February Empties.

If I waited until the end of the month to write this post I think I would have way too many things to talk about. Ever since I started really making the effort to finally use things up I've been surprising myself with how many products I've managed to finish. It feels really good starting to see my stash diminish and I'm looking forward to a time when I'll have a small collection of tried & tested things I really love.

Astral Moisturiser | £3.89
A super thick cream that I've been using on my legs over the winter season because they have been incredibly dry. A simple, affordable product that does the job perfectly.

Agave Healing Oil | Full size £27
This was a little sample that came in a beauty box and I used it on the ends of my hair. I didn't notice a huge difference as I tend to leave my hair to do its own thing, but it didn't weigh it down like some oils have done in the past. A product I'm kind of indifferent to I guess.

Beanies Cinder Toffee Coffee* | £2.50
Bit of an odd one to include in an empties post, I know, but I couldn't not mention it. If you like flavoured coffee, check out Beanies! I especially love their chocolate flavour and the chocolate orange is next on my list to try! 

Conscious Skincare Body Polish* | 50ml £4.99, 250ml £13.99
I was very kindly gifted a little set of Conscious Skincare products and I fell in love with everything, so much so that I think they're my new favourite brand and I want to try everything from the range. This scrub was everything that I look for; it's scrubby but not harsh, it exfoliates without leaving my skin feeling dry or irritated, it smells amazing (I had the sweet orange scent), and it leaves a slight trace of something on my skin that sinks in after getting out of the shower and acts as a light moisturiser. Lovely.

Conscious Skincare Body Wash* | £13.99
When it comes to body washes I'm not hugely fussy, so although I'm not sure this is one I'd purchase because it's a little expensive in comparison to what I usually use, I really liked it. The scent (grapefruit & cedar wood) was really fresh and it did exactly what it promised. A brand I will definitely explore further, first on my list will be the Gentle Night Cream I think. 

Bourjois Bronzing Powder | £7.99
Oh gosh, this took me forever to use up! A really great bronzer for fair skin and it was definitely worth every penny considering how long it lasted. It's not one that I will repurchase because I'm wanting to explore some cruelty free products, but it was a nice one for sure. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Redhead
I could probably get some more use out of this, but I'm counting it as empty because it's almost there. I'm not exactly sure how many years I've owned this for, but it's definitely a fair few. I've only really managed to use it up because I dropped it & a huge chunk of it smashed off. It was a really pretty blush colour and I used to wear it a lot when I wanted really glowy cheeks. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Lollipop | £7.99
When these first came out I went a little crazy over them and bought a fair few shades. Lollipop was one of my favourites and I wore it a lot. It's not a colour I would wear anymore but I still love the formula. 

Touch in Sol Lip Tint* | £6.60
Not technically empty but I've had it for a while and it doesn't smell the same as it used to, so it's time to part ways. It was a pretty, subtle red colour and I remember really liking it. It's been a long time since I've reached for it though.

Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer | £7.99
Okay so this one is definitely not empty either but unfortunately the shade is much too dark for me. The only way I can wear it is as a corrector underneath a more brightening concealer and I rarely reach for it. It's a really lovely, lightweight formula and the sponge applicator does a pretty good job at distributing the product.

Have you used anything up recently? 

xoxo

Nota Bene #2

Hello, I hope you're having a wonderful weekend so far.

I'm hoping to pop out and find some valentines day chocolate on sale and maybe even score a bunch of flowers too. Valentines Day isn't really my thing, but you can't go wrong when there are potential chocolate bargains to be had the day after. This week I gave sailboat a little bit of refresh, something a little brighter for the Spring. Mostly I was avoiding essay related nonsense, but I'm also pretty happy with the outcome.

Photographs.
I've been collecting together some old photographs from Mark's family and from mine to put into two matching frames. Progress on the house has been slow going recently, there are quite a few things we'd like to do but it all takes time and money. We'll get there, but in the mean time I've been focusing on little touches that add to the homeliness but don't cost the earth. I love this old photograph of my mama, her bunny looks much better behaved than Ralphie is, although perhaps equally as grumpy!

* * *

My Little Box
I didn't receive a Glossybox this month, but it looks like it was a pretty good one so I'm a little sad I missed out. However the February My Little Box* is super cute and more than made up for it. I don't think I'll get much use out of the beauty products (a brow pencil, oil blotting papers, an eyeliner & a complexion enhancer) but the little extras are adorable.

There's a little smartphone case which I think I'll keep my ipod in, and a little jar full of tiny rolled up pieces of paper with quotes on them. So cute and very unique. My favourite thing about My Little Box is that I never know quite what to expect, they're full of surprises!

* * *

Currently reading. 
Corpus Christi, a collection of short stories by Bret Anthony Johnson arrived on my doorstep a few days ago and I couldn't wait to immerse myself in the stories of people living in this town in Texas that is often hit by hurricanes. I'm a couple of stories in at the moment and it's every bit as atmospheric and emotional as I had hoped it would be; a really intricate exploration of human relationships. 

