Guide To Solo Shopping

Some people love it and others hate it, but to me shopping solo is the best pass-time.
At first I thought shopping on your own would be extremely boring and unproductive but since trying it I now prefer it than going with other people! (As anti-social as that sounds).
So I am going to give you a few tips on how to shop on your own and make the most out of your own company.

Step One.) 

If you are driving yourself there make sure you leave with plenty of change for the car park as there is nothing worse than parking and then realising you don't have any money to pay for it. I'm one of those people that always forget and rely on whoever is with you to have change, but of course this wont be possible when your on your own! The best method of doing this is to leave 'emergency change' in a hidden place in your car so if you do forget to put some in your purse, your car will already have some.

On the other hand, if you don't drive and have to take a bus or taxi, you may want to set a reminder on your phone to take some change with you, otherwise your driver may not be so happy.

Step Two.) 

Always give yourself more time.

I mean this in the sense of choosing how much money to put in at the car park to decide how long a stay you want. Some newer car parks now you can stay as long as you like and then pay afterwards so you don't have to worry whilst your shopping how long you have left. But older places will have the 'pay and display' machines. So you pay per hour. I always choose more time than I think I will need in this situation as then I'm not spending my whole shopping day thinking 'I need to be back in half an hour!' as this just takes the relaxation away of solo shopping and makes the whole day into one stressful mess.

Step Three.)

Take a bottle of drink.

Personally I am not the sort of person to sit in a cafe or restaurant on my own for a quick drink and snack as I just find it awkward. I much prefer taking a bottle of drink and a snack which I can eat between walking to shops. You can either make up your own drink at home or buy one when you get there :)

Step Four.)

Make sure your phone is fully charged, and tell someone where you are going!

As you are shopping on your own its important that other people know where you are and you have some way of contacting them. You'll thank me for this when your car breaks down and you have a way of calling for help ;)

Step Five.)

Mentally plan where you want to go and which shops you want to go to first.

This will stop you looking like a muppet when your walking around in circles not sure which shop to go into first. I like having a little plan in my head of what I need and where to get it and the best order to do it in. For example I normally make a bee-line for Superdrug just because all the items in this shop will be small and light-weight meaning you can carry your items for the rest of the day without the bag breaking your arm! Also I find going into cosmetic shops first remind me of other things I need, for some strange reason.

This is the Superdrug I shop at in my town :)
(This is not my own photo).

Step Six.)

Go into clothes shops with an open mind!!

I cannot stress this enough.

One of my favourite things about shopping on my own is the fact there is no one else to tell you 'ew why would you like that style' or 'I hate clothes like that.' Now I get that constructive-criticism is very helpful and I would expect my friends and family to tell me if something looked horrible on me but I also understand that people have their own styles and if its different from yours, you need to respect that. So as your on your own go into clothe shops and try on whatever you like! Because if you get to the changing room and it really doesn't suit you all you have to do is put it back and nobody will ever know how awful it looked ;) but you could also be pleasantly surprised! 

Step Seven.) 

Tackle Primark last.

If you are from the UK and shop at Primark you will know how much of a jumble sale it can be in there, especially if its a busy day.

The Primark I visit has recently been done-up and I LOVE it! But other stores may not be so nice. 

I always find saving Primark until last not only gives you something to look forward to but stops you from carrying around a huge heavy bag with you for the rest of the day - especially as the handles on Primark bags are so thin that they literally cut into your skin!! (If anyone is sat reading this with not the foggiest of what Primark is, its basically a very large clothes store in the UK where the items are extremely cheap, and you will always end up buying a lot more than you intended to.)   

The Primark store in town.
(Once again, not my photo)

Step Eight.) 

Always keep your receipts.

This is a big one.

Simply because as you are shopping on your own and you don't have any second opinions you may get home and realise the clothes you bought aren't as nice as you first realised or you've actually bought completely the wrong shade of foundation (as long as the seal is still on you should be able to return any makeup product). Primark receipts are one to definitely keep a hold of just as although the clothes are cheap, the quality is not always there so you may get home and notice a button is loose or theres a small rip, so you can always return the item and swap it for another one - happy days!  

Once finished, go home and put away all your new bits and pieces and possibly go for a well earned snooze. :)

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August Favourites

It's that time of again where YouTubers and bloggers around the world share their monthly favourites! My favourite time if I'm honest, (I'm actually sat here watching Favourites videos on Youtube as I'm typing this) as it just gives me a lot of inspiration to go out and buy/try new products, which is good for my makeup collection yet not so good for my bank balance..

