2015 Through Instagram

2015 has been a pretty Instagram-able kind of a year, and my feed has been no exception to this rule. It's been a good one hasn't it? From a quick glance at my personal Instagram feed, I can confirm that there has been plenty of photo opportunities that look at least half decent once having shoved a strong filter or two on them...and let's be honest, going off my account, mostly of food. I thought we'd go on a little tour of my year via my Instagram. So off we go...

JANUARY-FEBRUARY-MARCH-APRIL

So I kicked off 2015 on a bit of a fitness mission, I had just dropped out of college and found myself with a lot of free time on my hands. Nothing like boredom to kick of a healthy lifestyle obsession, hence the egg and watercress on wholemeal toast (notably still one of my favourite breakfasts).

Moving on to February, as you can see, the health kick continues. I spent January doing the 30 Day Plank Challenge, as it was my intention to complete 1 personal challenge per month. I can happily say that I completed it and highly recommend it (in fact I may try it again this year, but this time see if i can stick to the rest of the 11 months worth of personal challenges). February was a month for exercise and not just a good diet. 

On to March, again another picture of my breakfast. This time banana, natural yoghurt and honey, washed down with a mug of green tea. Winning. 

April signified the single best month of my life! Cue Hairspray. In April, I took to the stage in one of my dream roles- Penny Pingleton. It was a month of making friends, drinking, smoking, not eating very much and staying up past my bedtime. But it was also, ironically, my peak of fitness. For those of you that don't know, Hairspray is bloody hard, it's all singing and all dancing (at the same bloody time- HELP ME) and I've never had so much fun in my life. People describe your twenties as being free to have fun, be reckless and really enjoy life- I think I achieved that in April. The photograph is of me and Helen (playing Tracy Turnblad) in front of the monitor in one of the backstage vocal booths.

MAY-JUNE-JULY-AUGUST

Bring on May. I went straight from Hairspray into a new relationship, college assessments and Matilda. It was fabulous fun and more living life to the full without the restraints of work or money. I has reached a point where I was broke but I didn't care because I was having too good a time to care.

June's photo is my body inspiration. That's my aim for 2016- get back to looking as small as I do in that photo! Goodbye to eating shit! June was just more finishing off college, doing some work, making connections with some important contacts and having a good time. 

Speeding forward into July, take me to Tenerife! It may not have been the most lively of holidays but it was just what I needed. Chilled nights in, lying around at the lido and reading books. And those Canarian potatoes are to die for.

On to August! August was a month for friendship! I ditched my self-obsessed boyfriend and spent time looking after me and the people that mean the most to me. I strengthened friendships with old friends, made a new friend for life in someone who is possibly the male carbon copy of myself and met the person who is quite possibly my soul mate. But here we are, the Hairspray cast takes on London! We travelled down to go and see Memphis and had a whale of a time doing so. In the words of Helen: 'Let's go play tennis'. 

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER-NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 

Bring on September, and back to the real world. I started my new job, and tried to be an adult for a while. I don't think it's working, tbh I think I pretty much suck at it. Oh well. In this photo from my friend's formal 21st birthday party, I prove that I suck at being an adult, I can't even hold my bloody champers flute right!!

October?! Say what? Yes, I turned 21. I am officially a grown up *cries into teal coloured homeware*. For my birthday I took 20 friends out for Champagne afternoon tea, and it was absolute bliss. My birthday although understated, and maybe not the most exciting of things, I had a great time. 

Swimming into November- literally. I started swimming on a regular basis with my friend Nikki in the hope that I might be able to get myself back to where I was in June. However, as the picture shows, that wasn't going to happen easily... Oh cream cheese salmon bagel...

And finally, December! It's gone quickly and it hasn't been cold enough, but I can't complain. I've made some enormous life decisions this month in regards to my job, my family and my love life. And I got a gorgeous new dress for Christmas! 

Let's see what 2016 brings, because 2015 has been pretty fabulous!

Lush Baths of Christmas Past

I know that I probably mention Lush a bit too much...trust me, my life revolves around this shit. But seriously, every single year they get Christmas just right. However, over the years products that I've fallen in love with have come and gone, and not returned. So here is my little ode to all of those products that we loved but couldn't get our grubby little mitts on this year. 

-Ponche Shower Gel and Hot Toddy Bubble Bar: picked these blasts from the past up on the Lush Kitchen last year. And now I'm going to stick out my bottom lip until I get them back.

-The Christmas Penguin Bubble Bar: opening boxes of these in the run up to Christmas used to be my favourite thing because they each look so different and have their own personalities. I bought this one because he was the short chubby one. If you're a fan of the Olive Branch Shower Gel, then you'll recognise the smell of this one. 

-Hot Toddy Shower Gel: Actually only recently finished my stash of this bad boy. I love spicy cinnamon scents at Christmas, they just make everything feel so festive. It's Christmas in a bottle.

And then there's these, but I couldn't find any pictures of them from my phone: 

-Christmas Eve Bubble Bar: A Lush classic that was greatly missed this year. Remember the one with the moon on it? 

-Melting Snowman Bath Melt: Actually my Christmas Eve bath! This one was spicy, festive and super nourishing. And the snowman heads used to come off in the box so I just used to take home bags of Melting Snowman heads...almost a big sadistic, but so lovely. 

Bring them back next year please Lush! 

Mini Lush Christmas Haul

Is it just me or do Lush just get Christmas right every year? 

