Liebster Award

I'm ashamed to say I was nominated by Jasmina Mujagic back in August, but I never got a notification so didn't have a clue! I'm still so new to this blogging stuff. So apologies for my hideous delay.

So the rules for this award are:

Make sure to link back to the blogger(s) that nominated you.

Answer all of the questions provided from blogger that nominated you.

Nominate 11 bloggers of your choice, who have under 200 followers.

Create 11 questions of your own, for the bloggers you nominate to answer. 

LET'S DO THIS!

What is your go-to makeup look for a special occasion?

I would do a smokey eye using my NAKED 2 palette, winged eyeliner, bronzed skin and a bold lip.

Whats your fave season, Summer or Winter?

Summer. I cannot stand having to wear 16 layers and the rain.

Whats your favorite makeup brand?

This is a tough one as I definitely use a wide range of brands, depending on what product I like at that moment. Possibly L'oréal though? It's good quality, but still affordable and I'm always drawn to their stand in Boots.

Whats your reason for starting a blog?

I love makeup and watching beauty YouTubers/reading beauty blogs. I was getting quite bored at uni as my course only had 4 hours contact time a week(!), so my boyfriend suggested I try it out for a hobby. I'll be the first one to admit I've failed to be consistent and it's not exactly inundated with viewers, but I still enjoy writing posts when I do and it's nice to look back at it every so often. For me it's never really been about getting feedback from hundreds of readers, but it's nice to have something like this to do.

You see Leonardo Di-Caprio casually walking down the street, what do you do?

I can be quite socially awkward at times so I probably wouldn't approach. Maybe try to sneak a pic without him looking and then spend the rest of my life regretting not talking to him :'(

If there was one makeup look you had to stick with for the rest of your days, what would it be?

A slight brown definition to the crease of my lids, a eyeliner flick, pink cheeks and a pinky/peach lip. Very simple, but I love this look.

Whats your biggest pet peeve?

Loud eaters. Especially chewing gum. And ESPECIALLY on the train. As if the commute isn't bad enough each day, without having to listen to someone munch their crisps or click their chewing gum.. Ahhhh!

Who is your inspiration?

Lauren Conrad. God I love that girl. 

Celebrity Crush?

Gerard Butler. Need I say more?

Whats your favorite TV Show?

I think I would have to say that it's still Prison Break. I don't think I've watched anything since that has had me so gripped the whole way through. I re-watch it once a year and honestly, it never bores me.

Who's your fave Friends Character?

Ross - he is just so cute and geeky - some of the stuff he comes out with reminds me of myself! A little bit awkward, but in a funny way!

I now nominate...
Georgia

Caitlin

Jasmine

Sarah

Georgie

Lucy

Catrin

Renée

Cynthia

Klaudia

Molly

And here are my questions for you...

1. If you could be an animal, what would you be?

2. If you could only wear one lip product for the rest of your life, which would you choose?

3. You are in a hurry and can only do foundation OR eyebrows, which do you choose?

4. Your bag has been stolen, which item in there would you be most upset to lose?

5. What's the best book you've ever read?

6. What are your favourite style/make of jeans?

7. Heels or flats?

8. If you could have any celebrity's hair, whose would you have?

9. Neutral or bold lip?

10. Favourite shop in the world - could be clothing, beauty, jewellery, stationary..

11. Favourite sweet/chocolate?

Big thanks for my nomination and sorry again for the delay - I hope it still counts! Please comment below once you've posted your answers if you do - I'd love to see what your answers are!

Manicure Monday: Maybelline Super Stay in 'Hot Salsa'

So I've decided to start a post (possibly weekly) to show off my latest nail varnish choices. Then it came to me.. 'Manicure Monday'!! I'm not entirely sure if this has been done before (I'll be most disappointed if it has, but I was proud of my idea nonetheless). Here it goes...