I spent the majority of August in a different country which meant I was limited to what products I could take with me as I travelled by aeroplane, and had to squash everything into a tiny little makeup bag.. Tetris style! (Google Tetris if you're not as old as me and have no idea what that retro little game is), but I managed to fit in everything I use for my everyday makeup which was  relieving for me, and nothing burst or spilled everywhere which was even better! woohoooo 

I'm going to just jump straight into it as I have quite a few items to show you :) 

Firstly is Stay Matte by Rimmel London. This is a long lasting powder foundation in the shade 006 Warm Beige. I use this on top of my liquid foundation to get rid of any shine on my face. It came in particularly handy on holiday as the temperature ranged from 30-40 degrees so I didn't want to look constantly sweaty by wearing liquid foundation in the sun. I applied this to my face after my makeup was finished using a Real Techniques blusher brush (see below) to all areas of my face. I found that I didn't need to be overally cautious about where I applied it, I just swirled the brush around the foundation and then blended it in to my face, mainly across my forehead and cheeks where glow is normally more visible. I bought this in Boots for about £4 which is insanely cheap and much worth the money. (I will leave links below at the end of the post to all of these products for you). 

Secondly is another Rimmel London product, as I have really been loving their makeup recently and use a lot of different products of there's. This is the concealer correcteur (as spelt this way on the packaging). I went through a phase a few weeks ago where I just wasent getting on with any concealer. I found liquid ones to be too cakey and they didn't last very long, I felt like I was constantly ordering more off the internet or going into every Boots or Superdrug I passed to buy a new one. So upon holiday shopping for makeup I can across this concealer. Its kind of like a powder but more liquidy and with more density. I absolutely LOVE IT!! It's perfect concealer! I apply this before foundation and it covers my under-eye circles and blemishes perfectly, it even covers spots to perfection. The only problem I find with this product is that its hard to find one in the shops that haven't got finger prints inside them. I actually own this in two shades 030 Warm beige and 020 Ivory. My shade is Ivory as Warm Beige is much too dark but I originally had to buy the darker shade as all of the lighter ones has horrible finger prints or holes in where someone else had stuck their hands in to test it out - disgusting!! This is partly the shops fault for not having tester pots out but also the packaging isn't sealed with tape or whatever like most foundations are meaning that people can just do what they like to them. Luckily I found my lighter shade about three weeks later in a completely different Boots.   

Oh my goodness.

It happened.

I bought it.

AND I'M IN LOOOOVVEEE.

This is honestly THE BEST makeup product I have EVER bought. I need to calm down.

It is of course The Benefit Rollerlash mascara. I had heard so much hype about it but had put off buying it due to the price. Its roughly around £20 which to me is a lot for just a mascara. Normally I spend around £20-£25 on a lot of products all in one go not just one alone. I am quite picky about mascaras as well because my eyelashes are very long, but hard to manage. They stick around in odd places and rain droplets always get caught in them and its just a nightmare. I discovered eyelash curlers about a year ago and they have been a complete life saver every since as they stopped my lashes from sticking out but mascaras I find normally are too heavy and my lashes go straight rather than curled upwards. I caved in when I found this mascara at the Duty Free shops at the airport on the way to my holiday, it was about £16 so I decided just to go for it and treat myself as I was on holiday! ;)

Now on the original box it did state that you would no longer need eyelash curlers but I do still use mine before and after applying this mascara just because my lashes are long and heavy, but this is the only mascara I have found where my lashes stay curled for almost an entire day! Its just amazing really. And I love the handle and applicator so much! The actual brush itself is curved which is what gives you the volume when applying but oh my goodness just go against all your best judgement of makeup budgeting and BUY IT! You won't regret it ;)

Simple is my ultimate favourite. I use a lot of their skincare products and at the moment they are doing a big sale on literally everything they sell which is lovely for me! I think I have about four packets of their makeup wipes at the moment as they are over half price! Some of their products can be more expensive than what I normally buy but they are still very affordable, and its worth swapping to Simple from your everyday drug-store products such as Boots-own just because Simple use natural ingredients (see below) and makeup your skin feel a lot more softer than cheaper brands. This face wash I used every morning on holiday and my skin really thanked me for it. Once back in the UK and back to work I started to slack with skincare and this morning I woke up with my skin feeling very greasy and just unclean. To me this shows that this face wash works as you notice the difference when you stop using it for a couple of weeks, (also note that I work in a restaurant with deep-fat fryers so my skin is more likely to be affected by grease more). It makes you feel very refreshed and clean after every use and this feeling carries on all day.

