Products I'm loving - January

My first BIG hurdle for dissertation- properly drafting my three chapters- is out of the way!!! Yay!!! I'm looking forward to taking a breather for a few days after what has been a month of deadlines and incessant essay-writing. So I thought I'd use my time to tell you what I've been loving this January... (Clockwise from top left)

1. Tetley Green Tea, Raspberry and Pomegranate- I'm a huge green tea fan and all the new and wonderful flavours coming out make me a very happy girl, especially this fruity combo. I also really like their Peach and Apricot flavour. Both can be purchased from any good supermarket.

2. Clinique Take the Day off Make-up Remover- so so gentle and removes stubborn mascara easily, it's the best remover I've tried so far.

3. Jessica nail polish in Sun-kissed Beauty- purchased on offer at my local beauticians, and I thought it would look incredible with a tan (wishful thinking for decent weather, I know).

4. Jessica nail polish in Awakening- also purchased on offer, and a lovely girly colour ready for Spring!

5. MAC Powder Blush in Mocha- perfect colour for my skin tone, not too pink so gives a really natural look while making me look all perky in the mornings.

6. Vaseline Paint the Town Red- after a little look, I now realise this limited edition is no longer being sold! Bummer, because I love it. I'm not one for a bold lip during the day but my lips always need moisturising and it's nice to have something. This does the trick! The colour is not intense at all but provides a light tint which is perfect for me.

Holiday updates

I love being at home, but sometimes it can be too wonderful because I never want to leave. Mum and I had lots of little plans and we ticked off things we've wanted to do for ages, including having a little shopping trip (of course). We managed to coincide this with a theatre trip to see Wicked with the local 'Welcome Club', the leisure club in our area for the older generation. It was so much fun!! We had a lovely lunch in John Lewis, consisting of a mediterranean-style tartine and a delicious banana and caramel cupcake (a recipe I will certainly be attempting soon!).

Afterwards, I decided to invest my money in some decent products for my skin. For ages I have been complaining about my problem skin, having tried everything to try and improve it. Everything apart from a decent skincare routine, I might add. I know, bad girl. I've bought products in the past and haven't kept up the routine, or have just used them when I feel I need them (which isn't as often as they should be used). Before I returned from France, I started to look in the mirror and see an ill person staring back- I just didn't look healthy. My skin was dry, blemished, and as far from radiant as possible. I had bags under my eyes and looked bad enough that people constantly asked me, "Are you okay? Are you tired?"

Hence the efforts to look after myself. So I went for a skin consultation with the lovely ladies at the Clinique stand in John Lewis who recommended their anti-blemish skincare routine. I purchased the soap bar as my cleanser and also the moisturiser (steps 1 and 3), with the intention of using my current toner and potentially replacing it with the Clinique one in future (step 2). I have been using the products for about 3 weeks, and was told to wait at least a month to start seeing more permanent results. But the first week I was using these saw my skin clear up instantly, it was incredible! It has worsened slightly now, but I expected that, and even then it isn't as bad as in the past. I'll update in the near future to give a proper review of the results.


Meanwhile, I've become a green tea addict and have started to actually like eating vegetables. Shock, horror. I love cakes, and chocolate, and crisps and I generally have a huge appetite so everytime I sit down for a meal, I eat more than your average girl. I never thought eating healthily would be for me, but I tried it and I love it. I think it is something to do with the fact that you know what you're putting in your body is good for you. That makes me a happy girl. Plus, I still treat myself which stops the overwhelming temptation to buy everything in a French bakery when I walk past. Success.