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. 

Follow Me On Bloglovin

So, Bloglovin is the place to be! If you've liked my first few posts I'd really love it if you could follow me there.

Shelly Writes Bloglovin

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.

Lazy Girl's Moisturising Cheats

I don't know about you, but more often than not I am definitely guilty of skipping moisturising after showering. I love love love having soft skin but I really hate waiting for body butters and moisturisers to dry. Who has time for that in the mornings? So here are a few of my favourite go-to products for speedy soft skin: 

Vaseline Spray & Go 

I first saw these a few months ago on British Beauty Blogger and they were recently released in stores here (I'm sure you've spotted the huge displays in Boots!). The clue's in the name with this one.You really can just spray and go! It' so quick but doesn't compromise on results, you're left with really soft skin. I use this pretty much daily and I think it's one of my all time favourite products now! At £4.99, it's modestly priced too. I chose the aloe vera, which is really nice and fresh in the mornings. There's also a cocoa butter scented version or one that's infused with oat extracts. Pick your favourite up here. 

Nivea In-Shower Skin Conditioner 

Having seen the advert for this multiple times, I was very sceptical at first, but now, having tried it, I could not love this more! If you don't already know about the skin conditioner, it basically works like hair conditioner, so you apply in the shower and rinse off before you get out. Now I'm sure this isn't the first in-shower moisturiser out there, but it's the first one I've tried and it was quite exciting! I was left with silky skin almost straight afterwards and it seemed to just get softer throughout the day. There was no oily, coating type feeling like I'd expected to either. Again there's more than one kind, one for normal skin and one for dry.  Get either here. 

What do you think of these? Are there any other quick moisturisers you like?

Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask

First post! I'm not really sure if anyone's going to read this, but if you do, thanks!

Even at the ripe old age of 23 I'm yet to rid my face of the big, clogged pores that developed in my teenage years. So, unsurprisingly, clay masks are a must have in my bathroom cabinet. I've tried a fair few recently but this one from the Botanics range at Boots is my absolute favourite. 

As the Botanics name tag suggests, what's inside the tube is all natural. There's the oceanic clay (obviously) which will absorb excess oil and draw out impurities and some willowbark, a natural source of salicylic acid, which is known to target any imperfections. And the ingredients are all approved by the experts at Kew Gardens - perfect.

It's a little thinner than other clay masks I've used, but I quite liked that about it. It doesn't take a long time to dry either and washes away fairly quickly, which is great, I hate it when you really have to scrub! I notice a real difference in my skin afterwards: no shine, no tightness and it's really smooth too. Basically, super clean! The packaging claims that anyone can use the mask, but it's specifically designed for those of us with oily or combination skin and if that's you, then I can thoroughly recommend it. 

I hadn't tried anything from the Botanics range until now, but this mask has won me over and I'm sure it won't be long until my second purchase! I paid £6.99 for mine but at the moment it's a little cheaper at £5.49 on the Boots website. 

What do you think? Have you tried this mask before?