The Perfect Jeans?

Do you ever feel that jeans are either too big or too small for you. I've compiled quite a collection of jeans over the years and wasted a lot of money, simply because they were too uncomfortable. They were either too small causing the muffin top effect or they were too big meaning I have to pull them up all the time. And, as you may already know, when you are uncomfortable in what you are wearing, it shows.

Thankfully, today my prayers were answered.

Mango have a line of jeans to fit the in-betweeny sizes eg 9, 11, 13, etc, so you never have to choose between a big size and a small size anymore. You can wear the right size for you and look great. And they're only £22.90!

This picture does the jeans no justice.

They look way better with some pretty heels.

At my local store, I found them in navy blue and black. I could only find them in a slim fit when what I really wanted to buy were some skinnies. But an advantage to this is that the calves are wider than skinnies and balance out the bottom half of my body.

So if you are looking for the perfect fit, pop into a Mango store and try on a pair.

Thanks Mango! <3

xoxo

Apply 'generously'

Feeling generous? Then treat yourself to Charity Pot from Lush, as every penny you spend on it (excluding vat) goes to the Lush charity Pot fund, and then given to the various organisations they support.

This hand and body lotion, made up of cocoa butter (did someone say cocoa?) and almond oil, naturally softens your skin. Think of it as a kiss from Mother Nature herself.

So now you can treat yourself not only guilt-free but knowing that your pennies are going to charity!

xoxo

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara review

With a name like Extra Volume Collagen I expected this 'magic wand' to fatten up my lashes. And with claims such as '12x more impact' (compared to what - I don't know) and 'virtually no clumps', could this really be the perfect volumising mascara? There's only one way to find out.

The mascara looks typically L'Oreal. It is big, black and gold. Very 90's. But let's not judge a mascara based on it's cover...

The brush feels a little spiky but as it is quite wide (2x bigger than the classic brush apparently), it means I can cover more lashes per stroke - perfect for my typical morning rush.

Length:

My lashes did look a little longer but nothing special. If I had used eyelash curlers then they might have appeared even longer.

6/10

Volume:

I am happy to say that my lashes did appear fuller. But I am yet to find a volumising mascara that doesn't clump. Maybe one day...

8/10

Curl:

Not bad considering I didn't even use eyelash curlers. They did seem to flatten after a while though.

7/10

Free from clumps:

Unfortunately, as I've already mentioned, with volume you get clumps. It isn't flaky so don't worry about looking cheap. However, my eyelashes did stick together no matter how hard I tried to avoid it.

5/10

The smudge test:

I was too sleepy to remove my make up before having my nap - though I always have to remove my make up before I sleep at night no matter how tired I am. Waking up, I was worried about getting panda eyes like I normally do, but looking in the mirror, I was really surprised. Not a single smudge!

10/10

Overall: 7.2/10

So if you're looking for volume, then this is the thing for you. Maybe I just need to perfect my zig-zaggy motion to prevent clumping.

Would I buy again? Probably not. I don't stay loyal to any particular mascara and prefer to try different ones. Maybe one day I will find the perfect one.

Try it for yourself!

You can purchase it from Boots for £9.99.

My Monday Moaning

I don't know if it just happens to be the curse of the Monday mornings, but I had a bad day today.

It started like any other early morning: me wanting to stay in bed and sleep. Even more so today as I could see the depressing grey sky from my bedroom window, causing me to hide under my duvet. I ended up over-snoozing and woke up realising that I would have to rush so I wouldn't be late for uni. So I quickly got changed, applied my make-up at the speed of light and made myself some bland milky coffee for my thermocup. I didn't have time to make my lunch.

As soon as I opened the front door to leave, I saw that it was raining. It was pouring like mad. Thankfully I managed to find an umbrella and it didn't turn inside out at all. A miracle!

Once I arrived at uni, I had to show my id card. This is where I had my Ugly Betty moment. As I was pulling out the id card from my pocket, a tissue fell out from that same pocket. I hadn't closed my umbrella and had it held in my left hand along with my thermo cup. As I knelt down to pick up the tissue with my free hand (no one likes a litter bug!), some of the coffee spilled into my open umbrella and make its way into the sleeve of my brand new top. So there I was with coffee in my umbrella and a damp sleeve. Not a good look.

