A mini Haul #3

As anyone in this world will tell you, sometimes we all need to have a little treat when you feel down. If I'm completely honest, I have felt a little down recently but that said, far less down than I felt earlier on during this year. Every so often, if I find that I have a spare bit of money I do like to indulge in myself a little. In the past year I've learnt to curb my spending habits and be far more careful about what I spend my money on and where I buy things from as every little saving of money helps to go a long way. 

 

 

I recently purchased Amor Amor In A Flash by Cacharel. The box was really pretty in a metallic pink with a red rose embossed with silver typeography that identifies the scent. I ordered the 30ml version as its fairly difficult to find now as it was released as a limited edition in 2013. I paid £22.60 for it, which is a bit frustrating as I've since found it in the Christmas sales for under £20, but what can I do. The bottle itself was so tiny, I was really surprised actually as I have a 100ml bottle from the same range and the difference in size is almost unbelievable. However I do really love the design and the smell is beautiful so I don't have any regrets. The scent is of sweet mandarin, apricot, red apple, jasmine petals, cinnamon, vanilla, sandalwood and sweet caramel. In words the scent doesn't sound amazing, but in person it smells absolutely lovely! As a little bonus the bottle is a pretty shade of pink with a silver metallic rose alongside silver accents which matches the packaging nicely. 

 

After watching what feels like millions of YouTube make up hauls, I'd definitely been on the hunt for some nice storage for my make up; I wouldn't say that I have the biggest collection in the world but I do own a decent enough amount to justify having some storage space. I eventual found some storage on eBay for under £20; I literally typed in 'acrylic storage boxes' and flicked through to choose the style that I wanted. One complaint would be that the storage is smaller than I expected, but there was measurements in the listing so it's my fault for not bothering to check. I didn't pay much, so presumably if you pay more the storage size is larger. That said, I ordered from a UK seller and it came very quickly, well packaged and was identical to the picture so I'm satisfied. Plus it holds my make up nicely outside of my usual standard make up bag which is great.

 

Another couple of items that I indulged in and didn't necessarily need were from Sass and Belle; I ordered what should be a copper drinking cup and a little trinket dish. The drinking cup I purchased with the intentions of using it to hold make up brushes in as its fairly large and looks visually pleasing with a nice copper sheen and indented pattern. Everyone seems to be loving copper at the moment and for £7.50 there's no complaints really. The trinkets dish is also really cutesy, small and round with a pink robin to one side and little bird feet across the dish, also in pink. For £2.50 it was an absolute steal as I've been looking around the internet for similar items and they were all over £10... A lot more than this one. All in all, I spent £13.50 including postage for the two items and I was really happy with them, this month was definitely a cheer up myself month and I don't regret it in the slightest.

 

Christmas Present Ideas For Her

- iPhone - Pandora - The Body Shop - Jack Wills - Cath Kidston - Instax - Orla Kiely - Clarks - Radley -

 

Every year, various members of my family complain that I'm 'so difficult to buy for', whereas I would say I'm quite easy to buy for. I don't have the most expensive taste, considering my favourite present from last year was a pair of fluffy socks that came with a foot cream; but I did get some lovely other things as well. For the present ideas pictured above, I tried to think of things that would last some time; for example Radley purses are so worth the money, they have multiple compartments and do look nice, with the pretty dog based patterns. Would be a perfect gift for a dog lover and they do seem hard wearing. Mine is two years old and still going strong.

An iPhone, or some kind of every electrical item is an obvious choice if you have the money to spend. I have an iPhone 6s and I love the iPhone system, although I know others don't. I've pictured the iPhone 7, but I'm sure about it not having a place for headphones. If a phone is outside of your budget, then a phone case is always a fantastic alternative and there are so many to choose from. I personally like the Jack Wills cases as they're incredibly durable, come in a variety of different patterns and are priced affordably. Cath Kidston cases are also lovely as they're always beautiful patterns and very strong but they are priced higher so only consider if your budget is a bit higher. Instant cameras have had a sudden resurge in popularity and so they're another good option to buy any age group; instax or instax mini are the easiest versions to find and are fairly reasonably priced. Although that said, the films aren't so reasonable as they work out £1 each, but they are fun and make nice memories too.

