10 Favourite Items In My Wardrobe.

I was tagged to do this by Claire (The Fashion Teller) and i thought it was a fab idea!

You have to pick 10 of your favourite items in your wardrobe, say where it's from, why you like it & any memories of you wearing it. No Accessories allowed :)
I found it really hard picking 10, but i managed to whittle it down eventually.



From Left to Right:
♥ New Look baby pink top with sequined shoulders - A relatively new addition to the wardrobe, but i just love the baby pink colour, and it hugs my figure nicely.
♥ Floaty silk cream top with flowers - I don't know where this is from, it was a charity shop find by my mum & has no label. It also has a cute ribbon to tie at the back. I love this & wear it a hell of a lot.
♥ All Saints dress - I like this because it's unique. It is very baggy and ties in three different places. I like to wear it with a plain tshirt & leggings with either boots or plimsoles.
♥ Topshop rose & bird crop top - I bought this in Leeds a while ago. I love the pattern & the way it looks on. Again, i team this with leggings. :)
♥ Topshop Vintage Lace top - Bought this about a year ago, i just think it's pretty & girly & lace is my favourite.



From Left to Right:
♥ All Saints yellow sequin top - This has a weird shape, but i love it, it hangs in all the right places. I wore this to the Barry M Event last year & on my 19th birthday :)
♥ Vintage stripe dress - This came into my mums shop & i tried it on and fell in love. It looks kinda shapeless on the hanger, but the material is so thick and heavy & i feel really 60's when i wear it. I can't wait until the sun comes back out so i can wear it with pretty flipflops and a flower in my hair.
♥ Primark sequined top - I very rarely love something so much from Primark that it lasts a whole 6 months in my wardrobe. This hangs really nicely & i just think it's pretty.
♥ New Look cropped black blazer - I chose this because it was totally bargainus. It cost me £3 in the sale & it has been a staple to many an outfit since. I love it, it fits perfectly.
♥ New Look floaty spot top & cargidan - I cheated slightly here and put two together. Both are currently in New Look & I am totally loving the nautical theme at the moment.

Hope you enjoyed that small insight into my wardbrobe.
I tag anyone else who would like to do this. I'm sure Claire would also love to see what else you all have in your wardrobes..as would i :)

♥

Review: Lush - Flosty Gritter Bubble Bar

I recently recieved this as a freebie in a goody bag. I had seen it in the shop before, but i'll be honest, i never touched it because of the glitter coating. It looked pretty, but the thought of getting glitter everywhere was enough for me to bypass this completely.



This bubble bar does look super pretty, i hadn't even smelt it before in fear of walking out of the shop with a pink glittery nose, but it smells AMAZING.

It smells like Vanilla & Lavender & i could sniff this all day long.
One thing i was a little apprehensive about was whether or not all this glitter was inside aswell as out..thankfully, it's not, which means most of the bubble bar crumbled into your bath will be glitter free. On first look, this bubble bar does seem a tad smaller than others, especially the comforter, but actually, you'll be surprised by how much use you can get out of this.
The water turned a gorgeous pink & there were no obvious traces of glitter.

This bubble bar is right up there for me with Creamy Candy & Mar Bar.
I will most definitely be buying these again & again.
So there's your lesson folks, do not be a glitter snob.
♥

My 5 Current "Go-To" Blushers.

Throughout the past few months, i have been using the same handful of blushers over & over.
I have quite a nice collection of blush too, but i just keep going back to these beauties.
At some point, I am going to have to give my other blushers some well deserved attention but for now, i will share with you the 5 that are very close to my heart. ha.

P.S I'm sorry about my lack of eye makeup and generally lacking full stop on the makeup front today..but it's all about the blush..right?



Illamasqua Powder Blush in "Tweak"



This blush was kindly sent to me by Alex over at Illamasqua as she had seen it in my wishlist. I absolutely adore the colour of this blush. It's a shade i don't often see. I'd say it was a red based hot pink. I know it looks scary, but honestly, you just need the smallest amount and it brightens up your whole complexion. I honestly think that warmer tones suit my skin alot more than cool tones. I have been wearing this alot during the winter because i think it gives your cheeks a naturally "cold-kissed" glow (been out in the cold) I am one of those people that doesn't go pink when cold, or after exercising, so this is perfect. I'd also like to add that it's the most pigmented blush i own.

