This Week I...

- started jogging! I've been using the Couch to 10k app which is really good. I'm going to start Week 2 tomorrow so we'll see how it goes. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to start getting fit.

- started Christmas shopping! Yes, and half of it is wrapped already. I really wanted to start early this year and my aim is to be done before December so I can just enjoy Christmas without the stress of getting presents!

- got some really really exciting news. I don't want to say too much just yet but I will in the next few weeks. I think this will be my last blog post for a while as there is a lot going on/to do but I will come back with a bang with the best news. Ah I'm so excited!!!!

Sorry it's short and sweet, but as I said, it will all make sense soon! :)

Review | The Body Shop Dreams Unlimited

You may have already seen my favourite perfumes post, and there I mentioned the Dreams perfume. When I received that, I also got the shower gel and body lotion, which I thought I'd review seperately.

The only way to describe these are as amazing. They smell exactly the same as the perfume, and when you use them all together, the smell can last 24 hours (maybe longer, I haven't tried!). It lingers, and every now and then, you find yourself getting a whiff of it.

The shower gel lathers up really well, so you don't need to use a lot. And the body lotion smooths in easily, as it's light. There's no sticky residue and the floral scent is very powerful after you've applied the lotion.

If you're a fan of floral scents then I would definitely recommend these. The shower gel costs £6.50 and the body lotion costs £7.50.

PS If you sign up to Quidco, you can get 18% cashback on all online purchases at The Body Shop.

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This Week I... #3

... went geocaching for the first time. Honestly, I wasn't too sure what to expect but I really loved it and it's a perfect way to have fun outdoors.

... held a blog sale - and I'm going to keep it open a big longer so please feel free to make me an offer.

... feel like my life is slowly getting into order. You know sometimes it feels like life is all over the place and you're not too sure what you want from life or where you're heading. I've been going through that for a while and although I'm not 100% there yet, I'm feeling very optimistic about the future.

It's a very short post this week, I'm pretty tired! I'm happy instagram have created profile linkys now though so feel free to follow me at http://www.instagram.com/ditzyglamour

x

This Week I... #2

... took my little brother to Portsmouth. After 4 years he has finally got to meet my boyfriend's family. It was so weird but really good to have them meet each other. We also went to Gunwharf to do a bit of shopping but it took us over an hour to get into the car park - still not sure why! We had a good drive though listening to the epic CD 'Now Thats What I Call 90s Dance'. I don't usually buy CD's but this bad boy had to be mine. It has so many legendary songs on it - if you were a 90s kid I guarantee you'll love it.

... sort of started my own little business. I haven't got it up and running yet but I plan to start making gift sets in time for Christmas. I have so many ideas in my head and I've started buying things for Christmas presents and hopefully people will want to buy them too! If you have any requests - I know it's early days - but do let me know and I'll see what I can do.

... used up a lot more products. I really am cracking on with my product use up. I'm loving my baths at the moment and it's so enjoyable adding another empty bottle to the pile. I'll probably do a post either this week or next week.

Happy Sunday!

Review | Batiste 'Paisley' Dry Shampoo

Batiste has fast become one of my favourite brands, from the products itself to the people behind the company who are behind their Twitter account. They are rapidly expanding and I'm pretty sure there is now a dry shampoo for everyone (although I can't wait to see what they bring out next!)

Batiste Paisley* is one of their newbies and has a fruity scent with a musky twist. The packaging and product itself are both inspired from the Hippy Chic catwalk trends and the gorgeous scent leaves your hair looking and smelling cleaner for longer.

I love having Batiste products on my shelf being displayed proudly as they always look so lovely - and they last such a long time as you only need a few sprays to get a cleaner look.

What is your favourite Batiste ever? I think this one is on par with Batiste Cherry.

Batiste Paisley is £2.99 and sold exclusively at Superdrug.

*product sent to me for review

This Week I... #1

 

 

- bought this bad boy in the picture above. I actually thought it was one big box but it's actually lots of normal sized boxes in one. Not going to lie, I was a little bit gutted.

 

- fell flat on my bum... and filmed it! I was filming my dog and my mum's boyfriend's dog chasing each other and they ran under me and tripped me over. Every time I watch the video I laugh. I was tempted to put it on Youtube but I think I'll save myself the embarassment!

