Award Season Cruelty Free Make-Up

This is going to be a slightly different make-up look post. Firstly, the make-up isn't on my face, it's on my sister's. Secondly, I don't have any product photos - so you're only going to see pictures of her face. This make-up look was born from me playing around with some new products, but I really liked the end result, so here goes!

I let my sister do her base as normal, and then I let loose. The main reason I started this look was to play around with the B. Contour Kit. This kit features a creamy highlighter and a powder contour. My sister is the palest of the pale, and the light shade was pretty perfect for her. However, the contour colour is a little warm - it's more of a bronzer style contour than a typical contour but it did the job. Both my sister and me were slightly confused by the placement of the pale cream and the dark powder - it would be so easy for the powder to stick to the cream and ruin it. That said, the highlighter is very glowy and natural. All in all, it's an okay kit, but I prefer the Barry M offering.

Staying with the 'face' element of the look, I also tried out a B. Glowing Shimmer Block in Just Peachy. It's one of those blush kits that has lots of colours running through it, and they blend to this gorgeous rosey glow. This looked stunning on her pale skin and gave a delicate warmth.

Moving on to the showcase - the eyes. I framed the eyes using the GOSH brow gel in shade 003. This is actually the shade I've been using on my brows recently, but because my sister has such dark hair she can get away with a darker brow then her natural.

On the lids, I began with a base of B. Vibrant Shimmer in Golden Sand. I love this colour and I think it looks stunning on her lids. In the inner corner I went in with B. Vibrant Shimmer in Moonshine. This really brightened up her eyes. On the outer edge of her eye I went to town with a black shadow from the elf Brights pallet. My sister wanted a very bold look and I definitely achieved that! I even brought a little of the black down under her eyes too (sticking to the outer corner) to give a really bold smokey look.

Her waterline is lined with a White Kajal eyeliner from The Body Shop and her lashes are coated in Showgirl from Barry M.

Finally, as this look could handle a bit of lip we went for the B. Rose Quartz.

I'm pretty happy with how this look turned out, especially considering I was just winging it and hand't tried out half the products before! Looking back, I think I could have gone darker on the bows and contour, and perhaps a little paler on the lips, but I love how deep the eyes look! If you were to try this look I'd probably recommend setting the lids with gold and silver shadow but the only ones we had to hand weren't cruelty free so I've chosen not to include them in this post.

Cruelty Free Winter Empties 2016

Since Winter is slowly coming to a close (okay, there is over a month of official winter left but a girl can dream) I thought I would clear out the bag of empty products I've accumulated over the past few months and share them with you! For the products where I know, I've indicated if they are vegan or not - a couple I forgot to make note of/don't expressly say on the packaging.

Superdrug Whitening Tape - Okay, I'll admit it. I have a flossing problem. I never really used to floss, but towards the end of last year I started experiencing sensitive teeth and found that flossing really helped. Also, after seeing how much gunk can come out of my teeth even after I've brushed them (it's disgusting) I've vowed to make it a part of my daily routine. I floss every evening, and my mouth just doesn't feel clean if I don't do it now! I really like this whitening tape, and I legitimately think it does make my teeth whiter (although that could just be because my teeth are cleaner). (Vegan)

Superdrug Spearmint and Sea Salt Shower Gel - This shower gel has a huge FOR MEN emblazoned across it because heaven forbid a woman wants to smell of anything other than flowers but I bought it because I couldn't find Superdrug's Mint Shower Gel and this was the closest alternative. I really liked the smell of this shower gel, although I prefer a full mint as I think it smells cleaner. The gendering of shower products continues to baffle me, though, and I'm fairly annoyed that Superdrug felt the need to proclaim that this product was for men, as it is literally the same product as the regular shower gel. (Vegan - I think)

Avalon Organics Strengthening Spearmint Conditioner - I reviewed this product in my Cruelty Free Comparisons series, and this is the second bottle of this that I've bought. The price tag is the only off-putting thing about this conditioner, as I love the smell and the way it makes my hair feel.

Dr Organic Argon Oil Conditioner - I picked this up when Holland and Barrett had an amazing Dr Organic offer on, and I was pretty pleased with it. I still think I prefer the coconut oil version, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy this one again. It left my hair feeling soft and the smell was unoffensive and fairly neutral.