Mac's Mineralize Blush in "Daft Pink"



This blush came out with a collection earlier on in the year, and i instantly knew i'd love it. I get so many compliments on my skin when i wear this. It does give you a healthy glow. However, if you don't like small particles of glitter or a sheen..this isn't for you. As my skin is mostly dry/combination, i love a bit of a sheen to give my face more dimension. I'm going to have to slow down with this one, as it was limited edition. If you are after something similar, The Body Shop came out with a mineralize blusher not long ago, it didn't look similar, but had almost the exactly same effect on the skin. They had a few in the winter sale, so you might still be able to find one of those somewhere.

Benefit Powder Blush in "Coralista"



Since I recieved this at Christmas, i have worn it to death. I don't care if coral is typically a summer shade for the face, it brightens up my complexion and softens it. Sometimes pink can get a bit boring & when that's the case, coral is perfect. I think because my skin is a "warm" shade, coral is easier for me to wear. I can't wait until the sun starts coming out so i can really whack it on with my bronzer. haha.

Illamasqua Cream Blush in "Sob"



I love this one when i am going for a "doll faced" look. What i mean by that is just simple pale matte skin, long full lashes, and simple lip & eye colours. This cream blush gives the ultimate dewy effect, it has a gorgeous shine to it, and when paired with flawless matte skin, it looks so pretty. It's got a much blue-er undertone than anything else i own, and for this reason i don't wear it as much as the others. I wore it alot more towards the start of winter when I still had a bit of face colour from the summer, otherwise it CAN make you look slightly cold. I still wear it at the moment though. It looks pretty with brown neutral eyes and a neutral lip colour.

Mac's Powder Blush in "Well Dressed"



A favourite of many, the trusty Well Dressed. A gorgeous milky pink with slight shimmer. It goes on smoothly, blends well & looks good with ANY makeup look. Pale or sunkissed, this blush will suit my skin whichever. The only thing i WILL say about this, is that Illamasqua puts Mac to shame when it comes to pigmentation. In order to get the achieved amount on my face i do have to go back a few times, whereas Illamasqua's blushers are very highly pigmented..and i believe they are around the same price.

What are you're current "go-to" blushers?
♥

Style Heroine: Kim Kardashian

Isn't that a surprise..she's only a hugely vast majority of every young girl's idol?
But seriously, after hours of watching "Keeping Up With The Kardashians", i soon realised that if i could switch lives & looks with one person, i would absolutely choose Kim Kardashian.
Why?

♥ She is absolutely bloomin' gorgeous! Some of you might not agree, and that's fine, we don't all have the same perception of what's beautiful. Personally I think she has the most amazing facial feautures, figure & hair...ever. I'm starting to sound like a lesbiano now, so i will shh..but the pictures speak for themselves surely. I also love that she's curvy. Like Beyonce, she has a real booty, and she's not affraid to show it off. Not all beautiful women are stick think like we see on the catwalks. If anything, i prefer to see curves, it shows a real woman. Her confidence is just as amazing as her beauty, she is really very inspirational & such a sweet person.

♥ She is making a living from being these things..imagine being born so beautiful, you can just smile & make money from it. Sounds like my idea of a fabulous career, who cares if she is a bit vein..i'm pretty sure i would be too if i looked like that. :)


[All Images taken from Google]

♥ Her style. Now, normally, i am one for a bit of quirky-ness. I do get bored of seeing the same old when it comes to celebrities..but i also know, that those who do like to try and be a bit different, can get it wrong just as well as getting it right or becoming the next massive trend. I actually love how Kim just dresses classy..she keeps it simple, yet stylish. You don't have to wear a huge flower in your hair, or hot pants teamed with knee lenght socks. Kim proves that simple dressing is enough, and some of her outfits are absolutely gorgeous! Of course, she has been known to get it wrong aswell...i have seen her wearing a few outfits which have made me wince..and wonder why oh why..but then that's predictable being in the public eye. Kims style is very sharp & almost business-like. She teams crisp/frilly shirts with high waisted trousers and gorgeous heels. When she dresses down she likes to team t shirts with leggings, and long waistcoats. Then she has accessories to die for that top off every single outfit.