 

- got inspired! I watched my boyfriend's sister and brother in law compete in the Great South Run today and I so want to do it next year! The atmosphere is amazing and I think it will be such a great achievement for me if I do it.

 

- used up a lot more products. You'll see in my most recent update post, I said I'd used up 18 products, but I've used up so many more in the past week. I think I'll do an update even sooner than I planned.

 

PS. I hope you like this little new addition to the blog. I plan to do it every week (hopefully not this late each time!)

NEW What's In My Bag?

I did a 'What's in my bag?' post back in January this year, and since then I've changed bags and what goes in it so I thought I'd do an updated version.

The bag is from Primark and was an absolute steal at £12. I was torn between this and the black but I don't really have any bags this colour so I got this one. I love the studs on the side and it's very roomy, although luckily I haven't overloaded it with rubbish and I think I don't actually carry that much around anymore.

 

The picture speaks for itself really. I try not to carry too much around in my bag. Being organised is so important to me, and I hate having to rummage around for things.

 

This is my amazing purchase. It's a handbag organiser from Primark which cost £3 and has lots of little compartments to keep everything in sections. I normally have just a few bits in here too. I change what goes in here quite a lot as I tend to fill it quite quickly. Before doing this post, I realised I had four lipsticks in there! It's because I'll wear one, chuck it in my bag to do touch ups during the day, then forget. Then the next day, I'll do the same with another lipstick.

If you read my other blog, you'll know where the mascara came from and why it's permanently in my bag. (Long story short, I left for work with a full face of make up but no mascara so had to buy one). This is what I keep in the handbag organiser.

I am currently holding a giveaway on my other blog where you can win a handbag organiser for yourself, so head over and enter. :)

x

Update | Product Use Up

Oh hiiiii. Remember me? There's been a lack of motivation on my behalf lately and I couldn't really work out why but I'm back and feeling ready to blog to my heart's content. I'm not sure how reliable my blogging will be, but as everyone says, it's your blog so do what you like with it.

 

A while ago I told you about my challenge to use up 50 products before Christmas and I thought I'd do an update on how I'm getting on. It's actually so much fun and I can tell that my room is slowly getting more empty! The grand number is currently...

 

 

I'm not sure if I'll hit 50 before Christmas but I still have a lot of 'almost' empties and I think I'm going to delve into my little selection of samples and use some up.

 

I know a few of you were doing the same challenge, so do let me know how you are getting on!

 

PS. I'm looking for sponsors for November, so do let me know if you are interested (on either blog!)

 

x

Destination Denim Bicester Village

Bicester Village is a chic outlet shopping village in the heart of Oxfordshire and is full of amazing shops where you are bound to part with your cash. They now have even more reason for you to visit.
 Destination Denim is a campaign to encourage you to buy and wear the perfect jeans that you love! If you visit any Chic Outlet store (Bicester Village is the only one in the UK) you can get exclusive offers - including up to 60% off! You can get discounts in Armani, Guess and Ted Baker to name a few. Also, at the Denim Clinic you can pick up top tips from the experts.
Denim is something close to my heart, especially as it is constantly in fashion and I truly believe there is a perfect pair of jeans out there for everyone.

Viral video by ebuzzing

Are you a chic angel or a denim dandy? Watch the video to find out.
And will you be visiting Bicester Village?

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4 Years.

Top Blogs I Love

Not too long ago, I kind of stopped reading other blogs. There was barely even much time for me to write my own, so reading others was never going to happen. However, I realised I missed it. I love reading other blogs and it's also inspiration for my own. It's also nice to support other bloggers by reading their blogs - as that's what I want from mine! I thought I'd do a blog post about a few blogs that I've really been enjoying lately. I read such a wide range of blogs and I thought I'd share them with you. I'm sure you'll find a few new ones to follow.

http://writelikenooneswatching.blogspot.co.uk/

Charlotte has the most beautiful little boy and since he's been born, she has written weekly letters to him on her blog which I love and think is such a good idea. I really just love her style of writing and her blog just makes me happy! :)

http://www.thesundaygirl.com/

How this girl blogs so often I will never know! I love that her posts are so well written with amazing photgraphs. You can tell she puts a lot of hard work into her blog and it definitely pays off. I've especially been loving her Pamper posts, and she's inspired me to take some 'me-time' more often.

http://milkbubbletea.blogspot.co.uk/

Becky's blog is so pretty and girly. I adore her fashion posts and the background for her pictures is my dream room! She also has the cutest little pet - I bet you couldn't guess what it is. You'll have to look yourself. :)

I'm considering doing this often as I find new blogs that I love every day. Feel free to use this page to leave your blog links and I'll have a looksie - who knows you may be on this page in the future!

x

Things Are Changing! Busy Bee Alert!

