A little update...

So, it has been a while since I last blogged. Just over two months in fact. I don't really have any excuses to be honest except for I had no motivation, I had a few personal issues & life just generally got in the way! From now on I think my blog will just be a place for me to document my life & upload pictures just for my benefit so I can look back on it & remember. I do enjoy blogging and I love putting together wishlists & reviewing products so you may occasionally see some of that on here.

First things first though, lets have a little update via the pictures I have taken over the last two months.

 The G dog being an absolutely cutie / a night out for a friends birthday / A little visit to Westfield for shopping, a wagamamas & seeing Johnny Depp!! / Me & the boy made Burritos for the first time & they were delicious! / Loved these nails done by one of my friends <3

This poem made me laugh :) / there is always time for a mcdonalds breakfast! / I was finally reunited with my best friend after 8 months of her travelling in australia! / Aimee's 25th birthday <3 

Me & my boy <3 / Happy times xxx / Me & Scott @ Wireless festival / Me & Aimee / The main stage / Cute summer nails <3 

 A few snaps from Eminem!

 Afternoon tea @ Harrods with Cat from What Cat Says - a lovely afternoon :)

Such a beautiful sunset on Tuesday evening / Lanterns xxxx / An impromptu shopping trip landed us in Wagamamas - with Cat & Aimee :)

I suppose I have had quite a fun couple of months. However, the last few weeks have been a bit surreal & I feel like I have gone through a roller-coaster of emotions. Back to work & back to blogging will help me get back on track I'm sure. I do enjoy sharing my life on this little part of the internet so hopefully I won't go AWOL again :)

Nicole x Missguided

So what its only taken me a fair few months to actually get round to looking at Nicole x Missguided & I now want everything! Except those slouchy leather trousers... those are a bit strange...

The collection is made up of monochrome, cobalt blue and a whole lot of bodycon! I've picked my favourites & wanted to share them with you. I really thought the pieces would be more expensive than they are, I think that's why I didn't look at the collection for so long. However the items are between £15 and £40 which is actually really affordable. When i was browsing I also thought how simple & timeless they are; they will be wearable for years & will never be unfashionable. 

one / two / three / four

It was hard for me to narrow down my favourites. I looked at everything and just thought 'wow'! I definitely cannot pick a favourite out of these outfits and I am so tempted to buy them all when I get paid next week... The first two outfits only link to the top so this is the link for the midi skirt & this is the link for the biker leggings. 

What are your favourite items from this collection?

Lots of love,

ELF Lip Balm SPF 15 in Rose

ELF Lip Balm SPF 15

Prepare for the first of many ELF reviews to come because I ordered a shed load with a 50% discount & I love almost every single thing so I want to do reviews for you guys :)

First up we have one of their lip balms which also has a bit of colour to it. This is in the shade 'rose' and probably the only shade I would ever wear. Saying that, I would probably buy the Nude colour but when it comes to lip balms I like them to be as natural as possible. This shade just sort of adds that 'my lips but better' look.

In terms of packaging i think its really sturdy and easy to just pop in your handbag to use throughout the day. I've been using this now for the past few days and I can say it does make my lips feel really moisturised & soft. Also with it having SPF in it you don't have to worry about your lips getting a bit sunburnt which always happens to me. 

On first application it has a really strong minty smell which I absolutely love - some people might not like that which is understandable. It slightly tingles on the lips which I also love, and then the smell & the tingling goes after about 10 seconds. It doesn't really have a long staying time like most lip balms but the colour is still significantly noticeable after an hour or so which is good for a lip balm in my opinion.  

Overall, I really love this product & for just under £4 I may have to buy the Nude...

Have you tried any other ELF lip products before? What are your recommendations?

Lots of love,

April Photo Diary

Afternoon tea @ Bills for Mothers Day // Girls night out // Selfie // waffles at Westfield // minty fresh nails // another Afternoon Tea at our spa hotel // love a Strawberry Daiquiri // A little chocolate bunny from my boy // So excited when this arrived! // Byron burger before McBusted! // 2for1 cocktails in the O2 lounge before McBusted // obviously bought a t shirt... // buzzing // Me & Cat before McBusted! // selfie // scrounging for a cuppa.

