Sunday 12 October 2014

Sunday Series: A Few Links


Time flies when you have a million and one things to do and not enough hours in the day. Seriously though, where have these past few weeks gone? How is it nearly Halloween? And why do I only have seventy three shopping days until Christmas? (Yes, I am that person with a Christmas Countdown on my phone all year round...) Whilst I get over my realisation that we're nearly halfway through October, Here are some link for you guys of posts that I've loved reading this week.

Monday 29 September 2014

MAC Sumptuous Olive


I first came across this shade a few years ago but I always overlooked it whenever I visited a store as I'm not really one for colourful eyeshadows, I'm definitely a neutral girl with eye makeup so I tend to avoid all of the green/blue shades at mac and for some reason I've been convinced since I was a kid that blue and green definitely do not work on blue eyes (probably made that up in my head after I had to do blue eyes/red lips for my first and last disastrous dance show when I was a kid, I fell over onstage while dressed as a rabbit and of course there's a video, I don't think I need to say anymore.) However after swatching this on a whim and realising that it's more of a khaki gold shade than a green I had to have it.

Sunday 28 September 2014

Happiness Is a Sunday


Hope you guys are all well, Life has been a bit hectic for me lately with moving back to Nottingham, my course restarting, working and of course trying to avoid all beauty blogs for fear of wanting to buy anything and everything makeup related that they post even though I am supposed to be a responsible grown up and therefore not allowed to spend my food shopping money on mascara...

Wednesday 27 August 2014

Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet


I'm not really one for expensive foundations, don't get me wrong I've tried a handful that I've really liked but just not enough to repurchase. Except that is, for my beloved Chanel Pro Lumiere, which I couldn't repurchase as I had the perfect timing to go and fall in love with it just before it was discontinued which meant I could never buy another bottle, gutted doesn't cut it. So I've been keeping an eye out for any new Chanel Foundation launches and I got this a few days after it was released back in April and I have to say I like it, In fact, I like it a lot.

Sunday 24 August 2014

Sunday Series: A little me time.


Sometimes I think the best think for everyone is to take a little bit of a time out. The majority of people who meet me think I'm very calm and relaxed person, which couldn't be further from the truth. So you see the writing on that jumper up there, It's all a big lie. Basically I don't do duvet days, In fact my mum laughed at me when I bought this because I'm really bad at relaxing. I'm one of those people who can sit and stress and turn the smallest issue into Mt.Everest within an hour and I always need something to be getting on with. I can just about get it together to sit and read a good book but even then I have to keep putting it down to go and bounce about the house and find something else to do. If I'm not at college every weekday or working at the weekends I fill my days off up so I'm always out and about somewhere or getting through my daily to do list that never seems to end. Though sometimes it all gets a bit much and I feel the need to take a bit of time on my own to recharge by binge watching America's Next Top Model and The Bake Off (the two don't go hand in hand I know), drink coffee and eat my body weight in Veggie Percy Pigs which I need to tell you all are better than the originals in case it sways you next time you make a purchase. I failed slightly at the duvet day as I popped to town in the morning but I made up for it with a nice long shower and a massive pampering session later on.

What do you like to do to relax and take some time away from the world?

Wednesday 20 August 2014

Do I really need a Duster Coat?



Black Check New Look | Orange Topshop | Grey Jaquard River Island

The answer to that question is of course, No, I don't need one, mainly because they aren't a winter coat and I can't even justify it with saying that one would be good for autumn as they aren't waterproof and here in Britain that is a A/W necessity really. However, even after all that, the answer to do I want a Duster coat? Is a resolute, Yes. So I thought I would share with you my top picks of trans seasonal coats that I do not need and will not be buying but are still oh so pretty.

Monday 18 August 2014

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Fatigue Blur in 'Warm Apricot'


Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Fatigue Blur RRP £7.99

I wasn't a huge fan of the original Baby Skin Primer, I like a dewy foundation and as a mattifying primer it obviously doesn't work in that respect. However as I am one of those people who has to find something to do every hour of every day or I don't know what to with myself I have tired, dull skin 99.9% of the time, so I thought this might just work out for me and you know what, it does...sometimes.

Friday 8 August 2014

A day in the sunshine.


Tshirt Primark | Shorts Zara | Shoes Primark


Last week my mum and I decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and go for a wander round the park and of course stop for cake. I got the chance to wear my Zara shorts that I mentioned a few posts ago and my new favourite shoes. I was all set to buy the Topshop pair I mentioned in my wishlist last week but then I saw these in Primark for only £7 so I couldn't resist a good bargain.

