My First Time Tag...

I've seen this tag going round recently on blogs and YouTube so was excited to jump in on the action and do it too. I've been tagged by the lovely Georgina from She Might Be Loved. Go check out her blog, she's great. So, let's get on with the questions.

First Best Friend

I'm lucky enough to have had a lot of very close friends in my life. But my best friend is truly something special. Myself and Vicky have been best buds for as long as I can remember. We had a tight knit friendship group all the way from primary school till today which is such a great feeling to have such true friends. Vicky and I have been through everything together, grown up together and are even closer today. Many often say we are more like sisters than friends. She's crazy, mad, funny and in her own words a 'delight' to be around. :)

First Kiss

Hmmm, this is a toughie as it depends what you mean as a 'first kiss', I would take this to mean my first proper boyfriend when your old enough to know what a kiss actually means. My first boyfriend I met through school when I was 16 and we went out for about a year. It happened as he walked me home from a night out... awww young love!!

First Concert

When I was younger, myself, Vicky and her older sister Katie were OBSESSED with Boyzone. We couldn't wait to see them in concert. We were all sure we'd seen Boyzone waving exactly at us, haha!

First Celebrity Crush

Now this has to be a toss up between Steve from Boyzone, yes I know he turned out to prefer the opposite sex, but my young heart didn't know this at the time and I was sure we'd get married. Another of both mine and Vicky's first crushes was Peter Andre. C'mon girls, who didn't love his pecs back then...? ;)

First Word

It's a little worrisome how my mother didn't have a solid answer to this question. She thinks it was Dada though, which seems to be a standard response from most. Mama or Dada seems to be drummed in to kids from birth. :) 

First Pet

Ahh, my first pet was a beautiful black cat called Faline. I named her after Bambi's girlfriend but as I was only young I couldn't say her name properly, so she ended up being called Farrrrline! :) She was a lovely, gentle cat, and a bit of a scaredy cat. Loved her to bits. 

First Job

My first job was as a waitress in a pub just outside the town where I lived. I met even more friends there and we had such a good laugh. Since then I must have done every job under the sun before settling at my current job.

First Phone

I was the first out of all my friends to get a mobile phone on my 13th birthday due to the fact that my dad was MD of a telecommunications company. My first phone was a Nokia 5110 which had the interchangeable front covers. As soon as I opened the present, and took the phone carefully out of the bag, Vicky dropped it on the floor, haha. I loved that phone.

First Tweet

This question really got me intrigued and I just had to look back to check what it was. My first tweet was on the 25th March 2009 on my first personal account!! I said "I don't really know what I'm doing on here", then 5 days later I tweeted, "I still don't understand Twitter". Ha! Thank god I got over that, and am still tweeting strong 4 years later. :)

First Makeup

I was always intrigued by makeup from an early age. I remember my mum giving me some Estee Lauder palettes with colours she didn't use when I was about 10 and I'd try to apply them. And a family friend used to work in a cosmetics shop and used to let me rifle through the old testers when we went in to see her. I think the first makeup I started wearing on a daily basis though, has to be mascara and I think it may have been a 17 one. 

I've had so much fun reminiscing and doing this tag. Leave me some comments below with your answers to these questions, i'd love to hear everyones answers. 

I'm also going to tag these lovely ladies to do this post too.

Cate from The perks of being a hipster

Farzana from Beauty by Eff

Cint from MakeUp and Messes

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

As you may know, I am a massive fan of Real Techniques, so it probably goes without saying that I get majorly excited when they release a new product. The newest edition to the famous line is the Miracle Complexion Sponge. Now, everyone’s heard of the Beauty Blender, and although I’ve never owned nor tried one, I’ve heard the results are great.

The product itself is simply a shaped sponge, but the theory behind it is that it evenly applies foundation for a flawless finish. It has a flat side for working the foundation in to your skin, and a pointed end for a more precise finish for  areas like around your eyes and nose. I’ve heard of people using these kind of products in different ways, some apply foundation with a brush first, then use it to blend and some apply the foundation directly with the blender.

I prefer to combine this product with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, which is one of my all time favourite foundation brushes. I love this combo and find it gives a lovely flawless finish and leaves the perfect amount of foundation for an even look.

