Girls Night in Manchester

So I've had a very busy month (exciting news to be announced soon) that I never got round to posting an outfit post for the gorgeous River Island Dress (that everyone now seems to be wearing dammit high street bargains.) 

I used my new GHDs curlers on my hair but cause it's so glossy and sleek now it's brunette they're not holding like they did in my dead blonde hair. 

Has anybody got any tips on how to keeps curls in soft hair? 

I teamed the River Island up with my RI BARELY THERE gold shoes (worst idea ever with the amount of walking we ended up doing.. My toes where crippled for days). 

And my topshop fringed snake print bag I'm just obsessed with! 

The outfit was so simple and classics I loved wearing it and cannot WAIT to wear it in khaki 😁 

You might recognise this lady from some previous posts when we're at festivals. Well my festival friend has now become my real life friend cause we went on our first night out away from a field together 😂😂 it was hard to recognise each other with our hair done and heels on!

I'm sure Michelle won't mind me telling you too.. Her outfit is head to toe River Island too. I especially love these boots too that are £50! 

We really do need to get a life and start shopping elsewhere 😂🙈

From Michelle's SnapChat (bad photo) but you can see our outfits much clearer! 

Who doesn't love a mirror selfie ?! 

Please leave any tips on curling soft hair below or message me 😘😘

Thanks Heather xxxx

New Autumn Hair and Nails

My first ever brunette selfie... I've wanted to go darker for a while. Hence the ombré I started last September to test the water but not one for embracing change I've kinda stuck with ombré for 12 months. 

Anyways bored with the blonde, mid body pump class Tuesday morning I decided to just go for it and walked into the hairdressers can you make me brunette before I change my mind please and they had the time YAYYY!! 

I feel like there's so much more that you can do with it (despite only having it down for a couple of hours and up at work the rest of the time) I just feel I'm going to be able to pull more off with dark sophisticated locks! 

To bring myself into Autumn I've ditched the pastels and brought myself into October with a colour called "Intrigue" by Jessica GELeration. We offer a full manicure, GELeration overlay polish lasting three weeks and a complimentary Starbucks whilst getting them done for only £30. Quote "skinny vanillas" when booking in with myself Heather for 25% off your GEL nails making them only £22.50 !! 

How are you embracing Autumn? 

Heather xxx 

River Island 20% off HAUL!

I've wanted this dress for a while and not had an occasion worth paying £46 for it just sit in my wardrobe. So when logging onto River Island to finally purchase it, I was even happier to find it in the sale for £25. It's so flattering, comes just above the knee so isn't to short and is baggy enough to disguise all the lumps and bumps I've gained from to much eating and drinking this Summer! 

I'm obsessed with lace up anything at the minute at this top makes a perfect day to night look with a pair of skinny jeans. The front is a really flattering lose fit (perfect for meals out) and the back adds a little bit of something extra. £25 but only £20 with the student 20% off.

Again I told you I'm a sucker for anything lace up, this white top is a little more casual but will go well with a number of different things. White blouses are always my favourite wardrobe essential! £28 but only £22.40 with the student 20% off.

 Sucker for a polo neck or anything camel this top is perfecto for another day to evening Autumn/Winter look. Especially loving it paired with white skinny and heels as shown on the website! 

This Jumper was £32 but only £25.60 with the 20% discount! 

After falling in love with the cream version of this dress and the flattering fit I was over the moon to find they do it in my new favourite colour Khaki !!! 

Dress is £46 full price but only £36.80 with the student discount, I can see me wearing this dress a lot this Autumn/Winter. 

FINALLLLLLLLY treated myself to pair of over the knee boots after umming and ahhing over a pair last year and massively regretting never committing to getting any. So was delighted to see they've come back around in fashion this year! 

These River Island boots are usually £75 but only £60 with the 20% student discount, so couldn't believe my luck! Cannot wait to wear them with the Khaki Dress above or basically any of my new purchases as they're so AMAZINGGGG! 

Last but not least have you ever tried River Island perfume?! I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it is and the sample squirt I sprayed on myself actually lasted on my clothes unlike most High Street Shops perfume. Only £12 for 75ml which meant £9.60 with discount. I can spray guilt free at work now that I'm not wasting my expensive stuff! 

Has anybody else been taking advantage of the River Island 3 day student event?! 

Heather xxx

Trafford Centre, Shopping, Food and Films!

