A Little Birthday Wishlist

Hey lovely people, 

So I know I said I would post 3 times a week, but this week has been exceptionally busy and for that reason I haven't really had much computer time. However, I have a spare 10 minutes this morning and thought I would share a little wishlist post for my upcoming 29th birthday next month. It is of course an enormous hint to my hubby, so hopefully he gets the message loud and clear. :)

1:

This is Model 4018 from Sekonda, as part of the new Editions range. I saw it for the first time last night while watching "Fearne and McBusted" and I just love it. I've been looking at watches for so long, and had my eye on a few including some Michael Kors ones that were just gorgeous, but I really loved this one instantly and it's only £39.99... so BARGAIN!!! 

2:

I can't say enough about this genius cleanser from Liz Earle. I have been using it for 1 years and I have literally no complaints whatsoever. My skin feels so fresh and clean and fantastic when I use this, so naturally I run out a lot. It's £14.95 for the 100ml pump directly from Liz Earle or you can get two 100ml pumps from QVC for £28. :) 

3:

I have been dreaming about this gorgeous lippy since reading the April Vogue (UK edition). It has been on my wishlist since then, but I still haven't managed to justify the £24 price tag to my hubby. He just doesn't understand the importance of me having this gorgeous piece in my collection. I wonder if he ever will!!! :(

4:

My 4th item is these slim fitting boyfriend jeans from Simply Be. I'm generally a dark jean kinda gal, but I really love these. they are super cute and will look fab with a pair of pumps & a tee... my fave kind of outfit. They are £35. 

5:

The 5th and final item on my wishlist is this little treat of a tv show. :) It is my new favourite... and is AMAZEBALLS! I have quite seriously watched all 4 seasons on a loop on Sky & Netflix, and I just can't get enough. It is available from Play at £29.99 for all 4 of the current seasons.

So there you have it. I don't think I'm asking for too much...

Take care lovelies. x

Rimmel London Just Let It Go - Full Review

Hey lovely people!

So today I thought I would share my thoughts and opinions on this little product from Rimmel. I would like to re-iterate (as I have done in previous posts) that I am in no way, shape or form an expert in make-up, skincare or anything in that field for that matter. I am just a lover of all these products, sharing my absolute honest opinion with all you lovely people. 

So a month or so ago, I was out shopping and was specifically looking for an eye make-up remover. I don't know if you're anything like me, but I have super sensitive eyes. So much so that I have to endure watery eyes every single time I put eyeshadow, eyeliner... and worst of all mascara on. So, you can only imagine the tough and often excruciatingly sore time I have of it, when I'm trying to take it off at the end of night. 

So anyway, while I was browsing the beauty product filled shelves, my eye caught a glimpse of this product by Rimmel. On first impressions, I felt like it would be the perfect thing to try, not only because I find that Rimmel products in general are of the highest standard for being a "cheaper" brand product, but also because it stated clearly on the bottle that it was "gentle", "dermatologically tested" and "suitable for sensitive eyes". So for me it was a win, win, win!!! :)

However, I regret to say that it does not live up to it's promise on the bottle. I tried this as soon as I got home from picking it up, and it quite literally made me cry... tears of pain! Now, after bathing my poor eyes in cool water, trying to numb the burning sensation, I decided that perhaps it was something else that had caused such a bad reaction. Maybe it was in fact just my eye makeup, which as I said before often brings on pain such as this. So on that basis, I left it on my makeup shelf and decided to give it another try at another time. 

I tried using it again 2 days ago... and I can now say, without doubt that this is not a product for someone like me. Quite literally, as soon as I put the cotton pad near my eye, I could feel the water building, and as soon as I began to try wiping, it just became entirely insufferable. 

This makes me sooo sad, because I am otherwise an avid advocate of the Rimmel range, but I have to say that if you have sensitive eyes, I would seriously consider whether or not you want to risk using this product. It is perfectly fine to use on most other parts of my face and hands, and I have used it several times to remove make up swatches from the back of my hand, with no problems at all. But I must stress again... IF YOU HAVE SENSITIVE EYES, PLEASE BE WARY OF THIS PRODUCT. 

