Life Through A Lens #5

Okay so I'm cutting it fine with this month's Life Through A Lens post. If truth be told, I forgot. *slaps wrists* I know, I know, it was only yesterday that I mentioned about expanding my blog series commitments with Kindle Reads, but then I had a couple of glasses of gin and well; gin. 
So without further ado, just in the nick of time, here is April, summed up in photographical form. Do enjoy. 

Kindle Reads #1

I've decided to step this blogging commitment malarkey up a notch and introduce my second blog series. Gasp. 
Several weeks ago, I dusted off my Kindle and fired it up - determined to re-kindle *groan* my passion for reading that was lost somewhere around dissertation writing and Skittle Bombs, circa 2010. As a child, I was an avid reader. So much so that my mum recalls having to tell me off for reading well into the night, when I really should have been sleeping. I remember asking Santa for encyclopedias for Christmas. Okay, maybe we'll keep that one hush, but getting back into reading has been a positive step for me. Not only is it helping me battle my insomnia-shaped demons, but burying myself in a good book is also a great escape. 
For this series, I thought that I would list the books that I have been reading lately, along with a brief description of what they are about, plus my thoughts on the book as a whole. Don't worry, I wont post any spoilers! Every time I hit five read books, I'll stick up a blog post. Comprende? Let's make a start. 

What's In My Make-Up Bag | Guest Post - Amy Charlotte

Well hello there all of you lovely readers! It's Amy here - you can find me at amycharlotte.co.uk where I muse over beauty, travel and fashion. Kirsty kindly invited me to guest post on her fabulous blog, so of course I jumped at the chance. After having a think, I decided a make-up bag tour might be an interesting topic (I know I always love peaking into my friend's make-up stashes!) So here it is! 

A New Look Haul

I'm just going to put it out there, New Look are killing it with their stuff lately. It had been a while since I'd placed an online shopping order, so I settled down with a cup of tea in hand and my laptop open, raring to go. I started out on ASOS and ended up drifting over to the New Look website instead, (although I did pick up a couple of Nip + Fab products from ASOS which I'm looking forward to trying out when they finally arrive.)
Unfortunately, after check out, once I thought my order had been placed, I received an email telling me that a couple of my items were out of stock... anyone else hate when that happens? Anyway, here's what made it: 

Reasons Why I'm An Asshole

The only time that tolerant and Kirsty would ever run alongside each other in a dictionary, would be in that antonym bit way down at the bottom. You know, the part where it gives you all the shit that isn't what you searched for. Or as polite people call it, an opposite. I'm aware that with this opening, I should probably be re-naming this blog post as, 'Yep, now you all think that I'm an asshole!' but I promise I'm really quite pleasant. The intolerance doesn't stem to real things. Well, apart from people who park their trollies in really inconvenient places in supermarket aisles, but that's just physics... in a sort of obscure way. No, I'm talking about the fact that I'm really rather intolerent of myself. An inconvenience considering that I typically spend 16 hours a day in my own presence. 

Lip (and Eye) News

So, yet again I treated myself to a couple more beauty bits. If truth be told, it's been a while. Okay, it probably hasn't but it sure feels like it. If there's one thing that my make up collection lacks, it's lip liners. I have a few Rimmel ones scattered here and there, but sadly enough to admit, that's about it. Armed with a reluctant boyfriend and a free, Saturday afternoon, I headed over to my local department store and scribbled every pencil product in a mile radius all over my hands and arms. These are what I walked away with:

This One's For Me

I've been bottling up a whole bunch of feelings lately and I thought it might be time to put pen to paper, or perfectly polished nails to keyboard. But you see, my life really isn't perfect. As bloggers, we often live double lives. The fun, smiley, happy selves that we portray to those that surround us, and while not exactly a lie, the tricky moments, the tears and feelings of uncertainty are left on the sidelines, like a dirty secret we're not yet willing to admit. 

Quick & Easy DIY Body Scrub

My Lush body scrub is on its last legs, (cry) and during a recent bout of nocturnal web surfing, I convinced myself that I could whip up a budget alternative using only the ingredients in my kitchen cupboard. Tapping, 'DIY Body Scrubs' into the search engine brings up a whole host of quick and easy recipes, but being the experimentalist that I am, I decided to go it alone, chuck a bunch of ingredients into a bowl, and see what I could come up with. 

Currently Loving

This post pretty much sums up my current make up routine. These products represent my every day face and are the items I find myself constantly gravitating towards. It's my first, 'favourites' style post so let me know how I do. Most of these products have already been featured on here so I will link up previous posts where applicable. Let's crack on shall we?

That Time Chocolate Tried To Screw With Me

Okay, before we go burning any bridges, let me just say that chocolate and I go way back. My mum often reminds me that as a child, I used to tell tales of my dreams. Dreams that usually consisted of me frolicking in a choc-filled land, scoffing my way through my subconscious. I'd like to say that I've grown out of this at the ripe, old age of 27, but I'm afraid I'd be lying. I swear there's a girl inside of me that is dying to make this a reality. She's likely wearing sweat pants and watching Netflix too.

