Countryside Running

Now if 6 weeks ago someone told me i would take up jogging as a hobby over the summer i would have doubled over laughing at them - i was always the kid who HATED running and sports in PE at school, i would go to great lengths to avoid it. After running Race For Life last month, i jogged the first 2km without training for it, and although it completely knackered me, i felt so good afterwards, its a strange but incredible feeling. I've always admired people i see outside running because i always deemed it impossible, I've always stuck by the fact that i physically cannot run. This isn't true, i wasn't very good at it granted, but i think experiences in PE at school had scarred me and i thought irrationally about any other form of exercise other than walking or dancing. 

I also think another part of it was that i would have to be outside to run- people would see me. When i was in secondary school particularly the younger years, i always cared way too much about what people thought, i got really paranoid in the PE changing rooms and maybe a couple of mean comments from immature boys meant that exercising outside in full view of the public, wasn't even an option that crossed my mind, it was just a NEVER thing. 

I walk my dog around the river most days in the summer and Saturdays when I'm at college, its about a 5km walk and its the most calm and peaceful place, it helps de-clutter my mind and i just love being down there. Although there are other people down there walking their dogs and exercising, i don't mind because usually you only come across 2-3 people. So when i decided i wanted to start jogging, there was no other place that came to mind. 

Living in Somerset it would be foolish not to make use of and appreciate the countryside and the amazing views, and although i haven't jogged on the streets i feel it makes the jog ten times better because you can disconnect yourself from the world and spend 30 minutes of the day outside in the country, not worrying what you look like and completely focused on what you are doing, whilst admiring the pretty scenery. I just wanted to show you some of the views from my jog, that make me motivated to put on my running shoes. I've been going jogging  about 4-5 times a week, and i prefer going in the evening as i find when i go first thing in the morning, it knackers me out for the rest of the day. So that's the plan for the rest of the summer, i shall have to work out when i will  go jogging when i go back to college. 
 

 

 

If you don't live near Somerset then enjoy the views captured by my iPhone, and i hope this inspired you to go outside and find somewhere scenic where you live where you wouldn't normally go and maybe start jogging, i mean if i can do it then anyone can! 

Laura x

Collection Lasting Perfection 16 Hour Wear Concealer

 There is no need for me to introduce this product to you I'm sure, its a holy grail product for many people, and it has been for years. Ive been using this beauty since i was 13, so a good 4 years now. It was the first concealer i ever used, and i haven't tried any others since, as I've not felt the need to. This concealer ticks every box for me, for the following reasons:  

• It is pretty much full coverage, it covers literally everything
• It is long lasting - maybe not 16 hours like it claims but a good 6 hours plus, which many products don't do.
• It is as cheap as chips, £4.19 a pop and one tube can last up to 4 months
• Its not oily - i have oily skin, although it wouldn't matter if this was oily as i wear powder, but this can be worn on its own, no foundation or powder and your skin looks 10 times better than it did before 
• The doe foot applicator makes for easy application and brings up the right amount of product, not too much and not too little, unless you are coming to the end of a tube

The only negative about this product is that the packaging is cheap and all the writing comes off almost instantly. This may bother alot of people but to be honest it doesn't bother me at all, i know what the product is, i know how much i paid for it so cheap packaging is expected and doesn't effect the quality of the actual product. Concealers aren't supposed to be the most glamorous of makeup products anyway!

Many people like this as an under eye concealer, i don't have dramatically dark circles so i cant notice it doing alot of good under my eyes, i do however love it for covering up blemishes and spot scars, now that i can see a difference, especially during that time of the month. 

On Collections website they claim it to be water resistant and transfer proof, which i agree with to some extent. Obviously no product is 100% water resistant or transfer proof, but id say this concealer is about 85%. 

For a product to have me hooked for 4 years without feeling the need to go looking elsewhere, i think it has to be pretty damn good. I would recommend this to anyone, regardless of the amount you wish to conceal. This concealer will be a staple in my makeup bag until the day its taken off the shelves, for which i hope is NEVER!

