Operation 80s.

In July, Gary and I are going to Bristol on an 80s themed night out for Hannah's birthday. I must admit, nights out are one thing Gary and I don't usually do. We've never been on one together and I've only been on two in my life. I think Gary marginally beats me but it's not something we ever think of as a good way to spend the evening. We are more than willing to make an exception for the lovely Hannah's birthday though and so we'll be driving down to Bristol with her boyfriend (and Gary's bezzie) Scully for the weekend.

The eighties theme was completely new to me though. I mean, I wasn't even born when it actually happened. So I figured I'd better give the make up a bit of a practise. When it comes to hair, eighties practically just means 'permed mullet' so with my natural afro that won't be a problem... :) But the face is a different matter and so tonight I gave an 80s face a bash.

 

To start with, I essentially went mad with my foundation and plastered it on like I was trying to fill cracks in a wall. I then did the craziest eye shadow I have ever seen. A really dark eye at the bottom graduating up to white and glittery beneath the brow. Given the 80s was like an accident in a blusher factory, I slapped on two straight lines of Benefit's red lip gloss (on my cheeks... yes, I know) and, because it's quite sticky, stuck some powdered blush to the gloss to get the colour necessary to look like a Madonna throwback.

The look itself was quite a success. It took me four washes to get the stuff off and even then I've been left with an orange smudge on my freshly washed face towel. Marvellous. Imagine that with a perm. Go on... You know I'll look sensational.

Operation Haircut.

I got my hair cut today at Urban Spirit in Leigh. It's a lovely hairdressers, if not a little bit pompous. Your regular wash and cut is called a Bronze Wash House Treatment with Cut and Finish... Wash house? Really? I mean, it's a sink... Well, anyway, regardless of their superiority complex I do love that place and they always give good quality service. I had my hair cut by Emma Clare today and she's been the best stylist yet - although her services come at an increased cost given her 'level of experience'. In other words, the more senior the stylist, the more your pocket cries.

I literally only had a trim - about an inch off all round - but she styled my hair afterwards with their new Cloud Nine straighteners and curled it for me. She spent good time teaching me how to do it myself and let me have a go there and then so she could correct it if it went wrong. My hair now smells lovely and feels far healthier than it has in months. :)

Operation Honey Scrub.

This morning I made a honey and coconut oil face scrub and, let me tell you, my skin feels amazing. It has never felt so smooth and soft and it's all the better knowing that this scrub is made from all natural and relatively cheap ingredients. You could make yourself a whole jar of this scrub - I'd estimate that would be twenty uses - for around £5, depending on the brands and quality of the ingredients you buy. It is super easy to make and a dream to use.

The benefits of honey as a skin product are endless - it is an antioxidant and an amazing moisturiser which helps with anti-aging, acne and general skin clarification. It's also purported to help with evening out skin colour. Coconut oil is a new firm favourite of mine. I use it for everything from moisturiser (which is antibacterial, anti-fungal and doesn't clog pores), lip balm, a cooking oil and I take 1tbsp of it per day for its health benefits. Put these together and you're on to a winner.

Please excuse the dirty glass - I rushed to write this after I used it and loved it!

Ingredients:
1 tsp of honey.
1 tsp of coconut oil.
1 tsp of sugar.

That's it.

1. Put your honey and your coconut oil (probably in hardened form) into a microwave-safe container.
2. Put in the microwave for ten seconds.
3. Add the teaspoon of sugar and stir.
4. Apply to your face.

When I say apply to your face - this is what I did:

1. Thoroughly cover your face with the mixture - bearing in mind that the most sugar-filled bits are slightly heavier and will probably slide. So make sure you're stood over the sink.

2. Tear pieces of tissue and lay them over the mask, just to get it to stick in place on your face and not run quite as much.

3. Wander around for as much time as you have - I left mine for ten minutes.

4. Remove the tissue and scrub your face in circular motions. This is when the mask smells so good you might want to lick a bit... :)

5. Rinse your face in warm water and dry with a towel.

Ta-da! Instantly smooth skin with not a chemical or synthetic product in sight. You might find your face gets a little red - this is because of the properties of the honey. Honey and coconut oil are great antiseptics and the scrubbing of the sugar means that these will be really working on your skin. Don't worry, this only takes around ten minutes to settle down. This mask is really moisturising in itself, but if you want to go the whole way, moisturise by using a tiny amount of coconut oil rubbed into the skin. It works like a dream.

Operation Jason.

This post is one of massive praise for and awe at my new purchase. I picked up a tube of Jason's Energizing Vanilla hand and body lotion today from my local health food shop, The Mulberry Bush. They come in all sorts of different scents and were retailing at around £7.99. Usually, I would scrunch up my face at such a price but this product is very much worth it.

I like to try before I buy and I had no intention of buying this. I literally used the tiniest blob (because the shop keeper was lurking) on the back of my hand and found that it was plenty enough for both hands and wrists. I rubbed it in for around ten seconds and that was it - the softest and smoothest hands I have EVER had. Now, I'm not a fan of hand cream and I certainly don't buy it - I have never found a hand cream that I didn't want to immediately wash off. Body Shop is quite bad for that. It doesn't matter which of their testers I try, I immediately want to wash it off my hands because it's so greasy and doesn't soak into the skin. Jason's, however, soaked in immediately and you can see and feel the instant results. I knew I had to buy it, regardless of price.

