10 things that have made me happy this month

October 28, 2017October 28, 2017 | blueskygirlie

Its October, theres a chill in the air, the leaves are on the ground and Halloween is nearly upon us. I love this time of year and this month has been filled with some lovely stuff. Want to know whats been making me smile this October?

Starting Weightwatchers (again)
OK, so starting a diet isnt making me smile but getting back in control of my eating is. I had a few months (well about 6 🙈) of no calorie counting and although I kept up my running some weight crept back on. I’m not happy bigger and I knew I needed to get my eating back on track. I lost the bulk of my weight about 6 years ago with Weightwatchers (probably 3 stone) then went in to lose another 2 on my own so it felt right to re-join for 3 months to get back to a weight I’m happy at.

Getting organised on Etsy
My ‘Always a Blue Sky Girl’ Etsy shop is my business baby. I favour it over other selling areas I have (sorry Ebay) but when I’m busy it seems to fall by the wayside. This month I’ve made a conscious effort to get my best vintage stock listed, add some great photos and curate a really stylish selection of items.

If you want to check it out click here

Park running
As I mentioned I’ve still been running my 5k three times a week, every week. I pretty much never miss a run and this time of year is perfect for it. If you’re thinking of starting a fitness regime don’t wait for New Year, start now! The scenery is stunning, its not too hot and you can wrap up if its chilly. When I need to de-compress I pop in my headphones, zip up my jacket and take a route through my local parks and it totally de-stresses me…

Reuben’s 11th birthday…in fact just Reuben generally!
My son Reuben turned 11 on the 11th and it really was a fantastic couple of days. After asking for some totally random presents – a 1990’s Gordon the Gopher puppet and a pie in the face (not a game or anything, the actual action) for example, we all had fun as a family and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. He’s growing up so fast and this month has been filled with secondary school open days as secondary school places have to be applied for by the end of the month. He, as ever has been a total star and we also got the news he passed the 11+ too (the banding test to determine the 20% of children who can apply to a Grammar school). He had to work very hard for the last 12 months and I am incredibly proud of him.

Ebay China
I do love a bargain and we all know the real bargains lie many 100’s of miles away in that far off country…China. I dont often buy from China due to the long delivery times and the hit and miss quality but this month I took a few chances buying accessories and the results were amazing. This Vivetta inspired cat design false collar? Yours for about £4 including shipping!

Creating wish lists
I’m a pretty organised fashion lover. When I see something I love, either in an ad, featured in a magazine or on a blogger, I save a photo of it for later. On Instagram you can save any image to your own personal area and create different areas for them to be put in. The rest I save on my phone to look out for when I’m shopping…and as we get nearer to Christmas? Well a traditional gift wish list is perfect. Always wonder why some people get EXACTLY what they want each year? Yep…Amazon have a great one and you can add items to it from any website and then email it out or go old school and print one out like the example below..

Decluttering
Now, its OK writing wishlists for new season products but you’ve got to fit it all in. I try and follow a strict ‘1 in 1 out’ system so if I want new things other stuff has got to go!

I sell many of my unwanted items on Depop cheaply to get rid of them quickly as I hate having piles of stuff around I dont want anymore. For those not familar with the site, Depop is a great app for buying and selling, is safe and money changes hands via PayPal. Alot of bloggers sell through there so you can often end up buying stuff from peoples whose style you love which is great. The rest I bag up and take to the charity shop…where I usually end up buying more stuff! Ah well, baby steps…

If you want to check out my Depop shop click here.

Halloween
I’ve always enjoyed Halloween and was having parties way back in the late 80’s and early 90’s when Halloween wasn’t really a thing yet in the UK. A few days ago we went back to Fright Night at Thorpe Park with our older boys and enjoyed getting scared to (almost) death by zombies via the AMC Walking Dead experiences. We went last year and its now become a date in our diaries we will keep repeating. Halloween is something you can dip in and out of depending on your life stage but for me now its a chance to dress up, watch horror movies and of course eat the sweets the trick and treat’ers don’t take! This is me last year…

Sale shopping
I love a bargain, and this month I have found some brilliant ones…all at 70% off (or free – the shoes were a buy 2 items get the 3rd free!). Look for transitional pieces you can layer up for winter and you can wear them straight away.

