lush - angels on bare skin cleanser

Hey guys! Today after going to the bank, I had half hour before work so I decided to pop into Lush. 3 members of staff asked me if I was okay, so I said yes, but really I had no idea what I was looking for, apart from a cleanser. This lovely lady approached me and said I looked lost, so I finally told her what I was looking for and she showed me my options. I told her I had slightly oily skin, mainly my nose, I wanted a clearer complexion and a bit of moisture. She showed me 'Angels on Bare Skin' and 'Buche de Noel Solid Cleanser'. She offered to try them both on my hands to give me an idea and make my choice easier.

She firstly tried Buche de Noel, this has dried cranberries in it and claims to clean and balance the skin, exfoliate absorb grease, and give back lost moisture through cocoa butter. When she tried this, it felt very exfoliating, it was a slightly milky paste but she left it on my hand whilst she did Angels on Bare Skin. This one is packed with lavender flowers and has a very strong lavender scent (which I love). After adding a bit of warm water and rubbing the paste, it became a milky, thinner paste which she rubbed on my hand.  This too was quite exfoliating due to pieces of ground almond, but the thing that got me with this cleanser is the moisture. As soon as she washed it off, my hand felt much more nourished, the colour was much more even and I knew I had to get this.

I was slightly scared about buying a full tub for £6.25/100g because I wasn't sure whether I'd achieve the same result on my face, I didn't want to buy it and break out! I asked for a sample which she was more than happy to give me and as soon as I got home, I had a shower and had to give this a go. I wasn't sure how much I needed, so I took a pinch, mixed it with water and rubbed it on my face. It didn't exactly feel like it would do anything, I wasn't sure I had enough, so I used a little more but still felt a bit unsatisfied, but I left it on my face for a minute or so and then washed it off with a muslin cloth. It felt so creamy when washing it off, my face felt incredibly soft and moisturised, I was amazed. I then patted my face until it was almost dry. As I was doing stuff, it was a while before I applied some moisturiser, usually my face would dry up soon after, but it still felt very moisturised.


I'm going to try it a couple more times, maybe pop in again to see if I can find more products to try (cheeky!). It kind of looks like mashed up wheetabix and milk, not nice, but it's a lot harder, like a lumpy clay/paste. 

Does anyone else have some Lush skin care favourites?!

Take care,

my current skincare routine, looking for your expert help!

Hi guys!
Today is my only day off this week and as I have a job interview tomorrow, I've been taking after my skin as I've really neglected it lately and this cold weather has really taken it's toll. Sadly, I use baby wipes to take my make up off, which many off you say is the biggest no, but it's just so much more efficient, I've never used a cleanser to remove my make up as I just can't understand how it works! I do use cleanser with cotton wool pads after I've used the wipes though, any better?

For affordable, semi-decent skincare, I don't think you can go wrong with these products, they last a fair amount of time, and do pretty much exactly what they say.
The Pore Minimising cleanser I'm pretty unsure of, I can't really see that they're working, I don't find it makes a difference in my routine, afterwards it feels a bit sticky, but I love the moisturiser! I've applied it plenty of times today to get some much needed moisture into my skin and this is beautiful. There's no particular scent to it, but it makes such a difference. I love wearing it under my make up, it creates such a smooth, soft base that my foundation (after primer) applies so well without clinging to any dry patches.

I did a review of the Soap and Glory T-Zone wipes here. I use these before applying make up to try and keep oil and large pores at bay, but read more there.

Very occasionally, like, once a week, I use a gel cleanser that I find is very strong and stripping, but I use it occasionally as I do feel it makes a difference to my skin, it removes any unwanted oils and it's "natural", but I might do a post on that soon. It's definitely aimed more to people with oily skin, rather than oily/combination as it recommends. If I do use this, I moisturise a lottttt afterwards.

I'm looking for new products, not too expensive, but I find my complexion to be slightly uneven sometimes, I have red patches on my cheeks and I just want nicer skin haha! I'm also looking for a mask, I'm not too sure what, I'm a mask virgin, I'm always scared I'll have a reaction if I change skincare.. weird haha.
But please, give me your suggestions, favourites, anything. I'd love to hear them and try them out soon!


