Post chrismas revitalisers

The Christmas shenanigans are over and we are navigating the nothing no mans land days that occur after food overload and the new years.

Now it's my time to relax after making my first ever full Christmas dinner. Twas a success * dougies* I have thrown on the onesie and even turned my back on boxing day sales and hung out with my nephew instead!!

Here are a few of my trusty relaxation products....................

Under eye collagen mask.

I found these on eBay. 5 for 99p. I have since seen quite a few bloggers hailing these as their under eye fail safe. They feel like silk and you can see an improvement even if you don't have bags. A definite beauty box keeper. p.s they slide down a fair bit so don't be surprised if you find them traveling south.

 Molten brown. I got this set as a Christmas present and I am VERY pleased. Stick a few vanilla and berry candles around the bath and bobs your uncle. Super relaxing.

 I have absolutely fallen in love with these 3

 My festive Barry M trio. I have rocked these colours since September and received many compliments.I seem to have rediscovered Barry M all over again, right at the bottom of my nail varnish box and I am all about them right now.

I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and have a happy new year!

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

 

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Lately ......life #1

Hi Loves, 

I have decided to make this into a little thing I do occasionally. I always snap away at random stuff on My phone to share with my friends and I thought I would share some every once in a while here. Not sure if I will explain each one in the future but we will see.

Enjoy...............

1. Harrods lights- These lights would literally be the beacon from my office window to say, woot woot work day is nearly over, come to the MAC counter on your way home and spend cash yo!
2. Scallops and apricots from The Betsy Smith. I absolutely LOVE the decor in that place it is so cute yet modern and out there.
3. Frugo juices- I am obsessed with that shit right there. Its all natural juices with a few exotic fruits thrown in. Good five a day stuff. FYI Tesco sell their refrigerated ones for 50p and their non refrigerated ones for 40p. HMMMM I know which ones I buy.
4. Peppermint oil- Love it. I use it as a fragrance and part of my deep hair conditioning system. I do like an apothecary bottle too.
5. Thermal mens socks. £1 bargain-that is all
6. Cocktails- You speaky my language.
7. Taking care of my skin a lot more (yay for clear skin) and protecting/ stretching my tresses using the pineapple method. It works and is funny especially when you answer the door like that, looking all types of cray lol
8. Giant muffins -with jam inside. I am gutted I don't know where these are from. I think they are muffin doughnuts/ muffnuts? I got them whilst at work and don't remember the bakery company- wahh so good.
9. Finally a big ass roast dinner. When I roast a chicken I go to TOWN. The most succulent corn fed chicken, roasted potatoes, beautifully glazed parsnips, the best gravy. Its all to much, i need a lie down!

What have you been up to lately other than chrimbo shopping? I have bought 2 presents arrrgghh- really I know. Utter fail lol.

until next time...................

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

What a difference a week makes....December 2013

Hey Dawls,

Its been a while since my last post-I know lol.

I have been so busy lately and I haven't had a moment to stop. But when I did, look what happened. The gorgeous autumn leaves are now that hazardous mulch that tries to kill you on the pavement and the trees  how have that bald, stark prison look. That I will cut you bitch look (I have been binge watching Orange is the new black so yeh). It is strangely beautiful in a cold dismal, this looks better from a window seat and central heating on full blast way.

It is soooo time for me to pull out the mens thermal socks and my comfy old jumper, whilst scoffing pumpkin and squash soup. Mhhhh yummers!  Might even make some hot cocoa in a pan (yeah I gets fancy lol). As lovely as the notion of a winter wonderland sounds, lets hope it doesn't happen! Sorry but no. Fingers and toes crossed for a cold yet snow free winter yay! How are you welcoming in December?

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

 

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Mixtape Mondays #7

Hi guys. It's Monday morning YAY again -_-. Lets all hold hands and get over the shock of the weekend ending so abruptly together lol. Check out a few of my tunes that have been on replay.......

Dizzee Rascal - Love This Town ft. Teddy Sky

Tuuuuuunnnnne

Calvin Harris & Alesso - Under Control ft. Hurt

pretty much love everything Calvin Harris does!

Vince kidd- You and me

I love his voice.

Foxes -Youth

Lorde - Royals
Who hasn't been jammin to this ...really?

smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

New beauty regimen (2013)

Hey guys,

My skin had been a little weird since August. I was having very odd breakout episodes with areas of dryness. I don't really get problem areas so prominently or prolonged so this was major for me. Maybe my lack of teen acne is coming for me with a vengeance -_-. Anyway as a result I decided to switch up my products and beauty routine. You can find items in my skincare haul post.

