Imaginary tea party guests...

So, the big question is... If you could host a tea party and invite anyone in the world, who would you pick? Maybe I have too much time on my hands today; but I got to daydreaming and then really thinking hard about who I'd want to share a cup of tea and a slice of sponge with and why they'd get my invite! So here's my list:

- Lady Gaga. I must admit, I'm a huge fan of the Gaga. I know she's not exactly everyone's cup of tea, (see what I did there... *rolls eyes*) but I personally think she's fab! I'd probably ask her how long it takes her to get ready in the mornings and mostly just sit staring at her pure amazingness!

- David Attenborough. It's all about the voice for me on this one! I could sit listening to Attenborough for hours... and he could probably teach me a few cool facts about birds too. You know, in case I ever encounter a Chocolate-backed Kingfisher out and about. (Yes it's a real bird, look it up!)

- Jeremy Clarkson. Okay, I know this guy is a bit controversial; however I think he's quite ballsy and he does crack me up from time to time. He's one of the main reasons why I have ever watched Top Gear and I'd quite like to witness one of his rants first-hand. Although; it's a bit of a risky invite as he's probably likely to piss off my other guests... hmmm!

- J K Rowling. Hello. This lady wrote Harry Potter, do you need any other reason?

- Ralph Wiggum (The Simpsons) Technically not a person; but he'd get an invite all the same. There's nothing in the rules saying I can't invite a cartoon character, so I'm going with it. He'd get my invite for sheer entertainment value and that alone. By far the funniest Simpsons character of all time.

- Professor Brian Cox. The 'wonders of the universe,' genius and all-round likeable guy. I'm a bit of a science geek and love learning about how things work and come to be. Plus, I'm pretty sure he'd teach me some weird space facts to amaze and astound my friends. High-five Coxy. (He was also in a band once which is pretty cool too.)

- Dr Seuss. Ignoring the fact that it would be physically impossible for him to attend my tea party as he is in fact dead, he's still going on my list. One of the literary greats. I loved his books as a child and I enjoy sharing them with children in my teaching. He was wonderfully talented and clearly had a great imagination. I would ask him where he got all of his ideas from and find out what his favourite book was.

- Last but not least, Cheryl Cole. Ahhh Chezza. A Northern girl, like me; although infinitely more fabulous. After spending a creepy amount of time staring at her gorgeous face, I would grill her for style and beauty tips. I love how down to Earth she appears to be and I'm sure we would have a good old natter!

I expect my chances of actually making this tea party happen are as close to zero as you could possibly get; but I can still dream right? And all this tea party nonsense has really got me craving cake... big time! Screw you diet!

So here I will ask you... Who would you invite to your imaginary tea party and why?

Kirsty xx 

*Picture via Pinterest

I have a secret...

My name is Kirsty and I have a secret... I am a closet blogger. Not as, I write blog posts in my closet; but a closet blogger in the fact that I haven't told any of my friends and family about this little thing I have going on here. The only person that knows I own a blog is my lovely other half, who is super supportive, and well... all you beauts that read it! So I suppose it's not my best kept secret; but it's a secret all the same.

I'm sure you're wondering why I have kept things hush from my nearest and dearest, and I suppose I'm not 100% sure of the reasons why either; but just now, I kinda like that it's my own little piece of pie that's just sitting there all for me. Selfish much? I guess I don't really mean it to be. I'm quite a confident and outgoing person and I do feel proud of myself when I finally patch together a post from the swirling mass of shit I have got going on up there in my head. But I just don't want to shout it from the rooftops yet. I have days where I think, who the hell cares about what lipstick I'm wearing today and I wonder if I should steer towards posts that are more meaningful; but lipstick is meaningful in it's own, fabulous way, right? I get a teensy bit insecure and I wouldn't go as far to say embarrassed; but I don't know how comfortable I feel about opening the gates for my family and friends to come rifling through my page and prodding my posts with a big, obtrusive, opinionated stick! I'm all ears for constructive criticism and all that, I think it's essential to grow and develop in any aspect of life; but I'm not quite ready to take that leap just yet with those closest to me.