Take care everyone, not long till Christmas!

the christmas tag!

I'm so excited for Christmas this year, this is my second Christmas post in the past 2 weeks! 

What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

What's NOT my favourite thing!? Spending time with family, romance, gifts, everything :)

What is your favourite make up look for the festive season?

Red lippy, simple eyes, festive yet not too much :)

Real tree or fake tree?

We have fake, I'd LOVE a real tree but my parents object after having one before and still finding needles in the floor!

Giving presents or receiving presents?

Without sounding spoiled, receiving! I'm not too good at buying for people so unless I'm well impressed with what I've bought them, it's giving haha :)

Do you open your Christmas presents morning or evening?

Morning :). We open them all and then around 1ish, our whole family gathers at my nan's and we spoil the kids, have a drink, and then go back home for dinner!

Handmade Christmas cards or bought?

I don't really do Christmas cards. I love getting them, but rarely do, so I guess it'd be bought. 

What is your favourite Christmas film?

The Home Alone's without a doubt!  

What is your favourite Christmas food?

Pigs in blankets!!! And chocolate coins, mmmm :)))

Let me know if you do this! I'd love to see your answers :)

Hope you're all looking forward and getting ready for it, I know I am!

Take care,

FOTD: simple and sleek items and explanations

Hey guys, I can't apologise enough for not posting over this week. It's been a pretty crap week to be honest, getting bad news, good news, then more bad news, I just couldn't find much motivation to do anything at all, but after spending some quality time with my boyfriend, Anakin and Obi Wan, and of course my beautiful best friend, I'm feeling a bit better :) 

So, let's find out what was on my face yesterday!

Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil - Dark Brown

Maybelline One By One Mascara

Rimmel Glam Eyes Liquid Eyeliner

Elf Natural Eye Palette 

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Primer

MaxFactor FaceFinity

Collection 2000 Concealer

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

MUA Shade 3 Blush

Avon Arabian Glow Shimmering Bronzer

No7 Creme Touch Face Powder

MUA Shade 11 Lipstick

My make up needed to stay put from around 11am till 10pm yesterday, but it also had to battle against the atrocious weather! I wasn't feeling too confident about wearing too much eye make up with the rain and wind, but I was desperate to try out the palette. I'm not too sure what the shades are called, and you can't see them at all, but I wore a copper colour all over my eyelid and used a darker, woodier brown on the outer corner and in the crease. I blended them well into a lighter shade which I put on my brow bone to highlight. For some reason, my eyelashes NEVER look nice. They always look flaky and horrible, can anyone give me any tips? :(

This foundation is my absolute favourite at the moment, it has a full coverage which I need and stays for ages. I tend to wear this when I have to look nice/have a long day and it never fails me. A bit of concealer is used under my eyes, down my nose and any other blemishes. I blend this in with a blush so I don't have any ugly lines! Obviously, I used the powder to keep me matte throughout the day and help my foundation stay as long as possible. 

I used this bronzer as a bit of a contour, it is quite shimmery though, but I'm on the hunt for a new one. This one works okay so long as I used a blush to blend it into as much as possible. 

The No7 powder is very light, which I personally like as I can build it up to use as a highlight on the top of my cheekbones/under eye, a bit underneath the bronzer/contour, down the center of my nose, my cupid's bow and on my chin. I love using this powder as I definitely think it gives me a more flawless look.

This lipstick is a go-to everyday lipstick, it's moisturizing and is a gorgeous colour, natural and not too glossy. For £1, you can't go wrong.

This is a great look when you're constantly on the run, all I had to do was top up on my powder on my nose and my lipstick. This isn't a very 'in' look considering the season, but you can always change it with simple eyes and berry lipstick. 

Sorry again for the lack of blogging, I really do feel awful, I don't want to lose my audience as blogging gives me such a good confidence boost. 

Take care, guys.

my current make up and beauty faves!

