Recent Purchases

As I'm sure I have said many, many times, I have a knack for spending too much money. This weekend has been absolutely no exception to this rule! However, for once, (most of) the items bought were needed. Summer makeup must haves, brighter lip and nail shades, lovely, summery, pink blusher... things every girl needs, right? 

I am a real big fan of MUA. You really can't complain about the quality of their products, especially considering the budget prices. Recently I've bought two of their lipsticks in shade 16, nectar, a lovely coral shade which is just perfect for summer, and shade 14, bare, a gorgeous pale nude colour that avoids giving you the whole 'foundation lips' look. At £1 these are absolutely fantastic, they're very well pigmented and feel really creamy and moisturising on the lips. I also got my hands on three of their nail varnishes in Ameretto Crush (coral), Bold Blue and Deepest Purple. Again at £1 a pop and currently 3 for 2 at Superdrug, there is no complaining. I'm get to try any MUA nail varnishes but keep your eyes thoroughly peeled for reviews! Last but not least out of the MUA bundle I grabbed their loose matte perfect powder in translucent for just £2.50. I tend to get really shiny in the summer as I'm sure many do and this claims to have "shine control" - exactly what I need!

The Garnier products I bought are repurchases, but I can still rave on about how great they are. Both of these items, the make up remover and the refreshing toner were just £1.99 each from Bodycare, my go to place for beauty items (as you can probably tell, I love a good bargain!). The toner is a really good pick me up for both normal and combination skin - I myself am a combination girl and I absolutely love the stuff. It smells fresh and feels great, and I find I can make a bottle last me for at least a month even after toning twice a day. The make up remover really does exactly like it says on the tin, however do be careful that you don't smudge your mascara all over your face as I find this can happen with this budget make up remover. That very tiny negative aside it's still absolutely perfect especially for a budget product.

Before I start here, yes I'm one of those girls. A self confessed candle lover. So when I saw that Clinton's were having a 25% off sale on all Yankee candles and reed diffusers, I made a beeline. I'm so in love with Yankee candles but they do tend to be a little out of my price range, so I made the most of this offer (which unfortunately ends today). I picked up a large jar of Strawberry Buttercream for £14.99 and sample versions of Soft Blanket, Summer Scoop and Lake Sunset for £1.35 each.

As well as everything above (this list feels never ending!), I got myself again the Supercat eyeliner pen from Soap & Glory in Carbon Black for £6 at Boots. In addition to this I picked up two more of the Barry M Hi Shine Gelly varnishes in Passion Fruit (seen on my nails) and Mango. I also have the shade Green Berry. I'm really undecided on these yet - I absolutely adore the colours but have a love/hate relationship with the formula. These were £3.99 each from Boots or buy one and get the second half price, which is exactly what I did. In much need of a good but low priced blusher I snapped up Natural Collection's blusher in Pink Cloud for £1.99. I don't buy any other products from Natural Collection but this blusher feels really pigmented, soft and has a very attractive price tag. In addition to eeeeeeverything else, I grabbed Lush Cosmetics' Solid Perfume in Karma for £5. This has such a gorgeous scent and is perfect for summer. 

So that's everything! After spending a frightening amount of money it would be very rude to not fully review most of these products so be on the look out for those. However I do think it is worth mentioning that I will be moving shop in the next couple of weeks I think - buying a domain and totally revamping my blog. I will be posting about that as and when it happens and I will be leaving this blog open instead of transferring all of my posts, this is just a heads up!

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Manchester #1

Yesterday I went to Manchester with a couple of my dearest friends. We went around the Northern Quarter handing around CVs to our favourite bars and cafes - after deciding to take a gap year to decide fully what I want to and to save up a bit more money finding a job or perhaps two part time ones is crucial! - had an unavoidable look around Boots on Market Street and then went for lunch and a much needed teapig at my favourite and most visited little cafe for the past 4 years Nexus. I didn't make any notable purchases or do anything really exciting but it's so nice to get the chance to catch up with friends and I am absolutely in love with my city.

