Monthly Favourites | September 2013

I know, I know, I sound like a broken record every time that these posts come around but I'm going to go ahead and say it anyway - Where the bloody hell has this year gone?! I actually sat and seriously started making lists for Christmas this weekend, I blame Boots because they've got their Christmas shop up so it got me all festive! I've had a little jaunt to London this month where my bank balance took a serious battering but on the plus side I've found a lot of new favourites!

I cannot get enough of Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion Body Mist, It's been on my wish list for too long and now I've got my grubby little mitts on it as well as a back up, the body lotion and hand cream - you could say I'm a little bit obsessed. It's the most gorgeous mix of coconut and vanilla which are my two favourite smells and makes up the kind of sickly sweet scent that I just want to drench myself in! MAC Bare Study (review here) is the perfect eye shadow base, it gives a clear canvas to work on and intensifies the colour of whatever you layer on top or it's just as beautiful on it's own for a clean look. You could also kill two birds with one stone and use it as a highlighter, I just love this little multitasking bad boy! A couple of weeks ago I was in Tesco on a mission to find something that would get rid of some stubborn tan that wouldn't budge and already armed with an exfoliation mitt I came across the little Treacle Moon stand and everything was 2 for £4, how could I walk away from that?! I picked up this Coconut Body Scrub and a matching Shower Gel, they smell amazing (I see a bit of a coconut smelling pattern here!) the packaging is super cute and after a scrubbing sesh with this I'm left silky soft as well as smelling beeeeautiful! I have never known a cream blusher to apply as flawlessly as the Bourjois Little Round Pot in Nude Velvet does. If I'm in a rush (Cough..got up late) or I'm going for the natural look this is my go to blusher, it's absolutely fail proof and looks perfect every time, god knows why I waited so long to join the little round pot party. My usual day time lip is a low maintenance colour, usually more subdued and nude than bright so I really don't know why me and Creme Cup (review here) weren't acquainted sooner. It's such an easy to wear dusky pink with a glossy cremesheen finish, the lasting time isn't great but because it's so effortless to apply that's not really an issue. Topshow Glow in Polish (review here) is my holy grail highlighter right now, it's cream based and applies like a dream giving a really nice dewy finish, all you need is this little pot and a finger to apply it with for a perfectly highlighted face!

Lets say goodbye to the holiday season and get ready for thick jumpers, vampy nail colours and plum lips - Hello Autumn!

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Topshop Glow in Polished

 

 

 

Topshop Glow in Polished - £9

For the past few months I've searched high and low for this little beauty after it seemed to disappear off the face of the earth and now it's all mine I can officially say that I have found my perfect highlighter!

Polished is a cream highlighter and I was expecting it to feel like a cream blusher but it's actually a lot softer and gooier. It's a really pale champagne colour bordering on white but not quite that stark with a bit of shimmer running through which when applied doesn't end up looking glittery at all, it just gives a really lovely natural glow. I apply this with my fingers and a little bit goes a long way, if I end up getting application happy and tip it over the edge it can verge on being greasy, which is not a good look! It blends really well with your existing make up, it doesn't rub your foundation off or clot together and just sit on top. It really does make you glow, I especially love it on my cupids bow - it makes my lips look so much more defined. Highbeam has definitely taken a back seat since Polished came on the scene, it's absolutely beautiful and for under a tenner I should have stocked up just in case it pulls a disappearing act again!

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London OOTD #5 & #6 and OOTN #10 & #11

Outfits L-R:

Coat - New Look, Top - Primark, Jeans - Topshop, Boots - Topshop, Bag - Mulberry

Top - Primark, Jeans - Topshop, Shoes - Vivienne Westwood for Melissa, Bag - Mulberry

Coat - New Look, Dress - Zara, Boots - Topshop, Bag - Mulberry

Top - Next, Jeans - Topshop, Shoes - Topshop

Why is it so hard to pack for a few days?!?! So much stuff for such a little case! These are the outfits that I wore while I was in London last week minus my coming home outfit because we were in too much of a rush as lugging my make up filled case around slowed me down and annoyed Joel (can't beat a bit of holiday tension!) 

