Face Facts! This winter is sticking around!

As winter lingers some or all of us, at some point, suffer with dry, irritating or cracked skin! Gross right?! It's hard enough trying to decide what to wear in England during the cold months never mind looking after your skin and keeping up with a routine that works EVERY single time. 

I have spent most of my teen years battling spots and now as I get a bit older it is the occasional breakout on my chin, dry skin or slight redness in my cheeks! It is a never ending war between you and winter, which only seems alleviated by CASH! I think the most important thing for me though is using sensitive products that will not irritate my skin further. 

SO...

What have I been 'wearing' so far this winter?

Well, firstly I think it is important to have a facial scrub and wash that can be used daily. These two gorgeous products by Neutrogena accompany me in the shower every single day...

Having sensitive skin meant for me that I had to find a scrub for my face that was not too harsh. I need exfoliation but if the 'grains' are too course it usually ends up causing dry patches or a small breakout. I discovered this product completely by accident by trialling many that did not work. Once I found 'Visibly Clear' in pink grapefruit I have not looked back once. It can be quite pricey depending on what your budget is but Superdrug currently have a promotion on so I was able to obtain these two under £3.00 each!

BARGAIN!

I use the facial wash after the scrub as it is quite thick and moisturising. For me, it calms the skin down after exfoliation and prepares it for the moisturise I use every day under my make up. Not to mention, both products leave your face feeling fresh and smelling beautifully of pink grapefruit!

This brings me nicely onto moisturiser. Does anyone else finding it really difficult to find the right moisturiser for them? My chin can be quite greasy whilst my T-zone is often dry so it is a case of opting for one that is for 'combination skin'.

I am trialling something at the moment that has never ever touched my face before so I am hoping that there will be a noticeable improvement in a week or so....

Clean & Clear advantage spot control moisturiser is light, non-greasy and soaks into the skin fast, which is perfect pre make-up! I have been using this for about 3 or 4 days now and I like how it feels so far. 

Fingers crossed, it will help reduce breakouts as well as continuing to moisturise the rest of my face effectively.

What is your face wearing this winter? I would love to hear from those of you who have found the right products for them OR those of you trialling something new!

Thanks for reading,

Love

Scribbles

xXx

Vivienne Westwood : Let it Rock

Where to begin? It was pay day last Friday and having not splashed out on a fabulous new scent for quite some time (almost a year would you believe?!) I decided to purchase a perfume online. Now, I know what you must be thinking... is she mental?? Who buys a perfume before at least testing it first?! I know, crazy!  

As a girl that loves a good bargain though life is often a bit of a gamble so what the heck....I gambled!

So after a quick look online I found there to be quite a few promotions on Very in time for Valentines Day!

The one that definitely caught my eye was Vivienne Westwood's Let it Rock.

The saving was fantastic and I could not wait until it arrived! Amazingly, it arrived the following morning so I was very very VERY excited!

I was pleased when it arrived, the packaging is great. Firstly, for me, what stood out was the graffiti-type font on the bottle and the legendary top! I am a bit of a fan of perfume bottles to be completely honest. Some of them are quite genius! Previous to this one my favourite was the Angel bottle. Futuristic, sharp edges yet oddly feminine? It appealed to my girly and geeky sides!

When I tried Let it Rock for the first time this weekend I sprayed the first spray with an open mind. I have read numerous views and most of them seem to be written by young, disappointed teenagers! It's not a delicate fragrance at all. In fact I would describe it as sophisticated. 

Exactly what I wanted.

It is woody, floral and fruity all at the same time. I know perfume can often smell differently on people but for me it's a scent that kept on changing. It lasted for a long time and when it settled I could appreciate the different notes; jasmine, patchouli, mandarin, freesia and amber! Crazy that one perfume could have so much going on but I love it.

Thanks to Marie Salamagne I think I may have a new favourite scent! (See the link to this excellent website with a list of her other perfumes!)

What's your favourite perfume? Do you wear more than one or have an all time favourite?

Thank you for reading ladies! I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend! One of my friends had her hen do which I joined for the meal and a drink after on Saturday. On Sunday I had a wonderful roast cooked by Sean and we shared it with our friend Kirstie! All in all a fab weekend!

Cheers!

Love from

Scribbles

xXx

If you could spare a little thyme...

Hello readers! Have we all had a good week? 

I succumbed to the nasty January 'bug', which left me at home for two days suffering and feeling sorry for myself so this blogger is pleased to be seeing the back of it! 

My lovely friend Kirstie brought me round some beautiful flowers to say get well soon - here's me really hoping I didn't send her away with a nasty present in return!