Above: my wonderful friend Kerrianne because attractive as per ;)

Have any of you ever visited Manchester or even live there? It would be amazing to meet more people and find bloggers I love that are local to me. If any of you are planning on visiting Manchester I highly recommend a trip to Nexus art cafe, it's such a lovely place, the staff are wonderful and of course the food is to die for!

All in all I had a fantastic day out. What's your favourite city?

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Guest Posting!

Hello lovelies! Although I haven't been on the blogging scene for very long at all I've managed to get myself a place guest blogging on Sophie Bolton's blog. I was honestly surprised that she wanted to take me on for the job (along with a good few other lovely ladies - if you visit Sophie's blog now you will find a couple of the other guest blogs already up!) but I got it and she honestly seemed really pleased to have me doing it!

I'm not going to give anything away as come Saturday 6th July my guest post will be up on air, but I highly recommend you check out the other guest posts and also Sophie's posts - she is a lovely girl and runs a lovely blog!

Short and sweet post but I thought I'd keep you all up to date. Once my post is online I'll have a link up on this blog. 

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Wishlist June '13

I am very sorry about the shoddy, rushed looking post. After finding all of the products I wanted and gathering them all in one place I couldn't wait to get it up! I'll probably edit the images at a later date but for now, here's my June wishlist and also my first wishlist!

1. Origins Zero Oil

I've had my eye on this for quite a while. I do have quite oily/combination skin and sometimes I find my foundation just starts to look slippery and shiny - and not in the glorious glowing sort of way. This promises to keep your face looking matte all day so is definitely something I need to get my hands on.

2. Topshop Lipstick in WHIMSICAL 

Being one of those ladies who has far too many reds and dark shaded lipsticks this is definitely something I'd like purchase, and at the price you certainly can't complain. I've heard many good things about the Topshop makeup range so it's about time I tried some out for myself.

3. Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer

I desperately need to get my hands on a great primer and this is one of the main ones I had in mind (alongside Benefit's POREfessional). This primer claims to blur any blemishes, which is an absolute must for me, as well as giving your skin a lovely glow.

4. Topshop Blush Stick in ACTING UP

I've been wearing pretty pink blusher for far too long - time for me to branch out. Considering I've never tried an orange/coral blusher before I don't want to be forking out as there is a chance I may not like it, so this fairly priced product is high on my wishlist.

5. Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Rose Ivory

I've heard this mentioned so much, particularly by Kate who runs gh0stparties, and I've been looking for a new foundation. This full coverage foundation appears to be right up my street. Also, as I sometimes suffer from dull, tired looking skin this should hopefully give me a bit more of a perked up look!

6. MAC Lipstick in Pure Zen
I literally don't think I can say anything other than the fact that I need more shades of lipsticks and I absolutely adore this colour. It's a pale pink nude that I just think is to die for. My slightly girly side coming through, perhaps?

7. MAC Lipstick in creme d'nude
Another MAC beauty on my lipstick. I absolutely love wearing lipstick but I don't always want lips that jump off my face screaming, so this shade is perfect for that. Subtle, elegant colour. I'm also looking at grabbing creme cup for a similar effect!

8. Origins Drink Up Intensive
Yet something else I've seen mentioned by Kate (as well as about 1000 others). This is an overnight mask/moisturiser designed to hydrate and rejuvenate skin, leaving it fresh and supple come the morning. Keeping skin hydrated is key when looking at maintaining a youthful complexion, and there's nothing wrong with trying to stop the signs of ageing this early - at 18 I don't think I'm at much risk of developing grows feet!

Have you tried any of these products?

Links: Zero Oil|Whimsical|Radiance Primer|Blush Stick|Silk Creme|MAC Lipsticks|Drink Up Intensive
Also Mentioned: Creme Cup and The POREfessional

              

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Weightloss #1

Tonight's post is a little different. For a while now I have been a little body concious after piling on a fair amount of pounds after the addition of the contraceptive implant so I figured it was about time I did something about it. I've always been a little on the chubby side and the smallest my 5ft 8 frame could pull off is a size 12 as I'm not 'built' to be any slimmer than that and I have never been bullied about my weight so there is no bowing into pressure here - I am aiming to lose weight to be comfortable in myself and that is my only aim.