I think maybe I'm giving my friends and family a crappy deal, as I know they would be really supportive and no doubt take an interest in what stuff I end up bashing out on my keyboard; however I think I'll continue to hold back for just a little while longer. I'll continue to feel the occasional paranoia that someone I know will stumble across my page and see my cheddar cheese grin staring back at them. To be honest, worst things have happened... And if any of them happen to be reading this post, then high-five to you; you've sussed me out! Sherlock would be proud.

Lots of love...

Kirsty xx

Florals for spring...

Florals in Spring... ground-breaking right? However. I do love wearing floral prints and accessories once the weather starts warming up a little.. Summer come at me! I have picked out my fave floral pieces for this post so you can start embracing your inner blooming goddess now!

Vero Moda - Scuba sweater

Ted Baker - Across-body bag

Oasis - Floral top

Forever21 - Flower necklace

Topshop - Floral shorts

Missguided - Strappy sandals

Coast - Clutch bag

Happy Friday!

Kirsty xx

A little FOTD post...

I'm cheating a little bit here as this is last night's, out for a 'few' drinks face but I thought I would still pop it in a post and give you a quickie on what products I used.

Moisturiser - I always start with a a good ol' moisturiser! Mostly because my skin is drier than a camel's flip flop since moving to Finland. Not good. I'm using a Nivea cream just now as it was the only brand I recognised in my local supermarket; but my all time faves are the Simple creams.

Primer -  After slapping a fair bit of moisturiser on, I let my face dry a bit before applying MAC's prep + prime skin base visage. I have been using this stuff forever! It has a very slight shimmer and leaves your skin feeling super soft. I have also recently starting using the prep + prime colour correcting creme in Illuminate. I've read mixed views on how to use this product; however I like to pop a bit of it along the top of my cheek bones as a sort of highlighter almost.

Concealer - MAC's studio sculpt concealer, patted on gently around my eyes for those pesky dark circles!

Foundation - MAC Mineralize Moisture foundation in NW25. It has good coverage and doesn't dry your skin out.

Highlighter - YSL Touche Eclat (2). This stuff is a god-send, seriously.. Especially if you've had a few too many the night before! I use it along my cheek bones, around the eyes, under the arch on my brows, down the middle of my nose and a little drop on my chin. It really brighten's up your whole face and makes you look like you've slept for a week.

Powder - This one, I am open to recommendations! I have been using Maybelline's FIT me in soft honey; however I think I fancy a change.

Bronzer - MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in medium deep.

Blusher - MAC Mineralize blush in warm soul. I prefer a natural blush and this one is super!

Brows - For my brows I use a brown eyeshadow from a shadow palette I bought on a whim from a salesgirl in a department store. I fill in using Rimmel's eyebrow pencil in dark brown.

Eyeliner - To achieve the flicky eye I have got going on I use a combination of two products. To start, I use Benefit BADgal waterproof liner in black. I apply a little along my upper and lower lash lines and smudge it in a bit using the handy little smudgey bit on the end of the liner. Next I use Bourjois Liner Feutre felt tip eyeliner to create the little flicks as it's so much easier to get a clean line with this product.

Mascara - I curled my eyelashes before applying lashings of MAC Opulash in bad, bad black.

Lips - I can sometimes find red lippie a bit tricky and struggled for ages to find a shade a felt comfortable with wearing. The one I'm wearing here is MAC lustre in cockney. It has tiny shimmery bits in it and isn't too harsh a red, which I like.

There you have it folks! Whilst, writing this, I discovered I probably have a bit of an obsession with MAC products... just a bit!  Anyway, what products do you love to use/swear by? And fire away with those powder recommendations!

Kirsty xx

20 great excuses to get out of doing something!

Have you ever arranged Finnish lessons with a complete stranger after having a few too many beverages? No... just me then! How about popping to the toilet for five minutes and coming back with a new best friend and an invite to her boss's, sister's 40th birthday party? Naturally, you've sworn that you'll attend and even offered to arrive early to help set up! It's all fun and games until you wake up the next morning with a sore head and eleven text messages from Dave the pizza shop owner, wondering when you're coming down to help out with his short-staffing issues!

