current loves #1 | the beauty edition

It occurred to me that I don't buy enough products each month to justify doing a monthly favourite but I do love sharing what I have been enjoying using lately. This is the beauty edition and I will be soon sharing my non-beauty favourites which is always an exciting time. 

I have been trying to grow my hair out lately and I suddenly decided that I don't like to straighten my hair anymore so I bought this Toni & Guy Casual Sea Salt Texturising Spray to give my hair some movement. I didn't get on too well with the Bumble and Bumble sea salt spray but I have been loving using this Toni & Guy one and it smells pretty good too! I won't talk about it too much as I will have a review post dedicated to this soon.

Digging through my blush collection, I re-discovered the Benefit Dallas Boxed Powder which was one of the first makeup products I had ever bought. This is the perfect glowy, radiant and the 'I have just been out in the fields picking daisies' look. I'm slowly moving back into powder blushes after my very long stint with cream blushes and this is just perfect for that.

I used to use the MAC Lustre Drops all the time last year then for some reason I stopped. But lately I've been picking it up and dotting it along the top of my cheekbones before blending to give me a beautiful glow. The shade I have is Pink Rebel and is perfect for an effortless radiant look.

If you told me a month ago that I'd start wearing nude eyeliner, I would probably laugh in your face. It was a pretty foreign concept to me and something I didn't understand. I impulsively bought the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in nude as they had a buy one get one half price offer and I have really loved using it on my lower waterline. Having Asian eyes is a bit of nuisance but the nude eyeliner really opens up my eyes and makes them bigger *thumbs up*. 

What have you been loving lately?

Vanessa

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review | tresemme instant refresh dry shampoo

I'm not a regular user of dry shampoo. I like to wash my hair every day despite what people say about washing hair every day. But I was staying over at a friend's flat just last week and I wouldn't have time to wash my hair before starting another 10 hour shift so I bought this in the hope that I will look more refreshed.

I have tried the Batiste dry shampoo before and I did not enjoy using it but I had heard good things about the Tresemme one so I gave it a go. With dry shampoo, you basically spray it onto your hair (obviously shaking it up before using it), leave it for a little while and then brush it through. 

I found this did refresh my hair and gave it an instant lift but thinking longer term it isn't something that would last throughout the day without a quick spritz every now and then. I It has a generous 200ml which is more than enough if you plan on using it every once in a while. I would probably reach for this if I've been having a lazy day and not wanting to wash my hair. 

It is priced at £4.79 but I'm sure Superdrug or Boots will have regular offers which means you can save a little more!

Are you a fan of dry shampoos or do you like to wash your hair every day like me?

Vanessa

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Urban Decay Blogger Event

I recently attended another amazing event organised by Laura at North East Blogger Events. This time, we got invited down to the Urban Decay counter in Aberdeen and we were treated to an evening of a makeup masterclass. The Urban Decay girls took us through some of their cult classic products and showed us some new releases (which were very tempting indeed!).

The products they used featured in the new ad campaign for the Moondust eyeshadows and some others that I hadn't seen before.

I basically spent the entire night loitering around the glitter eyeliners after admiring it on one of the Urban Decay girls. Oh how I wish I was confident enough to pull it off!

We got plenty of time to wandering around the stand and have an epic swatching session. I have my eye on some UD products for my next pay day (the Naked Beauty Balm specifically).

As always, it was great to catch up with fellow bloggers and meet some new ones. 

What are your must have Urban Decay products?

Vanessa

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review | eyeko skinny liquid eyeliner

Magazines during the summer months usually have brilliant freebies. I used to buy magazines every month but then I discovered blogs and I found that they were a better way of keeping up to date with the beauty world...for free. I made an exception this month as Marie Claire's freebie this month is an Eyeko Skinny Mini liquid eyeliner worth £8.

I've never tried Eyeko products before so I was looking forward to testing this out.

The first thing I noticed about this eyeliner is the nib. The point is small and allows for great precision depending on the eyeliner look you're going for. The pigmentation is amazing...so black!

The application itself is easy and slick. No pulling at the eyes here. The standard of liquid eyeliners for me is its longevity. I was out and about in town in Scottish summer weather for a good few hours and it did not smudge one bit. So impressed!

I definitely missed the memo when these hit the market! This is a front runner for me in the liquid eyeliner race. Marie Claire is still doing this promotion at the moment as well as a 20% off voucher for other Eyeko products so grab yours quickly!

Vanessa

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life is like a cup of tea. it's all about how you make it

I recently bought this print from a sweet little boutique in Edinburgh and the frame from trusty Asda. I finally managed to put it up in my room and I think it's the perfect quote.

Life is like a cup of tea. It's all about how you make it

Vanessa

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getting crafty | floral crowns

Summer is finally upon us! Hurrah! What better way to see in this amazing weather than with a crafty post. I haven't done one of these since Christmas time (oh crikey, I said the C-word in July!) but behind the scenes of Parisian Orchid, I do quite a lot of crafts. 

Floral crowns have been made quite popular by bloggers and quirky lasses alike but instead of shelling out the £15 for one, I decided to make my own in the hope that I will save some pennies.

Here is what you will need:

Plain headbands - I couldn't find any neutral coloured ones so I went for bright glitter but any will do as long as it's plain.
Scissors - or any cutting implement. If you're brave enough, you can even use a stanley knife.
Superglue - there shouldn't be too much glueing involved but it will help secure the flowers.
Craft flowers - the flowers I got are made of foam with a wire stem. The wire stem is the important element and can be found in Hobbycraft or your local craft store. You should probably buy more than you think you will need and in a variety of complimentary colours. 

