A little rain, a little haul...

Hi there all, 

So it's been a while and, when I say a while, I appreciate that this is a gross underestimation. Nevertheless, here I am, checking in from the homeland. Yes, you got it, South Africa. More specifically, the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town which has kindly gifted us with free wi-fi for the duration of our stay! As an aside, I personally think that wi-fi should ALWAYS be free in hotels but we all know that it isn't...that frustration however, is another story, for another time...

Anyhow, Caitie and I have now been here 2 days and have consumed a large amount of hot chocolate, done a single work-out (of 20 mins...we hope to hit the gym tomorrow morning but if I'm being honest, I have my doubts...) and have already hit a few of the shops...

I was, for me, rather restrained and only picked up a few bits of stationary from the legendary 'Typo'. This store has a pretty urban outfitter-esque vibe but without the clothing - if that makes sense?

So, Cait and I picked up an adorable iPhone case each (I am known to have a few too many of these but a new one just always feels so spesh!). What do you think? Mine reminded me of a long-ago Brighton Pier but I love Cait's - what more could you want than balloons and the Eiffel Tower?!

I also grabbed a notebook (for the notes that I'll be needing for the impending doom that is my next Insurance exam...) while Cait picked up a similar style flip file- I just loved this ballet dancer/puppeteer - something a little different I thought.

We got a little over excited when we found these super cute 'Let's blog some s***' makeup/pencil bags - a little cheeky but so very appropriate for the likes of us so we both picked one up - snapsies.

I also loved these button magnets; my boyfriend and I have taken to pictures on the fridge and some more magnets to hold these up won't go amiss. In fact, I think they will be a vast improvement on the 'come fly with me' sticker like magnets we are currently making do with. I suspect the man may stamp his feet and declare these too girlie - I think I'll likely win out though, given their obvious practical application and the fact that well, obviously the girl is always right... *nudge nudge, wink wink*

On the subject of the boyfriend, I picked up this 'Doghouse' keyring for him; as he has just lost the one I bought him previously (Krispy Kreme), and he is so very very familiar with the figurative doghouse (second home and all...), I thought this was better than appropriate! I am not sure he will agree though - I will be sure to let you know!

Lastly, we picked up some of our favourite sweeties and enjoyed these muchly while we snuggled up indoors away from the very fierce Capetown winter wind and rain! 

If you liked the look of our Typo haul, please head on over to Caitie's new blog for her take on things; i'll pop the link below. 

Ps - I'll let you know if we make it to the gym....

All our love, 

XOXO

Find Caitie Cat at http://www.caitiedotcomm.blogspot.co.uk 

'I don't think we should be too self-deprecating...'

'Please forgive me!'

But, we are completely, and utterly useless. Yes, we said it. We, Caitlin and Christie are complete [insert appropriate hashtag here].

We genuinely can't think of any other interesting sentences right now (due to our brains having turned to mush in our absence) but we WILL be back with a post soon. Promise.

All our love, always,

From the Heart,

Caitie and Christie <3

xxx

Image from: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rVU_WihgR4E/Tqfg_uOKIlI/AAAAAAAAGVM/Dp2n1HrS0ts/s1600/embarrassed-bunny-26101.jpg

Christie's March Favourites

Hey there lovely readers, 

How are you all doing? Those of you in the UK, how have you been spending these magnificently rare days of sunshine? I confess, I did not spend nearly enough of it outside and as a result, my vitamin D levels are still at a record low undoubtedly. However, my spirit - well my spirit is peaking out from under the rock its been hiding all winter and is hopeful that Spring and shock horror, even SUMMER, may be just around the corner....

Anyhooooooooo, I should really hurry along and get to the point before Summer actually arrives and I STILL haven't shared my March favourites...

So, I should warn you, my favourites are likely to be a little more random that Cait's; partly because I am random but mainly because we have shared many of the same beauty fav's this month and honestly, she got there first in writing about them....examples of such shared obsessions include the Rimmel Apocalips, L'Oréal 'False Lash Telescopic' mascara and of course the blogger and their brother, dog, sister and cat's favourite, Bioderma Sensibio H20. Some things are honestly just worth the fuss and that last one particularly, really really is. Really.

So a few more of my March Favourites....

Face
This month I have actually been loving a cheeky 'hand me down' from Caitie - this Estee Lauder Deluxe All-Over Face Compact; it's a bronzer and blusher quad that was actually from their Blockbuster a couple of years ago but I rediscovered this in one of my sister's many (many) 'sort outs' and have really been loving it. That said, I know that it is a little cheeky to include something that is no longer available but fear not beauties, the compact is made up of the soft matt bronzer 'Bronze Goddess' which is still available and while the blushes were from the Estee Lauder Signature Collection which doesn't appear to be available anymore, there will be close colour matches available in their new 'Pure Color' collection. Given my aim this month to dip my toe in the whole coral trend that seems to be going on in the blogasphere, the shade I have been loving alongside the bronzer is 'Radiant Peach'; its got predictably orange undertones which are subtle enough for those not too sure about the trend and a cute iridescence about it that adds nicely to that dewy look (if that's what you are after; I absolutely am).  The colour pay off and the staying power are both brill too!

