January Glossybox 2014

Glossybox, £10 plus p&p

Oh la la, is that a little bit of a glossy makeover that I spy?! The first box of the year is pinkier and glossier than ever! This months theme is back to basics, stripping it all back after the festive season and all that rolling in glitter and St Tropez that's been going on. But that's just it, the box is pretty basic and I was a little bit disappointed with how titchy everything looked rattling around in that big old box but you know what they say - size isn't everything and I've already used all of the products that I got in the box or I'm planning too so who am I to complain?!

Yu-Be Moisturizing Skin Cream

I'd already received one of these in a Birchbox and god knows what happened to it, it must have got sucked in to that black hole of a beauty basket that I have. This is such a tiny little sample size so there were two in the box but I gave the second one to my mum. I've had a bit of a breakout on my chin recently and it's just getting to the healing stage but I had the worst dry patch ever which was impossible to cover up and after a night spent with a generous layer of this stuff on, my dry skin was definitely on the road to recovery and coverable!

Vaseline Essential Moisture

We all know and love Vaseline! I've used this as my daily moisturizer before but now there's a spray version I wouldn't think of buying the cream version again. It does the job, leaves you moisturized, soft and with a nice scent (but I'm definitely more of a cocoa girl!) but I've been converted to the lazy girl spray version.

The Vintage Cosmetics Company Tweezers

It's like Glossybox read my mind, I was so close to buying a pair of Tweezerman tweezers and then I got the email saying that these would be in this months box, £15 saved. There's no denying that these are the cutest hair removal device that I've ever set my eyes on, not only will they look gorgeous in my make up bag they're also sharp and get the tiniest of hairs!

Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash

I've never used Balance Me before but they are well raved about in the blogging world so I'm glad that I'm going to get a chance now! This is only a small bottle so I don't think that I'll get enough uses out of it to reap the toning properties and see my cellulite disappear. It smells so relaxing and warm, I've already got it lined up to use when I have my bath tonight, such a perfect scent for settling down for the night.

Anatomicals Puffy the Eye Bag Slayer Wake Up Under Eye Patches

Oh Anatomicals, the names of your products never fail to make me giggle! These are such strange little things, they're like under eye shaped silicone patches that you leave on for 30 minutes and any bags or puffiness is meant to disappear. I didn't really see any difference once I'd taken these off and they really stung my skin and even after I'd removed them under my eyes was quite sore and sensitive for a good few hours afterwards.

I've had a bit of a snoop at other Glossybox posts for this months box and it doesn't look like there was a good or bad box this month, we're all similarly disappointed! Come on Glossybox, you're looking prettier than ever - pull it out of the bag for the Valentines box!

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I'm loving...PVC Pencil Skirts

Ever since I saw Kim Kardashian in that nude PVC pencil skirt and white t shirt combo I needed one in my life - if she can make one look absolutely stunning with her curves and junk in the trunk I might actually have half a chance! I really love that these are mostly paired with a casual top half and a pair of heels so even though you could rock it on a night out it would look equally as acceptable in the day with a cropped fluffy jumper or a button up shirt a la the Essex girls. I've already made a cheeky purchase of the pink version and a slouchy V neck t shirt to pair it with and next on my list is a jumper like Lucy Mecks - if only her body came with it! The high street have caught on quickly with these and the Missguided version is the best one I've seen for quality and price tag. Will you be joining the celebs and getting your PVC on?

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Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Real Techniques, Miracle Complexion Sponge £5.99

I've had this for months and months now but it's been gathering dust in my beauty basket because I thought it would be complicated to use and I've not really had time to faff around doing my make up recently - how wrong was I?!

I've seen a few sponges around from Primarks offering to the infamous Beauty Blender and they've never really looked like they'd be my cup of tea but there's no way I could resist a new release from Real Techniques. Unlike the usual egg shaped sponge the Miracle Complexion sponge has a pointy end to get in those pesky places that are hard to reach like around your nose, there's a round side and also a flat side so no part of your face will miss out. I've never really understood how these work but it's so simple - I'm almost angry at myself for not figuring that out sooner! To start with I run it under cold water and let it absorb it all in (it will expand a little bit but not too much) and then I give it a good squeeze until there's nothing left to drip out and you're ready to go! 