Netflix

Netflix makes me happy every month to be honest, but this month? Stranger Things is back, their ‘made for Netflix’ films continue go from strength to strength and are as good as anything in the cinema (check out Stephen Kings ‘Geralds Game’) and their documentaries are amazing. If you havent watched ‘Five Foot Two’ on Lady Gaga do – its beautifully made, honest and very interesting.

All that and then I watched the first episode of the reboot of Dynasty. I’m obsessed!!!

Whats made you happy this month? Take time to think about it and enjoy the little things – I know I do!

#AD SkinChemists Venom Mask

September 25, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

As you may know by now I do love trying new beauty products. At 44 the battle to stay looking fresh is becoming harder and harder but I’m not going down without a fight!

The skinChemists Venom Mask is be a deep moisturising skincare product which contains their hero active ingredient, Syn-Ake. Syn-Ake is a peptide that mimics the activity of venom of the Viper snake…so thankfully no snakes were milked to create this product! This ingredient is supposed to be capable of reducing wrinkles by inhibiting muscle contractions and has received a lot of good press.

SkinChemists’ Venom Mask is specifically designed as a leave-on, overnight treatment to work on the skin whilst it is most receptive to repair and regeneration. The anti-ageing skin treatment works to firm and plump the skin, whilst deeply hydrating and rejuvenating the skin to leave it fresher, brighter and protected by morning.

Theres no debate, this is a high end, investment purchase with the product selling on the skinChemists website for £94.90. So the big question…is it worth it?

Lets start with what its made from – the main active ingredients in the formulation are:

1) Syn-Ake – imitating the effects of the venom of a Temple Viper Snake, works to reduce mimic wrinkles by inhibiting muscle contractions to reduce the visibility of signs of skin ageing.

2) Hyaluronic Acid – this helps to maintain a moisturised and firm skin for plumper, younger-looking complexion,

3) Glycofilm – which works to protect the skin against environmental pollution and aggressors, which helps to reduce skin damage and premature ageing.

These are all premium products which do very specialised things, plus they are all at a high concentration so thats brilliant. Its always worth comparing the concentrations when looking at products as that, ultimately, is what you are paying for. SkinChemists products are always pure quality and I am consistently impressed with their innovation and quality.

What I was a little disappointed by was the packaging. This is suprising as I usually really like skinChemists packaging – the mask comes in a plastic tube which is more than fit for purpose but it doesn’t feel luxurious in the slightest and it certainly does not feel correct for a product retailing at almost £100. I understand that the ingredients used in the product are top quality and are probably the reason why it has a high price tag but I really think the packaging could have been so much better to fit in with the quality of this product.

That aside, I did really like this mask and its effects but for me it didn’t reach the heights of other skinChemists products I have tried. If used at night, it does leave your skin looking brighter and with less visible lines in the morning when you wash it off. It also doesnt tighten the skin in that uncomfortable way like some masks do. I would say if you can find it at a better price (Look Fantastic for example is selling it for £44.00 and Amazon for £49.00) then its maybe worth investing if you are looking for a long term treatment for aging because this is definitely a great product.

Buy skinChemists Venom Mask here.

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

#AD Midweek Meal Inspiration with Capsicana

August 23, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

Last week I was lucky enough to be sent some new cooking sauces to try out by Latin food experts Capsicana as part of their #CapsiCarnival event. Capsicana is an authentic Latin American cooking sauce range, inspired by real Latin American dishes such as Mojo sauce from Cuba, Aji Verde sauce from Peru and Moqueca from Brazil. Bursting with real authentic ingredients from the region they also contain no artificial colourings or flavourings, are suitable for vegetarians, gluten free and only use non GM ingredients too.

For our first use we went for the Mexican Chilli & Honey sauce. This is a sauce based on ‘Puerco al horno con salsa de chile ancho y miel’, a classic Mexican dish. To recreate it, Capsicana use Mexican-grown chipotle & ancho poblano chilli peppers as well as honey, which has featured in the country’s food since Mayan times. The Mayans believed that a native stingless bee had been given to them by one of their gods and that it was a link to the spirit world – honey has been integral to Mexican cooking ever since. Its a medium level heat so I thought was a good place to start!