Cranberry Festive Face Mask from Lush - This was the first lush fresh face mask that I'd tried and I have to say I loved it! I asked for it for Christmas because I didn't think I could warrant spending over £6 on a face mask, but now that I've used it I would definitely repurchase - in fact I can't wait till next Christmas when Lush bring this face mask out again. My skin felt so smooth after using it, and the fact that it was cold from the fridge was so soothing. This face mask smelt heavenly - like cranberries and roses - and because you get so much in a pot I was using it every day for a week to use it up before it's use by date. Next time I fancy a bit of a pamper, I'm definitely going to invest in a fresh face mask again! (Vegan - I think)

Roots Hair Mask by Lush - I feel like I've babbled on about Roots enough recently, so I'll just link to my hair routine post for my review! (Contains honey)

R & B Leave in Conditioner by Lush - Same goes for this product, check out my hair routine post! (Vegan)

Superdrug Nail Strengthening Hand and Nail Cream - I have very dry skin around my nails (a result of me biting at my skin - disgusting I know but it's a self perpetuating cycle that I'm trying my hardest to stop). I was also experiencing a lot of nail breakages before I bought this product. It sits by my bed and I massage it into my finger tips/nails every night before bed. I apply a nice thick layer and let it soak in slowly over night - t does wonders and I've already re-purchased it! It doesn't soak in super quickly, and a little goes a long way, so it's not great as a cream to apply throughout the day (although I do have a travel sized version to stop me from biting my skin in the office), but for what I use it for it works wonders. (Vegan)

Superdrug Tea Tree Cleanser and Toner - I liked this product and used it after my coconut oil cleanse to make sure I didn't have a layer of oil on my face before bed! It smells of a mix of tea tree and peppermint (so I was always going to love it) and left my skin feeling tingly after I used it - which I really enjoyed. I haven't repurchased this yet as I'm trying to get through a micellar water, but it'll be on my radar when I'm in need. (Vegan)

Superdrug Tea Tree Cream Exfoliator - I use this product every morning in the shower. Like the cleanser, it smells of tea tree and peppermint, so I find it really wakes me up in the morning! It also has walnut shell particles to exfoliate, which I believe are better for the environment than microbeads. I've already repurchased this.(Vegan)

e.l.f Pressed Powder - These are the shades Sand and Buff (my winter and summer shades respectively). I actually used up Buff a while ago so I'm not sure why it's only just made its way into my favourites, and I used up Sand at the beginning of the season. I'm almost through another Sand, but it broke up soon after it arrived so I haven't repurchased. This is a great pressed powder for the price tag, but it's not spectacular by any means!

There you have it! I've obviously kept the three lush pots (when you return five in store you get a free face mask) but my empties bag is looking a lot, well, emptier now! Have you used any of these products? Let me know what you think of them!

Cruelty Free Hair Routine

I had my first professional hair cut in over three years a couple of weeks ago, and since then I've tried really hard to take care of my hair to keep the ends looking nice and the roots feeling healthy. However, if there is a choice between sleep and hair I normally choose sleep, so this routine is really manageable everyday and means I don't have to get up pre-seven am before work. Plus, my hair routine is now entirely cruelty free, which I am over the moon about!

First things first, depending on whether its a weekend or a weekday dictates which product I start off with. If it's a weekend, I use Lush Roots Hair Mask. I absolutely love this hair mask, and it is perfect for fine and thin hair like mine. I don't think it stimulates growth like it says it does, but it does leave my hair feeling soft and clean - and it smells of pepermint which I adore. I apply it to my scalp before I get in the shower by creating lots of partings in my hair, and then I spend around 15-20 minutes massaging it in. I sometimes will put this on before a run, so I can rinse it out when I get back in. I usually don't even bother using shampoo after, so I just rinse, condition, and carry on!

If it's a weekday, however, I simply do not have time to spend 20 minutes letting a hair mask sink in! I use Lush Rehab shampoo. I got it after trying a few samples when Lush were out of my favourite Jumping Juniper shampoo bar and I haven't looked back! This pot has lasted my a good two months so far, and as you can see I'm only just half way through. It lathers really easily, and smells divine (mint and rosemary, two of my absolute favourite smells). Most importantly, it leaves my hair feeling super clean all day.

