A Mini Haul #4

I always find that January is a bit of a depressing month, as in the days are slowly getting longer but it's still super chilly and I seem to be constantly with a cold or cough throughout the whole of it. On a positive note, January sales are usually fairly amazing but when you're not made of money and in the middle of changing jobs there limited spare money available to spend. I hadn't really been spending much money on make up for a while as I've actually been wearing a lot less as I've somehow reached a point where I'm reasonably ok with how I look, but this month after watching a lot of YouTube videos and reading various blog posts, I decided to invest in some pieces I'd been lusting after for a few months.

 

I bought two highlighter palettes from Sleek after a lot of consideration as I've got really, really fair skin so I was concerned that highlighters and contouring would look ridiculous on me. After watching some videos from sophdoesnails I was feeling a little more confident that it could work for me if I purchased the right shades. The two palettes that I bought were Midas Touch and Solstice costing only £9.99 each, which I felt was a bargain considering you get four different shades in each palette. I was pleasantly surprised by how pigmented and light the shades are in both of the palettes which is a massive bonus if your skin is as light as mine. Another nice feature is that the palettes have a magnetic closure which limits the risk of the palettes braking. I love these and am definitely going to be using these regularly but I'm struggling with applying them to suit my face at the moment, I guess practice makes perfect.

 

I'd been looking at eyeshadow palettes for several months and there are so many that I would absolutely love to own from Too Faced or Urban Decay but ultimately they're way out of my current budget and so I've been looking at similar palettes that would suit my budget far more, which is how I then settled on the L'Oreal Paris Color Riche Eyeshadow La Palette Nude Rose eyeshadow palette. Priced at £14.99, not only was it affordable but also very similar to shades available in the palettes I'd been lusting after previously. It's not as pigmented as I had hoped it would be, but the shades are very buildable and the range of warm pinks is lovely for any skin tone. The palette itself has a lovely big mirror too, which is great to use on the go or to top up make up throughout the day.

 

Ever since I bought London from the NYX soft matte lip cream collection I really loved the formula and how it felt on my lips, it wasn't drying at all and felt soft against the skin. I then bought three new shades that are each completely different but equally complementing to my skin tone. The three shades are Istanbul, Amsterdam and San Paulo. I'm literally in love with these liquid lipsticks and there are several more shades that I'd love to have in the coming months if my budget allows. For the moment I decided to invest in a nude shade, a pale pink shade, a vibrant red and a darker pink shade so that I have a shade to suit all looks and occasions. London is definitely still my favourite, but San Paulo is coming in a close second. 

 

I swatched each of the lipsticks on the back of my hand in the order (from the top) Amsterdam, San Paulo, Istanbul and London. With hindsight I wish that I'd made the swatches a little thicker as they're quite small so it's hard to see the shades. Unfortunately I have the kind of skin that is so pale that it goes pink when it's cold which is why my hand looks darker than what I've been describing my skin tone as. I really like the creaminess of these lipsticks and would recommend anyone to try these aas for £5 they're definitely priced very competitively and suit more or less all budgets. So this haul, however small has been great as a pick me up during a pretty rubbish month and I've definitely invested in a range of staple make up pieces for the next few months.

 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight Collection Review

 

Ever since I first saw and smelt a Daisy fragrance I was literally obsessed to the point that I've recently been on a mission to find as many of the limited edition versions as I can; the Marc Jacobs Daisy Delight and Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight were a limited edition set released back in 2014 and as a result were quite difficult for me to track down, so to speak. I really love the way that the Daisy fragrances look with the Daisy topped lids and I've managed to collect many of the limited editions which is great and also surprising as some of them were released about five years ago.

Daisy Delight is a 50ml bottle and matches the original Daisy shape, as well as being clear. The fragrance inside is a pale mint green with a triple Daisy covered lid in shades of mint green, hot pink and peach with gold centres that hide a gold spritzer. The scent itself is more fruity and woody than the original Daisy with hints of apple, quince flower, freesia, iris, gardenia, peony, sandalwood and cedar. I like the scent, but it's definitely not in my favourites as it feels a little overpowering when sprayed. Although the strong smell is a good thing, the negative is that it doesn't last as long as I would like; after a few hours the smell has gone and you need to reapply which is a little frustrating as the RRP was £48. I paid £21 from eBay so I can't complain for that price.