Hopefully, this will have been helpful to some of you lovely people, and by all means, if you have had any different experiences with it, then by all means let me know. As I said earlier in the post, I'm not an expert at all, I can only give you my open and honest opinions, which is what I've done. 

Take care lovelies. x

I want that... and I want that... Oh and I want that!!! Part 2

Hey there my lovelies! :)

So earlier I posted my accessories wishlist, which included the likes of earrings, a handbag and some sunglasses. However, now I'd like to share with you some of the other items I've had my eyes on, specifically of the skincare variety. 

So, I'm a bit of a QVC addict. I watch it every night when I go to bed and have been watching it for the last 15 or so years. It's where I discovered Liz Earle, one of my absolute favourite genius skincare creators.

This skincare set I am about to show you, contains the famous Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. It is the absolute best cleanser I have ever used in my life... and I have tried a lot! You're skin feels so clean and smooth after each use, especially if you've had a heavy face of makeup on. This will wipe it off as easily as you could possibly imagine.

Liz Earle Essential Superskin Collection - £41.52 (£4.95 p&p)

If you were to purchase these items separately from the Liz Earle boutique or website, it would cost you a total of £75.50, so you are saving yourself a great deals of money buying from QVC, not to mention you have a full 30 day money back guarantee with them.

The next set of items is from L'Occitane, the most deliciously sumptuous beauty products and fragrances inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle, promoting well-being and an absolute delight for the senses. I am yet to find an alternative for the Shea Butter hand-cream, having tried many so called dupes and absolutely none of them coming close to the luxurious, creamy and nourishing feel of the L'Occitane collections.

L'Occitane 3 Piece Shea Hand Collection - £31.92 (£4.95 p&p)

Again, if you were to purchase these items separately from the L'Occitane boutique or website, then it would cost you a total of £46, not as substantial a saving as the Liz Earle products, but still less than the RRP. 

The final skincare set that I have chosen is from Decleor. It is the 4 Piece Salon Size Skincare Collection. This is a brand that I have had very little experience of. My mum has used Decleor products for years, and I have dabbled a bit with some of the products she had, as well as the odd Decleor facial at salons I've visited. But other than that... I'm not too familiar. Except for the fact that I have watched these items being used over and over again for years on QVC and up until recently I had never really bothered about trying them out properly. However, over the last few years my skin has become more and more sensitive and I am quite prone to have breakouts, especially in the areas on and around my cheeks. This is unusual for me, even as a teenager, I seemed to be spared of the horridly vicious acne phase. So now I've decided that this is a skincare regime I would really love to try.

Decleor 4 Piece Salon Size Skincare Collection - £80.04 (£6.95 p&p)

So yes it is very pricey, but it is after all high-end, as well as being enormous salon sized products. The thing about these items is that they are not available anywhere else, other than QVC, in these sizes. So the price comparison I am giving you is based on the standard sizes available at the Decleor boutique and website. Surprisingly, these same products, at half the size offered on QVC, would set you back £104. That's for half the size!!! So really... despite it being quite a considerable investment to make, it is one that is well worth it in terms of the value for money you are getting.

So that's all for my wishlists today lovely people. I hope I haven't bored you too much, and if you haven't already you should definitely hop on over to QVC (Sky channel 640, Virgin channel 740, Freesat channel 800 and Freeview channel 16) or visit their brilliant website here. 

Take care lovelies. x

The Blogger Tag

Hey there lovely people,

Happy weekend to you all. Hope you are having a fabilicious Saturday.

It's that time of the week for another little Tag. They are one of my favourite things to read on other peoples blogs because it's nice to get to know the lovely person behind the posts. 

So here is this weeks choice... The Blogger Tag! 

The Blogger Tag

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

It's naturally straight with a bit of a kink in it.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Both. If I'm feeling in a particularly "pamper myself" type of mood, I will get a hair cut & colour at the Hairdressers, but most of the time, because my hair is so short I am happy just to dye it myself at home. 