I picked up a few things over the weekend to take me through until the big day. I wanted to stick with things I mostly haven't tried before but there is a big favourite in there too:

-The Magic of Christmas FUN

I love spicy smells at Christmas and this is pretty spot on. I love the Christmas FUN more than I love the all year round FUN if I'm being honest, so I had to grab one of these bad boys. You can use FUN as shampoo, soap or bubble bath- making it a lovely gift for children of all ages (including children at heart) who can't make up their mind.

-The Magic of Christmas Wand

Not actually the same smell as the FUN, even though they share the same name. This is a sweet but festive addition to their Xmas range this year and makes a refreshing change from their Magic Wand (the pink one). This one is bright orange, covered in gold glitter and held on a cinnamon stick- it's bloody beautiful. I think I'm going to save this one for my Christmas Eve bath! 

-Peeping Santa Bubble Bar

I'm never an enormous fan of strawberry scents but what made me pick this one up is it's Shea butter contents. I find that my skin gets super dry in Winter time and hot baths don't help, so I thought a moisture injection would be just perfect! 

-Snow Angel Bath Melt

Here she is...a firm favourite. Marzipan scent. Covered in glitter. And moisturising. A winner all round really. 

What've you picked up from Lush ready for Christmas? 

24 Happy Days...15 days in

My last post introduced you to my new favourite thing...my beauty advent calendar! We're 15 days in, so I thought I'd give you a little update on the goodies that I've unboxed so far! 

The Body Shop's 24 Days of Happiness advent calendar set me back £60 so I really wanted to make sure that I was getting a good deal for my money. And so far I haven't been disappointed. 

I can't remember the exact order of what I opened when, so I'm not going to attempt to try, but here's essentially a big list of I've been surprised with each morning:

-Elderflower Eye Gel

-Vitamin E Moisturising Cream

-Shea Butter Soap

-Strawberry Lip Butter 

-Vitamin E Hydrating Toner

-Eyelash Curlers

-The Body Shop Black Eye Pencil

-Shea Butter Shower Creme

-Frosted Plum Shimmer Lotion

-Frosted Cranberry Shimmer Lotion

-Fuji Green Tea Shower Gel

-Almond Hand Cream

-Frosted Plum Soap

-Shea Butter Body Butter

And a Shower Lily, which isn't pictured because I've already put it to use and it's now living in my bathroom! 

Way to go The Body Shop! Let's see what the next 9 days bring!   

Loving a Good Advent Calendar

Happy Blogmas Day 1! 

I was so seriously happy this morning to finally put Christmas music on with zero shame and reach for my advent calendar. Especially excited as I've opted for one hell of an advent calendar. 

I've always looked with envious eyes at beauty advent calendars Instagram over...so this year I picked one for myself. As a birthday treat to me from me, I grabbed The Body Shop's 24 Happy Days Calendar and I've been waiting for December so that I can get my hands on the goodies inside it! 

I'll keep you up to date with what I find at the end of each week, in case you're curious- I know I would be. Haha. 

But this morning I unboxed the cutest little bottle of Frosted Cranberry Shimmery Body Lotion. I haven't tried it yet, but it smells delicious. 

Bring on the next 23 days!! 

More Empties #3

I've been saving these up for a while now and I have plenty of empty bottles and pits to share with you- I've obviously been a busy bunny on the cosmetics front. 

Soap and Glory Heel Genius- I've been using this stuff for a while...I remember when it used to come in blue packaging! And I can tell you that it's great stuff, I just layer a generous amount on my feet; pop on a pair of comfy socks and then go to sleep. Hey presto- softie soft feet come morning. Boom! 

Garnier Micellar Water- As you can probably tell, I get through far too much of this. Since my skin has decided to hate face wipes with a passion (be gone thou vile form of make up removal), this stuff has become my absolute saviour. Thank you. 

Lush Million Dollar Facial Moisturiser- When I first used this I absolutely hated it, it made my face really greasy and clogged, however...after putting it to bed for about 9 months, I have decided that it's actually a bit lovely. With an SPF of 30 and containing light reflecting pigment, this jojoba oil based moisturiser gives a fantastic moisture boost and glow to the skin. 

Johnson's Baby Shampoo- I don't use this on my hair, nope, I wash my make up brushes with it. Apart from Snow Fairy, I wouldn't recommend anything else for cleaning brushes. And it's really cheap.

Banana Boat Aloe Vera Gel- I picked this up in the supermarket for about £5 and have since purchased another bottle. As I get really REALLY bad prickly heat when I go on holiday (or when England is actually warm- so never then) I need a body moisturiser that is light, cooling and nourishing. 

Argan Oil Hydrating Hair Mask- So...this cost me £1. Yep, just £1. And it's damn good. Go and buy it. 

Batiste Dry Shampoo- I've tried a fair few dry shampoos, but honestly you just can't beat going back to basics. I love the Oriental scent, which is like a gorgeous cherry blossom smell. 

Lush Strawberry Twin Tub Shower Jelly- I didn't think I would like this little Lush Kitchen purchase, but I did in the end. I wanted and expected it to be a much sweeter strawberry smell, however it had an almost earthy floral undertone to it as well.

Lush Daddy O Shampoo- I don't use anything else. End of conversation. 

Lush Yuzu and Cocoa Shower Cream- The first time I used this I nearly had a showergasm (that's an orgasm in the shower). Nothing smells as good as this stuff does. If you love chocolate, orange and coconut- you'll adore this. 