Skin is forever changing and evolving and studies show that the most common skin complaint for folks in their 20's is breakouts so here goes......

I have combination skin which I think is very popular. I have typical high shine in my t-zone but not my chin. I also sweat at the drop of a hat. Not profusely but more of a sheen. I have decided to minimise the amount of make up I wear during the first month or 2 and will only be using mascara, eyebrow kit, eyeliner and blush occasionally. This is mainly to let my skin breath and re-balance. It shouldn't be a major issue as I don't wear a full face every day any way.

I am using the following routine:

Step 1: CLEANSE with Superdrug Naturally Radiant  brightening hot cloth cleanser

Step 2: double CLEANSE with B.skin miecellar water 3 in 1

Step 3: BOOST with Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser & Serum-used during the day and applied in the morning

Step 4: INFUSE  more moisture with L’Oreal Youth Code Boosting Essence-used at night when my face is cleaned

Step 5: MOISTURISE with L'oreal luminize code day cream- used sparingly

Step 6: EYE treatment Anatomicals ( occasionally in the mornings). I will be adding a proper eye cream soon

Step 7.WASH with Simple moisturising face wash at night mainly (This will be done if I feel I need an extra clean and replace cleansing in the routine)

*Since September I have also added Superdrugs Naturally Radiant micro polish scrub and Naturally Radiant renewal face mask- this range has been such an amazing find. I would recommend everyone try it.

I also added

Dabur rose water to the mix because of its legendary soothing, toning and cleansing properties*

I  think my skin has suffered from my lack of smoothies these last few weeks, so will be starting that again. I think the smoothies definitely gave my body a very big vitamin boost so I am starting again for sure.

This is my skin on the first day -21/09/13

As you can see there are a few pimples and some pore visibility as well as roughness/ texture on the cheeks, which could really use a moisture boost. Once moisturised my skin looks fine but I want the same look when I am bare faced and not lack luster skin.

Picture taken with no products on my face and natural light. The shine comes from standing under a skylight.

 

This is my skin by the 3rd week -12/10/13

As you can see the my skin looks visibly smoother and healthier. The little pore marks that were these have reduced and I only had 2 small spots which were on their way out. My cheeks will always be a bit more matte than the rest of my face. I think due to combination skin but I want it to be as healthy as possible.

 Excuse my wack morning post filled eyebrows thems be cray cray before attention.

Picture 2 taken with no products on my face and natural light

This is my skin by the 6th week -02/11/13

I think it is clear to see my skin looks more balanced and even. I have a few hormonal blemishes but they are very small and not damaging to my skin.Overall my skin feels and looks so much better.

  

Picture 3 taken with no products on my face and natural light

I am sooo pleased I started the journey to sorting out my skin. The transitional autumn /winter time can be tricky but by stripping back and clearing out old products  that no longer worked, I have allowed my skin to be rejuvenated and become healthier.

Until next time.........

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

 

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Baby you should try some new thangs..... French plait braid out

Hey dawls,

So I did a really cute French braid hairstyle for work and it got good reviews so I am gonna share it.

I washed my hair really late at night and couldn't be bovved to blow dry it so I conditioned, moisturised and did two French braids thinking I would get a bit of stretch then put it in a bun for work.

I woke up however and was feeling the sleekness so off I went to work.

I haven't done French braids in ages as I am terrible at doing cornrows on myself so I was rather pleased with the outcome. Practice makes perfect I guess.

 

Morning bus selfies lol

This is the braid out, I redid my plaits after seeing the definition on the first day and here is the outcome. I didn't blowdry it so there is some shrinkage but I am loving it.

 

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Fresh spread, clear head: Ikea bedding

Hi loves,

I absolutely love a new bedspread. That fresh cosy feeling when you snuggle into a freshly made bed is second to none! I went to Ikea with my mum last week to pick up a few things and ended up buying some lovely bedding for myself.

Now everyone who knows me will testify to the fact that I can't stand the Ikea buildings. They make me really tense and annoyed. Don't know why because I am not claustrophobic and I like the products, just not the actual shop. So the fact that I stayed over 2 hours browsing is a testament to their products and deals.

Anyway here are 2 of my purchases.

I am a big fan of Ikea's bold prints and design so I am hoping they are good quality and last.You can find the same items here and here.

With the clocks being moved back an hour I hope everyone will be as comfy and well rested as me!

ÖDESTRÄD £7 Quilt cover, DVALA sheet in red £7

 Look out for my Ikea haul coming soon!

Until next time............