Just grin and bear it

The first lesson wasn't so bad except that most of the class, including the tutor, were late. I should have just stayed an extra half an hour in bed! Another thing that annoyed me was a boy in my class tricking me into seeing an inappropriate video on his phone. I just did not need to see that! Men these days! They show no respect to us ladies at all! >:(

When I finally came home, my bread got stuck in the toaster. After eating dinner, I knew that all I needed was a nice nap. So I slept and felt much better. As soon as I woke up, I turned on my laptop and my boyfriend (who lives gazzilions of miles away) came online about two minutes later. As usual, he made my day <3

We all have 'one of those days'. So always treat others nicely as they might be having one. It won't hurt to offer them a smile too - it's free!

Be the rain that washes sorrow away,

The sunshine that brightens up their day.

With both, you become a pretty rainbow,

So beautiful and colourful amongst the grey.

By me

xoxo

Thorntons Praline Melts

Bite into the smooth milk chocolate to release the melted praline centre of these NEW Praline Melts from Thorntons (£3.99/ 297g). I love the mild nutty taste of the creamy praline but the best part is how you can actually feel it melting in your mouth.

They come individually wrapped so you can pop a few in your handbag for when your chocolate cravings kick in.

These nibbles come in a pack made to share but come on... when they taste this good, who is going to share really?

Have you tried them yet? What did you think?

xoxo

French Connection Watches

Amazon have an amazing deal on French Connection watches right now. It's only until the end of this week though so check them out here now!

I think these two look very smart and elegant. They also compliment a nautical outfit very nicely.

This beautiful blue leather strap watch,

worth £95, is only £25.25!  

This white leather strap watchis worth £95

but you can buy it for only £28.50

if you purchase by the end of this week!

There are plenty more French Connection watches on their website at amazing prices. But remember you have to buy by the end of this week to take advantage of these great offers!

xoxo

Friday Funnies

OK I can't find anything funny. Maybe I've lost my sense of humour. Or maybe nothing is funny anymore.

So if you find anything worth loling about, leave a comment.

Keep it clean ;)

xoxo

River Island Sale!!!

Hi!

Just to let you know, River Island have a sale online right now. I found some pretty yet smart summery dresses that remind me of the elegantly dressed ladies from the fifties and sixties. Think Mad Men.

  

These dresses can be worn with nude heels (just like mine!) so there's no need to find matching shoes.

This dress perfect for work by wearing it with a jacket.

It can also be worn for occasions. Just put on some glamorous jewellery. I recommend simple and gold.

One of my secrets to getting a good bargain is to buy ahead. Classics and basics never go out of style so buy today and wear in the autumn.

I really like this dress. If you're not very fond of your belly (like me!) then the neck takes the focus away from that area.

These dresses remind me so much of the sixties - one of my favourite eras. So they go really well with dramatic eyes and a nude lip.

This dress is quite sixties too.  Team with these over the knee boots....

I have these! =D

Sizes are limited so if you can't find the size you need, try and be a little patient and wait until next Tuesday (30th March), which is when the sale starts instore.

Have fun and let me know what you find!

xoxo

Smell like a (Pink) Cow

I love any product that smells of dessert, even if I can't eat it. Whenever I need my mood lifted, instead of stuffing my face with cake, I light my vanilla cupcake candle by Yankee Candleor burn some vanilla oil and relax in my room. Whenever I go out, I make sure I keep either my Vanilla bodyspray by Natural Collection or FCUK polished bodyspray (with creamy vanilla notes) in my bag to splash on during the 3 pm slump.

When I was shopping at Boots, I came across a bottle of Vanilla Biscuit bath and shower gel by The Pink Cow. The huge writing was obviously calling out to me to adopt it and take it home. So that's what I did.