I tend to do a lot more update posts as things seem to be changing all the time. I thought I'd do another little update as I'm super excited.

My Open University course finishes next month. I was going to do a degree, but I realised that studying isn't much fun for me and so I'm only going to finish off the year. At the end I'll (hopefully) have a Certificate in Business Studies which I'll be really happy with. The OU was a big experience for me, and there was lots of good and bad (feel free to ask any questions).

There are lots of plans from now until Christmas. On the 27th it's mine and Aiden's four year anniversary. Four years! We've been together since we were 16 so it's crazy to think how long we've been together. It's also his 21st in October so that's going to be a lot of fun. I've got lots planned which I won't blog about until after just incase (he says he reads my blog but I don't think he does!). There's also lots of other birthdays and a christening too!

Next year, I plan to move out of London. Eeeek. I might even consider going earlier but who knows yet? So plans for that are all happening at the moment. If any of you have any advice for moving house, changing jobs, and especially moving out of your parents home for the first time, please let me know! I'd also love advice on getting a flat for the first time, and your recommendations on how to do it. It's all new to me!

I also plan to get into baking and making soaps again. I'd love to start selling the soaps but there's a lot of initial costs and I don't really have the spare money yet. If anyone is interested though, let me know, as I'd love to know if it would be popular.

I think that's it! Life seems very busy and disorganised at the moment but I'm hoping it will all fall into place soon.

Hope you're all well!

x

Using Up Products | The Challenge!

At some point next year, I plan to move out of home and live with my boyfriend. We were discussing it recently and I realised I have a lot of stuff. My room is often called a 'walk-in Boots' by my family and I know that I will have a lot of trouble moving this all 70 miles away.

 

I have decided to set myself a challenge and use up 50 products before Christmas. This may seem like a lot, but it isn't. I have over 20 products that are less than half full, and samples (but not sachets) are also included so I can use them up quite quickly.

 

I'm going to blog every two weeks (maybe more of less depending on how well I'm doing) and let you know what I've used up and maybe even my opinions on them. If you would like to join in, feel free too. You can set yourself a higher or lower target if you wish.

I'll be putting all finished products into this case, and hopefully watch it build up!

 

I'm also hoping this will save me some money as I don't plan on buying any products until I've finished! Eek!
 

Products I've Used Up | Part Two

This is part two of the products I've used up recently (see part one here).

The Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Serum - £10.00

This was actually my mum's but she gave it to me and I used the last of it up. I'm not a big fan of serum, I prefer using moisturiser but I liked that it wasn't too heavy on my skin. I don't think I'll repurchase it, as I didn't think it was anything special. I think it would be a lot better for any of you who have normal/dry skin.

Maybelline Colossal Mascara - £7.19 at Boots

I was gutted when this finished, and I'm pretty sure I used every last drop. I love big lashes and this was perfect for during the day. It provided length and volume, but wasn't too 'in your face'. I probably will repurchase this again, but I do love buying new mascara so who knows?

MUA Pressed Powder - £1.00

This is one my favourite make up items and I've already repurchased another. For it's price, it is amazing, and it looks amazing over foundation. I thoroughly recommend this and the whole MUA range.

ELF Blush in Candid Coral - £3.75

I purchased this colour because I heard it was a dupe for Nars Orgasm, however I've never tried it so I can't compare. It was a lovely colour though, and worked really well with my skin tone. I'll definitely repurchase, and probably buy a few others - as they are really good quality.

Feel free to link your 'Empties' posts below. I've also started a mission for myself to use up 50 products before Christmas. It's a big challenge but I'm going to do a blog post on it soon, so if you want to join in feel free.

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Shopping The Stash #2

I really enjoyed my last Shopping the Stash post and it felt good to use some products that had been unloved, so I decided to do it again for this week. I'm currently on a September Spending ban (feel free to join me!) and so buying new make up is off limits all month, so shopping the stash is definitely needed.