Next up, conditioner! From my Cruelty Free Comparisons series, you'll know that conditioner is a big part of my life and this Dr Organics one is one of my favourites. You might remember my small Dr Organics haul from the start of blogmas - this was one of the two conditioners I bought! I would say I roughly get through one of these conditioners every month. I brush this through my hair in the shower and leave it to soak in for as long as possible before I rinse it out.

Out of the shower, I towel dry and lightly brush my hair. I then get a healthy dollop (about the size of a penny) of Lush R&B on my fingers and rub it through my hair - concentrating on the ends and lengths and mostly avoiding the roots and scalp. Although this product smells... interesting... it does a fantastic job of keeping my hair super soft. The last pot I had of this size (100g) lasted me from April to December, but I doubt this pot will last as long now that I use it every day religiously.

Finally, last but not least, I scrunch my hair with a palmful of Umberto Giannini Curl Friends Mousse. This is the first cruelty free mousse that I've actually really liked - in fact I prefer it to my old non-cf Shockwaves mousse! Apart from the price tag (£5.50) there's nothing bad I can say about this product. I stand with my head upside down and scrunch this all over. When I flip back upright I part my hair roughly so it's not all in front of my face and leave it be!

There you have it! My cruelty-free, no nonsense, hair routine!

January Wrap-Up

We haven't had one of these for a while, have we?

This year I want to make monthly wrap-ups more of a feature on this blog. I really enjoy watching favourites, wrap-ups, and monthly review videos on YouTube, so I thought I'd have a crack at it on this blog too. My wrap-up's used to be purely book based and, whilst I'm still going to use this space to talk about the books I've loved, I'm going to start integrating other aspects, they might very well change each month, to remind me of where I was at throughout the year.

Books

I'm trying to do the 50 books challenge again this year - after my very unsuccessful attempt last year. I've deleted Goodreads because I never really used it properly, so instead I'm tracking my books in my bullet journal (there will be a post about my journal at some point in the near(ish) future once I'm settled into it).

I've read four books (almost) this month - two fiction and two non-fiction.

Thanks to my sister for being the disembodied arm holding these books.

1) 1984 - George Orwell. This is a book that's been on my 'to read' pile for donkey's years now, and I actually bought it for my Dad for his birthday a couple of years ago. For those who don't know, this is basically the original dystopian. I really enjoyed this book - its a really easy read for a modern classic, and if you enjoyed things like 'The Hunger Games' and 'The Maze Runner' this is a good leap into the adult fiction version of dystopian novels.

I love the cover of this book; there are so many great 1984 covers out there!

2) Bad Feminist, Essays - Roxane Gay. I started reading this book way back in the middle of 2015, but at one point or another I put it down and never picked it back up again. I have somewhat mixed feelings about this collection of essays, but it was certainly an interesting perspective. Gay is a black American woman who has been sexually assaulted in her past, so her view of the world (and the way the world views her) is completely different from my own. In places I felt like the essays could have done with another edit just to tighten them up a bit, and some of them I felt could have been cut altogether as they repeated points already mentioned, but on the whole I enjoyed reading this book.

3) Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I have now officially finished reading all the novels Adichie has published, so you could say that I'm a bit of a fan. Set in Nigeria, this novel is a coming of age about a young girl living in a very strictly Catholic family. Sometimes painful to read, Adichie's writing is vivid and beautiful, and I feel like I'm learning a lot more about Nigerian history and culture from reading her books.

I had to hold this book at an odd angle because the cover reflected the entire window!

4) Inside Team Sky - David Walsh. I'm actually just over 3/4 of the way through this book at the time of writing, but by the time you read this post I should have finished. Following Team Sky cycling team during their 2013 Tour de France, Walsh is the journalist who uncovered Armstrong and is trying to confirm his beliefs that Sky are a clean team. As you know, I'm a big cycling fan, but even for me some of the names go over my head! If you are interested in cycling, though, its a fascinating insight into how the teams operate.

Beauty

This was the month of Dirty perfume. I picked it up from Lush Oxford Street when I was there over New Years, and I've literally worn it everyday since. It's a really fresh and herbal scent - a minty rosemary, if that makes any sense. I love how clean it smells, and I can see myself continuing to wear it non-stop for the foreseeable future. I might even invest in the smaller size to use on the go!