Rimmel Match Perfection Fix and Perfect Pro Primer

Soap and Glory Clear Hear Deep Pore Purifying T-Zone Cleansing Wipes

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer

Barry M Pink Silver Glitter Nail Paint

Primer: 

This looks and applies much like a moisturizer. It's white, fairly think but when rubbing it in it feels so, so silky and smooth, it feels gorgeous. It claims to 'smooth, resurface, brighten, mattify (is that even a word?) and protect'. It's definitely hyping itself up, because I definitely do not receive those results, however it creates a brilliant base for my foundation, it smooths and makes my foundation last longer. Although this is down as one of my favourites, I think I would buy MUA's as a cheaper alternative and I think it does a pretty similar job. 

Cleansing Wipes:

These wipes are the first Soap and Glory products I've ever used and now I want to buy more and more! You can really feel these wipes getting to work with a deep tingling feeling and strong tea-tree smell. I only get an oily nose, but occasionally I'll get a bit of an oily forehead and chin. I wiped it over with these once and it instantly dried out my skin, so please, only get these if you're really oily! They claim to pore-shrink. I can't say there's been a massive improvement of the look of my pores, but I guess if there's less oil, they're doing something good! At £4.50 for 25 wipes I do think this is a pretty good product. 

Concealer: 

If you keep up with my blog, you'll notice I had this on my wishlist (which you can find here). When Boots had a massive advantage card event on, I decided it wouldn't hurt to buy this as it doesn't exactly break the bank! I use this under my eyes and I suffer from dark circles and the coverage is amazing. I use a brush to blend it in in the corners of my eyes as well as underneath and it instantly brightens me up and eliminates any blemishes. I cannot recommend this enough.

Nail Varnish:

As everyone is aware, there's a huge glitter varnish hype, ranging from large disco glitter bits to small, shimmery, festive glitter. I'm not sure I really like it, it doesn't really suit me so much, sadly. If I'm being honest, light shades don't exactly suit me either. But I've had this in my box for a while and got it out today and realised just how pretty it is and I had to apply it. To my surprise it actually looked good. There's not exactly a colour too it, it's just a clear varnish filled with lots and lots of fine pieces of glitter. It's gorgeous to brighten up a dark outfit.

Do you have any current favourites? I'd love to hear, I'm always on the look out! 

Comment below with your opinions and links.

Take care!

it's christmas time, time to reminisce!

Since the Christmas lights were switched on this weekend throughout Sheffield, there's definitely been a buzzing atmosphere. The town has come alive with festive lights, stalls and some fairly out of the ordinary decorations. Nevertheless, the card shops are getting busier and busier, and people are rushing through town frantically trying to buy some early gifts for loved ones.
My city has definitely stepped up a level with their decorations this year. The Winter Gardens (first image above) looks more like a secret garden, and the Peace Gardens looking like a child's imagination with Dr Who's famous police box and some The Doctor's most feared rivals waiting outside. There's even a pirate ship with plenty of pirates working the ship and going through the water fountains. It's truly a kids haven.
The High Street is over-flowing with Christmas markets, heated bars serving mulled wine and roasted chestnut stalls. I can't wait to have a rummage through and see what original gifts I can discover.

Christmas has always been my favourite time of year, filled with family gatherings, eating chocolate coins for breakfast and having my Nan fall asleep on the sofa every ten minutes! This year it's going to be quite different, with my Nan now being in a care home, we'll be bringing the fun to her.
Not only is it a great family occasion, it brings me a few days closer to mine and Mike's first year anniversary! This time of year is filled with amazing memories of my relationship growing and getting to know each other better, staying up talking till 3am on Boxing day and feeling happier than ever.


Do you have any Christmas memories or family traditions? I would love to hear some! Leave me a comment below.