So I'm back from Ibiza now with major holiday blues and reality has hit everything I've bought recently is summer/holiday clothes and I have zero Autumn clothes 😔 so a little trip to the Trafford before the Cinema last night was definitely in order 

I've wanted a pair of superstars for months (despite me hating them in Feb when my boyfriend first got a pair, oops) but not found the exact ones to suit me. After stalking Sarah Ashcrofts blog continuesly and seeing how well the white with black stripes go I finally committed to a pair and I'm in love already! 

It's coming Autumn now so all the summer (not that we've had a summer) clothes are being packed away and I'm in desperate need of a new pair of skinny jeans. I love the topshop LEIGH jeans as they're so comfortable and only £34.20 with student discount. 

Whilst in topshop picking up my jeans I spotted this beaut soft camel scarf, I love camel in Autumn/Winter as mainly my wardrobe consists of black and white so a little bit of camel brings some warmth to an outfit, aswell as bringing out my inner Karsashian haha. 

Missguided now have a consession in selfridges which is perfect since I've fallen out with missguided for charging you £3.50 when you return something. I loved my primark pleather skater skirt I purchased about 3years ago and paired it up with so much but unfortunately the zip embarrassingly bust in Amsterdam last March so now its Autumn a new pleather is definitely needed. This skirt for £18 so only £16.20 with discount. BARGAIN! 

River Island have started doing ladies belts YAYYY! (correct me if they've always done them haha) I fell in love with this little number. Real leather, snake print with a gold buckle. Perfect for casual skinny jeans. I thought it was a little expensive at £25 but when you consider it's real leather so will last and how much wear I will get out of it, it's actually a bargain ;) 

After working up an appetite with wondering around the shops all afternoon it was ready for some dinner before the cinema.

We went to one of our favourite restaurants Tampopo serving a wide variety of east asian food.

I had the Japanese Tempura Prawns to start and the Japanese Katsu Curry for mains whilst Elliot had the Malaysian Satay Chicken for starters and Thai Green Curry for his main.  

Both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and can't wait to go back! 

On our full tummies we then went on to the cinema inside the Trafford Centre to watch Legend with my new crush Tom Hardy.

His performance as both the Kray Twins was incredible, it's a little big gruesome with all the violence  in some scenes but I think 99% of women want to marry a gangster after watching that film. I don't want to give to much away as it's an absolute must see!!

 Sorry this post is a week overdue I've been a busy busy bee but I wanted to do an overall of what I've been buying this week :) 

Heather xxx 

Autumn Skin Detox

So after my mammoth summer of 4 festivals, 2 holidays and a million other social occasions revolving around food and alcohol my summer is finally over and I've never felt so massive and ready to detox! 

My skins been really breaking out recently and it's definitely due to all the rich foods I've been eating and the fact I've not been as strict with my facial routines. 

Anytime I have a break out I immediately revert to a face map as I very rarely have spots there's definitely something underlying and the face map will tell me what the problem is. The skins the largest organ on the body so it's really important to look after it and listen to it when it's trying to tell you something! 

Forehead : Liver and Gall bladder

Cause:

Lack of sleep, eating too much fatty foods, drinking too much alcohol will lead to a spotty forehead. This reflects your digestion and you will need to help your body with less processed and fatty foods.

You may also need to stop wearing caps and hats (or make sure they are clean), avoid having a fringe and keep your forehead clear of anything that may irritate it.

Remedies:

Eat as much raw food as you can and drink lots of water to help your liver. Get lots of fresh air, do some brisk walking to get the circulation going and rest more.

Between the Eyebrows : Stomach and Liver

Cause:

Again this could be excessive rich foods or processed foods overloading your system. You could also be lactose intolerant and finding it hard to digest heavier foods such as meat.

Remedies:

Raw foods, lots of water and try to cut out on diary and meat products for a week or two and see there are any improvements.

Temples and Brows : Kidneys

Cause:

Too much toxin, too much stress and too little water – causing too much ‘heat’ inside your body

Remedies:
Drink lots of pure water and eat ‘cooling’ foods such as watermelon, cucumbers, apples to combat the excessive ‘heat’.

Nose : Heart

Cause:

High cholesterol and fatty foods will block arteries and impede blood circulation.Toxins will try to ‘escape’ through the skin as the other organs become overloaded.

Remedies:

Drink herbal teas to reduce cholesterol. The best is Organic Green Tea as it has gone through less fermentation process and is full of anti-oxidants; or you could also try Oolong Tea 2 -3 times a day. Do 30 minutes of light to moderate exercise daily and eat low fat fresh produce and lean protein.

