I'd just like to say Happy Halloween to all of you that celebrate it, and have a lovely day to those of you that don't! I hope you all have a great time if you have any Halloween themed plans this weekend. I myself will be attending my friend's Halloween party dressed as a not so exciting Cat! Thanks to my broken foot, any interesting costume ideas went out of the window; so I'm just hoping to last the night without my foot getting too tired!
Anyway I thought I'd share my Halloween Playlist with you, Enjoy!
Bobby Picket & The Cryptkickers - Monster Mash
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Glee - Heads Will Roll/Thriller Mashup
Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters
Rihanna - Diturbia
Rocky Horror Picture - The Time Warp
Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me
Have a fab weekend everyone!
Friday, 31 October 2014
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Escentual Sale Skincare Haul
There's currently up to 1/3 off French pharmacy brands at Escentual, thanks for the heads up Thirty Something OAP! I saw the offer advertised on her blog and hot footed right over there! With the likes of Caudalie, Nuxe, Bioderma and Vichy I didn't want to miss out on the October discounts. The offer is only on until the end of October so you have today and tomorrow to snap up some amazing deals. Head over to the Escentual website to take a look for yourself.
I decided to pick up a few things I'd been lusting over for a while
Bioderma Sensibio H2O - Micelle Solution 250ml. Formerly known as Crealine.
RRP £9.99 / Sale Price £6.66
Those of you who follow my blog will have noticed my current interest in Micellar waters... I know, I know, I'm very late on the uptake with this one but I just wasn't convinced to start with and then decided I didn't want to miss out on something claimed to be so amazing. After using a drug store version from my Drug Store Haul I wanted to try out this cult favourite and compare the results. (Head to Head coming soon!) This was £6.66 for 250ml which is similarly priced to some of the drug store versions so for me... a no brainer.
Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder 28g.
RRP £17.00 / Sale Price £11.33
I've been looking for a new translucent powder ever since my Bare Minerals Mineral Veil ran out. I like the loose powder versions and I spied this one and decided it was definitely worth a try, at a fraction of the price of my usual Mineral Veil I'm thinking this might be a permanent switch.
Caudalie Moisturising Toner 200ml.
RRP £15.00 / Sale price £12.00
Now the weather is turning colder, I like to add in some extra moisture to my skincare routine. I was already looking for some hydrating products to see me through the winter months and I'm hoping this toner will be the perfect addition to my daily skincare.
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Fortifying & Soothing 24hr Hydrating Care Serum 30ml.
RRP £19.00 / Sale Price £12.66
I love the Vichy Idealia Life Serum so when I saw this hydrating serum I had to pop it in my basket. Idealia is to maximise skin repair, where this version is more about hydration. I love the Idealia version so much I really wanted to see how this compares, especially when I'm currently looking for hydrating skincare.
Vichy Idealia Life Serum 30ml.
RRP £29.95 / Sale Price £19.96
For obvious reasons as stated above, when a favourite product is on sale I'm a sucker for stocking up, and just in case I don't rate the Aqualia, I have this beloved product to fall back to.
Nuxe Clarifying Cream-Mask with Rose Petals 50ml.
RRP £18.50 / Sale Price £12.33
This one I picked up purely because I have yet to try something from Nuxe and was looking for an excuse to do so. I have nearly ran out of my current face mask so I could easily justify buying a new one. I think really I just saw SALE signs everywhere and got excited to try all these lovely products. I think I'll do a review of this product having never used Nuxe products before so keep your eyes peeled for that one.
I do love a good sale, they're not good for my bank balance though as I really just can't say no! Will you be buying anything from the Escentual sale? What products would you recommend from these brands?
I decided to pick up a few things I'd been lusting over for a while
Bioderma Sensibio H2O - Micelle Solution 250ml. Formerly known as Crealine.
RRP £9.99 / Sale Price £6.66
Those of you who follow my blog will have noticed my current interest in Micellar waters... I know, I know, I'm very late on the uptake with this one but I just wasn't convinced to start with and then decided I didn't want to miss out on something claimed to be so amazing. After using a drug store version from my Drug Store Haul I wanted to try out this cult favourite and compare the results. (Head to Head coming soon!) This was £6.66 for 250ml which is similarly priced to some of the drug store versions so for me... a no brainer.
Vichy Dermablend Setting Powder 28g.
RRP £17.00 / Sale Price £11.33
I've been looking for a new translucent powder ever since my Bare Minerals Mineral Veil ran out. I like the loose powder versions and I spied this one and decided it was definitely worth a try, at a fraction of the price of my usual Mineral Veil I'm thinking this might be a permanent switch.
Caudalie Moisturising Toner 200ml.
RRP £15.00 / Sale price £12.00
Now the weather is turning colder, I like to add in some extra moisture to my skincare routine. I was already looking for some hydrating products to see me through the winter months and I'm hoping this toner will be the perfect addition to my daily skincare.
Vichy Aqualia Thermal Fortifying & Soothing 24hr Hydrating Care Serum 30ml.
