Winter Saviours

Bonjour my lovelies!

I'm very sorry about my lack of posts but I have been super busy and thus super tired! I have returned and I have some winter saviours for you all!

It's very chilly, windy and rainy here in South West England (My thoughts go out to those hideously flooded) and so on my travels have come up with a list of things to keep your hair, skin, lips and hands feeling beautiful in these last few grey months before spring has sprung!

Lips: Bubblegum Lip Scrub and Lip Service Lip Balm by Lush
This sugar scrub buffs all the horrid dry flaky skin away, and tastes super sweet! Yummy. You're not meant to you know, eat it from the jar but you can lick it off after scrubbing away so this is how I know it tastes nice! The balm smells and tastes a little like chocolate orange, and something about the balm's consistency and shine leaves a super flattering finish on your lips. Well worth a purchase at the till in Lush whilst purchasing all your bath bombs!

 Body: Clean Girls Body Wash and The Daily Smooth Body Butter by Soap and Glory
THIS SMELLS LIKE HEAVEN. I love the smell so much I have even purchased the 'Scrub 'em and Leave 'em' body scrub and the 'Mist You Madly' body spray which have the same fragrance. A little obsessive, I know but the scent does last if you use it this way. These products are super hydrating and leave you smelling and feeling like a peachy little cherub, and also feeling like you have quite frankly kicked the damp cold weather in the arse.

Face: Moisture Match Moisturiser for Very Dry Skin by Garnier 
I love this whole range of moisturisers, they are meant to be tailor made for your skin's needs and they're pretty good at it. I have also used the one that mattifies your skin but I prefer this one as it easily deals with the dry patches on my face I get - especially during winter -  it doesn't feel too heavy and smells like summer. I thoroughly recommend this range if you're looking for a new face cream.

Hands: Carex Moisturising Hand Gel and Hand Food by Soap and Glory
I use these products all year round. Because of the nature of my work I always carry hand gel, but I found that most aggravate my chronically dry hands so I tried the moisturising one and it's great. It doesn't fully moisturise my hands but it doesn't dry them out either and has a really lovely fragrance, as well as killing bacteria. I always always always carry Hand Food too. It's the best hand cream out there and it lasts. The formula is thick but it absorbs quickly, and it keeps your hands lovely and soft long after you have applied it. BUY IT, IT'S BRILLIANT!

Hair: Aussie's Anti-Frizz Conditioning Milk and Conditioning Oil Spray by Dove
I have already reviewed the Dove spray in an earlier post of Recent Favourites, but I just love it. It leaves your hair super soft and smelling gorgeous. A brilliant product. The Aussie Conditioning Milk also smells great and is a slightly more heavy duty product for when hair can go a little crazy and dry in the horrible weather, just pop it in towel dried hair and TA DAH! Shiny beautifully soft hair. Lovely.

Well my lovelies, I hope you enjoyed this post, don't forget to share with me your winter saviours!! Have you tried any of these? What did you think?

Love GG xx

My Big Decision: Update!

OH SWEET LORD I LOVE BREAD.

You may remember my post just before Christmas, pledging to all you internet lovelies that I would lose weight in order to be happier, healthier and more confident.

It's going okay. It's going fine. It's happening. I have given up bread, become more mindful of what I am eating, and accepted the fact that I am going to have some days where I fail. Some days I get home from work, stressed about various things and eat toast. Sometimes I delve into the cupboard and pull out Waitrose Essential Choc Chip Digestives and happily tuck in. And sometimes I refuse the second helping and the biscuits at work and feel pleased with myself.

However, yesterday I went shopping, and in Topshop I caught my reflection in one of those massive mirrors they have. And I felt unhappy and horrible, which took me by surprise because when I got dressed that morning and chose my black leather (kind of muted leather-look matte) jeans, green topshop tee and statement necklace I felt good. I felt like I looked nice. But I looked hideous. In my head I saw a huge girl who shouldn't even be in Topshop. I didn't buy any clothes yesterday apart from a jumper which I bought a size too big as I felt big (It's a nice jumper though), and I didn't feel confident to pick out items that thrown together would create a nice outfit.

When I started this post, I meant for it to be a fun update, something light. But the truth is making lifestyle choices is difficult and you will get these down days.