Above are photos from late last year but they are just to give a general idea on my rough size. I'm the one in the red hoody and I'm around the size 14/16 (UK)

My goal is to get back down to a size 12, which I feel is more than possible for me. To achieve this I have recently increased the amount of exercise I do and I have a stationary bike in my bedroom and I have also been eating much cleaner (virtually no processed foods where I can avoid them!). Come Monday I plan on starting Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred which has proved a success for a lot of people I have spoken to on the matter, and once I start work I'm going to get myself a gym membership - although I don't feel this is necessary to lose weight I think it will motivate me to workout more if I'm paying money for it! 

I have a very supportive boyfriend and lovely friends who have been helping me and I know will stick by me on my way to achieving my goals. I have one incredibly inspirational friends, Ellen, who has been on her own journey and she looks absolutely gorgeous - the proof that a better lifestyle is there so here I go!

I'll be keeping track of my weightloss on here. Weigh ins, significant changes in appearance, that sort of thing. I will ignore any negativity posted on the subject of my weight and/or appearance. 

Do you have any good tips for weightloss?
(NO FADDY DIETS WELCOME!)

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Curly Wurly - The Review

Above is a photo (as best as I could get it so I sincerely apologise!) of my hair. It's stupidly thick, curly and it snaps when I brush it which is really devastating. It's hard to tame, hard to style and just generally gets on my nerves! I'm currently using Aussie Miracle Moist shampoo and conditioner which provides it with a lovely amount of moisture, however I figured it was time to try something specifically designed for hair exactly like mine. 

Lush's Curly Wurly shampoo is what I decided to try.

Being a mostly unemployed student there was no way I could just splash out almost £10 without even trying the product first, so I went into my local Lush store and one of the very understanding supervisors (a little sad that I know who in that shop is a supervisor and who isn't!) totally understood my point and filled up this little tub for my to take home and try (around 2 uses worth). I was already in love with the enticing coconut smell as I have been hankering after this shampoo for SUCH a long time so naturally I couldn't wait to get it home so I could try it out.

I really wasn't disappointed. Curly Wurly doesn't lather up much (unless I didn't use enough) which I found incredibly odd and so I wasn't sure whether the product was going to work very well, but I still adored the scent and loved the huge coconut chunks that are in it. After rinsing I followed this up by applying some intense conditioner onto just the ends of my hair (partially because they're very dry but mostly because I seriously did not want to mask over the lovely smell of Curly Wurly!) and then went about the rest of my bathing i.e facemasking, exfoliating and washing. 

L to R: Sugarscrub, Porridge soap, Mask of Magnaminty. All purchased from Lush

As wary as I had previously been about Curly Wurly and it's apparent inability to lather up, after blowdrying I was so pleased with the results. My hair was soft, volumised and very easy to manage. Hours and hours later as I write this post I can still smell the coconut in my hair and I feel a little like a hoola girl. As Curly Wurly is specifically designed for, yeah you guessed it, curly, unmanageable hair with a tendency to snap and break it certainly lives up to it's expectations. 

I still really can't afford to buy this for myself as I simply don't have the money to which is incredibly disappointing (I also wanted to buy the American Cream conditioner as I was told these work really well together) but I will continue to pour over and sniff around this product every time I enter the Lush store in Manchester Arndale.

Have you tried any of the Lush shampoos?

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HAUL #1

So! A couple of days ago I decided it was a real treat day. Armed and ready, I headed into Manchester City Centre and spent pretty much every penny I have! I purchased the following items, and although I haven't numbered the images I'm sure you'll be able to follow!:

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Popcorn Lip Scrub, £5.25 for 25g I had seen so many posts about this and so many people talking about it on their blogs, instagram, Facebooks... you name it! So I decided it was about time I got my hands on some. After some uuhming and aahing, I decided on the Popcorn flavour (it is also available in Bubblegum which is the more popular one and Mint Julips, a sort of mint chocolate flavour) and it is divine!