You can pick this up at Boots for the amazingly cheap price of £5.99. Considering the Beauty Blender is around the £16 mark, this is definitely a more affordable option for what I can imagine is a very similar product. 

I feel hugely loyal to Real Techniques, and in my eyes they can do no wrong. The products they bring out are consistently brilliant and priced fantastically. I can't wait to see what they bring out next! 

Anyone else tried this product? What's your thoughts vs the beauty blender?

September Glossybox

I am in love with the styling of this months Glossybox, the theme being 'The London Edition'. To celebrate this we have an amazing Union Jack Glossybox! 

Also this month we seem to have changes to our usual accompanying information. Instead of the usual paper A3 fold out leaflet describing the products we have a little cute card for the products then a glossy magazine to flick through too. I love this, and hope it's a change that's here to stay.

Anyway on to the products in this months box...

Elizabeth Arden - Untold

I'm really not a fan of perfume samples, I don't know why, but I just feel I'm happy with the perfumes I use and can't find any to beat them. I do really like this scent, but for me it feels like a slightly older scent and not quite my style. It's definitely a heavier night time scent, so I may wear it out and see what I think when I'm wearing it properly.

Eylure - Pre-glued Lashes

I love wearing lashes on a night out and Eylure really give a good selection from subtle lashes giving volume and length to more adventurous looks. One thing I think we all hate doing is glueing the lashes in to place. I use Duo Eyelash Glue which is fantastic, but even with that sometimes the corners will pop off when you're out and about. For those reasons, these are an amazing idea. I have big hopes for these.

Toni & Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe - Classic Shine & Gloss Serum

I'm really in to haircare at the moment, and for that reason I was happy to see this in my box this month. I tried it on my locks straight away and the first thing that hit me is that it smells great! It did seem to give a shine to my hair and certainly tamed any fly aways. I'll definitely be giving this a thorough trial.

Be a Bombshell Cosmetics – Onyx Eye Liner

I love to wear eyeliner, and I especially like using this type of applicator which is similar to a felt tip pen. My initial reaction was that the tip might be a bit too big for my liking, although it did create a fine line when I tried it. I prefer using a thinner, more streamlined tip like the YSL Shocking Eyeliner which I wrote a review on here. I must admit though, if you’re looking to create a dramatic cat eye effect, this liner is pretty much perfect.

Dr Lipp – Original Nipple Balm for Lips

This product definitely intrigued me when I saw it as it seems to be Dr Lipp’s answer to Elizabeth Arden’s 8 Hour Cream, which I LOVE! The product is familiar in the way that it promises to hydrate not only lips, but it’s versatile enough to use on dry skin, to soften cuticles or to tame brows. It’s basically a good all-rounder. My only question about this product is the price. For the amount of product you get in the tube it’s a similar price to the already famous 8 hour cream, so it’s got big competition. It’s safe to say, I'm excited to try this properly.

So all in all, even though I love the box design this month, i'm a bit 50/50 on the products inside, but certainly going to give them all a good go. 

What did you all get this month?

Milestones, Busyness and Apologies

Thought I’d write a quick catch up post as I have really been MIA for the past month and not posted any new blogs. It’s been a busy time for me recently, with work, birthdays, weekends away and just busy overall as I'm currently buying my first house (eeeks). It’s such a massive step and it’s been stressful along the way, but I'm so excited to move in.  

Most of all, I wanted to write this post to say a massive thank you and a welcome to all my new followers as I hit 100 followers on GFC and Bloglovin last week. This is such a massive milestone for me and feels amazing. When I first started blogging I thought I’d just be writing for myself, so to get such lovely feedback from my readers feels fantastic!

Anyway, onwards an upwards as I have PLENTY to blog about, so watch this space! I also have big plans to dedicate one of the rooms in my new house in to a blogging/make up haven, and I'm really excited about having that personal space to go and write about lovely products.

Ta ta for now! :)

Laura Mercier Body Cream

I think I speak for most of us when I say we all like to treat ourselves occasionally (some more than others, which seems to be my problem!). Well here it is, my ‘splurge’ of the month. This month it comes in the form of Laura Mercier’s Body Cream.

