Naked

Hello!

Today's post is going to be short, sweet, and something you've already seen a million times on everyone's blogs a long time ago. But I am way too excited not to share this on here, as I have finally bought a Naked Palette!

I bought the original Naked Palette as I think this is the warmest toned neutral palette of the three - four including the basics - and I feel it will compliment my skin tone the best. However, after playing around with this palette I am definitely going to be purchasing another one.

The quality of these eyeshadows are amazing, the pigmentation is up there with the best, they're easy to blend and they all compliment each other really well. You can clearly create a lot of different looks with this palette.

I haven't included any images of swatches in this post as I think everyone has already seen them in plenty of other blog posts and I don't want to be too repetitive. This post is very dated, but I was way too excited with my purchase to not mention it at all.

I also bought the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray as I have a wedding coming up in a few weeks and I'm invited to the wedding as well as the reception and so I really need my makeup to last all day. I haven't had much chance to test this out just yet but there will be a more in depth review coming up soon.

I paid £37 for the palette and £20 for the setting spray with a 10% discount as I bought two Urban Decay items. This was in Debenhams, although I have no idea how long they're going to be running that offer.

Until next time,

Lauren x

My Weekend #4

Hello!

So basically, I got paid on Friday. Which meant that some pretty intense shopping happened.

Friday - I went to a house party on Friday with a bunch of my friends. It was a really good night and a good chance to catch up with everyone I haven't seen for a few weeks. It was pretty laid back and chilled out, but a really nice way to end a week of being sick... apart from being sick, again.

Saturday - So Saturday I was really ill again which was really disappointing as I had plans to go Cardiff on a serious shopping trip. However a Missguided order came - a haul soon hopefully, I'm working on it - and I did make it into Cardiff for a few hours and a lot of damage was done on my debit card.

Sunday - Sunday was a really fun day. I went into Cardiff again and actually shopped like I had planned to. I bought a ton of new beauty products - should also be a haul on this soon, bare with me - and I was really excited to pick up my first ever Naked Palette. I know, where have I been and all that, but I just haven't had the chance to buy one before now and I'm so excited to finally have it!

Sorry this post isn't exactly my best, however I'm starting to think five well-written, informative posts with pictures a week as well as my full time job is slightly over zealous. I think I'm going to slow things down, but I will still be trying to post as often as possible. I'm still unsure in which direction I'm going with this, however I am enjoying it, it's just so difficult to find the time to fit everything in! Anyway, we shall see how it goes as I do have some hauls I want to get up in the next week or so.

Until next time,

Lauren x

Fractured by Dani Atkins

*Photo taken from Amazon*

Hello!

I have always been the type of person who loves to read. I love getting lost in a different reality for a little while, and I always find myself slightly disappointed when a book is over. But this year has been pretty slow with books for me. I've been extremely busy in the last few months and I just haven't been able to find the time to sit down with a good book, and not only that, but every time I sit down with one, I struggle to actually shut off and read a book. None of them seem to catch my attention anymore, I can't seem to get into one enough to justify putting everything else on the back burner to read it.

I have decided that I want to start reading more again and so I purchased some easy, chick-lit reads that wouldn't take me too long to read and that I could just easily read before bed. One of those books was as the title would suggest - Fractured by Dani Atkins. I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this and how quickly I got through it. It was so good! It's not a complicated book, it's easy to read, it was just nice to enjoy after a stressful day. I finished the book today and it took me three days to complete. I'm actually really upset that it's over, and the ending quite frankly had me in tears. It was definitely not the way I wanted the book to end - I got slightly invested in the characters.

Now I don't want to give too much away, but typically my synopsis of books leaves you feeling like you've already read it, so if you are interested in reading this book I have warned you that I am useless at this.

It's about a girl Rachel who just before she leaves for university is in an accident, and she seems very likely to die but her best friend Jimmy saves her and dies in her place. Of course he's in love with her which just makes it all the more upsetting. The book starts five years on and Rachel is refusing to live her life, is clearly traumatized by the accident and is suffering from a serious head trauma that she is keeping to herself. Her father is also dying of cancer, she didn't go to university and achieve her dreams of being a journalist and instead moved away from all of her friends and lived a pretty terrible life.

She goes back to her home town for her old best friends wedding day, and ends up collapsing at her friend Jimmy's grave due to her head trauma. However, when she wakes up in the hospital, her father is cured of cancer, she did go to university, she's engaged to her high school boyfriend that she remembers breaking up with and most importantly - her best friend Jimmy is alive again. She's obviously very confused and everyone convinces her she has amnesia, but the entire book from this point on revolves around her trying to piece together the five years she missed and totally replaced with another life.

Told you I'd spoil the whole book, you seriously may as well not read it now. I would advise it though, it's written a lot better than I could ever write it down here and it was the first book that I finished and enjoyed in a long time.

If you have read it or decide to read it let me know your thoughts!

Until next time,

Lauren x

Night Skincare Routine

Hello!

So if you read this post you're already pretty well informed about my morning skincare routine and you may even have an idea of the type of skin I have, however I want to say here that skincare is a pretty personal thing and something that works for me may not necessarily work for you.

I have oily skin that is seriously lacking moisture - weird, I know. But when your skin is dehydrated it makes up for it by producing more oil than it actually needs, hence the oily skin. I don't have sensitive skin at all, I've never had an allergic reaction to any skincare products and so if you have sensitive skin it may be worth looking into the ingredients before you go off my recommendations. I am prone to break outs, and everytime I have one it leaves terrible scars behind that are a nightmare to get rid of. I'm only eighteen so I don't really suffer with wrinkles, although moisturiser in general is a pretty good wrinkle prevention as it plumps up the skin and stops it from drying out.