Foundation wise I've only used this with NARS Sheer Glow so far and I tip a little bit on the back of my hand and dab it up with the sponge and it just drinks it up, it looks like there's hardly any on there but it's definitely in there! Then you bounce it on your face and it leaves behind the most flawless base I've ever had. I've also used this with concealer and got the same flawless result and I've seen a few people saying that they apply cream blush with it which I haven't tried but I definitely want too. This is a really soft sponge and feels lovely on your skin, it's such a gem for the price and I am now officially a make up sponge convert!

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Midweek Wish List #19

1-2-3-4

1. While having a little look on Pinterest I came across this eye makeup that I've fallen in love with and now I desperately need some glitter in my life. After doing a bit of googling I came across the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Liner in Midnight Cowboy and I think this is what I need but any other glitter liner suggestions are welcome!

2. Valentines day is fast approaching and my Christmas Lush bath bombs are starting to dwindle so the new collection couldn't have come at a better time. My favourite pick is the heart locket bath bomb which has another heart inside of that and if you didn't think that it could get any better than that add in some heart confetti, bring on my love filled bath!

3. I absolutely love this skirt, I've been lusting after it for ages and my Christmas Topshop vouchers are starting to burn a hole in my pocket (I'm saving them for my dream pink coat when it hits the sale - if ever!) I just want to wear it with some thick black tights, ankle boots and a fluffy jumper!

4. For Christmas I got enough eye shadow for 3 pairs of eyes and they deserve a good brush! I've read so much about the 217 and there are so many amazing reviews about how fail proof it is so this has to be the next brush that I add to my collection without a doubt!

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Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish Spray

Bumble & Bumble, Dryspun Spray £21.50

I can't resist a product that promises to deliver big hair with minimal effort and after all the reviews I'd seen on the Bumble and Bumble Dryspun thickening spray I had to add it to my basket when I was picking up some last minute Christmas presents!

Bumble and Bumble describe this spray as a 'translucent dry spray that creates instant fullness and texture' which is pretty spot on really. This is a kind of finishing spray and it's made to use when you've styled your hair and are ready and raring to go. My hair is quite long and there's a lot of it so because of that I lose the volume as it's so weighed down. Depending on how my hair is I either spray this on the lengths to give it more texture and thickness or I spray it on my roots and mess it up a bit to add some body there. The best thing about this is that you don't even know it's you've got it on, it doesn't leave any residue in your hair or make it feel greasy or chalky - perfection!! This might not be for you if you like more of a polished look because it does leave you with an undone, bedhead vibe. 

This is a little bit pricey for what it is but it works wonders and has been compared to the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray which is knocking on £40. If your hair is falling flat after the festive period and you have a few extra pennies to spend then I would definitely give this a go!

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January Sales Haul!

I'm a little bit late to showcase my sales buys because I did all my shopping online and with all the bank holidays and other savvy online sales shoppers I only got all of my parcels this week and then the debit card had to go into hiding - well until Joel sent me into Asda today to get garlic bread and they'd restocked the clothes bit and a dress fell in my basket. The January sales are my favourite time to shop ever and for one reason - gift sets. What can I say?! I'm a sucker for pretty packaging!

The Ciate Mini Mani Month advent calendar was the only thing that I knew that I definitely wanted when it hit the sale (apart from the beautiful pink Topshop coat that never did make it to the sale, boohoo!) I don't think I've ever hit the checkout as fast as I did when I saw this on Selfridges for £21. I did intend to make this last the whole month of January like a post Christmas advent calendar to cheer me up throughout the most depressing month of the year and this intention lasted until the afternoon of January 1st but now I have 24 beautiful little nail varnishes to play with!

A few months ago I got a sample of Viva La Juicy Noir in a Glossybox which I shoved in my bag with the rest of them and whenever I had a spritz of this someone always seemed to comment on how nice it smelt. I never really buy myself perfume unless I'm at duty free but when I saw this gift set for £17.50 from Boots I couldn't resist. I'm so glad that I got it because I absolutely love the scent, it's the typical sweet scent that I go for and it even came with a little handbag version which would be perfect for a night out to pop in your clutch.

