Nailed it!

I finally used one of my Mini Nail Inc nail varnishes that I got as a free gift with my Debenhams purchases a few weeks ago. I used the Warwick Way Polish which is a vibrant teal shade and leaved a glossy finish. I was really impressed with the fact that I only needed one coat and got such great colour. I coated my nails with a clear polish to ensure that the colour lasted (I'm always chipping them). The Nail Inc lady suggested using the 'Farringdon Glitter Crackle' top coat for a more dramatic effect but I'm really not a fan of that trend so didn't bother with it.

The nail varnish was a little sample size but I still have loads left! I'm not one for spending loads of money on nail varnishes but Nail Inc is quickly becoming a strong favourite of mine.

Excuse the messy nails but it was past 1am and I was watching a really scary episode of Criminal Minds...

Something else I would like to share with you lovely bloggers out there is a give away by the lovely Beauty Balm. Check out her blog for more details (you won't be disappointed).

Tea-Total!

A combination of assignments, lack of sleep and around £20 in the bank leads to the strangest yet some of my best purchases! I stumbled across the Canton Tea website around 2 weeks ago and have been meaning to purchase some of their items since. These guys have a great reputation even though they only opened in 2007 (like...in business years they are like a toddler). Canton Tea Co is a British tea company trading in 'high grade, whole leaf Chinese tea'. They sell the best jasmine, white, green, oolong, black and authentic puerh teas. In their first year, they even won Six Golds at the 2009 Guild of Fine Food Great Taste Awards! 

They company had great service as the package got here 2 days after I made the order! Here is what I got :)

                        

I ordered a small Shen Glass Teapot for the full experience. I have always wanted a glass teapot since I began my Twinings tea obsession so I knew it would be worth the money. It cost be £10 on sale on the website. It comes in bigger sizes but a small teapot is just right for me.

I got the matching Shen Glass cup and saucer for a mere £5! 

Aaaah, my flowering teas! It was because of my curiosity of this tea that I stumbled onto the Canton Tea website in the first place. I got 5 different samples of their large tea collection to taste. These little beauties bloom into gorgeous flowers in hot water as well as infusing the mouth watering flavours into the teapot (I just tried one and I am on a Canton Tea hype right now!)...

These were the three items I ordered off the website and I got them for approximately £20 because I got £5 off due to a special offer on the website. I was really happy with the company but I got a few little treats thrown in as well...

I got sample bags for their 'yellow gold oolong' and 'jasmine' tea which I was not expecting at all! I cannot wait to try these little babies.

I got a lovely welcome letter thanking me for my purchase and gave me a code which will give me 15% off my next order. I also got two voucher cards for 2 friends that will give them £5 off their order too! I wonder if I can give those as birthday presents...hmm! I got a lovely little little booklet as well explaining all the different types of tea and how to brew them that I am very excited to read.

Here is my first attempt at making flowering dragon eye tea...

My little teapot holds 250ml of water (perfect for my cup!) so I filled it with hot (but not boiling) water and added my tea to it.

I watched in anticipation as the tea opened up. *side note: it takes a while so if you're like me and are just sitting there waiting...it will get a bit boring* I was CRAZY HAPPY when the flower opened up and the I was able to smell the exotic blend of flavours. 

I cannot remember for the life of me what tea I tried today but I do remember it was delicious! There was a strong flavour of green tea but occasionally I got a burst of jasmine or an undertone of lilies (yummy). 

How do you like your tea?

Rainbow Cakes

 I have been inspired by these rainbow cakes to try something different for my mum's birthday cake next week. I love how versatile you can be with the designs, the shock of colour and how yummy they look!

What is your favourite yummy treat?

Splendidly Splendid!

This month's Glamour magazine included a range of hair products from Percy & Reed Hair Care. This included their shampoo, conditioner and serum. I tried the conditioner as my hair is getting slightly damaged by the constant straightening EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! I know, I know, I should be a lot nicer to it but I find that universally hair is the one thing that gets abused (I apologise, I meant groomed) but isn't looked after properly. So like I said, I was very excited about trying out the new conditioner - even more excited when I discovered that it retailed for £16.00 and I got it for £2! 

As you can see, it is the full size and has a really cute, unique design on the bottle. Normally when I use shampoo and conditioner and then allow my hair to dry naturally it gets very very very frizzy, however, I was pleasantly surprised at how my hair tumbled down my shoulders with very little frizz. My curls fell perfectly AND my hair smelled divine!

I feel more confident about leaving my hair curly using this conditioner because I know I won't have to weigh it down using serums and oils (cue limp and slightly greasy looking hair). It is expensive at £16 from the internet so I'm not sure whether or not I would buy it at full price, but I will see if it causes a drastic improvement to my hair and might re-consider. 

What is your favourite hair product? 

Sense of smell...

These past few days have been amazing and sad at the same time. I have started a placement for my course which is focused on students with special educational needs (SEN), and my experience has been such an eye-opener. I now have a new found respect for all teachers and carers who work with SEN children because it is so hard to imagine what they go through if you are not there to witness it first hand. The sheer look of joy on children's faces when they are able to lift their arm to hit the drum constantly reminds me of all the things that we take for granted. So next time you are depressed or down because something isn't going your way, take a minute and remember all things that you take for granted but someone else in this world only wishes that they had.

