Saturday 25 January 2014

Kina Grannis

So I'm stuck on a train to Leeds next to a super smelly guy, and I really wish I got up earlier to get the east coast train! (Really dislike northern rail services). So I decide to do a blog post about the music in currently listening to in my train journey! 


Listening to Kina Grannis, with the most beautiful soothing voice in the whole world! I seriously recommend you go check her out on YouTube! 

I don't have many of her songs, and she does a lot of covers as well as originals. Her music is definitely a type I could listen to for endless hours. 



Tuesday 21 January 2014

Everyday make up for placement

In currently on placement in a primary school, and obviously make up can't be too heavy, including mascara. I usually don't wear a lot of make up anyway, but contouring and certain mascara make it look like a lot! So I'm doing this blog post just incase you were wondering how much make up was a suitable amount for placements/voluntary work/ or even a new job! 

My daily make up consists of a moisturiser, light (but brightening) foundation, low application mascara, pale natural coloured blush a highlighter for extra brightness (obviously a lot of this is benefit again, my favourite brand)!


Firstly I apply the moisturiser (as always), and u always use the neutrogena visibly clear pink grapefruit, usually around £5 in boots, but just after Christmas it was only £3.50 in superdrug so I made sure I stocked up in quite a few. Always as prepping the skin for make up it also clears the skin of blemishes and discolouration.  

Then the foundation, benefits hello flawless oxygen wow foundation. This definitely has to be the best foundation to use because it's brightening, and having hardly any sleep creates the biggest and unattractive dark circles under anyone's eyes. This definitely helps to bring colour back to your face and hide the circles, as well as being a light and fair application. 


The blusher, benefits dandelion, is a natural pink blush. With the weather being quite frosty and cold, this gives the perfect cheek glow, mixed with the benefits watts up high lighter rubbed on the top of the cheek bone. 


Bad gal mascara, because it's a light application with a large brush. This takes seconds to apply and still emphasises the eyes with colours. 


Lastly, Victoria's Secret coconut passion body mist for a sweet and long lasting scent to cover up the smell of play dough, paint and glue! 


Sunday 19 January 2014

Liebster Award 2014!

Super excited that i've been nominated for my first Liebster award by three bloggers!


A Liebster award is a blog award, given to the best blog is a certain category e.g. beauty, craft, cooking. Anyone can be nominated and it basically makes the blog popular if the person wins as long as that blogger has under 200 followers!

I was lucky enough to be nominated by Jenna , Mel and Laura both with wonderful blogs!






The rules:
Link the blog that nominated you for the award
Choose 11 bloggers to nominate who have less than 200 followers
Answer the 11 questions given to you
Let the people you have nominated know that you have done so
You can't nominate the person that nominated you
Create 11 questions for the people you nominate to answer


Laura's Questions

1. What would you do if you only had one hour left to live?
I literally don't even know how to answer this, thought about it for a while but I guess there is no original, correct answer right?

2. What's your favorite makeup brand?
100% has to be Benefit!

3. Favorite clothing store?
Topshop

4. Where's your favourite place in the world?
London

5. Which season do you love the most?
Spring

6. Which season's clothes do you love the most?
Summer

7. What's your dream job?
Teaching, but i'm already gaining that degree :D

8. If you could tell your past self anything, what would it be?
Definitely to be more careful who you let in to your life and who you trust! 85% of the people I know, I would not trust as far as I could throw (relating to friends and definitely boys).

9. What's your perfect date?
This would have to be a recreation of Andy and Louise's pizza making date from Made in Chelsea!

10. You have a $1000 shopping spree. What would you buy?
most of urban outfitters and topshop's stock!

11. Who's your celebrity fashion icon?
I personally do not follow fashion or celebrity clothing styles. I prefer to just pick something I like in a store and wear it how I please.



Jenna's Questions

What is your favourite type of post to read and write?
Beauty bloggers!

What is your favourite thing to do on a weekend?
Recently my weekends consist of resting up from placement or spending it doing assignments!

Do you prefer Horror or Comedy films?
comedy, too wimpy to to watch horror films.

If you would live anywhere in the world where would it be?
New York, or London

What is your favourite drugstore makeup brand?
Rimmel London

What is a really good dupe you know of?
I'm not sure what a dupe is?

If you had to choose would it be foundation or mascara?
Foundation, unless I was allowed to wear concealer with mascara!

What is your favourite TV show?
Pretty Little liars

What is that one song you keep listening to lately?
Sweather weather, but Kina Grannis' version 

Do you apply your makeup with a brush, sponge or hands?
hands for foundation, but blush and concealer with a brush

Do you prefer to wear your hair up or down?
Down, my ears get cold way to easily


Mel's Questions



1. What are your 3 best features?
I like my eyes, but thats about it!
 
2. When was the last time you did something you shouldn't have?
I spend a lot of my student loan online when I should be saving

3. Summer or Winter?
Summer

4. Who was the first band/artist you saw live or, if you haven't seen anyone, who would you like to see live?
I haven't seen people I actually like, I seen a few singers from like Xfactor and stuff at a few random things like christmas light turn ons, but no real famous people. I would love to see Taylor Swift live!

