On repeat

I don't know about anyone else but I am a huge music enthusiast. I honestly couldn't imagine my life without it. I was brought up with music, my mum is very into her music and I have followed on in her footsteps. I used to have to listen to it to send me to sleep and i'm not talking lullabies, I'm mean, Tom Petty, Grant Lee Buffalo, Toploader etc... I'm the girl on the tube that plays her music really loud and taps along to the beat and without realising starts singing along (sorry). 

I love discovering new music and for that Spotify is an absolute god send! My library is ever increasing and I have no intention of slowing down! I have a bit of everything and like most genres if you use Spotify then a great way of finding new stuff you like is by the 'Discover' tab. (my favourite) There are four particular songs that I seem to have on repeat at the moment and really love so would be interesting to know if anyone is sharing my love for them.

Banks - Brain. (Jillian Banks) I have only recently discovered Banks and have to say I absolutely love her style of music. A kind of crazy mixture of Jessie Ware, Disclosure and Massive Attack. I have now downloaded her EP and plenty more. I hope you enjoy as much as me :)

Jessie Ware - Tough Love. A new one from the incredible Jessie Ware. I am a huge fan already so anything new I generally love too. This in particular is a new favourite, if you haven't already you should check out her collaboration with SBTRKT, she has done a few with them I also have on my playlist. Enjoy :)

Sam Smith - Safe with Me. Who else discovered Sam Smith through Disclosure - Latch? I did and think that this is when people really started noticing him for his vocal. Safe With Me is from his Nirvana EP and I absolutely love it. So catchy and one that I am not getting bored of no matter how many times I play it:

The Hics - Tangle. Big Fan! This song is a beautiful fusion of electronica, soul and almost classical. This is the first song I had heard from them which I discovered on Soundcloud (listening to Jessie Ware's new tune) and has made me listen to more. They were actually runners up for best breakthrough act at Giles Peterson's Worldwide Awards so I hope you like :)

I love discovering new music so if you think you know of anything I might like then let me know (like I said, willing to add to the playlist) I am hoping to do a music post at least once a month to hopefully give you some inspiration and introduce some lovely music to you or maybe even remind you of a few classics you had forgotten about. Everyone loves a classic...right?

Last Days

Well today was my last day at my job...it was a temporary contract so I knew it was happening, but when it happened it almost felt like it had come too soon and made me think. How quickly does time go?? It's funny how we spend the whole week counting down the days to the weekend when in actual fact what we are doing is completely wishing our lives away! Why do we do that? Oh, I remember...weekends are amazing! So it was as last days usually go, surreal. Packing up my desk, managing all my emails and making sure that I had everything up to date for my boss (the boring stuff like expenses). I was really lucky to work with some amazing people that I will miss very much and will definitely be keeping in contact with them and I was lucky enough to receive some lovely pressies!

Beautiful Roses

Honestly the incredible bunch of flowers would have been enough but my fellow PA and HR Manager that I shared an office with got me a necklace that I had my eye on as a farewell gift...lucky girl!

How did I not realise Oliver Bonas did jewellery until I spotted this on my colleague and I absolutely loved it!? I love Oliver Bonas and I love jewellery so why I have never made this discovery is beyond me. You should check it out yourself here, there is something for everyone's taste. Dainty silver pieces, vintage, statement, fashion, beaded....the list goes on. New number one fan right here!! I am a bit of a jewellery addict so anything to add to my collection is always gratefully appreciated :)

Not just one, but two cards!

Cards always make me a little sad, you have your goodbyes from everyone that you have been working with, right there on one card (in my case two!) it makes it all very real when you read through it.

Not helping with the summer prep....delicious though..

The dreaded chocolates, I love chocolate, especially ones that look that pretty. Is it helping the whole 'bikini body' saga? ...No. Do they taste incredible? ...Yes. Problem solved, it would be rude not to.