I’ve heard so much about this product, and when I tried a sample in Selfridges recently, I just HAD to buy it. Everything about this product screams luxury, from the packaging, to the scent and most importantly the cream itself.

I love the glass jar that the product comes in, it looks so pretty and really feels like your pampering yourself and giving your skin a treat when using it. The scent I purchased is the Ambre Vanille, and after trying them all, this scent stood out by a mile to me. It smells truly glorious, and really lasts all day on your skin. I can still smell the scent hours after application.

Now down to the best bit, the body cream itself. A little bit really goes a long way with this (which is a plus considering the £45.30 price tag… eeeks). My skin is left fully moisturised, hydrated and best of all silky smooth.

This product is amazing, and I really can’t speak highly enough of it. It does have a much higher price than other body moisturisers on the market, but in my opinion, it’s more than worthy of the price. Laura Mercier also sell body scrubs, body washes and honey bath to compliment this item and I’ll definitely be trying those in the future.

Anyone else tried this product? What are your thoughts?

Batiste XXL Plumping Powder

The ‘backcomb’ trend has been around for quite some while now, and I have to admit, I've been a fan. My hair is very fine, and can look quite limp and lifeless, so I love giving it a little boost and adding some volume!

Since too much backcombing without the proper treatment can break and damage your hair, and not to mention be a right pain to brush out, it was only a matter of time before an alternative swept on to the scene. And so the root boosting powder was released.

Amidst the other products released, I noticed Batiste have released their own version. Normally known for their popular range of dry shampoos, which I think we’ve all come to rely on, I had big hopes for this product to live up the brands fame.

The theory behind these powders is you sprinkle a little at the roots and style your hair as required. The powder forms as almost sticky (although it doesn’t feel that sticky), and allows you to add volume to your hair, which then holds in place. I find just teasing your hair at the roots with your fingers gives good lift and for extra volume you can part the hair into sections and apply the powder throughout.

I’ve tried some of the higher priced versions of these but to me, this one is just as good. It’s on offer in Boots at the moment for £2.99. Go grab one quick for next weekend’s hair boost! :) 

Who else has tried one of these products? Or would you prefer to just backcomb?

My Blog is one!

Last weekend was my blogs first birthday. I can't believe that I’ve been blogging now for a whole year! I've had a few quieter months in between, but I love blogging and hope you all enjoy reading my posts. It's been lovely to network and get in touch with other bloggers and readers. I really appreciate all the comments, and love reading everyone’s opinions on products I've reviewed.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I have carefully chosen and purchased some of my favourite products to giveaway to one lucky winner, including a MAC lipstick in one of my fave colours. Have a browse at what's up for grabs and enter using the Rafflecopter below! :)

Products up for grabs:

MAC lipstick in Hot Gossip

Real Techniques Powder Brush

Eyelure Lashes in number 083

MUA Undress Me Too Palette

Carmex Lip Balm

Maybelline The Falsies Mascara in Black Drama

Mini Soap and Glory Hand Food

Mini Soap and Glory Scrub ‘em and Leave ‘em Body Buff

Mini Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter

Botanics Purifying Face Scrub

Avene Thermal Spring Water

Im-Press Nails

Rimmel Salon Pro Nail Varnish in Soul Session

You can enter using the Rafflecopter below. Good luck all! I hope the lucky winner enjoys using these products as much as I do! :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

First #OOTD - Night at the opera

Last weekend I went to the Gilbert and Sullivan festival in Buxton to watch The Pirates of Penzance. This was a bit of a blast from the past as I used to watch these operas every year with my family, but we haven't been for a long time. Buxton is a truly lovely place, and I always feel so at home there. 

Although we didn't have much time to get ready in the end, and rushed our make up and outfits, I thought I would attempt my first outfit of the day and show you all what I wore to the opera.

Dress - New Look - £19.99

Shoes - Dorothy Perkins - £12.99

Belt - New Look - £6.99

Bag - Michael Kors - £225

Watch - Michael Kors - $274 (bought in America)

We had a fantastic time over the weekend, and will definitely be going to the opera more often from now on. 