Daisy Eau So Fresh Delight is a variation of the original Daisy Eau So Fresh and comes in a 75ml bottle with an RRP of £52. The bottle is taller than its sister, Daisy Delight and has a pink fragrance inside. The Daisy bouquet that forms the lid is made up of daisies in shades of mint green, hot pink, peach and white in various sizes centred in gold. Underneath the lid there is a gold spritzer which releases the fragrance. The scent is made up of blood orange, tiare tahiti flower, violet, pink pepper, white tea, amber, raspberry and apricot. Overall it's a fruity and floral fragrance but the smell is fairly strange to me, almost as though it's too fruity and too floral; the mix doesn't seem to fit on my skin well. It could be because I'm not a lover of pepper but I was really disappointed that I wasn't in love with this scent.

 

The promotional materials for these two scents were absolutely to my taste, and I do love how the bottles look, especially when laid out together although I have to admit this limited edition collection wasn't my favourite out of all the other fragrances that I've collected by Marc Jacobs. However, I'm relieved that I bought both of them for less than the RRP considering how little I've used them. Right now they're mostly looking pretty on my dressing table; I'm sure if you're a fan of fruity and floral mixed fragrances that you would adore these, but I seem to prefer the sweeter, more totally floral scents. But they were a definite must have to add to my perfume collection.

 

Anxiety Struggles

 

Having started a new job literally last week, I've once again found that my anxiety has gone sky high again. Nothing can prepare you for the insane feelings of loneliness that you will inevitably feel. What I've struggled with the most is not only the dreaded feelings of loneliness, but also with feeling useless and therefore like I have no clue what I'm doing. However, what I've found the hardest is letting go; not knowing what I actually am supposed to be doing, or having any kind of control over anything. This probably sounds a bit pathetic, but after being in my last job for five years, I knew more or less everything that was expected of me and how to do it. Whereas now I feel as though I need more help, more direction; I'm not used to feeling like I need to be told what to do constantly, I'm used to simply knowing what to do.

The worst thing about changing jobs is the lack of confidence that I'm currently experiencing; I feel like I need everyone to like me, everyone to constantly give me advice or tell me that I'm doing ok. Pathetic as it is, I'm deeply insecure right now. I'm literally scrutinising myself so much right now, my weight, my height, my physical looks and my mental capacity. I hate admitting this, but I'm struggling right now, which is really stressful as just a few weeks ago I had been taking great steps to realise that I was doing better, I felt a huge amount of positivity headed my way. However, I guess with huge bouts of positivity, it makes sense that negativity follows that as not every day can be a good day, just as not every day can be a bad day.

I guess I'm learning that the good days and the bad days are all valuable lessons; realistically life isn't as simple as always being up or always being down, you have to work for your luck. Yes life is difficult right now, but in a few weeks time I'm sure I'll be much better again. At the moment I'm adjusting to having a new job, a new schedule and potentially a new life. I really miss my friends, my old job (something that I would never have dreamed would be true) as I was in a comfortable state. Although what's keeping me going and pushing through with my new job is that I can't stay the same forever, I need to change, I need to encourage myself to reshape, relearn and reassess myself. I want to push myself to better myself, as difficult as it feels. Living with anxiety is so incredibly hard, but whenever you manage to pull through, you feel so good for it. So yes, it's hard right now but in a month or so, I'll be proud of myself for surviving this rough patch. Because I am a survivor.

 

Happy Things #3

 

1. My boyfriend bought me a bouquet of flowers and I have no idea why, but it cheered me up when I realised I hadn't missed any kind of special event; plus they look beautiful. Unexpected treats are always a good thing.

2. I'll be seeing my best friend at the weekend for some kind of catch up and/or late birthday celebration which will definitely involve some kind of eating out and enjoying each other's company.

3. Second week my new job, time to keep up the positive thoughts and try and keep learning as much as I can, as soon as I can. I'm very aware that I'm the new person and I don't enjoy feeling like I need to understand everything more. Time is the teacher and the healer, I can do this. First week was good, second will be better.

4. This weekend I'm off on both days, for the first time in what feels like forever; I'm not used to having so much time to think! This weekend I'm planning to actually get out of the house and I'm looking forward to going a local jewellery market with my mama, fingers crossed I'll find some unexpected items for great prices.

5. I'm thinking about getting a new piercing, I'm enjoying looking at the different choices and am excited to make a decision. Piercings always remind me of rebellious university days and I love it.

