Something Beginning With... B: Bumble and bumble.

After getting super excited at my newly created SBW concept, I've definitely dropped the ball a little. But here I am on this lovely Saturday morning with the long overdue 'Something Beginning With: B' post. Now, I'm something of a Bumble and bumble fiend, so it only makes sense that they should be the focus of todays ramblings. The majority of my haircare routine comprises of their coveted offerings, so here is a collection of Bb. product that I would be lost without.

semisumo

I'd had this knocking around for a while, but didn't really have an inkling of when I'd get use out of it. But having recently taken the plunge and cut my hair short, I think I'd go as far as to say that it's my new holy grail for hair styling. A soft pomade, I just rub the tiniest amount onto my fingers and run them through my freshly styled tresses. Say hello to tamed flyways, managed frizz, and an altogether glossier barnet. This little styling beauty was the only hair product I thought worth mentioning in my March Favourites and, as I plan to keep my hair short for a while now, I'm sure my beloved semisumo will remain pride of place in my haircare collection for a long time yet.

thickening hairspray

My hair is a little on the fine side, so it often looks a bit flat - droopy, if you will. For that reason, I've long been a fan of the Bb. thickening range for adding that much needed oomph. Sadly, I've run out of the shampoo and conditioner, and have made a promise to myself that I'm only allowed more when I have enough Boots points. You cannot even fathom the immense willpower this is taking. However, I'm still enamoured with the Bb. thickening hairspray. I just spritz it into towel dried roots and blow-dry, and it makes such a massive difference that I'm not too sure how I ever got by without it. It does have a tendency to go a little crispy if ever I get too trigger happy, but as I have to use it so sparingly, the bottle lasts me for ages, which can only be a great thing, really. 

pret-a-powder

I'm not a huge fan of hair powders. I find that they only ever dull my vibrant hair colour. However, another Bb. gem is their sough after pret-a-powder. Translucent and extra fine, I love this for adding a little texture to my hair and, again, have been getting much more use out of it since I went for the chop. I don't find that I have the same issue of dullness that I do with brands like Batiste, making it the perfect product for second (ahem, third) day hair styling. Another one of those great volumising products, I originally thought that the bottle would be awkward to use and wouldn't last very long, but it's fared surprisingly well in my clumsy, accident prone hands. 

hairdresser's invisible oil

Having fine hair, oils can often be an absolute disaster for me - like brushing lard through freshly washed locks. However, I've found a friend for life in the Bb. hairdresser's invisible oil. I used this a lot more when I had longer hair, running the tiniest amount through the ends. The result was silky soft, super shiny, frizz free tresses. It is also said to have strengthening qualities, but I lopped my ends off before I could testify - sorry about that! Now, I only really use it when my hair's feeling particularly dry, but I love it all the same! 

dryspun finish

This thickening gem has developed something of a cult following amongst Bb. fans, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm one of the masses that launched themselves onto the dryspun bandwagon. As well as offering volume by the bucket load, I particularly like using this product straight after drying my hair.  Although I love the feeling of freshly washed hair, I'm not an avid fan of the fluffiness, always opting for a more 'lived in' style. And dryspun finish is exactly that in a can. Volume and strategic mess in one. It's everything I want in a hairspray.

I hope you enjoyed this little round-up of my Bb. babies. What are your favourite Bumble and bumble products? What haircare brand could you not live without? Let me know!

S.

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A Rose Amongst Thorns: The White Company - Rose Signature Candle

Usually I'm really not a candle person. They're either too strong and give me a bit of a headache, it goes in completely the other direction and I can't smell anything at all, or they have the burn time of a hair, and I really don't feel I've got my money's worth. On top of all this, having an open flame in my room isn't great for my anxiety levels, so I usually just call it a day and grab the room spray/perfume equivalent to the candle scents I like. However, a couple of weekends back at blogger meet up, OxMeet (more on this next week), I was treated to the most amazing goody bag, courtesy of lovely Adrienne, and in amongst the delightful cornucopia was the new Rose Signature Candle* from The White Company. Not something I would have thought to buy myself, I'm so glad I've been given the chance to catch a whiff of this gorgeous candle, its sumptuous scent potentially converting me to candlism.

