Real Talk

Have you ever met someone, or seen something that really made you feel happy and - dare I say it - #blessed? Not the excitable type of happiness, just that kind of calm contentment of knowing that things are pretty good, actually. Today, on my way home from work, I was - as usual - approached by the charity fundraisers, the random drunk, the buskers, the big issue sellers and all the fruits of Liverpools inhabitants. Usually I respond with a polite smile, a "sorry" (how very bloody British), the 'head-down-be-on-the-phone-please-don't-approach-me' routine or a deep rummage in my cavernous handbag for some (any) semblance of sterling tender, but today; the sun was out, I was in no hurry, and I was happy to wander and natter to every Tom, Dick and Harry that crossed my path (all of whom were shit out of luck because lord only knows where my purse has gone - again.) 

On the home straight, a mere five minutes away from sitting on my sofa with a cup of tea, two girls approached asking if they could chat to me - naively, I presumed they were lost, and they - quite rightly - presumed that so was I. Moments later I noticed the bible in hand and, you know that internal groan of simultaneous irritation and guilt? yup. The worst part? They were quite possibly the nicest people I have ever met. So, of course - in true Brit style - I nodded and smiled appropriately, even giving a sympathetic chuckle at times, just waiting for them to walk off so I could get to my tea (it was this point I remembered the digestive biscuits too.. oowft). 

A couple of minutes in, I realised they didn't really have a proper spiel rehearsed, they just wanted a chat. Now, before I go any further I'd like to state right now that; 1) this brief encounter has by no means converted me to the Mormon way of life and 2) This little blog post has no intention of spreading any religious message on anyone's behalf, Mormon, Buddhist, or Jew's alike, I am not here to 'spread the word', I'm not convinced I even know what 'the word' is. So carrying on, these girls chatted away and - as per usual - I wanted to believe, whatever it was they had put their faith in was clearly bringing them a lot of comfort, peace and joy. Who wouldn't want a piece of that action? My problem has always been one simple flaw - I don't believe in 'God' - damn. But, these girls did, they weren't preachy, nor condemning or pushy or judging. It genuinely seemed as though they were happy to be Mormon, and they wanted me to be happy too.

So I kind of figured 'why not?' - After all, if there is a God, surely S/He is more likely to listen to these girls, than me. They asked if it would be ok if they prayed for me and, well, why not! - what harm could it do? I liked the idea of it at the very least! I bowed my head respectfully (and couldn't shake the feeling I was part of a witchy triad from the old TV series 'Charmed') anyway, as one of the girls begun the prayer, it occurred to me how utterly beautiful the whole thing was! Here I was, looking damn awful in my post-work getup, with these two girls that made me feel as though I was being cuddled by Jesus himself, and they were choosing to spend their time praying for me - something they genuinely believe in to have an effect. Would I call up my mum, or my friend, just to let them know "I've met this random stranger and they seem pretty cool and if you see 'em about would you mind keeping an eye on them to make sure they're ok and stuff?" or call my boss like; "hey, just met a random stranger, but I can totally vouch for them and they would deffo rock at this job" No, because my mother would have me committed, my friends would probably hang up and my boss may well fire me. But here they were, happy to ask the main man just to throw some nice, happy shiny stuff my way, even though I don't believe.

Maybe I've grown cynical, I've always been sceptical, and perhaps there are a lot of very nice people out there, who would call their mothers and bosses on my behalf - but, alas, I doubt as much. More than this spectacle of humanity, generosity and kindness, was the eloquence of her prayer. It was heart-felt, graceful, fluid, kind, soft, loving and grateful, all in one go (I find myself curious as to whether she could be hired for weddings..hmm) Perhaps it's my PMS talking, perhaps I'm homesick, or lonely, or any manner of other sensitive emotional states, but I was honestly almost reduced to tears (the good kind). 

Walking home I felt so full of happiness and comfort it's hard to fully express, like I'd just been assured that for the rest of my entire life, everything would be just fine. I still remain agnostic, still sceptical, cynical and at times sarcastic, but the girl's pink post-it note prayer is now stuck to my window, and - honestly - I can't help but smile when I see it. 