Take care everyone!

my week in photos #2

| 1. It's officially Christmas now the Coca-Cola ad is on our screens!| 2. My cat gets very paranoid over the length of his toenails, he's a little vain.| 3. Star Wars with my beautiful(ish) boyfriend!| 4. A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...| 5. Louis enjoys laying in the kitchen sink with the scourer whilst he's alone.| 6. Sent my Christmas list to Michael.| 7. I'm going to London with my best friend!| 8. We bought the cats new beds, cuties.| 9. I made a chocolate cake!|



I've had quite a good week! I had my first day at College being an English Language mentor and it went really well, I'm excited to go back on Tuesday, not looking forward to the interview! I've hardly worked at Mind last week though which is kind of sad! I love working there, but it's difficult volunteering at two places now, I really need some kind of paid job. I have an interview at River Island in a couple of weeks though, so any advice would be so good! Especially with an outfit, I've been told to wear what I think represents the company, anyone got any outfit ideas?
Me and my mum got a load of Christmas shopping done on Saturday, which meant loads of perfume testers and a very uncomfortable bus journey.
I went to Mike's on Thursday, stayed over on Friday till Saturday and it was so nice, I really enjoy spending proper time with him. We'll see each other occasionally after work but we're both tired and drained. As much as I love sleeping with him, I do NOT love when he wakes me up going through boxes and rambling like Pitbull. Definitely want to video him though, I reckon he'd find it so funny.
My cat is the biggest poser ever, he's a right menace!

So yeah, I have another busy week ahead too, I'm hoping to do some more posts, hopefully they will be better quality, I'm just really struggling, I have loads of products I'd love to talk about but struggling to say what I want, bloggers block?


Link me to your week in pictures, I can be a right nosy mare sometimes.. Take care and have a beautiful week!

top five fragrances - perfect pressies!

Anyone who knows me, knows I never leave the house without perfume, and these are my go-to fragrances. You can find links to the products below.

Diesel Fuel For Life Denim
This smells slightly masculine, yet floral, but it so nice and long wearing. The main reason I love this is the packaging! It looks gorgeous on my perfume stand. It's not as cheap as the others, but I got this in the Christmas sales last year for a fraction of the price and I'm only half way through the bottle!
.
Paco Rabanne Black XS
This is pretty much my all time favourite fragrance, it's sweet, recognizable and incredibly long wearing. I get so many compliments when I wear this, but it is at the end of it's bottle now, sadly. Some people might find it over-powering and a bit sickly, but I love it.

DKNY Golden Delicious 
I lose count of how many people compliment me on this perfume. Again, another that's at the end of it's life, but I have another DKNY apple fragrance on my list. It really does smell like a Golden Delicious apple, not too artificial. I usually wear this on a night out/meal, something I have to look nice for and it really makes my outfit.

Versace Red Jeans
This is very strong, fruity, I don't find it lasts me all day, but seeing as the bottle is so big and is pretty cheap, I tend to wear this almost every day. Another one similar to this is the Tommy Hilfiger fragrance which got re-merchandised last Christmas.

Kate Moss Kate
Another floral/fruity fragrance that I'd wear every day. It's fairly subtle, but you can still smell it well. Quite good for someone aged 15+ I think because it's quite fresh. I find some perfumes can be too old for people, is that just me?! I bought it for my cousin for Christmas this year so let's see how it goes!



Sorry it's not much of a post, it's been a pretty hectic day Christmas shopping and I'm absolutely knackered. Hope this gives you some ideas for presents though, or even for yourself! If you have any questions about them, just ask me below.




PS. I'm looking for some new winter boots/shoes. Anyone got any favourites?! I'd love to hear, my feet are cold. Thank you! xxx

i've won my second leibster award!

So this is the second time I've been nominated for the Leibster award, and it makes me so happy to know people are reading and recognising my blog. I sometimes think that I'm talking to an empty audience, so it's always nice to know that people are taking notice! I'll get on with it.
Thank you so much to Mia at 'Mia Alice In Wonderland' for nominating me!

Here are the rules:

You must post 11 random facts about yourself.

You must answer 11 questions from the person who chose you.

You must create a new set of 11 questions for who you tag. 

You must then tag 11 blogs with under 200 followers and let them know.

11 facts about myself is so difficult, but here we go!

