A Bit of Crochet and a Catch Up

Long time, no speak! I really don't know where the last few months have gone but I must be honest and say that they haven't included any makeup shopping and barely any lemmings. Instead, my free time has been occupied with lots of book reading, meeting new people and discovering new ways to waste time on the internet hobbies.

Thanks to my local WI (waves at the Tea Birds), I have learnt how to crochet. My principal motivation was not missing out on the opportunity to go to the pub every two weeks for Knit and Natter! I can't claim any particular expertise: I know these things are supposed to be relaxing but I have been known to suffer with yarn rage. However, I managed to keep up on my first crochet course at Purlesence last week and I seem to get as much pleasure poring over expensive wool online, as I did looking at taupe eyeshadow swatches. Who knew?! My current work in progress is a cushion cover made with Noro Silk Garden and I've just bought a knitting pattern (I have no idea if I can actually knit) in the hope of making this rainbow dress for Miss MB. I won't share how long I've wasted looking for the right shade of blue for this particular project. Maybe one day, when I grow up, I will pick a pastime that doesn't hoover up time and money like a vacuum.

Now, if you will forgive me, I want to share a few gratuitous family shots from the summer, as well some other highlights from the last couple of months.

Beale Park

The Summer Pamper Evening

Miss MB's discovers the carousel

Cheese!

The boys

Miss MB's birthday present finally make in onto her wall, only six months late...

I'm not sure whether my makeup blogging mojo will ever return properly. I do still enjoying wearing makeup and watching tutorials, but these days I tend to stick to wearing my tried and trusted staples and I find that's not great for inspiring blog posts.  However, I do have a few things I would like to review, so hopefully dipping my toe in with a bit of general chit chat will help me find my way back. Feel free to share what you've been up to, it would be lovely to catch up on your news too.

When Online Shops Get It Wrong

Now, I must start by mentioning that this post has been prompted by a bad experience that happened to someone I've got to know through blogging. Although it didn't happen to me, it has niggled at me sufficiently that I wanted to write about it. I won't be mentioning any names, the purpose isn't to point the finger, it's more of a ramble about how some online retailers get customer service just right and some get it very wrong, without even realising it.

My nameless friend placed an order with a shop that stocks lots of very nice and relatively niche beauty brands. I asked her if she wouldn't mind telling me how she rated the experience, as it was a shop I was planning to order from in future. So, I was dismayed to hear that her order had arrived minus the main item she had been shopping for. She contacted the shop to find out what had happened and if the item would follow in due course. What happened next is where it all goes wrong.

The online shop emailed her back to say that their system involved two tiers of checks so it was unlikely that they had made a mistake and she would have to wait 48 hours for a stock inventory to confirm whether there had indeed been an error. Now, I don't know about you, but I believe the implication here is that my friend was lying about the missing item which is a frankly shocking way to deal with your customers. My friend was obviously not very happy about this and honestly, who would be? No apology, no 'we'll send it out immediately' and a lengthy wait at her expense to see what would happen. They have since come back to her after she emailed a photograph of the parcel contents and have said they will send out the missing item, but still there was no real apology, no admission of error or, heaven forbid, a discount code for a future purchase to apologise for accusing her of lying!

I think the shop made a really serious error in they way they handled this. Mistakes do happen, everyone understands that but how you deal with mistakes is what sets you apart. If you're a regular online shopper, you probably already have a mental tally of good and bad retailers based on previous experience and customer services is a very important aspect of it, not just their wares and prices. In many cases, there are no bricks and mortar shops to visit to speak to someone in person, so the trust and relationship has to be built in other ways.  I am loyal to particular online shops because experience has taught me I can trust them to give me excellent service. I've seen them deal with the rough and the smooth on Twitter and respect that they don't ignore criticisms or complaints.

Good service is really important to me to the point where I would avoid a particular shop with a bad reputation, even if they did stock excellent products at reasonable prices. Which brings me on to my final point. When I buy from an online shop that I haven't used before, I will always search for reviews or ask for opinions on Twitter first. It is a bad retailer that doesn't realise that people communicate with each other in this way. Just because you don't have a physical shop, doesn't mean your customers aren't talking to one another. My friend's bad experience has put not just me off using them but other people that she talks to on Twitter and elsewhere. They have tarnished their reputation without even realising it and it will likely cost them more than the missing £26 cleanser...