This is all I used and it did both hands and slightly up the arms.

I would recommend the Energizing Vanilla scent over any other, purely because it smells amazing. Literally mouthwatering. It's a sweet, almost candied, vanilla and the smell lingers gloriously for hours and hours. You can catch a waft of it when you move your hands whilst typing.

The thing that particularly drew me to the product is that it is all natural. Jason, as a brand, have made all natural products for over fifty years. This lotion, in particular, contains absolutely no petrolatum, sodium lauryl, laureth sulphates, parabens or phthalates. Big words, I know... but that really means that it contains none of the controversial and potentially harmful chemicals crammed into most other toiletries today.

Given how little you need to use, I can see this tube lasting me a long time - even if I use it all over my body. I really can't recommend it enough and, although I would say £7.99 is a little steep for a moisturiser (because I'm tight), it's definitely worth the money. I look forward to buying more Jason products in the future.

Operation Wedges.

... and not the food variety. I picked up some gorgeous wedge heels today. They're black suede with a little strap around the ankle - which is perfect for me because I walk like Dumbo in heels usually. They're always too big and fall off at the heel - even if I buy them a size too small. These were a bargain to begin with at £22 from Peacocks BUT because Peacocks have just gone into administration (bankruptcy), they were at a 20% discount. On top of that, I got to use my 20% student discount so these fabulous little creatures ended up costing a mere £11. I am in love. They fit perfectly and the strap (which will be almost invisible when I wear them with black knitted tights for Francis' Pass Out Parade) holds them on like a dream. EEK!

Operation Corsodyl.

This post is a little product review of the Corsodyl Daily toothpaste I've recently been introduced to. I think it's relatively new on the market and is massively unconventional. I'm sure you're wondering how a toothpaste can be 'unconventional'... but I shall continue.

For a starter, the product itself states that you won't like it. It's very clear about it from the offset. There's even a graph on the back of the tube that shows low product satisfaction with initial use. I'll tell you why - it's vile.

It tastes horrid. It isn't even close to the minty taste you'd expect from a toothpaste. Made from plant extracts and mineral salt, this paste has a horribly salty taste and gritty texture. I actually made the 'bleugh' noise when I first used it. The consistency is more exfoliant than toothpaste and it comes out of the tube in an odd pink / brown colour.

You may be wondering why I continue to use it if it tastes so bad. The simple answer to that is that it is the best toothpaste I have ever used. I was given a sample of it by my dentist. I went to see him because my gums had been bleeding every day and night for well over six months. There was nothing I could do to stop it and I was genuinely worried that my teeth may fall out because of it. Why wait six months, I hear you ask? I wasn't registered anywhere and I was away at university. I didn't want to register down here with only a few months left of my course. Anyway, he gave me a tester of this toothpaste and my gums have not bled since. Not even once, not even through vigorous brushing. I use mouthwash after it to give my mouth a better taste - something more appealing to the poor souls I might have to talk to - but the toothpaste itself is second to none. If you can just put up and shut up regarding the taste, the benefits for your oral health are extreme. It says it is a 'Gum and Tooth Paste' and it is exactly that - it doesn't just clean your teeth, it is clinically proven to improve the health of your gums too. If you have any kind of problem with your gums and begrudge paying the price of a visit to the dentists, give this (relatively) cheap little product a try and I guarantee, if you can get over the taste, you'll be massively satisfied with the difference.

Operation Outfit.

What I wore this Christmas. :) We tried to take a photograph of my outfit but a combination of how un-photogenic I can be, coupled with men not understanding the term 'I want a picture of my whole outfit', resulted in near disasters and a significant lack of photograph. Hence the photos below were taken by myself... well, you know what they say. I do have to say though, I'd like a full length photo entirely and purely to emphasise the point that Gary, the love of my God damn life, bought me a Pan Am bag for Christmas. My life is complete! :D

 

Boots, a present from Gary's Mum, £20 from Next.

Necklace, a present from Gary, from Etsy.

Dress, £22, from Dorothy Perkins.

Operation LemonCitrus.

How amazing do these lip balms look? They are handmade by Hilda at LemonCitrus and you can choose from an extraordinarily wide range of flavours - from Hot Chocolate, Sugar Plum, Caramel Apple, Blueberry Muffin, Ginger Peach, Lemongrass Mint, Pumpkin Cheesecake... I could seriously go on forever.

Obviously I couldn't choose just one so Hilda created a custom order for me consisting of one of each of the Pineapple Coconut, Kiwi Strawberry, Cherry Vanilla and Lemon Sugar varieties.

The best thing about Hilda's products, apart from the super-cute packaging, is that they are vegan and all natural. They state that they will help to soothe and moisturize your lips. They are made with high quality cocoa butters, shea butter and lip-approved essential and flavors oils. In fact, that's all they are made from. The total ingredients list for the Key Lime Pie balm is quite simply just this:

Cocoa butter, Candelilla wax, Avocado oil, Shea butter, natural and essential oils.

