Flowers, an OOTD and good food

I initially started this blog as a distraction from starting a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend; cutting a long story short, he moved out here to Switzerland with me when I started my job but unfortunately - after realising there wasn't much work for him in his area here - he made the decision to start commuting back to the UK Monday to Friday after setting up his own business. So anyway, back to my initial point, I always intended for it to also be an online diary of sorts - to record my Swiss adventures, other travels, good times and general happy moments to look back on when I'm old and wrinkly.

Recently, I've gotten quite carried away with blogging about beauty and skincare, but I have actually been meaning to write a few more lifestyle posts, as I really enjoy writing them and recording a little personal post every now and then. So this post is dedicated to a lovely last weekend I had. 

First off, I recently celebrated 8 long, happy, crazy years with my boyfriend (deffo still don't feel old enough to be celebrating that much time with someone), and he picked me up from work on the Friday, with this lovely bouquet in hand. We didn't do gifts this year, but I did get this nice little chocolate surprise to keep me smiling. I may be easily pleased, but I can't get Minstrels anywhere here and I absolutely love them, so - to me - this was super sweet for him to get me these. Keeper fo' sho'. 

Anyway, the main part of last weekend consisted of a lovely evening out on Saturday at La Cave in my local town Saint Louis (just over the border from Switzerland in France). My mum's best friend from the UK was visiting her (some of my family are also based out here!), so what better way to spend time together than eat good food and drink some good vino? I'm clearly getting older with a line like that. Soz.

Here's a customary selfie so you get an idea of who you're working with on this fine journey of cuisine I'm about to take you on ;) I went for big, bouncy curls (see how here) and subtle-ish eyes (using Benefit's Away We Glow set) with a nude lip, using Rimmel lip liner in Eastend Snob (recently talked about here) and Mac's Viva Glam Gaga lipstick in Amplified. I decided to try a bit of 'overlining' à la Kylie Jenner, and I have to say I quite like it, especially as my lips are usually pretty non-existent. Have you tried overlining before?

A night out post wouldn't be complete without a cheeky OOTD piccie. I wore a Vero Moda pencil skirt, simple New Look cami and these Primark (read Primarni) shoes, which I'm in love with at the moment. Not the comfiest on the toes I have to say, but nothing I can't handle (dedicated to the cause me).

Onto the good stuff and off to the restaurant we went. First off, a glass of bubbly never goes amiss. Apéritifs are very popular over here; usually, I'm happy to go straight into the wine but it seems to be common practice to start off with a glass of prosecco. Such a hardship this apéritif lark.

Before I go on, I feel a need to point out this isn't my boyfriend's normal preferred facial hair. Yup, he's growing his mo for Movember, raising money to change the face of men's health. I can just about handle the p0rn star look for such a good cause.

For starter, I went for egg with truffle and some sort of declicious-tasting ham. You'll have to excuse me for being the worst describer in the world because I didn't note down exactly what it was and, typically for me, the menu must be outdated on the site as it doesn't feature this. However, fear not my lovely reader, I can reassure you it was an absolute taste sensation. If you haven't tried truffle before, DO IT. And if, like me, you thought the only truffles that mattered were the chocolate variety, you're in for a pleasant surprise!

I'm a big steak lover, so I had to go for the fillet. The first time I ate here, it was bladdy delicious, cooked medium rare to perfection, and so tender I could have died happy there and then. However, this time, I must admit, it was overcooked for me (thankfully not too well done but still no trace of pink, which I enjoy), so I was slightly disappointed. I also missed a good portion of potatoes to go with it; as you can see, it did come with a couple of potatoes but it wasn't really enough for my dustbin tummy unfortunately!

Onto dessert, and this panna cotta was my boyfriend's pick. I had a taste (I'm an absolute liability when it comes to tasting his food...whatever he has, I have to have a bit...I just like to share the experiences haha); it was as to be expected beautifully creamy, and the little layer of clementine purée on the top sweetened it up a treat. 

Onto mine, and I'm going to be slightly boring and declare that I'm much more of a savoury food lover than a sweet lover. If there's cheese and biscuits on a dessert menu - and I'm not bursting enough to fit more in - then it's mine, allll miiiiiine. These little slices of heaven were sliced straight off the board, hence the odd presentation, but it tasted great and was just the right amount to wash my glass of red down. Nom nom.

What have you been upto lately? Do you like reading these kinds of lifestyle posts? I'd love to hear your feedback!