Just a quick post today, lots more coming up this week! :)

The Future of Lazy Moisturising

I was shopping in Boots the other day for my birthday giveaway (which I'll be posting about this week, check back soon!) when I spotted a new little gem! Vaseline's Spray & Go body moisturiser. 

This is a brand new product from Vaseline, and I had to try it. The theory is its a quick answer to body moisturising, and oh my gosh, it really is. I have so many moisturisers that I really enjoy using, but sometimes i just haven't got the time to properly moisturise, make sure it's all rubbed in and wait until your dry enough to get dressed etc etc. 

If you occasionally feel the same as me, you're gonna love this product! It literally does what it says on the tin. A quick spray over the necessary bits, a quick rub in and it soothes in to the skin really easily and super quick.

This isn't just a shoddy stand in measure either, the product really left my skin feeling moisturised and most of all, smelling great! I picked up the cocoa butter version. It comes in three great versions, Cocoa Radiant, Essential Moisture and Aloe Fresh.

I picked mine up for £4.99 from Boots, which I think is a great price and definitely worth the money. This product is so perfect if your permanently on the go, or at the gym, or anywhere when you might need a quick moisture boost. 

I definitely recommend this product. Anyone else tried these?

Maybelline Baby Lips finally in the UK!

I received the best email today, Maybelline Baby Lips are now available to buy online and instore at Boots. This is such exciting news!

I absolutely LOVE this product and on my recent trip to America I picked up five of these bad boys. I could never understand why Maybelline hadn't released such a popular product in the UK. Well our prayers have finally been answered and here they are. 

I carry a Baby Lips with me all the time, I have one at work, in the the car, in my handbag and the list goes on. This is because they are such a great lip balm and perfect for just throwing on daily without the need for a mirror. These are a few of the Baby Lips that I have.

L-R - Pink Punch, Pink Wink (not available in the UK), Coral Crush (not available in the UK) and Peach Kiss.

Maybelline have initially released six in the UK, at the price of £2.99. I picked mine up in Target and CVS in the states for around $3, which works out at about £2. So in usual UK style, they are a little more expensive over here, but still a great price!

L-R - Pink Punch, Pink Wink (not available in the UK), Coral Crush (not available in the UK) and Peach Kiss.

The formula is amazing, they really hydrate and condition the lips and seem to last a long time for a balm. Some have a slight tint to them if you want to add a bit of colour. My favourite part is the smell. Oh my gosh, they smell absolutely amazing, a true fruit sensation. 

L-R - Pink Punch, Pink Wink (not available in the UK), Coral Crush (not available in the UK) and Peach Kiss.

I'm exciting to try the six released in the UK, I already have Pink Punch and Peach Kiss, but will definitely be picking up the others. I'm hoping they release all the Baby Lips range here soon. 

Anyone else tried these, are you as obsessed as me?

New Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayons

My new lip obsession this week lies with Bourjois's latest release, the Colour Boost Lip Crayons.

Top-Bottom - Peach on the Beach, Fuchsia Libre and Red Sunrise

Since the release of the Clinique Chubby Sticks, the beauty world has gone mad for this style of lip product. Following Clinique, we had the drugstore releases from the likes of Revlon, MUA, Soap & Glory and 17 to mention just a few. I absolutely love Revlon's version of these, and you can read my review on them here.

So I guess it's no surprise that Bourjois have jumped on the bandwagon and released their very own version.

Top-Bottom - Peach on the Beach, Fuchsia Libre and Red Sunrise

Bourjois have only released four colours at the moment, but I love the colours they've chosen, they are such pretty shades for the summer. I picked up three of the four shades on offer, and they were, Red Sunrise, Peach on the Beach (love that name) and Fuchsia Libre. They are available for £7.99 each at Boots, and are currently on a 3 for 2 offer. They are also available at Superdrug.

L-R - Peach on the Beach, Fuchsia Libre and Red Sunrise

The formula is really moisturising and quite creamy. Bourjois promises 10 hour moisturisation and hydration along with waterproof colour. Unfortunately, i think that's a little over ambitious, as these don't seem to last anywhere near that long on me. Although for some strange reason, I actually enjoy to reapply my lip products throughout the day, so it's OK by me. 

