Eyes are the window to the soul

Or in my case, the windows to the gross itchy, tender, flaky and massively swollen condition that is blepharitis.

Some people I'm sure will say I'm over exaggerating and that there are more important things going on in the world than my little old eyes but this 'condition' just turned up one morning out of the blue, no warning, just hugely puffed up eyes that made me wonder if I'd been too tired the night before and had put something other than eye cream on my eyes at bedtime.

A week later and still there, someone mentioned blepharitis and so I googled it. 

"The symptoms of blepharitis often come and go, getting better or worse over a long period of time. Blepharitis usually affects both eyes and you may find your symptoms are worse in the morning. Your symptoms may include:

• red, sore eyelids, which may also be swollen
• a gritty, burning or itching feeling in your eyes
• eyelids sticking together
• crusting on your eyelashes
• scaly or greasy eyelids
• difficulty wearing your contact lenses
• blurred vision"

Appealing yes?

So, I've always quite liked my eyes and make a thing of them with my makeup, one of James' favourite things about me is my eyes (What! Not my nagging about stuff?), so it has been actually really horrible not being able to wear eye makeup.  

In my job, I am regularly face to face with stockists and to not be able to finish my face properly with my eye make up is annoying, I feel I look unfinished, and they might think I've just rolled out of bed!

So after weeks of asking google, twitter and every chemist I pass (doc was useless) and getting nowhere fast as everywhere tells you it is uncureable, it turned out my sister knew of something to help!

Sorry for quality of pics, this is all being done from my phone while watching peppa pig, as I figure if I don't blog soon then I may as well just admit defeat and stop blogging! 

So after 3 applications of the wipes and 2 applications of the blephagel my eyes were 98% back to normal, I couldn't believe it!!

However, this morning on what is going to be a stressful day anyway with an extremely important business meeting this afternoon I wake up, look in the mirror straight away which has become my daily routine since the blepharitis showed its ugly self and was greeted with this 

Literally at the end of my tether, can anyone help??!!!  You can see how swollen the lid is, I normally have very deep sockets!!

Soap & Glory Daily Double

On visiting Boots on the pretence of buying nappies (translate as feeding my make up obsession) I popped my advantage card in the machine to see what new offers I had.

Buy a double daily eye stick for less than half price at £4!

I tried it this morning and dear god, don't make any mistakes because this product has serious staying power!

Only 3 shades available in my local, but I wonder if there are more as if so I'm in for the long haul.

The double ended pencil is so creamy, and I prefer the thinner tip to the Clinique chubby for eyes, it gives a much more precise application and you can get into the inner corners much easier.

If you've got a Boots card, I suggest you take advantage! (Get it?)

Jane Iredale Longest Lash

I've been on the hunt as you may know, for a decent mascara.  Length I am not struggling with, volume, I am.

I visited one of my stockists for work the other week (if you live near Stamford in Lincs you MUST go to essence of beauty ) and I always like to see what products sell well for them, to gauge what of my products would sell well, and we got onto the subject of Jane Iredale, who, although is a premium price, sells very well for them, because I guess once someone knows something works, they stick with it.  Tracy who owns the salon was wearing this mascara, and it sold me.  So although a very successful meeting, I left £26 down!!

It has fibres in it, which I was a bit hesitant about.  What if they come loose and shed in my eyes, and I end up with gross red watery eyes on the way to a meeting, etc etc. You know, those really life threatening situations ;)

It doesn't shed, and it coats the lashes beautifully, yes it does lengthen them, but it doesn't make my long lashes look spidery, due to the volumising effect too.  My biggest plus point for this mascara?  The squeezy tube.  Why don't all mascaras come like this?  It means you don't need to pump the wand in and out which as we all know (and ignore) creates a hive of gross bacteria to multiply into more grossness.  Also means that we can get all £26 worth of gunk out of it.  Win win. 

Arabel Lebrusan

A couple of years ago I had the joy of discovering Arabel, as we shared office space in one of those offices where you rent desks.  It was just off Sloane Square and she had her own jewellery brand Leblas.  Arabel has since rebranded under her own name, and I wanted to introduce you to her stunning intricate handiwork.

