November Favourites | 2014

Please forgive me. I've been away for a month and I come back with these horrible, poorly lit pictures. I know, what an amateur. But with three stories of scaffolding directly outside my lovely bay windows there's absolutely no light to be had. It's heartbreaking, really. As for being away, university is really kicking my ass at the moment. Deadline after deadline after deadline. Throw in a part-time job (I now work at the co-operative, thank you very much), and I'm pretty much done for. BUT - as always, I've compiled a long list of monthly favourites for you. Don't say I never get you anything.



If you're not wearing a scarf every time you leave the house right now, what are you doing with your life? It's bloody freezing and I expect you all to dress accordingly. I love this tartan scarf that I picked up from boohoo.com last year, they don't sell this exact one anymore but I've linked a similar style here. I don't know about you but during the winter months I'm constantly struggling with my hair. Whether it's getting tangled in your scarf or those extra ten (twenty) minutes in bed cost you your shower privileges - life's hard. I've found Ruth Crilly's COLAB Dry Shampoo to be a complete life saver. For those of you who don't know, Ruth Crilly is a blogger (A Model Recommends) as well as a model (obviously). She's amazing and so is this product, you've absolutely got to give it a try.

Another winter favourite of mine is everything berry-toned. Obviously Essie's Bahama Mama was the first thing that I picked up, it's just the most beautiful, rich red. I wore it back-to-back throughout November, something that I never usually do. Seriously, it's a must-have. For a brighter berry I've been wearing Revlon's Up The Ante (as recommended by Essie Button, of course!) It's part of their newer 'Color Stay Gel Envy' collection and the formula is honestly like no other. It's quite a bit thicker than regular nail polish and lasts so much longer on my nails without the need for a top coat.



It wouldn't be a winter look without a lipstick to match. Hence Rimmel's Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in 107. I've always been a bit nervous about the Kate Moss collection. To start with, they don't even have names, just numbers, which immediately confuses me. But I went ahead and swatched them all to find one that I liked and here it is. It's such a gorgeous matte red, much darker than anything I've ever worn before but I absolutely love it. You can see me wearing this on my Instagram, here. I would definitely recommend these lipsticks, after all, who doesn't want to look like Kate Moss?



This season is all about sparkle. From the beautiful, glitzy dresses that we're seeing everywhere to iridescent clutches and sequined shoes. You know I'm going to wearing all of these things throughout December but for now I've made do with just a little bit of glamour. This shimmery nail varnish from Urban Outfitters gives the perfect glitter ball effect, I've got 'Ice Cream' and I will be wearing it constantly this winter. I don't think they sell this colour anymore but they've got so many lovely nail varnishes to choose from. As for glitz, I've finally got my hands on another Pandora ring. Who needs one when you can have two? I had a gift voucher left over from my birthday so I went and picked up this unbelievable Oxidized Silver Flower Ring. It stacks beautifully with my birthday ring and honestly, I'm obsessed.



The highlight of my month was winning a Cohorted giveaway (more on them later) including a couple of Benefit products. I don't need to tell you how amazing the Benefit products are, I am head over heels in love with everything I've tried and these are no exception. I won the Hoola Bronzing Powder which is such a lovely matte colour, perfect for contouring, and the Rockateur blush which is super shimmery and for some reason smells gorgeous. I'm obsessed with both and am thinking about doing a full review on those as well as telling you all about the wonder that is Cohorted soon.



I've got a couple of other non-beauty favourites this month and top of that list is Instagram. I'm a self-confessed Instagram addict. My boyfriend will tell you that I won't eat a meal without taking a picture of it first, it would be embarrassing if my filters weren't so great. You can follow me here (shameless self promotion) and keep up-to-date with everything I get up to.

My other favourite is a band called Slow Club. I've loved their music for years but I recently went to see them live in Brixton and it was honestly one of the best gigs I've ever been to. My love has been rekindled and I need to share it with you. Their new album Complete Surrender is available to buy on iTunes as well as on Spotify. Listen to 'The Pieces' (my favourite song) here as a little intro and let me know what you think!

So, those were my November Favourites! I hope you liked them as it seems to be all I can provide for you at the moment. Fingers crossed they'll be more post coming soon once I work through the shit load of essays that are calling my name. Thanks for reading!

Anniversary Giveaway | Sleek Eyeshadow Palettes

I can't believe it's been an entire year. Where has the time gone? My first post feels like just yesterday but then again I can't remember a time that I wasn't doing this? Considering we've made it this far I thought I ought to give you a lil' summin' summin' to say a big thank you for making this everything I never dared to hope it would be. What better way to say it than with Sleek?

Sleek is a brand that I've recently fallen head-over-heels in love with but these palettes are something else. Each palette contains twelve gorgeously pigmented colours, they're all completely different and absolutely beautiful. These colours are so versatile and I've been loving experimenting to create different looks. There's so much you can do with these palettes and I hope you love them as much I do! Just fill in the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway













Leave a comment letting me know which palette is your favourite, I've been loving Vintage Romance particularly Marry in Monte Carlo and Honeymoon in Hollywood but there's definitely a Sleek palette for everyone. Good luck!