1. I spend so much time in Boots, I swear they think I'm going to start stealing things

2. I work in a charity shop with some of the nicest people ever, follow our twitter here!

3. Pasta and gravy is one of the nicest things.

4. I've been with my boyfriend almost 11 months.

5. I love my cat so much.

6. I'm starting a *job* being an English Language mentor tomorrow!

7. I'm 800 Boot's points off being able to afford YSL foundation....

8. I bought my first ever concealer today! God knows why, I've needed it for so long.

9. I'm ridiculously excited for Christmas!

10. I cannot wake up before 9am, I'm so lazy.

11. Leeds Festival 2012 was one of the best experiences of my life.

Now, my 11 questions from Mia:

1. If you had to sum up yourself using only three words, what would they be?

Cheerful, honest aaaand loving!

2. What is your favourite perfume?

This one is so, so difficult! I think it's got to be DKNY Golden Delicious, I receive so many compliments when wearing it!

3. What is your favourite musical?

Joseph and the Amazing Technicoloured Dream Coat! Absolutely amazing :)

4. Is there a musical artist you listen to which others might not expect you to?

I listen to Eminem all the time, I don't think people would expect that?!

5. Which city in the world would you most like to see?

I think Japan or Hong Kong, I'd love to see their culture.

6. What's you favourite way to spend your Saturday night?

If I had the money, I would be going out all the time! That sounds awful, but it's fun, I'm young!

7. Of all the movies which have been released this year, what has been your favourite?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. I've not seen many films at all this year but I looooved this.

8. How many piercings do you have?

I had my lip pierced, there's still a bit of a hole? Hahaha

9. What is your favourite thing about Winter?

Wearing thick jumpers and being able to see your breath, but most importantly, snow!

10. What fashion trend are you loving the most at the moment?

It's not exactly a trend, but I'm loving the colour burgundy, it looks amazing this time of year.

11. And, how are you today? I hope you're well!

I'm not too bad! I'm super tired though.

My 11 questions aaaare:

1. Who's your inspiration?

2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

3. What's your dream job?

4. What's your favourite foundation?

5. And your favourite skincare product? (I'm desperate to find some new ones!)

6. What are your two favourite blogs?

7. What make up product are you dying to have?

8. What's on the top of your Christmas list?

9. What qualifications do you have?

10. What's your favourite thing about blogging?

11. Have you travelled much, if so where?

Lastly, my 11 blogs are:

The Wrong Girl

Just For Tonight

A Blog By Abbie

The Make-Up Counter

Pop Tarts and Sexx

A Blog By Abbi

Style It With Me!

CreoqueKim

AmandaMaria

Expat Make-Up Addict

London-Bred Ladies Who Lunch

If you guys do it, link me to it below, I love hearing about people I subscribe too!

Again, thanks for the second nomination, I hope you enjoy the things I post, if here's anything that you want to hear from me, please feel free to contact me, comment on a post, tweet me, email me, I'm all yours! 

make up wishlist

Spoiling you lucky people with two posts today! I tried to keep it to just make up, but of course I HAD to sneak in a couple of skincare products that I'm just dying to have. Hope you're liking my blogs new-ish look, too!

1. YSL Touche Eclat foundation
Eeeeveryone is going on about this foundation, and I just need it! At £28, it's pretty expensive, but by the sound of it, it's well worth it.

2. Bioderma 
Where can I buy this in the UK?! Or do I have to order it online? I've seen a few people say this is their must have skincare product, and of course I want to jump on the bandwagon..

3. Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer 
I've never really used concealer before, it's just never been a thing I've bought (I don't know why, I'm in desperate need for it!) but I think it's about time I bought one. This one is affordable and I've seen some of the most well known bloggers hype about this so it seems like my best bet!

4. DrJart+ Platinum Beauty Balm Cream
This one is supposed to be for more mature women, but I hear people get the best results from this product? It's pretty pricey, so I'll probably only buy it if I come into some money, but I've never used a BB cream before and apparently DrJart+ is some of the best out there. It'll be a long time till I find out!

5. Rimmel BB Cream 9 in 1
So 9 in 1 seems pretty ambitious, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper than the BB cream above. I think this will be the next skincare product I buy, I've not heard too much about it though so if anyone uses it, let me know!

6. Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel
Yet another that is well out of my price range, but it seems like EXACTLY what I need!!! Origins have a very good reputation which is making me more and more eager to spend my money on it. If anyone knows of any similar products, do let me know, absolutely desperate!

perfect presents for the guys!