Eyes

Along with the L'Oréal 'False Lash Telescopic' mascara which is fast becoming a daily staple, I have been a little bit of a victim and have been totally sold on the the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. It is actually amazing - no more panda eyes half was through the day and none of these annoying little 'bitties' that seem to flake off if you do use regular mascara on the bottom lashes (bitties? Really? Could I not have thought of a better term?! Well, willing to guess you know what I mean though ;)) And also, it is so damn cute! Its teeny tiny brush and overall compactness just make me happy; what else can I say?

Another little discovery this month (and I preface this with the fact that I am a massively late to the party on this one!) was the Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner....I have been asking myself, HOW have I not tried gel eyeliner before now?! I have to be honest, no matter how many people told me that it was a million times easier to apply than a liquid liner, I refused to believe it - I just couldn't conceptualise it and I thought it was just a massive conspiracy. Ok, a tad dramatic, but you see where I am going with that. Anyhow, I was in Boots and they had 3 for 2 on all cosmetics at the time (LOVE a bargain) so I thought I would pick one up and try it and Oh. My. Word.
Revolutionary.

That is all I have to say about that. Honestly; If you haven't, try it; it is a cheap and infallible alternative to the Bobbi Brown gel liner and it is honestly honestly worth it, particularly if you are a fan of the winged liner look.

Hair
Now I picked this up in February but you know how it is when you pick up new products and then for one or another reason, don't get around to trying them straight away right? So it has been a massive pick me up for my hair this month. Now, one thing you should know about me and hair is...fundamentally, I am useless. I have no patience with it, too much of it and just need quick and easy fixes that at least lessen the lion-like-ness of it all. And thats where this little gem comes in; Bed Head Sugar Rush is quite a lot like your standard salt spray but instead of salt, its key ingredient is sugar so I guess it is a little stickier; for that reason I would advise going easy on the amount you use if you still want your hair to feel like hair and not like, say, straw.
Anyhow, its quick and easy and adds a bit of texture as well as smelling gorgeous so it has done me proud on my last few nights out.

Sugar Rush (and silliness) in action x

Fragrance 
This month I have been absolutely loving Jo Malone's Limited Edition Redcurrant and Cream Cologne; it is part of the capsule Sugar and Spice collection which is something a bit different for the all English perfumery and there are very few stores with stocks of the fragrance left but I have to confess, I bought two bottles because I couldn't stand the thought of what would happen when it ran out (correction, I twisted the boyfriend's arm and he bought the first bottle...I had to sneak back for the second). The scent is just sooooo pretty; fruity with a touch of floral and while very sweet, it is still surprisingly fresh; honestly, I have not smelt anything like it in a long while. It is expectedly pricey but worth every penny in my opinion; I am not sure if you get this like I do, but some amazing smells just genuinely make me feel 'happy' and this is one of them; definitely my go to scent for Spring!

Other (this is the really cool stuff....just saying)
Vanity Fair 
I have to admit, this is not usually the magazine I reach for (I usually head for the Economist or, FAR more frequently, LOOK magazine...yes, I know) but this month's cover had the most stunning picture of Audrey Hepburn and being that she is my absolute idol, I had to buy it, despite its rather pricey price tag. And honestly, I read it cover to cover; the articles were so interesting, witty and insightful that quite honestly, I was inspired. As this blog probably hints, in its smallest of ways, I like to write and the standard of journalism evident in this magazine just reignited my love a little, cheesy as I know that sounds. I have the utmost respect for a magazine that can do that. Huge thumbs up and recommendation from me.

And last, but absolutely not least....

Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream

Ok, so I am not sure whether I am alone in this (well actually, I know I am not) but this Winter has been absolutely brutal on all the old 'extremities' and my hands and feet have been absolutely disastrous; never before have I had so much dry skin and I hate it. I am a compulsive moisturiser at the best of times but no matter what I did, or how often, nothing worked. Until I found this amazing Japanese moisturiser in Space NK (I have since found that it is indeed stocked in select Boots stores! Score!). Admittedly, it is a pricey number, coming in at £19.50 for the pot pictured but given its glycerin base, it is soooo thick that you really don't need much of it at all. And what is really great is that although it feels greasy to start (which I know a lot of people hate in hand creams generally) it sinks in within minutes and the acid test: you know when you wash your hands and with 99% of creams and lotions you can feel it coming off as you run your paws under the water? Well, this doesn't do that! Because its already in, under that first layer and working it's magic. Honestly, if you have struggled with dry skin on your hands and feet (you can even use it on your lips!), I highly highly recommend this all purpose cream; it really has saved me and I have never seen results so fast!