RRP £19.00 / Sale Price £12.66
I love the Vichy Idealia Life Serum so when I saw this hydrating serum I had to pop it in my basket. Idealia is to maximise skin repair, where this version is more about hydration. I love the Idealia version so much I really wanted to see how this compares, especially when I'm currently looking for hydrating skincare.
Vichy Idealia Life Serum 30ml.
RRP £29.95 / Sale Price £19.96
For obvious reasons as stated above, when a favourite product is on sale I'm a sucker for stocking up, and just in case I don't rate the Aqualia, I have this beloved product to fall back to.
Nuxe Clarifying Cream-Mask with Rose Petals 50ml.
RRP £18.50 / Sale Price £12.33
This one I picked up purely because I have yet to try something from Nuxe and was looking for an excuse to do so. I have nearly ran out of my current face mask so I could easily justify buying a new one. I think really I just saw SALE signs everywhere and got excited to try all these lovely products. I think I'll do a review of this product having never used Nuxe products before so keep your eyes peeled for that one.
I do love a good sale, they're not good for my bank balance though as I really just can't say no! Will you be buying anything from the Escentual sale? What products would you recommend from these brands?
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Must Have Autumn/Winter Mac Eyeshadows
When the Autumn/Winter season hits us, I usually make a few changes to my eye-shadow selection. I prefer darker, deeper shades throughout the daytime in the colder months so I switch up my MAC Quad to reflect this. These are the eye-shadows I'll use pretty regularly throughout the colder seasons and my must have MAC picks!
Cranberry is the most vibrant shade I own, I don't tend to use it throughout the summer months but I love it for this time of year. It's quite a scary shade to reach for and can be a bit off-putting if you're more of a neutral gal like me, but it really is a swoon-worthy shade. It's a reddish/burgundy colour with a shimmer throughout, which does sound a bit daunting but I tend to mute it down a bit to make it more wearable. To do this, I first apply my MAC Constructivist Paint Pot (Or any other paint pot style product) over my lid and then press this in on top. The dark brown of the paint pot means the cranberry can show a subtle shade of it's burgundy hue without overpowering your entire face. I am yet to brave an entire lid of just cranberry, but I do often use it with a darker brown blended into the crease and outer corner of my eye as well as with my paint pot, they give totally different looks. It really is a wearable shade if you have a play around with it and I'd so recommend taking the plunge if you're even slightly considering a purchase.
Wedge is an all time favourite of mine, I wear it throughout the whole year. I love natural brown shades and this one is so wearable. It's a neutral brown, matte eye-shadow that blends incredibly well. I like to add in Bronze (a deep golden brown shade with a bronze shimmer) to the crease and outer corner of my eye for a darker, moodier feel. This is probably my favourite daytime Autumn/Winter eye look and I'm often seen sporting this as an evening throughout the rest of the year too. It really is such a wearable combination. Again, I don't use Bronze as an eye-shadow on it's own, more to contour my eye and create a smoky look, but Wedge is definitely a go to shade of mine and can be used in so many combinations. It's also great as an eyebrow powder if you have dark blonde or red hair. Very multi-use!
I bought All That Glitters after reading raving reviews from other bloggers, but for me it was way too sparkly and I avoided it completely for a long time. Having a little sort out and browse through my collection I re-discovered this shade and found I actually really like it. I generally team this up with a matte brown eye-shadow as it's too pale for my skin tone on its own, but throughout winter I tend to use it a lot to highlight. I use it in the inner corners of my eye and on my brow bone, although I usually reserve this for nights out, for some reason extra sparkle is something I like in the colder months and this little shade has managed to make it in to my regulars!
What do you think of my Autumn/Winter Quad choices? Do you have any all time MAC favourites for the cooler months?
Cranberry is the most vibrant shade I own, I don't tend to use it throughout the summer months but I love it for this time of year. It's quite a scary shade to reach for and can be a bit off-putting if you're more of a neutral gal like me, but it really is a swoon-worthy shade. It's a reddish/burgundy colour with a shimmer throughout, which does sound a bit daunting but I tend to mute it down a bit to make it more wearable. To do this, I first apply my MAC Constructivist Paint Pot (Or any other paint pot style product) over my lid and then press this in on top. The dark brown of the paint pot means the cranberry can show a subtle shade of it's burgundy hue without overpowering your entire face. I am yet to brave an entire lid of just cranberry, but I do often use it with a darker brown blended into the crease and outer corner of my eye as well as with my paint pot, they give totally different looks. It really is a wearable shade if you have a play around with it and I'd so recommend taking the plunge if you're even slightly considering a purchase.
Wedge is an all time favourite of mine, I wear it throughout the whole year. I love natural brown shades and this one is so wearable. It's a neutral brown, matte eye-shadow that blends incredibly well. I like to add in Bronze (a deep golden brown shade with a bronze shimmer) to the crease and outer corner of my eye for a darker, moodier feel. This is probably my favourite daytime Autumn/Winter eye look and I'm often seen sporting this as an evening throughout the rest of the year too. It really is such a wearable combination. Again, I don't use Bronze as an eye-shadow on it's own, more to contour my eye and create a smoky look, but Wedge is definitely a go to shade of mine and can be used in so many combinations. It's also great as an eyebrow powder if you have dark blonde or red hair. Very multi-use!
