Saturday 31 January 2015

February Wishlist





Happy Saturday everyone, hope you're all having a lovely weekend so far! 

I thought I'd share with you a few things I have my eyes on for February. I have a thing at the moment for shirt dresses and I love this one from River Island, they're formal, yet still feminine and flirty, they're also really comfortable, which is great for when you're in an office all day. I'm also looking at possible outfits for Valentines Day and birthday events next month, and I found this beautiful full midi skirt from Topshop. Another thing that Topshop are doing loads of are these backward earrings, I absolutely love them, they're so different from the norm and also sooooo pretty!

Do you have anything you have your eye on to buy next month?

Emma x


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Friday 30 January 2015

January Favourites!

Well I can't believe it's the end of the month, can you? We've made it through January everyone! I thought I'd share with you my first monthly favourites of 2015.



To kick it off we have a few forgotten favourites. Firstly a dupe of the MAC Mineralize Blush, it's one I brought from Superdrug ages ago and it turns out they don't even do it anymore... according to the internet anyway! In the pan it is a really pretty pink, with flecks of gold and lilac running through the marbel-like finish. Such a pretty product, with just enough shimmer to give you a nice dewy glow.

Another forgotten favourite which I re-discovered this week is a skincare addition from Avene -  the Eau Thermale Water Spray. This product is so diverse with so many uses, you can use it to set make up, to ease tightness in the skin, to keep you cool in the summer months or on holiday and as a toner. I loved it in the summer last year and kind of forgot about it when I started using the Liz Earl Botanical Toner, so re-discovering it has been great, I even have a mini version after I attended an event at work which is perfect for on the go.

A product I have raved on and on about is -  the Una Brennan Super Facialist Rose Hydrate Intense Mask. This has been so good to my skin, especially since we've seen a drop in the temperature and weather has been all kinds of crazy... Yes snow, I'm talking about you! Pair that with central heating and it does not make for a nice skin situation on my face! My main issues are dryness so anything that says intense moisture then I'm there! It's been a skin care saviour this month so it has a well deserved place in my favourites.

Next up is a new buy this month, the Co Lab Dry Shampoo in the scent New York. I brought the sheer invisible version after hearing amazing reviews and it does not disappoint! This leaves no nasty white residue in the hair but still does the job really well.... dare I say it better than the batiste dry shampoos?! It also has a nice fruity fragrance which isn't anything like other brands I have tried.

A fragrance I was loving last summer came back into my life this January... Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream. This is classic Marc Jacobs, cute bottle, amazing fragrance and long lasting. It's a light, airy scent with both floral and fruity undertones. It has notes of blackberry, jasmine, lychee and blue wisteria. Such a nice addition for someone like me who loves a good fruity-floral fragrance, I also have Chanel Eau Tendre and Jo Malone Peony Blush Suede... Yes I have a type!

I've slowly started becoming more and more obsessed with the Collection Exclusive lip stick range from L'Oreal. I've now purchased Julianne's Nude - Barely Peach. This is such a lovely pinky/peachy lip stick. I love the formulation of these, they're hydrating, nourishing, smell great and have nice pigmentation... some great positives in the winter months when you can get dry, chapped lips... No one likes that!

Finally, something I got at Christmas which has a thorough test this month is the Perversion Mascara by Urban Decay. I got this in the On the Run Palette, so it's a smaller size than normal and I can 100% see myself buying a full size one because I love it so much! It makes my lashes super black, voluminous and lengthened, all things i look for in a mascara.

I'm really looking forward to buying some new things in February, so look out for the next favourites posts and maybe a haul! 

Hope you all have a lovely weekend,

Emma x
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Thursday 22 January 2015

Liebster Award

Thanks so much Jess for nominating me for the Liebster Award, I thought I should dedicate a special post just for the occasion! If you haven't heard of the Liebster Award before, it's a recognition for all those start-up, fresh faced bloggers out there, and aims to get them more awareness within the blogging community. There's a few rules that go along with it, so without further a do...





