New Year, New Goals…

It’s 2017… whaaaat?! Another year has gone by so quickly and dare i say it but we are already at the end of the first week in January! I really hope you’ve all had a fantastic start to the new year!

It’s been a while since I last wrote a blog post so this feels strange to say the least! So I thought I would start off the year with a post about my new years goals. Yes thats right goals… I refuse to call them ‘resolutions’ because if i’m being honest i’m less likely to stick by them if I label them as ‘resolutions’.

EVERY year around December I start thinking about ‘resolutions’ I want to set for the coming year, and EVERY year by the time January the 3rd comes I have forgotten what these ‘resolutions’ that I set myself were.

This year though I have actually taken the time to think about what goals I want to set myself and why. I have even written them down so I can remind myself. If I can stick to them and improve myself I suppose it will motivate me to look forward and improve on the things I have achieved. HOWEVER if I fail to follow through with them then that gives me the right to feel shitty  about myself and it might remind me why I haven’t bothered to set firm goals in the past …

For now I’ll share a few goals I have chosen to set for myself this year…

Be POSITIVE- because at times (not all the time, but most of the time) I can be SO negative

Be more ADVENTUROUS- I want to say ‘yes’ more because sometimes I miss opportunities to do things or go places because i’m just not that adventurous

Get HEALTHY- I wouldn’t say i’m unhealthy but I could certainly be healthier and i’m not just talking about watching what I EAT I also want to start working out more

COOKING- I LOVE cooking (when I can be bothered) but this year I want to do more of it and experiment with different ingredients and recipes

READING- I used to be a real book worm, but with general life things taking over I don’t think I have picked up and finished reading a book in YEARS, so i’ve decided that needs to change this year… I WILL complete a book!

Just a few I wanted to share …

Let me know, do you have any goals or resolutions for this year? What are they? How do you intend to keep them? Do you generally stick to them? I’d be interested to know.

The five minute edit x

 

Barry M coconut infusion gel nail paints

We all know nail polishes can range from being very inexpensive to being quite expensive and sometimes it’s hard to know what the quality is going to be like without spending your money on them. 

On many occasions I have indulged in spending a lot on colours I think will look and apply great just because they’re from a ‘higher end’ brand. I have however been quite disappointed with the outcome of the product, as I’ve often been left with streaky lines, a sheer colour upon application or chipping of the polish a few days after putting it on my nails. 

I’ve been passing these Barry M cosmetics gel nail paints for a few weeks and I finally cracked and decided to give these two shades a go  because I thought the colours looked so fresh and vibrant for spring and summer. 

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I wasn’t disappointed at all. I’ve been wearing these over the past few weeks and they are two of the best polishes I have tried recently. The colour is opaque just with one layer, they last a whole lot longer than any others I’ve tried recently and the colour payoff is exactly the same as what is in the bottle. Not to mention they have a coconut  infused scent too! 

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‘Aloha’

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‘Surfboard’

I would highly recommend these polishes and will definitely be trying out some more colours from the range. 

Have you tried any of these? I’d love to hear your recommendations. 

The five minute edit 

X

Pretty Little English Things

So last weekend (Sunday 6th of August to be precise) I was fast asleep dreaming about, (food probably lets be honest) when I heard my husband abruptly turn over and say, ‘Babe shall we  go to visit Chatsworth house today?’

At this point my eyes opened and I looked at him in shock.

‘You, want to, go to Chatsworth?’ I was in absolute amazement. ‘Erm ok then, lets go come on get up!’ I screeched! (My husband by his own admission is quite hard to convince to go on days out).

On to the post…

I shot out of bed, picked a simple outfit to wear, because I knew a lot of walking would be involved, ironed it and ran to the shower before he could change his mind.

Before he knew it I was dressed and ready, waiting at the front door with a picnic blanket, a small satchel type bag, and obviously my camera dangling around my neck ready to start snapping away.

‘Ready?’ he asked.

‘Yeeeeeaaaah of course I am.’