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Balance Me Radiance Face Mask


Balance me Radiance Face Mask RRP £18.00

You might have noticed noticed a few posts ago that my daily skincare routine doesn't include any expensive products, I don't see the point when I've found inexpensive products that work for me, however apart from the Palmers Clay Mask that I can't always find in the shops when I need it, I've never been able to find an inexpensive mask that doesn't affect my skin badly. So this is when I turn to the more expensive brands such as Elemis, Origins and now more recently Balance me. I spotted this in Debenhams when I was trying to figure out what to spend the rest of the giftcard on that my mum got me for my birthday and after moonig over all of the new skincare that they have started to sell I settle on this little number.

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Finally found the perfect pair of denim short-shorts.



I'm not the biggest fan of shorts, I'm more of a jeans/skirt kind of girl but I've always had my heart set on finding the perfect pair of denim shorts and every year I search and every year I fail, until this year. I'm what you would politely call slightly pear shaped but with how often I got shouted at in ballet to tuck my bum in even though it is already tucked as far as it will go I think slightly is an understatement which means that getting an item of clothing to fit my waist and my bum at the same time is difficult and choices have to be made. Normally I choose to emphasize the waist which is why I tend to avoid shorts as it means too much is on show at the back but this time I decided to choose legs and it was for the best.

Wednesday 23 July 2014

I can never resist a great pair of heels.




And that's the truth, I'm a sucker for shoes, for everything else I can be a bit practical, I can use the same handbag everyday, buy the same jeans in every colour, always have some kind of plain black leather jacket but when it comes to shoes I can't resist a pretty pair, especially when the pair is both pretty and on sale and this year the sales have been very good to me, I'll post more of my bargains soon.

Thursday 27 February 2014

Ootd: Mint


Coat Primark | Jumper Topshop | Jeans Topshop | Bag Jimmy Choo | Shoes Primark

I last did one an ootd all the way back in December as I've been a busy bee but I got a couple of days off last week and I loved having a little bit of time to relax and do things at a slower pace than has been the norm for the past few weeks. I wore this outfit for food shopping with Jon, I know such a crazy way to spend my day off but I do enjoy a good trip to asda now that I'm officially great at finding all the bargains. It has made me realise though just how much more expensive the healthy food is as opposed to all the junk, I thought people were just being lazy when they said they couldn't afford healthy food but it is actually difficult when you don't have a lot to spend.

I've basically been wearing all black everyday for the past six weeks straight so I thought I'd go for a bit of colour with my jumper, I decided to go for a pastel as too much colour would be a shock to the system after all this time and this mint green is such a lovely colour and it's so comfortable too. I originally went to put on black jeans but I couldn't face it so I had to get out my Topshop Leigh jeans which are quickly becoming my favourite pair, might have to get a few more colours. I wore my usual coat which I love so I might actually be sad once the warm weather comes as I'll have to put it away although I genuinely cannot wait till summer.

What do you like to do on your days off, do you like to take it easy or go all out?

Sunday 23 February 2014

Sunday Series: Happiness is a Sunday and a little ramble about life.



I feels like a very long time since I wrote one of these posts and since I blogged regularly really. Life's been busy, busy, busy lately which I do thrive on but it can also get me down a little bit (I get extremely grumpy when i'm tired) which means I haven't felt like blogging on top of the many other things on my to do list, I like to keep this blog positive and I'm not one to moan on here, I'd rather ramble on about the things I love than moan, It's definitely more fun. Factor in long days, an achy body and no light to take pictures and this little blog has been pushed to one side to make room for the things that I need to put first, It's how it is at the min.

However blogging does make me happy, It's another creative outlet for me and a little bubble bath, lipstick and high heel shaped escape for me when I have the time to sit down and write. I absolutely love what I'm doing at college right now and I'm hoping that all of my hard work will start to pay off and help me get a foot up when the time comes but for now I'm just keeping on going, trying to work as much as I can and give it my all (the level of which varies depending on how much coffee I've had that day, i'm still a caramel latte addict.)

I did have a few days off this week though so I made sure to schedule a bit of time to photograph all of the products I've been loving and take a few little ootd's and I actually remembered to take pictures when I went somewhere which I never normally do (am I becoming...organised?!) I hope you guys are all well and you've had lots of exciting things happening in your lives, I'd love to hear what you've been up to lately and what you'd like to see more of from me, for now I'll leave you with a few things that have made me happy this week.