What a month it has been. Omg. I've had such a good April. The beginning of April saw Scott return from Miami with his friends so I was very happy to have him back. However, he has realised he basically wants to live in America so we are about to book to go to New York next year because he wants to explore everywhere! Easter Weekend me & my mother went away to a spa weekend which I have done a whole other blog post on (you can read all about it here) but it was so lovely to get away for the weekend and proper relax! The weekend just gone I went to see McBusted with my boyfriend, Cat, and her boyfriend - omg best night of my whole entire life! It was just incredible, we had pretty rubbish seats (we were right up in the rafters) but it didn't even matter because the atmosphere was amazing and everyone was up dancing. I pretty much filmed every song so now I'm struggling for space on my iPhone but it was so worth it. If you're going you are in for a treat! 

Lots of love,

The Sunday Post: Easter Weekend At The Spa

Last weekend, what with it being Easter & all that, my mum surprised me with a weekend away to the spa! We traveled quite a distance as mum had heard good reviews, the hotel was Hilton Puckrup Hall Spa & Golf Club Hotel located in Tewkesbury, Gloucester. Traffic wasn't so good on the Saturday and it ended up taking us nearly 3 hours to get there which was quite annoying. When we arrived we were speechless, it was tucked away down a little country lane and just sat amongst miles and miles of fields in every direction.

We checked in & went up to the room which had two single beds and was relatively nice. We had afternoon tea booked which you can see in the top picture. The fruits added that little extra something, it looked amazing & it tasted delicious. Obviously there is always time for a selfie...

We finished our afternoon tea a bit earlier than expected so we ventured round the hotel to see what was going on. When mum booked the hotel we also got to have a free treatment at the spa so obviously we chose massages! We also booked in pedicures but unfortunately they didn't book them in properly so we missed out on that :( we were not happy bunnies! The massage on the other hand was incredible. Omg, I've never had a massage before and I was a bit scared about taking my clothes off and all that malarky but it was so relaxing. When the lady turned the lights back on I felt like I'd been disturbed from the worlds best nap! Missing out on the pedicures meant that the owner gave us a complementary eyebrow wax which is always a good thing. I don't think I have ever had my eyebrows waxed so well... everything was just on point with the spa (except the pedicure scenario...)

After we had our massages we changed into our cozzies and dived right into the pool (which was actually very cold...) for a little swim before dinner. They also had an amazing jacuzzi which we spent about 80% of the time in. The bubbles were aggressive & I could feel them battling away my cellulite!

A swim & a jacuzzi tired us out a little bit so we got dry & headed back up to the hotel room to lay down & watch BGT! For dinner I wore my Warehouse Peplum Top, Topshop Midi Skirt & Chockers Shoes Heels which were a complete bargain at just £15! They're not all that comfortable though because I am much more used to a platform so it feels a bit strange wearing strappy sandals. Half an hour before dinner we went down to the bar to have a cocktail, I ordered a strawberry daiquiri and it was delicious. I could've definitely drunk about 10 of them. I had tomato soup for starter which I didn't photograph - it was lovely but everyone knows what soup looks like? For my main I ordered a steak with hand cut chips, a mushroom & a tomato in a red wine sauce and it was sooo nice! We started eating quite late so as soon as we were finished we headed back up to the room to snuggle down for the night!

Sunday morning saw us jumping out of bed at half past 9 to get down & have breakfast! They had everything you could think of from bacon & eggs to weetabix & fruit! There was a variety of juices & the option of tea or coffee. As you can see I obviously went for a full English & some fried bread, my eyes were definitely bigger than my belly because I couldn't finish it all unfortunately. Soon after breakfast we checked out of the room & headed home - which only took us 2 hours win! 

If you live around the Gloucester area I 100% recommend this hotel & it has just made me want to go to the spa every weekend!