I have so so so many pencil eyeliners and I tend to chop and change a lot, but the Collection one has been a little unloved lately so I thought I'd sharpen it and start using it again. The Nars Orgasm is a product I fell in love with when I first received it in a Glossybox, but since then I haven't touched it as I always saw it as a luxury product and not something I can afford to repurchase (am I the only one who does this?). However, I used it before a night out lately and I was so happy with how it looked that I've decided to start using it again. These lipsticks are part of my ever growing collection that never seems to be used. So, this week I vow to wear lipstick every day. And the foundation is a firm favourite of mine. I thought I'd done a review on it but I haven't (I shall when I repurchase). I've almost finished this, and I've now opened the tube and I am scraping the edges. I'll probably finish this in the next week.

Are any of you planning on shopping the stash this week?

Review | MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

MAC Mineralize Skinfish Natural has been a product on my wishlist ever since I started blogging. I'd constantly seen good reviews and wanted to try it out myself. I finally got round to purchasing it with this haul, and I have to say I wasn't let down.

The MUA at MAC explained to me that it adds a bit more coverage, and he recommends using it when you have a lot of foundation on and want a more natural look. This is my problem. My skin goes through really bad patches and I tend to layer on the concealer and foundation and powder in order to cover it up. However, I don't want it to look like I have layers of make up on, so after applying make up, I apply this with a powder brush.

I noticed a difference immediately. My skin looked more natural and less fake. It looked like I had a little bit of make up on and like I had good skin. I don't even need to apply much, so it will last a long time.

I will definitely repurchase this, it is now a permanent part of my every day make up routine. It costs £21.00 online - I have Medium Plus. :)

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x

Shoetastic - ECCO

When I was younger, I hated shoe shopping. Ask my mum, she refused to go with me because I was too fussy! I always wore basic pumps and it wasn't until a few months ago that I realised I really should broaden my collection. I am slowly buying more shoes, I now have sandals, boots and even heels. Being 5'8", I always felt too tall, so heels were a no-no. However, I have found lots of lovely shoes that aren't too high, and so I can easily wear them.

 

ECCO have created a new shoe called the Sculptured 65, and it is the perfect combination of fashion and comfort. There is nothing worse than going out and your feet causing you trouble.

 

 

The Low Cut Lace Boot is the perfect size heel for me, and what's best is that my feet feel comfortable the whole time. Inside it has a textile lining, a leather inlay sole covered with the ECCO Comfort FibreSystem, and a moisture-absorbent circulation system. Now this may not mean much to you, but it means all day comfort!

 

 

The boots go well with pretty much anything. I decided to team it with a black hearted and cream New Look Dress, a black bracelet and perhaps even a leather jacket to go on top. This would be perfect for a night out.

 

 

For a daytime look, I would wear it with my denim shirt and black leggings from H&M, and a bright lipstick.

 

What's great about these boots is that the list of outfits you could wear it with is endless. I also considered a chiffon shirt and a dark blue pair of skinny jeans.

 

What do you think would look best with these shoes? I'd love to see what you would wear them with. Also, don't forget to have a look at the full Sculptured 65 range on the ECCO website.

The ECCO Sculptured 65 line will arrive in stores by August 2012 in a shoe, boot and bootie style, with a variety of colours and in both leather and patent leather. The shoes are available in a range of sizes from EU 35-42.

 

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Products I've Used Up | Part One

For a while now, I have tried hard to not buy beauty products and focus on using up some of the ones I have instead. I've built up quite a collection, and it feels quite good to clear out part of my collection. This post is going to be body products, and then I'll have a seperate post on make up.

Boots Natural Collection Vanilla Body Spray - £2.00

I won this in a giveaway and really loved the scent. I bought a White Musk one for my mum and so nearly got another for myself! I will definitely repurchase after I've used up some of my other body sprays, as they are so cheap and last a very long time.

Dipalomo White Grape and Aloe Shower Cream* - £9.00

I really enjoyed using this up, it has a very rich scent. As well as using it to wash with, I'd also add a few squirts in my bath and it would bubble up and smell amazing, leaving me feeling very relaxed. To be honest, I don't think I'd buy this, but I've been eyeing up Dipalomo's candles.

