Confidence - An everyday FOTD

Oh hey guys!

So it's been a while and that is due to a few factors such as university deadlines, zero influence and most importantly my health. Don't get me wrong after the last personal blog post going down well I was back to feeling like a super happy lady with some kind of an influence. However after that I just had a roller coaster of ups and downs with my depression or my DS's (depressive symptoms) and even as I'm typing this now I haven't quite got back to my "normal" self. However I feel like I am letting a lot of people and readers down and theres nothing worse than giving up something you love to try and stop the storm of your life. 

So this post if you haven't guessed it is another FOTD, I noticed that this one of my top ten popular posts so I thought I would appease the readers and do another one. There are definitely new products in this from the previous one so theres an excuse in itself. With my on going struggles with DS's there are far and few times I feel pretty and confidence and therefore on this rare day I thought why not take some photographs to make it into a blog post. So here goes....

 Starting off with the base I used a prep spray to give myself a good starting point, next I used to light to medium coverage BB cream that I have been loving for days where you don't want to completely cake your face. Following this was my favourite concealer for under the eyes as well as to cover the horrendous spots and blemishes scattered around my face.

As you can see I did not go crazy insane for my eyes, I just used a matt beige shade on the lid of my eyes and used a light brown in my crease as a transition colour. As for my mascara I have been using a sample of UD Perversion which I have been loving as I didn't realise how short my eyelashes actually are! Recently Eyebrow pencils have been my go to thing the one problem I found with this one is that the wax end of it always breaks (just me?). 

Since this is a super quick look and not a heavy impact look I used a random bronzer to add some definition to my face but did not use a contour kit as I usually would. My favourite product of this FOTD? Sleek Matte Me lipgloss in Birthday Suit, it is a gorgeous nude that is easy to pull off and is a great price. 

I also took this day to wear a brand new off the shoulder top I recently bought at New Look for under £15 and as the sun was out it was a perfect opportunity! 

As you can see a simple everyday quick make up look that doesn't look to shabby (ignore my eyebrows they were waxed the next day!) I hope you guys enjoyed.

Products Used:

Urban Decay B6 Vitamin Infused Complexion Prep Spray

Clean and Clear Hint of Tint Cover and Correct Cream #Light

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer #Fair Neutral

Benefit Longwear Powder Eyeshadow #Call My Buff

Benefit Longwear Powder Eyeshadow #Thanks A Latte

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara

Loreal Paris Brow Artiste Eyebrow Pencil #Dark Brun

Rimmel London Natural Bronzer 

Sleek Matte Me Lipgloss #Birthday Suit

New Look Bardot Top  

Boutique Salon Soft Waves Hair Wand by Bayliss

Any Products you guys would recommend for an effortless daytime look?

A quick glance at my beauty storage....

Oh hey guys!

It's been a while but if there is anything I love it's makeup and my bedroom has recently been decorated therefore I was able to finally buy suitable storage for my beauty items!
So this is just a quick peek into said storage....

I have the Ikea Malm Chest of 6 drawers which are a bit pricey at £79 but I feel like as an investment piece it is not too bad. I only use the first 4 drawers for my beauty items and as you can see the top lifts off to show another are to store and a mirror, I keep this open and my everyday makeup and items on show.

On the top: Everyday makeup (I will go more into depth about what is in this organiser and where I got it from on a later post), a random pot from paper chase (around £3-£5) which i use to hold my makeup brushes in ( all of which are real techniques). Also I have my perfumes on top to grab which ever one suits my mood that day (Anna Sui Sui Dolly Girl Eau De Toilette, Calvin Klein Downtown Eau de Parfum, Victoria Secret Love Spell and DKNY Be Delicious Eau de Parfum) a gorgeous heart ring holder from Tiger and a jewellery holder.

