Make-up, Shopping, Products & More!! I've Been Busy!

I have previously had my make-up and hair tools/supplies hidden away in a drawer in the living room, but since we revamped our bedroom and we now have more space in there, I spent Friday re-organizing my beauty arsenal so that I can finally get ready in the bedroom, my favorite place in the flat! I lumped all the products I normally use into this basket. It's not ideal in some ways, but because it's all there, I can dig through and lay them out so I can see exactly what I have! It totally works for me! I keep my brushes, pencils and tools (eyelash curler, tweezers, etc.) in these adorable turquoise toothbrush cups I picked up from British Home Stores (BHS) and I store them on a shelf in the bedroom. Because I do my nails while I'm watching tv, I keep my nail goodies in a turquoise wicker basket that fits inside our magazine basket beside the couch. I'm feeling very organized these days!

When I did this reorganization, I found some things I totally forgot that I had!

I was given this La Prairie nail polish sample in a little gift bag from a friend who works at The Ritz in Cayman, home of one of the La Prairie spas along with some other products by the brand.

The shade is called Mocha, but it's more of a muted coral color. The color is nice and very civilized. Honestly, it reminds me of a color my mother would wear. It's great and conservative. The polish smells quite strong, like an alcohol chemical smell, which I don't like and it chipped more quickly than most of the brands I usually wear.

I also found this MAC lipstick I bought in a duty free shop months ago. The color is called Amplified. I love it! It's a great berry pink color! It smells and tastes yummy, as all MAC lip products do!

On Friday I decided to try something. I bought these velcro rollers from Boots (a drugstore) because I sometimes have trouble achieving great volume at the roots of my hair. I usually don't have the patience to blow-dry them until the ends of my hair are dry, but I can get some root volume. I decided to try double duty. I used these and then I hot rolled my hair. The volume was great however, this method does take some time and shouldn't be tried if you're in a hurry.

Someone in a bar suggested the Espresso Martini at Citizen Smith's on Putney High Street to me some time ago. I had always meant to try them and forgot. Then I saw the 2nd episode of Made in Chelsea and it looked like Hugo and Caggie were drinking Espresso Martinis so over the weekend I decided we should try them. They're delicious! Tastes like an iced coffee with a kick and goes well with bopping to Bon Jovi and Sweet Home Alabama like a loon!

I had a craving for waffles over the weekend so I sent hubby out for some syrup. He could only find this one at Sainsbury's and it was quite pricey at nearly 8 pounds, but ZOMG! It's delicious! I had to share. This is not your grandpa's Aunt Jamima! It's not sticky or thick and it's the nicest tasting syrup I've ever had! I'm a convert from now on!

One thing I love about living in the UK is that often when you buy a magazine, it comes with something free. I'm a sucker for a freebie! Usually they're product samples, costume jewelry or paperback books and I have to say, sometimes I choose which one to buy based on what the free gift is if I'm indifferent about the choices. Yesterday I had to get Harper's Bazaar and Cosmopolitan, because they both came with adorable canvas tote bags! You can never have too many tote bags, especially when you live in the city and it's often required that you carry your life with you on the Tube!

I scored this adorable bag from Dorothy Perkins!

And this gorgeous summer tote by Erdem! I've still got the eye out for a copy of InStyle! They're giving away Nails Inc. nail polishes, but the one I saw was the ugly orange hue... I'm holding out for the turqoise!

I've blogged before about Soap & Glory and I'm still in love with this company, started by the same woman who founded Bliss Spa. I got this Glow Lotion a few weeks back and I like it a lot. It doesn't tan you at all, but it does give you a glowing sheen. It also has a lovely scent, though it's quite strong. I use this a lot on my decolletage and shoulders.

I received Soap & Glory's Touch & Glow Daily Radiance Moisturizer in a gift for my birthday from my friend Juliet. I am using this more and more as summer begins to settle in. The lotion comes out white, but then you rub it through your hands to pop the beads and release the tint, then smooth onto your face and neck. If I'm in a hurry or going super casual, I use this and then just dust a little powder and bronzer over it instead of wearing foundation.

I found this Dove Summer Glow at Superdrug on a sale and I love it! It really works! I didn't put it on over and over. I just applied it once and I could tell a nice, natural and noticeable difference in my legs! I'll definitely be using this during the summer to fake a beach babe summer glow!

We went shopping all day on Saturday at Westfield. I scored this adorable 40's inspired halter sun dress and cardigan at Oasis. I plan to wear it with sky high nude pumps and some dainty jewelry!

I had given up on maxi dresses at one stage and gave all of mine away before coming to England, but I love this one I got at Debenham's! It also embraces the color blocking trend so I'll be killing 2 birds with 1 stone! I can't wait for warm sunny days so I can wear this with flip flops while hanging out around my neighborhood or in London, but until then, I'll probably pair this with a black cardigan for nights out.

Also from Debenhams, this frilly white top is nothing special at first glance, but it is cute, summery, girly and EXTREMELY comfy! I think I can have some fun matching this with different pants, shorts and skirts and since it's plain white, I can pop color with accessories like a bright scarf or some chunky turquoise jewelry!

I've been reading Whitney Port's book True Whit and one thing she swears by are reed diffusers. Always excited for anything that will make my home a little more cozy and chic, I went on the hunt. I found two problems. 1. Many reed diffusers seem to have alcohol based oils in them and therefore slightly resemble the smell of mosquito spray and 2. some reed diffusers are incredibly expensive! I found these at Next and the scent is Mint. It's a minty, herby and fruity smell that's perfect for summer and they totally work, filling my flat with relaxing aroma. Best thing is that these are only GBP 5.50! Also, they're not as big and bulky as some reed diffusers I've seen, so they're perfect to nip into a small space or the corner of your dresser where there isn't much room.

I also grabbed a Next jar candle and some votives in the same scent. I've had these before. They're great and look really cute in their colored jars. At only GBP 4.50 for 30 hours of burning for the jar candle, it's a steal!

To see what I wore this weekend, head on over to Pink Julep's Dressing Room for my OOTD's by clicking here!

I hope you all had a great weekend!