Mini Boots Haul

Hello again! It's been a while hasn't it? > . < I've recently discovered the arts and humanities library of my university, and have been doing all of my work up there. Usually I work in the boring 70s style science library, but last week I went up to the arts and humanities one and fell in love. It looks like Hogwarts, it has high ceilings, big wooden tables and tall bookcases between the tables filled with old books. So despite feeling like a bit of an outsider at first (being a science student after all) I've decided it's my new favourite space to work.

This week my friend visited me and we went shopping (shockingly :P). I managed to restrain myself until we popped into Boots and she found the magical discount shelf. I didn't even know there was a discount shelf until she found it! It was sneakily hidden right at the back past all the baby things. I bought five things and because I had loads of advantage card points saved up I didn't have to spend anything.

I've been wanting to try a salt spray out for ages now (Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray is on my wish list), so I decided to grab these mini Charles Worthington Front Row travel ones. I tried it on wet hair and it didn't work as well as I had hoped, probably because I was in a rush to go out and didn't blow dry it roughly enough (as per the instructions), my friend however used it dry and it really brought out her natural waves, so I'm looking forward to giving this another go.

I also picked up the Umberto Giannini Sleek & Chic Easy Straight Blow Dry Spray, and I am in love. I've used it twice now and it really does smooth and keep my hair straight when I blow dry it. This product makes my hair look like I've put more effort into it than I actually have, always a plus!

I needed a new clear nail polish, so Rimmel's Lycra Pro polish was a pretty straightforward buy. I'm giving my nails a breather at the moment so I haven't tried it yet.

Finally I decided to get a Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe. This is my first colour tattoo, despite the fact that I've been meaning to get one for months now. I really like this colour, it's a really great neutral shade, also (and somewhat weirdly) I really like the smell, not something I usually look for in an eyeshadow, but this one does smell good...

Hope you're all having a great day!

Sunny xxxxx

Winter Haircare

Hello! I've had such a busy weekend, and I'm finally able to relax now, I put on my fuzzy socks, knitted cardigan and am nibbling on some Thorntons chocolates (because everyone needs a yummy treat after a tiring weekend!).

Yesterday I went kayaking again, I had such a great time and didn't swim once (lucky really as the river was incredibly cold). However when I got back home I realised what a state my hair was in: knotty, dry and generally feeling a bit sorry for itself. So I decided to throw on a hair mask and get my hair into great condition this winter.

If you're not going in cold rivers every other weekend there are loads of hair products to keep your hair in good condition over the winter (they're still good even if you are going in rivers too :P). Here are my favourites:

Firstly my Tresemme heat defence spray. When the air outside is cold it's really bad for your hair to go out when wet, so after a shower I spritz this all over my hair and blow dry.

When I don't have to go outside right away I let my hair dry naturally (as I try and limit the amount of heat I use on my hair over winter). Because my hair is naturally frizzy I use John Freida's Frizz Ease Curl Reviver Styling Mousse to keep my hair looking good. I really love this product, I've been using it for about 3 years and it works wonders.

I have a few hair masks I like to use, but my favourite is the Percy & Reed Totally TLC Hydrating Mask. It smells gorgeous (marshmallowy ^ - ^) and it feels really pampering to put it all over your hair and wrap your head up in a towel for a while. Once it's washed out my hair always feels extra silky.

Whenever my hair's had a bad day and I don't have time to put a mask on I use the Umberto Giannini Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm. A little goes a long way with this product, so it's lasted for ages. I put a tiny bit on my hands and run it through my hair, from the middle down, it feels and looks a little greasy at first, but when you wake up it's all melted into your hair and the result is soft and smooth.

Hope you've liked my favourite winter haircare products ^ - ^

Getting my hair ready for winter :)

Sunny xxxxx

(p.s. a month today until Christmas! I'm so excited already!)

(Late) September Favourites!

