February 2014 Favourites!

Throughout February I had been loving a variety of different things. Although slightly belated (with it being almost time for a March favourites) here are the things that I had loved throughout February.

Beauty/Makeup

Remington Pearl Ci95 Curling Wand:
Ever since my sister blew up my trusted Babyliss curlers at the end of last summer, I had been dying to find a new pair. With Babyliss not making the curlers I had before anymore I was forced into trying something different. After reading loads of reviews on many different products and deciding that £179 would be a lot to spend on curlers (sorry Babyliss Perfect Curl!) I opted for the Ci95 Curling wand from Remington. From amazon at the time they only cost me £16.95 and I've love using them. You can change the temperature on these and create both loose and tighter curls. What makes these even better is because it is a wand you can get the curls to start right near the root, unlike typical curlers with the clamp function. I've loved using them this month!

TRESemme Salon Finish Extra Hold (4) Hairspray:
This next favourite is something of an old, rediscovered favourite. As I've been using my new curlers recently I've found that I've been more hairspray as usual and I've gone back to the TRESemme Salon Finish hairspray, purely because it is so good. It makes my curls stay put all day and I've even found that my hair is still curly the morning after too. The spray also doesn't make my hair heavy or greasy looking and I'm glad I've started to use it again.

Dove Style+Care Heat Protect Spray:
A few months ago I purchased the Dove Style + Care heat protect spray and to be honest I've been in love with it since I first starting using it. If I had written a favourites post for December or January, this would have featured. The product itself is so lightweight on the hair and doesn't weigh it down or make it greasy. It also smells amazing and I always apply it before blow-drying my hair and I've noticed that the condition of my hair has improved!

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub:
I recently reviewed this product because I have loved using it since the moment I brought it. It is the lip scrub in bubblegum from Lush and it has been a saviour for my lips. Costing around £5.95 it has been fully worth the price and I've noticed a difference in the condition of my lips, they have been less chapped and generally healthier looking.

Food/Drink

Chiquitos:
Very recently the Mexican restaurant Chiquito's opened in a town near where I live. Since trying it out on New Year's Day it has become one of my favourite places to eat. I love Mexican food so immediately I knew I was onto a winner and the food there is so delicious. The prices are also reasonable and the atmosphere is brilliant in there!

Music

Bastille- All This Bad Blood:
I have been a HUGE fan of Bastille ever since their debut album 'Bad Blood' was released. I made sure that I ordered it as soon as I could and absolutely fell in love with it. It is a big contender for the best album that I have ever listened to. After admittedly playing the album to death I was overjoyed when I learnt that they would be releasing a second part of the album called 'All This Bad Blood.' I pre-ordered this album and immediately put it on as soon as it arrived and it I safe to say I fell in love this this too. My favourite songs from the album change from time to time but I love 'Haunt', 'Laughter Lines', 'Poet' and their cover of 'What Would You Do.'
  Like the original album I have played All This Bad Blood to death, to the point that I had to stop listening to it throughout January. However this month it has been back in my car and just listening to it on my way to work makes me feel really happy. The next step is to try and see them live, and with them performing at V Festival in the summer, I really hope I can get tickets!

Films/TV

Criminal Minds Season 9 (Mon 9pm Sky Living):
Ever since my sister introduced me to crime series Criminal Minds a few years ago, I have been hooked. This program basically follows a team of behavioural analysts who work together to solve murders and is a bit similar to CSI. However, the show is now in it's 9th series which have started just recently on Sky Living (Channel 107) on Monday nights at 9pm and I have loved seeing my favourite characters on screen again. It seems as though each series has got better and better and it has really kept me guessing throughout. Love it! 

New Series of The Middle (Tues 9pm Comedy Central):
Another program which I have loved watching over the past few years is The Middle. Totally different from Criminal Minds, The Middle is a comedy program about a family of 5 and their day to day problems and situations. Very easy viewing and hilarious, you can catch the new series on Comedy Central at 9pm on a Tuesday.

New Series of Two And A Half Men (Mon 9pm Comedy Central):
The start of 2014 has brought a load of new series for a number of programs and another one is Two and A Half Men. Which I have also loved watching throughout January. Hilarious. Also on Comedy Central on a Monday at 9pm, which you may notice clashes with Criminal Minds, but thank goodness for Sky+ haha.

New Series of The Magaluf Weekender (Sun 9pm ITV2)
The final program that I have enjoyed watching throughout January is the surprise, surprise, new series of The Magaluf Weekender. I think I may have featured this program in my October favourites, but it is back again and better than ever with a new rep and even more drama between the reps! Unfortunately the program has now finished, but I think it is returning in the summer for a new series! 