Lush Big Sea Salt Shampoo- My colleague Natalie introduced me to this about 2 years ago and the scent is so refreshing (and strangely reminds me of Christmas). But the salt in it is fantastic for giving a good amount of volume and the coconut oil is very nourishing and stops the salt in the shampoo from drying the hair out or making it crispy. 

I'd love to hear what you've been using, loving or growing to love. 

October Through Instagram

Each month seems to fly by quicker and quicker...it's November? Help. Me. Unlike last month, Octover was a busier month on the good old Insta...so off we go. 

1. I bought these little goodies from Whittard as gifts...and then kept them for myself. Sorry, not sorry. The chocolate caramel hot chocolate spoon was delicious and the spotty mug is my new favourite. 

2. Say hello to Bebe, my new baby. I turned 21 in October and my birthday gift from my parents was a deposit on this gorgeous Fiat 500. She's beyond beautiful! Thank you Mum and Dad! 

3. There are very few things in this world that are better than a banana and brownie homemade milkshake! 

4. So not sorry that my October Instagram includes a photograph of a sandwich. Zero shame.

5. This is the brand new Karma bubble bar from Lush...I've always loved Karma but now it's bright purple, I love it even more. 

6. These two are so cute. Holly and Poppy having cuddles in bed after a night on the town. 

7. To celebrate turning 21, I shared afternoon tea with 18 friends and family at a local tearoom. It was a lovely afternoon and we all enjoyed tea; salmon sandwiches; scones with jam and cream; and cake...and maybe the odd flute of Champers. 

8. I had to photograph all of my cards laid out on the hearth on the morning of my 21st. People were so so generous, and I can't say how thankful I am for people's kind words, cards and gifts. THANK YOU! But god I'm old now...

9. That weirdo with the spiders in her hair...I needed something a bit halloween-y to wear for work, so instead of opting for the classic devil horns and witches hat, I decided to fill my hair with cobwebs and spiders. Spooky. Especially for someone who hates spiders. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! 

It's strange to think that it's only one month until I can put my Christmas tree up and only two months until we hit 2016 with a stonker of a hangover. Crikey, where is 2015 going?! 

Lush Haul: Christmas, Halloween and Teeth

There is no better time of year than when the Christmas stock appears in your local lush store! *mini fist pump* So, as you can expect, there was no way that I wasn't going to get a little bit spendy upon it's arrival, cue a whip round with a basket. 

Ta da!! 

First off, I have a few cheeky online purchases in the form of Oral Pleasure Toothy Tabs and Tooth Fairy Tooth Powder. I have been a big fan of toothy tabs since I first tried Chou Chou I Love You last year, so when I saw the passion fruit flavoured Oral Pleasure, they went straight in my figurative online basket! Tooth Fairy Tooth Powder is a strawberry flavoured powdered tooth paste and I bloody love the stuff! It's super easy to use, tastes amazing and will probably last me forever! 

I also picked up the Strawberry Bombshell lip tint because I was drawn to it's fantastic bold pink colour. However, although it has a lovely strawberry flavour and is really moisturising, the colour payoff isn't as good as I might have liked. 

Finally, before we move onto the naked products (cheeky), I picked up a Batwing Shower Jelly, and it smells like the black and green fruit pastilles...I may need another 4 or so of these! But unfortunately as they are a Halloween product I may have difficultly...crap.

I picked up a Star Dust bath bomb, which is new for Christmas 2015. It has a slightly sweet smell but I was mostly drawn to it after seeing it demoed in the shop! It leaves a milky water with coloured sparkly bits and as a sparkly sort of a person, it was obviously coming home with me.

This is Snow Angel and she is beautiful! Like really. It's a sweet and sparkly Christmas bath melt, so makes the water lovely and soft...but also really glittery too- WINNING! If you love the smell of the ever returning Snowcake soap, then you'll adore this little one as they share that gorgeous marzipan scent.

You've seen these Milky Bath bubble bars on here before...cocoa butter and skimmed milk, make up this creamy set of bubbles...and yes I've already had about 6 of these. 

I probably wouldn't have chosen this one myself as I was wandering around the shop, however I asked my friend Matt to pick one bath product for me to try and this is what he picked up. This is Bar Humbug, a liquorice scented bubble bar, filled with fennel and tarragon. I haven't tried this one yet but have had a good play with it in the shop and the colour that this one creates is beautiful.

Finally, give em the old Razzle Dazzle...yeah, this one's called Razzle Dazzle, a solid (almost solid) bath melt. Think lime and raspberry, think cocoa butter and think pink and sparkly. You're welcome. 

What have you picked up from your local Lush recently? Have you been enjoying their new products as much as I have? 

Ways to use your Snow Fairy

She's back! That's right, Lush's bestselling winter shower gel has arrived! So basically, we're on the home straight to Christmas!! Holy moly. 

This year Lush has changed the packaging to their bright pink pear drops scented little bottle of glory to something more minimal, so the more observant of you will have noticed that this bottle is actually last year's. Still working my way through my stock from last year: guilty as charged! 

I love a good bottle of Snow Fairy, I think she's magic (hence the large stock that has lasted me a whole year), and she is fabulous as a multi-tasking product. Here's some ways to use your Snow Fairy...

Shower Gel. 

Ha. Obvs. Just in case you hadn't thought of that one.

Shampoo

If you're in love with her amazing sweet smell, then right now close your eyes and imagine your that smell coming from your hair. One of my work colleagues has always stood by using Snow Fairy in this way, and she was so right! Amen Gemma, you are a genius. Snow Fairy leaves you smelling like pear drops and doesn't leave a residue in your locks. Just try it! You're welcome. 