Some vanilla scented products smell cheap but this one smells absolutely gorgeous. It literally smells like the yummiest cake everrrrr. Do you like cake? Then you'll love this. It's cake minus the calories. Plus it's super super bubbly. Though I must warn you, you'll have the strange urge to eat yourself. Either that or take a swig out of the bottle. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I bought it for £2.99 and I have just found out from the Boots website that it's on offer for £2 now. Doh! Well at least it's a good excuse for me to stock up. It's also available in Lemon Cheesecake, Strawberry Sundae and Coconut Creme and they have body scrubs in the same scents.

Happy bathtime!

xoxo

What I watched last night

Who watched The Delicious Miss Dahl last night? Wasn't she a dahl-ing? I really loved the show and can't wait for the next one. Unlike many cooking shows, I found that Sophie makes cooking seem more relaxed and easy, just as it should be. And the food she made look very tempting.

In case you missed it, just click here to watch.

However, I was slightly annoyed that she didn't state the amount of the ingredients she used and what temperature to set the oven at a few times but luckily I've managed to find the recipes on the BBC  website so don't worry about jotting things down as you're watching.

Here are the lovely recipes...

• Arnold Bennett omelette
• Peanut butter fudge
• Buffalo mozzarella bruschetta with shaved fennel and courgette
• Roasted halibut with spinach and watercress sauce, healthy sweet potato chips and wild mushrooms
• Rich chocolate pots with brandy-soaked cherries (you can omit the brandy, which is what I will be doing)

If you can't bear to wait a whole week to watch the next episode, Amazon have her book, Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights (RRP £20.00), on offer for only £8.99! But you'd have to purchase by the end of the week to take advantage of this deal.

Bon appetit!

xoxo

The Delicious Miss Dahl

As you all know, Sophie Dahl has lost so much weight since her plus size modelling days, which proves that her slim figure isn't the result of some lucky genes. So how does she stay looking fit? Celery sticks? Cabbage soup? There has to be a secret diet! Well, you'd be surprised by Sophie's 'diet' as she share some yummy recipes not typical of a supermodel's diet on her brand new cookery show. It just proves that you can still eat delicious and look even more delicious.

The first episode, which airs tomorrow (23rd March) at 8.30 am on BBC 2, is appropriately named 'Selfish'. Here we can follow Sophie as she cooks all her meals from her Omelette Arnold Bennett for breakfast to her indulgent Chocolate Pots dessert. Yummy! But the recipe that I am looking forward to the most is the peanut butter fudge! How good does that sound?!!



Enjoy!

xoxo

S is for Saturday and Shopping

Yes I know it is Sunday today, not Saturday. But I had such a long and tiring day yesterday. I came home with aching legs, feet and back. I had spent so many hours out shopping, with only a small white mocha and two toffee muffins to keep me from fainting. So I didn't have the brain power to write anything. I could've written something but it wouldn't have made sense at all.

After waiting in the rain outside M&S, as it was closed along with a few other stores because of a fire, under my mother's command (yes, she's to blame for my shopoholism), I rushed in and started rummaging through their sale items. There wasn't a lot of nice things :( but I did find two tops and a cute skirt for only £5 each.

I don't have any pictures right now so I will try my best to describe them. The tops are both a little long - one is mid-thigh and the other a little shorter. They're both long sleeved, batwing style. The grey one has a loose turtle neck and the black one has an even wider turtle neck, which can also be worn off the shoulder (either one shoulder or both).

Like any long top, they both look best with skinny jeans or leggings/ jeggings. I don't like most jeggings I have seen because they look too cheap; they are just leggings material with a denim look. But I have seen better quality jeggings which are simply very tight stretchy jeans with an elastic waist - just like skinny jeans but with a tighter fit. They also look good with no trousers as they're both long enough to be worn as dresses. They have a casual, sporty feel to them but I prefer to glam them up with statement jewellery.

The skirt was a purple body con one and fits so well. I can't wait to wear it with my bright pink platform heels and maybe get a bright pink flower for my hair.

I also bought some cute heart shaped cookie cutters (I <3 cookies!) for only £2 for two! I found some butterfly ones online for only £3.50 for a set of three, which I need to hunt down. That's what I love about Marks and Spencer. You can get good quality items no matter your budget and there's a line for everyone!

