Make Up Haul (birthday)

Hello lovelies! 

This is the makeup part of my birthday haul. I thought I should separate them because there is a fair amount of stuff in this post and it'd be soooo long if I put it all together. Hope you don't mind!

But anywhoo.. getting straight into the goodies I bought. 

Nice little shot of it all jumble together for you there

For some reason I went on a bit of a eyeliner, mascara and lip balm mission. First up I found Maybelline's Master Duo eyeliner which if you twist the applicator, you can achieve either a thicker line of a thinner line. I thought this would be the best idea EVER. But I have to say it's just a bit of a faff trying to twist the wand without making the line go wonky. Maybe I just need a bit more practice.. 

The next eyeliner I picked up was Collection's Lasting Colour Gel Eyeliner. This is the first gel eyeliner I've tried and I have to say I'm not overly impressed. I found that it didn't dry properly and smudged onto my lid and left me with a black line just above my crease.

I then came across the lip balms where I found Maybelline's Baby Lips on offer so of course I bought the ones that I didn't have. The ones I picked up were Intense care and the peach one...but the name escapes me and I can't remember where I put it to find out. Sorry!

I then grabbed a balm from Carmex because I've heard so many good things about it and my                                                    lips have been really soar lately. I'm hoping this                 will take care of them.

The first mascara I picked up was Loreal's Miss Manga mascara. I haven't really used this enough to say what I think about it but one quick note is that I'm not too keen on the packaging, it just seems a little tacky. But hey, that's just my opinion.

The next mascara I picked up was Maybelline's The Falsies. Amazingly, I still hadn't tried it but when I noticed Maybelline had an offer on I thought what better time to get it than now. I've used it pretty much every day and I absolutely love it!

The next things I found were these thermal face masks by Skin Wisdom. I really like these, my skin feels really fresh and cleansed after using one. Definitely recommend! 

I then stumbled across the Barry M stall and these two just fell into my basket..
The pink colour is called Princess and is one of the glittery textured ones. The nudey/brown colour is from the matte range and I love it for when I want a more sophisticated nail look.

I was in desperate need of some cotton wool balls so instead of getting a normal size bag. I got two bags of 300. So now I have 600 cotton balls...

I also grabbed Real Techniques Core Collection because I bought the Expert Face Brush and fell in love with it and really wanted to test out some more. 

One of my favourite buys was Channel's Sole Tan De Channel. I know its a bit pricey at £31 but I've been wanting this for so long and I thought since it's my birthday...

I then picked up Bourjois' Healthy Mix Foundation which is absolutely brilliant. I'm normally one for a completely matte finish but this leaves my skin looking healthy and radiant but not so duet that it just looks shiny. Really happy with this one. 

And lastly I picked up my first ever Revlon lip butter. I can't believe I haven't ventured into these yet, I don't know what I've been waiting for! This is so light and soft on your lips and adds just the right amount of colour for a balm as well as leaving your lips hydrated and smooth. I will definitely be purchasing more of these bad boys! I think this shade is called Cotton Candy 045.

That's everything from the beauty section of my birthday haul. I really hoped you enjoyed and if you want to take a peek at what I got from Lush for my birthday then click here, or if you want to see what I was given by friends and family and the more fashion/home wear things I picked up then click here. 

Bye guys x

What I got for my birthday/Birthday Haul!

Hello lovelies!

How have your weeks been?

Since it was my birthday on Wednesday and I did a little bit of shopping, I thought I'd do a haul for you all. Disclaimer: I'm not bragging about what I bought/got for my birthday, I just know that lots of people like to see what's out there at the moment and get a glimpse of other people's styles. I know I definitely do...because I'm nosy.

Just a quick note: Whilst shopping I picked up quite a few make up items and things from Lush so I'm going to do a separate make up haul and a separate Lush haul and link them here so you can find them. Otherwise this post will go on and on and on!

Okay, so onto the lovely bits and pieces I was given for my birthday. 

My little brother (he's actually 16 but he's still little to me) was so sweet and listened to me harp on about wanting some Nike Blazers for ages. He only went and bought me some! I love them so much, and they're so comfy. 

My Mum gave me some money because she knows how much I love to shop!

My Dad and Step Mother said that they will cover my insurance for this month. Lovely jubbley.

From my Granny I got some money, a photo album of me growing up and a CD with super old footage from when I was born. She also got me a couple of things ot hang on my walls because I'm planning on decoration my room. 