On the plus side, my jeans yesterday were falling down A LOT, and I feel fitter. When I train for dance it's easier and a couple of people have commented that I look as though I have lost weight. But I don't feel like I have. I really need to up my exercise, and I have been totally inspired by Sprinkle Of Glitter's hashtag on insta and her blog GlitterGetsFitter. She takes brisk walks everyday, which I think would suit me more than running, as dancing really gets you used to short, frequent bursts of intense activity rather than drawn out steady cardio that requires constant endurance.

Have you tried to change your lifestyle to get healthier? What did you do to make it easier?

I'm sorry about the depressing posts, I think it's the rain and the lack of socialising recently, but I definitely want my blog to be totally honest.

Be Happy!
GG xx

Well Behaved Hair.

Recent Favourites

Bonjour!

Been very quiet again - sorry about that! But no worries - I have a shiny new blog post for you of all my recent favourite products…just in time for payday!


1) Revlon Nail Enamel in Scandalous (761)
This is a really pretty and dramatic shade I bought in October, having had the purple glitter catch my magpie eye! It goes on beautifully evenly and dries super fast, and the glitter goes on with every stroke. A lovely nail polish!

2) Benefit Porefessional Agent Zero Shine

This was a shaky start, but I have grown to love it. I know it's a recent release from my favourite cosmetic brand of all time but I do really love it. Having waited eons for Benefit to release something that is specifically anti-shine (See my last post on matte skin!) I snapped this up straight away. Putting it over make up a few hours after you've applied it is not a good idea - it highlighted where my foundation had settled on dry patches and rubbed away slightly - but having applied it as my normal face powder over fresh foundation, it gave my skin a flawlessly matte and soft finish. Yet ANOTHER must-have from Benefit…THEY CAN DO NO WRONG!

3) Seventeen Backlash Mascara

I have raved about this mascara to anyone who would listen. This builds up to an amazing volumised, lengthening and blackest black lash look, making your lashes look so fanned out and big, it leaves people wondering whether they're real (People ask me on average 3 times a day.). It's a brilliant mascara…go and buy it now! And check out the rest of Seventeen's range, I use so many products of theirs now and they're all pretty damn good.

4) Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick in Shade 107 

Burgundy. Burgundy everything. I must have it. I bought this lipstick a while back and it's fabulous. The colour, the matte finish, the sleek red and black packaging, all of it is perfect. I use this both everyday and in the evening, and always feel confident wearing it. A great choice if you want to embrace the new burgundy/berry dark lip trends.

5) Valentina Acqua Floreale EDT by Valentino

I love my classic, feminine scents, and on a recent trip to Dublin I made this purchase rather hastily in Manchester Airport's duty free. I was searching for something new and different from my usual Dior and Chanel purchases, and this smells gorgeous. Subtle enough for day but luxe enough for night, it literally smells like the beauty floor in every department store you've ever been in, except nicer. The bottle is also beautiful and it lasts all day. A new firm favourite - worth a try if you like feminine classic fragrance.

6) Groovy Kind-A Love Make Up Kit - Benefit
I received this (extraordinarily gratefully) as a Christmas gift, as luckily my family know of and embrace my clinical obsession with Benefit. The kit is fabulous, containing miniatures of my favourite everyday products (POREfessional Primer, Benetint, Dandelion Box-O-Powder and They're Real Mascara) and also gave me an opportunity to try new ones like the eyeshadows, which are highly pigmented and infinitely blend-able, and the sparkly highlighter 'Gimme Fever', which is long-lasting and flattering. I think this is only available at Christmas time, but all the kits are worth the investment with benefit as it gives you chance to try lots of different things at one price before splashing out on the full sized versions. SO worth it though.

7) Dove Hair Therapy Leave In Conditioning Spray 

A while back I had hideously frizzy dry hair, and after a small personal epiphany that hair oils do not make thin hair greasy (Thank my hairdresser and her liberal use of Moroccan Oil), I purchased this as part of a 3 For 2 deal with some deep conditioning Shampoo and Conditioner (What I actually went in for). I am now on my third bottle of this stuff. I spray it in towel dried hair and I'm left with smooth and manageable locks which smell like HEAVEN. Mmmmm. I have a feeling this will work wonders on every hair type, hair oils are really really worth a go. 

Well done for making it to the end if you did!! On tuesday I am off shopping with Abbie from kittensintophats.blogspot.com so no doubt I'll have purchased more - I could do a blog haul for you!

What products are you loving at the moment? What left you disappointed? Have you used anything in my lovely little list?

Have a good week!
GG xx