BeinG kiNd tO aniMals and Still HaviN a PrettY fAce

Anytime I find makeup brands that aren't tested on animals I embrace them, also finding products I can recommend to Vegan friends is always about the joy.
I work at Lush and we have an amazing range of makeup products called Emotional Brillance which consist of  highlighter, mascara, loosepowder, skin tints, eyeshadows/liners and lipstick.
Highly pigmented colours made with synthetic and natural colours, these lipsticks have great staying power, and lovely base ingredients.

The two lip colours I love from LUSH are  Decisive and Passionate, both are made with organic jojoba oil for moisture and candelilla and rose wax which both lock the colour in and soothe your lips. Decisive is an amazing cherry red tone which reminds

of MACs Russian Red, you can pat it on for a light stain or build up the colour till its really bright fantastic  red.

Passionate Lips

Passionate is a brillant Barbie pink, its a real pop of colour, fantastic for Summer days and nights.This colour suits all hair colours and skin tones and looks fantastic when wearing no other makeup.
The other lipstick I tried is by a Australian brand I recently discovered via POMLTD.com website.

Its called LippyGirl they do a mixture of organic and vegan based products, none of it tested on animals. The lipstick is a "vegocentric organic vegan" product, made with organic castor seed oil, jojoba oil, carnauba wax (an ingredient also found in the Lush eye liners) and shea butter. Lots of lovely moisturising and nourising ingredients.

I tried the colour Boss Lady which is a spicey orange/red colour very warming on the skin. The lipstick is matt yet not drying at all and  like the  Lush makeup the packing is recyclable, its 100% aluminium
 :-) .
Im going to do a blog on skincare suitable for vegans and not tested on animals soon I think, I will look for things that aren't just available from LUSH .
Let me know what you guys use and can recommend thats animal friendly:-D

if you Go down To thE wooDs toDay....

Recently I saw D&Gs Autumn/Winter 2015 Collection and I'm obsessed with it. Its based on fairy tales and is full of rich colours, amazing capes and most fabulous appliqué animals.

Im feeling a craft project in the making, just need to buy a cape and then decide which animal to create.

Suzy ♥♥ best cape

Mini ShoPinG tReaTs

Hallo everyone, what a glorious summer sunshine we had last week and it was payday this week...woo (mini celebratory dance), my monies is going on wedding stuff at the moment but I thought I would treat myself to a few things.
I bought a few bits, I will be doing a full review and look with my new products but thought I would share what I bought.

 I've been eyeing up L'Oreal Liquid Lip forever, it has the most gorgeous gold packaging,making it look a lot pricey than it is and the prettiest selction of colours.. Its a mix between a lipgloss and stain, you may know this already but for those who dont L'oreal is part of the YSL family this means when YSL bring out something in their makeup range you can guarantee in a year or so L'oreal will produce something very similar ( probably all made in the same factory) but for fraction of the price, the lipglosses are proof of this.
YSL lipstick is amazing but at £24 each my pocket isn't a fan, at 8.99 I can justify getting more than one. I chose Rose Melody a  beautiful pink shade, the smell is DIVINE very fruity with good applicator.
I also purchased L' Oreal  Lumi Magique (Boots have a 2 for £15 deal at the moment on L'Oreal so it's a good time to buy). This is a highlighter pen, again its got that YSL Touche E`Clat vibe going on and comes in 2 shades, I chose light and it works really well on my pale complexion.
My third purchase was NYC Best of Broadway Quattro eye shadow, 5 lovely colours for producing a smokey eye look.
I had  seen this mentioned on Lily Pebbles you tube vlog and she said  it was a dupe for a Chanel Christmas set, so I went a found it and it seems really good, the two taupe colours are really pretty and it has good staying power and for £2.99 is a good buy.

The ET tablet case was a  bargain in H&M, even though the girl mocked me slightly for buying it, she was clueless-  it was £2!!!
The baby wool is for more booties :) which I'm starting this week (I'm a knitting machine :) )  and finally a standard vest for working at Lush. Lush is like a green house at the moment so its vests all the way.
As I said above I will do a look with my new products, till then Laters x

Not JusT for NannAs

       Crafting times!

 I've recently been getting back into doing more arts based fun so thought I'd share with you guys on todays blog.
Some of you may know that my main job is as a screen printer, this means I get covered in ink most days, so when at home I tend to pick crafty based projects that don't get me too messy.
Don't get me wrong I like a bit of mess but I also enjoy doing my art in front of the television now and again, this is why im choosing to share my love of knitting with you.
Im not a very good knitter, I try but im easily confused by the patterns and so far in my repertoire is afew chunky scarves, a very loose hat(not worked out tension yet) and a baby blanket.
Two of my close friends are pregnant and I've chosen to make their tiny humans small knitted booties to wear on their teeny feets(both are going to be winter babies).
I spent ages trying to learn how to knit, my mum tried to show me years ago but it never sunk in not till I was given the best beginners book - Knitty Gritty.

