Autumn Beauty Wish List 2016

Hi everyone, when I first thought about doing this post I literally only had a couple of items in mind and then I thought well I need more than just a few items but I just couldn't think of anything new that I liked.  Then I started looking around online and realised actually yes there's loads of amazing new products out at the moment and I could have easily added more to this list!  These ones that I've chosen, are more on the high-end side but with Christmas coming up, isn't it the perfect time to start thinking about what to ask Santa for anyway?! :-)

1. Urban Decay's XX Vice Ltd Reloaded palette £43, wow what a mouth-full that is but just look at those shades, there's literally every colour you could ever need in there and the packaging is completely gorgeous!  I am a big fan of UD's eyeshadows, the quality is always perfect - blendable, pigmented and long lasting so I'm guessing these will be equally as great.

2. Urban Decay's Naked Skin Color Correcting Fluid £17.50, again UD why such long names? But honestly I've heard so many good things about these, they come in several different colours including green, lilac and lemon, but I really would like the pink shade, it's supposed to be perfect for eradicating the darkest of under eye bags (and I certainly need help with that!)

3. Kylie Jenner's Birthday Edition Mini Lip Kit (set #1), I was not fussed about these At All, I don't follow 'celebs' and I couldn't give a monkeys who she is (not sorry) but, I saw a youtuber do a review of these liquid lipsticks and I just thought the shades looked gorgeous!  So I got straight online to order them :-)  They were sold out on her webshop and most other places were quite pricey but I found these brand new on ebay for under £10, so I'm happy with that and very much looking forward to them arriving.

4. Kylie Jenner's Creme Eyeshadows, as with the lip kit, I thought these looked beautiful and if you're a regular reader of mine, you'll know how much I love a creme eyeshadow.  Again these were sold out on Kylie's shop but I found these new on ebay for a great price and if you follow me on Instagram, you'll see they arrived a few days ago.  And as soon as the lip kit arrives, expect to see a full review and swatch of everything :-)

5. Benefit's They're Real BIG Sexy Eye Kit £27.50, I was out with one of my friends a few weeks ago and we were having a good look at the Benefit beauty range at our local Debenhams.  I absolutely love the packaging of their products and I couldn't help but get drawn to these new tins, are SO nice.  The beautician showed us the eyeshadows and how the double-colour system works.  The shades are really pretty, very wearable and look very easy to apply with the little sponge too.

6. Tanya Burr's 2016 Beauty Calendar £25, I spotted this on Tanya's new blog post over the weekend and I couldn't get on Superdrug quick enough.  I loved having her calendar last year, the products are so lovely and it's so fun getting a new lipgloss or eyeshadow every couple of days leading up to Christmas.  So I already knew I wanted to get it again this year.  Of course Superdrug was already sold out but since Feelunique were full price and Superdrug had £10 off, I decided to be patient and wait for it to come back in stock.  And thankfully the next day, I had an email to say it was, so I ordered it straight away and it is now waiting for me to go and collect from my local store, I can't wait to get it home and start opening it - c'mon December hurry up!

7. Urban Decay's Moondust palette £35, I have seen this palette with my own eyes and oh my gosh, these eyeshadows are stunning!  They're so shimmery, so glittery and the pigmentation is amazing.  This is most definitely very high on my Xmas list!  Love the name too :-)

8. Soap & Glory's Kick Ass Concealer £10, ok this may not be new but it's definitely worth a mention, plus I really need to get a new one.  The translucent powder in this set is SO good, I literally use it every single time I do my makeup without fail!  But now I've 'hit-pan' and the concealers have started to dry up a bit so I must renew.  It's most definitely one of the best concealers I've ever used, if you don't believe me, have a look at the little review I did a couple of years ago, when it saved me from embarrassing myself on a first date!

9. Sleek Makeup Precious Metals Highlighting palette £9.99, again I've seen so many people rave about this.  If you're looking for a super shimmery, very glamorous highlight then this is the one to get, these shades are so gorgeous, perfect for the upcoming party season!