If you're anything like me, these awkward situations happen far too often and you need to arm yourself with a series of good excuses to avoid a potentially nightmare situation! So I have compiled a list of the best excuses to get your sorry ass out of any situation!

1. A pipe has burst in my apartment... There's water everywhere! Someone call me a plumber pronto!

2. I have this anxiety disorder that means I get really nervous around; balloons/oatmeal/my neighbour's socks. (You can pretty much insert anything here!)

3. What lunch date? I don't remember agreeing to this.

4. My cat swallowed a pencil sharpener and I need to take it to the vets. (Don't have a cat, you do now!)

5. Well you see, I have this rash...

6. My great aunt Maude has arranged this family portrait session you see and if I don't go, my absence will be talked about at family gatherings for years to come!

7. You will never guess what! This morning whilst I was getting ready, a pigeon flew through my window and I've spent the last hour trying to coax it out from under my bed with a slice of bread and a feather duster.

8. Did I ever tell you about the religious sect I joined the other week? It turns out that today is actually a really important holiday. I must stay home, drink dandelion tea and sacrifice a caterpillar!

9. I have a court hearing today... Pay your parking fine kids!

10. I received some absolutely shocking news last night and I couldn't possibly build up the strength to talk about it just now.. another time maybe?

11. Have you ever polished your floors and then worn socks whilst running to answer your phone? Well don't.. I'll be out for days with this ankle.

12. I have a test today. Oh, you didn't know I was studying astrophysics on the side? Well, you do now.

13. I'm crazy superstitious and my psychic told me never to leave the house on the 13th day of each month.. Sorry! (Obviously this is somewhat limited)

14. My grandma called to say she'd lost her teeth.. I've spent all afternoon looking for those damn things! It turns out she'd put them in the tumble dryer. Bless her.

15. I dropped my apartment key down the drain and now I'm waiting for a locksmith to come and change my locks.

16. I stuck my fingers together with nail glue. I'm off to A&E.

17. I tried out a new brand of fake tan last night and this morning I woke up looking like I've been wrestling with a tin of burnt orange paint. I'm hiding under my duvet until it fades.

18. On my way to meet you, a car drove past and kicked up a stone. Unfortunately, that stone hit me right in the mouth and chipped a tooth.. what are the chances right!? I'm currently sitting in the dentist waiting room.

19. I have a dust allergy and I read last night that a volcano erupted in the Galapagos, filling the atmosphere with ash and other dust particles. I'm staying indoors just to be on the safe side.

20. I'm washing my hair.

Please note: These excuses are not guaranteed to work and are intended for fun purposes only! If you use one of these to get out of work and end up getting fired then don't come knocking on my door! You have been warned! 

What's the best excuse you have used to get out of doing something?

Kirsty xx

DIY yoghurt, oats and honey face mask!

I've seen hundreds of  recipes for different homemade face masks and scrubs knocking about and to be honest, I've always been a bit dubious as to how well they actually work! So this morning I decided to give one a go using some simple ingredients I found lying around in my cupboards. 

If you're going to give this a go, you will need:

1 tablespoon of oats

1 teaspoon of honey

1 tablespoon of unsweetened probiotic yoghurt

First things, first... Make sure you scrape your hair right back as you don't want any of this stuff sticking to your tresses! Tie it with a band, clip it; however you fancy... Just make sure it's not in your way. Give your skin a quick clean using a flannel and warm water, and make sure you pat it dry before you continue. 

Add all your ingredients to a small container, I used a little tumbler; and then give it a good old mix! 

Now you want to slap this on your face! Warning... Do this over a sink or a towel as it will make a mess and drop all over your carpet, (speaking from experience here!) Rub it in nice and gently and leave it on for around 15 mins. 

