Decisions decisions!

Hello my lovelies,

Well another week has passed by. This week has been one long week for me despite being so busy!

When i decided i to start blogging i didnt want it to be completely beauty related. So i want to incorporate "dear diary" posts.

This week has been extremely busy! From hospital visits to job offers and then sickness. Ive not known which way to turn.

Ok, so firstly a little about me, I work full time as a Corporate key account manager for an environmental resources company. I deal with companies such as Coca cola, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Molton Brown, just to name a few. I look after the products that have to be legally and securely destroyed. Its a very busy and demanding job. But one which i love.

Im also single parent to a beautiful daughter who is almost 13. She certainly keeps me busy too!

The third ball im juggling is hospital visits. My brother in law is currently in hospital going through a stem cell transplant. He has a cancer known as multiple myeloma. Hes very ill at the moment so as a family were all providing as much support as we can to my sister and my 9 year old niece.

One unexpected development this week has come in the form of a job offer from a competitive company. It's a company I have had dealings with as we occasionally call on them to carry out work for us in busier times. The offer will take a lot of consideration. It will be a promotion in comparison to my current position but the part that's not making me jump at it is the fact that it's based in the south east. Essex to be more precise. As much as I would love to move I'm not sure of the practicalities. Firstly there is my daughter to consider, I would have to uproot her from her school and friends and we would be leaving behind my family.

This probably doesn't seem such a big issue to many, but being a single mum I rely on my mum to do the afternoon school run and she takes care of my daughter until I am home from work. I realise that this is an amazing opportunity but I'm so torn as to what to do!

Have any of you out there ever been in this same predicament? Can anyone offer any advice based on their experiences. 

I hope this post wasn't too boring! I wanted to give you all a little insight into my life at the moment and it was also a chance to explain why I only post once a week.

I would love to hear from any of you who have relocated due to their employment. Did it work out? Is it something that you would recommend? 

Please also let me know of any posts you would like to see. I have 2 tags which I'm currently working on it would really like to hear from you and find out what you like to read.

See you all soon,

Annmarie xxxx

Spring Makeup Shake Up!

Hello Lovelies!

Spring is here at last. Yaaaaay! 

Time to dust away the winter blues and spring clean our lives, not just our houses. 

If you're a dry skin sufferer like me then you may agree that autumn and winter are cruel months to our delicate dry skin. Cold outside and warm inside turns my skin to something that resembles that of a rhino, eurgh!! Thick, heavy moisturiser, Silicone based primers and full coverage foundation get me through those dark months but boy it feels like I'm constantly wearing a mask!

Spring arrives and the sun shines so the peeling away of those thick layers begins........and not just clothing.

I just love to strip away the make up on weekends and now the weather is improving, so is the dryness to my skin. During the week i wear make up every day for work. But i like to look "glowy" and fresh.

As you may or may not know i am currently on a spending ban for the next month. I have so many products that i have purchased but never used. So this month i am "Shopping my stash" and with this change in make up i have come across products that i had completely forgotten i had. So without further ado lets take a look at my spring makeup shake up!

Before

That looks a lot of products right? I always go for as natural look as i can really. The "no makeup, make up" look. I like to use all drugstore products for everyday use as i get through them so quickly. If you would like in depth reviews on any of this products please let me know.

After

Even my make up bag loves this new combination!

The concealer is Coastal Scents Camo Quad. I actually bought this last year and it got put with my make up collection and never came out again so i thought i would see how this performs. I will be doing a full blog post review on this once i have given it a good test drive!

The Nivea Express Hydration Primer is fantastic! Last year i purchased this over and over again. It has a light gel consistency which absorbs into the skin beautifully!

As you can see in the second picture it just disappears into my skin adding moisture. I know people may think its odd wearing a primer under a BB cream, but its just always something i have done. Plus it gives me a bit more moisture throughout the day.

I'm looking forward to seeing all your Spring shake ups! 

Should you wish for me to do a more detailed review on any of the products on this post please let me know.

See you all soon xx

*Disclaimer - All products shown here have been purchased by me. All thoughts and opinions are of my own

**The Maybelline Colour Tattoo is in the shade Permanent taupe**

Nuxe Reve De Miel Honey Lip Balm - Review

Hi all!

Hope you've all been enjoying this beaaauuuuutiful spring weather we currently have here in the UK.

Today's new post will be a review on Nuxe - Reve De Miel Honey Lip Balm.

Ive have seen many beauty bloggers talk about this on their blogs and for a while i did think "do i really need 'another' lip balm?!" The short answer.....this is much more than a lip balm, of course i needed it!

I ordered the Nuxe Lip Balm from Amazon Uk. You can order it here.

I have to say that on first impressions the lip balm was nothing like what i was expecting. The scent is very light and refreshing with a slight citrus tone to it. The consistency isnt the soft, creamy texture you would think. Its also not solid like the Vaseline range of balms. 

The only way i can describe it is that it reminds of me putty (strange, i know). Hopefully this next picture helps with my description.

My lips have been very chapped and sore just lately so as soon as i opened this little pot i wanted to try it straight away! It melted like a dream into my lips. Not at all greasy or sticky but uber moisturising! Naturally i licked my lips to taste it (does anyone else do that?) and it tasted just like Terry's Chocolate Orange. Amazing!!!

My lips felt so moisturised for hours after and really helped with the soreness. You only need a small amount so i can imagine that the 15g of product will last some time.

I have now incorporated the Nuxe lip balm into my night time routine. Now when i awake in the morning my lips are like velvet!

I would highly recommend this product. Price wise it is a higher cost to most but I have now had this for over a week and used it every evening before bed and Ive hardly made a dent in it.

I hope you have all enjoyed my first review. If you have any suggestions for reviews or any tags you would like me to do please leave a comment.

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

Annmarie xx

**DISCLAIMER - I have not been paid to endorse this or any other product mentioned in this or any other review you will see on this blog unless otherwise stated.

Tag - Blog Your Heart Out

Hello again!!

I have been tagged by the very lovely Kerry Just Beauty to do the "Blog your heart out" tag. You can read her post here 

So the blog you heart out tag is a list of 5 questions. Once I have answered these questions I then tag another 5 people and so on and so forth.

Lets get started.......

Question 1. Who / What encouraged you to start blogging?

For almost 12 months now I have been obsessed with the Sacconejoly's. I watch their vlogs religiously at 6pm every day! I was inspired by Anna Saccone blogs. The beautiful pictures, the informative tutorials and more recently the pregnancy updates of her second baby which is due any day!

I was also inspired by others including Miss Budget Beauty and Jess Whitbread

Question 2. How did you choose what topics to blog about?

As I am very new to blogging I haven't really concentrated on one topic as yet. I am very interested in skin care as I have extremely sensitive skin and ive spent countless hours and a small fortune on finding a skincare routine that works for me. Also I wanted to put into words my passion for beauty and hope to inspire others too.

Question 3. What is something most people don't know about you?

Im 36 years old and single parent to a daughter who is about to turn 13.

Question 4. What 3 words describe your style?

Personality wise - Honest, Outspoken and Class Clown (I know its 2 words but hey ho)

Dress wise - I think investing in good basics and then accessorising to dress up or down is key to any style.

Question 5. What do you do when you're not blogging?

I love to spend time with family.

I have a very close knit family and at the moment we are all pulling together to support and help my brother in law who is battling against a very aggressive form of cancer known as multiple myeloma.

That's all questions answered! Thank you to Kerry for tagging me.

I now tag:

Carrie

Peplum + Coffee

Chelsea

Rachel

Brogan

Over to you girls!

Look forward to reading your replies.

Annmarie xx



Get to know me.

Hi all,

Welcome to my very first blog! It's a work in progress so apologies for the amateur look.

I thought I would start with a "get to know me" post to begin with.

Where do I start? We'll I've been interested in beauty for a number of years but only came across this whole new beauty community about 12 months ago. Since then I have become addicted to YouTube. Following on from YouTube I then discovered Instagram and I thought it was time I put pen to paper or finger to keyboard and joined you all to see what response I receive.

I aim to blog at least twice a week and will be open to all suggestions for any blog posts you would like to see. Once I've "found my feet" and grown confidence then I will also be starting a YouTube channel of my own.

I have a list of blogs that I would like to do so look out for those in the very near future and until then if there is anything specific you would like to see please leave me a comment.

I am on twitter and Instagram on the tag name of @catmazdo I would love to chat you with you all and follow you there.

Oh, and for those wondering about my blog name, I was given this name at work after someone saw a google image of a cat in glasses and thought it looked like me haha!

Do you see any resemblance?

If you have any questions at all or any suggestions for any blogs or reviews please let me know. You can also send me messages on twitter @catmazdo

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Xx