Lots of love,

Bourjois Paris Dark Khol Mascara

 

I have had this mascara sitting in my make-up bag ready to be reviewed for quite a few months now. Bourjois are one of those brands that I really like but I don't actually buy much of their make-up. This is the second mascara of theirs I have tried and I must admit, there are better mascaras out there...
As you can see, the brush is beyond weird. When I first saw it I just thought how the hell am I meant to put that near my eye? With quite a bit of practice and lots of mascara in the eye jobbies I managed to successfully apply it. The strange looking spoolie grabs every eye lash brilliantly and the bristles on the end of the brush are great for getting the tiny eyelashes you cant quite reach. It is a definitely a buildable mascara - you have to apply a fair few coats to get that voluminous & well lengthened look which is something I aim for on a daily basis.
I think the fact that it is one of those mascaras you have to spend time applying, is what puts me off. I apply my make up very early in the morning so I need something that does its job straight away whilst I am still half asleep. Saying that, I do reach for this mascara more at the weekends when I spend more time doing my make up.

Overall, it is decent & I would recommend it but I do have other mascara favourites. Have you tried this mascara? What are your thoughts?

Lots of love,

My Birthday OOTD

Last Saturday I celebrated my 22nd birthday, I really liked my outfit so I thought I would share it with you guys as I don't do too many OOTD and they're actually one of my favourite things to read.

New Look necklace / Topshop crop top / Urban Outfitters skirt / New Look heels

I am in love with this skirt, I love roses (I have roses tattoo) and this skirt was just screaming at me to get it when I first saw it. I decided to pair it with a plain black crop because they're my favourite things to wear with high waisted stuff. The necklace I bought from New Look off one of their concession stands and I just loved the look of the 3 layered chains and knew it would complete my outfit. Lastly my heels are so comfy, they've got a really chunky heel which you cant really see but I literally wear them everytime I go out because I can last all night in these (even with me falling over every 2 mins)!

Lots of love,

March Photo Diary

My 'giving up chocolate for lent' lasted 3 hours! // selfie // Costa catch up with Cat // Love a Boots 3for2 offer // I bought myself a new car!! :) // Wagamamas night with the girls // Me & my boy in o2 VIP lounge before Drake // Drake!! // Me & my boy out for dinner on my birthday // Nails // Birthday OOTD // Afternoon Tea for Mothers Day

Apologies that this is going up a week into April but I have been so busy working lately I have just had no time whatsoever to blog which is annoying! March was a very good month, mainly because my birthday is the 25th :) I basically bought myself a new car for my birthday which I absolutely love driving! I am just waiting to get my log book back & I can put my personalized plates on! I also went to see Drake with my boyfriend and a couple of our friends. It was such an amazing night and we was all very drunk!! I celebrated my birthday last Saturday night with some of my best friends, we went out  in Camden & again I got far too drunk & kept falling over!! Was very fun though :) Last Sunday me & mum went to Bills in Chiswick for Afternoon Tea, you can read all about that here. 

Hope you've had a lovely weekend!

The Sunday Post: Afternoon Tea

Last weekend for Mothers Day, me and my mum ventured over to Chiswick for Afternoon Tea at Bills. If you know me then you know how much I love Bills. The food is beyond amazing and I just love the decor & weirdness of the whole restaurant. The service isn't all that great because it is always so busy but who cares when the food is delicious? I certainly don't... Anyways, I took a few snaps on my iPhone of our Afternoon Tea and I just thought I would share. If you have never been to a Bills before I 100% recommend! It is by far one of my favourite places to eat! 

 We chose English Breakfast Tea and the pot it came in was ginormous! Lovely tea though.

 We had scones with clotted cream & jam, two pieces of chocolate cake (which was delicious!) and a strange sort of oat & raisin cake which I didn't even try...

 Sandwiches were cream cheese & cucumber, salmon, egg mayonaise & ham & tomato.

It was so lovely. I will be going back there at some point to have it again because it was just too scrumptious to only have once!