[This is an international giveaway, I'm happy to ship anywhere you like! Everyone can enter regardless of where they live and I'll make sure you get your prize. The winner will be announced on November the 12th, can't wait to see who wins! 

October Favourites | 2014

To be honest with you, I live a very, very, very wild lifestyle. Heidi and Audrina, eat your heart out. (If you don't know what I'm talking about - good for you) but seriously, between not going to lectures, watching back-to-back episodes of Gossip Girl and, of course, taking endless naps, how exactly am I supposed to find the time to write a beauty blog? Have I mentioned that the university want me to do actual work? Outrageous.

Don't worry, the monthly favourites are here to stay. Religiously spending money seems to be about the only hobby I've managed to maintain over the past few months. Am I selling myself yet? Let's hope so! Anyway - these are a few of my favourite things!



Who do you love more - Taylor Swift or Zoella? Feel like your brain is about to explode? Yeah, me too. It's impossible to choose because they're both so bloody great. That's why I'll be spending the next few months drenched in Blissful Mistful listening to 1989 and loving every minute of it.

The pampering doesn't stop there. I've been absolutely head over heels for Lush this month, their Autumn/Winter range of handmade cosmetics has left me stunned and smelling divine but it's their cleansers that I've been using non-stop. Aqua Marina always leaves my skin feeling amazing and thankfully it's made from completely natural ingredients. Mostly seaweed. But we love that, right?

And as for that little ball of goodness from eos that I picked up in my Autumn Beauty Haul, it might be the best thing that's ever happened to me. Seriously, I'm never going back. It's so moisturising and the scent is amazing (Strawberry Sorbet, all the way), definitely a product worth the hype.



We're all well aware of my passion for palettes at this point but have you seen this bad boy? I have fully converted to the cult that is Sleek and this is exactly what I'm talking about. Vintage Romance is a mineral based eyeshadow palette full of gorgeously pigmented colours with equally lovely names. The 'sleek' packaging (see what I did there?) gives their products a really high end feel whilst the price is anything but. If you like what you see you're going to love my next giveaway.

I recently rediscovered the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24HR's and there are no words. It's a gel to cream eyeshadow that people have been raving about since the dawn of time. I spent years trying to make 'Eternal Gold' happen but ultimately, gold eyeshadow is never going to happen. I thought it was the product that I didn't like but nobody told me about 'On and on Bronze'. It's just perfect, it's just so, so perfect. Without a doubt the easiest thing I've ever used and probably the most effective.

Another brand that I can't get enough of at the moment is, of course, Topshop. Their beauty collection is absolutely lovely completely with beautiful, iconic packaging. Needless to say, the sale did not treat me well, both online and in-store. Of everything I picked up, the Gloss Inks are without a doubt my favourites. I've been wearing 'Smitten', which is an over-the-top shade of hot pink, constantly. The formula is somewhere between a gloss and a lip stain with all the best features of both - I am in love.



Talking about love, have you seen my new Oliver Bonas purse? I don't think this particular one is available anymore but they've got a beautiful selection of - well, just about anything. Oliver Bonas isn't just a shop, it's a lifestyle. Seriously, I want everything and I'm really sorry but so will you after you've had a look at their website.

For my birthday last month, Nick bought me this amazing Pandora ring that I've wanted for as long as I can remember. Apparently he can take a hint? It's the September Birthstone and it's the most gorgeous ring I've ever had. I literally haven't taken it off since I got it, it's the best.

I hope you've liked reading my October Favourites, I promise to write something different next month! I'm going to be doing a giveaway starting later this week for my blog's one year anniversary which you should definitely keep an eye out for! Also, if you're interested in seeing my favourite look this month then head over to my Instagram NOW!

Top Tips For University Students

- Read, read and read some more. The second that you get that reading list you should be straight onto Amazon getting them ordered, by the time term starts it's already too late. That's right, you've not even started and you're already behind. If you're looking for ways to save, there's always secondhand websites and shops that you can look into - you can get the same books for a fraction of the price. The university will usually specify anything particularly chunky, read those first! You don't need to get them all at once, start with the first month or two and go from there. It's just important that you're getting started. Any progress is good progress!

- Do the work! You'd think this would be really simple, right? Ask most freshers and you might get a different answer - as for second years, let's not even go there. As soon as you're set a deadline, get started. Plan your work and put in the hours and you'll be so surprised by the outcome. Trust me, it's better than saving it all until last minute. Suddenly you've got three essays due in the next day and you're crying at 5am - this is a true story. Even if it's just having a glance at the reading beforehand, every little helps.
 
-Get involved. Sign up for everything you possibly can, particularly things that are outside of your comfort zone! Societies are an incredible way to meet new people and make friends but also a great way of pushing yourself and doing things that you might never get the chance to do again. Every university has millions of different clubs,  it's literally impossible not to find something that interests you. Remember that you're only here once and make your time count!

