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31 January 2013

JANUARY FAVOURITES

The first month of 2013 has been and gone and so with it comes another favourites post!


Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush (004 Winter Glow) | Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse (004 Light Porcelain) | Sleek Dip-It Eyeliner (Black) | House of Holland Signature Spritz | Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo | Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner (005 Nude) | Benefit Bad Gal Mascara








Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse... no, I'm not a 15 year old girl and yes, this is in my favourite products of the month. I was tidying out some stuff and came across this. I'll be honest... I was using this foundation until about 6 months ago. It was the only thing drugstore-wise that I could find light enough for me (or at least what I thought I needed). It's really not a good foundation but I found it and I was looking at it and the colour I have it so light and the foundation itself is pretty thick and I've been using it as an under eye concealer before I put on foundation. I don't have a lot of the stuff left but at least now I don't have to throw it away!
The Rimmel blush cost me £2 from the Boots clearance shelf. I don't know how much it should be and I can't find them on the Rimmel website so I think it may have been discontinued but it is so pretty. I use a stippling brush for blush and the 3 colours in the palette mixed together give a lovely rosy glow. The colours are a light pink, then a tan sort of colour and a coral type. Check out your local Boots because they keep putting different things on the clearance shelf everyday. I'm obsessed with checking it.
Spoke about the Sleek eyeliner on this post so I won't babble on too much but it's so easy to use. It does seem to take a little longer to dry than the Barry M I used to use but I much prefer the applicator.
Again, I spoke about the House of Holland spritz in this post. I am just obsessed with how good it smells. I'm running out of perfume at the moment so I'm trying to get away with using this on most days so I don't have to buy new perfume for a while!
The Scandaleyes eyeliner is something I bought because I saw too many people raving about it. It's much better using nude than white like I had been doing for opening up the eyes and this one is very pigmented so you don't need a lot. My only complaint is that you can't sharpen it and it doesn't wind up or anything. They are pretty cheap though but it'd be nicer as an actual pencil.
The Benefit Bad Gal mascara is a sample I got a bit ago. I'm not a huge fan of it on my top lashes because I don't feel it gives enough length or volume for my liking. I do wear it on really lazy days though. I mainly use Maybelline Falsies but this is no good on my bottom lashes. I end up with smudgey-panda eyes by the end of the day. Since I started putting Bad Gal on my bottom lashes, I've not had this problem at all! 
Last favourite product of the month is the Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo. This is only a little can but I also got this from the Boots clearance for... 30p!! I usually only buy the Batiste dry shampoo for dark brown hair because then I know I'll definitely avoid the grey roots scenario. This one doesn't say it's for dark hair but for the price I really wasn't bothered. It also says it's for oily hair which I also don't have but I couldn't get over 30p :')
It doesn't give me any grey hair and it smells incredible! So impressed that I may even buy the full size when this runs out.

Let me know your favourite products of the month!

30 January 2013

BACK TO BLACK

The other week I posted this outfit post. I love colour and I love seeing people being experimental with colour and I do try to add a bit of colour into my life but the inner goth always gets the better of me and I just wear black (and dark colours) all the time. That being said, this is a very dull outfit post but anyway...



Crop top; H&M | Disco Pants; Glamorous | Necklace; Topshop | Rings; H&M




I spent ages looking for a black crop top last week. In my head I knew what I wanted it to be like and this wasn't actually it but it ended up being the only one I liked. However, it is a size 16 but I really like how it looks teamed with the disco pants. Also, it was about a fiver so no big loss!
As for the disco pants, I love these Glamorous dupes but the other day I saw the proper American Apparel ones and they feel so nice! So much thicker and I WANT! I didn't try them because I knew I would buy them and I'm not sure I can justify £74 for them. But so very tempting. 
I couldn't for the life of me get a decent photo of the rings on my hand so sorry about this shoddy excuse for a photo. The rings came in this pack of 5 for £3.99 in H&M. There's 3 metallic ones and 2 matte ones and they vary in size. I love them! They come in silver/chrome too. So nice for making a plain outfit look a bit more interesting and an absolute bargain too! Much cheaper than the ones I posted in this wishlist.

Face of the day time! 
And apologies for the crazy eyes that I have going on...