The first thing I do every night is take off my eye makeup, and my current remover of choice is Rimmel Gentle Eye Makeup Remover. I just put it on a cotton pad and hold the cotton pad to my eye for five to ten seconds and then gently sweep the product away. My advice here is always be gentle. Your eyes are incredibly sensitive and if you just scrub at your eyes with the cotton pad it's not going to remove the makeup effectively, and it can actually cause wrinkles and damage the skin around your eye.

I then use my Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. I'm not going to go into too much detail about this because I've already written this post here, so if you're interested head on over to read more about it!

The next step is to cleanse your skin. If you're like me and you wear makeup on a daily basis this is so important. The cleansing oil I've previously mentioned is a good cleanser, however sometimes just cleansing once isn't enough to really give your pores a deep cleanse to prevent breakouts. My cleanser of choice right now is Simple Moisturising Facial Wash, although I am coming to the end of this and I have a new cleanser to try out once this one is over. I probably will eventually repurchase this because I have really enjoyed using this and it's really rare for me to actually use up a full product. I like this cleanser because it is a foaming cleanser which makes me feel like I'm actually doing something to my skin and it's 100% soap free. It contains no perfume, no colour and no unnecessary or harsh chemicals like all other Simple products. It's also incredibly cheap which is of course a bonus for a great cleanser!

Next is my Simple Soothing Facial toner swept all over my face on a clean cotton pad. I have mentioned this previously so I won't go into too much detail, but I always like to check the cotton pad to make sure there's no makeup there. If there's makeup on the cotton pad I will always go back and cleanse again, although it's very rare that this happens.

If you have sensitive skin I would skip this step, or maybe only do it every other day: exfoliating. I love facial scrubs, I feel like they make so much difference and I love the feel of them on my skin. The one I've used for over a year now is Neutrogena Visibly Clear Blackhead Eliminating Daily Scrub. This stuff made the biggest difference to my skin. I actually never notice blackheads anymore and I used to have them pretty bad around my nose and chin. This is my third bottle and it's nearly all gone and I will be repurchasing it. It's not at all abrasive, it doesn't irritate my skin at all, I really do understand why it's advertised as a daily scrub because it's not too harsh but it's still effective. It does say that it helps reduce the size of pores, but I'll admit I've never noticed a difference in the size of my pores from using this.

I then brush my teeth, boring but necessary. I plan on doing a dental health care post somewhere along the line, but right now I'm using the Crest 3D Whitening Toothpaste. I've been using it for two weeks now and I'm not noticing too much of a difference, but I'm lucky enough to have a pretty naturally white enamel anyway - I don't have a supermodel smile by any means, but they're not terribly stained or noticeably yellow. I will be trying out the Crest 3D Whitening Strips soon and hopefully they'll make a bigger difference!

The next step is moisturising, and for me that's three different products: a skin moisturiser, an eye cream, and a lip balm. My moisturiser of choice for night time for a while has been Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser, but I've somehow lost it. I do really love this moisturiser though, it leaves my skin feeling really smooth but it's terrible under makeup and rather thick and takes a while to sink in, so that's why I've always used it at night. It also doesn't have an SPF and that's an important quality in a daily moisturiser for me. So since I've lost that moisturiser for the last week I've been using Nivea Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream as my night time moisturiser simply because I had it hanging around waiting to be tried out and it's targeted towards oily and combination skin. I do like this, but once again, I wouldn't use it as a day cream because it's thick, takes a while to sink in and I can't imagine it would look good under makeup. It does have a scent but it's a really strange scent to explain, it doesn't bother me but it's not a smell I like either. The scent doesn't stick around on your face thought so I don't complain about it.

My eye cream of choice for night time is actually the perfect eye cream. I LOVE this stuff. Being eighteen I don't actually use an eye cream for wrinkle prevention, but I do have pretty dark circles under my eyes and so I like something that has a brightening effect to cancel that out. It's Queen Bee All Natural Eye Cream. I've never seen anyone write about this or anyone talk about this and it's such an underrated product. It's a really strange consistency, it's not a cream, it's more like a solid that you have to really warm up with your finger to get product onto it. I have done a full blog post raving about this eye cream in more detail so feel free to check that out for some more information! The next day my under eye circles are so much better, it's such an instant result and such a noticeable difference. It does say that it's good for wrinkles and can be used all over the face and so if that's what you're looking for in an eye cream this could still be great for you then!

My favourite lip balm is the Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia. This stuff is so good for the price, it's a similar price to Vaseline but so much better! It's a lot thicker but doesn't leave your lips feeling disgusting, leaves your lips moisturised for hours and is a great lip balm for any time of the day. For the price you really can't go on and I would recommend this one.

Occasionally I use face masks and spot treatments, but this is my everyday routine. I will do a post next week with all my favourite 'extra' products to use when my skin needs an extra pick me up so make sure to pop back then if you're interested in hearing more about that! And I know this may seem like a lot of stuff to do every night, but this honestly only ever takes me five to ten minutes and for the results it gives me I think it's worth it.

Until next time,

Lauren x

Holy Grail: Eyecream

Hello!

Today I want to tell you all about the best product I discovered in 2013: Queen Bee All Natural Eye Cream.

This eye cream is incredible. Like I've mentioned before, I am only eighteen and so I can't comment on what it does for wrinkles, but for under eye circles this stuff is amazing.