Upper Cheeks : Lungs

Cause: 

Pollution, smoking, asthma, respiratory ailments will all lead to breakouts and broken capillaries in this area. This is also the area where rosacea and acne could also flare up.

Remedies:
Fresh air and exercises that increase oxygen intake will help as well as avoiding fatty and spicy foods. Again avoid all the culprits such as caffeine, alcohol, processed foods and try to avoid too much diary products and meat. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the way to go.

Lower Cheeks : Stomach and Liver

Cause:

Indigestion, overload of toxins and too much rich foods. You will find that this and the mouth area are areas that flare up after a festive season such as Christmas where there are more fatty and sugary foods around.

Remedies:

Go easy on sugary and fatty foods. Tempting as they are, eat a small portion or a small bite instead of eating the whole thing. Drink mint, aniseed or camomille teas after a big meal to aid your digestion. This is the time where a one to three day skin detox juice fast will do wonders to clear your skin.

Mouth and Chin : Stomach

Cause:

You are what you eat and it will show around the mouth. If you eat fast foods and no greens, then you will experience eruptions around the mouth and lower cheek area. Check also for teeth or gum problems and whether a change of toothpaste has had any adverse effects.

Remedies:

Cut out the processed foods, anything fried, spicy or oily and go fresh and green. Add more fiber to your diet and drink lots of water. 

Jawline : Colon and Ovaries

Cause:

Hormonal imbalances due to monthly periods for women, stress and other causes could link your acne and hormones together. Some medication will also cause a reaction in this area. Late nights and a change of climate, living habits (eg: travel), and also anxiety and stress can cause breakouts in this area.

Remedies:

Yoga, plenty of rest, deep breathing, meditation will all help to balance your mind and your body. Eat simply and organic where possible concentrating on leafy greens and fresh produce. Fish oil Omega 3-6-9 and evening primrose oil will also help.

Ears : Kidney

Cause:

Too much salty foods, not enough water, too much caffeine will cause the ear area to flare up.

Remedies:

Cut out on salt and beware of foods that have added salt. Read all food labels carefully. Drink water regularly during the day.

Although face mapping is a good indicator of our inner health, there are other factors also that contribute to acne skin problems. Personal hygiene, clothing, cleaning products, weather, foods, lifestyle all play a role  in our skin’s overall health and appearance.

One of my favourite things to do when on a detox is visit a spa as it's an alternative to going out eating/drinking and it makes you feel so relaxed afterwards aswell as your skin getting the chance to sweat out all of your toxins. 

The photo above is from the woodlands spa (official website photo) that's one of my favourite spas to visit as obviously it isn't much of a treat if you come to your own work for a relaxing spa day. 

I shall be blogging about my detox once I've come up with a meal plan and booked myself into a spa :) hope you've enjoyed the face mapping! Message me any beauty questions you have too, I don't mind answering. 

Heather xxx 

What I'm wearing this September...

1. Bomber Jacket - I bought a Khaki Bomber beginning of August for Kendal Calling and I've absolutely loved it, got loads more wear out of it than I originally thought I would of done and can see myself living in it now we're coming into Autumn. It surprisingly goes with anything and so comfortable.

2. Lace Up Swimsuit - So next weekend I'm off to Ibiza for the first time and I've been crushing over anything lace up for months now! I'm far from bikini/swimsuit ready from all the eating/drinking/festivals/partying over summer so I think I'm going to be opting for an all black attire this holiday!

3. St Tropez Shower Tan - This still baffles my mind now its absolutely amazing. It's a gradual tan that you apply in the shower, leave to soak in for 3minutes, shower off and it develops throughout the day without any smell of tan or stickiness. It's bloody genius! 

4. Dr Marten Boots - I've wanted some of these for a little while but never felt 'cool' enough to pull them off, anyways with a little persuasion from my boyfriend and the profits from my Depop selling, I finally treated myself to a pair for Leeds Festival and gutted I hadn't bought them sooner. They look amazing with a pair of ripped skinnys and a khaki top ;) 100% channelling my inner 90's kid!

5. Lace Up Sandals - Another Ibiza purchase but on the asos site at £35 I was a little unsure whether they'd be worth buying with us going into winter. So I had a quick search into depop and managed to snag myself a pair for £18 including postage. Very pleased with my bargain!