Pearl Drops Transform Toothpaste - around £5

This was a good alternative to my usual toothpaste as it whitened my teeth and still kept them feeling clean. (You know some teeth whitening toothpastes don't quite clean your teeth). I probably will buy this again, but I want to try teeth whiteners that have a bigger effect than this. This was perfect for making my teeth look a bit better, but there wasn't a big difference, which is what I want.

Stay tuned for Part Two...

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Favourite Perfumes

When it comes to "all time" favourites - I'm not a fan. This is usually because a week later, my favourites would be completely different. However, when it comes to perfumes, I've had these favourites for a while, and although you'll probably see a post like this in the future with different fragrances, I thought I'd do it anyway. So let's call this blog post, my favourite perfumes for now. :)

Tommy Girl - £12.25 for 30ml

This was the first perfume I ever wore, and it was a present from my dad. A few months ago, I saw it in Boots and luckily my boyfriend heard the very small hint I gave and bought it for my birthday. It's a relatively cheap fragrance but certainly doesn't smell like it. It has a light, fruity, floral scent and is perfect to wear on a daily basis.  It has what I call a 'clean' smell, and I couldn't recommend it enough.

Benefit Hooked on Carmella - £29.50 for 30ml

Normally, I prefer to receive fragrances for Christmas and my birthday, but this was an impulse buy as I received a sample and fell in love. The vanilla scent is absolutely gorgeous, and this probably will be an all time favourite. It's quite small considering you pay a lot but I love it so much, it is worth the money. A few sprays of this will last all night.

Lacoste Touch of Pink - £25.00 for 30ml

I think this is my 4th bottle. This fruity, summery scent is perfect for me, and I love wearing it throughout the summer. Whenever I wear it, it brings back a lot of memories, and the scent isn't too overpowering.

Dreams Unlimited - £15.00 for 50ml

Another fresh, floral, fruity scent that smells 'clean'. It has a slightly strong scent, but it's not overpowering. I read a review that it smelled 'aquatic' which fits it perfectly.

When it comes to reviewing pefumes, I'm not the best. I think it's very hard to define a smell in a blog post. However, I do recommend that you have a little smell of these next time you see them.

What's your favourite fragrances?

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Review | MAC Select Moisturecover

If you saw my MAC haul then you'll know I had a few reviews coming up of the products that I purchased. The first review is going to be the Select Moisturecover.

I was recommended shade NW20 and at first I was unsure as I am normally a NW15 in foundation and you're normally meant to get a little lighter than your skin tone. However, I trusted his judgement and it looked okay. However, when I got home and tried it out myself, I realised it was way too dark for me. I can't wear it alone, and have to put foundation over the top, so to be honest I can't really give it a full review as the idea was to purchase this to brighten under my eyes and allow me to not wear foundation.

Other than that, I really do like it. It is quite a thick consistency, but doesn't clog my pores. It feels like on the skin, and provides a good coverage. I apply under my eyes and on any problem areas and then blend in using my fingers or using a concealer brush. The concealer tends to last very well too.

Would I repurchase? I'm not too sure. I think I would have to try NW15 in order to get a full idea of how it feels, but it does a very similar job to my Collection concealer (review coming soon), which is a fraction of the price - so maybe it isn't worth it.

Select Moisturecover retails online at £14.50. What's your experience of MAC Select Moisturecover like?

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Guest Bloggers | Ombre Glitter Nails

Hi guys! Hope you're all well. For this guest post I've decided to do a nail tutorial. I love love love nail art & have just started learning how to do my own! I've never done dazzle nails before, but I thought I'd show you how I've done it & we can learn together. Ahh, cheese! ;)

So, first things first... what do you need?

• A base coat - I'm using Boots essentials base coat.
• A coloured nail polish - I'm using OPI that's berry daring.
• A Barry M dazzle dust or another sort of pigment - I'm using Barry M shade 71.
• A top coat - I'm using Sally Hansen's InstaDri
• A spoon with a flat end

& here goes! Apply one coat of your base. This step is obviously optional, but doing so will prevent any staining to your nails & will provide a more even finish to your polish. Once the base coat is dry apply your polish of choice. This is where you need to be on the ball!

Now, using the flat end of the spoon pick up a little of your dazzle dust & place it just above your nail cuticle. Whilst the polish is still wet blow the dazzle dust in the direction of the nail. I learnt from doing mine that if you blow nice & slowly you get a better effect. Otherwise, the dust just goes everywhere. You might make a little bit of a mess, but just do it outside or on a tray & all is dandy!