Makeup as a Mood Lifter

Today, I put my face on. I realise this probably sounds like nothing out of the ordinary but after a week of being bare faced, it feels pretty good! I've not had the time in the morning or felt in the mood to bother for the last week and it's interesting to reflect on what this does to my mood. Somehow it feels easier to wallow in misery (and considerably easier to slink off to bed) with no makeup on whereas a bit of makeup makes me feel more confident and positive that I can tackle what the day throws at me.

So, next time I feel like not bothering, I will remind myself that making that little bit of effort is really worth it in the end.

Clinique Heftiest Hibiscus* putting a smile back on my face

I wondered if you ever go through spates of not wearing makeup or do you always make a point of wearing it come what may? Do you find that wearing makeup gives you a confidence boost or are you the same person, with or without?


* Clinique Intense Chubby Stick in Heftiest Hibiscus is a press sample, the delicious macaroons that came with it might have put a smile on my face too. Don't tell my diet I said that!

My Catwoman Converse and a Personal Ramble

Thanks to some excellent encouragement following this post, I decided to ignore sensible and go with my not-so-grown-up side. I'm very pleased I did as the Catwoman Converse are a thing of beauty (hello Cadbury's purple laces) and make my feet very happy! I bought them from Schuh online where they cost £50.

I'm going to be a bit less cheery for a minute now. I know quite a few of you follow me on Twitter and are probably already aware that things are still very difficult at school for my eldest son. We've had one good day this week and although I'm crossing my fingers that today will be ok, he didn't have the best start which rarely bodes well. I'm fighting the urge to pour my heart out on here but it's not really appropriate.

Unfortunately, I'm struggling to think about anything else at the moment and my usual blogging time is being eaten up with reading and online research to try and find ways to support my son through this difficult patch. I will endeavour to keep going but I may be a little quieter than normal. Hopefully my more chirpy side will return soon. In the meantime, I'll keep flashing my new shoes.

Beauty Spotlight 21/07/12 (plus a little ramble)

It's time for another Beauty Spotlight Team roundup. It's also the start of school summer holidays for me, which means six weeks of entertaining three small children or lion taming, as I prefer to call it. I'm not sure whether this will mean I am a little quieter post wise for the next few weeks. If I'm organised (the chances of this are slim) I will write in the evenings once the small people have gone to bed. I will be doing some very exciting blog related stuff next week which I'm bursting to tell you about, so I promise there will be at least a couple of posts next week.

Anyway, enough about me. Let's find out what the rest of the team have been up to this week. I'm sensing that I need to pay a visit to a GOSH stand!

The Pink Sith’s July Birchbox has arrived. This month's theme is the 5 senses. Does that make sense?

Is your holo polish not holo enough? Not to worry, Jessika from polish insomniac shares with us the return of GOSH Holographic!

Pammy Blogs Beauty channels her inner "Palette Princess" as she embarks upon a new Palette Review Series with her review of Jemma Kidd's Backstage Palette.

There’s a new natural brand on the market, Visionary Beauty look’s at what the raw, pure, skin and body care range from Ambre Botanicals has to offer.

Buying makeup online can be a tricky game. Modesty Brown tries a Shiseido Perfect Rouge lipstick and finds that, although the colour isn't perfect, the formula is!

Is the Yves Saint Laurent Palette Couture really the star accessory for autumn? Check out her review for Perilously Pale’s thoughts on this much anticipated release for Fall 2012.

L'Oreal Infallible eyeshadows keep getting prettier and prettier. Beauty Info Zone wants to share some of the Fall 2012 shades to see if you'll "fall" for them too.

Prime Beauty continues her love affair with Kiehl’s. This time it’s the new fragrant Aromatic Blends that has her swooning.

London MakeUp Girl reviews Soapwalla Deodorant Cream, an all natural blend of oils, powder, clay and essential oils that promises to keep your armpits smelling fresh. Does it work? Read her review!

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed loves a tinted lip balm during hot weather - moisture and colour that won't melt off your face! Check out the swatches of what she's been sporting on these lazy, hazy summer days!

If you have thought about doing your own gel polish manicures at home, Paula from Older Girl Beauty, shows us what is included in the "Mally Beauty 24/7 Professional Gel Polish System" as an example of one kit.