I cannot recommended this book enough if you are just starting to knit or just can't get your head around knitting and purling (technical terms don't cha know). This book makes knitting possible to understand, I can actually make things!
I've nearly finished my first pair of booties and  I will be starting the second ones very soon and then maybe I will begin on some mittens. I will post some pics once the girls have seen them.
Also I've discovered a really cool site called Wool and the Gang (woolandthegang.com) they make knitting fun, they have a wide selection of patterns and different blogs definitely worth checking out.

Its not only wool I have been playing with but paper crafts, my wedding is in less than 8 weeks! ( starting to get a little stressed) and we are making the decorations for the village hall. We have decided to make paper hearts from maps/ vintage and coloured card, to then make garlands and the chairs prettier.
Hopefully we are starting  construction of these this week
  (photos will follow).
Let me know what arts based fun you have been up to recently or if there is something you would like to try.
Laters ...

holiday TiMes Are a GoNe

Hai everyone sorry I haven't written a blog in a few weeks, I've been away on me  holidays.

Firstly we went to Bruges/Belgium for bber and bike riding, then me and the boy went to Glastonbury for beer and bands. So basically I've been drinking far too much fruit beer and cider and eating a lot of cake and burgers, my poor skin :(.
Its been lovely but kinda glad to be back home, also I have been missing Professor Periwinkle, the large furry beasty.
I was actually feeling so unfit that I have rejoined the gym! I had a little bit of gentle persuasion from my lovely friend Sherrie who is coming with me, I have no motivation if I'm not with anyone else so she will make me go for longer than 10 minutes. We went last night and it wasn't too bad, I was promised a gin at the end of the session which helped power me throug ( shock horror). While on the running machine I  began to wonder what people would think if I  were to bring one of those e-cigs with me? Would this be a gym faux pas ?? You can smoke them in most places these days. Another thing I can never understand is people in full makeup in the gym, if like me your face gets very red and beetroot like makeup will not be your friend but the exact opposite you will encourage the spots.
Sweat x Makeup = breakout city. Maybe this is why I don't venture to the gym very often.
Apologises for not doing my third installment about festival wear, I just ran out time needless to say if you saw the weather last weekend my wardrobe consisted of wellies, poncho, leather jacket and either a vest or tshirt. It was muddy, rainy ( some electrical storms) and extremely sunny, classic Glastonbury.
One of my highlights was seeing M.I.A (little preview below)

In other news I've been using some new Lush treats that came out a few weeks ago African Paradise and Million Dollar Moisturiser. I will begin with the product I was most excited about using, Million Dollar Moisturiser and it is my new fav.

 You all know I like a face cream to have SPF - its my main requirement. I could never use British Nanny SPF 30 from Lush as it was far too rich for my skin and made me breakout but this is perfect and SPF 30! It soaks in quickly and doesn't leave a greasy feel, my skin feels matt yet hydrated. Its full of honey and Shea butter to soften your skin but has lavender and rosewood oil which will balance and tone your skin and it smells amazing because of the tonka absolute in it. I'm so glad they cracked making a sunscreen that is fantastic for combination skin, its a little pricey but as with all Lush products its worth it as you know no animals have been harmed.

The second is African Paradise which is one of Lushs body conditioners or as I call it "lasy person moisturiser". You smooth the fabulous smelling lotion all over your body after washing and then rinse it off, you are left super soft, I'm incredibly lasy and this is the solution for my dry skin. Perfect especially as summer is here, use it after shaving your legs and they stay soft all day. It's full of almond oil, aloe gel, Shea butter and moringa oil which is an amazing African plant  full of vitamins and protein. One of the fantastic things about this product is the moringa oil sourced is supported by the SLush fund, which means the money Lush pays for the product goes back into local based projects around the area and in this case it helps a women's refuge in Ghana. The women  who live here are feed and know they are safe it also has a project that involves the women who wish to work getting involved with growing Aloe Vera plants ( which Lush also buys). So its great that instead of just giving people who need help cash they are giving them the opportunity to make a sustainable living and regain their independence back..

I really like the idea that as well as having the most glowing, softest skin you also get a sense of well being with your purchase, a nice added bonus I think :) ...till next time, laters x 

GlaStoNbUry MakEup TimE

Trying to keep yourself looking as non zombie after spending afew days in a field, drinking far too much and not washing is difficult, you can easily end up looking like an extra from Dawn of the Dead.