 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Sunshine Collection Review

 

A set of limited edition fragrances released in 2012, I spent some time tracking down these fragrances via eBay as they've become fairly difficult to find as they were released a few years ago now. I'm a huge fan of Marc Jacobs scents, this collection was no exception to that rule; I really liked how they're very different to the original versions of these scents but kept the same bottle shapes so they're still recongiseable as a part of the set. The limited edition collections are always interesting as they usually have a theme through the scent, colour or idea. In this case, the collection was definitely made with summer in mind as its full of bright colours, florals and fruity undertones. The main issue with any Marc Jacobs scent is that they're fairly high end price wise; you need to be prepared to spend quite a bit of your money to own a full set, but they are worth the money as they look and smell amazing.

Daisy Sunshine

An alternative scent to the original Daisy, visually the bottle is very similar but with a colourful twist; filled with a bright orange fragrance and topped with three daisies in different sizes in green, orange and hot pink. I quite like how the bottle looks, as its like a brighter version of the original which is nice. I'm not usually a fan of bright colours, but this bottle makes me feel fairly optimistic when I look at it. The smell is lovely, with notes of spring blossoms, lychee, mandarin, red currant, guava, violet and lily of the valley. The Sunshine theme is definitely apparent with the burst of bright colours and the sunny flavours of fresh fruits alongside some florals. The RRP of this scent was £49, which is fairly expensive but the smell does last for a few hours and feels lovely against the skin which is a bonus.

Daisy Eau So Fresh Sunshine

Possibly my favourite scent not only of this collection, but out of all of the Marc Jacobs fragrances that I own. Visually, it's a nice bottle with a pink fragrance inside topped off with a Daisy bouquet in varying sizes in shades of purple, hot pink, lime green and bright orange all centered with gold and used to hide a gold spritzer. It's not my favourite selection of colours, but it fits well with the theme of Sunshine and therefore is a good reminder of long summer days. The scent is beautiful, smelling of fruit blossom, strawberry, pink grapefruit, jasmine, rose, violet leaves, amber and oak moss. I can't even describe how much I love it, I feel really confident when I wear it. I've found that it lasts (like many other Marc Jacobs fragrances) for a few hours, and I genuinely do like the feel of it against my skin. The original price was around £54, which is fairly expensive but considering how much I adore this scent, I would be more than willing to pay that price over and over again.

Oh Lola! Sunsheer

I absolutely love the look of this bottle, with its lime green base topped off with a large pink rose and matching green leaf attached to the neck of the bottle with a silver wire shape. I think it looks really lovely and is a great visual alternative to the other Lola fragrances. The scent itself smells of raspberry, strawberry, pear, peony, magnolia, cyclamen, vanilla and sandalwood. In all honesty, I'm not a massive fan of this scent, it lasts very well but the smell itself isn't one that I'm crazy for; I can't explain why. I think it smells a little lacklustre, all I can smell is bland pear which is a massive shame as I really wanted to love it. The original price for this perfume was £45 which does seem really excessive to me as I'm not a fan of the scent. That said, I really love the design of the bottle so it was a genuine disappointment to not love the scent.

 

Marc Jacobs Daisy Blush Collection Review

 

As you've all probably realised by now, I'm absolutely obsessed with perfumes and the Marc Jacobs perfumes are some of my all time favourites; mostly because of the way they look but they also smell amazing. The Blush Collection was released in 2016 and marketed as being for the sophisticated. To be honest, as soon as I saw this collection I was desperate to be able to own all three fragrances as they look beautiful. Seeing the original versions compared to these limited editions, the shades of pink really does add a special pop to the range and I think it makes the bottle designs even more appealing. Although with all of these things in mind, it's also important to remember that these scents are definitely not cheap; in fact, they're definitely leaning closer to high end. I love perfumes, to the point that I collect them; I've even bought empty bottles from eBay. When I saw that Marc Jacobs had a new collection out, a feminine, pink based collection, I knew straightaway that I would be in love and need the whole collection in my life. Now that I have the three fragrances, I thought that I would write a blog detailing the differences between the three and which one is my favourite.

