OOTD; New Years Eve

Peter Pan Collar Top; LOVE at Topshop, Skirt; Rare at Topshop, Bag; H&M, Shoes; New Look, Nail Polish; Petrol In The Water by Andrea Fulerton.

I've laughed, moaned and drunk through probably the most bizarre year of my life, and I plan to spend tonight the exact same way (can't resist a moan even on new years). It's not been the best year, I learnt a lot and lost a lot but here's hoping that next year will be a massive improvement!

My cheeky new years resolution is definitely to get the blog back on track, I know I'm the shittest when it comes to making regular posts, I promise I'll try to be more consistent next year I just haven't had bloody time!

Hope you all have a beautiful New Years Eve! I shall be back to my blogging best in 2012 should I survive tonight in these shoes, bearing in mind the last time they had an outing I nearly snapped my ankle in half and had to cling onto the best friend all night - and this was sober....

xoxoxoxoxo

Boudoir Prive; November Box!

So after last months beautiful box, I was expecting good things for this months installment, I practically mugged the postman for this beautifully packaged box of treats, but guaranteed with these beauty boxes, each month is a risk, and this box just isn't really my cup of tea. Of course I'm keeping my subscription etc, the problem is just that some months are going to suit better than others, this one just isn't really for me!

I must admit, I was a little disappointed that two of the brands featured in this months box were also a feature in last months. I joined this service to discover new beauty brands and try different things, and although I loved both my Studio Makeup eyeliner and Korres body butter from last month, I still was a little gutted to see the brands in this months box.

First up is Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner. Now I am admittedly a hair product junkie, so these get my vote straight away. I love trying new products, and though there is no way I'd ever be able to afford (and even if I could I still wouldn't) a shampoo for just under £30, it's still a nice little treat to my hair! Really looking forward to trying these!

Next is the Studio Makeup Rich Hydration Lipstick. These retail at £12.25 each and promise to be both creamy and hydrating, a must if like me you suffer dry lips! The only problem with this is, it's really not my kind of shade. Tender Pink is a shimmery light pink colour, and it's just not the kind of colour I'd ever reach for, which is really a shame because these lipsticks sound really good! 

Next is a luminous skin mask which has featured on Vogue.co.uk and retails for a whopping £32.85 (I think I'll stick to buying ones for a quid in superdrug but whatever floats your boat!). Now I opened this and gave it a cheeky sniff in the morning, and I'm definitely not a morning person. The smell of this made me literally gag, it's absolutely vile. I can't even describe it, It's just disgusting, made only worse by the really unappealing brown colour it is. There's no way in hell this is ever going anywhere near my face, bit of a shame especially as they popped two samples in but what can you do!

Next is a body lotion from Dead Sea Spa Magic, a name that automatically appeals to me. This promises to leave your skin feelings deeply hydrated, I can't wait to give this a go seeing as my skin has gotten really dry recently, and a really decent size sample so I'm happy!

Finally a Korres Moisturiser. I'll definitely try this out, but as I said before I'm a bit disappointed that two consecutive months I've had a moisturiser from the same brand. The sample size isn't as big this month, but I'll give it a fair go and who knows, I might end up loving it!

So that's everything for this month, I'm not overly impressed but with these beauty boxes it's never going to suit completely every month, but I have discovered some really nice products so far so I'll let this month pass by, and hope I get a gorgeous box in time for christmas!

xoxoxoxox 

OOTD #019; Winter Has Arrived....

Cape; TK Maxx, Scarf; Topshop Skirt; Topshop Shoes; Topshop Lipstick; NARS Scarlet Empress

It's been so cold in England these past few days, so my winter wardrobe is definitely out! The contrast of freezing cold outside and heating on full at work has meant this cape and scarf have been essentials walking to and from work. I've really been loving a berry lip, and Nars Scarlet Empress is my personal favourite, I've been using it in combination with a lip balm for a slight tint or going for a dramatic look with minimal eye makeup. I'm still yet to start my Christmas shopping (oooops!) but I can't wait to hit the Christmas markets in town and pick up some gorgeous gifts!

What are your winter essentials?

xoxoxoxoxox

October Favourites!

