Starting the blog back up!

Hello!

So, 3 years after writing my last blog post I have decided to come back to this little corner of the internet and start posting again!

I’m hoping to find some interesting topics and see where it takes me. A lot has changed in my life, but I’m really looking forward to 2018 getting back into it!

Speak soon
Kirsty
x

My Day Out: Leeds - Kirkstall

I had a day off work on Tuesday and decided that I really wanted to do something nice with it... or at least something full stop! Often I have a day off and end up having a lie in, not getting dressed and ready until the afternoon, pottering around and before I realise its already getting to the evening and I have pretty much wasted the day. So, with that in mind, I am trying to make my days off more activity-based and a bit more interesting!

I have lived in Leeds around 6 months now and haven't really explored anywhere other that the area that I live and the city centre, so we decided we would walk along the Leeds-Liverpool canal and head to Kirkstall (home of Kirkstall brewery and Kirkstall Abbey - if you were interested)

It was a fairly nice day, not too hot for walking and not raining, so we headed along the water's edge. The walk itself is around 4 miles and at a leisurely pace only takes an hour or so.
Our desination at the end was The Bridge Inn at Kirkstall, where we stopped for lunch before heading back. I would definitely recommend the framboise (raspberry beer)

It was just a really pleasant afternoon and felt really good to be outside, getting some fresh air and exploring our local area. Leeds itself is a busy, hectic city, so it was really nice to see a bit of nature and 'countryside' without having to travel. Also, it costs nothing to go for a really nice walk!

I've added some pictures for you to have a little look at.

Thanks for reading. Hopefully I will be able to plan some more interesting days off and write them up too :)

Speak soon
Kirsty x

My first MAC lipstick - 'Diva'

This is a short post about the very exciting thing that happened today...  I bought my very first MAC lipstick! (Actually, first MAC product altogether)

I had wanted one for ages, but after a night out with a friend where we were both wearing red lipstick, I knew I had to get one. Basically, I spent the night touching up the colour after drinks etc, whereas hers stayed on all night. The quality was just so much better.

So, when I was in town, I took a trip to Harvey Nichols to the MAC counter and picked one up. Originally, I had planned to go for 'ruby woo' or 'russian red' but when I got there and swatched a few, I opted for 'diva' - I love it!!!

It is a really deep purpley/red colour - I will put the link in to the MAC website for it, but bear in mind I don't actually think the colour represents what it truly looks like. So definitely go and see for yourself!

Here: MAC - Diva lipstick

Its a bit of an indulgence, but because it feels like such a treat I know it was worth it - and it will be a rare ocassion that I venture back there. Also, its not actually as expensve as other high end brands...

I would love to try out other MAC products when I get the chance, so if you have any recommendations then I'd love to hear what you think! :)
Or maybe any other dupe products that are a bit more budget friendly!

Thanks for reading
Speak soon
Kirsty x

Night out make up look and new lipstick!

I thought I would share my look for a recent night out, including my new favourite red lipstick... Unbelievably, its just £1 from Make-Up Revolution. Absolute bargain.

MUA 'matte perfect' foundation
MUA eyeshadow in 'enchant' and 'starshine'
Eyebrows: MUA eyeshadow in 'fir'
Rimmel liquid liner in 001, black
Avon 'Color trend' powder in 'translucent'
Collection 'super size fat lash' mascara
Make up revolution lipstick in 'rebel with cause'

I really liked this look and like I said, I am really impressed with the lipstick, it stays on really well and only needed occassional touch ups

Thanks for reading!
Speak soon!
Kirsty x

My lazy Saturday night

I never usually get the chance to have a night at home on a Saturday as I work until 11pm 5 days a week, but this week I've been on holiday (not *holiday* unfortuantely... just holiday from work!)... so I was looking forward to some nice relaxing evenings just chilling out at home.

My Saturday night consisted of:

* A lovely bath
* Soap and Glory 'The righteous butter' moisturiser and Boots No. 7 'Youthful eye-serum'
* Snacks! (Sliced apple for the healthy part and of course a few biscuits as a treat!)
* Getting cosy in bed and watching Pretty Little Liars

and...

* A cup of tea :)

Thanks for reading :)
What does everyone else to do relax on a night off??

Speak soon!
Kirsty x

No Spend Day!

Today I thought I would do a blogpost on something I do at least once a week: 'No spend day'

It is literally as it sounds... a day where I don't spend a single penny.

I do this because, firstly, like a lot of people I don't make a fortune in wages *sob sob* snd secondly, it is really satisfying to spend the day not wasting money and actually using up things I have in the house.