Anyway beauties, I hope you have enjoyed catching up with me on my 'March Favourites' and we would love love love to hear about yours. Have you shared any of the same favourites? Any recommendations? We would love to hear them.

All my love,

From the Heart,

Christie.
XOXO

Caitie's March Favourites

Hello beautiful, beautiful readers!

How are you all on this sunny Monday? It seems spring may have finally sprung here in the UK, and I for one couldn't be happier!

Once again, I apologise for my absence on the blogaroo of late. Having had an internationally situated appendectomy I have spent the last four weeks recovering and just last week returned to work, which was EXHAUSTING! It would appear that having an appendage removed is one hell of a process!

Despite being somewhat painful, March was a good month for me in terms of being wowed by beauty products. I ventured into Boots on a number of occasions and picked up quite a few products that I have reached for throughout March and am still reaching for in April. So, it only seems fair that I share these products with you all!

I've been loving the Batiste 'Tropical' dry shampoo... Although I know Batiste gets a bad rep for leaving a white residue in your hair I've found that if I spray it from the right distance and brush my hair thoroughly it's perfect for me. I love the scent of this dry shampoo and the extra body it gives my 'do'. I've also been loving this 'Argan Oil' I picked up at Boots... It comes in at around the £10.00 price mark but is a generous size at 100ml and makes your hair feel like silk and smell like satsumas... Win win, I'd say!

Now, if you haven't heard of Bioderma I'd have to say you've been hiding under a rock (which would be unsurprising given the weather here in the UK). It's a microcellular solution (what that is, I don't know!) that is just FABULOUS at removing makeup. I use Bioderma in the evening to remove most of my makeup and then wash my face with my La Roche Possay Effaclar face wash and hey ho, I'm good to go! To my knowledge Bioderma is not available in the UK (come on Boots!) so I purchase mine from an excellent eBay seller here. That reminds me, I'm running low... eBay here I come!

Another skincare favourite in March was the La Roche Possay Soothing Repairing Balm recommended by the gorgeous Essie Button. Essie recommended this product for this with eczema-prone skin, which I have, and I must say, it WORKS! (If you have eczema-prone skin you'll know that's not a phrase that's used often... Most lotions and potions promise to work but fall disappointingly short). It's pricy at around £15.00, but you need so little for your crusty areas (too much info?!) that I'm confident it'll last me a long time. 

Makeup wise, I've been reaching for my Mac 'Gentle' mineralize blusher on an almost daily basis. My sister gave this to me as a post-appendectomy treat (thank you Christie!!!) and I absolutely LOVE it. It's a perfect girly pink that gives the cheeks a natural and healthy flush... Would it be too cringe-worthy to say it gives me a 'spring' in my step in spring?! I don't care, I've said it anyway!

I've also been LOVING Rimmel's Appocolips range of lip laquers... I wasn't sure whether to try these bad boys or not... After seeing them advertised continuously on TV I was tempted but what really sold me was, surprise surprise, Essie's raving review of them! My sister and I both picked them up in a couple of shades and have reached for them almost daily... Another big thank you to Essie- your recommendations are always right on the mark!

Mac 'Gentle' Mineralize Blush 

Finally, I've been loving my L'Oréal 'False Lash Telescopic' mascara. This was a product I meant to pick up donkeys years ago, after hearing almost every beauty blogger and their sister RAVE about it. I had my reservations about trying it simply because I am a bit of a mascara snob and have found very few drugstore brand mascaras that I  like enough to wear on a daily basis. My snobbery was snubbed when I tried this bad boy, however, because it's just FABULOUS! It separates and lengthens (which is what it promises to do) and is fast becoming an everyday essential. 

Just a little close up of the magic wand for y'all...

So, my beautiful friends, those are my March favourites for you... I hope this post has been somewhat interesting...

Have you tried any of these products? If so, what do you think of them? What are your March favourites? Christie and I are always looking for new products to try.

Lots and lots of love to you all,

From the Heart,

Christie and Caitie xoxo

Travel and Inflight Essentials

Hello, hello, beautiful readers,

How are you all on this (where I am) sunny Thursday? It's Caitlin writing to you all, today, and I must start by apologising for my absence from the blogging world. As Christie mentioned in her last post, 'Good Luck to my Best Friend' (the most lovely, lovely post; I am so flattered by her lovely words... I love you) I have had an emergency appendectomy and so have spent the past two and a half weeks in bed recovering. On top of that, I finally had my interview for the PGCE (teaching) course at the University of Sussex for which I had spent three months preparing! Thank you all for your lovely messages of good luck; you have no idea how much they meant to me. I'll keep you posted on my PGCE progress! But, now that both things are well and truly out of the way, I'm back on the radar and ready to blog! 