Bubble Bath

If you've run out of your standard bubbles then you can always use this as a quick makeshift bubble bath. Just pour some under the running tap when drawing a bath and you can still enjoy a tub full of foam. 

Washing your makeup brushes? 

Yes, really. I normally wash my makeup brushes with a basic baby shampoo, but when I ran out part way through my weekly clean, I needed a substitute. Instantly I grabbed for my trusty Snow Fairy. And was I disappointed? Well...it's a no from me! She cleaned my brushes perfectly and even left them smelling beautifully festive! 

Good on you Snow Fairy, you win at life. Have you got any other ways of using your little bottle of Lushness? 

When Your Skin Just Hates You

...and what I've tried to get it back on track...

Trying out lots of new skincare products is 1) super exciting and 2) a lot of fun. In fact I love mixing things up a bit and trying new things. However my most recent product experimentation has left my skin looking and feeling the worst it has been since I was about 13. And I mean really. In fact, has my skin ever been this vile? I'm not so sure...bugger. 

So normally I have slightly dry skin that enormously overcompensates when it doesn't receive enough moisture, but also has a bit of a meltdown when it's offered too much. Usually I do have a small amount of acne that appears around that certain time of the month, however it hasn't been an enormous issue for a few years. The pores across my cheeks are very large and I'm shamefully prone to blocked pores and blackheads- the absolute bane of my life!

But right now my skin is completely unbalanced, make up doesn't seem to sit right in my face, my acne has gone a bit crazy with: red blotches taking over my face; enormous sore acne spots littering my jaw line and cheeks; and my blocked pores have gone into overdrive. My skin is rough, sore and tempramental. What did I do to deserve this?! 

So far I have tried a couple of things to try to get my skin back on track; I have seen a small improvement but it hasn't been a straight road.

My first step was to resort back to the products that I first tried to get my skin in order in the first place (most of which still make up my daily skin routine) as they are all aloe based and super sensitive. After 2/3 weeks or so this has started to help make a difference, I still have all of the issues listed above but definitely to a lesser extent.

I have been using: The Body Shop's Aloe Facial Cleanser (taken off with either a hot flannel or cotton pads), Clinque Anti-Blemish Clarifying Lotion (an AHA enriched liquid exfoliant, that I apply with a cotton pad), Lush's Movis Facial Soap (which when used directly on the skin works as a fabulous exfoliator- top tip right there!) and The Body Shop's Aloe Day Cream (which is light and sensitive but super nourishing). We're getting there...

But even after trying for a few weeks with just the products I know that my skin loves and not getting the complete results that I was hoping for...this calls for desperate measures. 

Cue: I now clean my make up brushes religiously, every single week! I can't tell you how much of a difference this has made to reducing the amount of blocked pores I have been experiencing. Now, I've always known that using clean make up brushes makes your application better and means that you're not constantly adding unwanted bacteria, dirt and oils to your face. But it's only over these last few weeks that I have seen the effect of using squeaky clean make up brushes! 

And lastly, I have tried to drink more water. I'm terrible for not drinking enough. I hold my hands up, it's the, so shoot me! But I went out and bought a water bottle so that I could carry water around with me all of the time. And what a difference!? The good old stuff from the tap did good! 

My tips for sorting out your skin are: 

1) Keep it simple! 

2) Moisturise! 

3) Clean your god damn makeup brushes! 

4) Drink shitloads of water! 

I hope that you guys haven't ever experienced this kind of complete skin meltdown (however many of you will have done) but I hope that my experience may make yours a little easier!

Chick Flicks for Girly Sleepovers

Nothing is better than a catch up sleepover with your girlfriends. And, I don't know about you but, for me and my girls, a sleepover isn't a sleepover without a girly chick flick.

I know that it's probably sounding horrifically stereotypical but I really don't care. Sometimes girls just got to sit in their pjs, watch a cute film, drink wine, eat chocolate and gossip about ex boyfriends. Sorry, not sorry. 

So here we are, a countdown of 10 of my all time favourite 'go-to' sleepover films. 

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging- This totally reminds me off being 13, and I am unashamed to say that I read my way through all 12 of the Georgia Nicholson books as a pre-teen. Complete guilty pleasure! 

Mean Girls- I first saw this at a sleepover with my cousin, pretty apt really. Let's face it, Mean Girls is quite possibly THE single most quotable film in existence. That alone is a pretty good reason to share it with your friends. 

Miss Congeniality- Another film that reminds me of being at school. I love this so much, nothing makes you feel like you don't need a man than being reminded that us females, represented by Sandra Bullock, can still kick some major ass. YES SANDRA! 

Mamma Mia- Hands up if you've never sung along to this bad boy...Yep, that's no one. Thought so. I rest my case. 

The Fault in our Stars- I can see you giving me that confused look. Really?! Think about it this way: 2 or more hormonal adult females, wine and chocolate. This starts to look like an okay film choice. I love this when you and your girl just need a good cry, usually following some sort of breakup or just general confusion, probably caused by a male. And breathe...

Love Rosie- THIS IS MY FAVOURITE FREAKING FILM EVER! Literally, my life is set out in this film. At least I hope my life pans out like this a bit quicker than it does for Rosie. But if you haven't seen this one, I cannot recommend it enough! 