I think I'd be happy enough with the gorgeous little tin that this Philosophy set comes in even if it didn't have these sweet treats inside! This is something else that I got from Boots and it was £11 which you can't deny is a bargain. Everything in this tin smells good enough to eat, it's all you need for a vanilla smelling bath time.

As if I didn't already just get 24 new nail varnishes I added another 12 to the mix! I don't have any Nails Inc nail varnishes at all except a couple of tiny ones from beauty boxes which weren't my colour so I haven't used them. I think this is so cute and I love the fact that it's set out as a diary with a nail varnish for each month. It's a really good introduction to the brand with all the different effects and colours, there is no way I could have left this behind when I saw it was discounted!

The final thing that I bought in the sales was this Clarins Beauty Boosters gift set from Boots. I haven't really delved into the realms of Clarins skincare or make up but after reading up on the Beauty Flash Balm I went on the hunt for it and the price across the board was £30 for 50ml which was a bit steep for something I'm not sure is going to work for me so I  couldn't believe it when I stumbled across this gift set for £20 with the 30ml Beauty Flash balm included as well as some other bonus products, bargain!! This also comes with a hand cream, shower gel and lip perfector all in a white make up bag.

That's it for me spending wise this month - she says on the Debenhams website eyeing up some more beauty goodies! It's also a year today that I wrote my first ever post so happy birthday to my lovely little blog, here's to another year of posts and still having as much fun writing them.

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Best of 2013 | And the Rest!

My final installment of 2013 favourites is all about the best of the rest and these are the things that I couldn't categorize but also couldn't leave out because of how much I've enjoyed using them in the past year!

Victoria's Secret Coconut Passion Body Mist (Review here)

I stocked up on this when I went to London earlier in the year and I'm already worrying about how to get my hands on a replacement once I've made my way through my little stash! I'm such a sucker for a coconutty scent and throw vanilla into the mix and this is fragrance heaven to me. It's a really exotic, sweet smell that is perfect for those days that you just want to wear something light.

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

One of lifes many unanswered questions is this - how did I live without this brush?! This is hands down my favourite make up brush that I own and I use it every single day without fail whether it be for cream blush, to perfect my base or to soften a contour with cream bronzer. If I could only use one brush for the rest of my life then this would be it.

St Tropez Wash Off Face and Body Lotion

Sometimes I don't want to smell like a biscuit and stain my lovely white sheets so this is where this steps in! It's an instant tan that leaves a lovely natural bronzed colour and has some magical technology mixed in there somewhere that means even if you spill a Jager bomb down your leg it isn't going to streak (and I can vouch for that!) It says that it's wash off but I'm usually left with a nice even tan still for a couple of days after before it vanishes without a trace or any patchiness.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess (Review here)

This was my scent of the summer and a lot more summers to come I suspect. Bronze Goddess is another coconut based perfume and it's just a holiday in a bottle, it's such a warm and tropical scent that gets a lot of compliments.

Sleep in Rollers

All I ask for in life is big, big hair and these rollers have given me that! I prefer not to sleep in them (but if needs must I will suffer for my big hair!) because it is near enough impossible to get comfortable but if they're left in for the day by night you've achieved big bouncy waves or if you just put them in around the crown then you've got volumous roots that Cheryl Cole would envy!

And with that I'm going to put 2013 to bed now and hope that 2014 brings us some new favourites that we can get excited about!

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The Best of 2013 | Make up

For the second installment of my favourites of 2013 I am delving into my make up bag to bring to you the products that I just couldn't have lived without throughout the year. If I'm not using these daily then they're all something that I definitely reach for on a weekly basis. Last year was all about radiant glowing skin for me and since going from working part time to full time ease of application was key because I'm definitely not all there when I first get out of bed! It was really hard to choose just a few things for this because I've fallen in love with so many products but if I wanted to include them all then we'd be here until 2015 and without further ado here are my choices...

E.l.f Blush and Bronzing Cream in St Lucia (Review here)

Before I discovered this beautiful little palette I couldn't contour to save my life - looking muddy and patchy wasn't quite how I wanted it to turn out but it always seemed too?! This cream is such a lovely natural colour that blends like a dream and couldn't be easier to apply, add in the fact that it's £3.75 and we're onto a winner that gives you contouring skills that could compete with the Queen of contour Kimmy K!