I've been trying out a lot of new make up this month, so it seemed to make sense to make a more make-up orientated favourites this month! I've found my skin has been a lot better recently so I will be writing a post on skincare and maybe haircare if you beauts want one?! Anyway onto the favourites, I'm currently on the hunt for a better coverage foundation for winter, my healthy mix just isn't enough coming into winter so I'm back testing out a few, I'll get back to you on that! But onto my favourites this month!

Look Beauty Triple Hit in Shade 1 'La Luxe'; When I saw LOOK magazines new make up range in my local Superdrug I couldn't resist giving some of their products a try. I went for this eyeshadow trio, because I love my brown shades! These are ridiculously pigmented and really handy for a quick smoky eye! I have been picking this up a fair few times this month, and anything I pick over my Urban Decay naked palette gets a massive seal of approval from me!

Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki; I must admit, I've hardly reached for this since owning it until this month, but as I've been trying out a few foundations this month I've really been reaching for this a lot and I really do like it. I hate foundation that looks really obvious on the skin and this really helps to buff it in and give a more natural look, love it!

Studio Makeup Line Styler Pen; I got this in my Boudoir Privé and I've been using it everyday since. The felt tip style applicator is so thin it really allows you to draw a really precise line, this is pretty much what I've been looking for since I've got into makeup. I don't really have any faults with it, and I'll definitely be repurchasing, in complete love!

Collection 2000 Big Fake False Lash Effect Mascara; I've reignited my love for this this month, I always forget how much I love this mascara until I use it again and then I fall right back into it's beautiful arms. I really love big dramatic volumized lashes and this always delivers, and for the price it really is a massive bargain! If you haven't tried this yet, you definitely need to get involved. The massive brush is still a bit overwhelming even now though, tiny bit scary!

The Body Shop 100% Natural Lip Roll-On in Berry; My lips are always dry, but it becomes a much worse problem in winter, so I'm forever in the look out for a new solution. When I saw these had launched in The Body Shop I couldn't resist giving one a try, and these really are gorgeous! They smell lush and they really add lots of moisture to the lips. I've been keeping this in my bag at all times, it's really handy to have on you and a massive bargain at £4!

NARS Lipstick in Scarlet Empress; Between Autumn and Halloween, I've really been getting into berry shades, and this is my personal favourite. I've been using this as a light tint on my lips rather than a really dramatic berry lip and it's absolutely beautiful!

GOSH Long Lasting Lip Marker in Berry; carrying on the berry lip love, GOSH's range are my favourite lip tints on the high street, and this one gives such a gorgeous colour I've been reaching it for it a good few days. It's a bit dramatic for everyday but I've been loving it going out at night, especially as with a tint you don't get the really classy lipstick marks all over glasses, perfect!

Rose Petal Salve; Another beaut I got in this months Boudoir Privé, I really can't say enough about this product. It's a multi-use product, useful for dry skin, lips, using as a highlight, to tame unruly brows, literally everything! I don't know how I coped without this in my handbag, this is a complete lifesaver!

Benefit High Beam; I love highlights, and I've been using this on my brow bone and cupids bow all month to add a bit of glow! Absolutely beautiful, but I can't say I would repurchase the full size, far too expensive to justify it and dupes work just as well!

Sleek Brow Kit in Light; I've been looking for a good brow kit for ages, but I found a lot of versions had far too many colours in, and for someone who never dyes their hair, I only really need a light brown. I bagged this as part of the 3 for 2 deal in Superdrug and I'm so glad I did, it's perfect and definitely a needed addition to my makeup bag!

What have you been loving this month?!

xoxoxoxox

Boudoir Prive; October Box

So it's that time of month again, I really can't believe this is the 3rd Boudoir Privé box, how quick does 3 months fly? It's scary! Haha, this month has been an absolute beaut, I think this is my favourite box so far, the samples seem bigger, more relevant and all in all lovely products. It's the first time I've really been over the moon happy about my box, and just as I was beginning to wonder if these boxes were for me, this arrived and won me over!

I can't BELIEVE this box of lovelyness only cost me £10! Such a good deal, and a lot of fantastic products to give a go!

First thing to catch my eye was the Korres Body Butter. Now I'm not going to lie, I love a good body butter, I'm never really without one with my dry skin. This smells so lush and after using it last night I woke up with the softest skin! Definitely a winner and costing £12.50 full size it's probably within budget for a repurchase!