Notting Hill- A 90s classic! Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant make this just one of the best films in the world. The casting is so good, and Rhys Ifans cracks me up every time. There is one quote in this that I use all of the time, I just wish that it sunk in a bit more. 'I'm also just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her'.

How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days- It's funny. It's cute. It gives you all sorts of feels. And it's got Matthew McConaughey in it. Boom, there it is. Spot on sleepover film right there.

The Five Year Engagement- Maybe a bit too bitter sweet, The Five Year Engagement is another one that tugs at your heartstrings in all sorts of ways. Note: this isn't one for crying at but it does have you shouting at the TV, 'just get married already'.

The Holiday- If you're looking for something festive, nothing beats this one. You know it's nearly Christmas when it one rears it's head on ITV2 (so August then...) but The Holiday gives me that warm excitable Christmas bubble in my stomach. 

So there it is my list of chick flicks for girly sleepovers, obviously there are films missing from that line up, this is definitely not a definitive list, for example '50 First Dates', 'Failure to launch' and 'Pretty Woman' to name but a few, all just fell short. However I don't think there's anything on the list that doesn't deserve to be there. So take this as a little dose of inspiration and have a fabulous night in. You're welcome. 

September through Instagram

September has been a quiet month on the old Instagram. I'm thinking however that since October is my 21st birthday, this may merely be the calm before the storm...bah 21?! Are you being serious?

1. Classy toilet mirror selfie right there...got to love a Friday night out with your best friend! Honestly the best night I'd had in ages, and to think that I didn't want to go out. We braved the cold and it totes paid off! 

2. £1.50 bear slippers! Oh Primark, you are good to me. I've worn them around the house, I've worn them driving, I've worn them at work and I'm pretty sure that I went to tesco in them too...

3. Since I had tomatoes on toast with my boss one day at work, I literally can't get enough of them! Brown toast, fresh tomato and black pepper. Winning. And, btw, I have zero shame when it comes to instagraming food. No shame.

4. Me and my good friend, Andy, at a formal 21st birthday party. It was a gorgeous night and the party was totally Pinterest worthy! Hog roast, pick and mix, fairy lights, prosecco, live music and formal wear. Happy birthday Hope! 

It's only been a short one, but I didn't want to miss a month! Fingers crossed that October will be utterly fabulous, because I desperately don't want to turn 21 and not have a good time doing so.

Girl, 20

Girl, 20. Looking for well grounded, honest, humorous, good-looking, trustworthy, slightly older man (notice 'man', not boy) for potential long-term relationship, after string of no-hopers and time wasters.

Must be ambitious and looking to improve own standing on both a personal and professional level. Strong work ethic is desirable, as is looking for someone to grow with. 

Must be sociable and enjoy meeting new people. Ideally find it easy to look interested even when conversation with family/friends is not always their cup of tea. Would appreciate someone with their own opinions and views on topics ranging from politics, religion and personal development to appropriate public displays of affection and possible ways to spend a lazy Sunday.   

Must not: be okay with casual cheating; smoke like a chimney; lie about the most basic, yet fundamental, foundations that a relationship is based on; think that missed calling someone 66 times is acceptable; or completely ignore their girlfriend for long periods of time. 

Looking for thoughtful man, in early to mid twenties, who would appreciate a committed and very giving (sometimes too giving) fun loving girlfriend. Those who take some pride in their appearance will be looked on more favourably, however excessive use of make up, steroids or mention of plastic surgery is undesirable.  Must not be scared of baggage or commitment, and be serious about creating a strong and positive relationship with the potential to go the distance. 

Contact from anyone fitting this description welcome. Commitment phobes, immature idiots, controlling bullies and  anyone already in a relationship (official or otherwise) need not apply.

Oh yeah and, must love dogs and drinking tea. Own car and ability to legally drive is favourable, as own little car is on it's last legs...

Things that only you and your best friend can get away with...

We all have that one friend. For me, it's Holly. You know the one, that one friend that you can literally do anything with, it doesn't matter how much time you spend together you just don't get bored of each other's company. Me and Holly are like a little married couple; she practically moved into my house while my family were on holiday- the antics were real.

-You have that best friend telepathy thing going on. You don't have this with anyone else but when it comes to your bestie, there's no stopping it. For example: simultaneous spontaneous dancing to a TV advert without a start cue and from being in separate rooms- it was even an advert worth dancing to...

-You can have the future 'maid of honour'/'birthing partner' conversation with her whilst watching programmes like Don't Tell the Bride and One Born Every Minute with zero judgement and sort of mean it. 

-Calling each other a fanny or a knob with zero offence taken...

-Face-timing your best friends parents while they are on holiday...yes this actually happened. Fair enough Holly was in the room but...yeah

-You do those slightly gross little beauty jobs for each other, we're talking painting toenails, plucking eyebrows and dealing with each other's pesky spots...disgusting but true.

-Sharing a bed...no f**ks were given- men especially do not understand this one- do we care? Do we f.... 

-Another incidence of best friend telepathy...accidental matching outfits, including but not limited to our matching little mermaid pjs...NO SHAME! 

-You forever have a wing woman and she's okay with knowing the ins and outs of your sex life. 

-No one is better at telling you to get a grip...nobody says it better than your best friend, if you're acting like a dick/ dithering wreck/ arrogant arse, she's the first person who's going to snap you out of it 

-You can go without speaking for a while but then being straight back to being as thick as thieves as soon as you are reunited 

-Your parents have no worries about where you are, what you are doing if she's involved...and they are perfectly happy for her to move into your house while they are away on holiday, and still trust that they'll still actually have a house when they get back. 