Today I thought I'd post about my travel and inflight essentials. This might seem somewhat random, but, I was actually planning for this post to be up in time for my arrival in South Africa; two and a half weeks ago! As Christie mentioned in her previous post, my mom and I travelled to South Africa for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary (amazing, isn't it?). We left on Saturday the 23rd of February and arrived in Johannesburg on the 24th, where we departed for Port Elizabeth the same day. The flight from London Heathrow to Johannesburg is a long-un at 11 and a bit hours, so I thought it appropriate to share with you my inflight essentials. Needless to say, by Monday (the 25th) I was in hospital in Port Elizabeth with acute appendicitis, so this post never made it to press (phew, take a breath!)

So, although I am not currently about to fly anywhere, I thought this post might be useful to a few of you (or, at the very least a little bit interesting!) Before my trip I thought long and hard about what I needed to take with me onboard. After watching Sammi's (AKA BeautyCrush) video on her inflight and travel essentials I decided I needed to be a bit more organised when I travelled! I have always noticed that my skin suffers tremendously after a long-haul flight and so thought I'd do my best to try and combat this... After all, there's nothing worse than travelling for a big event only to find that your skin looks like a collage of spots, dry skin and general yuckiness! I must say, although I felt like death (quite literally, due to my rotten appendix) upon arrival in South Africa, I noticed a HUGE difference in my skin because of the effort I made to care for it on the plane. 

The products I took onboard included: 

Johnson's Facecare Daily Essentials face cleansing wipes for dry skin

Bioderma Sensibio H20 (in the cutest travel-friendly size of 100ml!)

La Roche-Possay Effaclar Duo

La Roche-Possay Toleriane 

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Hand Cream

Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner

Soap and Glory 'Hand Maid' sanitizer gel

Dentyl Active Mouth Wash (alongside my toothbrush and Colgate toothpaste!)

Estée Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup 

Benefit Speedbrow

As soon as I got on the plane (we were on an evening flight) I used my Johnson's face wipes to remove the majority of my makeup. I must admit, my skin does not generally like face wipes (I find they make my skin quite sensitive and even sore at times) but once in a while they really do the trick. I then used my Bioderma Sensibio H20 (if you haven't tried this product yet, DO!) to remove the last traces of makeup. Although I know Bioderma Sensibio H20 is specially formulated to remove the majority of makeup, I like to use it more as a toner; mainly because it is slightly pricier than face wipes. I find that Bioderma H20 makes my face feel really nourished and loved. I then applied my La Roche-Possay Effeclar Duo face cream on the majority of my face and a little bit of my La-Roche Possay Toleriane face cream on the drier areas of my face. I then used my Jo Malone Vitamin E Lip Conditioner on my (seemingly always at the moment) chapped lips and my Elizabeth Aden Eight-Hour Hand Cream on my hands. My skin felt SO much better for having taken the time to care for it; something I usually shrug off because long-haul flights are usually once or twice a year events for me. Although I usually suffer breakouts on long-haul flights, this time my skin arrived in South Africa as it left the UK... A huge relief!

I arrived in South Africa barefaced and refreshed, but wanted some coverage for my skin and some taming for my brows. So, I used my Estée Lauder Invisible Fluid Makeup as a base for my face (I'm a poet and I didn't know it...) and Benefit Speed Brow to give my brows some much needed taming and definition. Although I never usually leave the house with so little makeup, one has to make exceptions when one travels and embrace the natural look! Estée Lauder's Invisible Fluid Makeup is a product that I highly, highly recommend for those days when you are in a rush but don't have time to apply a full-face of makeup. It's light-weight texture makes it comparable to a tinted moisturiser, but, in my experience, much less greasy feeling! 

     *Post-appendectomy me, and my beautiful cousin Pippa, on the night of our grandparents 60th wedding anniversary*

So, beautiful readers, that's about it from me for today... I hope you found this post somewhat interesting. I just wanted to check back in with you all, and let you know I am as committed to the blogging world as ever, despite my appendix-induced absence! 

Please feel free to comment and let us know what your travel and inflight essentials are. We love trying new products and hearing from you! 

Oh, and... Tonight's the night that the winner of our 6-month Blogaversay Giveaway will be announced, so WATCH THIS SPACE!

Lots and lots of love to you all, From the Heart,

Caitlin and Christie <3

And the Winner Is...

Hello beautiful, beautiful readers,

It's Chris and Cait here, with some SUPER exciting news. Our 6-month Blogaversary Giveaway is now over, and, the results are in. We'd like to thank you all SO much for entering our giveaway. It was so lovely to read all of your comments about what you like about From the Heart. If we could, we would send each and every one of you the Urban Decay Basics pallette, but, alas, our bank accounts do not extend that far. Your support and kind words are appreciated more than you know. You're the reason we love blogging.

