My Last Pre Spending Diet Purchase

Okay as well as the bits that haven't came yet, this will be my last purchase pre spending diet. It probably isn't to everyone's taste but I think it cute and quirky and its cheered me up whilst tending to my sunburned skin :) Thanks ebay! Tomorrow the hard work starts - eek:(

Too Much Sun?

It is ridiculously hot in Northern England today - a few hours in the garden this afternoon and this happened - hmm - bring on the after sun

Hello My Name Is Louise and I Have A Problem..

I am a compulsive shopaholic!!
Whilst looking for something the other day I actually realised how many beauty products I own and to be honest I was shocked. I hope by popping some pics on here I can be shamed into stopping buying new products :(

My beauty case (actually a B&Q toolbox) which contains all my everyday make up and the things I use most often





The two sets of drawer units - the left hand side drawers contain my everyday hair, skincare, perfumes and my make up palettes

The second set of drawers contain my make up brushes, then separate drawers for new and hardly used items separated into drawers for lips, eyes, face (bases and blush, etc) and skincare - this is really bad - how many products I own and haven't used









It gets worse I then decided to look at my unused body, hair and bath stuff - bearing in mind this isn't all of it and this doesn't include things I am currently using in the bathroom , or my Lush ballistics



OK as you can see I have a bit of a problem :( Believe me though my wardrobes and drawers are just as bad - I have loads of gorgeous stuff that I just haven't worn - things have got to change! In the words of Gok - I need to buy less and wear more! -I really need to reign in my spending - I am sick of evil credit card bills.

For those reason I have decided to resurrect my spending ban - ban is far too harsh a term though and maybe that's why I couldn't stick to it- I have decided go on a spending diet and I intend to spend just £30 a month and no more on all my treats i.e magazines. beauty, clothes and so on. I am not including bill payments, and magazine subscriptions that I have already paid for or things I have already ordered (more on those later!). If by chance I don't spend my £30 allowance (LOL)I can carry it over to the next month. I am going to keep track of my monthly spends on here by putting a little section in the sidebar letting you know how I am getting on

Oh and I am also going to make a serious effort to trim down my beauty stash before I start to buy new things - so I am going to add something to my sidebar called "Trimming My Stash" In this I am going to let you know which products I finish over the course of the month and keep a count of how many things I actually manage to finish over the next 6 months

Wish me luck peeps - I really need to stick to this now :(

Look What I've Got

I received a lovely parcel of goodies this morning courtesy of handbag.com and twitter. All throughout May they ran a competition for people to give them their summer beauty tips - they picked one of my tips and I won a goodie bag :)
My parcel contained
A Full Size Elemis Tri Enzyme Resurfacing Gel Max (RRP £45!!!)
A Full Size John Frieda Frizz-Ease Heat Defeat Protective Styling Spray
A Full Size Charles Worthington Dream Hair Blissful Treat Intensive Conditioner
A 50ml Tub of Nivea Creme
A 30ml Bottle of Biotherm Biosource Clarifying Cleansing Milk
A Cute Little Clear Bag With Glitter Bits Floating Around In It Containing 50ml Wella System Professional Repair Cream Conditioner, 50ml Wella System Professional Repair Shampoo,50ml Wella System Professional Ultimation Hairspray

I am really pleased with my goodies and can't wait to play with my bits especially the Elemis mask

Halloumi and Pea Curry - Yummy Yum!

Got this recipe from the fabulous Geeky Weirdo Chick - Tried it on one of the hottest days of the year so far which probably wasn't a great idea but this curry certainly was it was yummy. You could probably replace the Halloumi with Paneer which I am sure would be just as good - Thanks Geek!

Boohoo Haul

Ordered a few summer bits from boohoo.com

Drugstore Haul :)

Had a mini drugstore haul today :)

L'Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara - The one with the sputnick applicator - haven't got a clue what this is like but it looks interesting and there was £2 off in Boots :)

beautyuk eyeshadow collection No 3 - I haven't got this one but the brights palette still proves elusive

Collection 2000 Blush - 01 Oh So Pretty - Gorgeous slightly shimmery peachy blush with a gorgeous embossed floral design

Too Faced Lockdown Shadow - Prisoner of Love - Nice shimmery pink cream shadow - read about these on the fabulous blog "too much blush" and I am always looking for new cream shadows - I love the textures of creams but I always find they crease so I am going to give this a go fingers crossed its a winner

Boots Botanics Soothing Eye Make Up Remover - A HG product - non stinging and it removes everything- Botanics were on buy one get one half price today so...

Boots Botanics Quick Fix Cleansing Wipes - I wouldn't recommend wipes for regular cleansing but once in a while is OK - these are great they don't sting and they aren't drying

L'Oreal Elvive Re-Nutrition Nourishing Fluid Day - a leave in conditioner treatment with royal jelly extract - I saw this products on Laura aka Lollipop26 's fabulous YouTube channel - I've only tried it once but so far so good - I have really dry ends so I just rubbed a little into them and I could see a difference - L'Oreal hair products were also on buy one get one half price in both Boots and Superdrug so...