Unfortunately, I am incapable of following my own good advice but I want better for all of you. Also, never drink jägerbombs, you will get pregnant and die. Thank you and goodnight!

Autumn Beauty Haul | 2014

Before I get started (and my mum kills me), I just wanted to let you know that this is what happens when you go shopping with me. Just kidding! Well, sort of. But this was the result of several shopping trips, few online sales AND a birthday over the past month. I'm not even sure that I'm capable of doing this much damage in one go (again, just kidding!) but it was all bought with my very own money, or lack there of. Also, this is a long one. You're definitely going to need a cup of tea. Without further ado - let's get on with it, shall we?



There are a couple of old favourites in the mix, here's looking at you Mary-Lou. If you don't know, theBalm's 'Mary-Lou Manizer' multi-purpose highlight is about as good as it gets. Whether you're using it on your cheeks, lids or anywhere else for that matter, it's going to give you the ultimate shimmer. The vintage packaging is unforgettable and I hear her sister's pretty good too. Then there's The Porefessional from Benefit, I mentioned this beauty staple in a recent post but it's honestly too good to not talk about.

theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer and Topshop's Highlighter in SUNBEAM

There's more highlighters where that came from. If there's one thing I can't resist, it's Topshop (who are currently throwing the phrase fifty percent off around, just FYI) but I've not really tried too much of their make up. This is one of their many highlighters in the shade 'SUNBEAM', do I need to say more? And in the search for definition, I came across this little, black box from Seventeen. The 'Define & Conquer Contour Kit' is literally the answer to all my prayers, at least it would be if I'd bought it in the right shade. Fair or medium? That is the question.





I also bought a shit load of nail polish. Essie's Blanc is something I've been wanting to get my hands on ever since Kate brought it into my life (gh0stparties, if you don't know - get to know) and now it's finally mine and it's everything I ever hoped it would be. Also, The Body Shop. As seen on Instagram, I've recently collected Rosy Cheeks, Oh Petal, Berry Gorgeous and Crazy For Blue. They're so shiny and so pretty and oh, oh, oh. Amazing!

These gorgeous 'Blush by 3' palettes from Sleek are every girl's dream. Pink Lemonade (left) contains two powder blushes and a cream blush in the shades Icing Sugar, Macaroon and Pink Mint (top to bottom) whereas Californ.I.A is all cream blushes in OC, The Surf and Newport Peach. This is the part where I have to talk about the Real Techniques Stippling Brush, such a game changer when used with these blushes! Literally flawless application. The different shades are all amazing and so pigmented and it's great that you can mix them together however you like. (Have I mentioned that I've never used a cream blush before? So. Much. Excitement.)

Sleek's Blush By 3 Palettes in Pink Lemonade and Californ.I.A

I've been loving Soap & Glory at the moment and really can't resist a good 3 for 2 so I ended up with their Archery Brow Tint and Precision Shaping Pencil (quite a mouthful) and It's About Prime which is an eyeshadow primer. I've seen lots of different version of the Archery pencil lately but this one's in 'Love Is Blonde' and it has a thin, felt tip on one end and a gel-like pencil on the other. It took quite a while to get used to but now I'm not sure I could be without it. It's About Prime comes in two colours, smokey or bright light - depending on your needs.

Apparently I've got a thing for palettes at the moment because this happened.

I've been using Barry M's nail varnish for years but never thought of trying out their eyeshadow - until I saw this beautiful collection, of course. Natural Glow 2 comes with six eyeshadows, three matte and three shimmer as well as a primer. The soft, natural shades make this palette a daily essential, perfect for a subtle smokey eye. The Starry Eyed palette is a limited edition so I'd recommend getting your hands on it while you can. Again there's a mix of a matte and shimmer shades but the colours are much darker and more suitable to an evening look. Did I mention it came with a blush? These make me all kinds of happy, if like me you're just starting to experiment with eye makeup, these are a really affordable option.

I don't know if this offer is still available but when I bought these palettes they came with a free Barry M mascara. I picked up SHOWGIRL, going for extra volume rather than length. It was nothing to do with the pretty packaging, I swear. Other 'accidental' purchases include an EOS (that stands for evolution of smooth by the way, mind blown) lip balm which is quite frankly revolutionary. As well as a brand new Bubblegum Lip Scrub from Lush because my Popcorn one just wasn't cutting it anymore. Needless to say, it smells amazing.



What would one of my hauls be without a Topshop lipstick? Going into Autumn I thought this shade would look lovely and I'd appreciate if you ignored the fact that I have at least ten red lipsticks already. To be fair, Topshop do describe it as 'hot coral' and with a cute name like Ditsy, it would be rude not to.

If you've made it this far - THANK YOU! Hope you love everything as much as I do and definitely let me know if I've inspired any purchases! Also, it's my one year blog anniversary next month and I'm planning on a huge giveaway. Let me know what you'd like to win in the comments below and I might just make your dreams come true.