Kick Ass Concealing!

Hi everyone, today I wanted to talk to you about my favorite concealer, the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer.  Now I know it's been around for quite a while but, I never quite realized just how good it was until last weekend...

First off I have to say how much I just love the packaging, it's not just the usual basic boring compact style, it actually has 'style'!  It looks glam and has that typical Soap & Glory retro 50's look, which is great.  

 I also love that you don't just get one basic concealer in this pot, you get the whole perfect concealing package, two different consistency's and the setting powder too.

I've been using this concealer for quite a while and I really like using it, it goes on quite smoothly, the under-eye (step 2) side is great for the bags but I find it is better to use it sparingly and the powder is just plain brilliant!  I use it all over with a brush and it helps keep everything in place all day!

Anyway, last week I had a THE most horrible bright red spot at the top of my nose, and believe me when I say I tried near enough everything to get rid of it, from hot flannels, to salt water and ice cubes, to toothpaste!  Nothing was helping not even my trusty Neutrogena Visibly Clear 4 hour gel (which I normally swear by!)

So not only did I have a giant bright red beacon on my face, I also had an important day planned last Saturday, a first date with my possible 'new man'!  So it was not the best time in the world for me to have a horrible embarrassing spot!  I needed something dam good and fast and the Kick ass concealer did THE most perfect job!  Even though I'd already been using it for a while, it really got put to the test and I was amazed with the results.  You could still see I had a spot to a degree but all the redness had disappeared and unless you really looked for it, you couldn't see a thing :-)

I will insert a couple of pictures here of a before and after, please excuse the very crappy pictures, I do not photograph well!

So all in all I think it did a great job, how about you? :-)

Disclaimer:  I have not been asked to do this review, I just wanted to share my thoughts

Winter Favorites

Hi everyone, today is my birthday :-)  So I thought I would send out another post for you all today and share with you, all the things I love to use, do, drink and wear etc, to keep me cosy in these cold wintery months, so here it goes :-)

I know we haven't actually had snow here in the UK (yet!) But you get the idea!

*************

A total must for me is my favorite bootie slippers, they are so cosy and soft and warm and make my feet soooo comfy, no more need for wearing two pairs of socks at once (yes I have done that)!

What's the one thing that's just perfect to drink when it's freezing cold?  Hot chocolate, YUM!

On a horrible wet chilly day, I love wrapping up in the cosiest cardigan I can find...

 and watching the rain (or snow!) out in the window!

Nice hot tasty food is always a must when I'm feeling cold, one of my favorites for keeping warm is beans on toast or crumpets :-)

One thing I am totally loving at the moment is wearing Pajama bottoms, pretty much all the time!  I have about 4 different pairs I keep for just wearing around the house and they are so comfy and nice to wear, like this tartan pair I got in a sale at Tesco a few months ago!

(There's them slippers again!!)

I've never been a fan of big bright main lights in rooms, especially rooms you want to relax in like a lounge or bedroom and even more so, in the winter I think it's just so nice to have lamps on instead, they just give a gorgeous cosy glow in the room...

When it's utterly freezing outside, cuddling up on the sofa with some yummy nibbly's, a big soft blanket and a good movie, is absolute bliss!

And finally my trusty E45 Lipcare lipbalm, I got a stick of this from Boots last year and it was brilliant, so I just had to get another one for this winter because I knew it would be very much needed.  I get very dry and chapped lips, they get sore and uncomfortable especially when I've been out in an icy cold wind.  I can't use lipbalm with strong scents as they make me sneeze and the flavoured ones always taste horrible to me, so this one is just ideal.  I think it was around £2.50 which isn't too bad considering it last absolutely ages and  it's so soft and moisturizing!
E45 Lipcare Lip Balm

So there we go, that's some of the things that I love using to keep me warm through the winter.  I hope you liked it and please comment below with some of the things you love to use!

Stay warm,

Keeping A'breast' of Things - Update

Hi everyone, just over a week ago I wrote about the lumps I had found in my breast, you can click on the link HERE, and told you what happened when I went to the doctors and that I had a follow up appointment at the hospital booked for last Thursday (the 13th of Feb).  So, I can now tell you what happened there...

