Hangover Day

Been out last night? Feeling it today? This is the post for you. Yesterday was a 'hangover day' for me so I thought it would make an interesting post to know how I sort myself out. Lot's of people say 'if you have time to brush your teeth you have time to wash your face'. I am not one of those people. In all TMI honesty I barely have time to take my contact lenses out before I crash, let alone brush my teeth! 

So you've just arrived (probably loudly) at home whats the first thing you do? Get a pint of water, trust me in the morning it will help. I always get a big cup of squash and leave it by my bed for when I wake because alcohol = dry mouth. Then crash into bed and we will fix that face in the morning...

If you can manage it in the morning, shower. There isn't always time for a shower the morning after and you probably washed your hair in preparation for the alcohol consumption so if you're in a rush just stick to a ponytail. But if you have time a shower will help, trust me. Wash your body, your hair, your face. Bask in the warm water.

Speaking of washing your face, on hangover day I always use a hot cloth cleanser and a warm flannel to wash all the make up that's still left on my face and not on the pillow. If I'm wearing make up that day I follow this with a second cleanse using an exfoliator. I'm currently using the No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser and Garnier Wake Me Up Exfoliator. Now I personally very rarely experience hangovers but my skin always looks rough after a night out! 

After getting rid of wayward make up and grime the next thing on my mind is hydrate and SPOTS! If I am wearing make up I continue with my normal skin routine but add in The Body Shop Vitamin E Serum as my skin loves this for hydration but it isn't greasy and make up applies easily on top. Hydrating serums are important after drinking as the alcohol dehydrates the skin. I follow this with my eye cream, the Botanics Radiant Youth Hydrating Eye Cream and the Clarins HydraQuench Lotion to moisturise. As I generally sleep in my make up it is guaranteed I will have a few spots in the morning so I target these with the Simple Rapid Action Spot Zapper.

If I'm not wearing make up I like to give my skin all the hydration it can get so I just use my eye cream and the Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil. I usually only use this hydrating serum and oil combo at night time but after a late night of drinking this is just what I need. It has been compared to serums by high end brands and I think it can work miracles. However this can feel and look greasy on the skin so it's not great under make up.

When I am wearing make up I want hydration and light coverage, despite the mess my skin might be. Despite the spots I'll most certainly wake up with, I want my skin to breathe so opt for light and easy options. For eyes I tend to use a cream shadow, such as the Kiko Long Lasting Shadow Stick in 05, and then blend it with my finger. I then curl my lashes and add a slick of mascara, my current choice is the Rimmel Wonder'full Mascara. Next onto face. I cover up under eye circles and the bit of redness on my chin with the Maybelline Eye Eraser in light. For foundation I go for light coverage and hydration like the Rimmel Match Perfection. I set this with a powder, my current it the L'oreal True Match. My face is quite red so with a light foundation I don't need any blush but do like to add some definition with a bronzer that has a bit of shimmer, like the Bourjois Delice de Soleil. Lastly I fill in my brows with the Soap and Glory Archery in Hot Chocolate.

Another important step for me after a night out is carbs. Carbs always help! They settle stomachs, absorb alcohol and generally make you feel ready for the day. I always make sure I have some pasta or bread in to eat on 'hangover day'.

How do you help yourself on hangover day?
Harriet x

One Lovely Blog Award

I was nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award by the lovely (excuse me) Iram. Her blog is such an interesting and engaging read, I really recommend it! So lets jump right in.

Firstly, The Rules:
1. You must display the award logo at the top of the post
2. You must thank the person who nominated you and leave a link to their blog in your post
3. You must add this set of rules to your post so that your nominees will know what to do
4. You must add 7 facts about yourself into the post
5. You must nominate 10 other blogs and leave links to each of them in your post
6. You must let the people who you have nominated know that they've been nominated
7. You must follow back the person who nominated you on BLOGLOVIN

So heres my 7 Facts:

1. I am currently studying Sociology at the University of Leeds.

2. I am also currently avoiding work for said degree...

3. On the 13th I went to Manchester to see Miranda Sings with Amy (EEK!)

4. Red lipstick is my signature staple.

5. I never EVER where jeans. And barely ever leggings.

6. I am naturally a blonde but I relish in the fact people think my dark hair is natural!

7. I couldn't wait to leave my home town to move to Leeds but I really do miss that village sometimes.

And lastly I Nominate:

Amy

Lizzie

Hannah

Emily

Alice

Hannah

Becky

Jaye

Carly

and Saskia

If you do this tag please leave a link in the comments so I can check it out!