10. And finally, Benefit's They Real BIG Sexy Lip Kit £25, again this was another of Benefit's new products I spotted while browsing the range.  These lipsticks are so pretty, the packaging, the shades, the tin I just love it and I want it, I need it in my life!!  Ok it's just a lipstick set but definitely something I would be very happy to receive this Christmas :-)

I hope you like this little post and it's given you a few ideas of what to add to your Xmas wish list this year.  And keep a look out over the next two weeks because I'm going to be uploading some very spooky Halloween themed posts for you :-)
Until Next Time Stay Happy ♥

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Summer Make Up Essentials

Hi everyone, once again this year we're having a typical English summer; wet, cloudy and chilly, great :-/  But despite that, it's still been quite humid and that can only mean one thing, frizzy hair and makeup that slides off your face within an hour of applying it!

So, I have come up with a few products that I love to use in this particularly muggy weather, that do two great jobs, they stay put and they still look pretty good.  So keep on reading to see what I use (of course this is purely makeup items and doesn't include main essential products like sun-block etc) :-)

When it's this humid, I hate using a heavy foundation, I still need a decent amount of coverage but I don't want it all feeling too thick.  So I prefer to either use a sheer foundation like the Rimmel Wake Me Up by just applying a much smaller amount than usual or you could use a tinted moisturiser or BB cream.

*Just a little extra tip, if you mix a little primer with your foundation before applying it with a brush, it will not only make it silky smooth to apply, but also your foundation will last all day through the warmest of weathers!  If you want to find out some more good beauty hacks, look out for an upcoming post in a few weeks time!

Of course concealer is still essential, but I find using a small amount of my Collection concealer, does the job just as well as using a lot of it but without the heaviness.

One of the best makeup items ever and my go-to product has to be powder, the Soap & Glory Kick Ass powder to be exact.  This stuff is amazing, it makes my foundation and my skin look flawless, keeps everything in place and lasts all day, I love it!

If you feel you just have to add blusher/bronzer/highlighter, just add the smallest amount, the idea here is just to use the basics and the bare minimum so as not to overload your face with products that will eventually fade and slide off!  I tend to use just the smallest amount of blusher just for a little colour (being this pale, I kinda have to!)  I like this Max Factor Cream Puff one, as it's quite sheer but leaves a really pretty glow.

I love using very pale but shimmery eyeshadow shades in summer and I often use just one shadow, it just helps to give a nice barely there look but still have a little sparkle :-)  One of my favourites is this Excess Shimmer eyeshadow creme in Copper by Max Factor, but I also love the Collection Eyes Uncovered (Nude Grey) palette which has some really pretty shimmer eyeshadows in, Under The Moon being one of my favourites, I've talked more about this particular palette in my Spring Favourites earlier this year.

But the real star of the show and one of my favourite products for Summer, is a pencil eyeliner.  Especially something like the Urban Decay 24/7 liners, mine is Stag, a gorgeous rich dark brown.  It's really easy to smudge and blend and it lasts all day.  Often I'll just use this and no shadow, plus of course mascara and that creates quite a nice look that's really quick and simple to do.

Of course you really can't forget mascara, if there's one thing I can't leave the house without, it has to be this!  I always wear one that I know will stay put the best and not flake or fade off even I'm hot and my lashes start to get oily.  As you probably know by now, my favourite is still the UD Perversion, I just love the look it gives, the volume and it always stays in place until I get home no matter how hot or how long my day has been!  But my new favourite has to be the Maybelline Lash Sensational, The wand creates a gorgeous fan with the lashes and keeps the false-lash look all day.

For my brows, when it's really hot, I don't tend to bother with them too much unless they're looking particularly uncared for!  In which case, I just apply a tiny bit of my Rimmel Brow This Way clear gel to keep them in their place.