A photo posted by Vicki Maitland (@vickimaitland) on Feb 1, 2016 at 12:54pm PST

Music

One of my friends Maddie hosts a podcast called 'The Late Night Tea Party', and I've been discovering some excellent music thanks to her, as well as reminding myself of artists I used to listen to whilst studying last year.


Life

This was the month of booking. I booked my first hair cut in a proper salon (and loved the results). I also booked my holiday to South Africa, including all the internal flights and 90% of the accommodation. To say I'm excited is an understatement.

This was also the month that I moved into the marketing office at work. I'm a copy writer for the UK's largest fishing tackle company, and whilst it's certainly not thrilling it's excellent experience.

Finally, this was the month that I stuck to my New Years Resolutions. I've been doing well at running a couple of times a week and keeping my bed made, which is a shamefully big thing for 21 year old me to admit to!

So, as always, stay sunny

xx

On Guilt - An Explaination

Towards the end of 2015 I noticed a trend in my mood I really wasn't enjoying. I felt, pretty consistently, guilty.

I'm not going to go into all the reasons, but in short:

I wasn't reading as much as I wanted.
I wasn't writing as much as I wanted.
I was spending far too much time on my phone, predominantly playing Sim city, and far too little time doing things I actually value.
This blog wasn't going the way I wanted it to - posts were routinely going up late or not all all.

All this culminated in my stopping Blogmas - three posts short of a complete set - and hiding from the internet for a little while. I had always intended to take a hiatus in January, but I had intended to announce it, rather than simply vanishing.

Guilt is something we all experience from time to time, and it's usually a good motivator - to apologise or to change. What made me realise that my guilt was turning very negative was my bullet journal.

For those who don't know, a bullet journal is a kind of diary/journal, where you record things about your life as well as highlighting tasks that you want to complete. It's a great tool for accomplishing goals, but many days I wasn't writing down any goals. The days I did, I rarely completed them.

I attributed this to the fact that I now have a full time job - despite the fact that a full time job is considerabley less time consuming and stressful than a full time degree (at least for me). True, I'm sat in an office writing about fishing tackle (of all things) for 7 1/2 hours a day, but I'm damned lucky that I'm home by four most days, the job is incredibly low pressure, and is giving me valuable copy writing experience.

I know it's a huge cliche, but 2016 is bringing with it the possibility for a lot of changes. It'll be the first full years that I'll have spent outside of the structure of education, which I'm sure will come with it's own challenges in and of itself. I'm also living back at home, which after two years of independence is harder than you might think. As someone who has a good relationship with their family, it's certainly been harder than I thought it would be.

I want 2016 to be, largely, guilt free. With that in mind, I'm forcing myself to pick up better and more productive habits with long term goals, These include: standing better, not biting my nails, running regularly, and actually reading at least 50 books!

It also includes better, more consistent, more professional posts on this blog. Starting here, you can expect a lot of the old features with shiny new faces, as well as some new stuff tossed into the mix. Who knows, we might even get back to two posts a week!

I'll see you next week, but till then, stay sunny.

x

Best Of: 15 of 2015

I'm back! Sorry for the hiatus - it was planned but it wasn't executed quite how I had intended. I'll explain all next week, but I thought I'd put this post up before the year grew too old.

Here's my top 15 of 2015.

Beauty

TopShop Smokey Eye Palette - Golden Aurora
Lush R&B Hair Moisturiser
Barry M LipLiner - 9 Russet
Too Faced Mascara - Better Than Sex
Collection Eyebrow Kit

I got the TopShop Pallette for Christmas 2014 and I've worn it every season since. The mix of colours means its pretty versatile, even if the dark colours are too dark for an all-over lid look. Looks I've used it in can be seen here and here.

R&B was something I'd picked up in April, and one small pot lasted me till Christmas. I've already got a new pot. It is the best thing for dry hair, in my opinion, even if the smell is a little funny.

Barry M products have really impressed me all year, but none more than their lip liners. This one, Russet, is my particular favourite as it's really adaptable under different colours of lipstick.

I had a mixed reaction to the Better Than Sex mascara at first, but now I can't imagine my make-up look complete without it.

Collection are the only brand in this list with a somewhat dubious cruelty free policy. Both this eyebrow kit and their concealer have stayed in my make-up kit all year, however, so at least one of them deserved a place in my favourites.