Laura x

Attack of the Bugs.

I've always been a country girl through and through, my favourite place to be is by the river side, where i try to spend as much time as possible walking the dog or going for a jog. I'm not really a fan of summer, its exciting for the first few weeks but when it gets to this time of the year, I'm very much bored of the whole thing. The one major thing i hate about the summer is bugs. I don't have a phobia or anything, but who likes swallowing tiny flies on your jog? 

I've been trying to venture outside either in the early mornings or late evenings when the bug population is asleep, however those sneaky little buggers clearly don't like bedtime as much as i do. I've never really had a problem with getting stung or bitten by bugs, i have once or twice in my lifetime but its never something id worry about when stepping outside in the summer, i don't think we've had insect repellent in this house for a good few years. 

...However 
Yesterday all the bugs in the parameter of the South West decided they would sneak up on me and give me a bite. Oh the fun i had! I exaggerate slightly, but when i got home my legs had a few little red lumps on, fabulous i thought. 

You think that was it, a few little bites? Oh no...

I awoke in the night with the most itchiest legs ever, in fact i woke up because i was scratching so badly on the now very sore bites. Sorry if this is TMI, but i don't care, i was in paaiiiiin. I had now a couple of very big lumps instead of all the little ones, but i didn't worry about it in the middle of the night. 

When i woke up, i had what i can only describe as 5 knees. I'm making this sound sexier and sexier aren't i;)
I was shocked at how much my bites had swollen up, so like the (nearly) grown up that i am, i went to complaining and show my mum. She took one look at it and told me id had an allergic reaction. Now, I've never been allergic to anything ever in my life, so this was brand new news to me. Theres a first time for everything right?

I'm not entirely sure what type of bug I'm allergic to, i don't know whether its a foreign bug because i know theres alot of those about or its simply just midges, of which i know are hundreds down by the river, as I've pulled the walking-through-a-swarm-of-midges face where you squeeze every facial feature in order to prevent these minuscule bugs from entering your face, many times in the last few weeks. 

I used some E45 cream which was frankly as useless as rubbing water on it. I've had the worst day with itchiness, sore legs, being unable to bend down or walk properly and being a general grump at these newly formed mounds on my legs. If you don't like looking at stuff like that, i suggest you stop scrolling:) 

  This is how it was this morning. It really wasn't very pleasant, its been very uncomfortable all day and seeing as I've never had an allergic reaction then i think i dealt with it pretty well (i just say this, if there had been other people home I'm sure they would disagree instantly). There are two more scattered around my legs, if you cant tell by the picture, its the massive lumps sticking outside of my knee, so very appealing no? I googled it this morning and it said if it measured 10cm across then i should go to the doctors. It was 13cm this morning and its now 16cm, so we shall see if it has improved by the morning as I'm sure the doctor will have nothing new to say against the pharmacist. 
 

  I popped out to Boots to get some remedies to soothe the bites, the pharmacist suggested a hydrocortisol ointment to reduce the itchiness and swelling which i was all in favour for. I then got some insect repellent to use every time i now go down to the riverside which is fun, and also some soothing spray to make it less uncomfortable. We also had some allergy relief tablets in the bathroom cabinet so I've taken some of those. I do now feel less sore and itchy which is good, I've had a rubbish eating day to just help get me feeling better, that's what 5 Mars Bar ice creams do isn't it?! 

I just thought id share this new experience/ hellish day with you in order to search for some sympathy of which i have had 0% of :(
  
To make up for it I'm drowning myself in chocolate with candles and the Vicar of Dibley, I'm a rocking chair away from being a Granny :)    

My Top 10 Summer Nail Polishes!

Its no secret that i love nail polishes, particularly Barry M, seriously I'm obsessed. I love painting my nails in the summer, there's so many bright and happy colours in my collection and i thought id share with you my favourite go-to nail polishes for the summer!

My biggest weakness as i said is Barry M, i literally think i have about 40! It excessive but it is justified by the amazing quality, colour range and cheap price. So its no surprise that half of my favourites feature Barry M.

