Now I am not a do-it-yourself kind of gal. I can't change a tyre, I can't put up a picture, heck I can't even iron. So when it comes to DIY's I need things that are simple, but effective.
I'd seen this one floating around Pinterest and other blogs, and frankly I'm not even sure I can refer to this as a DIY it's so easy but I really did do it myself, so we'll go with it. Around Christimastime I am all about being festive and decorating my room; I get out the glitter, the holly and the fairy lights. I usually string up a some multicoloured fairy lights around the perimeter of my room for the ultimate in Christmas festivities but this year I thought i'd try something else too.
So I bought this Ribbed Cookie Jar from John Lewis and I purchased the battery operated fairy lights from a company I had never heard of before but actually am now in love with you. Lights4Fun do all the lights you could ever imagine you wanted in your home, and then some. They have your bog-standard fairy lights, they have light-up stars, retro hollywood bulbs and everything in between. I'd seen the ones I decided to use on a lot of blogs in the copper style and thought about going for that colour but eventually decided that I wanted the lights to do the talking so went for the silver instead.
I chose the White LED Micro Battery Fairy Lights which are on a wire, unlike your traditional fairy lights but that is important to mention. If you're considering making one of these you need to get the lights on wire otherwise they'll all just sink to the bottom - unless that is the look you're going for.
I love my little light-jar now, it's so pretty and when it's becoming dusk it acts as somewhat of a nightlight. If you had children this would be a really cheap but lovely way to make them a nightlight for their bedroom. By using the ribbed jar it actually cascades some pretty patterns on the wall it sits next to too. Either way, it's been a lovely addition to my little home and actually looks very pretty even when it's not all lit up.
K|xo
I have always, constantly heard make-up artists and beauty gurus going on about how actually it's your eyebrows that are the window to your soul. How we should all be filling them correctly, creating the perfect arch and keeping everything in place. Now, up until a couple of months ago I really did think that was all rubbish. I kept my brow hairs in place with a gel but that was about it. It wasn't until I got sick of hearing all about this Anastasia and her Brow Wiz that i thought maybe there could be something to all of it.
I purchased the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Taupe, which is the lightest shade aimed for blondes, from BeautyBay. It's a dual-ended contraption with the, what do we call it, the pencil(?) on one end and a spoolie on the other. The spoolie is actually really good, it's long with shorter bristles making it super easy to brush your brows into place and to shape them with the end. I also love that the pencil part is very, very small. It makes it much easier to almost feather on and stops me from using too much product and getting the shape exactly how I want it. It's a waxy consistency meaning that it stays in place all day, especially in the John Lewis recycled warm air.
It's still definitely no pro, they never look the same twice but i'm almost always happy with them and practice makes perfect! However, that is all me and none of the product's fault. Sometimes i do get about brow happy and they become more of a Scouse brow than a Cambridge brow but I feel much more confident now. When i look back on pictures I can see what a difference they make to my face and my look.
K|xo
Up until a couple of years ago I never really got the fad of exfoliating and moisturising your body to within an inch of it's life. Now when it comes to my face, I do everything in my power to look after my skin whether it be serums, scrubs, oils, moisturiser, the lot but i probably did neglect my body somewhat. Now, however, it is a whole new story.
Now, it definitely happens more in the Spring and Summer than the other seasons, because frankly who's going to see it the other six months of the year? But there is little I love more than having a full-on pamper session with body scrubs, moisturisers, shaving my legs, face masks, the whole shebang. I remember posting on Instagram years ago when I discovered the Vaseline Spray on Moisturiser and saying that i would never use anything else, and i really do still love that product. However, since then I have discovered a new product that I feel as though I literally cannot live without, dramatic I know. The Garnier Intensive 7 Day Daily Body Lotion is my new obsession when it comes to moisturisation. I buy the one directed at very dry skin, although the skin on my body is probably only moderately dry but this one just leaves me feeling ultra soft, smooth and hydrated. I love what it does for the texture and feel of my skin, and another definite plus is that it leaves me feeling soft for days. Although it imparts intense hydration it is not a really thick formula, not at all like the Body Shop Body Butters but more of just your usual body lotion consistency. However, it feels as though you've used an insanely rich product. How I love to use this product is to slather it on before bed and let it soak in all night. It also has a lovely smell, very natural and almost spa like. It really works a treat and I cannot harp on about how much I love this product enough.
When it also comes to the Summer months there is one thing I cannot bare but that, frankly, needs doing and needs doing far more often this time of year than any other. That would be shaving, and any girl who says they enjoy performing this task is most definitely lying. I love the results, don't get me wrong, but spending that extra ten minutes in the bath shaving my legs is not how I would like to be spending my time. Anyway, I like to make things as quick and easy as possible and my favourite combination, of pretty much all time, is the Gilette Satin Care Pure and Delicate Shaving Gel paired with the Gilette Venus Embrace Sensitive Women's Disposable Razors. I actually wrote a post about this combo last Summer and honestly nothing has changed, I still love them both and am able to shave with minimal irritation and resulting in a really close shave.
K|xo
On April 3rd I turned 24 years old which, i suppose, means that i'm becoming a grown up, if not already am one. Frankly, I don't like the thought of that and am in total denial about everything that comes along with it. Although what gets me even worse is that in one, short year i will be hitting the next milestone age. 25 in less than a year, now that is scary. Anyway, so what does one ask for on their 24th birthday? Perhaps something practical like a hairdryer or a frying pan? Something useful maybe like a lunchbox for work, or some new bedding - which i actually did get? Actually, this year I asked for a lava lamp.
Yes, a lava lamp - none other than the nineties classic. They were all the rage when I was at school, I actually even owned one at the time and can remember it clear as day. It was a silver base, and top, with clear liquid and hot red lava bubbling up inside. It was absolutely one of my favourite possessions at the time, and many times since then have I thought about it, wondering at what age i decided that it wasn't 'cool enough' to grace the four walls of my bedroom anymore. I actually cannot remember the time between it sitting atop my bedside table and it no longer being there. Anyway, i really did think it was the bee's knees, so much so obviously that i chose to request one for my birthday.
Luckily, now, i work in a national department store called John Lewis, just incase you haven't heard of it, and we happen to sell a few lava lamps. I must say there was a glitter lamp that seriously caught my attention but, honestly, I felt like I should really go for the classic but this time with a twist. The one I got for my birthday is the John Lewis Rainbow Lava Lamp and i wasn't really sure how that was going to work when I ordered it. I had visions of it getting tossed around in the courier and ending up being a mixd up mess by the time it got here, but actually it's the glass that's coloured. I thought that would be a bit rubbish when I realised, honestly, but it really isn't. It's so, so effective when it's bubbling away. You can watch them going up and down, turning from red to blue and back again. I actually find it very therapeutic actually, and honestly I just think they're a nice, quirky edition to home decor. I also think they'd be amazing for children's night lights, not that I have any need for that but it's not super bright, it just glows which is very comforting.
Honestly, if you've never had one I would highly recommend picking one up, because they're just pretty cool. They're only £25 from John Lewis and if not for you then they'd make a really cool gift too.
K|xo