I bought All That Glitters after reading raving reviews from other bloggers, but for me it was way too sparkly and I avoided it completely for a long time. Having a little sort out and browse through my collection I re-discovered this shade and found I actually really like it. I generally team this up with a matte brown eye-shadow as it's too pale for my skin tone on its own, but throughout winter I tend to use it a lot to highlight. I use it in the inner corners of my eye and on my brow bone, although I usually reserve this for nights out, for some reason extra sparkle is something I like in the colder months and this little shade has managed to make it in to my regulars!
What do you think of my Autumn/Winter Quad choices? Do you have any all time MAC favourites for the cooler months?
Monday, 27 October 2014
Christmas Beauty Box Swap
I have joined a Christmas International Beauty Box Swap! Basically I get to send and receive a box full of beauty surprises to another beauty addict either in the UK or Overseas. I've opted for the international option because I love trying new products and I think it would be really cool to receive some products that aren't available to buy in the UK. There is however an option to swap a box nationally too.
The rules in a nutshell are that you buy a hand full of beauty treats for your 'swapper', the budget being £20/$30 not including postage, they will do the same for you and then you post them out to each other in time to receive them for Christmas. You send some beauty preferences and your postal address to Fat Beauty and she will send you your swapper's information on the 1st December. Plenty of time to do some shopping and get your box posted out!
I love putting thought into buying presents for my loved ones and I think it will be so much fun being able to do this for a like minded person with a keen interest in beauty. And of course receive some exciting goodies myself!
If this sounds as brilliant to you as it did to me, you can head over to Fat Beauty to see exactly how it works here.
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Drug Store Haul
I popped into Boots on Friday looking for a new daily moisturiser and came away with a few more things than intended.. as usual!
Whilst browsing the aisles I found that Botanics had a 3 for 2 offer on. I remember using a leave in hair conditioner they made when I was in my early teens that smelt divine and ever since I've had a bit of a Botanics soft spot! I therefore obviously had to take advantage of the 3 for 2.
Whilst browsing the aisles I found that Botanics had a 3 for 2 offer on. I remember using a leave in hair conditioner they made when I was in my early teens that smelt divine and ever since I've had a bit of a Botanics soft spot! I therefore obviously had to take advantage of the 3 for 2.
The first thing that caught my eye was the All Bright Micellar 3 in 1 Cleansing Solution. The All Bright collection is a new release from Botanics and is designed to brighten the complexion and hydrate your skin. I've only tried one Micellar water previously and that was through my product testing role where the products aren't always up to the 'ready for sale' standard. I've really been intrigued by Micellar water, so thought I should give it a try. This one is a bargain at £2.99 for 250ml but I got it free with the current offer anyway. Result!
I also picked up the All Bright Hydrating SPF 15 Day Cream and All Bright Hydrating Night Cream. I actually have a drawer full of night creams but figured I might as well try the full set together and the day cream was what I went in to find. I'm hoping it absorbs quickly as my morning routine is a strict 30minutes! Both of these are £4.99 for 50ml.
Lastly, I saw this dry shampoo by Herbal Essences, I normally use Batiste Tropical dry shampoo, but on my last visit they'd ran out so I bought the 'Blush' one instead, and I just don't like the smell, I get wafts of it throughout the day and just don't find it nice at all. If any dry shampoo is going to smell gorgeous, it's got to be one made by Herbal Essences... They don't make those adverts for nothing! This was also on offer at just £1.99 for 180ml, I couldn't not pick it up.
Have you tried any of these products? What's your take on Micellar water? I think it's obvious that I can't walk into a shop and buy one thing, especially not when there's all these offers on!
Saturday, 25 October 2014
The Liebster Award
I'm really pleased to have received a Leibster Award nomination from Brooklyn at A Fond Memory, I didn't expect to receive any award nominations or tags from other bloggers for a while, so thanks very much to Brooklyn, I'm excited to get involved.
I've seen previous bloggers liken this award to a chain mail and have therefore declined to do it, but I think it's quite a cool way to get involved in the blogging community and meet other bloggers, especially since this award is designed for bloggers with less than 200 followers. So I'm happy to take part and hope those of you I nominate aren't offended by it.
The rules for the Liebster Award are:
1. Answer the questions sent to you.
2. Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers on twitter.
3. Ask them 11 of your own questions.
4. Notify them of their nomination.
Brooklyn's Questions to me:
1. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I think it's meeting like-minded people with similar interests and being able to share ideas and tips. Not all of my friends are interested in beauty, photography or travel, or they may be interested in one area but not the others. I like being able to use my blog to connect with people who love these things on a similar level to me.
2. What made you start blogging?
Well I've previously started 2 blogs, waaaay back in my teen years, I went through a phase of making and selling cupcakes and started a blog about it, but I quickly got bored of it as it turned into more of a chore than an enjoyable hobby. Fast forward 6 years and I decided to start this blog about things that I already love to do on a daily basis, that way I won't get bored of what I'm doing. I've always enjoyed writing and a period of sickness off work and the resulting boredom is what really made me get started!
