Thought of the day (returns) 28/02/12

So it's Saturday, and like most people on this planet- this is my favourite day of the week. I am writing this while in bed with a cup of Raspberry and Echinacea tea (partly out of choice/partly forced as we have no milk for real tea). My man is snoring away noisily peacefully next to me. I have work to do for uni, but I have decided to take this cosy Saturday morning opportunity to write a blog post.

I have my exercise class at two, so I have worked out that I can write this; get up and do breakfast-y things, put a wash on, tidy up a bit... then get ready for my class...  I can then come back and write my essay...

My thought of the day today is...

Yes. I don't know about you, but I have pretty much hated the month of February. Now this isn't just a selfish kind of proclamation... no no, this is-

FEBRUARY HAS BEEN HORRIBLE TO THE PEOPLE I LOVE TOO.

And so for that reason, cor I am glad it is the shortest month of the year-

BRING ON MARCH.

Has February been rubbish to you too? Has it thrown unrealistic amounts of work at you? Has it allowed you to slack on your New Year's resolution? Has it changed your life and turned it upside down, or opened your eyes to something you could have really done without seeing? Has your car broken down, your boiler broken or your washing machine flooded? 

Bumble and Bumble Mending Masque

So I have had ,my eye on the Bumble and Bumble mending hair masque for a while now.

Seeing it at Boots yesterday (£30.00) I decided that I was going to justify a spend on this new (agreeably indulgent) product. My hair has got reasonably long now, and with blonde highlights I find that going swimming regularly takes its toll on my luscious locks. So, yes, I had decided I was going to make this purchase...

And then came the interference, my boyfriend pretty much refused to standby and watch me pay £30.00 for a hair mask.

But I really need it

It's only the branding you're paying for...

(To be fair I should be fully aware of this as a Marketing student) 

So, in the end, I didn't buy any form of mending hair masque... I would like to know, has anyone tried this product? Is it justifiable? I definitely don't mind going back and making that purchase- but I just wondered if anyone has used it? 

Let me know in the comments below :)

Jessie xx

Christmas 'lust' list

So it's that time of year where you find yourself asking loved ones what they want for Christmas, and vice versa. Every year, you rack your brains for something you would like/need but most people tend to be realistic in their Christmas lists. For this reason, I have put together a Christmas 'lust' list, full of things I absolutely do not need, but would absolutely love. I suppose I should point out the fact that there is no way I would expect any of these items in a million years... but... if you are feeling generous...

Here's my Christmas 'lust' list.

So, if money were no object- what would you ask for this Christmas?

Spend or save

I am not a slave to makeup. I can very happily leave the house without committing to the mirror for half an hour in order to plaster multiple layers of foundation on my face. Nonetheless, I love spending time getting ready, on those occasions that I deem worthy of my makeup.

Working in Boots for the best part of three years played a huge role in moulding behaviour when it comes to beauty consumerism. Whilst I had the pleasure of a staff discount, I was saving money for my travels and therefore I had to learn how to shop ‘savvy’. I figured out where I could save money, and where I could justify spending it.

I know for a fact that everybody’s Spend or Save lists will be different. Even so, I thought I would share with you mine and some of the tips and tricks I have learned along the way when it comes to needing obsessing over a product that may in fact break the bank…

Makeup

The products in my makeup bag come from both high end beauty boutiques/high street shops. I tend to have items that I am happy to save on, and others that I am committed to a spend. For example, when it comes to blusher/bronzer, I think shops such as Boots/Superdrug/even Asda have such a fast range of options available these days that it’s difficult to go wrong. My eyeliner, for a very long time, is an area I save.  When it comes to base products – foundation, concealer, powder – I tend to justify a spend. I have very combination skin and I am very fussy with my coverage; I tend to prefer the advice that you get from a high end beauty counter, they know their product, and can match your skin perfectly. I am also a fool for the ‘quality’ of a product (you’d think a marketing student would know better…).

SPEND: BareMinerals, Nars, Laura Mercier.

SAVE: No. 7, Bourgeois, The Body Shop.

Skincare

When it comes to skincare… I’ve tried it. I suffered with horrible acne through my teenage years and even early twenties until very recently. I’ve been through countless bottles of ‘cheap rubbish’ and the same amount of ‘over-priced rubbish’ but I have found the products that my skin loves, and the stuff that my skin responds well to.  I have learned you never need to spend on make-up remover. I find that Garnier offers a lovely low cost skincare range, that you can’t really go wrong with for your everyday stuff. The idea is, it is essential that you follow a skincare routine for your skin, whether it costs you £180 to gather these products, or a tenth of that, be sure of one thing: don’t go without. Anything, is better than nothing.

 SPEND: Lancome, Elemental Herbology, Clarins

SAVE: Garnier, No. 7, La Roche Posay

Haircare

I have to admit, I have been through phases where I spent ridiculous amounts of money on a single bottle of shampoo. Times have changed. I am a student. Cutbacks are required and this tends to be one of the areas where I save. Most of the budget brands have pretty good product ranges available, and often in the shops like Boots, you will find some kind of promotion to aid your choice.

SPEND: John Frieda, Bumble and Bumble, Concoction

SAVE: TRESemme, L’Oreal, Herbal Essences

Fragrance

Every girl should have a ‘signature scent’. I like to consider mine to be ‘Chanel Coco Mademoiselle’ which is obviously a spend. I would prefer to save on all the product ranges listed above, and still wear my Chanel perfume, than compromise on this front. Nonetheless, there are a huge variety of budget fragrances that are great to keep in the handbag for days at work, or the odd trip out.

Nails

For years I had my nails done religiously every second/third week. “Acrylics, white tip”. Was my standard request, occasionally I would have a colour. Since leaving home though, this has been an area that I save. Instead I choose to buy nail varnish and do this myself. Pretty much every beauty range has nail varnishes available these days so it’s a matter of the colour you’re after at the price you are happy to pay. If you want your nails to last longer, then I would recommend spending on the base/top coat you use.

SPEND: Jessica Nails, OPI, Chanel

SAVE: No. 7, Barry M, Bourgeois

What about you? Which areas do you spend and save?

What a woman means when she says...

So basically, women expect everyone (men) to understand that a lot of their speech- especially when they are in a bad mood, happens to be in some sort of female code.

Guys: You need to read between the lines- especially when she's crabby (maybe feed her too!)

Anyway, I've broken some of these down for you.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for reading,

Jessie x