Nivea Express Hydration Primer
B. Even Skintone Corrector
No.7 Beautifully Matte Foundation (Cool Vanilla)
ELF Maximum Coverage Concealer (Porcelain)
No.7 Blemish Cover Stick (Fair)
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (001 Transparent)
Benefit Brow-zings (Dark)
Sleek Au Naturel Palette (Nubuck, Bark, Noir)
Natural Collection White Eyeshadow
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner (005 Nude)
L'Oréal Telescopic Mascara (Noir/Black)
Rimmel Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner (024 Red Diva)
Rimmel Apocolips (Big Bang)
ELF Blush (Peachy Keen)


28 January 2013

MAKE-UP HAUL

Howdy!
I thought I'd just show you some of the bits of make-up I've bought over the last couple of weeks. I'm sure there's actually more than this but I'm staring at all my make-up and I can't even think what stuff I've bought that's new or old. Which probably is a sign I buy too much.



Sleek 'Au Naturel' Palette | Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush in '004 Winter Glow' | ELF Blush in 'Peachy Keen' | ELF Maximum Coverage Concealer in 'Porcelain' | Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation '103 True Ivory' | B. Even Skintone Corrector | Rimmel Apocolips in 'Big Bang' | Garnier Roll-On | L'Oréal Telescopic Mascara in 'Black' | L'Oréal False Lash Telescopic Mascara in 'Magnetic Black' | Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner in '005 Nude' | MUA Lip Liner in 'Pink Me Up'





So yeah, this is just a collection of products I've bought over the last month and I'm sure a few of them will be in my January Favourites (which I will hopefully post one day this week.)

I totally love Sleek makeup and I already have the Storm palette but I've wanted the Au Naturel one for so long and finally managed to get it. Usually it's always sold out and this was the last one at the time too. The colours are so pretty and I like that the shades have names unlike the Storm palette.

Couple of blushes, next. The 3 in 1 Rimmel blush I got for £1/2 (I can't fully remember) from the Boots clearance shelf. If you haven't been to your local Boots and seen this then get yourself there now! I've picked up so many bargains this last month from it. I even got so Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo for 30p! The colour pay off from the blush is beautiful and the pigmentation is amazing too.
I only got the ELF blush a couple of days ago but the colour is very pretty and I definitely want more ELF blushes now. Also, in the ELF order I made I got the Maximum Coverage Concealer. Today was the first day I've used it and I'm very impressed. I think I may do a review on this once I've used it more, actually.

Rimmel is probably my favourite drugstore brand on the whole so after seeing people rave about the Wake Me Up Foundation for so long I decided to try it (and it was on offer in Boots). I can't decide on my opinion yet though. I prefer matte finishes and this is a dewy finish. Maybe it will be a better foundation for summer so I'll keep trying it for a while yet but as it stands, I am reaching for my No.7 foundation more than this.
The Rimmel Apocolips however... wow! I bought it a couple of days ago and IN LOVE. Just as the entire blogging world seems to be. It's sort of a cross between a lipstick and lipgloss but not sticky like a lipgloss. They've been compared to the YSL Glossy Stains but I don't have one of those to be able to comment. The colour I have (Big Bang) is a really bright red. So lovely! Definitely recommend and I'm probably going to end up with more colours.

This B. make-up and skincare range is new to Superdrug. I got a sample of the eye cream through my letter box the other day and I have only used it twice but I really like it. I went to look at the whole range and picked up with Skintone Corrector because I'm really unhappy with mine! Hopefully this will do the job it says. I will keep you posted.
The Ganier Roll-On is another majorly hyped product and as it was half price in Superdrug I decided to try it. I'm not overly sold on it so I'm glad I didn't pay full price. It's quite soothing on the skin when you apply it but the coverage is too light for my liking and I can't see a difference in coverage dark circles unless I use it with another concealer.

And lastly a couple of mascaras. For the past few years I have been ever faithful to Maybelline's Falsies mascara and I have been wanting to try out different ones but I don't want to be disappointed and then have to keep using it because mascaras are too expensive to throw out, in my opinion. I saw the L'Oréal Telescopic in the clearance shelf in Superdrug for £4.99 instead of the usual £10.99 price tag so I couldn't ignore that bargain. I've used it a couple of times and I really like the wand of it. I don't think it gives the same volume but I do really like it and it does a good job of my bottom lashes (which I don't think the Maybelline does). I ended up going back to get the False Lash Telescopic and I'm yet to use that, and I am going to try hold off until I've used all my current mascaras, but I am excited by it! Let me know if you use it.

I have just realised that one thing I forgot to photograph was an eyeshadow palette by MUA. It is the 'Starry Night' palette which I got from the Superdrug clearance for £2 because one of the eyeshadows was cracked! I cleaned it up and there's still some of the eyeshadow in the pan but to be honest it's a colour I probably won't use so that's another bargain!