Hi! A couple of weeks ago, some of you will have seen my post 'perfect presents for the ladies' which you can find here. I promised I'd do a list for the guys as well, but never realised how hard it would be! But here is my compilation so far.

1. Fight Club 2 Disc Edition.
Every guy, whether they've seen Fight Club or not, would LOVE to receive this in their stocking.
It's a classic film and priced at £5.48 from play.com you can't go wrong. Perfect for teenage brothers, uncles etc. However, the first rule of Fight Club is not to talk about Fight Club...

2. Vivienne Westwood Neptune Watch VV021GDBK
I found this on ASOS and at £175, you want to make sure you chose the right person for this. Perhaps you have a boyfriend or brother that loves designer gear? If my boyfriend wore watches (and I won the lottery) he would definitely be getting this. Including Vivienne Westwood's iconic symbol, the orb, on the second hand, this present is the one for your cherished one!

3. Paul Smith Extreme for Men Eau de Toilette 
£16.09 for a 30ml fragrance is brilliant. I often buy Paul Smith fragrances for family members around Christmas and I have never been disappointed. The fragrance fit most age groups, they don't smell to old to buy for your cousins. The packaging is a simple glass bottle which I think is lovely. The way a fragrance is presented to me has a big influence on whether I'm likely to buy it (just me?), and I'm sure this is going to be one I buy for the family this year. 

4. Illuminated Marco Polo Globe Antique 300mm
I bought a globe for my boyfriend on his birthday, and I have to say it was one of my favourite presents to give him. £22.99 is a decent price for a present that can fit in anywhere and often interests people visiting. This would be a great present for dad's or travelers, and it really looks like you put some thought into their present. 



I hope you like my ideas. I've been doing this post for over an hour, guys are so difficult! 
Do you have any suggestions? I'm going shopping soon and could really use some help!

my week in photos #1

| 1. Fireworks on Saturday! | 2. Bonfire and fireworks at Mike's family's farm was brilliant | 3. My cat is so long, he doesn't fit in the picture... | 4. Making my Christmas list! | 5. My latest book for bus journeys is Great Expectations. | 6. My face, new t-shirt from my shop is a gorgeous colour. | 7. It could only be Step Brothers! | 8. What is happening with the weather! :( | 9. Found out my old prom photo, leaving book and picture album from school, cute! |



Link me to your week in photos! I love to have a little nosy and see what my readers have been up to.
Sorry for the lack of high quality posts lately, I've been a bit lousy with it. I promise to do some better reviews soon, I just have a lot going on. I have a big decision to make, do I apply for Journalism, or Public Relations for University?! I'd love to work as a PR for a beauty magazine, but what if I change my mind along the way? Do I have more options open to me if I do Journalism, or does it make it harder for me to get the PR job?!?!
Let me know your opinions, I'd love some help!

lianne la havas - music marvel

Hello beauties! I wanted to wait until after I purchased/received Lianne's album to write a review/confess my love for the lady. She has an incredibly soulful voice which is generally the main focus of her music with a catchy beat to accompany her, giving her music a raw, hip-hop style to an extent. Her song-writing abilities are second to none, sophisticated semantics give her lyrics a classic, 'vintage' air to the song which is incredibly unlike more mainstream music you're currently likely to come across.
Her vocal range is brilliant and she's wise in how to show it off. She doesn't try to fit too many notes into one section, she carefully distributes her range throughout the entire piece making it very easy to listen too.
Not only are her music abilities top class, she looks amazing. Often wearing an up-do for her inherited curly locks, she pairs subtle make up with classy dresses that accentuates all of her best features.

Listen to her music most recent single here (reminds me a LOT of Sugartown - Nancy Sinatra through the verses, no?).
I hope so much that you guys take notice, give her some support and love her as much as I do, her album has been at the top of my Christmas list for a long time!