  

Starting from the left are two Gelly hi-shine polishes. These were introduced a year or two ago, after not releasing any new colours for a while, Barry M delighted and surprised me with this amazing new range, they came out with just a few colours at first but gradually they added more, with there now currently being around 20 amazing colours to choose from. 

Sugar Apple: On the left is Sugar Apple which is from a recent range of pastels, its a very light mint green and is more flattering than Mint Green and it goes really well with a tan. It takes only 2 coats to make it opaque which is surprising seeing as its such a light colour, but only 2 coats is needed to get the exact colour in the bottle! I shall leave links to where you can get these products at the end of this post:)      

Greenberry: Next along is another Gelly Hi-shine in another green colour, which is unusual for me but i have been getting into more green and blues shades recently instead of everything pink. The photo doesn't give is justice because of my shoddy lighting but its a very bright green, its perfect for spring and summer! This again does 2 coats to look opaque but you can get away with using just one coat. I don't know why but it reminds me of the countryside in the sun :)   

Mermaid: This is the middle one in the front row, its part of a new collection from Barry M called the Aquarium nail effects and is based on all things sea and aqua related, i have another one from this collection but my favourite is Mermaid. This is the only glitter in my top 10, it has blue, green and gold glitter in it and they are pretty large chunks of glitter and don't have the typical shape, it almost looks like the glitter has been torn up and shredded. You get quite alot of glitter with one coat, i usually put glitter over another nail polish, i very rarely put just glitter on as you would have to build up about 5 coats - and imagine the hassle of taking off all the glitter! 

Pink Flamingo: This the fourth one along hidden at the back, Pink Flamingo is a cult classic in the beauty world and has been a favourite for many for many years. This is another good colour for tans, it looks flattering and its a very simple and girly colour. 

Peach Melba: This another cult classic and i can see why. Its the perfect peach shade and again, this is very flattering for a tan which is why it is part of my top 10. You may need an extra coat but i don't mind doing that, and like all Barry M nail paints, it lasts almost a week without any chips which for the price, is absolutely amazing.  

Indian Ocean: Ive never seen the Indian Ocean, but i should imagine it would look a little like this. This polish is from Models Own and is sheer pale blue with a pink/purple shimmer running through it and is generally used to go over another nail polish, i like to put this over blues and purples as i think it looks really pretty.

Bikini so Teeny: Im not a massive purple fan, but this is a violet/lavender colour with a silver shimmer running through it and i just thought it was so pretty. Its from Essie and is the most expensive but its very good quality. the silver shimmer isnt so noticeable on the nail but it still looks really nice.  

Beach Party: Im not really one for neons but i think this has to be my favourite. Its from Models Own and its a bright neon orange. This goes so well with a tan and it is perfect for summer, its my go to summer nail polish if i cant decide what to wear. 

Air Kisses: im also not really one for blue polishes but i just think this one is really nice and feminine. It reminds me of the summer sky and is the perfect baby blue colour. Topshop nail polishes are super pigmented and usually you only need one coat which is brilliant. 
 
24/7: This is a neon pink from Sinful Colors and im a little bit in love with this colour. its really flattering and looks great with a tan, and it tops of my favourite summer nail polishes.

Here are the links to where you can get these nail polishes from: 
Sugar Apple: http://www.barrym.com/products/nails/effects/gelly-nail-effects.html
Greenberry: http://www.barrym.com/products/nails/effects/gelly-nail-effects.html
Mermaid: http://www.barrym.com/products/nails/effects/aquarium-nail-effects.html
Pink Flamingo: http://www.barrym.com/products/nails/paint/all-nail-paints.html
Peach Melba: http://www.barrym.com/products/nails/paint/all-nail-paints.html

Indian Ocean: http://www.modelsownit.com/products/nails/indian-ocean.html
Bikini so Teeny: http://www.boots.com/en/Essie-Nail-Varnish-Bikini-So-Teeny-15ml_1347611/
Beach Party: http://www.modelsownit.com/products/nails/hed-kandi-beach-party.html
Air Kisses: http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=9369354&langId=-1&categoryId=&parent_category_rn=&searchTerm=air%20kisses&resultCount=1
24/7: I couldnt find this online, sorry! 