The White Company is synonymous with clean, crisp and minimal design, an aesthetic I often covet, and the Rose Signature Candle is no different in this respect. Perched on my bedside table, it's a simple, beautiful addition to my bedroom decor. None of that gaudy packaging thank you very much! As for the scent, I often find rose to be a little overpowering, reminiscent of old ladies and potpourri. But this fragrant blend of rose, jasmine and lily is wonderful. Sweet and floral, yet fresh and contemporary, it's definitely a more modern twist on a classic rosy aroma. One of my favourite aspects is the fact that it fills my room with its delicate aroma even when it's not lit. It's so lovely to come home from work and have this beautiful fragrance wash over me as I open my bedroom door. It also means that I won't have to light it as much, and it will last a lot longer, its approximate burn time of 28 hours a mere fraction of the life I will get out of this beauty. The White Company could make a candle lover out of me yet!

Are you a fan of The White Company? Have you had the chance to catch the scent of this beautiful Rose Signature Candle yet? Let me know!

S.

*PR sample

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March Favourites

Another month has been and gone in the blink of an eye, and with it, another collection of products that I've been coveting. I find it hard to believe that we're already in the fourth month of the year, but with the clocks going forward, and sunnier evenings back in my life, I'm getting more and more excited for summer. And I think it's safe to say that this months product picks reflect my sunny mood. So, without further ado, here are my March Favourites.

NARS Duo Eyeshadow//Isolde

This has been in my collection for about a year now, and is one of my favourite eyeshadow duos of all time. I pushed it aside over the winter, favouring more autumnal, less metallic shades, but March saw me fall back in love with it, and I pretty much wore it everyday. A lighter antique gold, and a chocolatey bronze, these two shades pair together for the perfect spring/summer look. I usually use both together, sweeping the lighter of the two all over the lid and blending the bronze through the crease. However, for a sultry night out look, I go all out, using the bronze as a darker, more intense wash of colour which I adore! And these colour make my eyes look so blue! Never do I get as many compliments as I do when I'm wearing this delicious duo. It's a wonder I ever take it off at all!

Stila Stay All Day Eyeliner//Dark Brown

Another product I've had for a while, it never really fell out of favour with me. I just went through a bit of a phase of using a more intense black to line my peepers. However, old habits die hard, and gone back to using a softer, more subtle brown for a slightly more natural effect. This product  is, hands down, my favourite brown eyeliner. Perfectly pigmented, and super easy to use, the ultra fine felt nib gives me precision and control, and is great for those mornings when you need to do your make up in a hurry (every morning in my case - damn snooze button), and just don't have the time to faf about. It's like eyeliner for dummies really, and I love it so.

Sleek Blush by 3//Lace

I've never been one for powder blush, always picking creamier alternatives. I just think they give a more natural finish, and, contrary to popular opinion, I find them easier to work with. But in Superdrug a few months back, a friend of mine recommended Sleek blushes, and at £9.99 for three generously sized pans, I had nothing to lose. Admittedly, it has taken me a few months to end my exclusive relationship with cream blushes, but needless to say, I have now embarked on a glorious love affair with powders. All three products in this palette are beautifully pigmented and blend to perfection. Although my picture seems to portray a slightly pinky hue, the blushes are all in the orange family, my favourite of all the makeup colour families. I'm particularly enjoying Guipure, the middle shade of the trio which, when I bought it, I thought would be the dud of the collection that I never got any use out of. Boy oh boy, how wrong I was! A warm golden orange, shot through with flecks of rosy shimmer, I think it adds the perfect amount of glow to a flushed and dewy cheek. 