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser

I hadn't heard too much about the Liz Earle range before (shocker), but when I did hear occasional musings about it, it was always the mysterious Cleanse & Polish™ Hot Cloth Cleanser that would be mentioned. So when I spied it in Boots on my way back from a weekend trip in the UK, I thought I'd give it a go. I don't know about anyone else, but whenever I'm in airports, I always feel that little bit more willing to spend money. Why is that?! SUCH a false sense of security, especially now that I travel a little bit more than I used to.

This hot cloth cleanser is a winner of multiple recognised awards (a dozen so far), and 99% of the 2254 (and counting) reviewers on the Liz Earle site alone would recommend it, so instantly I felt reassured that this cleanser was a potential top-notcher!

If you don't know the deal with this rumoured 'holy grail' product - in short, it's a two-phase process. First, you apply the cream to your face, neck and lastly to those mascara-filled lashes and made-up eyes (yup, it's gentle enough to use on eyes), then you use a hot cloth to gently polish off the cleanser (along with your makeup and pesky dead skin cells). It's an absolute dream in terms of ingredients, comprising cocoa butter for moisturising (win), pro vitamin B5 for stimulating cell renewal (win), and glycerin to aid hydration (win), among various other drops of magic (full list here).

First of all, I love the look of it; the Liz Earle branding has an air of trusted sophistication (sometimes a nice font is all it needs no?!), and this has carried over to its packaging. I love the dirty mint green of this pump bottle, though I'm not sure how easy it will be to get into when it's running low (I like to use every last bit!).

It's an airy, creamy texture and nice and thick in consistency, which made it feel very luxurious. The scent is absolutely gorgeous: fresh and minty, so I have absolutely loved slathering it on my face every day. I've given it a good few weeks' use so far in order to form a solid opinion, and there really isn't a bad word I can say about it. It really has left my face feeling clean, soft and pampered. The hot cloth polishing process made all the difference for me; yes, it takes that extra little bit of time over a standard face wash cleanser, but I found it ensured my skin was much cleaner and gave me more than usual reassurance my makeup was completely removed. The fact the cloths are white really helps to show the good it's doing, as you can clearly see the build-up being removed!

My set came with two accompanying muslin cloths in a handy little zip bag, which will be great for travelling. It's recommended to wash each cloth after about 3 uses so I would suggest buying a couple to go with it so you've always got a back up between washing one.

Overall, I can completely understand the hype around this product. It feels great, it's not silly priced, it's packaged well, and it's a luxurious addition to my skincare routine, so I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Have you tried this hot cloth cleanser before? Do you recommend any other Liz Earle products? I'd love to try more from their range!

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!

Top 12 Christmas jumpers

I don't quite know how I'm at this point in time right now, but it is nearly here, so my wandering online shopping eye has been guilty of plenty of Christmassy browsing. I do love a good Christmas jumper; yep, we don't all necessarily need reminding what time of year it is, and yep it can be over-hyped in the commercial world, BUT it's just SO bloomin' FUN wearing a good old Christmas jumper. Let's not lie; we all feel secretly overjoyed inside when other people spy your nod to the upcoming festivities. 

So, clearly, you must be prepared. 

Without further ado, here's my top picks of the jumpers out there this year; I've said it before and I'll say it again, I do love a bit of uniqueness and subtlety when it comes to themed clothing (see my halloween wishlist here; yup, I still swoon over it), so there's some crackers featured here in my opinion.

1st row L to R: 1. ASOS Happy birthday Jesus jumper / 2. Matalan ho ho ho jumper / 3. ASOS green christmas tree jumper / 4. Boohoo holidays are comin' jumper /
2nd row L to R: 5. ASOS reindeer jumper / 6. George at Asda reindeer jumper / 7. Missguided holly and candy canes jumper / 8. Marks and Spencer robin jumper /
3rd row L to R: 9. Boohoo Merry Christmas ya filthy animal jumper / 10. Next robin skating jumper / 11. Missguided good vibes jumper / 12. ASOS icicle jumper

Which one is your favourite? Have you got any other Christmas jumpers on your wishlist?

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!

Cathy Doll cheek tint and concealer

PINK! Just look at that PINK. This has literally been sitting unopened for a long time in my drawer of goodies, partly because I forgot about it, and partly because I've just not dared to use it yet. I mean it looks SO priddy...it's the perfect colour match for my blog (bet you looked!) and is probably the girliest pink in the world (deffo why I bought it), but it is silly pink and I've just not had the time to really test it out properly.