As you can tell by the dirty packaging..this is well used and loved.

I have never personally be one for eyeshadows. When I was about 12 or 13 I would think I was cool and grown-up and wear blue eyeshadow which is such a cringe. But recently I really wanted to start trying them out as I always feel my eyes look too plain with just mascara on. I saw this palette The Nudes by Maybelline advertised on the TV and went out and bought it that day. It was £10 which is an absolute bargain in my eyes (excuse the pun) as some  palettes can range from about £30-£50!! I now use this almost everyday and by looking at the picture below you can clearly see that the bottom left shade is my favourite. It doesn't have a name but its basically a natural looking brown with a slight shimmer to it. I have received compliments since wearing it, which is always lovely :) 

Applying eyeshadow is a completely different story as I had never had any experience and I have never watched any tutorials on how to apply it so I kind of just guessed but I get better each time I do it..I think. 

Doing the job I do (working in catering) I'm not allowed to wear nail varnish to work, not even nude coloured shades which is really annoying as I really do like having my nails painted. I HATE doing it but love the finished product. My nails grow super quick as well so I'm the sort of person that cuts them really short just because they get in the way whilst working, (my Mum absolutely hates me for doing this because her nails just don't grow!). Anyway I found this nail varnish by Rita Ora called Rain Rain Go Away and I liked the natural shade so bought it to take on holiday. I painted my nails the day before I went away and it had only just started chipping half way through my second week away so it lasted a long time! The brush is lovely and makes it really quick and easy to apply. This photo makes the colour look really boring but its actually really lovely, and affordable!

Christmas is coming!!

Well it is in my bedroom.

I found these festive wintery smelling candles in Primark believe it or not! Usually I hate the smell of Primark candles and avoid them at all costs because although they are cheap and affordable, they are this for a reason..because they stink! 

But these drew me in simple by the colour of them (They are both the same scent by the way I just decided to buy one big and one small), and I was pleasantly surprised when I smelt them! I can't really describe the smell buy its very festive. Thats all I can say really! Smells are just too hard to explain. The larger candle out of the two was only £4 and burns for 60 hours and the smaller one was a £1 and burns for 12 hours! Such a bargain! I have seen Yankee candles before and been so tempted to buy them but I kind of think £25-£30 is quite ridiculous for one big candle in a jar but the larger one of the two from Primark is pretty much the same size as a Yankee candle, and smells just as nice! 

If you have read my 'How I clean my makeup brushes' blog post you would have seen this Tresemme shampoo already before. I absolutely love this shampoo and conditioner combo. They are both deep cleansing for all hair types and they really give your hair a fresh and clean feeling after every wash, and they smell amazing!

I had a bit of problems with my last shampoo (mentioned in my previous monthly favourites) where my hair would start feeling very greasy on my scalp after washing. So I switched to these and since then I haven't had any problems! I apply the shampoo first and use both hands to massage it into all sections of my hair including the roots and a smaller amount on the ends of the my hair. After rinsing I then apply the conditioner using the same method but also tipping my head upside down and ensuring all the underneath has been reached and the ends of my hair as these are the areas which get dry. I then leave the conditioner on without any water touching it for two-three minutes to let it do its job. Leaving it on like this makes my hair super soft and shiny. I love it so much!

These bottles are more expensive than most shampoo and conditioner I have previously bought at £5 a bottle but its totally worth it and nearly almost on offer at either Tesco or Wilkinsons.

Finally if you've got this far well done! I ramble on so much in my blogs that when I go back to proof-read and edit I can't actually believe how much I have written! But I just enjoy it so much, hehe.

This brush is the Real Techniques Blusher Brush I use to apply the first product in this post the Rimmel London Stay Matte powder. Its so soft on your skin and really helps to blend your foundation into your neck and applying powder. I love it a lot and use it all the time. It was fairly pricey but not too bad and it does the job so its worth it. I also love how Real Technique brushes look when all together, as they are actually really pretty brushes! Without that sounding strange..