So that's it, it's all over. What are my plans now...I don't even know the answer to that! What I do know is that I want my next job to be THE JOB. You know, the one that you don't mind getting up for in the morning and the one that at the end of the day you feel as if you have accomplished something in a field that you are interested in. Where you can build your career and work your way up. Is that even possible? I hope so, I have worked so hard since coming to London and feel that I have now got to the point where I have really valid experience that I can put into THE JOB. Right now I am putting my efforts into looking for that perfect role and don't want to rush into anything. I may even temp for a few weeks before my holiday. Who knows, watch this space....

Ladies who Lunch - Aubaine

What a perfect way to spend a lunch break on a sunny day, with a lovely work colleague enjoying a lovely lunch on a beautiful sunny day. If you are a Londoner and work centrally then you should really check out this restaurant. Aubaine, it's a perfect shabby chic french restaurant on Marylebone and actually considering the food, the location and the service, it is very reasonably priced and a really great treat mid-week! 

From the moment you walk in you instantly feel comfortable and welcome. The decor is stunning, totally my style and to top it off the first thing you see is a stack of shelves full of delicious, incredible treats. Arranged perfectly...very easy on the eye :)

If I wasn't hungry before, I definitely am now!

I actually felt like the minute I walked in, I had left London and was transported to a totally different place. The staff are great, we were greeted with a big smile and nothing seemed to difficult. The tables looked fab too, very simple but I thought had a great effect. Actually the whole style of the place I wanted to pick up and take home (I got loads of ideas for decorating our next flat Alex!) 

Simple and Sweet Table Decor

I really need to find out where those lights are from!

I love the colours, everything works so well together!!

The menu was definitely to my taste too, it had a really good selection from appetisers, salads, soups, meat and fish. I thoroughly enjoyed the homemade bread to nibble on whilst making my choice.

The silver bucket is is a nice touch, I need to find some of these.

I am a massive fan of fish and actually think I could become what they call a 'pescatarian' which is when you eat fish only and no meat, e.g chicken beef, etc.... don't get me wrong, I love a good steak or a roast dinner but I find that whenever I am out to eat I always seem to select the fish over the meat without thinking twice. Maybe because it's a lot lighter and you don't feel as if you are going to explode after! So yes, you guessed it, I had a fish dish. Sea Bass actually, placed on top of a bed of rocket and a tomato sauce with an asparagus side. DELICIOUS. Honestly, I could have eaten it twice it was so nice and I don't say that often. I think I have become a bit of a food snob and I only have Alex to blame for that! He always cooks such incredible food so I think everything else I eat I always compare to his food, which is unfortunate for all the other food I eat as it has a lot to live up to!

You know that looks good...

The desserts also looked pretty yummy, I was you will be impressed to hear very good though and politely declined (summer preparation and all that). The dessert selection was brought on a board to the table next to us and as mouth watering as they looked I stuck to my guns and said no thank you!

Upon leaving I did nearly crack as I walked past the macaroons...come on, who doesn't like macaroons?

You know you're impressed with me for not having one of these, right?

Overall I would say it was quite the lunch break, I will be visiting again that's for sure. I loved the atmosphere, the service, the decor and the food. I would highly recommend that if you are ever in Marylebone you should really check this place out. Well worth the visit, whether you are with your friends, your partner or colleagues. If you do...have a macaroon for me and tell me if they were as amazing as they look?

Primer Wars!