It's a very strange texture for an eye cream and unlike any other eye cream I've tried. It's a solid product, but when you warm the product up with your finger it leaves an oil on your finger which you then apply to the eye area. When I first tried it I didn't think too much of it, it feels kinda weird, the process is a little strange to me, but the results are just something else.

The results are instant, you notice such a difference the next morning. There's still a residue there the next morning but it's easily taken off and just goes to show how moisturising this product is - it would probably be great for fine lines and wrinkles also! The morning after using this my under eye circles were almost unnoticeable. I've never suffered with terrible under eye circles, but they've always been there and I've always needed a pretty heavy coverage concealer to cancel out the blue-purple tones that are there. Now? Not so much. Using this a year on I still love it and I can't imagine I'll ever love another eye cream quite as much as this one but I will continue to look for one better!

I've been using this product every night for a year now, and because it's a solid and you only get as much product as you need from it I have more than three quarters of it left. If I ever finish this thing I will be surprised. I really do think the price for the amount of product you get is fantastic, and I would recommend this product to absolutely anyone who is looking for a new - slightly undiscovered - eye cream.

Until next time,

Lauren x

Dinner and A Movie - The Fault In Our Stars

Hello!

Last Thursday I did two things I've been wanting to do for quite some time - eat at Frankie and Benny's and watch The Fault In Our Stars.

So straight from work me and my friend Shannon - I swear I have other friends, I just seem to write about her quite a lot - went to Frankie and Benny's and it was delicious. As you can see from the pictures the portions were huge, and we did order a starter as well as our main course. The desert menu looked amazing, and I'm still really disappointed we didn't have desert but we just didn't have time.

This was insanely good and huge!

I ordered the garlic bread for starters with spaghetti bolognese for my main course, and Shannon opted for a prawn cocktail - even though I'm terrified of prawns - with spaghetti carbonara and we then had a side of onion rings. The food was gorgeous but the onion rings were kind of disappointing as I've had much nicer ones elsewhere. The restaurant has a really nice atmosphere and it's the perfect place to go for a date with a friend as there were no overly soppy and romantic couples anywhere.

I really hate prawns

Next was the cinema and first things first I always have to buy a blue ice blast that is literally bigger than my head. I'm obsessed with those things, I've been known to go to the cinema juts to buy an ice blast and then leave. As you may have gathered from the title we watched The Fault In Our Stars and we both quite literally sobbed, it was the most emotional film I've seen since Marley and Me.

I know the book is very loved and talked about and has an extremely dedicated fan base, but I actually didn't enjoy the book. It's so well written, and it is a fantastic story, but I just couldn't get in to it at all, maybe I'll give it another try after enjoying the film so much. The film however was a totally different story, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. For the first hour all I did was laugh - sounds terrible, I know - the character's are so witty and sarcastic, and it feels like the most realistic take on a teenage cancer patient. I'm not going to reveal too much as I think everyone should watch this film but there wasn't a dry eye in the house after this film. Seriously, the woman behind was crying so hard I thought she was going to pass out.

I would recommend this film to anyone, I'm pretty late to the bandwagon as it's been out in cinema for quite some time now but if you haven't already seen it you definitely should. If you have already seen it let me know your thoughts in the comments, and feel free to correct me and say that the book is your favourite.

Until next time,

Lauren x

My Weekend #3

Hello!

Here's a quick overview of my weekend: I got extremely sick, procrastinated a lot, and had the world's best workout.

Friday - First things first I want to apologise for the lack of a post on Friday. I did have an idea all lined up, however I came home from work on Friday, become very ill, took a ton of tablets and passed out until Saturday morning. A total waste of a day, and really disappointing as that's the first day I've missed out of my schedule since I've started this blog.

Saturday - Saturday was easily one of the best days of 2014 for me so far. I had plans to go Cardiff drinking for weeks now, so when my best friend Shannon (otherwise known as http://www.in5anityis9enius.blogspot.co.uk/ here on the internet) slept three hours late on for a day we'd been planning for weeks - well, needless to say I was a little ticked off. But we did make it to our mini bus on time, and we had the world's most fantastic day. We drank stupid amounts of alcohol - those cocktails you see below were extraordinarily delicious - and danced like crazy people in high heels for three hours straight. It was my first time drinking in our wonderful capital city and I already can't wait to go back there again. We eventually decided that drinking to have a good time was a waste of money, as everyone knows it's the company that truly matters in any social situation. We ended up drinking water and dancing like lunatics to the likes of Christina Aguilera, Flo Rida and Britney Spears. Not my usual music taste, however since Saturday I have had cravings for pop music that I can not even describe. We did have some slight comments about us maybe not being able to handle our drinks as we were younger than the company we were with that night, but if you ask our bus driver, I'm sure he'd agree that thirty year olds are hundred times worse than two eighteen year old girls just having a good time. Shannon did however strip off in a bush when we arrived back home - no judging, we've all been there. This was over all a fantastic night, and it's one I won't forget for a really long time.

Me and my friend Shannon back when we were sober

She may look cute, but she's actually a pitbull

Some drunken fools 

Some random bridesmaids joined our party when a hot guy appeared in the ladies toilets 

Drunken photo's are clearly a must

Walkabout's toilets clearly have a lot to offer

Kirsty's 30th Birthday Crown!

Everyone's a Single Lady when it comes to Beyonce

Ignore my extraordinarily pale arm, but we went to Retro!

I swear this was actually nice, it's Sex on the Beach!