Next is the Studio Makeup Liner Style Pen. I'm pretty sure this is full size and retailing for £12.50, we've already made up the cost of the box and a bit extra! I have been hunting down a good felt tip liner for ages, so this literally couldn't have come at a better time. I can't wait to try this out, I'm really hoping it lives up to my expectations, from what I've swatched it really is BLACK and not a silly grey, so fingers crossed it has good staying power too!

Next are two goodies from Cetuem, who are listed as one of the top 100 beauty brands by Harper's Bazaar (fancy huh?!). I am forever buying face masks, so I can't wait to try out the illuminating mask, and the Créme de lite should be a little treat for my skin used morning and night. Both are said to brighten the skin and eliminate uneven skintones so it should be interesting to see if they live up to it!

Next up a perfume sample, "Siwa" by Memo Paris. Now I never really hold out much hope for perfume samples in these boxes, it's not surprising really when perfume is such a personal thing. However this months offering I actually quite like. It's probably not something I'd repurchase purely because it's REALLY sweet, it's described as "Vanilla revealed by cereal" which as odd as it sounds, it's oddly accurate. You would have to smell it obviously to understand at all, but I'll definitely be slipping this into my handbag!

Next is the Rose & Co Rose Petal Salve. This to me is like a cheaper alternative of the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. It's a multi-use product, soothing chapped lips, dry skin, can be used over lipstick or eye shadow, on brow bones or mixed with a shimmer powder to create a highlight. This sounds so interesting and I'm definitely popping this in my bag, such a handy product to have.

Lastly is the Leonor Greyl Huile de Palme, this intrigued me the most when I opened the box because I literally had no idea what it was! It is a pre-shampoo conditioner that promises to soften and nourish dry and damaged hair. Now with having ridiculously long hair, I'm always up for a bit of haircare so I'll definitely be trying this out!

Overall I'm really happy with this months box. The samples are a better size and definitely products and brands I'm interested and intrigued by, the whole reason I signed up for Boudoir Privé. This company are new and there are going to be ups and downs at first, but I'm hoping now the standards set that this is the way it will be from now on, fingers crossed!

xoxoxoxox

OOTD #018; Leather Legging LOVE!

Jumper; Topshop, Leggings; Topshop Wedges; New Look, Necklace; Primark

I've been updating my winter wardrobe slowly, I had to get a pair of leather leggings! They are so versatile, my favourite way of wearing them are with a massive chunky knit, but I quite like the look with this cropped jumper I have. I've also added some gorgeous chelsea boots and leopard leggings to my collection, I'm still on the lookout for a beautiful cape and the perfect chunky cardi.

What are your must haves for winter?!

xoxoxoxox

Extremely Late September Favourites!

I feel like I've majorly been neglecting my blog recently, I really haven't had a spare ten minutes, let alone a couple of hours to blog. I should start having more time on my hands soon so blogging should be back to more regularly, but please stick with me! Haha, anyway I know this is incredibly late, but I can't see these things changing anytime soon, I've tried stepping up my make up game recently and trying not to go for the whole "primer-foundation-concealer-eyeliner-mascara-red lipstick" combo that I work everyday, and swapping and changing a bit more, and these are definitely things I've been appreciating this month.

NARS Bronzer in Laguna; This is the love of my life. I've never really been that much of a bronzer girl until Bourjois and their block of chocolately bronzey loveliness came into my life, but I haven't even reached for it since this arrived. I know it's incredibly pricey for what it is, and I'm usually the last person to throw my pennies away but this really is something else, the hype is definitely justified.

Topshop Blush in Flush; This is something that had ended up shoved in my make up draw never to be seen again, but I spotted it the other day and the flame has been reignited, I can't believe I forgot what a beauty this is. I'm not really into massive pink cheeks but this gives such a natural flush to the cheeks (as the name would suggest) that I can't help but reach for it, especially when the winter months come and I look an extra off Twilight.

Eyeko Graffiti Eyeliner Pen; This is the first felt tip liner I've ever tried and it's just so much quicker to use in a morning than my gel liner. This is my new best friend when it comes to a good winged liner, incredibly easy to use and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an easy alternative to liquid liner, which just seems to equal disaster when I try and use it. 

