My current wishlist...i.e. things I want right now but can't collectively afford...

What do I do when I want to go shopping but know I shouldn't spend any more money...window shop as my other half would say! And when the weather's pants I window shop from the sofa with a cup of caffeine in my hand.
Every girls dream is Zara, so that's where I headed on my fictional tour first where I spied this Leather Pouch.  Its small, it's cute, it says 'stressed' hence it's perfect for me.  Also from Zara's offerings come this gorgeous Pique Blazer and this cute Bucket Bag. I don't wish for much...
Now this wouldn't be a fictional shopping trip without some makeup thrown and who doesn't want Tom Ford makeup! I don't own anything from Tom Ford's beauty range but if I could first on the list would be this Eye colour quad or the ever popular Lip Colour in wild ginger.
And of course you can't end a virtual mooch around the shops without paying homage to space NK.  First stop, the By Terry stand where I spotted the ever talked about ombre-blackstar in brown perfection and of course I couldn't leave without perusing the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes.
Sometimes virtual tours are better than the real thing....

My current skin saviour...

You know that feeling when you're feeling run down, exhausted and like you just want to crawl into bed and come out when its summer?! yep that has been me this past couple of weeks paired with the virus from hell! I've had achy joints, fever shakes, the lot but my skin has looked pretty good all down to this wonder bottle.  Clarins usually bring it when it comes to skincare and this toning lotion is not exeption, it's made for dry skins like mine and alcohol free so it isn't stripping or drying at all.  The standard sweeping of the cotton pad ritual with this has been all I've been able to manage in terms of skincare routine these days but it must be working as my skin is clear and radiant in the morning.  Priced at £19.00 for 200ml its fairly standard Clarins pricing however for the results totally worth it in my opinion.  Only the smallest amount is needed for a full face and neck sweep and this bottle is still going strong 6 months post purchase however I must say I don't use this everyday.  This being my good skin in a bottle skin saviour of the moment means I whip it out in dire times of need and am never left disappointed!

Beauty from the inside...

I felt like blogging today! Now that hasn't happened in a very long time... So I figured while the mood was right I should just run with it!
I haven't done a healthy eating post in a very long while so I figured why not start there! I've always believed that while a good skincare regime is important its equally as important if not more to feed yourself from within.  I know I bang on about it a lot in my health posts but if it feels good on the inside, it'll show on the outside.

Drink lots of water! Water helps aid digestion, helps keep your body well hydrated, works wonders for glowy skin and has 0 calories!  If you're like me and don't think water tastes as good as a can of diet coke try adding some fresh fruit to your bottle of water and popping it in the fridge to keep it nice and fresh.  My favourites are lemon slices, strawberry and kiwi chunks and blueberries for that extra antioxidant hit!  Drinking a glass of water half an hour before your meal will ensure you probably eat a bit less and having another glass half an hour after your meal will help aid digestion.

Don't skip breakfast! It sounds so simple but it really really helps!  Eating a well balanced healthy breakfast will keep you going until lunchtime, it'll stop you from craving sugar and fats mid morning and give you all the energy you need to achieve your full potential rather than feeling lethargic and grouchy like I often did.  My favourite breakfast choices have become porridge oats with 1% milk topped with blueberries and sometimes a cheeky banana if I'm feeling devilish or A slice of wheat free toast topped with rocket leaves, poached egg and sliced smoked salmon....mmmm delish!

Freeze your fruits! Buying larger fruits or fruits in bulk means you can freeze what you don't eat immediately, frozen fruits taste great in smoothies or just as they are as a refreshing hit and it means you don't waste what doesn't get eaten the day you buy them.

Switch to Coconut Oil! The apparent benefits to this new wonder product are endless so obviously I had to jump on the Coconut Oil bandwagon!  Now I've not been cooking with it long enough to sing its praises too much just yet but according to the numerous articles that have popped up recently the possibilities are endless with this product.  You can cook with it, cleanse your face with it, condition your hair with it, moisturize your body with it as well as it's endless digestive and medicinal properties.  I'll leave you to make your minds up about this one for now while I continue to test it out.

Until next time
Ciao  

The wanderer returns...

Hey there beautifuls

Wow I haven't sat at my laoptop and written anything on here for such a long time I feel like I need instructions for how to get started...

Yes I've been absent for a fair few  *ahem* months! But after having a really really bad day yesterday I woke up today with this real sense of urgency to speak to someone, so here I am putting myself out there for all to see.

I started a new job, at a great hospital with the best reputation in the country or so it claimed, yet I hated my job, i hated going in everyday, in fact it made me sick, physically and mentally.  Although I predominantly work with females who should be sympathetic right? I was bullied for being the newbie, shouted at (in a hospital!) talked down to, and words really hurt.  Surprisingly the people who mostly made it a pleasure to work there were the DR's! dont believe this misconception that drs and nurses don't mix people! we got on like a house on fire (and so obviously I was taunted for supposedly flirting with the drs and bullied because the drs seemed to prefer asking me for help than other nurses who had been there for years..) 

If you hadn't guessed it already I'm a nurse working in London but I don't think I've actually had a day where I've come home happy with my job or with a sense of pride that I've done something good.  Instead I just felt run down and used by my so-called colleagues...

So after a horrible day (which was actually bad partially for non-work related reasons) I vowed to change my life, now usually people make small changes, a new haircut maybe? mani? Me?! I typed out an email of resignation to my manager and promptly began to search for other jobs!