Daisy Blush

A variation of the original Daisy, it comes in a pretty pink bottle with three daisies on the lid in varying shades of pink and three different sizes, matching the original with the gold centres that hide a gold spritzer. The scent matches the very feminine feels of the bottle, with notes of lily of the valley, honeysuckle, mimosa, waterlily, pear, bergamot, musk and wood. I do like the scent very much, but the price tag of £54 for 50ml feels a little excessive; however for a limited edition scent it's probably worth it. I like the smell and it holds well on the skin, but it's not my favourite of the three new editions. I love perfume so much that I knew I needed to collect all three perfumes when I saw them.

Daisy Eau So Fresh Blush

This version is probably the best value for the money as its a 75ml bottle. A variation of the original Daisy Eau So Fresh, it's a more feminine styling, using a pink bottle with a bouquet of daisies on the lid in different sizes and shades of pink with gold centres; I actually really love the feminine twists that are the main pull of the Blush collection. The bottles visually appeal to me very much. Again, the price of this scent is fairly expensive, priced at £59 but you do get more fragrance for that small difference in price. The scent itself is very light and easy to wear, smelling of violet, waterlily, bergamot, freesia, rose, lily of the valley, musk and vetiver. I like the scent more than Daisy Blush but it doesn't last as long on the skin, which is a shame. 

Daisy Dream Blush

A new limited version of the original Daisy Dream, for me personally this is my favourite of the collection; I adore the way that the pink tones have made an already beautifully designed bottle much more feminine and the smell of the fragrance is also amazing. Smelling of violet leaves, pear, water lily, honeysuckle, rose blossom and freesia, it is an incredibly romantic scent. It lasts fairly well on the skin, roughly the same amount of time as Daisy Blush which is a few hours; not bad compared to Daisy Eau So Fresh Blush which definitely has the least longevity. It feels great against the skin and visually looks great with a pink bottle with pink cut out Daisy accents and a silver lid filled with pink daisies with gold centres. All of the fragrances are similar, but this fragrance is the one that feels the most expensive, which for the price £54, it should do.

 

Favourite Instagramers! #7

As I'm sure anyone who bothers to read my blog regularly must know, I'm forever on instagram; even if I don't post frequently I'm always liking posts or scrolling through finding new people to follow and generally enjoying looking through how people share their lives through photos. One of my favourite things about instagram is that you don't need to read the caption if you don't want to, you can just enjoy seeing images and forming your own likes and opinions from them. This month I've liked quite simple, but interesting photos.

 

_oliviabeth

Olivia's instagram is both simple and personal, filled with the things that she loves such as converse, handbags, lazy days and make up. I liked her feed because it doesn't stick to a rigid theme, it feels real and more personal than typical blogger accounts full of pastels. Her instagram seems like a genuine reflection of her life, with selfies, food, travel and architecture all making an entrance in at least two photos. I liked how real she comes across and yes, her images are lovely but they're not too contrived either.

 

sophiemakeup

As her username would suggest, Sophie is very into make up which is hardly surprising considering that she's a make up artist. Also a blogger, her feed definitely has a theme, but I like how each photo is different but feels quite busy, there's so many things to look at in them. Where Christmas has just been and gone, a lot of her more recent posts are related to lifestyle and beauty Christmas themed items such as red lipsticks, scented candles, chocolates and fairy lights. To be honest, she literally has the most incredible make up collection its unreal!

 

liquidgrain 

Kathryn has some beautiful photographs of her dogs, alongside sunsets, architecture and food. As a blogger and vlogger, she uses instagram as a platform to show her favourite pieces and also documents the various areas of her life. Her graduation from university, her travels and what she reads. The quality of her photography is really, really good with a wide range of subject matters. I followed her because her feed is polished but personal, it's doesn't feel fake with a rigid theme; instead it's more of a go with the flow kind of feel, which I really like.

 

fee_schoenwald

Fiona is quite the fashionista, with many of her posts being centered around that. At the moment she seem very into black and white in both her fashions and her posts; other than fashion, she's also into travelling, lifestyle and beauty. Her feed is very hipster cool, with a minimalistic feel that I really love. She has the kind of feed that makes you lust for her lifestyle, but it comes across as so effortless and graceful. Even photos of ice cream somehow become classy in her photographic style, it's crazy!

 

palomaindisguise

A girl after my own heart, her style is simply impeccable, yet so affordable as the majority of her clothes and accessories are purchased in Oxfam and other charity shops which for someone on a budget is a massively inspiring as it just shows that it you have a sense of style you can find amazing pieces from anywhere. She has a lovely feed, bright and cheery with a lot of quirky landscape images thrown in, too.