Harry Rocks Jewellery

You may or may not know that the week before last it was my birthday! I am now a twenty four year old, which makes me feel very grown up indeed. Anyway, to the good bit - my presents! One of my favourites is this initial necklace from my lovely boyfriend, Andy. I'd been buying cheapo necklaces with my initial on  for a while, but with the amount of times I wear them they got orange pretty quickly. So this one, which is the real deal, (sterling silver and gold plated) was the perfect gift. It's simple, elegant and delicate. I love everything with my initial on (is that weird?) so I absolutely love this. You can dress it up or down and there's pretty much nothing in my wardrobe that it doesn't go with. In fact, I think I've worn it every day since my birthday!

It's from a lovely little online shop called Harry Rocks. (I'm really quite impressed that Andy found it!) The presentation was really pretty. It came in a cute grey box with a silvery ribbon and  little feather sticker - simple but effective! (I was too excited opening it to be thinking about blog photos though, so they aren't pictured!) Andy also tells me that the lady who designs and owns Harry Rocks, Laura, was really sweet and helpful, speeding up the engraving process (which normally takes up to four weeks) because it was my birthday!

Here's the link to my necklace: Harry Rocks. Mine is 15mm disc size in shiny gold with a 18 inch chain but there's so many variations you can change it up to suit you. Take a look at the rest of Laura's jewellery too. There's so, so many cute bits on there!

What do you think? Do you like initial jewellery? Have you got anything from Harry Rocks before?

Barbara Daly Favourites

Does anyone else love the Barbara Daly range at Tesco? I certainly do! Now I know it's nothing new, but I think there's a lot to be said for this range which often seems to go unnoticed. I've tried loads of bits over the years and nine times out of ten I've been really impressed. I've found they're great if you've not got many pennies to spend but still need something of reasonable quality. Below are two of my favourite products:

Perfect Lash Mascara

This is almost a little secret that I don't want to let anyone in on! Mascaras are my weakness, I buy tubes after tubes of the stuff and this is one of my favourites. I've had so many compliments when wearing this one, which really surprised me. The brush is quite big (which I love!) and curved which helps your lashes really lift, creating that sought after curl. On top of that, the formula is great for lengthening. It lasts all day and doesn't crumble or melt, so there's no under-eye shadowing. The only qualm I have with the mascara is the way it can sometimes gather at the end of the brush (more so than with anything else I've used) and make a little bit of a mess on your lashes. To get the best results from Perfect Lash I first curl my lashes, apply a few coats and then brush out any clumps with my Sephora eyelash comb. Try it for £7 here.

Oil-free Foundation:

The first time I tried this, I was about 15 and my skin was far, far oilier and it still managed to mattify. It comes in a fairly small bottle which has a tiny plastic applicator attached to the lid. This is one of the things I really like about it. Obviously you need to blend it with your sponge or brush, but the plastic applicator means really easy to apply and prevents any mess on your fingers. One layer will give you medium coverage but I find it really easy to layer (and blend) so you can go as full as you want. I can't and won't say it's the best foundation I've ever used, but it certainly does the basics. So if you're looking cut down on your spending this is low price foundation I'd thoroughly recommend. You can get a bottle here for £8.

Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close

Has anyone else read  Girls in White Dresses? It's about three friends who've just graduated from university (or college, as it's set in the US) and their struggles to find their way in life. I read lots of reviews online saying it was really funny, clever and enjoyable and so, since the topic seemed so relatable, I clicked it into my Amazon basket without a second thought. Here's the blurb:

Isabella, Mary, and Lauren feel like everyone they know is getting married. On Sunday after Sunday, at bridal shower after bridal shower, they coo over toasters, collect ribbons and wrapping paper, eat minuscule sandwiches and cakes. They wear pastel dresses and drink champagne by the case, but amid the celebration these women have their own lives to contend with: Isabella is working a dead-end job, Mary is dating a nice guy with an awful mother, and Lauren is waitressing at a midtown bar and wondering why she's attracted to the sleazy bartender.

With a wry sense of humor, Jennifer Close brings us through those thrilling, bewildering years of early adulthood as she pulls us inside the circle of these friends, perfectly capturing the wild frustrations and soaring joys of modern life.