First cocktail of the night - Twister (Bacardi, Funkin Brazilian and Blue WKD)

Second cocktail of the night - The Godfather (Jack Daniels, Amaretto, Disaronno and Pepsi)

Sunday - Considering I fell asleep at five o'clock in the morning, I was surprisingly wide awake at half past eight and ready to face the day, aka watch Pitch Perfect and eat chicken noodles all day. Shannon stayed over again and we met up with some friends for a bit in our local pub, had a few drinks in the beer garden and just had a general catch up with friends that didn't come to Cardiff with us.

Overall I had a really great weekend and I feel almost good enough to tolerate work tomorrow with a smile on my face. I'd love to hear how your weekend was in the comments below.

Until next time,

Lauren x

The Ultimate Beauty Enhancer

Hello!

I've had this blog for less than a month now and I can already think of three different blog posts that I've recommended water in, and I just knew it was a matter of time before I wrote this post.

Our bodies are made up of around 70% of water, and water contains chemicals, minerals and nutrients that help break down fatty substances inside the body - more on that in a second. Water is not the answer to all your problems, water alone won't make you lose weight or clear up your skin if you have some terrible habits as well. However, in conjunction with good skincare, a healthy lifestyle and everything in moderation, it can do you wonders.

So, everyone always says water will help you lose weight, and it's correct - in a sense. The way water will help you lose weight is if you're substituting it for other high calorie drinks. If you just drink a glass of water a day along with that six pack of coke, of course it's not going to do anything for you. But substituting all of that sugar for a drink with virtually no calories and nothing but minerals and a perfect PH balance? You're golden. If you're a big drinker of sugary drinks and you swap them for water on a daily basis you will lose weight. It will make a difference. Also, next time you start to feel hungry and reach for a chocolate bar have a large glass of water instead. A lot of the time when we think we're hungry we're actually dehydrated and the water you find in foods will fix that, but it's obviously not a good solution. If you're still hungry in ten minutes then you are actually hungry, but hopefully by this time you'll have thought of a healthier option than that original chocolate bar.

Water also helps to keep your skin looking younger for longer. Water puts moisture back into your body, and wrinkles are formed when the skin gets dehydrated which happens naturally as you get older. It's never going to stop you from getting wrinkles, but it does help plump up the skin for a more youthful and natural appearance, and it's a much better way than piling on the chemicals or getting painful and expensive surgery or fillers. Also, water can help your skin if you suffer from hormonal breakouts like myself. It really does make such a difference to the overall appearance of your skin, and it does reduce breakouts and how long they're going to last.

It helps your health in the sense that not drinking enough water could put your kidney's at risk. People who drinks less are more likely to have kidney stones, and also, your kidney can't function properly at cleansing your body of toxins if it doesn't have enough fluid to sustain itself. It also helps maintain normal bowel function which means you can avoid that awkward visit to the doctor's! As an added bonus, since your brain is made up of mostly water, drinking plenty of it will make you more alert, less tired and your concentration levels should increase with time and consumption.

And, to top it all off, the reason we get hangovers is actually because we're dehydrated! Since I've been drinking so much water everyday I never get hangovers and I always feel fresh the morning after the night before! Always a plus!

I know you've probably read these facts a million times, I know I had before I started drinking more water! But all I can say now is that if you actually give it a try you will be amazed by the results and the way it makes you feel, it really is worth trying. I noticed a difference within a week, it may take you a lot less time or a lot more time, but the results will come and I'd love to hear how it works out for you if you try it!

Until next time,

Lauren x

Hair Growth Tips

Hello!

When I was fifteen I went through a crazy phase of dying my hair every colour I could think of. This process involved a lot of bleach and by the time I was sixteen I had to have my hip length hair cut to above my shoulders as the damage I had done was irreversible. Needless to say, I was devastated. Short hair does not suit me, I have chubby cheeks and a baby face and long hair evens it out pretty well, when my hair is short I look like a very full chipmunk.

If you do cut your hair and then dislike it my advice would be just get hair extensions. Your hair will grow back, even if it does take some time to do so. If you're that upset about it extensions are an option, but I also suggest embracing your short hair because it won't be forever - hypocritical as I bought extensions within a week of cutting my hair and haven't looked back since.

I'm eighteen now and it's only in the last couple of months my hair has started to grow again. For a year and a half it just didn't seem to get past my shoulders and so I did a bit of research and completely changed my haircare routine and the little things I was doing that I didn't even know was damaging to my hair. My hair now falls on my chest quite nicely and is a good length for me for everyday. I still wear my extensions for special occasions, but I am so much more confident with a bit more length back to my hair.

The first thing I started doing was washing my hair less and in a different way. Everytime you shampoo your hair your stripping your hair of it's natural oils, and oils are what hair needs to be healthy and shiny, and healthy hair is hair that grows! I now wash my hair every three days, and it does take some getting used to and a lot of dry shampoo to begin with, but eventually your hair gets used to it and doesn't produce too much oil too often. By continuously washing your hair your hair will produce more oil to compensate, therefore making it greasy faster! Also, when I condition my hair I only distribute it to the ends. Your roots already have it's natural oils, any more and it'll get greasy a lot quicker. Just use a generous amount from your ear lobes downwards and it'll be plenty.

My next tip would be don't brush your hair when it's wet! If you have incredibly tangled hair and need to, invest in a wet brush as the bristles are specifically designed to be less damaging to wet hair. When your hair is wet it's very brittle and at it's weakest, so if you're dragging a brush through it it'll cause more of it to fall out than is necessary leaving you with fine, lifeless hair, and it'll also be extremely damaging to the hair that stays on your head and can cause breakages.