3. What is the thing you find most challenging in running a blog?
Probably finding the time to write and edit posts and do all of the photography, it's time consuming and sometimes difficult to fit into my daily routine.
4. What is your biggest inspiration?
I'm just excited about life. I love travelling, I love beauty, I love reading, I love spending time with my friends and I love trying new things. I just think life inspires me, the people around me, the things I love, and the motivation to do as many of the things I love as possible.
5. What is your biggest fear/pet peave?
By far my biggest fear by far is spiders! I know it's a phobia, I know it's irrational, but I hate the creepy (not so little) buggers! They move way too quickly, it is not natural and I just can't bring myself to go anywhere near them! My pet peave is probably rude or impolite people, it just doesn't cost anything to be nice and a bad attitude can really have a rubbish effect on someone elses day. It really isn't hard.. so be nice!
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I have no idea and that is what I love about life. If you'd asked me this 5 years ago I would have painted a completely different picture to how my life actually looks today and I'm so glad my life is how it is right now. We can't predict the good or bad things that will happen to us or the opportunities that may come our way, life is random, exciting and beautiful... I wouldn't want it any other way.
7. What are your go-to everyday makeup products?
I've done a holy grail post here and am in the middle of doing 'my daily makeup' post, so please check back for that or follow me via bloglovin or twitter for my blog updates.
8. Do you feel self conscious without makeup?
Yes I do, over the years as I've experimented with makeup I fell in love with using it and coming up with different looks so I began wearing makeup everyday. One day I went into work with just my usual eye make-up on and everyone said how ill and tired I looked! I'm very fair skinned and probably looked like a ghost. The thing is people have gotten used to how I look with makeup on and I'd rather not hear their comments when I look 'like death'. I also look about 12 years old if I put nothing on my eyes. So I'd say I am self-conscious without makeup, it isn't that I don't like the way I look without it, I just prefer the way I look with it on and so it seems, do other people!
9. What is your favourite item of clothing?
This one is sooo hard! I love clothes and shopping for new outfits and there's so many of my clothes I could never part with; so I'm just going to go with what I wear most out of everything which is plain old light denim blue skinny jeans. Not the most exciting thing I own by far, but they are a firm staple in my wardrobe.
10. Who do you aspire to be (in terms of bloggers/youtubers)?
I wouldn't say I'm aspiring to be like anyone else as everyone out there has a totally different style and personality. But my favourite blogger/youtuber that I watch is Lily Pebbles, I just really enjoy reading her posts and watching her videos and being around my age I relate to her content a lot more that some of the other bloggers I read.
11. If you could only shop at one clothing store, which would it be?
Ooooh, this is a very close call between Topshop and River Island. I'm going to say River Island because looking through my wardrobe I think I have more stuff from there, however when I walk into Topshop I never leave without wanting something where River Island can sometimes have an off day.
So onto my questions...
1. If you could pick a superpower what would it be?
2. What is your favourite makeup brand and why?
3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
4.What's your favourite time of year?
5. What's the most disappointing product you ever bought and why?
6. If you could only wear one item of makeup for a whole week, what would you choose?
7. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
8. What career would you choose if you could be anything in the world?
9. What's your favourite food?
10. What's your favourite outfit?
11. Who is your favourite person in the world?
And the bloggers I'd like to nominate are:
Corrine at Lady Ellumina Fashion
Sarai at Sarai87
Claire at Lovelace & Daydreams
Kerry at Style La La
Sophie at The Bird Song
Sophie at Styles by Sophie
Brooke at Brooke Elise Beauty
Madame Lucia Blog
Olivia at Olivia's Beauty Blog
Lucy at Lost in the Lipstick Aisle
Justine at Life is Short Buy the Makeup
I look forward to hearing your answers ladies!
I've seen previous bloggers liken this award to a chain mail and have therefore declined to do it, but I think it's quite a cool way to get involved in the blogging community and meet other bloggers, especially since this award is designed for bloggers with less than 200 followers. So I'm happy to take part and hope those of you I nominate aren't offended by it.
The rules for the Liebster Award are:
1. Answer the questions sent to you.
2. Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers on twitter.
3. Ask them 11 of your own questions.
4. Notify them of their nomination.
Brooklyn's Questions to me:
1. What is your favourite thing about blogging?
I think it's meeting like-minded people with similar interests and being able to share ideas and tips. Not all of my friends are interested in beauty, photography or travel, or they may be interested in one area but not the others. I like being able to use my blog to connect with people who love these things on a similar level to me.
2. What made you start blogging?
Well I've previously started 2 blogs, waaaay back in my teen years, I went through a phase of making and selling cupcakes and started a blog about it, but I quickly got bored of it as it turned into more of a chore than an enjoyable hobby. Fast forward 6 years and I decided to start this blog about things that I already love to do on a daily basis, that way I won't get bored of what I'm doing. I've always enjoyed writing and a period of sickness off work and the resulting boredom is what really made me get started!
3. What is the thing you find most challenging in running a blog?
Probably finding the time to write and edit posts and do all of the photography, it's time consuming and sometimes difficult to fit into my daily routine.