Rules:
1. Thank and link the person who nominated you
2. Answer the questions given by the nominator.
3. Nominate 5 to 11 other bloggers (who have less than 200 followers) and link them
4. Create 11 new questions for the nominees to answer.
5. Notify all nominees via social media/blogs.
Questions:
  1. What is your guilty pleasure?
    Eating chocolate.... This happens way too often, especially when I'm trying to be good!
  2. How would your friends describe you?
    Lover of all things makeup, fashion and Disney!

  3. What ten things make you happy?
    Having a cuddle, watching Disney films (any), spending time with my family, seeing my sisters, accomplishing something - even if it's small, big bubble baths, spending time with my friends, fresh sheets on a bed, Fridays, writing!

  4. Why did you start your blog?
    I started my blog so I could discuss all things I love with people that appreciate them just as much as me. It's nice to be apart of something, a community, who share the same values as you :)

  5. What is your favourite word?
    Maybe not my favourite word but definitely one I say a lot... "like"..!

  6. Where do you want to travel the most?
    I would love to go to Thailand, Fiji, the Maldives.... anywhere in that region of the world!
  7. Where do you getting your blogging inspiration from?I love buying anything thats new, testing it out and reviewing. I find inspiration from other blogs too, I really like reading certain posts e.g. monthly beauty favourites and 'what's in my make up bag'... I'm so nosey!
  8. What is your favourite quote?"If you can't stop thinking about it, buy it!"
  9. Who is your celebrity crush?Couldn't pick just one! LOVEEEE Zac Efron, especially in Bad Neighbours *heart eyed emoticon*, but then there is Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, David Beckham... I could seriously go on...!
  10. What is your favourite lip product?This is so hard! I love a good all rounder, so for that little hint of colour, with great moisturising qualities and a nice fragrant smell, it's got to be the L'Oreal Colour Riche Nudes, in Julianne's Nude
  11. What is your goal for 2015?My goal for 2015 is to just be happy, take what you have as your life and make it great. Yes, work is important and handing in that report can feel like the most important part of your life, but remember those around you, and don't take them for granted!
Now time for nominations:



My Questions:
  1. What's your go to make up product?
  2. Your favourite film?
  3. Why did you start blogging?
  4. How would you're best friend describe you?
  5. A statement lip or eyes?
  6. What's your life motto?
  7. What item of clothing do you love the most?
  8. Where in the world do you want to visit?
  9. Are you looking forward to anything in particular this year?
  10. Who is your style/beauty role model?
  11. What was the last beauty/fashion piece you brought?
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Tuesday 13 January 2015

My fuss free, "effortless" look

When you're in a rush and have snoozed that alarm one to many times... (come on, we've all done it!)... You just don't have time to make that perfect cat eye with the eyeliner, or waste time contouring... you just want to look half decent and acceptable to leave the house and face the day! This is my go to selection for just that occasion! 



First I'd start with a quick swipe of Benefit's Pore-fessional as a base for my foundation: the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. This is a light base, easily applied with just my fingers or a foundation brush - I normally use fingers if I'm in a rush! Then I'll apply my Instant Anti Age Eraser Eye Concealer by Maybelline, mainly under my eyes or any areas showing redness, I'll then set it all with my Stay Matte Powder by Rimmel in transluscent. This is only to get rid of any shine, not to add any colour or definition. For my cheeks I just need a quick sweep of colour and for that I use the L'Oreal le blush in the shade Sandalwood Rose.

A quick curl of the eyelashes and a swipe of MACs Dazzlelight to open up my eyes and it's time for mascara. I absolutely love the Benefit They're Real as I think it does everything and anything for my lashes... volume, definition, you name it, it does it!

For lips and a care free look, it has to be nude, that's why I favour the L'Oreal Collection Privee Nude Collection, in Cheryl's nude alongside the Model Co lip liner.