L'Oreal Elvive Re Nutrition Caring Shampoo - thought I would try the matching shampoo :)


Well there you go if you want any more details let me know and I'll try and let you know what I think

ETA - Also bought a mini Nivea deodorant for my handbag

Cute Pics

Made my bed yesterday and what happened - Jasper decided it looked very comfy and climbed in - Typical

Porky Pig?

After several weeks of food over indulgence (caramel shortbread, minstrels - nom nom) I tentatively stepped on the scales - argh!!!! Ok I probably way less than a lot of people - sumo wrestlers for example, but I have came to the conclusion that I drastically need to restart my diet. It should be a little easier this time with the weather being a bit warmer, and my being in charge of the majority of shopping and cooking but being of little or no willpower I will probably struggle like mad again but I need to try starting today!

Agony!

The title says it all really - I haven't blogged much about football this season for the plain and simple reason supporting Newcastle United has been too depressing. A throughly depressing season ended on a throughly depressing note with relegation to the Championship (the 2nd tier of English football / soccer). It was particularly depressing because we could have saved ourselves with one measly point but instead we lost to Aston Villa. Here is hopin we can have a serious overhaul in the summer, clear out some of the dead wood and above all keep Alan Shearer as our manager hopefully Mr Ashley can do something right for once! - Alan Shearer is the only person now who can pull us round and help us bounce next season - lets keep the faith and stay united


English Barclays Premier League Table (courtesy of itv.com)

Team P W D L F A W D L F A GD PTS
1 Man Utd 38 16 2 1 43 13 12 4 3 25 11 44 90
2 Liverpool 38 12 7 0 41 13 13 4 2 36 14 50 86
3 Chelsea 38 11 6 2 33 12 14 2 3 35 12 44 83
4 Arsenal 38 11 5 3 31 16 9 7 3 37 21 31 72
5 Everton 38 8 6 5 31 20 9 6 4 24 17 18 63
6 Aston Villa 38 7 9 3 27 21 10 2 7 27 27 6 62
7 Fulham 38 11 3 5 28 16 3 8 8 11 18 5 53
8 Tottenham 38 10 5 4 21 10 4 4 11 24 35 0 51
9 West Ham 38 9 2 8 23 22 5 7 7 19 23 -3 51
10 Man City 38 13 0 6 40 18 2 5 12 18 32 8 50
11 Wigan 38 8 5 6 17 18 4 4 11 17 27 -11 45
12 Stoke 38 10 5 4 22 15 2 4 13 16 40 -17 45
13 Bolton 38 7 5 7 21 21 4 3 12 20 32 -12 41
14 Portsmouth 38 8 3 8 26 29 2 8 9 12 28 -19 41
15 Blackburn 38 6 7 6 22 23 4 4 11 18 37 -20 41
16 Sunderland 38 6 3 10 21 25 3 6 10 13 29 -20 36
17 Hull 38 3 5 11 18 36 5 6 8 21 28 -25 35
18 Newcastle 38 5 7 7 24 29 2 6 11 16 30 -19 34
19 Middlesbrough 38 5 9 5 17 20 2 2 15 11 37 -29 32
20 West Brom 38 7 3 9 26 33 1 5 13 10 34 -31 32

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

Made some yummy chocolate caramel shortbread today being gluten free its a bit crumbly and probably doesn't look the best but its yummy!

ASOS Birthday Haul

Ordered a few bits from ASOS with my birthday money and my birthday discount

Jewellery





Accessories



Tops





Bottoms

New ELF Haul

Placed another ELF order this week using the free P&P code (sorry I think its expired now)



Duo Eye Shadow Cream - 7104 - Blueberry
Duo Eye Shadow Cream - 7101 - Butter Pecan
Moisture Care Lip Color - 2111 Baby Lips - Loving, Loving, Loving <3
Moisture Care Lip Color - 2115 Caramel Candy
Foundation Brush
Mineral Foundation - Light
Mineral Concealer - Light

I normally use Bare Minerals / Escentuals foundation but for the price I thought I would give the foundation and concealer a go especially after seeing these two vids on the ELF You Tube site :)

Haulage Part 2 - Beauty

OK easiest way to do this is to list what I've bought and put up some pics if you have got any questions let me know peoples

The Body Shop

TBS Cocoa Butter Everyday Summer Body Lotion - Light / Medium
TBS Total Energy Exhilarating Body Wash
TBS Seaweed Deep Cleansing Facial Wash
TBS Mini Cocoa Butter Creamy Body Wash
TBS Mini Cocoa Butter Hand and Body Lotion
TBS Lipscuff
TBS Hot Brights Lips and Cheeks Duo - 01
TBS Yes Yes Yes Lip Butter
TBS Hot Brights Eye Colour 01
Free Sample of Seaweed Day Cream

Close up of Hot Brights Eye Colour No 1



Drugstore Haul



Heard some good things about the eyeshadow collection and the Darling lipstick - bargain prices too!

