First Impressions: Botanics Purifying Face Scrub:

29.11.14


I picked this up a hell of a long time a go but never had a chance to start using it before I finished off all the products I was midway through. I've recently opened it and gave it ago, I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked.

The grains in the product are very fine and make my face feel very clean. As for the purifying and brightening claims it makes I'd really say it does make a difference. I've found it brightens my skin in the way it looks like a glow comes from within as opposed to oily.

I'd recommend this for any skin type as I switch between skin types very often and have never had an issue or reaction. With oily skin it seems to help break down the oil leaving you with a clean surface, with dry skin it smoothes everything away and with spotty or spot prone skin it actually seems to soothe them into healing faster. All in all I'd say (for a product that in all honesty I only bought as a quick filler to a hole in my routine whilst on holiday) this has really shone for me and I'd probably already consider a repurchase.

xxx

Dainty Midi Rings:

27.11.14


I never used to wear rings since my fingers are ridiculously thin so rings would just come flying off, for some reason however I've found that midi rings work much better for me. I also only ever used to wear huge chunky rings but now I'm hugely into small dainty rings. As well as both of those I also never used to wear gold but here I am wearing a gold, dainty ring, really seems to be the time of change doesn't it!

This ring itself is from Acessorize, although I did buy it around a month a go so it may not still be available.


xxx

Once In a "Blue Moon":

25.11.14


As you guys know I'm never allowed to paint my nails whilst working so whenever I have a few days off I've been reaching for my favourite polishes. One of my all time favourite polishes is Barry M's Blue Moon.

I think pastel colours are by far my favourite no matter the season. This pastel blue is one of the best pastel's I've come across. The consistency is very thin, almost to the level of watery which some may think is awful and usually I would too, however the photo I've used here is only two coats and it's fairly opaque. I've also never had a problem with this polish chipping, so I'm usually able to leave this one on for usually at least a week.

This may not be a very Autumn/Winter colour but I still love it. 
xxx

Katniss Everdeen; The Girl On Fire:

22.11.14


I'm completely and utterly obsessed with The Hunger Games saga, both books and films, I also think that the make up in Catching Fire was absolutely killer! I've always wanted to do this make up for a hell of a long time and with the release of Mockingjay Part 1 today couldn't be a better time!


This look is very golden and smoky. The base being packed with bronzer, gold toned blusher and gold shimmer as highlight. I also did a dark contour for the harsh look. The eyes are packed full of gold glitter and shimmer too. I also added grey smudged shadow along the outer corners of the eye, lastly I smudged black shadow along the upper and lower lash lines. Finished off with lashings and lashings of mascara for a more dramatic look. The lips were a mixture of a dark berry lipstick and a golden shimmery lipstick because I didn't own a single lipstick in the colour I was after.

I hope you enjoyed this look and enjoy Mockingjay as much as I'm sure I will! 

xxx

Cake Stand Jewellery Storage:

20.11.14



I adore vintage, and for a long time now I've been wanting somewhere to store my jewellery that wasn't locked away in a box where I'd never see it and so never think to put some on. With that in mind when I saw this stunning cake stand whilst out shopping it was meant to be. Although saying that I went back to the shop about 4 times that week before taking the plunge and making the purchase. That was mainly due to the £30+ price tag... but that's ok because it's pretty right!?

Anyway, I don't really know where I was going with this post other than saying I like the stand so much that sometimes it even makes me sad to have to cover it up with jewellery.  I definitely want this piece to be part of my room for a long time. Do you have any new ways to store jewellery?

xxx

Reve de Miel Lip Balm Review:

18.11.14


I bought this lip balm a long time ago now. In fact it was in my first ever Space NK Haul. Despite the fact I use it pretty much every day it still looks almost brand new. It's such a rich creamy consistency that it lasts all day. I only use this twice during the day. Once after brushing my teeth and the before I go to bed. I find that those are the only times I need them as it really does stay on the lips all day. The balm contains plant extracts and oils but it's actually quite a firm texture as opposed to a very slippy oily one. It's ultra-nourishing and so will be perfect for the harsh Winter months. I've found that whenever my lips are feeling extremely sore (usually when I've been away from this product for a few days) one application and I feel a million times better instantly. I know this is a fairly expensive product (£9.50) compared to the likes of Vaseline, but that's simply because it's so much better, lasts so much longer and you get so much more products.

