Snapshot Sunday | 2nd - 8th April 2017

Hello again

Here's a breakdown of the week in pictures. I love taking photos so I just thought I'd share some of my favourites from the week. It's not very often that I miss a day!

Kicking off the week with Sunday 2nd April I had a near on perfect relaxing day in with the tv and my laptop. Dan and I have been enjoying little walks on Sundays over the winter but on saturday I felt really ill whilst out so while Dan was at work I settled myself down on the sofa to enjoy watching the opening rounds of the British Touring Car Championships and support races on tv (Dan made it home to watch the races too). I did some orange army spotting and saw our chum Ian!

On monday I had a planned Drs appointment and did a little bit of shopping whilst I was out and about. I was soooo happy that Kiko had some of the infinity refills in. They were in the sale too!
My sister is off uni at the moment so its been lovely to spend some quality time with her. I'm looking forward to a bit more sister time next week.

 On Tuesday I wrote about my long distance friendships. I liked having a topic to write about but not sure i'm going to make it a weekly thing - more a case of if and when a topic comes up that I feel I have something to contribute or share then I will write about it. I won't force anything just for the sake of typing.

I went to see Beauty and the Beast with my friend in the evening... I absolutely loved it! I could see past a couple of annoying bits but on the whole I was totally wowed! I want to own it already so I can watch it every day!

I was looking for my favourite pair of sunglasses on Wednesday. They have "been on a break" from me for some time now and I admit it, I'm not ready to let them go so I set out on a mission to find them! Whilst on my mission I realised that they probably abandoned me because they were an option and not a priority in my sunglasses wearing life! (Jokes). Anyway all jokes aside, eyesight is so so so important to me since having both optic nerves pierced to relieve pressure that had built up. It's a once in a lifetime operation for each eye so sun protection is vital. I rest my case for having so many pairs! And I am always lusting after new *completely unaffordable* pairs!
This was also a date night for us to celebrate our wedding anniversary and I wore false eyelashes for the first time in years! I was happy with my final look.

 Thursday - Happy Anniversary Dan! Four years which is apparently linen and flowers! It's not been the easiest four years of our lives but we have taken every hurdle together. It was such a lovely day. My mum and sister came and surprised us with a "you're not lifting a finger" invite for a meal of our choice with love from everyone at their house to ours. We decided to share it with them and had a Chinese takeaway as we had already celebrated our anniversary meal the night before. We were given table linen and flowers (an artificial bouquet constructed by my little nephew, sister and mum). Dan got bright blue lillies and a huge bunch of yellow roses and daffodils. Daffodils were featured in our wedding and that little touch made me so so happy!

 Our house smells AMAZING! I arranged the flowers in the morning and they are on our mantle. I wish I could bottle the feeling that I have when I see and smell these beautiful flowers! My boy did good! I'm so blessed!

 A groggy start to the day and mega sore eyes so minimal make up (and a moody face apparently). I got some housework done and then we went on an adventure to look for a purse friendly rain/sun shelter. While we were out Dan had to stop and admire the Ferrari 458 Italia in the carpark... the noise that came out of him wasn't human I'm sure. Dan has driven the 360 modena but I think would give body parts to drive the Italia! We saw so many convertibles out yesterday! *dreams*.

Today has been quite a slow one - a pretty lovely Sunday really. I've been catching up on loads of laundry and chilling with Dan after he got back from his bike ride.

What's coming up?
This next week I have got a few exciting things planned. - It feels so odd to say I have planned stuff because generally my life is quite last minute!

I am travelling to Cambridge to go and see my friend perform in the musical version of The Full Monty! I'm having a few days there because gone are the days where I can do it all in a day! (It's going to be lovely to have some quality time with my friend and her family too)!

My friend, Serena is bringing me back because next weekend we are going to Donington Park to see the BTCC. I'm soooo ready for that!

Then... Of course It's easter!!!!! So much to look forward to! I hope that this relatively good/manageable spell lasts and I get to fully enjoy everything ahead!

For more "what I'm up to" pics, you can follow me on instagram: littlegoldendaffodil.

Have a good week everyone!

Kiko - my first time!

Hello everyone

Yet again, it's been a crazy few days for me. I think I need to start building up a bank of posts rather than give you regular as they happen updates so to speak. This weekend my sister asked me if I'd like a trip with her into the city centre as she wanted to go shopping for a birthday present for a friend and thought I'd like the trip out (Dan was awake bike riding).

We got into Nottingham and into the Victoria Shopping Centre where the first shop I saw was Kiko Cosmetics. Now, I have read blogs over magazines and watched YouTube over TV for about 3 years now so of course I have heard about Kiko and of course that meant me throwing myself and my sister into this wonderful, colourful cave of make-up, skin care and everything in between!