Repeat the above steps on each of your nail, & you should end up with something like this... very messy, glittery fingers!

By the time you've done all of your fingernails the coloured polish will probably be dry. So now you can apply your top coat.

Once the top coat is bone dry you can clean up your fingers & be left with beautiful nails! I just used a face wipe for mine & it worked great. I did get my sister to help though, preventing any smudging.

& voila, there you have it! My first impressions... I really like it! I like the subtlety of the colours. I think it gives a gradient/ombre type of effect. Next time I'll use contrasting colours & the dazzle dust will be a lot more obvious.

If any of you guys try this out, lemme know! & lemme know what colours you think work best :) Send me a comment over at http://www,jensbrightandbeautiful.blogspot.com.

Guest Bloggers | Prolonging Make Up

Today's blog post is by Aniqah at http://andlaughatguildedbutterflies.blogspot.co.uk/ Enjoy!

I know many people will often come across the problem of how to prolong their make-up.  Whether it is due to an oily skin-type that allows your base to slide all over your face, a dehydrated patch of skin than quite literally sucks up all your make-up, or the weather, which, let's be frank, is a tiny bit on the weird side at the moment.  Then there is the issue of how to make your make-up last for occasions such as weddings or graduations and wotnot.  I have, in my cosmetics and skincare arsenal, a number of products that I use to help me with this problem, and thought today might just be the time to share it with you!

First up, you need to know your skin-type: by identifying this, you can identify exactly what you need to do with the rest of your routine to help your make-up stay on all day.  My skin-type, for example, is oily, with a dehydrated nose, meaning that my nose suddenly has no foundation on!  To counter this, I quite often use a combination of a balm cleanser to add moisture, clay mask to draw out impurities, then a moisturiser to re-balance the skin.  My products of choice at the moment are the Boots Botanics Organic Cleansing Balm, Good Things 5 Minute Facial Mask and the REN T-Zone Balancing fluid.  To add extra moisture to my dehydrated nose and eyelids I often use an intensive moisturiser such as my DCL Post Peel Quick Recovery Lotion at night.  When it comes to skincare, use products suitable for your skin-type but always remember that you need to put back some of what you take out: balance deep-cleansing products with moisture-replenishing products, and your skin should be happy.

I have one primer that I turn to when needed - I generally go without a primer as I already pile layers and layers onto my face.  It is Philosophy The Present, which I find acts as yummy-scented super glue!

In terms of foundation, I would say the best I have come across in terms of longevity is the Dior Forever.  It comes in a large range of shades, has a matte, very polished finished, and is buildable from around a medium-high to a flawless coverage.  It easily lasts around 7 hours unpowdered, BUT I always powder.

When it comes to a setting powder, I have only used one for the last 2 years: the Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder.  It is a super finely milled powder, white in colour, but completely translucent on the face.  It works to blur imperfections, creating a soft-focus finish on the face, and helps in the battle to control oil.  I use this after my pressed powder, and find that I really notice the difference when I do not use it.

Newest to my little arsenal is the Collection 2000 Fix It Up Spray.  This is a last step after all make up is applied, although I prefer to use it before I apply mascara, but each to their own.  You simply spray from a couple of inches away, inhale the yummy smell, and wait for it to dry and therefore set your make up.  I find that this really holds its own when used during the day at any point where you might get shiny.  It does not disrupt the make up at all, and just serves to perfect it further.

I hope you liked my tips - and remember it all starts with skincare!

Love A.x

Guest Bloggers | Autumn Staples

Hello gorgeous readers here at Ditzy Glamour, I'm Ana and I've been busy blogging over at We All Think Differently. If you haven't already why not come check me out?! Jess here, told me she was going away on Holiday and wanted some guest bloggers, so i volunteered, but here's the deal..I've never blogged over at anyone else's blog, (Call it lack of confidence) and i may not be as interesting or funny as Jess is. So basically, I'm scared to do this post, but Jess told me I'll be fine, so I'm taking her word for it and jumping in.


Lets talk about Autumn Staples in your Wardrobe..

With summer coming to end, (Well lets face it, with the ONE week of British summer we had.. finished) I am super excited that Autumn is on its way..i was sitting at work the other day thinking how rubbish summer has been this year and it hit me that I'm actually so excited to get my beanies back on my head and to wrap up in my scarves again..so I'm going to be chatting a little about what staple pieces you should have in your wardrobe OR at least what pieces I WILL have in my wardrobe.