So, without further a due, the winner of the Urban Decay Basics Palette (RRP: £20.00) is...

 VâniaVieira

Congratulations Vânia! We will be sending you an email shortly to confirm where you would like your prize to be shipped to. We really hope you'll love using the Urban Decay eyeshadows as much as we do! 

Vânia commented that what she loved about From the Heart was 'I'm a new follower, but I love the concept of two sisters blogging together. I love my sister and she is always talking about create a blog! Who knows if someday I and she create a blog together like you!' Thank you Vânia, for your kind words!

Thank you all for all of your love and support, and for entering our 6-month Blogaversary giveaway. We hope to run lots more giveaways in the future, so watch this space. Please don't hesitate to let us know what you would like to see on From the Heart. As always, we love hearing from you; your comments truly make our days.

With lots and lots of love, From the Heart,

Christie & Caitlin <3

*Disclaimer: We are not in any way affiliated with Urban Decay and were not sponsored to run this giveaway. The Basics pallet was purchased with private funds and is intended as a thank-you gift to the winner of this competition. The winner was chosen 100% randomly by Rafflecopter.  

Good Luck to my Best Friend

Dear all,

I hope you have all had a lovely day, celebrating and remembering mothers and their special places in our lives. It's always good to leave the craziness of our busy lives behind for a day and to cherish a day dedicated to moms, in any way we can.

x Happy Mothers Day x

So, how did you spend it?

So, Cait and I spent the day in Brighton with ours. The reason that we were in Brighton specifically was that our wonderful mama was accompanying Cait down there for her PGCE (teaching) interview at the University of Sussex tomorrow; Dad and I just decided to tag along for the ride and make a Mother's Day Special of it! Wow, it was cold though!

So, in view of the big day tomorrow, I wanted to write a few words of good luck and encouragement to my beautiful sister.



Now, you may have noticed that she has been a little quiet on the blogging front of late and that is because the universe has been sending a few 'tests' her way...Having decided to apply to complete her teaching qualification, and having worked inspiringly hard in completing her application, she was struck by a few stumbling blocks, not least including the fact that the University has filled its places before she even had the chance to interview. And to add insult to literal injury, this news arrived just days after an emergency appendectomy in South Africa! The poor patient still can't drive or work and now has an impressive (but neat) war-wound just wear her appendix used to be!

                    x Some of the heart warming cards Caits received from the school she is a teaching assistant at...x 

Nevertheless, like the super star that she is, she has decided to put all that hard work to use and to go and interview anyway. And to give it her very best while she is at it. For this choice, I have the utmost admiration - lesser girls and boys may let this news (with or without an appendix!) get the better of them and may have decided to opt out of following the application process through. As a result and simply because they weren't lucky enough to get an interview date early, universities around the country may be losing out on some the best students and potential teachers they may ever have seen.

Because that girls and boys, is what my sister is - one of the best teachers there is, and will be. Following in the footsteps of our gorgeous and inspiring mother who certainly was.

Cait will give her heart (a big one!) to her students, will nurture each and every one of them (just as she has her family and her friends her whole life) and will, without doubt, inspire hope, not only in every one of her students but in anyone who has the privilege of studying and working with her.

She is the most tenacious person I know and despite never really appreciating her brilliance herself, she never, NEVER, gives up. And this will be no exception.

So I can only hope that the University can see not only what potential she has, but what an honour it would be to teach her.

Because she is wonderful.

And because to make any decision other than to find a way to accept her despite being 'full' would be an unequivocal mistake. Because she is, and will be, the best thing that ever happened to the children she will one day teach.

I love her with all of my heart; she is without doubt my best friend and my inspiration and, coming from an older sister, apparently that is quite something ;)



So beautiful readers, I would really really love it if you could root for her tomorrow, as I will be; your positive vibes would be appreciated more than you could possibly know.

x Always my best friend x

We love you all and don't forget - we will be announcing the winner of the giveaway THIS week! Eep - excitement!

Love love,

XOXO

x Lush Lust x

Hey beauties,

How is life treating you this fine Saturday? It seems as though London flirted with the possibility of Spring today, what with a couple of rays of sunshine and even a little blue sky. Exciting times!

So, Cait has been in South Africa and I have been moving house, so yet again, we must apologise for having been so quiet but don't worry, we haven't forgotten you, or our giveaway for that matter! It is not long now until the winner will be announced so, for anyone who hasn't yet gotten round to entering, you still have time! (not much of it mind you so get moving - 3 days to go!)