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

 

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Beauty edit: skincare haul 2013

Hi guys, I haven't done a skincare haul in a while so here are a few of my recent buys. I am changing up my beauty routine as winter approaches and my skin encounters a few  persistent issues. I have pretty much swept most of my other facial lotions and potions off the table and will only be using these as my basic skincare go tos for the foreseeable future.

 Here are my buys...............................

B.pure Micellar water, Naturally radiant brightening hot cloth cleanser

B.pure micellar water,150 ml £4.99- I bought this 3-in-1 cleanser from Superdrug. I have heard really good things about this brand and although some beauty junkies are like miecellar water isn't a proper cleanser, I like how gentle it feels. Now on sale for an excellent £3.32. I will definitely tryout some of their other products in future.

 

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser, 150ml £5.99 - A much raved about dupe of Elizabeth Arden. This is incredibly creamy and nourishing. It isn't greasy or heavy and cleansed my skin really well . It is infused with  Kiwi and Mulberry, Cocoa butter  and vitamin C, which claims to help to brighten and even out skin tone, while also providing antioxidant protection against free radicals. Now on sale for £2.98.

Naturally radiant brightening micro polish, Simple moisturisinfg foaming face wash

Naturally Radiant Brightening Micro Polish, 75ml £4.99 - Dermatologically approved and suitable for vegetarians and vegans, this polish is incredibly fine and non abrasive. It claims to be Kiwi, Mulberry and fruit acids which aid exfoliation and skin brightening. A excellent buy and now £2.48

Simple moisturising foaming face wash, 150ml £3.59 - Renowned for their simplicity and lack of nasties. The dermatologically approved face wash helps keep skin soft and supple. It is soap free (yay) and pH balanced and creamy foam formulation gently cleanses, moisturises and improves skin condition. 100% perfume and colour free.I haven't used Simple face washes in ages but I really do think this is a right move for me.

   

Naturally radiant 2 in 1 moisturiser and serum, L'oreal youth code youth booster serum

 

Superdrug Naturally Radiant 2 in 1 Moisturiser & Serum, 100ml £5.99- Now £2.98. This claims to do 2 things:

1. Awaken skin's natural glow
2. Hydrate & energise

It has a light creamy consistency but is not watery. A little goes a long way. 

L'oreal Youthcode youth booster serum, 30ml £7.65 - Fairly silky light consistency the serum is 10 times more concentrated in the patented Pro-Gen® technology than the Youth Code Day Cream. 

 It claims to give an instant boost of youthfulness and luminance . I actually managed to get mine from eBay which is why it is so cheap and cheerful.

L'oreal Luminize code

L'oreal Luminize code day moisturiser, 50ml £7.49. This is another one of my Ebay finds *dougies*. You can also share in my discount joy as this is currently £7.49 at Superdrug! Say wooot?! Yeh I know I may have to go and repurchase everything while the discount times roll.

 So that's me y'all I had a few other things to include but those are online buys and haven't arrived yet so meh.

With all of these sales going on I feel like I was slightly robbed! Even though they weren't expensive buys lol. Its the bargain hunter in me roaring at the injustice! My eBay bargains more than make up for it.

I shall be doing a review /skin diary post in the next few weeks once I have used all of them for a while. Look out for it in future.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

 

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

An autumn wedding: Guest outfit

Second family wedding of the year woop!

 It was my brother and beautiful wife's wedding last week Saturday, it was such a nice day and the food and drinks most definitly did  runneth over. I am still eating leftovers. Flash backs of champagne and rum still haunt me lol.

Excuse my shoes they took a beating on the dance floor lol

I kept it simple once again in a lace skater ombre dress from ASOS

My shoes were mink and bronze metallic capped flat pumps from Topshop (last year)

Aztec geo print kimono from Forever21 (last year)

Conical studded clutch bag from Matalan (last year)
Earrings from Dorothy Perkins

I think floral is definitely a wedding  event theme for me this year, check out my sisters wedding here

My nephew and I

They hired a photo booth and its safe to say my nephew spent a good amount of time posing and popping his collar. Fly boy lol. Excuse my Miley tongue moment-rum chronicles!

I went for a simple 50's bombshell look:
Hair- Pin up roll bangs

Face-  Fashionista primer (t-zone application)

Sleek be beautiful blemish balm, Sleek face contour kits, 

  Japanese gel eyeliner 

E.L.F highlighter

Lips- Mac Ruby Woo

Cheeks-  Mac sheertone Pinch o'peach

Once again I didn't have enough time to take as many snaps as I would have liked as I was helping my mum cook food for the evening buffet before and helping on the day. I won't put up their whole day as that is for them to decide and distribute.

