Sunday Summary #66

I've had the nicest chilled out time off work and hoping I'm not really back tomorrow. I had a really big spring clean and enjoyed the sunshine. I went to Norwich yesterday for a day of shopping with my boyfriend which was perfect and I got some really lovely bits even though we only got round a fraction of the shops there. We found the most amazing takeaway Chinese called "Wox" which is near Primark. The food was insanely good. My boyfriend picked thai caramelised chicken - I wish I'd known how good it was! Norwich Primark is awful! I don't know if it was just a bad day but it even pushed me to the limit. They have more tills since I last went but all the queues were SO long and I had to queue for about 45 minutes, at one point I considered abandoning my basket!! I stayed though and paid and then had to lug that damn heavy bag around, although my boyfriend carried it after a while as it really was so heavy. Our friend recommended we visit the Television and Movie store near the Forum which was amazing. It had everything from Marvel to Doctor Who to Game Of Thrones stuff. I had a fan girl moment at the Harry Potter section and got a little something. We made a trip to Cath Kidston as I was after a bag or two and could spend my entire pay packet in there, I love everything!

My hayfever has started to kick in which I'm hating, today I've been sneezing loads and a runny nose. I've started taking my tablets but will have to dig out my Allergy Reliever. While in Norwich my boyfriend really wanted to track down a copy of Captain America and possibly Thor but HMV didn't have either but we stumbled upon a shop called "That's Entertainment" which we've visited before in Great Yarmouth and has CDs and DVDS at ridiculous prices (second hand) and new stuff too. There will always be CDs I feel are missing from my collection, I like so much music. We were browsing the new section and my boyfriend spotted both DVDs! Talk about a find and only £7.99 each he was so happy. We watched Thor today, we're going with friends to see Iron Man 3 on Tuesday evening and we're watching Captain America next weekend. So after last weekends Iron Man 1 and 2 catch up I'm all Marvel'd up. I'm getting the hype now and understanding it all better as they're all linked in together. I almost feel sad this is the last Iron Man film as I have a little soft spot for RDJ.

My boyfriend's Grandad's party is formal so I'm in a bit of a tizz what to wear but found some cute choices in Primark. I was hoping New Look would have something as I have a credit note for there that needs to be spent soon but I couldn't even find a blazer I liked which was disappointing. I've placed a big Matalan order online which has a purple blazer in which I'm hoping will fit and look great. Hopefully it will turn up in the next few days.

Small cool bag £3.50 - Sainsburys 

When I want a small cool bag I always have to ask my Mum to dig hers out from the garage so it seemed a great idea to get my own. I loved the design of this one, its very me. 

Rope bikini top £8, bottoms £4 - George at Asda 

I think I said last week I was struggling to find a bikini I liked when I stumbled upon this online. I instantly ordered it and love it so much now its arrived. It has two tiny anchors hanging from the top and looks so nice on I can't wait to wear it! 

Maxi dress £10 - George at Asda

I wasn't sure about this but thought as its so easy to return I'd take a gamble and order it. Its lovely material, like a cotton silk, so will be cool for the summer and really looks nice on. My boyfriend isn't a massive maxi dress fan but even he loves this. I didn't see if it said online but this is a bandeau maxi dress that comes with four straps so you could tie them over your shoulder or just use the front two for a halter neck tie. I would recommend checking George out as they have some gorgeous summer items at the moment. 

Paris door stop £5 - Asda 

My Mum got one of these for our kitchen and being a huge Paris and Eiffel Tower lover I had to have my own. Its so striking and feels quite light but actually holds the door perfectly. We tested it out as we have two back doors, a front door and a side door, we only use the side door to get in and out of the house so last weekend when the back doors were open for the lovely weather and our cats to come and go whenever the side door got opened the kitchen door would slam shut. I didn't think this would work but the door didn't even move when this was in place. 

Follow Your Heart wooden plague £1.50 - Morrisons

I went to Morrisons with my Mum to do a little shop on Friday and when I spotted this on the shelf in the home section it got snatched up instantly, plus the tiny price tag means this was a complete steal. I'm not sure there's anywhere to hang this in my room but it'll be a nice thing to keep for when I move out.

