The Sunday Snippet #3

This week I was lucky enough to have a week off work and spent the majority of my time with my loved ones; enjoying the sun. So far this year we haven't had a 'real' summer here in the UK, it's been mainly humid grey skies and ALOT of downpours but this week our prayers were heard and we were blessed with golden sunshine and scorching heat. So, we went to the beach for a few hours and absorbed feel-good atmosphere... Whilst watching the fellow beach goers I couldn't help but notice the vast range of female body types and it was a true reality to check. In my head, everyone is walking around with big boobs, a tiny waist, curvy hips and flawless skin but that really isn't the case at all (who knew?!). This probably sounds ridiculous that I'd have this perception of the world but when picture perfect models are are inescapably flooding the media in shopping malls, the TV and social media it's no wonder why so many women feel the pressure of the seemingly 'perfect' body type. It reminded me to feel blessed in the body I was given and not compare myself to Instagram models or put myself down. This is something we should all be doing and also, regularly remind ourselves (and others) that we are are beautiful and sexy, no matter what shape or size we are, or what the media has to say about their unrealistic version of 'perfect'

On another note, I'm loving dungarees at the moment! Dresses, shorts and the traditional dungaree all seem to be taking pride of place in my wardrobe and you may have seen, in The Sunday Snippet #2, I featured a 90's denim dress from TOPSHOP. I just love how easy they are to wear, an edgy spin on the classic jeans and T-shirt. I actually got these black dungarees from Newlook and as they're fitted, they're particularly flattering. I've worn these with anything from a crop top and sandals, for summery feel, to a baggy white T for a casual look. A lot of people have said they like dungarees but are unsure what to where them with. My advise? Pinterest. Pinterest has endless outfit ideas, for your chosen item, so it's easy to find inspiration and create an outfit that works for you.

As I had a moment spare today, I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and give my make-up drawers a good ol' spring clean; it's one of those jobs I always put off but once I get going it's actually quite enjoyable. When you're only using a handful of products regularly, it's easy to forget what you actually have... Re-organising is the perfect opportunity to route through all your products and remind yourself of everything you own. You'd be surprised how often you fall in love again with a forgotten lipstick or blusher. Anyhow, I got these drawers from Muji, Oxford Street. The 5 Drawer is perfect for starting out, the drawers slide smoothly and one drawer can comfortably hold 22 lipsticks, so you won't be short on space. Beneath the 5 drawer I have two 2 Drawers which have a larger depth so perfect for storing large or bulky items. What I love most about the Muji acrylic storage is they have a wide variety of stack-able styles to accommodate all your storing needs. I think they're fairly priced, easy to clean and your products are always easily found. 

Neeks ☯

April 2015 Empties!

Aloha!

I don't know about you but I can't actually believe that we are now in May. There's no way we are nearly half way through 2015! Time is wizzing past me and it seems that there is little I can do to stop it, it's only a reminder that life's short and we need to grab each day by the horns! Moving on, I must admit I don't regularly do monthly empties post, which is a shame because it's a good opportunity to share with you guys what great products I have been using. So, I've decided to take the challenge and write monthly empties and favorites posts (yay, exciting things to come!)

Firstly, we have Garnier Ultimate Blend Strength Restorer, a one minute treatment for fragile hair, prone to breakage. I have long, fine hair that I need to take special care of and usually my trusty Aussie 3 Minute Miracle does the job. However, I wanted to branch out and since I liked the Ultimate Blends shampoo/ conditioner range, I thought I would give it a go! It uses honey, royal jelly and propolis to strengthen, nourish and protect from root to tip. You can tell it contains jelly, due to it's consistency. I found that I had to use more of the product than I would usually because my hair didn't seem to absorb it very well and, although it says to leave it in for one minute, I usually leave it on for about five- ten minutes to ensure I recieve the up most benefits. It did leave my hair feeling soft and smelling of sweet honey but I don't think it necessarily made my hair stronger. I did use the whole bottle although I don't think I would purchase it again. 

Next we have St Ives Invigorating Apricot Facial Scrub. Okay as most of you know this has been my favorite facial scrub for a few years now and it's no wonder because with 100% natural exfoliates it removes all the dead skin cells without damaging the surface of your skin. I wouldn't recommend using it every day as that can harm your skins natural repairing system but using it two- three times a week will leave your skin feeling fresh, soft and radiant. Moving on to Aussie Shower Smoothie, I was besides myself when I saw that Aussie were launching a body wash range! And although £2.99 seemed a bit pricey for a tiny bottle of shower gel I just had to buy it. I must admit it wasn't the magical Aussie love potion I imagined it to be, it's macadamia nut oil formula is supposed to leave your skin feeling super soft but I found it didn't lather very well and didn't make a noticeable difference to my skin. It smells nice but it could have been a boots own brand for all I knew... Personally I think Aussie should stick to what they know; hair care!