How to do it:

1. Decide on your floral arrangement. Either all one colour of flower or a mixture of brights. Go crazy here!
2. Determine where you want your flowers to start and start wrapping the wire stem around the band. You don't need to wrap the entire stem around it. Two or three wraps should do. 
3. Pop a little superglue onto the join to secure it and trim off any excess stem.
4. Continue until you reach the other side.
5. The temptation will be there where you want to try it on straight away but leave the glue to dry for a few hours. Patience grasshopper.
6. Put it on and look fabulous!

So how much does it cost to make this floral crown? The burgundy and cream floral crown cost just £3.63 to make! £3.63!!!! They would suit barbecues in the garden, midsummer night chats by a fire with friend or even attending an outdoor wedding. 

So cute. 

Vanessa

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life update | green light in my eyes

It's been a while since I've been able to sit down and enjoy blogging. Obviously life got in the way and I found myself wincing at the thought of blogging so I just managed to publish the odd post here and there. With the sun bringing its beautiful face to Scotland, I've had a new lease of blogging life and ideas are brimming so here I am!

Recently I've been enjoying time with my family with trips to the beach and eating tasty korean and japanese food. Salmon sashimi so good! I think I sometimes take my family for granted as I still live at home but days out at the beach make me grateful to have what I have. 

It's no secret that I am currently going through a quarter life crisis and I am by no means out of it but I'm feeling slightly better about my prospects. A recent development got me excited for a prospective move to good ol' London town but it was not meant to be but was more disappointed with the lack of interaction from said company even though I tried to contact them several times myself. Ach well. Onwards and upwards!

I'm trying to be more positive and focus on the good things in life. I'm baking a lot more and I'm thinking about starting up my violin lessons again and complete my Associated Board of Music exams (I only managed to make it to grade 3 when I was at school *sob*). Hopefully you won't be reading any more sad posts from me anymore but happy ones. 

*big smiles*

Vanessa

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recipe | chocolate cake with strawberries and cream

Who doesn't love a bit of chocolate cake every now and then? Perfect with a scoop of ice cream or drenched in single cream. The possibilities are endless! A recent trip to Dobbies inspired me to make some choccy cake because I actually haven't made choccy cake in a while. I hit up Google and found this recipe albeit with a few changes. 

Ingredients
225g butter
225g caster sugar
4 eggs
200g self raising flour
50g cocoa powder
120g melted dark chocolate
120g melted milk chocolate
120ml semi skimmed milk

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190 degrees celsius.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl.
3. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave.
4. Mix in the eggs one at a time making sure it  is mixed in well. If it starts to split, add a tablespoon of flour to the mix.
5. Fold in the flour, cocoa powder, melted chocolate and milk into the mixture.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between two greased cake tins. 
7. Pop into the oven for 30 minutes or until fully cooked.

For the filling, I whipped up some double cream with a little sugar to sweeten it up and sliced some strawberries. You can also put a layer of strawberry jam on one of the cakes to make it even more tasty. If you're presenting to friends and family, dust the top of the cake with a little icing sugar and you're ready to go! I would recommend keeping this in the fridge due to the cream content but leave it out for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Serve with a smile and an iced drink of your choice in the garden under the sun.

Bon appétit!

Vanessa

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review | rings & tings jewellery

It occurred to me the other day that I don't own a lot of jewellery. I have a few necklaces which I wear all the time but nothing of great variety. I decided to change this and hit up the interweb in search for cute and affordable jewellery. 

I came across a website called Rings & Tings and they stocked exactly what I was looking for. I had a good browse and popped a few items in my basket. Two rings, one bracelet and one necklace later...

This infinity ring comes in three different colours and the symbol is actually what I want tattooed on my wrist. Such a lovely simple ring.

I realise now that my collection of Harry Potter related jewellery is growing quite nicely. I couldn't resist this thunder bolt ring. I was worried the point of the thunder bolt would jab into my hand but it's perfectly positioned that it doesn't do that. 

All of a sudden, I'm attracted to feathers. Feathers in my hair, feather necklaces and now a feather bracelet. You can choose between four different colours of cord but for me it's a little on the big side but it's not a problem if I stack it with other bracelets. 

The last thing I popped in my basket is a little heart charm necklace from the sale section as a little something extra. It's so simple and will suit basically anything!

Delivery took longer than I thought because I didn't know it came all the way from Hong Kong but it wasn't a big deal for me. Plus, this offer free worldwide delivery so I can't really complain. Rings & Tings also sell clothing and accessories so there is something for everyone!

What jewellery items do you like to wear all the time?

Vanessa

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review | bourjois rouge edition lipstick - rose millesime

I recently won Gillian's elevatormusik blog birthday giveaway (go check out her blog, it's one of my absolute favourites!) and in the little surprise parcel she sent me was this lipstick. I must have missed the memo when Bourjois was releasing these lipsticks because it's fabulous!

Their website says:

'It's ready to wear formula is enriched with 1/4 pure laque for a radiant, glossy finish and orchid blossom extract so it glides onto the lips leaving them feeling smooth, hydrated and protected for up to 10 hours'.

The shade I have is number 17 called Rose Millesime. It can only be described as a warm toned pink with a hint of peach and coral tones through it. It's such a beautiful colour. It glides on so easily and feels so moisturising on the lips. It's not sticky and the colour pigmentation is brilliant. This is my first experience of a Bourjois lipstick and it's a great first impression. I may have to have a look at some of the other shades...

At £7.99 each, it's a decent price for a great lipstick that is great for every day wear!

Have you tried Bourjois' range of lipsticks yet? Any other shades I need in my life?

Vanessa

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