I spied it in Bangkok airport on my way back from my Thailand holiday, and I'd never heard of Cathy Doll before and haven't actually heard of the brand since, but I've read about the Korean beauty box Memebox on Gemma's blog over the past few months, so I'm aware Asian makeup brands are really quite popular - it's just a shame they aren't really easily available in European countries...unless I'm mistaken?

Anyway, this SPF15 cheek tint and concealer is smooth in texture and easy to apply with the slim applicators on either end. It comes in varying colours if you check out the site, but for some reason the concealer seems to be the same super light shade, and it's only the cheek tint that varies in colour from what I can tell, so this probably isn't everyone's cup of Tetley 

Here's a swatch of it on my arm, and as you can see the pink isn't as luminous as the applicator might suggest, thank gawd. I imagine the baby pink tiny looking lovely on paler skin tones, so I'm looking forward to having more of a play about with this.

I've tried to capture a snap of this applied but I'm not really sure the photo does it too much justice as it looks more rosy here than it actually is...damn winter light. Either way, it's definitely a very pigmented tint and you can really build it up if you prefer. It'd also look lovely on the lips for a really cutesy look.

The concealer is a dream to apply, smooth, creamy and easily blendable; it very much reminds me of Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer formulation-wise. 

Have you heard of Cathy Doll before? What do you think of this?

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!

Empties #2

I've finally accumulated enough empties to write another post following my first one here back in August! So here goes, left to right...

Seascape Island Apothecary Body Lotion*

I won't say too much about this one, as I reviewed it when I first started using it. What I will say is that a little goes a long way; to say I reviewed it in July and it's only just appearing in my empties post is testament to that. You can see a more in-depth review of this here.

Yay or nay: Yay

Simple Kind to Skin Moisturising Facial Wash

Winner of Company's best cleanser award in 2011, this face wash does exactly what it says on the tin. It's simplistic: perfume- and colour-free but comprising super-duper vitamins to moisturise and restore skin. I initially bought this as I wanted a 'bead-free' clear wash that would work well with my Foreo Luna Mini (which contains bristles, so I didn't want anything getting caught up in it), and it's been absolutely ideal.

Yay or nay: Yay

Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner (Eastend Snob)

If I'm honest, I don't really wear that much lip liner, purely because I see it as more of a 'nice to have' rather than essential. Just me? However, I have been finding that I miss this a little bit now that it's run out, so I'm thinking I may have underestimated the ole' value of a liner for the lips. Its silky soft texture and fine tip makes it glide on the lips nicely, and the retractable applicator is a bonus! Pencil sharpeners be gone, be goooonne! It's a great base for lipstick, almost like a primer, and I also found that it looked quite nice on its own for a matte look. With the current 3 for 2 offer in Boots, this may well just be going back in my basket.

Yay or nay: Yay

Body Shop Vitamin E Eye Cream

I reviewed this eye cream here, and as I said back then, I do find it difficult to fairly review an eye cream, since it's so difficult to track wrinkles. Maybe I should have tried a before and after photo...note for next time. Anyway, for me, this wasn't anything outstanding, apart from the standard 'I'm so good and sensible for using eye cream' feeling. The only other point I would make with this is that it's quite a thin consistency; with eye cream, I prefer a bit of a thicker consistency as it feels somehow better when it takes a bit more effort to pat it on and gently rub in. So for me, I probably won't be repurchasing this, purely because I'd like to try others for comparison. 

Yay or nay: Nay

Rose & Co. Strawberry Cupcake Hand Cream

You might have read my last post, which mentioned how much I NEED hand cream in my life (see why here!). Anyway, I received this hand cream as part of a birthday gift, and I fell in love with the retro, old-school branding as soon as I saw it, not to mention the gorgeous strawberry scent too. I loved that it came in a glass jar too, making it feel a bit more high-end and perfect to be able to actually see the contents and use every last bit. The jar was easy to wash out afterwards too, making it perfect for reuse; great for when I travel with hand luggage (100 ml liquid restrictions!). Part of the Patisserie de Bain collection, it's a lovely, moisturising cream, and I've already made a mental note to check out their other products.

Yay or nay: Yay

What products have you been emptying this month? Have you tried any of these?

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!