Random

Bingo:
This month I went to my first ever proper bingo night, where I gambled actual money in attempt to win even more money for matching numbers in a line or by getting full house. This is strangely addicting and I can see why many people spend hours in there. So far I've won £20 so that's not too bad
Quiz Nights:
Since early October I have been attending a quiz night at a local pub on a Thursday evening with friends from work and it has been a lot of fun. Basically you are in teams and each person pays £1 to play. That money then becomes the jackpot (usually around £50) and then you play a family fortunes type quiz where you are asked 10 questions and expected to think of the 'top answer' (worth 2 points) and then four other answers (worth 1.) At the end, the team with the highest score wins and then has to pick one of about four envelopes containing different prizes. If the jackpot isn't picked it then rolls over to the next week until it gets won which means that the jackpot can get really high.
Formula One Winter Testing:
With the 2014 F1 season starting in a matter of weeks, throughout Feb I have enjoyed hearing about and reading about the testing that the teams have been going through. I also loved watching all the teams unveil their title contenders and it has made me even more excited for the start of the season and the end of the 4 month break from the sport!

That's just about everything that I've been loving this month!

January Sale Shopping

 

It's no secret that the January sales are notorious for big deals and bargain finds. Due to overspending in the lead up to Christmas this year I didn't do too much sale shopping this year, but what I did do was buy loads of shoes. (This was whilst I was on a shoe buying ban, oh dear.)

 

 

 

My obsession with shoes is now getting a little out of hand, but once I aw these gorgeous burgundy chunky boots in the New Look sale, I knew that they would be going home with me. I persuaded myself that they were an absolute 'must-have' and I'm so glad I picked them up as I know I would have regretted it otherwise.

 

 

One amazing thing about these boots are that they have a zip on the inside of the shoe, which means that you aren't spending forever and a day unlacing them everytime you want to wear them. The laces are more of a decorative feature and I haven't even tied them whilst I've been wearing them.

Another bonus is that I can actually walk in them without looking and feeling like an idiot and a huge bonus is that I can safely drive in them! (It's always a pain when you have to take a flat pair of shoes to drive in when all you want to do is  wear heels.) These beauties were reduced from £29.99 to £22.49 in the New Look sale, but honestly I would have paid full price for them anyway! They also come in grey too I think.

 

This winter it is safe to say that I have gone a little bit boot crazy. However, I had my eye on these cut out boots from New Look from the moment they were released into stores. I love the cut out detailing on them and that they are a little bit different from other boots and shoes I owned. So imagine my delight when I spotted them in the sale in Cambridge, and I got the for a ridiculous bargain. Originally retailing at £30, I scooped these up for £12! Admittedly, I haven't actually worn them yet and I have no idea if I can sensibly walk in them, but at £12 it was worth it.

 

So, these heels pictured above weren't actually purchased in any type of sale, but as they are so gorgeous I thought I would feature them in this post. After realising that you can never have too many pairs of black heels (or shoes for that matter) I decided to firstly buy this pair to wear to my work's Christmas meal.

I think they look really sophisticated and I love the t-bar styled straps which give me a bit more support and doesn't make me feel like I'm going to fall out of my shoes every two minutes. Also I loved the price of these, only £24.99 from H&M. The only bad thing about the is that they aren't particularly comfortable to wear, but with some gel cushions in I can easily last all night in them.

 

A few years ago I received a pair of dark brown brogues from New Look for Christmas and wore them until there was practically nothing left of them. Since then however I haven't had the chance to repurchase some replacement brown brogues and so whilst buying other shoes in the New Look sale, I came across these. Originally priced at £14.99, they had been marked in the sale at £8 which was a great find for me. Even better, when I got them to the till I was charged £6 and I wasn't complaining! 

 

Finally, I thought I would add two pairs of boots which I was lucky enough to receive for Christmas this year. Above are my ankle boots from Topshop, which I actually got for £45 after they had been reduced from something like £70. These boots are so comfortable and go with pretty much everything and are so easy to slip on and off, they really are great.

 Below are probably my most worn and most loved boots this season. Similarly to the boots above, these ankle boots are black yet have this lovely buckle detailing on them to make them stand out just a little bit more. They are also my most expensive pair of shoes, costing me £60 from River Island. They are so worth the money though, and I think I've been living in them since I unwrapped them on Christmas day!

 

With January coming to an end, the sales are thinning out. However, this means that soon spring and summer clothes will be hitting the stores ready for my favourite time of the year! I can't wait to start shopping for summery clothes, although I will miss wearing my boots!