6. Sea Salt Spray - So since leaving my GHDs at a spa last month :-| I'm having hair nightmare and love the look my hair has when its wet and wavy (then it drys and goes puffy and ugly) so I'm hoping this spray will give me an effortless beach babe look.

7. Button Denim Skirt - Recently bought one very similar from The Trafford Centre as my thighs currently look like cellulite sally aren't wanting to debut in hotpants on holiday so this gives them a little more coverage and will go perfectly into winter with a pair of tights!

8. Topshop Hat -  Recently fallen in love with hats, purchasing already a Carhartt beanie, Vans Trucker cap and Adidas baseball cap this summer (I swear its this hair dilemma, I might as well buy a new pair of GHDs) for festivals this summer. I fell in love with this one the minute I tried it on, tried to forget about it as it's priced at £35 but couldn't help myself but go back for it, absolutely perfect for disguising greasy hair whilst dressing up a daytime outfit!

9. Asos Bumbag - Never in my life did I think I would ever contemplate buying a bloody bumbag but it's still sat there under undecided in my asos basket weeks later. I really don't want to go back on everything I've ever said and become a hypocrite bum bag w****r but how else are you meant to party in these Ibiza clubs and carry around your lipgloss, chewing gum, money, ID, phone and room key? I ended up buying a nike backpack for festivals this summer but I don't think it will quite go with my Ibiza dresses *monkey covering eyes emoji* At least if I invest some money into this one its a prettier girlier version. Yes? No? AGHHHH the dilemma! 

10. RayBan Round Sunglasses - Tried these on in the Trafford Centre after gaining a little thing for round sunglasses this summer and I fell absolutely head over heels in love. I literally haven't stopped thinking about them but at £180 I just can't do it. I've to many outgoings already this month to even justify it. So my cheap blue ones I picked up from a stall at V Festival will have to do for now. Just don't let me get drunk at the airport or I'll end up in duty free!

11. Asos Crochet Dress - My first Ibiza purchase (and the only Ibiza purchase I actually like) this has been sat in my asos basket for weeks priced at £45 so I couldn't believe my luck when it came down to £18 in the sale! I've seen a few bloggers wearing this dress this summer and it looks fab! I already can't wait to wear it again with my Dr Martens when I get home.. I literally have no idea who I think I am these days :') where's girly Mils gone?! 

So that is a small summary of what I've been purchasing this month, believe me I don't even want to think about how much I've actually bought.. When my minds out of holiday mode I'll be back to make another post on what I'll be wearing this September. I just cannot seem to focus on A/W fashion when my summer isn't over yet. Whooooops! 

Mils xxx

Manchester 5k Colour Run....

What another hectic busy month with nothing but eating out and drinking LOADS... when it's your birthday who says you can't take the entire month to celebrate..?!

To be fair though to kick start July we took part in the Manchester 5k colour run and it was an absolute BLAST.. that 5k of complete and utter messing about in paint counts for having a month off the gym and eating everything in sight, right?

The queue for the race was so long we started to feel a little parched whilst waiting so thought it was best to crack open a few tinny's in the start up line.. the looks on the faces of some of these serious '5k' runners was priceless!

Here's our before and after photos of 'team skinny' all fresh and clean pre-race and absolutely covered in paint afterwards! 

If you're nervous about doing a run for the first time, this is such a good race to start out on. It's full of fun and laughter the whole way around. For every 1k you run they chuck a different colour paint on you, which is a brilliant excuse to stop and catch your breath whilst rolling around in paint ;) 

I cannot wait to take part in another fun race.. did anybody else take part in the Manchester Colour Run too? I'd love to see your photos!

Mils xx

Return of Mils...

First of all let me apologise for the lack of posts the past couple of months, personal life has been hectic and I've needed some well needed 'me' time, I cannot count how many times I've sat down to write a post and ended up completely distracted and never completed it. 

Must say logging on today and seeing my daily page views after being inactive for so long is so refreshing and a massive kick up the bum to keep blogging. Thank you!

So considering instagram is practically my life, I think it would be easiest to update you on my life via instagram.. and let you into alllllllll my secrets!

So first of all I am now Vegan... well a part-time Vegan.

Do you realise how difficult it is to eat Vegan when you're eating out! Any veggie option is covereddddd in cheese or cream so unless you're asking them to make you something especially its pretty difficult. Must say massive thanks to San Marco for being the only restaurant I've had the balls to ask for a Vegan option and being so amazing'ly accommodating. 