Books

How To Be Both - Ali Smith
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
The Book Theif - Markus Zusak
The Direputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart
The Age of Earthquakes - Coupland, Basar, Obrist

I loved Smith's There But For The, and I picked up How To Be Both when it was on offer in Waterstones. It's a very intelligent book, as all of Smith's are, and I'd really recommend it.

Americanah was a bit of a revelation for me, as I'd never read anything with African leads outside of school, and certainly nothing by an African author. This had been something I was looking to change, and I made good moves to change it in 2015. Looking forward I want to continue to diversify my reading.

I got The Book Thief Christmas 2014. When I read it I sobbed and sobbed. No book since has had that visceral reaction in me, so it had to go in my favourites.

The Disreputable History is a book I own on Kindle, but it's one that I've recommended over and over again ever since I read it. I read it on busses, trains, and a plane as I made my way to Lyon and it captivated me throughout.

I've lent The Age of Earthquakes to Katie, so I don't have a picture, but you can read my review here. This book was one of the first truly non-fiction books I read last year, and to read more non-fiction is one of my reading goals for 2016.


Other

Filler Podcast - Harry Hitchens and Matt Shore
No Such Thing As A Fish - QI Elves
Necklace
How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful - Florence and the Machine
Darling Magazine

Filler is a creative industries podcast hosted by Harry Hitchens and Matt Shore. It's so intelligent and inspirational, and as a young creative myself I love listening to how my sucessful peers got to where they are today.

No Such Thing As A Fish is a podcast by the QI elves. Four of the QI researchers meet to share their favourite facts from the last week, and not only is it interesting but it frequently has me giggling my socks off.

This necklace was a gift from my parents for my 21st. It's diamond cut gold - a cut that was popular in the 70's but less so now. I wanted it because my Mum has a similar one, that she got for her 21st too, and I like that it's a tradition to be passed down.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful as an album is beautiful, and the title track is my favourite from the whole. Florence always creates poetry rather than lyrics, and I love how she just goes for a note. The album contains so much emotion, it's stunning.

Darling was something I became aware of to the end of last year, but because of the price of shipping I was really wary of ordering it. I'm so glad I took the plunge, and strongly recommend it to anyone looking to read a magazine that truly celebrates the art of being a woman. None of their images are doctored in any way, and the magazine is divinely edited.

It was really lovely to reflect over some of the things I loved over the year. I could add in so much more, including all of the National Theatre Live cinematic productions I've seen, all of the plays and musicals I've gone to, and plenty of other artists (including Lorde, Haim and Paolo Nutini).

What were some of your favourite things from the last year? I'm still on Twitter and Instagram - @VickiMaitland everywhere. I'm no longer doing Goodreads as I found it a pretty ineffectual way of tracking my reading personally, but you can follow what I'm reading by following me on my other social media, as I tend to write about the stuff I'm loving.

Next week I'll go into more depth about my haitus, but for now, stay sunny.

x

Blogmas 21: A Christmas Playlist

In no particular order, the songs I would make sure were included in my Christmas album. I couldn't choose between the final two, or who should sing them, so I put both.

1) White Wine in the Sun by Tim Minchin

2) Always in the Season by Pomplamoose

3) It Feels Like Christmas from The Muppets Christmas Carol

4) Believe by Josh Groban (from The Polar Express)

5) Christmas Wish by She and Him

6) The Christmas Sandwich Song 

7) Fairytale of New York by The Pogues

8) It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas by Michael Bublé 

9) We Need A Little Christmas by The Cast of Glee

10) The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole

11) Toy Soliders by Harry Connick Junior

12) Ave Maria/ Oh Holy Night

Blogmas 20: Feeling Thankful

Yesterday I went to the local chapel for the Carols by Candlelight service. I'm not a religious person, but it means a lot to my Grandma. Her and Grandad were a big part of the chapel community, the money raised from his funeral went towards buying a new cross to mount on the wall of the chapel. So I try to go to a couple of services a year, particularly if she's playing the organ.

The carols by candlelight service is one of my favourites, as I'll know all the hymns so I can get stuck into the service without feeling too awkward about the whole religious aspect.