An Update After my Saturation Post

After the fantastic response to my recent saturation post, I was inspired to take action. Last night I got out several boxes (and shockingly a bin bag) and opened up my makeup drawers, determined to be ruthless in editing my collection.

The bin pile and Back2MAC items

I now have a two boxes full of products that I will be offering to family and friends, anything that is left over will go to Give and Makeup. I was stunned by how much went straight into the bin pile: lots of old lipsticks, glosses and eyeshadows that weren't fit to keep or pass on. I also discovered two lipsticks worth of Back 2 MAC items, I just have to work out whether there are any lipsticks I might actually need. A new Modesty lipstick maybe?

Of course, I wasn't capable of being completely ruthless. I filled a box with items that I really ought let go but can't quite face yet. This is where I felt especially grateful for the advice from Sunday's post. I have packed my 'Maybe' items into a box which I've slipped under my bed, not to be touched for a month. If I don't miss them, they can go to a new home. I'm secretly hopeful that my interest in them them will be renewed when I re-open the box, so that I can pretend they are new goodies to enjoy!

Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and comment on that post. I really wasn't sure how it would be received but it was a relief to know that I wasn't alone in my anxiety. It also gave me a number of ideas for new posts too.

Saturation Point?

I'm having one of my periodic inner wrangles at the moment. I decided I would brave sharing my anxieties on this occasion rather than ignore them, as I'm pretty sure from other comments and conversations, that I am not alone in this. I realise I also risk being shunned for such open heresy!

Although I love buying makeup and having shiny new things to play with, at times I do feel a bit overwhelmed by my ever expanding collection. I also feel guilty about this gluttony and the number of near duplications in my collection. I wouldn't allow this kind of material excess in any other area of my life so why do I do this with makeup? I do wonder if I would continue to buy at this rate if it wasn't for blogging.

I have so much makeup that I already love that I do question whether I really need to buy any more. I could probably manage with what I have for a couple of decades several years, with the exception of mascara and foundation, but at the same time, I know I'd desperately miss the thrill of 'new things'. Could I really cope with a complete no-buy apart from essentials? Have I actually gone insane?!

I suspect that if I was good at culling my collection, this wouldn't be an issue at all. However, I am a bit of a closet Gollum when it comes to parting with my precious things. I am fine at decluttering in general but I visibly pale at the mere thought of parting with neglected but pretty things. What if I suddenly needed them for swatch comparisons? Could I really give away all of my unused MAC lipsticks without realising it was a horrible mistake? Feel the fear and do it anyway? Of course, at this level of navel gazing, I realise I have gone mad and remember it is only makeup we're talking about here.

Anyway, to prevent further inward reflection, I thought I'd ask what you think. Do you think it is possible to reach a point where you're completely satisfied with your collection and don't need more or does curiosity always get the better of you? Do you have a special system to keep your collection in check? I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts.

Stuff

I thought it would be nice to have a general catch up today. I spent a huge amount of time battling with technology yesterday (I won on most fronts with the exception of our home phone line) so I lost quite a bit of swatching time. I'm not sure I'll get much opportunity to catch up today either.

Last weekend I caved and finally bought myself a Kindle. In all honesty, I bought it because I'm impatient and I desperately wanted to read some of the books that were recommended to me as a result of this post. I'd finished Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult with only an hour left before the shops shut and somehow buying a Kindle seemed the most sensible solution. I don't regret it at all. Granted, it's not the same as reading a book but it is very convenient. I've already finished The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler (excellent once you get past the strange choice of tense) and I'm currently catching up on some Tempe Brennan.

In an even more unusual turn for me, I've bought some running shoes. I gave them their first outing yesterday, I ache a bit today but it was nowhere near as hard as I expected. I'm using the NHS Couch to 5K podcasts to get me started. I've no end in mind, I just want to improve my fitness and lose some weight.

I'm normally quite reserved about sharing products before rigorous testing but I'm afraid I couldn't contain myself in this case. I'm especially excited about to show you colours from the Lancôme Rouge in Love* and Vernis in Love* collection, hence the sneaky peek above. Skincare wise, I have some items from Ormorvicza* and Perricone MD* to try, so you can expect reviews in due course. As an aside, I spotted that Cult Beauty have a lovely GWP with any Ormorvicza orders over £30 from today which is worth a look if you're interested in the line.

