A chilly beach day

Yesterday, my sister, brother-in-law and their daughter came to visit from London so my dad, other sister and brother-in-law, their two children and I decided to go out for lunch and have a beach day! I don't often see my oldest sister as she lives so far down south, so it was really nice to all have some proper family time together!

We went to a lovely restaurant overlooking the sea, I had lasagne, chips and a fruity salad which was absolutely gorgeous. The portions were huge and I couldn't finish mine but now I'm wishing I had!

 Cake! My favourite...

Now I'm not going to lie, it wasn't exactly ideal weather for a beach day...

But I warmed up with a hot chocolate! Hope you're all having a great Halloween!

The 90s Tag

I saw this tag on someone's blog recently and thought it would be really fun to do. I was born in 1991 so I'm a true 90s child...this makes me feel so old haha!

1.Favourite Disney film?
I loveeeed Disney princess films when I was a kid, but my all time favourite was Sleeping Beauty, it's still my favourite now. I was terrified of Malificent though and rather randomly, my mum somehow ended up getting me a huge cardboard cut out of her, her eyes even flashed red and I was terrified!

2.Favourite music artist?

It's got to be the Spice Girls, Baby Spice was my favourite and I remember watching Spice World over and over, singing along! I loved the Vengaboys and S Club 7 too.

3.Favourite candy/sweeties?
Ooh I'm not sure about this one because a lot of 90s sweets are still around now. I loved Wispa bars though and still do now, and my Dad would always give me and my sisters £1 to get a mix up on weekends, pretty exciting when you're 7!

4.Favourite game (board game, school game etc)

I loved board games growing up, and I still do now haha, I'm a sucker for Monopoly and Cluedo. My family would always play these around Christmas time and the competitiveness was terrible, cue the board being thrown! I wasn't really a fan of Playstation games etc, I preferred to go outside and make up an imaginary game haha, but I remember when The Sims first came out I was addicted, I'd spend whole days sitting in front of the computer building houses.

5.Favourite McDonald's Happy Meal toy?
Aww being taken to McDonald's on a Saturday was always the best treat, except for the time my Dad poured sugar all over our chips thinking it was salt! I used to love my Happy Meal toys but I can't really remember a lot of them other than the TY Beanie Babies which were cute, and some Disney princess figurines. 

6.Favourite book?
I love reading and always have from a young age. My favourite books were The Sleepover Club series; I was so excited when it came out as a TV show but it was slightly disappointing. I grew up with Harry Potter too, which are still some of my favourite books. I was ill in bed with chickenpox one day and my mum suggested I read Harry Potter, I literally couldn't put it down and I've been a huge fan since.

7.Favourite clothing store?

I don't remember there being a lot of choice when it came to clothing stores for kids in the 90s, but I do remember Tammy Girl. In hindsight I had the worst fashion sense, I don't know why my parents let me leave the house sometimes!

8.Favourite Nick Jr show?
I definitely didn't have Nick Jr back in the day, I don't even think I had Nickelodeon a lot of the time unless it was a trial month (those were truly exciting times haha!). I loved The Powerpuff Girls and Dexter's Lab though.

9.What would you watch when you got home from school?
Oh too many shows to remember to be honest! I loved Art Attack, Fingertips, As Told By Ginger, Sabrina, Saved By The Bell, The Amanda Show, Hey Arnold..the list goes on! Saturday night TV was the best though, we'd all gather round and watch Blind Date and then Stars In Their Eyes.

I loved doing this tag, it brought back so many memories! I always wonder how I managed without the internet as a kid but this goes to show it wasn't needed to have fun!

A/W13 Skincare Wishlist

Hey sweeties! Sorry I've not blogged in a couple of weeks, I've been super busy on a job hunt but I've actually found one pretty easily and start in two weeks! I'm really looking forward to it and I'm already planning how to spend my first pay check! 

In Winter even my oily skin feels a little dry and dehydrated so I like to take extra care of it and use products that really moisturise and hydrate my skin. I was always a bit wary of using any heavy/oil based products on my skin as I thought they'd cause break outs but some oils can be incredibly beneficial and make my skin feel fab. I've opted for some more moisturising products in this wishlist than I'd normally use, to try and combat that dry/tight feeling Winter gives my skin.