Sister Lau, Sister Hsieh  (if you guys ever do read this, and if so - Hi!) and thank you for brightening up my whole day (potentially longer), thank you for making me sit down, genuinely and seriously, to reconsider my religious beliefs, thank you for giving up your time, praying for me and my family, making me see things a little differently, for showing me so much kindness and love and the best of wishes to you both :) 

What age did you 'pick' your religion, or lack thereof? When was the last time you checked to see if it's still the right choice? 

Amber xxx

Evolution of Beyoncé - Pentatonix

The one with all the questions

In honour of Mother's Day yesterday, I decided to do something very exciting with a very special guest...

My mum has always been my rock, my idol and my hero (as well as my mum, dad, sister, nan, grandad, uncle, auntie and whole family rolled into one - not to mention chauffeur, boss, counsellor, adviser, chef, entertainer...) basically, my mum is my everything and in the short time I've known her she's gone through a fair few fashionable transitions (the patchwork dungarees and leather trousers being a personal favourite phase of mine). But throughout each stage she has always been herself, eminated cool and has always had that magical ability to light up a room (let's hope that's all hereditary and will materialize at some point... *fingers crossed*)

BUT, just in case these qualities aren't hereditary - as I suspect they aren't - I decided it was about time I started asking some questions. It's very rare that people believe how old my mum really is (not that she's a day over 30... of course). So without further ado, I present to you - my mum!

1)    When did you start taking care of your skin?  

Not until I was about 23. After having Jake I really began to think that I should take more care of myself and I especially didn't want to be an 'old, frumpy' mum. 

     2) What's your number one fashion rule? 

Be comfortable!! Not feeling comfortable makes you feel awkward and not yourself. I think feeling comfortable makes you feel confident and therefore look beautiful. 

    3) What single piece of fashion and/or beauty advice have you always remembered and used throughout your life? 

Drink water (although I don't always drink enough by far) and what goes in shows on the outside ie sugar and junk food makes for poor skin, hair and general poor health. Fresh, healthy and colourful is the way forward. 

    4) What item of clothing could you never live without? 

My hat!! After my hat it would have to be a linen shirt. 

    5) Favourite smell of all time (perfume or not) 

The sea/lilies/forests and you, especially when you were a baby!! 

    6) Who is your fashion/beauty inspiration?

Mmm that's a tough one. I had an aunt many years ago who lived in America and when she came to visit I was really struck by how 'alive' she looked. I thought she was in her 20's but in retrospect she must have been in her 40's. The sun tan probably made her look 'alive' to me (I must have been about 10) and her beauty advise to me was to always use baby oil after a shower. I have always meant to follow her advice as it clearly worked for her and have no logical excuse why I haven't as I do love the feeling of how soft my skin feels. Life is odd sometimes! 

    7) Do you prefer whole milk or semi skimmed? 

Semi-skimmed, actually skimmed but nobody else does so I compromise with semi- skimmed!! 

    8) When did you last laugh so hard you cried and why? 

Do you know, I really don't remember. I think its time that I took a long hard look at my life! 

    9) Favourite all time brand? 

Twinnings 

    10) who is your favourite child? (Yea, I said it  :p) 

It depends who buys me the best birthday present LOL by the way its in a couple of weeks :)

So those ladies and gentlemen are my mum's pearls of wisdom for youth, radiance and general awesome-ness! If you liked this post do click the like button and I may well enlist my mother as a special guest again! AND as an added bonus (because I love you) here are some pictures of the woman herself looking a whole spectrum of stylish.. ;) 

'Mummy' meaning: The boss! (Watch out) 

Peace and love man, peace and love! 

Speaking of love! 

Mummy and me looking fresh and pampered after a day at the spa! 

And that's all folks! Have any of you guys asked your parents for fashion and beauty advice? If you have any parental pearls please share them in the comments below - two heads and all that! 

Until next time, 

Amber 

xxx

Let's talk baths

Yesterday marked the first day of spring for us Brits and, with it, comes hopes and dreams of daffodils, butterflies and ice-creams (yay!) BUT it also marks the time of year where we must say goodbye to our winter comforts (boo!) The weather gets warmer from here on out and it'll soon be time to exchange the mega-moisture-booster-for-super-dry-skin with sweat-enhancing-make-up-sliding-sun-cream, yay? (Sorry, I'm a ginger..)