On the day we went I was going for comfort so wore my trusty Topshop Leigh jeans, a floral cami style top and a light jacket which I'm glad I took because it was nice when we left the house but when we got into London it was chucking it down, hence the umbrella! I hadn't actually planned on getting changed that night but after a little trip to Primark and a new top to debut I ended up changing into that and putting my heart shoes on (the last time for a good few days I could even wear heels - Oxford Street you ruined me!!) before we went for an Italian, yum! The following day we hit the shops and I wore my yellow Zara dress (I also wore it in this outfit post here) I've only ever worn this once before and wanted to get the price per wear down. We went out again that night and I had a completely different outfit in mind but I literally did shop until I dropped so just kept it casual with my beloved black jeans and a red polka dot peplum top that I borrowed from my mum in an 'I have nothing to wear panic' the night before we went, I had to wear my Topshop pumps because all that shopping had blistered me up and it was easier to limp down the road in flats! If I look a bit weird in these pictures it's because my fringe has grown ridiculously long and I'm trying to rock more of a centre parting but I'm not quite sure of it yet, I just think I look strange. I'm going to give it a couple of weeks and see if it grows on me before I beg my friend (who persuaded me to let her put the scissors down and try it) to give me the chop. And that concludes my london outfits, back into my onesie now! 

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MAC Bare Study Paint Pot

 

 

 

 

 

 

MAC, Paint Pot in Bare Study £15.00

I am definitely not an eye shadow girl, give me a stand out lip over a statement eye any day but I'm trying a bit more with my eyes and where better to turn than MAC Paint Pots?! I've seen so many good reviews and Bare Study seemed like a nice simple shade that even a complete eye shadow idiot like me could work with!

MAC Paint Pots come in a sturdy little glass container which you need to keep the lid screwed on tight as they have a tendency to dry out, while doing my research (the more swatches I see the more my purse opens) I read that a lot of people store their Paint Pots upside down so the moisture stays at the top, I don't know how effective this is but if it gives this little beauty a longer shelf life then I'll give it a go. Bare Study is a really pretty shimmery champagne shade that does lean towards being a bit beigey which I always think sounds boring but this is an exciting beige - I promise! You can use this as a base for other eye shadows to make them look more vibrant or you could even use it as a highlighter. Personally I've been wearing it alone and applying with my fingers over the whole lid and I absolutely love it, it's such an easy shade to wear and makes your eyes stand out and look wide awake, which is a feat in itself when I'm getting ready for work in the morning! I can't leave the house without a flick of eyeliner and often find with creamy eye products that the eyeliner doesn't take very well or it doesn't come out as black but with this there's none of that. I can't get over the staying power of this bad boy, it literally keeps going and going with very minimal creasing.

I know that £15 is a bit steep but I've used this every single day since I got it and haven't even made a dent in it yet so I can definitely see it lasting me a long, long time. As well as being head over heels with the shade, I've fell in love with the formula so I can definitely see Bare Study getting a few little friends in the near future! 

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London Haul!

I'm home and considerably poorer thanks to Oxford Street! I had a really nice few days shopping and seeing a few sights. I didn't actually realise how much of a country bumpkin I was until I saw how London operated, it's manically busy all the time and everyone is rushing everywhere, Joel embraced the chaos but I have to say that it blew my mind and don't even get me started on the tube, I can't even handle the 127 bus! I loved London for a couple of days but I'm glad to be home, my bank account could not handle me being there any longer. An empty bank account must be accompanied by a haul so without further ado here is what I spent my pennies on!

Oxford Street Primark is the daddy of all Primarks - overwhelming is not the word! I was determined to come out with something to make the visit worth the torture that I was putting Joel through dragging him around his least favourite shop. It was so big and busy that it was hard to have a proper look so I didn't come away with much but I got a few bits! I fell in love with this grey marl effect dress as soon as I saw it, like an idiot I cut the arms out of the picture but they're a kind of pleather material like the detail on the neck, perfect for the coming months with tights, ankle boots and under a big winter coat. This red flowery shirt is something I grabbed last minute so I could wear it out that night for dinner, I love the print and it's a really flattering cut - the sleeves are short but it would still look nice under jumpers in the winter. Some obligatory Primark pyjamas came home with me, it's actually a onesie and it's got rabbits in glasses on, come on who can resist the cuteness?! A couple of other cute things I couldn't leave behind, some cat print slippers and an I love dogs coffee cup thing as well as a tanning mitt because mine fell apart the night before we left!

I was really excited to go to Forever 21, the last time that I'd been to an actual shop and not bought online from them was about 5 years ago in Florida! I picked up the brightest thing I could find which was this jumper, it is literally eye searingly neon and I've wanted something like this ever since I missed out on the neon jumpers from Topshop a year or so ago, my jumper collection finally feels complete! I also picked up this really cute cat face pouch, I always use Birchbox bags to put bits in but now I can use this and I could even use it as a clutch next time I've got a plain outfit that needs a bit of something to liven it up. I could literally live in Oxford Street Topshop, it's never ending! This Striped Breton top is the only clothing I bought from Topshop (make up is another matter, keep on reading!) I really love this top, it's so easy to wear and I really think that I'll live in it. Topshop have some beautiful coats in at the minute which I spent a while looking at but walked away empty handed as I'd already spent enough!! 