I bought some lovely Antipodes products whilst I was on holiday (I'm a sucker for the GWPs!), I tried the Aura Manuka Honey mask last night and I really like it. I actually wished I'd bought their night cream too as it felt beautiful and I suspect that will niggle away until make a purchase.

Finally, I wanted to share something that my husband will probably kill me for posting. He was away for a conference this week and returned home, to much ribbing, with this...

Apparently that bit at the top that looks like a lump of coal is a Blue John crystal. As much as I made fun of the award, I'm rather proud of my geeky husband for winning a prize. I think he was pretty chuffed with the £100 cheque too.

What have you been up to over the past week? Do you have any exciting news to share?


Disclosure: The items marked with * are PR samples.

Modesty Brown turns Two

I've dithered over whether or not to let this day go unmarked. But after seeing my time travelling content thief celebrating Modesty Brown's 1st birthday (I kid you not), I thought it was silly not to.

So, another year on and I'm still here. There have been ups and downs but most importantly for me, lots of giggles. Major highlights for me were meeting Rebecca Morrice Williams of Becca Cosmetics, having my makeup done by Gina Brooke at Hourglass and also releasing one of my makeup heroes, Caroline Barnes, from the loos in the The Dorchster. My trip to Boots HQ with Charlotte Lipglossiping is an occasion I will never forget either. From getting to see the inner working of Boots to chatting till the small hours like a teenager on a sleepover, I had the most amazing time. I bored some poor guy on the day, rabbiting on about superglue only to discover recently that said 'poor bloke' was most probably Mike Pocock of Illamasqua Nail Quills and Adele's Louboutin mani fame. Yes, I am indeed morphing into someone's embarrassing Mum......

Things are still a little quieter of late as I continue to establish a new pace. This time last week I was certain that my love affair with blogging was over but I'm hopeful that I can find my feet again. I need to dedicate more time to family things and I just can't maintain daily posts anymore but this doesn't necessarily mean the end. I feel I should apologies for the glut of posts reviewing PR samples at the moment but I'm trying very hard to clear the decks. I'm always strict about what I will accept and have recently turned down events and samples, so I hope you that you don't feel I am compromising my integrity and honesty, as that is something that means a lot to me.

Anyway, I think that more than enough self-indulgent wibbling. Thank you very much for reading and thank you for all the support. Keep on smiling xx

A Blogging Holiday

I've been dabbling with the idea of taking a week off from blogging for a little while. It feels a bit dramatic to announce it but I know if I don't make it official, I won't stick to it. Plus, I feel strange about suddenly not posting without letting you know what's going on.

I'm feeling really drained at the moment: teaching a two year old to go to sleep on their own and not sneak into your bed at night inevitable means no sleep for everyone else! I know the battle will be worth it in the end of course. It's been a very long time since a full nights sleep was a routine occurrence. Blogging feels like hard work when I'm so tired and there's nothing that kills my blogging mojo more than feeling like I HAVE to write.

I do feel a little guilty about taking time off. I have plenty to write about but I need some time to relax and recharge my batteries. Oh, and catch up on the housework (just in case Mr. MB's reading). We all need a holiday now and again and I'm sure writing will be much easier when I feel better rested too.

So, I hope you will forgive me a little pause. I'll be back at the end of next week, renewed and refreshed. I will also be posting the Beauty Spotlight Roundup over the weekend as normal. Because I can't leave a post without picture, here's a look at how the boys look in today's Book Week dress up.

Speak to you all soon,
Jane xx

My Apologies and a Sneaky Peek!

I hope you will forgive me a little rambly post but I feel like I've been a terrible beauty blogger recently. After a week of Groundhog Day style entertaining, refereeing and tidying up after three small children, it definitely feels like someone needs to hit my reset button. It's been hard to find as much time as I normally would for blogging, so proper reviews have had to take a bit of a back seat.

I just wanted to re-assure you that there are still plenty of good things to come. Once I've managed to re-charge my batteries a little of course. I thought it would be nice to give you a sneaky peek at what's coming up as thanks for sticking with me. At least you can nag me if I continue to dawdle!

Dolce & Gabbana Fabulous Quad

My Haus of Gloi Valentine's Haul

Edward Bess Monte Carlo Quad Royale Palette

Guerlain Les Fumes

Bellapierre Deja Vous

Complete Bliss Travel Candle

Smashbox Girls on Film Collection

W3LL People Narcissist Foundation Stick

W7 Purple Comparison

Have a good weekend everybody!

