Birthday celebrations!

Welcome back, after another accidental mini break from blogging...

I recently had my birthday, which is something I'm never usually very excited about! I'm much more of a Christmas kind of person, so didn't really make too much effort with planning this year, However, I ended up having such a lovely day! I went for a spa day which included a seriously relaxing back massage and afternoon tea with a ridiculous amount of different cakes. Then went for drinks in the evening with some of my best girls! Perfect!

A lot of the things I received were in preparation for moving away to uni, so homeware for practical use, such as towels and sheets! Here are a couple of the gifts

 

I was also so lucky to receive a kindle which is something I've been looking at for ages! Can't wait to start downloading some good reads. First on my list is The 100. It's also a TV show that I have been loving recently, although it is slightly gory!

I was so happy with everything I received and had a lovely, relaxing day!

Thank you for reading!

End of Summer Soundtrack

Photo Source

I listen to music a lot from a site called 8tracks, I've found lots of new songs and artists this way as you choose keywords from a list to find a playlist, such as a genre like 'indie' or more emotion based like 'sleepy', 'calm' or 'feelgood'.
This is just a small list of songs I've been listening to over the last few months this Summer. It's a mix from upbeat and happy, to more chilled and calm ones!

(links in titles)

Luna- Bombay Bicycle Club

Even My Dad Does Sometimes- Ed Sheeran

Maps- Maroon 5

All about That Bass- Megan Trainor

Latch (Acoustic)- Sam Smith

Diane Young- Vampire Weekend

I'm a Mess- Ed Sheeran

Comeback- Ella Eyre

Settle Down- The 1975

Like I Can- Sam Smith

Love Runs Out- OneRepublic

           

Turning Page- Sleeping At Last

What are some of your favourite songs this Summer?

Daily Makeup

First of all, sorry for not posting regularly! What with going to work, sorting out lots of uni things for September, starting driving lessons and seeing friends, it's been pretty busy!

This is a collection of the makeup I use on a day to day basis. Personally I find blush looks a bit overdone on me, so I save that just for nights out! I've been using all these products for a while now, and lots of them will be repurchases! 

Face: 

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation 

Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer

Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder

L'Oreal Paris Glam Bronzer

So clearly I am loving Rimmel products at the moment! The foundation is a great one for summer, containing SPF18, it feels really light on the skin and leaves a nice glow! The bronzer has hardly any glitter or shine in it, making it so practical for day, this is in the shade Golden Bronze which I love as it doesn't make you look orange! 

 

Eyes:

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner

Clinique High Impact Volume Mascara

I found this eyeliner took a bit of getting used to as the pen nib isn't that flexible, it is great for being precise and creating that perfect flick however, I might go back to liquid eyeliner just as it's easier, and lasts slightly longer. I absolutely LOVE this mascara though! It really does what it says in the name, making my lashes look longer and thicker.

 

 

Others:

BodyShop Born Lippy Strawberry Balm

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

Real Techniques Blush Brush

I always just use a balm during the day, either the one above or a Nivea one as they are the best for moisturising! This one also has a tint of colour in it, which is slightly red. The Real Technique brushes don't really need an introduction! Personally, I find them to be the best for affordable prices and quality. And another plus, they are really easy to clean back to as if new.

Thanks for reading, if anyone has some recommendations of new products I'd love to hear them!

Been There, Done That

I found this tag ages ago on the blog http://www.fashionanna.com/! I've taken a couple of questions out, but thought it looked quite fun to do, so here are my answers!

Which countries in the world have you visited?
Living in the UK we usually go somewhere hot in Europe. I've also been lucky enough to go to Canada and America.

Which destination is on top of your wishlist? Where would you really like to go?
I would love to go to California to see Hollywood and the gorgeous beaches! Italy is also somewhere that is top of the list. They have such amazing buildings and scenery, and the food! Pasta, ice cream and pizza is my dream diet!

Which destination was so special, you want to go there again?
I loved America. It was quite a long trip so we got to go to a few different states. I think New York is just so crazy and different that its hard to take it all in at the time, so would really like to go back and see other parts of the city.



With who would you like to go on a holiday?
I usually go away with my family so I would love to do a trip with my best friends! A beach/party holiday would be so much fun especially now we're all heading off to uni!

What would you bring to an uninhabited island?
I really want a Kindle, as when on holiday I always get through so many books! This would also mean the books wouldn't get sandy, and I could download more while waiting to be rescued!



Would you prefer to go to an amusement park or the zoo?
I seriously LOVE zoos for some reason, so this is quite easy for me! Last year in Washington I got to see pandas which was so amazing.

Would you prefer to go on a skiing holiday or a sun holiday?
Can I have both?? I've only ever  been skiing once... but it was so much fun! However, I'd probably choose sun overall, you leave just feeling so much happier and relaxed!