However, some good has come from this as I have decided the best post to write this Sunday would be the one that describes a great product that made me feel a bit more refreshed and renewed by the end of the week! 

Radox muscle soak...

Firstly, I would like to emphasise that this is a very affordable product and can be found in most drug stores.

If I remember rightly this 400g cost me between one or two pounds!

One of the main ingredients is Thyme, which you can smell instantly when you open up the resealable flap on the side of the box. The crystals are small and dissolve really quickly in the bath leaving behind a cloudy blue/green tinge in the water and a steam that fills the room with a glorious aroma.  If you have any aches and pains and find baths help ease these I would certainly recommend that you add this to the water.

I found it got to work straight away and it made me think. Would fresh thyme work the same way? SO, I did some further reading and it turns out that using fresh thyme in your bath can actually work! It is also considered anti-bacterial and anti-viral so can help with coughs and colds as well! No wonder I felt like I could breathe easier too!

I think it is time to start growing a little herb garden! Knowing what I have learnt from Thyme has just made me more interested in other herbs and what benefits they may have for people.

For those that have read my mini post today, firstly thank you! Lastly, if you have tried fresh thyme in a bath let me know how it made you feel!

Lots of love,

Scribbles

xXx

A weekend of bargains!

After another lovely weekend, I thought a nice way of drawing it to a close would be to share some of the bargains we managed to purchase before it was too late!

I'm always a sucker for a bargain and sometimes for items I didn't really 'need'. Whilst in ASDA we found this cute little bed set for a whole five pounds! I will have to update this post when it gets put on my bed! I really, really want a faux fur cushion to go with it now, or a throw!

I also decided to pop into Boots this weekend to scope out a new make up remover. I adore the Micellar waters by B. range and Garnier but thought it was time to test out something different.  I found this delicate little number at a bargain price of £1.39!

This cleansing water is soothing with Aloe Vera being one of its main ingredients. It's consistency is watery, however, on application with a cotton wool pad, lifts dirt and make up easily off the face. It is kind to your eyes as well so you don't have that uncomfortable sting if there is an accident! I also find that after using this twice now it is fantastic at lifting waterproof mascara so there are no dark marks or smudges left under the eyes. Yep, I can finally say goodbye to that morning panda look, after thinking I had removed it all the night before!

I think it is quite a moisturising product as well; in the past some cleansers or removers of make up have left my skin red raw, dry or sore. Having sensitive skin means I am always concious of the ingredients I use on my face.

As it is January I am trying new products that might be a bit healthier; after a bit of a heavy Christmas! I love having coffee at the weekend with Sean as a treat. In fact we have had a mini coffee haul courtesy of Taylors of Harrogate again. This little selection should keep us going a LONG time!

I definitely recommend the 'Brasilia' (strength 4) and 'Indonesia' (strength 5 with a strong hint of cocoa).

Anyway, I digress.

I figure that whilst I enjoy a coffee at the weekend, I do not necessarily need to be drinking as much tea and coffee at work that I currently do. So after perusing through the large selection of alternative teas I found this little beauty!

Clipper do a lot of different teas but I think the 'rise and shine' appealed to me the most! This is a lemon tea and I am hoping that this will offer me that wake up call we all rely on at work! I'm feeling positive so I will give it a go this week and update you all soon!

What bargains did you get this weekend? I would love to hear if you saved some money this weekend buying something you love or maybe something alternative to what you are used to??

Thank you for reading,

Scribbles

xXx

Make Up Academy lipstick review!

HAPPY NEW YEAR BLOGGERS!!!

It has been a fabulous 2015 so far! I had the privilege of spending my New Years with some great friends who hosted a little party at theirs. Sean and I stayed over and spent both the Eve and New Year's Day playing games, laughing and eating fabulous food!

It's the Sunday evening now before my routine goes back to normal and work begins. Having had the last two weeks off to spend it with people I care about and relax, I'm now feeling a little bit deflated. You know the feeling after a great holiday when you have to come back home? Yep, that feeling!

Not to mention that sluggish, guilty feeling after having eaten far too much of the fatty stuff!

To cheer myself up I figured the best thing to do would be to dive straight into my first post of 2015! What better way to do this by telling you, my readers, about some great bargains I have discovered. As you can see above I had a mini haul from Poundland, Boots and Superdrug this time.

The products I would like to tell you about this evening though came from the MUA concession in Superdrugs. They also have a website, which can be found here on http://www.muastore.co.uk/.

I have purchased a couple of their pencil eye liners before but never really thought they were something to write home about. So imagine my surprise when I saw they did a wide range of lipsticks for only a £1.00 each?!

