Homesense Haul

On Sunday I was in need of some cheering up, and like a good boyfriend, mine knew that shopping would be a great cure. So off we went to Homesense, an two storey shop devoted to the home wear section of TK Maxx. I was in heaven!

First thing I picked up (as my boyfriend tutted and muttered something about not needing things) were these Le Creuset storage jars. They are in a lovely pale blue colour and will look lovely on our kitchen worktop. 

The larger jar is for utensils (as pictured below) and was £7.99 (RRP £20) and replaces the ikea plant pot we were previously using. It was never a long term solution so this nicely replaces the plant pot and will look lovely in our future kitchen as well as the current one. 

The smaller jar with a lid was £12.99 (RRP £24) and we are using for teabags on the counter top. It is too nice to keep stuffed away in a cupboard and our kettle goes on almost hourly therefore this will be great addition. I did consider getting another for sugar, but neither of us nor our 'regular' guests take sugar so seemed like a waste.

The next thing I picked up was a photo frame, again in blue (did not notice this theme until now!!) which matches a slightly bigger frame we already have. This is currently in the window on our stairs but may move to a more suitable home when I have put a few more things together. This was £6.99 (RRP £18) which I thought was a bit of a bargain.

On a slightly less glamourous note we needed pint glasses. When we last had a BBQ the men had to use our usual tumblers which didn't hold enough and apparently "make the beer go flat". I don't know much about these sort of things so I dispatched Jake to have his pick of the glass department. We both liked these so they went in the basket (getting heavy by this point!). They were £5.99 so cheap enough that they can be taken into the garden without fear and we do have a stone kitchen floor...not much bounces.

And then finally, recipe books. One of my favourite purchases from TK Maxx as they are reasonably priced and normally have a good selection. Homesense didn't disappoint and we picked up these two.

As you could possibly guess the home brewing book wasn't my first choice but I got the Le Crueset jars so I wasn't about to put up a fight. This was £5.99 (RRP £14.99) and will keep the boyfriend busy one afternoon I'm sure!

Jamie's America had some interesting recipes in and we both like Jamie's books, they are no fuss and don't normally include too 'out there' ingredients. This is great for a fussy eater like me! Jamie was £12.99 (RRP £26) and I will report back if we give any of the recipes a go.

I would love to know what Homesense/TK Maxx bargains you've found recently. Let me know below...

Ninjabread Men

So today's post is another baking one, but this time a different spin on a traditional classic. My sister in law bought me these cutters for my birthday and I have been meaning to try them out for a while now.

These tough gingerbread men come complete with recipe, for which you will need the following:

• 350g plain flour
• 2 tsp of ground ginger
• 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 100g butter/olive spread
• 175g soft light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp of golden syrup
• the recipe card that comes attached to the cutters

Grease/line a tray and pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees/gas mark 5.

Start by sifting all the dry ingredients into a large bowl.

I then deviated from the recipe slightly and melted the butter and golden syrup in the microwave before mixing in to the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon. Add the egg and form into a rough dough.

The dough needs to chill before rolling. 10 mins in the freezer did the job, or 30 mins in the fridge.

After 10 minutes, sift flour onto a clean work surface and roll out the chilled dough. It needs to be approx 0.5cm thick and even where possible.

It also helps to flour the rolling pin before you end up in a right sticky mess!

Use the three cutters to create a combination of ninja's and place these on your greased baking tray. I found using a knife under each one to put them on the try largely prevented loss of ninja limb.

Bake for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. As you can see I made slightly chubby ninjas but they have a lovely texture and are slightly chewy on the inside.

Mary Berry check out the crumb on these!!

 The recipe then suggests icing with writing icing or similar. The only suitable icing we had (on a sunday afternoon) was glitter icing so any 'tough' notions for these chubby ninjas is long gone.

They taste great however and the recipe is very straightforward.

So tough guy, fancy trying something different for your next gingerbread bake?

Beauty Week: Nail Colour, Nailed!

What a colour! Essie's Peach Daiquiri is possibly the brightest polish I own. It does however cheer me up like nothing else to see such vibrant nails when the weather is dreary.

The polish is a solid 'two coat-er' and applies easily with the great brush that comes with all Essie varnishes.