Burt's Bees honey & grapeseed oil hand cream



As much as I enjoy living on the French/Swiss border with the mountains in arm's reach and the delicious, golden croissants in abundance, the mineral content of the water is not a winner. I repeat: not a winner. It's about as soft as stone; well and truly solid hard water. This inevitably leaves my hands feeling super dry after each toilet visit, each sink visit and each shower/bath visit, so I find it pretty difficult to leave the house without a tube of hand cream, otherwise my hands flake and shrivel up on me in protest. The pain is real my friends; the pain is real.

That and the fact I'm forever secretly hoping that hand cream will magically rid me of my god-awful old-looking hands and transform them into lineless, youthful specimens worthy of some kind of insurance for their priceless beauty. Alas, I've accepted that's never gonna happen, but I'm over that. Just about.

Anyway, onto my point that I am always on the lookout for new hand creams. Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream Intensive Moisturizing Hand Treatment is probably my favourite, but I enjoy trying others to see how they compare (and - let's be honest - to save some pennies), so I thought it would be nice to share my thoughts on this Burt's Bees Honey & Grapeseed Oil hand cream, since it's a bit of a lovely one. 



The cream is light on application and initially feels quite watery in texture when I rub it in. It feels ever so slightly greasy and I often feel like I want to keep my hands to myself for a bit before touching anything. In comparison to their hand salve though, which I use before bed, it's certainly not as oily, and it does leave my hands feeling soft and moisturised once absorbed.

The scent is one of my favourite things about this cream: to me, it smells a bit like marzipan and even reminds me of cherries too, which is odd considering it actually comprises jojoba, capuacu and macadamia. Clearly, my skill for recognising ingredients by scent wouldn't get me far on Masterchef.

Burt's Bees describe this cream as 'a gift from nature' and claim 'your hands will be thoroughly delighted', and I probably can't argue too much with that to be honest. For me, the formula and results don't quite compare to Elizabeth Arden's bad boy, but the scent is just gorgeous and has kept me hooked!

You can get the full-size cream slightly cheaper than the Burt's site from Feel Unique, and they do the smaller size one that I have in a little gift set, which is great if you just want to try it out! I've also spied some other Burt's hand products available on Boots that look lovely, so I'm really tempted to try more what with their 3 for 2 offer at the moment!

What are your favourite hand products? Have you tried Burt's Bees before? 

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!

W7 The Bronzer

Don't be too afraid by how dark this bronzer looks. At first glance, it scared me how much I might look like I'd been tangoed, and I wasn't keen on giving this a try. Hoowwwever, in the contouring age that we've more recently started embracing, W7's The Bronzer* is a potential if you're on a budget. 

The plastic black packaging is nothing to write home about, but you can't expect to have it all at only £4.95! One of the big plusses for me with this bronzer is that it's matte *does a little dance*. My skin is a little oil-prone, so I'm usually a bit wary of shimmery bronzers in case they accentuate this. No-one wants a face that looks like it could fry an egg. Cracking party trick though.

In terms of the application, I didn't find it as easily blendable as I'd have liked; it's the type of powder that when you put your brush to your face, that's where it'll settle unless you put some effort into it, so I felt like I had to put extra care into applying it where I wanted it. As such, I personally won't be using this all over my face as it's a bit too dark for my skin tone; instead, I've adopted it as a contouring powder to accentuate my cheekbones and subtly sculpt my face. I must admit I've not really been much of a 'contourer' in the past but I'm keen to practice as I'm learning more and more how effective it can be!

Overall, this highly pigmented powder will quite possibly be a hit for some and miss for others, purely because of its deep shade. For me, as mentioned, I've found the silver lining and plan on countouring with it.

What do you think of this bronzer? Have you tried it or any other W7 products?  

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!
*sent to me free of charge for review purposes



Magnetic mani Monday

Today, I'm wearing Nails Inc Trafalgar Square magnetic nail polish, and since it's all special and magneticky, I thought it'd be nice to share it. The metallic chrome grey shade is very on trend and a gorgeous colour for the colder months. The formula of this polish is also smooth and glossy, gliding on easily and reflecting the light beautifully; it consists of iron parts that attract to the magnet (cleverly positioned on the top of the lid, which also actually separates from the applicator making it more user friendly) when held over the second coat. I love the uniqueness of this polish; it's such a clever way to be more creative with your nails without being too much effort at all. And, I'm not gonna lie...there's just something so bladdy fun when you get to the part where you use the magnet. Just me?

What do you think of this? Have you tried any of these magenetic nail polishes? Leave your links if so, as I'd love to see the other shades and patterns available!

Like this post? Come on over and follow! Bloglovin, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook are just a few of the ways you can keep up to date!