Baby it's cold outside...

Stay stylishly snug this Autumn/Winter. 

Call me unorganised...

Link

Oh holy mother of all things shit-related, it's Wednesday and I'm about as prepared for my holiday as I was for Steps splitting up during my teeny-bopping years. I guess I got lazy somewhere in between rekindling my love for coffee shop caramel lattes and general arsing about. I've thoroughly perfected the art of being 'busy' and therefore unable to get.shit.done. which really isn't the most beneficial skill to have acquired because here I am, on the countdown to my jollies, tear-arsing around like a mad woman with clothes strewn across every conceivable inch of my apartment and not a scheduled blog post in sight. Okay, I tell a lie, I have a few bits lined up for you guys, but seriously, I had to pull a silly number of late nighters to finish all the stuff I'd promised myself I'd finish several weeks ago. Not cool Kirsty... not cool.
If I remember rightly, I was never always this unorganised. I blame the chill that's swept in through Finland for my current snail-pace work ethic and lack of get-up-and-go. The only acceptable thing to do of an afternoon is wrap myself in as many wool blend layers and try not shuffle my feet too much across the wooden flooring  for fear of impending static shocks every time I touch anything remotely metallic. (I'm not kidding folks, this is a real first world problem of mine) I seem to always have a to-do list as long as my arm and yet I actually can't remember the last time something was scratched off. If somebody would like to tell me what I'm doing with my days then it would be greatly appreciated. Perhaps I'm one of these real life 'Sleeping Beauty' girls that you see on T.V. you know, the ones that fall asleep whilst making a tuna sandwich and wake up four days later in the bath tub, if you ignore the beauty part that is. Today is a Worzel Gummidge hair day which I'm sure I'm technically too young to remember. 
I did plan on doing the cool blogger thing and writing a super, show-offy blog post about all the fabulous things I had packed to take away with me. One of those, 'what's in my travel bag?' type posts with plentiful close ups of my flip flops and the beach bag that I never got around to buying. I guess you're stuck with this rambly post instead... Oh how I treat you guys! I cross my blogger heart that I will take a bazillion photographs whilst away, so that I can treat you to some actual, proper posting when I return, if I remember to pack my camera that is. 
Does anyone else ever think that the more they try to be organised, the more unorganised they actually become? If I so happen to make it on board that 747, (This is the only plane terminology that I know) then I'll no doubt be a little quieter than usual due to the fact that I'll be eating macaroons in Paris, which according to Instagram, is the only acceptable tourist activity these days. Wish me luck with my packing guys, (I'll need it) and I'll look forward to a hefty catch up when I return. 
Much love...

Inglot Freedom System Eye Shadow

You may remember that a little while ago, I got my hands on a fabulous Freedom System Palette from Inglot. I shall spare you the nitty gritty because you can read all about it here. Well, on my most recent trip to Helsinki, I decided to pick up a third shade (419) to complete my palette, and here it is...

Although the shadow photographs a murky brow in the pan, I can assure you that in the flesh, it's a lovely, sage green colour with a golden iridescence. I went a touch out of my comfort zone buying this as it's not a shade I would normally opt for; however it's simply stunning and more flattering than I had anticipated. 
The quality of the Inglot shadows keep reeling me back in and I'm already considering treating myself to another palette that I can fill up. 

What are your thoughts on the Freedom System Palettes from Inglot and are you a fan of the sage colour?

Updated Blog Design

As you can see, there's been a fair bit of blog tweaking going on at Effortlessly Excessive HQ, and whilst I'd love to take full credit for it, it's serious hats-off to Sarah over at Trisarahtops Smiles for taking my pen and paper scribbles and turning them into a reality. (I'll link up her blog too as it's bloody gorgeous - Sarah Smiles) 

There's probably going to be a couple of days, 'settling in' period whilst I get bits and pieces in check, so please bear with me, but I'm hoping we'll be back rocking and rolling soon. 

Let me know your thoughts on the new design and once again, big thanks to Sarah for not getting too upset when I asked her to change the entire colour scheme from black, to grey, to black again because I'm one indecisive arse!

Happy Sunday everyone!

Things you should know about living in Finland!

I know, I know... I talk about Finland way too often. Go ahead and tell me to put a cork in but it's really all I've got going on right now, (Sorry). So today, I thought I would treat you with a handy little guide of things you should know about living in Finland. 