-Scarves.
I LOVE THEM, the longer, the better..i don't really use the thick ones until Winter fully kicks in but one that i can wrap around myself a good few times, usually excites me.
-Hoodies.
This is one thing that's in my wardrobe throughout the year, I just love them, and again the bigger the better, if you have a boyfriend, their hoodies are by far the best to wear. I like wearing mine in a dressed down way.. on my "relaxing" days, and I  also like looking for hoodies that have university names on them, I  kinda collect them.
-Flat high boots.
These for me are preferably in black or brown, I practically live in my flat boots throughout autumn, i like them high and I LOVE wearing them with my skinny jeans. This look can be quiet dressed down or with the right accessories can be glammed up.

-Beanies.
The bigger the better, that's all I'm saying, I'm talking about those beanies that look like they're about to fall off your head.. i have SO many of them and in lots of different shades! :)
-Heeled Ankle Boots.
Perfect for a night out, they don't have to be all dressy up they can be simple and it would still work.. you can wear them with a dress and some tights, or even with some jeans.. i think everyone should own a pair.
-Flares.
Bear with me on this, as I think of few of you may disagree, BUT some good fitted Flares to me are a MUST.. they are perfect with some heels, and again can be dressed up or down.. I think I'm going to wear mine to my new work quiet abit this Autumn.

-A Leather Jacket.

I spend alot of my Autumn time in mine, I have a brown one and a black one, the black is by far my favourite and I wear it usually with my long scarves.
-Jumpers.
I love jumpers throughout the Autumn months, I look for jumpers with great pictures or designs on the front and i look for ones that look fluffy and warm.. I tend not to go for REALLY thick ones as i always think "I will get too hot, its not winter or Christmas yet."
-Jeans.
Weather they be skinny, or flares, or even boyfriend jeans, I love jeans, i practically live in mine, all year round. I love then cropped and I love them long. To me this is an essential piece of clothes every wardrobe should have regardless of the season!

And there you have it, my MUST HAVES.. for the coming Autumn month.

What are your staple pieces and have I missed anything out?!

Thank You to Jess for allowing me to write this little post on here..! :)

Ana X

Tomorrow...

I am going on holiday!

I will be at Butlins in Minehead (I think it's going to be so exciting) from tomorrow until Friday and I don't know if I'll be tweeting, but I definitely won't be blogging. Don't worry, I've got some great guest bloggers who will be taking over and their posts are amazing! Please leave them a comment, and be sure to check out their blogs.

I'm gutted the Olympics is finishing. As much as I was worried about the traffic and overcrowding, it's been surprisingly nice and everyone has been so patriotic and happy. I really cannot wait for the closing ceremony and the Paralympics.

This weekend I finally found the time to go to a car boot sale. Aiden and I actually did two and I even got a sun tan while I was there. It's such a lovely little community feel and it helps to make a bit of extra money to go towards next week. I'm going to be blogging about car boot sale tips on my other blog, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Hope you've all had a lovely weekend and to those of you in the UK, I hope you made full use of the sunshine. Let me know what you've been up to, and I'll see you all next week!

x

Monthly Favourites | July

Another month, another set of favourites!

Soap and Glory Glow All Out - £11.00

See original review here. I still love this product and it puts a little 'life' into my face. The only downside is that the white packaging has got so dirty!

The Body Shop Shimmer Cube Palette - £16.00

See review of my other shimmer cube palette here. These are perfect for travelling and I have been mixing the colours together to get different natural looks. The one I'm loving is Shade 06.

ELF Mineral Eye Brightener - £3.50

I have been applying this underneath and on my inner eye to help get rid of the dark circles. It helps a lot without looking too over the top.

The Body Shop Seaweed Pore Cleansing Facial Exfoliator - £8.00

This is very gentle but still exfoliates my skin well, without leaving my skin feeling red or sore. This is perfect for anyone who has oily skin.

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Guest Bloggers Needed

I know it's been a while since I did a beauty blog post, and I promise there will be some this week, but I wanted to quickly do a post on guest bloggers.

