Lets talk skin

Hi everyone,

Hope you are all well, and that the New Year is treating you ok. I like most of you I’m sure was glad to see the back of January! I thought that I would resume blogging by discussing the changes that I have implemented within my skin care; both with makeup tips and new products that are….. Dramatically put; life changing.  This is a lengthy post, but what do you expect I have been MIA since October.  Well let’s get cracking there really is no space for a rambling intro girls!

Skincare

November was the month I discovered a brand, which has revolutionised my skincare routine. Alpha- H is a company which I had heard little of. I always assumed it was one of those extortionately priced niche brands, hard to find and way out of my student budget. However after a trip to the Beauty Bay website I soon realised that I too could experience the magical effects of glycolic acid for a reasonable sum. So I quickly popped the balancing cleanser and liquid gold into my imaginary shopping cart and wheeled it off to checkout before second thoughts took hold. After a couple of uses I began to think that these products would soon become Holy Grail, and would slot firmly into my skincare regiment. Let me tell you, the cleanser is like nothing I’ve ever tried. It’s so moisturising yet balancing at the same time. This will not break you out, and I say that with confidence. It removes eye makeup with the same ease as Liz Earl, without the strong scent or thick consistency. Don’t get me wrong I still recommend the Cleanse and Polish, and use it myself, but this somehow takes its place on a daily basis.  I have also been using my Clarisonic on a much more regular basis, Cannot live without this gadget, pricey yes, worth it absolutely.

Right that’s night times covered, now let’s talk lazy mornings. For this I turn to L’occitane fresh facial water. A good spritz and a wipe is all you need. It smells….. Fresh, and is a lovely mild facial water. If anything the spray will shock you into morning sanity.

Right, now onto treatments and moisturisers. I am someone who is incredibly fickle when it comes to moisturisers. Some I loathe, some make me shiny, and some break me out. I truly believe that moisturisers are the hardest part of skincare, with troublesome side effects if you get it wrong. I have found that recently I have adapted my own strange routine, one in which I am staying mainly spot free, apart from those few days girls, you know what I mean.  Let’s start with Liquid gold. Yes aptly named by Alpha- H this stuff is gold, it’s magical. Brightens, fades acne scars and pigmentation, and gently exfoliates. No need for grainy scrubs anymore. Simply wipe this on your face and neck every other night and your good to go. On these nights I forget moisturiser and let the glycolic acid do its job. You wake up with glowing skin; I don’t even miss my moisturiser. On the other nights I apply either Clarins combination oil, or origins mega mushroom moisturiser. These are both lovely products. They don’t break me out, but I’m not 100% certain that I won’t stray from these. In the morning I apply La Roche Posay Effaclar duo, an imperfection corrector. This stuff is great and works fantastically as a primer.  

Makeup

Told you this was long!!!

I have been going for a barely there face makeup. I have decided I hate medium to full coverage foundations and prefer to conceal specific areas rather than apply a mask. I want the natural glow of my skin to be apparent, not a matte, cakey clay mask which conceals the good as well as the bad. For this I have been loving Bobbi Brown Skin foundation, and BorjouisHealthy Mix. I would recommend both. They are great on my oilier skin. Long lasting, natural, barely detectable under light, and great for paler skins. I have been using Bobbi Brown corrector and concealer to target any blemishes, again highly recommend these. And her setting powders great too!

For blush I have been worshiping the Daniel Sandlerblushers! These are amazing. You must try them! So natural, long lasting and glowing. I also love the new Benefit Box called Hervana, natural hues of pink and peach create a truly personal blusher. I have been using their What’s Uphighlighter too; this is a really nice product, but massively overpriced. Quite liking Benefit, not loving the discontinuing of Throb thoughL.

And this is the result! here is the smug mug shot! 

If you got here well done,

Thanks for reading,

Speak soon,

It's not goodbye..... It's until next time

Hi everyone! 