A watch suite a traditional Christmas present and there are so many different brands, shapes, patterns to choose from. The Orla Kiely range is definitely one most will be lusting after because they're so chic. The geometric, multicoloured prints really stand out on the wrist and the leather straps show the quality of the watches; they'll last for a good couple of years and not go out of fashion as they're all classic designs. Cath Kidston makes similarly beautiful prints and the bags have definitely increased in quality in the past few years. The 'busy bag' looks so versatile and has so many pockets and compartments it would be great for work, school or travelling. Plus, having a nice pattern on your bag on a dull day really brightens up your day sometimes. Clarks shoes are so comfortable and last well because they're so well made. Brogues are always in fashion and go with so many different outfits that you can't go wrong rally, especially in classic tan or black shades.

Another obvious choice is a gift set as so many people like beauty related items whether that's a body cream, shower gel, deodorant or make up. The Body Shop have some lovely scented creams and gels that are packaged so nicely. If you suffer from sensitive skin they're such a good option, and for the price are excellent value for money. Make up or travel bags are also great, as well as stationary, perfumes or pajamas. Anything that would make for a good girlie pamper on a rainy day when life feels like it's too much. I actually love choosing presents for other people at Christmas and always have all my shopping done before December even arrives... A little crazy, yes but it does mean I don't stress when it's too late! Hopefully this post will be helpful for someone. See you soon :)

November Favourites

I always seem to have a lot of similar Favourites every single month; I really love perfume, my iPhone as well as various different kinds of make up. This month I've gotten a bit more into make up again, although I'm still wearing much less than I used to. I've recently purchased a new Britney Spears perfume and I absolutely loved the packaging. I love the designs of perfume bottles in general, actually. Where it's getting colder no I'm thinking about keeping warm so my uggs have literally been a saviour the past month, however ugly they may look.

 

1. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose

2. Nina Ricci Mademoiselle Ricci L'eau

3. Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in Ivory

4. Britney Spears Island Fantasy

5. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in London

6. Vera Wang Preppy Princess

7. Maybelline Age Rewind Eye Concealer in Light

8. Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy

9. iPhone 6s 64gb rose gold

10. Ugg Australia Classic II Short Boot

A Mini Haul #2 // POSITIVITY

So, after having a rough year and generally feeling like both my mental health and confidence had hit rock bottom, I surprised myself by somehow getting a push to apply for another job. After saying for months that I want to overhaul my life, I suppose you could say that I was finally taking the steps to do so. In all honesty, it was a shock to even get an interview date as I'd applied for similar posts at the same place on and off for the past seven years. I don't know why I expected this time to be any different. I don't think I've been so nervous in my life, the amount that I wanted to get this job was so fierce that I found confidence from somewhere and I did my absolute best.

I'm completely ecstatic to say that the push that I received from those around me, my family, my boyfriend and friends paid off; I GOT THE JOB. Over the course of the past few months I have finally started to realise that you need to make your own path in life and you can be the master of your own luck. I would never have gotten it a few months ago, finding a more positive vibe has made such a difference to every aspect of my life. No I'm not recovered and I doubt I ever fully will be, but I'm in recovery and I've learnt to accept that there is nothing wrong with that. I just need to adapt to my own needs.

 

As a result of having a good start to the end of this year, I decided that no matter how poor I am, it was high time for a little treat. You'll know from one of my previous posts how much I love perfumes, so I only went and purchased Mademoiselle Ricci L'eau by Nina Ricci; yes, it was the 30ml bottle but for the price it was worth every penny and I love it. Costing £14.50, it was the perfect treat for finally starting to get properly better and get a new job. Smelling of rose, jasmine, peony, litchi, cedar and musk it's a light but very pretty scent and for the price I paid, so worth it. It doesn't last massively long, but the bottle is very pretty with a pale pink base bottle closed off by a pink ribbon around the spritzer.