Does anyone else find the task of searching for the 'perfect primer' a little daunting? Well, I do. Every single one claims to be some form of miracle in a tube, one guarantees that your pores will be no more, another that your makeup won't shift all day, one to smooth your skin tone and another will keep you shine free and if you're lucky may even help with blemishes! I mean how are you even supposed to decide? I want one that does EVERYTHING...please. I refer to primer as the 'marmite' product, you either love it or you hate it. I myself have had an on off relationship with it, mainly due to the the fact that actually, you did not do what you promised me you would therefore I wasted valuable time adding it into my morning routine. However lately our relationship has been more on than it has off, and I think that may be that fact that I have narrowed it down to my favourite top three that really do seem to do what they promised they would ;)

First up - Benefit, the POREfessional - I love Benefit anyway and have quite a few of their products. I will be forever grateful to them for creating my dream mascara (They're Real!) so it made sense that being so impressed with previous purchases I gave this a try. I had heard so many rave reviews about it and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. At £24.50 for 22ml it is a little pricey BUT primer is so concentrated that actually it lasts such a long time. For me pores are a big problem so if anything is going to reduce them, I'm going to try it! Of course the packaging is classic Benefit and really nice (so far so good) another bonus, it smells really nice too. Very fresh so its actually enjoyable using it. They say that this silky lightweight balm can be applied both under and over make-up. I personally have never tried primer over my make-up but I feel like that would just be a bit too much? I don't like the feel of a lot of product on my face so just under make-up is fine for me. It's an oil free product that compliments all skin tones - I agree, its not a clear balm, its more nude so when you have applied it it does really seems to even out skin tone and with the added bonus of vitamin D this primer seems to be proving itself. My foundation went on so evenly and, wait for it...IT MINIMISED MY PORES!! They were  practically invisible, and to top it off no touch ups, it really did stay put all day. Well done                                                               Benefit...yet again you cease to amaze me :)

Next up - Smashbox, Photo Finish / Oil Free - Again, Smashbox is a brand I really like. I use the lid primer to help my eye make-up stay put and it works wonders, I am also a big fan of their eye-shadow pallets. Photo Finish has been classed as one of it's best sellers and the 'oil free' part is what really pulls me in! You can get 12ml for £12.50 which I really don't think is that bad. Smashbox say 'create a perfect canvas for make-up application with this silky lightweight blend with vitamins A & E, grape seed extract and green tea.' Sounds pretty impressive so far right? The texture of this is quite similar to the POREfessional, very silky, and easy to apply (unscented though!) it is however clear so it didn't seem to even my skin tone as much but proved to be a very good base for my make-up and yet again, my make-up stayed put all day without getting the usual appearance of a oily T-Zone a couple of hours after application. All in all, well done Smashbox. I can see why it's one of your best-sellers.

Last but by no means least - Maybelline, Baby Skin - Ok so I wanted to try something a little cheaper and see if it matched up to the bigger brands. Maybelline again is a brand I like and there was a lot of great reviews about Baby Skin. This is obviously the best priced primer at £7.99 for 22ml (bargain!) so if it does work as well as the others it will be a definite staple in the make-up bag. This 'blurring balm' has more of a gel like texture to it, Maybelline say: 'enriched with insta-blur technology it instantly transforms the look of your skin and in addition is enriched with cherry extract' I'm not quite sure what the benefits of cherry extract are...we'll see I suppose! This was really nice to apply and provided a great canvas for foundation and yes...really improved the appearance of my pores, they were close to invisible actually. All in all it seems as though it does what it says it's going to do. My only problem with it would be that actually it was not great for my oily/combination skin. It felt and looked fab when I applied it but halfway through the day that nasty T-Zone was back to say hi! For the price I think it's really great and have actually found that the days I chose to have a make-up free day it works well to blur out imperfections making my skin look a lot smoother and even. 

So the conclusion: I really did want to see the slightly cheaper products have their moment, which don't get me wrong they did. Like I said these are my top three! But Benefit really is the stand out for me here and I had a funny feeling it would be...it ticks all my boxes :) 

Have you tried any of these primers? Do you have the same thoughts as me? Or do you even have a recommendation that you think will completely change my mind? Let me know...

Clinique Bonus Time!!

A few freebies is always a great start to my week! Yep, that's right...Clinique Bonus Time!

