Barrington Court: Part II

The garden, the old stable block, the interior, 16th century carvings, equally old lead window decorations.

Antony Gormley @ Barrington Court

This is 'Part One' of my pictures from our day out to Barrington Court, a NT house near Ilminster in Somerset, I took so many of the garden so I'll make a feature of those a bit later on. We went to see the Antony Gormley exhibition which is on until the 27th August I think. I couldn't take any photographs of the proper exhibition inside the house (it covers three huge rooms), but they had a little taster in the stables which you could photograph. All of those little clay figures have been made by individuals- all are different and unique in some way. When you see them in the large rooms it really makes your brain hurt- it must have taken ages, it took 4 days for three volunteers to put them all in the rooms! It's awesome! You could also make your own figure to go in the future shows around the country, so cool! The above pictures show little cards which were hung on the stairs at the end of the exhibition, you could write down what the installation meant to you then hang your card up- I chose a few to photograph haha.

It was such a nice bonus to our day out, we got to see a beautiful house and garden, plus some art/sculpture! We also got boiling hot weather which I totally overdressed for- think thick tights and a shirt (the weather forecast lied!).

I'm now back at home cooking some soup, I'm visiting one of the dogs I walk tomorrow as her owner has gone into respite care for 2 weeks, so I'm off to a very posh kennels to see Jazzy, armed with some tasty treats! I've also been debating whether to apply to the Pug Welfare Trust for an adoption form. Apparently it could take years before a pug becomes available, so maybe it's time to put my name down?! Decisions...

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Days Out: Dorset Chilli Festival

 This was such a good event! Even though the sky looks gloomy in the pictures it was boiling! I really recommend you go to this if you are near the area (St Giles house, near Wimborne, Dorset) and it's on, even if you aren't a chilli fan, there's lots to do and see. We had a yummy burger and the biggest ice cream of my life- chocolate & toffee- epic! And I still managed to lose 2.5lbs this week! We bought my brother some extreme chilli dipping sauce with Naga chillies which are some of the hottest in the world, plus a really cool chilli plant from a company who featured on the first series of River Cottage, sadly Hugh wasn't there!

 Anyway, like I said it was a brilliant day out and nice to see and try things from local companies. This week I also finished my NVQ at work, so if I have passed this module then I'm a qualified Dispenser, with a pay rise! Fingers crossed. We are going out at the weekend to a NT Property as it's my dad's birthday, so expect some pictures to follow.

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Avon Products: Lipstick & Mineral Foundation

Avon Extra Lasting Lipstick in Rose Creme, Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation in Shell.

 As I'm feeling not at all well, I thought I might as well get some blogging done before I hopefully head off to Dorset after work tomorrow! I have been asleep since I got home from work, eating and also watching some rather tasty male swimmers in the Olympics ;)- that made me feel a little better haha.

 Anyway, Avon: I have been a fan of this company since my early teens, they provide a door to door service delivering makeup which you order from a catalouge. In recent years they appear to have had a major overhaul, both in appearance and also in terms of the products they offer, with competitive prices for (I think) quite high quality items. Their Supershock gel eyeliner and mascara are best sellers and also very popular amongst the blogging/youtube community, I own both and can vouch for the hype surrounding them. Although you cannot really get an idea of the exact shades of products from the catalouge, they seem to be pretty accurate IRL, so you should be pleasantly surprised when ordering.

 I chose a long-lasting lipstick in a bright pinky red shade- Rose Creme. I'm really considering ordering a few more shades as they really do stay put, but most importantly don't dry out my lips. They are creamy and highly pigmented, I think I paid around the £3.50 mark, this was an introductory offer, but Avon seem to have these on all the time, so keep an eye out! These remind me of the MAC Sheen Supreme lipsticks, but at a fraction of the cost and offer more pigmentation. The packaging is secure and inoffensive, I can see this lasting me a very long time and also looking good worn under a lip gloss.

 I was thinking of getting the Laura Mercier mineral powder foundation, but I thought I would try a more affordable version and see if my skin approved. I think the only downside to this product is the amount which is dispensed- not a lot comes out at first, certainly not enough to provide the level of coverage my skin needs. It is buildable though, so after a good shake I can get enough powder to provide a nice even skintone. I use my Real Techniques buffing brush to apply this in light layers. My skin has benefitted from using this, it's certainly a lot lighter than my MAC/Estee Lauder foundations and also seems to have good staying power if set with some additional powder. This shade is a touch too orange for me, I have quite fair skin, so I think ordering down a shade might have been better. Overall a good way to get into mineral foundations, I do recommend it if you're looking for something lighter on the skin and also an affordable alternative to the higher-end brands. Avon is the way forward! Makeup shopping from the comfort of your own home- what's not to love?!

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