4. What is your biggest inspiration?
I'm just excited about life. I love travelling, I love beauty, I love reading, I love spending time with my friends and I love trying new things. I just think life inspires me, the people around me, the things I love, and the motivation to do as many of the things I love as possible.
5. What is your biggest fear/pet peave?
By far my biggest fear by far is spiders! I know it's a phobia, I know it's irrational, but I hate the creepy (not so little) buggers! They move way too quickly, it is not natural and I just can't bring myself to go anywhere near them! My pet peave is probably rude or impolite people, it just doesn't cost anything to be nice and a bad attitude can really have a rubbish effect on someone elses day. It really isn't hard.. so be nice!
6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I have no idea and that is what I love about life. If you'd asked me this 5 years ago I would have painted a completely different picture to how my life actually looks today and I'm so glad my life is how it is right now. We can't predict the good or bad things that will happen to us or the opportunities that may come our way, life is random, exciting and beautiful... I wouldn't want it any other way.
7. What are your go-to everyday makeup products?
I've done a holy grail post here and am in the middle of doing 'my daily makeup' post, so please check back for that or follow me via bloglovin or twitter for my blog updates.
8. Do you feel self conscious without makeup?
Yes I do, over the years as I've experimented with makeup I fell in love with using it and coming up with different looks so I began wearing makeup everyday. One day I went into work with just my usual eye make-up on and everyone said how ill and tired I looked! I'm very fair skinned and probably looked like a ghost. The thing is people have gotten used to how I look with makeup on and I'd rather not hear their comments when I look 'like death'. I also look about 12 years old if I put nothing on my eyes. So I'd say I am self-conscious without makeup, it isn't that I don't like the way I look without it, I just prefer the way I look with it on and so it seems, do other people!
9. What is your favourite item of clothing?
This one is sooo hard! I love clothes and shopping for new outfits and there's so many of my clothes I could never part with; so I'm just going to go with what I wear most out of everything which is plain old light denim blue skinny jeans. Not the most exciting thing I own by far, but they are a firm staple in my wardrobe.
10. Who do you aspire to be (in terms of bloggers/youtubers)?
I wouldn't say I'm aspiring to be like anyone else as everyone out there has a totally different style and personality. But my favourite blogger/youtuber that I watch is Lily Pebbles, I just really enjoy reading her posts and watching her videos and being around my age I relate to her content a lot more that some of the other bloggers I read.
11. If you could only shop at one clothing store, which would it be?
Ooooh, this is a very close call between Topshop and River Island. I'm going to say River Island because looking through my wardrobe I think I have more stuff from there, however when I walk into Topshop I never leave without wanting something where River Island can sometimes have an off day.
So onto my questions...
1. If you could pick a superpower what would it be?
2. What is your favourite makeup brand and why?
3. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?
4.What's your favourite time of year?
5. What's the most disappointing product you ever bought and why?
6. If you could only wear one item of makeup for a whole week, what would you choose?
7. Are you an early bird or a night owl?
8. What career would you choose if you could be anything in the world?
9. What's your favourite food?
10. What's your favourite outfit?
11. Who is your favourite person in the world?
And the bloggers I'd like to nominate are:
Corrine at Lady Ellumina Fashion
Sarai at Sarai87
Claire at Lovelace & Daydreams
Kerry at Style La La
Sophie at The Bird Song
Sophie at Styles by Sophie
Brooke at Brooke Elise Beauty
Madame Lucia Blog
Olivia at Olivia's Beauty Blog
Lucy at Lost in the Lipstick Aisle
Justine at Life is Short Buy the Makeup
I look forward to hearing your answers ladies!
Friday, 24 October 2014
The One and Only Tag
Primer
Benefit Porefessional Primer has quite recently taken pride of place in my primer favourites category, it makes such a smooth base for my foundation to go on and isn't greasy or sticky in the slightest. Plus I adore the Benefit packaging, it's just so pretty! This one is a sample I recieved in a Birchbox, but I have just ordered the full size as this one's nearly fun out!
Foundation
I use MAC Studio Fix Fluid, I do find it quite hard to get the exact shade that's right for my skin tone and currently mix two shades together (NW20 and NC15), but I love the coverage and probably quite weirdly the smell! I think it's really important to use a foundation with SPF as well and this has SPF 15 which throughout most of the year is fine for the UK.
BB Cream/Tinted Moisturiser
I don't really bother with either or these, purely because I like a fuller coverage and if I'm not leaving the house I just give my skin a day off!
Blush
I was given this as a gift and love it, the packaging is gorgeous and the colour is perfect for me, it's the Talbot Runhof for Art Deco tri-coloured Blush Couture. I think this works great on my pale complexion but also builds up beautifully when I'm wearing false tan. It's no longer available on their website as it was an Autumn/Winter 2013 special collection, I might actually cry a little when this runs out. If any of you know of a good dupe, please let me know.
Highlighter
I use MAC Prep and Prime highlighter pen daily to hide dark circles and highlight my nose, but for nights out I'll also add in MAC Soft and Gentle Mineralize Skinfinish, it's a little too glittery for daily use but I for evenings I like to highlight the C around my eyes and just under my brows.