Following the receipe on the packet (I love a bit of receipe inspiration) we needed fresh chicken breasts, some peppers and an onion to create our feast. Its a lovely thick sauce which smells delicious the minute you open it and theres lots in a pack. One pack = two servings and its definitely enough for two hungry people.

Once the chicken was done, we chose to serve it with sautéd potatoes and a fresh salad and I have to say it was delicious! The sauce has a deep, rich flavour and a good heat to it without being too overwhelming. It is measured as medium heat which I’d say is about right. The sweetness of the honey isnt sickly, in fact it balances out the chillis really well and I found it a really delicious and easy to use cooking sauce.

Overall, I really liked this sauce, its consistency, pack size and flavour and it created a quick and easy dinner for two which as a busy person, I liked even more.

But best of all? I’ve still got three more sauces to try yet…

Capiscana quick cook sauces are available in Sainsburys and Waitrose priced at £1.99 each.

For more information and recipe ideas visit http://www.capsicana.co.uk

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

July Favourites

August 4, 2017August 5, 2017 | blueskygirlie

July has now come to an end…want to know what I fell in love with, bought and found so far this summer?

Of course you do!!!

Jumpsuits
I have worn a lot of jumpsuits so far this summer. Being 5’2″ I often have to have them shortened but its definitely worth it. I find them really flattering for my curvy figure and like dresses they are simple – they are all you need for a complete outfit.

Tassel earrings
Tassel earrings have been everywhere this summer and they are a great statement piece. I have bought them from all kinds of places the cheapest being shipped from China via ebay for less than £2.50. My favourites have to be the now iconic H&M ones – I have them in a few colours and they make any outfit feel special. They are just £8.99 a pair so if you see them in store grab a pair!

Coconut hair products
I love the smell & taste of coconut and have fallen in love with these hair products. The Inecto Naturals range is a low price but extremely good organic coconut oil based range and if you have hair that needs taming it is AMAZING! I also struggle with shampoos making my thick, wavy hair fluffy and unmanageable but since moving on to a low shampoo (find the review here) have found my hair much better. The new Garnier Ultimate Blends are silicon and paraben free and although don’t foam up as much as some shampoos (don’t be fooled, the foaming does little to actually clean your hair) have made my hair feel soft, managable and smelling great. They will now be a regulars on my bathroom shelf.

Basket bags
Summer means the beach and hopefully a holiday and I always find I start to use different bags day to day once the sun comes out as well as packing one for my holiday. These type of bags make you feel so summery, don’t cost that much and I managed to buy 3 this month!

HEMA
HEMA is a company I have only just discovered. Originally from the Netherlands, its a Tiger/Ikea/Paperchase hybrid and as well as all the cute homewares, stationery and food it has a really amazing make-up range! I bought a fab orange/red lipstick and lipliner for under £6 for the 2 and I havent stopped wearing them! The beauty range is huge, is great quality and very well priced. Currently mainly located in London main train stations go check them out if you’re travelling anywhere.

Primark £4 cross-over sandal
Sometimes you find something simple yet stylish that you just love. My advice? If it comes in other colours buy them…you’ll regret it later if you dont. These sandals by Primark have been a fabulous find for this summer and now I have them in 4 colours – and at just £4 a pair you can afford to buy multiple pairs.

Pineapples
OK its bordering on an obsession, but theres just something about a pineapple design that makes me so happy. I love to eat them, look at them, wear them and have them around me! The homewates were bargains from Asda and Aldi, the necklace was from Peacocks and the shirt was from one of my favourite stores, Zara.

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
This stuff is the bomb! You can cleanse your face plus remove any make-up (inc eye make-up) and it softens your skin too. Micellar water is made up of micelles (tiny balls of cleansing oil molecules) suspended in soft water. The idea is that micelles are attracted to dirt and oil, so they are able to draw out impurities without drying out the skin, therefore, it can be used as a facial wash, makeup remover and moisturiser all in one. It looks like water but when you put it on your finger and feel, it has a different texture than water – I just love it!