Yet Another Lush Haul...

Need to stop with the Lush...

Like, really.

But once again, a cute little bunch of goodies that I picked up. Now, I'm going to keep this one short and sweet, because A Little Space for Elphie has been very much saturated by the fresh handmade cosmetics that we all know and love. I'll find something new to write about soon, I promise.

And, off we go:

-Movis Face Soap- I adore this! Honestly, I was very sceptical about using a 'soap' on my face, but this one has kicked me into line. Made using wholemeal bread, extra virgin coconut oil and fair trade organic cocoa butter, Movis is an exfoliating and softening kick off vitamin E. I know a lot of people who just can't get on with this at all, it gives them breakouts, but I have to say, I've never found anything that works on my skin as well as this does! It's a yes from me.

-The Comforter Shower Cream and Bubble Bar- I did The Comforter double whammy, and for this I do not apologise! The Comforter bubble bar (the big pink swirly one) was one of the first, if not the first, Lush products I ever tried. And oh boy is it a good one? So good in fact, that when they opened the Lush Oxford Street store, they brought out their bestselling bubble bar as a shower gel! Oh Lush, you are too good to us. I haven't tried the shower cream but it has that same amazing scent as the bar, so I can't wait.

-Yuzu and Cocoa Moisturising Shower Cream- Another new shower cream based on an existing product. Think chocolate orange shower gel with an almost coconut-y (yeah, that's not a real word) note. I can confirm that I showergasmed with this one. Holy moly- it's good. 

-Rehab Shampoo- This is a repurchase for me. I can't use this one all of the time as it is super clarifying and I dye my hair so to avoid it stripping the colour I only use this when I feel like I need a bit of a boost. This is the perfect fruity minty shampoo for getting rid of any crap from your hair. It's fabulous for removing product build up or just grease. And smells amazeballs. 

-Pink Flamingo Bubble Bar- I couldn't not pick one of these up. I mean, come on, it's a flamingo on a stick! I've seen this one in action: you run it under the tap and your bath starts off pink and slowly becomes more orange the further through the bar you get. It has a rose, bergamot and ylang ylang scent but isn't overly floral. Tbh it could have smelt like sick and I'd be sold on it just for what it looks like. 

-Yoga Bomb Bath Ballistic- Another Oxford Street product that's found it's way into the national stores. Now, let's have a chat about this one. When it first arrived and I picked it up to have a smell, I didn't like it at all, not one bit. However after keeping going back and having a sniff it's actually become one of my favourites of the new bath bombs. Looking at it in the light you can see thousands of tiny specs of glitter through it so I'm super excited by this one! Sandalwood, glitter and a colour changing centre...what more can a girl ask for?   

Memphis, Marriage and Burgers

I love London! Really love it! In fact, I hope to live there one day. We had a fabulous Hairspray cast reunion outing about 3 weeks ago now, so naturally I couldn't resist sharing it with you. It was a day filled with train journeys, damn good burgers and some very flexible dancers!

I started the day, as I start most, not knowing what to wear that day. Give me Cher's wardrobe organiser in Clueless! The three pictures above are the photos that I sent to my friend Helen, so that she could help me choose what to wear. We all have that one friend...Helen is mine. High five Helen!

In the end, we settled on the first picture because we're both pretty keen on wearing black (it's a pretty safe bet) and ultimately it was the comfiest outfit to travel and walk around in. I teamed black leggings, tube skirt and high necked vest top with a floral kimono from New Look and my Boohoo platform boots. 

WE'RE GOING TO LONDON TO BUY A HEAT MAGAZINE! Well actually I picked up a copy of Glamour and I asked for 'the biggest hot chocolate you can make me' while I was at Stoke Station. Hella basic bitch.

I started out on the train on my own, and was soon joined by the fabulous Helen and Laura. Havoc ensued. Obviously.

So there we were, drinking sprite, eating ginger biscuits, wearing sexy wristbands (you know those ones for travel sickness? Sexy!)...let's go and play tennis. 

See, I told you it wouldn't make much sense.

Laura: "What's the station just before you get to London called?...Walsall?"

No Laura, that would be Watford...

A quick few girlie shots pre-Memphis! 

So there we were having burgers in Byron- damn good burgers I may add. And then popped across the road (literally across the road) to the Shaftsberry! 

There's me and Laura 5 rows from the front of the stalls. I can't even put into words how amazing Memphis was and Beverly Knight left me speechless! If you get chance to see the show before it closes then do it. Honestly, London should be in mourning the day this gem comes down for the last time. I simply don't understand why this is leaving town while there are pieces of absolute tripe staying. But that's an angry rant for another time...

And, so...this happened when I got home. After a quick tweet thanking Matt Cardle for his amazing performance, he followed me!! Basically, this pretty much means that we're going to get married and he's probably going to pop the question any day now. Oh Matt, you gorgeous gorgeous man!

Mini Lush Oxford Street Haul

This is a haul with a bit of a difference...I have never actually set foot in Lush Oxford Street! My gorgeous friend Leanne (from Collars and Frills, go and check out her brand new YouTube channel!!), went down to London a few weeks ago and asked if she could pick anything up from Oxford Street for me. My instructions to her were 'Surprise me. You have a £10 budget' and this is the result! 