One of the saddest things about summer for me, is the lack of bathing opportunities. There's nothing worse than feeling hot and sweaty all day, just to sit in a tub of hot water, essentially cooking in human-soup (mmm yummy...) SO it's time to savour our last few baths! In honour of the imminent bath extinction, I've compiled a few things that turn any tub of water into a soothing cocoon of warmth and love!

First stop - Lush.

As far as bath bombs/balistics/melts/bubble bars go, Lush is just the absolute tits. It has such a huge range and has something for every kind of bath (hazaar!) I realise that most people find the smell of Lush quite strong and don't like replicating such strong smells at home (for these people I suggest the milder products so as not to offend your nostrils) BUT if you're a scent-whore like me, there is nothing better in the bath than a combination of bars and bombs. I love to pick a top note (check me sounding like a wine connoisseur of bath bombs), and get everything possible with a similar smell (so a rose jam + a rose queen + a rose bubble bar) alternatively you can always mix things up and create your own Lush cocktail (consider maybe a french kiss + a dream time + a twilight = perfect sleepy time recipe). Of course, using 3 different products is pretty extreme, but there's no need to use all of each - crumble up little pieces of each and combine to make the size of a normal bath bomb! Yum!

I love to keep my bath bombs in a dish on my desk to make my whole room smell lush (see what I did there ;) ) They also work super well as wardrobe fresheners or put in with your delicates (cheeky)

Ensure there's a soft, fluffy towel waiting patiently on a radiator, a nice big dressing gown and heaps of blankets and pillows to cocoon yourself in afterwards! Light yourself come candles, load up the Disney and hot chocolate, aaaaandddd.... relaaax. Relish the fleeting moments of warm, comfy goodness and dream of spring time flowers, lovely :)

Until next time,

Amber xx

Come dine with me (well, kind of..)

The next student loan seems to be resembling those nightmares, you know, the ones where when you're running and running but never get anywhere? Well the loan is at the other end of that run, and I am going nooowhere. So, I've been eating some pretty... original, let's say, foods as of late. Everything from old soup with spaghetti and chicken nuggets and calling it spag bol to chewy cereal with dubious 'yogurt' (the one's that can be kept in the cupboard not the fridge and have a strange woody taste), needless to say I've been in need of something comforting to munch on lately (of course, this is difficult with such a varied array of absolute nothingness.) 

In an out-of-character-1920's-woman moment I decided to.. wait for it.. yup, BAKE. I know. Just take a second to catch your breath, calm your heartbeat, I know. Essentially, I was sat with the lovely man in my life, chewing his ear about feeling due-on and emotional and how all I want is Disney films and ice-cream and chocolate and how desperately I need to eat some serious carbohydrates like NOW (he's a brave man), and THEN the little image of a biscuit popped into my obese brain. When this happens, there is no avoiding it, the only thing to do is advise all humans in the proximity to take cover and get myself to a biscuit ASAP before someone gets hurt. However, there was a vital flaw in this contingency plan, no P's! I needed an alternative, something biscuit-like that would cure my insatiable cravings.

Luckily it was quite recently pancake day (one of my favourite holidays - it involves food), so I actually owned flour and sugar in my cupboard (a once-a-year-occurrence), although I had to find a recipe that didn't need butter or eggs or any kind of topping or filling... - tricky. After much-a-google, the unthinkable was decided - to bake this (thank God there was a man there, ready to extinguish fires whenever necessary!) Said recipe is supposed to look like these apparently:

 

Ours looked a little like this:

The end result was a scone-biscuit-sweet-dumpling-cake-type-nutella-raspberry situation. Definitely no biscuit, perhaps not even cake, BUT my need for sweet white carby chocolateness was very much satisfied. As I currently type this I am slouched into my sofa, laptop sitting comfortably a top my 8-month-food-baby, glass of milk drunk and bath running - oh the sweet taste of victory. 

Would any of you guys try this recipe or any other potentially dubious culinary experiments? If so I'd love to know how it goes! (especially if it can inspipre something better than soupghettichickneise (yup, that happened)

Until next time! 

Amber xx

Playlist time!