1.Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment/2.La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo/3.Alpha H Liquid Gold/4.Emma Hardie Cleansing Balm/5.Bioderma Sensibio H2O/6.REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask

NOTD: Barry M - Cappucino

I'm loving another Autumnal shade by Barry M today, which is number 341, Cappucino. I'm really enjoying wearing darker, more Autumnal colours on my nails lately, it's nice to step away from the bright pinks I constantly have on my nails during Summer. The consistency of this nail polish is a little bit thin but I think it varies with Barry M. I have two coats on my nails in these pictures and the colour is super glossy. I find Barry M polishes brilliant for staying put, they rarely chip on me, I'm more likely to get bored of the colour and/or start picking the polish off..such a bad habit!

lush: bubblegum lip scrub review

I bought this lip scrub last December from Lush for £5.50, which many people have expressed is a lot to spend on an item which is essentially just sugar, and I fell in love with it instantly... 

I did think it was a little overpriced, but after using it for the first time I could completely justify it. Firstly, it smells like my all time favourite Lush product, Snow Fairy, which smells just like Christmas to me, and I stock up on their limited edition shower gel every year. Gorgeous scent aside, this product really does work! It made my lips feel amazingly soft after just one use and keeps them in tiptop condition if used regularly. I use this every night before bed before applying a layer of Vaseline and always wake up with the softest lips! It's one of my favourite products to use in Autumn and Winter when the cold weather really dries out my lips, and the best part is, after scrubbing your lips with this you can simply lick it off, and it tastes as good as it smells!

Have you used this product? What did you think?

My morning skincare routine

I'm always on the hunt for perfect skincare products to control my oily skin, but I'm pretty happy with my morning skincare routine at the moment. I absolutely love Clinique products, I've been using them for two years and find that if I switch things around too much I'll break out or my skin just generally won't be as good.

1. I start by using the Simple Kind to Skin Vital Vitamin Foaming Cleanser, which I've been using for years. Simple discontinued this a while back and I was devastated but luckily they brought it back! This is a really inexpensive, effective product. I much prefer foaming cleansers to heavy cream based products, especially in the morning. It refreshes my skin and leaves it glowing, and it also really gentle which is great as my skin is often quite sensitive, especially to products with a lot of harsh chemicals in them. It doesn't dry out my skin at all, and it's a great product for removing any traces of make up.

2. I then use Clinique's Clarifying Lotion 3 to tone my skin and tighten my pores. It's also an exfoliant, which is really effective when used with Boots' Cotton Wool Double Faced Pads. I use the more abrasive side to apply the clarifying lotion because I really like exfoliating my skin and need to a lot to keep blackheads at bay. Normally I use Clarifying Lotion 4 which is designed for 'very oily' skin, but when I went to pick it up at Boots they only had the oily skin version so I thought I'd give it a try. I don't think it works as well as the toner designed for very oily skin, but it still does the job.

3. I finish my morning skincare routine with Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, which is my all time favourite moisturiser for in the morning when I don't want to overload my skin with too many heavy products. The texture is so light and it makes my skin amazingly smooth. I've been using this moisturiser for nearly two years and would always repurchase it as it really sorted out my skin and helps mattify and keep my face oil free throughout the day, while adding a healthy glow!

The Autumn Tag

Hey guys! I love doing tags and I love Autumn, so when I saw this cute little tag created by Georgina at Makeup Pixi3 I just had to do it!

For Autumn, what is your...

1.  Favourite thing about it?  I love cosying up in all the clothes that have been stored away over Summer! Boots, warm coats, cosy jumpers and beanies are the best! I love going on walks through the countryside too, the colours are so gorgeous this time of year.

2.  Favourite drink?  I'm not actually a big fan of hot drinks, but I do like relaxing with a mug of hot chocolate before bed some nights, and I've also started to drink green tea for the health benefits. It's seemed to improve my skin a bit and makes me feel generally better and have more energy.

3.  Favourite scent/candle?  I've only really got into scented candles over the past year or so, but at the moment I'm loving a three-wick vanilla candle I bought in Primark, it smells gorgeous and looks nice on my bedside table too!