                              

One of my best friends bought me this cute little Star Wars tin full of mints (She knows I love Star Wars), she bought me Katy Perry's Own The Throne perfume, a selection of face masks and some hair bobbles which include a scrunchy!! I've wanted a scrunchy for so long and I finally have one!

Another of my best friends bought me 3 lots of Reese's Cups, my absolute favourite, she bought me some goodies from Lush which were Avobath, Space Girl and Sunnyside. She also got me a pretty heart shaped photo frame with a picture of us inside. She's amazing!

From my Auntie, Uncle and cousins I got a TKMax gift card which I'm really excited about because I never think to go in there but now I can.

So a mahoosive thank you for my family and friends for the amazing gifts. I am very lucky.

Now for the haul part.

The first place I went was one of my local tattoo places. Now I was shopping with my Granny who is a lovely little old lady, and she followed me into the tattoo place and looked so uncomfortable but bless her she stayed with me. Don't worry, I didn't make her stay and watch me get the tattoo since I was only booking it!

A few days before my birthday I bought some Leopard Print Converse from Office for £25 in the sale. But I considered them a pre birthday treat so I'm including them in this post. I know they might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I really love leopard print, and they also have silver spikes at the back and around the edges. 

Sticking with shoes, I bought these bad boys! I picked these up from New Look for £29.99. They have a few different colours and I'm planning on getting those too. I thought these would be perfect for nights out and parties in the summer because they're a gorgeous bright pink with a slight hint of coral. 

From New Look I also got this bag. I have needed a new bag for a long, long time but finally decided to go out and buy one. It is a bit smaller than I'm used to and is very structured so I can't just wriggle my hand about inside trying to find things. But I think its lovely and is very versatile so I'll be able to wear it with most things. It will also mean I put less rubbish in my bag too! This was £22.99

 I then went into Republic, which has been taken over by USC I think it is... I picked up this  necklace in the half price jewelry sale for £4. I thought it would look nice with a simple black dress or really cute with some black jeans, a nice simple jumper and boots.

From Primark I picked up this huge bag for when me and my friend travel to visit our friends at their Uni's and for whenever I stay away and just want a big enough bag to fit some over night bits and pieces. I love this because it looks a little worn and the studs look distressed. I prefer this look to all spangly and new for this kind of bag. This was £12. 

I also picked up this pretty makeup bag which has a gorgeous black and cream pattern all over and feels really silky. I needed to get another makeup bag because the one I have at the moment uses magnets to close, and when I go on my travels it opens and spills everywhere. So thankfully this one has a zip! It was £4. Bargain. I then picked up a couple boring bits which were some black tights and some of their face wipes which are amazing. 

So they're all the goodies I got for my birthday this year. Like I said before, I'm very lucky to receive such nice gifts but also to have people that know me so well.

Please be sure to check out my two other birthday hauls. You can find the makeup haul here and the Lush haul here.

Enjoy your weeks!

Byee x

The Liebster Award

Hello lovelies!

Can you believe we're in the 19th January already! It's going so fast I feel like I can't keep up! Although, I can't moan too much as it is my birthday in 3 days.... Can't wait!

But onto the actual purpose of today's post.

                                       

I am lucky enough to have been nominated by two lovely fellow bloggers, Thea and Laura, for the Liebster Award. Through reading a few blog posts and doing a bit of research I understand the Liebster award to be where new and upcoming bloggers nominate 11 others and ask them to answer 11 questions of their choice. This is then continued in the form of chain mail. I think this is such a nice idea because it allows new bloggers to get noticed and communicate with other bloggers. 

Okay, now for the rules

1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.
2. You must answer the 11 question given by the nominee before you.
3. You pick 11 nominees with under 200 followers to answer your questions.

4. You cannot nominate the person who nominated you.
5. You must tell the nominees that they have been nominated by you.

Since I have been nominated twice, I'm going to answer both sets of questions on e after the other. Some of the questions are quite similar though so I will just put the same answer in both instead of deleting some of their questions because I don't think that's very fair. 

First Thea's questions;

1. If you were given an unlimited amount of money to travel the world, where would you travel to first?

I think the first place on my list would be Australia. I've been there a couple of times to Perth, Melbourne and Queensland but there is so much more that I want to see.

2. If you could only eat one food item for the rest of your life, what would it be? (health concerns aside)

I'd love to say something healthy or exotic, but honestly, it'd have to be cheese. Mountains and mountains of cheese.

3. What is one thing you never leave the house without?

Definitely my phone. It's a permanent fixture in my hand! 

4. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

Like most bloggers I'd love to be able to do this as my job, but my absolute dream job is to take a University course to be a counselor for young adults. 

