September favourites

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and do a post on my top 5 products of the month.


I can't believe its the end of September already! Where's the time gone? Before we know it it'll be Xmas then 2010 will be here!


Batiste tropical dry shampoo: Such a useful product to have around. It's really good for reviving hair between washes and adding more volume, plus it has a lovely tropical fragrance to remind me of sunnier days.


Bio-oil: A really good multi-purpose product, I originally brought it to get rid of a scar mark (which has now totally disappeared) but more recently it's been really good at moisturizing my poor nose which has been really dry thanks to a cold.


M&S aloe vera hand and body lotion: A easily absorbed body lotion that leaves my skin soft and smooth with a gorgeous fresh fragrance. And it only costs £1!


Maybelline line definer eye liner: This makes applying eyeliner so much quicker and easier. It's in the style of a pen so you literally draw it onto your lashline. I also like to touch the side of the pen to my lashline and dab to get a thicker line (hope that made sense). Has good lasting power but is easy to remove with an EMUR.

Soap and glory clean on me: A beautifully fragranced shower gel that has body lotion built in. It doesn't replace body lotion but is good for my morning showers when there is no time to moisturise afterwards. The huge bottle lasts for ages as well, I've been using this everyday for months and it's not even half finished yet.

What are your favourite products of the month?

Using everything up-September

It's been really slow this month and I've only finished 6 products:
-No 7 cleanse and care eye make up remover
-Garnier fresh complete cleansing milk
-Head and shoulders citrus fresh shampoo
-Soap and glory flake away
-Trevor Sorbie deep intensive conditioning treatment conditioner
-Hugo Boss XX EDT sample

I have to admit since I've started blogging and reading blogs on a regular basis it's a lot harder to stick to and I've been really tempted this month whenever I go shopping to pick up some new products. I just have to remind myself I have loads of stuff already and I don't have any room for new things, as nice as they are!

Is anyone else trying to use up toiletries before buying more? Let me know how you're getting on x

You make me smile award

Thank you to the gorgeous Phoebe for giving me this award :)

So the rules for this award are:

- You have to put a song that makes you happy :)

- You can tag as many people as you want, there is no limit :)

- Say at least on thing about each blog you tag, that will make them smile, something nice about their blog that makes you smile when you read it! :)

Hmm, I love so many songs so it's really hard to choose just one but if I have to choose it would be Angels by Robbie Williams as it's such a beautiful song that always makes me happy when I sing along.

I'm going to pass this award to 3 lovely bloggers:
Daisy bee beauty She always writes interesting posts and does some really good reviews.

Juicy girl A really easy to read girly blog with lots of pictures.

What do stars do A really well written blog with great youtube videos.

Twitter

I've recently set up a twitter account so if you'd like to read my tweets or have a chat please follow me on twitter: http://twitter.com/peonieslilies

Also I just want to say thank you to everyone for following me and taking the time to leave comments, I really appreciate it x

Shopaholic

As you probably know I've recently spent a lot of time sorting out and packing up my stuff for uni and as a result I've realised that I have loads of brand new clothes, shoes and scarves that have never been worn. Now I'll openly admit that I love shopping but I'm always careful to not spend too much and return anything I don't think I'll wear so I'm genuinely shocked at how much new stuff I have.

There's some really nice stuff here that I've completely forgotten about and I'm looking forward to wearing all this new stuff over the next few weeks. Unfortunately there are 2 jackets there that I'm not so keen on anymore and am thinking of selling them. Is it still worth using ebay? I've heard a lot of negative things about them since they got rid of negative feedback comments. Are there any other websites that you'd recommend?

They say that you wear 20% of your wardrobe 80% of the time but I'll definitely be making more of an effort to wear everything that I own not just the same stuff all the time.

Is anyone else guilty of buying things then not wearing them?

I passed :D

Sorry I've not posted for a few days, I've been busy cramming for the theory test and doing some packing for uni.

The good news is I passed! I'm so relieved, so many people had told me how easy it was but I was really worried that somehow I'd mess up and fail.

I got full marks on the multiple choice and 64 out of 75 on the hazard perception. I was going to do some shopping to celebrate (any excuse to shop) but I figured I might as well wait until I'm in London as I'm only here for another day. Westfield here I come!

Have a good weekend everyone x

Shopping and books

I love the whole long jumper skinny jeans look so was really pleased when I found this purple one whilst out shopping on Saturday. But now that I've tried it on properly I'm not so sure. It makes my legs look shorter than they are and at 5'4 I need all the help I can get to look tall. I'll try it on with a few outfits and heels before I decide wether to keep or return.


I also picked up these earrings which will be perfect for going out or jazzing up a boring everyday outfit.