This year a very lovely man was playing the organ, complete with backing 'band' (a button on the organ that played a drum beat). The result was that he couldn't hear if we were singing or not, so ended up stopping mid carol. When the minister asked him to keep playing, he started up in the wrong place, so we ended up singing the verse to the chorus tune and vis-versa. I was keeping it together until I glanced up and saw the minister, head bowed, shoulders shaking with laughter. I've never been to a more innocently hilarious service.

The service itself was more like a meditation session (with added Jesus). The minister asked us to sit and think about all the things we were grateful for. This has always been an exercise that I've found difficult - not because I'm not grateful for things, but because it feels silly to say all the things I'm grateful for. Maybe it's a British modesty thing, who knows, but it's something that I want to get better at.

So one of my goals this year is to be more thankful - and vocalise this. I need to thank my loving parents and family for all the things they do. I need to thank my friends for always being there. I need to thank my boss(es) for giving me wonderful opportunities. And I need to thank myself when I do something right for my health.

Here's to 2016 - the year of thanks.

 

Blogmas 19: Three Winter Fashion Favourites

Because of the great response I got from my 'Three Christmas Party Essentials' post, I thought I'd do another one - this time my three winter fashion favourites! 

From the bottom up!

1) Black Chelsea Boots. I love a black boot and live in mine over winter. These are from TopShop and were £45 - which is a little more than I usually like to spend on high street shoes but I fell in love with them! They're actually half a size too big for me so I need to get some insoles did them.

2) Black Jeans. This is another thing I live in over winter, especially as at work we can wee jeans and I feel like black is smarter than the tradional blue. Mine are from Miss Selfridge and set me back £36.

3) Roll Neck Top. I love a roll neck, and have a wardrobe full of them - they've taken over from the shirt as my season favourite, which is no mean feat! This one is from last years TopShop and was under £20 if I remember rightly! I love that it's thin enough to layer under another jumper, but still warm on its own too!

Here's all three worn together! Sorry I look so tired but it was taken the morning after the work Christmas bash!

Blogmas 18: Five Cruelty Free Gifts Under £10

This is the last weekend of shopping before Christmas, so here are my cruelty free gift ideas to get someone a last minute bit of love - whether its their whole gift or a little extra stocking filler.

1) Booja-Booja Chocolate - £6.49

Booja-Booja are THE free from indulgence brand in my opinion, and most (all?) of their chocolates are vegan. NOt only this, but they taste DELICIOUS - an ex-boyfriends-mum worked in a health food shop and bought me a box of Stem Ginger Truffles a couple of Christmases ago. Heavenly!


2) Dr Organic Rose Otto Night Cream - £9.79

I reviewed this indulgence brand a couple of days ago, and I think this would be a lovely little gift, especially for a Mum or Grandma.

3) Lush Golden Wonder Bath Bomb - £3.95

I haven't used this but I have a friend who has and she loved it! Lush bath bombs are pricey, but as a gift they're a wonderful treat.

4) Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer - £9.99

This book isn't for the faint hearted, and I haven't read it yet but I'm told it can turn anyone vegan! I think this would be perfect for someone who feels strongly about animal rights, although I think it's probably pretty harrowing...

5) Barry M Nail Polish - £2.99 - £4.99

Last but not least, trusty Barry M. You could easily buy a couple (or three) polishes for under £10. They have a huge variety, too, and their formulas seem to improve year on year!

Blogmas 17: Norwich Nosh Episode 2 - The Bicycle Shop

Welcome to the second installment of Norwich Nosh - the series where I tell you about cool places to eat, drink, and be merry in my lovely home city, Norwich.

Episode 2 - The Bicycle Shop

I love these loons more than life. Delicious meal with 6/7ths of the girlies xxx

A photo posted by Vicki Maitland (@vickimaitland) on Aug 4, 2015 at 11:48pm PDT

Where: 17 St Benedicts Street.

When: Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 12am, Sunday 11am - 12am, closed on Mondays.

How (much): Drinks £2+ for a soft drink, £4+ wine/beer, £6+ cocktails. Food £4+ tapas, £5+ brunch, £10+ mains.

Who: Much like Frank's Bar, The Bicycle Shop invites a bohemian crowd of mostly young proffessionals, mostly artistic. It has a very chilled out atmosphere, and often hosts live music events in the basement downstairs. 

