Avon Haul

First things first I'm sorry for the lack of posts/tweets, if you didn't know about my new adventure (you can read that post here) then I started uni last week and literally haven't stopped since. I don't think I have ever been so busy, apart from working in retail around Christmas time. I also haven't had a day off since last Monday and my next day off is Sunday so if I think I'm tired now I need to think what I will be like on Saturday (zombie). So with a short afternoon off I thought it was the perfect time to write a blog post for you.

Onto the haul.. My mum always gets the Avon catalogue and I always have a sneaky peak to see if there's anything I want to order. She's been getting the catalogue for years and I actually really like the make up and other bits and bobs that Avon have to offer. They do some really good deals and I've got one to tell you about today that I just couldn't resist.

The first things I got was this really pretty eye shadow quad. I love purple and green eyeshadows especially as I have brown eyes so when I saw this quad I thought it was perfect. Now I'm not the best at eyeshadow, I don't actually wear it that often and when I do I'm no master at it. So each shade in this quad has a number on it and then on the back of the box is a small diagram showing you which shade to put where, which is something I really love. It makes it super easy for beginners, like me. I have tried this quad and absolutely love the colours, they are really well pigmented and long lasting. I really want to use this quad on a night out so I can make the look slightly more dramatic. I believe this was also only £5 which is an absolute bargain for four eye shadow shades.

Next I got this super duper awesome mascara, I mean just look at it! I'd seen in it in the Avon catalogue before I ordered and couldn't resist the cool shape it had. It looks a bit scary and does take a little bit of getting used to when applying it simply due to the completely different shape to the normal wand mascaras. I've only used this a few times but I am really loving it already, again if you don't know me then I'm very fussy with mascaras, but the formula of this one is lovely. It's easy to use, glides on easily and really lengthens and thickens the lashes. I paid £10 for this mascara which I'd class the slightly higher end of the 'high street' but this is where my good deal comes in. I paid £10 for the mascara but as I purchased this I got the concealer, eye make up remover, eye shadow primer and eye shadow brush FREE! And those freebies were meant to come to just over £20 which I thought was an absolute bargain and therefore couldn't resist. I can't actually comment on any of the freebies as yet as I haven't tried them but I'm very excited too.

Finally I picked up this hair straightening comb, it was new in and instantly caught my eye when looking at the page. I don't have naturally straight hair and if I want it straight it can take me a fair while to actually straighten it all as I have so much hair. So when I saw this I thought it was a pretty good tool to help straighten my hair from when it's wet. I believe it was only around £3 so not breaking the bank and I'm only yet to try it the once so far. I tried using it on wet hair and using this tool alongside with my hairdryer to dry it straight. I'm afraid to say I didn't enjoy it, I found as my hair is rather long it really made my arms ache to use and also the comb wasn't very friendly. It really tended to pull my hair and that's one of my pet hates and all time worst things - me or people pulling my hair so this didn't make me enjoy this product. But don't get me wrong I'm going to give it more than one attempt!

So there it is, that's my Avon haul! I hope you enjoyed it and if you haven't checked out any Avon items before then I definitely recommend you do! Like I said you really can find some great deals :-) Now it's time for me to chill for the rest of the afternoon! Speak soon xo

The One and Only Tag

I enjoy doing Tag posts on my blog and also reading them amongst many other blogs. I simply just find them fun to write and some of them really get me thinking mainly about beauty products. I asked on Twitter for a new tag to feature on my blog and Angelica from One Little Vice replied with this tag called 'The One and Only'. I loved this idea and thought it would be lots of fun to think of my absolute make up staple items. The idea of this tag is to think of one, and only one, make up product from each category. So here goes!

The Question is: If you could only have one ... what would it be? And, in a few words, why?

Primer

I've not tried that many primers as they're quite new to my make up essentials but I'd definitely have to say the Benefit POREfessional. It's so easy to apply, makes your face feel so smooth and keeps make up in place!

Foundation

Definitely Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. This is my all time favourite foundation, although I am currently trying another of their foundations which I think I will equally love!

Concealer

It has to be the infamous Collection Lasting Perfection. I have two shades; one lighter for under my eyes and one my actual colour for spots and blemishes. It really is just such an all rounder.

Powder

Rimmel Stay Matte, I've literally used this for years. It was the first make up item I think I ever got and I've used it ever since! I suffer from oily skin and this really does keep it at bay.

Blusher

Now blusher is one of the things I always change up in my make up routine, I never stick to the same one for very long, then go back to them after a little while. So at the moment it's 17 Blush in China Pink, I definitely think I need to invest in a more autumnal shade though as this one's quite summery.

Bronzer

Honestly I never really use bronzer, it really is just one of the make up products that I'm not fussed about. But if I did pick it would be MUA Mosaic Bronzer. It's got light and darker tones to it which I like as it's not too heavy.