So there it is, my quick and easy, no fuss make up routine :)

Do you have any tips and tricks for days you just have no time?


Emma x
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Wednesday 7 January 2015

2014 Favourites

With 2014 over, it is now the time to look back at the best of the best for both make up and skincare. It's been reallllly hard to come up with just one favourite of each item but after much deliberation I have done it (...I think!)


Skincare


Make up Remover:

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: This product gets 10/10 straight up from me. This takes make up off in seconds and is so much cheaper than other micellar waters you can buy. To begin with this was the dupe of the Bioderma but the Garnier version is a great size and lasts a really long time. I'm only on my second bottle since the beginning of last year so it's great value for money too!
 

Cleanser:

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser: I have almost used this for a year now after a recommendation from a friend, and boy, am I happy she told me about this. 2014 was a turning point in my skin care routine. Before, I had loads of products but there was no routine or continuity to when I used them and what they were for. Now I understand my skin so much better and it is literally thanks to this product, it kicked started my passion for skincare and has made me into a total hoarder and lover of skin care. This product in particular is great, it's gentle on the skin with a creamy texture and can battle through even the most stubborn make up - including waterproof mascara! It's improved my skin no end, including texture, complexion and even tone. Definitely a 2014 favourite!

Treatment:

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +: This stuff works wonders. It's literally amazing. This anti-blemish cream is light and fights the signs of oily blemish prone skin. If I ever get the signs of spot coming, I pop some of this on and by morning any redness is gone. A new feature of the duo + is that this can also fight the appearance of  marks on the skin. Again, another great product.

Eyes:

Super Facialist Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream: Again, another find from last year and I've started to fall in love with the range by Una Brennan. This stuff claims to improve dark circles and I feel like I've really seen a difference. It's a light texture and you need the tiniest bit so it lasts for ages. 

Masks:

Super Facialist Rose Intense Moisture Mask: This has been a life saver in the winter months. My skin has become sooo dry so this mask is a real treat. It boosts the moisture levels in my skin and can work on even sensitive skin which is great as my skin can sometimes react badly to masks. You can have this on from as little as 5 minutes and still see results, so you can treat yourself even when you super busy!


Make up


Foundation


So the best foundation goes to..... Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua... AND Maxfactor Skin Luminizer.I couldn't pick between the two, and really, they're both very different foundations. The Chanel is great for when you just want a light base and don't need much else after i.e. a powder. The Maxfactor foundation gives better long term coverage and gives a nice healthy glow with its light reflective particles (sounds very fancy!). Both foundations are great, depending on the occasion.


Primer


This one goes to Pore-fessional by Benefit. It's a soft, lightweight texture and minimises the appearance of pores and fine lines. You can use it alone of under make up, I personally just sweep it across my face like a moisturiser before I put my foundation on.


Powder:


My favourite powder has definitely got to be the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish. This gives a lovely matte finish and provides perfect light coverage, to be used to set foundation or as a touch up throughout the day. It's also really handy to have in your bag as it also has a compact mirror... so as long as your aren't a 'dropper*' then have this in your bag for any much needed touch ups.

* If you are a dropper don't go and crack a) the powder and b) the mirror... Just leave it at home ;)


Bronzer


The body shop have come out with a few of my favourites last year and the Honey Bronzer has to be one of them. I'm quite a pale person so this bronzer is great for adding warmth and definition to my face. It also seems to last a long time, with mine still going strong since August last year!


Concealer


A reasonably new find which has ended up in my 2014 favourites is the Maybelline Instant Anti Age Eye Eraser. This has a weird spongy top which applies the product really nicely, and then i just blend it in with my ring finger. This one I only use under my eyes, not on blemishes. I find the Bourjois Java Rice Powder also goes really well with most under eye concealers and brightens up any dark circles.