♥ Her amazing family. I have always wanted to be a part of a huge tight-nit family. I only have one brother, he will do, but i'd love to have sisters who shared my passion in the same things as me, could go out shopping with me etc etc. They fight, they laugh, they love. end of. It's so cute to watch.


These are a few of my favourite Kim photos..all taken from her personal blog.
The one in the bottom left is one of my favourites, purely because she looks stunning. The dress, the hair, the tan, the sunset..grr. Jealous much? haha

Kim also inspires me greatly with her makeup. She can pull off the smokey-est eyes, and the reddest lips. She can be a bronzed goddess, or a pale beauty. Anything goes.
I know some of you may like to point out the whole "air brush" issue. But she wasn't airbrushed in the Kardashian Series..and even admitted to having cellulite. We're all human :)

Any other Kim K fans out there?

♥

Review: Benefit Powderazzi

It's true..i sing "Powderazzi" like Lady Gaga's "Paparazzi", it was inevitable though right?
I asked Father Christmas for this, and low & behold, there it was under my Christmas tree come December 25th AM. Never underestimate that friendly bearded chap.

I do not own any of the individual blusher/bronzer boxes from Benefit. The reason being, i could never justify spending £22 on one. (I actually believe they have increased them to £23.50 now..boo) so when this cute little box came out around Christmas time..obviously it was a good opportunity to try out 3 different bronzers/blushes all at a very good price.



The three cheek colours included are: Hoola, Dallas & Coralista..funnily enough, the three i was most eager to try.

The first thing i love about this product is the packaging..its bright, colourful, and works. I also like that it's thinner in depth than the original boxes, which in my opinion, are a lot more bulky than they need to be. Of course, a few moths down the line, cardboard is not going to be as pristine as plastic.
The little brush is adorable, but i haven't had to use that yet, i'm going to keep it for emergencys only as i think it's just too cute to dirty up. It is very soft, and i know a fair few people who do use the brushes for applying their blush with no problems at all.



The powders themselves have a surprisingly creamy consistency. I was worried they would be quite chalky, but i was not let down. The girl who was showing me the box before Christmas was saying how these are actually more pigmented than the original. How does that work? Why would they do that? I'm guessing because it's a smaller size, they upped the pigmentation in order to get more uses from it. I have been using this everyday since Christmas and i'd say it's holding up extremely well. I absolutely love Hoola & Coralista. I have had so many compliments on my cheeks and skin when wearing this combination. Dallas i'm not such a big fan of..as of yet. I think it's a gorgeous warm colour, but i want to wait until the summer before i wear this one, as i think i need a bit more colour in my face for it to really benefit me. (HA benefit..get it...hmm)

This cost £25 but was also in the sale after Christmas. I'm not sure you can get your hands on this now, but what i will say is that it was totally worth it & i'm now a Benefit blush/bronzer convert. Maybe this is why they are so expensive?
If you are considering buying a pretty little box in Benefit for £23.50, even if it seems a bit pricey, in my opinion, they are really good quality. The packaging may be a total fail when it starts falling apart, or if it ever got wet..but the colours are so pretty & they are soft & very easy to blend.

Which is your favourite Benefit cheek colour?
♥

Review: Lush - Happy Blooming Bath Melt

I was extremely excited to see that in the latest Lush Times, there was a page of new & exciting products that were soon to be released.
The first thing I have bought to try out is this bath melt.



I am a big fan of the bath melts, a little more pricey they may be, but they are full of beneficial ingredients for the skin.
"This melt is full of Ylang Ylang, Sweet Benzoin & masses of other beautiful frangrances"



The first thing you notice about this bath melt, is the fact it is made up of three slices (if you like)
Yes people, we can get 3 baths out of this little beauty.
Hoorah!
I used 1/3 of the bath melt last night, and my hopes of it being moisturising with only a third were very slimjim, but i was surprised by it's strength. I'm thinking they have upped the ingredients by 3x in order to make it just as good with 3 uses.