What is your favourite holiday memory?
It's not that specific, but I really love that feeling when you are on a quiet beach in the sun doing nothing but listening to the sea!

What is your least fun holiday memory?
Being on a coach for 28 hours trying to get to the ski resort was definitely not fun when I went on a school trip to Austria!

To which country(ies) are you going this year?
Sadly i don't think I'm going on holiday this summer! I went to Barcelona for a few days earlier this year, so I was still able to tick one place of my list!

Where would you most love to go? Thanks for reading!

Soap & Glory

Soap & Glory is one of my most loved brands for shower products. From the smell and packaging, to the most important product inside, it ticks all the boxes for me! Although slightly more money than other more simple shower gels or lotions, they are always in 3 for 2 at Boots making it more reasonable. They also last for a long time, especially the 'Clean Girls' Body Wash, which I was using for months!

The Righteous Butter Body Lotion: £10.50 With aloe vera and shea butter this is so good for those with dry skin! The smell is slightly stronger on this, so I tend to use it at night before bed. This is a fairly new purchase but I love how creamy the texture is and it sinks in quickly.

Rich and Foamous Body Wash: £6.50 A little of this goes along way, so its well worth the money! Like many of their products it's really moisturising. I haven't tried this as a bath soak yet but the scent is very calming!

Sugar Crush Body Scrub: £8 This is definitely best in the morning as the citrus lime really wakes you up. It is a good scrub in general although slightly too soft for my liking. The sugar grains tend to 'melt' meaning you don't get to buff the skin as much, but they do help to leave the skin soft.

Scrubatomic Facial Polish: £9 (This can be much cheaper on a Boots skincare offer) This is another new product and so far I'm very mixed! The exfoliator beads have made my skin smoother, and I have also noticed my skin looking brighter! However, I started using this almost everyday and found I got quite a few spots, which is quite unusual for me. I don't know if this was a reaction, or whether it was doing it's magic and getting rid of impurities! I have since used it only 2-3 times a week and found much better results, so it may be just a little harsh for my face!

The Scrub of Your Life: £7 In my opinion, saved the best 'til last! This is the best body scrub I've used, it particularly helped smooth the back of my arms where I had bumps. This foams up really well and the beads are much stronger to exfoliate! Just bear that in mind if you have sensitive skin!

I really want to try their hair products next, so if anyone's tried them before let me know!

Liebster Award!

I was nominated by Amy who can be found here. She has a great blog, which i've been following for a little while now, so thank you for my first tag nomination!

The rules are as followed:

• You must answer all 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
• You must link back to the person that nominated you.
• After completing these questions you must nominate bloggers (with under 200 followers) and give 11 questions of your choice.
• You can not nominate the person who nominated you.

You must let your nominees know that they have been nominated and provide a link to your post so they can learn more about it.

The questions were:
1. Which blogger inspired you to start your blog, and why? 
I've been reading so many blogs for years now so  there isn't really just one! The first blog I ever found was Zoella's back in 2010, so maybe hers.

2. Where would you most like to travel? 
California is definitely my next place to go! I'm thinking about doing a TrekAmerica holiday, as they look amazing!

3. What is your favourite make up brand? 
I really like Clinique however they are quite expensive on the bank balance, so probably Rimmel overall.

4. Whats your favourite season (winter, summer, etc)?
I love winter, mainly because of Christmas. I always get so into all the celebrations, especially the Christmas dinner!! I've worked in retail for the past 3 years, so cannot wait to have Boxing Day off this year!

5.What is your favourite film or book? 
I really like the film 'Friends With Benefits', Mila Kunis and Justin are the perfect pair for this film and it's not quite as soppy/cheesy as other films in this genre. Books are harder, I studied English Lit at A level so have many favourites from that!

6. Do you have a style icon, if so who?
Not particularly, I have a pretty classic style, so people like Mollie King, or Millie Macintosh are ones I look at most for inspiration. 

7. Do you prefer make up or skincare? 
Make up. My skincare regime compared to some bloggers is not very impressive!

8. If you could have anything in the world what would it be? 
This ones really hard! I would really love a plane ticket to go and see my sister, as she's now moved away. I would also love a pet cat or dog as I never had one as a child! On a much more superficial note, I would like the Urban Decay Naked palette! 

9. Most watched Youtuber or blogger? 
Sprinkle of Glitter's videos, and the 'The Londoner' are both long term faves!

10. What film have you watched more than any other?
It's so cheesy and really not the best in terms of storyline etc.. but 'Sweet Home Alabama' with Reese Witherspoon is always one I go to on a rainy afternoon!