Beauty UK Eyeshadow Collection - 1 Shimmers
Beauty UK Eyeshadow Collection - 4 Neutrals
GOSH Velvet Touch Lipstick - 134 Darling
Bourjois Coup de Theatre 2 in 1 Mascara
Eyelure False Lash Applicator
ME ME ME Jewel Eye Pots - 2 All That Glitters


Nair Wax Strips
Purple Hard Candy Lash Freak False Lashes
Large Bottle Rescue Oil

Haulage Part 1 - Clothes

OK, I'm back earlier than anticipated - bought a few clothing bits today so I thought I'd show you some of my highlights:)
A couple of bits from the Matthew Williamson for H&M collection - a peacock print vest and a huge, swirly scarf, sarong, throw or even a tablecloth as my mum said!



A super cute Primark necklace and a cute swimming costume



and a super cute lipstick key ring - I have wanted one like this for ages but the Lulu Guinness one was way out of my price range instead picked up this beauty for only £6 from Accessorize


Got some other nice stuff but these were today's highlights :)

A Quickie

Just a quickie from me today - I went to the doctors and got some antibiotics for my ear infection - yuck, yuck - I am also been referred to the ENT team due to the frequency of my infections lately so that is something to look forward too at the the beginning of June - not! Nevermind it wasn't all bad I mangaged a little, well rather large shopping trip and some goodies came today too - I'll try and update you tomorrow :)

7 Days of Happiness? Hmmm

Apologies that I am so late with this, this week, but I haven't been feeling too good. Caring for my mum, and catering for my birthday party has certainly taken its toll on my ME ridden carcass. I managed to miss the match on Saturday and to be honest I just about survived these past few days - ME related pains have riddled my arms, shoulders and back leaving me relying far too much on Mr Painkiller :( Added to that the recurrence of my earache and a trip to the doctors tomorrow - this week and being 31 in general hasn't started too well. Still lots of things last week made me happy and I need to keep up my happy thoughts



1)My Birthday -OK being a year older isn't a lot to be cheerful about normally, but I got some lovely pressies most of which you have already seen, and I got some lovely wishes from people on chat forums, facebook and so on their are some nice people out there :)Pictured here is one of my pressies from my bestie -OK maybe not the most obvious pressie for a 31 year old but I love my bright, shiny balloon - reverting back to childhood is good :)

2)My Birthday Carrot Cake - Since my mum is still a bit incapacitated it was left to me to make my birthday cake - I used her gluten free carrot cake recipe with cream cheese frosting and I have to say it was a total success and tres yummy! The pic really doesn't do it justice


3) Minstrels - yummy, yummy, yummy haven't had these for ages but I have just rediscovered them - Oh wow chocolate heaven - why haven't I shown these more love!

4)My Smashbox Stuff - Loving those nude lip liners especially - great colours and a good texture

5) Once again you - thanks again to you for following me on here and on twitter - it's very much appreciated and a big hello to my new followers x

Just Beauty Direct Haul

Just received an order from Just Beauty Direct. For those who don't know they are a super UK based online retailer who deal in hard to find products like Smashbox, Trilogy and Beauty Blender. The packaging is always super cute and they always offer free samples and free gifts :) I ordered a few Smashbox and Christopher Drummond foundation samples, and a few Smashbox Primer samples. I also ordered two Smashbox lip pencils for their new
The Nude Liners collection - I got light and fair :). I also got a Smashbox O-Plump lipgloss - it goes a lovely pale baby pink on me and it does seem to increase fullness but it doesn't half sting :( I also got a free gift -a mini Smashbox O-Gloss Lip Gloss which will be great for travel :) Finally I ordered a Trilogy Smooth Shine Shampoo which I have heard great things about :)

Birthday Goodies

Eek as you may know it was my birthday yesterday - eek I officially in my 30's now, not just plain old 30 :( Anyways I got some lovely pressies, so I thought I'd show you some of the best :)

From my mum I got some lovely bits including this gorgeous brass Daisy necklace by Peaches Geldof for Made

Some Marc Jacobs Daisy Blooms perfume which came with the cute stickers (which I have already used ;) ) and a free tote bag :)

A gorgeous OPI gift set :)

This super cute make up palette in luscious greens from By Lauren Luke - Lauren is popular you tube make up guru Panacea81, and she has just launched her own collection. This gorgeous palette contains everything you need to create a full look - eyeshadow, cream liner, blush, lipsticks and eye primer / concealer - the colours are gorgeous and so fresh and spring like -I am especially loving the blush and lip shades


I also got some other fashion and beauty bits including some nude ballet pumps from Primark, a gorgeous crystal anchor t-shirt from Zara and a Body Shop Shimmering Plum gift set (so, so happy about this - why do they always discontinue things I love) :)