 Soap in a box £6.99 - TK Maxx 

I was killing time before meeting my boyfriend from work and thought I'd have a little look in TK Maxx as sometimes they have great bargains. My eyes fell upon this beauty in the middle of other soap boxes, but this being so pretty and curved really stood out. I love adding little trinket boxes to my dressing table to put rings and earrings in. The soap is green tea and white lily scented which isn't my thing but it should benefit someone as I've added it to my charity bag.

 Strawberries carry all open bag £24 - Cath Kidston 

 Sailing boats zip bag £30 - Cath Kidston 

I adore both these bags, I nearly died when my eyes fell upon the boat print when the new catalogue dropped through my door last week. I just had to have something with it on as I love boats and lighthouses and the sea. My boyfriend liked it too and helped me pick which bag to have. I went for the zip bag as it will be ideal for travelling but not too big for shopping. I have a zip shopper bag with the cherries print similar to the strawberries one but they're so handy and ideal they get their use.

Yankee Candles £1.80 each, Yankee holder £2.99 

We found the sweetest vintage shop and my lovely boyfriend bought me these. I haven't seen the holders for sale in a shop before and as I use mine constantly I thought I should get another to have a different scent in for a change and when I move out. My boyfriend has his eye on the big Yankee jars for when we move out.

 Hamsa long necklace £4 - Peacocks

I spotted a white crochet jumper in the window which got me in the doors but then I only left with this, I love long necklaces and this is so dainty and pretty.

 My Little Pony £14.99 - Television and Movie store

I am a MASSIVE MLP fan and couldn't resist this vintage tee. I often go for t shirts with quirky things on and this being the original MLP I just fell in love with it instantly. Its black which is a shame as I'm sure pink would look cuter but beggars can't be choosers.

 Hogwarts emblem mug £6.99 - Television and Movie store

Argh! I have to go to the Harry Potter Studios as I know I'd simply love every moment but for now this will do. They had the house emblem mugs too but I went for this one. They also had framed posters of The Daily Prophet front pages with Sirius and Harry both wanted among others. They were so cool.

 Kanye West albums - That's Entertainment

I don't have these in my collection so as I'm a huge fan of Kanye (his music, not his current love life choice) I wanted my own copies. I particularly like the 808s and Heartbreaks LP.

 99p store

We randomly wanted in here and I came out with these. I haven't been able to find the Cherry Blast anywhere and this was the last one so it became mine.

All Primark 

Tie dye maxi dress £14 - George at Asda 

My Mum found this for me and its gorgeous. Its quite a flowy maxi but very summery.

Songbird pencil case £3.99, multi colour pen £2.99 - WHSmith 

I made a quick stop for newspapers and these two popped into my hands. I've been after a pencil case for ages as my pens are loose in my drawer and it drives me mental searching for one. I love this design and can't wait to use it. 

I placed an order on Superdrug as they had their sun protection better than half price. I used the Ambre Solaire clear protect last year and it was good but it is very greasy and makes you pretty sticky. I needed a new after sun too and then found lots of little bits for holiday. A friend recommended the almond and coconut products to me and for a travel mini there is loads in these!

So that's my week, lots and lots of shopping but necessities :) 

Hope you've all had good weeks 

November/December Favourites

I didn't have enough favourites for just November so let it tick over into December to give me a few more. 

Avon Nail Experts Peeling & Brittleness Solver £5

In recent years my nails have been very strong and tough but in recent weeks have been peeling quite badly. It was not only ruining my nails but after two or three days it would chip my nails and look awful. I tried cutting them shorter and filing them but it didn't solve the problem. I spotted this in Avon and ordered it right away. I've used it every time but once under my nail polish and it really did help. My nails are still peeling but not as much and my polish is lasting longer. I'm hoping with continued use the peeling will stop altogether and I'm looking for ways to reduce it further with diet etc. 

The Body Shop Love Etc EDP (discontinued)

This was/is my favourite perfume which I'd been wearing recently as my boyfriend got me a bottle for my birthday (I'd been saving it ha) and TBS go and discontinue it. Gutted. I've stocked up on this little beauty as I adore the scent: a musky vanilla with jasmine, neroli, pear and sandalwood. I'll be so sad when I have no more. They reduced everything to clear so this will be quite hard to get hold of now.  