Can anyone guess what my favourite smell is?! The Victoria's Secret shop is floor after floor of beautiful lingerie, amazing scents and pictures of perfect bodied VS angels. I'm so happy that I've finally got my hands on some body mists and a couple of extras that I didn't know I'd come out with but their offers were too good to not take up and it ended up that this little lot only set me back £30 which is really good when you think they're all £11 each! I've stocked up on everything Coconut Passion which I can't get enough of, it's the kind of scent I love sweet, coconutty with a hint of vanilla but poor old Strawberries and Champagne has been neglected so I need to give that a whirl when I'm not smothered in coconut!

YSL Corail Intuitive, MAC Dangerous, Topshop Brighton Rock, MAC Runway Hit, MAC What a Blast! lip liner

MAC Bare Study, Topshop Crescent Moon, MAC Lets Skate, Topshop Glow in Polished

As soon as Joel put the idea of London in my head I had the longest beauty wish list so thank god for overtime, I moaned like hell at the time but I'm not moaning now! Our first beauty pit stop was John Lewis where I had £75 of vouchers burning a hole in my Mulberry, we've had these since we moved in from some Sky recommendation promotion and were going to put them towards an iPad but Joel very kindly let me turn them into YSL and Origins instead!

I went straight to the YSL counter because I needed a new Touche Eclat and if I got distracted those vouchers would be long gone before I even caught a glimpse of gold packaging and as well as that I came away with Corail Intuitive lipstick which I wasn't intending on getting but I'd had my eye on it for a while so when the man at the counter swatched it for me it didn't take much persuading to get me to the till (Where I was stood behind Stella off Corrie!). I also got the Ginzing Moisturiser with the vouchers which I haven't tried yet but if it's anything like the eye cream I'm going to love it!

In Topshop I finally got my grubby little mitts on a few things that I've wanted for so long but they disappeared online and in the shops I'd visited so I was beginning to think they'd been discontinued but no, Oxford Street worked its magic and here they are - Crescent Moon powder highlighter, Glow cream highlighter in Polished and Brighton Rock lipstick.

Finally I made my way to Selfridges with MAC in mind but there was no way in hell I was going to to get served by anyone as it was so busy so I resigned myself to just having a look around until a few floors up Ta da! There was another MAC counter that I had all to myself - hallelujah!! I got served straight away by a really lovely girl and didn't end up coming away with anything on my wish list but I got a new Retro Matte lipstick in Dangerous which is somewhere between Lady Danger and Ruby Woo and as they were the two I was trying to choose between I got the best of both worlds and a lip liner in What a Blast! which is exactly what I've been looking for to pair with all my corals. I cheated a little bit and added in the two paint pots in Bare Study and Lets Skate and another Retro Matte lipstick in Runway Hit because I didn't actually buy them in London (I'm too impatient!) but the Postman had been and they were waiting for me when I got home.

I have literally gone on and on, someone shut me up!! If you've stuck with this post until this point then I'm about to set you free - if there's anything that you want me to review sooner rather than later then please let me know and I'll get on it!

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Midweek London Wish List!

By the time this post goes up I shall be swanning around London, Starbucks in hand, laden down with shopping bags with an empty bank account! We all do it - whether you're going to London or somewhere you know there's going to be a Sephora - those mental wish lists just keep growing and growing. I live in the middle of nowhere, it's a tiny little village in Leicestershire where the new Asda is the most exciting thing going on here so if I want a MAC fix or even a Boots I need to get myself into Nottingham or Leicester. The thought of Oxford street is already getting my heart racing!

I've seen enough blog posts about the new MAC pro store in Covent Garden so I definitely want to stop by and see how beautiful it is and it would be rude to talk out empty handed! I've been looking for a lip liner to go with Morange and a few other coral lipsticks that I've got and after a little googling Lasting Sensation looks like the most recommended. I will happily admit it, I'm weak, I can't leave a MAC counter without buying a lipstick and I've got three on my wish list at the minute. Sweet and Sour is sold out everywhere and I've never had such painful skippers remorse, I NEED THIS!! I read that the new Pro store had the All About Orange collection stocked when it first opened and I know it's a long shot but maybe there's still one that got forgotten about and can come home with me?! I want to start getting a bit bolder with my lips and moving away from peachy shades and that's when Lady Danger and Ruby Woo finally got my attention. I don't think I've ever seen a MAC lipstick collection post without either of these so I definitely feel like I'm missing out, how will I choose between them?! I don't own any MAC Paint Pots but I've got my eye on two after seeing swatches and a couple of reviews - Bare Study is my usual neutral base colour and Lets Skate is a really unique glittery pink.