I have used a base coat as something this bright is liable to leave nails looking a little worse for wear but you could go without a topcoat for this polish. Shiny and full coverage in two coats with no discernible brush strokes. What a dream!

The true colour is near impossible to capture and my camera was running out of battery/patience trying to get a better representation. It is a true coral, equal parts orange and pink and would look bitching with a decent tan (note to self: must tan).

What's your favourite perk up nail polish?

Hope you have a great weekend, see you on Monday for a home haul and another great bake.

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Beauty Week: Review - Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

As mentioned in yesterdays Product Empties post I have recently been in the market for a new eye cream. I first heard about this one in a Zoella video and thought it might be a go-er for my dehydrated and sensitive eyes.

I popped into my local Space NK and annoyingly, although as expected they did not have a sample. I bought the 14g pot for £20 (which comes in as slightly cheaper than the Clinique offering)

The formula promises to be rich and nourishing. I personally would liken the texture more to that of a gel. It is hydrating but is not as thick or *greasy* as I would have hoped with the properties of avocado. I find that is pulls a little at the skin and sinks in quickly to a water based consistency.

I also find the pot a little messy. You dip in a finger and instead of only getting the minuscule amount you need this gloopy formula sticks to you and you end up with far too much which doesn't spread well on the skin.

I think overall I am a little disappointed with this product and VERY glad I didn't buy the bigger size online (which represents better value). I will use it up, it seems like it might just about be moisturising enough for the warmer summer months but I am not sure it's got the gumption to compete against central heating and more harsh weather.

Beauty Week: Product Empties

So for our 'hump day' beauty week post I thought I would do an 'empties' post with a mini review for each product. Apparently May was the month when everything runs out!

First up is a sample size of the Benefit 'That Gal' Brightening Primer. I received this a while ago and as a primer it sat relatively unloved. It has a nice consistency with a subtle shimmer running throughout. I personally have very dry skin and don't feel the need to add this to an everyday makeup look.

On a recommendation however I started using this as a subtle liquid highlight and YES I am officially converted! It is blendable, lightweight but shows off those cheekbones like some of the best. A great lightweight highlight for summer. 

Would I Re-Purchase? Already have.

I was honestly gutted when this mascara showed all the tell tale signs of drying out. This L'Oreal offering (available from Superdrug) is becoming harder and harder to find *sob* and its simple packaging is deceptive as to the quality which lies inside.

A great quick drying formula which while it isn't waterproof seems to stick around all day. The brush is fantastic, big and bristle based which ensures that the product works its way evenly throughout the length of the lashes. One coat for an every day look, two for blow away volume.

I have since tried two other mascaras, Maybelline Big Lash (post here) and L'Oreal Miss manga (review soon) and quite honestly both have been a let down in comparison.

Would I Re-Purchase? Having been burned by others as inadequate replacements, YES!

I bought this product after having a travel size that was part of a gift set. This product was one that I knew I would need the full size of.

The blow dry spray works as a heat protector and volumising spray as well as reducing the blow dry time significantly. I would estimate at about half! This is fantastic for my thick tresses. 

This one is not cheap, nor easily available. It is RRP £23 from Paul Mitchell salons so worth asking to try it first.

Would I Re-Purchase? Yes, but not yet. I have other hair products I need to use up first!

I have tried both incarnations of Clinique's best selling eye cream and for my severely dry and dehydrated skin this is the one that ticks all the boxes for me. It is a thick cream which sinks in instantly and hydrates throughout the day. It does not cause makeup to pull/drag so is suitable for both morning and night use.

I had both the full size and the travel/sample size which sadly both came to an end recently. I am sad to see them go and VERY nearly instantly repurchased. Instead I thought I would try something new so bought the Kiehls Creamy Eye Treatment (review to come on Friday).

Would I Re-Purchase? Yes, this is my Winter go-to solution for my dry skin.

This is another much raved about beauty solution which I purchased a few months ago when Boots had a 'Save 1/3' offer. The inclusion of hydrologic acid into a beauty regime is supposed to boost moisture in dehydrated skin as it holds over 1000x it's own weight in moisture.

I used this product before my serum in my skincare routine. Having used the full tube (30ml) I'm not honestly convinced it made a noticeable difference. I haven't noticed any difference in my skin since stopping with the product.