Hope you all had a lovely Mothers Day and spoiled your mother, or got spoilt if you are a mother! :)

 

The Sunday Post: 'No Make-up' Make-up

This was a make up look I wore last week and I didn't realise straight away that it was one of those 'no make-up' make-up looks. I thought I should share with you which products I used, all are affordable and really good! 

After cleansing & moisturizing I applied Rimmel London's Match Perfection Foundation in Classic Ivory all over my face with a Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I am in love with this brush as it is literally the best thing to apply your foundation with, you can really buff it into your skin and it just makes your complexion look flawless. Next, I used Rimmel London's Clear Complexion Clarifying Powder in Transparent just over my t-zone to control any shininess. I really love transparent powders because you know they're not going to affect the shade of your foundation and make your colour look a bit funny. This one is really good and definitely controls shine for a good few hours. Rimmel London's Scandaleyes Micro Eyeliner is my eyeliner of choice at the moment (a full review of this is coming soon!) because the felt tip-like end is so easy to draw super thin lines with or you can really build up a big cat flick. I will also be reviewing Bourjois Paris Dark Kohl Mascara soon as well but this mascara is pretty good. The wand has basically two balls on it with spikes on the end so you can get those tiny hairs... I didn't use much of it in this look but you can really go for a few coats and it volumises & curls really well. Lastly, the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer is one of the best concealers I have ever tried, you can read my full review here. It is literally amazing at covering my under eye bags and I even apply it on to any blemishes I have. When I first bought this I was just applying it with my finger but I recently heard about using the Real Techniques Foundation Brush to apply concealer in little pots like this... I don't like using Foundation Brushes to apply Foundation but concealer on the other hand, it's like a match made in heaven!

What are your make up choices for a 'no make-up' make-up look?

Lots of love,

Wishlist #11 - Birthday

 

As its my birthday on the 25th of this month I decided to have a little look online to see if there was anything that I wanted... well nearly two hours later & an official wishlist is put together which I thought I would share.

1. Nars Sheer Glow - I have been lusting after this foundation for a very long time now but I'm afraid I just cannot justify spending £30... I have heard its so amazingly good I just want to try it for myself! So if anyone would like to buy it for me you're very welcome to! :)

2. New Look Floral Shirt - I'm not usually a shirt wearer - I wear denim shirts over tops and occassionally a check/tartan/plaid whatever u wanna call it shirt, but nothing like this. I think the pattern is amazing, its just like a black floral pattern with some birds flying around as well and I just thought it was pretty cool. I think it would look really nice thrown over some leggings with some black pumps or boots for a Spring afternoon. 

3. ELF Eyebrow Kit - I don't actually own any ELF make up despite it being ridiculously affordable. This cute little brow kit is just £4?! Not only is that a massive bargain but I've heard this product is very good...

4. Real Techniques Starter Kit - I included this in a wishlist a couple of months back and I still haven't got my hands on this kit :( I really think it would complete my life. I'm not much of an eyeshadow wearer, the most I do to my eyes is put on eyeliner & mascara but I'm sure I could find other ways to make use of the brushes... the angled brush I could use for eyeliner or my brows, the eyeshadow brushes I could use for concealer... there are endless options!

5. Topshop Floral Skirt - oh my goodness how cute is this skirt?! When I saw it I literally started thinking what I could wear with it and what I could wear it for so I think its safe to say I really need it in my life? I love the ditsy floral print and its just so perfect for Spring even though its mostly black.

6. ELF Concealer Palette - Oh, another ELF product... this time it is the Complete Coverage Concealer Palette which Kayleigh at Couture Girl briefly reviewed in her February Favourites! After reading about it I immediately wanted to buy it because concealer is one of my favourite make up products; it can make you go from looking like a zombie to slightly alive in seconds! Also, this little palette being £4 just seems so tempting! Maybe i'll buy it right... now...

