked them from favourite to least favourite, even though i still like some of the products at the bottom of the list.
1. Clinique Moisture Surge
Starting off with my all time favourite moisturiser which i first spoke about back in March 2017 in a wishlist post. So many people spoke about how hydrating this product was and how it made people feel like they had just experienced a facial. I agree with every statement ever made about this product and i am gladly on my second tub now since i was given a gift set this Christmas with a new tub included. The product is super hydrating, leaves the skin super soft, gives a boost of life to your skin and lasts all day on the skin. I like products that make a big difference on my skin and after a long day, i can still feel the benefits of this moisturiser on my skin. The product is rich without feeling heavy and clogging on the skin which means it doesn't break me out after using it. Lastly you only need a small amount of product to make a big difference so the tub lasts ages, my first tub lasted me from April to December and i used it every single day.
2. Origins Gin Zing Moisturizer
Now this was my favourite moisturizer for a very long time and even when i first started using the Clinique Moisture Surge, i still went between the two when we came to choosing my favourite. Just like the Clinique Moisturiser this product is so hydrating for dry skin it leaves your skin feeling brand new, as soft as a babies bum. Also the Gin Zing ingredients make the product super relaxing, hydrating and soothing on the skin. It somehow always seems to feel cold on the skin so every time you use the product it really wakes up your skin. I really liked using this product on really bad skin days because it wouldn't irritate my bad skin and it give my skin a big boost, it left me feeling like my skin was glowing when it was at its worse.
3. Lush Gorgeous Moisturiser
Although i only tried a tester of this moisturiser back in January, the product is still on my mind. A lot of people raved about this moisturiser so i ended up getting a little sample pot and i couldn't be how much i liked it. The product was really rich and luxurious on the skin and took a while to completely sink into the skin which normally i don't like but i found this moisturiser worked as a great base for my makeup. I didn't need to use a primer afterwards and the product helped make my makeup last longer. The only thing that has stopped me repurchasing this moisturiser is the price. £42 for a moisturiser from Lush seems ridiculous especially when my origins and Clinique moisturiser cost around £25 each and they are bigger brands.
4. Sukin Facial Moisturiser
Sukin skincare is a brand which I only started trying out last year and I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of the products. They advertise themselves as natural, cruelty free, vegan and carbon free skincare which doesn't cost a bomb. This moisturiser was a firm favourite of mine when i first purchased the range, opting to use this moisturizer during the day underneath my makeup. What i liked about this product is that it is a bog standard good moisturizer with no nastiest in. It worked at moisturizing my skin without breaking me out or making my pigmentation standout.
5. Clinique Dramatically Different
If you have been around for a while then you will remember when every skincare post of mine included this moisturiser. It was y holy grail for a very long time and even though i haven't repurchased it in a few years since trying out different products, i know if i needed to go out and purchase a new moisturiser this product would be on my list. I've tried this product in a few formulas and packing but my favourite is the cream formula in the pot. The product has a thick consistency which soaks into the skin and leaves it feeling so smooth. This used to sort my skin out on bad skin days when my dry patches were at their worth in my early 20s.
6. Clinique Super Defense Night
This is another product that i had in my collection a long while ago while i recently used again when it came in a free promotion from Clinique. From what i can remember about this product when i first used it was it was quite greasy and slippery but the small pot i received of the product was so much better. It obviously had been reformulated and i'm not complaining at all. I found it was really good for wearing underneath my makeup and helping me start with a even base, don't hate me for not using it as a night cream... I wasn't too keen to use the product at first when i received it but when i ran out of moisturisers it was my only option and i ended up falling in love. The consistency of the product is quite thick but easy enough to sink into the skin in good time.
7. Sukin Moisturizing Restoring Night Cream
This product is what i call a magic product because it doesn't matter how much product you scoop out the tub, the product never seems to go down. It looks perfectly untouched every time i go to use it. This is the only night cream i use at the minute and there isn't much to say about the product apart from it is a good night cream. I pair it with the Clinique All About the Eyes cream before i go to bed and in the morning my skin feels like a babies bottom.
8. Clinique Prep Start Moisturiser
I brought this product because of a recommendation of a shop assistant in Bicester Village as she said it was amazing underneath makeup which i agree with, the product works great as a primer but it doesn't feel amazing as a moisturizer. It feels more like a matte primer then a moisturiser so i tend to use it as a primer using the summer when i don't need a lot of moisture added to my skin.
9. Glossier Priming Moisturiser
I won't say much about this product because i don't have many good things to say about it. It is advertised as a priming moisturizer but i don't feel like it moisturizes my skin at all and the primer element i don't rate as well. I know a lot of people who claim to love this product so it is definitely all down to different skincare preferences. I love every other Glossier product i have tried but i just don't rate this product at all.
What are your opinions on the products ive mentioned? Skincare is definitely something that works differently for different people so if you have liked something that i haven't or vice versa, no worries i'm glad it works for you!
April seems like a very long time ago considering in two months it will be a full year. Man time flies! Back in April i shared with you some of the beauty products i received for my 24th birthday (link), i thought i would write another post dedicated to these products to give you my feedback and all but two are high on my radar.
Starting off with the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette (link) which i have used non stop since April. My preference for eye shadow shades is basically this palette, i can make great everyday looks with this palette as well as ramp up the shades on the right side of the palette for a more dramatic look. I already had the Naked Palette 2 which was a holy grail for a very long time. Now this palette has overtook the old favourite in my opinion. The shades are generously pigmentation and the formula is really easy to blend, i don't know one person who dislikes this palette.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)