17 January 2013

SOMETIMES, I WEAR COLOUR

I had the day off work today and I bought this skirt last week so I thought I'd dress up despite only leaving my house to go to the bank. I lead such an exciting life, I know.


Shirt; Yayer | Skirt; Wardrobe | Necklace; Dorothy Perkins | Shoes; House of Holland x Superga




I got the skirt from a local little shop where I live and it only cost £12! I really love the skater style skirts and dresses and I've wanted a leather-look one for a while. This one isn't leather (or pleather) or PVC material but it has that shimmer on it that makes it look it. I really like it!
I got the shirt from Yayer about a year ago. I don't usually bother wearing anything underneath even though it's very sheer but today is just too cold! It reminds me so much of the House of Holland SS12 collection. And I wore my HOH Superga's just to keep that theme running.
I've been eyeing up the necklace for so long but I didn't want to pay £14 for it. It went to £5 in the sale and I had a voucher for £5 off so that was an absolute steal!


Eek, a face photo of me! This is brave...


Makeup:

Nivea Express Hydration Primer
GOSH Velvet Touch Primer
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation (103 True Ivory)
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer (010 Ivory)
No7 Stay Perfect Blemish Cover (Extra Fair)
Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder (001 Transparent)
Benefit Brow-zings (Dark)
MUA Eye Primer
Sleek Storm Eyeshadow Palette (shades 1, 11 & 12)
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner (005 Nude)
Sleek Dip-It Liquid Eyeliner
Maybelline Falsies Mascara (Black Drama)
Benefit Bad Gal Mascara (for bottom lashes)
Sleek Contour Kit (Light)
Sleek Blush (Rose Gold)
Rimmel Lip Pencil (063 Black Tulip)
Topshop Lipstick (Beguiled)

(Okay, it doesn't feel like I put that much on my face when I actually do it!)

I think I will spend the rest of my day off painting my nails and watching more Game of Thrones.

16 January 2013

HOUSE OF HOLLAND X BOOTS BEAUTY SET

Before Christmas, Henry Holland held a Twitter Q&A session to promote the House of Holland beauty sets that have been released in Boots stores. I asked him a question just on the off chance and he replied! I was shocked enough at that and then just over a week ago I received an email saying that I had won one of the sets because of this! I've been admiring them all since they were released the other month so I was absolutely thrilled.

It's a shame I can't do anything with my hair to get even close to big hair but EEEK!

I was sent the "Grubby to Gorgeous" kit...








First of all have to say how much I love the bag it comes in. It's huge and will be brill for when I'm staying over places and not having to take more than one bag to carry around all my essentials.

On to the products..! They all have one of the infamous House of Holland slogans for their product names, which I love.
"Hey Hey Hey! Hands Off My Soufflé!" is a body cream which I've been using after showers to leave my skin super soft. It smells INCREDIBLE. It makes me use way too much because to smells too nice.
"Oh My Gosh, You Can't Swear On A Body Wash" is, surprise surprise, a body wash. This one doesn't have any scent which I thought was odd as the other products do. Also, it doesn't lather much unless you use loads of squirts.
"Glamour And Glitz All In A Spritz" is a body spray which says to just spray all over the body. I'm not really sure if it's supposed to do anything special but again it smells amazing and so I've just been going to town on the spraying!
It also comes with the body scrubber/thing/I'm not actually sure what they're called, oops!

There was a couple of different ones of these House of Holland sets released and now I really want the haircare one. They're all reduced now too but they're all sold out online so hopefully I can find a store with some left in stock.

13 January 2013

WISHLIST #2

Haven't done a wishlist post in a while and it seems like a lifetime since I was last paid and another one until I next get money and I miss shopping!