So I got a card in the post letting me know it was bonus time and when it's Clinique its always good, you get so many travel size goodies and if you don't like them or they don't work out...no worries, they were free! All I had to do was buy two Clinique products, not hard when both me an Alex use them so I went straight to Boots to take advantage of my offer!

For my usual skincare routine I like Proactiv, to me this product is a godsend. It completely cleared up my skin but because of the salicylic acid I don't like to use it everyday. (When I started using it, I used it everyday for a month) My days in between I use Clinique.

Anti-blemish Clinical Clearing Gel

I find that this product is really great, at £14.00 for 15ml it's also a great price. I have had this nearly 2 months now and I still have three quarters of the bottle left! You can either spot apply or apply to your whole face. I generally apply to my whole face and once it has dried I apply a moisturiser as it does make your skin feel very tight if nothing is used after. I noticed results after about 5 days of using this, so for me, definitely a keeper. 

The moisturiser I like to use when I am not using Proactiv is the Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief. This is water based so has such a silky texture and is so nice to apply. It's a little higher in price than I would like to spend at £32.00 but again it is very concentrated, you don't need much. Maybe the size of a pea and you're all set! If like me, your skin does not like heavy products and you suffer with oily skin I really recommend that you try this because remember, just because your skin is oily it doesn't mean that you should not moisturise. It will only make your skin worse if you don't as you trick your skin into thinking there isn't enough oil by trying to dry your skin out so it will therefore produce more to keep it hydrated. 

Now over to the freebies!! I got some great things this time that I am really looking forward to trying. And a bonus is that they all came in a lovely make-up bag!

Left to right
Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion
7 Day Scrub Cream
Deep Comfort Body Butter
Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser
Clinique Happy Perfume

Chubby Stick - Mega Melon

Now do you know why I was so chuffed with my bonus?? 

I have never tried the dramatically different moisturiser, I tested a bit on my hand and it does seem quite heavy so this may be something to use overnight when I want to give my face a bit of a treatment rather than using an oil. 

The 7 Day Scrub...I am excited to try this one, I love an exfoliating face wash, it really makes my face feel clean and oil free so I am hoping that this will do the same! 

The Deep Comfort Body Butter is amazing! I used it on my legs last night and they are still silky smooth this morning. Not too thick and heavy and it dries really quickly which comes in handy when us last minute girls have to get dressed straight away and don't have time to dance around waiting for it to dry! This is something I will definitely purchase once my travel size is finished! 

The Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser - I have had this before in a bonus and still have some left over. I don't love it but I don't hate it. Like I said, I really like using something which exfoliates, my face just doesn't feel clean if I don't. It is however very good for removing make-up and it leaves your skin feeling really soft. 

Clinique Happy Perfume - This is actually one of my favourite perfumes so I was happy to see this in there, it has a really light fresh scent to it, perfect for the summer months! My mum used to wear it so whenever I wear it now it reminds me of her :) n'awhhh sweet isn't it?!

Last but not least - Chubby Stick in Mega Melon. I love love love this and am more than tempted to get a whole collection of colours, and there is lots...this could be quite dangerous. It's staying power isn't fantastic but it is a balm so you can't expect it to last hours. The colour is beautiful, it has a really nice finish and it's also really moisturising. 3 in 1!

So all in all very successful I would say.

Any products here that you have wanted to try or have tried? If you are also a fan of Clinique I recommend you get yourself down to your nearest stockist and take advantage of this offer! I will be patiently waiting for the next one ;)

Summer Preparation

Happy Monday!

Ok so it's officially been 7 days since my last post...not good Lauren! But I have had a complete overhaul of my blog, which I hope you all like. I absolutely love it, it matches my personality very well and turned out better than I could have imagined.