Blusher


Since working at Boots I have really embraced the No7 brand. One  of my favourite finds has to be the blusher they have on offer. I have the shade coral flush and it's perfect for anything - day to day tasks and work but also for a night out or event, it adds just the right amount of natural 'flush' to your cheeks, and in such a beautiful shade!


Mascara


This was so tough to choose just one, but if I had to pick I'd say it has to be the 'They're Real!' mascara by Benefit. This gives great definition to my lashes, lengthens them, separates them and also gives volume. It's an all in one product and I absolutely love it. It may even be my all time favourite of 2014...!


Eye Palette:

This one goes to one of my long time loves - The NAKED2 Palette by Urban Decay. The range in this palette is great, it has anything for a day look or night and is a nice step up from the original NAKED palette. The pigmentation of these are also amazing and can just about last for a full day at work with no primer underneath what so ever, so you can imagine the wear of them with a primer as well.


Eye Liner:


My favourite eyeliner has been the same for quite a while now. Ever since I 'mastered' (ish) the cat eye look, I became obsessed with the Glam Eyes liquid eyeliner by Rimmel. This stuff is amazing. The wear is great - for a whole day it can just about stick around and it can last all night if I'm out. It also comes off nice and easy - might be down to the make up remover - but I'm not having to scrub at my eye just to get my eyeliner off, which is a plus in my book.

Eye Shadow:

I'm a big fan of anything that can make people think I put all my effort into a look, when really it was effortless. That's where the Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow comes into play. This can create the perfect base for any look, or make great smokey eye. I have a few shades including Immortal Charcoal, And on Bronze and Metallic Pomegranate.  

The Perfect Red combo: For lips I have split them into two different looks. First red, I would normally use  a red lip liner to help shape my lips... the weapon of choice: Rimmel's Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner. Then the lip stick: L'Oreal Collection Exclusive Pure Reds by Blake Lively. This red is to die for, the formulation is amazing, it stays on for hours, even when I'm drinking and eating, however it does transfer... so be careful!

The Natural Nude combo: For this Kylie Jenner-esque look I use the Model Co. Lip Enhancer Illusion liner in the shade nude, and on top I sweep over MAC's Creme Sheen Pure Zen and Soap and Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker in Pink Apricot. A great natural look for everyday or a statement eye!


Nail Varnish:


Summer shade - Essie's Mint Candy Apple was almost permanently on my nails last summer so it has to be in my 2014 favourites. I love any mint shade but the Essie formula just seems to last longer on my nails. It stayed on for a good week at a time with little or no chipping.

Winter shade -  In winter I tend to tone down the bright shades and go for more indulgent deep, dark shades. I really love a nice dark red on my nails, especially around Christmas time so I would say my favourite shade has to be the Barry M nail paint in Raspberry. Two coats of this and I'm good to go! I find it goes with most my clothes as well in winter (mainly because I live in black/white/grey sometimes with a splash of maroon or navy haha!) so it stays on my nails for a week or so, whether it wants to or not!

So that's it! My 2014 favourites for you all. Do have any favourites that stand out to you from last year?

Emma x

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Saturday 3 January 2015

A look back at 2014

So a lot of these posts have cropped up, and I've had this waiting and meant to put it on yesterday but ended up forgetting! I'm gonna blame the fact that I was very busy sale shopping and stuffing my face at TGI Fridays... *woops*


     Photo from Pinterest

Anyway, last year was a very busy one for me, one where I tested my abilities, had enormous amounts of stress put upon me, jumped through hoops attempting to get a job, but also had amazing experiences with friends and family. I'm definitely a different person now, I've grown in myself (sounds cheesy, I know), and gained so much more confidence... These are a few of the valuable lessons I've learnt:

Don't be so harsh on myself:

This time last year I was at the beginning of a very long slog of applying for numerous jobs for part of my university course. My degree is Fashion Management at Nottingham Trent and for it to be a Sandwich degree, I have to spend a year out in industry to gain experience. As you can imagine I applied to anything and everything from ASOS, Debenhams, M&S, George and L'Oreal. The application process for all were exhausting - mentally and physically draining. Getting 'no' after 'no' can really start to knock your confidence and I found I began to doubt myself. Thankfully, in May I was offered a job at Boots which I was beyond excited about and it seemed to be the perfect fit. For me, the main thing I can take from that is to remember every 'no' you get means your learning every time, as long as you can have patience, the right job or whatever your looking for, will come to you.