1. Speeding Do not speed. Seriously. I mean it goes without saying, speeding isn't good anywhere in the world; but if you are unlucky enough to get caught speeding in Finland you will find yourself lumped with a hefty fine. It's calculated as a percentage of your wage and based on whether or not you have any dependents, such as children. I've personally known people to have paid just shy of a thousand Euros in a single fine alone. It's a one-way street to bankruptcy so be warned!
2. Food Intolerances If you're lactose intolerant, you'll fit right in because pretty much everyone else is too. Okay, maybe I'm slightly exaggerating on that front; but food intolerances are really well catered for here. Almost all places to eat and supermarkets will offer gluten-free and lactose-free choices. Take that allergies!
3. Sausages You will not eat a tasty sausage in Finland, they don't exist. Oh how I long for a sausage sandwich on a hangover day, only to be presented with what appears to be fortified rubber in a bag. Trust me, they're vile. Avoid at all costs!
4. It's Hot I mean, sunburn kind of hot. In the Southern regions in Summer, it can readily hit the 30 degrees (C) mark and yes, you really can sunbathe. Who would have thought?
5. It's Freezing On the flip side, Finland gets cold. Unholy, frost-biting hell levels of cold. The kind where you want to shed a tear just walking to your car, but you can't because it's a bazillion degrees below freezing. Brrrr. 
6. Shopping Unless you speak Finnish, you will not be able to go food shopping without your mobile phone set up with Google Translate. Neither will you complete such a task in under an hour. I buy sparkling water by accident on a weekly basis and I once made a meat pie using pre-rolled sweet pastry. If anything, it keeps you on your toes. In terms of where to shop, the high street in Finland isn't spectacular. As far as I'm aware, there's no Topshop, River Island, Miss Selfridge etc. I could go on all day about the lack of shopping opportunities on offer. Online shopping will become your best friend, although you can pretty much guarantee a Kioski, (Corner shop/newsagent equivalent) to be around every corner. 
7. Bugs I can't say I've spotted too many creepy crawlies whilst living in Finland; and from research conducted before moving here, there doesn't appear to be a population of huge spiders. As a complete and utter arachnophobe, this pleases me somewhat. (If you know this not to be true, please let me down gently.) However, in Summer, you can expect to be inundated with flies and mosquitoes. So if you're anything like me, you'll want to bathe in insect repellent from May until around the end of August. 
8. English Finns tend to speak really good English, particularly the younger generation; however that's where it stops. Don't expect to see many signs or information in languages other than Finnish, Swedish or Russian when you're out and about. Particularly so if you're out of the larger towns and cities. 
9. Strange Habits Don't be surprised/concerned if you see someone weeing in the street, spitting or making that disgusting snorting sound. In Finland, it's totally fine. Better out than in I guess...
10. It's Expensive The cost of living in Finland can often be eye-wateringly expensive. You can expect to pay over the odds for the majority of things and if you're craving home comforts, your best bet is to order them online and have them shipped over. Just imagine what you would pay for something in the UK; and then double it and you won't be far off. 
11. The Postal System Which leads me onto the postal system. Everything seems to take an age to be shipped out here and if you're ordering for a special occasion, you're gonna want to make sure you've allowed yourself at least two weeks for things to arrive. In addition to this, the Finns have a weird system in place whereby if a parcel arrives for you, the postman delivers a note to tell you (think those little Royal Mail cards you get when you miss a delivery), but you have to pick the parcel up from the Post Office yourself! I don't know if this is a universal thing across Finland, but it's certainly the case in my town and it drives me mad! If you've gone to the trouble of delivering me a note, just deliver the damn parcel! 
12. Low Crime Rate One of the great things about living in Finland is the fact that the crime rate is particularly low, even more so when you move out of the capital. It's no secret that the Finnish like to drink, and a high percentage of incidents occur whilst people are under the influence. Though Finland is one of the safest places to live and to travel to, you should still keep your wits about you and take reasonable precaution as you would anywhere else. 

*It's worth noting that I'm speaking from my personal experiences of living in Southern Finland, as well as information I have gathered through speaking to my friends here. Not all of these may apply in some areas. 

DIOR GIVEAWAY!