What: The Bicycle shop serves from brunch to tapas, stopping off at larger main dishes along the way. They mostly serve Mediterranean style food, and have a good range of vegetarian and gluten free options. From memory I don't think they have many vegan options, although their menu does change fairly regularly.

Why: Named because there was a cycle repair shop on the site for most of the last century, The Bicycle Shop is a relaly lovely independant venue. It has lots of plants and candles in it, and feels really cosy. All the staff are lovely and helpful and I always walk out with a crush on at least one of them! It's really nice to go for a coffee or a meal, although I'd recommend booking in busy times because it does get full as it's only little.

You can visit their website here for more information.

Blogmas 16: Cruelty Free Comparisons - Night Cream

Cruelty Free Comparisons is the series where I set two cruelty free beauty products up against each other - one budget and one more expensive - to see which is the best value for money. Today is the turn of Night Cream.

Night Cream is moisturisers heavier bedtime alternative which super-soaks your skin while you sleep.

Today's products are as follows...

Budget:

B. Nourished Night Serum (£4.95 per 30ml)

High End:

Dr Organic Rose Otto Night Cream (£9.79 per 50ml)

Both products have pretty nice packaging, although the B product is plastic packed, which makes it light and easy to transport, albeit cheaper to the touch. The Rose Otto cream is in a glass pot, which makes it a little messy to get out, but since I rub it all over my face anyway I don't worry too much about that. The B serum has a pump so it's really easy to get a precise amount out, but I get the feeling there is product left in at the end which I can't get to.

The serum is slightly lighter than the cream, so if you have oily skin that might be the one to choose. That said, both products soak in really nicely - almost by the time my head has hit the pillow.

The B serum has very little smell, which is  great as it doesn't disturb me when I'm trying to sleep. The Rose Otto smells exactly like Turkish delight which is HEAVENLY and very soothing.

I really don't think there's much between these products, especially as both are suitable for vegans. I probably prefer the Rose Otto as I think it lasts a little longer for your money, but that could be my love of Turkish delight coming out!

Blogmas 15: Space Oddity

Today I, along with most of the U.K., watched the shuttle launch to the international space station. To see the astronauts step onto the space station was incredible. To think that there are people living in orbit above the planet is pretty breath taking.

It's even more incredible to think that we've actually explored further away from our planet than we have into it, and actually know more about space than we do about the creatures at the bottom of the sea or in the heart of a rainforest. 

But then I can't deny there is something much more magical about the stars - the way they glitter in the sky, and I can see why humans have been so obsessed with space. 

Tomorrows post will be back to business with another Cruelty Free Comparison!

Blogmas 14: Vic's Tips - How to Survive the Office Party

Another new series for the blog, this time one that I have shamelessly ripped off from my wonderful wifey, Vic's Tips!

I've been to a few office parties in my time - including one which ended with the store manager giving lap dance to another member of staff in the back of a mini-van, so I think I've pretty much sussed my way around them!

1) Make sure you know the dress code - you don't want to be the one who is way over/under-dressed. Most office parties will be smart/casual, but if in doubt, check! Even googling the venue might give a hint as to the dress code.

2) Don't assume everyone will know your name/role. This is especially key in a big company, so don't be afraid to introduce yourself/ ask someone else their name and job. This also lets you network a bit to see if there's any other area of the business you think you'd enjoy. Some office parties will share a space with a couple of other parties, so the person you're talking to might not even work for the same company as you, so they won't be offended if you ask their name!

3) Be cautious with the free drinks. Most office parties will provide some sort of free beverage - whether it be wine on the table or a tab behind the bar. Don't go overboard - you're going to have to see these people on Monday morning! Even if you're friends with people you work with an office party is never a purely social occasion.

4) Try and talk about things other than work. You're all connected by the common theme that you work in the same building/company, but you're not going to actually make friends with people if all you do is talk about work and office politics. You also avoid moaning in ear-shot of the wrong people (the boss) if you avoid work in general.

5) Don't hook up with anyone! If you find yourself 'getting along' with another member of staff take their number and arrange to meet up after Christmas. Messy office hook-ups cause tension for months afterwards, especially as most office parties won't allow you to bring your significant other.

There you have it! If you have any tips for surviving the office party, leave a comment below or tweet me @VickiMaitland.

Blogmas 13: Silent Sunday - A Portrait of a Saturday

Blogmas 12: Festive Face (for Under £20!)