Slogans
I do love a cheeky slogan and couldn’t resist this sun hat from Tu at Sainsburys and these adorable pumps from H&M. Both were under £10 too…

I’m off on my holidays now and I’m sure you’ll see a few of these pieces popping up in my Instagram photos. Finding things you love brings you joy…simple as!

Enjoy the rest of the summer xx

#AD Skin Chemists Aqua Repair Facial Serum

July 29, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

Does your skin ever feel like it needs a long drink of water? For me, particularly in the summer months, I find my skin feeling drier and ‘thirstier’ than normal and usually begin moisturising more trying to refresh and feed my sun and heat damaged skin.

This serum from Skin Chemists is a little saviour in a tube! Its 30ml size seems small yet because you only need a little of the serum each day it definitely lasts for well over a month of use. It also fits nicely into your bag and I also used it as a cheeky skin ‘pick me up’ in the afternoon when my skin was really feeling tired.

The main active ingredients in the serum are:
1) Rose Water to calm and soothe the skin
2) Allantoin to moisturise and soothe thanks to its healing and anti-inflammatory properties
3) Aloe Vera to stimulate the healing process of the skin, its anti-inflammatory properties enable gentle soothing of the skin

Its feels cool and refreshing when you put it on and even though it seemed to refresh my skin totally, it dried really quickly to a matt base. I really liked this as it meant you could easily apply make-up over it without your skin feeling sticky if you wanted.Another lovely thing about this serum is its smell. It has a strong, sweet, fresh smell that lingers on the skin beautifully and makes you want to use it again and again. I love a nice smelling product and find it really makes a difference to my mood.I loved the refreshed feeling it gave my skin and although I didnt see much difference in my skins quality as a whole it definitely made my face feel calm, refreshed and hydrated. I’m off on holiday soon and it will definitely be coming with me to keep my skin feeling refreshed in the holiday heat.

Buy Skin Chemists 24hour Aqua Repair Facial serum here.

*I was gifted this product but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

#AD Epibrow Brow Design & Ultimate Lash Serums

July 24, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

I was recently sent two really interesting products from beauty experts Epibrow International to try. They are products that aim to make your brows and lashes fuller and thicker using some advanced professional beauty science rather than be a cosmetic fix.

So what were my brows and lashes like before?

Well the quick answer is, not good. My eyebrows are sparse due to over plucking (Thanks to Madonna’s Erotica look in the early ninenties mainly) and my eye-lashes are dark but short and dont really show unless I wear mascara, which I dont like to wear apart from on full make-up days. So basically anything that might help them I am interested in.

The products themselves – at £55 each these products arent cheap. So what do you get for your money?

Epibrow Brow Design Serum – what does the packing say?

THE ULTIMATE EYEBROW SERUM FROM THE EPIBROW EXPERTS – Get the beautiful, bold brows of your favourite supermodels with this eyebrow enhancing serum.

ADVANCED FORMULA – The fast-working formula contains ingredients such as iron and vitamin B, which are essential nutrients for hair growth.
NATURALLY THICKER & FULLER EYEBROWS – Key ingredients help speed up the natural growth process and give your brows a thicker, fuller shape.
EASY TO USE – For best results that can also make your brows look darker, use this advanced serum treatment once a day on clean, dry skin while massaging the area to boost blood circulation.
EXTENDS THE ANAGEN STAGE – Keeps the hair in its growing ‘anagen stage’ for a longer period of time, so you get full and maximum growth

Buy it here.

Epibrow Ultimate Lash – what does the packaging say?DREAM LASHES – Wake up to lashes of your dreams with this overnight treatment.

ADVANCED GROWTH INGREDIENTS – Formulated with essential minerals and polypeptides, this easy to use serum is applied along the base of the lash line (upper and/or lower lash line) before bed.
SIMPLE TO USE – Repeat every night for 4 weeks and over this time the nourishing formula gets to work, feeding the hair follicles and leaving you with thicker, fuller, longer and stronger lashes.
EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO EXTENSIONS – For long term results that offer a highly-effective alternative to extensions, wait 4 weeks between treatments then repeat.
EXTENDS THE ANAGEN STAGE – Keeps the hair in its growing ‘anagen stage’ for a longer period of time, so you get full and maximum growth.