Neutrogena Visibly Clear Gentle Exfoliating Wash £3.99 & Blackhead Eliminating Wash £4.69

I picked this up on a promotion in Boots on a whim. I fancied a new facial scrub and I am more likely to try new products if they're on offer. I'd also heard positive things about these two for years so it seemed a safe purchase. I enjoy both of these and couldn't see myself not re-purchasing. I tend to mix my facial care up but I'll be returning to these in between different products. I love the clean smell and they don't leave my skin feeling tight which is a massive plus for me. They don't dry my skin out either. I don't have spots that need clearing so can't comment on if they helped but they're lovely alone as facial wash/scrub. 

Lush Snow Fairy shower gel £10.25

The beautiful smell that signals Christmas is coming. Words cannot express my love for Snow Fairy. I stock up and use it sparingly randomly during the year to keep me going until it gets released again. The smell is intoxicating, I'll always remember it being marketed as "fairy dust, candyfloss and bubblegum". Its stuck in my mind but its exactly what this is, a very sweet, glittery dream to shower in. They have done lip tints and perfume in the Snow Fairy scent which I wish they would bring out every year!  

Topshop Lipstick in Mischief £8 

I used to think red was something I could never wear and it was too risky. However its become incredibly on trend to have red lips and after adoring the look for years I have been looking, googling, swatching and determining the best red for me. I have dark hair (usually dark red or my natural dark brown) with pale skin, green eyes and freckles. This is such a perfect red for me, a clean, blue red. I love wearing it and its made me look at other reds in my venture to be braver and bolder. 

Yankee Candles 

Not a beauty product but nothing beats the smell of these burning away. My boyfriend loves burning them as much as I do! All Yankee candles give off a very noticeable but not over powering smell and have decent burning time. I don't know why I ever wasted so much money on other candles that only burn for a fraction of the time of Yankee. I bought a Yankee Candle votive holder as I was buying the sampler size "votive candle". You simply pop in the chosen sampler then burn away. You really get your moneys worth as they burn right now so you just have to scrape out the metal wick holder and a tiny layer of wax on the bottom. I just use a flat knife and pop the next votive in. I have burnt a votive candle on a candle plate and it melted into a pool so got wasted which is why I bought the holder. The votive candles sell relatively cheap between £1.50-£2.00 but I've found them cheaper in independent shops (£1.13). You get about 15 hours burning time which is insane for the price! 

Avon Naturals Black Cherry body lotion £3 & Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning body lotion £2.99

My skin gets so dry during the winter that I've been smothering myself in these two. I hate the feeling of dry skin so finding products that work is a must for me. The Avon Naturals range is all lovely, leaving my skin feeling soft and moisturised with the Black Cherry range being my favourite. The Vaseline lotion is brilliant for my dry hands, it really sinks in and will last for ages even through hand washing. It smells nice too and feels creamy when applied.  

 Rimmel Wake Me Up £8.99

I adore this foundation. Its everything I would want: creamy, blendable, soft, light but covers well, smells amazing, lasts all day and leaves a beautiful dewy look to the skin. Just this morning I was admiring the tiny shimmers sitting along my cheekbone despite sleeping through half an hour of my alarm and pressing snooze in my sleep (how!?). It seems everyone is raving about this and I can totally understand why. Its inexpensive too. I will wear this forever.

Dove Damage Solutions Intensive Repair spray £3.59, Dove Nourishing Oil care spray £3.39, Pantene Instant Damage Defence spray £4.49

Part of taking really good care of my hair has included venturing into leave in sprays and conditioners. I LOVE the Dove ones, they smell incredible and leave my hair feeling soft. I've used so much of them but hardly any of the bottle is gone. The Pantene one is nice but may be discontinued as I can't find it online now but I got it on offer in Superdrug. This doesn't smell as nice as the Dove ones but is still nice to use as my hair get look quite dry despite not using heat on my hair, every little bit of care helps. 