Drawer one: This is my makeup drawer, this is everything from primers to lipsticks. I don't have a lot of makeup no where near as much as I used to have, this is mainly due to the fact I don't hoard products if I don't get on with them I can't say I particularly own a lot of higher end products I am definitely much more of a drug store shopper. I will however invest in products if i have given them the right amount of research and if i know for sure that I will use them everyday or can give them enough love. I have to admit though recently I have been splurging at MAC but you guys will see that  in the post coming up about my makeup organiser and everyday makeup.

Drawer two is the nail drawer, I don't believe I have a crazy amount of polishes or anything but I think it is a decent amount. My favourite polishes to get are Rimmel 60 seconds but I definitely want to invest in Essie polishes very soon. I have all you can need for nails from remover to nail scissors, files etc. 

Drawer two is the hair drawer! This is one of my favourite drawers, I have always been attached to my hair and I can't even bare to cut it. In the middle section above you can see a box, this contains dry shampoos, hair spray, brushes and hair ties/ bobby pins. To the left is a selection of smaller bottles such as heat defence spray, curl activating cream and hair oil these are generally what I reach for. And finally to the right is my hair curler and straighter which I believe is the best high street straightener for thick hair! (buy here)

My fourth drawer is body and skin care, in the box to the left there are body lotions, creams, scrubs etc just every lotion and potion that you can possibly want. I am actually using the Clinique three step system so I may do a review on that at a later date. The top is usually where I keep random stuff like feminine products and spare face wipes and glasses. This leaves the area to the right of the box which is where I keep deodorant, cotton buds any spare lotion and shaving foam etc. I would definitely say this is my fullest drawer and the heaviest!

The last two drawers in my storage house my under garments and that completes the Malm 6 drawer storage! I hope you enjoyed the glance into my storage, if you want a more in depth look into a particular drawer comment below but until next time....

That's all for now...

OOTD: Bipolar Weather!

Oh hey guys!

So yesterday's weather was mad! When I got out the door it was cloudy and cold so I shoved on my fluffy pink Primark Jumper and Chunky New Look boots. By the time I was coming back home some half an hour later I was all sticky and hot. Not a pleasant feeling!

This is just a simple outfit of the day (I changed when I came home as it was hot and this is it).

So I have been wanting to wear this gorgeous Black and White Kimono from Matalan for a while now and I figured since it was suppose to reach highs of 20 degrees yesterday it was the perfect time. I managed to snag it in the sale a few months ago for around £12 so I am so happy I could finally wear it. I teamed it with a Boohoo white cropped tshirt that is inexpensive at £4 and a bargain pair of Shaper jeans from New Look (again in a sale at a tenner!)

This outfit is without a doubt a bargain outfit, under £30!

I kept my makeup fairly natural and neutral, if you want to see a makeup tutorial just let me know! 

Thats all for now!

My First Birchbox!

Hey Guys,

I recently decided to sign up to Birchbox as there have been many good reviews and the products seem to be amazing and there seems to be a good range of products. I was lucky enough to be in time to receive the Lulu Guinness Edition of the box which includes a beautiful designed slip (is that the word?) to go over the original Birchbox.

The slip has two designs front and back, both bold and fabulous. Lulu Guinness uses the black and white stripes throughout the box as she to includes a inscripted "rock" sweet in the same design. 

This is an overview of  what I received, there were a few leaflets including a special book that had Lulu Guinness' views and opinions on stuff. For a Birchbox virgin I found that the box and bag were super cute and can easily be used around the house again. 

So now the bit everyone has been waiting for, the products.

English Laundry (English Laundry Signature For Her EDP Spray For Women)
" Tap into the very essence of an English country garden with this beautifully fresh fragrance. Envelope yourself in top notes of rose geranium and creamy white flowers set against a woody spicy and musky tones"
I personally love this fragrance it only takes one spray to last an entire day, handy considering its a sample size. A cute essential for any woman's handbag. 