There are a few ways in which I do this:

* Walking to and from work:
It takes me around 30 minutes to walk to work, which isn't too bad. I like to put some music on my headphones and its actually really nice to get some fresh air and exercise. The bus is £2.30 for a single fare or £4 for a return, so that is already money saved!

* Take a packed lunch:
We always have something in to make as a packed lunch, be it bread for sandwiches, soup or vegetables to use up and make some pasta and sauce, again its really satisfying to make my own lunch and this can save anything from £3 to £8 depending on what I would have bought!

* Cut out the coffee:
Well, not cut it out exactly, just don't buy it from a coffee shop. If I really fancy one I just make myself one at home, or when I get to work. That saves another £2.50 and you get to have it in your own mug :) (I love the cute one in the picture, I got it in Paris)

It might not sound like much but it could save you around £12 a day and if you do that just one day a week that adds up to over £600 a year!

I hope this was helpful!

Thanks for reading
Speak soon!
Kirsty x

Are primers worth it?

I've never really seen the appeal of using a primer... I just felt like it was a bit of a waste of money, a bit of a 'buzz product' and I didn't really think it would make much difference to my overall make up look or feel.

I saw this MUA 'Pro Base Primer' in Superdrug for around £5 and thought that it was cheap enough to try it out and see if it was any good.

I have been using it for around 2-3 weels now and have to say that I am pleasantly surprised with the results.

My first impression was that it has a really pleasant smell to it, which is always nice. Going into using it, I applied a small amount to clean skin, with the intention of then putting foundation over it. I have to say that after waiting 30 seconds for it to absorb into my skin it left my face feeling really fresh and it made applying my foundation quite a lot easier.

My make up has been lasting all day, which I think is another positive feature and I just feel like for the price it is a very good product.

I am not sure if I am sold on the idea of primers in general, as some of them can be very expensive, but I was happy with the results and I think I would repurchase this.

What do you think about primers? And do you have any suggestions or recommendations for me to try out?

Thanks for reading
Speak soon!
Kirsty x

Get the most from your moisturiser!

I thought I would share a little tip I use to get more out of my cosmetics tubes...

I love my 'Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit' moisturiser, and whilst its not the most expensive product around (about £4) I find that when you think the tube is empty, there is actually a fair bit still in there..

If you make an incision and cut across the top of the tube you can see plenty of moisturiser, then the top part of the tube just slots on and becomes the new 'lid' ... This may sound pointless and a bit tight-fisted, but I actually got 3 days more use out of the moisturiser, and generally felt really satisfied that I hadn't thrown it away :D

Hope this was helpful. I have inserted a picture to illustrate!

Thanks for reading
Speak soon!
Kirsty x
 

Very late 'What I got for Christmas' :)

I know its realllllly late and well overdue, but I just realised that I never posted my 'What I got for Christmas' blog... But I'm sure its still fine to post now, haha. So, here it is...

I was really lucky to get some lovely things and here is quite a lot of what I got:

* Smarties!! (This is a must for Christmas... or at least some form of chocolate in a tube :P)
* Vanilla candles - really nice for making any room smell pleasant.
* A lovely set of body lotion from 'The White Company'
* A flower print dress scarf
* Fluffy socks!! (Again, another must!)
* This really cool recipe book, which is half printed recipes for you to try out and half your own 'scrapbook' area, where you can write in your own recipes or store any that you find... I really love it as I love cooking!
* A gorgeous jewelled mirror for my handbag

* This lovely Soap and Glory bath set

* 'City of Fiends' by Michael Jecks... I have almost finished this book and I am loving it. I will do a review when I am done :)
* Prada 'Amber' perfume

*Cute, snuggly, soft cat pyjamas!!

(I also got a beatiful coat, which I don't have a photograph of)

So, there you go. It is a little rushed, but I wanted to get this blog post out and make sure it didn't reach February before I got round to it!!

I have already enjoyed reading so many other people's blogs about their gifts, so I hope people liked to have a little insight :)



Thanks for reading
Speak soon
Kirsty x

New Year. A few resolutions! 2015

So 2015 has arrived and I thought I would start my first blog post of the New Year by doing pretty much what everyone else has and sharing my 2015 resolutions.. (Not everyone's cup of tea, I know...)

1.  Get driving!
I really want to be able to go places when I want to and not have to rely on public transport. I live around 80 miles away from most of my good friends and family and I want to be able to see them more often. Also, I think its just an independence thing and having a car would be amazing :)

2. See loved ones!
This ties in a little with the first one but its quite simple really... Just to make an effort to travel and see my friends and family, have days/nights out and just enjoy myself in that way.
I live with my fiancee and this is relevant to him aswell, I just really want to make great memories.