So fluffy!!

Thats everything for this months favourites, and I hope I've inspired you to go out and buy some of these products to try for yourself. I am already trying out some new products at the moment which I will either put into next months favourites or do a review post on, depending how well I get on with them!

Thanks so much for reading.

Molly

xox

Here is everything featured above that I can find on the internet. All of my beauty products are purchased from either Boots or Superdrug (apart from the mascara and candles), but as their websites are slightly different to what they sell in the shops its proving hard to find every product exactly like what I have bought, so I will do my best to find the closest thing if not the same.

• Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder - http://www.superdrug.com/Rimmel/Rimmel-Stay-Matte-Pressed-Powder-Peach-Glow-3/p/592498#.Ve4VpxHBzGc
• Rimmel London Concealer - Correcteur - http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Concealer/Rimmel-London-Lasting-Finish-Concealer-Ivory-10/p/368500#.Ve4V7xHBzGc
•  Benefit Roller Lash - http://www.boots.com/en/benefit-Roller-Lash-mascara_1654256/
• Simple Refreshing Face Wash - http://www.boots.com/en/Simple-Refreshing-Facial-Wash-50ml_955963/
• The Nudes by Maybelline palette - http://www.boots.com/en/Maybelline-Palette-The-Nudes_1685050/
• Rita Ora Rain Rain Go Away nail varnish - http://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Nails/Nail-Polish/Rimmel-60-Seconds-Super-Shine-By-Rita-Ora-Rain-Rain-Go-Away/p/411102#.Ve4W5xHBzGc
• Tresemme Deep Cleansing shampoo - http://www.superdrug.com/3-for-2-on-selected-Tresemme/TRESemme-Cleanse-%26-renew-2in1-Shampoo-plus-Conditioner-900ml/p/267677#.Ve4XGBHBzGc
• Real Techniques Blush Brush - http://www.superdrug.com/Real-Techniques/Real-Techniques-Blush-Brush/p/553262?singleResultSearchPage=true#.Ve4XjBHBzGc

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Late night book review & discovering reading again

It's currently 11pm, I'm sat in bed under the duvet and a blanket, wearing fluffy bed socks, my pajamas and my big white dressing gown with bear ears on the hood watching late night television, and its so COLD outside. But I'm not complaining..because this surely means Autumn and Winter is on the way..RIGHT?! I've even bought a couple of Christmas-smelling candles and been burning them in my bedroom. It's definitely not too early in the year is it? (Thoughts below please..personally I think not ;))

Anyways going back on topic. I thought I'd do a little book review tonight. Being in a different country with people who don't speak the same language as you for two weeks and zero WiFi connection showed me the beauty of reading again. As a child I used to read A LOT, to the point where I used to spend some of my lunch breaks at school sat in the library reading book after book. Whenever we went out for the day I always took a book with me and read in the car and at any spare moment that I could. Now being older and working full time and ridiculously long hours and days I don't have the time to read as much as I would like to. Before bed I am just too tired to even pick up a book and during the day I'm working. 

If you follow my social media you would have noticed that I am a huge fan and lover of Harry Potter. I grew up with the stories and spent my child hood waiting eagerly for the next book to come out and when it did, just locking myself away and reading non-stop until I had finished it. I was OBSESSED. Now all the books and films have been released I've since read the book series about 3-4 times and sometimes go back every now and then to re-read my favourite chapters and scenes. (I am actually visiting the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour in London in December - for the second time - to see Hogwarts at Christmas I'm SO excited..so keep you eyes peeled for a blog post about that day as I'm sure there will be one!) 

So when it came to going on holiday I was tempted to pack a couple of Harry Potter books to read by the pool and on the aeroplane but decided to try something different and read something completely new and by an author I had never heard of before, rather than once again going back to the same books - no matter how much I love them.

I came across One Small Act of Kindness by Lucy Dillon by accident when shopping in Tesco. It was about £3.99 and the front cover drew me in by looking so simple and cute. I bought it without really thinking much into it and packed it away straight into my suitcase to take on holiday..and I'm SO glad I did!

I LOVE everything about this book. 

Firstly its such a decent size to hold comfortably. That sounds strange but some books I find so skinny that they just get annoying and your constantly turning the page because theres hardly any words to read on the slim little pages! But this one was just the perfect size, (with the perfect amount of words;)).