So, I am sitting on the sofa watching some terrible day time TV and enjoying some tea and a gorgeous box of artisan du chocolat so as you may have guessed, its been a girlie pamper day. And as you will also have guessed, such a day would be simply incomplete without an array of gorgeous Lush products.

I must admit, I hadn't ventured into the heaven that is Lush for years and only set foot in a store again fairly recently but wow, I have been missing out! As many of us know by now (Instagram leads me to believe there are many many a sharer of this passion for Lush products), the bath bombs are, quite simply, AMAZING. Add to that the face masks, the Roe's Argon Body Conditioner and the Bubblegum Lip Scrub and you are away. Whilst every time I set foot in store (which is worryingly frequently I must admit), I like to try a different bath bomb, my staples are undoubtable the Comforter, the Dragon's Egg and the other products mentioned above.





The Bubblegum Lip Scrub is so gorgeous - it is ideal for these Wintery months we have been fighting our way through as I am not sure about you, but my lips certainly get pretty dry and chapped. Making a my favorite red lipsticks a no-go just when I need it the most! This sad state of affairs is no longer though as thanks to this divine tasting scrub; it is even made from sugar so you can literally eat it off your newly soft and polished lips! The only thing I will say is, because it is pretty much just like 'damp' sugar, it has the propensity to be a little messy so do do it over the sink; sugar underfoot is never pleasant.



I came across the Roe's Argon Body Conditioner in one of the Lush gift boxes which I was lovingly given for my birthday - I had to replace the sample pot with a BIGGG pot because I loved its unusual, 'rose but not quite' scent and its insanely potent moisturizing properties. You can literally see the change in your skin and you can also see your skin craving it when you miss it for a couple of days (perhaps that is not ideal?!). What I notice about the majority of creams, regardless of price, is that if I moisturise in the evening, by the time I get into the shower in the morning, my skin still feels sorta slimy and like the moisturiser has just been sitting on top of my skin. Now, unless I am literally lathering myself in a bottle a day (which I assure you, I am not), this leads me to conclude that, more often that not, the cream isn't sinking in. Which doesn't make me happy. But again, no longer because this is absolutely not the case with the body conditioner! Now, you can use the conditioner in the shower, much the same way as you would for your hair, but I have tended to apply it to dry skin and leave it in and by the time I take a shower in the morning, my skin seems to have lapped it all up! Literally!

The two face masks I have tried and loved are the Brazen Honey and the Catastrophe Cosmetic masks - both of which I highly recommend. Don't be alarmed by the colour of the latter - it does look a little gross, but smells deceptively gorgeous and really does calm down alarmed skin - if it works for me, I can say with relative assurance that it is a GOOD product, being that my skin has been participating in some sort of strike action in recent weeks. I can't say it miraculously got rid of all blemishes and imperfections, but it left my skin feeling calmed, less red and generally pampered and encouraged to behave itself better in future.

I would probably recommend the above, Catastrophe Cosmetic, over the Brazen Honey mask but saying that, the latter is just a really nice mid week, radiance boosting treat. If you are like me, and your skin starts heading towards the greyer end of the luminosity spectrum when you get to about mid week and fundamentally haven't been getting enough sleep, this is your weapon of choice; its a great pick me up, and followed by my new favourite foundation Rimmel Wake Me Up, you will be looking alive again in no time!



Speaking of makeup, who knew Lush did it?! Now, I must admit I was, and still am, a little sceptical - I am something of a make up snob so I am not sure that I will be venturing into the bright blues and greens on show in Lush. But I did decide to give the mascara a go - actually primarily because of it's size and handiness for travel (a key consideration when you find yourself constantly on the go!). And what can I say - I am MASSIVELY impressed. It lengthens without being clumpy and it does 'malt' on to the lower eye area as so many lengthening mascaras do. It also has an almost dewy sheen to the finish - making your lashes look so fresh and brightening your eyes as as well. I would definitely recommend giving this a try - we would love to hear what you thought of it.



So, what Lush products do you Love and which do you Lust after?

Have a beautiful Saturday readers - we would love to hear how you are spending it.

Yours,

C&C
XOXO

6-Month Blogaversary Giveaway! CLOSED

Hello beautiful, beautiful readers!

It's Christie and Caitie here with some extremely exciting news! To celebrate our sixth month of blogging, and From the Heart's 6-month birthday, we thought we'd host a giveaway. This giveaway is to thank all of you lovely, lovely readers for your support over the past six months. We have so enjoyed getting to know you all and hope to get to know you all even better over the next six months, and years!

We are giving away one Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette worth £20.00. The palette features six gorgeous neutral shades for your lids; perfect for everyday wear. We chose this palette because we absolutely love Urban Decay eye shadows and favour this palette because it really is the perfect beauty essential.