Would I Re-Purchase? Probably not, definitely not full priced (RRP £24.00)

Whenever this is a £5 off No7  skincare voucher flouting about this is always where I make a beeline. These facial wipes are nice and gentle on my sensitive skin and yet remove tough makeup easily.

Not as thorough as a facial cleanser but these are fantastic for travelling/taking poolside for when you forget to take your mascara off pre-swim. 

Would I Re-Purchase? Already have.

And Finally, this little beauty got forgotten when I originally took these pictures but when I remembered I knew I had to include it in this post.

This is a relatively new launch by No7 and is a hybrid between the original much heavier Stay Perfect formula and the lighter Essentially Natural (as introduced to me by Vivianna Does Makeup). It is also part of the Match Made service and has a good colour range.

It has since become my go to foundation. VERY light coverage, but buildable and lasts 8 hours easily. Great for work when I need to look mildly respectable all the way through the day.

I am very might enjoying a much lighter coverage and I can't be the only one trying not to whisper *Chanel Vitalumiere dupe*

Would I Re-Purchase? Yes, already repurchased in my summer shade.

Beauty Week: Review - Maybelline Big Eyes Mascara

So this isn't a new releases from Maybelline but I think it is a reissue. First launched in 2013 it seems to be slightly repackaged and re-promoted so when perusing the isles of Boots this week I thought I would try it out.

I was a big fan of the original The Falsies mascara back in the day but it has been a long time since I have picked one up, instead staying loyal to the brilliant L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara.

The appeal of this one is largely that it seems to be a 2in1 mascara, all the greatness of the Falsies mascara combined with an ode to Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. Too good to be true right??

The large brush is bristle based with a twisted design to allow length and volume building.

The small brush is much smaller (this picture is possibly deceptive) and is also bristle based. Much longer than the Clinique offering but the premise is definitely there.

This is without mascara. I have naturally quite long lashes but they are very fair and don't show up much without some help. Due to this is tend to prefer a volumising mascara as I don't struggle with length. 

This is with two coats of the mascara on the top lashes and a small amount applied to the bottom lashes.

So the verdict? The brushes are good, the idea is good, but the product? It seems very cheap.

I would not describe the actual mascara as particularly good quality, it smelt cheap and applied messily. It does cling to the lashes and i had no problems with length however building volume was a different matter.

It seemed to go from fine and wispy lashes to thick and clumpy very quickly without warning.

So will I persevere? Yes. The idea is a good one and for travel seems perfect. I'm just willing the product itself to be as good as the premise of the packaging.

Will I repurchase? Not likely unless it improves dramatically as the product dries out.

Available from Boots currently on 3 for 2.

Beauty Week: Review - Naked 3 Palette

So the latest offering from Urban Decay takes on an entirely more rosy hue. The packaging is quite frankly gorgeous, and in the same style as the Naked 2 palette they have stuck with the much more practical metal tin design.

The palette includes 12 entirely new colours and they are quite frankly beautiful. There are three matt shades with the rest of the colours ranging from a subtle shimmer to a full on glitter.

The lightest shades are great for a base or highlight while the darkest shades go all the way through to a black which has a pink shimmer. A truly beautiful dark shade that never looks harsh.

This palette *I personally* think has the best colour range. While the Naked and Naked 2 palettes also have a great range the colours are not significantly different enough and the Naked Basics palette is a great combination of my favourite shades in both.

This picture (below) shows the colours in their truest form.

Another notable mention goes to the double ended brush that is included. There are no sponge applicators here, this brush has a flat pointy end which is great for packing on colour, and a more rounded densely packed end which blends the whole lot perfectly.

So how do these colours transfer into an everyday wearable look? Well here is my particular favourite.

I take the darkest shade 'Blackheart' and a MAC 231 and work the colour into the lash line to create a softer look than traditional eye liner thanks to the flecks of shimmer.

I then worked 'Dust' all across the lid and defined the outside corder and crease with 'Liar'

I have had this palette for a litre over three weeks now and it is my most reached for set. A great combination of looks available and as always it represents pretty good value at £37 for 12 Urban Decay shadows.

So whats your favourite combination?

Palette currently available for £33.30 from House of Fraser

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