November Favourites

It's nearly Christmas!!! I'm super excited for Christmas, I think I have been since September ish. I'd normally be itching to get the Christmas decorations up now, but fortunately for my Mum and Dad we are all going to Center Parcs tomorrow, so it has to be put off for a week. Oh man a little bit sad about the whole decoration thing but how exciting a little break away.  

Saturday brought the start of Advent Calenders and my Mum bought everyone but me one, maybe this means I get a special one! Who knows haha. I have pulled together a selection of my most used things for this month to tell you about and maybe just maybe you'll like them too.

Fashion related things first: 

Blue Tartan Scarf: This scarf was actually my Dad's, thanks Dad! It's just the right length for me, I hate the feeling of being swamped in a massive scarf. I find that it's so easy to style and goes really well with my studded leather jacket from Zara. This particular scarf is years old so I'm not even sure where it was from, although you can get similar ones (just in a different less wooly fabric) from the men's section in Primark, for around £3.
Wooly Hat: I love this hat, it's super cosy and looks so cute. It's from River Island last year, but I'm sure they will bring a similar style out this year. Topshop also had some like this just the furry bit was a shorter fur rather than long. Keep a look out this Christmas for cosy hats.
Fur Cossack Hat: I also love this hat, I only got this kind of recently (well September!). It's more of a dressy hat for say a cold night when you're more dressed up than usual. Although I would wear it to go shopping round my local town. I think it adds a bit more to an outfit, it's a lovely classic piece for your wardrobe. This particular hat is from Miss Selfridge, it was £20 but I got 10% Student Discount off (before my card ran out!).
Studded Clutch Bag: The bag everyone ran out to get! I went to Zara kind of wanting the black version but fell in love with the cream. I haven't used it primarily as a clutch bag yet but I have used it as a 'keep hold of my valuables' in my everyday bag. I use the Oversized Mulberry Alexa (in Patent Oak Leather) and if you've seen/have this bag you'll understand how hard it is and how easy it is for things to go missing in those things! So this little bag has been my saving grace, it's really hand and also can add a pop of glamour to an outfit over this Christmas season. I think this bag is sold out but Topshop do a great alternative although it's a little more pricey and Primark do their take on this bag for around £6.
Hair Cuffs: I find that when I want to just throw my hair up into a 'Clarissa Explain It All' hair do, these cuffs are amazing at just adding a bit of something to the look. They make a messy hair up do look so chic and classy. They are around £2.99 each from H&M, I'm pretty sure they have even brought out a gold cuff and pyramid spike one.

Beauty Bits:

Milan 100ml Perfume: I know this perfume isn't really a Winter scent, I would normally go for my Alien or Tom Ford perfume around this time of year as they are more of a Winter smell. But the range of perfumes at Next is lovely, I particularly am in love with the Milan scent so much so I bought the big bottle which is only £12. It's the most amazing smell, but lets not have me butcher it. Here is how Next describes it, 'A vibrant fruity fragrance with a floral heart and a lingering woody base. Confident yet feminine this scent conveys a stylish and fashionable edge'. 

Orb Mac Eyeshadow: I use this eyeshadow everyday just to even out the colour of my eyelids, it also really helps to set any concealer that I may use on my eye lids. I find that using this stops my eye lids not to get really greasy and crease any shadow that I may have on. All round Mac eyeshadows are amazing and are very much worth the money.
Natural Collection Blushers: These two blushers in particular have become staples in my make up routine, I find myself switching between the two. Pink Cloud is a nice natural blush for my skin tone, adding a little pinky flush to the face. Sweet Cheeks is the perfect colour to wear when I wear a red or darker lip, I find it doesn't draw attention too much to my cheeks but also makes me look like I have colour in my cheeks. If that makes sense! They are so cheaply priced too which makes them more desirable, I will certainly be looking at the other colours asap!
Mac Lustre Lipsticks: I won't go too much into the formula of these lipsticks as I'm sure you all know about them by now! I guess what drew me to these formulas is the way you can go for a sheer glossy look or a really vibrant colour. I love the darker/sparkly of the two, Milan Mode is a really lovely berry pink shade with lovely sparkles running through. I'm not a sparkly lipstick kind of girl but this is really subtle and looks lovely when on. LoveLorn is a really nice shade, I have quite a pale skin tone so this shade is a 'my lips but better' colour with a more pinky undertone to it. I've also got quite into mixing the two shades together, they are just extremely easy lipsticks to wear day to day.
Cuti-Lips Leighton Deny: I've really got into doing my nails and getting gel manicures lately, I used to be really bad for biting my nails, so far so good with the 'no chewing' ban! I bought this from a spa in Center Parcs over a year ago, but I've recently rediscovered it in my nail polish drawer. It's more of a balm consistency which you can rub on your nails/cuticles or even use on your lips. I thought it might have a funny smell but it's a slight subtle aloe vera ish smell, nice really. It has really stopped my cuticles/nails drying out in this awful Northern weather that we have where I live. 