First hit - eyeshadows.
The display on the right hand side was full of colourful discs from luminous yellow and sparkly blues to subtle matte beige and warm copper colours. They were the infinity range. They were all on offer, as were the magnetic palettes that housed them. Not surprising every colour that I was interested in was sold out! According to the member of staff who was (not) helping us, Kiko are changing the infinity range hence why they are all so cheap now! (What better excuse to go back huh?)
Next to them were some "colour sphere" shadows. These are super high pigment and have a beautiful pay off. The ones I tried were all quite shimmery and can be used with water to create a more intense look. I bought the shade 20. Price: £5.90

It's a beautiful pewter colour which I think will look lovely either as a subtle sheen wash or built up then blended with a darker colour for a smokey eye (I'm thinking prom make up for a black or blue gown).
The water shadows look incredible! A definite dupe for Mac to look at. I didn't get a chance to sample any because the shop was so crammed I was kind of being pushed along so the general shopping experience wasn't that fun!
Best purchase "Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow" - I HAD to go and get me one of these! I have read so much about them! they have been compared to the By Terry Ombre Blackstar and at £6.90 I couldn't afford to walk by and not give them a try! I got the shade 28 and I definitely have the need to now go back and get more (probably darker) shades. I can't quite justify the £29 for the By Terry version but £6.90 for a very similar product is definitely more do-able I think!

The display of lip products was immense! I love the way that you can see the colours and ranges clearly. I have wanted an orangey red lipstick for ages but have never dared to go and get one. Well, my sister picked out THE colour that I have been longing for. A hint of orange, a lot of red and totally creamy with a nice shine. It was only £3.90 as well so not breaking the bank at all!

I've yet to try this on my lips and have a feeling it's going to be one of those lipsticks that will need a lot of touch ups but I love the colour and I think it will look lovely with a bit of a tan.

I have to admit that I found my first Kiko experience quite overwhelming. I don't usually feel too comfortable in crowded shops. The Nottingham store isn't that big so it filled up quite quickly with customers. Also, I wasn't really prepared for my trip. I am the kind of person that has to dress a certain way to shop for myself. It might seem odd but I have to be in the right mood and that includes being dressed to shop. However, I was totally happy to browse the products and help my sister make some purchases and I am really happy with my little lot! I'm gutted that they had sold out of the setting spray - just a little excuse to go back soon *wink wink*.

I must take the time to tell you about my sister now. She used to be the one out of us both that spent more time on herself. She's always had lovely hair and she can get her face made up looking stunning in no time at all. When she had her son, she got rid of a lot of her make-up. She simply lost her "me" time and focused her everything on her new baby. There is absolutely nothing at all "wrong" with that and obviously, I think she is beautiful any way but recently she has been talking to me about getting started with make up again to make herself feel good. Well, she didn't need to have that chat twice! I got her a little Ted Baker make up bag (in the sale - it was seriously cheap at £5.80) and stuffed in some basics to get her started. Since then I have gone through my stuff and sorted out what I could give to her. Well, this Kiko trip showed me a bit of my old sister. She was talking about make up and colour like she used to. She was offering advice to another customer who couldn't decide on a lipstick colour and it was just lovely to see my sister be the confident and lovely person I know that she has always been! The added advantage of Kiko cosmetics is that it is purse friendly! My sister went giddy when she saw a lipstick for £3.90 and nail polish for as little as £1.00! That's cheaper than some drugstore brands! She got herself a little basket and picked up a really bright pink nail varnish, some lipstick and eyeshadow. It was like we were teens again!


Have you got a Kiko near you? What are your top 3 beauty buys?

Maybe it's ... My favourite drugstore beauty brand

Hello again, 

I'm well into the swing of blogging now. I really hope that you enjoy reading my posts, I read the comments that are written and so far everything has been positive and so lovely. So, thank you! I will always try to respond when possible to the comments. Having had some technical issues recently was a bit of a struggle but I got there in the end! It's so therapeutic to plonk myself down and type away without really having to do a great deal. I class it as doing nothing and it's a great mind diversion for when I'm in pain or I'm not quite functioning how I want to be!

If you have read the About me page then you will have read about my love for make up but before you think I am someone that is obsessed in vanity and all of that jazz please understand that I am not... It is just another one of my hobbies, (I'm sure that through time, you will learn that I have lots of hobbies. My most expensive one is collecting make up!) You can read what I really feel about 'beauty' here.

Today's blog post was meant to be coming to you last week. I had it planned out but then computer issues and internet fairies not doing their job meant that it didn't happen. I wrote a rough idea in my trusty faithful notebook so that I could get on track, took the photo that I wanted and had some notes typed up too so at least I was well prepared for typing this week! Now, look at the title and think advertising and you might have guessed but if not don't worry, I will reveal all!