But so far I've loved the journey, this book the 22-day revolution is written by Beyonce's PT as she is now a vegan herself so if it gets me looking like her....... watch this space! 

Here's an instagram post of one of the 347457494744 things I've bought since last blogging, so thought I'd share on here considering I've not worn them yet. 

In Jan/Feb time I signed up to JustFab for those amazing black thigh high lace up boots. Anyways JustFab is like most evil genius scheme going. You create an account and every month they take £35 "membership fee" out of your bank account, which is then redeemable on a pair of shoes unless you cancel it which you can only do on the phone, and with me being THE most forgetful person in the land I keep forgetting to cancel the membership and now I have a million pairs of JustFab shoes still in their box. They're so bloody clever! 

So it's now officially festival season eeeekkkkk and I've just purchased a Friday day ticket to Leeds fest to see the FABULOUS Kendrick Lamar. Literally so excited to be a day guest to a festival, recently we went to Parklike in Manchester and it felt soon good to actually look good at a festival cause you haven't woken up in a tent and done your makeup in a compact mirror. 

This summer we've done Parklike, got Kendal Calling weekend camping in 5 weeks, V Festival weekend camping in 12 weeks. Leeds in 13 weeks and then Mint Festival Sunday ticket in 16 weeks.

SUMMER OF FESTIVALS - PERFECT!

(Festival Blog to follow!)

So you might recognise this as an old photo but we're doing the colour run again this year WOO! It's only 9days away and my running fitness is completely none existent. I booked this thinking it would get me back into running. It hasn't. But it's THE most fun run ever. If you haven't seen a colour run before for every 1k you run there's a different paint area where they just cover you in paint as you run through. There's 6 of us on our team this year so LOTS of photos will be to follow. 

So this is a secret I haven't revelled on social networks as I want to remain a natural beauty but considering you've gone through the PAIN of reading everything above on my life...

I've had hair bonds put in and AMAZING! 

I'm actually really happy with the length of my natural hair, it's been a long process and going 'ombre' has helped the health so so much but the ends are SO thin due to years and years of being blonde and bleaching. I was let into this amazing hair secret, instead of having a full head of extensions which is usually two packs of hair. I've just had three quarters of a pack put in and cut to the same length as my natural hair to thick it out and WHAT a difference it makes.   

They're tiny little beads and they're completely discrete, lightweight and so easy to wash. Even with my hair pulled up into a tight ponytail you'd never know they was there! 

This is probably the best photo I have of them although this is on day two of Parklife where I'm hanging and I'd chucked a drink all over myself the day before haha. But those curls where put in on the Friday and this photo is taken on the Sunday. Need I say more.. best thing ever! 

So it's pretty pointless making a Parklike post as a) I have zero outfit selfies, which is a blessing in disguise as I'm now free to re-wear them. b) I remember zero of Parklife as being on a vegan detox for two weeks then go drinking on an empty stomach doesn't go hand in hand. All you need to know is that we had a FABULOUSSSSSS time and have been on a downer waiting for the next festival ever since. 

These ladies are my entire life, since the previous post when I spoke about our reunion we've been inseparable like we've never been apart, our whats app group is NONE stop all day everyday of drama, gossip and laughter. We've booked festivals together, two holidays together, they've looked after me when I can't remember my own name, we've been round to each others houses at daft times cause one of us is upset and with in the past 6 months been through so much together we're stronger than ever! I can't put into words how much I love these three ladies.

Kirstie is my life coach always on hand for a wine over food and gives me the best advice.

Tasha is my Mum/Wild Partner always looking after me/planning our next adventure.   

Emma is my daily motivator and ego feeder, one negative thought and Emma's shouting at me reminding me of how amazing I am haha.

Everyone needs friend like these girls! 

BRING ON THE SUMMER! 

The girl who said she's never getting acrylics again has had 4 separate sets of acrylics done since I last blogged, each set getting longer and longer! I think I'm addicted again, they're just so beautiful all the time. These where done by Emma at work (instagram-@purehealthybeauty) with a GELeration overlay of 'soho in love' this colour is PERFECT! 

AND THESE ARE MY NEW OBSESSION - MOVE OVER SKINNY VANILLAS!

HELLO ICED CARAMEL!

(yeah holiday body is doing REAL well.. only 13days woo!)

My Decleor Skin Care Routine..

