June Faves

It's a new month which means yet another month has passed. One step closer to Christmas...
I really do need to start getting more punctual with these posts...

REN Cleanser
This tube of goodness came free with a lovely flannel with InStyle magazine (I am more likely to buy a magazine if there is free stuff with it. But aren't we all?) Having heard good reviews, though few, about REN as a brand, I was intrigued to try this out. And it is a wonderful cleanser to use: deep cleaning but not as time consuming as other cleansers I own. The tube claims it cleanses and removes make up (which I can vouch for) though I still prefer to use a make up wipe to remove my make up before I use it. I don't know why: it's just how I do things. You only need a small squeeze onto your finger tip and work it into the whole face, even around the eyes, to get a good coverage. Then it says to run the flannel under some hot water and ring out before placing it over the face to open the pores before wiping it off. I personally love this way of cleansing as it's so relaxing to do before bed, and I can really feel it working. What's more, at a very reasonable £15 price tag, it's available from one of the UK's most frequently occurring shops: M&S.

Bourjois Nail Varnish
This nail varnish was part of my free Bourjois gift for subscribing to ELLE magazine so I didn't have a choice about the colour. And to be honest, I wouldn't have chosen this colour myself (with a name like Beige Distinction it doesn't really sound the most exhilarating of shades) but this has turned out to be a great varnish. I am not really one for natural nail colours; I like 'em bright and bold. However, for school this shade is ideal as it's natural looking and feminine. I find I need to paint my nails for school because in those dreaded double periods I start to take notice of split end and chipped nails, so this colour solves at least one of those problems. It claims to be a one second drying time, but no one can expect that to be realistic, especially if you're doing the whole shabbang: base coat, two colour coats, top coat. Saying that, it is one of the fastest drying nail polishes I own and it probably lasts me the best part of a working week. This shade has also made me appreciate the importance of owning at least one neutral shade of nail colour. I may even pick up another colour in the range sometime soon, and probably buy this colour once it has ran out.

Tapestry Shorts
Do you have that one item that has been on your ASOS saved list since last year, and you know that you will one day own it, but you just keep on waiting till the right time? So do I. On a regular basis actually, there is always something that I crave, but it's either too expensive, out of stock or not in my size. These tapestry shorts were one of those items. They had been saved for a good four months and looked at approximately 9.5 times a week before I bought them. They were too expensive and I was skint at the time, so I patiently waited for my pocket money (swiftly spent on other things...). They soon went out of stock, but I clung to them in my saved list until one day they were - not only restocked - but reduced! They were snatched up immediately. And I am still happy about them. Granted, I haven't worn them a lot, but I haven't had the opportunity since the Arctic Monkeys gig in Finsbury Park (they are top gigging shorts btw!) The important thing is they are so beautiful and so unlike my other many pairs of denim shorts, because they at least have an added unique detail.

48:13
This has been on repeat in casa de Harriet ever since the day it came out. School bell rings, straight out of school into the HMV in town to purchase this. Some of you may know that Kasabian are my absolute favourite band possibly ever (it's close with The Smiths) and so after a three year absence, a new album was very much needed. If you're a fan of Kasabian already but just haven't got the album yet, firstly where have you been and secondly, you need to buy it ASAP. I don't know what it is about Kasabian, but every album they release seems to be so different to the last but in no way different in terms of quality. It's definitive Kasabian: a few absolute stadium-filling epic anthems, a couple of short instrumental tracks here and there, and a synth-fuelled, seven-minute-long Serge masterpiece slap bang in the middle of the album. It's still got that overarching feel of rock 'n' roll cool, but Kasabian's theme for 2014 seems to be Led Zeppelin at an illegal rave. I honestly felt like this last album would be that one album too far that might be a let-down (and the album before that) but both have just knocked me out completely. There are none cooler than Kasabian and I will argue with anyone that this is true. I don't know what "it" is, but they have it. If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing the pure awe of Kasabian live, check out my recording of "Bumblebeee" from their homecoming gig here.

Hope you're all looking forward to breaking up for summer and are making the most of British summertime!