4.  Best lipstick?  My favourite Autumnal lipstick is Rimmel's Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in 107. I love darker colours on my lips in Autumn and this is gorgeous and very wearable!

5.  Go to moisturiser? I have oily skin and even in Winter it doesn't dry out so I use Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel all year round. I do use a richer moisturiser in my evening skincare routine though, at the moment I'm loving Neal's Yard Power Berry Daily Moisture, it smells gorgeous and keeps my skin hydrated and feeling really soft.

6.  Go to colours for the eyes?  I love brown and bronze colours on my eyes in Autumn, I like keeping my eyeshadow simple, especially if I'm wearing a darker lip colour. MUA's Heaven and Earth palette has some gorgeous Autumnal shades, and it's basically all I wear on my eyes throughout this season, and for just £4 it's an amazing bargain!

7.  Favourite music or band/singer to listen to?  Recently I've been absolutely loving Passenger's album 'All The Little Lights', and Jake Bugg's album..erm..'Jake Bugg'. They're both so lovely to relax to in the bath or when you're having a little pamper night!

8.  Favourite outfit to wear (i.e. boots & a scarf combo)? I love wearing skinny jeans, a warm jumper, ankle boots and a thick scarf. I also like wearing skater dresses with leggings and boots and about a hundred layers!

9.  Autumn treat?  (i.e. a new scarf or bag you have your eye on) There's nothing really big that I've got my eye on at the moment, but I'd love to pick up a few items from my recent Autumn wishlist!

10.  Favourite place to be?  Either curled up in front of the fire reading or watching a film, or relaxing in the bath with some scented candles, relaxing music playing and a face mask on! I love going out for walks through the woods as well, I'm probably outside more this season than I am in Summer!

I really enjoyed doing this tag, feel so Autumnal now yay! What's your favourite thing to do in Autumn? I'd like to tag:

Hannah from champagnetote

Lauren from laurenmidd

Laura from LauraThinksAbout

Grace from blondiesstylefix

and Melissa from itsmemel

My top three primers

For some reason, I absolutely love primers! Bit of a weird obsession to have, I know, but I just love the way they can transform my problem skin into flawless skin with virtually no pores within seconds. I don't like wearing a full face of make up, and only use foundation when I'm going on a night out or for a meal, so I love the weightless feel primers can give your skin, while still adding coverage. Here are my three favourites!

Revlon's Photoready Perfecting Primer is my all time favourite. I've heard some people say they find it hard to blend because the texture is so thick, but I don't find this at all. The texture is creamy and smooth, and it blends perfectly on my skin. It really smooths and mattifies my skin too, and it blurs away pores so they are literally invisible. I often wear this on its own as it just makes my skin look amazing but it's great as a base too!

I'd heard really great reviews about Nivea's Daily Essentials Express Hydration Primer (what a mouthful!) so I was excited to give it a try. I picked it up from Boots when it was on offer for less than £3 which is an absolute bargain. It has the classic Nivea skincare scent and the texture is much lighter than the Revlon primer, quite like a gel. It smooths on really easily, and is perfect to use in place of a moisturiser because it really does keep your skin hydrated. It didn't seem to mattify my skin or hide any pores but it is light and refreshing to use when you want to keep your makeup simple. For the price I'd definitely repurchase this product, but I can't see that being any time soon as a little goes a long way!

Benefit's The Porefessional is another of my favourite primers. I got a sample size of this and have loved it ever since. I use it sparingly because I can't justify the hefty price tag at the moment but it's great to wear under your make up for a more formal occasion when you want your skin to look flawless. The consistency is pretty thick and you do have to work a bit harder to blend it, but the results are brilliant. I love the poreless look of my skin after using this!

What's your favourite primer? Have you tried any of these?

NOTD: Barry M - Raspberry

I absolutely adore Barry M's Nail Paints, and after picking this little beauty up in December last year, it's become a firm favourite in my collection, and I've been waiting for the colder months to set in so I could wear this again! This berry red shade is my go-to colour for Autumn, and I love wearing it to brighten up a dark outfit/make-up look.

