Tweet Tweet.

Just a quick post today to mention my new twitter account. Last year I started a blog at the beginning of the summer holidays and stupidly posted the link on my personal twitter account, to people who don't read blogs or even know what they are, the blogging world can seem a very strange concept. There were people who saw my blog and made comments, not nasty ones, but enough to make me feel like I had to justify what I was doing. So for this blog I have started up a new twitter account so I can interact with you guys without feeling liked I'm being watched and judged. 

You can follow me at @tealoaf_

And also on bloglovin' here: http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/9321943

Anyone else feel the same?

Laura 

x

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask.

Before I start, can we just take a moment to appreciate how I managed to get this product to balance on this plant for a grand total of 3 seconds? ;) The amount of times I had to save it from falling through was ridiculous, the extremes we go to for blogging eh?

I am in love with all things Origins, they never disappoint and I would quite happily repurchase everything I've bought from them. This overnight mask is no exception. I have been getting a lot more use from this in recent weeks due to a bout of dehydrated skin. As I mentioned in my last post, I am currently working in a factory and the industrial fans, fumes and working on the machines are playing havoc with my skin. This mask is designed to be used a couple of times a week, as a thick hydrating treatment at bedtime. However I have been using this in a slightly different way and using it as an everyday night cream but using about a pea size amount instead. It gives just the right dose of moisture and I wake up with soft and brightened skin. 

It is perfect for when my skin needs a pick me up and is feeling dull and lack lustre, I don't think I could be without it now! It has the most gorgeous smell, the only way I can describe it is like peach yogurt, it is so fruity and delicious! It also feels very cooling, perfect for this heatwave we're having at the moment here in the UK. What is this weather all about?! Don't get me wrong I'm loving it, but we seriously go from one extreme to another over here! 

You can pick this mask up from the Origins website or some larger Boots stores for £22, pricey but definitely worth it!

Have you tried this mask or anything similar?

Laura

x

Life Ramble #1

How pretty are these pink roses??! We have the most beautiful rose bush growing in our new garden at the moment and I couldn't resist cutting a few buds to have in my bedroom. I moved house just over a week ago now and am finally getting my room into shape. It is such a chore unpacking boxes and sorting through 18 years worth of junk! Plus my bedroom is at least a quarter of the size I used to have as we've downsized due to my move to university in September. *fingers crossed* I have such a terrible habit with hoarding a million and one things that I don't need or even want, but just find it so difficult to part with everything. I just have to keep telling myself it will make the whole moving process to uni a hell of a lot easier! 

I have been at my new job for 2 weeks now and it has flown by, I'm working at a factory on the edge of my village and surprisingly I really love it! I get to make perfume all day every day and it is actually really interesting; seeing the process behind a product from start to finish is amazing. I'm working full time during the summer holidays until I start university, so that I can earn as much money as possible to start me off and help to settle me in. I've been collapsing into bed in the evenings and reading my Kindle after a long day, as I just can't be bothered to do anything else! At the beginning of the holiday I had so many plans to see friends, travel and exercise more but that seems to have all gone out of the window so far due to working every week. I'm currently reading a Harlan Coben novel called Gone for Good. I'm 39% through it (love the acccuracy of technology) and it is already getting to be quite confusing! I love a good thriller that makes you think, I can't stand books that aren't in depth and thought provoking!

What have you been up to lately?

Laura 

x

Current Obsessions #1

This is a little series I thought I would start to just chat about the things I'm loving at the moment. I'm going to make it strictly non-beauty and fashion related and just discuss the "normal" "everyday" things that I enjoy. 

Firstly I cannot even express how much I am IN LOVE with the TV show Gossip Girl. I am fully aware that this show ended on our screens last year (here in the UK) but as usual I was very late to the party with this one. I always knew that the programme existed but kind of stumbled across it at about series 4 on ITV 2, I figured it was pointless trying to catch up so patiently waited until season 6 ended last year and started stocking up on the boxsets. I've just finished season 3 and I am twitching over the buy button on Amazon to order the next set! For those of you who don't know, Gossip Girl is about the lives of a group of wealthy American teenagers living on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The storylines are so far fetched for a group of 18 year olds but that's what makes them so utterly brilliant!?!?! Google Ed Westwick, Chace Crawford and Penn Badgely and you won't be able to stop yourselves from watching it.. 

Something else I have been addicted to at the moment are Wonka Nerds. I was in WH Smiths the other week, wasting time before I had to catch my train home and I saw these on the impulse buy stand and as usual the marketing strategies sucked me in. I'm not so fond of the cherry flavour but the watermelon pieces are delicious! They're like this crunchy tangy nugget and for £2 I couldn't really say no..

So that's just a little insight into what I've been loving at the moment,

is there anything you've been addicted to lately?

Laura 

x

I've been struggling with the photography for my blog at the moment, as my camera doesn't focus too well on detail and words. I'm hoping to get a new one within in the next few months, is there any one in particular reasonably priced that you would recommend? 

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser.

Lush is a brand that I absolutely adore, but I often find their products are very hit and miss. I love their bath bombs as they never fail to disappoint; but I am yet to find a good fresh face mask to accompany my bath time pamper. I have tried a fair few and have found they do absolutely nothing for my skin. However something I have found that works wonders is the Ultrabland Cleanser.

