My Soap & Glory Wish List

Pay day is just around the corner and I can't wait to splash out on some beauty goodies for my make up bag. Not just any beauty goodies though, Soap & Glory goodies - I'm pretty much obsessed with the brand. I love the quality of the products, the packaging and most of all my purse loves the prices. 

1) Arch De Triumph, Two-Step Shaping & Highlighting Crayon, RRP £9.00

I wouldn't say my eyebrows are very sparse but I do have a scar in my right eyebrow (due to someone throwing a plate at me when I was 12 and having to have 10 stitches - a story for another day perhaps), so I would like to fill in that gap and define my eyebrows a little more. The highlighting crayon also looks great to lift and accentuate my brow shape. I can't wait to get this when pay day comes around. Not only do Soap & Glory have awesome products but they also have amazing tutorial videos aswell, watch How To Get Perfect Brows here.  

2) It's About Prime, Anti-Crease Eyeshadow Underbase, RRP £8.00

I have been desperate for an eyeshadow underbase for ages but it wasn't until I was on the Soap & Glory website that I found this one and realised I could get it from Boots for £8.00 - what a bargain. I am fed up with having to rub my eyeshadow out of the creases of my eyes and then re-apply it, so as soon as pay day comes I am most definitely clicking buy on the Boots website. 

3) Supercat, Carbon Black Extreme Eyeliner Pen, RRP £6.00

I already own this but sadly it's running out, so I desperately need to purchase a new one because I absolutely LOVE it. It has a marker pen like tip so you can start off in the corner of your eye with a thin line and increase to a fabulous cat eyed flick. This is my favourite eyeliner, not only because it's AMAZING but because the price is so reasonable. I wear this every day (yes even on weekends) and it has lasted me around 4 months, probably even longer. 

4) Kick Ass Concealer, A Three - Piece Flaw Camouflage Kit, RRP £10.00

I have a pretty good concealer from MAC but I really do love the look of this Soap & Glory one, plus there are soo many goods reviews about it. My only worry is, how long would it last for? I have had my current MAC concealer since December and there is still loads left, the only thing though is that it's not really meant for under the eye. Cue Kiss Ass Concealer, it has two shades, one to tackle under eye dark circles and the other to cover spots and blemishes. It even has a transparent setting powder in the pot too. Well that's enough to win me over - I'm definitely buying it. 

5) Thick & Fast, Flash Extensions Effect Mascara, RRP £10.50

Like with Supercat eyeliner, I already own this and absolutely LOVE it also. It really does give my boring blonde lashes the lift and volume they very much need on a daily basis. After using this mascara and of course waiting for it to dry (which doesn't take very long) my lashes feel beautifully soft and not clumpy or waxy like they do after using some other mascaras.

                                                

Go on, save someone's life!

Have you ever done something so incredible that you actually saved someone's life? Well after reading 'I've got 60 days to save my fiance's life' I was compelled to do just that.

The article describes Kate Robertson's race to find her fiance Mike Brandon, a stem cell donor after he was diagnosed with leukaemia in March this year. He is currently having chemotherapy at Bristol Royal Infirmary but desperately needs a stem cell transplant in July, when his chemotherapy finishes.

Can you imagine the horrific wait for the news that someone has donated and is a match? What if that wait goes on for months, or years even? I just can't bear the thought of one of my loved ones being diagnosed with something like that and waiting, and waiting for that good news to come through, that's why I am now registered to Anthony Nolan.

It was quick and easy to sign up, I just filled out the registration form online and then a few weeks later I received my sample tube so I could send off my saliva. A few weeks after that I received my card and now I'm officially signed up to save someone's life - I just have to wait for the call.

P.S. Amazing news... Mike Brandon now has a stem cell donor and will go ahead with his transplant in July. That just shows how powerful social media is, as Kate Robertson's #shake4mike campaign went world wide and the amount of people registering to Anthony Nolan has even increased by 650 per cent - WOW.

So if you're 18-30 years old, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR - GO SAVE SOMEONE'S LIFE!

Weekend round up: Arundel Castle

How quick has the week gone! It's great having a bank holiday weekend and then a lovely short week afterwards. Even though I didn't have to wait long for the weekend to arrive again, I couldn't wait to meet up with my lovely friends from university and take a trip to Arundel Castle. 

If you ever get the chance to go I would definitely recommend it, as it is so beautiful and well worth the money. Our Gold Plus ticket (with gift aid) cost £19.80, which included access to the castle bedrooms, the main castle rooms, the castle keep, the Fitzalan Chapel, the gardens and the grounds. When you pay gift aid you get double your donation back in the form of a voucher, which you can spend in the coffee shop, restaurant or gift shop. 

'Built at the end of the 11th century, it has been the family home of the Dukes of Norfolk and their ancestors for nearly 1000 years', Arundel Castle brochure.

Here are a few pictures of our time yesterday at the Castle. For dinner we made our own pizzas and then headed off out to the pub. A perfect weekend, all in all. 

Fiona, Anna and Jo on top of the Castle's Keep. 

The view from the top of the Castle's Keep.

Yummy homemade pizza, then off to the pub. 

Positive words (4)

Recently I took my nephew swimming with my sister and I immediately noticed how uncomfortable I felt being in a swimming costume. I know I'm not big, so some people may think I am being stupid but I just didn't/don't feel comfortable with my body and I think that's the main thing.

So since then I have really been trying to eat healthy, have the occasional treat and up my exercise regime. My current exercise regime consists of: Monday - Bunny Hop, Tuesday - two mile run, Wednesday - Zumba, Thursday - two mile run & Zumba, then nothing Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Due to being in a long distance relationship, I'm often travelling on a Friday night and then with Simon Saturday/Sunday, so don't do any exercise then.

This time my 'positive words' post is a health/fitness motivation one, as you can see. I find these types of images really helpful to keep me motivated. My favourite is the 4th image and the one I need to keep in mind the most. I hope these motivate you as much as they motivate me.

ABC dating

ABC dating, let me set your minds from racing. Yes I'm still happily in a relationship with Simon and no we are not embarking on some sort of open relationship.

I heard about ABC dating from a friend at work and they way it works is, you go on a series of dates with your partner or friends working your way through the alphabet. So your first date could be afternoon tea and so on, but make sure you go through the alphabet - no skipping from A to G and then back to B. 

I mentioned this to Simon and I must admit he didn't really seem that keen to begin with but the deal is, if I think of a good enough date for each letter then we can do it, well that's a good enough yes for me. I can't wait to do this as I think it is such a great idea to get out and actually do something with your partner. 

I have also heard that you're meant to go on a date once every two weeks, so it takes you a year to go through the alphabet. But I think due to my circumstances of being in a long distance relationship, I won't being doing a alphabet date every two weeks that is for sure. 

I hope to blog about all of our dates but first I need to get thinking on what to do for A, as I don't think Simon will be up for afternoon tea. 

Has anyone heard of this / doing ABC dating themselves? I would love to hear from you and maybe get some inspiration for some dates.