5. What is your #1 fashion staple piece?

This is a tricky one! For the colder months I'd say those big baggy jumpers because they're brilliant for keeping comfy and can be layered up. For the hotter months, I'd have to say maxi skirts. I live in maxi skirts in the summer, I just love them!

6. Do you have a favourite movie? Which one and why?

My absolute favourite film has got to be White Chicks. It is so hilarious and no matter how many times I watch it, it still makes me laugh. 

7. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose to live?

I would either love to live in LA or somewhere else in the UK.

8. One beauty product you can't live without?

Mascara. No doubt about it. I've got to have something on my eyes. 

9. Favourite part about 2013? What are you most looking forward to in 2014?

My favourite part of 2013 was travelling up to Kent with one of my best friends to visit another of my best friends and Uni for the weekend. 

10. Do you have any goals for the new year?

I think my main goal for 2014 is to take advantage of every opportunity and make this year more successful than the last.

11. Do you have any guilty pleasures?

I don't consider this to be a guilty pleasure but quite a few friends and family laugh at me for this. I love One Direction and I'm not ashamed of it!

Now Laura's questions;

Where would you like to live?

I would either love to live in LA or somewhere else in the UK.
Favourite make up brand?

I don't have a favourite at the moment, but I have more products from any other brands. I also really love MAC. 
Top 3 albums?

1. Kisstory 2013 2. One Direction 'Midnight Memories' and 3. The Vaccines 'Come of Age'
Favourite clothing item? (Skirts, tops, dresses etc)

This is a tricky one! For the colder months I'd say those big baggy jumpers because they're brilliant for keeping comfy and can be layered up. For the hotter months, I'd have to say maxi skirts. I live in maxi skirts in the summer, I just love them!
What's on your make up wishlist?

There are a few things from make that I really want to get my hands on; MSF Soft & Gentle, MSF Natural in Medium, Vanilla Pigment, and a couple of lipsticks in Lady Danger and So Chaud. I also really want to try out Benefit's POREfessional. 
Favourite make up products?

My top makeup products are always changing, but I have been loving Rimmel's Kate lipstick collection for a good 6 months now and my collection will continue to grow. 
Dream job?

Like most bloggers I'd love to be able to do this as my job, but my absolute dream job is to take a University course to be a counselor for young adults. 
Favourite junk food?

My favourite junk food has got to be biscuits. Any kind, any shape. They are my weakness. 
Favourite pair of shoes? I can't pick between these three. I love them all! What is your favourite pair of mine?

                                                    

                                                             

Who inspires your make up looks/ fashion choices?

I don't really look to anyone in particular for inspiration, but when I saw winged eyeliner and matte foundation I knew that was something I had to get all over. Similarly with fashion, if i see something I like, I buy it. I don't really have a particular style.  
Favourite blog?

My absolute favourite blog has got to be Louise's SprinkleofGlitter. She is so funny on both her blog and Youtube. I guess I look to her to see what new products are around to try out. 

My nominees are

Leanne

Natalie

Sarah Jane

Cheryl

Lauren

Emily

Amy

Harri

Laura

Charlee

Stephanie

Questions for my nominees

What inspired you to start blogging?

Where would you love to live?

What is your favourite singer/band?

What was your favourite makeup product of 2013?

What is the one makeup product you couldn't live without?

What is the one makeup product you regret buying?

Where have you traveled to around the world?

What is your favourite food?

Do you prefer summer fashion or winter fashion?

What is your favourite clothing brand/store?

So that's all from me today, a massive thank you to Thea and Lauren for nominating me for the Liebster Award. 

I hope you've enjoyed reading my answers and I look forward to seeing my nominees answers to my questions. 

Have an amazing week!

Byee x

Mini MUA Lipstick Haul & Review

For those of you who might not know, MUA aka Makeup Academy is an incredibly affordable brand of make up which is displayed in Superdrug. There are that cost as little as £1! 

For the longest time I had the attitude of 'if it's that inexpensive, it can't be any good'. Well I am happy to say I was wrong. I wanted to try out a couple of their lipsticks as they are only £1 each and the colour selection is pretty good. They have two different finishes, the white packaged lippies are matte and the black packaged ones are just like your regular lipsticks with a hint on shine. 

I picked up three to trial; 

The first time I tried to use them nothing really came out on my lips, but like a pair of shoes, you have to break these in a little before you use them. However, the second time I tried them out I was pleasantly suprised! 