3. Do you wear the same style everyday, or do you change it?

So as I was saying, I have super short hair, so coming up with different styles is often difficult - but I try my best to change it up as much as I can.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I do my own. I have always had long nails and so have never wanted acrylics or anything. As well as that on the one and only occasion where I did have a manicure, the lady doing it absolutely destroyed my cuticles with her buffer and they were all bleeding and sore - BAD EXPERIENCE!!! Plus I like to change my nail colour a lot, so it would end up costing me a small fortune if I went to a manicurist every time. 

5. How often do you change your nail polish?

Like I said above, I change my colour a lot. Maybe 2 or 3 times a week. :) I love a fresh set of nails.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?

Both - I stick to darker shades like 1.Chick Flick Cherry from O.P.I. or 2.Desire from Rimmel which is what I'm wearing just now. In the summer I like bright & pastel colours like 3.Hip Hop from Rimmel and 4.Brompton Place from Nails Inc.

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?

So if I'm just having a normal day - food shopping, out a walk etc then 10 minutes. If I have a night out or somewhere fancy to go then it's a kind of whole day process where my makeup can take 2-3 hours. I like to take my time. :)

8. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Face. I always put my primer and foundation on first.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I have a relatively big collection of products that I often forget I have, particularly eye-shadows. So definitely a collector.

10. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

Once in my whole life. I have really sensitive eyes so putting fake lashes and glue on them is a little daunting. However, my sister once put them on me and I loved them... pity I couldn't really see properly the whole night. 

11. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Nope. There are maybe 3 days out of the week where I let my skin breathe... and on days like today, where I'm feeling under the weather, makeup is the furthest thing from my mind.

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with family?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. 

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Yes and often too.

14. How many high-end products do you have?

Not a lot... and I'm not entirely sure they are too high end. I have some Smashbox lip products, Bareminerals powders and concealers, as well as Clinique and Liz Earle skincare products.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?

I always tend to plan what I'm wearing and leave it sitting out and ready.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

Often. I have a handbag addiction, and like to showcase all of my different ones as much as possible. I do, however, have some favourites that I use more often than others.

17. What time do you wake up and go to sleep?

So I go to bed through the week at around 10.30pm, but don't generally fall asleep till about 2am. I wake up anywhere between 8 and 10am in the morning. My nights are slightly longer at the weekend.

18. How often or when do you workout?

Not as often as I should... at all!!!

19. Left handed or right handed?

Right - my hubby is left handed.

20. How tall are you?

5ft 7inches.

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

I speak a bit of French & Spanish.

22. How many pets do you have?

2 dogs - Oscar & Bonnie.

23. How often are you on Blogger?

Too often - haha! All day, everyday!!! Addicted is an understatement.

  

24. Do you read comments posted on blogs?

Yes - It's nice to read peoples nice words. Reminds me that there are still lovely people out there.

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

Yes - this has become a bit of a problem for my poor hubby. My spending has increased exponentially since I got more and more into blogging and watching YouTube.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

It was initially an idea I had for my Photography, that I was telling stories through my pictures - hence "Once Upon A Picture" and when I decided to blog I wanted there to be a consistency with my pictures and my words.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

I have a Canon 600D DSLR, but I also have a few point and shoot cameras too.

28. How often do you clean your house?

I try to clean a bit everyday, but have a good clean of the entire house once a week.

29. What's your favorite color?

RED!

30. What is your favorite drugstore/high end makeup brand?

I love Rimmel for their nail polishes, Bodyshop for their foundation and M.U.A lipsticks (they are super cheap and super pigmented). For skincare my absolute faves are Clinique, Liz Earle and I really like Simple.


So there is my Blogger Tag answers. Hope you all enjoyed reading them, and feel free to leave your tags in the comments for me to read.

Take care lovelies. x

Hair, Beauty & Skincare Products Wishlist

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Hey there lovely people!