My appointment was booked for 10.15 am and thankfully my best friend and I got there about 10 minutes early.  It didn't take too long to find the department and I recognized it straight away from when I was last there 11 years ago!
After booking in at reception, we sat in the waiting room for what seemed like ages but must have only been about 15 minutes.  Finally my name was called and we went through to see the doctor, a very nice man and thankfully the same one I had seen the first time around.  I was amazed he remembered me!  He read through my notes and the letter from my local doctor, then asked to examine me.  Yes it was a little embarrassing but nothing he hadn't seen a million times before and of course it was necessary so it didn't matter too much.

He asked me if I got any discomfort or pain and I said that I did get a bit of discomfort in that area, especially when I lay on my front in bed but he said, if it hurts that's always a good sign!
He told me he could feel something but was sure it was nothing bad and assured me they would do a scan anyway just to be 100% sure.  So after putting on one of the hospitals' patterned gowns, my friend and I took my basket of clothes in to the small separate female-only waiting room.  We waiting for a short while on our own, then another couple of other ladies came in, we were all waiting for scans, so it was nice to be able to talk to each other about it all.

Eventually, I was called through to the scanning room, there were a couple of nurses in there and another doctor.  I was asked to lay on the bed, had very cold gel squirted on me and then the doctor did the scan over both sides just to be sure.  He then confirmed that all he could see was glands and normal breast tissue and nothing else out-of-the-ordinary!
After cleaning myself up, I was then told to go back and wait in the little room again until the doctor could have another chat.  Thankfully the other lady's scans went well too, as did the third younger lady that came in while we were waiting, we were very pleased for them too!
It was strange how the atmosphere changed in that little room, from when we were all in there waiting for the scans, not knowing what to expect, feeling sick with nerves and worry, to the feeling of it afterwards when we all felt so relieved!

After about another 10 minutes, I went back in to see the doctor and once again he confirmed everything was ok and totally normal.  He said that these glands can come up and go down again for no real reason!  He said it's mostly a hormonal thing and not just around the time of your monthly visitor, it can happen any time.
He also told me (which I didn't actually know), that if you feel over the area with your fingers you will always feel any number of lumps and bumps and you will drive yourself mad (his words!) and that you are supposed to feel with the palm of your hand!  So at least I know how to do it more properly in future!

I finally felt like I could take a proper sigh of relief then, because it finally felt 'over with'.  Of course I was still right to get it checked out but I honestly don't think there could have been a better outcome and it was definitely better than I expected after last time, no biopsy yeay! :-D   Once we'd finally got out the hospital, we decided we needed to have a little celebratory shop lol, and as I didn't feel too bad we went off in to town and bought some very nice little bits, most of which I will show you in another 'mini haul' post.

So that's it, I will of course keep a check on things and make sure I'm checking in the proper way!  But literally thank God I don't need to worry now :-)


For more information on how to check your breast and what to look out for, I found this website helpful - NHS Choices

A Happy Little Find!

Hi everyone, just a very quick post for you today, just wanted to show off this gorgeous little rose ring I bought from ebay recently.

It was only £1.99 and the postage was free too, total bargain!  It arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to try it for size, as the shop (depapex) only sells this ring in a size 'K'.  I guessed it would be ok for me as I have quite slim fingers and thankfully I was right and it fits beautifully and I am very happy with my little purchase :-)

At the moment they have 7 of these left, and although the price seems to have gone up to £2.25, I think it's still a very good price for something so pretty!

The ebay shop has many other beautiful jewellery items and I was amazed to see the prices as they all seem so inexpensive.  So, well worth a look I'd say!
You can find this ring by clicking the link here Gothic Silver Rose Ring :-)



Disclaimer: I bought this item with my own money and have not been asked to write this review by anyone!

Keeping A'breast' of Things!

Hi all, today's post is slightly more on the serious side.  This maybe a delicate subject for some of you but I wanted to share my story (I guess you could call it), in the hope that it may help some of you if you are going through the same thing.

I recently discovered a lump in my left breast.  I had one in my right side about 11 years ago, thankfully it turned out to only be a fatty lump.  It was called a fibroid-melanoma (also known as a breast mouse), I had a biopsy done to test it properly and then a small operation to have it removed.  After a couple of weeks recovery, it was pretty much all done and dusted.
However , it was a very worrying time and I was very lucky and grateful that's all it turned out to be ok.  So when I found the new lump a few weeks ago, although I was immediately apprehensive, I knew the first thing I needed to do was go and get it checked out.  I thankfully managed to get an appointment the next day with a female doctor at my local surgery, she was very nice, very thorough and very reassuring.
After a brief chat, I explained what I could feel and when I found it etc, she examined me and told me that she could also feel 2 more smaller lumps on the left side and a small one on the right side, strangely enough right next to the scare tissue I had left behind from the previous operation.