Dr Brant Pores No More (Pore Refiner)
"Targeting one of skincare's biggest issues, Dr Brandt's amazing Pore No More refiner gives a quick fix for oily complexions helping to hide pores, absorb oil and mattify shine. The silky smooth formula glides effortlessly onto the skin releasing microspheres which diffuse the light It also contains Tea Tree Oil for its essential antibacterial properties."
I do tend to suffer with bad pores but I don't have oily skin, I found this to be oily in itself but did give off the silky texture that every woman desires. Overall I prefer the Porefessional Face Primer in comparison. 

Korres Citrus Body Milk 
"With a nourishing and soothing combination of almond oil, aloe, shea butter and provitamin B5, this lotion will leave your skin feeling super-hydrated throughout the day. The lightweight formula's citrusy scent is the perfect morning pick-me-up ritual. Plus, there are no parabens, 
silicones, or other synthetics and the packinging is all recyclable".
This is in no way something I would think of buying I don't particularly like the smell of the expensive price tag.However it is always handy to have a travel size of anything and this is no exception.


Benefit Stay Don't Stray (Light/Medium)

"This little gem is foolproof way to ensure that your undereye concealer and eyeshadows stay put from morning to night. It comes in one surprisingly versatile shade that brightens underneath and above the eye. The lightweight formula blends in easily and won't clog the delicate skin around the eyes".I am a major Benefit fan I tend to have at least 3 of there products on my wishlist at one time. I find this Primer for the eyes and concealers to be effective, normally I would need to touch up or feel like the makeup is fading however with this product I am able to see a huge difference. Definitely on my wishlist.

Molton Brown Replenishing Hand Cream (Rhubarb and Rose)
"This luxury intensive hand cream not only smells temptingly sweet, it's instantly absorbed after application - so you can get straight back to what you were doing. White truffle extract ensures your hands stay soft, along with moisturising rose extract."
I must admit I am pretty bad when it comes to using any kind of cream so this gives me a push to use it more. Its nourishing and smells of summer definitely something to crack out when you need to give your hands some TLC.

So to anyone thinking of signing up to Birchbox I would suggest you do so, it is a cute little box that any beauty lover would enjoy and its super affordable!

Sign up here

Inspiration Blogger of the Week #3:

I have been a major fan of Sabrina for at least a year, not only is she an amazing blogger but she also has a youtube channel in which she creates videos on everything from hauls to tutorials. In fact her Youtube channel is what drew me into searching the web for her blog.

Now she hasn't posted much this year but her dedication to both her blog and her youtube channel is profound, not only that but she is down to earth and I've been particularly lucky for her to have tweeted me back (major fan girl moment trust me!)

Her tutorials are effortless and she combines not only high end products but manages to sneak in products on the cheaper scale in there, recently she created a Mila Kunis inspired make-up look using only Primark make-up from there new range. (click here to watch)

In general I cannot begin to explain and encourage you guys to check her out, her success along with her beauty (*crushing*) is on the up and I'll be privileged to watch her rise.

Her links:

Instagram

Blogger
Youtube

My Christmas 2013

So most people tend to do a "What I got for Christmas tag" but to be honest my SD card stopped working so I couldn't do it before the deadline. This is instead a post on my whole Christmas experience.

So Christmas Eve was spent with my mum in the kitchen preparing the turkey, making snacks for the next day and sorting out the presents for Christmas day. Not much happened except the fact I sorted out my work outfit for the next day and what make-up I would be wearing. An exciting life I lead I know!

This is my stash of goodies from the day, a few DVD's including The Amazing Spider-man (Major Marvel fan!!!) body stuff, Soap and Glory box, Topshop bags and shoes, cheeky white wine from my beauty Victoria and a cute "remember me" bracelet from Shannon are among the bunch. I loved everything I received so thank you to everyone who got me a gift. 