 On this occasion I picked up 3 contrasting colours to compare. 


Lilac Belle...

Pouty Pink...

Totally Nude...

First of all, for a budget product, I would like to point out that these lipsticks do look great! I like the contrasting white and silver coloured casing as well as the simplicity of the logo. I applied some lip balm on my lips first as these are Matte shades so do not moisturise your lips as glossy ones would.

I like all three shades and will definitely be going back for more. Here's how I got on...

Lilac Belle!

Pouty Pink!

Totally Nude!

Out of all them though my favourite just has to be Lilac Belle. I adore this purple shade and with my newly dyed, deep purple hair it goes well with a simple dark eye liner flick!

Let me know if you try these out at all and what you think! I would also love to hear about any other lipstick shades you may have tried from this range! 

Thank you for reading my first post of 2015 and I look forward to fellow bloggers sharing their pages with me! 

Coming Soon... How I get on with 3 (yes 3!!!) 30 Day Challenges using the free Apps on my phone.... Abs, Squats and Push Ups!

Love from 

Scribbles!

xXx

My 2014 Favourites!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a sparkly, magical Christmas and are all set for New Years, whatever your plans are! I was really lucky after the year I had to start with to have spent my Christmas with not just my own family but my boyfriend's as well. From Christmas Eve to Boxing Day it was spent with good company, food and drink! A lot of laughs were had and I have been left feeling very lucky and spoilt indeed!

 I'll be celebrating the end of 2014 and anticipating 2015 with two very close friends Kirstie and Ralph who have invited both Sean and I to their home near Birmingham! I am really excited and in between writing today I have been packing! 

Since the year is almost over, I think this post is important! I would like to celebrate and promote my favourite products of 2014. Most of them are products I actually use on a daily basis for numerous reasons.  It has always been important for me to look after my body. As a sufferer of IBS, asthma and sensitive skin I think it's important to manage the products I use on the outside of my body as well as making sure my diet is good and varied too!

So, here they are! I hope you enjoy reading about them and that it entices some of you to try them out!

I found it really difficult to narrow it down to only a few products I favoured during this year. However, let's be honest, they are all used for different reasons so there were bound to be a few!

Going from left to right, starting with the back row, I will list all the items first to make it a bit easier.  For me, not you as I'm sure I will forget at least one!! So, here we go :

Aussie Miracle Recharge Lightweight Conditioning Spray

I use this product on my hair every single day; without fail! After I towel dry my hair and before I brush it through or use the hair dryer I apply a good amount of this to my hair (both to the roots and length). My hair loves it and not only does it leave it soft and manageable, it smells gorgeous!

Yves Rocher Organic Vanilla Lotion

I have only just discovered this lotion after noticing Yves Rocher were having Black Friday on their website! I treated myself and others to various items but this was my favourite. The lotion is thick and creamy but soaks into the skin well without leaving any grease behind. Not to mention the organic Vanilla scent that it leaves on your skin is to die for.....leaves me wanting to chew my arms!!! I use this on my arms legs and on my chest and decolletage area. It's perfect this winter as it combats the dry and cold really well. 

Schwarzkopf Got2b Beach Matt Mermaid Look Salt Spray

I had my hair cut recently and now there's some layers in there I wanted to show them off! This salt spray is fantastic at giving your hair good texture without making it look overworked. I prefer sprays to gels or wax because you can put the amount you actually want on your hair with ease.

Soft&Gentle Wild Rose & Vanilla Deodorant

I love the smell of this deodorant and it does last a really long time as well. I find some deodorising products are really overpriced and do not work as effectively. This one is cheap and cheerful!

Hollister California Seacliff Beach Body Mist

I'm not one for spending £11 on a body mist usually but this was just too good to not treat myself to! I purchased this a while ago and even though I wear this most days I still have loads left. It's a light scent and reminds me of the sea air, sand and holidays!

B. Pure Micellar Water

I was guilty of using make up or baby wipes at the beginning of 2014. I know, gross right?! This has all changed for me and as a result my skin has improved drastically. I am a fan of Micellar waters and have found this one to be my favourite. It is part of the B range in Superdrug. I find this product removes my make up easily and does not clog my pores up.  It also does not leave my skin red or sore as make up wipes did. 

Nivea Oil Free Moisturising Day Cream

I love this moisturiser. Again, my skin being sensitive tends to be a combination of oily and dry. This moisturiser seems to know what my skin needs on my face more than I do! My T-zone feels less dry and my chin is never oily! I love this and recommend it for those of you with combination or oily skin.