Jersey dress; Topshop
Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation
Marc Jacobs 'Daisy'
Crop top; Topshop
Cross belt; ASOS
Pack of rings; ASOS
Sleek 'Au Naturel' Pallete
Acrylic Makeup Storage; eBay

I LOVE jersey dresses and Topshop's always fit just how I like. They're the most versatile clothing and can be quite easily dressed up or down. They're perfect for me to wear to work too and the colour of this one is beautiful. It comes in a few other colours and knowing Topshop, there's bound to be more released in the next few weeks. The crop top is a brave move for me. I'm really self conscious about myself but I bought a leather-look skater skirt and I think this will look lovely with it. I've got a friend's birthday soon which I'd like it for but it seems to be sold out online and in store so hopefully it gets restocked so I can try it.
The belt from ASOS is something I know I'd get and where with everything! So I'm going to have to hope I get a decent pay slip at the end of the month. Same for the rings. They'd look good on their own are all stacked across all fingers.
I've been wanting Marc Jacobs Daisy fragrance for so long and people I know keep getting it and I want it! I'm going to try and hold off til my birthday in a couple of months and maybe ask for some then.
On to makeup..! I've had such a horrible war with foundation trying to find suitable shades and finishes for my skin. I love No.7 now that I know what shade I need but after watching YouTube videos and seeing so many people rave Estée Lauder's Double Wear, I am so very intrigued and there's so many shades that one of them must be a perfect match for me. It just looks like it gives the best coverage. It's around £27 which is more or less twice No.7 but for foundation you do pay for what you get and if that's rubbish, the rest of the makeup looks rubbish.
I raved Sleek makeup here and I love my Storm palette but I really want the Au Naturel one. The colours will be so much more useful for day to day looks.
The last thing is a bit random but over the last year I've amassed more makeup than I've ever had before and the way I currently store it is not suitable for the amount I have! I've seen so many YouTubers with these acrylic storage units and they look sleek and tidy and I may have to just treat myself.

Are you lusting after anything at the moment?

6 January 2013

DRESS LIKE... ANNE HATHAWAY

I've loved Anne Hathaway since Princess Diaries was released almost 12 years ago (yes, TWELVE!). She's beautiful and funny and a great actress and with the much anticipated film version of Les Misérables about to be released I thought this post seemed quite apt.


BY DAY




Anne's casual day to day style is very relaxed in jeans and flats but she also looks great in cute little dresses and simple accessories.


BY NIGHT




For evenings and red carpet appearances, Anne still keeps everything very elegant and classy and adds in just a pop of colour to make her stand out. So gorgeous!

OH HELLO, 2013

I was going to write a short paragraph on the next blog before getting on to that (a new Dress Like... which should be up later today) but I thought it could use a mini post of its own.

I say on every post that I'm sorry for slacking with getting blog posts up and that I don't have time or inspiration or whatever. Also, it would be silly to force myself to write something if I don't feel like it because it would be utter garbage. But I feel so distanced from the blogging world right now and I don't have many ideas of what to do with my blog.

I'm not usually one for new years resolutions because I know I won't stick to them so I don't see the point. This year, however, I have made a small few.
The first and second go hand in hand with each other. I want to become a blood donor and then subsequently, a bone marrow donor. Now, I am terrified of blood and needles so this is quite a big thing for me. A few months back I saw something about a little girl (I think she was about 10) and she was dying because not enough people donate bone marrow and so she couldn't find a match which could ultimately save her life. I'm not dying. I'm healthy and that's not fair. To donate bone marrow you have to be a blood donor so I registered straight away to do that and booked my appointment so that I can't back out. I have my first donation on Thursday and I'm terrified! But I know that for me it's a few minutes of fear and probably a lot of tears but it when you know how much it is going to mean to someone else's life, I guess it's worth it.

They're my main resolutions and I'm going to achieve them by this time next week so that's brilliant. My next few are just usual little ones. I want to make a conscious effort to eat a little healthier, especially when I'm at work. There I eat absolute trash all the time because it's easier to do. I don't want to stop eating chocolate and junk food and I'm not going to but I'm going to try and be a little kinder to myself.
Then, I want to just worry and stress less. I worry and freak out about every tiny thing and I end up not sleeping because of it and I'm just ill all the time because of it. Even with things that don't or won't affect me in the slightest bit. I don't know how I'm going to do this one but I need to so if you have any suggestions that will be great!

Last two is to firstly sort out my life/career. I'm in retail and basically that's not a safe thing to have for your chosen career no matter how much I love it. I've been doing it for over 4 years, been made redundant twice and now I'm realising I can't make a decent career out of it for myself. I am 21 this year and I want to be able to move out of my parents house soon but I'm not going to be able to do that with my current job. So, sort out my life and then save for my own place are the last two resolutions!

Sorry this blog has been a little different to usual posts. I'm not going to be making this into a lifestyle blog, this is just a one off but if it's something people are interested in, I may consider doing posts like this every now and then as an update? Let me know!
I will do my best to get fashion/beauty posts up more often because I do miss doing them.

Hope you all saw in the New Year well! Let me know your resolutions too.