Eye Palette
By far my favourite eye palette is the MAC warm neutral palette, I'm now realising I have A LOT of MAC in my favourites, but this is probably my all time favourite MAC product. I remember seeing it in the airport when it was first released, it's 15 shades of neutral browns, golds and pinks and I absolutely adore it. You can create so many looks from this, it's a little pricey at £65 (I got mine for £55 in duty free) but when you consider the price of an individual refill eyeshadow is £10, its a massive bargain!
Eyebrow Product
I currently use Benefit's Brow Zings and then comb through my brows with a spoolie. I have been recently looking at different blonde pencils to use as an alternative, I've never moved onto anything else purely because this has lasted me AGES but recently I've felt it's a little too dark with my Blonde hair. If you guys have any suggestions on eyebrow products for light blonde hair let me know!
Eyeliner
I actually use the dark powder out of my MAC Palette as my eyeliner applied with a stiff straight brush. If I'm headed to a special occasion I use the MAC Pro Longwear Eyeliner and then to deepen the colour and define the line I go over it and fill in with my usual dark eyeshadow.
Mascara
My old faithful Bourjois Volume Glamour Ultra Black Mascara has stuck with me through thick and thin, it never flakes off onto my face and makes my lashes look really thick and dark, can't complain at that! I've curretly ran out of this so unfortunately don't have a photo for you guys but you can see it here.
Lipstick
This is probably the one I change around the most, I'm currently loving my Laqa & Co Bees Knees Sheer Lip Lube Pencil, it's basically a chubby lip pencil in a gorgeous coral colour, I know it's Autumn now and the berry shades are coming out, but I can't quite let go of this one just yet.
Lipgloss
Another no-no for me, I hate anything sticky that my hair attaches itself to, so I tend to avoid lipgloss!
Brush
I can only choose one?!! My brushes are mainly a mixture of Bare Minerals, MAC and Real Techniques, but I love trying new ones. If I had to pick one I'd probably go for my Real Techniques buffing brush which is part of their Core Collection. I love how it buffs foundation into my skin, it gives such a flawless finish and doesn't soak up too much product like some brushes I've used.
Crush
This one wasn't hard at all! Dan Osborne from The Only Way is Essex is absolutely gorgeous!
Phew! Now I've managed to work my way through that one, I'd like to tag the following ladies to tell us their One and Only's too, can't wait to see what they come up with!
Megan from Child of the Universe
Emily from Emily Burrows
Natasha from Her Name is Tasha
Ffion from A South Wales Blog
Angela from The Sunday Chapter
Becky from Just Becky
Love Cece Xx
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Tuesday, 21 October 2014
Must See Comedy!
Back in August I went to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, if any of you aren't familiar with this it's the worlds largest arts festival and has been running for the past 67 years. (Yeah, where have you been?) There's all sorts of performances going on throughout the month of August including Music, Dance, Theatrical and my favourite; Comedy. There's also loads of cool street performers too!
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| http://www.underbelly.co.uk/about |
It's unlike any event I've ever been to, it isn't set in one place but rather there's pop up bars and venues all over the city. The bars were uniquely cool with many of the pop up's being open air with huge seats made of AstroTurf and colourful lanterns hanging overhead. There's a giant upside down cow as one of the performance venues (I just love the randomness) and to top it all off the backdrop is one of the most beautiful city's in the world.
Me and a few friends attended mainly to hang out in the bars and go and see some comedy and it didn't disappoint! We went one weekend at the end of August and along with the many comedians we saw hanging out at the Pleasance, we went to see three shows in that time; Jason Cook, Chris Ramsey and Chris Turner. The former two are Geordies and were absolutely hilarious; Jason Cook had me hyperventilating over his anecdotes with his therapists, his show was definitely the highlight of my weekend. It didn't help that I was laughing so hard and really needed to go to the toilet.. I was just too scared to get up during his set!
Jason Cook is the creator of TV show Hebburn, a sitcom based in his hometown. Jason had a hilarious show and had me hyperventilating over his anecdotes with his therapists. His show was definitely the highlight of my weekend. It didn't help that I was laughing so hard and really needed to go to the toilet.. I was just too scared to get up during his set!
Chris Ramsey aka the most dangerous man on Saturday morning television. His show had me laughing the whole way through and then later googling his famous Saturday morning appearance on Soccer AM. You may have now seen Ramsey Vs Hopkins on Celebrity Juice where he rips into Katie Hopkins brilliantly, if not you need to go and watch that right now!
Chris Turner is a posh privately educated and incredibly intelligent guy who can make genius raps up on the spot.. not at all what you'd expect from a first impression! He took a few random words from members of the audience (our contribution being selfie which quickly escalated to selfie stick) and in 2 seconds flat he wrote a rap with all of them. His set was filled with funny one-liners and puns galore, I didn't find his set quite as hilarious as the other two but that may just be my northern humour, I'd definitely just go and watch him to hear him rap again though! Very clever guy.