I feel like a weight's been lifted from my shoulders, finally feel like I can breath for the first time in a while as there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I became a nurse to nurse, to help improve the quality of life of my patients, to help rehabilitate their health both physically and mentally, instead I was told by my colleagues I hadn't done enough, nothing is ever good enough despite the lovely old lady who's kissed my hand today and thanked me over and over for my patience and gentleness, despite the family of a patient who's just passed away thanking me so much for making their relatives final few days peaceful and pain-free, OH NO you haven't filled in the forms for the new admission thats just come in! bad nurse! spend your break crying in the staff room, but only for a minute, pull yourself together and then help dish out the dinners! oh and that 5 minutes you spent wailing in the staff room..? that counts as your statutory 30 minute break, I hope you cried all your tears in those 5 minutes because you wont get another one for the rest of your shift!

Then I look around and see all the other nurses, they have the same look in their eye, the same worn expression, I can't be the only one feeling this way right? 

If you're unhappy its a taboo to speak of it, never complain and just get on with it, well I am getting on with it, I'm moving away from the things that drain me physically and mentally and make me feel worthless and I'm trying something new

who's with me?

Happy Holidays from Es-Jay Makeup...

Hey there Beautifuls

I know I've been just a little more than absent from the old bloggy recently but I just haven't had time to breath let alone sit down and form coherent sentences.

I've started a new job which is demanding to say the least, I'm week 4 into it and there've already been tears and tantrums but I can honestly say it's a dream job and I ALMOST wouldn't change it for the world.

But as I sit here tonight after a long shift on the ward I had this great urge to blog! So naturally I thought I'd do it before I lost consciousness.

This is a post to say Happy Holidays to all my followers and whoever else may come across this post by chance, Whatever your cultural or religious beliefs may be I hope you're all having a wonderful time wherever in the world and thank you for supporting Es-Jay Makeup!

All the best and I shall be writing to all very soon...

Until then

Ciao for now

xoxox

Dove Intensive Repair Leave-In Conditioning & Care Spray...

Hello again Beautifuls!

 



I'm back again with a quickie review for you of a recent discovery that I've just fallen in love with.  If you've been a follower of my blog for a while you'll probably notice that a haircare review is a little out of the norm for me.  But with the change of weather it's not just my skin that's suffering.  I've been browsing the aisle's for intensive treatments and masks but always turned away with nothing knowing that my hatred for thick gloopy hair masks teamed with my very fine easily weighed down hair couldn't really be catered for...That is until now...

 

Enter the Dove Hair Therapy Leave-in Conditioning and Care spray.  It's weightless and helps to prevent breakage and split ends which I'll admit I was in desperate need for.  The spray comes as a dual formula with a milky layer and a more transluscent layer which you shake to combine and then mist onto either towel dried, damp hair or dry hair.  I love the spray dispenser for this bottle as it gives a really even fine mist, you don't need much.  I have mid-back length hair and I feel 3-4 sprays is more than enough for my whole head.  I've been using this before blow drying as a bit of a heat protectant and on next day hair for shine and conditioning.  I haven't been using this long enough to know if it's actually doing anything amazing for my hair but since I've bought this my hair has looked a million times healthier and just generally in better condition. 

 

It's definitely is weightless but I do find that if you have really fine hair like mine you probably will have to wash your hair a day sooner than you normally would.  To be honest I really don't mind this.  I also think this Dove conditioner is great for coloured hair although they do have another version specifically for coloured hair as I recently went redhead and everytime I spray this in my hair it does genuinely make y colour look fresher, more vibrant and richer.  And just to top of the rave...It smells GORGEOUS! It's a scent that is defintely present when it's sprayed but not overpowering but lingers on the hair and I have been told it's quite an 'attractive hair smell' whatever that means! It's a little bit floral with fruity cocktail hints and would be great as a holiday essential I think. 

 

I picked this up in Boots for half the RRP at around £1.48 if I remember correctly which is an absolute steal! Go and get it! you won't be disappointed. I'm so tempted to pick up a few more while it's on offer just to stock up.

 

Apologies for not having proper pics guys, the weather has just been so pants and grey and what with it now getting dark at 5pm by the time I'm ready to sit down and blog my pictures all come out pants! :(

 

leave me your lovely comments and don't forget to subscribe and also let me know what you're using on your hair to save it from this horrible cold weather!

Until next time

Ciao for now World

xoxox

Nivea Lip Butters...

 

Hey there Beautiful people.  I know I've been absent for a while and I'd like to have a viable reason to give other than 'life got in the way' but it did.  Many a time I sat down to blog but felt it was forced and where's the fun in that?!  I'm back today with a quick review of something which instantly caught my eye in Superdrug the other day and had me thinking...'I'll have to blog about those later..'

 

It's the new Nivea Lip Butters.  They come in three different 'flavours' with 'Original' being the one I figured I could pass on but the two I have I'm in love with.  Caramel Cream smells like sugary vanilla cupcakes but not in a sickly sweet artificial way, whereas raspberry rose smells a bit zingyer, like raspberry sweets.  Both are solid in texture but melt to the touch and apply like a thick feeling butter on the lips.  They don't feel sticky or gloopy and I have a feeling these are going to be travelling everywhere with me as the weather turns much colder.  Now for £1.49 each they're not exactly going to work miracles but it does provide adequate moisture for a fair few hours and they smell and taste so yummy that I don't mind the re-application process one bit!

 

I feel like I should be doing a lot of talking and updating but there's not really much to say...I'm still waiting to start work which is annoying as I'm eager to get my hands dirty.  CRB check pending I should be on my way back to nursing the sick very soon, fingers crossed.  I'm also on the hunt for new skincare as usual.  I can't seem to get it set so I'm drinking gallons of water in the hopes that it'll clear itself up.  Any recommendations from you lovely lot would be much appreciated :D

 

Until Next Time

 

Ciao For Now World

 

xoxox