Secondly the Author Lucy Dillon has the most lovely writing style. This is the first book I have read by her but I have recently ordered two more of her books simply because I love how light-hearted and sweet her stories are, (I'm now currently reading a hundred pieces of me). One of the reviews behind the front cover reads 'A book you'll read into the early hours, full of warmth, love and bravery' and this pretty much sums it up for me too. I just couldn't put the book down, by the pool, at the dinner table, in the car, on the aeroplane, in bed, and sometimes even sat with my feet dangling in the pool whilst everyone else was swimming..I stayed out just to read what happened next! I normally look after books really well but this one is a complete mess now. It was constantly getting splashed whilst being by the pool so its gone a bit crispy and bendy, and I think a few pages even have smudges from where I was eating and reading..but hey ho. And it had a few rips but..it did travel to a different country and back!

I think this also proves just how much I have missed reading, especially a story I have never read before and not knowing whats on the next page, its just the best thing!

I don't want to ruin the story line for you as I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a light-hearted easy to read story with a little bit of humour (which comes lovingly in the form of the dog Lord Bob himself) and twists here and there, but I'll just give you a little basic insight into what its all about by showing you the blurb below.. :)

If you have a love for interior design like me then this book will aid your decorating-imagination (if that's even a thing..) as they talk about re-decorating the hotel and designing all the rooms. I just wanted to jump inside the book and help them to do it all!

Apart from the hotel side of the story, there is also this mysterious girl who looses her memory and is left not knowing who she is or anything about herself. For me her story kept me gripped to the book wanting to find out everything about her and discover all the things she had forgotten. The hotel links to her story and theres a few little twists to how and why the couple running the hotel end up being more linked to her than you first thought.

The characters are so easy to like, and so easy to picture and imagine in your head whilst reading. The author gives you a real insight and description of each one to help make the story come alive, and it just works!

I just have to mention this also, but this book has the BEST book smell I've ever smelt. Call me weird, but I always do the smell test on books and this one is in the top ten ;). Other people do this right?

Thankyou once and once again for all your support on my blog.

Molly

xox

Update 10.09.15

Since writing this post I tweeted it and tagged the author of the book and she replied! Which is lovely of her. :)

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Holiday to France-Daglan

Good evening everybody!
I hope you are all well, and are having a lovely week, (I'm working ten shifts in a row so its most likely a lot better than mine..)

If you follow me on Twitter (@mloggee) you may have noticed I've been completely inactive for a while as I've been on holiday for two weeks abroad with ZERO INTERNET. No wifi - nothing :( I could connect using 3G but it cost me 17p per MB so I only really used it to message my family back home and post a few updates to Instagram and even then I ended up spending just over £40 throughout the holiday..just on 3G alone. whoops. It was weird being without internet but strangely nice as well not having that pressure to check social media all the time, and it really got me back into reading and I read a couple of lovely stories whilst relaxing by the pool!

As I've been posting a lot of holiday pictures on Instagram (@riddikulus___) and since I've been back in the UK raving about it all over Twitter, I thought I'd post a few pictures here from my holiday and just give you a little insight onto what we got up to in France! 

P.s..if anybody reading this lives in France or has visited the same place as me let me know! Or tweet me a picture!

The view outside our holiday home was so pretty! These hot air balloons went up every night.

All the cute little houses had these lovely shutters on the windows like these and I love them! They make the buildings look so nice and pretty.

One of my most favourite things about the little town we stayed in (Daglan) was the cute little streets like this one, HOW CUTE. (The car ruins it :()

I love this playsuit. Its not something I thought I'd ever feel confident wearing but I decided just to go ahead and buy it when I went holiday shopping and I'm so glad I did! It was my most wore piece of clothing and I felt so comfy wearing it. Molly - 1 Anxiety - 0

There was a small festival going on one weekend and on the last night were fireworks, we had THE BEST view from the balcony in our holiday home. 

I have hundreds more photos on my camera (Canon EOS 700D) but I just thought I'd give you a little inlook into my holiday. 

Have you been on holiday or are going on holiday? And where are you going?

I hope you like these less chatty posts for a change, normally I get carried away and can't stop typing, so heres something a bit different :)

Molly

xox

P.S This week I reached 1000 overall pageviews on my blog! 

THANKYOU ALL SO MUCH <3 

xox

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