Natural Collection Sun Tint Bronzing Powder in Sunshine and Natural Collection Pressed Powder in Warm

I have always been a fan of Natural Collection products. They are very affordable and Boots usually do a 3 for £5 deal. The bronzer is not too heavy on my skin and I have been using the warm pressed powder over my foundation for years! I am a firm believer in the phrase "if it's not broke, don't fix it!" This products works for me, until I find something super amazing, I'll not change it.

Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Body Lotion and Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Body Butter

Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden do the most beautiful products. Their lotion and body butters are divine. I'm also a real fan of their scrub and gel washes. They do miniatures in Boots as well as full sized bottles. I find these to be excellent travel companions!

Perfectly Clear Calming Spot Gel

Whoever invented this was an absolute Godsend. Honestly, if you have a little break out it's good to have this littler emergency tube on hand. It dries them out and combats them. I will sometimes use this product just before breakouts as well, if I can feel my skin tighten or become sore.

White Holly Tea Tree and Lavender Moisturiser

This is a fantastic little product my friend's sister made me. You can find her at www.whiteholly.co.uk . It smells of Lemon Sherbert and has specific natural products based on what my skin needs. I put this on my skin twice a day, day and night. I actually purchased 3 bottles at the time and have loads left.

Essence Stay All Day 16 hour foundation in Soft Creme

I often experiment with different liquid foundations but one I found most recently is the Essence range in Wilkinson. It is soft, oil free and covers blemishes well.

Revlon Just Bitten Lip Stain

I have a few of these lip stains now and think I wrote about two of their shades in an earlier post. The pens make it easy to apply and once it rubs off it does leave a 'just bitten' stain. I love them and recommend these by Revlon.

Carmex Cherry Lip Balm

This winter I would not be without my Carmex. The mix of Cherry in this means I get a nourishing product as well as a tasty lip balm! Best of both worlds really!

Lush Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion

Every girl loves Lush, how can you not? Their recent Charity pot Hand and Body Lotion smells and feels divine, Again, another fantastic product to keep in your bag or travel with!

B. Even Skintone Corrector

Last but not least is this skin tone corrector. I have favourited a few B products this year. I cannot help it, they are all fabulous! I find this ideal for my cheeks as I do suffer from slight redness there. It helps tone it down so that applying make up is a lot easier!

Well, that's it! All my favourites for 2014! I hope you have enjoyed reading them and maybe some of you will be tempted to go try them out yourselves. If you do, let me know how you get on! I hope you all have a fabulous and safe New Year celebration!

Here's to the end of another year but the beginnings of 2015!

Take care over the holiday season!

Love Scribbles

xXx

Happy Birthday Sean : A Centerparcs Wonderland Adventure!

Good evening everyone! My post this evening is dedicated to my boyfriend and soul mate; Sean. It was his birthday on the 12th of December and we spent that week at Centerparcs in Sherwood to celebrate it, winter wonderland style! It was beautifully themed, everywhere you looked the forest was decorated to look like a proper Christmas. Fake snow, Santa's sleigh and even a random Santa Claus to greet all those that were arriving at check in...

...looked a bit dodgy to me!!

When we finally made it to our villa and unloaded the car, I treated Sean to a toast! What other way is there to celebrate our arrival for his birthday treat week!

The whole week was fabulously filled with food, drink, lots of walking and swimming every evening. The subtropical pool is fantastic! There's a large pool which had waves every 30 minutes (everyone ran to the pool when the alarm sounded lol). There was an outside bit and rapids, a cold plunge pool (that I dared Sean to dive into), warm whirpools and lots of water slides. It was a challenge to get increasingly faster down the slide as the week progressed. Well, once I plucked up the courage to go down it!!

Sean seemed to get along quite well with the neighbours and made himself a few friends as the week progressed...

I have to say it was definitely a new experience watching Sean feed a squirrel from his hand. It turns out their favourite nibbles were mince tarts and custard creams!!!!




The reindeers were cute! It was lovely to see them plodding around being lively during the day...

And then all curled up snug at night time...






I think it's fair to say though, the best experience may have been our final meal out! We booked a table early evening Thursday at the American Diner Hucks. The service was fabulous and the food was just perfect! Sean sported his new t-shirt ( a small present from moi ) and was very pleased with himself, especially when the steak arrived...

I was naturally super excited when my nacho cheese wet fries arrived. A massive addiction of mine. Every visit to Meadowhall also includes a visit to the food court to get some of these!!!!

I know it's no longer your birthday and we are now on our countdown to Christmas but....

Happy Birthday Sean, 

I love you

and I hope I made your week special and memorable.

Lots of Love

Scribbles

xXxXx