I can't believe we are already in the second week of June...where is this year going? Summer is fast approaching as is my summer holiday to see family in Greece. (I'm half Greek) Which means one thing ladies...need to work on that 'bikini body' yay...lets face it, I well and truly over indulged last year and have done for the first 5 months of this year. However I have not 1 but 2 holidays coming up so a totally different story, I'm not complaining in any way about the holidays just the work its going to take to feel confident on the beach and I just can't put it off any longer and have to face the fact that half a packet of chocolate biscuits with my cuppa is in any way justifiable...dam.

I told myself that I was going to be good for the whole month of June but I am a week late on that one. As yes, yet again I over indulged at the weekend, me and Alex spent the day with friends on Saturday and sat and had dinner by the river in Greenwich, it was supposed to be a few 'snacks' but this is what we ended up ordering...

There was a few more portions of chips that I may have cut out the picture...

Beautiful view whilst eating delicious food

I don't even want to think about the fact we ordered a Domino's pizza when we got home and polished off a tub of Peanut Butter Cup ice cream...I blame Alex for that one though :) I find it so hard to cut out 'naughty food' I have a real sweet tooth, chocolate is my weakness (galaxy in particular) I eat it every single day and honestly only polishing off half a packet of biscuits is a complete triumph. Not so good really? But this is it, this is the week where I start eating healthy and exercising regularly...I mean it this time (If I had a pound for every time I had said that...) Now the weather is better it actually feels like summer is on the way, when it's wet and raining it feels like you have all the time in the world then you realise that actually it's June the rain is just standard English weather but summer is still coming and July is not going to wait for you.

Summer making itself known...

The gym after a long day at work just does not appeal to me, neither does the thought of waking up at 5am to go before work so I may look at doing some at home exercises to get me started. If you have any suggestions that don't involve lots of equipment, please feel free to share them because honestly, I have no clue. Any tips, tricks and motivation is always gratefully appreciated. Anyone else working towards anything this summer that wants to let me in on their secret???

So, here's to day 1...wish me luck :/

What's in my make-up bag?

Hello and happy Monday! I hope you had a lovely weekend and are all ready for your week ahead!

The one thing that I need every morning and couldn't possibly leave the house without and makes me feel and look more alive (especially after a weekend!) is not my coffee (it comes close) but my make-up! I have said it before and I will say it again - I am a beauty product/make-up addict! I could buy make-up everyday for the rest of my life and still find more things that I need (...want) Perfume is also a massive thing for me...I like to have lots at once so that I can chop and change, I use it similarly to how I use my make-up by changing it throughout seasons and day/night. In the summer you want something fresh and light whereas in the winter I like something a little heavier and muskier. As with my make-up, during the day at work, make-up should be more minimal and natural, think less is more! I used to always line my eyes with a black eyeliner top and bottom and a smoky eye and have now realised that a dramatic eye for everyday is not the best look for me.

I now rely on a BB cream for my base - I use the Garnier, in Medium for oily skin. This gives me great coverage and really evens out my skin tone. Sometimes I may use a powder over the top to set it but in the summer I don't like a lot of product on my face.

Garnier - BB Cream in Medium for oily skin

For a blush I use Benefit's Dallas - I love benefits products, this in particular. I used to be a bronzer addict but wanted to sway more to the blush side but keep a bronzed look at the same time...this is a product I was recommended by the people that work at the benefit counter and I couldn't be more happy with it! The perfect combination of blusher and bronzer! They describe it as a dusty sunset plum powder which I think sums it right up.

I only use a small amount of eyeliner now to fill in my upper lash line and find that because I don't use much any cheap black eyeliner, usually by Rimmel is perfect for that. I like to add a bit of colour to my lids - usually with a bit off shimmer. The reason for this is that it reflects the light and opens my eyes up a bit more. I tend to go for gold/bronze like colours as they compliment my skin tone. This Pallet by Burberry is one of my favourites and the wear is great, it doesn't disappear within a few hours of having it on!