11. If you could be one person ( dead or alive) for a day who would it be and why? 
Beyonce. For obvious reasons!

I nominate:

http://littlemisscazzie.blogspot.co.uk/
http://kelsiereynolds.blogspot.co.uk/
http://kathandcake.blogspot.co.uk/
http://mappingoutmyworld.wordpress.com/
http://www.alittlelucy.com/
http://absterdam.blogspot.co.uk/

and anyone else who wants to do it!

My Questions Are:
1. What is your favourite item of clothing?
2. Best memory from school/uni?
3. What food could you eat forever?
4. Which place would you love to visit?
5. Your miracle makeup product?
6. What 'resolution/goal' would you love to complete by 2015?
7. Favourite blogs?
8. Worst makeup or fashion mistake?
9. Best advice for your 15 year old self?
10. Who's concert would you love to go to?
11. Marmite, love it or hate it?

Review: Daily Moisturisers

Johnson's 24hr Day Cream : £3.99

Clinique: All about Eyes- Full size version £26

My perfect moisturiser is something I'm always on the hunt for. I have dry skin, and find in the winter even one day without it, is a big regret! This Johnson's day cream is one of the first that I have repurchased, and I will again! It feels light on the skin and sinks in really quickly. I always apply it just before foundation, as it makes a pretty good base. It also has SPF 15 which is perfect for a bit of added protection, especially given how rubbish I am with sun creams! I've found it has made my skin softer, and hasn't ever caused any breakouts or problems. Even though this one is for normal rather than dry skin, this one works really well, although I will choose a different one for the Autumn/ Winter.

The Clinique Eye Cream is something fairly new. This actually came in sample size as it's part of a set of several products. I apply lightly under my eyes using my ring finger. It soothes the eye area and I've found it does help slightly with make up wear such as concealer. It has made the skin slightly softer and smoother, but I haven't really noticed a reduction in circles or puffyness, a main area I was hoping for improvement... it may be that it needs to be tried for longer. I really love Clinique products, a mascara I have by them is brilliant, however, I'm not sure I would pay £26 pounds for a full size version of this cream.
I have recently got a sample size of the Clinique 'Dramatically Different' Moisturiser within a magazine so I'm excited to give that a go next!

Thanks for reading, any 'holy grail' moisturisers out there I should try?

To the seaside..

walking by Lyme Regis' beach

For the past 5-6 days I have been having a little break down south in Dorset. We originally went to celebrate my cousin's wedding day, but decided to add on a few days to enjoy the beaches and sunny weather while it lasted! As a child I used to go on holidays all around the UK, so it was really good to go back to some of these places and appreciate how lovely they all are.

The places we went to were Lyme Regis, West Bay Beach, and Southbourne- my favourite of the beaches. I'd really recommend trying a trip like this, it's perfect if you only have a couple of days free but want to fit in a lot!

 

Nike Trainers and Getting Fit

After a setback in June, I am back and ready to get fit! As cliché as it is to begin a fitness regime in summer and all, the sunny weather and lighter evenings really do make it so much more appealing! Although I am lucky to have a naturally slim build, my overall fitness isn't as good as it used to be and I miss doing regular exercise, especially dance.

So I have started at a zumba class, and so far I really like it! I'd definitely recommend this to people who are just starting out with exercise.. its fun, and with people of all ages nobody will judge you if you get a few moves wrong!
I'm also trying to run again, something I've never got on with too well! I heard it only really becomes enjoyable once you break through the first month and start running a decent distance! I'm going to stick with it and see... any tips or running songs would be great!

With this new mindset, I figured I needed some new shoes to match! These are called Nike Dual Fusion TR and were from a Nike outlet store. They had a great discount, from £60.00 RRP to £29.40

Now its warmer I'm wearing these Adidas shorts. You can buy similar from Sports Direct, or just somewhere like H&M if you want them cheaper. To Zumba I wear black leggings, any pair will do if you're just starting out, although I will buy some proper sports ones soon! With these I wear a loose t-shirt, or tank top.

I will post how I'm getting on, every month or maybe few months. Hopefully there will start to be an improvement!

Summer Sale Haul- Zara, River Island

The summer sales have well and truly begun, and I seem to be unable to resist, especially the bright patterns/ florals! Zara has always been one of my favourite places to shop, they have great reductions each season and this year is no exception. I managed to find several tops, and the light denim jeans, which are thicker quality than other store's jeans. I also popped into River Island, somewhere I don't usually go and was very pleasantly surprised. I usually find it a little expensive for what it is, but there are so many lovely things at the moment, it's worth a look!
The sunglasses were only £1 from Primark with a case, They do say UV protection on the front but think these will just be temporary until I find my perfect pair! Anyone else seriously struggle to find sunglasses that actually suit their face shape??