One thing i am sort of undecided on, is the scent.
The guy who served me said this was hands down his favourite lush scent ever & i can definitely see why. It smells like Cherry Drops...but, as my brother also pointed out..it has a small tinge of playdough mixed in there too. I'm not really a massive fan of generic cherry smells, they always remind me of cough sweets or vitamins..or even those glacier cherries they used to put in your coke in pubs. (Er..whatever happened to that anyway? I never used to eat them as they are vile, but it was nice to get them in there..someone enlighten me)

The water also turned a pretty pale pink, it did moisturise my body & the smell DID linger.
3 massive ticks.

I am actually pretty impressed by this bath melt, i am still undecided on the smell, but people like different scents. Also, the whole "No bubbles with bath melts" does make me a little sad. Next time im going to add some bubble bar into the bath with it, but for the pursposes of the review i thought i would bathe with it on its lonesome.

RRP: £3.60

♥

Attention Fellow Bloggers - Haiti needs YOU!

As we all know, there has been a devastating earthquake in Haiti earlier this week.
Gemma (Gemsmaquillage) a fellow beauty guru/youtuber has recently posted a video on the disaster, and how we, as a community can help, and she is totally right!
PLEASE PLEASE watch her video if you haven't yet.



If we can all spend money on makeup/clothes for ourselves we can all donate to this cause, even if it's just a few pounds, it all makes such a massive difference to those in desperate need.


Click the link below to donate to the DEC:
http://www.justgiving.com/youtubersforhaiti

Read more about the DEC HERE

Click this link to donate to Doctors without borders:
http://www.firstgiving.com/youtubersforhaiti

Read more about Doctors without borders HERE


It's times like these we can all club together to make a difference so retweet my blogpost, retweet Gemma's video, favourite it, rate it 5 stars, but more importantly, donate something.

Thanks so much lovelies!
Let me know if you have donated in the comments
♥

Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend: Contest Winners

Words cannot express how amazing all the contest entries were & how hard i found it to wittle it down to a handful of finalists.

Each and everyone of you had clearly put alot of thought and effort into your entries so thankyou!

Okay, so i've had many a helper when it came to deciding the winners..my mum has been sat with me for what seemed like hours umming and ahhing.
I also raked Mike Bailey into helping me decide as it was just too damn hard. (for those of you who dont know who that is, he played the character Sid in the UK programme Skins - knows very little about makeup but very good at judging)

If i had it my way, i would have picked everybody, if i was rich enough i would send you all a prize, sadly im not though..i did have to add another runner up into the competition though as it was too hard to pick between two...(i knew this would happen haha)

1st Runner up

Georgie!

Loved the creativity in this one..we especially liked where you placed the diamantes. They look fab, i would actually consider wearing this on a night you know! :)
Well done lovely!
To see Georgie's blogpost on this look & all her inspiration click HERE

2nd Runner Up

Shirley
We loved the colours and the blending in this one..you have skill girl! Also love the glitter liner under your eye and the dusting of glitter on the side. You look a million dollars! (as diamonds are ;))
See what Shirley used & how she created this look on her blog HERE

International Winner

Katinka
I love how glamourous you look :) Also love the gems & glitter and your eyes look FAB! Love the fake bottom lashes too! Well done lovely :)
Follow her blog HERE

UK Winner

Faye
This must have taken you aggges Faye! It's so intricate, feminine & delicate and so so pretty. I love that it's so glittery yet subtle at the same time. My mum also added that if there was an advert for "diamonds are a girls best friend" this would be a perfect promo image, and it really would :)
See how Faye created this look HERE

To all winners: Please email me with address details & if you are a runner up let me know which of the two earrings you'd like :)
Well done to all of you who entered, i really enjoyed seeing everything you came up with, there are some extremely talented girls out there.
Just a note to say this was one of the hardest things i had to do for a while haha
I'm too nice & just wanted you all to be winners.
Please no bitterness or snidey comments, it's all a bit of light hearted fun at the end of the day, and i'm pleased that im able to give some of you something back :)
I think i will do a simply giveaway next time, only because i just hate judging so much haha.

Thankyou once more to all the gorgeous girlies who entered.
I'll be very cheesy now & say you are all diamonds! *puke* hehe

♥

Hair of the Day : Si'l Vous PLAIT?

Today, my hair was limp, lifeless & could have done with a wash & blowdry..but instead i used that extra half an hour in bed, tucked up under my warm duvet.
I had seen a few pictures of models & a few of Sienna Miller sporting very bohemian large plaits across their head, and figured i'd give it a go.
Princess Leia anyone?