The Beauty Parlour Lip Balm; I saw this stand in Superdrug, and it reminded me a lot of Soap and Glory with the retro looking packaging. I'm a complete pushover when it comes to buying lip balm, I just can't seem to go into Superdrug/Boots without coming out with one. This one smells and tastes like mint, it's just the nicest thing ever! I'm not sure how effective it is as a lip balm, my lips are in good condition anyway at the moment, but purely for the smell and taste it's worth the buy, so refreshing and gorgeous!

Avon Supershock MAX Mascara; This is probably the only favourite that genuinely upsets me, because I love it so much. Sadly every time I use it my eyes water like a bitch, and after one too many days of business men staring while I cry off all my sodding mascara on the train I've had to give it up. It genuinely upsets me because this is a fantastic mascara, and I've never had any problems with other mascaras before so for a while I was convinced it couldn't be to blame. Clearly though it is.

Avon Colourdisiac Lipstick in Red Hot Lips; I've been steering towards the fuchsia side of life late August/early September, but in time for Autumn I've converted back to good old red lipstick, this is my personal favourite, it smells fruity and lasts forever, I can shove this on at the start of a shift and 4 hours later it will still be just as bright and beautiful as it was when I first applied.

I've really been swapping up my face and hair routine too much to write about any products because I haven't used them long enough to form an accurate opinion. 

Hope you're all having a lovely (if not really rainy) week!

xoxoxoxoxox

NEW Make-up Brand Alert! FASHIONISTA @ Superdrug

For a while in my Superdrug there has been a make-up stand empty, with a coming soon sign on it. I've been so excited to see what was coming, I hadn't heard much in the blogging community at all. When I popped in yesterday the stand was made up apart from missing a few things, so I decided to have a good look. Aswell as the standard eyeliner, powder, foundations etc, there's something very different about the brand. A "customize your own palette" concept, something I haven't seen anywhere on the high street before. The palettes are made for either four eyeshadows or blushers, both are the same size so when travelling you could even put in a mix of the two. There are SO many different shades I can see this becoming my new obsession. As an introductory offer in Superdrug you can get four blushers/eye shadows and the palette for £12. Baring in mind you're talking of £11.50 for one eyeshadow in Mac, to me this is a really good deal.

The baked eyeshadows stuck out the most to me, I really love shimmery eyeshadows, and these just looked gorgeous. I picked out Bella, Gold Rush, Globe and Cosmic. These shades I would never put in a palette together, but I know I'll be picking up many more of these shades yet so I just went for the ones I really liked.

As you can see from the bottom, it's really easy to pop these eyeshadows out of the single eyeshadow cases, and the name and information goes with them so there's no worries about getting confused over what the shade name is! I like the fact these are in little single cases, as this means if I don't have room for them in a palette I can keep them protected.

I really love these shades, to me the packaging is really simple and sleek and the eyeshadows are really big for how much they cost (£4 full price). 

I was seriously impressed with the pigmentation of these beautys, if this is the show up without a primer, with the help of one these will be absolutely beautiful. My favourites have got to be Bella (far left) because this is a shade I can see myself wearing absolutely everyday, it's such a gorgeous gold champagne colour, and Cosmic (far right) because this colour really has to be seen to be believed, it will be gorgeous in the crease and bottom lash line when doing a grey smokey eye, or used as a eyeliner.

Overall, although I have only tried the eyeshadows, I'm seriously excited about this brand. I think for a while now Superdrug and Boots have had that same old feeling everytime I went in, there was nothing really new or exciting that inspired me to splash the cash, but this brand looks set to change that. I'll definitely be grabbing some more eyeshadows, trying some blushers, and ofcourse, trying out the most highly advertised product in the range, "Magnetism Nail Lacquer" which will hopefully be a cheaper alternative to the Nails Inc Magnetic Nail Polishes!

xoxoxoxoxoxox

Boudoir Prive; September Box!

There has been a bit of a mix up and I was sent two boxes, which I really need to email Boudoir Privé about but I just haven't had chance! I will be keeping both these boxes as I'm really happy with what I got! I'm sure there were more goodies this time, and there's not really anything I don't think I'll use, so I'm really impressed. 