Moving away from MAC and something that I wouldn't be able to get my hands on unless I ebayed them are the Victorias Secrets Body Mists, I've wanted these for so long, so hopefully I come back smelling all coconutty! There's a couple of Topshop highlighters that I'm hoping Oxford Street will deliver for me because they seem to have fallen off the edge of the earth, boo! I need to stock up on Touche Eclat as well and try not to get distracted by the lipsticks begging me to take them home and another thing I need is a day moisturiser, I don't think I've ever seen a bad review about Ginzing so I really want to give it a go and see if it can make me look awake in the mornings! And last on my list is the Real Techniques Beauty Blender, I've never used a sponge before so if I get my hands on it this should be interesting! 

I really need to go and finish packing and getting ready now, London here I come!

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September Glossybox 2013

 

Glossybox, £10 plus p&p

The theme of this months Glossybox is extremely fitting seeing as I'm off to London for a couple of days tomorrow! I don't think they did it just for me though as it's also London Fashion Week right now. I love the Union Jack box and I can't wait to find something to put it in so I can have it on a shelf to show it off. This months box is full of things that us Brit girls love!

Elizabeth Arden Untold

I think I feel the same as the majority of Glossybox subscribers when they see a perfume sample in their box - bleurgh! How can you resist this tiny little box and perfume bottle though?! They slightly redeem themselves when they're not just in a vial. This perfume is a bit too musky and heavy for me though.

Eyelure Pre-glued Lashes

I don't feel like my face is complete on a night out without a pair of Eyelure lashes to flutter! These are hands down my favourite brand of eyelashes and the only ones I use. I always steer clear of the zig zaggy ended falsies because I like something more natural but I'll definitely give these a go and see if I'm proved wrong!

TONI&GUY Classic Shine and Gloss Serum

I've used TONI&GUY shampoo and conditioner before but I've never got around to using any of their styling products so I'm excited to give this a try! It's meant to control frizz and give your hair a lovely shine - you use it on dry hair which I'm a little bit apprehensive about as I hate it when you've got beautiful clean hair then use a product and it makes your hair look all sticky and greasy!

Be A Bombshell Cosmetics Onyx Eyeliner

This is a black felt tip eyeliner so I'm sold already! I haven't tried this yet as I'm still in the middle of a love affair with Loreal Super Liner but as soon as that runs out this is next on my list to perfect my winged eyeliner.

Rimmel Stay Blushed Blusher
I absolutely love the look of this little gem! I didn't even know Rimmel did anything like this or it would have entered my make up bag long before this months Glossybox. I got the shade Pop of Pink which isn't a scary pink like some cream based blushers can be and I can't wait to get it on my cheeks, watch this space for a full review!

I cannot believe we're only 3 boxes away from the Christmas box, scary stuff!! As I've already banged on about I'm off to Laaaaaaandan tomorrow, have any of you London based beauties got any recommendation of where I must visit or regret it forever?!

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OOTN #9

Top - Topshop

Skirt - Missguided

Shoes - Zara

I am currently on the sofa wrapped in a blanket wallowing in self pity at my alcohol induced state, boohoo! Last night I went out with a few of my lovely work friends for a meal and a few drinks that definitely exceeded the 'few' drinks category. I'm making myself feel better by doing a little online retail therapy and watching back to back Friends!

I absolutely love these Topshop cami tops, they're so versatile and the colour range is amazing. This is actually my sisters that I borrowed after raiding her wardrobe - I'm suprised I even got into it because she is teeny tiny! I just wanted to keep the outfit simple and comfortable so I bought this black jersey pencil skirt from Missguided but it is super long, I'm 5"2 and it took quite a lot of rolling up to get it to knee length but that ended up bulking out the waist a bit. I finished it off with my good old Zara shoes that weren't on for too long because all the dancing got the better of my poor old feet. I had Models Own Hedonist on my nails and MAC Morange on my lips which I always think looks quite matchy, matchy but I love the way that bright reddy corals look against yellow.

I am definitely not long out of bed tonight, hurry up X Factor so I can finally add to my three hours sleep, I'm never going out on a school night again (until next time there's a night out on a Friday and I'm rota'd in for the Saturday and I've forgotten how bad work was this morning!) Have a beautiful weekend guys and dolls! 