We now have The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Gel. I bought this on a whim, as I do get blemishes, and was pleasantly surprised. After finishing my night time skin care routine I just dab the gel onto the blemish. It has a soft applicator, kinda like a lip gloss, which means you can apply with precision. This isn't the product for you if you need an all over facial treatment but it's good for tackling precised areas. After the first use I found that my blemishes were slightly smaller, less red and had dried out a bit. Tea Tree is vastly known for helping with problem skin and I think it's safe to say you can't argue with mother nature! Okay so lastly, we have Muji Hinoki Wood Candle. This is my favorite candle of all time and you can only get it at Muji so last weekend me and Roneil took a trip up to London to visit the Natural History Museum, whilst we were there, we thought we'd catch the tube up to Oxford St. and of course I had to visit Muji. This hand made candle contains premium grade fragrances including Hinoki Wood. For those of you who don't know, Hinoki Wood is a sacred wood in Japan and smells devine! What I love most about it, other than it's scent, is that it fills the whole room with a luscious aroma and the entire candle melts each time so you don't waste any. Anybody who loves candles will love this and they have a range of fragrances to suit all homes. 

So there we have it, my April 2015 empties! What are yours?

Neeks ☯

Muji Make-Up Storage Review

Aloha!

 One word 'Tuesday'. Tuesday's are, without a shadow of a doubt,  the worst day of the week for me. Always have been, always will be ('cause I'm stubborn like that). It's what I call (Miranda fans- See what I did there?) a 'nothing day'. I mean from Wednesday onwards you've beat the half way mark and are on your way to the weekend but on Tuesday, it's ONLY TUESDAY. So, what better way to brighten up the worst day of the week than to write you a highly requested post...

For years I settled for random make-up bags I'd accumulated over the years and washed up Chinese takeaway boxes but then I saw Kim K's Icebox and immediately fell in love with it however; I didn't exactly fall in love with the price so I went on a mission to find a cheaper alternative.

Roneil and I were in London at the time and we happened to pass Muji. I'd read many posts/ reviews about Muji make-up storage so on that note, we ventured in. I bought the Muji Acrylic 5 Drawer Box (W:26cm x H :16cm x D:17.5cm). The first thing I noticed was how glossy and well finished it is, the corners are curved and the acrylic is quite thick which makes it sturdy. I also purchased some storage accessories and the Acrylic 2 Door Box (25.6 x D: 16.8 x H: 9.5cm) because I didn't feel the five drawer would be big enough, it's perfect really because the Muji drawers are stackable, which was really appealing. 

So when I got home the first thing I did was a big make-up sort, I arranged my current favorites in my new Muji drawers and archived the rest in my Charles Fox Bucket Bag. I usually have a little display of make-up brushes/ perfume etc on it but I took it all away so you could properly see the drawers for what they are. 

Drawers 1 & 2

As this is the first drawer, whatever I put in it will be on display constantly so I had to choose special product, and what could be more perfect than the my Urban Decay Naked 1,2,3 palettes. Now, these truly are my favorite palettes, They've got me through every occasion in life and even the glistening of the tins look pretty. Along with these I keep false eyelashes, glue, tweezers, single eye shadow pots etc. It's a bit of a miscellaneous eye product drawer 

Drawer 3

 In here I keep my eye/ brow products so all my trusty mascaras, eye liners, pencils, primers et. For a better word, my most important items. I figured I might as well put them under my Naked palettes, after all, they are under the same make-up umbrella. 

Drawers 4 & 5

I always feel like I'm not dressed if I'm not wearing lipstick, so these are definitely the drawers I look forward to opening most. In here I keep my favorite lipsticks, mostly plums, reds and nudes at the moment, I also keep lip balms, glosses and lip liners in here. I like to face the bottoms of the lipsticks to the front so I can easily see what colours I have and you'd be surprised at how many lipsticks you can fit in there... twenty five! I was rather impressed myself, I guess, the size of the drawers are pleasantly deceiving. 

Drawers 6 & 7

Now these drawers have the advantage of being taller so there is more room to put larger items in such as, foundation and high beam, as they don't fit in the regular five drawers. If you're looking to get make-up storage but want to start small I'd recommenced getting these to make sure you can fit bulky items in. I also haven't found a single make-up product that hasn't fit in here yet so you won't have to worry when make-up shopping! 

Overall, the Muji make-up storage has probably been the best cosmetic investment I've ever made. They look pretty, hold my make-up well and most importantly, easy to clean. I just use Mr. Sheen and a cloth to remove any marks and restore it's shine. Muji hold a vast range of acrylic storage which you can mix and match, I think it's reasonably priced for the quality and you can order everything online, the only down side is that the website is often out of stock so if you live near one, go to the store!  

How Do You Store Your Make-Up?

Neeks x