Oh Hey! Doing something a little differently in this post and putting make-up and skin care aside to discuss something equally as important - MUSIC! This is what i'm listening to currently and is just the playlist I throw on daily, sometimes I feel like a bit of One Direction, other times Pink Floyd, but this is the one I know I can just throw on in any mood and happily whistle and boogie away to :) (It also isn't in any order so shove it on shuffle and bop along!)

CLICK THIS BIT!

Hope you like it! And any recommendations are very gratefully received, I love discovering new things to shriek along to! :P Let me know what you think and what you're all listening to at the moment :)

Cocktail hour: Jo Malone

First of all, I'M SORRY! I've been away for what seems like ages and ages (damn university life taking over real life) BUT I am now back, essays completed and the dissertation can wait in the wings for a little bit while I tell you all the wonderous joys of Jo Malone! Yippee!

The Jo Malone fragrances are absolutely incredible, they all smell so pure and never get that 'super-fake-alcoholic-crap' smell when you first put them on *bonus* They come in two sizes; perfect handbag size, or brave and dedicated size. For someone as cosmetically slutty as I, the smaller sizes are perfect, it means I can throw them in a make-up or hand bag and even carrying two takes up no room at all. (They also never break or spill or leak or any of that horrible stuff that ruins hand bags and lives).

WHICH brings me onto my favourite thing about them! You can mix them together darn it! Now, obviously, you can mix any perfumes you like at any time BUT the magic of these is that they are designed to be mixed, so it's never too many different fragrances confusing your nostrils and isn't too over-powering *win* And because Jo Malone are super lovely, they also give you a huge range of suggestions for which ones to mix together on a little card (if you're ordering online or can't get into a store). My favourite cocktail at the moment is Peony and Blush suede & Red Roses. Om nom, Spring is in the air!

Which cocktails do you like? Do you have a favourite Jo Malone fragrance? I'm currently in the market for a new mixture, let me know your suggestions in the comments below! :)

I've put a link to the Jo Malone website right about>> here<<, on the page that explains everything cocktail-y :)

Until next time,

Amber

xxx

Cats & Abs. Enough said.

A Face a day - ish.. Origins!

It's not really an Origins 'face', because I didn't use any of their make-up, BUT the skin on my face that day was totally due to Origins, so that counts, right? 

I honestly don't have much to say about this facial - it was just awesome. 

It wasn't the best facial in the world (it was a half hour, it was free, i was sat in a chair wearing a bib) but even then it was still a hell of a lot better than some of the others I've had (I once had a woman fill my nose with cotton wool so the 'face mask won't go up and into my throat or brain' - I then left fairly rapidly feigning stomach troubles). 

The woman was absolutely brilliant, kind, gentle, attentive, and was writing notes whilst asking me questions which I really liked. She make some excellent recommendations and tailored the whole thing around my specific needs. In short, she wins. 

My skin was SO SOFT. I literally cannot explain the levels of softness my skin possessed, blemishes reduced - some gone, no dry patches or uneven skin, no sensitivity or redness - all round fabbity skin :) 

Cleanser - A perfect world 

Toner - A perfect world 

Scrub - Modern Friction 

Mask - Out of trouble + No puffery on eyes and then Drink Up 

Serum - Mega Mushroom 

Cream - Make a difference treatment 

Eye cream - Eye doctor 

Finisher - Peace of mind - This stuff actually works incredibly well, here's how Origins describes it: "When the world closes in on you and your head feels a size too small, apply just 2 dabs of Origins  mind-clearing Peace of Mind®on the back of your neck, temples and earlobes. You'll feel a tingling sensation as pressure, tension and tightness begin to feel as if they melt away"

I couldn't leave without grabbing myself a bit of the face mask that had somehow managed to bring my skin back into line and sort it the hell out! (Because I'm a bit of a face mask obsessive, I slathered a bit of it on my hand so you can see the texture and thickness of it - for those of you who aren't as weird as I am, feel free to ignore those pictures) 

I decided it was about time I actually committed and bought myself the big girl version of the Mega Mushroom - every time I go into Origins I always get samples of it and they last forever, but, there comes a day in every girls life where she just needs to devote herself to a worthy investment - and I choose serum. 