-My first lie in since the start of the year, I actually got to stay in bed till 8!
-Switched to decaff for my afternoon coffee's and I'm seeing a difference.
-I got to spend a few days catching up with my mum and Jon as well as people from home which was so lovely.
-I finally bought a screw driver for my tap shoes which means no more screws shooting across the room every time I shuffle.
-Treated myself to some Victoria Secret Goodies which were 7 for £30, such a bargain and it means I get to smell great for a while.
-I've been in a lot of rehearsals which are pretty long but so inspiring even when I'm just watching.
-Jon treated me to a Mac makeup lesson and products for valentines day so I've got a few lovely things and I've finally repurchased my brow brush, hallelujah for good brows and a boyfriend who's really great at presents.
-Fresh bedding and bubble baths, there is absolutely nothing better when your body hurts than to go from a warm bubble bath to a freshly sheeted bed, heaven (except for when a certain person starfishes...)
-I discovered that cadbury's do chocolate covered shortcake biscuits, amazing! Other than those, It's been a pretty healthy few weeks.
-I got to spend a morning undisturbed, sat on sofa, coffee in hand, bagels on plate, blogs on laptop. So happy to have caught up with all my faves.

What's been making you happy this week?

Thursday 20 February 2014

Beauty: MAC Peach Blossom



I love a good nude lip however for some reason all I ever seem to buy is bold colours, usually red. So on one of my last trips to MAC I made an effort to pick out a neutral shade that I could wear everyday if I wanted to. After swatching what seemed like a million and one shades I had a clear winner, Peach Blossom. I've actually mentioned this is my November favourites post and i'm still loving it.

It's a lovely peachy pink shade that's close to my natural lip colour but still has enough pigmentation to make a difference. As it's a cremesheen finish it glides on easily and feels lightweight on the lips, although it is still a lipstick so it does stick to any dry skin on your lips so it would be worth making sure you have a smooth base to apply it on to, this doesn't bother me too much as I've never found a single lipstick that doesn't do this and it's really the only negative with this product. It has the usual Mac lipstick/vanilla scent which I personally love but I know some people really don't enjoy.

It's probably my most used lipstick from my entire collection so I think if your looking for a great everyday shade then this would be a great choice. Let me know if you have any recommendations for other neutral colours as I love finding new shades.

Have you tried Peach Blossom? What are your thoughts?

Monday 20 January 2014

Signature Scents: Chanel Coco Madamoiselle


Everyone's got that one bottle of perfume that makes them feel just that little bit more special than the rest of them, the one that you maybe don't reach for everyday but it's the one that you spritz on when you need a little confidence boost. For me that perfume is Chanel Coco Madamoiselle, always has been, always will be.

I received my first bottle of this for my thirteenth birthday and I felt so grown up spritzing it on before school (that is until I realised just how expensive it was and it got put to one side for special occasions) and I've been ridiculously lucky enough to receive bottles for almost every Christmas and Birthday since then. There's been other scents that I've collected since then but this will always have a special place in my heart and on my dressing table. It's a scent I always come back to and when I met up with an old friend a while ago she mentioned that whenever she smells it she thinks of me which is always a nice thing to hear and I've had that comment a few times since then and I will admit that I have a few scarves that no matter how many times they're washed still have the scent in them..

It has quite a strong scent, so it's easy to put a little too much on especially with the Eau de Parfum but unlike it's older sister Chanel No5 which I've always felt is way too mature for me, It still has a slight youthfulness to it. According to Chanel It's 'Oriental-fresh, a floral jasmine-rose accord, as light as a petal' which describes it better than I ever could, It's fresh enough to wear in the day but it's still musky enough to be a great evening scent. Also you can't overlook just how pretty the bottle is, definitely one to sit on top of my dream dressing table, never to be hidden away.

I'm thinking about posting more of my favourite scents so let me know if you'd like to see more and what 
you think of Coco Madamoiselle.

Do you have a favourite perfume or do you have a few that you like to pick and choose from?

Friday 10 January 2014

My Theatre Wishlist for 2014

(All images publicly available on Google images)

As an MT student the only thing I love more than taking class, dancing about and performing all the time is watching other people do it (that's a little white lie, I love it less as it means i have to sit still and pretend I don't wish it was me up there on that stage) so I thought I would share a few shows that I would love to see in 2014.

