April Favourites

Happy May guys :) We are now officially a third of the way through the year!

Last month I tidied things up and got rid of old junk and I now have a few new favorites of April, so here they are:

Maybelline Bouncy Blush in 'Pink Plum'

Spring has sprung along with some brighter, lighter spring make-up looks. I have started to wear blusher more in the sunny whether because I never really used it before. The color looks nice and spring-y and the blush is nice. There are some aspects of it that I find a bit annoying (personal preference) but since this is the only blush I own, I have been wearing it and I like the look it gives.

Lip Gloss

Again with make-up that is more for spring/summer, I have started to use lip gloss more. I think it just looks fresh and sunshine-y (my describing words are becoming made up now) and I am preferring the look they give in this sunny weather. The two that are shown are:

No.7 High shine in whisper - lovely shimmery pale pink colour (not sure why the swatch on boots website looks brown)!

Natural Collection Juicy lips in Vanilla - clear lip shine that I put over a colour to add glossiness. 

Butterfly Perfume - M&S

This perfume is absolutely lovely! It smells gorgeous and lasts well. I have the 10ml bottle but you can also buy 25ml and 90ml. I have only just bought it and I already love it! I like the packaging of the 10ml, just a clear glass bottle with a nice lid, but I can decide weather I like the packaging of the 90ml one or not! What do you think? (I really can't describe the smell but M&S say: 'This eau de toilette is fruity, fresh and fun with a sophisticated but not too serious twist. Fresh green notes of fruity apple, watery cucumber and zesty grapefruit drift to a smooth and delicate magnolia flower, rose and violet which are followed by a rich base of musks and amber. Fresh and feminine with a playful innocence.' ) 

Passenger - All the Little Lights album

I popped into HMV to pick up a DVD I wanted to watch and I ended up spending a bit too much money on music. I saw this album and wanted to listen to it as I love the song 'Let Her Go'. All of the songs on this album are lovely and his voice and songs are so inspiring and lovely to listen to. I think this album could be one of my all time favorites, I LOVE IT! 

Floral Wire Headband

This cute floral headband has wire running through it so you can style it however you want. It's perfect for spring and when you don't want to style your hair in anything fancy! I can't remember where I bought it but I have had it for a while now. 

Chocolate

It was Easter. Need I say more?

Hope you have had a great month and enjoyed my favourites post!

Have you tried any of my favorites? What did you think?

Motivational and inspirational #3 | Opportunities

Hello!

How is your 2014 going so far? Mine is going great! 

Today's post is about opportunities.

I bet most of you will be able to think of a time when you have said no to something, and then wishing you could have said yes later on, I know I have. Opportunities pass us everyday, and we miss them, decline them, are scared of them and where they might go. But one day you might miss an opportunity that could change your life, and then you would be kicking yourself for being so cautious. Sometimes I think it's good to be cautious, but most of the time I think that stepping out of your comfort zone is a good thing. It can help build your confidence, and you might discover something good with it.

Seize the day!

I've been a while...

As you have probably noticed, I haven't been posting on my blog for a while and I'm very sorry about that. I really want to be able to bring you many posts a week but sadly I have a busy life with practically no spare time :( These couple of months have been the busiest I have ever had and I'm quite glad to leave them behind me. At first I just thought I would post when I can, but then I sort of decided to give it up till these months were over and see whether I still wanted to carry on. I wasn't sure blogging was for me, but now I have some more spare time I've realised I had enjoyed it and am going to carry on. 

Also, as much as I would love to be able to think up new ideas for posts, I'm really not that original. I get annoyed when the only thing I can think of to post is a review and I feel that's not enough really, so I end up not posting at all. I decided to ask you which posts you would like to see more of. I will put up a poll at the side of my blog for you to answer. Please do answer, for it would help me a lot. If you have any post ideas for me then please comment them too. 

And now for a little update...

The weather has been wonderful where I live so far, summer is on it's way. I have been trying to save, so not much new stuff has entered my wardrobe/beauty drawer. I have been taking lot's more photos and been making the most of my little break. And finally, I have been spring cleaning my life and trying some new things :) 

Instagram / Bloglovin

Soap and glory body butter and polish | Review

Hello!

