Saturday Night OOTD

Dress: Topshop

Tights: Primark

Necklace: Miss Selfridge

Bag: Primark

Boots: Barratts

Collection Lasting Gel Colour in Stormy Grey

I was looking for a new mushroom-y beige nail colour as my previous had run out and picked up this Lasting Gel Colour from Collection. This colour is named Stormy Grey but as you can see the colour isn't remotely grey, but rather a muted beige.

I needed 3 coats for an opaque finish and I found the consistency of the product to be quite watery. It has a very wide brush which makes application quick and easy. I did find there to be a very strong smell with this nail polish, stronger than most others.

As you can see from the swatch above the finish is very high-shine, typical of a gel nail polish. However, after a few days on my nails the shine seemed to dull and ended up looking like any other standard nail polish. The nail varnish lasted 4-5 days on me before needing to be removed, and I have a very hands on job so I thought that was pretty impressive.

The cost of this nail varnish was a measly £3.19, it certainly won't break the bank, and for the price I was pleased with how long-lasting it was. I was disappointed that the shine seemed to wear away after a couple of days but really I bought it for the colour so I'll definitely continue to use this.

Barbara Daly Concealer in Fair

On far too many occasions I find myself drawn towards the makeup aisle in Tesco, and on far too many occasions a few beauty items sneak their way into my basket. My latest purchase was the Barbara Daly Concealer in Fair.

 The packaging is MAC Studio Finish-esque but with a square container, and the product itself is pretty much a budget dupe. The consistency is creamy and light, perfect for covering blemishes and under eye circles. The shade selection is pretty poor, I believe there are only three, but the lightest shade 'fair' suits me perfectly.

I apply this product simply using my ring finger and pat it lightly into my under eye area. Although this pot contains a tiny 1.4g of product only a very small amount of product is needed. The pigmentation of this product is incredible and provides fantastic coverage. The formula is creamy, not at all drying and has stayed put under my eyes all day. However, I can talk all day about how much I like this product but I know what really sways people into buying a product is the results.

Of course on the left I have not applied any makeup and on the right I have applied only the Barbara Daly Concealer on my under eye. I'm so amazingly impressed with the results of this concealer. My dark circles are completely covered and my whole eye area looks brightenend and flawless. This concealer does sink into my fine lines under my eye but I've yet to find a concealer that doesn't, so I don't find that a massive issue.

The Barbara Daly Concealer can be bought at Tesco for £5.00.

Pumpkin Soup

 I'm feeling very autumnal and obviously with Halloween coming up I thought there was no better time to rustle up a batch of homemade pumpkin soup. It really is so easy and super tasty. You will need:

1 large pumpkin, seeded, diced and peeled
2 onions, finely chopped
200ml double cream
700ml vegetable stock
Hot chilli powder, to taste
Chopped Thyme, to taste

1. Begin my chopping up your pumpkin. I'm not gonna lie, this is hard work! I began by cutting away the top and bottom, then slicing into segments. Swipe away the seeds as you would a melon. It is difficult to remove the skin as it is so tough. I'd recommend roughly chopping it off rather than attempting to use a vegetable peeler.

2. Add a little oil to the largest pan you can find (I had to use two) and heat. Add the chopped onions and fry for 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Then add the chunks of pumpkin and heat until the pumpkin turns a golden shade.

3. Add the hot vegetable stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the pumpkin pieces soften. Then add the double cream. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Next you need to puree your ingredients in a blender or food processor. In my processor I would fit 800ml of ingredients in at a time, so had to do this in three batches. Add the pumpkin chunks with only a small amount of the liquid. Puree until the soup reaches a thick, smooth consistency then add some more of the liquid. At this point I added chilli powder and thyme to taste.

5. At this point you could run your soup through a sieve for a silkier texture, but I like my soup to be thick. Transfer all your pureed soup back to a large pan and reheat. Serve with a swirl of double cream and a warm, crusty roll.

What's In My Handbag?

I've seen quite a few 'What's In My Handbag?' posts floating around so finally thought I'd do my own. The handbag I am currently using is this Primark studded handbag, with two carry handles and one large shoulder strap. It's not the most ideal bag as there are no separate compartments inside, but it's large enough to carry all my essentials and I love studded bags.

So, onto the contents. I've removed all the obligatory chocolate wrappers and dozens of receipts. I'm terrible for hoarding receipts. I also found about 10p worth of one pence coins at the bottom of my bag too.

Sainsbury's Cream and Lace Makeup Bag
This was actually a small Christmas gift from my sister last year. It's a beautiful satin-effect makeup bag with lace detail. It also came with a compact mirror and a small tube of lip gloss.

Laura Ashley Pencil Case
I've had this pencil case for a couple of years now and it's lasting well. Being a teacher I always carry a pencil case with me full of pencils, highlighters and my new polka dot pens.

eos Strawberry Sorbet Lip Balm
I reviewed the eos lip balm and I wasn't a massive fan. However, I have it now and may as well keep it in my bag for when my lips are feeling a little dry.

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in 03
This is such an easy to wear neutral lip colour so I keep it in my handbag for the times when I want my-lips-but-better.

Passport
I don't know why, but I always carry my passport around with me. I bought this cream passport cover from TK Maxx.

Umbrella
When it gets to around September-October an umbrella becomes a permanent fixture in my handbag. This is a pretty boring, plain black one from Totes but it's decent quality and has lasted me since last year.

Tic-Tacs
I don't chew gum because firstly, I think it looks horrible, and secondly, I always swallow it. Tic-Tacs are great at freshening your breath and there's only 1 calorie per mint.

River Island Purse
I've had this purse for a couple of years now and I really need a new one. It's a beautiful colour but as you can see it's looking pretty worn. I'm going to replace it with another River Island purse as it has so many useful compartments.

Impulse Loving Words Body Spray
I like to keep a cheap and cheerful body spray in my bag for those days when you feel a little whiffy. This one has hints of raspberry and lavender and it smells amazing.

Notebook
I like to keep a notebook on me at all times just in case I need to jot down an address or some other information, or if inspiration hits me for a blog post.

Home Bargains Floral Stationary

I popped into Home Bargains looking for a diary and came out with the lovely floral notebooks and these gorgeous polka dot ballpoint pens.

I really didn't need four notebooks but I just loved every single one and couldn't not have them all - and at only 69p each, how could I refuse? They're A6 size so perfect for popping into your handbag.

I also picked up these polka dot ballpoint pens for only 29p for a pack of 2. Pens have a habit of disappearing in my house so I'm constantly buying more. As they come in the lovely gift box shown they'd be great as a Christmas stocking filler too.

Four notebookes and four pens for only £4.14 - now that is most certainly is bargain stationary!

OOTD: Grey Skies

Today is an extremely dreary, cold and wet day but I really need to go shopping. I like this outfit of the day as I think it all looks quite 'put together' despite the little or no effort put into it. My leather jacket keeps my warm in these colder months.

Dress: Matalan

Jacket: Crafted

Tights: Tesco

Boots: H&M