Mini MAC Haul

 My latest little splurge at MAC was on the small side but still rather successful. I took a quick look at the Semi Precious collection which I found was really pretty and 'grown up', but the only thing that really wow'd me were their new split fibre brushes.

I picked up the 128 Split Fibre Cheek Brush (RRP £24.00)

It's a combination of both synthetic and natural fibres, which is super soft for application of blush with a natural blended look. I heart it already as it will be fab for travel as its like two amazing brushes in one!

My next item was a perfect match to my gorgeous new brush... Powder blush in 'Fleur Power' (RRP £17.00) 

I opted against a pro palette pan refill as I wanted an everyday blush to chuck into a small make-up bag for on-the-go application just for myself. The assistant in store was really helpful and suggested this shade for me and I was pleased with the colour pay off as sometimes I struggle to get a nice shade for my skin tone.

Lookin' flush!

One of my biggest regrets on my wedding day was not having this next item in my pearl clutch! No matter what oil/shine free products or powders I use I always end up with a big shiny face and it REALLY bugs me. I picked up these blot film sheets (RRP £10.50) They are super sized an you get 30 in the pack. If I didn't get discount I'm not sure I would have initially paid £10.50 for them, however I have found them pretty amazing so they were worth every penny. I think I'll buy a range of blotting sheets and do a little comparison for a future blog, perhaps I'll find a cheaper alternative.

OIL BE GONE!!

My final product is new from the 'Sized to go' collection and is sooo cute...

Pro eye make up remover in a handy 30ml travel size container (RRP £7.00), ready to chuck in my make-up bag or take on board a flight. They have also created lots of other mini's of your favourite MAC skincare products including Fix+, Cleanse off oil, Demi wipes, Strobe cream and Oil control lotion. They are really convenient in a hurry and also so you can trial them before you commit to a full size and get stuck with a product that you don't like or causes a break out. I asked in store and was also told that these items count in their Back2Mac scheme, which is extra good news!! On a value rating however you are losing out as a 100ml size of this item is £13.50 so that's a loss of  approx. 40mls of product to £s, if you are into saving cash you could always purchase the larger bottle (if you love the product!) and de-canter into a smaller bottle. Personally I like the convenience and I will save my mini bottle when I'm done as it will be labelled for future use. I think I'll be picking up the Fix+ next time as it's always a pain taking the full size on holiday or to festivals.

What do you think of the new collections, are you loving or loathing?

Jen xoxo

 nkkl

for excetional B lush application, this split fibre brush delivers a soft, diffused look with its unique combination of natural & synthetic fibers.

The Next Summer Sale

This weekend has been a little bit of a wash out with the weather, which unfortunately (for my husband) lends itself to idle thumbs in need to keep themselves busy...obviously in the form of my favourite past time SHOPPING! For some unknown crazy reason I decided to humour my sister-in-law and drag myself out of bed at 4am to join her and the mass hysteria called The Next Sale.

I could not believe my eyes when I saw that other 'crazy' people had also awoken from their slumber for this spectacle, consequently creating a que to the front door as long as my bank statement. Whilst I do not wish to experience such a traumatic morning again for a long time, I was really pleased with some of the bargains I picked up for our home and a few little treats for the hubby and myself.

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE  PURCHASES

How cute is this cushion? It's for Bruno!

Some 'everyday' tops

Yes! I fought off the under my legs lady for these sets.  Jen 1  Leg lady 0 

 

£12, Great as it charges my phone too!

I thought this was really sweet, nice to open the door to!

Some of the other happy shoppers *cough, cough* present that morning were running around the store like they were on an episode of supermarket sweep, which was quite funny to witness. At one point a woman actually crawled under my legs to nab herself a double duvet set, at which point I started to crack. The poor husbands that had been dragged out as bag carrying mules had strategically placed themselves on the half price sofas in the home department surrounded by swag, whilst their other halves ransacked the underwear rail and children's section. The word 'SALE' to me is a double edged sword, beautiful items at half the price but at the cost of crazy people stalking your purchases to try and take them from you. So, in conclusion to this subject, if you want to grab a bargain you've got to be prepared to get your hands dirty, and the early bird gets the best bedding!

NOTE: I also had a VIP online slot booked in on Wednesday and was really dissapointed as the site kept crashing/kicking me off, I did manage to still spend a small fortune but its nice to come home from work each day to different little parcels :) 

Jen xoxo

Outfit of the day!

This is what I wore on Sunday to a Christening (Congrat's Mason James!) 

For the first time ever I wore clip in hair extensions that I bought from Sally's, They didn't add much length as my hair is quite long and thick but I was just having a little trial.

Look at Bruno trying to stop me going out, little monkey!

The weather on Sunday was rather pants and I was going into Liverpool afterwards so I opted for a full shoe, these lace up wedges are from New Look and I got them for the bargain price of SSssshhh £8.00 in the sales!!

Dress: ASOS

Jacket: Topshop

Necklace: River Island

Watch: Michael Korrs

Bag: Louis Vuitton

Jen xoxo

Reebok Runtone: My bargain purchase!

I picked these up on my little trip to JJB sports in Oxford, I couldn't resist as they were such a bargain and I had previously had my eye on the Reebok Easytone.