Happy march :) Where did January and February go, did I sleep through them ?? It's already March and I feel like christmas was last week! Anyway, I'm sorry to have such a disappointing post for the beginning of March. I can't really put together a favourites because I haven't really been loving anything new, and this was my next post in line anyway so hope you enjoy a little review!

Both products I bought in the small pots which are £2.50. I got about five uses from them.

Flake Away body scrub - £8 or £2.50

I am going to be honest with you, and say, I didn't and still don't really, see the whole point of these products (and their prices)! I have never really bothered with exfoliating my body with a scrub, so this was my first one (so expect a bit of a rubbish review of this one because I don't know what makes a good scrub)! 

It had a nice scent, not to strong, I liked it. It did it's job I guess, although I didn't notice a huge difference in my skin. It did feel like a good quality product and if you are someone who these make a difference for, then I think this would be a nice choice!

The Righteous Butter body cream - £10.50 or £2.50

Soap and Glory body butters have always been a firm favourite, despite their price. I had never tried the righteous butter before though, and since I was buying a small pot of flake away to try, I thought I'd also see if I liked this as well.

It has a lovely scent that's not too strong (similar to flake away). It was easy to apply and sunk in straight away which is really what I want in a moisturiser. It really moisturises your skin and stay moisturised for about three days which is a bonus (who can actually be bothered to moisturise every day?). This is a lovely body cream and I am definitely going to buy the big pot of this.

What are your favourite body creams/scrubs?

Tartan Picks

Hello!

Today I bring you my first fashion post! I hope to do many more of these if you like them so please comment your thoughts.

Tarten/check is becoming very popular and is appearing in more and more shops. Personally, I love the look of tartan and so I decided to put together a post of my favourite items (it turned out to be a lot)!

Cropped sweat | Check shirt | Velvet tartan top | Denim top with tartan collar

I loved so many tops, but I decided to narrow it down, and give a variety of different styles. There's the classic shirt, the more chic, velvet top, the cropped sweat, and my favourite, the denim shirt with a tartan collar. I love how you can wear this and still get the tartan look without going all out.

I think a tartan top would look, and stand out better, if you kept the trousers plain.

Check leggings | Red tartan leggings | Blue check jeans
Velvet skirt | Tartan mini skirt

Personally, I think tartan leggings look better, but I did find a nice pair of check jeans. I think tartan trousers and leggings would look great with a black (or other colour) peplum top.

 I wasn't so much of a fan of tartan skirts because I think some can make you look, school girl-ish or like your wearing a kilt, I did find two that I liked though.

Sweetheart dress | Green tartan dress | Tartan skater dress | Smock dress

Dresses was the hardest to narrow down because I loved so many of them. What I particularly like, is that you can get smart ones, and you can get casual, chill out at home with a hot chocolate, ones. I think tartan dresses are great and you can keep the rest of your outfit simple.

Also, after I had finished the rest of this post, I came across this dress...

I don't know about you, but I absolutely love it. I think it would be perfect for the summer, for the beach and for festivals. I love how it goes from tartan to blue in a kind of dip-dyed effect. Ahhhhhh I just love it!

Okay this post is getting too long...

I hope you liked my favourite tartan picks and let me know in the comments which was your favourite!

bye x

Valetine's Day and Instagram

Happy Valentine's Day!!! 

First of all I hope you had a great day with your family, friends and your valentine. Valentine's day is a lovely day where you can show your love for someone, hang out with you friends and eat choccy! Even if your not with the love of your life, you can still have lots of fun, a girls night in with pizza and films (i'm thinking).

Some cute little quotes:

If you live to be one hundred,

I want to live to be one hundred minus a day,

So I never have to live a day without you.

We’re all a little weird. Life is a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love.

Piglet: How do you spell love?

Pooh: You don't spell it you feel it.