Now, I don't want to sound like a Moaning Myrtle, but this book didn't really meet my expectations. There were quite a few parts that I could really identify with along with lots of witty observations from Close, which were what really kept me reading. In terms of plot though, it seemed a bit lacking. Not a lot happened and there were lots of similar characters and lives thrown in which made it a little confusing at times. Has anyone read anything else by Jennifer Close? I didn't enjoy this book that much, but I did really like her writing so I might give another novel of hers a try in the future. 

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Estee Lauder Youth Dew Creme

Oh my goodness, this is probably the most luxurious product I've ever used! It's a body moisturiser with the Estee Lauder perfume, Youth Dew, scent. If you've never heard of Youth Dew before, it's quite a classic scent that has been around for over fifty years! It's been called one of the sexiest fragrance of all time too. To create it, the clever folks at Estee Lauder blended rich spices, rich spices and opulent woods. It's really rich and opulent, without being overpowering, and (embarrassingly) makes me feel really grown up when I use it!

I love everything about it, the fancy tub, the decadent smell and the smooth texture. I feel like a princess when I apply it and then again every time I get a waft of it during the day. (Did I mention it's really long lasting too? A thin layer in the morning will keep you smelling beautiful right up until bedtime.)

Okay, so it's not cheap (in fact, it's £30 for 200ml), but I think it's really worth it to splash out on something of high quality that you really love. Don't you? I'm sure it's good for your well-being to treat yourself occasionally! You can get a pot of Youth Dew Creme at the Estee Lauder site here.

Have you tried this before? Which products do you splurge on?

John Freida Full Repair Deep Conditioner

So far I've only posted about skin care, so today I wanted to talk a little bit about my latest hair care purchase, the Full Repair Deep Conditioner by John Frieda. The Full Repair range claims to be 'the cure for overworked hair'. My hair isn't really overworked, but I'm trying my very hardest to grow it and I wanted a deep conditioner or treatment that was going to be really nourishing and keep my hair as healthy as possible. This sounded like it would be the one!

The formula contains Incha Inchi oil to help strengthen and repair your split ends, nourish dry hair and prevent any further damage. It's completely safe for people with chemically treated or coloured hair too.

So what have the results been like? I've used it between once and twice a week for a month or so now and I've notice a real difference, both long term and immediately after. My split ends seem to be decreasing and my hair generally feels stronger. It feels silky, soft and smooth to the touch too, a definite improvement.

Like most deep conditioners, you only need to leave it on for around five minutes, so you can get it done in the shower before work and it's not too time consuming. Of course, John Frieda recommend you use the whole range but as I don't really class my hair as damaged, I don't really feel the need to. If you feel like your hair is in need of some TLC, or if, like me, you're just trying to give your locks a little boost, I'd give this conditioner a whirl!

Pick up a 150ml pot here for just over £6.

New Skin Saviour

Garnier is fast becoming one of my new favourite brands and the Pure 3 in 1 Wash, Scrub and Mask is one of the main reasons why. Personally, I think calling it a 3 in 1 is little bit of a stretch. After all, if you're using it as a wash, you're still rubbing the beads over your skin and effectively using it as a scrub at the same time. Don't you think? Anyway, with zinc, pumice and and white clay, it promises to reduce oiliness, cleanse, unclog pores and help protect the skin against imperfections and blemishes.

Generally speaking, I'm quite dubious about this vast claims that we so often hear from beauty brands, but with this product everything came true! Having used it regularly in the mornings (as a scrub) for a couple of months, my skin is smoother, my pores less clogged and so a little smaller, and any breakouts are now quite a rarity. By no means has it made my skin completely perfect, but there's a definite improvement which I'm really happy with. One tube has lasted around two months and has a price tag of under £5 in most shops - I think that's quite a small price to pay for good results! Often I find that after a while my skin seems to sort of become immune to any skin care that's made some kind of difference (does this happen to anyone else or am I going a bit crazy?) and I'm hoping that this won't be the case with this product!

 Have you tried this product? Do you have any go to products for oily skin? Try this one for yourself here.