(Just a bit of a side note, altogether this haul cost over £20, that's the perk of being a Lush employee and being able to use your staff discount in any store)

I have to say, since I gave her very little indication of what I was looking for, Leanne did fantastically and proved that she knows me far too well! Most of this haul is bath oils (yep, definitely knows me too well) but there are gorgeous bubble bar and a bath bomb as well.

Shark Infested Custard Solid Bath Oil

I was SO excited to see this in my bag, I have been wanting to try this since I first read about it. And it smells just as fabulously vanillary as I thought it would! Winner!

Flowers Barrow Solid Bath Oil

This is the only one that I have reservations with. It takes it's scent from the Flowers Barrow Gorilla perfume...which I unfortunately didn't like. Bad times! I keep this at arms reach in my room so that I can just grab it, breathe it in and hope it grows on me. Nope, not happening. I'll keep trying though...

Lime Pastille Solid Bath Oil

Roundtrees fruit pastilles. That's what this one reminds me of! I wish I could eat it. (Sian, stop, you cannot eat that) But seriously this is sweet and fruity and covered in a very fine shimmer. I'm so excited!

Well...it's supposed to be a star, it's a bit of a squashed star now, but still technically a star. I can't put my finger on what this one smells of...but I don't really care, I'm more so hoping that it turns my bath bring pink... What can I say? I love pink!

We've finished on the bath oils and are swiftly moving on to the singular bath bomb. I can't for the life of me remember what this one is called...and the bag is upstairs (meh effort). I think it's called Guardian of the Forest or something along those lines. Leafy and floral, they're the two words I'd use to describe it.

Flowering tea? Is that what this is called? I think so. Doesn't matter now because I've used it and it was glorious! Literally a tea bag for the bath, every addicted tea drinker's dream right! The bubbles that come off this were so soft and had a really light floral scent...beautiful. 

Finally, and this is one that is super exciting! A Chinese dragon bubble bar with a fantastic warming spicy cinnamon smell. I can't wait to try this as I love those spicy winter smells! Again, can't remember the name but oh well, it doesn't need to know that I forgot its name. 

Thank you Leanne, these choice are amazing! 

August through Instagram

It's only really since I've been putting together a summary of each month on here that I realise how quickly we are powering towards the tail end of 2015! Shit! Help me, I want to get off! 

I hold my hand up, I got all festive a few days ago and had to listen to some Christmas music just to slap it out of my system. And then The Holiday was on ITV so naturally my efforts to not feel Christmassy were completely futile. Literally inches away from putting up the tre-...snap out of it! 

1. Outside the Shaftsbury Theatre with Laura and Helen after seeing Memphis! It was such an amazing day and the show was like nothing I've seen on stage before. I have a cheeky blog post coming up for you later this week. 

2. This one's a bit dark but I took this while me and my friend Nikki were on a little late night road trip. While she popped out to put something in the bin (living the high life right there), I decided to strap the 4ft long white tiger that was across the back seats into the driver's seat. I would like to just confirm that no, Percival (the tiger) does not have a driving license, and therefore didn't actually drive us home.

3. Note: this is not my onesie! My family went to Italy and left me at home to my own devices. Here I am spending my day as only I know best...in my sister's pug onesie. It's so freaking comfy! 

4. The family are in Italy, so I decided to treat myself to some fresh pasta. Who needs 10 days in Naples...?

5. My friend posted this on Instagram  and it just spoke to my heart. Story of my god damn life. But it's definitely a good lesson to bare in mind, if someone can't spare a bit of their time to make an effort with you, then they sure as hell shouldn't expect any of your time and energy. You deserve more than that sister. Cyber high five right there! 

6. I love getting free things from work. I was sent on a skincare training course and came away with these goodies so that I could put into context all of the things I had learned. They have certainly helped me to figure it all out but they've also been fantastic on my skin. Winning. 

7. And from one lush training bundle to a proper little haul. I have a blog post coming up on these so I won't go into any detail in them. But basically I really wanted to pick up some more of the Lush Summer goodies...so basically I did. No shame. 

8. I'm increasingly becoming more of a selfie person. This one is actually from last night, as Holly and I decided to celebrate bank holiday Sunday (again). I never wear this much make up or make up that's this bold, but I actually love it. I just switched up my everyday look with some Urban Decay lipstick in Shame and the dark end of my Naked palette (somewhere that I have never before wandered into). 

9. And finally, a pre-taxi selfie! Aren't we cuties? We had a fab night, there wasn't too much trouble out in town so it wasn't too bad and we had a good night. Despite the rain. Bah-humbug. 

A Few Empties #2

My family doesn't understand why I keep a large brown paper bag at the bottom of my bed to throw used up products in. The answer is simple...so that I can share with you my empties, of course! So here we are, 9 items that I've recently used up and whether they are worth spending your precise time and money on. 

Alberto Balsam Coconut and Lychee Hair Conditioner (£1)

I get through a lot of conditioner...like really. A LOT. So because my long hair, especially the ends, desperately needs some serious conditioning on a regular basis, I prefer to buy a cheaper conditioner so that I don't have to worry about how much I use. And this really hits the spot. At literally £1 a bottle, you really can't go wrong. It's super moisturising and has a gorgeous coconut smell. 

Boots Botanics All Bright Hydrating Day Cream (£2.49 on offer)

In my last empties post you might have seen that I have already made my way through a pot of the Radiant Youth protecting day cream, and I actually picked this one up at the same time. I was drawn to both creams because of having SPF 15 and their low preservative content, however I was a little put off this one as it contains hibiscus, which naturally contains AHAs, meaning that I would still need to apply a sunscreen anyway. What's the point in having an SPF then?! But actually, having worked my way through the pot, it wasn't too heavy and was super brightening (that's the AHAs I guess) so I did actually go out and repurchase. 