So that's it! I definitely tend to buy products on reviews or raves so its nice to have my own input on what I've found. I also tend to buy most things on offer or multi-buys :) every penny counts and all that. The more I save the more I have to spend on other things be it more beauty products, clothes or socialising. 

Sunday Summary #28

Can't believe its another week gone and we're now into August. This year is hurtling past and before long it'll be Christmas! Had a topsy turvy few days, with uncertainty surrounding possible redundancies at work. Luckily its all ok and everyone is staying, for now at least. I can't imagine ever not working but I also don't think I could cope with the anxiety of my job being at risk. Then to be made redundant must be the worst feeling in the world. I'm so lucky. Had a brilliant week with my boyfriend as he's been off work so more free time. He went to the Olympics on Tuesday to see the Boxing which I was most jealous of. He had an amazing time. We've been watching it all week when we can and its incredible. Its definitely more exciting on home turf and with Team GB doing outstanding. So many medals too, its been so exciting to check my phone and hear from others when I haven't been near a tv. Me and my boyfriend went down to Colchester on Friday for shopping. Had such an amazing day, exploring and shopping. I am so lucky to have found someone like him. He isn't much of a shopper but he didn't complain once. We went to see Ted today and laughed our heads off. It is has such naughty lines in it, and Ted is one very bad bear indeed. I don't think I've ever seen Mark Wahlberg in a film before but he really impressed me in Ted, I was more into seeing how Mila Kunis did. They work so well together and some of the scenes between them are hilarious. Its mad how someone thought up the films idea. We also saw the trailer for The Sweeney which I have to see. Ben Drew and Ray Winstone?! Yes please. Planning to see The Dark Knight Rises a second time. It was so epic the first time and even though it was only a few weeks ago I need to see it all again.  Mum went to London on Wednesday and brought me loads of goodies back. Some are pictured below. She also got me a Union Jack cool bag and a Union Jack travel suitcase on wheels, its been great having so much Union Jack stuff popping up.

Making the most of Claire's Accessories 5 for £5 sale

 I did the deal with my Mum so all of the above cost £1 each!

 Primark Spending: Floral blouse £10, Leopard print sweetheart cut blouse £12, USA flag and Eagle top £6

I upsized on all of them as I like my blouses slightly flowy/loose and the flag top I want to be slouchy.

 Free photobook from Photobox, through Facebook

Mum's finds in London. The photo doesn't do the jacket justice, but its navy with gold thread that only shows up in the light, tops and duck mitt, London themed pjs and top. More Claire's Accessories 5 for £5.

 She also got me these bits from Accessorize and Forever 21. 

 I have Olympic Fever big time, so the headbands and jewellery are obvious. Couldn't resist the pin badge.I went into Build-a-Bear in Colchester and just had to have this one! So British I loved her. 

 I finally got my hands on an MUA Undressed palette and even better it had £1 off so was £3, crazy bargain. 

 MAC purchases :) 

 Mineralize Eye Shadow in Smutty Green, Girl About Town and Impassioned

 Light swatch of Smutty Green, Girl About Town and Impassioned

Yankee Candle haul

 Accessorize purchases

 Tokyo, Paris, New York, London spinner necklace, Lindy bunny necklace, Owl necklace

 Vitrail pendant, so amazing!

 Lush purchases. My boy picked for me :) Blackberry, Sex Bomb, Dorothy and Rocketeer

This case Mum got in London in the Claire's offer. I forgot it as its in use. I love it so much!! 

I am so happy with the new little bits I've got this week. Its been so nice to treat myself after hardly spending in recent weeks. Definitely appreciate stuff much more when I haven't shopped for a little while. I only went into MAC for one lipstick but I always see more in store than online, you see the true colour of a product in person. I've been after Impassioned for a while and then I saw Girl About Town. I'd seen it pop up on blogs before but I wasn't sure I could wear it. Out of all the brights I swatched me and my boy agreed the two I got were our favourites. Can't believe they've gone up again but I have all the colours I want now except a couple so I'm not too bothered. I don't always like every collection MAC release so unlikely they've bring out ten colours and I'd want all of them. 

Completely enjoying the London 2012 Olympics, so proud to be British and loving the medals racking up. I'll be sad when its all over but I have amazing memories from it. 

Hope you've all had good weeks