I wasn't exactly thrilled to hear the news of the additional lumps and still now I'm finding it a little hard to think about but the one thing that made me feel a little easier, was when the doctor said straight away, "oh yes that feels like cysts".
The main things I've always been told is that if the lump is reasonably soft (not rock hard at least) and quite movable; for instance when you try and feel it with your fingers it keeps running away from you (like a mouse), then that is always a very good sign.  And that's the first thing I took notice of when I found it.

Anyway, after examining me, the doctor said even though she didn't feel it was anything to worry about she still wanted me to get a second opinion and a more thorough examination at the hospital.  So she dictated a letter to her little tape recorder and told me I would probably have to wait a few weeks before I'd hear back from the hospital.

Well about a week went by then I got a letter telling me to call the hospital and make an appointment and thankfully I managed to get one for two weeks later (now just under a week away).

I am nervous, I hate the idea of being poked and prodded and I'm especially dreading the idea of them doing a biopsy, because yes they do hurt not gonna lie!  But always better to be safe than sorry of course and it's always better to get these things checked out as soon as you find them, because you never know and the sooner you can get treatment, the better!

I've got my hospital appointment booked for next Thursday (13th of Feb) and thankfully my best friend is going along with me, so I will give you all an update a day or so after that and let you know the progress of what happens with me next.

If you are going through this or if you have been through this before, please feel free to comment.  Let me know your thoughts and tips and please don't hesitate to ask anything either!

Hugs,

T.M.I. Tag

Hi everyone, one of the reasons I started a blog is because originally I really wanted to have a YouTube channel, I wanted to do the tags and the hauls and Outfit Of The Day lookbooks, etc like so many of the great YouTubers I subscribe to, but at this time in my life it's just not possible for various reasons and so I thought to myself, there's actually not many of those things that I can't do on a blog!  So, with that in mind, I thought I would do the latest tag that's going around the YouTube community called the T.M.I tag (for those of you who don't know, 'To Much Information'!)  I thought it would be a fun way of telling all of you a little more about myself!

There's 50 questions in all but I did have to modify a couple to make it a bit more blog applicable.  I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to leave any comments or your 50 answers below :-)

THE QUESTIONS -
1: What are you wearing?
My pink over-check PJ bottoms, a pink long-sleeve T'shirt with 'LOVE' embroidered on the front and a cream cardigan

2: Ever been in love?
Yes, twice

3: Ever had a terrible breakup?
Yes, twice

4: How tall are you?
5 foot 4 inches

5: How much do you weigh?
Some things just have to be left private!

6: Any tattoos?
No but yes I would like one

7: Any piercings?
Two in each Ear

8: OTP (One True Paring)?
(I'm guessing this is more of a YouTube 'paring' since this is originally a YouTube tag and since I love to watch certain people on YouTube, I'll go with it.)  I'd have to say the SacconeJoly's, they're a lovely couple who live in Ireland, have 6 dogs, an adorable little baby girl and a baby boy on the way and they vlog their lives every single day!

(Just a little amendment here, I know find out 'One True Paring' isn't just limited to YouTube couples! Who knew!!  So of course it has to be Bella and Edward ♥)

9: Favourite show?
Ooh so many! Buffy first off (old but still brilliant), Ghost Whisperer, The Big Bang Theory, Desperate Housewives, Once Upon a Time, Dr.Who and of course the good old daily British soaps!

10: Favourite bands?
I love so many different great bands; Blink182, 30 Seconds to Mars, Evanescence, East 17, HIM, Free, Michelle Branch.... etc but of course my one true fan-addiction has to be for the most incredible band in the world, Linkin Park ♥

11: Something you miss?
Right now it's the warmer weather

12: Favourite song?
I love way too many songs to properly say just one, I mean who can honestly ever choose just one!!  But, there is one song I just go back to time and again and I've loved it for many years, it's by Linkin Park (of course!), it's called 'Pushing Me Away' and it's the remix version from their Re-animation album.  I cannot begin to describe how amazing it is, so go and have a listen 'HERE'

13: How old are you?
Early 30's, that's all I'm saying

14: Zodiac sign?
Pisces and very true to my sign; caring, romantic daydreamer!