If you can let your hair dry naturally and try to use heat stylers as few times as possible throughout the week. I try to not use any heat on my hair throughout the week and instead I'll use a sea salt spray to give it some texture and some style without the damage. This makes a huge difference! If you do need to use styling tools, always use a heat protectant. Find one that you're happy with and spray it on generously before you apply heat. If it's a wet spray you're using make sure it's all sunk in and your hair is dry before styling or else you'll just fry your hair anyway. Another point here would be never, ever use styling tools on your hair when it is not 100% dry. Your hair will frazzle and be unmanageable and you'll end up spending more time trying to get it to look nice than if you'd just waited for it to be 100% dry.

Something I've also been doing is tying my hair up in a ponytail as often as possible. When I'm asleep, when I'm in work, when I'm just with my friends, when I'm on my own in my house. Having your hair up may sound stupid, but it actually pulls at the roots promoting hair growth. The challenge here though is that if it's a super tight ponytail it can cause breakage once again so you have to find a balance when using this trick.

Drinking water also helps. Water helps with everything, but it does make for longer, thicker, shinier looking hair. I aim to drink as much water as possible everyday and you will notice a difference, if not in length then in the texture and look of your hair.

So far all of these tips have been free and just slight lifestyle changes to make a difference. My last tip is something that you'd have to go out and buy if you don't have one already, but it's hair oils and masks. When you find a good hair oil or mask they really are worth it. I'm not going to go into too much detail with products I use - hence why I missed out my specific sea salt spray and heat protectant of choice - because I will do a personal to me hair care routine as soon as possible, but one I will suggest that I've been really enjoying recently that isn't too expensive is Macadamia Healing Oil Spray. The Macadamia range in general is fantastic, they have some brilliant hair masks as well and I'd advise looking into them for some hair care products. I usually use the oil when my hair is damp and it soaks into the hair follicles really well and leaves them soft, shiny and reduces any split ends, but I also reapply it to the end of my hair once my hair has been styled to add back in any moisture lost through heat and also to tame any frizz or split ends.

Hopefully this will help any short haired ladies out there that have had enough, but like I said before, it won't last forever but if you can't embrace it at the time there are options out there for you!

Until next time,

Lauren x

Beauty Staples For An Office

Hello!

I work for finance and HR for a pretty big medical company in Wales, and so I am in offices either at my computer or in meetings eight hours a day. If you work in an office you can empathize: it is a nightmare for your skin. Between the really drying airconditiong, the recycled air that just feels sticky and disgusting, the easy spread of illness and the harsh lighting? No one comes out of there looking as good as they did when they went in.

But over the time I've been working there I've gained some beauty staples and tips that really help me out throughout the day and today I thought I'd share them with you!

My first tip for working an office is stay moisturised! The air conditioning can really dry out your skin and it's not good to go in there with dry skin already. I always moisturise before I put my makeup on and use a heavy duty moisturiser at night to keep dryness at bay. My tips for when you're actually in work though, is always have a hand cream and a lip balm close to hand. My ones of choice are Soap and Glory's Hand Food and Nivea Lip Butter in Vanilla and Macadamia. It really will help and they both smell amazing which is always a plus.

My next tip is take blotting sheets. The air in offices is very sticky and recycled, and it's just not pleasant on the skin. It causes me to get oily really quickly, and on top of the dehydration from the air conditioning my skin is a hot mess. I like to take my NYX Blotting Sheets in my bag and just dab at my face with them, discard, and touch up with my Rimmel Stay Matte Setting Powder in Transparent and my Real Techniques Powder Brush.

The one thing you can never forget is a deodorant. No one wants to be the person that people don't like working with because they have body odour issues. Even if you have showered that morning, it's always best to be safe and take a travel sized deodorant into work with you just for a quick refresh as and when you need it. I also take my travolo into work with me which is filled with Ghost and I spritz myself every few hours just to feel that bit better.

Drink. Lots. Of. Water. I cannot stress this point enough, it is my biggest beauty tip. Water is incredible for your skin, your hair, your weight, your health, everything. I aim to drink five bottles of water in those eight hours and I always feel fantastic for it after. I am pretty useless at drinking water on the weekends and when I'm at home, and so by drinking so much water when I'm work I don't feel so bad about it and it really does make a huge difference. If you don't like the taste of water try adding a bit of mint or lemon for some flavour depending on what's your preference! You can definitely expect a blog post going into more depth on the benefits of water very soon!

And for now this is it! I'll do an updated post soon with some more tips, and I'm planning on doing a work series with "How To Dress For An Interview", "A Week In My Work Wardrobe", "Healthy and Easy Work Lunches" as a few examples of posts you can expect over the next few weeks. I know this is all very basic and obvious, but when I first went into my job I had no idea about any of this and so I hope it helped at least one person.

Until next time,

Lauren x

My Weekend #2

Hello!

So this weekend was a pretty quiet and boring one by my standards, and sadly I have no photo's as I didn't take my camera with me and I managed to break my phone! Congratulations, Lauren, you're officially an idiot!

Friday - This Friday was easily the calmest Friday I have had in months. Work this week was absolutely exhausting, and so Friday was a day for blog post writing, Marley and Me, and comfy new pyjama's. I actually managed to get a hell of a lot done, and so I didn't feel too guilty then for slacking off the rest of the weekend. Also, Marley and Me is easily the saddest film I have ever seen in my life. If you've never seen it you have not lived because it's such a favourite of mine. I cry every single time I watch it for at least half an hour after the film is over. 