Have you tried any of these products? Have you got any you could recommend me to try!?
oxo

Lush Christmas & Holy Grails

Lush tends to be the kind of shop that I only really go into around Autumn time, I love their festive and themed products and at this time of year they really catch my eye. In saying this though I do go there throughout the year (total contradiction!) but I tend never to venture outside of my 'holy grail' products.

 Slight Lush splurge and a few holy grail products in the little basket.

Oops

You've probably seen the majority of products, but who knows you might take onboard my opinions!

Twilight Shower Gel: You may or may not be surprised to hear that I am not a fan of the much loved Snow Fairy Shower Gel, so when I smelt the Twilight one I was instantly in love. It says it has a malt/lavender smell to it, but I can hardly smell lavender. Now it may just be my nose but to me it smells like ginger bread! Can anyone else smell ginger bread or am I just weird!? I had a good smell of the Twilight bath bomb but to me the two just didn't smell the same despite obviously being the same thing just in a different form. Another thing I really love about this product is the little sparkles in the gel and also how the smell lingers on the skin for hours afterwards. I love to use it on a night the smell fills the bathroom and makes a cold night feel completely warm and cosy again. 

 Cinders Bath Ballistic: This is my Christmas smell, I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! I'm always slightly worried about buying the brighter coloured bath ballistics, just incase they stain the bath. But thankfully my worries didn't come true and the lovely white bath in my house is still lovely and white. Lush have brought this product back from last year and I was so excited when I saw it. I generally like to wait till the colder months arrive, run a warm bath and drop a Cinders into the water. The popping candy acts like the 'crackling fire on a cold night' idea and the smell only adds to this amazing scene! This is probably my favourite Lush ballistic of all time, I will be stocking up over the festive season. 

Melting Snowman Luxury Bath Melt: I can't recommend these little guys enough! They have a really lovely and luxurious scent to them, with the added extra of their cute little faces. Pop them into the bath and watch them fizz away, as they disappear they leave a little trail of chocolate and oils. Don't be tempted to eat the chocolate though I can't imagine it tastes very nice! They are just the perfect winter bath time warmers. Plus they aren't going to break the bank!

Bubble Beard Bubble Bar: This is a new product to the Lush Christmas collection for this year and hopefully long may it stay. It is quite expensive although it is reusable so I suppose it all works out in some way! This would be a great idea for a stocking filler or even for making Christmas bath time a little bit more special for younger ones. It smells lovely, is glittery to the eye and creates a bath full of bubbles, what more could you want!

And just a few little all year rounders that couldn't go without a mention!

Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask: This product is a 'I used to use it all the time and forgot about it' thing. My skin is extra dry especially around the Winter months and I get a few little blemishes now and then. Face masks are a must in my skin routine and I have fallen in love with it again. Maybe it's more the concept I like or knowing that it is fresh, who knows! I wouldn't say I see a drastic change in my skin after I've used it, but it really calms my skin and any blemishes I may have down. If you're on the look out for a really good (in my opinion) face mask then give Origins Clear Improvement Mask.

Sultana of Soap: I am aware of how grotty this looks, so first things first sorry haha. I just pulled it out my shower, at least it shows good use! My mum loves this soap, as do I. It's such a rich formula, extremely creamy and leaves the skin so soft and velvety. I love everything about this soap, it may even be good enough to eat! (Click the picture to see what it should really look like!).