Buy it here

Ok, sounds interesting! But does it work?

I used both serums regularly each evening for about a month. I found both easy to apply and neither irritated my skin or eyes. The brow serum has a very distinct and strong smell to it (a kind of menthol aroma) so I would suggest only using it once you’re sure your going to sleep as it is VERY noticable.

I first noticed my eyebrows thickening by the amount of make-up I was using. Instead of filling in my brows quite considerably with eyebrow pencil I was just having to add a few strokes. Small but noticeable new hairs had started to appear too and by week 3 I has having to neaten up my brows with tweezers.

(I obviously have make-up on in these 2 photos but I can still see a real difference)

My eyelashes looked longer and when I put mascara on, my bottom lashes in particular looked a lot longer. I also noticed less eyelashes ‘shed’ during the period I was using the serum.

At the end of a month using these products I can definitely confirm they make a difference. My lashes are thicker and particularly my lower lashes are longer. My brows have thickened up, some new hairs have grown and I am using a lot less eyebrow pencil on them.

These products are not cheap but used regularly definitely can make a real difference and a little goes a long way. I am definitely going to continue to use them and look forward to seeing continued results.

Ultimate Lash / £55*, Brow Design Serum / £55* – Epibrow International via Amazon

*I was gifted these products but all views stated are my own. For more information please see my disclaimer section.

Getting Ready for Holiday

July 12, 2017September 16, 2017 | blueskygirlie

I have less than a month before I go on holiday and I think its fair to say I’m starting to get excited. This is our first family holiday abroad as a blended family, and my first resort holiday in quite a few years – we are staying in an all inclusive family friendly resort in Majorca.

Holidays are great but you know what I like as well? Holiday shopping!!! Have a look at what I’ve been buying for the beach/by the pool…and you know me, they are all bargains!!!

Bikini top – £10/George at Asda
Bikini bottoms – £6/George at Asda

Swimsuit – £12/George at Asda

Sunglasses – £3/Primark
Sunglasses case – £2/Primark
Hard Sunglasses case – £3/Primark
Earrings – £8.99/H&M

Sun hat – £8/TU at Sainsburys

Earrings – £3, Necklace – £4/Peacocks

Playsuit – £7/Primark

Leather sandals – £20/Peacocks
Straw bag – £32/Bohemia Design
Sunglasses – £9.99/New Look
Hard Sunglasses case – £3/Primark
Beads – £1 (vintage)/Cancer Research UK
Lipstick/lip pencil – from £1.50/Hema
Hair products – from £1/Tresemme

Sandals – £4 a pair/Primark

Bikini bag – £1.50 / Primark

Straw bag – £9 / Primark

Bodysculpt control swimsuit – £12 / George at Asda

And of course a load of dresses etc for the evening but we’ll leave that for a different post!

Are you going on holiday this year? Have you bought some perfect pieces that you cant wait to wear in the sun? I’d love to know…

Palm Power

June 8, 2017June 8, 2017 | blueskygirlie

As it is now summer (hoorah!) its time to embrace all those colours and prints you wouldn’t normally wear any other time of the year. There’s something about a tropical print that always feels really summery and I am quite the slave to the palm print in both fashion and home.

So when this little gem caught my eye in the TU clothing department in Sainburys for just £20 I thought it was a really wearable summer staple and snapped one up.

It is described as a jumpsuit but I would describe it more as a culotte dress. I’m 5’2″ and its length sits like a midi dress on me. It is a fitted shape with square neckline and short sleeves and zips up the back and for those who hate summer and the nightmare that is thigh rub this is the perfect solution! Overall the shape is very retro and flattering and the wide cullottes balance out the fitted top perfectly.