7. Marc Jacobs Daisy 'Delight Edition' - Marc Jacobs is god. He makes perfect smelling perfumes, beautiful watches & amazing bags. Daisy is my number one perfume and this new Delight Edition being released for Spring/Summer just has my name written all over it. Plus, I am loving the blue tint on the bottle.

8. New Look Selfie Sweater - I have been looking for a mint green jumper/sweater for about a month or so now and I love this sweater from New Look. Having Selfie on it just makes it so much cooler. I need it in my life.

9. Topshop Mom Jeans - Topshop are the only place whose jeans I actually get on well with. Its just a shame they're slightly not very affordable... or is that me just being a bit stingy? I tried on a pair of Mom jeans well over 6 months ago, loved them, but didn't end up buying them. Why? I don't know. But here we are again and I really want this pair because they seem like the perfect blue which isn't too light or too dark... I'm rambling now. Basically I just really want these! Their fit is so flattering and they really remind me of the jeans Rachel wears in Friends (which is my favourite TV show ever)!

10. River Island Pug Socks - If you know me well then you know I love pugs so I don't really need to explain why these are on here... these socks would make me so happy.

11. Clarks Tan Brogues - Today I went into Clarks with my mum as she wanted a new pair of boots & I spotted these beauty's... how amazing are they? I fell in love and tried them on but £55 for a pair of brogues is quite steep in my eyes so I sadly put them back on the shelf. I'm not entirely sure when I would wear these though because I either wear my converse or my uggs, there is no in between... but they are just so lovely and they felt so comfortable.

If you have any of the beauty products mentioned please let me know what you're thoughts are? :)

Lots of love,

'The Blogger Made Me Buy It' Tag

 

image source 

I saw this tag a while ago on Cat's blog and thought ooh yeah ill do that and then just never got round to it until we were chatting and she said I should do it... so here we are! I really like the idea of tags because I think it gives readers an insight to what that person is like and they're really fun :)

1. Who are your most influential bloggers?
I have to say I actually find Lily Melrose quite influential because I think she is very honest & truthful in her reviews and when she says something is good I feel like I need to buy it! I also always turn to Sophia at Tattooed Tealady because she just reviews everything! From high street skincare to high-end make up shes reviewed it and she talks about products in so much detail I find it really helpful because you can know how to use something before you've even purchased it.

2. Do you buy products solely on the result of one review from your favourite blogger, or do you look for more reviews from other bloggers?

I definitely try and find as many reviews as I can, purely because I think the more you know about a product the better & you don't want to buy something on a whim that one person has says its good then its really not, and you've wasted money on something you're not going to use again.

3. What is your most favourite item you have bought as a consequence of blogs?
Definitely Bioderma! Is that a rubbish answer? I don't care... When I first started blogging in April of last year it was up & coming then and everyone was trying it. It got to the point where I bit the bullet & just purchased and I haven't looked back. I have recently tried the L'oreal micellar water and it really isn't as gentle & soothing as Bioderma. So definitely Bioderma!

4. What is your least favourite item you have bought as a consequence of blogs?

I'm going to have to go with L'oreal telescopic wings mascara... lots of bloggers out there rave about this mascara and I've seen it on other people and it looks amazing but unfortunately it just does not work well on my lashes... It doesn't curl them or add volume or do anything, which is a shame because I am a massive mascara junkie and I thought it would be amazing but it wasn't :(

5. Name 5 products you have bought recently as a result of blogs?
Last weekend I went shopping and picked up the new Bourjois dark kohl mascara because I've heard it's really good... Review to follow! I also got the new Rimmel London Scandaleyes eyeliner which I haven't actually used yet. I don't really buy new make up often - believe it or not - but not so long ago I bought the Rimmel London Apocalips in shade Across the Universe which I love! I really want to buy more colours! I read so many good reviews on the Seventeen Phwoarr paint under eye concealer so I bought that a couple of weeks ago and have been loving it.My 5th & final item I have bought would have to be Rimmel's match perfection foundation - I have used it before but a couple of years back now and I read some reviews which said it was still amazing so I re-purchased.