15: Quality you look for in a partner?
Respect, honesty, someone who can make me feel safe and looked after and of course who can make me laugh

16: Favourite Quote?
When words fail, music speaks – so true!


17: Favourite actor?
I just love David Tennant, he's amazing in everything he's in, such a great versatile actor

18: Favourite colour?
Lilac, purple, silver, nice pinks (not bright or gaudy ones) and some blues!  What, I can't just have one, there's too many lovely ones!

19: Loud music or soft?
Loud of course ;-)

20: Where do you go when you're sad?
Wherever I can be alone to listen to music

21: How long does it take you to shower?
Too long!

22: How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?
Absolutely ages!  There's always so much to do and as for doing my makeup! Lets put it this way the '3 Minute Makeup Challenge' would be total pointless for me and as for the '20 Minute' one, well it's a struggle to stick to that every time!I really enjoy Zoe and Tanya's challenge video, you can check it out HERE

23: Ever been in a physical fight?
Nope

24: Turn on's?
A lovely smile, nice teeth and a good attitude

25: Turn off's?
Swearing, spitting and bad breath!

26: The reason I started a blog?
To release my thoughts to the world lol :-)

27: Fears?
Of course the usual ones like anything happening to loved ones, other than that spiders, moths (most definitely) and there being a house-fire

28: Last thing that made you cry?
A film called 'PS I Love You' about a loved up couple and the guy dies leaving her with loads of letters and reminders that he loved her!  So lovely but so sad ;-(

29: Last time you said you loved someone?
To my bestest friend on Saturday evening

30: Meaning behind your blog Name?
I love anything glittery or sparkly and so I just thought about it for a very long while and eventually came up with 'Crystal Sparkly Dreams', it just sounded nice and ethereal and I also wanted something similar to my YouTube and Etsy shop name 'Crystal Fairy Dreams'

31: Last book you read?

A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton (first of a trilogy) and I can definitely recommend it , looking forward to reading the next two :-)

32: The book you're currently reading?
The last chapter in the last book in the '50 Shades' trilogy, yep really and yes it is good!  And don't believe the hype, it's not all about kinky sex, it's actually a really good story in there too! Lol

33: Last show you watched?
Last T.V. program was Emmerdale but just watched Twilight Eclipse :-)

34: Last person you talked to?
One of my little Poodles

35: The relationship between you and the person you last texted?
One of my close friends

36: Favourite food?
Apples, chocolate, pasta, Pizza and plain pringles hmmmmm!


37: Place you want to visit?
L.A. Italy, Paris (again) and Dingle Bay in Ireland

38: Last place you were?
In my local town on Saturday with the above mentioned close friend


39: Do you have a crush?
Celeb crush, yes several!  But mainly for the gorgeous Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) :-) ♥

As well as highly acclaimed artist and the most talented, sexiest guy on the planet!!! :-)

40: Last time you kissed someone?
Properly... way too long ago!

41: Last time you were insulted?
When me and my friend had a falling out over christmas :-(  So glad we're ok again now!

42: Favourite flavour of sweet?
Mint, strawberry or orange

43: What instruments do you play?
I used to play the piano a little and I've been trying to get the hang of a guitar for a long time but never quite master either.  If your voice is classed as an instrument, I've been singing for many years

44: Favourite piece of jewellery?
I love so many pieces that I have but two of my favorites are a beautiful silver bracelet that my bestest friend gave me for my birthday one year, and the other is a long silver necklace with a clear and a silver heart on, I call it my 'old faithful' because it just goes with everything.  I don't even remember where I bought it from and I've had it years!

45: Last sport you played?
Wow, no idea it's been a very long time, does swimming count?!

46: Last song you sang?
'I'll Be Gone' by (you guessed it) Linkin Park!

47: Favourite chat up line?
Sad to say I've never actually been told one

48: Have you ever used it?
Nope

49: Last time you hung out with anyone?
Saturday with one of my close friends, Shelley

50: Who should answer these questions next?

Anyone who would like to join in :-)

Phew, well that took some doing!  I very much hope you enjoyed my effort and I can't wait to do some more great 'Tags' very soon!  :-)