So that was my Origins face! I had intended to take progress shots and show you all my beautifully naked and face-masked face looking truly glamorous, but I was honestly just too relaxed to even remember I had a camera (so you're spared the image of me resembling a creature of the sea - oowft) 

If anyone is ever able to grab themselves an Origins facial (it's free!) then I highly recommend it, amazing experience - and you can even do it in your lunch hour! All kinds of worth it :) Let me know what you think of this post and if you have any favourite products from Origins or anything you'd like to try - I'd love to know!

Until next time, 

Amber xx

Full Exposure - at last!

Earlier this week I was FINALLY able to get my hands on the Smashbox Full exposure palette! SO, at long last, here it is! (and my god is it good!)

          

I literally cannot wait to use this bad boy! Does anyone have any favourite looks they've created with this palette? What do you guys think of it? :) 

Until next time, 

Amber :) xx

A face a day: Chanel

Chanel has always been 'that' brand for me. The iconic symbol of pure grace, style, class and elegance. It's the brand that, when I was little, looking up at my mums perfume collection and not knowing the magnitude of any of them, it was the one bottle that stood out as something special. The one always shown in black and white pictures, with pearls and silk and ladies in hats and suit-dresses, strong women with impeccable style. So, needless to stay, I was pretty excited for the day of my 'Chanel face'. (embarrassing confession: I'd actually planned my outfit the night before to get a balance of laid-back cool and Parisienne chic - not convinced it worked, but someone did approach me at the counter thinking I worked for Chanel - which I totally just took as a compliment.. maybe? hmm)

Now, this was an experience that couldn't be done alone, I needed to bring someone with me, someone to get excited with and talk about it for hours afterwards with. That person, was my amazing house mate Farah - who, coincidently, is also the face of this post. (My camera packed up on me before my face was finished - but never fear! Farah's Chanel face was first, and there's plenty of pictures :) ) So we arrived together, Farah went first so I could fan girl a million pictures of absolutely everything (no wonder my poor camera gave up on me).

*****

We were both cleansed, toned, moisturised and eye-creamed and then prepped with some primer - looking fresh, glowing and about 2 shades paler (which initially looked rather strange on Farahs skin and very, very odd on my already alabaster face.) But of course, in Chanel we trust. Next up was concealer - which looked very natural and blended exceptionally well, it was also really buildable and didn't feel too heavy. It was decided that neither Farah, nor myself, were in need of foundation, but our skin concerns are very different. While I suffer from dryness and dehydration and love a good dollop of moisturiser, Farah has good, even skin and doesn't like the feeling of having make-up on. I was given the CC cream treatment, and Farah the powder treatment. Contouring was omitted as apparently we didn't need that either (although the truth of the matter may have been more a lack of time than a lack of need), blush was next (I love the difference a little blush gives, but a little really was all I was given, which was a shame because the colour was gorgeous). Eye brows were done by brushing the brows down (towards the eye), lining the top and then brushing back into place - something I've never tried before but looked absolutely amazing! For Farah's eye make-up, was a very, very bold bright blue and green semi-smokey eye look, some heavy eye-liner and lashings of mascara, topped off with some dark lipstick in Rouge Noir 109. And for me was a quick dash of mystic eyes eye shadow palette and some mascara (I'd realised by now that the woman was behind schedule and just needed to finish up pronto - wasn't too thrilled by that) she then finished my look with some (mis-matched) lipstick. Et voila!

Luckily, another woman came and saved the day, saw to the poor girl waiting (it was her 18th birthday and she was very excited, and very sweet). She then took over our 'after-care', helping us to try a lot of products out, deciding what to buy, giving great suggestions and so on. Overall, the look Farah was given was just too extreme and she felt quite uncomfortable wearing it (it was masterfully created and absolutely amazing, just not for lunch time on a person who doesn't like to wear a lot of make-up) and for my finished look (excluding the lipstick that just did not suit my skin tone), I actually did really like it, it was very natural, suited me very well, colours were good, even the powder didn't look too too much, but the rushed experience did ruin it for me slightly. She was very apologetic and didn't cut my time short or anything at all like that, it was more that as soon as the next customer arrived, I was more or less forgotten. But massive kudos to the other woman who jumped in at all the right moments to make everyone feel cared for.