I use about a 10 pence piece sized blob (great terminology there?) and massage it into my face and then rinse with a warm flannel. It melts my makeup away like nothing else and leaves my skin soooo soft. Occasionally I am left with a slight tacky residue but I just rinse with a flannel again before moving on to my toner. It has a lovely buttery texture with a slight grit to it and the pot lasts for absolutely ages. I have the 45g pot here because I didn't want to commit to the full size just in case I didn’t like it, however I will definitely be repurchasing! I think it is very reasonably priced too at £6.75 for 45g and £10.75 for the 100g pot. You can’t really complain when you know the product is completely natural, not tested on animals and the packaging is 100% recyclable – plus an amazing product too! I have found that the only downside to this cleanser is the smell, it isn't very pleasant but once you get used to it it isn't so bad; I completely overlook it as I love it too much!

Have you tried this cleanser from Lush?

Laura

x

June Favourites.

So June was a month of sleepless nights and intense deadlines; but I've finished college for summer now and it's time to recover and enjoy what little sunny weather we have here in the UK. Going to bed late and waking up ridiculously early has taken it's toll on my face and I am breaking out left right and centre, so I can see July being a make up free month to help bring it back to a somewhat normal state.

Jodi Picoult - The Storyteller

The little free time that I've had this month has been spent cosied up reading The Storyteller. Jodi Picoult is one of my all time favourite authors and she simply delivers with every new release. This is her latest book and I have to say it is easily one her best so far, and I'm only a third of the way through! The book tells a story of a friendship between the two unlikeliest of characters, an ex Nazi solider and a descendant of a concentration camp survivor. With several twists here and there, it is definitely a book that I have found impossible to put down! Expect a full review when I've finished!

Bourjois Cream Blush - Nude Velvet 01 -  £7.99

I bought this product at the beginning of the month after seeing rave reviews about it everywhere and I can definitely see why! The formula is a cream to powder finish and gives the most beautiful natural flush of colour to the cheeks. It is so easy to blend and has been a great product to use when I've been in a rush because I don't need to use a brush at all! The mirror is really handy too.

MAC Lipstick - Cosmo (Amplified) - £14

MAC lipsticks are quickly becoming a very dangerous guilty pleasure, I honestly don't know how I managed to hold myself back for so long. Cosmo is a really pretty deep rosy pink and is a really natural daytime colour. I've been wearing this most days whether I've been at college, work or home and the finish is incredible!

Origins Ginzing Eye Cream - Full size £21

This is a tiny sample size of the Origins Ginzing Eye Cream that I have here, which I bought as part of the limited edition Origins Christmas Bauble Set from Selfridges. It has lasted me for absolutely ages and I will definitely be purchasing a full size pot when this teeny weeny tube runs out. This eye cream does a great job of brightening my dark circles and has been perfect for the days when I haven't had time to apply under-eye concealer. 

Dr Jart + Water Fuse BB Cream - £18.00 / Or currently half price in Boots

I've had this product sat in my stash for a while now and have only just started taking a liking to it. It is the perfect match for my skintone and is so easy to apply and rub in when I'm in a rush. See a pattern here? I don't think it does a very good job of concealing blemishes or redness at all, however this doesn't bother me because I can't go a day without using my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer anyway. I definitely wouldn't wear this alone, however it is a lovely base. 

Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo - On and On Bronze - £4.99

My last favourite of the month has got to go to my Maybelline cream eye shadow that just doesn't seem to want to end. I have had this little pot for ages and I have barely dented the surface. This is a lovely shimmery bronze colour that I have been blending out all over the lid, every day this month. I have been really lazy with make up this month, as you can tell, and this has saved me from peering indecisively into my palettes.  

So there we have it, my first ever monthly favourites post..

What have you been loving in the past month?

Have you tried any of these?

Laura

x

The "Old Fashioned" Exfoliator.

Manual exfoliators seem to be a product of the past lately, due to the rise in chemical exfoliants such as Alpha H Liquid Gold and the REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask. I recently purchased REN's offering and after trying it out a few times, I still think I prefer my good old Origins Modern Friction. 

I bought Modern Friction whilst away on holiday in New York last year and at first I absolutely hated it. It was just after I had started reading blogs and quickly got sucked into a lot of blogger hype and wanted absolutely everything I read about. Bearing in mind at the time I had no set skincare routine whatsoever and didn't really know much about my skin or what it needed. I followed the instructions on the back of the packaging and massaged it into dry skin, this played havoc with my face and left it sore, irritated and with that horrible tight sensation. 

I have persevered with it ever since and now I wouldn't be without it! I remove all my makeup and cleanse my face and neck before gently massaging this in to damp skin. It clears my pores and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean, but in a good way! My skin is in no way sensitive but it just couldn't handle how abrasive it was when applied dry. The product itself is a thick white creamy formula with rice beads, and does a brilliant job of buffing away dead skin cells. It is quite pricey at £31.00 but something I would definitely repurchase as it makes such a difference to my skin, and you don't need to use a lot either so it will last for ages! I use this twice a week and usually follow with a toner and Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask.

Have you tried this?

Are there any other manual exfoliators that I should try?

Laura

x