Thoughtful Thursday

I've been working the odd day and this always leads to me ruminating. Sitting in a room in silence for a couple of hours with only your thoughts for company will do that to you! Lately I've been musing on how difficult it can be to write a consumer blog in January. Particularly with the financial climate as it.

Blogging is a lot of fun but I find I struggle to write for the sake of it. My blogging mojo hasn't gone exactly, it's just not there everyday like it usually is and I think a lot of this is because I'm not buying as much. Spring collections don't often grab me and I am making a concerted effort to cut back (I'm sure I'll make up for this a bit at IMATS). I tend to want to focus more on skin care at this time of year and, as I'm sure you know, testing skin care products for review is time consuming so there are never more than a handful of those posts each month.

When I announced my eyeshadow no-buy, I noticed that a lot of other people were talking about cutting back and starting project 10 pans etc. I think it's a natural part of the annual cycle that people tend to tighten their belts in January after the onslaught of Christmas. This ebb in blogging mojo is probably part of the natural cycle too. I've been writing this blog for almost two years now and you definitely start to see patterns in your desire to write and general blogging enthusiasm. I've noticed it elsewhere too, I think it's hard to write with consistent momentum year-round.

Even when I have things I could write about, if I don't feel in the mood writing can be like pulling teeth and I'm sure it comes across as a reader too. I have noticed that I seem especially critical in January: just looking over my posts from the last couple of weeks I've moaned about a BB Cream, an Hourglass brush, the cost of Caudalie, been lacklustre about a Bionic mascara and whinged about the very popular Tangle Teezer. That is a whole lot of moaning! I'm bound to have to come back and eat humble pie on at least one count once Spring arrives and returns my good spirits.

I think that's enough of my thoughtfulness for today. What do you think, do you experience a slump in enthusiasm in January, either it's in terms of blogging or buying? Or am I just a moody old mare that probably needs to invest in a S.A.D. lamp? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

World's Most Infuriating Shopper?

Source

Yesterday I let an entire day be consumed by another of my marathon shopping decisions. On this occasion I was trying to make a decision about a new mobile phone. My current phone has decided to conserve energy by switching itself off at will (I have a feeling the tumble down the stairs might have had something to do with this). I needed to make a decision quickly but being chronic over thinker I seem intent on making this mission impossible. I haven't even managed to make a final decision on what camera to buy and I've been pondering that decision since November!

My purchasing decisions all seem to follow the same pattern, whether it's makeup, expensive camera equipment or mobile phones. I want to make sure that I'm getting the best product(s) for my money but at the same time, I have to stay within a budget. I will spend literally hours pouring through reviews and youtube videos to try and work out what will be the best fit for me. In the case of camera equipment, watching and reading reviews almost blew my mind because I don't have any specialist knowledge. As an aside, if you're in the market for a new camera, I can recommend searching the archives of DigitalRevTV on YouTube. Even though Kai the presenter makes me want to throw things at my screen, the reviews are thorough without being dry.

Anyway, back to my maddening shopping habits. In the course of my research I will regularly end up going round and round in circles, talking myself into and out of purchases. I find the decisions on expensive item particularly because as a (mostly) stay at home Mum, I need to justify these purchases to myself. Do I really need perfect screen resolution and fast internet connection on a mobile phone that mostly accompanies me on a school run? Will a DSLR really help me take better pictures if I have no photography skills? Could I turn my whole body inside out by gazing at my navel for too long?! It's hard to know whether I enjoy all this pondering or if I'm actually just punishing myself.

Whilst I am driving myself round the bend trying to make a decision, I thought it would be interesting to find out how unusual I am in my shopping habits. I wondered what kind of shoppers you are: do you take your time and research every item or are you happy to go with your gut and make quick decisions? Also, do you have a single shopping style or does it vary according the type of item you are buying? I promise to stop dilly-dallying and get back to makeup talk very soon!

Shocking News: I'm Going on an Eyeshadow No-Buy!

Spending the day cleaning and de-cluttering yesterday (yes, I'm sticking to my resolution to make my house beautiful) sparked one of my regular wibbles about how much makeup I own. It seemed wrong to invest so much energy into reducing down the amount of stuff we have in the house whilst continuing to allow my makeup collection to grow unchecked.