Benefit Gimme Brow//Light/Medium

Before I begin, I feel I should tell you that Brooke Shields is my brow idol. Like her, my brows have never been particularly arched, and, unlike her, they have never been all that thick either. I mean, they're not sparse, but I love the look of fuller brows, and I'm constantly searching for products that will help me on my way to Delevingne-dom. In March, I finally found it - my new holy grail eyebrow product. Benefit's Gimme Brow. I went for the shade light/medium, as that's what the woman at the Benefit counter recommended. Annoyingly, it's a little too light to wear over MACs Charcoal Brown, my everyday brow boost, with copious blending needed for a natural look. However, it's the perfect colour for those days when I can't really be bothered, or, more realistically, I'm running late, and I just comb it through solo for some extra eyebrow volume. It's amazing, I now have the brows of Lily Collins, and I'm never looking back.

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm//Audacious

Everyone and their gran seems to have this product, in this colour, and for good reason! I love matte lips, but struggle to find the products that don't make my own pout look dry and flaky. The Revlon products, although not particularly moisturising, don't flake at all on me, which is a huge selling point! The tangerine hued Audacious looks almost neon on my pale complexion, and, for me, it's  perfect for rocking the orange lip trend.

Bumble and bumble.//semisumo

Since cutting my hair shorter, I've really been loving wearing it curly. The curls hold for longer without the extra weight, and it just looks so bouncy, voluminous and healthy. What I'm not loving, however, is the fluff and frizz that appear after drying. To combat this, I've discovered semisumo - a product that I've had knocking around for a while, but not really had a clue how to use. Now, I just rub a little bit of the pomade onto my fingers, and run it through my curls. The result is tamed flyways and a huge boost of shine. I'm so pleased this product finally got to see the light of day in March, because it really is a gem!

Lush//Cosmetic Lad

This nifty little moisturiser is actually designed to calm shaving burn, but I've now adopted it as my daily facial moisturiser. After having a skin consultation at Lush Oxford, the lovely Kym assured me that it's not just for boys, and I went home with a sample of it. Let me just say it. Life. Changed. I've recently had a bit of a lifestyle upheaval, commuting to London daily, and my skin type has really shifted. My previously dry visage has become a little too combination for any of the products I have in my arsenal; my newly irritating oily T-zone is a particular pain. But this product fully balances out the oils in my skin, and even after using a little sample, I've noticed a huge reduction in redness to the point where I barely need foundation any more. As well as all this wonderment, it smells so good I want to grab a spoon. Needless to say, I'll be shooting in to the next Lush store I pass to pick up a full sized pot of this magic cream! 

So there you have it. Another month, another product round up. Have you tried any of the products I've been loving? What are your March favourites? Let me know!

S.

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Book of the Week: The Godfather

"Lawyers can steal more money with a briefcase than a thousand men with guns and masks."

The Godfather by Mario Puzo is one of those books that's been sitting on my shelf for a long time, but I always skimmed past it when selecting my next read. I've always had a bit of a fascination with the mafia. Goodfellas is one of my favourite movies, and the Kray twins are, in my eyes, two of the most interesting figures ever to grace the pages of British history. So, with my slightly weird obsession with all things organised crime (not sure what wrong with me...), theory dictates that I should have loved The Godfather. Turns out that theory perfectly translates into reality as there, in plain sight, sat one of my favourite books, ignored and undiscovered right under my nose. I could kick myself for leaving it unread for so long, but lets not dwell, I've finally read it, and here's what I think.

The Godfather tells the tale of the Sicilian families, the original mafia, living and working in 1940s New York. Of the five families, the Corleones are the most powerful and when their Don, Vito Corleone is gunned down in the street, the family flirts with murder, blackmail and betrayal, and it's all they can do to prevent war from breaking out in the streets of NYC. Ultimately a tale of protection, loyalty and family values, the Corleones are forced to battle for survival in the clandestine society  that they have ruled for so long. 