So as many of you know I'm a full time Beauty Therapist and been working as a qualified Decleor Specialist for 4 and a half years now (alongside many other amazing brands I'm going to blog about too, so watch out.) But for some reason, I think it's cause I'm doing it all day every day, I take my beauty knowledge for granted and don't blog about it. 

So I've decided to share with you an incite of my knowledge, which clients pay a lot for my advice and also share with you my personal skin care routine.

So if you use any type of facial wipe what so ever either BIN them NOW or exit this page immediately cause alongside soap and water they are my absolute HELL, BUG BARE and the number one reason why young girls have crap skin.

To explain it a little better, would you get home from a night out, pour a little bit of vodka on a cotton pad and proceed to take your makeup off with it? No? Then why are you using these chemically alcohol wipes to cleanse your face? You're spending all this money on expensive makeup so why aren't you looking after the canvas underneath?

I'm going to try and not get to technical here as I can go off on one with this subject. But your skin is basically made up of an acid (your acid mantle) which is your natural protection barrier for all outside elements (free radials) and pollution. 

Face wipes and soaps are an alkaline and like a chemical reaction back in school, when an alkaline and an acid combine they turn your pH scale to neutral meaning bye bye natural protection layer, bye bye acid mantle. Your skins now fully exposed to free radicals and pollution to eat away at all your natural goodness and if you're not putting a good moisturiser on too, all the chemicals in your makeup are now free to soak deep into your skin. YUMMY! 

So I can now hear you saying you don't have enough time.. worst excuse in the world.

Sometimes in a not so perfect world I forget my cleansers and toners and end up borrowing face wipes when I'm drunk off friends (who refuse to listen) and I'm literally scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing. My eye makeup will NOT budge, my skins getting red and sore and I'm on my 3rd wipe cause my makeup won't come off in one go.

One blob of cleanser into my hands, rubbed together and applied all over my face. One hot muslin cloth or cotton pad. Rub a dub dub.. off in one go and your skins feeling fresh and silky smooth. A little blob of toner onto a cotton pad to close your pores and you're feeling completely refreshed in less than two minutes. 

So now I've got THE most important point (alongside moisturising which is self explanatory) off my chest, heres my personal skin care routine, featuring my little Polyvore collage *smug emoji face*

1. Decleor Cleansing Milk - (large white bottle) massively important to use day and night to cleanse and refresh the skin leaving it hydrated and nourished.

2. Decleor Eye Makeup Remover - (smaller blue bottle) such a luxurious oily textured product, not 100% necessary as a lot of the time the cleansing milk removes all my eye makeup too. But for when I've got more stubborn eye makeup on or eyelash glue entwined into my lashes this takes it all away in one sweep without upsetting my extremely sensitive eyes as it's all natural.

3. Decleor Tonifying Lotion - (large pink bottle) after cleansing comes toning to refresh the skin and close all those open pours so no nasties can get inside.. Did you know the pours take up to 8hours to close on their own naturally? So get toning before applying ANYTHING else to your skin. 

4. Decleor Neroli Serum - (small serum top left) a serum is a POWER product that you apply before your moisturiser. Basically the molecules of a moisturiser sit on top of the skin, nourish your surface layer and protect your skin from nasties. A serum has much smaller molecules meaning it can travel through every layer of your skin treating skin before it's even surfaced meaning your treating the skin as it's being produced, rather than when it's to late. A serum also makes your moisturiser 63% more efficient when rain dropped on to the skin before hand. 

5. Decleor BB Cream - (tall slim tube) I use this is my daily moisturiser as it has all the properties of the Hydra Floral moisturiser, with an SPF 15 and it's tinted to make me look more glowing on makeup free days and provides a good base for my makeup too. 

6. Decleor Hydra Floral Eye Cream - (small yellow tube) your eyes are so so important as they're the area that shows your age. The skin around the eyes is so so delicate so needs extra special attention to help hydrate and nourish. Applying thick creams directly onto the delicate skin creates puffiness as the cream has nowhere to go. A light eye cream is to be applied along the eye bones and will expand to where it needs to go as it soaks into your skin. 

7. Decleor Neroli Night Balm - (middle jar) made up of the same properties of the serum, the balm is a much more intense version that you apply after cleansing before you go to sleep. The balm is very luxurious and feels thick when applying. The balm sits on the skin and cleverly drip feeds its goodness into your skin over 8 hours whilst you sleep. Leaving you waking up with it completely soaked in and your skin looking amazing and rejuvenated. (fave product)

8. Decleor Hydra Floral Mask - (bottom right tube) an amazing hydrating mask for when your skins feeling a little dull and dehydrated. Massage the creamy formula into the skin until left with a fine oil, leave on for 10minutes and instantly fine lines are smoothed out and  skin is feeling plumped and refreshed. 