After you've sat around feeling a little bit silly with; what looks like breakfast on your face for the full time; rinse it clean using warm water and again, pat dry gently, with a towel. And there you have it! It's really that simple... 

I was actually really surprised at how good my skin felt afterwards and I couldn't resist the temptation of feeling how smooth it was every few minutes. It definitely gives store-bought brands a run for their money and it costs a mere fraction of the price! Plus, it leaves your face smelling delicious afterwards. 

Sciencey bit

Yoghurt is full of vitamins and minerals which work wonders for your skin! It contains lactic acid and zinc which helps to nourish the skin and  fight the signs of aging, leaving you with a more youthful complexion. 

Honey is rich in antioxidants and is good for softening and moisturising the skin.

Oats are a great exfoliant and help to remove dead skin cells as well as removing build up in your pores. They buff your skin to give it a nice, healthy glow!

Have you got any home made face mask recipes that you swear by? What is your favourite trick to get that glowing complexion? 

Kirsty xx

About me page!

Well, I have spent all afternoon trying to wrap my brain around all the 'technical' bits of blogging. I have to say, it hasn't been easy and I know my page still looks pretty amateur; however (drum roll please...) I now have an About me page! Okay, it's not the most exciting thing to have happened on a Monday, but I'm pretty pleased with my efforts considering I'm a complete technophobe! 

Check it out: My new About me page

I've also had a play with the appearance of my blog and added a contact page as well as a search bar and some social media icons... Hooray!

Maybe I will get stuck into the world of HTML codes a bit more soon; who knows... 

For now, I'm pretty pleased with my efforts, and do let me know what you think of my About me page.

Kirsty xx (Owner of a slightly less shit-looking blog)

Snaps from Helsinki...

Urgh, it's Monday again... (High-five to those enjoying a bank holiday though!) I thought I would share with you some lovely snaps from around Helsinki. On Saturday, the boy and I decided to do the tourist thing and drive over to Helsinki to soak up the sun and explore! It was an absolute scorcher of a day! And here was me thinking Finland was cold!?

After missing our turning and spending a small lifetime navigating all the little side streets, we finally managed to get ourselves parked. In the centre, there was a world village festival on which was definitely interesting! We managed to stumble into the crowd and saw some live music and browsed the various stalls that had been set up. Doing a bit of research, it would appear that the festival happens every year and is organised to bring together people of different cultures to celebrate multiculturism and promote tolerance.. Not bad!

Once we had escaped the crowds, we managed to walk a huge circle around the entire of Helsinki! My feet have not been happy with me this weekend!

Have you been to Helsinki? If so, where do you like to go and what are your favourite things to do there?

Kirsty xx

Barry M mani..

 Bottom left 302 Fuchsia, top 309 Strawberry I/C and bottom right 273 Raspberry. All Nail Paint by Barry M.

 Kirsty xx

Want false lashes that stay put?

Are you a false lashes kind of girl? Do you want lashes that stay in place and don't end up crawling down your face at the end of a heavy night? Well look no further!

Primark Beauty offer a range of natural look lashes, and whilst yes, the lashes are okay, that's not the real selling point of these lashes for me! Behold the adhesive...

This stuff is miraculous for a number of reasons! Once you use it to stick those lashes on, those bad boys are staying put all night long! Seriously.. This glue is super sticky and practically fuses your falsies to your face. Secondly, it only costs £1! Bargain. The glue is a milky colour, although not as white as other formulas, and dries totally clear so no messy looking eyelids. The instructions for use are simple and I won't patronize you with the details. Wait until it's tacky and then pop the lashes on, it usually dries in under a minute. 

I have tried many of the top brand lashes such as Eylure, Ardell and No7; however I always come back to good ol' Primarini for my lash glue! The Primark lashes themselves aren't particularly great as I mentioned, although I have worn them in emergencies. They can be a little unnatural looking and I find them to be a bit too big for my lids. I prefer the Eylure Naturalites collction and they stick so much better with the Primark glue. 

The only down side I must point out is that the glue can be a little tricky to wash off when you want to remove your face at the end of the night; but I feel that's a small price to pay for perfectly-in-place lashes! 