These three guys are all touring now and if you'd like tickets you can get them here:
Jason Cooke - Broken
Chris Ramsey - The Most Dangerous Man on Saturday Morning Television
Chris Turner - Pretty Fly
I love Edinburgh, I think it's my favourite city in the UK, and insanely pretty. I definitely hope to return to the Fringe Festival next year. Did you go to the Fringe? Who were your 'not to be missed' performers?
Cece Xx
Saturday, 18 October 2014
October Birchbox
One of my favourite time's in the month is the day my Birchbox lands
on my doorstep. Although I'm always naughty and look at the sneak peek
preview, you still never know exactly what selection of products you're
going to receive.
As October is breast cancer awareness month, Birchbox has teamed up with CoppaFeel, an amazing charity who will remind you when to check your boobs for the signs of breast cancer. I'm a busy girl and something like this is so easy to slip your mind so I think CoppaFeel's reminder service is a brilliant idea to make sure we're checking ourselves regularly.
So onto the box itself...
Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm - Full Size
I got this in the colour raspberry, it feels so luxurious on my lips and keeps them hydrated for ages. The colour is a little bit too vibrant for me but I just rub it in a little with my fingertips and it seems a bit more subtle. The formula is lovely though and I can definitely see me buying this product, maybe just in a different shade!
Shaveworks The Cool Fix - 60ml
I LOVE the idea of this. It's a cool gel that treats red and irritated skin caused by shaving. I have sensitive skin and it often gets red and irritated when I shave so if this works it'll shortly be a bathroom staple for me! Just apply the gel to the skin once it's dried post shave. Birchbox recommend applying the gel AM and PM to clear up ingrown hairs and red bumps, or every other day to keep them at bay.
KMS California HAIR PLAY Dry Wax - 150ml
I've never really wanted to achieve the 'second day hair' look. I like my hair to feel fresh and clean so this product just doesn't do it for me. It's a hair wax in spray form that you spray onto towel dried hair intended to give you a tussled textured look, might be great for somebody who always gets flyaway hair, one of my best friends hates her hair the day she washes it.
Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford Glowing Serum - 8ml
I love face serums and always try to find time to add it to my daily skincare routine, especially in winter. So this arrived just at the right time for me! It leaves my skin looking glowy and bright and smooths onto my skin really easily. Apply this to your face and neck after cleansing and before your moisturiser.
Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm - 40ml
I'm a big fan of Balance Me products, made with 100% natural ingredients and always smelling so lovely. This oil based cleanser does not disappoint, it exfoliates and cleanses, it leaves skin feeling soft and moisturised. I've never used an oil based cleanser before but I'll definitely be sticking with this one for a while, it gets rid of all my makeup and impurities in a flash. This one is applied to a dry face, after massaging it into your skin you apply warm water and continue massaging before removing with a facecloth, it's a mini facial in a bottle!
Birchbox Lipstick Pen and Little Pink Bag
As always there's a little extra treat and I love this months. I received a little pink bag which I'm using to take my essential on-the-go products out and about with me, and the Lipstick pen which is just so cute, I've popped in in my handbag with my diary.
I'm really happy with my October Birchbox, I love getting to try out lots of new products without having to commit to the full sized versions. I think the Balance Me cleanser is my favourite, however if the lip butter was in a lighter colour they'd have been on par! Are you a Birchbox subscriber? What do you think of this month's products? You can sign up to Birchbox here.
As October is breast cancer awareness month, Birchbox has teamed up with CoppaFeel, an amazing charity who will remind you when to check your boobs for the signs of breast cancer. I'm a busy girl and something like this is so easy to slip your mind so I think CoppaFeel's reminder service is a brilliant idea to make sure we're checking ourselves regularly.
So onto the box itself...
Pixi Shea Butter Lip Balm - Full Size
I got this in the colour raspberry, it feels so luxurious on my lips and keeps them hydrated for ages. The colour is a little bit too vibrant for me but I just rub it in a little with my fingertips and it seems a bit more subtle. The formula is lovely though and I can definitely see me buying this product, maybe just in a different shade!
Shaveworks The Cool Fix - 60ml
I LOVE the idea of this. It's a cool gel that treats red and irritated skin caused by shaving. I have sensitive skin and it often gets red and irritated when I shave so if this works it'll shortly be a bathroom staple for me! Just apply the gel to the skin once it's dried post shave. Birchbox recommend applying the gel AM and PM to clear up ingrown hairs and red bumps, or every other day to keep them at bay.
KMS California HAIR PLAY Dry Wax - 150ml
I've never really wanted to achieve the 'second day hair' look. I like my hair to feel fresh and clean so this product just doesn't do it for me. It's a hair wax in spray form that you spray onto towel dried hair intended to give you a tussled textured look, might be great for somebody who always gets flyaway hair, one of my best friends hates her hair the day she washes it.
Meaningful Beauty Cindy Crawford Glowing Serum - 8ml
I love face serums and always try to find time to add it to my daily skincare routine, especially in winter. So this arrived just at the right time for me! It leaves my skin looking glowy and bright and smooths onto my skin really easily. Apply this to your face and neck after cleansing and before your moisturiser.