As well as my "Hump Day" post I have decided to share another Wishlist post with you all. Simply because over the past 3 nights I have been doing a bit of online window shopping (with some actual shopping much to my husbands dismay) and I seem to be getting a bit carried away with all of the items I want. I wonder if some of you are like that too???

Anyway, I've divided my wishlist into 2 sections; Hair Products, Beauty Products & Skincare Products. Please share any of yours with me and let me know if you've had any experience with any of the products I'm mentioning here.

Hair

1. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo (1000ml) - £26.78 (rrp £31.50)
2. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Special Shampoo (1000ml) - £28.99 (rrp £34.95)
3. Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Hair & Scalp Treatment 200ml - £13.18 (rrp £15.50)

Now I'm a bit of a fan of Tea Tree products and I have been since I was a little girl, using my first ever Tea Tree cleanser and toner. I absolutely love the freshness of it. And I recently began using Tea Tree products on my hair as well as my skin and I have never looked back. For somebody like me, with sensitive skin and in particular a skin condition like dermatitis, I have found that Tea Tree products are soothing and fresh and nourishing to my skin, and particularly my scalp. It was actually a hairdresser that recommended these Paul Mitchell products to me and I have done nothing but swoon over the idea of purchasing them over the last few days. So these will definitely be making their way into my shopping basket just shortly!

If you're interested in these fabulous products, they can be found at HairTrade which is a fabulous little site offering an array of hair products from wigs and extensions to haircare and makeup. Be sure to give them a little visit and save yourself a bit of money at the same time!

Beauty

1. Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick - £21.16
2. Sephora Collection Moonshadow Baked Palette - In The Tropics - £17.31
3. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz - £13.46

So I know I've already gone on a bit about the Dolce & Gabbana Classic Cream Lipstick which was heavily featured in last months Vogue UK. But seriously... how delicious does that look??? I am sooo in love with it... and it just looks so lavish and expensive that really I must have it! The Sephora Palette was something that just caught my eye when I was swooning over every other product on the page. Its just so pretty and colourful and despite being quite a classically nude girl when it comes to eye colours, I really did fall for this palette. The Anastasia Brow Wiz is actually something I've been trying to get for a while, but didn't really know how I was going to manage it because it's exclusive to the US. Samantha Chapman goes on at length about how great this product is, and for someone like me who really struggles with eyebrows, I think it's definitely a product I need in my life. Now all I need to do is convince my hubby to let me order £75 worth of goodies in order to get the £10 flat rate international shipping! 

Again, if you're interested in any of these products, you can find them and much much more at Sephora. I promise you will not be disappointed with all of the products available and at such great prices, you too will be begging you're other half's for the permission to spend the cash!

Skincare

1. Clinique Liquid Facial Wash - £15.50
2. Clinique Clarifying Lotion - £16.50
3. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion £17

Clinique are without a doubt my absolute favourite Skincare brand out there. Pricey??? Yes! Worth it??? ABSOLUTELY!!! Having exceptionally dry skin, these products seem to just transform in an instant the way my skin not only looks but feels. The Liquid Facial Wash penetrates your skin so deeply that you feel super clean and refreshed after using it. The Clarifying Lotion feels so smooth and silky across your skin and really wakens you and your skin right up. And the Moisturising Lotion... well it just leaves your skin so soft and smooth and supple, that it feels like brand new skin. I do have other skincare products that I use from time to time, but I always come back to my Clinique. 

You can find more information and more products from Clinique at their website, where you can actually purchase their skincare straight from them. If you don't have a skincare routine set in stone or you've never tried them before I would highly recommend you giving them a go. Like I said before, since trying them I have never really looked back.

So anyway, that is my current Hair, Beauty & Skincare wishlist. Being honest, I could have filled the page with products I want right now, but I thought a mishmash of products might seem a bit greedy and might be a bit of an eyesore. Let me know if you have any MUST HAVE products in your wishlists and if you have tried any of the products I've mentioned above, I'd love to hear from you.

Take care lovelies. x