Next week I am off to sunny old Minehead to visit Butlins. It was meant to be a trip abroad but passports and expiry dates got in the way, sooo Butlins it is. I'm actually really excited and it's a lot cheaper so that means more spending money. I'm away from next Monday to the Friday and I wanted to fit two (maybe three) guest bloggers in. You can blog about anything that fits in with my blog, so it can be beauty, fashion, lifestyle. If you are interested, please feel free to send me an e-mail at jesswd18@hotmail.com

Alternatively, I am also looking for guest bloggers on my other blog. If you have any money saving tips, or want to blog about how you save money, or maybe you've found an amazing bargain that is worth talking about, then again, just e-mail me and let me know.

I really hope some of you get on board - guest blogging is an amazing way to get your blog 'out there' to some new readers.

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x

Shopping The Stash

I have been trying to limit myself and not buy any make up as I really want to save money. It's going well (as long as I stay out of Boots!) and recently I realised that a good way to relieve my 'cravings' for new products is to use make up that I haven't touched for a while! This way, it will feel like I'm using something new (Am I making sense?)

The Benefit Coralista blusher is my favourite, and for some reason I never want to use it. I think I'm scared of running out. But I have vowed to use it for this week. The Benefit BadGal eyeliner isn't a favourite of mine, but it's perfect for smudging, so I'll have a play around with it. The Topshop lipstick is Pillow Talk and used to be a favourite of mine until I started buying MAC (I now own three MAC lipsticks oo-err) so I'm looking forward to sporting this. The mascara is a Barbara Daly mascara* from Tesco and it doesn't give as much volume as I like, but I can always try building it up. Finally, I have a few Clinique samples that I plan to use up. I'm not sure if they're the right shade or anything, but it's worth a try!

What products will you be using this week?

MAC Haul

When it comes to MAC, I often have a wishlist as long as my arm. However, when my amazing, amazing boyfriend gave me a £50 voucher to spend there, I had no clue what to get.

I visited the store in Carnaby Street and I have to admit, I was pretty disappointed with the staff. They all just stood around chatting and ignoring the customers, and when I asked for help choosing products to buy, he said something along the lines of "just buy what you want".

I purchased Mineralize Skinfinish in Medium Plus, Select Moisturecover in NW20, Passionate Eye shadow, and Cremesheen Creme Cup lipstick.

Eventually, I chose a few things, and I'm really happy with my purchases. This came to a total of £59.50. I'm thinking of doing individual reviews of these, any you particularly want to see?

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Review | GHD Straight and Smooth Spray

I say this a million times, but my hair is horrible. It is the one thing I wish I could change about myself as it is so difficult to manage. Everyone I know tells me I should love my naturally curly wild hair, but I just can't. I never wear it naturally and my hair straighteners are my best friend.

I will try any spray, serum or mousse that claims to help tame frizzy, unruly hair and make straightening it a better experience. I have a whole shelf full of hair products that all claim to do different things. A lot work, some don't.

This is why I was super excited when I received ghd's Straight & Smooth Spray*. My first impression was that it looks so professional, and it now was a firm spot at the front of my haircare shelf (I like it to look pretty). It reminds me of the bottles that you see in the hairdressers that you don't even ask the price because you're certain you won't be able to afford it.

After washing my hair, I sprayed this all over my hair. I only needed about 6 sprays. It has a slight perfumed smell, but it isn't too overpowering which I liked. I then blow dried and straightened my hair, and I loved the transformation. My hair felt completely different - as I straighten my hair a lot, the ends are dead and dry, but this made that feeling go away completely. My hair looked, smelt and felt amazing. It was like I'd been to the hairdressers. (You know you never feel like you can get the same feeling at home, well now you can! It's not exactly the same - I'm not a professional! - but it was close).

My hair was a lot less frizzy after using this, but it wasn't flat. It still looked like there was some life in it, and it also took me less time to straighten it as it was much more tamed. It also has heat protection in it, which we all need. I prefer hair products that do more than one thing, as it saves me overloading my hair with lots of different products.

The Straight and Smooth spray costs just £12.95 which I think is a really good price considering you don't need that many sprays and therefore it will last a long time. Will I repurchase? Definitely.
here.

(I honestly feel like I have rambled in this post - when I love a product so much I find it hard to explain without sounding like I have gone mad. I do hope it makes sense to you, and I hope you like the review)

Have you tried any products from the ghd range before?

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*product sent to me for review