Whilst I was out I also popped into the library and got some novels to read:
Second chance - Jane Green
Do not disturb - Tilly Bagshawe
Mummy said the f word - Fiona Gibson
The flirt - Kathleen Tessaro
Nice girls do- Sarah Duncan
From here to maternity - Sinead Moriarty
No place for a woman - Donna Hay
Sex and the city - Candace Bushnell

If you want more information or reviews on any of these books just leave me a comment x

Ins and Outs

Ins
-Catching up with school mates. I've met up with 3 of my closest school mates this week and it's so nice to just hang out, have a gossip and catch up on everything that's been happening.
-Going back to uni next week. I'm really excited about going back to london, living in the flat again, seeing all my uni friends and the nights out.
-Lots of new novels to read. I went to the library the other day and now I've got 8 new novels to read. It's so nice to snuggle up in bed or on the sofa with a book and a bar of chocolate.

Outs
-Mosiquito bites. Despite using insect repellent spray and this incence type thing I was bitten all over by mosquitos and the marks are taking forever to disappear even though it's been over a month since I've been back in the UK.
-Driving theory test. I've got my test on Friday but I feel so unprepared, there's going to be lots of cramming this week.
-Fine lines under my eyes. I've noticed a really deep set fine line under both my eyes, I'm too young for wrinkles! :(

Beauty bargains

I've always been a drugstore rather than department store girl when it came to skincare and toiletries. I've tried brands like Clinique and Lancome but I found that they didn't make my skin any nicer and there are plenty of products that do the job just as well for me from the high street. So I thought I'd do a post about some of my favourite products for a fiver or less.

Superdrug vitamin E nourishing night cream (about £2)
I've been using this for years and it's amazing. It's a lovely cream that's not too heavy or light and sinks into the skin really nicely. It's never made me break out in spots (even during the teenage years) and makes my skin really soft and moisturised. I originally brought this as I wanted something a bit richer for my cheeks (which can get dry if not moisturised properly) but I apply it all over and unless I use too much it gets absorbed really easily and doesn't leave an oily residue in the T zone. Definitely worth checking out.

The body shop hemp hand protecter (£4.85)
This stuff was a life-saver last year. As part of my medical degree I have to spend a lot of time in hospital on the wards. This means I am constantly washing and applying alcohol gel to my hands which is extrememly drying. I found that applying this overnight and using a cheap Aldi handcream a few times throughout the day was enough to keep them soft and moisturised. It's a very rich cream so you only need a little bit each time. Because it's very rich I didn't like using it during the day as it made my hands slippery but was the perfect rich overnight treatment for my poor hands.

No 7 Cleanse and care eye make up remover (£2 with a £5 off voucher)
Ok so this is sorta cheating as the product is £7 but Boots are always doing those vouchers so you never have to pay full price. This makes removing eye make up so easy, just squirt some onto a cotton pad and hold over the eye then dab to remove. Check out an earlier post for a full review.

Soap and glory clean on me (£5)
A really nice and luxorious shower gel. I only need to apply a pump of this onto a shower puff to create lots of lather so a bottle will last for ages. It has a lovely fragrance and leaves my skin feeling soft. It has a built in body lotion so is perfect for those days when you don't have time to apply body lotion. Like all soap and glory products the comes in quirky pink packaging and is often on offer in Boots.


Let me know if you have any beauty favourites as I'm a complete product junkie and love trying out new products :)

Running in heels

E4 have been advertising this programme all week and I thought it looked pretty interesting so decided to watch it last night. It's a reality show about 3 interns who start working at Marie Claire all competing for a job there. It's a perfect mix of fashion, glamour and drama and would definitely recommend for anyone who likes programmes like The Hills and The City.

According to E4:
'Running Heels is the most fashionable reality show to grace your tellybox since The Hills.

The show follows British born Joanna Coles, the feisty editor-in-chief of the US edition of Marie Claire as she leads her team of hardcore fashion loving journalists in creating one of the world's most respected magazine franchises.

It's not all luvvie parties and air kissing however. The bitchiness quota essential to all US reality shows is supplied in spades by highly competitive Marie Claire interns Talita, Samantha and Ashley. These girls have a huge capacity for moaning and groaning (usually about each other) whilst going head to head in challenges such as being the best assistant at live events and writing the best bedroom-based diary.' (Copied from E4)

Did anyone watch this last night? What did you think?

I think you are an awesome girl award

Sorry it's taken me so long to do this tag, it's taken me a while to come up with 10 facts!


Thank you to the lovely Sadie and Tegan for nominating me for this :)

For this one you tell us 10 random facts then tag 10 blogs.

1. My first MAC purchase was a concealer 2 years ago.

2.I love condiments and sauces, I add them to almost every meal, my friend actually got me a
bottle of ketchup once as part of my bday present!

3. I played the violin in various orchestras all the way through secondary school.

4. I can't drive yet, I'm hoping to take my test by the end of the year though.

5. I have a massive phobia of pigeons, I'm terrified that they'll fly into me and always walk as far away from them as I can.

6. I broke both my collarbones (not at the same time) when I was little, I guess I've always had a thing about symmetry!

7. My favourite takeaway would have to be a kebab with lots of garlic sauce, chilli and salad yummy!

8. I'm a big fan of Doctor Who and have watched all the new episodes at least twice, I'm hoping the new ones next year will be just as good.