Highlighter

Again not something I use in my everyday make up but I do love Benefit High Beam. It's such a gorgeous pearly pink and really easy to apply. I definitely need to branch out a bit more with highlighters as I do think they are really pretty on the skin!

Make up brush

This is pretty easy, it has to be my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It's such an amazing brush, gives a lovely flawless looking finish and is easy to blend with. I use this also for my concealer sometimes which works really well too.

Eyebrows

It's a new one for me but from now on a definite staple. It's Soap & Glory Archery in Brownie Points. Oh my it's my new favourite toy, it's so easy to apply and I love having the pencil and tint altogether in one product.

Eyeshadow

Again not an everyday product but I'm really trying to change this. My current go to is the Maybelline Color Tattoo's, I'm especially loving On and On Bronze but another newbie to my collection is Metallic Pomegranate. These are super easy and quick to apply for everyday which is why I love them.

Eyeliner

This product was again a very early purchase and one that I have repurchased for many years is the Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Eyeliner. It's amazing, stays on all day and is super easy to apply giving thicker or thinner lines.

Mascara

This is the hardest one for me, I never seem to buy the same mascara more than once unless I truly love it. And the one I've repurchased more than any others is the L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes. The formula is amazing and really curls my lashes, also keeps them curled all day!

Lip product

Again this one is pretty hard but I think I'm going for Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Notting Hill Nude. It really is just an everyday colour which I love as I'm not a very bright lip girl unless I'm on a night out! I've also got this same product in Sweetheart Tulips which again is such a gorgeous but brighter colour.

Lip Balm

How is this possible? Lip balm's are things I always buy and literally must have hundreds of them! I think I'm going to have to be boring and say Vaseline Cocoa Butter. It's simple does the trick and smells nice. For tinted Lip Balms I'd go with the Maybelline Baby Lips though.

Nail Polish

Again, how can I choose just one? I cannot choose a specific colour but brand wise it would either be Essie or Rimmel Lycra Pro. Ah I can't decide between the two! Essie definitely have more of a colour range so maybe I'd go with them!

Right so there it is! My all time favourites, it was actually quite tricky and I definitely wanted to choose more than one for quite a few of those questions, but I came out of the other end, completed! I hope you enjoyed this tag post and I'd love to know what your products would be. So having said that I'd love to tag you all to do this and let me know in the comments if you do! :-)

Cold Shoulders

Shirt - TK Maxx (Glamorous)

Jeans - Primark

Watch - Michael Kors

Ring and Bracelet - Accessorize 

The UK weather has definitely turned into Autumn now, the knit cardigans and fluffy socks have come back out for another season. So why not, on this sunny yet chilly Monday morning, take a few outfit snaps. Recently I may have been spending slightly a bit too much money, considering I feel I should be saving due to becoming a student in the next couple of weeks. But when shops have all of their new autumn/winter stock in, it's hard to resist spending. Although my outfit isn't representing autumn today it's still a new outfit I purchased over the last week.

The cut out or open shoulders trend has kind of been and gone over spring/summer but I've only just embraced it. I was browsing in TK Maxx the other day, bearing in mind I had to travel a fair way in order to go to the only good store that's within a respectful distance from me. My sister had also been in there recently and picked up some good bargains so I wanted a go! My sister was also the one to introduce me to TK Maxx, not that I hadn't heard of it, but the fact that I had never shopped in there and now I love it! So I popped in and I honestly resisted so many good bargains I can not tell you! I was a very good girl but I did get a couple of bits, this shirt being one of them. It was also a bargain at only £9.99, hence why I couldn't resist. The monochrome look is something I really like as you could also pair it with something of more colour on the bottom. It is also very versatile, I definitely think you could wear this on a night out or how I have just for an everyday casual look.

Since clearing out my wardrobe recently I realised I don't have that many tops, hence this purchase, so when I saw this shirt I loved it. I love shirts, they are definitely an all year round item, the chiffon material of some of them is what I love. They are comfortable, easy to wear, easy to layer and normally pretty patterned. So when it comes to winter it's easy to just shove on a chunky knit jumper and have the collar poking out, sorted. I teamed this shirt with my new Primark jeans. Story for you, I've had a pair of Primark jeans for literally about 5 years, they were my absolute favourite, but they've died slowly so I've had to replace with these ones. I love Primark jeans firstly for the price, I paid £10 for these beauties and they just simply do the job. Secondly is the fit I find, especially the skinny jeans, that they fit really well in all areas. I'll be very, very pleased if these ones last half as long as my previous pair.