Lipsticks; as wonderful as they are, I find it so hard to find a good one that will last especially in hot weather.  So slicking on a nice tinted gloss is usually all I do, Tanya Burr's Aurora or Smile Dream Sparkle are a couple of my favourites.  Alternatively, something like the Maybelline Color Drama lip pencils are really great and stay put quite nicely and they're quite moisturizing too.  Another favourite (as you might know by now) is the Soap & Glory Gloss Sticks, I just love the Raplumzel, it's a lovely sheer glossy cherry red that leaves a bit of stain even when it's worn off, so you're never left completely nude lipped :-)

I hope you like this post and found it helpful.  What products do you find are the best in the warmer weather, let me know in the comments :-)

Until Next Time Stay Happy ♥

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Spring Favourites 2015

Hi everyone, well it's that time of year again, the flowers are blooming, the sun is finally coming out and so that can only mean one thing, it's time for my Spring Favourites :-)  If you would like to see what lovely things I've been enjoying over the last couple of months, just read on.

Firstly I have really been loving baking over the last couple of months.  I made my very first batch of cookies back in February and have made a few more since then, thankfully they have improved quite a bit with a little practice,

I've also made scones and my own mini chocolates (post coming soon).  I'm really looking forward to making some cakes and many other things too over the coming months.  I've always wanted to get in to baking as it's something I really enjoy and reminds me a lot of the cakes and other lovely things that I used to help my mum make when I was little, so I'm really happy that I've finally started doing it.  I've also been buying quite a few little bits here and there to help with my baking, so if you would like to see a kind of bakeware haul, let me know in the comments.

Yep it's true, I succumbed to the hype!  So in February my friend and I finally went to see the notorious Fifty Shades of Grey movie, I'd had already worked my way through all three books, which I really enjoyed and I was quite looking forward to seeing the film too.  My friend however had not read the books and I think was actually quite brave to go and see the film with me, especially as she didn't really know what to expect!

As usual the film didn't match up 100% to the books but then when do they ever, but even so I thought it certainly had a good go and I really enjoyed it, I think my friend did too.  It certainly had quite a few embarrassing scenes that you would not want to sit and watch with the family, but I thought it got the main storyline over pretty well and was quite a good adaptation.

As for Jamie Dornan, as good looking as the guy is, I honestly thought his acting abilities left a bit to be desired, he didn't seem genuine enough for me as the highly delectable Christian Grey.  But I thought Dakota Johnson played Anastasia really well and made the character very believable, so well done her.  So just a year or so's wait until the second instalment then, it's a good job the dvd is out soon ;-)  I also absolutely love the Fifty Shades version of 'Crazy In Love' by Beyoncé, it's so dark, sultry and sexy, brilliantly re-done just to accompany the film.  You can have a little listen to that here, along with watching a few clips from the film, you're welcome :-)

My favourite YouTuber lately has to be the lovely Jim Chapman.  Now I've been happily watching his videos for about 2 and a half years and I don't think I've ever missed one, but I feel like I've re-discovered him again lately.  His videos always make me laugh without fail, I love the way he's so upfront and honest and will talk about absolutely anything no matter how personal or rude it is!  He is one very funny and friendly guy!

As many of you (who have been a follower of my blog for a good while) will know, I am the hugest Linkin Park fan, their music is just the best thing in life BUT, I am also a huge fan of old 90's dance music, which not that many people know about me.  It takes me back to my boarding school days and I have so many great memories with so many of the songs, I loved it all then and I still love it now!  There's way too many to list so I have created my own playlist on YouTube, which you're quite welcome to go and have a listen to and please feel free to have a dam good giggle at all the cheesy videos and ridiculous outfits :-)  I've got all my main favourites on there including Snap, Corona, East 17, Haddaway, 2 Unlimited, and many others, as well as my all time favourite 90's dance track Mr. Vain by Culture Beat, ooh best tune ever :-)