Now I’ve been to Chatsworth before, it’s in the Peak District in England, for any of you wondering what on earth I’m babbling on about.

Hubby hasn’t been before despite me going on and on about how beautiful it is.

How many of you have visited Chatsworth house before? So picture perfect isn’t it?

Once we arrived there, we were directed to a parking space, because it was quite busy. One thing I would suggest is to try and get there quite early. Obviously not 8am because I don’t even think they’re open at that time, but around 11am is a nice time to find parking and make your way to the area you want to visit.

On this particular day there was a Jaguar car show-taking place. This was rather exciting because I particularly loved the old classics on show.

Jaguar classic car

Jaguar classic car

Chatsworth House

Chatsworth House

We opted to visit the beautiful garden, as it stands there is a charge to access this area of Chatsworth, but believe me when I say its totally worth it for a day in serene surroundings and beautiful views. You can get some pretty decent snaps there too.

Who doesn’t want some amazing pictures eh? I certainly wanted some! Credit goes to my amazing husband who followed me around snapping shots every 2 minutes of anything I thought would make a nice backdrop, which lets face it was everything. I did some snapping of pictures too but he did quite the load this time.

First we walked down a beautiful path which led us straight in to the gardens on our right there was the most amazing view of Chatsworth House, and to the left there was a carefully sculptured water feature, which was called the ‘Cascade’.

Chatsworth house

Chatsworth house

Views, views....views

Views, views….views

After trying all sorts of positions on the floor and on my tiptoes to get the perfect picture without invading other peoples privacy, I gave up. Had a small tantrum about how I wanted the best pictures but people were getting in the way and walked off.

But my husband being the most patient soul he is took some for me. He of course also tried different positions, but didn’t throw a strop like I did. In fact he got some amazing shots of the cascade.

'Cascade'

The ‘Cascade’

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Next we passed the ‘Rock garden’ that was essentially a rockery which appeared to have a small waterfall flowing down it.

'The Rockery' Image no 1

‘The Rockery’ Image no 1

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‘The Rockery’ Image no 2

Can you see the waterfall stream?

Can you see the waterfall stream?

Let me just stop you right there, just to set the scene, the deeper in to the garden I got the more surreal it felt. It was like I had been transported in to a fairy tale setting  in an ‘English Country Garden’ with a lavish mansion built for a king and queen in the Victorian era. I felt like I was in Pride and Prejudice.

Chatsworth house and a smidgen of the garden

Chatsworth house and a smidgen of the garden

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From above 'The Rockery'

Breathtaking views from above ‘The Rockery’

We were most excited about venturing in to the ‘Maze’, yes you read it right, they have a maze, and I ran round it like a over excited big kid trying to beat my husband to the centre.

I won. Obviously!

'The maze'

‘The maze’

Entry and exit in the maze area

Exiting the maze area

Finally we found the ‘Coal tunnel’. I wasn’t too sure about going in there, but my husband was beaming with excitement at the thought of getting me in there and scaring the life out of me.

Signs for the 'Coal Tunnel'

Signs for the ‘Coal Tunnel’

After much convincing, and seeing even small children eager to go in I decided to just go with the flow. The closer I got the entrance the more I asked myself, ‘Kiran are you absolutely sure you want to do this?’

Entry in to the 'Coal tunnel'

Entry in to the ‘Coal tunnel’

My husband had already gone in so I closed one eye took a step forward and ran, shouting his name. He came back to walk with me, and then started saying things like… ‘Can you see that spiders web?’ ‘Oh look there’s a bat?’

Inside the 'Coal Tunnel'

Inside the ‘Coal Tunnel’

Don’t worry guys there was no spider and certainly no bats for goodness sake, he just got sheer enjoyment out of making me squeal.

There were so many more areas of the garden I wanted to visit, but as we arrived quite late in the day we didn’t have that much time. Like I said earlier the earlier you go the more you can explore.