Miss Sporty Dr Balm in shade 01 and 03, £1.99 each or 3 for £5 @ Superdrug I sort of bought these on a whim, seeing the 3 for £5 deal in Superdrug I couldn't resist! They do perfect summery shades, for when lipstick is just too heavy! Softing lip balm with royal jelly with the right amount of colour tint.

Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch Nail Varnish in shade 3004, £1.99 or 3 for £5 I bought this alongside the two lip colours mentioned above. This is really pretty and looks great over another colour and on its own. Glitter nail varnish is something I've only recently gotten into but my collection is slowly growing!

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Mask of Magnaminty, £4.95 for 125g I will honestly hold my hands up and say that I do have the odd breakout in spots and sometimes, like right now, it gets worth than others, so when I saw and read about this I had to have it. It's a peppermint mask but also has gritty bits in it so also acts as a scrub. Leaves the skin feels SO refreshed!

Bumble & Bumble Gentle Shampoo, £18.50 for 250ml, Super Rich Conditioner, £20.00 for 250ml I searched high and low all over Manchester for a sample of B&B's Deeep Treatment as my hair is slightly frazzled at the minute and wanted to give it a try, but failed miserably. However, I did manage to get my hands on these two samples!

Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Honeybee Bath Ballistic, £3.20 each As you have probably noticed, I am a complete Lush nut. I perhaps need to start expanding my horizons a little bit, but the reasonably priced products (for the most part) keep me coming back. I bought myself my favourite bath bomb as an end of exam treat. Cannot wait to use it later on!

I also picked up some free reads as you can see, a benefit brochure and Manchester's Loud and Quiet paper (ins and outs of up and coming music, fashion, all of that).

Full reviews of all products will be coming up, keep your eyes peeled! Is there a particular one you'd like reviewed first or sooner than the others? Let me know!

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Butterball

I am no stranger to Lush and their spectacular variety of products, hell, I even tried for a job there (to no avail, wah!). However, it soon dawned on me that I hadn't yet tried their most prestigious and well known bath ballistic, the butterball.
I immediately dragged my wonderfully patient boyfriend on the two bus journey to my local store in the Manchester Arndale to pick one up. Now, many will try to steer you away from such Lush products due to them being slightly on the pricey side, but I firmly believe that they are totally worth it and at £2.45 the butterball is one of their cheaper bath bombs.
The first thing I noticed was the fragrance. Lush are notorious for their strong smelling shop and heavily fragranced goods that some may find over powering, but the butterball has a very soft, cocoa-y scent, strong enough to be totally lovely but not so strong that it tickles your nostrils!
As I had an exam the next day, I decided I'd use the butterball in a nice relaxing bath before bed. I ran my water, adding some wilkos own brand honey and vanilla bath foam (these are usually available at the very tiny price of 2 for £1.50 for 500ml and this deal can be used on their shower gels and other goodies!) and settled down with my book. Before I got too comfortable, I dropped in the ballistic and watched it fizz away. The scent rising from my water was divine.
After about a half hour soak I got out and smelt fantastic (my boyfriend wouldn't stop sniffing me!). The chunks in the butterball, assuming this is cocoa butter, left my skin feeling smooth right up until the next night, when I got into the shower, and the scent stayed with me too.
As per usual I finished my bathing routine by using Soap & Glory's The Righteous Butter (£10.50 for 300ml from Boots), slipped into fresh PJs, made a nice mug of herbal tea and settled into bed.
All in all very pleased with the butterball, not quite my favourite but it is very good if you don't want to spend over £3 on one bath bomb. The vanilla and cocoa butter is perfect for those with sensitive skin, for those who love to have really hot baths (which tend to dry you out) and the lovely, light, musky smell is fantastic for anyone not fond of strong smelling products.

What are your must-have bath products?

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