9. I can't wink, I've tried on numerous occasions, but I just can't do it.

10. I'm an very indecisive person, it can takes me ages to choose something, (which is partly why this post has taken so long to write). Becuase of this I'm terrible when it comes to buying clothes, I probably return about 50% of the clothes that I buy.

I tag:
http://girlwiththegoldentouch.blogspot.com/

http://123-livelaughlove.blogspot.com/

http://planetloulou.blogspot.com/

http://loveatfirstbite-writes.blogspot.com/

http://sparklesandlipgloss.blogspot.com/

http://peluxe100.blogspot.com/

http://thisisondine.blogspot.com/

http://hazelxeyes15.blogspot.com

http://passionforfashion1983.blogspot.com/

http://ellacinderellax.blogspot.com

Boots purchases

I'm supposed to be saving money for uni at the moment, but I've had my eye on both these items for a while (especially the Loreal primer, which I kept trying in store, loving it then convincing myself that I didn't need it), and they are both on offer so I figured I might as well buy it now before I have to pay full price for them.

I got the Loreal studio secrets smoothing resurfacing primer, and because it was over £5 I got a voucher for £5 off No7 and Ruby & Mille products, so I used that to get the No7 eye contour brush. I'm hoping the brush will be a good substitute for the MAC 217 brush.

Will do a review in the next few weeks, when I've had a chance to use the products properly.

Blog award

Thank you to the lovely Lisa for giving me this award :D

The rules are:
-Accept the award, post it on your blog along with the name of the person that tagged you.
-Pass the award to others.

I pass the award to:

Aisling at http://jadorelemaquillage.blogspot.com/

Daisy at http://cupcakeswithcherries.blogspot.com/

Loveaudrey at http://loveaudrey-loveaudrey.blogspot.com

Sadie at http://brandnewbutterflywings.blogspot.com/

Zoe at http://schoee.blogspot.com/

Movies I need to watch

I was flicking through some old magazines today and I realised there are loads of movies that I never got round to watching so I've decided to make a list of them to remind myself and watch them one by one.

The nanny diaries













The young Victoria









P.S. I love you













Transformers 2











The Jane Austen book club













Harry Potter













Coco before Chanel












These are the only one I cant think of at the moment, If I think of any more I'll add them to the list.

I also need to make sure I watch the time traveller's wife and the September issue before the cinema stops showing them!

Let me know what you think of these films and if they're worth watching or not. Also what other films would you suggest? I'm sure there are loads of good films out there that I haven't seen . TIA x

Review-No 7 cleanse and care eye make up remover

Product: No 7 cleanse and care eye make remover
Price: £7.00 (or £2 with one of those £5 off vouchers)

What they say: No7 Cleanse & Care Eye Make up Remover uses double-action to condition while you cleanse. Be twice as nice to your lashes with this gentle, double action liquid. No7 Cleanse & Care Eye Make up Remover wipes away every trace of make-up, even waterproof mascara. No7 Cleanse & Care Eye Make-up Remover is so gentle it's even suitable for sensitive eyes.

What I think: This product does a great job of removing my eye make up. I normally put a couple of squirts of this onto a cotton wool pad and hold it over my eye for about 30 seconds. It does a good job of dissolving the makeup so there is no need to rub (which is good as I'm paranoid about wrinkles). It takes a few dabs to totally remove all the makeup. I don't have sensitive eyes so I can't comment on that but I can say that it doesn't sting if you accidently use too much and it gets into your eyes. You need to shake the product before using it so the 2 liquids mix but I never seem to do it properly as by the end of the bottle I have different amounts of the 2 liquids. It has a little bit of a greasy feel to it and does leave a residue however I like that it doesn't leave the skin dry and the residue is easily wiped off with my finger or a tissue.

Rating: 9/10
Would I repurchase: Yes! I hope Boots keep doing those vouchers as it's a bargain at £2

Everyday makeup

My everyday look is kept really simple and takes me about 10 minutes every morning. Here are the products that I use:

Face and cheeks

I start by apply Mac studio finish concealer to cover my dark circles, the colour can be slightly too dark for me if I don't have a tan so I normally apply some Loreal touche magique over the top.

If I have any spots or blemishes that need covering I'll apply some Mac select cover up.

Then I use a big brush and buff Mac mineralize skinfinish natural all over my face.

Finally I apply Mac blushbaby and springsheen blusher to my cheeks. I find blushbaby too matte and springsheen too light but used together they give my cheeks a gorgeous glow.

Eyes and lips
For my eye make-up I start by using my Maybelline line definer to line my upper lashline. Then I use a clean mascara comb to separate my lashes and apply Chanel inimitable mascara.

I apply some Carmex cherry lip balm to moisturise followed by No7 sheer temptation entice lipstick and I'm ready to go.

What are your everyday makeup products?