Spring Beauty Haul (part 1)

\ Leave a Comment \ by
I am currently in the process of going through my beauty cupboard and replacing old products or things that have expired before I’ve had a chance to finish them. I like to pick up some new products every season to try new things and keep things interesting in my beauty routine.

 


 

 

Paula’s Choice Hydralight One-Step Face Cleanser – I switched things up over Autumn/Winter this year and have been using a Dermalogica cleanser, but I am happy to be returning to my holy grail range from Paula’s Choice now that I’ve nearly finished the giant bottle of Special Cleansing Gel I’ve been working my way through.
 
Paula’s Choice Hydralight Moisture-Infusing Lotion – Paula’s Choice had a 20% off sale and the offer of free shipping available, so I decided to pick up another one of these. This is my favourite facial moisturiser so I like to always have a back up in my cupboard, and if there is a sale on offer when I’m placing an order I always try to pick one up.
 
Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant – It’s been a while since I’ve used this product, but as I like to wear less makeup during the warmer months of the year I have more of a need for smooth & clear skin. I need all the help I can get in that area lately, so I’m hoping this will do the trick.
 
Living Proof Restore Shampoo and Conditioner – I like to have two shampoo and conditioner duos in my shower at any given time, so that I can mix things up when my hair gets too used to a certain product. I recently tried a hair treatment from Living Proof and really liked the way it worked with my hair, so I figured I would pick these up and give them a go.
 
Carmex Strawberry Lip Balm Tube – I needed a new lip balm for my handbag and as luck would have it I saw this while I was browsing the beauty section of ASOS, remembered how much I like Carmex lip balm, and decided to pick it up.
Posted in: beauty cupboard, haul

Random Book Haul

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle – “Beautiful twin sisters Iris and Summer are startlingly alike, but beyond what the eye can see lies a darkness that sets them apart. Cynical and insecure, Iris has long been envious of open-hearted Summer’s seemingly never-ending good fortune, including her perfect husband, Adam. Called to Thailand to help sail the family yacht to the Seychelles, Iris nurtures her own secret hopes for what might happen on the journey. But when she unexpectedly finds herself alone in the middle of the Indian Ocean, everything changes. Now is her chance to take what she’s always wanted – the idyllic life she’s always coveted. But just how far will she go to get the life she’s dreamed about? And how will she make sure no one discovers the truth?”
 
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins – “Yesterday, Lydia had a bookshop. Yesterday, Lydia was married to a journalist. Yesterday, she was with everyone she loved most in the world. Today, her eight-year-old son Luca is all she has left. For him, she will carry a machete strapped to her leg. For him, she will leap onto the roof of a high speed train. For him, she will find the strength to keep running.”
 
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donohue – “Dublin, 1918. In a country doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city centre, where expectant mothers who have come down with an unfamiliar flu are quarantined together. Into Julia’s regimented world step two outsiders: Doctor Kathleen Lynn, on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney. In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over the course of three days, these women change each other’s lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. With tireless tenderness and humanity, carers and mothers alike somehow do their impossible work.”
 
The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley – “The Harmony Resort promises hope for struggling marriages. Run by celebrity power couple Drs. Miles and Grace Markell, the “last resort” offers a chance for partners to repair their relationships in a luxurious setting on the gorgeous Mayan Riviera. Johanna and Ben have a marriage that looks perfect on the surface, but in reality, they don’t know each other at all. Shell and Colin fight constantly: after all, Colin is a workaholic, and Shell always comes second to his job as an executive at a powerful mining company. But what has really torn them apart is too devastating to talk about. When both couples begin Harmony’s intensive therapy program, it becomes clear that Harmony is not all it seems–and neither are Miles and Grace themselves. What are they hiding, and what price will these couples pay for finding out? As a deadly tropical storm descends on the coast, trapping the hosts and the guests on the resort, secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested and not one single person–or their marriage–will remain unchanged by what follows.”
Posted in: books, haul, Uncategorized

Nostalgic Book Haul (August)