First up, Zoya Nail Polish. These retail at £9.98 a bottle, and as the box costs £10, for somebody who loves nail polish as much as I do, this has already paid for my box. I really like the fact they added in samples of all their nail colours from their Autumn/Winter collection, it really added something a little bit more special to the box. I love both these colours, and I'll definitely be trying out both!

Mai Couture is a luxury brand that offers these fancy blotting papers. I'm not somebody who has to deal with shine very often, but there are occasions where my skin does get oily in certain places, and these will be really handy to keep in my make up bag. The little card that comes with it pretty much explains how the blotting paper works, and I really think it's a unique and different touch to the normal blotting paper.

I was really excited to see this in my box, but after smelling it, it's not really my type of scent. These little samples are really handy for keeping in your bag if you don't want to take a massive perfume bottle, so I will still get some use out of them!

I LOVE a hair product! There is such a back log of shampoo/conditioner/masks/hairspray just purely because I can't say no to trying out a new hair product. My hair has a beautiful way of drying really frizzy, and with this promising to leave hair visibly smooth, frizz-free and shiny I'm really excited to give this a go! This can be applied to both dry or wet hair, but I don't really like adding a lot of product to dry hair so I'll probably use this when my hair is wet.

Tropic Body Smooth Refreshing Polish - This was probably one of my favourite things about this box. I instantly remembered the name from the Apprentice, and I had been meaning to try out some of Susan Ma's range of skincare since the series finished. This smells LUSH, and I really cannot wait to give it a go!

Colbert MD Nourish Eye Cream; Apparently the lovely Kate Middleton and Sienna Miller use Colbert MD skincare, and if it's good enough for them, I'm sure it won't be a disappointment! for 15ml of this eye cream you'll be robbed of £90! Now obviously I won't be repurchasing, but that's what these boxes are all about right? A little pampering session each month!

Last up, Cargo Cosmetics Boogie Nights Eye Pencil. I'm really glad I got two black glitter pencils, because I rarely use any other colour eyeliner, and you can never really have enough black eyeliners right? These will be added to the collection, really excited to give them a go!

So that's everything! I've really been impressed this month, I was sitting on the fence with last months box but I think they've really come back with something special, and I'm already excited for next months installment!

xoxoxoxox

Sleek Bad Girl Palette

I've wanted this Sleek Palette since it came out, but it's just something I never got round to getting. Bigger priorities, more important things to spend my money on, and the fact it was never in my local Superdrug and honestly I couldn't be bothered ordering online for one thing. I hate messing about with 48321038210 single eyeshadows so palettes are really a must for me. My Urban Decay Naked palette can work pretty much any neutral everyday eye going, but I've really been wanting a dramatic evening palette for a while, so when I saw this in Superdrug I couldn't resist!

There's a mix of beautiful highlights, greys, blues and purples as well as of course the infamous "noir" matte black that features in pretty much every sleek palette.

Innocence, Gullible, Blade, Gun Metal, Underground, Noir.

Intoxicated, Envy, Obnoxious, Abyss, Twilight, Rebel.

I really haven't heard that much about this palette, but it's definitely the favourite Sleek palette I own. All the shades are highly pigmented and blend beautifully together. There's a good few matte shades in there aswell as shimmers, there's so many different eye looks with this palette and I can't wait to experiment!

xoxoxox

OOTD #017; AUTUMN IS HERE!

jumper; topshop shorts; random boutique in manchester tights; primark socks; topshop jewellery; primark and vintage.

Between coming into September and the ridiculous winds, I think it's fair to say winter has arrived! I've been trying to get the last wear out of these TIIIINY shorts before it just gets too cold, so I've been pairing them with these gorgeous mohair socks I got from Topshop last year, they are so lush! I'm going to updating my Autumn wardrobe massively as soon as pay day hits, but until then I'm trying to work last years wardrobe. I definitely fancy a poncho (not an ugly betty one), leather leggings, DEFINITELY a cape and some bright jumpers. Autumn/Winter is my favourite time of year where fashion is concerned, I love having loads of layers and wearing jumpers and even my gorgeous fur coat has come out (it's never too early!).

Talking of winter, is September too early to make my Christmas list? There's definitely a few things I fancy already!

xoxoxoxoxo

Recent Make Up Purchases!