The thing that struck me most about the book was how real and believable the relationships are. Unlike the film, in which everything seems a little fantastical, and violence is the real draw, the family ties and the sense of unparalleled love that the Corleones have for each other are positively palpable.  Perhaps it's a tad more extreme than reality (just a tad, mind), but hey, it's a book - it'd be boring if it wasn't a little amplified. The entire story is very much centred on kindness, loyalty, and the intimacy of family and friends - it just so happens that they have a slightly different, shall we say, less forgiving approach to discipline than we do!

And their generosity doesn't only extend to relations. Tom Hagen, my favourite character, was taken under the wing of Don Corleone at a young age, after he was rejected by the rest of society, and has since grown to be a part of the family, securing himself the coveted, albeit slightly dangerous role of consigliere, the right hand man to the Don. I think the reason I like him so much is because he isn't a part of the family. He has none of the hot headed unreasonability that often intermingles with family dynamics. In fact, it's his job to make sure that no rash decisions are acted upon, and the best course of action is always taken. A trained lawyer, he is always the voice of reason in the book, meaning that it isn't merely a story of impulse and revenge. Although all of the characters seem very real to me, it's Tom's level headedness and strategic thinking that, for me, makes the war between the families a truly believable one. 

Although not in any way as violent as the movies, I wouldn't call this a book for the faint of heart. But if, like me, you're a little enamoured with the celebrity of the glamourised criminal underworld, I would definitely recommend that you give this puppy a peruse. So go ahead. Buckle down, 'go to the mattresses' as they say, and don't come up again until you've finished this spectacular read. 

Have you read The Godfather? Have a bit of a gangster fetish like me? Let me know!

S.

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Pinks and Pastels: My Favourite Spring Nail Varnishes

I was reluctant to post anything remotely Spring related whilst the weather was so hideous. It felt like I was tempting fate somewhat. But after a glorious weekend of sunshine in the English countryside, I think we can all agree that Spring has finally sprung! So I'm busting out the pastel hues and bright colours, and swapping out my berry polishes for light and breezy alternatives - bring it on, Summer. 

My first choice of colour this season is one that I've had knocking around for a while now, and it's Peach Melba by Barry M. A beautiful pastel tangerine, it's perfectly on trend this season, which is great as I've always loved those orangey tones. I particularly love the fact that this shade makes my hands look quite tanned which, I can assure you, they are not. Always nice to cheat a cheeky tan.

Next up is another Barry M shade, named Blueberry. A sky blue shade that screams sunny days and picnics in the park, I've been reaching for it a lot more than anticipated. Blues and purples aren't usually my cup of tea, but I've really surprised myself with this baby blue obsession. I guess it's good to keep myself on my toes - and this nail varnish for that matter - perfect with a pair of cute strappy  sandals! Barry M always delivers such a fail safe range of colours for an affordable manicure, so there's no doubt that my collection of polishes will continue to flourish now that I've discovered a love for a new colour family. 

Thirdly, a brand new laquer love - Plastic Fantastic by Ciate. This is my first Ciate polish; a gift in last months Glossybox. As I stated before, blues and purples aren't my thing, so I wasn't entirely sure whether I would like this bright berry hue, and I certainly wouldn't have ever picked it up if it wasn't gifted to me. The name is also a bit misleading, as I was bracing myself for some kind of sickly Barbie shade, but I tried it on anyway, YOLO and all that, and actually, I love it. It's darker than I expected, and I feel that it's the perfect transitional colour for seeing me into Spring. It still has the berry tones of Autumn, but it's light and sweet enough to be perfect for the season ahead.

Last but not least is Models Own Utopia. I borrowed this from a friend for my Grad Ball back in 2012 (gahh I'm old!) as it went perfectly with my dress, and I loved it that much that I bought my own bottle the following day. An understated lilac nude colour, it gives the nails a wonderfully feminine chic look, adding a real sense of sophistication, day or night. I included this in my Valentines post, (notice the cheeky recycled picture) and I do think that this is a neutral enough shade to be used all year round, but I am particularly drawn to it at the moment for reasons unknown. You know, for someone that doesn't like purply shades, I've not done too badly here, have I? 