I love wearing red on my nails, I think it feels pretty classy and grown up, and I mostly wear pink/coral colours during the Summer months so it's nice to have a change! In these photos I've only used one coat and no top coat, but the colour intensifies so much after another coat. I think it's shiny enough alone but I like to add a top coat to prevent chipping. The consistency is pretty thick, I think Barry M are a bit hit and miss with this, some of my nail paints are quite gloopy whereas others are really thin, but they all give an excellent colour payoff! I'll be wearing this throughout Autumn and Winter, and at only £2.99 it's an absolute bargain!

What are your favourite Autumn/Winter nail colours?

P.S. please excuse the state of my nails, I'm a chronic nail biter and it will be my New Years resolution to stop for at least the 10th year running this year!

autumn wishlist

1.August Classic Chelsea Boots - £60 Topshop
2.Basket Stitch Beanie - £12 Topshop

3.Red and Black Tartan T-Shirt Skater Dress - £17.99 New Look

4. Multi Large CheckScarf - £22 Topshop

5.Black Lace Trim Ankle Socks - £3.50 Topshop

I'm always glad when Autumn comes around so I can pull on my thick tights, ankle boots and cosy scarves that I've had stored away over the Summer! This season my wardrobe mainly consists of autumnal colours - burgandy, green, yellow, purple and brown, and ankle boots are my staple piece throughout the colder months. I'm loving these five pieces which are -unintentionally-nearly all from Topshop, especially the tartan dress which is bang on trend right now, and can't wait to get my hands on them as soon as student loan day arrives! I think this outfit would look really cute with a black leather jacket and thick black tights! What are you guys lusting after this season?

x

august fun

[l-r: me enjoying a night out in Edinburgh, me and my best friend Bryony, yummy curry, rice and salad my sister Heather made, and strawberry milkshakes with Bryony.]

[Not enjoying this English weather!, just chilling with the boys, out for lunch with my big brother and sister - the best jacket potato ever!]

August's been a pretty busy month for me! When I got back from Tenerife I had a lot of friends and family to see and lots of news to catch up on. I was so tired after my late night/early morning flight that I basically just slept all day when I got home, but the next night I went straight out with my best friend Bryony to our favourite Indian restaurant for a much overdue catch up! Afterwards we sat in her car on the sea front eating mini milks, how romantic!
I met a boy in Tenerife....*blushes*, and although I wasn't sure if it would be any more than a holiday romance, we decided to meet up back home! I live in the North East of England and he lives in Edinburgh so I paid him a little visit which was originally meant to be for three nights and I ended up staying for 5, much to his mothers' disapproval I'm sure! My sister Heather also lives in Edinburgh so I had a nice catch up with her and another sister who was visiting from London. Heather made us an amazing curry so I just had to take a picture - sadly the 'being able to cook' gene must have skipped me!
I've been enjoying my last few weeks before going back to university by going on nights out with friends, and meals with the family. It's just really nice to relax after a crazy summer and before the stress of uni hits again (not that I go as much as I should, oooops!)
x

i heart summer tag

Hi guys! The lovely Melissa from It's Me Mel has kindly tagged me to do the 'I Heart Summer' tag, and although I'm a little late since it's getting dark at 8 again now, I thought this would be a nice way to say goodbye to the Summer (not that we had much of one!), sum up some of my favourite Summer products, and prepare for Autumn!

1. Favourite bronzer for summer?

I love love love Seventeen's Instant Glow Gold Bronze Shimmer Brick, that's a mouthful! There are four gorgeous shades in this little compact, and I sweep a contour brush across the powder to create a gorgeous bronzed glow! The lightest shade is also great to use as a highlighter, and I got this for less than £5.

2. You're relaxing on a hammock in a tropical island, what would you be sipping on?

Lemonade, my all time favourite drink, or a Sex on the Beach cocktail with a little umbrella just for fun! I do try not to be naughty and drink at least 2 litres of water when I'm somewhere warm though to stay hydrated.

3. Favourite summer lipstick?

I've been loving bright coral colours this Summer. I'm not really a fan of wearing lipstick in the heat though so while I was abroad this year I was constantly using Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous. It gives a gorgeous summery colour, smells delicious and stays on all day! 