All in all I would hugely recommend this to anyone looking for some seriously luscious lips.


Filling the Gaps in my Makeup/ Makeup Wishlist:

14.11.14


Since I cleared out all of my make up I've been able to see where the gaps are and what I've got room to treat myself with. With that in mind this post is what I've been scrolling through the online shops for and drooling over most lately.


I can't remember a time when youtubers and bloggers weren't raving about these lipsticks and this shade in particular. With it coming up to the winter months where a nice dark lip is more wearable this is right up there on my wishlist, and nice and cheap compared to most of the other products I covet lately.

Rimmel Apocalips

Another cheaper product I've had my eyes on for a while now but also didn't realise I had any of was lip lacquers. I think I'd rather get some pinky colours with these and wait for Summer. Nonetheless because they're a gap in my collection I wan't feel too guilty when I do use them!

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

I wanted the Naked 2 when that came out but saw that it was actually fairly similar to the first which I already had so when the 3 came out and it was all pinky purpley hues I thought now there are some colours I love and don't have. I definitely want to pick this up at some point in the future.

Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner

This is another thing I have never owned, as I'm allergic to liquid liner gel is something I've been a little dubious about trying just in case it has the same affect and I have to walk around with great big swollen eyes, but I'm going to brave it and give them ago. If it causes an bad reaction then at least I'll know and if it doesn't then there's a whole new world of eye liner I can explore!

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel

This seems to be a love hate product and I'm curious as to whether I'd love or hate it, again I'll probably think more about purchasing it come Summer time. A cream bronzer is something I've never owned so to try it out is something I'm definitely interested in.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette

I've never used anything from Hourglass, and this is something that many bloggers love to talk about. I also really love highlighters and a dewy, healthy face so even though this palette is really expensive it's something I would love to own one day.

Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette

Pretty much the exact same thing goes for this product, I'd love to have it one day but the price holds me back. I go through real phases with blusher sometimes I use them everyday and others they go untouched for weeks. I own almost nothing but cream blushes these days so some nice powder ones would be a nice addition to my collection.

xxx  

Growing Confidence/ Becoming More Independent:

13.11.14

Beyonce


If you're wondering what on earth a picture of Beyonce has to do with this post then it's because I think she's an inspiration, despite the fact she could easily have lived off her husband or family's money or have stopped working after Destiny's Child broke up she carried on and has made it on her own. She makes her own money and chooses what she does with just about everything from her hair to her career. 

That's exactly what I want to be and even though I'm far away from true independence I'm certainly much closer than I was this time last year. 

This time last year I didn't look up from the ground wherever I walked, wouldn't ask for help in shops and I don't think I said more than hello and goodbye to my driving instructor other than whispering answers to her questions during lessons. I was so angry at myself that I still relied on other people to do such simple things like ring the Doctor and book an appointment for me simply because I was scared. I decided to force myself to change and despite the fact I'm still living at home I feel like I've taken huge steps forward. 

I'll admit that one of the main reasons I chose to stay at home during University was because I was beyond terrified of moving to a new city amongst people I've never met before all whilst starting University. Now however, I still take part in nights out, come and go when I please and have made some lovely friends. The only reason I'm considering staying at home for the next few years is the fact it's close to both University and work and has meant I've got hardly any money worries.  

It started off small for me, I'd have to have my boyfriend or a family member with me when I went into a shop and stand there as I spoke to people just so I felt a little safer. It was getting to the point where whatever doctors appointment I had my boyfriend would have to come with me and sit in the chair just because I needed him. He even took time out of his school work to come with me. 

The first push that really made me want to change was when I had the number for my driving instructor right in front of me but I still wanted my mum to ring them for me. She flat out said no, I'm being cruel to be kind you need to do this yourself and I went upstairs and made myself ring her. I was so proud of myself when I hung up the phone but knew I still had a hell of a long way to go. Another thing I think really helped me was starting work. This was only a few months a go but the fact I have no choice but to talk to customers and be friendly and helpful. The more I had to do it the more naturally it came to me. I actually found out that not everyone in the world is a big scary person that was going to judge or mock me. People are usually kind and friendly. That's what I'd say to anyone who is worried about things the same way I was. People are usually going to be kind and talk to you if you need to, if they are rude to you or make you feel scared then that's their problem, not yours.