Okay guys, it's been a long while since I ran my first ever giveaway back in June and I felt as though I was overdue in saying a huge thank you to all of you lovely lot that take the time to read and comment on what goes on around these parts. You're all bloody fantastic and I genuinely love replying to each and every person that takes the time to message me, ask a question or share their thoughts. The blogging community is one that I am ridiculously proud to be a part of and it's nice to be able to give a little something back every once in a while... Now let's get going before I start getting all emosh!
What's up for grabs?
I'm giving one lucky winner the chance to get their hands on a Dior lip product of their choice. Dior is one of my favourite brands for lip products so I know you'll be getting a goodie! You can choose either:
Rouge Dior Lipstick or Rouge Dior Baume  or Dior Addict Lipstick or Dior Addict Extreme Lipstick or Dior Addict Fluid Stick
(These may include Limited Edition Shades where available)
You can check out all of these lip products over on the Dior website - Click here. 
Terms and Conditions
This giveaway is international 
You will win only one of the specified products. I will try my best to deliver the shade that you choose; however please ensure you provide a second shade/product if your first choice is unavailable 
Anyone found to be cheating in any way will be disqualified
I will announce and contact the winner via Twitter when the competition closes. If I do not receive a response in 48 hours, I will pick another winner.
I will take every care to ensure the product gets to you safely; however I am not responsible for the prize getting lost in the post. 
If you're under 16 years of age, please ask a parent or guardian's permission before entering.
Thank you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Haul Load of LUSH!

If you managed to catch my post on Monday, (you can read it here) you will know that I managed to pick up a few LUSH goodies at the weekend. Squeal. I can't believe I had lived in Finland for nearly eight months before I realised there was a LUSH shop in Helsinki - utter madness! In my defence, it is tucked away in some kind of shopping centre basement but I followed my nose and finally struck soapy gold.  I managed to pick up a whole host of lovely bits and pieces, a mix of seasonal and standard LUSH products. Let's have a look shall we?

First up is the Christmas, limited edition Snow Fairy shower gel - a sweet, candy-scented shower gel with teeny tiny sparkly bits in it. This is the one everyone seems to rave about but I've never actually used it before - shock right!? However, at an eye-watering 30 Euros for the 500g bottle, I shelled out just shy of 20 Euros for the 250g bottle instead.. yes, it still hurts. Damn you Finland!

This pretty parcel is the Golden Wonder bath bomb. It's a citrusy burst of orange, lime and cognac oils - yes, I thought cognac was a drink for old gentlemen too! This is another one of the Christmas specials and see that orange bit... it's literally caked in sparkly gold stuff. My word, it gets everywhere! I can imagine it's going to be a messy one, but look how cute it is!

The Rub Rub Rub Shower Scrub is an old favourite of mine. It's a gorgeous bright blue, sea salt scrub, infused with Jasmine, Lemon oils and orange flower... amongst other things. Why do I love this stuff? The smell is incredible for a start but not only that, this scrub is a great, little exfoliator and can apparently be used in the hair too to inject a burst of shine and volume - oo-er!

I'm pretty sure this beauty of a bubble bar needs no introductions... Its sweet, fruity, blackcurrent scent is a blend of Cassis absolute, bergamot and cypress oils. Crumble half of this bar under running water and you're left with a mound of frothy bubbles. And it's pink... Nuff said!

Next we have the Reindeer Rock Soap which pretty much includes the same smelly stuff as the Comforter, but with the addition of Lingonberries. This berry-scented soap has shimmery, silver reindeer engraved on the top which gives it a lovely festive vibe. Another one of the Christmas goodies - I actually used this one today and I have to say, I wish the lovely scent translated onto the skin more. I could barely smell it on my skin once dry. Not sure I like that fact, seeing as this bar of soap set me back a tenner! Ouch.

Behold the beautiful Northern Lights Bath Bomb. I was most excited about getting my mitts on this. It's part of the Halloween collection and fizzes an array of blues/purples and greens. The scent is jasmine and ylang-ylang, and although you can't tell from this picture, the bar actually has little stars embedded into it which I assume float around your bath once the bomb has done its business. I say assume as I won't actually get to find out as by the time I got home, the bomb had crumbled into a bazillion pieces in the bottom of the bag... gutted! I decided to have a peek online to see if this was a common problem and it turns out there's been a few of these snapping and breaking. Be careful if you pick one of these up!

Last but not least is the Candy Mountain Bubble Bar. A pink and white, vanilla scented treat from LUSH. It's also part of the Christmas product line up and reminds me ever so slightly of a candy cane... only it's pink, not red, but whatever... It smells so delicious and is covered in a frosty shimmer which I'm sure will give mounds of glittery, pink bubbles in my bath. Ahhmazing!

And that's all folks. Any thoughts on the bits that I managed to pick up and/or what LUSH treats are you loving/lusting after at the moment?