Festival Chic

With Summer lurking just around the corner and an increase in outdoorsy fashion snaps on Instagram, aherm.. Coachella.. aherm.. I thought I would throw together a Festival Chic look book post because even though you might be listening to those Summer beats on your iPod at the bus stop, there's no reason why you can't rock the festival vibe too! 

Cheat's Guide to Blogging Backdrops

My name is Kirsty and I'm a cheater. As the saying goes, fake it til you make it, and today I'll be showing you how easy it is to do just that. The topic - blog photography backgrounds. The bane of any blogger-trying-to mix-things-up-a-bit's life. Don't have space to store a metre square of wooden floor panels? I've got you covered with this cheat's guide to blogging backdrops! 

A Poo Post

Bloggers. Ever have those days when you have several blog post drafts lying around, waiting to be finished, yet you find yourself tapping at the, 'new post' button? Trying to finish my draft posts today is like wearing an itchy jumper... it's irritating me. Instead, I thought I would just speak from the heart and fill you in on what I've been up to over the weekend/start of the week. 
It has been a difficult few days. On Sunday it was Hamish's second birthday, and the day we also had to rush her to the emergency vets because she had awful, and extremely stinky diarrhoea. Yes, poop phobics, this post is probably not going to be for you. Sorry. 

Clarins Lip Perfector - Worth The Hype?

Many, (many) moons ago... Okay, some time around February to be precise, I managed to get my paws on the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in shade 02 Apricot Shimmer. It was a Duty Free purchase and one I'd been itching to make after reading numerous glowing reviews online... but is it worth the hype?

Sample Sampling

If there's one thing that beauty bloggers love, it's probably product samples. Even more so when they're freebies. I love a good, old try before you buy and here are a couple of samples that I managed to get my hands on whilst at a Benefit counter in the UK and in my local Finnish department store.

Balmy for Bourjois?

Yes, let us all take just a moment of appreciation for the level of cringe that is this blog post's title. The Color Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick, (in its official title) isn't even a balm, but I've never been comfortable calling these types of products lipsticks. Anyone have any objections to lip crayon? We'll go with lip crayon. I'm probably nominated for most pointless blog post intro whilst we're at it too. 

Helsinki Eats - Grotesk

If you managed to catch my post a few weeks ago, A Peek Inside Helsinki's Hotel Haven, you will have read that Scott and I ate out at the quirky-named Grotesk restaurant & bar in Helsinki. It's not often that we get the opportunity to nip across to Helsinki for an evening and so when we do, we usually like to make the most of it by scouring out an interesting place to fill up on good food and cocktails.

I Love...

...this deliciously scented, Raspberry and Blackberry bubble bath and shower creme.  

Easter Cakes and Ice

I'm back after a long and relaxing Easter break! If you caught my unusually titled post - Coriander, you will have read that Scott and I spent the hols in a cabin by Lake Paijanne in Padasjoki, just a couple of hours north (ish) of where we live. Funnily enough, it's the place where we spent our last Easter together in Finland; however there was a little more ice on the ground, or should I say lake; this year.

Spring Wishlist '15

Coriander

Today is waffle day, and not the sweet, delicious kind. Or the potato kind if that's your ball game. I realised it's been quite a while since we had a little chat over a cup of tea and I thought I would try to rectify that. (Anyone else find it slightly disturbing that rectify sounds like an ass word.. rectum?) Let's try not to think of the search results that I'm going to receive today for that one. 

A Mini MAC Splurge

Mini being the operative word here. I'd hardly call it a haul, (or a splurge for that matter) but here we are. Whenever Scott and I travel over to Helsinki, I always end up dragging him to the MAC counter for some browsing time. Ever since trying out the Mineralize Skinfinish powder in Soft & Gentle; several weeks ago, I knew I needed to own it. I was also on the hunt for a new blush shade.. something that falls out of my usual peachy/pink category. Here's what I ended up with:

Being Guinea Pigs - A New Camera

Last week, Scott and I invested in a DSLR camera. I say Scott and I because technically he bought it but when you're more or less married, these things are kinda shared items - a bit like the couch. However, unfortunately Scott wasn't blessed with the gift of being a good photographer, and that's putting it politely. It's somewhat of a running joke between us, (and well, now all of you lot too!) Deep down he's secretly praying that I'll mange the task of documenting our lives in image form whilst he sticks to managing the 'grown up' stuff... you know, all the boring, life admin tasks that reduce me to drinking wine from the bottle and muttering profanities. 

Prada Bag With Diamonds

So, the other day, Scott and I were chatting. I say chatting, I was mostly pestering him at work and sending him dancing ponies to distract him. Usually I'd say we had a pretty strong relationship. That was until this happened...