I'm enjoying using all these for the remainder of the summer we have her in the UK:)

Laura x

Summer Beauty Haul!

Its haul time again! I've been cutting back recently so this is only a small haul, but i hope you enjoy it none the less :)

Firstly i went to Boots! I went in for some hair dye and i came across a new product which i hadn't heard about - Loreal Casting Sunkiss Jelly, which is a gradual lightening leave in product which lightens your hair slightly with every use. I am enjoying using this and i shall do a separate blogpost on it, and this was on offer for £4.99, and its 100ml of product.

I then picked up a Venus Spa Breeze razor as I've wanted to convert to a proper razor such as this instead of cheap disposable ones, my legs are quite sensitive and don't get along with many cheap razors. This smells amazing and looks really good quality, i cant wait to see how soft my legs are after using this! This was on offer for around £4.98.

 Whilst i was in the hair section, i was looking at some new products i can try, as i rarely treat my hair and I've decided i shall do more often. I was going to buy a sachet but i saw the travel size bottle which was larger and more value for money, and i can use it probably up to 4 times. The Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor is a cult classic in the hair world and I've decided to give it a go, whilst deciding whether i would like to buy the full size product, this was £1.69 for 75ml.

I went looking down the ailse for more travel size products as i think they're so cute and they don't waste money, particularly if you'd never use up a whole full size product. I bought the Charles Worthington Sunshine Protector Leave-in Spray. Firstly, i love the packaging, its so bright and pretty! I also loved the concept, like a sun screen for your hair which i haven't heard of before, this was around £1.99 for 50ml.

I bought another one of the Impulse Very Pink sprays as its my favourite scent and it was on offer for 99p!

I also needed a new lip balm, and my favourite lip balms come from the Body Shop. Ive had this one before but i lost it, its the Watermelon Born Lippy. This is the old packaged one and it was on sale for £1 for clearance so i just picked up this one instead of the new packaging which was £2, they're exactly the same so i thought why bother spending double? This lip balm reminds me of summer, its my favourite born lippy flavour:)

Moving onto Avon:)

The Tahitian Holiday scent is one of my favourites from Avon and has been for 5 years or so, however I've always had the mists, this time the eau de toilette was on offer so i chose that one, and its 50ml. I'm sorry i don't have any of the prices for the Avon stuff. I'm really enjoying this spray which is perfect for summer!

Speaking of summer, I've wanted to try a matte bronzer for a while now but have never found the right one, i hate looking dirty and i find many bronzers are too over powering (or I'm just putting too much on more likely). This one isn't overly pigmented and leaves a lovely - not shimmery- glow on my face, and it looks like a genuine tan.

  

I then bought a cheap white pencil eyeliner as i lost my one quite a few months ago and I've been feeling like i need it recently to top off my eye makeup.

The black eyeliner came as a freebie and it is incredibly pigmented and long lasting- it didn't come off my hand when i was scrubbing the swatches off, i have high hopes for this eyeliner, i rarely wear it anymore but i am due a new one:)

I then went a bit crazy and ordered a blue eyeliner, something very out of my comfort zone. I have blue eyes so i don't know how much they will clash, but i thought i could do a summery eye makeup with this, because of you cant wear blue eyeliner in the summer when can you wear it?!

I also got a lipgloss because i prefer lipglosses in summer as opposed to lipstick, they're effortless and look really nice.

I have heard good things about this nail drying spray, i love doing my nails but the worst bit is waiting for them to dry, and then smudging them when you try and do something. I haven't tried this out yet, but i am excited to do so!

I also got this cute little set of nail gems, I've never played with nail gems before so i don't know how difficult they will be but i am also very excited about this! 

Some swatches of all the makeup:)

So that is it for my recent haul, i haven't  bought any clothes recently as I'm reducing my spending and also I've decided i have enough clothes already to see me through summer!

Laura x