L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim

I think I could probably count the amount of times I left the house without a flick of eyeliner in 2013 on one hand so I always have a liquid liner in my make up stash and this has turned out to be my holy grail liner! It's intense black, doesn't budge, the thickness of the pen is perfect, it's easy to apply and control -I don't think I can give you anymore reasons to love this!

MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study (Review here)

Bare Study was my first ever Paint Pot and the one that I had read the most about and now I see why! It's such a versatile product - you can use it alone as an eye shadow or as a bit of a primer and base for other eye shadows which makes their colour more vibrant and you could also whack it on as a highlighter as well, is there anything it doesn't do?!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation 

Sheer Glow has only been in my life for the past few months but I don't think that it's too soon to say that it's love. I'm currently using the shade Mont Blanc which is perfect for my winter sun starved skin, the coverage is medium but easily buildable and it leaves your skin looking really healthy and radiant but not enough glow to be mistaken for oiliness.

MAC Creme Cup Lipstick (Review here)

This has been my go to lipstick ever since I got it, it's the perfect neutral pink and goes with any eye make up look. It's so easy to wear that I find myself reaching for it most mornings that I'm at work or running late and even though it doesn't last as long as I would like you can reapply mirrorless it's that easy so that doesn't bother me!

Topshop Cream Highlighter in Polish (Review here)

This is the first year that I really got into highlighters whether they are cream or powder and I don't know how I ever skipped this step in my make up routine because it really does make such a difference. This is so pigmented and catches the light beautifully and it also sits on top of your make up and doesn't make it looked clogged up.

Bourjois Little Round Pot Cream Blush in Nude Velvet (Review here)

It's safe to say that the blogging world went crazy for these little round pots earlier in the year and I was a bit late to the party but I'm so glad that I gave them ago! This is my usual peachy shade and I love the formula, they're so soft and apply effortlessly leaving you with a really subtle flushed glow.

Looking back at all of my favourite discoveries of 2013 makes me hope that 2014 does me proud, you've got a hard act to follow!

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The Best of 2013 | Skin Care

For the first week of 2014 I'm going to be taking a look back on my beauty year past and showing you what I thought was the best of the rest! 2013 was the first year that I really got into looking after my skin, before that I was a makeup wipe and moisturize if I can be bothered type of girl but I've really made an effort to get into a bit of a skincare routine recently. I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't chosen a few more minutes in bed over washing my face or I hadn't fallen asleep with my false eyelashes on at least once in 2013 but pushing aside all of those cardinal sins I've seen a real difference in the quality of my skin and for the better, I can count the amount of breakouts I've had this year on my fingers, my usual winter dryness hasn't made me a flaky mess and the thing I'm most pleased about is how much my skin tone has evened out. 

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser (Review here)

I can't believe that I've only been using Cleanse and Polish for a year now, it was my favourite skin care discovery of 2013 and I admit that I was late to party but better late than never, right?! I really think that it's down to good old Liz that my skin has cleared up so significantly this year and my skin tone has evened out enough for me to embrace tinted moisturizer. 

Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micelle Solution

It's safe to say that Bioderma took the blogging and beauty world by storm last year - the holy grain miceller water that sparked quite a few high street versions. This is definitely what you need on hand to get rid of stubborn make up, it's gentle around the eyes and even removes mascara painlessly. Bad habits die hard and I'm still an avid make up wipe user but I use Bioderma around my eyes and to get rid of the grime that wipes miss. It's easy and effective and that's all I ask for in make up removal!

Origins Ginzing Moisturizer 

Skip your morning coffee and have an extra five minutes in bed because Ginzing will wake you up! I use this every morning before I put my make up on and even if I feel like a zombie I look refreshed and glowing, I absolutely love this stuff and can't see me ditching it in 2014.

Vaseline Spray and Go Moisturizer (Review here)

This is a genius invention, how had nobody thought of this before?! It's a lazy girls dream of a moisturizer! I'm not ashamed to admit that moisturizing is a chore to me, especially when it's bloody freezing - I've just got out of a lovely warm shower and it's cold, I don't want to prolong the torture by not putting my clothes (or if it's a weekend who am I kidding - onesie) on immediately. This has literally answered my prayers, it's quick and easy, makes you soft and smells beautiful!

Those are the products that my skin has to thank - may our relationships stay as strong in 2014! 

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