So my make-up look for the day was created using the following:

Benefit Porefessional Primer

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation in Cool Bone

Revlon Photo Ready Concealer in Fair

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder in Transparent
Sleek Vintage Romance Palette - Paris Gold (no longer sold)

Ted Baker Cant take my eyes off you - Gold (no longer sold)
Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen in Black
Rimmel Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Black
(For eyebrows) Natural Collection eyeshadow in Crushed Walnut
Natural Collection Clear Mascara (to set)
Rimmel Natural Bronzer in Sun Bronze
Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks in Peach Melba

Benefit High Beam Highlighter 
LA Colours lipliner Pencil in Forever Red

Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Fatal Red

Seen as I was working Christmas Day I decided to opt for the Christmas Jumper, this one was from Primark at a bargain £12!!

This is me looking slightly bald, despite the fact I have long hair it appears this way because I had it in a bun - the same way as I did my prom hair, with my beautiful bestie and colleague Jessy!!!

"Say Cheese" with Jade, Jessy, my sister Gemma and lovely Shannon as you may have noticed we opted for the Christmas Jumpers aside from the sexy Mrs Claus Aka Shannon!

                                                 Close up of my two beauties!

This is a picture stolen from my sisters Instagram account of the beautiful bracelets Shannon got us as she's left us for a tiny village in the middle of no where :(

This is a pretty picture of the beautifully matching jumper pair Jess and Victoria (stolen off Victoria's instagram) I love these girls like they are my sisters!

So the day was a very long day in fact for many like myself it consisted of an 8 hour shift with no breaks in between, however I love the team I work with and the girls in general made it a very happy and smooth running day. After getting home it was the usual Christmas dinner followed by alcohol and plenty of nibbles. 

I hope you guys had an amazing Christmas

Benefit- The best of Benefit

As an avid fan of Fashion Train AKA Becca I couldn't help but see her Twitter post on the Benefit - The best of Benefit box which included miniatures of all the best and popular items across the benefit range, at only £24.50! A perfect gift this Christmas for a beauty fan or someone curious about Benefit!

As you can see you get a miniture of the following:
Porefessional Primer
Theyre Real Mascara
Hoola Bronzer
Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain
Boi-ing Concealer
High Beam Highlighter

The Porefessional comes in a handy squeeze tube at a handbag size, the screw cap is a tad annoying, a screw cap would be much more convenient, the product itself is easy to get out so you only need to squeeze lightly to get it out.  The product is light-weight and spreads easy giving your skin a silky smooth feeling, great for the application of make-up. The price of the 22ml tube of porefessional is £24.50 which may be deemed a little on the pricey side but bare in mind it gives you the perfect finish and base for make-up. It just might sway you.

They're Real Mascara is a very hyped up among the beauty community and seems to be more hit than miss with most people. Personally I think this mascara opens up my eyes a lot which I love. However, I feel like this mascara tends to clump quite a lot but I believe that is due to the fact I have quite thick lashes already, however this is just my opinion so if it works for you then great!

Overall I like the Bronzer and would definitely think about purchasing the full sized version, I'm not a major professional when it comes to bronzer and this is a nice one to try and practice using. It blends well with the blush in my routine, it gives a natural glow that's not to overpowering. This is a reasonable price at £23.50 from Boots, definitely a good investment.

Benetint is a very sheet Merlot-rose stain which is way too thin and runny, it bled into my skin and stained whilst swatching it. It tends to look patchy and uneven on me. When applying it, I found it stains both lines and dry skin on my lips but doesn't stick to the rest of the lips. I'm not to sure if I like this product just yet, I'm gonna keep it in my makeup bag a little longer to see if I can get to grips with it first. It retails at £24.50 at Boots.

The think I like most about the concealer is that is amazing for use under both my eyes and my blemishes, many concealers seem to work well at either one or the other but this is redoubtably best at both. It doesn't crease as many concealers do in reference to under the eyes the staying power was great only wearing off a tad, I blame that on the fact my skin has been terrible. The one thing that would be the downfall for me would be the price at £18.50 which seems a bit steep in my eyes but unless I find a concealer that is as good as this for less then I will be purchasing the full size very soon.