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter (£14 for 200ml)

We all love a good body butter and The Body Shop never disappoint! This had a beautiful consistency and left my skin feeling super soft. Although these seem to go a long way, I always manage to finish a pot really quickly, which can be an expensive habit at £14 a throw. Oopsie. I would definitely pick up more of these, however probably in the different scent, as although it was a lovely orange smell, I personally am not an orange person. Says the girl with an orange car, but you get where I'm coming from...

CoLAB Dry Shampoo in Paris (£1.99 for 50ml)

I really enjoy CoLAB dry shampoos. I'm not going to lie, I prefer other brands, however if you're looking for something effective but not too expensive then this is a pretty good choice. I didn't leave my hair with that ashy look, that you quite often find with dry shampoos, but it did help to sort out any slightly greasy patches of hair and also helped give a little bit of a volume injection too. Winning. In my opinion, the sweet but floral Paris scent is one of the nicest of the Co LAB range.

Café de Bain Bath Creme in Cherry and Almond (£2.99 at full price)

I was recommended this by my gorgeous friend Leanne, who ranks the smell of cherry bakewells just as highly as I do in the chart of best smells in the world. I had to get one. It was a complete bargain as I picked it up for only £1.99 as they had a promotion on in Superdrug. I think I got about 5 0r 6 bubble baths out of the bottle and it really does smell as beautiful as you want it to. 

Lush Rehab Shampoo (£5.50 for 100ml)

I use this as a clarifying shampoo whenever I need a bit of help reducing any product build up. I used to really struggle with greasy roots and this is a really great for sorting it out! You expect it to be really fruity, however this is actually a peppermint oil filled shampoo and has that cool minty tingle on your scalp. One word: Amazing!

Lush Gorgeous Moisturiser (£42.50 for 45g full sized pot) 

This is exactly what it says on the tin- gorgeous. I only had a tiny sample pot of this but it lasted me about 2 weeks, and I moisturise at least twice daily, so this really does go a long way. I have never encountered a better face cream and I'm waiting for payday to purchase myself a full sized pot. Really moisturising but not too heavy, I would probably compare this to angels licking your face...I joke of course, but it is beautiful.

Lush Life's A Beach Body Scrub Powder (£12.50 for 400g box)

A Lush newbie here, the vanilla scented sea salt and sand scrub powder, actually comes in a box (so don't expect a black pot) and was one of the Oxford Street exclusives that has been dished out nationwide. It's very very bizarre using a scrub powder rather than a scrub in a cream or a gel but it was super exfoliating and fantastic for preparing skin for fake tan! It's difficult at first to gauge how much to use but after a few go's I had it sussed (mega achievement there Sian). 

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau De Parfum (£49 for 50ml)

For the past 2 or 3 years, this has been my go to daytime perfume. It's sweet but still a light fragrance and always makes me feel ready to take on the day. I'm trying something else since this one has run out, but I shall definitely be picking up another bottle soon. 

On feeling inadequate yet uninspired...

It's been a ghost town on A Little Space for Elphie recently, but over the past few weeks my life has been anything but. I've been one busy bunny. And now I am one very tired not-so-busy bunny. Naturally, having nothing to do right now, I thought that I should reconnect with my very neglected blog...this is proving to be difficult.

I'll fill you in on the situation...I currently have 4 unfinished posts just waiting to be completed and let out onto the big scary world wide wed but I can't bring myself to finish a single one of them. Seriously, I add a line and then click save and close. Help.

I just can't help it and I don't know what to do about it. On one hand I want my blog to be humorous yet interesting, with a gorgeous clean blog design and healthy traffic figures, on the other hand I just feel like packing it all in and abandoning ship. I look back at my previous posts and some of them are good, but most are mediocre at best. Then I look at my page view figures and I'm lucky to get 40 views on a post...it feels like, what's the point in talking when no one is listening?

It feels hopeless, I have zero motivation to post anything on here at all, let alone post the sort of material that I aspire to produce. So it feels like any efforts to continue would be futile. I look at, my friend, Milly's blog and I envy her gorgeous layout and signature. I hear about my friend, Leanne's successes with her blog and see her brand new fabulous YouTube channel. And then I'm just sat here with my 3 subscribers.

This post is very VERY woe is me (for that I apologise), and yet life is not bad: my family is good, I start a new job in a week and I had a chocolate muffin today. Life is not bad. At all. But still I can't help but feel low and like I'm severly lacking in anything to shout about.

So, as you have definitely gathered by now, there is no point to this post at all (except at least it is a completed post), the rut that I am in is that I feel inadequate but have no motivation or will-power to do anything about it. At this moment in time I only see the negatives, the fact that I've gained 9 pounds since being single despite having lost 2 stone beforehand, the fact that my last blog post only had 22 page views despite bumping into an old friend in town a few days ago who told me how she religiously follows my posts, and many other personal limitations that are figments of my imagination, including: my fake blonde hair complete with shocking roots and lack of personal achievement even though last night my charity concert raised over £700...

For now, I am not having fun. But normal service will be resumed ASAP and I promise that I shall try not to post depressive posts like this again...

(Even that last promise feels pointless, who am I promising it to? Is anyone even there?)