So there you have it, my new collection of go to shades for the season ahead. Do you have any of these shades? What are your favourite colours for Spring? Let me know!

S.

P.s. Apologies for the week long hiatus. I had a rather hectic unplanned week, with no posts written or scheduled - won't be letting that happen again any time soon, I can assure you!  

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February Favourites

Well, it's March already! February, thankfully, shot past in the blink of an eye, and I'm so excited for the coming month, as the beginning of Spring is one of my favourite times of year, with all that excitement and promise of new and better things hanging in the air. I do have a few exciting things in the works for the month of March, which I'm sure I will share with you all in due time, and although I'm relieved to have got February out of the way for another year (maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't perpetually single on V-Day), there are a few products that I really enjoyed using. So I thought I'd recap my most loved products of the past month in a February Favourites post.

Lanolips//Lemonaid

I'm constantly battling dry, flaky lips, and in the transition from cold to slightly warmer but still pretty nippy weather, they needed a little extra care and attention than usual. I love Lanolips products for when good ol' Vaseline isn't quite enough. With the lanolin packing a whopping punch of moisture for my overly-parched peckers, this particular product became a permanent fixture in my handbag this month. A thick gloss with a clear, subtle sheen, that has the taste and irresistible smell of Sicilian lemonade, it has left my lips feeling supple and soft all month long.

Eye of Horus//Goddess Mascara

A new discovery for me in February was the brand Eye of Horus, and their beautiful Goddess Mascara. An organic lash enhancer with fantastic separating and lengthening power, packed with vitamins and antioxidants, I've found myself a little obsessed with it this month. In fact, it graced my lashes on pretty much a daily basis. I reviewed it more thoroughly here, if you're curious.

Liz Earle//Skin Repair Moisturiser (Dry/Sensitive)

I love the Liz Earle brand, in fact it featured in my January Favourites too, and this month I've only continued my love affair with her products, this time, with her Skin Repair Moisturiser. It's a much lighter moisturiser than I'm used to, and it's ideal now that the Winter months have almost passed and I no longer need that rich, creamy product to keep my skin plump and lustrous. The thing that I really enjoy about this moisturiser is how little you need and how quickly it melts into the skin. Like most Liz Earle products, it's packed with nourishing ingredients, including avocado oil, echinacea and beta-carotene, which are all essential in keeping skin healthy and beautiful. I only wish it had SPF in it, but I guess you can't have everything, can you?

L'Oreal Paris//True Match Foundation

Again, I reviewed this during the past month here, but I just wanted to reiterate how much I love this foundation. It definitely hasn't ousted my bareMinerals dependency, but I've found myself reaching for this brilliant base on those days when I need a little more coverage, or just when I'm feeling more of a matte vibe. I'm always amazed when I find such a great colour match for my skin too, so I'm sure the novelty of finding an adequate drugstore match will carry me well into March. 

La Roche-Posay//Effeclar Astringent Lotion

I discovered this product relatively late on in February, as you can probably tell from how little I've used, and usually I'd give a product a more thorough test run before including it as a favourite, but I'm so impressed with how quickly it's made a difference to my skin that I had to chuck it into this post. Toners have never been a product that I've been blown away by - they're just the middle man between cleansing and moisturising - but this toner has done an amazing job at making my pores look smaller, something which I'm really quite self-conscious about. It does smell a bit like paint stripper, and the instructions warn against using it around your eye area, but I find it gentle enough on my skin. I've never tried any other La Roche-Posay products before now, so I'm excited to explore the rest of the range. 

Eyeko//Skinny Mini Liquid Eyeliner

After including a L'Oreal liner in my January Favourites post as my new go to liner, it appears I spoke too soon. Eyeko has always been a brand that I've been curious to try, and after receiving it in last months Birchbox, I'm not sure I'll ever look back! It has quite a thin tipped nib and has no give to it whatsoever, making it absolutely amazing for practising my feline flick - a technique I'm determined to conquer. As well as this, it has fantastic pigment, and brilliant lasting power. I'll definitely be investing in the full sized version when my mini runs out. Perfection in eyeliner form. 