On a more 'retail therapy' note, I have been looking for a new perfume to add my collection. I am torn between 'Oh, Lola!' by Marc Jacobs, Pure DKNY, 'Valentina' byValentino and 'Whisper' by Ghost; they are all so gorgeous which makes my decision harder. I will probably look into investing in one of these over the Summer period so I can have a fragrance to remember the summer by. I love it when a scent can just take you back years and unleash countless memories...

What's your all time favourite perfume?

Wishing for a money tree...

Letting me loose in Manchester town centre when I have just had my student grant through is the worst possible thing ever! I have a few very hectic months coming up so I thought I'd get a few essentials (and treat myself whilst at it). I spent the day with my little sister smooching around shops and blowing money that really should be kept away from me.

Here are a few of my purchases;

I got this adorable clutch that resembles the Marc Jacobs bag I wanted! I love the bright yellow colour, patent material, the chain handle, and the fact that it over £500 cheaper than the one on my 'wish list'. It was a bargain at just £10.

I gave into temptation and got these Nail Inc Magnetic nail varnishes because they.are.just.too.pretty! I got the green and purple polishes because I felt that they had stronger magnetic pattern to them. At £13 a pop they were expensive BUT it was worth it because....

I got these 10 mini Nail Inc nail varnishes for FREE! There a variety of different colours in the free gift pack. I cannot wait to try these out. 2 magnetic nail varnishes and 10 mini ones for £26 sounded like a reasonable price and completed sealed the deal for me.

I got this bag satchel from Primark for £5. BARGAIN! I have needed a new one for university ever since my leather Jane Norman gave up on me. I hope it is sturdy and doesn't live up to normal Primark standards.

I fell in love with this white lace top the second my gaze crossed it in Primark. I've seen the 'Peter Pan collar' trent in most shops but this is the only top that has really grabbed my attention. I'm planning on layering this over a white shirt and wearing it over black trousers for a smart slash casual look on my new placement. At a mere £6 it was totally within my *ahem* student budget.

I was so happy when I saw this bronzer brush in Primark for £1(!). I was even happier when I got home and realised that the brush was soft against my skin and pretty good quality. I don't like spending too much money on make up brushes because I always tend to lose them or they get ruined.

I also purchased this concealer brush from Boots. It's a No.7 concealer brush and was originally £8 but I got it for £3 because I had one of their £5 off vouchers. Those vouchers are a life saver for me at the moment (I have 3 more) because I get to top up on eye shadows and brushes without making a dent in my bank account.

Even as I'm typing this I can see the money adding up (yikes!) BUT it was worth it (must.justify.this.to.myself). I have heard a lot about felt tip liners on other bloggers pages so thought I'd try one out. I got the one from MaxFactor because it was the ONLY one in store, and then, after finding out that you get a free gift containing a makeup bag, 2 mini nail varnishes, a mini mascara and a mini eye liner if you spend over £12, I decided to add the Creme Puff face powder in Translucent to my shopping basket. I will do a review on these when I get around to trying them out. I am the most excited about the powder because I need something to set my make up especially now that I need to look professional.

I cannot make up my mind about whether or not I like Lipsy; sometimes I find some great bargains in there but other times it just seems a bit chavvy. However, on this trip I saw this cute cloth bag that I have been trying to order on their website (but it's always out of stock) for just £3. It's cute, flirty and funky so I just HAD to buy it.

Being a trainee teacher means that any stationary shop is HEAVEN and that is how I feel about Paperchase. I got the cutest little heart paper clips, cat highlighters, normal 'boring' paperclips (because it's not ALL fun and games), and some star stickers to make marking more fun. I spent over an hour browsing through all their stuff because I wanted to buy EVERYTHING...and it took a looong time to narrow it down to these items...

I am a Glamour girl so was very excited to see that this month's issue came with a FREE Beauty Guide magazine and a FREE hair conditioner. I am looking forward to trying out the conditioner because I'm growing my hair longer and it needs some looking after.

What was your latest shopping spree like?

March Wish List

Procrastination has hit me like a ton of bricks this week!  I have spent hours browsing the internet jumping from website to website adding more and more items on my 'wish list'. Here are just a few things that I will a) be dreaming about or b) will be the reason for my bankruptcy...

I stumbled across Canton Tea CO website last night and spent over two hours looking through all their gorgeous tea and accessories. I have fallen in love with these Flowering Dragon Eye tea bulbs; you put one in boiling hot water, then watch as it unfolds into a beautiful flower and infuses its gorgeous blend of flavours into the water. I really want to buy this glass teapot as well because it will be a great addition to summer tea and cake parties.

I want to buy these little Shen Glass Tea Bowls to accompany the glass teapot. The transparent bowls will complete the set, and they can also be purchased from the Canton Tea Co. There are a few offers on the website, so even though the items are a bit pricey for me (a poor student) they are still worth having a look at.

Talking of expensive stuff! I cannot stop obsessing over this Marc Jacobs satchel. It is small, bright and practical. I adore the dewy yellow colour; it is perfect for the summer. The chain handle is an extra bonus because it is bang on trend. The bag is timeless and totally worth the money (if you have it).

I popped into Tiffany & Co in the Arndale Centre last week in Manchester and have been obsessing over their jewellery ever since. I have scoured their website for something pretty and reasonably priced but, alas, I have found nothing. I might treat myself when I graduate!

Urban Decay Naked eye shadow palette...need I say more? At £35 it is a bit steep but considering the fact that one eye shadow costs around £14 I think I'll be getting a decent deal. Aren't the colours so pretty?

What's on your wish list this month?