The holiday period can often (read:always) be an expensive time. There's presents to buy and wrap, food to get in, and always countless parties and get-togethers. If you're like me, you'll want to spruce up your everyday look, but without breaking the bank. 

My entire make-up look cost me £19. Considering my everyday mascara is £19 by itself, I think that is pretty good going!

All of the products here are by e.l.f - possibly the cheapest cruelty free brand out there. The only things I've not included in the cost of the face are the moisturiser I used before hand, and the lip balm I used after as I consider both these products to be skin care. 

This foundation will set you back £7.50 and, although it's a tad too yellow for me,  gives a medium coverage with a really lightweight feel.

This eyeshadow is only £2 - although you need a fluffy brush to get any pigmentation out of it! It's also not very durable - I dropped this seconds after taking the photo. The lid snapped off and the dark brown shade went everywhere! I used the dark brown in my brows, the light brown in my crease, the peach all over, and the light yellow as a highlight under my eyes and on my brow bone.

This liquid eyeliner is £3 and probably my favourite elf product. It's got a really fine brush so you can get a precision line, and is a true black.

This mascara is £4.50, and, although it doesn't do everything it says it will, it's really good at getting length in the lashes without clumping!

Finally to finish the look, this £2 lip liner in the shade Bitter (which matches my nails perfectly!). 

Now, I don't think that's too bad for £19! Let me know if you have a favourite budget brand that you turn too when funds are low.

Blogmas 11: Cruelty Free Comparisons - Moisturiser

For those of you who are new to the blog (hello), Cruelty Free Comparisons is a series in which I review two (or more) cruelty free products - usually one cheaper and one more expensive - pitted against each other in a gladiator style battle. In the past I have done Mascara and Conditioner editions, but today is the turn of Moisturiser.

Most of us use moisturiser daily, and consider it to be an essential part of our routine. It's also one of those products where there are a lot of cruelty free versions, precisely because it is so popular. The products I've used are as follows.

Budget:

Superdrug's Simply Pure Light Moisturiser (£2.69 for 75ml)

Middle of the road:

B. Confident Moisture Gel (£4.95 for 50ml)

High End: 

B. Confident Day Cream (£9.99 for 50ml)


First things first, the packaging. The Simply Pure Moisturiser comes in a classic squeezy tube, so it's really easy to use and very transportable. Both of the B. products come in frosted glass-look (although I suspect they are high-spec plastic) pots. This makes the B. products look a lot higher quality than the Simply Pure one, although they are quite heavy and would be awkward to travel with. Because you have to dunk your finger into the pot, it is also somewhat messier to apply - although it's moisturiser so you're going to be getting that gunk all over your hands anyway.

The biggest difference between these three products is the texture. The Simply Pure moisturiser does feel a lot lighter on the fingers than the B. Day Cream (which, unsurprisingly perhaps, feels very thick and creamy). The B. Moisture Gel has a very lightweight feel to it - lighter than the Simply Pure moisturiser in fact.

Once on the skin, the B. Moisture Gel just melts away and absorbs really quickly - precisely because it is so lightweight. It makes a great base for makeup because of this, as it doesn't hang around on your skin for too long.

The Simply Pure moisturiser, although light, turns tacky on the skin. I even find it becomes oddly textured, as if strands of it are balling up. This isn't reflected on how it looks on the skin, but it definitely takes longer to absorb in, even though because of the tacky-ness it feels as if it dries relatively quickly.

The B. Day Cream glides on the skin just a nicely as the B. Moisture Gel, but it doesn't absorb half as quickly. It feels quite thick on the skin, which is probably great if you're prone to dry skin or are about to go out in harsh weather conditions, but for me it felt like it was suffocating my skin. I often dab my face with a clean, dry flannel after using it to get rid of some of the excess product.

Finally, despite having a third less product than the Simply Pure tube, both of the B. pots have lasted me an awful lot longer. I think this is because, provide you don't scoop the product, you can get a tiny amount each time (and it goes quite a long way). With the Simply Pure tube it's somewhat more difficult to get a small amount of product out.

All three products are suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans.

The product I'm most impressed with out of the three has to be the B. Moisture Gel. I like the packaging, the feel of it, and most importantly how it sits on my skin.