I present to you, the Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Color 7 Days in 'Hot Salsa' | £4.49. Well, that was a mouthful! I'll start by saying that this is the first one of these formulas that I have tried, and my verdict? A-ma-zing! As soon as I started to apply this, I knew it would be good. It's so smooth and non-streaky, plus the brush is the perfect thickness. The colour is gorgeous, but more of a coral/pink than red as it often appears in photos. It looks amazing on short squared-ish nails and I can't stop staring at my fingers with it on! It's super glossy and so far, the lasting power is impressive! (No chips for ??? days) I do have my usual base coat and top coat on, but some other formulas still chip regardless! I loved it so much that I put it on my toes too (I'll spare you a photo of that), and it looks equally as gorgeous. Really compliments my ever dwindling tan, but in general is just a very flattering shade.

Just in case it hasn't come across very well in this post.. I LOVE this varnish! I actually bought another shade while they were on 3 for 2 in Boots (when is there NOT a deal like that in Boots?!) so I am very excited to try the other one out (no doubt it will appear in a post soon).

I hope you like this new feature and that maybe you'll be tempted to try this formula, because I was seriously impressed, and think you might be too! Have you already tried any from this range? Please let me know by leaving a comment!

Mini Boots Haul

I was in town last week and had a little bit of money to spend from my Graduation present (result!!), so naturally I 'popped' into Boots. After about half an hour, my boyfriend sighing loudly, and numerous swatches on the back of my hand, I was walking out clutching a back of goodies. I'm never happier than when I am perusing the aisles of Boots - it's one of my favourite stores. These are the things I picked up, I'll do a general overview now and once I've had a few weeks to trial them all, you can expect some more in depth swatches and reviews.

Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray | Currently £4.66 (was £6.99)
This is the only repurchase of the bunch, my third bottle of the stuff! After reading copious reviews of the Oribe Dry Texturising spray, I'll admit I was interested, but with the whooping £39 price tag, I just could not justify buying it. I have naturally thick, wavy hair, but sometimes it can look a little bit limp, so something like this is perfect for adding a bit of body. Now I haven't tried the Oribe one, but I have tried a couple of others, such as Vo5, and this one is definitely the best. It's like a texturising spray and a finishing hairspray in one, adding a little bit of grit to make lank hair a bit more 'oomf-y'. I love this spray and I will continue to buy it, especially as it's so often on a special offer in Boots! I've recently had my hair chopped into a long bob and this is just perfect for making it look tousled and a bit messy (but in the right way).

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 'Elusive 205' | £7.99 (bought on 'buy 1 get 2nd half price' offer)
This is the item I took the longest to decide over. I was stood at the Revlon stand for ages swatching a few shades over and over, holding them up to my lips, and asking my boyfriend to pick one! I even did 'ip-dip-doo' at one point! I settled on this colour because I always go for brights and I felt a nudey-pink would be a nice addition to my collection. I can't believe I haven't tried any of these matte balms yet! I have a few of the original formulas, but this is the first of the mattes. I will give it a trial and update you with my thoughts towards it in the next few weeks. I only hope the formula isn't too drying 'cos I HATE crusty lips!!

Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in 'Miami Fever 035' | £7.99 (bought on 'buy 1 get 2nd half price' offer)
I was so excited to find these on the shelves while I was browsing, I didn't think they were out til later in August!! I was going to pick up a few, but after reading a mixed bunch of reviews, I thought I'd play it safe and stick to one to trial. Again, I will upload a full review with swatches soon once I've had a chance to trial it out. The colour is a really pretty orange-toned bright red that's perfect for the summer. I haven't actually tried it out yet, but can I just say that the packaging is gorrrrrgeous! So sleek and looks much more expensive than a 'drugstore' product.

Maybelline New Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser | £7.99 (bought on '3 for 2' offer)
Another product that has been out for ages but I still haven't got round to trying it. I suffer with oily skin (although since changing up my skincare routine it is definitely improving), so anything that claims to mattify the skin while also filling in pores is promising in my eyes! I do have some pores on my nose so I'm interested to see how this lives up to its claims.

Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Nail Colour in 'Hot Salsa 490' and 'Mint for Life 615' | £4.49 each (bought on '3 for 2' offer)
Entirely influenced by Amelia Liana, I picked up Hot Salsa, thinking it was a bright red shade, but in the flesh it's actually quite a bright pink/coral. They were on a deal, so of course I had to pick up another one .. it would be rude not to!! I'm always on the search for the perfect mint green, but I always find that they're too green for me! This one looks like a perfect really pale mint, so I will report back with swatches and my thoughts on the formula (spoiler: I LOVE IT!)