Being organised really helps:

If my rooms tidy, my minds tidy. Last year really tested my organisation abilities and I'm sure a similar thing will happen this year. You can go into something with the best intentions and suddenly, half way into your assignment you realise you forgot to do that reading you were meant to do or type up your report. These things just creep up on you and end up knocking you down. The best thing to do is keep a diary/organiser and stick to it. This coming year I've got to juggle work, uni work and somehow create great relationships with those in my work place which will be valuable next year for my dissertation. I can already see that this will be a massive challenge so I've taken steps to make it easier for me. Organisation and foreseeing possible issues for me is key.

Take every experience as it comes:

This past year I've been through some amazing experiences and enjoyed them all. My downfall: before I go to things - especially ones that I don't know about details wise - I tend to freak out. I really like to know what's going on and when I don't I can end up ruining it for myself before I even go. I've experienced quite a few already at Boots and they really don't tell you anything until your there. They all turn out to be really good, I've been the same when I go on holiday or even on a city break. I just needed to learn to take a step back and take it for what it is.



I'm really excited for 2015, I know it's going to be a difficult year in terms of work but I'm determined to stick to some new resolutions for the new year.

Firstly, the old favourite, exercise and eat healthy!

Yes, I know that is so cliche but it's true. I want to be on a beach in summer and feel confident about how I look, hopefully with few self conscious body worries. Don't we all have that slight feeling of wanting to look like a Victoria's Secret Angel? No? Just me?

I don't necessarily want to loose weight, just have more definition and tone, so i'll be doing more muscle workouts than cardio, though I am going to attempt to take up running (God help me). On the eating healthy side of things, don't get me wrong, I don't binge and eat jars of nutella or cheeseburger after cheeseburger... I have a pretty balanced diet already, but mainly want to eat less of the bad, so less chocolate, sweets and crisps etc. However, I'm not about to punish myself for indulging on a bag or two every now and then of giant cadbury buttons! I just want to feel a bit more confident come summer.

Next there is one I realllllly want to stick to: create great, more focused content for the blog

I think my main downfall on my last blog was creating random posts. I want to start having some kind of organisation to my blog, keeping a theme of beauty running throughout but also having set posts of 'monthly favourites' and regular updates on changes to my everyday make up routine, or skincare etc. Throw in a few outfit of the day posts and instagram updates of the week and that will be the jist of this blog. Hopefully looking very organised! 

Then there's another hard one: To stop comparing myself

It sometimes feels, in all aspects of life, that there is a competition. When I was apply for jobs I wasn't just up against all the girls on my course, but girls and guys all over the country trying to apply for a job and I'm telling you now, it's dog eat dog out there. But there's not only that, I find my self comparing myself to those I work with now, people on the same scheme as me, friends, friends of friends, celebrities, other bloggers, the list could go on! All I need to do is stop, at the end of the day you need to feel good about yourself before others can see how good you are.

Finally, one I'm sure many of us are trying to do after Christmas: Save money

With me earning from my job this year, I feel like I'm rich everyday pay day comes around -- similar to that feeling you get when your student loan comes in, but it lasts longer and comes round more frequently! However, I am very veryyyy aware that come September, I will not be earning and will be a poor student once again... this time with a car to run. So it is at the forefront of my mind, that yes, while I have the money I should enjoy it, but I should also attempt to save at least some of it!

Quite a few goals there, and I aim to stock to the majority of them! May as well aim high! I hope that 2015 is a great year for you all, have you made any resolutions/goals for this year?


Emma x

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