Even the cosmetics are very cheap. I found some nail polishes in soft pastel purple, pink and mint to name a few. For just £2.50 each! Or you can get 4 minis for £5 or a french manicure set for the same price. They also have small eyeshadow palettes of bright summery colours as well as darker ones for just £5! But I have waaaay enough make up as it is so I had to force myself to walk away.

Remember the shoes I told you I was gonna get from Debenhams? Well I went back and got them. They look too precious to walk in the streets in. I just want to place them in a glass box and admire them.

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Did you buy anything nice?

xoxo

Vintage frames

Do you remember the blue photo frame I bought two weeks ago? I am so in love with it so I was so excited when I found it in hot pink! Once again I'm not too happy with how the colour came out! >:(

(£14.99)

I also another hot pink one in a smaller size

(£7.99)

This frame is just adorable! It's cute and tiny just like its price.

(£3.99)

There are lots of vinatagey frames at TKMaxx but sadly (well, luckily for you), as much as I'd want to, I can't buy them all.

xoxo

Friday funnies

This guy has so much talent and he's funny too! Check him out!



Happy weekend!

xoxo

Rihanna - rude girl!

"Come here rude boy, boy

  Can you get it up

  Come here rude boy, boy

  Is you big enough"

Not exactly something I'd want to hear my children (if I had any) singing! Yet radios are allowed to play Rihanna's Rude Boy during the daytime.

"Kids don't understand - they just like the catchy tune"

Even if they don't understand what it means, it is still inappropriate. I'm sure no sane mother would like to hear her young children using sexual language even when they don't understand what it means.

Many young girls look up to Rihanna and I'm pretty sure Rihanna and the record company are aware of that, so why do they need to infect the minds of hormonal adolescents, who already have sex shoved in their faces, with the inappropriate lyrics and music video. The video isn't exactly teaching young girls to be modest and to be judged by their personalities rather than their bodies. And it isn't teaching young boys to treat girls respectfully either.

This, like most things in the media, including Lady Gaga and Beyonce's Telephone, seems 'normal' these days but its messages are promoting underage sex, which further promotes the problems we already have today such as babies having babies and young girls having to have cervical cancer jabs in case they get an STD!

"Come on, you're overreacting!"

I might sound like I'm exaggerating here but don't be surprised by the state of future generations if we continue to accept what is 'normal'.

A Muffin for Nuffin'

If you buy a muffin from Greggs, you get another muffin for absolutely nuffin'*! How amazing is that! On second thoughts, should I really eat two muffins? Well it's free so I can't say no.

Choose from: Sticky Toffee, Sicilian Lemon and Triple Chocolate! I think I'll have two Sticky Toffees please :)

Check out the toffee sauce oozing out of the centre. Droooool!

Just fill out your details here and they will send you a voucher.

* For a limited time only! So get going before I eat them all!

Self-Esteem

With 60% of young people citing that their unhappiness with their bodies as their main cause of lack esteem, St Tropez have, in my opinion, chosen the right ambassador for their brand - Kelly Osbourne.

Though I'm not happy with the amount of airbrushing done to this picture, Kelly's image and the wise words printed across her chest deliver a powerful message for young women today

Kelly once represented girls who are battling with their weight problems as well as other issues such as alcohol and drugs. Now, after losing weight, as well as giving up drugs and alcohol completely, she looks healthy and curvy. She knew when to stop losing weight and she chose the right moment.

To me, Kelly Osborne now represents hope for young people. That they don't need to work towards an unattainable body image only to give up and ending up gaining even more weight. Any young girl can be like Kelly Osbourne: healthy, confident, individual and a fighter!

Whatever part of your body that is worrying you, it doesn't have to affect your self confidence. Embrace what you have and work with it. Sometimes all you need is a little concealer here and a waist belt there to completely transform how you look and to boost your confidence. Or how about a new haircut or maybe a couple of highlights. I love Kelly's hair. The blonde really suits her and the shaggy style expresses her individual style.