This giveaway will run for one month, starting today (the 12th of February) until the 13th of March. This gives you all plenty of time to enter the giveaway and gives us a full month to celebrate the creation of From the Heart! All you have to do to enter is:

1. Follow From the Heart using Google Friend Connect (GFC).
2. Follow Caitie on Twitter (@CaitsBooth)
3. Follow Christie on Twitter (@ChristieBooth)
4. Tweet about the Giveaway (please refer others to the giveaway using the link www.fromtheheart90.blogspot.co.uk)
5. Leave us a comment in response to this post telling us why you like From the Heart. We LOVE hearing from you! 

Good luck everyone! Please use the Rafflecopter Widget at the end of this post to enter the giveaway.

THIS GIVEAWAY IS OPEN INTERNATIONALLY !

Lots and lots of love, 

From the Heart,

Christie and Caitie xoxo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Beating the Blues

Hi there gorgeous gorgeous readers,

How are you all doing? So, in view of Cait's reflection on 2012, I thought it only made sense that I would chat about the year to come and I sort of envisaged a 'how to beat the January Blues' post a la FleurDeVlog's more than inspiring and uplifting video at the beginning of the month. However, as you will now have realised, January has been and gone (how, I am not entirely sure?!) and I am now sitting down to write this post in February! Embarrassing though that is, I still thought it might be worth sharing with you what Cait and I have been doing to beat the blues, mainly because we didn't see these as January specific endeavours - more all part of the bigger personal project that we like to refer to, not so much as New Year's Resolutions (neither of us really buy into those) but as 'being the best versions of ourselves' (self professed cringe alert - insert here!). Self-development aside though, lets be honest, while January might be over, we all know, here in the UK (and elsewhere I am sure!), February can be a pretty drab month - so here are some of the small things that we have been doing, that you might want to try, to get the most out of January 2013 and indeed, the months ahead.

1) Do something that makes you smile everyday. This needn't be life changing, it just needs to be 'face-changing' - sometimes, as frustrating as it may be, we need to endeavour to encourage ourselves to 'turn that frown upside down' - not because that construction worker you strutted past shouted the generic 'cheer up love, it could be worse' (That's not just happened to me has it?!) but because smiling makes you feel better. It really is that simple. So for us - we have been engrossing ourselves in really girly novels (on our really girlie kindles), making time to watch and read our favourite YouTubers and bloggers, and being sure to treat ourselves to some delicious smelling Lush bath bombs - so perhaps we are a little like babies, whose favorite time is often bath time, but nevertheless, I am sure many of you will agree, making that time to unwind and enjoy the smells and sensations and basically, the pampering, is sure to bring a smile. And you'll smell good too - a plus for you and all those around you!

2) So in line with the above, you can probably see that Cait and I firmly and truly believe in the therapeutic value of laughter. So much so in fact that we may occasionally (often?!) irritate those around us with our raucous cackles. Probably also why every few days we invariably dissolve into fits of giggles that no one else really seems to understand. But we feel good for it - happy hormones - tick. Tummy toning through laughter - tick. Silliness aside though, we really believe, not only in the importance but indeed in the necessity of laughing, at least a little, every single day. If you're open to it, people will always make you laugh and smile and they probably won't even have to try for it to just happen. So be silly and be open to other people's silliness. And never, NEVER let a bad start to the day dictate the way the rest of the day must go - its a bad start, not a bad day - unless you make it the latter that is. Its a challenge and somedays you will find this very difficult to do but please do try. Each and every one of our days is, after all, what we make of it.

3) Buy a diary. Now this was something I picked up from FleurdeVlog. I have to confess, I am not convinced that there are a whole tonne of really nice diaries out there this year - I have certainly spent most of January on the hunt for one, but the point is, once you have found the diary that you love - fill it with plans! Obviously not so many that you feel unhinged by the prospect of having to do all these things, but always have something to look forward to. Cait and I use these to plan blog posting dates (which usually involve wagamamas, cupcakes, or ideally, both). When you have things to look forward to, take a flick through your diary and realise what you have to look forward to and if you haven't planned anything recently, well then, populate the pages! Have you caught up with your best friend recently? Have you been to see that new film you have been dying to see (Les Mis - as a matter of fact no I have not. So a plan needs to be made there...). 

4) Exercise more. Hmf, this is a tricky one, mainly because it's a socially necessitated 'New Year's Resolution' that almost everyone subscribes to but very few actually commit to. Now, I must confess that while I appreciate its value, I hate exercise. I find the gym tiresome and repetitive and refused to be one of those people to take out a gym membership on January 1st, only to find my membership card in a dusty corner months late, unused. So, in lieu of committing to 'real' exercise, I am making myself take the stairs at work rather than the lift and I am trying to get the tube to the station 10 mins away (on the days it isn't raining and or I am not carrying tons of stuff...which admittedly isn't often!) from work, rather than the one that is 2 mins away so I get that walk in a few times a week, as well as a stroll at lunchtime; I usually need to get away from my desk by this stage anyway so that kills two birds with one stone!