I am truly sorry for the lack of fresh posts reaching your feeds. It makes me feel terrible to see my statistics, and realize that they haven't dropped. You are still coming here to check in with me, and I have continuously stood you up. This is unacceptable, and plain obnoxious. 

I think that it is time to take a blog hiatus; I'm not sure for how long, maybe until the New Year? 

I will return I promise, I just need to find the motivation, drive and interest I once had. 

As my loyal readers will know, this year has been a tough one. With health issues, relationship troubles, and Uni work all to keep up with; mythology20 has taken a back seat. 

Whenever I buy something, my first thought is still to share it with you. However at present it appears my purchases are not making it onto your screens! I can only blame sheer lack of enthusiasm for this. Blogging should be fun, and if it’s not then you should stop, or relax for a while. I think it boils down to this, I’m selfish and need to take some time for me, I don't want to go into depth, as neither you or I need that much personal info; but things haven't been great for me, and my life has taken an unexpected tangent. 

Another reason for my absence is that a lovely little Cavapoo called Aflie came into my life; he has so much energy that means what’s left of mine, has to go into him. 

I'll leave it at that everyone, please continue to blog, as I am still addicted to the blogging community; I just don't know how much I have to offer it at the moment! 

So until next time, 

Take care, keep loving makeup, and keep checking in, sometime in the future full service shall resume! 

(Bloggings just no fun right now YAWN!)

Love you all! 

I'm back with a home tour!

Hi all! I am so, so, so sorry for being such an unreliable blogger. I hate this. I just feel that if I am not going to put everything in to something, then there is simply no point in doing it. I therefore decided to take a little holiday; hoping to become re-inspired, and regain my blogging mojo. I really appreciated the kind emails of support, encouraging me to take a break and come back refreshed and ready for some full hearted blogging.

Now I know that I promised a house tour a little while ago, and as of late, I failed to deliver. So here I am back with a little house tour. This is just a sneak peak; demonstrating my tastes, and little interior tricks. I also give you a sneak peek into my vanity unit. (Let me know if you want a full collection blog)

I hope you are all well, and enjoying the summer sun (or lack of). A Barry M, Sleek and Gosh giveaway will be held soon; helpful for you international ladies, who are unable to buy these brilliant brands.  I am feeling much better, and am currently doing Logo and web design for a small business. I really enjoy logo design, and have actually discovered I have a little flair when it comes to creativity online. Maybe now I feel confident enough to design my own? I may start offering affordable logo design, so if you need any help get in touch!

In other news, Andy and I have moved in together. We are getting on great, and it’s lovely to have some good company around me all the time! Nothing better than a stress free, happy home!

Spare Room/ Office:

My Room:

Landing:

Living Room:

Kitchen:

Hope you enjoyed! 

Thanks for reading, see you soon! 

Hair Products I cannot live without.

It’s as simple as this; these products make my life easier. They turn bedhead hair into manageable, presentable tresses in a few short steps. I actually believe that with some of these products, the necessity to use heat is lost. Having recently gone from dark brown to dark blonde recently; this lack of heat has been a god send.  I have been using lots of restorative treatments, and if anything my hair is better condition than before.  

I have continually repurchased all of these products; the Trevor Sorbie heat spray for the last four years. This is by far the best heat protective spray available, no frazzle, no residue, just a clean scent and shine. They have been put through my rigorous testing, and have all passed with ribbons in abundance.

Bed Head masterpiece- This hairspray has great hold, without any crispiness, and adds a lovely shine to the hair. This is great to use all through the day, as refreshment. Not only does it function great as a hairspray; it also smells better than any other hair spray product I’ve used. Id compare the scents to apples and pears, and all things fresh, and fruity. I love the spray on this, its wide reaching and doesn’t direct all the product to one area, avoiding any crusty areas. This isn’t cheap at £11 but its well worth the money and it’s a canny size.