5. Favourite brand for shoes?
Vivienne Westwood, Melissa

6. What was the first album you ever bought?
I think it was Demi Lovato

7. When (assuming you do) did you start wearing make up?
probably around year 10/11

8. What is your TV guilty pleasure?
Hollyoaks

9. Who is your favourite actor/actress?
Johnny Depp!!!

10. Do you prefer drugstore or high end make up?
High End

11. Dress up or dress down?
Dress up

People I am Nominating:
Amy
Julianne
 Emma
Emanuela
Victoria
Hannah
Emily
Casey
Kat
Hiroko
Naomi

Questions for my nominations: 
1. What's your favourite pass time?
2. Your current place or work study? 
3. Favourite make up brand and why?
4. Nail polish or bare nails?
5. Favourite pattern e.g floral, animal print
6. Your favourite animal and why?
7. Do you have any pets and what?
8. Where do you live (e.g flat, apartment, house, not the address!)
9. Decor cushions on bed or off when sleeping?
10. Cats or dogs?
11. Favourite memory?

Friday 17 January 2014

Wish List!

This blog was going to be an outfit of the week post, about the clothes i'd worn during my first week of placement, but got so busy in the morning, and so tired in the evenings that I completely forgot to take pictures of my outfits after Tuesday!

Instead, I decided to do a wish list, in-between researching camps for the CCUSA camp fair on saturday! 

Starting this post, i've been wanting this little dress for a while but was way too expensive. UNTIL it went in the sale a few days ago as further lines were added! this dress is from Zara and is now £12.99, and I shall definitely be buying this on the weekend when I go back up to Leeds! it has very pretty red detailing down both sides of the top of the dress, definitely brings out the frame of the dress. This would also be very handy to take to America (when/if I ever get hired, taking forever)!



The next item to go on my wish list is this beautiful sunflower print baby doll dress from American Apparel . Sadly, this dress is £48 and right now I do not think I can bare to separate with that much money after just paying rent and bills for a house i'm not even currently living in until March! But I do really love this dress and it would be great for summer! 


Topshop have always made really pretty vests, and cami's, but I didn't really like them on myself because I don't like tops/dresses that are really low on the back! However, they recently brought back these little pretty things and I shall definitely be purchasing some of these soon, and at only £20 are perfect to match up with anything! 



Another Topshop favourite of mine is this pretty red bow for the hair. This particular one is a clip in bow and at £8.50 is a little pricey. I don't really use hair accessories either, apart from the plan grips and bobby pins, unless I have my hair up or i'm going somewhere special. This bow would work perfectly for summer when it's way too warm to have long hair down all the time.


Next on my list is an A-Line skirt from Urban Outfitters. This particular one is black with white detail and pretty flowers. A-Line skirts to be everywhere for spring, so i'm looking forward to trying some of these and seeing some more pretty patterns. This skirt is £30.



Cath kidston make the prettiest clothes, but they are always in really big sized, e.g. an extra small is 8-10 UK, and being petite is not Cath kidston clothes friendly! HOWEVER! Recently been brought to my attention that the sizing has now been re-arranged and they now sell actual sized clothes instead of XS,S,M,L! The new season is now my most favourite thing when I saw this lovely tea dress which I must have! Even though this is £55 it's great material and quality and would look lovely in the spring summer time, with or without tights. 




This last item is also from Cath Kidston, and is from the new seasons line. This is the bright daisies quilted make up bag, and I find the new seasons prints so lovely and summery! This particular bag would be used as a make up bag for me, but a travel one which i'd be able to put just the essentials in, and includes a mirror, all for £16!



What is in your wish list from the new season?


*Next blog: The Leibster award, kindly nominated by Raise the Waves

Friday 10 January 2014

OOTD

Today I had to go in to where my next placement is, starting Monday, full time for six weeks (which I'm super excited about)! Excited about placement because the teacher I'm teaching with is a new graduate, who's first year it is working in this primary school, who graduated from the university in currently studying at!! Then this evening we had a tea party for my niece who just turned 4 today.

My outfit of the day consisted of my new Topshop coat (berry boyfriend popper button), and an old favourite black dress with a colour and eagle clips. 


I also used my every day make up, consisting of neutrogena grapefruit moisturiser, collection 2000 red long lasting lipstick (discontinued), benefit products and rimmel London mascara. 


As well as a Victoria's Secret body spray. This fragrance is my favourite and I have quite a collection of these fragrance mists. Midnight dare smells of raspberries and sandalwood, it's very sweet but more fruity, and not like a sweet child smell! 

Then to finish this post, this was the gift I bought my niece for her birthday, a Percy pig cake from Marks and Spencers for £10. The reason I only got her a cake was because I got her wayyyyy too much for Christmas and spent an awful lot of money on her! But she got plenty more presents from everyone else so she was happy with the cake.

