Saturday 13 September 2014

To Me, From Me.

It's important to treat yourself once in a while, who's with me?
Recently I've been working a lot more, so not only have I had slightly more money to play around with, but I've also been a lot more tired, and feeling a little strained. Here are a few little 'pick me ups' that I've treated myself to over the past month or so.

First up, this beautiful 'One Line A Day - A Five-Year Memory Book'
Think the Timehop app in paper form. 
Each page of this book is dedicated to each day of the year, with about 5-6 lines for each year. You fill in the year at the top of each section, and write away. Come the next year, you fill out the section below, and so on. I haven't actually begun writing in this yet, but I really should start soon - I am so excited to read through it in five years time, and look at how far I will have (hopefully) come by then!
It's such a brilliant idea, and would also make a great gift. I picked this up in Waterstones, although I think I may have also spotted it in Urban Outfitters, as well as online on handpickedcollection.com, so it's pretty accessible. With beautiful gold-edged paper, it'll look lovely on your shelf as well.

Next up, a MAC eyeshadow - Shroom. As I mentioned in my recent eyeshadow post, I have far too many, but just one more won't hurt, will it??

And my usual go-to 'pick me up', a new Essie polish. This one is 'Urban Jungle', from their summer collection. I actually had this colour on my toenails for weeks - is it just me, or do some Essie polishes stay on way longer than others? This beautiful pinky-nude is opaque in just one coat, which is pretty fantastic. I'd been using my mum's Ballet Slippers prior to this, which required about 3-4 coats to reach the same colour.

 A couple of months ago I picked up a REN gift set for £23. I've absolutely loved everything that came in the set, but can't seem to find it online anymore. It featured some products from the Rosa Centifolia range, and a couple from the Vita Mineral range. Much to my surprise, the moisturiser pictured above, (Vita Mineral Daily Supplement Moisturising Cream) is actually a full-size version, and costs £19 on it's own.. which means I got all the rest for just £4, plus a super handy pouch to keep all of my skincare bits in. A bargain! 

And last of all, I finally purchased 'Roses de Chloé.' I am a huge, huge fan of the original Chloé perfume, and included it in a wishlist post not long ago, as the scent brings back a lot of memories for me. However, I had been itching to try the new rose version ever since I saw Rebecca talk about it at the beginning of the year, and oh my. What a scent. I won't say too much about this as I have a whole post coming up about it soon, but it's definitely one to go out and sniff, especially if you're a fan of rose fragrances, or love the original Chloé like I do!!

Wednesday 10 September 2014

Glow Glow Glow

Having skin on the slightly oiler side of things means I try to stay away from shimmer as much as possible, especially around my t-zone. Using shimmery bases, or anything too illuminating usually ends badly. However, sometimes my skin just needs a little bit more of a glow, and these are the products I reach for.

It's not that I avoid illuminating bases completely, some of my favourite base products are marketed as 'brightening' and 'radiant'. On days where I do happen to reach for a more matte base, I will nearly always finish with a light dusting of MAC's MSF in Lightscapade. This gorgeous powder is ever so fine, and really gives that 'glow from within' look. 

Next up - a very similar product, but a tad cheaper, with the added bonus of gorgeous packaging and a beautiful delicate scent. Bourjois' Java Rice Powder took the blogging world by storm when it was re-released for their 150 year anniversary last year. The vintage-inspired mint green packaging was a huge hit, and the product inside doesn't disappoint either! A very finely milled pinky-toned loose powder, perfect for sweeping across the tops of your cheeks, or using all over for even more illuminating power.

Benefit's High Beam is probably my least favourite of the three, as I do prefer my highlighters/illuminators to be in powder form, as I think it helps to make the glow look more natural, and easier to build up in the right places. Having said that, this one definitely shows up more than the other too, and packs more of a glowing punch, as it's thicker. Great if you only want the glow in certain small places, rather than all over.

And last of all, Sleek's Rose Gold blush. On my normal, natural complexion, this doesn't look exactly 'right.' However, when I've added a little more colour to my skin, or been on holiday, this is perfect! A beautiful pink blush with tiny flecks of gold scattered throughout. This is the ultimate blush for tanned skin, and gives a pop of colour and a natural looking glow all in one sweep.

Saturday 6 September 2014

End of Summer Wishlist

I thought it was about time I wrote another one of these wishlist posts, as not only has it been almost seven months since my previous one, but I find it useful to keep track of what I've currently got my eye on. 

So first of all, we have these black skinny jeans from Zara. Zara jeans are my absolute favourites. They fit like a glove, and last ages. (Not to mention, they're sometimes cheaper than Topshop.. and my Topshop ones always break?!) These jeans have ripped details, which I'm quite excited about, as I've never really given them a go before. 

Now for something slightly (oh, just slightly..!!!) out of my price range are these BEAUTIFUL boots by Hudson shoes.  Retailing at £160, I think I'm being a little optimistic here. I actually have them put by in a shop at the moment, here's to hoping I win the lottery within the next week! 
I believe it's important to invest in good shoes, especially for winter, and these are just so timeless, I could see myself wearing them years and years into the future. I might have to have a word with Ben about these, and see whether he can help me out as an anniversary present..! ;)

Next, is something I've actually just already purchased. I literally could not keep away from this perfume. I went to Boots AND Debenhams the day it was due in, but neither store had it, so I gave up for a while. I had a £5 off reward in Debenhams on my Beauty Card the other day, so it was the perfect opportunity to pick it up! It smells *so* pretty, but I think I'm done with perfumes for a while now. I don't want this to turn into another eyeshadow situation..!

These headphones from Sennheiser caught my eye a couple of months ago, but to be honest, I kind of forgot about them. It wasn't until one of my pairs of apple earphones started to play up that I came across them again. I've never bought myself any 'over the head' headphones before, I've always stuck with Apple ones, so it'll make a nice change! These are also £40 off in John Lewis at the moment, so once again.. perfect timing, or what?! UPDATE: Yep, I couldn't resist them..

And last of all, another rather pricey item, is this gorgeous Filson Daypack
These are hard to get hold of in England, but a shop in my town has a couple in at the moment. I highly doubt I'll ever get it, but it sure is nice to dream! I absolutely love these bags - Ben has a huge one, and they just feel SO thick and durable, yet another thing that would probably last me forever.

So, if you do excuse me, I'm off to work out my finances for the next couple of months.. haha!

Thursday 4 September 2014

Beauty On The Go

You have no idea how long it's taken me to make this post! This was one of the very first ideas that I had when I started out blogging.. a year and a half later, here it is.

Usually I try to keep things in my bag to a minimum. I used to be one of those people who carried around literally everything with them, everywhere. Pretty soon, I got fed up with the constant shoulder ache and decided to streamline the contents of my bag.

For all of my little beauty bits, I use this handy Cath Kidston zip pouch. I also have a much lighter coloured floral one, (which I much prefer), but sadly I spilt coffee all over it at some stage, so it's not looking its best anymore! These little pouches retail for just £6, and are so useful. I've had my two for a solid 3 years, and they're sill holding up really well! They can also fit a surprising amount of stuff inside, as you can see. They make it so easy to switch from bag to bag, just slip it in and you've got everything you need, all ready to go!

Nail file
Bobby pins
Hair elastics
Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder
Real Techniques duo fiber face brush
Cath Kidston mini mirror
Lush Charity Pot hand cream
Sally Hansen Miracle Cure nail polish
Burts Bees tinted lip balm
Seventeen Stay Time concealer
Real Techniques deluxe crease brush
Kleenex shine absorbing sheets

Thanks for reading, and I'd love to hear what you think down below! :)