A big positive for me is that all of her metals and stones are fairtrade and fairmined, recycled and her website is completely transparent and honest about everything she uses.

When I first met her, I put her in touch with Sienna and Savannah Miller who personally chose beautiful rings that Arabel had designed and made, and they have been pictured several times wearing the jewellery since.  If it is good enough for the Miller sisters, then it's definitely good enough for me!

Her latest range, which I wish I had checked out sooner, as have been moaning I don't have a cute summer bracelet and would have loved for holiday is the friendship bracelets.

Filigree Friendship Rosette bracelet in Rose Gold £110 here

Filigree friendship bracelet with smoky quartz gemstone in yellow gold £155 here

Pay her website a visit here

Well Worn Converse (like their owner)

I've been coveting the well worn converse for a while now, and have always had the pumps rather than the hi tops.  I really fancied the hi-tops as I keep seeing baukjen models (my favourite catalogue) wearing converse with skirts and skinnies, and think it really works!

I got birthday money early so I could start to restock my wardrobe with my new found size 10-12 body and James offered to get me the converse as part of my birthday present (the other present was a new pair of raybans also for holiday!)

So we got them, I love them and can't wait to wear them!!

£55 from schuh

In transit camera close-up

I was so excited to be one of the winners of Amelia's (view her blog here) thisworks competition!  One of my oldest friends used to be a Director there, so I became a fan of a few of their products, namely dry leg oil, but kind of forgot about them when she moved onto pastures new.

I still kind of think This Works is a very similar animal to Aromatherapy Associates, but I love their products too, so am not complaining.  However this gem is my new favourite product.

You massage it in like you would a normal moisturiser, until it has totally absorbed, however, this is not just a moisturiser.  It is a mask, AND a primer in one.

The pump application is brilliant, doesn't give you too much, I use 2 pumps for my whole face and massage it in gently, leaving my skin with a dewy finish, which comes through when you apply foundation over the top, so a lovely natural yet polished application.

one pump



I don't use a primer every day, as I feel really it is just filling in lumps and bumps, which can't be good, we use polyfilla to hide cracks in walls, and this kind of reminds me of what a primer does, so I just use it if I am in meetings all day and want my make up to stay in place, or on an evening out, but this is hard not to use every day because I love it so much.  It's firmly in my holiday make up bag.  Thank you so much Amelia!

thisworks have a deal on another one of their In Transit products at the moment, whereby you get a £29 product for £19 (enter code ITSD at checkout, view their in transit range here )

prepping for sun

It's been a year and 8 months since we last went on holiday, since we last stripped off and let the public see our bodies.  Which I don't think there is a pantone colour to describe at present.  Other than milky.

Bearing in mind we've not had many opportunities in the run up to the holiday to get our tan on, we decided to help ourselves along with beta carotene capsules, which we do normally if we remember, but felt this year was more important to, so that our skin has got some Vitamin A in it and doesn't have a complete sh*tfit when we get to Crete. 

In case you didn't know what beta carotene helps with:  it apparently strengthens your skin against rays of light - to accelerate the tanning process and reduce the risk of sunburn. Beginning a month before your holidays you can start taking supplements that contain antioxidant nutrients such as Beta Carotene, Vitamin A, C and E, which help to protect the body from excess free radicals that destroy healthy cells and promote the cell aging process.

We've also been taking Vitamin D, for a totally different reason.  James is definitely a summer person, dark mornings and evenings really take their toll on him, and we even tried a lumie light, which didn't seem to work, so I figured Vitamin D would be good for him as we get most of our vitamin D from sunlight on our skin.  Of which our beautiful country has definitely been lacking.  For me, it is for the same reasons, but also my mum has osteoporosis which is partially caused by lack of Vitamin D, and I seem to be inheriting every bad health issue she has had, so am trying to delay or fight off anything possible!

I need to start taking the Lambert fish oils as recommended by Caroline Hirons, so that is my next investment when I return from holiday.  Any other suggestions?