Like I said I still have a long way to go. For me I think the ultimate independence would be being able to drive home from work in my own car, to my own home and be secure with a job and confident in what I do. I'm not going to focus too much on what I want to do though because it's important to focus on what you've achieved and feel proud of myself for how far I've come. I know it sounds insane to someone who doesn't have confidence issues but I still feel proud of myself whenever I suggest a get together or ring someone to book an appointment. 

If you're suffering from real shyness then one of the main suggestions I would make to you is take it slow, but at the same time you need to push yourself or have someone push you or else you'll be stuck that way forever. I  hated the way I was and I'd say I feel much happier in myself as a person now, and so will you be. Also make sure you're proud of yourself for what you do achieve it'll give you a little buzz that you need to move forward to the next step. 

xxx

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water Review:

11.11.14


If you saw my skincare routine post then you'll probably know how I use this products already. If not then I use this on nights when I haven't been wearing any make up, just to make sure my skin is really nice and clean before I go in with serums and moisturisers. 

It claims to be fine even for sensitive skin, and to remove make up, cleanse and soothe in just one step. I have used it to remove make up before on very lazy days and it is good at it though it doesn't remove everything. It also doesn't feel as luxury as a gel or balm cleanser would, although for a micellar water I'd say that's to be expected. It would make a good step up if you're just using makeup wipes at the moment though. 

As for how it works the way I use it, it's really good. It does soothe like it claims to and you really don't need to rinse as it says. Even though I wash my face every night it doesn't feel properly cleansed unless I swipe this over with a cotton pad as well. Even though it has no claims to I'd actually say this helps with blemishes too. The fact it cleans away the skin and soothes any sore patches makes it a good skincare product for all skin types from sensitive to oily and acne prone. 

I'd definitely pick this up or a similar type of product as I've found it comes in really handy for lazy days and it's also nice and cheap for when I don't want to use up my higher end cleansing balms on days I don't have any make up. 
xxx 

My Cleared Out Makeup Collection & Storage:

8.11.14


Not long a go I cleaned out all of my make up and threw away ALOT, that was clearly well past it's best. With that in mind I thought I could now show you my updated make up collection. I know it's really nothing impressive especially compared to if it were stored beautifully in Muji drawers or something like that, but I like the way it works for the amount of make up that I have at the moment. These little separators are from Ikea, although I think they've been discontinued. Usually they sit in one of my drawers but sadly with it getting darker much faster lately when I tried to photograph that it just looked dark and sad. 

In the largest compartment on the left sits all of my eye make up. My palettes sit in size order, then tucked into the side are all of the single eye shadow's and mini palettes that I have. Hidden away in the right corner as you can see I have eyelash glue and and eye primers. Then moving down from there are my mascaras and then down from there into the left corner are my eye liner's both coloured and black.

The other two compartment's are two of the same size. The top one is all of my base products. All along the left are foundations of various shades and finishes and my primer of the moment. Then all of the other products are finishing powders, contour powders, blushes and highlights. As you can probably tell base products are my favourite to buy and try out which is why this box was totally overflowing  before I sorted it out. In the left hand corner I have my concealers. I like to keep them stood up so I can always see roughly how much is left of them. 

My last compartment is dedicated to lips. As you can see I have no lip liners, which is something I'd like to change. What I do have is all of my lipsticks along the right upper side of the box, with the tints along the bottom. I wanted to be able to line up my lipsticks in the same way I've done my concealers but I didn't have enough of them to keep them stood up so I've got them all laid down along the bottom. I don't really think this is such a bad thing though as at least I can now see all of the colours.

That's all for this post I hope you enjoyed it, I wasn't sure how to write it as it's a little tricker than if I was filming it. 

xxx

Seventeen Flawless Poreless Primer Review:

6.11.14


I thought it was high time I reviewed this product since it's now sitting in my empties collection box having been completely used up. When I first started using this I have to say I really wasn't a fan, I thought the texture was too hard and took far too long to get over the face. The about halfway through the product I started using it with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush and fell totally in love with it. 

When I used it with the brush it smoothed everything over my skin so much easier, and I really felt as though it helped my pores look smaller. As a base for foundation with the right amount of buffing I didn't have to sit around waiting for the product to sink in before I could start applying my make up. I also found that when I began to use the Buffing Brush that my foundation lasted all day and I really mean all day, with no patching or sinking in and disappearing. 