How can you beat that on the high street? There are more ingredients in Rosy Lips Vaseline and don't even get me started on Hawaiian Tropic lip gloss (which racks up 23! I love the stuff but I can't even pronounce most of them and that worries me).

Hilda's shop is amazing and her customer service is fantastic. Within minutes of me emailing to ask for a custom order, I'd ordered it. The whole process from first contact to final Paypal screen took about half an hour - not bad considering the time difference! Trust me, I love these products, there will be no stopping me from getting every flavour she ever makes. I'm a sucker for lip balm.  She also makes soaps and perfumes, so if you like the look of these, pay Hilda a visit at LemonCitrus and treat yourself to some amazing natural products.

My products arrived within the week - beautifully packaged and generously laden with free samples and an extra free lip balm. The products ALL smell sensational. I am in love with Hilda's shop.

Such sweet and cared for packaging.

Inside the wrapping paper.

The lip balms I ordered.

The free gifts Hilda was generous enough to include.
 

Operation Nutriganics.

Whilst visiting Gary in Huddersfield, I realised how horrendously dry my skin had become because of the central heating. Just like air conditioning, central heating has a horrible effect on your skin and, despite exfoliating and moisturising every day, mine had almost turned into scales. So I nipped into the Body Shop to see what they could do for me.

The saleswoman introduced me to their Nutriganics range and I will never be going back to anything else. Nutriganics is amazing. It leaves my skin incredibly soft and sorted out my dry skin issues in one use. ONE USE. My skin has been fine since. I bought the cleanser and toner and will definitely be going back for the moisturiser.

The cleanser states that it is an 'innovative gel-to-oil cleanser which removes impurities and even waterproof make-up gently but easily.' It really does. It comes out of the bottle looking like craft glue (don't let this put you off) but as soon as you rub it onto your skin it turns into a clear oil and goes runnier in texture. It smells amazing and leaves my skin incredibly soft. It must be doing something good because it has gotten rid of all my blemishes, too.

I'm not as impressed with the toner as I am with the cleanser, purely because it smells a little earthier and a little bit like tea (to me, anyway), but I still use and love it. Their website states that the toner removes the last traces of make-up (it really does), tones without drying the skin (again, check!) and primes skin for moisturiser. It does all of the above and does it incredibly well. If you're looking for a new face care routine, give Nutriganics a try and, if you act now, you can get buy two, get two free on all Body Shop products. The difference it has made to my skin is amazing - I really couldn't recommend the range enough.

PS. I've just taken advantage of the aforementioned offer and they threw in a tub of Body Butter for just £1 (instead of £12.50). Hello, new products! :D

Operation Hair.

Today I stumbled across a wonderful blog owned by Kate Bryan called The Small Things. Kate is a professional hair stylist and does video tutorials on how to create popular hairstyles in your own home. These are a few of my favourites:

How to curl your hair with a flat iron:

How to French plait your fringe:

A two-part tutorial on how to create a curled under look:


How to create a messy side up-do:

I hope you enjoy Kate's tutorials as much as I do and you can find the rest of her work, along with many other posts, on The Small Things. Now I just need to work on getting my hair to such amazing condition - you can guarantee it won't look that good when I try those styles on my own hair. :)

Operation Scarves.

25 ways to wear a scarf in four and a half minutes. You can't go wrong with that.

PS. I think I'm going for the DIY Infinity look today. Hoorah!

Operation Headscarf.

I've always been quite fascinated by head-scarves in the spirit of the 50s. There's something hugely beautiful about them when they're done right. Out of interest, I looked for a tutorial today and found this one that's SO easy that even I could do it in one attempt:


I love this tutorial and I'm sat wearing it right now. It doesn't suit me whatsoever. I look like Nora Batty from Last of the Summer Wine but I'm trying to see how long I can go for without tying my hair back. I must be damaging it so much and it's not in the best condition so I'm whacking it up in a headscarf for a few hours. It's hugely comfortable but I do look quite ridiculous, I won't lie.

Operation Banana Banane

 

When I went to the Trafford Centre around a month ago there was a lady outside Body Shop handing out vouchers that offered £3 off any purchase. Obviously I went in for a look and spotted my favourite shampoo and conditioner. They are the Banana Banane collection at Body Shop and if you live in the UK they can be purchased online here. They are £4 each so that's £8 for one set of shampoo and conditioner... which is a bit pricey for my liking but that's where the vouchers came in! I bought the shampoo with one voucher and Dad used his to buy the conditioner so, all in all, I got both for £2! Bargain!

They genuinely are great products. Body Shop claims that 'this shampoo gently cleanses hair, leaving it beautifully shiny. It contains real banana puree and smells good enough to eat.' Absolutely true. It smells delicious and it leaves my hair so amazingly soft. Body Shop also claim that 'this thick and creamy conditioner leaves hair beautifully soft and tangle-free.' Again, spot on. The conditioner is gorgeous and leaves my hair exactly as it claims to. I'm in love with these products and I especially love a bargain so it's definitely win-win. If you can pick them up on offer like I did then definitely give them a try. :)