I am also using this post to introduce you to my Instagram. I have recently got Instagram for my blog and I was just letting you know, if you would like to pop along and follow my life in pictures, please do :)

xxx

Motivational and Inspirational #2 | Being yourself

Hello :)

I hope that since the last post, you have been trying to have a rosy outlook on life and maybe even noticed that you have enjoyed yourself more.

This week I was thinking about being yourself and not worrying about what others think of you, so this week's subject is

Being yourself

If your worried about how to act, around friends and around new people, just be yourself. 

Easier said than done I know, but people will love you more for what you are, and not what you and pretending and trying to be. True friends will accept whatever you are like because that is the reason they are friends with you. 

It is easier to interact with people when you are relaxed and being yourself, and trying to keep up a fake personality because you want to fit in, is hard. 

Don't lose your real self to popularity or shyness, you are you, unique and special :)

January Favourites

It's behind us! The worst month of the year is over, only to come again next year! Our bank balance is suffering, our skin is suffering, and our mealtimes are suffering (due to lack of yummy foods since Christmas), is there anything good about January?

Yes there is! It's the best month to start something new or set some new goals (and of course, try out all the lovely things you received for Christmas). Despite the weather (I live in England, need I say more?) I have been feeling quite motivated this month, I have stared to read more, cut down on sugary things, and try harder with work.

I am surprisingly happy with my January, and I have got a few things to share with you that I have enjoyed during January :)

Clarins daily energizer lotion samples -

The winter weather can be very harsh to our skin and I was on the hunt for a good moisturiser. When buying high-end products that I'm not sure are worth the money, I like to try them first.

 I picked up two different moisturiser samples, Benefit total moisture and Clarins daily energizer lotion. I will do a review of them both soon, although I liked them both, I think I preferred the Clarins one. It is a good, light but moisturising lotion that sinks in immediately and is great for in the morning. (I could only find the daily energizer cream  £21 and wake-up booster £16.50 but I'm sure they are as good/similar).

No.7 Eyeshadow £7 -
I received this in a No.7 set for christmas that contained four things. I stupidly threw away the packaging so i can't tell you what shade it was but I think it was sheer brown. (you may not be able to tell from the picture) It is a lovely shimmery taupe colour and I think it is quite similar to Mac satin taupe but since I don't own satin taupe I can't be sure. It is a lovely winter colour and is an easy all over the lid colour for everyone.

No.7 Extreme length extend mascara -
 This mascara also came with the set I mentioned. In the past I have had No.7 mascaras and not been very impressed by them, but I absolutely love this one. The brush is really good and gets all my lashes, and most importantly it doesn't clump and it makes my lashes look natural.

Estee Lauder Modern muse 30ml £44 -
Scents are extremely difficult to explain as I'm sure you will all agree, so I am not going try to explain it. Just read what the website says it is and if you get a chance, go and sniff it too. I collected this sample when I was getting the moisturiser samples. It is a beautiful, sophisticated scent and reminds me of an old perfume I used to have. I absolutely love it, the bottle is lovely, and the only downside is the price!

KT Tunstall Invisible empire crescent moon album-

I received this CD for christmas from my mum because we are both massive fans of KT Tunstall. This is her latest CD and if I had to pick a favourite song from it, it would have to be Invisible empire. KT Tunstall is my favourite singer/songwriter and please do have a listen to some of her songs as i'm sure you'll like them.

Guylian Chocolates -

Not completely going against what I just said at the beginning of the post, but yes, I have been loving these chocolates during january. The beautiful sea shell shaped chocolates are heavenly, and would make a lovely present, especially as Valentines day is coming up!

That is everything I have enjoyed during January. I hope you enjoyed this post and be sure to leave your january favourites posts in the comments so I can have a read of it!
The one thing that I would like to make better than January is the amount of times I post. I will try hard to post as much as possible, but sadly work can get in the way!

Motivational and Inspirational #1 | A rosy outlook

Hello!

While I was reading through Louise's Blog (sprinkle of glitter), I was thinking, what a lovely idea 'Motivational Mondays' is. I thought I would create my own series similar to her's, because I love the concept and everybody loves a bit of motivation to start the week, right? 