Keeping on the theme of music favourites for the minute, I've also been loving a few other various tracks and albums.  I've recently started listening to the Clubland cds, mainly one of the last ones, number 26.  It's got some really great songs on there including Paloma Faith's 'Changing', 'Liberate' by Eric Prydz and 'Resonance' by Talal Riley, I also love 'Stay High' by Tove Lo but there's loads of others too, I've just been listening that constantly lately.
I've also been enjoying a few random tracks I found on YouTube, 'Love Rain Down' by Gary B which is a really lovely chilled out song, I also found 'Wish You Were Mine' by Phillip George, I am just obsessed with this it at the moment it's SO good :-)

So my old mobile phone, was starting to seriously get annoying, it was so slow it would take me 5 minutes just open an app!  So I saved and saved and saved and then saved some more and got myself a very lovely brand shiny new phone about 8 weeks ago.  It is a Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, it's a good upgrade from my last phone and I love that it has a lot more space on it and a bigger ram, so it takes me seconds to do everything rather than minutes!  If you'd like to know what apps I have on there that I rely on and use all the time, let me know in the comments and I'll do a post about it :-)  I am so, so happy with it and now it never leaves my side, most definitely my favourite new toy :-)

I also picked up a few little accessories for my new phone recently, one of them is this adorable little Koala bear dust plug.  I mentioned this on my Christmas Wish List post and I finally couldn't resist it anymore so sent off for it, I just think it's so cute!

I also picked up these really pretty phone cases from a shop on Ebay called Maggi Chic, they were all less that £5 and I just love the choice of patterns and images, they're quite different to anything else I've found and I think they'll gorgeous.

Ok finally on to a couple of beauty favourites, there's actually been a good few of these over the last couple of months but I thought they deserved their own separate post, so if you would like to read about my Current Beauty Favourites, you can click on the link :-)  Apart from all of those, I've been loving this new eyeshadow palette that I got from Boots a couple of weeks ago.

It's by Collection, it has 6 different shimmery eyeshadows in including a very good pigmented matt black (which is great for eyeliner) and it was only £3.99.  There are 3 different palettes available in this range, but I went for the Nude Grey, as I preferred the slightly more darker grey/beige tones.  I just think this is a really great little palette, it's very affordable and ideal for travelling with as the packaging is quite sturdy too.  I love eyeshadow palettes that are small but have a good selection of shades that will work well for a basic every-day look as well as darker shades for evening looks and this is ideal for that.  The quality of the shadows are really great too, they last well, blend well and give a nice coverage, so a big thumbs up for that!

Another beauty item I've been really enjoying using, has been this Soap and Glory Gloss Stick in the shade Raplumsel.  I've used it such a lot since I bought it and it's now become a staple in my makeup bag!  I love that's it's such a subtle sheer gloss and it even leaves a slight stain, which I really like.  I've tried the famous Nudist shade too but I just think that's a little too sheer for me.  I also have Plum Jam but I've not been brave enough to try that yet!

And finally, a couple of weeks ago it was Easter :-)  I was a very lucky girl and received 4 gorgeous chocolate Easter eggs and have been happily munching my way through them, I still even have a whole egg left to finish!

I hope you all like this post, please let me know what things/music/products you've been enjoying lately in the comments, I'd love to hear about them :-)

Until Next Time Stay Happy ♥

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My Current Beauty Favourites January - March 2015

Hi everyone, for today's post I thought I'd show you a few of the beauty products that I'm currently loving. . .

To start off with, this Perversion mascara from Urban Decay, I got this in with my Naked on the Run palette recently and I find myself using it all the time.  My favourite mascara (as you may remember because I'm always talking about it), is the Seventeen Doll Lash, which I still love very much, it lengthens my lashes really well and still looks great at the end of a long day, BUT, the Perversion mascara seems to thicken my lashes even more and still lasts really well.  I just love how nice my lashes look when I've used it, so it's fast become my new 'go-to' mascara!