3.  Lose weight. Feel better!
This is a standard one I guess, but I do feel that I would like to lose a bit of weight and get a bit fitter. I have started off the year eating healthily and I walk to work every day, which is about a 45 minute walk, so will definitely help exercise-wise.

4. Look for my ideal career!
I currently work as a sales assistant/team member and it is totally fine, but not what I want to do forever. I don't really get that much job satisfaction, so I would really like to find something I enjoy and am genuinely interested in. This is something I have wanted for a while and is very frustrating as its now coming up to 6 years since I left uni... and I'm still no closer to finding anything :(

5. Save money!
Pretty obvious :) Stop spending so much and try to save.

I'm going to leave it at the 5, as to not be exhaustive or unrealistic.

So, I hope I can keep these up for as long as possible. I can but try!! haha...
Has anyone else made any particular resolutions? Or do they have any tips to help me keep mine? lol, they would be very much appreciated!

Thanks for reading
Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 12... Cheap Xmas Gift Ideas

I haven't even really started my Christmas shopping yet, which is pretty bad! But I have bought a few little bits and I thought I would show you 3 of the cheapest ones that are great stocking fillers...

First is the Make Up Revolution 'Eyes Like Angels' palette. It is £8 from Superdrug and you get 32 shades in a really lovely looking palette, which I think is great value. It is a great stocking filler and would be lovely to receive as a gift for al year round use. The eyeshadows from this range are very good quality, they blend really nicely and stay on for ages.

Secondly, it is another eyeshadow palette from Make Up Revolution - and I believe this is the dupe for the Naked 3 palette, so at just £4 you can't go wrong! Again from Superdrug, as this is an exclusive range to them - and again a great stocking filler.

And finally, for a super cheap but very cute little extra it is this set of 2 black and white polka dot tweezers from Primark at just £1. These would be great on their own as a stocking filler or as part of a little 'beauty bag' with some other bits thrown in!

Hopefully this is helpful and I will do another post once I have bought some more gifts!!

Thanks for reading!
Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 11... New Winter Boots!!

I thought I would share my gorgeous new boots today! They are just the cutest and most comfortable boots I have had in ages.

When it is winter I think a nice pair of boots are a must.

These are a tan/brown ankle boot with buckling for decoration and a furry front-top part. I just love them! They are from New Look (I'm not sure how much, as they were a gift) ... although I have always found New Look shoes to be very reasonable and they are always very good quality.

What are your winter must haves for footwear?

Thanks for reading!
Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 10... Costa Gingerbread Latte!!

One of my favourite things about the Christmas period is the drinks in Costa. They make me feel so festive and cosy!

I tried the gingerbread latte from Costa. It is delicious and SO adorable, you get a little gingerbread man in the top and lashings of cream. It was lovely, and so Christmassy!

Mike tried the praline cappuccino, which he said was nice too - you get gold sprinkles on it :)


What is your favourite festive drink? And is it from Costa? If not, please let me know, I really want to try lots of different ones!!

Thanks for reading
Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 9... Christmas hand cream!!

Hi everyone,

So with it being verrrrry chilly outside and because I work in a fairly demanding job (serving on tills/lifting/carrying etc) I really need to have a good hand cream to keep my hands soft and smooth..

This one from Avon is not only really thick and luxurious without being at all greasy or watery... its also got CHRISTMAS PACKAGING :D I LOVE IT!!!

Its a nice size too, small enough to carry in your handbag but also big enough to last, and it was just £1.99 from Avon :)

Thanks for reading
Speak soon!
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 8... My Winter Nail Polish, Tanya Burr 'Penguin Chic'

I love winter-time for wearing lovely deep nail polish colours; reds, purples, blues and blacks. But my favourite at the moment has to be 'Penguin Chic' from the Tanya Burr Collection (all of which I love but this one is my current fav!)

It is a gorgeous matte grey colour that is perfect for winter - understated, sophisticated and pretty at the same time.

It applies so nicely and has a really lovely finish to it.

Grey is not usually a colour I owuld reach for but I am just really into this at the moment!

The Tanya Burr collection has such gorgeous colours, some of my other favourites are Little Duck and Riding Hood - let me know what your favourites are? :)


Thanks for reading
Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 7... Cheap food and ICE CREAM!!

I went food shopping today and as it is still 10 days until payday I really didnt want to spend a lot, so was pretty happy with a really decent sized shop for just £25!