September has been such an amazing month! Back to uni, my first time living in a house without my parents (scary scary), fresher’s, and the start of my second year! With every new month comes new favourites, so here are a few of mine:

Umberto Giannini Overnight Beauty Moisture Balm :

This stuff is magical, it feels like a really thick moisturiser for your hair. I don’t use it every night, just when my hair feels a little dry (especially recently as it’s getting colder and windier). When you put it on it feels a bit greasy and too much, but as you sleep it sinks in and makes your hair look much better conditioned and less dry. It also lasts for ages, I’ve had mine so long that they’ve changed the packaging of it! I noticed in Boots the other day that the drawing of the girl on the front has changed :P

John Frieda Frizz Ease Curl Reviver Styling Mousse :

After washing my hair I run a small amount of this mousse through my hair and it helps keep my wild lions mane of hair under control. Especially when I leave my hair to air dry, but this also helps when I blow dry it too. I really love the Frizz Ease collection, but this is the one thing I always have to have, it’s become a necessity, and although I use it all year round it’s become especially useful now that the weather’s been turning.

Re-Gen Cream :

Unsurprisingly my favourite new product of last month, in conjunction with my Clarisonic Mia (not a favourite this month as I haven’t been using it long enough) my skin has been looking so much clearer, for a full review look here.

Benefit Benetint Lip Balm :

Benefit’s famous Benetint stain as a lip balm, it’s so convenient to carry around in my bag and top up if I’m on a night out. The colour is rich and glossy, it’s a lot deeper in colour than a lip balm and it gives a lot of colour (not as much as a lipstick of course), but I love using this when I want a bit of colour on my lips.

Non beauty favourites:

Pokemon! :

I never really got into Pokemon when I was little, but all my housemates (and my boyfriend :P) play it.  So one of them gave me his old gameboy and Pokemon Red, and I’m now obsessed. We once spent a very hungover morning (technically afternoon :P) all sitting in the living room, not talking, just playing Pokemon. We’re such wild Uni students :P

Firefly :

The most favouritest of my favourites of this month! How have I never seen this show before!? In my first week here it was only me and my housemate Ben in the house, and he bought Firefly on a whim because he heard it was good. Our friend Amy really, really loves Firefly, so we all watched the entire series over three days, just curling up on the sofa in the evening (this was before fresher’s so there weren’t many nights out) and watching three of four episodes in one go. We still have Serenity to watch, but once that’s been seen it’s all over! I almost don’t want to watch it so I can know that’s there’s still more to go....

Sunny xxxxx

Very Restrained London Haul

I feel as though I've been away from my poor blog for years and years even though it's only been a week, my poor lonely little blog > . < But I've been having a fantastic time visiting my friends and having fun so it's not all bad :P I spent four days with Daydreamer and then another four in London with another friend. I've had such a busy, but fun week :P

Even though I was in London for the Jubilee I didn't go down to the river to see the procession, the weather was just too awful! I heard people saying you got shouted at if you put up an umbrella, so I'm quite glad I didn't go :P Even so there was a really festive spirit when I did go out, loads of people wrapped in Union Jacks and lots of pretty bunting everywhere ^ - ^

Of course when I went to London I had to go shopping, because, well it's London :P I was really rather restrained, I bought two things (although I'm showing you four because I got two things before I left for my visit :P). But that doesn't mean that I didn't spend a lot, trains, the tube, food and clubs are expensive in London :P (But I did manage to go to Ministry of Sound which was sooo much fun :D).

I finally got Naked, the Urban Decay kind, not the socially awkward arrest worthy kind... I literally ran into House Of Fraser, grabbed Naked, paid and ran back out because we were dashing to catch a film :P (Avengers again :P I love it too much). It was one of my fastest shops ever :P

Used it once it London, bring it home only to find the mirror smashed on the journey > . <

I also popped into Primark to pick up a onesie :P But I've decided onesies are practical student wear, so I HAVE to have one. Next year when I can't afford heating and I'm freezing up in North Wales I will spend all day in my teddy bear onesie, cute and warm :P I've already worn it back at home, despite it being June it IS England, and as I write it's pouring it down outside :(

Finally my before London buys, I got two Andrew Barton products from Asda, these were two for £6, such a brilliant offer. I've been using The Frizz Tamer everyday before I go out and it makes my hair so much sleeker and shinier, really in love. Yesterday I used the hair mask for the first time and loved it too, it smells incredibly yummy and although it is a bit of a hassle to use (wash hair, put on mask, leave overnight, rinse in the morning) it really has made my hair lovely and soft.

That's it for now, in theory my hauls should stop until I either get a job or go back to uni, but lets be honest...there's no way I could ever show that kind of restraint :P

Sunny xxxxx