Dear me- A note to my 15 year old self.

Image source-http://www.acuityorg.com/hdpicture/daisy-flower-wallpapers.html

Don't chop all your hair off. I know it seems like a good idea, but you'll like it for a month and then spend the next 6 years (and counting) growing it all out again.

Don't worry so much about school, it really is the best time of your life so have fun, and enjoy it while it lasts.

Try not to be so impulsive, put some real thought into your decisions, they will come back to bite you if you don't!

It really doesn't matter if you don't own all newest clothes. Stop wasting your money on them! Go out and do things instead.

Get off your phone/laptop. The world will not end if you're not on MSN immediately after getting home from school!

Don't give up on sports. You enjoy them and once you quit it's really hard to get back into them.

Occasionally people you think are your friends, will turn out to be very different to what you thought. Try not to be bothered about it. It's a learning curve and you'll be thankful it happened in the end.

Don't go to college. Stick at sixth form and keep your options open.

Stop worrying so much. Everything really will be okay in the end.

  

What I've been up to this week....

Eating- a ridiculous amount of cakes! Whenever I go back to my mums for a few days she gets lots of yummy cakes and biscuits in so naturally, I stuffed myself! A visit to The Great Gatsby for tacos, chilli cheese fries and the best churros was amazing too!

Watching- Suits! All our favourite TV shows are reaching the end of their series so we've been forced to find something new to watch. As a result were both pretty addicted to Suits, it's a great watch!

Thinking- that I am constantly hungry! Why?! No amount of food is ever enough.

Feeling- much less stressed! This week I managed to secure myself a second job for when I leave Uni which is a huge relief! It's so lovely to not have to worry about money now!

Working- on my final degree show piece. Getting the courage to stop editing the photos and send them to the printer is proving pretty hard though!

Seeing- my Mum and Dad and Grandma and Grandad. I've been so busy recently it was lovely to have some time with family! 

Wearing- the most lovely pink summer dress and new white wedges. I absolutely love Summer and have just bought some gorgeous new clothes. I can't wait for the hot weather!

Trying- new skincare to beat these breakouts! So far I am happy with the result too.

How has your week been? :)  

Review- Clinique Anti Blemish Solutions Range.

As you know I use and love my Clinique skincare. I've had the 3 step system a few months and really can't knock it. Unfortunately though, my skin is still prone to the odd breakout, so I'm always on the lookout for something that can leave my with clear, spot-free skin.

I've seen reviews for Clinique's Anti-Blemish range floating around the blogging world and thought maybe it's time I gave this range a try! Here are my thoughts:

In order to get the best results I bought the cleanser, clearing gel and foundation. It's no use spending money on good skincare, to ruin it all with your makeup choices! The cleansing foam is lovely and refreshing to use, it leaves the skin feeling clean and residue free, with a visible reduction in oil and dirt. It smells nice and fresh, and doesn't create redness or blotches.

Despite the product feeling light, you still only need a small amount so the large bottle is great value for the price! I followed this step with my usual clarifying toner (I'm a bit of an advocate for toning) but this stage isn't necessary.

Next up comes the clearing gel. I absolutely LOVE this stuff. It's basically a 'spot-on' treatment which you apply directly to the broken out area and leave on. Despite being full of active ingredients this product doesn't sting upon application like some other treatments. In fact, despite being a gel, it's lovely and light and soaks into the skin relatively quickly. I found this dried up my spots quickly and I noticed a reduction in size and redness an hour or so after use.

As a rule Anti-Blemish products can be pretty drying so it's really important to moisturise. Clinique's standard moisturising gel is fantastic to use here as it's oil free, so doesn't ruin all your hard work controlling your skin!

Finally I used the foundation. Now my main struggle with foundations is getting a colour to match my skin. I'm very pale and often light shades of foundation come with an ugly pink hue. I found this foundation matched my skin perfectly however (shade Fresh Alabaster). Being more yellow toned it was pale, yet warming. This foundation is pretty fab for anyone prone to breakouts as it contains salicylic acid (a well known acne fighting ingredient). I also found it great for my oiliness as my skin stayed looking matte and mid afternoon shine wasn't a problem!

Overall I'm really happy with the results I'm getting from this set. The skincare is great for fighting oiliness and keeping breakouts at bay, and it's fantastic to find a foundation that not only looks great, but fights spots at the same time! I will definitely continue using this set and hugely recommend it to anyone with skin problems similar to my own. It's fantastic!  