The red is very smooth to apply and the colour pay off is amazing considering it only cost £1. Matte being my favourite finish when it comes to lipsticks, I was intrigued to see whether these products would achieve my desired look and they most definitely did. 

The pink was a little more work to apply than the red but again the colour pay off was fantastic. My only criticism would be that it comes up lighter in the lips than in the bullet, but that could be because of the colour if my lips. This pink is a pretty, almost Barbie pink and again is the matte finish. 

The final lipstick I tested out was this shimmery pink one. I'm not normally a fan of really shimmery lipsticks and unfortunately this one does fall into that category. BUT for any of you that do like that look then I really would recommend this as it glides into the slips really well, and doesn't feel like an incredibly cheap lipstick. 

Overall, I am so impressed with MUA's lipsticks, there is a good selection of colours, the price is fantastic, the colour pay off is amazing considering how little you pay for it and the feel of the product on your lips feels more expensive than they are. I think I'll be purchasing some more! And the amazing thing is that if the colour doesn't turn out to be right for you, you haven't wasted heaps of money. 

What brands do you love for lipsticks? 

I'll speak to you all soon! 

Byee x

Boots Botanics Skin Care Review

Hello my lovelies! 

It's that time again, time for me to sit down and write about some products I don't really need, but really really want in my life.

Today I've got a cheeky (yet informative..I hope) product review of Boots Botanics skin care range. Admittedly I had never heard of this range until I wandered into Boots on my lunch break on the hunt for some new skin care products because my current stash is running out and I'm not too sure whether it actually makes a difference to my skin or not. So anyway, after parading up and down the isles for something that wasn't going to break the bank, one of the sales assistants guided me towards the Botanics section. Immediately I noticed that everything was half price which was bloomin' marvelous, but that there are a few different ranges within the brand for different skin types/product outcomes. 

I stood staring at it all for ages they probably thought I was going to steal something. Which I wasn't, I'll just make that clear. And finally decided on the below products.  

From left to right: Ionic Clay Mask from the Shine Away range, Gentle Cleansing Cream and Cleansing Toner from the All Bright range.

The first thing I picked up was the Ionic Clay Mask which is designed to absorb excess oil and cleanse the skin. I use this weekly and leave it on for 10 minutes and then wash it off with a damp cloth.
The back of the bottle says that 'the oceanic clay exhibits a negative  electrical charge, which helps to draw out deep-rooted impurities without overdrying' now I can't say whether there's an electrical charge because I wouldn't know how to tell, but I do know that once I've used it my skin feels really fresh and looks much healthier.
I think I picked this up for £3 something during the half price offer, so it would be between £7-8 normally. Which I would say is worth it because I have really noticed a difference to my skin. 

                                       

The next thing that caught my eye was this. The Gentle Cleansing Cream from the All Bright range. This is designed to remove makeup, remove oil and other impurities. I tend to take off my makeup before I use this because I like to make sure as much of the product gets to my skin as possible, instead of using it to remove makeup.
I usually like to use a new beauty item for a month to allow me to get used to the product, the product to get used to my skin and to decide for sure whether I like it or not. BUT, I've been using this little beauty twice every day and my skin looks and feels the healthiest it has in a long time. It's never brought my skin out and right from the first day of using it I noticed a positive difference. Combined with daily use of the Cleansing Toner which I use straight after the Cleansing Cream, my blemishes and redness has reduced dramatically, and I am finding that if a spot does appear, it will be gone the next day because of these products.

In the mornings, after I have washed my face, I sweep the Cleansing Cream over my face and neck using a cotton wall ball, and then use another cotton ball and wipe the Cleansing Toner over my whole face. I then apply my moisturiser followed by my makeup. At the end of the day, I remove my makeup, wash my face and apply both products before bed. I tend to use the face mask on Wednesdays as a mid week refreshment for my face.   

Let me know if you have used any of the Botanics range and if you recommend any! I hope that you have found this post useful and let me know also if you'd like more reviews.

Have a nice week!

Byeee x

Back to school makeup look

Happy New Year everyone!! I hope your 2013's were full of love and laughter and 2014 brings you lots more. 

I thought today I'd do a back to school/work makeup look as I know most people will be going back to either school or work in the next couple of days after being off for Christmas. I've tried to keep it very neutral as many schools have a no makeup policy. I know my school did but I still managed to get away with ALOT of make up every day. I think they just got bored of trying to tell us all not to wear so much and having to buy wipes to make us wipe it off! 