This honestly didnt take me very long! 6 minutes tops.
The first thing i did was twist my fringe up and securely pin that to the side.
I then seperated the hair on my crown and secured it with a bobble. After that I split the remaining hair on both sides of my head and did two tight-to-the-scalp plaits. I then pulled them over my head and secured both ends with clear elastic bands and bobbi pins.
I left the bit on the crown to cover up the obvious parting from the plaits down the back of the head.
With the left over hair, i split it into three sections and did tiny plaits, twisted them up and pinned them willy-nilly.

I'm actually really pleased with this :)

♥

I can haz Profiteroles?

I have never made these before, so to me, it was a huge deal when they turned out well!
I can do basic things like cakes, but have never attempted to make choux pastry, some people told me it was pretty difficult & that you have to follow each instruction really carefully, and some told me it was easy...

I followed Gordan Ramsay's Choux recipe & they turned out really well..i won't say they were perfect, because im pretty sure Gordan wouldn't agree with that, but i was chuffed with them, and they tasted delish.

I didn't follow his recipe for the chocolate sauce or cream though, as I didnt want a runny chocolate sauce..so i just melted some choccy and spooned it onto each profiterole & it set (this way it's less messy for people eating them)

I literally just whipped some double cream and spooned it inside the profiteroles.

I didn't want to bore you with a step by step of how i made them, so i will simply give you a few tips...

Tips I found helpful
♥ Always wait until the ingredients in the saucepan (minus the flour) come to a rolling boil..if it doesnt the flour wont mix in as well. (i found this out)
♥ The mixture (plus the flour) should form a dough ball..it should not be at all runny.
♥ The best way to get the pastry onto the baking tray is using a piping bag, if you dont own one of these, use this easy step by step guide to making one at home.
♥ Use a wet finger to flatten the peaks of the dough before baking.
♥ If you make the pastry in advance, 4 hours before serving, pop them back in the oven for 5 minutes to crisp up a bit more.
♥ If you don't want to pipe the cream in (this takes alot of patience and alot more time) just simply make a small cut through the middle & spoon in the cream..worked just as well.





Yum!

Any other profiterole fans out there?
♥

Monochrome.

I scribbled out my eyes because i was mid-blink & i looked a fool, but you can see the outfit quite clearly so i left it in the middle.haha

Dress - Topshop
Leggings - New Look
Black studded belt - Primark
Black Sequined Blazer - New Look
Black Patent Shoe Boots (with small heel, although it has sunk into snow) - Primark

Complete with two plain undergarments for added warmth

♥

The Big Freeze.

This is what the weather has been branded as in the UK.
Honestly, i think alot of people are just fed up with the snow now, it prevents them from getting to their jobs, going out for food, the post office, the gym...etc.
We don't get snow like this very often, once or twice a year at most usually.
So when it does come, it's alsmot as if people don't know how to deal with it...
We have a "salt" shortage where i live, so the roads are ridiculous, and we aren't in a town or a city, so we pretty much are stranded..but i like it.
I really love snow, i think people should make the most of it, i actually like the fact everything comes to a stop, and you see families sledging in the fields and making snowmen. It's cute & extremely beautiful to look at. I always say that snow is like a clean sheet that covers all the dirt, making it look 10x more pretty..but also very deadly (as we know)
Although, as i said, i live in the countryside..i'm sure those of you in towns and cities will not agree with me.
Here are a few photos i took today on a walk. Hope you like them.

♥

Snowy OOTD

Headband - Handmade
Plain White T Shirt - H&M
Dark Grey Cardigan - Apricot
Black Blazer - New Look
Scarf - Primark
Waist Skirt - American Apparel
Black Waist Belt - Vintage
Handbag - ShangHai Tang
Floral Leggings - H&M
Grey Leg Warmers - H&M
Pink Wellies - QS (£6) < :O
♥

Boxing Day Bling.

As i mentioned previously, i went into the City on boxing day & had a gander around the sales.
Here are a few of my slightly "blingy-er" finds...
I'm not normally an overly blingy person, in fact sometimes i'd rather make more of a statement with what i'm wearing than jewellery.
However, i think a tiny part inside of all of us, screams out for some big tacky bling every once in a while..especially when it's half price or less.