Saturday - Saturday I spent the day with my mother just doing boring but necessary things like food and toiletries shopping. I then spent the evening with my brother who lives half an hour away and it was fantastic. We went to his local pub and had a bottle of wine - or three - and completely gatecrashed someone else's party and met some pretty hysterical people. We then went back to his new house for pizza and The Wolf of Wall Street which I sadly fell asleep half way through. Not a bad film, I just happened to be pretty exhausted. 

Sunday - I came home from my brother's early Sunday morning and got some serious spring cleaning underway with The Vampire Diaries on in the background not at all distracting me. (Who isn't distracted by a topless Ian Somerhalder?) I then headed out to meet some friends at the local pub for the last game in the world cup. I'm so glad this thing is finally over, but I have weirdly enjoyed it at the same time. It's been nice to see everyone out and about for the games and quite a few of my friends actually made some money from it! 

All in all a pretty relaxed, laid back weekend which was a welcome change as next week I appear to be very busy once again. 

Until next time,

Lauren x

My Morning Skincare Routine

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, Simple Soothing Facial Toner, Clean Start Welcome Matte Moisturiser

 Hello!

Today's post will be short and sweet as that's exactly what my morning skincare routine is. I don't like to fuss around in the morning as I would really rather that extra ten minutes of sleep, and also, my skin tends to not need such a deep cleanse after my night time routine.

The cleanser I am currently using is Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser. I love this cleanser for first thing in the morning, it feels so soft and moisturising on my skin. It's a soap free and fragrance free cleanser for sensitive skin, and even though I don't actually have sensitive skin I find it's the perfect cleanser for me in the morning. I really recommend this if you have sensitive and fairly clear skin anyway as I can't imagine this cleanser irritating anyone, but I wouldn't use it at night as I doubt it would get off all my makeup, let alone give me a deep cleanse. It does say it's for dry skin, but I have incredibly dehydrated oily skin, and this product actually works really well for me.

I then use my Simple Soothing Facial Toner on a cotton pad (I'm not fussy which ones, I've never really noticed a difference from changing cotton pads) and just wipe it all over my face. It's really cooling and it feels very fresh, and it's satisfying to look at the cotton pad after you've used it on your face to see if your cleanser did effectively remove all traces of sleep. This is once again for sensitive skin - are we seeing a pattern here? - and I really would recommend this. It's so cheap, it's alcohol free and contains no unnecessary or harsh chemicals. I will definitely be repurchasing this as I'm almost at the end, however I will be trying other, more expensive toners to see if I notice a particular difference.

I then rub the Clean Start Welcome Matte Moisturiser with SPF15 all over my face and neck. I love this moisturiser and the one you see here is actually an empty tube and a new one is on the way to my house right now! It's very lightweight and provides the perfect base for my makeup. It does smell slightly like SPF, however the smell doesn't linger and reminds me of holidays and so I don't mind it at all. It claims to have oil controllers, however I've never really noticed a difference. Unless I use a good powder over my makeup I'm still pretty oily within a few hours. It also contains salicylic acid, but I wouldn't say this moisturiser has helped too much with my breakouts, I would probably put that down to other products.

And that's it! Comment below if you have any recommendations or tips you have for your early morning skincare.

Until next time,

Lauren x

How I Wash My Makeup Brushes

Hello!

Today I have a very boring task on my to-do list: washing my makeup brushes.

Sadly, I am someone who wears makeup most days and so my makeup brushes get very dirty very quickly and anyone who uses makeup brushes will know that to get the flawless finish you're looking for you need pretty clean brushes. And let's not even think about the amount of bacteria that's festering in those brushes.

So here is my incredibly cheap, easy, quick and effective way that I clean my brushes.

I simply run the brush underneath some lukewarm water and place some Johnson's Baby Shampoo in the palm of my hand. I then swirl the makeup brush into the shampoo making sure to get right to the bottom of the bristles(?) and that they're clean from top to bottom. My foundation brushes typically take two to three times until I feel like they're fully clean and ready for use again, but I find Baby Shampoo cleans them perfectly fine.

I leave my brushes out over night on a dry, flat surface and by the morning they are very soft and ready to be used once again.

I find Johnson's Baby Shampoo to be a great cheap alternative to all the brush cleansers out there and it's definitely worth trying!

If you have any other tips or tricks or a holy grail brush cleanser please let me know!

Until next time,

Lauren x

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

Hello!

So today is my first ever skincare post and my first post with a photo. What?! This really is too much excitement for one day. I'm aware my photo taking skills are currently unimpressive and nothing to write home about, but I promise I'll try and get better at this whole thing. (Yes, that is my television and terrible lighting. I wasn't feeling very inspired.)

Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil - £10

I am quite the skincare enthusiast. I love trying new things and unless I'm incredibly sick (or drunk), I will always do a full skincare routine before I go to bed at night and when I wake up in the morning.

However, I'll admit I never really bought into the whole cleansing oil thing - until May this year. I always thought of it as an unnecessary extra step in an already dragged out skincare routine, but since I've been using this I have noticed such a positive difference in my skin and in my skincare routine in general.

I personally choose to remove my eye makeup first with an eye makeup remover, but this cleansing oil does effectively remove stubborn eye makeup as well as face makeup, it's just my personal preference. So once all my eye makeup is removed I take two pumps into my hand and just massage it all over my face. It does have a slightly oily feel, but it washes makeup off like a dream. Once you've rinsed your face with water there will not be a drop of makeup left on your face, and I never feel like there's an oily residue left on my face either. My face simply feels very clean and very nourished, it's not at all stripping or uncomfortable.