Just a quick side note though: The longer you put off wearing makeup the better! I stated really young just because I thought it was cool and regret it because I get bad break outs. Also, if you've got lovely, beautiful skin, don't cover it up! I wish my skin was clear, I'd never wear foundation again!

But anyway, moving on...

 This just looks frightening! 

 Put all together like this, it looks like a lot. Maybe it is...

First up I always apply my moisturiser. At the moment I'm using T-Zone's Daily Skin Clearing Face Moisturiser. This stuff is the bee's knees! If I'm being completely honest.. this is the only moisturiser I've ever used but I find it works for me so I haven't felt the need to move on yet. I get quite bad breakouts, especially around the corner of my mouth and forehead (beautiful image for you there) and this seems to calm them down and also now I find if I don't put it on, by then end of the day my face is covered in spots so it obviously does do something right!






Next is of course the wonderful Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. This is an all round brilliant concealer. I'm quite lazy so I can't be dealing with concealers that are only for your dark circles or just to cover blemishes. This bad boy does the lot and it does it amazingly. It has awesome coverage, and stays on my face all day. I haven't ever had to reapply because my dark circles are showing through or my blemishes are sneaking through. If you haven't tried this then I'd definitely recommend, especially as it's under £5!

These next to products I am obsessed with. Firstly, Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is the best brush (in my opinion) for applying liquid foundation. I always achieve a flawless, natural finish no matter what liquid foundation I use. As you can see it needs a bit of a clean, but even though it's a little dirty, it still does its job brilliantly. I think it was around £8/£9 so it's definitely worth the money. Rimmel's Stay Matte foundation is another product worth buying. It does what it says on the tin, it keeps my skin matte, which is the way I like my makeup as my forehead and sides of my nose get a little oily which isn't the most attractive thing ever..
I applied the foundation starting in the center of my face and gradually blending outwards and down onto my neck to achieve a natural finish.

I then used Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in Peach Glow 003 and applied it firstly to the areas which are most likely to get a bit oily and then used the rest of the product left on the brush over the rest of my face to make sure my makeup is set for the day!

If you haven't tried this product then I strongly recommend as it really does keep your makeup matte and I find with this powder I don't need to touch up my make up throughout the day.

Next on the agenda is bronzer. I've used Benefit's Hoola for this look as it is completely matte and has no flecks of shimmer which is perfect for a natural back to school look.

I applied it lightly to my temples, and to the hollows of my cheeks using this unbranded brush (mental note to self: get more brushes!) and ensuring to blend, blend, blend so there aren't any browny orange patches left on my face...

The next product I used is W7's cream blush in Divine. This is a really nice cream blush and admittedly does look a bit scary in this picture but when applied to your cheeks is gives a really healthy, flush of colour. I also used this other unbranded brush to blend the blush across my cheeks so I wasn't left with a line where the blush ends and my skin begins

This next step really isn't necessary, but I couldn't help myself!
For a touch of highlight I used MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade and applied it with my Blush brush from The Body Shop along the tops of my cheekbones, down my nose and then used my ring finger to add a little under my brown bone.

Because I feel the need to always have something on my lips, I thought that the best product, in my opinion, would be Maybelline's Babylips in Hydrate. This is one of the uncoloured balms, but it still leaves a nice slight shine to the lips. Also, if you suffer from dry or chapped lips then I do recommend this as it does leave my lips feeling much more hydrated and softer.

For eyeshadow I used this cute little set from bourjois which the name escapes me. Firstly , sing my No.7 eyeshadow brush I applied the peach shade all over my lids. Then, using the same brush, naughty I know, I applied the gorgeous dark green colour to the outer corner and blended like mad just to add a bit of definition to my eyes. 

I then moved on to brows which I used a Brow Pencil from Rimmel and applied it lightly throughout my brows just to fill in any sparse areas. I then used the little brush on the lid to neaten them up.

For eyeliner I opten for Rimmel's Scandaleyes eyeliner in black. I do tend to use liquid liner on my top lid but this gives a more natural look and can be blended out so there isn't such a harsh line. I applied a very thin line across my top lid just to add a bit more definition.

Finally, for mascara I used Rimmel's Sexy Curves, which is one of my favourite mascaras EVER! Because of the unique shape of the wand it creates different lenghts to your lashes which is a much more natural look. It also allows me to reach the very corner lashes and flicks out my outer corner lashes which is just really pretty!

Thank you for checking out my blog and for having a little read of my first makeup look post. I hope you enjoyed it and I will be putting more out in the future if you'd like to see them. 

Have an amazing week and I hope your new years are off the a great start!

Byeee ! x