* * *

Alas, it's back to essay planning for me... after that Sunday morning corner shop run of course. Got to bribe myself with some sweet treats to keep up the momentum afterall, right?!

Are you having a nice weekend? I hope so!
 
xoxo

Five Things & Five Blogs I Love | 2015 Edition #7

Catching Up.
After a truly terrible last week or so (you know when one thing turns into another, which turns into another?!) I'm finally catching up with everything. I'm caught up on Bloglovin' subscriptions, I've replied to almost all of your incredible comments (thank you for always being so kind!), my desk isn't the disaster zone it was yesterday, and my essay is on its way to being properly planned. Having things under control again feels really good.

Nokia.
In a bid to finally own a phone that actually works (my last one wouldn't let me answer it when it rang) I bought a £20 Nokia and it's fabulous. Although I have already been asked a couple of times if I'm trying to make some kind of retro fashion statement, which made me chuckle. I just don't need all the functions of a smartphone. It has Sudoku on it which is a bit addictive and most importantly, I can answer it when it rings!

Neutral Make Up.
A few years ago I was all about the pink blushes and lipsticks, but now I find the neutral shades a lot more flattering and easy to wear. I put on a pink blush the other day and I didn't really feel like myself so I took it off and replaced it with Rimmel Santa Rose.

The Casual Vacancy. 
I don't watch a great amount of TV but I'm pretty excited for The Casual Vacancy to start on Sunday night, mostly because I'm a bit of a J.K Rowling fan girl and also because I do love a good BBC drama!

Coming Home by Leon Bridges.
Saw Leon on the new releases section of Spotify yesterday and it was love at first play! 

* * *

e-elise etc
Ellalogy
junkaholique
A Dash of Ginger
ice pandora

* * *

Happy Friday!
Do you have any weekend plans? 

xoxo

A Few Recent Favourites

Lily Lolo Gloss in English Rose* | £7.99
I had forgotten how much I love Lily Lolo as a brand until I started seriously looking into cruelty free beauty products. English Rose is a beautiful muted pink colour that makes me look like I've put in a little more effort that I actually have, and the formula is smooth and comfortable to wear. I wish my skin weren't quite so dry so I could go back to their mineral foundation, but I've noticed that they've brought out a BB cream which I'm quite intrigued by so that might be something I'll have to try at some point soon.  

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub | £8
This tub of joy came in the Soap & Glory set I received as a Christmas gift and I'm fairly sure it's one of the nicest smells I've ever smelt. I don't really rate it much as a scrub because, well, it's not very scrubby, but honestly I love it for the scent alone and I will use every last little bit.

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Mist | £7.50
I recently puppy-sat for my Mum and as a little thank you gift she gave this to me. Recently I've been all about simple perfumes and this is exactly that. Obviously not the most long-lasting scent in the world, but it does last for much longer than I was expecting! I bloomin' adore it and the coconut mist is one I'd like to get in time for summer.

You Are Not The One by Vestal McIntyre | £7.51
A collection of eight short stories, each as wonderfully written and smart as the next. They're full of charmingly real characters and I really connected with them. There's everything from a pet octopus to getting kidnapped whilst wearing a kangaroo outfit, but somehow they remain so relatable and funny.  

Is there anything that you have been particularly loving recently? 

xoxo

Movement.

When life feels a little overwhelming I reach for my yoga mat and work through some pilates routines. As someone who has always had a slight aversion to exercise that's not something I ever thought would be a thing I would do. And I guess high impact exercise still isn't my thing, but there's something that is simultaneously relaxing and challenging about pilates. You certainly get out what you put in and I always feel so much better after an hour or so in the mornings.

George kindly gifted me with a parcel of exercise clothes and they've gone a long way to helping me feel a little more motivated on those cold mornings when staying in bed for an extra half an hour seems like a much better idea. They're so affordable and honestly I've been really pleasantly surprised. I have a few things from Lulu Lemon which are insanely expensive and although they're great quality, I like these pieces from George almost as much. It's nice to mix and match expensive and affordable pieces though I think. It means more variety and less bank balance guilt.

The trainers are very lightweight so perhaps not the best for running, but I like them for pilates when it's cold. I have a real thing about having cold feet, not a fan. The long sleeve top is one of my favourite things because the material is super soft & comfortable. Everything has washed really nicely so far too. The only thing I would say is that the sizing runs a little small on some pieces. 

Exercise is a really personal think, I think, and because of that I don't really have any exercise tips as such (Carly is far more qualified to give advice on things like this). For me the key was to find something I like doing, or at least something that makes me feel good after it's over.

There's no denying that moving a little more is good for our health and I find that it helps to banish those morning blues too, making me into a little bit more of a morning person. At least as much of a morning person as I'll ever be.

xoxo

Film.

It has been years since I last shot a 'serious' full roll of film. Not that my photographic work was ever really serious.
Last year I put my cameras into a box because it felt like they were staring at me and it was a constant (and not particularly nice) reminder that my inspiration had vacated the premises.
But I think it might be time to dig them out again very soon.   
And I'm looking forward to that day wholeheartedly. 

xoxo