Maybe a spray tan can give you the confidence you need. With £10 from every Complete Bronzing Set (£45) being donated to the Prince's Trust, you will be helping young people get through their problems and gain confidence!

So if Kelly can go through weight, alcohol and drug problems and come out looking this gorgeous then so can you. Just remember that, just like Kelly,  you don't need to fit the media's portrayal of beauty to be beautiful.

xoxo

Love it or hate it

Hate it. I've only ever tasted it once many many years ago and I can still remember its bitter taste. As Marmite's slogan suggests, I'm not the only one who hates Marmite but that isn't stopping Marks and Spencer from introducing a Cheese and Marmite sandwich to its stores (can you image how it would be described in their seductive tv ads?)

At 99p though, I can afford to give it another chance. Maybe I'll end up joining the Love it crowd... or maybe not.

Marks and Spencer's Cheese and Marmite sandwich - love it or hate it?

xoxo

My Mother's Day meal

I hope you all had a wonderful day! I certainly did. It's a nice feeling knowing that your mother feels appreciated and I've learned that I should treat her every now and again no matter what day it is because everyday is a Mother's Day really, isn't it?

Today I went to my mum's chosen restaurant - Mogo Grill and Juice, which serves African inspired meals. I've never tried Sub-Saharan food before because I could never find any locally so I was very pleased about this discovery. I'd love to tell you all about it in detail but there is only one Mogo in the UK at the moment and it will be unfair to tempt you knowing that a lot of you can't make it here. But if you are ever in town, this place have my seal of approval.

Choosing a meal from the menu was so difficult because not only am I the most indecisive person in the world but it all sounded delicious. Eventually, after the whole family ordered, I ordered a quarter of a Kalahari Sweet Chili Chicken, which, like all mains, comes with crisps, salad and a choice of either mashed potato and gravy, steak chips or capsicum & chickpea rice. I was too hungry for mash and I'm not a chips fan so I went for the rice.

We didn't wait very long for the food but we were told that one of our meals will take another six to seven minutes so they gave us a complimentary Caldera Garlic Ciabatta, which is toasted buttery garlic bread that comes with 2 sauces to dip them in. Very yummy but the bread was a little to soft to dip into one of the sauces, which has a soft cheese kind of texture.

The meal arrived as soon as we had finished the complimentary appetiser. My chicken thigh was covered in a sweet (but not too sweet) sauce and tasted beautiful with the rice. However, I wasn't pleased with the silly amount of crisps and salad I got. They were both only about a tablespoon's size! I covered the very little amount of salad I got with salad dressing, which they had lined up with ketchup and chili sauce on a table nearby.

Since we like to share our food, I got to taste everybody else's meals. My sister's Succulent Sunset Steak, which came with a jug of onion gravy, was nice and tender and so was my mum's Sizzling Serengeti Beef, which was mixed with grilled vegetables. My mother would have gotten her meal for free if we had known about the pre-booking offer. Ah never mind! My brother ordered the Zuri Chicken Spears, which were skewers made up of cubes of chicken, mushrooms and spicy red peppers. He also had the steak chips which were very nicely seasoned. I think I will have the chips next time I go!

The Zuri Chicken Spears

And no I didn't take this picture myself

Not quite alfresco weather just yet... sigh!

The price is very reasonable. Main meals, along with (a very small amount of) crisps and salad, and a choice of either mashed potato, steak chips or capsicum and chick pea rice start from £5.49. There are also three different lunch menus and a 10% student discount if you go on a weekday.

If you don't live anywhere near Mogo, then I hope my experience has inspired you to try something different. You might enjoy it.

xoxo

Mother's day meal offers

Now that you have breakfast sorted, how about lunch and dinner? There are currently a few generous restaurants offers that could mean your mum can eat for free! Just click on the pinky-links for the vouchers and your nearest restaurant.

Where: Gourmet Burger Kitchen
Offer: 2 burgers and fries to share for £10.95. Perfect for lunch for the two of you.

Where: Pizza Hut
Offer: 2 for 1. So you buy a main and mum gets hers free!