But here are a few snaps.

Me, Nephew, Beautiful bride and the brides mother

Wedding guests

The head table

Dancing to candy

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Off the grid: fashion AW/13

As we dive into  AW13 it seems we are having a second love affair with grids. Plaid and monochrome is always a autumn/ winter staple and this year is no different. Why not combine the 2 and pick up a transitional grid print piece if you haven't already? Try clashing with other prints or rocking with neons.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

The #DarkSkinRedLip Project

I absolutely love this project. As soon as I heard about it i entered right away. 

Karyn Washington the creator of for brown girls , set up a site called

 The #DarkSkinRedLip Project. This was set up to dispel the ignorant and unfounded idea of dark skinned women not being able to wear bright lipstick and reduce any stigma attached with it. Put simply this website is being used to upload pictures of dark skinned beauties rocking a seriously banging red lip.

Luckily for me my mother didn’t push any of that nonsense on to me and I grew up with the philosophy that I could wear what I wanted as long as it suited me. I have however been told once by a guy that I was pretty for a dark skin girl! I quickly and some what viciously annihilated that fool and stamped all over his mental enslavement. I do not play that shit nor do I have time for it. Safe to say he never uttered such nonsense again lol

 Here is my entry,like, tweet, share or join in. Do what you do and get the word out there!

As many of you know A$AP Rocky took it upon himself to make a few off the cuff comments about dark girls wearing certain shades of lipstick etc. I absolutely believe this project is a perfect response to him and his use of colourism. For me it goes something like “whatever A$AP. You are entitled to your misguided views BUT they aren't my fuckin problem <--- geddit geddit. *puts on Ruby woo and tosses hair*

If you would like to join in, email Kayrn at forbrowngirls@yahoo.com attaching your picture, name, location and lipstick brand.

  "Breaking Barriers and Building Confidence!" is the tag-line of ForBrownGirls’ latest ongoing online campaign that invites women with darker skin complexions to submit and showcase a photo of them rocking a red lip . Since April, the organization has been promoting this project through social media and word of mouth to help put an end to the notion that women of a darker hue don’t look attractive wearing bright colors, in particular, red lipstick. Along with abolishing that stigma, the project will serve as inspiration to any girl or woman who have given into this stereotype and shied away from wearing a red lip. In viewing such images, a darker skinned girl who is hesitant to try a red lip will find the confidence to step out of her comfort zone, disregarding the opinion of anyone else. The project has received much support and we look forward to reaching our goal of having 1,000+ women participate.

- FBG & The DSRL Project.

L-R MAC ruby woo, Sleek vamp, FashionistA double take and MAC diva

Why not try a few of my favourite shades to get you started.

Until next time........

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Mua & FashionistA makeup haul!

Hey dolls,

It has been a little while since I did a makeup haul, mainly because I am trying to use what I have and I am trying to spend less mwahahhhaaa....... anyway I resisted for a while but then the E.L.F and Mua/ FashionistA sale double wammied me. So shopping I went!

I was really good and decided to go for FashionistA and Mua as they are one of my fav companies and  I have so much e.l.f anyway. The sales prices are really excellent and I came away with 22 items costing £30- bargain!

Entire haul combined

I didn't really own any FashionistA before this haul. I have used one of their lippies and found it really good although I ended up giving it away.

L-R Fashionista double take lipstick in Aubergine, Mua lip trio Temptress, Fashionista double take lipstick in Red carpet, MUA lip trio Siren, Fashionista maxi-moisture lipstick in Style transformation

 These lippies will be a great addition to my autumnal berry collection. At £1.50 for the lipsticks and £1.25 for the trios they were such a bargain and I cant wait to use them. They are incredibly nourishing and creamy. They have staying power and are not the most intense but are lovely none the less.

L-R Blushing sd 9, Cinnamon sd12, Butterscotch sd 10, Juicy apricot sd 6, Blushing coral sd 5, PPQ a/w12 limited addition palette

  I am such a fan of blushers. They just lift and add dimension to the face. I don't wear a full face off makeup every day so it is always good to have a wide variety of blushes to play with. I adore the range of colours which I can wear all year round and will take me from day to night with good colour pay off. I had to limit myself to five even though they were only £1.65 each and the pretty palette was only £2!!!!

L-R  Berry brown, Nude glimmer, Earth star, Tokyo bronzer, FashionistA pallete

I decided to go with a natural look with this palette. I am not the biggest fan of sparkle and these have a slight shimmer but are very subtle. I stuck to the palette number this time and I am very pleased with the outcome. Although I adore colour on my lids, it has always been muted or richer tones. I am now finding myself reaching for nude colours and wanted a palette that reflected that. The eyeshadows were £1.65 and this sleek palette was also £2.