4. Pool or beach?

I love both but I'd have to choose the pool. I love beach days and swimming in the sea, but applying suncream to sand-covered skin is just such a hassle, and it hurts my feet so much when the sand is too hot!

5. Summer = crazy hair, what's your must have styling product?

This year I loveeeeed using the Aussie Beach Mate shampoo and conditioner. Aussie products have been a staple in my shower for years, and these little limited edition beauties were a godsend abroad! Charles Worthington Sunshine Shampoo is also excellent. It makes my hair super shiny while protecting it from the sun too!

6. Sunbathing or fake tanning?

I fake tan all year round using St Moritz lotion and tanning mitt, which is obviously the safe option of tanning! However, I am guilty of lying out in the sun all day on holiday, relaxing on a sunlounger is heaven, but I make sure to apply a high SPF regularly.

7. Favourite summer nail polish?

I love bright colours on my nails in Summer, especially reds, pinks and oranges. My two most used nail polishes this year were Nails Inc's Portobello and Rimmel's Coralicious. They're both gorgeous, super fast drying colours!

8. Any summer traditions?

I don't have any die hard traditions but I love to go to the park with friends on sunny days and relax, I love wearing summery clothes, going to the beach, family BBQs, taking my doggy Tara for long walks and sitting outside in the warm evenings with a cocktail!

9. Favourite summer scent?

Marc Jacobs' Daisy, every time!

10. Favourite BBQ food?

I'm not a massive fan of BBQ food, I don't eat a lot of meat so I'd always opt for a salad or chicken burger if possible, but I do like the odd hot dog!

11. Favourite summer proof makeup?

Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof was my staple make up product this summer. I feel as long as I have mascara on I can conquer the world! I've also loved Maybelline's Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze, it stays put all day and is the perfect shimmery shade for Summer.

12. Any summer vacations planned?

I spent my Summer in Tenerife so sadly I've not got any holidays coming up, although I am going back for a week at the end of October for a little reunion with some of the friends I made out there, I can't wait!

Thanks for reading this guys! Think I'll do an Autumn tag next, bit more appropriate haha!

Follow @rosiesiennaxo

a new beginning & the best summer ever!

Hey cuties! I've been absent from the blogosphere for so long now but I finally feel like it's time to get back into it properly and I have lots of ideas for new posts! September always signifies a new start for me with people going back to school/college/university; I'm going into my third year in less than two weeks, scary stuff! I'll have to actually get a real grown up job in less than a year and stop living off noodles... So I thought it would also be a good time to start blogging again, and give sleeplesswithsienna a fresh start!
I've actually not been blogging for so long because I've been working abroad for the summer! I went to Tenerife in June with a company that helps you find work and puts you in a hotel with like-minded room mates, and it was the best decision I ever made. I was feeling really unsure of myself and didn't know what I wanted after Zak and I split up, and really needed to just get away, meet some new people and have adventures, which is definitely what I did!

So that's just a few pictures from my adventures in Tenerife, I had 300+ on my camera but I won't bore you with them all!
How was everyone's summer?!
Much love x

what's making me smile

Hey lovelies! I said this a few months ago but I'm really sorry for being so awol for so long. Sadly my boyfriend and I split up three months ago, and I've been struggling to come to terms with the change ever since. We were together for two years and lived together which made it even more difficult, but I'm taking things one day at a time, and slowly starting to piece my life together again.
My friends have been amazing over the past few months, and every day I'm seeing more and more benefits of the single life! I've reconnected with a lot of friends, made some new ones, and regained a lot of independence that I always seem to lose when in relationships.

I'm going to try and put a lot of time and energy into my blog from now on, I've been journalling a lot which really helps but it's nice to have another outlet, which encourages me to stop being so miserable and think about something else!
Here's a few pictures of things that have been making me smile lately...

Reconnecting with old friends...

....and making new ones!

girls nights out...

 ...guys' nights out...

...nights out in general!

dressing up in a princess tiara for my friend's 21st, so classy!

and ruining that classiness in the following photo ;)

new hair, pretty dresses and nail art...

 (poor attempt!)

and homemade cupcakes and yummy breakfasts!

Sorry this post has been so picture heavy, I guess I've had a lot of things that are making me smile lately, hope you are too! Much love x