Zara Jeans- £15.99

River Island- £16



Zara- £12.99

Zara- £3.99

 



That's enough sale shopping for me, I think! Thanks for reading!

June Beauty Favourites

Another month has gone by so quickly! After a few relaxing weeks off I am back to work... typically just when the sun has started to show! Here are just a few things I've been loving and using non-stop this month:

Body Shop Mango Lip Butter: In my opinion Body Shop has the nicest smelling products, and this is no exception! These butters last forever, and are really creamy but without being sticky. I tend to use this before going to sleep to really hydrate overnight.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish (Soft and Gentle): This was my first MAC product, and has been in my makeup bag ever since. This gives a gorgeous summer glow and is not too much for my pale skin! This will work out great value as a little goes a long way.

MaxFactor Glossfinity Nailpolish (forever glam): The perfect deep pink. I was really impressed with how little this chipped, and only one coat is needed.

Rimmel Wake me Up Concealer: This really does illuminate and brighten under the eye, with a medium coverage. I particularly love this as it more of a yellowy tone rather than pink which can be hard to find in the paler shades.

Jergens Original Beauty Lotion: I have been using this moisturiser since last summer and is a firm favourite. It has a light texture, and sinks quickly into the skin, great when in a rush. Personally, I love the cherry-almond smell, although it may not be for everyone. This really helps get rid of dryness from winter, and leaves the skin much softer ready for shorts and summer dresses!

I love reading monthly favourites, and always happy to hear of any more amazing products out there!

Review: Quick Fix Facials- Charcoal Mask

 

Quick Fix Facials: Purifying Charcoal Mask  £4.99 

After avoiding face masks for years due to a dodgy tomato red skin reaction, I finally decided to dive back in and try a new brand with it. My skin has been looking a bit duller recently so this seemed perfect!

While searching Boots, charcoal seemed to be a key ingredient in so many new products. It's said to work as a 'magnet' to bring out impurities and give pores a deep clean, which after trying I would agree with. In fact, Origins do a similar one called Clear Improvement Active Charcoal mask, which at £22 was outside of my budget, making this a great more affordable dupe. This mask also contains dragon fruit and cinnamon which help to give it a slightly nicer more spicy smell, while clarifying the skin. Though not the most appealing colour, this mask applies smoothly and causes no irritations at all. With around 10 minutes drying time, it is easy to wipe off with a cloth and warm water.

After using this 1-2 times a week, for around a month I can really start to see a difference. They do several other masks so will definitely be trying some more!

Primark/Zara Haul

I recently went to London for the day, and of course it wouldn't be complete without a bit of shopping! I was mainly interested in the Oxford Street Primark, although it's absolutely packed you can always find something!

White Playsuit: £13. This will be really great for summer with a tan, although I am a little unsure whether it looks like pyjamas?? Hopefully with some bright accessories it will be fine!
Black Dress: The tag said £13, but at the till it was £7! Simple but really easy for a last minute night out!

Brown Shoes: £8. I love moccasins, really comfy and the beading just makes it a bit different!
Ballet Pumps: £4. An essential, I get through Primark shoes so quickly but for the price you can't complain!

 

Lastly, I found these cotton trousers in the Zara sale, £22.99 down from £29.99. I actually really wanted these before so very happy I waited! These are slightly cropped and perfect for a casual day with a grey or black tee, and some sandals.

I'd love to hear of any more bargains, or key items you love for the summer!

Summer Nails

From L-R BarryM Greenberry, Essie Fear&Desire, BarryM Blueberry, and Models Own Hedonist

So now we're finally getting some sunny weather, I feel like its time to change to the bright and definitely more bold colours. Despite having a ridiculous collection of nail polish, I just about managed to get it down to my favourite four for summer!


Greenberry and Blueberry: Whilst not the most exciting names of the bunch, BarryM polishes will always be my most loved brand. The 'Gelly' ones are even better, don't chip for a good few days and are the cheapest only £3.99! The small down side to these particular shades is they do need a few coats to stop it looking streaky.

Hedonist: This is the perfect coral shade for the summer! It's also slightly neon, so can easily be the statement if your outfit is more simple. At £5 I definitely need to invest in a few more!

Fear and Desire: Oranges are usually avoided completely on my nails, but luckily this shade is quite soft and more of a tangerine colour. I love Essie in general, the consistency is always good and they come with the easiest brush for application. Fragrance Direct also sell their varnishes at a cheaper price so its good to check there for a bit of a discount from the usual price of £8!


I'm always on the search for some more shades or brands to try so any recommendations would be great!

The Beginning!

After reading amazing blogs for several years now I've decided to stop deliberating and finally start a blog of my own! I hopefully will be sharing things that i'm loving, buying, going to do over the summer and more! I'm really excited to start and hopefully find even more blogs along the way!