I would certainly recommend going to Chatsworth house. It’s suitable for anyone in my opinion and I can’t see how you would not enjoy it?!

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On our next visit we’ve agreed to do the house tour also. Obviously I’ll write about that too.

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For now farewell x

Love

The Five Minute edit x

Summer NARS

I have absolutely no real excuse or justification for why I haven’t posted in over a month. I’ve just had so much on in my personal life I haven’t had a minute to sit down and type away… which leads me on to this post.

So since I’ve been so busy (with 0% social life), I’ve had to find myself an everyday makeup routine that’s been quick and easy to get on in the mornings and take off in the evenings. Who else thinks removing your makeup in the evenings is such a chore? Not just me right?!

Anyway I’ll stop babbling now. These have not been brand new purchases in fact a few of the items have been re purchases and some rediscoveries. I decided to stick to a brand I knew and was fond of.

I’ll start with the order of my application.

First up is the NARS ‘Pro-Prime’ primer with SPF 30. Now since I have pretty clear unproblematic skin I try not to use foundation on a daily basis, in stead I stick to this to give me the look of evened out clear and smooth skin. Also with SPF 30 it provides some protection from the sun.

NARS 'Pro-Prime' primer

NARS ‘Pro-Prime’ primer

I am aware that traditionally Primers are used to provide a base for foundation to sit on, however being the rebel that I am I have decided to use this instead of a foundation and dare I say it but it works for me!

I know what you’re thinking… How does it cover up and even out the skin tone?

Well this is where my next product comes in to application.

Concealer. Yes you guessed it. It’s Nars radiant creamy concealer.

Now I know this is a cult product for many and it is for me also. I love it! One of the best concealers I have found on the market and believe me I have tried MANY. Like others I find it difficult finding a concealer that;

  1. Matches my skin tone and doesn’t look to grey or orange

And

2. Doesn’t look too cakey or cracked after half an hour of application

NARS Radient Creamy Concealer

NARS Radient Creamy Concealer

It’s so easy to apply on to dark circles and it blends out really nicely. It’s also quiet easy to remove at the end of the night so I’m not rubbing away at my eyes like a makeup removing obsessed person.

Next up…

Eyeliner

For an everyday look I tend to go for something that’s quite light on the eyes for a no make up make up look. This one is perfect to apply to the lower lash line. It seriously does not budge throughout the day.

NARS larger than life eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte

NARS larger than life eyeliner in Rue Bonaparte

On to the Blusher …

This blush has been one of my absolute favourites for quite a while now. It’s one that I reach for on a daily basis, and I think it suites my olive skin tone perfectly. To apply it I sweep it on with an Eco Tools brush and it lasts the whole day, leaving my cheeks glowing throughout the day.

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NARS Blush in Deep Throat

NARS Blush in Deep Throat

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Finally…

Lip-gloss

Now even though I am more of a lipstick girl, I NEEDED to find something that was low maintenance and would go with every outfit. So this is what I chose and I absolutely love it. ‘Giza’ is a lip-gloss I purchased a few years ago and because of the longevity of it, I only had to replace it early this year. This colour is the perfect nude, peachy colour. It lasts hours and hours and is not sticky at all.

NARS lipgloss 'Giza'

NARS lipgloss ‘Giza’

NARS Giza lipgloss swatch

NARS Giza lipgloss swatch

IMG_4989Here they are my NARS go to makeup picks for an effortless no makeup, makeup look. Oh and my Ray-ban Aviators! Just can’t go anywhere without them!

What are your makeup favourites right now? Are you more of a lipstick girl or a lip-gloss girl? Which Nars products can you not live without?

I’d love to know!

Love

The Five Minute Edit x

(Oh … and don’t forget to check out my Instagram account – thefiveminuteedit1)

The lipstick edition… Pinks, browns and nudes

Routing through my ever-growing lipstick collection feels like a chore at the best of times!

Trying to find that one lipstick I envisaged my self wearing with that perfected eye makeup look and blushed cheeks is sometimes harder than it sounds.