My mascara...probably the product I could not live without! My desert island product (Teamed with eyelash curlers!) I was unfortunately not blessed with beautiful long eyelashes so a good mascara and a decent pair of curlers are an absolute must for me! Again I went running to benefit and they did not disappoint, 'they're real!' is by far the best mascara I have ever used and is now a staple in my makeup bag. It really elongates my tiny lashes and really opens my eyes...so to all short lashed girls out there....fret no more, benefit to the rescue!

  White eyeliner...now as a previous lover of heavy black liner I never thought the day would come that I rely on my white eyeliner! It has so many uses though and is such a great product (I also use it in champagne as well) I use it on my waterline to make me look more awake, my brow bone and the inner socket of my eyes to brighten and widen. This again another staple product and you can pick it up for £3 and they last forever!

Finishing touches - My lipstick, I feel naked without it! I just never feel quite complete until I have it on. My favourite at the moment is actually one that Kate Moss has done for Rimmel. It's stays for ages is a really good price and comes in some really beautiful colours. My favourite is shade 05 which is a lovely rosey pink, which I think is perfect for summer and brightens up any look! There is also the matte range that Kate Moss does which again is fab...I use those in winter to battle the forces of the horrible english weather as the staying power on them is great, they literally don't budge! Have you tried these? If not give them a go, I doubt you will be disappointed!

Everyone needs perfume! The perfume I am currently wearing which I adore and think is perfect for summer is Marc Jacobs - Eau So Fresh (the bottle is also pretty impressive!) the reason I love it is in the name, it's such a fresh scent, not too heavy but very pretty and girly without being too sweet :) bonus! I am a big fan of Marc Jacobs perfume but this may be my new favourite! How could you not be drawn towards a perfume with a lid like that anyway???

Is there any everyday products you couldn't live without you think I should try? Please let me know, I love suggestions and am more than happy to add too my collection ;)

Sundays and happy 1st of June!

It's the 1st of June already...how did that happen? This year feels like it's vanished! As it is June now I really don't feel the the sunshine has any good excuses to not stick around, COME ON ENGLAND I want a decent summer!! (Sunshine worshiper - can you tell?) Well atleast it's Sunday and I love Sunday's, who doesn't? It's the day of rest, the day to recharge and prepare yourself for the week ahead. My day is being spent at home doing just that. It has so far involved, breakfast in bed (by breakfast I mean weetabix!) colouring my hair, doing some washing and putting my feet up :) the rest of the day will include copious amounts of tea, writing this, my favourite magazines and painting my nails. My biggest decision of the day will most likely be - which colour nail polish to go for?

Left to Right
ELF - Raspberry Sorbet
Essie - Eternal Optimist
Salon Pro (Kate Moss) - Jazz Funk
Rimmel - Oh boy you're so fine

Atleast the sun is trying...

I don't feel guilty in the slightest for having a lazy day, some weekends you just need to. We did have a productive day yesterday...we visited a shopping centre in Surrey Quays we had never been to before on a mission for bath towels, all very exciting! Did a massive food shop and managed to get a few extra bargains aswell, always a bonus! Not forgetting the cat, we bought her home a few treats...some she turned her nose up at some she seems pretty chuffed with!

I mean how could we not treat her?

One of our bargains: New duvet - Never thought of yellow as a favourite colour but I really love it!

Today is one of those days I don't want to end, it means that the weekend is over...that's why you need to make the most of it whether it is going out and exploring or seeing friends/family, having some food, doing some shopping or anything that tickles your fancy such as my day of quality relaxation time. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Alex is going to cook up a storm in the kitchen tonight...talk about perfect end to the weekend! It would be an absolute treat compared to my 'can't be bothered to cook tonight' salads, chips, soup etc! I admit it, I am very lucky that he is a chef, VERY lucky! I do want to learn to cook better than I do, cooking for a chef is terrifying though so wish me luck with that!

Anyway the kettles boiling, which means it's tea and magazine catch up time, what ever you're doing this sunday enjoy :)

P.S - I chose - Rimmel - Oh boy you're so fine