The pigmentation is great for all the colours and a great addition to this product is the SPF that Bourjois have added to the formula. With the current weather these are the perfect choice for a pop of colour teamed with an SPF 15 protection. :)

Overall another great product from this brand and a perfect lip choice for the summer. 

Anyone else tried these yet? What's your thoughts?

Recent Haul

My bank balance does not like me this month as I’ve not been able to resist the shops. I’ve seen so many beauty bloggers putting themselves on spending bans recently, and I think I may be next! Anyway, I thought I’d share with you some of the products I picked up on my recent shopping spree.

My first stop was at the MAC counter in Selfridges. I literally cannot come away from Mac without purchasing anything. I picked up a new Natural Skinfinish as the shade I have is too light now, an eye pencil in Coffee, a Lipstick in Coral Bliss and two eyeshadows for my palette, Mystery and Black Tied. I love all these products so far and been using them pretty much daily. I was disappointed with the lipstick though, as it broke the first day I used it. Unusual for Mac products. :(

Next stop was Boots. I think we’ve all had moments where we’ve popped in Boots to pick up some lunch and come out having spent a small fortune! I’m guilty of this most days. In this particular visit I picked up an Essie nail polish from the new range in Naughty Nautical, a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss in Kiss Me Coral, a Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Bashful and a Maybelline Color Tattoo cream eyeshadow in Taupe.

I also popped by Tophop to pick up one of their cream blushers. I rarely wear cream blusher, but I absolutely love these from Topshops range. They are so pigmented but blend really well. I got another colour to add to my collection in the shade Afternoon Tea.

The last few products I picked up online from Illamasqua. They had kindly emailed me a 20% discount code, and it would have been rude for me to waste such a discount (or that’s what I tell myself). I decided to try the Hydra Veil after hearing so many positive reviews on this product, so far so good. It definitely withstood the heat test last weekend with the gorgeous weather we’ve been having. I also picked up an eye palette called Complement. It features four eyeshadows, three powder shadows in the shades, Slink, Forgiveness and Queen of the Night, and then a liquid metal shadow in the shade Focus. I wanted to try the Skin Base Foundation, so thought no time better to give it a go. :) I used Illamasquas handy colour chart to see which shade to buy. I managed to match myself nicely using my Mac and NARS shades.

So lots of new products for me to try and test over the next few weeks. I’ll be reviewing any favourites I find out of these, I’m sure they’ll be a few. Has anybody tried any of these? Let me know your thoughts! :)

On a last note, it’s my blogs first birthday next week. I’ll be doing a BIG giveaway in celebration containing some of my all time favourite products. So make sure you keep posted for that!

FABB Bloggers Event

I attended the FABB bloggers event in Manchester a couple of weeks ago and had a fantastic day. Being my first blogging event I didn't really know what to expect, especially as the events are kept quite under wraps for added excitement. When I arrived at 2022NQ, which was a great little venue, I was met by the lovely Tor and Ray who welcomed me in.

First stop was the bar for a refreshing Koppaberg, it was such a warm day I think everyone was thankful for an icy cold drink. After meeting the lovely Steph and having a chat with her, we decided to hit the brands. 

There was a nice mix of brands there from swimwear and clothing to skincare and tanning. I picked up so many great new products to try which were kindly offered out by the brands. 

There were some great prizes to be won, and I was lucky enough to win a bottle of Balance Me's Rose Otto Body Cream. The gift bags put together by Tor and Ray were fantastic and had so many different products to try out. I'm so excited to properly dig in and use some of these things. 

The photobooth was not to be missed, with many bloggers getting creative with the range of props on offer and posing for pictures. 

All in all it was a brilliant day and it was great to meet and chat to so many girls who share the same interests and passions as me. And again, a big thanks to Tor and Ray for putting this amazing day together, I know you worked really hard and it definitely paid off. I can't wait till the next one!

For now, i'll leave you with some pictures from the great day! Some of the pictures used in this post were from the fantastic photographers on the day, check them out here and here. :)

July Glossybox

I am in love with this month’s Glossybox. Firstly the packaging this month is amazing! It’s based around a sea/beach theme and I’m a bit of a sucker for anything beach themed, so love this.

