Life's Lessons #1

This blog post is a little bit different from my usual posts.

I have decided to do a series of posts entitled 'Life's Lessons'. I want to share with you my experiences of general day to day life of something that has made me take a step back and really think about it. Whether that be good, bad or sad or downright funny. This is number one and believe me, it wasn't funny at the time.

I want to share with you my little mishap the other day so that it doesn't happen to you...

We all lead busy lives and like to save time where we can so we can get on and do other things. On this particular hot day I decided that I was not going to stand at the sink and do a mountain of dishes and cutlery, so I loaded the dishwasher to the max. It was then I realised that there were no dishwasher tablets.  Bloody hell I thought, I cannot be arsed to unload it and wash the lot by hand!

In a bit of a Eureka moment, I thought all is not lost, I'll put washing up liquid in the box thingy-me-bob and so I did. I was actually over generous with the stuff and put it on a longer cycle than normal.

I then went out of the kitchen to do other things...After a while (and I'm not even sure how long a while it was) I came back in to find this... 

Lovely watery bubbles, literally pumping out the side and onto the floor.

I was gobsmacked.  What was I thinking?!

I opened the door as it automatically shuts off the cycle and more bubbles and a pool of water came flooding out.

Let me just say, that it took about 2 hours to clean up. I could have cried, but in the end I laughed at myself.

I was longer sorting the mess out than I would have been if  I had washed them in the first place.

So what have I learnt? Never, ever, even if you are desperate, DO NOT use washing up liquid in your dishwasher.

I hope this has made you laugh.

Please share a life lesson in the comments below.

Rachel xx

PS The dishes and cutlery were very clean once I found them!

Make Up Meltdown Saviours

At last! The summer has officially arrived here in the UK.  Woop Woop!

For us Brits, this is a huge deal as many of our summer months (late June to early September) are usually rainy, gloomy, cold and not that great.

But with all this heat comes shiny skin for some people.

Are you someone who hates make up that just slides off the face within a few hours of application? I am, so with a heat wave at present, with highs of 28C, I want to share with you my make up meltdown saviours….

These products above are a must have for those of you who have oily/shiny skin and want their make up to last mostly all day.

I begin with Benefit The Porefessional as this is fabulous for hiding pores and fine lines. It mattes the skin with a silky balm that really leaves your face feeling smoothly soft. It blends translucent and is oil free, yay! It can be applied under or over makeup, but I find it works best for me under.

I next use my year round product which is Urban Decay De-Slick Make Up Setting Spray. I spray this onto my face before and after applying my usual foundation/BB Cream and blusher to keep it looking freshly applied and also to keep oil at bay. For a full description click here.

Lastly, if needed, I highly recommend Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. This can be applied for touch ups and states to control shine for up to five hours. It is available in 7 shades.

These products have worked for me and I have found that I haven't needed to reapply until around late afternoon if applied at 7am.

Let me know of any products you have tried to keep oil and shine away.

Share your make up meltdown saviours!

Rachel xx

Urban Decay ~ Oz The Great And Powerful 'Glinda' Palette

When I first heard that Urban Decay had launched two palettes to tie in with the film 'Oz the Great and Powerful', I couldn't wait to check them out.

Unfortunately, my local Debenhams doesn't have an Urban Decay counter so I had to wait until I went to the big smoke to visit one that did.  I really wanted to see for myself how great they really were; and boy, I wasn't disappointed.  After looking at the two palettes, 'Theodora' and 'Glinda', I decided that 'Glinda' was the one for me.

The Palette has eight shades, as two of them are duo shades, and all are highly pigmented.

Each of the eye shadows applies easily, blends superbly and stays on all day, even without a primer.  It really is hard to pick just one favourite as they all are beautiful.

The palette also comes with a Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Colour (top) and a 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil.

Unfortunately, at present you can't buy the eye shadows singular, so if you use one more than the others, it can't be replaced, but you can add another colour to the palette from the permanent collection.

I have already worn the lighter shades in the day time and have had a lot of compliments, so I am keen to wear Tornado and South for a smokey evening look.

The palette costs £35 which I think is very good value for money, seeing as though a single eye shadow normally costs £14.

Which colour do you like the look of, and have you tried the Theodora palette?

Rachel xx

My Thoughts On Boots No7

Last year, late Summer Boots No7 relaunched with new packaging, newer skin care and make up ranges.  With sleeker lines and less black, the products now appeal to a younger target market, but still keeping the current ones happy and attracting new interest.

Using colours to help navigate from skin type to the product for you, No7 have created 'easy on the eye' branding that makes each product distinguishable.  I simply do not want to read through a leaflet to know what the product does. I want to know by just looking at it, and this new packaging does just that.

The bath and body range has had a revamp too.  Looking luxurious at the beauty counter, I had to try it.  The Blissful Body Wash is just that.  It smells really nice, lathers quickly and leaves skin very moisturised.  At £9.50 for 200ml I think it's a little bit pricey, but saying that I am noticing that high street brands are becoming roughly the same.

I also picked up two of the new Gel Look Shine Polishes in Mint Treat and Hotting Up. These were the only colours I liked, as there isn't a good range of colours, but a good product.  Doesn't chip and leaves a glossy finish after applying two coats. These polishes are £6.50 for 10ml. A good price.

My favourite product though, has to be the Sheer Temptation Lipsticks. I finally decided on just two colours ~ I was highly tempted to get more, but controlled myself.  With 14 to choose from I had a hard decision.

Very similar to the Revlon Lip Butters, they apply easily and provide a very glossy finish.  The only disappointment is the staying power compared to Revlon.  Don't get me wrong, the colour doesn't go that quickly, it just fades, so for the price, I had hoped it lasted longer.

On the day of my purchases I used my No7 vouchers that I had accumulated over time, so I managed to save around £15!

So in summary, I loved all the products and I will definitely being going back to check out more.

Which high street brand have you been impressed with?

Rachel xx