We did get a little excitable and have a bit of an extensive haul altogether (will be doing a separate haul post later in the week.) Overall it was a great experience, watching Farah in the chair and learning little hints and tips along the way and getting some great information was really lovely. My experience - not so excellent, but the lady was very nice and I do understand that it's hard when you're running late on a schedule. The products were great and it was definitely a fun day out. However, I was told that the experience would be with one of Chanel's international make-up artists, and as it transpired, she was in fact still in training at the academy. So I perhaps wouldn't do it again, it had very high expectations to live up to and for me, unfortunately, it just didn't deliver. But none the less it was still an amazing experience, I learned a lot of good tips and loved my glowing complexion and eye make-up, so a huge thank you to both the ladies at Chanel, and also to Harvey Nichols in Liverpool for hosting!

Let me know if you've ever had your make-up done at Chanel (and if it was any better than mine!)

Until next time!

Amber xx

A Face a Day - Bobbi Brown

Last week I decided to book myself a week of faces. A date with YSL to get an Yves face, a soiree with Bobbi for my Bobbi brown face, a rendez vous avec Coco for a Chanel face... (you get the idea). Now I know I got a little excitable and posted my date with Yves Saint Laurent before I posted my Bobbi Brown face (even though I went to BB first). This was mainly because I'd left my little sheet telling me everything that was on my face in the store for Bobbi Brown, and partly also because it didn't have a patch on the YSL experience. This isn't to say anything negative at all about Bobbi Brown, but simply that I had booked in for two very different things. At BB I was there to have my make up done using the new Uber Pink collection, and for YSL it was a date with the international make-up artist (who only visits annually) to learn as much as is physically possible - so you see the unfair comparison. Anyway, I ventured out in search of my sheet (only to discover it was in fact, inside my hand bag - doh!) and can now reveal.. *in a game show host voice* the Bobbi Brown expeerienceee! *drum roll* *woo!*

******

Arriving very soggy (loving the English weather right now), red faced (I'd run from work through town) and sounding fairly asthmatic (I'm very unfit), I expected to be greeted with slight hostility - or more likely, caution - as I galumphed my way through, waving my hand furiously in the air "I'm here, I'm here, sorry, sorry, sorry!" (It was an entrance graceful enough to rival that of miss Hepburn herself...) But the woman - Alison, on the counter was absolutely lovely, helped me over, said everything was fine, no rush, she was just applying some lippy anyway etc. etc. *phew*, so once I'd sat down and begun to breathe at a normal rate, I explained to her that she could do anything at all she wanted to my face, as long as she used the new collection. (Bobbi Brown have a very strict no pictures on products policy so the pictures I have were taken at home) Alison worked her magic, and here's what happened!

*****

I arrived with my foundation already on, so she began by adding a little extra moisture around my eye area (I have very dry skin in the winter) by applying the extra repair eye cream and a little bit of lip balm before moving on to concealer. She used a corrector and then a concealer (which I then purchased pronto - this stuff is seriously good). Next up was powder/bronzer and for this she used a mixture of Antigua and Pretty bold (this is where I got a little uncomfortable - personally, I'm no where near brave enough to use a lot of blusher on my forehead, chin, nose, face in general - and it did give me a healthy glow no doubt, but for my personal taste it was far too much - I looked a little as though I'd just finished a rather strenuous gym sesh) For blush (yes, more blush) was Slopes (which I really liked). Face now very pink indeed, we moved on to lips. Alison applied lipstick before lip liner and explained that it gives a more natural and even finish - one of Bobbi's foundational principles. So naturally, she applied bright pink lipstick in neon pink and bright pink liner in Rose. (I joke, but this colour looked surprisingly nice - I tend to stick to neutrals & nudes or dark purples & reds, so pink was a big adjustment - but I really enjoyed it!) Eyeliner was Black Ink (something that clearly takes expertise and practice to master) and lastly I was finished with Brightening nudes finishing powder. (My favourite product - other than the eye corrector - this stuff is genuine magic) 

And here is the finished face! 

and, of course, the eye corrector - anything that is brave enough to battle my dark circles and win - is a product worth purchasing! 

So that was the Bobbi Brown experience! Next up will be Chanel! 

Let me know what you think and if you've ever had your make up done anywhere :) 

Until next time, 

Amber xx