6. Have you ever given in to blogger hype? If so, what hype?
I don't actually think I have? I'm sure after I publish this I'll go 'oh yeah i remember now' but I really don't think i have given in to a hype. 

7. Have you ever avoided blogger hype? If so, what hype?
Yes... I have avoided the Urban Decay palettes purely because I am not a massive eyeshadow wearer - I wear it sometimes for a night out if I'm feeling like it - and I just couldn't justify spending over £30 for something which I would probably use once a month.

8. Is everything you buy based on blogger reviews, or are there some items you buy without checking a review?
Most of the time yes, however if I am desperately in need of something, eyeliner for example, I will just run into a Boots or Superdrug and head straight to Rimmel or Collection without thinking because I know their products don't let me down.

Well, I really enjoyed this tag. It made me really think about my buying habits and how much i think about things. A couple of the questions I found hard to answer because I don't really buy make up that often (mainly because I cant afford it...)  and I'm not the most experimental person when it comes to make up looks haha.
Anyways, if you decided to do this tag let me know in the comments because I will be interested to see your answers :)

Lots of love,

Pancake Day

I do realise that Pancake day has now been & gone but I just wanted to share my pancakes because Pancake day is definitely one of my favourite days of the year because you HAVE to eat pancakes? Even though I eat pancakes whenever I want really... anyways here are some pics :)

I decided to have the simple, yet effective Nutella & Banana... yummy!

The first pancake didn't turn out too well...

Here is the second pancake! For some reason they all had holes in the middle because the middle of the batter decided to stick to the pan even though we used oil? Very strange...

Nom, nom!!! I could only manage two pancakes because they are so filling?! But now as I am writing this reminiscing I am feeling like I want more pancakes?

So, for lent I said I was going to give up chocolate but I went out for dinner with my dad yesterday and ordered profiteroles for dessert without even realising.. and they were literally covered in chocolate sauce. So yeah, that went out the window. There is always next year!!

Lots of love,

 

#Tanyaburrlipsandnails

Tanya Burr is one of my favourite bloggers/vloggers/youtubers... whatever you wanna call her! She is hilarious, beautiful and seems like a lovely, genuine person. So when she announced she was bringing out a nails & lipgloss range I was so excited to get my hands on some of it! 

Let me just say that lip gloss isn't really one of my must have make-up items but I do love a red lip, so i went for the shade 'Vampire Kiss'. Colour wise it is very red & its a shame but that picture doesn't show it properly :(. It smells INCREDIBLE... like strawberries & cream? You just want to eat it! Lasting time is pretty good also for a gloss as it lasts a fair 3 or so hours before you have to re-apply. It is very moisturising on the lips and doesn't feel too sticky like some other lip glosses do. In terms of future purchases I have got my eyes on 'Afternoon Tea' which is a lovely subtle pale pink colour which will give just some shine and 'Exotic Island' which is a very vibrant purple/pink shade. 

Next up we have nails...

 

 NEW YORK NIGHT // MIDNIGHT SPARKLES

I know what you're thinking... I couldn't have picked two more similar shades! Well when they arrived my words were 'oh well that was silly...' because on the website New York Night did not look as dark as it is! 'New York Night' is a very, very dark red almost black and 'Midnight Sparkles' is a dark shimmery purple. I haven't actually worn these on my fingernails as i have acrylics on at the moment but i have painted my toenails so i can tell you all about that haha. Unfortunately I do have a couple of concerns... firstly, the brush is very thin so doesn't hold a lot of polish and doesn't actually coat the nail in one swipe. Secondly, I have read this on other blogs and it is quite strange, if you can see in that picture above there is a circular lid within the square lid and sometimes this comes apart and sometimes it doesn't which i just find a bit annoying. Apart from that, the colours are gorgeous and next on my list is 'Little Duck' which is a beautiful mint green colour and 'Penguin Chic' which is a simple grey colour perfect for this time of year.

If you are interested in buying some of Tanya Burr's range you can get them here. 

Lots of love,