 

They are designed for making your run a little bit more beneficial on toning up your body, due to the air pods positioning in the bottom of the shoe. The sales assistant was incredibly rude and pushy, plus she didn't really promote the footwear in a positive light, telling me not to get them wet (so buy there JJB £2.99 spray) and the air pods could burst (so buy there JJB insoles). I'm not one for the hard sell and if the sales assistant has a really bad attitude problem, she ain't getting anymore cash out of me even if her miracle spray is only £2.99! I'm not too sure if I'm convinced in their 'technology' but I hate running so anything will help! They are however extremely comfy and have slight reflectors which is a plus when running at night. For £22.49 instead of £89.99 I'm not going to complain, but I'll let you know on how they fair up... so far I've only worn them to a Zumba class and to play on the XBox Kinnect, so not really quite the 10K or London Flora Marathon!

BARGAIN!!!!

Jen xoxo

Wedding Belles!

Last week the hub and I attended our friends wedding and we were lucky enough to have the sunshine on the day. It was a lovely occasion and the bride and groom looked stunning, so congrats to Simon and Kerry on their special day!

This is what I wore on the day

Facinator: Marks and Spencer's

Dress: Topshop

Shoes: Next

Jewellery: Topshop

(China Glaze nail polish)

How lucky am I? Look what the hub surprised me with today...

I am the biggest Elemis fan (especially the Pro-Collagen range!) This set contains Pro Collagen day and night cream, Pro Intense Eye & Lip contour cream, Pro Radiance cream cleanser and Pro Collagen quartz lift serum. Certain to keep wrinkles at bay and skin looking smooth. All in a beautiful purple padlock case (I heart storage!), perfect for travelling and weekends away... Thanks Hub! <3

Looking dapper!

Jen xoxo

Hair in a Hurry! Batiste Dry Hair Shampoo,

We've all been there, running late for work and you simply don't have time to wash your hair. My favourite rescue product for such a hair crisis is Batiste dry hair shampoo in a can! It's been around forever and I first thought it was a product for granny's as the original design on the can screamed blue rinse, but it has since been updated and comes in a variety of fragrances. 

I'm pretty sure most of you are familiar with it as it has gained cult status, but just in case you are in the dark about this amazing product I thought I would spread the fabulousness of this spray.

Its simple to use as you just shake the can and spray it onto your hair (generally towards the roots) I then muss up my hair as if shampooing then brush out and voilà you have fresh hair with added volume!

I have tried a few (expensive) alternatives to this including one by Ojon which I was totally unimpressed by as the pump spray clogged after one use, my hair did not feel voluminous and quite frankly it cost a small fortune. Batiste spray is available nearly everywhere from your local pharmacy to the supermarket where you shop and cost around about £2.00! So for those days when you need a quick fix, grab yourself a budget buy.

Jen xoxo

Weekend Break: Banbury, Oxford.

Last weekend the Hub and I took a weekend break in the lovely market town Banbury in Oxfordshire. We had a lovely time just mooching around the shops, dining out and having a couple of cheeky drinks. It was a refreshing change from our regular routine weekends and I also picked up some mega bargains while I was there!

I got an early dart from work on the Friday, kissed goodbye to my pooch Bruno and we set out on our little road trip... 


We stopped for a quick Starbucks and I couldn't resist a go at the teddy grabber machine!

MY WINNINGS!

The Hotel: The Cromwell Lodge

We stayed at the Cromwell lodge which was in the style of an old English Inn. I loved the feel of the place and the staff were brilliant.
We stayed in room 18 which was really quaint with sach windows, a large bed, pine furniture and spacious bathroom.
It came equipped with a hairdryer, iron & ironing board, tea & coffee facilities with little biscuits!
It was a bargain at £99 for 2 nights bed and breakfast. The breakfast was amazing too with plenty of choice.

 

On the first evening we dined at the hotel and had a two course meal and bottle of wine for just £32.50. The food was fantastic and I was really pleased to see lots of Vegetarian options on the menu.

 

 

 

 

 

Sporting my new fringe/bangs!

 The following morning we did a little shopping and I was thrilled to find an abundance of shops including all the high street favourites which had massive sales on. We did stop by some smaller stores including a cute pet shop complete with talking parrot and an old sweet store.   

Named after me... hee hee!

The hub was incredibly pleased to discover an abundance of Thai restaurants in the town (as it's his favourite grub!) so our evening meal that night was planned, we booked in as recommended and was glad that we did as it was very busy.

After we were all shopped out we went for lunch and a couple of drinks then watched 'Bridesmaids' at the local cinema. The movie was hilarious and the hub and I found ourselves laughing out loud!

So, on to our evening meal...

We went to the Thai Garden (not the one seen in the pic above) I had read on trip advisor that although it looks old on the outside the inside was fabulous and the food was authentic and literally to die for (it was!)

David thought that the little running men on the menu were hysterical! It meant that the dishes were healthy!

Can't escape the shiny face!

 

 

 

 

 

The following day we had breakfast and took a short walk around the town again before we head off home, we thought it was really cute to see they had a town crier!

Oh yay, Oh yay!

Had to take a snap of the cows crossing the road!

Jen xoxo