The first thing i picked up was this rather tacky gold watch in River Island, reduced from £34.99 to £15



Equipt with diamontes & leopard print. On the tacky scale i'd say it was pretty high, but i don't care, because i likes it :)

Second was a Karen Millen ring in House Of Fraser. Was £42.50, but i paid £10! A bloody bargain i'm sure you'd agree.




It sits on the hand at a slight angle, which obviously according to which way up you put it on, can either face down or up. It also has swarovski crystals in it, so it catches the light & looks beautiful. It's quite large on my teeny little hand, but i love me a massive blingy ring. ;)

So as you can see, my blingtastic alter ego took over whilst hunting through the sales, but i'm glad she did, as i love both purchases.

Do you have a tacky/blingy alter ego like me?

♥

Quick Fix for Dry Skin/Overnight Treatment

Since the weather has got a lot colder over the last few weeks, my skin has started to suffer more.
It seems that exfoliating & rich moisturiser, as well as hydrating face masks & Skin Balm, are not quite quenching my thirsty skin.
So, whilst fretting in front of the mirror, my mum suggested i use her "Quick Fix method"...I know that some you may already do this, or it's not a new discovery, but i just thought i would share it with you as it helped me a lot.



You will need:
♥ Bio Oil (Or a cheaper alternative which is actually exactly the same - I also use Rescue Oil, which is £1 from Poundland) I would also like to stress that Bio Oil is SO much cheaper on amazon than the high street retailers. Go see if you don't believe me.
♥ Water

Yup, that's all you need.

What to do:
♥ Dampen your face or the area that you wish to hydrate with water (I would personally just recommend you do your whole face, there is no harm in doing this).
♥ Using clean hands, smooth the bio oil all over your damp face. I would suggest you do this when you know you don't have to be anywhere in the next few hours, as you're going to look a little sweaty/oily...naturally. So possibly at night, or if you know you're not going anywhere during the day. Although saying that...i have just done this..and it's all sunk in after about 30 minutes...my skin is clearly parched!
♥ That's all you need to do. The water helps it to sink in much faster than it normally would, and it's a lot more hydrating. It's also amazing if you have a lot of blemishes on your skin as the bio oil diminishes them in time. I would also suggest you do this over night as a skin treatment if you'd rather not do it in the day.

Hope this has helped some of you! If you have any questions, do not hesistate to ask. :)
♥

Face of the Day

I went out for a family meal today, and this is how I made over my face & hair...





I don't want to sound like i'm blowing my own trumpet but i really liked how my foundation looked today. Considering how awful my skin looked this morning, i thought there would be no chance of me showing you my face at all.
I decided to use 2 layers of moisturiser (i woke up with a weirdly dryer face than normal ..possibly because im a doofus and forgot to moisturise before bed) & i really feel like it made such a difference.
I then decided to use my Mac Mineralised Satin Finish foundation mixed in with the Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer, which i have previously reviewed but didnt think too highly of it, now I think I love it, my face looked so much more awake and healthy. I don't know if the camera shows this too well, but trust me, i was pleasantly surprised by the results.
Also, i don't know if you noticed..but i forgot to put my mascara on before taking pictures...how can you forget mascara? sheesh, totally wasn't with it obviously. I did put it on after taking the photo's though :)

Face
♥ Gosh Touch Up Concealer under eyes
♥ Benefit Erase Paste in corners of eyes
♥ Maybelline Mineral concealer on all other blemishes
♥ Mac Mineralised Satin finish foundation
♥ Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer mixed with foundation
♥ Light dusting of Bare Escentuals to set
♥ Benefit Hoola to bronze & contour
♥ Benefit Coraslista on cheeks

Eyes
♥ Two Faced Shadow Insurance to prime
♥ Nars Abyssinia E/S (Pleasures of Paris palette) all over lid
♥ Mac Corduroy E/S in crease
♥ Chanel Eye Khol in Ambre on top lid & along bottom & waterline
♥ Mascara = BIG FAT FAIL. (later on i did apply Maybelline Pulse Perfection)


I also had nothing on my lips OR my nails..look how vile they look!...I'm a FOTD FAILURE. haha
Oh, & my top is from New Look :)

♥