So there you have it, my favourite February beauty products! What were your favourite products this month? Have you used any of the products that I've been loving? Let me know!

S.

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Something Beginning With... A: Ardell Lashes

A little while ago, I was flicking through a magazine (can't remember which one now, but I will add it when I find it again), and I came across a rather intriguing A-Z feature. As a blogger, I'm always on the lookout for inspiration, and this really captured my attention. I thought it would be fun to translate the feature into a blogging series, so that's exactly what I'm going to do. This post marks the start of a collection of 26, in which I will pick a new topic every week to correspond with each letter of the alphabet. Whether that be a brand, a product, a makeup technique, or something else entirely, I thought it would be such an interesting concept to explore, as well as being a new challenge for me. A little disclaimer: as I've already stated, I came across this in a magazine and it was wholly through my own ideas that I've decided to start featuring it on the blog. I haven't seen it elsewhere in the blogging community, although I don't doubt that, through sheer probability of numbers, someone has done it before me. So I just wanted to say that if you have done this also, I apologise - I'm not trying to take credit for somebody else's creativity - I just thought it would make a fun little project.

So here goes - the first of my brand spanking new series. Although I think I might struggle when I get to letters like Q, it was a pretty easy to decide on a topic for the first letter of the alphabet. There are plenty to chose from; great brands like Alpha H, or soothing ingredients like Aloe Vera, but I've chosen to go for something I haven't yet covered on this little old blog of mine; false lashes - namely my favourite lash brand, Ardell.

Their Demi Wispies seem to get the most coverage on YouTube and, although I do have some, I find them a bit too 'wispy' for my liking. Every one loves long, feathery lashes, but on me, these look so long and feathery that it borders on ridiculous. Having slightly hooded eyes and quite long lashes naturally, I tend to favour falsies that give me a bit of extra volume, and for that I find myself reaching for two particular Ardell offerings again and again.

The first, and my absolute favourite, are the Babies lashes. The perfect faux lashes for giving your real ones a little oomph whilst still looking fairly natural, I find that I can wear these for pretty much any occasion. Day or night, these are natural enough that you almost look as though you're just blessed with that fluttery framework,  but at the same time, they provide the a good amount of lift and really fill out the lash line. They give you that little something extra, without looking too fake, a quality I think we all desire in our falsies.

Still trying to work out how to make my camera pictures more true to life - they're a lot thicker looking than this really. P.S. I had a haircut! You like?

Secondly, I always have a pair of Demi Pixies to hand for when my glamorous night out look feels a little lacklustre. These are very much a statement lash when compared to the Babies, and I really feel like they help to take a makeup look from great to showstopping. They do add length, but the reason I reach for them so much is the thick, luscious feel they give to my eyelashes. They look a little odd in the packaging; thicker, choppy looking chunks of lash interspersed with more natural hairs, but when applied, this helps them to look less over the top and I think it's what keeps them from becoming too lengthy for me. They're the perfect lash for giving you that mesmerising gaze.

I've always found Ardell lashes easiest to apply. It's simply a matter of applying a small amount of adhesive, curling them around with your fingers a little, then resting them on the lashes with a pair of tweezers, manipulating them into the best position for your eye shape. Couldn't be simpler! Another pro is the invisible band, as I often like to wear falsies without eyeliner, particularly during the day, and this is something I absolutely couldn't get away with where other brands are concerned. I also find that having an invisible band means that you can reuse them more for some reason - I get about 4/5 uses out of a pair - fantastic value for money really! Just make sure to clean the band when you take them off, for ease of use the next time around.

And that completes the first of my 'Something Beginning With...' series. I hope you enjoyed it and I'm really looking forward to the next 25 posts! 

Do you like the idea of a 'Something Beginning With...' feature? What would be your 'something beginning with A' be? Are you a fan of Ardell Lashes? Let me know!

S.

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