Balance Me Cleanse and Smooth Face Balm - 40ml
I'm a big fan of Balance Me products, made with 100% natural ingredients and always smelling so lovely. This oil based cleanser does not disappoint, it exfoliates and cleanses, it leaves skin feeling soft and moisturised. I've never used an oil based cleanser before but I'll definitely be sticking with this one for a while, it gets rid of all my makeup and impurities in a flash. This one is applied to a dry face, after massaging it into your skin you apply warm water and continue massaging before removing with a facecloth, it's a mini facial in a bottle!
Birchbox Lipstick Pen and Little Pink Bag
As always there's a little extra treat and I love this months. I received a little pink bag which I'm using to take my essential on-the-go products out and about with me, and the Lipstick pen which is just so cute, I've popped in in my handbag with my diary.
I'm really happy with my October Birchbox, I love getting to try out lots of new products without having to commit to the full sized versions. I think the Balance Me cleanser is my favourite, however if the lip butter was in a lighter colour they'd have been on par! Are you a Birchbox subscriber? What do you think of this month's products? You can sign up to Birchbox here.
Friday, 17 October 2014
Ebay Bargains: Autumn is here
I like to pretend that it's still summer until the end of September,
but I can no longer hide from the fact that Autumn is well and truly
here. No longer in denial; I can fully enjoy all things warm and cosy,
like hot chocolate, sitting in front of a fire and long walks in the
coutryside surrounded by colourful trees.
It also means I can start my Autumn shop and I've found a few eBay bargains perfect for this time of year that I thought I'd share with you.
Black Trench Coat with PU Edging
I really love this jacket, the style is unusual and it looks so warm and cosy. I think it would be perfect for these Autumn months now the temperature is dropping but we're not quite ready for our faux fur lined coats yet! Buy it here for £15.29.
Beige Satchel Crossover Bag
This cute little satchel bag is a bargain at £6.99, available in a number of colours including a pretty baby pink. Buy it here for £6.99.
Yankee Candle Giftset
An Indian Summer is that perfect dry and warm Autumn weather that we rarely experience in the UK. But this Indian Summer collection from Yankee Candle will make us want to stay curled up inside anywa! They all smell delicious! Buy it here for £7.99.
Green & Blue Plaid Scarf
I'm always told I wear too much black, grey, brown and generally dark colours in winter. I think this scarf is just the dash of colour that's needed to brighten up a Winter outfit. Buy it here for £1.39.
And Finally, it might be bonkers but it's Conkers!
Yes, there are people selling conkers on eBay! If you live in the countryside or near any chestnut trees I'd reccomend enjoying a walk out to go and collect some, however if you don't have any Chestnut tree's nearby maybe this is for you! Aparently they're an excellent spider repellant which we definitely need at this time of year. I also keep conkers in jars on my fireplace at this time of year, I think it's a pretty way of creating that Autumnal feel in your home. So if you are interested, you can buy them here for £2.50.
I hope you like some of my eBay bargains and if you weren't already getting into the Autumn spirit, I hope this post has brought out your love for all things Fall!
Cece Xx
It also means I can start my Autumn shop and I've found a few eBay bargains perfect for this time of year that I thought I'd share with you.
Black Trench Coat with PU Edging
I really love this jacket, the style is unusual and it looks so warm and cosy. I think it would be perfect for these Autumn months now the temperature is dropping but we're not quite ready for our faux fur lined coats yet! Buy it here for £15.29.
Beige Satchel Crossover Bag
This cute little satchel bag is a bargain at £6.99, available in a number of colours including a pretty baby pink. Buy it here for £6.99.
Yankee Candle Giftset
An Indian Summer is that perfect dry and warm Autumn weather that we rarely experience in the UK. But this Indian Summer collection from Yankee Candle will make us want to stay curled up inside anywa! They all smell delicious! Buy it here for £7.99.
Green & Blue Plaid Scarf
I'm always told I wear too much black, grey, brown and generally dark colours in winter. I think this scarf is just the dash of colour that's needed to brighten up a Winter outfit. Buy it here for £1.39.
And Finally, it might be bonkers but it's Conkers!
Yes, there are people selling conkers on eBay! If you live in the countryside or near any chestnut trees I'd reccomend enjoying a walk out to go and collect some, however if you don't have any Chestnut tree's nearby maybe this is for you! Aparently they're an excellent spider repellant which we definitely need at this time of year. I also keep conkers in jars on my fireplace at this time of year, I think it's a pretty way of creating that Autumnal feel in your home. So if you are interested, you can buy them here for £2.50.
I hope you like some of my eBay bargains and if you weren't already getting into the Autumn spirit, I hope this post has brought out your love for all things Fall!
Cece Xx
Benefit Candy Coated Countdown
The Calendar has 24 surprises, (unless like me you couldn't wait to find out what's in it!) to keep December beautifully exciting! It houses many known and loved benefit products but also offers a few non-beauty surprises too and I'm going to have to be very good and not open all the windows at once! Head here to find out if your local Debenhams will be receiving a stock of the Benefit Candy Coated Countdown Calendar.
Were you lucky enough to get hold of a Benefit Advent Calendar this year? Have you kept the suprises a suprise or been naughty like me?
Cece Xx
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