I co-ordinated my new buy with some amazing OTT palm leaf acrylic earrings I got from New Look many years ago because, well, I love a Palm! I always wear these earrings in the summer and they have been a great buy.The tie waist adds an extra flattering element meaning you can pull the waist in if you wanted a looser fit (I chose to wear mine quite fitted) and the fabric has some stretch to it as well as being a vibrant mix of greens, black and beige highlights. I feel really great wearing this, have so far worn it to the office and can’t wait to wear it on holiday too.

Its available in store now but will sell out fast so grab one while you can!

Culotte Jumpsuit / TU at Sainsburys
Sandals / Primark (past season)
Earrings / New Look (past season)

#AD Skin Chemists Rose Quartz range

June 8, 2017June 28, 2019 | blueskygirlie

Pink. You’ve gotta love it. And when I see a pink product my eyes go all 😍. A little while back I tried out Skin Chemists Rose Quartz facial oil (find the review here) and really liked it. When the team sent me four more products from the range for Rose Quartz month I couldnt wait to try them out.

So what is Rose Quartz? Used holistically for hundreds of years, Rose Quartz is revered for its healing and comforting properties. The stone of unconditional love, it aims to prevent impurities and dead skin cells settling on the skin, to reveal soft, fresh and youthful skin.

Todays blog is a review of the Hydrating & Illuminating Day Moisturiser, which for me is probably the easiest way to start using the range…

According to Skin Chemists, the Rose Quartz Hydrating & Illuminating day moisturiser is formulated with nourishing and hydrating actives, to smooth, illuminate and refine the skin while protecting against daily environmental damage.

A product to be used first thing in the morning as part of your skincare routine, I found it to be very easy to use, easily absorbed into the skin and with a really lovely fresh floral fragrance…it really does make you feel all rosy! As with all the Rose Quartz range it quickly made my skin feel very soft and smooth to the touch and definitely plumped and nourished the drier areas of my skin.

The main active ingredients in the formulation are:

1) Alpine Rose Stem Cells – to repair the skin after daily exposure to harsh environmental aggressors and boost skin regeneration,

2) Vitamin E – to work as an anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory to soothe and repair the skin,

3) Rose Otto Oil – to restore moisture balance in the skin. Its anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties aim to repair and protect the skin, whilst firming and toning.

As ever with the Skin Chemists range I found the packaging visually appealing (its that love of pink thing again!) and the pump-action dispenser very efficient to use. The main things I liked about the product was its lovely fragrance as well the very soft feeling it gave my skin. Did it make my fine lines disappear? A little maybe, but it definitely gave me a lovely illuminated glow and really softened my skin and I think that is due to the formulas promise of removing dead skin cells and as a beauty product fan I’m happy with that.

Skin Chemists have been incredibly generous in giving readers of my blog the code SARAH1 for an amazing discount of over £50 off the RRP of £74.90 plus free shipping throughout June – at that price you can’t go wrong! Buy Rose Quartz Hydrating & Illuminating Day Moisturiser here.

I have also been testing the Age Defense Night Moisturiser, the Radiance Enhancing Eye Serum and the Youth Defence Lip Plump. Want to know what I thought?

Age Defence Night Moisturiser – this ultra-smooth moisturiser is designed to give the skin an extra boost while you sleep, resulting in a vibrant and healthy looking glow. My verdict: I found this a great feed for my face plus I found the scent very relaxing and helped me drift off to sleep.

Radiance Enhancing Eye Serum – this light serum is designed to visibly lift tired skin and brighten dark under eye circles. An irridescent pink formulation, light-reflective crystals work to illuminate the skin, boosting radiance and softening the appearance of blemishes and flaws. My verdict: I loved this sparkly serum and its light reflecting glow…

Youth Defence Lip Plump – bursting with active ingredients, the formula aims to plump and nourish lips, resulting in a more supple and hydrated appearance. It aims to visibly improve the shape, texture and volume of your lips. My verdict: after getting used to the minty cold feeling I liked this as an occasional use product to create a more pouty lip look.

Find the full Skin Chemist range here.

Remember if you want to try anything reviewed in this blog, use the code SARAH1 to purchase it for 60-70% off the RRP throughout June. Give it a go…what have you got to lose?