The High beam Highlighter has been a must have for a very long time, I've never really tried liquid highlighter just matte so this was a whole different ball park for me, one I've been looking forward to trying. I found it to be a lovely highlighter that blends easily, looks natural and gives a great looking glow. If you are unsure just yet get a mini size to try it or better yet get this set whilst you can! The full size retails at £19.50 at Boots!


I hope this post helped expose you to the wonders of Benefit and this amazing gift set.

Little Haul

Recently I caught up with an old friend of mine and we went browsing around a shopping centre, which as you may have guessed by this post would have been to tempting for me. I picked up a few bits and bobs along the way, not like I'm saving for uni or anything. *note sarcasm*

Here is a quick overview, as you can see it wasn't a major blow-out but considering I didn't want to spend, it was a significant amount.

Skin care wise I decided to take advantage of the deal of Nivea face wipes, they were on offer for 3 for 2 so it was roughly £6 (some may deem that as expensive considering you can get them cheaper elsewhere, but I'd rather spend extra on my skin)

 As for the Origins purchase, the spot remover is something that is overly hyped up so I thought I'd jump on the band wagon and see if its worth the hype.

I needed a new bag to carry the endless amounts of stuff to work in and I stumbled  into this classy looking bag at Primark for a  bargain £10! Its cute with the reptile like textiles to make it simple and yet a classic piece, Primark tends to surprise me sometimes with the quality and price of such items.
My most expensive purchase was a pair of Topshop leggings/treggings in plain black, they follow the same style as the American Apparel Disco Pants. They have been on my wishlist for ages but I couldn't condone spending over £70 on them so these Topshop ones were a major discount from £25 reduced to £20!

Finally I had to pick up the latest edition of Cosmo, this wasnt for the free Orly nail varnish or for the leading lady Miley Cyrus but because I promised my best friend I would buy every months copy whilst she's at Uni. So Agnieszka this shout out is for you! x

Thats all for now guys! 

40 Beauty Questions Tag!

SKINCARE

-How many times do you wash your face daily?
 Once in the morning, once at night. 
-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)Combination. 

-What is your current facial wash? 
Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit cleanser.

 -Do you exfoliate?
Occassionally

-What brand do you use?
St. Ives

-What moisturizer do you use?
 Clinique Moisture Surge

-Do you have freckles?
No. 
-Do you use eye cream?
No. 

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
Nope, Just prone to the occasional breakout.

-Did you ever have to use Proactive?
No

MAKE-UP 

-What foundation do you use?
At the moment it is Boujour Healthy Mix Foundation (Vanilla)

 -How about concealer?
 Revlon Photo Ready Concealer. 

-Do you know your undertone color?
Pink.

-What do you think of fake eyelashes? 
I can't use them so.....

-Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months?
 Yes.

-What brand of mascara do you use?
Maybelline or Rimmel.

-Sephora or MAC?
MAC, I don't think you can get Sephora in England.
-

Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No.

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Makeup brushes. 

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
No, just regular primer.

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Don't have a particular color. 

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
Not always, but if I do then pencil.

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
Never.

-What do you think of pigment eye shadows?
 Love them.

-Do you use mineral makeup?
 No.

-What is your favorite lipstick?
I'm not a major fan of lipstick, more the Revlon Lip Butter.

-How about lip gloss?
Don't have one.

-What is your favorite blush to use?
Revlon Matt Blush

-Do you buy your makeup on eBay?
 No.

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Yes.

-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
 No.

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
Nope.

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
No.

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
People telling you that there are rules while putting makeup on.

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
Neutral mainly.

-Which celebrity always has great make up?
Mila Kunis

-If you could leave the house using just ONE makeup item, what would you use?
BB Cream

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
Yes.

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
No.

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
 Estee Lauder.

-What do you think of Makeup???
 I LOVE IT!