I do go back in with a cleanser once I've used this, but since I've been using this cleansing oil my skin has cleared up considerably and I really think the double cleanse is a big factor in this.

I can understand why some people may dislike the packaging as it's nothing fancy looking, however I've had no issues with spills and I like that I can always see how much product I have left. The bottle is made out of plastic so you don't have to worry about it smashing and going everywhere, but you can't lock the pump which is slightly annoying as I would like to take this with me on my travels later on this year.

I've been using this every night for two months now and as you can see I still have more than half the bottle left. I will definitely be repurchasing this when I run out, even if I am also trying new things at the same time just because I know my skin loves this stuff.

It's £10 for 200ml and The Body Shop's website does say that it's suitable for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers though I have neither to comment on.

Until next time,

Lauren x

7 Day Slim

*Photo taken from Amazon*

Hello!

Something that I'm really interested in is health and fitness. I always have been, but sometimes it is so hard to get the motivation to actually go and work out. Over the last few months I have been trying to incorporate a workout DVD into my daily life, but when you work eight hours a day and want to have a social life... it's kind of difficult.

That's why I LOVE this DVD. Each workout is only ten minutes long but it leaves you feeling like you've actually done a lot of work. I always notice a difference when I've done this DVD, I feel happier, more energetic, confident, and the next day I look noticeably more toned and less bloated.

I now swear by this DVD as something that I do everyday to keep me moving after a day of sitting on my butt in an office. You can pick it up pretty much anywhere now for £15 (if not less in some places!) and I really would recommend it if you're just getting into fitness or if you don't really have time for an hour long gym session!

Also, just look how fantastic Vicky Pattinson looks now!? The before and after pictures are enough to motivate me alone!

Until next time,

Lauren x

My Weekend

Hello!

I thought today I'd just write a quick round up of my weekend. I'll probably keep this up every Monday - if I have things to write about - as I'm sure at the end of the year this would be quite nice to look back on. 

Friday - Friday I had a really nice night in with my mother. We watched Endless Love which has just come out on DVD and I really enjoyed it. I also ate a lot of junk food and had a very nice evening and a good catch up with my mother. 

Saturday - One of my best friends works in West Wales and so we don't see each other very often. Well he was home this weekend, and so me and a bunch of my friends headed down to our local pub for a chat and a few drinks. It was a really fantastic night and one I won't forget for a while.

Sunday - Sunday is always my chill out day, filled with baths, candles, face masks... And my movie of choice was Les Mis as I hadn't yet seen it. I really hated it - sorry to any fans reading this. I love the soundtrack and the acting was phenomenal, I just didn't enjoy the actual film at all. 

I hope you enjoyed your weekend! 

Until next time, 

Lauren x

TMI!

Hello!

So seeing as my blog is still very new, I thought doing this tag would be a good way to introduce myself officially on to my own blog. So far there has been no posts that I actually expected to write, and that is because I kinda want photo's for those and right now my camera is no where to be seen. However more beauty and lifestyle related posts will be coming soon and they will contain photo's!

For now, here is my TMI Tag which will hopefully give you some insight into what I'm like in my everyday life.

1) What are you wearing?
Honestly? Mickey Mouse pyjama's. It's been a long day.

2) Ever been in love?
Nope!

3) Ever had a terrible breakup?
Yes.

4) How tall are you?
5"2, and I'm pretty sure I've stopped growing, I've been this height for a long time. It's very rare that you'll see me without heels on though, so take that as you please.

5) How much do you weigh?
This is way too personal for the internet, that really is TMI!

6) Any tattoos?
Not yet, but I currently really want one and I'm thinking of booking one soon!

7) Any piercings?
I've had many in the past, however I now only have three piercings in each ear lobe. I used to have my nose, belly button, tragus and cartlidge pierced, much to the distaste of my mother.

8) OTP?
Chuck and Blair, Damon and Elena, Aria and Ezra. It's sad that this took no thought whatsoever!

9) Favourite show?
My favourite television show it probably The Vampire Diaries. I used to say Pretty Little Liars but I'm now getting slightly bored with that show continuously teasing me. Don't bite me PLL fans, you all feel the same.

10) Favourite bands?
I actually can't think of a favourite band, that's a difficult one!

11) Something you miss?
Not having to work everyday! Simple pleasures of being young (says the eighteen year old).

12) Favourite song?
This honestly changes on a daily basis but today I haven't stopped listening to Ed Sheeran - All Of The Stars.

13) How old are you?
18 and one month!

14) Zodiac sign?
Gemini, which makes sense as I never shut up.

15) Quality you look for in a partner?
A great sense of humour, someone who's opinionated without being arrogant and someone who smiles at strangers.

16) Favourite quote?
I have so many it's impossible to pick one. Here are three of my favourites: "We accept the love we think we deserve.", "Judging a person does not define who they are, it defines who you are.", and "Not all who wander are lost." I may eventually do a whole blog post on my favourite quotes, but that would probably only be fun for me to read.

17) Favourite actor?
Adam Sandler or Leonardo DiCaprio.

18) Favourite colour?
A rich bluey-purple. (On top form today!)

19) Loud music or soft?
Always loud.

20) Where do you go when you're sad?
My friends house - she has a lot of cats - or bed.

21) How long does it take you to shower?
If I'm just washing my hair and body probably around five minutes. If I'm doing the whole exfoliating and shaving thing as well then probably around 20 minutes to half hour depending on how lazy I'm being that day.