The bronzer has been tested a few times already by friends with great reviews.I actually dust this over my collar bone and shins in summer  for an extra glow.

  

I Love, Love, LOVE these lip balms. They smell lovely and moisturise my lips really well.

They are rarely in stock in my local Superdrugs, so I always stock up when I see them. £1 each was a lovely bonus.

L-R - Fashion secret mattifying primer, Fahionista the double collection ultra black mascara, Fashion secret gel eyeliner in dress up chic, Mua matt eyeshadow sd 19

 I tend to always go for mattifying primers as I have found some normal primers make my face feel greasy. I have seen some rave reviews on this product and thought I would give it a go. At £3.50 I don't have anything to lose. I am an absolute mascara junkie and other than Maybelline I am not 100% loyal to any brand. I am forever trying new ones and adding to my collection.This was a great buy at £1.50 down from £8!

The coloured gel eyeliner is a fairly new concept for me. I find black eyeliner to be so chic and timeless why change?  I have been given coloured eyeliners over the years but always shied away as the outcome on other people wasn't to my liking shall we say. I really liked the colour of this one and thought it would make a great accent colour when I don't want to wear eyeshadow.

Lastly my boring brown matt eyeshadow lol. I don't actually use this as eyeshadow. I use it for contouring. As with many dark skinned girls, I found that some contouring powder doesn't give great definition but this does! I tried it after I misplaced my Sleek contour kit and was rather impressed. I love that it is £1 but is very pigmented and versatile.

That's me and my haul. Until next time......

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Turban Thursdays LOTD

Hey Dawllllls,  Today I thought I would come with something a lil different. I don't usually do outfit/ looks of the day but I am loving my turban way too much not to share!

The weather has been cray cray as per usual in London and I was exasperated with the extreme changes in weather within hours. Overcast thunder to super hot sunny times in one day plays havoc with the fro. I haven't been able to abide any hair styling products near me the past few days, due to humidity so I twisted my hair up yesterday and fashioned a turban this morning.

Lips ruby woo and Japanese gel eyeliner

  I Bought this scarf maybe five years ago for £3.99 in a H & M sale and I am still in love with it. I absolutely adore the juxtaposition between  the gold chain baroque and the over sized leopard print on green and blue silk.

It is a simple, low maintenance yet fashionable style that keeps my head cool and my hair out of the elements. Thus freeing up more time for cavorting in parks with a bottle of wine whilst shimmying to kendrick Lamar lol.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays  

Flower chile.....wedding guest swag

It was my sisters wedding last Saturday and I went totally flower power. I was complemented on my floral theme and full bloomed flower look. The ruby woo lippie appealed to the ladies and my headband had the lil girls a flutter and shyly sidling up to me to ask to try it on lol. I kept my whole look incredibly simple and let my accessories and embellishments do the talking.

Nude Make up and bold lips- apologies for the end of day grease ball face!

I went for a fresh faced dewy look using:

Eyes- MUA Undress me too palette

Face-  MUA primer (comes up matt on me)

Sleek be beautiful blemish balm, Sleek face contour kits, 

Mac studio finish concealer NW45/ NW50, Gel eyeliner

Lips- Mac Ruby Woo

Cheeks-  Mac sheertone Pinch o'peach

Outfit for the day

Embellished skater dress-  ASOS

Neon Tuxedo Blazer (It was too hot to wear)- Dorothy Perkins

Coral studded flats - Gift

White Satchel , can be used a s clutch- Topshop (similar in primark)

Floral rose headband Primark with own added embellishment

I kept it summery with a light cream dress and used the accent colours in the dress. The white bag was a key trend this summer and tied in the outfit well..

Total SELFIE

I would absolutely recommend buying this dress. It is comfortable and very breathable. I didn't feel over heated and it doesn't pick up dirt easily which is nice. The dress is super cute and very summery, it was definitely a talking point. The skater style is flattering to most body types so a definite must have. If you are taller than 5'6ft like myself it may be a little short at the back, that can be rectified by adding some lace or netting depending on your sewing skills. Unfortunately there was so much to do I haven't had time to look for a proper picture to upload so you are stuck with my greasy selfie from the end of the night lol.

I had a great time once the running around was over and my outfit withstood many many hours of wear.

Smooches

Stephanie aka Wednesdays Girl

xoxo

Don't forget to come find me and  Follow @GirlWednesdays