Good things come in small packages

The small packages in question? samples of course! most companies are more than happy to give you dinky portions of their products for you take away and trial in your own time, before you commit to the usually very high price tags which they have. I have recently decided that I want to upgrade my skincare, my usual thought process of "I'll just get what ever is on sale" is not really cutting it any more. So, I went into town with Kiehl's and Origins in my sights, both brands I have heard a lot about in terms of their skin care. I came away with a nice selection of samples;

My first stop was Kiehls, the lady on the shop floor was ever so helpful!  She gave me a skin consultation which included having 2 tabs stuck on my face for 10 seconds, they then confirmed what I knew of my skin being the combination type. Along with that and information I told her she proceeded to pick out a skin care routine that she thought would suit my skin. I then got 3 lovely samples; the Ultra facial oil free toner, Acai damage repairing serum and Ultra facial moisturiser. Then I moved on to Origins where yet another awesome sales lady gave me a sample of their Modern friction scrub. I managed to eek out just under a weeks use from the sachets, the modern friction is still going strong as I have only used it twice, and my skin is loving it!! 

Although it is hard to pinpoint a favourite when they are all new and all used everyday I am seriously loving Kiehl's Acai serum, it sinks in so quickly with no greasy residue and leaves such a gorgeous smell. The origins Modern friction scrub is also worming it's way onto my must have list. It leaves my skin feeling so soft, bright and clear. Since using these products all together my pores are less visible, my skin is bright, nourished and just looks lush! None of these products come in cheap but I certainly think they will be a worthwhile investment, especially when you only need such a small amount of product. And if I hadn't  used these samples I never would of known what I was missing out on.

Meg x

Elizabeth Arden Mineral powder foundation- Bargain find!

I once blogged ages ago about my love for bare minerals foundations, unfortunately once I started uni I just couldn't justify the price when I seemed to go through it so quickly. So then started a long hard trawl through numerous cheaper liquid foundations, some good, some bad, some plain ugly! But then, as I was browsing the shelves of tk maxx, I see Elizabeth Arden's mineral powder foundation for just £10! I immediately picked it up and took it home.  

First off I love the packaging, It has a nice expensive feel to it and an oh-so satisfying 'clicky' lid closure. The product is a solid and a little grate allows you to twist and grind some product up for use. I adore this, it means no nasty spills in my make up bag and you are a lot more aware of how much product you are actually using. A little powder puff is included, but I buffed it on using my bare minerals brush. I used it on top of a BB cream and ended up with a nice, luminous, medium coverage, nearly-matte finish. I scrutinised my face in the mirror too look for any dry-skin-clings or large pores but all I saw a lovely, flawless looking base. This foundation also has SPF 20PA ++ (SPF is protection from UVB rays, PA is protection from UVA rays) which is always a much appreciated bonus. So overall, I am really enjoying using this foundation, it is still early days but I can definitely see myself reaching for it a lot.

Meg x

What I am loving...

The sales! I know I am a bit late, and they are all actually probably ending now. However,  I have been loving snapping up additions to my wardrobe and shoe closet at ri-donk-ulous prices. I picked up a new pair of black heels and a some small heeled day time boots for £16! yes, you heard right £16 for 2 pairs of shoes that originally should have cost around £90! (they were snapped up at m&s btw) I have never before ventured in there for anything other than food but I was pleasantly surprised! I am still scouring the sales for a dress for my birthday /trip to Wales which is coming up so let me know of any good dress sales!

Meg x

Avon nailwear pro+

I am in love with this nail varnish! For starters, the lid is the perfect size to actually hold and work with, and the rest of the packaging looks lovely and glam. The brush has an almost stiff feeling and the bristles stay close together ( I really can't think of how to describe it). Which paired with the formula makes it so easy to apply this polish in thin, easy, coats which dry quickly and only 2 are needed for complete opaqueness.Then the colour, I have "Golden Vision" which is a gorgeous shimmery glittery gold, with extremely small glitter particles so it doesn't take an age and a lot of elbow grease to get it off! Better still, Avon have it on offer here!

Meg x

Food for thought

Marinated salmon with sweet potato mash                                        stuffed pumpkin

Thought I would share my latest culinary creations as I have to say they both tasted uh-mazing. Firstly, the salmon, a recipe I stole off my mum and adapted slightly to suit my student food cupboard;

You will need

• Salmon fillet
• 1/2 onion
• 1 inch ginger (grated or finely chopped)
• roughly a tablespoon soy sauce or fish sauce 
• 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice (this was my substitute for lemon grass!)
• tablespoon of sweet chilli sauce (I used this instead of actual chilli as I don't like things too hot)
• 1 clove of garlic (grated or finely chopped)
• a bit of butter 
• tinfoil

So, once you have gathered everything it is pretty simple, it basically all goes into a tinfoil parcel and popped into the oven at 170 for 20 minutes. For the mash I used 2 sweet potatoes, a bit of milk and butter and also ripped up a big pinch of chives into it. The salad was just from a packet, and, boom! a tasty and pretty healthy meal.

Next we have a yummy stuffed pumpkin, we followed this recipe, but pretty much ended up adding everything in our fridge! We were really pleased with how it came out as it was pretty much just experimentation.  

Meg x

Apocolips; Galaxy

So, I gave in to the hype, and I am so glad I did! As I approached the Rimmel stand in Boots, Christmas giftcard in hand, I saw that a lot of shades had already been completely snapped up, including a few I had my eyes on. However this meant that with my options narrowed I reached for Galaxy, a purple-y shade that I would not have otherwise picked. 

The first thing that impressed me was the packaging, the clear part at the bottom of the container means you actually get a true to life visual of what the product looks like, rather than faffing around with dirty testers etc etc. Then came the application, the doe foot applicator holds the product nicely, and one sweep over your lips leaves a super pigmented not-too-glossy lip colour behind. They feel incredibly light on your lips, almost balm-like. I am very pleased with how Galaxy looks on me but I will certainly be making another trip to pick up the colours I missed out on, and probably all the rest too!

Meg x

what I am loving...

Girl's night out task lists! A house mate recently turned 21, now we are all back we decided to have a night out to celebrate. As well as booze, music and cheesy dance moves the night is also going to consist of some pretty embarrassing challenges for everyone! We have put these fun little tasks on some textured paper made from elephant dung (oooh-er, a gift from Africa) backed them with cardboard and threaded them with some brightly coloured string. These will be hung around our necks on the night so we can tick them off as we go! Here are some examples;

• Get as many animal noises in a conversation with the opposite sex
• Drink a row of 4 shots
• Collect as many (unopened!) condoms as you can
• approach a person carrying 2 drinks on the way back from the bar, take a drink and say "thanks!" as you walk off
• collect a male's items of clothing

That is just a little selection!  Our night is definitely not going to be boring! Have you got any tips for a fun night out?

Meg x