Porridge Soap: This is my other favourite soap from Lush. Again the formula is creamy and leaves a lovely oil like feel on the skin after use, although it doesn't leave the skin greasy. I was introduced to this from reading many blogs and reviews, I haven't looked back since! The added extra to the soap is the little porridge oats within the product, I have extra sensitive skin and I love using this to exfoliate throughout the winter months. It doesn't irritate sensitive skin like some exfoliators can, especially when it is cold outside. (Click the picture to see what it should really look like!).

Have you tried the any products from the Christmas range?
What are your Lush 'Holy Grail' products? ox

Gucci Flora - Gracious Tuberose

Gucci - Flora - Gracious Tuberose 50ml £49.00

"Gucci Flora Gracious Tuberose EDT 50ml. 

The glorious recreation of the Tuberose`s sculptured, smooth flowers.

Top notes: violet leaves, peach. Heart notes: tuberose, orange flower, rose.
Base notes: cistus (Rock Rose), white cedarwood.
Serenely beautiful, the brush of violet leaf top notes lingers into the tuberose heart, before leaving a base of cistus and white cedarwood." 

My parents bought me this perfume from the Duty Free in Crete a few weeks ago now, I had smelt it before and I guess I had laid a few hints down about it. I love the fresh smell of the perfume, it's so delicate and light. I find that it is really easy to wear and lasts a considerable amount of time even though it is an extremely light scent. It is one of those fragrances that you need to smell before you cast it aside!

No7 Beautiful Skin - Hydration Mask

No7 Beautiful Skin - Hydration Mask - Boots £12.50

Now I suppose my main reason for buying this was most probably the way the product itself looked. It intrigued me so much that the price didn't even really matter! I hadn't read any reviews on the product prior to purchasing it, so I guess I was kind of going with luck. I'm glad I read the reviews after buying the mask, as many people had a few negative comments about the packaging and how rich the actual product is. I have had no problem with either and overall have been really pleased with the mask considering I had heard nothing about it.

For me I have extremely dry skin, so a rich product does my skin the world of good. It is sold as a hydration mask, so ideally you're supposed to leave it on for between 2-3 minutes for a quick burst of hydration. For a treatment mask ideally 10 minutes, although I have been kind of ignoring the 'instructions'. My skin seems to quench something hydrating on a night, so I have been applying a thin layer all over my face, leaving it on all night. So far so good on this front and I wake up to lovely plump and hydrated skin. I guess I have been using this as an intense night cream, every other night.

I thought the product would be more of a sticky mask feeling, when in actual fact it is a creamy/gel like consistency. It applies to the face like a gel and leaves a thin, light film across the face once removed. In some reviews people considered the feeling to be greasy, I wouldn't say it was greasy but there definitely is a slight residue.

Would I buy this product again? My answer would have to be yes, so far so good! I think it is fairly priced and an extremely versatile product.

Have you tried this product? Would you try it? ox

Eight Autumn Lip Colours

Autumn is here, slowly but surely it has crept upon us. LFW has been and gone giving us a glimpse at what the fashion world has to offer. Dark lips, red lips, nude lips, so many colours to choose from for the next coming seasons. But which will you pick?

My suggestions for the Autumn dark/purple lip;

YSL Rouge Volupte - Exquisite Plum 22

Mac - Amplified (Pro) - Violetta

17 - Supreme Shine - Pink Posey

Left to Right:

Pink Posey, Violetta & Exquisite Plum

My suggestions for the red lip;

 YSL Rouge Volupte - Red Taboo 18

 Clarins - Le Rouge - Passion 350

 Rimmel - Lasting Perfection - Ballistic 136

Left to Right:

Ballistic, Passion & Red Taboo

My suggestions for a darker pink lip;

 L'oreal - Colour Sensational - Pink Punch 175

 Chanel - Rouge Allure Velvet (matte) - L'Exuberante 37

Left to Right:

Pink Punch & L'Exuberante

What lip trend will you be wearing this Autumn? ox

Six Summer Lip Products

(I took the photos for this post on my Nikon, so fingers crossed the quality is better).

Ok so I am back, armed with a cup of coffee and hours of time to give you my opinions on a variety of products! I've been given every shift under the sun at work so my mind has been frosted over and taken by the joys of swimming pools (I am a casual lifeguard just as a quick disclaimer haha).
The next few days are the only days I'll have off so I thought it'd be a good idea to catch up on blogging as I have slightly neglected it of late. I have a little list of blog post ideas, the first being this one.