22) How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
After the half hour it takes me to get out of bed, probably around 30 minutes.

23) Ever been in a physical fight?
When I was much younger, yes.

24) Turn on?
Someone who can make me laugh for hours but that I can still sit in silence with.

25) Turn off?
Arrogance and people who are rude to others or look down on others.

26) The reason I joined Blogger?
50% boredom, 50% intrigued by the community.

27) Fears?
Heights and having my feet unable to touch the ground - although I love to swim and I don't mind the ocean. Weird.

28) Last thing that made you cry?
Life. (So dramatic).

29) Last time you said you loved someone?
Probably last night before I went to sleep.

30) Meaning behind your blog's name?
Ever since I was little I've had an obsession with the craziness of Alice in Wonderland.

31) Last book you read?
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green.

32) The book you're currently reading?
Allegiant by Veronica Roth. I have read the others, it's just I'm not too fussed on this series and so I read The Fault In Our Stars in between.

33) Last show you watched?
The Vampire Diaries.

34) Last person you talked to?
My best friend Shannon - I'm sure she'll make an appearance on here soon.

35) The relationship between you and the last person you texted?
My grandmother asking if I'm available to try out a new restaurant with her this month.

36) Favourite food?
Pasta or pizza.

37) Place you want to visit?
Everywhere. Travelling is something I'm extraordinary passionate about and that I don't get to do often enough for my liking!

38) Last place you were?
The place I have just left is work, however the place I last travelled to was Egypt in March.

39) Do you have a crush?
Doesn't everyone?

40) Last time you kissed someone?
Saturday.

41) Last time you were insulted?
Probably at some point today.

42) Favourite flavour of sweet?
Cherry.

43) What instruments do you play?
Sadly I'm very untalented and so I play zero instruments.

44) Favourite piece of jewellery?
Either my Pandora bracelet or a necklace that I always wear that was a gift from my colleagues on my eighteenth birthday.

45) Last sport you played?
Me and sport are not friends.

46) Last song you sang?
Dolly Parton - Jolene. I saw her live last week and it was one of the best concerts I think I'll ever go to, she is ridiculously talented. Her vocals are phenomenal and she played seven instruments in that concert! Would definitely go see her again.

47) Favourite chat up line?
"Is there a mirror in your pants because I see myself in them?"

48) Have you ever used it?
Never! I'll have to change this!

49) Last time you hung out with anyone?
I went to the cinema with my mother on Tuesday, and I had a night out with my friends on Saturday. Other than that it's been all work and no play this week!

50) Who should answer these questions next?
Whoever's as late to the bandwagon as I am and still hasn't done this tag!

Well, that was a total waste of my time as I know no one would have read this far along. I really enjoyed writing this though and I feel it was a pretty good way to introduce myself to this blog! So many questions! If you've done this tag or are going to do it link it in the comments!

Until next time,

Lauren x

Maleficent

Hello!

Now this is not what I pictured my first (second, but let's be honest, yesterday's ramble isn't worthy of a blog post) blog post being about - a Disney film.

*Possible spoilers ahead, stop reading now if you've never seen this film and have intentions to watch it*

However, I went to see Maleficent in cinema on Tuesday and it was absolutely fantastic. There are no words to describe how fantastic Angelina Jolie was in this movie, or how fantastic she looked - those cheekbones.

It's Sleeping Beauty re-told, and I hated the idea when I first heard of it but I actually much preferred this version. The idea that the king was dark and greedy and Maleficent was just acting out really appeals to me.

I also really liked how this is the first Disney movie I've seen without a 'Happy Ever After' for a prince and princess. There was no romance in the film at all, and that's very rare to find in a Disney movie.

At first I thought I'd made a mistake in actually paying to go see this movie. I was under the impression it was a very dark Disney movie (which it was) and instead there was a young fairy making friends with a human - very Disney. But the film soon turned dark, and the second Maleficent was all grown up I was hooked and couldn't take my eyes off the screen. There was also some seriously moving moments, although I cry at adverts sometimes so I'll let you guys decide how you feel about the emotional side of this movie.

I would recommend this movie and I'd give this film a 7/10, simply because it took around twenty minutes for me to get into it.

Have you seen this movie? What did you think? Would you recommend it to friends?

The next film I plan on seeing is The Fault In Our Stars so I'll keep you posted! (Pun intended).

Until next time,

Lauren x

We Are In Wonderland

Starting a blog has been something I've wanted to do for the best part of a year, and now that I'm sitting here looking at a blank screen everything I've wanted to write about has left my mind.

I guess what I should write about for my first post is who I am and what I'm going to write about, but as of yet I honestly don't know. I'd like to say I'm going to write about travel, but unlike many bloggers I don't travel enough to make that interesting.

I'd like to say I'm going to write about beauty, but that's something I'm still learning about myself. Seriously, can anyone make their eyebrows/eyeliner/smokey eye actually match? Just me that struggles with this?

As for lifestyle, my life is probably very boring in comparison to most people reading this, and so why would that be interesting?

I guess I just needed a change, and I needed a new hobby. I'd like to think I'm going to keep this up as writing is something I've enjoyed since my first English lesson in year seven of comprehensive school. (Yes, I'm British. Welsh, to be exact!)

Right now this is pretty difficult, but I'd like to think no one really knows what to talk about in their first ever post. In future there will be more pictures, more about me and my life and sometimes it may even be interesting(!). I really hope if you somehow stumble across my tiny insignificant section of the internet you'll stick around and give me a chance as I promise I'll try to make it worth it.

But this is more than enough for now, so until next time,

Lauren x