No7 Stay Perfect Foundation - I first got this particular brand of foundation last year in the shade Warm Ivory and even though I used it regularly, I was never 100% happy with it.  It always felt quite heavy and I felt the shade was just a little too dark but as I'd had the digital camera test done to match me with my so-called perfect shade, I thought ok well it must be the right one.  However it wasn't until recently when I went to buy my next bottle, that I told the lady at the No7 counter that I wasn't sure if Warm Ivory was the best colour for me and so she re-did the camera test.  Straight away she said, no your perfect shade is Calico, so that's what I got and wow I am SO much happier with it, it really is the perfect shade for my skin and weirdly enough it doesn't seem to feel as heavy either (maybe it's something to do with that shade or just that bottle, who knows!)

Like everyone on the planet these days, I feel like I'm forever searching for that perfect 'my lips but better' shade of lipstick, but I can honestly say since I bought myself this Soap & Glory Lip Lacquer, which I got in the shade 'Charm Offensive', I feel like I may have actually hit the jackpot!  It is the most perfect rosey/vintage pink type shade that I absolutely love.  I always swore-by Rimmel's Apocolips lacquer in Celestial, which is still one of my all-time favs, especially for the longevity of it but it is slightly more on the yellow/orange side of pink rather than a nice soft rose pink like the Charm Offensive.  I also found that Celestial can look a little thick on my lips which puts me off sometimes, but the Charm Offensive always looks really pretty and natural, and as it's also very long lasting, it's quickly become my new 'lipstick love' :-)  It's a little more on the matt side too, so sometimes I wear it with a gloss over the top, sometimes not but it's nice to have the option.

I also picked up this little wonder on recent visit to Boots, the Max Factor Excess Shimmer cream shadow in the shade Copper.  I first heard about this in Essie Button's Current Drugstore Favourites video and I just thought it looked such a pretty shade and a bit lighter and more shimmery than my old faithful Maybelline Color Tattoo in On & On Bronze.  I couldn't wait to swatch it when I got home and I was really happy to see that the pigmentation was really good, the shimmer was really beautiful and it took a bit of getting off too, so I knew it would last well.  I then used it the following week on my birthday night out and I was really happy with how it looked, just with a little black eyeliner and mascara.  If you like eye-shadows that are long lasting, don't crease and have a nice lot of shimmer, then definitely go and have a look at this one.  The other shades available in the range aren't the best in my opinion, they just don't seem very everyday/usable shades, but maybe that's just me!

I know I've mention this before but oh I just love this gloss, the Tanya Burr Aurora lip gloss, it's just so pretty and wearable.  I love using it alone and over the top of other lip sticks or lacquers.  I would love to invest in some of her other shades but I just never know which ones to go for, there's so many!  I also have Afternoon Tea - which is a really pretty summery peach shade, Heart Skipped A Beat – which is lovely and light for those days you just want a very sheer touch of red shimmer and Smile Dream Sparkle – which again I go to very often but more to use over the top of other lip colours as it's quite sheer but quite sparkly too.

I have talked about this Garnier Micellar Water several times in the past and if you would like to read my full review on it, you can do there here.  But I just thought I'd mention it again because it's something that I use every single time I take my makeup off and it never fails to impress me by doing such a great job and so effortlessly (especially on my part).  I don't have to rub my eyes or keep going over and over the same areas to remove the makeup, it just lifts off as easy and anything.  There's no nasty chemicals or strong scents, which is certainly something I don't like and it always leaves my skin feeling beautiful and soft and cleansed.  And I can honestly say, especially since I've been using this product for nearly a year now, that my skin has most definitely improved since I've been using it, it's not as oily and I get far less blemishes than I used to!  So a winner all round :-)

So have you tried any of these items, what do think?  Or let me know in the comments below, what current beauty favourites you're loving right now and . . .

Until Next Time Stay Happy ♥

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Winter Favourites 2015

Hi everyone, this past week has been so chaotic and stressful (hence the late post), that I decided to concentrate on all the lovely things I've been enjoying over the past few months, so if you would like to see my list of Winter Favourites, please read on :-)

To start off with I couldn't wait to tell you about the wonderful slipper-socks that I got from British Home Stores just before Christmas, they were only £6 and I wear them with and without extra socks depending on how cold it is.  They're fleece lined to so they are super cosy, comfortable and soft and wow do they keep my feet warm!  I've been loving wearing these so much over the past month or so and find myself putting them on everyday now.  I really like the patterned too, even though Christmas has been and gone for another year, they're still so festive!