All in all I'd say that this is an amazing primer to get if you have a buffing brush because it really doesn't work well with fingers at all! Now I know that I would 100% buy this again and I have to say I'm less of a fan of the primer I'm currently using as it's really nothing compared to this one.

xxx

Review: Sephora Nourishing Hand Cream:

4.11.14


This hand cream is my first ever Sephora product and was a lovely present from my Boyfriend when he went on holiday over the Summer.  Bless him he even kept the bag in case I'd want to use it for my blog! He also told me he wanted to get me some make up but was totally overwhelmed by the sheer amount of it all and had to get me something small so it wouldn't be taken off him at the airport.

On to the actual hand cream itself, I have to say that this is the best hand cream I've ever used! It smells amazing, I first used it amongst friends and all of them turned to me as I was rubbing it in saying how amazing it smelt. I'm having trouble deciding what it smells like and nothing on the bottle is giving me any help, but just an overall pampered scent nothing fruity or floral. 

What the bottle does say is that it has no parabens, is nourishing, has purifying ingredients which remove pollution and penetrates instantly. I have to say I agree with all those claims! It certainly makes my hands feel cleaner and smoother at work, which is high praise considering I'm touching everyone's change and dusty, dirty box packaging all day! It also sinks in extremely fast, I tend to use this in my little gaps between lectures and I'm never left unable to hold my pen properly or anything like that when the lectures do start. I'd say the texture is fairly similar to Soap & Glory's Hand Food so if you've used that then you'll know what I mean, very smoothing and soft instantly.

I would definitely recommend picking this up if you have a Sephora near you or know of anyone who could get it for you (lucky you!)


xx

Monthly Favourites October 2014:

1.11.14


I'll admit that October hasn't really been a very make up based month. It's mainly been based around being sat in a face mask and pyjama bottoms watching other people's make up tutorials. With that in mind my first favourite is the Soap & Glory No Clogs Allowed face mask. This is a really interesting mask because it heats up on your face and you can feel it getting all the dirt out but when you wash it off your face is left feeling so cool almost to the point of cold. But I actually really like it because the combination of the two leaves me feeling a nice mixture of relaxed and awake. I've also found it's been really helping with the troublesome spots I've been having lately. 

My second favourite is a Nourishing Hand Cream from Sephora, this has a full review coming up soon so I won't go into crazy amounts of detail but I will say that it works a complete and utter treat! Since starting my job around the beginning of the month pretty much all the work I do involves constantly using my hands leaving them feeling really sore and dry. One use of this however, and it's like I haven't even been to work! I also find that it sinks in quickly too.

Sticking with the hand theme, LUSH's Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter is another favourite of mine this month. I know it has featured before, here, but it truly deserves another mention. I've been using it non stop but I'm still near the top of the tub because you need the smallest amount to cover all ten cuticles. As I've said before the smell is amazing and it gives your cuticles a nice treat because it's such an oil product. Although this does mean that it doesn't sink in very fast at all. 

Last but not least in the beauty side of things is the Garnier Micellar Water. It claims to be able to remove make up, cleanse and soothe all in one step with no rinsing needed. I have to say I very rarely use it for taking off make up, although when I have done it doesn't do a bad job. I mainly use this as a cleanse on those days I haven't wore any make up just to keep my skin clean and it certainly does a great job at that! It really does soothe my skin too. I'd really recommend this to anyone who wants something quick, cheap and easy.

As for non beauty things, I've really been enjoying tea and hot chocolate lately, as a non coffee drinker I find that it's a nice thing to take with me into lectures, although I dread to think about how much I've spent on Costa's and Starbucks since I started University!

Some Blogger's and Vloggers I wanted to mention are ViviannaDoesMakeup, SprinkleofGlitter and In The Frow.  You guys should know by now how much I love Anna, both her blog and Youtube channel are among my most visited pages, she puts so much hard work she puts into them both and it really shows. I also love her weekly vlogs. As for Louise from SprinkleofGlitter, I've been a "Sprinklerino" for years now and have never stopped loving her, her personality and her little family. She's another woman I could watch both beauty reviews and funny family vlogs on. She's also raised some serious issues in the past too, making videos on Self-Harm and Youtube Culture. Last but not least is Victoria from In The Frow, I've only been watching and reading for a few weeks (slap on the wrist!) but I had to include her in this months favourites simply because her videos are already favourites to watch, and I think that shows a good youtuber! 

xxx