 

I've also had my eyes on the limited edition Marc Jacobs Daisy Blush and I don't know what better time could be the excuse to have a splurge! I'd been lusting after this perfume ever since I saw the advertisements in the newspapers, magazines and on billboards. It was fairly expensive at £45 for the 50ml bottle but I really do like how the bottle looks with the pink glass topped by three differing shades of pink rubber flowers that lies on top of the spritzer. The gold accents are very cute as well. Smelling of water lily, pear, lily of the valley, mimosa, honeysuckle, musk and wood it's a very floral scent, and quite light on the skin. I love the smell, but I wish the smell would hold for longer. I have to reapply its prettiness if I want it to last more than an hour or so, which I think is a bit disappointing for the price. Regardless of that, it was exciting to treat myself and now I'm looking forward to hai. A good few months. At moment, life is on the up. I'm hoping that it stays there :)

My Perfume Collection #4

The last few bottles in my Perfume Collection (so far, I'm sure that it will keep growing) are by three completely different people, but I've grouped them together because they're scents that I usually wear in the summer months as they feel lighter and more summery, somehow. Ricci Ricci by Nina Ricci is genuinely one of my favourite ever perfumes, in terms of scent and bottle design. Purple is one of my favourite colours and has been since I was a young child, which coupled with the beautifully designed bow closure is more or less the perfect perfume bottle design for me. I love how it looks on my chest of drawers. I haven't worn this scent much recently, but I used it so much during the months of May to September, so it reminds me a lot of summer and nice weather. I have the 50ml version, as this perfume is actually pretty pricey, but I do think that it's worth it. It was around £40, so one of the most expensive perfumes that I own. However, the smell is so lovely with notes of rhubarb, bergamot, rose, sandalwood and patchouli.

 

I had lusted after ME by Lanvin for what felt like years; ever I smelled the scent one day when I was in Selfridges with a friend during university, actually. I had purchased one of those small taster style mini bottles of the scent at the time as that was all I could afford but I never forgot how much I wanted it. You can only imagine my excitement when it was finally mine! The bottle design is super classy, with a black top covering the spritzer and featuring an embossed Lanvin logo. The bottle is is a gold shade in a rectangular shape with ME written in sparkly gold which matches the neck of the bottle. It also features a diamonté with hanging gold chain. I paid roughly £20 and I don't regret it at all, I absolutely love this scent. It's both fruity and floral with tones of blueberry, tangerine, rose, licorice and sandalwood. It's a scent that I wear on days that I need an added confidence boost.

 

The final scent is Amor Amor L'eau by Cacharel, which I'm really glad to have bought when I did as it was a limited edition scent for summer 2014 and as a result is almost impossible to find now. I do like how Cacharel have a set bottle design, the circular, streamlined shape with the signature Amor Amor font on the bottle itself, with a cute spring tucked around the top of the bottle and the spritzer. As this was a summer edition, the shades of blue and green coupled with the pink spritzer have a very girly feel and the smell only adds to this. I have the 100ml bottle and paid around £25, so it was excellent value for money. For me, this scent epitomises the feels of a summers day. The scent is of cola, citrus, vanilla, floral, musk and amber. It sounds like such a random mix of ingredients but the smell is really lovely and I wore it so much during those long summer days.

A Mini Haul

Hello again! Being the nosy person that I am, I genuinely love reading what other people have recently purchased, or what they're loving at the minute. After reading many, many blogs over the last few years I definitely have a preferred type of post to read; lifestyle and beauty tend to be my Favourites as if I see holiday or travel posts I get so much wanderlust it's ridiculous... After having a completely shitty year and barely spending any money on myself I decided it was finally the right time to have a little spend and make myself feel a bit more positive about life.