I'm very much a fan of casual and comfy, maybe that should be my motto. It's the one thing (or two) things I think about everyday when deciding what to wear. I'm very much a jeans person due to the comfy factor and also the fact that you can then put pretty much anything on the top half. Don't worry I don't wear jeans day in and day out but I do find myself reaching for them much more than anything else. I would then pair this outfit with a chunky knit cardigan for a casual look or a blazer for a slightly more formal look.

I hope you enjoyed this outfit post, I'm now off to chuck on a chunky knit cardigan to keep me cosy and warm! I'd love to know if you're a fan of TK Maxx and what bargains you've found :)

New Adventures

Image sourced from Google

I'm going to be writing about something slightly different today. I'm a blogger who loves to read life posts, basically I'm nosey, but I feel you really get to know a bit more behind the author of the blog. Unfortunately I don't personally feel like I write enough of these considering I'm someone who loves to read them. So today is the day that I may change that (no promises though). I think the reason I sometimes don't often write these kind of posts is mainly due to me not doing very many exciting things very often, simple. And when those more exciting days do come around sometimes I tend to just tweet and instagram about them other than writing a full blog post. But anyway here goes with my new adventure I'm about to go on.

Basically since finishing my A levels back in 2011 I knew I wasn't ready for university. Most of my friends were and that instantly outnumbered me. A fact about me is that I am utterly terrible at making decisions, honestly I am the worst person for it. So when it did come to making that big university decision I wasn't ready and I didn't want to rush any decision which I thought I would most probably later regret. So after watching most of my friends toddle off to uni I got myself a job in fashion retail which is very much like marmite, a love/hate relationship. Some of the time I absolutely love my job and I think the people I work with make it ten times better and without them I really don't think I'd enjoy it half as much. But I honestly get those days, like most people, where I feel fed up, that I need to get out and generally just upset. I know that's absolutely normal and I bet pretty much everyone has had at least one of those days in their working life.

A couple of months back I started some voluntary work which has honestly been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm doing it at a local private nursery, currently for only one day a week, and oh my gosh I absolutely love it. I know some people won't understand this but I'll say it anyway, I just cannot see how looking after children, playing all day and literally just having fun is any kind of job. I honestly look forward to a Tuesday every week, every week is different and it's a very hands on job which I love. The lovely people who I work with at the nursery have helped me every step of the way and that's where my new adventure starts.

I was on a college website, recommended by one of the girls at the nursery, when I saw a clearing advertisement for a local university. I thought there's no harm in looking so that's what I did. There and then I ended up applying over the phone and the lady on the other end was very helpful and polite, also wishing me the very best. At this point I was very excited. Within a couple of days I'd received a phone call asking me for an interview and the day after the interview I received the best news... I had got into university. So why wasn't I happy? I didn't feel all of the emotions I knew I should of. Another fact about me is that I'm really not very keen on change so the fact that all of this was happening very quickly was in fact scaring me. I started doubting my decision to go to uni and thought all would be best if I just stay in my comfortable environment at work where I knew everyone and exactly what I was doing. When I found out that I had got in, I didn't tell anyone and kept it to myself, which I now see as probably the worst thing I could have done. The first person I told was my boyfriend, hours after I found out, I ended up telling him everything and he instantly thought of comforting words to reassure me. The next day was when I told my mum and the same thing happened, this was when I started to get my head around the fact that this was the right time and thing for me to be doing.

One thing that's been really getting me down is the fact that I may have to leave my current job. Like I've said I'm working in fashion retail and the people I work with are absolutely lovely. Over the past two years I've definitely made some friends for life and the thought of leaving that behind also scares me. Going out into the 'unknown' from something so comfortable is daunting but also something that needs to be completed. I've learned an awful lot from working there but due to things changing it seemed the right time to begin with, when my doubts kicked in I wasn't so sure. There may still be a chance that I do not have to leave but when it comes to it I think I'll be emotional. It's all happening to fast so seems to be taking a while to digest hence my confusion but fingers crossed this changes.

I have an induction for university next week and am slowly growing on the fact that I will be a student again, no matter how much it freaks me out a little bit inside. I hope that once I'm settled ad am starting to study again that I really will turn around and think 'why on earth didn't I do this sooner'. Basically the aim of this post was 1. to finally do another life post as I've said but 2. to get my thoughts and feelings out of my head to distract myself and 3. to help any of you guys who may have gone through the same feelings and thoughts as myself. I will hopefully include more life posts throughout my blog from now on if it's something you enjoy as it really helps me. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and would love to hear your stories if you've had any similar before. Now I need to go stationary shopping, something I haven't done in years so am actually rather excited ;) But for now it's dinner time and I'm starving...

Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick Shade 11

I did tell you I had been getting myself into lipsticks so here I am again with another lipstick review. Since I started purchasing lipsticks I went a tiny bit crazy but I kind of stuck to nude or sheer lipsticks as I didn't want to be daring and to be honest was a bit scared of actually wearing them. So anyway I was shopping with mum and came across this little beauty. I'd heard a lot about these Kate Moss lipsticks so was interested in purchasing one. I actually found this in The Factory Shop and I believe it was only £3, hence why I couldn't resist.

When I first saw the colour I was a bit reluctant as it looks quite a dark red but when I swatched it, I didn't think it looked quite as daring so thought I'd give it a whirl. This lipstick is so pigmented it's crazy, just a few strokes on the lips and you have a full volume red lip. There's no hiding with this lipstick that's for sure but I rather like it. I have worn this on a night out with just a simple black dress and it really just gave the outfit that 'pop' it needed. It's not that bright red more of a toned down, slightly darker and not so loud. Which is something I really like about this lipstick as I personally think it's a more wearable day colour.

Like I said I've worn this on a night out, along with just casual days of not doing a lot where application is more easy so I'll base this on a night out. But the wear of this lipstick lasted a while and what I loved is that after it had worn off slightly it left me with a nice stained lip with a more matte effect. This was perfect as it meant that re-application wasn't needed every time I was well basically in front of a mirror. Rimmel claims this lipstick lasts 8 hours which I don't agree with but when do they ever last that long 'ey? The formula of this lipstick is nice and it easily glides on, although I do find myself taking longer to apply this lipstick than normal. Now whether that's just me (I hope not) but I find it trickier to apply due to the intense colour. It is nice and moisturising but I do, like with most lipsticks, like to apply lip balm fast so my lips don't dry out so fast as they are prone to doing so.

The packaging is pretty simple, black with Kate written in red. It feels quite hard wearing in that fact that basically it's not plastic-y... so in other words the packaging is not going to crack or break on you which is obviously a bonus.

Overall I love this lipstick and would definitely love to get my hands on a couple of other shades, I believe there are also 11 shades to choose from so definitely should find one to suit you :) The colour, formula and wear of this lipstick is brilliant, I recommend them! And if you have a Factory Shop near you then try there first before hitting Boots/Superdrug!

Have you tried this lipstick? If so what's your favourite shade?

Maybelline Baby Lips - Pink Punch, Peach Kiss, Cherry Me

Who doesn't love a lip balm? I know I'm a bit late to put up this post but it just seemed that this was the product everyone was reviewing and I just wanted it to die down a little before I put mine up! Now if you've been hiding under a rock for the past, god knows how long, then you will not know about the infamous Maybelline Baby Lips. But honestly even if you have been hiding then you probably still would have heard about them, that's how insane the launch in the UK was. Personally I was very excited for these to arrive in the UK and took to the Boots website the day they launched and ordered myself three as they were on a 3 for 2 offer. Also because I ordered before a 2pm that day it meant I was able to collect the very next day which I thought was very impressive delivery.

There are six in total, 3 of which I ordered as I said. The three I purchased were; Pink Punch, Peach Kiss and Cherry Me. First off the packaging, to be honest I know it's nothing special but I rather like it. It's a plastic, brightly coloured tube and the lid again has brightly coloured wording which really stands out. One of which, either the writing or tube colour, match the actual colour of the product inside (on the tinted balms anyway) which is a small but nice concept.

I picked up the three which are meant to be the tinted ones which is definitely what I was most excited about. They are only tinted lip balms so they're not going to give you a full coverage on the lips but they definitely do leave a lovely sheer colour to the lips. I definitely prefer Cherry Me and Pink Punch for the best colour pay off and I personally don't feel that Peach Kiss leaves me with any colour on the lips. You can see from the swatches on my hand that they are not fully pigmented but absolutely do have some colour pay off to them. This seems to come off more so on the hand than the lips but saying that I do love the colour left on the lips. I also apologise for the fact that I have no pictures of me wearing any of these products, I honestly did try but none of the pictures came out at all home I wanted them and I didn't think they did this product any justice so unfortunately I didn't include them.

I believe these claim 8 hours of hydration on the lips which I definitely don't agree with but they are very moisturising and do leave my lips feeling really soft. But they honestly do not last that long. They really are a great lip balm and lots of fun but aren't lips balms one of those products that so many people are addicted to buying and barely ever finish one? Well I am anyway, ha ha, so I don't feel like I'll ever actually finish one but let's hope. Another fun thing about these lip balms is the scent, the Cherry Me one smells lovely! Since purchasing one of these is always in my handbag for simple and quick application with a slick of colour.

Maybelline products are still 3 for 2 at Boots so if you are still yet to try these then I definitely recommend them and I would love to try the non tinted hydrate ones from Baby Lips. I'd love to know your thoughts on these and what you think of the Hydrate balms if you've tried them! :-)