I thought I would share a couple of things I got:

Firstly, I got some absolute bargains reduced to clear, including 12 organic eggs, still useable within a week, for 38p!! A block of extra mature cheese for 55p and 4 lovely bread rolls for 40p. I absolutely love finding cheap deals like this. I paid £1.33 for what would have been around £6.80 :)

Also, something I HAVE to share is this amazing Ben and Jerry's 'Minter Wonderland' ice cream. It comes in super cute wintery packaging and is DELICIOUS!!!! Mint ice cream with huge chocolate chunks. I know ice cream isn't strictly 'winter food' - but when you're all snug and warm inside then who cares!? :)

I know some people find supermarkers boring but I love food shopping!

Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 5 & 6... The *12* tag

I have decided to combine days 5 and 6 of blogmas, mainly because I've just been at work so much and its meant I haven't really done anything too interesing :( but work is how I'm going to be paying for all my lovely Christmas treats and I have plenty of other things coming up in December, so its all good!

My friend Jenny tagged me in this little quiz so I thought I would do it today, this is the *12* tag - basically its just 12 questions about yourself, so here we go...
.
1. What’s your favourite drink? A good cup of tea. Definitely. (Like this lovely one here, made by my sister!)


2. Favourite song at the moment? I am loving Mayday Parade's latest album and my all time favourite band is Motion City Soundtrack, so anything by them :)

3. What would you name your children? I have a name in mind but don't want to share haha, or I think it'll be less special!! (Yeah, I know that makes me kinda *special* lol)

4. Do you participate in any sports? No :( I used to love netball at school but I don't do sports nowadays.

5. Favourite Book? So many!!! So instead I'll tell you what I'm currently reading, which is Citadel by Kate Mosse and Never Say Die by Tess Gerritsen.

6. Favourite Colour? Maybe purple... or green?

7. Favourite perfume? Calvin Klein 'Euphoria'and J-Lo 'Live;

8. Favourite holiday? Paris in September 2014 :) It was amazing... I also LOVED Florida as a destination.

9. Have you graduated High School? Yep

10. Favourite Restaurant? Pizza Tina in Paris, where we went on the night we got engaged. It is just so so nice and holds incredible memories!!!

11. Did you like school? Yeah :) mostly...

19. Favourite YouTubers? Brogan Tate, Fleur de Force and Tanya Burr

Well, thats it! I hope you enjoyed the tag and I invite you all to do it too :)

Thanks for reading
Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 4... Yorkshire fettle. Yum!

I thought I would share my lovely dinner that I had for BLOGMAS! Day 4...

I work 5/6 days a week from 3pm-11pm, so its really nice to have the chance to go out for something to eat or even a drink, so we decided to go for a bite to eat at The White Swan in Leeds.

I had the 'Yorkshire fettle and salad wrap' (which, interestingly, is actually feta cheese but made in Yorkshire... I have left the link to this below as I think it is delicious and I love supporting local produce and businesses!!)

Click here to have a look... Yorkshire Fettle Cheese <3

It was sooo nice. Served with twice cooked chips, a salad and a cup of spiced parsnip soup. It was just so lovely and really affordable. I would definitely reccommend both the cheese and the place!!

I love finding new places and new things to eat, so I really enjoyed this - and the soup was a lovely little extra as it has been so cold lately!

Let me know in the comments of any food recommendations, of if you have been out anywhere nice recently!

Thanks for reading
Speak soon!
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 3... Advent Calender!

Yeahhhh, I know its late, but I finally got an advent calender!!

I left it too late to get one before December and everywhere had sold out :( ...Fortunately, I popped into my local Sainsbury's and not only did they have some left, they were reduced because it was after December 1st!!

I'm really pleased, its not just Christmas without an advent calender.

Also, I get to have 3 chocolates on the first day :P

P.S.... The radiator is not on in this picture or that would just be chocolate disaster!!

Does everyone else have an advent calender? And if so, which one? I think Cadbury's are the best!

Speak soon
Kirsty x

BLOGMAS! Day 2... Everyday face make up.

Today for BLOGMAS! Day 2... I thought I would share my current face make-up that I use pretty much every day.

It is really quite basic, there are only 3 products that I use mostly.

I normally wash my face with a face wash and use a neutrogena moisturiser (either the spot stress control or the lovely grapefruit one)

I then apply the MUA matte perfect foundation in 'fair' - this creates a really nice base to work on, however, it is very slightly too dark for my skin so I use the MUA undress your skin illuminating foundation in 'beige' over the top. This is actually very slightly too pale for me and fortunately the 2 foundations make a really good colour for me. Also, because I am layering up the foundations they stay in place all day.

Finally, I use the Rimmel wake me up concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes... and thats it :)

Its a very simple process and means it takes hardly any time, gives a great base and makes my skin feel really nice. I would definitely recommed the MUA products as they're so affordable and very good quality.

Thanks for reading,
Speak soon
Kirsty x