A couple of months ago I smashed my phone screen and a Cath Kidston iPhone case, which literally broke my heart as it wasn't exactly cheap. Since that time I've been somehow surviving using a bargainous 99p find from eBay, but I wanted something more substantial as I am a bit of a clumsy mess (already smashed the screen twice in a year) and I'd been literally looking through the internet for absolutely ages to find an iPhone case that would last. I did buy a Ted Baker one for a pretty high price but it actually wasn't that strong and cracked fairly quickly. For normal people it would probably be fine, but for someone like me... Not good! I've been debating between getting a Cath Kidston case or a Jack Wills one as the physical case quality is very similar. However, I settled for the Jack Wills one, mostly due to the much lower price of £14.50 (buy here) and I liked the subtle tartan pattern which looks so classic and seems to go well alongside the current winter weather and fashions.

 

Following on from my last post, I purchased a Vera Wang 50ml perfume, Hippie Princess. (Buy here) I absolutely love the heart shaped design of the bottle and the little princess tiara cap. I'm definitely a bit of a perfume addict and the Vera Wang princess line never fails to please me, visually as well as the scents themselves. I like how they have a specific theme. This scent is both fruity and floral, with a delightful mix of mango, freesia, apricot, lotus flower and vanilla. A new favourite in my collection. I also bought a range of make up items. I've actually started to wear much less make up than I used to around 9 months ago, partly due to having a confidence boost from my boyfriend, who insists that less is better. 

Now that my make up style has 'matured' (?) a little, I don't tend to wear much foundation so I instead opted for a CC cream as I do have quite an uneven tone across my skin as I have very dry patches. I want a light coverage that will hide blemishes but not look as though I have a mask on my face. I got it for the bargain price of £11.99 (buy here) which for a brand like Bourjois isn't much for the quality. I chose the shade ivory and I'm excited to try it out as it says it's a hydrating cream which should be great for my dry, eczema prone skin. To top off the skin products, I also bought the Maybelline Matte Maker powder. (Buy here) I actually swear by this product, you can either use it lightly or build it up for a full coverage. I tend to use it around my t-zone as it gets very patchy and red otherwise. For £4.49 it's definitely worth the money as it lasts for ages and lets your skin breathe. I bought it in ivory which is a perfect match for my incredibly pale skin.

 

I also purchased two eye based products, both of which are products which I've bought and used to death before. The L'Oreal superliner in perfect slim is the best felt tip pen style eyeliner that I've ever used. (Buy here) £7.99 is definitely a bargain as it lasts for a long time and doesn't dry out. It has a very thin tip which is great for everyday liner as well as cat eye flicks for special occasions, plus the intense black shade looks good, glides on well and dries quickly on the lid. I use this eyeliner everyday to awaken my eyes and brighten up my facial features. I always use the Sleek brow palette, but before I do so, I like to brush through and gently line my eyebrows using a lighter shade to get a perfect rounded arch shape. I always find that Maybelline match my pale skin and hair tones well. I love the Master Shape Brow Pencil (buy here) to achieve the perfect Brow shape. For £3.99 you can't go wrong. I actually have light brown eyebrows but I use the shade dark blond as it matches really well. This is one of those products that I buy again and again because I love how it works on my face. 

Lastly, I've been so tempted to try a NYX lip cream for absolutely ages; this is definitely a YouTube and blogger made me buy it purchase. I've watched so many videos and read so many posts that rave about these lip creams so I've finally bitten the bullet and bought one. (Buy here) Which at £7.99 seemed a little pricey but I can't wait to try it; if I like it then I'll definitely be buying more in different shades. I chose the shade London because I wanted a peachy brown nude shade to wear for everyday but I think it'll look good for more dressed up occasions too. I've wanted a nude lip shade for a while, and having seen bloggers with similar skin tones to me swatch this shade I'm sure it'll look really nice. I feel a little more positive now, let me know what new things you've bought recently or if I've persuaded you to buy anything! :)

Monthly Favourites - October

 

1. Instax Mini 8

2. Hippie Princess by Vera Wang

3. Cosmopolitan magazine

4. Cath Kidston British Birds Dress

5. Bourjois 1 Seconde mascara 

6. Dog walks by the riverside whilst the sun sets

7. Caramel Lattes with cream

8. Russet coloured leaves scattered on the streets

9. Chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream sundaes

10. Treat You Better - Shawn Mendes