I am most definitely not a fan of the colder weather, in fact I hate it!  The ice, the cold winds, the ridiculous amount of layers of clothing we have to wear, it's awful but there is a silver lining, one good thing that always helps me get through these chilly winter days, hot chocolate! :-)  I know I've mentioned about it before and yes I'll admit I have a slight obsession but I cannot go out the house these days without popping in to my local Costa for one of their gorgeously tasty hot chocolates, they are the absolute best!!

As I mentioned in my 'Last Minute Christmas Shopping' post, I finally manage to get hold of some pretty little fairy lights.  I've been after some for ages but couldn't find the sort I wanted, but I got a really nice pack of 20 lights for just £1.50 in Primarks, I couldn't wait to put them up in my room and I just love them, I think they look so pretty!  It amazes me how much light you actually get from just 20 little lights too!

I also seem to find such great little items in Primark every time I go in there, like these two packs of rings that I picked up last week.  There's 5 rings in each pack for only £1.50 each and they are just so cute, I really love having the option of gold or silver to wear too.  This is the third lot of rings I've bought from Primark and no doubt they probably won't be the last!

On a little shopping trip to Boots a couple of weeks ago, I was very happy to see they had a 'buy one get one half price' on the Soap & Glory products, so I picked up one of their Gloss Sticks in Raplumzel which I've been really enjoying, as well as the Lip Shine Lacquer in Charm Offensive, which is just beautiful and I've been really loving wearing it, it's the perfect shade for me and I love the non-sticky smooth texture.  The staying power is pretty great too, so I'm really looking forward to seeing what the other shades are like!

Another recent purchase that I've been loving lately, has to be the Urban Decay Naked On The Run palette which was a little Christmas present to myself.  After using it for a short while to test it out for my review post (which you can find here), I found that I loved it so much that I've been using it nearly all the time!  It's just so handy and the eye shadows are so versatile, especially my favourite shade called Dive, a really beautiful rose gold, it's so pretty for a day-time look combined with the included eyeliner and mascara, which is what I've used in the pic above.  The lipstick I'm wearing is the above mentioned Soap & Glory Replumzel gloss stick, such a lovely shade! :-)

Last year for my birthday I was bought this gorgeous rose throw from Tesco and for a long while it sat in my wardrobe but over the past couple of months, it has been invaluable in keeping me wonderfully extra warm and cosy at night.  I lay it over my duvet and it really keeps in the warmth, I think it looks really beautiful too and oh my goodness it is SO wonderfully soft :-)

Along with my pretty fairy lights, I've also been loving my little battery tealight.  I have it in one of my Ikea pots and it gives out a lovely realistic glow.  I got it around Halloween from Wilkingsons for just 50p, I've been on the look out for more since then but sadly they've not had them in stock but I'll keep looking because I'd love to have some more dotted around my room!

I've lost count of the times the weather forecast has promised us snow so far this year, but sadly every time, it's come to nothing.  I'm like a big kid when it comes to snow, I just love it and thankfully, usually, we always get a good bit around this time of year even right into March, so fingers crossed, I will get my lovely snow!

Another thing I do love about this time of year, especially as we start to drift into spring, is seeing all the new spring flowers, leaves starting to appear on the trees, the dark nights not starting quite so early and knowing that finally the warmer days are on their way :-)

My final favourite this season, has to be Valentine's Day.  Now normally I try to avoid this particular day like the plague and walk through the shops hiding my eyes!  But this year I decided to get in the swing of things and appreciate the day for what it really means, giving out love to those that I care about!  And so on that note, expect to see a very Valentine-themed post coming up later this week, which will include a little giveaway, a gift from me to you :-)  And if you follow me on Instagram, look out for a little news on there too ♥

Until Next Time Stay Happy ♥

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