Summer Favourites

Summer is absolutely one of my favourite times of year. BBQ's, beer gardens and general relaxation. It's lovely!

I adore the cute pastels, delicate florals and adorable ginghams appearing in this seasons spring/summer style, here are a few of my favourites:  

Miss Selfridge Pretty Blue Ultra Soft Jean

Topshop Gingham Frill Bralet

Topshop Crinkle Bardot Bandeau Top

Essie Plucky Pistachio Shimmer

Juju Maxi Pink 

Some high points of my week.

This week has been a funny one. After being struck by a horrible bug I spent the whole of Thursday and Friday tucked up in bed trying to sleep it off. Not only did I have to miss work but one of my best friends birthday night out! It sucked! Anyhow I've managed to pick some nice things from a pretty rubbish week, here they are:

The gorgeous new playsuit I bought on Tuesday. I haven't bought going out clothes in about 3 years, so I can't wait to finally hit the town in something new!

A lovely lunch with my friend for her birthday. Goats cheese pizza makes me happy.

The last ever Crit group at Uni. This one is filled with happiness and a bit of sadness. I'm happy that Uni is nearly over, but my Crit group and Tutor are the two things about Uni that I will really miss.

The yummy paella I made from scratch, even though my sickness the day after has put me off it for the foreseeable future!

Catching up on my sleep. Being poorly at least allowed me to take some much needed time out and catch up on my sleep. Ready to crack on with work this coming week!

How was your week? :)  

Getting Back in the Kitchen- Chicken and Chorizo Paella

Photo Source- Channel 4, 4food website.

A few weeks ago I made myself a promise that I was going to start cooking again. I've always loved to cook, but throughout my time at Uni, I've gotten a little lazy in the old kitchen. It's so much easier just to stick something in the oven! With a view of being more productive and pro-active however, I've decided to get my pots and pans out again and start making some tasty dishes.

Today's effort was a chicken and chorizo paella.

I've never made paella before but I had a pretty good idea what it's supposed to turn out like. I found a recipe on 4food and thought it looked simple enough for me to give a go. (I live in the wake of many a failed risotto so simplicity really was key here!)

I'm not going to lie, I'm so impressed with how well the paella actually turned out. Timing is not my strong point and after getting flustered halfway through cooking I was half expecting a big, stodgy mess to appear on my plate! Surprisingly though the result was the perfect consistency and the rise was deliciously tender. Smoked paprika mixed with the chorizo gave a the dish a lovely strong flavour while the peppers and tomatoes kept it nice and fresh. I will definitely be making it again!

For any other paella novices out there, I definitely recommend you give this recipe a try. It's so simple and the finished dish is lovely. Happy cooking!

http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/popular-ingredients/rice/chicken-and-chorizo-paella-recipe

REVIEW- Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser and Balm.

I've always bitten my nails. Not the best of habits I know, but for some reason I've always done it. Maybe it's anxiety or stress, or maybe I get a bit peckish and fingernails are my snack of choice! Either way it's left me with pretty horrible looking hands.

Over the years I've spent a fortune on false nails and gel manicures in the hope of disguising the problem, but all it realistically does it give me pretty nails for 2 weeks and a very empty purse. A few weeks ago I decided it was time to embrace my natural nails and pledged to stop biting them, and finally sort them out!

My nails themselves are not too bad, its the cuticles around them that look a bit rubbish. Ragged skin is not attractive, simple! I've heard good things about cuticle oils so decided this was probably the best place to start.

I came across the Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser and Balm during my search and thought maybe this was the product for me. Priced at around £7 its not the cheapest of nail treatments out there, but with the added benefit of cuticle removal, as well as conditioning I don't think its too bad. The product itself is pretty similar to the look and texture of a lip balm, with a lovely, fresh, cucumber scent. It also comes in a pretty pattern which is always an added bonus!

The instructions state the balm should be massaged into the cuticles until fully absorbed, which, in all honesty, is quite a difficult task. The creamy texture means it takes a while to soak in, but I found as long as the majority of it had, it seemed to work fine.

Almost immediately after use the skin around my nails, felt softer and more relaxed. It relived the soreness and tightness of my skin and left the area smooth and supple. It takes a while for the cuticles to begin to soften, however after a couple of applications it was easy to push back the cuticles and remove them leaving me with a smooth, clean nail bed.

Overall I was very happy with the quality of this product. Not only did it remove cuticles as specified, it left my skin feeling very soft and smooth, lowering the chance of sore patches and ragged areas in the future. My nails have never looked better! I can see this product becoming a handbag staple of mine.