Not the best look

Partying starts to take a toll on your complexion, hair and sanity.
When going to a festival you don't want to pack too much as you have to carry it across a field, so I've thought of the essential makeup I will need.
Firstly I will apply  a SPF enriched moisturiser ( as seen in my previous blog). I will be covering the dark circles with the amazing Mac Studio Finish, SPF 35 concealor in NW15. To bring some colour back to your face blush is your friend, my tip is to use a cream based one ( no need for tools- just fingers), Bourjours mini pot creme blush shade no2 is a lovely peachy flush or Daniel Sanders Watercolour blush in acid which is an amazing bright pink, both blend into the skin beautifully  and you can build up the colour.

On my eyes I'm going to use Mac paint pot in Paintly as a base which is a lovely pale colour, when hungover (as I will be) the last thing I want to do is mess around with brushes (also its less to pack) this is easily applied with fingers.
At festivals I think the more glitter the better, you can go big,bright and bold or keep it light and sparkly.
 I am taking a gorgeous eye shadow by Nars Baby Peach which is a bronze/copper/gold colour and a Mac pigment pot in Blonde's Gold which is an amazing bronze/gold.

By the evening I will probably use eyeliner for a cat flick, just to make my look more party. I've also bought a purple mascara by Miss Sporty (only £2.99! ), coloured mascaras are big at the moment and a really fun alternative to usual black lashes. Brows as usual, then finish with either Vaseline or a really bold lip colour, I'm thinking a deep purple.

My makeup kit

 To be honest I think all rules are out of the window at a festival, its time to experiment and have fun!
What I'm wearing is tomorrows blog...my main rule will be don't over pack...we shall see.
Laters

GlAstonBury TinGs - pAckiNg For feStivals

Festival season is upon us and me and the boy are off to GLASTONBURY!! I cannot wait, in less than 2 weeks I will be wearig my wellies waiting to watch Dolly Parton (one of many playing).

Festival Essentials

Its my first time going to Glastonbury, I've done Reading Fest afew times but from what I've seen and heard Glasto is a whole new level of fun times. With this in mind this blog is going to be a three parter, part 1 - what skincare essentials to take pt 2 - makeup and haircare and pt 3 -  what to wear.

The most important thing is sun protection.
Ive spoken afew times about my need for spf in face products, I think its the most IMPORTANT thing. But its even more important when you are going to be spending most of your day in a huge field with not much shade. I like my skin to be goth like; pale and interesting, I also see this as hopefully my key to staying wrinkle free longer.
For my face its factor 50 all the way, in the past this meant thick cream that clogged pores and left a ghostly, greasy residue on the skin but no more, my two faves are-
Garnier Ambre Solaire sensitive advanced SPF 50 and Alpha H Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50 both lightweight.
 Ive found that the Alpha H works better on my combination skin and stays mattifyed for longer it contains vitamin e and aloe vera so its very soothing on the face.Garnier is slightly richer and takes a little bit more work to soak into the skin but both are fantastic bases for light foundation or CC cream.
 In terms of body I use either SPF 30 or 50 and at the moment Boots Soltan range is half price so thats what I purchased, the  bottle is only £5 which I think is rather good, in the past I have used Superdrug own brand which I also rate. My bottle also contains insect repellent as mosquitos love to bite me and the nice thing is the lotion doesnt contain the odd fragrance that most insect sprays have.
While spending 4 days in field I've found in the past its a rather water free( in terms of washing) zone, so this means wipes for face and body. Now I would never chose a wipe over warm water and face wash/cleanser but at festivals I find its the best and quickest/most convenient way to get clean. Ive chosen fragrance free baby wipes for my body, I prefer them fragrance free as I find them gentler on the skin, these were £1 from Wilkinson.
Face wipes can be extremely drying and astringent so I've selected 2 that I hope will be gentle yet effective on my face, for the evening Simple Clear skin Oil Balancing with zinc ( which gently absorbs excess oil) these wipes are great for oily/combination skin. They will take all my makeup off including mascara and leave my skin feeling fresh. For the morning I've bought Loreal Age Perfect cleansing wipes enriched with vitamin C for mature skin, as im gettin older I need a wipe that is gonna to feed my skin and keep it soft. Its going to be feeling dehydrated from all the alcohol and sunshine so any extra moisture I can get in I will take, I tried to remove my makeup but found they weren't very effective.
My main tip is just keep hydrated by drinking as much water as you can, I'm going to carry a bottle with me everywhere I go, its the best thing you can give your skin.
The next blog will be about which makeup to take, you don't want lots of products weighing you down and also some essential haircare ideas.
Laters  x