(She's nibbled some ear)

Thursday 9 January 2014

Topshop/H&M haul

I have not been sale shopping this year after Christmas, simply because I was waiting around for the new season clothing to come in so I could shop for my (very possible) trip to America (waiting on a camp to hire me through CCUSA)! But today when I went in to the town centre to pick up a cardigan to go with my placement clothes, I couldn't resist nipping in to Topshop and seeing if there was anything good left! 

My first purchase was a lovely burgandy boyfriend coat, with popper front buttons and big pockets, from Topshop! I had my eye on the navy one, but they didn't have my size left. This was reduced from £58 to £35! 
 

The next item from Topshop was a lovely grey checked dress (not available online in the UK). This dress was not in the sale but was only £32! It is very baggy but I luckily was wearing a belt when I thought to try it on, and it looked lovely! It was so comfortable and soft. The dress was baggy 1/2 sleeves and I would wear it with a belt, black tights, either black ballet shoes or boots and then depending on the weather a neutral  coloured cardigan or coat! Maybe even the next coat posted above! They both have a similar burgandy/red colour! 


The next item again was from Topshop, and is a beautiful green coloured bag! I'm not sure why I chose this, but the colour was just too pretty to leave behind! Again, I would probably use this mostly in the warmer weathered seasons with a white dress/play suit, or some plan jeans and a white top, but to bright up plain outfits really! This was in the sale for £14 and is available online.


Lastly from Topshop was these two nail varnishes, they were both in the sale from around £5/£6 both to £3! They had such a huge selection of nail varnishes in the sale and I would have chosen them all of my mum didn't stop me! The red'ish colour is called blitz, it's a lovely shiny colour and matches my new coat. The other green'ish colour is named overcast, this is a normal polish, it's not shiny or matte! 




The last item was from H&M, and is a white cardigan with a lovely knitted style, 3/4 sleeves and a black outline with small black buttons and little pockets. This was around £15 and I got this just to go over my plain dresses and work clothes for placement (working in a primary school). I also got a size bigger than my usual size because H&M cardigan always shrink a little or get tight after a few washes. 




Tuesday 7 January 2014

Benefit 'Nice Package' Review

During November, Benefit Cosmetics produced an offer to create your own makeup kit, known as the 'Nice Package'. 

This handy asset to the website allows you to choose 3 makeup items, one for complexion (primers, foundations, powders), another for cheeks (tints, blushers, highlighters) and the last item would be for the eyes (concealer, eye shadow, mascara). After picking your 3 items, you then get to choose a free item including eye shadows, lipsticks or lip gloss, all of which are in the new Benefit collection. Then all of these chosen items would be packaged in a beautiful pick make up bag, wrapped in lots of girly pink tissue paper, and sent directly to your door for £62!

In the package I chose Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation, Watts Up highlighter, Fake Up concealer and a free Ultra Plush lipgloss.


The first item was Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation with SPF 25. This is a brightening foundation, and I have used it before this foundation before and I personally think it is amazing quality! The foundation is so soft and easy to apply, it comes in a pump bottle, and a small amount will cover the entire face. It is a thin foundation, with medium coverage when applied with fingers and only a light coverage when applied with a brush, but it builds up pretty easily if you want a thicker foundation, or by personal choice, I use the Stay Flawless 15-hour Primer under my foundation which makes the base a little thicker, and this keeps the foundation on for a very long time!

The next item in the kit was a Watts Up face highlighter which comes in only one shade, a beautiful champagne colour. This highlighter glides on the top of your cheek bone, brow bones, down the centre of the nose, and the upper bow of the lip either with the applicator or using your finger, and again blend with the sponge on the opposite end of the highlighter or use your finger.


It is a soft focus highlighter and can be put on top of makeup, or underneath, and either way create a stunning glow to the skin. This product works even if you are having a 'no make up' day, because it brings a glow to the face, applied on top of moisturiser,  and does not dry out the skin under your eyes.

 

The third item is a Fake Up concealer which is a hydrating crease controlling concealer in the colour medium (02). This concealer comes in 3 shades: light (01), medium (02) and dark (03). This concealer, along with Erase Paste are my two most favourite Benefit concealers! This concealer hydrates the skin for a very long period of time; it includes vitamin E that protects and repairs skin, and apple seed extracts which nourish, soften and protect skin as well as reducing dark circles over time. It's a very natural looking coverage even though the application is quite thick, which makes the product an absolute must have! Nothing is worse than having dark patchy areas on your face where concealed areas stand out.



The last product in the set was the free Ultra-Plush lipgloss that I chose in the colour A-Lister (bubblegum pink). It has a very smooth applicator and when applied is a pretty natural pink colour with a little kick. I'm not the biggest fan of lip glosses, especially in windy weather when all your hair blows around and sticks to your lips, but this lipgloss is far from sticky! It's smooth and soft and just feels like a moisturising lip balm.


I recommend Nice Package because the products are quite delightful, they all come in beautiful packaging and at only £62 it saves you a lot of money, each product is usually between £19.50-£25.50. I also chose the most expensive items for my package to make sure I got the most out of the offer, as well as products I have been eager to try!