Asking me to name a favourite make-up/beauty brand is like asking a chocoholic for their favourite brand of chocolate. I love make up in all shapes and sizes colours and formulas. For me I go through phases of absolutely craving a particular product (Mascara for example). I know that sounds bizarre but it’s true. I have a drawer of mascaras that are all still good to use and yet when people ask me for gift ideas I will tell them make up INCLUDING mascara! Now, that is a bad example to give because buying/having too many mascara’s is wasteful. They dry up and they go clumpy, smell horrid and can cause irritation but then some of them work better when they are slightly dried up. Do you get my “issue” here?

So, besides my love for mascara (something I wear pretty much every day). I have an absolute obsession with high end lipsticks! From orangey reds to purple-blacks I LOVE EXPENSIVE LIPSTICK! Granted I don’t buy them much but I dream about them, I spend gift money on them and generally wish to have my very own pull out collection of shiny, sparkly, sexy little packages of goodness that I can pop into my handbag to reapply whenever I am out. Since I owned my first ever expensive lipstick (when I was 17/18) I have had this obsession.

My main beauty purchases come from arguably the UK's biggest drugstores, Boots and Superdrug. I don’t really remember when my love for make-up really came into fruition but I think it’s safe to say that it is now a full blown affair! Since I became ill and had to take different medications my colour changed and my eyes changed and I didn’t like that. Make-up makes me look and feel alive so although it might seem vain (I understand how it might seem that way), I am far from one of those people. I wear make-up because it makes me look well and that is why I love it so much! It helps me to forget what is going on in a way.

I had a discussion with one of my university friends recently (she is as in love with make-up as I am) and she asked which drugstore brand was my favourite...  Here enters my whole brain wracking adventure into my make-up drawers and dressing table!

There were two real contenders for me - Bourjois and Maybelline. So who won and why?

Well if you hadn’t already guessed from the hint in the title of this post (If you’ve ever heard the tag line in the TV adverts you will get the reference), Maybelline snapped the top place on the podium for drugstore make up for me.

I own pretty much everything needed to do numerous looks from primers to lipsticks and there’s nothing I really hate. I guess they are mid range in price for the drugstore range but the quality is generally really good.

So, what are my personal favourites from Maybelline?

Bases: I used to use the baby skin primer but recently I have switched to a different one (not Maybelline) so I didn't think it was honest if I included that in the picture. I mean, it's fine. When I first used it it was perfect but I think my skin has changed so I no longer require one that has the silicone type texture so I opt for more of a brightening, creamy one.

• Foundations - I have not yet found a Maybelline one that I really dislike! That includes foundation for stage (OK, that was years ago but still... it has always been a trusty faithful purchase). As you can see from the lids on my bottles, they are well loved! I tend to have two shades in different formulas because of how my skin reacts in different seasons/climates. British summer can be lovely one one day and then terrible rain and wind the next!
• Concealer - the Instant Age Rewind dark circle eraser concealer comes out of my little 'concealer drawer' (yes I really do have one) on those yucky "Uncle Fester" days, you know (please tell me I am not alone), the days where the big ugly black eyes are so prominent they would only ever look acceptable on Halloween (which I don't like because I get scared too easily by faces covered by masks)!  I'm not so sure that it rewinds age and the spongy/fluffy applicator is a bit big for the hard to reach inner parts of the eye socket but once you get the product to come through the applicator (about 50 clicks I reckon!), it works well and covers all those dark and red areas. I don't use this product every day because I have my trusty faithful concealer from another brand but I do occasionally use this one with the other one as a highlight and it looks really good for that purpose! I'm interested to see how the 'fit me' concealer compares to the others that I use but I don't dare buy any more yet until I have finished up something that I currently use.
• Bronzer - For ages and ages I struggled with finding the perfect summery bronze/ sun kissed glow from Maybelline but that was until I discovered the Dream Sun bronze/blush duo. The only thing I do not love about the product is the smell - it's got quite a rich smell to it and it kind of reminds me of very strong smelling baby wipes. I guess it's a love/hate smell but although it's quite perfumed in the packaging, the smell of the product doe not go onto your face (phew - who wants a face smelling of over powering baby wipes? They're designed to make a bum smell nice, not my face!) Anyway, that aside, the subtle colour pay off is delicious on my pale skin. I tend to just swish a big, soft, fluffy brush around the whole product and then gently apply to the high points of my face (think of where the sun would hit after a nice stroll on the beach somewhere hot) - See... it really is, as the the name says, 'Dream Sun'. 
• Blush - I have a thing for blushers at the moment. I'm in a blusher phase I think! Love them, Love them. LOVE THEM! Did you get that? Finding the right shade is the tricky part. Too red and you look like a puppet, too brown and you look like you've wiped dirt on your face, too grey and you look like you've been punched but get it right and you have a sweet, sweet, little rosy glow to awaken your face. All of this means that I have spent LOTS of time getting it wrong, sampling and blending until I find the formula and shades that suit me. I can wear any formula (thank crunchie for that) but I have to be careful with the shades... On 'bad days' my skin can look grey to almost blue and if I leave the house I always put on some form of make up - certain colours just emphasise how ill I look and if I can see it, everyone else will see it! Anyway, I love the Dream blush range from Maybelline. The formula is a creamy mousse that blends very easily and feels velvety soft on the skin. I think it's a powder finish but it gives an airbrushed look at the end result! This is a staple product and It lasts for aaaaaages! I use my cheek brush and literally dab the brush into the pot once, take off excess product onto the back of my hand and then swish the brush over the apples of my cheek... if I want to build the colour a bit more, I take the colour from the back of my hand (believe me, it doesn't look as though it's picking product off your hand but it does) and repeat. I go back to the pot for the second cheek. I tend to go for rosy/ soft warmer toned pink shades to compliment my skin tone. I definitely highly recommend this range!