Keep your eyes peeled! Had another bit of a make-up/skincare haul today (very naughty of me considering I should be saving..). Find out about my beauty bargain here in the next couple of days!

my a/w must haves

First off, I'm in love with Kate Moss' matte collection, you can see a review here, so I won't bore you too much with this product! I went into Boots today looking for a primer and noticed their buy one, get one half price offer, so I thought I'd treat myself to another of these. There was hardly any shades left, sadly, but when I saw this I just had to have it. It's a gorgeous, deep red with plum undertones that sits perfectly. After having it on all day, I did notice it go a little pink, but not too much and I was still VERY impressed. Perfect shade for these colder seasons.

Everyone has started using MUA blushers, so the other day I got on with the craze and bought myself one, for a pound, you can't not. It's not an in-your-face pink which is great, I'd almost say it's a little bit bronze-y. I think this is perfect for creating a bit of flush in your look with the cold weather approaching.

Lastly, my absolute favourite BarryM varnish. This shade is called Raspberry (I think!) and is a gorgeous burgundy, very wearable with most clothing colours. I'm at the end of this bottle now and I will definitely be repurchasing! This would look brilliant in an LBD for work Christmas parties! Especially paired with the featured lipstick.


Sorry it's not a brilliant post today, I'm super tired, and I got caught off track watching beauty videos, and now I'm on the hunt for some make-up brushes! So if anyone has any favourite brushes, or starter sets, leave me a comment, help a fellow blogger out!

my week so far + beauty blogger tag

Hello! This past week has been quite busy for me. My parents went away on Monday for a couple of days so I had Michael round and made a lovely Spaghetti Bolognese for our tea. Then I carved my first ever pumpkin on Tuesday! Here's a quick picture:

Theeen it was Mike's mum's birthday on Wednesday, so we went out for tea and some of the family and friends were there, it was lovely as always! On Saturday I went over to Mike's for a Star Wars-athon, but fell asleep during number 5, didn't go down too well! But we went to a bonfire on his family's farm that evening and it was really nice! We played Mario Kart all the next morning like any other 18 and 19 year old couple...

Anyway, my week has been good, but I wanted something a little different to what I usually post to do today, and I came across this beauty bloggers tag on Kimberley's blog and thought I'd give it a go.

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

Curly! I think I'm quite lucky with it, it's quite a nice curly hahaha

2. What is your natural hair color?

Blondish

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

Dye it myself, all the time!

4. How often do you wash your hair?

Whenever I have too, usually every other day.

5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it?

I used to wear it down and curly every day, but lately I've started wearing it straight, tied back.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

I do them myself.

7. How often to you change your nail polish?

Every other day I'd say, I used to be so OCD about it and apply, take it off, reapply, take it off, apply every single night! 

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?

I don't really polish them unless I'm going to be bare feet or anything like that!

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?

Forever, sadly. Usually about 25-30 minutes, god knows why.

10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Eyes.

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

I don't exactly collect it, but if I see something that I really want to try, I'll get it, whether I need it or not.

12. How often do you wear false eyelashes? 

I used to wear them often, but I stopped and now I just can't seem to be able to put them on.

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

Only if I'm going out, when I'm staying in I like to cleanse and clean and give my face a good rest.

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?

No, unless I get really bored, I like to try out different looks

15. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Very unwillingly, I would absolutely hate too. 

16. How many high end products do you have?

I don't really own any. I'd love to try some out, but I can never save my money for long enough to buy any!

17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?

I don't actually use any make up brushes, apart from for eyeshadows, but I very rarely wear it.

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

I just decide when I'm getting dressed, unless I'm getting dressed up for something, I'll plan it a couple of days in advance. 

19. How often do you change your handbag?

Very rarely!

20. What time do you get up and go to sleep?

I usually sleep around 1am every night/morning and wake around 9/10am, lucky me!

22. Left-handed or Right-handed?

Right-handed.

23. How tall are you?

5ft3

24. Do you speak a foreign language?

German and a bit of French!

25. How many pets do you have?

I have two super beautiful cats! 

26. How often are you on Blogger?

Everday! I read it aaaall the time. I usually try to post every other day.

27. Do you read the comments posted blogs?

I read every comment and make sure I reply to them all. I find it important that my readers know I appreciate them.

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I'm pretty good at remembering them, so if I see something whilst out, I'll definitely take into consideration what I read. 