There has been so much talk of new lipsticks, balms, glosses, stains, etc these past few months that I thought I'd put my little opinions into the blogging mix! So lets get started, some of these products have been out a while, but others are quite recent. I've picked these products as I feel over the past few months (even longer with a few) I'd say they have been my 'go to' items for lips.

Left to Right:

MAC - Speed Dial, YSL - Sheer Candy 2, MAC - Tendertone in Tread Gently.

1. MAC: Speed Dial - This is my all time favourite MAC lipstick, for me it's a lovely everyday pink. I like quite pinky toned shades if I am going for an everyday colour, I've tried nudey ones but they just don't do anything for my fair skin tone (that's just my opinion, I've tried MAC lipsticks in Hue and Shy Girl, they just don't suit my skin tone). I'd say it was in between a fuschia/baby pink colour, with a slight gold tone shimmer. Not enough for you to notice it once applied though. I quite like a matte ish look to the lips, I'm not one for a glittery coloured lipstick so this is perfect. It also has that signature vanilla ish scent, which I don't dislike I quite like 'foody' smelling things for lip products (although it just makes you want to eat them!).

2. YSL: Sheer Candy 2 - I've had this product for a while now and I absolutely LOVE it! First off lets cover the amazing smell of this lip product, oh my days! One sniff just isn't enough, trust me. To me it smells like tropically peaches, god I am the best at describing smells...not. The packaging is also an add to the wow factor, it is one of those things that you just pull out of your bag and everyone is like WOW! The product itself gives little to no colour, it gives the smallest amount of colour but is primarily a glossy balm. Now it's quite expensive but it is certainly one to have.

3. MAC: Tendertone in Tread Gently - What bugs me slightly about this is the packaging, I'm not sure if it's just my pot or if it's everyones but I think sometimes my pot's lid likes to open itself! The lid can be quite loose even if I've put it on relatively tightly. On the upside I love everything else about the lip balm! It smells like kiwi and strawberry, yum yum. The finish is sheer and leaves a lovely glossy look, in certain lights this product can give off a slight shimmer due to the goldy/greeny glitter running through it. That probably sounds hideous, but honestly with a tan it looks amazing. I'm not sure if these are a permanent thing in the MAC collection but when they are available get your paws on one!

Left to Right:

Palmer's - Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Lip Butter, Revlon - Lip Butter in Sweet Tart, Revlon - Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain in Lovesick.

1. Palmer's Coco Butter Formula: Dark Chocolate and Peppermint Lip Butter - I'd heard this raved about through the blogging community, yet it was never something I ran to buy. When I was waiting in duty free for my flight earlier last month, I saw this in Superdrug and just picked it up thinking 'Oh this will smell nice'. I applied it on the plane and fell in love! Never will I not have at least one of these in my handbag, the smell is good enough to eat and I guess that's the only problem! (Not that that's a bad thing!). I wouldn't say it cures dry/sore/cracked lips, it's just a good base for an uplifting and quick application when you need a bit of gloss. Cheap and cheerful!

2. Revlon: Lip Butter in Sweet Tart - The picture doesn't do the colour of this product any justice, it is more of a pink than an orange so don't be fooled by the photo. The consistency of the product is lovely, goes on smoothly and lasts hours (on me). I don't dislike the packaging but you only pay for what you get right. I love this product so much I have five different shades, they are just so easy to wear and are so reasonably priced. I would 100% repurchase this product without a doubt.

3. Revlon: Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Lovesick - Again the colour of this product isn't showing up well in the photo but it is a very blue/pink fuschia colour. This product is perfect if you want something to last all night, although the sheen wears off the colour does not hence the stain side of the product! I think this would be hard to remove without a good make up remover! The only slightly off putting thing for me is the smell, now I like minty smells. But there is something minty yet not so minty about this, I just can't get my head around it! I am intrigued to try the Clinque Chubby Sticks to see the difference between the products.


So that's my six Summer lip products! Have you tried the Clinque Chubby Sticks? What are your opinions on the products?
ox

I'm back!

Tenerife: Costa Adeje Gran Hotel - most amazing hotel.

Firstly I must apologise for my long absence, I have been on holiday for a week and then had a busy few days working etc. Alas I am back now, so time to get on with a few long awaited blog posts!