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

Sweet Valley High #39 – Secret Admirer – “Sweet Valley High is in a frenzy when the school newspaper begins to run personal ads. Even Penny Ayala, the shy, serious editor of the paper, decides to place an ad, and a boy named Jamie responds. His letters are witty and sensitive just like hers, and he seems to be Penny’s perfect match. Elizabeth Wakefield encourages Penny to pursue her secret admirer. But when she overhears a group of boys laughing about “Jamie,” she realizes that Penny’s perfect match is only a joke – “Jamie” doesn’t even exist! Can she stop the boys from breaking Penny’s heart? “
 
Sweet Valley University #36 – Have You Heard About Elizabeth? – “Elizabeth Wakefield and Scott Sinclair have made it into a major national news magazine! Will Scott’s hints of a personal relationship with Elizabeth make her turn red with embarrassment… or anger? Tom Watts is disgusted by the magazine article, and by the suggestive things Scott says about Elizabeth. Can Tom win her back by broadcasting his feelings on WSVU? Jessica Wakefield can’t believe that Nick Fox wants to give up his exciting career as an undercover cop in order to save their love. But will Jessica still feel the same way about Nick if he’s not wearing a badge?”
 
Goosebumps #6 – Let’s Get Invisible! – “On Max’s birthday, he finds a sort of magic mirror in the attic. It can make him become invisible. So Max and his friends start playing now you see me, now you don’t. Until Max realizes that he’s losing control. Staying invisible a little too long. Having a harder and harder time coming back. Getting invisible is turning into a dangerous game. The next time Max gets invisible, will it be… forever?”
Posted in: books, haul, Uncategorized

Audible Book Haul

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

Lost Girls by Robert Kolker – “One late spring evening in 2010, Shannan Gilbert – after running through the oceanfront community of Oak Beach screaming for her life – went missing. No one who had heard of her disappearance thought much about what had happened to the 24-year-old: She was a Craigslist escort who had been fleeing a scene – of what, no one could be sure. The Suffolk County police, too, seemed to have paid little attention – until seven months later, when an unexpected discovery in a bramble alongside a nearby highway turned up four bodies, all evenly spaced, all wrapped in burlap. But none of them Shannan’s. There was Maureen Brainard-Barnes, last seen at Penn Station in Manhattan three years earlier, and Melissa Barthelemy, last seen in the Bronx in 2009. There was Megan Waterman, last seen leaving a hotel in Hauppauge, Long Island, just a month after Shannan’s disappearance in 2010, and Amber Lynn Costello, last seen leaving a house in West Babylon a few months later that same year. Like Shannan, all four women were petite, in their 20s, and had come from out of town to work as escorts, and they all had advertised on Craigslist and its competitor, Backpage. Lost Girls is a portrait of unsolved murders in an idyllic part of America, of the underside of the Internet, and of the secrets we keep without admitting to ourselves that we keep them.”
 
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari – “Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us sapiens? In this bold and provocative audiobook, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here, and where we’re going. Sapiens is a thrilling account of humankind’s extraordinary history from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world.”
Posted in: books, haul, Uncategorized

Adore Beauty Haul

\ Leave a Comment \ by

 

 

Aveda Nutriplenish Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner (Light Moisture) – I’ve been using the Aveda Nutriplenish Hydrating Shampoo and Conditioner for a few months now, and loving it. I am almost out, so this time I decided to try the light moisture, to see how I feel about it in comparison. My hair is quite fine, so I feel like the light moisture might be more compatible. Even though I think the heavy moisture might be slightly too rich for my hair, I’m so happy with how they’ve been working for me. My roots don’t get as oily and I can comfortably go a full second day without washing it before I start looking like a greasy groundskeeper from a horror movie.
 
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant – This is a must-have in my beauty cupboard, and as we are about to run out of the bottle we are currently working on I thought it would be a good time to replace it. I use this two to three times a week to exfoliate my skin. I can really notice the difference when I stop using it, my complexion becomes quite dull and a bit rough looking. This has been a life saver in winter.
 
Philosophy Vanilla Birthday Cake Shower Gel – The Philosophy Cinnamon Buns Shower Gel was such a hit that I thought I would give the Vanilla Birthday Cake scent a try. This does not have as much of a fragrance straight from the bottle, but I’m keen to see what it’s like to use in the shower. I don’t think these are the most hydrating shower gels I’ve ever used, but honestly sometimes the scent is enough of a payoff for me.
Posted in: haul, Uncategorized \ Tagged: