30 September 2012

The Dandy Necklace

I love my job, I get paid to sellpeople products that I love, I'm allowed to be totally me and not get judged for it, and I work with some truly amazing people... however, my blog has been a little neglected since I started working so many more hours. I really am sorry about that, but we're getting there now, I'm back on track I think.
Today I just had to show you my funky new necklace that I bought from the website Geek Boutique which is run by a lovely lady, Rachel Tarbuck, who is a member of the beauty swap group that I belong to.
Excuse the mugshot, but isn't it amazing? I saw it and simply had to buy because it's just so me. For those who may not be able to see too clearly it says "Makeup Whore". The necklace is made from laser cut acrylic and is all shiny and bold and funky and for only £7 I think it was also really good value for money. I wear it all the time. There are several wording choices available, including the "Lush" necklace below that, being as in love with my job as I am, I had to buy soI can wear it when I'm working (in Lush by the way).
Seriously, everyone should take a look at Geek Boutique. I love the quirky style of the jewellery, and as its the lead up to christmas, why not take a look and stock up on some funky presents for people!

What do you think of my new necklace? Will you be taking a look at Geek Boutique?
Annie x


*Rachel had no idea that I was going to write this post, I paid for both necklaces using my own money and honestly just thought that you guys would love them too :)*

29 September 2012

Adventures in Chocolate Cheesecake

How better to spend a saturday than making chocolate cheesecake? Originally, Daniel and I set out to make *this* yummy looking recipe from River Cottage which uses avocados to make chocolate ganache but it turns out that the avocados need to be VERY ripe, so our bullet like offerings just didn't make the cut when it came to mashing...the less said about it the better really, so chocolate cheesecake was the next best option!
First of all came the biscuit base. We made this by crushing half a packet of digestive biscuits, mixing with a little melted butter and some chopped up pecan nuts. This was left to set in the fridge for around an hour whilst we threw bits of this and that together for the cheese topping :)
I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly what quantities of what were in the topping as it was just a case of throwing in what we thought until it tasted good. There was two 200g packets of extra low fat Philadelphia, lots of cocoa powder, icing sugar, vanilla essence, a little drinking chocolate, a shot of Tia Maria and two mini Hershies bars... so a bit of everything :D We also spread a thin layer of dulce de leche over the base before adding the chocolate topping.
After leaving it to set for a couple of hours (miraculously) it was able to be pushed out of the tin AND cut pretty easily...even if the base crumbled a little. It also tasted totally amazing, but trust me, you only need a tiny slice :P
Chocolate cheesecake along with snuggling up in front of the telly and very little other activity has made for a fab day thats made an ill Annie feel a little bit better.

What have you been up to today? Anything as exciting as making cheesecake? Have you had this horrible cold thingy thats going around? I'd love to know how long I'm going to feel so rubbish.
Annie xx

26 September 2012

The Lust List- The Chilly Edition

So the cold months have started to fall upon us, they must have as I have been out and bought my supply of thermal tights for the winter along with lots of thick and snuggly socks. The heating is on and the jammie shorts have become jammie trousers and all my sandals have been buried beneath all my boots and slightly more practical pumps. Today I even bought a pair of "water resistant" boots from Blowfish to stop my toes getting soggy when walking to work in the rain!
There has been a definite craving for warmth and cosiness I can tell you that, and I have spotted some really lovely winter items popping up in the shops, here's some of the things I've been lusting after.
1. British Nanny Face cream- This face cream from LUSH is fab for cold winter days, its rich and creamy formula keeps skin hydrated even with the wind and dry heat from radiators, it also has SPF 30 so skin will be kept safe from sun if it does ever pop its head out.

2. Faux Fur Trimmed Cape Coat- I am obsessed with cape coats, I think they look really striking in the winter with skinny jeans and boots of wooly tights, I like the oversized look they have without making people look like a sack of potatoes. The fur trim on this one from Dorothy Perkins looks particularly cosy.

3. Camel Sherpa Mittens- Despite their impractical qualities, mittens are so the way to go for ultimate warmth during the winter. I had a pair similar to these when I was little and I'm all for recapturing that immense snugness!

4. Fox Beanie Hat- Yes, I am one of those people who cannot resist a kooky novelty hat. I tried this on in Dorothy Perkins at the weekend and fell in love. Perched on top of all of my hair it actually looks fairly subtle and also sits beautifully. I love that instead of sewing on ears, they have just used a square shape so the ears naturally sit at the side of your head.

5. Bright Wooly Slipper Boots- Slipper boots are what I live in during the colder months. We live in an old house that whilst beautiful, gets incredibly cold so they're perfect to keep my toes as snug as possible. The colour of this pair from Accessorize make me smile whenever I look at them.

6. Starry sweatshirt- How beautiful is this sweatshirt from French Connection? I found it in the sale for just £27 down from £77 and at that price its taking a lot of restraint to keep from buying it.

7. Oversized geo print scarf- Scarves are a must have for winter and I love how they can so easily brighten up an outfit as well as keeping you warm. This one from Urban Outfitters caught my eye with its pretty pastel print.

So those are my most wanted items for winter. Are you a fan of any of these? What are you looking out for ready for the cold season? I think I'm going to spend the evening relaxing in a hot bath scented with a Phoenix Rising bath bomb and grab an early night before a long shift tomorrow.

Annie x

23 September 2012

Shavata Cocktail Tweezer Review

I am someone who has naturally very large, bushy eyebrows. Its something that Ive been particularly aware of for the last few years, ever since someone made a particularly hurtful comment about them. Now I am pretty obsessive when it comes to brow maintenance and pluck them every couple of days. Tweezers, however, drive me totally mad, some of them are just totally rubbish; too chunky, too long, too blunt, so I am still on the hunt for the perfect pair. And you know what, I think I may have come pretty close this time!
Just before my trip to Mallorca I was lucky enough to be sent a gorgeous pair of tweezers(*) from the cocktail collection by Shavata to review whilst I was on holiday.

Shavata are a company dedicated to brow care and "creating the perfect arch". They have several brow lounges located around the country including a brow studio in Harrods and really do know their stuff.
Tweezers from the cocktail collection are designed to be able to remove patches of unwanted hair quickly and precisely as well as being a fun addition to any the makeup bag. The bright colours and funky patterns actually make me sort of want to keep them on display haha.
The pair I was sent are the passionfruit cocktail(*) and are, as you can see, a fab shade of bright pink with a cocktail glass design on the top. You can also get kiwi cocktail and watermelon. They are a good size and fit well in my hand without getting in the way at all when plucking and they really are true to their word and remove hair effortlessly with good precision. The tips are nice and thin so they can get in beneath hairs with no trouble and without pinching the skin and I found the angle of the point to be great as well. Over all, I really cannot fault them.

Heres a photo of the finished result after using the Shavata cocktail tweezers, I was really impressed. It took so little effort and I managed to create just the shape and thickness I wanted so these are now my tweezers of choice, leaving my Ted Baker pair in second place.
The cocktail collection is exclusive to QVC and can be picked up for £9.95 a pair *here*, they also stock and exclusive cupcake collection! And if you fancy taking a look at the regular collection by Shavata which includes tweezers, false lashers, brow guides, filling kits and other goodies or finding out some more about their brow lounges and studios across the country then you can finde that on their website *here*

Have you ever used Shavata tweezers? Or visited one of the brow studios? Am I the only person here who is this self concious about my eyebrows?
Annie x

(*)These tweezers were sent to me free for review however, my opinions are, as always, 100% honest

21 September 2012

Hello Blog- Makeup Mugshot

So its all been a bit quiet around here lately. I really am sad about that. I love writing this blog and I have so much planned, its just taking me a while to get in to the swing of fitting in my new job, socialising with friends, doing everything that needs doing and still finding the time to write lots. But a weekend means time to snuggle up with a cup of hot chocolate whilst its raining outside and devote some time to my lovely blog <3 I've really missed writing so its an exciting thought.
Don't forget me, I'm still here :)



Face:
MAC NC15 studio fix foundation
MAC Fleet Fast blush
Natural Collection loose powder
Lush Feeling Younger skin tint

Eyes:
Bobbi Brown Pastel Pink eyeshadow
MAC So There Jade eyeliner
Max Factor False Lashe Effect black mascara

Lips:
Lush Bubblegum lip scrub
MAC Brave lipstick

Annie x

16 September 2012

Guest Post from Catherine

Today I have a guest post from Catherine about the right of passage for many people that is leaving home and going to university... only to realise that cooking and clearing up after yourself isn't as easy as "proper adults" make it look.
The article is a little different to what is usually written on Three Little Buhos so let me know whether its something you'd like to read more :) Anyway, over to Catherine.
Annie x


Eat To Live Or Live To Eat?
According to some recent research, nearly 60% of 18–25-year-olds leave home without being able to cook five simple dishes: a statistic that realistically isn’t all that surprising.
Much is made these days of the inability of our youth to demonstrate many fundamental home-style skills. It’s almost as though we expect them to be fully accomplished keepers of house and home in the manner of adults with much tried and tested experience. It’s not the lack of skills behind the outcry that is objectionable, but rather the sentiment.
However, proficiency in this skill-set is important and it is desirable for both parents and schools to help instil it. Whether cookery classes should constitute part of the school curriculum is, after all, a much-debated point. This cause is championed in some political fields as being a solution to obesity in adulthood – a theory that has had many a celebrity chef clogging up the airwaves as they proclaim that we’re all condemned to a life of convenience food and cholesterol.
Whether the problem is that our children don’t know the difference between a crisp and a carrot is debateable. Perhaps they just prefer the taste of one to the other.
While being a little bit useless on the home economics front isn’t something to be applauded particularly, let’s face it – the ability to accomplish a repertoire of five dishes is not the be-all and end-all. It certainly isn’t the end of the world if that particular box isn’t ticked by the age of 25.
There’s every chance that these accomplishments will come easily at a later date. A burgeoning desire to cook is almost a rite of passage for the 30-something after all. While your late teens and early 20s are all about working hard and playing hard, your 30s seem to be the time to embrace homemaking. After all, priorities change as we get older and, however unwisely, chances are that when we’re in our 20s our priorities do not include sourcing and producing healthy, balanced meals.
Most teenagers are bundled off to university, disdainfully agreeing to take the ubiquitous box of mother’s cast-off Tefal cookware, while doubting that they’ll actually use it much.
For many this is the ‘sink or swim’ moment and not all youngsters finish their education with fewer home skills than they started with. In fact, those desperate to shake off the reputation that young people don’t cook could even surprise you by returning with more cooking ideas under their belts than you have – just don’t be surprised if some of them involve pot noodles!

15 September 2012

The Beauty Junkie's "Light" Travel Makeup Kit

So we all struggle to pack light when it comes to taking makeup on holiday, however, I actually found myself  lying awake at night worrying about what I should take with me, the result? Below is my "light" kit of essentials that I couldn't bear to live without for three weeks.
At the end of the day I decided to just bite the bullet and take all of my favourites and give in to the fact I can't travel light. To make myself feel a little better I tested some of the products on how well they coped in the heat, I also tested how well the waterproof version of my very favourite mascara held up in comparison to its non-waterproof brother so I have a couple of posts lined up to tell you all about my findings :)
What I have learnt from taking so many products with me is that in the heat, I personally tended to keep the base as simple as possible, usually opting for a light application of Garnier BB cream (which I actually hate using in the UK), that a dusting of setting powder is a must, and that lip products tend to get neglected as they can make lips feel a little smothered; instead, the way to boost colour is by using a bright eyeshadow or liner as these feel light enough to be comfortable.
And finally, I was also cool enough to sit with a pad of paper and work out how much my light kit was worth and came to the shocking realisation that I had lugged £315 worth of makeup across to Mallorca with me! I doubt if I'd lost it all, my insurance company would have been too keen on paying that lot back haha.

Are you like me? Or are you harsh enough with yourself to actually manage to pack light? I just couldn't face not having any choice for so long. Does that sound familiar?
Annie x

12 September 2012

The Wanderer Returns

Wow, doesn't it feel like ages since I've written anything? My last post was before I went on holiday which is nearly four weeks ago now!

So much has happened since then, I had an amazing three weeks in the sun for starters which I'll tell you a bit more about in one of my next posts, and then I had my birthday which was also really special, and because my birthday actually fell when I was away I got to have an extra birthday when I got home as well; twice the fun! Since then its been back to work with all pistons blazing. On my first shift back we held a party for 14 over excited 6 and 7 year olds so I was definitely back in at the deep end. I've also managed to squeeze in a day long Emotional Brilliance training day in London so all in all I'm pretty tired.

I do however have lots of fab posts lined up for you now I'm back. It may take me a while to get back into my stride because there is still uber amounts going on here, but this is me promising that I am back and that I am ready to rock...although today is all about the face mask, hot bath and dream cream since its my first day off in a whiiiile :)

How has everything been whilst I've been gone? Any new and exciting blogs I should read or products I should run out and grab?
Catch you later,
Annie x