West Story has finished it's run at Sadlers Wells and is now embarking on it's Uk Tour, it's coming to Nottingham so I just might have to see if I can get anyone to come with me. If anyone hasn't heard if it, it's basically a modern version of Romeo and Juliet set in New York and instead of sword fights they have choreographed dance off's (Choreographed by the legend that was Jerome Robbins, that man knew how to make a kick ball change look good.) It's a must see for the amazing songs alone, seriously who doesn't want to be in the 'America' dance scene and it really is incredible to watch this iconic take on the original story.

I also would love tickets to see the West End revival of Miss Saigon, It's last run was record breaking and it has quite a lot of people excited for it's return. It's based on the the story of Madame Butterfly with a few slight changes, in this case the story is of an American GI who falls in love during the Vietnam war and has a Child with a young Vietnamese girl before being forced to return to the US...and that's all your getting as any more will ruin the story (unless you already know it which is fine as you don't need the short notes.) So far only the casting has been announced but with some west end veteran and completely new faces it looks like a must see.

I adore the Royal Ballet and though I'm yet to watch them live in person (thank you lord for televised ballets and youtube) I'm hoping that this year will change that. I've always wanted to see Giselle, it's not a ballet that get's travelled around by many companies so it's not one that I've ever had the chance to see. It tells the story of a young peasant girl who falls in love with a man who she mistakenly thinks is of a similar background to her, when in fact he is of the nobility and devastating consequences occur when she discovers his true identity and his deceit and betrayal. It's a gorgeous ballet and i would particularly love to see the second half which is meant to be so challenging for the performers, especially the principal ballerina. Almost all of the tickets are sold out so I think that this is a dream for another year.

Last but not least is the smash hit Book of Mormon which is a Tony Award winning transfer from Broadway which promises to be hilarious in so many ways. This has been on my to see list for so long and in case anyone is wondering it's not a musical by the Mormons, It basically takes the piss out of them and is written by the creators of South Park and if that doesn't make you want to see it too then I don't know what will! I you love a little satire then check out a few of the songs on Youtube and I promise you you'll want to see it (unless your Mormon or just don't enjoy the kind of humour south park employs, in which case don't check it out.)

You can buy tickets for the shows directly from the individual shows or the ROH website or through registered theatre break companies (which are great, we went on one last year and I really enjoyed it!)

Are there any shows that you'd love to go and see this year? Or are you going to see one of these, in which case I am extremely jealous.

Monday 6 January 2014

Haircare Review- Charles Worthington Salon at Home Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer


One of my resolutions this year was to try and stay on top of my posting schedule and put out higher quality offerings but so far 2014 has been pretty hectic sand I've been struggling to find time to get in front of the laptop but I'm hoping once I'm back to my routine I'll be able to get a bit more time. However as the weather has become a little (well a lot) chillier practically overnight after having such a mild winter so far I thought I would quickly share with you one of the products that has been saving my hair this winter while it's back on offer and you all have your Christmas money burning a hole in your pockets.

I bang on about the fact that my hair has been bleached quite a lot these days but it has meant that my hair is a lot harder to please than it used to be, gone are the days of using any old shampoo and conditioner and still having nice smooth hair, these days my hair needs more and that's where when it came time to bring in the big guns, the Charles Worthington Moisture Seal Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer came into play.

I hears quite a lot about this when it first came out but I just wasn't convinced enough to go out and buy it until it was on offer in boots, however it's a purchase I definitely don't regret making. It is part of the 'Salon at Home' range of which the premise is to give you Salon Quality hair in the comfort of your own Home, I wouldn't say that this product gives me that just been to the salon feeling but it's been tiding me over in between appointments.

This is an overnight treatment which i don't always have time for in the week as I'm up early every day but i do quite like to do it at a weekend when i get a little more time in bed before I start work. I tend to put a walnut size amount on damp, towel dried hair and comb it through before putting my towel back on and leaving it to do it's work. After I wash my hair in a morning my hair feels so much softer and smoother and is a lot easier to manage over the next few days. The box also states that you can use it as a quick five minute mask which I've tried  but I just don't feel like I get the same quality results but it is a lot more time efficient. I also think that if you find that hair products can cause breakouts on your skin, it might be a better option as once it's washed off you can avoid any residue getting onto your skin as opposed to risking it getting onto your face whilst you sleep.

I really enjoy using this product and it's definitely made a difference to my hair so far, I'm looking forward to seeing if it helps me with the damage cause by putting my hair up and down for class this month as that's been causing quite a bit of damage so far. I'm also looking into getting the Rescue Balm, Elixir Oil and Shine Booster when I can afford it as my hair needs all the tlc I can give it.

Have you tried this product or anything else from the Salon at Home line? What are your thoughts?