Hello lovelys! I feel like I haven't posted in absoluely AGES, even though it's only been just over a week. Between working about 40 hours a week, sleeping and trying to catch up with my friends I've had literally NO time to blog. Luckily I have a couple of days off so I'm hoping to get some blog posts done and then I'll queue them. My mind is literally boggled at the moment with new information and all sorts of things from my new job so I decided to break myself in gently by a quick makeup haul. I know my last few posts have also been hauls, but everyone loves a haul right?!

Superdrug;

The Beauty Parlour Mentha Lip Balm; I love this new range in Superdrug and it's super cute retro packaging! I decided to pick up a little something to try out and then if this does the trick I'll try out a few others! This smells so minty and gorgeous and it's gonna look so beautiful in my make up bag! All products from the range are 1/3 off at the moment so definitely worth checking out!

Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Amped; I haven't really heard anything about this shade, but it looked gorgeous in the shop so I had to get it, I'm so addicted to Sleek lipsticks! This is a matte shade and is a gorgeous fuschia. It's definitely not as "out there" as some of my other bright lipsticks, even though the bullet looks a very scary shade it really comes out a lot more wearable.

Sleek Pout Polish in Raspberry Souffle; I don't really know why I've never tried a Pout Polish, it's something I've meant to buy for a while now and just never got round to it. I fell in love with this limited edition shade (I have no idea which collection it's from) and I'm really hoping this lives up to the hype!

MUA Clear Mascara; for my eyebrows. Need I say more? Bargain at 1 quid!

Tea Tree Nose Strips; Slightly odd one! The pores on my nose are just generally disgusting and these were on two for £3.99 (they cost £3.99 each so basically buy one get one free) so I decided to give them a go!

Bodycare;

Technic Nail Polish in Be Dazzled; I couldn't resist this, I've been really into glitter nail polishes recently and I think this will look really cute over the top of a burnt orange nail polish ready for Autumn!

Technic "Prime It"; I've heard a little bit about this off other beauty bloggers and I've been meaning to try this for a while now. At £3.99 it's down with MUA as one of the cheapest primers on the market, and I think we can all see what a big fat dupe it is for Benefits "That Gal", which would rob £21 off you per bottle. I really am enjoying this primer, more than any of the other primers I've tried. For someone with dry skin like me a primer that's illuminating is pretty much essential for a dewy look!

Technic High Lights; Again, love a Benefit Dupe. This is Technics take on the hugely popular High Beam. I use illuminators mixed in with my foundation, and it would break the bank to buy the Benefit version the way I go through it! This costs £1.99, which in my opinion you can't really go wrong with.

Boots;

Models Own Nail Polish in Champagne; Again, I'm really into my shimmery nail polishes at the moment and I just couldn't say no to this beaut! When my pathetically short nails have grown back I'll feature this in a NOTD.

Collection 2000 Cream Puff Moisturising Lip Cream in Cotton Candy, Fairy Cake and Angel Delight; I've heard a lot about these, and when Collection 2000 was on 3 for 2 (when is it NOT in Boots?!) I decided to bag 3 of the four colours. These are pretty much the only Lip Gloss/Creams I can actually stand, and congratulations to Collection 2000 for bringing something new to the high street, they're really doing well for themselves recently.

Maybelline Colour Sensation Lipstain in Plum Flushed; I heard a lot about this Lip Stain, and I'll be honest I wasn't really impressed. It smells good, but that's about it. The GOSH Lipstains have FAR better pigmentation than these do, though if you want a more wearable lip stain these are definitely your babies.

TK Maxx;

Eyeko set of 3 (for £7.99!); I've been meaning to try Eyeko products for a long while (the only thing I own is a couple of nail polishes), and so when I saw this little set in Tk Maxx I had to grab it quickly! I've been wanting to try their Graffiti Eyeliner Pen for far too long, so that pretty much sealed the deal for me straight away. The Lip Pen colour is a gorgeous Fuschia, and I've been into Fuschia lips so much these past few weeks so this couldn't be more relevant for me! And to add to the perfection, I have been buying some more colourful shades of eyeliner recently so the blue eyeliner duo was the icing on the top of the cake. I can't wait to try these products, I definitely got a fabulous deal and I'm hoping they all live up to my expectations!

Hope you beauts have had gorgeous days!

xoxoxoxoxox