My first piece of advice is:

Have a rosy outlook

Or in other words, have a positive attitude, see the good in things and not the bad, try and make things you do more enjoyable and don't be so negative.

So, if you are faced with a challenging task, think you can do it and your halfway there.

If you try and think positive, the outcomes will most likely be positive. Don't just sit there sulking and wait for you life to get better... because it won't. Just a small effort to see the better side of things can make all the difference!

Writing this has already made me think more about how I can enjoy myself. I hope this has for you too.

bye x

LUSH space girl and Christmas penguin | Review

Lush: a bath lover's heaven!

I usually have showers because they take less time, it is easier to wash my hair and uses less water, therefore saving you money on your water bill. When in need of some relaxation time though, a bath is perfect. I mean, you could just get into the warm water and leave it at that, but when I do have time to 'pamper' myself, it might as well smell nice, not to mention the other amazing things Lush products do. I have here just a little review of 2 products I have recently used.

Can I just point out, as with any other reviews I do, I have purchased the products myself and my opinions will be fair and truthful. If I am sponsored/send the items I will clearly state this at the beginning.

SPACE GIRL -£2.25

What Lush say: Once you drop this into your bath, Space Girl crackles with space dust (popping candy) as it spins around your orbit, restoring your good cheer.  Grapefruit oil is refreshing and uplifting for the mood, clarifying and toning the skin, while bergamot makes you feel relaxed and mildly euphoric.

Space girl is a lovely purple-y blue bath ballistic and, as you can see, turned my bath water a deep purple. The scent to me, is a kind of soapy scent if that makes any sense at all, which is weird because Lush say 'sweet and fruity'. To me, it is not exotic or spicy, just clean and soap like which I love! It has beautiful phosphorant glitter, and I admit I just stared at the water admiring it! Inside there is popping candy which was a surprise to me but I thought it finished off the bath bomb in space sort of way! I will definitely repurchase this, smells nice, cheap compared to some of their other bath ballistics and a lovely bath came out of it:)

CHRISTMAS PENGUIN - £2.95

This cute little guy is, sadly, only around in the festive time of year (hence the name) and that explains why they have taken it off the website. This means I can't tell 'what Lush say' and I had to guess the price, but I am pretty sure it is correct! Anyway, with this product, you have to take a chunk of it and crumble it in your hands, then crumble it under running water and it produces bubbles! The scent to me, similar to Space Girl, is clean and soap like! This could be because I had a blocked nose when i used them, or I just don't have the knack of picking up scents and describing them (probably the second one)! I really like the scent and it gave me a fair amount of bubbles. I very much like this little cutie!

Sorry for the amateur (and slightly bad quality) photos, I am not trained in photography, nor do I own an amazing camera so bear with me! And i'd like to know...

Do you have any similar favourites?

New Year's Inspiration

Here we are, a few days into the new year and we are busy preparing ourselves for a year ahead of work, and of course, making those hopeful resolutions that, ya know, might get completed!

 This year i'm feeling very motivated and i decided i was going to try a different approach. I thought, if I just gave myself simple goals every month, I might have more of a chance of reaching them!

I haven't finished deciding all of my goals but if you want some ideas, here you go:

HEALTHY LIVING GOALS

- Do a 30 day fitness challenge and complete it  (just type it in on google images and try one of those!)

- For 2 days a week have no sweet/sugary things.

- If you get a bus to work, get off the bus a few stops earlier, and walk home for the whole month.

- Go for at least one 30 minute run, every week.

LEISURELY GOALS

- Read (4) books a month/one a week.

- Learn some new stuff. Get yourself on a short course (e.g. Crafts) instead of sitting on the internet so much.

- Blog a wider variety of topics for a month and see if it broadens you mind.

- Spend a maximum of (£10) a month on luxury items (e.g. Cosmetics) 

Sorry for a lengthy-ish post but I hope you found it either helpful or just interesting!

What are your new year's resolutions/goals?