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Cocoa Brown One Hour Tan

 

 

Cocoa Brown, One Hour Tan Mousse £7.99

One of my least favourite parts of getting ready to go out is tanning, you need time for it to develop, during that time you have to endure smelling like a biscuit and if it's too hot for a onesie you leave an orange body shaped print on what was your beautiful crisp white sheets! When I saw reviews of a tan that developed in one hour floating around I knew that was what I needed in my life.

Cocoa Brown claims to develop a light tan in one hour, medium tan in two and deep tan in three. To start with I love the bright pink packaging, it's so girly and I probably would have picked it up because of that even if I hadn't read the reviews (marketers dream!) I applied this with my old faithful Primark tanning mitt and the texture was different that I thought it would be, it's a lot bouncier and thicker than any other tanning mousse I've used before, think more hair mousse. It smells really nice and fruity and even when it had been on for a while it didn't develop that tan smell we're all more than familiar with! What I would say about this is that it dries quickly so when you're applying you need to work fast or risk ending up a bit patchy. I left it on for 2 hours before showering the first time I used it and was really disappointed because there was only a tiny bit of colour pay off, nothing majorly noticeable. I left it a couple of days until I tried again and this time left it on for over 3 hours and was also more generous with the mousse when applying it and ended up a much better golden brown colour that I was really happy with. There's nothing sticky about this while you're waiting to wash it off and the guide colour isn't ridiculous either so you could actually leave the house and not feel like an oompa loompa! It's meant to last somewhere between 5 and 7 days but after 3 I was getting really patchy around my wrists which I've never experienced before (it's usually my knees that suffer) and my legs started looking slightly uneven. I will definitely be using this again for when I need a quick fix of tan but I think I'll stick to my stained sheets and Sienna X for those girly nights out when I want something that little bit darker.

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MAC Creme Cup Lipstick

 

Mac, Creme Cup £15

A few weeks ago a little treat landed on my doorstep courtesy of Daddy dearest in the form of a parcel from MAC which made me a very happy girl indeed! I have overlooked Creme Cup for far too long, it's one of MACs best sellers and I really don't know why it's taken so long for it to be on my radar. 

Creme cup is a beautiful pinky nude colour, absolutely perfect for daytime wear or when you've got a statement eye going on and everything else is a bit busy. For a nude shade the opacity is amazing and you're pretty much done and dusted with one swipe, unlike other nudes I've tried this doesn't settle into the creases in your lips and because of the pink tones there's not a foundation lip in sight! It's a cremesheen formula which is light and creamy with a nice glossy finish but as always the wear time isn't fantastic - 2 or 3 hours at the most. If this hasn't made its way into your lipstick collection yet then what are you waiting for?!

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If Money Were No Object... | Louboutin Pigalle Spikes

These aren't usually the type of shoe that I'd go for (I hate pointed toes and prefer something with a platform) but ever since I saw a picture of these on Instagram I can't get them out of my head! They come in a variety of colours from neutrals to neons and different heel heights from flats to sky scrapers. I have fallen head over heels with the nude pair and I don't think a picture of them does them justice, after a lot of Pinterest stalking they look 100% better on. Pinterest stalking is where it has to end with these bad boys because at £750 they are out of my price range unless a lottery win is on the cards or some inheritance from a long lost unknown relative comes about but a girl can dream!

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OOTD #4 at the Zoo!

Dress - Primark

Cardigan - Zara

Boots - Topshop

Bag - Mulberry

Sunglasses - Topshop

Since the football season started I've been a football widow so last Sunday Joel said he'd make it up to me and take me wherever my heart so desired and I chose the zoo! I'm a sucker for zoos and aquariums, what can I say?! I just love looking at cute furry things or anything out of Finding Nemo! I am still refusing to wear jeans or tights until at least the end of the month so thank god it was a nice day even if it was quite windy and I was at risk of having a Marilyn moment a couple of times. This Primark dress is my favourite dress ever at the minute, it's so comfy and I love the cute print - I've literally worn it to death since I got it. I need good old Primarni to bang it out in a few other prints so I can alternate them! I got this Zara cardigan about five years ago at the airport in Salou on the way home from my first parentless holiday, it's one of those things that I'll forget about for 6 months and then when I discover it again you can't get me out of it - I can't say it's not served me well! The zoo is all grass and dusty stone paths so I wore my studded Topshop boots that are now grey and not black.

I had a really lovely day but I don't need to see a monkey for a long, long time. Our local zoo is Twycross zoo and it's literally Monkey central there. Too many chimps and not enough lions and tigers for my liking!  If you were here for the fashion and not the furry you can bugger off now but if you want to see some animals then here's some pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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