So there you have it, my mini Boots haul described within an inch of its life! I couldn't resist not including this photo of my little puppy Mac, who was very intrigued by my outdoor photography session. Luckily he didn't pick up any of the items! I'm sure he had his eye on the nail varnish for himself!! I just love how curly the fur on his ears is!!

The 'Not So Glam' Review: Sure Maximum Protection

As the title suggests, this isn't the most glamorous of subjects.. anti-perspirant. Regardless, we all wear it (or at least most of us probably do!) and it's even more important in this recent heatwave we've been having here in England. I'm going to be completely honest here and admit that I struggle with sweating. I'll fill you in with my 'story'.. I know, I know, it's gross, but actually it isn't - it's a completely natural reaction that our bodies do in an attempt to cool us down (I have this on great authority from Dr Dawn on This Morning). I still don't want to sweat though! For years I have struggled to find a deodorant that makes me feel confident all day, and I'm forever reapplying and checking myself. Sometimes I'll find one I like, but after a few months of use my body seems to become immune and it stops working again. I know that clean sweat doesn't smell, but often I'll have a shower in the morning, apply some deodorant straight away and only a couple of hours later I feel it doesn't smell as nice as it did at application! It's so frustrating, because I know I'm clean! Sometimes it depends on the type of top I'm wearing, which is equally frustrating! On the same This Morning episode, Dr Dawn suggested that sometimes scented shower gels and deodorants can actually interfere with the pH of your skin and that can cause the smell, even though you've showered. So at the moment I am trialling washing my armpits with a pH neutral shower gel to see if that helps (I will keep you posted).

I suppose I should get on with the review of the product: Sure Women Maximum Protection in 'Everyday Fresh' | £5.00. I thought I would pick this up as it promises 48 hour protection and an anti-wetness formula. It's a cream consistency, that you twist up through the little holes and apply to your armpits. The instructions tell you to apply it at night, before bed, to let it work while you sleep, then again as necessary. While I don't feel that the protection lasts 48 hours (do these things ever?!), I am impressed with the anti-wetness formula. I feel like I'm definitely dryer than usual. Most of all however, it smells really nice all day. It's a really fresh smell, which I always favour, and I don't feel like my sweat (ew) seeps its way through as it normally would. To avoid my body becoming resistant to this one, I'm going to swap about a bit, using a spray deodorant sometimes and maybe a different scent from this range. I've been using this for a few weeks now and I am impressed.

Now that I feel you are probably very familiar with my armpit region (sorry about that, possible T.M.I?), I will leave it there! I know it's not a topic many people like to talk about, but if you're anything like me hopefully this might show you that there is light at the end of the sweaty tunnel!

Do you have any recommendations for me to try? I would love to hear your suggestions!

The Body Shop Bits

These are not new products. In fact, I have had them for a good few months now.. probably even nearing on a year! To be completely honest, I forgot that I had even planned a post on them! Now that I have had a good long while to try them out however, I thought I would be able to review them even better! Let's get on with the reviews!

Indian Night Jasmine Fragrance | £7.50 | The Body Shop
I love this fragrance! I'm not going to try and describe it, all I can come up with is: it's gorgeous! TBS describe it as a 'seductive, feminine blend of floral and oriental accords', I'll leave it to them! It's so nice to wear during the day, and because it's a mist, you can give a thorough spritz all over yourself - and your clothes! It's a shame it's in a glass bottle, because I would love to carry it around in my bag with me to freshen up! They have a whole range in this scent and I have the shower gel which is equally as beautiful! I think my next purchase might be the body lotion and the EDP. I'll keep you posted..

Tea Tree Pore Minimiser | £7.50 | The Body Shop
I bought this simply because Corrie from Dizzybrunette3 recommended it for her oily skin. If I'm being honest, I can't tell if this primer actually does much for my skin. It's supposed to be used as a base under makeup to stop the oils breaking through, but in the last few months or so I feel as though my oiliness has calmed down so much! I can't be certain why, but I think it must be my skincare - or maybe just age? (Is it even possible to grow out of oily skin?!) But anyway, it is a lovely product, as with all tea tree products it feels good on the skin and I like to think it's doing something. I use it quite sparingly and not every time I apply my makeup, so this little pot has lasted me ages! I would say it's definitely worth a try if you have acne prone/ oily skin because it feels like a lovely layer under makeup, and for £7.50 it's not going to break the bank! Just apply a small amount to the T-zone and you're away!