So there we have it, my skin care routine.

Hope you've all found this interesting, BINNED your face wipes and learnt a little more about the importance of looking after your skin.

You might look a million dollars now whilst you're in you're in your twenties but it's not going to last forever. If you're spending decent money on makeup, why aren't you spending decent money on its canvas? Cause thats the thing you're gonna have to live in for another 60+ years! 

Let me know if you found this useful and if you'd like more beauty specific posts?

Heather xxx

Four Days in Amsterdam

So finally Amsterdam has been after being so excited for so long. This was the boyfriends Christmas present from myself and it's been the longest wait ever.. I don't know who's been more excited me or him! 

Obviously needed an entire new wardrobe for Dam so March was spent shopping..shopping..shopping! 

This year we had the BEST idea in the world and stopped over at the Manchester Airport Marriott the night before which to my delight has a San Carlo Restaurant inside the hotel. PERFECT'O filled our tummy's with Italian Stodge (as we might of possibly been out partying all the night the night before) to cure our minor hangovers and full on KO'd at 8:30pm ready for our 4am get up!

Obviously drinking Latte's for a complete change.

Day One 

So feeling fresh after our amazing nights sleep at the Marriott, we touched down in Dam for about 9:30am was at the hotel, room checked into and out and about in the city centre for 11am! It was such a beautiful sunny day although a little nippy still and a perfect day to explore! 

After fuelling our bellies with some Dam Street Food and Coffee we headed over to Amsterdam Dungeons which has got to be the most HILARIOUS experience of my life. Not cause the actors weren't scary but 99% of the tourists on the tour where high as kites and just so witty and fun, even the actors where struggling to compose themselves. I can imagine it actually being really really scary if it wasn't for all the europeans higher than snoop dogg making it so funny. It was then we decided we needed to try an Amsterdam Coffee Shop for ourselves.

We stumbled across the famous The Bulldog Coffee shop to try out our first cake (when in Dam) and both of us felt absolutely nothing. The worst 14euros ever spent, for the next three hours I kept saying "you feel it yet?" to get the same response NOPE! Even though they where named space cakes I'm genuinely wondering if we just purchased normal over priced cakes haha! We're both first timers so I wanted to feel it like a smack in the face and enjoy the afternoon floating on clouds. 

Okay so our first night in Dam I'm booked us into 'Supper Club' and it has got to be the strangest thing I have ever experienced in my life. I needed that entire bottle just to chill me out. The idea is a club come restaurant that you reserve a bed instead of a table and you eat on the beds. It's pretty cool but it's just so weird to be led on a giant bed, in a club next to loads of other couples, eating a meal. It's 59euros for a 5 course surprise menu, which is VERY daring for me as I'm only recently getting more adventurous with my food and still have a massive thing against seafood (except prawns, standard.)

I really enjoyed it though, there was a couple of things I wasn't sure about but at least it's an experience and I can say I've tried them now! The club bit where we was laying/eating was playing house/techno music and downstairs they had a RnB club. I must say if you're looking for something different and wanting to make Amsterdam special I definitely recommend this place as it's a very different experience from anywhere else.

Monday Nights Outfit (comfort and warmth was key)

Fur Pom Hat - eBay

Padded Coat - Zara

Military Jumpsuit - George @ Asda

Cross over bag - River Island

Chelsea Boots - Public Demand

Day Two 

So Tuesday we woke up FRESHHH after SupperClub and ready to take on the day. All the clothes I'm wearing in the post above have been featured before, alongside my Nike Air Force Ones and my padded Zara coat, I felt every part a European Tourist!

Tuesday was so much fun we started the afternoon off after lunch by visiting the Heineken Experience. It's absolutely amazing, I was a little bit sceptical at first cause I hate beer but I really really enjoyed every part of it. Even drinking the two free Heinekens at the end despite thinking I didn't like it. To anybody visiting Amsterdam I would definitely put this on your to do list, I loved it! 

Tuesday was also St Patricks day and even in Amsterdam everyone's celebrating for the Paddy's hard. All the Irish bars where packed out with crowds of people, pouring out on to the canals drinking Guinness and listening to live Irish singers. There was such a buzz of an atmosphere that we ended up pub crawling until we was drunk up the Red Light District, popped into watch a peep show and even bagged ourselves a free Irish Stew for Dinner. We didn't even end up going back to the hotel but staying out all day in our trainers loving life with the Dutch/Irish. 