29. How did you come up with your blog name?

A few years ago, a saw someone's band called 'Next Year's Hero' and I thought that sounded really good, changed it to last, had it as my GT on my Xbox and it's stuck with me!

30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?

I use my Nokia Lumia 800 for pictures, it has a really good camera when the light is good.

31. How often do you clean your house? (Daily, weekly, other)

I clean all the time, I love having things tidy and ordered.

32. What is your favorite color?

I love greys, burgundy, navy, emeralds.

33. What is your favorite beauty/fashion magazine?

I love Elle and Glamour, but I often buy celebrity magazines such as Heat and Star and love their fashion/beauty sections!

34. Do you swear?

I do, not as much as I used to, thankfully. Since getting a boyfriend, my language has proper calmed down!

35. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

I think I'm going to get on with applying for Universities! 

So there you have it, a little more about me. I'm planning to do part two of my Perfect Presents for the Ladies post by doing one for the guys, soon, so keep an eye out.

maxfactor facefinity foundation review

Hellooo!
As you saw yesterday, I purchased MaxFactor's latest foundation, facefinity. Previously, I had never used any makeup from the MaxFactor range, but I decided to splash out a little and treat myself. It took me over an hour to get what I wanted, I really had no idea where to begin. A lady, obviously working for them, approached me asking me if I was okay, my reply was "Yeah.... Just look- I've no idea what I'm getting, I think I need full coverage but help!" hahaha, she just looked at me and pointed me to this, and then matched my shade as 'Beige'. Once she'd gone, I was a little scared about getting that shade, I usually go much lighter, so I picked a lighter shade just in case and went for 'Warm Almond'.
I'm so glad I went with my instinct! When I got home I put it straight on and was so pleasantly surprised. It applied like a dream. It's not overly thick in consistency but not watery. When I started blending it in, it got a little thicker, but you could instantly see the difference. It wasn't oily but it wasn't matte so obviously I topped it of with a powder.
Over the day I kept on checking it, wanting to see how it lasted and it did so well! My nose got oily, but I fully expected that. I think it could have done with a top up on the powder, but it wasn't desperate like I used to be with old foundations.

Here's a picture (awful picture, should I say) that gives a pretty good representation of the coverage, not so much the colour because the flash was ridiculous.
If you want any information about other makeup I'm wearing, just leave me a comment!

The foundation claims to include both primer and concealer. I was unsure whether I should still apply my primer? I don't generally use a concealer, but what do you think? Would you apply your primer and concealer also just to be sure?

a lovely make up haul!

Hello beautiful people! I felt that after winning my two awards and getting over 1000 page views, I deserved a treat. Here's what I bought:

MaxFactor Face Finity All Day Flawless 3 in 1 Foundation in Warm Almond 45 - £11.99

No7 Creme Touch Face Powder in Translucent - £8.50

Rimmel Professional Eye Brow Pencil in Dark Brown - £2.99

MUA Pressed Powder in Shade 2 - £1

MUA Blusher in Shade 3 - £1 

MUA Lipstick in Shade 11 - £1

MUA Nail Varnish in Shade 13 - £1

I don't think I did bad at all! What do you guys think?

I've had and loved the No7 powder before, it's one of the best I've used, it gives such good coverage and is a gorgeous shade. I'm so excited to try out my new foundation though! I don't think it's a bad price at all, I expected it to be much higher so I can't wait. If any of you guys have tried it before, let me know what you think.

Of course I had to go and get more MUA bargains.At that price you really can't go wrong. I love the lipstick! It's such a natural colour, it looks glossy, but not high shine, it's moisturizing and is a babe to reapply! I'm not sure why I bought another powder, I think for the price I thought it was worth giving it a go, along with the blusher, I never usually wear it, but maybe this will convert me. 

I've been looking for a deep emerald colour varnish for SO long, I just can't find a reasonably priced one anywhere. I saw this and thought it was okay, not exactly what I'm looking for, but I'll give it a try. If not, the shade will definitely fit the winter seasons! 

What have you bought recently? Have you tried anything I recently bought? Let me know what you think!