Strawberry Shower Gel | £4 | The Body Shop
The smell of this.. words cannot describe. If you love the smell of strawberry sweets, you will love this! I always use a scrunchie (not sure what they're actually called, but that's what I call them!) and this lathers up beautifully. The smell doesn't seem to hang around for very long, but I don't expect miracles! I think if I bought the matching strawberry body butter it would probably lock in the smell! I use this on and off, but I have a little left and it is lovely. Next, I want to get the passion fruit one because I already have the body butter and OMG that is b-e-a-utiful! It always seems to be on sale too so I might just have to have a "browse" sometime soon..

So there's a short and sweet round up of some of TBS bits I've been using lately. It doesn't cover my favourite products by any stretch of the imagination (I think I love everything from that shop!!) but they're great all the same. What have you been buying from TBS recently? Do you have any holy grail products from there that I should be buying?! Comment below please!

Glossybox January 2014 'Back to Basics'

Last month's box was labelled 'Back to Basics' and to be completely honest, I was rather unimpressed. They really meant it when they said 'basics' and I was left feeling disappointed when I ripped off the lid of this month's installment. I have made the executive decision to cancel my membership after the Valentine's special box in February because I really just don't use the samples! Let's get onto a breakdown of the contents..

The Vintage Cosmetic Company Floral Slanted Tweezers
These were probably the thing I was most excited about when I opened the box. I love the floral design and the handy little pouch they come in- so twee! I have used once and, although I have thick, stubborn eyebrows, my Models Own tweezers I use at the moment are much better. I'm going to give them another go and see how I get on, but I wasn't blown away by their plucking power!

Yu-Be Moisturising Skin Cream
I've read quite a few blog posts on this cream, and they all seem very positive so I'm interested to try this out. I don't usually suffer with dry skin so I haven't opened these yet, but I'm sure once the snow hits (if it ever does) I will be popping these in my handbag for any dry skin emergencies. Rather randomly, this box included two teeny 3g samples, so if I don't like the product I'll probably give the second one to a friend!

Balance Me Super Toning Body Wash
This body wash is rather intriguing, because I haven't seen one that claims to 'tone' the skin before. I have some little bumps on my arms that I have had for years, so I'm interested to see if the 'smoothing and toning' aspects of this help to improve that in any way. It has quite a strong scent, and I think that's due to the lavender oil(?). Lavender isn't a scent I would usually go for, but I'm willing to give it a go! As with Balance Me products, this is 99% natural origin.

Vaseline Essential Moisture Lotion
This was by far the dullest and least favorite item of the bunch! Vaseline is hardly a glamorous product and I am really not a fan of their classic scent. It is a handy travel size, but with my mini body butters from Soap & Glory and The Body Shop, I really doubt I will be using this at all. I'll give it a go, but as I said, the scent puts me off! As I don't suffer with really dry skin, it doesn't seem like it will be suited to be regardless of the scent. I really wish this was a hair or makeup item instead! I think the fact that it's so cheap to buy full-size is also rather off-putting.

Anatomicals Puffy the Eye Bag Slayer Wake-Up Under Eye Patches
I'm intrigued by this one, I must admit! As with all Anatomicals products, I love the play on words and witty description on the back. Always sure to make me chuckle. I do suffer with dark shadows under my eyes, but it's not down to lack of sleep (as a student I get a lot of that), but rather just a pigmentation in my skin. At 20, I don't feel I need these for wrinkles or fine lines (just yet), but I am definitely willing to give them a go! They are surprisingly a lot less expensive to purchase full-size, at just £6 for a pack of 3 on ASOS.


So there we go, my round up of January 2014's Glossybox. As I said, there was nothing, for me, to get excited about in this box, but I'm sure I'll be able to put most of them to good use. Don't let this put you off the Glossybox in general though, because it really is a lucky dip! Did you get the same as me this month? Do you agree that it was a little 'meh' this month? Let me know below!