Day Three

Wednesday was meant to be our day to rent bikes but it was so windy and cold we ended up finding ourselves sheltering indoors in Coffee Shops sampling what the locals enjoy most, window shopping in all the amazing trainer shops (Ell finally got himself a unique Patta jumper which is really cool in the boy world) and wondering around the red light district again (I literally love looking at them all in the windows they're hilarious) we headed down to Anne Franks house after taking a year to find the place to find a two hour long queue in the wind and cold so kinda phased that out and went to the sex museum instead haha! There's so much to do in Amsterdam there's random museums everywhere. After spending the day being silly, laughing so much I nearly wet myself several times and eating lots and lots of fries/waffles and other crap from the street stalls we went on a mission to find the Hard Rock Cafe.. I can't even remember why! 

Look how happy I am there with my cocktail.. little did I know at that point it was gonna cost me 24euros. Least I got to take the glass home cause that makes it worth every penny... (insert sarcastic face here)

Wednesday night was our last night (and we'd already had to draw more money out..Dam is expensive!) so we decided to be really cool kids and buy a few beers (for Ell) and a bottle of Prossecco (for me) and have a chilllllllled evening in the hotel listening to jams on the Bose speaker that goes EVERYWHERE with us before heading out for dinner. 

We then headed up to the SKYY bar in our hotel before dinner which is an amazing cocktail bar on the 10th floor, completely glass (opens out in the summer) with stunning views over the city. I enjoyed a Pornstar Martini as usual whilst Ell had a more manly stronger cocktail. We was gutted we hadn't been up there earlier cause it was really busy, with such a good atmosphere and a little feeling of class to bring to our afternoon spent in Coffee Shops! 

Considering Wednesday was our last night we was planning on going for a really nice dinner and choose to head over to Gauchos for a steak.. Only to actually leave the cocktail bar after a few to many and arriving at Gauchos for 11:45pm to find it closed (classic Heather and Elliot) we found a really nice steakhouse a few doors down called 'Ranchos' we both had a couple of drinks (myself on cocktails) with steak, rice and salad each. All for only 40euros for everything! Bargain of the century, Gauchos being closed was a blessing in disguise which meant we had more pennies to stay out all night partying in what Ell described as 'Magaluf cheesy bars' and basically just crying laughing all night and then try and figure out the night buses and google maps our way back to the hotel, (which I'm sure if you have me on snapchat really appreciated the videos posted on my story haha.)

Day Four

Our last day was hell, we was so hungover but I was determined to get a few 'touristy' photos. I loved the canals, the bikes and the beautiful buildings but all my photos seemed to consist of where drunken selfies. Above I'm wearing :-

Coat - Zara

Roll Neck - Autograph, M&S

Jeans - Topshop

Trainers - Nike Thea

Scarf - McQueen

Sunglasses - RayBan

Bag - River Island 

To shake off our hangovers we went looking for Vondel Park and after reading online that this was a legal place to have open sex we thought it would be hilarious to have a wonder through. Zero open sex but the park was beautiful and so peaceful. Runners, dog walkers, families and people lazing around in the grass. Apparently Vondel Park has a lot of free open air concerts throughout the year so if you're planning on visiting Dam it would definitely be worth having a look to see if theres any concerts on.

En route to finding Vondel Park we stubbled across the I amsterdam sign, it's just outside the Van Gough Museum but being the lazy, hungover kids we was on our last day we decided to give any more museum visits a miss and just have a chilled day out together wondering around the city one last time, as it was such a beautiful day. Upon our aimless wondering we came across Barneys Coffee Shop which had been recommended to us for its milkshakes and a smoke. I must say if you're visiting Amsterdam and fancy a smoke, Barney's in our opinion was a much nicer coffee shop than The Bulldog I've posted a photo of above. We also really enjoyed The Green House Coffee Shop just off The Red Light District which had photos on the walls of all the famous people who'd visited there including Rhianna and Snoop Dogg (the only people I can remember haha.)

So hope you enjoyed reading my 2625282 page blogpost on our AMAZING time in Amsterdam! I hope it helps anyone that's travelling over to Dam for the first time to pick up a few tips on where to go.. And anyone that has already been, do you have any recommendations too? Cause I'll definitely be returning! 

Heather xxx