I often wonder about taking a year off makeup buying. I know I could manage as I have so much stuff already but the thought of it is scary. I would still have plenty to blog about but I'm not sure how interesting it would be to read. Plus, no purchases at all might be a little too extreme to stick to. So, after some discussion with fellow makeup lovers on Twitter, I have decided to compromise and put myself on an eyeshadow no-buy. I can't decide whether to say 6 month or a year, so for now I will commit to reviewing my progress in July.

In a bid to kick start my no-buy, I thought it would be useful to work out exactly how many eyeshadows I have. It was actually worse than I had imagined! Adding up every single pan from my singles to my quints and also my creams, I have a total of 193 eyeshadows. That figure includes 55 singles, 11 loose eyeshadows and 15 quads. I have only hit pan on 1 eyeshadow in the whole of my collection.

My Eyeshadow Palette

My NARS Collection

I'm hoping that not buying any more eyeshadow will enable me to more imaginative with the ones I already have. It would be nice to re-kindle my love for more colourful eyeshadow looks and experiment with some different combinations.

As well as an eyeshadow no-buy, I intend to hold off buying anymore nail varnish in 2012. My addiction to buying nail varnish isn't quite as bad as my eyeshadow problem but considering the fact that I can't wear it daily because of the poor condition of my nails, I think I have quite enough to be going on with. I'm not sure I can face counting up my collection. The shock of the eyeshadows was quite enough for one day! I'm hoping that my pledge to avoid new purchases isn't too grueling. I guess it will all depend on what limited edition collection come out this year. I feel quite lucky that most of my favourite brands don't really go in for special releases.

Do you ever feel guilty about your makeup habit? Have you gone on a self-imposed no-buy and found it useful? Feel free to join me if you fancy being more makeup frugal in 2012.

My Resolutions for 2012

I'm feeling unusually glum today. Despite my glass half full nature, I always make an effort to and see the positive in thing. I've read a lot of interesting and inspiring posts over the last couple of days (Tali's post on Glossy's Wardrobe and Everyday Beauty in particular spring to mind) so, although I am feeling a bit down in the dumps and disappointed in myself, I know I can turn it around and learn from my mistakes. I don't normally make New Year's resolutions but it feels like the right thing to do his year.

Healthy 2012: The main source of glum today is my weight. I realise now that I really shouldn't have let my lack of weight loss on the scales bother me. I feel at my heaviest right now and I KNOW I've put on weight over Christmas; my clothes feel tighter and I can see it in the mirror. Yet the scales haven't budged at all. I think it's time to give up taking any notice of what the scales say and get back on track with the Slimpod. I really enjoyed doing more exercise and I'd like to keep that up. I want to focus on improving my eating habits too. To this end I'm going to set myself a challenge to routinely get my five a day. Shamefully my fruit and veg consumption has reached an all time low and increasing my intake will no doubt help with achieving a healthier body.

The Domestic Goddess Challenge: Now, I will admit that I'm not a natural when it comes to all things domestic. I used to be a devotee of FlyLady for keeping the house tidy but between looking after my three children and blogging, polishing the skirting boards and dusting has taken a bit of a back seat! It's not just the cleaning that needs to be tackled. We've been in our current house for over eighteen months and I definitely need to devote more time to adding those extra touches that turn a house into a home. It's a shame that I don't find interior decorating quite as enjoyable as choosing cosmetics.

My husband does a lot of the cooking for us but I'm keen to start injecting a bit more variety into our mealtimes. I think this might be Twitters influence at work. I'm not a great cook but I think it would be fun to try at least one new recipe a week. I may even blog about things that turns out particularly well. At the top of my list of things to try are the Moroccan spiced dishes that The Non-Blonde's husband shared here and the delicious sounding cod and chorizo dish that Helen of Just Nice Things has tweeted about.

A Better Blog/Life Balance: There are so many things I don't do as much as I would like to or used to. I have a stack of books building up that I want to read and there is always a list of films that I have yet to watch. In order to find the time to do all these things, as well as the cooking, cleaning and exercise, I need to decrease the amount of time I sit at the computer a little (okay, maybe a lot but these are baby steps!). This doesn't necessarily mean fewer posts but I may continue to add more variety. It's fun to write about different things every so often and I have learned about much more than makeup from my favourite beauty bloggers.