Harriet x

A Not So Little Haul

So it happened, I caved. And in a big way. But in my defense most of these products were something I 'needed' or had come highly recommended by other bloggers! I did also buy the Revlon Lip Butter in Red Velvet in addition to this but I got home and opened it to discover it had already been used with a huge nail gash in it! I'm hopefully taking it back for an exchange.

Firstly, two mascaras. Lately I've been having big issues with black smudges under my eyes, I originally thought it was concealer not lasting very well but I then realized that it was actually mascara leaving the black marks. To combat this I've returned to waterproof mascara and two that come highly recommended are the Revlon Lash Potion and MaxFactor Masterpiece. The brushes on these are very different, the Revlon being a big bristly brush whereas the MaxFactor is a small rubber brush. I'm excited to put these to the test!

Next up two lip product. I ended up with both of these in my basket because of MissBudgetBeauty. She recently did a feature on the Natural Collection Lipsticks and mentioned loving the shade in Raspberry. I picked this up because it seemed like a lovely everyday colour for autumn and winter without being too bold. She has also mentioned many times loving the Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Unapologetic and after swatching it I fell in love in the colour so bought it as well.

I was feeling a bit basic with just using a black eyeshadow on my brows which is why I ended up with two brow products. First is the Rimmel Brow This Way in Clear because the shade available did not match up with my hair or eyebrows so I thought clear would work for on top of my simple powder. Many bloggers have recently have been talking about this so I thought it would be worth picking up for the price. The L'oreal Brow Artist in Dark Brunette was on a separate stand and I noticed it on the way to the till. This shade looks like it would work perfectly for my eyebrows and it comes with a shaping wax, coloured pencil and brush so hopefully will be a great all in one. I haven't seen many people talk about this so I believe it is a new product.

Lastly two Maybelline products. Everyone says the Eye Eraser Concealer is great so I picked this up in light as my current concealer is running out. I also got the Eye Studio Master Graphic eyeliner as I hadn't seem much buzz about it but it seems an interesting concept.

Look forward to seeing reviews of these products in the future. Is there anything you've got your eye on currently? Boots have 3 for 2 on all cosmetics at the moment so it would be a good time to pick up those essential bits and bobs! I got a saving of £18 on this lot.
Harriet x

Winter Lust List 2014

This lust list was actually harder than expected to come up with because my birthday and Christmas are coming up. Because of this I haven't included anything I've asked for so far in this list.

1.) White Stag - Despite not being in Leeds for much of December I am already in the Christmas spirit but don't want to spend much on decorations or go too overboard so I love this little(ish) stag/reindeer from Paperchase as it is simple and small but still cute and festive.  Also because it's white it would fit in any sort of colour scheme or room so can be used again and again! 

2.) DKNY MYNY - I have seen this on a few blog but I have also sniffed it quite a few times in boots and samples in magazines. I just love the smell of this and think it is quite different to any of the DKNY Be Delicious perfumes (which are also lovely!) but still a fruity fragrane, which is right up my street.

3.) Silk Diary - A new year means a new diary! This one from Paperchase is only A5 size so will fit in any hand bag as well as my uni bag. It also has a week to two pages which is the perfect amount of space for me to put in deadlines and events or activities.

4.) Nars Dual Intensity Eyeshadow in Dione - Lily Pebbles did a make up tutorial not too long ago using this eyeshadow and since then I have had my heart set on it! It's a beautiful shade which I think would be suitable for day or night. It's just a matter of time before I cave...

5.) Fluffy Reindeer Jumper - It's no surprise that I love Christmas so of course I love Christmas jumpers as well! This one is adorable with a sequin reindeer face. I also love the muted colour of this, meaning it can be worn with a variety of clothes. And you can never have enough Christmas Jumpers!

6.) Embellished Clutch - You know what Christmas means: parties and nights out, time to get out the sparkle! Just another reason why I love this time of year, any excuse for some glitter and sparkle. I don't have any clutch bags as I tend not to use them on a night out from fear of loosing it but this beauty would have to be an exception. The colours on this bag also mean it would go with virtually any outfit and dress it up for nighttime. 

7.) Nars Blush in Douceur - I've seen lots of swatches and reviews of this blush and everyone claims it is perfect for pale skin. That combined with the fact I'm been dreaming of getting my hands on a Nars blush means that any Christmas or birthday money will probably go towards this beautiful colour.

Surprisingly I haven't included any sparkly dresses in this list however I couldn't really find any that I loved and I've probably got enough clothes already. What are you wishing for this winter?
Harriet x

PS I'm thinking of having a name change but struggling for ideas. Prehaps Harriets Happy Place or Make Up and Mishaps? What are your suggestions?