Cait has demonstrated a little more commitment to our cause here and has decided to try out the '30 Day Shred' which alleges to require a mere 20 minutes of your time and all you need (besides your motivation and inhaler, if you're as unfit as I am...) is a couple of light dumb bells and an exercise matt - far far cheaper than the gym! I know quite a few bloggers swear by this routine and Cait says that she has definitely noticed a difference so I am definitely going to try this to get the happy hormones buzzing around my bod! I have to confess, I haven't yet...but I really will. Honest. 

5) DRINK MORE WATER. This is capitalised mainly because this is a major MAJOR challenge for me - in terms of hydration, I survive on tea and coffee, despite knowing how much better for me fresh (boring!) water would be. So this year, I am going to make a concerted effort to drink more water - I have started by drinking a glass of water every time I make a cuppa and am then hoping that soon, I'll have the water instead of the tea...the point is, being that the body is made up of about 80% water, I guess you please it somewhat when you give it more of the good stuff - so you guys are all already a whole lot better at this than me but if anyone is a sucker for things a little more exciting than the tap, lets try get a little better at hydrating ourselves. Deal? 

6) Do something you haven't done before. Challenge yourself. Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.

So in line with all of the above, Caits and I are hoping to blog MORE and procrastinate LESS - we love writing and we are sort of hoping you love reading so watch this space. There are OOTD's, beauty reviews and a LUSH post all waiting in the wings. We hope you will enjoy following Fromtheheart90 in 2013 - lets make this our year. 

Here's to all that sparkles,

Christie

XOXO

New Year, New Year

Hello Beautiful Bloggerina's,

It’s Caitie here, wishing you the happiest happy 2013! I know I’m a little late on wishing you, being that we are already 15 days into the new year, but better late than never, eh?

Christie and I on Christmas Day

 As this post will go up on the 16^th of January (tomorrow) I want to start by wishing my beautiful sister Christie the happiest of birthdays. Happy, happy birthday Christie! I love you so very, very much. You are my best friend, my soul mate and, partner in crime. I can’t wait to celebrate with you on the weekend, but, for now, have a good day, the best in fact. I love you! 

2012 was a big year for Christie and I, for many reasons. After months of stress and hard work we both graduated from university and, since then, have gotten a taste of life in the ‘real world’ (neither of which would have been possible without the extreme amounts of patience, love and support we received from our amazing parents and partners). I can’t say either of us are that keen on it (the 'real world'), but with each day we live and we learn. Christie started work in London and has excelled, despite her frequent underestimation of her abilities, and I, well, I’m finally on the path to deciding where I want to be in years to come. In many ways Christie and I couldn’t be more different, but, in the most important ways, we’re just the same. 2012 was a year of challenges; happiness and sadness in equal measure, but, what stands out the most for me about it was that I faced it with my sister and best friend at my side.

'You are my one and only'...

2012 also marked the sixth year that I have loved my boy. Paul, thank you for encouraging me to do the things that make me happy, whilst never judging me for what they are. Although a challenging year for us, I'm happy and very much in love. Paul has started his new adventure at university, and, although having a greater distance between us has been difficult, it has definitely made me appreciate the time that we do have together more. I'm so proud of you. His family also had a special new arrival; Jackson, or, 'Sausage' as I call him. Needless to say, life hasn't been (and will never be) the same since! Although a naughty little (well, actually extremely large!) terror at times, we wouldn't change him for the world. 

Paul and I on his 21st Birthday (18/03/2012)

Me and my Beloved Sausauge <3

Another big event was Christie and my discovery of our mutual love for the online beauty community. It was the best feeling to snuggle up with our naughty hot chocolates (and marshmallows, of course) and watch our favourite YouTubers and read our favourite blogs together. And out of this, From the Heart was born. 

Recounted are just a few of my reflections of 2012. I can't even begin to describe to you the adventures I have had and the people that have made them possible. You know who you are, and I love you. 

Christie and I have promised one another that 2013 will be our year. And, I think it is going to be. I have no doubt there are many challenges ahead, there always are, but, I guess we’re taking steps towards making our lives what we want them to be, and to being the best version of ourselves. The greatest lesson of 2012 was that happiness is a choice, and your life is what you make of it. So, in terms of resolutions, this blog is a physical manifestation of our dreams. We both agreed that the best resolution we could make would be to spend time doing something we enjoy… I think it’s easy to forget to make time for the things you enjoy with life being as busy as it is, so it’s important to make the effort. 

Image taken from tumblr.com

So, beautiful people, happy 2013. I can’t wait to see where this year will take us. If you’re up for it, I’d love to take the journey together.

Lots and lots of love, Caitlin <3