However over the past few months I have found myself reaching out for three lipsticks over and over again.

As you’re reading this post I’m sure you can make a guess at which lipsticks I am about to open up about. Yes you guessed it. These shades are just some of their kind to have taken the world by storm…

Seriously…! My travels to the other side of the world this year proved that finding my desired lip liner pencils and lipsticks were going to be an almost impossible task.

During my trip to the Indian Ocean, every MAC counter I came across I naively asked if the shades I was looking for were available for purchase, but I got the same response time and time again. ‘Sorry we are sold out.’

On my return to the UK I approached several MAC counters over and over again, until I heard the words ‘yes we have these products.’

Hallelujah! Yes! I found them! I was jumping for joy inside, I never thought my heart would beat so excitedly over makeup?!

Pinks, browns and peaches

Pink, Browns, Peaches

Enough of the rambles … Lets get to the post!

Being Olive skinned, having brown eyes and black hair makes it difficult to find a lipstick that isn’t too bold for those simple makeup look days.

The hardest of the three shades to find was the lip liner in Soar. Once I had found this beautiful unique pink I decided to pair it with a matte MAC lipstick in the shade Mehr. This compliments the lip liner perfectly and of course lasts all day, leaving the lips looking fuller. This perfectly pink combination is quite different to anything else I have ever tried. It’s not too dark when applied lightly, but can be built up to create a bold rosy colour on the lips.

Mehr Lipstick

Mehr Lipstick

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Mehr lipstick matched with MACs lipliner in Soar

Mehr lipstick matched with MACs lipliner in Soar

Swatch of MAC Mehr lipstick

Swatch of MAC Mehr lipstick

The second colour I have found my self constantly reaching for has been another MAC lipstick in the shade Taupe, I find this to match perfectly with the MAC lip liner in Spice. This beautiful brown shade creates a natural lip shade for those days when I want to wear makeup but want to keep it simple at the same time.

MAC Taupe lipstick

Taupe lipstick

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MAC Taupe Lip stick matched with Spice lip liner

Taupe Lip stick matched with MACs Spice lip liner

Swatch of MACs Taupe lipstick

Swatch of MACs Taupe lipstick

Finally, a lipstick I have had for over 6 months, but never thought I would reach for it as much as I do . . . Yes you guessed it another MAC lipstick. This time a peachier option, but one that works beautifully on my Olive skin tone. MACs lipstick in Fanfare, this colour is my ‘go to’ and when I don’t feel like wearing a bright, bold lip or a statement pink or brown, this is what I reach for.

Fanfare lipstick

Fanfare lipstick

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Fanfare lip stick swatch

Fanfare lip stick swatch

So when you’re stood at those MAC counters with all them beautiful bold shades screaming at you, but all you want is a simple shade you can throw onto your lips just remember browns, pinks and peaches such as Mehr, Taupe and Fanfare.

Love,

The Five Minute Edit x

Manic Mondays!

Monday’s are always the most hectic day of the week for me, and probably everybody else reading this!  One of the most difficult things about the start of the week is deciding what to wear, and if you’re from the UK like I am then you’ll fully understand why I say this. The weather plays a huge part in the decisions of Sunday night. One day its 24 degrees, the sun is out and there are clear blue sky’s. The next it’s forecast to be heavy rain and gusts of wind, strong enough to sweep you off your feet. Today was no exception!

Yesterday the weather was perfect for a Sunday in June. Out came the flip-flops and off came the heavy jacket. But the decision to wear this light weight Topshop shirt was not made lightly. I decided to pair it with a pair of black skinny jeans, for comfort,  and on my feet I went for these smart brown leather Loafers from Office. As I was trying to keep the look simple I added a gold necklace from H&M.

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Although it’s a day in the office, the weather is never predictable and neither is the temperature inside the office where wars take place over the air conditioning. Looking outside the window I feel like I made the right decision to wear a comfortable, casual yet smart outfit.

The Five Minute Edit X