Tresemme volumising Dry Shampoo- This is a more recent addiction, starting around 3 months ago. I have always hated dry shampoos and never understood people’s unrelenting passion for Bastise. I always found that my hair would have an ashy appearance following any dry shampoo application. This product does none of the above. It leaves your hair volumised but not matte, and prevents the dandruff effect most dry shampoos create. It also smells nice, with the typical Tresemme scent. A great dry shampoo for dark haired ladies.

John Frieda Moisture barrier hairspray- This is my fly away zapper. It keeps the baby hairs firmly in place, perfect for up do’s and pony tails. This is not a great everyday hairspray, and I prefer the Bed Head for daily use. I always keep this at hand though; ready to tackle those mammoth bad hair days.

Tresemme 24 hour lotion and mousse- These two products have received plenty of well-deserved recognition lately. I have been using them consistently since their launch, alongside heated rollers. There really are no better volumising products in my humble opinion. Plus their cheap!! Win win.

VO5 Argon oil elixir- Again another product used since its launch, a truly great restorative leave in product. Even though the formula is oil, and I have fine hair, this works great. It never adds build up, just shine and silkiness.

Tresemme Heat restorative mask- This is a weekly essential for me. I mentioned this last year, and am still using it. My hair has never become accustomed to it, and so thankfully the results remain excellent.

Elvive 60 second conditioning treatment- This was inspired by our Cheryl haha! I fell for the advert, and was pleased with the results attained. This works wonders in would you believe it 60 seconds! I love this and as you can see from the images, I have squeezed every last drop from this tube.

Finally…..

A girl needs a good set of hairbrushes! I often lust over Mason and Pearson brushes, but can’t justify the expense. Maybe one day. But for now I am satisfied by my hairbrush trio; I present:

The Kent paddle brush, the GHD large barrel blow dry brush, With it's cross over bristles, this is the ideal blow dry brush for those with easily knotted hair, and the famous tangle teezer. I know that the tangle teaser is something I need come in sickness or health, as I begged for someone to get it for me whilst I was in hospital!

Nail Polish Haul

Hi all, just a little nail polish haul for you all. I don’t know about you but every now and then I feel the need to expand my nail polish collection. With my current nail polish storage bursting at the seams this would appear rather foolish; yet no beauty buy of late seems to excite me quite like a beautiful shade of pastel. Bright’s and muddy colours are not as appealing to me anymore. 6 months ago I would have bought anything which resembled muddy wellington boots, but now with summer in full bloom (or not in North East England) I am all for pastels. I feel a girl can never have enough pastel nail polishes. 

So here I present you with my latest nail splurge. I was as you can see enticed by the whole ‘crackle’ trend, and can say that it’s not for me. I think that I prefer a well presented, classic manicure. Rough, bumpy nails are annoying, I couldn’t stop touching them. It looks great in pictures, but up close…. not so much.  

I also decided to add China Glaze classic mint nail polish (re-fresh mint) to my nail polish collection. It’s a bright choice, and looks fabulous on toes. If however a bright pastel mint shade is not for you; Essie’s latest offering absolutely shore, may be the shade for you. It’s a more toned down, chic affair, perfect for holiday sun.  I am pleased with my choices minus the crackle glazes, and will show you some nail of the day shots during the summer months.

Just in case a colour catches your eye; here is the line-up from left to right: all images are unedited and taken without flash to avoid colour distortion because I simply hate that!.
Essie: Sand Tropez

Essie: Absolutely Shore

Essie: Neo Whimsical

Essie: Smooth Sailing

Essie: Knock out pout

China Glaze:  crackle glaze, Lightning Bolt

China Glaze:  crackle glaze, Crushed Candy

China Glaze:  Re-fresh mint

I hope you are all keeping well, and enjoying the sun whenever it decides to show its face.  I have been spending most of my down time, reading using my new love; The Kindle. Any great book recommendations would be delightful.

Thanks for reading,