The products inside follow the same theme, and considering the gorgeous weather we’ve been having in England recently, this is the perfect box for this month.

Ciate London - Paint Pot

I’ve wanted one of these nail polishes for ages now, so was so happy to see this in the box. Over anything else the packaging is just so pretty, and looks lovely sat on your dressing table. I got the shade ‘Pocket Money’ which is a gorgeous nude/dusty pink colour. Can’t wait to try this.

Anatomicals - Spray misty for me facial spritz

I love using facial mists and carry one all the time in the summer months (when the weathers behaving itself anyway). It smells really lovely, like lavender with a minty fresh edge. A lovely spritz of this midday certainly left my skin feeling refreshed in the warm weather.

Coola Organic Suncare Collection – Mineral Face SPF 20

Another thing I always carry in the summer is an SPF. Especially protection for your face, I always try and use foundations or BB creams that contain SPF in the summer months. By using this particular face protection you will also benefit from its anti-ageing properties while it smooths and tones your skin. It also promises to reduce your pores and inflammation along the way. This little tube is perfect for popping in your handbag, and will be staying in mine while this weather sticks around. Big hopes for this.

Alterna Haircare – Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist

I love using these sprays on my hair in the summer, especially when I’m on holiday. I’ve tried both the Redken and Lush sprays which are great. I find salt sprays so easy to work with and really create those ‘beachy waves’ with minimal effort. I’m so excited to try this product and it’s definitely coming on my next holiday with me.

Pukka Ayurveda – Radiance Serum

Anything that promises to boost your skin and add radiance is worth trying in my opinion. Ive used similar products in the past and not been overly impressed with the results. I’ll definitely be giving this a go, and fingers crossed for a brighter looking complexion.

So that’s it for this months box, and I love all the products I received. I think this may be one of my favourite boxes I’ve ever received, big words, I know! 

What did you all get? I can’t wait to see what products were in the other boxes!

Marc Jacobs Beauty Line

I have always been a fan of Marc Jacobs as a designer, so when I found out he was releasing a make up line I was very excited to see what it would include. 

Unfortunately for us UK girls, the brand is only going to be released in Sephora. It'll be available in US stores and online from August 9th, then rolled out around Europe throughout 2014.

The packaging of the products themselves look amazing, Marc's done well to keep within the style of his brand. They look classy and sleek with that designer edge, a great edition to anyones makeup kit.

Now for the part that we all grit our teeth about... The price! And I'm actually happy to tell you that the prices seem really reasonable for a premium product. The prices range from between $24 for a lip balm, and $59 for an eye shadow palette containing 7 colours. Not too bad at all I think, quite in line with Mac prices. 

I am really hoping these products eventually become available in the UK. I can't wait to get my hands on them. Although I think like most, the ultimate dream is for Sephora to reopen their UK store. Come on Sephora, come back to us! :)

But for now we'll have to swoon over the pictures and if there's any American beauty bloggers out there who want to do a US/UK Product swap, get in touch, haha. :)

Let me know if you plan to test and review any of these products, I'd love to hear your opinions! :)

Colourful Summer Nails

As you may have noticed by my recent tweets and blogs, I've become obsessed with nail varnishes recently. I can't seem to stop myself from buying them! 

I saw a deal on Wowcher a while back for five Essie nail varnishes for £15. Bargain I here you say? Essie polishes are normally £7.99 each!

Top to Bottom - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The website that was offering this great deal was Cosmetics By Candy. They were really quick to arrive and featured mostly colours from last season, but still perfect for this summer. I tried so hard to get my hands on Bikini So Teeny last year but it was sold out everywhere. 

L - R - Cascade Cool, Fear & Desire, Bikini So Teeny, Mojito Madness and Off the Shoulder. 

The colours that arrived were gorgeous and exactly what I'd buy in the shop. I couldn't wait to try them out. The above nails were painted with 2 coats. The colour is really opaque and gives great shine even without a top coat. 
I'm totally obsessed with Essie polishes, and on this website, even without the deal I got, they sell some for £2.99.  Really amazing value.

Who else is an Essie fan? Favourite colours?