Lips: Strangely I haven't got many Maybelline lip products at all! My favourite lipstick (that has been well used) is the shade 547, it's a deep red that makes my blue eyes pop. I'd say it's more of an autumn/winter shade though and as with most red shades, needs an lip liner to help it stay.

Eyes: I had to save the best category until last - if you get a chance to go and look at the make up counter, you might have a dent in your purse thanks to the eye make-up from this brand! I need my hands tying together whenever I walk past because I could literally get something new every single time I go shopping if I didn't stop myself! I have somehow managed to whittle down to my favourites to share with you... I think they would be suitable for anyone.

• Brows - The Brow drama gel is a setting gel with a mascara type wand to evenly distribute the product to set the brows in place. The colours range from transparent to dark- I have the dark blonde and the medium brown (because I used to be brunette and then I went lighter with my hair colour). If I am having a 'nothing' day or a day where I want to wear something but not much, I wear the gel on it's own. The colour makes my brows look fuller but without looking completely made up. On a more 'made up' day I use a powder to fill the brows in then set them in place with the gel. This makes them look fuller and thicker and I know they wont budge all day long!
• Liner - Lasting drama Black shock gel liner pen. Four words: Makes Gel Liner Easy! - seriously, what more can a girl want from a gel liner than a pen with a perfectly angled tip to spread the thick, waxy gel? This gel sets in seconds and stays for as long as you need it to! It took me some getting used to with it having an angled tip but once I had worked out my comfy writing position I got hooked!
• Mascara - The Falsies (waterproof) I live by waterproof mascara, on a no make up day I wear it, on a full on make up day I wear lots of it but this little beauty makes long straight boring lashes become long, curled, fluttery, separated eye openers! stunning! There's a technique to getting it right apparently but I swear I apply it differently each time and I still get the same results. I guess it doesn't matter if you curl your lashes anyway. I'm not into coloured mascaras, I think being 30 buts me into the 'too old to dare' bracket so all of my mascaras are black, very black, brown black or ooooh, the daring choice of 'brown'! I don't know, colours are really in at the moment, I like the look of them but would they look daft on me?
• Eyeshadow - I have saved my absolute favourite product until last. If you had a few £ and you were in the market for eyeshadow and you came to ask me I would point you in the direction of the 24hour Colour Tattoo cream eye shadows. I have 6 of them but the two that I reach for the most are 'pink gold' and 'on and on bronze'. Worn on their own, they are a lovely, creamy wash of colour that is build-able from a pale colour that could be a base for any powder/pressed/pigment to layer over the top or you could indeed layer the colour tattoos up. These are also so easy to blend but once set, they really do stay and what's even better is that they do not crease! My 'go to' every day look is a dab of pink gold on my ring finger, spread and blended all over the lid with on and on bronze patted gently onto the outer corner then gently blended through the crease... all done with one finger and so easy to do when in a rush! There's a really good range of colours but my favourites are the ones with a little shimmer in them. I feel that the matte shades work best as a base for a powder shadow over the top. 

So there we have it... Enough to make up a whole face using one drugstore brand! (would you like to see me use these in a tutorial style blog/video?)

Do you have a favourite brand? What are your top three products?

*. I have NOT been sponsored to write this post. I have purchased all of the products mentioned myself and the views expressed on this post are all my own. *

Love and hugs, as always.