And with that, I shall stop. It has been cathartic to write this post and I already feel more positive about the New Year ahead. Here's a little something sunny so that we end on a cheery note.

Have you set yourself any resolutions for the New Year? Are you looking forward to a fresh start in 2012?

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I hope you are having a wonderful time wherever you are and whatever you're doing. I will be spending the day with all of family in Yorkshire. With lots of small children in the house it's bound to be a fun and rather noisy day!

Merry Christmas!

How organised are you?

At this particular moment in time I'm attempting to pack my makeup bag for a few days away. Three days to be precise. Three days isn't very long but somehow I've picked out so much to take with me that I can't actually zip my makeup bag up. I fear I'm being a little excessive!

The trouble is, I just pick stuff out at random. My clothes packing is much more organised as I plan what outfits I will wear and only take precisely what I need. I do the same thing with the children's clothes. As a family of five, space in the car is at a premium. I do wonder why I'm not as organised with my makeup. The idea of planning in advance what makeup I will wear each day is an alien concept to me. I'm not even sure I can get my head around it. Instead I tend to pick out some everyday staples along with a couple of more colourful items 'because it's Christmas'.

Do you plan what makeup you will wear the day before or for an event? Or are you like me and a prefer a more random approach to your makeup?

Recommended Reads and a Ramble

I recently discovered a lovely blog thanks to one of my other favourite bloggers, The Non-Blonde. Glossed in Translation, written by Elizabeth, is a wonderful read and full of very lust-worthy and interesting Japanese brands that are completely new to me.

Elizabeth recently posted some wonderful comparisons and reviews of her Hakuhodo brush collection, especially to help those interested in making an order before the 1st January price increase. I'm extremely grateful for theses sort of review posts, especially as I know how time consuming they can be to put together. Taking good pictures at this time of the year is hard work!

I recently took part in an International swap with one of my favourite bloggers, Lipstick Rules. Michelle posted about our swap yesterday and I wanted to point you in the direction of her lovely post. Her kind words really touched me and, especially after reading some fairly harsh (and unfair) criticism of bloggers, it's good to be reminded how lovely the beauty blogging community is. I agree with Michelle that what we get out of it goes beyond the cosmetic(s). I tend to think that people who criticize beauty blogs for being unprofessional and containing 'hairy armed' swatches, aren't real blog readers and don't truly understand the space that blogs fill. Beauty blogs aren't a replacement or extension of magazines. They're written by real women who love makeup and want to share their passion and possibly help others. I have no journalistic aspirations but I love sharing my daily ramblings with you and will continue to do so, hairy armed swatches and all!

Thinking Slimmer Update

I started the Thinking Slimmer programme 8 number of weeks ago and although I'm reluctant to do an update, I think it's important to share. I'd really seen a big change to my behaviour, both in terms of my eating and the urge to exercise. I felt very positive when I wrote my initial post here. I felt better in myself but I saw no change on the scales. I tried to ignore the lack of change on the scales but after about six weeks with practically no change left me feeling disheartened. I should say I was only weighing myself once a week not obsessively checking everyday.

Once the negativity started creeping in, I found myself listening to the Slimpod less and the old ways have started to return. I've not done any exercise for a couple of weeks either. I've felt less able to ignore the Christmas goodies. Consequently, I feel disappointed in myself for failing to stick to it.

I'm determined not to let things get completely out of control. I'm not sure whether Thinking Slimmer will ultimately be the right thing for me but I've downloaded the free Christmas Slimpod to see if I can prevent myself from going overboard with festive eating and drinking. If you're interested in giving the Slimpod a try, it's worth downloading the free Christmas Slimpod from their Facebook page (all you need to do is Like their Facebook page and you will be offered the link for the free download).

I'm going to re-evaluate things in the New Year and decide whether to carry on with Slimpod or whether I need to return to more traditional dieting methods. I really like how Thinking Slimmer got me exercising again and stopped me eating for the sake of it but I know to stay motivated I need to see results. I keep wondering if setting myself a specific fitness goal or even training for a particular event might keep me on the straight and narrow? I have a school reunion next summer (it will be 20 years since we left school next year, nothing like a 20 years anniversary to make you feel ancient) and vanity says I would like to look my best for that!