So there you have it ladies! The ultimate bargain lash glue! Pop over to the Primark website to find your nearest store and get rocking those lashes now!

Kirsty xx 

The basil plant...

No, this post is not about cooking with basil, healthy eating or recipes of any sort... In fact, this post is about my inability to care for a basil plant!

Now, I don't consider myself to be a green-fingered girl, not even slightly; but I did think that keeping a simple plant alive was hardly rocket science.. Although; who am I even kidding? This plant isn't even mine! Let's start at the beginning shall we?

My better-half declared his love for basil about two weeks ago, (yes, really.. apparently he loves the stuff!) So naturally we had to go and buy a basil plant. I don't know why a bag of the green stuff wasn't sufficient but that's neither here nor there. So, here we are... the proud owners of a basil plant. After a few days of careful preening by the boy, basil plant responsibilities were handed over to me, and this is where it started to go downhill. I'll have you know that I watered the damn thing and stuck it in the sunshine, all the things a responsible plant-owner/sitter should do; however that clearly wasn't good enough as the basil plant has now started looking very sorry for itself. Granted, it still has leaves and by all means and purposes; is a functioning plant, but it's about as limp and lifeless as 5-day unwashed hair. It just looks really fed up.. it hangs down like a sad person's face and I get a slight depressed feeling every time I catch a glimpse of it out of the corner of my eye. My plastic plant on the other hand is thriving!

Should I be embarrassed about my horticultural failings? I'm sticking with no... I mean, who just wakes up one day and decides to grow basil anyway?

Kirsty xx

Gifts guys will love!

Shopping for guys is one of those things that drives many sane women crazy! Whether it's for your husband, brother, or significant other; it usually proves to be a monumental task. I mean, they like weird stuff right? Well, with a little help from my better half, I've managed to put together a few gift ideas that will please even the most difficult to shop for!

Pitt Cue co. The cookbook

For meat lovers and BBQ enthusiasts, The Pitt Cue co. cookbook features recipes for meats, sauces, pickles and rubs that are sure to get your guy's taste buds tingling! Shop here


100 Copies art work

Created by a keen cyclist; Thomas Yang, 100 copies art work combines art and bicyles into one quirky package. As the name suggests, there are only 100 copies of each piece made, which are then watermarked and labelled with the edition number. As well as prints, you can also buy T-shirts and various other bits and pieces to suit a guy who likes something a little bit different. Shop here


iPad Foosball

My fiance let out an almighty, 'woooooaaaah' when he first saw this fun piece of equipment. It turns your iPad into a cool foosball table that is sure to keep football obsessed guys busy for a few hours and definitely put you in his good books! It's compatible with the iPad, iPad 2 and iPad 3. With an integrated app and cheering sound effects, this is a sure fire winner! Shop here

Scratch map poster

For travel types, this scratch foil wall map is an ideal way to keep track of places visited around the world. Once you have visited a particular country you can scratch off the foil to reveal the colourful map underneath. Shop here

Philips vacuum beard/stubble trimmer

Tired of cleaning stubbly bits of hair off the sink, mirror, floor, entire bathroom surfaces? Then look no further! This ingenious little device not only delivers on beard-trimming, it also sucks away all those pesky hairs, leaving zero mess behind! What more could you want? Shop here

Ted Baker stag hipflask

Or how about this Ted Baker hip flask for the more discerning gentlemen... Fill it with his favourite tipple, voila! Shop here

Beer making kit

Does your guy love beer? Well, forget the supermarket bought stuff; why not buy him this kit so that he can learn to brew his own? With different flavours available and full instructions included, this makes a great gift for guys that like something a bit more hands-on. Shop here

Fujifilm Instax share smartphone printer

This innovative device from Fujifilm allows users to send their smartphone pictures wirelessly and then print them off instantly. Small and compact, this fun device can be taken anywhere for snaps on the go! You can also download an app to go with it which will allow you to edit your photos and add cool frames etc. More information here


Happy shopping!

Kirsty xx