Where: Zizzi
Offer: 2 for £12

Where: Handmade Burger Co.
Offer: Mum gets a free burger!

Where: ASK
Offer: Mum gets a free meal!

Where: Haha! Bar and Grill
Offer: 2-for-1, £10 off and mother's eat free

Remember to read the T&C's and book in advance (if you can)! You wouldn't want to disappoint mother!

Yummy (and very easy peasy!) breakfasts

Nothing cheers me up in the morning as much as sunshine, a hug and breakfast in bed. I'm sure it's not just me who enjoys breakfast in bed so here are some really easy recipes to treat your mother with...


Savoury


You can serve both savoury dishes with with a glass of fresh OJ (or some pure OJ from the supermarket if you don't own a juicer) and either yoghurt, such as Greek yogurt with honey, or fruit, such as strawberries with sugar. Or both yoghurt and fruit together!

Smoked salmon omelette 

You'll need:

• 3 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbs butter
• 1 large slice of smoked salmon (about half the size of the frying pan you are using)
• 1 slice of processed cheese (I know it's nothing fancy but you don't want anything strong that will take the focus away from the lovely taste of the smoked salmon).

You need to:

• In a bowl, beat the eggs with the salt and pepper
• Grease the frying pan and heat under the butter starts the bubble
• Pour in the egg and leave to cook
• Once cooked, turn the heat to the lowest setting
• Cut the cheese into 2 triangles and place them side by side (so that it resembles a large triangle) on one side of the omelette
• Place the smoked salmon on top and fold the omelette immediately
• Once the cheese has melted, move the omelette carefully onto a plate

Poached egg on an English muffin

You'll need:

• 1 fresh egg
• The bottom slice of an English muffin
• Butter
• Salt and pepper

You need to:

• If you don't know how to poach an egg, Delia is the woman to ask.
• While the egg is cooking, toast the muffin and spread with butter
• Place the egg on top of the muffin and season.

This can be served with fried tomatoes and mushroom, or any veggies she likes.





Sweet


Serve either of these sweet treats with coffee. I personally prefer sweet and foamy cappuccino dusted with a little cocoa.

Nigella's chocolate croissants

You'll need:

• 270g butter puff-pastry
• 100g chocolate bar (can be milk, white or anything she prefers)
• 1 egg beaten

You need to:

• Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celcius
• Roll out the pastry and cut into 6 squares
• Cut each square diagonally to give 2 small triangles
• Break off small pieces of chocolate to place at the wide end of the triangle
• Roll from that chocolate loaded end towards the point of the triangle until the chocolate is completely blanketed with the pastry
• Seal the all three corners using your fingers
• Curl the two ends so that the croissant resembles a crescent
• Repeat with the rest of the triangles
• Place the croissants onto a lined baking tray and brush each one with a beaten egg
• Bake for 15 minutes until golden and puffy

Crepes with Nutella

You'll need:

• 60g plain flour 
• 30g caster sugar 
• Tiny pinch of salt
• 1tbsp melted butter 
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 125ml milk
• Extra butter for pan 
• 4 tbsp Nutella
• 1 heaped tsp icing sugar
• Strawberries (optional)

You need to:

• Mix the flour, sugar, salt, melted butter, whole egg and egg yolk in a food processor
• Add the milk bit by bit while the food processor is still running
• Once it is nice and smooth, leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes (enough time to clean up!)
• Brush a small, light nonstick frying pan (or a crepe pan if you have one) with butter and place over a medium heat
• Using a ladle, pour some batter into the pan whilst swirling the pan. that way the batter covers the whole base and it comes out nice and thin
• Cook until the base is lightly golden. This should take about 1-2 mins
• Now it's the fun part... Flip the crepe to cook the other side. This should only take a fraction of the time it took the first side
• Repeat the process until you have four crepes
• Spread about Nutella on each crepe - from the top to the bottom and about 1 inch wide
• Roll and sprinkle with icing sugar
• Wash and cut the strawberries into halves so that they look like little hearts and serve on the same plate

Now go clean up! ;)

xoxo