Do you find it a struggle to stick to healthy eating over the festive period?


Disclosure: I received my original Slimpod as a PR sample. The desire to lose weight is all my very own!

My Eyeshadow Palette Collection

I've had the pictures for this post for what seems like ages. I took them back when it was still light at 4pm and warm enough to be outside without hat and gloves. Somehow the idea of sitting down to write about this collection seemed a little daunting, hence my delay. I've included links whenever possible to previous review posts.

I seem to have come full circle with my palette buying. In my 'not quite as obsessed' makeup days, palettes were always the biggest draw. Especially around this time of year. Then as I became more interested in makeup buying I decided that buying single eyeshadows was preferable that way I wouldn't end up with shades I wouldn't use. The MAC palettes are from this era. In the last year or so I have returned to buying and loving palettes. These days I tend to avoid the palettes with mixed products. I know it's very rare for me to use the lip products from a palette plus it can get messy when powder transfers to lipgloss and lipsticks pans. It doesn't stop me fancying the beautiful Edward Bess palettes of course!

1. KANEBO KATE BR-4 PALETTE

2. BECCA ENIGMA PALETTE*

3. MAC SMOKING EYES QUAD

4. GUERLAIN RUE DE PASSY

5. ARTDECO CUSTOM PALETTE

6. BECCA LOST WEEKEND PALETTE*

7. LANCOME BLONDETTE FATAL PALETTE*

8. CHANEL TOPKAPI QUADRA

In the neutrals palettes above, I don't think I have a single dud colour. Most of them contain a mixture of finishes which I think is important for a palette to work as a complete look. Of the two BECCA palettes, I think Enigma is still my favourite. I love how you can create a sultry look form just these three colours. It took me a while to warm to the charms of Rue de Passy. I think I expected more of it because of the high price but I wouldn't be without it now. I think one of the newer quads contains some quite similar colours. Both the Chanel and Lancôme palettes are lovely, Chanel is more bling to Lancôme's more versatile but I reach for both often.

1. INGLOT FREEDOM PALETTE

2. CHANTECAILLE SEA TURTLES PALETTE

3. YSL CHROMATICS #3 PALETTE

4. GUERLAIN RUE DE RIVOLI

5. SUQQU EX-07 LILAC ALLURE PALETTE

Here are my not-so-neutral palettes. I suppose with the exception of the Inglot palette they are still mostly neutral. The Chantecaille Sea Turtles palette contains that dark green shade for a bit of interest. If I'm honest my most favourite colour in the Turtles palette is the blusher and I use this often whilst ignoring the slightly too warm for me neutrals. YSL Chromatics #3 contains two 'safe' colours, the gorgeous dark blue liner and then that icy blue that I studiously ignore. It doesn't make me as nervous as the fuchsia colour in Rue de Rivoli though! I stand by my original comment about Rivoli that I get most use from this palette using the individual shades rather than as combined look. The Suqqu is a lovely palette. The colours don't apply quite as you would expect from the pans but they are delicate and layer very well.

1. LE CIRQUE, 2. SILK ROAD*, 3. PENELOPE*

Talking of layering, here are my Le Métier de Beauté Kaleidoscopes. They've increased in number by one since I took this photo. Le Cirque was my first Kaleidoscope and probably still remains my favourite. Silk Road and Penelope were both PR samples and I'm not sure I would have picked them out myself if I had seen them at a counter. However, as I often find with Le Métier combination, the 'Couches de Couleur' technique creates something that is even more beautiful than the sum of it's parts. I would say these are probably the most daring items in my collection.

I'd struggle to pick a single favourite from my eyeshadow palettes. It's probably clear that I'm a fan of neutrals. There is a noticeable omission for a beauty blogger of course; I don't own the Urban Decay Naked palette nor am I likely to buy Naked 2 when it comes out next year. I can't quite put my finger on why I've taken against Naked: it may the number of warm shades, the fear of glitter fallout or possibly because I already own enough neutrals to paint the whole of my town taupe. Who knows?! What I am looking forward to next year is the release of Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadow palettes. Custom palettes, eyeshadow refills and new shades are all like music to my ears. As a lover of palettes AND Rouge Bunny Rouge that's my birthday present ideas for next year sorted!

Are you a fan of eyeshadow palettes or a lover of singles?


*PR Samples